Chapter 8: The Long Halloween part I
It was now the fifth time in a row I was seeing the celling while laying on the floor. The most shameful thing for someone who can see into the future I may say.
"For how long you will keep lasing around ? Is that celling that beautiful ?" Said the one who was constantly bulling me those past two hours with a mocking tone. I really wanted to retorted, but but I didn't have the energy to. So I just ignored him, even if I knew that was a bad idea.
"You think that I will wait for you to recover? Your enemy will never show you that kind of kindness!" and just to support his words, a foot suddenly appeared in my visual field and come straight to my face with an impressive speed. With a considerable effort, I managed to roll aside from it trajectory narrowly escaped another injury.
"Dragon sensei, your too cruel. For a girl the face is very important you now?" I started to complain to distract him. So I could finally catch my breath. But, Richard Dragon obviously wouldn't allow me to do that. He start to laugh and said mischievously "If it's that precious, you would certainly put everything in the line to protect it right?"
Hearing that, I was expecting another foot blocking the light in front of me, but it didn't come. Having a bad feeling, I turn my to see what he was doing and, immediately cursed.
I saw him raised his leg, the foot behind like he preparing to shoot in a ball.
'F**k seriously?' somedays, I really doubt if didn't just want to kill me. Because looking at momentum he was gathering for his shoot, looking at his power. If I didn't die, I would at least be in a coma forever.
Before he strike, I quickly put my arms in front to act as a shield gathering all strength in it and tight my teeth hoping somehow that it would be enough.
But that tiny hope quickly shattered when I saw his smile from ear to ear like the devil he was. That smile just scared me like hell and all I want, was to escape. Unfortunately I didn't have the power for and....it was already to late.
When the strike came, I couldn't register if I flew five meter away and the pain came when I landed or if it was in the middle of the process as my head was fussy already. One thing for sure, I didn't passed away in the moment, I rolled three time before and every time I was rolling, pain just became more powerful. The last thing I remembered before passing away was him saying "Was it too much to handle?" and me cursing all his ancestors for asking the obvious in my head.
When I woke up, I was still seeing the same blue celling. Meaning that I was still on the practice ground. "That bastard didn't even bother to pick me up" I mumbled furious while still feeling a bit dizzy.
"If he had heard you, you be in ever sorry state than now" said someone causing some raising of eyebrows from me "Shut up, he deserve it and much more. Not helping a lady after taking here like a punching ball? What kind of manner is it?" as I said that, I tried to sit, but was instantly assault by a pain to my left shoulder. At first I thought that it was broken, causing me to nearly freaking out because I was going I was going home todays, but when I felt that I could still moving it I let a brief of relief. 'Although it would still be a pain in an ass to replace it fortunately it's just dislocated'.
Even if I tought that, fixing back my arm was not the thing I loved the most as I was not a M. But nonetheless, with the insane 'training' Richard Dragon give us over the past four years there has been plenty of time when I return with one or two dislocated members.
But it was never pleasant.
I closed my eyes and like a mantra kept saying 'Do it quickly and the pain will vanish quickly. Do it quickly...' and after taking a deep breath, I hold it and put back in place the shoulder.
The whole process was quick, for me it was like eternity. After that silence suffering, I finally managed to sit properly. Like the usual after the physical training, Diggle was sitting cross-legged in the air while closing his eyes.
"You know that you're not some martial expert who can cultivate right? It's not because you can now fly and make it look like became a jedi that you actually became Yoda" I said to tease him.
"That doesn't mean I can't beat you, Little Purple" he frown as he was calling me by nickname referring to when I got into full mode to see the future. And every time he call me that, it's means that he was bothered.
"Come on Padawan, we both know that even with your two abilities, you can't even touch me" I said while crossing my arms look down on him.
"It doesn't mean I can't beat you" he snorted back. "You wish"
Arguing with each other was one of my favourite games because every time we start, Dig always give up in the middle. But this time, I didn't had the time for that, because I had to prepare myself to not being late for the plane. I quickly pack my stuff and went to take a shower. When i returned, Dig just happened to finish his meditation training like he love to calls.
As he was stretching I couldn't help but take a glance as his bare-chested and muscular body and his handsome face. In the past four years without aunt Marisa getting in his hands he let his wavy hair grow up to his shoulders. And I have to admit that it suit him pretty well. 'Such a shame we're a family' I thought retrieving my eyes from him.
