Chapter 7.
"Bullock, take a break." Gordon leant into the interrogation room, eyes flicking over the scene inside.
"Aw come on Jim – I was just about ta – " Harvey Bullock turned pleading eyes on the Commissioner.
"Take five Harvey."
"Fine." Bullock slouched out. Otis Flannegan, alias "Ratcatcher" grinned, showing crooked, yellowed teeth. In a mocking tone he called out after the rotund detective, "See ya 'round Harvs, this's been real special, huh?" His voice was more nasal than usual, owing to the medical padding on his nose – a reminder of his encounter with Alec Mackenzie. Gordon smiled thinly; he was glad that the young guard had landed one on this cocky little bastard.
"Wanna try yer luck Jimmy?"
"Oh I'd love to Otis." Gordon's smile broadened, "But I thought you'd be more comfortable with another old friend." With that, he turned on his heel and exited the room. Leaving the door open.
Silence.
The lights flickered off.
Otis stood slowly, flinching. His nostrils flared and he sniffed involuntarily. He crept forwards, and gingerly, he wrung his manacled. What was going on? The bravado of moments before was slipping into a pit of nerves as his brain slowly began to process what was happening.
He moved forwards, the door was close, very close now. He reached out, his sweaty palms reaching out, into the dark.
Something slammed into him. Something hard and strong and black locked about his throat. He writhed and scrabbled, practically squealing as he was lifted into the air.
"Ahh – Nuuhhh!"
He flew across the room, crashing into the low table, his whole body jarring from the impact. He struggled on the floor, slipping over his own feet, his eyes blinking a staccato rhythm as he desperately tried to overcome the darkness.
A single light flicked on, revealing the shadow that fell over him.
The shadow of the Bat.
Otis Flannegan screamed as the Bat swooped down on him again, lifting him once more by the collar of his prisoner's jumpsuit. His feet dangled in the air, nearly a foot off the floor.
"Flannegan." Batman growled, "What. Do. You. Know?"
"Nuh – nuh – nothin'! I – I dunno what yer – what yer talkin' about!"
The Ratcatcher bounced off the steel table again as his tormentor threw him back, limp and feeble as his namesake.
"Oh, Guh-God. My back." The Bat moved closer, "Please, please, don't – no!"
He squirmed, writhed, held tightly in a chokehold – eyes bulging. The blades on Batman's gauntlets dug into his collarbone – the pain serving to keep him conscious, even as black spots appeared in front of his eyes.
"Please..." he rasped, "I – was just, just the messenger..." His eyes began to roll back, his voice trailed off.
Batman dropped him. Flannegan –shocked back to life – scrambled back, up against the room's wall.
"What do you mean?" the Bat growled.
"...I – I know Arkham, b-better than anyone, them vents, secret paths, all that... I get things fer people on the inside, messages, little things that my rats c-can carry."
He flinched as the Bat moved towards him again.
"Th-th-this time it was two things, a-a-a message, anna note, an'... an', a seed." He blustered, his voice cracking. "First, I was told to send my rat through a certain vent, to a spot on the island – I-I got 'em trained that good. Th-then, once I had the goods, I hadda send them on ta another cellie. Nuh-never knew his name, or who it went ta... please... thas' all I know!"
Flannegan whimpered, cowering against the wall, his breath coming in ragged bursts.
"Who?" The Bat growled.
"Wuh-what?" The Rat whimpered.
"Who gave you your orders? Tell me now Ratcatcher."
"I – I never! I don't!" he wailed, as Batman moved ever closer, "I can't!"
The Bat grasped Flannegan's nose, fingers locking tightly, and he began to twist. The Ratcatcher squirmed, heard cartilage beginning to crackle.
"Gaaahhh! Noooo!"
"Who?"
"Nooooo! PleaseIdon'tICAN'T"
"WHO?"
"Janus!" he screamed, his cry echoing around the cramped room. The pressure on his nose instantly relaxed, and Otis' hands flew to survey the damage.
Batman had already straightened up. "Who is Janus?"
"I dunno, I swear, I got no idea." He wilted under his torturer's gaze, "B-but there was this doctor, this shrink. He, he passed me the orders an' he said he was under orders f-from this Janus."
The Bat leaned towards his victim one last time.
"The doctor. Give me a name Flannegan."
"Puh – Pillitch. Karl Pillitch."
