Author's Notes: Sorry about the last past few months. It honestly has been one crazy ride for me and I hope that no one has completely lost interest in any of the three ongoing stories that I have here. I will try to post again this weekend by nothing is really written in stone yet. As for now, here is the next chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter Warnings: The following chapter is rated "T" for Teen for swearing and the use of the "N" word.
The Markings of a Hero
Chapter Four: Catch a Tiger
The next day was Saturday and Eli still found himself working some way, somehow. He was currently at his apartment, doing online applications for various jobs that would hire a high school student within the New Camford-Ivy Town area. Granted that Ivy Town was, at most, an hour away from New Camford, Leila allowed her son to apply for jobs there as well. In fact, she became an advocate for such idea as she had friends that lived in the town that could help.
He had avoided talking to Robert all morning for the simple fact that the man would question what happened to Sam yesterday. To Eli, he owed the man no explanation that Leila could not have given. If Robert wanted to know that badly, he would confront his wife, right? Either way, Eli was long-gone before Robert knew it.
Sam would be going with the neighbors anyway, Eli thought to himself. Thankfully his mother's neighbors were around today to watch Sam which gave Eli the time to do what he wanted.
A knocker chose that moment to interrupt Eli's peacefulness, the teen sighing heavily. This was becoming a reoccurring cliché to Eli. Every time he thought he was going to have peace and quietness at his apartment, someone somehow interrupted that by either phone call or showing up.
Thankfully, he was in a rather good mood today.
"Yeah?" Eli said before he even opened the door.
"This," Jade said holding an envelope towards Eli. "Is for you, or your dad I should say. You are that 'Jackson boy' that the old woman on the second floor seems to hate, aren't you?"
Eli chuckled. "Yeah, that's me. And she only hates me for feeding her Chihuahua a Snicker's bar like ten years ago." Eli took the mail from Jade, reading that it was addressed to Malcolm. "Thanks."
"Word is that you somehow beat two guys yesterday. I'm kind of impressed." Jade casually conversed.
"Oh really?" Eli returned. "And why are you impressed? Didn't think I could fight?" Jade smiled, shaking her head for no. "I'm somewhat offended that you thought that. Maybe next time I'll let you sit and watch."
"Watch you fight? No thanks. I get bored watching unprofessional fights, especially when it's two guys that have no idea what they're doing." The shorter teen paused in her speech before adding. "It kind of makes me want to go out there and beat them both for the sake of my boredom."
Eli quietly swallowed. He knew a fair amount of girls and most of them were all talk. Somehow, he got the feeling that Jade was not like those girls and that she actually enjoyed fighting more than she did watching it. That kind of dangerous thought would spell the end for the average person in Cheshire Square.
"Oh well," Jade said. "Anyway, I thought about asking you for that trip to Venice Terrace yesterday, but I didn't know if your girlfriend would be okay with that."
"Hannah and I aren't dating anymore." Jade raised a neatly arched brow. "We broke up last year. She's just a good friend."
"Oh. Well if that's the case, I'm free tonight. Care for a little party on the beach?"
Eli thought about the offer. Sure, he knew all the reasons why he should not go, but there was the underlining fact that he would be in Venice Terrace- the area where Bookworm was rumored to have a home or base of operations. If he had a legit reason to be in the area, then he could actually investigate to see if his dad was onto something or not. Not only that, but Tobias Whale had a high chance of showing up in Venice Terrace, if the drug lord was in New Camford, that is.
"Sure," Eli answered. "When'd you want to leave?"
Jade gave Eli a smile. "Soon. Come up to my apartment in about an hour and then we can go, okay? It's apartment 4C." Eli saw a small glint in the girl's eyes. "My godfather should be back by then."
"You want me to show up when your godfather is around?" Eli questioned.
Jade began walking backwards, smile etched onto her face.
"He doesn't trust a lot of people. Don't worry though, he shouldn't kill you."
Eli just stared as the girl moved for the stairs, heading up to her floor. He obviously knew very little about Jade, less about her godfather. He did not know what to expect from the legal guardian of a girl he hardly knew.
He was still getting used to talking to Hannah's dad.
But this was his best chance to see what his father had been working on. His deduction was now simple; if he knew what his dad was working on and finish it, then he could somehow find out why the man did it. Afterwards he would put the whole Army Ant/Malcolm Jackson persona to rest once and for all.
Now, he just had to take some girl to Venice Terrace and find any clues he could.
More than an hour later, Eli found himself staring at the green door with the brass address "4C" on it. On the other side of the door were Jade and her godfather. He had spent a little more than half an hour rehearsing how to knock on the door and respond to the possible reactions to said knock. It sounded like a stupid and trivial thing, but it was one of those things that every teenager faced, he supposed.
Taking in a quiet breath, he gave the cream-colored door three solid knocks and waited. Within seconds later, he was staring at a rather large African-American male.
"Uh…" Eli began, confused and somewhat intimidated by the muscular man in front of him. "I think I have the wrong room."
