Work Text:
“You got to learn to hide the anger. Practice smiling in the mirror. Like putting on a mask”
The city of Jericho, a dark gothic city filled with crime and corruption from muggers and thieves to corrupt politicians and cops. Nobody is safe in Jericho city; the average person can step outside for milk and end up in a morgue hours later. Crime was rampant and the cops couldn’t be trusted. On the outskirts of the city, there was a boarding school for young women called Nevermore Academy.
Nevermore Academy, once founded to be a beacon in the darkness. To forge young women into a force for good, to bring peace and justice back to Jericho. But the school had become corrupted, the board was now the richest members of the organised crime families. Now forging young women into powerful corrupt figures of the future. There were 2 outcasts within the school.
Wednesday Addams: A young woman who investigated unsolved murders in her spare time and wrote novels. But Enid Sinclair; Enid was different. Enid was like a golden retriever. Full of energy, laughing and smiling, skipping around the school grounds. Unlike the others at the school, she was there to learn, and her motive was also strange. She wanted to bring genuine change to Jericho.
Nobody knew the darkness the brewed beneath the surface.
Enid Sinclair’s story began a long time ago. When she was 10 years old, her family were rich philanthropists who wanted to restore Jericho to it’s former and peaceful glory. They were once close friends of Esther and Murray Sinclair and their family. Esther and Murray were the god parents to Enid. Then one day, Enid’s parents were betrayed and murdered by Esther’s and Murrays men.
Forced to live with the Sinclair’s, Enid was verbally and emotionally tormented regularly. It wasn’t until she turned 15 and moved to Nevermore when she discovered her parents left her a substantial inheritance which was being held onto by a trusted family friend. With the money in her possession, Enid severed her connection to the Sinclair’s. With the connection severed, Enid began forming her plan.
2 Years she vanished from school only to return, trained to physical and mental perfection. Enid began to put her plan into motion, soon the city of Jericho was about to get a new protector. Of all the young woman at the school, Enid formed a close bond with Wednesday Addams. The Goth wasn’t like everyone at the school, she didn’t see herself above anyone. Instead, Wednesday investigated murders and she was preparing to go out to investigate a recent homicide.
Enid watched as Wednesday prepared herself, grabbing her knives and her snood. Wednesday turned back to Enid who was looking unsure “Are you sure this is a good idea, if you’re discovered” Enid said as she anxiously fidgetted.
“I’ll be fine Enid” Wednesday replied calmly as she slipped the last knife into her belt.
Enid handed Wednesday a cell phone; Enid had gifted it to her so they could keep in touch. Wednesday glared at the item as Enid sighed “Please, just text me to let me know you are safe” she pleaded, fixing the goth with a puppy dog gaze that caused Wednesday to grumble under her breath. Eventually Wednesday relented and she took the phone and pocketed it.
“I’ll be back soon” Wednesday said as she walked to the door. Taking a moment to stop and turn back to Enid who stood there. A beaming but anxious smile on her lips as she tentatively waved at the goth. Wednesday nodded her head and stepped out the door, closing it shut behind her leaving the blonde alone in the dorm room. After a moment, Enid’s smile faded, and her expression hardened into something darker.
Turning back to the window, she stared at the full moon before nodding her head “Time to reveal Jericho’s new defender” she said before walking to the door and left the dorm room. Enid walked around the back of the school where her Harley Softail was parked. Straddling the bike, she slipped on the helmet and rode away from the school. Her families burnt mansion remained nearby, standing on top of a vast cave system.
It was where she set up her base of operations.
The bike came to a stop next to the car that was covered. Unzipping her jacket, Enid walked down the steps to the pod that was rising from a hole in the floor. The pod stopped and Enid placed her hand on the scanner, after a moment the pod opened, and Enid’s lip curled slightly before she steeled herself knowing that after tonight… Jericho was never going to be the same way again.
In the meantime:
Wednesday entered the door leading to the penthouse, ducking under the police tape. Instantly taking note of the blood spatter on the walls. She began taking pictures of the crime scene, noting everything she sees for her investigation. Not that her investigations ever went anywhere. The police never acted on her information because they were just as corrupt as the crime families themselves.
Mean whilst:
Not too far away, a woman was leaving the bar she was working at late. She was in a hurry to get out of the intense storm. But as she was rushing, she failed to notice the men who were following. The men were completely oblivious to the figure standing on the rooftop watching them as they followed the woman that was rushing to get home. The woman jogged across the street, waving a hand to grab the attention of a taxi driver but her attempt was ignored.
The driver pulled away from the curb and drove off, leaving her standing there in the street “Mother fu…” she stopped when she heard movement behind her. Turning back, the woman turned and watched as the men were walking across the street towards her. The woman turned and began to speed walk. Occasionally looking back to check to see if they were still following her until fear finally won and she broke into a sprint.
The men laughed as they ran after the woman. The woman noticed a group of men who was waiting ahead of her. Unable to see any other option, she turned and ran into an alley not realizing the alley led to a dead end. The men now joined by the 2nd group followed her into the alley. Laughing, blissfully unaware that they were about to get a nasty surprise from the woman who was stalking them from the rooftops above.
Reaching the end of the alley, the woman looked around trying to find a way out or something to defend herself with. Hearing a cat pained cry when a trash can is kicked over, she spins around and watches as the 2 groups of men block her exit. “Well look what we have here boys” the leader of the first group purred as he ran his eyes up and down her body “You shouldn’t be outside alone.”
The woman laughed nervously “You know what, you’re right. I better get home” she said.
“Oh, now there is no need to be rude, stay with us” One of the men from the 2 groups moved to the left of her, a large gap between her and the 2 groups.
