Hey everyone! I know this took forever for me to post, I'm sorry! I've been busy and writer's block is horrible DX
Anyway, as always, thanks to everyone who's faved, followed and reviewed! I really hope you all continue to leave reviews to let me know your thoughts on the story and to share any ideas you have for it!
Now, this chapter includes Jason quickly finding out the location of the M.E.C.H base. I know it will probably seem a bit outlandish, but I promise that in the future, it won't be so easy for him to figure out the base locations! Its just I figured for the first base, it would be okay for it to be a little simpler to find! Besides, Jason is one of the members of the Batfamily! I figure a little information can sometimes go a long way XD
As always, Disclaimer's on my prof.!
Sorry for any spelling errors! My 'B' button is sticky, and it sometimes throws off my typing DX
Also as always, please share ideas for this story that you have! Its thanks to ideas from you awesome reviewers that my stories don't get stuck in a rut!
Enjoy and review!
After over fourteen hours of sitting with nothing to do, Jason was ready to scream.
Glancing through the gap in the door, Jason looked out at the passing landscape. It was dark, with a half moon lighting the surrounding area. If Jason had to guess, they were in Nevada.
Turning, Jason regarded the teen across from him. Jason had taken "first watch", so that Jack could get some much needed rest. Jack was fast asleep, using the large backpack that contained their food supply and some medical supplies as a pillow. The poor boy was still exhausted from his torture at the hands of M.E.C.H - not that Jason could blame him. He understood what the boy was going through, not that he would admit it aloud.
Checking the time on the disposable, untraceable cellphone he had in his back pocket, Jason sighed. Two a.m.
Jason pushed himself up to his feet, using the light from the screen of the phone to keep from tripping. It only took four steps to reach the other side of the compartment. He lightly nudged his foot against Jack's leg.
"Time to get up, kid. Its your turn to keep watch."
Jack gave a muffled groan, turning to hide his face in the backpack. Jason rolled his eyes before nudging the teen's leg again.
"C'mon. Get up."
A hum, and then a blue-grey eye blinked up at Jason.
"Ugh..." Jack pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing as his side protested. The teen ran a hand through his hair, eyes squinted in the light from the cellphone. "What...What time is it?"
"Two in the morning. Its your turn to keep watch."
Jack groaned, glancing at the slightly open door.
"Where are we? Are we close to Tucson?"
"I think we're in Nevada." Jason was surprised when Jack's expression dropped. "What's wrong?"
Jack quickly looked away, rearranging his face into a blank mask.
"Nothing." He stated quickly. "Nothing's wrong."
Jason snorted.
"Oh yeah, that's believable." He shifted so that he was leaning sideways against the wall of the train car, crossing his arms. "C'mon. Spill it."
Jack sighed, looking significantly uncomfortable as he regarded the passing scenery through the crack in the door.
"I...I lived here. In Nevada. Y'know, until..."
Jason's face fell.
"Until M.E.C.H."
Jack nodded shortly.
"Yeah."
Jason grimaced. He understood what it was like, returning to a place you knew after something tragic happened was. He'd gone through the same thing when he had first returned to Gotham after donning the title Red Hood.
Taking in Jack's saddened face, Jason sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Listen...I can take watch a little longer. I'll wake you up for your turn once we hit the state's border."
"No, no." Jack quickly protested. "I'm fine. Go ahead and get some rest."
Jason only waved off his protests, moving back to the other side of the compartment. Jack sighed, hesitantly laying back down. Dark eyes glanced back towards Jason.
"...Thanks. Y'know, for...for understanding."
There was a pause, then Jason grunted.
"Its fine. Just get some rest."
Jack nodded, then turned over. He was soon asleep once more.
Arizona was, in one word, hot. Not that it was much a surprise, Arizona was famous for its sweltering temperatures, and Jack himself was actually quite use to such weather from the years he'd lived in the middle of Nevada.
At least here, he felt much safer than he had felt back in Texas, Jack mused as he quietly followed Jason through the busy streets of Tucson. Here, M.E.C.H didn't know where he was. He was just another face among the crowd.
"Kid, keep up!" Jason barked, striding down the sidewalk with all the confidence in the world. People were quick to get out of his way, sensing he was not someone to be trifled with.
Jack quickened his own pace, ignoring the horrid ache that consumed his whole body, particularly his ankle and side. He didn't protest at how quickly Jason was moving, deciding that since the man was letting him tag along and keeping him safe and fed, he'd best avoid annoying the vigilante.
It was about eight fifteen in the morning. The streets of the city weren't all too busy yet, and despite the early hour the temperature was already skyrocketing.
"So," Jason spoke under his breath, voice low enough so only Jack could hear. "Where's this base M.E.C.H is hiding out in?"
Jack glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby.
"Somewhere a bit North of the Saguaro National Park, I don't know the exact location though."
"That's fine. We'll talk more about it later. C'mon."
Jason turned abruptly into an alleyway, and Jack was quick to follow.
"Uh...What're we doing?" Jack asked hesitantly, looking about the dark alley nervously. Jason stopped before a fire escape, looking up at the building to their left appraisingly.
