Day 104
Bruce hasn't sleep for days. It's day 4 since the missing of Alfred. Bruce was active in the searching parties. There weren't any leads or clues and it was driving the young Wayne crazy. My turn with the GCPD started yesterday so I was also involved with the searching.
I walked by his side and peeked at him from the corner of my eyes. He was so focused at the sight before him. I would too if someone I really care for had gone missing for days. I remembered when Ivy went missing after she fell in Gotham waterways. It was emotionally exhausting. We are looking around Gotham Lighthouse at the moment. "Alfred is a resilient tough man," I noted. He turned his head to me a while before returning to look forward. "Worrying about him is normal and looking for him is what we must do. But when was the last time you sleep?"
"I'm capable of taking care of myself," he retorted, though it didn't sound that rude.
"I know. But sometimes we oversee things and ended up damaging ourselves."
"I am focus," came his sharp reply. I sighed, separating myself from him to check at the alley to my left, while he went into a door at his right. I found nothing in the alley so I walked to the main street. Where could Alfred be?
"He walked up to four steps?" I shrieked. "Without any help?"
"He did. He did," laughed Hassan via the radio.
I pushed my lips in a pout, feeling sad that I could see Malik's first steps. I was having a break alone in the meeting room at the precinct, after my Asr prayer. Wiggling my toes, I placed the radio near my lips.
"Too bad I wasn't there to see it," I said.
"You're gonna see it when you came home. Malik's practicing his walks for you."
I smiled silently, wishing that I could hold both of my loved ones right now.
Day 105
I crossed my arms; my bottom was leaning against a table as I studied Bruce glaring at the map of Gotham. I actually believed that the paper might burn a hole because of his hard gaze. Maybe Jim could talk to him. Just when I thought about Jim, he appeared.
Bruce noticed him. "I want to search this area next," he said, pointing at one area on the map. "There are whole blocks of abandoned buildings."
"I'll get a squad right on it," responded the captain. "Just give me five minutes." It appeared to me that Jim had something to say to Bruce.
"I'll be ready." The young Wayne was about to move but Jim grabbed his elbow to stop him.
"No. You're not going out."
"No, Jim…"
"You need your rest," Jim cut him off. "I'm not cutting you out, but I need you sharp, not a liability."
"True that," I seconded. "You guys continue your talk, I'll wait outside for the orders.
A team of seven people including myself had gone to Midtown to search for Alfred. Bruce won't be joining us today since Jim very much told him to rest. We had spent hours canvassing the area. We found nothing. Just a few survivors who live on their own. We had asked them a few questions, but they said they never see Alfred around their homes. I even took the liberty to check on their condition and patched up a few of their minor injuries. I strongly suggested them to go to St. Luke's Hospital if they are sick or injured.
It was sunset when we got back and Jim wasn't at the precinct. There was a case – a bizarre one. Four dead bodies were found at Gotham Studios. All cadavers have a huge 'Z' wound on their abdomen and they were also drugged. The timing they appeared is very bad, because we have made progress with the mainland. They will send help if there are no more threats, which I inwardly cursed. I personally think that they are being selfish again.
I radioed Hassan that I would be home late because I want to meet Selina. I wanted to thank her for returning my ring. So, I politely asked one of the cops to give me a lift to the Sirens, which I suspected where she will be.
Just when I exited the car, I saw someone jumped from a nearby building to another. A flashed of curly brown hair didn't escaped my eyes.
"Selina!" I shouted, looking up. I repeated again, calling her name when there was no response. "Selina and Bruce sitting on a tree! K-I-S- Ow!" I rubbed the painful area on my head that was hit by an empty plastic bottle. I picked it up in frustration, shouting at the direction where the bottle was thrown from. "Hey, missy. You better threw this trash in the rubbish bin."
"I'm here," Selina's voice came from behind me.
I twirled around with a surprised expression. "What? How?" I was trying to figure out how she appeared behind me that fast.
"If you don't have any cocoa drinks, don't find me."
She was about to walk away. "Wait. Selina." I grabbed her arm. "I want to express my thanks for retrieving my ring. It means so much to me."
