Gotham Knights Chapter 4

Gotham Academy, the city's most prestigious school, a bastion of high scholastic standards, it also offers a wide range of extracurricular activities for its students. An entry point to a world of great opportunities and connections to some of the most powerful people in Gotham, if not the world.

Jin Tsui was smiling from ear to ear as they move towards the school's main hall. Nothing could spoil today for her as the proud parent of her small princess, who had gotten in at one of the best school's in the world. Tuition will be expensive, but if she cuts away some luxuries, she will be able to afford sending her little girl to it. Jade had done the hardest part, getting in. She could leave the rest to her mother, more than happy to take on the burden of footing the bill.

Glancing at Jade, her porcelain doll, she finds it astonishing that she gave birth to a child so ethereal. Jin was under no illusions however, her daughter small for her age, will be even shorter than her as an adult and coupled with her delicate looks will attract boys like crazy.

She on gaining parenthood become very understanding of her own parents anger and disappointment when they got the news that their teenage daughter was pregnant. As first generation immigrants they had wanted more for their daughter, than being an unwed single mother at seventeen. Disappointed and angry, it did not stop them from supporting her and now she will do the same for her daughter, intending to also make sure she learns from her mother's mistakes.

Z-Z

The Academy's grounds were impressive, with various beautiful, historical buildings and with their prominent names on display, the Dumas, the Crowne, the Elliotts, the Kane's and the Wayne's. The family names of wealthy and powerful patrons that had supported the Academy over the years, since its founding.

Walking here has made Jade feel guilty, looking at her mother's smile lessens the intensity of it, but it still lingers. The admissions tests, no doubt tough and absolute agony for a 12 year old, was for a woman in her forties, subjectively speaking, a walk in the park. The only questions that could trip her up on world history, as this reality's history diverge quite a bit at times from her previous life's one. Nine years ago for reasons unknown she found herself here, as "Jade Tsui". Being practical and realizing she had no way back, she resolved herself to living this second chance. Laying bleeding, going in and out of consciousness while seeing longtime friends either dying or dead being one of her last memories, made that decision easy.

So now you find her here, taking a place from someone far more deserving, hence the guilt. Its making her jittery and she tries to shake it off, telling herself that she is a tiny Chinese-American girl that will probably barely reach 1,4 meters as an adult. She will need the edge a first class education will give her to be taken seriously. As a 1,8 meters California girl she was barely taken seriously, though when she got the additional height people were much more respectful. Though her past friends always insisted it was her increase in confidence and assertiveness that contributed to that change.

Entering the main hall they join all the rest of the new students, with their accompanying chaperones, guardian and parents, for student orientation. As everyone settles in their seats one of the Academy staff steps up to the hall's podium to speak.

"Welcome all new students to Gotham Academy. I am Phillip Wilcox the Dean of Admissions." he begins his speech while looking out at a sea of young faces. " As the Dean of Admissions I am aware of exactly how much hard work and dedication we at Gotham Academy ask of each and everyone of you. This is in order to ensure that only those prepared to give it their all can get full use of the top quality educational programs provided here." Jade can't help, but glance across to the right side of her.

Sitting and looking attentively at Mr. Wilcox is Stephen Dumas. Pretty, elegant and with a slim body not a hair out of place, I feel some resentment and jealousy build up in me. A cynical, angry part of myself flare up, as I have to wonder exactly how hard it was for him to gain entry, especially if your family name is on some of the buildings. He must have felt my gaze cause he suddenly turns his head to me. I avoid his eyes, and do a quick look over my shoulder and see the wonder twins, the Roman's. Petra and Tasha Roman, who supposedly at the age of 8, redesigned and improved a medical device originally created by Waynetech, the tech division of Wayne Enterprises. The company buying the blueprints for a small fortune, or so the rumors go. They say Bruce Wayne personally offered them a job, once they finish their education. I wonder why they are even here and not fast tracked to University. I know my feelings of guilt is making me irrational, but its eating away at me. Which is wrong… wrong … wrong … wrong No I am feeling wrong. I look around and something doesn't feel right in my head.

Why can't I focus, I have stop listening to Wilcox drone on and on and on. " Jade ? " are you alright my mother asks me and I try to focus on her voice. "No ma ma, I think I need to leave, I'm going to the rest rooms" I reply to her. "Are you sure ?" Let me go with you" and starts to get up with me and I growl/yell at her "No!". I am causing a scene and I can see people's attention shift to us, and it takes all of my will to tell my mother in a soft voice "I just want to be alone abit ma ma,". The growl at the back of my throat threatening to come out. I can see she is shocked and worried, I have never yelled at her before and probably seem off balance. She looks around and see all the eyes on us "Okay sweety" and gives my hand a squeeze. She is obviously worried about me, but is giving me the space, not wanting to embarrass me in front of my future class mates. This will not last long , and she will probably follow me in 5 minutes, so I walk out of the building quickly in the direction of the rest rooms….. and go right pass them as I need to put distance between me and people cause I can feel it building … bigger and bigger and bigger …. I haven't felt something like this in nine years and never so intensely…. I am ANGRY !