"Eli?" The man guessed. Eli nodded slowly. "Jade's coming. Come in."
Eli did as requested, still trying to shake off the fact that Jade's godfather was indeed a black man. Sure, he understood that this was her godfather and not her biological father, but fact was still an odd thing within Cheshire Square.
Looking around the living room, he noted that the place was rather bare. While he admits that most of his childhood pictures were moved to his mother's house after she and Miles split, there was absolutely no pictures to be seen on the walls.
There was, next to the TV, a trophy case stacked with several awards. A pair of golden gloves was seen on the wall where Eli assumed a picture should have been hung behind the two armchairs.
"Boxer?" Eli asked the man who was sitting in one of the two burgundy armchairs present.
"Fighter," the man answer in a deep tone. "Much different that an average boxer."
"Why's that?" Eli questioned.
"There are many more things in the world to fight for than money." The man answered, his eyes locking onto Eli. "The average boxer does it for just that, money. Though it doesn't start that way. It normally starts with an event or a period of time to build up the need to fight. You look like you understand that."
"I… I do actually." Eli said before sighing. "I guess you heard about what happened yesterday."
"Not many would have stood up for the boy, especially against a life-long friend." Eli would have asked how this man or Jade even got that information but figured that Jade must have overheard Carla and Hannah talking.
"He's my brother. The boy, that is." Eli explained as he dug his hands into his jean pockets. "I can't let him get beat for something he doesn't understand."
A pregnant pause followed before the man spoke again.
"Even after he broke such a rule?" Eli nearly flinched. That had been his argument with his mom and Hannah. It was kind of hard to find a legitimate argument against himself.
"Some rules were meant to be broken I guess." Eli said.
"Are you two done?" Jade's voice nearly started Eli as the girl walked towards the refrigerator. "I'd rather not get into a talk about racism. Not unless one of you is secretly Asian."
Eli lets out a quiet chuckle. "Uh, actually I kind of am." Jade gave him a shocked look over her shoulder. "My mom is actually from the Middle East. So, in a way, I am Asian."
"Huh…" Jade muttered.
Eli stood quietly. He hadn't lied about Leila's origins. However, he found himself doing another one of his mother trademark habits by foregoing saying exactly where Leila was born. She was born in Bialya in a city Eli neither knew the name of nor cared to learn about. He could have used the lie and said she was from Saudi Arabia but relented.
The less they knew the better, he thought.
"When are you returning? If you want any training, it'll have to be before ten." Eli almost groaned at the man's words. Ten? Even Leila gave him a later curfew than that.
Jade, however, waved her godfather off. "I doubt Eli's parents would let him stay out that late. I should be back before two."
Now Eli stopped himself from revealing any shock. Was this man really allowing Jade to stay out until ten the next day? No. There was no way that any parent- godparent or not- would allow their attractive teenage daughter to stay out in any city until ten in the morning. Once again, New Camford wasn't the worst city in the world, but even they had parental standards.
"Are you ready?" Eli nodded despite the fact that it was only five in the evening. He assumed that Jade had somewhere in particular that she wanted to go see or else they would be leaving at a later time.
Why you may ask? Because everything happens in Venice Terrace after the sun goes down.
"Jade," her godfather said. "I need to talk to you." Eli saw the look on the man's face and got the message loud and clear before he added, "Alone."
"Sure." Eli said stepping towards the front door. "It was nice to meet you Mister…?"
"Turner. Ben Turner." Eli gave a nod of acknowledgement.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Turner." Eli said as he departed into the hall. He let out a small breath before muttering aloud. "Way to go Eli…"
He closed his eyes and thought about the information he was allowed to learn with today's peacefulness. He had learned that Kord Industries was going under due to Ted dying a year ago. His dad had somehow stopped a weapons deal that had Kord Industries weapons. How that connected to Tobias Whale and Sapphire Stagg was something Eli had not pieced together yet.
Though, deep within his gut, he knew that there was a connection like a cliché from one of those old action movies. The super-rich boss and the crime lord are always working with one another.
"You know," Jade's voice once again interrupted Eli's thoughts. "I really didn't think you'd show, let alone talk to Ben. He has this thing with scaring away all of my fun…"
"Oh? So now I'm 'fun' huh?" Eli joked lightly. The attempt worked well enough to get a small smile on Jade's face, though his next question was sure to end it. "So… What were you heading for Venice Terrace for? I mean, I get that you want to see the city but you're determined to see that one spot with me. Why?"
Jade's right brow lifted in amusement. "I pegged you to be smart but not a detective." She stepped by him and motioned him to follow with a hand. "It's nothing really big just… Well, the other day I overheard one of Ben's conversations and he said that my dad would be at the Hilton this weekend for some party. I figured if I showed up with a date, it'd look more casual and I…" Jade paused as they descended the stairs. "I just want to see my dad, you know?"
