At least they got coffee here. The steaming cup of coffee in front of Jack offered a little relax as he gulped the hot liquid down. The little waiting room, or 'lounge' like it was called now, was empty beside Jack. The chair squeaked as he squirmed on it. Nervosity was getting him and his gaze travelled to the door. After their last mission, Jack had returned home for a little breather. They had been successful in the end but somehow the taste of victory was faint this time. Jack's brows furrowed as he recalled it. After all the past missions, it seemed they had somehow distanced themselves. And today Jack was not especially helpful to cross the distance between them. Yesterday he got a text from Jonathan. It was short and he said they should meet today at the association. But last night's sleep had been uneasy and when he finally fell asleep and woke, it was already late.
And therefore he was sitting here, all by himself and the coffee and waited for Jonathan to come out and probably glare at him. Damn, he needed another coffee right now. He rose and walked across the room towards the big fridge-like machine. Rummaging in his pockets, he finally produced a quarter and inserted it. The machine hummed as it started brewing and after Jack put a new cup in it, he leaned against it and waited. His thoughts were straying and they always circled around a pair of light blue eyes. Damn, I need to get myself together.
He went back, the cup in his one hand and sat down. The chair creaked in protest and Jack took a careful sip, not to burn his tounge. A few moments passed and finally the door opened. Jack almost dropped is mug, somewhat startled. Jonathan stepped out, laptop under his arm. His eyes instantly found Jack's, but he could not read it. Jonathan turned around, shaking hands with their boss. They exchanged some formalities before the door close and they were alone in the room. His heart was beating rapidly. He wanted to say something but he was in a loss of words. Come one you idiot, get yourself together and say you are sorry! He took a breath and took a step towards his partner.
„I am sorry.“, he merely said, looking away. „So, do we got a new mission?“
A highschool AU drabble. It is based on the idea what would have happened if Jack had been too late and not able to prevent Jonathan to commit suicide.
Jack breath came in panicked gasps. He was standing right on the dim lit campus, scanning every corner for Jonathan. Dread filled him as he imagined himself being too late. NO he thought and shook his head. He would not give. Not for Jonathan. Out of instinct he ran towards the abadoned building, where they had their weird sleep-over. Maybe if Jack had stood still for one more second, and maybe if his heart wasn't beating that loudly, he would have heard the faint splash at the school's pool.
Jack almost kicked the door open, which made a shrill screeching sound as if flung open. "Jonathan!", he screamed into the eerie silence. But again no one aswered him. Sprinting into the abadoned classroom, he hoped to see the figure of the boy sitting there, probably wondering why he was making such a ruckus. But disappointment filled Jack as this room was empty too. Only the few little glass bottles proved of Jonathan's existence. Panic filled him once more as Jack sprinted out of the hallway and onto the campus.
He searched clockwise, searched every corner, only to be disappointed again and again. He cried Jonathan's name several times, but only the bark of some dog answered in the distance. At last Jack approached the swimming pool, where they would have awkward swimming lessons in summertime. But as it is getting cold already, it would lay there idly, only gathering old leaved and all kind of rubbish. And somewhere in his guts JAck felt that he would find something else there. Oh god, please not Jack prayed, his already fast beating heart quickening in its pace.
Since their first encounter, in which Jack had found Jonathan unconscious in his locker, there was something connecting the two boys. Wether it was only mere coincidence or something like even fate, Jack didn't know. And he didn't care. He had cared about these little moments together, where he had been with a boy, who was broken only because he had been too strong for too long. Despite his panic, a faint smile crept on his lips as he remembered their shared pizza and the delighted smile of Jonathan's as he has shown him his little card and coin tricks.
And he remembered the unjust fights he had fought not only for Jonathan but for himself too. And he would again be beaten up by Dean's group of idiots if it meaned safety for Jonathan. He was after all used to physical abuse, wether it was from his drunkard waste of a dad or from the group of thugs, it just didn't matter at all. Nothing mattered more than finding Jonathan now.
The leaves rustled under Jack's feet as he steadily approached the pool. He felt sick deep in his stomach as he finally stood in front of the pool. And then he collapsed and almost fell straight on his rear. Not a single sound escaped his mouth, even as it was wide opened. Jonathan was floating face down in the silent water. Jonathan! Finally all of his panic broke out and head dizzy with panic he sprang into the blue, frantically swimming for Jonathan. Jack gasped and coughed as water came down his throat. Jack frantically tried to turn Jonathan around and pulled him out of the pool. Soaking wet, he towered over the motionless body trying his best to revive him.
