No Way Out- Chapter 4

Haedyn was sitting in a chair outside of the warehouse by the time I had made it back. There is a book on his lap and a beer by his side. His reading glasses slowly make their way down the bridge of his nose. I can't help but admire him. He truly was gorgeous. His dark brown hair beautifully windblown probably from the car ride back. Somehow, he manages to keep his messy hair style looking like it's intended to be that way. His cinnamon tinted skin looks beautiful in the sunlight. I'm sure all of the sorority girl envy him for it. He doesn't need to slave away in a tanning bed, playing with the bet of skin cancer because he has it all on his own. His white V-neck t-shirt clings to his torso. Haedyn isn't very muscular but he is toned. All those nights with me in the ring, hoping to one day take me down. Ha. He wishes.

He seems so determined to understand whatever is on that page. I want to kiss right in between his eyebrows where his forehead wrinkles in concentration. I glide over to him slowly, not wanting to interrupt though he doesn't look at my way anyway. Sitting down at his feet, I stretch out my legs while leaning back against his. The sun feeling warm and comforting on my porcelain colored skin. I lean my head back, closing my eyes, soaking in the vitamin D.

"See you made it back in one piece." I squint up at him, unsure if he is looking at me or not. The sun made him look like nothing more than a shadow with beaming light around him.

"Can't really say the same for the guys. Their screams seem to say that they didn't get the same luxury." Haedyn turns the page of his book, drumming a highlighter against it. "He didn't seem really mad this time..."

"That explains your bleeding arm."

I glance down at the cut a few inches away from my shoulder. The bloodstained shirt isn't doing any justice for the wound. "I'm fine. Barely a scratch, really. Have you been here the whole time?" I look back up at him, raising a hand to shield the sun from beaming directly into my eyes.

"No."

"Oh..." I turn away from him, staring down at the dirt. Awkward silence lingers in the air between us. I could ask where he had gone but I really don't want to know. Doesn't seem like he wants me to know either. Haedyn has a life of his own, one that I don't share with him. I don't go to school like he does, I don't have the relationship with my father the way he does with his. We are very different people. He is still mad at me for our little fight. I chew at my lip, thinking of something to say to make things better. The book closes behind me followed by a heavy sigh.

"I shouldn't have left you�""

"No, you were right. There is a way to handle everything. Leading a pack of men to their deaths is not the way to get them out of the warehouse. It wasn't even about them. I saw an opportunity to mess with the sperm donor and I took it. He wiggled his way into my dreams... into the mirror, injuring my hand. I had to take it. I actually feel kind of.... Guilty."

"Never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth, Princess." He is grinning when I turn to look at him. I roll my eyes, playfully.

"Oh, shut up. I don't know what in their right mind made them think that it was okay to call me Princess."

"I almost burst out laughing when they called you that." He sits his book aside, taking a sip of his beer. I slide up into his lap, stealing the bottle from him to take my own swig. "Careful there, Princess."

"Beer does nothing to me." I smirk, handing the bottle back. He sits it down before he starts to tickle me. I squeal, squirming in his lap, pushing at his hands. "Stop! No!" Haedyn laughs, continuing to tickle me for a few more moments before coming to a stop. Our eyes meet for a moment. "It's weird when you call me princess."

"I know. I mean, you? A princess?" He pokes at my ribs.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I raise an eyebrow. "Think before you answer or you might need saving."

He smiles at me, his chestnut colored eyes warm. "You're not a princess." He puts his hand on my cheek. "You're the queen here. And I am your royal jester or whatever you want to call me."

I giggle like a little girl, leaning into his hand. "Good answer there."

"Although, someday, I'd like to be more. Your knight in shining armor." He sighs softly, his hand falling off my cheek. I lay my head against his shoulder. I'm not good enough for you, Haedyn. You deserve so much better. I remember the first day we met... the day he became my knight in shining armor.

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I sit, curled up, beside a dumpster in the rain. Night had settled into the sky, an occasional bolt of lightning splitting through the darkness. My head is tucked in between my legs. My arm is pulsing with pain. Daddy was so mad... He hurt me... I didn't mean to make him that mad... I'm sorry, daddy... Wet footsteps approach slowly, my head whipping up, making the pounding in it grow stronger.

