Chapter 26: Body Art
I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do as Dinah, or Black Canary spoke to us. I could feel Batman's presence behind me, but I was too confused and stiff to look behind me or even make a sound. Though everyone had started treating me like I wasn't glass and that I actually had a decent life - which actually wasn't true, my life sucked - it still seemed like everyone stared at me when I was paying attention to something and tiptoed around me when I wasn't. Honestly, I was truly becoming pissed off.
I was frozen in time as I stood there, still as a post, listening to Black Canary's requests for our next assignment. It wasn't the starring or the presence of other's anymore - it was the task. I swallowed hard, shivering my body out from the cold pose I had held and waited patiently for my own mini-task.
Black Canary walked over to me once everyone else was gone to get ready for the longer journey. She smiled at me softly and I was partly glad that she had no idea what she was getting me into.
"Just watch out for them. That's all I ask. That's basically all I need." She said and walked away. I frowned. Though I loved to not have so much on my plate, I felt a little...misunderstood as to why I was becoming less of an asset. I knew I wasn't the most faithful of them all, or at all to Roy, but she didn't have to be so cold-hearted as to my own tasks of now being basically part of the team.
I quickly followed everyone out and we quickly got to the small wooden building. Neon lights lit up from the inside and outside as we walked toward it and chills ran up my spine as I saw a dark figure on the side of the building near the exit, cigarette and lighter in hand. I rubbed my bare arms up and down and regretted wearing the plain, black, low-cut tank top.
We quickly entered the building, the smell of ink and clorox and sterilizers hit me hard, replaying my multiple memories.
"You eight stay here and watch and record everyone who comes in and out, got it?" Roy said, talking to the team. He turned to me. "You too." I raised my brow.
"You're kidding right?" I asked. He stared at me blankly.
"I'm doing this alone." He said deeply. I wanted to punch him badly.
"So you just want me to sit here? Doing nothing?" I said, knowing his answer. He stared at me blankly and I rolled my eyes. "Whatever." I said, walking towards the other teens. It was probably for the best anyway.
Roy got back nearly ten minutes later saying that the owner was going to meet us here in a couple minutes with information on the guy we were trying to find, which just so happened to be someone that I knew. The muscular man walked in and I stood up quickly, recognizing the hairy arms covered with dark greens and reds. He glanced at me and I recognized the look in his eye that told me he did not remember who I was.
I sighed as Roy tried to explain who we were looking for.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not obliged to talk to you, nor are you allowed in here. I don't know who you are, but I know that you're underaged, so please..." He motioned us to the door and I sighed as the team began to leave.
"Wait." I said, stopping everyone from exiting. The teens stared at me as well as Roy and the owner. "What if you knew one of us?" I asked. He looked confused, as did everyone else.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know you." He said. I rolled my eyes.
"You remember your artwork though, correct?" He nodded and I sighed.
"Okay then. Well this is something I never thought I'd do." I said as I turned around and lifted up the back of my tank top, revealing the twisty colored serpent on my lower back. I heard him laugh and I could feel Roy's eyes targeted on the tattoo. I pulled my shirt down.
"How could I forget that one! That was my best piece yet!" He said. He raised his eyebrow. "You don't look much older than eighteen, though. How old were you?" He asked suspiciously. I smiled.
"Two years younger than my current age. But don't worry. No one had custody over me then, nor do they now. So it's technically not even illegal. Or I don't think it would be." He laughed.
"Well, that's something I've never heard before." He smiled. I felt Roy still staring at me.
"Wait!" He suddenly said. I looked over at the redhead and raised my brow. "So your telling me that the writing on your wrist is an actual tattoo!?" I rolled my eyes and looked at Ben who looked confused.
"He's, uh, muy ingenuo." I said. Ben nodded and laughed.
"sí." He replied. I smiled and sighed, looking at Roy's obvious confusion. And then I knew that I was going to have a lot of explaining to do when I got back to Dinah's, especially with Roy on my tail with mental pictures of my permanent, colorful, body art.