Note from the author:
Hello readers! I'm so sorry for the very, very late update. My computer busted while I was moving, and I just barely got it fixed. Thank for being so patient!
Please enjoy the chapter and stay safe out there!
SammyChanLuvsU
Jason held the door open for Carol as they left the café. She thanked him briefly and continued to spiel on about aquatic life or something along those lines. He had made the mistake of asking her what she was studying in school. To be honest, he had lost track of how long she had been rambling on. It was kind of cute to see her so excited about something. Kind of.
"Do you have to work today?" Carol asked, apparently having finished her long winded narration.
Caught off guard, Jason shook his head.
"Uh, not till later tonight," he said. "Why?"
"Would you like to kill some time elsewhere?" Carol proposed. "We could head to Jezebel Plaza and walk around there, since it's not freezing cold for once."
"Don't you have class today?"
The color of Carol's cheeks gradually darkened as she fumbled with words. Jason had to admit he got quite a kick from seeing her flustered.
"You're not skipping, are you?" he jeered.
"No, it's not like that!" she insisted. "Classes don't start for a couple more days."
"I'm just being sure," Jason chuckled. "I don't know how I would be able to handle myself if I knew I was the cause of a marine biologist missing her elaborate studies."
"You're horrible," Carol hissed, trying her best to not smile.
"I try."
She twisted a pink and blonde lock of hair around her finger. Jason wondered when she was going to get it dyed again. He quite liked the faded red on her. It went well with her baby pink shirt and azure jeans. Part of Jason was curious what her wardrobe looked like in the spring. Her big puffy white coat was not doing her justice; she looked like a marshmallow. And she was going to walk around in public?
"So what's at the Plaza that you're so crazy about?" he asked as they strolled down the sidewalk.
"I don't know," Carol chuckled. "I just like walking around all the shops."
"Observing everyday life?" Jason offered.
"I guess." She shrugged. "Something about the movement of the masses, I supposed."
"Yeesh, you are a nerd."
Carol stuck her tongue at him in reply. She had obviously loosened up a bit around him.
Just to be safe, Jason had Biz look up her records. Clean as a whistle; she was as goodie-two-shoes as they came. Graduated high school early, currently attending GCU and actually has decent grades, and never parties. She had normal tax-paying parents that managed to stay afloat somewhere in upstate New York. What possessed her to come to this crime ridden cesspool?
"Think it'll be worth it to split a cab?" Carol asked suddenly. "I was just planning on taking the bus."
Jason glanced around, realizing they were near a bus stop. He had forgotten that normal people don't run across rooftops or take magical portals to places they needed to go.
"Nah, taking the bus will be fine," he said. "If you think you're going to die, we can always go back and take my bike."
"I knew you had one!" Carol jumped, pointed accusingly at him. "I knew it!"
"I never told you I didn't."
"We should go for a ride sometime," she gleamed.
"You are getting nowhere near my bike now," Jason jeered.
"It would be so much fun!"
"I recall you telling me a story about you crashing."
"That was in high school," Carol corrected. "I'm a much better rider now."
"Oh, I bet you are," Jason replied sarcastically.
The Gotham transit pulled up and they boarded the vehicle. Carol flashed her bus pass while Jason was grateful that he had change in his pocket for once. They squeezed into a seat together. Carol seemed slightly uncomfortable and pressed herself closely against the window. Surely she would loosen up; it was a thirty plus minute ride.
Jason asked his companion about her motorcycle experiences. Turns out, Carol could tell countless stories about bikes. She was barely finishing her fourth story when they drew near to Jezebel Plaza. For once, it wasn't flooded with people. School still had an hour or so before it got out, and everyone was probably on their way back from their lunch break. A couple of stranglers wandered between the stores, but otherwise, it was just them.
The two of them exited the bus, Carol still chatting away cheerfully. Jason was amazed that she could breathe in between phases. She swept over the stores quickly before asking him if they should grab a bite to eat.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jason spotted someone walking towards them as they started towards a shop. A grungy looking adult female, easily around her early to middle twenties, taking quick strides. Her short black hair looked sharp and thin. It wasn't well kept, and Jason could tell it was greasy as well as messy as she came closer. Black was her theme; black torn up shirt under a heavy dark coat with black skinny jeans. Everything about her said punk but that wasn't what troubled him.
From the way she walked to her tight jaw, this girl screamed danger.
"Rawls!"
