KING'S APARTMENT
NOVEMBER 1ST
11:36 a.m.
The moment wouldn't stop replaying in her head. She gathered courage and did what she was scared to do...and it worked.
She couldn't believe it. The drive back to Silas's was silent, but it was a comfortable silence. The night ended with the two helping Silas to his room and Damian awkwardly asking to see her again. But like, on an actual date.
Since she got home about an hour ago, Noelle had been laying on her bed, waiting for who knows what. School didn't cancel despite it being the day after Halloween, but hardly anyone would show up. Noelle didn't want her first day back to be to no one. The portrait of her rests against the wall not too far from her. Her worries were temporarily forgotten as she begun to envision her near future.
What's Mama going to think? She questions herself. Or Silas? Or everyone at school and in Gotham? Would they even care? No, of course they would. It's Damian.
Are people going to be spiteful? What if they think I'm not pretty enough for him? Or a gold-digger? Maybe they're violent.
But then she imagined Damian telling her it would be okay; that they shouldn't care about what others think. Because it would just be the two of them in their own little world.
Those thoughts bring her out of the anxiety hole she'd created for herself. It even makes her smile.
Her phone buzzes, forcing her to quickly reach for it with the hopes of it being a notification from Damian. She frowns in confusion at the text from an unknown number.
unknown
This Noelle King?
possibly demon head's girlfriend
...
maybe
why
unknown
I'm damian's brother
well, one of them
you may have heard of me.
I'm his second favorite.
~ jason ~
demon head's girlfriend
oh!
yes, Jason
he's talked about you
~ jason ~
ditto.
he told me about last night.
nice job
also
you're officially invited for family dinner
this weekend :)
demon head's girlfriend
did damian put you up to this?
~ jason ~
demon spawn would rather die
than invite you to meet the family.
which is why we're totally doing it.
Tim's gonna be here in a few days anyway.
so you'll get to meet his immediate family.
Noelle's eyes widen at the thought. They hadn't even gone on a first date and she was already meeting the family?
~ jason ~
don't freak out or anything.
demon head's girlfriend
sorry
just processing
Damian and I haven't even had a first
date yet. are you sure this is gonna
be okay?
~ jason ~
he sleeps on your couch
on school days. you're close enough.
besides, isn't he supposed to be there now?
demon head's girlfriend
my dad's been sticking around
since the incident.
~ jason ~
exciting. but you've been doing this
for a month now.
well, think about it, alright?
the kid needs a little spontaneity in his
life. something to get that tree out of
his ass. you're it.
Noelle bites her lip. Okay, she could do this, right? It's just a family of billionaires/vigilantes. No biggie. She could do this.
~ jason ~
also we should totally keep this a surprise.
demon spawn's girlfriend
agreed
what do I wear?
And with that, Noelle conversed with Jason for nearly an hour, both coming up with the plan to surprise Damian at his house Saturday night.
ARKHAM ASYLUM
NOVEMBER 1ST
16:00 p.m.
Daniel had never felt so confused.
For some reason, he couldn't get her out of his head. He couldn't stop seeing her face. He couldn't stop wanting to feel her lips on his again. He wanted to be near her again.
Maybe it was the party and his conversation with Noelle. Or, maybe it was a subconscious desire he hadn't realized.
Whatever the reason, he decided to visit her to hopefully satisfy that final fucked up want.
He sits patiently in the folding chair, hands holding each other as he waits patiently for her. The door buzzes loudly, startling him from his thoughts.
In walks Jade Saxe with a satisfied smirk.
She had obviously seen better days. Her blonde hair is greasy, her eyes looked dull and a new bruise dots her cheek bone, but she still had that smug look.
"You came back," she notes, her voice slightly raspy. Her smirk remains as she takes a seat across from him. "I knew you would."
Daniel nods his head at the bruise, swallowing the lump in his throat. "What happened?"
Jade gently touches the bruise, but doesn't flinch. She always had a high threshold for pain. "That old hag, Evelyn Carter." She gives a dismissive wave. "I'm told I was lucky to get away with just this." She lets out a small sigh as she stretches her arms. "But my interactions with certain inmates isn't why you're here."
Daniel nods his head in agreement. "I just..." he focuses on his hands. "I wanted to make sure they kept you locked up."
He can hear her annoyed sigh. "Look me in the eye, Danny." With little hesitation, Daniel looks into her blue eyes. Despite them being dull only a few moments ago, they seem bright and determined. Seeing Daniel managed to spark a fire. "You're lying," she sing songs.
Daniel lets out a shaky breath as he stomach knots up with anxiety. God, I could use a joint, he thinks to himself. "What did you do to me?"
Jade's smirk softens as she leans over the table. A strand of hair falls out of its tucked spot behind her ear, framing part of her face. Her eyes almost seem to gleam, a complete shift compared to what they were like five minutes ago. "I have no fucking clue," she whispers, "but I love it."
"Did..." Daniel trails, trying to find the right words, "did you, like, Stockholm me or something?" Daniel lets out another shaky breath as his eyes start to redden. Tears that he can't stop begin to form.
"Maybe," Jade admits again before placing her hands over his. He tenses, but doesn't pull his hands away. "Or it could be a side effect of the lipstick. Whatever happened, happened. I think we should make the most of it." She leans closer. "Don't you agree?"
And for some godforsaken reason, Daniel nods his head in agreement.
"What do you want me to do?"
Jade leans back against the chair before tilting her head slightly. A sly smile forms as her new plot finally begins.
"It's not what I want from you, Danny, it's what I need," Jade corrects. Daniel raises a brow, urging her to continue. "You remember that little theory of yours? About the Batman and his son?" Daniel nods his head. "I think we have a way to prove it."
"Noelle," Daniel realizes before she had to say it. "Because of her connection to Robin."
"You're so smart," Jade coos, "I knew I had a good reason for choosing you." Her thumb gently rubs small circles into his palm, calming his rapidly beating heart. "Just...talk to her. Don't do anything violent or forceful, you need her to trust you."
"But...she might not know his identity. What if—"
"She'll know something." She removes her hands away from his and slowly stands. "Don't come back until you have another theory, alright?"
"But what if—"
She slams her hand on the table, stopping him from finishing his sentence. Daniel's eyes widen as he sits up straighter. Eyes wide and willful, Jade smiles. "If you don't come back with anything useful, I'll just get someone else to do it . You don't wanna be pushed aside, do you?"
Daniel shakes his head, getting ready to stand. He intertwines his hands, keeping them from doing anything that might reveal his anxiety.
"Good," she coos. "I'll see you next week, alright?"
Despite the disgust and hatred and fear turning in his stomach, he nods his head in agreement. His actions felt more subconscious than forced. Maybe the potion did more damage than either of them thought. Or maybe you actually care about her success.
Daniel grits his teeth at the thought. No. She did something. She had to have.
As Jade leaves the visiting room, Daniel was escorted out of Arkham. The walk was a bit of a blur, but other than the thoughts of fear and confusion, Daniel knew one thing:
He needed to find out what Noelle King knows, or else that "someone else" mentioned might go about this in a much different way.
11/4/20