After the Fight

will-never-be-a-swan:

She tried to fly as far up as up she could to avoid people looking at her, having noticed her state of dress. She tried flying as fast as her body could stand, trying to reach Jack’s apartment so she could just collapse and rest a bit, her body slightly sore.

She felt so tired not only from using her powers, something she hadn’t known would happen, but also the emotional pain and guilt, having cried up quite a bit and feeling like there were no more tears left.

Hot Flash had definitely scared her, had instilled fear in her heart over her threat and guessing about the magic anon she was under. Thankfully she had the watches or else she would have been too scared to even go outside.

She looked up, finally seeing the apartment complex in the distance, and sped up a bit more as she finally reached Jack’s window, opening it and sitting in the windowsill a moment. But her legs gave out in the end and she crumpled to the floor.

She lay there, hair singed off in different lengths, the ends burned and hair a matted mess. Her clothes were in tatters along her body as if she were wearing only strips of cloth, her panties and bra showing. On her skin along her arms were slight burn marks here and there but luckily not too serious.

Laying on the floor like this, Katelynn just wanted to sleep, closing her eyes against the pain running along her skin. She was a bit sore in the areas where Hot Flash had punched her.

She heard a bit of a whine near her and looked up into Stella’s eyes, her puppy sniffing her. Katelynn had used too much power without realizing it so they were slightly weakened down, giving her skin a slightly warmer look and feel so she didn’t fear hurting her right now.

“Hi girl,” she whispered, reaching up to pet her. “Stella.. I feel really scared.. Daddy is going to see mommy like this and she knows he’s going to be worried and feel weak like this is his fault but the truth is that it’s mine and when I tell him that he’s going to be do angry with me. What am I going to do?” She had thought the tears were all dried out, tear stains marking her face, but a few more fell as worry overtook her body.

She took Stella into her arms and wept in fear.

Jack’s mind was a bee hive when he came home. He’d run into Steve, a guy he hadn’t seen since before Christmas, and they had exchanged a lot of information. For one he was going to make him a weapon that worked like Megamind’s De-Gun, he’d be paid for it, and he was going to learn how to be braver. He was going to learn how to fight! Well, not fight fight, but certainly feel a bit better about himself.
 
He was a fool if he would even begin to believe he could take on the true villains of the city but it would help him, in its own special way.
 
“Katelynn?” he called, pulling his jacket off. “Katelynn, never guess what! I ran into–”
 
Then his voice hit a brick wall and he dropped his jacket on the floor.
 
“Katelynn!” Jack rushed to her, kneeling on the floor, her hair a mess and parts of it burned, her skin was partly exposed, revealing scratches, bruises, even slight burn marks. Stella whimpered in her arms as Jack fell besides her, putting his hands to her shoulders first. “Katelynn what happened?” he asked, voice rushed, panic stricken, as he brought a hand up and pushed her hair out of her face. “W-what, who did this…? Who did this to you…?”
 
God. No.

Total Coincidental Meeting

the-evil-puzzler:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Even with his confidence levels being what they are, no fear of being taunted or hurt, the mention of Katelynn as his ‘little woman’ (which she was, she was shorter than him), brought a flush to his face. “Ah, yes. Yes. To all that. Yes.” he said, laughing nervously, tapping his fingers together.

“I’ll see you then, Steve. And thanks.” he nods again before turning and heading back out onto the main street, and moves with the crowds, head buzzing with ideas.

 Steve waves him off and says softly, mostly to himself. “Be careful on your way home little man.”

Stuck in the alley alone, he climbs a fire escape ladder and decides a different way to get home, his own ideas for how to train Jack in his mind.

Total Coincidental Meeting

the-evil-puzzler:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack raised an eyebrow but laughed, and nodded, before glancing around shiftily.

“Yeah sure. Didn’t hear it from me at all. Nope. No Disney talk here.” he said, coughing into his fist, before chuckling. “Well this has been great but I best get back. I have work to do now, after all.”

 “Ah, right right,” Steve said, bouncing on his feet a little. “Time to make sure the little woman is safe too after all.” He winked at the blue man, hoping to raise a blush off him for fun.

“Thanks for helping me out Jack, and I’ll see you in about 6 days time eh?”

Even with his confidence levels being what they are, no fear of being taunted or hurt, the mention of Katelynn as his ‘little woman’ (which she was, she was shorter than him), brought a flush to his face. “Ah, yes. Yes. To all that. Yes.” he said, laughing nervously, tapping his fingers together.
“I’ll see you then, Steve. And thanks.” he nods again before turning and heading back out onto the main street, and moves with the crowds, head buzzing with ideas.

Total Coincidental Meeting

the-evil-puzzler:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“Really? I play the guitar myself.” Jack smiled, as he pocketed the receipt into his pocket. “It’s great isn’t it, making music?”

 He chuckled, feeling happy for some reason to have something in common with Jack. “Yeah it is. I deal with classical music myself, piano and whatnot. I used to hate anything but classical but hell, some of it is growing on me.”

He smiled softly, remembering Jess at the moment. “Even Disney music..” he said, though blushed lightly, turning frowning eyes to Jack. “But you didn’t hear that from me.” He smiled to show he was slightly joking.

