Face the Demons
Chapter 1
**Hello my lovelys! I have decided to write another Bane fanfiction from an idea that sprotted over night in my brain. I am not trying to glorify/romantizise this disorder/phobia, I honestly just wanted to try writing about it. I am still working on my other fan fictions but I wanted to try this one out. I love all of you guys and I hope you like this story! (I do not own any of the characters except my OC**
Living in Gotham City with Agoraphobia is like being a seal off the coast of Africa. You always have a feeling that a great white shark is going to try and eat you as you swim into the vast openness of the ocean. But, you have no choice but to swim because the ocean has what you need to survive.
Well in my case, Gotham city is my ocean; and the maniacs that live in the city are my great white sharks. But every day I force myself to swim into the belly of the city so that I can survive. Life was not always like this for me, no I use to be a very social person.
The phobia started after that crazy maniac "The Joker" decided to terrorize the whole city. The whole time he was running amuck I really could care less, all I cared about was finishing my degree at Gotham University.
That all changed when the Joker decided that it would be "funny" to rig two ferries that go across the Gotham Bay with explosives and see who would kill first. You know what was not "funny", being in one of those ferries, thinking that was when you were going to die.
After that incident I slowly started to not go on the ferry any more. In fact after the incident I slowly stopped going out at all. I was able to earn my degree online but it did not win points over with my friends and I slowly started to lose them; one by one. The only way I started to feel comfortable talking to anyone was talking to them online.
I do not want to live the rest of my life living in the horrible city, so I made a plan. I would save up enough money to finally buy a place and move out of the city. It did not matter where I moved to; I just want to get out of this horrible city. But for now I have to wait in this ocean full of sharks in till my life preserve is thrown to me.
My home was is a small town home located in the heart of Gotham city, right down the street from the Daggets Industries office building. I got lucky, my father knew a guy who was able to get a job there where I got to work from my home office, and from time to time I would have to go to the office to drop off payroll.
Today was that god forsaken day, and as usual, I was not looking forward to it. The only way I felt safe was bundling myself up in my dads old giant brown shaggy jacket, my moms old matching green scarf and knit hat, and my rain boots that left no sound while walking.
I stood by the door already full of panic, my hand resting on the first latch of the five I had installed on my door. Each latch I had installed after a major panic attack. I started to do the breathing relaxation techniques that my psychiatrist was teaching me, but I was already tense and anxious.
I took a deep breath, "Breath…breath….its…ok…he's dead…the news said he died in prison….breath…the building is right down the street…you…you can do it…." I let it out and quickly undid the latches and pushed my way out before I changed my mind.
My feet moved quicker than my eyes could adjust to the light. The fear had auto piloted my movements to quickly get myself to the office building that I did not even notice that I was standing right in front of the office building door.
I kept doing my breathing as I made my way to the elevator. When I got in the elevator I took a deep breath. I felt safe in the elevator, it was small and closed off. The bells of the elevator calmed me in till the finally ring, which opened to the 33rd floor, where Daggets office was.
I quickly and awkwardly walked to the glass doors of his office, but something was not right. The lights where off, which he always kept on to show off his office; or so he liked to brag. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, "Its ok. Its ok. Just drop it off."
Making my way around the corner of the door way I dropped my envelope, my heart pounding out of my chest. A body. Whos body. No. no.
Legs shaking, dry throat, I made my way to the body. It was Dagget, Seeing his lifeless body caused me to fall over screaming. His head was twisted all the way around. It looked like it was done by hand from the finger shaped bruises forming around this face and neck.
I started letting out sobbing yelps to try and calm myself "No, no this is a dream…this is a dream… THIS IS A DREAM."
A deep, almost robotic voice roared over my gross sobs, "Where did you come from?" Heavy breathing followed the voice which sent a shiver down my spine.
I slowly turned my head, looking up at the towering man standing above me. He was wearing all black. Black cargo pants, black leather jacket, and some kind of black gas mask that covered his mouth.
Forcing myself to get up and took many steps back, almost tripping over Daggets dead body. I couldn't talk, my voice was dry from fear. I looked up at the man to find him staring at me with his intense look from his tiered eyes.
"Do you dream of dead bodies often my dear?" The man had his hands holding onto the collar of his leather jacket, studying my body as if to calculate my next move.
My phobia had my panic at an all time high now; I did not want to answer the man. But when he started walking towards me with his heavy feet I could only blare out, "SHARK!"
The man stopped with a very confused look on his face, his deep voice ringing in the room again "Shark?"
Embarrassment flushed over me, my face was hot. Why did I yell that?! OUT! I NEED OUT! My phobia kicked into high gear and I started to run towards the window. The window, a way out!
I could hear panic in the man's footing his heavy feet ran after me. I did not think someone that big could run that fast, because in five seconds he had grabbed the back of my jacket, lifting me into the air.
His massive hand forced me to look at his face, he glared into my eyes, my face was hot as I trashed in his grip. The man put his thumb on my lips and just said "Agoraphobia. I haven't seen this in a while."
That sentence caused me to stop thrashing and just stare at the man. He had only just met me, and in five minutes he already could tell I had a phobia. "Tell me my dear, what is your name."
Doing the best I could to force myself to talk, I choked out, "Marlene…Quint.."
He did not say anything after I spoke. We stared at each other in till he belted out "You are coming with me."
Snapping back to reality I started thrashing again, "No NO! LET ME GO! TAKE ME HOME PLEASE! NO! WHERE ARE WE GOING?!"