“Now with that handled, who sent you two?” Batman asked with a calm demeanor that clashed with what just happened. You would think he would be breathing deeper which he was taking in more air from what I could hear but he was managing it like a pro sprinter would.

His calm demeanor further contrasted with the macabre redecorating the massive room had undergone. Glancing around it looked like something out of a horror movie with blood, organs, limbs of various states, craters, knives, and other bladed instruments sticking out of the floor, walls, and ceiling.

The metallic tang of blood filled the air as I found myself wishing I had used a helmet or something. 

“Silhouette sent us. Said the Court was making moves to wipe out the people of the city and they had to be stopped at all costs. Looks like we failed…” I say glancing over at where the air purifier had been before they took it.

“Normally I don’t have anything to do with this lifestyle like you do,” I say gesturing at him as he remains firm as he looks between me and Jade as she steps over to my side crossing her arms as the squelch of blood is heard under her boots.

“You're welcome for helping you by the way.” She says flippantly, her voice distorted by the helmet.

“I didn’t need your help, and for the record you got in my way.” He says stepping forward menacingly to her as she freezes up before I step between them.

“That’s enough. Sure we may have gotten in the way, but Black Cat isn’t wrong.” I say looking between the two of them and ignoring the stare Jade is giving me for the random name I just gave her for her masked identity.

Batman is now staring down at me fully.

“Had we not stepped in when we did, they would have gotten both purifiers. Plus despite you being equipped to handle the Court, you could have died here with the amount they were throwing into this room. Imagine dealing with that on your own.” I say to him pointing my finger and tapping him on the chest three times for emphasis.

He stays silent for a moment after what I had just said before breaking the silence with the occasional dripping of blood on the floor.

“Why do this?” He demands stepping closer looking like an imposing sight and he would have been to me had I not gone through my upgrades, and I won’t lie it is a little intimidating knowing I am exhausted as I am right now in the same room as Batman.

“To help Gotham and do the right thing.” I give a simple and honest answer, one that Jade steps out from behind me agreeing with me.

Now if she is doing this to get out of trouble with Batman and following along with me or doing it because she agrees is up in the air for me. Hard to say with her since she has opened up to me. I find myself questioning a lot of what I thought I knew about her.

“You can do the right thing by not getting involved in dangerous things like this,” He says, looking between the two of them before letting out a sigh as he continues, “But that would be hypocritical of me to order you to do so when you have shown you are capable. So thank you for helping.” 

A silence falls between us as Jade and I share a brief look of surprise that he just thanked us.

“How do you know Silhouette?” He says as Jade still tense looking ready to start swinging but I place my hand on her shoulder as she glances back.

“It’s alright Black Cat. He isn’t our enemy.” I turn to him looking up at his masked eyes that somehow adjust like a normal eye would as it goes back to normal no longer glaring. “Right?” 

Batman sighs before looking between the two of us, “No. Not unless you give me a reason.”

“Silhouette saved my life when I first moved to this city when the gang war had started. So I owed him for that. Black Cat on the other hand is here because I used my friendship card!” I say pointing a finger in her face that she smacks away.

Telling him half-truths to better sell the lie and make it more believable. Silhouette did save my life since I saved myself. 

Jade meanwhile is doing an impressive job of having her head fully facing Batman but I could practically taste the curiosity coming off of her.

She has been interested in that since I first met her even though she hides it well right now.

Batman looks back at the two of us before looking around the room. Turning his back on us as he goes to the computers the Court talons had been at. 

Quickly typing on the computer as we stay rooted where we are looking at each other then back at Batman before I made the decision to walk towards him.

“How much did they manage to get? Anything worse than the air purifier?” I ask the most important questions as of this moment.

“Whatever was on those USB drives managed to get past the security on the computers, getting whatever was on them that hadn’t been taken to a hard drive and placed in a secure location.”

I open and close my mouth not having expected him to answer my question and instead rebuff me by saying I should go back to a normal life or to mind my own business. But he only told me they got through the security, but not what they got.

