I thought I would have more time before Pamela arranged a little outing. Time to test my newfound ability, to build some gear, to recover.
Expectations always failed me. Why would today be any different? It was not like Pamela was the type to wait because of someone else's pain. So she dragged me along to her latest crusade this very night.
I took a deep breath and tried my best to calm my beating heart. My surroundings were not that dangerous, just a small lab near the more prosperous sections of Gotham.
A tiny place that no one cared about. Only important because this place conducted animal testing on a small scale. A place Pamela felt comfortable targeting all by herself, a place she was willing to bring a liability to.
An assessment, one that might lead to me being arrested and taking the fall for this little escapade. Truly, that woman was revolting.
I would be fine; this place was fine… if only my beating heart could understand that.
The fear of the night was something beaten into my very core. So being outside at night was… chilling.
My every thought and action felt vulnerable in a way I hated. I was tempted to throw my effort away and leave until I was really ready. But… I couldn't.
My greed would never allow that step back.
So I took a deep breath and propped open the window in front of me. I could only hope the last-minute gadgets I made would get me through the night.
My gaze rolled over the room, assessing everything that might pose a threat to me. Cameras, open areas, and the all-so-important human element that I could not ignore.
I slipped in, taking cover near a desk. The pitch-black clothing I was wearing blended into the shadows. The camera might have caught sight of me for a moment, but passing into its blind spot was easy.
There was a guard patrolling this place with a bored whistle, clearly not expecting anyone to bother him on this night.
Stupid, one should never think they are safe in Gotham. Unimportance meant nothing in the face of the madness this city captured.
I crouched lower as the guard passed my position. My hand snaked out at the exact moment he stepped into the blind spot.
I grasped his ankle. He froze, startled beyond belief, and fear filled his veins. For a brief moment, he could have stopped this, maybe by screaming at the top of his lungs or forcefully breaking my hold on him.
He did not take advantage of that second.
Sparks sputtered from my gloved hand, and a strong current traveled through his body. He froze like a statue for a brief moment, every muscle in his body spasming at once. Then he fell over and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Tasers may not knock people out, but since when did rationality care about my little gadgets?
I dragged him into the shadow of the desk, making sure he would not be discovered.
I started to rummage through his clothes to find what I needed: a flashlight, a gun, his wallet, and the all-important keys.
Pamela said he was the only guard that patrolled, but there should still be someone in the camera room. I could not afford to wait; it was only a matter of time before that guard noticed his buddy was no longer on camera.
So I slunk forward, again melting into shadow where I must and avoiding the camera entirely when I could.
Thankfully, this place was not that well secured, so I reached the camera room quickly.
I took a deep breath and opened the door violently. The gun I confiscated from the guard aimed up and locked onto the other guard in the blink of an eye.
The guard looked up at me from his seated position in shock and panic. His eyes were wide, and his lips were open to scream. His gaze morphed from panic to sheer fear as he caught sight of a masked man pointing a gun directly at him.
"Do not move!" I barked out and cocked the gun back to emphasize that little point. "Not an inch. If you so much as twitch, a bullet is going to be the last thing you see," I spoke out darkly as I stepped forward.
He gulped and stared at the gun in frozen terror.
"Okay, okay! Whatever you say, do whatever you want!" he babbled out as he tried to be as submissive as possible.
"Turn around and don't look at me," I commanded stiffly. I could knock him out face-to-face, but it would be safer if he did not see it coming. He did not strike me as a hero, but a cornered animal bites, and he was very much that.
He froze again, dread and fear filling his face.
"Wait, you don't have to do anything extreme. Really, I saw nothing!" Again, more babble as he tried to weasel himself out of an execution.
"Shut the fuck up! I told you to turn around, so turn the fuck around," I commanded gruffly as I glared at him. He still seemed reluctant to take his eyes off of me, so I continued. "If I wanted you dead, you would be fucking dead. I'm going to cuff you," I spoke out sternly but less aggressively.
Again, there was a pause between us, and he looked over at me as if trying to figure out if I was bullshitting him. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he caved.
He turned around and shuddered, as if he were a lamb for the slaughter. I glided forward and once more grasped a man, this time by the throat. Again, he went stiff, and I could already see him whirling around to fight off his death, but the taser did its job and knocked the poor fucker out.
When he hit the ground, I let some of the tension bleed out of me. I was safe, or as safe as I could make myself for now. I went toward the computer and looked over the setup.
I shut down what I could and deleted the footage I could find, but I was not sure if I really did anything properly. I may be a Tinker, but that did not equate to knowing my way around a computer like a whiz.
I went around the complex and broke all the cameras I saw, now that I did not have to worry about someone watching from them.
I then went toward a side door and opened it up.
The alley beyond it was silent, too quiet, and that old fear started to build up, but footsteps rang out, and a familiar redhead waltzed in like she owned the place.
She was dressed like me, all black and a ski mask, but there was no way I was mistaking her for someone else right now.
She turned toward me with a glint in her eyes.
"Well, doggy has more than a few tricks. I really thought you were going to fail and make some noise, get the cops called over and have your ass dragged out of here. I figured after that failure, I would have an easier time hitting the place, but you really surprised me," she spoke out with admiration, as if she did not just admit to basically setting me up.
Instead of feeling hurt or angry at that, I was just amused. I honestly felt more comfortable being used than having a simple conversation.
"I know I ruined your whole night by actually being competent. Look at it this way: you still have a lackey around for your next crusade," I spoke out dryly as I followed her while she strode into the lab.
She looked over at me with her own amusement dancing in her eyes, clearly not expecting me to take her comment so well.
"You know what? I might just steal you from Babs, doggy," she purred out with a playful shove.
I rolled my eyes.
"Can't wait," I spat out dryly and was met with bubbling laughter.
I really could not wait to milk her for everything she was worth.