Chapter 10: The Dark Room & Necropolis
On way the back riding the bus Alex gave me this look. I asked her, "What's the matter?"
"You're not seriously going to back out are you?" she said, "Not after how close we are."
"Alex I don't know what I'm going to do. Right now this is getting to stressful for me. Not to mention all this be kind rewind shit."
When the bus stop we got off. Walking the rest of the way until Penguin's car drove up. I asked him when the window was rolled down, "How the hell did you find us?"
"Do you even know who you're talking to?" he said with that prideful smile of his.
"No no no no, don't pull that "do you even know who you're talking to" deus ex-machina shit on me. Seriously how did you find us?"
"Tracking chip in your jacket, duh."
Oh yeah I'm still wearing the outfit he gave me at the hospital. "Okay I'll admit I've should've figured. So what's up?"
"Found out a little bit juicy about the Doyal kid." he said, "Why don't you ladies hop on in and see what I'm talking about?"
Alex and I looked at each other but we climb into the car. Once it started driving Alex said, "So what did you find out?"
"Well you know that he's a drug dealer right?"
"Yeah." I said.
"He doesn't just sell drugs to his clients. Lately he's been having this hobby about taking pictures of people in this very expensive Dark Room. It's not at the house it's in a barn not too far off from Gotham. Now his father doesn't know this but he has noticed a few drugs that were missing."
"So it's possible those missing drugs were used on the people he take pictures of?"
"Then that means he did drug Jane." said Alex.
"Remember though he said he didn't, and the only reason she was at that party is because of Mr. Harrison."
"Who now?" said Penguin.
"He's a photography teacher at my university. You've seen him before at the hospital."
"What's his full name?"
"Alastor Harrison."
"... Isn't he famous for his photography?"
"Yeah?"
"...Huh."
"Why?"
"No reason I'm just surprised he's here as a professor. Usually people like him are in other cities that don't have a high crime rate."
"So the reason why we're going to this Dark Room is because there's a chance we might find evidence he might've took Jane there?"
"Not only that. There might be a chance Hanna was taken there too."
Oh dear. But if that's the case. Why would he do that to his own girlfriend?
...
When we got to the barn we've looked around to find the entrance. Of course we've found the door with a key pad lock. Luckily Butch was able to get it open. We walked down the stairs entering into the Dark Room. "Whoa," said Alex, "This looks a bit like a apocalypse bunker."
"In ways it is." said Penguin.
Yet here are all the expensive photography equipment. It's a dark room alright. Penguin got onto the computer while we look through the cabinets. I've a safe within one of them. I asked Butch, "Hey Butch, can you open this one?"
"Let me see."
He tried a couple of times but the pad locked itself for 5 minutes. I rewind time and told him other combinations until we've found the right one. Sadly I've gained a headache from doing that but at least no nosebleed. I'd say that's a step up for me.
Once the safe was open there was a black binder inside. We took it out, but before we looked through it Alex found a red binder that has Jane's name on it. It was shocking to see what was in it. We saw Jane tied up in duct tape looking so out of it. Seeing it made me sick to my stomach.
"Richard has a lot of pictures of young ladies tied up." said Penguin looking at the many other pictures of different girls on the computer. "None of them are Hanna though."
"We've found this binder in the safe." I said as we've finally opened it. They were the pictures of... "What?"
"What is it?" said Alex.
... I'm looking at pictures of Richard tied up with Hanna. They both look so drugged. "This is fucked up man." I said.
I don't get it though. There's pictures of them both drugged, but then where the hell is Hannah? Also why wasn't Richard kidnapped too? He's the one with the rich family it would make sense a ransom letter would be sent to Mr. Doyal. "Penguin have you ever gotten that ransom letter?"
"Oh of course. Thank you for reminding me." he said.
He took it out and hand it to me. I read it out loud, "If you want your pet back you have to pay a million. If you don't meet with our terms you'll never see her again... Shit, you guys said Falcone is now retired right? If he's retired what's the use for Hanna to him now?"
"Everything actually. Hanna is his adopted daughter."
"... Okay. Let's take some of these binders to Edward. He could probably brush for fingerprints. in his lab."
"Excellent idea."
We took the black binder with Richard and Hanna along with Jane's binder. But there was one binder that had Trissy's name on it. I took it out to see but there were no pictures of her. Which means it is yet that she will be taken here. I know she has been a bitch to me at the university but no one deserves this.
I put back the binder and we took off.
...
Edward was mad that we didn't went straight back to the safe house, but he was more upset about looking through the photographs of Jane, Richard, and Hanna. He brought them into a personal lab of his to analyze them. While he was doing that I told him what happened to today. He said, "Not that I don't appreciate your concern for me, but I can't believe you went to Ms. Kringle's apartment with Gordon. And I agree with him that you should stay out of this case for now, Nero. I rather have you safe than captured."
