#also like I'm wondering why she's going to an Ivy League when she's already at one of the top writing schools

[thelastspeecher]

apparently one of my cousins was just accepted into a master's writing program at an Ivy League school

and that's why I almost never go on Facebook 🙃

[arobinwithoutbatman]

((Lol whoops it's been 4 weeks since I did this. Onto The Search!))

Oh we're finally back in Santa Prisca and seeing wtf Bruce and Alfred have been up to!

So Bruce's wheelchair is all tricked out and thank fuck for that! Because God damn, not even a minute and he's getting attacked

Oooooo local hero! Nice!

Damn, Bruce pulled some strings and got himself 2 Justice League heroes to keep him safe though I don't like the name of one of them. Why are we still using that slur as a name?

Lol, Green Arrow is hanging out there too

...Tim is like 14 at most, why does this art style make him look 40

So miss subterfuge specialist ~~I refuse to use her actual hero name and I will die on this hill~~ just casually turns invisible, love that

And they're attacking the drugdealer hotel Bruce is staying at. I'm betting he's already left

-------------

Called it! Bruce is fine and already playing 5D chess to keep his identity a secret

Jack isn't doing too good though and these kidnappers are fucking awful

Oh cool! Angry rabid dogs! Love that!

Oh hey Ollie! Finally revealing yourself to the others... you've really just got your whole face out like that? Shadows from your hood don't do shit, you should know better!

Setting a fire and smoking them all out, nice!

And of course Shondra ran after Jack, she's his doctor and she's a damn good doctor

Oh and Bruce has a yacht waiting anyway

-------------

...I'm sorry, is there random vampire oneshots in this? Why? Does it have *anything* ot do with the current plot?

I don't think it did? But hte plot continued after a few pages anyway sooooo -shrug-

I'm sorry, is there some kind of hunting going on?! Jack is just there to get Shondra to agree with whatever this sicko is planning?!

Waaaiiiiitttttt the beginning was actually necessary... I got he gist tho. Bruce met up with Hood as Batman even though he's still not fully walking yet and now Hood (named after Robin Hood, Jason hasn't even come back to life yet) is helping out while Bruce and Alfred are in London

...Shondra has a power? And it's healing based? Makes sense

Oh dang, Bruce really loves Catwoman... okay Talia and Viki Vale I knew about but he actually had a bit of a fling with *Poison Ivy?!*

*O H* Shondra heals and this Asp asshole amplifies. Oooohhhhh I don't like this. She knew him as a girl? Something is *very* wrong here

I'll give comic writers this; they got the London accent and general slang right. Though I wonder how much it hurt Alfred to drop his RP dialect

-----------

Okay but those disguises tho

Oooooooo comics entering the discussion on fox hunting~

Huh, figured out who Hood is, nice! But I'm pretty sure he's clocked Bruce and Alfed too

So Asp is looking to store Shondra's ability to eradicate disease? ...he's storing it alright but I doubt that's his end goal. Nah, if he's got files with MI5 that say he didn't exist before the age of 25, something's wrong. He's working with outside forces

CALLED IT. He's not looking to heal, he's looking to kill

And Bruce is having an identity crisis

Ah and this is when Tim calls in while Azreal's going nuts

Eeeeyyy found her! And also, Asp is awful, he just wiped out most of the surrounding village! Now was that sign language Shondra made or pure coincidence?

--------------------

Holy fuck, *he caught a mum and baby in that wave* I hate him. I utterly despise him

Shondra's gone but Jack's here and just barely alive!

Mmmmm not quite right, Bruce, she's protecting herself, she's getting threatened and smacked around, she'll say anything to keep herself and her power safe because I get the feeling she's not really been using it all that much

---------------

Bruce is gonna be stuck in this misunderstanding, isn't he? Better to focus on that rather than focus on teh fact that he's probably stuck with chronic pain for the rest of his life

Mind control drugs now? Well damn, that's not gonna be good

Tim, wtf is going on with your hair

Shondra/Sandra is still fighting like damn... oh you bastard! He's planting false memories! Wait... those aren't false memories?! Oh fuck. Poor woman's been through hell

---------

Back in Gotham and apprently, a fkae name and appearance are enough to dodge this new power. Good thing too!

Oof, you know Alfred's serious when he threatens to resign

Holy shit, he actually resigned!

And gone to Jean-Paul so that Bruce at least has a body guard... but is Jean-Paul going to care?

...Bruce are you going mad or are you trying to draw out Asp fucker?

Not going mad but might be a touch suicidal

Jean-Paul proving he's not Batman cause he almost let a wheelchair bound disguised Bruce fall... or a decoy... but at least he tried?

-------------

So Bruce is now in the Carribean with the killer asshat and Shondra and even without a name, he's tried to redirect that anger from her upgringing to the voice she's hearing and *she's* the one thinking of both Bruce and Batman

But because she settled on Batman, Bruce is just knocked out, thank fuck

And now, Tim's chatting to Commissioner Gordon

Oh damn, getting Tim to listen in to try and help and find him. Or at the very least, bust this whole operation

He's trying for an escape! With a paralysed arm

Oh shit, she guessed! And now she's regressing and talking like a child so she's just blabbing and neither of them have realised there's a transmitter in the room oh shit!

...or he could be killed. That works for me, tbh! Bruce, you didn't kill him and tehcnically, Shondra, neither did you. It was definitely self defence. But also, with you age regressing all over hte place and somewhat in love with your patient, you both will kind of have to change things

Huh... she made sure to keep touching him and that healed a good portion of the damage while they weathered out the monsoon and it just skips to them all being back in Gotham

Shondra's got her own estate now and medical staff because she's stuck in child headspace, poor woman :(

--------------

...Tim did you fall asleep *in your Robin uniform?!*

Awww picking up his dad from the airport... and does that porter in the background have a sign that says C Kent? Is that an Easter Egg?

Jack really wants to try... and it seems like he's definitely going to try once he's healed

And they've broken into the Batcave and holy shit WaynManor is a mess and *Alfred is still very much gone*

Oooooo car race!

That didn't end well... yeah sorry Tim, you need to leave this for the adults

And Bruce is going back to get some crash course training from... I feel like it's either gonna be Talia or Cass' mother who's name currently escapes me

[hintofelation99]

The Justice League Hangs out with Duke

Bruce: Duke, it's time we had the talk.

Duke: Uh... nope. No thank you. I'm not getting the sex talk from Batman.

Bruce: What? No! The Robin talk.

Duke: But, I'm- I'm the Signal now? Isn't it a bit late for a Robin talk?

Bruce: Son, it's never too late, not for this.

Duke: Um. Ok.

Bruce: When Dick, Jason, and Tim first started as Robins they created a tradition. A tradition that continued with Stephanie, Damian, and now you.

Duke: And that tradition is?

Bruce: Taking down the Justice League. By being annoying and slightly terrifying.

Duke: OHHHHHH. Is that why no one from the Justice League talks to me?

Bruce: Yes, yes it is. But don't worry. I made an arrangement that will allow you time alone with league members to continue the tradition. You have a week to prepare.

——————

Duke: Cass, what do I do?

Cass raises an eyebrow at Duke.

Duke: For the Robin tradition thing. I have to take down the entire Justice League in a night using creative, outlandish, and original methods. But it's already been done by Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Steph. So what do I do? How can I be better than all of them.

