Sorry, it's been super hectic around here. School just started for me and is going to impair my writing for the next few months. I will still be able to update, just not daily. It may be a few days before I can get chapters up. There are only about 3-4 chapters left, so no worries. :) No edits, as usual. This chapter is long compared to the others because I didn't want to leave you with too much of a cliffhanger. –D
A week passed. Bombings were happening all around the city. The police enforced a curfew at 8pm and public transportation was shut down. They couldn't risk buses being turned into bombs. Liam asked me to stay at the mansion until things had died down and I graciously accepted. My apartment building was pretty large and I knew if a bomb went off there, that I would be in a lot of trouble.
I cuddled up with Liam on the couch to watch the evening news. We were soon going to be the only ones there aside from Alfred and the staff. Bruce and Selina trudged down the steps in the atrium, a recap of the bombings of the day were played on the television.
"See you guys later," Bruce called, stopped to wave at us. Liam and I both turned to wave back.
"Be safe," I warned. Selina yawned, bobbing her head as she gave us a half of a wave. Alfred ushered them down the hallway to the elevator that led down to the Batcave.
"In news related to the bombings by Ivy, people of Gotham are starting to grow concerned at the possibility of increased taxes due to the damage being created on top of Bane's damage caused a few short months ago. His scars still burden our city and rebuilding the areas has grown to a halt – " Everything is always about money. I swear. An image of Bane was displayed on the t.v. causing Liam to shut it off immediately.
"I can't listen to that," he explained, tossing the remote onto the couch cushion beside us.
"I understand," I told him, gently rubbing his hand. We sat silently for a few minutes, each of us looking at our hands.
"Part of me really wants to help them," he whispered, turning back to look at the empty hallway. "I feel like I owe to Bruce – and Gotham." I grew extremely still. Help them how? By turning yourself into a fucking monster again? My mind went blank at the idea.
"Would you risk turning yourself back into that? Not knowing how to handle it?" I asked, cautiously.
"I would try it if had the venom inhibitor close by. That way if I revert back to what I was – " I shook my head and maneuvered out of his arms. I couldn't sit in the arms of someone willingly to do that. This was what I feared. He was going to revert back to what he was.
"Bruce and Selina can handle it." They're a brutal force. They can handle it.
"Can they?" he asked, the skepticism heavy in his voice. "Bombings are happening every day and they still haven't found her. Every time they get close, something happens. I might be able to help." Turning into a crazy, uncontrollable block of muscle doesn't help anyone.
"You are helping," I stressed, turning to look at him. "You're a doctor, working on becoming a surgeon. That already helps more than you know." His jaw clenched and unclenched as he rubbed the back of his head where the tubing used to be.
"You're right." I blinked and looked away, my mind going blank again. He slid over beside me on the couch and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I can't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't come back from it…" he trailed off as if he was finally piecing the potential problems together. "I couldn't do that to you." I listened to him, hearing his words, but not fully believing him. My trust issues slowly crept back in in a matter of seconds.
We went to bed that night with a cloud over our heads. I even drove to work separately, which was something I hadn't done in a week or so. We worked quickly and smoothly together all day, saying a few words to each other and kissing each other every once in a while, but I could feel that something was amiss. Which, I was entitled to every right of being fucking weird. I wasn't the one suggesting I turn into a roided freak. Near the end of my shift, I finally had my mind set, I was going to see Gordon before I went home and that was the end of it. I hadn't seen him in a few days and I missed him. I stopped and grabbed his éclairs and made a stop in the police department.
I found Gordon in his office, hunched over with a harrowed look on his face, his hair a mess. I hadn't seen him that distraught since Bane was out terrorizing the streets. Thinking of the mask only made me shudder. Poor Gordon. I knocked on the door lightly and he shot up, clearing his throat, pushing his hair back, trying to smooth it down.
"I didn't mean to scare you," I told, walking through the door. He gave me a small smile and shut the door behind me.
"Haven't been sleeping well," he explained, rubbing his forehead. His desk was buried under mounds and towers of paperwork. I held out the box of éclairs. He smiled slightly again, thanking me as he sat them on his desk. "You don't so good either," he stated, looking me over. If you only knew, Gordon. He ushered me into the chair before his desk before retreating to his padded office chair.