"Dig are you sure you don't want to come with me this holiday to Gotham? Auntie really miss you. And I think she start to blame herself to send you send you since you never once go back for holidays those past Four year. Don't you think you should go and see her after all this time?" I asked with sadness. But he continued his stretching and act like I never talked. But I insisted "Dig, she think that you hate her !" still no reaction "DIG!"
He finally bother to look at me and replied plainly "You know that I swear to never go back there before high-school. The time to come back isn't right for now. And I do have a grudge against her for sending me her"
That last sentence truly infuriating me "You're Lying! You never hated her at all. It's just that if go back now you're afraid that seeing her will prevent you for going back her to finish your training!!" "Even if you said is true and I'm not saying it is, I will not come back pressisly because of that. So stop trying to convince me" He silently stood up and and said "I'll take a shower and we'll go''
If most of the time, Dig always act like some sage spreading philosophic words when outside, (How did he manage to change that much?!) he was in truth the most childish person I ever met. In truth, he miss his mother even more than her herself, but he just doesn't want to admit it. Every time I spoke to her in the phone, even if he said he doesn't want to talk with her, after she hang up, he keep asking what did she want or if she's fine.
'If girls in in the school were to know that' I couldn't help but to laugh thinking of what kind face they'll make. As was passing a good time alone, my phone suddenly rang. Reading the name, I picked up the call and said with enthusiasm "Hey uncle Bruce! How are you doing? How's Gotham? I saw in the news what happened through the year. Still didn't catch that Holiday guy? But you surely have a clue no ?" nobody respond for a moment. 'I think that his mind wasn't prepared for such a warm welcome' was the first who goes in my mind when I didn't receive any reply.
"Hello Mallory. Thanks for the asking, I'm fine. And if you followed the news then you know that Gotham is not fine. The Long Halloween like the news call it, still continue. I'm even afraid that It can be worst than the Arkham event. And that actually the reason I called. I made a mistake in this case, and I need Diggle to came back here to help me"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing "No freaking way! YOU uncle Bruce made a mistake?! How is that even possible?! And why do you need Diggle help? He's not as awesome as you, you know? He can't even beat me in a hand to hand combat. And when he does win, its only because he use his full control control mode. So if you need someone's help, I'm here!" During five minutes, I didn't hear a sound coming from the phone. Sometimes, even if uncle Bruce was really awesome, I have the feeling that his ming was working very slowly. "Hum... Yeah, I mean no, I don't...hum. Yes, I made a mistake, and even you are strong I need Diggle because he... Let's say that he doesn't act as recklessly that you do and give pretty good advice too" he replied clearly not having yet registered what I said. That was just showing my point, slow mind. 'Maybe it's because he took a hard hit today?' I thought finding an excuse for him. But what he said vexed me.
"Whaaat?? I am not reckless, I just can't wait too long while action is calling me. That day on the chemical facility was an accident" I would not admit it, but yeah I pouted at that moment. But I wasn't that wrong. I swear! "Yes I believe you, but because of your mistake, I did one too that day and because of that, the Joker was born" he said with a serious voice making me want to plead my case.
"For my defence, it was my first true mission if we doesn't count the Mayor' Mansion one. So mistake had to be done" Yes that right, it was my first mission were I had to investigate search for clues and everything.
"If you say so, then I won't count that one, it wasn't the only one. Remember in the sewers when you let Grundy escape ? Or the night in the bar with the riddler? Or again...." I couldn't bearing anymore, so I cut him in his monologue "Yes Okay I get it! I'm clumsy sometimes, but that happen to everyone. And beside, I'm giving good advice"
"Sorry to disappointing you, but Diggle give better advice than you do. Just tell him that the first Holiday Alberto Falcone killed Salvatore Maroni, that every villains have have allied themselves to hunt the second Holiday while killing much more people than him on the way starting with the murder of Carmine Falcone. So I need that sidekick he said that would appear when the time need. And clearly, the time is here. So like you can see it's a pretty urgent matter" after saying that, he hung up leaving me stupefied. 'What a nasty thing!' was the only way I could describe that whole mess.
Mister Holiday, the guy who in this whole year continously strike on event days important people be it in the government or in the underground was in fact the son of Carmine Falcone aka the Roman and not Harvey Dent like everyone was thinking ? Furthermore there was just one Holiday but two?! And if it wasn't enough, the actual Boss of the underground in Gotham The Roman was killed by a coalition of villains who were looking for the second Holiday? But why in the first place villains would do that? And how came in just one week without checking the news of Gotham, so much happened? And what does Bruce was talking about when he said sidekick?