"No prob," she shrugged nonchalantly.
"And um… where are you going right now? You look like you're in a hurry."
"I take it that if I don't tell you, you're gonna follow me anyway," she said, earning a nod from me. "Though I think I can outrun you."
"Do you really want to take that risk?" I raised my eyebrow in a teasing manner. She narrowed her eyes, feeling displeased at me. "I don't know if you have heard, but Alfred…"
"Is missing. I know. I didn't see him around either." She paused, studying me. "Look. You have been kind to me, for as long as I can remember… but I do have information. Information that I would like to keep discreet. You would tell somebody else about this, knowing how saint you are."
She must have known something very essential. An unreadable expression emerged on her face as she stared at me, and I felt uneasy.
"Sorry. I had to do this." She swerved her right foot towards me, causing me to jump backward to avoid it. With quick speed, she threw punches non-stop and I managed to avoid most of it. And I don't want to hit her.
"Oof!" I huffed as she landed her fist at my stomach. Then she rotated her leg under, hitting my feet, making me fall on the ground. The impact hurt me, but I still had to focus on her. "Ugh. Selina, stop! I get it. I won't follow you." I stood up swiftly. I had a thought that she wanted me to pass out to prevent me from following her.
"No. I need to make sure you won't follow me." She then pushed me into the alley.
"Selina. I promise not to follow you! Stop." I stumbled backwards until I felt my back hit something. I was beginning to feel scared of her. "SELINA!" I panted harshly, feeling frustrated.
I felt so disappointed at he and I think it showed on my face. She halted, appearing a little guilty.
"Just… go," I weakly said. "I give you my words." I slid down and sighed, resting my head against my arms, refusing to see which way she went. I waited a few minutes before I rose up. I hoped she is not looking for trouble.
I walked home, taking time to absorb the scenery around me. It was ugly. Everything was ugly. We are forcing ourselves to feel hopefulness. But when the mainland promised they would help… I don't feel relieved at all because I don't trust their words. I believe it when I see it.
It was always eerie in Gotham. And cold. When I reached the boundary of the Green Zone, I had to announce myself as a nonthreatening person. They let me in after a while and I continued my journey on foot. It already took more than an hour from the Sirens. I radioed Hassan that I have arrived in Green Zone to update him.
Three patrol cars were approaching my way. The car at the front was Detective Harper. "Hey, we're continuing looking for Pennyworth at Chinatown. You joining?" she asked, hiding the surprised look she had when she looked at my face.
"I, uh, I'm sorry. I'm going home. I'll join the search tomorrow," I replied. She nodded in understanding. "Hope you guys find him."
Climbing the stairs was uncomfortable. The scar at my thigh tingled. "Assalamualaikum," I said, after entering my home. I suddenly missed my chocolate drink but Selina took all of them so I have none.
"Waalaikumsalam. Welcome home. Malik miss you," my husband reacted with Malik in his arms, approaching me. "Oh my God… You guys met some gang?" He must have been talking about the cuts and bruises on my face.
"I got into a catfight," I attempted to joke. I walked pass him while taking off my hijab. Letting my body plopped on the couch, I sighed. "It's Selina." I felt a light weight on my stomach and opened my eyes. Hassan had placed Malik on top of me, so my son crawled up to smack my chest with his hands, along with fits of giggles. "Yup. Miss you too, bud." His saliva was now all over my top.
"What happened? You wouldn't fight without reason," Hassan asked with concern. There was a towel and a bowl of warm water on the coffee table. "Let me clean the cuts."
Hassan began cleaning the cuts. I pinched Malik's nose as a joke, but he frowned and hit me. "She knows something and she won't tell me," I replied to my husband.
"Not something new."
"But I think it's important. Something that could have saved us all." I winced when he accidentally pressed the towel too harsh. He whispered an apology at that. "And I profoundly need to know about it, so she attacked me."
"She must have her reasons…" Hassan implied.
"I hope you're right about that," I weakly said. Then Malik was bouncing on me, using the muscles of his legs. "Do you want to show me something, little one? I was too tired yesterday to play with you." I held him and rose to sit up. "I want to see you walk."
