章 17: Rescue complete
It truly was a sad and pitiful sight. But that was the norm in Gotham City was it not? This city that was cursed, forever to be nothing more then a crime infested hell hole. Yet even those word's did not do justice to the type of city Gotham was. Maybe he went about it wrong, this was not some fictional city anymore. Everything was real, the tragedies and death's. Maybe he should have learnt that fact when he helped Percy, a man driven to the edge. Had he not interfered there, what could have happend? Percy dies? His wife and daughter gets taken and who knows what happens to them?
Despite the stakes of the situation, that was a normal day in Gotham. Were he not involved, then that whole family would have probably died or worse.
Same with them.
Huddled together in the dark and dirty dampness of the two train carts was a sight that would churn the stomach of most. Women and young girls, the majority were dressed in rags, other's with clothing that had gone dirty and was torn. And some did not get the luxury of preserving their degrading modesty. Some were in a much more worst state than other's with clear and severe bruises covering their bodies like a severe infection.
They huddled together with some seeming to try and comfort the younger one's. All in an attempt to stay sane maybe, or perhaps they had hope. Though some had long since given up on any semblance of hope, that blank and vacant look in their eye's told him as much. Gojo shook his head as he thought of what he could say.
They were still scared, evident from them remaining in the clausterphobic space of the carts. That wary and fearful look in their eye's did not pass his notice. Though the bodies littered behind him most likely attested to the fear. But what should he do? Word's of comfort might work, but what did he have to say. 'It's okay now, you're safe?' That did not seem like the right move. They were not okay, they might never be okay.
Ah, the answer was simple. He should just be Gojo, himself.
"Yo! Sorry it took so long, but I, you're knight is shining armor have finally arrived!" He declared with an over the top announcer voice whilst flashing a grin. Yes, he could have offerd some soothing word's but if one were to act like an idiot you might have a more desired reaction, and yep there it was. He almost spotted the few blank looks among the crowd of women.
"A-are you really here to safe us?" One of the girl's, a brunette about 18 or so stepped forward. A flash of hope in her eye's and voice.
"Well of course. Wouldn't be much of a 'knight in shining armor' if I didn't, now would I?" Gojo's confident smirk remained as he offered the girl a hand.
She stared at it for awhile, the hesitation clear in her eye's. But soon her smaller and delicate hand stretched out, for a few seconds she seemed to hesitate but in the end their hands touched. Gojo helped the young girl out of the cart, momentarily her eye's glazed over the carnage that consisted of the mutilated corpses of her captors. Disgust was evident but that soon turned to relief with a bit of satisfaction.
"Here, I brought everything." Red Hood's voice caught their attention as the vigilante approached with a pile of clothing in his hands. "Don't imagine they'd wanna wear the clothes of these scumbags, but some clothing is better than none." Red Hood spoke as he placed the clothing in the cart, some other women stepped forward as they retrieved the clothing before handing it to the less fortunate.
It really was something, everyone was suffering yet still some stepped forward to help those who had it much worse. Steadily more of them exited the carts, some helping eachother whilst other's attended to the children, shielding their eye's from the carnage of litterd bodies.
"T-thank you...." The girl from earlier spoke again, however her face was scrunched up with a distant look in her eye's.
"Eh, it's no biggie." Gojo said with a wave.
"N-No, those men...they..." She choked up with a sudden sob. It seemed she was breaking down, as tears erupted from her eye's as she failed to hold the back
"It's fine kid, you don't have to think about any of that anymore." Red Hood stepped forward. "These scumbags are dead and they're never coming back."
She nodded her head as she wiped a way the tears that streamed down her face. The suffering they endured was finally coming to an end, but unfortunately the scars would take some time to heal or maybe not heal at all. Unfortunately that was the reality of the situation, some of these girl's were lost.
"But thank you. I...I don't think I'll ever be able to forget...." She suppressed another sob as she continued. "But it's finally over, that hell is over. So thank you...."
