What's this? Three updates in one month?! Making up for those two months when I disappeared. Enjoy!
It had been three days since the terrifying events at Arkham Asylum, the island was still recovering and many had not even begun mourning the dead. Filly had found that she didn't need to rest but sooner or later sleep would creep up on her, and it would take her home. She hoped.
The library of patients had been left untouched, if she hadn't had already known the Joker's goons had done this she would had guessed that a whirlwind had charged through. Cash had came back into the asylum to take the work load off her shoulders and he ordered her to take a break but instead she went to the Arkham Records Room and started to tidy up. It was going to take time. She first had to organize the papers by the dates and from there put everything in alphabetical order, it took her just over a hour and a half to find all the files dated 1910, they were all surprising still in good condition.
Things had turned deathly quiet, she welcomed the silence after all the alarms of the outbreak but now nothing screamed or cried, not even a creak of an old floorboard, she'd do anything for an iPod. Instead she found a copy of a Scarecrow interview tape, she listened to it while she half read and half tied up the records.
"Patient interview 6. Dr Crane has been back in custody for three weeks." he sounded exhausted, no doubt this interview session had kept him all night worrying, "Regular sessions have been inconclusive. I am not sure if he's actually insane.
There was no click of an opening door, it was as if he magically appeared into thin air, "Good evening, Stephen. How are you tonight?" he sounded oddly cheery.
"I'm conducting the session, Jonathan." Doctor Kellerman said sternly.
"Of course. If that helps you cope, I wouldn't have it any other way."
Doctor Kellerman shuffled what sounded like papers then continued, "Let's talk about the events three weeks did you think you'd achieve? Dr Murphy is still in therapy."
"I wanted to understand him." Crane was always one for explaining things with his hands, she imaged him throwing his hands and arms in the air and to the sides as he explained, "His personal demons. His fears. It's all quite fascinating, really."
"But you are...were a respected doctor. A brilliant mind, not just another resident at Arkham." Filly wondered what the two Doctor's relationship was like before Crane became the Scarecrow. Doctor Kellerman sounded so sad and there was not one trace of hope in his voice, the two of them must had been good friends.
"Can I have a drink? A strong one? This kind of question bores me."
"I'm afraid not."
"Interesting choice of words, Doctor. Tell me, what are you afraid of?" he would of had his arms gripping his chair tightly and he would be leaning in towards the Doctors face as he asked this. Then came the click signalling the end of the tape.
Filly had to admit that Doctor Kelllerman was tough, he was in charge of Scarecrow and Poison Ivy and both of them had seriously harmed him but he was still here doing his job. What a badass!
A while or so later she stopped to take a break, her eyes had gone dizzy after all the information she had read off the records. Fiddling in her pocket she took out the flower the Joker had tossed her earlier, she had almost totally forgot about it. Sitting it on the table she slouched in her chair, arms folded and her leg propped up on the other, the Joker's flower stared at her and Filly frowned. In her mind she imaged that the flower had a voice and was calling 'Come on, you know you want to' at her, but in all honesty she was scared of the memory waiting for her. Sighing in defeat she strolled back towards, picked it up then threw it in the air and caught it easily in her hands. She got comfortable and cupped the flower like you would do with water; eyes closed she concentrated, ready to view the memory.
Within moments she found herself in a room that she recognised as the hidden office in the mansion, but it was different somehow. As she walked further in she realized that the room was mostly lit up by computer screens and the noises came from a heart monitor. An uneasy shiver ran from her neck, down her spine, if there was a heart monitor and a bunch of computer's in a secret room, someone was up to no good.
As she turned the corner, her hands went to her mouth to stop herself from shrieking. In front of her she saw her younger self strapped down on a tilted bed, on both of her arms a needle was injected, one coloured blue and the other red. Metal circles were stuck to her temples with tubes coming out from it and as her eyes wandered around she noticed more and more needles connecting with various devices stuck into her, it was as if she was being used as a voodoo doll. Her eyes were transfixed on her younger self she hadn't heard Doctor Jeremiah Arkham enter, he wore a long white lab coat and carried a clipboard and a notebook. He stood for a moment and just stared at young Filly, his eyes looked all over her making sure that she was in the exact same way position and condition that he left her in earlier.
"So are we feeling any better?" he asked knowing full well that he wouldn't get a reply. His chuckle was low and poisoned with evil. Shifting his glasses up his nose he watched his computer screens recording the effects of all the drugs that were being pumped into her. A monitor began beeping signalling that one of the tests had been completed, one needle was pulled from her arm then from a drawer the Doctor pulled out a knife and from his coat pocket a stop watch. Filly watch with scared eyes as Jeremiah Arkham made a deep cut down her arm, her blood didn't gush out like she expected but in slow dribbles, the Doctor pressed his stopwatch and timed how long it took to heal. A mere ten seconds, he smiled at the results and noted them down in his journal.
