AN: Sherry Squires was Crane's high school crush. There was a prank date. She died in the comics, (hm, wonder how that happened?) but since I don't always follow canon, she made it to adulthood here. Let's presume that the disastrous prank date occurred when he was sixteen, shall we? *Takes place during High School Reunion*
SwordStitcher-It didn't save him, unfortunately. He spent several months in Medical before they tried to introduce him into the main area. Tragically, he lost an eye-gouged out with a spork, who knew Harley could be so innovative?
Jasmine Scarthing-Nurse Wilkes is fairly nice. She hasn't chopped off my thumb or anything yet, although we all snicker at her name behind her back. Only in Gotham...I have to wonder if there's a Jack Torrence working at one of the hotels.
Just-Me-and-My-Brain-I got shot. Long story. It was accidental. As for Bolton...it could have been worse. We were shaken a bit and yelled at, but it went better than expected.
KittyComeHere-Oh, I wish. It's no big secret, you know. They still keep getting ideas. One would think they had a death wish.
She didn't drink the punch. It had too much alcohol in it and she didn't want to hurt the baby. Perhaps that was why she was left standing while her former classmates sank to the floor, screaming in terror.
Bo didn't like it when she read the news, especially the national news. But she did it anyway, and a snippet of something came into her mind. Something about a human scarecrow that frightened people to death.
"Hello, Sherry."
She turned and tripped over somebody. He watched her struggle to her feet, his face expressionless.
"Jonathan…"
"Oh, so you do know my name." His voice was light. "I always wondered. You never used it."
No, she didn't, and she was so, so sorry. Maybe if just one person…just one…his grandmother was certainly no help…
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sure you are. Everyone's sorry when death is staring them in the face."
She turned and ran-well, waddled quickly-and he followed her. She had to get out, one of the doors…there!
It was locked.
God help me!
"You didn't think I would overlook something so obvious, did you?" His voice was still light, chatty. "Come now, Sherry, I knew you were an idiot, but I'd hoped you weren't that much of an idiot."
He was too close now. There was no getting around him.
"I'm sorry." she whispered again. "Please…"
"Do you remember our sophomore year?" Yes, yes she did, she'd regretted it ever since. "I thought so. I always wondered why."
She never knew. It had seemed funny at the time, it really had, but not for long. But by then it was too late to take it back.
"I don't know."
"Typical."
She pressed against the door and wiggled the knob, hoping against hope that it would open.
It didn't.
"I suppose it all came back to bite you in the end. Abusive husband…what a pity. Can't say I'm surprised." He shook his head. "I would be sorry for you if I didn't consider it a fair trade."
God, what had they created?
He closed the distance between them, his face still horribly blank. She could reach out and touch him.
"What a pity." he said again. "Sorry about the punch, by the way. My toxin doesn't always react well with alcohol-probably had something to do with the bitterness."
"T-toxin?"
"How did you think I drugged them? The fog machines?" He laughed, but there was no mirth to it. "Do you see any fog machines, Sherry? No?" He snorted. "I wasn't expecting you to abstain. More fun for me, I suppose."
Oh, god…
She was sweating and her hands were freezing yet dripping. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
She thought about her little sister.
No. She would get out of here, for her children and her sister.
Crane was looking at her again. She felt like a bug under a microscope. She'd always hated biology…
She staggered forward and he stepped back in surprise. Surely there was some trace of the shy bookworm she used to know, the one that offered to help her study.
The one she'd fucked up beyond belief.
She grabbed his shirt and kissed him for half a second, tasting coffee and…mimosa?...before he shoved her back into the door, the knob digging into her back.
No. There was nothing there at all.
He was laughing at her and this time there was mirth there, mirth and insanity and utter heartlessness.
"Well, well. I wasn't expecting that from you." He wiped his mouth off and straightened his shirt. "Well, my dear? Any more bright ideas? They won't help you, but I've always been fascinated by people's refusal to die."
"You sick bastard, you're enjoying this."
"What ever gave you that idea?" He fussed with his glasses and sighed. "As entertaining as this evening has been, I would like to be done. It's a long trip back to Gotham."
"Jonathan, please…"
"That won't help you. Shame I can't take you with me-I've always wondered what my toxins will do to a woman in your condition." She was going to vomit. "Good-bye, Sherry."
SSSSPPPPRRRAAAYYY!
THE END