Yo everyone! Did you miss us? Probably not haha. Hope you're all enjoying the fic so here's the next chapter.
WARNING - a Rape scene is written halfway through BUT there are Triggers before and after it. Skip it out if you want to. :)
Thanks Again for the Review Jasmine Scarthing - Everyone go check her Fics out!
On with the show!
"Freedom? FREEEEEDOOOOOOMMM!" Johnny ran towards to door all excited at the fact he could leave.
"Wait, what was the riddle again?" I asked myself. The men had all left leaving Johnny and I to ponder.
I turned to face the back wall where the riddle had been painted ... In someone's blood.
"We are the children of darkness and evil,
We make people do the most regrettable deals.
Let us introduce ourselves to you,
So you'll know who is who."
"Mummy, could it be about nightmares?"
"Wait honey, let mummy read on."
"Our eldest is a not so bad guy,
But thinks of himself so high.
Our next is not as cool as a cucumber,
But hotheaded and always has a bad temper."
"Mum, it could be metal mouth and The Joker! Because metal mouth said to me that my daddy would be proud and how Grandad would be proud of how the spray didn't affect me! And the bad temper one could be the Joker as he acts all cool like he doesn't care and then he gets all angry if things don't go his way. Like, he shouted at me when I first got here because my arm didn't explode and then he took out the chip with an angry look while being mean to me."
"Oh my gosh, honey are you okay?"
"I'm fine mum, but they fit into the wr...wr...wriddle!"
I held Johnny close, he was so clever! I began banging on the door and shouting through to the other side. We could leave!
I heard footsteps and stepped back while metal mouth entered with the Joker in front.
"Did you work out my riddle Beautiful?" He questioned, licking his lips while gazing into my eye.
"YEAH ITS YOU AND HIM!" Johnny shouted happily.
"Wrong my young one." Metal mouth replied. He swooped Johnny up and carried him out the room. I began to follow but was held back my the clown. I heard him calling me and then screaming, the I heard some pressurised gas followed by a high pitched scream.
"No!" I shouted but the clown had me pinned against the wall.
"NoOOOooo?" He giggled. "Why you're going to have to stay with me longer beautiful, hope that's not a problem?"
"What are you doing to Johnny?" I asked.
"Why, he's just getting his punishment for answering the riddle wrong."
"Punish me instead!"
"OHH, did I forget to tell you? Oh silly me. Everytime you get it wrong, Johnny over there gets a squirt of fear toxin. The more you get it wrong, the higher the concentration becomes and that could kill him." He said laughing.
"Ohh, and you two will now be separated. He will stay with metal man and the gas and you, my sweet thing, will stay in my room." He bound a gag around my mouth and pulled me into his room. He chained me to the bed and spoke as he walked out.
"Ohh, trust me on this one. I won't do anything like that to you! I just need to make sure you're their as ... Compensation." He laughed and slammed the door.
I looked around me. The room was actually nice. The paint was a deep purple with green borders. The bed was a king sized and had deep velvet blankets and large soft pillows surrounding it. I guess the clown prince of crime would like to sleep like royalty. It was as if I'd stepped out of the Narrows and was in some strange hotel room. The hand cuff had a long chain so I could get up and move around. The carpet was like waking on soft pillows the colour of plums and the mahogany furniture gave the room it's regal look.
Now I'm a nosey person so I had to look in his draws. I turned to the bedside cabinet on the other side of the bed. The top draw contained various knives and other weapons. The cupboard underneath was completely different.
Inside were two photo frames. One held a picture of a pregnant woman who looked similar to me. She had long wavy brown hair and bright blue eyes which were difficult to stop looking at. She was beautiful! The next picture was of a boy and his mother. The mother was bruised but still smiled, she also looked similar to the other woman but with an apron on instead. It took me a while to figure out who the boy was. His sticky-up blonde hair made his brown eyes pop and his fragile smile looked as if it could've been easily broken.
"Oh god it's him!" I whispered, shocked to realise that the bit was The Joker.
Footsteps. I quickly pushed the door to his memories shut and jumper back onto the bed. Okay, act moody and angry. You need Johnny back.
"Why beautiful aren't you getting bored of laying here?" The clown smiled crouching to my eye level at the side of the bed.
Curiosity got the better of me.
"Who's in the pictures clown?" I went to lean over the bed but he grabbed my ankle and pulled me down holding a wet knife to my neck.
