Disclaimer: I do not own any Dark Knight/ Batman Begins characters. All other characters are mine.
The P.O.V in this chapter changes between two characters, just keep in mind that the events are happening simultaneously.
Thanks, and enjoy!
XOXOXO -Improbable Dreamer
Cat's throat was raw from screaming, tears stained her face in steady streaks. She curled up on the padded floor, bringing her knees to her chest and burying her face in the scratchy fabric.
'No, please God, no.'
These were the screams that couldn't escape the sound-proof cell, the screams that the guards couldn't (or wouldn't) hear.
It was another session with Dr Crane, another dose of his 'fear toxin' into her neck. The cell around her darkened considerably and she heard voices she recognised. A pair of perky medical staff members, a soon-to-be-bride, a cheating man, and so many others all begging quietly. She was subjected to their last words on repeat, the cries of anguish and the fearful whimpers.
'Christ! Don't kill her, please!'
'Cat? It's me!'
'No! Please, leave him alone!'
'Why are you doing this?'
And when she was sure she could brave this torture, another man stepped out of the shadows to face her. His hair was cut short, messily done as if by crafting scissors. He was bare chested and criss-crossed with faded and fresh gashes.
'Sweetheart.' He stretched the vowels in his taunt, his painted face pulling into a gruesome smile.
'Sweetheart, I'm back for you, isn't this what you wanted?'
He had a pocket Sabre Clip knife in each hand, the silver blades dripping with dark liquid.
Cat was used to this image, she'd seen him every day for the past week, and yet facing him didn't get any easier.
'Come here, kitty Cat.' He purred, taking an ambling step forward. Cat instinctively recoiled and pressed herself against the cushioned walls, screwing up her face to muster her courage.
"Caterina, face him." The deep voice rumbled from the surrounding walls, seemingly bodiless. Cat tugged again at her straitjacket.
"Fuck you, God." She screamed at the voice, and instead ran along the walls again trying to find an escape.
"You can beat him, you know this, face him."
She began to viciously ram her shoulder against one of the walls, praying that it would give as Joker watched her with a grin.
'Nice try, Scarecrow,' Joker sang, using Dr Crane's notorious nickname amongst victims.
'Caterina's mine.'
She stopped struggling, and brought her bleeding shoulder slowly from the wall. Joker's taunts continued and yet she drowned them out, into white noise.
"What did you say?" Cat muttered darkly, her eyes lighting up with deranged determination.
'Mine, mine, mine.' He continued to croon loudly, and wasn't deterred by Cat's slow, threatening approach. She swallowed her last feeling of restraint, and swung her fist around for a hook punch. Her knuckle connected viscously with the right of his jaw, and Joker stumbled backwards as his lip burst.
He licked the blood from his chin, and smiled again through the smeared red.
'Mine, mi- '
Another punch, this time knocking the air from his gut. Cat gave didn't give him the opportunity to catch his breath, thrusting the heel of her hand into his throat and cutting off his cries of ownership immediately.
"I don't belong to you." She screamed, catching his elbow in a fierce grip and bending it reverse on her knee. The sickening crack was partnered by a wail and the sound of a knife falling to the ground.
She grinned, wiped some blood off her cheek, and bent low to retrieve the knife in a shaky grasp.
"Try that again, I dare you. Try and put a collar on me again!"
And the knife was swinging through the air, its blade catching the light beautifully for a second, before plunging into Joker's chest.
"You. Don't. Own. Me."
With each scream, a new stab wound appeared in Joker's chest. Cat continued to stab him ruthlessly, over and over until there was more blood than not. Adrenaline blurred her vision and ragged her breathing, she was insane, completely driven by pure and unadulterated hatred.
After about a minute, Cat felt a sudden hand on her shoulder, and the world around her lightened. The sour taste in her mouth was gone, and Dr Crane's fear-toxin had finally worn off.
She looked down at the body beneath her, trapped between her thighs and completely lifeless.
"Who…Who is he?"
Crane shrugged and kicked the dead security guard, cringing slightly as his foot splashed in the puddle of blood.
"He was a training dummy, and now he's dead."
