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The Silhouette and The Forge
Chapter 46
The car ride was quiet. Not necessarily awkward but close enough to it. Jade was still sorting through her emotions after seeing Pamela, my girlfriend revealed at that moment. At the same time, Jade would be leaving Gotham.
So it was far from the best time to have that dropped on her. I didn’t plan nor did I expect it to bother her this much when I had made it abundantly clear what my feelings towards Jade were.
Another thing that wasn’t helping the mood was that my drones across the city had taken a decent hit when Klarion came over to pay us all a visit. So the coverage with my many eyes in the sky was lacking.
Currently, they were keeping an eye on Gotham's airspace, notable individuals, and any other far greater problems while I had little coverage myself. Mostly because I knew I could handle most things this city could throw my way. Unless of course, a powerful individual who wasn’t from around here showed up.
Even with the drones I doubt it would have mattered unless I could run and hide.
The point was despite things working out my power base was still recovering. Regardless I was getting off topic.
“Do you want to discuss this any further?” I asked her eyes on the road but all ears. She turned to look at me with a calm look if not a little sad but she thought it over.
She simply shook her head, “No. We have already said our peace on that.”
She looked like she wanted to say more or do something but chose not to. She crossed her arms looking out the passenger window.
“So where will you move to? I assume somewhere you can get legitimate work or maybe get into a college?” I ask her while the car is stopped at a red light with hard-working construction crews fixing the roads.
Give it enough time and Gotham would bounce back better than ever. It made getting across the city nearly a nightmare if not for the pamphlets passed out to everyone in the city of the layout and dates for construction to finish.
Even the news networks kept everyone up to date on what crews ran into complications making things take longer. Rather shocking that most people who were annoyed by it didn’t yell at the crews like they normally would. They all understood that they were working hard to get this taken care of.
Go figure. Of all things to bring the entirety of Gotham together, it would be a tragedy that could have ended in Gotham's people dying.
“I plan to take Artemis with me to Central City. Around the outskirts at least.”
A hum is given in response to her answer. “Not bad. Safe enough city even with the cape and mask crowd they tend to be decent compared to Gotham’s criminals.”
“Yeah. Probably get a part-time job of some kind there until I figure out what I want to truly do.” She said to me, sounding unsure of what path to take in life.
“The best advice I can give you on that last part, Jade, is to experiment. Find something you truly have a passion for and enjoy every moment you do it. Like it’s your calling in life. I met a handful of people who outright loved what they did and it showed.”
“Experiment…” She said aloud trailing off.
“Yeah. Like when I showed you those different types of martial arts and you found the ones you had a preference for. Not just because you were good at them but enjoyed using them. You have plenty of time and resources and if you need more I don’t mind helping you out.”
We were getting close to the apartments now.
“Daniel you have done more than enough and I don’t like owing you more than necessary.” She told me with some heat coming back to her tone.
Not the bad kind. More like an old argument we have had before that only good friends could do between one another.
“Just know this Jade,” I told her with the utmost seriousness when parking the car, “I will always be there for you should you ever need me. I don’t turn my back on my friends. Especially you.”
She looked down for a moment at the mention of being a friend. “Yeah… I appreciate it, Daniel. For everything you have done for me. If you ever need help don’t hesitate to call me either. Okay?”
Jade perked up a little, giving me a comforting smile. Holding my fist out for her she didn’t leave me hanging, bumping her fist against mine. We made the occasional small joke with one another as we went up the stairs.
The next thing I knew we were at her old home with her taking some keys out. I was curious how she got them since I doubted Crocker would be dumb enough to leave them unchanged and make it easy for her to get back in. He was just controlling and petty enough to do that and much worse.
We quietly walked in. The living room was sparse but lived in. A few pictures here and there of the family together. Most of them were of Crocker and his wife smiling but Jade and Artemis were looking miserable. Only a few pictures of what little there were had them smiling looking genuinely happy.
“Artemis!” Jade called out for her sister. I followed along wanting to meet the young girl who would become a great hero in the future.
No response.
Jade like me had noticed something wasn’t right but she wasn’t willing to accept that something was wrong. “Where are you? We need to leave now.”
She stalked forward going to a room further into the apartment. The door opened and Jade froze on the spot. I stepped in behind her to see what was wrong. Her room was empty. There was nothing in it.
