"Sweet dreams." Was the last thing I remember before everything went black.
And now I have the worst hangover in the history of all hangovers, ever. Even my college days weren't this bad. And hell I did my fair share of partying. Did I find a liquor store, and then proceed to drink it? I thought as my head pounded, I felt like the room was moving, lurching even. My mouth was dry and my tongue felt like sandpaper, my head was throbbing and I felt an ever increasing desire to throw up. How much did I drink last night?
Did Ellie convince me to drink red wine again? She knows that fucks me up. If I was this bad I could only imagine what Ellie was like, she never left a bottle of wine unfinished. I better try and get up to take care of her. The blind leading the blind as it were. Maybe Bruce could drop off some breakfast for us, or let us crash at his place while Alfred takes care of us? Get some IV drips from the hospital. But as I was about to sit up I could feel a pair of small hands grabbing onto my cold arms and was that crying?
I opened my eyes groggily and at first, I only registered Ellie was hanging onto me sobbing her little heart out, my arms automatically enveloped her and brought her closer to me. Her blonde head shot up and she flung her arms around my neck. Her arms swimming in my hoody I see, always stealing my clothes. Some things never change. It was only when she began incoherently babbling in my ear did I realise we weren't in my room, we weren't even in my apartment.
We weren't even in an apartment. I didn't know where we were. I quickly looked around and realised we were in the back of a van. Memories came flooding back and I put together the pieces of what was happening. I could barely understand a word Ellie was saying through her sobbing and her face buried into my chest. I stroked her hair and I whispered to her.
"It'll be OK Ellie. I won't let anything happen to you." I repeated over and over again until the van we were in came to a sudden stop. Nearly sending both us flying.
Just as I began to wonder where the Scarecrow was, the doors of the van were thrown open, revealing the demon himself. His eyes didn't have too look too hard to find Ellie and I huddled in the furtherest corner.
"We've arrived ladies." He declared happily, he waited for a few seconds but after neither of us moved from our corner he took matters into his own hands. Reaching in he grabbed a hold of Ellie's ankle and began dragging her out. Not being completely with it yet I couldn't hang on to her tightly enough, but I quickly came to my senses and scrambled out after her when she screamed. As soon as my feet hit the concrete outside I wrenched her out of the Scarecrows grip and kept her close to my side.
"Don't touch my sister." I growled holding onto her tightly. He held up his hands as if giving up and I tried to get my bearings. I was still dizzy as hell and felt like death, which was interfering with my rational thinking.
"Where the hell are we?" I asked, my voice scratchy desperate for some water, and maybe aspirin, maybe a lot of aspirin. Maybe a Pharmacy worth of aspirin.
My eyes wouldn't adjust to the bright sun glaring at us, but I could see it was only just rising, the other giveaway it was early morning was the shrill birdsong assaulting my ears, which made me wish for a slingshot and a couple of rocks.
"Welcome to my humble abode. For the time being anyway" He announced his arms sweeping the abandoned and decaying building in front of us. It looked like an old clinic but it was hard to tell. In fact, when I looked, the whole street looked abandoned. He grabbed my arm in a vice grip and began to drag me in, which in turn pulled Ellie along as she held on tightly to me.
I wasn't sure whose grip was tighter on my arms, I just knew I would have bruises on both arms. As soon as I was dragged into the building all my senses went into overload. I could smell damp in the walls immediately and also in others rooms we passed was a mixture of unwashed bodies and possibly overflowing toilets that made bile rise in my throat.
Even though the sun was beginning to rise outside, inside was only dimly lit, all the windows where covered in newspapers blocking out any and all-natural light. Plastered on the walls and doors were 'Do not enter' signs, 'Abandoned building' and 'dangerous structure' notices. Cute atheistic they have going on here. But the building collapsing on top of us was not the worst scenario playing out in my head, which was a disturbing realisation.
The surprisingly strong hand that had been dragging me along this depressing hallway released me and I stood uncertainly. The Scarecrow leaned in a door way, talking to someone wearing a black bandanna across his mouth and nose. Whether it was his 'look' or whether he also found the smell repulsing, I wasn't sure, but I wanted to ask if he had any more of them before I started throwing up.
The Scarecrows eyes didn't leave mine, he just stared into my eyes as he spoke to this other man, I tried looking away hoping he would too, but he just kept staring his gaze never moving.
