5 Welcome To This Brave New World II

For the next two hours, Jack kept researching the history of this world, to find where the divergences started and ended at. To find what other major differences there were with his homeworld. From the countries, to the notable heroes and villains, to the history of heroism and villainy, and then to finish, he came back to Gotham. He researched the city's current climate, its criminal factions and its gallery of heroes and villains – mostly the villains because holy shit were he surprised to discover how many fucking criminals who were considered villains, this city had. At least compared to its protectors, the heroes.

All the while, throughout his research, however, there was a thing that greatly unsettled him.

'Gasp, audible gasp! They don't have rogues here. If they have supes, huh I guess it's going to be capes cauz some supes don't have powers but are still heroes who act and dress the part. Anyway, if they have capes with a roguish disposition, chances are they're being labeled as villains too. I need to change this!'

He refused to be grouped in the same bag as a villain! It was a matter of fucking principle! Principle!

Especially seeing as most of them weren't better than unpowered common mooks!

"Hey you," A voice brimming with cheerfulness addressed him from behind, interrupting his small mental rant. "I couldn't help but notice how absorbed you were with your research."

Jack turned around, coming face to face with a smiling woman in a wheelchair.

She was striking in his opinion. Long locks of red hair cascaded on either side of her shoulders, with vibrant green eyes hidden behind square glasses supported by a cute, petite nose and an angular face marred with freckles – she was giving off major 'cute next-door girl appearance' vibes.

She appeared to be in her late teens to early twenties, and with both of them sitting – her on her wheelchair – Jack noticed that she was almost the same height as him. In fact, she was even slightly taller than him. And he was 1m77 (5'10") tall.

With her being so close, he picked up her name, written on a badge on her green sweater – which identified her as "Barbara - Library Staff".

"Anything I can help you with?" Barbara asked, giving him a genuine smile.

'She has a nice smile.' He decided. 'A nice and contagious smile.'

"Yes actually," Jack replied, reciprocating said smile. It was hard not to. Especially so considering that she was the first person to smile at him and offer to help without any prompting. "I have a question." He said before swiftly amending, "No, I have multiple questions in need of answers. And I won't say no if you decide to share your input on some things."

"Mmhh." She hummed, peering over his shoulder to look at the screen, "Gotham, huh? New in town?"

"Yep," he confirmed, popping the p. "I just moved into town and so far, I have gotten blown off by more than half a dozen people when I asked for directions to this place. Are people other than kindly old men and helpful, beautiful girls normally so dour?" Jack complimented, exaggeratedly laying over the compliments.

"Ahhh…" Her lips twitched at the compliment. "That would be because of the underlying feeling of tension wafting in the air. Things are… heating up in the streets, to say the least. With tensions simmering and brewing under the surface, things can go from 0 to one hundred in seconds. It only takes a stray shot for someone to ignite a shoutout in the street. We've already had some cases of street shootings between gangs and the police. And people are aware of that, they can tell that things are tense and can get even more dangerous. As a consequence, people are more guarded and alert. Now isn't exactly the best time to be out and wandering on the streets at night." She paused, quickly correcting. "Or even at day."

Jack mulled over her words, idly playing with a lock of brown hair. From his own observations of the city – or certain parts of it – he could tell that it was the case. She was right. The only thing he was left wondering about was about two things.

First, if things were always in this state of brewing tensions, which he was beginning to suspect was the case. It also tracked with his findings on the city crime rate; and secondly, at which frequency things ended up degrading to this state.

"Is this always like this?" He questioned.

Barbara let out a rueful sigh, "No, things aren't always like this. Sure, the city isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Gotham isn't a city safe for people who are on their own. However, this situation isn't the norm either. Normally, gangs and mobsters don't act… this openly and cause chaos in the streets. They used to, but it was a time before Batman's debut. They are just taking advantage of recent happenings caused by the Joker."

"I see…" He could take a guess at 'what these recent happenings caused by the Joker' referred to. The only reason he didn't ask her to develop on it and confirm his guess, was because he could clearly tell how much of a touchy subject it was for Barbara. It was in the subtle change of her body language.

Slightly furrowed brows. Tensed fists. Shifting hips. Pursed lips.

This subject was bothering her.

Jack opted to shift the conversation to some lighter topics. "Man, and the numbers already weren't looking good for me. How the fuck do you avoid getting robbed in this city?" He asked with levity, tone jovial.

