When a liar gets you left behind

Chapter Fifty-Two: Helplessness

D A M I A N

  Damian should have been more aware of the amount of time that had passed. The sun had been starting to go down, which was never a good thing in Gotham. He should have known. Now, because of his stupidity, both Titus and Dupain-Cheng were missing.

Damian did not hesitate; he grabbed his bag with great efficiency. People were screaming now and were running amok, sending people into a frenzy. Damian managed to find the bathrooms and was able to change.

His first thoughts were of Dupain-Cheng and Titus. They had no doubt inhaled some of the gas, which made them potentially a danger to themselves. He needed to find them both quickly. Before that, though, he needed to notify someone in the Batcave of what was going on. He had some of the antidote, but if Scarecrow had made a new strain of it, its benefits could be neutralized.

"Scarecrow has made an appearance in the park," he listed the addressed into his comm. "Is anyone there?"

"Yes, I'm here," Agent A responded without hesitation, "There are a few other outbreaks of attacks in the city; Red Robin is handling the situation."

"Be wary of the gas," he continued; Damian pulled his gas mask over his head, his eyes searching for signs of Titus or Dupain-Cheng. "Something is off about these new strains, it's causing more erratic responses."

"Strains?" Damian muttered into his comm, "how many have been released."

"Two confirmed, a third is possible," Agent A answered, a beep coming from his side.

"Red Hood might come over for assistance," Agent A told him with a sigh, "though I cannot pick him up on any surveillance cameras."

"I can handle the situation alone," Damian hissed back, his patience wearing as he continued to fruitlessly search through the thick smog-like gas.

Agent A paused before replying with a much sharper tone, "I recommend awaiting Red Hood's presence, he could provide helpful aid when rescuing Titus and Miss Dupain-Cheng."

"Do you see Red Hood in any cameras?" Damian gritted out from between his clenched teeth.

He moved, tearing through the park with a swift speed that only a determined person could maintain. He incapacitated a few of Scarecrow's goons along the way, careful to stay away from the gas, despite his safety precautions.

"Yes," a sigh of relief passed from Agent A's side, "ETA five minutes."

Finally Damian found signs of Titus, a large, recognizable bark tore through the air, followed by a deep, unfriendly growl. It was without a doubt Titus.

Damian slinked closer, his anger intensity if as she struggled to make out clear figures through the distracting swirls of gas. He could see many signs of disarray in the area. Benches were toppled over and people were screaming with great fear-inducing conviction. A light pole had fallen and toppled over to the ground. It was there that his eyes caught on Titus.

"I found them," he whispered, his eyes sharp and attentive.

Agent A responded, "Wait."

Titus was a very happy dog normally, despite how often Damian came into the manor with a less than pleased attitude. He even did extremely well with visitors. Titus; however, was not an asinine dog. He knew when someone was an enemy, and the people in front of him were currently.

Behind Titus was a smaller more petite figure, who had to be Dupain-Cheng, as he was very close to her. Many goons were around them, blocking any exits they had. Damian tensed, he was about to leap in when the appearance of a more detestable person stopped him. It was Scarwcrow himself, with a unsuitable smirk smashed over his—in Damian's opinion—crooked face.