Krähe, Charles Bedlam [e manga reader txt] 📗

there, little crow,” Dr. Weaver chided outside of the door. “I'll take this delicious morsel and be back for you later.”
“Let me go!” Dahlia screamed as Dr. Weaver carried her away through the asylum.
In the cell, a single dim light flickered on and off, temporarily revealing a dirty cell.
“You!” the Officer said. “Krähe, you're under arrest for-”
“Trust me,” Krähe said, “if you want to live, then you won't want to do that.”
The Officer looked him up and down. She was trapped in an asylum cell with a serial killer on the loose. Krähe was a dangerous vigilante, who various times had taken the law into his own hands. Arresting him would mean a great deal. Not only would she be arresting the Crow of Nocturne, she would be bringing her police force up a notch. However, she had never faced anything like Dr. Weaver before. She wasn't sure if she could stop him. It seemed to be in the best interest of her health to ally herself with Krähe. After all, she could always arrest him later.
“Alright, what do we do?” she asked.
“The door is barred form the other side,” Krähe said, pushing against the door.
He began moving around the room, feeling the wall. He seemed to be looking for something.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“In the early 1990's, all padded asylum cells in Nocturne were made of a specific material. The cells made around that time were constructed with a hidden switch in case the doctors or orderlies were ever accidentally locked in. It would be in the middle of the wall... Here.”
Krähe reached between the padding and pulled one of them out, revealing a small lever.
“How did you know that?” she said, amazed.
“I watch a lot of TV.” He pulled down on it and several of the pads moved into the wall and opened to reveal a thin passage. The Officer followed Krähe in and they turned a corner and went out another secret door. They were back into the hallway.
“Now what?” the Officer asked.
“Now I go after Dr. Weaver. You should go get help.”
“Are you crazy? I'm an officer of the law. I can't just leave, let alone with you running around.”
“Very well, but when we find him, let me fight him.”
“Deal.”
“So, you know my name,” Krähe said, looking around a corner. “Do you have one?”
“The name's Oakley. Elizabeth Oakley.”
“It's nice to meet you, Officer Oakley.”
“So how do we find him?”
“Look.”
Krähe pointed to a trail of blood and what appeared to be drag marks. It must have been Dahlia's blood. Krähe and Officer Oakley followed the trail, hoping it would lead them to the spider.
Back in the examination room, Dr. Weaver had strapped Dahlia to his already bloody table. He bent down and smelled her flesh. He smiled and looked at her with sick intent in his eyes. With one of the blades on his arm, he stabbed Dahlia in her arm and started to run the blade down, making her cry out in agony.
“Why are you screaming?” he asked with a grin, “we're just getting started. We haven't even gotten to your pretty parts!”
Just as he was preparing to make another cut, he heard one of the doors of the room opening. He had bared them shut as best he could to make sure no one could enter, but he knew if it was Krähe, he'd be able to get in eventually. If it was the Crow of Nocturne, Weaver would hide and ambush him when he came to save the girl. Thinking quickly, Dr. Weaver left Dahlia and hid in the observation room. From there, he could see the entire room and there was only one entrance to where he was. He had faced Krähe several times in the past and failed. This time he would be ready.
Eventually the door to the examination room was pried open. Officer Oakley, handgun at the ready, entered. She she didn't see Dr. Weaver, so she sheathed her weapon and moved toward Dahlia. Dr. Weaver was surprised to see that Krähe was not with her. His urge to cause suffering took over and he went for the door. Just at that moment he heard a stirring above him. Before he could react, Krähe came crashing through the ceiling and landed behind him. With speed and strength, Krähe kicked him through the window and they both landed in the center of the examination room.
By this time, Officer Oakley had rescued Dahlia and the two were taking cover in the stands.
“I told you I'd find you,” Krähe told him. “Your biggest mistake was leaving me alive.”
“I won't make that mistake a second time!”
Weaver rose up on his blades and with two on his arms, attempted to impale Krähe. He took up his scythe and blocked the blades. In one, powerful motion, he broke them off. Krähe jumped out of the way of the blades on his legs and shot the blade of his scythe at Dr. Weaver. The chain wrapped around one of the blades on his legs and Krähe pulled it off. Keeping the momentum going, he ran in and grappled, ripping the other blade from Dr. Weaver's other leg. Krähe kicked him back, sending him flying to the ground.
Weaver tried to get up, but Krähe plants his boot in Weaver's chest. He then picked him up with one hand around his throat. Weaver stared him down, still smiling. He laughed in Krähe's face.
“What so funny?”
“You are,” Dr. Weaver said. “I killed seven people before you were able to stop me. In your eyes, you may have stopped me, but in my eyes, you're still a failure.”
“I can take it from here,” Officer Oakley said, readying her handcuffs.
She restrained Dr. Weaver and made sure he couldn't get out. Dahlia approached Krähe and hugged him around his waist. Krähe didn't know what to do, so he just let her hug him.
“Thank you for saving my life,” she said, with tears in her eyes.
“I should thank you as well,” Oakley said to Krähe. “Oh, and about arresting you... I supposed I can let you off just this once.”
Krähe gave a very shallow bow. “I appreciate it.”
“Yeah, yeah. Now get out of here before I change my mind.”
Without a word, Krähe traveled up the stairs of the examination room and found a quiet corner to dress as Derek. He then made sure no one saw him as he made his way back to Julia's room. She was sitting on the bed, but when she saw him, she jumped up and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him.
“It's okay,” Derek told her. “The man has been arrested.”
“I'm so glad you're okay! I don't know what I would have done if-”
“Shh. You need to rest. It's late.”
“Y-yeah, you're right.”
Derek hugged her back and walked her over to her bed. He tucked her in and smiled at her, light from the moon illuminating his face. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. Derek's smile faded as he got up and closed the door to her room. He went to the roof of Holloway Asylum and watched as the Water Prison Police wheeled Dr. Weaver into an armored car and drove away. He looked at the city, far off in the distance and thought to himself for a moment. How many other people like Dr. Weaver were omitting a crime at that very moment? How many people were being born on that night that would grow up to be like him? How could Krähe ever hope to keep Nocturne safe forever. With these thoughts, Derek Bethlehem headed home.
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Publication Date: 02-15-2012

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