Closer Than Your Shadow

December 13th 12:24 a.m.

Gotham

15th street

I was over his shoulder as he carried me through the street. Garbage cans knocked over and thrash flew around us. Then the sirens got louder. The storm was here, and I barely felt the viperous whips of wind against my skin. I could smell the rain and lightning churning above us, but I still couldn't feel anything.

Jacob groaned as he stepped forward. He could barely put one foot in front of the other with the wind pushing against him.

I don't know why he even bothered to bring me when he could've killed me in the bakery with Lindsay and Sal. Probably to torture me like he did Lenny's friends. I didn't want to think about that, I just wanted to hit him till my chest stopped hurting.

Sirens blared and I saw the flashes of blue and red down the road. I tried to look but everything was melting into one.

Jacob stumbled into an alley way where we finally were safe from the wind. He let me go, and I fell to the concrete. It would've hurt a lot more if I could feel anything, but still, concrete is concrete. I tried to roll over, but I was glued to the ground. The storm roared around us and Jacob kept muttering to himself.

"Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck."

He paced as he took his phone out.

"Why haven't they killed him yet!" He screamed.

My fingers were finally able to twitch and curl into a fist.

He bent back down and pulled me up by my elbow. I felt the blood rush to my feet, and my knees gave out. "Get up!" Jacob shouted as I stumbled to stay upright. "I can't carry you with the storm so stand up! You're gonna have to walk!" He pushed me into the wall and the back of my head slammed into the bricks. I shut my eyes and bit my lip to suppress the pain.

"You're slowing me down! Stop being such a fucking bitch and start walking! The anesthesia should've worn off by now! The bullet barely grazed your arm!"

"Leave me here then," my voice was hoarse and brittle but I meant every goddamn word.

"So the cops can find you?" He violently shook his head.

No, so Robin can.

"Kill me or carry me."

"I swear to God! We have to go!"

I shook my head and tried to blink away the doubles I was seeing. "The win-"

"JUST FUCKING WALK! WE HAVE TO GO!" He shoved me into the street and the wind pushed me down, but I stood back up. It suffocated me but I still kept my feet planted. Jacob's hand went to my back, and he shoved me along.

He pushed again, "Come on!" Jacob said. We were almost to the streetlight. Just three blocks from the Bridge connecting the westside and eastside of Gotham. The sirens were coming from over there.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Stop talking." He grabbed my wrist and started pulling me. The way Barbara made it sound, cops were flooding into Gotham, but besides the sirens there was no sign of their cruisers anywhere.

What was so important on the bridge?

The sky rumbled and I watched for the rain, but it never came. Instead, behind the clouds, bright wicked light crashed through the air. The lightning was barely above the clouds, begging to poke out. The wind whistled and everything shook around us.