บท 227: CHAPTER 224
[TOM HENDRICKS POV]
"Now what's the update regarding both of my attempted murder cases? I believe you should have some information by now, especially considering who's handling the first one." I said to both Leo and Jason, asking for updates from the parties of Deathstroke and Deadshot.
"Concerning your recent shooting, turns out the establishment where the terrorism attack took place belonged to Feng Chonglin, the leader of Gotham City's triad." Leo informed.
"Oh, and being I was accused as an accomplice to the terrorism which destroyed his establishment, he sort to take vengeance on me by assassination. Hmm…My life as compensation for the business he lost." I broke down.
"That's how it would seem." Leo replied, while Rachel brought me some more fruits to chow on. "But I'm afraid he might make another attempt, being that you are still alive and kicking." He added, earning himself an hateful glare from Rachel, showing she was willing to bring down this so called triad boss if he ever made another attempt on my life.
"Relax darling, I will handle it." I said as I brushed my fingers through her hair when she got an emergency alert. "Seems like your team needs you, don't worry I'll be fine." I said, trying to get rid of her so I could speak more freely with the boys. "Are you sure?" She asked, hesitant to go and was fully adamant on staying with me at the hospital, but her heroe duties called.
"Of course I am, just tell the officers at the door that am taking a nap and do not need anyone disturbing me for next hour or so." I said to her and she gave me a passionate kiss on my lips before walking out the door to do as I had just instructed, rather than just create a portal and just teleport herself over.
"Now that she's gone. Gwen, switch the camera image from I and Rachel being all chummy, to one of me taking a nap." I instructed. "Done, Master Tom." She replied.
"I'll send a message to Feng Chonglin as Ghost, telling him that Tom Hendricks is under my protection and any more attempt on my life from his end would be the end of triad business in Gotham City. Also the end of his pathetic life."
"Noted." Leo answered, seems he was a bit worried as to how we were going to handle the triad without starting some kind of war in Gotham's underbelly.
"Any update from Deathstroke?" I asked Jason who was currently munching on a banana.
"Yeah, dude left your hostage under my care and she was in a pretty bad shape. He said he had some job he needed to take care of, just assumed it had something to so with his side job as a mercenary." He replied.
"So, what info was he able to drill out of her?"
"She belongs to a small and anonymous organization known as the Sparrows." He reported. "Never heard of them." Leo chipped in.
"Of course, that's why they are an anonymous group." Jason replied. "There's no record of them or their members, and she didn't reveal any names. She's willing to die than betray her comrades." He added.
"The Sparrows, huh." I mused, stroking my chin as I thought on it. "That's admirable. Since she's of no use to us anymore, dispose of her." I instructed.
"I had a feeling that would be your reply." He muttered with a sigh. "Cremate the body after eliminating her, we don't want to leave any sort of trace or residue behind." I instructed him.
"That's way better than just burying the body in some woods somewhere, or feeding her to the fishes." Leo chipped, swiping himself a mangoe from the fruit basket.
"You guys know these fruits are for me right." I reminded. "I already lack melanin, I need my fruits." I added.
"No wonder your skin is as pale as that of a ghost." Jason blurted out, grabbing himself an orange as he walked towards me, but I couldn't ignore the irony to what he said. "Here, you need this more than me." He said as he cut the orange in two and handed it over to me.
"It was mine to begin with." I sarcastic replied as our trio continued to chatter on.
….
Later that night, I got a visit from a very much expected guest, Batman. I acted like I was ignorant of his presence and kept staring at the ceiling like I was lost in my thoughts because I was having difficulty sleeping.
"Thought you were staying out of trouble." He said with his gruffly voice, breaking the silence which was only occupied with the sounds from the machines in the hospital room. They kept reminding me of how getting my body to accept the needles and all was a real hassle, especially for someone who's very own brain is wired to protect the host from any sort of harm.
"Batman?" I asked, rubbing my eyes as I sat up. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out watching over the city or something?"
"Checking on you. Do you know why anyone want you dead?" He asked, I didn't want the conversation with him to go on for long, so it was best I gave him something he'd need to look into asap.
"I don't know, maybe someone held a grudge when I got accused of being an accomplice to terrorism when I was clearly just a victim as well." I replied, it was better than just playing the ignorant kid card.
"That is possible." He responded. "What are you going to do now?" He asked, he must be wondering about my next move. But I wasn't some whimp who would pipe down after something like this.
"After what just happened, I found myself thinking a lot lately and have to come to the decision to help the people of Gotham City, no the world, in what little ways I can." I said with confidence laced in my tone and in my glare.
"I see, that's a good one kid. But Gotham isn't a place for playing the good Samaritan, you would eventually get targeted again."
"I know, after my accident which was the cause of my amnesia, I felt like I was given a second chance at life. I would like to use it in helping people in what little ways I can, rather than just shutting the world out and staying a loner forever. If I die because of this step I'm about taking, then at least this time I die doing what I felt was right." There it was, pulling up the good guy card on him like a reversed Uno.
"I'm sure your parents would be proud." He said with an extremely subtle hint of sentimentality, if only he knew the hardened criminal he had been searching for all these while, was just seating right in front of him.
"I think they will." I replied as my lips slowly spread into a sad smile, revealing the loneliness I felt from losing my loved ones all at once, something he could relate to.
"Jason's staying with you right? Are you aware of his late night activities?" I didn't know if he asked that as a trick question or not but it was best I admitted to it, the innocent kid act wouldn't match the steps I was going to take in the next couple of weeks.
"Of course am aware, he's protecting the city in the only way he knows how to. And I'm going to do the same, without the vigilante part." I replied.
"He might seem messed up in some ways, but he's a good kid. Take care of him." He said while remaining in the darkest corner of the room.
"It's not like I have a choice or anything, he's the only friend I have in this city." I said with an exasperated tone. "I should probably make more friends." I said as I seemed to muse on the thought.
"Mind the company you keep kid." He said before disappearing out my window, without any sort of goodbye. Just exiting the conversation midway, that really sucked.
…
[The Sparrows hideout]
"Ehnn!!!" Arthur remarked. "That bastard was almost done-in by some bullet? What a lame way to die if you asked me, especially since we are yet to confirm what really happened to Stella.
"How about I go find out myself?" Fangs suggested, rolling a silver coin through his fingers. "You mean, go ask him yourself then kill him if he has nothing." Charlotte said, exuding an air of sexiness as she flipped back her hair, which was black in color with a reddish tinge.
"We were offered the job to kill him anyway and it's been too long. If Stella is dead then so be it, blame it on her own weakness." Jamie said, running his hand through his gold colored hair as he held on a serious look in his eyes. "Fangs you're up, go and hunt down our little prey, kill him in the most painful way you can as revenge for your sweetheart." He added before getting up to exit the room like his mood was suddenly spoilt.
While Fangs lips spread into a wide grin, finally given the opportunity he's even itching for.
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