Cass smirks: Take them down too.

Duke looking at Cass like she's crazy: What?

Cass: Take. Them. Down.

Duke: Holy shit, you are terrifying.

Cass just smiles and leaves.

-> One Week Later <-

Wonder Woman, Superman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Steph gather in the Watchtower.

Duke: Hey guys, Batman just wanted to go through some training exercises with everyone. He'll be a little late. Harley and Ivy escaped Arkham and are trying to grow penis shaped shrubs in all the public parks. But, don't worry he asked me to go ahead and start with out him.

Green Lantern: Why are you leading this meeting?

Duke: Batman is running late and he wants me to practice leading meetings.

Green Lantern, glaring suspiciously at Duke: Are you about to do that stupid Robin tradition where you torture all of us?

Duke: What Robin tradition? Also, I'm not even a Robin? I'm the Signal.

Green Lantern continues to glare at him.

Superman: Calm down Green Lantern, the Robins never do this in front of each other.

Every League member seems to relax at this.

Duke acting confused: Uhhh, yeah. Ok, we have a few housekeeping things to do according to the list Batman left. So, I'll have everyone pair up for sparring while I handle these individually.

------

Everyone is in the training room working out or sparring. Duke approaches Tim.

Duke: Hey Tim, Bruce wanted you to look in to that Bludhaven case. Is that ok with you?

Tim: Yeah, why wouldn't it be?

Duke: Oh, I just thought it might be difficult considering what Dick did.

Tim: ...What did he do?

Duke: Wait, you haven't noticed? Oh no, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything.

Tim: Duke. Tell me what he did.

Duke: Well, Jason said that he replaced all your coffee with decaf.

Tim: THAT BASTARD. No wonder I've been feeling so tired! I'm going to kill him!

Duke: Wait, just stop! I heard that he hid all of it in Green Lantern's room.

Tim: Wait, why there?

Duke: Something about you being afraid of him.

Tim: WHAT?! I'm not afraid of the Green Nightlight! I'm gonna find that coffee then make Dick pay.

Duke: Oh, well cool, good luck!

------

Green Lantern: Um, what are you doing in my room?

Tim: Where is it?

Green Lantern: Where's what?

Tim: You know what I want. Give up now or face the consequences.

Green Lantern: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Tim: Fine. Consequences.

------

Steph, sparring with Duke: So, what's it like being the first meta bat?

Duke: Not too bad, but I could do with out the whole 'predict the future' thing.

Steph, laughing: What? You can not see the future.

Duke: I bet you $50 I can

Steph: Your on.

Duke, makes everything around him light up and uses a weird voice: In the next thirty minutes Green Lantern will flee the Watchtower in fear. Soon after Dick will be attacked by Tim.

Steph, snorts in obvious disbelief.

Steph: That was so fake-

Green Lantern runs out of the tower looking terrified.

Steph: No way.

Tim tackles Dick and they start fighting like three year old's on the floor.

Steph, handing Duke $50: Holy shit Magic Man.

Duke makes things light up and does the voice again: Oh my god.

Steph, looking excited: What?!

Duke: The- the sushi. The sushi you brought today, it's made from-

Duke pretends to choke back a sob.

Duke: It's made from the fish who was the maid of honor at Aquaman's wedding.

Steph: HOLY SHIT.

------

Steph and Aquaman sit beside each other for lunch, she pulls out her sushi and looks at Aquaman sadly.

Steph: I am so, so sorry for your loss. But just know that her sacrifice is not in vain.

Aquaman, looks confused for a second then sees the sushi: NOPE. Not this again! I'm leaving.

Steph: Wait! I'm sorry!

Aquaman leaves as Steph tries to chase him down.

------

Jason is laughing and filming as Dick and Tim fight.

Duke, whistles: Man, imagine if that video went on YouTube.

Jason, looking confused: What?

Duke: I'm just saying if the video of Red Robin and Nightwing fighting like kids ever got on YouTube, it'd go viral. Oh and they would be so pissed!

Jason, laughs: Too bad B would kill me if I uploaded this.

Duke: Yeah, I guess so. And you can't upload it here because then Superman would get in trouble.

Jason: Why would the boy scout get in trouble?

Duke: Cause he always uses his YouTube account on the Justice League computer. So it'd look like he uploaded it and B would find out that Superman watches cat videos while he's on monitor duty.

Jason, smirking: Huh, so you're saying if I upload this on the League computer I'd piss off Bruce, Tim, and Dick and get Supes in trouble?

Duke, acting innocent: Huh, I guess so.

-> A Few Minutes Later <-

A call from Bruce comes up on the main computer.

Superman: Hey Batman, what can I do for you?

Bruce: You, Red Hood, cave now.

Jason: What? Why me?

Bruce: Because I saw that little home video you uploaded of your brothers.

Jason: What, that wasn't me!

Bruce: I could hear you laughing while you filmed.

Jason: Dammit.

Jason and Clark leave for the cave pouting like kids.

------

Duke: Hey, Black Canary?

Black Canary: Yes Duke?

Duke: I'm sorry to do this on such short notice, but I'm very worried about Dick and Tim.

Black Canary: Why?

Duke: Well, Tim keeps claiming that Dick is out to get him. Something about Dick messing with his coffee? And Dick feels like he's just being attacked for no reason and is worried about Tim's health. Is there anyway you could intervene?

Black Canary, looking sighing and looking exhausted: Usually I have three days of preparation before dealing with bats.

Duke: I know it's just-

Duke gestures to Tim and Dick rolling on the floor fighting.

Duke: They really need help.

Black Canary: Alright, I'll see what I can do.

Black Canary attempts to intervene only to get pulled into the fight. Now the three of them are tangled in a huge, confusing fight, that's filled with yelling and hair pulling.

------

Duke: Damian! Quick!

Damian: What is it Thomas.

Duke: I think somethings wrong with Dick and Tim and maybe even Black Canary. They're all fighting and won't stop! Can you help me contain them so that we can figure out what's going on?

Damian: Fine. I shall help.

Duke: Ok, just try to herd them into this containment cell.

Damian joins the fight managing to get everyone, including himself, into the containment cell. As Damian is trying to leave Duke closes the cell. Damian angrily yells and bangs on the sound proof walls.

Duke: What? Sorry, can't hear you! My hand slipped!

------

Wonder Woman: Very well done Signal.

Duke, acting innocent: Hm?

Wonder Woman: You tricked Red Robin into scaring Green Lantern away, then into fighting Nightwing. Once that fight broke out you tricked Red Hood into uploading a video to the internet using the Superman's credentials. By uploading that video he caused both himself and Superman to face Batman's wrath. You also used the fight to trick Stephanie into annoying Aquaman to the point of leaving. Then you involved Black Canary in the fight, which was her downfall. And, as a final touch, you managed to get Robin into the fight and trapped all in a containment cell. You successfully eliminated 9 foes with one trick.

Duke: You mean 11.

Wonder Woman: What?

Duke: 11. You see, I didn't trick Red Robin, I tricked Nightwing. I had a week to prepare. In that week I convinced Dick that Tim needed to cut back on the caffeine and that Dick should help by switching all of Tim's coffee with decaf. I also convinced him to hide that coffee in the watchtower, in Green Lantern's room. So that was all true.

