Chapter 99 - [AT] I Need a Hero...

[After Transition]

We drove in silence with Barbara messing about on her phone most likely informing people about the situation as well as probably telling Batman which roads we've checked and telling him to check the road I decided to forgo in favour of following my gut and going down this dirt path so that I've I am in fact wrong then Batman should be able to save those kids and if I'm correct he will only be delayed by a little plus Barbara is here so he should be fine with checking that other road but while she was doing this I just concentrated on the road making sure to keep my eyes open for anything that might be important as well as avoiding anything that might impact the speed at which we will reach those kids as there have been a few animals and tree bits laid across the road though I've also seen tire tracks as well, following the dirt path we eventually arrive into a clear open field though there's still a dirt path for me to follow but from here I notice the factory that that was on the road next to the dirt path as well as the fact that it is entirely walled in so as to make a very secure area but it can also be seen as trying to keep things as private as possible as most of the other factories we visited on the other roads were gated because they generally don't need to be so private but for some reason this one is surrounded by brick walls which only makes my suspicions worse.

Driving along I notice that we are driving parallel to the brick wall the encompasses the factory and eventually we drive past the edge of the compound and so I begin to doubt myself but after a while the dirt path begins to turn and it turns out to eventually lead to the back of the walled in factory and to a gate and I can clearly see that the gate is open but I don't drive through it instead deciding to slow the car down and park on the grass to the side about 15 meters away from the gate so as for my car not to be easily seen from anyone inside the factory compound and I switch off the ignition of my car stopping the engine and bringing it to a quiet so as to not alert whoever is inside though I have a pretty good idea, Barbara seems to approve of my actions as she makes no move to question what I've just done but she does make a move to question our current situation. "Nick, this can't be the place can it? You said that you remember the place being surrounded on all sides by open land with nothing around and only one road leading away from the little factory where you were taken when you were ten, this isn't a little factory and there are trees around as well as another exit at the front of the compound so unless they've changed the location in the last eight years then this can't possibly be the place you told us about." Barbara finishes bringing up a good question which I don't actually have the answer to.

I never in fact actually saw what surrounded the factory in which I was turned into kicked meat and sold off as what actually happened back when I was ten was that it was only me in the back of the van and when the door opened I punched the matron before trying to run away and all I saw surrounding me was a factory and walls enclosing the factory and unfortunately I didn't have the chance to see more than that as I was shot in the leg by the drug dealer and then dragged inside the factory to be fed to a meat grinder so when I made up my story for the Batman I couldn't say that there was a brick wall surrounding the place as that would mean that I had no incentive to stick around and get in the truck so that I could be delivered to New York and run around its streets n.a.k.e.d and covered in blood and so I said that I was surrounded by empty land and had no choice but to climb into the back of the van so as to make everything connect together and make as seamless a story as I could, I didn't think that we would ever actually end up at this factory ever again and so the story didn't really matter as I expected the Batman to shut it down but I guess I made a mistake when I made the situation personal for him and in doing so forced these thugs into panicked action which drove us back to this location which could very well unravel the pack of lies I've told and make me an suspicious in Batman's eyes and you definitely don't want to seem suspicious to Batman because he will sure as hell start investigating up you.

I think there's a way that I can pull this off where the version I told Barbara and the true version coincide so as to make my lies more compact and much more unlikely to unravel, all I have to do is give Barbara an explanation that is as airtight as I can make it without being easily disproved. "No this is defiantly the place Barbara, I remember that factory as it was one of the worst nights of my lives and as for the other stuff you mentioned, it was dark that night so I couldn't really see much and when I escaped the clutches of those two assholes I ran towards the gat to see if I could escape but all I saw was empty land with a path that leads away which is the land we are on right now and I couldn't see anything else as I was surrounded by the brick wall which I guess I forgot to mention but I was ten at the time and I guess my thought process wasn't the best at the time along with the shit education I had but if there's one thing that I do remember then it's that factory. This is the place Barbara and I know that those kids are in there, I'm not gonna let what happened to me happen to them barb. I just can't." I sigh while hoping that she doesn't find any fault with the tale that I've told her. "You mean what happened to the other boy that was with you that night, right? In any case every moment we spend here is a moment wasted so what are we gonna do?" Oh shit I didn't even notice the slip up, best to just gloss over it and hope the doesn't pay it anymore mind.

Glossing over my slip up I decide on a plan of action. "I'm going to go in there and try and help those kids while you wait here for the police or Batman okay?" Barbara looks insulted. "What's? No way, I'm not gonna let you go in alone while I just wait out here?" She shouts most likely getting angry at the fact that I'm treating her like a damsel but I can't have Barbara going inside there, I need the Batgirl and the best way to make that happen is to make Barbara stay out here but she's definitely not gonna do that so I'll have to try something else. "I just need you to wait until I've distracted them okay? Then you can sneak in and take the kids out to safety while I'm distracting them, I just need you to wait out here but if Batman or one of his sidekicks show up I want you to stay here and let them handle it okay?" I say to give her a reason for Barbara Gordon to stay outside while Batgirl follows in after me as I need the Batgirl there to take care of the matron and the drug dealer because otherwise I'm gonna end up killing them, while this method does work in my favour it also comes with the disadvantage of limiting myself to a normal human as I know that Barbara is gonna be watching and the two assholes are gonna live through this so I cannot reveal my abilities.

"But what about you? That drug dealer probably has a gun on him, your definitely going to be at a disadvantage in there, we should just wait for Batman. You can stay here to watch the factory while I run back to the main road to flag down some of the police and get them to come here okay? This is better than your plan." Trying to get a opportunity to become Batgirl without risking my life but I can't allow that and I thought that I could stay away but I can't, I need to be involved in the downfall of those two sc.u.m of the earth even if their punishment is just life in prison. "I need to do this Barbara, I've spent eight years ignoring this and during those eight years who knows how many kids have been killed because of my inaction. This is my chance to start making up for that and I know that nothing will ever get rid of my crime but it's at least a start okay, I NEED TO DO THIS..! Plus, I can handle myself Barbara so don't worry okay? I'll be fine." I say unintentionally getting too emotional at the end for some reason but I don't question it and I don't give Barbara the chance to question me.

I immediately exit the car without giving her another glance and I begin to run over to the factory gate managing to get a balance between fast and silent incase anyone might hear me, I can't move in with my life until I enter that factory...

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<AN> I now have a Pa treon up and running and when a chapter is ready it will go up on Pa treon first so please take a look. Some support from you guys would be appreciated and motivate me.

Currently 14+ Chapters.

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