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The Silhouette and The Forge
Chapter 37
Jade was not having a good time. Far too many talons for her liking had been at several towering buildings across Gotham. Each group stood guard around machines that looked nearly identical to the air purifier they had stolen from Wayne Tower.
Silhouette had contacted her, telling her that they needed her services. They were even kind enough to let her know they knew what she would do with Batman and were fine with it, even telling her to abide by the rules Batman gave her.
She was skeptical of that, expecting Silhouette to have her spy on Batman. But nothing. Told her the details and that she would have backup.
Said backup came in the form of several men dressed in government agent suits with black shades standing around her and at other buildings waiting for the signal. Jade grit her teeth still feeling that fear Daniel had explained to her.
She knew he wasn’t wrong. He hadn’t been wrong when teaching her and helping her out. But knowing something and trying to get your subconscious to understand that was a tall order one that she was struggling to do. Despite the fear she had of seeing the so-called talons of the Court, she let out a breath she had been holding readying herself for the clash.
After this, she can leave with Artemis. She knew she had screwed up doing what she did with Batman after Daniel pointed it out to her. It was a spur of the moment for her, one that she didn’t think all the way through.
But could anyone blame her?
She was given an opportunity to learn from Batman. He was the biggest celebrity in Gotham and despite how much the criminals of the city feared him and were wary of any dealings at night they did respect him. Some of them even depending on things viewed it as a badge of honor to have Batman take them down.
Even more so if they managed to put up a decent fight against him and could prove it.
Batman was so well known and had survived some of the worst super villains the city could throw at him. He was bound to know a thing or two he could teach her and for once in her life she felt like she didn’t have to resort to crime or shady dealings just to survive.
A part of her that deep down she had long believed died off in the years she and Jade were taught by Crocker wanted to do good. She wanted to do the right thing. To be seen as a hero. Not a bad guy, a monster, even a criminal. A door amongst many in life she had believed to be closed off to her.
Then Daniel came and showed her that wasn’t the case. She owed him. A lot.
She was thankful he understood her situation and was willing to adapt and even compromise far more in her favor than his own.
It's largely the latter that she found herself watching and waiting tensely like a cord stretched as far as it would go. Jade just kept telling herself soon. Soon this will be over and she with Artemis in tow will leave Gotham for good.
A hand placed on her shoulder had her freeze up, almost lashing out with one of the concussion grenades Silhouette had supplied her with.
She stops when she realizes it’s one of the men working for Silhouette. “Calm yourself. Everything will be alright Shadow Cat. They won’t succeed, we will be victorious and you will have helped save the city. Worrying over what could be or things beyond your control will only hold you back.”
She slowly nods, accepting their advice. The thought of being touted as a hero made the thin line around her mouth change into a smile. Breathing in through her nose and out her mouth settling her nerves and heart rate slowing down.
It was dark, the clouds blotting out the stars and moon making it even darker. Her suit with its various vision modes built into it helped alleviate any issues she would have with seeing anything this night.
Swapping through thermal and then what Daniel had called it echo vision. Working similarly to sonar save for it being for seeing things through a helmet by sound rather than radar.
Like a hidden signal had gone off the agents began moving when a series of beeps came in through her helmet. It was time.
Running forward and leaping off the tower spreading her arms like an eagle about to fly off her wing suit activating letting her glide through the air. It was something she enjoyed and would quietly admit she was jealous of people like Superman and Wonder Woman who could fly.
That level of freedom and exhilaration with her heart thumping yet not out of fear but adrenaline and joy. The rush of air was isolated through the suit's audio sensors instead almost muting it with the other sounds of the city coming far clearer than they should.
Coming up on one of their targets, the suit nearly blends in with the dark clouds above making an early detection almost impossible.
Looking ahead to see the agents leaping off of nearby towers below the one she was aiming for and grabbing onto the buildings the Court had been using for their grand plan. Jade still found it hard to believe what they intended to do.
All the more reason to stop them. Coming closer and closer to her designated building with agents climbing close to the top. Adjusting her angle and pulling up slowing her descent. Seeing what will be her way to stop she holds both legs out impacting with a sickening crunch against a talon.
It goes flying up and over the edge of the skyscraper with the other talons all looking at her brandishing their weapons. She ignores the gunshots and explosions all going off one after the other across the city knowing the rest of the people of Gotham have started fighting back.
Tossing several marble-sized objects out, learning from Daniel how to accurately throw several weapons at the same time towards multiple targets. A few of the talons managed to completely evade the barrage of explosives.
