Darkness Within (ON HOLD AND MAJOR EDITING BEING DONE)

Chapter 23 ~ Chilly and Wet

I can't stand all this cheer. Christmas is tomorrow making tonight Christmas Eve. The amount of cheerfulness in the air is uncanny. Everywhere you turn there is holiday cheer. I can't stand this. I can't step out of the house without being bombarded with feeling everyone's emotions and it's all happiness. Bleh.

Snow fills the streets of Gotham and I can barely walk without sinking. I also am bummed about not being able to go skateboarding on account of the snow. Ugh. I am so tempted to turn all this snow into ice and skate around everywhere. That actually sounds fun. I think Mortuus Luna should get on that.

As I walk down a random street a building nearby explodes. The explosion causes me and many others to fly back. I look up from my spot in the snow to see Batman fly back from the building. Joker walks to where Batman just flew from and laughs.

"Oh come on Batsy. You can do better than that. What happened to your game," he laughs.

I whistle and Joker looks at me. He smiles.

"Jennifer, Jennifer how ya been," he patronizes.

He's about to say more when I interrupt him, "A little warning would've been nice. I could've avoided this street."

"You and the Joker act as if you talk on a daily bases. Wouldn't have anything to do with you going out at night with your powers would it," Batman inquires.

I take a sharp turn to him and look him straight in the eyes. With every word I say I step closer to him like a predator, "Well, Wingnut, I do know the Joker. Not the way you're thinking. My dad is one of the best villains ever, Joker is one of the best villains ever. See the connection, we've obviously met and I obviously don't care who I'm talking to, I will curse you out and then some. Clear?"

He's unfased by my rant, but he does respond, "Crystal."

"Well, I've forgotten about your fire dear," Joker jumps in.

Still angry at the clown I snap towards him and lecture him now, "You, you could have killed me. A little heads up would've been lovely. You would hate it if I was your daughter."

His smile drops and he walks right up to my face, "That wasn't funny. Scatter."

We have a glare off only for a moment before I turn back to Batman, "Well, I must be heading off now. If I were you I'd get everyone out of here now. There's a second bomb below your feet. It goes off in forty-five seconds. Tick tock, rodent."

At this I run. Joker escaped while I warned Batman and Batman is now off to get everyone to safety, knowing he doesn't have time to find the bomb and defuse it. I escape the radius of the explosion just in time for it to blow. I still get knocked to the we ground by the blast though.

How'd I know the bomb was there. Joker is way to predictable and I could hear it ticking. I'm surprised the Bat was that slow. Must be getting old.

Getting up I dust off my clothes. Today I'm wearing a grey long-sleeved shirt, a light winter jacket, some jeans, boots, and a Vans hat. My hat fell off when I fell so I pick it up, dust it off, and place it back on my head.

I continue to walk down the street like nothing happened. I walk until I see a frozen lake. Deciding I'd test it I walk on it. I get through the entire thing and not even a crack. To test it even more I jump on it some. A tiny crack emerges, but other than that its fine.

I transport my skateboard and start skating. It's hard at first because, well, it's ice. I skate for hours and I soon tire. As I'm skating across to get to the edge, about to pack up and leave, my stupidity is proven. The ice breaks under me and I fall in.

Dammit. I should've listened to Nightwing and regained my strength. I have no energy to do anything. I can't fly out, cast a spell out, phase through, nothing.

I start to struggle to breathe when the last person I want to see dives into the water. They swim towards me and put a device in my mouth. This device enables me to breathe. He swims me to the top and uses a grappling hook to get us out.

We land on the grass and he holds me in his lap. Taking my pulse I hear him mutter the word, crap. I shiver and he stands with me in his arms. He carries me bridal style.

He sets me down somewhere and we somehow start moving. I'm probably in a vehicle. He drives me, I think, to the nearest hospital. The doctors rush out at the sound of his whatever-he's-driving. Together they all put me on a gurney and rush to warm me up. The warmth of whatever they're doing makes me sleepy and I fall asleep.

When I wake up I hear someone mutter, "What's up with chicks and not keeping up with their health?"

"Well, excuse you. I get busy," I struggle to say, my voice only a whisper.

Nightwing turns to me surprised. I'm actually surprised. Why the hell is he still here? He's got other people to save. He doesn't need to bother with me. I voice my thoughts aloud.

"I'm a genuine hero. I'm here to help others," for a moment I believe him before he quickly adds, "Plus, I had nothing better to do today."

"My hero," I mutter sarcastically.

He smiles. Nightwing walks over to me and sits in a chair by my hospital bed. Wait, holy fuck! I'm in the hospital! I start freaking out and Nightwing puts a hand on my arm to try to calm me. For some reason my heart flutters at this. He should just fuck off.

Nightwing is a B.A.P.N (Bitch Ass Pusdy Nigga). No offense to anyone.

I grab his hand and break it. He retracts his hand and holds it close, a groan of pain coming from him. I flip the covers off me, rip out my IV, and jump up. I get dizzy and have to hold the wall until I regain balance. I notice my clothes in a neat and folded pile in the corner. I can tell they've been washed, it smells of detergent.

I grab them and run into the bathroom. The IV that was in my arm put medicine and water into my system. That should keep up my energy for a while, just no high-level spells. I change into my clothes and exit the bathroom.

Nightwing tries to restrain me as I exit and I thrash around. With his arms around me I can barely do anything in my current state. Besides, I can't fight, it might give away that I actually do go out at night.

He gets me back onto the bed and tries to put restraints on me, but my thrashing makes it difficult. I smirk. Kicking him in the balls he falls back. I feel bad for his future wife, they'll probably never have kids. I hear that him and Batgirl have a thing for eachother. Interestingly enough, I can use this to my advantage.

I run to the door and pause. I slightly turn towards him and say, "You know, Nightwing, getting near me can get you killed. As the voodoo man in The Princess and the Frog once said, 'I've got friends on the other side."

I smirk before walking down the halls. I blend in as a regular teenager and walk home. Before I leave though I write a note and set it on the counter. It reads:

Have Nightwing cover my hospital bill.
~ Jennifer Laufeyson.

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Suggestions? Grammar mistakes? Comment. Picture of a sign saying that it's Christmas Eve. I know that it's not yet Christmas Eve, but it is in my book. So shut up.

Thank you,
Emerald Chalsa.