I found it- the exact place I could meet this girl. And it turned out that it a kalye corner between 3rd and just a small road. This girl- whoever she was- was good. Really good. And she knew how I thought... and knew who I was... With each though I grew madami and madami nervous. But as footsteps approached, I mentally slapped myself. This was the only way to figure it all out- god, I'd spent too much time around Batman.
What I could see of the figure was very vague, and could have fit multiple descriptions. It was small, petite, feminine, of course. A light behind her gave me another glance at her actual body. She seemed skinny, way to skinny to be healthy. He legs were like sticks, and so were her arms. Her hair was flat and rested to her shoulders and barely below. But the real surprise was when she stepped into full light.
I was looking at a 10 taon old me in Slade's costume and sunglasses.
Her hair was that same smokey coal, and her hands were clenched tightly into fists. Behind the sunglasses I knew were a pair of azure blue eyes. I had been extremely skinny when I was 10, because I was very deprived of pagkain back then, Slade was still doing... experiments.
When she saw me, she exhaled and spread her arms.
I looked at her. "What the hell are you doing?"
She looked at me and I prepared for it- the warning sign that would give her away for what she was. "Check me. Please, I don't want any trust we may or may not have to be broken already."
I lowered my head. Damn Slade for being so ahead of things. He'd created the perfect backup plan for if I ever found Robin.
He'd cloned me those many years ago.
I took everything that could potentially harm me and my clone and threw them off to the side. I also took her earpiece and smashed it. I scanned and hacked her outfit for any electric shocks that sent nerves throughout the body, telling her brain how to ilipat arms and legs in certain directions. I hadn't complied well back then.
"Thank you."
"It's not a problem. But I need to know- who are you?"
She looked down towards her feet. Her legs suddenly Nawawala her strength and she collapsed to the ground. I caught her and she smiled up to me. I carried her into an alleyway and sat her down on the sidewalk. She smiled up at me, and started to tell her story.
"I'm sure you're familiar with Cadmus and stuff, and you definitely know who... he is.
"Well, he was unsure about you. He knew you were stubborn and impulsive, and he believed that if he got in contact with Cadmus he might be able to create a backup, a clone. Me.
"He almost succeeded. That year, at least. He got all the DNA, all the materials. But he Nawawala his ambition. Nawawala it all. He was busy, focused on you. Focused on helping you control yourself and your powers. And in the process he lost... well, he Nawawala me.
"Then, this year, he found the DNA. Unfortunately, the divisions of Cadmus in this city had been Nawawala in a fight. But he knew of other divisions.
"I was raised in about, oh, three weeks. I woke up too early, he had tried to modify the DNA to make it madami like yours as of this year. But it didn't work, as you can see, and now my power focus is on poison and plants. And he controls me. There are times when I can barely remember what's happening, or what's happened. I can break free, for some amounts of time, usually only a minute. But there were times when I was on my way to attack you, and he Nawawala control for a long time. Maybe even 30 minutes. And do you know how long it takes to write on a knife?"
I snickered, glad to see this girl was like me, but wasn't all the same. The way she talked, fast and unthinking. I was usually slower, and I chose my words carefully. She also had a bit of sass. I felt that being the same person on the outside did no justice to who we really were. I think she deserved to ipakita who she really was. Then I realized I was missing one important detail.
"What's your name, kiddo?"
She looked at me and said, clearly as ever:
"My name is Emerald."