Each marble upon contact detonated with a flash of light and a booming bang that would surprise many when something that small has that much power and force. The talons dodged the first wave.
She grinned in satisfaction that most of them didn’t realize they were supposed to. The other marbles that were tossed just slightly after her other hand were each aimed for areas that were clear from the first volley so they would likely go to avoid them.
The effect was glorious. Each marble hit and detonated on the talons, disorienting and throwing them off the side of the building. Beyond the few who were smart enough to dodge where none would hit there were a few others who got lucky.
Clawing their way out of the air conditioning units or other pieces of equipment. The talons who had dodged before making any moves were grabbed from behind and unceremoniously tossed off the side of the building by the agents with no sign of emotion, just cold emotionless indifference making them look more ominous than they already were.
Jade was normally used to things being creepy or unsettling. Gotham tended to have that effect on its people by desensitizing them to such things. What most would see as a scary movie in Metropolis or Central City, in Gotham, it would be something to point and laugh at, considered a dark comedy.
It was even considered a point of pride for Gothamites. But for her these guys were creepy. No facial expressions beyond when they spoke to her and it was almost like they were putting in some effort but simply didn’t care enough to show any emotion.
How they are so quiet, any form of motion, even subtle things like breathing or reacting to small or loud noises made her want to shudder when being next to them. No facial expressions or small habits people pick up when they feel certain ways.
They were her allies. She understood that. But she couldn't help shake the feeling of how creepy they are. It didn’t help that she questioned if they turned against her how well she would fare against them in a fight.
Ignoring her thoughts about them with them falling in lockstep right beside her. Taking a small circular device from her belt and tossing it at the machine with electrical sparks coming from it before its mechanical hum stops.
The machine had lots of smoke pouring out of it telling her the internals had been fried. The sound of something rushing through the air had her turning in time to see Batman land across from her and the agents.
Several agents stood around the machine ignoring him before digging their hands into the metal of the machine and tearing it off with a metallic screech. Batman stared, eyes wide if the whites of the cowl were any indication.
The agents tore through the insides tearing out wires and burnt circuitry before finding what they were after. A container with lime green liquid was passed over to one who took out a container to seal it.
Batman stepped forward going for the agent with the chemical they must have been after before several agents blocked him from the one holding the container. “This is as far as you go Batman. Other sections of the city need your help. Leave.”
“What’s in that container?”
“Poison. Diluted poison but poison all the same.” The agent said emotionlessly no fear in his face or posture of who stood before him.
Not that Jade could blame them. They managed to rip that metal off the purifier like it was paper. If she could do that she would be more confident in fighting people like Batman or Daniel… not that it would help her since strength alone won’t always save you.
A few idiots learned that the hard way with her.
“Diluted? Who managed that?” Batman asked, walking along the outer edge of the agents looking like he was probing for openings as much as he was for information.
“Silhouette did when he made it. Just as your… friend did what he did to get information from the Court.”
Jade glanced between the two of them now confused. Despite what the agent said she felt like there was a secret conversation happening.
Batman grunted, staring down the agent before slowly nodding. “I will get answers and your boss Silhouette will face justice for what he has done to Gotham and its people.”
“Respectable-- but ultimately foolish and shortsighted.” The agent said walking up to both of them with Jade trying not to shuffle around nervously.
“Shadow Cat, do you feel safe going with Batman?” The agent asked her with the others turning around with the one holding the poison already gone. Something Batman picks up on with him looking at the spot he was at a moment ago.
“Yes. I will be fine… Thank you.” She said to the agent, who for once gave her a small smile but it vanished so quickly she thought it might have been a figment of her imagination.
With that, the agents turned and walked over the edge of the building with Batman running over looking down below only to see they were all gone. Vanished into thin air…
“I think they like you,” Jade said, getting Batman's attention as he looked nonchalant about the disappearing act they had given him.
He just grunted at that. “How many areas have you figured out where they have air purifiers established?”
Jade shared what areas they had gone over with Silhouette himself outright telling her to share this information with Batman. She had a big incentive if it meant saving the city and giving the information to Batman of all people.
“Good. I take it that if I told you to stop doing this you wouldn’t do as I told you?” He asked her, the two of them walking together near the edge of the building.
Jade made a show of thinking it over tapping her finger against her chin. “Hmmmmm… no.” She said, shaking her head with a resolute look in her eyes.
“Very well. I would be a hypocrite to force you away from this life, even if I don’t like you doing it. With you being here beside me and not with Silhouettes’ men you are interested in working with me.”
