S t o r m Cloud

F o r t y

Glancing over the railing I saw him, I saw his silhouette first, crouched into a fetal position against a metal box brandished with buttons, a control panel of sorts. My palms grew sweaty as my heart began to pound in my chest, nerves riddling me as I watched the dozen of men listening to their commander, orders being shot left and right.
" Hurry up, he'll be here soon." Their commander bellowed frustratedly as he shoved a henchmen out the way roughly. Turning away from them as he stood before a railing overlooking the chemicals bubbling below. His white suit setting off an eerie glow, fingers running through his tasseled dirty brown hair. As I gazed down watching this mans every move I couldn't help but notice his well defined face, attractive but some how sad looking, like he was constantly grief struck.

As Scarlett stood in the shadows watching the man in the white suit she was unaware of the henchman about to walk across the chain link bridge that she stood upon.
"Hey!" He shouted holding up how gun startling her. Within a instant Scarlett lunges herself forward into a forward roll avoiding the bullet that the henchmen shot, her arm swinging out elbowing the henchmen jusy below his shin. The gunshot startling everyone down below causing them all to look up. As Scarlett leapt back to her feet charging forward, struggling with the henchmen to make him release the gun from his hold, crashing both their bodies into the metal railing. Raising her leg she planted her knee into the mans gut making him cough out a wince as he stumbled forward allowing for Scarlett to guide his body to the metal of the flooring, pushing him down stamping on his fore arm releasing his grasp of the gun knocking it over the edge. Both their eyes following the gun as it fell into a vat below. Scarlett eyes falling upon the man in the white suit in horror. The man in the white suit had two halves of a face, one side was burnt and charred to ash, leaving nothing behind but a nasty after scar of a burn whilst the other half remained perfectly intact.

"Someone restrain her." He bellowed as she knocked out the henchmen beneath her, leaping to her feet hesitantly glancing down to another walkway a few metres below. The door to her walkway clattering open with a thud as two henchmen came from either side.

"Fuck it."

Shakily Scarlett found herself leaping over the railing landing sloppily on the walkway below out of the way of oncoming henchmen storming the platform above. Storming forward she ran across the platform above where the white suited man stood and the curled up form of Jake.
Fire burning in her lungs she dodged the attack of a on looking henchmen tossing him aside as she charged forward towards the metal stairs leading down to the overall platform where both men stood.
As she made it to the end of the stairs she made eye contact with Jake. His heavy eyes staring hollowly towards her, a defeated look in his face as he leant his head against the humming metal. "Jake" she uttered before two henchmen tackled her to the ground, restraining both her arms. As she thrashed around in their grip all he did was stare hollowly as her eyes pleaded with him to get up and help her fight back. He didn't. He just sat there submissively.

" So you're Js little—." " finish that sentence and I'll make sure you never speak a word ever again." Her eyes glancing upwards towards the man in white. His scarred face striking a wave of uncomfortableness inside her as she felt embarrassed that she couldn't look away, shamefully looking the man directly in the eyes. " So word around is right then?" He asked melancholy as he snapped his fingers towards his men, the duo hoisting her to her feet. Their rather large hands engulfing her thin arms digging into her pale skin, no doubt leaving behind a bruise. " cats out of the bag then." She scoffed earning a sharp slap across the face from a henchmen, her head snapping towards Jake as her head hung low, hair falling across her eyes as her lower lip began to ooze droplets of warm blood. "You really shouldn't have done that." She scoffed rolling her head back, snapping it upright ignoring the pain in her neck. " Why ever not. You're right where we wanted you" the voice of Penguin startling them all as he sauntered down the metal staircase swinging his cane in hand, a mischievous skip in his step.
" Oswald." The man in the white suit said turning his attention to him. " Harvey, love the suit." Penguin complimented standing before the man. The pair sharing a quaint nod of acknowledgement. " I see you've met my newest protege." Penguin boasted ignoring Scarlett glare. " Quite interesting isn't she? But not as interesting as this young man here." Penguin sneered making his way towards Jake. Jakes body automatically backing away from penguin flinching at the mere sight of him.
"Leave him alone cobblepot, wouldn't want anymore bruises for the boy. Haven't you caused him enough trauma." Harvey said boredly trying to show as little concern for the boy. His subtly wince going noticed by Scarlett as she saw the way Harvey side eyed her. " Ahh but we haven't caused him enough, or better yet her." Penguin smirked as he pointed his cane towards Scarlett. His cane harshly whipping across Scarlett side knocking her to the ground. Her body falling limp as he beat her again and again. Groans and whimpers filling the air. Until he all of a sudden stopped. A laugh falling from his lips, a snap of the fingers caused Scarlett limp body to be rigged to her feet, head heavy, blood dripping. "I have to admit you've disappointed me." Penguin said leaning in close to her face using his cane to move the hair from her face revealing her tired eyes. " Your friend over there put up a much better fight. Do you want to know what we did to him?" He smirked pulling his lips into a sinister smile. " We beat him with every object imaginable. We took him away from you, we took him and his family. We beat him, stripped him of his divinity, slowly we distinguished that fire inside him. But he wouldn't talk, he wouldn't rat you out. I'll admit that's some loyalty." Penguins hand snatched Scarlett chin making her look towards him as henchmen came and dragged him to his feet a clear translucent chemical in hand. Jake whimpered and flared his arms and legs about in attempt to beat them away. " We tortured him with the help of a friend of ours. You see that chemical there. That chemical is very handy when it comes to getting the answers you want. For getting people to do what you want. Poor Jacob here went off the deep end. More specifically that deep end right there, and he's going to do it again." Penguin laughed as he brought Scarlett gaze towards the platform overhanging a cat of chemicals. " You can't." She uttered eyes widening with panic.