Hassan took him from me and placed him about a two feet away from me. "You're gonna love it." Hassan held him by his armpits, waiting for him to get ready to walk.
I clapped my hands, smiling at my son. "Malik, little one. Come to mommy."
Malik was giggling cheerfully, putting his fingers in his mouth. "Mah! Mah!" he babbled, swinging his hands up and down. Then he began to use his legs to stand. I encouraged him more.
"Go to mommy, Malik. You can do it," Hassan supported. Then, he began to take a step, while I gaped in awe. He took another step and another, before his knees weakened. I grabbed him quickly before he got hurt.
"Good job!" I beamed. I gave him multiple kisses on his face, showing how proud I was at him. "My champion!"
Day 106
I was from the hospital, seeing Lee. She and Jim had been abducted by Jervis Tetch last night. I was terrified when I know that he was here in this barricaded island. Jim had explained everything; about the abduction of Alfred, about the destroyed tunnel under the water, about Jeremiah Valeska and about the chemical spills.
Jeremiah had staged a remake of Bruce's parents murder with Jim and Lee as his parents last night. By that time, Jim and Lee were under the influence of Jervis' hypnosis. Jeremiah had made the same chemical liquid that had changed him and planned to release them in the air. He never really gives up, isn't he?
Bruce had managed to break the hypnosis and before the chemical attack launched, Jim saved the day. We are saved from the chemicals, but the chemicals were directed into Gotham waters.
"Those are the chemicals?" I frowned, eyeing the green color liquid in the water between Gotham Island and the mainland. Now, the government took back their words. They won't save us, again.
"Yeah," answered Bullock.
My gaze shifted to the other side of the land. I envied them. And I was beginning to feel hatred towards them. To all of them.
"Until this city is confirm safe, then…"
"Then what?" I interjected him and scoffed. "Stupid fucking government!" I screamed over the water, even though I know my voice won't reach the other side. "Screw you and your asses!"
"You're doing good," Bullock complimented, he made a few rolling gestures with his hand. "Let it out. Just let it out."
I took a deep breath. "I have a son here and you're not doing anything! It's been Hell here! There are sick people who need attention! And you're just sitting there in a meeting room, numbing your asses! Motherfucking assholes!" I had strained my throat too much.
"You done? If not, I'll wait in the car…"
"It's fine. I'm done," I said, regaining my composure, clearing my throat. "Thank you."
Day 237
It seemed like Hassan's agricultural project has progress. Well… only for potatoes and sweet potatoes though. Other plants failed to grow. I tried to make everything fun for Malik so we were having a small picnic at the roof top. Troy had set up a handmade barbeque place.
"Malik, look. A sweet potato," I said, passing a small cleaned root to him. "The color is orange and it taste a little sweet." He was standing on his tiny little feet while gripping my shirt as a leverage.
His hands tried to take a grip at the sweet potato and when he did, he raised it up happily. "Pbatah!"
"Yes, sweet potato. You are right."
"Shit doesn't even sound like sweet potato," Troy commented, lighting up fire at the charcoals.
"Language!" I scolded. "No cursing in front of Malik or you'll spend your evening washing his diapers."
Malik was still happy, waving his sweet potato around, while saying "pbatah" all the time. He showed the root to Kid, who was sitting behind him. She was just watching him emotionlessly. Rue was cooking some oatmeal. Everyone was getting skinnier as we didn't eat anything fattening.
Sean and I poked the sweet potatoes and potatoes with forks before wrapping them with aluminum foils. Then, Sean placed them on the barbeque grill.
A clap of hands surprised me and I looked at Troy in question. "Don't pretend to be clueless. Come on. Let's spar. The food will take a while to cook," he smirked.
Rolling my eyes, I lie down on my stomach, moving Malik to lie down beside me. I opened a children's book. Dee Dee noticed the book and joined us, leaving Rue to cook by herself. "Kid, you're up. I'm lazy. I need my jaw to function properly to eat my lunch later."
