Magnets

If I didn't love my sister so much I'd kill her. I don't know why I was so surprised when I saw what Erin had gotten me to wear for her latest night out on the town. She's pulled this stunt before and clearly hasn't taken the hint. I'm not comfortable in my own skin so showing it off isn't really my thing. Still, that doesn't stop Erin from sticking me into attention-catching dresses.

This one was a two-tone dress that went from fire engine red to black. It had a halter that tied behind the neck and a plunging V-neck line. Add the red leather stilettos and I was in a unique version of hell. Oh, and let's not forget the padded bust. Unlike my sister, I am not generously endowed. At least this dress wasn't knee-length.

"Isn't it stunning? They're won't be a man at that party who won't want to take a second look," my sister had gushed happily. That was the only reason I did these things. I liked seeing her happy. So after three hours of bonding with my sister over make-up and hairstyles, the two of us waited in the elevator bringing us up to Bruce Wayne's lavish semi-political bash.

"Why did I let you talk me into these heels?" I mumbled, leaning against the elevator wall to take pressure off my feet. They were already seriously unhappy with the way they'd been arched for the last twenty minutes. Walking without letting the pain show on my face was officially my top priority.

"Beauty isn't about comfort," Erin pointed out. "And you look stunning." I looked at her, sparkling and beautiful in a golden evening gown. Her blonde curls were bound at the top of her head and spilled around her porcelain doll face. She really was a beautiful girl. I couldn't think of her as a woman. I probably never would. Erin was perpetually young and hopeful. Soon one of the many rich boys in this city would scoop her up. Of course, he would have to get past me first.

"So have you picked a husband yet? I encourage you to be quick about this so I don't have to keep going places with you," I teased her with a grin. Erin rolled her dark blue eyes.

"I know someone I'd like to marry but he's tragically unavailable." She let out a heartrending sigh and I smirked. I could guess who was so tragically unavailable.

"You have a thing for Bruce the perpetual playboy. I would give up on that one if I were you. Besides, you-"

"Deserve better," she finished for me. "Maybe I don't want someone better. Maybe I just want a guy who's hot and fun." I just shrugged. Honestly, who was I to give advice? I'd only tried dating once. After the empty first kiss I'd shared with the son of a wealthy businessman, I'd sworn off men. They couldn't take my weirdness and I couldn't take theirs.

"It's your choice. Just be aware that if he breaks your heart, I'll break his," I warned her. Erin was still giggling when the elevator dinged and opened its doors. She liked to pretend I was kidding when I said things like that. We both knew I was as good as my word.

"Look, there's Jenny and Richard! Come on, we have to say hi," Erin said. She took my hand and I closed my mouth tightly to keep back the groan that wanted to escape. This was going to be a long night.

I'm not really crazy about Bruce Wayne but I owed him for his very distracting entrance to the party he was throwing for the district attorney, Harvey Dent. The helicopter and three attractive women on his arm drew everyone's attention. Then after his speech about believing in Mr. Dent, my sister followed after him like a star struck teenager. I took the opportunity to make my escape to the far side of the rather large room. With a glass of champagne in my hand, I stood next to the window and stared at my reflection in it. Very attractive, Sybil, I thought sarcastically. The surroundings were charming. Expensive tile floors, walls that were mostly made up of windows, sparkling lights and tables with flower arrangements, food and champagne glasses. It was me that stuck out. My small mouth looked pouting under red lipstick and whatever Erin had done to my eyes made them appear large and an even darker blue than usual. And my hair, ugh, my poor, tortured hair. It's pinned to the back of my skull in a bun while a few wispy curls border my face. Well, they used to be curls. Now they're just stray hairs and my head is beginning to ache from the pressure of the pins in my head.

I deliberately cross my eyes so I saw double. There were two of me, one formal and one not. One suffering in heels and one wearing a large sweater and comfy slacks with Emily Dickinson tucked under her arm and reading glasses perched on her nose. I know which one is Sybil and which isn't. I'll give you a hint. It's the one with glasses.

"Miss Callaghan, you're going to get a reputation for being a wallflower if you're not careful." I looked over my shoulder at the source of the smooth, older voice. He had white hair and a friendly face. I smiled.

"Alfred, it's good to see you again. You're always the highlight of Mr. Wayne's parties." The elderly butler chuckled.

"Perhaps if you did more than hide in the corner and nurse a single glass of champagne for over an hour you wouldn't think so."

"I doubt it," I replied, taking another small sip of champagne. I have a very strict policy when it comes to alcohol. Drink it slowly and stop at the first sign of dizziness. My shield against emotions, visions and other supernatural bombardments is fragile. The last thing I need is to get drunk and let it slide.

Then the room tilted and the glass slid out of my hand. Alfred barely managed to catch it before it smashed against the floor. I could see his mouth moving but I couldn't hear him. There was a roaring in my ears like wind and, after a minute, laughter. High-pitched, frightening laughter.

"Miss Callaghan!" I abruptly snapped back, stumbling a little as my ears began to properly function again. Alfred, the poor dear, looked as if he was about to have a heart attack.

"I'm so sorry, Alfred. I don't know what got into me," I murmured, pressing a hand against my head. Something was wrong with me. Something important. My senses hadn't gone haywire like that for years. And… it wasn't over. I could feel a pressure building up inside my head. My hands were shaking, empty and bare but it felt like I was wearing gloves. "I need my sister."

