6 The Last (Civil) Conversation: A Goodbye, for now

All I saw was a frown on Barbara's face, so I took it upon myself to take in the other two women with her.

One of the women barely seemed 18-years-old but that might have been her slightly petite frame working against her. She was around 5'3" with a modest bust and an overall tight and perky body. She seemed to exude optimism and energy as even now, looking at me, she had a small smile on her face.

She had blonde hair and baby blue eyes and her face was more cute than it was beautiful, but I guess that's a beauty in its own right? Well, whatever it is, I'm not in the mood to care.

The other woman was much taller, around 6'0", with a much more athletic build, and she looked like the long lost fifth member for the band 'KISS'. She had chalk-white skin, just like someone who'd been dipped in white paint. She had red eyes and pitch-black hair which contrasted heavily with her skin tone and was stylized in a very punk-looking haircut; wild and messy, pretty much, with one side of her head completely shaven clean and the rest combed (or better to say pushed) to the other side.

But the most eye-catching part about her was, ironically, around her eyes. It looked similar to a domino mask if it were a pitch-black tattoo on her skin instead of a mask. It was either a tattoo or a birthmark. Or she was an alien. I remember seeing an alien similar to her on the news; someone fighting Superman.

Fitting her hairstyle, the punk rocker chick was wearing a black leather jacket which had the sleeves ripped off and studs along the shoulders, along with a white tank-top underneath and some black ripped jeans. She finished the look off with some, what looked like, steel toe-capped boots.

The previous, more friendly-looking girl, was wearing some casual clothes, honestly. A brown jacket with a matching brown skirt and a blue t-shirt. She was wearing some normal converse trainers as well. Honestly, if my instincts weren't telling me she was dangerous, I'd dismiss her as a normal person.

Even after I inspected her, what I'll presume as, friends, Barbara still hadn't formulated an answer, so I decided to speak again.

"Why are you doing this, Batgirl?" I gave up on trying to hide my frustration, knowing that it would only cloud the issue even further, "You get that you're hurting the both of us by constantly tracking me?" I asked before seeing her surprised expression. Seeing it, I sighed before continuing, "Didn't think I would miss your attempts to track me, did you? I grew up with you, Batgirl, and I was there when you first hacked our Middle School teacher's email for the answers to a test you didn't want to study for. I know what I'm looking for when it comes to looking for your digital footprint."

I said with a reminiscent, yet sad voice as I remembered being with Barbara as she spent all that time messing about with computers and trying to refine her skill at being a computer nerd or genius as she'd put it.

Sadly, Barbara didn't even get a chance to speak as the punk chick scoffed, smirking at me in disdain before speaking, "Is this it? You two just gonna speak about your 'feelings'~?" she mockingly said, her smirk turning into a sneer, "Get over yours--!" I cut her off, sending a fist into her face.

I didn't even move an inch, I just elongated my fist as I threw it at a speed she couldn't even comprehend.

In my anger at being mocked and Barbara and my conversation being interrupted, I forgot to hold back but as my fist hit the woman's face, I knew she could take the hit, so...I just let go.

And let go I did.

With a crack-like explosion of sound, like the loudest thunder you've ever heard, the pale woman's head was snapped backward before her body followed suit and she went flying, a soft ripple echoing as the air split out of her way like civilians getting out the way for a speeding car.

"It's rude to interrupt people's conversations, you know?" I quipped, trying to sound calm, yet the harsh edge to my voice showed the two girls still present that I was thoroughly annoyed. Not only because of what was said but also simply because of their presence. Like seriously, I was just happy about how much power I'd gained tonight, yet I'm already in a shit mood because they've come after me?

I mean, I know I wished for test subjects for my new abilities...but seriously? Anyone else would have been better.

"A-Alex," Barbara said with a crack present in her voice which made me wince - It's to be expected but she's fearful of me - but oblivious to my thoughts, she carried on, "Just, p-please come with me. Please. I can speak to Batman for you. He'll speak to the League. I'm sure that if you use your powers for good, they'll forgive you!" she desperately said, and I could only sigh at her desperation.

