This is love to me

Chapter seven: In pursuit of an anarchist

The gang all made their way down the stairs at around noon the following morning, Spencer knew that being well rested would be important to help them keep sharp eyes out to spot the symbol, and keep their reflexes up. They decided that they should split up into three groups so that nobody would be alone, but they could cover more ground. Sam's mom would go on the motorcycle with T-Bo, and they would head towards one of the more dangerous ad impoverished parts of Gotham city, the narrows. Sam, Carly, and Gibby would take a rental car and go around the outer edges of Gotham away from the narrows neighbourhood. Spencer and Freddie, the final group, would take the van and search around the central area of the city.

"Remember," said Spencer to the group "the symbol we are looking for is a pair of evil or crazy looking red eyes above a bunch of "hahahaha" shaped something like a smile. If it has more graffiti overlaying it, it probably isn't new. If there is no graffiti over it, approach it and check for dryness to determine how fresh it is. Lastly, but most importantly, if you are to see Jerome's acolytes or anyone looking like they should be at a Blink 182 or Falling in reverse concert making graffiti, mark the location and get the hell out of there."

"Okay then," Gibby said" but in case we get shot at, I have a plan." Gibby reached into his duffel bag and pulled out...

"The spare head?" Freddie asked incredulously

"Not just any spare head!" Gibby corrected "this effigy of my old cranium has a pack of false blood in it. If it's shot blood will come out and they'll think they've killed me. After that they'll probably leave."

"Please," Freddie chuckled "You would either have to be dealing with a lunatic or an idiot for that to work, or it would have to be very dark."

"Well it's  better than nothing!" Gibby snapped at him

"Boys, boys." Spencer said, snapping his fingers in their faces "lets argue later, hmm?"

"Alright," Freddie said with a sigh "I'm sorry about that, man."

"It's all good," Gibby replied "now, let's track this crazy clown down!"

Freddie turned to face Sam, and softly put his hand against her cheek after her mother sped off on T-Bo's motorcycle. He'd be bullshitting himself if he said he wasn't worried about her. Multitudes of horrendous scenarios flashed through his head, a phantasmagoric array of nightmare inducing, blood curdling, unearthly traumatic terror. He pulled Sam closer to himself, and he embraced her ever so tightly, she returned his embrace for she was as afraid as he.

Freddie was terrified that if he were to let Sam go, any manner of Gotham city monster could do her terrible harm. Still, Freddie tried to tell himself repeatedly that Sam would come out of this deadly ordeal okay. Freddie knew that Sam was so strong, and a very capable fighter. If she was paired with decent weaponry like knives, guns, and the scrap-sock, and he didn't doubt she could fend off a sizeable number of Jerome's cronies.

While Freddie's fears had arisen from his overtly worrisome nature, Sam's sense of dread over her lovers safety was very, very well founded. Freddie was many wonderful things to her, but she was very aware that he wasn't much of a fighter. If the need arose for fencing or swordsmanship, he'd survive, but what were the chances in Gotham that his best defense would be to fence his way out of trouble? Sam didn't know how much help Spencer would be of either if a confrontation with Jerome's devotees were to happen. There was the possibility that he could light one ablaze, but Spencer didn't have much control over his pyrokinetic tendencies. Sam wished that she could go with Freddie, but Carly and Gibby were probably even more helpless than Freddie was.

Eventually, the two of them separated a bit, just far enough apart to look tenderly and lovingly into each others eyes. While they both feared the worst, they knew, or at least felt in their hearts that they would be okay. Because no matter what kind of challenges would face them, as long as they had each other to live for, they would always find their way back to each other.

"You be careful out there," Freddie said to Sam at length.

"You too." Sam replied, as she kissed him softly on the cheek

Later, in the van, Spencer decided that the time had arrived to ask Freddie about his recent romantic developments...

"So," Spencer began casually, turning left onto "finger street" as he did so "you and Sam, how did that shit happen, for the second time?"

Freddie glanced at his friend before turning his head to gaze out of the window, seeking the symbol of Jerome's cult.

"I don't know, honestly." Freddie replied after some time had passed "It happened just like the way we ended it, organic and mutual. I missed her very badly, I suppose she felt the same way about me. Can't say why."

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked, stopping the car for a red light at the crossroads of finger and 17th "You're a great guy, and the two of you work well."

"I know that," Freddie answered "I just don't know what she sees in me. You know? Like, Sam is so fierce and bright, and next to her I'm just... well, me."

"Not crazy enough?" Spencer joked as he turned, left this time.

"I don't know about that." Freddie said "I remember this one time, at a family reunion, my older cousin Tobias told me that my dad left because he didn't want me."

"That's unacceptable!" Spencer said in response

"I know" Freddie said "I was furious. We both picked up sticks, and I hit his so hard that he dropped it. He back-pedaled, and picked up another one, a smaller one. This one broke, and he threw the end at me. I should've stopped, but I was so blinded by fury, nothing else mattered to me. Nothing but beating his ass. He reached for a third, a larger stick now than the other two. I had him scared, I could tell.

He couldn't use it against me, it was too hefty. I cracked my stick on his thumb and the heavy branch he was carrying fell on his foot. He howled, and even more so when I poked my own cane right at his left eye. He tripped then, and hit his head on a stone. At this point my mom ran up to me, and she saw the monster laying heavy blows against him. She taught me something then, something that keeps me under control. "Bad thoughts lead to bad actions, bad actions indicate madness.""

It was at this point, Freddie's phone rang. It was Sam. Her and Carly had seen one of Jeromes men marking a wall with the sign. It was in a condemned library in the inner city. Jerome was likely rallying his troops there, to make some kind of statement. After Freddie made sure that Sam was okay, that he hadn't done anything, he hung up.

"Well," Spencer said as he turned onto Kane street "let's hope we don't need to let your monster out of its cage."

"Yes," Freddie said, grimly "let us hope."