[Downpour cont.] Part 3
"Baal you're gonna kill'em!" Patch screamed, running over to the ringleader and grabbing his arm.
Amused, Baal quirked a painted eyebrow at her and grinned, dropping Jake to the ground.
"Oh, trust me, death would be the least of his problems babe." He swatted at the girl, his hand glancing her cheek.
…
27th of October, Thursday
"Ms. Leal to the office, Ms. Leal, to the office please."
Wally looked up from his locker at the speakers. Cailan had been in and out of school irregularly for the past ten days. She hadn't even glanced at him when she walked by him. He was sure she was going to be in trouble, maybe detentions, or even a suspension.
"What do you think's going on?" he asked Conner. The other boy quirked his eyebrow and shrugged. He glanced over Cailan as she walked by (Wally noted his eyes linger for just a fraction) and then looked at him.
"Dunno. Don't really care. Dude, give it up; she's not interested in you and whatever's going on with her, she doesn't want to share it. C'mon."
Wally didn't see Cali again until after lunch. She was coming out of the office—the counselor's wing—in front of two officers. Her face was dazed and she was pale.
"Thank you, Ms." The officers said rather curtly before they brushed past her, closing notebooks and placing pens back into their belts.
"I thought Mr. McAlister's…absence may have been the reason for your recent attitude, Ms. Leal. Quite frankly, as this is not the case you've got some explaining to do. We can start with your slipping grades and move on to why you've been skipping school and practices lately." KF heard the principal say before he sped off to the open door to beat the cops to their own car.
The young red-headed hero wanted to hear what the officers had to say about Jake.
…
[1:46 pm]
"Dick I need you to look up something," Wally demanded, suddenly appearing at the boy-wonder's side, his speed sending papers ruffling on the teacher's desk as Dick sat at the computer.
"You're not supposed to do that!" Dick hissed sideways, already typing into his search engine and bypassing the school's protective blocks. "What?"
"Find out everything you can on Jake McAlister." Wally said solemnly.
"…" Dick paused and shot Wally a disbelieving glance. "This had better not have anything to do with Cailan and Jake being together…"
"Dude!" Wally ducked down just as the teacher looked up. "Jake hasn't been around in like, ten days, the cops were here."
"What did they say?" Dick demanded, his fingers flying over the keyboard the second he sensed something was up.
"Not a lot. Just that Cali is thought to be involved; they're convinced it's a runaway case."
Dick paused for a moment and then resumed typing. Things like this weren't surprising anymore, not really.
"School records say he's been gone straight for ten days. His parents didn't call in till this morning. He's done things like this before; mostly hiding from people he owes money to for drugs. He's got a history of fights, busted for pot, other than that…" Dick's eyes scanned the pages as they flew by him on the monitor.
"Crap!" Wally ducked down just as Cailan walked in the door; her eyes were rimmed red and her face was still pale; she looked as if she'd been sick or crying. Her hair didn't seem as glossy now, her eyes had lost their shimmer.
She didn't even acknowledge the teacher as she walked past Mrs. Kelly's desk and slumped into her own seat down the row of computers. Wally gauged it'd been a quick talk between her and the principal, and it didn't look like it'd ended well.
"Wanna talk to her?" Dick asked, nudging his friend.
"You crazy? I'm not even supposed to be in here."
Dick rolled his eyes. More typing and a chat box popped up on screen.
Gothem_red07: What's up this time?
It took Cali a long time to answer; Wally held baited breath and he didn't understand why.
the13th: wats it matter.
Gothem_red07: Because you're obviously distraught.
the13th: nunyabusiness.
Gothem_red07: I'm just trying to help.
the13th: Don't.
Dick sneered and scoffed, giving up and going back to his work. After persistence and annoyance, Dick pulled up his chat on another computer for Wally.
Gothem_red07: you still there?
the13th: I told you. Leave me alone.
Gothem_red07: is Jake alright?
He saw Cali straighten up and look around the room, surprised. Catching the teacher's disapproving glare she looked back to the screen.
the13th: I don't know where he is.