"…" Those words seemed to hit Eli a lot harder than he expected. He found himself swallowing a mixture of nerves and despair before sighing quietly. "I understand completely…"
"Ben doesn't want me to go around the guy for reasons I don't know. I think he's just overprotective honestly." Jade commented before glancing at the boy walking next to her. "You? Your parents that annoying?"
"My mom is. My dad passed a few weeks back." Once more, Eli found that avoiding the whole truth was better than lying completely.
"Ah. So that's why you lock yourself up in that apartment. You're alone." Jade deduced with a knowing smirk. "For a second I thought you and your 'not girlfriend' were fucking like rabbits to be blunt about it."
Eli snorted. "Nah. Hannah isn't like that."
"Uh-huh?" Jade's voice showed her interest, or lack thereof, about where the subject was turning which made Eli think of one thing.
She was fishing for something. He had been raised by a straightforward woman and a father who tried to sugarcoat a number of things. Eli knew when someone was not being completely honest with him. Not that he could actually complain. He was doing something similar to her. This was not about meeting her father, and if it was, then there was a real good reason why she was going to such great lengths to do so.
"So what's up with your friend? The guy that I saw a few days ago."
Eli shook his head, his shoulders moving with up in a shrug. "George is… George. I've known him practically all my life, he and his brother that is. When he and I reached sixth grade, I discovered that I was good at sports. People started to expect things from me. George was being scouted by the SRC." Eli paused and stared ahead as they reached the lobby. "I guess that's where we began to drift. We try to keep in touch but… The son of a lawyer and a soldier doesn't make the best friend of a drug-doer and her dealer, I guess."
"That was really, really poetic." Jade joked. "Maybe at the end of this riveting story you're telling, you and George can die protecting each other from cops and crack addicts."
Eli glanced at the smirking brunette. "And people have the nerve to call me an asshole."
Jade pushed the door open, stepping out of the complex with Eli behind her.
"Oh, Mr. Jackson, there are tons of things that you don't know about me." Jade said as she eyed him over her shoulder. "Make it worth my while and I might just let you in on a few secrets. But I'm warning you. These secrets could get you killed with Ben."
Eli only gave a half-hearted grin. He knew very little about this Jade and yet could already tell just how much trouble he could- and probably would- get into if he stayed around her. She had a vibe that was almost the polar opposite to that of Hannah.
Then again, he was not seeking a relationship with the girl. They could remain friends, distant friends if needed. For now, he needed Jade for two very simple reasons. Reason one, he needed an excuse to be in Venice Terrace, a section of the city he rarely ventured to without George. The second reason was to get away from George, Hannah, his family, and generally everyone else. Eli was getting tired of them wondering if he was alright or if he wanted to talk.
The answer was no to both of those questions.
"So, what's the fastest way there?" Jade asked, her body now turned to face Eli completely as she walked backwards down the sidewalk.
Eli thumbed behind him. "Metro. Cab second. Too many stops for the bus. Way too many."
"Well then," Jade said. "Metro it is."
Eli simply nodded his head. Yeah, something was definitely up with this girl. And while she seemed to radiate with all the wrong signs, Eli felt compelled to find out just who she was and what she was about.
But first, there was Alexander Wyvern. Eli would fill the holes in his dad's notes by learning this man personally and then he would find out about the girl from Cheshire Square.
Venice Terrace was to New Camford what the Hamptons were to New York. It was noted for its group of pleasant villages filled with hotels and luxurious beach homes, all on the upper east coast of the city. Despite popular belief, it was actually named after European explorer Venicio Hurtz, whose seven-bedroom bayside cottage was now one of the most desirable rentable summer homes in the New England area.
Tourists, however, still wrongfully thought that Venice Terrace was somehow related to Venice, Italy, and thus many Italian restaurants from New York and New Jersey have migrated upwards to the area.
Unfortunately for Eli, Venice Terrace was noticeably the most populous area of New Camford during the summer. It was filled with lost people trying to ask for directions or- and this is what he hated the most- trying to tell him the history of his city as if a damn history book could give them the experience he had.
"So this is Venice Terrace, home to the famous Cam Beach and Drayton Pier. It looks better on the brochure." Jade commented as the two navigated through a sea of tourists walking down the sidewalks.
"That's because all of these assholes aren't on the brochure." Eli commented, glaring at a man who had recently stepped on the back of his heel.
Jade grabbed Eli's hand. "It's this way."
"And how would you know?" Despite his questioning, he still followed her as she darted through the crowd.
Jade doesn't answer which causes Eli to stare at her back. Now that he was in Venice Terrace with the perfect excuse other than snooping around for some murderer, he found that his attention could not even be put on said murderer because his excuse was becoming more suspicious by the seconds.
"How do you know where you're taking me?" Eli asked louder.
"Because it's at the Hilton." Jade's answer gained a quiet "Oh" from the boy. "The party is being held there. Or so, that's what I heard."
Eli hummed quietly with skepticism. Maybe it was how she said it or the fact that she gave such a vague answer but Eli hardly believed any word Jade was saying now. It was painfully obvious that he had been dragged into some sort of plan of hers and was now stuck here with her.
