Chapter 3: Damian's No-No
Damian Rykotsu: So Mr. Jones, how are you today?
Killer Croc: What's it to you, doc?
Damian Rykotsu: (laughs)…well I'd like to know, I am your psychiatrist after all.
Killer Croc: Shut the fuck up before I rip your balls out through your mouth…(laughs)…
Damian Rykotsu: Why so hostile today Mr. Jones? Are you okay?
Killer Croc: I gotta headache…guess why…
Damian Rykotsu: That collar I'm assuming…I'm very sorry about it, if you'll believe me. I wish I could take it off but my brother is fairly adamant about you wearing it for my safety.
Killer Croc: Smart guy…(laughs)…
Damian Rykotsu: I see…well…(yawns)…
Killer Croc: What's the matter, doc? Didn't sleep well last night or something?
Damian Rykotsu: …(laughs)…my apologies Mr. Jones, you see I just woke up not to long ago and I didn't sleep well then either. I'm sorry about that. So, we left off last time with you attacking one of your childhood tormentors correct?
Killer Croc: …
Damian Rykotsu: I guess this session will begin with you in the reform school they sent you after said incident. How was the reform school for you Mr. Jones?
Killer Croc: Just as fucked up as the school before it…I was tormented there too. Beatings came daily, nasty words were said. Any other wound you wanna open before I rip your face off like a mask…doc?
Damian Rykotsu: I'm sorry Mr. Jones, I didn't mean to insult you or bring up painful memories. Please accept my humblest apologies.
Killer Croc: Whatever…what do you want?
Damian Rykotsu: Well…since the Reform School is just a threshold of bad memories let's move to something that might cheer you up a bit…hm? The murders you committed after you graduated. Would you like to talk about them?
Killer Croc: So you can tell me that I was wrong and that I disgust you?
Damian Rykotsu: I'm not going to say that…
Killer Croc: No, of course you won't not out loud anyway. Every doctor fucking thinks it when they talk to me and don't try to tell me your different cause I assure you, doc, you're not!
Damian Rykotsu: But I am different Jones, I swear! I don't want to change you and there's nothing about you that needs to be cured, to me your fine the way you are. I'll tell you the truth…I wanted to be the one to interview you and only you because when I read your dossier and it made me think of myself. I know that's selfish but I wanted to meet you and get to know you. As corny as this may sound Jones, I wanna be your friend more than your Psychiatrist or whatever.
(Jones Growls)…Chair legs slide across floor…hands slam on table…
Killer Croc: What kinda bullshit are you trying to force into my head? Friend! Don't bullshit me doc, I know the only reason you took mine is cause you wanted the challenge to line your fucking pockets! You should be cautious you little shit…I've got your scent and I will find you and rip you apart!
Electricity buzzes…Croc roars in pain as the door opens…
Gorian Rykotsu: Get away from him Damian! Stay down Croc!
Damian Rykotsu: Gorian please you're hurting him! Stop it!
Electricity stops…Croc breathes heavily…
Damian Rykotsu: Leave! Now! You're not helping the situation!
Gorian Rykotsu: What the fuck are you talking about? He'll kill you if I don't get him under control—
Damian Rykotsu: Leave! I'm alright now please…
Door closes…Croc's breathing continues…
Damian Rykotsu: I'm so sorry about that Mr. Jones. I've told them not to do that when I'm with you in here. I hope you'll forgive me.
Killer Croc: For what?
Damian Rykotsu: For getting you so angry. I didn't mean to I swear. Please forgive my ignorance. If you'd like to stand that's fine, if you'd like to sit that's fine too, whatever makes you comfortable.
Killer Croc: Why do you talk to me like a person? Even after all the shit I've done? What are you after?
Damian Rykotsu: I told you…you're trust and friendship…god that's gotta sound so fucking corny…but it is true…whether you believe it or not.
Killer Croc: Time's up doc…
Damian Rykotsu: Shit…yes you're right. Time is up…(sighs)…alright Mr. Jones. Unfortunately we won't have another interview for about two to three days. They don't want me interviewing you everyday…which I'd prefer to honestly. I enjoy our conversations.
Killer Croc: …
Damian Rykotsu: Gorian you can get him now if you'd like!
Click…Interview ends…
I sighed as I sat up in my bed the next day. I wanted to talk to Killer Croc to make sure he was alright after the interview but my next interview wasn't until the day after tomorrow and I wasn't allowed to visit his cell unless for an emergency. I rubbed my eyes and turned over to sleep a little longer, seeing that it was five o'clock in the morning. I closed my eyes and fell asleep…
"What's the matter?" Lilly asked at her desk as I sat there in front of it. "You seem a bit depressed."
"Eh…I'm just kinda bored. I've done all my reports and paperwork and now, without interviewing Croc, I'm bored with nothing to do." I sighed and resituated myself in my chair.
She leaned back in her desk chair and slipped her hands behind her head. "Well, maybe I should go ahead and appoint you another interviewee. Apparently Croc isn't enough for your insatiable appetite to probe and annoy." She laughed and smiled starting to type on her computer.
"No," I said. "I only want to interview Croc for now. It will show him that he's my main concern and that I'm only interested in him. Therefore, I'm hoping that he'll begin to trust me as he learns that he's the only 'interviewee' for me." I sighed and situated myself again. Lilly sighed as well and shrugged saying.
"Well, then find some way to entertain yourself." She spun in her chair and got to her feet. "You can't just come into my office every time you're bored, Damian." She walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. "You've gotta find something to do." I sighed and stood as well. I hugged her and said.
"Okay, I'll find some way to entertain myself for the time being." She smiled and kissed my forehead, having to stand on her toes to do so.
