Favors #184

"It can't have been your fault, kid..." Selina said as she wrapped her arm around Jason and brought him closer in a warm embrace. "I'm sure you've done everything in your power..." she added, going quiet as she allowed Jason some time to unwind until he stopped crying.

Selina and Jason had started their relationship on the wrong foot due to the teenager's anger issues and the chip on his shoulder. However, they soon discovered they had more in common than they thought and became fast friends.

She saw her younger self in Jason and viewed him as a little brother figure, so seeing him like this was not easy on her, not to mention the state Barbra was in all of a sudden.

"Where are Bruce and Dick...? Alfred...?" Selina asked after several minutes of silence as she watched Jason awkwardly wipe his tears and shift away from her.

"Bruce hasn't left the cave since he returned from the watchtower...." Jason replied, shaking his head with a grimace. "He locked himself in there, and no one's been able to get to him..." he added with a sigh.

"Alfred and Dick were here, but something happened in Bludhaven, and Dick had to leave..." Jason went on. "And Alfred... he went back to the mansion to try talking to Bruce..." he added, his tone portraying his expectations, which were none.

"Damn it, Bruce... at a time like this...?" Selina muttered aloud, her expression darkening as she tried and failed to think of any possible reason or justification that would make Bruce ignore everything like he was doing.

"Is there really nothing we can do...?" she muttered to herself as she turned to Barbra and her words garnered a strange look from Jason, which she immediately noticed.

"You know that guy... Wraith...?" Jason hesitantly asked, to which Selina gestured for him to speak his mind as she nodded. "Well... Bruce's files said he has a healing ability of sorts..." he added, causing Selina to raise an eyebrow.

"And that he's an acquaintance of yours..."

...

I entered the theatre hall and almost doubled back at the sight of Crush carrying two fridges in her hand, raising them high as she followed one of Patrick's buddies.

I waited for her to finish whatever she was doing, and she noticed my presence after she took the two cooling devices to their intended spots and returned to the theatre hall.

"I was starting to think you'd renege on the deal, pretty boy..." Crush said as she approached me, a smile on her face, to which I raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on it.

"And piss off someone who can fold steel? No thanks," I blankly replied, shaking my head as I got a chuckle from Crush, who proudly flexed her left bicep at my words.

"Anyway, I'm here to fulfill my end of the bargain... do you want to go somewhere private...?" I asked, getting to the point as I gestured to the theatre's old equipment room.

"Nah, it's fine. Just tell me who and where," Crush said, and her carefree expression evaporated, replaced by a hard one that promised violence with extreme prejudice.

"Ezekiel, the drug dealer who sold..." I added, trailing off as I noticed her face darken almost immediately and I wisely decided to keep the rest of the sentence to myself.

"Ahem, he's currently on the run in New York... here..." I said as I retrieved a parchment with Ezekiel's current address, usual hang-out spots, and daily routine down to the minor details.

Crush took the paper from my hand and briefly glanced at it before stuffing it in her pocket. "Got it..." She said as she turned and started walking away.

"Hey..." I said as I watched her leave, to which she stopped but didn't bother to turn around. "Thanks for looking after Patrick and the others while I was recovering. I know it wasn't part of the deal..." I remarked as I retrieved a phone from my inventory and threw it toward her.

"Give me a call if you need help. I owe you one," I concluded, smiling as I saw Crush catch the phone without even looking and continue walking toward the exit.

"They remind me of my folks... minus the drug addiction, but you get the idea..." Crush replied as she raised her hand and waved away. "It wasn't a problem, but I'll still take you up on that offer," She added as she reached the theatre hall's exit, reaching for the door.

"I'll be seeing you, pretty boy," Crush concluded as she walked the door and disappeared out of my sight, leaving me alone to scratch my head in confusion.

'Why does she keep calling me pretty boy...?' I wondered, but I didn't get to overthink it as my phone started ringing. I picked it up and paused for a second at the caller's name.

"Selina...? I wonder what she wants...?" I muttered before shaking my head and answering the call. "Hello, Selina... what do you need...?" I asked, pausing as I waited for her reply.

"Haven't we been through this already ...?" I said, rolling my eyes. "No, I don't believe you'd call just to see how I was doing..." I added, shrugging my shoulders.

"Oh...? Get there and do what, exactly...?" I asked, frowning as Selena only gave me a location and asked me to go there. "I'm pretty busy, and you're making me feel kinda iffy about the situation..." I firmly added.

"Ugh... fine... but this better be worth my time, and you'll owe me another one..." I said after listening to Selina explain how she couldn't explain over the phone and how she really needed my help.

"No, I didn't forget, and I won't any time soon..." I remarked with a chuckle as I shrugged. "Fine... I'll see you there..." I concluded as I hung up the call and sighed.

"I just hope there are no demons involved this time..." I muttered to myself as I put away the phone and hurriedly made for the theatre hall's exit.

...

Wayne Manor

Alfred sighed as he stood before the bat cave's secret entrance, at a loss for what to do for the first time in a long time. No matter how many times called his master, the latter would not answer.

Bruce had locked up all entry points to the cave, and no matter how he tried, he couldn't enter, leaving him with no choice but helplessly wait in front of the secret entrance.

"There's no convincing Bruce... He'd already be out otherwise..." Dick said as he stepped into the room and approached the butler, dressed in his Nightwing costume.

"If we can't bring him out, we'll have to go in..." Nightwing said as he moved closer to the secret entrance. "Step back, Alfred..." he went on as he retrieved a cylindrical object he attached to the metallic elevator doors.

"Master Bruce won't be happy about this..." Alfred said, sighing as he adjusted his bow tied and obliged, stepping back and taking cover with Dick in the corner.

Nightwing nodded at the butler before taking out a hand-held trigger device from his utility belt. "I couldn't care less what Bruce thinks right now..." he said before promptly pressing the red trigger button.

The cylindrical object exploded, blowing a hole in the elevator doors alongside a cloud of debris and dirt all over the room. "I'm not sure how I feel about this either... this will be a nightmare to clean..." Alfred said as he watched Dick step out of cover.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Alfred..." Nightwing said with a sigh as he signaled for the butler to follow him as he approached the hole in the elevator doors.

"I think I can fit in here... wait near the other entrance at the manor's kitchen..." Dick said as he slid inside the elevator shaft and held on to the metallic wires.

"I'll let you inside from the other side..." he concluded as he slid down the wire, leaving the butler alone to stare at the messy room full of dirt and debris with a distressed look.

"I'd better be getting a raise. Soon..." Alfred muttered, shaking his head before turning around and calmly walking away as he made for the manor's kitchen.

...

'Room 231...' I mused as I stood in front of a hospital room, inspecting the plaque with the number hanging on the side. "Yup... this is the place..." I muttered as I raised my hand and knocked on the door.

Selina quickly opened the door, and I only needed one look inside to realize what was happening as I recognized the redhead lying on the sick bed and that her father wasn't present.

"For fuck's sake..."

...

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