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Mira heard Jay. At least she thinks it’s his voice. She is lying on the concrete, which has started to warm, but it’s still cold in the shade she’s under.
“Mira?” He’s panicking, if something happened to her while he was gone he wouldn’t forgive himself.
If he wasn’t there, she wouldn’t hear him twice right? She bit her lip a moment, her body hurts from her fall, and she’s pretty sure she hit her head slipping on the oil…
“Mira where are you?”
”I’ve gotta fight today
To live another day”
Hero - Skillet
The teen tries to focus, she knows what she was taught in school. She needed water, before anything else, but being trapped she was far from the faucet. Though the calls, she knows it’s not her brain playing tricks on her.
"Jason, the winch. On the truck. It’s going to fuck up the rims, but the jeep isn't on the jack." She wanted out of there, right now, she wanted out of there. Claustrophobia had never been an issue, but she was sure she was starting to get it, if only a mild case. Green eyes peered out from under the jeep, not minding the oil smudged on her face, from trying to brush away tears, once frustration had kicked in. "Please, get me out of here." She’s managed to pull herself to her knees at least, still not sure if she can stand fully. Small steps, he’s there, he’ll help her.
When he sees her arm from where she was trapped he can feel anger seep back into him. Anger that anyone had even so much as harmed her. A part of him wants to blame the strange woman and whoever had been with her though. It had to of been something like that. All he knew was that he was seeing red, but she was the focus. He had to help her.
Moving over the truck he grabs the winch and pulls it over to the jeep, attaching it before going back to the truck and pulling the car back at few feet. Getting the jeep off the damn well and giving himself enough room to move over to her, pulling her out from under there.
"Are you hurt?" He looks her over brushing hair from her face frowning slightly at the bruises he does catch on her shoulder. With all the oil, he can’t be too sure about how bad it really is.
”Speaking my mind today
(My voice will be heard today)”
Mira at first doesn’t answer him, all the hard work she had done to keep the place going... She was looking at the destruction she had heard more than seen. Tools were scattered around, the rest of the windows shattered, though she could see the destruction stopped at the door to the apartment.
Trembling, not sure if its anger or frustration she gives a faint nod. "Bruised from falling in there to get away from them... but they.. they took frustration out on the jeep." She closed her eyes. "It will take weeks to fix this." Yes, there was a sob, Mira couldn’t stop it, as much as she wanted to.
Though with him helping her stand she feels how strong he is, remembering how he had slammed her against the wall, she bites her lip, worried he’d hurt her again, though it seems like he’s fighting to control it. The anger isn’t directed at her. She can feel how he’s fighting to keep from gripping her too tightly.
He sticks close to her and stiffens slightly when she starts talking about who did this. Not that he knew who 'they' were. A part of him wanting to go out and find out who did it, take care of them himself. Let a bit of his frustration and anger out on the idiots. Unfortunately, she needed him more than he needed to go out and beat the hell out of someone. Or at least that's what he tells himself. Hearing the sob, he pulls her closer, smoothing down the oil slicked hair.
"We'll get it fixed, I'll help. I'll go into town and get whatever supplies that we need and we'll fix it together," he tells her gently. "For now though we should probably get you cleaned up a bit." He'd find out who did it soon enough.
She was already trying to calculate how much it was going to dip into her savings for the repairs. Though she nodded when he suggested she get cleaned up. "I, cops might show up... I hit one with the bat. Broke his nose, at least hope I did." Though she didn't pull away, despite being warm, she clung to him almost afraid she let go, and she'd find she was imagining it all, she didn’t want to find out that it wasn’t Jay there, the alternative scared her.
Jason was already deciding that whatever funds he, himself, had he'd put towards repairs as well. Not that he had any intention of saying anything to her about that. He keeps an arm around her, "Who were they?" Otherwise, he's going to keep assuming that it was the strange woman and people who worked for her.
"Some locals... they harassed me in school. Now, they came here drunk. I, I have a feeling I got off light." She closed her eyes. "I know it's silly, but... can I sleep in your room tonight? I don't want to be alone until we get the windows and door replaced. They came into the only place I felt safe..." She admitted. After Jay had attacked her, the garage was still her safe place, the place she went to because there was nowhere else.
The moment she said that it was locals he could feel himself relax a bit. That meant that it wasn't the strange woman or anyone that worked with her or for her. He looks over at her before resting his head lightly on top of hers, "You can sleep in my room tonight. However long it takes for you to feel safe again."
She nodded whispering a 'thank you' as she stood there listening to his heartbeat. "I need to figure out what was damaged, call the insurance company... I, don't want to deal with the deputy yet..." Though really she needed a shower, and probably time out of the shop to clear her head.
