Sorry for not posting this chapter quickly. I was trying to get the perspective right :)
Enjoy
L.L.A.P
~Laces
Chpt.10
"You're so young." Meg frowned as she proceeded to apply make-up on the newest girl to join the women who walked the streets of Gotham.
"I need the money." Lancy whispered. "I just… I need this."
"Lancy, you're a beautiful girl. You could get a job somewhere else. Somehow…"
"I'm trying, but the economy isn't doing so well, and people aren't too friendly to high school drop outs." Lancy frowned.
"I hear you, honey." Meg sighed as she finished up applying the make-up. "There. You're ready. I can hardly see your scar now."
"Thank you" Lancy grinned, tracing a finger over the almost invisible scar on her cheek, now covered with make-up.
"We have to stick together." Meg smiled and Lancy nodded.
"Yeah. Cuz nobody cares about us. Not the cops. Not the clients. Not even Batman." Lancy said with some bitterness in her tone.
"Now hold up." Meg stated. "We may not have them, but we do have Little Red."
"Little Red?" Lancy repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah!" Meg exclaimed happily. "She's like Batman except she protects us. Here," Meg scribbled a number onto a piece of paper and slipped it into Lancy's bra.
"If you ever are in trouble, call this number. She'll come and help." Meg informed.
Lancy wasn't sure what to make of a masked vigilante protecting prostitutes, but she figured she'd give the number a call if she was ever in trouble. However, she wasn't expecting that to happen.
~*~*~*~*~Three Days Later~*~*~*~*~
On her way home, Lancy saw a man trailing her. It was a man that she had rejected earlier that night, due to one of the girls warning her that the man had an STD.
Lancy's pace quickened and so did the man's. She ran into a Walgreens to see that the man was standing outside, waiting for her.
Lancy looked over to see a young teenaged boy behind the counter, head banging to his music in his headphones.
"Can I borrow your cell phone?" Lancy inquire to the cashier in a loud voice. He smiled and nodded, handing the girl his phone.
Lancy quickly dialed the number that Meg had given her, fingers shaking with fear as she did so.
"Hello?" Lancy was surprised to hear that a young girl's voice, about her own age, answered the phone.
"I-Is this Little Red?" Lancy stuttered in a hushed voice.
"Indeed it is. Who would this be?" Little Red questioned in a friendly, cheerful voice.
"I'm Lancy."
"What can I do for you, Lancy?"
"I-I'm at the Walgreens on fourth street. Some guy's been following me, and someone told me that if I needed help that I can call you." Lancy informed.
"I'm nearby. Give me two minutes tops. Who gave you my number?"
"Meg. My friend Meg." Lancy answered, but glanced outside to see the man still there. "He… he's still there. He's watching me from outside."
"Calm down, Lancy. Don't worry about him. Smile a bit. Make it look like you're having a good conversation." Little Red stated in a soothing voice.
Lancy tried smiling, but she was still nervous and scared.
"I'm here." Little Red informed. "I can see you through the window. I can see your creeper too."
"W-what should I do?"
"Walk out of the store as slowly as possible. Just walk down the street. Don't worry, I'll be watching from the rooftops the entire time."
"B-but…"
"Lancy." Little Red spoke in a serious yet gentle voice. "I promise that I won't let that man touch you. But you have to trust me."
Lancy took a deep breath.
"O-Okay. I trust you." Lancy hung up the phone and then handed it back to the man listening to music in his own little world.
Lancy walked out of the store, then down the street. The man followed closely behind.
"Where are you going, Sweetheart?" the man inquired in a rough voice.
"Home." Was Lancy's sharp reply.
"You don't have to go home right now, do you?" he questioned. Lancy broke out into a sprint, and the man chased after her.
Lancy ran into an ally but frowned when she realized it was a dead end. She hardly knew Gotham well due to just arriving at the strange new city several weeks ago.
"You should not have ran, little girl." The man smirked, shaking his head. "You just lured us into a more private place.
Lancy's back was against the wall of the ally, and she hugged herself in fear, squeezing her eyes shut.
She waited to feel the man's unkind hands, but they didn't reach her. Instead of feeling something, she heard a loud 'OOF!'
Slowly, Lancy opened her eyes to see a strange figure wearing a hooded red cape beating her stalker.
In less than a minute, the man was on the ground, bruised head to toe.
Lancy had heard stories about Batman and his crew. She waited for the figure to disappear into the shadows, but instead the figure, a girl about her age, walked closer to Lancy.
"Are you alright?" Lancy was shocked that the vigilante was actually talking to her.
"Y-Yes." Lancy answered. The other girl smiled and stuck her hand out to shake.
"I suppose I should introduce myself formally. Little Red, at your service."
Lancy wearily shook Little Red's hand.
"You still look a bit shaken up. D'you want me to take you home?"
Lancy wordlessly nodded, and Little Red wrapped an arm around the girl. Lancy walked back to her home with the vigilante by her side. Not many people would see due to the late hour, and the people who did see would know not to mess with that prostitute. She was under the protection of Little Red.
For the first time in her entire life, Lancy felt safe.
Once they reached her apartment, Lancy invited the girl in for a cup of coffee, which Little Red accepted.
It was so strange to Lancy to see a strong well respected vigilante, who saved people every night, calmly drinking coffee in her run-down apartment.
"You're not much like Batman, are you?" Lancy questioned as they drank. Little Red chuckled as she shook her head.
"We have some differences."
Lancy hugged her knees as she sat in the dark room. Her stomach gurgled, begging for food. She heard footsteps walking toward the door. Half of her was hopeful, praying that it was Little Red, come to save her. The other half of her shrank in fear, knowing that it was the man who kidnapped her.
The door flung open and Lancy could see the outline of the man and she hugged herself in fear.
"You are much younger than the other two I took." He informed in a gentle voice. Lancy shook but immediately thought of the other two prostitutes, Destiny and Jillian.
"A-Are Destiny and Jillian okay?" she questioned.
"The two other sluts?" the man laughed. "They're fine. A bit hungry, but I can't spend all my money on feeding you."
Lancy was silent, still hugging herself tightly.
"Are you surprised that Little Red hasn't come for you yet? Because quite frankly, I am." The man sighed. "I was so hoping to meet her. I hear she's beautiful. I'd love to see what she looks like. I bet she has the sexiest eyes. Not to mention her body is probably really hot too." He sighed. "And I've seen the papers. For some reason vigilante women seems to have the most gorgeous racks. I'm sure Little Red's tits are the same way." The man mused, and Lancy felt some anger boiling in her stomach. She didn't like how the man was talking about Little Red.
"What do you want from me?" Lancy questioned with teeth clenched.
"Want from you? Well, I'm using you as bate to get to Little Red. However, right now I want something of yours."
Lancy felt the man grip her hair, pulling a strand taught, then chopping it off with a knife.
"This should do nicely." With that, the man left, leaving Lancy alone with her thoughts once again.