At least she wasn't bad on the eyes, Eli thought. In tank-top and tight athletic nylon shorts (booty shorts as they were commonly called), it was not hard to see that. But he was not here to see Jade- or any girl- for that matter.
He had to snoop out the spots that Malcolm had spoken about in his notes and find this Bookworm. Or at least find out about the guy.
Brown eyes scoured the area as Eli followed Jade down the busy sidewalk. Bookworm had a thing for libraries, so Eli was sure to search for a library or bookstore on the way. And his victims, those that actually fit a pattern, were normally people that were seen around said library or book store disrespecting literature.
Well, that's what Army Ant once thought.
The problem was Eli had no experience in tracking mass murderers. Sure he could find some clues on the way to the hotel but what good would that do without a thorough searching. Unless he had a legit reason to be in the area for a good amount of time- this event would not count considering he had to be in at a specific location within the area instead of just being in the general location of Venice Terrace- then he would never find anything about Bookworm.
That was a thought; he searching for a criminal to gain some clarification of his father's life style. Even Eli could see the ever-looping circle there. Miles became Army Ant for unknown reasons and- in search of said reason- Eli would become what his father had. Worse, he would become something akin to Army Ant without having the full understanding as to why either of them did.
"Hey, are you alright?" Eli blinked and realized that Jade had stopped dragging him around and that they were both stopped in a crowd, waiting to cross the street.
"Fine," Eli lied. "When is this party anyway?"
He see Jade's eyes narrow as if she was threatening him to tell him what was on his mind before they relax and she shrugs her shoulders. Eli released a silent breath of relief.
"You know," Jade spoke. "I kind of thought that your not-girlfriend would have called by now. She seems to be the type to check in on you."
Eli scoffs at the statement. "She seems? She is the type to check in on me at the worst times." He pauses. "But I can't say I mind. All the time, that is."
"Let me guess, she cock blocked you." teased the shorter girl.
"Once or twice." Eli said with a small smile. "It actually got worse after we broke up."
"Been there…" Jade muttered.
Eli's brows raced to his hairline. "By who? Your godfather or another guy?"
"Secrets, Mr. Jackson. Secrets." Jade taunted.
When the traffic light changes and the group was allowed to traverse across the street, Eli noted that there was something different about Jade. Of course, he was comparing her to Hannah as if Hannah was the feminine standard of his life. Whereas Hannah had a flirtatious side to her, it seemed as if Jade was a master to the craft that Hannah rarely used. That scared Eli to a point.
Could he be one of those guys that get lured in by a femme fatale and never see the day of light again…?
…Probably not.
"So Ben was a boxer?" Eli attempted to learn as much about Jade now. Just in case she was the type to lead people on just to scam, rob, or kill him.
"What wasn't he?" Jade offhandedly responds. "Why?"
Eli shrugged. "Just wanted to know. He said he was training you."
"Don't worry Eli. I promise not to kick your ass so long as you shut up and do this one favor for me." Jade said with a grin.
"I don't know what the favor is, honestly." Eli sincerely said. "You didn't need me to show you where Venice Terrace was. You obviously already know where the Hilton is. You don't need me to tell you about a party I don't even know about." Eli saw Jade give him a critical look as they walked. "So I'm questioning what favor I'm doing at this moment."
"Because if my dad is there I want to be with someone." Jade explained. "If you haven't noticed, I'm new here. Next to your friend's creepy brother, you're the only other person I've talked to in New Camford. And I can't bring Ben. He'd do something I'd rather not say aloud in public if he saw my dad again."
"I guess I fit the bill, huh?" Eli stopped before frowning. "And when did you meet Eric?"
Jade shrugged. "Same day I met you. I wandered around the block and spotted him with some of his guys. Told me he'd give me the best time in my life."
"You've met Eric alright…" Eli commented.
"I'm sure you or your not girlfriend has done something that you'd rather not do alone. This is one of those things for me, alright?" Eli nodded at her statement. "Good. Now no more questions until after we leave."
"Wait, one final question," Jade groans and rolls her eyes. "What kind of party is this again?"
Jade's smile had Eli swallowing quietly.
In hindsight, that should have been his first question. Coming to one of the party rooms within the hotel situated next to Drayton Pier- a small fairground located on the beach- Eli was reminded of that fact. He should have asked earlier.
"A political party?" Eli questioned his companion. "You dragged me to some guy's political campaign party?"
"The guy's name is Robert Pullman, a Connecticut State Senator. He's the typical politician, working with shady guys here and there." Jade explained. "My dad actually works in his office." Eli's brows rose with mock interest. "The guys here range from some of the country's wealthiest men to some… Illegal entrepreneurs, if you get what I'm saying."
"Mob bosses." Eli said.
"Yeah… Anyway, just let me do all the talking and we can get in. Once inside, I'll find my dad, exchange a few words, and then I'll owe you one. Sounds fair?"