With her heart rate returning to normal and reality finally seeping in, she felt sick to her stomach. Cat leaned forwards, pressing her palms flat against her knees, and wretched deeply.
"How could I? J-Joker is my…" She hiccupped and slowly got to her feet again, wiping imaginary sick from her chin.
"What?" Crane glowered suddenly, his usually calm voice breaking into a yell. "What is he to you? He escaped the FBI three days ago and it appears that he's forgotten about you."
His words echoed loudly within her, rattling through her bones and seeping like coolant through her veins.
"W-what?" She croaked, her stomach falling to her knees, she imagined it hitting the ground and rolling out of the cell. "He's out…he escaped and he left me here?"
Dr Crane shrugged stiffly, playing uncomfortably with the hem of his coat. "Apparently so."
"NO!"
Cat's scream was loud and heartbreaking, Crane cleared his throat and nodded an awkward goodbye, before dragging the security guard out of the cell.
"God, please, no."
She was curled up on the floor, screams and whimpers escaping her trembling lips.
Cat looked around desperately, there had to be something around the cell, anything that could make it stop.
She threw herself violently against the side of the cell, and to her disappointment, she bounced off harmlessly. Cat screamed in anguish and tried again, smashing her body against the cushions, but once again tumbled softly to the pillowed ground.
She landed roughly on the bloodstain of the security guard, thankful for the lack of corpse.
"I can't…I can't mean nothing to no one!"
Caterina cried softly, watching the blood soak through her straitjacket. She closed her eyes and held her breath, knowing too well that her body would stop her before she could do any real harm.
Bruce Wayne scrolled through the many paragraphs of research, a forgotten cup of coffee cooling by his elbow. Outside the grand window, the moon was high in the sky and casting a silvery glow over Gotham.
"Sir?" Alfred walked up to Wayne's hunched figure, picked up the coffee cup and placed it on a silver tray. "I suppose there's no point deterring you?"
"Again, Alfred, no there isn't." Bruce muttered, scrawling a series of notes into a small notebook. "I am adamant, it's taken me three years, and I'm finally finished."
Alfred responded with a resigned shrug of his shoulders, and yet a small smile fell on his lips.
"Mr Wayne, I really did like that Miss Morgan."
"I know," Bruce finally turned to him with a sad smile. "So did I. Let's get her out of that Asylum."
He closed the notebook, the words 'home incarceration' titled on the front.
"After all," He stood up and stretched his back out, grunting with the effort. "It's the least I can do."
Alfred waved him off as Wayne thundered down the driveway in a black 'Sport 718 Boxster', turning left towards Major Crimes Unit, to submit his monumental request;
to take Caterina home.
"No one cares about me." Cat choked on the words, and stared up at the cell ceiling.
"No one misses me."
As she said this, the viewing window to the cell creaked open, and a single white envelope slid through the hole. The paper skidded along the cushioned ground and came to rest beside her arm with an odd heaviness. She glanced at it in disinterest, and finally had the motivation to flip it over with her feet.
'Caterina'
The edges of the envelope seemed odd, reflecting the white light in a peculiar way. She brought her face towards it, to study the paper, and found that the razor-sharp edges were actually lined with thin razors.
Her first thoughts were dark, and quickly pushed from her mind. Cat then decided that she was being presented with the freedom to open the envelope, and began to quickly rub the bonds of her straitjacket against the paper, hearing the satisfactory sounds of tearing fabric.
"Mr Wayne, you do know what you are asking?" Police Commissioner Gordon looked up at him from the wooden desk, his hands netted together over the request form.
"Yes, sir, I do." Bruce leaned back confidently. "I am taking custody of Caterina Morgan."
Gordon's mouth twitched into what could've been a smile, instead he rubbed the bridge of his nose tiringly.
"She is accountable for 14 counts of murder, and many more we haven't tied to her yet. I would consider personal safety above being a 'good Samaritan'."
"I have, Wayne Manor is fully equipped to hold her."
Gordon nodded and looked down at the additional inspection form, a pile of positive paperwork. He shrugged in disheartened agreement.
