Morrigan slipped into her apartment, quickly walking to her bathroom and taking a short shower in order to not stink of sweat and grime in her Classics lecture. She quickly washed her body and hair before stepping out of the shower and wrapping a fluffy white towel around herself and a smaller microfibre towel around her hair, the Aphrodite kids would have killed her if she used a normal towel.
Walking into her room, Morrigan quickly blow dried her hair and got dressed in a dark grey thick knit turtleneck sweater, tucked into a tight black mini skirt. She paired this with black thigh high boots, a black leather jacket and a black backpack filled with her literature books and her laptop that her father gifted her, as a congratulatory present for being his first child (hopefully the first of many) to get into university.
Grabbing her keys, Morrigan stepped back out of her apartment as she had enough time to actually get transport to the university rather than exhaust herself by shadow travelling for the fifth time that day.
As she shut her door behind her, the sound of the door opposite her shutting reached her ears and Morrigan turned around to see Jason also leaving his apartment locking his door behind him. Much like herself, Jason also wore a dark grey shirt with blue diesel jeans and combat boots and a black leather jacket, sporting a similar backpack slung over his shoulder.
Morrigan's honey golden eyes met the male's own blue and smiled in his direction. A small one was reciprocated back to her as they both headed for the stairs. Not for the first time Morrigan cursed the landlord's decision to not get an elevator. Apparently she wasn't silent in her complaints as Jason let out a chuckle, shocking Morrigan as she hadn't realised she had spoken aloud.
"Sorry, I didn't realise I said that out loud." Morrigan said, awkwardly laughing in an attempt to lessen her embarrassment.
"Don't worry about it. Seriously. You aren't the first person to complain, the landlord is a cheapskate and a money hog which isn't a rarity in Crime Alley." Jason assured her, causing the blush that had been threatening to rise to return in full force, "So where are you headed?"
Morrigan thought it over before replying, because while Jason was her neighbour, they had only spoken a handful of times. "I'm headed to the bus station so I can catch one to Gotham University. What about you?"
"Wait seriously?" He asked incredulously, eyebrows drawn up slightly.
"Yeah? What about it?" Morrigan asked, fairly confused by the taller man's less than ordinary response. Jason chucked before replying.
"That's where I'm going. Don't tell me you have Classics with Professor Noelle Birdon as well." He joked, not actually expecting her to have the same class as him.
"Oh thank the gods there will be someone I know in the lecture." Morrigan laughed, both at her relief and at the surprised look on his face. Wow he really wasn't expecting me to be in that class as well, she thought, internally giggling.
"Well classmate," He joked, "Do you want a ride with yours truly instead of having to get Gotham's bus service which I can personally guarantee will be at least 45 minutes late." Jason offered, to Morrigan's astonishment.
"Definitely." She responded, having never been excited by the prospect of having to get public transport in the first place.
"Although, one slight problem." Jason mentioned sheepishly, as if he had forgotten about the problem until they had reached the front door of the building. Morrigan tilted her head questioningly, before Jason responded.
"When I offered the lift I forgot that my car is currently being serviced and if you still want a lift we would have to take my bike ..." Jason trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck as he gestured to the bike parked in the alleyway, hidden from anyone who may think of stealing one of his prized possessions.
"Okay two things. One: how would you ever think that this would be in any way worse than a car. It's so much better!" Morrigan squashed down the squeal that threatened to rise at the sight of the black MV Agusta F4CC and continued, "And two: now that I know someone in this bloody city who actually knows bikes, you have to come with me and help me get a bike from wherever is good. Okay? And I don't even have to worry about paying because my dad is, because in his words it's 'back payment for all the birthdays he has missed'"
"Holy shit, how many birthdays did he miss to offer that?"
"22 out of 23 birthdays. For my last birthday he got me a dog." Morrigan replied, almost reverently running her hands over the bike. "And I guess it's a good thing that I wore shorts under my skirt." Jason would forever deny that the tips of his went pink, though Morrigan thought it was kinda cute. Wait a minute, where the hell did that come from, She thought to herself, shaking her head as if the thought would go flying out with the movement.
Jason held out a helmet for the woman, where he got it from will forever remain a mystery to the world. Morrigan placed it on her head, a little surprised at how the helmet fit her perfectly even though it wasn't hers personally. She watched as Jason swung a jean-clad leg over the bike, also sliding a black helmet over his skunk hair. Morrigan got slightly lost in thought wondering whether or not it was natural or stress induced like Percy and Annabeth's or if he got it in some other way.
Jason cleared his throat after about a minute of Morrigan staring in his direction, thankful for the helmet disguising the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Morrigan startled, forgetting where she was for a moment before awkwardly laughing and also swinging a leg over the bike, settling down behind the larger man and hesitantly wrapping her arms around him.
"You are gonna want to hold on tighter than that, sweetheart." Jason drawled, his crime alley accent peeking through at the nickname he unknowingly called her. Morrigan complied with his words silently, not trusting herself to say anything in response. Jason started the engine and moments later they were pulling out onto the tarmac of Gotham city's streets.
____________
Jason pulled into Gotham University's parking lot, bringing the bike to a stop right outside the Classic's building, putting the bike stand down and waited for Morrigan to let go of him and get off the bike before him. Once she had done so, Jason swung his leg off of the bike also standing up, the height difference between them once more becoming clear.
