It was dark. In fact it was almost unreasonable dark, so much so that Riley could immediately put together that she was underground in some kind of bunker. Her squinting gaze strangled in the darkness, she could make out a faint outline of halogen lights swinging above as if the stale air somehow still could rock them. As she twisted slightly she expected the usual onslaught of agony that accompanied her usual kidnapping, she however was met with little resistance as only her wrists seemed to twist in a binding of - cotton? Did someone actually bind her wrist in a tie or ripped shirt?
Come to think of it, she wasn't really that uncomfortable either. Her back was against what felt like a cushioned piece of leather that after some twisting she felt the imprint of a zipper into her back shoulder. She was lying on a jacket? On top of what? Someone had actually taken the time to carefully nestle her against something soft. They hadn't dragged her or dropped her; she didn't feel any bruises beside the knot in her neck from the needle digging in.
It was concerning almost, to wonder who had taken such care to kidnap the girl. If it were any villain they would have chained her to the wall in some dark hole, but Riley was propped up by a jacket and what she only assumed beneath was an old pillow or blanket. Her blanket, she suddenly thought before she tried to pull herself up from her make shift bedding.
Her black hair that she had pulled a top her head now hanging behind her left ear in a loosened messy state. Her clothes were deshelved, but no more than what would have been after the fight. She seemed almost left alone, and she couldn't help but feel even more uneasy at that. Normal would be fine, normal would mean she would react as she always had and it would work out. This strange oddity left her alone and terrified, she had no idea what she was up against and it worried her deeply.
As her eyes stared to adjust to the utter blackness she realized that there was a figure only a few feet away. Her brow furrowed and in her drowsy state she pulled at her ties and realized she was independent of the wall beside her. She was able to roll from her inclined position and find herself back on her knees. Her head rushed with blood and for a moment her stomach twisted like she might be sick. She hated roofies, she hated feeling less than her best and now she was trying to find out who else was trapped here.
Once she let out a few chilled breathes she hobbled her way over a few feet in the utter darkness, she was trying to be quiet, but her clumsiness in the half woken state made her far more noisy than she had planned to be. After a moment she was close enough to the other to squint her gaze to try and make them out. Their head hung, seemingly unconscious and they two were leaning back against what appeared to be a broken boiler. Riley shuffled again, twisting until she was right in front of them with a last push and noticed now in the foot or so difference that the person had bright gleaming hair.
Right against the knee of the cross legged creature she noticed the back end of an arrow and her stomach dropped. As she opened her gaze and focused she saw the resemblance of Gotham's worst with chalky white paint peeling from the face and a twisted smile sown into the cheeks. The worst was the right eye was forced wide with a long rod shoved straight through the back of the skull. Blood dripped from the black quiver and she screamed as the pieces fell together.
She fell back on her heels, kicking and scampering as she fell away. With a smack into the concrete flooring she sprawled out her legs to push her away from the corpse. Tears choked her throat and she cried out a mangled cry. What in the seven hells was going on? Who could have done this? Who would dare? As she twisted her face against the concrete she pulled at her bound wrists again trying to break free. Her stomach lurching she felt herself gag at her own reflex.
It wasn't long until she was scurried back against the wall she had come from, sobs strangled from her throat as she turned her face away from the now barely visible creature. She felt light headed, and she felt like she would do anything now to be home with those she loved. She cried. She cried because she missed her family, and because she missed her safe little home. She savored the sound of Tim and Damian's voice in her ear and wished she could hear them again.
In the darkness she felt numb, the freezing hair making the hairs on her bare arms stand up. For a while she had seemingly dozed off propped back up against the wall, only to jolt awake at the groaning sound of an artificial light springing to life directly above her. Her eyes closed, searing with the sudden ache of light before twisting her scrunched up expression. She noticed a form coming from the shadowed darkness and within a moment of eerie silence. Within a moment the heavy boot of the intruder slammed into the back of the corpse and it smashed into the ground.
Riley recoiled in a concealed gasp of breathe. Fear twisted in her gut, and for a moment she buried her face back in the direction of the wall. It wasn't until her breathing once again was the only sound of the room that she picked up a faint demonic laughing that sounded almost robotic. It was almost startling as she pulled her pale features away from the wall again. She peered through the light and noticed the now face first in the ground corpse. It was making the noise? Her brow furrowed openly and she couldn't help but turn her gaze open to the intruder.
It was hard to make him out at first, his face concealed by the strong shadow of light that haloed behind him. However after a long moment of readjusting she was able to make out the dark outline of a mask that gave NOTHING away. She sighed internally, before turning her attention back to the corpse. The demonic laughter began again, like a tape and suddenly she began to notice things she didn't in the dark. It was stiff, and not post-mortem stiff, like actually artifically stiff. Her bright blues stayed fixed as suddenly the giant boot lifted again and smashed into the skull of the corpse.
