Cuvier didn't always make Alyssa watch and sometimes he would just make her listen and sometimes he kept her in the dark about what was happening to Elizabeth. The latter was the worse of the two. When she was not watching or listening to Elizabeth Alyssa was locked in a near pitch black room. Chained to the bed only with a chamber pot, a few rats, and the cockroaches to keep her company.
The door opened and Alyssa sat up expectantly hoping it was a meal. It was but the person bringing it wasn't the usual wide shouldered thug. Instead it was a young man. He must have been only 20 at the most.
Alyssa could stop herself. "Who are you?"
"They said you didn't talk, interesting," the boy said in a clipped manner. "Extend your arm I need a blood sample."
Alyssa drew her arms up to her chest protecting them. Why did he want her blood? They've never taken a blood sample before.
"Arm." The boy demanded holding out one hand. Alyssa didn't move. He sighed. "I thought bringing the food would work. Give me your arm and I won't take away the food."
Slowly Alyssa extended her arm. Grabbing it the boy wrapped a tourniquet around her upper arm and wiped the crux of her elbow with iodine. "Squeeze this," he said giving her a ball.
Alyssa did so. She closed her eyes as the needle pierced her skin. Several vials of blood were filled quickly by her rapidly beating heart. "There that wasn't so bad. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Why do you need my blood?" Alyssa asked as the boy withdrew the needle and placed a bandage over the wound.
"I have a theory about why Miss Howard's genetics changed while everyone else has been a failure. Dad is too obsessed with "his experiment" to test the theory so I will. You better hope that I am wrong or that you have the same potential." With a smirk the boy left.
Alyssa's mouth hung open as he left. Questions were racing through her head. What did he mean "Dad"? Wasn't it the medication that was going to save her life? What if Elizabeth was wrong? Was she going to die?
Elizabeth sat cross-legged on her bed. It had been years since she had tried to meditate, at least since a year out of undergrad, but now seemed like as good of a time as any to try again. Harley and Ivy had been taken to breakfast and yet again no food was on the schedule for her. Last night she had been an idiot and eaten both of the energy bars Batman had given her. She should have saved one for the morning.
Elizabeth breathed in and out slowly trying to ignore her rumbling stomach. In. Out. Clear the mind. In. Out. In. Out.
Elizabeth breathed in and out, trying to control the pain, the rage. A surge of electricity ran down her neck and into her back forcing her muscles to clench and her to legs to collapse beneath her.
"Where is she!?" Elizabeth roared. She slammed her fists and realized her arms were not chained. There was nothing restraining her. Cuvier was in front of her. She could smell him. Elizabeth pounced.
A growl escaped Elizabeth lips and she opened her eyes. The metal beneath the cushioned walls dented as she slammed the wall behind her with the back of her fist.
"Temper Miss Elizabeth, temper."
Turning her head Elizabeth saw Dr. Strange stand outside her cell his hands clasped behind his back. "Dr. Strange," Elizabeth said with an acknowledging nod.
"I heard that you had a visitor last night during dinner, the Batman."
"Yes."
"What did he want?" Elizabeth's ears twitched as her hearing focused on Strange. Something was off. Despite Strange's cool exterior his heart was racing. He was excited.
"He wished to express his disappointment that I was now in Arkham and once again offer his help."
Underneath Strange's beard Elizabeth could see his lips twitch. "Help with what?"
"Not sure, before it was to help prevent me from becoming a criminal but now it's one of those vague "helps" where you're not really sure if they actually want to help you or not. He does want to help, I can tell, I just think he doesn't know how."
"Fascinating, do you know why Batman has taken such an interest in helping you?" Strange had the smallest of smiles now. Why was he getting so worked up over Batman coming to see her?
"Guilt I believe, he blames himself for the original accident, though he told me he tries to help all the Rogues so maybe I'm not that special."
"I doubt it. Batman has been highly active in your case; he has a special interest in you. He even went so far as to coerce the Judge to send you to the Williams Medical Center instead of Arkham."
"Is there a point to this Dr. Strange? Why do you care about Batman trying to help me?"
"You are in no position to ask questions, Miss Elizabeth."