As his face was wet, Jack didn't even notice the tears, which were flowing down his face steadily. Jonathan looked so pale, his lips blue. As if he was sleeping in Jack's embrace. "Please..", Jack whispered. But Jonathan wouldn't open his beautiful eyes again. Never again. Jack's shoulders shook as violent sobs took over him. He pressed the lifeless body against him. "I am sorry... I was too late."
***
The campus was lit eerily as the blue and red lights flickered. But Jack felt as if he wasn't there anymore. Some paramedic had put a blanket over the shivering boy before, but Jack still felt numb at soul. Not even the sound of a policeman clearing his throat could shake Jack out of his apathic rigour. He was clearly talking to Jack but all the words were washing over him, not being understood.
"It's no use." Another cop approached the other, shaking his head slowly. "He is in shock he won't answer anything." "But he might know something!" The other cop sighed. "You have been here when they had been found, weren't you?" "Yeah." "Then you must have noticed that they were..", his voice trailed of as the other's face lit up in understanding. "Well, he should be taken to arkham. That's what the paramedics and the phychologist said." With a gentle voice, he took Jack's arm. "Come on boy."
***
Jack was sitting silently on his bed. It was his first night after a year in Arkham. They said that Jack was 'healed', 'cured', ready to go on. But he wasn't. Though after all the therapies and talks and relapses he could not forget the boy, which he once had loved and who had died. Memories flooded his mind once more. Merry ones as well as the terrible ones. Jack wanted to cry again, but somehow it seemed as he had already cried all of them and ran out.
Jack shifted on his bed. Then he saw somethiing falling down at the edge of his view. Bowing down, he saw that is was a card. He picked it up and instantly knew what card it was. The Joker on it was smiling widely at the boy. It had been Jonathan's favorite. Then suddenly everything became clear. The doctors had said that he was ready to go on. They had said he should smile more and appreciate his life. Putting the card in his pant's pocket, Jack bowed down once more and reached under his bed. There, just under his matress, was a small box, which contained his small collection of knives. Jack had hidden them there out of precaution. He didn't want to imagine what his father would have done, if he got them while he was in one of his drunk rampages.
Carefully he retrieved the box and opened the lid. A faint grin crept upon his lips as he took his favorite, its blade still sharp and shiny. Then he rushed towards the bathroom. Gratious that his father was out, he switched on the lights and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He wasn't looking like himself. He was a bit too pale and his eyes were dull. But good thing I know how to fix that. He pulled out the joker card again and placed it in front of him, right next to the faucet. Then he took his knife and placed at the the edge of his mouth. "All it needs is a smile." Then he started cutting, while his laughter filled the empty flat.
Jack/Jonathan drabble
I wanted to do this because of reasons. Please don't judge me
"Oh shit did you hear that?", Jack whispered at the faint cracking sound somewhere in the woods. A moment of tense silence passed, before he heard his boyfried whisper in response. "I did, but I think it's go-". Crack Jack yelped as somewhere very near him a branch broke, the sound erily loud in the silent forest. He grabbed Jonathan by his arm and ran away from the source of the cracking. Whatever it was, Jack didn't wanted even to know.
His breath came in short gasps as they both ran through the thick foliage of the forest, trying to not make any sounds which would give away their position to whatever thing of entity was chasing them right now. In a small clearing Jack stopped, his lungs burning and screaming for air. The only thing which stopped him from a panic attack was the presence of his boyfriend near him, who was now too breathing in short and edgy gasps. It was Jonathan's ever calm attitude, which was even now intact, which calmed the nearly panicking boy.
"We have to get out of he-", Jack stopped midsentence as his brown eyes looked upon something hanging in a low branch of one of the trees. "Give me the flashlight." Jonathan had also spotted the thing above their heads and handed the small thing over, probably too wondering what the thing was. And as Jack was a bit taller than Jonathan, retrieving the item was not a difficult task. Standing on his toes, Jack grabbed the thing, which proved to be a sheet of paper impaled on one slender branch. "The fuck", Jack murmured as he held the paper in front of his face, the writing eerily lightened by the flashlight. The writing was unclean and somehow disorted, as if the writer had been trembling heavily. Follows The letters were beside the drawing of something like a man in a black suit. Only that this man had no face.
