Chapter 4: Breathing In the Chemicals
The League of Shadows surrounds the pit of an ancient cave.
The Lazarus Pit is named after the story of Lazarus from the Bible. Those offered to the pit will be given the breath of life just as Lazarus was.
The bubbling emerald liquid is dying to receive the naked corpse. The body is ceremoniously offered to the pit. It isn't long until the body is enveloped by the emerald water.
Burning.
"Ahhhhh!"
Hell's wrath has no fury like it.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
It's as if he's been sucked into the sun's gravitational pull.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
The churning, bubbling, thick emerald fluid is eating away at his flesh repairing the mutilations. He's choking on the rancid liquid as it fills his lungs. Eyes that had been shut for so long are now open. His cerulean blue eyes are beginning to change tint to jade green. The liquid gnaws at the roots of a strand of inky hair and bleaches it snow white. Rotting and torn flesh has been renewed. Some scars have been cleansed, but they will remain visible for the rest of the boy's days left on this earth. Broken bones have been healed.
He is no longer a corpse. He has rejoined the world of the living.
However, the elixir of life cannot repair damage to the brain… It can only enhance it.
Kill.
The only thought the boy has is to kill.
Seconds pass by as he claws his way through his salvation with renewed strength. He's laughing with madness as he bursts from the pit with the speed of a cheetah. Driven temporary insane by the effects of the pit, he has no control over his actions. With a rehabilitated body, the boy is unstoppable.
Two unfortunate assassins try to contain the boy. They are unsuccessful. There is no time to react as the boy rushes forward and decapitates the first guard with the man's own weapon. The second guard has his very eyes gauged out by the boy's fingers before his neck is snapped with a sickening crack.
It takes seven guards in all to restrain the newborn.
The Demon's Head and his daughter watch with interest as their guards attempt to restrain the boy.
"Talia, I want his training to begin immediately. I believe he will be of somewhat use to me."
"Of course, Father."
With grace, she crosses the cavern and approaches the boy being restrained on the floor. She looks down at the one gnashing his teeth, laughing, snarling, kicking, screaming, and fighting with every muscle in his body. Crimson blood that once belonged to others is the only thing covering the boy.
She glances over at the two lifeless corpses that were her father's guards before returning her attention to the boy. She smiles down at him and purrs, "Hello, Jason. I believe you possess a taste for blood… Good."
The boy isn't the only one with a taste for blood. For six thousand miles away, a sadistic maniac cackles as Gotham's Dark Knight drags him into Arkham on his own... without help from his son or his partner. The Bat's newest Robin is banned from even coming within a hundred mile radius of the lunatic. And Nightwing knows better... Or at least he should.
"Come on, Bats! Lighten up a little!"
"You killed twelve people tonight!"
"Only twelve? Hmmm…. I must be off my game tonight… Say, where was your new little birdy tonight?"
The Batman stiffens slightly before throwing the clown into a cell as Arkham guards keep watch over the scene.
"Tell me something… Is he has fun as the last birdy was?"
"You'll never find out," The shadow growls.
"Oh really? You can't keep him from me forever… I'm sure you're familiar with The Masque of Red Death."
The Dark Knight doesn't answer. He merely walks out in silent anger. He's anxious to get home to check on his new partner. He won't let this one down. He won't let this one die.
Left alone in solitary confinement, the harlequin chuckles to himself, "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all."
If only they knew. If only they knew.
Sorry it was so short. The next chapter will be longer. Thanks for all the awesome reviews, follows, and favorites!
And The Masque of Red Death is a short story by Edgar Allen Poe that I recently re-read in my composition class. I just thought it could be related.