Salvation

24

Vernon's office was empty, which was annoying. Harvey slammed the door shut and walked along the corridor. Adelaide shuffled after him simply. Coming upon his office he narrowed his eyes. The lights were on, he certainly wasn't in there, so who was? Looking at Adelaide, he nodded. She gave a quick nod and took a step back as he pushed the door open roughly. The door rattled on its hinges.

The blonde man in the room let out a squeak and jolted in the chair. "Harvey! I didn't know-"

"We don't know who this 'Harvey' is. But be sure to send him our regards," he said in an emotionless tone while flipping the coin in the air and letting it land in his scarred palm. "Huh, lucks out, Vernon." Harvey smiled and pulled the hidden gun out from his jacket pocket and aimed it at the younger man. A shot rang out and the man collapsed backwards.

Adelaide peered into the room. "So, that's what a bullet does to the human eye."

Harvey frowned and looked at her, lowering the gun he put it back into his pocket. "Would you like a closer look?"

"No, thank you. I'm good." She looked up at him.

Harvey did note how her complexion had paled slightly since eyeing up the dead man. "Let's go. The police will come here soon and investigate, with them comes Batman."

"We need to avoid both."

"Rightly said."

"It'd be awkward if I met Batman again. I'd seem like such a liar." Harvey frowned and didn't answer her. "I mean...I did say I didn't know where you were. Then like...the day after you popped up."

"You sound like you care about what he thinks." He said through gritted teeth.

"No, I didn't mean it like that...just...lying to someone like that is-"

"Scary?"

"Yes."

"Pray you don't ever lie to me then," he seethed and kicked open the exit and walked off quickly.

----

"I can't do it!" Adelaide pouted.

"It's not hard," Harvey mumbled while turning the page of the newspaper he was reading. He'd started to try and teach Adelaide hand to hand combat. He was good at hand to hand combat, he didn't see the harm in teaching it to her. Clearly she didn't want to use a gun. In all honesty, he didn't want her to have a gun either. At the moment Adelaide was trying to link punches together into a sequence. She wasn't quite there. Her footing, Harvey narrowed his eyes. Standing up he stuck his foot out, Adelaide yelped as she stumbled backwards. "Footing." Adelaide looked up at him from her laying position on the floor. "Don't glare at me." Harvey sighed. "This'd be much easier if you just accepted the gun."

"But then you'd still have to teach me how to use it!"

"Aim, pull the trigger, bullet flies towards target, impact, injury or death."

"How do you reload a gun?" Harvey flinched and looked down at her again. "What? I don't know how to reload a gun. I've never been near one."

"I...had one yesterday," Harvey said slowly. Pulling the gun back out of the jacket pocket he crouched down. "Here," he held her hands and put the gun in her hands.

"Can I still learn how to fight?" Harvey nodded. "You're really making sure I can look out for myself, aren't you?"

"Yes," he looked up at her. "I don't want you to get hurt." He said honestly. The two looked at each other for a few moments before he let out an awkward cough and put her finger on the trigger. "Aim, and pull the trigger."

"Target?"

Harvey looked over his shoulder and pointed to the fireplace. "That photo frame."

"But it's still got a photograph in it."

Harvey frowned at her. "So?"

"I don't want to ruin a photograph."

"...Aim, and pull the trigger." He said getting slowly annoyed. He stood up and helped her up too. Adelaide lifted her arms up, one hand was holding onto the weapon, the other was steadying her other arm. Harvey stood behind her and lifted her arms up more. "Relax, Addy."

"Harvey I'm about to fire a gun. How can I be calm?" She shot a look at him from over her shoulder.

"The more tense you are, the more likely it is that it'll throw your aim off." He said simply while ignoring the look she shot at him. Putting his hands on her shoulders he nudged them down. "Relax."

"Still not happening." Adelaide mumbled and let out a slow breath and pulled the trigger.

"Well, that's seven years bad luck. Well done." He grumbled and scratched his head and eyed up the now shattered mirror. Adelaide looked at the broken mirror bleakly. "See, being tense throws your aim off."

"Harvey, you're trying to get me to hit a small target...impossible much? How high are your standards?"

"My standards are always high, would you expect anything else from me?" He smirked.

Adelaide grinned, "No! That's you all round really isn't it?"

Harvey pulled a face at the mirror again. "Well...at least we know you can fire the gun." He said idly. "Just need to work on your aim."

"Erm...right...aim." Adelaide shuffled from foot to foot. "Help." She pouted. Harvey smiled and walked back over to stand behind her. Leaning down he leaned against her shoulder and lifted her arms up. Putting a finger over her one on the trigger he pulled it. The photo frames glass shattered and pieces fell to the floor. Looking up at Adelaide, he smiled slowly at the sight of a small smile on her face. "Yay." She whispered.

He raised an eyebrow at this. "Shooting a gun clearly makes you happy." He said. "Well done." He put a hand on her head and simply ran his fingers through her hair.

"Can I have another go?"

"Something tells me I'll need to go buy a new gun." Harvey said while shuffling back over to where he was previously sitting. Picking up the newspaper he opened it again and briefly looked up at Adelaide.

She shut her left eye, she might as well, she didn't have vision in it so what use would it be here, in this task? "Wahey!" Harvey shook his head. The childish joy which seemed to appear from her hitting a target was really something.

----

(Edited: 22/Jan/2020)