___

The sensation of air filling my lungs greeted me, as I gasped for it above the surface. Choking and coughing up small amounts of water, I was flung onto the dock on my stomach, water pooling around the wooden surface. Once the black spots in my vision were starting to clear, my arms slowly pushed myself up to my knees. I closed my eyes for a brief second, letting my breath regulate, before looking up at the sky. The light from the day was now almost gone, leaving nothing but dark clouds with city lights to clarify the surroundings above the water. Rain still poured down, with the thunder roaring in the distance.

That’s when I heard weighted footsteps behind me, walking around me. As they circled around, I looked over to see a very familiar pair of boots with silver protective plates that shielded them. The dock creaked under the heavy steps.

“God damn it… If you can’t fight, stay the hell off the streets.”

The angry voice said sternly.

Shit. I knew that voice too.

I flipped my head up to see who now stood in front of me. Sure enough, my eyes met the reflection of a red, metallic helmet. His back was slightly hunched, but he stood as tall as he could, crossing his arms in frustration.

Not him. Anyone but him, I thought.

I would have much rather dealt with the man strangling me than Red Hood.

I sighed heavily, quickly pushing off of my knees to stand up. Just the night before, Red Hood had essentially threatened me, using his forearm to pin my throat against the wall. Seeing him again almost made my blood boil. Every ounce of my being told me he couldn’t be trusted, and I wasn’t about to ignore my gut feelings.

“What, not talking anymore? You know, a simple ‘thank you’ goes a long way.”

His weight shifted, with his arms still crossed.

I remained silent, unable to speak. I couldn’t find the words. Instead, my adrenaline kept flowing, ready for anything he tried.

“No? Well, fine. Either way, why the fuck are you here? Because I remember explicitly telling you and the others not to get in the way.”

My fists clenched before releasing themselves again, turning my head away from him, irritated at the gall of him.

“You expect us to just sit by and let people die?”

I tried to say it calmly, but frustration spilled out through the cracks in my attempted restraint.

The people. The hostages!

Shit, I thought. I quickly began walking up the docks, about to pass Red Hood, I scoffed.

“Forget it, I don’t have time-”

A rough hand suddenly gripped my shoulder, swinging me back around to face the red helm again.

“Well, that’s just too bad.”

“What the hell’s wrong with you? You just want the hostages to die?”

“What are you talking about? What hostages?”

A look of confusion struck my face. How could he not know? Why is he here, if not for the hostages? The question swirled in my head, as the storm rained on. Red Hood stood frozen in his place in front of me, not moving. His black and grey armored leather jacket drenched, beads of rain trailing down the metallic helm he wore. Though his face wasn’t visible, I could tell by his lack of movement he was now in the same boat as me. Confused.

I was the first to speak up after a long, pondering silence was shared by the two of us.

“If you’re not here for the hostages… Then what are you here for?”

Suddenly, the marching sounds of multiple footsteps started coming from the buildings to the left of the docks. That’s when I got my answer.

A group of clown-masked men started walking towards the old warehouse. Their steps sounded like marches. The majority of them wore jeans and ragged t-shirts. Their masks and firearms were the only things that were remotely unordinary about them. One, however, stood out immediately.

Leading the group head-on, dressed in infamous neon pink and cerulean leather attire. Bright magenta cornrows fell down his neck, and a familiar bullet-adorned clown mask solidified his familiarity.

Oh God. It’s Candyman, I thought.

I remembered his demented laugh the night we first met. The night I killed him. The way he spoke with that ringleader-like enthusiasm, even when watching someone explode. His twisted presence was something that brought chills down my spine. My heart stopped when they made it past the blind spots, and Candyman’s head turned to see the two figures standing on the docks - us. He quickly held a hand up to stop his men.

Oh no, I thought.

“Well, well! What a pleasant surprise! And here I thought I was stepping in for a quick pick up… I guess miracles do happen.”

He yelled out, his high-pitched giggle making my breath constrict.

So, it was true. Not only was Crane back, but now him. I was reminded of Crane’s words, about the force out there that wouldn’t stop until I was dealt with. This was just further proof of that. My eyes widened as I stared at the other dead man walking.

“Are you surprised to see me? Like I said… miracles happen.”

His last sentence was menacing, as his eyes stared directly into mine from afar.

Though I couldn’t see, I knew he was smiling maliciously, happy to see my fear and confusion. Red Hood turned to me, before sighing.

“Well. Guess you weren’t lying. At least you’ve got that going for you.”

I scoffed, shaking my head and rolling my eyes at his snarky comment.

