i_throwplates First Watch
Jake had taken Barbara's warnings seriously. He may have been only eleven, but he was far from stupid. Only a fool would have ignored the fear and the concern in Bab's mind.
His first order of business, after making sure the doors were locked and the alarms set, was to venture up to the attic and retrieve his guns. The first was in a shoulder holster - what Roland (and subsequently, Jake) referred to as a docker's clutch. It felt comfortable there. The weight was familiar, soothing. Like an old friend that had been waiting to give aid and comfort.
The second gun was slung low on his hip. He wasn't expecting anyone else to come home until Babs did, so walking around with the guns strapped on. If Roland wandered back this way, Jake knew the gunslinger would only approve of the weapons.
He locked up the elevator once he was back downstairs and went to the kitchen to find something good and edible -- something that wasn't ice cream -- for himself and Oy. Of course he knew ice cream wasn't dinner. But ice cream certainly was dessert.
From: i_jest Date: 07/19/2006 19:13:36
Jack had the pilot drop him off on the roof of Babs' tower, just for the fun of it. He liked tormenting her. Why else would he write "I love you Babs" on his butt?
There was no way in but to go through a window. And getting to the window was a tough task. Lucky for Jack, he didn't really care if he put himself in danger or not.
Unlucky for Barbra Gordon.
The glass shattered and he was inside.
In what looked like her bedroom.
"Glory be!" He cried out.
Jack pranced to her dresser. Opened a drawer. Ooh. Lovely. He held up a pair of Babs' panties.
"I've got a lov-a-ly pair of under-pants doodledy doo!" They were tossed aside, and he found her makeup.
"Oh Babsy, you should know by now that I don't need you to fancy yourself up with whorepaint!"
Jack slid Barbra's lipstick over his lips.
From: i_throwplates Date: 07/19/2006 19:28:00
He heard the tinkle of glass half an instant before the alarms went up. A klaxon was blaring, and there was a gun in Jake's hand before the echoes were even filling the room.
At his feet, Oy was silent, hackles raised. Jake looked at the billy bumbler, and nodded towards the hall. Oy immediately moved that way, nose raised and sniffing the air. Jake followed, holding the gun carefully, eyes alert for anything.
I do not aim with my hand...
From: i_jest Date: 07/19/2006 19:30:33
The alarms didn't matter to Jack. He'd heard worse shrill cries in the asylum. And they were more piercing. And more constant.
Yep. This was almost music.
And now he was putting on Babs' mascera. Had to be pretty. Yes he did. Had to put it on right, too, and not look like a cheap slut.
Jack was pretty, in his own humble opinion. Even without makeup. Yes. He could certainly turn heads.
He thought briefly how well he looked in eyeliner. Maybe he'd have to have some kept around. Mmm. Black.
From: i_throwplates Date: 07/19/2006 19:36:15
Jake was moving silently down the hall - not that quiet mattered so much, with the alarms blaring, but Roland had ingrained it into him to use whatever advantages were at his disposal, and never give one up for uncertainty.
He wondered how long it would take for the police to arrive - Babs would have keyed in the alarms to call the police in case of anything.
Oy stopped outside Barbara's door, and his upper lip curled back in a snarl. Jake saw that, and tentatively reached out with the Touch, to see who (or what) he would be facing on the other side of that door.
From: i_jest Date: 07/19/2006 19:40:20
Jack looked at his pretty face in the mirror. Oh yes. He just needed something else. Sooomeeething else. What was it.
Oh yes. Pretty clothing.
Jack pranced to Babs' closet and pulled out one thing after another, throwing it behind him. Until he came to what he was looking for.
It was a glamourous long skirt, and with it, a matching top. Oh, delicious! Jack liked dress up. He stripped quickly and put on Babs' pretty clothes. Then tried to shove his feet into her shoes. Damn her for having small feet! He couldn't even stand upright like this.
Sonofabitch!
Bitch.
From: i_throwplates Date: 07/19/2006 19:54:09
That was... disturbing.
It was like Touching Delirium, though on a much, much smaller scale. And Jake wasn't insane this time. But the man in the bedroom clearly was. And he was... putting on Babs's clothes.
Jake considered just waiting for the police. But then there was a clatter that sounded like it might be someone falling over, and Jake's instincts kicked in. He his the door with his shoulder, and slid against the doorframe, bracing the gun with both hands as he aimed straight for the pale thin man at the closet.
"Don't move," he said. The cold mask of the kill had settled over him. His finger itched to just pull the trigger and feel the gun's thunder in his hand. But he resisted, remembering the unspoken promise to Barbara.
