The Corner Window

Based on turn events. (Sorta)

-Scene One-

[Opens up to a corner room, a quad on the second floor facing out over the patio of the Fickes dormitory. Trees obscure most of the view but a white spire of a chapel is visible through the windows. Seated on the floor are the room’s occupants playing a game of Apples to Apples.

First is the level headed and sage-like Allaire. Allaire is carefully debating over her cards. Her roommate, the bubbly and girlish Amanda, is tapping her long nails on the floor as she waits for Allaire to make her selection. Seated with them is the animated Maria. Maria is shuffling through her cards, pulling one out excitedly, looking down at Amanda’s card, shaking her head and putting it back in her pile before shuffling again. Amanda blows out a frustrated sigh.]

Amanda: (snappish) Come on, pick faster. I have to be in Calculus in fifteen minutes.

Maria: (shuffling and selecting a red card uncertainly) I don’t know…

Allaire: What’s the word again?

Amanda: Luxurious: lavish, lush, opulent, or sumptuous.

Allaire: (distracted) Okay… (She selects a red card and lays it face down in front of Amanda.)

Maria: (worried whimper) I don’t know but…(puts a card face down on top of Allaire’s red card) Here you go.

Amanda: (sotto voice) Finally! (picks up the cards and reads, her face twisting into a scowl) James Bond and mud. Seriously!

Allaire: James Bond wears a tuxedo, that’s lavish.

Maria: Yeah, well… mud is used at spas!

Amanda: (still disappointed) SERIOUSLY? That’s the best you have?!

Maria: (reluctant) I did have diamonds but I thought…

Amanda: Agh! You should have gone with diamonds!

Allaire: Too late.

Amanda: Fine, James Bond. (throws the green card to Allaire)

Maria: (picks up a green card and reads aloud) Patriotic: loyal, nationalistic, devoted.

[Both Allaire and Amanda slap red cards face down in front of Maria so quickly she jumps in surprise. The roommates look at each other grinning and giggling.]

Maria: (smiling excitedly) This should be funny! (picks up the cards and immediately frowns) Liberals and the Right Wing. Seriously?

Amanda: Hey! What’s wrong with Republicans!?

Allaire: (grumpy) What’s wrong with Democrats, huh?

Amanda: (rolling her eyes) Where do I start with those socialists?

Maria: Now that’s not true…

[Maria is interrupted by the dorm room door flying open. The overly dramatic and terrified Melissa stumbles in, wheezing. She looks wildly about the room then runs for Allaire’s closet]

Melissa: SHE’S GONNA KILL ME!

[Everyone blinks as Melissa slams and locks the door to the closet. As one they turn back to their game.]

Allaire: (continues like nothing happened) Democrats are not socialists.

Amanda: You say ‘Democrat’ but I say ‘Communist’.

Maria: (shaking her head) I can’t decide. Eenie, meenie, minie, moe. Democrats.

Allaire: (grabs the green card victoriously) HA!

Amanda: Whatever…

[The door to the room is thrown open once more and a murderous eyed Sam charges in. Gripped in her left hand is a glass bottle. Her eyes go around the room, her teeth gritted.]

Sam: (hissing) Where is she?!

[Amanda and Maria point to the closet immediately without looking up]

Allaire: (observes Sam for a moment) That’s some Jeffery Dahmer shit right there.

Sam: I’m going to kill her this time. I actually mean it!

Allaire: (picking up a green card nonchalantly) Scary. (pauses) ‘Sam with a glass bottle’ for the win.

[Amanda and Maria laugh while Sam stomps over to the closet and pounds on the door]

Sam: I can hear you breathing!

Melissa: (in terrible Spanish accent, panicking) No, no Mr. Superman not home? No habla English? Housekeeping?

Sam: You have only yourself to blame, Melissa!

Melissa: (dropping the terrible accent) Ninja’s are assholes! You can’t kill me for the truth!

Sam: (punches the door) I can kill you for whatever I want to! I’m the goddamn Batman!

[Sam turns and studies the other girls before walking over to them and sitting down, setting the glass bottle in arm’s reach. She appears frighteningly calm now]

Sam: Mind if I join?

Allaire: (covertly moving the glass bottle out of Sam’s reach) Sure. (Allaire picks up the red cards Maria and Amanda have set out) Cockroaches and blank.

Maria: Sam with a glass bottle.

Allaire: (chuckles) Ah, yes. Sam with a glass bottle wins.

Amanda: What about Sam with a glass bottle full of cockroaches?

Sam: (deadpan) Terrifying. (picks up a green card) Doomed. Melissa for the win.

Amanda: (laughing in disbelief) You’re kidding, right? There’s no ‘doomed’ card.

Sam: (shows Amanda) No, it’s a blank one but I feel it’s appropriate, given the situation.