"Hey, what are you doing out here in the rain?" A soft voice breaks through the steady beating of the rain. I scoot as far back into the corner as I could, feeling around for something that could be used as a weapon-- a rock, a stick, something. Another flash of lightning reveals the face of a boy, who doesn't look much older than me.

"You shouldn't be out in the rain like this. You'll get sick." His wet hair sticks to his face.

"Neither should you..." I retort.

"True. How about I walk you home---"

"No!" I cover my ears, not wanting to hear any more of his suggestions, not if it included taking me home. The thought of going home to that beast sent shivers down my spine, causing the hair on my arms to stand on end.

"Okay... Okay..." He stays silent for a moment, still looking up at me. "Okay. I know of a place where we can go. It's not home. I promise. You'll be safe." He offers his hand to me. "You can trust me."

I glance at his hand before taking it. He pulls me up, sending a shot of radiating pain through my shoulder. I yell, pulling away from him, quickly only making it hurt more.

"You're hurt?! I'm sorry, I didn't..." He stammers for a second before turning his back to me. "Here, get on my back, I'll carry you." This guy is stupid to trust a scared and injured person like me. Why would he be so naïve? How could he be so trustworthy? With his back turned, I easily had the chance to knock him out and run. Maybe rob him, if I really wanted to. I could do it... I could get out of here... get out of Gotham. I'll be free. There has to be something around here that I can hit him in the back of the head with. My fist isn't strong enough... He could be working for my father. He already offered to take me home.

I'll admit, I need help. I wouldn't be able to make it out of Gotham like this. He is willing to help me, someone he doesn't know. I have to trust him if I want to get out of the cold and get my body healed. He helps me up onto his back, carefully, before heading down an alley. Maybe, I shouldn't have trust him. Where is he taking me?

As if read my mind, he responds. "I know this warehouse that no one uses. Well except for me and a few of my friends from school. It's like our own personal hide out. I could help you there. Give you something for your arm."

I don't say anything. He goes to school? If only I could have had that luxury. Maybe we'd be friends, but I am not allowed to go to school. I'm the daughter of the most dangerous couple in Gotham... I'm sure I wouldn't be accepted there with open arms even if I tried. When your family believes they can teach you everything you need to know, you're pretty much trapped.

"How old are you?" He breaks my train of thought, always wanting to chat it seems like. Guess it's to make sure I feel comforted...or that I am conscious.

"Eleven."

"And you're out here all alone? Man, that's dangerous. Someone else could have found you. Can I ask who you are hiding from?"

"My dad..."

"Why?"

I fall silent again as we approach a dark, brick building. The kind stranger doesn't probe for information but he doesn't say anything else either. He carries me into the building, stopping at what looks like the shadows of steps. "Are you okay to walk? We have a few steps to go up."

"Yeah..." I struggle to make them out as we start up them. I feel around with my foot for the next step, arm out in front of me, searching for something to grab onto. The boy grabs onto my searching hand, squeezing it gently.

"Don't worry, I got you."

"You say that a lot." I whisper.

"Only a few more steps." With him in the lead, we move a lot quicker. How many times he's gone up these steps at a time like this? It's so dark. Something scampers across the ground behind us. I jump, quickly turning around to look at what it could have been.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. Probably just a rat or something." Ew... "I told you that you're safe with me. I'm not lying." I nod at him. We walk into another dark space, not as large as when we first arrived. For a moment, he lets go of my hand, leaving my side. I reach out frantically searching for his hand. Don't leave me... His footsteps fade away into the darkness. He or something bumps into what sounds like a metal shelf. I struggle to make him out among the other shadows in the room.

"Hello?" Silence. My breathing starts getting heavier. My lungs feel like they are contracting, not allowing me to breathe as well. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Why did you follow a stranger into a dark building with no weapon? Did you really think he would help you? The voice in my head was not happy. Spending so much time alone, with no friends, I developed my own set of friends... Well, at one point, it was my friend, now it had the voice of my father most of the time. Footsteps approach, my hands balling into fists. A light flickers on, revealing the room. In the far corner, there's a few blankets and pillows lying on a long looking chair. There are towels covering the windows, acting like curtains. A bathroom sits across from what looks like a bed.

"Alright. I have some pills for your shoulder pain. Also something to wrap it with. I should secure it." He sits everything down on the bed, turning to look at me. "Oh...looks like I need some more supplies."

