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caroline-min-max · 5 years ago

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Night Terrors

It’s usually Caroline who has problems with nightmares and a fear of the dark. Tonight, it’s someone else’s turn.

It was barely past 2 AM. All alone in the living room, donned in white pajamas with blue stripes and huddled up on the couch with a blanket around him, Min sat with the light on. The TV set was barely audible, Min worried about waking either Max or especially Caroline up.

Morning was still so far away and he was shaking with fright. It didn't matter that Max was so close by in his own bed in the room they shared together. Min couldn't take being in the dark any longer and slipped out without his brother noticing.

Was this what it was like for Caroline when she was having a bad night? It already was upsetting to Min and Max when it happened but now Min felt an all new level of empathy for her.

This was truly awful. Feeling so jumpy, seeing things that weren’t actually there, questioning every single sound, and too scared about having bad dreams to even attempt sleep.

In Min’s case, it was all because of a horror movie they’d gone to see. Caroline absolutely loved them and always asked if they’d like to accompany her. Min was beginning to dread it every single time.

It did seem a tad hypocritical. Min had seen his fair share of murder, even committing it himself, but seeing deranged serial killers, monsters, and spooks doing it with buckets of gore was too distasteful for him. Min himself preferred to deliver a quick shot through the head. He could never torture anyone. He’d held a man down and looked away while the White Rabbit had done that.

The movie they’d seen this time was a home invasion flick. Two everyday looking men had completely terrorized an innocent family. No one was safe; not even the baby or dog. Min’s stomach started churning and he actually had to spit out his mouthful of popcorn into a napkin, unable to swallow it.

Caroline and Max were seemingly unaffected. Caroline’s attention was glued to the screen when he looked over at her. Max had covered his eyes a few times but still seemed invested in what was going on. Only Min seemed to want to hightail it out of the theater when it was obviously the innocent family was doomed.

Now, while Max and Caroline were sleeping soundly, Min was paranoid and longing to see daylight. It was all infomercials or religious programming on TV as he channel surfed. He eventually found a rerun of a trashy talk show and decided to leave it there.

Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. Hours felt like days. Never before could Min recall a night dragging on this long. Looking at the clock on the wall made it ever worse. It seemed to be standing still. Maybe it was out of batteries? Should he get up to check?

“Are you alright?”

A soft voice behind him and a hand on his shoulder made Min shout in alarm and jump. In response, he heard a startled gasp as the hand was quickly moved. He quickly looked back to see a nervous looking Caroline in a flowy pink nightgown, scared from his extreme reaction yet the worry for him was obvious in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Min!” Now that Caroline could see his face she could tell which twin it was. “I didn’t think that would frighten you!”

“I-it’s OK, Miss White!” Min assured, wondering if his heart rate would ever slow down again. She’d nearly made him jump out of his skin! “Is the TV too noisy?” Although he wasn’t quite sure just how loud something had to be for Caroline’s ears to detect it he’d thought it was low enough.

“Not at all,” Caroline answered as she took a seat next to him on the couch. It felt almost odd to have some personal space for once without Max there. He and Min tended to feel like matching bookends when they’d sit so close to her. “I wanted some water and saw the light on. What are you doing up?”

“I...” Min hesitated. “Can’t sleep,” he answered, deciding to leave it at that; he didn’t want Caroline to think that he was a sissy. Everyone had troubles sleeping every once in awhile; it was a suitable excuse.

“Insomnia or something else?” Caroline pried. Min was awfully jumpy and he didn’t look very well.

“Insomnia,” Min answered quickly, only to get a skeptical look from Caroline. He wasn’t just laying awake in bed; he’d come all the way out here to turn the lights and TV on. He should have known that she’d realize there was more to it. “I...” It was so embarrassing to admit. “I didn’t like the movie...”

“Oh...” Caroline hadn’t expected that. “It was pretty extreme compared to what else we’ve seen,” she acknowledged after thinking about the content a little more. “I do hope the next one focuses more on the scares instead of prolonged violence.” Even she had winced when it came to the fate of the poor dog.

“Miss White...” Min had gone this far, he might as well tell her the whole truth since she wasn’t getting it. “I don’t...” He glanced away from her for a moment. “I don’t like horror movies. I haven’t liked any of them.” He looked back to see that Caroline wasn’t mad; rather her ears had perked up in surprise.

“But...” Caroline’s brow crinkled in confusion. She’d honestly had no clue. Min had never given any indication he felt this way. “You’ve gone to so many with me! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to be left out...” Min muttered sheepishly.

Guilt stabbed at Caroline’s heart. She could see that as being a big enough motivator to force himself to keep going. “I’m so sorry! It won’t be like that! I’ll go to them on my own and you, Max, and I can go see something else together. I know Max will understand!”

