Not Quite Human

Not sure why I'm starting yet another story but I blame Skyrim and Batman games. Not a cross over the only Skyrim thing in here is the armor that my character wears as her alter ego. Think female daedric armor but made kind of like catwoman's suit from the batman returns movie. Eh I'll explain more as the story goes on.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my characters! Batman isn't mine.

Talking

Thinking

Alternate Personality/Mask Speech

Chapter 1: Part of the Band


I couldn't believe that my sister moved us to Gotham. Well not just us but the entire band. I was now rooming with not only my sister Randi but her boyfriend, our drummer, Max and our keyboarder Bernard. Bernard was a computer genius and he helped me put all the computerized parts into my outfit. Randi was tuning her guitar as I finished unpacking my boxes and walked into the main living room. There were boxes still lying everywhere from our recent move. I still didn't have a key to the front door but I was fine with that, I didn't use doors much anyways.

The apartment was modest but had three rooms so we could at least sleep without hearing each other snore like bears. The carpet had been ripped up and replaced with wood flooring and it was gorgeous. The walls were all painted a soft creme color and the lime green couch stuck out like a sore thumb. I didn't care; I was obsessed with the color green so no one bothered to change the couch. It had seen better days, most of the cushions were flat and it was ripped from when I flipped off it during a drunken escapade fighting my sister. I loved it and no one would take my green couch away from me. I plopped down on one of the cushions and stroked my guitar as if it were a cat.

"Randi explain to me why we're living in this place again? Not exactly the safest place to be." I started strumming chords to make sure my guitar wasn't off key yet. I brushed some of my red hair from my face and adjusted my glasses, I'd inherited my grandfathers degenerative eye disorder. I wouldn't go blind but I would never see without glasses again, no doctor would touch my eyes anyways. My eyes were a greenish yellow from the disease and were extremely light sensitive. I felt like a bit of a freak.

"Well I'm sorry but this is where I want to be. I like all the danger, plus with all the Rogues running around I don't think anyone would take a second look at your extracurricular activities." She huffed and tossed some papers my way. "This is getting added to our repertoire for when we play at Jingo's tomorrow night. I'm letting you take lead vocal and guitar for it. Don't let me down." She smirked and pushed her purple hair from her eyes. "You know people like seeing your double fangs right? It's like a big gimmick for the band. We're the punks and you're the demon." She laughed and went back to her guitar.

"Oh yea throw that one at me. I'm the freak of the band because I have yellow eyes and fangs?" She smirked and softly patted my knee in mock comfort.

"You're my sister and I'd love you if you were green and as tall as a house. This is just business. Just wear your suit at the show and we'll go from there. I've got a whole theme picked out for our tour." She pulled her purple hair from her eyes again and stuck her tongue out at me, the stud catching in the light.

"When did you get your tongue pierced?" I sat my guitar across my lap and gave her my best angry stare; I probably just looked like a confused panda instead.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to. Now its getting dark outside, you gonna suit up and start running up and down buildings to wear yourself out or should I let you throw my smart car around again?"

"That was one time and I swear your ex-boyfriend deserved it." I huffed and leaned back against the couch. I would have ripped the poor guy in half if I hadn't thrown my back out picking up the mini two seater car.

"Be that as it may, I'm surprised with all that metal you haven't screwed your hands up yet. You can still play better then most of the guys I know and twice as fast." She smirked and punched my shoulder as I blushed.

"Oh hush you. I'll suit up and go get a feel for this city. If I'm not back by morning assume that the Batman got me."

"Oh come on is it a crime to jump around free running buildings and cars? Last I checked it wasn't. It's not like your robbing people just some minor gymnastics."

"Last I checked jumping off a thirty story building wasn't minor gymnastics."

"Oh shut up and get in your suit, I want pictures for our new posters." She strapped her guitar on her back and grabbed mine. I sighed and stood up, stretching as I did so. Every time we moved she would take pictures and send them to mom. She loved them and was scrap booking with them or something like that.

