She kept to the alleyways, almost constantly on alert for the police, or Batman. She climbed over a chain-link fence, and dropped down the other side. She was heading back to the hospital, thinking that maybe, just maybe, her money and belongs were still there. She almost walked out of the alley, when she spotted a cop car driving up the road. She ducked back in, and crouched beside a dumpster, hoping they would just keep driving. They stopped, Jasmine jaw tightened, her old hideout was just right across the street.
Two offices got out of the car, and then opened the back doors to let out a canine. Jasmine swallowed, she could feel her heart racing in her chest, threatening to explode. "Go search inside, I'll look around out here." The officer said to his partner, turning and heading straight for the alley, the dog was leading the way. The dog sniffed the ground, then the dumpster, slowly making his way to what his was searching for. Jasmine had to move, or be attacked by that huge German Shepard. She bolted, running down the alley, and around a corner. "Stop, police!" was all she heard, along with the canine barking at looked around for a way to get to the roofs, to get away from the dog, which was now running behind her, and quickly catching up. She spotted a fire escape, and ran across the street to it. She grabbed on, and pulled herself up. When she got to the top of the building, she ran and jumped to the next building, pulling herself up with her hands. She darted and crouched behind a large ventilation shaft that was almost as tall as she was. She waited, and listened; the dogs barking grew distant, then a few minutes later she heard the cop car going past the building she was on top of. They called her name and Edwards; she hoped they would find neither.
She got back down on the ground and went back to the hospital, and reached under her mattress. To her great surprise, she wrapped her fingers around the briefcase of money, and pulled it out. The briefcase held about $6,500, which would be plenty for her right now, if she could keep a hold of it. She also grabbed her gun. In the corner of the room, she had hidden her personal belongs, which were all kept in a gym bag, under some debris. She grabbed it and threw the strap over her head, and onto her shoulder. She unzipped it, and put her revolver inside of it. She ran outside, and started towards the abandoned school.
She opened the wooden window, it was stuck at first, and took a bit of effort, and then Jasmine slipped inside. She looked around the old classroom; old desks were pushed to back of the room, the chalkboard still had chalk markings on it, though most of it was smeared. The electricity still worked, as did the plumbing. She smiled at her good fortune, turning on the lights of the hallway. She walked down the hall, until she found what she was looking for; the nurse's station. Inside were 2 beds, and counters, that included a sink. Jasmine didn't dare drop her cargo yet. She walked quickly as she could, she was exhausted and wanted to finish and go to sleep on one of the beds, and checked each one of the classrooms.
Once she was satisfied she was the only one there, she went back to the nurse's station. She climbed onto the counter, and removed one of the ceiling tiles, and placed the briefcase inside the ceiling, she then put the tile back. She went to the counter on the other side of the room, and did the same with her gym bag. She collapsed onto the bed; resting her head on one of her arms, and for once, her insomnia did not keep her from her dreamland.
It was 3 in the afternoon by the time she woke up. She got up and stretched, then walked over to the bathroom. She jumped when she saw her reflection in the body length mirror on the outside of the door; she looked like hell, literally. Her dull grey outfit that Arkham Asylum issued her was now soaked in blood, especially her chest, sleeves and knees. Her face was caked in dried blood, which looked almost black. Her hair was caked in it as well. She pulled off the ruined outfit and tossed it to the corner of the room. She stepped into bathroom, and turned on the sink. She washed her hair out first, getting most of the blood and gel out. The water was icy cold, giving her goose bumps when it made contact with her skin.
She finished washing, drying, and dressing herself. She put on a long vintage shirt, a black hoodie, along with some black jeans and a pair of running shoes. She thought about her outfit, which was in Arkham. She started to wonder how the hell she'd get it back… If she ever did get it back. She dried her hair, and then styled with gel. She made a mental note she was running low and would need to get more. She turned and looked back into the mirror; she checked and made sure all of the blood was gone. She turned and twisted her torso, as to look at her gut, or her lack of one. She smiled, she had been picked on because of her weight when she was younger, which was just before the incident. All the running and lack of a proper meal had rewarded her with an hourglass figure... Like the woman in those magazines.
She looked at her face; she had an acne problem since she was 14, and had only left her alone a few months ago. Even though her acne and double chin were now gone, she still frowned. Her face was still… Ugly. Jasmine wasn't exactly sure what it was, her nose was oily, like always, her dark eyebrows suggested her hair was naturally a different color, even though it wasn't. There was also her jaw, it looked… Masculine, much like the shape of her nose.
