"Who is it?" Jack Kadere responded casually.
"The perfume on you—whose is it?" Felicity narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Perfume? I took a shower, maybe I picked it up afterward," Jack said, lifting his arm to sniff himself, finding nothing unusual. Sometimes, a woman's nose really was more sensitive than a bloodhound's. Smiling, he wrapped an arm around Felicity's waist and added, "This morning, I was overseeing Laurel's training. Then this afternoon, I helped someone ditch their bodyguards and hitched a ride to Central City. Just got back."
He reached into his bag and pulled something out. "This is the sonic device I got for Laurel. Give it a once-over and let me know if anything looks off."
Jack handed the compact equipment to Felicity, then casually leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm going to rinse off again. Is there any food left at home? I'm starving."
Watching him walk away, towel slung over his shoulder like he owned the place, Felicity blinked a few times before answering automatically, "…Yeah."
"Sonic equipment, huh?" she murmured, glancing at the sleek black device in her hands. After heating up some leftovers in the kitchen, she returned to the living room and began inspecting the gadget. The more she examined it, the more impressed she became. The design was brilliant—lightweight, portable, with variable sound wave intensity settings. With no warning, this thing could seriously knock someone on their ass.
"How's it look?" Jack asked, appearing behind her after his shower. He wrapped his arms around her waist, still damp, and rested his chin on her shoulder.
Felicity nodded, eyes still on the device. "Very clever build. No structural flaws. But there's one issue—the shockwave affects the user too. Anyone using this would need to prepare ahead of time."
"No locator installed?" Jack asked, to which Felicity confirmed with a shrug.
"That's fine," he replied. "That part was intentional. As for your concern, a pair of noise-canceling earbuds should do the trick later."
"Sure," Felicity agreed. She could probably rig something up, but without access to proper tech or materials, it would take time. Jack didn't seem too worried, though. He clearly had a bigger picture in mind.
Later, after having Felicity help him track down Talia al Ghul's contact info—because of course she could—Jack made plans to meet up with Laurel Lance again the next day at the same small motel. Coincidentally, it was the same room too.
"Do we really need to keep meeting here?" Laurel asked him, visibly annoyed as they met outside the door.
"What? Worried someone will recognize you?" Jack smirked.
"I'm more worried about going broke," she shot back. "I can't afford to book a room every single time you want to train."
"Then start earning," Jack said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You want to be a crime-fighting hero? That costs money. Anyway, here's the equipment I got for you—courtesy of one very surprised arms dealer."
Laurel blinked. "You kidnapped someone again?!"
"Can't take it? Then stop me—once you're strong enough," Jack said with a wink. He then gave a quick rundown of how to use the sonic device. "But don't get too eager. You're not ready to use it yet. Build a solid foundation first. Now come on, let's get to work."
"Mornings are for conditioning and stamina. Afternoons, I'll teach you how to fight."
Jack's training methods were… unconventional, to say the least. But Laurel had to admit, they were effective. Her body ached from yesterday, but that didn't stop her. She peeled off her jacket and glared at Jack as he lounged on the bed again.
...
Life, Jack Kadere mused, was like a double-edged blade—if you couldn't fight it, you might as well lean into it. Laurel Lance, for her part, wasn't sure if Jack himself was the blade or just the one wielding it, but she didn't have much choice. Resigned, she peeled off her clothes and glanced toward the bed, where Jack lounged without a care.
Same as yesterday.
Determined to avoid getting shocked again, Laurel threw herself into training with intense focus. Yet despite her caution, she still ended up zapped multiple times during the morning drills. At this rate, she thought wryly, she'd either develop resistance to electricity or just lose her mind.
After a quick shower and short break—still without food—the afternoon session began.
Laurel had no prior combat experience, so Jack tailored the curriculum to her body type and agility. He focused on martial arts that emphasized speed, power, and versatility: primarily Muay Thai and Savate, mixed with Taekwondo and elements of freestyle combat. He would've preferred to include Wing Chun, but none of the people whose abilities he'd absorbed knew it, and he wasn't motivated enough to seek out a teacher. Maybe when Batman resurfaced, he thought, smirking.
As usual, Jack made no allowances for her gender. When it was time to fight, he fought—bruises, exhaustion, and all. By the end of the day, Laurel's pale skin was a canvas of darkening welts, but she didn't complain. She only limped toward the exit of the hotel, her expression blank.
"Rest up. Same time tomorrow," Jack said casually.
"I might not be able to make it," Laurel said with hesitation.
"Oh? Something urgent?"
"I'm moving out of my apartment tomorrow," she replied. "Need to get settled."
"Living on your own now? Even better. That'll make our training much more convenient." Jack gave a half-smile. "Let me know when you're ready to continue."
"Right," Laurel muttered before walking off, barely keeping upright.
Jack lingered a bit before heading to a nearby payphone. Dropping in a few coins, he dialed a number from memory.
"Hello?"
"Ah, that voice—so full of disdain. You must miss me," Jack said with a grin.
A long pause.
"It's you," Talia al Ghul growled through the receiver, her voice tight with restrained fury.
"Charmed," Jack chuckled. "Tell me, does Bruce Wayne know you still recognize my voice so well?"
"What do you want?"
"I want a suit made from the same material as Batman's. I'll send you the specs. Write them down."
"Are you threatening me?"
Jack paused, then said, "Yeah. I am. If you don't cooperate, I'll leak your identity—and the photos I took. Bet the League would love that. Or maybe Bruce. Or both."
"You're unbelievable," Talia hissed.
"You're not wrong," Jack replied smoothly. "But hey—some people just can't help stirring the pot. You're one of them, right?"