From her spot on the sidewalk, Jewels could see the front doors of not one but two bars. In a half hour, they'd close and people would come streaming out, drunk and stupid and fairly adventurous. Maybe a little turned on after a night of flirting or unhappy at the prospect of going home alone. Any of those scenarios were just fine by Jewels. She was a working girl and drunks were by far the easiest clients she had. Some of them just ended up rambling for an hour or so and paid her for that, so long as she pretended to listen and offer a few words of comfort and sympathy about how their wives didn't understand them/work didn't appreciate them/kids didn't respect them
( ... )
Kathy sprang back up to her feet and lunged for him, ducking past his arms to get right into his face. She ignored the instincts that were telling her to bite and relied on her fists, elbows, and knees instead. He got in one or two more blows--maybe more, she hardly felt them--and then went down in a loose sprawl next to the purse that had been forgotten by both of them.
"Who's crazy now?" Kathy demanded, glaring down at his prone form.
"Pretty sure it's you, honey," Jewels said from a few feet away. She'd headed over as soon as they'd started fighting, though her self-preservation instincts has her holding back while punches were being thrown. Now, though, she could move forward, collect her purse, rifle through that asshole's pockets for loose cash or anything else of interest. "Pretty sure most girls don't fight off muggers in a pretty party--Banzai?"
Fuck. Of all the things Kathy hadn't expected tonight, running into someone she knew, being recognized wasn't one of them. She didn't want it. Not like this. Not right now.
"Sorry," she said flatly. "You must be thinking of somebody else."
"Nah, nah," Jewels said, her Midwestern twang growing stronger. "You can't fool me, sweetheart. You might not be in a rainbow getup or have your mask, but I saw you! You're fast!"
Jewels hadn't thought much about it at the time, most of their moves were concealed by shadows and hard to make out. She should have, though. Should have realized. Who else would start a fight with a mugger over a hooker's purse.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Kathy kicked the purse over to Jewels and turned to leave. "You got your purse back. Think about that instead."
"Banzai, please," Jewels pleaded, eyes filling with tears. "Honey, you don't even know. I was so worried about you. And then Dante came and told me that you'd died in some stupid superhero bullshit and--"
This was all too much. Just too damn much. She spun on her heel and stalked off. "Hate to break it to you," she said over her shoulder, "but I'm not the person you're hoping I am. Sorry."
And then she walked away, leaving Jewels behind to forlornly pick up the battered purse and hug it tightly to her chest.
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"Who's crazy now?" Kathy demanded, glaring down at his prone form.
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"Sorry," she said flatly. "You must be thinking of somebody else."
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Jewels hadn't thought much about it at the time, most of their moves were concealed by shadows and hard to make out. She should have, though. Should have realized. Who else would start a fight with a mugger over a hooker's purse.
"I thought you were dead."
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And then she walked away, leaving Jewels behind to forlornly pick up the battered purse and hug it tightly to her chest.
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