"Honestly?" Barbara chuckled, more than happy to take the subject's change offered. "That's the thing…"

"Jack."

"That's the thing, Jack. You don't," Barbara gave him a lopsided grin. "Sooner or later, you will end up mugged at the very least. I give it a week. Consider it the city's way of welcoming you."

"Ouf, thanks. I'm already feeling welcome, geez." He winced exaggeratedly, "If it's bound to happen, as long as the person mugging me is half as charming as you, then I think I can live with this."

Barbara's grin widened, "You're laying on the compliments a little too thick, mister." Placing her elbow on her wheelchair's armrest and putting her hand on her chin, she squinted at him, "You're buttering me to ask me something," And accused.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he deflected. He didn't have any ulterior motives other than getting into her good graces and making a friend. "On an unrelated note, you said that Gotham wasn't a city safe for people who are on their own. I don't have a friend, so can I consider you my nakama?"

"Nakama?" Barbara parroted, visibly amused. "Wouldn't Tomodachi be the correct term to use here?"

"Gasp!" He phonetically gasped, "You watch anime! Usually, people don't get the One Piece's reference! You're just like me for real, smh!" He said, shaking his head for good measure. Barbara laughed. "How are you doing, fellow weeb?"

Her laughter redoubled in intensity at that, earning a few looks of curiosity from some people.

'This meme exists here too. I don't know how I would have felt if it didn't.'

Barbara put a hand in front of her mouth to smother her laughter. Clearing her throat, she faked a cough and said, "I know a little Japanese."

"You know a little Japanese by watching anime," Jack corrected, shaking his finger.

"You can't presume that," Barbara lamely said. "For all you know, I'm a foreign language student."

He raised an expressive eyebrow that would've been memed were he a celebrity – a dusting of pink marring her freckled face, "Okay, I may also watch some anime in my free time." Barbara finally admitted.

It was slightly cute and amusing how embarrassed she acted over it. That's when it dawned on him.

It was 2011, and Anime maybe wasn't as mainstream as it was in his original world. He forgot that it didn't used to be until recently, and before, when the subject of watching anime was brought up, people tended to ridicule and make fun of fans for watching silly Japanese 'cartoons' that were for kids.

Once he realized it, Jack eased on his teasing.

For the next five minutes, he asked Barbara some safe questions about the city, like the sights and places she recommended to visit. He also talked about her experience as a native, and her current job – which she recently started working part-time, seeing as she was still a student at Gotham University, this city's premiere local University.

"While I would love to answer all your questions and keep talking with you, I can't as I'm still on the job and there are other people in need of my assistance too." In the middle of their conversation (read questioning), Barbara shot a side glance behind him before giving him an apologetic smile. "So sorry, I have to leave you alone."

"Nah, don't worry!" He chirped, "I understand, you gotta work. Thanks for your help, Barbara. I hope to catch you around another time again. Have a nice day!"

Jack was so absorbed by his conversation with her that he hadn't noticed some people giving them side glances – clearly hoping for him to finish and not hog more of Barbara's time and attention. From those people's perspective, it must look like he was shamelessly flirting with her.

'Which, well… fair. I can't deny those allegations with one hundred conviction.'

"Thanks, you too have a nice day." Barbara replied before wheeling away.

He watched her come to a stop in front of a daughter/mother pair, and as he witnessed her help the little girl and her mother log in a library session, Jack thought that she seemed like a helpful person – fun to be around. It also helped that she was really attractive.

'Been a while since the last time I dated someone.'

He's been maidenless for quite a while now, and not out of choice. The circumstances weren't favorably good for him to look for companionship. But now that the dust was starting to settle on this front, he was craving for an intimate connection and a woman's touch.

Mostly the latter though, he was feeling pent up. A good, dirty and messy fucking would be nice after his long dry spell run.

Idle thoughts aside, now wasn't the time to daydream. It was nearing 1:00 pm and he needed to get on the move. He already gathered enough information on the city and the general history of the world for him to feel comfortable enough to act without second-guessing all his moves. So the next item on his agenda was looking for a job.

His next destination was a Job agency.

A shame that he forgot to ask Barbara for her recommendations on jobs that someone new in town and without papers could do. He could have accomplished two goals with one stop. Though he would have been careful with his wording and would have formulated his inquiry in a better way. With subtlety.

'Oh well,ʼ Jack sighed and stood up from his seat. Stretching and arching his back, he left the library but not before closing his session and turning off the computer.