My heart started beating faster, my gaze never breaking from Candyman. Everything felt like it was coming down, harder than the rain that fell upon us all. The realization that everything was breaking was stronger now that another foe from my past was alive, joining an effort designed to make life hell for me.

I couldn’t help but think to myself, what the hell did I get into?

Just then, Oracle’s voice blared through my comms unit, almost making me jump in place.

“Entity? Are you there? Robin just contacted me. He’s in the building but hasn’t seen you yet. Is everything okay?”

Red Hood saw me react to the sudden noise of the comms unit, and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Jesus. Why did they even train you?”

I gave him a piercing glare, right into the blank face of his helm, before pushing the earpiece to speak.

“I might not get inside, Oracle. Things just got more complicated… Candyman’s here. ”

I managed to say, my voice quivering slightly from the nerves I felt.

My arm fell to my side after finishing my sentence. Red Hood put his hands on his holsters, ready to take out his pistols again. From the corner of my eye, I could see his leather jacket flailing in the wind, his hoodie blown down from the breeze. His shiny red helm was all that obscured his face.

My focus turned back to Candyman, whose mask's wicked clown-like smile sent chills up my spine. His neon attire was glossy from the rain. His familair large, heavy silver chain was wrapped down his leg, with the hook that kept it in place hooked onto his leather belt. The lean, muscular man’s exposed mocha chest was scarred with what looked like scratches. However, three freshly healed wounds caught my attention. That helped the situation sink deeply in for me. Those fresh scars were from when I killed him. Yet here he was, livelier than ever.

“Gentleman, I think our new guns can wait! What do you guys think about a little fun?”

Candyman turned to his men slightly, putting his hands on his hips. The men in clown masks responded by cheering and laughing. Candyman then made his high-pitched giggle before turning back to us on the docks.

“Believe me, I’ll still be the one to kill you both. And I’ll be savoring it. Every. Moment. Especially when it’s your turn-”

He paused, making a painting motion towards me, swirling his finger around playfully before continuing on.

“But… I want to make you dance first… Get them, boys! And keep them alive for me to finish, or else!”

Candyman growled out his last order, and with that, the large group of clown-masked men came charging. Their feet pounded against the wet asphalt, splashing through any puddles in their way. I held my breath, clenching my fists to get ready for the immense fight ahead of me. There were at least thirteen, maybe more. Part of me felt relief knowing I wouldn’t be fighting alone.

However, I didn’t trust Red Hood. Not with my life. Who’s to say he won’t turn on me too?

“Can I count on you to hold your own and not fuck up? Because I’m not saving your ass again.”

Red Hood spoke up and grumbled out his question, quickly pulling out his pistols.

I took a deep breath, watching the group of men getting closer.

“Why did you in the first place? Thought you were against us 'Boy Scouts'?”

I managed to say, quoting his remarks the last time we encountered each other. The crowd of clown masks grew closer. Time seemed to slow around me as it grew scarce, the adrenaline in my body taking over my mind. The city lights from the towers above us in the distance blurred as my vision grew to only focus on my new opponents. The storm was at its worst, lighting and thunder booming and crashing in the sky above us, while its rainfall sliced down on us with its cold blades.

“I need you alive for more information.”

He managed to hiss out.

Before another second could pass, he began sprinting towards the crowd of clown men, his guns held up in preparation. I watched as he was about to collide with the crowd, mere inches from them before he jumped up. Using all of his might, he flipped himself forward, his right leg sticking right out. As he landed, his leg smashed right down on the first clown-masked man that was in front of him, causing a domino effect that sent the opponent and his colleague behind him topple backward. I almost marveled at the skill Red Hood possessed, but before I could spend another second observing, he called out cruelly to me.

“Come on! You helping or not?”

He turned to bash another man’s head with the end of his pistol. I snapped out of my observations, turning towards a small handful of men who swerved away from Red Hood, coming towards me on the docks. I took a deep breath in, before exhaling sharply, hoping my abilities would give me a break.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Please work, I thought. Please don't fail me now.

Before I knew it, I reappeared in front of the group, swinging my elbow up to hit the first opponent across the face with the sharp bone in my arm. He cried out, backing up to hold the nose I cracked as blood spurted from his unfortunate nostrils. My knee came up, ready to strike him in the center of the chest, before a fist came down from the right side, socking me on the cheek. I grunted out, staggering back. The clown-masked man who threw the punch threw another, hitting me in the collarbone. I fell, my back colliding with the concrete. I could see the handful of opponents close in, about to seize the opportunity of my fall. My insides cried out for me to get up, my gut sinking, and my muscles feeling like they were jolted alive with more adrenaline. Just as a burly masked man reached for me, I used all of my might to kick him off, leaping up with him falling.