It was more of a statement than a question but Jade looked deep within herself feeling torn. A big part of her wanted this so badly… but a smaller yet much more powerful part of her knew she couldn’t leave Artemis alone. Not again.
“I… I want to. But I can’t.”
Batman for his part didn’t look upset, just silently standing over her. “I owe a friend a lot, and despite him telling me I don’t owe him a thing I refuse to give nothing in return. Once this is done,” She waved her hands at the controlled chaos across the city with police and gangs working together in attacking key hideouts to the Court, “I am leaving this city with someone I care deeply about.”
“I understand, Jade.” His casual use of her name had her eyes widening in shock, “I won’t keep you here if you don’t want to stay. If anything after this is done I would strongly recommend leaving Gotham until it is safer and taking your younger sister with you.”
Jade was guarded at first, waiting for him to use what he knew of her identity and personal life to control her. Leverage and blackmail were a common staple in Gotham, one she grew up understanding the power those things have over a person.
A leash, or others would be more extreme calling it a slave collar depending on who has the power and what they do with it. But whatever Jade was expecting never came from Batman. He stood there stoically looking at her, not glaring simply watching.
“Just like that?” She asked, waiting for the catch.
“Just like that. You haven’t done anything that crossed one of my lines. Compared to most others in the city you have been tame compared to them. But if you are staying in the city until this is over, if you are to work with me you need to know my rules that you do not break.”
The tension in Jade had mostly gone away, nodding at what Batman was saying even if she may not like some of the rules. But she had learned to work with stifling rules that limited her.
“First rule, no killing. No matter what, do not kill anyone.” He held his hand up with one finger. “Despite the things that the criminals do in this city it is not our place to execute them. Many of them as you know struggle to survive, and it takes away their chance at rehabilitation and turning away from a life of crime. You are a fine example of someone turning away from the path of darkness you could have walked.”
Jade stood there thinking it over and to some extent, she could understand. She doesn’t agree with not killing under any circumstances, but she does get where Batman is coming from. When pointing out her own circumstances he did have a point about her turning away from the path she originally intended to go down when she was going to put this suit and weapons to use working as an assassin.
Until Daniel had taken her under his wing making her realize there was another path, one that he helped her the way if she wanted to take it.
“Alright, I can work with that.” She said after thinking it over for a moment.
“That remains to be seen. It’s harder than you might imagine. I know that all too well.” Batman said, understanding her thoughts. Jade found herself surprised that he was admitting he even struggled to follow his own no-killing rule.
Even if she felt it was foolish depending on circumstances she could respect him for it all the same.
“What’s the second one?”
His next finger goes up. “Second rule, don’t attack any gang or group without having me there to both plan out dismantling them or engaging them. You know this city well enough to understand how little it takes to cause chaos in it.”
This one compared to the first was much easier for her to follow. It’s something she knew well. Like animals, if you disturb the balance of the ecosystem then the animals would see an opportunity to take all the resources they want.
Causing a domino effect leading to complete chaos and a breakdown of the environment the animals were in. Gotham and its people were no different.
“Makes sense.” She readily agreed to the second one.
A third finger. “When I tell you to do something you do as I ask.” She frowned at that. It reminded her of Crocker.
Sensing that she didn’t like that rule or at least how he worded it he explained himself. “I don’t do this to control you. I do it for safety reasons. If you get in over your head I need you to listen to what I say to get you out of it alive. You have lived in Gotham all your life, but you haven’t experienced all of the horrors this city will throw at you. I have. With that experience, I can keep you alive and teach you.”
Jade relaxed after his explanation. Like the other ones it made sense and after thinking it over would acknowledge he had a point even if it rankled her pride.
Slowly nodded her head. “I can work with that so long as what you tell me is within reason.” She added.
If something was counterproductive or going to get her and those she cared about harmed then it would be ignored.
Batman nodded, his hand dropping to his side. “So long as you abide by those rules then I have no issue with you helping me tonight.”
His accepting Jade's help and showing her the ropes eased whatever tension was in the air. Jade didn’t know what she had expected from Batman. A menacing man hellbent on ensuring she didn’t help him, even outright demanding answers from her about Silhouette.
Answers that she wouldn’t have since tonight was the only time she met them. Daniel before that was the only means of contacting Silhouette. They liked using intermediaries rather than coming out in the open themselves.
Jade even expected him to have her hand over the suit and equipment but instead, he took it in stride. It almost made her think of Daniel with how similar they both were in that regard.
