"Seems pretty quiet tonight." I remark tentatively. A tentative
remark sounds almost funny when I'm in this suit with my lower-than-normal-
attempting-to-be-threatening voice. Wayne completely ignores me. As usual.
"There's something going on down on East 5th." Isn't there always. East 5th is pretty much training ground for policemen and Batmen alike; a den of thieves, muggers, drug dealers and murderers.
"I'm on it." I'm over there in seconds.
"There. A couple of Jokerz." I sigh. If I could, I would conjure up some of the old villains. Maybe even get over to their jail cells and release them. Anything other than another stupid run-in with the Jokerz.
Is there a point to being out here, risking my life, if I'm just rounding up the same misguided teenagers night after night?
"Do you have some place better to be, McGinnis?" Wayne says crisply. I bite my tongue on the numerous better places I could be and land near the group of Jokerz. A crowd of them stand in a circle, tormenting some poor victim.
"What's the matter little girl? Gotta go home and lick your wounds?" One of them jeers. Apparently I'm too late to stop what's already happened.
"Not before I give you some wounds of your own." It takes me a minute to realize that the witty comeback didn't come from my lips. One of the Jokerz falls back from a pretty good uppercut to the jaw. I stand, wondering whether to help the victim or the Jokerz.
"Admiring the scenery, McGinnis?" Wayne says impatiently. I walk towards the circle and tap one of them on the shoulder. His face turns paler than the idiotic makeup on his face.
"Evening." I shove him to the side before he can reply. Another fist shoots out at me, but I grab the wrist and yank it towards me. The wrist is attached to an arm.
And that arm is attached to Lydia Meraviglia.
She stares up at me for a moment. The Jokerz take the opportunity to run off, and I'm stuck wondering why the hell I keep running into this girl. She wrenches her arm free of me. I notice that she's got a pretty nasty black eye and a couple of split knuckles. The question is if they're from Nelson Nash or from the Jokerz.
"You're pretty good at getting yourself into trouble." I murmur, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the fact that she hasn't run off, looked frightened, or thanked me yet. Most of which happen within 30 seconds of my helping someone.
"I'm also pretty good at getting myself out of it."
"You sure looked like you could've used some help." Meraviglia smiles at me. I'm wearing a bat suit, trying to look intimidating, and she's smiling brightly at me as if we're off on some carefree adventure.
"I didn't really need it."
"I guess I should thank you then for graciously allowing me to throw a few punches." I mutter. You land, you fight, you protect, and you get this girl who smiles at you and says she never needed your help.
"No problem." Meraviglia says, staring at me. "No problem at all."
"There's something going on down on East 5th." Isn't there always. East 5th is pretty much training ground for policemen and Batmen alike; a den of thieves, muggers, drug dealers and murderers.
"I'm on it." I'm over there in seconds.
"There. A couple of Jokerz." I sigh. If I could, I would conjure up some of the old villains. Maybe even get over to their jail cells and release them. Anything other than another stupid run-in with the Jokerz.
Is there a point to being out here, risking my life, if I'm just rounding up the same misguided teenagers night after night?
"Do you have some place better to be, McGinnis?" Wayne says crisply. I bite my tongue on the numerous better places I could be and land near the group of Jokerz. A crowd of them stand in a circle, tormenting some poor victim.
"What's the matter little girl? Gotta go home and lick your wounds?" One of them jeers. Apparently I'm too late to stop what's already happened.
"Not before I give you some wounds of your own." It takes me a minute to realize that the witty comeback didn't come from my lips. One of the Jokerz falls back from a pretty good uppercut to the jaw. I stand, wondering whether to help the victim or the Jokerz.
"Admiring the scenery, McGinnis?" Wayne says impatiently. I walk towards the circle and tap one of them on the shoulder. His face turns paler than the idiotic makeup on his face.
"Evening." I shove him to the side before he can reply. Another fist shoots out at me, but I grab the wrist and yank it towards me. The wrist is attached to an arm.
And that arm is attached to Lydia Meraviglia.
She stares up at me for a moment. The Jokerz take the opportunity to run off, and I'm stuck wondering why the hell I keep running into this girl. She wrenches her arm free of me. I notice that she's got a pretty nasty black eye and a couple of split knuckles. The question is if they're from Nelson Nash or from the Jokerz.
"You're pretty good at getting yourself into trouble." I murmur, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the fact that she hasn't run off, looked frightened, or thanked me yet. Most of which happen within 30 seconds of my helping someone.
"I'm also pretty good at getting myself out of it."
"You sure looked like you could've used some help." Meraviglia smiles at me. I'm wearing a bat suit, trying to look intimidating, and she's smiling brightly at me as if we're off on some carefree adventure.
"I didn't really need it."
"I guess I should thank you then for graciously allowing me to throw a few punches." I mutter. You land, you fight, you protect, and you get this girl who smiles at you and says she never needed your help.
"No problem." Meraviglia says, staring at me. "No problem at all."