Alice didn't exactly know how long to wait for it to seem like she had really thought about Peter's offer. She had already made up her mind – she was doing it – but she didn't want him to know that it took her only seconds to decide. She figured it was due to some sort of pride factor she had, though she never considered herself to be that bothered about it. Evelynn was kept in the dark, believing Alice had enjoyed a wonderful writing class where she had had "the curtains covering her imagination drawn to let in the rays of creativity".

Alice didn't like lying to her friend. She was good at it, but Evelynn had never lied to her. Well, not to her knowledge, anyway. It would be useful if Alice could at least tell one person so she wouldn't have to go through this alone. But, alas, she was sworn to secrecy. She didn't mind all that much.

That evening, Alice turned on her laptop and went straight to Google. She thought about what she should search, and then shrugged, simply typing in 'Batman'. There were thousands of results.

Oh, Google. You have all the answers.

A little ashamed that she hadn't paid much attention to this Batman when the rest of the internet were experts, she began her research by clicking on the first result.

About an hour later, Alice's eyes were still glued to the screen, absorbing every little piece of information she could find. She was truly amazed by Batman and it seemed that everyone else was too. Of course, there was pretty much a 50/50 split when it came down to who supported him and who didn't, but the question most asked by everyone appeared to be 'who is the Batman?' There were tons of websites dedicated to this guy and huge discussion forums on whom he could possibly be. Merchandise of him was being sold in stores and there were even rumours of comics being written with him as the main character. The speculation surrounding this 'Masked Vigilante' was insane, people blaming him for causing the crime in Gotham City instead of fixing it. Alice had yet to decide her opinion on him, but she was sure that she didn't hate him.

Concerning the events that happened last year with Peter's boss, The Joker, Alice had also found a lot of information. Like Batman, no one knew who he was. All anyone knew was that he was a psychopathic, sadistic serial-killer who felt no remorse for his insane actions. His face was always painted with greasepaint: white covering his face, charcoal black surrounding his eyes and crimson red slathered over his lips and cheeks, home to two horrible, jagged scars that formed a grotesque grin. His hair was spray painted green and he wore a dirty purple suit that stopped a few inches below his knees.

Last year, he had suddenly emerged in Gotham and had immediately started causing havoc by robbing a bank. Then a body (dressed as Batman) was found swinging outside of the mayor's office, his face painted like The Joker's and the sides of his mouth sliced into a smile, a joker card pinned to him reading, 'Will the real Batman please stand up?' A video was released the same day to the news consisting of the clown questioning a man called Brian Douglas – the dead body. Alice watched the video and felt sick as The Joker made fun of him and hurt him, and she was startled when his voice ripped into a snarl. The psychopath turned the camera to face himself, warning viewers that, until Batman showed the world who he really was, people would die every day. The video cut off with a manic laugh and Alice assumed that The Joker had killed Brian.

He popped up next in an article about him crashing a fundraiser for district attorney Harvey Dent, held by billionaire Bruce Wayne. Alice recalled the video she had seen on YouTube and figured this was what she had seen. Batman has shown up to save the day, but The Joker hadn't been caught because he threw a woman, Rachel Dawes, out of a window, Batman opting to save her instead of taking down the criminal.

Another article caught her eye entitled, 'Assistant DA Rachel Dawes killed in explosion at 250 52nd Street'.

Clicking on it, Alice began to read. It informed audiences how Rachel had been kidnapped by The Joker and tied up in a room with drums of gasoline connected to a bomb. Harvey Dent, had also been kidnapped, but had been rescued at the last minute by Batman. For her, though, it was too late. It looked like the police had been given a choice and, even with the help of the Caped Crusader, they couldn't save both. Reading a little further gave Alice the information that Gotham General Hospital had been blown up by the Joker – the hospital that Dent was in and he went missing after everyone had been evacuated.

Alice trawled through articles and websites and forums, discovering every bit of detail there was to be discovered about this maniacal killer. He had threatened lives, taken lives, and still, like Batman, Alice didn't hate him.

What's wrong with you?! He murdered people! Broke families! And you don't hate him?

With a growl of frustration at herself, Alice slammed her laptop shut and shoved it away from her. She looked up to the ceiling and filed her lungs. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, a headache making its way to the front of her brain.

Her mind beginning to wander, Emily soon found her way in front of Alice's eyelids. She smiled at Alice and waved, the wind blowing her hair a little. She was in a park, leaves making an autumnal carpet as children and dogs played in the background. She seemed to glow with an aura of happiness and her eyes twinkled as the sun broke through bare branches.

A memory.

Alice smiled back as tears left trails on her cheeks. It wasn't often she would remember a happy memory of her sister. She remembered that day well now. She and Emily, after weeks of cold weather, saw the rays of sunshine one morning outside of their window and looked at each other at the same time, without saying a word or uttering any sound. They ran outside and absorbed the heat, amazed it wasn't even the slightest bit chilly when it had been raining just the day before. The puddles had almost evaporated, leaving droplets of warm moisture everywhere. They had never seen a day so beautiful. They had had so much fun.

