「 F O R T Y 」
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Scarlett stumbled out from Penguins Ice berg lounge dazed and disoriented tripping over her own two feet. Determined to go after Penguin and Katrina she sat in the cold night air upon the motor cycle she'd stolen from Harley and Joker opposite a large nuclear building . Her eyes flickering up to the black letters painted along the side; Ace chemicals.
Not every teenagers ideal pitch for a Friday night out, but for Scarlett this was just the tip of the ice berg.
The sound of a thud behind her startled Scarlett, her automatic reaction to defend herself. The people of Gotham city who lurked around here were renowned for being merciless. Swinging her arm out knife in hand, turning on her heel of her boots.
" Why am I not surprised that you're here?" Damian said clutching a hold of her wrist stopping her swift motion of nearly taking his eyes out. Squeezing her wrist as she winced releasing the blade. Stepping out the shadows as they both stood beneath the dim glow of a street light. " Careful could of took someone's eye out." He chastised releasing her wrist. "Damian." Scarlett huffed reaching down the grasp her blade, tucking it back into the gap of her jacket sleeve. "Let me guess heard word from a little birdie that something was happening?" Sarcastically Damian scoffed hiding his smirk from her view. " Something like that. Don't suppose you have something to do with it?"
" Something like that yeah. You better go." Scarlett said before attempting to make her way towards the building. " Or you can leave it to the professionals. We've got this under control." The voice of Dick Grayson said as he leapt from the rooftop of a small building landing beside the duo.
" I'm good thanks." Scarlett snapped snobbishly moving away from the two boys. Sauntering towards the entrance of the building.
" She's going to get herself killed one of these days." Dick said shaking his head checking his wrist, reading the small screen.
Sneaking inside the chemical plant proved a lot easier than most would expect. You'd think for such a high facility they'd have it more guarded. Well apart from the small fact that majority of Penguins men had infiltrated the building standing guard at all exits. It wasn't too difficult for Scarlett to distract them, it was like walking straight into a store, a highly dangerous store.
Scarlett crept through a metal hatch door lurking in the shadows as she entered a very large section of the warehouse. The soft humming of machinery filling her ears as she crept slowly upon a metal chain link platform acting as a bridge across another level of a chain link bridge. Both of which hanging over multiple vats of acidic toxic chemicals bubbling slowly coming to a cool as of the late hour. The bubbling of the chemicals in the bag reminded Scarlett of a witches cauldron, a toxic brew bubbling and boiling waiting to be served to its unsuspecting victims. Beneath her above the cats of bubbling chemicals murmurs of men could be heard. Not so quietly shouting at one another, one commanding others to and through.
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.
They where going to make him jump.
" Oh but we can. Don't you see." His menacing eyes glistening with excitement. " Your parents did this, this is where they became who they are. Now it's his turn."
"Stop you can't do this." Scarlett shouted struggling against the two henchmen. " Why are you doing this." Hot tears burning at her glossing eyes as Jake stiffly began to stand, his feet slowly etching towards the platform.
" What have I done to any of you?" Scarlett pleaded as her eyes made contact with those of mr Harvey Dent. "It's not what you've done, it's what you're going to do. Who you're going to do all of this for. More specially who you can stop getting in our way—." Penguin taunted.
A pair of hands clapping slowly, tauntingly echoed around the factory. The misogynistic laugh creeping through the shadows. Emerging from the darkness, gliding down the metal stair well like smoke was the Joker adorned in his infamous crocodile skinned trench coat, expression cold as stone chiseled upon his face. " What do we have here" Joker teased stepping before the group. His eyes calculatedly glancing around the group. " Have to say Penguin I was a little disappointed in the lack of invitation." The two men gazing at one another intensely. " That would be because you weren't invited J. But not that, that matters. You're just in time for the show. ." Penguin cheered clapping his hands together joyfully. " This must bring back some good memories my old friend." Penguin walked towards Joker patting him on the back, in return earning an animalistic snarl from Jokers lips, Joker arm reaching out grasping Penguin collar roughly shaking him up. " Get on with it." He sneered letting go of Penguin watching as he stumbled.
