The Ghost of You
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman Begins
A/N: I needed to redo this story and it's a week before The Dark Knight come out so hopefully, it'll work a little better.
Chapter 1: A New Reality
Dark. That was all she could see, had she gone blind? She could hear someone laughing in the backgroud, but who it is was escaped her. Finally, someone took off the blindfold and she looked around in a panic. She was in a dark room with the bare essentials of one and more. A table with chemicals sat in a corner, a desk with a chair sat with only a dim light, and she sat in the center of the room. A man had started walking over to her side. He saw the fear and panic in her eyes, and that the minor blow to her head was taking its toll on her. His face was covered in fading white make-up, his eyes were darkened, and his red glasow smile was running down his face. The girl looked at him and muttered something under her breath.
"Who are you?" she asked slowly.
"Don't you recognize me?" The man said.
She shook her head and looked at the man's face. She then remembered the blow to the head she had gotten and
"You're the Joker, aren't you?" She said. "Why did you kidnap me? And not my family?"
"Simple, your parents are dead." The Joker replied. "And your daddy had one of the biggest secrets in Gotham, the true identity of the Batman."
"He didn't know a thing about the Batman and that it was serious police business." She said.
"Someone hasn't been paying attention. There are rumors going around but who he is, Bruce Wayne, our own mayor, and of course, your father." The Joker replied with a serious tone. "But that's besides the point, I wanted to prove that your father wasn't the Batman."
"And he isn't, no one knows who he is." She said in the same serious tone.
The Joker had stepped away from her for a moment and got closer to her ear whispering 'why so serious?' she went wide eyed for a moment, then was calm again. She couldn't nor wanted to fight him. Then she realized why he had said it and knew what would come at her next. She tried to get away but couldn't.
"Why did you kill them?" She asked looking towards the darkened part of the room.
"It was for kicks, and your parents were looking to die. You, You didn't want to die, you fought me until the 2x4 knocked you out like a light." He replied.
Pain was jarring through her head and it felt as though her head was about to explode. When the pain went away, she let the sweat fall and burn her eyes. Her pain was visible. And the Joker turned her chair to the television where a video tape had been inserted. He put the tape in and she looked at the images in horror. Her mother was killed first with a simple bullet to the heart, and then she was hit. Her father was pleading not to be killed, saying that he didn't want leave her alone. But the Joker pulled out one of many knives and slashed his throat. A tear fell from the girl's eyes as she watched all this, and once he turned it off her eyes did not move away from the blank screen. Then, she slumped in the chair she was tied to. The Joker only smiled and tied her loose out of mercy. And he lit one of his calling cards, a typical Joker card from a deck of cars, and dropped it to the ground. The place lit up and he left. He again whispered in her ear and then left.
The girl came to, only a few moments later in a ring of fire. She coughed and heard police men outside, she had to get out of here but when she tried to stand up, her head throbbed. She blacked out once again, knowing she'd die
The police and fire department had gotten there just in time to arrest the Joker and rescue his latest victim. The girl was taken to the hospital unidentified and with some minor burns and a head injury. She had also suffered from some smoke inhalation and was going into shock. The paramedics were worried. Jim Gordon looked around and sighed seeing that the warehouse that they had found the unidentified girl in had burnt down. He got back in his vehicle seeing that there was nothing he could do.
At the police station, the Joker sat in a jail cell tapping his fingers. While Jim Gordon laid the knives out one by one, the Batman had entered the room hidden among the few shadows. Gordon turned around.
"So, he's finally caught." The Batman said in a deep, grizzly voice. "What did he do this time?"
"He committed a double homicide and battery." Gordon replied. "But those are the only minor things on his record. He has no alibi, no name, just a long criminal record."
"What about his weapons?" The Batman asked.
"His pockets were full lint and knives. That poor girl was lucky to get out alive." Gordon said with a sigh. "Her parents were killed, and we don't know who she can go home to."
"Do you know who she is?" The Batman asked in a darker tone.
"Amanda Morrison." Jim replied taking out a school photo of the victim and handing it to the Dark Knight.
"Any relationship to Andrew Morrison?" The Batman said taking it.
"She is his only daughter." Jim replied. "And heir to his company and wealth."
"Where is she now?" He asked putting the picture down.
"The hospital. They said she's got a bad burn and head injury." Jim replied. "Afterwards, they're just going to put her in the youth detention center until they can find a permanent home for her."
"But who will take her, Gordon? No one in Gotham will take her in, especially with the Joker on the loose." Batman said taking a look at the picture again.
"That's what everyone in the department's saying, but she has no living relatives." Jim said, frustrated. "There will be someone, though."
"Then good luck with that." Batman said, disappearing quickly into the night.
Jim Gordon looked around seeing no and sighed. There had to be someone in Gotham that'd be willing to take her in.