Carol froze in mid-step. Her eyes widened and the color seemed to drain out of her face all at once. The goth girl instantly beamed and her intense stroll became a frolick. Every nerve immediately jumped on to the 'red alert' boat.
"Rawls, I can't believe it's you!" she yipped. In three seconds, she had become a puppy. Jason swore he could see a black fluffy tail swishing behind her. Her arms almost smacked him as she embraced Carol.
"H-Hey Trix," Carol managed to say. "It's been awhile."
She pulled out of the hug quickly, taking a step back. A smile rested on her lips but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Did you change your number?" Trix asked warmly. "I haven't been getting your replies."
"I've been busy," Carol answered hesitantly. "School and work, y'know."
Jason felt his muscles tighten. He did not like the way this woman's piercing green eyes were locked solely on Carol. He loudly cleared his throat, faking a cough.
"I'm sorry," Carol instantly apologized. "Jason, this is Trix Dovaski-"
"Who is this, Rawls?" Trix's face lost all civility, and her annoyance was all too prevalent.
Carol fumbled over the demand. She put a hand on Jason's shoulder.
"Trix, this is Jason," she explained slowly. "We-"
"That's not what I asked," Trix's voice rang with hostility. "Who is this?"
Carol was silent for a moment, her hand sliding off of Jason's leather jacket to fumble in front of her stomach. Her hazel eyes were glued to her thumbs rolling over each other as if they would open a portal to an alternate dimension.
"I'm a friend," Jason stated firmly. "We're hanging out for the day."
Trix's nose wrinkled as if Jason reeked of sewage. The disdain was mutual. After a brief glance over, her attention turned back to Carol. He might as well be a pigeon.
"How could you?" she snapped. "Six months pass and you simply go find the nearest slab of meat to play with?"
"That's not what this is," Carol frowned as her head snapped up. "If you would-"
"I thought you understood!" Trix stepped forward aggressively. "I didn't think you'd switch sides whenever it was convenient for you!"
"That's not true and you know it!" Carol countered, squaring herself up to her black contender.
"What is this then?" Trix barked. "Because it looks like you're going to spend a lovely date at the mall to me!"
"If you would just listen to me, I can explain," Carol lashed out, her voice sounding tight and worn.
Jason inched towards the feuding girls, just to be safe, so that he could defuse the situation if need be. Things somehow felt like they were indefinitely going spiral out of control. Adrenaline was already coursing through him, making him edgy and almost eager for a fight.
In the instant he advanced, Trix's hand shot out and seized Carol by the arm. She jerked her prize into her arms, green eyes threatening Jason venomously.
"You stay back!" she barked.
Jason's hands were already up, palms facing the crazy witch before him in an attempt to convey his innocence.
"Calm down," Jason spoke calmly and firmly.
"This has nothing to do with you," Trix snarled. "Why don't you get lost?!"
Carol struggled to pull free as Trix's black, dark claw like nails dug into her puffy jacket. Panic was sort of masked by her determination to escape. With a hard jerk, she ripped her arm out of its prison, and quickly scrambled over to Jason's side.
Trix made a wild lunge for her, but Jason blocked her path.
"Get out of the way!" she screeched, trying to force her way past him.
"No." was his apathetic response as he shoved her backwards.
"Carol!" Trix commanded, probably concluding to not tangle with Jason. A wise choice. "Come back here. We're leaving!"
Carol was silent from behind Jason. He could practically hear her shaking. So fragile after all.
"I said come!"
This time, to the astonishment of all, Carol spoke up.
"Please go," she asked, her voice remarkably even.
Trix seemed thrown by it, her black eyebrows furrowing in confusion. This must have been a new thing for her.
"What?" she inquired.
"She said to go," Jason growled.
Almost magical green eyes narrowed at him. He wouldn't have been surprised if fangs started growing from her upper lip.
"We're not done," Trix yelled louder, as if her sound could blast Jason away.
"Yes, we are," Carol stated, peeking from behind her shield. "I don't want to talk to you anymore. I'm going home."
There was a coldness to her tone that was absolute. Jason grinned; did he just witness Carol growing a backbone?
Trix was obviously hurt and irrational, her clenched fist shaking at her side.
"What makes you think-" she started to threaten as she stormed towards Carol, but Jason seized her by her dark jacket. He was already tired of this.
"She said she's done," he firmly said. "So you're either leaving now or I'm going to have to clean your clock."
