DIsclaimer: I don't own "Batman Begins"
Bruce slowly opened his eyes from a long sleep, and just laid there on hid bed for a few moments, while he recollected the things which happened after he had brought his goddaughter home, safe and sound. He remembered going to the dark Narrows in the hard, cold rain...Discovering the rabbits in an old abandoned apartment...Men came inside, so he hid in the shadows, concealing himself completly from the enemies of Gotham. But one of the men gave him the element of surprise when he took action. He wore a mask made of a material that was similar to what you hold sunflower seeds or potatos. But it had a face that struck at the heart of men with fear. It had even struck the dark heart of Batman, the masked man who had an unquenchable thirst for justice. But when he was struck with this sort of gas, it made the things which frightened him the most come to life: Bats. He called Alfred in the dead of night and the rest he could barely remember...other than a dream of a frightened little girl who was trying to comfort him. The effects which took hold on his mentality were odd but familiar to him. He tried to remember where and when he felt them, but his thoughts were broken when he heard the clatter of a spoon in a glass. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alfred at his bedside stirring some sort of substance in a glass of water. The curtains at his window were drawn wide open, the morning sun glaring in his face.
"How long was I out?" he asked in a tired voice.
"Two days," Alfred replied. "It's your birthday...Many happy returns,"
Slwoly sitting up a bit. Bruce took thr glass and sipped it, the liquid sending a cool sensation running down his throat.
"I've felt these effects before," he explained. "But this was so much more potent. It was some kind of hallucinogen, weaponized in aerosal form,"
"You have been hanging out in the wrong clubs Mr. Wayne," Lucius Fox stepped out of the shadows of Bruce's room.
Bruce stopped in mid sip, and almost spat out his drink. He did not realize his co-worker from Wayne Enterprises was standing rightt there. He looked at Alfred, who was sitting calmly in his seat.
"I called Mr. Fox when your condition worsened after the first day," he explained.
"I analyzed your blood," Fox stated. "Isolating the receptor compounds and the protein based catalyst,"
"Am I meant to understand any of that?" Bruce was confused.
"Not at all. I just wanted you to know how hard it was. Bottom line, I synthesized an antidote,"
Bruce's eyes widenend. If that Scarecrow guy was still using that gas that put him out for two days, then the citizens of Gotham could be in danger.
"Could you make more?" he asked, anticipating an answer.
"You planning on gassing yourself again, Mr. Wayne?" asked Fox dryly.
Bruce grinned.
"Well," he said. "You know how it is, Mr. Fox. You're out at night, looking for kicks, someone's passing arounf the weaponized hallucinogens..."
"I'll bring what I have," Fox smiled. "The antidote should inoculate you for now," He turned to leave. "Alfred, always a pleasure,"
"Lucius," Alfred returned.
Bruce thought for a bit as Alfred put away the dishes that were on his nightstand.
"How's Sarah doing?" he asked. "Did she say anything before she left for school?"
When Alfred was hesitant before answering his master's question, Bruce began to worry.
"Not that I know of sir," he replied softly. "I've sent her to stay with Miss Dawes until you were well enough...you gave her quite a fright,"
Bruce slowly got out of his bed, and put on his robe.
"It was me she scared," he explained. "I was worried about her after..."
"After Batman promised to give her information on the death of her parents?" Alfred interuppted.
Bruce stopped in his tracks as Alfred pulled something out of his pocket. It was a slip of paper folded in half twice.
"I found this on her window," he said.
Alfred gave the note to his master and her read it to himself.
Batman-
I'm not here. I'm staying at Rachel Dawes apartment. Sh's an Assistant D.A. You'll know where to find her. I trust you. Again, thanks for everything. I know you probably didn't hear it after last night.
Sarah Chante
In fact, Bruce did hear the young girl say her thanks to the Dark Knight. It was quiet, but he could still hear it. He sighed.
"She lost control," he explained softly. "I mean, I tried to calm her down, but she kept fighting me. She said she wouldn't stop until she found out what happened to Luke and Jennifer...When I was younger than her, I would've done the same thing if I was in her position...Did I do anything to her?"
"...When your condition worsened, I sent her in here to keep you company while I made some calls...The next thing I know, she's screaming my name, and I find her struggling to get your grip off her in your delusional state,"
Bruce ran a hand through his hair, when he realized that wasn't a dream. It was real.
"Is she okay?" he asked.