Sickness from the bottom of her stomach bubbled and steamed causing her to swallow to get the rising foul taste out of her throat, the sight before her made her knees weak as she felt frightened for her younger defenceless self. Who was her saviour here? Jeremiah then turned to another machine with flashing lights and dials, he fiddled about with buttons and the tubes connecting to her temples began to buzz, she couldn't watch as he twisted the dials higher and higher until her body finally reacted. Filly couldn't imagine the pain that coursed through her little self, her hands wanted to reach out and grab Jeremiah by the neck and throttle him to stop all his experiments on her.
Suddenly there was a crash, a trolley holding medical equipment had been tipped over with such force the scalpel's and other medical devices flew to the furthers corners of the room. Doctor Arkham held his knife tightly in his pocket, he was panicked for a moment as his head snapped from the left to the right trying to see what or who had knocked over the trolley.
"Joker? How...who let you out of your cell?" he asked falling into his seat. He began to squirm when the clown prince of crime came out with big open arms.
His grin told a thousand stories, there seemed to be a mutual 'friendship' between them but Arkham wasn't overjoyed by the clown's visit.
"An old friend of our's." the Joker answered, "They told me you were up to no good, couldn't believe you were having fun without me!" his eyes glowed with a snake like viciousness and his voice was low and threatening, "But when I discovered you were playing adult games with little Filly here well...I thought that's just not nice."
Arkham tried to keep calm, he took off his glasses and gave them a wipe, "Miss Rogers is currently going through a new therapy technique. You may call your sessions games but I'm doing this strictly to treat Miss Roger's illness." He did his best not to look Joker in the eye so he kept his face down at his clipboard.
The Joker laughed and grabbed the clipboard. He took off the papers and threw them into the air like confetti. "A little girl agreed to have needles stuck into her and have her skin cut open?"
Joker knew all too well that the Doctor wouldn't call the guards, if they saw Filly strapped up like this, Arkham would become a messy, bloody pile of flesh and bone on the floor.
Jeremiah didn't reply, his eyes locked on to Joker's now and a cruel smile curved his lips, "You caught me. I've been doing terrible things to my sweet patient" He stood from his seat and stroked younger Filly's cheek. "She has so much power. Too much power for a child who doesn't understand it." he turns back to the Joker, "Why shouldn't I take it?" he didn't wait for an answer, "God damn it she's my daughter I can do as I please with her!"
"HA! She's the asylums child, not yours. You told her to call you 'Daddy Arkham'," Filly felt her skin crawl at the mention of those two words, "Well I'm her good old Uncle Joker!"
Joker approached Jeremiah but the doctor moved away from him, his hand hovered over a button on one of his machines."Come closer I will kill her! Just the push of this button and all the toxin will go into her body, she won't able to heal herself."
Suddenly an arm wrapped itself's around Arkham's neck and pulled him away from the button, Filly looked closer and realized it was Frank Boles, God how many years had he been working for Joker.
He was more than terrified now, he begged for his life with his eyes, "Joker please, come on, I'm...I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement? We, we can share her power, just imagine what you could do with it!"
The Joker smirked and leaned into the terrified Doctors face and said, "I am feared by millions, why would I want power that I already have?" He began to roll up his sleeves then turned his head to look at little Filly, "I've been told that I can't kill you."
He looked back at Jeremiah, "If I do I'll be in a lot of trouble. But, I am allowed to, mess you up a bit" For the next fifteen minutes consisted of the Joker beating the crap out of Doctor Arkham, punches to the stomach and the face with the occasional cut from the knife that was used to cut her.
Arkham was out like a light after twenty minutes, Boles swung the unconscious Doctor over his shoulder and sneaked out the hidden entrance to the room as the Joker dusted himself off. He simply pulled the plug to the machines and wires, then carefully took out all the tubes and needles from little Filly but she didn't wake from her sleep. "Did you enjoy that little show?" he giggled while he loosened the straps around her wrists and ankles.
For a moment Filly thought he was talking to her; she was about to speak but a figured stepped out from the shadows and stood before him. They were dressed as if they lived in the slums, jeans smudged by blood and dirt, an over-sized black hoodie and tattered trainers, Filly couldn't get a good look at the person's face. The stranger didn't answer him but the two stared at each other for a few seconds, the Joker occasionally smiling, it was like they were telepathically talking to one and other. Then just like that the figure vanished, they were suddenly just gone and before the memory completely faded she heard the Joker say, "You of all people should know - there's nothing so CRUEL as a MEMORY."
She closed her eyes then flashed them open and returned to the record room. Her whole body was still shaking and sweat painted her brow. Filly breathed in and out slowly and counted to ten in her head until she calmed down.