He glanced at the two of us before stepping away from the computer and he had ensured I couldn’t get a look at the screen since he blocked it from line of sight. Well as they say, are you really paranoid when they are out to get you?

“Of course, they would send two kids here…” He says shaking his head as Jade bristles at the comment of being called a kid if the tensing of her body was any indication. I don’t take offense and know he is referring to my alter ego.

Glancing over at Jade she looks like a cat raising its hackles.

“Kids that are far more capable than they appear.” I say back calmly with a knowing smile as he looks at me fully turning to face me as I see the damage to his suit.

Cuts nicking the uniform with several along his cape and seeing the metal beneath as gouges run along them with hints of blood. So his armor didn’t let him go unscathed from this skirmish.

“So it would appear.” He says walking away from us as he heads towards the door that is still locked from the alarm being activated. 

“You're not going to interrogate us?” Jade asks and despite the voice modulator in her helmet the weariness in her tone was obvious.

“I doubt Silhouette would inform two kids of any of his plans. I don’t like letting you two go, but you are children. I will say this,” He says stopping with his back to us, “I would recommend living your lives and walking away from things like this. As you both just witnessed, this can get you killed and you two are in over your heads.” 

“I – We both helped you! I was capable of standing beside you and holding them off…” Jade says gesturing wildly with her arms and hands in a rather abrupt display of emotion I normally didn’t see out of her.

Stopping at the door as his hand hovers over the buttons to the locking mechanism on the door. He turns back to the two of them.

“Hmmm…” 

We both look at each other and I can only shake my head at her as she deflates. 

“You really had to poke the bear didn’t you?”

“Oh shut up…” She says in return placing her hands on her hips. 

“So you two are going to do this again?” He asks us arms under his cloak with the only part of his face visible is like a blank canvas. I can’t read him at all. 

“Yeah.” Jade says with no shame holding her head high.

No.” I say not long after as her head snaps to me like I am the crazy one. 

“Good.” He tosses something that Jade jumps to catch.

Landing she looks down at what was tossed to her and it is a small black rectangle looking similar to a smartphone though far more compact and thin. 

“Expect to be contacted soon, and even though I shouldn’t have to say this I will. No lethal weapons, no killing or harming innocent people. And for you I expect you to stay out of trouble. Am I understood?”

“Yes.” We say in unison as we look at one another as he turns back around and starts opening the door after typing in a quick code that was blocked from my sight as the sound of the numerous locks in place are undone and the door cracks open before he puts his hand against it.

“You both should leave. I doubt you want Wayne Tech or the authorities to know you were here.” 

Knowing he was right they both turned to go to the hole outside of the metal plates for the windows before Jade doubles back trying to grab a few of her knives.

“Leave them.” Batman orders through the door as she freezes bent over about to grab one as she huffs and gets up and runs to the opening with me where we both jump out as part of my scientist disguise gets shredded as a black wingsuit forms under my arms as Jade engages her own with a neon green color to them.

“You and that color green, well at least you will make a nice target for shooting at when you show them where you are in the sky.” I snark at her.

“You just don’t have any taste.” She responds snootily but I could tell she seemed happy.

After landing on a nearby smaller skyscraper from a big but lesser business compared to Bruce’s company a couple of hours later we are at my apartment resting. I thankfully had the foresight to have the engineers undo their previous work on my apartment so it doesn’t look like a five-star hotel room.

I had made a show some time ago getting some materials after getting the go ahead to fix up the apartment room. So it looks better than what it should be but not something that would immediately draw suspicion.

“Feel anything off?” I say to Jade as we sit on the couch enjoying some random cartoon show about a bipedal child elephant tricking and outsmarting some African poacher as he runs after it with a shotgun. 

“For the last time, I said I am fine. Ugh,” She raises her looking up at the ceiling as if it would have all the answers for her, “You already checked me over for any poison and made sure I drank one of those disgusting antidotes you have around.”

