Chapter 2..real chapter. Story starts now...
A/N: If you're here then that means you probably liked the prologe, or you just wanted to see if this is a train wreck. Well the story isn't a train wreck, but Jani's life is about to be so if you want to stay and enjpy the show continue reading. Oh and some minor cursing in this chapter, but it shouldn't be too bad.
This means thoughts or ASL (American Sign Language)
*Batspeak*
(translation)
Disclaimer: Its FANFICTION why do we even put these things?
-Six Years Later-
I woke up to my alarm flashing, signifing that I should probably wake up. I slapped at the alarm, trying to get it to turn off. When that didn't work I sat up, glared at it, then pressed the small off button. The light stopped blinding me and instead the clock just sat there in what I imagined was a smug way as if it was saying ha ha you had to wake up.
I shook my head, then swung my legs out of the warmth of the bed. I sat there thinking, do I have training with Bruce this morning? I stood up, unable to remember. I crossed the room and opened the door. I took the three steps necassary to reach my brothers room. I opened the door and flashed the lights.
He sat up with a start, then when he saw that it was just me he glared. I rolled my eyes "You or me for training?" I signed.
He thought for a minute then signed back "You"
I groaned, not wanting to have to do the sparring Bruce had promised we would do. He's the Goddamn Batman, it hurts! I left the room, turning the light off behind me.
I crossed to my room and then went into the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth, just so I could wake up more. I went back to my room and grabbed a pair of track shorts from the dresser. Switching from my bat symbol pajama pants into the shorts I grabbed a pair of socks and tennis shoes, slipped on the socks, and jumped on one foot alternating so that I could put the shoes on. I then ran down the hallway, turned left, then went down the opposite hallway until I reached the third door on the right. I stepped in then shut the door behind me. I crossed the room and went over to the clock. I moved the hands to there correct position, then slipped inside when it popped open a little.
I ran down the stairs jumping and skipping the last three. I saw Bruce sitting in front of the Batcomputer. I ran over to him checking my watch as I did so. Great only three minutes late! I tapped Bruce on the shoulder, letting him know I was here. He spun around in his chair making me jump out of the way. He sighed, "You left your cochlears here last night." He pointed to the small machines that were on the corner of the desk. I grabbed them, knowing he preffered when I had them in.
"You know that sentence could be perseved pretty badly." I told him once the CI's were in. He glared at me, to which I rolled my eyes. "It was a joke."
"We're sparring." He said short, blunt. Batman, not Bruce.
"You sleep any?" I asked watching as he got up out of his chair.
"No, Bat stuff."
"Ohh." I nodded, giving him a slightly dissaproving look. "Good, that means I'm gonna kick your ass."
He sent me a look,"Language. What would Alfred say?"
"Oh Miss. Jani a proper lady does NOT use that kind of unsavory language!" I said in a mock British accent.
Bruce smirked a little before heading over to the training area. I followed, albeit begrudingly. When we had reached the circular mat that served as our sparring arena Bruce got in a fighting stance, and so did I. "Rules?" I asked.
He thought for a minute ,"No powers." I rolled my eyes but nodded all the same.
"Begin!" He said and I charged at him. Canary always said that you want to always start the fight, then you can dictate the terms, not them.
I threw punch at his face, then almost imediatly following I sent a jab at his stomach. He dodged the first blow, but I was able to land the jab. He smiled at me, then began a tirad of punches, to which I tried to dodge all, but he was able to land the last one. I growled and flipped away to give me a second of rest. He ran at me, but I simply ducked and swung his legs from under him. He jumped, avoiding my legs, and then tried a roundhouse kick on me, but I pulled a Matrix and dodged his leg.
"You're not fighting, only dodging. Is your old man getting better then you?" He taunted.
I flipped my hair out of my face, then sent my knee into his stomach,"You're BATMAN!" I said in an exasperated voice.
"No excuse." He said in a sing-song voice. I ignored him and ran at him again, this time pulling his arm behind him,enough to hurt, but not to break the arm. with my other hand, I punched him in the jaw. But only using one hand to hold his arm back cost me and his arm flew out of my grasp and came at me, his hand in a fist. I ran to the other side of him, so that I could avoid the punch, but in doing so I lost my momentum and almost fell.
He took advatage of this, and he pulled both of my arms behind me. I used one of my feet to kick him in the stomach, then I twisted around so that I was facing him. Then I sent a knee to his stomach. Then my elbow into his gut, anything to get him to let go. Finally I used my arms and twisted his around so that they were backwards. Then I pushed them above his head. He let go of my arms and I let go of his, then backed up.