Allaire: What exactly did Melissa do this time?

Maria: (giggles) What hasn’t she done to piss off Sam?

[Everyone stops to ponder for a moment but they are unable to answer Maria]

Allaire: Touché. Well, I guess it’s time to discuss who gets Melissa’s things.

Amanda: Dibs on her Gackt DVDs!

Maria: I want that 10 bucks she owes me.

Allaire: (huffing) I guess that leaves me her movie collection.

Sam: I want first pick on her DVDs as service fees for exterminating her.

Maria: ‘Eviscerating’ would be a more appropriate word, I think.

Amanda: ‘Annihilate’.

Allaire: ‘Eradicate’.

Melissa: (from the closet) I can still hear you!

Sam: (grabbing a shoe sitting on the floor near Allaire’s bed and chucks it at the closet) Shut up. You don’t have an opinion until I beat it out of you.

Melissa: (meekly) Okay.

Amanda: (whines playfully) Aww Sam. Beat her anyways!

Melissa: Hey!

Allaire, Amanda, and Sam: SHUT UP MELISSA!

[There’s a terrible sound of crashing and a loud moan from the closet. Everyone turns to look at the still rattling door, waiting. A tense minute passes.]

Melissa: I’m okay!

Allaire: I’m more worried about my stuff! Is anything broken?

Melissa: Well, my finger is looking a little swollen but I don’t think really Gubler’d it.

Allaire: No, I meant anything in the closet, not you.

Melissa: Oh…umm…..

Allaire: (bounding to her feet and running to the closet door) MELISSA?!

Melissa: I mean some glue I’m sure will fix it. This is your iron, right?

Allaire: (relieved) No. It’s Rai’s.

Maria: (changing the subject) Hey, how’s Sarai doing? I haven’t heard from her in a month.

Amanda: We haven’t seen her in two weeks.

Maria: Aren’t you worried?

Amanda: Nope.

Maria: Huh.

[They return to their game]

Sam: (reading out loud) Doomed. The Leftist, Graverobbers, and Strawberry Shortcake.

Melissa: Oh! I could go for some shortcake!

All: NO!

Melissa: Aww man.

Sam: Graverobbers.

Amanda: Yes! Okay, that’s it for me. I’ll see you in an hour.

Allaire: We’ll be here. (pausing) Well, Melissa might not be with us anymore.

Amanda: (flatly) Mmm, pity. Well! I’m off.

[Amanda leaves.]

Maria: (looking at her watch) Hey, I need to meet with Kerri in the theater. Is it okay if I stop by later?

Allaire: Oh yeah, not a problem.

Maria: Cool! See you later Allaire! Bye Sam!

[Sam salutes Maria then starts putting the board game away. Maria leaves.]

Allaire: Alright, give me the rundown. What did Melissa do?

Sam: Well, I was watching ‘Ninja Assassin’ and Melissa came back to the room and started bitching about how Rain is an asshole for letting the chick get stabbed before he went all Jedi on his sensei.

Allaire: (shaking her head) You two fight every time you watch that movie. I think you two should just stop watching it together.

Sam: I try to watch it alone but then she shows up and starts talking. She always talks. She even talks in her sleep!

Allaire: (exasperated) I know. Melissa was born without an off switch.

Sam: I intend to remodel Melissa’s face and give her one.

Allaire: (ponders the possibilities) Tempting….

Melissa: (from the closet) Allaire! You’re supposed to be mediating a peaceful surrender, not getting me killed! By the way, do any of you have ice?

Allaire: What do you need ice for?

Melissa: I think I did Gubler my finger after all.

Sam: (going to Allaire’s frig and pulling out an icepack) That too! She’s always talking about the Gube. It’s ‘Gubler this’ and ‘Gube that’, like a fucking stalker.

Allaire: (taking the icepack from Sam and slipping it under the closet door) She is a stalker.

Sam: Well…yeah.

Melissa: (from closet) I really am.

Allaire: (knocks on the closet door) Are you done in there yet?

Melissa: Does Sam still have a murderous look in her eye and an empty bottle?

Allaire: Mmm…. Well Sam doesn’t have the bottle anymore….

Melissa: What about the murderous look?

[Dead silence]

Melissa: Right, I’m not coming out.

Allaire: (in a demonic voice) Get out of my closet, Melissa.

[The door to the closet bursts open and Melissa tumbles out, pulling dust bunnies from her tangled red hair and kicking a plastic bag that’s tangled around her sneaker. She trips and falls flat on her face. Sam and Allaire make no move to help her.]

Melissa: I’m okay!

Sam: (deadpan) Yeah, I wasn’t actually concerned.

Melissa: Oh. Cheers then. (She tries to stand up but trips and falls again)

Sam: (trying not to laugh) I’m gonna go now.

