Chapter 25

Waking up from being drugged is not an experience I would recommend for anyone. Waking up tied to a chair on the other hand… well that depends on your kink. Being tied to a chair was the first thing I noticed that morning… afternoon? It was impossible to tell since I was in a concrete walled room. For one panicked moment I thought I was sixteen again, but there are a number of differences. The first one being my dress.

I was in a black latex dress. Not my personal style, but one that I had seen in many of the local shops. The other thing that I noticed and that kinda pissed me off was the collar around my neck. Oh man. If I had super strength like Superman I could so be out of here. Putting a collar on someone without their permission is a dick move. More than a dick move it's a disgrace in my mind. I don't get collared. I collar.

The chair I was in was a dinning room chair, not the throne I had been given. This was a cheap version of what Mr. Huntin had done. At least the murderer tried to be respectful to the girls he captured. David, he's an amature.

For the next few hours of wakefulness I looked at the knots. These weren't my standard knots I used in Scenes. David wasn't looking for an easy way to get me out of this. The rope was nylon, but the way he got me in it I could tell he had used his boy scout training. Why did boys get to learn how to do knot work and girls didn't? I will never know. After a long while I was getting tired of struggling, I had to conserve energy if I was going to live through this.

Somewhere from the other side of the room I heard a door close. David opened the door, he was dressed like a well to do businessman who took the day off. Pressed shirt and pants. A belt that was probably eco friendly knowing him. His brown hair combed to perfection. He disgusted me.

"Baby. did you sleep well?"

I kept my mouth shut my eyes following him from my chair. David looked up as if this was the most normal situation that there could be. Me tied up, him about to mock me. Looking back on our relationship, that's exactly what was normal for us.

"I think you did." He said smiling. "I moved you to a place where those crazies aren't going to find you. This is an abandoned building that Wayne Enterprises owns. I was called in to see if they could reuse it for something. No one's going to look here for you. They'll probably check Logan's and then the villains will be captured. Batman might be slow to grab them, but he will. We both know he's very good at that."

I kept quiet not wanting anything to slip. I was not in control of this situation. Anything I said would be used against me and I couldn't afford that. When I was captured by Mr. Huntin I knew his end game. David was a different beast. Best to let him blab on and tell me what he wants then for me to fall into any of his traps.

"I've always loved how prideful you can be Lynn. Since you got back you've been a bitch to deal with. Not letting me buy you things. Pushing me away as soon as I want to treat you. That's not how true love works. Of course you're attached to Crane. I know, I know. He saved you when you were kids. But really Lynn, he's not much to look at. I bet one good punch from me could break him. Don't you want a man who can actually protect you? Someone who is made perfectly for you?"

David walked over to where my duffle bag was lying. I hadn't seen it at first, but now looking at it I felt blood rush to my face. What was he trying to do? Unzipping my bag he pulled out the Dragon's Tail. "You say you like hitting people Lynn." He spoke as if he was mentioning I liked pizza. "Have you ever been hit?"

I didn't hide my expression. The sheer panic that the idea that someone untrained would hit me, I couldn't hide the fear. David saw my change of expression and grinned. "You haven't have you?"

"What do you want David?" I blurted out breaking my vow of silence.

David gave the tail a few untrained flick of his wrist. The thick leather flew wildly into the air not snapping just flailing. he took five steps closing the distance so I would be in hitting range of the tail. He stopped his grin making his white teeth shine.

"What do I want?" He cooed. "I've wanted you. You were so blindly loyal to me. I made you perfect. My perfect woman. Taking the insecure girl who only thought she could have a crazy southerner to a woman who had every guy in college begging to be with you. I made you, but you threw the gift I gave you away. You fucked Crane. How can I handle that?"

His voice was cracking as he closed the distance between us. I could smell his sandalwood aftershave. The thick smell causing me to cough. His hand grabbed my chin to make me look up at him. "I couldn't. I keep thinking of him and you together, it's hideous. He probably cries when he touches you. Does he Lynn. Did he cry when you first fucked?"

"I cried."

My voice was cracking but I got the words out. "I cried because I knew I was loved. He said I was perfect before being changed."

The hand on my chin added more pressure until it was close to being painful. "You don't understand the love I have. Crane can't make you scream."

"Oh yes he can, and does."

David took a step back unamused. "I'm going to show you how bad of a choice he is. I'll show you how your diseased hobby is wrong. You're sick, and I'm going to cure you."

I lied to David, I've been hit before. Only those hits had been me asking to feel the toys I planned on using. They were done by people who knew what they were doing. Not by an amature. David was behind me while I faced the concrete wall. Deep inside of me I knew the following truths.

One: David wanted me alive. He wanted me alive and wanted my body to be functional.

Two: I knew more knots that David, and how to get out of said knots. I only needed time to get my strength up to over power him.

Three: The Gallery is out there, Batman is out there, all of them are looking for me.

Four: I was not giving in.

The flogger came down hard on my back leaving a cold burning line on my upper back. I would need to see a doctor as soon as possible after this. I didn't think there were any open wounds, but David did not aim for the safe zones of my back. My voice let out a strangled cry from the pain, I made myself louder than I normally would be so I could throw him off. He can't know I'm keeping my mind close to me. I would not slip into subspace, there I knew I would be endangered.

"How can this be fun? I'm hurting you?" David shouted throwing another lash.

Above me I looked at my hands, the piss poor square knot that kept my hands bound together. For the last few minutes I tried not to show David that I knew how to slip out of his binding. If I was fast I could free myself and then attack David. Yes he was stronger than me, but he was swinging the flogger for the last few minutes, not a workout I think he normally indulges in. I on the other hand was mostly rested. Yes my back hurt like a bitch, but I was prepared to fight.

