Always Look Forward
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!
Chapter Eighteen
"Shall we check on Mrs. Rippner first, or would you like to see where I create the fear toxin?" Jonathan questioned.
"The fear toxin of course," Jackson lied. In his heart, he wanted to see Lisa first, but that would give him away. He needed to think like Jack and Jack would be interested in the fear toxin. "What caused you to create it anyway?"
"When I was younger," Crane said stiffly, as if the memories were unpleasant. "I was teased by my peers. I became fascinated with fear and I believed that the mind was more powerful than anything else was. I vowed revenge for everything and the toxin is my way of revenge."
"Revenge created me," Jackson said, nodding in understandment. "Jackson's thirst for revenge created me."
"He no longer wants revenge, does he?"
"He did in the beginning, but when I started hurting Lisa, he stopped wanting revenge. He wanted to protect his bitch from me. Lot of good that did him," snorted Jackson.
"Jack, did your parents ever tell you that you were not an only child?"
"No. They never told me anything. Roberts found me."
What was Crane getting at? What did having a half-brother have to do with his wanting revenge?
"Not just Roberts. A full-blooded sibling."
"What are you saying?" questioned Jackson, wondering what the hell was going on.
"You have a twin brother, Jack. Or Jackson does…Whatever. I'm your brother."
Jackson's jaw dropped. How was this possible? Why had he never known? Why was it secret? Why was Crane telling him this?
Lisa woke to find herself in a dank and dim room. She was inside Arkham Asylum, in one of the rooms. She was no longer restrained and she was wearing the standard clothing of an inmate. A thin blanket covered her body.
The heavy door creaked open and a nurse came in.
"Mrs. Rippner?" called the nurse.
Lisa remained quiet.
A gentle hand shook her. She remained still, trying to play asleep.
"Mrs. Rippner? Wake up."
Lisa had a better idea. She began to play dead. Jackson had taught her a long time ago how to appear dead, except for when hooked up to monitors. She stopped her breathing and slowed her racing heart.
The nurse tried to take her pulse, with no luck. She listened for breathing and rolled Lisa over to watch her chest rise and fall. Lisa remained still.
"Help! I need some help in here!" called the nurse, rushing from Lisa's room and leaving the door open.
Lisa jumped from the bed and raced out into the hallway. She slipped into the nurse's area and stole a uniform. She switch clothes quickly and slipped out of the asylum and into the rapidly falling dark. She was not about to stay in the asylum. Crane was up to something and she refused to be a part of it.
She was never going to be a victim again. She absolutely refused. She would return to her children and disappear. When Jackson figured out whatever he was searching for, he would find her. She would look for him for a short period of time, but after that, she was disappearing for good.
Rachel Dawes noticed the battered young woman the moment she stepped onto the monorail after work. She was huddled in a dark corner and wearing clothes several sizes too large for her. Her brown eyes were rimmed red from crying and there were visible bruises upon her slender throat. Her curly hair was a tangled mess and Rachel could tell that there was something seriously wrong and this woman was not from Gotham City. She was a stranger.
"Miss?" Rachel questioned, approaching the woman, who shrank farther into the corner. "Are you okay?"
"What do you want?" the woman asked suspiciously.
"You looked like you were hurt. Are you okay?"
"Of course I'm not okay," snapped the woman. "They took everything from me. My whole family is gone."
"What happened?" Rachel asked, concern flooding her voice as she sat down beside the woman. "Maybe I can help."
"No one can."
Rachel could sense that this woman was hiding some terrible secret. Someone or someones, had seriously hurt her. She really wanted to help her. In any way possible.
"I'm an assistant at the DA's office. Maybe we can prosecute whoever did this to you…"
"It wasn't Jackson's fault," whispered the woman, shaking her head. "He never meant to hurt me. He did not want to. But the other man, he had the same eyes, yet they were so cold."
"Who's Jackson?"
"My husband," she smiled, showing Rachel her wedding ring. "And the father of my two children."
"Children? How old are they?" Rachel inquired, wondering if Jackson abused this woman and she refused to leave because of the children. It was common in cases of battered women.
"Five years old. They are twins. They look so much like Jackson—they have the same striking blue eyes…" her voice trailed off.
Blue eyes. Striking blue eyes. Who did she know with blue eyes? She knew of Dr. Jonathan Crane over at Arkham Asylum, but he was certainly not named Jackson and as far as she knew—he was not married nor did he have any children. Yet, the woman was were an Arkham Asylum uniform. Was she an escaped inmate or a worker? Was there some connection between her and Jonathan Crane?
"Where are they now?"
"With my father, back in Miami. Provided that they have not been found yet by them."
"By who?" Rachel wanted to know. She had clearly said 'them', not 'him'.
"The company. They want us dead. All four of us."
Four of them? The woman and her two children made three, so who was the fourth one? Her husband? But then why was she alone? And who would want them dead?
"Who?"
"The company. Jackson used to work for them as a manager before we married. We had an agreement and they broke it. They came after us."
"What's your name?"
"Lisa," smiled the woman. "Lisa Rippner."
"It's nice to meet you, Lisa. Do you need somewhere to stay?" offered Rachel. She would help protect Lisa and find out what was really going on.
"That would be great," sighed Lisa. "I'm a stranger here."
"You'll learn a lot about Gotham rather quickly. It's a dark place. But luckily, no one will hurt you when you're with me."
"Why's that?" asked Lisa, intrigued by Rachel's words.
"Because," Rachel said, pulling her Taser out. "Of this."
The two women shared a smile. No one would hurt them that night. But it was only a matter of time before Lisa was tracked down and found. That was when the trouble would begin.
Author's Notes:
Just wait until Crane finds out that his 'patient/experiment' escaped! He's going to be ticked! Enjoy! Next chapter soon!