DECODE {The Batman 2022}

VII

Zatanna woke up in the morning knowing exactly where she was. There was no need to remember that she was locked up, She barely slept because of it. Every sound had her waking up and every time she moved she was reminded of the heavy metal chains that she wore. Behind the lazy boy was a small window covered with nicotine-stained white blinds. She sat up and looked at the food that was on the bed stand. She didn't touch it, she couldn't — she had been fighting the urge to throw up all night.

    She looked toward the door, it was still closed — no sign of Edward entering at any point in the night. She would've heard it. She held the chains up off the ground and quietly stood up. With soft steps, she made her way to the window, she just wanted to know where she was. She moved around the Lazy-boy and reached up to touch the blinds but her body stopped just an inch away from the window. She tried adjusting the chain and spinning the lazy-boy to the side. She pulled at the chain but it wouldn't budge.

    Zatanna didn't know what overtook her, but she let out a loud scream. Her voice cracked and she bent grabbed the root of her hair with her hands. The door slammed open, the knob banging against the wall. She didn't notice until she was grabbed by her shoulders and pushed up against the wall. Her eyes went wide and she grabbed at the heavy green jacket in front of her. His breathing was heavy she didn't need to look up to know he was in his mask. She shoved him back and he stumbled back, maybe a bit surprised that she actually was fighting back.

    He raised his voice and let out a long, "Nooo! No! No! No!" He grabbed the chain and threw it under his boot. Zatanna fell to her knees and the pain that shot through her legs was enough to remind her of the losing battle she was in. "Why are you fighting me?" He asked.

    She laughed, a real hard laugh. "Are you fucking serious?" She met his eyes and grimaced at the mask on his face. "Look at you!" She rattled the cuffs on her wrists. "You kidnapped me! You lied to me! I'm like this because of you!" 

    It was his turn to scream, he pulled her up by the back of her hair and grabbed her throat in his other hand. She yelped at the tight grip on her hair but once she was on her feet he let go of her hair. His hand was still on her neck, firm but not choking her. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

    "I am doing this for you!" He said in a low voice like he was tired of explaining it. "Don't you understand, everything I do, I do for you!"

    "Don't! Don't you dare put this on me!" Hot tears fell down her cheeks. "This isn't what I want! I never asked you to do any of this!"

    He turned around and let out a loud scream as he hit his head again and again. Zatanna's face curled up in a grimace. Edward sobbed out and his face turned bright red.

    "Stop it." She said, her bottom lip trembled. He turned around quickly and looked at her, his mask covered everything but his eyes.

    "Stop it!" He lunged at her screamed in her face.

    She looked into his eyes, her own matching the fire that burned in his, "I hate you," She whispered.

    He shot a hand out grabbing at the back of her head. His slim fingers gripped at the root of her hair, her head tiltled up as he pulled her hair down. A chuckle escaped his lips, their breathing both heavy and ragged.

    "I won't let you scare me." She said in the strongest voice she could muster. Her violet eyes shining with unshed tears.

    He slowly brought his head down, the nose of his mask nearly brushing against her nose. "Too late," he whispered. "And what scares you the most isn't that I kidnapped you, or killed the mayor. No, no, no... it's that no matter what I do you know you'll always need me."