Between Stripes

T W E N T Y N I N E

I'd completely underestimated how long it took for one to walk from goddamn Arkham Asylum to the city. The entire sensation of being free (from that stinking prison) and usual blood lust was drowned out by my craving for real food. A cheesburger sounded great. Or ice ceam. Or even a piece of stale bread, I'd happily have it.

The first place I found was a deserted burger bar on the outskirts of the city. It would have to do.

It was seemingly nameless from a distance but approaching it I found the small sign which read "Barty's Burgers". Whoever "Barty" was, he wasn't aware of the intense makeover the burger bar needed. The paint was peeling; the windows were foggy and unintentionally yellow; the door chipped in several places; the leather cushioned bar stools were ripped, the stuffing poking out; the floor was tiled black and what I assumed used to be white; there was a single light for the bar, it hung low from the ceiling and flickered every few seconds.

I glanced down at my attire. Striped. Baggy. Gross. Yeah, it would definitely be a giveaway to my previous whereabouts but I couldn't have cared less at that moment in time.

Stepping inside I found the place empty apart from the single employee who slumped against the bar, flicking through a magazine.

With a grin I made my way to the bar, slamming my hands down upon it. The sudden movement, and sound, made the worker leap backwards, his magazine slipping to the floor.

"Hi buddy, can I get..." I trailed off, looking upwards at the display menus which decorated the wall. "I'll just get a double cheeseburger, I'll pass on condiments and onions and gherkins thanks, with a side of fries. Ooh! And a small shake please!"

The man's buggy eyes grew wide as he looked at me - probably realising who I was.

"Y-you're Georgia F-Fishwick!" He gasped.

"You got that right buddy, now gimme my food." I demanded. He simply stood there, staring at me.

Rolling my eyes I leaned over the counter, snatching up the front of his apron.

"Listen buddy, I've been in Arkham for god knows how long, and all I really want is some grub right about now. So gimme it!" I snarled. He nodded his head madly; once I let go of the apron he whipped round and began to work. With a smile I skipped to one of the few booths in the burger bar and sat down.

The worker sure took his time making my food, at one point I'd wondered if he'd pressed some sort of button to ring the cops but the idea was quickly dismissed. This particular burger bar didn't seem to be able to afford such precautionary options. Heck, they didn't seem to be able to afford a simple shot gun to ward off unwanted visitors. In all fairness I was doing then a favour, eating their food.

"Thanks for the grub pal, it's pretty good! I'll recommend you guys to my friends, poor underrated establishments such as yourselves deserve better!" I grinned, biting into the heavenly cheeseburger.

"Thanks." The worker mumbled before going back to reading his simply fascinating magazine. 

After a moment I spoke again, each and every silence was undesirable. It somewhat reminded me of my most recent stay in Arkham. 

"How's Gotham been then?"

A small, annoyed sigh escaped his mouth as he answered,"it's been better."

"Come on, fill me in on the juicy details."

"That ridiculous ginger psychopath has returned, just the other night he was terrorising the poor Wayne orphan. Yet again."

His words fuelled an unknown anger inside me. It was plain rude to speak of my baby in that tone. Nobody was allowed to do that.

Glancing down, I found that I'd eaten all my food and next to my plate was a somewhat blunt fork. It'd be enough. Probably.

"Who's this then?" I asked, slipping the fork up my sleeve, walking to the burger bar and leaning on it.  Trying hard, I bit back a snarl.

"Jerome Valeska, surely you know him?" He asked, the dark caterpillars on his forehead furrowed together.

"Oh yeah, dear Jerome..." I snarled and then leant forward, grabbing a fistful of his apron. Fear glazed across his face. "Nobody, and I mean nobody, talks about my Jerome in that way!"

A shudder danced through his body, I desperately had to try not to smirk at the pathetic man. He was shaken too easily. That was the case with everyone nowadays; people had to learn to have a spine. Either that or grow one.

"I-I-" he began but a sharp glare from me brought him to an abrupt halt.

"Thanks for the burger buddy." I spat before jabbing the fork into his face. A sharp shout left his mouth.The fork entered his skin at his eyebrow and I dragged it downwards, over his eye. His screams didn't stop as I simply pushed the fork inwards; trying to cause as much damage as possible with the terribly blunt object.

After repeating it a couple of times, I let go of his apron and the (now) bloody fork. The metal fell to the floor with a dull clink. The worker bent over, sobbing and clutching his eye.

I left the burger bar with a slam of the door and headed into the city. It was just waiting for my arrival, I could tell.

The dark clouds above me swirled angrily. Breathing in deeply, I grinned. Yes. Gotham had been waiting for its queen to come back home...

A.N.

Guess who's back??????? It's Georgia! I may've included this song in previous chapters? But I feel as if it's suitable for dear Georgy.

I'm pretty buzzed (British slang for excited) to write the next few chapters but in all honesty I've got next to no clue what's happening for dear Georgia... Either way, she's in for a rollercoaster; there will, no doubt, be blood and that kind of fun stuff!

See ya soon!!!