"Well I just did, didn't I?"
"Do not be obstinate or would you prefer to go another day without food?"
"Cuvier would starve me for days. At least here I can take a chunk out of a guard if I get too hungry." Elizabeth clicked her teeth together.
"Then you would give up any chance to see your precious Riddler again."
"So yesterday wasn't just a onetime deal, good to know. Alright what can I do to get food and see Edward again?"
"Cooperation is all I ask. In my questions relating to your therapy and anything that might pertain to the Batman."
"Easy enough. Deal."
"Excellent." Dr. Strange motioned and the door opened again. The smell of breakfast washed over her, rubber eggs and lukewarm oatmeal never smelt so delicious. The guard pushed the food tray into Elizabeth's cell. "Eat Miss Elizabeth, we will be meeting in a few hours for your first therapy session. Be prepared."
"When can I see Edward again?" Elizabeth asked picking up the tray from the deposit box.
"When you have earned it." With a small manipulative smile Dr. Strange left.
Elizabeth's hands and feet were chained together as she was led to her therapy session. It was not the chains that bothered her but an addition to her restraints that she had never experienced before. A muzzle. To be honest she felt like Hannibal Lecter in the mask and with her penchant for swallowing bits of her kills and threats of cannibalism perhaps she wasn't that far off.
"Oh and one more thing Senator, love the suit." Elizabeth quoted under her breath. She laughed quietly earning a push in the shoulder from one of her escorts.
"Quiet." He said harshly.
She rolled her eyes but remained silent. After a minute or so they came upon the new mechanical door Elizabeth had noted after her meeting with Strange yesterday. The guard in front of it opened the door for them with a swipe of his ID card. A high pitched hissing noise hurt Elizabeth's ears as it opened and she tried to not let the pain show. She was pushed through the door and it closed behind them with the same painful hiss.
They were in the newer section of Arkham now. With the white walls and sterilized look. Elizabeth didn't like this section of Arkham it had no personality. As they walked down the hall Elizabeth carefully paid attention to the smells and sounds around her. She could hear a few of the sessions going on behind the closed doors though she did not recognize the scents of anyone. That was until half way down the hall when she stopped dead causing the guards to bump into her.
Edward. He was there behind that office door. Dr. Leeland's door. She could hear him talking as well.
"…don't think that I would talk about that with you. Myself is one thing Elizabeth is another." Elizabeth's hands curled into fists. It would be so easy…No. She couldn't. The Rogues could only escape after months of planning there was no conceivable way she could, and with Edward, at the spur of the moment.
"Move inmate." One of the guards said roughly pushing in the middle of her back. Elizabeth walked forward slowly taking all the time she could to breathe in Edward's scent. She wanted to see him so badly. Their time yesterday had not been enough.
Finally after a few twists and turns away from Edward they reached Strange's therapy room. One of the guards knocked and Strange called her inside.
"Afternoon Miss Elizabeth." Strange said looking at her with a false smile. "Please have a seat, make yourself comfortable. Guard, remove the mouth piece but not the shackles."
The guard's clumsy hands irritated the wounds on Elizabeth's neck as he removed the muzzle. When it was removed she yawned stretching the muscles of her jaw. Elizabeth sat in the chair across from Strange lazily as the guard left them. They sat in silence for several long seconds. Then Strange spoke into a voice recorder.
"Doctor Hugo Strange with patient Elizabeth Howard, session number one…so Miss Elizabeth how are you feeling?"
"Wary."
Strange laughed. It sounded odd coming out of his body. "Come now, there is no reason to be wary. I am your doctor you can trust me. I am here for you."
"Yeah, sure." Elizabeth replied extremely unconvinced.
"Glad we are on the same page. Now I want to talk about last night. I reviewed some of the security footage and it looked as though you were having bad dreams, nightmares. Would you like to talk about those?"
"Not particularly but now that I know you're watching I'll be sure to put on a show tonight."
"Now, now, did we not come to an accord? You agreed that you would cooperate."