"Well I can't legally say 'no' at this point, this is a special case so it won't call for a trial or legal representation. Take this to Warden Jaidev at Arkham, if he signs it then Morgan is yours as of tomorrow."
Gordon scribbled his complicated signature at the bottom of a few forms, and stapled them together. He sighed as Bruce smiled gratefully, taking the forms from him.
"Bruce, don't let this get personal." Gordon stood up with him, buttoning his suit jacket with a downcast expression. "Whatever happened between the two of you, she's not the same person anymore."
Bruce nodded seriously, and tucked all the forms, and Caterina's freedom, into a manila folder.
After about an hour, Cat finally pulled her arms free of the straitjacket and laughed in relief. The muscles strained themselves back to life, and days of restraint had left her shoulders incredibly sore.
She took no time to rip open the envelope finally, pulling out a letter and a small, black felt pouch of some kind.
This small gift, this small hint of an outside world was enough to send her heart skidding.
'Dear Caterina,'
She sank to the floor, the single sheet of paper clasped tightly between her fingers.
'I am getting your letters, I have been for some time.
I was distressed to read that you had ceased writing to me, and found myself missing you. I did get the promotion, and I've taken the title of a great man whom I hope to see again some time.
I was sick for a while, I fell in some acid and got a few serious burns as well as other…side effects, but it makes me feel better to talk to you.
From what I know, you are completely trapped at the moment and suffering. I hate that, I want to help in any way I can, I want to free you. I have connections with a medical team, and I have sent you some much needed medicine.
Use with care.'
Bruce Wayne pulled into the Arkham Asylum visitor's carpark, and past the twisted and brass front gates. He glanced around at the bleak grounds, the weeping trees and grey coloured grass.
"Oh, Cat." He muttered, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out onto the concrete. "What did I do to you?"
Bruce pushed open the front doors and strode up to the old lady behind the desk.
"Bruce Wayne." He smiled at her. "I have an appointment with Warden Jaidev."
The lady looked down her tortoise shell glasses, skimming over the afternoon schedule.
"Yes sir, just go straight through." She motioned to the left and down the hall, and nodded at him before returning to whatever she was furiously typing.
He sighed deeply, cleared courage into his throat, and travelled down the hall with a hand casually in his coat pocket.
As he made his way down the long and dimly lit corridor, his gaze travelled to a stairway leading down.
'Solitary'
Bruce gave it little thought, walking surely past the stairs to come to Jaidev's office.
'…Use with care.'
Cat continued to skim the letter, completely enthralled.
'It should free you, it will be mostly painless, I hate the thought of you going through any pain, enjoy the cocktail, Juliet.
Don't live for me -J'
She dropped the letter with shaking fingers.
Was it fear or excitement that sent tremors through her body?
Cat fumbled with the black pouch and released the strings that held it closed, she turned it upside-down and let its contents spill over the cushioned floor.
Three clear cylinders rolled out, each labelled carefully with chemical names that Cat didn't recognise. She picked one up and rolled it between her fingers, noting the number '2' drawn on the label.
They were ordered for her convenience.
Painless, it was more than these security guards could promise.
"Thank you for seeing me." Bruce shook Warden Jaidev's hand sturdily, looking down at the small man with the least repulsed expression he could.
"Sure, sure." Jaidev waved impatiently, pulling the manila folder across the desk. "Now what's this all about?"
"Well," He looked down seriously, netting his hands together. "I'm here to take Caterina Morgan from your hands."
Jaidev stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, his small mouth falling open.
"You…You want to put that thing under house arrest?"
"Yes." Bruce replied simply. "I have all the credentials and mandatory forms, even a few recommendations for some extra credibility. Anything you could possibly oppose to, has been taken care of."
Jaidev shrugged with a disbelieving smile, and began to shake his head slowly as he read through the many, many forms. "I'm sorry, Mr Wayne, I just don't think-"
"-Of course," Bruce sat forwards, a friendly smile playing over his lips. "Wayne Enterprise would be happy to donate a substantial amount of money in support of the Asylum. For the good of Gotham, naturally."
Jaidev raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yes," Bruce stood up, and of course Jaidev wasn't far behind.