It also helped that Daniel did a complete overhaul on the suit giving it more non-lethal equipment when she asked him to. Didn’t want to get on Batman’s bad side by having most of the suit's features be more lethal. She still had a few things in case she got pushed to the point she would need them.
They quickly went over the different locations they were aware of that the Court was using to disperse the poison into the air. From the looks of things, the gangs had managed to take out a few alongside the Gotham police working in tandem.
The majority of them had been taken down that they were aware of. Batman had managed to find a few that Silhouette had not been aware of if the information that he gave her was complete for this operation.
“So far I have handled one other purifier in the business district. They require high altitudes to work properly. If they want complete dispersal across all of Gotham it makes it easier to figure out where they are. How many on your end?”
Batman gets straight to the point. “From what Silhouette and his men have managed thirteen. They also said the gangs and police would be handling another nine.”
Batman hummed, pulling out a small device with the screen lighting up. Jade stepped closer to get a look.
“These are all the locations confirmed that have been taken down,” He showed the red circles with x’s inside them but several more circles with red question marks made Jade realize how much ground they have to cover, “The rest are areas that I suspect could have purifiers.”
Jade looked at him then the screen seeing the elevations needed for the purifiers wouldn’t be enough.
“Why even suspect those areas when they wouldn’t affect nearly enough areas for those locations to be used?” She asked, not understanding Batman’s suspicions.
“Because the Court may have had contingencies set in place in case everyone in Gotham is doing what we are now when the former members had tipped others off to their plans.” Batman’s ominous warning made her blood run cold realizing that this may not be as easy as she thought it was going to be.
Batman continues speaking, focusing fully on the task at hand. “Where we are now is an obvious location for anyone to put the pieces together. If they are aware of this then they will have other locations that won’t be as ideal but good enough for what they hope to accomplish.”
“Then what are we waiting here for?! We need to go look for them now before they realize we are fighting back!” Jade turned about to leap off the building to glide down to one of the closer locations before a hand grabbed her and held her in place.
“No,” Batman held her there despite her struggling under his grip.
“What do you mean no?” She gritted out.
“I have drones scouting out each location and several officers of Gotham PD keeping an eye on several of them. We can’t be everywhere at once Shadow Cat. We need to be smart about this.”
Jade settled down even if she didn’t like waiting like this when she could be out there fighting against the Court. It was in part due to her never enjoying the idea of waiting around. The other part was her reasoning for getting this over with as soon as she could.
The sooner this is done the sooner she can take Artemis with her and leave this city behind. But her feeling of gratitude and debt to Daniel made it so she couldn’t just bail on him.
At least that’s what she keeps telling herself. She liked Daniel. A lot. More than as a friend. But it goes beyond her feelings towards him for why she stays in this hellish city when she could leave at any time.
A part of her wants to do right. She had done awful things for as long as she could remember. Not all of them were done in self-defense or for the right reasons. She has a chance to turn that around, to help others like she wished someone would help her. That someone did come to help her.
She wants to show the same kindness he showed her.
“Fine.” Jade bit out remembering Batman’s rules and acknowledging his reasons for doing it this way.
It wasn’t but a few seconds later they got a ping on Batman’s device. “One of them has been found. Let’s move.”
Batman placed the device back on his utility belt before stepping off the building with Jade following. While Jade enjoyed the feeling of flying about through the air moving about despite the severity of the situation, Batman was like a rock.
Just glided through the air occasionally looking at Jade seeing her enjoying herself. Jade half expected him to admonish her, but instead he smiled at her enjoying herself. He was far different than what she had expected.
“Sorry about almost running off on you,” Jade said, seeing the large factory complex come into view.
“It’s alright. I understand you know what is at stake, you're young and don’t have experience in things like this. All that I ask is for you to listen to me.”
“I’ll try to be better.”
“Good. I don’t expect you to be perfect. I do expect you to try your best and to always learn from your mistakes.”
They land atop part of the factory sticking to the shadows with Jade's suit changing its colors blending in better with the background.
Something Batman doesn’t fail to notice with him giving Jade a long hard stare before swiftly crossing the distance before both of them freeze. The sound of fighting greets them with both giving each other a look rushing over to see what is happening.
“Was Silhouette aware that the other areas would have purifiers?” Batman asks.
He does it quietly enough that only she could hear it with the machinery around them further making it nigh impossible for an outsider to hear them.
“No. Just contacted Silhouettes agents. None of them were even aware of there being other purifiers in these areas. They had checked these areas over before and found nothing.”