"We're getting a free apartment. And by free, I mean we're finding the crappiest room that they don't ever rent out to anyone and make it home-sweet-home."
"But won't someone see us climbing up?" Jack wondered aloud, looking up at the tall motel dubiously. Jason scoffed.
"No one ever looks in alleyways - They're too worried that they might see something that'll freak them out or something. Now, c'mere."
"What? What're you-"
A yelp left Jack as, when he extended his hand, Jason took it and yanked him up. The teen scrambled, feet finding purchase on the fire escape ladder (though this caused his ankle to sting fiercely, making him cringe).
"Ow!" A glance down, and Jack realized he'd been lifted up a good three feet. "Woah..."
"F**k, kid, could you be any louder?" Jason muttered. "Keep it down! I'm not gonna let you fall or anything, now c'mon!"
Jack nodded, quickly climbing the ladder (with a somewhat uncomfortable amount of pain, but he wasn't about to complain) as Jason released his wrist and started up the rickety metal stairs.
Reaching the first landing of the escape, Jack did his best to follow Jason as quickly as possible. Neither Jack nor Jason spoke the entire time as they ascended the fire escape, the silence heavy and buzzing in Jack's ears. As the went along, Jason peered into random windows, shaking his head and moving on when he decided the rooms beyond the windows weren't satisfactory. Jack did his best to get a quick look through the windows that Jason passed over, hoping to be at least somewhat of a help. The teen paused when, through a dusty, grime-coated window, he saw a room that was the definition of a wreck. Furniture was overturned, the carpet was ripped up, a large hole in the wall had insulation poking out. Even the curtains were in a bad shape, torn and stained by something of a questionable nature.
"Jason!" Jack called out in a hushed tone. The older male halted, looking back at him, and Jack waved him over. "Here! How about this one?"
Jason moved over, bending down to peer in the window. He grunted.
"Good eye, kid." Jason straightened, rummaging through the pack slung over his shoulder. "Keep an eye on the streets for a sec."
Jack hesitantly nodded, turning to peer over the edge of the fire escape platform, down upon the mostly-empty streets. He jumped, glancing back when he heard a crack of splitting wood. He raised a brow when he saw Jason prying open the window with what looked to be half of a crowbar. The force Jason was using had cracked the bottom of the window's chipped, wooden frame. Now able to pry open the window, Jason yanked it open and slid himself and his duffle bag of weapons into the apartment. Setting the bag aside, Jason turned, gesturing Jack over.
"C'mon. In you get."
Jack padded over, crouching down to climb in. He winced when his ankle and side stung fiercely, and Jack had to resist the urge to stand so he didn't have to bend his ankle at such a painful angle. Jack yelped when h was grabbed under the arms and easily hefted into the apartment, Jason having no patience to wait for the boy to ease in.
Taking the backpack Jack carried, Jason jerked his chin towards a door the was to their right.
"You check that room, I'll check this one." The vigilante ordered, heading for a door opposite of the one he'd pointing out to Jack.
Jack sighed, doing as told and heading for the scratched door. The rusty hinges squeaked shrilly as Jack pushed the door open, the sound making the teen cringe.
"Jeez, keep it down!" Jason hissed. Jack sent a glare back.
"Its not my fault!" He retorted, voice just as low as Jason's. "This place hasn't been fixed up in ages, with all the rust there was no way I was going to open the door without it making some noise!"
Jason only grumbled under his breath, returning his attention to the room he was stepping into. Jack shook his head to himself, turning back to peer in through the open door.
It was dark, but a window with bent plastic blinds let in streaks of sunlight. The room itself was nothing spectacular, it looked to have at some point been a normal bedroom. The carpet was stained and ripped, and the ugly floral-print wallpaper was peeling off the walls. An old ripped mattress sat lopsidedly on a collapsed bed frame, stuffing pouring from it. A toppled bedside table sat on its side, and a dresser leaned against a wall, missing a few drawers. After checking through the dresser drawers, all of which were empty, Jack moved to the sliding door in the corner and opened it, which revealed an empty closet.
Satisfied that there was no one and nothing dangerous in the room or closet, Jack returned to the main room. Jason joined him a moment later.
"Find anything?" The older male asked. Jack shrugged.
"A bedroom with an old mattress, a dresser and a closet. Nothing all that interesting."
"Did you check-"
"I checked the closet and dresser drawers." Jack interjected, seeming to know what Jason was going to ask. "Nothing. They were emptied out when whoever last lived here left."
Jason paused, seeming taken aback for a split second (very few ever had the sense to check for anything in drawers or closets, let alone a teenage boy). The man, though, quickly shook himself off.
"Good." He praised grudgingly. He jabbed a thumb towards the backpack in the corner. "Go ahead and unpack our food supply and get comfy - More likely than not, we're gonna be here for a few days."
