Worldheart (A Justice League fanfic)

4 - Vet's, a dogs worst nightmare

There was a noticeable shift in Jaz's surroundings that tipped her off that she was now entering Suicide Slums. The streets were lined with three to four story condos, each dedicating their first level to business fronts. The facades shifted from large window displays and neatly kept exteriors to metal bars protecting the door and windows. Old spay paint was left to weather on buildings and windows. The buildings were older in this part of the city, with crumbling brick and cracked stone veneers, mold and dirt caked to their exteriors. The foot traffic in the area changed too. People wore older clothes, huddled and rushed about trying to avoid bringing attention to themselves. Jaz realized she was being watched from window fronts of businesses, and by other pedestrians smoking outside. She pulled her hood up and picked up the pace.

They were burning daylight at this point and if she was going to be out of the area before nightfall, she'd need to find this vet clinic fast. She'd heard there was a church in Midtown right next to Suicide Slums that let transients like her sleep in the pews; she hoped she'd be able to make it there before ten pm when they closed their doors.

The vet was difficult to find, she ended up walking circles around it before finally realizing she had to enter the alley way between the two buildings. A left turn in the middle of the alley was all she'd missed. It opened into a cement courtyard with a building wrapped around it. To one side several parking stalls lined it and on the other were beat down trash bins. She would've completely missed it if it weren't for google. Who chose to rent a business space in a place like this? One look at the door told her it had been busted in nights prior and hastily repaired. Hanging on it was a dirty looking 'Open' sign in red lettering. She looked to Hero, "Well. This is the place." Uncertainty coloured her voice, but she didn't let herself hesitate. The doorknob turned but she had to kick the door to unstick it from the jam. "Hello?"

The interior looked clean and well lit, as if walking into any normal vet office that was operating anywhere else in Metropolis. It didn't feel like it matched the exterior at all. The door didn't close behind her and she had to kick it again before it clicked. "We're closed. Didn't you see the sign?" The sudden male voice behind her caused Jaz to yelp and spin.

Standing in the door behind the reception desk was a tall man with long dar brown hair down to his shoulders. He filled the entire frame with the physic of a body builder, his eyes were yellow and the way they were leveled at Jaz made the hairs on the back of her neck raise, as if meeting with a wild animal. His white lab coat was open at the front and the sleeves stretched against the strain of him crossing his large arms. He was wearing a collared blue shirt underneath it and brown pants. Despite his attire something about him felt... Feral? It was like seeing a beast dressed in a doctor's outfit.

"Uhh. Oh well, the sign out front says you're open." Jaz quickly regained her composure taking several steps towards the front desk.

She watched him eye up her dog before quickly returning his attention to her, "Your dog looks fine, come back tomorrow when we're open again. Flip the sign on your way out." He turned to leave the room-

"Wait!" He paused, turning back to her with an expressionless face. At least he wasn't outright hostile, "I came all this way on foot 'cus the dog is lost. I just need you to check his chip and contact his family." When he didn't speak she added, "Please. Everywhere else is closed."

He sighed after a moment, running his hand through his hair. "I can't help you today. Come back tomorrow and we can check his chip for you." Jaz waivered for a moment, reluctant to have to make the trip into this neighborhood again. "Let me walk you to your car though, its getting late."

"Oh, that's fine. I can walk myself out. I'll see you tomorrow, what time do you open?" She'd prefer not to reveal to him that she didn't own a car.

"Ten." He slipped back through the office allowing Jaz a momentary peek inside. She caught a glimpse of another man before the door closed.