"Where are we?" I heard Ellie whisper next to me, I looked down and thankfully she had stopped crying but she was still shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were covered in lines of tears she hadn't wiped away. I didn't blame her, I was scared too. But one of us had to be strong here. That usually falls to me. Always falls to me.
"I don't know. Just stay close to me." I whispered back, but my voice seemed loud in the quiet hallway.
There was no noises except the muffled chatter behind closed doors, and the conversation going on between the two men in front of us.
"We'll be fine, don't worry." I said not sure if it was a lie or not. "I'll protect you." I whispered fiercely, at least I knew that wasn't a lie.
"Come along ladies. I'll show you to your room." The Scarecrow said interrupting my thoughts as he swept his arm out in front of him, inviting me to go ahead. I did, even though I had no idea where I was going. Or whether he was leading us to our death.
The hallway looked like something right out of a horror movie set, flickering bulbs and all. I half expected a psychopath with a chainsaw to jump out from behind one of the closed doors, but I guess the one behind us would do. And he didn't need a chainsaw to scare the hell right out of me.
"Next door on your left." He said and I stopped outside of a door that looked no different than any of the others. He excused himself past us and in front of it and slid a key into the lock. For a second I thought about making a break for it but dragging Ellie behind me I wouldn't get very far. And I sure as hell wasn't about to leave her.
He opened the door and dragged us in behind him, a dark set of stairs led downward to two separate doors. He directed us into the one on the left and quickly I hated it.
It was obviously the basement as the only light that came in was from a tiny window close to the ceiling. I was only able to really see anything when the Scarecrow flicked on a fluorescent light and I immediately wished he hadn't.
The room was a cement block, a dirty old mattress and a chair the only items in the room. We were quickly pushed towards the corner with the bed and Ellie fell immediately squealing as she touched the filthy mattress. I probably would have too.
"Please have a seat." The Scarecrow said pointing to the mattress. Himself taking the chair and dragging it over just in front of us.
"I'd rather stand." I said thankful my voice didn't shake even though my hands did. And though I could feel Ellie's small hand tugging at my own, I stayed on my feet.
"Well isn't this nice?" He said, the artificial light creating shadows on his face, making him look even more sinister, his low voice matching.
"You now have two choices, ladies. Option one, you can tell me everything you know about our friendly neighbourhood bat, or option two… I make you." He took a needle out of his coat pocket and flicked the top off it, making sure the light glinted off the stainless-steel surface. I didn't know what the yellow liquid was inside of it, but I sure as hell didn't want to find out. We had all heard the rumours about Dr Crane and his 'fear' gas. I had no doubts whatever was in the needle was just as bad.
Ellie whimpered and pulled on my hand even harder, this time I let myself sit, the needle being more than enough incentive to not piss this maniac off. Ellie immediately scrambling to hide behind me.
"Now personally." He said sitting forward, putting the top back on the needle and slipping it inside of his pocket.
"I hope you pick option two, but that's just my preference." His sicking smile came back, wider than before. "But, I'll leave you two to discuss it amongst yourselves. Decide on what you would both like to do and I'll be back." He stood up and with one more smirk back before he left the room, we were soon by ourselves. He was so calm and made it sound like he was nothing more than a waiter leaving us to go over the menu and decide on lunch.
It was so unnerving, it took me a few minutes to calm down my hammering heart down.
"Jess, what do we do?" Ellie asked and for once I didn't have an answer for her. Instead I hugged her tighter and started stroking her hair, it was messed up and tangled beyond belief but still soft. I didn't even want to know the state of mine right now.
I just need to focus on something, anything other than the Scarecrow and his words so I started de-tangling her hair, gently working the knots out.
"If we don't tell him what he wants to know…" She tried but broke down into tears again.
"Try not to think about it Ellie. Think about something else." I said. I wanted to say everything was going to be OK, that we would be out of here before she knew it. But I didn't know if I could lie to her.
Lying about the Easter bunny and Santa fine, little lies for her happiness as a child. But this, this wasn't twisting the truth. This was inventing another reality entirely and she wouldn't believe me. Hell I wouldn't believe it myself.
"What should I think about?" She asked sniffling, rubbing her running nose on my hoody.
"Think about my apartment, our pizza is sitting waiting for us, you still have half a bottle of wine to drink and I have 3 ice cold beers left."
