Evie woke up in an unfamiliar room.
She had almost started to panic before she remembered where she was. She had spent the night in Mrs. Kemp's spare bedroom. She yawned and stretched before barrel-rolling off of the bed.
Evie wasn't a morning person.
She grabbed her robe from its position on the floor where she had deposited it and jerkily pulled it on before pulling her sleep mask from her head and throwing it on the bed.
She quietly and clumsily made her way through the apartment and into Mrs. Kemp's kitchen, where Mrs. Kemp was already waiting for her with a plate of eggs and toast.
"You, Mrs. Kemp, are indeed someone we should all worship," Evie said, sitting down at Mrs. Kemp's kitchen table and pulled the plate over. Mrs. Kemp smiled.
"Well, I think you've been through enough, dear," Mrs. Kemp said. She pushed a cup of coffee towards Evie. "Milk is in the fridge, sugar's in the cupboard above the coffeemaker, dear."
"You are a God, Mrs. Kemp," Evie said. If she were more awake she would smile at the elderly woman. Mrs. Kemp nodded.
"Alright, dear. Well, I'm off for the day," Mrs. Kemp said. "When you leave, just lock the door behind you, dear." Evie nodded and chomped on her toast.
She finished her food in silence and drank her coffee, not bothering to add anything in, even though she hated having plain coffee.
When she was half-way done her cup of coffee she groaned. Last night she had been so tired she'd drunk a glass of wine and grabbed pajamas and her robe before heading over to Mrs. Kemp's. She had appeased Harvey by at least staying at Mrs. Kemp's apartment, but she'd forgotten to get everything she'd need for at least a few days. She'd have to go back to the mess and that perplexing bloodstain. Fantastic.
She finished her coffee and tightened her robe around her before exiting the apartment. She looked to her left and saw a man trying to pick the lock of her apartment.
"Can I help you?" She asked. The man whipped around and his eyes widened when he saw her.
"I heard about what happened," He said. His voice sent a shiver down her back. She felt like she'd heard it before.
"Excuse me?" Evie asked. The man sighed before standing and turning to face her completely.
"I had hoped that you wouldn't have forgotten me, Evelyn," He told her. Why was he using her first name? "After all, I thought we'd had a," He paused, as if searching for the right word. "Memorable time together." Evie narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"What do you mean?" She asked. The man's face changed, as if upset by something.
"You've really forgotten me. After all that time we spent together? I-I've got to say, I'm a little disappointed, although I shouldn't be shocked. They did say you had amnesia," He said. He turned and started to leave. "Perhaps it would be best if I le-"
Evie's eyes widened. "Wait!" The man stopped and turned to face her.
"Yes?" He asked.
"A-are you Harrison?" Evie asked. After a moment Evie saw something brighten in his eyes; he was probably happy she remembered his name, if it was Harrison. "Th-they told me about you. I jus- I just didn't think- I mean, they said no one had met you."
"Well, you were always worried about approval. Especially your brothers. You were afraid I wouldn't meet his expectations." Evie nodded. It sounded like something that she would worry about. Hell, no one probably knew about him because she was afraid word would get back to her family and they'd disapprove for whatever she thought he wouldn't measure up to in their eyes. "I'm just going to-"
"Stay!" Evie said. "I mean," She paused. "We were in a relationship. You probably know a lot of what hap-"
"You want me to help you remember?" He asked. Evie nodded.
"Yes."
"Then, I'd love to stay, Darling." Evie smiled and unlocked the door before stepping inside. She could tell his eyes went immediately to the blood stain. "They didn't clean the mess for you?" He asked. Evie shook her head.
"No. Apparently I have to do it," Evie said. "I probably shouldn't even be here."
"Why?" He asked. She could feel his eyes on her back as she walked into her bedroom and searched through her bureau for clothes she could wear. He followed her and leaned up against the side of the bureau.
"My brother and a friend of mine don't want me here," Evie said. "They say it's stupid and that the man that attacked me knows where I live. He could come back at any moment. Honestly? Why the hell would he come back? I don't remember anything, so I can't pick him out of a line-up. He's safe, whoever he is."
He was quiet for a moment. "Why didn't you listen to them?" He asked.
Evie stopped and glanced over at him for a moment before returning to her search. "Why let them control my life? I make my own decisions. I'm a grown woman." Evie grabbed a set of clothes out of her dresser, seemingly happy with them, and walked from her bedroom into the bathroom and started the shower up. She set her clothes on the counter by the sink and held her hand in the path of the water, waiting for it to heat up. She heard Harrison walk by the bathroom and into the living room.
