A/N: Thank you Xiowolfe and Wolvies gal 1 for your reviews! ^___^ I guess I was a little unclear as to who the italic writing was… _ sorry. That was Virginia's thoughts.
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"We're going to kill each other, aren't we?
Perhaps you'll kill me.
Perhaps I'll kill you.
Perhaps sooner.
Perhaps later."
-Batman, The Killing Joke
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~I'm nobody without you… buddy
My long lost friend
If you're not here
to hear me scream
Am I silent like a dream
Where all the dragons are my friends
Each night we meet our bitter ends
Do I need you to make me real
Like Wheeler spinning his own wheel
Quantum strings within my brain
Popping sanities insane~
-Five For Fighting, Nobody
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All the doors slid open in the pitch-blackness; freedom was just a short distance away, if you could see in the dark. Clawing at the wall he had been pressed against, Nikki screamed in bloodcurdling terror. Jamie stared wide-eyed at the spot that Nikki had been when the lights went out and curled up into a ball, afraid to move.
~*~
Logan, able to see a little in the darkness, grabbed a hold of Jack's arm and shoved him towards the door.
"Wait! Wh-what's going on!?" Jack shouted stumbling as Logan pushed him.
~*~
Kitty and Hayley both gasped when the lights went out.
"Am I dead?" Virginia asked weakly from her spot on the floor, she blinked a few times and sighed, "Hello? I think I've gone blind." She muttered lifting her good arm to wipe away the fever induced sweat from her brow.
~*~
Pulling on his night vision goggles; Bruce quickly scanned the floor finding the Joker gone. He cursed under his breath then darted for the now opened cell containing Robin. With a well aimed bat-a-rang, Bruce cut the rope and caught the boy pulling him to his chest as he fell to his knees. The boy was pale from the loss of blood, the blood that was now on the floor.
"Tim," Bruce called gruffly, but softly nonetheless, "Tim, you have to open your eyes! Wake up!" He shouted the last part angrily then pulled off the mask and felt a shudder run down his spine.
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"Where are we going!?" Jack demanded digging his heels into the concrete floor and stumbled when Logan shoved his harder.
"We're getting out of here while we still can!" Logan barked then stopped dead sniffing the air.
Jack fell backwards when Logan took his hand off his back, "Hey!" He cried out catching himself, "What are you doing?"
"Spray paint," Logan muttered sniffing the air again, "fresh spray paint."
Jack furrowed his eyebrows as he smelled the air, "Yea… what about it?" He asked in the general direction he believed Logan to be in.
Suddenly the lights turned back on and both Jack and Logan stepped back as they gaped at the walls. Written in crimson red spray paint were the words, 'There is no peace for the sane.' The words were written over and over again in a sloppy manner along the many 'Ha's decorating the gaps.
"What the hell?" Logan mumbled letting his eyes run over the walls.
~*~
"What do you think that was about?" Jean wondered out loud as she glanced around the room with blinking eyes.
Rahne shrugged eyeing Rogue who was checking out the hallways.
"I think we're free." She called back into the room to Rahne; she was obviously still pissed at Jean for unknown reasons.
"Great!" Rahne grinned bounding out of the room to Rogue, "Let's find the others and get these damn collars off us!"
Jean gaped at Rahne as she joined the two in the hall, "Did you-?"
"Yup, and I might do it again. DAMN!" Rahne shouted to the ceiling, Rogue suppressed a snicker at the expression that crossed Jean's face.
"Well then," Jean said slowly, then smirked startling the other two girls, "Let's get the hell out of here!"
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Kitty gently shook Virginia's shoulder trying to wake her up, "Come on Virginia," She said softly as Virginia opened her eyes, "We're getting out of here, think you can walk?"
Hesitantly Virginia nodded and pulled herself up into a sitting position with the aid of Kitty. She swayed slightly and Kitty caught her pulling Virginia's uninjured arm over her shoulders. Hayley joined them and walked on Virginia's other side as the exited the room out into the stark white hallways.
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Everyone seemed to meet at the same spot all at once, right out side the cell Bruce was currently kneeling in cradling a still form to his chest. Virginia broke out of Kitty's hold and approached Bruce while the rest of the group watched on from a safe distance.
Logan finally turned to the others, his eyes darting from one face to another, "We're missing people, everyone split up and find them," He grunted then paused, "Jean, you stay here in case something happens," He gestured towards Bruce and Virginia, "Or if anyone comes here," Jean nodded and Logan turned back to the others, "Find anyone, bring them back here." He ordered and the group nodded then broke apart, Kitty and Hayley heading down one hall, Logan, Rogue, and Jack down another.
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Virginia paused a step behind Bruce, her vision swam in front of her briefly and she began to feel light headed. Ignoring it, she rested her hand on Bruce's shoulder and frowned slightly. A blood caked bullet wound marred the side of Tim's head, he probably died instantly from the looks of it.
"I'm sorry." Virginia whispered sinking to her knees next to Bruce, her legs no longer able to support her.
Bruce lifted his head slightly, his icy blue eyes flickered to Virginia then back to Tim, "I failed," He frowned angry with himself, "I failed."
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~You're too important for anyone
You play the role of all you long to be
But I, I know who you really are
You're the one who cries when you're alone~
-Where Will You Go, Evanescence.
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A/N: Please Review!