Chapter 8: Hosting the Hostage

"So...when am I going to meet your family?" Scarlett inquired from her place on the bed. Jason was across the room getting dressed. He threw her a guilty look over his shoulder as he wrapped his belt around his waist. "How about...when I tell them you exist," he stated matter-of-factly. "Really, Jay? I'm your girlfriend and you haven't told them about me?""I only talk to my family if necessary, and the one thing I never discuss is relationships. If I want to hear nothing but shit for the next year, then I'll tell them all about you."She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Come on. They can't be that bad.""You haven't met them...""Exactly my point!" she replied, annoyed. Jason gave her a challenging smirk. "Alright...and when am I going to meet your family, huh?""I thought you said you wanted to kill my mother?""All the more reason to get a proper introduction, right?" he teased. "But if my memory is good—and trust me, it is—you still have a father and a brother. Tell me...what would your white-collar picket-fence dad think about you dating a Gotham street rat with anger issues?""He said he's fine with it," she replied confidently. "As long as I'm happy...and I am."Jason was taken aback. "Wait...you told him about me?" he stuttered. Scarlett laughed in disbelief. "Of course I did. My dad and I have always had a decent relationship. We still call each other, especially if he's out of town on a work trip away from my mom. He asks if I'm doing okay here in Gotham, how my career is going...if I'm seeing anyone special. I couldn't lie to him!"Jason sat down on the edge of the bed, looking nervous. "Well...what did you say?"Scarlett withheld a laugh. Watching her brash and confident boyfriend get worried at the idea of her father's opinion was quite adorable. He really was a good person at heart and cared more about people's acceptance than he wanted to admit.She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I told him that I have someone in my life who really cares about me. Someone protective of me, who has my best interests at heart and wants to see me succeed. I told him you understand what I went through with my mom and are helping me find the confidence to build a life of my own."Jason swallowed hard, feeling both flattered and anxious that Scarlett thought so highly of him. "And...what did he say?"She smiled at him and leaned her head against his. "That he's glad I'm with someone who makes me feel safe and respects me the way I deserve to be. Your past doesn't matter as long as it made you a good man...and I think you are."Jason chuckled uncomfortably. He wasn't used to being praised, especially by a complete stranger. It also didn't help his conscience that he was keeping secrets from Scarlett about his identity and lying to his family about being single. By comparison, Scarlett's honesty made him seem even more dishonorable. "Alright...I'll try to bring it up the next time I see them. Okay?" Jason asked. Scarlett nodded happily. "That's all I'm asking."Jason gave her one last kiss before heading out the door. Scarlett fell back on the bed, grinning into her pillows. Over ten minutes passed and she nearly fell asleep again when she suddenly heard a crashing sound coming from the living room. Scarlett bolted up in bed. "Did he forget something?" she asked aloud. She exited her bedroom and peered around the hallway door into the living room."Jason?" she yelled curiously.Just then, a hand reached around her from behind and dragged her into a headlock. The assailant's hand muffled her scream as Scarlett lurched forward in an attempt to escape. From the far corner of the room, a black-haired woman appeared from the shadows. She was dressed head to toe in a form-fitting black silk jumpsuit. Her bare arms were covered in a series of mysterious symbolic tattoos. A scarf around her neck concealed the lower half of her face, like a ninja. Several other women dressed similarly emerged from behind the living room wall, holding long blades out toward Scarlett."Stand down!" the mysterious woman commanded. "Mistress al Ghūl said to leave her unharmed."Scarlett struggled in her captor's hold, her eyes filling with frightened tears as she tried to pry the person's hands away. "Someone put a gag on her," Zafirah ordered. "Three of you to bring her outside. The rest of you, Mistress al Ghūl wants this place destroyed."Out of desperation, Scarlett stomped hard on her captor's foot. When the assassin released her hold, Scarlett raced toward the bedroom. Just as she reached the door, a blade flew straight in front of her and stuck in the wall inches from her face. She screamed and stumbled backward into the arms of two assassins, who replaced a wet cloth against her nose and mouth. Her vision suddenly became cloudy and her body felt sluggish. Then, everything went black. ...A loud creaking noise nearby immediately woke Scarlett. The pain in her head felt like a thousand hot knives slicing into her brain and her eyes ached as she tried to adjust them to the room. Her body was resting on something cold and hard, almost like concrete. She tried to sit up, but something pulling on her wrists and ankles forced her back down. Unable to move anything else, Scarlett looked around the room.The first thing that caught her eye was the glowing green pool surrounding the stone tablet she was lying on. The liquid emitted a foul stench and the powerful humidity was making her sweat. She peered down at her feet, which were secured tightly with ropes. Her wrists were bound as well. The black pajamas she had on that morning had been covered by a long white silk gown. "Welcome back to the world of the living, Miss Vesper," a sultry voice greeted from the surrounding darkness. "I heard you made quite the escape attempt. I'm actually impressed.""Who are you?! What's going on?! Where am I?!" Scarlett wept as she pulled feebly on her restraints. "It doesn't really matter, does it?" the voice replied flippantly. "All you need to know is that you are acting as my bait...and I'm waiting for my prey to come and claim you.""Are you the Mistress that wanted me brought here "unharmed" ?" Scarlett asked."Yes," the woman answered as she stepped into the light. "I am Talia al Ghūl, daughter of the great Rā's al Ghūl, second in command to the League of Assassins...but I'm sure none of that means anything to you." Talia took a step closer."Stay away from me!" Scarlett screamed."Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you...unless you give me a reason.""What do you want with me?! I've got nothing important to you!""As it happens...you do. And with you as my hostage, he will undoubtedly come to save you.""What are you talking about?!" Talia laughed wickedly. "I see...he still hasn't told you yet. You poor sweet girl. He's using you like a rag! Playing with you like a child with a doll! He doesn't want you to know what he is. He doesn't want you to get that close."Scarlett groaned. "I don't even know what you're talking about or who you are!"Talia smirked and leaned over Scarlett menacingly. "That's all right. You will soon enough." Unexpectedly, Talia kicked her hard in the ribs before walking back toward the door. Scarlett yelped in agony and sunk back onto the stone tablet. "Don't worry. I'll release you soon enough," Talia exclaimed over her shoulder. "In the meantime, just stay right there and do as you're told. You wouldn't want to make things worse for yourself...would you?" "As if I have a choice...," Scarlett whispered to herself as she once again was left alone in the darkened chamber.