White walls. White lights. White clothes.
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Arkham was the worst and here Zennaire was, again.
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He strained against the jacket he had woken up in but it was tightened down so much he could barely stand up, let alone get free.
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He could hear muffled voices outside of the door. Straining to hear them, he moved as close to the door as he could get without.
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“Goodness, another one?”
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“I know. It’s ridiculous. We do not have the staff for this…”
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“Two in one day… Can someone save us?”
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He heard the two staff members sigh and laugh before their voices faded.
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Two? Who else is here?
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Zennaire thought to himself. Was it his father?
No. He was much too smart for that.
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He closed his eyes, his only way of not seeing only white around him.
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The laughing woke him up. It’s always the laughing with that guy…
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Joker.
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Zennaire glared at the noise coming from his door, a small clear section allowed him to see the fool as he laughed by, wearing the same straightjacket as himself.
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“I’m telling you boys! He’s just a doll! A total sweetheart! Waaaaaay better than Batsy!”
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Zennaire tilted his head at this new information, someone else besides Batman and the guy who he was working with was playing good guy in Gotham?
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Five days. That’s how long they had left him in the white room; didn’t they claim to help people here? Instead they’re making sane people insane; wasn’t solitary confinement inhuman or something, even Joker wasn’t placed in solitary.
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“Poor Zennaire. They don’t treat you very fair, do they?”
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His eyes widened as he heard his fathers voice.
No. Father wouldn’t be caught. He’s smarter than that.
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Once again the voice lingered in his ears.
“Very true. I am smart. Although, I’ve been known to get in Arkham for reasons before.”
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“You’re… not real, are you?”
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“Well that’s not fair. Technically, sure, I’m just a figment of your mind after a period of isolation; however, I do love you. But you’re a smart lad, so you must already know that… Have some faith, son. We’ll see each other again soon.”
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Zennaire turned towards the voice and sure enough no one was in the room with him. Thus, it came as a shock to him when the door unlocked and a handler stood behind it and helped him up.
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“Let's go, you’re being moved to general today.”
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Zennaire stood at the entrance to the yard, his eyes locked on the figure sitting on the other side.
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Jonathan Crane, his father, sat there laughing at remarks unheard by him.
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Blue eyes locked with blue eyes and the laughing stopped. Crane stood up and made his way over to his son.
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Zennaire flinched as Crane pulled him into a tight hug; if his father noticed, he made no comment of it.
The hug felt warm and he could hear the other man’s heartbeat as he stroked Zennaire’s hair. Crane didn’t pull away as his son slowly, carefully, wrapped his arms around his father.
Was this really happening? In front of everyone?
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“I’m so glad to see you safe Zennaire. I was terribly worried about you. When you didn’t come home…”
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Crane's voice choked off at the end and Zen looked up at him. Those eyes, the ones reserved for his older brother, finally were looking at him; a soft, caring, nurturing expression met his own as tears began to well up in his own eyes.
Zennaire pulled away, trying to hide that sign of weakness. Was he really going to fuck this chance with his father up, like he always did?
He flinched as Crane spoke but it was soft, comforting, instead of having the sharp edge he was accustomed to.
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“Hey, hey. It’s okay Zennaire. Let’s go over here, yeah? It’ll be alright.”
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Crane led him over to the side of the room and Zennaire felt most of the eyes shift away from them. His throat felt sore and dry as he tried speaking.
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“Dad… I’m so sorry. I fucked up again and-“
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“Shhh. No you didn’t. It was unfair of me to send you out while Jason is out there. He didn’t say anything to you did he?”
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“No!… Well I’m not sure… I…” He looked up at his father who tilted his head quizzically, waiting for him to continue, “… I don’t remember anything from that day.”
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Crane let out the breath he was holding and pulled his son into another hug.
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“What do you remember?”
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Zennaire paused, that was a good question. Red. Lots of blood? He winced as his head ached.
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“They brought me in; He… Jason? He tried to interrogate me?”
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He shook his head. The memories wouldn’t come. It was just nothing.
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Crane shushed him and ran his hand through Zennaire’s hair.
“It’s okay. I can see this is tough for you. You can stop.”
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He closed his eyes, it was soothing to listen to his fathers heartbeat. He stayed like this for a few moments before Crane spoke.
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“Zennaire? I need you to do me a favor.”
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“What do I need to do?”
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His father’s smile met his gaze.
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“Distract the guards for me. I’ve finished what I need to. Now I just need to get out.”
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“Consider it done Father.”
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Zennaire sat in the lunchroom formulating a plan, the staff knew better than let him anywhere near the food after last time.
However, they still let him around other dangerous people, he just needed to infect them with some fear toxin…
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He scanned the room looking for victims, nay teammates, when his eyes landed on a certain land shark.
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Zennaire wasn’t entirely sure why King Shark was in Arkham but it didn’t matter, it made blood a viable weapon for him too. He smirked at the new knowledge and took note before a guard called him over.
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“You have a visitor Crane. Uh Zennaire Crane.”
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The guard seemed to take a moment to figure out a way through his own confusion while escorting Zennaire to the visiting area.
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It wasn’t an area of Arkham he was familiar with; he didn’t really get a lot of visitors.
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He scanned the room.