"I'll tell you but if I slit your throat it was your fault for nosing through my stuff!" He spat aggressively into my ear.
"The pregnant woman was my wife. Her name was Jeannie. Looks quite similar to you Beautiful. I was working two jobs to stop the ground falling from beneath our feet. I began to work in Ace Chemicals. Got in deep with some mob dealers who blackmailed my wife into all our money. She couldn't pay it back. I couldn't pay it back so they killed her. They left the evidence for me to find but of course already having a name for myself I got committed of the crime. Do you know how it feels to have someone you love taken away from you? My son hadn't even seen the light of this dark and corrupt world and was murdered for nothing." His eyes were darting across the room, the blade moving ever closer to my neck and my mouth.
"The picture of the woman and the boy? That's my mother and I. I had a father but he was a drunk and a fiend. And one night he goes of crazier than usual, mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that, not. One. Bit. So, me watching he takes the knife to her laughing as he does this. He turns to me and he says 'why so serious?' He comes at me with the knife 'why so serious?' He sticks the blade in my mouth 'let's put a smile on that face!' Annnndddd..." He gestured to his scars, I almost felt sorry for the bastard but he still has me and my son hostage so what is a girl to do?
He let me go and walked into the bathroom attached. I heard some bottles open, the tap run and the occasional call of pain. He walked back out with a fresh face and some fresh ideas.
"You know what Beautiful? I haven't given you the whole riddle to your freedom. I'll leave it in the bathroom for you to ... Uhh ... Figure out." Popping his 't' he left the room and locked the door.
I slowly rose from my position. I was still traumatised about the stories, could they be true? I made my way into the bathroom and found the riddle on the bathroom mirror with a Joker smile at the bottom.
"We are but the children of darkness and evil,
We make people do the most regrettable deal.
Let us introduce ourselves to you,
So you'll know who is who.
Our eldest is a not so bad guy,
But thinks of himself so high.
Our next is not as cool as a cucumber,
But hotheaded and always has a bad temper.
Another of us wants this and that,
Whatever others do and have.
A brother of ours seems to be tired and weary,
To do this and that, but he's just lazy.
We have a twin who are not brave,
Also not a coward, but they always crave.
One hungers for food and anything it can consume.
The other hungers for wealth and power that leads to doom.
Last but not the least,
Is our sister who desires like a beast.
Sexual and sensual desires,
are those that feed her fire."
Think Jane, think! There's seven children with six boys and one girl. It seems ... I CANT THINK!
I left the bathroom and began searching through wardrobes and cupboards again. The chest of drawers literally contained all of his suits and ties and his wardrobe contained two jackets which concealed weapons and ... A door! Do I sneak through?
I slowly pushed the dirty oak door ajar. Through it I could see Johnny and metal mouth man. His voice sounded different to earlier.
"Oh Jonathan. If only you knew what was happening to poor old mummy. The clown you see is beating her every time you guess incorrectly now think hard. I know you can, you were half right earlier. Now think."
"Tell me he riddle again." Johnny demanded.
After metal man repeated the riddle Johnny's eyes dropped to the floor. He was thinking. I knew he was special, he had always been as smart as the kids who were eight years older than him. He had to really try though. It was as of he had a gift but hadn't worked out how to use it yet. He behaved like a four year old with the intelligence of a 12 year old. His eyes shot up, his smile widened. Did this man know of his gifts?
"The seven deadly sins." He said quietly. "The seven deadly sins which are represented through us." He repeated louder.
Metal mouth looked intriguingly at the boy.
"Continue." Is all his sarcastic low voice bellowed.
"Well the seven deadly sins are referred to as 'the children' and the regrettable deals is temptation. The order of the riddle in which they appear is pride, anger, envy, sloth which means lazy, gluttony which is like wanting more, greed and lust. Seeing as lust is the only girl then that is mummy. I think I'm represented as pride. Greed is the question mark man as he clearly wants more than what he is getting from the Joker however he seems quite lazy so ... Sloth. I see gluttony in The Joker which leaves you with anger and envy. Do you envy the clown?"
"No my boy, I envy you."
I pulled frantically at my chains. What's he going to do to him? He knows of this weird gift. Oh god, will he manipulate Johnny? I need to get him so we can run! The chains wouldn't loosen.
I pelted onto the bed and began remembering what Johnny had said.