Where was he now? Was he in hiding or somewhere in Gotham still cooking a way to get to her? These were the only thoughts racing through her head, there was no way she'd have all her questions answered especially now as the Joker was still chattering and giggling to himself. The Joker beating up Jeremiah hadn't been very satisfying to watch, she would look forward till the day she's be able to do it herself.
Deciding that food would help calm her nerves she went to the cafeteria, the kitchen was one of the places the goons hadn't managed to destroy. The cafeteria staff hadn't been around when the outbreak happened but they were all called and told not to return to work for at least a week. A quick chicken and sweetcorn sandwich was bliss to her lips, she had forgotten the last time she had ate, it felt like days. She wasn't sure how many memories she could take, what if all the ones left behind for her were just as bad.
Cash found her a few minutes later as she was tucking into her second sandwich, "I thought I told you to get some rest?"
"Stomach called louder" she said with a full mouth.
"Mind if I join you?" he pulled up a chair and made his own sandwich. They chatted in between bites, keeping the subject light and trying not to focus too much of the conversation of the events from three days ago.
"Cash, I think it's time that I, leave the asylum." she put down her sandwich and took a swig of water, "And I'm sorry for just putting this on your back right now but, think I can crash at yours for a little while until I get something figured out?"
Aaron dropped his own sandwich and gave her the widest smile she had ever seen. He picked her up and gave her one of his tight hugs, "I've been waiting to hear that from you for years!"
They agreed that it was better for her to stay at the asylum for a couple more days, her leaving the 'family home' would have to be discussed with the Doctors and Quincy Sharp but he had disappeared. Back in the records room she continued tidying up the place, time seems to fly by in a madhouse as she looked up out a window and the sky was pitch black. When she felt a yawn stirring she decided that she should finally hit her pillow but before she even got out of the mansion two guards approached her, they said that she had been summoned to the Warden's office.
Her eyes widened, "Hugo Strange?"
He took no notice of her at first, he kept writing then cast a glance at her, "Good evening Miss Rogers. Please take a seat", Filly remained standing but was roughly pushed down onto a seat by a guard. "I understand that you want to leave the asylum?"
She raised her eyebrow, word got around fast here, "Um yes, I think it's about time I found my own feet you know, get a job and...things."
The Professor nodded, "Understandable that the young bird wishes to leave the nest. Of course you'd have the full support of the asylum, we'd be happy to provide you a stable money account, it may be spent on whatever you wish but we advise you spend it wisely, not on parties and motorbikes."
Filly was lost for words. This wasn't the Hugo Strange she had read in her comic books. "Um, wow that's very generous but please, if you don't mind me asking, shouldn't I be discussing this with Warden Sharp?"
"Warden Sharp has been took unwell so until he recovers I shall be fulfilling his position."
"Oh, I see. Please don't take any offence with this Professor Strange but it's almost as if you want to get rid of me."
Strange stopped writing and dropped his pencil, he smiled and sat up straight in his chair, "Miss Rogers, exactly how much do you know about me?"
"Enough" it came out like a whisper.
"Well if you know 'enough' about me you'll know that, if I wanted you out of the way, you wouldn't be seating in front of me right now." Filly kept quiet and nodded her head in agreement, "Good. You may leave, go get some sleep. I think we can continue these arrangements later."
"Yes Sir..." she stood, "Goodnight Professor Strange" and awkwardly left the office with the guards right behind her.
Away from the mansion and the scenes of destruction still on the grounds, she was back in her bland room and she had never been happier. She fell back and hit the bed, the soft duvet and pillows seemed to absorb all the worries and stress she had gathered that day. With heavy eyes she shut them tight and thought about her experience of the asylum.
"I was awesome" she laughed to herself. A minute or so later she fell asleep. Her dream into the Arkham world had been a nightmare but now as she looked up into the sky the storm clouds dispersed away and revealed a calm, beautiful night sky. Once the dream had finished she didn't open her eyes straight away, her hands felt the pillows and the covers, they felt exactly the same. Cautiously, she blinked open one eye and sighed with relief.
It was her room. It was Emily's bedroom. There was her Xbox and the Arkham Asylum game case sitting beside the controller. So was it another form of real life or just a fantasy? Emily didn't know but she prayed that she'd never forget it. The time was six in the morning, she had at least an hour to kill before getting ready for school. Plucking on her desk lamp and flipping open her laptop, the screen brightened and showed her desktop. Selecting a word document she titled her story and beneath it the chapter title, then typed in her first sentence:
"Footsteps, in a panic she silently but quickly dimmed down her bedroom light and plugged earphones into her TV and stood very still..."
And that's it! Oh my God the first fanfic I'm seriously proud of is finished! I can't believe that's the first part of Filly's story complete! I hope everyone of you has enjoyed the ride with me, all your support has been absolutely brilliant! Let's try and get the fic two wee reviews and hit 70! :D
As for the Arkham City story I have yet to come up with a title for it so to keep posted you can either follow me but I will add a chapter 18 announcing when it's up.