Batman Hide and Seek Story - written by Blithon

Desmond Miles (Assassin's Creed), Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell), Niko Bellic (GTA), James Bond, and Faith (Mirror's Edge) are all hiding from Batman in an epic game of hide and seek in New York City.
Who gets caught first? Last? Does anyone stick it out for the week and not get caught?
Conditions:
-It is hide and go seek tag. They have to get touched by Batman to get caught.
-Batman is relying on his detective skills and instincts alone, no gadgets like a GPS tracker or weapons. Similarly, the hiding contenders are unarmed and have no gadgets.
-Batman has researched all of these people thoroughly for a five days before the game.
-Batman closed his eyes in front of the Empire State Building and counted to 100 before going after them.
-Batman has decided not to purposely go after them in any particular order. He'll go with the first clue he finds and work on it.
-No one can leave NYC.
-Batman has one week to complete the game.
-No violence. It's just hide and go seek tag.
-All of the people hiding have $150 to spend however they'd like. They may not access any other personal funds. Batman has no money. They can also find ways to make more money.
-Having said that, Batman has enough food and water for the week...
Things to keep in mind:
-This is NYC, not Gotham City or Liberty City, similar though they may be. Assume no one has the advantage in terms of geography.
-Niko and Faith are not stealthy like Desmond and Fisher, but have other tools at their disposal to succeed (Faith's parkour skills, Niko's ability to hotwire cars, etc.)




First, Batman goes to the Empire State Building with a plan already about how to find and catch the players.
Faith is going to be a problem in the long run, since she is used to stealth, parkour, and can hold onto her money longer. However, they will start in an open space, and a frantic Asian parkouring away will give Batman the edge in chasing her down. She will be his first target, and if he cannot get her in time, then finding her will be almost impossible. While he still does not plan to target her first, he plans on making any clues regarding her top priority.
Sam Fisher is also going to be a problem, since his experience in espionage matches even Batman's. This man has been trained and experienced, and he knows how to survive. He also doesn't draw too much attention to himself. Of all the players, Batman worries about this guy the most.
Niko can blend and thrive in an urban environment, and has experience with people pursuing him, but is more confrontational, and he draws too much attention. Plus, with only $150 to his name, Batman expects that he will have to draw attention to himself as he makes more money. Also, hotwiring cars will do nothing, since nobody really drives in New York. He plans to wait on catching Niko.
Desmond Miles? Ah, here's the wild card. Desmond's specialty is assassinations, but this does include stealth. He's also extremely well-trained in blending in, and has used this successfully in the past. His difficulty with maintaining reality can work against him, and while he's spent a lot of time in others' lives, he's also going to need time to assimilate in his own present time. His ability to rejoin his own time and body will ultimately determine how he handles this.
Finally, there's James Bond. This guy is smooth, but he specializes more in infiltration than stealth, and being without violence or money leaves him in a vulnerable state. This man enjoys the finer things like Niko. However, Batman is skeptical about underestimating Bond. After all, this man can fit nicely in NYC.
It is currently 8 AM on a partly cloudy summer day. The air is chilly, and the people of New York casually walk on their way to their daily lives. The players all meet at the Empire State Building, Batman in full attire. Already the crowds are circling in curiosity. Batman tries to maintain composure, but he hopes to utlilize the crowd's reactions soon. Desmond, who's in a gray sweater and blue jeans, stares at Batman, the reality of the situation slowly unnerving him. Niko is in his regular attire, a smirk forming on his lips as he meets his newest challenge. Faith, dressed in a tight yet comfortable black shirt and yoga pants, looks insulted that Batman would come in so ridiculously dressed. Bond smiles warmly and greets Batman with a handshake. But Sam Fisher simply stares, stoic and rigid as a statue. Batman keeps his composure, but he knows already that Sam is analyzing his every move.
Batman recites once again the rules to the players as he hands out $150 to each of the players. One of the judges checks all of them, Batman included, for illegal gear. The judge finds a knife on Niko, and Bond's watch has a small computer in it. Both are confiscated, and the judge tells both of them that they will receive these at the end of the challenge. The judge then hands these to Batman, who places these in his utility belt for safekeeping.
Finally, Batman walks to the Empire State Building, still facing the players and the now ecstatic crowd. "Before I begin, may I say one more time, good luck to everyone out there." They all nod quietly, and Batman turns around. The moment he loudly says "One", the race begins. Niko rushes through the crowd, pushing bystanders aside and rushing quickly through traffic. Desmond follows him closely, and Faith uses them to cut through the crowd as well. Bond, while in a hurry, calmly and politely cuts his way through the crowd, as does Fisher. Once free from the crowd, Niko rushes through the sidewalk, desperately seeking refuge in an alley. Faith had originally planned to get on top of a building, and she hurries to a nearby parking garage. Desmond starts to run, but watching Faith escape, starts to get an idea, and he begins following her. Bond notices others in suits and ties, and he worms his way into their group as they head into work. Sam Fisher already knows that Batman expects them to go far, but the crowd is too excited about his role in the games to keep quiet, so he instead enters the sewers.
"100. ready or not, here Batman comes!" Batman turns around to hear the audience freaking out over the games beginning. Batman does not worry about them, instead scanning the environment for clues. He sees people in suits on their way to work, and he notices several-story buildings nearby that Faith may have taken. Several in the audience are pointing at the sewer and calling to him. Batman takes a breath and starts weaving toward the nearby building. The game has begun.
Faith noticed that Desmond has been following her. She can't stop and confront him - Batman could be done counting already, and she needs to get in the safest place possible. Still, once they're alone and safe in the parking garage, she turns around and angrily shouts, "What do you want?"
"Please," Desmond pants, trying to get closer to her. He catches his breath, and Faith continues looking around for signs of surveillance. "I think we'd do better, if we teamed up."
"What?" Faith sputters. "I work best alone. Besides, I don't even know you. How am I sure this is not a trap?" Desmond tries to respond, but before he does he hears a loud rumble of screams outside. "Shit, they've started!" Faith turns around and keeps running, Desmond chasing after her.
Meanwhile, Niko has entered an empty building. He looks around to make sure nobody saw him coming in, and he slowly and quietly surveys his new base. Niko knows he can't go outside at 8 AM, when it's bright and all the seedy people are asleep. No, he's going to wait for it to get later in the day. He starts barricading the door and windows, all the while searching for an exit strategy and any makeshift weapons.
Bond successfully enters the building with the other men using his charm and cunning. Once he's inside, it's only a matter of watching what Batman is up to. He retreats to the break room and turns on the television. Fortunately, news of the "Hide and Seek" game are exploding all the news sources. Bond smirks; he knew that Batman wouldn't dare reveal his true identity to strangers, and dressing up as his iconic superhero identity would draw far too much attention to himself. How can he possibly play "hide and seek" when the players can watch his every move, and he has an entire city to look through?
Fisher ran through the sewer, getting as much distance as possible. His hope was that, since the crowd would betray him either way, that the sewers would give him a chance to gain some distance in a direction nobody could predict. Even if Batman followed him, he had a good fifty seconds, and his outfit was much easier to run in than a full Batman outfit. The sewer also gave him the chance to remove his thick black shirt for his thinner gray shirt underneath. It was only a small difference, but every advantage was needed. Plus, he had seen the other players running through, and hoped that Batman would prefer going after them than him.
Batman already had many possible leads. Based on what he knows about Bond's style and dress, he's certain that Bond has stationed himself in a building nearby under the identity of a worker. Faith would choose a tall building that's easy to get into. Niko would hide in a nearby building until the "heat" dies down. Fisher probably took the sewer, but based on his head start and Batman's clothes, he would be almost impossible to pursue this time. Desmond may be nearby, but with so many people around it would be very difficult to stay hidden for long. Batman decides against Bond and Fisher for now, waiting instead to hear of people leaving sewers or sneaking into buildings as clues later. He notices the only accessible building nearby is the parking garage, which is easily accessible and open. He darts toward the parking lot, the uproar of excited screams and cheering close behind him.
Faith is on the third floor of the parking garage already. She knows that looking to see if Batman is behind would be her death sentence. Even if Batman knows where she is, she has spent her life as a Runner, and if he can't touch her, he can't win. Desmond is close behind, but he's becoming exhausted by the running. Faith considers going back to help, but decides against it; if Desmond can't even keep up with her now, then he'll only hold her back and get her caught later.
Desmond struggles to keep up, and as he follows he looks out to see the Dark Knight himself running toward them. Batman looks up to stare into Desmond's eyes, and his speed increases considerably. "Shit, Batman's coming this way!" Desmond shouts to Faith. Faith curses to herself and looks around for something - anything - to hide her.
I am back! Since I have never been to New York, I'm going to rely on Google Earth and my imagination for the story.
Faith finally reaches the second-highest floor of the parking garage and looks around. All she needs is a smaller building, or a building she can climb on, or anything. Fortunately, there appears to be one building just small enough for her to jump to, but she'll need to be on the roof to reach the other side. Desmond is close behind, and she's certain that Batman is near as well. If she can just get far enough away to lay low . . .
Meanwhile, Desmond had already seen the smaller building on his way up, and he knows Faith's plan. Desmond has done solo missions before, but he's always had someone - his ancestors and friends, for example - to guide him. It may be selfish, but Desmond feels compelled to work with Faith. He needs to get to that building and follow her.
Desmond knows that she'll be on the roof before him, and he'll lose her. So he decides to put his own parkour to the test. After all, the running is exhausting, but climbing is almost second nature to him now. He runs until he sees the building again. There are small ledges on the building's windows, and the building itself is made of stone that he can grab onto. Desmond can already tell where his hands and feet will go, where he'll jump and grab on, as he charges headfirst toward the jump. Faith has gotten on the roof and prepared to jump as she watches Desmond leap onto the building.This guy's insane! Faith thinks, as she herself plans to jump to the roof of the next building.
Batman didn't run up the garage like they did; he took the stairs. He got to the top just in time to watch Desmond hoist himself on top of the nearby building, Faith helping him up. He takes a meaningful stare at the two of them as they run toward another rooftop. Batman follows closely behind, but while he's capable of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, he cannot outrun them, only stay behind. Still, he knows that this is the only chance he has to capture Faith. She's quick, suspicious of all surveillance, and has a career of making sure she doesn't get caught or stay in one place for too long. He may not get a second chance.
Desmond and Faith realize that, within the first ten minutes, they're already getting tailed by Batman. Faith also realizes that Desmond is not going to let her go. If she plans on getting out of this, she'll have to let him tag along. If anything, he can be the key to her escape. But the buildings are getting taller and harder to reach, and the windows for most of the buildings are bulletproof and not meant for opening. At some point she will need to enter a building, go through it, and reach the city, all before Batman stops them. But then where would she go? What would her plan be? She had hoped that she would have more time to find a hiding place, but Desmond seemed to ruin that for her. Now what would she do?
She leapt across and reached the next building. There was nowhere else to go; she had to get through this one. "Hurry, we need to get in this building!" Faith goes to open the door, but it happens; the door is locked. Desmond is climbing onto the roof as she desperately kicks the door, hoping for it to break. "Damn it! It's stuck!"
"Move over!" Desmond orders, running to the door. Without any warning or notice, he pulls a piece of a car antenna out of his sweater. "Never know when one of these comes in handy," he grins. He uses his assassin lockpicking and opens the door within seconds. Those seconds give Batman time - he's about to jump on the roof also! - and they rush through. Faith practically leaps down the stairs. Desmond hurriedly locks the door behind him, grabbing the sides of the stairs and carefully jumping floor by floor down.
Batman doesn't worry about the locked door; this is hide and seek, with consequences people take to the grave. He opens the door with a fierce kick and quickly soars down the stairs. He has them now! Desmond and Faith are almost completely down the stairs, but as Faith is running past the third floor a quick hand grabs her head, muffling her voice and throwing her into a door. She gasps in fright before she sees it's Desmond. "Stay down and hush!" he furiously whispered. Faith doesn't like this idea, but silently nods. They search for any exits. This is an office area, with cubicles and the sound of typing keyboards and phone calls. Faith points to a ventilation shaft on the floor. Without speaking the two immediately open it. Faith shoves Desmond through the shaft. Desmond's shoulders are quite broad, and it's a tight fit, but he's narrow enough to make it. Faith closes the vent behind them.
"Now what?" Desmond mutters. "I can barely move."
"You don't have to," Faith whispered back. "We just need to have Batman believe we made it outside. If he comes back . . . then we'll move. Until then, shut up!"
Batman meanwhile had made it out of the building. He looks around for something, anything, but he can't see them in the crowds. It figures, since Desmond's biggest strength is blending in. Batman grimaces. He lost this time.
And this is just the first hour.
It's hour 2 of Hide and Seek. Right now, Desmond and Faith narrowly avoided Batman's pursuit, and are stuck cramped but hidden in an office ventilation shaft, quietly considering their next move. James Bond is in an office of his own, but simply watching from the office break room, biding his time for Batman to leave before escaping and finding a more permanent residence. Sam Fisher has stayed in the sewer, but expects to leave as soon as he knows it's safe. And Niko has found an empty building to lay low until later in the day.
Batman, however, is in a bad place. Without any of his gadgets and gear he has to rely solely on his knowledge to find five needles in a very large haystack. What's more, he's only vaguely familiar with New York City. And the biggest problem is the media hype that quickly spun out of control. People are following him everywhere he goes, and it's impossible to make plans or maintain stealth when cameras are following him nonstop. He may have to start hiding himself, at this rate.
Batman's plan to find them was always to make his own technology when he got to New York City. The first step will be finding a functional police scanner. The New York Police may not take kindly to a vigilante, even a famous one, and he personally has no money. That's when an idea comes, and he takes a closer look into the audience. Sure enough, there is a young police officer there.
"Excuse me, sir, but may I ask you for a favor?" Batman asks. The police officer is amazed - he isn't even sure if Batman is talking to him at first - but then he enthusiastically nods. "Alright, come with me." Batman and the officer walk away from the envious crowd.
James Bond watches this and frowns. It doesn't take a genius to know what Batman wants from him. After all, he's looking for clues that come from five people in an entire city. He'll need to know when anything unusual happens. That means he'll need a police scanner.
Bond stops gazing at the television and looks at the door. As he feared, the same girl looking through the window at the break room door was there. She shyly left and walked away, but he couldn't risk being discovered as a fraud so early in the hunt. He had to leave, but where? He was within two blocks of Batman. But if he played his cards well enough . . .
James Bond quietly and calmly leaves the office. He even has a chance to flirt with the front desk secretary before departing. Once he's outside, he immediately walks away from the Empire State Building. It's only 9:30 AM, and it'll be much harder to sneak into an office building. Bond decides to grab a newspaper, sneak into a nearby coffee shop, and drink. That should give him some more time to figure things out.
Sam Fisher only knows that Batman has not followed him through the sewers, at least not successfully. Sam does realize that Batman is aware that he's gone into the sewers. He had to have known. There were too many people in the area for them not to tell him. The question on Fisher's mind now, is whether or not he's safer in the sewers or in an unfamiliar city?
Sam hatches out his plan. He's going to need a change of clothes and a good place to stay low. He has $150 to spend on clothes and food, but finding a place to lay low may be a challenge. He also has a feeling that Batman will find his own technology to use, since Batman cannot otherwise find five random strangers in a large city. As long as he does not accidentally meet up with Batman or cause trouble with the police, he should be fine.
Fisher decides that as long as he's in the sewers, Batman has an idea about where he can be. He takes a deep breath and begins climbing out of the sewers . . .
It is now five hours into the hide and seek game. Batman is still searching for clues, but he has taken a more relaxed role. He knows that Faith and Desmond will be harder to find, but Niko is bound to go into his troublesome ways. Batman has read Sam Fisher's file - a brilliant operative with a dislike for authority and a perfect understanding of espionage - and knows that Fisher is going to stay low until there's enough reason to come out. James Bond is clever and smooth regardless of how much trouble he's in, but he's too spoiled with the finer things in life, so eventually he'll be making a scene outside.
Batman also considered that his outfit was his biggest weakness. As long as he walked around like a superhero, the world would lock onto him, and they would know that he was near. If he showed up as Bruce Wayne, then he couldn't capture them without revealing his true identity. He couldn't simply outsmart and capture them; Batman needed to outstealth five highly trained opponents, in one week.
Batman was currently in a brown van that belonged to the cop's friend. The van had a police scanner in it. They were more than happy to help him, and even now they were using connections to search for the five others. Batman was grateful, and he hoped to repay them someday, but for now he had to find a way of finding these five . . .
IT IS NOW 14:00, or 2 PM. Faith and Desmond have been extremely uncomfortable and warm while hiding in the vents. Their new plan is to escape, but if they make too much attention then Batman will be hot on their trail again, and they did not know if they could survive another chase in their current condition. They could wait longer, but being stuck quietly in a cramped vent for hours took its toll. Faith and Desmond agreed; they had to get out now, and deal with the consequences later.
Quickly but quietly, Faith removes the vent cover and spills out. She immediately looks around, her heart pounding. As she feared, there was someone nearby. There was a look of surprise on her face, and when Desmond collapsed behind Faith the woman let out a shrill shriek. Faith and Desmond did not need to know what they needed to do next. They got to their feet and moved as quickly as possible out of the room and to the stairs (their bodies were cramped and dehydrated, so they weren't as fast as they wanted to be).
They were lucky that the woman caused enough of a commotion for them to escape, but they had a feeling that this would reach Batman. He would be back shortly, and they needed to get somewhere safe. "Stick with me when we get outside," Desmond called to Faith. "I'm good at blending with crowds. We can get out of this!" Faith didn't turn around, but visibly nodded and shouted back, "Alright!"
The two got outside. There was some security, but even in their weakened state they managed to outmaneuver them and get out the entrance. Desmond immediately noticed a nearby group of tourists walking with a map in their hands. Perfect. Desmond grabbed Faith's hand (Faith was again irritated by this, but couldn't really argue at the moment) and moved them toward the tourists. Even Faith was amazed at how Desmond casually and calmly melded in the group, as if he belonged with them his entire life. Desmond walked and asked them what they were looking for, and they seemed to welcome him as if he was a good friend.
The cops exited the building and looked around. Faith didn't dare look back, but with so many people nearby she was terrified that a target was on her back. Desmond dragged them a bit deeper into the crowd, just in case.I may have underestimated this Desmond guy, Faith thought to herself. He's talented.
The cops were still looking around, but at this point they were moving with the tourists toward the nearest street sign, away from the security. And while Batman would be there soon, for now they were safe.
Meanwhile, James Bond found another way to occupy his time. While drinking coffee he decided to flirt a bit with the waitress. Her name was Misty, and they talked for a while. He told her he was a banker named Nathan Grey who is new to the area, and they agreed to go out on a date. Since he only had $150 and a single suit, and people may recall him from the "hide and seek" news, he needed to be careful. If done correctly, he'll have at least one night in a hotel, and be with a beautiful woman in the process. His biggest concern is his money and the attention he may draw to himself.
Fisher had left the sewers to find several confused citizens. He made a casual joke about the sewers and gained some distance. Based on the attention that they received at the Empire State Building, Fisher had a feeling that the media had his face all over the city. In order to stay safe, he needed to grab some food and take refuge somewhere.
He had $150. He decided to take it to a store and grab some light non-perishables so that he wouldn't have to worry. He walked calmly into a convenience store and looked around for food.
As he entered, he saw a young police officer talking jovially with the convenience store clerk. The officer took a look at him as he walked in, and his eyes widened. Not good; he may know me, Fisher thought. After the stare, the cop nervously resumed his conversation, then quickly excused himself. Yep, I've been found.Fisher needed to get out now. But should he go out the front door with the police officer there, or find a back door? The police Either way, time was of the essence.
Fisher saw an exit behind the counter. He dropped the supplies and darted past the counter and out the door, with only the exclamations of the convenience store clerk behind him as he darted. The police officer came in to see what was wrong, but by then Fisher had already gone on his previously decided escape route. Batman would still hear of this, and know Fisher's plan. Batman would also know that Fisher still needed provisions. But the chase wouldn't end. Not yet.
Batman received two different pieces of news. One was ironically from the same media that followed him around. He should have expected that followers of this incident would attempt their own sleuthing. There were plenty of false leads, however, so Batman was skeptical of relying too heavily on this news.
The first was from his police friend, the same one that gave him access to a police scanner. He happened to meet Sam Fisher in a convenience store. Unfortunately, Sam escaped from the back door while the officer was alerting Batman. Batman now headed near that direction. Sam Fisher was in the area, and like the operative he was, Sam tried to get provisions for his weeklong stay. Batman looked around and found every area near his sighting that could provide such nourishment. It would be difficult monitoring all those places, but it was at least a lead, and he had to follow it.
The second piece of information Batman found was from the media. They claimed that they found Faith and Desmond breaking out of the vents in the same building Batman chased them into. The hardest part of this was knowing that Desmond tricked him into thinking that his only strategy was blending into the crowds. It also required an absurd amount of luck, since all it would take is for one person to notice them entering the floor and scream for Batman to have trapped them. Desmond and Faith were definitely lucky to have outfoxed him, but it also required an extraordinary amount of skill and stealth to have done it so perfectly. It also meant that the two were working together, which he had not expected (Faith's profile suggested she would stay isolated).
Batman acquired a headset and was fixing it so that it would stay on the police channel. This way he could stay mobile and listen to upcoming news. This would take time, but now was one of the rare opportunities to waste time. Sam would not dare show his face so early after getting caught, and Bond and Niko would most likely appear at night. The Faith-Desmond couple have stayed under the radar so far. He has nothing but time right now . . .