“Wasn’t asking about the poison, was asking if you managed to regrow those brain cells you lost fighting the talons and taking Batman up on his offer to show you the ropes.” I say in an emotionless voice, the kind someone has after a long day of work. In my case, recovering the chakra I used up in that fight.

Note to self, when I don’t have big reserves of chakra don’t go around using it like it’s going out of style. Didn’t help it had to be used against a bunch of assassins doing their best to copy Wolverine. Now I know why most Marvel characters say fighting him is such a pain.

You can overpower him. You can outskill him. Even outgun him. None of it matters when he can just heal it all back and outlast you.

At my comment, Jade's head slowly turns to look at me and even though I am not looking at her I know she is giving me her best glare. 

“Excuse me?” She says dangerously.

“You're excused, the bathroom is over there and be sure to wipe up after yourself, we are people not animals in here.” 

“That’s it!” She says as she tackles me on the couch. More like she tries to. I just put my hand on her head as I never once take my eyes off of the cartoon as the baby elephant's mom shows up and just bonks the nervous-looking poacher who finds himself a new home in the ground.

She grabs my wrist putting my pressure on it and if I was a normal person it would have broken my wrist snapping it back, but despite being as exhausted as I am, she is just as exhausted which makes it a moot point. 

All are equal before the grind in the end. Dust to dust and all that. Or whatever they say.

That and she knows by this point such things don’t work on me so she isn’t putting much effort into hurting me.

After several seconds of trying to get me to let go and besides a few punches aimed at my arm since she couldn’t reach the rest of me she gives up crossing her arms as she pouts. 

“So you want to explain to me why you want to leave Gotham yet for some reason thought it was a good idea to take lessons from Batman… Is he giving you lessons?” I look up pondering that before looking down at her as she looks like she is questioning the same thing.

“Save that for later, why do that when you want to leave?” I ask her not finding myself insulted by her actions, just curious as to her thinking and reasoning.

She freezes in her actions as she falls back on the couch deep in thought. We sit there for some time as I simply watch the next few cartoons on the episode as they seem like this world's equivalent to Looney Tunes.

She finally breaks the silence as she speaks. “I didn’t think that far ahead.” 

She says this quietly as I turn to look at her. “Huh. Kind of surprising hearing that from you of all people.”

For my troubles I get a pillow to the face. Taking said pillow and nodding to myself, placing it behind me as I am more comfortable now than ever. Reclining further into the couch as Jade just looks at me like she can’t believe it.

“Well believe it. Despite my upbringing and who taught me before I met you, every kid dreamed of fighting beside this city’s biggest celebrity if not learning from him.” 

“So long as you think things through properly.” I counter back, “Makes sense I suppose since Batman would be a big deal for you to meet. Do you think he will let you walk away when you want to?” 

She goes silent as she thinks it over before looking into my eyes and nods. “Yeah. Yeah I think he would.”

“Good. If not, I will still help you get out of this city.”

She looks at me for a moment. “You're a good… friend Daniel.”

“And you were an even better student and friend yourself, Jade. Not many would be willing to fight the Court for a friend.” I say back as we both turn back to watch the TV occasionally getting something to snack on. 

As time goes by a random question just pops into my head and I don’t know where it came from but I think I am curious enough to ask.

“So how long do you think you will last under him?” 

The question makes her tilt her head as she thinks it over. 

“Hmmm… I could last a couple of years.” She says confidently as I just shake my head and smirk and she rolls her eyes at me.

“One of these days you need to take off those rose-tinted glasses. You might just be able to see things clearly again.” 

“I think I see just fine, after all, I still see you are a brilliant idiot.” She countered back playfully.

“Oh really? And pray tell, how am I a brilliant idiot?” I ask, playing along.

She chuckles at one scene with a small rabbit tricking a wolf into smashing his tail with an axe in a rendition of Tom and Jerry before turning to answer me.

“Not many people who run an illegal back alley clinic that is now considered a city-wide treasure who got an all-expense paid tuition to go to Gotham University would jump at the command of this city’s rising boogeyman to fight another boogeyman of the city.” She says back casually as if she is listing known facts of the universe.

