Crazy Eyes ✧ Gotham [2]

chapter twenty

They entered slowly, each clutching their own flashlight that illuminated the dark room. Overgrown plants were covering the walls, making it look more like a greenhouse than a large abandoned building. Jane moved some plants out the way, following Bruce closely. Jane watched as Bruce moved his flashlight to the wall, revealing a dead man strangled by the plants. They could barely see his face but it was obvious he didn't have a peaceful death. 

They continued to move slowly throughout the building, seeing more dead men, until finally movement caught their attention. 

Three men appeared in front of them, looking like they were getting ready to fight the two. They looked scared but were clearly trying to put up a front that they weren't. 

"Are you with her?" One man spoke out. 

Jane eyed him. "Who?"

"The witch." The man spoke as if it were obvious. 

Bruce and Jane slightly glanced at each other. "We're not with the witch," Bruce spoke very calmly. "We just came here for her help."

"Come for her magic, have you?" He spat. "So did others from our district. And look at them now!" He gestured towards the men they saw walking in. "They came for help, too, and she took their souls!" Now the man started to have a sick look cross his face. "But she'll never kill again. We have her this time."

"You captured her?" Jane asked, slightly intrigued.

"She's locked in the storeroom back there. We stripped it clean before we locked her in." The man looked around the room. "Plants, you see. She talks to them. Makes them do things. So we took her light, water; put salt on the floor. She's helpless now."

Jane understood why they wanted revenge, but to watch as this man described with great thrill them capturing and torturing a woman made Jane feel sick to her stomach. She subtly moved hi right hand to her holster, ready to pull out her knife if needed. 

"I need to talk to her," Bruce told them. 

"No," The man answered bluntly. "We sent for more of us. When they come, we burn her."

Ok, yeah. Jane was definitely getting ready for when these freaks turned psycho. 

After a moment, Bruce spoke to them again, trying to reason with them. "Listen, My-our brother is missing. I know this witch took him." Jane nodded, playing along. "We need to find out what she did with him."

"Please, let us talk to her," Jane chimed in. "We just need five minutes. Then you can do whatever you want. Burn her all you want."

The man shook his head. "Your brother's dead. She'll kill you too."

"Five minutes," Bruce echoed. 

Eventually, the man nodded and pointed behind Bruce and Jane. "In there."

The two of them walked closer to the opening and looked in. Laying by the wall was a red headed women wearing head to toe green. She looked slightly unconscious and a little helpless in there. Salt was covering the floor, besides the area she was in. She was trapped. 

Next to Jane, Bruce's face hardened. "Hello, Ivy."

Ivy? Who's Ivy?

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The five minutes started the moment they walked into the room Ivy was in. Her eyes fluttered open as Jane's flashlight reached her face. She gasped slightly, looking helpless as ever.