..::.. Insomniac ..::..


1

The streets screamed chaos. By now Raquel (Rocket) should've been used to it; after all she grew up on the hard slums of Detroit. Where she went to school, gang bangers ruled, girls specialized in getting pregnant and the smart kids in high school where the ones with intelligence greater than fourth grade. Noise and cursing came with the territory.

But not this.

The protestors were chanting numerous death threats against mutants and aliens, complaining that the government turned their backs on the "normal" citizens because they didn't lock up each and every mutant and allowed them to stay in society. Some went as far as pulling their kids out of schools that took in students with special powers, but now the violence was at an all time high and just to keep it under control, no one with powers were legally able to be on any educational school grounds.

It was great and all that Batman had opened his massive mansion to keep "gifted" students educated, but past the safety of the mansion—it was every mutant and alien for themselves.

It enraged her to hear them shout: "Destroy mutants or destroy the government! Elect Gordon Grimes for a pure city!"

Raquel cupped her hands over her ears to silence the noise, but the only thing better to focus on was the calculus textbook open on the worn wooden table, "You and I aren't so different, Calc. I don't want to do you, and well you, you obviously don't want to get done making yourself all complicated like this," she said after staring for a few moments without any success.

Raquel slammed the textbook shut, mewled and stretched, then rose to her feet. It was hours after school and in her exhaustion and heat, she had stripped down to a small T-shirt and tiny shorts, so she slipped on a white summer dress with blue pinstripes and her small, brown boots, swinging a jacket over her shoulder as she headed for the door. She would be early for work, several hours early. She supposed she could waitress during that time, it didn't bother her.

When she opened the door, she was met with a hand slamming down on the door pane. "Where do you think you're going?" Wally asked. What? How? When did he get there? She had a suspicion he had been waiting for her for a while by the impatient look on his face.

"I got cramped in there, I'm going out for a walk," she told him, though she didn't consider it any of his business.

His eyes had a disbelieving look to them, "Where are you really going, Rocky?" he leaned against the door pane like he owned it.

Her eyes flashed anger, "What did I tell you about calling me that? We aren't friends as far as I'm concerned."

He ignored that, and invaded her room. "I…saw you last night. You snuck out."

Raquel faked a look of shock and clasped her hands to her heart. "Oh, please don't tell anyone!"

"It's not that I care much or anything," he mumbled, not exactly meeting her eyes, "but you didn't come home for a while."

"What are you doing, keeping tags on me?" Raquel spat, her hand rose to her hip. "Leave me alone, Wally, I mean it."

"If you need spending money, or anything, I got you. Just ask me."

Raquel's eyes widened and her fingers bit into her palm as a fist. "Just shut up," she crossed her arms in contempt. Who did he think he was, anyway? "Just go—"

"I saw you go into that strip club." He expected her to punch him, which he could easily dodge; he just didn't think she would come back into the room and close them in.

"I-It's not what you think," Raquel said, her voice trying not to tremble, "Really, Wally."

His cheeks blazed with heat. How could he tell her without offending her that he had seen her close to naked? No, no, it was definitely best she didn't know that. He decided to shrug. "I'm not blackmailing you, or anything. As a guy trying to be nice, I'm just sayin' that's not the best sort of job you want."

"And how the hell do you know what I want?" she was sick of every male she comes across trying to tell her how to live her life and swallowing her life up in their giant hands. She had barely any freedom away from her uncle Icon—she certainly didn't need Wally's say-so on what a respectable job was. While most seniors were getting paid minimum wage at some burger joint, she brought home hundreds, not feeding off of Icon's skimpy allowance—she felt like a woman on that stage. Tears came to her eyes, and she rarely cried.

Wally mistook it for shame, and came up close to her. "I'm not going to tell—"

"Good, then get out," she felt like she would break into tears. If anyone found out…she caught his arm before he left the room. "Wait."

"Yeah?" he asked, his hand ready to fish into his pocket and help her pay for anything she needed.

"How did you know about…?" she didn't want to admit anything out loud.

"I was on a midnight run, I couldn't think, and…um…yeah," she knew the rest and nodded. He stuck his hands in his tan skinny jean pockets. "Like I said before, I'm not a snitch. You're secret is safe with me," his smile was electric.