"You know," He looked around the large office, nodding at the wooden flooring. "A nice Persian rug would really brighten up the place."
"P-Persian? Uh yes, I suppose so." And he reached over a pudgy arm to shake Wayne's hand again. "Thank you for your generous offer."
"Don't mention it."
Bruce watched as the Warden signed and sealed five forms, finally placing the completed stack in a filing cabinet beside his desk.
"I'd, uh, like to go see Morgan now, with your escort of course."
Jaidev fumbled with the papers for a moment, and one helicoptered to the floor with an audible swoosh.
"Oh, yes, well, why don't you come back tomorrow? I mean, we'll get Caterina her clothes back, it'll be like she wasn't even here." Jaidev smiled at him, a large false grin that appeared more repulsive than appealing.
"No, I'm here now." Bruce struggled to keep his own tone light. "I might as well get a tour of the facility I'm supporting so…generously."
He could barely hold the poison from his voice, and if the fearful expression on Jaidev was anything to go by, he was not succeeding.
The Warden wiped his shaky hands on his coat, and cleared his throat uncertainly.
"Yes, sure, follow me."
Cat pulled the lid from the cylinders, exposing the sterile needle points. She squeezed a drop of needle '1' onto her palm, and sniffed it carefully. Suddenly it all became wonderfully clear, she knew exactly what was inside these injections.
"Cocktail indeed." She laughed darkly, and looked once more upon the cell door. Perhaps she was waiting for someone, anyone to barge in and stop her.
1
2
3
4
Cat counted in her head, and still the door remained closed, she remained alone.
"Give them hell."
She recounted Joker's last words to her, and closed her eyes, letting them replay through her mind with no distraction.
Give them hell
She brought the needle close to the inside of her elbow, letting its sharp tip rest against the fragile skin, near a large vein.
Give them hell
Bruce followed the Warden down a series of stairs, listening to him drone on about Arkham's wonderful history and positive record.
"There's no mind too broken for our doctors." He explained brightly, walking very fast to keep up with Bruce's long strides. "Caterina Morgan was responding exceptionally well to treatment, we were even unable to diagnose her with a mental illness as of last Monday."
He was undeservingly proud of this fact, and smugly opened the door to the main 'Solitary' corridor.
"Hey Mack!" Jaidev waved at a guard standing outside one of the padded cells, he seemed distressed to say the least.
"S-sir!" The tall guard saluted awkwardly, and glanced at Bruce in a nervous panic. "We sent Whiles to your office. You didn't s-see him?"
"No, Mack, I was escorting Mr Wayne here." Jaidev brandished Bruce towards him proudly, his eyes widening to convey an unspoken conversation.
"And we'd love to see Miss Morgan, if she's not asleep of course."
Mack's face was still a mask of pure terror, and he leaned forward reluctantly to mutter a few urgent words into Jaidev's ear.
Jaidev's smile dropped to concentration, then confusion, and finally outrage.
"WHAT?" He howled, shoving Mack from his side to stroll towards the cell. Jaidev snapped open the viewing window and peered into the white room.
"Holy Shit." He muttered under his breath, and beads of sweat began to form at the base of his fat neck.
"Is everything alright?" Bruce asked, fear pooling in his stomach.
The Warden slowly closed the window and turned to Bruce, his expression utterly shattered.
"Mr Wayne…"
But Bruce was pushing past him and up to the door himself.
"Get this open!" He commanded, and poor 'Mack' entered a series of complicated keycodes into an access panel, shaking like a leaf.
Finally, the access panel lit up green and the door unlocked with a heavy click.
"Mr Wayne, please-."
He continued to ignore Jaidev's plea, and pushed open the large door. Fluorescent lights flooded his vision for a second, and he gazed wildly around the cell.
Caterina Morgan was lying in the centre of the padded cell, her gold hair pooling beneath her, over the white pillows. A few papers and empty glass cylinders lay around her, including one with the letter '2' that was still in her grasp.
Her eyes were wide and fluttering slightly, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to draw a breath. The '2' needle rolled from her grip and slid across the floor as her grasp loosened.
