Jason and Angel Meet

"Whatever... just go home. It isn't safe out here around this time of night." Jason turned to leave...

And was stopped by the sound of snickering behind him. He turned back around to face it's source: a girl with a snarky grin was plastered all over her face.

Jason narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Nothin' much.  Just...

That's really funny coming from a little kid like you. What are you, even? Nine?"

"...I'm fourteen."

"Eh, basically the same thing."

Jason sighed, and turned to leave again. "It doesn't matter. I can take care of myself."

The girl now was on the verge of being sent into another fit of laughter. "Yeah... uh-huh."

She ran to his side and, to his irritance, got in his face. He started walking forward, and she kept pace with him. "So about that, does 'taking care of yourself' include getting some food? Like, do you have money, kid?"

Jason looked at her from the side. "Why?"

"Well, I figured a kind and generous soul like yourself might be willing to come to the aid of an innocent girl in her time of need." the girl said, grinning and pointing to herself with her thumb. "I haven't had a proper meal in a few days now!"

"....What's a 'proper meal' ?"

"By proper meal, I mean something not found in a dumpster or something." Despite her words, the girl's lighthearted manner did not falter. "And I figure that's probably not GREAT for my health, if you know what I'm saying."

Jason remained silent for a time...

... and then sighed. "So...

What? You want a burger or something?"

"Heh."
***********Time passes. Now in a restaurant.********

Jason sat in his chair, mouth agape, and the rest of his face twisted into an expression of disgust.

Across from him, the girl had just set down a large, family sized pepperoni pizza in front of her seat. It was in fact, the fourth pepperoni pizza of this size that had been sat on the table this night....

...and Jason had not eaten anything.

For a time, Jason just sat and watched with awe as she picked up slice after yet another slice and stuffed it into her mouth. Finally, he spoke. "You know, when you said you wanted to go to an all-you-can-eat-buffet, I thought you were just being funny. But now...

"...Is this how you normally eat when given the chance?" Jason looked the girl up and down, and found he couln't help but wonder the question he then asked. "Where does it even go?"

The girl gave a hearty laugh, fully exposing the contents of her mouth. She stopped after a moment and swallowed. "Let's just say I have a really fast metabolism, kid. Plus, gotta' stock up for those harder periods."

"Right." Jason narrowed his eyes. "Instead of...

Whatever this is, how about you just get a job or something so you can avoid such times?"

Angel now swallowed the last slice on the tray in front of her, and she looked at Jason with a serious expression, (probably the first time she's done that since he's seen her, Jason thought) and sighed. She looked left and right, as if scanning the room for something. "Can't."

"Why not?"

She weakly grinned. "Adult stuff a kid like you wouldn't understand."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you, like, a teenager?"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Uh... NO? I'm 21, kid."

Jason just sighed. Angel went to go get another tray. When she sat back down, he continued. "By the way, the person who just spent his money coming to the aid of this 'innocent girl in her time of need' is not named 'kid.' It's Jason."

"Cool. I'm Angel." Angel grinned. "Fitting, huh?"

"Exceedingly so."

Angel laughed.

Silence fell, and time passed.

Finally, Angel broke it. "So, what brings you out at this time?"

Jason's face hardened. "Why?"

"No special reason. I just think a 12 year old-"

Jason raised an eyebrow.

"A person of your age. I just find it interesting to see a young lad like yourself skulking through these streets at night alone."

Jason's face remained hardened for a time. In fact, so much time passed that it didn't seem like he was going to answer. Finally...

He sighed, and lowered his head, before continuing in a low tone. "I'm looking for someone."

"Who?"

Jason again paused for a time. "My sister."

"What? Did you get seperated or something? You lost her?"

Jason again fell silent, this time for the longest time yet. Angel even started to wonder if perhaps she should drop the subject. Finally, Jason's lips parted again, and he uttered something in a low tone that sounded to her like "Sheena Kinnat"

"What?"

Jason raised his head. "No. I did not lose her. She was kidnapped."

Angel froze, her stomach sank, and her eyes widened in shock.

Jason continued. "She ran out one night. We didn't know why. And I don't know why I felt this way, but I felt I should run after her. So I did.

"Later on, we ran into some guys in the street.

"We tried to yell. And resist. And do anything we could. But then this woman showed up from nowhere. I don't remember much of what happened after that, but apparently I was knocked unconscious, for I came to only to find that all of them, including Ramona, was gone."

Angel remained silent for a moment. "...I'm sorry that happened. But shouldn't you just go to the police?"

Jason scoffed, and a hint of anger slipped into his tone. "We DID go to the police. This was 2 weeks ago. And you know what they basically said?"