"I'm afraid," I breathed. No lying there. I swallowed a ball of tears in my throat, forcing them to hold off.
"About Liam?" I nodded, dropping my gaze down to my hands.
"He mentioned something last night, about wanting to take venom again to help Bruce and Selina."
"You're afraid he'll stay that way?" I nodded again, afraid that if I spoke I would cry my eyes out. He rose up from his chair and sat in the other one beside me, taking my hands in his. "I can't imagine how you feel right now. You're not used to it at all – all of these feelings you're starting to have. And it's very hard for you to trust people anyway." He patted my hand and breathed in a sigh. How does he always know what's going on in my damn head? "Did he change his mind after you told him how you felt?"
"He doesn't really know how I feel," I admitted. "But, he did say that he couldn't do that to me." Gordon nodded.
"You need to communicate with him and tell him how you feel. I know you're not used to this whole relationship thing, but you need to tell him, dear. He's a man. Not a mind reader." He smiled at the words. His smile and the comment made me grin. "I can tell he means a lot to you. It may not have been a while, but I can tell." How!? You seem like you know everything and you barely see me as much as Liam does, but you have known me a hell of a lot longer…
"I'm not used to having something to lose like this," I stated, feeling my eyes brim with tears.
"I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but it never does." He glanced down at his watch then out of the window at the darkening sky. "I don't want to rush you out of the door, but curfew starts in twenty minutes. You won't be stopped if you're in your car, but I don't want you out walking the streets." I wanted to stay, but he was right. I definitely didn't want to be arrested over something as stupid as walking after the fucking curfew.
"You're right," I agreed, standing on my feet. He rose up with me.
"I'll talk to you later, you can call me if you'd like." I nodded and smiled at the thought. He gave me a large hug before ushering me to the door.
I hurried along the sidewalk outside to the parking garage I parked in. I was a good three blocks away. There were maybe three other people on the street with me, no cars were driving by. It was highly unusual for downtown Gotham at 8 o'clock on a Wednesday night. A woman screamed and I froze in my tracks, eyes wide open. Oh, no. Not this. This was how those people were sprayed to turn into those god awful things. This can't be real. I'm imagining shit. "Help me!" shrieked the voice. I glanced around me as memories of being chased and raped through the streets haunted me. What if this was real? What if this girl is just a me in creation? I blew out a gust of wind and noticed the unaffected people hurrying off. I can't let that happen to someone else. I refuse to let it happen. I settled my nerves while the adrenaline coursed through them like fire. There was no time to call anyone. No time to run back and grab Gordon. A blood curdling scream echoed off of the walls. I squared my shoulders and rounded the corner.
"Hey!" I barked, pointing at the two men I made out holding a woman against the wall. This was real. Thank God. "Get the fuck off of her!" I spat, picking a random metal rod off of the ground, next to the wall. My voice was much deeper, it sounded so much unlike my own. The men released the woman in a heap on the ground and laughed, pointing at me. Their faces were covered in black ski masks. I glanced down at the woman who was grasping her face in her hands. I clenched and unclenched my jaw as they slowly stalked in my direction. Mother fuckers. I regretted my decision a little when I saw the light bouncing off of their blades in their hands. I tightened my grip on the rod and pulled it close to me like a baseball bat. I crouched down, bending at my knees, watching them closely. The shorter man lunged at me first, I cracked him in the back with the rod and I raised my foot to kick the knife out of the second man's hand when he caught my foot in mid-air. What in the hell? He pulled me up in the air like a dead animal, laughing as I looked the pack of purple liquid on his back. Oh, shit. What the hell have I done? Vomit rose in my throat as he threw me against the brick wall. My right shoulder and right hip hit the wall and I fell from five feet up to the concrete ground. My head bounced off of the concrete with a hollow thud. Why couldn't I have at least landed in fucking trash? My head seared with pain. Damn me. Being brave and shit. Damn me. I blinked my eyes multiple times, trying to focus as my vision blurred. Even though my hearing was muddled, I could still make out the shrill high pitched giggle as an emerald suit approached me from the shadows. I'm so royally fucked.