…
20th of October, Thursday
"PLEASE!" Jake screamed as the shock ripped through his body.
Baal didn't know if he was screaming in pain or screaming for more of the drug. He turned off the switch and looked back to the boy, cocking his head.
"please," Jake whispered, his eyes big and pained "I'll do whatever you want…what do you want?"
Baal just grinned and started walking around the warehouse, eyeing his captive with a merciless gaze. He rummaged in the tools and walked along the walls, talking about whatever instrument he picked up, concocting whatever lies came into his head about the wicked-looking tools. When he got to a pair of oddly shaped pliers his grin grew wicked and he walked slowly back to Jake.
"Oh, this is gonna be real fun," Baal hissed.
As an afterthought he shoved one of Patch's rags into his victim's mouth, deep enough down to gag him. He then proceeded to methodically break the fingers of Jake's right hand at each joint. Baal did so slowly, easing each joint to crack before finally splitting. This left the pain lingering and, because of the drawn out duration, Jake was kept conscious.
Jake was heavily doped up on Product X, making his pain nearly past enduring but his endurance all the stronger. Twice, Baal ordered Patch to remove the rag from Jake's mouth so he could vomit on the floor instead of choking himself.
But Baal was simply getting started. He enjoyed the screams of agony as if they were music that had been written just for him. After he'd broken just about every bone in Jake's right hand he searched for another instrument. In his absence he told the other's to soak the captive in the frigid water's from the building's ancient pipes; the effect was that Jake fancied himself being sliced to pieces by billions of ice crystals. When Baal returned he carried nothing but a slip of brown paper.
"…what're you gonna do, paper-cut him to death?" Patch rolled her eyes.
Baal turned his iniquitous eyes upon the girl. This time the blow he dealt her wasn't a grazing hit. She landed squarely on her butt and he fell to her, pinning her body down, getting between her legs with a hand on her throat. He bore his weight down on her, his smile growing as well as another reaction as he watched her gag. He ground his lower half into her, quirking an eyebrow at her as she struggled to get away.
He laughed and got up, punching her in the face and leaving her lie.
Baal resumed his attentions to Jake, ruminating over the piece of paper as he paced around Jake's chair. Taking the broken hand of his captive gingerly in his hand Baal crouched down and placed the piece of paper over the skin. He slowly began to pull the paper to one side and it was only then that Jake realized Baal was using sand paper. Baal was sanding off his skin.
Baal began to rub faster and faster, grinning at Jake's hand as—swipe by swipe—more pinkish tissue was revealed underneath the pale white skin.
"Baal,"
The cold voice rang out with laughter through the darkened, abandoned warehouse. "My dear boy, that is quite enough. Your uncle has…purposes for this one…"
…
27th of October, Thursday
1:47pm
Gothem_red07: isn't he your boyfriend? Wally typed out furiously with two fingers, suddenly angry and not understanding.
the13th: even if he was it isn't any of your business. Told you, leave. Me. alone.
Gothem_red07: I'm only concerned!
[the13th has blocked your messages from being viewed.]
Wally hit enter several more times, all with the same result.
[the13th has blocked your messages from being viewed.]
[the13th has blocked your messages from being viewed.]
[the13th has blocked your messages from being viewed.]
"Hey! Knock it off!" Robin growled, shooting Wally a look and grabbing his hands off the keyboard.
"Mrs. Kelly, I need a word with one of your students," the vice principal and counselor said, peaking his mouse-like head around the corner. "Ms. Leal, if you could come with me please,"
"…" Cailan continued typing, as if she hadn't heard him.
"Ms. Leal," he said a bit louder, garnering the entire class' attention. "If you would please come with—"
"No, thanks."
The room was a silent as a tomb, save for the girl's fingers dancing across her keyboard, typing something or other out. The vice principal seemed stunned and stood gaping at her from the hallway.
"Ms. Leal!" Mrs. Kelly gasped, obviously perturbed, snapping the vice principal from his idiotic stupor.
