We had arrived at The Zone around six thirty and people were starting to fill in. When we got to the door I saw Jeff there turning people away at the door. When we got there he stopped us.
“And just where do you think you’re going?” he asked gruffly.
“Inside to dance.” Selina said seductively.
“I don’t think so ladies. Only select few tonight. Bosses orders.” Jeff smirked at Selina’s frowning face.
“Even for old friends?” I asked stepping up front smirking. “Come on Jeffy, let us in for a bit please?” I said in the fake Irish accent that I would use when it was only us. He looked me up and down before smiling and attacking me in a bear hug.
“Everyone in Gotham is looking for you! Where in the hell have you been?” he laughed and set me down.
“Hostage. But shh.” I said holding a finger to my lips. “The girls just wanna have some fun and the cops really are a bother to me.”
“I knew you were crazy, but avoiding the cops and hanging with them.” He sighed and looked at the girls behind me.
“Look, one night? Please?” I begged.
“You? Anytime. Them… tonight’s fine. Don’t you get yourself hurt you hear me?” he called as we all went through.
“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.” I called out smiling at him. We instantly mixed into the crowd. The girls definitely knew what they were doing but I just felt lost. I never was one to go out dancing; so I just walked over to the bar to see it was unoccupied. Something told me that I needed to stay hidden, but I just couldn’t help myself. I climbed back behind the counter and started mixing whatever drink came to mind. Soon I had a crowd of my own gathered around the wooden countertop.
“Hey, she reminds me a lot of Katrina… The girl who used to be here.”
I heard a bunch of similar stories as I worked.
“Hi, I’m Erin, pleased to meet all of you.” I smiled and put their simple minds to ease. I just continued mixing and that’s when I heard a familiar voice.
“Hey Erin!” I looked up to see Gavin, Molly, and another girl walking over to the bar. “I didn’t know you worked here!” he smiled and so did his sister. The new girl just stared at me.
“Hello Erin.” Molly smiled at me. “Don’t talk to her. But she’s nice. Silence idiot!”
“Nice to see you Molly and Gavin. I don’t believe I met you yet.”
“I’m Tessa.” She smiled. She had short black hair, combat boots, and a black dress on. Her hand was interlocked with Gavin’s and I smiled.
“Nice to meet you.” I smiled and poured them all a drink.
“Oh, we don’t drink.” Gavin smiled at me.
“It’s sprite and coke.” I laughed and they took the drinks.
“When’d you start working here.” Tessa asked me.
“Oh, I don’t work here. I’m just… subbing for the night.” I smiled at them.
“Whatever it works for me.” Gavin laughed.
“What brings you guys to a place like this?” I asked seriously for a second.
“Cops stay away from here and it’s free admission.” Molly shrugged.
“What about you? What are you doing here?” Tessa asked a little forcefully. Her crystal blue eyes looked like they were trying to penetrate my soul or something.
“I’m here with some friends of mine. I’m not much of a dancer, so I came over here.” I shrugged and saw the girls coming over.
“Time to go kitten.” Selina said looking calm, but her eyes held her nervousness.
“What’s up?” I asked frowning.
“The boys need us at home.” She responded. “You know them, can’t do anything on their own.”
“Alright.” I said coming to their side of the bar. “Have a good night guys.” I called over my shoulder to the three kids I left behind.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as soon as we were in the car and Selina was driving.
“Apparently there’s trouble with Ed and Joker right now.” Ivy scowled. “I swear men are so barbaric.” She shook her head. Harley and I looked at each other frowning.
“What’d Mistah J and Eddie do this time?” Harley pouted as we pulled into the garage and could hear a gun going off. Harley and I ran into the room, fully ready to face Killer Croc if we had too. Turns out, Bane and Croc where physically separating the two men from each other. Two Face was the one with the gun and everyone had their eyes on him.
“Everyone just calm down.” He said quietly.
“What was so damn important that you had to pull us out of the club?” Selina was hissing and Ivy was glaring.