Jack nodded, limping his way over to the pack and scooping it up, heading then for the kitchenette to unpack the small boxes and cans of non-perishables. The teen glanced up now and again to look at Jason, who was now occupied with rummaging through his duffle bag. Jack wondered just what the man needed with his weapons stash, but then realized the man wasn't looking for a weapon but instead something else. A laptop, it turned out, as Jason removed a sleek black and dark grey computer from the bag. Jack quickly averted his gaze when Jason looked up, and the teen didn't dare look back up until the vigilante had returned his attention to the laptop.
Jack quietly watched as Jason sat crosslegged on the floor, opening the sleek laptop.
"I've never seen a laptop like that." Jack commented hesitantly.
Jason's eyes flickered up to Jack, surprised by the statement. He then smirked lopsidedly.
"Thats 'cause this isn't a d**n Microsoft or Apple. Its custom-made, untraceable, almost indestructible and one of a kind." Jason ran a hand over the laptop's rim fondly. "Its thanks to this baby that I was able to find that base M.E.C.H had you holed up in."
Jack grimaced at the reminder of his time in captivity, but nodded in understanding, saying no more and busying himself with the food supplies.
Everything became quiet, the only sound being Jason typing away on the keys of the laptop. Jack kept himself distracted by trying to figure out how in the world the computer could be untraceable. This went on for awhile, neither Jack nor Jason speaking, the silence consuming the room.
It was Jason who finally broke the silence.
"Hey kid."
Jack jolted, head snapping up. Jason, without looking away from the laptop lifted a hand and gestured for Jack to approach. "C'mere."
Jack moved over hesitantly, settling down to sit beside Jason, leaving a couple feet between himself and the vigilante.
"Yeah?"
"I need you to tell me everything you heard about this M.E.C.H base."
Jack frowned slightly.
"They...Didn't say much. Nothing important, anyway."
Jason grunted, shifting so that he was leaning back against the wall behind him.
"You'd be surprised by just how much can be gleaned from an offhand conversation. C'mon, just give me the rundown. What'd they say, how they said it, what sort of body language was going on..."
Jack sighed, resting his hands in his lap. While he wasn't quite sure what Jason was expecting, he decided to just go along with it.
"I only heard about it a couple of times. Once was when one of the M.E.C.H agents guarding me was talking to his buddy about wanting a transfer out here. How he said it..." Jack mused over this for a moment, then, "He sounding kinda...longing. Like it would be a dream to come out here." Jack paused again. Remembering something, he quickly added, "He mentioned that testing new weapon designs would be way more fun then being stuck on guard duty! So maybe the base out here is a sort of test facility?"
Jason nodded, much like a teacher would do when a student got an answer right.
"That's important." The vigilante admitted, fingers dancing over the laptop keyboard. "It helps me know how much firepower I should bring with me."
Now better understanding what Jason had been talking about when he'd said Jack might know more than he thought, the teen eagerly continued, wracking his brain for more information.
"At that time, I couldn't see their body language. They were outside the room, I heard them through the door only. But I remember the other guard saying a transfer might be easy to get, but he wouldn't want to go there. Something about how people are always getting killed since the weapons there are mostly prototypes and usually end up causing fatal accidents. He, uh..." Jack paused, struggling to remember the guard's words. "He said 'so many people out there end up hurt or killed, they're always looking for volunteers to transfer there. If you get sent there, you'll be dead by the end of the week'."
Jason continued to type, and Jack absently wondered what he was doing, but didn't ask aloud. When Jack didn't say anything right away, Jason glanced up at the teen, raising a brow.
"Well? C'mon, kid, what else?"
Jack gave a slight start, but quickly recovered.
"W-well another time, I heard some of the scientists talking when they were getting things ready, tools and stuff, during another...uh...'interrogation'." Something dark flickered across Jason's face at that, but Jack simply dove onwards. "They talked about some big accident that happened at the base around here, and how it was a miracle the whole place wasn't caved in. They decided it was probably because of the steel and stone walls that saved the place. So...Maybe a military bunker or something? From how they were talking, it sounded like the entire place was underground." Jason said nothing, and so Jack added. "There wasn't much in the form of body language though. Those scientists that M.E.C.H hires are as stoic as they come, and they didn't seem to really care about what had happened, they just seemed to be...just sharing ideas as to what kept the place from collapsing."
Jason typed a few more things, then, hitting the enter key with a sense of finality, he folded his hands behind his head and reclined back against the wall. At Jack's questioning look, the man grinned.
"Well, Jackie, looks like you knew a lot more than you thought, huh? I wouldn't be surprised if I find that d**n base in the next hour."
Jack's brow furrowed.
"Wait, really? But how-"
Jason gestured to the laptop.
"I doubt there's many military bunkers around Saguaro, and this comp can search thousands of databases simultaneously for anything that matches your description. I mean, sure, I'll need a couple days to do some recon, but at least we're getting somewhere, huh? A lot farther than I was getting on my own, that's for d**n sure." Jason stood with a grunt of effort. "C'mon, I want to check your injuries again, and it'll be easier if you sit on the kitchen counter."
Jack looked blankly between the man and the laptop, still trying to understand how Jason had managed to narrow down the base location easily with so little information. Deciding it was better to not look a gift horse in the mouth, the teen stood and quietly followed.