"Fine but I'm not letting you pose me again." I walked into my room and closed the blinds before pulling my outfit from my closet. I also pulled out a large box which contained all the metal workings that I added on over the past year. I stripped down to my bra and thong and began slipping the metal framing on my body. Two almost leg brace pieces on my legs up and over my knees for support, two arm brace type metal workings for my arms. These ones went all the way to my shoulders and clipped onto a small metal harness that kept my shoulders from popping out. I slipped my metal claw gloves on; they looked like cat's claws but thinner and could grip almost any type of surface except metal or glass.

Next came the hard part, sliding the tight clingy material of my outfit up over my body. It was stretchy like nylon but covered in scales, I thought it looked sexy, and clung to my frame without showing off the metal attached under it. I pulled my hair band out and put it on, pulling my hair out and away from my face letting it cascade down my back in a river of red. After that I slipped on my horns and attached them to my mask. The mask covered my entire face; small glasses fitted into the eye holes let me see without being blind. It was almost like wearing a computer on my face, well a computer that had a gaping jaw and sharp teeth etched onto it. Bernard took the liberties of adding not only a phone/radio into it but a computerized program that would tell me how far I was during each jump. I could also see in the dark and record small videos for use later. It was awesome but expensive as hell, last time I broke the mask we had to play six gigs before I could replace it. I looked demonic in red and black but I felt awesome. I had spiked bits that stuck out of my shoulders and hips like small wings, Randi's addition of course, and they would glow red almost like a flashlight if I needed them.

I then clipped on my metal bikini top, with a lock in the middle holding it together, and metal thong on. I felt a little more modest with metal covering my tender bits. I looked down at my feet, they almost seemed bare but the outfit clung to them like toe socks, just the barest hint of a claw on each toe for gripping power. If I removed the claws I could play my guitar without breaking it, and I wore this outfit a lot for performances. Never know when you need to climb a building or free run to safety.

"Hurry your ass up my cameras getting anxious!" Randi yelled through my door making me giggle. I sauntered out of my room all spikes and horns and I heard a whistle from Max.

"Hey Randi if we ever break up I'm gonna try and get with your older sister. Yowza!" He laughed as Randi shot him an angry glare before turning back to me.

"Ok now just stand like that but put one hand on your hip and tilt your head as if you're puzzled." She put the camera up to her face and waited until I posed for her. What seemed like several hundred clicks and poses later she stopped and smiled at me.

"Done?" I was getting warm in the outfit; I needed the rush of air from free-fall to cool me down.

"Yep now jump out the window, I want to get a video of that to email to mom."

"That would probably give her a heart attack." I smirked under my mask and walked over to the window, opening it and straddling the frame.

"Ok ready, now…go!" She pushed a button on her camera and I waved at her before jumping out the window.

"Yes this is so going on facebook!" Her voice faded as I let the air embrace me. I wasn't superman I couldn't fly but damn if I wasn't strong enough to launch myself from building to building. My legs were like super springs. Mom always said I had a bit of grandpa's superpower in me but I didn't believe her until I started free running. I just felt so free and I loved to push myself over and over with bigger and better jumps. My grandfather was 70 but back in the war he was a bit of a legend, he survived many numerous falls from parachuting, one fall was over a mile straight down. He survived with a few broken bones but healed in no time. Randi and I inherated his healing abilites to an extent but I got his eyes as an added bonus. Not sure where my fangs came from but I'm guessing it had something to do with the family bloodline. We all had a bit of a freak in us, but at least I didn't have to beat guys off me like Randi did. Looking like a freak has its advantages anyways.

"Better stop before I crush a car again." I flipped and dug my claws into the side of the building, sliding down six inches before I stopped. My fingers were stiff and stung from the force of my grip. I had gone way too long between runs. The air was damp and I could smell rain, not a good thing for my computers but I loved it. I pulled myself up against the building before starting to almost run along the side using my arms and legs to propel me. I had only fallen six stories and had another four beneath me but I wanted more. I flung myself off the side of the apartment complex to its neighbor and started climbing up to the top.

