I do not own any part of the Batman franchise, just simply a fan with some sort of plan c:
All that could be heard as the car flew down the avenue was the high shriek of brakes and the overbearing wail of honking horns, horns being held into submission by their angry pilots. The cloud cover had become so heavy that if I hadn't checked my cell phone screen for the time I would have sworn that it was midnight. Lucas swerved the car to avoid another as he sped through a red light, causing me to drop the phone under the front passenger seat. I cared not however, for my ears were in searing pain from all the commotion of the get away that I clasped my hands upside them and squeezed my eyes shut. Raking my mind for any pleasant images that I could rest upon to try and drown out the horrible sound I realized that I hadn't any. The only thing that I could think of was my father's clashing office, so ugly and hellish, and the sight of many of my worst memories. I shook my head violently and scoped out any mental images from the supper with Evee that had just passed, but for the life of me I couldn't. They would turn into either Evee behind my father's ivory desk yelling at me, or my father sitting across from me in the little café telling me that I need to relax more… and bring in the tea tray for he and Dr…" My mind paused on the image of his form turning about to face me in the olive green upholstered seat as I came in the doorway. I remembered how nervous I had become at the sight of his unnaturally handsome form, surrounded by all of the disgusting clouded jars that litter the shelves of the room. "Dr. Crane," I sighed and felt a familiar blush spread across my face. All of the sudden my mind was focused on the gleaming elevator doors in the port room outside my father's office, and upon the tall, lean man with chilling blue eyes shielded by elegant glasses. Giorgio Armani, naturally, to match his suit. I assumed at the time he did that because of a particular sense for fashion, but now I knew it was to satisfy an obsessive niche for similarity. And he did indeed look exceptionally well. His dark hair shown wonderfully in the faded light of the lift hold, and only made me consider how similar mine was, although definitely not as charming and a bit shorter. He placed himself in the direct center of the lift floor and stood tight and upright, clutching his briefcase in front of him with both of his deathly white hands.
I felt myself lying down across the back seat of the car as I pictured him releasing his right hand and raising it in a good-bye gesture directed, genuinely, at my embarrassingly red face. But what put me over the edge was the small, shy smile that crept up to his face as he noticed my emotion. Had it been possible I think my face would have melted off, falling to the floor in a single fluid motion. I was so warm with attraction. The only thing that I could think to do was to turn around and stop looking upon him, and for THAT I could kick myself. Chances are I would never see him again and there I was facing the wall like a goddamned idiot as the elevator swallowed him behind its unfair doors. As soon as I heard the them clank closed I ripped around and felt my heart hurt in a way that I had never felt before. It was a sense of abandonment that was, in a way, unwarranted. He was only in the building for an hour but with his exit he had unknowingly taken myself with him.
I shifted from my side so as my back was on the seat instead, and looked up at the car interior ceiling, my hands still closed tightly about my ears remembering what happened after. I returned down seven flights in the closest elevator and back into the lab that I am so familiar in and got to work manufacturing exactly what he had asked for. I thought he deserved what he had come so far to receive, and felt the desire to fulfill the favour that was so kindly asked for. I remember feeling myself smile, as I had not done in the longest of times and it was strangely comforting, this thing Evee called spontaneity.
My eyes widened as I felt the momentum of the car come to a sudden halt, flinging me off the seat and violently slamming me into the backs of the two front seats. I rubbed the back of my head while propping my self back up onto the seat with my bruising elbow. Looking up I noticed that Lucas was glaring back at me panicked. His eyes were once again lined with worry as he reached over the center console to help me back up. He looked on the verge of a break down while questioning me as to if I was okay. Picking my arm up and turning it as to examine the current state of my ridiculously thin elbow I smiled and laughed shortly. "Don't worry about me Lucas," I paused and watched as his face slowly resided into its normal state, "that was just a demonstration for the improper use of safety harnesses." He laughed and turned around, trying to see into the darkness as to where we were. I guess in the state of testosterone induced driving ability he had lost our location. It was assumed that we couldn't be anywhere to far away from the café but who knew, judging by Lucas' frantic expression I guessed we weren't remotely close to the Ryan Building as the hour continued to grow later and later. This worried Lucas a great deal, for my father was sure to check the surveillance monitors about the building at the hour of ten, as a reassurance that he still had all of his prisoners captive. I climbed forward and leaned over the driver's seat shoulder so as I was level with my driver. Taking a swift glance at the time presented on the radio dial I now knew why Lucas was perspiring so heavily. At nine fifty-six there was no way that he would be able to get the car back into its spot in the garage and myself back into the lab in time for my father's unnecessary rounds. I felt my own forehead start to wet as I thought about all of the things that could happen to me upon returning to my residence so late in the night, AND after having snuck out to meet with Evee. The curtain of rain spread open in the glow of the headlights, as a sign seemed to spring up out of nowhere. MARINA was all that it said. Right then as I read that word I could have sworn that a hand had reached down my throat and grabbed a hold of my stomach as if it were a stress ball, pulsating my organ with its sausage fingers. With a quick glance to Lucas, who had resorted to biting his nails, and then the marina sign, my eyes fell to a conspicuous crate on the front passenger seat. I stared at it for a while until I finally climbed over the center console and sat down in the vacant chair. The crate was surprisingly light in my lap as I ran my long fingers around the edges. "Lucas," I paused, waiting to feel his eyes upon me, "Is this what I think it is?" Out of the corner of my eye I saw him shift uncomfortably, but then smile from ear to ear. This worried me a bit. With that smile I knew exactly what it was. My hand latched onto my mouth as I stared, wide eyed, up at him. What was he trying to pull here? The two of us sat in silence as the rain continued to pour down, clanging against the metal of the sign. My mind raced as I tried every possible answer I could think of as to why he would bring THIS out of the building, and in an instant I felt guilt race through my body. If my father knew what I had done in the time when I was supposed to be making chemicals for him to sell I would be dead. Not figuratively either, the REAL thing. The leather of the seat molded under Lucas as he turned and put his hand on my viciously shaking shoulder. His calm seemed to transfer into me through this negligible connection, I felt comfortable, but only enough to minimize my epileptic-like fit of anxiety. He had the same calm tone to his voice that Evee had used on me in the café as he leaned to my ear. His breath was humid as I felt it fall onto my pale skin, sending a shiver down my spine. He was much too close to me as he grabbed my hand and put it back down onto the crate. "Eleanor," my name sounded like a spring breeze as it drifted from his mouth, "You made this for a reason, and I happen to know that he's not too far away."
