Someone...
Was someone holding me?
Had I fallen asleep in an alleyway? I just about panicked until I quickly realised the person carrying me was Super Psych, I didn't have to open my eyes to figure that out; his hold was uncomfortable but his cologne was comforting- which kind of explained his personality.
"You took forever." I mumbled into him. I felt like a child in this position, but I didn't complain, I could barely even find the strength to move.
He sighed, "Sorry...hold on tight."
I do as he says and I suspect we're back in San Fransisco, the atmosphere seems different now, "Why were we in New York?" I asked quietly.
"There was a crisis." he mumbled. I would've pressed further if I wasn't in such a tired state, both mentally and physically. And I didn't even do anything.
I'll be sure to ask later...
I turn my head away from his chest and open my eyes to see that we're in Jackie's backroom, the same place Super Psych and I had our second encounter. I let out a relieved sigh, glad I'm somewhere familiar.
It was then that the realisation began to sink in- I had never been anywhere out of San Fransisco and my first experience travelling anywhere was with Super Psych of all people. Using teleportation of all methods. Despite my love for this particular hero, I couldn't bring myself to feel the slightest bit lucky.
"I'm putting you down." Super Psych said, he stayed true to his word, dropping me before I could even process them.
I fall straight down onto my hands and knees, thankfully it's carpet this time- though that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less. "Shit." He muttered, "I expected you to land on your feet, not like a fucking cat."
I ignored him, scowling. I get off my knees and onto my butt, noting the burning, I find that my legs are all scratched and even bleeding, I should've changed out of my uniform before I came by, it consisted of a black button up shirt with a matching pencil skirt, exposing my pale legs- blood was never a good look on me. I flinched, touching one of the little cuts. "You're bleeding..." he now noticed, surprised. "From falling on the carpet?"
I shook my head, rolling my eyes. "It's not from the carpet, I fell on the gravel."
"Gravel..." He repeated slowly, "What happened when I was gone?"
I laugh, and when I do, it sounds so humourless and cold- when I really just feel delirious more than anything. "I should be asking you that."
"What happened?" he persisted, words clipped and patience wearing thin. I can't place where his irritation is directed though, a logical assumption would be me, but I find myself doubting it.
I sighed, recalling the horrid event that took place barely an hour ago. "Hysterical girl's father was in that bank...she ran into the alleyway and straight into me. I fell over. I'm relatively unscathed." I explained grimly.
"Is the little girl okay?" he asked after a moment, concern laced his words. Not looking at him is starting to become easier, I had remembered to keep my eyes on the floor the whole time.
"Physically, yes. Emotionally, no...she saw her father get shot." I muttered, recalling the little girl's distraught, reddened face.
It's so silent I can hear him breathing, his intake of air is slow, yet ragged- and oddly, it calms me, "Close your eyes." he finally said, his voice surprisingly gentle.
I obliged, very curious. "Are you going to heal me? Can you do that?" And just like that, I had returned to my usual self again, annoyingly eager to know all about Supers and their capabilities.
"I...can't do that, but I'll be right back." he said, shutting me down completely. I felt myself deflate.
"That's what you said before you left me for so long I fell asleep." I sighed dramatically, smirking a little.
"I was gone for ten minutes." he murmured, the sound of footsteps retreating. I proceed to sit in silence and wait, eyes closed, feeling like child. After a short while, my ears perk at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Oh dear, best clean ya' up before ya' get an infection." It's Jackie, and I smile at the sound of her voice. She sounds genuinely worried... I hear some rustling around me and finally, a hand rest onto my shoulder. "Might sting, a lot." Jackie said, chuckling a little. I hear something, like the sound of a bottle cap twisting open. Was Super Psych drinking?
Damn him and his identity. I really wanted to see what's going on. I keep my eyes closed tighter just in case he ends up taking me to China this time. I know it's his hand on my shoulder and I'm not quite in the mood for another trip yet.
"Oh you can open your eyes, I changed masks." He said, sounding rather amused.
