She woke up in near silence.
Definitely not where she had passed out.
She lay on some soft surface, old but felt comfortable to relax on. Not bothering to open her eyes, she began hearing the room. How the wind brushed through the cracks in the windows, how a door, a lone door, creaked, hanging on its last hinge. She could feel the echoes hitting off the walls, revealing the peeling paint. She couldn't estimate how much damage was done to them, but she knew it had been abandoned for many years. She could feel the age cling to her, the dry and stale air filling her lungs.
And then, foot steps.
Jumping up, she prepared herself for battle. Nadine or Slade-she wasn't going without a fight.
"Calm down." A voice came. It sounded calm and steady, but filled with strange warmth, as if promising her that he was no threat. Definitely not Slade. His voice had been raspy and mechanical like-worn down with age.
"Who are you?" She asked, her voice struggling to keep up the emotionless façade she played. Her voice echoed off the boy, telling her he was taller, and that his hands were out stretched and flat-as if trying to tell her he had no weapon. She could distinctly tell he was thin but strong, and his hair was spiked.
"I'm Jet. I found you fighting a girl in the alley, and I brought you here." He responded, taking no steps further. He answered the unspoken question, before asking, "Who are you?"
Silent, she stood still. Irritation was building up in both teens. He repeated himself, and she shook her head. "I have no name."
"You have no name? Jet sounded doubtful. Not that she didn't blame him. How easy it was to name herself.
"My past is of none of your business, and I have no name that I can remember." Her voice stung him and her as well. She did have a name. One that she was trying to run from.
"Well then." His voice was tense, as if waiting for her to attack.
"What do you want with me?" Her voice was growing with rage, and she was having troubles hiding it.
And then she heard it. Like scraping metal, the door pushed forward. The one that had nearly fallen off. Distracted by their argument, she had failed to hear the most basic things. Foot steps. Cursing, she closed her eyes.
"Duck." She frowned.
"Wh-" Jet began, but was cut off when the weight of the net knocked him to the floor.
"Told you to duck." She shrugged.
The new comer was large. A tall and muscular man, echoes glided over him smooth and easily-almost like how sounds used to glide over smooth metal of the old Hide Away. She felt him lift an arm up at her, and she heard the bang but before whatever he had thrown at her meet its target, she flipped out of the way, crouched, and opened her mouth to scream at him.
But using her strength, she made sure that it was muted to Jet. She wasn't sure why she cared, but she did it anyways. She felt like she owed him something at least, for not letting her lie in the grimy alley. The large man fell to the floor, covering his ears. She smirked in victory, and stopped screaming.
"Who are you?" She glowered. Her near black eyes began to glow slightly. His one red eye began to glow as well.
"Cyborg. You're in my home."