Everlasting Fear

chapter 8- My Home, My Gotham City

Scarecrow’s POV

She was here, in front of me. My heart stood still as if waiting for her to vanish from my sight; I could feel her cold skin under my fingertips. Everything slowed as both me and Ashleigh leaned forward, welcoming everything we both missed, it was perfect in every way. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her tight against me, as tears flowed down my own cheeks. I felt Ashleigh’s cold shaking fingers brush them away from my skin. Suddenly the urge for air pushed us apart, I sighed and looked at Ashleigh’s own tear trailed cheeks and her shaky smile. I smiled at her with my scarred crooked lips, her frail fingers grazed over my torn and scarred lips. She smiled with tear filled eyes; I couldn’t bear to see her cry the feeling of overwhelming guilt would constrict my heart once again if I saw her cry. I tightened my arms around her and pushed her small frame to mine, to feel her heart beat fast and hard against my own chest. I pressed my lips against her ear and whispered shakily, as more tears spilled down my cheeks, “I love you.” I buried my head into her shoulder as my body shook, as my sobs wracked my body.

I felt Ashleigh breathe heavily against me, and wrap her arms around my shaking body. “You died, you left me alone.” My breath caught in my throat as I waited for her answer, her lips pressed to my ear, I could feel her warm breath against it, “I know I died, but I’m here now, I love you Scarecrow.” I lifted my head from her shoulder and looked into her eyes which held nothing but warm comfort, love and fear. I placed my hands on her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye, she sighed unevenly, “we need to go.” She gasped, suddenly batman’s deep voice rang out,” we need to leave, Ra’s brought back to like Ashleigh for his own reasons, not yours.” I nodded and looked into Ashleigh terrified eyes. I looked around and listened hard as I could hear the sound of gathering footsteps along the tunnels of old Gotham. I pulled my burlap hood back over my face, “let’s go.” I grabbed Ashleigh by the waist and pulled her up into my arm, she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck as I ran through the old tunnels of Gotham.

Ashleigh’s POV

That kiss, it made me remember everything I had missed, everything I loved, and everything I needed. I looked up at the Scarecrow as he ran through the tunnels surrounding us, trying to escape this place I had been locked in. I looked over his coat covered shoulders to see the sharp nosed Oswald Cobblepot, being harshly pulled along by the batman, whose serious cowl cast irregular shadows over his face. I looked back up to my man in the burlap mask to see his deep dark eyes reflecting what was in front of him. I pulled myself tighter to his body; I wanted to leave this place. Ra’s Al Ghul brought me back to life, for his own selfish reasons which I couldn’t understand, I was a criminal of Gotham city, and there was no injustice in my death. I died because of a man who wanted to torture the very man I loved. I could feel the scarecrows chest hammer as he pushed himself harder to reach the exit to this underworld. Soon thick footsteps began to follow our tracks, we were being hunted down. I could feel the scarecrow push himself painfully to his physical edge trying to escape me being seized by the vain and immortal Ra’s Al Ghul.

Scarecrow’s POV

I gritted my teeth hard as I pushed harder to reach the night of Gotham city, I could feel my world begin to fall around me once again at the thought of Ra’s Al Ghul taking my love away from me, like bane did. I glanced down at the beautiful woman in my arms to see here worried and fear filled eyes, monophobia, the fear of being alone. I could hear the dense footsteps of Ra’s Al Ghul’s men. I bit into my scarred and disfigured lip, to be welcomed with the copper taste of blood. Soon the penguins rough voice called out, “we’re close keep running!” I smiled through my torn lip as I could see the old tattered remains of Gotham station. But as we grew closer so did the footstep, suddenly Ashleigh’s shaky voice whimpered, “Their right behind us.” I quickly looked over my shoulder to see the black clad men running fast behind us, “Bats I’ve got a feeling we’re going to have to fight them again.” Suddenly the deep chuckle of the batman rang out from behind me, “I’ve got that feeling too.” I pushed harder, as I leaped quickly up the stair of the old station. This was our domain now, I ran out of the station, flipping out my scythe and hooking it onto the shallow roof of the main building and pulling myself and Ashleigh into the safety of the Gotham night.

Ashleigh’s POV

I breathed in the crisp Gotham night air, with a welcoming gasp.  I looked up to see the scarecrow pulling off his burlap mask to reveal a torn and bloody lip with blood flowing freely onto the pale shirt he wore openly. I looked over his body to see more violent scars then I remembered, how long had I been gone? I walked over to the scarecrow and too see him looking out over Gotham city, I placed my hands on his bare abdomen to feel him shiver under his touch, “how long have I been gone?” I looked up into his dark eyes, to see the dark intensity I grown to fall in love with. I pulled myself closer to him wrapping my arms around his torso, “you’ve been gone for a couple of months now.” His voice trembled with emotion as he wrapped his arms around my smaller frame. My fingers travelled over his back, as I felt every new and old scar on his body. I looked to his bloody lips to see a weak pained smile on them; slowly he leaned down once again and stole my lips, I tasted his coppery dark blood in my mouth as he kissed me, long and slowly.

I was safe now in his arms like I always had been, I never wanted this feeling to end the feeling of everything feeling so right all at one time. His hands travelled over the dress I had been buried in, each tear and rip and each piece of lace. I pulled my now bloody lips from his, “we’ve got to go.” He nodded and grabbed my hand fiercely as we ran over the rooftops of Gotham city. Each leap and step made me think about how much I missed my home, my Gotham city.