A dripping sound.
Soft.
Rhythmic.
Gentle.
Relaxing.
I drift.
I drift some more.
And I slowly, gradually realize that I am drifting awake.
"… … …"
I stir.
I squirm and stir some more.
I exhale a murmur that only my mind's ears can hear.
I shift about and slowly sit up under the covers of my bed.
The dripping comes from the leaky roofs all around the drafty basement room.
Home sweet home.
Sweet.. ….
I smile, my black eyes blinking thinly.
I crick my neck to the sides, yawn, and stretch till my whole body is taut to the breaking point… … ….and then I fwump(!) down again with an exhale.
"…. .. …."
I blink, staring at the mildewy ceiling.
Inhaling at a wakeful pace.
That was the best sleep I've had in days.
Why do I feel so.. ….so at peace?
So happy?
"…. .. …." I blink some more. I rub my eyes—pause, then nod my head mutely.
Ah….. …
Ah, but of course.. …
My lips curve to the thought.
A night out on the rooftops.
The evening falling and growing cooler.
The carnation I bought. The carnation I left in the greenhouse. The carnation that rested in her delicate hands.
Her… …. ….
I sigh. I hug my knees to my chest and drunkenly smile.
There's one reason to keep saving this City… …. ….
The ceiling drips. Drips. Drips.
Drips.
I blink.
Drips.
Awwww, Chun-Li alive… …!
I gnash my teeth, kick myself out of bed, and fly to the bathroom as fast as my legs can carry me….. ….
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Minutes later, I am strolling up the hallways of the Tower.
Denim jeans. Denim jacket. The white undershirt I slept in.
We all have a 'casual', don't we?
… …. …don't we?
It takes my comfortable black eyes a few moments to realize that none of the lights are on. Not a single one.
I glance around and realize that—relatively speaking—the entire Tower is indeed pitch black, save for a slight gray aura distantly suggesting a rising Sunrise in rooms where there are windows.
Huh… ….the power must have been off all night.
Funny that I didn't notice when I limped into the Tower and fell into bed.
Heh… …guess I was too 'distracted'.
I sigh to myself again. A happy sigh.
I smile.
I should seek help.
Hehe.. …but I'm not going to.
I dash up a stairwell with a spring to my step and walk down the hallway leading into the distant Main Room. And I am assaulted by a bright gleam of light from a certainly-risen Sun.
I squint my optics and shade my brow with a hand.
Yeesh! I c-certainly slept in like heck!
To think.. … …I'm THAT dependent on a working alarm clo—
GRIP!.!.!
I gasp, for I have suddenly been wrangled into an iron-crushing elbow lock from behind. I grit my teeth as my adrenaline goes into overdrive and I try my best to murk or blur or teleport away—when every thought and every impulse to flight is tossed away with the feel of a familiar set of brass knuckles boring into my skull in a classic, bullyish dutch rub.
"Reckon you might stay out all night like the moon and leave us here to hang'n'worry, huh?" Bard smirks. He locks my neck tighter in his grip and practically digs knuckle-ravines into my cranium. "Just where you last night? Smokin' with the wrong crowd? You'd better not!"
I kick. I grit my teeth and twist and squirm. I can't get free from his damn grip. Dang it, cowboy--!
"We're both noobies fixin' to make a good first impression on Robin's team! No need to be late for curfew, you think so too, Noirry boy?" He chuckles and swings me around like the ragdoll I am in his thick-bodied grip. "Huh? Huh?"
I wheeze. I fling a desperate arm out and blindly hand-sign a five-finger equivalent to 'Uncle! Uncle!'
"That's more like it!" He winks and—Thwoosh—lunges me across the hall.
I scamper and trip my way into a precarious lean before hobbling back on two feet. Panting. Disheveled. I adjust my denim jacket and run my hands through my frazzled black strands.
"Sorry, man," he laughs lightly. "I just couldn't help it."
I give him a sarcastic smile, then stick my tongue out.