Trix snarled, literally lip curled up and teeth bared, snarled at him. Jason tossed her back and waited for her to lunge again, but she didn't. She regained her footing and just stood her ground, her body trembling with anger.
"You'll regret this," she promised through clenched teeth.
Carol looked away and steadily started walking back the way they had come. Jason trailed behind her, keeping an eye on the witch. As he predicted, the black haired pixie followed them. She even got on the bus with them. The twilight sky was just barely beginning to touch the skyscrapers of Gotham when the transit reached the CBV stop. Rosey warm colors danced off metal and glass. Even Carol's hair looked more pinkish than usual.
"The cafe's up ahead," Jason voiced quietly into Carol's ear. "Where do you want to go from here?"
Carol glanced back at Trix, who sat at the back of the bus, before locking eyes with Jason.
"She won't stop, will she?" he asked.
Carol nodded wearily. She held her coat tightly around herself as if it had grown colder. They exited the transit with a small group. Trix casually followed, calm and aloof in her own world. No doubt thinking of what to harass Carol with next. Malice twinkled in her eyes.
And that was more than enough reason for Jason.
In a split second, he grabbed the college student by the arms and dragged her down the next immediate alleyway. Down the cement roads they ran, taking sudden corners and hopping over dumpsters. Carol did a decent job keeping up. She fumbled and tripped a couple of times, but with a rough tug from Jason, she would regain her footing.
After some time, they paused. Carol sucked in big gulps of air while Jason glanced back to see if their pursuer was still behind them. He waited for a black blur of hair or a jacket to come into the alley way. Thankfully there was no sign of the witch. A shriek in the distance found Jason's ear and traveled up and down his spine. Guess the goth was still close by. Carol must've come to the same conclusion; her hazel eyes expressed her nervousness.
"C'mon," Jason waved, leading the way down to a road that ran perpendicular to the alley.
"Are we going to go back to the café?" Carol asked slowly.
"Yeah," he nodded, taking an abrupt turn. "We gotta get you outta this side of town. Where do you live?"
"She knows the area around my apartment," Carol said wearily as she leapt over a garbage can. "I don't think it would be a good idea to go home."
"Well, I gotta get you somewhere that's safe!" he growled. "And I'm assuming the cops probably won't do anything to help you, will they?"
"You'd be correct with that assumption."
"Great."
If she recognized the streets, Carol didn't show it. She followed behind Jason quietly as they circled their way back to CBV. As they neared the cafe, Jason realized she was starting to stumble, the gap between them growing. He reduced his pace, keeping a watchful eye in case the witch had either followed them or was trying to cut them off.
When they reached the back of the building, the sun was all but spent. Jason's bike was remarkably right where he had left it next to a large dumpster. Thanks to the dark red and black paint job, it blended right into the shadows. A low whistle broke the silence.
Carol stood in the alleyway still, ogling the machine.
"That is one gorgeous bike," she breathed.
"Sadly we don't have the time for you to gawk at her all night," Jason jeered. "Do you have friends or family you could hang out with until this blows over?"
"I have a friend that lives in the Diamond District," she replied cautiously, pulling out an old yellow smartphone.
"Call her and tell her you're going to stay with her for a while," he instructed.
"Do I have to?" Carol asked hesitantly.
"I'm not taking you home with me," Jason grumbled. "So unless you can think of someone else to stay with, you better start dialing."
Carol eyed him, a shred of defiance in those bright hazel orbs, but eventually her fingers began typing on the phone screen. Seconds later it started ringing. The student swallowed and tentatively held the device to her ear.
"Hey Anya," she spoke steadily.
The voice on the other end of the line exploded with concerned questions. Carol's strong face trembled, and she tried to smile.
"Yeah I ran into Trix-" Her friend started rambling again. "No, I'm okay-" Another question. "No, I'll be okay-"
Jason could see where this was going. He easily scooped the cell phone out of Carol's hand.
"We were followed," he explained briefly. "Is your place safe?"
"I knew it," the woman's voice was low and concerned. "I'll come get her. I'm assuming you're at the café."
"For now," Jason said. "But it would be a bad idea to stay here for long. It'd be better if I brought her to you."
"I agree," she sighed. "Let's meet at Robinson Park. Carol will know where."
The call ended with a chime, and Jason handed the phone back to its owner. Carol took it back and immediately shoved it into her pocket. She looked utterly miserable and embarrassed. There was no time to nurse her injured feelings, not while there was hunt going on.