Fifth Avenue
Chapter Twenty-Four

Bullet walks into Hartley’s room where she found Hartley being taught by Justin how to properly “This is a d-disaster” she stutters looking up to Justin, he nods and happily rubs her back “N-not a disaster, Cap-capt-tain Roberts says puffing o-out his large chest” Justin looks up to see his sister, his smile faltering slightly.

“Hey sis” he says “What do you want?” Bullet presses her lips together before sighing.

“Doc wants Hartley” Hartley looks to Justin and smiles at him before getting up and walking down the hall.

Bullet huffs and slams the door closed following Hartley.

Doc wanted to take Hartley somewhere important, that’s what he told her anyway. She shivers as the cold wind nipped at her bare skin. She couldn’t close the car’s window, she had earlier tried and ended up pulling off the handle.

Doc pulled down a road she didn’t recognize and as the car drew nearer she could see the outline of the concreted crosses in the distance, he was taking her to a cemetery? She thought confused.

“There is a purpose to this trip, I promise” Doc says catching Hartley’s confused look. He pulled into a free park and got out, this time waiting for Hartley before he walked off.

“Why are we here?” she asks shivering slightly, her hands rubbing her arms to keep warm. Doc gives her a half smile but says nothing as they walk further into the cemetery.

“I thought you might be able to tell me” he whispers “Last time I spoke of your parents you had a vision did you not?” he asks and Hartley nods slightly “As an old friend I need to know what happened to them, I’ve been trying to replace out for years but I haven’t found anything, you could be the final piece to this puzzle” Hartley gulps and they stop.

Doc took off his jacket and put it over Hartley’s shoulders “Meet your parents” he says sadly pointing to a gravestone. Hartley turns quickly and looks at it.

It was covered in moss and the grass hadn’t been mowed it years, dead flowers lay on the top frozen there by left over snow from the winter. She leant down and brushed away the moss ‘Here lay Catherine and Richard Faye, forever remembered’ Hartley lets out a breath.

It’s every orphans dream to replace their family, get the answer as to why they would leave them and Hartley finally had hers, a small amount of tears pooled in Hartley’s eyes as the rain began to drizzle from the sky.

“Anything?” Doc asks hopefully, Hartley wipes her eyes and looks up to the grey sky.

“Nothing” she whispers, Doc sighs sadly and looks down.

“That’s okay, I guess you can’t always get what you want” he says sadly “I’ll give you some time with your family, I’m just going down there” he says before slowly walking off.

Hartley gulps and finishes brushing off the last of the moss “Hey mum” she says sadly “Hey dad” the feeling of guilt washed over Hartley “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I did this to everyone” she sniffles and shivers as a feeling of cold wind blows over to where she was “I know what you did...to save me and I have to thank you for that” she sits down and leans on the gravestone, her breathing heavy.

“I know you wish I couldn’t remember you, but I’m happy that I do” Hartley begins to drift off, she sat asleep by her parent’s grave until Doc walks over waking her.

“Come on” he whispers helping her up “I have more to show you” she nods tiredly and leans on him as they begin to walk out of the cemetery. They pause beside 3 small graves, Hartley looked closer ‘Joseph Parker, Allen junior Parker and Faye Parker’ she gulps as the realisation hits her, they were at his children’s grave.

Hartley gulps “Is Kit buried here as well?” she asks quietly, Doc nods slightly and leads her down a different path. ‘Here lay Jenny Bane and Christian Bane’ Hartley gulps looking at the horribly crossed out name ‘Harker Bane’ with a shaky breath she closes her eyes.

Slowly the rain ceased and her hair turned bright yellow, bright flowers began to bloom all around Kit’s grave. Hartley opens her eyes and smiles at the grave “Thank you” she whispers to him placing her small hand on the gravestone “for everything” Doc helps her up and they walk silently, but happy to the car before heading back to the base.

“I think we should move back into your home town Hartley, I know whatever Wisdom is planning is based there and I think it would be better for us to get a head start” Doc says watching the road as he drove, Hartley places her feet onto the dash making herself comfortable.

“That’s probably for the best” she nods closing her eyes.

“I just want to make sure you are comfortable with this” he says, this time showing slight compassion in his voice. Hartley peeks at Doc through an open eye and smirks at him.

“You might want to be careful their Doc, anyone might think you have emotions” she jokes, avoiding the question he had asked. Doc nods a small smile creeping onto his face.

That night everyone took what they could carry and went to the town. Doc, Bullet and Shooter took the car so they could keep an eye on the prisoner they had to bring along, whereas Hartley and Justin simply teleported. They appeared in the middle of the orphanage.

Justin links his arm with hers and they walk out the rubble and towards the meeting point Doc has set, knowing that Shooter was driving it wouldn’t take them to long to here leaving Justin and Hartley minimal time to themselves.

As they approached the meeting point Hartley began to feel light headed, she began to fall but luckily Justin caught her before she landed on the ground. “Justin please don’t touch me” she begs “Please I don’t want you to have to go through this again” she begs “Please” Justin hesitates before nodding.

He removes his jacket and lays it onto the ground placing Hartley’s head just over it, Hartley smiles at him before her eyes roll back.

A flash of white blinds Hartley, soon she is standing back in the rubble of the orphanage. She looks around trying to see what she is meant to be looking at.

Soon Wisdom appears in the middle of the street, Hartley was on the ground sobbing “DO it!” she yells angrily waving the gun in her hand around.

“I can’t do it, please I don’t know how to” Justin screams her name from the distance and Hartley looks to him giving a small smile, this makes Wisdom to grow angry.

Everything blurs and soon a gunshot rings through the town, Hartley now lay limp on the ground in a pool of her own blood. Wisdom’s face drops “What have I done” she says worriedly “No, no Hartley get up” she leans down and tries to get Hartley to wake up “Get up” she cries “Please, my plan can’t be ruined like this!”

Justin drops to the ground, his eyes watering; he wasn’t moving and didn’t notice as Reaper stalked towards him.

Hartley sits up, tears rolled down her face and Justin pulls her into his arms “Justin” she cries and he rubs her back trying to sooth her “I don’t think I’m going to survive this” Justin squeezes his eyes shut not wanting to imagine it.

“No matter what, you’ll make it, I promise” he says, his voice cracking as he says this.

Although comforting Hartley knew there was nothing he could do.