David paused in his flogging. "Lynn, I'm hurting you? How is this fun?"

I broke the knot and turned grabbing the flogger in one hand I wrapped the familiar suede strands through my fingers and took the handle into my hand. Pushing forward I rammed the handle into David's chest making him lose his air. With all my weight I shoved again pushing him to the ground. Once he was prone I got down to my knees and put the hilt of the flogger horizontal in my hands and rested it hard against his neck.

There was the look. Normally this comes from men I have gotten permission from to do this. Instead I was forcing someone into this. Yes he was going to keep torturing me, and I had all the right in the world to take vengeance on him. Who was going to stop him? It's his word against mine. Him a rich, handsome businessman who does good work for the environment. While I'm a doctor who is suspended from my job because I might have feelings for a patient. I also participate in a community that is not widely understood. Someone could see this and think we had done a kinky scene. David could easily explain away that this was all consenting and that he wasn't in the wrong. At worst he would spend maybe a month in jail...

He had to die.

If I didn't do it he wouldn't stop. One day he would find a way to get back to me to drag me back in and next time I might not have the upper hand when it comes to knots. Or maybe he'll turn his interest to some other girl. That girl might not be prepared as I am. He would take them and turn them into his personal Stepford wife.

David was starting to come round his hands grabbing the hilt of the flogger and started to push back. I rolled off of him and ran over to my duffle bag praying he hadn't removed anything. My hand found the black case which I quickly unrolled and found my #22 scalpel and held it out in my hand pointing it at David.

"Don't you even think of getting closer." I said. With my left hand I picked up my # 36 just so I had extra protection.

David paused looking at the scalpels in my hand. He raised his hands slowly showing he had nothing to fight me with. "Take a deep breath Lynn. Think through this. Those aren't playthings."

"They are for me." I muttered standing my ground. A part of me faltered. Could I do this, could I strike him down? Was I like everyone inside of the Gallery. Could I take vengeance and live with it.

That's something I couldn't accept. I was not the Gallery. I was a caregiver, not a killer. No matter what I wanted to try, no matter if I was right in doing this. There is a line I wasn't able to cross. Jonathan could cross it, Harly could cross it, Joker dances the tango on it, I can't.

David saw it. Like a wolf sensing his prey he knew I wasn't going to be able to fight him. And because he could see that he grinned. "Lynn, Baby, put the knives down. Lets sit down and I'll get something for your back. We can talk."

"Let me go." I said. I might not be able to kill him, but i wasn't going to back to him. All I could do was get the hell out of here and find someone to help me. "Let em out of here. I'm not going to fold. You can't win this. Just let me go and find someone else."

David shook his head like he was in disbelief. "You want to throw everything we had. Our study sessions. The early morning runs? The hikes out to the foothills?"

From somewhere I heard a popping sound, but I was more focused on David. He was edging forward and I was backing up trying to get closer to the door. For every step he took I took two steps backwards. David kept his arms open his face still that utter disbelief. There is insanity in this world, and the best way to describe it is 'doing something over and over again expecting a different result'. David wasn't going to stop.

Almost being pressed against the door I felt the cold door hit my back. I reached with my right hand letting #36 stay up and be threatening I tried the door. The handle clicked, David hadn't locked the door. But to open the door I would have to then turn my back on him.

The doorknob twisted out of my hand and from behind me I hit someone's back. That someone smelled like arkham issued soap… that and cheap coloan. And for the first and probably the only time in my life I was glad to hear the raspy voice of Arkham's most feared resident.

"Now Doc. I thought those knives were for special people?"

It was Joker. Purple super green hair and all. I never saw a more welcoming sight in my life. I dropped my scalpels my hands shaking. Joker pushed past me and suddenly cool thin hands were holding my arms. Rougher fabric pressed up against me making me miss Joker overpowering David.

"You're safe Lynn. I've got you." Jonathan's voice muttered.

I turned and wrapped my arms around his thin form. From behind him I could see faces, so many faces of people I knew. I might not trust, but I knew and felt safer around. Harly and Ivy were walking down a set of steel stairs. Harly looked at me grinning like the mad woman she is.

"LYNN!"

Jonathan pulled me away and turned me into the care of Ivy and Harly. "Take Lynn home. Get her drunk and let her sleep. Joker and I have some business to take care of."

I turned to Jon trying to figure out what he was about to do. He caught my eye and pulled off his mask. He looked a mess, glasses smudged, face pale. He then smiled, it was small but it was a smile. "Remember that Second chance? After tonight I'll want it. Girls get her out of here before he starts screaming."

Before I could make any demands Ivy and Harly pulled me upstairs and into the dwindling hours of a november afternoon. I strained my ears and it might have been my imagination, but I swore that through the bustle of everyone around me I could hear someone scream. A scream I had heard so long ago, and now knew it was the end of my personal fear.

A/N: So close to the end of this thing. The next two chapters are some of my favorite. Like in "First Kill" Jon gets to have a POV scene. I love writing in his head, but it's something I can only do for a short amount of time. Hence is why he gets one chapter in each of these stories. I do have plans for a third in this series that will take place a few years after this, but next year, or I should say when I post this, this year is me finishing my Marvel/Hellboy crossover and writing Star Wars Fanfiction. I think I told one of my friends that I have six writing projects I'm working on and only two of them could be fanfiction. It will be a busy year, but I write enough that I should be able to pull it off.

If you enjoy my stuff please tell me. You guys have really boosted my writing ego since I started.