Coming home from her job at one of the nicer hair salons in midtown Gotham, she showered, sprinkled some flakes into her goldfish's tank and started prepping two chicken breast to sauté. 'Why cook twice' she figured. One would be dinner with a small field greens salad and the second she could chop for a chicken salad sandwich for her lunch the next day. The extra time saved would leave her with more time to study her textbook before the midterm in biology the following week.
A thunderous knock jostled her front door causing her to drop one of the breasts on the floor.
"Shit!" she exclaimed "I'll be there in a sec, just hold on!" She shouted from the kitchen. Picking it up off the floor she ran it under the faucet and tossed it back to the cutting board on her small laminate counter. 'These damn delivery guys are so noisy and impatient' she thought to herself. She quickly ran her hands under the water and was drying them on a towel when the front door crashed in with a horrendous bang. The frame splintered and sent tiny wood slivers throughout her small, ill furnished living room.
Two men rushed in as she let out a shriek. Spinning around she tried to get to the chef's knife on the counter. She was inches from it, when a set of arms gripped her around her chest and pulled towards the dining room. She screamed and thrashed and kicked but it made no difference. The grip on her body held tight, the arms not budging despite her protests. The man who held her, through not larger than herself was a lot stronger.
The second man had checked the two other rooms and realized they were empty. "Where is his?" he shouted, getting in her face.
"I am the only person who lives here, maybe you have the wrong place."she answered back without much fight as the adrenaline started to wear off leaving her shaky and tired. The first man's grip on her was tight, making it hard to breathe which didn't help the situation in the least. A huge man with a mask covering his face appeared in the doorway. The second looked up and said "She says he's not here, and that she's the only one who lives here."
The man sauntered in and threw a heavy tanned leather coat over the chair at her computer desk. Her frightened eyes stared at the large man, taking him in, as she was held captive against the first. The man had to of stood at least six-foot eight. If she was released she would barely glance the underside of his pectoral. Legs as thick as a tree trunks covered in a pair of olive gray combat pants that ended at a set of well broken in black combat boots. His torso covered in a flak vest which had strange straps on it, reminding her of her father's old back brace. His biceps had to be at least as large as her waist. Large hands fringed with thick but long fingers and short, clean nails. His face covered by that mask, with its monstrous metal tubes that made it look like it had a set of steel teeth. The swirled hazel eyes looked at her calmly yet malevolently. All over were scars. They dusted his arms and his knuckles, a few wandered over the visible skin of his face. Some were pale white and shiny, and some were raised and an angry pink. The most noticeable one was thick and twisted dancing down from the back of his mask to hide under the vest. He looked like violence incarnate.
As he looked around, he simply stated "Where is he?"
"Who? Who are you looking for?"she responded.
"Franklin Daniel Ambler. Senior student at Gotham University. Five foot 9 inches, average weight, short brown hair, brown eyes with a light complexion. Your apartment was listed as his address for the past year." The man continued to look at hair as he answered.
"I don't know, he moved out over a month ago. I haven't seen him since."
The large man slammed his fist into her left cheekbone.
The memory of the event flooded in to her memory. Her apartment, the door being bashed in, the fear, and this beast of a man. The man who was looking for her ex. The man who had killed those people at the stock exchange and managed to get away when the police stupidly chased the batman instead of continuing to follow after him.
Her body shuddered as a chill passed down her spine. She stared up at him from her seat on the cot.
"Little one, it is not polite to stare nor is it respectful." She quickly glanced to her hands folded in her lap as the large man continued "I will teach you to respect me if you chose not to act in such a manner."
"I'm sorry Sir" she stammered eyes still on her lap.
"Barsad, I do believe you are needed elsewhere." The beast let himself into the small room, after the younger man exited.
He glared down at her with a smirk glittering in his eyes. He was sure even through his mask he could smell her fear. It practically radiated off the small girl.
She could see his black boots and his massive legs from her position with her head down. Never before had she felt so small and insignificant. She could feel his eyes practically boring through her.
He started off "I understand you are also a student at Gotham U, is this correct Ms. Shae Driscol?" Her mouth gaped in shock as he stated her name.
"Yes, it is sir."
"And just how long did you know Mr. Franklin Ambler?"
" Frankie? I met him at a tour of the University about eighteen months ago. He was very sweet to me and help me figure how to fill out all the forms to apply for the program I wanted to get into. We started dating and he moved into my apartment about fourteen months ago." Shae frowned at her lap as she answered mechanically.
