Freedom

Part 21: Zaardon

When Jerome was let out of solitary confinement, he strode into general population. Barbara was seated against Sionis comfortably; Aaron painted Barbara's toes. She was the Diva of Arkham Asylum. Danica sat beside Greenwood, playing spades with him casually. Jerome plotted himself down beside her and placed a kiss on the corner of her scarred mouth. Danica beamed at him, continuing the card game.

"So," Jerome said, "you beat down another guard, huh?"

"It was the pills, dear," Danica sighed.

"Maybe you should only take those when you want to go on a spree," Jerome sighed, then touched her leg under the table, "or when we go on one of our sprees."

Danica hid a smile as she placed her cards on the table. Jerome's fingers pushed her dress up past her knee.

"Babe," Danica hissed.

Jerome growled into her ear, "Mmm, no fun." He released her dress accordingly and shrugged. "Later, huh?"

Danica nodded.

Barbara sighed. "Someone tell me a funny story."

Sionis opened his mouth; Danica ignored him and turned to Jerome.

"The guards aren't going to let you and I get within five inches of each other if alone."

"The idea," Jerome said, "was to do right under their noses...or a table."

"Well, I-"

The familiar alarm of a new inmate sounded and a lumbering man entered the fray, dressed in a ridiculous customer. Danica stared at him incredulously.

"I am Zaardon!"

He caught the attention of the others who paused discussion in a what the fuck way as he said-

"I am Zaardon, the Soul Reaper!"

Then he didn't speak any more. Just stood there with his hands outstretched expectantly.

"He's gonna be one of those, isn't he?" Danica asked, annoyed.

"Deluded, demented, fermented, excluded," Jerome said with a due
smile. "The interesting type."

Zaardon jumped onto the table. The crowd stared up at him like Dude (which is an honestly tough bit since it's an Insane Asylum).

"My patience is wearing thin. Surrender your souls to my Mercy. Or I swear by the Master! I shall feast on your pain! I shall gorge on your torment! I shall crush you like a bug!"

Then he bent forward, gagging and coughing. Danica watched him fall onto the table, face up. Nothing was different until he opened his mouth and a fucking weird blue smoke billowed out of him.

Danica rose to her feet. The smoke clouded them all,

"Don't breathe it!" Danica called out to Jerome and the others. "It's knock-out gas! It's-"

However everyone got a good hit from it before she could say what it was. Just like Zaardon, Danica bent forward and started coughing, hacking. Everyone else did too.

Then darkness.