Allaire: (exasperated) I think it’s for the best, Sam.

[Sam leaves]

-End scene one-

Lost Haven - The Wraith II

Jae couldn’t help the grin that pulled at her mouth as she crouched on the ledge of the building beside Wraith. Her blood was singing in her veins and the wind was tousling her hair and everything just felt right for once. She could hear everything from up above. The whisper of the misting rain that was still slicking over the night, Wraith’s eager little pants as he gazed down at the street, a distant car alarm, and the palpable thump of her own heart. It feels ridiculously good, Jae thought just before she tried to tamp down on the sensation.

Jae glanced at Wraith from the corner of her eyes, smirking slightly at the boy’s obvious enthusiasm. She could only make out the excited gleam of his green eyes and the crooked arch to his mouth from below his mask but his stance practically screamed for action. Admittedly, she was as eager as he was for something, anything to happen, but she was hiding it better. At least she hoped she was.

The backdoor to Jezebels lay right below them. The door opened up onto an alleyway with only a single light hanging over the door, casting greasy yellow shadows in a ten foot perimeter. Jae could hear the muffled ruckus of the barroom from their position. Seedy music and boisterous, drunken laughter cuts through the damp night with an eerie indignation.

Wraith squirmed beside Jae, his eyes flicking over her as that crooked smile leapt to his wide mouth again. Jae couldn’t restrain her answering grin, her fingers tightening reflexively on the rough brick of the building. Wraith leaned in closer to her, his grin hitching up a little higher until it was almost manic.

“Not really what I call a first date but not so bad, eh?” Wraith hummed, laughter tinting his voice. Jae’s smiled dropped from her face instantly. A cold sense of dread weaseled into her gut even as she felt the blood rising to her cheeks. Her reaction must have been obvious because Wraith’s smile lost a few degrees of tilt as he eyes suddenly searched her face with uncertainty.

“This isn’t a date,” Jae hissed, not actually meaning to make her voice that cold. Wraith’s smile fled completely from his face, disappointment flickering to his eyes.

“But back in the alley,” Wraith murmured anxiously, his hand motioning in the air like the words had failed him, “Weren’t we flirting?”

“No,” Jae gasped, her cheeks burning. Her heart beat a furious tempo in her chest, making her head swim.

“But I thought-”

Wraith’s question was cut off by as the backdoor to Jezebels slammed open. Jae wasn’t sure if she wanted to thank the three toughs that exited for interrupting Wraith or curse their perfect timing. Jae settled on focusing the majority of her attention on them even though her body was rapidly becoming acutely aware of Wraith’s every movement.

Jae’s eyes narrowed as she studied the alleyway like it’s a crime scene photo, every detail imprinting into her mind. Four men had exited the bar, the three muscles and Eddie, who looked scared shitless. One of the big toughs had Eddie by the back of the neck as he marched him into the alley, flanked by his partners.

Eddie trembled as the larger man flung him against the brick wall of the building Jae and Wraith were perched upon. Jae winced sympathetically. Eddie threw his hands up over his face as he cowered.

“I told you guys the truth! I was ambushed by a kid in a skeleton costume and a girl that was glowing blue!” Eddie squealed. The three tough guys snorted, exchanging a scornful look between them. The one nearest to Eddie cracked his knuckles threateningly as he leaned over Eddie, dwarfing the teenaged thief.

“Shut up Eddie. The boss told you to get his money and bring it back and you fucked up. Now you want us to believe that a skeleton and a chick that glows in the dark attacked you? You know what I think?” the big guy snickered and grabbed a fistful of Eddie’s hair, yanking the teen’s head back sharply, “I think you got greedy and took the boss’s money. Now either you start telling us the truth, or Pat and Elmo here are gonna make you remember.”

“I told you everything already, Don!” Eddie whimpered. Don shook his head and stepped back.

“Okay boys, let him have it,” Don sighed. Pat and Elmo snickered, lurching towards Eddie. Jae’s eskrima whistled through the air, shattering the light and sending the alley into darkness. The eskrima dropped to the ground with a hollow, metallic thud.

“What the fuck was that?” Don snarled, his eyes moving up and down the alley. Pat and Elmo grunted. Eddie sobbed.

“Oh God, it’s them,” Eddie sniffled.

“Shut up, kid,” Don snapped, edging his way towards the door.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you…” Wraith’s sing-song voice hung in the dark air. Eddie screamed and threw himself to the ground. Jae grinned as she slithered the rest of the way down the drainpipe and dropped to the ground silently. Her eyesight in the dark was far better than a human. She could see Wraith drop to the ground on the opposite end of the alleyway, caging the four men in between them. Jae crouched, twirling her remaining eskrima as she waited for Wraith’s signal.

