CHAPTER 89

[Rachel Roth POV] 

As I walked through the bustling streets of Gotham, I couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity that surrounded me. Although the city was still recovering from the chaos it had gone through, I wandered the streets offering a helping hand to whoever needed it. 

I was walking along the Gotham City center park when I saw a white-haired kid sitting on a bench and observing the surroundings as if appreciating nature. He reminded me of the boy I saw that one night back at Bludhaven, and how awkward our conversation had gone. 

I was lost in thought thinking about our strange encounter that night when something came to my notice, it was actually him sitting on the bench. I was surprised to see him again and couldn't help but approach him.

"Excuse me," I said, hesitantly. "Do you remember me? We met back in Bludhaven."

The white-haired kid looked up at me, his expression unchanged. "I remember you," he said, his voice as flat as ever as he gestured for me to have a seat. "The girl who threatened me along the empty alley back at Bludhaven." He muttered but yet he was audible enough for me to hear. 

We sat there in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say next. I was surprised that he didn't seem as surprised as I was to run into each other again.

"What brings you to Gotham?" He finally asked.

"I'm just passing through, Batman needed our help with the previous situation in Gotham and here I was," I said, trying to sound casual.

The white-haired kid nodded, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation. I couldn't help but feel disappointed with his response.

But before standing up to leave so I put an end to the awkwardness, he spoke again.

"You're different," he said, his voice low and serious. "You don't seem to care about the things others care about. You're not afraid to be different, especially with that astonishing gem you have on your forehead."

I was taken aback by his words. It was a stark contrast to the way he had treated me earlier. I wondered if he was bi-polar or if this was just a facade, it seemed just like how he spoke that night.

"I don't understand," I said, my curiosity getting the best of me. "Why are you saying this?"

The white-haired kid shrugged nonchalantly. "Just an observation."

We sat there in silence for a few more moments, both lost in thought. I wondered what he was thinking and what had brought him to Gotham.

"So, why are you here in Gotham? Considering the disaster that the city is just recovering from." I asked him. 

"Oh, I live here." He replied, nonchalantly. 

"That was unexpected." I said as I took another look at him. Looking closely I realized how pale his skin actually was. 

"My name is Tom by the way." He said as he extended a hand shake. 

"I'm Raven but you can call me Rachel." I said to him, replying to his hand shake. 

"That's a nice name, both names sound cool if you asked me."

"Thank you." I replied, turning away to hide the blush expression that somehow found its way to my face. I don't know if it was his cold yet warm demeanor or his mysterious presence but he had left an impression on me. 

"Well, I should get going," I finally said, standing up from the bench. 

"It was nice seeing you again Rachel, and without getting pulled to the air or getting threatened by you." He jokingly said. 

I let out a soft laughter, he had a point though. "I hope we get to meet again." I said, feeling a little nervous at the thought. 

"Me too, how about I give you my number and when you are less busy we could meet up for some coffee sometime." He said as he wrote his number on a gum wrap he had on him. 

"That sounds nice." I responded as I reached for the paper in his hand. 

"Let's forget about Bludhaven and take this as our first time meeting." I said. 

"Sure thing, Rachel." He said with a half smile on his face as I stood up and flew away, excited as it would give me a chance to get to understand the mystery around him. 

… 

[Tom Hendricks POV] 

I sat on my couch, my eyes glued to the TV screen as the local news reported the latest updates on the city's recovery efforts. The chaos that had engulfed Gotham was finally over, and it was a relief to see that the city was slowly but surely returning to normal.

I watched as they announced the arrest of Hush, the mastermind behind the chaos that had brought the city to its knees. It was a small victory, but it was a victory nonetheless.

But what really caught my attention was the footage of Batman, working tirelessly to restore the city to its former glory. It was no secret that I had never been a fan of the caped crusader, but seeing him in action, doing everything he could to help the city, I couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for him.

As I sat there, lost in thought, I couldn't help but wonder if there was anything I could have done to help during the chaos. I had always prided myself on being self-sufficient, but maybe I had been too focused on my own survival.

The sound of my phone ringing snapped me out of my thoughts. It was an unfamiliar number, but I answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Tom? It's me, Raven."

I was surprised to hear her voice. We hadn't spoken since we ran into each other a few days ago. I wondered what she wanted.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to sound casual. 

"I was just wondering if you were okay," she said, her voice soft. "After everything that happened, I just wanted to make sure."

I was taken aback by her concern. Raven had always struck me as someone who kept to herself, and and had a mysterious air around her. It was surprising to see her reaching out like this. 

"I'm fine," I said, my voice a little softer than I intended. "Thanks for asking."

We chatted for a few more minutes, mostly small talk about the city's recovery efforts. But as we said our goodbyes, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth towards her. Maybe there was more to her than I had initially thought.

As I turned off the TV and settled back into the couch, my next heist was already in sight and it was time to get into the planning phase. 

As Ghost, I was offered a job to steal a weapon from a tech laboratory over in San Francisco. The weapon was an imitation of the alien mother box that had left human scientists in wonderment over the years. 

I had no idea who my employer was. Did I care what the person wanted it for? Absolutely fucking not. 

We agreed on a handsome payout and the job was easy. My mission was simple: break into the heavily secured laboratory, locate the mysterious box, relocate it to the designated drop point, and receive my payment. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy, or so I thought. Honestly it kind of feels like I've been breaking into a lot of Laboratories quite often. 

I didn't want Deathstroke getting involved with it and I haven't offered Leo, a.k.a 'Captain Cold' an offer to join my crusade.

 "I really need to pick up the pace and recruit more skilled personnels to my cause and form my organization of outlaws as soon as I can." I muttered to myself. 

This was the perfect opportunity to test out my new combat suit, in live action. As I headed straight to San Francisco with every gadget I could need, I knew that time was of the essence. The sooner I formed my own organization, the better I've spent a lot of time in Gotham already and would like to move on to another city soon.

I took shelter at a distant motel and began preparing myself for the upcoming heist.I waited until the cover of darkness before proceeding with my agenda. 

As I arrived at the laboratory, my heart began to race with excitement. The thrill of breaking into a heavily guarded facility was something that I had always enjoyed, and this time was no different.

The security was tight, but I was prepared. I had done my research, knew the guards' schedules, and had every gadget at my disposal to help me overcome any obstacle.

With the stealth of a ninja, I moved past the security cameras, avoiding detection with ease. As I approached the heavily guarded vault, my pulse quickened with anticipation.

With a few swift movements, I was able to override the vault's security system, and the mysterious box was now within my grasp. But as I made my way to the drop point, I felt a sense of unease, a nagging feeling that I couldn't quite shake.

As I raced towards the drop point on my bike, my heart racing with excitement, a sudden red laser crossed my path. I slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop, and looked back to see Superboy and a few members of the Young Justice team staring me down.

'What the fuck are these circus rats doing way over here?' I thought to myself, the encounter was completely unprecedented and might ruin my operation for the first time ever. 

I knew I had been caught off guard, but I wasn't about to give up without a fight. I revved up my bike, ready to take off in a flash, but before I could even make a move, Superboy and his team had surrounded me.

I could feel their eyes on me, their intense gazes burning into my skin. I was trapped, with no way out. 

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