Always Look Forward
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!
Chapter Fourteen
Jackson was in complete and utter shock. This look-a-like stranger was daring to harm Lisa in front of him! If he were not being restrained, Jackson would have killed the lanky stranger who dared to call himself a doctor. That was no doctor, but a psycho!
Lisa's dark eyes were wide in fear, she was shaking, and her screams were hurting Jackson's ears and breaking his heart. What had Crane done to her? What was that powder?
"Tell me your fear," hissed Crane, smiling sadistically as he enjoyed her screams. "What do you fear?"
"Stay away! Stay away, Jackson! Stop it!" she yelled at Crane, mistaking him for Jackson.
Was that the reason that Crane looked so much like him? To torment Lisa? The powder—did it affect her mind?
"Leave Lisa alone!" growled Jackson, fumbling to reach his knife. The blade had been returned to him by Crane, when Jack was in control earlier.
"You touch them and I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you Jackson!" warned Lisa, believing that Crane was threatening her children. When she looked at Crane, she saw Jackson with a bloody knife and her children lying nearby, defenseless. She was delusional.
There was a reason that Crane looked like him, but Jackson could not think of why that might be. There was something oddly familiar about the doctor. He was going to figure it out, after he helped Lisa. He was not going to watch her suffer anymore.
The tips of his fingers reached the blade and he slid his right hand closer to it, despite the rubs that the restraints were making as they tore at his raw flesh. He gripped the handle and twisted the knife around to slice through the rough leather. With his right hand free, Jackson slit the restraint on his left wrist and remaining restraints before jumping on the distracted Crane and knocking him to the floor.
"I should kill you," Jackson told him, reminding Crane that Jack was not the only killer. Jackson still had a killing and mean, cold streak, but he was not as bad as Jack. He could control it, and had controlled it for the last five years. "But not until you tell me what you did to her."
"Why do you care, Jackson? Why does she mean so much? What makes her so special?" inquired Crane, determined to get as much information as he could.
Jackson could barely control the urge to kill Crane right then. He was sick of answering questions. Lisa had changed him for the better and he could not begin to explain what she meant to him and his feelings for her and the love he harbored for his children.
"Tell me what you did to her!" demanded Jackson, annoyed. "I love her too much to let this continue!"
"Love," spat Crane. "What is it really? A feeling; nothing more. Fear is more powerful—more deserving of attention—than love could ever be."
"What did you do to my wife, Crane?" questioned Jackson, pressing the blade into Crane's neck, drawing the slightest drops of blood.
"Gave her a dose of my medicine. You should try some too! It's very relaxing, getting to know your fear!" hissed Crane, shooting some powder at Jackson's face.
Jackson dropped the knife. Everything was suddenly changed to him. The knife was covered in blood, Crane was crawling with bugs, and he looked towards Lisa who was lying completely still and covered with her own crimson blood. His hands were stained with her blood. Jackson had sworn never to murder again after he killed his parents, yet he had.
He ran a sticky hand through his hair, blue eyes wild with fear. No, this could not be happening. Lisa could not be dead. He could not have killed her…
"Give into your fear…" called Crane's strange voice. "Give in Jackson…"
A taunting voice filled his head, memories from the past, saying in a sing-song fashion, "Jack the Ripper, Jack the Ripper! There goes the Ripper! Watch out or he might gut you!"
He had done it again. He had lost control and Lisa had paid the price with her precious life.
His greatest fear was losing control.
No, he refused to believe that Lisa was dead. She had been alive until Crane had sprayed him with that powder. The same powder that had driven Lisa to scream and mistake Crane for him. What was Crane trying to do?
"Tell me about your powder, Crane," Jackson suggested, trying to ignore the fear that he was feeling. Crane had done something to him and Lisa.
"Why should I tell you?"
"I thought I was your friend," hissed Jackson, using a different tactic.
"Jack? Is that you? I should have known the gas would work and cause him to leave!" cried Crane triumphantly.
"Hi."
He had to find out what Crane was up to. He was involved in something, but what?
"Now, my brother, we can work together to help my good friend, Ra's Al Ghul."
Brother? What was Crane saying? Jackson did not have a brother, unless you counted his dead half-brother Roberts.
"Yes, my brother, I'm eager to meet this Ra's. I'm sure that if he's anything like the two of us that we will get along fabulously," lied Jackson, coming up with what he thought Crane would want to hear.
"I shall arrange the transport for us and the insane Lisa Rippner. Ra's is eager to see how the toxin works and she is a perfect example," smiled Crane and Jackson helped him stand from the floor.
Crane disgusted him, but he had to work with Crane to discover what he had done to Lisa so that he could save her. It was the only way.
Jackson smirked as well, remembering that he was cold, heartless and saw eye-to-eye with Crane. This would be a test.
"Good."
"I think that you will enjoy our stay in Gotham, Jack."
Gotham? They were going to Gotham City? What was going on? What about the twins? How was Jackson supposed to get back with Lisa?
"I can't wait."
Author's Notes:
Jackson's playing along with Crane to get what he wants. He's pretending to be Jack to get on Crane's good side because Jack is really just a projection of how evil Jackson could be. Jackson is still slightly bad and is a killer, but he chose to stop killing, and Jack hasn't. And thanks for the idea, LadyJaye, I was considering something similar and your PM really got me thinking about it! Enjoy!