The three tough guys were blindly edging back towards the door. One of them tripped over a trash can and went sprawling to the ground. Don gulped and panicked, rushing for the door. Now, Jae thought to herself and let the blue, glowing energy burst from her hands and light up the alleyway. Don wailed as he threw himself backwards, away from Jae. Jae grinned and took a menacing step towards him, the light in her hands crackling like lightning.

“Oh my God!” Don whimpered, shaking his head, “The kid wasn’t lying! You fucking glow!” Jae laughed at the man, which seemed to send him into an even greater panic. The distraction was all Wraith needed.

Wraith’s movements were lightening fast as he pounced on the first tough guy. She snickered as the guy let out an undignified squeal just before Wraith’s elbow met his nose with a sharp and sickening crunch. The tough guy screamed and grabbed at his face, clutching his broken nose. Wraith moved with an eerie, fluid silence worthy of his namesake and brought the big guy down with a blow to the solar plexus. Jae felt a little thrill rush through her veins as she watched the costumed teen twirled around the first tough guy and leap at the second man that had tumbled backwards over the trashcans.

Jae’s attention flitted back to Don just as the man’s chunky, shaking hand slid into the front of his jacket. Jae didn’t think as she burst into motion and closed the distance between Don and her in the blink of an eye.

Time moved slowly as she kicked Don under the chin, sending the man’s head snapping back and sending his arms flying to his sides. The pistol in his hand went flying, skidding across the wet asphalt. Jae’s eskrima sang through the air, catching Don across the jaw and sent him spiraling into unconscious. The entire process took a matter of seconds.

Jae’s head snapped up as she heard Wraith grunt. Her eyes tracked the costumed teen as he gripped his ribs and fell backwards against the building. The last tough guy standing had Wraith cornered as he threw meaty, bone crushing punches at Wraith. The teen dodged the first fist, letting it hit the brick wall behind him. The pain seemed only to enrage the big man and his next blow connected hard into Wraith’s belly, bring the kid to his knees.

Jae roared as she leapt forward, launching her whole body at the last guy. His movements seemed infinitely slow as Jae soared through the air at him. Jae’s eskrima snaked out in a vicious backhand and caught the big man across the face. He stumbled backwards, his eyes rolling back into his head. He toppled over unceremoniously to the ground.

Jae landed in front of Wraith, her body crouched with catlike grace, her body still singing for action. Wraith scrambled to his feet, edging to the side of Jae. He gasped, holding his ribs, his breath coming in little pants. Jae flicked her eyes at him, assessing him as she rose up from her crouch; the glowing in her hands flickered out. Wraith grinned up at her, but his jaw was tense with pain. Jae moved forward without thinking and slid her shoulder under the arm not cradling Wraith’s side and let the older teen lean his weight on her.

Neither teen spoke as they moved silently through the darkened alley; skirting Eddie’s whimpering form and pausing only for a moment to retrieve Jae’s eskrima from the puddle of shattered light bulb.

Wraith’s arm was heavy and warm across Jae’s shoulder as she retraced their mad dash until she found an acceptable nook in an alleyway to release Wraith. The boy leaned backwards against a building with an appreciative grunt. The city sounds seemed distant to Jae’s ears as she studied the alleyway, forcing herself to calm down. The blood in her veins sang with adrenaline, her skin prickling with excitement. Every sense seemed heightened. She could smell Wraith’s sweat and cologne on her jacket along with the fainter, tackier scent of blood. Jae tensely listened to the winded pants falling from Wraith’s mouth and something else. Jae craned her head to the side, listening intently to the sound. It was odd, out of place in the dingy backstreets. The whispering catch and rasp of heavy fabric filtering down from above them. Jae looked upwards just in time to see a slash of crimson and black flash across the rooftops. Jae felt her jaw drop open as her eyes made out the silhouette of a man against the gray storm clouds. For the briefest second, Jaelyn could have sworn the caped figure was looking directly at her.

“Ah, so you saw him, huh?” Wraith laughed in a strained voice. Jae snapped her mouth shut and glared at the teen. He winked playfully and jerked his chin back up to the rooftops.

“You know people can go their whole lives in Haven and not see the Blackbird once,” Wraith murmured conversationally, but there was a touch of wonder in his voice. Jae smirked. If only he knew who her mother was.

“How many times have you seen him?” Jae asked, still watching the sky for any glimpse of the masked vigilante. Wraith hissed in pain as he tried to shrug.

“Only a couple of times,” Wraith hummed, pulling up his shirt to examine his chest in the dim light of the alley. Jae hissed at the bruise blooming across the teen’s stomach and chest. A small globe of blue light flickered to life in the palm of her hand. Jae held it out cautiously to Wraith, illuminating his pale skin.

