Insanity // J.Valeska

Part Six: The Incident

The fog was beginning to clear. Slowly but steadily.

As her head began to clear, Steph felt the slippery feel of sweat glistening on her brow. The air around her felt sticky and slick; the intense heat suffocating the her. Steph's grogginess seemed to almost increase as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

She allowed for her vision to stop clouding before she attempted to sit up. And when she did, she immediately recoiled from the roaring fire beside her. Emitting a slight hissing sound, Steph scrambled backwards, bumping into a hard surface behind her.

Steph sucked in a quick, stuffy gasp of air, and craned her head to the side.

Sitting in his usual spot by the fire, was Theo Galavan. His hawk-like eyes swept over the tiny physique of the young girl before him; she was so small; she looked so breakable.

A lazy smirk graced the man's features as the girl's doe-like eyes settled on him. She was confused; that much was obvious.

"W-where am I?"

Stephanie cleared her scratchy throat; the smoke from the fire was doing nothing for the dryness plaguing mouth. Sitting up a tad straighter and scooting back from the frightening man, she donned a look of confidence and defiance.

"Take me home."

It was an order. Not a request.

Theo smiled; he knew the girl had some fire. The essence of bravery was rolling off of her in large waves. But be knew she was still rather alarmed, all it took was breaching her concrete barriers....

"Now." Steph demanded, crossing her arms over her chest, rising to her feet.

Theo merely leaned back in his chair, situating himself until he was comfortable, before calling out - "Tabitha, where are my manners? Please introduce our... Guest to the others, won't you?"

Panic began to seize Steph and she hastily surveyed the room, darting to the closest window and hammering on its panes with all her might. Much to her chagrin, the windows remained intact, and before she could come up with a new plan, Tabitha had pounced on the girl, roughly slamming a glass pitcher into the blonde's skull. She was instantly rendered unconscious once more.

****

Stephanie regained consciousness much quicker than last time.

Now, opposed to laying next to a horrendously hot fireplace, she was being dragged by the ankles. And her head... her head was pounding.

Using all the core strength she could muster, Steph hauled her body up into a sitting position, and used it as leverage to ferociously push off her captor. Her legs briefly free, she rolled over her shoulder, forcing herself to standing.

The poor girl could only move so far however, with both her feet and arms bound tightly together. Her capture was inevitable.

So she was back where she started in a matter of seconds. Waiting anxiously to see what her fate was.

Tabitha stopped in front of a large set of dark wood double doors. After dropping the pathetic girl's ankles, she pushed the doors open, immediately drawing the attention of the room.

Tabitha smoothly moved off to the side as her brother strode in, having been forced to step over the girl lying just outside the large room.

"My friends, I have brought you a peace offering of sorts."

Theo graced his audience with a dashing smile that did nothing to sway their minds. Really, attempting to bribe clinically deranged lunatics was anything but easy. It was a futile effort for him.

"She is waiting outside this very room as we speak. Won't you assist me in welcoming her?"

Not waiting for a reply, Theo signalled Tabitha, and the brunette dominatrix dragged the thrashing girl into the room. Tabitha swiftly unbound the blonde, and swept her leg at her feet, sending Steph sprawling to the floor.

Theo spread his hands in a warm gesture as he and Tabitha made their exit, "I trust you'll be kind to her?"

And then the doors slammed shut behind them, leaving the frightened girl as prey for the pack of wolves surrounding her.

****
Steph scrambled to her feet as quick as she could manage. Without her limbs now free she felt as though she finally had the upper hand.

She spread her feet apart in a fighting stance. She hoped that she wouldn't have to defend herself, especially considering that she was surrounded by the missing Arkham inmates, but if push came to shove, she wasn't going down easily. Her parents hadn't pushed her in gymnastics and martial arts for nothing.

Steph cleared her throat, hoping to push past her frightened little girl persona and venture into the heart of her bravery; "this is going to go down one of two ways."

With a little more venom and authority in her words, she felt her predators back away a bit. Almost confused by her sudden burst of confidence.

"One: you all walk away now. Or two: you lot try to take me down. Which will it be, boys?"

But then they pounced. Leering closer as Steph briefly shut her eyes. She was tired of this - tired of being underestimated. Perhaps letting loose was just what she needed.

Opening her eyes a crack, she growled under her breath, "I warned you. Two it is, gentlemen."

The large, greasy haired man before her cocked his head to the side in confusion, unprepared for what was to come.

Steph ripped the large U-shaped bun pins from her hair, allowing for her waves of golden hair to cascade around her face. She lunged forward, the sharp end of the pin aimed away from her body. The edge of the bun pin hit its target directly; leaving a bloody trail down the curly-haired man's face. He growled in annoyance and reached out, grasping her hips firmly in his burly palms.

Steph used his grip on her to her advantage, and used it to create momentum, swinging around her body and kicking him, square in the temple.

Immediately he was knocked unconscious.

Breathing hard, she surveyed the remaining men in the room; it seemed that she had taken out the largest threat, but there was no way to tell if he was the deadliest. Only one way to find out.

Cracking her neck, she bared her teeth at her opponents. She swiped the bloody bobby pin across her tongue, letting the deep red stain her pearly whites.

Spitting the remainder blood from her mouth, she grinned wickedly, "whose fucking next?"

****

Across the room, another set of eyes took in the display before him.

The ginger eyed her like a lion stalking a gazelle. She was impressive, displaying a new side to her that he hadn't seen the first time they'd met.

He was intrigued by her. Her feral, bloody smile was enchanting and the way she took on the challenge of surviving was borderline impressive. She was a little minx, a little burst of energy.

Jerome grinned as she took down yet another Arkham inmate; she was such a pretty little puzzle.

How he longed to have her.

And have her he would.

Andddddddd Jerome is backkkkkkkk

Hope you guys enjoyed
the chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*edited*

Beta read by @Aderly18