And I need to make sure Malik didn't see any of the fights. While Troy and Kid were scuffling, I distracted Malik with the colorful animal book before us.
"This is a bird," I said to Malik, pointing on a picture of a pigeon. "You saw one yesterday, remember? It was knocking on our window with its beak."
Dee Dee made a tweeting sound to make it more interesting to Malik. He zeroed to Dee Dee's lips, looking curious on how she made the noise.
"Bring it on!" the background noise disturbed. Malik was about to turn his head to Troy and Kid in curiosity, so I quickly continued with the book.
I pointed another picture. "And this is a cat. I'll bring you to see some in the future. Maybe tomorrow…"
Then, Dee Dee meowed and purred, following the actions of a cat.
"Come back here!" came Troy's voice again.
"This is a… snake." I shivered as I pointed at the picture. "I don't think we're going to see snake anytime soon. I surely hope not."
Malik laughed and squealed at the sight of the snake. He was smacking his hand on the mat cheerfully. "Ssstt! Sstt!"
"Hey, I was supposed to make the sounds," giggled Dee Dee.
"Wow. You know how to imitate a snake. That's good," I complimented my son with a grimace.
"Ow. Ow. OW! Okay. Lemme go!" Troy was crawling towards us, heaving. "I'm done."
He has a red mark at both of his cheeks and he was holding his sides. Then, I shifted my gaze to Kid… who was not injured. She walked towards us and sat on the mat, looking at the wrapped root vegetables on the barbecue grill.
"You are disturbing Malik's lesson," I scolded Troy. "It was like the only language you speak is yell."
"I was hurting!" he exclaimed.
"Well, you wanted a fight." I returned to Malik, but he was still fixated at the photo of the said snake. Why do you have to like something that I hate, son? I thought. I sighed, looking back at Troy. "Check the potatoes."
"Aw... Why am I not invited?" someone spoken. I jerked my face towards the uninvited person.
I stood up, striding towards him. "Juan," I coldly greeted. I don't want him near the kids.
"I smell something good and it lured me here." He inserted his hands in his pocket casually. I warned him to go away and never approached us. But he remained. "I see Beth is well, helping the hospital."
"You stay away from her," I hissed. "She doesn't need someone like you."
"But I'm lonely…" he pouted.
I scoffed in disbelieve. "You had ruined her. I won't let it happen again. So. Stay. The. Fuck. Away."
"Can't say I promise," he winked and then left.
"Look, it's Aunt Beth," I pointed at the mentioned woman. She was replacing the dressing around a man's head. Malik chirped when he saw her. I approached her when she was done with her patient. "Hey," I said.
"Hey," she welcomed. We had been in a good terms for months ever since the Haven was exploded. Something about what had happened changed her. "Hi, little Malik," she baby-talked in a high tone, much to my disapproval.
I decided to visit her after what Juan had said today. I felt scared that Beth might broke apart again like last time. "Did Juan ever come here?" I slowly asked.
Her face changed; contorting to a pained expression. She gulped. "I thought I saw him yesterday but… I thought I was just imagining things," she whispered.
"Stay away from him. He's bad for you. He's manipulative. He made you do bad things. You have to remember that."
She nodded at what I said. I continued to tell her that I will always be there to support her. I also need to tell the hospital staffs and Lee about Juan and told them to make him stay away from her.
"Here," I placed a bottle of wasabi on the counter. Barbara opened the bottle and literally inhaled the smell, earning a grimace from me. "Thank God, my cravings were not as weird as yours," I cringed. "And don't eat with wasabi too much."
She smothered the wasabi on a scoop of vanilla ice-cream before eating them, moaning at the taste. I placed my hand to cover my mouth to prevent a gag. "Yummy," she commented.
"Just done forget to eat your supplements. And why are you still wearing heels? Aren't they painful?"
"Scoot away, midget. Let me enjoy my food in peace," she snapped.
Rolling my eyes, I walked away. "You're welcome."
Day 245
An ivory white plastic mask covered most of the convict's face. The only parts that we can are her eyes and lips. There was a case two days ago. Two retired police officers were murdered at the Sirens on plain sight, leading Jim and Bullock to Bullock's old partner named Dix. They had met him and were attacked by a man who looked exactly like Dix.