"I don't know," Alfred started. "That night, I suppose, everything fell apart for her. First a news announcement saying she'll be appearing at tonight's event as the Princess of Gotham--"
"What?"
"--Lies told about her in a popular teen magazine, and if things hadn't gone any worse, the police came to the school...The man who killed her parents is out there looking for her,"
When school came to an end, I collected my stuff as slow as possible. It was a tiring day, and most of the gossip around school orbited only one issue: Bruce Wayne's Birthday Party, and apparently my debut as the Princess of Gotham. All the kids this morning were practically clawing their way out of the school crowds, just for a chance to say "Hi" to me. Like yesterday, Ally and Nathan acted as my bodyguards, and got me safely to my classes and lunch. Needless to say, after yesterday's little lunch squabble, Haley Kingston kept shooting glares at me, so we ate outside. The fact that I wanted to sit with Ally rather than her infuriated so much, her face turned bright red, and stayed that way through the day. I thought I would have to face her and Josh now, but something happened. Josh started acting...well, nicer than he was before. Like after lunch, Ally and I were playing with the jump rpe with Nathan in the middle. Josh had come up, and made him trip. Nathan scraped his knee pretty badly and was about to cry (with Josh laughing in the background), Ally said:
"Hey, isn't that a bat in that dark, dark corner?"
Josh had immedietly stopped laughing and said he was sorry while looking wearily about him. I guess after that little encounter with me, or should I say "Batman", scared him mentally.Before he left, he looked around, came up to me, and said to me, mummbling:
"Congratulations about the whole princess thing,"
I was surprised to notice he actually meant it and said "Thank you". He ever said:
"You're welcome...Sarah"
Even though he said those things to me, I figured he only said them because of his newfound fear of Batman. I don't blame him. I was afraid of hom to when I met him...I'm scared now. He didn't come last night. I knew because he would've taken the batarang back. And it was still there when I woke up drenched in my own sweat from a horrifying nightmare. I dreamt I was in an ally and my parents were beside me...At first, I was happy, but I heard two gunshots and the next thing I knew, my parents are lying on the ground, their heads bleeding, and their faces paling. I thought I would burst into fits of tears, if I hadn't heard the cock of a gun. Whipping my head around, I sawthe barrel of a gun right between my eyes...Before I could even scream, the trigger was pulled, and I woke up before the sun. I was silent that morning, and Rachel thought I was sick and suggested I should go back to the manor to get some rest before the party. But I declined it quickly. I didn't want anyone to worry about me. Not right now. I put on my jacket as I walked out into the breezy fall afternoon. I was going back to the Wayne Manor. Duringclass, I recieved a note from Alfred saying Bruce was all right, and I could come back after school on the bud. But I didn't want to go back. Not right now, anyway. That dream bothered me so much, it was one of the things I thought about all day...Batman wouldn't help. Bruce had other things to worry about. Rachel will put in as much effort as the police. And my relatives would care less about what happens to me...When I got the chance, I was going to Arkham Asylum, the second I stepped foot out of Gotham City Private.
"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" Alfred asked.
Rachel smiled. She was just swinging by the Wayne Manor to drop off something before taking care of something important.
"I have to get back," she explained. "I just wanted to leave this,"
"Thank you," Alfred took the small box from Rachel's hands.
"Rachel?" Bruce's voice sounded.
Rachel was about to turn and go, but she stopped and smiled when she saw her childhood friend walking up to the front door. Hewas still in his pajamas and all wrapped up in his fathers robe. When he passed Alfred, he was handed the small box that was apparently his birthday present from Rachel.
"Looks like someone's been burning the candle at both ends," she commented. "Must've been quite an occasion,"
"It is my birthday," Bruce grinned.
"I know. I'm sorry I can't come tonight. I was just dropping off your present,"
"You've got better plans?" Bruce was a bit disappointed.
"...My boss has been missing for two days. Which in this town means that I should start looking at the bottom of a river...Is Sarah home?"
Bruce shrugged.
"Things have been crazy since noon," he explained. "I figured she--"
"You have no idea where she is, do you?"
Bruce furrowed his eyebrows.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"The school called and told me that she didn't get on the bus this afternoon. That was an hour ago. I thought that the Farris's came and got her, but they don't know where she is,"
"Did you try the Masons?"