I open them to find Jackie damping a piece of cloth with...whiskey? Whereas Super Psych was sitting beside me, he had changed into a full faced mask, there wasn't a sight of skin on him, he was covered in black from head to toe. His hair is the same shade of black, too. Darker than I remembered it to be.
He takes his ninja-like persona to a whole new level.
"Augh!" I groaned, Jackie had placed the cloth down without a warning and began cleaning me up. She smiled up at me sheepishly, "Sorry dear, just thought the element surprise would make ya' less anxious." She said.
I hear Super Psych chuckling a little and I turn to look at him. The full faced mask made him look rather ridiculous and my glare couldn't help but twitch into a smile.
Jackie sighed, shaking her head at Super Psyche, "I can't believe you...taking this poor girl to one of your...your-"
"It was an accident." He mumbled, like a guilty child being lectured. I laughed this time, amused.
"I hope you aren't traumatised or anything." Jackie said, frowning at me. I notice that her cute little accent has disappeared. I can't help but frown too, now.
"I'm fine thanks for asking." Super Psych said jokingly, answering before I could- something he seems to do a lot.
Jackie ignored him- evidently still displeased at the situation, she seemed to be glaring at my wounds as if they would go away if she did it long and hard enough. "I need ta' go get some bandages, take over." Jackie ordered him, she handed him the piece of whisky soaked cloth and left, leaving just the two of us.
I stare at down at my legs, I didn't think they needed bandages or anything, they really were just scratches and little cuts. Tyler and I never bothered with any bandages or disinfectants growing up when we got hurt, mostly because there was no one around to tell us that we should've.
With a quiet sigh, Super Psych did as he was told and moved to sit where Jackie had, even with what he was wearing, I could see he looked completely stiff and awkward. Hesitantly, he placed his free hand on my knee and began wiping over my legs with the cloth in his other. I winced at every drag, "Could you maybe, do it gently?" He was much harsher with the cloth than Jackie and he didn't even seem to be trying.
"I'm doing it as gently as I can, it's the the whisky." He blamed weakly, sounding surprisingly sorry.
"Right." I laughed, unable to keep myself from smiling at his point.
Super Psych then proceeded to press the cloth into one of the cuts, the stinging intensifying, as if he was really rubbing salt into it. "Ow ow ow-Ty!" I cried, flinching away from the blood stained cloth.
His hand froze mid air, "What?"
I frowned, "I said ow."
"No you-...never mind." He muttered, "Maybe it'd be better if you did it yourself."
I narrowed my eyes, staring at his hand. He was gripping the cloth in a fist. I couldn't begin to imagine what it'd be like to receive a blow from him, and for a second, I almost pitied the bad. "Is it because of your super strength?" I asked curiously, was he unable to control it?
He didn't answer and I couldn't make out a reaction, his body language stayed stiff and the mask hid expression whereas reading eyes weren't as easy as people in stories make it seem. They were a dark brown, black, at first glance. They revealed nothing.
Then he did something that surprised me, he laughed, dropping his head, his shoulders shaking as he did. He had a really nice laugh, it sounded different to his awkward, polite chuckles. Smoother, lower and hearty. "I don't have super strength, Liv."
"Wait what?"
"I don't have super strength." He repeated, I could sense a smile in his voice, too. What I assumed must've inflated his ego. "I only have two abilities." He clarified.
I must've looked absolutely shocked because he started to laugh again. Jackie entered the room again, surprised by what she finds, her face settles into a delighted smile. "Sorry to interrupt."
-
Jackie had 'fixed me all up', as she had declared moments ago. The store was now closed and Jackie had ordered Super Psych to take me home. She pulled me into a goodbye hug, "Come back soon dear, gets awfully lonely around here." she said, when she pulls out of the embrace she hands me something. The leather jacket. "He has plenty." she whispered cheekily, "Check the pocket."
I do as I'm told, slipping my hand into one of the pockets, inside, I feel a slip of paper and I look at her curiously, "What's-"
"If you're ever in need."
I open my palm and read over the small piece of paper. She had scribbled down a phone number. I smile and nod, folding it and slipping it back into the pocket as it was. "I'll call."
