The next chapter of The Tapes.
Batman leaves the Penguin unconscious on the floor, as he makes his way back towards the exit of the Iceberg Lounge. He finds most of the thugs outside, still unconscious, with one stumbling back to his feet. He walks by the thug, as he was turning around, and he punches him out. He then sets a course for the building he left the girl at. After a few minutes, he arrives, only something quickly catches his attention. The door that he determined the girl entered through was cracked open. He observes it for a moment, then switches his cowl to detective mode, as he enters through the door slowly. He looks around the dark room, finding ran down furniture inside. He sees some of the girls fingerprints on the arm of a leather couch that was in the room.
"She must have sat down to catch her breath." Batman thinks, then notices a few fingerprints on the planks of wood that boarded up the window behind the couch, "She checked through the cracks in the boarded windows to make sure no one followed and that the coast was clear before leaving." He then switches the detective mode on his cowl to a heat signature setting, studying the spot one the couch where the girl had sat. "Still warm." he thinks. "I just missed her." He quickly switches the setting of his cowl back to it's previous setting, then quickly makes his way out the door. He then presses the button on his cowl again, as he makes is way down the alley, noticing a set of fingerprints trailing on the wall of the building ahead of him.
"I hope your calling with some good news." Oracle informs, sounding concerned.
"I've retraced my steps back to the location I left the girl, but she's gone." Batman replies.
"What?" Oracle questions, shocked, "What happened?"
"She just left before I arrived, I'm trying to track her now." Batman answers.
"God, she must be scared out of her mind." Oracle says, "And there are a number of inmates that would like nothing more than to get their perverted hands on her."
"You don't have to remind me, Barbara." Batman informs, "I'll find her."
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you!" Oracle replies.
"It's fine." Batman states.
"Oh, and I've finished the fourth tape." Oracle says.
"Send it." Batman replies, "I'll listen while I'm searching."
"Will do." Oracle informs. Batman continues to follow the trail, as another click is heard and the recording begins.
"Patient interview number 21." Dr. Parkins announces, "Now, Jason-"
"You want to know how I failed my goals." Kane says.
"...Y-yes... I'm actually surprised you remember where we left off." Dr. Parkins informs.
"I don't have many things to look forward to, Doctor." Kane replies.
"So, you actually enjoy our sessions?" Dr. Parkins questions.
"I enjoy having someone sane to talk to." Kane answers.
"I see." Dr. Parkins says, "Now, Jason, explain to me how you've failed to complete your goals that your father set for you."
"I've never been able to hold a job." Kane explains, "Because I couldn't control my drinking."
"So, you mean that you were an alcoholic?" Dr. Parkins replies.
"I would... 'party'... every now and again." Kane informs, "I managed to marry and have a beautiful daughter."
"Interesting." Dr. Parkins says, "But you claimed you failed all of your goals. It seems that you managed to at least complete one."
"My wife died in car accident, Doctor." Kane explains, "A car accident that she wouldn't have been in if I could have kept a job." It was silent for a moment.
"I-I'm sorry, Jason." Dr. Parkins replies, sounding saddened.
"And the answer to your last questions is no." Kane informs.
"E-Excuse me?" Dr. Parkins questions, sounding confused.
"We never lived in decent living conditions." Kane answers, "So... does that answer all of your questions, Doctor?"
"Uh... yes, for now." Dr. Parkins informs. It was silent for a moment. "Jason... your mood never seemed to change when you were talking about your wife's death. Why is that?" It was silent again.
"Because what's the point?" Kane replies, "She's gone. There's nothing I can do about it. And crying won't bring her back."
"Jason... you're bottling up your emotions." Dr. Parkins states, sounding concerned, "It's not healthy. You can cause health and behavior problems, and it can even lead to violent outbursts or mental breakdowns." It is silent again. "Jason, it's perfectly alright to cry." Dr. Parkins informs, "It's just human nature to mourn a death, especially when it's someone you loved. Jason... you can cry. I wouldn't think less of you." It was silent once more.
"When your raising a young child, Doctor, you need to be strong." Kane explains, "Not for yourself, but for her." The sound of a door opening could be heard.
"Time's up, doc." Cash's voice informs.
"Oh... right." Dr. Parkins replies, "Until next time, Jason. ...And remember what I've said."
"Next time, Doctor... I'll be asking the questions." Kane states, as the sound of a chair scooting back and foot steps could be heard, followed by a door closing. With another click, the recording ends. Batman continues following the trail, until he finds a fire escape on one of the buildings, the ladder only inches above a dumpster. There were fingerprints on the dumpster and the ladder.
