"Dark Knight," I called out, stepping back into the room. "I thought you were avoiding me."
Rose was huddled in a corner, white with fear, glancing between me and her former captors. Ernesto was unconscious. Maria, barely so.
I changed that—swapping out my magazine and putting a bullet in her chest.
"What did you just do?"
"Put that tranq gun you gave me to good use. Since, you know, I can't kill anyone without things going pear-shaped."
"You want League help on this? Why?"
"Wasn't Artemis clear? Human trafficking ring. Underage kids trafficked for sex, etcetera. I've got even more voice recordings for you to review."
"I know you. This isn't just some random act of good. What's your endgame?"
"Shit," I laughed. "You make one Binding Vow and use force on a questionable individual, and suddenly the heroes write you off. Your inaction hurts more people than my actions ever could. Gotham. The borders. The Cartel. How long do you think it'd take Superman to 'deal' with them? One afternoon? An hour, if he really tried?"
"We protect people. We don't govern them. It's not our place to—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I cut Batman off, stepping into the hallway for more privacy. I threw up another Curtain. "But I also get the sense you're the most pragmatic of the bunch. Those sorcerers? They're a real threat—the kind that should put a shiver down even your spine. The thing Zatanna doesn't get is that fighting them is like rolling dice. No two of us share techniques," I said. "My father could warp souls with a single touch, and I'm tougher than stone. Imagine what a group of reality-bending sorcerers can accomplish."
"Wait—your father was one of them?" Bruce asked, shocked.
"I'll tell you everything I know," I said, "but only if you talk to the League. I'll even include information about the refugees, and let you retain my healing services. I know it's been on your mind."
Bruce took his time. "How do I know you'll keep your word this time?"
"I won't fight with one hand tied behind my back, if that's what you're asking for," I said. "That'll almost certainly get me killed. But I won't execute anyone who surrenders—provided you keep them locked up. If they escape… well, all bets are off."
"They won't like those terms," Batman said.
"Well, that's what I'm offering. Take it or leave it—before invisible monsters start showing up."
Another pause. "Another one of your omens?"
"Talk it over. Send a team," I said. "The longer I stay here, the more people I'll have to put down. And you know I don't do well with limitations."
"A team is already en route."
I cut the call and let out a small sigh before reentering the room. Rose had a gun. It immediately swiveled toward me.
"What are you doing?" I raised a brow.
"Stay back… you freak," she said. "I'm tired of letting men control my fate."
I rolled my eyes. "Maria is a woman. And you're more likely to hurt yourself with that thing than me."
I took a single step forward, and she fired—center mass.
I whistled. "Not bad," I said, as she fired again. Then a third time.
I didn't allow a fourth. I darted forward, snatching the gun from her hand. A bop on the forehead made her stumble, and I disarmed the weapon fully.
"Relax. I don't want you for sex or any other weird stuff. No offense, but you're a bit too trigger-happy for my tastes," I said. "I've got an in with the Justice League. They'll take care of you… or you could leave."
I produced a stack of cash.
"If you're lucky, you might not get caught."
Rose's eyes went wide. "I—I…"
"Didn't expect me to be half-decent?" I asked. "The mask and the call to Batman should've tipped you off. Unless you knew… and still pulled the trigger."
I gave her a once-over. "I'm thoroughly impressed. You shouldn't blindly put your faith in heroes. But you really shouldn't piss them off either."
I added that last bit with a small growl. I liked this shirt. Now I'd have to replace it.
I tossed the cash to her. She looked at it—conflicted, but eager.
"Stick with me," I said. "I'll get you out of this place alive."
I kept my promise—easily. Created a Curtain linked to a window and dropped a story down. I caught Rose as she came down and put her on a bus out of town, money in her pocket.
I could've done more for her. Probably should've. But for someone primarily focused on saving his own skin, I had a nasty habit of making other people's problems mine.
Turning Rose loose like this was good practice in detachment… though I'm not sure exposing an entire smuggling ring helped my street cred.
Still, it was disappointing to find no trace of Venom. But I had names now—high-ranking suppliers in town who could hook me up.
Green Arrow and Black Canary slipped out of the darkness. Arrow's usual smirk was absent, but his green suit blended surprisingly well with the color and chaos of Laredo. Black Canary fit right in—dressed like a working girl, albeit a conservative one.
I smiled, slipping off my bench. "Didn't know they were going to send the A-team."
"You've got quite the mouth on you," Green Arrow said.
"Heard the same about you," I replied, then turned to Canary. "But not you, though. You're just as gorgeous in person."
Arrow raised a brow. "Did you just hit on my wife?"
"Just paying her a compliment," I said with a cunning smile.
"We'll take it from here," Black Canary said.
I sniffed and tossed her a burner phone.
"Everything's in there. I'll check into a local hotel. Catch the carnage from the best seat in the house."
I slipped a pair of shades on and spun around.
"See you when I see you."
"He's a bit of an asshole, isn't he?" Green Arrow muttered once I was a few steps away.
"I heard that!" I called back, rounding a corner.
Two days passed before I felt confident enough to contact Maria's lead. He was an older man with an office near the docks. His security made Maria's place look like a cozy motel.
Guards with semi-automatics. Cameras. Reinforced doors.
Half a year ago, I might've torn through them. Now? I settled for sending a grenade launcher through his window to flush him out.
Squatting on a container, I picked off nine of the ten. The last one rolled out of the way and returned fire. Blurring, I dismounted, closed the distance, and palmed him in the gut—hard—sending him flying into the river water.
I slid to a stop beside Miguel.
"You're a hard man to find, Miguel."
I was in full gear—black fatigues, full mask, voice modulator.
"You're not a shadow," he said, leaning on his cane. Miguel was mid-forties, with a distinguished beard and fearless eyes. "Shadows don't leave witnesses."
"Your rivals didn't send me," I said. "This is all me. I hear you're the man to see for hard-to-find merchandise."
Miguel stroked his beard. His small eyes bored into mine. "And where did you hear that?"
"Oh, here and there," I said. "Hardly matters now. Venom. I need it. How many cases do you have?"
Miguel raised a brow. "And here I thought you were smarter."
"Do you have it, or do I need to end our transaction?"
"Careful now, boy," he said slowly. "I may not be fast, but I'm hardly defenseless."
"You didn't answer my question."
A long second passed.
"Fifty thousand per case."
I scoffed. "That's five times street value."
"Supply chain issues."
"Santa Prisca's locked up tight these days," I admitted. "But I know when I'm being stiffed."
"Law of supply and demand," he said without flinching. "The price won't bend. Will you?"
My grip tightened on my gun. I tilted my head at the man before I relented.
"Five cases. Tomorrow. Same place, same time. If you try to double-cross me, I will know. And I will kill every last one of your men before I take my time with you."
Miguel's lips quirked in a small smile.
I vanished in a flash before he could speak. That finally got a reaction out of the statue of a man.
He was definitely going to try something.
But I'd be one step ahead.
I planned to take his Venom the first chance I got.
--
Read ahead on Patreon.com/artandcreativewriting