25th Chapter up. :) This ones a shorty before I move onto the following day. Points out a few differences between that characters and the their regular universe versions. Please R and R ,I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.
Chapter 24
Garfield trudged his way into the lift, his soaked clothes dripping water onto the marble floor of the lobby. Garfield pressed the button that would take him to his floor and waited patiently for his floor as his clothes leaked water. Dragging himself down the hallway he slammed his fist on the door to his room. After a few moments Rachael opened the door from the couch with her powers. Rachael who was now clad in a night gown did not even look up from her book as the drenched Garfield stomped by behind her and headed up to his room.
Rachael almost smirked to herself as she heard the floor squelch as Garfield as he passed but she was close to feeling bad about throwing him into the sea, though she wasn't about to tell him that. Rachael flicked through the pages of her book absorbing the words and forming the images they created vividly in her mind. She had made her way through about two dozen pages when Garfield returned now in a dressing gown himself. The teens remained silent as Garfield flicked the TV on and watched without saying a word to Rachael.
"One for holding grudges are we Garfield," Rachael said after a while despite rather enjoying the silence that existed between them. Garfield only pouted and continued to watch the mindless drivel that played out on the TV in front of him. "There is no need to be so childish Garfield." With that Garfield seemed to snap his eye twitching slightly as he turned to face her.
"Me childish, dude you just threw me into the water because you can't deal with your feelings..." Garfield was cut short in his rant when Rachael took him by the throat with her powers and suspended him in the air. After overcoming his initial shock Garfield continued, "Why do you keep acting like you don't have emotions, I've been in your mind..." Garfield stopped when he realised his mistake. Rachael wasn't sure if she was about to fly into a rage or break down and cry.
"You... you went into mind. How dare you?" Rachael screamed as she began throttling Garfield, "I can't believe you, it's everything that I am my feelings, my secrets and you're trampling around in my head. Why were you even in my room are you spying on me." Rachael continued the barrage but Garfield wasn't listening, as far as he saw it he wasn't the one to blame here.
"Well if you weren't constantly playing miss creepy and mysterious." Garfield retorted causing Rachael to drop him and begin storming up the stairs, "Why can't you act like a normal person." Garfield continued to yell after her but she wasn't listening. Rachael reached her room and slammed the door behind her. Rachael sat down with her back to her door and rested her head against it.
"I'm not creepy..." Rachael muttered to herself before, despite her usual control over her emotions, she began weeping uncontrollably. On the floor below Garfield sighed before letting rage get the better of him and he slammed his fist against the wall before storming out of their room and down the hallway towards the lift. Once inside he began frantically pressing the button to take him to the bottom floor. After a few presses Garfield lost his cool again and repeatedly slammed his fist into the button console.
"Well I'm depressed," Victor said in a slightly chirpy manor as he, Joey and Wally drove home, "I don't know about you lot but the big man is going to be getting himself some well deserved sleep." Wally and Joey nodded before Wally spoke up.
"Do you reckon we're going to get some sort of reward for saving the city, you know a real reward and not just the fame and the glory." Wally said with a grin and Victor shook his head. Wally sighed as Joey laughed. "I suppose fame equals women though huh." Victor laughed at Wally's statement before responding.
"Yeah but you wear a mask so how are they going to know it's you?" Victor said calmly and Joey smirked again. "The ladies know I'm 'The Cyborg' so I'm in, well more so than Olympic gold medallist Victor Stone ever was." Wally smiled as the car approached the island.
"Still anonymity has its advantages; after all I can walk down the street without people staring which is nice." Wally responded and Victor laughed as he parked the car outside the Tower. The trio disembarked and headed into the tower laughing as they interchanged comments. As they approached the lift the doors opened and Garfield barged past them all. "Gar?" Wally called out as he passed. Victor decided to chase after Garfield whilst the other two watched from the lobby.
Victor followed Garfield slowly, watching as his green friend sat down on the edge of their and began throwing rocks across the bay. Victor set himself down next to Garfield and waited a few moments before placing a hand on his friends shoulder. "You all right green bean?" Victor asked as the green boy threw another rock across the lake. Garfield nodded and sighed.
"Yeah I'm fine, I don't know why I got so angry, I've been rather angry lately don't know why." Garfield said as Victor looked at him. Victor looked over his friend, from the claws and fur visible on his hands to the point ears and spiked teeth in his mouth.
"You're changing Garfield, you know that. When we first met green bean you looked like a normal kid who happened to be green. Now you have claws on your hands and pointy ears on your head, you're becoming more animal every Garfield. Maybe it's your psychology that is changing now rather than you physiology. I'll need to take DNA samples again; I suppose I should collect the others to. Rachael and Star's DNA should give me an interesting evening." Victor said softly and Garfield nodded.
"Yeah maybe your right," Garfield said before rising to his feet, "wish me luck, I've got to go apologise to Rae." Victor smiled and headed back to the lobby collecting Wally and Joey along the way. The trio entered the lift and Victor was about to push the button when he realised the control panel was hanging off the lift's side. Victor sighed and began making repairs.