"I'll get her for you. Stay still and try not to move," Alfred instructed me. He didn't know what was wrong but he wanted to help. I appreciated that. Still, I couldn't wait for him to wade through the crowd and find Erin. I'd have to do it myself. Without finesse I brushed through the guests with my thoughts, trying to find my sister. People shivered and frowned, unsure as to why they suddenly felt out of sorts. I found my sister and I could feel her jump as she felt me. Erin was used to my quirks. She knew I needed her, needed the calm and comforting presence she was for me. Sybil, I'm coming. A gunshot went off and I felt her panic as she shrieked.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." The voice was high but definitely male. And the minute I heard it I fell over. Joker. "We are tonight's entertainment." I tugged off my shoes then ripped the pins out of my hair. The pressure in my head was too much for me to pretend that I was anyone but Sybil the bookworm, the Sensitive… the freak. And this man's voice was making it worse. "Only have one question. Where is Harvey Dent?"

The Joker, the guy from the news. I couldn't see him from my position on the floor but I'd heard about what he looked like. In fact, the only thing I didn't know was why my powers were freaking out.

What was worse, Erin knew something was wrong. She'd felt me reach for her and now she couldn't see me. There were men with guns in the room, no safe place to hide. Where else would she want to go but to me? Sybil! Can you hear me? Sybil! I could hear her but…

"You know, I'll settle for his loved ones." I pressed both hands to my head. The Joker was pulling all my power toward him but I didn't know how he was doing it. Nothing like this had happened before tonight. It was then that I noticed I was moving. My legs had been pushing against the tile floor, sliding my body forward in tiny increments in the direction I knew the Joker's voice was coming from.

What's happening to me?

"Where are you going, cutie?" I frowned then realized that wasn't directed at me. Far from it, that was a voice my sister was hearing across the room as she'd tried to dart past the thugs as the Joker had moved toward Rachel Dawes. I blinked but my vision had blurred between what was in front of me and what Erin was seeing. A masked face, a gun… The gun made me forget about my powers, the Joker, anything beside the fact that some bastard was pointing a gun at my sister.

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered as he moved toward her, a hand outstretched. He thought she was pretty… He wanted her… Before he could so much as touch my sister I had my hand locked on his wrist.

"If you don't turn around and stop looking at her, I promise you'll lose one of your eyes." He snorted, barely glancing at me as he tried to shake off my hand.

"Wait your turn, babe." Erin backed up as quickly as she could when she saw the look on my face. She knew as well as I did that when I promised something, I didn't go back on it. I got a better grip on my stiletto heel and shoved it into his eye. I could feel his pain, a quick flash before I blocked it out. His scream wasn't as easy to ignore. I'd officially gotten the attention of the entire room. "You crazy bitch!"

"And proud," I snapped, gripping Erin's arm and tugging her behind me.

"Sybie," she whispered, frightened enough to refer to me by the name she'd given me when she was tiny.

"Move, Erin," I commanded firmly as I slowly backed up and kept everyone with a gun within my line of sight.

"Don't move," one of the clowns said, aiming straight at me. He didn't want to shoot me. I could feel that so I continued backing up.

"Go ahead and shoot me. I'm not fond of this dress anyway."

"But it's so flattering."

I don't know how to describe what happened next. It was as if the whole world had slowed. I keenly felt the brush of my hair across my shoulders, the breath that had suddenly become caught in my throat. The forward sway of my body toward the voice of a legitimate psychopath. My vision blurred and suddenly I was drowning in the pressure building up in my head. I could only find relief my surrendering and moving forward. Thankfully, that isn't what I did.

"Sybie," Erin squeaked, reaching forward and gripping my arm. In that instant I was anchored back into my body. Time began to move again and I could see. Not that seeing was so great once I could.

When I had my three-inch heels on, I almost reached the Joker's height. Now that I was barefoot, not so much. His hair was grungy and the tinge of green made it appear as if it had begun to mold. White make-up was smeared across his face, dark kohl lined his eyes and his unnaturally wide smile was painted red. I got the impression of a dark purple suit and green waistcoat before dark brown eyes caught my attention.

"You sure made a mess trying to save the princess there. She your girlfriend?" I backed up a step, locking my fingers around my sister's hand. She was the only thing keeping me sane. There was no way I could give that up while facing a murderer. I also knew that he was fishing for information by baiting me.

"I'm her sister," Erin protested, shock clear in her voice. My eyelid twitched but I didn't break eye contact with the Joker when I addressed her.

"Honey, could you avoid handing out personal information to terrorists from now on?" He let out a screeching laugh. I immediately recognized it. I'd heard it only a few minutes before he'd come out of the elevator. He was in my head. How?

"Big sis protecting little sis. How adorable. Now, could I get a name to go along with the pretty face?" he inquired as he approached us with a peculiar swagger. "And, perhaps, the location of Harvey Dent?"

"I haven't the least idea where Mr. Dent has gone and you don't need to know my sister's name," I replied flatly. The Joker licked his lips before he leaned over me, his nose nearly touching mine.

"That's not the pretty face I'm interested in, sweetheart."

"You'll just have to settle for mine," a low voice ground out before knocking the Joker back several feet. Batman moved almost too fast to track. He was a blur of black and accompanied by the sounds of fists knocking into flesh. Erin was shaking beneath my hand. Or maybe that was me. If Batman hadn't chosen that moment to save our asses, I honestly don't know what I would have done.

"Come on," I urged my sister, dragging her to the elevator and repeatedly hitting the button for the ground floor. I didn't let go of her until the doors slid shut. Laughter filled my head and I let out a choked sob.

"Sybil, what's wrong?" Erin was hugging me but I could still hear him. Whatever the Joker was drew in my powers. My sensitivity left me vulnerable to his nature but… there was more. I was physically drawn to him. I wanted to throw myself at the elevator doors and claw my way back up to the top floor. I wanted to touch him. But I didn't know why.

"There's something wrong with me," I whispered, pressing my forehead against her shoulder.

"But we're okay. I mean, we're safe. He didn't kill us," Erin tried to comfort me. I let out a weak laugh.

"Whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger."