I Moderate (i_moderate) wrote in we_archive, @ 2006-04-18 11:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | melanie walker, terry mcginnis |
i_flyonacard Let that girl rock & roll [ Narrative -- Open if bored]
"This is a lot harder to do with you breathing down my neck," Melanie's voice was a little shaky as she addressed her looming father. It wasn't true, though. Running sequences of codes through various devices to disarm alarms or what not, took hardly any effort on her part. She just didn't want to do this. They'd hit three places already, and the cops were hot on their trail.
She should have known that when her mother said they were having a family reuinion, it wouldn't be the typical grandma kisses and sharing of memories. Mel could feel his eyes narrowing disapprovingly on her as she fumbled with her tools. From the corner of her own, she could see her mothers hand settle on the King's shoulder, a silent warning to back off, and she went back to working. Hearing the system shut down, Melanie closed her eyes and sighed heavily as her family whizzed passed on their respective cards to loot the place of it's finer accessories.
This wasn’t the first time she’d thought about booting the system back up and just leaving them to be caught, but she’d feel too guilty. She followed them in soon after, just keeping watch. The gig was tired. She just wanted them to hurry up so she could go home and study for tomorrow’s history exam.
Jumping, as she'd been startled by loud loud noise, she saw that it was only the backfiring of a passing car. Then she realized, she was on the docks? "What?" She asked herself outloud, rubbing her head and squinting to see through the haze her mind was in. "I could have sworn..." she trailed off, pushing herself up, and dusting off her clothes.
She knew she was just on a job. That couldn't have been a dream, she thought to herself walking aimlessly, or, at least she thought it was aimless. "Jack?" She called, looking around for her brother. All she got was the annoying flash of lights on the docks, but they disappeared soon, along with the sound of the water, as she kept walking. She passed through unfamilliar alleys and turned on to what seemed to be a main street.
Had she successfully run away and just forgotten where she'd run to? Nothing here was familiar, at the moment, at least, and Melanie was getting just a little frustrated. She didn't recognize any of the faces, and she was starting to get odd looks as he walk quickened to a jog and she started looking panicked. Maybe this was the dream, or, nightmare, whichever. She just wanted to wake up.
Instead she tripped, and fell into a particularly muddy puddle. The throb in her knee proved too 'ow' worthy for her to be dreaming. "Awesome. I'm lost." She said in sarcasm, remaining sprawled on the sidewalk.
From: i_amsofired Date: 04/24/2006 17:27:23
Had he been in the car, he would almost certainly have missed her. A girl lying on the sidewalk - a girl in an unmistakable black and white costume - would have appeared no different from any other blip on the scanner.
Fortunately, Terry was winging it tonight. Even in a city of angels, demons, and various flying people a hovercar was a little conspicuous, so Bruce was making him do patrol the old-fashioned way - relatively so. Gliding noiselessly over the rooftops he spotted her. The contrasting shades of her outfit made her stand out like a sore thumb.
"Ten!"
He landed discretely in a dark alley and watched her. He told himself it was to make sure she wasn't hurt, or to see if she was up to any mischief, but really he just loved how that outfit looked on her.
From: i_flyonacard Date: 04/24/2006 17:42:27
She watched quietly as people stepped over and around her. "That's real nice, you know," she called after one guy, finally pushing her self up to her feet. It hadn't occured to Mel that maybe it was a little odd that someone standing around in something that may have been mistaken for a confused mime costume would have people thinking differently about helping a young lady up from a fall.
Now, standing there soaked in dirty puddle juice, she rubbed off as much of the muck as she could before settling her hands on her hips. "Hey, buddy," she walked after a guy who gave her an odd look before going faster and walking into a shop. "I just want to know where I am! Anyone?" She continued to watch as people passed. Way to not be helpful!
From: i_amsofired Date: 04/25/2006 14:24:00
There was a hand on her shoulder.
"You're in the city," an all-too-familiar voice informed her.
He was still in stealth mode, not wanting to attract the attention of the public, but Terry didn't want to leave Melanie out in the cold by herself. Also, he had suddenly become aware that watching her from the shadows was just creepy.
"Meet me on the roof, and we'll figure things out."
With that, he slunk back into the shadows.
