[Next Chapter is up. Enjoy!. ~Mara]
Chapter 10: All In The Dark
Jinx found a good location in partial shade to the side of the tower—a perfect place for her to sit and read. The city in the distance was somewhat noisy, but nothing she couldn't easily adjust to.
Surprisingly the late afternoon was bright and even a bit cheerful—unlike most, if not all, of the past several days. The sun—although in an advanced stage in its cycle—was bright and cheery. Jinx wasn't interested in little effects like that; she was more interested in just getting into that novel and poring over it before it got too dark.
She took a seat amongst some gangly grass blades, cross-legged, situating herself just before she cracked open that novel and began to read.
In a world very few realize exists, shadows have a life of their own—
XoXoXoXoXoX
Gotham was looking to be slightly depressing come morning; the sun hid itself yet again behind tired looking clouds, and periodical showers washed the city with their water drops from the heavens above.
Robin and Raven checked out of their lodging early in the morning, hoping to start their search for answers early.
That eve Raven had an uneventful slumber, not bothered with troubling dreams or visions of things happening with their friends. Even though they both were relieved by that fact, Raven was a little disappointed by it because of the fact that left them with out any further clues—or answers about how their friends were still keeping up. She hadn't had any connection whatsoever with Cyborg, and that had her a little concerned.
Did something happen to him where he can't be reached, or is it even possible he is—
"Raven—how you doing back there? Holding up?" Robin called back to her as he steered his motorcycle through busy midday traffic. It took her a moment to respond, something he noticed. "Rae—you okay back there?"
"Uh—yeah, I'm fine," Raven responded. "I was just—caught up in thought just a second ago and didn't hear you the first time."
"Oh? What about?" Robin asked her. "Is it okay for me to pry like this?"
"Yeah—it's fine," Raven replied. "I was just—thinking about the others…the lack of a visual connection of any form with Cyborg. I guess—I'm getting a little concerned with that…it's taking most of my concentration."
"I'm sure—if the other two are still for the most part okay—he would be too," Robin said, trying to be reassuring. "A possible reason could be because half of his mind is mechanical—which you might not be able to make a connection with using your method so easily as the other two."
"That could be." Raven looked upwards at the sky—the grey abysmal sky. "Are we getting close to our first stop?"
"The city's largest library branch is just a few blocks from here," Robin told her. "I've been mostly looking for a good—safe place—to park."
The trip until he found the right parking spot they were silent. She watched what was going on around them, while he watched the road and the flow of traffic.
He found a parking garage a block down from their destination. He parked them in a spot three floors up.
They exited at street level, the exit meeting up conveniently with the sidewalk.
"Which way?" Raven asked.
"This way," Robin replied. "Just follow my lead."
The library—Raven got the idea that the interior covered a great deal of square footage just from the fact that the entryway itself was largely proportioned for its own needs.
They headed up the cold stone stairway towards that entryway, with Robin reaching for the door handle when they'd climbed the flight of stairs. He opened it for her, motioning for her to enter. He followed after she'd stepped in. He noticed a look of awe in her eyes at the sight of what was inside, knowing well just why that was.
"I wish I could allow you to just roam this place all day looking over what this place has to offer, Rae, but—right now we just don't have the time," Robin told her. She looked at him, showing that she understood completely.
"Maybe—next time we come in to Gotham," Raven said. Robin smiled, nodding slightly.
"Yeah," Robin replied. "Maybe next time."
"Where should we get started?" Raven looked around, overwhelmed. "I don't even know where to begin."
"Check the computer database to do a subject search, and then move on from there," Robin replied. "Come—I think it's over there."
XoXoXoXoXoX
Mas Y Menos had wandered from the rest of their team without purpose. A few things had gotten them curious about the lives of the team from the tower they just happened to be wandering around just then.
Curiosity had brought them towards Beast Boy messy abode. To the two speedy twins, it was none too spectacular. The sheets on the bed were disheveled on both levels of the bunk. The floor was sparsely littered with everyday items here and there—nothing one couldn't expect from a typical teenage boy. If it weren't for one thing in particular, they wouldn't even have anything they saw end up imprinted on their memories.
