Author's Note: Hello dears. This is my attempt at a Batman Fanfiction. Here we go. This might be truly terrible, or good, but have a read and say what you think. I appreciate all feedback.
This story will take on a different spin, from most others. For a start, it's set in the UK, so a little AU, but not entirely. I thought about explaining it right here, as there is a certain relevance to it, but I think it will be more interesting if it's explained in the story, from the POV of Crane, although in 3rd person.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with the Batman Universe, comics, or films. Etc.
This will count for the entire story. Just everything in general. I can't be arsed to write it on every chapter.
Note: The town 'Feston' and its University is entirely fictional.
Prologue
It had been a searing summer that year. The kind of summer that made the backs of clothes stick liberally to perspiring skin. The way sweat rolled slowly down a single temple, fusing with damp hair. How the air fizzled with the heat, and insects chirruped loudly in the midst of dense grassland. The tarmac on the streets sizzled, as buses picked up the elderly, the young, the busy workers up from the old, rusty bus stops. The inside of the buses would be cramped, melting the passengers within it. The birds outside would still sing. And the nights of the hot days were cool, vastly cool with a freshness to the air, and dampness to the grass. The girl could feel, in-between her fingers, dew from the grass.
She lay there, somewhat stunned, half hanging out of her car, with her right hand on the damp grass. It was difficult to realise what had taken place, difficult to realise one minute she had been upright, driving seventy to eighty miles an hour down the road. She felt a terrible pain in her head, and tried to move a hand to tauten the pain in her head. It beat hard, over and over, like a chanting mantra. She smelt smoke, a fiery smell that made her eyes water, her lungs clog up. She blinked a few times, trying to feel some sensation in her limbs.
Slowly, it came back to her. Shock seemed to have numbed her body severely. There was broken glass everywhere, and she was quite sure some of it was embedded in her face – tiny little specks of it. She ignored the pain that burst from her limbs as she dragged herself upwards. There was glass embedded, as she hauled herself upwards, in her arms and thighs. She ignored it – it was simple, as her distress was great. Her body felt numb, floating, drowned, as if it was not hers. She felt boneless.
She tried reminding herself of who she was. The perspective of the night changed. The circumstances had altered drastically, more than she could ever imagine. There was a strange smell coming from the engine of the vehicle that was beside her. It was upturned, its great mechanical belly facing the starry sky. She dragged herself fully out of the car, onto the wet grass. It felt fresh and cool underneath her body. About ten yards away, was a severely battered black car, its fog lights still on. The headlights had been mashed inwards, puckered in like a mouth sucking on a sour lemon. The lights were bright in her eyes, but she began to find her strength again. She began to realise what had happened. The air smelt of wood smoke. The figure that had been sat in the opposite car opened the door, which creaked on its hinges.
The door fell off with a loud clatter as the figure stumbled out. Tall, lanky, was the figure that fell to the ground briefly, breathing loudly. The breathing was muffled, as if the mouth was covered by something. She squinted at the bright light, seeing the tall figure unfurl itself. She saw around what was supposed to the figure's head a sort of sack shape. She panicked, and scrabbled at the grass in order to get up. The grass gave way beneath her and dirt buried itself in-between her nails. The figure, a man, whom she knew, had gathered his bearings and tore straight at her.
She had finally managed to get herself up, heart in mouth. She began to run, faster than she had ever run in her life. He was close behind her, calling her name. She kept going, before slamming straight into the ground at full force. The night was smoke ridden and cruel. She had pieces of grass in her mouth and dirt in her nose.