Angel could not get a response in before he continued.

"They tried to dress it up and make it sound pretty, but basically they got nothing. Somehow, SOMEWAY, NO ONE saw or heard ANYTHING! And apparently something just happened to be going wrong with traffic cams at the time or something. And at the crime scene, nothing."

It was little more than a hint of anger in Jason's voice now. "WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT!? All the resources and tools they have at their disposal, and they have ZERO leads? Isn't that hilarious? They're either lying for some reason..."

Jason now realized he was standing up. He sat back down, and lowered his voice. "...Or they're useless."

Angel remained silent for an eternity of time, processing what hre just said."

"Look kid... Jason, I mean. I understand that you're really upset about this. And understandably so. But do you really think striking out on your own hunting these guys down is the best solution? What do your parents think? Why don't you let them help?"

Jason remained silent, but his lips trembled.

"Have you talked to them about this?"

"I can't." Jason eye's started to redden.

"Why don't you try? After losing their daughter, I highly doubt they want to lose you, too."

"It doesn't matter."

Angel was unsure and self-aware of what she was doing, feeling very much out of her element. But she steeled herself and pressed forward. "It DOES matter. They are probably worried sick, huh?"

"No... they are not."

"How not?"

Tears started to stream out of Jason's eyes. And his entire body started to shake.

He looked away, and continued in a quiet yet unmistakable tone. "Because they're both dead."

***show time passes.***

"A few days after we got the report, Mom disappeared. No one knows where she went, and she hasn't been seen or heard from since. And Dad? He already wasn't in great health before all this. And the stress and grief of losing Ramona and Mom...."

Angel was at a loss for words.

Eventually, Jason continued. "A few days ago, a guy approached me. He told me he was the leader of the guys who took Ramona or something. He gave me some sort of weird compass watch thing. Tells me if I make it to where it takes me, I'll see my sister. But that if I go to the authorities with it, it will stop working."

At this, Angel started to feel a strange irritance herself. "So let me get this straight. I'm going to assume everything you just said to me is true. This guy you have never seen before approaches you from nowhere and tells you he's the leader or whatever of the guys who took your sister. You believe him. He offers you some sort of strange device you don't really know what is. You take it."

Jason's face started to harden with anger, but Angel continued. "He tells you not to go to the police. You obey. He tells you to follow this thing to whatever strange location it takes you to. I am guessing that is what you're doing now. And I'm guessing you also think that when you reach the area where your sister is, assuming she is really there, these guys who kidnapped her are just going to hand her over to you. Like, "Here's your prize! Thanks for playing!" or something?"

Jason glared at Angel for some time. He then got up and slammed his palm on the table. When his palm moved, there was a 20 dollar bill where his hand was a few moments ago. He turned to leave. "That should cover the meal. Maybe a little more. Hope you have a good night, and take care of yourself." And he started to walk away.

Angel called out after him. "Let me see it! Let me see this compass watch thing he gave you!"

Jason stopped, but did not turn to face her. Instead, Jason dug his hand into his pocket and pulled a black cube with several wrist straps coming out of it.

As soon as Angel saw it, all anger on her face disappeared. Her eyes widened in shock, and then she lowered her gaze. Her tone quieted. "Kid, I was out of line, 'kay? Sorry. Not my place. But I need you to come back here, because there is something we need to discuss."

Jason remained where he was for a moment, and finally turned to come sit back down.

Angel looked up at him, her expression more serious than it had been at any point before. She continued silent for a moment.

Jason's face remained hardened. "What's up with you?"

Angel continued to hesitate for a time, before finally continuing in a low tone. "Where did you get that device?"

"I told you. The man gave it to me."

Angel again remained silent for a time. "Kid, I think that you should drop this search."

Jason expression did not change. "Did you hear nothing I said? You expect me to just give up on the last family I have left?"

"No...

Just....

Did you notice anything strange about the man? Appearance wise?"

"...Like what?"

"Like, his face or his eyes?"

"...Maybe? I don't know. Why are you asking me this?"

Angel stared at Jason for a few moments, frozen. Then she got up, walked over to him, and grabbed his hand. Without looking at him, she said, "I have one more question." She looked around at the room again, as if searching for something...

Or perhaps...

For someone. "So let's go."

"What? Let's go where?" Angel gave no response but just pulled him along, so he continued to protest. "Hey? I don't know you like that? I'm not just going to go somewhere because you said I need to go there!"

Only later would Angel make a jab at him for the irony of that statement, but right now, she remained silent.

Jason tried to pull his hand out of her grip but found it too strong...

Much stronger than he expected. Perhaps much stronger than what it should be. Perhaps...

Much stronger than what should be natural.