Red Hood: You Only Die Twice (ON HOLD)

Chapter 8: Thoughts and feelings

The small tinted bathroom light displayed my face clearly as my bare feet stood firmly in front of my small clay sink, my tired hazel eyes lazily scanned the numerous small scars that pokes out from my jet black tank top. The smaller sliced scars sat scattered around my arms and shoulder blades but larger, blunt scars gathered closer to the centre of my torso. Though the clear mirror didn't display any of my lanky pale legs but the tips of my hands could feel the ugly, thick shapes that still displayed a small crimson tint on my thighs. I shook my head before resting it in my palm. With everything going on inside my head it was hard to concentrate on anything, I had though that once me and Kylie had returned home for a girl's night, I could...distract myself. Enjoy myself maybe. Though my working shift had ended long ago, I couldn't enjoy the time with Kylie.

I sighed "Get a grip Katherine..." I muttered finally to myself before looking at myself dead in the eye. A broken woman looked back at me. Ignoring her, I moved out of the bathroom, and back into the living room, over to the large window sill, where Kylie sat waiting for me with our seprate pizza boxes sitting on the ledge. Kylie turned her head to me as I re-entered the room. 

"You took a while, you okay?" she asked. clearly picking up on my strange behaviour that I had failed to hide. I couldn't help but chuckle lightly, i self conciously scrathed my nose. 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine" I said. I stared out at the black skeleton frame of the escape just blocking the midnight glow of Gotham city. I sat with my knees curled up to my chest, my chin rested gently on top of my bare knees. My arms tightly strapped my position into place, my eyes lazily looked out onto the city lights. I could feel her looking at me from the corner of my eye. Not fully convinced. 

"You going to talk to me or are you going to sulk in the bathroom again?" Kylie asked, her body leaning forwards slightly. 

"I wasn't sulking, I just really needed to poop" I joked. I shot her a playful glare causing her to flash a smirk. My hand somewhat gently jabbed at her arm, she instantly recoiled from my touch.

"Hey!" She called out. "But seriously...are you going to tell me what's going on?" Her voice re-took It's serious tone. I turned back to the window, her kind eyes being greeted with the side of my face.

"Surprise, surprise. It's Red..." I said, my voice coated in frustration. Unsure of how to continue, I allowed my words to be drowned out by the street noise that slipped through the windows.
She didn't say anything, her silence implying she wanted me to continue. I turned my gaze towards her but my free hand reached up to my loose pony tail, my fingers tangled with my hair, my nails digging into my scalp. "Before those patients died, Robin asked me help find Red. He had gone missing investigating something to do with the hospital."
"So where the problem?"
"After Robin brought him back, he was pretty angry I was there. He's trying to keep me out of it but with the deaths last night. I don't know what he's going to do."
"Ah. I see."
"Yeah." I paused. "But I wasn't much of a rain on sunshine ethier."
I waited for Kylies sooth voice to fill in the silence, she took a short breathe before continuing.
"What do you mean?"
"I was so mad at him when I first saw him, I could barely look at him. I wanted to be mad at him for leaving me, but when I thought he was in danger...and even now.." I cowardly whispered out. I felt Kylie's grip tighten on my ankle, her kind eyes giving me a smypethic look. "Its been 2 years and I still care about him."
"He left the 'relationship' in a pretty weird place and Its hard, you've been through alot. He's the only person who really knows what it's like to go through that. I think in his head he's protecting you." 

I didn't object to her saying that we had a relationship, as cliqued as it was, we defiently had a relationship and it was complicted. Espically now

"I'll get over it." I said, with a breif nod to myself.  
"Come on Katherine, don't think of it like-"
Suddenly the sound of Kylie's ringtone broke me from my trance, my head sharply looked up over to the kitchen counter. The screen glowed brightly as it violently vibrated against the fake marble surface. Kylie sighed as she pushed herself up from the window sill. I watched as her bare feet tapped against the wooden floor quietly as she took my time getting to my phone. The collar ID proudly displayed, Kylies eyes stared at it for a second before finally answering.
"Hello?" She asked, the thin black touch screen phone pressed against her ear.
"Who is it?" I asked in a hushed voice.
"Shush." She hissed quietly as she pressed her finger against her other ear, blocking out all sound. Her expression dropped as the words flooded her ears, she paused before placing the phone down back onto the counter top. She stared blankly as a frown grew on my brow, her arms hung by her side, unsure of what to do with them. 

"What is it?" I asked.

Kylie slowly turned to me, "There's been another attack at the hospital."

we stared at one another, neither of us moving. Both of us completely unsure of what to do. It was happening all over again. 

--------------------

"Did you get my scrubs?" Kylie called from the front from. I cursed. Slipping from the side of my bed, I quickly grabbed at the still drying scrubs that rested on the thin washing line. 

"Got it!" I yelled. 

"I'll meet you by the car" Kylie called out before shutting my apartment door behind her, I didn't say a word as my hands clumsily shoved all my nesscary items into my duffle bag. Knowing that it would be a very long shift for the both of us. Lifting the bag by it's overdrawn strap, slinging it over my shoulder. I swiftly gripped on to the base of my shoes as I rushed through my apartment. Re-emgerying from my back room back into my living room, I made my way to the front door. Suddenly a light tap against the metal fire escape caught my attention, planting my feet in place. Slowly turning to where the sound had come from, I was greeted with Jason, squated at the window. His gloved hands already gripping on the edge, lifting it open. I didn't move as he slipped inside.

"Thank god you're here." He muttered as he quickly removed his helmet, showing off his slim crimson eye mask. Relife washing over his expression, i didn't realise how tense that his broad shoulders were until they finally fell.  "I was worried when I couldn't find you at the hospital."

"Don't get comfortable, I'm leaving." I said as I began my pace once again. I wasn't in the mood to be stopped right now, the old stale anger resurfacing once again. Shaking it away, I readjusted my strap as I moved. Jason sharply moved after me, his gloved hand coiling around my upper arm. Holting me just a few feet away from the door. 

"Like hell you are." He said firmly. I scoffed as I turned on my heel, his hand still gripping on to me. Our eyes met, both of us showing our distaste for the other's decision. 

"What? You going to stop me?"

"If I have too."

"Unlike you, I have a job to do." I snapped, pulling my arm from his grip but my feet didn't move. Knowing that he would stop me the second I made a move towardss the door. 

"These attacks have become more centrialsed, he know which hospital you work at." He argued.  

"But he doesn't know me." I argued back. 

"You need to come with me."

"I need to get to work."

"It's not safe anymore. It won't be much longer before -"

"NO! I'm not leaving them!" I yelled "This is my job! They need me and I am not letting you or anyone else stop me!"

Jason blinked. My hand gripping on to the door knob, pulling it open the hall light flooded into the night filled room. Just as I was about to step out into the light I stopped, my eyes trying to stop from looking over my shoulder. I sighed. 

"I'm sorry for the way I acted...it was....immature. I don't know why I'm so mad at you, but if you want me to play it cool and act like you don't exsist in my life you have to do the same for me." I said before exiting the room, leaving him behind.