“Thanks,” he laughed a little breathlessly, his eyes skipping over Jae thoughtfully. Jae kept her eyes locked on Wraith’s exposed chest. The bruises were going to smart, but nothing appeared broken. Wraith cocked his head to the side, a little smile tugging at his mouth, “You know you’re pretty handy…for a girl.”

Jae snorted, closing her hand over the ball of blue light, extinguishing it. Wraith made a little noise of displeasure as he slid his clothes back down over his pale, thin chest. Jae snickered as she slid in under Wraith’s arm again, helping him up.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Wraith,” Jae whispered playfully, “For a skinny kid.”

“I’m not skinny,” Wraith whined half heartedly, his arm squeezing Jae, “I’m wiry.” Jae giggled, rolling her eyes as they started off again. Wraith seemed to be walking more on his own power, leading the way, but he kept his arm looped around Jae’s shoulders. Jae blushed, but didn’t shrug his arm off.

Jae tensed under Wraith’s arm as she finally realized where they were headed. Jae flinched away, letting Wraith arm drop to his side. He hissed out a little cry, clutching his side again. Jae backed away from him, wide eyed.

“What’s the matter?” Wraith asked, glancing between Jae and the guard’s post of the Tieran Quarter.

“How did you? I never told you I… You don’t know me….” Jae felt panic rising up in her chest as her words jumbled. Wraith sighed, inching closer to Jae.

“You didn’t say anything to give yourself away, kid. But just so you know, most human girls don’t glow in the dark,” Wraith teased lightly. Jae flinched again. Wraith reached out, grabbing Jae’s wrist and pulling her in towards him. She knew automatically that should break his hold, could hurt him if she wanted to, but she hesitated and let him draw her towards him.

“I won’t ask questions,” Wraith murmured, his hand sliding up her arm until it settled on her shoulder affectionately. Jae blushed and looked away. Wraith’s hand moved from her shoulder and suddenly there was the sound of fabric being pulled aside. Jae blinked and looked up. Wraith leaned forward at the same moment, pressing his lips against Jae’s in an awkward kiss. Jae fumbled for a moment, taken aback by Wraith’s sudden advance.

And then it was as if something clicked between them. Their movements synchronized with each other just as they had during the chase. Jae’s eyes flitted close as she tilted her head to the side. Wraith reached up to cup the back of her head and leaned into her. Jae tried not to study Wraith’s movements too closely as his lips slid across hers, but she couldn’t help noting the cold touch of metal studs on either side of his lower lip, or the heat radiating off of his unmasked face. Jae sighed as Wraith pulled away, ending the kiss.

Jae opened her eyes in time to watch the bottom of Wraith’s face disappear below his mask again, but not before she noted the red flush in his cheeks and the snakebite piercings. The costumed teen shifted nervously as he stepped away from Jae, a wry grin on his face.

“Just so you know, you might not have been flirting, but I was,” Wraith murmured. Jae grinned awkwardly and gave Wraith a light shove on his shoulder.

“Whatever Wraith,” Jae paused, her teeth worrying her lower lip, “Will I see you again?”

Wraith blinked at Jae owlishly. She mentally berated herself until Wraith’s mouth burst open into an enthusiastic smile, his green eyes twinkling.

“Sure!” Wraith squeaked then coughed to clear his throat. “Sure,” he tried again, “I’m usually haunting the warehouse district.”

“I’ll keep that in mind if I ever need another thrilling, adrenaline filled date,” Jae joked. Wraith’s eyebrows shot up under his disguise.

“Oh, so it was a date, huh?” he purred, his smile sharky. Jae rolled her eyes as she turned away from the costumed teen. She bite her lower lip to hold back her laugh as she felt Wraith’s eyes follow her all the way to the guard’s post.

The two Tieran guards on duty recognized Jaelyn instantly and jumped to their feet, saluting her. Jae nodded casually to the men and glanced back over her shoulder. Her eyes met Wraith for a brief second before he melted away into the shadows. Just like a ghost.

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Lost Haven - The Wraith

Jae’s mind wandered as she left the hospital. A little rain was falling over the city, drenching the streets in a dull, gray layer under the streetlights. Jae pulled the hood of her coat up over her head and hunched her shoulders as she trekked through the inclement weather. Jae tried not to let Dr Swanson’s mild, inquisitive words bother her too greatly, but they sat heavily on Jae’s senses. Karen had been an intern at the Embassy right after medical school. She had earned an internship with the Embassy’s medical center and a chance to study Tieran biology and medical advancements first hand. Jae had overheard a Tieran nurse mentioning once that medical students from all over the world had applied for the internship but the Council had personally chosen Karen Swanson. Karen had been a fresh and comforting human face among the sea of distant and reserved Tieran physicians. Jaelyn had taken an instant liking to the ambitious young doctor, but Karen still didn’t understand why Jaelyn had chosen to seek her aid over that of the Embassy’s surgeons.