Jason and Morrigan both took their helmets off, somehow completely in sync causing nearby students to watch the two in reverent awe. Despite the two only having known each other for about a week, to outsiders, they looked like a couple who purposely matched their outfits.
The two walked into the building quickly finding their lecture hall and taking their seats, next to each other as they were the only other people they knew.
For the next fifteen minutes, students trailed in as Jason and Morrigan compared their thoughts over the books they would be studying over the next two weeks, Pride and Prejudice.
Turns out they are both diehard Jane Austen fans and spent the time debating the topics within the book.
As the clock hit 12 on the dot, Professor Noelle Birdon walked in effectively silencing the hall. And with that the lecture began with debating the importance of social class within the novel, especially as it impacts the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy.
Jason and Morrigan were both avid speakers, constantly answering questions and even having their own whispered debates when the Professor wasn't looking. Morrigan and Jason got particularly heated over the role of women in the story and actually ended up moving on from whispered debates to enthusiastic shouting.
The look that Professor Noelle sent the pair caused laughs to break out across the room and for Morrigan to duck her head in order to hide the growing red on her cheeks. Jason failed to hide his chuckle at the shorter woman, causing her to jokingly whack him on the shoulder.
Jason will forever deny that it ached a little after she hit him.
Two hours passed and the lecture concluded. As Jason and Morrigan packed up, multiple students walked past giggling causing them to send curious looks at one another as if the other held the answers to their fellow students' behaviours.
Jason also gave Morrigan a ride back to their apartment building but that was where they parted ways. Jason had to head off to chase down a lead for a case, not that Morrigan knew that, and Morrigan had to get started on a paper that was due for her Ancient History class.
Waving the man off as he rode away, Morrigan jogged back up the stairs to her apartment, her heels clicking with every step.
____________
That night, Morrigan was sitting at her kitchen table, books spread out around her laptop with a pair of glasses resting on her face, having taken her contact lenses out earlier due to irritation when a scream echoed from a nearby alleyway.
Silently sneaking out onto her fire escape with a small dagger in hand, Morrigan looked below her and saw a greasy old man, who was clearly drunk, cornering a clearly much younger woman who had tears streaming down her face.
Morrigan's vision narrowed, if there was one thing she wouldn't stand for it was disgusting old men who thought they had a right to women. She dropped down inaudibly and unseen, to an onlooker she was just an out of place shadow. To her enemies she was worse than her father.
And the man before her was no onlooker.
Padding forward until she was a hair's breadth from the would-be-rapist, though Morrigan doubted this was his first offence for the night let alone his life, she lightly tapped him on the shoulder ignoring the urge to disinfect her hand immediately.
The man turned around, "Look here is some advice sweetheart, you best get out of here and leave us to our business."
"Hmm how about no." Morrigan deadpanned, sucker punching the man in the face, without a doubt breaking his nose.
Unbeknownst to them, a figure in red and black loomed over them on top of the building, prepared to step in the moment things went south. And was also subconsciously a little pissed that the man called Morrigan the same nickname he had called her earlier.
To Morrigan's relief, while the man was groaning and holding his honest-to-god ugly ass face, the young lady took her chance to flee, taking off down the street and hopefully heading home. Once she was safely out of sight Morrigan turned back to the man who was still holding his face and cursing.
"You bitch! You broke my nose!" He yelled, spit flying out of his mouth as he threw a terrible punch the Morrigan was easily able to grab a hold of and used the momentum to flip him over her shoulder. He landed on his back with a satisfying smack, Morrigan not hesitating to slam her foot into his dick, thankful she still hadn't taken off her heeled boots as they inflicted more damage. The sound of his agony was music to both Morrigan and Red Hood's ears.
"And I have some advice for you, sweetheart," Morrigan mocked, crouching down to talk into his ear to ensure he heard everything she had to say, "Woman aren't fucking braille. You don't need to touch them to understand them. Got that you bag of crap?"
The man's face twisted into an ugly sneer, clearly about to retort when a steel capped boot slammed into his head, a very efficient way to knock someone out and maybe cause a little brain damage depending on how hard you kick.
The Red Hood definitely kicked hard enough to cause brain damage.
"I was gonna step in but it seems you had it all handled, doll." His modulated voice spoke, as he handcuffed the criminal on the floor. Morrigan stood up, making sure to give another kick to the man below her. The anti-hero/vigilante used his not so hidden comm to ask for 'police to come get the scumbag who tried to rape a woman have his age'.
Morrigan took another look at the Crime Alley protector. The man was wearing black combat boots with black kevlar pants, a black kevlar top with a blood red bat on it signifying his alliance with Gotham's Dark Knight. On top of that top was a tan leather jacket, hopefully faux leather. The most striking part of Red Hood's get up was his helmet, blood red metal that seemed almost moulded to his face.
As she turned away from him, something about his soul was familiar to her but she had decided not to read any of the vigilante's souls and find out their true names. From what she has heard from overhearing the hero-worshipper kids in camp, they had more than enough drama that she did not want a part of.
"Yeah I did." Morrigan replied, watching as blue and red lights filled the waste-covered alleyway. She turned around to thank him for calling the police only to find an empty alleyway, the rooftops just as bare.
Having given her statement to the uncaring policeman, Morrigan headed back up her fire escape and through her window, taking extra caution to lock it behind her. As she settled back into her chair at the kitchen table and braced herself for a long night without sleep, a glint of red on the other rooftop caught her eye but when she looked up all that was there was the shadows of the night.