Chapter 93 - [AT] Coffee Shop Catastrophe...

[After Transition]

I was so consumed by our conversation that I completely lost sight of why I was there and in so doing I took my eye of the ball and ceased my watch on the orphanage and now that I think of it I think that's what Barbara wanted as she didn't want me to do anything I'd regret and so distracted me from it by conversation and I wasn't too bothered about that as I wasn't really here to watch the orphanage but rather to coax some information out of Barbara and so I was about to start edging the conversation towards that direction when the waitress that was flirting with me earlier started to slide her way towards us, I was really getting annoyed by this woman now as she's come over a few times to ask if we needed anything else although I could tell she was really talking to me and even though I politely declined she refuses to see reality for what it is. "Hi again, do you guys need anything, anything at all, after all my job is to bring you whatever you want.. Anything at all." Although what she said was technically alright on the surface I heard the slight sultriness in her words and judging by the expression on Barbara's face so did she and she doesn't like it.

I'm about to politely refuse her again when she gently trails her hand across my shoulder even though I've made it clear that I'm not interested in her and so forgoing my polite approach I decide to cut this at the root and just be as brutally harsh and honest as I can without outright insulting her although I'm tempted to do just that. "Excuse me, you've come over several times and I've refused several times so if it's alright with you if I do in fact need anything to do with the services offered by this establishment I'll make sure to wave you or someone else over but apart from that can you leave us alone and stop interrupting us, thank you." I worded my scolded words to her in such a way that she'll know exactly what I meant as I said that I've refused her services specifically and I've said that if I need the shops services and not hers I'll ask for someone making it clear where I stand with her and if that doesn't prove to be enough I shot her a cold stare to get my point across which it apparently does as she acts like her hand is touching fire and she immediately retracts it from where it was touching my arm but in the process she knocks over my cup of coffee and spills it all over the table and my l.a.p.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry sir. Let me clean that up for you." She starts to panic over spilling hot coffee on me as she might lose her job and although my hands were scalded by the hot coffee turning my burnt hands bright red they quickly healed up so fast that it was done in the blink of an eye with Barbara barely having any time to see it happen though the waitress is still fumbling about trying to clean the table and so I drag my hand through my hair because of the stress this woman is causing me and in doing so I tilt my head to look out into the bleak street and in doing so I'm shocked at what I witness, further down the road I witness the sight of that old bitch of a matron loading three boys between the ages of seven and nine into the back of a white van before she closes the back door and goes and deposits herself in the front passenger seat and in doing so informs me that someone else is driving the white van and it is most likely the drug dealer who is driving the van and from the if oration I've amassed I've come to the conclusion that they are about to go and get rid of the three boys who are most likely drug mules and I know that I can't let such a thing happen without trying to stop it just like I wished someone would help me when I was being forced into that meat grinder.

I quickly stand up and try to leave my seat but I'm stopped but the waitress who is still panicking in front of me and won't allow me to leave, Barbara is just confused and stands up as well but doesn't ask anything as the waitress asks her own frantic query. "Please don't tell my manager, I can clean it up, please I need this job." She begs to which I don't care but I don't have time for this now and so I grab my wallet before reaching in and grabbing several bills before throwing them onto the table with some of the bills being stained by the coffee that was covering the table and not caring that I threw more money than what I owed I walk passed the woman shoving her out of my way without another word and start to rush to the door quickly exiting and sprinting over to my parked BMW pulling my keys out of my pocket and pressing the button that opens the car which resulted in a ice sounding beep from the parked car, when I finally reach the car and pull open the door I'm about to enter when I'm stopped by a hand grabbing onto my arm quite tightly and when I trace the hand back to its owner I'm face to face with a serous Barbara Gordon who seems to be hell bent on getting answers.

"What are you doing? Why did you suddenly rushing off? What's wrong?." She barrages me with a bunch of questions and I'm about to answer when I noticed that the engine of the whit van down the street has started up and they're about to drive off and so I quickly shut down her questions by shaking off her hand from my arm. "We're losing time, get in and I'll explain on the way." I don't say anymore and I quickly get into my car closing the door behind my and putting my keys into the ignition turning the keys and although I hear the passenger car door open and shut and feel the presence of someone sit in the passenger seat I don't pay it any mind as I put the car into gear and proceed to slam my foot down onto the pedal throwing the car forward suddenly booting it down the street hoping to catch up to the white van that has already turned off onto another street and I don't like the fact that it's left my sight but there's not much I can do about that but push the throttle and throw my car up a gear going even faster to catch up while definitely breaking some speed laws though I'm sure that there are more crimes happening in Gotham that are taking up police attention.

Speeding through the streets and swerving past car after car I'm beginning to close in on the White van when a truck pull out of a side street completely blocking off the road and blocking my view and so I have to hit the brake and turn the car to the right in the hopes that I'd slow down the momentum of my car enough not to ploughing into the side of the truck and kill Barbara in the process as I would heal right back up from it and I'm thankful when we drift to a stop only a few meters from the truck but I'm angry as hell that I've lost the White van and I show my anger by punching the steering wheel which results in beeping the car horn as well, I'm shook out of my anger by Barbara placing her hand on my arm and shaking it before she begins to speak. "The alleyways over there, it's your best shot, it's a literal labyrinth leading to the slums of Gotham but I know my way through them and I should be able to direct you so that your able to get several streets further much faster than you'd be able to on the roads which should put you in front of that White van as this street is straight with hardly any turnoffs that lead to anywhere actually worth going, that's the vehicle your following right?" I nod my head and push down the on the pedal quickly driving into the alleyway not questioning how she knew which car I'm following though I'm sure she managed to pick it up by seeing which cars have been on the same street I've been on for the longest amount of time though I'm not too bothered about that right now and so I continue to drive off into the labyrinth of alleyways with tents and makeshift houses that are put up around the area by Gotham's less fortunate.

I'm making my way through a series of alleyways as fast as possible listening to the directions that Barbara is barking out as she's my only hope right now, I can't let those bastards do to some more poor kids what they did to me...

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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.

(pa treon.com/GutsyRipper)

A special thank you to my patrons Tim Brown, Stormrall, Turtle, Wanous, Matthew Laird, Sage Honos, Shawn Smith, Derrick Porter, Alex and Manuel Arauio. Thank you for the support.