“This is Artemis’s room right?” I asked her, wanting to make sure.
Jade didn’t even answer her hands balled up into fists. She gave me a shaky nod.
“Well, look who came crawling back.” A voice said behind us.
None other than Lawrence stood before us beefy arms crossed looking down at us smugly. A bad feeling overcame me.
“Where is she?” Jade demanded. Her tone was ice cold.
“With the Shadows.” He said back.
The temperature in the room plummeted. Yet beneath my skin, it felt like an inferno had been set ablaze. He sent Artemis. His own daughter. To the League of Shadows.
Jade's eyes widened before with a snarl she charged at Lawrence. He evaded her strikes. Even after my training she wasn’t going to go blow for blow against someone like Lawrence until she was older. But she normally would have had the mental advantage since she could keep up with a superhuman like me.
The issue was that she wasn’t thinking rationally.
“All that training with that nobody and you still can’t keep up with me baby girl.” He smugly said lazily leaning out of a roundhouse kick that got lodged in the wall.
Fist cocked back to slam into her ribs. Or he would have had I not charged him. He was caught off guard when I lifted him off the ground like a quarterback about to get sacked while using him as a battering ram crashing through a wall into the kitchen.
Slammed back first into the kitchen counter getting a grunt out of him, the smile he had wiped off his face. Hands wrapped around his throat I wanted to just crush his throat here and now.
“Where is she?” I demanded.
He only smiled, grabbing a frying pan and slamming it into the side of my head. A normal person would have been knocked out cold with the amount of power behind the blow and the sturdiness of the pan. Unfortunately for Lawrence, I wasn’t a normal person. Something he realized when my head was tilted to the side from the blow but that was it.
My head was wringing but it was ignored in favor of saving Jade's little sister. My hands turned into steel clamps tightening around his throat. The man slammed the pan two more times into my head before I leaned back pulling him with me tossing him onto the kitchen table.
It shattered under his bulk. He snarled about to get back up before a scream from the side had him look to only get a sneaker to the face for his troubles. Knocked back into the wall he swiftly got up blocking Jade's flurry of strikes.
There was no coordination to her attacks beyond what I had drilled into her that had become a basic instinct. Something Lawrence took full advantage of despite her landing a few good hits on him. His arms snapped out gripping her leg and arm. Before she could think to do anything he picked her up and tossed her to the far wall.
She sailed through the air like a dodgeball for the far wall. Just before impact I caught her in my arms. She immediately escaped my arms picking up a chair leg as a weapon with Lawrence smiling at us menacingly.
I rushed past Jade leaving her in my dust. The first jab Lawrence ducked under it it leaving a gaping hole in the wall. A kick aimed for his knee he leaped over before kicking off the wall flipping over me evading the palm thrust for his solar plexus that rattled the entire wall with my arm up to my elbow plunged into it.
The man was not as strong as I nor as fast. The only reason he even managed to dodge those strikes was due to his experience in fighting and reading me. He preemptively dodged the strikes already having a good idea of what I was going to do. Like a game of chess, he was for now several steps ahead.
Annoying but it wouldn’t stop me from beating answers out of him. Jade swung the leg low aimed for the side of his leg. I rushed in when the leg was caught followed by Lawrence just kneeing Jade in the gut knocking the air from her lungs sending her tumbling back.
He turned knowing I was right on him, chair leg aimed for the side of my neck. My arm was raised, the leg landed and with a crack, it shattered into splinters. Lawrence narrowly avoided my retaliatory uppercut before with a nearly invisible thread of chakra string pulling him closer into my waiting fist.
Once. Spit flew from his mouth, head was knocked to the side falling back. Twice. Another tug brought him back up another blow sending blood flying from his mouth and nose.
The third time I had to abort when his hand shot out thumb aimed for my eye. It didn’t stop me from hurting him. Another tug had him pulled off his feet spinning around turning into a cyclone. Lawrence tried to find anything to grab onto but he came up empty.
His eyes met mine. What was once confidence and sadistic pleasure was now wide-eyed. It irked me that he showed no sign of pleading or begging for mercy. It would make this more satisfying. Well, I would just have to settle for this.
The string after generating enough force let go. Like a cannonball ball he hit a wall with it shattering. A loud crash followed not long after it with another wall behind it with a similar-sized hole in it.