Sam Fisher sat quietly behind the dumpster, planning his next move. His plan of getting food and laying low was ruined by a fluke. Now Batman knew where he was, and looking for other convenience stores would be pointless. He could go back into the sewers and pop up somewhere else, hoping it was in a safer place, but he doubted that it would work. Besides, he would again have to face the problem of popping up somewhere without causing a scene.
Sam did notice some unusual comments from passing individuals that also worried him. People were talking about "hide and seek", and about Batman. It made sense that a famous vigilante hunting down five gifted individuals would be entertaining, but it also means that Sam's face will be instantly recognizable no matter what he wears or where he goes. His best bet at this point would be to dress in a way that made others want to avoid him. The easiest way would be to dress in rags and act homeless. with a week and only $150 to his name, he was already homeless. The only problem is that it wastoo easy, and that means it would be expected. There had to be another way . . .
Sam knew he had to move, but was running out of ideas as to where he should go. New York City was enormous, and he had no clue where anything was. People were everywhere, and finding a place to stay alone was nearly impossible. Even the alleys were full of people, though they did not know about the game and only acknowledged you if you looked defenseless or had money.
The sewers were looking more and more welcoming, but Sam immediately discounted this. It was simply a primal instinct to believe that the sewers meant safety. The sewers were as big a trap as anything else. Shelter would have to come from somewhere else. But where? And how?
Sam continued to ponder as time counted down . . .
The time is now 4 PM. Desmond and Faith followed the nice couple for a while, but they eventually split apart. They then entered a clothing store called J Crew and immediately headed to the back room undetected. They pilfered new clothes, and while they did not watch each other change, there was a hilarious dialogue where Faith thought Desmond was trying to sneak a peek when he was watching for incoming employees. Desmond wore a brown long-sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans, and Faith now wore baggy brown khaki capris and a matching blue blouse. They then hid from the employees and discussed a more permanent solution before heading out.
Faith originally planned on hiding around New York City for a week, but it was becoming increasingly impossible. Desmond really didn't have a strategy at all besides finding a single suitable place to stay and then staying there for the week. Looking back, they realized that this game was far more complex than they thought. Their strengths of blending in the massive crowds and escape were useful when they were awake, but eventually they had to sleep, and with only a combined $300 to their names they could not afford to find a place that would keep them for long. They either needed to pickpocket for more money or find places to sleep. Fortunately, Desmond could pickpocket, and by taking shifts they could avoid falling into a trap.
"I guess the plan," Desmond whispered to Faith, "is to use what we got for a crappy motel room, get some food, and find a map of the city."
"Pretty much," Faith whispered back. "Now let's get out of this place. Think they'll notice us?"
"If we were that bad at this then Batman would have found us already." Desmond gave her a reassuring smirk, and she smiled back. Desmond was a smartass at times, but he was right about their competence. After all, they got into the back room easily enough, even with the security cameras around. This was little more than practice, and as long as nobody found them in their new clothes then they would be even harder to identify. Faith looked up one more time to make sure nobody was near, nodded to Desmond, and the two headed back out.
The time is now 5 PM, and while the evening grew gradually closer, Batman had devised several fantastic strategies.
Batman knew Niko would wait until day 2 or 3 to do anything rash, but Bond would eventually find his way to the Heights Casino and raise his money. Bond was great with people and crowds, and in Batman's outfit Bond would identify him immediately. He also knew that Bond expected Batman to never reveal his identity. But there was a way to show up as Bruce Wayne and tagging Bond without Bond even knowing. The plan was flawless.
As for Desmond and Faith, Batman only needed to allow the media hype to split them apart. Oddly enough, it was a commercial for theHunger Games: Catching Fire movie premiere that inspired him. Batman simply went online and anonymously spread the idea that Desmond and Faith were an adorable couple, and the idea spread like wildfire. Even T-Shirts were getting made of the two of them fleeing together in the Big Apple, as if they were a real-life version of Peeta and Katniss. Batman's hope was that this would play on Faith's insecurities, causing her to get distance between her and her teammate. It would also make the entire city aware of their faces, making them bigger celebrities than even Batman.
Batman had completed the headset and had repeatedly scouted the nearby stores, of which there were only four. He did notice, however, that many other short-term food sources were in the area, and Sam could rely on those. He also saw many alleys of homeless people with very little knowledge about this "hide and seek" game. Sam Fisher was paranoid, and would try to stay in these areas as much as possible. Batman therefore decided to start searching these areas after the stores.
Day One wasn't over yet. Batman expected that all of the players had learned that this game had become a citywide circus. But Faith and Desmond had already proven they could avoid detection, and Bond and Niko wouldn't consider it a weakness. Little did they know that for Batman, the game was already won.
The time is now 7:30 PM. Niko had awakened from his nap a short while ago. He had discovered that the place he was in had belonged to gangsters, and they did not like some random thug boarding himself up in their place. After a calm explanation (that happened to include punching, threats, and a standoff that caused a firefight), Niko decided that he should go, and he left with two handguns and about $600 in pills.
Niko was furious, but he had a backup plan. He had just infiltrated a gang's hideout, and he knew their rival gang's name. If he traded their hideout and drugs to the rival gang, he could gain the protection that he needed, the money that he wanted, and the discreteness that Batman couldn't possibly expect. The problem, though, was that even after their conversation he felt that the gangsters would want to find him and kill him, especially when they find out how much he took from them. Batman was still looking for him, and with others searching for him Batman was certain to find him easily.
Niko moved quickly in the New York crowd, careful not to gain too much attention. He had to find the other group before he himself was found, or he wouldn't even have lasted one day in Hide and Seek.
Meanwhile, Niko had caused more of a disturbance than he thought. Batman heard about a shootout in an old gang's hideout. Despite the "no violence" rule, it appeared that Niko was caught hiding in their place, and he left with several of their belongings. Batman knew that Niko was now in life-threatening danger, and he also knew that Niko was only going to get bigger and worse. That's how he works; he starts small, but only grows bigger until he cannot contain himself. The only problem was, this time he didn't even start small. He started with the ingredients for igniting a gang war. He was probably planning on leading a gang too, and Batman had a feeling that the "no violence" clause would become less and less important to Niko as he became drunk with power.
Batman groaned to himself. Sam Fisher was probably close by, and with some more searching he could find him, but for now Niko was too volatile to leave alone. He had to save Niko from himself before it was too late. He quickly darted across the sidewalk, following the police cars as they headed toward the shootout.
Sam Fisher could not believe it. He had actually seen Batman, and was almost caught by him, until those cop cars headed off. He breathed a sigh of relief.Even in a game like Hide and Seek, he thought,Batman can't help but be Batman. Sam waited until he was certain Batman had disappeared, and after quickly checking he immediately headed to the nearby convenience stores. Time was of the essence, and he had to grab food and go before his time was up again.
As he entered the store and began grabbing chips and water, he observed his own errors that allowed Batman to get so close. The biggest error was definitely his fear of getting identified. In the past, he would be on the move often, but he had always found a safe place to retreat in. In this situation, he may not find a safe place. Sam also was used to infiltration and defense, but this time he was simply trying to hide, and his opponent thought exactly like he did. He was against his own elements, and the only way to outmaneuver Batman would be to change his own behavior.
While grabbing supplies Sam noticed a flashlight and grabbed that too. He also saw a recycle-friendly grocery bag and grabbed that to put all his provisions in. The total amount came to $70, which gave him a chance to buy more in case he had to retreat without his supplies. He then left and walked in the opposite direction that Batman headed. Sam Fisher was going to find a way to survive in this city. Batman was not going to catch him so easily ever again.
At 7:30 PM, Bond is about to take Misty on a date, Niko is being hunted by Batman, the police, and a gang, and Sam Fisher has planned to completely renovate his strategy. We now return to Desmond and Faith, who have successfully found a place for the night. The noise is loud, the room has bed bugs, and there's still a chance of getting caught, but for now they're safe.
Desmond and Faith only had to turn on the television for a few minutes to find out that their game had become a local phenomenon that was spreading like wildfire. The media was following this game more avidly than even Batman, and they had a list of information. It was truly terrifying, as they had even saw the tourists that they escaped with provide testimonials about how their "incredible experience" was with Faith and Desmond.
"No way," Desmond managed to moan, a tinge of frustration in his tone. Faith said nothing, her eyes glued to the screen. They were fortunately not caught stealing clothes at the store, or seen after that, but there were many people claiming to have seen them walking around. Desmond's strongest advantage of blending in no longer seemed possible.
There were other pieces of news that also caught their interest, however. Sam Fisher had been caught at a convenience store and escaped from the back door. Faith and Desmond checked on their new map to see where he was compared to them. It was only three or four blocks away. Many people showed pictures of James Bond in a crowd, and while the two didn't fully recall how James Bond looked, they were skeptical that the photos were valid.
"At least we have that," Desmond pointed out to Faith. Faith looked at his face. It was pensive but confident. "The news is leaking bad information out too. Hopefully they get so out of control that not even Batman would trust them." Faith silently nodded and looked back at the screen, but she was skeptical that the news would become useless. After all, they were spot-on about their escape, and with their real pictures on the screen it was only a matter of time before they were caught again.
And then they moved to the next piece of news: the struggle between the lovestruck couple, Faith and Desmond.
"What!?" Faith shouted, too shocked to even notice the volume of her voice. Even Desmond seemed rattled, though his eyes were fixed on Faith's reactions.
"Little has been confirmed about the intentions of these runaway lovebirds," the reporter began, a warm smile on her face as she discusses the couple. A picture then showed on the screen of Faith and Desmond longingly looking into eachother's eyes, their hands interlocked. "But the Internet has exploded with rumors that these two have blossomed into a wild relationship during this most difficult of times." The screen then returned to the tourist as he gave his testimonial. "When I met them, I mean, you could totally tell that there was something going on with those two. The one guy, uh, just held onto her hand and wouldn't let go. I, uh, just figured they were some couple or something."
Faith face flushed with embarassment, as another fake picture of them embracing eachother went on the scene.The entire city of New York thinks I love this guy!?Faith thought to herself, her mind overwhelmed with embarrassment.I've known him for less than a day, and they have all those fake photos?! I feel so sick!Desmond watched Faith panicking, but was afraid of speaking or comforting her in any way. Saying anything could cause her to leave, and then he'll be on his own again.
"I shouldn't have done this," Faith finally said, walking toward the door. Desmond immediately stood up and followed, trying to calm her down so they wouldn't cause a scene outside. But Faith wouldn't slow down or even look at him. "I shouldn't have ever teamed up with you." She opened the door and immediately started walking toward the parking lot, heading into the city.
"Wait!" Desmond pleaded, afraid of mentioning her name or making too much noise. But Faith continued walking away, her face still hot red. Desmond reached to grab her, but she slapped it away and started running. Desmond considered following her, but stopped, and walked inside his motel room instead. He quietly shut the door, heaved a sigh, and continued watching the news updates.Great, he thought to himself. I'm alone again. I hate the news sometimes.
It is now 9 PM, and Batman has been close behind Niko. Batman does not want Niko to be aware of his presence, since he fears that Niko will cause more chaos if he feels cornered. The police did allow Batman to help them investigate the scene.
It turns out that Niko had entered the hideout for the violent Ballers gang. They're known for their drug operation and their elusiveness. Niko survived the gunfight, and nearby witnesses claim he's now armed. Batman has a feeling that he stole drugs from the Ballers, since that will give him money and provide an easy way to the top. There was also plenty of drugs found in the building, which had been abandoned. Even the chief was worried about how much they left with if they left so much behind.
Batman's chase for Niko was now for more than the game. Niko had invaded the Baller's den, survived, and was now armed and dangerous. He was probably going to go sell their information to another gang and gain favor.
"Officer, are there any other gangs in the area?" Batman asked. Officer Gutierrez stared at Batman surreptitiously.
"There are some in the area, yeah," the officer said. "You think this Nickel guy is looking for them?"
"Niko is probably looking to sell out the Baller's identities and operation for protection. I need to know where they are." At this point Gutierrez frowned and leaned on his car. He paused a moment before speaking again to Batman.
"Look, I'm sure that you're a big shot in that city you came from, but here in New York City we can't have costumed vigilantes running around causing trouble. Especially when you're the guy who brought him here!" Batman grimaced. He was afraid that his reputation would only go so far before the law enforcement stopped helping him. "Now I let you help us out with the crime scene because we thought the news people would like it, but I'm not letting some premature Halloween guy starting shit with the gangs! We got this, alright?" Gutierrez stared at Batman, expecting his agreement. He nodded firmly. "Good. Now we gotta go look for your friend. But, uh, you keep doing what you do." At that point Gutierrez started giving orders to the other officers on the scene. Batman began walking out toward the city, reaching for his headset that he placed in his belt.
Within seconds he heard Gutierrez talk about the lead to Niko. Apparently the Ballers had one gang, the Cripplers, that had been trying to sell in the Ballers' territories lately. It was at first annoying, but the tensions had been building on both sides about the issue. Neither side wanted to go to war, since it would cost too much in lives, resources, and customers. With the information Niko may have, however, the Cripplers could consume the Baller's business.
Batman discretely tailed the police officers. They were going to agitate the situation, and it could end badly for everyone involved. Even if the NYPD did not want his help, he couldn't stand by and watch. He was going to do everything he could to help out. He just hoped that he could help in time . . .
Right now, Batman has temporarily stopped chasing anyone but Niko, since Niko is getting dangerously close to endangering lives in New York City. He's received intel from the NYPD, but they only keep him around to keep the news from hounding them, and they've clearly stated that they will treat him as a threat if he interferes with their work. Faith has left Desmond over the realization that the entire city thinks they are a couple on the run. James Bond is in the process of wooing a nice girl (I won't write about that, but know that the date went well and sex was had at her place afterward. James Bond is smooooth). Sam Fisher has promised to revise his strategy after almost getting caught, but his new plan has not yet been revealed.
So we continue this story with Faith, who in a short amount of time has regretted her actions. Not only has she abandoned her sleeping quarters for the evening, but she has abandoned her friend in the process. Faith eventually entered a run-down apartment, only to realize that it was Desmond who could open locks, not her. She goes outside to look for windows, but all houses with open windows have people inside them, and the more she tries this, the more attention she receives. At this point Faith abandons the plan entirely.
She already knows what she has to do. The only way to sleep soundly and safely is to return to Desmond and take shifts as they previously planned. But the humiliation of running off like that, only to return with her tail between her legs!
Desmond sighs and leans on the side of the hotel building. She's hiding behind a dumpster, but she needs to move soon. There's still a chance someone saw her looking for windows and called the police, and if that's the case the cops or even Batman will catch her and her night will be ruined. Faith was always a Runner, and made it her specialty to evade people. Even Batman could not catch up to her, he could only keep up with her. But running was all she could do. Staying still, resting, and hiding were never priorities, and the sting of that truth hurt more and more as time passed on.
Damn, Faith thought to herself, her mind slightly clouded by exhaustion. I knew I could run, but I never imagined that I would need to stay still! Faith slowly got to her feet when she heard it.
Sirens. Police sirens.
"Shit!" Faith exclaimed out loud, darting to the end of the alley. However, the police cars darted right past the building. Whatever the police were going to, it was not to a creepy girl outside the hotel. Faith stood quizzically, wondering whether or not to run anyway.
Then she saw it. A figure on top of on of the cars. It was so dark at night that his presence was almost imperceptible, but the billowing cape was enough for her to identify the masked vigilante. Batman was on the hood of a SWAT car, heading to wherever they were going.
For that brief moment, hope welled up in Faith. She now knew that Batman was determinedly heading the opposite way from the hotel!She could head back easily, and he would not even notice! Faith took this chance to quickly walk toward the hotel, ecstatic in her one short period of security. For that moment, Faith finally felt safe. She only pitied the poor bastard that had the NYPD AND Batman heading straight for him or her.
Niko quickly learned why he could not find the Cripplers. They knew that he had discovered the Ballers and even stolen from them, and at first they were ecstatic about the idea of finding him. Even when the NYPD got on the case, they were willing to risk it. But the infamous word "Batman" showed up, and the Cripplers decided that Niko's information and pills weren't worth the danger.
Niko furiously punched the Crippler drug dealer, knocking him out and sending him into a pile of garbage behind him. His chance of security had evaporated because of that stupid name. Niko had become synonymous with danger, not because of his abilities, but because of his pursuers. Now he had nowhere to go, and there was no way to defend himself from the man determined to tag him out.
"Damn you cowards!" Niko roared again, kicking the garbage bag next to the unconscious dealer. He hurriedly looked around. There did not appear to be anyone in sight. He knew he had to run, butwhere? It was day one, and the damn city was crawling with people who either wanted to kill him or wanted nothing to do with him. He was running out of options.
Niko heard sirens in the distance. They were from him. He heard sirens enough in his life to know that much. Based on what he's done, they probably imagined that he was enough of a threat to start a gang war. Would they know to check that certain alleyway? Were they heading to those worthless Cripplers, thinking they'd catch him? Niko didn't care. He ran down the alley and desperately searched for a way out.
After mild running, Niko found a parking lot. Here we go, Niko thought. I will get in a car, leave in the opposite direction of the cops, and eventually they'll forget about me. Niko rushed to the parking lot and looked for a good car to steal. The sirens were coming closer; he had to get in quickly.
Batman stayed on the hood of the car, hoping to follow them to the Cripplers. What caught his eye, however, was an unconscious man in the alley they drove past. It was only a glimpse, but Batman had a feeling that it was a clue, so he leapt off the car and onto a nearby sign, the inertia practically tearing the sign off the side of the building. He then rushed into the alley to find a recently beat-up drug dealer.
Something tells me this guy's part of the Cripplers, Batman thought. What does this mean? Batman quickly confiscated the dealer's phone and looked at its texts. The top one was from a contact named "Boss", and it read: "4get that Niko guy Bat's following him 2 much shit to handle".
The Cripplers don't want Niko, so why . . . * Batman then understood who would knock the dealer out. He ran out of the alley and into the street, staring around for any other clues. Sure enough, there was a parking lot. *Niko can hotwire cars, Batman recollected. And as he ran up to the parking lot, a gray hatchback car drove up to the exit, Niko safely driving from the inside.
Niko looked happy until he looked to turn left, only to see Batman staring at him. Batman watched his face turn into panic, and Niko squealed onto the road, cutting off several cars in the process. Batman followed close behind, using the criminal's cell phone to call 911. Niko's moments were now numbered.
As Niko rushed through traffic, he discovered some unfortunate facts about driving in New York City. The biggest problem was that NYC was much more crowded than the other cities. Several times he drove on the sidewalks to get by, and he was certain that this would get more police on him. What's more, Batman had somehow predicted his movements. He had hoped to drive far enough away to lose him, but Batman had run through a nearby alleyway and caught him on the other side! Niko groaned and slammed his steering wheel with his left hand, his right hand still weaving through traffic. "I should have stolen a motorcycle," he grumbled to himself.
The cops were coming around again, and after his erratic driving he was sure that they were not going to let go. He even saw a SWAT car in the back. It was becoming increasingly impossible to escape. But should Niko give up? Before even one day ended of Hide and Seek? All because he happened to come across a gang hideout?!
Niko couldn't handle losing, but if he had to lose, he was going to go out with flair. He was going to use those pistols for what they were worth and end the whole act with a blaze of glory. At least then he can leave with his pri-
BA-DUMP! A massive force hit the top of his car with enough force to cause him to swerve. He managed to gain control, but while he regained control a masked man broke the window in the back of the car. Niko couldn't believe his eyes as Batman swooped into the back of the car.
How did he get on top of the car!? Niko thought. He was on foot! And I only stopped concentrating for a second! Is he some sort of monster?
"Stop the car, Niko." Batman said, his gravelly voice sending chills through Niko's spine. He saw Batman's arm reaching for his shoulder. In that moment Niko panicked; he was going to lose!
From sheer reaction, Niko grabbed one of his guns with his right arm and turned it around. Batman immediately disarmed him and grabbed his thumb in a grip. Niko groaned in pain before slamming into the side of a tavern. The screams of nearby pedestrians almost made it impossible for Niko to hear Batman say, "You lost, Niko." But he heard Batman. And he knew he was right.
The police showed up to the scene. The criminal Niko was indeed in the stolen car, with both handguns and enough pills to charge him with intent to sell. The back window of the car was mysteriously broken when they found him, but there was nobody in the car when the police arrived. The cops just assumed Niko broke in from the back himself.
So it is now 10:40 PM, and the first of the five has been captured. Not only was Niko caught, but he's been arrested by the NYPD and charged with multiple crimes. For now, though, the story will leave Niko and focus on the remaining candidates.
Faith slowly knocked on the door, her earlier enthusiasm nonexistent to the idea of apologizing. She could hear Desmond inside quietly walking to the door and checking before opening up.
Desmond immediately began trying to explain himself. "Look, I'm sorry about what they said. I promise that I in no way-"
"Stop," Faith interrupted, brushing past him and walking inside. "I overreacted. Sorry." She stared away from Desmond, her cheeks reddening at the reminder of her outburst.
Desmond seemed to understand her shame, and quickly tried to dissolve the awkwardness. "No problem," he casually responded. "Besides, you'll never guess what you missed out on." Faith looked at him with curiosity, and Desmond almost beamed with excitement when he finally confessed. "That guy with us, Nika or whatever, was just arrested by authorities! He also admits that he lost! It's just the four of us left now!"
Faith's eyes widened with shock. "I actually saw those cars heading after him! I never realized he was the one they were after! What happened?"