"Yeah I know but. What were you and Kristen talking about? What was so urgent that she had to call you?"
"Remember Officer Dougherty?"
"No way, she's still with him?"
"Not anymore. She was kind of upset that he broke up with her. So she called me to talk about it. At least she doesn't have to worried about him anymore."
"So she does like you after all?"
"... I'm not sure but there's hope."
... Yeah..
Suddenly I've got a phone call from Jane. I took it upstairs in the guest bedroom and talked to her. "Hey Jane." I said.
"How's the case going Nero?" she said.
"We're getting real close to solving it Jane. Don't worry about it and get some rest. You deserve it after all the shit you've been through."
"Okay, just checking up on you. After seeing you coughing up blood I was really worried."
"I'm okay, Jane. I'm feeling much better. Thanks for calling."
"Hey, Nero? Promise you'll update me what's going on?"
"Sure, I will."
"Thanks, be careful now."
"Will do."
I can't tell her what happened to her while she was drugged. She's already stressed out as it is. I went back downstairs but I hanged out with Alex smoking the hookah in the living room. I took out my violin to play it. Just before I did though Alex asked me, "Who was that?"
"Jane," I said, "She just wanted to know what was going on."
"And Edward? How's he doing in the lab?"
"He's working on the binders and the letter. So it's going to take a while."
I started playing Tonight Tonight by Smashing Pumpkins. "It's good to see that you still have the talent." she said, "It's been too long I've haven't heard you played."
"I know." I said. It feels great feeling the strings on my fingers. I missed this so much. I enjoy playing the violin way more than taking photography. Why did I not choose to continue playing the violin? I know my first one was destroyed but why couldn't I pursue my most greatest talent?
I wish I could go back far enough to change my mind. "Hey could you play Dolphin's Cry?"
"Yeah sure."
Now that's one of our favorite songs we've shared together in the past... Time in between us is just a dream it seems.
...
I was dreaming that I was in Necropolis but in a much larger room of it. I'm standing on a floor with all these symbols and there's a huge infinite sign in the middle of it with a Ouroborus around it. I heard the violin playing again behind me. I turned around to see me playing I Feel Immortal again, while also wearing the Raven outfit. "What am I doing here?" I asked her.
She still kept on playing. "Why aren't you talking?"
"Well technically she is." said the voice of Edward. Who just walked in, "She's communicating with the songs she's playing." This Edward seems different. For one he doesn't have his glasses on, but he sounds more confident. Hell it looks like his ego had boosted to a high level.
"Are you really Edward?" I asked.
"Yes and no, but I'm glad you noticed."
He started walking around me tracing the Ouroborus symbol. "So what are you exactly?"
He laughed as he said, "Riddle me this riddle me that. Who's afraid of the big black bat?"
"What now?"
"Well I can't tell you exactly. You need to figure that on your own. Besides, I'm not to be straightforward. Which surprises me why am I being straightforward with you now? In the beginning I've never knew of your power and I've haven't given you one riddle. What really makes you so special then?"
"..."
"Of course you wouldn't know the answer to that. The person who given you those powers do though, but why you begs the question? That my dear is a Riddle itself."
"You talking around the subject than getting to the point is a bunch of riddles." I said, "Seriously man who are you? Edward's ego?"
"Not too far off actually. Except I'm the ego locked inside him forever it seems because of you. Yet now I have you to taunt, like your very own ego."
He walked over to my other self playing the violin. "You know I love this side of you. The Raven playing for the dead. You're so creepy like me."
Suddenly she played You're So Creepy by Ghost Town. Edward laughed as he suddenly strides over to me while singing the lyrics.
"Creepy Girls
You're Just My Style
Blood Red Lipstick
You Don't Smile
Falling Victim To Your Fantasy
Damn, I Love It That
You're So Creepy."
He grabbed me and planted a kiss upon my lips. When I woke up I was laying down on the hard stone of the same place. I sat up and saw that the same symbol on the floor. Again I was wearing the Raven outfit, and I have my violin with me. Dammit why the hell am I sleepwalking? Should I not sleep at all just so I can stay put?!
Suddenly my nose bled and some droplets fallen onto the symbol. It glowed red but only for a brief moment. The hell? What was that all about? Up ahead I noticed a card with a question mark over it. I took it out of the envelope and saw a puzzle maze of this place. Holy shit this place is huge! How on earth did I even get to the middle of it?!
Well I better hurry up if I want to get back to Gotham again.