What is this? Two chapter is one night? It is blasphemy, I tell you! Blasphemy! Don't ever think I don't love y'all. I'm putting my head under the guillotine for y'all because if my parents find out I'm still up... off with my head! Enough of my life story... please let me know if this is a good length for the last two chapters... and tell me what you think... in other words READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks...
Disclaimer: Margie. My Maniac Margie. Mine.
Chapter Ten: Identity Crisis
"What do you mean there are seven bodies in an alley?" Bruce spat into the receiver. The Gotham City Police Department's commissioner had called only seconds earlier to report the news. "It's a rhetorical question, Gordon! Of course I know there are actually seven bodies! That girl from the news has been talking about it on the T.V. for over fifteen minutes!" Bruce snapped his phone shut and opened the fridge, just to slam it shut again.
"What the hell?" Dick and Natalia walked into the kitchen. Bruce rounded on them suddenly, causing them to stumble backward. "What's wrong, Bruce?"
"The fact that seven bodies were found over on Third Street is the goddamn problem! Why the hell aren't you two on patrol?" Bruce said through gritted teeth. "It has been five years since there has been a murder in Gotham, but in the past week there have been eight. Does that raise a red flag? Well? Does it?" Natalia was the first to speak up.
"Well, of course," she responded with a quiet defiance, "but we haven't had to patrol during the day since the Purge. So get over it, Bruce. We have to reassess and proceed from there." Bruce almost hit her, but held back. She's right. We have to reassess, hethought.
"She's right," Dick interjected, draping his arm around Natalia, "And it wasn't even our patrol time. Wolverine and Spiderman were supposed to be out in the area, but then again, things have been lax since the Purge." Bruce nodded, deep in thought. Suddenly he jumped.
"I know who it is." Natalia looked at him.
"Know who who is?" she asked curiously.
"The girl. She's the one who escaped and now eight people are dead… Shit, what was her name?" Bruce began pacing. Dick rifled through some files on the table and pulled out a file folder with a big red X printed on the front.
"I meant to tell you I had finally found the girl's name." Dick put down the folder and took out a piece of paper with three lines printed on it. "Margie Lewis. Sixteen. Orphan. I found the name of the orphanage, the same one that Natalia came from actually – Miss Abigail's Home. Did you know her?" he turned to find Natalia staring wide-eyed at him.
"You can't be serious? You're talking about Maniac Margie?" Natalia gasped, "Yeah, I knew her. She ran away from orphanage six years ago. She was weird; always talking under her breath and referring to them as Mom and Dad." She shook her head.
"We have to find her," Bruce said. "Now. Go get your suits on, were going to find her. And Natalia, It's time for Mockingbird to make her appearance." Natalia smiled and all headed off in opposite directions to get changed.
Margie walked into the nearest building and walked in. The sign promoted Cyndi's Dance Studio. The receptionist looked up and smiled at Margie as she sauntered into the lobby.
"Do you by chance have a shower I can use? My parents locked me out of the house, so I haven't had a shower in a while." Margie asked sweetly and batted her eyes at the receptionist. Sympathy etched itself into the receptionist's brow.
"Of course, sweetie. Here's some shampoo and conditioner. There are some towels in the locker room that is down the hall to your left." The receptionist handed her the bath supplies and pointed down the hall at the sign that said Women's Locker room.
"Thank you!" Margie trilled and the receptionist nodded her welcome.
Once in the shower, Margie sighed. The water felt wonderful against her skin. She turned the water to searing hot. It wasn't hot enough until her skin was Santa Claus's suit red. She washed her hair three times, using the whole bottle of traveler's shampoo and conditioner before she stepped out of the shower. After twenty long minutes of soaking in the blistering heat, Margie walked into the lobby in her new change of clothes, taken from one of the boys in the alley.
"Thank you so much, Miss." Margie smiled while walking out the door, "I think my mother will greatly appreciate your generosity." The receptionist smiled and waved as Margie walked out the door.
The sun was hot on Margie's bare shoulders when she walked outside. It was nearing dusk and the rush hour traffic was just beginning. Car horns honked at other cars honking at other cars, and pedestrians walked swiftly from one building to the nearest restaurant. Margie sat down at the closest bench and began to think.
The only way to get Natalia alone is to kidnap her. From the way that she is progressing in her fighting skills, it looks like she could be a potential threat in close combat, but then again I have my wand. I don't really want to use it though; it would almost be cheating. Why am I even holding this grudge over her? Oh yeah, I remember. She's the one who ratted me out for sneaking the extra food. She's the one who came up with Maniac Margie. She's the one who told all the other girls I was crazy because I was 'talking to myself' all the time. She's the reason why I ran away from the orphanage. No one wants to stay when they don't have any friends, or when someone tells the boy she likes that she has a crush on him and the time that the boy and girl were friends suddenly disappears and the whole orphanage, even the babies, chant No one like Maniac Margie! Manic Margie must be murdered! No one likes Maniac Margie! This is why she has to die. My life has been ruined from the start. It's time to end it. Margie thought with her head cradled in her hands, her knuckles white from the grip she had on the side of her head.
Margie failed to notice the sleek black car cruising down the street with Natalia's face plastered to the window looking out, oblivious that her own Maniac Margie was sitting on the bench. All Natalia saw was a brunette girl with dyed purple ends in a baggy, cutoff t-shirt and cutoff jeans staring down at the concrete by the park. Natalia was blissfully oblivious.