Hello everyone! Thank you for waiting so patiently for the third chapter! After making some plans, the story seems to be stretching out to accommodate more elements from the comics. So the plot will be a mix between the movie and comics. A special thank you to my story's lovely followers and reviewers! You don't know how much it means to me for someone to even take a glance at my work. Your reviews have also given me more ideas on how to shape Jason's character! :D May your cookie jars be always filled with fresh cookies. :)
Disclaimer: Jason and all other characters belong to DC. All works mentioned belong to their respective writers. :) Only my OCs are mine.
Chapter 3: Make My Wish Come True
Some weeks had passed, and September was coming to an end.
On one of those days, Sophie arrived at her grandparents' place exhausted.
The location of her grandparent's house was pretty lucky for Gotham. They weren't in the rich side, with its mansions and pristinely cut lawns that were too much to keep up. Nor where they in somewhere like the Narrows, where the dangers of going out were high. Her grandparents owned a quaint apartment near the main part of the city, only a few blocks away from Gotham Academy.
Sophie climbed up several cement steps before reaching for her keys. Unlike living in Crime Alley, she didn't have to have them ready the moment she arrived home for fear of someone mugging her in the street. While she sympathized that others had to deal with this, like her friend Eve, she also felt thankful that she could feel relatively safe standing outside her own home.
Before she could turn the key in the lock she heard a faint scratching sound on the inside. A smile made its way on her face. Sen was waiting for her. Swinging open the door, she regarded the black cat with amused eyes. "Hello, darling."
The black cat blinked its gray eyes at her. While her culture mostly believed that black cats were bad luck, Sophie's family had adopted the little creature when he had been found trying to survive in a sewer nearby. And ever since she had started middle school, Sen had been waiting for her at the front door when she returned.
One of his ears twitched before he launched at her. Not surprised at the action, Sophie bent down slightly so the cat could find its natural position on her shoulders. She felt content as Sen's face nuzzled her cheek, as if giving her permission to move forward.
While her grandparents were good company, Sophie was one of his favorite perches.
Sophie carefully dumped her bag near the staircase, making sure that Sen wouldn't fall off.
Slowly, she then pulled off her pastel teal gloves, relishing in the feel of having nothing on her hands. She'd already seen the memories of both her grandparents, and as such didn't worry about the contact. Seeing them all the time ensured that she wouldn't be updated with images anytime she passed her grandmother the sugar or took the television remote from her grandfather.
And as far as her grandparents knew, she just really liked wearing pretty gloves.
"Hi sweetheart, how was your day?" Sophie's grandmother asked in Greek as Sophie made her way towards the kitchen.
"All right, thank you." Sophie replied as she entered the kitchen, seeing both her grandmother and grandfather sitting at the small table having a coffee. The delicious aroma of the strong espresso tingled at her nose, and she grinned when she saw a cup waiting for her between them.
Her grandfather lifted his gaze from a book, his face crinkling into a smile at the sight of her, "How are you, honey?" his smoky voice asked her in Greek. Her parents rarely spoke English inside the house.
"Fine, fine." She replied hastily, sitting down at the table between them with Sen still perched on her shoulders. It was normal for Sen to sit like that for minutes at a time.
She released a sigh as the cup met her lips, the taste of strong espresso like a sweet lullaby.
Her grandparents watched her with amused expressions. A cuckoo clock ticked in the corner, and the hum of the heating made Sophie's stresses of the day melt away. Home was definitely with her grandparents.
Placing the cup down on its saucer, Sophie appraised both of her grandparents with a look of love and hidden apprehension. They were both in their eighties, and while their minds were as sharp as a whip, she worried about the inevitable. She tried to appreciate all the time she had with them.
"Anything interesting happen today?" Her grandmother asked, taking a look at the small cup that Sophie had emptied in one large sip. Greek coffee cups were really small because the coffee was so strong. You only needed so much.
Sophie knew her grandmother was analyzing the patterns the extra grounds had made in her cup, and she offered it with her own amused expression, "Do you want to read it?"
Her grandmother shook her head, "I shouldn't, but I guess I could."
Her grandmother liked to 'read the cup' for fun. Reading the grounds that dried in your coffee cup was a fun way to 'predict' your own future, and while Sophie didn't take it seriously it was a great way to pass the time.