"So this is what is following us." Jonathan stated calmly, taking the sheet or note and inspecting it in his turn. "Who did write this? Is there someone here trapped too?" "Or maybe a trap. I think we should watch out for more." Jack nodded in agreement, just as his got a look on something behind Jonathan. The entity was looking back at them with a faceless stare. "RUN!", Jack screamed and grabbed Jonathan by his wrist once more and dashed for the forest. Branches slapped Jack's face, leaving some bleeding cuts behind. But he didn't care. All his thoughts were filled with that awful thing.
As they fled through the forest, the soft light of his flashlight caught something new. An onld brickhouse was standing there, abadoned but not fenced up. Their steps grew slower until they were standing right in front of it. "I-I don't... like it." Jack gasped between hectic breaths. "Come on, we might find another in there." Jack ran his hand through his hair. "Are you insane? That thing might easily trap us in there." Jonathan looked into Jack's widened eyes intensely before he spoke in a calm voice. "What if there are any hints how to escape? We have to risk it. Please." Their gazes were locked together for some more seconds until jack's shoulders slumped down and sighed loudly. "Ok, but make this quick." Jonathan gave Jack a quick kiss, and took him by his hands before they entered the house.
The house was not really a house. More a massive bathroom. All hallways were tiled up and empty. "Maybe it used to be an old hospital." Jonathan guessed and send shivers and goosebumps down Jack's body. All previous rooms were empty, as they finally got to the last one. And on the back a note was hanging on the wall. "I will get that." Jonathan spoke and went inside. While he was getting the note off the wall, jack peeked inside the hallway and looked out for that monster. "Let's get outta here.", he said as Jonathan was staring at the note. "It says 'help me'. There could be someone else here." "Not here inside though. Please let's get out here and search for him or her outside." Jonathan nodded and so they quickly went down the hallway which led them out.
Jack drew a big relieved breath. He really wanted to look back and tough his guts were telling not to do so, he did. And there was that thing again, staring at him silently. This time Jack did not scream. Instead he stared back and he felt his senses turning ..odd somehow. A strong feeling of calmless filled, luring him towards that thing. It promised safety and calmness. Out of his mind Jack turned around and walked towards the thing. Just then a sharp sense of pain hit his body, breaking the spell immediately. "JACK! RUN", he heard Jonathan gasp and he blindly followed his boyfriend away from the house and that thing.
They ran futher into the forest till both collapsed behind a group of trees. "Jack, what where you thinking in going back?!", Jonathan spoke, his voice trembling with nervositiy and confusion. "I-I don't know. I didn't think at all to be honest." Jonathan tilted his back, still looking at him confused. "What do you mean?". "I don't know. It somehow was calling to me and lured me. Shit, I thought it was actually safe to go back. It was weird." Jack stopped and tried to understand what had happened. But then neither of them couldn't grasp what was happening.
Jonathan rose from his crouching position before his gaze fixed a spot over Jack's head. Turning his head he saw another note hanging just over his own head. Always watches, no eyes A bad feeling of foreboding filled Jack as he got the note. He handed the note over to Jonathan, who had the other crammed inside his pant's pockets. But Jonathan didn't raise his hands. His gaze was still fixed on that spot where the note had been. Panic filling his mind, he turned around and saw the entity just standing behind. In his lasts moments he saw that the entity wore a balck suit, and was more than three heads taller than Jack. Then blackness surrounded him. He managed a last cry.
____
"Ahhhhhh", Jack yelped as the computer screen turned static and the faceless head of the entity stared at them, almost in glee. Jonathan, who sat beside them burst into laughter, at the sight of his boyfriend's high pitched scream. Jack's cheeks turned pink of embarrassment. "What?! It scared me." He pouted but soon joined his boyfriends laughter. Jonathan kissed the other boy's cheek. "You are really adorable, you know?" He reached past Jack and clicked on the retry button. He winked at Jack. "My turn now. And you can hold my hand if you are still scared." Jack growled teasingly and pulled Jonathan closer for another kiss.
Jonathan Crane was quite a busy man. He rather spend his time on improving his chemicals and testing them on not so willing subjects than going out and do all that foolish activities. And therefore Crane was working, even on his birthday. He never celebrated it, not even when he was still a naive child. Now he couldn't care less about that dark chapter of his life, but all the dissappointment was still lingering in his mind, however much he denied it.