"You'd be naive to think that, Batgirl--I've had enough of that," I said before slamming my foot down and extending tendrils into the ground around me, spreading it throughout the entire Zoo, looking for cameras and any kind of microphones/recording devices. When I found any, I destroyed them. Once done, my tendrils retreated back into me and I looked to Barbara, "Does this blonde know your real identity?" I asked, and Barbara nodded, "Then I'm going to refer to you as Barbara from now on. I've destroyed any kind of camera or surveillance equipment in the Zoo, so it should be fine."

Barbara was slightly in awe at what I'd said and so was her blonde friend. Even if the blonde did seem a bit miffed that I was referring to her as 'blonde' instead of asking for her name.

Not that I cared all too much what she felt anyway.

Sighing, I carried on, "You'd be naive to think and believe that, Barbara. Who I assume to be your mentor, Batman, would want to lock me away forever because of the things I've done. Superman would as well. Most of the League would follow their examples and condemn me," I shrugged, peeling my mask away, showing my frown and dejected eyes, "But it doesn't matter anymore. I know I'm a bad, selfish person, so I can deal with that condemnation. What I can't deal with, is dragging you down with me, Barb," I stated, locking eyes with the redhead. Her eyes were red-rimmed and they got more and more teary as I spoke.

Which is when I realized something:

Of course, she knew her thinking was naive. But she still hopped anyway. Hoped that I'd stop and turn myself in. Hoped that the League would forgive me. Maybe even hoped that we could go on as we were...or maybe become something more. I could see it all in her beautiful green eyes.

"A-Alex...please," she whimpered, her voice near a whisper in volume, "We've got to try otherwise something bad's gonna happen...!" her voice cracked as she tried to put some strength into it. Though it only served to highlight her desperate and distressed tone.

I didn't reply instantly. I just looked up at the stars, hoping to find something funny and witty to say. Anything to make her smile.

But...I realized I had to say what I actually felt for once...because this would probably be the last time me and her could have a civil conversation without me being in a fight with one of her friends. That realization hurt. But I'd come to it nonetheless, and I knew it would be best to act on it.

"Did you know, Barb? That I've loved you since I was around 13-years-old?" I started before seeing her eyes go wide, filled with shock and confusion. Even her friend's eyes went wide, obviously not expecting what I just said. Nonetheless, I carried on, "And I do mean romantic love. Nothing like how a brother loves sister. But how a man loves a woman. I love you, Barbara," I smiled, a sense of relief spreading from within me, battling with the sadness my earlier realization brought, "Lately, I've found myself wishing that I never went to that college. That I waited and finished high school with you like an ordinary kid," I sighed, looking back up at the sky again, "I wouldn't have gotten a job under Amanda Waller. I wouldn't have become...this," I motioned to myself, "I'd have stayed next to you. Finished high school with you. Finished College with you," I looked back at Barbara and smiled. A sincere and wholeheartedly wistful smile. "I'd have had lived a life with you if I could. Who knows, maybe I'd have wooed you or something?" I laughed but it was a hollow and sad laugh.

I gave a few seconds before speaking again, "I'm sorry, Barb. I really am. I wish for nothing more than to be able to give up and come with you. But if I do that, I'd either live in a cell or in as a lab rat for the rest of my life. Hell, Waller might even make me into her private soldier through some illegal, horrifying means. I'm pretty sure that last one can't be done, but that woman has money, time, and power, and all three of those together can accomplish a whole lot so I don't wanna risk it, honestly," I gave a sad smile before I saw something coming at me fast that made the smile disappear, replaced only by an angered scowl.

Leaning to the side, I brought up my hand and clamped it around the chain that had been heading for my neck. Following the chain back to its owner, I saw the pale chick from earlier. Her nose was crooked, yet rapidly healing, but it was still spewing blood along with a steady stream coming from her mouth.

She's pretty sturdy.

But a bit too reckless.

