Hello Reader!!! I wanted to address somethings in the last chapter first before this chapter begins. First, i wanted to apologize in you feel that Heatblast was nerfed in the last chapter. that was not my intention. i was trying to make the proper buildup that this is Devin first time using his powers in actual combat. And with one of Batman's most formidable super villains no less. second, up to thing point for been for you all to understand Devin's character traits. i want you all to see that Devin will always prioritize the safety of the bystander and finds the best way to stop the villain and minimize damage to the areas a battle takes place. From this point on when his character development begins.
i also want to apologize for the inconsistency. I'm trying to think of what to add for content to add for future chapters that will keep you all entertain. i only just back into this after two months of not writing anything so I'm a bit rusty when it comes to creativity.
please enjoy the chapter!!!
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Devin woke up with his body sore and his head pounding. He looked at his surroundings and realized he was in an alley. His mind was filled with confusion until his memories came back to him. After his battle with Mr. Freeze, he escaped using Ghost Freak. He was trying to make it back home while staying invisible but crashed into an alley when he unintentionally turned back to human. That fight had drained him more than he thought, causing him to become exhausted. Not only that but he had an injury on his back from that bullet from one of the goons.
He used his other arm to reach around his back to touch the injury. He winced when he touched the wound and was greeted by a feint wet texture. When he brought his hand back, he saw his own blood. it was a lot since it it was just a 'chip' from when he was Heatblast and the wound had stopped bleeding mostly.
Devin stood up. The action required more effort than it should have. He fell from 20ft into the air due to the exhaustion and was sure he had a few bruises. The only good thing was that he fell on pile of discarded cardboard which broke his fall and protected him from more fatal injuries.
"Great." he rasped, his voice sounding small in the vast, empty alley. "Note to self: falling is not a super-power."
Devin looked up and was greeted by the night sky of Gotham. A feeling of trepidation creeped in because most crimes in Gotham occurred at night and he wasn't looking to be its next target.
Through pain and determination, Devin walked out of the alley and began making his way home.
---
As Devin began his journey home, he made sure to keep his breathing under control and maintain a calm expression. The less attention he drew to himself, the better.
It would've been logical for him to go to a hospital but that wasn't an option. Doctors would ask questions about how he got injured and that was something he didn't want to answer.
Devin replayed the encounter with Freeze in his mind. He thought of way he could've better utilized his powers as Heatblast. This fight highlighted that he needed to be more tactical in the future. Not only that but he needed to learn how to fight. He could fight in the general sense like any human but had no experience in martial arts. He didn't want to be like those heroes who only relied on their powers and are nearly useless when they lose them.
Just as Devin was thinking about future plans, a noise caught his attention. The noise was coming from an alley he was about to pass. He knew that in this city, noise in an alley was likely something not good. Curious about what was going on warred with the logic to get home and tend to his wounds. He let out a sigh as it seemed he couldn't catch a break today. In the end, he decided to check it out. he stepped into the alley to find the source of the noise
As he got closer, the sounds became clearer. What he heard was the sound of a fight taking place. When he reached the corner, he stopped before peaking around the corner.
Around the corner, he saw a single person who was clearly female due to the shape of her body. He couldn't see her face because a mask concealed it but was sure she was teen due to her height. Surrounding her were 3 men who wore creepy smiles. A sign of malicious intent.
"Ya got nowhere to run, girl." one of the men spoke confidently. "You made this too easy."
"Don't worry. We'll be sure to treat you well." another spoke, his voice clear with intent.
"We won't hurt ya too badly." The third spoke and they all began to close in to restrain her.
Just by their words alone, Devin knew what these men were planning to do. He might have been injured but he wasn't going to allow that to stop him.
Before Devin could act, the girl did something unexpected. Just as one of the men was about to grab her, she took hold of his outstretched arm and applied a controlling twist, forcing it into a restraint position behind his back.
Shock appeared on the man's face as he struggled against her hold. While he may have been stronger, the position he was in gave him little mobility.
"Let me go!" the man barked, trying to get free.
At that moment, one of the other men charged recklessly towards them. The girl noticed this and a smile playfully under her mask.
"As you wish." She said before pushing the man into his approaching comrade. The approaching man tried the dodge but the place of the alley provided little room. their bodies collided and they fell to the ground.
The third man stepped forwards with his fist clenched and anger marking his features.
"Big mistake." The man lunged forward with his fist raised. He swung his arm out towards the girl's face, intent on delivering a devastating blow.
The girl merely sidestepped before sweeping the man's legs from under him which resulted in him falling on the ground.
One of the men that she had taken down first had stood up and snuck up from behind. The man wrapped his arms around here, successfully managing to restrain her. The one she swept also stood up and smiled cruelly when he saw her restrained.
He charged at her again with the same tactic. When he was in range, the girl brought her legs up and thrusted them into the man's chest, sending him flying to the ground once again.
As for the one holding her in a vice grip, she stomped on his foot with such force that the man cried out in pain and instinctively let her go. She followed up the attack with a jab to his throat. The next thing he knew, his head was being grabbed and felt a power impact to his chin. The girl had sent a knee into the man's chin. The impact caused his brain to rattle before falling to the ground unconscious.
The third and finally stood up with an expression of pure rage on his face.
"You're going to pay for that!" he shouted before pulling out a knife from his pocket.
The girl showed no fear. Instead, her eyes showed something that might've been amusement.
The man charged at her. When he was close enough, he swung his knife frantically, hoping to land a hit on her.
The girl dodged with calm evasion. Ducking, redirecting, stepping back, etc. She moved just enough with the space she was provided.
