=Chapter Twenty-Three=
•*•
Ominous cloud
=

Wednesday, 18th of September

"Percy," May Said walking into the shop. She was a little late today. I was opening up by myself and Bella was nowhere to be seen.

"May! You're late, what's going on?" I said, noticing the slightly worried expression on Mays face.

"There seems to be some sort of attack nearby. I saw Batman and most of his... whatever you call them. Apprentice turned individual vigilantes I suppose. and I saw wonder woman and several other heroes. It must be big." She set her bag down on the counter.

"Oh. How far from here? Is the shop at risk?" I asked curiously.

"Not far at all only a block. I think we aught to postpone opening until it's over."

I nodded. "Okay. Have you heard from Bella?"

May shook her head. "No, the poor dear. I hope she hadn't been caught up in the crossfire of whatever is happening over there."

"Hmm." I hummed, walking to the windows and taking a look out. I couldn't see anything. But the knowledge that something was happing was ominous.

"Percy, move away from the window. I didn't get a clear view of the villain but I'd prefer you safe. Who knows if they will come down here."

I nod. "If they need all those heroes then it must be someone powerful."

We stood in silence, watching the windows from a distance.

"Jason isn't here either." I noted.

"It is 15 minutes past opening time." She agreed.

"I hope he's okay too."

"You know he doesn't have to be here every day." May smiled, poking me in the ribs.

"Hey!" I swatted her hand away.

"Yes I know.." I said with an exasperated tone. "He's just a regular..normal.."

"A friend..?" May offered a suggestion.

"Yeah. A friend." I nodded.

We both continued watching the windows, occasional smoke billowing up from behind the buildings.

"Has this happened nearby before..?" I asked May out of curiosity.

"Unfortunately it has. Gotham villains are unpredictable and sometimes can cause chaos all over the city. The last time was when Poison Ivy spread her plant toxins all over the city.. it broke into the shop and caused a huge mess.." May explained.

"I see." I moved to go get a glass of water, not wanting to be left without options just in case things came to worse. I wasn't about to let May get injured, or our bookshop burst into flames.

But before I could do so, I saw a dark cloud rise and loom over the buildings, getting nearer. "May.. maybe we should-" I back away a half step towards her before suddenly a massive explosion rocks the ground, the windows shattering and May and I flying back into the isles of the shelves, may just beside me.

The shelves also received a heavy burst of an aftershock and the few shelves that unfortunately weren't bolted to the ground started crashing down.

"Oh my gods-" I exclaimed as I stared in horror as the domino effect of shelves crashed down on us.

In quick reflex I tossed my body over Mays, covering her head with mine,trying to protect her.

The impact happened mere milliseconds after my actions, and I braced as heavy wood, hard cover books collapsed over us.

•*•

My ears rang loudly as I regained consciousness, my body was heavy- no. The wood and books were heavy.

And May..

I twitched my fingers to touch Mays hand. "M-May.." I coughed, my voice soft and far away even to myself.

May didn't respond.

Or maybe I couldn't hear her?

I gripped her hand. "May!" I said louder this time. And I felt her squeeze my hand back.

I relaxed. "Oh thank gods.." I mumbled.

I couldn't move. It seemed we were pinned under multiple well made bookshelves and hundreds of books.

I probably suffered some form of a head injury, but there wasn't time to think about that.

I started trying to push the books and shelving in hope to make a hole for air.

It was hot, stuffy and dusty, and I knew we couldn't wait for help.

Pushing didn't do much. I wondered how deep we could possibly be under this mess. It was just books and shelves, right?

I hissed as my hand sliced open while I attempted to make a hole again.

And glass. I added with a grimace.

I wasn't sure how long it has been since the explosion that caused an earthquake rivaled shockwave.

I wasn't sure how long I had been unconscious and May conscious below me, supporting a limp body and the weight of several shelves and hades knows what.

She must've been terrified.

Seconds felt like hours.

They could've been hours. But I kept trying to dig a hole through the books and splintered wood and glass.