I rushed through both holes further making them already bigger, uncaring of any debris or other obstacle blocking me. If it’s in the way it’s getting crushed. Such was my fury that it had blinded me to all but the man from whom I would get answers.
Lawrence was about to get off his bed if the size of it and a picture of him and what had to be Jade and Artemis’s mom on a nightstand was any indication.
The bed had been broken, the mattress and box springs now on the ground with the bed frame thoroughly broken and splintered. He looked up in time to see me coming down from a jump tackling him back onto the bed.
He punched and kicked but it all went ignored with me giving him far worse than he could give me. Eventually, my hands found their way around his throat pressing down and constricting his airway.
He gave a strangled grunt fists hitting me with everything he had. It hurt but it didn’t make me budge an inch. His hands pressed up against me trying to get me off. None of it worked.
Desperate when his face turned from red to blue his hands gripped mine trying to pry each finger off of him. He barely could get one to move slowly, prying it back before he realized he wasn’t going to get me off in time.
“Where. Is. Jade’s. Sister!” I yelled into his face spit flying out landing on him.
“Enough!” A man’s voice shouted before a black blur slammed into me.
Rolling and hitting the wall I got up ready to fight whoever Sportsmaster called for backup. Jade was at the hole in the room looking unsure of what to do. Couldn’t blame her.
Not when Batman stood between me and Lawrence.
“Daniel, don't do this. Stand down.” He tried to reason with me.
The sight of that monster heaving in lungfuls of air facing me with an arrogant smile on his face. Just like the kind a school bully would have when they did something to someone and the instant they would face retaliation his behind the teacher to escape punishment.
“He sold off Jade's sister. He knows where she is and who has her. Let me get him!” I aggressively walked forward but Batman stood in place arm held out blocking Lawrence from my view.
“No. I know what he has done. Killing him won’t get her back. If you and Jade want to get her back then I need him alive to get information.” Batman reasoned with me and I understood his logic. That and he didn’t want me to get blood on my hands.
I could respect that. The issue was that I was angry. Not the kind you have when it’s some petty crap people pull all the time. More like the kind you have when someone kills your pet right in front of you then points and laughs at you.
Jade at the mention of her name froze in place when a moment before she was stomping towards Lawrence ready for round three.
I however didn’t stop. “I can get answers out of him. Don’t worry about that. Just get out of the way Batman. Just one good beating and he will talk. I know it.” I try to move past him my gaze never leaving the spot Lawrence was at.
Batman just kept getting in the way. Any attempt to move around him failed. Any move and he would just be there blocking me.
“Daniel. Jade. Don’t do this.” Batman warned us. For a moment however brief I thought of just plowing through him. Knock him through the hole just long enough to knock that smile off of Lawrence’s face. Then beat the answers out of him.
I doubted he would give me anything. It was more for what he did to both of his daughters and for being an absolute waste of life.
But seeing Batman here giving me a look of sympathy followed by a batarang impacting the wall behind us showing Lawrence had tried to reach for something.
“Don’t even think about it,” Batman growled at Lawrence who pulled his hand back. His smug smirk was still there but it was smaller and strained. Probably didn’t like Batman telling him what to do and he had to do as he was told.
Like pulling teeth I reigned in my anger taking deep breaths. After a long moment, I had calmed down enough not to let my anger blind me. I nodded towards Batman raising my hands and stepping back into the corner further away from them.
“Alright. We will do things your way.” I managed to spit the words out despite still wanting to continue the fight with Lawrence. To subject him to the most painful things known to mankind. All for what he did.
Batman turned to look at Jade, an imploring look given to her. She was torn judging by the expression on her face. She looked between Batman and Lawrence before coming to a decision.
A sigh escaped her head falling low, “Alright. Just help me get Artemis back.”
It made my heart ache hearing how helpless Jade sounded. I could only imagine what was going through her head right now and what she felt. If I were this angry then she had to have been even worse than me.
“I promise.” He said gently, turning to look at Lawrence, “Why did you do it?”
Lawrence lay on the bed knowing he had no way out of this. He just shook his chuckling at them all like they were all a joke only he understood.