"...Bruce, you know full well she wouldn't go to her relatives...I can't believe this. If Jennifer were alive, she'd be furious with you. You haven't noticed your goddaughter walking through the door or not. Congrautlations Bruce Wayne, you're a wonderful godfather,"
"Didn't you call the police?"
"The last thing Sarah needs is every cop in Gotham looking for her. She's had enough publicity,"
"Rachel--"
"Bruce you're ruining her life! Because of you, she's being called the Princess of Gotham, of which I know she doesn' like, everyone thinks she should've been put in the psych ward because she supposedly lost it when she heard about her parents, and she's under the impression that you don't want her around. And now, she's on the target of her parents killer. There's no telling where she might be!"
When Bruce heard all this, he was surprised about how calm and quiet Rachel Dawes scolded him. He had never seen her like this...well, except for that time with the murder of Joe Chill. But who could blame her though? He had disappeared for seven years, and just now had shown up, shortly after Luke and Jennifer's murder.
"Rachel," he started. "I had nothing to do with the Princess of Gotham problem. I was out of town when this happened,"
"I don't think--" Rachel began.
Rachel's phone started to ring inher coat pocket. As if she wasn't already ticked off, she calmly excused herself from scolding Bruce and answered it, while Bruce tried to listen discreetly to her phone conversation.
"Rachel Dawes...Who authorized that? Get Crane down there right now. Do NOT take 'no' for an answer. Call Dr. Leeman. Tell him we'll need our own assesment on the Judge's desk by morning,"
"What's wrong?" Bruce asked as she hung up.
"It's Falcone. Dr.Crane moved him to Arkham Asylum on Suicide Watch,"
"You're going to Arkham now? It's in the Narrows Rachel,"
Rachel looked up from putting her ceel phone in her bag.
"You enjoy your party Bruce," she said. "Some of us have work to do. And since Sarah's not with anyone else, I'm gonna look for her there while I'm at Arkham. If I don't find her, then I'll call the police,"
"Why do you think she'll be there?"
"...Bruce, that's where her parents died. And if she's anything like her parents, she'll take the initiative and investigate,"
"You be careful,"
"...Happy Birthday,"
And so Rachel went back down the steps of the Wayne Manor as Bruce looked at the small blue box in his hand. Quietly opening it, he read the card first.
"Finders Keepers"
Underneath the card, there was an arrowhead neatly packer inside. Bruce smiled. It was the arrowhead he gave to Rachel when they were kids. Looking up, he saw Rachel's car pull out of the driveway. No time to go further down memory lane. If Rachel and Sarah were at Arkham, he had to hurry like there was no tomorrow. With Alfred behind him, Bruce made his way to the parlor.
"But Master Wayne," Alfred protested. "The guests will be arriving,"
"Keep them happy until I arrive," Bruce ordered. "Tell them that joke you know,"
Bruce did the same old routine he had done when he suited up for a night. Playing three notes on the piano with two of his fingers, the secret door in the bookcase opened, and he quickly went in. Going down the steps to the metal elevato, he pulled the lever, and he once again felt the wind rush past him as he went down into the dark, humid caverns. When he reached the floor, he rushed to the amoire that was just yards away. Pulling open the hand carved doors, he found himself facing the cowl of the Batman, the empty eyes glaring at him as if saying:
"Time is running out. We have work to do,"
"OK. Stay calm. Don't panic," I told myself to calm down. "Just because you're going to Arkham Asylum doesn't mean you have to have a panic episode,"
I could not believe I was walking down the cracked and spray painted sidewalks to the front of Arkham Asylum. When I lived in the Narrows, I would hear stories from other kids about how poorly it was run, and how "a nut ran the nut house". Horror stories about how people went in and never came out. Now, I never believed in stories lik those. But when you live just a couple of blocks away, and hear screaming and moaning that could be heard all the way to Wayne Enterprises, it kind of helps to rely on something to help you get to go to sleep at night. I shifted my backpack over my shoulder as I went up the steps. I changed into more comfortable clothes (as in jeans, tennis shoes, a white shirt, and a blue sweat jacket) so that I wouldn't ruin my uniform. All my stuff including the batarang I found, fit into my backpack. When I reached the front door, it had a sign:
"USE SIDE ENTRANCE. FRONT HALLWAY UNDER CURRENT RENOVATION"
I stood frozen on the spot, and eyed the alley I was supposed to get into wearily...That was the alley my parents were killed in. I walked slowly down the darkening way as the sun went down, setting for the night. To know someone died there was positively chilling. But to know someone you loved very much was killed there, it was too much. I was stepping on the ground where my parents laid for hours a whole night perhaps...The memories of my nightmare came rushing back to me. I couldn't stay there much longer. Quickly going to the door, I caught my breath before I went in. The stories I've been told hardly did any justice for the facility...or so I though at first. I'll tell you later. Anyway, as I walked to the front desk, nurses and men in white coats (I don't know what their real occupation name is. I just go by what I hear) passed me busily. When I got up to the front desk, the nurse sitting behind it was reading a Gotham Tabloid with the words:
"BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER OR MASKED MENACE? MASON BOY TELLS ALL!"