I heard her sigh at the mention of my beer, but she remained silent, so I continued. "Think about how you would be spread out on the couch, moaning about that bitch—"
"Carol is such a bitch." Ellie said, giving me a small laugh in spite of our circumstances.
"Moaning about that bitch Carol. And I would be in my chair, listening to you while I flip through all the channels. You would finally get sick of my channel surfing and just turn it onto TMZ or whatever the hell you watch. We would talk until you finally fall asleep on the couch and I have to drag you to bed. Then try to sleep as you snored all night." I felt a tiny slap on my arm.
"I do not snore." Ellie defended and I couldn't help but laugh a little.
"You're right. It's more like a really pretty leaf blower is sleeping next to me."
She giggled weakly, "At least I'm still pretty."
But we both slipped back into silence, neither of us able to truly forget about where we really where. Or who was outside that door.
I hoped Alfred told Bruce what had happened, if he even understood half of what I had shouted at him. Poor man was probably confused at a woman screeching on the phone at him at what must have been 11 o'clock at night. But hopefully he did understand, and Bruce would turn up at any second to get us out of here, do what he does best and save us, save the day. In all his Batman and black military grade kevlar glory.
"Bruce will come for us." Ellie whispered softly, apparently thinking the same as I was.
"Of course." I said, hoping my voice relayed more belief that I felt. I didn't like the thought on depending on Batman swooping in to save us, in all honesty he was partly to blame for us being here in the first place. That was what the Scarecrow had said, Batman's new lady friend. Not Bruce Wayne, Batman. We knew they were one in the same but I doubted the Scarecrow did.
As soon as we were safe I would have a few choice words for Ellie and her beau. All of them loud and most likely, profanity ridden. I would say things that would make sailors blush.
But I really couldn't rely on Batman showing up. How would he have any idea where we were, our phones were both at the apartment, this abandoned building is just one of the hundreds in Gotham. We were two terrified needles in haystacks on haystacks. We needed to save ourselves.
I looked around the room trying to think of anything to help us escape. Maybe I could smash the chair, hopefully one of legs would have a sharp end, use it as a weapon and get out of here? Although there was a psychopath and his crew of hired henchmen between us and freedom, and with them probably more bullets than brain cells. And the Scarecrow with his needles, I really didn't want any of them being plunged into my skin and into my bloodstream. I had already experienced that once already, I didn't feel like repeating the scenario.
Apart from that idea I didn't have much else to work with, we were in a concrete block. Unless I could come up with something genius to do with this grimy mattress, my ideas on escape were too few. My thoughts were cut short when I heard footsteps outside of the room again, echoing off the basement walls. I rushed to my feet, the adrenaline helping me. "Let me do the talking." I whispered fiercely to Ellie and she nodded, covering her mouth with a huge sleeve.
The Scarecrow quickly appeared in the doorway and after securing the door behind him turned his attention to us.
"Have you ladies come to a decision?" He asked, eyeing me with curiosity? Or contempt? I wasn't even sure.
"What makes you think we know anything about Batman?" I asked, my voice sounding foreign to me as it echoed in the box room. I felt Ellie shoot to her feet beside me, slightly wobbling and holding onto my arm for support.
"Yeah, never met the guy!" She argued, quickly retreating behind me when Cranes eyes slid to her, a quick squeak her only sound. His gaze returned to me and I didn't look away this time.
"There's thousands of people in Gotham, why would two girls know anything about a lunatic who jumps roof to roof dressed as a bat of all things." I asked feeling Ellie's grip on me tighten, no doubt insulted I was mocking her boyfriend.
"Well a picture is worth a thousand words." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a screwed up ball of paper. He tossed it over to me with nothing more to say. I caught it with surprising ease and quickly flattened it out, curious what he meant.
Sure enough, it was pretty damning evidence. Ellie had her arms flung around Bruce, which would be fine except he was in Batman mode. And it could have been excused as maybe he saved her, they had a brief meeting and that was it, two ships passing in the night and all that. Except she also had her lips firmly locked onto his. I sighed and Ellie peeked over my shoulder and quickly snatched the paper out of my hand, a hushed 'oh my god' as she looked at it.
"That could be anyone." I said simply. Which might have worked, if Ellie hadn't piped up from behind me.
"Is that what my hair looks like from the side?" I exhaled loudly and had to clamp my hands down on my hips to keep them from wrapping around her neck.
"It's too dark to see anything, could be any blonde in this city." I tried again, the Scarecrow stayed where he was just watching us both with obvious amusement.
