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Chapter 23 - Chapter 23

Ricky dropped to the floor and called out just in time. Both Red Hood and Penguin seemed to duck on instinct as he called out. The bullets flew over their heads. Tank was too close and did not react quick enough.

So Ricky was only slightly surprised when the top half of his body disappeared. The bullets trailed from the meeting to Penguin's people and his vans. Then it went back over them and into their cars. Fortunately most of them had stayed down. But the vehicles were turned into swiss cheese.

"Damn! Honey Badger!" Red Hood looked over at him.

Ricky sighed and peaked up and fired the grenade launcher. The grenade hit the insides of the van that was shooting. The result was a massive fire bomb with someone screaming. While around that van, running up were people in black suits with various types of black masks. No mystery who was attacking them now.

"Someone leaked the meeting to black mask." Ricky told him as he loaded in a flash grenade. "What are we doing?"

"Retreating." Red Hood told them as he glanced at Penguin who was crawling to his own group. "No point in staying. We pull back and hit Black Mask back." He informed Ricky as he moved over to him. "I already sent the message to the others."

Ricky moved behind the destroyed vehicles that were once their rides here. He saw that the three he rode with were mostly unharmed. As he moved toward them he saw only the windows on the SUV had been shot out.

"Can it still drive?" Ricky asked as he ran toward them.

"Yeah! Are we leaving?" One of them asked.

"Yeah." Ricky answered. As he jumped in the seat behind the driver's side. The others hopped into their seats. Then they were racing down through the car garage just as the black mask goons began firing on the car garage en masse.

As they were veering down the first ramp the driver grunted and then slammed on the break. "Damn!"

"What happened?" Ricky asked as he aimed his grenade launcher and fired it in the direction of the other car garage. A moment later a blinding white light lit up the sky, temporarily blinding the enemy.

"I am hit!" The driver told them.

Ricky grunted and jumped out of the car. "Pull him into the backseats." A second later as he was pulling open the driver side door the mercenary that was driver was almost completely in the back.

Once he was seated he hit the gas on the vehicle and they sped down the car garage. On the second level a set of black cars were blocking the way with people in black masks peaking out.

Instead of slowing down he sped up. Breaking through the blockade as the others ducked. He could feel a few bullets bounce off his jacket while the others ducked down. "Damn! This was a trap set to kill us."

"Red Hood and Penguin. But it means that Penguin has a leak in his house. He probably already realized the same thing." Ricky told them as he spun around the corner in the car garage.

But instead of being able to move further down they all heard a bang and then the car slowed to a stop. He veered off to the side so he was out of the way of the others who were following. They watched two other cars with what remained of Red Hood's escort and then what remained of Penguin's escort and Penguin himself.

"Shit! Is it dead?" One of them asked.

"Yup." Ricky answered as he climbed out the car. He reloaded another incendiary grenade into the grenade launcher and fired it just as the people from the blockade began firing at him. With bullets whizzing by. "Get another car. We need to go."

It lit up the middle of the path. While the others climbed out of the vehicle. One of black mask's goons ran through the fire. He was heavily armored and had a bat in hand as he ran toward him. Ricky could hear glass break and grunting as they got in another vehicle.

He reloaded the grenade launcher with another incendiary. But before he got a chance to fire it there was a 'ting' and he looked at the side of the grenade launcher which had a batarang sticking out the side of it.

He watched as Batman flew through the air and kicked the person that was running toward Ricky. Ricky threw the grenade launcher toward him just as the other goons began firing their guns again.

Batman turned toward him just as he heard a car pull up behind him. "Get in! You are driving again!" Ricky climbed in the driver's seat just as the grenade launcher exploded into a fiery inferno backlighting the Batman.

Ricky climbed into the sedan and quickly drove down the ramp. As he quickly drove through the car garage they saw additional damage and roadblocks that were destroyed. When they drove out of the car garage is when the police arrived. He barely managed to dodge them.