No, Eli thought, this was by no means fair. When he first ran into Jade, he hardly thought that she would talk to him much afterwards, let alone drag him into her family drama with her assumed biological father.
But he was here now. And better, he was in a place where someone could- not answer his questions about Bookworm- but about Sapphire Stagg and, hopefully, Tobias Whale. That would be answers he could check off of his list.
"Fine," Eli said. "But you owe me, Jade. And I don't mean like a cup of water because I'm thirsty kind of favor either."
Jade gives him another luring smile. "Don't worry. Like I said, Ben normally scares away my fun before too long. So long as he doesn't scare you or kill you, then I am sure to repay you somehow."
Sex, Eli thought. Her tone clearly suggested that she was making an innuendo. Then again, he once again reminded himself that he knew very little about this girl or her sexual appetite or preferences. She could be an aimless flirt who was just leading him on just to get what she wanted or she could be lesbian. He did not know and knew that he would not learn said fact any time soon.
"Come on," Jade instructed.
Eli followed quietly while resuming his thoughts. She was most likely going to get him arrested, he thought. Somehow, someway, this was about to turn really bad really fast.
"Can I help you?" One of the two guards standing on either side of the large opened double doors asked.
"Um, I'm Jade," Jade began in a rather chipper tone. "And this is my boyfriend Eli. I'm doing a paper for my blog about Senator Pullman and I was wondering if I could get a few words from him?"
"And you think that we'd just let you waltz right in there?" The large man returned. "Go away little girl or-"
"Did I mention that I have great memory and I will instead post the blog of a fat slob with ties to the Penguin instead of just an innocent campaign blog?" Jade interrupted.
To Eli's surprised, the man stood stone still. His pale skin seemed to turn green for a moment before he looked at his confused partner of equal size. Soon, the guy looked at Jade who- and this was going to haunt Eli for a while now- had somehow blackmailed a perfect stranger.
"Go ahead," The man said. "And that stays between us. If the boss knew that I was careless and got caught…"
Jade smiled. "Don't worry. We won't tell." Jade then looked at Eli. "Come on. Just a few questions and then Drayton Pier."
The pair entered the room, spotting several small round tables scattered about, filled with people of all ages, sizes, and colors. Surprisingly, no one immediately pointed out the two misplaced teenagers. In fact, the conversations around the room did not even halter once at their arrival.
"We have to find my dad." Jade said. Jade looked to see Eli eying a woman. "Or you could go hit on some woman twice your age and get kicked out of this place."
"…" Eli was quiet for a few seconds, apparently not hearing Jade. "She isn't." Jade raised her brows. "She's twenty-seven, not twice my age."
"And how do you know this?" asked Jade.
Eli glanced at her. "Because I do my homework." Eli then looked back at the beautiful blonde blue-eyed woman. "Don't get yourself kicked out. I need a couple of answers."
Jade stayed vigilant of her companion, unsure just what he had in store. Of course, the fact that he seemingly knew the mysterious woman was surprising by itself. But she did not expect him to have the gall to actually approach said woman.
For Eli, he started to get his answers now. He was not going to wait for another opportunity to come by or for Jade to actually find her long-lost father. Those late nights were going to pay off now.
"Um," Seeing his approach, the pristine woman gave Eli her full attention. Her dark pink strapless dress somehow expressed a fun-loving woman in the summer as well as a strong businesswoman at the same time. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Eli Jackson, son of Malcolm Jackson," Eli introduced. "I'm here with my, um, my girlfriend who is doing a blog on Senator Pullman."
The woman, Sapphire Stagg, looked at Eli with shock now as she uncrossed her flawless legs and sat up with an outstretched arm to shake his hand.
"Sapphire Stagg. I'm so sorry for your lost." Sapphire said as Eli shook her hand. "Your dad was a very hard worker and it was a pleasure to actually get to know him."
"Thank you, but I wanted to ask you about something." Eli replied.
"Oh? What can I help you with?" Sapphire questioned as Eli released her hand.
"Yeah, um," Eli began. "I heard that there was a bidding war for Kord Industries. Jade's kind of real into this business and politics thing and she kind of rubbed off of me. So I was wondering if Stagg Robotics was going to buy into it or was this mystery guy from Metropolis was getting it- what was his name again?"
Eli saw it. Sapphire looked uncomfortable for a split second. Apparently Malcolm's notes were not all false and that Tobias Whale did have an interest in purchasing the company.
But, with a grand mastery of proper etiquette, the woman's uncomfortable expression morphed to that of pure business and her left leg crosses over her right.
"I have heard about this 'mysterious buyer' and, no, Stagg Enterprises will not purchase Kord Industries." Sapphire spoke with a crisp tone. Eli knew this tone very well from his mother, who normally used it to cover her genuine distaste for certain things. "You seem to know a lot about the business, Mr. Jackson. Was your father into it as well?"
"No. Or rather, I wouldn't know. Like I said, my girlfriend does this blog and her and her friends normally have me locked up with them digging up the best stories." Eli said with a grin.