“Because Jade here thought she could defy me. Like hell I was going to let her infect that rebellious streak in Artemis and help her get away from me. So I had her sent to a private institution that would help teach her since she had come far enough in her homeschooling.”
My eyes narrowed to pinpricks when he skirted around the subject acting like he hadn’t sent Artemis-- a little girl who was his youngest daughter to a group of assassins to train her.
My hands twitched but I kept myself under control. Not now. Not when Batman was here. If it came down to it I would do the same thing I did with Samantha Vanaver.
“Bullshit! You said you sent her to a group called the League!” I yelled angrily finger pointed in his direction.
Batman had an eye on me and Lawrence to make sure I didn’t try to hurt the man more than I already had. He slowly looked over to Jade. She somehow knew what he wanted.
“Lawrence did say he sent Artemis to the League.” Jade nodded in Lawrence’s direction, leveling a murderous glare at who was supposed to be her father. He was everything a father should never be.
“Hah! Two kids bearing false witness. Never hold up in court.” He said as if he had won it all.
Batman stepped forward grabbing Lawrence whose eye twitched looking ready to fight back but didn’t. He looked like a dog who had been muzzled letting him do so but not liking the fact that he had to let him do it. Making himself look weak. The man was just obsessed with that.
It made me want to take his limbs from him to watch as he helplessly drowned in a random ditch for his last moments of life on this Earth. In some random stretch of land where no one would even know.
He cuffed him, hauling him to his feet. Batman didn’t say anything further to either of us with him making Lawrence walk out of the room.
I turned to look at Jade staring into Batman’s back until he had left the room. Even after he had disappeared her gaze remained fixed. She looked numb and frozen to the rest of the world around her.
She was broken out of it when my arms wrapped around her from behind hugging her. Her hand slowly touched my arm before turning and burying her face into my chest. She bawled and cried. She couldn’t form a single word yet I let her get it all out of her.
I felt powerless. For all of my power through my own power or resources at my disposal. Things most people could only dream of. Yet I failed to help two girls.
I failed both Jade and Artemis. I didn’t think Sportsmaster would do something like that. I believed Artemis was too young to go to the League of Shadows. Jade originally went to them when she was older after running away from this place.
It was never shown how she got their attention or maybe they were already aware of her since Sportsmaster was the Light’s enforcer and member of the Shadows alongside their mother.
I… I failed Jade. Failed Artemis. I should have been more proactive in trying to get Artemis out of this place. Had we done it a month ago I could have forced myself in and just taken her. Have Jade explain to her later on.
I let my friend down. The same friend who had changed her life for the better compared to the dark path she originally would have taken.
My shirt was soaked but I didn’t care. Jade was broken right now. “I promise you Jade… I’ll help you get her back. No matter what.” I told her.
I had resolved myself to get Artemis back. To atone for failing my first friend in this world.
“N-no.” She said it so quietly even with my super hearing I almost didn’t hear her. I don’t know what she was saying no to but she could rest assured I will back her up.
“Don’t worry Jade before you know it she will be back with you and you two can leave this all behind you,” I said consolingly while rubbing her back.
“Daniel… I owe you enough. Batman will help me so you can sit this one out. Don’t throw the life you’ve built for yourself away for me.” She said to me tearing her face away from my shirt with tears running down her face.
They had lessened with a steely gaze looking up at me.
“Jade, what are you talking about? I don’t mind throwing it away for you. You're my friend. My first friend. I will not-- cannot abandon you. Not now. Not after this.” My hand waved at the destroyed apartment which I would fit the bill to get it repaired.
Probably even buy out the apartments and become their landlord. Got plenty of money now so why not?
“I’m not telling you to abandon me. This is my screw up. I should have gotten Artemis out of here sooner. I should have known better than to think he wouldn’t do something like this.” She shook her head, beating herself up over mistakes that weren’t her own.
I could only shake my head, tightening my hug around her. Sue reciprocated it, hugging me harder than any of her punches or kicks. I don’t know how long we stayed like this. It could have been minutes to an hour.
Time felt like it was slow. Everything else felt hollow and empty. Jade eventually managed to get herself under control. Just in time with Batman hovering at the hole in the wall.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” He told her, looking around the room. Probably investigating the extent of the damage and what I was capable of if I stopped holding back.
“Just help me get her back. I’m not leaving Gotham unless it's for Artemis.” Jade said. Despite her emotional state, her resolve might as well have been as strong as steel right now.