It was only a moment before the memory began fading back into the depths and Alice reached out instinctively. She toppled on her chair and her eyes flew open. She grabbed the desk to stop herself from falling. Shaking her head, she scrunched her eyes shut and tried to force her memory back. But it didn't return.

"Emily…" She whispered, but she was helpless. She cried herself to sleep again that night, as quietly as possible.

"So, Alice," Eva sat across from Alice, in exactly the same chair in exactly the same clean, organised room, with her hair tied up in a ponytail this time, though – variety. Harleen sat beside her and smiled whenever Alice looked to her.

"How would you feel about talking about Emily today?"

Alice was just about to object before Eva continued, "You don't have to talk about how she passed – I'd just like to know a little more about her; her age, her hair colour, her favourite book. Anything you feel comfortable talking about."

Alice looked down at her hands like she always did when she was thinking.

It couldn't hurt that much, right?

"Okay, well," she began, "she was fifteen. She had chocolate brown hair and beautiful green eyes. I was always jealous of her eyes. Everyone always said how pretty she was."

Alice trailed off. She felt the lump beginning to form in her throat but she was determined to continue.

"She wasn't a fan of reading. She was a slow reader. But she loved music. It was the best thing to express how she felt. And she didn't have a favourite genre. She loved all kinds of music – it all spoke to her in one form or another. She didn't go anywhere without her iPod."

Before she knew it, Alice was a library dedicated to her sister. The information and knowledge of every detail of Emily poured out of her like an infinite jug of liquid. She was surprised and proud that she didn't cry and figured it was probably because she was remembering memories she thought she had forgotten. Eva's hand was probably hurting with how much she was writing in her notebook, but Harleen was the opposite, sitting on the edge of her seat intently watching and listening to Alice's stories about her and her sister, a big smile on her face.

Alice took a breath and found herself lost for words. The stories depleting, the only thing she could think about now was the ending to the story. The library's books had all been checked out. All but one. The last story, but it wasn't fiction.

Her heart clenched and she felt herself give up, surrendering to the pain. The tears flowed into her palms and a comforting hand rubbed her shoulder. She knew it was Harleen's. She breathed in deep and composed herself, wiping the tears and giving a slight smile to her friend to say she was okay. Harleen gave her a last rub on the shoulder and let her arm fall to her side.

Alice groaned, "Ugh, I need to stop crying."

"Not at all," Eva began, "You have to let it out. It's good for you."

"Not when I'm doing it all the time - whenever I think about her. I'm always exhausted. I can't sleep, I can't eat. I've lost so much weight in such a short amount of time. I'm worried."

"That's completely normal for people struggling with bereavement. Every time I see you, I'll ask you how you're feeling in regards to your health," Eva looked at her watch and re-folded the paper on her clipboard. It was then that Alice realised that she didn't particularly like Dr. Nicolas. She had the feeling that Eva didn't really care about her, just if Alice was another person she could "fix". Sure, she came across as nice and welcoming, but Alice just had that sort of vibe about her.

"Well, we've gone over our time, but I think you've made good progress here today. I'll see you in a couple weeks." Eva stood up and guided Alice out of the room, Harleen following close behind. The moment Alice was out of the room, the door closed with a thud and Alice knew she never wanted to go back in.

"Ya sista sounded wonderful." Harleen said softly.

"Yeah. She was." Alice solemnly replied and, murmuring a small goodbye to her friend, left the hospital.

"Hey, buddy! How'd it go?" Evelyn asked enthusiastically when Alice entered the apartment.

Alice slumped down on the sofa next to her and let her bag drop to the floor, "I don't like it, Ev."

Evelynn frowned, concerned and wrapped an arm around Alice, "How come?"

"You know I've never been a fan when it comes to talking about my feelings. And Dr. Nicolas just seems…disinterested."

"Huh," Evelynn shrugged, "you not gonna go anymore?"

Alice shook her head and Evelynn smiled, "At least you gave it a try."

Alice appreciated how Evelynn didn't make a big deal out of things. It put her at ease and made the whole situation easier – Alice didn't have to feel bad about herself when Ev was around.

"Thanks." Alice smiled at her friend and turned on the TV. Of course, it was the news.

"…and police are still on the search for The Joker who escaped Arkham Asylum a few months ago. Sources believe he is still in Gotham but nothing has been confirmed. Authorities are warning citizens to be extra cautious when walking the streets at night and to report any suspicious activity. If anyone has seen The Joker or knows where he's hiding, get in contact with Police Commissioner James Gordon at the GCPD."

