From Shadows to Shadows
A/N: This section was meant to be included in the previous chapter, but was unintentionally left out. I'm adding it separately, just because some people might not have gotten to read it if I replaced the previous chapter now. I apologize for the shortness, but that's why it's titled Interlude, as kind of a branch between chapters 6 and 8, because it doesn't feature any of the main characters. So, here's the long-awaited arrival of The Scarecrow.
Chapter Seven—Interlude
Lightning crackled across the sky over the dark brick building as the night wore close to its half, the bright flashes of light the only things that would have made the crooked-looking building visible during the blackness of light.
The building took advantage of the unusual geography of Domino, as it was located on the other side of a fairly large river, the same side that the 'poorer' part of town was sited. On clear days or nights unlike this one, people could even see the lights from the tall skyscrapers and hear the roar of the EL-train as it shot across the bridge from one side to the other.
Another flash of lightning.
It does that quite often here, the tall man in his office noted, his grin twisting up in as sharp an angle as the crackles of lightning, the delayed thunder nearly matching the three sharp raps upon the door.
"Come in," Bakura called, still bent over the assorted papers and files on his desk. He had been going through them for hours, but there were still many more cases waiting, and many more patients to see before the night was over.
Life in an insane asylum is so very, very exciting.
"Mr. Bakura, so wonderful to see you again," the first man said who entered the room, moving to extend his hand over Bakura's desk.
He ignored it, peering up at the man. "Gansley, what an honor," Bakura said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I see you've brought Crump too, as well."
The second man was much shorter than Gansley, and wider, with dark hair and a sharp nose. Both men were dressed all in black, with black trenchcoat-type raincoats over their crisp suits.
Gansley removed his hand, but the two remained standing as there were no other chairs in Bakura's office save the one he sat in himself.
"We came to further discuss the business proposition we suggested to you earlier," Gansley said smoothly. "You know the city doesn't have the finances to keep a separate asylum open for much longer. We, however, do not have that problem."
Crump let out a low tittering laugh at those words. "No problem at all," he echoed.
"We would like to put your brilliant mind to work. We would like to see what you can do with this," he said, taking a small blue flower out of his inner jacket pocket. The flower's color was vibrant, and looked like it had just been picked that day.
Bakura looked on with mild interest. "It is just a flower."
"Not any ordinary flower," Crump told him, rocking forward slightly in place. "Smell it," he told him, his voice becoming louder and louder to Bakura as the flower inched closer and closer to his nose.
Instantly he withdrew it, his interest fully roused. "Where did you get this?"
"That is unimportant," Gansley told him. "We want to see the full range of effects on people. Utilized correctly, it can be quite potent. We want to see what you can do with it."
"You want me to test it here?" Bakura asked, pressing the flower's stem into his desk as he rose from his seat.
"No," Crump said furtively, with a knowing look at Bakura. "You want to test it here."
Bakura's grin returned. "Yes, gentlemen, I believe we have a deal." He moved to escort both men out into the hall, swiftly pocketing the flower as he passed the front of his desk.
"Don't worry," Gansley told him. "Soon, you will not have to worry about these halls remaining empty for much longer."
Bakura's lips closed, but the grin still remained.
"Crump will be your liaison from now on," Gansley continued as the three paused at the door. "More shipments of these chemicals will be arriving soon."
Bakura swung the heavy door open for them. "I can't wait."
And he couldn't. As he passed by the long hall to his office, voices called out to him through the cells, hands reaching through the bars. "H-Help me," one called, his eyes scanning widely through the all-white cell and hallway.
Bakura clucked his tongue as he approached one particular cell. This prisoner was restrained, as he often got violent during his testing or treatments.
I don't know what he means by it, Bakura thought idly, unlocking the door by the keypad on the right. He slipped into the room.
"Good evening, Guest number twenty-three," Bakura greeted. At the sound and sight of Bakura, the man began to shake, convulsing as he tried to get away, even as Bakura came closer. "You'll be the first one. Congratulations."
"What, no celebrations? No balloons?" Bakura laughed, tilting his head back slightly.
Still, the man did not respond, breathing in and out sharply as he strained the bonds that held him to the chair, twisting his head about to try and free himself.
"Well, then how about a flower."