"Jessica!" Ellie said. "What are you trying to say, he doesn't go around kissing just anyone!"
"Well why were you kissing him? On a bloody rooftop as well!" I asked, forgetting we weren't alone in here.
"Well we got caught up in the moment, and I wasn't aware we had an audience!" She said the outrage in her voice obvious.
"I didn't even know he had it in him." The Scarecrow said finally piping in and I was quickly reminded of where we were. "I'm shocked he knew how to, always figured he was too mentally disturbed to even know what to do." He said making me roll my eyes, but apparently Ellie found it humorous.
"Oh, believe me, he definitely knows what to do." She smiled and all I could was sigh and rub my eyes.
"Ellie, please, remember who you're talking to." I said, resisting the urge to shake some sense back into her. She wasn't at the nail salon with her gal pals, she was in a sociopaths basement!
"Oh right." She quickly pulled her face into a scowl.
"You two are amusing." He laughed sitting himself back down into the chair. "I'm not sure I even want to give you back to the caped crusader after this is all said and done." His eyes locked onto mine, a small smirk on his lips. "Maybe I won't."
"Batman's going to find us." Ellie chimed in as mine and Scarecrows eyes remained locked.
"And he is going to beat you up!" She quickly peeked out from behind me, no doubt doing something ridiculous like sticking out her tongue at him. Going from terrified to suicidal, real quick there El.
"He will find us." I agreed.
"Oh I'm counting on it." He smiled broadly, leaning back. "He'll no doubt have some toy that can follow where you went, some futuristic gadget in his bat belt that's cleverly named bat something." He smirked to himself.
I couldn't help but agree a little, he really should have a more inventive naming system in place. Or just call things what they were. Bat-rope, nope, just rope would do the job. The Scarecrow carried on.
"He'll do his 'worlds greatest detective' gig and burst in here, all Kevlar and Batarang's flying." He stood quickly and grabbed my arm in a death grip, jerking me forward until our faces were only inches apart. I didn't have enough time to step back.
"But until he does, you're at my mercy. And we've got time to kill." He put particular emphasis on the last word and I could see his hand about to reach into his pocket when there was a quick knocking at the only door out. He looked between me and the door and finally released me when a masked face appeared. Shoving me backwards.
"Boss, grumpy needs to talk to you." There was a sense of urgency in his voice. Wait, grumpy as in the dwarf? From Snow White? A Disney film, really? Wait does that make the Scarecrow Snow White? That was a more than disturbing thought. Especially when the Scarecrow in Snow whites dress popped into my head. That'll be burned into my retinas for a WHILE.
"Hold onto that thought." He sighed before turning around swiftly and storming out of the door. Oh don't worry I probably will hold onto that horrifying thought for a long while. Poor grumpy though I thought as he slammed the door, so hard dust swirled up from the floor.
I waited until he was gone to rub at my arm, had he mastered the bloody Vulcan death grip or was he just freakishly strong? My skin was already red from where he grabbed me.
"He's going to kill us!" Ellie whispered urgently, tears already rolling down her cheeks, back to terrified again. I turned to her and grabbed her shoulders.
"We are not going to die in some crazy persons basement." I said firmly but as her tears kept rolling I tried a softer approach. I gently brushed away her tears and put on a smile.
"Like you said El, Bruce is already scouring the city for us. It's only a matter of time before he finds us." She smiled at me as she nodded along with me.
"And he'll beat the crap out of that crazy ex doctor outside." I added. She finally laughed a little and the tears stopped. In the next second there was a gunshot from somewhere above us, it split through the air and was as clear as if it had been right next to my ear.
"On second thought. We can't wait for Bruce." I said, brain going into overdrive. My eyes darted around the room again and I mentally slapped myself, the window! I had noticed it when we first came in here but nothing more than a glance.
I backed up and looked at it, it was high, too high for one person to reach alone but with a boost, maybe? Or the mattress shoved up against the wall? That would work. It was tiny opening though, my hips had no chance of fitting through it. But Ellie could wiggle herself through, she was as petite as they come. She could run, get to a payphone or find a police officer. She would have to work that part out herself, but better out there then trapped in here.
"OK Ellie, I have a plan." I said but Ellie's eyes were glued to the ceiling still processing what that noise was. I snapped my fingers in front of her. "Ellie, I'm going to need your attention sweetie."
"Was that a…" She began but I quickly cut her off.