Alice felt weird. She felt guilty. Because she knew exactly where his gang was. She could go to the police right now and turn them all in. But she didn't know if The Joker was with them, so what would be the point? He could always get another gang, and she liked Peter. She was caught between right and wrong but it didn't feel all that bad. It was rather exciting. So, if this was exciting, how exciting would it be to actually be one of the bad guys? One of Gotham's Liberators.

"I'm going out." She announced and leapt off the sofa.

"Out? Where?"

Alice picked her bag up off the floor and hung it on her shoulder, "To see Harleen. I think she wanted to talk to me about something."

"Oh, okay. I'll have dinner alone then…again." Evelynn smirked at Alice and she chuckled.

"See ya, don't stay up."

"Alrighty. Later."

Alice practically ran out of the door and down the steps. She hailed a taxi and clambered in the back seat.

"The Narrows, please." She asked and the driver turned to look at her with a frown.

"The Narrows? What's a girl like you want down there? It's dangerous."

"I'm meeting a friend." She lied and he shrugged, returning to face the front.

"It's your funeral," he mumbled under his breath but Alice heard it. She gulped feeling butterflies in her stomach. The man drove and she fiddled with her fingers. This was a stupid idea. Alice found herself hoping that Batman was secretly still in Gotham as well as The Joker. She hoped he'd come out of the blue and save her if she was ever in trouble. But he was just one guy and had been gone for a long time, and this wasn't the movies. No one was going to save her if she got into trouble tonight and a part of her didn't mind. What have I got to lose? it wondered. What indeed.

Alice shook her head. She was crazy. You'd have to be crazy to be doing something like this, right? Of course!

The car stopped outside of the dodgy beginnings of The Narrows, confusing Alice.

"Can't you go any further?" She asked.

He snickered, "Sorry lady, I ain't going down there. Are you sure you can't meet you friend anywhere else?"

Alice thought for a moment and then nodded, "I'm sure. Thanks anyway." She paid the man, exited the cab and watched it drive away.

The fumes made her cough a little so she pulled on her hood and tugged the strings so that her jacket covered her mouth. She hoisted her bag more firmly on her shoulder, made sure that, if anyone tried to snatch it, they'd have to take her arm off too, and set off into the Narrows.

The walk was stressful. She had lost count of the amount of people that had approached her offering her a number of things. A group of men had even begun stalking her, but she had been stealthy and had slunk away round alleyways and had eventually lost them. After that, it had taken her a while to get back to where she remembered Peter had driven, but she finally found herself opposite the storage unit door. She glanced around her to see if she had been followed by anyone by saw no one in the darkness. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth to calm her nerves as she approached the door.

Thankful for her good memory, she replayed the knock on the metal that she remembered from Peter, and then recalled that she had to say who it was. She hoped Peter was here.

"Uh, it's the girl who was with Peter the other day. The girl with the brown hair?"

Everything was silent. So silent, it was unsettling. It hadn't worked. And why should it? None of them knew her. Peter hadn't even introduced her to any of them. If she were in their shoes, she wouldn't let her in either.

Just to make sure, Alice pressed her ear against the metal door and listened. She heard the shuffling of feet and then, out of the blue, the door began to ascend. She jumped back, startled and scared of what was going to happen when the door was fully open. She saw the guy's dark brown, scuffed shoes and then a pair of oddly coloured checkered socks. They were followed by his trousers – a pinstriped, dark purpley blue material.

Now Alice was a little confused – she hadn't seen this sort of style while observing the Garage's occupants.

And then her heart stopped when the door revealed a dirty purple suit that stopped a few inches below the guy's knees.

She knew who it was. She could turn around and run. But something was keeping her there. She didn't know if it was morbid curiosity or just plain stupidity, but she couldn't move. She was locked into place.

Gradually, the door revealed more and more and confirmed what Alice was dreading. He wasn't pulling the chain of the door – that was clear from the lack of movement on his part. And Alice just stood there and stared.

When the door was fully open, Alice gasped. She couldn't hold it back. She had seen his face only on screens, but in person it was shockingly different. It was painted white, with black around the eyes and red covering the mouth. The scars…jagged and rough, pulling at his cheeks. He wasn't smiling. He was staring intently at her, eyes squinted slightly. He was powerful and dangerous and enigmatic and frightening. He smiled and she backed away slightly. But she stared back – she was captivated.

He was leaning, one arm resting on the wall holding the chain of the door, the other arm hanging by his side. He was moving something around in his hand but Alice couldn't tell what it was.

He leaned in closer but held eye contact, probing the inside of his mouth with his tongue as he stared her down, the smile still on his lips.

"Well hello there, beautiful."

A/N: Chapter four. Finally, am I right? Sorry about the wait, guys. College work and no motivation has been the thing recently, but I'm getting my mojo back, so hopefully, there should be chapters sooner :) But don't hold me to that :s

Anywho, thanks so much for all of your reviews! I'm so happy that you're pumped for this as I am :D And twenty followers is just amazing :') Tell me what you think of the chapter and thanks for reading!

~Beth x