When I landed upright, he was under my feet. I quickly pushed off of the fallen opponent, using him crudely like a trampoline, jumping up to land a flying kick to another. When slightly midair, I could get a headcount of who surrounded me.

Eight men. All waiting to pummel me.

Once my kick landed, I stepped back, waiting and thinking of how to best take down a group that was this compacted together. I couldn’t single one out for long enough to take them out. Not before one of them just gets ahold of me. I needed to be quick on my feet. Bounce from enemy to enemy. Evading their attacks, and in a way, whittling them down over time. One by one.

They walked closer, and once I had my game plan, I charged. I swung my leg up, bringing it full force into the face of an opponent, which sent him staggering back a step or so. I wanted to disappear away once I saw one of the men gearing up for a kick, but I found it failed me once again. So instead, I dove and rolled, the palm of my hand scraping against the crumbling, wet asphalt. After dodging the attack, I kicked the man I landed in front of, before elbowing him twice in the neck and face. The man next to him swung, punching me in the forehead. I recovered quickly though, able to disappear away from him, reappearing in front of another, kicking him back into another before disappearing again.

The pattern continued for a quick minute. Of me quickly attacking the men one by one before either phasing or dodging out of the way. Each of us taking a fair beating from one another. I managed to fly-kick one, before backflipping away to headbutt another. Continuing on in a clockwise circle. One of the men grew wise to my tricks, however. I heard him laugh when I got to me, catching my foot right before it made contact with his chest. I made a gasp as he did so, catching me by surprise.

Damn, I thought.

The next thing I knew, he spun me around, throwing me across the lot. I skidded across the asphalt, lighting crackling in the sky above me. I cried out, feeling the wet, broken asphalt under me. Quickly, I brought myself onto one knee, wiping the blood from my newly split lip.

I heard gunshots to the right of me, and just as I turned, Red Hood had rolled back away from his group to get some distance. His neck turned sharply to face my direction, his guns still pointed at the group in front of him. Rain poured down onto his metallic helm, like watching drops violently trickle down a crimson mirror.

“Too much for you to handle?”

Red Hood said in a mocking tone.

He then swiftly jerked his head back to face his enemies. He was about to mutter something else before he yelled out.

“Duck!”

Before anyone could blink, one of the clowned men from Red Hood’s side began firing a tommy gun at us. Red Hood jumped up to avoid the blast. I gasped, holding my breath in, expecting to be thrown on my back by the impact, filled with holes. Instead, I looked down to see I had phased just in time, smoke emerging from multiple places in my abdomen. Though my abilities have been failing all night, this was one of the times they luckily activated.

The gunfire stopped right as Red Hood landed, looking over again at me to see the shadowed creature I was able to turn into before I was gunned down.

“Where the hell has that been all night?”

He sighed, looking back over at the man with the tommy gun.

Before I could respond, Candyman called out from his spot that resided far from the action. He sprung up from the old warehouse he was leaning up against, furious.

“God damn it, Mossy! You heard what I said! Now you’ll get it!”

His last word had a grunt to it, as he threw something tiny towards the group of clown men on Red Hood’s side. Before it hit the ground, I was able to catch a glance of the small, spheric object flying through the air. Blinking with a red light. My heart sank as I recognized the tiny device. The same one Candyman was notorious for noticing.

I didn’t have time to think. Acting quickly, I grabbed Red Hood by the shoulder of his armed leather jacket, pulling him away with all my might. We both went toppling to the ground, as the other men in Red Hood’s group of masked men jumped to the ground as well. For the man with the tommy gun, it was too late.

BOOM!

A small explosion caused the man and his tommy gun to come crashing to the ground. When I peeked my head up, I didn’t dare look at his remains. I grunted, quickly getting myself up on my knees again, looking over to Red Hood. He groaned getting up on his knees too, each of us recovering from the blast that happened nearby. He sharply tilted his neck to the left, cracking it to release the tension.

“Fuck! Warn me next time! And don’t touch me!”

He remarked, grumpy at the apparent violation

“You’re welcome,”

I replied, grumbling out my words.

He lifted himself off of his knees, and I did the same. I looked over at Candyman, hearing him maniacally laughing in a high, coarse tone.

“Now you boys know what happens when you disobey my fucking orders! I said to maim… Not.KILL!”

He brushed his hands together as if he had accomplished a job well done, returning to a leaned position on the old warehouse wall.