Jim had suspected that the two murdered officers, together with Dix and Bullock hid something. An old case that might have different truth. I supposed Bullock did appeared uncomfortable with the case. An hour ago, Jim and Detective Harper arrested a young woman, who has a high possibility of killing the former cops.
Gotham never disappoints. The young woman has powers. She could transform to a different person. She could copy the physical appearance exactly. Jim brought 'faces' from her house to the precinct. Faces with real skin and flesh. I was watching from the other side of the room through the two-way mirror. Jim just entered, arranging the faces before the convict, before sitting down.
Bullock was fidgeting slightly. He was restless: worried. "He's going to find out sooner or later. Why not cut the chase and just tell him?" I said in a reprimanded manner. He ignored me but I could hear a heavy exhale of breath through his nose.
"We found your handiwork," Jim began the interrogation. I returned my attention to the people on the other side. The woman kept quiet, eyes looking down on the floor. "Nothing to say?" added Jim. After a few moments of silence, Jim made a move to remove her mask, causing her to flinch. "The only way you're gonna keep that mask on is if you talk. Otherwise, I'm gonna reach over this table, and I'm gonna rip it off of your face."
The woman looked scared at Jim's warning, even though she tried to be calm and uncooperative.
"Who are you?" probed Jim.
"Nobody," she reacted, being difficult.
"You're not Jane Cartwright?" Jim asked again, getting a different response from her. She finally shifted her eyes to Jim for a moment, before staring at the table. "Because you were in her childhood home. You're about the right age. Talk to me, Jane. I know after your mother was convicted, you ended up a ward of the state. In and out of institutions until you ended up in Arkham. Then, you vanished. Some say died. What happened to you?"
"Me? Nothing happened to me."
"Okay… What happened to Jane?"
Her eyes watered at Jim's question. The look that she gave to him was frightening. She must be one of Hugo Strange's experiments if she resided in Arkham Asylum for a long time.
"Oh," she said. Sorrow was apparent in her demeanor. "Lots happened to Jane. She was taken from Arkham. Down, down… down, the doctor did things to her, experiments on her and others." I noticed tears slid down her mask.
All of a sudden, the door opened. Detective Harper called for me and I exited the room, leaving Bullock alone to watch Jim and Jane Cartwright's exchange.
"We have a problem," Detective Harper expressed with urgency. "Your friend, the one who works in the hospital…"
"Who? Lee? Beth?" I panicked.
The female detective's eyes staring hard at me. "Bethany. She stabbed someone."
Multiple people witnessed Beth plunged a scalpel to Juan's chest. She stabbed him twice – one for lying to her and one for destroying her. The doctors didn't manage to save him. She gave her accounts to the police, confessing everything.
I massaged my head as I heard everything she said. "He wanted to go back. Do you understand how hilarious that sound?" she scoffed. "I was fine. I returned to my old self where I could help people with my medical skills… and he appeared, just blatantly lying again to my face! So I thought to myself, he's doing it again. Sarah's right. He's bad for me and he's gonna keep on coming so I… want to make sure he won't."
Regret was nil on her face.
Detective Harper left the woman in the room and entered the viewing room where I'm in. "I had to report to captain about this," she informed.
"Yeah. She knows the consequences of her actions," I uttered. "Can I speak with her?"
"Five minutes."
I nodded with a small thank you. She went towards Jim's office while I went in the interrogation room. Beth seemed calm. I sat before her.
"It must be done," she suddenly broke the silence. "You know that."
"No. It never crossed my mind that you get your hands dirty." I shifted my eyes from her to the wall behind her.
"I need him gone to move on," she snapped.
"He's gone now and you're in cuffs." I leaned in, placing my elbows on the table. "There are so many witnesses to let you go. What I am afraid of is… T-There's a thought bugging my mind that surmised that this could happen again in the future. Are you going to kill again? Those who will break your heart?"
