DC: Don't Utter A Word Chapter 17:

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[Gotham City. March 15, 08:35 CT.

David Lance POV]

After having breakfast with my sister, I decided to ask and visit the best detective I knew, Batman, to lend a hand with my case. I was certain there was sothing I wasn't seeing, and it bothered .

Perhaps Batman would offer a new perspective. He always did.

"You can co out now," Batman said to the seemingly empty cave. "Good job getting into the cave without setting the alarms off."

How the fuck?

I will never believe he has no powers. I waited for him to go out before entering the cave, how the hell did he know? And right the mont he entered?!

"How?" I signed, dropping to the floor in a low crouch. Part of his training for had always been the task of trying to sneak on him, which I had so far been, painfully unsuccessful. Today I had thought I had finally succeeded, but again, today wasn't the day.

"You need to cover your tracks from the mont you leave your house," Batman replied, his tone even. "That, and perhaps tell your sister not to call ," he added with a hint of humor, cracking the closest thing to a smile I had ever seen him show.

I sighed, giving him a quick nod of understanding. Next ti, I would start covering my tracks from the mont I left the house, and I would tell Dinah to avoid calling him while I'm at it.

"Where's Robin?" I asked, tilting my head.

"School," Batman replied, his tone back to his normal monotone. Leaving no trace of the small smile he had shown a few seconds ago.

On a Sunday? I pity him.

"I see," I nodded, before pulling the USB drive with the files I had about my case for Batman to go over.

Batman took the USB without a word, quickly putting it on his PC, automatically opening the files after a quick scan of the contents.

"What do you know so far?" Batman asked, his eyes fixed on the computer.

"Not much. All I know it's soone has started killing mobsters in Star City," I replied, feeling sowhat ashad that was all I had. "Beyond that, it's all assumptions. I think whoever it's behind this doesn't normally operate in my city."

Batman scowled at the screen. Making a face that said this was all too familiar to him. "I think your assumption it's right," he said, opening a new set of files from his PC.

So I was on the right tracks, good to know.

"I have seen the work of Constantine Drakon before. And more than not, it always leads to one person," Batman said, pointing at the screen. Where an image of Deathstroke was to be found.

Him?

But why would Deathstroke send another assassin to kill simple mobsters? It was way out of his normal modus operandi. Deathstroke worked for money, sure, but above all, what pushed him was the thrill of the hunt, of a good fight.

Then again, the night I t him and we fought, he showed interest in . So, perhaps he was testing .

No

"I see you ca to the sa conclusion," Batman said as if reading my mind.

Deathstroke wanted ?!

"First the Owls, and now him?" I signed, a frown of worry forming on my face, my mind racing at what this ant. I had to prepare, I had to train even harder, being in his sight was never a good thing. I had to protect my sister, even Oliver from him.

"Don't," Batman said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You are not alone in this. Never forget that."

I nodded, feeling like he was speaking from experience.

"As for the owls. They won't bother you anymore," Batman said, walking back to his computer. "Deathstroke it's not one to share."

Not sure if that makes feel better, or worse.

"How did you figure out how it was Deathstroke so fast?" I genuinely wanted to know, for , he looked at my files, opened a few of his own, and boom, he had the answer. I really wanted to reach that level, though I doubted it was humanly possible.

"Constantine Drakon is almost an exclusive contractor for Deathstroke, a fact that narrowed the list of subjects down to five possible targets. However, that doesn't say anything, what actually gave the answer was the fact I fought Deathstroke last night," Batman replied, taking my USB drive out of his PC. "He told to teach you well before he took the wheel"

I would never follow him willingly. I would rather die than serve.

Wait a second.

I interrogated Drakon, and he never ntioned Deathstroke.

"I interrogated Drakon, using all the tools you taught to use," I frowned, looking at my utility belt. "He never said a thing about Deathstroke."

"Because at the ti, there wasn't a thing about Deathstroke to be said," Batman replied, confusing a bit. "Selective mory lost. It ensures the target only rembers what you want him or her to rember. It guarantees to a greater degree the safety net of critical information in the criminal world, without having to trust others. It's mostly used on what others consider disposable pawns, or witnesses when killing them would gather too much-unwanted attention."

So Deathstroke had erased Drakon's mory of him. "I see."

"Most of the ti, this process it's preset on the target's mind, with the mories only getting erased after the trigger event it's activated. In this case, I suspect the trigger for Constantine Drakon was getting caught, which fits with Deathstroke's character. Where the weak get disposed of," Batman added, handing the USB I had given him.

"Do you think he will try to get , anyti soon?" I signed, worried about my sister, who undoubtedly would get hurt in the crossfire. No, if push ca to shove, for my sister, I would kill Slade, even if that ant becoming a killer, after all, all it would take is a whisper.

"No," Batman shook his head. "He won't kidnap you. When Slade wants sothing, soone, he prefers the arrangent to be a willing one. aning he will try to change you, just enough for you to see in him, not a monster, but an opportunity."