This is my first story. I do not own Young Justice. Stalene and Marianne are my characters.
"She's stopped breathing!"
"She's flatlining, she's flatlining!"
"Get the paddles ready!"
"There's a protrusion from one of her main arteries. Remove it! Get her heart beating again!"
Stalene rolled her eyes under closed lids. In a few minutes, this would all be over. The protrusion would be removed, she would be stitched back up, but her heart would not recommence beating, and she would not continue to breathe. The doctors would cover her face and leave, only to come back later and find their "Jane Doe" gone.
Surely, the drone of the heart monitor continued. By this point, she'd technically been gone for too long. There would be no way to bring her back.
A smooth cloth was placed over her face, out of respect for the dead. The doctors left the room, and the door shut behind them.
In an instant, Stalene disconnected the wires and tubes connected to her and shot out of the bed and over to the door. A quick peek showed no other personages in her area, but she wasn't stupid enough to actually go into the hallway. Instead, she re-entered the operation room. There was an air vent above one of the tables, which would lead into the empty room down the hall. She knew it was empty; she'd seen it when the doctors were wheeling her into the OR. In a true spy-movie fashion, she climbed up on the table and pulled the cover of the vent off. She climbed inside and pulled the vent cover back on behind her.
It was a short crawl to the unoccupied room, made easier by the fact that she was small for her apparent age. However, years and years of training kept her agile and athletic; dismounting from the vent was a simple task. She then made her way to the window, which overlooked the alley below. Thankfully, the alley was unoccupied. A dead patient jumping out of the window onto a crowded street would not be a common occurrence, and she was trying to keep her escape on the down-low. Her stronger-than-average physique would help in the four-story drop.
She landed on the ground with a thud, wincing as she felt the impact, though she wasn't seriously hurt. She stood up shakily and glanced around. Nobody had witnessed her jump.
Stalene's first priority was to get away from the hospital and back to Marianne's. Giving a final glance to the hospital that she had just left, she started on her way.
WATCH AND LEARN
"So, everything's okay now? I don't have to come home?"
"Everything's fine. I managed to get out without anyone seeing me." Stalene spoke while drying her hair. She was sitting cross-legged on Marianne's bed, dressed in a typical tank-top and shorts. Her white-blonde hair hung damply around her shoulders. "I know you wouldn't want to abandon your work." On cue, a scream was heard from the other line. Stalene heard Marianne huff, and the scream was cut off. "What are you doing? Don't get yourself into trouble."
"It's not dangerous. Don't worry."
"I'm sure. Well, don't get into any trouble. I don't want to have to pick up after you."
"Aye-aye, Captain," Marianne spoke sarcastically. "Don't trash my place. I should be home by eleven."
"Do you want me to fix dinner?"
"Mmm, I might just get something on the way home."
"Be careful. People don't react well when you walk into a convenience store looking like you just killed somebody."
Again, as if on cue, violent sounds could be heard on the other end of the line. "Good point. Order pizza."
"Chinese."
"Fine."
"Fine. Bye." Stalene hung up.
...
On the other end of town, a tall, athletic woman with long, black hair and dark blue eyes switched off her Bluetooth set. She then surveyed the damage around her. Three dead bodies… wait, there was one still moving. She silenced him quickly with a flick of her wrist, sending her knife swiftly into his chest. But she still had no information on who was blackmailing Thomas Jacob, the owner of Jacob Industries. Also known as the man hired her.
Oh, well, she thought to herself, At least I still get paid.
She headed over to her next stop, mentally counting down the hours before she would go home.
...
The supermarket wasn't too crowded, and Stalene took a relieved breath when she walked inside. The less people were around, the easier it would be to avoid eye contact. Her "power", synonymous with "curse", wasn't as active these days. Lately, with all of everyone's time being taken up by other things, she wasn't acknowledged. That was the key to being allowed to go out in public.
She still only went out when absolutely necessary. This occasion was necessary. Marianne was too busy with her "job" to focus on doing everyday things like grocery shopping. Stalene took it upon herself, when the two met up, to take care of Marianne and make sure she didn't get horribly sick.
The milk in the fridge had begun to congeal.
Stalene was able to make her way through the supermarket and obtain what she needed without trouble. It was only when she was checking out that she had a small scare; the person behind her bumped into her, and then stopped and helped her up.
"Sorry. Are you okay?" It was a male.
She avoided his eyes, muttering a quick "My bad", and exited the store.
Hours later, Stalene sat on the sofa, eating her Chinese takeout. The hands on the clock pushed ten; Marianne would be home soon.
Stalene suddenly had an urge to go outside. She was familiar with this feeling; she usually felt this way before something vital would happen; before she would be needed. She quickly put her food on the sofaside table and wrapped herself in a blanket. She turned up the television volume to an outrageous level.
Nothing helped.
She rolled over and pressed her face into the cushions of the sofa and started counting backwards from one thousand.
Nine ninety-nine.
Still, she felt the urge to leave, to go somewhere, though she didn't know where. She'd find out when she got there, though.
No, she said to herself, I won't find out, because I'm not going. I'm not going.
Nine ninety-eight.
If she just ignored it, it would go away.
Nine ninety-seven.
Just ignore the feeling. Do not go outside.
Nine ninety-six.
Stalene bolted up and ran for the door, grabbing a coat and her shoes on the way out.
Whew! First chapter done! Please review!