A girl sat on a park bench with her brother, throwing a stick to their loving family dog. They came here every other day to the Skaia-City park, playing fetch with Becquerel was a simple joy in their lives and they always savored it. Their names are John Egbert and Jade Harley and they loved coming here.
John took the stick and threw it back to Bec. He leaned back, relaxed, and stared up at the skies, "Man I'm happy for school to be out!" School had gotten out about three days ago and both were extremely relieved.
"Well you're lucky that you actually HAVE a summer to be happy about Slimer." John have a big grin and stuck his tongue out at Jade. John was just as smart as his sister but he's a pathological prankster like their father. He nearly had been given summer school after pulling off another grand prank involving green Ghostbusters-style slime. A straight "AB" report card can't keep him safe for long.
"You loved that prank, I got your locker neighbor pretty good!" He chuckled like an idiot and smiled. "Besides, I remember how you said he was giving you a hard time for the furry art in your locker door. He was a jackass and shouldn't be picking on my sister."
"Oh." Jade didn't realize the connection until just now, "I didn't realize… Thanks John."
"Don't worry about it, just be glad I talked Dave out of trying to beat him up. That guy wouldn't stand a chance against Dave."
"Hahaha! No one can, Dave's too fast for them." Jade glanced down at her watch, the time read 3:45. "Crap! I'm gonna be late, you can take Bec home right?" She stood up and hung her purse over her shoulder.
"Sure thing, go have fun with Rose and Roxy. Dad will probably have something made by the time he gets home. I hope it's not another cake." Dad is a baker at heart, which wouldn't be bad if he doesn't make about six cakes per day for a week after something noteworthy happens.
"Yeah, it's so good but he makes too many. Well text me if it is, I'll see ya later!"
"That was wonderful, don't you guys think so?" Jade and her friends Rose and Roxy walked out of the mall and back onto the streets.
"You kidding me? THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME," Roxy screamed into the air. "Too bad Janey couldn't come along though, shitty cooking lessons.."
Rose walked along with them, "It is a shame, she would have loved those spatulas we looked at. Besides, she doesn't really require lessons anyhow"
"Anyhow, Jade?" She spins around and starts walking backwards while looking at Jade. "Give me the low down, is your virtual but still not exactly related brother single?"
"Roxy! You don't just say such a thing out of nowhere."
Roxy shot a load of sarcasm at Rose, "Well sorry Ms. Proper, but John and I have been flirting for a while now and he hasn't made a move." She started doing a little dance, "I wanna know if he's for real about getting some of my sexiness."
Jade laughed as she danced, but afterwards she awkwardly looked off into space, "Err, well I didn't really know that you were interested in him… I don't really know, John is one of those guys who's really nice to everybody but I can say that he seems to have a liking for you."
"That's good enough for me," She turned back forwards and walked with a kind of triumphant poise to her. "It's not like Rosie here could tell me," Roxy nodded at her, "I haven't ever seen her even try to flirt with her."
Rose simply glanced back at Roxy and said, "If they really want to court me then they should have the tenacity to walk up to me and say so."
"Rosie, you aren't Bella and some hot vampire isn't just gonna drop from the fucking sky, stop a bus, and mack on ya." She gives a teasing wink at Rose, "You need to stick your neck out there and flaunt what you got."
"Roxy, you have a point but Rose can do what she wants and she's happy being single." Jade felt a vibration from her pocket and clumsily handled her bags into one hand to pull out her phone. On the screen, a message flashed in John's trademark blue: EB: hey, dad wants you home soon. your food's getting cold. "God, why am I always late! I'll see you guys later, my dad wants me home."
"Alrighty then, bye Jade" Roxy enthusiastically waves to her as they keep walking.
"We'll message you later, we need to do this again soon."
Jade waved back at them as she hurried off in the opposite direction. She looked down at her watch: 6:52. Okay, she thought to herself, just get home as fast as you can and everything will be just fine. She set off on a brisk pace and scooted her way through crowds of other citizens trying to get home like her. The streetlights became to come on as she continued walking down sidewalk after sidewalk. She looked back down at her watch as she was walking, 7:15. Jade looked back up to find the road blocked off for construction, including the sidewalk. "Ugh. Now I'm going to have to find a new way home."
She noticed an alleyway to the right of her, Maybe I can get around through there. She walked carefully through the darker alley, the hairs stood on the back of her neck. She suddenly had a very bad feeling. "Stop right there lil' girl." She quickly spun around to see a shadowed man, Jade couldn't make out his face but she could make out the revolver he was pointing at her. "Hand over those bags and your brains stay in that pretty little skull of yours," his voice was rough like gravel.
Jade slowly backed up a little bit, she was starting to panic, "Look, you don't have to do this… Just put down the gu-"
"I AIN'T PUTTING DOWN FUCKING ANYTHING!" He yelled at her, his thrusted the gun at her in aggression. "NOW HAND THE BAGS OVER BEFORE I KILL YOU!" As the last threat came out of his mouth a loud sound came from behind him. Something had dropped down and was staring at the assailant. The thug spun around and pointed the gun at the caped figure, "What the- HEY! You stay back, ya hear?!"