I looked over at the remaining men on my side, doing double takes between them and the ones on Red Hood’s side who were getting up from the blast as well. Each grumbling, gritting their teeth, ready to break every bone in our bodies. There were still the eight on my side, and now they were closing in to form one larger group around me and Red Hood.

Fourteen in all.

I exhaled sharply, raising my hands and getting myself in a readied position.

“Grab onto my arm, and hold on tight.”

Red Hood said firmly, extending his left arm out to me, still holding his pistol. I didn’t say anything, just looking up and down from his red helm to his arm. I still didn’t trust him, nothing about this unsettling predicament has changed about that.

“Damn it, just do it! You want to take these guys down or not?”

He shook his arm out once again, sounding more urgent. The men were getting closer, closing in on us like suffocating walls. I didn’t have the time to think it over. It was now or never. I took another leap of blind faith, just like I did the night I encountered him, choosing him over Candyman. Just like how I did when getting information out of him. Blindly, stupidly.

Quickly, I grabbed onto his arm with both of my hands, tightly grasping around his forearm. I looked into the red helm of his abyss grimly, as if silently telling him to do what he was planning.

When the men were in range, he swung me around. As if I read his mind, I quickly lifted my leg out, letting him swing me around in a circle, kicking every man in range back. Their heads and chests felt like rocks I was tripping over, bumping into my foot harshly. A few went down on the ground for good, but others recovered quickly. Red Hood gave one muster of strength, and I let go right as he did. I was sent flying towards one man on my side, using my feet to kick him down. Once he was on the ground, I swung my forearm to hit another man in the jaw with my wrist gauntlets, before jumping back into the center of the new circle Red Hood and I found ourselves in. Turning to him, I watched to see how he was faring in this fight.

Red Hood jumped up, bringing his leg up to kick one man in the neck, before shooting him in the shoulder. He then span around after, his foot landing right in the center of a man’s clown mask, breaking it. Two came behind him, trying to swing punches at him, but instead Red Hood dodged under them, using the ends of his pistols to give the man to his left a severe and brutal beating. Without even looking, he aimed his other pistol at the second man, shooting him right through the chest. No mercy was given in his hostile treatment. He then turned to another, kicking him three times in the leg, the ribs, and finally his cheek, before jumping and spinning around, using his shin to shatter the man’s eye socket. He turned to me, before aiming the pistol right at me.

I gasped out, my breath stopping itself. I managed to phase just in time for his bullet, my muscles stiffening from the shock of this betrayal. That’s when I heard a cry from behind me. Still, in a phased form, I sharply turned around to see a clown man who had tried to attack me, now falling on the ground. Turning back over, I realized Red Hood had shot over my shoulder, not into me.

I heard him let out a small laugh of cocky amusement, as I phased back to solidity in order to punch a man who had now come in front of me. The man threw some punches after my assault that landed in my chest, sending me staggering back a bit to the center. Red Hood also ended up back at the center. We turned our heads towards each other again. It was as if we silently spoke, telling each other to switch sides. We nodded in sync at each other, before I disappeared and reappeared on his side of the circle, and he flipped over to mine. I elbowed one in the neck, before using my wrist gauntlets to smack another’s punch away from me. Red Hood was expertly wielding both of his pistols, whipping those who ran at him across the face with the harsh metals his weapons were made out of. Shooting one man in front of him like an old Western outlaw.

Once Red Hood delivered his blow, I jumped forward to take his place, while he leaped back to take mine. Inside the circle of foes, we both leaped in and out of place, switching between sides to take on opponents and keep them on their toes. One by one, the two of us wore them down. Until it was down to just three men standing.

I tried to phase behind them, right as one ran to me, swinging a punch. This time, it failed me, and the powerful blow sent me stumbling back onto the wet asphalt. Before I could flip up, an arm from Red Hood harshly plunged down towards me. Right as it did, I took it, and Red Hood hoisted me up from the ground. He aimed his pistols at the three, firing at them, but each got out of the way in time.

Using this as the distraction I needed, I jumped forward, upper-cutting one of the men and spin-kicking him back, finishing him off with a head butt. Once he fell, Red Hood flipped forward, his feet landing on the chest of the next opponent who stepped forward. He pushed off of the clown-masked man, flipping backward and sending the foe crashing back onto the ground. Once he was down, it was just one left. Red Hood landed next to me, and we both glanced, turning back towards the remaining man. Without a word between us, we ran at him.

Red Hood delivered the first hit, smacking him three times over the head with his pistol. Once he was done, he backed up, letting me jump-kick the foe on his knees. Once in the vulnerable state we needed him in, I kneed him right in the face, hearing a few facial bones crack after doing so. The final blow came from Red Hood, as he jumped over in front of me, letting his boot stomp right into the man’s temple, making him fall faster onto the concrete.

