I couldn't help the annoyed sigh that escaped my lips as I pulled my mane back into a more controllable bun.

"Ya ready for another day of grueling work?" I teased Eddie the cook as he flipped a patty.

"It's three o'clock Irene. I've been working since six and don't get off until ten," his eyes shot up to meet mine, "So please just put me out of my misery."

I allowed a small laugh to escape my lips before shuffling through my pure and pulling out a familiar red capped bottle.

Eddie grinned as I popped it and passed him a couple caffeine pills.

After twisting the bottle back shut, I tossed it back in my purse. Quickly tying my apron across my waist, I shuffled out of the back room and into the main part of the dingy little diner.

The place was half empty except for the few shifty customers.

I took in a deep breath to prepare myself before diving head first into the job.

The hours moved by at a dangerously slow pace.

Dangerous in the fact that if time passed any slower it wouldn't be moving at all.

It had just hit nine, and the small crowds were thinning out.

The faces and orders blurred together, but a man in an unusually nice shirt caught my eye.

It was unusual to find anyone dressed so smartly in the Narrows, especially at this time of night.

My attention was glued to him and I grinned when he sat in a booth in my section. My curiosity was getting the better of me, completely shoving all my caution out the window.

He was cute, in a nerdy way, and I would even go as far as to refer to him as handsome. His hair hung loosely, escaping from the gelled back mass, but his most defined feature were his blue eyes that practically popped out from behind his glasses.

I approached him with a renewed energy that came from the excitement of something out of the norm.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

I mentally cursed at how thick my accent appeared when I spoke, hoping the man could understand me.

If he couldn't he covered it well, not giving away any emotion as he scanned his menu, and then me.

"Yes please. I would like the steak medium rare with a glass of water."

His slim hand passed me the menu which I politely accepted before turning on my heel and heading back to the kitchen.

Passing on the order to Eddie I quickly filled a glass with water before heading back to my customer.

I sat the drink down in front of the man before proceeding to dig through my pockets for a straw that I knew was there.

"It's rather scary, isn't it?"

"Excusé-moi?"

My eyes shot up to meet his as a small, almost unnoticeable smirk appeared on his lips.

"This villain running around, Scarecrow, was it?"

My eyebrows furred together, "Yes, it is. What is your reasoning for asking?"

He just shrugged.

"Simply curious."

I shook my head, turning back to the kitchen, still wondering why he had even brought it up.

It was only a few minutes before his meal was ready, leaving me to return with his meal.

"Anything else for you?"

"Yes actually." His eyes shot to my name tag, focusing before a small slightly sinister grin overtook his face, "Alice, you are French, correct?"

I nodded hesitantly. It was fairly obvious from my accent and it was even more obvious that he already knew the answer to his question, making me warry as to why he was even asking.

"I would assume you are about twenty-three, if not younger. Am I right again?"

I nodded again, growing more and more anxious of the reasoning for his questions.

"Healthy, beautiful, no boyfriend?"

This time I refused to answer him, which he seemed to take as an answer.

"Good. No family, or anyone who would come looking for you?"

These questions set off an indescribable paranoia as I turned, avoiding his last question all together.

As soon as I got to the back I began to break down, immediately being met by the concerned looks of my coworkers.

Since he hadn't necessarily done anything to me, not even directly threatening me, there was nothing anyone could do, except send out one of the male waiters to finish waiting on him.

I was allowed to hide out back until long after the strange man left, and even until closing time.

Eddie stayed for an extra hour after his shift with me and even offered to walk me home after but my shift, but I politely refused, no longer worried, not to mention my home was only a few blocks away.

I waved Eddie off before pulling up the collar of my heavy coat and heading out into the chilly Gotham night.

The barren streets had a sinister yellow glow from the street lamps.

Walking home, I would usually take a nearby alley way as a shortcut, but after the thinly veiled threat from the man earlier, I decided that was a bad idea.

This made the walk five minutes longer, but also a hell of a lot safer.

It turned out it didn't matter whether I went through an alley way or on a fairly lit street, because the minute I turned the corner a dark figure jumped down from the fire escape.

It was hard to tell in the lack of light, but I could just barely make out the burlap sack over the figures head. The imagery brought forth made it all connect as to who was standing in front of me.

Only one word came to mind.

Scarecrow.

Before I could even scream a hand was over my mouth, muffling any noise I could attempt to make.

I was so terrified I hardly noticed the needle that was inserted at the base of my neck, not until the liquid had been emptied.

There was no way to know what the liquid was, but based off the fuzzy effect it had on my head and the way it made my knees give out, I knew it wasn't good.

He swiped my legs out from under me, picking me up.

I only had time to slur out a few words before I knew I would be out cold, and in my tired state I couldn't think of how to form the words in english.

"Sil vous plait, Lassie moi allé."