He growled, and came charging at me. I decided to flip over him, which I did. Before he could relize what happened I kicked him in the back of the knee, making him lose his balance. I then kicked him in the back, and punched in between his shoulder blades. He fell, but twisted around and grabbed me, so that I fell also. I hit the ground laughing.
"You hardley landed anything." I taunted.
"You didn't do much better." He answered.
"I made you fall."
"I made you fall also."
"Touche." I gave him a fake glare. He chuckled and pushed himself off the ground.
I got up, then turned to go to the benchpress. "I need a spotter." I told him. He shook his head slightly, but joined me in the short walk to the benchpress.
I took two forty-five pound weights and put them on either side of the bar. Then I added two twenty pound wieghts on each side. "170?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.
"It's my average." I answered, rolling my eyes.
I got on the bench and laid down, putting my hands up and on the bar. I pushed up and lifted the bar off of it's holder. I straightened my arms, then bent them, pulling the bar to just above my chest then I pushed it up again.
I continued doing this doing a set of ten. "Do two more sets." Bruce told me. I nodded and continued on. By the third set my arms were tired, and I put the bar back in it's place to give them a break before it fell on me.
"Three more." *You can do better.*
"Okay." *It was just a little break.*
We continued on like this until 6:45 when I had to get ready for school.
"Hey!" I signed to Jake, my boyfriend, once I saw him in the schools main courtyard.
"What's up?" He signed back.
"School." Answered with a groan.
"Sucks I know." He finished for me. I rolled my eyes.
"You make so many music jokes." I commented.
"I have to, I'm Deaf." He laughed. I gave hima playful punch on the shoulder before taking his hand in mine.
We had started dating at 14, but broke it off just before summer. He had wanted us to take a break for whatever cliche reason and I had been torn up, but moved on. Or so I thought. I had dated that summer, and it wasn't the same ,so when the school year started back up I was prepared to ask him out again. Instead of me asking, it was him who asked. I obviously said yes, and we had been together since then, making us have been dating for a year and two months, not that anyones counting.
"Stop with the lovey dovey crap." Dick signed and spoke.
I let go of Jake's hand, "Just because your girlfriend lives on the otherside of the country doesn't mean you can be a party pooper."
"No cake for you."Jake signed to Dick, finishing what I was saying. Dick rolled his eyes, but said nothing else on the subject.
Barbara Gordon, my brothers best civilian friend, walked up then and started talking with Dick. I caught a few words and felt that I had to butt my way into the conversation ,"Why would he ever do that?" I signed and spoke, being careful to not leave Jake out.
"Are you a part of this conversation?" Babs asked me.
"As much as you have a soul." I answered, trying hard not to laugh.
"You have way too many ginger friends to be making those kind of jokes." Dick told me.
I shrugged and went back to Jake, knowing I was not welcome in their little world.
"How was your mom?" I asked Jake.
"Normal." He signed back, giving the impression he didn't want to talk about it.
Jake's mom was, not only known for club hopping, and hooking up with every man she could, but for also escessive drinking. It annoyed Jake to no end, but he couldn't do anything about it. She had been like this since his dad had died when he was three, and she had only gotten worse when Jake's brother, Peter, had moved out a year early. That had been two years ago, around the time I met Jake, and let me tell you Jake had been messed up.
But after making some friends, and ignoring his mom more he was doing a lot better. And I was happy for him, though I wished he didn't have to deal with her.
"Okay..." I nodded debating weather to ask him or not.
"What is it?" He asked me, sighing.
"There's a gala at Wayne Manor on Friday and I was hoping you would come." I signed quickly.
"Yes. I will come. But I'm wearing my jacket." I popped up the collar of his leather jacket to emphisise that he wasn't going to dress up.
I rolled my eyes "Okay. That's fine." It fit my made up persona for Jani Pohl, I mean she would date a guy who wore a leather jacket and jeans to a party held by the richest man in Gotham Funny thing is though is that she'll be more of a rebellious teenager then Jake was trying to be.
He shook his head "Why do have to have such a fake reputation?"
"No one would believe that this is the real me, might as well give them a fake reputation then to let them write rumors that could be worse." I told him the same thing I told Cameron, my other civilian friend who knew the real me.
"You're basically my mother, whats worse then that?" He smirked.
"I could secretly be Harley Quinn." I pointed out.
"Jani, don't joke like that. That idea is disturbing to say the least."
"Heavy on the dis." I signed, making sure Dick saw. He smirked at me, then turned back to his conversation with Babs.
"NOT YOU TOO!" Jake signed with a worried look on his face.