She felt her stomach roll. She needed to know, "How much did you see?"

Wally flushed, almost the same color as his hair, making him look closer to an alien than a human with special abilities. "Well, you're definitely a D-cup."

Raquel looked away from him, terribly embarrassed. She let her fingers slip from his sleeve, and the next thing she knew he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in for a hug. He rested his chin on her head, "Huh, didn't think you were so short."

Raquel stepped on his toe, "Hey! I'm not short, you're just a tall runner," she joked. She needed to be on his good side, he was likely to not betray her that way, not to mention her saying she didn't consider him her friend. "About what I said earlier…"

"It's cool," he smiled, releasing her from the hug. "Life gets stressful and girls are born cranky once a month, I get it," he grinned. Raquel gave him a small smile and thanked him.

"Maybe I can help you get a job," he offered.

"Maybe," she said, though she wasn't planning to give up the well-paying nights at Lusty's Gentleman's Club. "I think I really will take that walk now, you know, to clear my mind and all."

"One more thing before you go."

"Yeah?"

"If you need money—"

Raquel chewed the inside of her cheek, a look of annoyance hot on her face. She combed her fingers through her dark brown hair, running her fingers over a small clip that kept her sweeping bang out of her eyes. She blew: "I'm fine Wally."

"Okay, okay," he waved defensively, "I'll take your word for it."

And as easily as that, she slipped right through his fingers and out into the streets.


At Flash's Apartment

Artemis put her slender hand across his chest, "You did the right thing, Wally."

It was late and the only thing to satiate his bottomless stomach was the instant noodles cooking on the stove. Though he had told Raquel he wouldn't tell, Artemis knew something was up when she caught him leaving her room and wouldn't stop questioning and threatening him until it all spilled out like a sack of rice split open by a knife.

Mmm…rice….with Mongolian beef, ah….if only.

"Did I?" he asked with only half his attention, he yawned and his stomach growled again. "I'm starving."

Artemis looked pointedly at him. "Of course you did the right thing, Wally. For all you know you stopped her life from spiraling out of control. If it weren't for you, she'd go on thinking she has to take her clothes off just for a guy to glance at her or give her money," Artemis frowned at the thought.

Wally blinked, "I guess," he ran his hand down her sides with a roguish smile. "Do you want to treat me for being such a good boy?"

Artemis snorted: "Hardly," she got off of him and moved from the couch to the stove to check on the noodles, willing them with her eyes to warm faster. "I'm too hungry…for food," she finished before he could get anything clever in. She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulders and pulled it back so she could see the noodles bubble at eye level.

"Do you think she really gave it up?" Artemis asked as she dumped in the ramen packet sauce and stirred.

Wally shrugged, "How am I supposed to know?" he got off the couch and over to the kitchen. "I mean, probably not right away, but with time, yeah, I think she'll stop."

Artemis looked furtively at him, "Want to check tonight?"

"Not really."

Artemis scoffed and crossed her arms, "What happened to being a 'nice guy that just cares'?"

Wally stared at the noodles as he said, "She's a big girl, Art. She'll kill me if she knows I followed again."

"So it's just one more topless night and hours of pole dancing for her?"

"What do you want me to do, call Icon on his personal cell and tell on her? I told her I wouldn't."

"You told me, Wally," Artemis said, pulling the ready noodles out of the water, making his attention snap to the food instantly.

"Yeah, but I trust you—she trusts you—so I know you won't say anything."

Artemis rolled her eyes, her stomach uncontrollably pained with the steamy, delicious smell. She slopped the slimy dinner into bowls, finishing the pot all at once. If the grocery stores weren't so packed with protestors she could barely keep from wanting to pulverize to shreds, she would've bought more food.

She poked her food with a fork, careful not to eat it too hot, but Wally slurped away sloshing the soup and noodles down his throat with an upturned bowl. She clucked her tongue, "How can I love such a barbarian?"

He winked at her, and in a few moments he licked his lips and belched. "Excuse me."

