But he's dead...?

Chapter 1

Jack slowly walked down the empty grey sidewalk, nothing but lights guiding his way back to his apartment. He sighed, checking his phone.

"Have you seen this man?" Jack jumped, looking at the person standing in front of him. The man was holding a picture of someone in front of his face.

"Uh," Jack slowly took the picture and looked at it. He gasped and quickly gave the picture back. "No, I don't." Jack said, starting to walk away as fast as possible. This can't be happening.

"Wait! I know you know who this is!" Jack stopped and turned around, facing the man. This isn't going to be fun.

"I don't know who that is." Jack said sternly. The man rolled his eyes. 

"Jack," He said. "You really need to cut the crap. You know who this is, and I know you're confused. So why lie to me?" Jack shrugged, upset that the man just would not leave him alone. He just wanted to go home back to his friend. 

"How do you know my name?" Jack questioned, thoroughly upset. 

"I just do." The man said. Jack bit his lip. He knew he should be calling the cops right now, or better yet, running away from the complete stranger. But, something told him to stay. 

"I do know who that person is..." He said quietly, thinking about what's going on right now and why he's still here. The man smiled, happy that he cooperated. 

"That's it! So, I have some questions for you." He said, putting the picture away.

"What?" Jack asked, playing with the bracelet on his wrist. He was visibly nervous, constantly looking around. 

"Who is that in the picture?" Jack sighed.

"Um... his name is uh, Mark.." Jack said, closing his eyes and breathing heavily. He didn't know what the stranger wanted but he really wanted to leave. 

"Alright. You know him right? Very well I presume." Jack nodded.

"I did, yes." 

"He's dead now, correct?" Jack ran his fingers through his hair, struggling to not get even more upset.

"Y-Yeah. He is.." The man laughed, which made Jack angry. How could he laugh at something like that?

"Why is that funny?" The man stopped, and shrugged.

"What if i told you he wasn't dead." Jack looked at him, bewildered. 

"What?" 

"You heard me." The man said, taking the picture out again and giving it to Jack.

"N-No. He's dead... he's not- you're lieing to me." Jack said, staring intently at the picture. He remembered when this was taken. They were hanging out together and Mark made Jack take a picture of him. He smiled at the memory.

"He might be, he might not. Who knows?" The man said, starting to walk away.

"Wait, who are you?" Jack asked.

"A friend." He said, walking away. Jack quickly walked to his apartment after that, unlocking the door. 

"Jack! You're back!" Robin said, walking over to him. "I was starting to get worried man." Jack weakly smiled at him, taking off his shoes and coat, hanging it up on the wall.

"You alright?" Jack shrugged and sat down on the couch reaching into his pocket for the picture.

"I'm great... why?" He said. Robin sat down next to him.

"Where'd you get that..?" Robin asked.

"Uh, I've had it." Robin took the picture, putting it in his pocket carefully. Jack tried to reach for it but he got pushed back.

"That's a lie. Is the picture why you were late?" Jack crossed his arms and shrugged.

"Jack, what happened? Why do you have this?" Jack wiped a tear that was slowly coming down his face.

"I-I met some guy.. he uh, gave me that." He said, bringing his knees up to his chest. He was crying even more now, unable to control it.

"Some random guy on the street came up and gave you a picture of Mark?" Jack slowly nodded, wiping more tears away.

"I mean he asked me if I knew who it was and I-I said yes," he paused and rested his head on Robin's shoulder. "then he asked me some questions, said some things. I-It was nothing." 

"What questions did he ask you?" Robin asked, rubbing Jack's back. Jack leaned into the touch, trying to calm down.

"He asked me simple questions like if I knew who it was and if he was dead... stuff like that." Jack started crying even more, almost to the point where he couldn't breath. He knew he was having a panic attack.

"Hey, hey.. calm down. You're okay." Robin said, rubbing his back. "You're with me and we're okay. Everything's fine, Jack." He latched onto Robin, still crying but slowly calming down.

"It's okay.." Robin sighed and pulled the picture out.

"I miss him too you know." Jack stopped crying and looked at the picture with him.

"I just- I just want him back." He said.

"I do too." Jack sat up and looked at him.

"The stranger said something else as well..." 

"What did he say?"

"He said that Mark, uh could be alive.." Robin's eyes went wide. He was confused.

"Jack, I don't wanna be that guy but you know he can't be... alive... right?" Jack nodded.

"Yeah.." Jack took the picture back and headed to his room. "I'm going to sleep."

"Alright.." Robin sighed, rubbing his eyes. What is going on?