Not realizing my movements were slowing again.

"Percy.. may.." a familiar voice. So distant..

Why can't I move? It's just books.

Slowly I felt the weight of the collapse lessen. I felt I could breathe a little better.

"Percy!" Jason's voice sounded louder.

Jason? Yeah. That was Jason.

•*•

Jason tossed books aside with a vigor. Not only had the bookshelves collapsed, but so did a wooden beam fall from the ceiling.

She had to be in this spot. He knew it.

He didn't know how he knew it, he just did.

His gloved hands tore through the mess, knowing he wouldn't be strong enough to lift the shelves alone. Especially since they had fallen on each other.

He didn't have time to get every shelf moved.

The blast from the Joker had only happened 45 minutes ago. He didn't realize how bad it was until he saw the damages on store fronts near the explosion. And then he started recognizing the streets and buildings..

Dread had set in, and he had turned back to the Joker, determined to finish this and go check on Percy.

And May.

But Bruce..Batman, refuses to kill the joker.

After everything he's done, after proving he's too powerful to merely lock up, as he escapes every. Single. Time.

This was one thing Jason and Bruce could never agree upon. The Joker needed to be killed. It was time for Gotham to be free of the terrorizing clown.

But not today. Jason was too impatient to deal with the aftermath of possibly killing the Joker. Especially Bruce's rage.

He needed to make sure Mays shop was okay.

Jason stepped forward, but Batman held his hand out, signaling a stop.

Jason knew that under Batman's mask, Bruce would be glaring knowingly. Knowing what Jason wanted to do.

The joker stood mere feet away, grinning maniacally.

And there was silence. It was a stand still.

And all he had to do was shoot him.

The Joker knew it, and the Joker grinned because he knew he wasn't in any real danger.

Against a dozen superheroes, all of Batman's family and even Wonderwoman, who had come to assist.

And he knew he was invincible.

Jason hated that thought. He wished for one moment, that everyone could agree to break the no killing rule. That there would be no consequences.

The world would be a better place without him!

But no.

Jason didn't have time for this.

If they were all just going to stand here, he was going to go check on Percy.

Jason stepped backwards, back towards where everyone else was standing their ground and continued stepping backwards until he was behind them. 

Jason noticed Batman staring at him.

Most likely wondering why Red Hood had stepped away. What plans Red Hood could possibly be making to mess things up.

Jason didn't care.

He turned and ran. He took off his helmet and domino mask and stuffed it in a trashcan while he ran. He didn't want to be Red Hood in that moment. They didn't know Red Hood. He wanted to be Jason.

Somebody Percy knows.

The streets showed damage. Many store fronts seemed to have cracked, or even shattered windows.

Some lamps were fallen, decorative plants or tables were turned over or in the street.

Jason knew he should be checking on the people inside these stores. But there were too many.

So he kept running.

It was only a block. But the damage in these shops and homes were only slightly better. Windows were still shattered. And-

There it was.

From the outside, Mays Bookstore looked fine, intact. But as Jason neared he realized that the windows had shattered.

And now Jason was digging into the pile directly in the center, hoping and praying Percy wasn't under there.

She didn't answer when he called.

"Percy!?" He yelled again,

And still no response.

He kept throwing books out of the way, digging as if it were dirt.

Finally, he saw something.

Oh. Oh no.

"Percy?" Jason asked carefully, still moving books away as he uncovered two bodies.

His hands started shaking as he noticed a strange, splintered piece of wood sticking straight up.

It wasn't huge, but it looked sharp.

He managed to slip Percy carefully out from under the fallen shelves. Luckily she wasn't pinned too badly under them, he was able to lift and slide her out awkwardly.
And following got May out from under it as well.
the splintered wooden shard had pierced Percy's skin, and Jason prayed it wasn't deep.

He scooped her up, holding her awkwardly, as the shard was coming out of her back upper left hip, slightly above where her hoodie ended and her jeans began.

