1 Sinking despair

<9:00PM, SUBURBS, GOTHAM CITY>

He woke up with a throbbing head, his eyes slowly getting adapted to the dim light. The sound of something dripping was vaguely audible to him.

Taking a deep breath, he started looking around, trying to jog up his half conscious mind.

He tried to stand up except that his limbs didnt move.

Something was binding them. A rope, maybe? He tried wriggling his way out, but no luck.

He tried making sense of his surroundings.

His home. His living room.

Looking straight, he saw his mom with her back slightly tilted facing him sitting in the kitchen. It would have looked like a normal mom doing her chores, if you ignore the blood slowly dripping by her side.

He suddenly felt his mind exploding, recalling all that he had forgotten.

No, no, No, NOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Its all a dream, yeah. He is still sleeping. Its just a nightmare, no big deal. He will wake up any second now. Yes yes yes its only a dream.

He tightly shut his eyes closed hoping that the next time he open them, everything will go back to normal, although his mind still reminded him the truth.

Despair crept over his face, slowly opening up his tear glands and staining his already bloodied face.

His dad was a excellent soldier, who went missing in action about 3 years ago. For a 12 year old boy, that¹ news broke him apart. From then, he only had his mom and his mom him. She was his everything, from his caring parent to his best friend.

Now everything's gone. The sole light in his heart left him alone.

A soul wrenching cry escaped his lips.

MOMMM!!!!!!!

He jerked around, trying to set himself free but the knot was too tight.

There is a rumor that people in extreme circumstances get momentary unknown strength to cope with their emergency, like the classical example of a mom lifting the car to save her child. Adrenaline filled strength rushed over his body, giving him the much need power.

Alas, reality proved him wrong once again.

Instead of rushing out of his ropes, he fell flat down forward from an unknown force from behind.

The fall took away the last remaining ounce of power hidden in his body, laying him curled over the floor.

Then he heard it. The faint foot steps slowly edging closer and closer and closer and then soon past him, coming to an end infront of him.

He tried to conjure up whatever strength he had to lift his head to see the face, but he was just too tired to move anymore.

He then heard faint laughter that soon turned to a mad cackle as if taking pleasure in his pathetic appearance.

" Stop being too impatient, boy. I will have you liberated too. Soon, I will carve your life on my arm. "

Fear. Bone chilling fear. The kind that leaves you nightmares even when you get rid of it. Thats what he felt after hearing the hoarse voice.

Then came anger. Anger at himself for feeling the fear, anger at the psycho standing before him, anger at the world for giving him such a sh*tty life.

" Why???? "

He felt him head jerk backwards as his hair was pulled upwards by a harsh grip.

Thats when he saw. A thin skinny man with a bald head devoid of any eyebrows. The truly horrifying part was the sheer number of mutilated scars that disfigured his body.

Zsasz. Victor Zsasz. A sadistic psychopath who takes pleasure in serial killing.

The half naked man kneeled down meeting his eyelevel. He looked confused, " Why? You should be grateful that I liberated your mother from being a zombie. "

Zsasz then stood up and sent him flying across the room with a kick like a ragged kite. Even though his legs looked skinny, it still packed quite a bit of power.

He then walked towards Danny and said,

" It is you who doesnt understand, my boy. The beauty of death, the quiet voyage into the unknown, the escape from the misery of the ordinary. "

Zsasz was quivering with excitement as he continued, " But soon you will. "

Danny was boiling with anger when heard this. Beauty of death? A fkin voyage? He felt infuriating thinking how he lost his mom due to some crazy sh*tty moral values of a psycho. All the angry thoughts bubbling inside him conflicted with his fear and finally ended with a whisper.

" What was that, pig? Didnt quite gettya?"

Zsasz went towards the limp Danny and kicked him again. " Repeat it bitc! You will soon be liberated of all these suffering. I shall make sure you stay eternal as a scar."

Whisper

" Louder "

" Louder "

" Louder "

Zsasz kicked him again and again for each time he didnt hear the whisper. Still the whisper increased in pitch with each kick until it turned into a full roar

" YOU SURE LOOK UGLY FOR A SELF RIGHTEOUS HEROOOO!!!!!"

The room turned incredibly silent along with a confused Zsasz until it finally clicked for him. His face twisted with anger ad he realised that he was humiliated by someone he considered prey.

Zsasz then suddenly lunged forward madly wishing to end his life in one strike.

Thats the last thing he saw until the surroundings went dark.