Wonder Woman: But, that still does not make 11?

Duke: It does. Because This morning I moved the coffee. I replaced the Flashes decaf with Tim's ultra caffeinated coffee. You see Tim has it specially manufactured to increase the caffeine levels. And, while Flash doesn't usually drink his coffee in the morning, he's always running late and forgets, he does drink coffee during training breaks. Which is now. So in about five minutes we will have an incredibly caffeinated speedster in the Watchtower. And since you're the only one around right now with a chance of catching him, that's your problem.

Right as Duke finishes Flash runs by, majorly hyped up on caffeine.

Duke: Checkmate.

------

Martian Manhunter: It appears that I am the last remaining League member.

Duke: Yeah, I don't really understand this tradition but apparently every Robin ends it by picking a favorite league member.

Martian Manhunter: Out of all the League members, why have you chosen me?

Duke: Your smart and have a lot of cool powers. Also, I dunno, I hear you sometimes feel like an outsider with the league. Cause, the whole martian thing. And I know it's not the same but, sometimes I feel like an outsider with the bats, being the only meta and all.

Martian Manhunter: You have chosen me so that we may bond over our lack of connections?

Duke: Uhhhh, yeah?

Martian Manhunter: Hm. Very well, I assume that this is your “Robin Weakness”. Apparently every Robin has one.

---------------------------------------------------

<- Previous |

[akathecentimetre]

Hey there, so I really like history as a subject, and I'm pretty good at it. The thing is, I don't know what my career options would be if I studied it, or if I would be able to make money. My parents are heavily discouraging me from taking it as a major. As a 'historian' in training' what's your take? Thank you

Hi there! Sorry for the delay, ‘tis the hectic season…

Oh man, I have so many thoughts for you. Full disclosure: this is something I have worked on a LOT over the course of my graduate career both at my uni and on a national level; most of my advice, however, comes from a PhD candidate’s perspective and may not be directly helpful to an undergraduate, and I should also emphasize that everything I can say on this is very firmly based on the U.S. market only. That being said, a lot of what I can say can be universally applied, so here we go - 

The number of history undergraduates in the U.S. has plummeted in the last decade or so, from it previously being one of the most popular majors. There are many interacting reasons for this: a changeover from older to younger, better-trained, energetic professors who draw in and retain students has been very slow to occur, partly because of a lack of a mandatory retirement age; the humanities have been systematically demonized and minimized in favor of the development of STEM subjects, to the occasional benefit of students of color and women but to the detriment of critical public discourse and historical perspective on current events; with many liberal arts colleges going under financially and the enormous expansion of academic bureaucracy everywhere, resources are definitely being diverted away from social and human studies towards fields which are perceived to pay better or perceived, as mentioned in the article above, as being more ‘practical.’ (We do need a ton more healthcare workers/specialists, but that’s a different conversation to have.) But now I feel like quoting a certain Jedi Master: everything your parents say is wrong. Let’s dive into why being a historian is a positive thing for you both as a person and as a professional - 

You will be a good reader. As you learn to decipher documents and efficiently and thoroughly read secondary literature, you will develop a particular talent for understanding what is important about any piece of writing or evidence (and this can go for visual and aural evidence as well). This will serve you well in any position in which you are collecting/collating information and reporting to colleagues or superiors, and evaluating the worth of resources. Specific example - editorial staff at publishing houses either private or academic, magazines, etc. 

You will be a good writer. This will get you a good job at tons of places; don’t underestimate it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been astonished (not in a punitive way, of course, but definitely with a sense of befuddlement) by how badly some of my Ivy-league students can write. Good writing is hard, good writing is rare, and good writing is a breath of fresh air to any employer who puts a high premium upon it in their staff. History in principle is the study of change; history in practice is presenting information in a logical, interesting, and persuasive manner. Any sort of institution which asks you to write reports, summaries, copy, etc. etc. will appreciate your skills. 

You will be a good researcher. This sounds like a given, but it’s an underappreciated and vital skill. Historians work as consultants. Historians work in government - almost every department has an Office of the Historian - and in companies, writing company histories and maintaining institutional archives. A strong research profile will also serve you well if you want to go on to work in museum studies and in libraries public or private/academic. As a historian, you will know not just where to find information, but what questions you have to ask to get to the answer of how to tackle, deconstruct, and solve a problem. This is relevant to almost any career path. 

You will provide perspective. Historians react to current events in newspapers and online - not just on politics, but culture as well (my favorite article of this week is about the historicity of The Aeronauts). Historians act as expert witnesses in court proceedings. Historians write books, good books, not just meant for academic audiences but for millions upon millions of readers who need thoughtful, intelligent respite from the present. Historians work for thinktanks, providing policy analysis and development (a colleague of mine is an expert on current events of war in Mali and works for multiple thinktanks and organizations because of it). Historians work for nonprofits or lobbying groups on issues of poverty, environmental safety, climate change, and minority and indigenous rights. In a world when Texas school textbooks push the states’ rights narrative, historians remind us that the Civil War was about slavery. Historians remind us that women and people of color have always existed. In this time and world where STEM subjects are (supposedly) flooding the job market, we need careful historical perspective more than ever. We need useful reactions to the 2016 election, to the immigration travesties on display at the southern border, to the strengthening of right-wing parties in Europe - and history classes, or thoughtfully historical classes on philosophy and political science, are one of the few places STEM and business students gain the basic ability to participate in those conversations. [One of my brightest and most wonderful students from last year, just to provide an anecdote, is an astrophysics major who complained to me in a friendly conversation this semester that she never got the chance to talk about ‘deep’ things anymore once she had passed through our uni’s centralized general curriculum, which has a heavy focus on humanities subjects.]

You will be an educator. Teaching is a profession which has myriad challenges in and of itself, but in my experience of working with educators there is a desperate need for secondary-school teachers in particular to have actual content training in history as opposed to simply being pushed into classrooms with degrees which focus only on pedagogical technique. If teaching is a vocation you are actually interested in, getting a history degree is not a bad place to start at all. And elementary/high schools aside, you will be teaching someone something in every interaction you have concerning your subject of choice. Social media is a really important venue now for historians to get their work out into the world and correct misconceptions in the public sphere, and is a place where you can hone a public and instructive voice. You could also be involved in educational policy, assessment/test development (my husband’s field, with a PhD in History from NYU), or educational activism. 

If some of this sounds kind of woolly and abstract, that’s because it is. Putting yourself out there on the job market is literally a marketing game, and it can feel really silly to take your experience of 'Two years of being a Teaching Assistant for European History 1500-1750’ and mutate it to 'Facilitated group discussions, evaluated written work from students [clients], and ran content training sessions on complex subjects.’ But this sort of translation is just another skill - one that can be learned, improved, and manipulated to whatever situation you need it to fit.

Will you make money? That’s a question only you can answer, because only you know what you think is enough money. That being said, many of the types of careers I’ve mentioned already are not low-paying; in my experience expertise is, if you find the right workplace and the rewarding path, usually pretty well-remunerated. 

Specific advice? Hone your craft. Curate an active public presence as a historian, an expert, a patient teacher, and as as person enthusiastic about your subject. Read everything and anything. Acknowledge and insist upon complexity, and celebrate it when you can. 

