Rachel's feet tapped anxiously on the linoleum floor of the police station. An officer approached her slowly.

"Ms. Dawes?"

She looked up at the sound of her name and stood, fixing the black back ganging from her shoulder. The officer motioned for her to follow. She was led through the precinct, down the grimy halls washed out from the pale fluorescent lights. The officer stopped in front of a large window and nodded to it.

"She's in there. We've been trying to get answers out of her since she was brought back to consciousness."

"Anything good yet?"

"She's good at shutting up," the man growled.

Rachel folded her arms and peered through the two-way mirror. Gordon was inside, pleading with the young woman to talk. But she was stubbornly silent. She wasn't even looking at him. Her attention was on something outside the mesh-covered window. She was in her own little world.

However, something drew her attention from the window. The young lady's eyes shifted to the mirror that Rachel stood behind, watching in safety. Even more interesting, the girl was staring right at Rachel.

Gordon watched the girl curiously before stepping out the door. He was surprised to see Rachel standing there.

"Ms. Dawes? How long have you been standing there?"

"Just a few minutes. May I go in?"

Gordon held open the door and allowed Rachel to pass. "Good luck."

Adriana's eyes never left the woman entering the room. Rachel sat opposite her and pulled her black bag onto the table.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. De Soto. My name is Rachel Dawes." Rachel held out a hand, but Adriana didn't bother to even attempt to shake it. She simply stared at the outstretched arm and then at Rachel.

Rachel immediately lowered her arm and cleared her throat.

"Right. Well, Adriana, I'm just here to have a little talk with you."

Adriana's eyes drifted to the window again, slowly glazing over as she sat there. Rachel looked up at the mirror, sighing and motioning to Adriana.

"They're not there."

Rachel blinked, quickly turning back to Adriana, who was staring at her.

"Excuse me?"

"They left. They're not behind the mirror." Adriana turned her head away. "It's just you and me, Dawes."

Rachel scratched her forehead and opened her bag, blushing from embarrassment, as she pulled out manila-colored folders filled with papers.

"Well…good. I think I'd be better just speaking with you, and I'm sure you don't want them listening to you." Rachel smiled. "First off, if I may ask, where on earth did you get those injuries from?"

"I don't know." Adriana murmured bluntly. Her cheek was maroon in color, the bruise a perfect circle. The bump on her forehead was smaller, but still stood out.

Rachel folded her hands. "Really? I would think that such…'violent' injuries would stick to the memory…"

Adriana sighed in frustration and pointed to the bump on her head. "This…I…I don't remember how I got it. But this," She motioned to her cheek and winced, "I got from being punched." Her eyes darted to the mirror and her hand fell to her side.

Rachel frowned. "Punched? Who punched you?"

"They're back again."

Rachel sighed. "Adriana, please, you have to answer—"

"I won't. I won't until you make them leave."

"Who?"

Adriana shook her head and turned from Rachel. Rachel looked up at the door, got up hesitantly, and poked her head out the entry. There stood Gordon and another officer chatting to one another. Gordon spotted Rachel and held up his hands.

"Well? Did she say anything yet?"

"Actually, sir…" Rachel looked back at Adriana, then at Gordon. "She refuses to say anything else until you two…uh…leave."

Gordon looked puzzled. "What?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. She just says to leave.

Gordon hesitated.

"Please sir."

The officer next to Gordon looked up at him. "Well?"

Gordon shrugged and waved at Rachel. "Fine, fine. Just get what you need from her, understand? Let's go Sam."

Rachel returned to her seat and smirked. "Now, where were we? Ah the injuries, right. Adriana, please tell me…what happened to you?"

Adriana reached up, touching the bruise gingerly. "The bat."

"Bat?" Rachel's eyebrows came together in a frown. "Like, a baseball bat? Someone struck you with a bat?"

"No…" Adriana's voice was monotone, but quivered with suppressed emotion. She looked out the window. "The…the bat. Batman."

Rachel scowled deeply. "Batman? Batman hit you?"

"You don't believe me."

"Well…I…" Rachel stuttered and bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I just…don't know if I can believe that." She paused and shook her head. "Forget it. Let's just move on." Rachel pulled out some photos and slid them around on the table, allowing Adriana to see them. "These men look familiar to you?"

Adriana picked up the pictures, two in each hand, and gave Rachel a look of utter torpor.

"Your point, Dawes?"

Rachel was a bit taken aback by the hostility in Adriana's voice and cleared her throat once again.

"These four men…you killed them."

Adriana slid the pictures back to Rachel. "I did."

"Why did you do it?" Rachel murmured, leaning forward on her forearms.

Adriana's eyes narrowed. "Rachel, have you ever been in love with someone?"

Rachel sighed. She'd heard this one before. Many, many times. "Yes, I have, but not enough to kill people. Adriana. Your husband was a cop. You saw and heard all the awful stories…all the terrible things that happen on the streets every day…how did you have the heart to go out and do those things? You were being just as bad as those other lowlifes out there."