One brother was startled by something. Menos spoke to his brother in Spanish—in a nerve-tensed voice—asking if he'd noticed the shadows moving oddly. To which, Mas responded: yes. Both brothers looked at each other with tension written all over their expressions, fright caught in their eyes. They nervously began to look around.
Another one moved, Mas noted.
That one looks like it—it's human, Menos spoke in fright-intensified Spanish words.
The two knew why they'd avoided coming up to that level before—they'd almost forgotten. How could they have forgotten?
Now they remembered with a great sense of apprehension—that floor was haunted.
The speedy twins were out of there in a blink of an eye.
XoXoXoXoXoX
Raven carried with her a stack of literature under one arm, heading towards one table she and Robin had set up as a meeting point. He was waiting there for her, with his own set of material resting upon the tabletop.
"Find anything useful?" Robin asked her as she took a seat across from him. She held up her load as an indication, three hardbound—and relatively thick—novels.
"These might be promising," Raven told him. "From the descriptions they had for them in the database, they might cover some of the things were searching for answers for. You?"
"Same as you," Robin replied, indicating the thickly bound books he'd discovered. "The material's description contained some of the info we're researching."
"Where to start?" Raven grabbed one random novel from the stack she'd brought over, opening it and searching over the table of contents in the front. "Let's see—" she ran her finger from one of the words that fit her criteria over to the page number, and then began searching for that particular page. "Damn."
"What?" Robin said.
"Looks like this one's not going to be helpful at all," Raven replied. "In this—it only gives a general description on shadows—what angles cause what size, etc—nothing we're looking for."
"Then—on to the next book," Robin suggested.
Raven set aside the useless literature for one that could possibly be more useful. She did much the same with this one as the last—with the same results.
"Two down," Raven remarked.
"Hm, let me take a crack at this," Robin said, taking on he'd brought to the table and mimicked what she'd done with the first two she'd gone through. "Unlike the one you found about more logical aspects on shadows—this one seems to cover the more mystical aspect on them."
"What does it say exactly?" Raven asked, coming over to his side of the table to get a better look for herself.
"Seems to be the telling of Darkness versus the Light—your usual good versus evil kind of thing." Robin stated. "Shadows are dark energy—somewhat evil in nature. Kind of the whole underworld, demonic sort of thing."
"Can you read me a passage?" Raven asked him. He nodded.
"I'll read what it defines shadows as," Robin told her. "It states that there's the natural phenomena of ordinary everyday shadows, but on less common occasions these shadows appear to be more then just merely that. There has been some speculation of these shades being actually supernatural—dark and possibly demonic entities. There's also something about shadows being—possible dark spirits?"
"We could possibly be chasing after ghosts here?" Raven said. Robin shrugged.
"This looks like something based on speculations, and not really on researched facts," Robin pointed out. "For all I know, we could be haunted by evil ghosts—or the whole spooky shadow thing could merely be just a weird coincidence, or something else entirely. I think I want to base my opinion on something more substantial—from a book that seems more researched."
"At least it's something," Raven noted. She looked at the book that still lay open before him.
Some speculate these dark entities are really—
"Ready to call it a day, see if we can check out the remainder for the rest of the afternoon?" Robin asked her, closing the book while she was still reading a certain passage from it. She looked up at him, a bit particularly.
"In a hurry?" Raven asked him particularly.
"We still have to stop in at my mentor's lair to see if we can get any further answers," Robin reminded her. "We've been here a few hours—and it's already four o'clock. It won't be long before dusk sets in, and besides—I have to pay for each hour my cycle's parked in that garage."
"Okay," Raven replied. "I guess I lost track of time."
"Let's take these ones that aren't of any use back to their proper shelves—and check out the ones we haven't looked at yet," Robin told her. She nodded. As he was heading to return the ones he'd brought to the table, she followed from a distance—keeping an eye on the shelf he put that one novel he'd read the passage from. She had a haunting suspicion that she needed to read that book in particular further—and she wanted to make sure she could find it.
They were given a thirty-six hour loan for the books—being as they weren't residents or owners of a card for that branch. Robin's identity had been what had made them trustworthy enough to loan them without a card.
Raven had snuck that one title past Robin's attention—him being totally unaware of the fact that she'd gone back for it while they were leaving the premises.