She gazed down, thinking about what I had said. I rose from my seat even though I still have plenty of time to talk to her, but I think I have said my piece and it should be enough.
Jim decided to let Beth go.
And I didn't expect that.
"I don't know which one is worse: dirty cops who destroyed the life of a girl, hiding the truth for decades or a person who confessed on committing one second degree murder," he weakly said. He was disappointed at Bullock.
Bullock's former partner, Dix, was killed. Jane Cartwright managed to slip away, transformed into Bullock and killed Dix. We just found his body in the locker room less than a minute ago. A 'shifter' who could be anyone is in the building. It's going to be difficult to find her. Beth was still in the holding cell, which is much safer.
"Beth, we have a situation here," I revealed after rushing to her while Jim was giving order to lockdown the precinct. "You're free to go but there's a far grave criminal here. So I'll get them open the cell door after everything is compromised."
I was just turning my head, when I saw a petrified Barbara came in. But she was just here a while ago. "Jim!" she hollered. I gasped when I saw blood on her coat. I was alarmed since she's pregnant.
"Barbara? What happened?" Jim probed. We strode forward.
"What do you mean, what happened? I've been attacked," she replied.
I moved further forward, but Jim stopped me. "Jim, she's hurt," I exclaimed.
"Wait a minute," he said, scanning Barbara, studying her. "How do we know it's really you?"
I blurted a loud what. I didn't know Barbara that well so I cannot be so sure.
"Seriously?" Barbara signaled to her baby bump. "This isn't proof enough?"
But then, another Barbara stormed in. My eyes widened. The resemblance is uncanny!
"What the Hell?" the second Barbara dumbfounded. She looked baffled at the first Barbara.
"That's her!" the first Barbara cried. "She's the imposter! Shoot her!"
All of us were confused. We had no idea who to save and who to arrest.
"It's me, you idiot," the second Barbara said.
How can we differentiate?
"Barbara," Jim addressed. Both Barbaras focused on him. "Tell me where we first met."
All of a sudden, the first Barbara ran to the second Barbara, holding her and placing a gun against her. The officers all pointed their guns up. I shuddered as I was afraid that any of them might fire a shot.
"Anyone tries to follow me, she dies," the enemy threatened. The real Barbara screamed at us to shoot the enemy but Jim refused to give out the order. It might danger the baby. The imposter removed the gun from Barbara's head and aimed at us. "Stay back!"
Then Barbara hit her elbow to the imposter, causing her to accidentally shot a fire. The imposter released her and escaped. Bullock ran out, following the enemy, while Jim and I rushed to the pregnant lady. She was holding her hand protectively on her belly.
"Take her to my office," Jim requested to me. "Don't let her out of your sight."
I nodded, placing my arm around the blond and led her to the said office. I checked her pulses: they were crazy. Her eyes were flickering and she was breathing hard. She's panicking and I need to calm her down.
"You're safe," I comforted. "The baby's safe. Breathe in… And out. You're safe."
Jim delivered some news to me: Jane Cartwright had passed. Bullock fired his gun. This is the second time I had seen Bullock looked so broken. The first was because of Professor Pyg. Second one is this. I wanted to wait for him after he finished talking with Jim in the captain's office but another person occupied my mind as well.
Bullock has Jim.
Beth has… none.
She was still sitting in the holding cell. I approached her cell. Jim had one officer passed me the key for the cell. Swiftly, I unlocked the cell and opened it. She rose and walked out. I grabbed her arm softly.
"You're staying with us," I said.
"No," she bickered. "I have some work in the hospital."
"How do you think they would feel, knowing a murderer working as a nurse there? Do you think you can stand looking at their fearful eyes and hearing at their whispers?"
She clenched her jaw in vexation.
"They might understand… but not all," I continued, looking at her, trying to encrypt what's in her mind. "Fine. You can return to the hospital. But I hope you'll return home."
Her eyes shifted to me at the final word of my sentences. There was a glint of despair for a very short moment before the grey eyes returned to the usual intense manner.
"I can handle it. I'm strong," she responded.
I weakly smiled, remembering the time when she hated me. "Never doubted that."