The Archivist of Gotham (The Magnus Archive × Batman Fanfic)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Cleaning

         After the classes, in one of the rooms on Gotham Elementary's 3rd floor, Luke, Jonas, and Damian are occupied with their tasks. Though, the latter was only standing, starting, and doing nothing much to the annoyance of Luke. But he didn't dare to open his mouth in case him having a repeat experience of the incident yesterday.

He swear that Damian wanted to kill him yesterday. If he has anything pointy on him like a knife, Luke was certain that he would be already dead. There was no hesitation in the little demon's green eyes yesterday in his attempt to throttle him to death.

This must be the reason why Jonas decided to don't bother Damian last week. After talking to the little demon in private, Jonas is acting weird and distances himself from the little Demon before Jonas was kidnapped.

Since the incident yesterday, his classmates have also started avoiding Damian. No more people are trying to get in his good graces at Gotham Elementary because he was the son of Bruce Wayne. They were afraid of what would happen if they angered Damian. They don't want to happen what happens to Luke on themselves.

Also, Jonas have told him yesterday while they were exploring the shopping district that what he did yesterday was foolish. It wasn't nice of him to belittle Damian's parents. Because one of them happened to be Bruce Wayne who was the CEO of Wayne Enterprise. Although his 3rd son Tim Drake Wayne is currently managing the company in his absence.

If Wayne demanded, then his parent's company have already ended because of his foolish actions. Luke was both angry and afraid. But he decided to listen to Jonas's advice to him to just don't bother Damian.

But it was hard to not become bothered by Damian when he wasn't even helping to clean this room in their first detention. It is infuriating! How come they are cleaning when that twerp is just sitting and doing nothing?

He wanted to sit and do nothing too. But since the Principal instructed them, Jonas hasn't complained when it comes to cleaning the classroom. He instantly picked up a broom to wipe out the dust on the floor.

He would feel ashamed of himself if he didn't help Jonas on cleaning the room even though he hasn't done any cleaning in his life since the servants are the ones responsible for the chores at home.

Luke was grateful that Jonas have spontaneously decided to invite him on a sleepover at the Cane Manor even though it was a surprise for himself. He has avoided being punished and today, his mother's temper has calmed down since he was given food this morning after returning from his sleepover at the Cane Manor.

Luke watched Jonas spray the window with a cleaner spray and wipe it with a rag. Jonas knows what he has to do and even instructed Luke earlier about a certain task patiently if he doesn't know what to do.

Jonas was supposed to be like him. Just richer and someone who knows how to hide his dirt from the teachers. Someone who knows to use his parent's influence more efficiently and make all of the students who would threaten and usurp his position here in Gotham Elementary give up.

This Jonas in front of him is a new glimpse of Jonas that he has discovered and it feels surreal.

But at the same time, this Jonas in front of him is more threatening, strange, and cruel.

" Is there something in my face Avery? "

Jonas who was wiping the window slowly turned his head in Luke's direction. The latter unconsciously flinched when he witnessed Jonas's actions.

It was creepy.

" Uh. Nothing!.. "

" Are you sure? "

" ..Yeah. "

" Perhaps you need something? "

" I don't think so. "

Jonas then grinned.

" You're lying. "

At that words, Luke started to become nervous. It feels like his mother, father, uncle, and aunt are staring at him.

" But you can ask me anytime if you need something. "

Luke sighed in relief when Jonas wasn't paying attention to him and turned back to wiping the window.

Ever since Jonas came back from his kidnapping, he frankly became more disturbed and scary in a very uncanny and eerie way.

And the story that they told them earlier in the literature subject was very disturbing.

It was about a child who was kidnapped and ended up being killed by being stabbed multiple times. Left to bleed by his murderer in a shed until he was left alone by his murderer and the body of the murdered child was left to bleed and left to cold and became a corpse.

The story or statement Jonas told earlier was very detailed and every emotion that the kidnapped child felt was described vividly. But at the same time, it wasn't also detailed since the locations, names, and face of the people that know the child, the identity and face of the killer and eventually, the name of the child wasn't described.

It felt so real. And it felt so sad that no one came to save the child.

The child only felt fear and sadness as the killer continuously stabbed him and didn't listen to the child's begging for mercy.

No superhero or vigilante came to save the child in the story. And it was even uncertain if the child's body was found.

At the end of the story, Their literature teacher asked if Jonas was okay.

" It was just a statement. "

It was the first time that Luke saw Jonas not smile in his unsettling way and there was only an emotionless expression as he answered the question.

It was then that Luke realize that maybe Jonas has taken inspiration from his experience to tell his disturbing story to them.

After the detention, Luke, Jonas, and Damian then have gone to the library the Gotham Elementary. Rosalie and her friend classmate were already waiting at one of the tables in the library for their short meeting for their Science Group Project.

Their chosen topic is Space and they have decided to do a model of not just their solar system but the nearby galaxies.

At the end of their meeting, all of them were surprised including Jonas when Damian offered to do their Group Science Project in Wayne Manor this coming Thursday.

It was very surprising and suspicious of him. In case something happened, Luke would make sure that he was prepared.