Love Crime
Day in and day out Shadow tried to keep going. For three months he kept looking for Jasper after she disappeared. Shadow woke up that morning and Jasper wasn't their, no trace no nothing, just an empty chair where she was sitting before he went to sleep. Shadow tried so hard to look for the gem, he swore he asked everyone in the city if they seen her. Jasper only existed in his world, he was the only one she had trusted with what she knew, with what she was. Now Jasper was gone and Shadow had to keep going. During the daytime everything was alright. Shadow worked out, went to work, cleaned up a little. At night when it was quiet and still was when it drove him mad. Jasper had filled those quiet nights with the soft sounds of her sleeping, the warmth he felt when he would wake up and see her was one he hadn't felt since Erica. Now, the nights were cold and every morning was the same. Shadow couldn't take it anymore and took to the bar. He hated drinking but the pain in his chest started to come back, he thought he had beaten it but Jasper leaving reopened the wound. Friday night was a good night to be out.
"You want to die punk!" Another blow fell against Shadow's face knocking the sense out of him. A pair of hands grab the attacker. "Bill calm down you're gonna kill him!" The voices mixed in with the yelling all the way down the alley way.
Shadow laid against the trash bins bleeding from his nose and mouth. His busted lip felt numb along with the pain. Guess the alcohol wasn't beat out of him. Shadow tried to stand on his feet but just fell over. Everything swayed like a pendulum. Shadow fell back against the wall laughing. He always did have a worse tongue when he was drunk which was rare. Once he finally got his feet under him he started to walk. In this state he didn't care where he ended up. Home was silent and empty. His feet grew more sluggish and his vision blurry, wow he was a really light drinker.
The man took to more steps when he blinked and a figure suddenly appeared dressed in a black cloak. They stood so still Shadow thought it was a statue. As drunk as he was he wasn't that stupid and knew meeting random strangers in an alley was never a good sign.
"Wha you wan?" Shadow slurred sloshing about as he spoke. Anyone else that looked at the poor man would have said he caught a cause of the Forest Whitaker eye with a hint of wacky inflatable tube man arms. The statue still didn't move. Maybe he was drunker than he thought. He went to move around it and the statue moved to block him off.
"Wo so...you doo mow... huh." Shadow went to move around and again was cut off. He started to grow angry and moves his face in front of the stranger. His vision was blurred so he couldn't make any features on their face.
It finally spoke. "Where is the gem?" It asked sternly. Their voice was feminine and soft, but held something dangerous in it. Shadow was now more alert and stepped back slowly. "Tell me now." She demanded.
Shadow put his hands up and shrugged. "Woah girl before you ask questions buy me dinner first?" A drunken grin spread across his face at his own amusement.
The woman walked faster, this human's arrogance was making her tires. "So you want to play dumb huh? I think I can fix that."
Her hand struck for his throat like a snake. Shadow weaved out of the way and fell backwards to dodge the front kick to his chin. Shadow tisked as he rubbed his backside. "Okay fine an appetizer will do."
The female grew more irritated and struck faster. Shadow rolled backwards dodging the axe kick to his head rolled to his feet and put his hands up to defend against the side kick. Shadow gritted his teeth against the pain. He blocked the strike with his arms and it felt like he was struck with a hammer. Shadow spun around throwing his leg out in a perfect spin hook kick. Now Shadow really yelped when his heel struck what felt like steel. "Damn it!" He yelled jumping and dodging to avoid her strikes. One of her knife hand strikes broke through his defense and struck him in the collar bone. It hit a nerve and Shadow could feel his whole body go loose. Shadow slumped backwards against the wall hitting his head hard. If he wasn't losing consciousness before he definitely was going to now.
"What do you… want with me?" Shadow looked up at his enemy. He could barely make out any definitive features except for a pair of sky blue eyes. Just like Erica's.
Shadow in his drunken state didn't know any better and started to slip away, between the fight and drinking his body was done. Before the figure could say anything else Shadow slumped over unconscious.
The air was damp and smelled of mold. Water dripped from holes in the roof creating pools of diluted water that glowed in the moonlight that snuck through the cracks of the walls. The stranger leaned against the wall waiting for the human to wake up. There was no doubt this was the man her friend had told her about. No one would fight like he did if he didn't have something to hide. Now it was a matter of if he will cooperate or not.
Shadow began to stir. "Ooh my head." Shadow groaned. He went to rub at his temples and found that he couldn't. When he tried again he cursed at the feeling of his skin being ripped, his wrists were tied behind his back in the chair he sat in. "Well this is kinky."
The cloaked stranger walked out from the darkness. Her face was still concealed under the hood. "All you have to do is answer my questions human and I'll let you go."
Shadow spat on the floor next to him, he looked up at her with a defiant look in his eyes. "Sorry honey but I don't remember the safety word. Was it pineapples?" He fidgeted in the chair hoping to loosen his restraints to no avail. He was really at the mercy of this stranger.
The stranger grew more irritated. "Where is the being that's been staying with you?"