Sapphire returned the smile. "Well you are quite the investigator, Mr. Jackson. I would hire you to look into our competitors but I doubt having you work around the clock twenty-four seven is against child regulation laws."
"I am looking for a job. Just nothing that time consuming. I still want to enjoy summer break." Eli stated.
Eli saw a genuine look of interest flash between Sapphire's deep blue eyes- her namesake, he thought. However, if there was one thing Eli knew about powerful women- i.e his mom- was that when they got this look, he generally did not like the next thought.
"How would you like a job where you only work on Saturdays? Nine to five?" Eli raised his brows to show that he was interested. "I run a youth program that spreads across the New England and Mid-Atlantic region for orphaned kids who have a hard time dealing with their lost. We're always looking for new counselors for these kids."
"All I have to do is talk to them?" Now Eli was genuinely interested in the offer.
"Well, we believe that kids respond to people their own age that has gone through the similar tragedies other than listening to some rich adult who has never had to work a day in his life." Sapphire stated. "We had offered Bruce Wayne a similar position but, he has a lot on his plate. So we decided to get kids to do it instead."
Eli frowned. "For some kind of company profit?"
"No. Not everything I do is for money." Sapphire said this in such a way that it made Eli nearly regretted talking to her in the first place. Almost as if she was threatening Eli for thinking that she did.
Eli felt that the conversation had, once more, gone south. He had, at least, gotten information about her knowledge of Tobias Whale. Sapphire knew who Tobias was and knew that the drug lord had his sights on Kord Industries. She had not said it, heck she didn't even insinuate it, but her facial expressions and tone of voice had heavily hinted that she had.
Eli decided to take this as a victory and leave before suspicion- or more suspicion- could be made.
"I'm sorry," Eli apologized. "I just thought-"
"Here you are," Jade's voice could not have come at a better time. Eli was sure that his apology would come out as insincere and Sapphire would have immediately picked up on it. Eli gave the girl a blank stare. "I got my interview. Let's go."
"Before you go," Sapphire stopped the teens' departure. Eli saw the woman reach for her large white handbag, digging into it to fish out a card. "Call this number if you were serious about the job. We could always use another counselor." Eli nods as he takes the card. "Thank you for this, Eli. These kids, they need a hero."
Eli gave the woman a smile. "I'm not a hero. But I'll try. Thanks for this, Ms. Stagg."
"No problem. I hope to hear from you soon." Sapphire said before her eyes settled onto Jade. "And you must be Jade. I hear you're doing a blog on, not only Senator Pullman, but also the Kord Industries purchase."
"That was supposed to be a secret." Jade said as she gave Eli a sharp look out of the corner of her eyes. "He isn't the best secret-keeper." Jade then sighed and looked at Sapphire with a smile. "Good thing he's cute."
Sapphire chortles. "Yes. It is a good thing he is cute."
"Come on Eli. I need to get started on this story." Jade said.
"You owe me something though." Eli responded, making sure that, once again, sex was heavily insinuated. This time was different though. Jade was not the target of the insinuation, Sapphire was. So long as Sapphire thought that Eli was going to get "something" out of this little adventure, the implication that he was dragged here by his bossy girlfriend would seem more likable.
"Whatever," Jade stated as she grabbed Eli's left hand. "Let's go."
Eli bid Sapphire a farewell for him and Jade before allowing Jade to pull him out of the function. The two were silent until they left the hotel completely, rejoining the sun's warmth once more.
Only after they were safely on the sidewalk did Jade release Eli's hand, now walking casually beside him.
"Did you get what you came for?" Eli asked her.
Jade released a heavy breath and then smiled. "Yes."
Her reaction was odd, but like every other odd thing about her, Eli kept his questions to himself. He was beginning to think that there was something completely wrong with Jade and it was scaring him more and more by the minutes.
"And you?" Eli glanced at Jade. "You targeted that woman out so you obviously had an agenda."
"How could I have had an agenda for an event I didn't know I was going to?" Eli responded.
Jade rolled her eyes. "You didn't need to know where we were going. Still, you knew what you wanted from that lady the moment you saw her, so you obviously had whatever you did rehearsed." Jade then smirked. "You're not the only smart one here, Eli."
"I got a job, if that's what you're asking." His answer was, again, bullshit but he really did not want Jade to know all of his secrets, if any. "She's Sapphire Stagg and my dad used to work for her. I played the pity card to get a job so I can pay for the apartment instead of having to live with my mom."
Jade clicked her tongue. "Ah." Eli watched as Jade's green eyes glanced to her left where the beach lied. "Kind of sucks that we came out here and didn't get to enjoy Drayton Pier."
"You sound as if you genuinely want to go." Eli commented dryly.
"You don't?" Eli only shrugged. "A beautiful girl asks you to go to beach with her alone and you just shrug it off?"
"I don't know anything about said girl." Eli pointed out. "The last thing I need is for her to have me near the ocean waters where she could dispose of my body."