Again she stiffed a gasp of breath, choking out a squirming sob as his long gloved hands grabbed the extended arrow tip and pulled it out through the back of the skull. Riley gagged audibly, her face twisting before she cut sight of something very particular. She didn't see blood; she didn't see gore or anything that would indicate previous life. "It's not real." She croaked, her voice obviously strained from the dry sobs and trembling.
The masked man stared at her for a long silent moment, pulling his foot away from the now clear dummy. Now Riley was even more confused, that artificial creation was so life like, she knew its creation was solely for the impression of torture. Yet she couldn't fathom why? Why would someone purposely try and make her suffer with the murder of a villain she herself had tried to destroy before? Did they know who she was? Did they realize what she had done?
Her chest rose and fell so quickly and all she wanted was to be far away. The masked man moved away from the dummy, arrow still taut in his hands he walked towards her. Riley panicked; she kicked back into the wall and wanted to crash back through it. She shook her head in a following sob, a desire to beg and plead like Nightwing never had. She felt the tip of the cold metal arrow brush against her cheek and her chest clenched in revulsion. She wanted to scream. She wanted to thrash and break through the holds that kept her bound.
"Breathe." The voice echoed behind the mask and she turned to glare at him, mouth open with shock. "Breathe?" She repeated back to the man with utter disbelief. He wanted her to breathe? He wanted her to calm down? Her blue gaze flared as she pulled away from the wall and trying to pull herself up. The arrow pulled away from her quickly as the man realized what she was doing. He was trying to pull harm AWAY from her. "You drug me, kidnap me from my home, make me watch THAT, and ask me to breathe?!" She hissed, a growl under her voice, as she realized that she was swinging back and forth with her struggle.
"Careful, you're going to wear yourself out." He replied again, dropping the weapon to the floor before putting his hands on either side of her shoulder to steady her. She jerked back, her back falling into the wall as she turns her gaze again away. Her teeth clenched as she tried so desperately to not allow him to touch her. He retracted his touch, staring down at her again with eyes she couldn't quite see completely. The thin material stretched over his vision openings masked everything in a pale grey darkness. "Wouldn't that be your desire? Wear me out? Make me docile so you can shove that arrow through my skull?" She spat out quickly, but clearly exhausted.
He surprised her then; he laughed a small tight laugh that made her hair once again stand on edge. Her gaze fell back on his own, knowing that she was looking him in the eye even if she couldn't quite see them. He was nearly a foot taller than she was, and built much better. He was lean, even beneath all the clunky armoring. The suit however curved along with his muscles and he knew that he wouldn't be so easily underestimated.
"I have no intention of hurting you now." He responded carefully, his amusement fading before he once again reached out with flat palms. He was trying to calm her like a training calming a rabid animal. Her eyes were wide and cautious, but she allowed him to come closer. He had no intention of hurting her? Then why the show? Why torture her like this? Was he trying to get a rise? Was he trying to drive her crazy? Her eyes flickered shut as he touched her shoulders and she winced in discomfort.
Riley didn't believe that the assailant was trustworthy, or worth the reluctance she was giving him. She wanted to be out, and she wanted to go home. "Please, I just want to go home." She whispered under her breath. The man smirked under his thin mask before straightening her out again. "I'm sure you do." He replied and suddenly he swung his arms under her and picked her up again. "Bridal style?" She choked as she tried not to begin her very prominent desire to grab him by the throat. "Only the best for Gotham's treasured princess." He replied.
Gotham's Princess? She was kidnapped because of Bruce? Her chest let out a near audible sigh as suddenly things made sense again. This was about money. This was about blackmailing and bribing her father for her safety. That she could deal with, that she understood. If she was Riley to this man, she wouldn't be able to do certain things to give herself away. She was quiet, and for once the man seemed amused about it.
He walked her out of the room, leaving the giggling corpse back on the floor behind them as he walked out of the room into a hallway that reminded her of a submarine deck. It was vaulted and sealed with large strips of welded metal. Her gaze flickered around again before resting at the door he was walking her to. She struggled then, and he quickly tightened her before shushing her lightly. "Relax, you're going to be perfectly fine..." Her blue orbs widened, and for a long terrifying moment she realized she was not fine. She was not safe. She was sick, and weak, and trapped. She was trapped and terrified.
Hello Again! I have so much muse for this thread I had to post a follow up chapter while I was still going for it! I am planning on turning this into a thread I just don't know how I'm going to do it. I'll keep you guys updated if something changes!
-Ash.
P.S. Dark mysterious kidnapping? Gotta love the irony.