Wally collapsed back onto the couch, his stomach content for now and his mind happy. Artemis began to eating, sitting on the coffee table parallel to him. She crossed her legs and scooped in a few mouthfuls before saying: "We should do something—like an intervention or something."

"No way! She'll definitely know it's me and to quote her she doesn't even think of me as a friend. I'd drop to her enemy in a heartbeat."

"We can't sit here and do nothing," Artemis said with her mouth full, "I won't sit back and let her degrade herself like that. Neither should you as her team mate, Walls."

Wally thought for a moment, "Give me time to talk her out of it, Art. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know."

"Whatever," Artemis rolled her eyes, finishing the bowl quicker than she thought she would. She scraped around the bowl with her fork. "She still needs help, and as soon as possible, I say."

"You say a lot of things, Art, but my favorite are the midnight nothings after—"

"Shut up!" a blush attacked her cheeks and she threw her empty bowl at him, gripping her fork to prove she would have no reserves using that next if he said something else. "This is serious."

"Don't you think I know that, I was just short of calling my Grandpa for advice," Wally said, "Though in his days there were far less strippers," he touched his bottom lip in thought.

Artemis sighed, "Just keep this between us, okay?"

"It'd be a hypothetical talk with him, you know the 'I have a friend-of-a-friend' talk. No names required."

"I know, but adults might over react, Wally. Next thing you know she could be kicked off the Team."

Wally's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that…"

Artemis tapped her forehead, "Well you got to. We have to smart about this; just going up to her like you did was pretty stupid thinking about it. Now she'll be even more secretive about it. You should've came to me about it, girls connect better on that sort of thing."

Wally turned on his side, away from her, and yawned. "I'll keep that in mind next time."

Artemis sighed, picking up both of their bowls and headed to the kitchen to wash them. How could he just fall asleep knowing Rocket was probably out there misrepresenting the Team and not wanting to stop it? First thing in the morning, she decided, she would confront Rocket about it the hard way.


Lusty's

Raquel had her second private show of the night, and as much as she liked getting paid double, when she saw who her client was, she had to try hard not to frown. The red light was dimmed romantically and the small room was decorated with warm, tan walls and tiny lanterns with a giant, used bed smack dab in the middle of it and a wooden chair off to the side.

He sat in the chair.

Raquel could remember how a few months ago she got nervous whenever she was brought to private rooms knowing what a lot of the males expected, but she drew the line between prostitute and stripper clearly and referred them to someone else if they really wanted it.

She didn't automatically assume he wanted it, but she still asked in a sultry voice, "What are you in the mood for?"

Her jacket fell behind her feet, and she was going to work up her dress, but his hand rose. "You can keep your clothes on, sunshine. I just need to see one thing."

Raquel's eyebrow rose. Did he know where he was, did he miss the huge moving sign of a half naked women lifting her leg up and down with Lusty's above her butt? "Huh," Raquel clicked. "What is it then?"

The man wasn't old by any means, but he looked closer to his mid-forties than most of the younger guys that usually stop by. His dark black hair is peppered with dark grey. His light blue eyes looked as if they could turn menacing at any moment or electrify into a smile. She relaxed a bit when he smiled.

"I want to see your powers."

"Excuse me?" she was nervous now. Was he one of those violent protestors who would try to kill her if he knew she had powers and claim that he's ridding the streets of 'impurity'?

"Your powers are lovely, you do have them, don't you?" he said it like he already knew the answer. He stood up and stepped forward. Raquel noticed he wore a nice Sunday button up long sleeve shirt and black slacks into dark military boots that glinted. He smiled again, "The sooner we can get through with this—" he checked his expensive watch "—the sooner your life will change for the better."

"Look, mister, we don't do that here. If you want that kind of show, snoop by some major trouble that the guys with powers clean up—"

His smile grew, revealing neat, clean teeth. "Sweetie, you don't need to be afraid, it will be our little secret."

How many people will say that to her today alone? She hated sharing secrets, so when she crossed her arms and scowled, she didn't changing her mind. "I'm sorry, but no."

"But you do have powers, don't you?" he stepped closer and she stepped back. With just his eyes he turned the lock behind her. Raquel took in a deep breath and when she tried to turn the door knob—it didn't budge. "What gives? If you make a move a guard is always close to kick you out."