And finally - will any of what I’ve said here make it easy? No, because no job search and no university experience is easy these days. It’s a crazy world and there are a lot of awful companies, bosses, and projects out there. But I do very firmly believe that you can find something, somewhere, that will suit your skills, and, hopefully, your passions too. 

Resources for you: the American Historical Association has a breakdown of their skills-based approach to the job market, reports on the job market(s) for history PhDs collectively called ‘Where Historians Work,’ and a mentorship program, Career Contacts, which could connect you with professional historians in various workplaces. There is a very active community of historians on Twitter; search for #twitterstorians. For historians who identify as female, Women Also Know History is a newer site which collates #herstorian bios and publications to make it easier for journalists to contact them for expert opinions. ImaginePhD provides career development tools and exercises for graduate students, but could probably be applied to undergrads as well. The Gilder Lehrman Institute is one of the premier nonprofits which develops and promotes historical training for secondary school teachers and classroom resources (U.S. history only). Job listings are available via the AHA, the National Council on Public History, and the IHE, as well as the usual job sites. And there’s an awful lot more out there, of course - anyone who reads or reblogs this post is welcome to add field-specific or resource-specific info. 

I hope this helps, Anon, or at least provides you with a way to argue in favor of it to your parents if it comes to that. Chin up!

[danurso]

Colorguard league AU

*in the middle of the night, at vale docks*

Thug 1: come on, can't you go any faster?

Thug 2: *loading a large truck* do you want me to damage the merchandise by accident so boss can break our spines? No? Thought so.

Thug 3: still, we should go as fast as possible, we don't want to face him.

Thug 4: are you talking about that crazy guy dressed as a bat? Heh, if he tries to show up i'll show him something *pumps shotgun*

Thug 3: he took an entire cartel by himself, you don't wanna end facing him do you?

Thug 4: i bet that's all made up, no one can do that.

Thug 3: still, we better not risk it.

Thug 4: risk what? We're five, we can take out an lunatic dressed as a bat.

Thug 1: yeah...speaking of witch, where is mark?

Thug 4: i thought he was helping you unload the boat?

Thug 1: he was, but he needed to take a piss and said that he would come back soon.

Thug 3: that was twenty minutes ago, where is he?

???: right here.

Thug 1/2/3/4: *looks back at the body of their unconscious friend that just fell between them*

Thug 1: what the fuck!?

Thug 4: *looking around aiming his shotgun* who did that!? Show up already!!

Thug 3: oh god, its him! We're doomed! HE'S HERE!!

Thug 4: SHUT UP!! *looks back at the group, unaware of the shadow that just landed behind him* THERE ISN'T ANY CRAZY BAT HERE!! IT'S PROBABLY THOSE GUYS FROM THE JOKER FACTION PLAYING WITH US!!

Thug 1/2/3: *terrified and pointing behind him*

Thug 4: WHAT IS IT NO- *turns around and freezes at the dark tall figure behind him* WHAT THE HE-

???: *punches thug 4 straight in the face knocking him out*

Thug 3: HE'S HERE!! HE'S REAL!!! *opens fire*

Thug 1/2: *open fire as well*

???: *throws a smoke bomb at the ground*

Thug 1: where the hell is he!?

Thug 3: i don't know! I can't see a thing!

Thug 2: AAAAHH!!!

Thug 3: what the hell!? David! David! Where the hell are you!?

Thug 1: AAAAAHH!!

Thug: mike! MIKE!! Come on guys this isn't funny!! Show up already!! *looking around but seeing nothing*

*thump*

Thug 3: *flinches looking back at his unconscious friends piled up* w-what? What the hell is thi- *starts to back away but bumps into something and starts to turn around facing a dark figure clad in black* WHAT THE HELL!? *tries to shot at him*

???: *grabs the barrel of the rifle and twists it, throwing away right after*

Thug 3: *falls back on the ground and starts to back up in panic* h-how!? W-WHO ARE YOU!?

???: *grabs him by the collar pulling him close* i'm batman. *headbuts thug 3 knocking him out and throwing him at the pile of thugs* done here. ozpin, send a message to commissioner ironwood, tell him to come investigate the docks.

Ozpin: *through the intercom* as you wish master jaune.

Jaune: now to the next area. *starts to walk away but its stopped by a red and yellow lightning*

???: im here!! Bad guys better get rea- *stares at the scene* ohh...am i late?

Jaune: *sighs* yes flash, you are late.

???: sorry jau-i-i mean batman! Sorry batman!

Jaune: *sighs again* its okay ruby, what are you doing here anyways?

Ruby: oh...well, i was passing by and thought you might need a extra hand here. you've been working a lot to keep vale in peace lately and you're probably tired and all, maybe if you're done here you could go back home, eat some cookies, watch a movie and rest for the night.

Jaune: *in a serious tone* i'm not done yet, there are still many other criminals around vale and someone needs to stop them.

Ruby: still...you're not the only hero around, can't you just take a day off and relax?

Jaune: the crime doesn't take 'days off', so i can't take any either.

Ruby: not even today?

Jaune: no, and if that's everything, i still need to scan the area, one of them said something about the joker faction and i need to check it out. *pulls grappling hook throwing at the top of a building and flying off to it*

Ruby: why are you always like this? *crosses her arms with a pout* can't take a day off even on your birthday.

*later*

Tyrian: HAHAHAHAHAHA!! well, well, well, what do we have here? If it's not vale's number one bat boy.

Jaune: *tied on a chair and with his hands handcuffed behind it* joker, i should have imagined that you were back. *looking around at the several barrels of laughing gas* and planning something big i suppose.

Tyrian: of course batman! I've been out for a year now, i need to do something special for when i get back to the show.

Jaune: and so you planted your laughing gas around the city so it falls into chaos while you stroll around it?

Tyrian: Ding! Ding! Ding! Ten points to batman for figuring out my plan! *raises a controller* All i need to do now is press this button and BOOM!! Everyone around vale will have the time of their lives!! And this time batman, i won't allow you to stop my fun like you always do, this time i will-

???: *red and blue blur crashes through the wall taking out joker and his henchmen in a few seconds before landing in front of jaune with several knocked bad guys on her shoulders* hello again batman.

Jaune: *deadpans at the red haired girl with green eyes in front of him* superwoman...what are you doing here?

Pyrrha: i heard the joker was back and i thought you might need help to defeat him.

Jaune: *sighs* you shouldn't have interfered, everything was under control.

Pyrrha: *sheepishly* well...it didn't looked like that to me.

Jaune: it's because you preferred to crash into the building before thinking about it. Joker was bragging about his plan just like i wanted, luckily he said everything before you showed up. *gets up massaging his wrists*

Pyrrha: wait, weren't you trapped?

Jaune: i let them capture me so i could find out joker's plan.

Pyrrha: b-but what if he used his gas on you!?

Jaune: *pulls out a shot from his belt* i have the antidote for his gas.

Pyrrha: b-b-but what if he used his gas on the city!?

Jaune: i already sent loads of the antidote to every hospital around vale, besides, the first thing i did when i got here was cut the signal of his transmissor, he couldn't trigger the gas around the city no matter how much he tried.

Pyrrha: oh...right...im sorry, i didn't wanted to get in the way, i just thought you might appreciate some help. You're always working alone and pushing yourself so much to protect the city, you should take a day off and relax, why don't you go home for tonight? You're probably tired after everything that happened.

