Hey, i gotta get to work
hasty tasty, irht?
*right
lol
yea
we'll stop by!
K
"I wish someone hit me so hard that I had to take a week off school," Garfield muttered, pulling Victor's gaze from his phone.
Robin snarled. "Gran'ed."
He instantly smacked the older boy upside the head, making him exclaim and clutch his skull.
"Dude, it was a joke! Damn, dude, go back to dumping fish on me. That seriously hurt!"
"You know he didn't just 'hit her,' right?" Victor asked.
"Yeah, yeah, the whole trust thing."
"No, I mean-."
"Victor," Kori snapped. "That is Raven's place."
Victor sighed, but stayed silent as Garfield thought.
"You mean the choking, right?" he asked. "I saw the bruises."
"Yeah," Victor said flatly, still angry that no one had told his friend the full truth. Whatever helped him sleep at night, though.
Alfred pulled up alongside the mismatched gang with a smile and waved them in. Robin rushed to the car, his friends close behind, and he rolled his eyes.
"You guys don' 'ava come, you know?" Robin said.
All three of his companions started vocalizing reasons to go to the mall with him. Kori wanted to see Raven's new clothes, and Garfield's mom was kind of with her, so he had to go.
"And I'm meeting HumbleBumble at the food court," Victor added.
Without hesitation, Kori grabbed his arm and pressed their face almost into his. He flinched.
"Will you become a pair? A couple?"
"I. Have. No idea," Victor said slowly, pushing his way into the car. "I've never even met her, and I don't know if I want to date."
"Cool, then we can find a girlfriend for me!" Garfield beamed.
Victor snorted and looked at Robin. "Gotta love his confidence."
Robin only nodded and rubbed his jaw.
"You okay, man?" Victor asked. "You're real quiet today, and you barely ate."
"'M fine."
Kori shared a worried glance with Victor and said, "We are upsetting you, yes?"
"No. I'm fine."
"He's either nervous about his date or he's got a toothache."
"Tooth!" Robin said, wincing. "I'th a tooth. Thnere'th no date."
Victor nodded, torn. He seemed adamant about not having a date, which was suspicious, but he also slurred a little as he gripped his jaw.
"You should get that looked at," Victor said, and Robin whined again. "Well, it won't get better being ignored."
"I'll tell Master Wayne, and we'll make you an appointment," Alfred said calmly, as usual.
Robin stared at the floor, conflicted, and Victor smirked.
"You sly devil. It's a date!" he announced.
"Not. A date."
Again, Victor snorted at the terrible lie. The kid wasn't even rubbing his jaw, really. He was rubbing his ear.
Wait.
Victor glanced out the window. The mall was only a block away. He made a show of fidgeting with his left leg.
"You okay, dude?" Garfield asked.
"Yeah, I dunno. I think something moved," he said. "My leg isn't sitting right all the sudden."
"Do you need help fixing it?" asked Kori.
"We're practically at the mall now," Victor told them. "Tell you what, Rob and I will go fix it in the bathroom. You two go find Raven, okay?"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it connects high up, so it's better to be discreet. We'll meet you outside the Hasty Tasty," said Victor. "That cool, Rob?"
"Yeah, sure."
Alfred stopped outside of the mall and turned to Robin. "Just let me know when you're ready to return home, Sir."
"'S Robin."
Alfred nodded as the teenagers left the car. Victor made sure to wobble as he walked. Kori quickly wedged herself under his arm to help him towards the bathroom. He thanked her and followed Robin inside, where he dropped his act.
"So," he said gently, "what happened?"
"What?"
He rolled his eyes and started washing his hands.
"Your jaw," he said. "Did you strain it or break it?"
Robin's eyes widened, and he winced.
"Broke it?" asked Victor. Robin nodded. "Recently or-?"
"'Leven."
"So about three years ago?" Robin nodded again. "Hospital?"
Robin shook his head.
"Okay. So, I dislocated my jaw once in PE. They said it might weaken the joint, so my parents and I learned how to fix it in case it happened again. It'll hurt a bit, but you'll be able to function. I just need you to trust me and hold still, okay?"
Robin nodded.
A moment later, they returned to the mall plaza, Robin gently massaging his ear. Victor glanced uneasily at him.
"You need to tell him. You know that?" he said.
"I'm not doing it."
"You have to."
"Says who?"
"Says me," Victor ordered. "Rob, man, you need to get it fixed."
"They'll ask questions."
"No shit."
"Snitches get stitches," Robin said flatly.
"But Wayne-."
"You don't know them, okay?" Victor started at the quiet anger in Robin's voice. "If I so much as nod in their direction, they'll take everything away from me. I shouldn't even be talking to you. There's too many people here."
"They can't be watching every kid that gets out."
"If you run a dog fighting ring do you let your best bulldog run away?" When Victor only stared at him in alarm, Robin sighed. "Just leave it alone, Vic."
Victor nodded, still dumbstruck. He'd heard of rival gangs forcing kids to fight each other for money and territory, but it was a myth. Just a story to keep teenagers out of abandoned buildings after dark… right? Any orphanage or foster home that loaned kids out would be in serious trouble. Well, they would be if they got caught. With mafia protection and several young boys and girls, though? The profit might just outweigh the ethics, and people who denied them tended to have… accidents. Some went missing entirely, probably in the bottom of one of the massive lakes nearby. Jump City wasn't alone, either. Old Town, Newton Bay, Gotham, Weskegee: the mobs ran them all. They owned these lakes.