From: i_jest Date: 07/19/2006 19:57:33
"Lalala owfuck." Jack peered around the door of the closet at the little boy with the gun. It was fighteningly cute. There were several ways this could go.
Jack looked down at himself.
No. No. There was only one way this could go.
He flung his hand up to his forehead. "Save me! Save me! The horrible man tried to rape me! Oh, he was big and mean and ugly! It's lucky that you arrived when you did! Oh the horror of it! Oh! I may faint."
And he did just that. Not really. But he fell over backwards, hand to his head. The shoe stuck on his left foot flew as his leg came up in dramatic fashion.
From: i_throwplates Date: 07/19/2006 20:09:28
Trying to lie to Jake was about as effective as trying to make Roland of Gilead appreciate a dead baby joke.
But that was Jake's advantage. He knew the man was a liar and a faker. But the man probably thought he was just a scared kid with a gun.
Jake lowered the weapon to waist level, holding it much more cautiously, though it looked far more relaxed than it was. Shooting from the hip wasn't as precise, but Roland has said, better two shots from the hip and hit, than a single shot from the shoulder and miss to overzealousness. He motioned for Oy to stay put, and inched closer.
"Hey," he said, letting a note of worry creep into his voice. "Hey, are you okay?"
From: i_jest Date: 07/19/2006 20:12:36
Jack opened one eye and then the other. Then propped himself up on his elbow.
"Not in the mood to play, huh?" Jack tsked "Shame. Looks like you could be a lot of fun if you wanted to play."
In a stance like what the kid held, Jack had no doubts he knew how to use it. Jack just didn't care about guns. He liked them. He liked playing with them. But it never unnerved him to be at the other end of one.
In certain hands, it even turned him on a little.
"You know. Babs' shoes are just too small for me. It's a shame. Cause these ones look really good with this outfit. She's probably going to be pissed that I broke the heel on this one."
And that the other one was lost somewhere in the room. Oops.
From: i_throwplates Date: 07/19/2006 20:19:52
Jake raised the gun again when the man propped himself up. He took another step back, and just watched the man.
He didn't answer the taunts. Just held his position. After a moment of silence, he said, "The police are on their way."
From: i_jest Date: 07/19/2006 20:33:03
"Yeah yeah. They always are."
Jack pulled himself up and disentangled his foot from the strappy shoe. Stupid invalids. Where did they get off having fancy shoes anyway?
"Look. Stop being so serious. You have to have fun in life. If you don't have fun, you end up bitter and lonely. Like a certain Bat in black. He can't love anybody because he's got himself shoved so far up his ass. Me? I have love. And. The most important part. AND I have fun with life. Don't you want to have fun in life? Don't you want to enjoy yourself? Don't you want to FREAKING SMILE!?"
Jack shook his head. He went to Babs' mirror. He wrote 'I love you Babs' in her pretty red lipstick upon it's surface. She'd know who it was from. "Don't wash that off, okay?"
From: i_throwplates Date: 07/19/2006 20:38:38
Jake had love, too. Even if his father didn't remember it. And he had enough fun when lunatics weren't breaking into his home.
"I'm not Br--" Jake shut his mouth, well aware that he'd been about to say 'I'm not Bruce'. He remembered his comic books (well, he remembered the other boys talking about their comic books), and had decided at the last moment that he shouldn't tell the Joker that Bruce Wayne was Batman.
Even if it seemed likely the crazy asshole already knew that.
"Whatever. Just get out of here."
He didn't want to pull the trigger of the gun. He couldn't be sure it wouldn't be a fatal shot if he did.
From: i_jest Date: 07/19/2006 20:42:37
Jack sighed.
"Clearly you don't know how to have a good time. Look!" Jack sauntered back to the closet. "There are pretty hats in here you could put on!"
He turned and looked. "No?"
Boring.
"Fine. Could you at least turn around so I can change. I don't want you eyeing my giant pecker."
From: i_throwplates Date: 07/19/2006 20:47:13
A warning shot went off. In the confined space, the gun sounded like thunder.
The floor beside Jack's bare foot splintered, close enough that a sliver of wood cut the skin. Or perhaps it was just how close the bullet had come.
"I didn't say change. I said get out."
Jake didn't give a shit about the dress. Or the 'giant pecker'.
From: i_jest Date: 07/19/2006 20:49:58
"Oh fine. Well screw you, kid. Lighten up. Get the rodent from your ass before it dies."
Jack picked up his clothes.
Quickly he picked up the eyeliner and scrawled another note on a high surface above Jake's view. Then he realized Babs wouldn't be able to see it either, and giggled.
I see you like little boys too, now.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA."
Jack staggered toward the broken window. It would be hazardous getting down. Not that it mattered. He'd survive.