Chapter 3 - Home Sweet Home

"Somebody stop me!" Edward shouted as he paraded along Gotham's high street wearing nothing but his gown from the Asylum. Nobody recognised him, they just saw him as one of the usual maniacs who patrolled the streets during the day, nothing better to do, a loony.

Well what they didn't know was that Edward was in fact the enemy of their masked vigilante, Batman, and was locked up in Arkham Asylum for years declared mentally insane.

Edward hadn't been on the loose long but soon enough he had run into trouble. As he waltzed through the narrow alleys trying to recover his long lost memories and bearings he stumbled across the gang that was once his own. Edward was unrecognisable to his previous friends. They surrounded him in the dirty alley.

"Good morning Brethren. And a fine morning it is too!"

The only sound heard from the men was laughter. Edward wasn't one for fighting, even in his prime of crime he was pretty much a coward, a weakling. The group pushed him about. He stumbled and tripped only to land in the arms of a different person every time. The brawl lasted about 50 seconds until he arrived.

He dropped from the ladder above, he must have heard the laughter and the scuffles from above. His black cape covering his victims as he silently stopped every punch the thugs threw at him suddenly to be thrown to the floor in agony. Edward lay on the floor too, in awe. He couldn't believe that this superhero would be helping him.

Another brute fell to the floor next to him, unconscious, then another one, then another, until they were all forced to the ground. Edward wiped the blood from his lip with his sleeve. The black gloved hand appeared in front of his face.

The croaky voice spoke.

"Need a lift?"

Hesitantly, Edward took the hand. The muscular biceps lifted Edward to his feet with a jump. No effort needed, it seemed. Those familiar eyes stared right into his own, how could he not recognise his own nemesis.

"Th-T-Thank you." Edward stuttered. Overwhelmed with total shock, he didn't know whether to run, or stay, even if he stayed Batman would soon make a quick exit as per usual. Edward ended the long awkward stare and looked down to the ground. His eyes widening, wondering what to do next. From here he could get to his lab in 15 minutes, but if he ran, would Batman follow?

Edward turned, spinning on his right heel. Swinging his hip as he did so. He swaggered through the alleyway, leaving Batman standing, watching as the peculiar man walked away.

"Cianara!" Edward yelled.

He turned the corner and took one last look back through the dark damp alleyway he had just strolled down, he was gone.

Pine Street...what number was it again? What number? Unlucky for some? 13? Nope. Two fat ladies? Nope...Gateway to...HEAVEN! Number 7!! Number seven Pine Avenue.

He quickened his pace, his feet moving faster than they had today, he wasn't quite running yet, more of a light jog, or a power walk.

Pine Avenue was a short street, only about 10 buildings, 2 sets of flats. and a couple of shops. One basement at number 7. The stairs down from the main road were dusty and overgrown with weeds and plants from the next garden along. He stopped at the door. It was green, light, luminous green, that was all. No letter box no window, no name. There was a black door knob and a lock. He pondered for a while.

The key!!

He reached into his pocket and rummaged around, then into the other on the other side, nothing. He opened his mouth and stuck his finger in, checking under his tongue, and behind every tooth, still nothing. The next thing he stuck his hands down his pants, squirming about trying desperately to find the key for his magical world, his world of fun and mischief. Nothing down his pants either. He brushed his hair. His hand moved past his left ear, brushing it and nudging it. The sound of the metal key his the stone path was a relief.

I knew it was there all along

He pushed the key into the locked and turned it with ease. Each individual lock undid itself one by one, clicking and ticking and scratching as the door became more loose. Edward had devised the lock system himself, so there was no way it could fail.

He took the key out when the noises stopped. The green door swung open with a creak, and a puff of 5 year old dust hit him hard in the face. The weaved straw mat on the floor on which he would regularly wipe his muddy feet read "Home Sweet Home". And that it was.

He let out a sigh of relief as he took his first step inside. He pulled the string hanging next to his head and the whole room lit up.

"Joygasm..."