I woke up staring a light just above me. It was bright and the problems from my falling incident earlier made it much harder to focus. Pain rolled through me in waves. I grunted, pulling my limbs up to assess the damage when I realized I couldn't move. I began to panic, remembering the woman's laughter and the suit. Oh, shit. I glanced down at the restraints over my wrists and ankles. Damn it. I yelled out as I slumped against the cold, hard slab of metal at my back. Tears came easily as I shook the restraints restlessly.
"Glad to see you're awake," purred a voice from somewhere in the room. I would have craned my neck up to have a look, but the pain would have been unbearable. I turned my head so my cheek would rest on the metal table, straining my eyes as far as they would move to increase my vision. "I've heard a lot about you." The woman finally clicked into my view. Ivy. Her same skintight suit, red flowing hair, and extravagant gold make-up. Her green eyes were twinkling with something. Probably insanity. She smiled wildly as she looked down at me. "Sorry to say none of its good." Same to you.
"Fuck you," I spat. This woman wasn't going to intimidate me. I was angry. Angry at myself. Angry at this cunt in front of me. Angry about a lot at the moment. She laughed loudly, holding her stomach, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Yes, she's told me you're feisty." She? What? I tried to kick my legs, adrenaline leaving no time for me to worry about my pain. "I like it though. It's much more fun to play with." The comment urged me to feel fear, but I was beyond it. I was pissed. I'm not 17 anymore. I spent a large amount of my life living in fear. If she was going to kill me, she was going to. That was that. She clicked out of sight, but I could feel her in the room. "I hear you're quite the surgeon and quite the friend." There was a condescending tone in her words that I couldn't pinpoint. "I hear you're dating the has-been who used to be called Bane." Liam? No.
"What does that have to do with anything?" I snarled, grunting as I pulled on the restraints again. She wasn't going to get a hold of him without tangling with me first.
"Everything," answered another voice. Venus clicked into view, looking identical to Ivy, down to the make-up. Her hair was still brown, but it was curly and large. She even had the same wild smile on her face. Are you fucking kidding me?
"What do you mean everything? That's just high school bullshit right there, Venus. Grow the fuck up! It's one man!"
"That's just one example of injustice. And he's not just one man. He's the man." What in the hell is going on?
"Oh, so, it's a public law now that a friend can't accept a man's affection even if her friend likes him? Please, get over it," I hissed.
"People will pay for their injustices. No matter big or small. We will control the city, take down the buildings and the government to make way for nature. We will rebuild the city with our own principles and laws. We will reclaim her place. We will rule the people with our enforcer – Bane," Ivy praised. I snorted loudly. Please.
"This is the dumbest shit I've ever heard." There was a crack as a hand slapped my face. Going to have to do a lot more than that to shut me up. I smiled as I felt the watch around my wrist. For once, I really wanted to hug Lucius for his invention. The watch with a GPS tracker inside of it. They hadn't taken it off! Bruce and Selina will be here any minute.
"We've been bombing and destroying buildings to make way for her trees. We will control and command the people in the ways we see fit." Blah, blah, blah.
"Kill me and get it over with then," I snapped, lifting my head to look at her. I challenged her because she sounded like she was all talk and I was tired of talking and I knew I would have people help me soon enough.
"We're waiting," murmured Venus. I cocked my head at her as she giggled.
"Waiting for what?"
"You'll see soon enough."
"Fuck you. Fuck the both of you. This is ridiculous. The two of you can't take down an entire city." I pulled at the restraints again. "He is one man. You're going to kill me over one man when there are three billion others out there." I scoffed and fell back against the table. "You're both stupid cunts." I spat.
"Did you just call me a cunt?" Ivy asked, snarling her lip. Oh, vicious.
"Yeah, unless – oops – is that a law, too?! Did I just break another one?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Her hand slapped my face hard and I all I could do was smile. Her hands wrapped around my jaw, squeezing my face.
"As I told you before Bane is the man we need. He has the strength and the will and we want and need him on our side," she hissed, lowly. She released my face and I continued to smile. This shit was going to be over soon. "You won't have that smile much longer," she breathed. I stared at the ceiling chuckling slightly. She couldn't scare me. She pulled a needle from out of nowhere and smiled at Venus. "Do you think it's time?"
