Chapter 16: Back to square one.

"Owww.. Okay that's a decent amount of blood. "Jacob complained holding his blood until he wipes it off and sprays it in fluid before wrapping his web lassoed into a medical like tape.

He had just escaped the bat mobile, essentially getting away from the world's greatest detective, but he wasn't sure if he had made the right move. He knew he didn't want to talk to Batman, as it would led to his life becoming more complicated than it already was. Jacob needed time, and a better foundation as a hero before he met with other, today was just a one off incident.

'I just need time, but If I had to guess he already knows or is damn well going to know now' Jacob sighed before deactivating his Camo mode. His body was then revealed from it's previous state of invisibility.

'Two abilities in one day. Neat' Jacob thought. He had activated it right as batman turned to talk to Jim, and once batman couldn't handle the pain anymore, it was his time to dip out of that. He flickered the ability on and off seeing himself become invisible while also being able to see everything like usual was indeed a little freaky, so he quickly shut it off. Not needing it for the moment.

"At least I have a better Stealth mode than just faith," Jacob thought before attempting to run and swing back to where he had webbed up his book bag. At first it was a little painful maneuvering his injured body but he got used to it after a little more persuasion. Jacob quickly grabbed his book bag, before taking off.

"Well that's at least my book bag wasn't a casualty in all of this." Jacob smiled.

he immediately check his phone for the time, but realized the screen was broken again

"I really shouldn't bring my phone to a superhuman fight" Jacob whined, before going off in the direction of his house. He continued for awhile until he passed Cindy's house, where he saw her looking out her window while squatted. He looked for awhile as her eyes patrolled the view under her, and sometimes the unfathomably nice beautiful sky above. He saw the complexity of her from a building across, and that's when it dawned on him the reason for the mask. Jacob always knew on a surface level that he shouldn't reveal his identity, but know he understood it through every fibre. Jacob grabbed his costume clutching it in bunches in his hand hand. He felt the welling amount of regret before letting go, and swinging away no longer wincing as he fluidly swung his way home.

"I can't bring her into this. I just, Can't.. Well at least she was the one to friend zone me first" Jacob tried to laugh through the misery.

[Small time skip into the morning.]

"What do you think of Tim and I dating…" Gwen asked as she twirled her hair. Jacob was focusing on something else entirely.

"Jacob" Gwen threw a paper ball at him, but he instinctively moved.

"Hm?" Jacob groaned without looking at her.

"Were you even listening?" Gwen scoffed

"I-yes. Well I didn't hear everything but basically you don't like how Stephanie is being so flirtatious with Tim because it causes strain everything between everyone and it makes this project insanely annoying." Jacob looked closing his laptop's screen so he could fully see the slightly Disheartened Blonde.

"I asked- you know, you could just tell me that you don't want to talk about it." Gwen pouted slightly but Jacob rolled his eyes causing her to lose it.

"That's it." Gwen abruptly got up to lose.

"I think it's fine, Tim's a great guy and he's very good at doing the things he's passionate about. So if you two were to get serious I can see it working out." Jacob admitted. Gwen looked back at him, face softly morphing into something that been hurt slightly.

"Jacob, why is it- What is wrong with us being friends. We were best friends for all our lives. From Middle School until now, You told me that you came to this school because you didn't want our friendship dying out. Now I can't help but feel like it is anyway."

"I-People change, Things change. Situations and Life change Gwen." Jacob sighed, trying to simplify the issue, but he felt his heart beckon to release the truth.

"Bullshit, everything was fine. You texted me goodmorning, and goodnight everyday. Every single day, and now I can't even get you to listen to me complain for 5 minutes."

"I was listening,"

"But you weren't here. We both know that it's not the same." Gwen slammed her hands on the library table.

"Well what do you want me to do huh? Walk around school all of the time thinking about you? Texting every single time my heart skips a beat for you. Be happy for you, every time your eyes turn into hearts when you look at Tim, when I've wanted to be the person you looked at like that, but. Every. Single. Time. It was never right Jacob. I am to busy too hang out Jacob, what's the point in walking to school together Jacob, you know that I live closer. I don't want you to walk so early for me Jacob. Yeah, I want you to put in the effort like you are my boyfriend but never once- never a momentary glance in my direction. You know what that does to a person?

So yeah, after everything that I tried for you, to get you- to make you happy, sacrifice sleep and my time for you. I saw that us, You and me, weren't in the cards. And I moved on and I'm trying to balance being friends with someone who led me along- for. So long, but it's difficult to care and not be upset, when ever since we've started talking again, it's always about someone else, who you have feelings for. And I shouldn't blame you for everything. I should've gotten the hint years ago but I've held on and now, I hav- had feelings for someone else and you need to get used to not having me for you all of the time. I'll be there but I can't always be there for you so... What you want me to do Gwen? This can't go on forever, I've changed. The person you used to call your best friend died and I am trying to fix his life the best way I can, as me. The new Jacob Davis." Jacob felt his goosebumps throughout his entire body as he monologued his original Jacob soul's feelings towards the end of his reign. He was done.