Jack raised an eyebrow but laughed, and nodded, before glancing around shiftily.
“Yeah sure. Didn’t hear it from me at all. Nope. No Disney talk here.” he said, coughing into his fist, before chuckling. “Well this has been great but I best get back. I have work to do now, after all.”

Total Coincidental Meeting

the-evil-puzzler:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“I have that gun to work on for you, after all.” Jack said, before reaching out, and took Steve’s hand into his own and shook it. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you know when it’s done. Here, here…” he pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Steve. It listed his business details, email, phone, cell, etc. 

“Contact me in 5 days, and we’ll get started.

 He took the card, eying it with interest for a moment before pocketing it. “5 days eh? All right, sounds good. It’ll give me a chance to get stuff ready and figure out how to train you.”

He nodded before taking out an old reciept from his pocket and wrote his phone number down on it. “And here’s my number. Sorry I don’t have business cards but all I am is a musician,” he said, chuckling.

“Really? I play the guitar myself.” Jack smiled, as he pocketed the receipt into his pocket. “It’s great isn’t it, making music?”

Total Coincidental Meeting

the-evil-puzzler:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“I guess right now I do.” Jack laughed, “It’s weird. But I know how I act, especially like that. He’ll be scared. Terrified. But you keep at him, you’ll convince him and I’ll do my best to remember it all too.” he taps his temple. “Remember Katelynn most of all. Do it for her, if anything else.”

 Steve shrugged. “*I* won’t do it for her since I don’t know her but if you need that sort of chant in your head and it works, sure. Whatever works.”

He contemplated a bit more, wondering if it’d be pointless to help him now. Probably, considering he had the confidence at the moment. “I guess I’ll have to wait until you’re all shy to begin? Especially since you probably have a lot of work before the magic wears off.”

“I have that gun to work on for you, after all.” Jack said, before reaching out, and took Steve’s hand into his own and shook it. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you know when it’s done. Here, here…” he pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Steve. It listed his business details, email, phone, cell, etc.
“Contact me in 5 days, and we’ll get started.

Total Coincidental Meeting

the-evil-puzzler:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“Rooftop to rooftop?” Jack asked, his inner, shy, terrified man practically wetting himself and screaming at the idea. He looks upwards, peering at the roofs high above them. Well, Jack was fit… he had long enough legs to carry him. And fighting…

“I like this idea.” he said. “You may have to really talk my other self into it, when he comes back. He’ll be afraid of being hurt. Or hurting people. But I think you can do it.”

 “Well this is strange,” Steve laughed, standing on one foot for a moment to stretch. “Talking as if you have two personalities, which I guess you do? Can’t you just remember all of this and convince yourself it’s for the best?”

He straightened himself up. “Though I’ll also go ahead and visit you again to convince you. Sure. As long as it makes you stop being so shy so you can enjoy life.”

“I guess right now I do.” Jack laughed, “It’s weird. But I know how I act, especially like that. He’ll be scared. Terrified. But you keep at him, you’ll convince him and I’ll do my best to remember it all too.” he taps his temple. “Remember Katelynn most of all. Do it for her, if anything else.”

Total Coincidental Meeting

the-evil-puzzler:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack hesitated a moment, his usual self suddenly surfacing for a moment. He’d been afraid of people, crowds, and strangers, for so long. It used to take him hours to prepare himself to go out and get groceries, things to eat. It had improved, considerably, since Katelynn entered his life but sometimes he just couldn’t go with her when she went out to meet her friends.

He hated being afraid.

“…yes.”

 “Excellent!” Steve cheered, all energy and smiles now. “I guess I’ll go ahead and train you then somehow.”

He became thoughtful, putting a hand to his chin in thought, wondering the best course of action to start with. “Now I just need a course of action..oh I know!” he hit his palm.

“I’ll teach you a bit of how to fight maybe. And maybe how to move from rooftop to rooftop. Being agile kind of helps with confidence.”

“Rooftop to rooftop?” Jack asked, his inner, shy, terrified man practically wetting himself and screaming at the idea. He looks upwards, peering at the roofs high above them. Well, Jack was fit… he had long enough legs to carry him. And fighting…
“I like this idea.” he said. “You may have to really talk my other self into it, when he comes back. He’ll be afraid of being hurt. Or hurting people. But I think you can do it.”

Total Coincidental Meeting

the-evil-puzzler:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“I know I have to be stronger for her.” Jack said. “But as my regular self? It’s very small. I been through some rough stuff, as a kid, and the scars left are bad. Not as bad as some, I’m no pity party planner but you know. When you go through things that make you fear people entirely, it’s hard to be brave.”

 Steve hummed a bit, trying to keep his face neutral as he regarded him. Jack was willing to keep his secret and even help him. He suddenly wanted to help the man in return.

“Do you want to learn how not to be afraid?”

Jack hesitated a moment, his usual self suddenly surfacing for a moment. He’d been afraid of people, crowds, and strangers, for so long. It used to take him hours to prepare himself to go out and get groceries, things to eat. It had improved, considerably, since Katelynn entered his life but sometimes he just couldn’t go with her when she went out to meet her friends.

He hated being afraid.

“…yes.”