“It seems like she see’s herself as better than us” The leader of the second group chimed in.
“Look, I don’t want trouble. Just let me go home” The woman pleaded, stepping back on instinct when the leader walked closer.
“Well trouble has found you hot stuff, now what am we going to do to you” The leader of the first group reached out to touch her, and she recoiled in disgust.
“Seems we got a fighter here boys, I like that” The leader laughed.
“Then you’re really going to love me” A deep voice called from above.
The 2 groups looked up and stared at the figure silhouetted against the full moon, cape flowing in the wind. The figure leapt from the roof and landed before the 2 groups. The woman’s heart hammered in her chest, the figure was a women wearing some a black suit, with a cowl, long black cape, long red hair and had a red bat symbol across the chest and a red utility belt. The leader of the first group just stared in stunned silence before laughing “Who are you supposed to be?”
“Justice” The redhead woman growled before kicking the leader in the abdomen sending him falling to the floor. The 2 groups looked to each other before looking at the woman’s saviour and they lunged at her. The woman watched as the 2 groups attacked the she-bat, unable to take her eyes off how fluid the woman moved as she took down the men one by one. One man threw a punch and the bat headbutted the fist before smashing him face first into the brick wall.
One by one, the men fell, and the bat took quite a few punches to the body and the face, but she kept going. The leader punched her hard, the bat just roared in rage and grabbed the leader’s fist. There was a loud snap as the bat broke the leader’s arm and smashed him through the window nearby. By the end of the fighting, the woman stood there staring at her rescuer who stood there breathing heavily.
Looking back at the woman, the Bat just nodded her head. Reaching into her bag, the woman went to grab her cell phone but when she looked back at the Bat, she found the redhead was gone.
Who was she?
Later that night:
The nearby bank had some late-night visitors. These visitors were currently drilling into the vault whilst the remaining visitors were patrolling the bank. The security guard had been dealt with by the robbers, but they had a new threat to deal with. Walking into the lady’s room, one of the masked robbers checked the stalls before turning to the sinks. Removing the mask they had been wearing; the woman leaned against the basin and closed her eyes “Why am I doing this?” she asked herself before leaning down.
Turning on the faucet, she splashed water on her face before standing tall. When she stood tall, she found herself staring a figure of a woman dressed as a Bat “Rookie move” the Bat growled before smashing the woman’s face against the mirror. The woman fell to the floor, motionless and the Bat stepped over her body. Another guard was patrolling the upper floor when a gloved fist grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him into a dark closet.
Solid thuds followed as the Bat mercilessly beat the 2nd patrolling robber unconscious. The 3rd patroller found 2nd laying on the floor bloodied. Rushing over to the downed Patroller, the 3rd patroller dropped to his knees and checked his friend. Unaware of the presence behind him. Suddenly, he was lifted to his feet and span around to look into the eyes of his attack “SHIT!” he cried in fear “What are you?!”
“Your nightmare” The Bat replied with a low growl before throwing him out the window. The man screamed as he fell, slamming down hard on a parked car below. The fall was high enough to break bones but not high enough to kill. The street outside was in chaos as the Bat took out the rest of the bank robbers before leaving the building just as the swat team breached the bank to find the robbers beaten bloody and unconscious.
Crime Scene:
Wednesday sat in the chair at the crime scene, she should have been back to the dorm room by now, but she was currently being held there. The cops had found her, and they were currently talking about what to do with her. Wednesday looked down at the handcuffs on her wrists and released a heavy sigh, obviously bored with what was happening. “You broke into an active crime scene, very serious” the detective said as he sat down.
“And you entered a crime scene that you’re not working” Wednesday replied as she tilted her head “Last time I checked, Detective Galpin was working this case” she said.
“Me? I was called in response to a suspicious young woman entering the crime scene” The detective turned to his subordinates who chuckled.
Wednesday shook her head “No, I think you came here because you left something behind” she said.
The detective’s smile dropped “Are you accusing of something?” he demanded.
Before Wednesday could speak, a window down the hall shattered. Pulling their guns, the cops stood and gazed into the darkness. Wednesday looked at the detective who was visibly trembling “Go check it” he ordered the man to his left. Wednesday noticed the hesitation in the man before he walked into the darkness. A tense silence filled the air as everyone waited, the detective called out but no response.
He called out again and instead of a reply, the man’s disassembled gun and badge was tossed into the room. The detective paled, gulping audibly before he began firing with his last man. The hallway was lit up, bullets flying and striking the wall as Wednesday could only watch. The detective and his last back-up were busy reloading when without warning, the man was ripped backwards smashed through the window.
The detective turned around, staring at the window in terror “COME OUT HERE FREAK!!” He bellowed tearfully as his gun shook. His eyes scanning the darkness before he saw his target and he fired but instead the bullet struck glass, he shot the mirror. Suddenly he was lifted off the ground and slammed hard into the wooden floor. The Bat stood over him with his gun in her hand, slowly dismantling it.
Tossing the gun pieces away, she grabbed him by his throat and knocked him out with one hard punch that landed with a sickening crack. The Bat stood over the downed Detective, staring down at him before she turned her attention to Wednesday. Slowly, she stepped closer to the raven and knelt. The Bat didn’t speak, instead she undid the handcuff’s and tossed the cuffs aside “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice deep.
Wednesday looked at the Bat and nodded her head “Who are you?” she asked as she rubbed her wrists.
“A friend” The Bat said before turning to the window “You better get going, your friends will worry about you” she said before leaping out the window.
Rushing to the window, Wednesday poked her head outside and there was no sign of the Bat.
She really needed to tell Enid about this.