NOVEL WEB 7. How do I get out of this??
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Jason dropped to the ground when he felt the bullet pierce his chest. Shit. These bastards...!
He heard the tires screech away and he watched the van speeding off.
Jason rolled on his back, cursing inwardly as he seethe in bitter anger. How could he have let that happen? Why did he even leave her side? How could he let Makenna kidnapped like that and get shot himself? He was Robin for crying out loud!
Then, he realized the pain was gone.
Jason sat right up and surely enough, he didn't feel anything. He raised his shirt to look for the bullet wound, but nothing. Jason was sure it hit him. He had felt the impact!
Clutter!
Then, he noticed the bracelet that Makenna gifted to him this morning was now falling into pieces. The beads and marble glass had cracks on them and the leather looked like it was singed.
Did the bullet hit the bracelet instead?And where did the bullet go if it hit the bracelet rather than his chest? Did he just imagine the pain?
That couldn't be.
Something is off.
He wasn't sure what was going on, but for now, he needed to table it. He stood up and called Bruce.
After a couple of rings, he finally picked up.
"Jason--?"
"Bruce!! Bruce, Makenna was just kidnapped!!"
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There's got to be a way for me to get out of this, right?
I sat there in between two men, and one in front of me as the fourth was driving the vehicle. There were no windows were we sat and the ac must be broken because the humidity here was almost unbearable. We were all sweating in this hot van, but I was mostly panicking inside, thinking what to do in this scenario.
Sheesh, ten years studying as a witch's apprentice, and one would think I'd have thought of a way to protect myself, right?
And I have! But the plans I've come up with would surely give away my secret and will even alert Batman of my powers.
I mean, I know they're good people, including Jason, but I don't think I'm ready yet to share that part of myself. I don't technically have all the answers, especially as to why my mother left Bruce. I wouldn't know how to explain all that complicated stuff to them. Besides, it's not like they know that I know that they're Batman and Robin, and Dick is Nightwing. Moreover, I think the truth of them being originally from comic books will forever be locked away, never see the light of day. I don't want them having some sort of existential crisis. I know I would have one if I found out my life was originally just fanfiction. (..<.<..)
Plus, there's one more problem.
I don't think I can handle dealing out damage on people, even the bad ones. Am I supposed to splash them with acid and disfigure their face? What if they come after me a year or two later? There'll always be a target on my back! I mean, think about it! Batman created the Joker, didn't he? I know I read it somewhere that he created the Joker, even though there are now other alternate universes that elaborated Joker's creation in other scenarios. What if I made a supervillain from my reckless, selfish actions?
So, priorities...
- Protect my identity
- Try not to create villains
- Do not kill
At this moment in time, there is nothing I can do except to wait for help. Maybe I should try and gather some information?
Time to put in the charm!
[Subtle cast: Charm]
"U-um, excuse me sir...?" I asked and blinked my doe-like eyes at the older gentleman before me.
His gaze was stern, but only for a moment as his expression softened.
"You should keep quiet, little girl," he said.
"Don't talk to her." The guy to my right said as a warning to the fellow. "Just ignore her."
"I'm sorry, I just want to know what's going to happen to me," I said as I carefully tread on the proverbial land mine. "Am I going to die...?"
The man in front of me slumped back a bit, looking at me with pity.
"If you behave, you won't die. We're just holding you for ransom."
"Come on, man." The man at my left clicked his tongue in disappointment at the fellow I charmed.
Okay. So I'm being held ransom. Makes sense.
"...You all shot my brother." I reminded them, and the silence was...chilling.
I must admit. The first few minutes, I forgot he had the bracelet that I gifted him. It should have saved him from certain death, though I'm more worried that he survived and is currently suffering from a bullet wound.
Soon, the drive was over as we pulled inside the bay doors of a warehouse. The driver got out first and the fellow I charmed opened the door. They started pushing me outside, and I resisted.
"I can walk fine by myself thank you!" I said, and after a moment, they let me walk on my own without them touching me.
I followed the brutes further into the warehouse, and I could see there were many shady men around. In all honesty, I should be quaking in my boots being in this situation, and yet, I wasn't. I'm not really sure of the reason. Maybe I wasn't really afraid of death? Maybe it's because I could just blow this place up with a fireball and everyone in it and I'll come out unscathed because I can just teleport to Villa?
Oops, my intrusive thoughts slipped out.
Or maybe right now, I'm just too overloaded with anxiety and haywire emotions that I was starting to feel numb.
That's probably it.
"We got the girl, boss."
I looked up at this 'boss', who was pudgy, tall, and smoking a cigar.
...Yeah. Don't recognize him at all. Is he just some random baddie that wanted extra dough?
The pudgy boss inhaled his cigar before he puffed out the smoke. "Good. You're gonna make me a quick buck out of the Wayne's, sweetheart."
So I was just extra dough! How shameless!
Is it too late to go against my priorities and just blast them all with a fireball? Uh-oh. There goes my intrusive thoughts again.
"Lock her up." The boss said, and I was hurriedly herded away to the back corner of the warehouse.
Then, they unceremoniously pushed me inside a cleaning closet and closed the door shut, lucking it.
...I flipped them off, even though there was a door blocking between us, so it's not like they could see me.
"Ugh, what now?" I asked myself, sighing.
As I thought, should I just teleport? Should I just go to Villa and hide out there until the coast is clear? Then again, how do I explain to Bruce and Jason on how I got away? They'd probably do some research, knowing them.
Do I have to create someone to come and save me?
...Well. It's possible.
"Okay. Let's try it out then. First, cameras..."
I took a quick glance around the area, but it was just a cleaning closet. And there didn't seem to be any hidden cameras to the best of my knowledge, which is very little. However, if this is just a quick, illegal money grab for them, then they wouldn't have some sort of security surveillance installed here in time.
"Okay. Coast should be clear..." I said as I took a deep breath and prepared the spell.
[Cast: Simulacrum]
A sparkling sigil appeared on the ground and a blob of light started to take shape. Once the light faded, an exact replica of me was standing there, blinking and smiling. I pondered over her appearance before I decided to make her just a few years older, but with different hair color. Also, I changed her outfit.
[Cast: alter self]
Taking a step back, I looked her over once and nodded, taking pride of my work.
"Yup! You look good, but you still need a name, and... you need a specific superpower, so you're not too overpowered," I said to myself, who tilted her head. My copy started signing away: [no magic spells?]
"No, no. No magic spells. Only if circumstances are dire," I told her this.
Instead, I had something else in mind. I hurriedly went back to Villa and took out one of my greatest creations. I came back to the supply closet and attached the flat pink diamond front facet on her chest.
"There. Now you're ready." I grinned.
Watch out, bad guys! Here comes Rose Quartz.
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