Welcome to another chapter of A Haunting Memory Returns. This chapter has a direct confrontation between Kid Flash and Dracul. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. I would have screwed it up by now if I did.
A Haunting Memory Returns...
Chapter 12: Cat and Mouse
Kid Flash was already having a rotten day. Who knew that a happy go lucky attitude could go into the garbage disposal so easily? After a crummy breakfast consisting of lukewarm milk and soggy french toast, he decided that he was done sitting in that empty apartment. He was going to see the other Titans.
He switched into a normal outfit, he didn't feel like going anywhere at a fast pace. In fact, he was still half asleep.
"Jeans, T-shirt, jacket, whatever..." he mused.
Just as he was leaving his room he saw a silhouette seemingly plastered on the hallway wall. It looked like a lot like...
"Dracul...?" he asked groggily.
He blinked, and snapped out of his dazed state. The shadow began to stick its head into view, but Dracul was still nowhere in sight. He was caught alarmed by a sudden symphony of clicks.
"- ... . .-. . / -.- - ..- / .- .-. . .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.-"
Kid Flash immediately recognized this as Morse code. Now if only he knew how to decipher it. The shadow began to flee, leaving a scowl on his face.
"Not this time old man..." Kid Flash grumbled.
He sped after the silhouette, not intending to lose for a second time. Besides... he had a few questions to ask... As he got to the living room of the apartment he was surprised that Dracul wasn't there. Just the silhouette running away, making random clicking sounds as it did. He ran through the door after the shadow, not even taking the time to put on shoes.
Unfortunately, Kid Flash wasn't at his fastest. The shadow kept a consistent distance between the two. They passed the city and he felt a wave of paranoia pass over him.. He was being lured to a secluded place.
"What a coward..." he mumbled to himself. The shadow led them to the park, which was of course deserted. Or at least it seemed that way. It was probably too early for people to be in the park.
"What time is it anyway?"
Kid Flash realized that he'd lost track of where he was going. He was on top of a hill now, dipping down into a fertile valley. Deeper down, he saw what looked like private gardens. The silhouette did not show signs of slowing. Kid Flash found that he had picked up some new shoes, someone's prize pumpkin on his left foot and a nasty looking squash on his right. In time his feet broke free, but it still left nasty cuts.
The shadow finally came to a stop in some sort of plain. Wheat rose as high as his stomach. The shadow dissolved into the sea of yellow. This caused Kid Flash to panic, why was he brought out here?He felt a sudden, chilling presence. He turned around to find Dracul tapping at a stopwatch, almost, absentmindedly... Kid Flash immediately forgot that fact, and stormed straight towards the old man.
"Tsk tsk, this data is contaminated. Who would have known that the blasted girl was a constant?" he mulled over.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your science experiment, but why'd you drag me out here?!" Kid Flash demanded.
Dracul looked up and scoffed in distaste, as if he was so brilliant in all his filthy might.
"That was the science experiment you dullard." Dracul growled as he threw the stopwatch onto the hard ground.
Kid Flash began to crack his knuckles. This was what he was waiting for. The old man may have thought he had the upper hand, but he didn't have super speed. All he had were answers, and soon enough he'd be deprived of those too.
"So, while we're here, care to let me know where she is?"
"Who?"
"You know! What the hell do you want from her?!"
"The girl?"
"She has a name," Kid Flash got out through gritted teeth, "Use it."
"Names cause attachments. Believe me, she's nothing to get attached to."
"She's my girlfriend. And I have plenty of reason to stick around."
"She's a con!"
"Take it back."
"I figured it out years back."
"You're just as much a con as she was!
"Her past is traumatic, people like that are always scrambling for power."
"We all have traumatic pasts!"
"Especially in her case."
"What do you mean?"
"She doesn't tell you the secrets she's told me boy. Let's face reality, it's easier to trust a father than it is to trust a mate."
Kid Flash turned around and screamed at the sky, before turning to face Dracul again.
"I'm done listening to your random rambling! I want to know where my girlfriend is!" Kid Flash yelled.
"You're the one running your mouth boy."
"Stop trying to play contradiction!"