“Are you sure? You can still leave Gotham. I have clashed with the Shadows before and promise you will get your sister back.” Batman said, trying to give Jade a way out of this. She didn’t have to dive into the life Batman lived every day.
“Yes. I am not leaving since I am going to help get my sister back. Neither you nor Daniel are going to change my mind on this.” She said it like it was a universal constant and nothing would change it.
Batman nodded. “Very well. Your father hasn’t said anything yet but I will get something out of him.”
Batman didn’t say it out loud but it was his own promise to Jade.
“Sorry about your home Jade,” I said looking around at the extent of the damage realizing I did a number on this apartment.
For most, it wouldn’t be cheap to fix any of this. I could afford it or just have an engineer fix it all back up if I wanted to take a risk of someone spotting one of them or asking questions about how it was fixed so quickly and cheaply.
Jade looked at me and just blinked before calmly speaking, “It’s not my home anymore Daniel. This place… it can burn to the ground as far as I am concerned.”
She said it so calmly that it was kind of unnerving.
“Daniel, thank you for helping Jade when you did. But next time don’t do what you were about to do. Don’t ever cross that line. Once you do it becomes far too easy for someone to lose their way and rely on that as a means to solve their problems. Especially when those problems are people trying to survive.” Batman thanked me but also gave some rather sound advice.
Advice that was too late to hear now. He wasn’t wrong with his advice. Once I had taken a few lives it had started to become my go-to solution to fix most problems. But it’s not who I wanted to be nor a viable solution to every problem. It showed how far I had fallen when it was my first thought on any problem that cropped up.
“Don’t need to thank me. I did what most decent people would have done after seeing and hearing what had been done. Just remember Jade if you ever need help don’t hesitate to call me.”
“I know Daniel. We should go. Enough time has been wasted that it could have been used to find Artemis.” She looked up at Batman who nodded his mouth in a thin line.
He gave me a final nod, and Jade walked away with him. Not long after that I was in my car driving down random streets mind going over all that I should have done.
Despite how many times I told myself it didn’t matter no matter what could or should have been done my mind just kept going back to it. Beating myself up and what made it worse was that Jade didn’t blame me but herself. She isn’t at fault. She had no way of knowing that would happen nor that Sportsmaster would be aware of what she planned.
I on the other hand should have known. Sportsmaster had already confronted me about training Jade. I knew he had an ego that far outstripped his capabilities even if he was an incredibly capable man he was just a man.
But the fact that I somehow let it slip that he would do something with Artemis out of spite towards me and especially Jade since he didn’t like people defying him which made him look weak.
But now it’s time for me to help Jade. Or at least gather as much information as I can. I don’t understand Jade's reasoning for wanting me not to help her or my alias Silhouette.
Whether it was pride, a sense of her screw up so she needed to make it right, or because she didn’t want to owe me anymore. It could be any of them with her. If she felt indebted I had told her countless times she doesn’t owe me anything. She is my friend.
My phone vibrated again before I pulled into a parking lot at some grocery store seeing who it was. Several messages from Pamela… oops.
Pressing call, the phone rang for less than a second before she answered, “Everything alright?”
“Yeah just… a lot to explain,” I told her contemplating being upfront with her about who I am connected with and what happened with Jade.
“Is Jade alright? I’m sorry if I did something wrong.”
She was completely sincere about it too. She believed she might have done something to upset her. It touched me that Pamela cared enough to try and make things right with someone she had just met.
“You’re fine Pam. You didn’t do anything wrong and Jade had some stuff going on in life. I can’t tell you what happened over the phone and I think it’s best to tell you in person. If you want I can talk with you at your place?”
Pamela was silent on her end for a few seconds. “I… think it best if you need to talk with me personally it would be at your place. If you don’t mind!”
She tried to appease me, not trying to upset me. Not out of fear of any backlash or me doing something to her. It seemed more out of genuine concern knowing that something serious was going on and had happened without her knowing and she didn’t want to make it worse.
“Alright, I’ll head over now to pick you up if that’s alright with you?”
“Sure.”
With that, the call ended and I started the car back up heading over towards Pamela’s apartments. Sometime later I stepped out of my car sending Pamela a quick text that I was here.