Like water is wet, fire burns, and I am smart yet stupid.

“To be fair to Silhouette, if it wasn’t for him you and I never would have met and I would be dead. Plus how do you think a lot of that stuff in the clinic was paid for?”

Despite what many would say speaking of such things after just meeting Batman since you know tracking devices and recording devices are a thing. Counterpoint Jades and my outfit had some specialized sensors built into them that would show whatever touches us. 

Any form of pressure whether it was a punch of something as small as a raisin and the suits would be checked over and show us everything that had been touched and whatever was still attached to them. It’s how we found the few trackers he had planted on us. 

Jade did drop off her new method of staying in contact with Batman in a safe place that had no way of connecting her civilian identity to her activities with me. But I doubt it will stop him from figuring out her identity and in turn who was with her. 

We are seen near each other enough to make me a candidate for the one seen with her in Wayne Tower. I am not as bothered by it as I should be simply because I have done things to make sure Silhouette and I are the farthest thing from one another and to ensure Silhouette is seen as someone else.

I don’t intend on keeping that alter ego forever and eventually putting it to rest but that time hasn’t come just yet.

“What does that have to do with you going into the lion's den?”  She countered back.

“The same reasoning as to why you followed me into it despite your fear and hesitation to face the Court's assassins.”

She goes silent at that as she grudgingly accepts it. It helps make it seem more believable when I say it because Dad and Furgus always taught me about paying back people you owe. If you owe something get it off of your back, the sooner the better as they would say.

“So how long did you think I would last?” Jade says curious as to what my guess would be.

“I say six months. If that.” 

She gave me an indignant look like she couldn’t believe what I had just said. “Why is that? I managed to last under you and have improved far beyond what I did when I was fending for myself.”

I merely shake my head with a knowing smile on my face. “It’s not the training that you wouldn’t last with, it’s the no-killing rule.”

Whatever she was about to say with eyes narrowed turned into silence as she realized what I am getting at.

“Oh.” That’s all she says while thinking it over with a serious look of contemplation. Jade hasn’t done much killing but she was raised by Sportsmaster, a guy who was a dangerous assassin obsessed with his reputation. Sportsmaster not teaching her how to kill would be completely out of character.

Shows how much we have bonded together -- instead of putting on a mask of confidence like when we first met and the first few training sessions we had together she is willing to show genuine introspection and emotion. 

I mean just thinking back on her showing a more vulnerable side when she told me she would have to leave Gotham just shows that she isn’t necessarily using me like she was at first. To be fair so was I when I gained her aid as an asset and the things she required were as of now easy to get ahold of.

When I learned of who she was that made her more valuable as an asset. The me first arriving here in Gotham would have without hesitation got my money’s worth out of her and viewed her solely as a piece on the board. 

The me as of now that had trained with her and taught her things beyond just fighting and killing could and would call her a friend. Maybe even a little sister I never had.

Someone I could call for help or advice if she had any decent advice to give. Which she doesn’t but that’s besides the point. 

“I disagree with you.” She says quietly rising off of the couch with her back on it and her legs laying over mine. 

She sits up straighter as I have a raised eyebrow at her and takes it as a sign to go on.

“Before I would say you were right. I wouldn’t have lasted long on the no-kill rule. I… have had to do some things I am not proud of but I don’t take shame from them either. But now after training and learning from you, I think I could make it.” She gives a firm nod as she looks at me.

“While I can respect the resolve and confidence you have, and showing how much you have grown even though you still are a tiny little thing,” I say with a smile and ruffling her hair that she playfully smacks away as she freezes at the allusion of her being called small, “You do realize what this city has thrown at Batman, and whatever it will throw in the future you will be put through the same meat grinder he is, right?”

“I know the stories Daniel -- and before you say something like stories are nothing but garbage when faced with the real thing I am well aware of that. Considering all that I have endured, there were a few moments I would have broken, could have gone down a far darker path I may never see the light at the end of it. Only pain, misery, and suffering would be my companions.”