I realized Josh told my little Batman stunt to the tabloids. Good thing he didn't know it was really me. I coughed in my throat to get some attention, and the nurse looked up.
"May I help you?" she asked putting away the tabloid.
"Yes," I nodded. "I need to speak to a Dr. Jonathon Crane. It's kind of important. It's about the murder that happened a couple of weeks ago,"
The nurse sized me with her eyes.
"You're took young to be a cop," she said dryly.
"But I'm the daughter of the victims," I explained softly. "Please, this is very important to me,'
There was a bit of silence, until the nurse sighed, got up, and gestured me to follow her. So I did. I followed her down the hallway to an office door. The name "DR. JONATHON CRANE--PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY" was almost fading away on the glass window. The nurse told me he'd be with me in a few minutes. I sat down in the front of the desk and looked around. The office walls were bare except for a few PhD's from Gotham University framed and hung up on wire hangings. His desk was neat and tidy. Judging from all this, I figured Jonathon Crane was a kept man. But while I looked around, I noticed something on the floor. Something strange, and out of place. Setting my backpack on my chair, I lowered myself to the ground and took the strange material in my hands. It was some sort of sack, like something you hold potatos in or something. Turning it over I saw that it had a face. A mouth was sewn with black thread that felt smooth but rough as I ran my fingers along it. Two holes played the part of the eyes, and they stared at me with uneasy silence. I thought I felt something underneath it and was about to look under it, until...
"Interesting, isn't it?" I heard a calm, cool voice.
Dropping the strange mask to the floor, I gasped in fright to find Dr. Jonathon Crane. He was the type that would make girls swoon. Tall, dark, and somewhat handsome. And yet there was something about him that made me want to run out the door. He extended a hand toward the mask, and I handed it to him, never taking my eyes off it.
"It is intteresting," I agreed softly. "How did you come across it?"
Jonathon Crane merely gave me a warm but chilling smile as he stuffed the mask in his coat pocket. Gesturing for me to have a seat, I did so as he continued to talk.
"I came across it by taking it away from one of our patients," he said as he sat at his desk.
"But don't you usually lock the items up?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. But I found this to be quite peculier, I decided to keep it,"
Something in my gut told me he was lying as he looked at me through his non-framed rectangular glasses. He took out the mask once more and put it on the desk, showng me the face.
"Tell me," he said. "What does it look like to you?"
I studied the potato sack face. It just sat there on the desk looking at me. I stared at it, pondering what it looked like. It seemed to look at me as if it knew me. The mask knew my dislikes, what I liked, where I lived, who my friends were...what I feared. Now, I didn't know what I was really scared of, because I was scared of almost everything...But that mask...With those empty eyes staring at me and my soul...It knew what I was afraid of to the bottom of my heart. And the scary part was it knew what I was araid of. Not me.
"It looks like a scarecrow," I said and image popping in my head.
To this, Crane nodded slowly as he put the mask back in his coat pocket.
"Very good," he said to me. "...So you're the daughter of the murder victims,"
"Yes," I nodded once. "I was wondering if you had any video footage from the east side alley, or if--"
"I'm sorry," Crane interuppted. "We don't have any camera on that alley,"
I just sat there, dumbfounded. Not only did he interupp me, but he just told me there was no way I could find out who killed my parents that night. I looked down a bit.
"Oh," I said getting my backpack. "Well...thank you for your time. I'm sorry to have bothered you,"
I stood up to go to the door. It was a mistake to come here. I didn't know how big a mistake it would be in a few minutes though. As I neared the door, I heard Crane speak.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of assistance," he said cooly. "...It must drive you insaneto not know who killed your parents,"
Stopping, with my hand on the doorknob, I thought for a second. In truth, it did drive me insane not knowing what happened. But it wasn't enough to have a mental effect on me. However, the way Crane said it, it sent a chilling sensation up my spine. Quickly, I went out the door with fast footsteps. A knot twisted in my stomach as images of my parents filled my head as I walked slowly down the spacious hallway.
