DC: Don't Utter A Word

Chapter 17:

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[Gotham City. March 15, 08:35 CT.

David Lance POV]

After having breakfast with my sister, I decided to ask and visit the best detective I knew, Batman, to lend me a hand with my case. I was certain there was something I wasn't seeing, and it bothered me.

Perhaps Batman would offer me a new perspective. He always did.

"You can come out now," Batman said to the seemingly empty cave. "Good job getting into the cave without setting the alarms off."

How the fuck?

I will never believe he has no powers. I waited for him to go out before entering the cave, how the hell did he know? And right the moment he entered?!

"How?" I signed, dropping to the floor in a low crouch. Part of his training for me had always been the task of trying to sneak on him, which I had so far been, painfully unsuccessful. Today I had thought I had finally succeeded, but again, today wasn't the day.

"You need to cover your tracks from the moment you leave your house," Batman replied, his tone even. "That, and perhaps tell your sister not to call me," he added with a hint of humor, cracking the closest thing to a smile I had ever seen him show.

I sighed, giving him a quick nod of understanding. Next time, I would start covering my tracks from the moment I left the house, and I would tell Dinah to avoid calling him while I'm at it.

"Where's Robin?" I asked, tilting my head.

"School," Batman replied, his tone back to his normal monotone. Leaving no trace of the small smile he had shown a few seconds ago.

On a Sunday? I pity him.

"I see," I nodded, before pulling the USB drive with the files I had about my case for Batman to go over.

Batman took the USB without a word, quickly putting it on his PC, automatically opening the files after a quick scan of the contents.

"What do you know so far?" Batman asked, his eyes fixed on the computer.

"Not much. All I know it's someone has started killing mobsters in Star City," I replied, feeling somewhat ashamed that was all I had. "Beyond that, it's all assumptions. I think whoever it's behind this doesn't normally operate in my city."

Batman scowled at the screen. Making a face that said this was all too familiar to him. "I think your assumption it's right," he said, opening a new set of files from his PC.

So I was on the right tracks, good to know.

"I have seen the work of Constantine Drakon before. And more than not, it always leads to one person," Batman said, pointing at the screen. Where an image of Deathstroke was to be found.

Him?

But why would Deathstroke send another assassin to kill simple mobsters? It was way out of his normal modus operandi. Deathstroke worked for money, sure, but above all, what pushed him was the thrill of the hunt, of a good fight.

Then again, the night I met him and we fought, he showed interest in me. So, perhaps he was testing me.

No

"I see you came to the same conclusion," Batman said as if reading my mind.

Deathstroke wanted me?!

"First the Owls, and now him?" I signed, a frown of worry forming on my face, my mind racing at what this meant. I had to prepare, I had to train even harder, being in his sight was never a good thing. I had to protect my sister, even Oliver from him.

"Don't," Batman said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You are not alone in this. Never forget that."

I nodded, feeling like he was speaking from experience.

"As for the owls. They won't bother you anymore," Batman said, walking back to his computer. "Deathstroke it's not one to share."

Not sure if that makes me feel better, or worse.

"How did you figure out how it was Deathstroke so fast?" I genuinely wanted to know, for me, he looked at my files, opened a few of his own, and boom, he had the answer. I really wanted to reach that level, though I doubted it was humanly possible.

"Constantine Drakon is almost an exclusive contractor for Deathstroke, a fact that narrowed the list of subjects down to five possible targets. However, that doesn't say anything, what actually gave me the answer was the fact I fought Deathstroke last night," Batman replied, taking my USB drive out of his PC. "He told me to teach you well before he took the wheel"

I would never follow him willingly. I would rather die than serve.

Wait a second.

I interrogated Drakon, and he never mentioned Deathstroke.

"I interrogated Drakon, using all the tools you taught me to use," I frowned, looking at my utility belt. "He never said a thing about Deathstroke."

"Because at the time, there wasn't a thing about Deathstroke to be said," Batman replied, confusing me a bit. "Selective memory lost. It ensures the target only remembers what you want him or her to remember. It guarantees to a greater degree the safety net of critical information in the criminal world, without having to trust others. It's mostly used on what others consider disposable pawns, or witnesses when killing them would gather too much-unwanted attention."

So Deathstroke had erased Drakon's memory of him. "I see."

"Most of the time, this process it's preset on the target's mind, with the memories only getting erased after the trigger event it's activated. In this case, I suspect the trigger for Constantine Drakon was getting caught, which fits with Deathstroke's character. Where the weak get disposed of," Batman added, handing me the USB I had given him.

"Do you think he will try to get me, anytime soon?" I signed, worried about my sister, who undoubtedly would get hurt in the crossfire. No, if push came to shove, for my sister, I would kill Slade, even if that meant becoming a killer, after all, all it would take is a whisper.

"No," Batman shook his head. "He won't kidnap you. When Slade wants something, someone, he prefers the arrangement to be a willing one. Meaning he will try to change you, just enough for you to see in him, not a monster, but an opportunity."