บท 218: Closure #218
I couldn't help but smile as I walked through the streets of Tricorner island, taking in the sight of what was most likely the only part of the city that didn't look the Satan's asshole.
The houses were neat and tidy, the streets were clean, and the people didn't look ready to shank the shit out of each over a ten-dollar bill lying on the ground, going as far as to smile at each other as they went about their business.
"The perks of being rich..." I muttered, shaking my head as I let out a chuckle and continued walking. I was undoubtedly in a good mood, and the somewhat tolerable surroundings had nothing to do with it.
I could have been walking through Crime Alley, and my smile wouldn't have changed. Without Waller breathing down my neck, my perspective changed drastically.
I didn't need to worry about her summoning the spirit of vengeance or some shit on an impulse, and I was finally strong enough to walk tall without worrying about some Gotham freak showing out of nowhere and ruining my day.
I was even walking in the middle of a busy street without covering my face. I haven't done that in so long I almost forgot what it felt like, despite my super memory.
Naturally, people recognized me. Everyone would whisper this and that when they saw me, but that was it. Some would greet me with smiles, but most would only move out of the way and get on with their lives, which was perfectly fine with me.
'What the...?' I mused, halting my steps as I noticed a woman moving toward me from the corner of my eye. My body tensed as I prepared to retrieve the Leviathan Axe from my inventory.
However, a closer look made me deflate as I let out a sigh and relaxed my body when she finally stopped in front of me. "Excuse me... you're Grayson, right?" The woman, who looked like your typical middle-aged housewife, said, smiling at me, to which I returned the gesture and nodded.
"My son is a big fan of yours, and his birthday is coming soon..." The woman said, trailing at the end of her sentence, to which I paused as I realized what was happening.
"He'd be thrilled if you'd sign this for him..." The woman said, still smiling as she hastily retrieved a paper and a pen from her purse and presented them to me.
"Uh, sure thing," I said, mechanically nodding as I took the pen and paper from her hand, quickly solidifying the sheet with energy as I scribbled my autograph and paused again.
"Your son's name...?" I asked as I raised my hand from the paper and turned to the woman, to which she quickly gave me his name, to which I nodded and added a random message with the kid's name.
"Here you go," I said, smiling as I returned the pen and paper to the woman, and she nodded before thanking me and walking away, and I did the same after a brief pause.
"Well... that was odd..." I murmured, shaking my head before shrugging and putting the matter out of my mind. The walk was undoubtedly pleasant, but it's not why I came here.
I was on my way to visit Leah and Jannet to check on them and let the latter know that I'll be out of town for a while. I might be free from worrying over Waller, but I still had shit to do.
There was still the matter of The Religion and Intergang, helping Nightshade get her brother back, reforming Ivy's public image, digging Felix Faust's emergency stashes, and working on Richard's arm.
Neither of those tasks were as stress-inducing or as dealing with Waller, but I still needed to see them through.
In any case, I'd given Jannet my number so she could call me if anything happened, but I'll be out of town since I planned to retrieve the sorcerer's treasures first and foremost, which would take about a week, more or less.
It would be a nice little vacation to clear my mind and prepare for the remaining tasks since Felix Faust's stashes were all over the world, and it was about time for me to get out of this shithole excuse of a city for a while, at least.
...
"Hello, Jannete..." I greeted as I stood on the home's terrace, watching as Jannete opened the door and peeked to see who was knocking. "Is this a bad time...?" I asked, to which Jannete immediately opened the door wide and smiled at me.
"Of course not. Please come in," Jannete said, maintaining a smile as she stepped back and gestured for me to come in, to which I obliged and made my way inside.
"Make yourself at home..." Jannete remarked as she led me to the living room, pausing as she realized what she was saying. "Well, you are home, but you know what I mean," She added, chuckling as she shook her head and gestured for me to sit down.
"It might be my house, but it's your home, for all intents and purposes," I said, shrugging my shoulders as I sat down and smiled at her. "Still, I'll take you up on that offer," I added as I leaned into a chair and crossed my legs to make myself comfortable.
"Hold on. Let me get you something to drink..." Jannete said after she watched me sit down as she headed for the kitchen. "Do you want anything in particular?" She asked as she halted her steps halfway through and turned to me.
"Anything will do. I'm not picky," I replied, shrugging my shoulders, to which Jnnete nodded and resumed walking. 'The fridge seems to be doing better since the last time I visited, at least...' I mused, letting out an involuntary smile as I looked around the living area.
Jannete was doing much better financially thanks to the job I got her, so much so she could buy new furniture, but she kept the old ones instead and spent most of her money on Leah.
Jannete got her all sorts of private lessons, from music to dancing and tutoring, all the while spoiling her and giving her everything she could ever need or want.
Surprisingly, Leah was reasonable despite her young age and didn't ask for anything outrageous, which was strange in and of itself, but growing up in Gotham had that effect on children.
They tended to mature faster than others and make do with what they had.
"Here you go," Jannete said, breaking my chain of thought as she stepped into the living room with a tray full of refreshments and snacks she placed on the table in front of me.
"Thanks," I said, smiling at Jannete as I reached into the tray and took a bottle of water, taking a small sip before closing it and pacing it back on the tray.
"So, did you just come for a visit, or is there something specific you have in mind...?" Janette asked, tilting her head as she noticed my lack of interest in the hospitality she provided.
"I'm here to check on you and Leah and to tell you something important, well, two things," I said, sighing as I scratched my head and turned to Jannete.
"Oh, we're doing great, thanks to you. Little Leah is thriving in her new school, and I get to spend a lot of time with her since I don't have to work extra hours every day," Jannete said, nodding gratefully at me as she paused for a second before going on.
"She's in school, but she'll be back soon. Shed happy to see you if you could stay for lunch..." She went on, trailing off as she looked at me, waiting for a reply.
"I'm afraid I can't stay for long. But I'm glad to hear you two are doing well," I said, politely smiling at Jannete as I refused her offer. "Here, I got this for her," I said as I retrieved a bag of sweets from my inventory and placed it on the table, much to Jannete's surprise as she looked at me like I was a stage magician or something.
"Anyway, I think there's something you need to know before anything else..." I said as I cleared my throat, putting on a solemn expression, to which Jannete immediately turned somber as well, giving me her full attention.
"The people who..." I calmly remarked, pausing for a second to choose my words. "The people I told you about when we last met, they got what they deserved," I added, to which Jannet's expression immediately shifted, but she quickly gathered her bearings.
"How did they...?" Jannete asked, struggling to keep a calm expression, but the trembles in her voice betrayed what she really felt as she clenched the fabric of her seat.
"Kicking and screaming... those people won't hurt anyone ever again," I said, sighing as I shook my head. "I know it doesn't change anything, but I thought you deserved to know," I concluded, pausing as I waited for Jannete to process my words.
"Thank you..." Jannete said as her grip on the fabric and expression relaxed, a single tear leaked from her eyes. "Thank you..." She repeated as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.
"I'll give you some alone time. But before I go.." I said as I retrieved a paper with Deborah and Selina's numbers. "I'll be going out of town for a while. These are the numbers of two lady friends of mine," I went on as I offered the paper to Jannete, and she took it from my hand.
"If you need anything, feel free to call them. Mention me, and they'll help you with whatever you need..."
...
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