Fries and a girl around his age sat at one of the tables with a tea set between them, Zennaire remarked to himself that must’ve been the daughter that Fries endlessly talked about.
Another table hosted a b list villain and his parents yelling that he was “shaming the family name;” however, the last table sat someone he did not expect, Lesley McKinnley.
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The small albino man smiled at him as he stopped in his tracks, jaw dropped.
“Zennaire, won’t you please sit down?”
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He nodded and did as asked. He glupped and slowly looked at the other man.
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“Lesley, what are you doing here?”
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“I’m here to see you.”
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He said it so matter of factly that Zennaire stared at him in disbelief. Surely Lesley remembered that he also spent time in Arkham recently!
Lesley let out a chuckle before regaining his composure.
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“It’s okay Zennaire. I’m much more worried about you. If you need to leave just ask.”
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His expression darkened as he thought of his father.
“What? No. I need to stay here. I made a promise to get better.”
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His gaze was met with a knowing look from Lesley, who only let out a sigh before smiling and gently placing his hands on top of Zennaire’s.
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“Okay. If you change your mind, let me know.”
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Zennaire felt a twang of something in his chest as Lesley pulled away and rose from his chair.
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The pale man had a soft smile still on his face but it didn’t reach his eyes.
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The metal chair scratched loudly on the cement floor as Zennaire’s sudden motion forced it aside. Lesley’s eyes widened as the guards moved forward.
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The world slowed as their lips met and the sound of the approaching footsteps stopped as Zennaire pulled away. He found himself whispering to Lesley almost before he could think.
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“Thank you Lesley. I’ll be ready soon.”
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A dark haired man that looked as if his gaze were daggers approached but with a slight hand wave from Lesley he froze. Lesley took a moment to smooth down a section of Zennaire’s hair before stepping away.
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“I’ll visit again soon, Zennaire.”
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He waved, which Zen returned as the door buzzed allowing the peaceful man and his fierce bodyguard to exit.
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The guards soon took Zennaire back to his cell which was all his, he seemed to notice. Tomorrow was a new day; A day that is perfect to start his plan to action.
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Zennaire’s heart pounded as he bolted through the halls, blood dripping from his mouth as guards chased him around the asylum; however, something else was chasing them too.
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He rounded a corner only to see Joker and his goons meet him.
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“Well if it isn’t baby Crane! How’s Daddy been, sonny?”
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Joker laughed but stopped as Zennaire ran up a wall and jumped behind them.
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“Not to time talk! Mind keeping my friend busy?”
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He didn’t stop as Joker started to call to him only for more screams to follow.
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“KING SHARK!?!? What did he do!?”
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A smirk appeared on Zennaire’s face as he entered the control room for the prison. He quickly locked and engaged the restraints for the door.
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“That’ll keep everyone from bothering me while I work.”
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He began by locating his father on the cameras, who was right where he needed for Zennaire to get him out. Soon the cell doors were all unlocked and Crane looked at the camera and began to talk; Zennaire clicked the sound on to listen and grinned in joy as he heard what the man had to say.
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“Zennaire, I’m so proud of you. I’ve never seen so many people have such a level of fear in their eyes without my fear toxin. Once you get out, come see me. I’ll be waiting for you. We can take Gotham together, son.
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He watched tears falling from his eyes as his smile stretched across his face. He followed his father throughout the complex on the cameras unlocking and sealing doors as needed to keep his way clear.
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Father’s proud of me. I finally did something right! Just wait until Lesley finds out!
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Once things calmed down Zennaire unlocked the door to the control room and let the guards take him back to his cell, except that’s not where they took him.
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They led him down corridors until he was cuffed to a table in an interrogation room again.
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Gordon angrily stomped into the office while Zennaire only smiled a shit eating grin.
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“You are the most unruly child I’ve ever met!”
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“Hi Gordon. We gotta stop meeting like this.”
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The olderman slammed his hands on the table, the loud noise made Zennaire flinch but he smiled through it even if he didn’t reach his eyes.
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“Do not give me that shit Zennaire! How did Crane do this?”
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“I don’t understand.”
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Gordon’s nostrils flared as he sucked in a breath of air. “Excuse me?”
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“I don’t understand the question. My father didn’t do anything. He just walked through some open doors.”
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The door opened and Zennaire expected to see the guy from before, wasn’t Jason his name; regardless, he was wrong as Batman alone walked through the door.
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His jaw was clenched and his muscles tensed. Unlike Gordon, who had stepped aside, his eyes widened at the state of the Dark Knight.
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“Zennaire, your father is in trouble. I want to save him. I need to know where he is.”
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The young man's heart rate increased as Batman tried to remain calm as he spoke.
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“I know you don’t believe me. You don’t need to. Just believe that the man you talked to before... he’s disgusted by what's happened to you, what your father did to you. He’s in danger.”
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Zennaire avoided the man's gleading gaze in silence.
No. Dad’ll be fine. This is just a lie to get me to sell him out again. Which I won't do ever again. Never. Never, nevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernever
“Zennaire Please. Jason is going to kill him. Don’t be responsible for your father’s death.”
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The air felt like it was sucked out of the room as Zennaire’s head was filled with ringing.
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He spoke tears falling from his eyes; he couldn’t hear them but he knew if he was in time then he would be the one in trouble later.
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If he wasn’t quick enough then Jason would pay.
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