37 The Hunt for a Bat IV

(Floyd Lawton POV)

"Ugh", I groan as I slowly wake up. I can't feel my legs and arms. After blinking for a moment, I see a small light bulb hanging above me. It's the only source of light that I have here. I try to make out other things but ... I can't. I still feel groggy. I was drugged. That Batarang was laced with poison.

Oh shit! The Batman! He was the last one I saw, I think. F*ck where am I? I try to get free but there is nothing that works. I calm myself down but there's nothing that helps. I don't know what's going on but I can't get myself under control. Is it the drug that I was given? I need to get out of here. I try to move my arms, but there seems to be no strength I can muster.

I try to blink a few times and look down to see how I am tied up. Some ropes bind me and stop my movement but I should be able to move even with that. Then what... wait! Are those ... acupuncture needles? What the f*ck? I look around and find several of those placed in different spots.

I lift my head and in front of me ...

"AH! ... Shit you scared me.", I say as I look at Batman. How did he get that close to me without me hearing him? I trained my senses to feel such things but he ... it's like he has no presence. What is he?

"What is it that you want? Are you going to torture me and then kill me? I don't have anything of value. You should know that I was hired to kill you. Someone really wants to kill you. It's nothing personal ok? So do your worst, I have nothing to lose.", I say. I am a good liar but these drugs are probably throwing off my performance. I just hope it works.

"Floyd Lawton. Son of George and Genevieve Lawton. Brother to Eddie Lawton. Your father was an abusive drunk. Your mother suffered many beatings from your father and took her frustrations out on you. Your brother Eddie was a good son and took some of the beatings for you.

Eventually, your mother had had enough and encouraged you to shoot his father. You aimed at your father, but your nervousness caused him to flinch. The shot missed your father but instead killed your brother Eddie between the eyes, killing him. You made a promise that day, didn't you? What was that?"

I began to breathe heavily. He knew me! He knew who I was. That meant that ... no. Calm down. Calm down, Floyd!!

"I promised myself that I would never miss again ..."

"And?"

"... and that I would kill my father the next time I saw him."

"And how did that go for you?", he asked. I was very close to freaking out.

"It made me the man I am today. After years of training, I became so skilled with that I never missed. I became Deadshot."

"I know you, Floyd Lawton."

How can someone have such an intimidating presence when he hides everything from his body? He might as well be a robot. But for some reason, I know he is real. I can only wait for what is to come. He will want information, but I am afraid for them. He must know and will use that to ...

"I ... have information. I'll tell you who hired me."

"I'm the best detective in existence. I already know that.", he says and my eyes widen. I can feel the tears slowly beginning to fill my eyes. Just what was that drug?

"Pleas-", I want to say but see him walking away without saying a word.

"Stop killing innocents Lawton. If I find out you did that ... I will find you. And don't kid yourself. Your past might have made you Deadshot, but Suchin and Zoe are what make you who you are in the present.", he says and then just ... vanishes.

"He knew....", I can't help it, but after he leaves like that ... tears begin to fall from my eyes. He knows about my daughters. I cry silently for a while and let the short talk play in my mind again. 'I know you, Floyd Lawton' 'Don't kid yourself'

And then it hit me! He never mentioned my daughters in a way to threaten me. He knew but didn't mention it when he tried to intimidate me. Only at the end, when he was already leaving did he mention them passively. I have to get out of here. I need to see them. But how? I look down at my hands and see ... the ropes and needles ... are all gone!!

What kind of man is he?

.

.

(3rd Person POV)

The night was still young this meant that it wasn't time for Batman to rest just yet. He got a message on his multipurpose tool. He took it out and saw that there was a hostage situation. A group of 10 mid-level criminals had taken 20 hostages and were demanding 100'000$ to release them. That alone sounded strange. He could see the red flag when he read the message.

Batman pressed a button and sent out a pulse to scan the surroundings. He wanted to see whether there was someone that was watching him. He was careful, but you could never be too careful. The message came back that there were seven people in a radius of 5 km. When he checked closely, he saw that it was safe. He contacted BOB to come to his location. A portal opened and he sat in.

"BOB bring me five blocks away from the address of the hostile takeover. Scan for any form of technological signals in the area that aren't supposed to be there. And scan for live signals as well on the surrounding roofs and the like. This is a trap, but I'm unsure by whom. I'd say KGBeast, but you never know who else is on my tail."

[Affirmative. Opening portal.]

A portal opened and Batman drove through it. He turned the Batmobile invisible and hid it in a dark alley. Then he waited for the results from BOB. After 7 minutes the results came back.

[No technological discrepancies found. Various mechanical traps have been found all over the building where the hostages are located. Two suspicious life signatures found.]