"A gun shot, yeah it was. Which is why what I'm saying now is really important." I pulled her to where I was and turned her around, pointing up to the small window. "That's why that window is the most important window in your life right now."
"But it's too—"
"High up? Yeah, I know. I'll help you up or we'll use the chair or the mattress." I was talking very quickly, time was of the essence here. She looked at it and then not so subtly at my hips.
"But it's too—"
"Small? Yeah, I know that too. I should have listened to you about the beers. Which is why I'm not going, you are." She spun around back to me, her eyes wide and mouth open, catching flies.
"A-are you crazy?! I can't go out there by myself! You have to come with me!" She cried, her hands grabbing mine.
"These hips don't lie." I tried smiling but she wasn't having it as she shook her head. I didn't let her interrupt as I kept going. "And I'm not the one who went to cheerleader camp 6 years in a row for high school. You're the only one of us who can do this little miss cheer."
"Then we'll just wait for Bruce!" She had begun crying again and I couldn't blame her.
"We can't wait El, you heard that gunshot, the Scarecrow is insane. How long before he turns that gun on us?" I grabbed her face and made her look at me.
"You can do this Ellie and you have to. You're smart, you're strong and I believe in you. You're going to get out that window, you're going to find Bruce and then you're going to come save your big hipped sisters ass OK?" She nodded her head and I wrapped my arms around her as she sobbed into my shoulder. "You can do this." I told her kissing her cheek and letting her go.
"Right I'll boost you up, if that doesn't work we'll use the mattress or the chair." I said making my way below the window. Ellie didn't move though. "Ellie?"
"I can't leave you here Jess, what if he kills you, I need you." She began sobbing again her small shoulders shaking.
"Come on, no more tears." I tried but that only made her cry harder. "Ellie it's OK. Take some deep breaths." I told her and when she did and evened out her breathing, I carried on. "I can handle the Scarecrow. Remember Brandon in fifth grade when he pushed you over? I beat the shit out of him."
"We were 10 years old Jess, it's not the same." She said her voice a whisper.
"He was twice my size, both in height and width. And I made him cry like the little bitch he was. The Scarecrow is nothing in comparison. I'll make him cry just as easily." I lied.
"You're only saying that so I'll go." She said still breathing deeply.
"Well that depends. Is it working?" I asked to which she nodded, sniffing as she dried her tears. I wanted to cry too, but I had to be the strong one for now. "OK now, I'll boost you up see if you can reach it."
But then I realised she was still wearing her little shorts she had put on to make Bruce regret leaving her for the night. Fuck, she can't go out in those tiny things.
"Wait, switch pyjama pants with me." I quickly shimmied out of my sweat pants and held them out to her. She looked at me nervously but followed suit.
"Why?" She asked as she quickly shoved herself into the grey pants.
"It's freezing out there, and you would stick out like a sore thumb." I quickly pulled on her shorts and they didn't leave much to the imagination but at least they covered my backside. I didn't also add I didn't want her walking the streets with her thighs on show. It was dangerous in here but it was still Gotham outside.
"You couldn't have worn something a little longer?" I asked as I got the cords of my sweats and pulled the cords tighter to fit Ellie's smaller frame.
"They're so cute though." She complained quietly as I cuffed up the bottoms so they weren't dragging on the floor.
"They're so cute," I agreed with a sigh. "Now let's get you up there." She nodded and took a deep breath. I tried not to shiver in my vest top and now Ellie's smaller than I would like lacy shorts.
Ellie placed her foot in my laced together hands and I grimaced about how sticky and dirty the trainers were in my hands. I needed to wash those as soon as we are back home. I lifted her up as far as I could and I could hear her unlocking the window but nothing else.
"Jess, I can't pull myself up, I need more height." She said coming back down.
"OK we can use the mattress then." I said and as we were about to shift the bed when we heard a door slamming close near us. We dropped it quickly and moved away.
"First chance you get Ellie, you take it. Don't think about it, just get out and then run." I whispered urgently at her and she nodded before our eyes turned back to the door as the footsteps that were rapidly getting closer.
I grabbed her hand in mine and held it tightly. "I Love you El."
Then the door slammed open so hard it hit the wall and bounced off. I winced at the sound and could feel Ellie shaking like one of those tiny dogs people put in their handbags.
The Scarecrow's face was contorted with fury. "Time's up ladies. I want my answers and I want them now."