"I'm not really sure, to be honest. They say Niko got too involved with the gangs, and he eventually went on a rampage in a stolen car. He eventually crashed into a bar. It's insane!" Faith could barely believe what she heard. She could barely even remember the guy, and he caused so much chaos in one single day. He must have been legendary at his original home.
"Wait," Faith said. "There's one down. Doesn't that mean the rest of us have more pressure to not get caught?"
"Well, yeah," Desmond admitted. "He only has to look for four of us, and with us being . . . anyway, what's important is, uh, that Batman's got his hands full tonight. So we can rest soundly!"
"I still say we take shifts."
"Oh fine, Faith. We'll take shifts. I'll take second shift. Wake me up when you're tired. Night!" Desmond then happily landed on the bed, falling asleep in mere minutes. Faith stayed awake and watched the television on mute with captions, trying to think of what to do next.
Batman was as tired as Desmond assumed he would be. He also suffered from minor cuts and injuries from the entire event. As he sat inside the van, he turned off the police scanner and ate some of his rations. The first day had taken an interesting turn, and he imagined that he would need his strength for the next six days.
And so the first day of the week-long Hide and Seek game finished. Sam Fisher's location is unknown, Bond is sleeping with Misty, Niko has been tagged and arrested, and Desmond and Faith are now working together again. With six days left, there's no idea what will happen next in this city. How will the media change the game? What is Batman's "foolproof" plan to catch Bond? And where in the world is Sam Fisher? (And please don't say New York City. We got that much.)
It is the beginning of day 2. So far, Niko has been the only one tagged. Faith and Desmond work together, but have a shaky alliance due to the entire city treating them as a couple. Sam Fisher eluded capture by sheer luck, and he has since gone off the grid . . . for now. And James Bond had a wonderful date with a girl, certain that Batman could never get him as long as he remained in full attire. Batman spent the night resting after Niko, and he is quietly dealing with the injuries and exhaustion.
The morning begins from James Bond's view, as he gingerly strokes Misty's hair from her face. She looks at him warmly. "Good morning," he gently whispers. His voice sends shivers down her spine, and they share a passionate kiss. (This is as far as I go before they . . . you know . . . birds and bees stuff.)
Bond gets out of bed and contemplates where to go next. After day 1, Bond had a mere $60 left. He may be able to manage another day, or he could go to the Heights Casino and increase his cost. The problem is that Batman would definitely expect Bond to do this, and James would rather not tempt fate too often. After all, Batman had not become a celebrity because of his charm. While Bond could elude him, especially if he sees him coming, the masked man should not be underestimated.
Bond sighed, straightening his tie in the bathroom mirror. He even made the tie into a windsor knot. In the end, Bond finally decided,I would need to go to the casino. I may as well do it now, while there are others to catch.
"Oh my god!" Misty cried in the living room. Bond finished straightening up and walked in to find her watching the news. Immediately he recognized the man on the screen as the crass Russian from the hide and seek game.
"Apparently the first of the 'Hide and Seek' game was caught not by Batman, but by the NYPD," the newsperson stated, her face brimming with excitement from the news. "Niko had apparently incited gang violence, stolen a vehicle, and went on a car chase that eventually ended as he collided with the side of the Rumours Bar & Grill. This has caused authorities to question whether or not to cancel the game altogether, due to its effect on the citizens of New York City." James Bond stared at the photos as they flooded the screen: A smashed car with the rear window broken in; a gang hideout; Batman talking with the authorities; And Niko's mugshot. Bond mused at how defiant he looked, even while incarcerated. Niko truly was a survivor, even if he wasn't a subtle or quiet one.
"While Batman was never seen tagging Niko, Niko confirms that he had indeed lost the game. This means that only four people are left!" At that moment, the photos of the remaining four contestants, Bond included, popped on the screen.
Damn, Bond thought to himself. He already saw the gears shifting in Misty's head. She stared at his photo on the screen, her mind slowly realizing who she just spent the night with. As she turned to face him, however, she discovered that James Bond had vanished from the room. Ultimately, he left forever, but she would sadly hold hope to see him again, just as he hoped he would say goodbye appropriately after the game.
James walked down the all-too-familiar hustle of the sidewalk, eager to find out where he'll spend this night. Somehow, Bond had never imagined his picture to become an issue. It seems that Batman's weakness had in some strange fashion become his own. He could still probably find a bedroom with another woman, or he could use his inevitable winnings and get a nice room. He even considered security to make sure Batman didn't get him while he slept, but dismissed it. Batman would only get past them, and the security would just create more of a presence for him.
James Bond sighed and sauntered with the hurried pace of the city, contemplating his next move and keeping an eye out for that certain someone . . .
Desmond and Faith woke up and decided it was time to find a nice place to lay low. Ideally, they needed to find a room on the upper floors of an apartment. Staying on the roof of an apartment would play to their strengths, but the constant exposure to sunlight would leave them dehydrated and burning, and the nights would be freezing. They needed to find a way to stay near the rooftops without condemning themselves to the harshness of the rooftops.
The two decided to grab some quick food nearby and sneak into the zoo in New York City. Central Park Zoo had people staring at the animals more than the people, and if they were careful enough they could hide in the employee rooms. Plus, why wouldn't they enjoy the zoo?
Faith left the room first, and while she waited outside she still made it clear to Desmond that the earlier comments rattled her. Desmond could only tolerate it so far, but her wavering allegiance worried him. If only I could prove to her that it isn't worth it. Desmond quietly left the room and met her outside, and the two eagerly went on their way.
Batman's injuries were more obvious once he awakened. Chasing Niko and enduring the car crash took it's toll on Bruce's body. He was extremely grateful that no bones were broken, but his entire body groaned in pain, and he overextended his legs in the chase. He could barely even keep up with Faith and Desmond at his peak health, though they may also have experienced injuries. He still felt confident in capturing James Bond, but resolved to recuperate until then. He did continue to monitor the news through his police friend's computer, and he occasionally turned on the police scanner, but New York had many unrelated crimes, and he would sometimes choose calming himself and recovering over the many crimes he was unable to stop.
Batman respected the police officers of New York City, even if they distrusted him and his intentions. He had researched some terrifying news before coming, and he was sure that corruption was thick. Still, to hear the many problems that officers like Gutierrez dealt with . . . it didn't justify all of the news he read, but it offered him a window into their lives.
Batman also considered where everyone would be today. He had checked for Sam again earlier, but he had disappeared as expected. Batman's priority with Niko guaranteed Fisher's escape, and now he had to wait to catch him again. Desmond and Faith may still be together, or they could separate. He felt that they were still together because nobody had caught them yet. Faith was a Runner, but not the best hider, and their faces had been plastered over the news. Either way, Faith will try to avoid crowds and stay on the upper levels of buildings where she felt safe. Desmond was still a wild card. Not even Batman could figure out his strategy or plan. At nights, Batman would visit the casinos in the area until he found Bond. Once there, he'd catch him. It was guaranteed.
It was going to be a boring day for Batman, especially since he needed to recover, but he had several days left to go, and every day would make the others more desperate for money and safety. They would reveal themselves again soon enough. Batman needed only to wait and recover for that moment.
It is now 1 pm on day 2. Faith and Desmond had entered the zoo easily enough, but Faith quickly retreated to the back rooms of the zoo once people started whispering. Desmond tried to follow, but too many people were looking at him, and he couldn't follow her without revealing her. Sure enough, people started treating him like one of the zoo's many spectacles.
Desmond was polite, and he stayed alert for suspicious people that may alert Batman, but he was looking desperately for a way out. This was the zoo! There was a slightly chubby snow leopard devouring its meal right behind him, and the audience would rather focus on the lonely man of the two-person team! What's more, this attention would only serve to mess with Faith's insecurities.
As Desmond predicted, the news quickly appeared to Batman online. He saw several pictures of people near Desmond at the zoo. That's not too far from here, Batman thought, rubbing his sore leg. He also noticed that Desmond was alone. Either Faith had escaped or he truly was alone.
Batman got out of his seat, the pain hitting him immediately. If he was careful, and Desmond stayed where he was, then Batman would be able to sneak up on him. The only problem would be paying for his fare to enter the zoo. He could sneak in, but Gutierrez was already distrustful of him, and sneaking into a public area would give him the chance to arrest him if he wanted. Perhaps they would let him in for free?
Either way, Batman headed out to the zoo, eager to catch Desmond while he knew where the famed assassin was.
Faith hid in the back room. It was full of foods and medicines for the animals, and the ventilation was easy. This made it easy for her to lay low and hide.
I shouldn't have ditched him, Faith told herself. I should go back. Yet Faith stood there motionless in her safe hiding spot. She had just barely escaped, so she imagined Desmond was stuck outside with a crowd. This meant Batman was coming. But did Batman know they were still working together? If so, hiding was pointless. If not, then Desmond could take the fall and keep her safe.
Faith struggled with the thought. This was Hide and Seek, for crying out loud! The objective was to not get caught and tagged by Batman. It did not require that they work in teams. And Faith had always planned on dropping Desmond when times got tough. And yet . . .
Even in the back room, she could tell that something was wrong. People were loudly screaming outside, while earlier there was only a large hum of voices talking over each other.
Batman is here, Faith thought to herself. He found us.
Desmond knew Batman had arrived once he heard the screams. The people around him started darting between the two of them excitedly. Desmond was once again faced with escaping Batman. Twice in two days! And his partner, Faith, was nowhere to be found.
Desmond could not blend in now that he was the spotlight. He decided instead to break through the crowd and run far away from his presence. With any luck, he could circle around to the entrance and vanish into the city before Batman could catch up.Damn it, Faith, Desmond thought to himself. I can't warn you without screwing both of us over! Desmond knew he was pushing himself, but knowing Batman's abilities, he could not risk slowing down for any reason. He could deal with the exhaustion once he was safely away.
He finally reached the front and was about to race through when he noticed something. The crowd. The crowd has stayed right there the whole time! Desmond stopped in his tracks. His eyes darted around the room frantically. Sure enough, Batman wasn't chasing him after all.
Batman was nowhere. But how is that possible? Did he misread the crowd? Was he in some sort of trap? Desmond saw that his desperate sprinting alerted security, and he didn't know where else to go but forward. He now moved at a fast walk, his eyes looking everywhere around him for the possible pursuer.
"Stop, Desmond!" He turned around to see Faith darting toward him, panic in her eyes. "He's waiting at the front! I know another way out! Follow me!" Desmond turned to follow her, evading the hands of the security on the way. Faith was leading him to the dumpster in the back, where they throw away the waste.
Batman heard Faith's shriek from the entrance. And he was so close to the front too! I almost had him!Batman quickly apologized to the person at the entrance and darted around the zoo, hoping to catch them before they escaped. But while Batman ran around in a circle, the two were practically running in a straight line without any injuries. Maybe there was another way . . .
There were more employees than they remembered, but they escaped easily and reentered the city. Faith could tell that Desmond was both tired and frantic. His greatest advantages were null and void now, and he pushed himself too hard running headfirst into a trap. But Batman was coming, and Desmond was better at hiding than she was. She needed him to collect himself and help them out of this.
"Let's keep going!" Faith ran into the employee parking lot and toward the city again, hoping to beat Batman there. Desmond was following behind, but she could tell that he was slowing. "Don't give up on me now, damn it!" Faith yelled behind her. She turned back around -
And there he was. Batman. He was on the other side of the parking lot, but he was close enough to be a threat. Faith watched him run toward them. But what's this? He's moving slowly too. Is he injured? Or is he just pacing himself?
The two raced toward the street, with Batman close behind. Batman was definitely sluggish, but Desmond's exhaustion neutralized it. *If I leave him behind . . . *
They were entering the bulk of the city again, but they were causing quite a scene. Most people moved on, but others were stopping and staring. This also meant that Faith would have to stay behind to stay with Desmond or keep her distance and possibly lose him in the city. She looked around for something -anything - to save them. Just something!
She saw nearby buildings that they could climb up, but it wouldn't hide them from Batman for long. She saw alleys they could lose him in, and even one with a chain gate. Perfect. Faith grabbed Desmond's hand and dragged him toward the gate. Even when tired, Desmond moved swiftly up the gate. Faith also climbed quickly, and the two managed to get over the gate in seconds. They moved away from the gate and turned around to watch Batman, Desmond gasping for air during this break.
It wasn't a bluff; Batman was injured. Faith could see it now. And while Batman was still athletic and strong, he simply couldn't keep up with them in his condition. Hope welled up in their hearts. We can beat him!
"Two for [pant] twooo!" Desmond wheezed. The two raced to their new hiding place as Batman futilely climbed over the gate. He climbed across and immediately looked around, but they were too far.
"You're right," Batman admitted to himself. "This is the second time you've outrun me. But I've found you twice in two days. It's only a matter of time."
It is now 5 PM on Day 2. Faith and Desmond managed to escape Batman due to his previous injuries and Faith's decision to work with Desmond. James Bond explored the city for places to sleep and eat, all while preparing to make money at the Heights Casino. And Sam Fisher is still unknown.
Batman's attempt to capture Desmond and Faith bothered him. While he expected Faith's confidence in Desmond to waver, she instead chose to alert him to Batman's trap. Batman even persuaded the audience to move slightly towards Desmond by "showing off" some of his throwing abilities and tossing an autographed ball as close to Desmond's exhibit as possible. Perhaps Faith was also a wild card at that point. Or maybe she built a strong friendship with Desmond after all in such a short time.
Either way, the end result was not only that Batman could not catch them, but they are working together again, and they noticed his injuries. Not to mention Sam Fisher has not once made another appearance. Several people have seen James Bond over the city, and one woman even claimed to have slept with him, but Batman already had Bond's trap snared for just a few hours. And Officer Gutierrez was losing his patience over the chaos and rule-breaking that spawned from the game.
The plan had now become simple. Bruce was going to rest his injuries again and find materials to build some projectile or trap that can slow or immobilize Desmond and Faith. He was going to wait for a while longer but eventually scout the city more feverishly for Sam Fisher. But Bond would get caught tonight. Batman was going to sneak into the casino using the money he gained from the autographed ball. He would then tag Bond out without him ever seeing Batman coming.
Because Batman was going to show up as Bruce Wayne.
Meanwhile, Desmond and Faith were relaxing and watching the sunset on a random rooftop. The two had purchased a Deluxe Wrap and Big Mac from McDonalds, and they also had bottled water to drink. For the most part they didn't speak. They just enjoyed the silence and looked around for witnesses.
"Why did you come back for me?" Desmond finally asked. Faith cringed; she knew he'd eventually ask, but she had no idea how to answer. She knows what the damn tabloids and bloggers would say. Hopefully Desmond didn't think that she was some lovesick girl too.
"Because you were about to run into Batman's trap. I came out to the commotion and saw that Batman never walked in. He just signed a ball and then tossed it into a crowd. I also saw you running to the entrance and had to -"
"That's not what I mean and you know it."
"I know, but that's the answer you're going to get." Desmond sighed, and the two resumed their silence. Their plan for the evening was to sneak into a nearby store twenty minutes before it closed and sleep in the backroom when everyone leaves. They had already found a decent store in the area with few workers and limited security. They had found another place to rest for the evening. As long as they didn't set off any unknown alarms, they would be fine for another night. Still, Faith suggested they take shifts staying awake.
It is now 5 PM on Day 2. Faith and Desmond managed to escape Batman due to his previous injuries and Faith's decision to work with Desmond. James Bond explored the city for places to sleep and eat, all while preparing to make money at the Heights Casino. And Sam Fisher is still unknown.
Batman's attempt to capture Desmond and Faith bothered him. While he expected Faith's confidence in Desmond to waver, she instead chose to alert him to Batman's trap. Batman even persuaded the audience to move slightly towards Desmond by "showing off" some of his throwing abilities and tossing an autographed ball as close to Desmond's exhibit as possible. Perhaps Faith was also a wild card at that point. Or maybe she built a strong friendship with Desmond after all in such a short time.
Either way, the end result was not only that Batman could not catch them, but they are working together again, and they noticed his injuries. Not to mention Sam Fisher has not once made another appearance. Several people have seen James Bond over the city, and one woman even claimed to have slept with him, but Batman already had Bond's trap snared for just a few hours. And Officer Gutierrez was losing his patience over the chaos and rule-breaking that spawned from the game.
The plan had now become simple. Bruce was going to rest his injuries again and find materials to build some projectile or trap that can slow or immobilize Desmond and Faith. He was going to wait for a while longer but eventually scout the city more feverishly for Sam Fisher. But Bond would get caught tonight. Batman was going to sneak into the casino using the money he gained from the autographed ball. He would then tag Bond out without him ever seeing Batman coming.
Because Batman was going to show up as Bruce Wayne.
Meanwhile, Desmond and Faith were relaxing and watching the sunset on a random rooftop. The two had purchased a Deluxe Wrap and Big Mac from McDonalds, and they also had bottled water to drink. For the most part they didn't speak. They just enjoyed the silence and looked around for witnesses.
"Why did you come back for me?" Desmond finally asked. Faith cringed; she knew he'd eventually ask, but she had no idea how to answer. She knows what the damn tabloids and bloggers would say. Hopefully Desmond didn't think that she was some lovesick girl too.
"Because you were about to run into Batman's trap. I came out to the commotion and saw that Batman never walked in. He just signed a ball and then tossed it into a crowd. I also saw you running to the entrance and had to -"
"That's not what I mean and you know it."
"I know, but that's the answer you're going to get." Desmond sighed, and the two resumed their silence. Their plan for the evening was to sneak into a nearby store twenty minutes before it closed and sleep in the backroom when everyone leaves. They had already found a decent store in the area with few workers and limited security. They had found another place to rest for the evening. As long as they didn't set off any unknown alarms, they would be fine for another night. Still, Faith suggested they take shifts staying awake.
It is now 8 PM on Day 2, and the night is buzzing with excitement. Even James Bond seems more vibrant under the neon lights that consume the city. He casually walks up to the casino entrance and shows his card. He needs $20 just to enter, which he happily pays. Perfect, he thought to himself. Batman came here with no money, and he's been causing nothing but trouble. They'll never let him get into this place. Bond scouts the area around him for extra entrances and exits, just in case. Already several people are recognizing him. At first it's flattering, but the extra attention does make Bond slightly nervous.
Time to begin, Bond thinks to himself, setting near the blackjack table. He was a born gambler, in more ways than one. Now was his time to prove it.
Time to begin, Bruce Wayne thought to himself as he walked into the Heights Casino. He was initially terrified that the people of New York City would recognize the playboy Bruce Wayne from Gotham, but celebrities were so common that the city was desensitized. Not to mention that the people who would know that much about Gotham were unlikely to show up to the casino.
Bruce did miss the $20, especially since he also was used to the finer things, but sacrifices were needed to win this game. Still, he had to consider finding better ways of making money for the rest of the week. The suit alone was an adventure to find, since his current alliances did not have his size. Stealing would only further justify Gutierrez's dislike of the game. His best bet would be autographs and favors, maybe even a photo shoot.
As Bruce pondered the situation, he saw his target, James Bond, sitting at the blackjack table. He couldn't even wait to days, Batman thought.Excellent. Then I won't have to keep tracking him. Batman felt for the object in his pocket, the object that would guarantee his victory. Yet even now, he had to plan this perfectly, since Bond was perceptive, and any indication would alert him to Batman's real identity.
The element of surprise was his best bet. If Batman could tag and leave without Bond even noticing, he'd win. Now he only had to wait . . .
It is now 9 PM on Day 2, and James Bond is performing decently in blackjack. He has dealt with some bitter hands, but he's counting the cards and, more importantly, he's building a nice rapport with the dealer. He was currently up by only $80, and he was determined to make more.
A person next to him was also doing well, and up by $100. The person was congenial enough, but Bond kept him at a distance, especially because the person kept awkwardly attempting to high-five him or pat his back. Even though Bond was certain that Bruce would not want to betray his identity, he didn't want to risk it.
Surely Batman would not be so stupid as to play cards right next to me, Bond thought to himself. And yet he felt like he was being watched. It couldn't just be nerves, could it?
Bond considered leaving, but he had already counted the cards in this table, and the dealer had already been charmed. So he continued to play. As he hoped, his winnings were becoming bigger, and people were beginning to take notice. He and his friend were gathering quite a few admirers, and while the casino would surely take notice, he expected that the dealer would not consider it a problem for a little longer.
What happened next transpired around 9:43 PM, and moved so quickly that there was little to no reaction. James was still tense, but the crowd around him had calmed him, and the gambling winnings had given him some confidence. After all, he had spent almost two hours overtly exposing himself as James Bond, and not a single problem came up! The person next to him was still there, but had recently hit a losing streak, and he was considering his next move. What's more, the person had been drinking, and Bond imagined that Batman wouldn't dare drink and weaken his physical abilities. So for a brief moment, Bond relaxed and focused on his cards.
He had a 7 and a 5, which meant that he either had to fold or bet that the next card wouldn't be a 10 or face card. He risked $40 on this hand, which was quite a lot for his situation. If he counted right, the next card was a 7, which would give him 19.
His pensive faith said nothing as his hand gently tapped the card (this is the "hit me" sign). The dealer looked concerned as he handed the card over to Bond. Sure enough, it was a 7. The entourage behind him awed in amazement and even gave a mild applause.
Before Bond had the chance to be pleased with himself, a hand came from nowhere and touched his jacket. "You lose," a familiar voice whispered behind him. Bond's body became rigid as he snapped himself back together. He turned around and stood up with haste, worrying the people watching him. "Did anyone see that?" Bond asked. The audience stared at each other curiously.