Min smiled at her appreciatively. That went a lot easier than he expected and he likely would have saved himself a lot of grief if he’d just been honest sooner. Max didn’t like to do things without him anyway. Although, Min couldn’t think of any other genre Caroline tended to enjoy. What would they see instead?

“Hey... Can I ask you somethin’?�� Min had come this far and Caroline recently stopped being such a grouch when he or Max asked her personal questions. She’d actually been willing to open up to them.

“Yes?” Caroline asked as she made herself more comfortable on the couch since she was going to be there longer than she expected.

“Why do you like those movies so much anyway?”

Caroline smirked. “Because, Min...” She paused for a moment, just picturing how he’d look at her after she explained. She really didn’t want to see it. This was going to be way more than someone as simple minded as Min was expecting. “That’s how I see the world. Happy endings are all a fantasy I can’t get into. Sometimes the monsters in the real world are obvious looking like the Joker but most of them appear just like your average person. They’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Caroline leaned in closer to Min’s face, locking eye contact with him.

“They put needles in my irises to changed the pigment, Min,” Caroline said, making him flinch when she placed her two pointer fingers centimeters away from his eyes for emphasis before withdrawing them. “Feeling the pains of my body being altered, them chaining me up like an animal... It’s nothing for me to see someone get a chainsaw to the head in a movie. It actually could have been worse...” Caroline gently curled her hands around her throat. “They talked about removing my vocal cords since I wouldn't stop screaming,” She moved her hands and jabbed her pointer finger into the side of her head. “and doing brain surgery on me to make me more obedient. I’m in a horror movie myself that will never be over only I’VE become the monster to survive.”

Min was staring at her with his mouth agape. Talking in vivid detail about what had happened to her during the time she’d been experimented on was usually off limits. Now here Caroline suddenly was, giving Min new horrible images to fixate on and she wasn’t done.

Without realizing it Caroline had scooted over far enough to make Min feel somewhat trapped on the sofa. Normally he liked being close to her but this time it felt somewhat claustrophobic, like he was trapped. He could always stand up but he was almost afraid to look away from her for even a moment.

“Mr. Dent used to protect me. Mr. Nygma said it was nice to see a fresh face in Arkham. Miss Isley complimented my hair and helped me wash the blood out of it after that one riot. I know it upset you boys but Mr. Cobblepot was trying to be polite when he kissed me hand and introduced himself.” Caroline reflected fondly on the surprisingly pleasant meetings she’d had with these supposedly fearsome Rouges.

Caroline knew her place in hierarchy and purposely went out of her way to make it clear she wasn’t going to step on anyone’s toes. That respect had gone a long way in making sure no one had a reason to want to harm her. Only the Joker was a concern as no one was off limits if he came up with an idea that amused him.

“Those villains that all of Gotham are my allies now but I’m still terrified,” Caroline admitted, a small tremble to her voice. “The people that should be feared most are the ones who aren’t obvious about it. They’re the ones you might have welcomed into your home not realizing they have a thing for torturing animals. Your co-worker might be going home every night to abuse his wife. Those are the kinds of people who did this to me.”

A chill ran down Min’s spine when Caroline actually started laughing. It wasn’t a gleeful laugh but rather a desperate one as recalled how terrible her situation used to be. There was nothing else she could do about it now.

“I was the favorite of one of the regulars at that club I told you about. He... He told me that I reminded him of his daughter and he’d be furious if he caught her working in a place like this. Didn’t stop him from trying to feel me up, though!” Caroline forced another laugh as she slapped her knee. “No sirree!”

Caroline kept waiting for Min to try and say something but he had no idea what to do right now except listen. She could tell he was still with her even though he looked so uncomfortable.

“I have no doubt that I murdered men who had those around them convinced they were good people and they’re missed. I will NEVER regret setting that club on fire for how they treated all of us women there,” Caroline said firmly, more than sure of herself. "So that's why, Min. That's why I want to watch horror movies. It's nice to be sitting on the other end as an observer and know that, whether or not the characters live or die, they're no doubt walking away from that experience just as screwed up as I am."

That’s it. She was finally done. Caroline hadn’t held back, both wanting to finally spill her guts but also curious to see just how much Min could take. Since he wanted to know so bad she’d let him have it.

For as much sense as that made Min hadn't expected to hear all that from Caroline. He sat there for a moment as he took in everything she'd said, Caroline watching him with amusement.

It was hard for Caroline to repress a smug smile. The twins were sweet but “intelligent” would never be a word she’d associate them with. This was likely way too over Min’s head for him to even respond with anything.

