Chapter 83

Ravager PoV

Bedlam Institute for Special Needs.

An isolated and gated long term care facility that helps take care of those with special needs. That way both those who are young and old are able to be taken care of 24/7 with staff on hand at all times.

Not only did residents get their own fucking place to stay, but the staff also cooked them their own shit. They were properly pampered and everything. Anything that they would need was delivered to them by hand. So they really had no need to leave the grounds.

Not that they could even if they wanted to. As the entire Institute and community was safely cut off from the rest of Jump City. Making it difficult for anyone to leave or for anyone to break in.

Anyone who wasn’t me, that is.

It was practically goddamn paradise, but the process to get in was complicated, with a lot of strict requirements. Not to mention more expensive than some of Galatea’s workout equipment.

So just about anyone interested in it quickly lost interest.

I’d have felt the same damn way too if it wasn’t for the fact that Law regularly visited the damn place. Yeah, the same Law who was one of the biggest asshole’s known to man. So, I fucking doubt that he’s visiting out of genuine concern or generosity.

Fake concern maybe.

I didn’t really give much of a shit about it at first. It was just something I noticed during routine patrols around the city. Whenever he patrolled as well, it was always around the same place. Eventually I got curious enough to glance over at where he was going.

Which is when I realized he was covering his tracks and going through a series of maintenance tunnels underneath the city. Hell, at some points I lost track of him, but I was smart enough to at least pinpoint the direction he was heading.

Which lead me to that weird ass Institute.

I don’t know what went on in it. I don’t know why Law kept visiting the damn place.

Hell, I don’t even know why I’m investigating it on my off time. Sure, Law’s a fucking dick but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to randomly step on his toes without a reason. Best case scenario is that there’s some dirt on him in there, but that wasn’t really got me curious about this.

Nah, it was because when I saw Law enter that place…

It felt off.

It wasn’t something I could explain with logic. No real reason that I could point to as evidence. It was just a gut feeling.

Even so, it was a damn strong one.

I don’t know if it’s Law himself, the place, or something else in it. But there was something in there that was bad news.

And when I had a gut feeling like that, it was for a damn good reason.  

So I decided to scout out the area. Look around for structural weaknesses, recon a bit to see what goes in and out, and make a plan of attack. 

Until finally after several weeks, I was ready.

I started to set up on the fifth floor of a nearby abandoned building. Looks like they were planning on making it a high rise, or maybe an apartment complex. But halfway through the process they just up and stopped. So besides the first two levels, most shit was still just mostly wood, cement, dry wall and a dream.

They didn’t set up any windows so it’d be pretty easy to get over the wall from the Institute with a zipline. It doesn’t seem like there’s much in the way of actual people manning the walls or standing guard. Mostly just electronic security systems. Making my job easy.

But that’s only the beginning. Once I was in the main field I’d have to-

A sharp piercing pain was felt in my right shoulder blade. In the very next second I had already turned around with my gun drawn, and taken the shot.

A grunt of pain was the only thing I was given, before the masked figure in green disappeared behind a nearby wall. But that wasn’t the end of my problems, as two other figures were already moving in for the kill.

One was an old fucker with a claw replacing one of his hands. Shaggy gray hair hung down as if he already had a foot in the fucking grave. But at least he looked somewhat normal.

The other fucker was dressed up from head to toe in a skintight purple suit. My eye twitched in annoyance by just how fucking retarded he looked even as he seemed to raise a hand towards me.

As Captain Hook was closer, I aimed towards him first. I would be able to get a shot off on him just in time before he reached me.

Or so I would have if my gun didn’t suddenly get hit with some sort sticky substance from the dumbass in the purple suit. Yanking my gun out of my hand before lashing out with a kick.

I took a page out of Black Canary’s playbook and slammed my foot into his leg pushing him backwards. Before shifting and grabbing the claw that was attempting to take my head off.

The good news was that I evaded the worst of it. The bad news was that I was now sporting a long cut down my right arm. Captain Hook seemed to have the neat feature of being able to shift the angle of his hook.

Great.

I was forced to brace and take a punch to the gut from the loser in purple. But was at least able to slam my fist across his jaw. Forgetting for a moment to pull my punches, causing him to stagger a bit in response.

Turning back around, I was able to evade a slash from the incoming hook-

I was forced to duck as the cunt in green tossed several knives my way. Which was very likely to be the cause of pain in my right shoulder. Damn it Rose, don’t fucking think about it.

I just needed to move!

Stepping forward, I immediately entered the guard of Captain Hook. He tried to take out the back of my knee with his leg, but he wasn’t strong enough to pull off that bullshit. He started to raise his arms to block, but it was way to late to stop my fist from impacting his chest.