Rachael sat with her head in her hands; she'd never spent so long in one place since leaving the monks, in the last week he had probably spoken to her more than anyone else in her life. If he found her creepy what did everyone else think? "I shouldn't care what people think of me," Rachael sighed before breaking down again, "Nobody understands me. It's not my fault I'm different, I only want to help this world and all I..." Rachael was interrupted by a knocking sound. Trying to regain control of her emotions before she melted the Tower, Rachael rose to her feet before opening the door.
To her surprise Rachael found that nobody was on the other side of her door. It was then she heard the knock again and realised that it was coming from the window. Rachael made her way over to the window and pulled back the heavy draped curtains. Rachael jumped back at the site of Garfield smiling on the other side of the window. Rachael was about to blow Garfield off the building but Garfield waved his hands in a pleading manor and she decided to restrain herself.
"Look Rae," Garfield said softly, looking down at is feet, "I'm sorry ok, I don't what's up with me lately, I'm not normally so angry." Rachael shook her head and stepped closer t the widow. Garfield sweated slightly wondering if Rachael was going to send him into the bay again.
"But you meant what you said," Rachael said poking the glass of the window but with a hint of sadness still clear in her voice. Garfield sighed and nodded causing Rachael to turn away from him and rest her back against the window. Garfield did the same before continuing.
"There's something you should know," Garfield said softly and after Rachael maintained her silence he decided to carry on. "I'm changing, dying even," Garfield stopped when he heard Rachael gasp on the other side of the window but he continued talking. "I've been trying to hide it from Vic forever but he's worked it out so I might as well tell you myself. My DNA is changing, leaking. Different animal features are becoming part of my normal form. I have claws, additional senses and that's great but things are changing in my head, I as I am may... stop."
Garfield turned to see Rachael looking at him with a shocked face and he nodded. Rachael thought to herself for a few moments before speaking. "All my life I've been told my fate," Rachael said sadly as she placed her palm on the glass. "There are some things in life we can't change; we just have to make the most out of what we can."
"I'm sure Vic will find something to stop it, I'm just worried about how far gone I'm going to be before he does." Garfield sighed, "And I really am sorry about before." Rachael nodded and smiled before turning so she faced away from him again. "Don't suppose you're going to tell me about your fate."
"Maybe another time Garfield," She said with a small smile as she closed her curtains. Garfield sighed and gazed out over the bay as the stars reflected from its surface.
Slade arrived back in the living room just as William put his phone down. "Interesting development sir," William said as his friend arrived and Slade beckoned for him to continue. "I have just made my retirement know sir, and it appears the Empire could use our services." Slade raised his eyebrows and William continued, "This does rather solve our employment problems, though I'll still go collect our underground man, we always have a backup plan then. We've been asked to meet the Field Marshall onboard the Ark Royal at five o'clock tomorrow."
"What sort of work are we looking at here?" Slade asked and William shrugged as the duo sat and watched TV. "Since when did the Empire use mercenaries?"
"The last time I remember use using mercs was in India, we hire to take out the infrastructure before we went in. There was no way for India to link the attacks to us so all was good. That's probably what we'll be looking at." William said and Slade nodded.
"Where are we going to be then?" Slade asked, "Are we in for some nice weather?"
"The have to trying to take their luck with the new west African super state, it doesn't even have a name yet so they'll be a simple job. The Empire controls all of east Africa along with all of their former territory in the west. If this is right they could control the entire continent by the end of the year." William said before grinning, "Nice to know we have a powerful business partner."
Slade smirked before becoming a bit glum, "The funerals are soon, I'm not sure how Rose is taking it and I haven't heard from Joey in days."
"Aye I hear you, I'm flying out to Russia later in the week, meeting up with the Cosmonaut's father, to give my respects and everything." William said softly and Slade nodded, William raised his glass to a quick toast. "To the fallen I guess." Slade matched this call and the duo turned back to the TV.
"Looks like we're locked up here Star," Dick said as he tried the life button in his room, "We might have to wait a while before we go out for that dinner. I'd let you fly us out here but it's bound to rain." Starfire smiled as she watched TV and Dick took his phone out and made a call. "I'll just deal with something."
"Hi Alfred good to speak to you, is Bruce there? Right thanks. Hey Bruce, about our discussion, I can't leave the city right now, I have things I'm fighting for here." Dick said softly down the phone. "You know I think that you should be continuing under the mantel."
Starfire glanced up at her boyfriend as he entered deep discussion with his mentor before turning back to the TV. Starfire smiled as her fungus programme came on and reclined to watch it deciding she might be here a while as Dick began discussing his mentor taking up a new sidekick.
"Look Bruce there are dozens of kids out there that need help just like I did, you could take a couple on, lighten the load and everything." Dick said with a grin, "You could carry on for years with the right people round you Bruce. You need a team Bruce, an everyday one. It's worked wonders for me."