Chapter 4

"Please?"

"No way, Sparrow, I refuse! The last time I went in there the woman pulled out an AK-47 on me! That's the type of gun REAL villains use!"

"I don't care! I need more NOW!"

"Why don't you just get it yourself?"

Sparrow shuddered. "Do you know how weird it would look for a boy to walk into a lady's fragrance store?"

Viper sighed, pulled her hair out of its ponytail and started redoing it in a braid. "Fine. But what exactly do you suggest I wear? I am not going dressed like this."

The team sighed in relief. The argument had been going on for a long while.

Sparrow's face went slack. "It's called you go to your house which is two streets over, get changed, go to the freaking store, get changed again, and hand over the stupid bottle! How much more oblivious could you get?"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that last comment," Viper tied off the braid. "And you better start coming up with some good ways to pay me back, because I do expect payment in full," And with that, the girl stalked off.

"And why do you need perfume in the first place?" Artemis asked after they couldn't hear Viper's footsteps anymore.

"Do you spray them in the eyes or something? Oh, I've got it! The smell is so bad that people pass out! (1)" Kid Flash was openly mocking Sparrow, and he knew it.

"As a matter of fact, no," Sparrow glared at the speedster. Then he laughed. "Do you know how funny it is to see the expressions on the bad guys faces when I threaten to spray them? It's hilarious! I once had a situation where a full grown man started crying and practically ran away from me!"

"What do you plan on paying Viper with?" Aqualad questioned.

The boy shrugged, his smile turning into a grimace. "I don't know. Normally how this works is the person who gets paid gets to choose the price. That's what happened with Rage the thirty-fifth."

"Well, what does she normally go for?" M'gann honestly was trying to be helpful, but the only help it did was to make a pained look fly across Sparrow's face.

"Usually she makes me give up my weapons. But due to the fact that I haven't visited her in four years, she might switch tactics and humiliate me."

"Four years? I'd say you deserve it then," Superboy said bluntly.

Sparrow's eyes would've been rolling if they could have seen them. "Gee, thanks for the enthusiasm. But, yeah, probably."

"More like definitely," The team jumped, with the exception of Sparrow, to see Viper.

"Snicker doodle."

Everyone sent Sparrow odd looks and Viper cocked an eyebrow upwards. "You're still using that? Seriously?"

He nodded. "Haven't I ever told you the story? No? Well, my mother loved to bake, but the one thing that you couldn't go near without gagging were her snicker doodles. I was her taste-tester. Essentially when I say that, it means I'm in big trouble."

"I see," clearly, the gangster was not impressed. She tossed a bottle to Sparrow. "I hope you like it better than last seasons, 'Sweet Pea and Violet'."

Sparrow stuffed the bottle in his bag with the rope and baseball bat without looking to see what the name was. "Thanks. What do you want?"

Everyone was quiet. It was as if an unexpected tornado had come through and people were still in shock.

"Hmmm . . . I could make you give me the thirty-seventh," Sparrow's face went white. "Or do something absolutely humiliating like gathering all of the gangsters who used to work for you and making you tell them how old you are," If it was possible, Sparrow's face went even paler than it had been.

Viper started pacing. "Four years . . . Not a word in four years . . . I think this punishment should fit the crime," She turned to the condemned boy. "I sentence you with visiting me once a week until the day you move out of Gotham!"

Kid Flash started laughing. He was shortly followed by the rest of the team.

Sparrow's jaw hung agape. "But-!"

"Oh come on! I've known you weren't ever really gone. I got Crowe to confess that you'd been visiting him once a week. If you can take the time out to see him, you can take the time out to see me," she folded her arms over her chest.

The boy frantically tried to search for a loophole in which to climb out of. No such loophole existed. "Fine," he growled.

She practically beamed at him. "Great! I'll expect to see you sometime next week then!" And with that, Viper vanished into the swirling mix of mist and shadows.

Sparrow's shoulders slumped as soon as she was gone. "I'm a goner. I am seriously way in over my head."

"Why do you get all the girls?" Kid Flash asked suddenly.

Sparrow gaped at him. "You are one disturbing character. Man, she's nineteen!"

"She certainly didn't look nineteen," M'gann said.

"She looked about sixteen with some major issues."

"Nobody asked for your opinion Blondie!"

"Nobody asked for yours either!"

"GUYS!" Sparrow silenced them. "We'll never get anything done if you two don't stop squabbling like a pair of two-year-olds," Artemis and Kid Flash made sour faces. "Now, I've got what I need, let's just get this mission over with and save Quertz. We've got about a mile-and-a-half left."

And with that they set off on their fast pace once again.

Crap. I was just getting used to standing still! Now we have to move quick again! One guess on who asked that.

Would it hurt you to be quiet for once? This one might be harder. I'll give you a clue. The only kid wearing black that had a baseball bat case strapped to his back said this.

Poor Kid Flash. Fate was just not on his side today.

Sorry if these chapters seem short to you. It's all I got for today. Next we'll finally get to saving Ash (Crowe).

1. Thanks to Robin-Is-Awesomeical for that blip. It was fun to write.