He decided it was best to take it out.

He carefully brought her to a table, swiping off all the glass and dust and setting her down, before going back to retrieve May, who thankfully was awake, and he carried her to a couch.

He knew they both needed medical attention, but there wasn't time for that.

"May, are you alright?" He asked softly.

May nodded. "Where is Percy.. She.. she's okay right?"

Jason nodded back in response. "I think she's fine. But I got to go help her right now, will you be okay?"

"Yes.. please. Go help her." May coughed.

Jason nodded, rushing back to the table where Percy seemed awake, yet disoriented and unresponsive.

He went to the nearest bathroom and pulled out the medical kit in a metal box, and brought it back to Percy, setting it on the table beside her.

Once he took out the stick. (Because at this point, it's kinda a stick.)

She might start to bleed everywhere. And it needed to be treated as a stab wound.

He prepared gauze and other dressing materials and got to work.

"This might hurt." He murmured as he carefully extracted the shard of wood, which went through her hoodie into her skin.

A yelp leapt from Percy's mouth as the wood finally came out, he threw it aside, and pulled up the hoodie to inspect the wound.

He carefully removed extra pieces of splinters with tweezers, and then started disinfecting the wound as it bled.

Jason pressed a cloth to the wound to stop it from bleeding once he was satisfied she didn't have anything else to disrupt healing.

He dressed the wound carefully and when he was done, he turned her over. "Percy?" He said softly.

She blinked, Seemingly still in shock.

"Hey, it's okay. Percy, can you hear me?" He lifted her to a sitting position on the table and held her up so he could look her in the eyes.

She nodded, her eyes finally focusing on his.

"Say something." Jason demanded.

"..hi?" She said hoarsely.

Jason sighed, relieved. All his tension melting away as he lowered his head until his forehead was against her shoulder. "Don't scare me like that." He mumbled.

"Sorry." She apologized.

After a long pause, he stepped back. "Can you walk?" Then he shook his head. "Never mind."

Jason scooped Percy up in his arms and brought her over to where May was.

May seemed relieved to see Percy.

"Oh thank goodness.." she exclaimed.

Jason sat beside May on the couch, still holding Percy. "Put me down." Percy hissed.

Jason ignored her.

Percy pushed away from Jason herself and turned to May. "May! Are you okay?" She asked anxiously.

May nodded. "Thanks to you, dear. I don't think I could've handled all that on my own. Are you alright?" May asked back.

Percy nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. It was just books."

Jason raised an eyebrow.

And a shelf or two, but that's okay. We can skip that part.

"Thank you Jason for getting us out. You're a great young man." May said gratefully.

"It's no problem, May. I only wish I got here faster.." Jason sighed. He pressed a gloved hand to his face.

Percy took his hand away from his face and held it in hers. "Seriously, Jason. Thank you. May could've been hurt if we were under there much longer."

Jason looked at his hand in hers, and saw the cuts on her palms. He sighed again. "You're hurt too, Percy. Stop being selfless for once."

"I'm fine." She glared. Don't worry May. She seemed to say.

I glared back. She's a full grown adult, she can handle it.

She raised an eyebrow. She's elderly! What if she has a heart attack and dies!!?

Jason rolled his eyes.

"You worry too much." He whispers to her.

"We gotta clean up." Percy said, standing suddenly, before wobbling slightly and sitting back down. "Maybe in a minute."

"Let's wait until we have windows again and then start cleanup." Jason insisted.

"How long will that take." She groaned.

"Not long.. especially if I order them." Jason grinned.

"Let me guess.. rich parent alert." Percy rolled her eyes.

Jason nodded. "I'm especially mad at him right now. So I'll cover that cost."

•*•

Hi all!

Here's another update lols

Hope you enjoyed.

There was never a good stopping place so I kept writing so
Longer ish chapter today yay.
Don't mind me switching to third person. Some days I can't stand that I started writing this in first person lol.

Anyways, have a *phonetastic* day!

Toodles!

💙🍪