Sugar

Invisible Cell

Under Jerome's orders, Harley and two other fellow inmates made their way from the rec room to the S-unit, where Oswald's cell was.  She walked several strides ahead of the others behind her, making it clear she was the ringleader as she slung the keys around her pointer finger.  She stops silently at the door, hearing snores from insides, and peaking up to look through the barred window.  The others snickered behind her, but she just rolled her eyes, unlocked the cell, and tossed the bag to them.  

They flanked from behind her while she stood in the doorway on lookout duty, and nodded the command to take him.  They laughed, throwing the bag over his head, and watching him wake him with a slight struggle, but him staying oddly obediant the entire way to the rec room.  She shrugged thinking he had surrendered, which didn't matter to her, it made her delivery easier and called for a happier Jerome.  Despite the uneasiness she felt at the pit of her stomach, she still made not a sound, walking back towards the rec room, the other two following behind her, holding Oswald tight in their grasp.

Harley opened the doors to the rec room, holding it open for the inmates as they walked in with their delivery.  Harley followed behind, letting the door close quietly, walking around the crowd of people to stand beside Jerome. 

"Ah, Harley!"  He says, picking up the noose.  "Well done, babydoll!"  He says with a gravel voice, a smile, and a pat to her head.  He then turned his attention to the inmates who dragged Oswald in.

"Alright, Oswald!  Ole buddy, ole pal,"  He says, tightening the thick rope.  "Tonight, we're gonna cure ya,"  He says deeply.  Harley steps a few paces back, but still stays close to her ginger, ready to protect him if need be.  The inmates walk Oswald up the steps Jerome had laid out, turning him to face the crowd of people Jerome had conjured up.

"Make me laugh, or else,"  He says simply, placing the noose around his neck, the bag still on his head.  

"Call this, the final death round," He adds..but he paused.  

"Shit,"  Harley mutters, feeling the goosebumps rise on her skin and the heat of fear wash through her veins.  Jerome removes the bag, finding,

"Detrex?"  He says in confusion, but from Harley stood against the nearby pillar, she saw his fists ball up and he shouted,

"Harrrleeeey!"  He growled, venom dripping from his tone.  Yet, Harley saw the urine, but saw Oswald too late.  Just when she was about to warn him, Jerome simply jumps down stiffly, as Oswald came through with a lamp, slamming it down onto the liquid.  Electric buzzes went through the air as Harley stared wide-eyed as Detrex convulsed and fell over dead.

Jerome dropped the bag, turning to glare harshly at Harley.  She froze, eyes wide in fear as Jerome took 3 massive strides to her, and had her neck in his grip, forcing her against the wall.  Harley squeaked when her head hit the concrete and groaned when his hand tightened around her windpipe.

"You had one job,"  He growls, dark eyes penetrating her soul.  Harley could see tints of red, and her fingertips felt cold when she reached up to claw at his hand in desperation.  Tears stung her eyes and she felt the pores on her body burn as they opened up to release the nervous sweat.  Her mouth hung open, gasping for air, feet dangling from the ground.

'I-I'm s-sorr-y,"  She gasps out, her heartbeat pounding in her ears and her limbs growing tried from lack of oxygen, her head beginning to ache and spin.

"Did you even look to make sure it was him?"  He growls, hard eyes making her tears spin over in shame and fear.  This was the Jerome she always tried so desperately to avoid.

"No,"  She whispers, hopefully her eyes begging for him to release her.  She gazed at his scarred face and saw his eyes soften slightly. He released her, as she fell to the floor, gasping and groaning in pain.  She cries, curling herself into a ball, scooting into the pillar she was almost strangled to death against.  She held her throat lightly, knowing a bruise would most likely form, she cried softly, sniffling and shuddering, apologizing over and over softly to herself...she knew she deserved the punishment he gave. Jerome just ignored her, as he shifted to Oswald, who stood with heavy breathing, gritted teeth, and balled fists.  

"Okay, that was clever...ish."  Jerome says in annoyance, his voice back to normal.  Acting quickly, Oswald garbs a spork from the nearby table, and aims it at Jerome as if he would use it as a weapon.  Harley shuddered, clutching the hand with the scar and watching Jerome fiddle with his overall straps, observing Oswald's next move with the plastic utensil.