Glancing at her grandfather, she observed as he gazed at her grandmother's pursed lips with raised eyebrow. "Oh, is it something good? Am I supposed to expect a raise at work?"
"You haven't had a raise since you were thirty years younger." Her grandmother responded matter-of-factly, glancing at her husband out of the corner of her eye with a smile.
"So then, what is it?"
Her grandmother smiled again with an 'aha!' as she tapped what Sophie figured was an image in the cup, "Look at this! A perfect bird!"
Sophie blinked in surprise. "A bird? What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, what do I know?" her grandmother answered with a shrug, "It could be a wolf."
"For all I know it means you need to filter that coffee more." Her grandfather mumbled from behind his book.
"Nick!" Her grandmother exclaimed, whacking her husband lightly on the arm, "I make good coffee, and don't you forget it!"
"Yes, yes." Her grandfather admonished, waving his hand.
Sophie giggled into her palm, before getting up from the table, "I should start my work. I've got an essay due next week that I'm almost done with."
"Okay darling." Her grandmother replied, steeling a fake pouty glance at her husband, "I'll be down here with your grandfather if you need us."
"Okay."
The dream was pure at first.
Softly, Sophie had turned into the comfort of her blankets. She had fallen into sleep easily, and Sen had taken his post at the foot of the bed.
The dream had come smooth and interrupted. Then, like milk being poured into a dark coffee, the surface of the dream changed shape.
Sometimes, images that Sophie had experienced through the touch of others would seep into her dreams. The same vividness would appear, playing like a video over and over again. If a person she touched hands with had particular memories that were especially potent, the absorption would not only be taken in at the moment of contact, but other times in the form of forceful dreams or visions. They could randomly appear at any time. For the few people that Sophie had absorbed memories from, visions could appear even months after she had come into contact with them.
She saw parts of Bryan Mather's life once again floating across her eyelids. This time, it was a specific event. She saw a girl, but could not tell exactly who it was in the dark. Apparently, Bryan Mather hadn't known who it was either. But she was sobbing, the cries racking Sophie's brain in taunting echoes. Was it an ex-girlfriend? What had happened?
She woke up abruptly. Turning and tossing in her bed, she sighed frustratingly as she sat up. The echoes of the girl's tears still rang in her head.
Glaring at nothing in particular, she cast Sen a jealous look as the cat curled contentedly at the edge of her bed, sound asleep.
"You lucky little shit." She murmured, glancing at the clock.
1:27 glared at her in bright blue from the tiny alarm clock on her nightstand. The house was quiet except for its natural noises, and Sophie knew her grandparents must have gone to bed hours ago.
Steeling herself for a moment, she made a decision. She was sure that sleep was not going to come easy tonight. She stretched, pulling back her purple covers to place her feet on the bare wooden floor.
"Looks like another library night." She whispered to herself.
Sighing, she got up, going across the room to her closet. Opening the door quietly, she pulled out some black leggings and a hoodie with rosemaling embroidery.
She didn't usually worry about making noise on these nights. Conveniently, her grandparents were extremely heavy sleepers, and on top of that took medicine to make sure they'd get a full night's sleep. The only one in the house who wasn't a heavy sleeper was her.
Quickly, she braided her mink brown hair into a sloppy side braid and slipped on a pair of dark purple gloves. After putting some flat boots on, she slipped some essentials into her backpack and crept out of her room.
She left her door open and her bed unmade. A notepad sat in the kitchen. She quickly scribbled that she'd gone to school early just in case her grandparents woke up before their usual time. This way she could be gone the whole night and they wouldn't notice she had left the house late if they found the note in the morning. They would assume that she had just left early for one reason or another.
This mission always required stealth, and she had pulled it off numerous times since the beginning of high school. She couldn't stand sitting around in her room, browsing the bright screen of her computer for hours on end until dawn broke with no one to talk to.
Hey, not like Sen was going to tattle on her.
Inaudibly, she locked the front door behind her and made her way down the street, humming as she breathed in the crisp air.
From Gotham Academy, it would only take a small bus ride to the Gotham Public Library. Thankfully, the library had special hours because of its rich patrons, and was open twenty-four seven except on weekends. It was there that Sophie would find herself when she was unable to sleep at home.