"I am afraid you don't really have a choice. I would like to see you in my office. Now."
"I really don't feel like talking. Not to you, or anyone." She never took her eyes from the computer but Wally and Dick heard the tremor in her voice.
Is her composure breaking? Dick thought.
Dude…she's so pissed! Wally said to himself.
"Cailan Leal if you refuse to come to my office it will be a detention." The man in the doorway said, to little effect.
Cailan's hands were trembling. She knew what this was about. Her grades were in the toilet—thanks to these last few days especially, but also to her dedication to the teams she'd been on. Those teams were suffering now as well, thanks to her crappy grades stressing her out and Jake taking up half her brain. She felt…horrible and wonderful with him. She knew it was about her, and him, and what had happened and why he was gone and why she was failing school—life—and for what reason.
"For a week." The man added, stepping more into the classroom now, glaring at the girl.
"I really don't give a…shit." She said, her breath catching on the last word. People began to stare at her. She was losing her mind.
Her breath shook. Cali had been the school's princess. She'd been popular enough to stay under the radar of just about everything, except praise for her wonderful performances and the trophies she won the school. She knew she should shut her mouth and just apologize and go back to being the princess of the school. She couldn't let anyone find out what was going on. It'd ruin everything.
"Cailan if you don't get your butt to my office this instant you'll have detention, Saturday school and I.S.S for a month. And I'll be calling your parents in for a reason as to your behavior." The v.p. though his voice tight, kept rather calm in the situation.
Cailan's hands froze on the computer. Everyone felt the shift in atmosphere. Slowly she closed out of what she was doing, picked up her things, and, with her head held high, lead the vice principal out of the classroom.
…
3:08 pm
Rumors had been circulating about her faster than ever. She knew that.
Cailan had been kept by the vice principal and then the principal until a few moments ago. The halls were just about empty; it still felt like she had hundreds of eyes on her. But it wasn't like she was used to. The eyes weren't appraising her or raising her up. They were judging her, condemning her.
She bristled and straightened herself, walking with a deliberate purpose to her locker. Irate at the situation she began throwing the contents of her locker into her bag. She knew it was her own fault and that knowledge only caused her to throw her things more vehemently into the fabric she held on her arm, as if doing so would rid her of what she was feeling.
It fit that there was a storm raging outside. One of the worst they'd seen this year. She took her throws on cue from the thunder. Tears began welling up and she forced them back down. She had to get outside, out into the torrent. If she did, no one would know she was crying.
The air was cold as she burst through the school doors. She was soaked almost instantaneously from walking out from under the protection of the walkway. Cailan still walked with her head high, still walked with purpose, her feet placed deliberately on the ground.
Her hair was a mess around her, the wind tore it up and around, slapping her in the face. She pressed on, letting her eyes cloud with salty tears and letting those tears slip down her face. She was going to go home, strip, and sleep.
Cali was delayed. As she walked down the way her bag caught hold of something, snagged, ripped and then tore, spilling her contents on to the watery ground. She froze at the sound, watching it happen in slow motion. She stood there, staring at her pile of books and papers and clothes, watching her possessions get soaked in the rain and mud.
Cailan let out a furious scream and slung the ruined pack onto the ground. She dropped to her knees and began throwing her things in a pile. Her anger caused her to throw her books carelessly, sending one into a puddle of mud which consequently splashed her, ruining her clothes. Cailan sat on her heels, staring at the mess she'd made for herself. Letting her hands slip and her shoulders relax, she sat there. And then she started giggling. Her giggles became hysterics and she laughed until she wasn't sure she was laughing, crying or choking.
…
3:08pm
Kaldur walked slowly out from the pool area. Dick had hacked the school and sent a notification out saying the pool was closed after school so his leader would have it all to himself. It was selfish, Kaldur knew, and it hadn't been using Dick's hacking abilities to their full—good—potential, but he'd needed a brisk swim that day before going back to the layer to deal with his team. While he preferred the sea, Aqualad found the peace of solitude in the chlorinated waters of the school's pool.