"Good." Jackie chuckled and then turned to Super Psych, reaching up to squeeze his cheeks before she realised he was wearing a full faced mask, she retreated to pat his arm instead.
"Uh, are you okay with me taking-"
"He really does have plenty." Jackie said, cutting the both of us off just as he seemed to start answering.
"It's fine...keep it." Super Psych answered awkwardly. Jackie smiled, pleased. She then turned on her heels and began to make her way into one of the back rooms, once again, leaving us alone.
"Can you actually, take me to my room this time?" I asked, cocking my head at him. I doubt coming home with bandages on my legs would look very impressive in Elizabeth's eyes.
He shook his head, "I can't. It doesn't work like that."
"It doesn't?"
I hear him sigh, "It won't work if I can't see where I want to go or if I just haven't been there." He explained, "I need to be able to picture it."
This answered one question, but raised so many more. "So...you must be familiar with New York if you took us there..." I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
He doesn't answer. It aggravates me a little, but I suppose we aren't close enough for a smooth conversation.
"A big picture frame on baby blue wallpaper." I began slowly, closing my eyes.
I smile as silence ensues for his response. "What?" he finally replied, puzzled.
"A big picture frame on baby blue wallpaper that takes up most of the right wall, the picture is of myself and two friends with their arms around my shoulders on my fourteenth birthday." I continued, "The room is about double the size of this room and the floors are timber. There's a queen sized bed in the left hand corner of the room, wooden post and blue bed spread. A desk opposite it and a bookshelf of comics and such right beside it."
He chuckled, "When I said I needed to picture it, I didn't mean-"
"Have you tried?" I interjected, "You have abilities people can only dream of, either it'll work or it won't, no harm in trying, right?" I asked, hopeful. It was now I realised how truly desperate I must've seemed.
He hesitated, "Is...is there a problem?"
I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"I remember where your house is so I can just take you to your front door, but you asked me to take you to your room." he stated, suspicious.
I don't answer. The truth was quite lame. I just didn't want to see Elizabeth and my Dad as soon as I stepped in. He would've been home by now, caring for Elizabeth and he'd ask me questions I can't be bothered answering and lying about. Besides, lately I had become rather repulsed by him for reasons I can't quite figure why, causing me to subconsciously avoid him the past few days.
Super Psych doesn't press on it, taking my silence into consideration. "Okay, I'll try."
"Thanks." I murmur, smiling. I'm not entirely optimistic about my idea though.
"Uh, hold on."
I do as he says and grab hold of his arm, not expecting much. I psych myself up for failure, expecting to wind up walking through the front door instead. But something happens. We're suddenly I'm in my room.
It had happened so fast, teleporting, that is. I had seemed to miss it in the blink of an eye, deep in some other thought. One second I was standing on the carpet of Jackie's store, the next, I was standing on familiar timber ones.
"Is this..." Super Psych started, just as surprised.
"My room." I gasped, letting go of his arm.
Just as I had left it, just as it always had been. "It worked!" I find myself squealing, hitting his arm excitedly. Super Psych didn't seem to react, staying rigid. I realised he was staring at the picture on the wall, the same one I had described to him a moment ago.
I look at it, too. Recollection of my fourteenth birthday was a blur, but one thing I knew for sure was that it was my best birthday yet. It was a small party from what I remembered, the sixth birthday I've spent without my mother. Just Tyler's loving family with my dad and I in our backyard. Tyler was thirteen in the picture, being a few months younger than I. He was on my left side, whereas his older brother Cade was on my right. My face looked like a spotty tomato, fourteen was not a photogenic age for me. We were all smiling, wide as our mouths could let on.
Tyler and I both immensely loved the picture, I'd caught him staring at it so many times I had asked for my dad to get a bigger print of it and hang it up. It hasn't moved since, staying even when people left.
"Cute." Super Psych murmured. His voice startles me and I turn to smile broadly at him.
"I'm still cute, don't you think?" I laughed, placing both my palms under my chin and jokingly batting my eyes.
He chuckled, "Sure."