So...heeeey everyone. Surprised I'm not dead? Let me start off by saying how ashamed I am of myself. I should stop promising that I'd be updating more often when that's clearly not the case, I apologize to my loyal readers and reviewers. But I haven't forgotten this story. Being a senior with collages and jobs and stuff like that has taken a toll on me more than I thought it would, but really that shouldn't be my whole excuse. I have been fairly lazy. But, all excuses aside, I'm here with the next chapter. Yes, the Scarecrow chapter :) The beginning anyways because there was surprisingly a lot to write that took up some space, heh. So, I hope you all enjoy :)
Chapter 11: Hallucinations
This had bad idea written all over it. Still, it was the only option I had. I let the cool musty air of the elevator hit me as the gate to it slid shut soon followed by the door, a sensation of nerves racked my entire body as my fists clenched and unclenched in anticipation. I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all. The elevators just magically started operating? Not likely, I highly doubted I was having a stroke of luck, those didn't seem very common in this game. I chewed on my bottom lip and scanned around, my eyes darting every which way, I was waiting for the elevator to start moving, to rumble, just something.
"Too easy!" I jerked in brief surprise and turned around swiftly to find the monitor in the elevator had flicked on. "Think about it, I've got you trapped in a little metal box. Hanging precariously over a deadly drop. What say I just blow the emergency brakes and drop you like a sack of puppies?" Ignoring his analogy my eyes widened slightly as I stumbled back a bit, my eyes moved rapidly around the small enclosed space.
"Say good night, kiddo." I squeezed my eyes shut and waited, my whole body tensed.
"Boom!" As soon as his mocking laughter hit my ears my eyes slowly peeled open and my muscles relaxed, I looked at him in slight confusion as he slapped his knee with laughter.
"Only kidding, Ambsy." I frowned, my eyes turned cold as the elevator jerked somewhat and began to slide down to one of the lower floors. Joker waved a hand dismissively at my look towards him and continued, he pointed a finger at me through the screen and his mouth widened into one of his famous smiles that I used to enjoy as a kid, but now found it as a threat to my life.
"Got a few more surprises in store for you." His voice suddenly dropped to a vicious low dripping with pleasure. "Prepare to face your fears." His expression and mood instantaneously snapped back to joy as he continued.
"All of them!" I opened my mouth to say something in retort but stopped whatever I had planned as I felt a burning sensation in my lungs. I coughed harshly and felt the world momentarily spin, the sensation spread quickly like a virus through my body. My brain felt as though it was humming and my ears were clogged with my own coughing and the sound of Joker's high shriek of a laugh. I blinked and suddenly the strange feeling vanished, the elevator jerked to a halt just as the monitor clicked off, returning to the regular Arkham logo. I breathed in deeply to make sure the strange feeling was truly gone. What was that? Did the Joker poison me? If so with what? Was there just something stuck in my throat? It was extremely hard to tell what was coincidental and what was really supposed to happen, my brain was on overdrive attempting to separate the two. When I was sure I was well enough to continue and brushed away the strange incident completely, I stood up straight and waited for the doors to slide open.
"Please, Dr. Crane, don't do this!" As soon as the distress in the voice hit my ears I hesitantly stepped through the open doors and glanced around, leaving my pace a slow walk as I made sure to stay cautious.
"There is no Crane," My heart beat pounded harshly in my chest as I continued down the hall that seemed to be stretching.
"They're all over me!" A voice shouted in disgust and panic, I raised an eyebrow yet kept my pace reasonable as I approached the glass window closer.
"Only Scarecrow." The spine tingling voice sent a shiver down my spine, raking my body with harsh shivers as I peered through the window hesitantly, my eyes alert and most likely glossed over with fear that I dared not to show. Through the glass window I saw doctors stumbling around the room in fear, nearly scratching off their skin to get invisible forces off their bodies. My eyes darted from each men while my mind furiously tried to quickly piece together what the hell was going on.
