A world of capes and masks(7)

The barricade was slowly and quietly peeled away, and with each desk being removed, I realized that it wasn't just the twenty rounds that had been unloaded here. This barrier had done more than keep those men out. It had absorbed many bullets too.

And as we reached the last layers, I stopped them, my eyes peeking through the torn wood.

"Empty, what little I can see at least," I could see what? Sixty degrees left and right from the door?

"This is still a bad idea," I said just loud enough for all to hear.

"And we are gonna go through with it," Prince said with a bitter smile, he didn't seem to like the fact that I was wholly against their decision. I really wanted to let them go to their stupid deaths, but that would make me look horrible.

Sighing I let them push aside the last desk and immediately the door lurches, against the lower hinge, the upper one had been blown off by a stray bullet.

I let one of the kids take point as he pushes the door in, my hand was on the taser, and I had already readied the paper cutter in my hand.

Like a herd, they emptied into the halls. I was the last one out, the intention being–to put as many bodies as possible between me and any potential bullets.

My first instinct was to head to the window, gently I pulled back the curtain creating a gap enough for my eyes as I peeked into the integrated auditorium–which to nobody's surprise was empty after all a large area means more avenues of approach, they won't have occupied that but with guns, a large area with little cover won't have been a bad idea, especially when dealing with a gun less Batman, but then again someone must have already thought of that and failed for it to not be used again.

I closed the curtains and as I let go I was approached by Dina, "Where do you think the others might have hidden?"

Many would have been captured, but those who weren't, "The attic, the cold war bunker and most likely the fourth floor's boys washroom."

Prince scoffed, "Obvious hiding places, they would have been found easy if they hid there," dumb ass, "To us, yeah. But to outside—" My words stooped. Well fuck, Gotham Academy is taken to be one of the most secure places in the city, that's why the 'elite' send their children here—but it fell so easily. There could be someone who worked here among them.

The more I thought about it the more I wanted to re-barricade myself.

Almost as if he ignored my restlessness, Prince nodded though he looked bitter, "You are right."

My lips moved to utter a 'no' but I stopped myself, if there is someone there, in one of those three spots then either they are not here for us or any hostages or we do not have a traitor.

Good news for us either way, "I say we split up, I will take a group to the attic," I said to them, it was the closest and the access was on the same floor, so we won't have to change floors or go anywhere near the stairs.

Dina nodded and quickly announced, "I will go with her," Including her, Riley, also volunteered.

Splintering into three, we moved at once, deciding to meet up at the attic after the fact.

Our group encountered nothing as we moved, making sure to peek at the corners. But we stopped to peek before the last one, I stopped them. There was a guard laying face down in the corridor. Well fuck, from the small seep of red liquid around his body, I was pretty sure he was dead.

Still, seeing nothing other than that, I gesture for them to follow.

Two instant vomits, occurred as their minds processed the sight in their eyes, acting my part I covered my mouth with my hands but with a display of great 'courage,' I pushed my feet towards the body.

Reaching it I had no intention of even touching it, but when my eyes saw the pristine Glock, sitting holstered by the side of his hip, and a spare magazine to boot, I found my body with a mind of its own as I stepped into the puddle of blood, only for Riley to tightly grasp my shoulder.

"What! Are you doing!?" He suppressed a shout, and I pried his hand off, "Getting us some real protection," I almost spun in the blood, and as I turned the body over, I found the buckle of the belt with the integrated holster soaked in blood.

I would have removed it but with two pairs of eyes on me as well as the cameras I pushed open the cover, retrieving the gun and the mag. The already-loaded gun felt comfortable in my hand, it was surprising how good it felt to hold it.

Still, as wedged the magazine against the underside of my skirt, I tossed the taser to Dina, "Useful." She nodded at my comment with grim determination. Riley had a shit-tasting look on his face, he found the ordeal unpleasant, well any normal human would.

I kept a cold face as we walked through the halls, reaching the attic hatch, we stopped, my glazed over to the side, the handle to the attic hatch laid thrown to the side, ripped from the screws but the hatch itself was fine.

"What happened here?" Dina asked and I looked up towards the door, "Anybody in there?"

There was a moment of silence before someone answered, "Who are you?" From the pitch of it someone older than us. I almost clicked my tongue as moved to wedge my gun in the underskirt pocket, they would take it if I left it out.

"Mira, third grade."

"Third grade? Oh? Mira Wayne?"

Am I famous—of course, it's my last name.

"Yeah, the goons ran, Batman came, open up."

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(A/N: Another chapter is done.

Hello, my dudes(42%) and dudettes(9% of the readers are female), and unidentifiables(49%).

Thank you for reading.

Also, to those who ask, this story will not shit on the ideals of superheroes like some edgy Antihero stories and it will even come up in a future plotline—not for a good while—also thanks for reading. We are at what? 23 chapters. Thanks for sticking with me. Love you all. Bye for now.