"Good," she said. "Now go on, I've got work to do and you seem to distract me. Seeing as how you are much more interesting than paperwork." She winked at me and I smiled. I walked out of her office and down the hallway. I found my way into the courtyard again and started for the Penitentiary. I had an idea that would, more than likely, get me into trouble. But I didn't care, I wanted to talk to Croc again. Even if that meant going straight to him.
I stepped up to Croc's cell, the big security safe door was being guarded and the two guards, upon recognizing me, opened the cell straight away. "Thank you gentlemen," I said with a smile to each of them. "Tell me if you see my brother coming, before you let him in, preferably." I walked in and saw the large thick glass barrier in front of the large, terrarium like cell. I couldn't see Croc but I knew he was under the water. I looked around and saw a large intercom button behind me. I pressed it, held it, and said. "Mr. Jones, it's Damian, can I speak with you? Would that be alright?" I waited for him to respond. I didn't hear the intercoms in the cell so I wasn't sure if he'd actually heard me or not. I was about to try again when I saw the surface of the water move and begin to ripple. I smiled and walked over to the glass with my hands behind my back.
The green giant stepped out from the water and he worked his way over to me. I smiled at him, but he scowled at me. "What the hell do you want doc?" He asked snarling and growling low enough for me to hear through the holes in the glass.
"Can you hear me okay?" I asked with a smile.
"I hear you fine if I'm right next to the glass," he snarled. "What the fuck do you want?" I smiled again and said.
"I'd like to conduct our next interview here in your cell, if that would be alright with you?" I smiled at him but he wasn't happy.
"Why? What the hell do you have to gain from that?" He growled and hummed like a male crocodile does when attracting a mate. It wasn't the same thing for him but it was fairly intimidating.
"You're comfort," I replied with the same smile. "I'd like you to be as comfortable as possible and this seems like the most comfortable place for you in Arkham. Am I correct?" I asked.
He looked around his cell as though he'd never seen it before then grinned. "Sure, doc, this would be the most comfortable place to be." He leaned down so his face was level to mine. "Would you like to come in? I'll show you around if you want." I smiled and said.
"If you want." My reply surprised him more than anything. He nearly jumped back. I only smiled kindly up at him. "I wouldn't mind taking a look at your cell. If you were comfortable with it." My naivety was at maximum as I entered the key code into the pad and the door unlocked. I stepped in and looked around. I was so intrigued by the cell and the scenery, though it was morbid, that I didn't notice how completely pissed Croc was. He was snarling in anger and when I finally noticed I asked. "Is something wrong, Mr. Jones?" I only realized later how stupid that probably sounded.
"I don't like being mocked!" He roared and grabbed my throat with one hand and hoisted me into the air. He slammed my back against the reinforced glass and growled. "You think you're brave? You think you can waltz in my cell with your head held high and I'd just let you? You don't even have guards to save you if I decided to bite your head off." I couldn't breathe. I was terrified, of course, but I tried to keep strong, while also trying not to shit my pants. I grabbed at his hand and tried to speak.
"Pl…Please Mr.…J-J-Jones…I did-didn't…mea-mean-mean anything…b-by…it…hon-hon-honest-honestly…" tears flooded my eyes as I began to lose consciousness.
"No?" Croc roared holding me close to his face, I could smell the rotting meat on his breath, which didn't help my terror, or my dizziness. "You think I want you as a friend?" He snarled. "You think I want you to help me? I DON'T!" He threw me to the ground and walked back to his pool. "Now GET OUT!" He jumped into the water with a huge splash. I felt a bit of the water trickle on my face. I got to my feet, coughing up blood. I walked out and ran past the guards.
I looked into the mirror of my bathroom and saw the tears cascading down my face. I wasn't scared anymore, I was in pain. Every few minutes I'd spit blood into the sink, worried that the internal bleeding I felt in my throat wouldn't stop.
The shower in my bathroom was large and flat bottomed so I could sit on the tiles. The tears had stopped but I couldn't stop hyperventilating. Every now and again I'd have to stop breathing. I'd take deep breaths but then the blood would leak from my lips and the fast breathing would start. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't want to interview him. I started to see what Croc truly was. He was a murderer. A monster. Something I wanted dead. He was no longer a person to me. He was just an animal that had learned to speak in a Cajun accent.
Tears of anger fell from my eyes as I stood up and began to wash myself off. I washed the blood and grime from Croc's cell off my body and kept thinking the same words to myself in my mind. Monster, Killer, Creature, Not-Human, Murderer…Murderer?
That's when it occurred to me. He…He didn't kill me… The words repeated themselves over and over in my brain. He didn't kill me…He didn't kill me…He didn't kill me? He didn't kill me. He didn't kill me! I got out of the shower and wiped the fog from the mirror to expose my face. Then, again, I repeated, aloud this time.
"He didn't kill me!" I laughed and got dressed and went downstairs into Lilly's office. She wasn't there, probably had turned in for the night, and I found the dossier on Croc. I went through it and it mentioned "Complete Disregard for Human Life" in bold letters. I read the caption underneath it. "Waylon Jones has been committed for many reasons, the worst being his multiple accounts of first-degree murder. Jones has shown complete apathy to the human's threshold for pain. He has never hesitated to kill anyone of his victims," I read the next line aloud. "Especially those who have achieved making him angry!" I laughed again, put the dossier back in its place and ran back to my room. I sat down on my bed and laid back against the wall with my hands behind my head. I smiled up at the ceiling. "Never hesitated to kill anyone of his victims, eh?" I knew, technically, I wasn't one of his victims, per say, but I was alone and completely vulnerable in his cell today. "He didn't kill me, and my head was practically on the block! I knew I was making a connection. I just knew it!" I smiled and closed my eyes. Swiftly falling asleep…