Craving for freedom.
They were getting tired, all of them were getting tired of being locked up in Arkham. They'd been locked up for a good 3 years now and they were tired of it all, they wanted freedom and they were determined to do it.
Edward walked over to Jonathan and nudged him slightly.
Jonathan looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, as Jervis turned to look up at him, abandoning their chess game, which, surprisingly, Jervis seemed to be winning.
"Yes Edward?"
"I want out of here… was wondering if you two wanted to leave as well because…" he trailed off and looked around to eye the guards. "Because Harley and Ivy were talking about escaping and I want to get out of here as well. I've spent too long locked up, I want to… stretch my legs as it were."
Jonathan hummed in response before nodding as did Jervis.
Harley and Ivy had been sitting quietly reading magazines until the three men came over to them and Ivy raised an eyebrow at them.
"Can we help you?"
"We were thinking of leaving," Jonathan stated bluntly. "Wondered if you wanted to leave with us?"
Harley lifted her head up and grinned. "Hell yeah!"
"Harley!"
"I mean," she whispered. "Hell yeah," before grinning and beckoning them to sit down with them. "We gonna have to come up with one quick, I want to leave here as soon as possible."
"We will have to make a plan at lunch, when we are able to sit together and the rest of the inmate chatter will cover up our conversation," Edward deduced as he looked over at the guards who were coming over to take them to the cafeteria itself, with all of them following and not complaining for once.
Once they got their food, they sat down on a far table away from prying ears and eyes and began to talk amongst themselves until Garfield and Drury came to sit with them.
Garfield raised an eyebrow at the silence. "I'm sorry I wasn't aware you were having a private conversation."
"Well we are," Edward hissed and Gar smirked.
"Would you like me to get the guards over here so they can make it even more private?"
"Oh for the love of…" Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Look we're thinking of escaping."
Drury and Garfield's ears perked up.
"Escaping huh?" Gar cracked a grin. "I've been dying to get out of here, what's the plan?"
"We're just trying to come up with the plan," Harley answered before tapping her chin. "What about a pack of trained elephants? We could ride out on them through the asylum gates!"
Edward stared at her for a moment. "You're joking right?"
"I'm dead serious."
Garfield thought about it. "Well.. in theory I suppose it could work…"
Jonathan gave him a look. "You're starting to sound like Drury."
"Never utter those words again."
"So," Jervis tilted his head to the side. "The elephants are out of the question then?"
"Obviously."
"I could create a vine," Ivy suggested as she twirled her hair. "We could climb out."
"Sorry Pammy, I left my climbing gear at home," Edward mumbled and got a glare in return.
"The vines are the climbing gear, you idiot!"
"I am not an idiot!"
"Guys, guys, guys! I got it!" Harley cried as she held her hands out. "What about remote control penguins? Eh, eh?"
There was silence around the table as they all stared at her.
"What?"
"Umm…" Drury trailed off before tilting his head to the side. "Penguins..?"
"Hey, it worked for Ozzy."
At this point Edward had his head in his hands as he began to mutter the mantra of 'why me?' to himself as the others continued to stare at him.
"Uh huh and err Harley, how are we supposed to fit on the penguins?" Ivy asked as she gave her a look.
"Oh, Red don't be silly, we wouldn't ride on the penguins, that's just ridiculous!" Harley waved her off. "The penguins are the distraction."
Drury frowned. "Umm Harley… I'm not sure-."
"Oh you can shut the hell up!" Garfield growled as he pointed his fork at Drury. "You would think of something just as bad, except it would be moth related!"
"And FYI, Harley, the penguins didn't even work for Oswald," Edward butted in.
"All I was gonna ask was how we'd get the penguins here," Drury whispered as he moped slightly before smiling. "But I could use an army of moths to cover the search lights so we wouldn't be seen."
"See, Drury gets it!" Harley cried much to the shock of everyone including Drury himself. Harley grinned tapping the side of her head. "You have to think outside the box, if you wish to escape the box."
"Child I am beginning to see why you are put in here."
"It's taken you this long?" came Edward's deadpanned response as he gave his friend a blank look before tapping his chin. "I can cut the alarms and I can hack into the computer system to open our cells."
"I suppose I have some of my toxin we could use to incampacitate the guards?"
Jervis grinned and nodded in agreement. "And, good sirs, my mind control devices."
Ivy shook her head. "No, if we escape, we need to do it with as little harm to the staff as possible."
"Aww, but where's the fun in that?" Harley moped slightly, pouting and Ivy rolled her eyes in response before continuing.
"If we leave without killing or injuring the guards, the police won't be as frantic to catch us."
"As much as I hate to admit it, the weed is right," Edward muttered only to be kicked under the table by Jonathan. "Ow. Okay, sorry. I meant, Ivy was right."
"See? Was that so hard?"
"And when exactly are you going to start calling Mist by her actual name?"
"Never."
"Anyway," Jervis interrupted before the argument could get any more heated. "We have part of a plan, but we should, do it in secret yes?"
"Can we include Kirk in this?" Drury asked. "I think he deserves to get out of here, don't you?"
"I suppose we can include Kirk in," Edward nodded. "Also his ability to change into Man-Bat could prove useful."
Jonathan paled slightly. "He doesn't need to change into Man-Bat."
"Are you scared?" Garfield laughed and the master of fear narrowed his eyes.
"Say that again, little lightning bug," Garfield's eyes widened as Scarecrow suddenly took control. "I dare you."
"I'm good," he mumbled back before turning to his food and shoving it around his tray.
Harley tapped her chin before suddenly clicking her fingers. "Two words, giant octopus."
"Enough with the animals, Harley!"
"Sorry."
Well…" Drury began to smile. "What are we going to call this plan?"
"What on earth are you going on about?"
"Well we need a code name," Drury shrugged. "That way the guards won't know what we're talking about."
"I've got one," Garfield grinned. "It's perfect. How about," he leaned forward and grinned. "The escape plan."
Drury's smile faded and he glared at his friend. "You're a jerk."
"I'm a bit more then that."
"I know!" Harley cried out. "We'll call it the great escape."
"Already been taken," Edward muttered and Jonathan and Ivy gave him withering looks.
"Why are you encouraging this?" Jonathan snapped.
"I'm not encouraging it," he hissed. "I'm being factual."
"You can stop at anytime."
"Well, we'll call it the great escape mark two," Harley held up the exact number with her fingers. "That way it's different."
"What about craving for freedom?" Moth suggested.
"Ohh that's a good one."
"No," Edward shook his head. "No code names, no animals and no toxin. We do this quick and with zero casualties, got it?"
"You gotta take the fun out of everything Riddles," Harley pouted. "Is that why you're always so miserable?"
"I am not miserable."
"Sometimes Crane is more cheerful then you," Ivy deadpanned. "That is something that should not be humanly possible."
Edward turned to Jonathan and raised him an eyebrow. "And you're dating this woman?"
"Apparently so."
They fell silent for a moment as huge shadows fell over their table and they looked up to see the rest of the gang standing there and giving them looks of slight annoyance, even Kirk was there.
"So," Two Face growled. "Planning an escape are you?"
"Umm… yeah…"
"Mind if we join in."
It wasn't a question, it wasn't a request, it was a demand. A demand from half the asylum that stood before them.
Everyone on the table was silent as they stared, the tension in the air was thick, so thick you could cut it with a knife, one or two of the patients tried.
Finally an answer was heard amongst the hushed voices.
"Yes."
THE END OF PART ONE!
Note: So the escape begins XD, I think we can all tell this whole fiasco is going to end badly XD
Tune in for the next episode :D