Jaune: i'm not tired, i still need to patrol the area.

Pyrrha: why don't you let that to the others? You're not the only hero around here.

Jaune: vale is still my city, i can't just let the work for other peoples to do it. *walks away*

Pyrrha: *sigh* why don't you let us help you even on your birthday?

*later*

Hazel: im surprised to see you here batman.

Jaune: it wasn't hard to track you down after finding your subordinates at the docks bane.

Hazel: huff, i think it's like they say, if you want something well done *presses a button on his chest injecting dust on himself through green tubes* THEN DO IT YOURSELF!!! *charges at batman*

Jaune: *jumps over hazel and dodges his following attacks*

Hazel: stay still batman!! HRRHAAAHH!! *lands a punch on batman making him fly away and hit the wall* now be still *cracking his knuckles* i'll be qui- *gets punched in the face and flies back across two walls*

Jaune: *gets up and sighs* oh god, not again.

Yang: *winks* sup batboy!

Jaune: wonder woman, what are you doing in vale? Wasn't there an entire island in mistral needing your help?

Yang: it did, but after i finished there i thought, 'maybe my good friend batboy needs a hand' and so i'm here, and it looks like i came right in time.

Jaune: everything is under control.

Yang: *grins* really? Then why was bane kicking your ass?

Jaune: he wasn't, i let him hit me so i would get some distance.

Yang: *rolls her eyes* sure, and why did you needed to take distance?

Jaune: because of this.

Hazel: *charging at yang from behind* YOU-

Jaune: *presses a button on his belt, discharging a large amount of electricity on bane, frying his device and knocking bane out*

Yang: h-how did you-

Jaune: i placed a electric discharge on the device on his back when i dodged his first attack*

Yang: you're scary y'know?

Jaune: i just like to have a plan before jumping in the action, something you should start doing. *starts to walk away*

Yang: where are you going?

Jaune: patrol the area.

Yang: don't think you're good for today? I mean, there are other heroes around vale and you've been fighting a lot lately, why don't you take a day off?

Jaune: *stops and looks back at her* the day crime take a day off, i will think about it. *walks away*

Yang: geez, only you to avoid fun even on your birthday.

*later*

Cinder: *sitting on a large flower* well, well...look what do we have here.

Jaune: *lands a few meters from her* i see you redecorated since last time ivy.

Cinder: i'm glad you noticed batman, although i think these walls need a bit of red to it *raises a hand lifting several vines* mind helping me with that?

Jaune: i- *gets interrupted by a pair of girls coming through the rooftop* *sighs and facepalms* not again

???: *fires several arrows cutting the vines* NOW!

Cinder: wha- *gets hit by a giant white hand before getting trapped in a white bubble*

???: and done.

???: poison ivy neutralized.

Jaune: black arrow, white lantern, what in the world are you two doing here?

Weiss: *floats near him* we're helping you batman, try being a bit grateful for that.

Jaune: why would i be grateful? you two just got in the way.

Blake: hey, we know you have the lone wolf thing of yours, but don't you think that saying that we just got in the way is a bit too much?

Jaune: but it is the truth, this place used to be a water treatment station, ivy was using her plants to poison the water, even if you defeated her she could still release the poison on vale's water system.

Weiss/Blake: w-what!?

Cinder: *grins*

Jaune: good thing i blocked the pipes connecting this station to the city' water supply and also prepared a special something for your toxins and plants. *drops a small pill in the water making all plants wither*

Cinder: NO!! HOW DID YO-

Jaune: you can find poison for plants in any gardening store on vale, i just made a more concentrated version of it, now if you excuse me. *turns around and starts to walk away*

Blake: wait!

Weiss: where are you going!?

Jaune: patrol the area, who knows what other criminals are still around the city?

Blake: don't you think that-

Jaune: no, i didn't do enough for today, no, i'm not gonna take a day off and no, i don't need to relax, what i need to do now is stop criminals from hurting people, and if that's everything, i'll take my leave. *walks away*

Weiss/Blake: *sighs in defeat*

Cinder: pff, and here i was thinking to be the only woman he's cold with.

Weiss/Blake: SHUT IT!!

*a few minutes later*

Jaune: *driving his batmobile* what's next ozpin?

Ozpin: *in a small screen* master jaune, don't you think you're done for today?

Jaune: please don't start you too.

Ozpin: i know about your resent about taking days off, but don't you think that you should rest at least on this day.

Jaune: why does everyone keeps repeating that, what's so special about today?

Ozpin: *raises eyebrow but chuckles*

Jaune: what's so funny.

Ozpin: master jaune, could you please tell me what day is today.

Jaune: i believe its march thirty, but what is so... *sigh* its my birthday isn't it?

Ozpin: i believe it is master jaune.

Jaune: let me guess, the girls are waiting for me with a whole surprise party ready, and that's why they were trying to convince me to come home earlier.

Ozpin: correct as always master jaune.

Jaune: *sighs* im an idiot.

Ozpin: just a little bit sir.

Jaune: ozpin, what other heroes are on the area?

*on the arc mansion*

Weiss/Blake: *gets in the house with more casual clothes*

Ruby: *also in casual clothes, bolts from the couch to them in a split second* so?

Weiss/Blake: *shook heads*

Ruby: *whines* wha- b-but why?

Yang: *crosses her arms* cause work is more important to him then anything else apparently.

Pyrrha: i-it's not like that, he just want to make sure the city is safe.

Yang: there's a bunch of other heroes around it! The city is safer than ever!

P/RWB: *deflates*

Yang: face it, he just don't wanna spend time with us.

Jaune: that couldn't be farther from the truth.

P/RWBY: *flinches and jumps slightly*

Yang: holy shit!! Where the hell did you came from!?

Jaune: the elevator that connects the cave to the mansion is right here. *points to the clock behind him*

Weiss: why are you here? Shouldn't the batman be patrolling the city?

Jaune: yes he should *looking around at the decorations, balloons the presents and the huge (poorly done and probably handmade) cake* but jaune arc had an appointment here, one he was already getting lato to.

Yang: ohh, now you remember?

Jaune: yeah, but only because ozpin reminded me of it.

Ruby: what? What do you mean?

Jaune: i mean that i didn't even knew today was my birthday.

P/RWBY: *shocked*

Jaune: i only remembered because ozpin told me about it. *looking down slightly* im sorry girls, you all had the work to prepare this party for me but i just pushed you away... *sigh* i think i've been batman for so long that i don't even know if i can still be jaune arc anymore, i can't even remember about my own birthday...im really sorry girls...

Ruby: *bolts to him and hugs him tightly*

Jaune: err-

Pyrrha/Yang: *trapping him in a bone crushing hug*

Jaune: ugh...girls i can't-

Blake/Weiss: *Joins right after*

Jaune: girls-

Ruby: shhh...you need a hug.

Jaune: *getting blue* maybe, but oxygen would be really nice too.

P/RWBY: ooops. *let go*

Jaune: *taking deep breaths* thanks, so, when is this party going to start?

Ruby: *with a beaming smile* RIGHT NOW!!! *press play on the music*

Pyrrha: *flying to the table* should we begin with the presents?

Jaune: sure.

Yang: let him open only the ones on the table.

Jaune: there are others besides these?

Yang: *grins* yup, there are five other presents ready for you, but you can only unwrap and use them later on the bedroom.