"You're the contradiction here. Getting a fancy for someone who doesn't care about you. "
"Enough of the mind games!"
"I've read through files boy. I have information on your relationship."
Dracul pulled out a manilla folder from inside his coat. He began to read aloud everything about his life with Jinx.
"Met on June 6th, 2008. Defeated Brotherhood of Evil on September 27th, 2008."
He continued to read allowed, each sentence harboring more and more disappointment and disapproval. He paused. He gave a shake of the head before reading, "February 9th, 2009, shared first kiss."
That's when a guffaw came to Kid Flash's ears.
"Well now, fights and arguments. This should be marvelous. The month of November, 2008, constant arguments over you flirting with other females."
Kid Flash began to look at the feet that weren't there in regret. This was the list he did not want to hear. Yet some part of him forced him to stay in place and listen as Dracul read down the list.
"December, 2008, more of the same... January, 2009, arguments over flirtatious and possessive behavior continue to the point where..." his voice trails off.
Kid Flash really wanted to run away now, or punch Dracul in the face before he finishes reading. He knew what this particular incident was, and it still made him cower in shame. He hated the fact that he actually came out here, he should have stayed home. How the hell did Dracul gather all this information? It was scary...
"By God..." Dracul stared up at Kid Flash, and he could tell he was being picked apart, analyzed.
"It appears that one mind game of mine just died, and another took its place. Is it right for me to use it?"
He shook his head, this time the disapproval was ten times stronger, and ten times more piercing to the heart. To have this wretched old man standing there in the wheat with him, reading aloud the ultimate source of his guilt... he couldn't stand it. And for the strangest reason Dracul seemed nearly human, in the way that he criticized Kid Flash. It was terrifying, because he felt like a villain at court, and Dracul was the judge reading out crimes. All the good memories of what he and Jinx shared were gone, replaced with the guilt of things he had told her. Things he shouldn't have said. Thoughts began to race through his mind. He was reliving their worst fight.
You treat me like a trophy and I hate it!
You're more than that.
Then why don't you treat me that way?!
Tears, flowing down her cheeks. She nearly never cried.
You act as if I'm just some pretty face to stare at! You're constantly flirting with other girls!
It's just a little bit of fun. No need to get all worked up about it.
"Crying out things such as, 'How could you do this to me?'" Dracul read.
I left my old life for you. Can't you acknowledge that?
And you're with me now, you need lighten up.
"If this doesn't work out I have no place to go." Dracul continued.
It will work out.
How do you know?! I don't want you telling me things that sound nice! I want the truth!
The tears stopped, replaced with an accusatory glare.
I love you with all my heart Jinx. From the very moment I saw you I knew I wanted to be with you.
He thought those words were genuine, but they only made her start crying again.
Stop lying to me! If you loved me so much then why am I not getting the attention I need?
She admitted that she needed help, something she rarely did, and he shut her down.
"If you doubt that I love you then why don't you quit bitching and skedaddle back to that scumbag team of yours? That's probably where you belong. Sorry to take you away from it all." Dracul read with a hint of disbelief in his voice, "Ouch, that wasn't very nice was it?"
Kid Flash winced at that. Why couldn't he ever shut his mouth for once?
I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!
Her beautiful voice turned sour as it ringed in his mind. He held his hands to his head, it felt as if it were splitting, the volume of the voices were increasing tenfold.
Why?! Why did you do this to me?!
"You put me back together only to break me yourself." Dracul read, "Quite the accusation there eh boy?"
Calm down Jinx.
She began to hammer at him, sending fist after fist in blind rage. She kept shouting-
"I hate you. I hate you." Dracul quoted.
It hurt, but he stood his ground. If she needed to take her anger out on him then so be it. But then something horrible happened. Something that continued to haunt Kid Flash.
"And you slapped her across the face...?" Dracul looked up at him.
His hands stung from it, but he was sure her face felt even worse. Her cheeks turned to a tint of crimson. She stepped back and held her hand out. She spat onto it. An ugly red splotch sat on her pale hand. She looked up at him with a horrible sense of fear. It felt awful looking into those pink eyes, those distinctive pink eyes that made him want to kiss her. (Though he usually restrained himself due to not wanting to violate her privacy) But those pink eyes were full of fear. It made him think that if he kissed her she'd have turned to dust.