Stirring together some chemical substance, he flinched violently as his mobile phone vibrated on the table and crept some iches forward. Hissing some curses he put the glass container down and took the still glowing phone. It showed that he had recieved a sms and he quickly unlocked the phone and read the message.
Surprisingly the message made him smile widely. It was quite short, it consisted merely of an adress and a few words. 'Come here, birthday present's waiting'. Still grinning, he let the phone slide in his pocket and prepared himself for leaving. of course not without a last check on his 'subjects', which laid in special cells, whimpering occasionally.
Checking the adress one last time, he entered his car and started the engine. He had to admit that he did not know where his destination laid, but well, he would let him surprise the doctor. "Hopefully there are no corpses around this time.", he murmured, while he steered his car onto the roads of gotham. He knew that the 'surprises' of the clown could contain dad bodies along some fancy cake. Crane sighed in fake exasperation and grinned to himself.
Some time later, he found himself in one of Gotham's suburbs. But none of these poor and ugly piles of houses. No, this neighborhood was consisting of big mansions, and castle-like houses. Crane raised one eyebrow as he stopped in front of his destination. This particular mansion was especially luxurious,and with a big driveway leading inside the property. The gate was opened and light was illuminating the big windows.
Crane stopped his car and stepped in front of the mansion. The front door was not closed, but opened slightly. Instinctively, he reached for his pocket and checked the small container, which had a strong dose of his fear gas inside its metall belly. in case this was some kind of trap, he would be prepared. Carefully opening the front door he peeked inside the beautiful lobby. Expensive furniture was laying on the marble floor and on a particular big couch he saw a familiar figure. The clown was grinning at Crane, while he was sprawled on the fine fabric.
"Ahh, finally the birthday boy arrived, huh?". As the clown was not moving, Crane approached him, and sat down next to him, still grinning. he raised an slender hand and played with the green locks of the clown's. "Happy birthday, doctor." Crane chuckled, before asking him rather cheekily. "And where is my present, clown?" Said clown started to chuckle.
"Well, not here. But you have to see the pompous bath upstairs. I was so nice and already let some water in."
Jack watched the masses pass by and into the big shining building of the mall. The air was filled with happy chattering and groups of people laughing and making their plans for the day. A smile crept on Jack's face as he was waiting for his boyfriend to join him. He owed Jonathan a shirt and as he remembered how that did happen, his cheeks took a slightly red tone. He let his gaze wander around and looked for Jonathan.
*at night the doll seems to make soft mumbling sounds. Is it really making sounds or is it just the wind?*
Tossing and turning in her bed, Lily-Anne muttered incomprehensible things under her breath. She was dreaming about the night she followed Phils and the monster she'd encountered.
He was standing over her, telling her that she was nothing, a waste of space. Phils was just staring, nodding every once in a while at one of the Doctor's points. Then Crane became her mother.
"Useless girl!" she screamed at her. "Waste of money and not worth my time! Leave? Oh really? And who would want you? Your father? He doesn't even know you exist, why would he want you?" Laughing, her mother reached for her belt and Lily-Anne woke up with a scream.
Looking around wildly, she was relieved when she saw her mother wasn't in the room with her. Still breathing hard, she made her way over to the window and looked out at the moon.
Useless.
She whipped her head around. There was no one there. She laughed shakily and shook her head. Of course there was no one there, she was just still freaked out from the dream.
No good waste of space.
She was certain she heard something, but there was no one in the room. Walking up to the doll, she nervously put her ear closer to it. Nothing.
Weak worthless failure.
It came from somewhere in the room. A ghost? But ghosts don't exist. Yeah, well maybe this time you're wrong. Turning anxiously, she crawled back into her bed and buried herself under her sheets and pillows.
*a small voodoo scarecrow doll lies still at the doorstep, a thin layer of toxin filling the air as it was left there, waiting to be picked up*
The hotel that Bane had set them up in was actually rather nice. Clean beds, a really big room and the best part of all, it had a pool. The kids were spending most of their days hanging out down there and just, enjoying being free.
Lily-Anne was on her way there when she realised that she'd forgotten her towel. The group she was in was big enough that she managed to slip off without anyone noticing. She could still hear them laughing and joking around from the entrance to her room and so smiling to herself, she grabbed the key card out of her shorts.
As the light turned green she stepped forward, kicking over the small voodoo doll. Frowning, she picked it up and turned it over in her hands before glancing around to see if someone had left it.
Seeing no one, she shrugged and walked into her room, bringing the doll and its toxins with her.
