CHAPTER TEN!!! I'm on a roll! (kidding).

Amazingly short, please don't hate me for it.

Chapter Ten

It was eleven. Tony had finally gotten back from that meeting an hour ago. He looked slightly irritated and just told us he was going downstairs. Ten seconds later, Iron Man was flying out of the house. The flock and I had taken this as a good opportunity to fly.

Forty minutes of zooming around like hyperactive mutant birds kids made Nudge, Iggy, Gazzy and Angel look like they would fall asleep if they had somewhere to fall on. After we got back to my room, they had fallen asleep, Total curled up next to Angel. I looked at Fang, who gave me a nod good night and fell asleep.

It was eleven at night and I was the only one awake. I looked around the room, watching the shadows flicker on my walls, listening to the peaceful breathing of the flock. I looked over at Fang and smiled. He frowned in his sleep and curled his hand into a fist.

I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I looked at my clock. 11:32. Maybe I hadn't flown around enough.

I ran into the kitchen, scrawled a note for Tony and the flock and ran out the door. A minute later I ran back inside and grabbed a jumper, it was freezing outside.

I flew down the long driveway, trying to find a place where I could just sit for a while. There was nothing.

I flew higher and let my feet hang below me. I flapped for a second then dropped. I felt a familiar rush of joy as the wind rushed past me, as my hair flew around my face.

I closed my eyes and let the joy wash over me. I didn't get many moments like this. I opened my eyes, smiling, and looked down.

'AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!'

I landed on the top of a tall building, grazing myself badly. At least this roof wasn't slanted, just flat. I shook my head, fell over, pulled myself back up and went to the edge of the building, looking down.

It was Gotham's main street. All the lights and the people and the loud car honks reminded me of New York. It was quite breathtaking, in a way.

I sighed and someone behind me stuttered, 'Wha… what did…?'

I turned around and saw a pale face with large blue eyes and blond hair. I swallowed as I realised it was Harley Quinn.

'You're… you're the Joker's…' I managed.

'And you're Tony Stark's…'

We stared at each other and she said, smiling sadly, 'I guess you saw me on the news today, huh?'

I didn't reply.

'I'm a complete idiot for telling those people.'

'Why are you here?' I asked, getting ready to take off. No one would believe her.

Harley looked frightened. 'I don't want him to find me.'

'The Joker?' I asked.

'No. Jack.' She looked at me in confusion. 'I bumped into my son earlier.'

'Riiight.'

She shook her head. 'You're young, you wouldn't understand.'

Yeah, right.

'Try me,' I said, nodding.

Harley smiled. 'Yeah, why were you flying?' she asked sarcastically, no trace of the scared woman there.

All right, time to go.

I turned around when the door to the roof opened. Harley screamed and I turned.

Jack Napier was standing on the roof. 'Hello, Harley,' he said, closing the door. Harley looked over at me with eyes that meant, 'GET OUT OF HERE.'

But I was thinking. I could take Harley with me, but that would be helping the woman who spawned Satan himself.

But Harley hadn't done anything wrong… had she?

I made up my mind; I leaned over to grab her wrist.

Harley spun round, looking insane, and punched me in the gut… so hard I was actually winded. Gasping for air, I fell backwards, off the roof.

Harley had made up her mind while I'd been making up mine…

I snapped out my wings and flew towards what I hoped was a deserted park, praying that she was okay.

--

I landed next to a park bench. I sat down and realised I was practically burning up. Tearing off my jumper, I looked around the park. The moonlight was making the bright-coloured plastic playground look eerie and I saw someone who looked a lot older than seven swinging on a flying fox, hitching their feet up off the ground. After ten minutes, they got bored and walked off.

When I was sure this person was gone, I walked over to a swing. Grabbing the cold chains, I sat down, breathing in deeply. I was still a little confused about Harley and thought that even if I had taken her with me, I wouldn't have anywhere to put her. And she would've been found sooner or later.

I trailed my sneakers in the mulch, and realised with a jolt my wings were still out.

I cursed myself for being so stupid and that the person on the flying fox could have seen me. Then again… if they had seen me, they might have thought I was a gargoyle of some sort. Stuff like that could happen in Gotham.

I knew I should tuck my wings in, but they were burning and the cold night air was doing them good.

I decided a few more minutes and swung slightly.

I started humming tunelessly. I don't why, but I did. It sounded eerie, creepy, haunting, dark. But I liked the sound of it and kept it up. It sort of… echoed in a way, like the park was taking in my noise and letting it roam around.

I don't know how long I was humming for. I looked up at the sky, still humming and realised happily that you could actually see the stars. Every couple of minutes, a shooting star would go whoooosh across the sky. I expected one of them to be Tony, but it never was.

Finally, I looked back down at my feet. I wanted to fly up with the stars, but I knew I couldn't. Everything felt magical for some reason. Like J.R.R. Tolkien or something from those Frodo movies. Like it was dark and scary and my weird humming was the theme song.

I grinned at the idea of this and stopped humming. Everything sounded quiet.

I stopped swinging and decided to go. I stood up and someone said, 'I just walked all the way here, don't go now.'

I whipped around, wings still out and hate flooding through me. The Joker was leaning against a tree, arms crossed. 'Take pity on me,' he said sarcastically, nodding at my wings, 'I'm just a mere mortal.'

--

Cliff hanger….

Please review,

-grimmylikesazrael