Chapter 1
The streets of Jump were bustling as per usual. Sidewalks crowded with people going about there lives, most without a care in the world. No one seemed to take notice of the Sudanese teenager sitting on the ledge of the sixth story of on of the many apartment buildings on Main Street. She dangled her legs over the edge, watching the ant-like beings below walk under her outstretched legs. She liked to imagine that they were walking under a bridge that was her long appendages. She hummed a solemn tune, her mind thinking over the disastrous news she learned earlier. She didn't know what to do, what to think even. The ledge was her place to clear her mind, to meditate. A place to get away from her world. Where she could gaze at the purpling sky without glass corrupting its beauty. A place where she could feel literally on top of all her problems and look down on them, the same way she was looking at the people below her watch. She felt powerful on her ledge, like she actually held significant power over what happens in her life. Her chocolate orbs watched the skyline and she wished she were up even higher, at such a height that the neighboring buildings didn't tower over her perch. She decided that this was better than being on the ground, observing from only the 5'5" height of her eyes. Her eyes looked upwards, watching the clouds move slowly over the fall night sky.
She wished she could get to the top of the building, where she might be able to see the water. She imagined that it'd be an interestingly gorgeous sight. The Ferris wheel on the pier highlighted by the setting sun. Or perhaps it'd be setting over the giant T in the middle of the water. She preferred the first idea to the second. The Titans didn't go down so well with her. They claimed they protected the entirety of the city. She begged to differ. They just dealt with the famous criminals, not the ones that might be less-known but cause just as much damage to the slummy side of Jump City. It was a known fact that the police are imbeciles when it comes to our side of the city too. So the men who walk around in all black and jump young unsuspecting women on alley corners have no one to answer to except the pleading cries of there victims. The nineteen year old, Jamelia, shuddered and tried not to think of all the crimes that happen daily on her side of Main Street.
By this time in her state of meditation, the sky was pure black and the streetlights began to flicker on. Jamelia liked to think they were the lights of angels, trying to protect them considering that God knows no one else will. She knows from experience that in an hour or so, those lights will fail too. Her eyes take a few moments to become adjusted to the light and she looks down below, only too slow to take notice of the all too familiar man standing below her. She might be six stories up, but she just knows that his eyes hold that familiar rage in them when he sees where she's sitting. Her own brown orbs widen and she hurries to get back inside. On her way of sliding in, she sees the brown paper bag in his hand and knows exactly where he's been. Jamelia gives him a moment and then climbs back out the window. She sets her bare feet hold her body up while she leans against the building and starts to tiptoe to as far as the ledge will take her from that window.
"What the hell are you doing, bitch?!"
Jamelia looks over her shoulder to see Oscar's enraged countenance. She takes in notice that his eyes are unfocused and knows that he was coming here from a drug deal. The woman chooses not to answer while she silently tries to predict what will happen. Oscar was what you might call her... boss. She knew for a fact that he wouldn't come out on the ledge. He would be too afraid with his fear of heights. But then there was the fact that he was high and she didn't know what it was off of. So she's either safe on the ledge and he'll stay inside until he leaves and she'll have avoided his abuse yet again or he'll come out on the ledge and she'll be cornered. Needless to say, she hoped it was the first one. But of course, things never go as desired with Jamelia James. Oscar planted his boot on the brick ledge and crawled out himself. She needed to think. Fast.
"I'll jump!" she screamed from the top of her voice, "I'll jump!! I mean it! Don't you test me!"
It wouldn't be in his interest for her to die, he'd lose money. Jamelia knew he was too much of a miser to let that happen.
"I know you won't Jamelia," he says with no emotion coating his deep voice, "You wouldn't."
"You know nothing about me!" She leans more toward the ledge while staring holes into his skull, daring him. His green eyes stare right back at her. With every second he slowly gets closer, her foot hangs farther off the edge. Their stare-off is cut short though when they notice that there are people below, looking up at them and watching the scene. It is impossible to see the faces of the people below, only silhouettes are visible.
"Honey," his voice instantly gets soft and gentle when he sees that they have an audience, "Let's take this inside, please?"
"No," the woman's voice is sharp. She refuses to go back through the window with him. Jamelia knows that once their out of the publics view that she won't be safe.
"Bitch, if you know what's good for you, you'll get your fat ass the fuck inside," he practically snarled at her as the words left his lips. His face was pulled up in pure anger as he tried to intimidate her. She wanted to give in. Whether it was out of fear or being too weak, she didn't know. But she refused, knowing that she cannot be alone with him behind closed doors no matter what. She focused on maintaining her balance on the narrow ledge.
Her big lips opened to curse at him and tell him to just give up when there was some more movement heard from below. The crowd had grown by about six more people. She noticed that some were clearing out as soon as it had grown though which made her eyebrow rise. As if on cue, the street lights began to flicker on again. Which was something that wasn't rare, but it was always randomized.
Six stories below Jamelia and Oscar was six teenagers that they'd seen way too much on the television. The very beings that she was cursing the hypocrisy of earlier. The Titans.