"You mean that weird guy in a shuit?" his fellow gambling partner responded. Bond's face was filled with shock. "Yeah, he went over, er . . . " The man pointed toward some nearby slot machines, but the person was gone.
Bond panicked. Whoever that was, they got way too close to him. But he had no idea if it was Batman. Until he looked down. Did he drop this? Bond thought to himself, picking up the object. But it wasn't Batman's belonging; it was James Bond's.
Batman waited until Bond dropped his guard, tagged him, and left behind exactly what was needed to identify himself. The item he put in his belt at the beginning of the game.
Batman left James Bond his confiscated watch. The watch that was removed from him at the beginning of the game. He had truly bested Bond in Hide and Seek.
"Sorry," the dealer said. James turned around to see that the dealer had a jack and a king. "You lose." Bond's face turned from one of realization to one of amusement.
"You have no idea." Bond put his watch on and quietly gathered his chips, much to the group's dismay. Time to cash out and go back to my own life again.
As Bruce Wayne watched James Bond walk away, he could have sworn that Bond was happy. He had to stop himself from shaking his hand and wishing him well. Even though Bond lost on day 2, Bond's strategy was brilliantly done, and it meant that he didn't waste time and effort into hiding. Bond is great at what he does, and Batman was grateful to deal with such a pleasant yet conniving opponent.
Day 2 has ended. Faith and Desmond are still working together and have evaded capture twice. Niko has been tagged and arrested, but gave Batman the injuries that would help Desmond and Faith escape a second time. Sam Fisher is . . . somewhere. Nobody knows what he's done quite yet. And James Bond has been tagged at the casino by Bruce.
But Day 3 is coming. There are only three people left to find in the city. Has Batman recovered enough to take down Faith and Desmond? And why won't the narrator write what Sam Fisher is up to?
It is now 7:15 AM on Day 3 of Hide and Seek. Faith woke up to Desmond lightly tugging her shoulder. His pensive faith said it all; employees were preparing to open the store. It was time to head out again.
Between the two of them they had $90 between themselves. Today Desmond planned on picking pockets to refresh their cash, but the plan was risky, especially because of their growing fame. They hadn't seen the news since the night in the hotel room, but they knew that at least one person had been captured, and Batman knew their position within minutes of someone calling them on it. His trick of bringing Desmond to the front had also shocked the trained assassin. If they picked pockets publicly, then they risked discovery from the public, which would mean another chase.
The reason they chose to risk it, however, came from their last chase. Desmond was too exhausted to keep track of Batman's movements, but Faith later stated that he was weakened. This was great news if it was true. The two still couldn't blend in well anymore, but they could run. They could always run.
Desmond slowly signaled Faith that there were two people coming in, a middle-aged male and a young and thin girl. The guy appeared to be the manager, and the two were extremely flirty. Oh come on, Desmond thought to himself. They're not really going to do that, are they? At least wait for us to get out first! Unfortunately, the two began making out passionately near the door, blocking their escape. The two shared a look of concern, and Faith pointed to several pipes on the roof that went up to the door entrance.
"Will it hold our weight?" Desmond asked. After he whispered, the manager asked, "Shit, did you hear something?" Faith and Desmond froze as the employee slowly persuaded him to ignore it. Faithis face said it all for Desmond: You idiot, don't talk! She then looked at the pipes again and shrugged.
The pipes on the roof, which were for the sprinkler system, could be reached by climbing on the shelves they hid behind. The shelves were steel, so there was a chance they would make noise. The pipes followed a path along the room, and eventually it reached the door that led to the rest of the store. Since a whisper was all it took to alert the guy, however, any creaking of metal, footsteps, or large figures on the roof would attract too much attention. I guess we're stuck here, Faith's face suggested, leaning back into her sleeping position. Desmond let out an inaudible sigh and hid behind with her. As long as the two stayed away from the inventory, the two were safe.
What followed next was forty minutes of uncomfortably waiting for the two to move, and thirty minutes in the two just wished the two would not be as noisy about their . . . activities. Desmond was mildly humored by the experience, but Faith looked absolutely disgusted.
I really hope she's not thinking of our current Internet reputation, Desmond thought to himself. Though Desmond did take another look at Faith. Truth be told, Faith was certainly attractive, and she was very talented. But the two had just met, and their alliance was shaky enough without adding any drama to it. Besides, Desmond needed her more as a Hide and Seek partner than a friend. And there were people waiting for him too, once he finished this game. It was best to keep their relationship cordial but professional, lest he get abandoned again.
The two eventually stopped, and they heard footsteps going into what they discovered was the break room. The two quickly moved up to the front and looked around. The break room was closed; they had no better chance to go to the front and escape.
At that moment, though, the door to the store's front opened, and Faith and Desmond stood in front of the middle-aged manager. The look of shock on his face matched their own, but before he could speak Desmond delivered a swift punch to the man's gut. The man reeled over in pain. At this point Desmond placed the man in the sleeper hold, trying to knock him out without making too much noise. Shit, he's fast! Faith thought. At this point The break room opened to reveal the slightly undressed employee carrying a cup of coffee. Upon seeing two strangers strangling her boss, she dropped the cup, released a shrill scream, and vanished into the break room.
"Leave her, let's go!" Desmond told Faith, releasing the man from the sleeper hold and kicking him in the rump so that he fell forward. The two then darted out of the building quickly. Once they escaped, Desmond and Faith darted across the street (during morning traffic, no less) and had reached the other side by the time the man left the store to pursue them, phone in his hand. The two moved quickly until Desmond saw similarly dressed kids heading to high school, where he quickly melded into their group. The high school kids were clearly uncomfortable by Faith and Desmond's presence, but they managed to escape cleanly before splitting apart again and vanishing into the alleys.
Needless to say, Batman received this police report as he had just awakened. Batman knew that they were already gone, but this gave him a good idea of how they stayed off the radar at nights. His injuries were still too much to keep up. He was not the spring chicken he once was, and his body needed time to heal, especially when he could not receive proper treatment from a hospital or doctor.
But Batman now had a plan to catch these two. He had been rummaging in the garbages last night after removing his Bruce Wayne attire and returning as Batman. He had a few makeshift tools that could keep two athletic runners at bay. And now that he knew their sleeping patterns and locations, he knew where to look.
It was time to do some sleuthing.
Mr. Grey was tagged last night.
Misty stared solemnly at the screen, unsure of how it made her feel. Mr. Grey, or who she later discovered was James Bond, had been caught the night after leaving her house. He was caught gambling at a casino, when Batman mysteriously touched him. Surveillance cameras were there, but with so many people around nobody really could tell who it was, and none of the witnesses there could tell either. Bond seemed almost happy that it was over, and he left for his original life that night.
Misty had dated liars and thieves and jerks before, but for some reason James Bond was one of the strangest experiences in her life. Maybe it was because he was so charming and fun, or because she had explained their time in detail to ecstatic reporters. Maybe it was the doubts lingering in her mind of whether or not he used her for a free place to sleep, or whether or not he'd have left if she didn't discover who he was that morning.
Misty watched the news, but her mind was too full of questions to pay attention. She had a feeling that she could go online and look up everything about the famous man of espionage, and she'd still have no idea who he was or why he went out with her that night. And now that he disappeared, those answers would never come.
Sometime during her sulking she heard her phone vibrating on the desk, the buzzing sounds snapping her from her daydream. She looked at who texted her, but the number only said "RESTRICTED".Strange, Misty thought to herself, as she opened the text. The text read:
"Sorry I couldn't say goodbye. Grey."
Misty smiled and placed the phone below her chin, keeping it near her chest. "James Bond, man of mystery," she slowly said out loud, the words themselves lingering around the room like a presence.
Her attention returned briefly to the news to discover that someone claims to have found Sam Fisher, but her mind once again went into its thought-filled daydream. This time, however, her thoughts were pleasant ones.
The "Look which celebrity I saw" pictures were so common on the Internet that most were dismissed by Batman, but when someone claimed to have spotted Sam Fisher, he abandoned his traps for Desmond and Faith and focused solely on Sam.
The only time he almost caught Sam was by a complete fluke. He happened to run into the officer that decided to work alongside Batman in his free time. His escape was most likely a fluke, since Batman had to abandon his search prematurely and stop Niko. While Desmond and Faith couldn't help but pop up repeatedly on the radar, Sam was like a ghost. Someone catching him in the city was huge, and Batman had no intention of ruining this opportunity.
Apparently sometime last night Sam Fisher was spotted brawling with several people. The witness happened to be one of those that was beaten up. The man was later found to be around the same area as the Heights Casino.That can't be possible, Batman thought to himself. I was just at the casino. Is this a coincidence, or does this mean something?Sam Fisher supposedly left with a small posse of young adults. Their new location is unknown.
Batman frowned and tried to examine the facts, but he did not even know how accurate it was anymore. It only says at night, but it does not specify when, so he can't verify it with his own experiences. Plus, it sounded like the person had a strong bias against Sam Fisher, since Sam's training in Krav Maga made him formidable enough to handle himself in combat.
Still, it was the only lead he had.
Batman grabbed his cape and headed toward the site where it all happened. With any luck, he could find something or someone that would give him a clue.
It was noon on Day 3. Faith and Desmond had spent the day moving around and exploring the city. They were now enjoying some water and pizza on the roof of some building, careful to not attract any attention. They decided that, since Batman's weakness was movement, that they'd play to their strengths and choose mobility over stealth. They had not seen him yet, but they also did not have a chance to find out how the game is going. It worked for Faith, who was still nervous about discovering what the world thought of them, but Desmond wanted to know how many were left.
Desmond had also picked enough pockets to gather $160. That meant they had $250 total. Desmond was fine with the theft, but Faith wanted them to use their money sparingly so they wouldn't need to rely on it. They had done well not to hurt anyone else in their crimes, but beating up witnesses and stealing others' money was crossing the line.
"So where should we go next?" Desmond asked Faith. The two were safest on the rooftop, especially since the sky had become cloudy, but if the clouds turned into rain, then the roofs would get old quickly.
"I'm not sure anymore," Faith admitted. "We're drawing too much attention to ourselves, but the only places to go are filled with people. We need to find a place to lay low, but when Niko did it he nearly got killed. So where to go?"
The two pondered this thought for a while, afraid to commit to anything yet. "Why don't we go to the nearby park instead?" Desmond offered. "We could easily spot Batman coming, and we'll escape when he does. Plus, open area, and we can find shelter if it rains."
"Alright," Faith agreed, after giving it some thought. The two then stood up and raced across the rooftops, heading toward the park.
Meanwhile, Batman had to once again shift his plans. He had come to another dead end regarding Sam for now, and he decided to come back later when his "small posse" was spotted with him. What he found important was the string of sightings from Desmond and Faith. They chose to outrun me instead of hide, Batman realized. The game has changed, but at least Batman knew what to expect.
Batman looked at the sky. It was getting cloudy, and it could possibly rain. They may be able to weather it out on a nearby rooftop, but it's unlikely. They may seek shelter in a business with few cameras, but after their recent morning event they would most likely avoid that. They could go to Central Park, where they'd have plenty of visibility and the chance to run away if they have to, but they could get spotted quickly. Would they still risk that?
Batman pondered all of these and simply decided to look around the city for more clues. He had four more days to find and tag them. It wouldn't hurt to start now.
It took less than half an hour for Batman to know that the pair was indeed in Central Park. The news was pouring online about the famed couple. While the news was welcoming, this increasingly fanatical amount of attention would only further damage the NYPD's view on the game, especially with the earlier assault against the store manager this morning and car chase that Niko caused on day one.
Batman headed toward Central Park in his costume. He had only two different items that could slow or immobilize Faith and Desmond. The first was a fragile ball which, when thrown, would explode into over two-hundred marbles. The marbles would serve both as shrapnel that would surprise the two and a hazard for them to run over. The second one was a net. Batman could not find a container to keep the net in, but he mixed it with some twine to create a sort of lasso that exploded into a net in the air. Neither of these would be enough to stop the two, and the items were made entirely from garbage, but without his other devices or money Batman had to make do with what he had.
The ball would be easy to throw, even though it was heavy with marbles and its exterior glass surface. The rope would be harder, since it takes a while to swing it far enough. His advantage, however, is that Desmond and Faith don't know about his makeshift inventions. They only know about his injuries. And they also didn't know just how stealthy hecould be.
Batman moved slowly in Central Park, mostly because he didn't wish to cause more injury to himself, but he also moved undetected. He had gotten through quite a bit of Central Park by the time he saw them. They had cleverly stayed in an open area far from trees, but they were also heavily surrounded by excited fans. Batman had them. Now he just needed to tag them.
Meanwhile,
Desmond and Faith immediately regretted going to the park. Immediately they were getting attention, and the fans just kept coming. Surely we can't be this famous! Faith thought to herself. I swear we passed Samantha Bee and Michael Bloomberg, and nobody even batted an eye! Why are we getting so much attention!?What's more, the fans were focused less on the game and more on their whirlwind romance. They kept begging for them to kiss and asked personal questions like what they liked about each other. Faith tried to evade the questions as much as possible, and Desmond seemed to take a quiet but amused approach to the questionnaire.
The two needed to move. They had already spent too long at the park, and with so much attention Batman was sure to be near. They needed to relocate before he caught up to them. He was probably still too slow to chase them, but he was crafty, and the two were not going to underestimate him.
"Look, we appreciate the attention, but we're going to run now," Desmond finally stated, grabbing Faith's hand and moving through the roaring and pleading crowd. I hate when he touches me, Faith thought, as the two weaved through the crowd. As they left, they quickly walked toward the exit, carefully surveying the area around them.
It was Desmond who heard it first. It sounded like a swishing of wind. He turned toward it, and Faith followed his gaze. They turned to find Batman, cleverly placed behind a thick tree, swinging what looked like a loosely tied bunch of rope connected to more rope. He was staring right at them as he flailed it.
"Run!" Desmond shouted, as he and Faith darted toward the exit. But Batman had all the time he needed to swing the rope and gain its distance. He tossed it over their heads, where the thread loosely holding the bundle together fell off. The bundle then opened to reveal what looked like a fishing net of rope.
And it was going to fall right on top of them.
Desmond managed to jump to the side, but the rope hit Faith dead-on. The trap itself was poor at best, but she couldn't run with the rope over her. Desmond turned around and grabbed the rope. Faith stood still as he tried to get it off, but as he did she watched something else fly over his head.
It looked like the upper half of a gumball machine. It smashed about five feet behind Desmond, and marbles exploded everywhere.
"Batman's got gadgets again!" Faith shouted. Desmond successfully tossed the rope aside and turned around, only to slip on the marbles. He tried to maintain his balance, but he fell to his knees. Faith quickly got to her own feet and turned around, her body filling with adrenaline.
Batman was running quickly toward her. Desmond was getting up, but he wouldn't be able to gain his balance in time. Faith was up, and could escape, but it would mean Desmond loses because he spent time helping her up.
She had a second to choose. Her, or Desmond? How will this turn out?
Faith had a second to decide what to do. And in that moment she decided to do what she was always trained to do.
She ran.
Faith ran ahead of Desmond. Desmond got up and ran closely behind, but he immediately knew something was up. Faith always ran a certain distance before slowing down. It was her way of staying near him. This time, she was sprinting for her life, and it was clear that Desmond was on his own.
Why is - no time to worry about it now!Desmond thought, racing with her toward the exit. He didn't even look behind him, fearing that doing so would give Batman the chance to grab him. He had to run faster than ever to get to the front, or he'd be caught.
What Desmond didn't notice was Batman falling on the same marble trap that got Desmond. Much like Desmond, Batman did not completely fall, but it cost him precious seconds. Desmond had a nice amount of distance between the two of them. Batman continued to follow closely behind, but once he saw Desmond gracefully climbing up a nearby building he knew they had eluded capture once again.
Batman was humiliated. His marble trap turned against him, despite his knowing of it beforehand. What's more, he had once again failed to capture the two of them.
There was one advantage, however. Faith had run ahead of Desmond instead of picking him up or throwing the rope net back at Batman. She followed the Runner code and ran. This meant that their trust really had finally severed. Batman could now pick them off one by one.
Desmond, Faith, and Sam. Three left, four days left. Batman prepared for a long night as he ate and drank his rations.
It is now 8 PM on Day 3. Faith was on top of a building, and even though it was dark and raining she couldn't bear to leave it. She turned her back on Desmond after he saved her. He had probably been caught, too. She had survived, but at what cost?
Desmond was the one with the money, and he was the one with means of procuring money. Faith had nothing but a head full of guilt and rain-soaked clothes. She was starting to freeze now. She had to move. But now more than ever she had nowhere to go and nobody to turn to.
Faith sighed. The building beside this one was an office building. She planned on sneaking in there, but the rain made running across buildings unreliable. But she sold Desmond for her own freedom. The least she could do was win because of it.
She darted and jumped, her traction not slipping because of the water. The nearby building was indeed smaller, so there was no need to grab onto the side. She went up to the door -Desmond could've unlocked this, she thought - and busted it open. The alarm would sound, but as long as the water trail disappeared in the vents they'd never find her.
Faith was going to survive. That's all she knew how to do.
Meanwhile, Desmond sulked in his motel for the night, eating a bag of Doritos that he bought from the vending machine. The news was in hysterics after Batman's trap and Faith parting from Desmond. The newscaster, while still overenthusiastic about this report, had no idea if Faith and Desmond were still there. Nope, Desmond answered in his head. Faith ditched me. He angrily grabbed a handful of Doritos and shoveled them in his mouth.
He saw from the witnesses' videos just how close he was to Batman's capture. In a way, he understood why Faith could do nothing but save herself. He probably would have suggested it himself. But as he was just starting to run after her, Batman reached his hand out to grab his shoulder. At that moment, he stumbled on his own marbles, and that gave Desmond exactly what he needed.
Except a teammate.Desmond also learned about a sighting of Sam, and Bond's capture. Batman was certainly crafty. However, many are speculating that Batman is simply incapable of capturing the favorite couple. Three times in three days, multiple sightings, and Batman still could not tag them out. Desmond and Faith were called heroes and cowards, Hide and Seek masters and Hide and Seek failures that happened to run. Desmond could believe it all, really. They could not manage to stay hidden for long, but they certainly could stay from getting caught.
Desmond got comfy and slowly tried to sleep. He was alone now, and he would need all his wits about him tomorrow.
Batman was in his van when he heard of a break-in at a nearby office building. The office was big, with a bigger building next to it, and the break-in came from the roof. Batman could already tell it was Faith trying to escape the rain. He left the van and headed for the building. This time, Faith was alone. Batman will catch her.
Faith was definitely not getting captured now. Not because she was too tired or weak to find another spot, but because she was naked.
She left her clothes drying off near a fan, but the rest of her was still chilly. The rain outside was still going, and the cops were scouting the place. They wouldn't find her or her clothes, but she was not worried about the cops. She was worried about Batman.
Wait, Faith thought, an idea slowly forming in her head.Batman will be here. So if I escape and find another place, Batman will spend the entire night looking for me! It was a risky move, but it was better than shivering here and hoping Batman wouldn't find her in time. She grabbed her clothes again and put them on - the damp and cold clothes making her miserable - and she prepared to escape through the rooftop again.
Wait! Faith thought to herself. *That isn't going to work. The rain makes it too risky to run around. I need to go through the entrance. Where Batman will be coming in from . . . * Faith regretted putting on her clothes so quickly. Still, escaping the office was her best bet against getting tagged. She decided to use the vents and stairs to find her way to the front. As long as she can get behind them and escape through the front without capture, she would have hours before Batman caught her.
Little did she know that Batmanconsidered this idea, and he had a simple solution for it. The cops reset the alarm, which meant anyone opening the door would cause the alarm to turn on again. If she tried to escape, he'd know. And since it was raining outside, she wouldn't dare try to race over the rooftops.
Faith has put herself into the perfect trap. All Batman had to do now was tag her.
**It was nearing midnight, to begin Day 4 of the Hide and Seek game. Batman had currently trapped Faith into an office building that she impulsively seeked refuge in. The rain outside made the rooftops too slick to jump around on, and Batman sealed the downstairs exits so that Faith could not get through without his knowing. The fire exits would also cause the same problem. Faith was trapped.
What bothered Faith more than the lock-in was Batman's ruthless and thorough examinations of each floor. She barely escaped discovery as she watched him. Every hiding place she planned on using, and some she never even thought of, were looked into by Batman. He and the cops also seemed to keep pushing her back up the floor. It was clever, how they made Batman or the police officers stay back to guard the only ways downstairs. They were pushing her upward. Eventually, they'd find her. Faith knew that it would take time for them to extract her from the vents, but those same vents could trap her, and with four days left, Batman could simply wait her out.
This was a battle that was harder to win the longer she waited, but it was not just because of Batman's tireless searching. Faith was cold, wet, and exhausted. Her senses were failing, and she was getting sloppier with her hiding every time. She knew she would have to eventually risk a dogged pursuit outside, but even then, where would she go? Her entire escape relied on Batman and the police not being able to find her as she finds another safe hiding spot. What's more, her body was in poor condition from the running and cramped spaces, and she itched everywhere from the dirty clothes. Was she certain she could run away like this?
Faith took a quiet breath and looked toward the stairs. A police officer was guarding this time. She could push him away - he wasn't the one she had to avoid physical contact with - and get to the stairs. There were more police downstairs, but she had to risk it at this point. If she didn't run down, she'd be the fourth person to go, and her abandoning Desmond would have been in vain. It was time to move.