From: i_flyonacard Date: 04/25/2006 15:05:12
An almost invisible hand, thanks. Which made her jump a little, but when she finally recognized the familiar voice, Melanie was almost certain she was dreaming, now, even if that fall had hurt. Maybe she'd fallen out of bed? Who knows.
"The city? Really, I thought I was in the middle of a farm." She turned around to see, well, nothing, after he'd told her to meet him on the roof. "The roof," she glanced up at the buildings. "Which roof," a grumble, then she realized. Hey. Why am I hovering?
A glance down gave her her answer. She looked back up, blinked a few times, then back down to the ten of spades under her. This wasn't here, before. Yes! She is dreaming. Maybe it'll be a good dream? She doubted it, but shrugged, bending her knees a little as she let herself and the oversized playing card ascend toward the roof tops. Glancing around for mister sneaky, Malanie sighed and landed carefully on the roof of the building she'd been in front of.
From: i_amsofired Date: 04/25/2006 22:16:48
Terry turned off the stealth and stood sternly in front of Ten.
"The City is a weird place," he said, trying to maintain his stern facade. "There's some stuff from history, some stuff from alternate worlds, some stuff from stories. The City took me, and now I guess it took you. That's the short version."
He paused to let it sink in.
"What about your folks? Did they make it here?"
From: i_flyonacard Date: 04/25/2006 22:31:03
Melanie just stared at him, dumbfounded. "Alternate worlds? Took me? I...I don't think I understand." Of course, she's only been here, what, ten minutes?
She looked down, trying to take what he said seriously. "I was just with my family," she explained, more to herself than to him, really. Retracing her steps to see where she'd lost time. "I was working...and then I woke up at those docks, like I'd been knocked out or something, but none of them were with me." A hand came to rub at the side of her face. She felt a major headache coming on.
From: i_amsofired Date: 04/30/2006 12:56:24
"I'm sure they're fine," Terry reassured her. "A friend of mine came here just before I did. We're both all right."
He stepped a bit closer. "Melanie ... this could be your opportunity to turn things around. You don't have to answer to your family any more, you don't have to keep running from your past, because it's not here. You can have a fresh start. You should finish school, get a good job. You're a smart girl, I'm sure it'd be a piece of cake for you."
Terry stopped himself. Not very professional, chided the little Bruce Wayne on his shoulder.
From: i_flyonacard Date: 04/30/2006 13:23:42
Tugging her hood off, Mel glanced up to him, then over to the cityscape. "No, my past isn't here. Nothing is here." She shook her head, looking back up. "I appriciate the faith you seem to have in me, but how do you expect me to do all of that?"
She took a step backward, then turned away, arms crossing over her chest. "I mean. I want to. I've been trying my hardest to be normal. But here? In this random City, as you call it. How am I supposed to finish school? I don't even have a home. And I don't think I'm the most qualified employee."
From: i_amsofired Date: 04/30/2006 14:24:32
"Hey, nobody said it'd be easy. But, you never know when an opportunity will present itself." Here, he was thinking of convincing Bruce to hire her on at Waynetech as a security expert.
"There's a good school over that way," he pointed. "Meanwhile, I can ..." he patted around his belt, looking for something. "Slag it! Why don't I carry any money in this thing?"
He rubbed his head in thought.
"Tell you what - you find a hotel room, book it under your own name, and I think you'll find that the bill is taken care of tomorrow."
From: i_flyonacard Date: 04/30/2006 16:37:22
She looked to where he'd pointed with a bit of a nod and a sigh. Obviously, it was going to take some time to sink in. And once it had finally sunk it, it would take a little more time to get used to everything. While she was used to some change every now and then, a complete change in what seemed like worlds, wasn't the same as new schools and new friends.
Turning back, Mel looked back up, arms still crossed, with a bit of a smirk, "You can't tell me you weren't freaked when you showed up in this place."
From: i_amsofired Date: 04/30/2006 18:32:11
"Freaked?" he said bemusedly. "I damn near killed myself flying into that buliding there," indicating the City Industries Tower. He allowed himself a little laugh.
Oracle buzzed a little message in his earpiece. "Anyway, I'd better be going," he sighed. "You take care of yourself."
He fired up his jets and took off toward the harbor.
He sincerely wanted things to turn out well for Melanie, whether or not she ended up with him. But he had a terrible feeling that, in spite of all he might do, a happy ending was not in the cards for her, so to speak.