(A/N: I don't own "You Found Me" by Kelly Clarkson)
Is this a dream? If it is, please don't wake me from this high. I've become comfortably numb, until you opened up my eyes
A lump filled my throat as I moved into an empty elevator. I didn't press a floor button, but I pressed my back to them. I felt the elevator go down, taking me away from the problem I was now facing
Do what is right when everything's right. I can't believe...
The door opened, and I brusted out running. I wanted to run away. I wanted to cry. No. I couldn't cry. I wouldn't. I can't afford to cry anymore. Don't cry Sarah. Don't cry You're not helpless I told myself
You found me when no one else was looking. How did you know just where I would be? You broke through all of my confusion. The ups and the downs and you still didn't leave. I guess I just thought when nobody could see, you found me
I continued running down the hall. I should be running outside, or calling someone to come pick me up. But I couldn't stop running, and I wouldn't call anybody. This was my problem, and I was going to fix it myself. Barely noticing the bare grey walls in Arkham's basement, I continuned running with all my might or at least with all the energy my legs could muster. My breaths were short and quick, and there were even a few sobs that I couldn't supress. My legs grew weak, and without even realizing it, I collapsed to the ground on my knees. Laying my back against the wall, I caught my breath, and closed my eyes for a bit. Now where am I gonna find the man who killed my parents? Arkham Asylum was the only place where I would get valuable information. I reached into my backpack and took out the batarang. Playing with it a bit, I almost thought of nothing else. It was like that for a while. It was so long, that I almost fell asleep, until I heard a loud ringing noise that echoed through the basement. Jerking my head out of my thoughts, I put the batarang in my back pocket, snatched my backpack, and ran to find a way out. I had to get out of there, now that the alarm went off. The first door I saw, I opened and ran into a spacious room with catwalks and people in orange jumpsuits filing out of the room. They were a floor below me, and I stood there watching. When I looked closer, I saw that they were mixing chemicals, due to the fact that they were wearing white masks over their mouths. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man pour some liquid out of a metal barrel in a big hole in the floor. When I looked closer, I saw it was the water mains. They were poisoning Gotham's water supply! Now would be a good time to call the authorities. I rushed to the door to get out of here, but the door wouldn't open. It was locked from the inside. But that didn't stop me, so I slipped my backpack off my shoulder, and pulled on the doorknob with all my might, but with no success. Soon, my fingers slipped and I fell backward. Falling to the floor backwards, my right leg collided with rolled up barbwire (that was used for bordering Arkham Asylum's fences) that was hiding itself in a dark corner. The sharp barbs went through my pants and into my leg. It took all the energy I could take to not scream. I didn't want anyone to know I was here, then I would be in more trouble than I already was in. Quickly forming a plan to try and get out, I saw some people come in the room after it had been cleared out. Lying flat on my back, I watched carefully.One man had on the scarecrow mask I saw on Dr. Crane's floor earlier...Dr. Crane...The mask belonged to him! OK, now I believe in horror stories about Arkham Asylum. Digging into my back pocket, my plan to escape (with a wounded leg) popping in my mind, I took out the batarang. The edges had to be sharp enough to cut the barbwire wrapped around my leg. Immedietly I sat up slowly, since it hurts to move now, and began sawing away the barbwire. It wasn't working, needless to say. But I tried to free myself as best as I could, until I saw two men carrying in someone. It was a woman, who was barely consious of anything at the momet. I let out a silent gasp as I realized who it was as they set her down on a couple of wooden boxes.
"Rachel," I said to myself in a low whisper.
It was Rachel Dawes. What was she doing here? Was she looking for me? If she did, how did she know she'd find me in Arkham Asylum? I didn't have time to question myself. Rachel was in trouble, and I bet it had something to do with Crane. I continued to try and saw the wires off around my leg. Pain seared through me each time I moved just a tiny bit. Blood from my leg stained my jeans with dark red spots forming around where the barbs stuck. I heard Crane in his meancing Scarecrow voice inside his mask speak to Rachel, who seemed to be worried about something else.
