CHAPTER 130

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[David Lance POV]

I woke up to the sun shining through the window. Stretching, I turned to look at Harley Quinn, who was still sleeping just where I had left her last night. It seemed the medicines I had given her were still in effect as she was sound asleep.

Taking a deep breath, I walked to her and leaned over to check her temperature, and much to my relief, she was within the normal range.

Taking my phone out, I connected to the Regime's servers in order to see if the curfew they had set was still in effect, and sadly, it still was, meaning the streets were still probably full of armed soldiers.

Soldiers looking for Harley and me.

I sighed.

I honestly had no idea what to do now.

"Morning toots."

I turned around to see Harley awake and smiling at me. It was good to see her looking better after the beating she had taken, even if the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

~How do you feel?~ I asked, leaning against a wall.

"I feel like taking over the world!" Harley said, sitting up. "But Superduperdumb already did that, so, meh."

That's good.

~Can you move freely? Or would the wounds slow you down?~ I asked, giving Harley a look.

"Bah, don't worry about little ol' me; I'll be fine," Harley said with a giggle as she got out of my sleeping bag. "Just need to find a mallet or a bat, and I'll be a-okay."

That's a very optimistic outlook, especially considering the streets are full of soldiers, all of which have access to 5-U-93-R. I am confident in my skills, but even then, even if the soldiers don't know how to fight at all, thousands of super-powered beings were more than enough to overwhelm anyone.

"So, how fucked are we?" Harley asked, reading my expression.

~There's a curfew in place, thanks to our battle,~ I replied as I stared out of the window. ~And the Regime has put a bounty on our heads.~

Harley whistled. "Well, that's no fun."

Understatement of the century.

"So, what do you suggest we do now?" Harley asked, crossing her arms.

~Honestly, no idea,~ I replied.

Harley Quinn tutted. "That's not very helpful, y'know."

I shrugged in response. What else was I supposed to say? That we were screwed? That the Regime would eventually catch us and kill us?

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[Flashback - Training with Master Kirigi]

I turned to look at Master Kirigi as he entered the training room, making no sound as usual. ~Good morning, Master Kirigi.~ I bowed, showing respect to my teacher, or sensei, as he would often remind me to address him.

"Good morning, gakusei," Master Kirigi replied as he walked to the center of the room. "Have you completed your warmups for today?"

I nodded. ~Yes, Sensei.~

"Very well," Kirigi said as he turned to face me. "What is doubt to you?"

I paused, thinking about the question. Master Kirigi often asked me questions that made me think, and this was no different. ~Doubt is nothing but the lack of confidence, Sensei.~

Kirigi nodded, his expression unreadable. "Correct. And what is confidence?"

~Confidence is belief in oneself,~ I replied.

"And why is doubt dangerous?" Kirigi asked.

I thought about it for a moment. ~Doubt is dangerous because it can lead to indecision, and indecision can lead to death.~

"Excellent," Kirigi said with a nod. "You have learned well, gakusei. At least the theory of things that is."

I frowned.

"You are one of the most talented, if not the most talented student I have ever had under my teaching," Kirigi said, his voice cutting through the air like a knife. "However, out of all my students, your doubt is the biggest one I have ever seen."

I looked down.

"You allow your fears to control you, you learn, but you fear using knowledge, you train, but you fear failing, you advance, but you fear what you left behind,"  Kirigi said, his voice softening slightly. "I suppose it's only natural. This is, after all, human nature. You are not the only one with these fears, gakusei. But you must learn to overcome them."

I nodded.

"I understand overcoming one's fears is not an easy task. Unfortunately, we all must face our demons sooner or later, no matter who we are. You can't silence them for long," Kirigi said, taking a seat on the floor with his legs crossed. "You won't do this now or tomorrow. We face our burdens in our own time, so when that time comes, do not yield."

I nodded once again.

"Remember, wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from making mistakes,"  Kirigi said. "So, do not be afraid to make mistakes, gakusei. It is the only way you will learn and grow."

~What if those mistakes could bring irreparable damage?~ I asked, looking at him.

"You can't live your life shackled to what-ifs," Kirigi replied with a serious expression. "Don't think of losing before the battle even begins. Consider only victory. Make defeat an impossibility in your mind."

~I understand, Sensei,~ I nodded.

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[David Lance POV]

I had forgotten about that.

I was allowing my fears to make my defeat an unavoidable outcome.

I was letting the situation around me cloud my thoughts by welcoming despair into my heart. But, as Sensei once said, adversity is an opportunity for change, and change I must, if I want to prevail to overcome this and any challenge ahead of me.

I must consider only victory. Making defeat an impossibility in my mind.

~Harley, do you know how to reach Batman?~ I turned to Harley.

"Oh, sure thing, puddin'!" Harley said with a flirtatious wink. "But what's in it for me?"

I took a deep breath. ~Your life? I mean, if we stay here is only a matter of time before the Regime finds us.~

"You need to work on your sweet talk," Harley said with a deadpan before her eyes started to sparkle in pure mischievous wonder. "I will help you find the Bat, only if you go on a date with me. Take it or leave it, handsome."

This was going to be harder than I thought.

~Why?~ I asked, turning to look at her once again. I understood why the other Harley liked me; I had beaten her half to death, but why did this... ohhh, I get it now.

Well, fuck me.

"Oh, you know," Harley said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I kinda like you."

~And what if I don't want to go on a date with you?~ I asked.

Harley's face turned into a pout as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Then I guess we better start digging our graves."

I sighed. This demented girl was going to be the death of me.

~Fine,~ I relented. ~One date.~

Harley's face brightened up immediately as she clapped her hands in glee. "Yay!"

I feel I made a terrible mistake already.