"For future references, I would burn your body before disposing it if I really wanted to get away with killing you." Eli frowned.
"You speak as if you have experience in getting away with killing someone." His statement was met with a sly grin.
"Join me and I'll tell you whether or not I have."
Once again, Eli saw the red flags. He knew trouble when it stood directly in front of him, literally smiling in his face. But he had to go. He had to know something about her. Not only that, but he was curious as to what she had gotten from Robert Pullman.
"You can also tell me what you want." Jade said offhandedly. Confusion was clearly written on Eli's face once more as the Asian beauty added. "The favor? I do keep my word. I owe you one and you can ask for something. Just not everything, got it?"
"Got it." Eli said as a new problem rose in his mind.
Just what favor could he ask for?
It was well after eleven o'clock at night when he ad Jade returned to Cheshire Square. The two had spent the majority of the evening at Cam Beach and Drayton Pier, casually trying to gain information on the other while not divulging too deep into their personal lives.
Eli had rightfully assumed that there was something big that Jade was hiding. It had bugged him since he had watched her completely destroy the games that the booths of Drayton Pier had to offer, winning prizes that neither cared to take with them. Ironically, Jade had kept the tiger plushie that Eli had won at a dart's booth. She told him that in the future, if he was lucky, she would tell him just why it was so funny that he would give her a tiger.
All in all, the day went by peacefully. Robert Pullman and Sapphire Stagg were none-the-wiser about the interrogations conducted by the two teens. Eli had turned his phone off, thus not being bothered by any calls from his mother or stepfather. And Jade proved that she could be good company to keep.
"Bialya," Jade commented as the two walked down the sidewalk. The brisk night air seemed to summarize just how relaxing their day had been. "That's the only country I haven't guessed yet so it has to be that one."
Eli snorted. "There're at least five Middle Eastern countries that you haven't guessed yet. What makes you think that Bialya is where my mom is from?"
"Because you're full of bullshit when you say she's from Saudi Arabia." Jade casually replied. "So it has to be somewhere full of terrorists because she hates talking about it. Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Bialya, and Qurac are the best countries to start with."
"People from Iran are quite prideful of their heritage." Eli pointed out. "I've met a family from there once. They stay not too far from here."
Jade smiled. "But you've yet to deny it so it must be true." Eli realized that she did have a small, strong point there. "So your mom is from Bialya."
"Sure Sherlock. She's from Bialya. Now your turn." Eli said.
"Vietnam." Eli clicked his tongue. "What? You have a problem with Vietnam?"
"Never been to say yes or no to that." answered Eli.
"…" Eli noted that Jade's quietness now was much different from earlier. This silence was filled with a deep despair, an emotion that Jade had done well not to show before. She was normally secretive for other reasons- he the same. But this was different.
Yet, right before Eli could voice any attempt of an apology, Jade's eyes landed on an object that had him following her line of sight. There, seated at the bottom of the steps that led into his apartment building was George.
This put Eli on high alert.
George and Eli had been friends for years yet Eli knew that George was, and always would be, more loyal to his brother, Eric, than Eli. If George was here for Eric or any other Saints Row Children business then there was bound to be others waiting in the wings to take a shot at an unexpected Eli.
Or, Eli thought, George could be here for another party that he wanted Eli to go to. It was a long shot, especially due to the recent events, but still an option.
"Your parents kick you out?" Eli joked as he and Jade approached the thin male.
"Nah, just wanted to talk." George answered as he stood up. "This the girl that Eric was talking about. Jay or something."
"Jade." Jade corrected.
George nodded. "Right, right," George then looked at Eli. "Look man, I gotta give this to you straight, alright? Eric. He ain't happy about what you did. Says you owe him more than you got. But-"
"Are you expecting me to not defend my brother?" Eli interrupted. "Look, George, it's late and I still have to get home. So can you save this half-ass explanation about your brother's feelings for tomorrow?"
"You don't want that bruh. I'm trying to help you."
"But who helps Sam, huh? The white guys that weren't there or the white guys too afraid to do something because you guys cry 'racism' every time you're actually caught?" Eli harshly responded. "You want to side with Eric on this? Fine. But don't be shocked when I stay beside my brother."
The two friends stood in front of each other quietly. The urge punch George had never been stronger. Years of friendship, a friendship longer than Sam's entire life, was now being tested over one six-lettered word. It was stupid. It was absurd. Yet it somehow meant so much to both sides here.
The sound of a car started across the street caught Eli and Jade's attention. The two turned to see an old Chevy Impala turning on its headlights. The driver was unable to be identified but the two knew that he was waiting for George.
"I'm really trying to help you." George voiced again. "Don't be a hero Eli. They don't make it out alive. Not in this town."
Eli glanced at Jade. The girl was still focused on the car parked along the opposite curb. She did not look worried though. In fact, Jade looked almost comfortable with this entire situation, more comfortable than she did when talking about Vietnam.
"You my nigga. Day one." George said as he put a hand on Eli's shoulder. "Don't make me- Fuck!"