"Who knows you're here?" seethed Crane
Rachel moved her head from side to side. Taking frightened breaths, she closed her eyes, trying to block the image that was apparently in her head...She was right. All grown-ups get scared just like children.
"WHO KNOWS?" shouted Crane.
Rachel screamed, and covered her eyes. I didn't, but I jumped so much it hurt me, and made the batarang slip from my fingers. It fell through the catwalk, and painfully, I quickly lowered myself to the ground, in the hopes that no one would find me. When I should've heard a clatter, I heard a loud noise from the floor above me. I hid myself in my warm, dark hiding place as best as I could as Crane and his men looked around. Crane took off his Scarecrow mask, and ran his fingers through his hair as helet out a breath of a chuckle.
"He's here," he announced.
"Who?" asked one of the men.
"...The Batman,"
I looked around vigorously as the men cocked their machine guns. He was here. The Batman was here! Letting out a sigh of relief, I rested my head against the floor. But...wait a minute...did he know that I was here?
"What do we do?" asked one of the jumpy henchmen.
"What anyone does when a prowler comes around," Crane answered as he searched for the Dark Knight. "...call the police,"
Great. More trouble. And not only that but if I lived through this, I would be all over the front page of the Gotham Tribune. With Batman right next to me. Now what am I gonna do? Just wait here until I'm dying from the pain my leg?
"You want the cops here?" asked one of the men as I tried to get the coiled barb wire off my leg.
"At this point they can't stop us," I heard Crane. "But the Batman has a talent for disruption. Force him outside. The police will take him down. Go,"
"What about her?"
One of the men referred to Rachel, of whom I knew was barely hanging on. Come on Batman. Save us. Help us. Get us out of here.
"She hasn't got long," Crane explained. "I gave her a concetrated dose. The mind can only take so much,"
Concetrated dose of what? What did Crane give her? Was that making her seeing things? What did he meant by "The mind can only take so much"? I bet Batman was pretty mad by now. I just hope he'd come out soon and get me out of here.
"The things they say about him," said one man. "Can he really fly?"
Yes.
"I heard he can disappear," said another.
You heard right, mister
"Well," Crane said. "We'll find out. Won't we?"
I sat up a bit more, and tried to get the barbwire off some more. That is until I started feeling a bit lightheaded, and hot. I was sitting in a dark warm place and I was wearing a jacket. I couldn't take it off, because if I moved I would get more pain in my leg. My eyes were drooping from being tired. I was slumping backwards, until I felt two arms catch me from underneath.
"Don't move your leg," I heard a raspy voice.
"Batman?" I tried to open my eyes as he sat me up against the wall.
"Shhh,"
I felt him move toward my leg. Pan was still rushing through me like a hot knofe. Feeling the Batman's gloved hands, I felt him gingerly remove the barbs from my leg. But before I could even feel the first one, drowsiness seemed to watch over me like a wave. I guess I passed out for a little bit, because the next thing I knew, I felt myself in Batman's arms as he set me down on the floor, placing my head on myjacket he had made a makeshift pillow out of.
"Mmm," I moaned a little bit as I sat up. "My leg. It hurts,"
"Stay still," Batman pushed me gently back down on the floor.
"Rachel..."
"Rest. I'll be back,"
With a sharp swish of his cape, Batman left me lying on the ground on my back. My head rested against my folded jacket, my heated head cooling against it. I was grateful that Batman was always there, hiding in the shadows with eyes like the moonlight, and glowering in the darkness watching every move before him. No one knew that he protected us from physical harm. I suppose, I was one of the very few people who knew this...But one thing he can't save us if from our minds. Let me tell you guys something. People fear things that are different from them. I was afraid to meet Bruce or Alfred because I thought htey were like the rest of the Fancy World of Gotham. I was afraid that Batman was someone cold-blooded...I guess I was wrong. I only thought those things because of my relatives who mentally abused me...And that is why Batman can't save me. I'll always be hurt. Anyway, I'm lying there and I take in my surroundings. The banisters were covered in clear plastice. As far as I could tell, this was the renovated entrance. Every now and then, I would feel stings of pain, and I would suck in my breath through my teeth, my eyes closed tightly. Every bit of strength inside me told me not to scream, and that I would get help soon. My thoughts were soon broken as I heard wils of police sirens outside the walls of the Asylum.
"Batman," I heard a policeman on the megaphone as I gasped. "Put down your weapons and surrender. You're surrounded!"