Three 'thank you's' did not seem to be enough as she gave another word of gratitude before she joined the rest of the women and children.
"You need to work on your word's of comfort, 'no biggie' seriously?" Red Hood might not have a bleeding heart like most of the Batfamily but even he knew when to have some tact. He had come across many situations like this, children and women being abducted as if they were mere objects. Only be sold to some rich scumbag that used them as 'toys' or slaves. It was sickening, and usually the one behind such operations would end up with nice long torture session before they would ultimately be killed by him.
But in Gotham it was especially worse. Everything was organized to the extreme with every precaution taken. And the one's behind these operations never stayed behind bar's for long. Scum like them always had connections that landed them out of jail. And then they start their whole operations over again. And then the cycle continued.
Barbara, Dick, Cassandra and Bruce. Those four were so vastly different from eachother yet was still so similar. Their reluctance to kill, thinking that killing was wrong and that they would be no better than the villain. Thinking that criminals as insane as the Joker deserved a proper trial. Thinking that killing was never an option and not necessary, that there were other ways.
Cassandra had a pass though, he understood her situation well enough. And he understood that killing was not a simple task to do. Killing may be inherently bad, but it was a necessity for this messed up society of theirs.
"C'mon cut me some slack, I ain't exactly a hero." Gojo's voice cut him out of his thoughts as he turned his attention back to the blindfolded boy.
"Then why bother attacking this place?" He questioned.
"I was looking to piss off a certain someone."
("Hold on, could he be....")
"I see, well it's whatever I guess. The GCPD are on their way, I can keep watch on the girls and our gigantic friend over there." He spoke gesturing to the unconscious behemoth of a man tied up with bent metal railings courtesy of Gojo. "You might want to get out of here before they show up. This city isn't exactly friendly with unknown metas." Red Hood informed.
"Aww~ Thanks for looking out for me best friend."
"How are we friend's exactly?" Red Hood's word's caused an exaggerated gasp from Gojo.
"But we had our moment and everything! Was it all a lie!? Was none of it true!?" He put a hand over his eye's as if to stop the none existing tears from spilling out. If he did not have his helmet on, then his extremely dry stare would have pierced Gojo. Atleast some of the women got a chuckle out of it.
"Just go." Red Hood spoke with a sigh.
"Bye-bye! Let's do this again sometime." Clasping his hands together, Gojo disappeared from their view in a blink.
"Gotham just gets all the weirdos, huh?"
____________________
[TIME SKIP]
"Hm, you're doing much better now. Lasting longer against me as well." Sandra commented, as she relaxed her stance her hands falling to her side.
"That'swhatshesaid." Gojos mashed up and jumbled word's were of course ignored by Lady Shiva as she looked at him with a calculating gaze.
"You're improving as well, I spot less openings as time goes on. You also prioritize attacking vitals now as well, and a impressive display of quick learning." She complimented, though her tone was so cold and blank that it would be hard to take it as such. It was more like she was noting all the useful thing's about his combat abilities instead of actually complimenting his growth.
"Aw shucks, you're making me blush, teach~" A hand was placed on his face to hide said 'blush'.
"You're growing Satoru, you learn quickly and you adapt faster." She evaluated.
"Yeah, keep the compliments coming." Gojo's giddy attitude was of course ignored by the women. Seriously it was like talking to a wall in the form of a crazy Asian lady.
"You may be ready soon...."
"Oh yeah, I might be away for a day or two. I got some business to take care. Now I know, you'll miss me but don't worry I'll thi-"
"I see, then notify me when you return. Training shall then start again." Sandra cut him off as she merely walked away.
"S-so cold sensei. Aren't you worried about breaking your poor student's fragile heart?" He was ignored as she went to mediate. Forcing out a downed expression Gojo walked away with a slump like that sad ant with a bindle. "Okay I'm going now. No goodbye? No 'good luck out there?' Nothing, nada? Okay I'll leave." Not receiving a goodbye anytime soon, Gojo left the training warehouse and walked onto the open street's of Gotham.