Bakura held the flower mere millimeters from the man's nose, and his eyes widened sharply at the first inhalation.
Then, he screamed.
And Bakura kept laughing.
He leaned over the man, his maniacal grin widening even more as his voice boomed out, "Does this scare you?"
The man kept screaming, his eyes wide and unblinking as he could not look away, his throat already going raw as he could do nothing but scream away his voice.
"What do you see that scares you so?" Bakura continued, raising one hand as he bent his fingers in a claw-like fashion, swiping them through the air like claws. His white hair billowed out around his face, made even more erratic by the humidity and the static tension in the air.
Human fear, he thought sadistically. The scent is more appealing to me than any flower.
Bakura savored the aroma, an almost tangible combination of sweat, darkness, cold, and spice. Fear was so complex, so multilayered, and Bakura wanted to know every detail. What exactly comprised fear? Was it a person's life experiences? Was it innate? Did similar images cause fear in all people?
Bakura was fascinated by what made up a human's mind, but even more so than that, he wanted to know what exactly could tear it apart. The brink where a person's mind cracked and was lost to insanity.
He wanted to know.
But more than that, he wanted to experience other people in fear. Seeing it, causing it, gave a sense of power to Bakura that he also found intoxicating.
The scent of power was also alluring, as anyone who has smelled it can say.
He tore back his other hand, removing the flower from under his first patient's nose. He was done here.
Turning back towards the door, he noticed several other screams joining the man's in this room. The sound exhilarated him.
"Who's next?" He called out, relishing in the sound of the screams, drowned out by the lightning and thunder.
He passed the man who had called out earlier for his help. Approaching the keypad, he watched the man slink away in terror, sticking close to the wall, his arms wrapped around himself as he rocked back-and-forth.
Help? You are in the wrong place.
The lightning struck even closer to the building, and the dim wooden sign hanging outside was lit up by the momentary flash of light, making the words firmly visible to anyone who might have been passing by.
Arkham Asylum.
"Johnson?" The smooth, rich voice asked, holding a cell phone whose technology had been borrowed from Kaiba Corporation. Small, clear, and traceless, its number was known by none. He contacted them, not the other way around.
"Yes?" The voice on the other end of the phone spoke back. This voice was harsher, but still respectful. The voice of a man who was used to giving orders, but in this one circumstance was taking them instead.
"Johnson, tell me of your progress so far. Were you successful in this lead?" The first voice asked.
"Of course I was, sir," Johnson answered. "The woman's office contained little of importance. She was the one that met with Seto Kaiba, but it is unknown of what they spoke about."
"Your equipment could not penetrate the Kaiba mansion? Interesting." The voice sounded amused.
"We have arranged the office she and her partner will be relocated into. All lines are wired, and the room is also bugged. Anything that goes on in there, we will know it."
On the other end, Christopher Johnson was very nervous, although he always was when speaking to his chief. He sounded satisfied for the moment, so Johnson was relieved. He had not failed this time. Their leader was not merciful when it came to punishing those who failed, as evidence by their current mission.
"But I understand one of our own men was recently captured by one of your policemen," the voice continued, his tone growing slightly darker, but still keeping its unruffled cordiality.
Everything had been going right to plan, except for that little snag.
"I'm sorry, sir." Johnson sounded confused for a second. "I wasn't aware…he was caught for drug trafficking? Some powerful narcotic drug…"
"Which of your pathetic little officers did it?" The voice was shorter, harsher now, his slight accent more pronounced.
"It was Yami Mutou, one of our senior officers," Johnson answered.
"Get rid of him. And tell Keith Howard to plead insanity."
"W-what? Why?" Johnson asked, obviously perplexed.
"Just do it. I will contact you soon."
Johnson stared at the phone in his hands. The leader always hung up first.
Soon, their leader had said. Johnson knew it was only a matter of time before the second phase of their plan was put into motion.
Soon.
A/N: Creepy villain alert! I had a tough battle deciding who should play the Scarecrow, but I finally decided to go with our favorite crazed psycho, Yami Bakura. Yeah, he's more than a bit twisted in this, isn't he?
And now all of the Big 5 have been shown as well, now that Crump and Johnson are in the picture. And the voice on the phone? Couldn't you tell?
It'll just be a surprise for now, if you haven't guessed already.
As always, please review!
--Kako