“These two fools wouldn’t keep off one another. They started fighting a while back.” John said from Eddie’s couch. “It was pretty stupid actually.”
“You’re telling me Edward Nigma entered some sort of idiotic fight?” I asked sarcastically.
“Be careful, you might drown in all that sarcasm.” Edward growled at me.
“Careful, you might pop a blood vessel.” I cautioned earning a laugh from everyone else. Edward just glared at me and his face started to match his hair in color.
“Katrina, be careful. Eddie’s not the nicest person when he’s angry.” Harley tried to warn me.
“What? Is the little kid going to throw a hissy fit?” I taunted, knowing I was going to push him farther to his tipping edge. He’s done it to me plenty of times, so I figured it was time for some pay back.
“No.” was all that Edward Nigma could say back.
“Oh, Kat’s got his tongue.” Joker started laughing hysterically and I felt my face heat up.
“Is our fair Katrina embarrassed?” Edward started to tease me.
“Psh, as if.” I smirked rolling my eyes. Croc and Joker had been put down by
Bane and Croc and they did their best to stay out of mine and Edward’s way; well everyone was. “I don’t get embarrassed.”
“Really now?” Riddler stepped forwards and gave me what I fondly like to call a lustful kiss. My face did get red but I wasn’t going to let him win this.
“Damn, girl’s got a pair of lungs on her.” Ivy muttered.
“Haven’t you heard her scream?” Harvey asked.
We finally pulled apart and he sat there smirking at me. I just glared when I figured out what he did.
“Edward Nigma don’t you dare manipulate me like that again.” I hissed at him. Right after I finished the sentence I realized just how crazy it sounded but I didn’t care.
“What? I thought you enjoyed that Katrina.” He smirked down at me while I could still see he was upset in his eyes.
“I am not a toy for you to just mess around with and then throw away.” I growled at him. I knew plenty well what guys would do when they got bored with me; I’ve dated too many to count.
“Aw, is our little storm getting upset.” He taunted me; I couldn’t believe how easily the tables had turned. Wait, I could, I mean I was living with the Joker wasn’t I?
“You haven’t even seen me upset yet.” I hissed at him.
“So what do you call this mood you’re in?” he smiled down.
“Slightly agitated.” I ground out.
“Hmm, very interesting.” He started circling me and that’s then Jonathan got up.
“Edward, just leave her be okay?” he tried to help me out, but only managed to make Edward circle me at a slower pace.
“Hmm, very, very interesting.” He mumbled to himself and smiled at me before frowning. “Have you been drinking?”
“What? Me?” I asked shocked.
“Edward, do you honestly think we’d let her drink… more than six?” Selina purred, deciding to take my side on this little fight.
“Gosh Katty, how many did you have?” Harley was completely oblivious to what was going on but she was helping nonetheless.
“Come on guys, I didn’t have that much.” I rolled my eyes and smirked. Edward just frowned when Ivy came up beside him and smiled.
“You have to admit, she can hold her liquor.” Selina tried not to laugh but we all failed and started laughing hysterically. We were all on the floor holding our sides.
“I don’t drink Edward.” I laughed. He just stood there frowning and walked off to his ‘lair.’ I heard the door slam and I sighed.
“I’ll go apologize.” I rolled my eyes and walked to the door. I knocked and could hear stuff being moved around in the room. “Edward?” I paused and sighed at the silence. “Edward I’m sorry.” There was still nothing so I turned and walked away, rubbing my temples.
“Stay on the property Kat!” I heard Harvey yell at me.
“Oh hush.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m going to my room. Everyone knows it’s not smart to go out in Gotham at night by yourself.” I laughed to myself. I was living with Two Face, the Joker, and Scarecrow… what should I be scared of? There was Hush… and Zsasz. Yes, I’m just going to stay home tonight.
“He’ll be better in the morning Katrina.” Jonathan smiled at me. I sat on the couch with him and rested my head on his shoulder.
“I hope so.” I yawned and before I knew it I was asleep.
“Katrina.” I heard a chilling voice say. I stood up in the middle of Gotham Enterprise and looked around. The room was empty; all I could see were the glass walls, stone floor, and a metal staircase that wrapped all the way around the building.