She quickly turned away from the mirror, and headed to the window she entered through yesterday, and she exited the building. She looked around the school building, until she found an air conditioner unit. She used it to climb up to the roof of the building, and walked across it, looking around at the skyscrapers. She looked and saw a building with a low enough roof, especially with car parked next to it. She took off across the roof, and jumped off. She climbed over the chain-link fence, then jumped onto the car, and then climbed onto the roof. She ran and used a gas tank to jump onto the next roof. She ran from roof to roof, until she came to a dead-end. A street separated her from the next building, it was too far for her to jump.
She looked down from the 15 story building, and then she took a step back to admire the scenery. The sun was setting, it was winter, so the sun set fairly early. "Having fun?" A woman's voice asked from behind her. Jasmine turned around, and saw a woman dressed in a leather suit, which had cat ears on the top. "I thought I was the only girl who could maneuver across rooftops like that." She said. "Who are you?" Jasmine asked. "Catwoman, you?" "Lady Luck," Jasmine said. "You're not going to tell me your real name?" "You didn't tell me yours, so why should I tell you mine?" Jasmine asked. Catwoman smiled, "Fair enough... Didn't you escape from Arkham last night; I think that's where I heard your name before." Jasmine nodded, "Yes... Do you... Know who else escaped? Or if they caught anyone?" "I might have... Why?" "I just want to know, do you?" Jasmine not only wanted to know if her friend got away, she also wanted to know if she had to watch out for Crane. It was a big city, and her paranoid mind, he was looking for her, but he most likely wasn't, in reality.
"I heard 4 people got away, including you. I think it was... Riddler, the Mad Hatter, and Scarecrow." "Do you know where The Riddler is?" Jasmine asked. "No, I don't... Sorry." Jasmine then noticed a black cat standing next to Catwoman's leg. Jasmine crouched and stuck out her hand, offering to pet her. "Her name is Isis," Catwoman explained. Isis walked forward, and pressed her head into Jasmine's hand. "That's funny... She normally doesn't take to strangers." Jasmine scratched Isis's chin, "Funny, I guess you and I have something in common." Jasmine said to the feline. She stood back up, "I guess some people come across as trustable. Do you know where I might find out where he is?" "I suppose you could ask the Penguin." Catwoman said. Jasmine furrowed her eyebrows, and stared at her, "What?" Catwoman rolled her eyes, "He runs the bar called the Iceberg Lounge, and that's just what he's called." Jasmine turned and looked down at the street, searching for the bar. "Where is it?" Jasmine asked, but the time Jasmine turned back around, Catwoman was gone. Jasmine just stood there for a second, "... Well... That was just rude."
Jasmine made her way across the roofs, night had descended upon Gotham; the lights from the city always dazzled her. She had planned to move to the city after she was done with college; but, as she already found out, plans can change.
She then spotted the bar, the name of it was in front of an iceberg; the whole bar seemed to have that theme. She made her way down to the street, and stood for a moment just looking at the entrance. She tried to muster her courage, the little she had, and then she walked inside.
She stood out like a sour thumb, or that how she felt at least. The woman wore fancy dresses, and the men sore suits, making her shirt and jeans stand out. They glanced at her, but not for more than a moment, it was odd though. They didn't have any puzzled looks; they didn't seem to mind she was there. Jasmine contemplated what action she should take next, until she spotted a pool that was for pet seals and penguins. She practically ran to it, like a child at a zoo, wondering if they would snap at her if she were to try and pet them.
"Can I help you?" A man's voice asked her, as she was reaching to pet one of the seals. She whirled around, and saw a short man, who wore a top hat, a tux and monocle. He also had a cigarette which was at the end of a long, gold cigarette holder. "Um, yes," She said, remembering the reason she had walked inside in the first place. "I was looking for someone called the Penguin?" She said, hoping she was talking to the right person. Then again, when does Lady Luck ever talk to the wrong person? "Why, may I ask, would you be looking for him?" " I need information, I-" He stopped her by putting his hand up, then beckoned her to follow him.
They went in through the back door, the room looked shadier than the one presented to the "common" visitors. "Now tell me, what information are you looking for?" "I assume you must be the Penguin?" He nodded. Jasmine continued, "I need to know where I can find the Riddler." "What's the information worth to you?" He asked. Jasmine wasn't just desperate to find a friend, she needed his help. She wasn't stupid; she was actually very gifted, with an I.Q. of 132. Though, when it came to streets smarts, she was a complete idiot. She needed someone's help, someone she felt she could trust.
