In a World Where Only Madness Matters

Rebecca and Matt couldn’t help but break into laughter while watching Jax run ahead of them towards the city. Jax was so excited, it just couldn’t even be put into words. He was ecstatic and talking nonstop about all the places he missed and wanted to go to. It was really hard to understand him with how fast he was talking, but Rebecca managed to hear something about a toy store, ice cream, and a favorite park of his.

Coming over a larger hill on the edge of town, buildings began to appear on the horizon, and they knew they were close. Jax gasped and came running back to Rebecca’s side.

“Come on! We’re almost there!!” he shouted grabbing Rebecca and Matt’s arm and running down the other side of the hill.

“Slow down Jax!” Rebecca said letting a small laugh escape from her lips.
<br>
“Yeah, you don’t even know where we’re going.” Matt scoffed as they arrived at the bottom, to see the city only a few more steps away. Matt pulled his arm away and fixed his hat.

“Geeze, Matt. Why are you so grumpy?” Rebecca asked noticing his frustration. He sighed.

“I’m sorry. I’m just really tired and tired of these clothes. We really need to change. The police are already probably looking for us. With these outfits we might as well be announcing our presence.” He paused, sending glances down to Rebecca and Jax’s stained escaped convict looking outfits. “Come on. I have an idea.”

They followed Matt as he led them around the edges of the city to get where they wanted without being seen, and eventually they ended up in front of the Gotham City Mall.

It was little past 4AM so there was nobody in the parking lot. And the doors were all locked, with no one inside.

“We can’t break in there.” Rebecca stated. “An alarm will go off and police will be here and…”

“That’s why I’m not breaking in. What you think I’m just that stupid?” Matt said confidently approaching the front entrance to the mall. Rebecca and Jax cautiously followed behind and watched as Matt began to examine the door and locks for it.

“What are you doing?” Jax asked when Matt crouched down, and began scratching at the metal locks on the glass doors.

“Did I mention I was a genius when it came to magnetics?” Matt replied pulling the gun he had stolen earlier out of his belt and opening the barrel. “Ya see, magnetic energy can manipulate brain wave frequencies. And depending on the type of magnets your dealing with, which can only be iron and steel, you can use your mind to control the waves and change there frequencies. Like the one this alarm system seems to be on.” Matt said pressing his head to the metal parts of the door.

“Okay…? So can you open it?” Jax said, lost as to what he had just said.

“Yes. Well technically no. But I can turn off the alarm. I don’t think you’ll mind being the one to ‘open’ the door will you Jax?” Matt smiled. Jax cheeks curved up into a evil looking grin and he eagerly began to search the area for what he wanted to use.

“So where’d you learn all this?” Rebecca bent down beside him curiously.

“I have an idea! Lets change the subject!” Matt said jumping from his bent down position, and dusting his hands off with pride. “Its off.”

“But how did you…?” Rebecca noticed Matt did not do anything, but take a bullet from the gun, put it in his ear, and press his ear against the door.

“Ah, the old stethoscope to the vault trick.” Matt informed her pulling the bullet out of his ear. Rebecca nodded, somewhat understanding how he had done it. But she had no clue how he could have managed to control his brain waves. She didn’t even know brain waves could go beyond the human skull. But she shook off her wonder, and decided that it really didn’t matter. Just as long as the alarm didn’t go off.

Jax appeared back beside them holding a blue postal mail box, and an anxious smile playing across his face.

Once Jax had broken the door down, and they were all safely inside, the three of them seemed to go off in there own separate directions.

Jax aimlessly ran around in shock as to how much the mall had changed sense the last time he was there and to all the new technology that was displayed throughout it

Rebecca, wanting to keep both Jax and Matt in her sights, slowly glanced around trying to find which store she wanted to choose her clothes from. Briefly looking in PINK and Aeropostale to see if there was anything she wanted from in there.

Eventually Matt disappeared from her side-sight, and she decided now was a good time to pick a store. Deciding on Forever 21, grabbing a bright pink tee and light blue faded jeans, before heading to the dressing rooms in the back. When she had finished changing she grabbed a hair clip from one of the counters and headed to the public bathrooms in the mall to wash the dirt and sweat off her hands and face.

She soaked down several paper towels and lightly began pressing the refreshing cool water against her face. Rubbing off all the dirt and some dried up blood, from god only knows what.

Peering into the mirror, Rebecca realized it had been a week sense she had last seen her reflection. She never thought so much could change so fast. Her hair was matted and frizzy. Her eyes blood shot and ridden with insomnia. Her lips were badly chapped and she couldn’t help but wonder, how Jax could’ve felt the slightest bit attracted to her. Well, she hadn’t looked that bad when she first got there… and Jax had similar physical problems as well. [Matted hair, chapped lips, bags under the eyes.] So finding each other attractive didn’t seem all that far fetched.