"Get me outta here!" I screamed and stumbled back almost tripping over my feet and falling to the floor when a body suddenly pressed against the window. "Please, someone! Oh god!" He cried in despair, I slowly and hesitantly neared him with a few steps but stopped completely when I saw a shadow illuminate clearly on the back wall of the room. I tensed and my body jerked forward as I ran to a set of bars sealing me from the hallway to the room, I grabbed on and yanked. A good part of me knew that it wouldn't work but the other small part of me didn't care and wanted me to get in to help those people. I stopped when a figure, presumably the one that casted the shadow, slinked by so swiftly I hardly got a chance to see it. As my body relaxed and my grip slipped from the bars I knew that I didn't need to see the figure in order to know who it was. Scarecrow. It was silent aside from my deep breathing, I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples attempting to straighten my thoughts, I knew it was pointless, but I had to try. I needed to think. I needed a plan.
"Oh! It looks like the good doctor has started early." My eyes slowly peeled open as they slipped up to the ceiling, showing pure annoyance. "Your appointment isn't for hours! I'm sure you'll be buzzed through when he's ready." I rolled my eyes and glanced around for somewhere to go, when my gaze caught on to a week structured wall I took out the explosive gel with slightly shaking hands, I hadn't gotten over the fiasco I had just witnessed. It took me a few good seconds to spread it on, I made sure to step back a good distance and pressed the detonator. After the wall had opened up and the sound from the falling rumble had settled, Joker's voice clicked back on through the speakers.
"Tell me Ambsy," I paused for the briefest of moments with my walking at the sound of his voice, every time he said that awful variation of my name I couldn't help but stop to hear what he had to say.
"What are you really scared of?" My eyebrows knitted together while my fists clenched tightly, I huffed and walked through while stuffing the explosive gel back in the belt securely.
"Failing to save this cesspool of a city? Letting down the bat, that 'hero' of yours?" He used a strange empathize on the word hero, but I attempted to ignore it and continued on through the small rooms behind the walls.
"Not finding the commissioner in time?" He continued to usher on suggestions of what I possibly feared, I paused once more as all the horrible thoughts of what could happen if I didn't find him in time flashed through my mind, I blinked and shook my head as I jumped down to another lower level, ignoring the throbbing pain in both my legs. I couldn't think about that right now, it would have been best to not think about it all. I had to save him. There was no excuse and no other option.
"Me? In a thong!?" Joker let out a high-pitched shriek of laughter that stung in my ears, though I simply rolled my eyes and my face scrunched to an expression of disgust.
"That truly 'is' something to be scared of." I mumbled to no one in particular as I jumped down once more, of course I had no clue as to where I was going. Ever thing looked the same whether above ground or below, I heaved a sigh of exhaustion and rounded a corner but stopped in mid step as I saw something through the gated window at the end of the hallway. It was commissioner Gordon.
"Please, help me, Amber." He barely managed to choke out, then it seemed as if he got grabbed by his ankles by someone wich made him cling onto the gated window desperately as a life line.
"Nooooo!" He screamed as he got yanked off, my eyes widened as I jerked forward.
"Commissioner Gordon!" I cried as I ran down the hall and stood on the tip of my feet to try to see through the window, I yelled in frustration and dropped back flat on my feet when I couldn't because I wasn't tall enough. I tried to remain calm, yet could feel the panic deep within me beginning to surface. I desperately tried to push it aside as I hastily searched the room. I found a vent and wasted no time pulling it open, in a matter of seconds I was crawling and barging through. I moved hurriedly, but I was so nervous and desperate to reach Gordon that I moved too quickly and I kept tripping and slamming every which way into the vent. I didn't care though as I would just get back on my knees, only to crash and slip a few seconds later. I was on the verge of tears and couldn't think straight when I finally reached the exit, my feet kicked quickly and desperately at the vent as I tried to get the cover open, choking the tears back.
I didn't want to be too late.
I prayed I wasn't too late.
I pushed it aside roughly and scurried onto my feet, running over to the figure propped up against the wall, when I reached it I practically fell onto my knees.
"Commissioner Gordon!" My voice cracked as I scanned over him while fear and nervousness drowned me, I gently lifted his head and it tilted back easily, with harshly shaking hands I felt for a pulse in his neck. The tears spilled out when I didn't feel one.
"No...No! No! No!" I screamed repeatedly as I stumbled back in a slight crouch from the dead police commissioner. My legs collapsed out completely from under me and I crashed into the floor in a crumpled heap, my sobs echoing off the walls of the hallways. My tears seemed to sting my face as I attempted to stop myself from throwing up again, I clutched my stomach tightly as my head swam with nausea. All these emotions were swallowing me at once.