Batman, on the other hand, became more and more cautious with each floor. He was certain that Faith was in the vents now, so he collaborated with the police. They began placing cops near the vent openings and near the stairs. At some point she would escape, and everyone would know immediately.
However, Faith was a good Runner for a reason. She performed life-endangering stunts daily in her attempts to take down her dystopian environment, and was used to living with a target on her back at all times. When push comes to shove, she would do what she needed to do to survive. She also was probably becoming tired, which made her a threat to herself and others. Though Batman continued to squeeze her into a corner, he expected her to fight for her victory the same way Niko did.
"I spot her! Sixth floor!" The walkie-talkies on the nearby police officers spread the news to everyone involved. After a brief glance to each other, the group raced for the stairs. We're on the seventh, Batman thought. If we hurry, we should beat her to the stairs. They burst open the door to see Faith flying down the stair floors, just narrowly passing them as they followed her.
The stairs themselves went in a rectangular fashion, with a gap in the middle where you could see above and lower floors. Faith was carefully falling floor by floor, grabbing the stair rails every other floor. Batman could have jumped down, but with his injuries he was uncertain about how well he'd managed, and at six floors . . .
He chose to risk it, and with a billow of his cape he jumped into the gap and followed Faith. Faith's shock was immediate, and she almost didn't grab her next stair rail. Desperate, she went down to the first floor and clumsily picked up speed to run. Batman was close behind because of his decision, but he noted how sore his shoulders were from the experience.
What's this? Batman asked. Faith wasn't heading toward the front of the office building. She was running to the side, toward the fire exit. Of course!Batman thought. Get out closer to the alleys, and avoid the police. Batman stayed closely behind her. Unlike last time, his injuries were slightly better, and he had more stamina this time. He had a chance of catching Faith this time. He knew he could!
Faith was aware of this change too. Just as she feared, she was tired and exhausted. Batman was also recovering from his injuries, and he was close behind her. She couldn't rely on climbing because of the rain. She had to outrun Batman, and find a spot to hide before she collapsed from exhaustion. This round was nothing more than a contest of running and wills.
Faith broke through the fire exit as the alarms sounded off in the office. She ran as fast as she could, weaving through the city's alleyways. Occasionally she crossed the busy streets, all the while trying to get rid of Batman. But no matter what she did, every time she looked behind her Batman was close behind. She just couldn't shake him!
The ground was still wet, and Faith could feel her exhaustion getting to her. Fortunately, she noticed Batman feeling it also. They had already been running for several minutes straight, and she weaved well enough to avoid the police officers as well. At some point, when she gained enough distance, she started looking for any place to hide. She couldn't risk the doors, so she continued running forward, hoping to keep her distance. She's not sure when, but at one point she found a closed dumpster. Desperate, she opened the dumpster, went inside, and closed it again. She was gasping for air, and the smell made her want to gag, and this entire time she was trying to stay quiet despite the first two statements. She was afraid to open the door, fearing that Batman was there waiting. Several minutes went by, Faith listening the entire time. Eventually, after what felt like hours, she simply passed out in the dumpster, her alertness slowly fading as she drifted into an uncomfortable sleep.
Batman kept up this time, but he still could not keep up with her. Faith was simply faster than him. Usually he would have a gadget to immobilize her legs, or he'd have his Batmobile, or he'd be able to smack an object in her way. Without his gadgets, however, he couldn't keep Faith still long enough to tag her.
Batman walked back to his place of residence, his body worn out from yet another failed race attempt. However, he was getting closer every time, and Faith was weakening as well. He decided to get some rest and acquire more materials for ad hoc gadgets tomorrow. There were three left, and it was day 4. He was certain he could get them all in time.
aith woke up abruptly at 4 AM on Day 4, as she heard the sounds of the dumpster door opening. A confused man stared at her, a garbage bag in his hands.
"What are you doing in here, kid?" The man asked. Without answering, Faith got on her feet and darted away. The ground was moist, but it was safer now. What worried her now was her fatigue. Running as much as she had, and sleeping/hanging in tight areas, were both affecting her. If she wanted to last, she needed a place to hide and recover.
The question she had now was where. She needed some clothes and a shower, or her odor would be enough to bring attention to her wherever she went. That was her first goal, but where should she go? She could try pilfering women's clothes from a nearby gym, but getting in would be interesting, and there would be cameras all over the place.
Faith looked behind her. The man that opened the lid hadn't pursued; she was alone again. As it should be, Faith thought. She decided that a gym was her best bet, and she would need to examine it before it opened to ensure her success. Maybe there was a door open already, since gyms tend to open early.
Faith searched the city at night, her hungry and tired body desperate to find a way out.
It is now 7 AM, and Desmond woke up to find that Faith had almost been caught. Even though she abandoned him, Desmond felt a sense of pity and pain as he heard about her disheveled state. Apparently she had broken into an office building from the rooftop to avoid the rain, and she was weak and tired enough for Batman to pursue her for several minutes. She's still faster, but she's getting weaker, and he's getting stronger. I should remember this; Batman's injuries aren't a problem anymore.
Desmond took a shower, contemplating the news. He was certain Faith was unable to view the news, but he had no idea if she was going to look for him again. He didn't even know if she knew he escaped Batman's clutches by sheer luck. And, of course, their public separation caused a lot of confusion to the "Team Desmond/Faith" people on the Internet.
Of course, that's not the only thing that happened to the Internet. It seemed that the Hide and Seek game with iconic characters had reached its half-life. While people still discussed the game, many dissenters now roamed the Internet, calling the fans "obsessive" and claiming that it wasn't a big deal. Others were demanding the game stop entirely, since the amount of crimes involved were sending the wrong message to the city. Officer Gutierrez was in particular a name that Desmond noticed; Gutierrez said that they should have stopped the game after Niko, and situations like Faith's breaking and entering and Desmond's assault were making this game far from okay for the city.
Desmond considered this news as he donned a new gray hoodie that he recently stole. The police were replacing the fans, but without the extra attention that Faith gave, and the apathy of the only people excited enough to recognize him, Desmond again considered the possibility of blending in. It would be easier now, especially since his experience with Altair taught him how to alleviate notoriety.
Eager to try this experiment, Desmond chose to walk around with the usual morning people. He needed to pickpocket some more money anyway, and it wasn't like him to stay put for too long.
Before he left, however, he took one last look at the television. He saw the picture of him and Faith at the park, with the headline "What Happened to the Desmond/Faith Duo?". Saying nothing, Desmond turned off the television, and headed out the door.
It is now 7:30 AM on Day 4. Batman had heard nothing so far about any of the three remaining hiders. This bothered him, especially since he was certain that Faith would be leaving more tracks. While he was upset by the lack of news, he decided to use this time foraging for more tools that would help in apprehending them once he found them. He recreated his rope net and collected some clothes that could come in handy. He considered stealing some jacks and making weak caltrops, but it was too close to breaking the "no violence" clause. He came up with one or two more ideas for nonviolent weapons that would make Macgyver smile. All of this time, however, not a single mention came from the others.
Batman considered once again heading toward the last mention of Sam Fisher, but it would have been pointless. There was simply no evidence of anything, which either meant that Sam covered his tracks or the person was lying. This was more bothersome than the lack of information on Desmond and Faith, since Fisher was the kind of person that could think most like Batman. If he couldn't find Sam through the police scanner or media, then he needed to find Sam another way. But how?
Meanwhile, Faith was caught on her way to the gym by a concerned minister of a church. At first Faith was terrified that he would alert Batman, but eventually she decided that he truly did want to help her. He brought her to the church, offered some clothes that went to "wayward spirits like herself", and provided a bathroom for her to clean herself in. He even offered her a fresh meal. Faith was grateful for everything, but left quickly after. The man was kind and helpful, but mentioned many other people coming for something, and she didn't want to risk it.
The fully-clothed, well-fed Faith once again sat on a rooftop, considering her luck. She still needed a place to stay safe and quiet, but now there was hope. For one, the man did not know who she was, which meant that she may not be as big a star as she feared. She also had a chance to relax and clean herself up, which had originally been a massive concern. She no longer had a map of the city, and she was unable to find a gym for some time, but she still found a way. Maybe there were other opportunities that she didn't consider either.
Faith decided it was time to look around the city some more, despite the fact that it was daylight. She needed to test how familiar an Asian runner with a tattoo around her eye would be. Depending on how it went, she may have a shot at outlasting Batman's reach after all.
Batman was waiting for anything, but there did not seem to be any police reports. Though the news online was indeed troubling. Officer Gutierrez, the man who met Batman on Day 1 during Niko's crime spree, was spearheading a group determined to end Hide and Seek. Batman may not even have 7 days left. He almost appreciated how the three stayed under the radar now, since it meant that they were not causing trouble at the moment.
Batman grimaced at the news. The chases were indeed getting troublesome, and the list of offenses caused were long considering that they were only here for 3 days. What's more, the media was starting to calm down as well, and the initial fervor of the Hide and Seek game now included questions such as "Should we allow it" and "What does this mean" on the news. The original popularity had faded, which meant fewer people cared about the sightings.
Batman now faced an even greater threat. In capturing these three remaining hiders, he had to do so with as little attention as possible, and he needed to do it quickly. He also wasn't sure about how his ally would be able to handle it if Gutierrez's plan came into effect. 4 Days left. How was this all going to come down?
It is now 12:30 on Day 4. Faith had spent a nice afternoon comfortably walking around the city and surveying the area. People may have recognized her, but the general populace seemed to just move on with their own daily activities. She even had the opportunity to visit a local library, which she decided was a good place to stay for a while. It was (somewhat) quiet, and she placed herself where she could run if she needed to.
She wasn't as tech-savvy as Desmond, but she soon discovered the current news about the Hide and Seek. She found out that Desmond actually made it. Her heart filled with joy, then shame, as she learned that Batman's own marble technique turned against him. The people argued about whether or not she should have abandoned Desmond. I'm sorry Desmond, Faith thought to herself. I'm glad you made it.
Faith also discovered that Sam Fisher and her were the only other contestants besides Desmond. And while there was plenty of news about her, Sam had been little more than a ghost. Many were stating that the final three would all make it. The only weak link was Faith, who drew too much attention to herself.Yet here I am at a library, Faith chuckled to herself.
The last two news pieces she noticed were the Internet's growing boredom of the game and a new call to arms about arresting the whole group of them. Faith groaned at the idea of losing prematurely because she needed a place to dry off for the evening.
Faith decided that she had enough Internet for the day, and turned off the computer. Besides, she spent too long here anyway, and she needed a safer place to spend the night. Batman wasn't catching her this time.
Desmond had also experienced success in his morning out. As he predicted, few people gave him the time of day. He walked around, picked a few pockets, and visited a few stores to examine them for later. He was becoming to familiar with that hotel; he needed a new place to lay low. He also didn't know where Batman was, so walking around still posed a small risk if he ran into him.
Desmond walked on in the city, figuring out his next move.
Officer Frank Jordan, however, had more sobering news. He knew that Batman was an infamous vigilante, and he was certain that his department would soon learn about the many favors he had been providing for Batman. So when Officer Gutierrez called him in, he already knew what he was in for.
What they didn't know was that Frank was not always the buff, enthusiastic cop he was today. There was a time where he was bullied, and lonely, and void of purpose. His escape was in stories like Batman's. When Batman picked him from the crowd, he had never been so ecstatic in his entire life.
And now Gutierrez wanted him to betray his own hero. He was supposed to watch what Batman did and immediately relay it to Gutierrez. As an officer, Frank had to follow this order. But he did not have to keep Batman out of the loop.
Frank reached the van that he loaned to the vigilante. He somberly left his police car, walked up, and tapped on the door. After a few seconds, Batman opened the door and stared at him. As usual, Frank Jordan sort of awed at his hero, inches away, looking straight at him. The idea of it!
"Officer Jordan," Batman stated casually. "How can I help you?" With those words, Frank immediately recalled his mission. Batman quickly noticed this. "What's happened, officer?"
"B-Batman," Frank stammered, struggling to find the words. He looked toward the ground, uncertain in his thoughts. "Listen, I only came here because you need to know. The police department, they're, well, they're kind of . . . they're trying to find a reason to arrest you." Frank finally looked back up to see how Batman took it, but all he got was that familiar ice-cold stare. He elaborated, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love what you've done! And you're still free to use the van. I won't even mention the police scanner to them! But with all the trouble that's gone down, they're sort of, er, trying to get rid of you all." Batman's gaze was unmoving, like a statue, but he did not speak either. He simply absorbed the information, his face betraying no thoughts. "I'm really sorry about this. But I am also supposed to monitor your comings and goings on around the city. They're actually paying me overtime for it, and keeping me off my original routes. It's kind of neat, actually." Frank laughed nervously.
At this point Batman calmly placed his hand on Officer Jordan's shoulder. "Thank you for letting me know, as well as everything else that you and your friends have done for me. You've done more than I could ask for, Officer Jordan." The words were so wonderful it almost hurt him. Batman is complimenting ME! "I know this may sound tough, but follow your police department's instructions. If you find anything that I am guilty of, then do not hesitate to arrest me."
Huh? "But Batman," Frank retorted, "I can't possibly arr-"
"This game will only last one week," Batman interrupted. "Your job is not worth that. And if you don't, someone else will. I know you don't want to, but this is your job. Please understand." Officer Jordan was absolutely awestruck. He felt his eyes water from the experience, and tried to wipe them away. He couldn't let Batman think he was a wussy.
"Alright then," Officer Jordan responded, his voice slightly breaking. "Then know that I'll be parked outside this van and watching you at all times until your departure from the city. Goodbye, Batman." Batman nodded, offered a smile, and closed the van doors. Officer Jordan returned to his police car, unsure of what would happen next . . .
Batman closed the van door quickly. He was absolutely aware that this was happening, but while he wanted as much freedom and opportunity as he could get, it was not worth sacrificing the officer that provided the scanner and van for him.
Besides, he did some searching around town earlier, especially towards motels and other sleeping spots. It turns out that Desmond has been frequenting motels at night. He also knew that Faith would be struggling for a place to sleep tonight. He ate and drank his rations quietly. Tonight, he was going to catch them.
It was now 6 pm on Day 4, and Faith had safely found her way into a warehouse. It wasn't abandoned, but it was massive, and she found a nice place to rest. It was a welcome change compared to the dumpster, and it was spacious enough to see everything below. It was also difficult to get up to where she was without parkour abilities or a ladder, and it was difficult to see her unless the person was actively looking at a ceiling.
Faith closed her eyes and slept, trying to relax for the first time in days.
Desmond chose the back of another clothing store. Many clothing stores had subtle differences, but overall they all looked similar. People also left food in the fridge overnight, which gave him a great chance for a quick meal. He learned from last time how to get out, and Batman could not possibly try to check every store in the city for him. He wasn't sleepy yet, so he turned on the television in the break room, put it on mute, turned on the closed caption, and nervously listened for people to start coming in. This was going to be an easy day.
Officer Gutierrez was concerned about the lack of presence that the players in Hide and Seek had today, but he dismissed it. This was his time anyway, and he was going to use it. He had sworn to keep crime out of the city as best as he could, and these idiots were spitting on the law in order to follow some childish stunt. He had to show them, as well as the world, that New York City takes the law seriously.
He had to wait a few days, but as always the predictable people of the nation could only keep their enthusiasm up for so long. This was time that he spent gathering evidence. Niko was obvious, but there was evidence that Sam Fisher had fought gangsters, Desmond was pickpocketing and assaulting people, and Faith was breaking and entering into random buildings at her own leisure. Even Batman ignored traffic laws, worked too closely with the police, and Gutierrez was certain that he owned a police scanner.
Gutierrez needed more time, so a night with fewer crimes was exactly what he needed. Soon, he'd have what he needed to stop this game and arrest everyone involved in this stupid Hide and Seek game.
We fast-forward to 9 PM on Day 4, and Batman is walking around and inquiring to all nearby motels. Nobody at the moment has mentioned Faith, Desmond, or Sam for that night, but two had recognized Desmond, and one recognized Faith.
Batman had to decide where to go next. Sam Fisher was everywhere, but Desmond and Faith liked hiding themselves in stores. There were also empty buildings and warehouses nearby. He decided that, since the buildings had more security, he'd check out the nearby warehouses, and he'd keep track of the police scanner. If he had time before he slept, he would check some of the stores with less security.
Batman went down the street. He needed to move quickly. There were many places to hide and few hours that they would sleep. He had to catch them while their guards were down.
It is 12:30 AM on what is technically still Day 4 (since the game happened in the morning, day 5 clicks over around 9 AM). Batman almost missed her, especially considering how dark it was. Fortunately, Batman recalled that Faith preferred high spaces since it appealed to her Runner history and parkour abilities. As predicted, Faith was sleeping just out of reach, and the only way he could get up would cause too much noise. But the point was, Batman found her. And she was defenseless!
This is the kind of warehouse that Faith took refuge in. She is in the rafters, close to the windows.
Batman figured he could climb up there, but it would take time, and if she woke up it would be over. Plus, the metal was rusted, and he was unsure about how much noise it would make. Still, this was his shot, and he had to try.
Batman slowly observed the girders holding the rafters up. The spaces in between were thick enough to let him climb up them, but would it make any noise? Plus, once he reaches the rafters, he would have to crouch and roll into the floor, and if it made too much noise that would alert Faith to his presence. She would run before he had a chance to catch her, and experience said that she'd win.
How do I do this? Batman asked himself, looking around for other ideas. He had his rope net, but it was useless until he was in throwing distance. He also wanted to avoid his other gadgets, since she was high in the air and causing her to lose her balance could result in serious injury. But if he prepared them for the off-chance that she came down first . . .
Batman spent a few minutes to establish a trap toward the warehouse's escape route. His hope was that, if Faith escaped, she would be too panicked and tired to notice what awaited her. Afterwards, Batman quietly decided to risk the noise and begin climbing up the girder. The sides were cold and dug into his hands and feet, but it held him, and it hadn't made any noise yet. Batman painfully climbed his way up, getting closer to the rafters.
Faith was sleeping until she heard the slight groaning of metal. It was slight, but enough to snap her awake. She looked to the floor to see if anyone was below, but she didn't see anyone.Where did the noise come from? Faith thought, groggily sitting up and surveying the room.
That's when she noticed a dark figure climbing a girder and rolling on the rafter. Faith already knew who it was. There was only one person that would be here, and it was not someone she wanted to stay with. Faith got to her feet and slid down the girder, desperate to escape.
Faith could see Batman as she slid down, her hands slightly burning from the friction. He was confident, more now than ever. Is it because of last time? Faith wondered, recalling her battered condition and Batman's near-successful chase. If so, he must not know I've improved since then! Faith let go of the girder and safely landed on her feet, aiming now toward the door and running for it with all her might.
Faith should have been more careful, but it was dark, and she was rushing. Faith only felt it too late, when she lost her footing. "What!?" Faith exclaimed, her noise echoing throuhout the warehouse. She fell down, her hands stretching out to protect her face from hitting the ground. But her hands felt . . . "it's oil!"
Now that she was on the ground, she could notice the shimmer from the moonlight. Faith was used to distinguishing between brighter colors, so it hadn't been clear at first. But now she saw it, and her heart fell faster than she did.
Batman had coated the floor with slippery oil. She couldn't determine what kind of oil, but it didn't matter. She scrambled to get to her feet, the oil still keeping her down and only covering her with more of it. Faith was crawling on all fours, determined to get toward the door.
She turned around to see if Batman climbed down, and that's when she noticed the second surprise: Batman had no intention of climbing down to pursue her. Where is he!? Faith snarled in her head, now uncertain of what Batman had planned. But as long as she escaped first, it didn't matter.
But as she reached the front, everything Batman had done made sense. It just made sense a little too late. Batman had come up on the opposite side as the exit, and coated the floor with slippery oil. He then ran to the front on the rafters and dropped the rope net on her. He then used another rope, most likely one he already grappled onto the wall above the door with, to slide down and grab Faith in time.
As the rope net fell on the scrambling Faith, and Batman swiftly slid down the rope to the entrance, Faith realized that she played right into Batman's hands. His brain finally removed her physical advantage and left her helpless in a pile of oily defeat.
"Damn it," Faith groaned, no longer struggling as Batman walked toward her. "You got me this time, Batman."
"For what it's worth," Batman confessed, his hand gently touching her shoulder before grabbing the rope net, "I could never have outrun you. Your survival skills and running ability is incomparable." Faith smiled at this compliment. He was right; Faith was a Runner, and she was the best at it.
"So now what?" Faith asked, trying to get to her feet. She slipped and fell on her butt because of the oil. Batman offered her a towel. She accepted and slowly wiped off the oil.
"You've finished now," Batman explained. "The referee will send you back to your original place in the morning. You can go back."
"Great," Faith groaned. "Back to the place where the people want to do more than 'tag' me." She smiled weakly at Batman, whose face remained unchanged. Then Faith had an idea. "Hey, I know this sounds weird, but can I ask you a favor?"
"Depends on what it is," Batman answered.
"I promise it's nothing too bad." Faith explained. "It's just, well, if you see the assassin guy - Desmond, I think? - can you tell him I'm sorry? And that I shouldn't have run?" Batman remained silent for a moment, then slightly nodded. "Thank you. Also, what is this oil?"
"It's best you don't know," Batman said. Then it was his turn to smile, and Faith began laughing. The two then got to their feet, and Batman escorted her out of the warehouse and to the referee.
And so, it is now 1:45 AM on technically Day 4, and Faith has finally been captured. Not during the time where she was noticed publicly, but because of old-fashioned seeking and trapping. And now two people remain. Can Batman find the other two in time? And seriously, why does the narrator say nothing about what's going on with Sam Fisher? Find out soon!
We fast forward to 9 AM on Day 5, and Desmond is once again walking into the crowded sidewalks. He has a feeling that the confused employees realized that he was there all night, since they noticed him leave but never saw him enter. Still, by the time Batman found out, he'd be in another area of the city.
What bothered him was what he overheard the employees saying on their way to clock in and put their items in the break room. Apparently, Faith was caught last night. What's worse is that Faith had actually hidden well, and Batman caught her while searching for the three of them last night, and he caught her using makeshift traps and gadgets. Batman's done just sitting around, Desmond realized.
Another interesting note was that the employees thought her final words were touching. This made Desmond curious, so he resolved to go to a library or television and discover what she said. In a way, he hoped it was a message to him. They only knew each other for a brief time, but they were comrades, and Desmond was curious to find out about the details.
He walked into the library, but as he did he questioned if Batman would predict this. He chose a computer that had no bookcases behind it, so that he could see what was coming at any time. He then proceeded to find out more about what happened in his absence.
As he feared, quite a few things happened last night, and they all affected the game. Gutierrez was now searching for the contestants, and people claimed that even Batman was under surveillance. He also learned that Batman caught Faith at night, as she slept, and with an unusual array of tools. The rope net that he threw in the park, which seemed to be a favorite of Batman's, was included.
The biggest pang was her statement to the news anchor before she left. He watched her face in the video as she turned toward the camera, her face somber with realization. "Desmond, if you're hearing this, I'm sorry that I ran away from you." After she said this, she turned from the cameras and went on her way. Desmond paused the video and considered replaying it, but instead clicked off the link.
It's fine Faith, Desmond thought to himself, logging off the computer. He had had enough information browsing for the day. Now he was hungry, and he had plenty for food. Desmond quietly left the store and walked down the street, his eyes darting cautiously for the vigilante determined to catch him.
Batman was also online, in another part of the city. The recent tagging of the icon was just enough to reignite the public interest, though he was not sure how long. There were now hundreds of different people speculating where Desmond and Sam were hiding and what they would be up to. Most of the comments had merit, but were either not thorough enough or not helpful enough.
Strangely enough, there was a website determined to "crack the case" of the two strangers.www.reddit.com/r/hideandseek[1]had a few hundred people eagerly describing every incident and characteristic that was known about Sam Fisher and Desmond Miles. There was even someone claiming that she saw Desmond leave her store earlier today.
Interesting, Batman thought, pulling out a map of New York City and a sharpie. He started marking all the places that the site had about Desmond's appearances, as well as the places that only Batman learned about through his own investigations. From what he gathered, Desmond preferred to hide in motels and clothing stores. He was caught often when with Faith, but without her he seemed to casually meld into the crowds of New York City. As Batman feared from day 1, he was a wild card, and he could show up anywhere. But at night . . .
As for Sam Fisher, not even the thousands of Internet commenters knew where to begin the search. Some claimed that he died or left the city. Others claimed that he did the same thing Niko did, but "better". And while people tried to pick up what they knew about Sam, nobody had the information Batman did about it. It was as if Sam Fisher vanished from the world. The only clue was the gangster attack that night, but Batman - as well as the rest of the city - could not glean any information from that alone.
Batman had no choice. He was going to have to spend the day walking around the city. With luck, few people will follow him or make any noise. He simply needed to find more clues about the remaining two candidates. He once again left the van, ignored the officer that was tailing him, and traveled the city.
However, it had now become 6 PM on Day 5, and Desmond decided to do something different and try to stay in the subway. Getting in the subway was cheaper, and there were plenty of places to hide. He knew that he spent the last few nights in clothing stores and hotel rooms, so slumming it out underground for a night would be completely unexpected. The people in the subway area were also either too busy to care or homeless and unaware of the game. It was perfect.
The only problem would be sleeping. The people around him were less than reputable, and while he was able to defend himself he preferred to find a place with nobody around him. Still, Desmond had all night. He drained the rest of his bottled water and finished his hoagie before exploring the underground labyrinth for the evening.
And now it's 10 PM on Day 5. Batman has checked around the city, and he has checked the online sites for information. Desmond's been caught walking around the city, but never in one spot, and never for long. What's more, the photos did not state the times that he was there, so he couldn't follow the trail. Batman decided that he had to check the clothing stores and motels again for the evening, and keep an eye out for Sam Fisher. Something had to come up. He only had a few nights left.
It was 8 AM on Day 6. Batman had spent all night searching, but to no avail. The warehouses, sewers, motels, and stores were all checked. It took a massive amount of time and effort. Yet nothing was there.
Desmond's changed his strategy, it seems,Batman thought. What's more, he still had no idea about Sam Fisher. Sam particularly bothered him, since Desmond sightings were common, but Sam had spent most of the game completely off the grid. Of course, now Desmond was utilizing newer resources. Batman could only hope that Desmond would keep trying new places. If he did, then Batman only needed to try the new avenues and ignore the old ones.
Batman also came to the conclusion that he would no longer sleep. He had been trained in staying awake for several days straight, and time was of the essence. The city was so massive, and it would take all of his effort to figure out where they would go next.
Batman returned to the van and again opened up the files on the remaining hiders. Perhaps there was something, anything, that would let him know where they are.
Desmond, during this time, was leaving the subway for some breakfast. Despite his initial fears, the subway was a fascinating place. It was cold, damp, and dark, but the twists and turns were amazing, and a single misstep could make one lost. He was also left alone, though he still chose to sleep in isolation.
Desmond considered staying awake until the game had ended, but decided against it. One reason was that he would become increasingly bored. It was selfish, but while the first few days were dramatic and exhilarating, the recent days have been filled with Desmond doing whatever he wanted without so much as a glimpse of Batman. Apathy had also made Desmond invisible once again in the community. While he still kept his guard up at all times, there were too many hours in the day, and sleeping helped shave a few hours off.
Desmond ordered his coffee and donut and sipped them while quietly watching television. Officer Gutierrez was still demanding the arrests of the hiders, but with only 2 days left the whole point seemed moot. There was also evidence of Batman getting tailed by the police. This is interesting, Desmond thought, a grin growing on his face. No wonder Batman's been calm lately. Anything illegal and he'll be arrested immediately!
This news opened a whole new realm of possibilities for Desmond. If that news was true, then every crime Desmond did would make Batman look worse. This would make escaping much easier for Desmond, who was not afraid of breaking and entering, disrupting traffic, etc. He still had to avoid Batman, and he wasn't about to go on a crime spree, but he had a new escape plan, and Batman couldn't do anything to stop it.
That is, of course, if Batman even finds me.The city was still massive, and while Desmond only needed to avoid one person, Batman needed to find two people and avoid the police. There was nothing Batman could do to him. As long as Desmond wasn't stupid, he would win.
It was noon on Day 6when Batman came upon potential leads. Desmond was sighted today and yesterday ordering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While the places were all random, Batman saw in each picture that Desmond drank coffee and ate donuts. Batman planned to look around at dinner for Desmond, and he also planned to look out soon for lunch.
As for Sam, Batman noticed that he spent time in Panama and Kuwait. If so, he may be able to use his clout with some armed forces on leave. Batman planned on asking the local bars about Sam Fisher. With any luck, he'd find something on Sam.
Batman decided to check the western area of New York City, since Desmond had been seen there this morning and yesterday afternoon. With luck, Desmond was still there.
Batman could not give up. He had less than two days to find two people in a city of over 8 million. But he had been through worse and come out on top. He could get through this as well.
Holy shit!Desmond thought to himself, slouching in his booth and staying below the window. Batman was outside, on the other side of the street, checking a nearby deli.How did he catch me?Desmond thought to himself, eagerly searching for his exit. The only place to get out was through the front door. Desmond decided to leave before Batman left the other store. With luck, he'll meld into the crowd and be gone into the city.
Desmond left a $20 on the table for his meal and walked out the door. They thanked him and told him to come again, but Desmond doubted he'd be back here now that Batman knew where he was. He slowly walked away, his eyes looking behind him to see where Batman was.
After several minutes, Desmond was certain that he escaped, but he still decided to climb up a building just in case. And to think I was worried about being bored this morning!Batman somehow knew where Desmond was eating. Was Desmond becoming predictable? Had he dropped his guard so much?
He was safe for now, but he had less than two days to go, and Batman was getting serious despite the police. He had to stay on his toes.
Batman had discovered how close he waswhen he learned that Desmond left the diner next door just minutes before he showed up. He was so close, but he started on the wrong side of the street. Now Desmond was aware that he was near, and he had nothing to show for it.
Batman was mad, but at least now he knew that he was onto something. Desmond wasn't the wild card he thought he was. Batman could predict him, and he had a day and a half to prove it.
It is now 6 PM on Day 6. Batman had searched through a few bars, hoping to discover something out. However, due to the many people showing up and the varying schedules of the bartenders, nobody could claim to know who Sam Fisher was, or if they had even seen him. Batman's only lead looked futile.
During this time, Desmond was trying to find a quiet and safe place to sleep for the evening. After some deliberation, he pickpocketed a few more people, bought a sleeping bag, and comfortably slept on top of a building. Let's see Batman catch me now,Desmond chuckled to himself. This night was one where he'd watch the stars and listen to the vibrant city. In a way, he'd miss the city that he spent a week walking around. There were many amazing sites, and he loved taking advantage of the many freedoms that the game provided for him. Desmond cuddled up in his insulated sleeping bag and closed his eyes for perhaps the last time in New York City.
Batman was frustrated. It was now midnight, and he could not find any sign of Desmond. There were simply too many places that he could be hiding in, and Batman was only one person. What's more, every possible lead about Sam was a dead end. It was like Batman was blindly tossing darts and hoping something would stick, and even if it stuck it was mere chance that he would find the person first, as seen with the diner incident.
What am I missing? Batman wondered, poring yet again into the notes.Sam was easy to pin down on Day 1, but it's like he's been a ghost afterwards. What is his strategy?
Batman had to find out. He was almost out of time.
24 hours left.
Desmond woke up. It was the start of Day 7. One more night, and at 8 AM tomorrow he will have beaten Batman in Hide and Seek. Batman! He had gone into the minds of his ancestors as they took down ill-meaning figureheads without getting caught, went headfirst into global conspiracies, and handled his own madness, all with only a few people knowing about it. This time, however, everyone will know this. It was a bit intimidating that the world would know his talents, but he also enjoyed it. For once, he could gloat to the world about his exploit. It felt nice.
Desmond considered breakfast, but knew Batman was out there, and he didn't want to make any mistakes. I should have shoplifted a Nintendo 3DS, Desmond thought. He looked around at the city below, contemplating his next move.
Batman also considered his next move, but it was becoming bleaker by the second. His chance was wasted yesterday when Desmond escaped him, and his chance was wasted when he chased Niko instead of Sam. He was used to chasing villains that had no problem exposing themselves in a city that he had known his entire life with a police force that accepted him. Hunting down two people in an unfamiliar city when he cannot possibly break a rule without immediate arrest? He was out of his element. And he had no idea what to do.
The people online were clueless as well, and the eventless days had appealed to the society's apathy. The beginning was enthralling and exciting, with car chases, exciting couples, and legendary icons involved in one of the grandest Hide and Seek games of all time. But now there were fewer people who were more than adept at fading into the city. There was no noise, no excitement. And with a day left and nothing interesting going on, the city had given up.
Batman could not give up yet. But he had to admit how unlikely this victory was. Even Faith was a lucky find, and with James Bond he had to risk his identity. To get the remaining two would take a broad stroke of luck, especially in Sam's case.
There was a knock on the van door. Batman opened it up to see Officer Frank Jordan. As usual, the officer looked starstruck and nervous. "B-B-Batman! How are you?" Officer Jordan occasionally visited, but always with news. It was something Batman respected from him.
"I'm simply researching the remaining hiders," Batman answered. "And you?"
"Well, just following you as usual." The officer then gave a slight chuckle, but when Batman didn't reciprocate he awkwardly turned his gaze toward the van's tire. "Anyway, I think I have something you might find useful."
"That would be welcome. What do you have?" Batman was hopeful. The police scanner had become all but worthless lately, so he was curious about what news the officer would have.
"Well, uh, it's probably nothing, because, well, I mean, maybe I misunderstood it or maybe they wanted me or my brother, because I don't think a lot of people know that you're using my van, and -"
"Officer." Batman interrupted the rambling officer. The officer quickly apologized and recollected himself. Finally, he continued.
"You see Batman, yesterday night while I was watching you, I noticed a certain person showing up around the van. At first, I thought it was nothing, but he kept paying attention to the van, and it was always when you were gone, like he knew. I took a picture of him. Here," the officer grabbed his phone and opened up a picture. He then pointed the screen to Batman so he could see the phone.
Batman couldn't possibly believe it.
It was Sam Fisher. Sam had spent last night directly outside Batman's van whenever he left.
After a small moment of stunned silence, Batman slipped out of the van and looked underneath the van, specifically near the tires. Sure enough, there was a microphone under the van. Sam has this van bugged, Batman thought to himself. He's been stalking me, watching my every move. For how long? And why?
Batman stared at the microphone as if it was the last piece to the puzzle. For the past six days, Sam Fisher took an aggressive front. He had not only stayed in the shadows, but he had studied Batman's every move. He had a feeling that there was a camera in the van and nearby, and that Sam was somewhere close. Somewhere very close.
Officer Jordan stared at the microphone as well, flustered about someone messing with the van. "This is a great find, officer. Thank you again for what you've done." The officer beamed with the praise, his previous anger evaporated. Batman looked around curiously, trying to figure out where he was.
Sam Fisher was near, and if he was listening or watching he now knew Batman knew. But if he didn't, then Batman had the advantage. He was going to capture Sam before he lost what was probably his final chance.
22 Hours left.
Batman only saw two apartments in the area that would have the ability to monitor the van. He decided to go in and interview the places. He did not get much information, though there was a "new person" at one of the apartment buildings. After some persuading, the apartment's owner agreed to escort Batman to the apartment room containing the newcomer.
As they walked up the apartment, Batman had a bad feeling about this. For starters, his appearance had drawn the attention of several people. They had calmly walked upstairs, but if any of them were aligned with Sam, then his surprise would be ruined. There was an escape route for people, so Sam could easily escape if he caught wind of Batman's arrival. Sam could also not be here. So many what-ifs. Sam chose well, Batman mused. But how did he get here with only $150?
"Here we are," The landlord said, knocking on the door. There was no response, so the landlord knocked again on the door. Batman listened intensely for any sounds inside, but the only sounds were the landlord's knocking and calls to "open up". Finally, the landlord grumbled and reached for his keychain. He found the key and opened the door.
As he opened the door, Batman had a strong hunch that his guess was correct. The room was quite clean, and there were pictures of someone in military attire. His military background, Batman remembered. Unfortunately, there was nobody in the apartment. There was a window and balcony outside, but the window was closed and locked.
"Looks like they're not here," the landlord said, reaching back to the door. "I guess we should - what's this?" Batman turned toward the landlord, who noticed a piece of paper taped on the back of the door. "Well, looks like they left something. And it has your name on it. I guess your friend really was here." The landlord looked at the note, then handed it to Batman. It read:
"Took you long enough. ~Sam"
Batman folded the note and put it in his pocket. Sam Fisher was here, and knew Batman had discovered him. "Aside from the newcomer, who else lives here, and how do I contact them?" Batman could hopefully find out Sam's location from the roommate that took him in.
"There are two people here, siblings," the landlord explained. "The brother's the army guy in the picture there. He's currently out on duty. His sister's a bartender at a nearby tavern. Hey, are those two in any trouble?"
"Not at all," Batman reassured him. "I simply have a few questions. Thanks for your time." Batman had already talked to bartenders recently, so he had a good feeling he knew which one it was. She lied to him last time, but now he was going to get answers.
Sam Fisher was not going to get the best of Batman.
Desmond finally succumbed to hunger and boredom. He grabbed some food and walked around the city. He then went again to the library and checked for updates regarding Hide and Seek. So far, nothing was mentioned. Batman sure is asleep at the wheel for having less than a day left. Desmond then read more about Hide and Seek, but with the growing apathy about the game more people were just hopeful that it would end already.
One optimistic fact was that everyone was rooting for Desmond. He had developed a following of fans that cheered him on. Some girls even wanted to "heal his heart" after Faith had abandoned him. Everyone was certain that Desmond had won, which was mostly true. It almost encouraged Desmond to again retreat to the rooftops, since he didn't want to get caught and disappoint his new fans.
The only other person had a small following, but mostly because he was completely invisible. Nobody mentioned anything about him. The only person who caught him was the police officer that Batman called forward on day one, and he escaped through the back. There were also the claims that he was in a fight with some ruffians, but nobody would confirm or deny that, and the person claiming it was a scumbag with delusions of grandeur. There was a growing joke that there were only four people in Hide and Seek, and the fifth one was Batman himself.
Desmond was curious about the stranger also, especially since the man was so successful. Desmond had been near-capture repeatedly for the first few days, but this guy faded into the ether. Desmond had several dozen pictures online, and multiple sightings. Nobody had a picture of Sam. Whoever the man was, he was good.
Desmond turned off the computer again. Time to make my fans proud. Desmond considered stealing a book to read, but decided against it. When he came out of the library, the sky had become cloudy, so he instead chose to grab his items on the rooftop and head into the subway. He was going to make it. Batman had no chance.
20 hours left. Batman saw the bartender in question. He knew because of her nervous look once she again noticed Batman. He was going to get answers.
Sandy immediately noticed Batman enter the bar, and despite her mental preparation for the event, her stomach tightened from the stress. I knew he'd be back, Sandy reminded herself. Sam told me that as long as I was with him, Batman would eventually find me. Sandy tried to casually continue her duties and wipe the tables clean, but her eyes kept darting to Batman. He'd move in on her and question her soon. Did she remember what to say?
Despite keeping an eye on him, she barely noticed him walking straight toward her. "Hello again," Batman greeted her. His voice was calm, but there was a tinge of urgency in it. "I came to ask for more questions."
Sandy took a deep breath to regain her composure, and simply said without turning to Batman, "Sure. I'll help any way I can. I don't know how much I'll be, tho-"
"I just came back from your apartment," Batman interrupted her. "You've been harboring Sam Fisher, haven't you?" Even though she knew it was coming, the very words cut into her like a knife. Batman couldn't hurt her - what's more, hewouldn't hurt her - yet his voice itself felt so intimidating. "I need to know where he is, and how he found the van."
Sandy again took a breath. She was a bartender in the city with a brother in the military. No matter how nervous Batman made her, she had dealt with bigger and meaner people than him and stood her ground. She wasn't going to let Batman bully her. "So you went into my room. I need to talk to the landlord about that. It feels like a big privacy issue."
"Stop deflecting. You know where Sam is. I need to find out."
"Even if I tell you, don't you think it's too late for that? There's a day left, and it's over. Why don't you relax a bit?" Sandy proceeded to cleaning the next table, intentionally avoiding Batman's gaze.
"Where is Sam? Where did he go? And what has he done to the van I was in?" Sandy took one more deep breath and stopped cleaning. She turned to Batman, ready to confess what she knew. Or rather, what Sam told her.
"Listen," Sandy started. Her hands fiddled with the washcloth in her hand as she spoke, but her eyes stared straight into Batman's. It felt like staring into the Sun, but she persevered. "I met Sam a while ago, and I owed him a favor for helping me out. He left today, and he didn't tell me where. As for the van, I'm not sure how he found out, but he's used my window to watch you in it, and he got the surveillance equipment from my brother. Happy?"
At first she was not sure how Batman handled the news. Sandy wasn't even sure how she handled it. But afterwards Batman nodded toward her. "Thank you for your help." He then left the bar, as quickly and quietly as he came in.
Sandy sat down in a booth nearby. Sam, she thought to herself. The guy indeed left without saying a word. It was a shame, really, since she enjoyed his friendship. She was bored and lonely with her brother gone.
After a quiet moment, she heard her boss walking from the back room. Eager to not get yelled at so quickly after Batman's appearance, she continued her work, the memory of Sam and Batman and all this chaos fading with every scrub of her washcloth and spray of her cleaner bottle.
Batman had feared this. If Sam had known Batman was coming, then it was only natural that he'd cover his tracks. But this meant that Batman at least knew where Sam would possibly go. He would choose a place with easy access, many escape options, and little reputation. Batman had already examined enough of the city to know several spots. He was going to look through them all. With luck, Desmond was in the same area doing the same thing. By the end of the night, Batman will have caught the legendary agent.
Gutierrez, however, had a chip on his shoulder. There were many criminals about, but the blatant . . . disrespect that the vigilante had bothered him immensely, and the city seemed to revel in it. Gutierrez wanted Batman as an example for when people take the law into their own hands, but the person tracking him was a joke. How could he make Batman pay if he didn't have any evidence?
His most recent thought was nothing more than a stalling technique, but it would effectively end the game and show that Batman is not above the law. Sam Fisher, despite being seen on Day 1, had not been seen since. If he could just find probable cause that Batman killed Sam Fisher at the beginning, then he could detain him. Even without the murder charge, he could find enough dirt on him after questioning him and frisking him to put him away even longer.
The only problem was that Gutierrez didn't want to become that kind of cop. Framing people or arresting without probable cause were slippery slopes. How could he approach his family if he did that? But could he approach his family knowing that he did absolutely nothing to put away a popular vigilante that encouraged going above the law?