"Tsk tsk." Dracul said gravely.
She struggled to a corner where she sat back and began to whimper. His hand mark was embroidered onto her face.
I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I'm sorry...
He tried to hold her, kiss her on the forehead, anything for the slightest bit forgiveness.
Get away from me. Please. Just go.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
He ran away. It was all he could do. It was all he could bear to do. He sped off without taking another glance. He didn't want to see her like this. Ever again. He didn't stop running until he put ten miles in between them.
"Well well Wally West. Should I continue reading?" Dracul asked.
"No." he whimpered.
Dracul had won. Using Kid Flash's own stupidity against him. He collapsed to his knees, his eyes and up being the only things visible.
"You know, this is very outdated." Dracul stated, whatever humanity that was in his voice now gone, "They forgot to add in the date that you died."
He raised Kid Flash up to his feet before punching him across the face.
"Ow!"
"Stand your ground like the tough man you are. Or was that just an act so you could break the girl?"
Dracul grabbed Kid Flash's shoulder with his right hand and punched the stomach with the left. He began to cough.
"I really should thank you for that. I have the perfect weapon to use against her now." Dracul sneered.
He next kneed Kid Flash in the stomach. He still didn't fight back.
"Fight boy. Or should I tell the girl that you're a coward?"
Jinx and him didn't even talk about it after it happened. They acted as if everything were normal. The only evidence of that night was the mark of his hand on her face.
Dracul jabbed at him, leaving pain everywhere his hands went..
He remembered their first kiss. (After they throttled Jinx's old boyfriend) Afterward they went home to watch a cheesy comedy. He felt sleepy ten minutes in. The couch was so comfortable and coaxing. The next thing he knew his head was on her lap. She giggled.
"I'm sorry..."
Her face turned solemn. Even when solemn she was beautiful. Her cheeks were always rosy despite if she was happy or angry or a combination of the sorts.
"I know."she said.
"No, I mean-"
"I know what you mean..."
She rubbed him on the shoulder coaxingly, "Go to sleep. It's been a long day."
Within moments he was snoring.
He fell to the ground. The pain in his left cheek was intense. He just wanted it to stop, but it wouldn't. Dracul growled at him, telling him that abusive people were pathetic. He got up and raised his fists. He was tired of being trashed by this man. His conscience was clear, and he was ready to beat some sense into the old man. He uppercutted the man so hard that he went flying a few feet. Dracul got up and gave his approval.
"That's it boy! Prove to me that you're something more."
He pulled out his cane and twirled it in his left hand. He limped towards Kid Flash, who in turn jabbed at him. Dracul sidestepped and tripped him. He then set Kid Flash up like a golf ball, and raised his staff as if it were the club. Down it came along with the impact. He began to see stars everywhere.
"You're still weak. Get up. Use your speed." Dracul instructed.
Kid Flash did as he said, but still ended up missing when Dracul sidestepped. Dracul stroked his chin, and then those mask eyes began to glow red.
"You're a hero. Tell me, would it be wrong to kill an expectant woman? Because that witch of yours is carrying unwanted cargo. My bad..."
Kid Flash's eyes widened. He sent this statement through his mind repeatedly, not wanting to believe what the meaning was. He began to shake. His knuckles turned white. He felt as if he could kill a hundred men.
"You sick bastard! I'll kill you!" he yelled.
He tackled the old man to the ground and began punching with the speed he should have had this morning. Wheezing and coughing came from the mask. He kept doing this for what seemed like hours, and it didn't get old.
"Don't you dare touch her again!"
He sent one last fatal punch. Dracul was seemingly knocked out. Kid Flash stood up and stumbled back. He gave a kick to Dracul's stomach just to make sure.
"Okay asshole, time to play cat and mouse, how 'bout we switch roles while we're at it?"
And that's all for now folks. Let me know what you think with a review. And please do vote in the polls. There's always room for improvement, and that's where you people come in. Let me know what you think would make the story a more enjoyable read. Thank you and good day.