Batman Beyond: Firebird

By Nut, Moon, Selina, Artemis, and Luna

Chapter 10:

I awoke in an ambulance outside of school, my head hurt and my burn marks on my stomach and lower back. The medics said I had fainted. I sniffed indignantly, and told them I NEVER fainted. They laughed and said I was going to be okay.

They didn't even need to take me to the hospital. Which I thought was strange. I mean, it was obvious Tazar could have killed me, why didn't he? I sighed, just another unanswered question to add to the pile, huh?

Everyone else was fine, even Nash. He was telling wild stories where the lady (Toxin?) and the two men had tried to hurt the poor Goth girl, but he faced them down.

Yeah, right! He nearly wet himself when I snuck up behind him and said in a sick sweet voice "Good Boy!"

He told me he kick my ass if it weren't for the fact I was a girl. Tah!

If you couldn't already guess, Batman had left. I didn't even get a parting remark, though according to people he seemed really worried about me. Huh? Me? Why?

I sighed again, sitting on the grass, watching the cops talk to students and out still twitching teacher, who was going on about "quitting, I ju-just c-c-can't do it any-anymore! That's it, I'm…I quit!" Wow, and to think, I wasn't even the one to drive him out of school! Or maybe I was, as I remembered what Toxin had said.

Did they want me alive? Why? I had seen my family's murderer! It made no sense. And the dreams with the blood, the voice, and the eyes!

I lay down on the ground, thinking, when something stood in front of me.

"Jasyne, right? Jasyne Todd?" I heard that voice before, and looked up at an old woman with glasses over her blue eyes and a trench coat on. I stared at her. "Uh, yeah…And you are?" I asked, trying to see her from my upside down point of view.

"Commissioner Barbara Gordon, we met at the alley?" She said. Okay, obviously my smart-ass remarks would not be tolerated by this woman. I sat up and then remembered. The night I met the Jokerz and Batman.

"Uh, yeah, nice to meet you." I said, trying to stand. She made me nervous!

"So, how long has this been going on?" Right, yeah, straight to the point. I quickly wondered what she had stuck up her…

"Um how long has what been going on?" I asked. Better play dumb, I thought.

"Two days ago you ran out of an alley, terrified. I later learned that the Jokerz had been down there. They don't usually stray there. Then I found that you had been hit in the head by a brick thrown through a window. Now this?"

I sighed again. "I think you know what's going on better than I do! Look, I just know that a week ago my family was murdered. Now they seem to want me dead since I saw the murderer. I just want to go home to Colorado, but the police tell me I CAN'T!" I yelled. "I don't know what is going on! I just am tired of it all, if they want me dead, great then either kill me or don't!"

She looked at me unfazed by my outburst. "Feel better?"

I sat back down and rolled my eyes at her. "NO! I'm NOT!"

She nodded. "Your foster family is trying to place you elsewhere. We feel you need more adequate protection anyway. We'll call you later to arrange it."

I nodded. "Anything else?"

She nodded. "Yeah, don't go anywhere!"

I rolled my eyes mentally. "Yeah, sure!"

Another officer came up and gave me my bag back with all my stuff back in it. I smiled and said my thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We were all let out of school early. Usually I'd be rejoicing, singing "Hallelujah" in the streets. Heck, I even got a ride to the Lars in a cop car! Can it get any better? Yeah, if they'd turn on the siren! Which they did, after I asked please over 400 times (I lost count at 354).

The police even said those people wouldn't attack me at school again, probably. But something nagged the hell out of me. If they would attack me in broad daylight, at a public place, then why did they think I was safe?

I sighed and listened to the stead sound of whooo whooo of the siren, watching the street signs, until we reached the Lars'.

Nelly was jealous. As soon as I walked in the door, with two CUTE male officers, in a police car, she was pissed. Emily just thought I did something.

"What happened? What did she do? Any violence?"

Yeah, Em, I'm gonna be featured on COPS tonight at nine, wanna watch?

John was just relieved I was okay. "Hey Kid! I heard the news, you okay?" I nodded and he hugged me. I would miss him. He wasn't my father, but he was a good person to have around. I guess he grew on me. Funny, huh? The disgruntled Goth teen with three piercing on her left ear and a nice old guy a couple of years away from retirement. Huh? Weird!

I grabbed something to eat, while he and Emily talked. About me, of course!

"She just comes home like that! What WILL the neighbors think?" She snapped at John. I poured myself a glass of milk, grabbed a bagel, and put my bag on the floor. Maybe that I'm some sort of escaped convict? I sniggered at the thought and tuned them out, when Nelly came in.

"They're getting rid of you, you know!" She smiled. I took a sip and read the newspaper. "Gee, great! No more of Em's tuna noodle crap!" I shrugged it off. If she thought that bothered me that only John likes me out of this family, she was wrong!

"No one wants Jasyne, not even her mother!" That struck a nerve, but I let it slide. "Tell me" She smiled "What's it like to know the only people who liked you are dead! And that it's all your fault?"

I took another drink, my hand shaking with rage. How DARE SHE! I thought.

"It must be terrible, huh? Your daddy dead. That's what you scream at night, you know? Daddy, daddy, please…I'm sorry, Daddy, Jeremy, please!" She said, imitating my voice. I wanted to kill her!

"Maybe what you told the police is all a lie! Maybe there was no man with white eyes. Maybe you did it! Maybe…" She didn't finish!

I hit her squarely in the jaw. "SHUT UP!!!" I screamed tears now flowing freely. I was getting ready to hit her again, but Emily came in. "What's going…Nelly!" She ran towards her. "Oh, Nel! Poor baby!" Emily held Nelly, who was pretending to cry in Emily's shirt.

I knew then what Nelly had done. She was trying to get rid of me sooner, and she was trying to make me look bad. You see, if you're a new foster kid, they have your foster parents fill out these little reports if you have problems, like hitting other children. It makes it easier to get rid of the "problem child" and harder for the problem child to find a new family. I had screwed myself over!

There was no point in telling Emily about what Nelly had said. Em wouldn't believe me. Instead, I was sent to my room, with a look of disapproval from John. I knew he believed me, but Emily and Nelly outnumbered John.

I cried myself to sleep, the first time I had ever cried since I was three and Mom left Jeremy and me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I awoke and it was dark outside my window. I looked at my clock and it said 8:32. I groaned, changed into my black nightgown (a knee length T-shirt, if you must know!), and went downstairs.

There was no sound, so I went into the kitchen. I was hungry!

They had left another note saying that they were finalizing my leaving at the police station. Great!

I suddenly remembered my bag was left here, and I wanted to see if my camera was okay from the blasts. Amazingly, it was! I looked it over; remembering that the last time I used it was the day Dad and Jeremy died. I caught something odd, though!

My camera showed I only had three pictures on it. But that was impossible? I only had two Goya's, right? So, what else did it take a picture of?

I went over to my laptop and plugged it in, waiting for the pictures to load. It didn't take long. There, on it, were two perfect pictures of Goya's drawings.

And picture of Batman putting on his mask…

OH MY GOD! Terry?

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Selina: Uh oh!

Nut: She knows!

Moon: The secret is out!

Arte: And we're going to be mean and leave it at a cliffhanger, until SOMONE REVIEWS!
Luna: *bounces on her pogo stick with a towel as a cape* So review, it nice! You'll feel better if you do!