Zsasz honestly didn't know why he was back at her apartment, trying to break in. The only reason he could think of would be that he needed the mark. Her mark. Yet, when he got near her, there was no need to kill, there was only curiosity.
If he saw her, he'd kill her, he'd decided, and if he didn't, he'd use her apartment as a – what did Batman call it? - oh, yes. He'd use it as a lair.
This all went out the window when he heard the apartment door just to his left open.
"Can I help you?" A voice had asked. He whipped around and his eyes widened in surprise. What was she doing there? Why wasn't she in her own home?
"I heard what happened," He said, watching her carefully. He saw her shiver slightly.
"Excuse me?" She asked. He sighed before standing and turning to face her completely.
"I had hoped that you wouldn't have forgotten me, Evelyn," He said. "After all, I thought we'd had a," He paused. "Memorable time together." She looked confused.
"What do you mean?" Evie asked.
How could she have forgotten him? Him of all people? She was no better than the other zombies, all waiting – no, praying – for a salvation that he could give them with a blade.
"You've really forgotten me. After all that time we spent together? I-I've got to say, I'm a little disappointed," He said, truthfully. This zombie had seemed slightly different compared to the endless mass of mindless drones shuffling through Gotham City. "Although I shouldn't be shocked. They did say you had amnesia," He said. The trauma to her head had, for all intents and purposes, knocked her memory loose. Damn. He knew he shouldn't have shoved her away from that Officer and the gun. He had foolishly wanted a mark to commemorate her death by his hand. He had wanted to be the one to kill her. He turned and started to leave. "Perhaps it would be best if I le-" Evelyn cut him off.
"Wait!" Perhaps she had remembered? He stopped and turned to face the young woman.
"Yes?" He asked. Could she have possibly remembered who he was?
"A-are you Harrison?" She asked. Any hope for her remembering his ability to save her from her endless monotony vanished. Yet, he could use this. Perhaps, if he could, he could gain something from her amnesia. Wasn't Harrison the name he gave Bruce Wayne when he was pretending to be Evelyn's boyfriend out in the city? If she thought he was her boyfriend, she would house him and give him food. He could use this. "Th-they told me about you. I jus- I just didn't think- I mean, they said no one had met you." They thought she'd made him up. Victor thought for a moment. The woman, during his stay, had always seemed worried. He had studied her home and found many pictures with two men; her brother and her father. They were the most important people in her life, other than herself. In every picture, the way she placed herself made it seem like she sought for something from the two of them. The only thing he could think of would be approval. It was normal for young women to seek approval from the adult males in her life.
"Well, you were always worried about approval. Especially your," Who had been featured in most of her pictures? Most likely the brother, as it had been a male only a few years older than herself. "Brothers. You were afraid I wouldn't meet his expectations." Evie nodded. She had accepted the lie. Just one more thing, and he most likely had a place to stay. He turned to leave again. "I'm just going to-"
"Stay!" Evelyn said. "I mean," The girl paused. "We were in a relationship. You probably know a lot of what hap-" Oh, this was most definitely something he could use to his advantage.
"You want me to help you remember?" He asked. Evelyn nodded.
"Yes." Victor smiled.
"Then, I'd love to stay, Darling." Evelyn smiled at him and unlocked the door before stepping inside. He followed and his eyes immediately fell to the blood stain on the carpet. It was where her body had fallen after receiving the gunshot and the trauma to the head. He was sure that if he looked for an indent where her head had cracked against the wall he would find one. "They didn't clean the mess for you?" He asked. How...inconsiderate of the policemen. Especially since one of them claimed to be friends with her. Victor looked back up at Evelyn. She shook her head.
"No. Apparently I have to do it," She said. "I probably shouldn't even be here."
"Why?" He asked. He watched her walk into her bedroom and start searching through the drawers of her bureau. He followed and leaned up against the side of it.
"My brother and a friend of mine don't want me here," She said. "They say it's stupid and that the man that attacked me knows where I live. He could come back at any moment. Honestly? Why the hell would he come back? I don't remember anything, so I can't pick him out of a line-up. He's safe, whoever he is." They hadn't told her what he needed most in life. They hadn't told her who he was. If he were anyone else, a mindless zombie, he'd be worried for her safety. He knew, however, that he would gain nothing but the fleeting pleasure of the mark before the depressing need to mark himself again from her death. If she was alive, he had a free place to stay and free food.
He paused for a moment. Why had this woman disobeyed two men she should, in his mind due to her need for approval, try to please? "Why didn't you listen to them?" He asked.
