Chapter 68

After the conversation with the head of the bullies, Damian has been more conscious about the stares he was being given in school.

Some of them would be too intimidated to talk to him, and some of them would try to get close to him because of his stature.

The ones that did talk to him were immediately rejected and ignored. Damian has at least some experience with that in the league of assassins.

He could have entertained them and make them his "friends" but he had a feeling that wouldn't be what Terry would describe as friends. Just lackeys.

After school, he noticed that the group of bullies were following him outside of the school.

He smiled, knowing that he wouldn't get hurt because he was being fetched by the car service anyway. And even if he didn't have a ride home, they still wouldn't be able to hurt him. He doesn't even need to fight back and just dodge.

Although, he did worry that once he gets in the car, his target, the one he really wanted to make friends with, Nate Murtaugh would be the one receiving their frustrations.

So, he purposely waited to leave school the same time as him. Currently, Nate was walking behind him.

And like clockwork, the car service arrived exactly when he instructed to.

Damian opened the car door and turned around.

"Nate Murtaugh."

Nate just glanced at him before turning to his right and continued walking.

"Tsk." Damian immediately went into the car and opened his window. Instructing the driver to drive slowly next to the sidewalk where Nate was walking.

"Hey!" Damian shouted.

"I told you, I don't need friends." Nate said without looking at him.

"We don't have to be. I'm just offering you a ride."

"I don't need it."

"Don't be stubborn. Look behind you."

Nate did as Damian instructed and looked behind him. Ten meters or so away from him were the group of bullies who he once knew as friends were tailing him.

"So? Do you want to get jumped again, or you'll accept my offer?"

After a moment of thinking, Nate sighed. "...okay."

"Good." Damian said with satisfaction and opened the door for Nate.

As the car drove off, the leader of the bullies clenched his fists in anger.

"Where are you headed to?" Damian asked.

"To the gym."

"Ohhh..." Damian looked at him with interest as he scratched his chin.

"Would you mind if I also entered your gym?"

"I would." Nate replied immediately without any hesitation.

"Geez. You have... how do you say it? No chill?"

Nate ignored him and started staring outside the window.

Damian made a furious smile and clenched his fist as he thought, "This ungrateful bastard!"

------

"Hah...Hah...Hah...." A man was frantically gasping for air. He was practically forcing air in his lungs in order for him to keep running. He looked at the corner where he just came from as he rested his back on the wall.

Distant noises of grunts and screams can be heard along with the sound of gunfire.

"Grrr!" He grunted as he forced his tired legs to run again.

Even though the night was dark, he knew that he wouldn't be able to hide anywhere because of the nature of his opponents.

They appeared out of the shadows, which made no sense because one of them was so huge that it wouldn't be possible.

They can only be ghosts or devils. Inhuman beings. Monsters.

These beings took down multiple numbers of them in the blink of an eye.

Fearing for his life, he focused all his energy in running.

By this time, his was losing control of his bodily functions as he ran through alleyways. He was spitting out saliva as he breathed through his mouth and his tears began to well up on the corner of his eye.

Soon enough, those tears became the reason he fell. His vision was clouded and he tripped over an empty crate lying on the floor.

Having no time to worry if he got hurt, he hastily tried to get back up again.

But as he was about to lift his upper body up with his arms, a pair of feet came into his view.

He looked up and saw someone that was one of those beings that attacked them.

As his face contorted into an expression filled with sorrow, the being looking down on him from above showed a devilish grin.

-----------

"Isn't this too easy?" Carrie said as she took off her mask.

She was talking to Don and Cedric who were also taking off their gear inside the batcave.

It's been a week since they've begun doing vigilante activities again.

"Of course, this would be easy. We've grown since we first started this seven years ago."

"No..." Don joined in the conversation as he was taking off his boots. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"I got that feeling too." Carrie said.

"Well, you two have always been better at thinking than me." Cedric shrugged.

"It's like Talia wants us to catch these criminals." Don said eerily.

"If this was part of her grand scheme, what for?" Carrie said.

"I don't know, but I feel like we need to review the facts given to us by the Commissioner."

Carrie crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Hrmmm..." She groaned. "We know that she's got artifacts that has made her powerful than before. The ones she got from Wonder Woman and the helmet of Fate. She says she needs Wonder Woman for her plan and that's why she's been advised to stay low for a while." She opened her eyes and looked at Don. "Did I miss anything?"

"No, I don't think so." Don replied.

"What do you two suggest? Should we stop this for a while until we figure it out?" Cedric asked.

"No. Even though we aren't sure if this we're playing on the palm of Talia's hand, we still can't let these criminals roam our streets."

"God..." Carrie sighed. "Terry would probably solve all this by now." She directed her gaze towards the room in the batcave where Terry was being kept.

"Maybe..." Don said as he stood up and put on his bag. "Maybe not... what matters is who is here in this room right now trying to do what's right."

Cedric just closed his eyes and nodded.

"Anyways, Blade will kill me if I go home any later. Let's talk about this next time."

----

"I need to see him."

It was in the middle of the day and Alfred was confronting Terry's partner, Dana Tan, who came personally to Wayne Manor to look for Terry.

"Dana... I think you're mistaken. If you're looking for him, shouldn't you be at his company? I'm sure his superior will tell you about his whereabouts." Alfred replied to her.

Luke Fox has fixed a story for Terry while he's still recovering from his injuries. He's the head of Terry's division that Terry is working on a secret project for him overseas.

"I've already been there." Dana firmly replied. "They told me he was working overseas but that doesn't make sense because then he would tell me."

"I'm sure it was just an urgent matter."

"Please stop lying. I know what he's doing. I know he's here." Dana said with a worried expression. "Is he hurt?" Her eyes were shaking.

Alfred made a sigh and massaged his temples. He knows he couldn't bare to lie at this point when the other party seems to have an idea of what happened.

He looked at Dana with a troubled expression and asked, "Are you sure you want to see him?"

Dana just stood there and didn't lose eye contact with him.

"Alright...." Alfred turned around and started walking along with his cane. "Since you have decided to stay with him even when knowing his secret, I assume you've prepared yourself."

Dana followed Alfred until they reached a grand piano near the bookshelves of the mansion.

Ding Ding Ding. Alfred played some odd chords and then the bookshelves opened up a pathway.

Alfred glanced at Dana who didn't seem to be surprised. Or maybe she was so worried that she didn't have the time to process what was happening. All she wants is to see Terry.

Past the winding stairs, downwards to the cave filled with the secrets of her fiancee.

All the things that were kept from her, things that in a normal situation would fill her with awe, but she was too worried to be. So, she kept following Alfred towards an isolated room in the batcave where a man was hooked on many devices keeping him alive.

Dana finally gasped. She covered her mouth as her strength was lost in her legs and fell down.

Tears rolled from her eyes as she kept looking at Terry.

Beep Beep Beep.

"This is what you'll have to live with, Dana...." Alfred gripped at his cane as both of them gazed at the unconscious Terry. "I know it's pretty useless for me to say this now, but..." Alfred finally looked at her. "Please continue to stay by his side. He'll need you once he wakes up."