His words slithered around the nape of my neck and pricked my conscience, indeed I had thought the same thing once I read that sign. And as I considered Lucas' crazed idea I could only think of the burning in my heart that was urging me to go along with him. Running my fingers along the splintered wood of the crate I slowly turned to face the driver's side. My voice shook very much like my shoulders as I spoke through my worry. "Lucas," again he touched my shoulder in a platonic way and smirked as I brought the crate up to my chest, "He needs this." There was no need for me to look over to see his response. He smirked deviously putting the car in reverse as we turned around, headed straight for the marina. I kept my gaze fixed straight out the windshield, I felt a sudden need for urgency, as I knew it was now way past ten and that I was about to do the most unthinkable thing my imagination could ever hope to dream up. My anxiety gathered itself in my hands as I pressed them hard against the wood trying to steady them, but nothing was going to help me now. I bit down, hard, on my lip and continued to concentrate on what I was getting myself into. Evee did tell me I needed to be more spontaneous. Would this be satisfactory?
The rain had not ceased its onslaught upon the earth as I stepped out of the car onto the crumbling stoop of the rough old building. Lucas had demanded I take his Burberry trench. He said I would need it as he winked and pulled the door shut behind me. Taking careful steps I hopped up the five stairs in the spots where I hoped the cement would not crumble and ran through the doors of the frightening building. Although it was lit inside the lights did nothing to aid its horror. The walls were cold stone draped with green water damage that appeared as slime, glistening with every catch of the orange glow. Every step I took caused my footsteps to moan and my shadows follow closely, like black ghosts. Fear crowded my senses, but no more so than the foul stench that was constricting its gas-like fingers around my nose and eyes. The only thing I could think to do was pull up the collar of the trench with my left hand and try my best to cover my face. Glancing over my shoulder I could see my shadows closing in about me and my feet quickened themselves upon the decrepit tiles. Running down the hall and tripping over the hem of the trench that was much to large for me I noticed that the hall was completely devoid of life, in any sense of the topic. There was not even a single moth crashing into the light, blind as a bat. Loneliness must have manufactured itself within these walls for the aura of the feeling would not go away. As I reached the end of the corridor I felt my head spinning, whether it was from the fumes I know not but indeed I was swimming. To the left was nothing but a hole in the wall with a sign posted above it. The paint had faded and the wood had been eaten away, but I could just make out STAIRS. To the right there was a simple elevator door with a service key ignition, similar to the one in my building, although nowhere near as posh. I felt claustrophobia eyeing me for prey, as I swerved from side to side not knowing what to do. Falling to my knees on the cracked tiles I grabbed my head in agony as my eyes wagged in their sockets. What was I doing? Or more so now that I was inside the 'serious house on earth' what was I going to do? Hours seemed to pass before a voice saved me from my madness. "Miss?" the man said softly as he grasped my arm and hoisted my limp body upward. "Miss are you alright?" His face was twisted into a look of combination surprise and worry, that in itself was comforting and I felt my strength come back. I knew what I was here for, and I assumed that if I didn't finish the task assigned I would be in for one hell of a beating. Well, on top of the one that was already scheduled for me back in my father's presence. He never missed a step on those occasions. He adores piñatas. My eye caught the glint of the key ring in his pocket and before I knew what I was doing they were in my hand and down into the pocket of the trench alongside the small bottle from the crate. The guard questioned as to what in the world I thought I was doing at Arkham, and in the middle of the night no less. I had never lied before but as I looked into his naive eyes the whole story just slipped out like no big deal. I told him that I WAS Dr. Evee Hurst and apologized for being so incredibly late for my assessment of their newest patient here at the asylum. My face was burning and I reverted my eyes to the disgusting floor, after all there was no way he was going to believe that my shy self was infact the confident Dr. Hurst. He held onto my arm as he led us to the dangerously unsteady staircase to the left. Eyes wide, I felt him place my hand onto the gritty safety rail that circled all the way into the night and inhaled shortly as I heard him laugh out loud. Bringing his head back to face me he smiled widely and asked why I didn't just say so in the first place. I froze. Was he honestly serious? Gazing upward into the abyss of metal stairs he patted my back and started on his way back out through the hole in the wall. Clasping his hand on the slimy stone he turned and smiled once again, "You'll find him," he said pointing a finger upward to a small landing, "up and through there." Lucas' Burberry trench suddenly felt extremely heavy as the guilt of lying to such a kind man crashed into me. But he simply smiled and waved his hand to gesture me upward. The stairs rattled under my feet as I ascended and I could have sworn something crawled over my hand, but the landing was in sight now and through the grate and down the hall I could see him. And that was all the motivation that I needed.