His original plan to call for an end to the Hide and Seek game was temporarily promising, but it was "only a week", and it started in the middle of the game, so people lost interest quickly. The very nature of this apathy disturbed him more than anything. Was Desmond assaulting the guy "okay" because he'd be in another state in a few days? Was Batman interfering with crime scenes and publicly chasing criminals "cool" because of some stupid game? Was Gutierrez the only one who gave a crap about the law, and thought that it should remain consistent at all times?
Gutierrez groaned. These thoughts roared in his head for days now. He had tried every other avenue to show the importance of the NYPD's role in the city, but nothing had brought Batman to justice. Maybe he did need to detain Batman with a potential murder. Who knows, maybe Batman did murder Sam after all.
Gutierrez called in another officer. He finally decided what he was going to do.
18 hours left.
Batman had checked the library, the subway, and the park. So far, there were no signs of Sam Fisher. However, Sam had already proved his brilliance and foresight. Batman could only imagine where he really was.
As Batman left the park, he noticed that he had more police officers following him. What's more, the officer that had been helping him all this time was not one of them. Is it because they expect me to do something on the last day? Batman wondered. Or is something else going to happen? I should stay alert.
Batman continued on his search, his eyes quietly watching as the police officers followed.
15 hours left.
Desmond had finished his meal, but something was wrong. He noticed that something would be on the news about it, so he turned to the television in the diner and listened in.
What he found online was shocking. Officer Gutierrez was calling for Batman's arrest. The crime: the murder of Sam Fisher.
Violence was against the rules. Would Batman dare to use violence? He was injured for a couple days. Was it because of Niko, or because of Sam Fisher? And why would Gutierrez do this now, when there was not even a body?
Based on Desmond's experience, Batman would not kill Sam Fisher. For one thing, Niko was endangering lives, and Batman still didn't stop him. Not to mention that every story he's ever had involved him finding ways not to kill villains. So for him to kill a national treasure was very suspicious.
Desmond then continued reading to find that warrants were out for him as well for assault. Great, Desmond groaned to himself. Well, at least they don't know I've pickpocketed hundreds from people. He looked around surreptitiously, but no police officers were nearby. There was a security guard, but if he was aware of this then he would've confronted Desmond as he came in. The people, however, were beginning to whisper, so Desmond felt that it was time to relocate.
Looks bad for Batman, Desmond thought. However, I'll be a shadow until 8 AM tomorrow. Good luck, Bats! Time for you to hide! At this point Desmond paid his tip and walked to the door.
As soon as he left, he heard the word "Freeze!" to his side. Desmond turned his head and, just as he feared, a police officer was pointing a gun at him. "Desmond Miles, you're under arrest for assault and breaking and entering!" The police was then reciting the Miranda rights as he reached for his handcuffs with his left hand.
Before he reached his handcuffs, Desmond moved toward the officer's left side. As he swerved to reaim the gun, Desmond's assassin skills kicked in. He used his right arm to smack the officer's wrist, disarming his pistol. He then sweeped the officer's leg, sending him to the ground. His left arm, no longer reaching for the handcuffs, tried to grab onto Desmond's leg, but Desmond evaded to grab and darted away.
Desmond raced ahead, but his eyes were open. Police officers rarely were alone. Where was his partner? Just run past them both, Desmond thought to himself. I won't lose here.
Desmond darted toward his safe place. It was no longer safe to traverse the city. Gutierrez was taking the city back.
Batman had experience a similar chase. He managed to lose them by retreating in the sewer. Normally he would have gone into detainment until proven innocent. But he knew firsthand that Sam was alive, and he also knew that Gutierrez had it out for him. Batman had to prove his innocence himself, and that meant finding Sam Fisher.
The problem was now that Batman could no longer go through the city. Even the sewer was unsafe. And he was running out of time.
Sam Fisher had indeed utilized his experience working for armed forces. It couldn't have been a coincidence that the waitress had a brother in the army. She also mentioned that she "owed him a favor". Was the favor and the fight with hoodlums the same thing?
Batman knew where he had to check. Sam Fisher would want to lay low. Very low. The subway and the sewers were his best bet since he no longer could rely on his earlier hiding spot. Even if he wasn't, it looked like it would rain soon, so Desmond would have to get off the rooftops, meaning he could be there too.
Since Batman was in the sewers he pulled out his flashlight and prepared to look around. Sadly, the flashlight only provided a dim glow, and it would alert anyone nearby to his presence. But it was all he had. And so he delved into the sewer, eager to end this game.
Gutierrez heard that Batman escaped the police. "So add resisting arrest to the charges!" Gutierrez told them. "That vigilante has made idiots of the law enforcement for the last time!"
Gutierrez remembered that well, but he also knew that escalating the search could provide negative results. He had just declared that Batman was a threat, and if Batman escaped he would be considered cruel andinept. But he couldn't let Batman justify vigilantism. Not anymore.
Another lingering fear was that, at the end of this, Sam Fisher would come back. Nobody had any idea about where Sam Fisher actually was, so for all he knew Sam was actually dead. But if he was alive, and showed up, then Gutierrez would look even more the fool. The more he pondered about his decisions, the worse he felt about it.
However, the decision was his. Gutierrez now planned on going out and searching for Batman himself. Just like Batman, he wasn't going to give up either.
12 hours left.
Desmond hid quietly on the rooftops, his sleeping bag now a poor umbrella from the rain. It had to rain now, of all times, Desmond grumbled to himself.
The rain was terrible news, especially now that the NYPD had a small group of police officers combing through the city. The subway, Desmond's go-to, had been searched, so he chose to cling to the security of the rooftops. Not only did the rain plan on drenching him, but it would make jumping and climbing very difficult, and he couldn't risk slipping and dying.
His newest plan was to hide again in the back of a store, but since he had been caught before he knew that they would search there. His current plan was to revisit the zoo, since nobody would expect it, but unlike Faith he hadn't gotten a good look in the back, and he would need to sneak in somehow. Still, it was a better plan than Desmond currently had. He needed to take it.
Desmond returned again to the zoo, this time determined he wouldn't need to flee out of it.
Batman experienced similar struggles. He had noticed police officers in the subway, but they have for some reason neglected the sewer. Gutierrez put himself in an awkward position, but instead of backing off he chose to double down and catch Batman and Desmond before the game ended and they left New York City.
But there was a way for Batman to go out in public and search, and that was through Bruce Wayne. While Bruce was a well-known celebrity, he should be able to move around quickly as long as nobody knew him. What's more, Bruce wasn't targeted, so Batman was free to walk around.
The only issue was that he was certain that the police officers knew about the van. Would they have taken his suit from the van? Or would they have left it in there as bait? Perhaps he needed a new suit . . .
Batman prepared to again leave the sewer. He noticed it was raining, which limited visibility but also would make going outside miserable. There was a reason Faith risked breaking and entering for a chance to dry off, and with luck the police thought the same way.
Soaked clothes, Batman thought, an idea forming in his head. Perhaps there was a way of walking around after all . . .
Gutierrez was getting desperate as his men became increasingly discouraged. There were too many crimes going on in the city that required their attention for so many cops to go on a witch hunt. He was forced to call half of them off the search, but he could not stop this hunt.
Right now, his biggest hope was the van. He had sent Officer Jordan far away, so Batman had nobody that could help him. Anyone suspicious was immediately put into question. Even the bottom of the van had been examined every five minutes to ensure that nobody could break into it without the police officers knowing. The only issue was the rain, but with so much on the line Gutierrez didn't mind.
Even if Batman went in there, he'd discover that the items inside were confiscated as "evidence". His police scanner, notes on Sam Fisher, and his suit were all confiscated. Gutierrez even confiscated his remaining rations so that Batman could not rely on it. But as long as Batman didn't know that - and he couldn't know that - then his items were safely secured in the police station.
Batman couldn't move around the city. He had to hide like the criminal he truly was, and the second he showed himself Gutierrez would take him down. This game of Hide and Seek was over, and the winner would be the proud city that Gutierrez gave his life to.
11 hours left.
Batman didn't head to the van. He headed to a nearby gym, and with some convincing a man gladly switched his regular outfit for the unique tools Batman had built during his time in New York City. Batman even signed them for him to show his gratitude.
After he found a nice place he changed clothes. It was actually very uncomfortable to not wear a suit or costume after wearing those for so long, but the green long-sleeved shirt and jeans looked nice. Seconds in the rain immediately changed that, but it also made him look less like a rich playboy. He officially fit in.
Batman had placed his costume inside a gym bag, which had been thrown out back for a broken string. It was risky leaving it, but Batman had to leave the costume behind the dumpster near the gym, or he'd risk someone catching it.
Bruce didn't think the bartender would be working anymore, so interrogating her as a new person wouldn't work. But he hoped that Sam had been seen in the bar by people other than the bartender. It was worth a look.
Bruce walked calmly toward the bar, eager to find anything out. It didn't only mean victory now; it meant Batman's innocence.
9 hours left.
Desmond had barely managed to slip in. Someone took a smoke break outside and wedged the door so they could go in. Desmond took this moment to slip inside. Fortunately nobody was inside that noticed him, so he managed to hide rather safely in the custodial closet and sneak above so the custodians wouldn't see him if they came in. Now Desmond only had to wait and sleep. He had successfully hidden himself for one more night.
Bruce had found his way back into the bar, and he tried to inquire about Sam as if he was an old friend of his. After a few beers, one of the regulars drunkenly slurred that they knew the guy. Unfortunately, that was the only information Bruce had going for him. Bruce eventually left to return to his costume.
And as he walked toward his costume, he noticed two things. The first was that he was being followed. He couldn't see who it was, but he heard the footsteps, which meant they didn't want Bruce to see them. The second came when he walked near the gym and found police officers in the area. Apparently someone had discovered his costume behind the dumpster.
Bruce was worried, but the problems were not exactly his doom. The police were still there, and Bruce noticed that the bag was in the front passenger seat of the police car. The trick was getting it back, especially when someone was watching him.
Bruce resolved to find exactly who was following him first. Then he was going to grab his costume back. But he had no idea how long the police officer would be there. If he took too long, getting his costume back would become much trickier.
Officer Gutierrez heard the news on the dispatch. Batman's costume was in a dumpster not too far away. Was it a trick to get him from the van? Or was Batman stupid enough to remove his costume?
Gutierrez had the officer stay in the area and look into witnesses and cameras. He couldn't go himself without leaving the van vulnerable, but he trusted the officer. Batman was trapped in New York City as himself. Gutierrez couldn't arrest him, but he could do the next best thing and ensure that Batman could no longer hide behind his fake identity.
The officer smiled at this thought. The rain had stopped, and his risky decision had finally paid off in some way. Things were looking up.
Bruce Wayne walked in an isolated place and waited for the stalker. He hoped to take care of the situation quickly so he could find a way to grab his costume. Shortly afterward, however, he heard shouting from outside. Curious, he went to check on the police car.
Whatever had happened, the police car's lights were on, and it appeared to be moving. No!Bruce thought, rushing toward the car in a desperate attempt to stop him. Sadly, the car was gone, and the Batman costume with it.
Bruce could try to excavate it from the police station, but he instead decided that he needed to find another kind of way to mask himself. As it was now, Sam and Desmond had won. Batman had to protect himself now, or this game would make him lose in more ways than one.
Officer Gutierrez received a horrible update. Apparently some delinquent, possibly Batman himself, had pilfered the costume from the police vehicle. In a short moment, one of his biggest trump cards had been taken from him. What's more, Batman had another outfit or didn't mind running in the nude. Both of these meant that the information in the van was useless. Batman wasn't coming back.
At first the officer felt rage, but now there was only pain. Batman was going to evade arrest, and there was nothing he could do. He would survive the fallout, but not without a scar on his reputation.
Gutierrez decided to head back to the station. There was nothing he could do here now.
7 hours left.
Bruce now faced the same problem that his hiders faced on Day 1. He was exposed, with no way to go, and he needed to find some way to avoid capture. However, he had no money, and if he needed a disguise.
As he walked across the still-wet city, Bruce came to realize just how difficult this game truly was. In Gotham he would have spare suits, and gadgets, and a better understanding of the city and police system. He was certain that the hiders had strengths in their territories as well. But a task as simple as hiding or finding a place to sleep was intense.
Bruce rubbed his eyes. The sleep deprivation was starting to get to him, but he had to move. He walked down another alley, hoping to find a place to collect himself.
As he walked down the alley, a masculine and mocking voice came behind him. "It's strange to have fallen so far in only a day, huh?" He could hear something whizzing through the air, aiming for his back. With quick reflexes he evaded the projectile and faced the stranger. At that moment, his mind lapsed.
This is . . . what's happening?Bruce had seen many unusual events in his life, but that did not stop him . So did he throw me . . ? Bruce stared back at the projectile behind him. He slowly went over and reached the torn bag. Inside, as he expected, was his suit.
Batman once again turned to him, his eyes full of confusion. All he did was give a devilish grin.
"Well as long as you keep your distance," Sam Fisher warned, "I'll be sure to explain everything."
On the evening of Day 1, Sam Fisher had taken the opportunity to go to a bar. He carried his grocery bag with him and ordered a beer. The bartender smiled and went to grab it.
As he waited for his beer he noticed someone coming up with a cast. "Hey, how'd you get that?" Sam asked, hoping to strike up a conversation. The man looked at him wearily, as if he had answered this dozens of times, and responded, "shrapnel in Afghanistan."
"Really? I was stationed in Afghanistan over a decade ago. It was . . . " Sam stopped the conversation, unsure of how to even describe the hellish experience. The man noticed this, and his face warmed a bit. "Well anyway," Sam continued, "your next drink's on me." The soldier then sat down next to him, and the two shared their stories.
Turns out the soldier's name was Marcus. He was a hispanic soldier currently on leave. Sam confided in him about the Hide and Seek game, and Marcus beamed at the opportunity to help. A few drinks later (Marcus had them, but Sam stopped early), he agreed to let Sam pass out at his place for the evening. Sam graciously accepted a safe place to sleep for the evening and headed to his place.
Before he slept, Marcus and him checked out the news to find out how Hide and Seek was going. Niko had been captured that evening, and Faith and Desmond escaped capture. Sam also identified the police officer that Batman called up as the man that identified him at the store. The two were shocked at the unfortunate coincidence, and they agreed that the man had to be Batman's ally. Marcus then retreated to his room as Sam slept on the couch, eager to rest peacefully and prepare for the next day.
On Day 2, Sam decided that he needed to learn more about Batman. Marcus was more than willing to help him, since his friends were on duty, and the opportunity to help the Hide and Seek game gave him a great bit of excitement. The only problem was his roommate, who was coming back in the morning. Since his roommate was a police officer, the two didn't want to test Batman's amount of influence on the NYPD. "Don't worry," Marcus reassured him, his eyes still full of enthusiasm. "My friend's on duty, but his sister's in town. She's a few blocks away, but I'm sure that she'll be more than willing to let you crash at her place!" Marcus called her, and she said for them to meet her at the bar where she worked.
The girl's name was Sandy. Sam was almost certain by Marcus's behavior around her that the two were good friends. Sandy lived in a nearby apartment, and since her brother was gone she was grateful for the company. "But don't think that there will be any funny business!" Sandy responded, waving a mug threateningly. "I'm not that kind of girl!" The three shared a chuckle and they continued to talk. Since it was still early, the area was mostly empty, and she wasn't busy.
On her break she quickly brought him to her place, where she left him alone. These people really trust me, Sam thought to himself. As someone who worked for the CIA, such massive amounts of trust disarmed him. He spent his time watching the news and looking out the window.
At some point Sam saw Batman outside. At first he was terrified - what if he just so happens to look up here? - But then he saw where Batman was going. He was entering an old van that was parked nearby. Sam had found out where Batman's own quarters were, and Batman had no idea. Sam smiled and laughed to himself. This was too perfect.
Later on the evening of Day 2, Sam and Sandy (who just got off work) watched Batman switch into a suit. They didn't get a very good look, but the two were amazed. "Wow," Sandy awed. "This is a chance to actually learn Batman's secret identity!" Sam agreed; that was too good to pass up. With Batman's identity, Sam could get the upper hand on him. Plus, if Batman was willing to risk his identity to catch them, then it was imperative that Sam knew what he needed to watch out for.
"Before we go, let's take this." Sandy went into her brother's room and reached into a drawer. Inside it was a camera. "My brother's always enjoyed espionage," Sandy explained.
The two rushed outside and barely managed to catch up to him. They saw him entering a casino. Sam saw the man's face through the camera, but before he took the picture Batman turned his head. "Damn!" Sam cussed. "I saw him, but I missed the picture. We'll have to wait for him to come back out."
The two went some distance from the casino so Batman wouldn't notice them, but when they did a group of what looked like gangsters came up and surrounded them. Sam protected Sandy with his Krav Maga, but two of them had knives, and the fight caused a bit of attention. The two decided to retreat and head back to her place so Sam could patch himself up. The picture could either be taken as he entered the van or Sam would have to remember his face.
The two headed back, but Batman was once again dressed when he went back into his van. Sam's moment was lost, but at least he and Sandy were safe.
Day 3 consisted of Sam and Sandy wiring the house with surveillance equipment. There was a camera observing him at all times, one that Sandy confirmed was not visible. The two planned on bugging the van when he left as well, so they can hear everything going on in there.
There was plenty of news regarding the game. Batman managed to tag James Bond when he was at the casino.With a guy like Bond, I see why he had to risk his identity, Sam thought. It's a shame that he didn't expect me to find it out.
Sam and Desmond also had trouble with getting caught. Recently, the two had separated. Sam knew that they weren't in love with each other, but their alliance was definitely useful.
Late at night the news changed. Sandy was at work, so Sam took it upon himself to place a listening device on the bottom of the van.
On Days 4 and 5, they discovered that the listening device had a weak battery. It was also too close to what sounded like a police scanner. Batman left again, and the two risked recharging the device and placing it back. They would have to do this whenever possible.
Sam also spent a lot of time learning exactly who Batman was. He was a methodical man with a lot of Sam's characteristics.
Day 6 was unfortunate. Sam was certain that the police officer tailing Batman took a picture of him. It was only a matter of time before Batman would find him. He left a note for Batman, and another note for Marcus and Sandy. Before he left, however, Sandy confronted him.
It should be noted that Sam bonded with Marcus and Sandy. He learned about them and their families. He also found out about Marcus's crush on Sandy, and how she treats him like a brother. Sandy had actually gotten close to Sam, but since he would be gone in a week Sam chose to keep his distance. So many things had happened that couldn't be discussed, and Sam would remember the two friends he made.
"I'm sorry, Sandy," Sam stated. "I can't tell you where I'm going. I can only tell you that I'm so grateful for everything you and Marcus have done for me."
"I know," Sandy replied. "I just wish you didn't have to go. But I suppose we all knew this was only temporary." She rubbed her arm and looked away. Sam thought of comforting her, but figured it would only hurt more. He instead patted her shoulder and walked toward the door.
"I left a note for you and Marcus," Sam finished. "One for Batman too. We had fun, didn't we?" He smiled at Sandy, and she smiled back, her eyes fighting back tears. Sam wanted to say something, ANYTHING, but had nothing, so he nodded and closed the door.
As he did, he walked outside. He was spending the night in the alleys, like he planned to do on Day 1. He knew the perfect place.
It was Day 7, and Sam found out just how mad at Batman the NYPD were. They werepinning Sam's murder on Batman. The police had no doubt blocked him from the van, and they were probably looking for the living Sam as well.
Sam had several problems with this. For one, he disliked it when authority abused their power, and claiming Sam was dead when he was alive and well bothered him. He also respected Batman and what he did, and while he had no intention of losing to him, he didn't think that Batman should get arrested either. He decided to keep an eye out.
He saw the police outside in greater numbers than before, but Sam's face was hidden for so long that the police didn't even recognize him. The same forces looking for everyone else in Hide and Seek had no idea that they should even look for him.
Sam watched Batman narrowly escape the police. He scouted the van in the rain, hoping to find something besides Officer Gutierrez. He considered incapacitating the officer, but since it would only cause more trouble he decided against it. Sam chose instead to distance himself from the police officer and stayed in the darkened shadows, facing the rain.
He finally found Batman, as his real identity, walking in a T-Shirt and jeans. However, he wasn't going to the van; Sam only noticed him from a glance.The rain definitely helped drown out his footsteps and limit visibility. He was going into bars, obviously looking for Sam. Sam watched closely, getting a better and better look at him. This is the guy that killed me, Sam thought to himself. How many times have people thought that, only for it to not be true?
Batman eventually left the bars and started walking along the street. Sam followed to find him walking toward a police car, looking inside, and walking away. Sam looked into the police car to find a bag in the front passenger seat, with the Batman costume barely peeking out.
Sam looked around for the police officer, but didn't see anyone. You're going to owe me for this one, Bats, Sam thought to himself. He broke into the car, grabbed the bag, and raced away as the car alarm alerted the police officer. Sam had to find Batman another time; for now, what was important was keeping the costume from the police.
It took a whilefor him to find Batman again. But when he did, he crept up again on him. He watched Batman walk down an alley. Sam looked around to see nobody around.Perfect.
He walked down the alley, and called to Batman, "It's strange to have fallen so far . . . "
6 hours 30 minutes left.
Batman donned his costume again as Sam calmly told his story. Even while he kept a lookout for others, he always seemed to have an eye on him. Not only that, but Sam had found his face (not yet his identity, since he never heard of Bruce Wayne before), and he happened to recover Batman's costume.