Adriana pursed her lips, her hands quivering on the table. " I had to."

"No…no you didn't HAVE to…You—"

"I…did. I…I did!" Adriana slammed her fists on the table. "I needed to see that rat face to face! I was going to show him and everyone else that you just don't trample my life to pieces and not pay for it!"

"But 'Batman' didn't kill your husband! The man who did is behind bars right now!"

"And the 'hero' that was sent to protect my husband failed. So…who's at fault there?" Adriana's face was expressionless once again. She averted her eyes from Rachel to the window. "Besides. My Carlos told me to defend my rights. He told me right to my face…I had to take care of myself and if anyone hurt me…"

Rachel watched in surprise as the girl trailed off and began to break down into a fit of tears. Rachel looked around and bit her lip.

"Adriana, Adriana listen…please? Shhh, no, don't…don't cry. Adriana, here, let me get you some water. Okay? Sound good?"

Adriana nodded and rested her head on the table, staring out the window and shaking with sobs.

Rachel got up, holding her papers tightly, and hurried out of the room.

Halfway to the water cooler, Rachel felt a large warm hand clamp onto her shoulder. Startled, she whipped around and scowled, slapping the hand away.

"Bruce! Jeeze, don't do that!"

Bruce Wayne looked tired, holding his head as he apologized.

"Sorry Rachel. I didn't think you'd be so jumpy."

"You'd be jumpy too after trying to talk to…well, you know. That lovely friend of yours who tried to kill you."

"Oh…her." Bruce scratched his head. "Did…uh…is…is she alright? You know…" He made a fist and held it up to his cheek.

Rachel bent over to fill the Styrofoam cup with water. "What? Oh, she's just dandy after you beat her across the face, Bruce." She said his name with a slight hiss and stalked past him.

"Hey….hey wait a second." Bruce tailed behind her. "Hey, I didn't mean to hit her. Hard. I just meant to…you know…"

Rachel stopped in front of the two-way mirror window and turned on Bruce. "Listen Bruce. I know what you did was…out of your character. But that won't stand up in court anyways. She's been through enough to make anyone crazy. But boy does she have you…or should I say 'Batman'…right in her radar. She blames you for everything Bruce. To her, you killed her husband. That punch will be used as proof that perhaps Batman has targeted her specifically. She blames you for her misery." Rachel frowned, holding a hand on her hip. "Frankly I don't blame her," she muttered.

"What! Rachel…I didn't mean to hit her! I…I don't know what came over me." Bruce clutched his head. This was getting far out of his control. Sure, he was used to knocking out robbers and crazed muggers, but there hadn't been as many female crooks…he didn't know HOW to handle it when it came to a girl. "Rachel, I didn't WANT to hurt her! I didn't mean to punch her!"

Rachel cupped her hand over his mouth and hissed for him to be quiet. Both looked to the window where, for a split second, Adriana stared at the two of them from inside. Bruce frowned and pulled Rachel's hand away.

"She…she can't see us, can she?" Bruce murmured in a low whisper.

"No, it's a two-way mirror." Rachel stated plainly.

Bruce frowned harder. "Are you sure? How come she just—"

"I don't know, Bruce. I don't know." Rachel sighed, excusing herself, and headed back into the interrogation room.

Bruce folded his arms, staring at the young woman inside. He had seen that bruise for a split second, but even that little glance was enough to make him cringe.

Adriana sniffled, accepting the cup from Rachel, and gulped down the cold water graciously.

"Do you feel better now, Adriana?"

Adriana nodded, casting a glance at the window. "Who's outside?"

Rachel folded her hands. "Another officer. Is that alright if he's there? Or should I ask him to leave?"

Adriana's lips curled into a grin as she brought the cup back to her mouth. "No, that's perfectly fine if he listens."

Rachel frowned. Adriana's eyes turned cold as she stared at the young DA, smirking. Something seemed oddly familiar about those eyes. She remembered someone else with the same empty, chilling, dead eyes. Rachel shook off this thought and readied to continue the interrogation.

"How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty, your honor, by reason of insanity."

The judge raised an eyebrow and looked at the defendant. The young lady's eyes wandered aimlessly. She looked like she didn't even know this was a serial murder trial. She looked like a child, watching things so miniscule as if they were the most important things in the world.

A man sat in a far seat in the back of the room, staring at Adriana as the trial began. He focused intently on her, a notebook in his hands. He wrote quickly and neatly, paying more attention to his notes than to the trial itself.

Subject B seems nescient to severity of allegations and pays no attention to the trial. Medication from this morning, placed in orange juice, seems to take a few hours to fully take effect. Results: Lack of awareness, tendency to have mind wander, no grasp of reality.

The man paused, sticking the pen behind his ear, peering out behind rimless glasses.

Everything was going perfectly according to plan.