"Why is he no longer at your residence?" he inquired.
"About five months ago, he grew distant. He just stopped showing up for dinner, or he had a lot of school work to complete or he just wasn't there. It got to the point where I wouldn't even see him at all during the last few weeks. And then I came home and all of his things were gone. He just moved out without saying a thing." She let out a sigh, as all this thinking and talking was making her head pound and her stomach churn a bit more.
"I have no idea where he was for those last few months or where he is now." She lifted her head and glared at him with stubborn determination in her eyes, "And if I did, I wouldn't tell you anyway"
"Such a foolish child," he stated as his hand snapped across her face, bringing tears to her eyes. "You will have to remember what I said about respect. I will gladly teach you it if you will not show the proper reverence."
Shae was so tired, and her head hurt so badly. Maybe if she wasn't dealing with the throbbing in her head, or possibly not feeling the sedative effects of the codeine in the Tylenol 3s, she would have been in the proper mind to realized this was a fight she did not stand a chance of winning. "Why should I respect someone who broke into my house, gave me a proper thrashing, and apparently kidnaps me to be able to interrogate me about that douche bag ex-boyfriend of mine!" She snapped.
"Well then girl. You can't say I didn't give you a proper warning." At that point she noticed the big man's forehead wrinkled as though he was smiling.
A small gasp was all that escaped from her mouth as one those large hands wrapped around her throat. The other hand's fingers reached up and stroked her unmarred right cheek. Her hands reached up and struggled to attempt to release his hold on her. A strangled moan and gag escaped as her eyes unwillingly filled again, the tears slipping down her cheeks and onto the man's fingers. Her face flushed scarlet with the circulation cut off. Her throat bobbed against his hand as it tried to gag and clear itself of the external obstruction.
"Where is all that fight that was in you just moments ago little one," he murmured almost affectionately. "Where did the fire in your eyes disappear to?"
Her vision change from sparks of light and color to a darkening tunnel. As he watch as her eyes grew less and less focused, he tossed her back on to the cot. Shae quickly rolled over on to her knees and hunched over as she gasped the fresh air down her lungs. She sucked the air in with great fervor, coughing and gagging along the way. She sat there for a moment trying to regain her head. She listened as the cot creaked under his weight as he settle himself on the opposite end.
She didn't have a chance to notice him reaching back over her. She let out a yelp as his thick fingers grasp her rib cage and flipped her around and pulling her across his lap. His hands stayed locked around her, holding her in place for a few seconds. She shrieked as his fingers started to dig in to the soft flesh between two ribs on each side. She never thought something as simple as pressure on such a small area could be so painful.
She cried and screamed as it continued on. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, he released her ribs. A small whimper of relief leaked from her mouth as the pain subsided.
He started "I can make your time here as miserable as possible if you do not wish to obey. You have comforts that could easily be taken away. The sink and the toilet, the bed and blanket. Items I have been kind enough to allow you."
The knuckles of one of his hands dragged down the back of her left thigh, lightly tickling as it trailed and settled in the hollow behind her knee. Shae shuddered, not all entirely from the fear.
"I will stop being so patient with my reminders as your insolence grates on me. You will respect and obey my commands or you will be punished."
With that said, his large knuckles started digging into the sensitive flesh and tendons of the back of Shae's knee. He keep the pressure up for a few moments before he released her.
"Or your time here can be as painless as you want it. If you desire to get on my bad side though, I am sure my men could find a good use for you." The wrinkles above his brow rose again. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes sir" she could barely shudder out.
Chuckling he gave her a hearty smack across her ass, causing her to yelp and tossed her back onto her bed. He stood, filling the small room. She gazed up at him, the reality finally sinking in.
She was here, for good. She wouldn't get to finish school, or even just continue cutting hair. Her poor goldfish Sampson, the only family she had for the past 6 years, would probably starve. All the work she put into learning how to properly maintain his environment, for the poor bloke to starve upset her. Shae was never sure if she wanted children, or even a husband for that matter but now, not knowing if she would even get to try hurt. Grief and panic welled inside her as her thoughts escalated rapidly. It hit her like a blow to the solar plexus, taking the wind from her.
There would be no escape, there would only be obedience to this man and his army. She would die here, in this cold, dirty place by that man's hand.
The metallic slamming of the cell door snapped her out her thoughts. She was left in her cell with her only thoughts and her empty stomach for company for the night.