"Lets go inside," he tells her simply. More to get her away from the garage than anything else. If it was as bad as the garage he’d have her pack some things, see where else they could go for the night. The deputy could show up all he wanted but right now he wanted to get her inside the house and have her get cleaned up. He'd come out and clean up the garage as much as he could on his own once she was calmed down. "You still need to get cleaned up."
She nodded letting him lead her to the small apartment. "If they come back?" She didn't want him getting hurt because of her. After all she had hit Zach pretty hard with the bat.
"If they come back then I'll take care of them," Jason tells her firmly. To be honest, he wasn't all that worried about getting hurt. It might of been something that she worried about but he didn't. Even if he's not sure why he's not all that worried about it. Once inside the small apartment though he leads her back to her room. "Grab some clothes and go get yourself cleaned up."
"They'll be pissed. I took out their brainy one. Rest are the front line of the football team a few years ago." She stepped into her room to get clothes. "One I took down, was the little brother, just as much of an ass," She went for her dresser. "Promise if they come back, you won't be stupid like I was."
"I don't care how pissed they'll be," He tells her with a bit of a frown, staying outside of her room as she went to get her clothes. "If they come back then I'll take care of the problem." He's been in fights before, after all. That much he knows even if he doesn't know what the fights were about.
She bit her lip a moment, half tempted to just change instead of hopping in the shower quickly. Though she feels gross thanks to being under a car most the afternoon.
"Be careful okay?" Her words are soft, she means it, she doesn't want him getting hurt because of her.
"Hey, I'm always careful," Jason tells her trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Besides, if anything there's always the trusty bat." Though he'd rather use his fists than some bat. "You get cleaned up and I'll see what I can do while you're in the shower." Or at least see what he can survey without messing up a crime scene.
"I, don't know how trusty it is..."
She's grabbed a baggy sweater and sweatpants. The sweats are a soft grey with stark black writing and a logo showing part of the Gotham 'Knights' logo. She slips past him heading for the bathroom.
"I'm pretty sure that it's still trusty. Though we'll just have to get you a harder one." Something metal and that would stand up to anyone that she hit with it if need be.
He crosses his arms and lays his head back against the wall closing his eyes halfway. Those eyes opening the moment that he noticed the logo on her shirt. Reaching up he runs his fingers through his hair and watches her a moment, trying to figure out why in the hell that seemed so damn familiar.
She gave a small nod. "I don't know though. I don't think I should take up sports." She added trying to be light about it. "Unless hockey. Heard pucks can hurt."
His 'older brother' had come back from college for a weekend and had taken him to a basketball game. It had ended late, and the two were trying to sneak into the house without waking Alfred, though it being Jason's first game, he was still excited.
"Master Dick, you know he has school tomorrow even if you do not." The older voice that came with the flicking of a light switch belonged to an older man, whom the older boy seemed startled to see...
"Pucks can hurt like a bitch. I mean they're little round hard circles of matter." He shook off the memory, though he had seen the logo, still not sure what it was from.
He watches her for a few more moments before reaching down to the pinch the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. Almost as if whatever he was seeing hurt. Though, to be honest, whenever the memories came to him they did hurt.
"I like basketball." It's said a bit under his breath before he closes his eyes and leans his head back against the wall again. Though he was trying to figure out exactly who Dick was. Other than a master of something or maybe that was... Oh, who was he kidding. He had no clue who the older man was.
She paused before closing the bathroom door, catching it. "Know what team?" She asked glancing at him. After all it was another memory. If her computer was still in one piece in the office, maybe they could work on trying to figure out who he was.
His eyes open and he looks towards her for a moment, looking at the shirt that she was wearing. That memory playing itself over and over in his head. "I'm pretty sure it's the one that you're wearing," he tells her with a bit of a smile. "I went to one with an older boy. Went on a school night."
She looked at the shirt she had on. "Uncle took me when they played in Houston." She gave a grin. "Was a school night too. My aunt kept me from school the next day since we got back at four in the morning and I hadn't slept in the car." With that she closed the door. "Gotham Knights won the game too. Uncle thought after college I would have accepted a job there, or Central City. Went to both because companies were interested in me working for them. I, ended up staying here because he got sick." STARLabs and Wayne Industries hd offered her more than she had expected actually, almost like they were competing for her.
Her talking about her family while he didn't know anything about his own kind of stung. Not that he minded, it just threw him a bit sometimes. Gotham Knights. Gotham. "I think that's where I'm from," he tells her through the closed door. Though that didn't actually say much since she'd mentioned Central City too. "What companies?" That was something that had him curious, definitely. If she didn't answer until she came out of the shower then that was fine, he didn't mind.