I winced in pain as I hit something harder than bone, but doubled down on the attack. Causing him to grunt and stumble back a bit. Muttering a curse as I went for his kidney.

It would’ve been easy to capitalize on it if it hadn’t been for the masked bitch suddenly closing in and attacking me. Swinging some sort of stupid ass sword in my direction.

As she did so, I gripped her arm in order to force her to drop it, but she started to resist.

“Not bad for the daughter of Deathstroke.”

My eyes narrowed before I increased the pressure on her wrist. She suddenly dropped the blade in an attempt to catch it with her other hand, but I snapped my leg out to kick it away.

“Guh!”

And winced as I was force to take on a slash from Captain Hook across my back. One that was a good bit deeper than the previous one. My arm swung around to hit him and gain some distance, only to be suddenly stuck as the loser in purple stuck it with some sort of adhesive string from his suit.

Forcing me to defend myself with one arm as the green bitch and Captain Hook took full advantage of it.

Captain Hook’s movements weren’t too hard to predict. The only problem with him was that any attack if it connected full would just immediately kill or maim me. The green bitch on the other hand was a lot more skilled in hand to hand combat. Breaking my stance as I broke hers.

Even so, I was still able to rip out the knife that was in my shoulder and catch her off guard. Slashing her diagonally down the chest.

Instead of being pissed however, she just seemed to be amused.

“What’s this? A hero using a knife? What would the other Titans think?”

I grit my teeth.

“Shut the fuck up!”

Jesus, that fucking teasing tone she had just sets me off. It was like listening to a female Law. Just the though was enough to give me an aneurism.

…But she was right. I couldn’t fight with a fucking knife. If I did, she’d probably…

I blocked the incoming hook cut by applying pressure on the side of the hook arm, only to grimace as he suddenly had electricity coarse through it. A fucking stupid little trick, as he was obviously not immune to it either, if the pained look was any indicator.

My arm was finally free due to purple loser finally stepping up into the ring. Attempting to throw a punch to my head, only for me to use his stupid ass sticky shit against him. Yanking on it and making him off balance before kicking his collarbone and forcing him into Captain Hook.

Green bitch attacked at the same time, forcing me to block her with one arm. Which wasn’t enough, as she wrested the knife from that hand and quickly stabbed me in the side with it. Causing me to lose my breath for a second.

If this kept up…

Stop being pathetic Rose, and get up.

“That knife was laced with poison. But don’t worry, I won’t kill you. As long as you tell me exactly what I want to know about Red Arrow.”

…Disappointing.  

Father of the year’s voice echoed in my head as my vision started to blur. He wasn’t real. I knew he wasn’t real. But his voice just wasn’t leaving. The green bitches voice started to become muffled as dad’s voice rang clear.

Can you not even do this?

Shut up. I’m trying so fucking hard, you piece of shit. I’ve always been doing my best, and yet it was never good enough.

Nothing was ever good enough for him.

After losing mom, I thought I had hit rock bottom. Little did I know that I had only just barely scratched the fucking surface.

Sla-Purple Spider suddenly lashed out, kicking the back of my leg and causing me to fall on one knee. My own arms shot out before slamming against his own knee. Instead of hitting the back of it, I hit it from the side. Attempting to dislocate it.

A muffled ‘fuck!’ came out of his mouth as he slammed into the ground below. As Captain Hook rounded on me, all I could do was raise my arms and block with them for the incoming cut.

Causing both arms to be cut deeply. Blood pouring out of them as they already started to feel numb. I wasn’t sure if that was due to the cut itself, or to the poison that was in my system.

Either way, I was already starting to flag.

My vision wavered as someone’s foot slammed into my face. I felt my bottom right molar pulsate with a sharp pain. Pouring out of the side of my cheek like a faucet.

Not good enough.

It’s never good enough for you dad, is it? Gee, you ever think that maybe the reason I’m such a failure is because I have YOUR genes? You ever think that maybe the problem that I have is the fact that I’m your daughter?

I bet that never even crossed your mind.

Get. Up.

I hate you. I hate you so much.

Why did you even enter my life!? What was it all even for!? If you were just going to throw me away anyway what did…why…

I just…

I wanted…

All I ever wanted was…

Who’s my beautiful little Rose?

I slowly stood up on shaky legs. The only reason they hadn’t immediately knocked me down was that they could see that I was on my last legs. It wouldn’t be long till I fell.

But before then…

I was going to make sure to take all of these fuckers down with me.

The purple loser swung on me, and I took it straight to the gut. I couldn’t do anything too fancy footwork wise, or I’d probably fall on my ass. Which meant I needed to take a bit more pain in order to get him to close the distance himself.