'This is so dumb' Jacob thought before looking away and sighing. He heard Gwen heart practically stagger in front of him but as he turned to look at someone he had hurt, She turned around leaving a couple drops of tears in her wake.

"Jerk." Gwen raced off to exit the stacks, part of him- a very minute part of him felt the need to chase her and apologize but he just ignored it. Another hour passed and he heard was his phone chime, alerting him of a message and when he checked it. It was Cindy.

Cindy: Woah, Just caught Gwen crying in the Bathroom, I thought you two were supposed to be working on a project.

Jacob: She is just dealing with somethings, and I explained to her why I can't be what she wants me to be anymore and she stormed off.

Jacob: Granted I could've worded it prettier.

Cindy: But it spontaneously came out hotter than expected? Want to talk about it, I'm on the roof.

Jacob: Coming.

Jacob then put away his phone and shut his laptop slowly going everything that had just happened before making his way outside. Today was a day given to students to complete their projects before it was due. Students were always busy doing stuff after class that wasn't homework and after enough people complaining the principal elected to give us the day "off" after a couple of weeks of petition. Some stayed, like Jacob who wanted to get this project done where he could focus on obtaining any semblance of data that had his potential powers on them.

Things were also alarmingly peaceful in the streets of Gotham, giving him ample time to get his more important projects done. Though he hadn't seen much of Cindy since that day and decided it was time to make new friends.

'Even though I thought would be more than that previously' He quickly climbed the stairs to it's highest floor before reaching the entrance of one of the school's roofs. When he opened the door, he had felt a breeze connect with his body messing with his hair by attempting to blind him by turning his hair into curtains.

Defeating the wind with a hair tie, he pushed on forward until the wind dissipated which let him put his arms down and witness the beautiful blue sky. it was quite rare in Gotham being the place with abnormally worst weather than everywhere else. Jacob looked around before catching sight of where his destination was.

He walked slowly, not wanting to disturb anything that was going on until he saw her with her flat heeled shoes laying on the pebbles and the smoothed gravel with a non school sweater laying across the ground she laid. He dangled his feet the same but instead of laying her just sat up, not being committed to laying on the hard ground. She acknowledged him without moving and, he noticed the slight smile on her face that was trying to hid itself from the world. The winds whistled as the quiet school ground accentuated the peaceful atmosphere.

"So you hurt her feelings…" Cindy brought up in a sincerely soft tone, not making any more movements than what was necessary.

"Yeah, I did. Me and Gwen. Gwen and I, have been friends for a long time. We met because of the friendships that our dads had together and we grew up going to the same school from living in the same-ish areas. School was where our friendship started together really-, it was a tight knit duo and it wasn't until Middle school that Ganke showed up. It was the same year that I caught feelings for her for the first time and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to go about telling her that I wanted to be with her without messing things up. So I didn't and my feelings for her just continued." Jacob admitted.

'His feelings continued for her until he died, somewhat' Jacob thought.

"So you liked her, and me I don'-"

"My feelings for her ended before we became friends, but it wasn't completely gone until I realized that Gwen and I drifted away more than we'd like to admit. So when I saw, you- If I were to be completely honest I felt the same way I did towards gwen, but I-" Jacob looked up into the wind with his eyes sparking green without the hint of blue or gray. He felt Cindy grabbed his hand, until they were interwoven digit by digit but he pulled away causing her to look at him, but he didn't budge from his view of the sky.

Cindy looked curiously at him, not holding it back her sight as it pierce through him like the shining sun. They stayed their for awhile talking about everything, getting to know each other, until Cindy's phone rang. She picked it up, and then looked at Jacob sad.

"Yeah, okay. I'm on my way I guess. Will we- alright mom." Cindy hung up the phone before looking at Jacob, putting her head on his bicep.

"I have to go, my mom wants to go visit my grandparents again. I'm sorry" Cindy pouted, Jacob patted her lightly on the top of her head before Cindy looked up, looking like she longed for something else.

"We should go on a date, without distractions every couple of hours?" Cindy smiled. Jacob looked away, before trying to put on a smile.

"How about this…"

"Friday? We can go to a museum" Cindy smiled before getting up. Jacob sat there as she dusted off her clothes.

"Deal" Cindy asked reaching her hand out, Jacob took it shaking it.

"Deal" Jacob grinned. Cindy waved goodbye, hopping along the rocks happy while Jacob look down, thinking that it would be a faster route if he jumped, but he didn't want to chance anyone seeing.

"Link, should we go and stalk Maroni's again?" Jacob face lost all emotion, as he checked his book bag and saw his mask staring at him as well as his usual suit.

'A couple of more weeks until I finish the spandex version of this. ' Jacob thought as he saw his classic red and black. Before getting up and changing, then quickly getting out of Gotham Height's territory. After swinging for a couple of minutes, Jacob decided to stage another stake out at Maroni's working on his recent ventures in his compression software.