Cat's eyes slid slowly over to Bruce standing over her, and they lit up with a sudden fear.
He dived beside her, his shoulders shaking slightly.
"I don't know how this could have happened." Jaidev shook his head sadly.
Bruce's breathing was ragged as he pulled the severed straitjacket up Cat's arm and saw flecks of blood over her forearm. "Shut up." He breathed, pressing two fingers into Cat's neck to take her pulse.
"We never leave these kinds of chemicals-"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Bruce spun on his heel to bellow at Jaidev, who recoiled in fear. Caterina was shaking considerably now, her chest heaving in short spasms. A thin trickle of blood snaked from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes seemed dim.
Bruce grabbed the needle and monitored its warmth within his grasp, before breathing out in disbelief.
"1 minute? I was 1 minute late? Jesus Christ! Get medical down here, dammit!"
Jaidev nodded quickly and ran from the room, more to get away from his erratic fury than anything.
"Cat, please, I'm taking you home now. Whatever this is," He dropped the needle into his lap, and curled both arms carefully around Cat's torso. "Whatever it is, we'll get it out of you, I need you to stay awake. Can you do that? For me? Stay awake."
Her eyes fluttered and she let out a pained breath in response, but he thought he saw her nod slightly.
"Good girl," Bruce smiled, despite everything, and leaned down into the floor so that he was lying beside her, propped up by an elbow.
"I'll be here until the doctors arrive, I'll talk to you, you just need to stay awake."
Cat made an audible whimper, and her fingers tightened into fists.
"I know, it hurts, it's probably agony, but if anyone can deal with this, it's Caterina Anne Morgan, yeah?"
She made no response, but shook again as a wave of pain overtook her. She seemed to be straining to move her arm, to reach towards something.
"What is it?" Bruce followed her line of sight, and noticed a single cylinder still full of liquid, the number '3' scrawled over the label in black marker.
He picked it up and grimaced at the razor-sharp needle point, Cat whined again and gazed at the needle with fixed concentration.
"No, nothing else." Bruce shook his head defiantly, trying to ignore the whimpers that escaped her. "You're lucky I stopped you from completing the set."
A low gurgle emitted from her throat, followed by a harsh cough and a cry of pain.
"P-please." She wheezed, swallowing a mouthful of blood. "Bruce…"
A solitary tear rolled down her chin, and Bruce sobbed quietly. "We can fix you, the doctors can fix you. I'm not going to give you this."
Her face broke as she began to openly weep, hiccupping with each sudden spasm.
"Do… do you want to save me?"
Bruce didn't reply, he couldn't, seeing her in this much pain was unimaginable.
"Then save me."
With grunts of pain, Caterina brought her hand to caress his cheek. Bruce turned his head slightly to kiss her clammy palm, and he softly spoke against her skin.
"I…I was so close Caterina. I was here to take you home."
She smiled slightly, but quickly shifted into a grimace as she spluttered blood down her chin. He tightened his hold around her waist, desperately trying to memorise how her body shifted and rippled while she breathed.
"Save me... please."
Bruce choked on an answer, and brought the needle between the two of them. He was staring at it, at the harmless clear liquid within, but Cat's eyes never left his.
"It's okay." She murmured. "It'll all be okay, wait for me."
He leaned over her, crashing his lips against hers and shakily tasting the blood and tears that had stained her mouth.
"It's okay." Caterina whispered against his lips, and only pulled away for a second when the needle entered her left elbow.
"It's okay." She repeated, slightly more groggily than before. "Wait for me."
"I will always love you, Caterina." Bruce whispered, holding her as close as possible.
The door in front of them swung open, and it groaned heavily as four medics entered.
"Baby?"
He looked down at Cat in his arms, she had stopped moving.
"Cat?"
Bruce sobbed suddenly, and pulled her roughly against him, so he could bury his face in her neck.
"It's okay, it's okay."
He kissed the top of her blonde hair, and rubbed her shoulders soothingly.
"That's my Cat."
Finally, the medics kneeled beside her to begin working. Bruce watched their movements in slow motion, he was vaguely aware that they were all wasting their time.
Caterina Morgan had already been saved.
The End...?