Thanatophobia | VICTOR ZSASZ [DISCONTINUED]

fifty seven | the sinking ship, the grand applause

Annabelle was sitting at a table in the recreational room of Arkham and trying to do what she could to ignore all of the noise the other inmates were making.

Most especially, she was trying her best to ignore Jerome's laughter and his attempts to get her attention.

After having to deal with hearing him yell 'Anna' for what felt like the hundredth time, she was about to snap and tear into his neck, only to stop when she heard someone approaching her table.

She quickly opened her eyes to see Oswald limping towards her with a smile on his face.

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him as she eyed him.

She didn't see what got him into such a great mood, since they were both still trapped inside of Arkham as inmates but didn't say anything on the matter until he reached the table and said as he sat across from her, "Annabelle, I have great news."

She raised an eyebrow at him as she asked him, "Oh, do you, now?" When he quickly nodded his head, she asked him, "And what news would that be?"

He told her, "I have a way out of here."

While she sat up in her chair and furrowed eyebrows, she leaned in towards him and asked him, "What are you talking about?"

He eyed the tables around them to make sure that Jerome wasn't around to hear what he was going to say before he asked her, "Do you remember after that barmaid unfroze that he couldn't properly use his riddles and had seemed to lose the Riddler persona of him?"

She slowly nodded her head as she asked him, "Yeah, but how is that supposed to help you with getting out of here?"

He told her, "Well, I wrote Ed a letter and put a secret message in it, telling him that if he came to Arkham, I'd let his Riddler persona free. He did, he's free and now he's going to help me get out of here."

She sighed as she leaned back into her chair before she said to him, "That's good news, then, Oswald. Congratulations."

He told her, "That's not all. He said that if you needed him to, he could also help you with getting out of here as well. You know, since we each—"

She shook her head as she replied, "I'm sorry, Oswald, but I have no interest in getting out of here."

His eyebrows furrowed as he asked her, "What? Why not?"

In turn, she asked him, "What reason could I possibly have for leaving this place? I was not only framed for apparently trying to kill Sofia, but Zsasz had betrayed me. Why would I want to get out of here and see his face once more, after what he did to me?"

He replied, "B-But if you don't leave, you'll have to be dealing with Jerome all by yourself. I remember you telling me just how much he annoyed you and the strongest urge you would feel for ripping his throat out both during the time you were working with him in the Maniax and when he was holding you captive last year during his second attempt to kill Bruce Wayne. Why would you want to stay here and have to deal with him?"