"Yes," answered Venus with a nod. Wait? What? No. I don't want to be a damn plant or insect. I yelled out as the substance in the syringe flooded into my system, burning my insides. My eyes felt heavy and tired. Oh, no, I'm going to die. I tried straining myself against the restraints again, but couldn't. This is it. I swallowed hard and glanced over at a cackling Venus. Fucking bitch. My bravery faded quickly as I pictured Liam running in with Bruce to find me dead on the table. Damn it. A door behind them opened and a brunette in a suit was brought in, slumped over, blood dripping from her head.
"You know who this is, right?" asked Ivy, pulling the woman's head back by her hair. Jada. I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn't. What Ivy had given me made me paralyzed and speechless. "She told us all of your fears right before she died. We know all about you." Oh, fucking shit no. No. No! Ivy dropped Jada to the ground and clapped. "Bring them in," She ordered. I heard a door open. Them? There's more? My gut fell through the table and the floor as I heard the cat calls. Fuck no.
"Remembering anything?" Venus asked, tauntingly. Five men stopped before them, eyeballing me like I was a piece of fucking meat. Each one was large and powerful. Even if I wasn't restrained and drugged, I still wouldn't have had a chance. Fear encompassed every part of my body. I could hear my heartbeat loud and steady, thumping like mad in my ears. My body urged me to run, I strained, trying to move my body against the restraints again. Just kill me. Just fucking kill me. A bullet in my head. Something. Damn it! A hand ran up my shirt and I heard it being cut off. A hand ran up my thigh, signaling vomit to rise my throat with it. I sucked in a large breath, my mouth open, my neck straining as I tried to scream. My breathing became erratic. I listened to their pacing around me, feeling themselves. Tears rolled down, out of my eyes as lips pressed to my neck. All I could to was think of Liam.
Just zone out. Breathe. I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut. My mind tried to imagine Liam in bed, me on his chest. The steady beating of his heart, his scent, his arms wrapped around me. I just wanted him. I wanted to see him again. Wanted to tell him how I felt about him. I hadn't had a chance to yet. Please. Just please. I sobbed harder, without moving. Hands were everywhere on my body. Please. Liam. I sobbed.
A woman screamed, I opened my eyes and looked at the door to see Liam tearing the door off of the hinges, a wild look in his eyes. Liam! Oh my fucking God. Yes! He stared at me and I could feel the change in him, even from across the room. His muscles were bulging. He threw the door at one of the men. Bruce, Blake, and Selina ran in behind him as he stalked to my side. Bruce subdued the men with Blake while Selina rushed after Venus and Ivy. Liam hunched over me, kissing my forehead.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, holding my face gingerly. "Please don't be mad at me for taking it. I couldn't let them come here without me." I couldn't for the life of me be mad at you right now. He stroked it calmly, kissing my forehead at the same time. I wanted to kiss him so bad. I wanted to hold him against me and just breathe him in. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at my body, his face twisted with anger. I blinked once, more tears falling. I am now. For now, anyway. He kissed my cheek. My ears effectively blocked out the sound of fighting beside us. The power of his body was radiating out of every inch of him. A whirl of activity happened behind Liam. I squinted and felt my internal body jump as a syringe was stabbed in the area of his back by his neck. He grunted and I watched, helplessly as the purple fluid drained into his body. He fell to his knees, collapsing on the floor. Venus stood beside me, grinning like mad. No! NO! I strained against the block in my mind. Come on, damn it. Speak. Speak!
"He's mine now," she cackled, pulling the syringe out of his back.
"No," I whispered loudly and hoarsely. Pray I don't get my fucking hands on you. Liam rose to his feet slowly, groaning. "No," I whispered again, louder. I took in a deep breath. "No!" I screamed, watching him grunt, his muscles contracting and releasing. "Bruce!" I yelled with the force of my voice. "Please!" I turned to watch him shove a man against the wall. He leaped to Liam's side. A small smirk formed on Liam's full lips. His blue eyes were shades darker.
"Stop him," Venus ordered, curtly, staring down at her nails. Liam nodded to her and punched Bruce square in the stomach, sending him backwards like a ragdoll. I cried out in pain: emotional, mental, and physical.
"No! Liam! No!" I screeched as he followed Venus out of the door. I felt something hit my head with force and my eyes closed on command…