"Yeah, that's a spoon,"  Jerome says.  

"It is also a fork!"  Oswald yells, jerking it at Jerome aggressively.

"Mmm, Harley knows all about those,"  Jerome reminds, spitting her name out in  disappointment, glancing over at the curled up blond against the concrete.  She makes eye contact with him briefly, before looking down in shame.

"Looks like you still got some fight in you still, but its just too little, too late, too...boring,"  Jerome dismisses it, turning his back to the man, waving a hand behind him.  "Lobotomize the little bird,"  He says.  But right before Harley could close her eyes with her hand to neglect watching it, Oswald stutters out a "wait, wait,"

Jerome pauses, still not yet turning to face him.

"You said, this prison is all in my mind?"  He starts, peaking Jerome's interest as he turns with an eye roll and a scowl.  It however also peaked Harley's attention as she sat up on an elbow silently, watching and waiting.

"Maybe...I'm in a prison right now!"  He says with a crazed smile.  "A prison, where you, can't get to me!"  Harley tilts her head in confusion...did he get hit too hard yesterday afternoon?

But that's when Oswald puts his hands up, sucking in a breath to go silent.  He starts waving hands about, making it give the illusion of a glass box as he slid around, finally stopping, his hands gripping imaginary bars, as he waved at Jerome with a massive smile.  Jerome smirks a little, shrugging his shoulders.  

"Okay,"  He reaches out fro a stake given to him by an inmate, taking it and walking over to where Oswald stood.  He hits the tip of the blade lightly.  "You really are..nuts,"  Jerome whispers.  Oswald still held the smile, his hands still gripping thin air as he nods, Jerome thrusts the tip of the stake to Oswald's stomach, a gasp escaping from the crowd.  Harley sits all the way up on her bottom, leaning against the pillar as she watched.  Oswald shrugs when Jerome removes the seemingly stuck blade, and taps the invisible bars.

"Clack, clack, clack,"  Jerome growls, hitting thin air and waving the stake around.  Oswald point up, and Jerome hooks his hands on an invisible ledge, jumping up, but coming back down with a huff when he couldn't get to it.  Oswald staying quiet, as he pointed to his left, Jerome nodding and walking over, standing still where Oswald pointed.  

Oswald bends over, opening the invisible cell door with a mouth-made creaking sound, letting Jerome tall figure walk through with his head held high in victory.  But Jerome jerks his head back in mock pain, bending down to accommodate to the apparent short cell.  It was then Oswald grabbed Jerome's shoulders, kneed him in the stomach making him fall to the ground, and close the invisible door to the 'cell', where he proceeded to beat the ever living hell out of Jerome.  Harley sat silently watching, not having the energy to move, as Oswald finally stopped, letting loose a crazed laugh and yelling down at the bloody Jerome.

"Who's laughing now, you ginger-snap!"  He yells down, then turns to face the crowd of inmates pumping his fists in the air with a victorious, "Yes!".  It was then, Jerome's cringy cackle came back from the dead, laughing at the shocked Oswald, who stood very still with his mouth open.

"See, I told ya i'd cure ya!"  Jerome says with a smile.

"Don't flatter yourself!"  Oswald snaps back.  Jerome rose to his knees in front of Oswald with a giant smile.

"One more, one more,"  He begs as Oswald kicked his jaw, making Jerome fall over laughing.  Oswald rolling his eyes in annoyance.  

"C'mere, Harls,"  She hears Jerome say as Oswald walks off, the other inmates scattering.  Harley is hesitant at first, until Jerome turns his head to look at her with big eyes that she couldn't resist.  She crawled over, next to his bloody head, picking it up tenderly and placing it in her lap as she sat with her legs crossed.  

"I'm sorry I choked ya, dollface.  What leader would I be without setting examples...without any exceptions,"  He gurgles.  Harley nods silently, kissing the giant scar along his forehead, running her fingers through his hair.

"I understand, it's okay, J,"  She whispers, wiping the blood from his nose with the sleeve of her Arkham uniform