Devin peaked from behind a dumpster that was in the alley. He watched the altercation with awe, taken aback by the girls fighting prowess. Her movements weren't violent. Instead, she moved with fluidity and grace despite the situation.
She wrenched the knife from the man's hand, causing him to drop his weapon. She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a choke hold. The man struggled and tried to loosen the grip around his neck but the girls was strong despite how she looked. The man's vision became clouded and quickly lost consciousness.
The girl let him go, letting his body slump to the ground along with the others. She stood victorious over her defeated foes. She was silent for a moment.
"I know you're there."
Devin hid behind the dumpster just as the girl turned her head. his heart hammered his chest and sweat trickled down his forehead as he tried to stay silent, hoping the girl would just leave him be. Just by seeing her combat skills, he knew he was no match for her. He'd have a chance if he absorbed some stone or metal but the fact was that he was still injured and wasn't sure how long he'd last if a fight were to break out between them.
Suddenly, Devin felt a tap on the top of his head. didn't even have time to flinch before she was above him, perched on the edge of the dumpster like a gargoyle. Startled, he stumbled back and fell on the ground after losing his footing and fell on his back directly on his wound, causing him to wince.
An amused look appeared in the girl's eyes before it turned to genuine shock when she saw his face.
"Devin?" the girls voice was tinged with recognition.
Devin was shocked when he heard the girl say his name since he was sure he hadn't met this person. Before he could ask how she knew his name, she hopped off the dumpster and stepped closer to him.
The girl removed her mask, revealing her face.
Olive skin.
Vietnamese features.
Black hair.
"Jade?!" Devin said with shock and surprise.
"What are you doing here?" Jade asked with narrow eyes.
Devin stood up, the shock making him forget his injury.
"I was... walking home when I heard a commotion coming from an alley. Sure enough, I saw you about to be mugged. What I didn't except was for those guys to be taken down. And easily at that." Devin replied honestly.
The suspicion in Jades eyes lessen and she replied.
"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle." She thought about the harsh training her dad was putting her and her sister through.
"Yeah. You seem like you can handle yourself pretty well in a fight." Devin replied with a chuckle but winched when action made his injury flare. his wound reopen when he landed on his back when Jade startled him.
Jade noticed this and went to his side.
"What's wrong?" she asked with a concerned expression. When she placed her hand on his back, she felt a wet sensation. She looked at her hand and saw blood. "You're bleeding!"
"That is unfortunately the case." Devin leaned on the wall. "Occupational hazard." He forced a smile, despite the pain.
"We need to get you to a hospital." Jade urged, trying to move him.
"No!" Devin protested, his eyes shown with desperate intensity. "No hospital! No records! Please! "
Jade searched his face for a long second. In a city like Gotham, "no records" was a language she understood perfectly. She let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. My house is two blocks away. My father isn't home. Walk. Now."
"Really!?" Devin looked at her with surprise.
"Don't get any ideas." Jade said coldly. "It'll be a problem if you collapse without getting any medical attention."
"Still, thanks." Devin smile warmly.
Jade didn't show it on her face but she felt slight warmth seeing Devin's honest smile.
---
Devin and Jade walked the street of Gotham with Jade supporting him by holding his arm over her shoulders. Eventually, they made it to her home.
Devin had guessed this would be the case. Since he didn't want to go to a hospital, it was common sense to have some sort of medical supplies in one's home.
Jade had told Devin to go to the back of the apartment building and use the latter to get to the rooftop. Once he made it to the rooftop, he waited for five minutes before Jade finally came up while holding a small box.
When she opened it, there were bandages, alcohol pads and a suture kit.
"Shirt off." she said, her voice clinical.
Devin removed his shirt and allowed Jade to tend to his wound. He had to bite down on his shirt because the moment the alcohol touched his skin; he wanted to scream. After the wound was cleaned, Jade sowed it shut before placing a bandage over it.
through he could see her, he could feel the way her hands moved. Her movements were rhythmic and practiced, the needle dipping in and out of his skin with surgical efficiency. She didn't look like a teenager; she looked like a soldier who had spent her life patching up battle wounds.
"Those were some cool moves back there." Devin spoke, trying to make conversation. he was referring to the alley fight.
"Life in Gotham teaches you that. In this city, you're either the one with the knife or the one being cut." Jade replied, her voice professional but Devin could hear the hardness in her voice.
"All done." She tied off the final knot and snipped the thread. "You'll live. But don't go looking for more trouble tonight, Devin. You're out of luck."
"Thank you." Devin replied, putting on his shirt. The pain finally receding into a dull throb. He turned to her and looked at her with gratitude. "I owe you one for this."
"Be careful what you say." Jade replied with cold expression and arms crossed. "In this city, debts are usually paid in blood."
"I'll keep that in mind." Devin said with an amused smirk.
"Anyways, I should get going now." he looked at the night sky. "It's late and I prefer not to get into any more trouble."
"That you should." Jade agreed before walking away.
"Thanks again, Jade." Jade stopped in her tracks and glanced at Devin. "I appreciate you helping me and tending to my injury."
"Not one for all that mushy stuff." Jade replied, continuing to walk away. "You should get home before some decides you're an easy target." she left the rooftop and went back to her house.
Devin showed an amused smile at their interaction. It was certainly unexpected that they would meet each other. It wasn't unwelcome but rather very helpful. He then climbed down the stairs and began making his way home.
his thought drifted to the days event and outcomes. He felt smaller, humbler, and very aware of his own mortality. He had powers, but Jade had the skill.
"I need to learn how to fight." he thought, his fist clenched with resolve and determination. "Because the next time, a pile of cardboard might not be enough to save me."