I worked through the pain and gripped his arm with both hands. One on his upper arm, and one on his forearm. And then I bent it with all the force I could.

Not in the direction his elbow was supposed to go.

“AAHHHH!”

He screamed in response. Instead of fighting back, he simply attempted to try to pull his arm free. I breathed in and out, refusing to give his arm back as I waited for Captain Hook to swing. Waiting until the very last moment to move and pull purple loser forward.

Causing him to fall into the hook chest first.

He screamed again as he backed up. Blood pouring out of his wound as he watched on in horror, before quickly turning around and making his exit. But I couldn’t focus on that, because green bitch had already thrown another knife at me. A knife that cut my fingers as I caught it, and immediately threw it at Captain Hook.

It slammed home in his eye and into his skull.

I paused as I wordlessly watched as he body slumped forward before slamming into the floor below. Diving the knife in deeper.

He was dead.

I…I hadn’t meant to do it. It was just on instinct. I was tired, and bleeding out and…they wouldn’t care. I know they wouldn’t care what the reason was.

Fuck.

FUCK.

I barely reacted as another knife slammed home in my gut. Causing me to finally fall to the ground. My hands clutching the knife, but not pulling it out immediately.

I didn’t want to if I didn’t have to, but if she got closer…I’d have to kill her too.

It was kill or be killed. This wasn’t my choice. This was forced on me! Like everything else in my life, I had no fucking choice.

…But it didn’t matter. No one was going to accept that.

Not the Justice League. Not the cops. Not the Titans. Not dad.

…Not mom.

Green bitch took her time coming towards me. Sashaying her hips with obvious satisfaction as she reveled in the fact that I couldn’t currently stand. My breaths were coming out in ragged gasps.

Just seeing how full of herself she was filled me with utter loathing. I wished I had killed her instead of the guy with a thing for Peter Pan.

She was saying something as she got closer. Whatever it was I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. It was way too muffled, and the fact that my ears were ringing weren’t making it any easier.

There was a knife in her hands as she approached. She was going to kill me. I could feel it in my bones. She didn’t intend to leave me alive.

Alright then…what was she waiting for!? The moment she throws the knife I’ll fucking take out the one in my gut and get her! If I was going to die anyway, why wouldn’t I just…just…

…Whatever.

It didn’t matter anymore.

Green bitch raised the knife up. An overly showy way of doing things, likely more for herself than to actually stoke fear in me.

Only for an orange ball to slam into her shoulder, and explode. Causing her to fall to the side, and even fall through the floor below her. The wooden boards and beams falling apart due to force.

Even though my life had been saved, I wasn’t happy in the least. Because there was only one insufferable bastard who threw those orange balls.

Law stepped forward quickly, before tossing down several balls into the hole that the green bitch had fallen through. After gazing down the hole for several seconds, he seemed to relax before facing back towards me.

…and the nearby dead body.  

I needed to do something. Law was a piece of shit, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d figure out I was the killer, somehow. It was only a matter of time. I needed to…to…

I couldn’t even summon the slightest amount of energy in order to care.

This was it. I was going to be kicked out of the Titans. Disgraced, and thrown in jail. Hell, that’s if he even cares enough to try to nurse me back to health. I was fucked.

…Haha, what the hell? Why was I feeling upset at the thought of not returning back to the Tower?

It definitely wasn’t because I would miss those assholes. The only difference between them was that some were more tolerable than others. But all of them were grating on my nerves.

That fucking green dork who’s so fucking awkward. That stupidly insightful half metal man. That overly cheerful orange bitch. The green kid who seems to be always walking on eggshells. The magician who dresses up like she’s starring in a porno. The competitive blonde archer who actually gets it. That quiet loner who can’t handle a simple conversation. The stupid musclehead who just works out all the time. Even that loser who hits on anything with a pulse.

…I wouldn’t miss them at all.

The only reason I would be sad was…was because I no longer had a half decent free meal ticket. One that let me stay in a pleasant enough room.

Yeah…that was it…

My vision started to finally see spots in my vision that only got wider and wider as Law bent down to examine my wounds. I couldn’t hear a word he was saying, but I could at least read his lips. His eyes seemed to bore into my own with a pretty intense looking expression.

Damn, did he already figure it out? Goddamn. I just can’t catch a break.

‘I’ll take care of it.’

…Not even the faintest whisper could be heard. My hearing seems to be completely shot. And it looks like my sight wasn’t far behind. Instead of waiting for it though, I just closed my eyes…and accepted it.

…Acceptable.

Shut the fuck up dad.