XoXoXoXoXoX
Lurking in the depths of darkness, beings are hidden, dark and evil entities—
BANG. Jinx looked up from the book to notice the commotion was coming from above her.
"Hey, be careful with that! If I so much as lose my grip on this pane—it's gonna crash and break into a million pieces, so you better get a good handle on this thing!" Jinx noticed Bumblebee shouting from above—a glass panel in her hand. She was buzzing right in front of an empty gaping hole that could presumably be a window formerly.
"Hey, I'm not the only one who needs to get a handle on their balance!" another voice shouted from indoors. Jinx could just see the slightest outlines of Speedy being the other on who'd voiced their opinion back at Bumblebee. Jinx rolled her eyes at their shenanigans and went back to reading.
—Entities that resemble every form of hatred and evil that is present in the world—
"Keep it angled—ANGLED!" Speedy was shouting again. Apparently Jinx couldn't even gain peace enough to read outdoors—
"I'll give you angled if you don't quit giving me a lecture on how to install this thing!" Bumblebee exclaimed in a purely aggravated tone.
"Can you two just get that thing figured out or something?" Jinx shouted up at the two of them. "You're shouting is interfering with my reading!"
"You know you should be helping!" Speedy shouted back. Jinx just rolled her eyes, not bothering to even reply.
She tried to read again, blocking out the shouts and curses coming from above with every iota of her being. The sun was starting to fade, and with the text being handwritten on yellowed parchment paper—she really had to struggle with that added burden.
—They appear as regular shades, but there's more to them than merely that. They have a physical presence to them, a presence that holds malevolence within to their very core—
"What are you reading?" the inquiry came from right next to her; it took her by surprise, so much so she almost exclaimed aloud and jumped several feet upward. Slightly shaken, she noticed Kid Flash had joined her—was right beside her.
"Some book about shadows," Jinx said in a voice she fought to keep even without showing hints that he'd startled her. She was mostly successful. "I can't tell if it's an actual story, some myth type book, or some kind of info book. All I can tell is the thing is old, dated, and handwritten."
"What does it say about shadows?" Kid Flash asked with interest. Jinx looked at him peculiarly.
"There's entities in them that are evil—that are made up of all the evil that exists in this world," Jinx told him. She looked back at the book. "Apparently they're malicious physical entities that can cause harm to people if there's intent, and most often are seen out of the corner of the eye. I guess people mistake these things for natural shadows or something—or so it says. It states that these things are called shadow people mostly, or kinda specifically—shadow men." She looked back up at him. "Sounds like fiction to me. "
"I don't know," Kid Flash seemed to disagree with her. "The way Bee's team has been complaining about this place being haunted by evil shadows or dark spirits or something—I think there might be some truth to what's written in that book."
"Really?" Jinx remarked. "I kind of haven't been paying attention to everything those guys have been babbling about. I recall from some times I've been up there with them, that they were afraid of something—something in the shadows. I guess I assumed they were just crazy—or fraidy cats. I never really bought the haunted shadow defense—at least, not till now anyways."
"I have to wonder why the tower is being haunted by these shadow people in the first place?" Kid Flash wondered. "Jinx—does it say anywhere in there if there's a reason why those entities hang out where they do?"
"I haven't gotten to that point, I'm gonna have to sift through until I find that out in here," Jinx replied. She began studying the handwritten text very closely, with Kid Flash watching intently over her shoulder. Jinx had a sudden jolt, which in turn startled Kid Flash.
"What'd you come across?" Kid Flash exclaimed. Jinx shuddered; when she turned her head his way her expression—especially her eyes—was disturbed.
"Do you have your communicator handy on you?" Jinx asked him seriously. He looked at her questioningly. "Something about what's in here—I think those two that live in this place need to know about it. So—don't question it anymore—and just hand me your communicator if you happen to have it on you so I can break the news of it myself."
"Okay, here," Kid Flash instantly pulled it out and handed it over to her. "Aren't you going to tell the others up there that you've come across something?"
"After I get done with this," Jinx replied, her tone a little irritated. "They're just not as important right now."
Kid Flash looked at her perplexingly while she opened up his communicator and activated it.