-[Artemis]-
Her life had made quite the change in recent days. She didn't have to worry about her dad breathing over her neck, she didn't feel as lonely as she did in the empty apartment she grew up in and last but not least, she had a boyfriend(?) who she didn't have to hide her family history from.
She was happier than she'd been for a while but she wasn't a fool either.
Liam was…different from the average person. Sometimes she struggled to understand his thought process, which only made him more fascinating but it also made her aware of the fact that she had to put in some work.
She was competitive by nature and Liam was someone who was obviously going to go far, she wouldn't be left behind. She couldn't allow it.
That was why she stayed up late, studying when he was doing research on whatever his latest project was. It was why she found herself back in the warehouse her father trained her and Jade in when they were kids.
With him going on jobs a lot, he had increasingly little time for her training. Her dislike for him and his activities only faltered her growth more.
Now though, she had found herself shooting through obstacles at moving targets with increasing fervor. A dummy stood in the corner, chipped from use throughout the years but still usable. The trembling in her arms and legs were evidence of her prior session with it before she moved to ranged practice.
She was pushing herself harder than she'd ever done and she was doing it of her own will which kind of put a smile on her face. The pills Liam gave her made it even better. According to him, they massively boosted brain capacity and muscle growth for a few hours.
Only after he reassured her that there were no adverse side effects other than an increased metabolism did she use it and even that was easily managed by yet another pill he made that supposedly supplied the human body with all it's needed nutrients and more.
She'd been on this routine for a few days now and she was seeing more progress than she'd seen in years. Her body got more toned while not losing her soft look. She didn't know if it was intentional on his part but she was filling out in areas that made her curves more pronounced.
She'd definitely noticed his roaming eyes more than once but it wasn't like she was shy about it before. That wasn't going to change, ever.
Landing from the flip she had performed, she immediately let loose an arrow, faster and more accurate than she was a few weeks ago.
She wasn't going to be left lacking.
-[Hugo Strange]-
In his many years as a psychiatrist, he'd seen many cases of insanity and similar classes of mental struggles. The one that Sportmaster was going through was both mental and physical.
After a series of thorough tests, the prison medics were able to provide a diagnosis. He was suffering from withdrawal, a very severe case of it that had never been seen before. No drug in medical history had caused this kind of reaction.
It was both intriguing and frightening.
Lawrence Crock, now a shell of a man, sat in his office, his knees huddled to himself as he muttered nonsensically under his breath. Attempts to make conversation with him ended in failure.
The government didn't truly care about the mental state of its prisoners so there was next to no hope of engineering something to help. Though, Waller was more than interested in what caused it and if it could be replicated to keep the more hostile and uncontrollable inmates inactive.
The Light would also have use for something like that, even if only to be able to study it. They would be against using it on the inmates, after all, they had plans for Belle Reve. What good were pawns that couldn't be used?
Sportsmaster was a diligent and efficient enforcer but alas, his glory has come to an end. It only made him wonder when his own time would come to an end. The person who did this was still out there and by the looks of it, they weren't quite vindictive.
People like that don't stay hidden forever. It's just not in their nature.
-[Faris Thompson]-
Gotham was a shit city. Everyone and their grandmothers knew that, it was an unchangeable fact. Even guys at the top like Wayne and Stag barely did anything to change that, not that he blamed them.
He'd do the same if he were in their shoes. Fuck the people. Working for one of the most prominent crime bosses in Gotham would be his ticket to stardom.
Black Mask paid well, either in cash or with a bullet through the head. It all depended on who was on the receiving end. It was harsh but it got people to show some initiative.
He'd heard some commotion around a homeless shelter that looked like it could barely hold itself against a strong breeze. Somehow, they were able to get someone to fund the renovation of that shithole, and not a cheap one either.
Plumbers, electricians, all the works. He liked to believe he had a sense for sniffing out opportunities. Thus, he took some men to rough them up, the usual 'protection money' gig. Not that they'd protect them in any way.
The manager was a wimp who was too scared to do anything but agree to his demands. The best part of it was that he could pocket some of it and build his own small fortune so all in all, life was looking very good.
At the moment, he was on his way home from the grocery store. Criminal or not, he had needs. People like him weren't afraid to walk in the dark so it came as a shock when he was forcefully lifted off his feet and tossed into an alleyway, his back crashing into a dumpster.
"W-what the hell?" He muttered, groaning as his body cried in pain.
Managing to look up, he didn't see anyone around as he struggled to push himself to his feet, his goods scattered on the ground. His mind ran a mile a minute.
Was it Batman? That couldn't be possible. He hadn't been caught doing anything! This would just be harassment.
His eyes picked up something behind him but upon turning to see what it was, his eyes fell on nothing. Shaking, he turned only to jump back when he saw someone suddenly in front of him.
"Hello, you must be Faris." The man, no…boy, said in a certain manner. It felt like his eyes could see through him.
"Who the hell are you, kid?!" He shot back with false bravado, trying to regain his composure.
"Someone who has a bone to pick with you. I'm all for trying to make a living but when you tamper with the lives of children, I get very upset." The boy said, his voice smooth as what little he could see of his eyes turned to yellow slits.
"W-wha…" Before he could finish his reaction, he found himself screaming as he felt something biting into his neck with monstrous force.
Monster…