Looking around the city from twenty stories up was amazing. My eyes were everywhere and my computer was shooting off random digits of how far each building was. I would stay away from downtown for now; most of the buildings were metal anyways. I had energy to burn and a whole city as my playground. This was going to be fun.

I took a running leap and landed on the fourth story of the building across the street, I was rusty as hell. I could feel my shoulders burning against the metal frames holding them in place as I ran up the side of the building. I sat on the corner of the roof and watched the cars go by below; no one seemed to notice me up here. Freedom was just a jump away and I planned on getting back into the groove until I could climb every building in the city, well almost every one. I stood up and took another flying leap exploring the whole block before expanding my track. Tonight was going to be a long night.

I pulled myself up through my window sometime around six in the morning. I was so tired that my eyes were blurring. My suit was damp with sweat and I had twisted an ankle making a stupid jump and missing. Thankfully there was a dumpster that had broken my six story fall and I only had some minor aches and pains. I needed a shower and some coffee. A lot of coffee.

"Well look what the cat dragged in." Bernard was on my bed fiddling with a small gadget in his hands. I closed the window behind me and drew the shades, my legs shaking with exhaustion.

"Hello Bernard, whatcha got for me this time?" I pulled my mask off and ran a hand over my horns. He grabbed my computerized mask and pulled out some wires and microchips.

"Oh this is going to be good. I've removed your video function and separated your phone and radio. Now you have your own radio frequency that we can talk to you on and you can play your music in the background while you jump. Saves your battery life by at least thirty percent." He was raving and his eyes were glowing like he just discovered something that would change the world.

"So no more jump videos for youtube?" I fake pouted as I limped to my private bathroom to get my shower ready.

"Nope sorry, Randi thought that while we're here you shouldn't post anymore to youtube. Keep the band safe and all." He didn't look up from my mask and was giving each wire and microchip a once over.

"Aww my poor fans are going to hate me." I laughed and pushed the door shut before removing my horns and starting to strip the suit off my body. I had bruises along my shoulders and knees but they would heal. The metal came next and I left it in a heap on the floor before climbing into the cold water and sighing in relief. Even if I wasn't quite human I could still enjoy a shower as if I were. A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. "What?" I peeked out from behind the shower curtain as Randi waltzed in with a giant cup of coffee.

"Hey sis, I'll just leave this in here for ya. It seems that you made the news." She didn't look happy.

"How did I make the news? No one seemed bothered to even look up." I closed the curtain and shampooed my hair while she set the steaming mug on the counter.

"You jumped over a news report about a burglary a few blocks down. Some guy called the Riddler or something another had broken into a storefront and stolen some old paintings and junk. Camera caught you and now they're dubbing you the Demon."

"Oh great, now everyone in Gotham is going to be looking for me now to get a shot." I sighed and massaged the conditioner into my scalp. My hair may have been shoulder length but it sucked up conditioner like it was nobodies business.

"Just try not to make the same headlines as a Rogue and I'm sure that the Batman will leave you alone. I'm going to clean your outfit and let Benny adjust your frame; I saw those bruises on your shoulders. Might need to loosen some joints a bit." I heard her gathering my things and I stood under the water with my eyes closed. I wasn't a rogue, but I wasn't a superhero either. I needed to find a way to keep my family out of this and not draw anymore attention.

"Hey Randi?"

"Yea sis?"

"I want some waffles." My stomach rumbled loudly and she snorted at the sound.

"I'll see if Max is still up, if he is then you'll get your waffles. If he's not then you get toast with peanut butter and you'll like it." She slammed the door and I laughed to myself. My sister and her friends were my family. We were one big dysfunctional group that I would protect with my life if I needed to. But I knew we'd all be fine, I mean how much trouble could I cause in this city anyways?