"Oh, that's right." Elizabeth sighed, what she would do to see Edward again. "Yes, I have been having nightmares. They've mainly consisted of what happened during my time with Cuvier. The experience is not new to me. I had similar nightmares after the original accident. Back then Dr. Grout diagnosed it as acute-traumatic-stress disorder."
"Yes, I read that in your file. You experienced nightmares, flashbacks, paranoia, and the only relief was writing in your journal and talking to Alyssa McKenna, your best friend. I am going to recommend the former option as the latter is no longer viable."
Elizabeth drove her fingers into her leg. He did not have the right to so casually mention Alyssa like that. "As I told Dr. Gullenrow, I do have someone else that would help."
"The Riddler yes…I will allow you to have loose leaf paper and a few felt tipped pens to keep a record of your thoughts. Write down anything you want but be sure to account your emotions after a flashback or nightmare."
"And I assume you are going to read these journal entries."
"Only if I find it relevant or if you are no longer cooperating."
"What about Edward then?"
"If you wish to discuss that with him when you are permitted to see him then go ahead but I will not make special arrangements." Elizabeth pressed her lips together in a thin smile. That was better than nothing she supposed.
"Fair enough."
"Glad you agree. Now Miss Elizabeth, tell me your opinion of the Batman?"
"The Batman again? Alright. The Batman is a good man or bat."
"That is all? He is a 'good man'?"
"Yes, because it is true. His methods may be extreme but he does genuinely wish to save Gotham from crime, not only that, he also wants to see the criminals do better with their lives. Move away from crime. The Batman is not moral but he is good."
"Why do you say the Batman is not moral?"
Elizabeth had to hide a smirk. Strange's body language may have been controlled but scent told her all she needed to know. As she had said before Strange smelt of manipulation and obsession; and now Elizabeth knew what his obsession was. The Batman. For whatever reason Strange was obsessed with Batman causing the scent of his obsession to roll off him in waves. All she had to do was get him intrigued.
"Not conventional morality I should say. He can do the things that cannot be done, except kill someone. He steals, he spies, he cheats, he commits physical assault, near anything you can think of but never murder. Murder is the one thing that is unforgivable to him. One absolute rule whereas all the others bend and break."
"A fascinating insight." Dr. Strange looked at his watch. "We shall end here for today and as a reward for your cooperation I shall give you permission to have meals in the cafeteria. See? We will get along just fine as long as you comply."
Elizabeth paced her small cell. Why couldn't it be dinner time already?
"Hey Grey will you stop your movin' already? You're makin' me dizzy."
"You can spin around continuously for three minutes and my pacing is making you dizzy?" Elizabeth snapped at Harley.
"Hey, hey Grey no need to be snippy."
She sighed and sat on her bed running her hand through her short cropped hair. "Sorry Harley, Strange is just an asshole. I don't trust him to keep his promise and allow me dinner in the cafeteria. Damn it all, I had to allow him so much power over me. If only Leeland had been assigned as my doctor."
"Yeah Dr. L was talkin' about that durin' my session today. I've never heard her talk about non-therapy things during therapy but she spent the first few minutes complainin' about how Strange wanted to be your doctor and how Dr. A chose him over her. She wanted to treat you an' Edward together."
"For fucks sake Strange wanted to be my doctor!? Hell that makes him even more suspicious. He probably wants something from me!" Elizabeth threw her hands up in the air and slumped against her bed. "Stupid obsession with Batman."
"What about Mista J?" Harley asked somehow thinking that Elizabeth had switched the conversation.
"No," Elizabeth sighed, "Strange he has some…strange obsession with Batman. I don't know why or really what but that might be why. Somehow he thinks that I'm "special" to the Bat."
"And are you special to the Bat?" Ivy asked finally joining the conversation.
"I don't know. Maybe? But yesterday he said he'd treat me like everyone else from now on. So, not anymore perhaps? How am I supposed to know what goes on in that thick head of his?"
"He's male nobody knows what goes on in their heads," Ivy said seemingly satisfied by Elizabeth's answer.
"I wonder if the Professor is gonna be at dinner tonight so we can ask him about what ya' saw, Grey."