Even with all that, Batman thought, he keeps his distance, and always has another way to stop me if I betray him. Even if I wanted to catch this guy, I'm certain he'd make it as difficult as possible. Not that Batman wanted to catch him anymore. From the looks of it, getting the three remaining players out of the city safely would be difficult enough.
"So that's when I caught up to you, and here we are," Sam concluded. The two were leaning on the wet walls of the alley, both keeping a good twenty feet from each other. "So tell me, Batman, what's the plan?"
"That's a good question," Batman said. "If Gutierrez is determined to capture us, then he'll be keeping people near the Empire State Building for when we all reconvene. You and I could escape now, but we'd be leaving Desmond in the city."
"Well, how did you originally plan to get us all out?"
"Once I caught someone, they went to the airport and received a flight to their original destination. I doubt that we'd go far in the airport, however. Although I did have a backup plan just in case. I'll need a phone for it to work, though." At this point Sam only quietly nodded and looked out of the alleys.
"I don't see a payphone outside yet," Sam mentioned. "Plus, I think that car up there belongs to the NYPD. It's pretty dark, but I still wouldn't risk it."
"Then we need to find a phone as fast as possible," Batman said. "The person will need about three hours to get everything together, and it'll take another ninety minutes to get it here."
"Then let's get the hell out of this alley and find you a phone," Sam grinned. "This way may be bad, so let's go from the other side of the alley. After me, since they're looking for the bat-eared vigilante." Batman moved aside and put his hands behind him as Sam walked past him. Even though both had a shaky trust that Batman would not tag Sam, they still had only become allies thirty minutes ago. This could be a long morning, Batman thought to himself.
Officer Gutierrez was also upset. He had done all he could in the time he had, but his shift was almost over. He would have to trust his police force to capture the criminals. The only certain fact was that all of the remaining contestants would meet at the Empire State Building around 8 AM. If the police officers took it seriously, then they could catch both criminals. Even if Sam was alive and showed up, Batman was still guilty of plenty of minor offenses.
This was far from the victory that Officer Gutierrez wanted. But he had already spent too much time away from his family, and the long hours and stressful environment already made his relationship with his loved ones rocky. He would go home when his shift was over, enjoy a long rest, and wake up to find out how this all played out.
The person taking over his shift for him was Officer Harry Ritter. Harry came on shift to find out that Gutierrez went nuts and relocated plenty of people to the "stop Hide and Seek" mission.
Harry was incensed. The police department already dealt with murderers, drug dealers, gangsters, the occasional prostitute and drunken disorderly, and they had now diverted good men and women from ALL of that . . . to look for some low-time criminals who were going to be gone in the morning? This kind of crap is why the NYPD has to try so hard to retain its image!
"What the hell were you thinking, Gutierrez?" Harry thought. Now the public would know that they not only started a witch hunt, but they weren't even competent enough to do it well!
Harry decided what he'd do. He was going to tell the police officers to resume their normal routes until 7 AM. At 7:15, six police officers would be stationed at the Empire State Building until 9 AM. If they didn't catch them at 9, then it meant that they weren't going to.
The police had a job to do. Officer Ritter knew that, and he thought that Officer Gutierrez knew that also. They weren't going to get sucked into a game of Hide and Seek while they were on the clock.
5 hours 30 minutes left.
Batman and Sam had found a payphone, but the police had been driving around, and the two wanted to move quickly. Sam kept an eye out as Batman called 1-800-Collect, since it was easy for him, and cheap for them.
It rang twice before an old voice picked up the phone. "Hello, Wayne residence."
"Alfred," Batman began, "I don't have a lot of time. Here's what I need you to do for me . . . "
Meanwhile Sam Fisher waited outside. The streetlights cut through the night, but this cloudy night offered that special kind of darkness that seems to struggle and fight against the light. But the only light I'm looking for,Sam reminded himself, are headlights. And the red-blue lights, but if those pop up we're screwed.
Every second cost Sam a little more of his confidence. He couldn't hear Batman very well, but he was certain that the plan didn't need a lot of elaborating. Batman even said that it was his contingency plan. Didn't he tell his friend what that was already?
That's when he saw a pair of lights turning from a nearby road. He tapped onto the phone box's door three times as he requested. "Please don't be a cop, please don't be a cop," Sam said to himself.
Batman hung up the phone. Sam moved to the side so he could get out. Just because they worked together now, that didn't mean that Sam was okay with getting tagged.
And surely enough, the car parked. Right next to them. It was not a police car, but it came right up to them. At first the two were confused, but then an all-too-familiar figure stepped out.
"Stop! Police!" The person shouted, moving in closer. Batman and Sam didn't even look at each other; both knew exactly what they were going to do.
"After you!" Sam called to Batman, who immediately darted. Sam followed behind him.
"Stop! Police!" Gutierrez cried after getting out of the car. This was too good to pass up. Batman AND a partner of his just happened to be using the phone booth!
Gutierrez chased after them, gun and badge in hand. This was his best chance to finally justify his crusade. If he lost this, he'd never live it down.
Batman and Sam Fisher ran back to the place they met, but Gutierrez was right behind them and keeping up. Sam and Batman looked for something - anything - that could give them the edge in the escape. The buildings were too wet to climb on, the balcony ladders would take too long, the stores were all closed, and it would take too much time to run into the sewers. So for now they had to rely on their stamina and wait for an opening.
Gutierrez was faster than they thought, however, and he had just as much stamina as they did. Sam took a quick glimpse behind him to notice that Gutierrez still had both his uniform and gun holster on. He did not have his walkie-talkie, however.
Strange, Sam thought to himself. Why wouldn't he call for back-up? If someone blocked us off we could be in serious trouble. At this point Batman took an unusual turn, a turn that Sam was unfamiliar with. Not one to doubt him, Sam followed.
"What now?" Sam panted. They had been sprinting for two minutes without rest, but with Gutierrez following they were running out of options.
"Split up and meet at the Empire State Building as planned," Batman yelled back. "And make sure Desmond knows if you find him."
"Got it!" At that point Sam stopped following Batman and took a hard left onto the sidewalk while Batman crossed the road, resulting in a honk from a car that he ran in front of. Gutierrez paused for a bit before following Batman, once again resulting in the same car honking.
After a few seconds Sam stopped and observed. Did Batman know Gutierrez would follow him instead? Sam wondered. Or was it just luck? Either way, Sam watched as the two ran out of sight. He wasn't sure how, especially since Batman all but lost without Sam's help before, but he had a feeling he'd see Batman at the designated spot.
Until then Sam needed to find a place to wait. He decided to head to the Empire State Building. Surely there was a place nearby for him to lay low.
Gutierrez had one split moment to think. Should he choose Batman, the person that he wanted to arrest, or should he arrest this mysterious stranger, who was on the same side of the road?
He couldn't risk losing Batman. So that was the person he would chase. Running ahead of the car before it could move again, he darted toward Batman, determined to catch him.
Batman was in his costume, which was still damp and heavy from the earlier rain. Batman had also been struggling and staying awake for days, which weakened him. Gutierrez had also taken a few late nights, but his career would take a massive blow if he failed to catch this man, and that drove him. He wasn't going to lose this chase!
Meanwhile, Batman had hoped that Gutierrez followed him. Because his utility belt still had his last device in it, and if used correctly, it would slow him down long enough for Batman to escape. He slowly pulled the water balloons out of his pocket. These were what caused Faith to trip, Batman thought. With good aiming, I can get Gutierrez to slip also.
Batman turned down a corner and immediately threw the balloon down. The water balloon popped, and the liquid spilled and meshed with the liquid on the ground. Batman ran off, hoping that the diluted water was still slippery enough.
Gutierrez ignored the water balloon, as he was too busy running around the corner, when he felt all traction leave his feet. The liquid sent him crashing to the ground, all while Batman was getting away. He tried to get up, but the several-minute sprint had fatigued him, and the fall took the breath from him.
"No, stop," he wheezed, reaching out to Batman. But it was over. He lost the chase. He angrily slammed his hand on the wet ground. It hurt, but he didn't care. He didn't even want to move, or find his way back to his car.
Gutierrez had his chance and lost it. Because of a water balloon. And a Hide and Seek game. And . . . everything. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
No. Gutierrez thought, struggling to his feet. NO! They will meet at the Empire State Building. And I'll be there. I WILL get Batman!
2 hours left.
Light is returning to New York City, slowly but surely. Everyone already assumes that the games are over, and that Sam and Desmond won. In truth, they already have won. Even Batman can admit that.
But for the players, there is one more challenge to face. With Desmond unaware of the plan, and Sam and Batman hiding and waiting, the police are planning to arrest both Batman and Desmond on the spot for their crimes. Even after the chase, not even Gutierrez expects Sam, but Sam Fisher's not willing to trust his luck to them either.
1 hour left.
Desmond sneaks out, causing the alarm to go off. But by the time people respond to it, Desmond's already gone into the crowd. He's heading toward the Empire State Building, ready to finally end this game.
As he nears though, he immediately notices police officers. Oh crap,Desmond thought to himself. He realized that the police wanted him arrested, but he had overlooked the fact that they were going to get in his way of winning the game and leaving. Trying to blend in, Desmond decides to walk to the nearby parking garage. There he could wait for the other contestants to show. He also knew he could escape, since he had been there before and knew what to expect.
A crowd was also beginning to grow at the Empire State Building. Many people still wanted to see the ceremony where they were named victors. Desmond hoped to utilize this later, but he wasn't sure how.
The crowd was excited to watch, the police were determined to arrest, and Desmond could only imagine where Sam Fisher and Batman were. Maybe they did catch Batman after all, Desmond thought. I haven't been to a news source lately, and he was still out there looking for us.
Desmond watched the time tick down. He wondered if Batman would pull a quick tag on him, knowing he'd be near for the finale. However, he believed that Batman wouldn't act like that. Even if he did, Desmond knew from experience that he could outrun or at least escape from him.
After a while, Desmond decided it was time to go down. He wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible, before the police caught them all. Even if Batman didn't show, the world would know that he at least made it.
Time's up.
When the clock hit 8, the crowd became a bit confused and restless. Wasn't Batman extremely dutiful and awesome? It wasn't like him to sleep in or be late to his own function, was it?
Then, out of nowhere, someone pointed to a nearby building. Everyone looked and exclaimed as Batman came riding in on a glider toward the front of the Empire State Building. People shuffled out of its direction as he landed, running because of the inertia and slowly slowing down.
At this point the cops were weaving through the crowd, eager to catch the vigilante.
Batman removed the glider and harness, then pulled out a hidden microphone and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the game of Hide and Seek is over! The winners are . . . "
"Batman!" Gutierrez yelled. He was a disheveled mess, and technically off-duty, but after so much humiliation he was not going to miss this moment. "You are under arrest!" At this point the audience gasped, and several giggly people with unkempt hair and smelly shirts panicked and darted from the crowd.
Oddly enough, Batman continued, almost unfazed by the incoming police officers. "Like I said, the winners are Desmond Miiiles and Sam, Fisher!!!" He raised his hands in the air, and the audience went in a mix of euphoric cheering and sheer confusion of Batman's almost oblivious behavior.
Finally the police reached Batman. They all nearly pounced on him, but when the first came in Batman calmly sat on his knees and put his hands behind his back. The cops were baffled, but cautiously handcuffed him.
Gutierrez didn't know if he should feel ecstatic or furious.He's playing me, Gutierrez thought, a growl forming in his throat. He wouldn't go away so easily. Not here! The audience was now booing the NYPD as they began to read Batman's Miranda Rights to him.
The audience then turned behind them to see Desmond Miles, at the back of the audience. Desmond hesitated by the sight of all the police officers apprehending Batman, and therefore stayed where he was. Coming from behind him was a strange man. "It's Sam! That's Sam Fisher!" Someone in the audience exclaimed.
Gutierrez was shocked. The man from last night's chase, that's him. He's Sam Fisher!? It felt like everything was coming together, but nothing made sense. Why was Sam with Batman last night? Why is he running to Desmond now? Why did Batman give up so easily, after formally announcing the winners? This was a setup. It had to be. But there was absolutely nothing that they could do anymore.
Gutierrez ran up and tore the microphone away from Batman. The crowd was trying to boo at Gutierrez, but many were in awe of Desmond, and more were shocked at seeing Sam. Chaos and disarray was becoming imminent. "Attention people of New York City, calm down! I am Officer Gutierrez. Me and my men have apprehended Batman for evading police custody and disturbing the peace!" The audience came together for one synchronous boo. Several shouted, "But Sam's not dead, you idiots! He's over there!"
At this point Sam was with Desmond, and he was talking urgently in his ear. Probably about his arrest, Gutierrez thought. No matter. I have his way out of the city; my men will deal with him at some point. He proceeded with his speaking. "This is what happens to people who take the law into their own hands! They will be arrested and put to justice from the government! We have this system for a reason, and Batman will soon learn this reason! He is not a superhero! He is not a symbol for justice! He is a CRIMINAL! Who HIDES BEHIND! THIS! MASK!!" At this point Gutierrez all but ripped the mask of Batman, and at that point the audience and police all fell silent.
Gutierrez now realized the reason Batman wasn't resisting, and didn't mind the police. He knew the trick, the next humiliating defeat that Batman planned for the NYPD. In that moment, Gutierrez felt the true pangs of defeat. All his time, effort, and risk . . . for nothing.
"You think you feel bad?" James Bond asked, a cocky smirk rising from his face. "I left two beautiful British girls to be cuffed by you all instead."
"What does Batman need me to do?" James Bondasked, the two half-naked girls rubbing his back and shoulders as he talked. I so shouldn't have picked up my phone, he thought.
"Batman stated," Alfred explained, "that he needed you to come to New York City immediately to announce the victor of the games."
"Well, that's a bit much, considering that I'm not one of them," Bond retorted. "How much is he willing to pay? And why exactly does he need me?"
"All the information will be provided in the private jet waiting at the airport fifteen minutes from you. It's ready to take off as soon as you need it. Time is of the essence, since you'll be needed in a few hours." James Bond considered the two girls now nibbling at his non-phone ear and bicep. "He did want to mention one thing to you, sir."
"And what's that?" James Bond was curious about what could possibly be better than what he was currently with.
"Well, sir, he wanted you to know that you'll be wearing the batsuit for this."
"I am on my way." Bond hung up the phone and dealt with two disappointed girls as he immediately got dressed. "I'm sorry, ladies," Bond responded, "but I'm needed."
NOW
Gutierrez had revealed the man in the mask to be James Bond. At first everyone was shocked to find the true identity, but immediately people understood something was wrong. That was when Bond revealed a Batman weapon hidden in his back pocket. With a simple flick, the smoke bomb surrounded the stage and dispersed the now-screaming audience.
Bond couldn't see well, but that didn't matter. All he needed to do was get away from the police officers who were around him. Fortunately, he could hear the sounds of a struggle, and he noticed that the police officers were not near him anymore. As the smoke began to disperse, he saw the shadow in front of him. "What happened to the 'no violence' clause?" Bond joked.
"Didn't you hear yourself?" Batman responded. "The games are over. Now come on!" As he spoke, he had used a key to uncuff James Bond. The two then ran off in Batman's direction to meet Sam and a very confused Desmond. The two were now darting toward the parking garage.
"Where are we going?" Desmond yelled to Bond, as the four were running toward the parking garage. Desmond then turned to the real Batman, or at least he thinks Bond wasn't Batman? He was catching up.
"We're heading to the Batmobile," Batman explained. "You all won. It's time to get you out of here now."
Gutierrez watched the smoke clear, and for the first time in a long time he literally saw flashes of red. Batman hadn't knocked them out, but disarmed them and gave Bond and him enough time to escape.
But they were on top of the parking garage now. They had to drive out, and Gutierrez and the six cops were damned if that was going to happen.
Meanwhile, the people of New York City erupted in excitement. The last, and possibly biggest, chase had begun. The question now was who would win, NYPD, or the best hiders and seekers that the world had to offer?
When they met the Batmobile, the group was mostly . . . underwhelmed. It wasn't the extended version like in the old cartoons and comics, but instead the newer, armored version.
"Can we all even fit in there?" Sam asked.
"It'll be tight," Batman admitted, "but we should be able to and still be light enough to escape."
"What do you mean light enough?" Desmond asked. "Are you saying it'll be too heavy to drive?"
"Based on the giant exhaust pipe in the back and what I've learned of Batman here," Bond chimed in, "I don't think Batman plans to escape by driving away."
"Of course," Sam said. "After all, who drives in New York City?"
The police cars were all at the parking garage entrances now. The new problem Gutierrez had was bringing in aerial support. He knew Batman wouldn't leave his team up there if they were going to escape, so the only other way would be for them to fly.
"Are you seriously telling me this?" Officer Ritter laughed over the phone, his very laughter infuriating Gutierrez even more. "I'm not spending thousands to give you aerial support for a bunch of people in a car! You've put too much into this as it is! And aren't you off-duty?"
"Damn it, Harry!" Gutierrez screamed, no longer able to compose himself. "They're going to get away! Don't you want to stop that!? They're criminals, damn it!"
As the two argued, Gutierrez heard a small buzzing sound. Oh no, I'm too late. Gutierrez could barely let out a scream of anger before a car with extended wings sloppily shot into the air. It nearly hit the ground, terrifying several commuters, but managed to regain its power and rise above the traffic.
Gutierrez watched as Batman, Desmond, Sam, and Bond all flew away. The police weren't even sure of going after him. Officer Ritter was asking what happened on the phone, but he didn't even have the strength to talk back.
The NYPD lost. Batman had won.
What the NYPD didn't know was that the jet could only go so far, and the car didn't fly so much as it clumsily glided. By the time they found another place to safely land, they had reached the airport, and the car was completely out of gas.
The private planes/jets were ready for them, and several people were putting the car into the plane headed for Gotham. The four of them stood there while the vehicles were getting ready, unsure how to say goodbye.
"I know it doesn't mean much," Batman said, breaking the silence. The three of them stood there, their attentions focused on him. "But I just want to tell you that all of you, including Faith and Niko, are stellar hiders and survivors. This game was an invaluable learning experience, and I have you all to thank. Next time we meet, I hope it's as allies."
"It kind of is already, it seems," Bond eventually responded. "Here we are, not as opponents but as comrades. And it's always a pleasure to have a good game of wits against a gentleman as yourself, Mr. Batman." Bond raised his hand out, and Batman gratefully accepted. "By the way, may I keep the suit? I daresay it's quite grown on me." Batman smiled, but shook his head no. Bond didn't seem to mind; he only chuckled at the thought.
"It's been quite a game of cat-and-mouse with you as well," Desmond said. "By the way, are you still in touch with Faith? I have a message for her too."
"I am in touch with Faith," Batman answered. "I also have a message from her to you, but I imagine that you already heard it."
Desmond nodded. "Just tell her, I forgive her, and that we had fun. I guess I have nothing else, besides thanks for getting us out of there on your rocket-car." Desmond also raised his hand, and Batman shook it.
"You won fair and square," Batman added, still shaking his hand. "You are quite unpredictable." Desmond smiled at the compliment, thanked him, and headed to his plane. James Bond also bowed and headed toward his plane, leaving Sam and Batman alone.
"You know," Sam admitted, "that you almost caught me on day one?" Batman raised an eyebrow, which was his stoic version of absolute surprise. "Yeah, but you followed the police cars. I wonder what would have happened if you caught me and I couldn't save your ass later." Sam let out a hearty chuckle, and Batman let out a smile.
"I suppose things would have been much harder. After all Sam, a lot of this was only possible because of you. You not only hid perfectly at hide and seek, but you ended up saving the rest of us. We all owe you our thanks."
"Just keep doing what you do, Bats," Sam finally said, raising his hand. "You do plenty for your city. And I'm not dead. But just know you owe me." Batman reached for his hand. As he shook his hand, Sam pulled Batman in for a hug.
"And your identity's safe with me," Sam whispered in Batman's ear. At that point the two released their hug and nodded at each other. Sam then went to his ride out of here, and Batman to his.
In a way, it was a strange and uplifting experience for Batman. He met people, not villains, and learned so much about them in a short period of time. Some of them helped him, some admired him, and one went a little nutty, but it was a welcome break from people like the Clayface and Joker. What's more, they had their own villains to face, and their own Gothams to save.
Batman considered taking one last look at all of them, but decided against it. The game was over, and their old lives were returning. All he could really take from the experience, was that maybe there were other kinds of Batmans in the world. Batman helped the people of Gotham, but others dealt with international criminals, or dystopian future governments, or even global crises. He wasn't alone anymore, and he knew that.
It was barely near noon as the planes left off. The sun rose high in the sky, shining over all the splendor of New York City. Desmond stared out and excitedly marveled at the bird's-eye view of all the places he hid in. Sam wondered if Marcus and Sandy read the letter yet, and how they'd react when they did. James Bond pondered about the Batman suit, as well as the two British women hopefully awaiting his arrival. Faith was somewhere, hiding, running, staying alive. She'd hear Desmond's message eventually, and it would give her great comfort. And Niko was still in jail, because he committed some serious crimes.
As for Batman, he took a well-deserved nap. Because when he woke up, his adventures would start exactly where he left them.
TL;DR - Niko would lose on Day 1. Bond on Day 2. Faith on Day 4, though she'd have escaped multiple times before then.
The only winners would be Sam and Desmond.
Also, the NYPD doesn't like it when you break laws in their city, so please behave appropriately when visiting the city.
Edit: Also, thanks to everyone for the praise and attention. I swear I didn't mean to take 26 days on this, but every time I tried to shorten it the plot suddenly got juicy again! I also left it unedited, so forgive me, and thanks again for reading my first online story!