I didn't know what to do.
Eventually, I managed to bring myself back up on my knees but my cries didn't soften, I collapsed again as I curled up around my self and bowed my head, I clutched my hair tightly through my fingers as the tears had no mercy on me and wouldn't lighten up.
"I'm sorry..." A broken whisper escaped through my cracked lips. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." I closed my eyes and shivered, thinking it couldn't have been true, it just couldn't have been. I was too late. I failed Batman, I failed Barbara, I failed Gotham. I wasn't a hero. I had let someone die. Someone I was suppose to save. The shivers raking through my body increased to the point where I could hardly move. The sobs choking out of my throat eventually did die down at some point, but the tears seized to.
I sat in there in complete silence for a few good minutes.
Eventually, I ever so slowly lifted my head causing dizziness to quickly flash through my body, my weak stomach could hardly handle seeing the dead body with it's eyes wide open. My lip trembled as more tears gradually trailed down my already flushed face and puffed up cheeks, I swallowed to choke back more whimpers and sobs, and with my body trembling, I took one leg at a time and stood back up on my feet. My body was freezing and each muscle was hesitant to move in a walk towards Commissioner Gordon, I opened my mouth to say something yet all that could come out was a sigh that shook with fear and disbelief. I swallowed the lump in my dry throat and it burned as I forced to say something.
"I'm sorry Jim..." I steadied my hand and reached towards his face, ever so gently closing his eyes. After, I had gathered up whatever strength and composure I had left and stood up straight. Commissioner Gordon was dead, as much as it pained me to say, I had to pull myself together. There were thousands of other people who would end up just like him if I didn't hurry and continue on. Yet I continued to stand there in silence, just staring at the man slumped dead in front of me, and it was all my fault.
I knew I had to tell Batman. But I was afraid of what he'd say. He wouldn't trust me anymore, I had let Gordon die. But it was wrong not to tell him, he deserved to know.
He deserved to know I screwed up.
I turned away from Gordon finally while releasing another shaky sigh, my feet began to move on their own as I slowly began to travel down the hall ironically towards the morgue. My hands clenched a few times before one of them gradually traveled up to my ear piece and pressed the button.
"B-...Batman..." I barely managed to speak his name, my lip quivered again as I swallowed once more and attempted to continue.
"I'm...I'm so sorry...I was too late." There wasn't much else I needed to say, I knew perfectly well he'd understand what I meant. My pace continued as I waited for his reply, my eyes slowly scanning the area in front of me.
"I'm sorry. The number you have dialed isn't available. Please leave a message after the tone." I stopped walking and an eyebrow shot up in confusion, my brain slowly began working again as my mouth soon followed after.
"Batman, are you there?" I waited, wondering what exactly was happening.
"Please hang up your phone." My hand hesitantly released the button and glided back down to my side, I blinked to myself in confusion and reluctantly began progressing down the hall again. What did that mean? I wasn't dialing any number, it was a direct link between Batman and myself, I suppose also the Riddler too since he hacked the communication but I had every positive feeling that it wasn't him. I tried to keep my breaths calm and steady but I was soon drawn out of my concentration and thoughts when my eyes dropped to the floor and I saw a cockroach skitter by. I yelped and almost jumped back, I despised cockroaches. My face fell with disgust as I saw more in my path, all scurrying around the floor, I held my breath and cautiously continued forward. But when the cockroaches began appearing on the wall I screwed my eyes shut and ran for the door with a yelp. I gagged when I heard the crunching under my shoes and with both hands I roughly threw the door open. I flung it open and grabbed onto it with clammy hands and slammed it shut, leaning against it as I shut my eyes once more. I let the sound of my breathing calm me as my eyes slowly opened to see breath forming in front of me, it was freezing. I found it less than ironic that a room full of dead bodies would be as cold as death. I glanced around the morgue and made my way down the ramp, cautiously keeping my eyes alert.
"Leave here..." I stopped and my body froze as I heard the voice echo, so softly yet harshly that it reminded me of wind. I frowned and continued to walk, looking over three tables that were placed on the highest level of the morgue.