I look at him confused for a moment before remembering that my shoulder wasn't the only thing that was hurt. I probably look horrific to him. My face powdered with bruises and small cuts. I know my lip is bleeding a little since I could still taste the metallic tang across my tongue.

"Doesn't look like you have deep cuts. I'll get something cool for the bruises." I admire him for wanting to take care of someone he found out on the streets. He saved me from myself and bad decisions. He has such a kind heart. The boy leads me over to the bed. "What happened?"

"A fight..." I watch him unroll the ace wrap, preparing to wrap it around my shoulder.

"You must've put up quite the fight. Get any good hits in?" He smiles at me while gently feeling along my shoulder.

I couldn't help but crack a smile. "Oh, yeah. Definitely." He is doing his absolute best to make me feel comfortable around him and it was working. He easily felt like someone I grew up with.

"Good. Okay, this might hurt for a second but it will feel better shortly after. Your arm is dislocated. I'll count to three. Okay?" I nod slightly, biting my lip. "Ready? One...Two..." I brace myself for the pain, hoping that it wouldn't be as bad as everyone made it out to be.

CRACK

I fight back a scream but it did feel better. Tears prick in the back of my eyes. He wraps up my arm the best he can and gives me three small white pills. "There. All better." He gets up to get something to put on my bruises. "So, you fought with your dad, I'm assuming? Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Sorry. It's just, seeing someone so young hurt like this drives me insane. I want to hurt whoever did this to you."

"Thanks...Though, no offense, he'd kill you." I sigh, softly. "It's what he lives for. Call it the killing joke if you will. No one has really out smarted the Joker..."

"Joker? Like...THE Joker?"

"Yep. That's my dad..." I feel the tears pool in my eyes. Why couldn't I have had a normal life? Why did they have to come back? Why couldn't they just leave me there? I still don't understand how they could treat me like this. I don't understand how my mother could watch my father do this to me, then try to fix me up like it was no big deal. How is that okay?

"Why?" His eyes look concerned as they search mine. I tear my eyes away from his, looking at one of the towels covering the windows. Don't show any weakness. Don't be a child. "You can tell me. Who am I going to tell?"

"I don't know. Your school friends?"

"Never. This will be our secret."

I sigh, he wasn't going to give up. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to confide in him. We don't know each other. Besides, no one ever sees me so if he spoke of the Joker's daughter, well they would be believed to be telling a lie. Or some myth. That little girl is fading away, letting someone else take her place.

"I was never wanted... When mommy had me, she gave me away. Dad's doing. I stayed with my aunt until she decided she didn't want to be my mother... Didn't want to raise me..." I sniff, fighting my tears as they threaten to spill, revealing all my hidden scars. "Today, is my birthday. My re-birthday. Mommy got me back but Dad wasn't happy... When you live in foster homes for the majority of your life, you learn to fight. I wouldn't let him control me..." I finally let the tears fall, unable to choke them back anymore.

"Wow...I'm sorry. You can stay here whenever you like. This can be our spot. If you ever want to get away from that b*****d." He wraps his arms around me, letting me cry against him. I cry for what feels like hours. You're weak! Crying over a few bruises and a sore arm! You are nothing like me!  I wipe my eyes quickly, forcing myself to stop crying. He couldn't win... not like this.

The boy lays back on the couch bed, throwing a blanket over me. "You should get some sleep. I'll watch over you." I curl into him, careful of my shoulder, and yawn.

"I'm Haedyn by the way."

"Lu�"Call me, Alena... Lena."

After that night, I changed my name, letting that little girl go once and for all. I'm Alena, the girl who learned to fight for what she believed in. The girl who learned to defend herself against her worst fears. I'm the girl who is fighting to get free of Joker's wicked grasp. I'm Haedyn's best friend, his dream girl. He is my knight in shining armor.

"Thank you for always being here for me, Haedyn." I lift my head off his shoulder, looking at him. "You're the best, you know."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Haedyn smiles at me before leaning in to kiss my forehead. "Now, how about some food? Chinese food sound good?"

"Always. Don't you need to finish whatever you were doing here?" I pick up his textbook. "Honors Organic Chemistry. Wow... This is what you do in your free time? Man, we need to get you laid."

"Trust me, I need no help with that. Besides, a guy can't party all the time." He finishes off his drink. "Now, about that Chinese food?"

A warm smile played at my lips. "Alright. Let's go."