The Dawn of the Elites

3 | An Understanding

Fairity stared in to Jake's face with a mixture of fear and loathing. Though she didn't want to admit it, she knew that this would happen. He'd want to discuss what they both obviously witnessed, and then how they had sat together in silence as Superman emotionally burned to ash.

"We need to talk, freak." He muttered lower, closing the distance between them.

Fairity felt a frown pull at her lips, but she didn't back down. "We don't need to do anything other than what we already do: ignore each other."

She stepped forward to push passed him, but Jake didn't budge. His arms flexed heavier against the wall, and he took a step closer to her. His chest rested against her soft shoulder, and she cringed away. Her body flattened against the wall again with her big brown eyes closed to block him out. Fairity waited for Jake to speak.

"You need to understand that under no circumstances can you tell anyone what you saw."

"I know that already, Jake." A heavy sigh raised her shoulders, "I'm not an idiot."

He raised an eyebrow, still staring down at her face. "You know who those guys were?"

"Of course I did. Everyone knows who they are."

Jake nodded his head, then realized she still wasn't looking at him. "Good. I'm glad you understand that telling would endanger my life."

"I don't care about your life." Fairity bit out, "My only concern is my family." Her eyes were open now and she stared, without fear, into his. 

"Then let me make this perfectly clear: I will leave you out to dry alone if you utter a single word about this conversation or anything that happened to anyone." He fingers jabbed at her shoulder, once, hard. "Is that clear, freak?"

Tears gathered at the edges of her eyes, but Fairity held them back, barely. She rose to her full height, a meager five feet and a few inches to his six feet, and placed her fisted hands against her hips. He leaned away slightly, letting her have space in the cage his arms created.

"You can threaten me all you want, but the reality remains the same. If I even mention that someone else was there, they'll want a name and I'll be far too glad to give it to them." She leaned towards him, "your threats are empty. Now move."

"We aren't done."

"Yes, we are. You've made your threat and I've called your bluff. There's nothing else to say."

Flattening her back against the wall, Jake stared down at Fairity. Her eyes, though blank, had betrayed a moment of insecurity. Jake pounced on it, planting his legs apart and leaning so close that she gasped, clutching her hands into fists. Still, he pressed closer. His breath mingled with hers, and he breathed in the minty scent on her breath.

"You shou--"

Jake was interrupted by the door to the tiny broom closet yanking open. Barry, the day custodian, stood just inside the door with his mouth bobbing open and closed like a fish. Fairity froze as did Jake, turning towards the custodian. Almost immediately after their surprise, they scramble apart silently.

She ran, slipping between Barry and the doorjamb before Jake could catch her. Yet, lady luck wasn't on her side as Jake easily caught up with her further down the hall. He smashed her heavily into the lockers, knocking the wind out of her. Fairity dropped to her knees, grasping her left side tightly.

Standing above her, Jake let a sneer pull against his thick lips and he bent down to her eye level. Forcing herself to hold it together, she stared back at him with wide, clear eyes. His hand came out and cupped her cheek, tilting her small head to the side.

"Remember what I said, freak."

She didn't forget. Not later, in class. Not later, in the hallway with her two friends. Not later, when she walked home with a shaded smile on her face. And certainly not at home, when she pulled her sweater over her head in front of the mirror to expose the bruise that spread across the left side of her stomach. A hiss came between her lips when she pushed against it. 

Pulling on a tank top, she slid down onto her bed. It was covered in books from school and stacks of homework that she really wanted to get a head start on. But all she could think about was the haggard look on Superman's face and the sound of anguish that came from his lips. There was still no sign of him, the world had become cold in his absence. 

Crime was up in almost every city, including her own, and things kept getting worse. The good thing about being born on the wrong side of the tracks was the absolutism of the gangs in the area. Though they regularly committed crimes, the gangs kept any other crime from infiltrating the area. It was as if they wanted their monopoly on drugs untouched by those predators that came down from their gold towers to hurt the poor and needy in other, more inventive, ways.

It was as if he never existed, until you turned on the news. Story after story splashed across the headlines with thousands and thousands of people stringing together in solidarity of his suffering and demanding answers for the crime that ripped away Lois Lane. The name of the game hadn't changed. They wanted blood. And the increasing public opinion was to completely demolish her neighborhood as a result of the actions of the few.

They pretended as though Lois didn't know the risk of her job. As though the seasoned reporter had no idea of the danger she'd be facing in a neighborhood that had virtually all the same families for generations. As though they wouldn't immediately point out the interloper and spurn her. The gang had quickly located her and, even more quickly, dispensed of her.

Now, she would have a harder time at school. Jake wouldn't let up with the torturing, taunting and teasing on the norm. And to add to it, he had to turn up the heat to keep her quiet. Fairity had every reason to keep her mouth shut. Even for her egghead brother and misunderstood cousin, who occasionally spent nights at their place.

"Something interesting out there?"

Fairity jumped, turning towards the new voice in her room. Her brother stood at the door, framed by the chipping paint and sagging walls. His jeans were neatly pressed, along with the collar shirt he covered with a dark grey hoodie. A smile tugged at her lips to match his and he step further inside, sitting on the edge of her bed with a quick glance around the room.

"What's up, squirt?" She frowned at him, twisting her face into a silly sneer. "I hate that nickname."

He laughed, "I know."

She kicked him, knocking off her organic chemistry book in the process. A laugh came from him again as he caught her foot and imprisoned it between his clasped hands. Fairity swatted at him with the other leg, kicking and missing, her brother stood with her foot still trapped. 

Her scream was loud and girlish, tickled with humor and love. This was the reason why she was keeping her mouth shut, not the childish threat that Jake had sent her way. This. Her brother and mother were her world and they centered the crazy thing precisely when needed.

The pealing sound of laughter died as he sat her back down, and they stared at each other again. Fairity eyed Ezren, questions pulling at her gaze as he moved closer. His shoulders tensed, then he let out a deep sigh. 

"We have to talk, squirt." 

This time, there was no sweet taunt behind the use of her nickname. This time, his face wasn't lite with love. Fear was on his face, real fear. Fairity grabbed at her stomach with both hands, ignoring the sting to her sides from the force.

"We need to talk about what happened when you didn't come home all night."

She swallowed, pushing bile down in her stomach. "Yes?"

"Did you see what happened with Lois Lane, squirt?" 

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