Jaune: w-wha-

Yang: you've been neglecting your girlfriends for some time now ladykiller, so your last present for today is going to be a present for us as well, do you mind?

Jaune: *sighs* i don't have a choice on that matter do i?

Yang: nope.

Blake: no.

Pyrrha: *shooks head*

Ruby: nopey.

Weiss: no way.

*on the next morning*

Jaune: *sipping his morning coffee* so, how it was yesterday?

Sun: good, we stopped a gang from robbing a bank.

Neptune: yup.

Sage: we took out a small cartel in the docks.

Scarlet: they weren't expecting any surprises so it was quite easy.

Nora: and we broke the legs of some guys trying to attack a girl.

Ren: *nods*

Jaune: besides that?

Sun: nothing much, after your apparitions yesterday most criminals decided to take a day off and just a few were acting, but the cops took care of it mostly on their own, we barely had to help.

Jaune: so it was an uneventful night?

Neptune: Practically, what about yours?

Jaune: well-

Ruby: *lazily* yaaaang, i can't feel my leeegs.

Yang: *floating towards the bathroom with ruby on her back* me neither sis, me neither.

Weiss: *groans* how did he kept going for so long?

Blake: no idea...

Pyrrha: *floating towards the bathroom, carrying blake and weiss* oww...im sore in places i didn't even knew could get sore.

P/RWBY: *gets in the bathroom*

SSSN: *staring wide eyed at jaune*

Jaune: what?

Sun: what's happening to them?

Jaune: well...let's just say that i went a bit overboard after my party yesterday.

Neptune: dude, how did you do that?

Jaune: *raises eyebrow* Do what?

Neptune: do what!? You're a human being that managed to sleep with the superwoman, the wonder woman, the flash, the white lantern, the black arrow and survived, not only survived but got them all sore, how the hell did you do that!?

Jaune: it's simple *sips his coffee and grins at them* i'm batman.

Ren: yeah, he is.

Nora: *shrugg* can't discuss with that.

[rainyrowan]

Sunkissed - Chapter 1

description: Wedding of the century rolls around as the previous college clique, along with the rest of their family members, stay in preparation for it. During this time, Riley meets Lucas, a gorgeous, green-eyed wallflower who happens to be immediately taken by her. Little did she know, he has a deep secret. One that will either change her views on him forever or make her feel closer to his world.

word count: 2,626

pairings: riley x lucas

Song: Annabelle’s Homework by Alec Benjamin

chapter one; riley

Sparkley Farkley: Did you know that the slowest marathon time ever is 54 years, eight months, six days, eight hours, 32 minutes, and 20.3 seconds? Yeah, in 1912, an Olympic marathoner from Japan supposedly disappeared during the middle of a race. Some say that he stopped to get a drink from an outdoor party, but ended up staying longer than he should have. Risque, if you ask me. Anyways, he was too embarrassed to finish the race, so he flew back to Japan instead. Years later, he decided to finish what he started by running the whole marathon himself. What I'm trying to say is WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? Riley, you're seriously taking much longer to get to the boardwalk than this Japanese marathon guy. Hurry!!

I looked at the horrifically long paragraph Farkle had sent me and sighed. Being best friends with him also meant being best friends with your very own encyclopedia, which can be extremely useful at times. Although, it really isn't when your phone is constantly being bombarded with numerous texts about everything and nothing.

Gentle reminder that I live farther from the beach than you do. I'll be there soon! Don't miss me too much :)

I quickly text back. I gripped onto my camera strap, which is draped over my shoulder, as I start quickening my pace.

When we became closer over the years, Farkle and I both created a tradition of spending almost every Saturday down at the boardwalk. In regards to this, the main rule that we've agreed upon would be that if one of us couldn't make it, we would have to have an extremely valid excuse. Me being the more "laid back" friend, I've been pretty lenient on Farkle if he couldn't make it. Wish I could say the same about him, though.

Last night, I had to stay up till two in the morning helping my mother out at the flower shop. Arranging flowers isn't as easy as one may think. In result, I woke up later than usual, causing me to be about 30 minutes late. So far, I've received a fact text from him for every minute I ran late. It truly amazes me how he could just drop these facts off the top of his head.

I'm practically already running when I see Farkle by the entrance, arms crossed.

"I'm sorry!" I pant. I take a second to breathe before I continue speaking. "I.. I woke.. Wow, I'm not cut out to be.. an athlete, huh?" I joke.

He rolls his eyes as a grin forms on his face. "Where were you?"

"I was up all night helping my mom with the flowers. I woke up super late. I'm so sorry."

He nods in approval of my excuse. "That's okay. However, I don't think we could go to the diner now. Brooklyn and her minions are there. Seated in our spots too!"

The thought of Brooklyn made me sick to my stomach. Brooklyn was the Regina George of Harbor High School, and basically all of Santa Cruz. Like your typical teen cliche, she was the popular girl who also the prettiest. Brooklyn also had her own entourage, as she always had two minions following her. With her bitchy personality, you may say that it's surprising that she gets all the guys. With her body, though, it really isn't. It's probably how she had my crush of four years and counting, Charlie Gardner, falling for her.

"Well, I guess we would have to postpone our meal then," I say, linking my arms with his. We enter the boardwalk and head straight for the arcade. We're surrounded by all the games you could never ever get tired of. From Dance Dance Revolution to laser tag to racing games, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk Casino Arcade has you covered. Farkle and I have our common favorite, air hockey.

He let go of my arm, dashing straight to the air hockey table. "You ready to get your ass beat?"

He asks, slipping in a token. We love each other very much, but when it comes to air hockey, it's like we're two different people.

"You should be asking yourself that, Minkus." As air starts to shoot through the tiny holes from the table, we both grabbed our paddles. Suddenly, the puck falls through my pocket instead of Farkle's. "Well, that's a first! I guess I'm starting."

I hit the puck as hard as I can towards his goal. Hoping that this time my first hit would make it, he blocks the puck in a swift move and smiles. "Not today." This goes on for quite a bit. I concentrate on the puck as it glides across the table back and forth. That is, until a distraction came my way. Charlie.

I offer him a double take before actually realizing that it was him. He probably didn't even notice me, which was a good thing on my part. I didn't want him to know that I was here. Out of impulsive thinking, I ducked down to hide behind my side of the table. This wasn't really the best decision, though. Farkle managed to make a goal and yell on behalf of his victory. I don't even have to see what's happening to know that attention was surely brought towards us.

"Farkle!" I call out in a whisper. He walks around the table and takes a seat next to me.

"So, explain to me why we're hiding behind- "

"Riley!" Charlie exclaims. Mortified, I lift my head up to find him standing right in front of us.

"Hi, Charlie." I saw awkwardly. Thankfully, Farkle gets up off the ground and pulls me up, as I was too scared to even move.

Farkle clenches is jaw subtly enough that no one could notice, except for me. It's safe to say that he never liked Charlie. I don't blame him. Most of the time, he can be a total jackass.

