Only in Darkness

14: Different Places

Columbus, Ohio

2018

Getting up the short flight of stairs to the elevator was more of a challenge than Marlowe will ever admit, but she managed it. Standing in front of the elevator she made her way to the touch-screen beside it. Tapping it a few times to activate the camera on top. A red grid projecting over her eyes and blinking twice before turning green and the elevator doors slid open.

The ride up was short, thankfully, exhaustion really starting to hit her now that she was full and finally allowing herself to relax ever so slightly.

The design was minimalistic with an open floor plan in the main space, the kitchen living room and dining room all together but not feeling over crowded due to how large the pent house floor was. A hallway branched off of the kitchen, three doors at the end. Very Bruce, and almost comforting

The master room had a bed bigger than anything Marlowe had ever seen and a walk in closet filled with clothes she had a suspicion would all fit her perfectly. A slight chuckle leaving her lips as she shook her head and clicked off the light in the closet.

The second door led to a dark room with a large computer screen that took up a quarter of the wall, it was basically a flat screen TV, and a desk with a smaller monitor sitting at the end with a squishy chair tucked under the desk.

The third led to a gigantic bathroom with black and white marble counter tops and a fancy shower that had a touch screen panel instead of a nob to control the water temperature and pressure.

She had to think to remember the last time she had taken a shower.

Back in the hotel at the very beginning of her journey with Dick and Rachel. Too long. She turned down the brightness of the lights, because she could do that with the fancy touchscreen on the wall beside the sink, which helped with her head. Poking around, she found towels under the sink and stripped.

Trying to get Kory's shirt off was a pain and shifted her sore, badly bruised ribs. She did it, but was left panting and putting most of her weight onto the counter top afterward. It was then that she got a good look at all the damage she had taken the last week.

Dark bruises where she got shot in the warehouse blossoming on her collar bone, left-side ribs and right hip just under the scar tissue. Turning to see her back, purple-green bruises lined her spine and shoulder blades from her fight with the siblings on the roof. A bruise starting to form under the split skin on her temple as well and she didn't even want to touch the bump on the back of her head. 

Long story short, she looked like she had been through the wringer and felt like it too. After a long shower, the warm water helping soothe her sore body and aching head, she got changed into a soft oversized t-shirt and cotton shorts before practically falling into the bed. She was so tired she physically couldn't keep herself awake once her head hit the fluffy pillows. 

Sirens wailed, flashing red and blue lights filtering in harshly through the newspaper covered windows.

"You're okay. You're okay. Dad's got you. You're okay."

Marlowe's eyes shot open as she gasped, sheets tangled around her legs from her thrashing, arm raised and launching at the blurry figure causing the dip in the bed beside her. Only to meet air. Her forward momentum making her fly forward and tumble off the bed. Bringing the sheets with her as she landed hard on her shoulder against the cold hardwood.

Cosmo waking up from their spot on the arm chair in the corner of the room and hovering over Marlowe. Two seconds away from blasting the imaginary intruder while Marlowe fought to get her breath back. Her adrenaline fueled panic clearing the sleep from her broken brain in an instant, paranoid eyes darting across the room as she heaved herself up, whole body aching.