The figure stood up and seemed to grow about six inches from when he was squating on the ground. Jade's mind raced with thoughts, That can't really be him could it? The shade began to shape into the outline of a knight in dull grey armor. The thug fired the gun in panic, but the bullet stopped and bounced off of the now looming figure. The only thought Jade could think as she saw the robber thrown to the wall and blood drip from his forehead was "the Iron Knight."
The Iron Knight shrank back into a normal human figure (minus the costume) and offered a hand down to her. He spoke to her in a calm and peaceful voice, "Are you okay? I hope that fucking miserable slug gave you too much trouble."
Jade slowly took his hand and stood up, staring at his piercing bright red eyes. Before she knew it she was hugging him saying, "Thank you. You saved me."
He seemed surprised and nervously moved his arms to hug her back. "Y-You're welcome." He looked at her and gave a cough as he let go of her, "Ahem. Do you need anything else?"
"No," she leaned down to pick up the bags she had dropped, "I should be fin-" When she looked back up he was gone. She stood there for another minute in a strange melancholy and then walked home. All the way she couldn't help but feel that there was something watching over her.
Jade rushed into the front door and found John and Dad watching some old Groucho Marx on the TV. John looked over, "Hey Jade, how was the mall?"
Jade just walked past them and up the stairs, "Get on Pesterchum, now."
John looked confused as his sister climbed the stairs and he went after her. He quickly grabbed his phone and logged into Pesterchum. Jade had already invited him to a chatroom with him and all their friends.
-ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering the chatroom-
EB: hey guys. :)
TG: sup bro
GG: Hey, why has Jade all invited us to a chat?
EB: i don't know, jade hasn't told me anything. she just got home.
TT: Well she seemed to have a wonderful time at the shopping center so I can't say anything bad happened there.
TG: iz everything ok jade?
GG: okay first of all, something happened after i left roxy and rose.
GT: Did you have an unfortunate adventure? You could have just called me and I would have given whatever ruffian you faced what's coming to him.
TT: Jake, I highly doubt that whatever happened would qualify as an adventure.
GG: actually you could call it an adventure if you really wanted to.
EB: what happened :D
TT: Yes, do tell us instead of keeping us on the edges of our seats.
TG: come on jade, what happened?
GG: i got mugged…
At that moment, John lurched back in shock at her sister's answer. Mugged?! But she looks fine and she still had all those bags. John was tempted to go to her room and try to comfort her, but Jade wasn't the best person to intrude on. She wants to be alone and if I don't let her have some space then she's gonna blow a gasket. John woke his phone back and looked for the outcry from his friends… but there weren't any messages. Guess they're just as shocked as I am.
GG: don't worry guys, im okay. just a lil shaken up i guess
TG: what the fuck happened out there?!
TG: who waz this fucker? well teach him a lesson about paint!
TG: pane*
TG: pain**
TT: Alright, I'll take point on this. Jade where did this all go down?
GG: guys… its fine. that guy who mugged me is…
GG: He's what Jade?...
GG: he's not a problem anymore. i got how and that all that matters.
TT: Jade, that doesn't add up I'm afraid. How did you escape your captor?
EB: im with rose, you came home with all your bags and you werent hurt so what happened?
GG: well you guys know about those vigilantes that popped up a few months ago…
GG: You were saved by a superhero…
TG: so your lois lane and you were saved by superman? is this a joke because the irony is killing dirk. i can hear him through the walls
GG: im serious!
GG: and it wasnt superman, it was the iron knight for your information.
TG: way to go jade! you scored the really cute one ;) *wonk*
GT: A bona fide superhero, you are one lucky lady Jade.
TG: not too mention that you met your brothers favorite
EB: he is not.
TG: youve told me on more than one occasion that he is
EB: he isnt my favorite
TT: So there is a favorite?
EB: NO!
TG: da nile isnt just a river in egypt john
GG: you guys can keep talking about this, im tired of hearing you guys talk about this like its a joke. i saw him and i felt like you guys would have wanted to hear that. ill talk to you in the morning. and not a word of this to anyone.
-gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering the chatroom-
EB: im out too, i dont need your ironic sass right now. night guys
-ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering the chatroom-
John put his phone down by his pillow and flopped onto the bed. Wow, so she really did met a superhero. The conversation had drained him, finding out that your sister just got mugged and met a vigilante takes a lot out of a guy. Jade was lucky that the Iron Knight had been there, who knows what could have happened? I need to tell Karkat about this. John reached for his phone without sitting up on the bed. He logged into his account on the forum site he went to find more cool programs (most of which were insanely bad), he had met this kid named Karkat. He seemed foreign or whatever but he and John had been talking for about two months now. John tapped on the screen to message him in Pesterchum:
-ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]-