*x*o*x*o*
I want a cup that overflows with love
Although it's not enough to fill my heart
I want a barrel full of love
Although I know it's not enough to fill my heart
I want a river full of love
But then I know the holes will still remain
I need an ocean full of love
Although I know the holes will still remain
And this swiss-cheese heart knows
Only kindness can fill its holes
And love can dry my tears
As pain disappears
~Akira Yamaoka~
*x*o*x*o*
"You're making me jealous."
Hush hardly has time to react. One second he is kissing his wife, his arms around her tightly, and the next Mockingbird is on them. He balls his fist in Selina's hair and rips her from Hush's embrace. Rips Hush's heart away from him once more. The Lovely Larks pin Hush down and restrain him as Mockingbird drags Selina backwards, kicking and screaming. With great force, he throws her across the room, knocking over the table with Hush's instruments and weapons, sending them flying. They clang and clatter loudly as they scatter across the floor.
Mockingbird stands between them, his crazed black eyes cold and wild. Breathing heavily, he stares Hush down. His nostrils flare and his teeth grit tight into a snarl.
"She was MINE! I HAD her! What did you DO?"
Selina struggles to get up, but Mockingbird is too quick. He storms across the room and smacks her hard across the face. Falling to his knees, he straddles her crumpled body and grabs her wrists, pinning her to the floor. She hisses and bares her teeth, but is defenseless against him.
"I didn't want to hurt you, but if THIS is what it takes... I'll MAKE you love me. I'll TEAR your HEART out if I have to! Is THAT why you love HIM? Is THAT what I have to DO!"
Mockingbird grabs a knife off the floor and presses the blade against Selina's chest. He pushes all his weight on top of her to keep her from flailing about as he begins his incision. The blade kisses her porcelain skin, staining it red as he draws a thin line across her flesh. Gritting her teeth, she hisses in pain just before drawing her lips back and spitting in his face. His black, void-like eyes blaze wildly with rage as her saliva drips down his cheek.
"I gave you EVERYTHING, you little BITCH! The WORLD was OURS! I gave you my SONG in return for your LOVE. But you... you BETRAYED ME! So... So why don't you JUST DIE!"
All Hush can do is watch as Mockingbird passionately thrusts the knife upwards. The blade shimmers brightly in the light just before he begins to plunge it down toward Selina's heart.
Like an old-time movie, time seems to slow. The cacophony of shouts and cries becomes lost in the ether, turning into a muffled hum just behind Hush's ears. The feeling is reminiscent to a hand grenade going off within close quarters. He's become deaf to his own screaming.
He can sense the motions, feel the countless hands and restraints holding him in place, but still it feels unreal. Like a dream. A dream in which he so desperately wishes to wake from. This cannot be real. His mind screams at him over and over again. This cannot be happening.
Suddenly, an explosion erupts throughout the room, echoing off the walls as glass shatters all around them. The Larks seem un-phased and continue to hold Hush down, following their master's orders as Batman erupts into the room. Still clutching Selina, Mockingbird jumps backwards in defense as Batman lands upon the ground of broken glass, his cape unfurling around him gloriously. Slowly, he rises to his feet. His expression is stern and filled with rage. His eyes are narrowed on Mockingbird as he approaches.
Mockingbird tosses the knife aside and presses his mouth to Selina's ear. A malicious grin graces his thin lips as his eyes lock with Batman's.
"I don't need weapons to hurt her. One word. Just one word and I can instruct her heart to shut down. Tell her to stop breathing. Blow her mind, LITERALLY, with the sound of my voice. My song can bring the greatest ecstasy or the deepest despair. Your choice! SO BACK THE FUCK OFF!"
A trickle of blood runs from Selina's nose as Mockingbird hums sweetly in her ear. Her eyes roll into the back of her head.
Batman growls as he stops in place. Not making any sudden movements, he slowly raises his hands in surrender and begins his retreat backwards towards Hush and the Lovely Larks. Once knelt beside Hush, he puts up no fight as the Larks chain his arms and legs.
"Why didn't you tell me he was a freak?" Hush growls at Batman.
Paying no mind to Hush, Batman remains somber and silent as he glares daggers at the man with the golden voice.
"My symphony. My muse..." Mockingbird sighs heavily as he strokes Selina's tear-stained cheek. "We would have been so happy. This world would have belonged to us. Just the two of us... Like Adam and Eve. Free to shape it however we see fit. Our own personal garden. A playground of destruction. A symphony of blood! Just imagine... The things we could have accomplished... Build armies. Topple governments. Bring the masses to their knees! All in praise. All for her..."
"Birdie..." Selina moans as she regains consciousness.
"SILENCE!"
"But Birdie... The world is not enough."
Mockingbird glares at her, his eyes wild with rage.
