puddle-splashing

[The Joker]

He found himself frowning at Tesser's words, she was such a realist, she knew how her world worked, and she had accepted it, resigning herself to a fate that was much worse then what she deserved, and Johnny wasn't going to let that happen! [red]"Your right Tesser, I can change the world, and I'm changing yours."[/red]

He had said that just before Tesser pointed out what was on the TV, and his eyes went wide with shock as she told him what was going on. They were hunting the supers? But some people didn't even have a choice but to fight in that war! Reed had died in that war, and now they were branding him a traitor? Johnny wasn't going to let that slide.

[red]"Wh-what?"[/red] He didn't know what to do, he was being hunted now, he would have to run. He turned to Tesser, what was he going to do about her now? He couldn't just leave her, but if she came with him, then she'd be hunted too! He was at a loss for words, his mind was blink, what was going to happen now?

[tesseract]

Johnny seemed to freeze up at Tesser's exclamation, shock crossing on his face. People at the bar were turning to look at the two and whispers were starting. A couple angry people looked like they were getting up and Tesser decided now was the time to move.

"C'mon!" She cried, grabbing Johnny's hand "We gotta get outta here, Now!" Dragging him outside into the pouring rain. Immedietly she started to look around, choosing out a little black bug.

Running over to it she fiddled with the lock and swung the door open. "Get in!" Sliding to the other seat she proceaded to hardwire the engine. It started with a faint rumble.

By now a crowd of angry men and women had formed outside the car. Pressing the lock doors buttons Tesser turned to Johnny.

"I dont' know any more than you do. But we gotta get outta here first." Banging on a little GPS system that had been crudly added into the car's old systems she said into it, "Show fasted way to Devil's Harbor." She named the oldest, worst part of town, her diggs.

[The Joker]

It sunk in, the whole situation, what exactly was going on. The reality of what was happening hit him when the people started forming a mob, just to get him. He had fought for them, saved lives for them, risked his own life for them, and now they were repaying him by trying to kill him! He felt Tesser grab his hand and pull him away, which he quickly followed after.

He was suprised to see the girl break into a car and hotwire it, the girl knew alot more then he had first gathered. He didn't waste any time thinking about how wrong this was, he was about to get mobbed. He got into the drivers seat and hit the gas, speeding off on the route that the GPS had given him.

He drove in silence, not sure what to do about all of this, but at least the people chasing after them had broken off and left, they weren't going to chase down a super on their own, they were at least that intelligent. He sighed, disappointed in the whole comunity. He had more to worry about then just the normal people, he had to worry about the other supers that might be on the goverments side, and ontop of that, he had to worry about saving people who hated him.

[red]"What do you suggest we do now?"[/red] He didn't know what he was thinking, asking a little girl about her thoughts on the plan, but she had proven that she was far more intelligent then any little kid. And ontop of that, she knew this town alot better then he did.

[tesseract]

Tesser slouched in her seat as Johnny drove off, her head bowed and messy uncombed hair falling over her face. How fickle could these people be? Had they no hearts?

Swallowing she slowly answered the man's question, saying,

"We can get you out of the town unnoticed through Devil's Harbor. It's the bad side of town, where everybody the do-gooders don't want to deal with, lives." Quickly casting a glance at him, she remembered that he was a do-gooder. "Sorry, no offense."

"Nobody will think to check there for you, and the people there won't be questioned. From there, it would probably be safest to travel to Metropolis, Gothem, or Bludhaven. Any of those heroes are like to have a better idea of what's going on, and fill you in on everyone else."

Slowly the scenery began to change from a nice urban setting to dark slums where faint shadows of beggers lined the streets. Several of them moved toward the slow moving car, crying for help.

"Don't even look at them." Tesser said, staring avidly out of the front window herself, "Someone who cares is remembered, you can't afford that."

[The Joker]

Johnny just kept driving as Tesser told him a good plan. He looked at the GPS screen to make sure he was going the right way every few seconds, and when Tesser apolagized he just shrugged, he didn't really care. He continued on driving, watching as the area around them changed. He glanced around a little bit, watching as people began approaching the car.

He looked over at Tesser as she told him to just keep driving, it was cruel and he hated it, but he knew that he couldn't afford to be the good guy right now. He kept on driving, clenching his jaw out of frustration. Eventually Johnny got out of the city and hit the road, he didn't really care which town he was going to.

One problem was that he didn't know any of the heroes in these towns, let alone where to find them. He had a basic knowledge, such as the fact that Batman watched over Gotham, and Superman over Metropolis, and Nightwing and Batgirl over Bludhaven. He looked over at Tesser, frowning a little. [red]"I'm sorry I got you dragged into this whole thing.."[/red]

[tesseract]

"Nah." Tesser said as lightheartedly as she could, which wasn't much. Offering a trembling smile she said, "I was planning on leaving town anyways. I have itchy feet, like to keep moving."

Shrugging, she gazed out of the window at the landscape speeding past, to someone who walked everywhere is was like space travel. However, she couldn't fully enojoy it, there was just too much wrong.

If you have a communicator, you could contact someone you know better, ask them what the masses are doing. It's not much, but maybe a safe house has been opened somewhere."

She rested her chin on her fists and peeked over the dashboard through the windshield.

"Do you know where we're going?"

[The Joker]

Johnny sighed at her light-hearted response, he didn't care if she was planning on leaving, if she's with him, then she'll be hunted like the rest of the superhuman comunity, no doubt about it. He started slowing the car down, stopping at the side of the road. He looked over to Tesser, he wasn't driving anymore.

[red]"I have a safe place in New York we can go to, but we can't drive there, it'll take to long. We're going to have to fly. I have to warn you, in order for me to be able to fly, I have to light my whole body on fire, but my flames won't hurt you, I promise."[/red]

He opend the car door and got out, standing a few feet away from it. He looked to Tesser and smiled. [red]"Trust me, I won't let anything happen to you."[/red] He shook his arms and suddenly his whole body lit up on flames. He held out his hand to Tesser, willing his heat to become harmless, all Tesser would feel is just some warmth.

[tesseract]

Tesser listened to him, but his words made little sense. Fly? Fire? Of course she knew a little bit about The Human Torch, but she had never really thought about it. And then he stepped out into the shoulder and a second later, he was on fire. This time Tesser was sure it wasn't just her eyes.

Trust me, I won't let anything happen to you. his words echoed in her mind. The fire was bright, and warm, but she willed herself to step forward and take his hand. Suddenly she was bathed in a soft warmth and she grinned, a real smile, up at Johnny. She trusted him, somehow, she knew she'de be safe.

Closing her eyes as a child will when waiting for a great surprise she relaxed. It was going to be all-right, for now at least.