Karen failed to see that Jaelyn wasn’t just Tieran, she was half human as well. A fact that the Tieran’s in the Embassy would never allow Jae to forget. Karen’s staff at the hospital might have made Jae’s visit seem like a rare and fascinating occasion to study Tieran biology, Jae knew it was a welcome change from the pitying and even hostile attitudes she would have faced in the Embassy.

Jae broke out of her musings as she skirted a homeless man holding an anti-Tieran cardboard sign. Jae glanced at the bedraggled old man, her eyes flitting over the badly scrawled message: E.T. Go Home!

Jae pulled the hood of her jacket up over her head, trying to avoid the homeless man’s accusing gaze. Her eyes shifted to the deli window he was camped in front of. Jae’s heart sunk as she studied the pristine white placard hanging from the front window. No shirt, No shoes, No Tierans, No service. Humans Only. Only 1 student allowed in the store at a time.

Jae shook her head, burying her clenched fists into the pockets of her jacket. Her right hand stung, sending laces of pain up and down her arm. Jae ignored the pain as she trudged on, mulling over her thoughts. She’d grown up understanding the tension between Tierans and humans. It wasn’t as though the Tieran Council had asked any human authorities if they could immigrate to Earth. They’d simply arrived and declared civil negotiations between Earth and the fallen Tieran Empire. Jae wasn’t surprised at all that the humans felt taken advantage of by the Tierans, especially in cities like Haven where the Tierans had built their own city within the city. Haven delicately called the Tieran homestead built around the Tieran’s central embassy and council the “Tieran Quarter”.

Jae was dragged from her thoughts as a scream rang out before her.

“Thieves! Thieves! Stop them!”

Jae spun, her body unconsciously dropping into a crouched, fighter’s stance. Three young men in their late teens were running in the opposite direction of Jae. One of the young men glanced back towards the deli. In his distraction he missed the old vagrant man moving out from behind a trash can. The two collided, sending the old man sprawling to the pavement. The teen kept on his mad dash.

Jae’s eyes flickered to the clerk standing in the entrance of the deli as he screamed in broken Vietnamese at the young men. Jae’s eyes fell to the old homeless man sprawled out on the sidewalk, blood trickling from a gash on his forehead. Anger and resentment bubbled up in her chest as several bystanders made a wide berth around the injured old man and the clerk. Jae’s body lunged forward before she could even think about what she was about to do.

"Call an ambulance!" Jae snapped in Vietnamese to the clerk. The clerk blinked at her, his face a mixture of surprise and fury. Jae pointed at the homeless man as he staggered to his feet, her mouth set in a thin line.

“Call an ambulance!” Jae repeated in English. The store clerk nodded dumbly as Jae sprinted away. She hoped that he’d actually listen to her.

It was surprisingly easy to track the three teen thieves as they darted down the street, weaving in and out of bystanders. None of them were slowing down but she doubted they thought they were still being pursued because none of them were looking over their shoulders any longer. They finally slowed down about five blocks from the deli and cut into a T-shaped alley.

Jae paused at the mouth of the alleyway. She was barely breathing heavy and her body was coursing with adrenalin, but she forced herself to move slowly. Jae craned her neck, peering around the corner and into the alleyway. The three boys were huddled in a semi circle, their heads bowed together as they peered into their bag of loot.

Jae edged her way into the mouth of the alley, her eyes locked on to the three young men. Jae’s hand went slowly up behind her back, slipping under the rim of her jacket and sliding open the hidden compartment in the lining of her jacket. Jae smirked to herself as the smooth, cool metal of the eskrima sticks slid into her hands. Jae slid the eskrima sticks out from under her coat, whirling them with a confident twirl of her wrist. Jae let a feral grin slid on to her mouth as her body re-familiarized itself with the perfectly balanced weapons.

Jae moved silently forwards until she was about fifteen feet from the oblivious thieves before she made a sharp whistle. The three young men spun around, their eyes wide with surprise, and much to Jae’s amusement, terror.

“What the fuck!” the nearest young man growled as he stumbled back from Jae. Jae couldn’t conceal her grin as the teens stared at her in disbelief. The largest of the three pushed forward, his stance cocky and clearly intimidating.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” the tallest grunted, his eyes rolling over Jae with disbelief, “You’ve got to be outta of your mind, kid.”

“Rest assured I’m quite sane. Now return the money and no one gets hurt,” Jae purred in what she hoped was a threatening voice. Judging by the barks of laughter emanating from the three thieves, it hardly came across as dangerous. Jae frowned and raised the eskrima sticks into a defensive posture. Their laughter died off quickly. The largest one’s face took on a stony blankness as his eyes traveled over Jae again, this time with assessment. Jae could guess what he saw. A youth, rain drenched and skinny, brandishing what must like a pair of foot-long pipes, telling them to return their stolen money. Jae hoped they were stupid enough to only see that.