"STARLabs in Central... Wayne Industries in Gotham. They had openings for an assistant in R&R. He sent in the paperwork without me knowing. I think he wanted me to get out of town." She admitted with a wince. "Okay. bruised myself pretty good with my fall. Didn't even realize I hit my shoulder but that looks pretty bad in the mirror."
"Wayne Industries," He says with a bit of a frown. Why did that name sound familiar? Did it have anything to do with the strange woman or the man in his fragmented memories? He shakes his head and that frown deepens a bit, "Anything feel like it’s broken?" He'd try to focus on her and not on the fact that he was getting a headache.
"No, just really sore." She responded. The water turned on and she waited for it to warm. "Wayne Industries, it's owned by some rich guy, usually do a lot of state of the artwork. The guy seems cool though, I mean taking in those boys.... and he does a lot of work trying to fix the city. I did some research once I found out what my uncle did. Seems like he would be interesting to meet, though pretty sure I would have been one of the numbers that wouldn't get a face to face at any time." She stepped under the water biting her lip as the hot water rained down on her shoulder and back. She really didn't want to look at her back to see how much damage she had done with the small fall. It would be the last time she slid across the floor though. Athlete she is not.
Jason hated the fact that she was hurt to begin with. Though he doesn't say anything after that. He'd wait until she was out of the shower to ask about the boys that the rich guy took in. Something about that just... not only seemed familiar but recognizable somehow. He does, however, wonder what she meant by saying how she didn't think she'd get face to face with the guy. Why wouldn't she? Mira was clearly talented, he had caught on to that when one of the locals had brought in a wreck that had seen better days.
The kid had been from one of the seasonal work camps, and she had laughed a bit with him about the wreck and how he should avoid the cactus when he was out driving. In three hours she had managed to not only find and fix the problem, but fix another she had found that had nothing to do with cactus needles puncturing hoses. All without the use of the computer, that was still trying to find the error.
When she came out of the bathroom, she was wearing the sweatshirt, forgoing the sweats, it was too warm still for them, so the shorts she wore were showing off the bruise that disappeared under them, and went down to her knee. Her long hair was pulled into a wet messy knot and she limped slightly as she came out, other aches and pains that she hadn't felt with the adrenaline rush were now showing, though there was nothing major. "I really hate this. Probably going to be stiff a bit, but didn't think I should take a bath." Soaking in the tub could have helped, but she didn't want to risk it, would have taken longer.
He noticed the bruises and does everything in his power not to get to upset about it. It didn't stop him from wanting to beat the hell out of the boys who had come into their place and gotten her injured. That just... he wanted to knock their damn heads in. "I don't think anyone would've thought to take a bath after something like that."
And Mira didn't think that her skills would have drawn more attention than just being an employee, and really in the real world, how often does a company owner know each employee? "You look like you're trying to figure something out."
"You mentioned that the rich guy took boys in. What boys? Do you have names?"
"Isn't the first time I have gotten bruises. Last time though, was a lot more fun. Well until I hit the ground." Her bandmates had gone hiking and she had fallen about ten feet when some rocks had knocked her off balance. "Took a bubble bath that night, helped ease the stiffness." She added. “Well at least did when we got back to the lodge. Was a mountain climbing trip.”
"May not be the first time but that doesn't mean it should've happened to begin with." There's a bit of an annoyed tone to his voice because in his eyes she should've never been harmed.
She sighed. "I'm used to it alright. Would rather them hit me than go hurt kids. And I'm quicker and smaller than most of them." She was proud of that actually, her only issue was when they ganged up on her. Though she remembered him asking about the boys.
"Richard, Jason and Tim I think. Though Jason died a while back. An accident I think I don't remember exactly what happened. My uncle was sick at that time so I was more focused on him. Tim was recently, about a year ago." She thought a moment, then shook her head. He couldn't be that Jason right? People didn't come back to life. Well, most people didn't. Superman had at least once. But he wasn't human… Besides she remembered the news article, it had been a car accident, idiot versus big rig, and Jason had been a passenger according to the story. Besides that had been about two years ago. Where had he been hiding if he wasn’t dead?
Fingers run through his hair as she rattles off the names. Something niggling in the back of his mind. "He hates that name. Dick is what he goes by," he says furrowing his brow. "Come on, let’s head outside. You need to get out of here for a bit."
At the comment she glanced at him, only someone close would have known what someone prefered to be called. "You know him?"
When he mentioned going outside she balked a moment, but gave in, fresh air would probably help her calm down more. "Let's walk out towards the creek bed. I don't want to go anywhere near town right now. That is if you're cool with it." Less she had to deal with running into them, the better.