She stopped searching, her arm halfway in the drawer, and glanced over at him for a moment before returning to her search. "Why let them control my life? I make my own decisions. I'm a grown woman." Seemingly happy with her latest find in the drawer, she took a set of clothes from the bureau and walked from her bedroom into the bathroom and started the shower up. He watched her for a moment before deciding to sit in the living room. She needed her privacy and he-
He needed to think.
A/N: OMG! Zsasz POV! I didn't even know I was gonna do this until I starting typing that part of the chapter up! Surprises for me! Anywho, onwards to the replies!
AssassinsCreedFAN:
Actually, the Alice that Lewis Carroll based the Alice in the books off of was a brunette, not a blonde. So technically, any of Hatter's "Alice"s could be brunette, per the actual girl, or blonde, per the adaptations. Probably not helping you out with Hatter, but hey; the more you know.
Sorry for no villain talk at the moment, however, Zsasz is still brood-thinking, Jonathan is in his lab, and Mr. Freeze is currently with Nora. God, his loyalty to his wife is just so, hmmmm, inspiring, don't you think? Yes, iBFFs for lifes. My favorite villains change from time to time, depending on my mood, however, it's most often Harvey "Two-Face" Dent or Mr. Freeze. I don't know why, but I love them and they're awesome.
Face: You love us because you love what we stand for. Fairness and Loyalty.
Okay, so I lied. Harvey wanted to join.
Face: Call us by our real name!
Okay, okay, geesh. Two-Face wanted to come out. Dude, you know what? I'm calling you Face. Too lazy to type the whole thing. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, especially the Zsasz POV part.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
Face: Crane says he doesn't care if he's your second favorite. He'd rather you feared and hated him. He doesn't want love.
Where the hell did you get a phone from?! Give it!
Face: No! IT'S OURS!
Jesus Christ, don't get your panties in a bunch, Face.
DevilToBeLoved:
Sorry for no Iceberg, but I hope Zsasz more than made up for it. You should be seeing Penguin soon. He's not here because he had an important dinner arrangement with some classy lookin' ladies down at his establishment.
Hell's-FunnyHome:
* sing songy voice* Gary-Stu, Gary-Stu, Supa-Man's a Gary-Stu!
Big Blue Himself: I'm a what?
Oh, shut up, Kent. Who invited you? This is a cool people only zone. Big Blue Underwear-On-The-Outside-Wearers aren't allowed in.
Big Blue Himself: Who is this Clark Kent? Is he that good-looking journalist down at the Daily Planet?
Oh shut up, Blue Face. Bruce Wayne owns you. He owns your apartment building and he owns the Daily Planet. Just another reason why Wayne's better than you!
Bruce Wayne: Who am I better than? I'm obviously better, I'd just like to know who.
See? This is exactly why you're being called Bruce VAIN, you butt-face. Ugh.
Harder to kill than a cockroach on steroids?
Cockroach.
Steroids.
Hmm...
HAVE YOU BEEN USING TITAN?! 'Cause it's not good for you, ya know. Just ask Mr. Smiley over there.
And lacing Love Notes with happy gas? That's not nice Jok- Ha. Ha. Haha. Hahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahaahhahaha haaaaaa! Oh, God. Can't stop. Laughing. Oh God, My ribs hurt. No. No-hohoohohhohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohohoh o-CRACK!
...I think I broke my ribs.
Anyway, it's easier and quicker for me to update with shorter chapters, just because A.) I can type quite a few words in one day and I can have multiple chapters written just in case I can't write the next day I at least have something to give you guys and B.) It's less daunting for me to write, say 1200 words at a time rather than 10,000 words. Plus, you guys are constantly being fed my story instead of waiting for a week or two for a long chapter that could've been split into smaller bits to give you guys. And reviews actually do help and they do give me the kick in the pants to get up, get on my magical Laptop of Infinite Battery(Lies, it isn't infinite, lately it's been dying after only an hour of use and it won't alert me to the fact that I need to plug it in. Jerkface.) and type away.
Oh, by the by * throws Grilled Cheese Sandwich at Joker * Here's your stupid sandwich! We don't want Hell to get arrested for starving you to death...although, GCPD would probably give her a medal for taking down a dangerous criminal...hmmm...
MidnightFedora:
Yeah, she wasn't sticking around there for a while. And she may or may not be using Bullock. I haven't decided yet. I know right? You'd think they'd be nice and clean it up, but it isn't their job so they won't. Bleh. She's just gonna have to scrub it out herself, probably. Or get it replaced.
Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed the stories!
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