Batman nodded before they moved together, sticking to the shadows. Getting inside the factory through a hatch and moving through it before coming across something neither had expected.
The talons of the Court were fighting one another. The talons Jade and Daniel had fought in Wayne Tower against the golden armored ones that came in at the end of the fight. Despite the less gaudy talons outnumbering them, the other talons are easily handling them.
They appear to have improved with their movements far more efficiently with no wasted movement with all of their body being used as a weapon. The simple talons were not bad, if they were how she was before training under Daniel they would have killed her.
She would have put up a fight, gotten a few hits in but she would be dead. Now she could confidently say she could handle several of them against her. Seeing the flaws in their movements, little openings when they strike or go on the defensive.
The other talons make easy work of them. Every opening no matter how small they capitalize on it finding gaps with those swords or daggers them slipping in and out taking the talons out of the fight.
Unlike before when their healing factor would have let them keep going despite being outclassed. Yet they didn’t get up, their wounds remained open.
After twenty seconds the twenty regular talons lay squirming on the ground looking like worms desperately crawling towards the purifier. Batman made some gestures with his hand giving her some signals that she picked up on some of which she recognized from her time learning with Artemis when they were younger.
Piecing together what he wanted her to do she did what was asked of her. Moving across the darker parts of the room with Batman got into position and placed a breathing mask across his mouth.
Smirking to herself knowing this was going to be good. The gold talons were none the wiser about what was going to happen with them fiddling around with the machine.
The machine began to get louder, making Jade hurry. Time was no longer on their side. Signaling to Batman who nodded raising his hand with three fingers.
Two fingers left. Jade felt her pulse quicken in anticipation. Bouncy on the balls of her feet shifting from foot to foot.
One finger. Taking several concussion bombs held between her fingers planning out what targets to go for with one of the backup discs she was given.
Planning when to throw it with the opening that would need to be made. It felt like time had slowed to a standstill with that sole finger slowly dropping. Jade took in a deep breath not even blinking with how focused she was in that moment.
Knowing there was no room for failure. Not with what was at stake. Once upon a time, Jade wouldn’t have cared what happened to those exposed to this poison. She would have simply fled the city when given the first opportunity.
That changed when she helped Daniel at the clinic. She for once in her life actually felt something beyond apathy towards other people. She liked the appreciation and gratitude they gave her despite her not doing much of anything beyond helping Daniel and easing the tension by comforting them.
Through jokes or crude humor to lighten the mood and clear the air. It gave a warm feeling inside of her that she had believed to have died off long ago if it ever existed in the first place.
She… Jade felt thankful for having feelings like this. It felt nice. She wanted to keep that feeling. That apathy she felt before wasn’t horrible. But that numbness grew old, feeling nothing for anything. Beyond what slivers were left for Artemis.
It’s why she fought now against something she like any Gothamite would fear facing down. Even going so far as to dread it, questioning if she had lost her mind, going to fight them to pay back Daniel for all he had done for her, knowingly or unknowingly.
Losing this feeling to apathy once more, but add in the pain of knowing what she had only to have it ripped away right when she had regained what had been lost. She would sooner die than go through that.
All the more motivation for her. Readying her aim noting where each talon is positioned while planning out the area to ensure nowhere is safe hitting as many as she can.
His finger finally fell and with it, the explosives were lobbed to the various talons in the room. To their credit, many of them reacted faster than any person she had seen besides Daniel.
Most were hit by the marble-sized explosives. A few leaped up but having foreseen that option had a few following up the first volley. A lesson she learned from Daniel that by this point is second nature.
Always plan around someone adapting to what you do and always ensure you know the weak points in your strategies and attacks so you can cover those weaknesses. In this case, they avoided the initial surprise attack but didn't realize the added layers to it that they didn’t know were there.
Like a spider's web. You see the first few threads, but the ones hidden beneath those and so on.
A few talons stayed near the machine acting as shields to protect it, taking several marbles for their trouble. Several pops with flashes of lights knocked the talons aside with Batman gliding down kicking a talon back into a machine.
The metal buckles and crumpled like tin foil with the talons’ feet sticking out of the machine. The other talons regain their wits faster than Jade would have preferred but with the opening made for them, she tossed the disc toward the purifier.
Like the one before it was taken out of commission. Jade with Batman speeding around the room in a blur using some kind of tether tying up the talons with them hanging from the ceiling before they got a chance to fight back.
Watching a talon's legs squirm towards the ceiling she tilts her head to Batman, “Is that going to be enough to hold them?”