“Tss,” hissed the first boy that had stumbled, “Look at this kid! Thinks she’s some super hero and bullshit. Yo, I’ll handle this Eddie!”

Jae’s heart surged as the older teen rushed her. Her smirk grew into a grin as she whirled to her right, avoiding his tackle, and brought the butt of one eskrima down on the back of his head as he blundered past her. He went down hard face first into a mud puddle, his unconscious body sprawled across the alley. Jae’s aqua eyes flickered back to the two remaining teens.

The big one, Eddie, was glowering. He was smart enough to see she was a real danger but part of him was still screaming at him to act, to prove he wasn’t afraid of this wisp of a girl. Jae’s eyes flickered to the second boy, her smirk inching up. He was bouncing on the balls of his sneakers, his eyes glistening in the near darkness of the dim, wet alley. Jae could practically taste his need to run at her, to strike blindly at her with uncontrolled violence.

Jae wanted him to. Her blood nearly screamed for it, taunting him to make a move towards her. She felt her body tensing with a near giddiness as he leapt forward. He moved with more care than his companion, his movements more controlled but angry. She danced backwards on nimble feet, dodging his sloppy swings. Jae’s smile was fierce as she tapped him in the ribs with her eskrima, not hard enough to take him down but hard enough to make him grunt and stumble backwards. Her aqua eyes glimmered in the near darkness of the alleyway.

“She’s toying with you Ricky,” a new voice echoed through the alley. Jae tensed, throwing herself into a defensive stance as a long shadow detached from the wet black walls at the base of the alleyway. The two thieves spun, their eyes flickering back and forth between the newcomer and Jae.

Jae choked back a startled laugh as the interloper stepped into the dim sliver of light that illuminated the alley. The shadow slowly melted into the form of a young teen male dressed in all black. The young man wore slim black trousers over black combat boots and a black hoodie emblazoned with a theatric ribcage design. On his face he wore a Halloween skeleton hooded mask. The only feature Jae could discern through the boy’s mask was his startlingly green eyes.

“What the fuck?” the big thief Eddie snarled, his shoulder’s shaking with disbelieving chuckles as he glanced between Jae and the kid in the skeleton costume, “Is the carnival in town or something?”

“Fucking freak show,” Ricky grunted, still rubbing his bruised ribs as he glared at Jae. She smirked at Ricky and twirled her eskrima tauntingly. The young man in the skeleton costume moved forward with a smooth, fluid grace. Jae’s eyes flickered over him, studying his movements carefully. He stopped about four feet away from the caged thieves, his hands curled into the pockets of his hoodie as he titled his head to the side in a questioning way. Eddie blanched as he took a small step back from the boy in the skeleton costume.

“You’re the guy that took out Becket two weeks ago!” Eddie hissed, his eyes flickering over the younger boy’s whippet like frame. Ricky’s face lost all color as he edged behind Eddie, his eyes locked on the skeleton clad teen.

Jae couldn’t hold back a snort. Three sets of eyes suddenly turned on to her as she put her hands on her hips.

“You’re kidding me right? This kid brought down Tony Becket the club owner?” Jae sneered, her eyes flickering derisively over the skeleton boy. The skeleton boy’s lower lip suddenly turned out in a little pout as he glared at Jaelyn.

“Listen lady, I’m not standing around mocking you over your little sticks so save the attitude while I deal with these creeps,” the skeleton boy snapped, turning his attention back to the thieves.

“They’re eskrima thank you very much and I can handle these guys all on my own!” Jae snarled. Jae grinned as she watched the skeleton costumed teen’s shoulders tense in agitation. He swung around again, fixing Jae with a searing glare.

“Run on home kid, I’ve got this covered,” he snarled and took a menacing step towards Jaelyn. She glared at him, feeling a surge of rage rip through her as the strange blue light spilled out of her hands again. Glowing tendrils of electric blue wrap around the eskrima sticks, making them spark and jump with electricity. The alleyway’s wet brick walls were cast in a sudden eerie blue sheen that surrounded Jaelyn.

“Cool,” the skeleton boy whispered with a crooked grin.

“I’m getting the fuck out of here!” Eddie howled, shoving Ricky forward into the shocked skeleton teen. The skeleton boy grunted and stumbled backwards as Ricky slammed into his chest. Ricky squealed in fright and shoved off of the younger teen’s thin chest, pushing the skeleton boy to the ground.

“Bad idea,” Jae snarled as she attacked Ricky. She landed a solid punch to Ricky’s chest. The sound of lightning crackling echoed through the alleyway as a burst of blue fire erupted from Jae’s fist and engulfed Ricky, throwing him backwards like a ragdoll. Ricky collided with a dumpster and slumped limply to the ground. Jaelyn grinned.

