Revenge (Batfamily) - Sequel to Brother In Arms

Chapter 2 ~ A Familiar Face

***

"Emily, I'm home!"

Soon after he had said this, the young brunette jumped on Kyle and pulled him into a tight hug. The young man tightly wrapped his arms around her waist, not wanting to let her go. She was the one who broke the hug. Her big green eyes stared right into his until she noticed the plastic bag in his hands. "What is it?" she said with a broad grin.

An evil smirk spread all across Kyle's lips, "My boss stole my Saturday, so I stole him some donuts."

Emily let out a chuckle. "You little thief." Kyle smirked even more. The young woman shook her head and grabbed the bag. She laid it on the table and tore it open. "Oh my god! Chocolate and strawberry. My favorite!"

"I know."

Emily jumped on him again and kissed him tenderly. The young man couldn't help but run a hand through her long and soft hair, deepening the kiss even more. He noted to bring donuts back home more often. Of course, he hadn't stolen them. He had taken them in a bag and left a banknote in the cash register.

All of a sudden, the bell from the apartment rang. The two lovers parted away from each other, panting slightly. Emily was frowning. "Were you expecting someone?"

"No..." Kyle frowned as well. He headed towards the entrance's door, followed by Emily even though she leaned against the kitchen's wall. When Kyle opened the door, he was met by the same hooded man from the pub. His eyes darted open when he recognized him.

"Hey," the man said cheerfully, a broad smile on his lips.

"Jason? Wha- What are you doing here?"

Jason rolled his eyes as he pulled down his hoodie. "Nice to see you too."

"How did you found me?"

"Oh come on, you know Timmy, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So here's your answer," Jason smirked broadly. "I need to talk to you. Nice apartment by the way."

Kyle blinked, "What's happening?"

"Are you going to invite me inside? No? Alright, no problem," Jason pushed Kyle away from the door and made his way into the apartment. He observed it quickly and whistled. "That's a really nice apartment you have here, buddy." And that's when he noticed Emily. "Oh... Hey there."

Emily stared at Kyle, one eyebrow raised and her mouth slightly opened. "Who's this?"

"The name is Jason Todd," Jason said with a smile while he outstretched his hand and shook it with Emily's, "Kyle and I are good friends."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, right Kyle?"

"Indeed," the latter replied in a sigh. "You should have called, Jay..."

"Probably. But I love to surprise people, you should know it by now," he smirked until his face turned back into a serious expression, "But anyway, I need to talk to you, Kyle. Privately."

Emily raised an eyebrow and stared at him. Kyle sighed and mouthed that he was sorry. The brunette shook her head and headed to the bedroom.

Once she was out of sight, Jason glared at Kyle. "What?" the young man snapped.

"So it's real, chicks really dig scars."

"For god's sake Jason," the young man's voice rose slightly, "What the hell are you doing here?"

The man cleared his throat, "I need your help."

"A problem with the gang?"

"It's not really a problem... Or maybe it is a bit one."

"Jason. I know you. You wouldn't have driven from Gotham to here if there wasn't a big issue... What is it?"

"I want you to become my second-in-command."

Kyle's eyes darted open and his mouth dropped. He stared at Jason with confusion, surprise and shock. "Wh-What?!"

"I want you to become my second-in-command," he repeated calmly.

"I-I got it, but... Dude, I'm sorry but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because my life is here now, not in Gotham and even less in the underground activities!"

Jason sighed deeply before he sat on the large black couch of the living room, "Oh come on Kyle. It's a great opportunity I'm offering you! Just think about it!"

"My answer is no. Why don't you ask Jill?"

"Duh, I already did but she doesn't want to. She wants to stay in her current post in the gang. Then I asked another man, William, do you remember him? Well he and his wife just got a daughter so he wanted to protect his family by staying with it and leaving the gang... A long time ago, I wanted Aaron to be my second-in-command but uh... well, shit happened, as you know it," he joked before his face turned into a serious expression again, "That's why I'm asking you. You are the one I trust the most for this job, Kyle."

"I can't, Jason... I'm done with the gang now..."

"Don't make me beg on my knees."

Kyle rolled his eyes before he threw his hands in the air. "But why me, Jay?"

"Because you are the only one I can trust for this job!" Jason's voice rose noticeably. He was getting frustrated. "I need a second-in-command and I want you to become it."

Kyle closed his eyes and shook his head as he lowered it. He thought about Emily, about his new life in New York... But, on the other hand, despite some shameful things he had done, working with Jay had been a lot of fun and it had been one hell of an experience for him. He knew perfectly well that deep inside of him, he was missing being part of the gang. Yes, he loved his new life dearly, but his old one was calling for him and it felt really appealing. "What am I going to say to her?" he finally whispered after a long moment of silence.

Jason's face lit up with joy. "So, are you accepting the offer?"

"I need to find myself an excuse as to why I gotta go back to Gotham for a while..."

"Hell yeah!" Jason pumped his fist in the air. Kyle shook his head with a bit of amusement before he headed to his bedroom. There, he saw that Emily was silently brushing her long dark hair. She immediately smiled at him when she saw him.

"Em... I have to go back to Gotham for a while," he started slowly, raking his hand through his hair, "I don't know how long I'll have to stay there..."

"Is there anything wrong?"

"Uh... No, it's just that Jason needs my help for his business in town. Nothing bad, don't worry."

The young woman nodded slightly with understanding. A fast streak of sadness ran through her eyes during half a second. "When do you have to leave?" Her voice cracked slightly.

Jason cleared his throat behind the couple and as both lovers turned their heads in his direction, they noticed he was leaning against the door frame. "As soon as possible," he declared while he crossed his arms. Kyle turned back towards Emily and kissed her forehead before he rose back on his feet, grabbed a large bowling bag and started to stuff it with clothes.

Once done, he tossed the bag on his shoulder and wrapped his free arm around Emily's waist to pull her into a deep and desperate kiss. "I'll come back as soon as I can." His words came out of his mouth as a whisper. Emily closed her eyes before she kissed him once more.

"Take care of yourself, Gotham is dangerous."

"I know... Emily, you can stay in the apartment while I'm gone, okay?"

"Thank you. See you soon, Kyle."

Kyle joined Jason's sides next to the entrance door. Nala happily followed him when she saw her owner taking her leash. "Alright, let's go," Jason declared as he stepped out of the apartment, quickly followed by his friend and his dog.

As they closed the door, Emily sighed deeply and turned around to head to the living room. However, as she walked near the kitchen's table, she saw the bag filled with donuts Kyle had brought her and let out another sigh.

Thanks for reading ^^