“Yes. The material is a new blend of aramid fibers. Without their weapons,” He pointedly looks at the pile of blades stacked near a door leading further into the factory, “They are not going anywhere.”
He turned and walked back up to the top of the factory with her following beside him. “You did well. We have a few more places to go. I have already contacted the GCPD who will be en route to handle a few of them. If not we will be backing them up. Silhouette has supplied them with effective weapons against the Court's forces. Know anything about that?”
Jade merely shakes her head. “I know nothing of what Silhouette does.”
He remains silent for a long moment before accepting her answer. Batman didn’t speak much with her, only indicating where they were going, making quick work of taking down several more purifiers with the same strategy beyond the last two.
Those talons had known they were coming and had been split up enough for the prior method not to work. So the two of them had to do it the old-fashioned way. In Jade's case using a newer trap disc that launched bolas or other restraining cables to wrap around and reel back in the cords leaving them retrained.
Much like with Batman she made sure to disarm them of their weapons. Whatever they did to those blades it was sharp and strong enough to cut into her suit when they clashed against them in Wayne Tower. She isn’t taking any chances in letting one of them get free and stab either of them in the back.
“Good work Shadow Cat. You have some areas to improve in but it will take time. That is of course if you weren’t leaving the city.” He nodded towards her with the two of them moving along a rooftop looking at the nearby skyscrapers off in the distance.
“Yeah… sorry but I can’t stay after this.” She said feeling bitter about it. Things started looking up and then the next thing she knew the Court was threatening the city.
She can’t leave Artemis in a place like this.
“I understand and you don’t need to apologize. Just don’t go back to the old life you left behind. You have so much potential, don’t squander it like you have.” Despite his intimidating tone, she could tell he was being genuine and meant it.
Though referring to her old life she did tense up a little but she let it go knowing that she can confidently say she left that part of her life behind now.
Unlike how she was before meeting Daniel, she didn’t get upset at him. If anything she had the clarity to realize he was right. She was squandering her potential doing what she was and what she originally intended to do. Now her future was unclear, but unlike before it was far brighter than what it had been.
“So where do we go now?” She asked him, ready for whatever was next, still having enough equipment to handle a few more areas before she was empty.
“Currently heading down to the tunnels where the cops and gangs are converging on the Court.” He said taking out another device from his belt.
“Why didn’t we go after them first? Considering your no-killing rule and all…”
“Because the purifiers were the immediate threat to the people of Gotham and it’s why we still haven’t gone to handle the rest of the Court. If even a single purifier managed to get the poison airborne in less than ideal conditions it could potentially kill thousands of people if not far more than that.”
Jade froze at the realization of just how bad things could have gone for the city if they had missed even one purifier. Thankfully on the way here Batman had said the police and gangs were successful in taking out each of their purifiers using the weapons provided for them which made it possible.
He continues messing with the device while continuing. “Normally I would be down there ensuring no one died tonight. But with what Gotham is going through right now they need us up here. If the Court members don’t surrender to the law then they have chosen their fate.”
Jade would admit that whatever she was going to say got stuck in her throat. She hadn’t expected Batman of all people to willingly acknowledge that if they die it’s on them. But it does make some sense. He can’t be there currently because of the situation they have put him and the people of the city in.
Jade merely shrugged her shoulders. “Fair enough. So are we going down or--”
Jade's next words were drowned out by a deafening boom that rocked the city, setting off car alarms with glass windows shattering all across Gotham. Both of them were nearly knocked off their feet.
Batman’s cape billowed behind him as he stared right at what lay before them. Jade's eyes widened in disbelief at the crimson pillar that had formed under part of a skyscraper that was taller than most.
The beam rose to the heavens with the clouds even parting before it. The entirety of Gotham was bathed in an ominous red that made the shadows lengthen before them.
Just as it had appeared it vanished within seconds. Jade held her breath bracing for anything else. Her hands clenched around two trap discs despite knowing full well they wouldn’t save her from something like that.
It was more out of habit. Beyond her own skills, she could trust the equipment given to her.
“Let’s go,” Batman said to her not showing even one bit of fear at what just happened.
Jade didn’t even respond merely following while looking at what must have been about a mile-sized circular hole carved through near the business section of Gotham. Dread pulled in her gut but she pushed it aside and focused on what needed to be done.
If there was ever more reason and motivation to get out of the city she just found it.
Successfully led Jade down a better path +100
Batman has begun taking her on as his sidekick +50