"I SAID HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"
"But it's not. Everything you've given me... It's not enough. It could never be enough. Your song could never fill the holes in my heart. Beg, steal, borrow... Nothing could ever amount. I will NEVER love you."
With the flick of her wrist, Selina produces one of Hush's throwing knives. It slides down her sleeve and lands silently in her waiting hand. Mustering what little energy she has left, Selina grips the handle tightly and lets forth a hearty battle cry as she plunges the blade backwards, right into Mockingbirds stomach. His mouth hangs open in a silent scream as blood oozes from the wound. Eyes wide with shock, he releases his grip on her and drops to his knees. Grasping the opportunity, Selina swings her body backwards and swiftly kicks him across the face, her foot making contact with his jaw. A loud and sickening crack echoes through the room as the force from her kick sends him reeling.
Mockingbird struggles to get up, slumping about the floor like a wounded seal. One hand holds his wounded stomach while the other holds his jaw. Blood leaks from his shaking fingers. A tooth falls to the floor and clatters.
"Ladies?" Selina mockingly instructs with a grin. With the snap of her fingers, the Lovely Larks' heads snap up at attention.
Releasing their hold on their captives, the women get to their feet and make their way toward Selina's voice, eagerly awaiting new orders.
"WhAt aRe y-yOu... ack... DOING! YoU fOLLow ME! I'M yOur MASTeRrr!"
Mockingbird screams across the room towards his Lovely Larks, but they do not obey. His voice is garbled and nearly unrecognizable as he holds his broken jaw in his hands. Gagging, he spits a mouthful of blood on the white tile floor.
"But Birdie..." Selina pouts, once again putting on a show for Mockingbird with her baby doll impression. With a sneer-like grin, she comes back to her more husky and seductive tone. "I thought you made all these lovely dolls for my enjoyment. Don't you remember? They obey my will as well. And right now, there's nothing that I'd enjoy more... than watching you die. LARKS! Take hold of him."
Mockingbird thrashes about as the Larks grab hold of his limbs. As if possessed, Selina languidly slinks across the room. Her stiletto heels tap softly on the tile floor as she prowls. Tossing Hush's spent and bloody knife to the side, she bends down to pick up a much better prize, one of the guns lying haphazardly on the floor. A wicked grin stretches across her face, reaching ear to ear, as she presses the muzzle against a helpless Mockingbird's temple. His cries of pain are muffled as she reaches down and squeezes his cheeks with her free hand. Blood oozes from his puckered lips.
Reaching between her cleavage, Selina pulls out one of Hush's syringes that she had safely tucked away during the commotion and jabs it in Mockingbird's neck. Pushing the plunger forward, she releases the muscle relaxant into his veins.
"WhAt ARe y-You..."
"Tut, tut, Birdie Baby... You need to take your medicine. Don't you fret none... It's just a little PRICK!"
She smacks him hard across the face, making his blood spray across the room.
"I must admit, you were quite fun to play with at first. And I truly did enjoy all the attention and gifts you lavished me with. But I never loved you. You can sing your little heart out for all I care, it can never make me obey. You see, you just can't make a cat do something she doesn't want." Bending down to his level, Selina places her well-manicured fingertips to his cold and bloodied cheek, feigning sympathy as she strokes his broken skin. "You were nothing but a play thing, Birdie, a chew toy, and like all cats, I like to play with my prey before I make the kill. I've just been biding my time well. Waiting for you to let your guard down before I swept the carpet out from under you and took what is mine. Veni, vidi, vici. It all belongs to me now, Birdie. Everything. This world is mine and mine alone. Don't tell me you didn't see this coming... You know what cats do to birds, don't you?"
"Y-You cAn't DO tHiS! I MADE YOU!"
"MADE ME? Don't make me laugh, little man. All you did was awaken me. Awaken all the hurt and pain and rage that I had long since forgotten. And for freeing me, I thank you. But all this bloodlust and violence... I was born this way. The man who made me is long since dead. In fact, I gladly watched as Two Face put a bullet in daddy's skull. But that was a lifetime ago... or maybe eight or nine lifetimes ago..." With a sadistic grin, Selina cocks the gun. "Would you like me to put a bullet in your skull as well?"
With his booming voice, Batman shouts across the room at her to stop.
"Always the pacifist..." Selina sighs as she gets to her feet.
Holding the gun to her side, Selina slowly walks back towards Batman and Hush as she calls over her shoulder to the Larks. A wickedly evil grin crosses her stained red lips.
"Drag him to the roof. Time for this little Birdie to leave the nest. I'm just dying to see if he knows how to fly."
Veni, vidi, vici
A couple of nods to the whole Long Halloween / When in Rome / Dark Victory storyline.
Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Hopefully now that my own personal "long Halloween" and the festivities associated with the month of October is over and done with, I can finally sit down and hammer out the rest of this!
XOXO