This was it. Batman would be put in jail, I would shame Bruce for being here, and worst of all, I would be taken away from the Wayne Manor by my uncle. And all of this would be my fault. I wouldn't let that happen. I don't care if anyone will think I'm a coward. I already know that. Sitting up painfully, I started pushing myself backwards into a dark corner. I won't let myself be found. But before I could even move another foot, two arms engulfed around my stomach from behind, and a hand covered my mouth as I let out a muffled scream.
"I told you not to move," Batman's raspy voice growled in my ear.
Looking as Batman turned me around, I saw Rachel lying on the ground next to me, eyes wide opened.
"Rachel?" I asked as if she could hear me. "What happened? What's wrong with her? What did Crane give her?"
"A toxin," Batman said as he got my jacket. "Where did you fall on the barbwire?"
"My right leg,"
Pushing my pants up to my knee, I noticed tiny red hold of blood where the barbwire had coiled around my leg like a snake. Batman wrapped my jacket around it, using it as a temporary bandage.
"You have to turn me into the police," I winced, giving up on my previous plan as he put pressure on my leg. "My leg could be infected,"
"No," Batman said. "You stay with me. I have all the medicine you need. You are not to leave my sight, and you are not to leave this spot. Understand?"
I nodded furiously. He said it so harshly, it scared me. He turned his back toward me, jumping on the banister, looking down from the great hight, as I kept Rachel company. She just laid there, with eyes wide open, staring at nothing in particular. A lump filled my throat. This was all my fault. If I hadn't come here, Rachel wouldn't have come to look for me, and none of this would've happened.
"Is she going to die?" I blurted out softly.
Batman didn't answer.
"Batman?"
Still noanswer...Oh my gosh, she is going to die. I looked at Rachel, who seemed to not know what was happening. Lucky her. What I saw in the last 30 minutes would haunt me for quite a while. I tightly closed my eyes. This can't be happening. This cannot be happening. Rachel can't die. She can't. Batman wouldn't allow it. I know. As I sat there with lumps growing inside my throat that would make any sound I make inaudible to anyone, I heard a woosh of wings behind me. Batman had jumped from the banister down past the many floors below us. I didn't have to look behind to know this. But when I heard him come back, I heard a voice I had not expected to hear.
"Sarah?" I heard.
I turned around to find Sergeant Jim Gordon by Batman's side. As Batman knelt beside me to check on Rachel, Jim put both his hands on my shoulders as be bent down in front of me.
"What are you doing here?" he asked me. "Are you all right? What happened?"
"Jim, I'm sorry," I said as tears welled up in my eyes. "I had to come here. I thought I could find out who he is. I didn't mean for Rachel to get hurt. I swear!"
Jim wiped my tears away with his thumbs as Batman wrapped an arm around me. It was comforting, so I held onto his wrist with my hands.
"It's all right," Jim reassured me as he moved toward Rachel. "What's happened to her?"
"Crane poisoned her with a psychotropic hallucenigion," Batman replied. "A panic inducing toxin,"
So that's what Crane did to her. He poisoned her. Jim went for his walkie-talkie.
"Let me get her down to the medics," he said.
"They can't help her," Batman explained. "...But I can,"
Jim and I looked at Batman with confusing looks. He can actually cure Rachel? How? I was about to ask when all of a sudden, the lights came on. I gasped. The police were coming in.
"Oh no," I whispered. "They're coming,"
"Get her downstairs," Batman told Gordon. "Meet me in the alley on the Narrows side. Sarah stays with me,"
"Why?" Gordon whispered.
"You have to get Miss Dawes downstairs. Sarah has a wounded leg, and she can't walk on it until I get her some help,"
"What about Crane?" I just now remembered.
"...He got a taste of his own medicine," Batman turned to Gordon. "Crane's been smuggling his toxin hidden inside Falcone's drugs, and they're dumping it in the water supply,"
So that's what they put in there. Crane and Falcone were going to make the whole city of Gotham crazy! Jim looked horrified
"Wh-What was he planning?" he asked.
"I don't know," Batman replied.
"Was he working for Falcone?"
"...He mentioned someone else. Someone worse,"
Worse? Who could possible be worse than Crane and Falcone? Batman started helping Gordon with Rachel.
"I neeed to get her the antidote before the damage becomes permanent," he said putting Rachel in Gordon's arms.
"How long does she have?" Gordon asked, getting ready.