Of course now Rebecca had the liberty of being able to use her make-up, straightener, and other beauty products when she wanted. And oh how she could not wait to. She also couldn’t wait to get home and take a nice hot bubble bath. And she had a pretty good idea of the place she would take Jax and Matt to call their humble abode.

After washing most of the dirt and grime off and pinning her hair back she exited the bathroom. Pushing the door open, at the same time Jax pushed the men’s door open, they came face to face. Looking very different from how they had last seen each other minutes ago.

Rebecca’s jaw seemed to drop to the ground and she stood there, shocked as to the sudden change in appearance Jax seemed to magically go through. [The boy cleaned up damn good.]

“Wow.” She breathed out, finally being able to blink. Jax suddenly felt very nervous.

“What?” he asked somewhat scared to see what Rebecca would think of him now.

Rebecca smiled examining him from head to toe in complete and utter surprise. He was wearing plain dark-green tee shirt, with faded gray fitted jeans, a neon yellow belt to hold them up a little bit lower past his waste. All with neon green and yellow Nike’s to match it perfectly.

“You look…” Rebecca couldn’t find the words. He had no more dirt, no more blood, no more sweat. He looked amazing. Like a model perhaps. Course he needed a shower [they all did.] But, wow.

“You look good!” she finally managed to say. Good was an understatement. Jax looked hott and she knew it. She could feel herself begin to feel a little self-conscious now that she was not looking her best. But she had no reason to.

The moment Jax had pushed open his door he was stunned by Rebecca’s beauty. He knew she was pretty, but this was beyond pretty. She was flawless. At least to him she was. She was perfect and he felt very unattractive to her when she had first looked at him. But when she finally spoke, telling him how good he looked, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thanks.” He said looking at the ground not sure what to say. “You look amazing…” he trailed looking away.

“Shucks.” Matt replied taking Jax‘s comment that was intended for Rebecca. “You don’t look half bad yourself there.”

Jax looked up, irritated, to see Matt standing to their right now. He was wearing a black button up dress shirt with a crisp white tie to go with it. He had dark baggy jeans and regular pair of black and white converse to match it. All being topped off with a black 1960s mob type hat to go with it. Jax thought he looked silly.

“Okay well, I got you guys these.” Matt began pulling cell phones from his pants pocket. “Um, Jax. You can have the yellow one.” he said throwing a yellow T-Mobile Sidekick in Jax’s direction. Jax’s face lit up in surprise and delight.

“Cool!” he said flipping it around and looking at it. “What is it…?” he frowned. Matt laughed.

“Rebecca can have the pink one. And I’ll use the black one. That way we can all tell the difference between our phones.”

“Thanks.” Rebecca replied as he handed her the cell phone. “But what do we need them for?” She asked flipping hers open and turning it on.

“Who knows. But its better to be safe then sorry.”

“Awh! Mines broken! How come I get the broken one!?” Jax yelled angry about to throw the device. Rebecca laughed.

“You just have to turn it on silly. Here.” She took the cell from Jax’s hand and held the ON button down until the screen lit up.

“So if we ever get split up we can call or text each other if were in trouble or something, ya know?”

“Yeah. Thanks Matt. That was really thoughtful of you.” Rebecca replied handing Jax’s phone back to him and pushing her own into her pocket.

“Your welcome.”

“So where’d you guys gets the shoes?” Rebecca said looking down at her own bare feet. [She couldn’t bare to see what they had gone through after that run.]

“Shoe Department.” both Jax and Matt replied.

After Rebecca had managed to pick a pair of shoes, deciding on a pair of tan Uggs, they set off and exited the mall.

“So now where do we go?” Jax asked somewhat scared to hear the answer.

“I have a place.” Rebecca replied confidently.

“Which is?” Matt asked curiously. He knew the girl was smart, but he did not want to be lead into trouble or back in the custody of the police. “And we need to hurry. The sun will be up soon and the streets will be crawling with people.”

“Don’t worry. Its close by.”

Rebecca led them down several more blocks, down one back alley way, and two cross walks.

“Here we are.” She smiled as they gazed up at 60 story high-rise apartment complex.

“Holy…”

“Shit.” Matt finished for Jax. “How can you afford to live in a place like this?” Matt asked suspiciously.

“I don’t. My dad does. He owns pent houses all around Gotham. He and my mom are divorced and he’s away in China right now on business. And well anyways, this is one my mom doesn’t know about, and I’m welcome to use any of them anytime I want. Come on.” Rebecca said as they walked up the stairs to the entrance and into very high class looking lobby.

Jax had never seen such a nice looking place, but he tried to contain his shock and just casually follow Rebecca to the elevators. Matt had been here before though. [Ah, good times. Good times.] Life as a criminal was something he missed dearly. And he couldn’t wait to plunge back into it.

In short time they were at the top floor and walking a few paces down the hallway, only to stop several feet away from the elevator.

“Were here.” Rebecca said excitedly.

Jax watched, amused to the fact that she had no keys and that there was no key hole. He had never seen a door like this one. It had a keypad on it. With the numbers zero through nine.