"Yo, earth to Victor!"
Victor whipped towards Garfield, plastering a fake smile on, just for his friend. After all, that was Robin's place.
"Hey, man, did you find 'em?" he asked.
"Oh, I found them. And I don't like it, either," he said, frowning and pointing over his shoulder.
The bright, bubbly Kori gushed over a much shorter girl in a long black coat, tight jeans, and lacy red crop top with a puffy black shirt underneath. Her hair was nearly buzzed in the back, tapering down around her face to frame it in bright purple that matched the school's polo. She clung to a few shopping bags and giggled. Behind her, Miss Logan carried another bag and chirped into her cell phone.
"That's not Raven," Victor said.
"No," Garfield scoffed, "that's Rae now. Mom gave her, like, three rules and let her go nuts. 'No belly, no thigh, no boob.' Where'd Rob go?"
Victor glanced around and pointed to a table, where Robin sat rigidly and stared at the glossy surface. Victor waved for Garfield to stay as he approached the table.
"Hey, man, you okay?"
"Mmmhm."
"Is this about the… jaw?"
"Nope."
"You're sure you're okay?"
Robin glanced up, fidgeting. "I'm not ace."
Victor couldn't hold back a laugh. "I'm not dealing with that. How about I get you a smoothie, huh? Get some protein in your bird-body."
Robin nodded, blushing gently now, and Victor lightly punched his shoulder, still laughing.
"Hey," he called to the others, "I'm getting us smoothies. Anybody else want one?"
"The blended fruit drink?" asked Kori eagerly, clapping their hands. "Yes, please!"
"I'll have what Gar gets," said Raven, picking up a bag and moving to the table to join Robin.
"You sure?" Garfield asked. "Mine has carrot in it."
"Okay, whatever you get minus vegetables," growled Raven.
"There she is," grinned Garfield. "I thought you'd vanished on me."
"How unfortunate that would be."
"Rae, you don't gotta do what everyone else is doing," Victor offered. "Come on. Pick out your own."
Raven rolled her eyes. "Fine."
Robin mouthed 'Thank you' as she joined everyone else, and Victor smirked. Then he led his gang to Hasty Tasty.
"What's with him?" asked Raven. "He's acting like, well, me."
"Bad tooth," Victor said simply. "It's really bugging him."
"He is acting like you, though," Garfield said. "He smacked me."
"You were asking for it, weren't you?"
"Literally," said Victor. "Hey, is Bee working today?"
"I'm Bee," the cashier said. "What can I get ya?"
Vic pointed to himself. "Mostly human."
Bee's jaw dropped, and her demeanor instantly shifted from restrained anger to genuine amusement.
"Dayum! You said you were tall, not a tank!" she laughed.
"Sorry to surprise you," he chuckled back. "We need some smoothies, though, if that's cool."
"You got it. Four?"
"Five. I'm gonna need… A strawberry banana with a protein shot and a triple-berry with whip.
"I want the orange supreme!" Garfield declared, nearly hopping on the counter only for Victor to grab him.
"Hold the ginseng," Victor warned, and Bee nodded. "Rae?"
"Um, I guess chocolate cherry one?"
"I would also like the chocolate cherry cordial," Kori said.
"Okay, I got a Strawberry Surprise with a double protein shot, a Triple-Berry with whip, Orange Supreme, hold the ginseng, and two Chocolate Cherry Cordials- did either of you want whip?"
"Yes, please!"
"I'll pass."
"Okay, one with whip. That's $27.98."
Raven quickly passed her some cash. "Keep the change."
"Oh… Okay. Thanks!"
Bee quickly rang it up and dropped at least ten dollars in a tip jar. As she moved to make their drinks, Victor waved the others away.
"I was gonna pay," he told Raven.
"You guys have covered me before. It's my turn."
"Fine. Go make sure Robin's doing okay. I'll bring the drinks."
Raven shrugged and followed Garfield and Kori back to their table. Victor checked for a line, then leaned against the counter.
"Well, I guess that was one way to thank you for the help," he said.
Bee glanced over her shoulder with a smile. Her twin afro puffs gave her a playful aura as she winked.
"I would of helped you anyway, hon. So. What's your real name?"
"Victor. Yours?"
"Ugh. Karen."
"Yikes."
"Yeah. Most people call me Bee, 'cause it's short for my last name. And I have a sting, so-."
"It suits you."
"Thanks, Victor! Now, don't get me wrong. I can be a Karen, when I need to. But I prefer to use my power for good, know what I'm saying? Like when someone tells me I'm 'too pretty to be ace.'"
"Ha! Sorry I'm hot, but that's not my problem."
"Exactly! I dress how I like, not how you want. The fact that they line up doesn't change anything. Touch me, and I'll break your fingers."
"Yeah, I get the heteronorm thing," Victor said. "I think my crew has one straight guy, and still, all I heard the way here was 'Oh, are you two dating? Are you gonna start dating?'"
"Whaaaaaat? You're friends with two girls and-"
"Kori's agender."
"You're friends with a girl, and they don't think you can have another non-romantic girl in your life?"
"Eh, to be fair, we kinda teased the other one about dating, too. But he also just realized that he's into the girl, so I feel justified there."
Bee brought him his drinks on a tray and leaned over to see his crew better. She smirked.
"I see got a goth, an emo, a prep, and a nerd. What does that make you?" she asked.
"Insane. But not broken," Victor said, picking up his tray.
"That's ma boy. Enjoy your drinks!"