Sometimes she'd find herself waking up in a small corner of the library from her phone alarm, a book page stuck to her cheek. She'd get up, head to Gotham Academy, and use the girl's restroom to brush her teeth and fix her appearance.
These were the nights where she'd acquaint herself with the works of Jane Austen or Rumiko Takahashi. The library was impossibly large, and full of all kinds of books.
One would think that she'd be worried about taking public transportation at night. But if you weren't in a shadier part of town, it was normal to see people crowding in on a bus, going out for the nightlife or working late. Gotham city was just like New York- alive at night. Whether it was safe or not, it was abuzz.
And nighttime was when people could keep their eyes out for a glimpse of Gotham's most famous tourist attractions: Batman and Robin.
Granted, it wasn't as safe as Metropolis, but Sophie knew the bus driver, and the public library was in a big plaza near the business district of Gotham.
She arrived around 1:58, the lights from inside the Gotham Public Library welcoming her as she climbed up the steps.
Entering, she savored the atmosphere as she wandered around to find her own spot. There were quite a few people in the library tonight, and a lot of them seemed to be university students.
Huh. Midterms must be coming up for them.
Thinking of their exams brought another familiar subject to her.
I do have that Great Expectations exam in English next week…
With renewed resolve Sophie decided to look for a copy of Great Expectations, or anything that would help her with her studying. Anything to keep the girl's terrified, widened eyes out of her echoing thoughts.
After checking a computer to find it, she climbed up to the third level of the library. Up there it was pretty secluded, and the silence comforted her as she perused the goldenly lit library. Between shelves loaded with tomes new and old, several tables or couches arranged in circles were placed.
And Sophie definitely knew from experience- those cushions were comfy.
Hm…the book…
Finding the location she was looking for, she plucked the book from the shelf and observed the cover. Satisfied, she nodded before exiting the aisle. Looking to the left towards the corner of the building, she decided that she'd head to a particularly quiet corner that had lovely large windows.
Making her way quietly, her eyes widened in surprise.
Are you freaking kidding me?!
There, near her favorite spot, a familiar shock of black hair had greeted her view.
Hunched over a number of papers, Jason was scribbling away amongst a pile of books and what looked like several coffee cups.
Seriously?
She had stopped in her spot, several feet away from the table he was sitting at. Her favorite couch was perched to the right of the large table.
Unfortunately, but thankfully, empty.
She sighed internally, clenching Great Expectations in her hand.
Might as well say hi, or it'd be awkward.
Approaching the table, she stopped across from him. He must have been really into his work, for he hadn't raised his head to acknowledge her.
Either that or he was just ignoring her. But then again, she always made the worst assumptions of people.
Hesitantly, she opened her mouth, "Jason?"
In a flash his eyes met hers, and she was startled by the intent anger that was painted across his face. His eyes were flashing; more of a burning emerald from her view. His mouth was almost fashioned into a snarl, his brows furrowed. He looked like pure rage.
And- more concernedly- his under-eye circles were so black she could have compared him to a panda. And what was that large scratch on his cheek?!
Had he gotten into a fight at school?
In the moment she had etched his expression into her head his face instantly softened into that of innocent surprise.
"Oh, it's you."
He sighed and raised a hand, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. "Sorry about that."
Sophie raised a brow. "It's okay, I guess." She looked more closely to the pile of stuff on the table, and the open laptop, "Busy studying?"
"Yeah," he answered, holding back a yawn, "Unfortunately, I've got an essay due tomorrow that I haven't finished yet."
"Oh?" She smiled lightly.
He grinned lightly, and she felt confused at how easily he had switched facial expressions.
Her attention was caught by a newspaper off to the side of him. It seemed new, and the headline was big: FAMOUS MODEL COMMITS SUICIDE, GPD INVESTIGATES.
Her brows furrowed in sadness. She knew that Gotham was home to some foul people, but the reminder of the harsh life there from time to time only made it more real for her.
"You're not stalking me, are you?" Jason's teasing voice interrupted her.
Jolting out of her reverie she almost had a panic attack.
"W-What?! N-n-no! If anything, I should be worried about you stalking me!" she nearly shrieked, her face turning pink from embarrassment.