Dick saw and he swung an arm over my shoulder,"Yes I have claimed her."
I rolled my eyes, "This," I pointed to his arm, "is why people think that we're dating."
He removed his arm quickly, I smirked, and laughed. He shook his head "Come on bro, get turbed." I signed to him.
He gave me a small glare, but said nothing. Just then the bell rang signifying we had five minutes untill we were late for class. I sighed, grabbed Jake by the hand and dragged him to our first period history, one of the few classes I didn't have with Dick.
Jake and I joined Dick and Babs during second period English. When we entered the room we saw a man that was most certainly not Mrs. Chowisky. Key word being that he was a man. Jake's interpreter ran after us, as per usual of him losing his way, and us. He ran into Dick, who was still standing in the doorway, staring at the sub.
Jake and Babs continued to their seats, Jake trying to drag me with him. I let go of his hand and instead stood there with Dick, staring the the man who was supposed to teach us. "Ce face el aici?" (What's he doing here?) I whispered to Dick.
He shook his head, still looking at the man behind the desk. I decided to not say anything else and I walked over to sit next to Jake's desk. I put my bag on the ground and began to pull out the book we had been reading.
"What was that about?" Jake asked me.
"Nothing." I signed, ignoring the pointed look Jake was giving me.
The bell rang, telling is that it was time to start class. Jake's interpreter went to the front of the class, stood in front of Jake's desk and waited for the sub to start talking.
The sub stood up, once he saw that the clas was here. "Hello. I'm Mr. Kerr. I'll be your teacher until Mrs. Chowisky comes back from her untimley illness."
"Suntem terminați." (we're screwed) I whispered to Dick, who sat behind me. He nodded.
"Este Joker." (It's Joker) He whispered back. The sub sent us a look.
"Do you two have anything you would like to share with the class?" He asked.
"Yes the class, but not you." I answered. 'Mr. Kerr' gave me a smile that I had seen one too many times.
"See me after class will you?" He said in a sickly sweet voice.
I debated weather to reveal that I knew he was or not. I decided that I would do it, but would act innocent. Dick would back me up. "Why so serious Mr. Kerr?"
He wiped any trace of emotion off of his face ,"What was that?"
"She says it to every teacher who gets mad at her for talking when she isn't supposed to." Dick put emphasis on the last few words. I rolled my eyes at him, but didn't conrtradict him.
'Mr. Kerr' nodded, and wrote his name on the board. He then wrote the title of the book we were reading, War and Peace, and then grabbed the teachers copy from the desk. "Open to page forty, and begin reading. When you reach page one hundred stop reading and you can work on you're essay covering the book." He then sat down at the desk and gestured for us to begin.
Class passed slowly. I couldn't get interested in the book, and when I gave up and decided to try and figure out what Joker was doing I could get no where. All I had was the obvious fact that Joker was in my English class. It was clearly him what with the fake black wig, and the copeous amount of make up he had on his face. The scars, once covered with makeup were not as obvious, unless you were looking for them. His suit was a normal twead one and his shirt was a simple red. It was the tie that screamed 'IT'S HIM' at me. It was his normal purple tie. It clashed so horribly with the rest of his outfit that you couldn't help but notice it, but unless you had spent plenty of time with him, you wouldn't connect the dots.
Whe the bell rang and everyone got up, 'Mr. Kerr' motioned for me to stay seated. "I don't allow students to disrespect me." He said, in a farely calm voice.
"You better start then." I shot back, not about to act scared around my 'Uncle J'.
He growled, "No I won't." He put his hands on the desk and bent down so that his face was inches from my own. "You will not talk back. Or there will be some form of punishment."
"Just remeber the law. I'm a US citizen no cruel or unsual punishment." I knew Joker didn't care for the law, but for his plan to work, whatever it was, he would have to act like it.
"Of course. I wouldn't even imagine doing anything out of the ordinary."
"Ordinary for who?" I hinted. If he understood the hint he didn't show it.
"You should get to your next class, don't want to get on another teachers bad side." He sneered.
"You can run I'm sure." He smirked, standing up straight and then sitting down behind the teachers desk. I rolled my eyes, but said nothing else. I picked up my bag and left the classroom without a backward glance.
"How was school?" Bruce asked when Dick and I were in the Batcave.
"Joker was our sub in English." Dick said simply. "And Jani almost blew our cover."
I growled at him, "All I did was ask him why he was so serious. He shouldn't suspect a thing, I'm acting the complete opposite of Sparrow. Calm down." I said in answer to the Batglare being directed at me.
"Find out whats going on. And find out fast."
So there it is the second chapter...Please review and tell me how I did!