It was raining as he walked outside, sneaking past the few remaining teachers. He didn't mind the rain—water was his element. His walk home would have been uneventful, save for the fact that he saw someone walking alone in the rain. He recognized her as Cailan by the way she moved. He'd never seen anyone—in or out of the water—that could move with the grace she held. And while her body moved with grace, he noted that today her behavior wasn't marred in it as well.
Her bag became caught and tore on something, spilling out her contents. He saw her lose her temper and begin throwing her things around. He didn't begin to change his direction and go over towards her until he saw her laughing hysterically in the rain.
"You are soaked to the bone," he said, holding his own bag over his head so he could look properly at her.
She stopped giggling (or crying, he wasn't sure which) and looked at him.
"…what do you care?"
"That is rude." He said simply, nowhere in his voice was there reprimand or chastising.
"But valid."
"You are a friend, are you not?" he asked, bending down and beginning to gather her things.
"Am I?" she asked him right back, not moving to help him. "And just what do you know about me, if we're friends?"
"That right now, you are hurting."
…
He'd said it so simply it caught her off guard.
She closed her mouth and watched him for a moment. Cal moved with deliberants, but in a way she couldn't explain. Not knowing what to retort, she began grabbing her things, trying to get to them before he could.
Once everything was collected he helped her fit it carefully into the torn bag, holding it so that the contents would not spill out again. Together they shuffled to the bus stop, taking refuge under the overhang above the seats. The October sky was darkened by clouds and there were few people around the city of Gothem as of yet. For a while they sat in silence.
"Wally likes you very much, you know," Kaldur said to her quietly, not knowing why he said it.
"I know." She answered, fully aware now that she had known.
Again they lapsed into silence, sitting side by side comfortably, if cold, in the rain under the protective covering of the bus hut.
"And yet." Kaldur said, picking up the conversation as if they hadn't left off.
"There's someone better for him." She said plainly.
Kaldur used his skilled restraint not to become offended. He took it to mean that Wally was not suited for her, that she was too high class for him. Her tone didn't betray whether that was what she meant or not.
"Why were you crying?" Kaldur asked after another long pause, again speaking as if there had been no break in conversation.
"I was crying?" she asked back, not looking anywhere but ahead; he sensed a shift in her attitude from vacant to coy in an instant.
"Crying in your laughter, yes. I do not believe today there was a difference between the two, for you at least."
"Observant." She said, her voice getting slightly colder, taking on the resonance of a queen bee again.
"If you wish not to speak to me you are free to leave, or to not reply. You need not be un-cordial, as I have done nothing to deserve it." The Atlantian said, his voice becoming curt and sharp.
This garnered her attention and she looked at him. Guys had yelled at her before, had smooth talked her; they'd gotten defensive and submissive and threatening before, but none had ever been…nonchalant and disappointed at her before.
"Bad day, I guess." She said, feeling like a child who's been reprimanded for a tantrum.
"One that warrants tears?"
"If someone you cared about just vanished, would you act like nothing had happened to them?" she said, her voice shifting out of everything he'd heard from her before; she was coy, she was undermining and sly, she was manipulative sometimes, flattering, she could be fake and she could be cold, but he'd never heard her sound so defeated.
"You can talk to me if you wish Cailan, I have no reason to tell anyone else."
He saw the wry smile and knew she'd shut him out.
"I don't need a shrink, Cal. Especially one as under-qualified as you. Thanks, for helping with my things. See ya'round."
Her queen-bee attitude was back; she was aloof and distant and somehow cold as she smiled at him. He saw something flicker inside her eyes before she turned away and walked down the street. The bus was coming but she didn't seem to care.
Kaldur let the bus pass by, ignoring the open doors. He caught the next bus, nearly an hour later, knowing he team needed him as leader, knowing he was late for his responsibilities.