Rebecca pressed the numbers 4-5-9-8 and suddenly the handle on the door clicked down and she pushed the door open the rest of the way.

“Come on in guys. Make yourselves at home.”

The first thing Jax noticed upon entering the room was the astonishing floor to ceiling windows, that ran from one end of the living room, to the other. He had never seen anything like it. His eyes wide with bewilderment, he proceeded to follow Rebecca further into the apartment.

Bring surrounded by walls for so long, Jax couldn’t help but feel a little taken back to sudden change in environment.

“Nice place.” Matt said as he approached the windows. “What an amazing view.”

And it was. You could see all of Gotham from up here. Rebecca lightly chuckled stepping beside Matt to gaze out at the sunrise making its way up onto the horizon.

“My dad paid extra for these. He wanted to feel like he was king of the city.” Rebecca said with a smile, that slowly seemed to loose its shape. “Of course, he never even comes here anymore. So I don’t know why he wanted the view.”

“Well…” Matt started as he walked away. “I call this couch.” he said collapsing onto the leather sofa to the wall opposite of all the windows.

“Go for it.” Jax said eyeing him and his stupidity, “Then I call bedroom.” [Idiot.]

“So um, you’re going to sleep here?” Rebecca asked turning away from the glass wall and back to Matt who already had sprawled out and put his hat over his face. He nodded.

“Mhm.” he replied his answer being muffled by his hat.

Rebecca looked to Jax, who still stood looking around at everything amazed, but once he felt that Rebecca’s eyes were on him, he locked his own onto hers. A very remorseful emotion seemed to flow through the two of them, and at the same time, they knew they needed to be alone together.

“Okay, well me and Jax will be in the room down the hall, to the left, if you need us.”

Matt simply raised his arm, gave a thumbs up, and went to bed. [Finally, rest.]

Rebecca walked over to Jax, taking his hand, and leading him to her room.

So many emotions were hitting Jax right now he just didn’t know how much longer he could take it and hold it in. This place was so different, so big, it was nothing like his old home.

His house before Arkham was nothing compared to this. Sure it had two stories, but he still doubted it was bigger then the current one floor apartment he stood in. His old house had no heating system and on few occasions actually had a working air conditioner. Half, if not all, the windows in his old house were smashed out and repaired with either duck tape or a trash bag. Their roof was filled with holes and were almost never repaired. The entire thing was poorly built and just a disgrace to be called a home. Luckily, just before Jax was taken to Arkham, it was burnt down.

He couldn’t decide if he should be angry with Rebecca, for getting to have her whole life handed to her. For never having to work and worry about anything. Or if he should be happy, for the fact that he now got to live like this. [Though, he still had things to worry about.]

But the thought was forgotten as Jax realized they had reached their destination, and he followed Rebecca into the next room.

His eyes instantly coming in contact with the color pink, which seemed to be the majority of color that encompassed the room. [No doubt this was Rebecca’s room.] He walked in, as Rebecca shut the door behind him.

It was a big room. With a huge queen size looking bed. Of course, covered in pink blankets, pillows, and comforters. It had tall wood banisters on all four ends and matching step on the floor to climb up onto it. There was a dresser up against the farthest wall from the door and a big screen TV and entertainment system to his immediate left.

The more he walked in, he discovered a door, leading to a bathroom on the other side of the television. But the sounds of Rebecca’s shuffling feet brought Jax back to the situation at hand, and he turned to face her, just in time to see her burst into tears.

Jax’s own tears that he had been holding in for so long, welled up in his eyes. He held his arms out to her and she quickly came into them, wrapping herself around him and pressing her face into his chest as she cried. Tears began falling down Jax’s own face as well, and they both slowly fell to their knees holding each other as they cried.

So much had happened to the both of them in the past week that it was all just becoming too much, and now they finally had the chance to let it all out. Jax held her tight as his silent tears went streaming down his face. She sobbed getting the whole front of his shirt wet and wrapping her hands around his neck. Jax pulled her up onto his lap and he leaned his head on hers as he cried.

They were finally free, and they needed to get it out of their systems. They had gone through so many traumatic events that it was hard to even appreciate their freedom. So they cried. They cried, holding each other tight and never wanting to let go.

But after almost a half an hour, Rebecca pulled her head back to look at Jax, who looked at her with the same discerned expression. But Rebecca felt better now that she had been able to cry. She gave him half a smile and reached up with her thumb, to wipe Jax’s tears away. He smiled and breathed in through his nose, making a sniffling sound as he ran his arm under his nose.

“I feel better.” Jax stated falling back onto his butt and sitting cross legged. Still holding Rebecca in his lap.

“Me too.” Rebecca said nodding and biting on her thumb nail.

Jax sighed and shook his hair out of his eyes.

“So…” He started, not really wanting to discuss what was coming. [But he knew they had to.] “I guess we have a lot to talk about.”

“Yeah. A lot.”