"Who are you talking about… have you been stalking me? I was wondering why I couldn't find a pair of socks, I've been looking everywhere so if you-" Shadows constant rambling was cut off quickly. The stranger stepped forward quickly and kicked him in the stomach knowing him over. Shadow could have swore he heard something like a crack, everything he drank at the bar came back up and he vomited on the floor next to him. A sour acidic taste was left in his mouth.
"You want to keep playing these games human or do you want to start talking." Her voice wavered as if she was straining to stay in control of her anger.
"I don't even know who you're talking about!" Shadow yelled with all his might. Her hands grabbed him with surprising strength and set him up right. He tried to bite at the stranger's hands when she reached to grab his face.
Her mouth moved close to his ear sending a flash of anger throughout his body. "I won't talk." He spat trying to wrench his face free.
She was beginning to respect this human, in his situation he should have been scared but she sensed the complete opposite in him. It reminded of her how she use to be all those years ago."You are putting lives at risk human! Your wasting my time while she is out there somewhere plotting to take over the world."
Something clicked inside Shadow. His eyes opened like saucers at her words. "Jasper? Are you talking about Jasper?" It was too late Shadow slipped up and couldn't take his words back. Her fingers gripped so hard against his face he that she was going to break his jaw.
"You do know her! Tell me where she is now!"
Shadow lunged forward. "I don't know alright! Jasper just left me! No word, no note, no nothing! All that time together meant nothing to her." Shadow's head dropped, he didn't have the strength to pretend the pain of her betrayal didn't bleed him dry.
The stranger didn't say a word, she just walked behind him and began to untie his bindings. "I'm sorry I must've made a mistake I don't think we are talking about the same person."
"Yeah," Shadow gave a dry chuckle, "Jasper wasn't the best person to be around but I wouldn't take her over anyone else."
Now the stranger was really curious. "Is the person you speak of a human?" Though he couldn't see her face her body language betrayed what she was feeling.
Shadow rubbed at his tender wrists. Nothing he said mattered at this point he already sounded crazy. "Jasper was something called a gem. An alien from a planet called Homeworld. I know she did some bad things in her past but she isn't the same anymore." Shadow rose to his feet slowly, his feet felt like lead and his head light. "If we're looking for the same person then I want to help."
The stranger laughed. "Oh silly human you ask for things that cannot be. Even if we were to find Jasper you and I have two very different missions."
Shadow went low and came up with a side kick. The stranger did a backflip to avoid the attack. She landed back onto her feet. Shadows jaw almost dropped. "Y-you're like her."
Shadow took a step back into the chair almost falling over. Her hair was a peachy color, those sky blue eyes reminded him of Erica's but lacked a human touch. On the middle of her forehead was a white oval gem. A pearl.
"Foolish human!" Pearl ripped the cloak from her body revealing herself. Her body was slim but she stood a little bit taller than him. She wore a sleeveless blue top with a star in the center, wrapped around her waist was a blue sash that formed a ribbon in the back. Shadow didn't know why she wore ballet shoes but he wouldn't ask. The gem reminded him of a ballerina gone missing from a space opera.
"You're a gem too. You must be one of the Crystal Gems Jasper told me about." Shadow put his hands up ready to fight. He knew he was clearly outmatched but that didn't mean he wouldn't put up a fight. "If you want a round two then I'm ready to serve up an asswhoopin for free."
Pearl chuckled at the human, he was very amusing. Pearl reached for her gem and focused, a light shone from it and she summons a spear. "You'll really fight for her huh?" Pearl asked confused, how could anyone fight for that brute was beyond her. Pearl was almost convinced it was gem magic but that couldn't be it. No one with that look in their eyes could possibly be being controlled by something. Pearl let her spear disappear. "I'll be the judge of her. I'm going to find Jasper."
"Then let me come with you! I want to know why she just left. I know you have no obligation towards me but I swear I'll forever be in your debt if I could just get an answer from her." Shadow kept walking towards the gem, the look in his eyes scared the gem. It was the same look she had when Rose disappeared from her life. Pearls back hit the wall. His palms hit the wall on either side of her blocking her from moving. Pearl couldn't move she was so entranced by this man.
Shadow's voice held a desperation he never thought he had. "Please gem, help me find her."
Pearl looked past him shyly. Her lack of interaction with humans showed in her body language. Pearl never had a human come at her so strongly This was so new to her, so out of the norm for her. Pearl gave up trying to rationalize a thought and shook her head. Shadow stepped back away from Pearl giving her some space. Maybe he had been a little bit to rash, her cheeks were turning a shade of blue now.
Shadow and Pearl left the rundown hotel she was staying in. They left to his apartment. Shadow opened the door half expecting Jasper to be laying in his bed curled up. He wanted so badly to see the orange gem waiting for him. From the doorway he could see that his bed was just as empty as it was when he left it. Pearl didn't say a word to Shadow only a thank you when he offered to give up his bed. Pearl would have argued if she wasn't worried about upsetting him, the look on his face when he saw that no one was in his home was saddening.
Shadow laid down on the couch. His thoughts of what tomorrow could bring made him anxious. All these questions and no answer drive him mad. Their was nothing he could do though. Shadow folded his arms behind his head and looked out at the stars. Tomorrow would be a new day.