Leisurely he walked through the streets of the city, with not much to do whilst strolling his mind went back to the events of yesterday.
("Hehe, Black Mask must be so pissed right now.") Anyone placed in the crime bosses situation would be. To have so many business operations shut down in such a short time was not good for anyone.
The results were clear too, the assassins after him had doubled in mere hour's. It seemed as if Black Mask was now actively hiring them instead of just relying on the bounty placed on Satoru's head. Sure the pressure on him now, was tenfold of what it used to be. But he had nothing to worry about, unless God decided he wanted some quick cash, he was fine. Any known assassin stood no chance.
Those cocky thought went through his head as he pushed passed creaking doors and enterd an old building. Stepping onto the first floor, there was a simple reception desk with an elevator at the far back and stairs to the side. It could easily be seen that the place had seen better day's, walls moulding and filled with graffiti and the ground litterd with all manner of trash.
"Charming place to meet up at." Gojo mused as he moved to the stairs before he scaled them. He came to a stop at the fourth floor, he detected one of his soon to be teammates in the main room. The whole place was full of cubicles, an old workspace he noted. Gojo moved to the back of the floor where the bosses office would have been. He stood infront of the door before pushing past it, only to be greeted with a combat knife slicing through the air and toward him like a projectile.
The knife's advance was of course stopped as it idly hovered infront of his face suspended, Gojo flicked the knife to the side as he turned to the assailant with a grin.
"Hi honey, I'm home!"
"Tch, it's you." Ravager spat out those word's as she remained leaning against the wall. "Thought you wouldn't show."
"Ah, hence the knife to the face, completely understandable." She did not comment on his sarcasm. "But where's daddy dearest by the way?" Ravager resisted the scowl that threatened to creep onto her face as she settled for a glare.
"That's none of you're concern."
"Why so hostile? You still salty about losing?"
"That fight was a fluke, I didn't expect that enchanced strengh of yours. I'll do better next time." She sounded so sure of herself despite the mere shockwave of his punch having damaged her so much. But she did atleast know she was the more experienced fighter. Him constantly dodging for the most part was tedious though, but she was sure he had more card's up his sleeve. She would not underestimate him again.
"Sure, sure. Whatever let's you sleep in night." A vein bulged on her head behind her mask as a full scowl formed on her face.
"Wanna find out then, punk? Let's step outside."
"You feeling lonely? Go by yourself."
The two's eyes behind their 'masks' met in an intense staring contest. Neither of the two seemed content on losing this little match. Unfortunately however someone interrupted their little game.
"That's enough, children." Slade silently enterd the room, not even his gear had made any sound as he moved. He threw a quick glance at Gojo. "Our job will be taking place in Metropolis." He stated immediately, not beating around the bush. He was the kind of man to just stay on track and not waste time on meaningless chit-chat, it seemed.
"You two will proceed ahead of me, I have something to take care of in the mean time." He stated, content on not at all elaborating.
"Ooh, a free vacation to another city? Count me in." Ravager looked at him as if he were an idiot. Such a look was warranted as who would talk to Deathstroke The Terminator in such a casual tone? "By the way, what's this job even about?"
"Ravager will inform you once you reach Metropolis, I do not care how you reach the city. However you will meet with Ravager in this location." His word's sounded more like an order as he tossed a card to a distraught Gojo, who caught it.
"You're not paying for my trip?" He couldn't quite teleport that far yet, and he would need a clear visual to work with.
"No. You may go now."
("Talk about the bluntest meeting ever. Couldn't he have just told me this yesterday? What was the point of meeting up here?") Gojo shook his head as he turned to leave the room, maybe it was just to be dramatic. These villains were always over the top for the dramatics.
Either way, it seemed tomorrow was a big day.
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