“Well don’t just stand there! Go after him!” the skeleton boy snapped. Jae spun around to glare at the teen as he scramble back to his feet and took off down the alleyway. Jae sneered and followed him. She easily caught up with the costumed teen as he spun around the left corner of the alleyway.

“How can you be sure he went this way?” Jae snarled as she raced after the skeleton boy. He threw a glance over his shoulder at her, his mouth cocked up into a crazed grin.

“I know these alleys like the back of my hand!” he chortled and spun around another corner as Jae followed. Jae groaned as they ran straight towards a chain link fence. The skeleton boy slid to a stop a foot from the fence and looked up grimly. Jae snorted as she stopped beside him, cocking an eyebrow.

“Just like the back of your hand, huh?” she teased. The boy shot her a mild glare and started backing up. Jaelyn finally caught on to what he was doing as he crouched and then made a run at the fence. He jumped at the last minute and almost landed at the top of the fence before clambering the last few inches over the top and dropped down to the other side. The skeleton boy turned around with a brilliant smile, his green eyes dancing.

“I’ll see you around I guess!” he sniggered at Jae. She smirked at the boy before she turned and ran at the brick wall beside the fence.

“What the hell are you…!” the boy screamed as he rushed forward, convinced she was about to run head first into a wall. Jae laughed as she jumped, thrusting her feet off the brick wall and arched backwards, lunging over the fence head first. Her body curled on instinct and she tumbled into a roll as she hit the ground. She was back on her feet in seconds and running. She threw a grin over her shoulder at the astonished skeleton boy.

“Wanna keep up kid?” she teased. She was only alone in her race for a second before he was beside her again, laughing.

“Are you a free runner or an adrenaline junkie or something?” he asked and grabbed her wrist, yanking her sideways on to a side street. Jae followed, bobbing and weaving around obstacles as she kept pace with the costumed teen.

“I could ask you the same,” Jae cheered as she vaulted over the hood of a taxi and raced into the mouth of yet another alley. The skeleton boy was grinning again as they jumped over a low brick wall simultaneously. Jae flicked a glance at him, smiling. “You got a name?”

“I go by Wraith,” he told her as he slid to a stop. Jae did the same, catching her breath even as her eyes moved over the bland, non-descript features of the alley way. They were standing a few feet from the mouth of the alley way that lead out onto a deserted and seedy side street. A dingy red neon sign hung crooked over the door to a bar across the street, blaring the name Jezebels. Jae studied the entrance, a frown pulling at her mouth. A thick armed bouncer stood in front of the door.

“What makes you think he went in there?” Jae asked, slipping unconsciously into the nearest shadow to conceal herself. Wraith watched her curiously for a moment before he slid into an adjoining shadow. Jae could barely make out his thin, lanky form against the wall as he drew into the darkness of the alley.

“I never said he did,” Wraith murmured.

“But you think he’s in there,” she continued, calling his bluff. Jaelyn barely heard Wraith chuckled.

“Yeah, Eddie’s in there all right. Eddie’s working as a small time crook for a low level street gang called the Jinxes. They’ve been calling Jez’s home for a little over a month now. If I know Eddie, he’ll be in there,” Wraith murmured. Jae frowned and looked back at Wraith, trying to piercing through the blackness he’d seemingly melted into.

“How do you know so much about these creeps?” she snapped, keeping her voice down.

“You know, you ask a lot of questions for a girl who just followed a stranger down an alley,” Wraith teased in a flat voice. Jae snorted and leaned back against the wall.

“I could take you,” she taunted. Wraith chuckled and moved closer to Jaelyn.

“So do you always glow blue or is it just when you’re angry?” Wraith asked curiously, his eyes crawling over Jae. Jaelyn shifted uncomfortably as she consciously felt the weight of his eyes move over her. Wraith hummed thoughtfully. “You’re not glowing now….”

“Can you drop it?” Jae snapped, glaring at him. Wraith raised his hands in a mock surrender and slipped back into his shadow. Jae tried not to pout as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the bar. Ten minutes passed in silence as the rain slackened off to a brisk mist. Wraith shifted away from his shadow slowly and slipped into Jaelyn’s hiding spot. She flinched at first as their shoulders touched and Wraith leaned over so his mouth hovered near her ear.

“If you go around to the back, I think we might be able to get a better view,” Wraith whispered into Jae’s ear. Jae glanced to the side, a long ebony brow raised questioningly.

“How exactly do you expect us to make it across the street and behind the bar without being noticed?” her eyes flickered over Wraith, “You’re not exactly dressed for subtlety,” Jae quipped. Wraith snorted and pointed a finger skywards.

“We’ll take the rooftop express.”