I'm not too sure how or why I've liked him for so long, and still currently do. I like to think it's because of the fact that I'm always seeking the best in people. I don't necessarily like making assumptions out of people based on looks or first encounters. For Charlie, I realized how much of a good person he is, deep down, whilst working on a school project with him in the public library. My father, who so happened to be my teacher, assigned both of us as partners for a project that we had to turn in a matter of three days. Within those three days, we'd head to the library at night to work, but we were never productive. All we did was talk. Well, all Charlie did was talk. About himself, of course. I would just sit and listen. It was kind of odd not taking part in the conversation, but I mostly did not mind. As a matter of fact, I remember feeling like it was for the best since I would most likely say something stupid. Plus, I got to learn more about him and who he truly was. The downside of it was that I had to take our project home and finish it myself, but I thought that it was worth it. From that moment on, I couldn't help but keep thinking about him, about us.

Charlie extends his hand out to Farkle, expecting a shake, but he steps back. "I'll wait for you outside." He tells me. No, no. Please don't leave me alone with him.

"Well, that was awkward." He laughs. "But anyways, I am so glad I caught you. I was wondering if you're free like right now? I was hoping that you could help me out with something."

Crap. As much as I would love to help him, I promised Farke that I would spend the day with him. However, as I was looking up at Charlie's mesmerizing brown eyes, I seem to have ignored that fact. "Um, sure." I squeaked. I clear my throat and try again. "What would I be helping you with exactly?"

"You see, we're doing headshots in drama, and you're kind of known to be a really talented photographer," I blush as he says so.  Along with the fact that his words make me swoon, another thing about Charlie that I liked was the fact that he is a performing arts fanatic. I'm presuming that it's something that he would like to achieve in the future. He's actually really talented if I'm being honest.

"So, would it be alright if you got a couple of portrait shots of me by the beach?" Charlie asks.

"Maybe in return, I can buy you a milkshake afterward."

Farkle is so going to kill me after this.  "Er, okay."

"Great! C'mon, let's go." He starts heading towards the exit as I trail behind him. Hoping that he was the gentleman I thought he'd be, I expected him to open the door for me. Instead, he ends up leaving it to close behind him. I sigh, disappointed for getting ahead with my thoughts. Once I've exited the arcade, I immediately scan my surroundings in search for Farkle.

"I'm here." He calls out from behind me. I turn to find him leaning against a wall.

"You're going to hate me," I confess.

A smirk creeps up on his face. "Not gonna lie, I was already kind of assuming."

"You're not mad?"

"No," Farkle says softly. "I still hate that bastard, though. But I mean if you like him that much-"

I pull him into a hug. "Thank you," I whisper.

"Yeah, okay." He wraps his arms around my back and chuckles lightly.

"Riley?" Charlie yells.

I pull away from Farkle and adjust my outfit. This would technically be the first time I get to hang out with Charlie alone, so I obviously want to look presentable. However, that's clearly not the case since I'm currently in my maroon Harvard sweater that Farkle had actually bought me from when he visited last year, along with a pair of faded ripped jeans.

"Do I look okay?" I ask.

He holds two thumbs up. "Can't say no to a girl in Ivy League gear."

"I love you, and thanks a bunch!" I plant a quick kiss on his cheek before running towards Charlie.

Once I've caught up to him, we both head to the beach together.

I truly do love the beach. I love the ambiance of waves crashing against the shore, along with the wailing of seagulls as they soar across the sky. Not to mention, the smell of the ocean beach as well. Everything about the beach is so captivating and peaceful, especially since it's a little early and not a lot of people are here. The afternoon is the absolute worst time to visit the beach. The fact that there are so many people who usually come on a day to day basis, makes me a little anxious to go.

Charlie leads me to where the dock is located. Farkle and I would usually come to take pictures underneath the dock. This area is quite aesthetically pleasing.

"I think this is a great spot." He says, placing his bag down as I begin to adjust the settings of my camera. I let him know that I'm ready once everything's all set. Charlie then runs towards the shoreline and starts posing of a shot. Since I'll be capturing portrait shots, I made sure that my camera is set so all my photos can have a shallow depth of field. This way, Charlie will be in focus as the background will be a bit blurry. After taking a few photos here and there, I stop to look at them. Charlie was perfectly centered, the lighting was on point, and all shots have great composition. Perfect. I think to myself. However, Charlie apparently doesn't exactly think so when he sees them.

"Yeah, this situation just isn't working for me. Let's try something different." He looks around for a moment. "Here, why don't you get some bird-eye shots of me laying on the sand."

I was a little offended that he didn't like the photos I originally took. I spoke out, irritated. "I thought we were taking portraits?"

"I'm just trying to think outside of the box here, Riles. Maybe the photos will turn out better." I scoff at what he had just said. What difference does it make? You're just going to be lying down. And I thought all headshots were portraits. There he goes acting like a douche, but here I am, still taking interest in him.

Charlie lies down on the sand and places his hand behind his head. From the looks of it, he could pass for a Hollister or Abercombie & Fitch model.  I stand directly on top of him to get good shots. If I'm being honest, this isn't the ideal position I'd want to be in. It's a little uncomfortable and weird, really.

Suddenly, water hits the shore and Charlie attempts to save his khaki pants by jerking straight up. Instead, jerking straight up somehow caused me to tumble forward, allowing both of us to fall back down. I also end up dropping my camera on the sand. Water continues to run beneath Charlie, which caused his whole outfit to be soaked. "Shit!"

The water still kept going around us. I panic as I watch it slowly ooze towards my camera. Miraculously, the water stopped before it could reach it. I graciously let out a sigh of relief. "Will you get the fuck off of me now?!" He yells in annoyance. I flinched when he does so and realize that what was happening: I was on top of Charlie Gardener. Because I was on top of him, I didn't get hit by the water at all. I quickly scurried to my feet and grabbed my camera.  I turned to Charlie, who was still really angry that he was drenched. He got up from the ground and gathered his stuff. "Thanks to you," He snaps. "I am soaking wet, and I have rehearsals for the musical after this!"

I feel a familiar tightness gripping my throat. As Charlie continues to curse at me, a burning heat rushes through my body and I can hardly breathe. The DJ over by the boardwalk starts blasting music that seems to be ten times louder than usual. My surroundings then become too horrifically bright. My hands become clammy as I start to lose control of my body. My vision starts to get blurry and my heartbeat begins to speed up to the point where I could hear it.

Once Charlie finishes grabbing his stuff, he walks over to me. He stops and takes a deep breath. "Just email me the photos whenever you can." And with that, he walks away. When I've lost sight of him, I walk towards the pebbles near the ocean. I stare out to sea, trying to take big breaths. I stay until I've finally coaxed my heartbeat back to normal.

[schmonkey04-blog]

The Shadows In Her Mind

CHAPTER I

As the blood covered girl sits on the cold lime colored tiles, she thinks about what could, should, have been. A dark shadow stares at her, wondering why she wasn’t jumping for joy, after all, she had gotten what she deserved. Tears start to race down her pale face, as the lyrics of a sad melody flow through her ears. The isolated shadow studied the weeping brunette, desperately wanting to understand what made her feel this way and how he could fix it. The grey-eyed teenager stared at the shining silver knife in her hands, unaware of the conflicted darkness watching her. She couldn't help but remember how she had come to this state.

The memory flooded through her...

“Hayden, wait up,” a black-haired boy called out, running after his friend. As soon as he reached her, Hayden saw his dazzling smile.

“Guess what?” the hazel-eyed boy, Dylan asked after catching his breath.

“What?” she inquired as she tried not to trip on the stairs leaving the building. When she saw the excitement in his eyes, she was surprised he wasn’t jumping up and down.

