Nice To Meet You.
Nights blurred since her arrival, since her goodbye to her parents. The tears streaked down her face while they prodded her, secured her, made sure she wasn't significant. Sometimes a familiar face appeared in front of her, speaking in kind words. Dr. Thompkins. A sedative so warm would shoot through her veins and sleep would come and it'd be welcomed. The voices plagued her every second she woke, telling her lies and she'd tell them they were wrong.
She remembered it clearly when they met. The boy tormented by the same nightmares, shaking in his seat inside the lounge with the other patients. He always muttered jumbled words and she made a game of it. Trying to figure out what he was saying. This was after Jerome's fiasco, and this was before they were taken in the night.
She figured the man in green with a chilling smile was fascinated by them. She never gave him any other thought, but he was good at keeping them quiet. She didn't know their names and sometimes didn't speak to her. For unknown reasons she'd wake somewhere else, sometimes without the boy, sometimes with a man speaking in riddles, or the one limping from room to room.
It was weeks until she learned Edward Nygma's name and Oswald Cobblepot. They friendly yet cross them, you'd instantly regret it.
The voices still haunted her, nightmares still hurt him. Except her own nightmare appeared after she was sedated.
A look of horror appeared on her mother's face, blood splattered on her pink blouse, her father laid injured on the floor. The tears streaking her face and her hand shaking while holding the scissors fell, clattering to the floor.
There was no sorry she could ever give them. Her own break was their salvation. Yet her mother was angry, taunting her for being weak and useless, her father dipping his fingers into his own blood and looking at it with relish.
'No one will know you exist. You'll be one of the crazies in Arkham. No one will care, you'll rot behind bars, shaking in fear with no friends but your own madness. It's pathetic. You're a sorry excuse of a daughter. I hope to never, ever see you again.'
Her eyes opened the second her mother's distorted voice ended. A piano was playing close by, she could see a green neon, and fluorescent lights flickering in the kitchen. She was at his place, last she was inside a lavish room by herself with a guard at the door, her mental breakdown with the voices gave her another dose of sedatives.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her dark hair got in the way as she pushed back her unkempt strands.
"Eddie?" she muttered, looking back to see someone else lying in the bed. The mumbling guy at Arkham. He was fast asleep and unlike her, he wasn't having his usual nightmare. It must be a good night, or he got sedated like she did.
The piano stopped and when she turned her head to see him. He looked over his shoulder, his glasses glinting off the light and his smile widened. Whatever riddle he was asking blurred out. She shook her head, feeling a pain at her temples.
"Eddie.." she groaned, grasping the side of her head, she used her free hand to grab the blanket and flipped it over, finding she wore plaid pajama pants and a dark shirt. Before she could get up from the bed, Edward was in front of her with his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back down onto the bed with a look of worry etching upon his face.
"No. I don't think you should be getting up so fast." He reached for the dresser and in that second, she realized he was grabbing a syringe. Her breath came out in ragged pants as she tried getting away from him.
"No. I want to stay awake, I don't want to sleep."
But what she saw in his hand wasn't a syringe, it was a glass of water with a straw in it. Her body stilled in shock, teeth gritting together as she realized she moved against the boy next to her. She leaned up and looked over her shoulder, he was still sleeping.
"I don't think forcing you to sleep again would be good for you," Edward said, passing her the drink but making sure she could hold it.
She brought the straw to her mouth and took a quick sip. When she pulled back and he placed the glass on the dresser. She only been in his place a few times, usually when she was having troubles with focusing on reality and he'd have to force her to sleep. Now that she was awake, she found the place comforting.
"Where's Ozzie?" she asked, noticing the man wearing the suit and usually holding the umbrella wasn't in the room. He's rude and smiles with sarcasm, there were moments when he's genuine, but usually he's arguing.
"Oh. Mr. Penguin went back to his lounge, he said he'll stop by again tonight or tomorrow evening. I don't really know when, but I'm hoping tomorrow since I have to leave and head back to work."
She glances back at the boy, he's holding the same thing in his arms. A head of a makeshift scarecrow. He made it in Arkham and since then, he hasn't let go of it. He talks to it and if someone takes it from him, he either goes into a violent rage or a break down. He needs to also be sedated like her, but they haven't even known each other, their names are a mystery and she wonders sometimes if they could ever be friends.
In this odd situation with Ed and Ozzie, that maybe this is actually Stockholm syndrome. She doesn't mind staying with them, their company is interesting, but what she's more curious of is why they bothered to break them out of Arkham in the first place. They've been nothing but a nuisance to them, insignificant beings with little use. It's laughable that Ed could warm up to either of them, she wondered if Ozzie has, or he just tolerates their erratic company.
"What's Scarecrow doing here?" she asked Ed as she turns her attention back to him.
He stood in the kitchen making sandwiches.
"Mr. Penguin," Ed begins, licking his lips, "is currently doing business and there might be casualties."
And he doesn't want Scarecrow to be one of them? She can't help but raise her brow in question, hoping Edward would tell her more, but he continues making sandwiches and juice. What he didn't bothering to mention is that Scarecrow was in a separate room than where she was.
She feels a stir on the bed and turns her head to see him clutching the scarecrow head. He lets out a shuddered breath as he looks around the room, but soon relaxes as he recognizes the place. He notices her and stares for a long time before glancing off to Edward whom is stacking the sandwiches on a plate.
"Scarecrow's awake," she tells Edward and she sees the visible flinch from the boy. He grinds his teeth while his fingers dig into the head.
Edward swiftly turns and his face brightens. "Ah, now that you're both awake.. I'm glad you both aren't having some type of attack," he mutters the last bit as he grabs the sandwiches and places them on the table, along with a pitcher of juice.
"I've made dinner. Nothing special, I apologize, I have to go shopping."
Scarecrow slips out of the bed looking nervous as he sits down at the table. She joins him with Edward sitting across from her.
This display reminds her of her family. Dinners were unusually quiet, only focusing on eating, then leaving and not bothering to speak at all. She looked from Scarecrow to Ed, then at the plate of sandwiches.
With a sigh, she reaches for one and sets it in front of her. Ed pours them juice while Scarecrow stares.
After awhile of eating and Edward asking them riddles, Scarecrow finally says something. He's shy, with brown tousled hair, dark bags underneath his eyes, and when he turns his head to her, his fingers wring together and his chipped nails making small red indents along his skin.
"Jonathan."
She hums, brows furrowing in question.
"My name. It's Jonathan Crane."
Jonathan. Maybe he enjoys talking to his scarecrow without wanting the name sticking to him. She figures he might like it when he's older, or he'll grow out of it.
She smiles and says, "Nice to meet you."
.
.
fin.
authors notes: I've wanted to write a Gotham Fic, but I didn't know what to write exactly. I really liked the concept with Jonathan Crane and his father. As well with Edward and Oswald's friendship. xD I wasn't so interested in Jerome that much, but I was about to write a fic of Jerome x Jonathan. But Jerome died and it ruined the mood. :/ So I scrapped it.
I've been thinking of this idea for awhile. At first it was going to be Harley Quinn, but I decided on anonymous character instead. This fic wasn't really going anywhere besides Edward and Oswald kidnapping Jonathan and this girl, and they all have issues, but work around it and enjoy each other's company.
lol. I know, it's rough, but oh wells. At least it's written and done with.
p.s, my brother calls me Jonathan and no, I'm not a dude and my name doesn't start with a J. lol.
Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please.