"Hello Miss Pennyworth, did you figure out my riddle?" The Riddler had suddenly appeared in the doorway, a look of mischief filled his smile.
"Yes I did actually."
"OHH gooooodd." He walked upto the bed and perched upon it. "Do tell."
"The seven deadly sins. Johnny's pride, The Jokers is gluttony, metal mouth is anger and envy, you're sloth and greed and ..."
"And what gorgeous." He began to stroke my leg, gently running his fingers upwards.
"I'm lust ..." I was confused. What was happening?
The Riddler leant closer and whispered in my ear.
~~~TRIGGER ALERT ~~~
"Yes you are, y'know I've known you for a while now. Been doing my research and you seem pretty lonely..." I began to pull away but something hit me from behind. My vision went black but I was still fully conscious.
"Maybe you need someone in your life like me." I was trying to get up to move but couldn't. I knew what was going to happen and nothing was going to stop it. I tried to kick but my legs wouldn't respond. I tried to scream but my mouth wouldn't not open.
I heard a zipper noise and some rustling.
"Help" I croaked out feebly.
"Ohh sweetheart no one will help you now." Then he stuck something in my mouth. I couldn't get rid of it.
What felt like hours later, the door was shoved open. There was a sudden gasp from the Riddler who seemed to pull away. Who was it. The sound of heavy footsteps gave me a clue.
"This isn't what it looks like, she asked for it!"
"Really so is that why she is vomiting down the side of the bed with tears streaming down her face?" It was metal mouth.
All I could hear was fists slamming into skin. He was helping me, but why?
"Do you think women ask for this? This is what scum do to the defenceless and I thought you were above them. Do you think you have power over me? I'm Gothams reckoning. I'm not evil, I'm unnecessary evil and you ... You're a pathetic little man who kills because he thinks he's powerful. Well you're not."
CRASH. Someone had been pushed into the bedside table. With that u succumbed to the darkness which had been forcing its way into my brain.
~~~ END OF TRIGGER ~~~
"Mum, we got it right! We both got the riddle right! We're back together!"
I slowly rose to reality, Johnny's head gazed over mine. He was smiling, in fact I'd never seem him so happy.
"Metal mouth told me I was special!"
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him about you and me! About our adventures and what we've done whenever we've been in Gotham. He also asked me to sing which was weird!"
I ran away and grabbed the nearest bin. I had to throw up this taste that remained in my mouth! After wiping my mouth with my sleeve I returned to my boy. A voice echoed through the warehouse we'd been moved too.
"Hello friends. Sorry about that incident, the riddler has been strictly executed! He hanging from Gothams main bridge!" It wasn't the clown or metal mouth.
A man emerged dressed in a pinstriped suit with a sack over his face. The marking looked as if a child had tried to make a scarecrow face but in their attempt had made something even more terrifying. The man took his mask off and Johnny's eyes widened.
"It's Dr Crane! Uncle Bruce took me to see him about the thing in my arm!"
"Hello again Johnny, and this must be your sister?"
"Flattery will get you no where Doctor."
"Ohh so you are actually his mother. Pretty young aren't you?"
"Who asked for your opinion?"
"Well the clown didn't get any useful information from you that your buyer might want so it was my turn." He walked forward, his bright blue eyes almost lulling me into a narcotic state.
"But one thing our metal friend did find out is that this boy has a gift. And this gift could be used to our advantage."
He placed his hand on Johnny's shoulder which he swiftly brushed away. The doctor looked a little taken back and this but continued circling Johnny.
"How did he get this gift?"
"I don't know."
"Who did you sleep with for him to get this gift?"
"That's a matter of my personal life and one I would not wish to share with you Doctor." Okay, something was definitely wrong. He said something about The Joker which means that he knows of him ... Oh my god he's working for them!
I slowly reached for Johnny's hand. He gave me this strange look and my eyes followed his to the door. The Doctor was still talking.
"Why, this boy is something special. We could exploit his intellect ... I mean use his intellect to help the people of Gotham."
He leant closer to me. This was it.
"Leave my boy alone!" I threw a punch to his nose causing him to stagger backwards and ran for the door. Faster, we're almost free!
We shoved the door open and ran as quick as we could down the stairs. Bullets were being shot over head but luckily we were safe. Keep running down the dark stairs, don't trip.
We found a bright light and burst through to freedom. What I though was freedom turned out to be a bright room with two men holding gas canisters.
One squirt of the gas and we both collapsed into darkness again.