The world started spinning around me due to over information in coming. So I tried to quickly calm my self and recognise the information known.
One. one day just like that, someone start to kill people on Holidays.
Two. Because of that, the Joker saw that as a completion and start looking for him and apparently now he isn't the only villain who see the Holidays like a competition.
And now because of the two parties, two chiefs of the two big Mafioso families in Gotham were dead. 'I know see why Bruce need Diggle help but..' the problem for me was that if Diggle do really goes there uncle Bruce will told him about me doing super hero duty every time I go went back to Gotham. As I promised him to not do it before my fourteen years, he will be more than piss off when he will find out. Sometimes he could be such a siscon...
After thinking a little, I decided to not tell him of what's going on. And if there's someone to blame, it would be him because he never bother to look into the news of Gotham.
Thinking that to clear my conscious, when he went out of the shower, I didn't feel too guilty.
Unfortunately, during the ride to the airport I don't know if it's just me, but I kept have the feeling that he knew I was hiding something from him. And I think because if that I became paranoid, because every he talked to me, I had the feeling that with some sentence he was pointing me out to split the bit. And continue for a whole hour until it was time to embedded.
I was so happy to leave at that moment, that I almost run directly to plane without saying goodbye to him. But that didn't happen because he did something unusual coming from him that day. He hugged me. And as if it wasn't enough, he made feel even more guilty by saying "I know that with all the training you have now, you would certainly want to go out and play hero. But I asked you to not and stay away from the villains. I know its hard but I trust that you will not breaking out promises so be safe until the Holidays end"
And with that, I couldn't hold my guilt any longer and just speak the whole damn thing except the part when I played superhero, I still plan to live a bit longer.
Normally with my understanding of him, hearing that a danger like that was in the city he would surely take the first plane to go back, but to my surprise he kept staring me without saying anything. Even when I embedded.
______________________________________________
Two days later at night in the Wayne's Manor
"I do remember saying to you to convince Diggle to come no?'' said Bruce Wayne while filling papers. "Well it's not like didn't try. He just didn't want to come I suppose" replied Mallory without looking at him, apparently more fascinated by the window than the office or the people in there.
"But don't worry, me alone will be enough" tried to convince Mallory with puffing her chest. At which Bruce replied with a sigh "I hope that's true because I just put with Gordon Harvey and Joker in jail with the other free. And even if those two aren't free, I just have the feeling that something is wrong with this whole case"
Bruce, Alfred and Mallory were currently in Bruce office to talk about the new Holiday. Since the days Falcone was killed, with a identity of Batman, he kept tracking Dent who turn his side after being wrongly accused and the Joker for having gather more than seven super villains. But when the Joker was arrested, he said to Batman that after he get out, he will kill the second part of the Holiday. For Bruce, it's means that there was a second Holiday in liberty and the most scary part in that, was that nobody had ever noticed.
"Have you ever considered that maybe he wanted to say something else? Like I don't know 'when u jet out I will ruin the rest of the holidays by killing some people?'" asked Mallory absent-mindedly. "Joker isn't the Riddler. He hate riddles. Not knowing who he was, was one the biggest reason he went after Holiday. So if he's saying that, it's means..."
"It's means that another person wearing the title of Holiday is in town right mister Wayne?" Say suddenly a voice coming from the celling. Startled my this sudden intrusion, everyone looked up to see who is was, but a shadow was already down when they did. Surprising once again the crowd for seeing a person with such amazing abilities.
'So it her huh? Uncle Bruce didn't lie when he said she was skilled in stealth. Even when she falls, she didn't make a sound' Tought Mallory impressed by the newcomer with a slender and seductive body. That woman with a cat mask and tail was wearing a tight black suit, and claws in the gloves of her fingers was of course Catwoman alias Selina Kyle. One of the best thieft in the world.
"What a surprise Catwoman, I didn't expected you to be here. But if you're looking for Batman, he's not here" Said Bruce with a foolish smile he's acting skill immediately put into display. "I know Bruce, but the Batman said to me that he was your friend. So I was hoping that you could help me pass a message to him" replied Catwoman as she was already at the doorstep of the office.
"What kind of message a thieft would want to transmitted to the terror of criminals?" asked Bruce amused but truly curious. But next words quickly made a serious face replaced his smiling one.
"It's about Harvey Dent. Sofia, the daughter of Falcone is planning to kill him"
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Arikawane
Arikawane I will try to release two more chapter today, but I can't promise anything.
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