𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 || atsv - miles 42

𝟎𝟔.

𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨.

My jaw clenched tightly while we were approaching the café again.

If dude laid a finger on her, he'd be dead. Whether I kill him as the Prowler or with my bare hands, is a different story. He's a creep.

I held the door open for Iris as we entered the café, my mood shifting to a more relaxed one; until my phone buzzed inside my pocket and I tensed up. I stopped and pulled it out, tapping on the screen rapidly — unlocking it, and opening the messages app.

My eyes quickly darted to the message I just received, and it felt like my heart shattered into a million pieces. It was a text from my uncle Aaron: "Hey li'l man, pull up to the crib. We got to talk about something."
I sighed deeply and replied with a simple "aight", my thumbs gliding over the digital keyboard. I slipped my phone back into my pocket and glanced at Iris as she stepped behind the counter.

Although I didn't want to leave her, I knew Aaron was gonna get on my ass if I didn't get there soon. I just heaved myself out of the café door, my gaze catching a glimpse of her confused face through the glass; her lips parted as if she was to speak.

✁ ✃ ✄

"You need to do more patrol, man." I watched him with my hands clasped together and my jaw clenched. A long moment of silence passed, the tension rising with each second. Uncle Aaron glared at me, a blunt between his index and middle fingers. The room had smelled like marijuana for the past five minutes — when he lit the blunt.

I took a deep breath and leaned back on the couch, my arms draping over the back cushions. "I can't," I replied, breaking the short silence. His eyes narrowed as he took another drag from the blunt, the smoke exiting his mouth as he spoke once again.

"Why not?" He asked. His voice was smooth but intimidating. Blue and red lights flashed through the windows of his dimly lit apartment, causing my head to turn towards it. The sound of muffled sirens filled the room and I stood up with a sigh.

"I have school and then there's this girl--" I started, my gaze locked onto the rug beneath my shoes. "What?" Aaron spoke, his face twisting into a puzzled expression. "You serious? You're not working on your equipment and all this other shit cause of a girl?" I felt his glare burning into the side of my head and I kept silent, not wanting to anger him more.

He stood up from his seat and walked over to me once I didn't respond. Suddenly, his hand flew to the collar of my shirt, his grip tight. My eyes darted to his, my expression unchanging from before. "Get out there and do your thing," He whispered, the smell of weed filling my nose as he spoke. He let go of my shirt and waved me off, taking another hit from his blunt.

I walked inside his bedroom, where my prowler suit was tucked away in his closet. I slipped on my black hoodie and cargo pants, along with the rest of my suit. I stood in front of the mirror as I put on my mask, the purple light emitting from it hiding my identity for the night. I opened up the window in his bedroom and climbed out of it, moving swiftly to the top of the building.

I stared at the crime scene below me, the police cars casting blue and red light onto the nearby buildings. Yellow police tape surrounded a gas station, which led to my conclusion; whatever happened, happened inside. I made my way to the gas station, jumping from building to building.

I walked inside, glancing around for something I could easily snatch. Almost everything was wrecked -- shelves were knocked over, refrigerator glass was broken, cigarettes and vapes were on the floor behind the counter. But the cash register was the only thing that was untouched. I swiftly grabbed a few dollar bills, stuffing them in my pocket.

"Yo!" A police officer yelled, his thick New York accent masking the city sounds. I turned around to face him and was greeted with the barrel of a pistol. I quickly swung a punch at his face with my gauntlet, knocking him to the ground. I dashed to the nearest alleyway and advanced up the brick wall until I reached the roof. I leaped from roof to roof, towards my house.

I opened up my bedroom window and climbed inside, breathing heavily. My eyes darted around the room's floor for something to quickly change into -- with no luck. I tore off my mask and gauntlet, stuffing it deep inside my closet as I shuffled through the hanging garments.

A knock on the door startled me. "Yeah?" I answered, pretending to be straightening up my desk. My mother's head peeked through the crack in the door, a confused expression on her face. I stood up, staring back at her. "Where were you, mijo?" She asked, a hand resting on her hip. "Your food's on the counter. And it's cold."

"I'll be out in a second," My muffled voice came from underneath my desk, my hands frantically fumbling with an outlet and charger. I stood up and began walking to the kitchen, my eyes landing on the plate of an authentic Puerto Rican dish sitting on the counter. I grabbed it and placed it into the microwave, pressing the thirty-second button.

The sound of Kim K's voice filled the house from the TV, and I assumed that my mother was watching The Kardashians; as usual. She loved that show and would rant about it whenever someone even mentioned the most recent drama. The microwave beeped loudly and I took out the plate, feeling the warmth on the bottom. The aroma of the food my mother cooked filled my nose and I was eager to start eating.

I sat down on the barstool and speared the meat with my fork, placing it into my mouth. The flavors erupted as I chewed, a mix of savory and spicy swirling together to create a masterpiece. I was practically speed-eating by now -- I hadn't eaten for most of the day.

"Oh, by the way," My mother began, creating a frightful build-up to her next sentence that almost every teenager would be dreading. "Some girl came by asking for you, curly hair, nose piercing, brown skin... you know her?"

My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to recall anybody I knew with those features. I had a lot on my mind and it took a short amount of time before I realized she was talking about Iris.

"Oh yeah," My voice muffled as I spoke through my chews, savoring every bite. "She goes to Brooklyn Tech. Real nice."

"You must like her," She said, a soft chuckle leaving her lips. I turned around on the stool and stared at her, paying no mind to my plate of food.

I sighed and clicked my tongue. "C'mon, ma," I replied. "You say that about every girl I'm friends with."

Another chuckle from her. She took a small sip of her tea and turned her head back to face me.

"This time's different, mijo," She said, a grin slowly appearing on her face. "Nothing slips past me, you know that."

-kelpnseaweed

a/n: second half of this chapter is a lil iffy but it's okay cause i finally got a chapter out!!