The silence of the night now rang louder than the enormous fight we just finished, the harsh winds of the winter rain storm blowing my soaked hair around wildly, screaming into my ears with its cold breath. The rain still beat down, resisting any chance of clearing. My breath regulated itself, as I felt a slight sting above my eyebrow.

I gingerly touched the area, only to see my fingers come back with crimson shining brightly on them. Just a cut, I thought. Nothing too serious.

Red Hood turned to me, and I looked up into the helm’s reflection. I sighed, wiping my bleeding, scraped hand on my side.

“Thanks for the help.”

I said coldly, trying to defuse the silence between us.

“You wouldn’t need it if you were faster. And smarter.”

He shot back harshly, looking back at the pistol he held in his right hand, turning it over to look at the ammo he had left in it.

There he is ladies and gentlemen, I thought. The asshole we all knew.

I kept my silence but a loud clap interrupted it, bursting through the crashing storm. I sharply turned my head over to see Candyman, lifting his hands, applauding us. He was laughing, giggling his psychotic giggle. I gritted my teeth when I saw him, my heart beating faster at the sight.

“Now that… That is truly an exciting show. Better than what they could ever show you in theaters. Raw, uncut, unfiltered violence… The purest of it, found right here in the heart of Gotham!”

He rambled, stepping out into the street lights from the warehouse.

“Candy, Candy, Candy… You really gotta tell me what you’ve been doing. Because when I saw you last… You were dead.”

Red Hood spoke up, stepping away from in front of me and walking slowly towards Candyman. His pistols were still up and ready for another fight. Red Hood then spoke up again, in his grim, low voice.

“Speaking of which. Your boys told me I’d find you here tonight. I know what you and Harley are up to… and if you think for a second I’ll let you go through with it… You’re fucking nuts. So you’re going to tell me everything… Starting with what you guys got a hold of to bring you back in the first place.”

Wait. Harley? Plan? What was he talking about? What did Red Hood know?

I watched from behind, listening to the two talk.

Candyman just laughed again, almost doubling over.

“Y-You think this is all Harley? And ME? Well I appreciate your faith in us, Little Red, I really do. But the thing is… You haven’t the slightest clue of what’s here to kill you all… None of you do!”

He then continued to laugh before looking past Red Hood at me, calling out to me.

“Old Crow gave you the rundown, didn’t he? So you better savor that breath in your lungs, you little bitch. Because we won’t stop coming. Not until you’re dead. She’ll keep bringing us back, no matter how many times you rip us apart. Got that… Sarah?”

The way he said my name made my blood run cold. That horrendously playful, chilling tone stirred up the fear and anxiety within. My teeth unclenched, my muscles frozen in place. The same feelings I had when I first heard this from Scarecrow came back, only three times worse now. Hearing them again from another dead man walking was only further solidifying the fact that something was out there, hurting people to get to me. The doubt settled in more and more, making my skin feel as if I was shaking. My breath started to pick up as my heart started to feel like it would beat out of my chest at any moment.

It felt like I was going insane.

I can’t do this, I thought to myself. I can’t.

Yet, I have no choice, I told myself. It’s too late.

“Listen, you sack of shi-”

Red Hood growled out his insults, walking closer to Candyman. But my next sudden action cut him off. Sprinting towards Candyman, before eventually disappearing from where I was and reappearing in front of the neon man. Anger and fear took over me, seeing the faces of all those I had killed before, haunting me as I lost control of my temper. I shoved Candyman against the warehouse, lifting up a shadowed claw that had come out instinctively.

“Tell me what it is! Why is it after me? Answer me!”

I couldn’t help by scream out my questions. Maddened by them. Maddened I didn’t have answers to this overwhelming puzzle.

“All in good time, sweetheart! But- we’re all not done dancing yet…”

Candyman hissed out maliciously. I could see his red, demonic eyes, resembling Scarecrow's. The bullethole in his mask was right between them. His red eyes wrinkled with delight, pleasured by my suffering, and by my engagement. This only boiled my frightened blood more.

“I swear to God! I’ll-”

Before I could finish, Candyman lifted his hand and dropped a tiny little sphere to the ground, blinking with a blue light. I gasped as I took a step back, looking down at the assumed explosive in horror, before looking up again as he smiled and waved with his fingers, giggling again.

That twisted, horrific giggle.

I then braced myself as best as I could for the impact to come, phasing in time to avoid the suspected blast.