" I think it's time don't you Scarlett dear." Penguin called. " Time you make the choice, it's your call." Scarlett eyes narrowing growing even more weary. She couldn't let Jake jump but she couldn't make a deal with Penguin. " Either your friend can take the leap or you can. Tell me? Would you be there to catch him when he falls?" A sinister laughing filling the air as Penguin smirk grew bigger and bigger.
" You can't do this! You can't make him do that, you can't make me do that." Scarlett shouted fighting against the two henchmen's hold. " Why would you do this?" " Because I know doing this is killing not just you but killing someone else so much more. Now choose."
"Scarlett." Makes voice shouted as he stood on the platform, heavy sunken eyes calling out to her. " It's okay, I have to do this." " No you don't, you don't have to do this. Please...don't." Hot tears painted her tainted cheeks as she struggled in the men's hold. "It's okay." He said tears of his own falling down his cheeks.
"No" she screeched thrashing in their hold.
"Penguin." Jake shouted " Ill do it."
"Wise choice my boy, but you see, it was the wrong one." Penguin walked towards Jake tauntingly, the two standing upon the platform before a rather large vat. " You were always going into that vat—dead or alive but you've just chose your answer and sorry old sport your deal has just expired." With that said penguin pulled the top of his cane off the cane hiding a small blade within the handle, the silver blade embedding itself into Jake stomach.
" NO"
Thrashing in the men's hold Scarlett used all her weight to drop herself to the ground tearing herself loosely from the two men, her fingers grasping a hold of a blade planting it into one of the men's thighs before running from the other, her legs urging her forwards towards a stumbling Jake.
The sound of gunfire began to rain down upon Ace chemicals as hidden in the rafters was the Batman, he'd been sat ready and waiting for the time to strike. Jokers men leapt from their hiding spots defending there leader as carnage began to saw. Harvey dent began to scurry away under the protection of a small pistol hidden away in his white blazer jacket. Penguin let out a growl as he himself slowly began to flee the scene, but not before taking his last shot towards the two teenagers trying to reach one another.
"Goodbye Jacob my boy, you served your purpose well." Penguin growled taking a swipe at Jake, slicing a cut into his upper arm. The two bearing with one another, Penguins blade in one hand, Jakes clasped around it struggling to keep the blade from landing another blow. Scarlett charged over knocking the two to the harsh concrete ground, Penguins blade sliding from grip. Jake wincing as he slide against the railing almost falling over the side into the vat. Penguin arms reaching out pushing the boy further until he always hanging to his death. Scarlett leapt forward knocking penguin out of the way a far enough distance from the two, scurrying her way to help pull Jake from falling. "I've got you" she said through gritted teeth as she tried to pull him up. "Scarlett listen to me." He shouted tearfully. " You've got to let me go." Scarlett shook her head angrily as the tears stung at her eyes. " No I won't let you." Their hands loosing grip as Scarlett slid forwards struggling to keep her position on the platform. " I can't loose you. You're all I have." She sniffled squeezing his hand as he clung to her. " You'll be okay, I promise." He winced as his grip began to slip. " Please don't." She cried trying to plaster a sympathetic smile on her face. The pair struggling to hold on, Scarlett leg up on the railing slowly beginning to fail at supporting them both.
" Need a hand?" Scarletts eyes fell upon Damian rushing to her side to help pull him up. " Help him please, save him." Scarlett pleaded as Damian grasped a hold of the lean boy hanging from the side. " Thank you." Scarlett cried a small smile on her face. The three standing together as Damian helped pull Jake up safely. But nothing in Gotham is ever happy for long.
Scarlett felt a sharp pain enter her abdomen her eyes falling to straight a head of her, her eyes falling upon Joker. Her breathe growing heavy, everything feeling as if her actions where going slower and slower. Before she knew it she was falling, her legs buckled loosing her balance. Her body falling back, her eyes on him. Jokers electrifying blue eyes hollow with rage as he held his gun aimed towards her. Right before she fell back into the milky toxic chemicals below. The screams of her name the last thing she heard before she felt cold. The last thing on her mind was a gun. He'd shot her. He'd tried to kill her.