Ra's opened his eyes groggily and looked around.
He was in a hospital. Why was he in-
That woman. The woman who had freed him from the crushing weight of the debris. She'd said something about bringing him to a hospital. He'd tried to tell her-
Had he said something about the pits?
He couldn't remember.
He reached up and rubbed his aching head, only to feel bandages wrapped around his head.
CRASH
His head snapped up and he fixed a glare at the woman that had dropped the tray.
"O-oh. Oh, I'm so sorry. It's just, well...you're awake!" The woman said, shock painting her voice and visage. He glared even harder.
"And my consciousness was shocking enough for you to cause such a clatter?" He muttered.
"Oh, it's just...you weren't supposed to be up yet. By all rights, you should still be unconscious. The doctor put you in a-"
"Medically induced coma," Ra's would've rolled his eyes but he possessed more decorum than a common street thug. The nurse was irritating him and he didn't understand why. Perhaps it was because he's just woken up. "When can the bandages come off?"
"Well," The nurse opened her mouth. "The doctor should be able to tell you when he gets in."
"And the woman?" Ra's asked.
"Hmm?"
"The woman. The one that brought me in. What's her name?"
"Oh. I can go check for you. We require n-"
"Go check."
"Of course, sir."
Melissa Anderson of the Narrows.
He'd have to find her. Maybe it was time to see from a native's perspective why Gotham and it's people were worth fighting for – or at least worth the effort of helping each other.
That would come after his burns heal. Or after he snuck out of the hospital.
And judging by the muck they deemed food, he would be sneaking away soon.
It was nighttime and the security in the hospital had gone down to its barest bones. Now was time to escape.
Ra's got out of the bed, unwrapped the bandages from his head, and made his way to the window.
There was no sense in risking getting caught in the halls when he could easily make his way through less conventional entries.
He sprung himself through the window and climbed down the side of the old building.
In all honesty, it was easier climbing down the building than it would have been to escape through the halls.
He just had to be mindful of the windows.
Facebook had to be one of the most inventive and useful tools when you wanted to find someone.
Melissa Anderson, originally from some small town in New Hampshire, lived in an apartment building at 571 Baker Drive.
A few minutes of digging found a picture of her from her move into the apartment building. She was sweaty, she looked like a mess, but she was smiling.
She was also standing in front of her apartment door.
The caption proclaimed her the proud renter of the space behind the door – apartment 3b, if the silver marks on the door were anything to go by.
She was also an only child and had no family in the state.
Ra's was starting to gain an appreciation for modern technology.
Melissa slipped into the tub and sighed. Finally, some time to relax after what the city had dubbed "Fear Night."
Thankfully her boss hadn't fired her, she'd only been reprimanded and given the rest of the week off due to 'traumatizing circumstances' or so Genevieve had told the rest of her employees.
She was just about to turn on the jets in the tub when-
Knock Knock Knock
She groaned. "Ugh. Just a minute!" She yelled. She slipped out of the tub and quickly threw on her bathrobe, tying the sash before rushing to the front door. She took a quick peek through the hole in her door.
It was the man – Henri Ducard – that she'd dug out of the ruins of the car garage.
She whipped open the door and smiled.
"Hi," She said, offering her hand to him. "It's good to see you're doing better, Mr. Ducard."
His brows furrowed as well as they could on his burnt face.
"You do realize you live in Gotham, correct?" He asked, pushing past her into the apartment.
"Um, yeah," Melissa said, crossing her arms and closing her door with her foot. "Sorry for the mess, I wasn't expecting-"
"A complete and utter stranger to barge into your home uninvited?"
"I wouldn't say barge in uninvi-"
"You do not know me, Ms. Anderson," Ducard said. "I am a strange man in your home-"
"I rescued you, you're not a stra-"
"Ms. Anderson, you live in Gotham, opening the door for someone you hardly know is incredibly dangerous. Are you trying to be murdered?" Ra's asked.
"I- well...no."
"Lesson number one; don't trust anyone."
"Excuse me? Lesson, Mr. Ducard? What are you doing here?"
"Originally, I came to thank you for your kindness. Now you've made me curious," He said, turning to look at her. Melissa stared at him in befuddlement.
"Well, you're welcome, I guess," She muttered. Curious? Was that a bad thing? Considering the way he spoke down to her, it seemed to be. "And, lesson? What-"
"You, Ms. Anderson live in the most dangerous city in the United States," Ducard told her. "And you are an incredibly foolish naïve woman."
"Excuse me?" Melissa demanded.
"Well, you appear to have a backbone, so it shouldn't be much work," He mused.
"Excuse, me, Mr. Ducard, I'd like to-"
"Ask me to leave? No, I don't believe I will. You see, I am repaying my debt to you, though you don't even recognize it as repayment. You are in no way fit to live in this wretched city."
A/N:
So, here's the next chapter!
Stitcher: Here you go! Hope you enjoy :) I'm on a bit of a small updating streak. Enjoy it while it lasts.