"I don't care if you're used to it or not," Jason tells her with a bit of a scowl. Yes, it was her or hurting kids but that didn't mean that they got to touch her. That wouldn't fly with him in the least bit. Not that he'd condone kids getting hurt either. He didn’t know why she was so important, but she was his. No one got to hurt her.
Nightingale He shook the voice of the woman out of his head. Mira was not like that!
"I think so," he states with a bit of a frown. He's not entirely sure if he knows him or not, but something told him that he did. How else would he know something like that? "Sounds good to me. We can do that and then come back and relax a little." Or at least she'd be able to relax a little.
She toyed with the tattoo when he scowled, but said nothing else about it. She remembered the times she had hidden bruises from everyone because of school bullies. She’d fight back, but she was always smaller and weaker than the others. Now, they hadn’t sexually assaulted her, but she knew they would try at some point. She just needed to make good on a promise to her uncle, the man that had been her father, and had thought he had protected her from all the dangers in the world.
Instead, the tidbit about Dick was still nibbling at her, pulling her from her thoughts about her issues. If she still had her contacts with a few cub reporters back in college she'd be asking them for other Gotham tidbits to see if Jason would know them. Instead, as they passed the kitchen, she snatched up her cell, stuffing it into her pocket. "In case we come across something cute to remember," She said about it. Though if she could get a shot of Jason, she might try some of the boards she casually watches when she's bored. One of them was a Bat watch, someone might be able to help right? They usually had other stories about all the weird stuff in America’s most dangerous city, at least if you believed all the stories that came out of there.
"I, don't know if I'll be able to relax honestly. Not until I can go through the garage and not feel threatened or exposed." She hated admitting it, but it was her safe haven...
"Something cute?" He asks with a bit of a chuckle. "Like what? A rabbit or a deer?" There's a hint of amusement there even as he leads her outside of the house. However, that frown of his graces his lips again and he shakes his head," We'll get you there. I'll do everything I can to help."
There aren't deer around here. Rabbits sure, and foxes. I was thinking more about birds or bugs around the brush. I know when I was younger, Uncle brought me out there hunting for praying mantis. We never caught one though."
She didn't add that the first time she had felt unsafe for any moment had been when he entered her life. "I know. Though, makes me wonder if this is his way of saying throw in the towel. Uncle wouldn't want me wasting away here," She missed his frown though, slipping on her boots.
Hey, he doesn't know what exactly is around there and what isn't. Why would he? He hasn't ventured out that far just yet. Though he just listens to her story before giving a bit of a nod. However, he couldn't really see anyone going around trying to catch sight of bugs. Wouldn't that be boring?
Her uncle was an odd one, mechanic and bug guy. Though luckily her aunt drew the line at him collecting them. Though there had been a bee hive at one point, before he got sick and she had it relocated to another hive keeper.
Not telling him that he'd endangered her feeling of safety was probably a good thing on her part though. "Where would you go if you did throw in the towel?"
She shrugged at his question. "Maybe back to California. I still have a few friends who are in recording out there. But right now, they'd try to bill me as a pop princess. Ew." She sighed. "The curse of being under 21 still."
"Why California?" It's asked even as she talks about her friends in recording. Though that meant if she did ever leave they'd lose touch. He chuckles and shakes his head," I can't see you being a pop princess. Wouldn't suit you any."
"Thanks, I actually can sing and don't need autotune to sound good." She grinned. "And it's where I have contacts. I, don't know if I still have any in the tech industry. And who would take a kid serious for research and development projects?"
"Anyone and their mother would be able to see that," he tells her with a bit of a grin. Though when she mentions the research and development projects, he shrugs. "Wayne Enterprises?" After all, she'd mentioned something about that earlier. "How far to the creek?"
"It's about a quarter mile." She rubbed her arm a little, before grabbing his, draping it over her shoulders. "And I don't know I turned him down before... Because I was taking care of my uncle."
"We'll make it in no time then," he tells her with a bit of a grin, pulling her close when she drapes his arm over her shoulder. "Just because you turned him down before doesn't mean he wouldn't give you another chance."
She thought about it and wondered if Jason was right. If she was given another chance she would probably take it. He seemed to know Gotham, maybe going there would be good for him getting his memory back. Though, she wondered if it would mean she'd lose him. The little time he had been there, she had actually enjoyed his company.
Jason had a feeling that he was right, even if he couldn't remember anything about Wayne or Wayne Industries. He leans his head against her shoulder and smiles," What do you think we'll find at this creek?"
She thought as they walked. "Most we've found were small fish, a few frogs and turtles. Though snakes are possible too. At least on the way."