Falling || Scarecrow

Ch.19

Maria lost count of how many halls she ran through and how many rooms she explored of the asylum's old Gothic structure. Yet she couldn't find Jonathan.

Other inmates barreled past in a hurry as she shielded herself in a shadow, and glad that she did. Because right after the inmates came a tall muscular man clad in blue and black, with grey shoulder armor and a mask. A chain was slung over his shoulder as he easily knocked one of the inmates down with a hit of the chain.

The inmate screamed in pain, but was cut short as the man with the chain lifted the man up by the collar. "Bad decision running away." He growled.

The man struggled in fear as the man with the chain started to drag him down the hall where she needed to go. The screams faded with an echo and she realized that she knew the bigger man's voice.

It was Lyle Bolton.

...

She followed him down twists and turns, always sticking to the shadows. Bolton never looked behind him, yet she kept her guard up.

After about five minutes, Bolton stopped in front of a huge metal door. He typed in a four digit code, and it swung open slowly and with a groan. The door was a foot thick.

Before the door could close after Bolton went through, she slid through the decreasing gap. As soon as she entered, she had to contain a gasp of shock at the sight before her. The hall she arrived in was full of cells with solid bars. Yet she wasn't able to look long as she ducked into a large crevice between a cell and the door as Bolton glanced back once.

Maria hesitantly waited a minute then looked. Bolton continued walking down the hall then turned the corner. Standing from her crouching position, she quickly followed, hooking her scythe back on her back.

As she crept down the hall, she recognized a well known criminal now and then. The first was Clayface. The shifter was behind two inch wide bars, and a plastic like material. He looked defeated and withdrawn like Jonathan had.

Riddler was next, then Firefly. All huddled in corners and looking lost. They didn't even look up when she past.

She had turned two more corners before she saw a more familiar face. "Claudia?"

The woman in the cell lifted her head. Disbelief filled her eyes then amazement. "Maria!"

Maria put a finger go her lips. "I don't know where Bolton went, so talk quietly."

Claudia nodded. "But don't you mean Lock-Up?" She stated and stood up. Wincing when she did.

Maria nodded. "Whatever name he uses." She eyed a keypad by the cell door. "I'm going to get you out."

Claudia shook her head. "It's far too dangerous!" She exclaimed. Fear filled her eyes. "He's way too smart and unpredictable."

"What did he do to you all?"

Claudia who was usually optimistic, looked at her gravely. "He broke us till we lost our hope for getting out. I almost lost hope to see Thomas again..." She admitted. "But that's why he calls himself Lock-Up after all."

Maria shook her head. "I'm getting you out." She repeated and unhooked her scythe, then swung at the keypad.

It was cut in half with a buzzing sound then a muffled beeping. But the door swung open and Claudia stepped out. They embraced each other tightly.

"Thanks." Claudia whispered while pulling away.

She smiled faintly. "I need you to get as many people as you can out."

"How?"

"With this." She handed the scythe over. "Return it when everything has died down."

"But what about you? Where are you going?"

"I need to find Jonathan." Maria stated.

Claudia pulled her in for one more hug. "Hall 12. Cell eighteen." She whispered in her ear. "Good luck."

"Thank you." She whispered.

Claudia gave her one last smile and a wave before darting around a corner.
Maria's smile left her face as she jogged through more silent and dim halls filled with cells. And she wondered if the whole of Arkham knew about this section of the asylum.

It took a couple of right and wrong turns to finally locate Hall 12. And she hesitantly walked forward, counting the cell numbers up as she went.

9, 10, 11.

Maria felt suddenly scared.

14, 15, 16.

The last couple of steps felt like an eternity.

Then Maria stopped in front of Cell #18, heart thudding. Jonathan was sitting down near the back with his head leant back against the wall. His eyes closed as if he was thinking hard about something.

"Jonathan?" She whispered. She clutched on of the bars.

Jonathan opened his eyes and looked at her in confusion. "Maria? What are you doing here?"

He slowly stood up and walked over to the bars. She tried to speak, but her voice failed.

Jonathan seemed to give her a second look over. "Is that blood on your clothes?" He asked worriedly.

She shook her head with tears in her eyes. "Not mine." She promised. "I'll tell you everything once I get you out."

"You need the key code." He reminded her.

She grimaced. "Unfortunately." She mumbled. "I kinda lended my friend my scythe."

He gave her an all familiar amused smile, but his eyes still seemed distant. "The code is 74865."

She tapped it in, and the cage door swung open. Maria was unsure on what to do next, but was surprised when Jonathan hugged her first thing. She let out a startled sound, but hugged back then pulled away and kissed him long and hard.

"And as much as I enjoyed that." She breathed as she pulled away again. "I think it's time we took our exit before anything else happens. Agreed?"

"Agreed."