Z-Z

My body is on fire, the rage flowing through my body like blood. It feels like the very first time after I had gotten the blood transfusion from cousin Bruce. Even then I could control it, not be overwhelmed by it, unfortunately this no longer seems to be the case. I want to unleash it, just let it run wild and glory in it. A part of me could never understand why it took Bruce so long to make peace with his other half, if it was anything like this I owe him an apology. Its addictive, this feeling coursing through my body ready to consume me and everyone near me. I am losing control and like it.

I haven't gotten far enough away, think Jade where can you go to minimize collateral damage, flinching at the thought of hurting people or killing them. Then I spot it, Gotham Academy has everything, including storm shelters. I head down the stairs and grab the door handle seeing it has a lock, getting a good look at my hand … its green. I crush the lock and rip open the door while running in going deeper into the shelter. I feel it the power in my body surging, unleashed and raging SHE-HULK is reborn.

Z-Z

Glowing green eyes looks around at an unfamiliar place, a growl emanating from a 3 meter tall naked, emerald skinned figure. The place is small and dark, She-Hulk doesn't like it want to leave, but something telling She-Hulk to stay. She-Hulk doesn't like that either, feels like She-Hulk was locked up now free. She-Hulk want to go, get away from dark place. She begins walking to where light is, then all of a sudden the ceiling lights go on. She-Hulk see pretty boy at door hand on light switch. Pretty boy must have put on lights for She-Hulk, she like pretty boy.

"Bruce ?" pretty boy say to She-Hulk, that makes her angry. " She-Hulk not puny Banner" she shouts at him, slamming her hand against a stone support pillar, making a massive crack. "She-Hulk a girl !". Pretty boy step back from She-Hulk, is afraid of her. Good, must not call She-Hulk a boy. "Oh Okay" he says "She-Hulk we need to stay here all quite, and once everyone is gone we can leave"

"Why must She-Hulk wait? Want to go now, want go out now!" she snarls at him. "Pretty boy mean to She-Hulk" and she takes a swipe at him. He deftly sidesteps it, and moves deeper into the storm shelter. She follows and tries to get a hold of him, but each time he manages to avoid her with quick acrobatic moves leading her deeper into the shelter.

"Pretty Boy stop jumping!" she shouts as she get angrier and angrier, and an angry Hulk is never a good thing.

Z-Z

You can only distract a Hulk for so long, before they resort to their "Tried and tested method", She-Hulk smash ! Support pillars were pulverized in her mad dash to catch "Pretty boy" and she could feel herself getting bigger. The place too small and the boy annoying her now, so she makes a hole above smashing her way through. "No, She-Hulk!" boy shouts. She ignores him and leaps through the hole above, She-Hulk is finally out of small place , she looks around and sees more walls. A growl comes from her as she sees people running away, puny people always afraid. This place has lots of windows, but with coloured glass that looks like pictures. As she gets ready to jump her way through the glass, she sees her.

A blonde girl kneeling in front of an altar with a big cross, green eyes looks to her as she stands up. No fear, she not afraid of She-Hulk, standing tall as if she strong as She-Hulk. "Puny girl not strong as me !" She-Hulk yells at the top of her lungs. Her instincts, beating against her rage tell her to back off cause the girl in front of her is dangerous, is stronger. "No! She-Hulk is the strongest !" her enraged roar filling the entire space. The blonde tilting her head up to look She-Hulk in the eyes, merely shifting her feet, balanced ready for a fight. Then out of my view from the side spider webbing comes, pinning She-Hulk 's hands and feet. "Webbing ? Why is spidey's webbing on She-Hulk, they friends" she looks up and sees a redhead girl clinging to a wall, like spidey but not spidey. "Bruce is that you ?" girl ask while moving down the wall "It's me Natasha". I rip off the web and try to hit not-spidey "I am not Banner!" I say upset, why everyone keep thinking I'm a boy, I'm a girl. Not-spidey avoids the hit flips and jump away and sticks to another wall, moves like spidey. Then She-Hulk hear someone say "Jenn ? " and I see boy, has hair like not-spidey girl, don't know him, but do know him …. Spidey?

She-Hulk confused everything confusing, head hurting making me angry ! Blonde still looking at me ! Making me more confused, making me angry. Stop looking at me ! "Jenn, no don't ! " I hear kind-of-spidey say, but I want to smash! I hit her hard and she goes into the wall. The wall breaks, she doesn't. She gets up then moves to me, uh ? Where is she?, I look down and she's underneath me and hits me….hard …. Ouch ! That hurts ! Now I'm in the wall, breaking it and this is fun ! No more thinking, no more confusion just smash ! Then suddenly I can't move, I strain against whatever has me, but it does no good I can't move. "You cheater !" She-Hulk shouts at the blond girl standing in front of her. Then she hears something, no someone behind her and feels a hand on her back and the pain comes. It's a blessing when it finally knocks her out.