He was not as tall as I remembered him to be, but that was due to the fact that he was entangled in yards of white canvas and chained to the metal bed frame with rows and rows a thick, tan belts. His head was down and his dark hair hung over his face. I felt my heart jump to my throat and my eyes shake as they were beginning to become engulfed by tears. How could they do this to him? They were treating him like some sort of animal! At any moment I half expected a tour group of people to pass by and point. I gripped the cold metal bars littered with calluses of rust and pulled the keys out of the pocket of the gargantuan trench coat. The rattle of the keys in the lock caught his attention and as I opened the door to his cell he looked up to me with those fantastic blue eyes of his, only this time they were free of his glasses. He looked shocked to see me, and I was hoping that it wasn't because he didn't recognize me. He tried to stand up but was prevented by the six belts that held onto the frame. Leaning down so as I could be eye level with him I felt that all to familiar blush drop into my cheeks, as I was only a few inches from his wonderfully pale face. He rose a brow as he spoke, tilting his head to one side in question, "You?" and with that I was at a loss for words. My throat clenched tightly as I tried my best to smile. I think at best I still looked completely and utterly nervous. "H Hello Dr. Crane," I said as I pushed my eyes to the ground. Genius Eleanor. You are in the middle of breaking a man out of prison and that is the best you can come up with? I tried my best to silence my thoughts so I could concentrate but the scraping of metal on the god-awful tile broke my silence. "Are you afraid?" he asked me in a slightly shaking tone. I shook my head as I reached into the same pocket, as no words would escape my mouth. "No sir," I felt myself swallow hard, placing the small bottle in between his bound left arm and thin body, "I only… I only hope this will help you as much as THIS." I was so close that I could feel his breath upon my collar as I undid the fastens and released him from the metal frame. Leaning back and holding my hands out in front of my face I heard a commotion from downstairs. The guard who let me pass was now being yelled at by another. "YOU IDIOT! DR. HURST WAS NEVER SCHEDULED TO COME TODAY!" With their screams my eyes widened and I dropped the keys into Dr. Crane's lap as he brought his arms around from behind him, rubbing his sore forearms as he once again gazed into my icy eyes with his. Still blushing madly I grabbed his wrists, helped him to his feet and removed the Burberry trench from my boney shoulders, handing it over to him. Lucas was right, it did come in handy, and as overly large as it was on my body it wasn't much better on his, although the hem didn't drag on the ground which I counted as a plus in this moment. I turned my head around as I heard the guards running up the metal stairs. That was when he grabbed me and lead me out of the cell into the darkness surrounding it. After all his cell was the only source of light in the entire hallway, and it seemed only too easy for the two of us to disappear. I felt my body turn red like my face as he wrapped his left arm around my waist and placed his right hand over my mouth, the two guards racing by us into the damp cell. He watched the two men look frantically around as he pulled me along down into the dark well of cringing rats and metal. I surrendered myself to him while we stepped down carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible. However when we heard the guards making their way down the dark decline hurriedly he grasped onto my slender wrist and applied great pressure from his long fingers, guiding me down the main corridor. The run gave me such a headache as the emergency lights flickered like a strobe and all of the sirens cried out.
The two of us were lucky to make it out of the great blockade doors before they locked automatically and the whole asylum went into crisis mode. I looked around and found the car waiting at the bottom of the crumbling stoop and took hold of Dr. Crane's hand while opening the rear door with the other. I felt bad for pushing him in like I did but in this moment there wasn't any more polite way to do so. I got in after him and shut the door as Lucas pulled away. His right hand left the steering wheel and he again adjusted the mirror, with a smile in his voice he addressed our guest as I pressed my head in between my knees. "Fancy seeing you in here Dr. Crane," I swallowed hard trying to get rid of some of the redness in my face, "Care for a drop of tea then sir?" I glanced to my side to see Dr. Crane's smile twist with anxiety as Lucas steered the car onto the Ryan private ferry. I hid my face once again as the doctor looked down at me and smiled, the same shy smile from before. "Thank you Eleanor," was all he said as he turned back around to gaze out the window and to the city lights, but with that my face turned scarlet and I had to keep it hidden the entire way back to the building.