Dance in the Dark by Lady Gaga

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The lights were flickering on and off as I watched from the mattress, pulling my knees up to my chest. Resting my chin on my knees now I counted the minutes between each flicker before my eyes flicked to him. His back was to me and we hadn't spoken since he had told me the Bat was here.

"What are you planning?" I couldn't help myself I was curious and I bit my lip as the muscles in his back shifted and rolled as he half turned his head to look at me.

"What d'you care?"

"If there is going to be a fight I'd rather not be in the middle of it," I confessed and he clicked his tongue, looking away again and that was when there was a low rumble that made us both look up.

"T'fucks Joker doin' up there?" He snarled to himself and started to get up when I saw a crack appearing on the ceiling, something was wriggling its way through the crack. Was that a vine?

I squinted at it as I spoke in a low voice. "Waylon…"

"Blowin' up the fucking asylum wasn't part of the deal—"

"Waylon!"

"What?" He turned to face me as I stared up at the ceiling.

"What's that?" His gaze followed mine and his eyes narrowed before he spoke in a slowly as if I wouldn't understand him.

"Into the water. Now." I watched the vine grow thicker and thorny, his voice snapping me out of it as I looked at him. I didn't know what was going on so I jumped into the water, making my way through the tunnel with him right behind me. As we surfaced I climbed up onto the rafts with him mirroring my action fluidly as the rumbling persisted.

"What was that? How could a vine get down here?"

He was silent for a moment and he almost spat the words. "Poison Ivy."

I couldn't believe it, did she have the power to get this deep? Wasn't she locked up along with everyone else?

"But…isn't she contained?"

"Not anymore," He was looking up at the ceiling and the lights flickered again before shutting out completely. Hissing in annoyance I was glad that I could see well enough in the dark as I could in the daylight. Not that I had seen daylight recently. "Stay away from any vines or plants that ya see."

I had a feeling he had personal experience with that as I stayed quiet, sitting down on the raft as a few light half heartedly tried to come back on.

"Do we just wait or…?"

"We wait." I heard him sit down close to me and I felt his gaze on my back as I rested my chin once more.

"What's so scary about Poison Ivy anyway?"

"The bitch gets in yer head, makes you her puppet. Or, if yer lucky, you just get eaten by her damn plants."

I tilted my head as I looked over my shoulder at him. "She ever get you?"

Yellow eyes met mine and I instantly looked away. "Shut up."

"Ok…just asking. Sorry," I returned to my position and laid on my back, looking up at the dark ceiling like it was the night sky. "I'm sorry I'm a coward, Waylon…"

Waylon was quiet for a long moment. "Ain't nothin' to be sorry for…if it's kept ya alive this long…"

I rubbed at my eyes, cursed tears as I tapped my fingers over my stomach. "Do you think that one day we'll see the sun again?"

Once more he had no answer for a bit. "We weren't meant to see the sun, you and I."

That was cryptic.

And pessimistic as I scratched my upper thigh and I flexed I was getting a bit of a six pack from what I felt. That made me smile a bit despite the situation, I had always been too skinny, scrawny bean pole now I was gaining muscle.

My thoughts were interrupted by his growl and I sat up, instantly I knew that something was off, wrong. Someone was coming. Who would be stupid enough to come down here?

"Who-"

"Quiet." He slipped into the water and a wave of scent hit me like someone had just shook out their hair in my direction. It smelled of sweat and something like cologne, something expensive with the bite of latex and metal.

Was that what the Bat smelled like?

Waylon was gone and I didn't know if I should stay or leave as footsteps echoed on the platforms, slow steady steps and the sound of someone talking. A mans voice, deep and gravelly.

"…just an animal. He'll be no problem."

Who did he think he was?

That filled me with rage as I slipped into the water, swimming beneath the platforms towards the entrance of the tunnels. The footsteps were behind me now as I surfaced, peeking out of the water as I heard a distant roar. Waylon. I climbed up onto a platform and on the concrete I could see a huge bat sprayed with some type of glue like substance. I didn't want to go near it so I sat down by the wall, would Batman be understanding and get us out of here?

Just an animal.

Was I just a animal to him too?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of running feet and exploding platforms and gates bursting. I lifted my head and a tall man, about four inches shorter than me probably, broad and clad in what could only be a black bat suit. Yellow tool belt and all.

Behind him was Waylon running at full speed, slowly catching up to the caped man and as he ran past me he skidded to a stop as the gate fell in front of him. I had once had that problem and he turned, what looked like a detonator in his hand. Rampaging towards us Waylon lunged across the concrete stepping onto the bat symbol in his blind rage, his collar still sparking from being set off.

There was a loud explosion and Waylon started to fall I lunged catching his left wrist in both hands and it took all my strength not to be dragged in with him. My eyes met the Bats as he stared at me behind a hard, cold mask with startlingly pretty blue eyes.

Like the sky.

I gritted my teeth and braced myself, my knees scraping against the concrete as I put a leg against the wall, pulling with all my might. It took every fiber in my soul to not let go because heavens Waylon was fucking heavy. I heard the gate squeak as the Batman lifted it and slid out from underneath it, giving me not a backward glance as I swore.

"F-Fuck Waylon—help me! I can't-" Tears dripped down my cheeks as I pulled, getting his arm over the ledge and he grabbed onto the edge, legs kicking as he began to haul himself up. His claws dug into my wrist and forearm causing me to wince as I grabbed him by his belt and pulled hard, getting him up onto the inner side of the now gigantic hole.

Blood dripped down my forearm and I laid back on the concrete, panting hard as Waylon sprawled next to me. I heard him growl as he pulled himself to his feet and he looked at his hand which was covered in blood. My blood and he inhaled sharply as he looked down at me, his expression was one of incredulity.

"You didn't let me fall."

I smiled through my tears. "Of course I didn't. Duh."

Wincing I sat up and looked at my arm, the deep gouges in my skin that I had endured to save his hide. He caught my wrist and lifted it, his tongue coming out and licking the blood from my scaly skin, his hot tongue felt good on my mangled limb.

"Don't you dare bite me. I need that arm." I chuckled nervously and he did as well before he let go of my wrist and looked at the gate with a furious hate in his eyes.

"I almost had that fucker…"

"Now we have his scent." I piped up to distract him and I cradled my arm to my chest as I looked at the hole in the floor. "What did he want anyway?"

"Some of Ivy's spore shit…" I nodded as if I understood and he looked back at the tunnels then at the gate. Going to the water he picked up a platform and after some careful maneuvering placed it over the hole between us and the way out. I did a hop and a jump over it, hearing it creak and I looked at him as took two huge steps and was across.

"What now?" I asked curiously as I flexed my arm, the bleeding had stopped by now and it was tender as he lifted up the gate allowing me to crawl under. He completely dislodged it, throwing it into the main tunnel system and stepped out to join me.

"We're leavin' this shithole."