"Oh, yes!" Elizabeth sitting up suddenly. "Batman told me about that! He still didn't say a name but he said that Jonathan bashed a woman's head in and sliced her up. I wonder what the hell she did to him to receive that treatment."
"It musta been Becky then," Harley said knowingly, "good."
"Harley," Ivy warned. Before either of them could get into an argument over whether or not Becky deserved to die the door to the section opened. A group of guards entered. Frist they took Ivy out of her cell and then Harley. With baited breath Elizabeth waited.
"Assume the position." One of the guards said to her and Elizabeth had to contain her smile. She stood up and placed her hands on either side of her head against the wall with her feet spread wide apart. A guard entered and grabbed Elizabeth's hands with a little more force than was necessary before cuffing them and adding her to the line behind the other two women.
"Alright, let's move it and no funny business."
The line of guards and criminals moved in silence. Down one corridor, then another, into the elevator where each of the guards lifted the safety on their guns, and finally they reached the cafeteria. Their shackles were released; they were pushed inside, and left to the care of the cafeteria's guards. Standing in the line Elizabeth was quiet while Harley and Ivy chatted. She was searching for Edward over the heads of the other inmates. When she reached the head of the line, however, there was no sign of him. She had spotted Joker, Jonathan, and Jervis but Edward was nowhere to be seen. Taking her food, Elizabeth followed Ivy and Harley over to the Rogues' table. Now trying to pick out Edward's scent from the myriad in the room. Still nothing.
"Jervis." She said sitting down next to the Hatter.
"Oh, Elizabeth my dear, welcome back! I am so glad to see you unharmed." Elizabeth raised her arms looking at the bandages with an uplifted eyebrow. "Well, permanently, I mean."
She smiled, "thank you Jervis. I am wondering though, where is Edward? I was looking forward to seeing him."
Jervis frowned and Elizabeth's smile melted from her face. "I am terribly sorry my dear. He was with us before but some of the guards took him away for a lesson."
"A lesson?" Elizabeth asked. Lessons were code for beatings. "What did he do to deserve a lesson?"
"Nothing, he is innocent. Rosslend and Berg took him away. It was all rather strange." Elizabeth froze. Was Jervis trying to hint at something?
"Was it Strange, Jervis?" Elizabeth placed a hand on the older man's shoulder and squeezed. "Was it really Strange?"
Jervis glanced nervously around the cafeteria then looked her dead in the eyes. "Yes, it was definitely Strange."
"Okay," Elizabeth said releasing his shoulder. "Just wanted to be sure."
Both of them turned back to their meals but for Elizabeth the meal was tasteless, though that was probably a good thing. Her mind was racing. So Strange thought that he could keep her and Edward apart by having him beaten? Was he trying to send a message to her? Or maybe it was a message to Edward? Either way Strange would not get off scot free for having Edward beaten.
Before she knew it her meal was finished and the guards were hauling her and the other Rogues back to their cells. They were halfway back when Elizabeth saw Rosslend and Berg approaching. She could smell Edward's scent coming off them and she growled; but she was content to let them be for now.
"You," Berg said pointing at Elizabeth with his short fat finger and gesturing for her to come. However, she didn't go and tried to keep moving with the rest of the Rogues.
"Stop." Berg commanded the line and all did so. "This one needs a lesson."
Rosslend pulled her out of line and Elizabeth was tempted to struggle with the other woman right there. Holding back the urge Elizabeth looked back at the other Rogues in time to see Harley and Jervis giving her sympathetic looks. Clenching her jaw together Elizabeth resigned herself to her fate.
She didn't know where Rosslend and Berg were taking her in the maze that was Arkham. It seemed however that they were headed for the lower levels where the special needs inmates were kept like Mr. Freeze and Clayface. There were plenty of abandoned cells down there though too and it was into one of those that Elizabeth was pushed.
A wall of brown sugar scent hit Elizabeth as she was forced into the room. Edward. He was tied to a chair a black bruise around his eye, bleeding lips and nose, and seemingly unconscious. The door shut behind her. She was locked in with Berg and Rosslend and there was an empty chair beside Edward. Elizabeth gulped trying to remind herself that she'd faced much worse at the hands of Cuvier. The thought didn't help.