As she goes on she gets more animated and heated and it tells me she has thought about this stuff before. A warmth enters my chest at seeing Jade show far more emotion that was genuine and introspection. The ability to realize what her life could have been had we not met. It made me… proud.

“But after meeting you and learning to face my regrets, I can safely say that I could face those things alongside him. That is of course if he isn’t just using it as a means to keep tabs on us and get information from your boss.” She says the next part I was going to bring up with her.

I merely snort at that. “Glad to see you are thinking ahead on something at least. So the lessons weren't a complete waste of time.”

She merely smiles and shakes her head sending that giant mass of black hair everywhere on her head. “Please, you know I was worth every bit of time you put into me!” She says matter of factly as I let out a deep belly laugh at her brazen arrogance.

“Is that what we are calling it now? Not you begging me to- agh!” 

She didn’t even let me finish my sentence before she, unlike last time, managed to slither her way around the hand of holding small things and got me in a headlock.

“We do not discuss such things here! This is a safe place!” She growls out with a smile that holds an edge to it.

Prying her arm off of me and reversing the grab I give her the mother of all nuggy’s as she growls before grimacing.

“This safe place happens to be my apartment and it was never safe for you. We discuss anything and everything, like what I am to do to punish your impudence.”

She digs her elbow into my rib as she pries her head away from me. “Oh really, and what punishment do you give a bad girl like me?” She says, batting her eyelashes at me as she sits down on my stomach.

As her hands rest on my chest and her face gets closer I quickly place a finger in my mouth and before she can react shove it into her ear her eyes go from half-lidded to wide as saucers as she grabs at her ear as she falls back and I rise off the couch as she falls onto the floor with a shout.

“Bad girls get wet willies.” 

The growl she uttered as she looked up at me with a glare was something that would give nightmares to the everyday Gothamite. For me, it was just adorable. 

A couple of hours later Jade had left after she felt rested enough and needed to get back to her place. Finding my way into the workshop and getting to work with all that I need to and seeing what the source of my powers -- The Forge.

Figured it was about time I gave it a name. The name felt natural since most of the things it has given me tend to lean towards crafting and manufacturing. Whether that is just hardware or more magical, it’s all about creating things.

Setting up the pieces of metal of various kinds, ranging from copper, silver, and bronze the amulet was shaped like an egg with various bumps along it, some at sharp cube-like angles and others more rounded. Sitting it on the desk next to my potion ingredients. One of many I had set up after Jade had left. 

She didn’t voice it and made no comment about it but I don’t think I could make it anymore clear than I had the first time. I don't view her as anything more than a friend. Maybe a younger sister, but anything romantic between us I just don’t see happening. 

Glancing over at the various metals as I put them into the cauldron I had the engineers help me procuring the material needed, but not in making it beyond the mold. The knowledge gathered on these magical amulets and me seeing how I could fit the materials together into a far more efficient and effective mix for the best results helped immensely. 

Despite not understanding what I was doing since it was magic-oriented, it didn’t stop Light and a few of the others from watching and taking notes. 

The first amulet I had forged using those various materials and the shape it was given was to ensure the gathering of magic into that specific part of the warehouse and to help facilitate faster growth with better health. 

Won’t know how good it is until Heli gives me the results. Taking the various metals as I get to work in crafting the various amulets and trinkets that would prove useful tests to see how effective they can be in day-to-day life, and from there I could start incorporating them into my other ventures. 

The workshop now looked like a chaotic mix between a futuristic mass production facility to a greenhouse from the future meeting an old witches cottage. 

It was an eyesore and a part of me wanted to clean it up and make it more organized and that part will be indulged. I had realized what had been granted to me in the form of the newer section that looked like a Buddhist monks monastery. 

However I knew it was far from normal, my knowledge and understanding of rituals and having a small way of feeling the flow of magic or whatever is the source for it and feeling how my mind feels… unburdened and a weight I hadn’t realized that had been bearing down on me felt like it had been removed, if only partially. 