"She's on the roof." Batman thinks, as he climbs up onto the dumpster and starts making his way up the fire escape, "I just hope it's only for safety purposes." He quickly makes his way up onto the roof and looks around, but finds no one in sight. "She didn't!" Batman thinks, shocked and worried. He quickly checks along the edges of the building, but finds nothing but pavement below. "Thank god!" he thinks, as he continues to look around, he notices a set of fingerprints on the roof of the building across from him. "She must be very athletic." he says to himself, as he studies the distance between the two building, "The roofs are about ten feet apart." He then runs and jumps across to the other roof, then sees another set of fingerprints on another roof, then another. "She's very quick." he states, and he leaps from rooftop to rooftop, following the fingerprints, moving more into Park Row. He then sees a set of fingerprints on a gutter and downspout on the edge of the building. He quickly makes his way over and looks down, finding an illuminating skeleton crouching behind a few trash cans in an alley below, watching the street. He switches off detective mode, the skeleton becoming a young girl, somewhere in her early teens. She had short, black, hair, and pale skin. She looked very thin. She was wearing all black, a black turtleneck, black mid-thigh length skirt, black stockings, and black knee high boots. "Found her." Batman says to himself. He quickly drops down behind the girl, making sure not to startle her. He reaches into one of the pockets of his utility belt, and pulls something very small out. "Excuse me." he whispers. The girl turns around, frightened.
"GET AWAY!" the girl screams, falling onto her bottom and crawling away from Batman. He could now see that she had bright green eyes, with black liner, and black lipstick. She also had black fingernail polish on her fingers.
"It's okay!" Batman informs, "I'm not here to hurt you!" The girl continues to crawl, getting closer to the end of the alley, where Two-Face's thugs patrolled the street.
"Stay away from me!" the girl orders, continuing to crawl, still terrified.
"Wait!" Batman says, rushing over and grabbing her by an arm.
"LET GO!" the girl screams, reaching up under her turtleneck and pulling out a canister.
"You hear that?" a thug questions, "It came from over there!"
"It's not safe here-" Batman tries to explain, only for the girl to spray the contents of the canister in his face, "AAAAHHHH!" The girl quickly gets free and runs down the other way of the alley, leaving Batman coughing, choking, and blinded.
"IT'S BATMAN!" Batman hears a thug yell, although he was completely blinded by the chemical sprayed in his face. He feels something solid hit him in the back of the head.
"AAAHH!" Batman growls in pain.
"What's wrong with him?" Batman hears a thug question.
"I don't know, maybe he's got rabies!" another thug laughs, as Batman feels a fist hit him in the face.
"He's easy pickin's boys!" another thug states.
"Focus, Bruce!" Batman thinks to himself, "You don't need your eyes! Use you hearing!" He quickly regains his footing, then hears fast paced footsteps coming from his right. He quickly ducks under a punch and grabs the thug's arm, then swings him, managing to slam him against the wall. He then here's someone picking up something that clangs against the ground, then footsteps coming from the front. He ducks under a swing, then dodges another, then throws a punch, connecting with a thugs face, hearing the object clang to the ground. Someone then grabs his from behind, holding back his arms.
"GET HIM, YOU IDIOT!" the thug holding Batman orders. Batman then hears more footsteps coming from the front. He kicks his feet up and manages to kick the thug away, then rams the back of his head in the face of the thug holding him, forcing him to release him from the hold. Batman then reach back and grabs the thug, then flings him in the direction he heard the other come from, hearing their two bodies connect. It was then completely silent. Batman continues to struggle with his breathing, as he pulls out his grapple gun and fires it into the air. He then tugs it, finding it to be secured, then grapples up to the roof above. Once he's up on the roof, he presses the button on his cowl.
"Barbara *Cough, cough* ...she maced me." Batman informs, wiping some of the chemicals from his mask.
"What?" Oracle replies, shocked, "Who?"
"The girl." Batman answers, "I *Cough, cough, cough, cough* ...scared her by mistake. She ran off while I had to deal with Two-Face's men."
"Oh god, are you alright?" Oracle questions.
"I'm fine." Batman informs, as he tries his best to look around with his severely blurry vision and burning eyes, "I've been maced before. I just *Cough, cough, cough* ...need a few seconds to rest and let it wear off a bit."
"Alright." Oracle sighs, sounding relieved, "But what about the girl."
"I can't follow her while I'm... blinded." Batman replies, "I thankfully, I planted a tracker when I found her, just incase anything happened. I'll find her as soon as I get at least *Cough* ...sixty percent of my sight back."
"Understood... be careful, Bruce." Oracle says, ending the transmission.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please Review. Thanks.