Waiting for a few minutes longer than necessary which was odd since Pamela was punctual about things. Especially something as serious as this. Getting out of the car heading towards her apartment door to make sure she was alright.
Heading up to hear someone talking loudly and energetically. Like someone who was desperate but found a way out of the pit they were in. Which didn’t bode well when it was on the way to Pamela’s apartment.
“I just need your help for my research to bear fruit!”
I rushed around the corner now concerned, recognizing that voice. The sight that greeted me made my hands clench.
“Everything else is done, all the numbers checked out, all the results have come back positive to prove my theory. Just come with me and you will be immortalized under my name with this great discovery.” Woodrue said looking far worse for wear since his dismissal from the university.
His clothes looked ill-fitted for the man, with stains across them with a horrendous odor. His hair looked disheveled and unkempt with enough grease to start a fire with. His eyes were fixated on Pamela with a slimy smile directed at her.
What weight the man had before is gone. In its place were gangly limbs similar to a stick bug.
Neither of them noticed me coming towards them to get Woodrot away from Pam.
“Jason… I appreciate your offer but I’m not interested. I need to go since Daniel had something important he needed to discuss with me.” Pamela said politely, trying to be decent to the man. Better than I would’ve been.
Yet despite the politeness, there was firmness to her tone that Woody didn’t fail to notice. His smile changed into a grimace like he had sucked on a lemon.
“Pamela, I am ordering you to assist me with this research! I am on the cusp of making the discovery of a lifetime!” He snarled at her, taking his gnarled finger and jabbing it in her direction.
Pamela had certainly changed compared to when I first met her. Before she would have bowed to his demands. She did flinch back when he jabbed each finger at her but the calm she radiated changed to annoyance and anger breaking past her patience.
“No. I am no longer your assistant Jason and even if I was I would still refuse.”
Jason stopped. He stood stock still like he was carved out of stone. Only the rise and fall of his chest told me he was still alive. Before he could say anything further his face turning red Pam let out a gasp when my hand touched her shoulder.
She saw it was me, her hands ready to punch what she must have thought was an attacker only to calm down. She smiled up at me before we both looked over to Woodrot.
“She said no Woodsoft,” I pointedly ignored the snort that came from Pamela who turned her head to the side so Woody didn’t see her smile, “So leave her be. Let the real scientists make the breakthroughs mankind needs.”
Whatever he was about to say his gaze boring into mine died off his words coming out choked and sputtering. Like he was so angry he couldn’t form coherent thoughts or speak proper English.
“Now if you don’t mind I need to talk about some important matter with my girlfriend. I am sure the local bums are already missing your wonderful scientific mind and winning personality. Buh-Bye!” I give him an obnoxious jaunty wave and smile before dragging Pamela with me.
She gave one look back at Woodrue before ignoring him walking alongside me now.
“Didn’t know you could be so protective.” Pamela looked up at me with an interested look. A look that I couldn’t quite decipher.
“Pam Woody looked like he was three seconds away from doing something to you. Something he would regret after I got through with him.”
Everything was said with the utmost seriousness. Something Pamela seemed to appreciate when she melted into my side her cheeks flushed red.
“While I appreciate you being so protective of me Jason wouldn’t have done anything.” She said trying to sound confident about Woody not being all that bad.
I didn’t fail to see that she lacked that confidence in the man we left behind.
“Pam, I am serious. If he starts showing up like that again, punch his lights out and don’t hesitate to call me. Alright?”
She was silent leaning against me for a brief moment. “Alright, I promise Daniel. Why not pepper spray?”
Her question was a curious one but I just chuckled. She gave me a cute pout. “What’s so funny?”
“It’s cute, someone as strong as you would need pepper spray.”
She did a double-take at the answer given. “Daniel, I am not that strong.” She sternly said but couldn’t hide the smile on her face at the compliment.
“Pam you could lift potted plants weighing in around eighty to a hundred pounds. You struggle, sure but you still manage to lift it off the ground. Woodrough before he lost his job would have gotten his clock cleaned if you hit him once. Now… you’d win easily just by putting your hand on his head.”
She snorted before catching herself looking embarrassed. My chuckle turned into a laugh and she gave me a stern look in return. Until it broke apart, joining me in laughing.
Riding down the road in my car heading for my apartment.
