The wind in the city still smelled the same as before—at least, that was true of Washington D.C. Night was gradually deepening, and the air pressure was a little low, as if a torrential downpour were imminent.
"Click."
On the plaza before the Hall of Justice, beside the fountain, a lighter suddenly flicked. A cigarette was quickly lit, bringing a faint glimmer of light.
"How long was I asleep? Why does it feel like the whole world changed the moment I woke up?"
As he spoke, the man gently touched the back of his head. There was a bump there, making the corner of his mouth twitch despite the cigarette clenched between his lips.
"Not long. Less than a day, probably." The woman beside him answered while sitting on the granite rim of the fountain. She stretched her legs out and casually tried to mend the torn threads of her fishnet stockings with magic.
"So Elaine finally fell out with The Old Man, huh? Sigh, what a pain. I never wanted to get involved in Heaven's family business. This isn't something we should be meddling in."
There was annoyance in his tone, but his face still wore that cynical hoodlum's grin.
"I promised Batwoman." The woman glanced at his face, reaching down to rub her knee. It was a little bruised, though she did not know where she might have fallen. "I didn't ask you to come, either. I can handle Sound of God by myself. If you want to leave, you can go now."
"Heh, I'm not leaving." The man tugged at his filthy brown trench coat as though it could shield him from the cold night wind. "I promised your father I'd look out for you, too. How could I let you face that Little Red Riding Hood-wearing