"Hey, this is a library! Someone might shush you." Jason admonished, a teasing lilt to his voice. "Just kidding though. We do go to the same school, and this library is the only one open all the time."
She sighed in relief and then huffed, her eyebrow narrowing skeptically at him. "So, what's this essay you've got?"
Jason sighed exasperatedly, picking up a book and handing it to her. "See for yourself."
She put down Great Expectations and picked up the dark blue volume Jason had handed to her, "The Works of Edgar Allen Poe?"
Smiling brightly, she looked at him, "That's exciting though! Poe has great work!"
Jason blinked at her sudden enthusiasm, "I'm not saying he doesn't." He pretended to be offended, "You always think I don't like what I'm reading!"
She let out a small nervous laugh, flipping through the index, "I'm just really protective of my favorite works." She looked at him again, "You're not doing The Raven, are you?"
He raised his eyebrow, "I can hear it coming. No, why?"
"While it's beautiful and I love it, didn't we all have to memorize it in middle school?" Sophie asked, turning towards a page that was bookmarked.
Annabel Lee
"Oh." She read the poem fondly, tracing the lines quietly as Jason watched on.
She looked up at him and handed him back the book, "Annabel Lee? That's a nice choice."
If only for a moment Jason's eyes flashed with that familiar rage she had seen earlier, and she didn't know why. She didn't even know, for some reason, why she didn't fear him despite it.
"So what is the essay topic specifically?" Sophie asked, trying to get that look out of his gaze. The harshness of it marred him in an unnatural way, and she didn't like it.
Seriously, Sophie?
"It's just one of those 'analyze a piece of poetry' ones. Not too hard."
She nodded, "What made you choose that particular one?"
For a moment, he said nothing, and Sophie was worried she had talked too much.
"I guess…" Jason sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The movement caught her attention. Suddenly, something struck her.
The roots of his hair, though miniscule, seemed off. She couldn't tell for certain.
Jason's hair is not really black? Or am I just seeing things?
She was intrigued, but her thoughts were cut off as Jason handed her the newspaper she had glanced at earlier.
Jason's mouth was in a straight line as he handed it over. She took it and finally decided to sit down, realizing she wasn't just stopping over to say hi. Pulling out a chair, she sat down at the table across from him.
Now that she could look closer, she saw the explanation under the large headline. A model named Gloria Stanson had committed suicide after she had been raped. Authorities could not find the man who had done it.
"This really saddens me." She murmured, putting down the newspaper on the table.
Jason nodded, seeming suddenly even older than usual, "Me too."
The silence for a moment was palpable. Then Jason sighed. "It's just…." He pulled out the book of poems and slapped it down next to the newspaper headline with enough force to surprise her. Looking down, she noticed it was opened to Annabel Lee.
Jason frowned, "If you read the way that Poe talks about Annabel Lee…"
Sophie looked up at him, perplexed but curious.
He took another breath, "The love, and the devotion that there is for this Annabel Lee…why can't real life be like that?"
The crease in his brows unfurled as a certain sadness graced his features, "Why can't women like Gloria have that instead of having to go through…" he gestured to the headline, a faint expression of disgust returning.
Sophie, while surprised that Jason was telling her about this, was happy to learn that her suspicions had been right. Jason was a good kid, just a little rough around the edges. And also very attractive, which made things even worse for her.
But at that moment, she could sympathize. She often wondered if she'd stay in Gotham after college. Or would she go back to Greece to live? Choices, choices. But with all the violence in Gotham, especially towards women…
Looking at Jason, she could tell this had been on his mind for a while. While she had been nervous to be in his presence, his softened behavior towards the subject made her want to hug him. But she couldn't. That would be totally weird. The fact that he was talking to someone like her was too weird already.
Instead she chose to hand him back Annabel Lee, a shy grin on her face, "You're right, Jason, women like Gloria Stanson shouldn't have to go through that. But that is why we have people like you, who recognize the wrong that is going on. Your decision, your choice, to admit that there needs to be change is a good thing. You are doing the best you can under the circumstances."
She shrugged, "At least, I guess you are. I mean, I've only known you for a little while."
Jason stared at her quietly.
Before she knew it, a small grin had crept on to his face in thanks, and she knew she was in trouble. He was going to be too much of a good thing to handle at close distance.
