LUNATICS || Gotham²

13 || Hell On Earth

I crossed my arms, staring at the woman slumped in the chair. Her vacant, wide eyes stared into oblivion as if her mind had detached from her body. Crimson streaks of blood ran down from her ears, staining her collar. Small, almost inaudible gasps slipped from her lips, remnants of air escaping her chest. Faint sizzling sounds emitted from the burnt skin.

I didn't think she would last as long as she did with the amount of pain inflicted on her. I was wrong. She gave us a lengthy, twisted satisfaction - the sweetest kind of revenge. To see her there, Jerome mindlessly cranking up the voltage, the agony she felt. It couldn't match the pain I had endured, but it was enough to satiate the burning anger in my chest.

But now it was time to escape.

Jerome had concocted something grandiose for our getaway. It consisted of Jonathan Crane, aka The Scarecrow... and Jervis Tetch. The memory of the day Jervis tried to poison Oswald and I remained fresh in the back of my mind. I wasn't ecstatic to hear he'd be part of this, but then again, Arkham Asylum was the last place I wanted to stay. So, I'd play along... for now.

Jerome and I waited behind the black and yellow doors of Ward E. There was a large, lime-green skull spray-painted at the center. An annoyed huff escaped the ginger's lips, his patience wearing thin. "Those idiots are taking their sweet time. They better not have left us behind," He grumbled, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

I smirked, staring at his expression. "Calm down." His gaze flickered to mine, an eyebrow arching in curiosity. I leaned closer, "We invented chaos. They need us."

Jerome's scowl softened, replaced by a manic, wild grin. He pressed a kiss on my lips. "Oh, how right you are, gorgeous." I beamed, pulling him down for another kiss. His grip tightened, and he deepened the kiss with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. A quiet groan escaped his lips, and my lips curled against his.

The sharp crackle of electricity yanked us out of our moment. Jerome kept his arm firmly around my waist, his grip possessive yet guarding. Smoke billowed out, thick and suffocating. I coughed, trying to wave it away, the acrid smell making my nose wrinkle in disgust. Alarms wailed through the asylum, declaring chaos. The heavy doors opened, revealing Jervis Tetch and Jonathan Crane on the other side. A lone guard accompanied them.

My boyfriend took the initiative, striding forward confidently. I matched his pace, walking beside him and stopping before the others.

Jervis' eyes lit up the moment he saw me, and an unsettling grin spread across his face. "I knew it." He guffawed. I furrowed my brows, exchanging a wary look with Jerome as the man laughed hard. Jerome had warned me about his fixation. "You can't escape your reality, White Rabbit."

My arms crossed tightly over my chest, remembering the night he told me that. "Don't call me that."

"My sincerest apologies -"

"You also tried to kill me." My voice was sharp, laced with resentment. His smirk faltered, and he shot an uneasy glance at Jerome, whose gaze was deadly.

Jerome growled low in his throat, but before he could act, I reached out and grabbed his hand. As tempting as it was to watch him tear into Jervis, we couldn't afford to sabotage the partnership this fast. Jerome's jaw ticked in frustration, but he relented, diverting his eyes to his wrist as if checking the time. He hiked up his sleeve, exposing pale skin underneath, marked with freckles.

A disappointed clicking came from his lips as he pointed at his arm. "When I say three hairs past a freckle, gentlemen, I do not mean five hairs past." His gaze darted between the two men in a scolding manner. "Let's do better next time, hmm?"