Eli almost flinched as Jade quickly sprang into action, the hand once on Eli's shoulder was now being twisted painfully as George knelt in front of the glaring girl.
"Send this message to your brother," Jade said in a quiet tone. "If I call Mr. Bertinelli and tell him that his new errand boy was even delayed because of some wannabe gang, Mr. Bertinelli will be pissed. And when Mr. Bertinelli is pissed, you can have all the black pride that you want, but he will ultimately shut your little operation down. Eli is with me now. Understood?"
"Crazy bitch! Let go befo- Ah!" Jade applied more pressure to his arm.
"Fifty-four," Jade said. "There are fifty-four bones in your hand and wrist. You can either call your boys off and go home like Eli said or the next time you jerk off, you're going to need your big brother's help." Jade added more pressure causing George to grunt in pain. "And then I'll let Mr. Bertinelli know about your little sandbox friends. So what is it going to be? As you said earlier, don't be a hero."
Eli exchanged looks between George and the Impala. He was uncertain if this move of Jade's was wise or not but it was too late now. They were now in this thing until George either made his mind up or they ended up dead on the sidewalk by an unknown assailant in the car.
"Fine…"
Jade smirked. "What was that? I couldn't hear you."
"I said you have a fucking deal! Now let me go!" George demanded only to be kicked hard in the face, knocking him onto his back as Jade released his wrist. "Fuck!"
"You shouldn't have kicked him. Even if he did deserve it." Eli commented, the last part a bit quieter. "Go on Jade. I can handle it from here."
"Suit yourself." Jade said as she began walking up the steps, Eli following her. "Just know that I did that because he ruined a perfectly good day. We got information. Nice day at the beach. Come home and there's a problem."
Eli grinned as they entered the building.
"There's always a problem in New Camford." Eli said as the duo walked up the steps. "But George isn't one to worry about. In fact, George is probably the smallest problem in New England."
"A piece of advice. In this world, small problems never stay small. Solve them or get rid of them." Jade said.
Eli did not respond immediately, letting the words seep into his brain. Alexander Wyvern was a small problem who eventually became a big problem. A joke of a man had turned into a serial killer. Eli doubted that George had that capability as George was barely making into senior year.
But the SRC… They could become a serious problem.
Stepping towards his apartment door, Eli gave Jade a hardened look.
"That favor." Jade paused before going up the stairs to the fourth floor. "I want Ben to train me like he's training you. That way I can fix my problems, both small and large."
Eli noticed that Jade's face had once more taken a firm appearance. Obviously she was not so sure about his statement. But his conviction held strong. He wanted her to see just how badly he wanted this.
"Be here by seven and you can convince him yourself." Jade said. "But Eli, don't get your hopes up. Ben doesn't train everyone with a gang problem."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"And he won't like that you're using me to attempt to get him to do so." Jade added.
"I'll remember that as well." Eli absentmindedly replied as he put his key into the keyhole of his door.
Jade frowned. "He could kill you. I could kill you. And yet you're still just going to go up to him and ask?"
"My mom," Eli said as he opened the door to his apartment. "Told me that America had American worries. Obesity and bullying. Bialya had real problems. She had to hide her education and sneak to America afterwards. I don't know what a 'Bialyan problem' is. But I assume you do, huh?" Jade had frozen at the steps while Eli rounded to look at her. "If she can risk her life trying to get to America, I can risk my life to get to the same place."
Jade just stood astonished that Eli had deduced that. She was certain that the only hint would be when her memories of Vietnam resurfaced for a few seconds, but he was not paying attention to her. Or was he? And to relate her problems to that of a Bialyan woman raised before the education reforms of 1997…
"I'll be fine Jade," Eli said. "Night."
Jade just nodded as Eli stepped into his apartment. Closing his door, Eli looked around the room before pulling out the card he had received from Sapphire.
Bookworm was in Venice Terrace somewhere.
Tobias Whale wanted Kord Industries.
The Russians killed Malcolm.
And now Eli had a way to gain the answers as to why for two of the three while finishing his dad's case on Bookworm altogether. Not to mention that if he received training from Ben Turner, he would no longer have to fear about being jumped by the SRC so long as none of them brought a gun to a fist-fight.
All in all, today was a good day.
Author's Notes: So here's the next chapter, I hope you liked it. One thing I do want to point out is that this story does not in any sense follows Young Justice at all, making it a completely different universe than Jake Cross's or Sora's. With that being said, and a bit of a spoiler alert, there is no relationship between Jade/Cheshire and Lawrence Crock/Sportsmaster and Artemis will most definitely not be in this story (especially as her YJ counterpart) at all. One of the two promised men that will train Eli has been introduced here with the other coming in the next chapter. Also, to answer a previous question, there will be times where the story drifts away from Eli's POV. That will also be seen in a chapter or two and it will be in Leila's POV for a moment. As always, leave a review or PM for any thoughts, questions, or comments that you have and I will read and respond as soon as I possibly can. Until then, peace.