"Get out of here..." The whisper continued, it then began to run together with other threats of me to leave. I glanced around quickly for the source, it was when I couldn't find one that I felt the fear in my heart beat increase. I hurried down off the other side of the elevated ground and made a circle to head back towards the door, trying not to prove fear to the person I couldn't see.
"Get out of here." I yelped when the doors on the sides began to open and close and I shielded my face to prevent from being hit. My breath caught in my throat as I thought 'the hell with it' and rushed through the fog towards the door. I opened it and turned around the shut it securely, closing my eyes after. Once I was sure it was shut I released a sigh of relief and opened my eyes, turning to face what was in front of me. I blinked in pure shock and confusion at what I saw.
I was back in the morgue. My eyebrows burrowed together as I turned to look at the door I had just come through, which had been the morgue. My eyes narrowed slightly as I turned back in front of me, that was when I noticed that the once three empty tables were now occupied. I held my breath and walked back towards the elevated level, heading up the ramp with slow cautious steps despite the objections from my screaming brain.
They were body bags.
I eyed the first one wearily, knowing it wasn't a good idea to open it, yet my body refused my mind and stepped towards it anyways. My cold and shivering hand attempted to get a good grip of the zipper and when it finally had I hesitantly pulled it halfway down. My breath caught in my throat as I caught first glance of the body and stumbled back, holding back a scream that desperately wanted to come out.
It was my father.
My mouth hung open in shock as I stared at his pale decaying face and sunken in eyes. He was wearing the same clothes of the night he died and his hair was in a tangled mess, my mind was in a jumbled mess. It was impossible. There was no possible way it could have been him. But there he was, lying right in front of me, his head turned at a strange angle to make it look as if he were looking directly at me. That same hateful and disappointed look lingered in his cold eyes. I turned away and covered my mouth, feeling the urge to throw up again. But the feeling vanished when my eyes caught glance of the second body bag. I dared myself to open it, though my mind was screaming repeatedly not to, that it was an awful idea.
I didn't listen.
And it turned out to be a mistake, just like last time. For in the second body bag was my mother.
My real mother.
The distress on her face was the same as that one night I remember so clearly. In those last few moments. As I saw her head in the same position as my dad's I closed my eyes and turned away, feeling everything overcome me at once, my knees buckled and my legs quaked. I held my head, swearing I felt a fever coming on as I turned to that last body bag, my expression turned to stone and I stood up straight in alert as I noticed something different from the last one.
It was moving.
I didn't blink, I didn't breathe. I just moved over to the last one and pulled down the zipper. For a second, nothing happened, but I was completely sure the figure inside the bag was breathing. As I reached out to pull the body bag open the figure sprang out and I screamed briefly, my vision immediately became fuzzy as I dropped to my knees. My brain stopped working for a moment as I fell over, crashing into the ground of my side. My vision shook as my body did, it was all trying to comprehend everything at once. The figure, I knew it, I had never seen a version of him like that but there was no denying who it was.
Scarecrow.
I blinked to get my vision back, though it was a failed attempt, so I pushed aside my temporary blindness and reached up, gripping for the table. I managed to get a slippery hold of it but found myself having to use two hands to pull myself up completely, I used the table for most of my support. My breaths were jagged and rough as I stared at the table with a blank expression, trying to collect my thoughts. But everything paused when I finally took realization that the body bag wasn't on the table anymore, I came away from it and looked at the other two, finding them to be empty once again. I blinked and held my head, gripping my dry hair tightly, I pursed my lips together and turned to look in front of me, my body jerked back a bit in response to what I saw. Things at the moment slowly began to make more and more sense to me. The cockroaches, the whispers, my parents. It surprisingly all made sense now. Yet deep down in my brain I didn't want to accept it, I didn't think I'd be able to handle it all if it were true. Yet it was.
I had been affected by Scarecrow's fear toxin.
Dun dun duuuuun. Not only was Scarecrow in this chapter, but did we perhaps get a very tiny glimpse of Amber's actual origin? Why yes, yes we did. Well, I'll try to update as quick as I can, but I'm not sure when that will be. I'll sure try to update soon, but I'm afraid I can't make any promises. But I can promise that I'll see you all in the next chapter! :D