“So why was Jade so upset? And what happened after you two left?”
I remained silent for a moment Pamela staring into the side of my head wanting an answer since I did ask her here. Screw it. The original plan it is then.
“She had a crush on me. One she made known a few times.”
“Oh.” That was all Pemala could say. The wind was taken out of her sails not knowing what to say to that.
“It’s why she reacted the way she did. Before you get ahead of yourself I already made it clear to her I don't view her as more than a friend. She is like the little sister I never had.”
“So she still had feelings but never fully got over them. Then why have me come to your apartment?” Pamela said, giving me a look. Not the look but more like she was thinking poorly of me.
“Pam, get your head out of the gutter. Do I look like the type of guy that would want to have sex after what happened today?”
“Alright, fair enough. So then why? I doubt that could be the thing that would make you want to talk to me like this.” Pamela, ever the astute one, looked around the car then at me.
“Because what I am about to tell you Pam doesn’t leave my apartment. I’m not telling you in my car… It feels cheap and dumb to do it here. Just wait a little longer. Please?”
“Daniel I don’t care where you tell me so long as you feel comfortable telling me. We are supposed to be a couple right? Then you can trust me.” Pamela said a little more emotion coloring her tone.
“Pam it’s not that I don’t trust you. The short time I have known you I would willingly put my life in your hands. You are a gentle, kind, and incredibly strong-willed woman. I am a lucky man to have you be my girlfriend.”
She fell silent, her face turning crimson before she turned away looking out the window in embarrassment. “Daniel you shouldn’t say such things…” She sounded absolutely mortified.
I could only give a hearty laugh at her antics helping cheer me up for the absolute shit show today had been.
Reaching my apartment with Pamela I looked around surprised to see both the apartment building and my actual apartment looking better than most you would see in Gotham. Not helped by whatever power that was causing it.
“Do you want anything to drink or eat? Because depending on things this is going to be a long conversation.” I asked her, trying to be a good host and boyfriend.
Pamela just rolled her eyes. “Daniel, please just get on with it. I can handle whatever you throw at me.”
“Well if you insist…” So I told her everything. Well, not exactly everything.
I didn’t tell her how I was actually Silhouette. Or how I used an organic body puppet as a means to separate myself from Silhouette.
My time with my mother before coming here and how Silhouette saved my life when the first gang war happened. How I owed Silhouette and they for whatever reason took a shine to me. Finding Jade after almost dying and taking her under my wing.
I was always gifted and intelligent, capable of things most people couldn’t do which I slowly unraveled and figured out over my life. The loss of my mother and never knowing my father and starting up the clinic.
I told her about me fighting alongside Batman and Jade against the Court in Wayne Tower. All of it leading up to the fight with Lawrence, Jade, and Artemis’s father.
Pamela’s face was frozen stiff. A complete blank face showing no emotion of any kind. That is until she finally said her first word after what had been nearly half an hour of explaining everything. I had to withhold a wince feeling my power trigger yet again. Thank the heavens my pain tolerance has grown compared to the first few times this had happened. Cause this one was a doozy.
To everyone, this part of the story was planned from the beginning. I had intended for Jade and Artemis to swap places since it was an interesting idea that wouldn’t leave me when planning certain parts of this story out and this particular part was something that regardless of perk rolls I wanted to happen.
I always felt that in Young Justice she was criminally underused in the early seasons but after season 2 seeing some of the clips of what they did to the show and characters in general I didn’t care for any of it. Especially with Jade. I don’t even like bringing up season 3 or beyond because of what I saw and heard. It just made any interest in future seasons turn to ash.
Same for fanfics she rarely gets used in a meaningful way. I wanted to do something different but make it so Jade could transition into something else like a hero and make it feel natural. Hopefully, you all enjoyed this part of the story and I am happy to make it this far in writing this story.
Beat up Sportsmaster +50
Confess to Pamela +50
Perks gained: Way of the Void Dragon (Warhammer 40k - Necrons SB Edition) (400CP)
Technology is but one facet of the Materium, but you are its master. The Void Dragon's grasp of technology was the very inspiration of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and you retain a similar level of skill. Imperial Guardsmen will flee in terror as their tanks turn against them, the once loyal drones of the Tau will gun down their owners without hesitation, and you will laugh all the while.