Ah, Tula. He thought; he wasn't sure why she'd come to his mind, except that, while Tula had frustrated him, it had never been in such a way that he became self-antagonizing in his frustrations the way Cailan did. Why is she familiar? She is nothing like you, nothing at all.
…
6:16pm
Their practice had gone over well. Wally and Artemis were both back, though banned from missions as of yet. Kaldur had seen them begin to reconcile at practices and had seen them laughing together in the halls. But that had never been the point. His punishment hadn't been to simply reconcile them; he wanted them to understand.
It seemed, they were beginning to.
"Kaldur, what's on your mind?" Megan asked, stretching as she walked out of the training room with Conner; both had pleased smiles on their faces.
"Hm? Oh…nothing."
"Hey, Megan," Wally asked, wiping the smile off Conner's face (Wally always teased him). "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course Wally," Megan smiled at him. "What is it?"
"…Well, what do you know about Cailan?"
"…Artemis asked that same thing," Megan mused. "Well, like I told her Wally, I really don't know much more than anyone else. She's always nice when she's directed the JV cheer team, and she seems like a fun person all around, but outside of that…"
"Yeah, outside of her dancing and her love for the school colors, no one knows a thing about her." Wally said, letting his head fall backwards, tipping his face to the ceiling.
"Wally, perhaps it is best if you just let it go," Kaldur said, trying his best to be gentle and hoping he was saying this for the right reasons.
"…huh…but—"
"Wally she is not…looking for anyone right now," Kaldur said in the most fatherly tone he could manage.
…
6:18pm
Wally West stared at the tall, dark boy before him; Kaldur's eyes held a gaze that Wally didn't understand. It took the paler freckled boy a moment to understand that Kaldur was telling him Cali wasn't interested.
"Oh."
Kaldur relaxed his shoulders; it was much less painless than he thought it would have been.
"Still. I guess at this point it's a matter of needing to know the answers." Wally said, shocking his leader into staring hard at him. "It's part of being a scientist,"
Wally shrugged; he was feigning off the hurt of knowing Cali wasn't interested. He thought back to how she'd smiled at him asking for his help; the memory started to burn into him, her smile was changing from 'innocent' to 'user'.
"He still going on about Cailan?" Dick asked, popping out of the shadows as he was prone to doing.
Conner rolled his eyes and gave up; he looked over and Megan but she was off, flitting about between Dick and Wally catching up on what had happened and throwing in her own tidbits of information where she could. Kaldur caught Conner's eye, for a moment, and the black-headed boy let out a low growl before storming out.
…
"And you're sure this'll work?" Wally asked as they crowded around the computer system.
"Course it's gonna work." Dick glared. "The only problem will be if Megan can tell through electronics or not."
"I can't Robin, I can only read the thoughts of organic things."
"That is the idea. However, you will be using the computer as…think of it as an extension." Kaldur said softly.
"…wait, we need someone else to talk to her." Dick said.
"Huh? Why? This is my show!" Wally said, straightening from his crouching position.
"Because you don't know what to say. Last time you got her so mad she blocked my name!" Dick said, frowning.
"Kaldur, you're good with people…you could talk to her." Megan suggested, tilting her head at him.
"Me?" Kaldur asked, taken aback.
"Yeah!" Dick agreed, furiously typing once again.
"…I guess you are good with people," Wally said, not knowing what else he'd be able to do.
Resigned with the task and having no other obligations, Kaldur said "What is my name?"
…
[atlantian_hero is sending you a message request]
"…could you have been any more conspicuous?" Kaldur
Dick chuckled. "Hey man, it's the internet. No one takes any of it seriously."
the13th: hello?
atlantian_hero: hi, Cailan?
the13th: who is this?
"Say you need help on homework."
The group around the computer turned and saw Artemis with her arms folded over her chest. "Hurry up before she blocks you for not answering. Ask her for help on homework."
atlantian_hero: oh, good, I was wondering if you could help me out. I can't remember the homework for…
"what class?" Kaldur asked, rushed.