“I got an A on my calculus test!” Dylan exclaimed. Of course, he always did the best, Hayden thought with a sigh. Every time she was proud of herself for doing well, he did better.

“Oh, good job,” Hayden said, blinking to make sure her eyes weren’t becoming glossy.

“So there's a party on Friday and I know we were planning on watching your favorite movie, but do you think we could reschedule. Amanda’s going to be there and you know how long I’ve had feelings for her,” Dylan quickly stated, as though saying it faster would make it a more appealing idea. It was her birthday on Friday. It felt as though someone had taken a scolding hot knife and plugged it through her heart, only to fill it with bone-chilling water. She should have seen this coming, he always ended up leaving her for someone better.

Hayden hid the tears in her eyes as she quietly said, “Of course, we can go to the movies another time. Have fun at the party.” Hayden rushed toward her car, wanting to leave so no one could see her cry.

Dylan Hanson was her vision of perfect. He was intelligent, athletic, and took time out of his day to spend time with her.

Hayden couldn’t understand why she had killed him.

Hayden was trying to escape the real world with pages of ink and paper when she felt a chill go through her tall body. She wrapped the white knitted blanket closer to herself, pretending that it would protect her from whatever lurked in the shadows. What she didn’t know, was that she didn’t need to fear what was in the shadows, but the shadows themselves. And these shadows wanted revenge.

With shaking hands, Hayden started to remember what she hopelessly wanted to forget.

The crimson blood was messily splattered on the walls, like paint on an unprepared canvas. She could see an indescribable body on the ground ruining the fluffy white rug beneath it. There was a copper kitchen knife sitting still in the neck of what used to be a human being. Hayden looked at her trembling hands, that was covered in a warm liquid. Blood. She could feel her intakes of air getting shorter. Her heart was pounding in her ears making it impossible to focus on something else, anything else. She backed into a corner when the walls started to close in on her. She grabbed frantically at the enclosing structure, mentally begging for it to stop closing in on her. It felt like she had fallen into a river made only of rapids. Every time she tried to get air she was pulled down again. She felt her heart stop when she suddenly she heard a whisper, “He deserved it. You did the right thing.”

“No,” Hayden whispered to herself in denial. “He broke your heart over and over again. He didn’t deserve to be alive.” This was worse than riptides, this was a cold, dark, empty, never-ending ocean of nothingness. Hayden could only shake her head and whisper the same word over and over again as if it would change anything. How could all this have happened, when she was just visiting his house to give him his book back. She could only remember one thing. Her hearing whispering coming from the empty shadows of Dylan's house. The house of the man she just killed.

As she looked at the gleaming knife in her oddly still hands, she realized she should apologize first. She should apologize to the people that the blood on her hands belonged to. After Hayden set the sharp tipped knife on the floor, remembering where she put it for later uses. She then grabbed a piece of paper that was ripped from her journal, a pen from some insignificant drawer, and wrote the names of those she took the beauty of life away from.

First, she delicately wrote the name of her best friend, Dylan Johnson. She paused for a moment as she unwillingly thought back to how the next name or names joined the list.

"Hey Mom," Hayden said as she walked into the living room, only to look around, confused. "And Dad?" she questioned, trying not to show the disappointment flooding through her.

"Your father came home early. I thought we could eat dinner together," Hayden's mom explained. Hayden internally sighed, she could already tell that tonight wasn't going to end well.

But the fate of this dinner was already decided, and it was a lot worse than Hayden could have ever imagined.

CHAPTER II

The family of three was sitting in a beige booth, the elders on the same side of an imaginary war.

"Well, this is really fun," Hayden stated sarcastically, adding an annoyed eye roll at the end.

"Hayden," her mother scolded, looking at her with disapproving eyes, "Behave. Your father cut his trip short so he could see you on your birthday." The teenage girl loathed her frequently leaving father. Hayden could feel the frustrated gaze of the man who sat across from her, with an empty space where his heart should be.

"Your mother mentioned that you quit hockey, in spite of the fact that we spent a great deal of money on practices and equipment," the forty-year-old man announced, as soon as his ex-wife left to use the restroom.

"She also told me that your grades have been dropping recently," he continued, staring at his daughter with his topaz eyes. Hayden scoffed in disbelief. Now she knew the real reason he had come home, to tell her how much of a failure she was. Hayden shouldn't have gotten her hopes up, due to the fact that this wasn't even the first time it had happened and probably not the last.

"You need to get your grades up if you are going to an Ivy League school, which you are," Hayden's father firmly stated, leaving no room to argue.

“I’m really disappointed in you Hayden,” He said, searching her face for a reaction, “You’ve let down me and your mother.” Through Hayden knew he was wrong, she couldn’t help but feel her heart sink in her chest. She casted her eyes onto the tan table, trying to look anywhere but his unforgiving stare. "You should get a tutor. What about that smart friend of yours? Dylan, I think his name was." Mr. Wicklow glanced out the window. "Your mother told me that he has a job here, I wonder where he is." Dead. He was dead. She had killed him. It was at this moment when Hayden finally realized, that this wasn't a dream she was going to wake up from. This was the cold-hearted reality.

Hayden's ash-colored eyes were shining, as she remembered the rest of the night.

She plunged the knife deep into the man's ribs for the fifth time, not even fazed when more red colored liquid splattered on her roseate cheeks. The life had faded from his round eyes long ago. The long-haired girl sighed as if she was satisfied with what she had accomplished.

All of a sudden Hayden's almond eyes widened like she just woke up from a terrible dream. She felt as if her heart had stopped, as she realized what just happened. "No no no no no no," she wailed, shaking the lifeless body in agony. While trying to ignore the whispering from the dark corner of the room, Hayden, silently sobbing, grabbed the rough handle of the thin knife and gradually pulled it out of his chest. She had killed another man.

“He never appreciated you. He made you hate yourself.”

"No one should ever die like that," Her voice was hoarse as she whispered, while shaking her head, "No one deserves a fate that horrible." “He didn't deserve you, you should be glad you killed him.” I didn't mean to, was the single thought in the weeping girls head.

Hayden carefully wrote the name she knew her father by, Lucas Wicklow. The next name to be added on to the list happened on the same day as her father was murdered.

"Oh my god," Mrs. Wicklow blurted out, as she fell to the ground looking at the scene in front of her.

The only response the girl covered in blood had was a trembling, "I'm sorry." Hayden's mind was racing, thinking of any possible answers to this inconvenient problem. She couldn't think of any that ended well for both of them. Hayden looked at her bawling mother as a solution she hadn't thought of was whispered in her ear. Kill her.

"No, I can't," Hayden murmured, almost silently. “You need to kill her.” "No," the girl who was now had lost all emotions, repeated, more demanding this time. But her protests didn't matter as she looked into her mother's hazel eyes for the last time.

Ruby Wicklow was now written on the list, right beneath her husband. Hayden took her time writing the last name because it was the only name that deserved to be there.

Hayden grasped the shimmering luminous knife, humming the lyrics to an old lullaby. She aimed the blade towards a place on her next prey that would cause almost immediate death. The broken girl took a deep breath and closed her eyes, before suddenly shoving the knife into her victim's neck.

The last name on the list was written in perfect cursive. It read Hayden Wicklow.