“Katrina, what do you do when you go into your room? When you sit in your red recliner and stare off into space, what are you really thinking about?” the voice got closer and closer to me. I backed up against the stairs and started running up them. The voice just laughed at me and I could smell burning flesh. I looked over the edge to see Crystal and Austin, laid out next to each other like my parents had been, and they were burning. My eyes grew wide and I kept running up the stairs to avoid the coming fire. I was looking behind me and ran into something, or someone. His laughter made my skin crawl and I looked up, seeing Zsasz standing over me with a knife in his hand.
“Zsasz.” I breathed and he walked towards me. I did my best to scoot back, but I ended up flipping down the stairs.
“Poor Katrina, why don’t you just give up? I can cure you from this terrible disease!” he called after me as I fell into the fire and could feel the skin burning off the bone.
I woke up with a hand on my mouth just as I started to scream. I looked around frantically and saw I was in Jonathan’s room. I started to cry and I leaned back into his arms and held onto him tightly.
“It’s okay Katrina. Everything’s okay.” He was whispering to me as he stroked my hair and tried to calm me down.
“It was Zsasz,” my voice shuddered. “Crystal and Austin were burning… and I fell back in the fire… He tried to cut my throat.” I started crying and he held me closer.
“It’s okay Katrina, I got you. It was only a nightmare, he’s not going to touch you.” John said trying to calm me down. “I won’t let him and neither will anyone else.”
I got in control of my breathing and was finally able to sleep again.
--- Jonathan’s POV---
Katrina fell back asleep and I sighed. Her nightmares were getting worse each time, but she wasn’t having them that often anymore. Then again, normally she was in her room with Edwards. I frowned as I thought about earlier. He was almost as stubborn as she was. They were perfect together yet he was still struggling to admit to his Riddler side that he wanted her completely. I shook my head and carefully laid Katrina on the bed and stepped out the room for a minute. I waited a minute or two before finally walking down the stairs; so far she was quiet. I walked into the kitchen and filled a glass with water. After she fell asleep on the couch she had started to frown and move in her sleep, so I moved her into my room in hopes that she wouldn’t disturb anyone. The girls along with Joker and Harvey were still on the couches watching a game show.
“Don’t let Edward catch her. He’ll just give her a harder time.” Ivy was suddenly frowning beside me.
“I’m not doing anything to her but helping.” I said defensively. “She had another nightmare.”
“And you took her to your room because?” Ivy’s eyebrows rose.
“Because she always ends up trying to come find me after she has one.” I sighed. I looked up to my room door and could hear that she started was talking in her sleep. “I’ve got to go.” I ran up the stairs and I heard Edward’s door open and close as I entered to find Katrina crying in her sleep again. I grabbed a spare blanket and wrapped it around her before I climbed in bed and fell asleep beside her.
---Katrina’s POV---
I had dreamed the rest of the night, but thankfully none of them were nightmares. I looked around to see that John was laying down beside me in complete peace. I smiled and edged my way off the bed. Before I left I placed the blanket over him and quietly opened and shut his door. That’s when the door to Edward’s room opened and he walked out, glaring at me. I just stood there like a deer caught in headlights.
“What are you doing in his room?” he crossed his arms hissing at me.
“I was sleeping.” I said back with just as venom.
“You have your own room.” He frowned.
“Yes, well I fell asleep on the couch and I guess he decided to bring me to his room instead.”
“He brought you there?” his eyes got wider and I just sighed.
“Yes he did. Now can you let me through? I need to go to my room.” I rolled my eyes and tried to get to the staircase. He moved and backed me up against the wall.
“Seems like you have everything you need in Jonathan’s room though. Why would you need your own?” he glared at me.
“Edward. Get off of me.” I hissed. He got closer and that’s about the time John came out of his room. He saw us and threw Edward off of me.
“What are you doing to her?” he growled and I ran downstairs into my room. I shut the door and fell to the floor with my head in my hands.