Silver pulled out a hundred dollar bill and handed it to him. "This enough?" The Penguin looked at it, and then put it away in his coat. "From what I've heard he's set up in some abandoned storage building." "Where is that?"
As it turned out, that wouldn't matter. Jasmine stayed to the alleys, hoping to avoid the police. The chill of the night air was starting to set in, she was thankful she wasn't running around in-costume, spandex isn't exactly warm.
She limbed up the building using a fence, then pulling herself up the rest of the way using a windowsill. She started running to the nest rooftop, but she stopped when she noticed someone was already on it. An all to familiar black cape and cowl. Her heart started to race, she thought about taking him by surprise, since she hadn't noticed her yet. Then she thought about being dragged back to Arkham, and how she had just gotten her freedom back.
She turned and crept slowly and quietly back to climb down, when Batman turned around. Jasmine ran right, jumped and climbed up a building that was a story hight than the one she was on a moment ago, she managed to grab a pipe and pull herself up. Batman attempted to stop her with his batclaw, but missed and hit a nearby air shaft.
Jasmine climbed down the other side of the building, putting her feet on the wall off the next building and moving down with her hands on the other building. She dropped when she got halfway down, and darted across the street into another alley.
There was a red door, which she pushed open and slipped inside. She couldn't see, the room was pitch black. She ran forward, searching for a place to hide, but managed to trip and fall over what felt like a chair. She got back up, and with her sight now better adjusted, she saw it was a row of seats. Was this a theater of some kind?
She went back to the wall, and ran her hand down it until she found a ladder. She climbed up it, and just as she reached the top, the Dark Knight burst through the door. That's when the lights came on. The huge stage lights revealed red velvet curtains covering a stage. They parted, revealing two actors standing on stage, both in costumes. One was made up to look like a rabbit, and the other a mouse. "Hey," The mouse said. "We doing a rehearsal here, do you mind?" Batman just huffed, and started scanning the area. Jasmine stood shaking, scared to be spotted, fortunately for her, the stage lights severally obstructed Batman's view of the catwalk.
"Come on, we haven't got all night!" The man dressed as the rabbit urged. Batman scanned a few more seconds, before heading back out the door. Jasmine sighed, then started to wonder how long she had to stay there until she was sure he wasn't waiting just outside for her. Then stage lights went off, and a spotlight from right above the stage game on, and then focused it's gaze on Lady Luck.
She squinted in the bright light, bringing her hand up so she could actually see the stage. She saw a blond man with a rather large nose, buck teeth, a top hat, and a blue coat, enter the scene from stage left. "And who might you be?" The Englishman asked. His voice sounded familiar, though Jasmine couldn't place it. "Jasmine, who are you?" His eyes brows went up, and smile spread across his face, "Oh yes, Lady Luck. Please, do come down! I am the Mad Hatter, at your service!" He took a bow as he said his name. jasmine started to climb down the ladder, then strolled down towards the stage. "I remember your cell was next to mine in Arkham," Jasmine commented. "Jervis, if I remember correctly. Thanks for help, by the way." "Oh it was no trouble, my dear. You're the reason I'm out of Arkham in the first place." He had yet to stop smiling at her. She pulled herself up onstage, ignoring the hand Jervis offered her. "Hello," She said to the actors, but they remained silent.
She tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows. "Don't bother, they can't even hear you?" Jervis explained. She turned her questioning gaze to him, and he continued, "they're under my control, they can't do anything I don't tell them to do." He pulled out a card 10/6 on it, much like the one on the side of his hat, and handed it to Jasmine. "It has circuitry designed to control the human brain." Jasmine flipped it over and examined it, her eyes growing wide. "Impressive," More than impressive, she thought, but she didn't say anything more, and handed it back to the man.
He took it back, "Why, thank you," His smile grew a bit. He motioned to the large table that was on stage, "Would you care for some tea?" The table was covered in tea cups, saucers, and tea pots, and surrounded by different types of chairs. Jasmine recognised it as the Tea Party scene, she had been in an Alice in Wonderland play in high school. She had been the Red Queen.
She remembered that she was supposed to be looking for Edward, "I shouldn't, I have someone I have to find," "Tsk, tsk, like the white rabbit, alway in hurry." Jasmine lifted her eyebrows, then smirked. She really wasn't in a huge hurry, she was safe here, and with the possibility of the Dark Knight waiting for her just outside, it seemed like a good idea to stay. "Sure, why not? It's been forever since I've had tea anyway."