It was nice that they all got along well but Caroline had been thinking about just how far she wanted to allow that. The twins had been calling her their “friend” of their own accord. She’d silently accepted that but wasn’t sure how she’d felt about it.

It was dangerous letting people get too close. Caroline could never directly push the twins away after all they’d done for her but maybe she could make them think they’d done it themselves.

Friends should be able to handle just how fucked up one another was, right?

“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard...” Min finally replied. He felt heartbroken to have that kind of insight in Caroline’s thoughts. “I...” He wasn’t as good with words or being comforting like Max was but he had to try. “I hope me and Max can change your mind! We’ll take you out more often! We’ll show you more of the good stuff that’s out there!”

“You really think that cancels out everything I’ve been through?” Caroline snapped. This wasn’t how the flow of conversation was supposed to go. She’d planned for Min to awkwardly excuse himself and run away. For this to stop the twins from continuing to treat her more like family than a boss.

“N-No... But... What good is being angry and sad all the time doing for you?” Min asked nervously, wilting under Caroline’s harsh gaze. For such a tiny woman she could muster up looks that made grown men cower.

Min and Max had been through a scenario like this with Two Face keeping himself miserable by refusing to see Grace again. Caroline’s situation was a lot worse to the point where Min was overwhelmed but he was going to try his hardest to at least make it a little better.

“W-well I...” Caroline was the one who was tongue tied now. She didn’t have a snappy comeback prepared for Min’s question. “It’s not, but...”

“Aren’t you happy with us?” Min asked desperately. He and Max had tried so hard to bring a smile smile to the rabbit eared woman’s face that was usually seething with annoyance. “Or... Are we that useless to you too?” He held his breath for the answer. All Two Face had done was criticize he and Max no matter how hard they tried. Were they failures at being friends as well henchmen.

“Min...” Seeing him so vulnerable took all the wind out of Caroline’s sales. She didn’t have it in her to find a way to argue against him. “You and Max...” If she admitted this out loud she really would never be rid of them. “Are the only two good things in my life and I don’t know where I’d be right now if you both had given up on me.”

A smile of pure delight and happiness spread across Min’s face, gratitude radiating from his eyes. So Caroline did appreciate the two of them. It wasn’t just all in their heads. She really did need them.

Min’s smile was so contagious Caroline couldn’t help feeling happy as well despite the grim subject matter they’d been talking about. These damn twins could manage to brighten up her mood no matter what and maybe that was just what she needed.

“Fine...” Caroline sighed. “Fine! You win! I’ll let you and Max try and make me believe in ‘Happily ever afters’, OK?”

“We will, Miss White!” Min assured as he eagerly gripped both her hands and held them. “I promise!”

Caroline nodded. Only time would tell, she supposed, although she had plenty of doubts.

Feeling better, Min walked backed to his room with Caroline, wishing her a “goodnight” before entering. Once he shut the door behind him Caroline started to walk away, stopping when she heard that Max was awake.

Unable to stop herself from eavesdropping, Caroline pressed her ear against the door to hear their conversation clearly. It seems they were discussing where Min had been for so long.

“Hey, Max? Why don’t those horror movies bother you?” Min asked, wanting to hear his brother’s reasoning. He and Max hadn’t gone through anything like Caroline to justify wanting to see such upsetting subject matter.

“Two Face was scarier than any of those killers,” Max answered, then sharing a laugh with his brother while Caroline placed a hand over her mouth to muffle her chuckle. That was an excellent point! “I guess...” Joking aside, Max thought about it a little more. “I don’t feel like I have anything to be scared of. You’ve always been there to help me and now Miss White is protecting us too. So far we’ve killed almost anyone who messes with us,” he said proudly.

“Yeah, you’re right!” Min replied confidently. “Thanks, Max! I think I can go back to sleep now!”

Min should have known he could have gone to Max with his worries. His twin always had a more positive way of viewing the world that made sense to him. After saying goodnight Min laid down in his bed and quickly dozed off, the events of the movie no longing haunting him.

Hearing it go quiet, Caroline stood back from the door and started for her own bedroom down the hall. She hadn’t disregarded what Min said to her. She supposed that it could be possible to find a mix of seeing more positives in the world while staying realistic about the bad things that happen as well.

Gotham City was a harsh and cruel place to live in, yet Caroline was finding those little slices of paradise here and there. One of them was her own home, and it had only become better with her two new housemates.

“OK...” Caroline decided for certain, speaking to herself softly as she stood in front of the doorway to her room, looking back at the twins’ door. “I really will give it a shot.”

Saying and doing were two very different things, however. Life wasn’t all bad, she couldn’t argue that point with Min. Just maybe appreciating what she had a little more might make her happier in turn.That fairy tale ending just might be more realistic than she thought.

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