The Doctor Is In

Almost Got 'Er

   I adjust my wig back on as I race down the staircase to meet the other security guards. Behind me, I can hear the pounding on the walls as well as Ozzy’s shrieking Penguin voice. As the Penguin, he’s decided the best voice is a gruff Cockney accent, but his actual voice is neither gruff, nor even vaguely British. Super criminals either create a persona for themselves to escape into, or use their persona to showcase their true selves, and I’m not sure which is scarier.

A part of me feels terrible for teasing Ozzy like that. He’s already been subject to so much, at this point I’m just adding to the fire. That’s why it’d be best if we just went our separate ways, the way he is now he could have any woman he wanted, so why he continues this wild goose chase mystifies me.

“Doctor, you’re alive…” one of the security guards gasps as I appear from out of the shadows of the dark staircase.

“Which way is the exit, do you know?” I ask, avoiding explaining how I escaped that seemingly impossible situation.

The female security guard points to the right, “That way leads to the Gotham sewers, we can escape into the city from there.”

That’s in the same general direction as the Arkham Manor. I’ll follow them for now, and then I’ll slip away when I get the chance.

The group moves slowly, cautiously making their way through the damp cobblestone floors of the Arkham underground. I can’t help but turn my head around every now and again, making sure nobody is following us.

The direction we take goes completely straight for a very long time without turning, and I grow increasingly paranoid that Ozzy and his men were somehow tailing us. Just then, I hear an explosion from far down the hallway. The guards stop, turning around to see what it was, but we’re too far ahead to see anything.

“I say we not take a chance on that.” I recommend.

“Hold your horses.” one of the guards impatiently refutes.

Footsteps sound all through the dank, rounded corridors. The clanking noise made on the pavement is clear and distinct. These have to be fancy shoes, the work boots commonly worn by the security guards wouldn't make this kind of sound.

I quietly slip to the back of the group and slowly continue to back down the hallway, still facing the security guards. The guards have their guns drawn, waiting for the figures to approach,

“Who’s there?” one of the patients asks, his hands shaking as they clenched his weapon.

I find two branching corridors that bend left and right, the left one will take me to the manor. I slip behind this new passageway, but peek out from behind it as my fears are confirmed. Ozzy and at least seven thugs have the security guards outnumbered, their guns trained on them.

“This can go very smoothly if you gentlemen corporate.” Ozzy states, twirling his signature umbrella, “Just tell me where the girl is and I just might let you all get on with your day.”

The guards look around among themselves and realize I’m no longer there.

“She...she was here just a second ago-”

Ozzy raises his umbrella, “Fine then, you’re all useless. Waste them, boys!”

Making a snap judgement, I pick up a loose stone from the wet floor and hurled it over the other side, causing a loud clacking sound as it hit the wall on the other corridor and splashes into a puddle.

“Hey, what was that? Sounds like it came from over there!” one of the thug notices, pointing to the opposite passageway.

I take this opportunity to start running down my preferred path as the thugs bypass the stunned guards and run down the wrong corridor. I look back one more time, as see that Ozzy is the only one left, standing at the fork of the two paths. Not looking ahead, I don’t notice a wedge in the floor and trip, collapsing into some shallow water and making a fair amount of noise. Ozzy immediately turns around and sees my shadow against the pale green lanterns, and apparently, this is enough for him,

“Hey, hey boys! She went this way! Boys? Hey...you idiots!” they’ve run too far ahead to hear him, and he sets off on his own.

I’ve already gotten a bit of a head start against him, and with his physique, it should be impossible for him to catch up to me.

“Trixie, love, you really shouldn’t be running from me.” he warns, his voice echoing down the hallway.

The passageway becomes increasingly narrow as I continue running down it. I reach the end of hallway to find several branching passageways, each arching in a maze-like fashion, with paper thin walls and a high, rounded ceiling. I go down one randomly, hoping to lose him in the twists and turns.

“Why shouldn’t I?” I ask back, my voice echoing around the room, giving no clear indication as to where I was.

“Well, you can’t run forever, can you?” he challenges.

“And you can’t chase me forever.” I counter, cautiously making my way through the maze, “So I guess we’ll have to see who drops first.”

“It takes a lot more work to be the hunted than the hunter. The hunter only has to win once.”

I reach a dead end, and as I begin to loop around, I catch a glimpse of his figure passing by. I jump back, hoping he didn’t see me. Not daring to look behind the wall, I hold completely still, his dizzyingly loud footsteps disorienting and well as terrifying me.

The footsteps slow down, coming to practically a crawl, leaving enough room in-between each step for the deafening sound to complete its echo across the chamber.

I wait a few more seconds before darting out and making a run for it across the hall. I dash to the right, where I spot the exit. I pick up the pace, I’ve outmaneuvered him.

As I reach the last intersection before the exit, Ozzy jumps out from behind the right path, tackling me to the ground and knocking off my wig. He has both of his meaty hands tightly grasping my wrists, and his long nose is only inches away from mine. The both of us are gasping for air, settling down from the previous events.

Ozzy chuckles giddily, and scent of cigarettes waffs from his breath. I reflexively turn away, but he just as quickly pulls me back. I realize that his arms are now wrapped around my arms and waist, locking me into place.

He smirks, “I win.”

I try to push my way through, but his weight is pressing against my stomach, keeping me glued to the floor.

He runs one hand through my hair, resting it on my neck. My breath picks up again...I’d forgotten what it’s like to be in his arms.

“Trixie…” he’s not very good at expressing his thoughts, with the exception of his psychotic ones, but him calling me by his affectionate nickname says it all.

I give a melancholy smile, and use his loosened hand to abruptly grab his arm, and yank him down, turning us both over so that I’m the one on top now.

Ozzy laughs, but when I get up, he realizes that what he’d thought was a romantic advancement was just a ploy to get him off of me.

“Trust me, it’s for the best.” I tell him, before disappearing into the passageway exit.