He glances up and down and scratches his chin. "New costume? Or was there a massacre at the Levi's factory or somethin'?"
I fold my arms in a pout and then swiftly sign to him.
"… ….. ….what do you mean 'I should consider wearing casual'?" He grins at me and strikes a High-Noon pose in his poncho, hat, and boots. "I am in casual, partner!"
"… … ….," I sigh and wave him off.
"Ahhh---Good morning to you too, Noir. And dun worry, I ain't all that riled up about you comin' home late. Besides, you're not the only one riskin' our necks in breaking the rules around here."
Hearing that, I glance at him curiously and raise an eyebrow. For I notice a few bruises on his person that weren't there beforehand. I scratch my head in confuzzlement and look blackly towards him for an explanation.
He sure knows when to give it: "Ah, I got into a bit of a scrape with Raven."
My eyes widen. I mouth: 'Raven?.!.?.!'
"Heh. Yeah. Sounds pretty nasty, don't it?"
I sweatdrop verily…
"Relax, it was just some regular plain 'ol roughousin'," Bard shrugs. "Ya know, horsin' around! Only….well… …with a sorceress who was ready to incinerate my chaps off for warring over a dag-blamed futon."
"… ….," I blink. I snicker. I hiccup. I cover a hand over my mouth and all but fall over with breathy giggles.
He sighs, takes his hat off, and slaps it against his knee before smirking frustratedly at me. "You certainly take a lot of liking to the thought of me being given the once-over by our resident Morgan la Faye. I wanna see you go toe to toe with her over the tea dispenser and see if you like having your prostate removed by telekinetic talons."
I still snicker.
"… …eh, what am I sayin'?" He smiles and fits his hat back on his head. "She'd just ask Terra and Starfire to gather 'round and do ribbons in that bushy hair of yours."
I point a smoking finger at him with an instant frown.
Watch it.
Just then, Static walks in with the usual smartass smirk on his face. "Sorry, guys. Am I interrupting some sort of rehearsal for Brokeba—"
"DON'T YOU TREAD THERE!" Bard points with a thunderous roar.
"…. …. …." Static gulps, then smiles nervously this time. "Very well. Anyone seen Robin? I've been walking all over the Tower and looking for him the whole damn night!"
"Sounds like a plot hole."
"… … …what?"
"What I mean to say is—I dunno. Last time I saw Robin was somewhere between tossing furniture at Raven and bumping into stairwells."
"No kidding."
"I reckon he's tryin' to fix the power or something. You know the Tower's power grid is located smack dab in the center of the bottom floor."
"Heh….," Static cracks his knuckles. "Yeah, I think I'll be headed there."
"Hey, whatever paths we all tread are the paths we all tread."
"If I can see a freakin' inch in front of me.. …," Static stumbles his way down a nearby hallway with his hands in front of him. "Crud! I feel like one of my ancestors stumbling after Harriet Tubman or something."
"Try that on me again when it's Black History Month.. … …and I still might not get it."
"Love you too, Bard."
"Oh go suck on a light bulb," Bard rolls his eyes and winks at me. "See? Roughhousin'!"
"… … …."
"What are you starin' at me for?"
I give him a smirk and charade 'walking' fingers and point in the direction of Raven's room—
"I know I know…," Bard sighs. "Believe it or not, I was plannin' on knocking on her door myself to try to.. …to.. …make things right, ya know?"
I nod.
"I mean, it was nothing! Just horseplay and—"
I cough.
"RIGHT. FINE….Going. But when I get back," he points at me. "I wanna know what got you pokin' around outside the Tower for so late last night!"
I roll my black eyes….
"I'm serious! We gotta look out after each other, even when it annoys the heck out of each other!
Whatever, Big Brother.
I wave him off with a breathy chuckle and walk towards the Main Room doors.
With him around, I shall always feel like a kid.
But I'm not a kid… …
… ….am I?
I walk into the doors. They do not open automatically… …
BONK!
I hit my head and land on my butt, wincing.
Owie.. … …
