The Madness of Mania (Frerard AU)

Chapter 3

After more than four years of preparation, I finally escaped the asylum. Between a choice of ether and chloroform, I managed to slip past the few nurses idling in the hallway.

I could have escaped a year or two earlier, but my love for solitude would not have been satisfied. And as I stood outside in the fresh, midnight air, a grin of pure joy plastered my face. Freedom feels a lot better when other people think you don't deserve it.

As I jumped the gate, I continued onto the street. Escaping from the 'hospital for the mentally ill' is not as hard as you may think.

Before that day, I didn't particularly have a goal in life. But coming to terms with my freedom altered my cognitive process - old urges resurfaced. I ached to kill again, to feel the warm crimson substance between my fingertips again. The metallic smell - oh I missed the smell. From that point onwards, my purpose was to kill.

I walked happily along the street, beaming as all the wonderful thoughts came flooding back to me. Remembering I was quite a long way away from my former place of residence, I decided to hitchhike.

Before long, a black van pulled up beside me. "Need a ride?" A masculine voice spoke softly.

"Why that would be lovely! Yes please." I grinned mischievously. As I climbed into the passenger seat, I noticed a small pocket knife on the dashboard...how convenient.

The guy turned to me, "So, where to?"

I pointed ahead, "Just that way." In which his eyes followed the direction I was pointing.

"Sorry man, but you're gonna need to be more specific-" His sentence was cut short by the sound of him gurgling on his own blood. As I removed the pocket knife from the side of his neck, blood spilled from the stab wound and his mouth, continuing to choke him.

Unplugging his seatbelt, I shoved his body out of the van leaving him to die on the road side. I climbed over the centre gear stick and handbrake and sat in the drivers seat.

Figuring out how to drive again was a challenge at first, I stalled the van at least twice - it had been roughy seven years since I had last driven a car; those were the days before I was considered a mistake to my family.

The van finally pulled away somewhat smoothly, and I drove to my house. My new home.

By the time I arrived it was the early hours of the morning (it would have been earlier if I hadn't have crashed the van into a nearby tree). I unlocked the door using the spare key and admired the immaculate state the house was in. A wave of nostalgia overcame me as I noticed faint blood stains on the wall.

I walked deeper into the house, noticing the few lights that had been left on. Mikey's bedroom lurked in the corridor - the door slightly ajar. Being the curious bastard I am, I pushed the door open greeted by a figure sprawled across his bed - but it wasn't Mikey.

I heard footsteps behind me. A quick turn led me to face Mikey whose face showed the emotions of fear, hate and confusion all at once - but mostly shock. Apparently the knife that impaled his thigh hadn't killed him after all. He dropped his glass which seemed to hold water as I felt a dampness to the leg of my asylum trousers.

"What. The. Fuck." He breathed out hastily, slowly backing away from me.

The smashing of glass seemed to wake the sleeping guy in Mikey's bed. "Mikey, what's going on? Are you okay?" He asked, a hoarseness to his tired voice. Mikey, on the other hand, was still trembling.

"It's great to see you Mikey!" I beamed, lunging forward to engulf him in a hug. He flinched, scared of what to expect. Scared of me. "It's been far too long. I've missed you greatly." I pouted. "Look how grown up you are!"

"Why are you here." It was more of a statement than a question. He was trying to sound intimidating but it hadn't worked in his favour.

"To see you of course, and apparently your company..."

"The last time I saw you, you tried to kill me." His voice was sincere.

"No, of course I didn't! I told you that, didn't I? You just deserved a little pain, that's all." I smiled.

"You're sick, Gerard." I chuckled at that.

"I'm fine Mikey! That's why I'm here." I rolled my eyes, disregarding the last four years of insanity and mental torture. "Now, are you going to introduce me to your boy toy here or am I going to have to do that myself?"

"Don't call him that" he frowned. "This is Pete...my boyfriend."

"Hi" Pete waved nervously.

"Nice to meet you Pete!" I exclaimed. "I'm Mikey's brother Gerard, I'm sure you've heard lots about me." My grin could not grow any bigger.

"Uh-huh" he nodded, meeting Mikey's eyes for any hope of reassurance. There was none.

I turned to Mikey once again. "I really did miss you, ya know." I gave him a brotherly hug once again, and to my surprise, he hugged me back, even if it was half-heartedly.

"Hope you don't mind, but I'm staying here tonight." I said as I walked out of the room searching for some clean clothes. "I won't be in your hair for too long, I've got some business I need to attend to." I continued. "But in the meantime, I'm going to need you two lovebirds to keep quiet, I don't want to be filing any noise complaints."

I heard their sighs from the other room and continued to gather items - lets just say it wasn't just clothes I was looking for.

I found a collection of knives, in the kitchen draw obviously, but I wasn't so lucky finding a gun of any sort. It turns out the police confiscated my hand pistol, and unfortunately that was the only firearm in the house.

My adventure in search of a new killing machine would have to start tomorrow - well, later on today. 

Even Batman needs his beauty sleep.