Mrs. Wilkens class? She said it'd be okay to message you about it. Wally jumped to the keyboard.
the13th: oh. Yeah, it's cool. Are you in my hour?
Wally furiously shook his head.
atlantian_hero: nah, I'm in her fourth hour.
the13th: cool, you likin the class?
atlantian_hero: yeah it's cool
the13th: good. Alright, the homework was to read acts one thru three in romeo and Juliet and answer the questions in your book.
the13th: do you have your book?
atlantian_hero: uh, no
There was a pause and Artemis walked over to the computer; the heroes looked at one another, wondering if Cailan had found them out, if she was now ignoring them.
the13th: alright, here's a link to the site. Good luck.
atlantian_hero: wait
the13th: ?
atlantian_hero: well, do you tutor in English?
the13th: yeah…
the13th: you don't really need help with English, do you?
the13th: look, whoever this is, what do you want, cause, I gotta go soon.
atlantian_hero: okay, the truth of it is, I'm a fan.
Artemis knocked Kaldur's hands away and crouched over the keyboard.
the13th: what are you talking about?
atlantian_hero: you kill on the dance team.
the13th: thanks.
atlantian_hero:give a kid some tips?
the13th: do you love it?
atlantian_hero: ?
the13th: do you love to dance?
atlantian_hero: yeah, I guess.
the13th: then it's the only thing that matters.
[the13th has logged off.]
…
"Well?" Artemis demanded, turning to Megan with a haughty look.
Megan shook her head. "Sorry you guys,"
"A fan huh?" Wally quirked a brow.
"I was only helping you."
…
Cailan sighed and logged off the visitor's screen page at the internet café. Grabbing her pack she stretched. She had to pick up Natalia from Jenny's, then go and clean Ms. Geinsberg's apartment; that was the deal. Cleaning, some cooking and general upkeep; that was the payment.
"Hey girly," Cailan said, smiling as Natalia ran to the door from the Richenson's house. "Thanks for letting her say over for dinner Mr. and Mrs. Richenson."
"It really wasn't any trouble dear," Mrs. Richenson said. "How are your parents doing?"
"Both doing real well." Cailan nodded, keeping her smile.
"Old man working hard?" Mr. Richenson asked, giving her a funny look.
"Hah, don't know the half of it. He works real late most nights now. He wants to send me to Julliard." She lied, smiling through her teeth.
"And your mother? I wasn't aware she worked." Mrs. Richenson smiled, closing the door a little behind her, a subtle sign that said the adults wanted to talk.
"Well, she isn't really. She free lances around a little here and there. Right now she's visiting her aunt… Maine or Massachusetts; somewhere up east. Mom and her were real close when mom was a kid."
"And, she didn't take the two of you with her?" Mr. Richenson's face now held a look Cailan knew as suspicion.
"Nope." She smiled warmly at them. "There was a falling out with my grandma and her sister. My mom wasn't allowed to see her for a long time; she didn't really talk to her much until my grandma died. Now she's sick so mom's up staying with her."
She shrugged indifferently and took a step back. "I've got dinner going and Natalia really needs to get her work done. It was so nice to talk with you!"
"Wait, would you like me to drive you home?" Mr. Richenson asked, "It'll be faster, and it's not safe for two girls to take the bus in this city."
Cailan was caught. If she said yes it meant another twenty minutes talking with them. If she said no it was a sure giveaway that she was lying, and who knew who she'd call after that!
"That's alright," she thought on her feet. "We've got to get some things for a welcome home project Natalia wanted to do for mom. She'll be getting home this weekend."
"Oh, lovely! Have her call me when she's in!" Mrs. Richenson said, opening the door.
Cailan complied and turned to go, waving over her shoulder as she held her foster-sister's hand. Things were getting out of control. Her own school was breathing down her neck for her parents. Natalia's school was on her case about her parents. The Richensons were noticing that something wasn't right. It was all falling apart. The whole plan, the lies…
Her neatly fabricated world was unraveling before her eyes, and it was her own hand that'd pulled the thread that did it.