He adjusted the gears like it was nothing as he drifted into another street dodging a flood of police cars. He watched them give chase in the rearview mirror. "How is his wound?" He glanced back to see one of them giving him first aid.

"Not as bad as we thought." The woman in the back answered as she treated them.

"What should we do about the cops?" The person in his passenger seat asked.

"Aim for their engine blocks and tires if you are going to shoot at them." We want to make ourselves the least dangerous fleeing group." He told them as he made another quick maneuver and they cut through an alley and onto an empty street.

"I will if I get the chance. You might lose them just by driving." The person chuckled. "There is a safehouse we use. We should head there for the night. I will direct you once we get far enough."

"Actually, that may not be such a good idea." Ricky pointed out as he spotted someone following them. It was not a cop but it was still a problem. "We have Nightwing following us."

"Damn, I thought he was in Bludhaven." The woman in the back said.

"No, he has been here since Red Hood had started shaking things up. He has probably been splitting his time." Ricky informed them as Nightwing began catching up as he spun around another corner. He was in a remote part of Gotham now. He could feel his phone vibrating as he received a call.

He pulled it out and checked the caller ID. It was Red Hood. He answered it. "I am kinda in the middle of something."

"You are still trying to get away?" Red Hood asked. As Nightwing pulled up next to the car and pulled out one of his sticks. The end of it sparked and then he jabbed it toward Ricky. Ricky dropped his phone in the cup holder and elbowed the nightstick out of Nightwing's hand.

He then picked it up and tossed it out the window at Nightwing who had to raise a hand to catch it. Ricky then swayed the car and slammed into the side of the motorcycle he was riding. Causing it to sway and then crash. He heard a thumping on the roof of the car.

"You have got to be kidding me." The woman sighed.

But instead of worrying. He swayed the car and then made a hard turn at a busy intersection. Other cars began honking. But as a police car lit up their lights the body of Nightwing flew off the roof of Ricky's getaway car and slammed into the car.

He then zipped away down another road. He soon arrived on a street without cameras. He pulled over and stopped the car. "Come on, time to switch cars." He informed them as he grabbed his phone. "Sorry we had to lose Nightwing. Still have to make sure we can get away cleanly."

"Good, do it and then meet up with the rest of your group. I have a job for you tonight. We are not giving Black Mask time to hide." Red Hood then hung up.

Ricky walked to a car and quietly picked the car lock and then they were on their way in an unassuming green hatchback. They soon arrived at an old abandoned mansion at the edge of the swamp lands. He pulled into the driveway and there were three other vehicles there.

He parked the car and climbed out. Then he helped carry the injured person out of the car and toward the mansion. "This is where you have been staying?" He asked as one of them knocked on the door in a pattern.

The door opened and another mercenary was at the door. This person was dressed in a green and black outfit. "Come on in. Who is the new guy?"

"The person in charge of our ragtag unit. Hey Mich! Come help me with Gearbox! He got shot. I want to make sure he does not die." The woman called out as they carried him over to a table that had some takeout on it. She swiped them off with her arm before laying down, 'Gearbox' as she called him.

"Welcome to the Ragtag Unit, as we like calling ourselves." The woman welcomed him in. "Ragtag Unit, meet the local freelancer. Honey Badger." As she introduced him, Ricky was pulling out his phone.

"Honey Badger?" One of them asked.

But he was already focused on his phone while a system notification popped up in front of him.

[Completed Side Mission:

Truce With Penguin

The gang war is changing. Penguin, much to his annoyance, has realized the necessity to forge a truce with Red Hood. Especially with his businesses suffering along with the police closing in on him as well. Accompany Red Hood and leave successfully.

Reward: 75 Criminal Points, 25 Raffle Tickets, Agility Talent x2, Strength Talent x2, Athletic Talent, Mechanical(Competent) Skill, Unbreakable Phone Case.

Upon Failure: Identity Exposed, arrested.]

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