"What did I say about interrupting people's conversations, huh?" I asked darkly, my scowl becoming a patronizing smile which wasn't a smile, it was simply hiding my anger, like a mask.

Before she could reply, I amped up my unique electric eel organs, before blasting out a voltage and current as high as I could. This woman should be able to take a shock or two, so they shouldn't kill her.

It seems that she only has superhuman strength and durability because her reaction speed was pretty slow and she didn't even let the chain go as the yellow arcs of electricity, the thickness of snakes, wrapped around my hand before traveling along the chains metal surface toward the woman.

She only just reacted as the electricity got to her but by then, it was too late and the voltage hit her.

Her body went stiff before it began spasming and smoke started to rise off of her. I let it go on for a few more seconds before I let go of the chain. She fell to the floor as her body twitched and spasmed about, smoking just she'd been hit by a fireball.

Shaking my hand that felt a little tingly from going overboard like that, I looked back at Barbara as the blonde girl went over to check on their twitching friend.

"Where was I...?" I asked quietly, "Ah, right...Well, this is it, right? The time where you either try and fight me and bring me in, or the time where I leave," I said with a mirthless look, "I'd rather not fight you, Barbara, so I'm gonna leave," I stated before giving her a very serious look, "Don't follow me. Don't even attempt to track me. Or I'll have to knock you out. The same goes for your friends," I looked behind her at the two unusual chicks.

I augmented my legs with Biomass before leaping away, not waiting for Barbara's answer. I heard her whisper something. Something that only made it hurt even more. Like my heart was being squashed and torn apart.

'I love you too, Alex...'

Quiet, yet strong. Weak, yet firm. Far away, yet it felt like it was whispered into my ear.

I went off into the night, angry and annoyed, pissed off with the circumstances of my life and how they got here. That led me to one thing; Amanda Waller. My hatred for that woman and my own stupidity for taking the job under her only burned brighter and brighter the more I thought about it. I made plans to go to an Exotic Pet shop tomorrow. I should be able to find an assortment of Spiders there, right? Or even other poisonous animals?

Either way, I'm going there.

But for now? I need to blow off some steam against some stupid fucking street thugs.

. . .

I was currently sitting in a random warehouse, surrounded by corpses.

I know it isn't healthy to take out my anger on others and in the end, it will only come to bite me in the ass but...I don't care right now.

Especially when I came across a group of criminals raping a young girl.

I killed them, healed the girl and got her to a hospital so she could be taken care of, and then I came back to where it all happened so I could rest and calm down before absorbing the corpses. It disgusted me to absorb such scum...but power is power, and absorbing them will help me further my own.

Something weird I noticed about all the criminals surrounding me is that they each have white face paint, with exaggerated red-painted lips on their faces, either in manic smiles or depressed frowns.

And all of them had some degree of green hair dye in their hair. Whether it was just a single stripe of green in their hair, or if their entire head of hair had been dyed the obnoxious green.

It reminded me of the Joker.

These people must be his fans or a gang he runs.

To willingly follow such an insane fuck...these guys must've had a few screws loose anyway. Nevermind that anyway...I've got things to do.

I stood up and sent out a tendril that split into many more tendrils, each of them piercing a corpse and absorbing it. As I was doing such a thing, a person came into the warehouse, stumbling through the door, obviously drunk. To back up such a statement, they had a massive bottle of vodka in one of their hands.

While their other hand...was holding a massive mallet?

The person's skin was chalk white, and she had blonde hair, tied into two pigtails - one ending in blue-dyed hair and the other in a pinkish-red. She was about a foot shorter than me, so around 5'4", and her body was curvy beyond belief, yet still kept a tight appearance. Like a curvy gymnast.

Her baby blue eyes were surrounded by black eye shadow that was currently smudged and running down her cheeks alongside her mascara because of the torrent of tears flowing from her eyes.

She looked incredibly sad.

But from all the things I'd seen - the giant wooden mallet, the blue and red dye at the ends of her pigtails, the chalk-white skin, the slightly crazy look in her sad eyes...

This was Harley Quinn.

Jesus Christ, could my night get any worse?