It was midnight in New Gotham. Along one of the alleys, a woman, about
the age of 21, was pacing impatiently. As she paced, she noticed a rather
large rat scurrying around. She watched in awe as the rat slowly morphed
into a middle aged man. The woman cautiously went up to the man. "Todd
Curtis?" she asked.
"Depends," the man replied curtly, "Who's asking?"
"Rose Baker. We spoke earlier." The man smiled.
"Yes," he said, "Ms. Baker-"
"I'd prefer you call me Thorn," she interrupted icily.
"Yes," he repeated, his voice taking on a gruff edge again, "Anyway, I called because I heard about your" he paused, "skills."
"My meta skills?"
"Precisely. Image projection, if I'm not mistaken?" She nodded. "I thought so. Then you won't mind a little demonstration, would you?"
"A demonstration?"
"Show me what you can do. Make me quiver in fear." Thorn nodded, with a sly half-smile playing across her lips. She closed her eyes for a second, concentrating hard, then opened them. Her emerald hued eyes had faded to a silver color.
The experience that played in Todd Curtis's mind was beyond anything he had ever imagined. The sky grew dark. The alley had morphed into a vast open sea, which had already begun to engulf him. Suddenly an overhead force pushed his face into the water and held it there. He could even feel the water pushing against his body. It was too realistic.
All the while, Thorn watched Curtis's expression of horror and fear in amusement. Her smile grew larger, more sinister. When it looked like couldn't take any more, she closed her eyes once again. When she opened them again, her eyes were their normal green. She watched as her victim fell to the ground, gasping for air.
"Had enough, Mr. Curtis?" she asked coldly.
"God!" Curtis sputtered, "What'd you do to me?! You nearly killed me!"
"Not exactly," she replied, "Your mind just took on the impression that you were drowning. While you experienced the sight and feel of it, it never actually affected your systems. Sort of like Virtual Reality. However, if one is under the experience for too long, it could tamper with their nervous system, and could drive them to insanity- or worse."
"Perfect. Now, I want you to do something for me. You're familiar with the trio that call themselves the 'Birds of Prey' am I right?"
"How could I not? They're all over the news," Thorn replied.
"Yes. Anyway, about a year or two ago, a close friend of mine came across their path. He wasn't exactly the crimefighter's pet. He was framed for smuggling illegal imports into New Gotham and selling them to others. Unfortunately, the little brats snuggled up to the cops, mainly that Detective Reese, and he was sentenced to prison across the country, where he died 5 months ago. It was only two weeks ago when they had proven him innocent, but it was too late. It was those brats who sentenced him. Now I want revenge. This is where you come in, Ms. Thorn."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Find them. Haunt them with their greatest fears. I want them to die inside their minds."
"I'll do it," Thorn said. I know just who to start with, she thought as she walked away with a sinister expression. The Thorn is on the prowl!
"Depends," the man replied curtly, "Who's asking?"
"Rose Baker. We spoke earlier." The man smiled.
"Yes," he said, "Ms. Baker-"
"I'd prefer you call me Thorn," she interrupted icily.
"Yes," he repeated, his voice taking on a gruff edge again, "Anyway, I called because I heard about your" he paused, "skills."
"My meta skills?"
"Precisely. Image projection, if I'm not mistaken?" She nodded. "I thought so. Then you won't mind a little demonstration, would you?"
"A demonstration?"
"Show me what you can do. Make me quiver in fear." Thorn nodded, with a sly half-smile playing across her lips. She closed her eyes for a second, concentrating hard, then opened them. Her emerald hued eyes had faded to a silver color.
The experience that played in Todd Curtis's mind was beyond anything he had ever imagined. The sky grew dark. The alley had morphed into a vast open sea, which had already begun to engulf him. Suddenly an overhead force pushed his face into the water and held it there. He could even feel the water pushing against his body. It was too realistic.
All the while, Thorn watched Curtis's expression of horror and fear in amusement. Her smile grew larger, more sinister. When it looked like couldn't take any more, she closed her eyes once again. When she opened them again, her eyes were their normal green. She watched as her victim fell to the ground, gasping for air.
"Had enough, Mr. Curtis?" she asked coldly.
"God!" Curtis sputtered, "What'd you do to me?! You nearly killed me!"
"Not exactly," she replied, "Your mind just took on the impression that you were drowning. While you experienced the sight and feel of it, it never actually affected your systems. Sort of like Virtual Reality. However, if one is under the experience for too long, it could tamper with their nervous system, and could drive them to insanity- or worse."
"Perfect. Now, I want you to do something for me. You're familiar with the trio that call themselves the 'Birds of Prey' am I right?"
"How could I not? They're all over the news," Thorn replied.
"Yes. Anyway, about a year or two ago, a close friend of mine came across their path. He wasn't exactly the crimefighter's pet. He was framed for smuggling illegal imports into New Gotham and selling them to others. Unfortunately, the little brats snuggled up to the cops, mainly that Detective Reese, and he was sentenced to prison across the country, where he died 5 months ago. It was only two weeks ago when they had proven him innocent, but it was too late. It was those brats who sentenced him. Now I want revenge. This is where you come in, Ms. Thorn."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Find them. Haunt them with their greatest fears. I want them to die inside their minds."
"I'll do it," Thorn said. I know just who to start with, she thought as she walked away with a sinister expression. The Thorn is on the prowl!