"Show me the location of the two signatures."

[Affirmative]

"I see. Send out the drones. I want a visual on those two. I guess one of them is KGBeast. The other is not in a good position to intervene very fast. Unless the person can fly, but it shouldn't be time for that yet. So an observer most likely."

[Affirmative], Bob said and sent out five special drones that were equipped with various cameras and other features that helped Batman collect data and evidence. Batman activated the 3D technology and watched the feed live. The first person was male and ... had a suit on as well. Red and blue ... oh yeah, that was KGBeast alright. So this was his trap. Quite embarrassing work.

The second person ... was a woman. The build was that of a woman but there weren't any other features to be seen. She was very skilled and she hid very well. The X-ray told Batman about her skills. She had the build of a skilled fighter or assassin. The bones were stronger and denser, the muscles were as well. He checked with all of the different cameras he could.

He was currently working on something that could read DNA from a long distance. But for not that was enough. The fact that it was a woman narrowed it down a lot. The first woman he thought of, was Talia al Ghul. But that wasn't very likely. His math told him that she was now a very young mother. And very recently too. So she was probably not the one who was watching there.

Then there was another woman who fit the description. He would have to see later on. For now, he was going to deal with the KGBeast.

.

Batman approached the position of KGBeast. He had seen the explosives located underneath the building. It seems like he was prepared for the eventuality that Batman found him instead of going to rescue the hostages. But Batman was far ahead of him. He approached the man and watched for a while. He wanted to see what the man would do while waiting. He wanted to gather data on this man. It was the most powerful tool ... information.

He saw that the KGBeast had quite a bit of discipline. He was a big man and had powerful arms and legs. His speciality was guns if the equipment was anything to go by. But he never trusted one source alone. At the moment the KGBeast used guns, explosives, and traps and from his physique, he had to be a skilled martial artist. Given his past as a KGB operative, that made sense.

After a while, Batman decided to act.

.

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(Anatoli Knyazev POV)

I watched the different screens for any movement. From the information I gathered, the Batman was a crafty piece of shit. But nothing this Russian bear couldn't handle. Batman relied on intimidation tactics and the superstition of criminals. But he was stupid if he thought that would work on professionals like I was. The goons I hired were clueless as to their true objective. They thought that it was a normal hostage situation, but they failed to realise that I hadn't given them any instructions for when they got the money.

I told them what to do until they got the money, but not after that. I bet on the fact that Batman would try to save them before that. Because the goons had the instructions to kill hostages every hour after 12:00 PM. And that was in 13 minutes. I held the detonator in my hands. No trap had been triggered yet. Where was he?

"Has he turned up yet?"

"No, not yet. But he- !!!!"

I turn around as fast as I can and point my gun at him. I pull the trigger but he dodges and flashes towards me. I try to move but he is insanely fast. I drop the gun and take out another. He has arrived within arm's length. I want to fire again but his hand grabs to top of my gun and stops it from firing. Good precision, I'll give him that. i pull my hand back, hoping to have it fire. But he has other plans. He yanks the top off, effectively breaking the gun and making it useless.

"Fine then ... fists.", I say and approach the smaller man. He might be my height, but he is far weaker. I would guess half if, depending on his suit. I punch with all my might and practised precision. He dodges and I follow up with another punch. He dodged that one as well and stepped into my guard. Thinking quickly, I try to close it, by aiming my elbow at his face. As my elbow is about to hit him I feel a small sting at my elbow joint.

The fist impacts with his face ... is what I thought but he suddenly stands next to me. What is going on? I swing my arm around for a left hammer, but I miss. Another sting.

I try to roundhouse kick him. Another sting. I attack fiercely and keep the pressure on him. My plan is simple but effective. I pressure him until he is in a corner and has no way out. As the fight progresses we arrive at the edge of the roof.

"That was rather pathetic ~Batman~. I thought you were more skilled. Oh well.", I say to taunt him. I decide to kill him in a grand display. I will punch him off the building and have him be a red bloodstain on the sidewalk. I pull my fist back and punch with full speed and strength. I see and feel my fist make contact with him as he just stands there. Hehe, he has accepted his fate.

!!!!

"What?! What ... is going on?!", I exclaim. My fist has reached him ... but he hasn't moved the smallest bit. My fist ... has no strength. Niet. Suddenly my right arm falls limply to my side. I lose all control over it. I look at Batman who is right in my face and back away. He walks closer to me. I try to retreat but suddenly my left leg also loses all its strength. That is followed by my left arm and then my right leg.

I fall to the ground and see Batman approach me with very slow steps.

'No ... stay away.', is what I try to say but I lost my function over my vocal cords. I feel the strength leaving my facial muscles and my eyes ... close and everything turns black.