"That won't be necessary, dear," he had her against the wall, his hand caressing her soft, dark cocoa skin. "but I'm afraid I will have to go to a greater lengths to have you show me what I paid for."

Raquel's eye brows furrowed before he slammed her against the wall, lifting her up by a fist scrunched with her summer dress. She clasped her hand over his, kicking, but it felt like her black stilettos was hitting metal. She felt like an idiot for leaving her boots in her locker at the back. She cursed quietly and tried to bring her leg up higher to hit him, but he only hurtled her to the floor.

She felt the wind knock out of her all at once when her chest hit the ground. She rolled over and a shattering lantern nearly splintered into her eyes. She rolled again, her back hitting the bed that curled around to swallow her up. Her knees moved closer to her chest without her will as the wooden bed frame broke apart from the bed to swallow her in a box before she could blink. She slammed her shoulder against the wall, the air already gone from the tight squeeze, but soon she couldn't move any part of her body, hyperventilating for air.

Don't give him what he wants, Rocket.

She squeezed her eyes tight, gasping in one big breath as her knees pressed harder and harder against her burning, aching chest. She considered screaming for help, but knew the air would just flee her as her knees reached her throat, shoving against it.

Shit.

She felt the world slip for one terrifying moment and before she could clutch it back, the box exploded.

She stumbled to her feet, gripping a nearby post, looking wildly for the man. She was heaving for breath with one eye closed, as if she had ran a tremendous marathon without a sip of water. When she saw him again, the box wall hovered just half an inch from his face, stopped in midair.

He took in a big breath, and exhaled: "Exquisite."

Rocket slumped to the floor, knowing she had broken open the box. Her forehead touched the ground, her body hunched over and her fists hitting the ground. When she heard his boot hit the ground, she nearly shot at him without self control, wanting to destroy him for what he had forced her into.

He crouched down, "Are you ashamed of your gift—" Rocket clutched his throat before he could anticipate it. He yanked her wrist off and shoved it to the ground. "Don't be angry with me," his voice was apologetic, sincere, "I did it for you."

"For me?" Rocket growled, glaring silver bullets into his eyes.

"Yes," he whispered softly, with impossible smoothness, relaxing her shoulders and lowering her eye lids in almost a sleep-like trance where she wanted to curl up to him and escape the pain she felt.

"You must believe me; I did not mean to hurt you. It was necessary for your freedom."

The worst thing was that she believed him. Her will fell away in less than a snap and her forehead rested on his shoulder, no better than a exhausted infant.

"Don't you want your freedom?" he murmured, running his hand through her hair.

Rocket nodded, resting her fingers on his knee.

"Then come with me. I'll give you a brand new identity—free to be your own woman. You'd have endless opportunities with me, and be surrounded by our kind. Would you like that?" he asked, kissing her forehead consolingly, running the tips of his fingers across her temple, healing a wound from earlier.

"Y…yes," Rocket had to admit how good the deal sounded. "What do I have to do?"

"Just be loyal to me—to your new organization—be honest with yourself and me at all times. Can you do that?"

Rocket nodded, her eyes fixed in nowhere in particular, just hollow.

"Good," he finished, helping her stand up. "Well you'll never have to strip again—unless you want to of course—get your things…" he trailed off, blinking. "I can hardly believe my inconsiderate manners. What is your name, love?"

"Rock—" she shook her head. "Raquel."

"Well, Raquel, my dearest. You will absolutely love where we're going, I promise." He smiled smoothly, kissing the top of her head and taking her hand. "But I need you to trust me. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes….but how long will I be gone?" Raquel remembered the Team. "I have training tomorrow."

"You certainly do, but not where you think," his eyes were alluring and he seemed to be the most trustworthy human alive to her. She wanted to kiss him, she wanted to love him, she didn't even think of how old he must be—she felt attracted to him. She bent to pick up her jacket, and they were gone.


A/N: Please review, I really want to hear what you think. I know there are grammar mistakes and all, but I wrote it very fast. When I have time, I'll edit.