Renegade, Another Bat?

Chapter 46 - I've Become So Numb

Chapter 46 – I've Become So Numb

"See you next week, Nadya!" called Jason, waving goodbye to their friend. Skye and Jason took public transport back to their home, excitedly signing about the games won in the park earlier that afternoon. Getting off the second bus, the pair walked the rest of the way, Skye finally able to talk now away from the public eye.

The two reached the gates, Wayne Manor, a long driveway leading to the massive mansion that had become their home. Jason looked at his sister and smiled, releasing his hold of her hand to pull her in for a half hug.

The loudest noise Skye or Jason had ever heard assaulted their ears as the force of a monstrous explosion knocked them off their feet. A high-pitched whining rung in their ears and heat seared their skin. Skye blinked desperately to regain her sight. The blurry scene before her came into focus – their home in ruins. Engulfed in flames; backed against the vibrant orange sunset.

Everything was gone.

"Nu!" the scream ripped at her throat, her outstretched hand grasping desperately at thin air. Tears formed in her eyes and fell freely as she knelt, unblinking, Skye watched on in horror.

Jason stood, caught sight of the scene before him and froze solid. He could not comprehend what had just happened. No words could describe what he was feeling. Everything and nothing all at once.

Coming to her senses, Skye pulled out her hidden communicator and turned it on, "Bruce? Are you there? Bruce!" She switched a button on the side, changing channels. "Dick, where are you? Te rog, nu mă lăsa, Please, don't leave me." The channel was changed again. "Barbara? Come in. Babs, can you hear me?" Once more Skye switched the comm, desperate for someone to answer her. "Alfred, do you copy? Please," she was frantic, on the edge of her sanity, hanging by a thread.

"Someone answer me!"

~~~~~~~~

After what seemed to be an eternity later, Jason looked over to his sister. She had long since forsaken the hope of contacting their family via comm. They were gone. Never coming back. They were alone... again.

"Skye? Say something." Jason watched his twin sister sit in perfect stillness; her face vacant of any emotion. Jason wasn't sure if she was burying her pain for him or is she was merely incapable of feeling emotion after everything that she had been through. It was an uncomfortable thought, the have a sister incapable of human emotions. Disconcerting to say the least.

"Skyla? Please."

Slowly, she turned her head to face her adopted twin, locking eyes with him. "We have to go," she decreed in a deadpan voice.

"What?"

"Jason, we have to leave – now!"

"Why?"

"Unless you want to get stuck in the system, we need to disappear."

"Where are we gonna go? We can't live on the streets and Nanda Parbat is in Asia. Thalia is thousands of miles away," panic was rising in his voice.

"Slade has a chain of safe-houses set up all over the world. There are four in Gotham. We can hold up in the closest one until we figure out what we're going to do next."

"Slade? As in Deathstroke the Terminator? The guy who kidnapped you three years ago? And like, a couple of months ago?"

"Jace, he's not a bad person. He took me in when I had nobody and raised me as his own," she sighed, looking over at the fiery mess and then back at Jason. "Look, I'll explain everything later but right now we need to go."