Not just my mind, oh no. My body even felt lighter because of it. Not physically but more spiritually if that made any sense. Like a mental and physical block not too far off from a creative block that would prevent otherwise amazing artists from making something spectacular. 

Finding several books detailing intricate drawings and explanations of the human body's nervous system and other such things that were far more articulate and dare I say accurate compared to modern day college course books on human anatomy. 

One such thing spoke of unlocking one's chakra points. Not the chakra I currently use from Naurto, but more magic leaning towards a mage from sword and sorcery than ninja magic. 

Messaging Light and the other engineers they could spare to get in here and start making books and digital forms of the jutsu from the warehouse they have been having those drones meticulously copy and download the information stored into those scrolls and having them moved into the massive library within this monastery. 

I enjoy and savor the feeling of relaxation as I train with my jutsu practice and chakra control exercises as I sit cross legged with my shirt off and despite how tired I am with sweat covering my form I don’t push myself too far since it I haven’t fully recovered from my fight against the Court. 

The smooth stone floor with the tree sitting beside me in a warm room with the wooden doors, the sound of absolute silence in this part of the monastery as I note how my chakra training is going far faster than it had before when I trained. Nothing had changed in my methods of training, and I made good progress far more than I had prior if I was to judge it, bias being set aside. 

Letting out a breath a chuckle bubbles up and I can only shake my head. If only I had this before, I would have reached far greater heights than I have currently achieved. Well, at least I have it now. With it, I could tip the scales in my favor when handling magic users. 

As I make my way back to my apartment out of the numerous rooms and hallways of the monastery now heeding Heli’s sound advice and properly resting as I should have been doing before, but I needed to check to see what I had gained and figured it was best to do it now. 

Hours later I found myself back on the couch enjoying a nice meal of a subsandwich with salad on the side with sliced tomatoes and ranch dressing because screw italian or anything else since it tastes like hot garbage. 

Enjoying a long overdue break and resting before whatever next thing decides to hit the fan making it rain on all of us. The heavens above know I need it. Shaking my head and enjoying the meal before getting back to the grind.

Turning through the channels before a text from Smith has me eyeing it before giving the go ahead to enact our plan. Just as I get just comfortable and enjoy a simple cartoon meant for teens I am hit with the mother of all headaches as I grab the side of my head as I push it further into the cushions of the couch in a vain hope of ending the pain.

Memories go by of my time in the Red Ribbon Army making weapons of war and machines masquerading around as people to bring a new world order to the Earth. Only to have it all crumble away like dust and ash as a child destroys all my life’s work.

My son's sacrifice was made in vain. Vengeance in my heart and refusing to let that kid walk off into the sunset with his friends and family after what he did so I spent years, decades in isolation creating machines while spying on the boy after witnessing his powers.

He handled the best the Red Ribbon Army could throw at him, so what would machines that are only slightly better do? So I waited despite the frustration and anger that grew worse day after day, month after month, year after year.

 

Then the long awaited day came! Only for it to all go horribly wrong. Every calculation was off and somehow they were stronger than they had any right to be. Both me and my creation died before we ever even got close to seeing that boy die.

At least I could rest easy knowing that the heart virus and a few other goodies I left behind for him and his family will ensure my vengeance is finished even if it is from the grave.

Heaving in lungfuls of air as I lay on my stomach on the couch groaning in pain yet the smile on my face and blood coming out of my nose and eyes does nothing to diminish what I had been given by the forge. 

 At least you don't need to have the beard. You're a brilliant scientist, an equal for the infamous Dr Gero, after he had a bunch of years in HFIL to study more. While you're a genius with just about every field of science on Earth, robotics is where you really shine. Creating Androids and Robots capable of destroying planets or even stars, along with having a huge variety of strange abilities and weird appearances. You're even pretty good about remembering to program them to not kill you, already making you superior to the late Dr Gero. You're also excellent at working with other scientists, combining your proficiencies and knowledge to create significantly greater creations than either of you could manage alone.