"Not long,"
I was trembling now. Not only that Rachel might die, but we only had a limited time to save her. I couldn't stop shaking, so Batman held me tighter.
"Hang on to me as tight as you can," he whispered.
Even though I was still shaking, I felt more calmer now. I didn't know why. I wrapped my arms around his stiff neck, burying my face in his shoulder as I heard a faint chorus of squeaks and flutters in the distance.
"What is that?" I heard Gordon.
"...Back-up," Batman replied.
The next thing I know, I heard screaming and yelling from various policemen, which was Gordon's cue to leave with Rachel. I kept my eyes closed, as if to try and block the screaming that filled my ears.
"Make them stop," I whispered. "Make them stop,"
"I can't," Batman said. "I'm not the one who's making them scream,"
"Then what is?"
"...Bats,"
I couldn't help but whimper a bit. This was not going well for me. First, I find out I can't find who killed my parents, my leg now hurts like it's burning, and Rachel's dying because of my need to find justice in my parent's deaths. And now the asylum is filled with bats that were out of their natural habitat.
"...I won't let them hurt you," Batman said in my ear. "They only attack when they're threatened...Count backwards from five,"
"...Five..."
Why was he asking me to count backwards?...He's not telling me something. Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here listening to policemen scream because bats are everywhere.
"...Four..."
I felt him raise his arm...
"...Three..."
He's breathing heavily as if he's anxious...He's Batman! He can't be scared...Can he?
"...Two..."
He throws something into the air. I don't know what it was. But when he raised his arm, I heard a whirring sound next to my ear. He wraps his arms tightly around me. I'm afraid now.
"...I..."
I feel myself falling, wrapped up in Batman's black cape, safe in his arms. I don't know how long we were falling, but it felt like a long time. I didn't scream though. I just held on tighter to the Dark Knight, who was my protector. I just kept my eyes shut hoping that nothing would hurt me. We finally landed, and I could hear the increased volume of the bats fluttering their wings and squeaks. Shifting me up in his arms, I held on as Batman raced as hard as he could to get to our destination. He ran so fast, I thought we were flying. I guess that would happen once you get used to flying. Still I kept my eyes closed. I didn't want to see the bats. This wasn't like the one in Wayne Manor. There were millions of them! Anyway, after a long time of running, I felt the cool air outside. We were out of the asylum. Finally! I felt him set me down in a comfortable seat that I would sink into.
"You can open your eyes," Batman said as I opened them. "You're safe,"
I took in my surroundings.I was in the backseat of some sort of...car. As black and as dark as the Batman. As he checked on my leg, which still hurt, I buckled up.
"It still hurts," I explained. "But not so much as before,"
"Try not to move it," Batman ordered.
"...Batman..."
I pointed behind the Caped Crusader. Gordon had just come into the alley, with a limp Rachel in his arms. Leaving me by myself, Batman rushed toward the cop, and the Assistant D.A. I couldn't tell what they were saying to each other, but I could tell they were trying to hurry...I hope Rachel's still okay. Gordon transported Rachel into Batman's arms, and he ran with her back to the car, setting her in the front seat. He jumped onto his side, and lowered the seats down,as the roof slid over us to the front. It was almost pitch black, but i had other problem's that worried me. I started hearing the sirens.
"What about the police?" I asked as the car started.
"...Hold onto something..." Batman replied.
I wanted to ask why, but the next thing I knew, the rush of the car going over 80 mph sent an impact on me. It sent me back in my seat, and I held on tight to it. I looked through the front window, and saw a police car stationed in a street corner. Do you know what Batman did? He ran right over the front of it. This wasn't a car. This was a tank!
"You're trying to outrun the police!" I cried. "You can't do that!"
"You can if someone's life is at stake," Batman protested, his eyes fixed on the road.
...OK, I admit he got me there. After all, the police are after for the wrong reasons. Plus, he seemed to know about my Princess of Gotham problem. One wrong move, and the paprazzi would have a field day, and Bruce would surely be disappointed. Suddenly, I heard a faint moan, and from my view from the back seat, Rachel was waking up. I reached forward, and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Rachel," I started. "Are you okay?"
Rachel looked back, and her eyes went wide when she saw me.
"Sarah!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been? The school called, and you're not at the bus stop. You're not at the Farris's..."
"Rachel, I think we have bigger problems,"
"She's right," Batman said before Rachel could say anything. "Stay calm. You've been poisoned,"
I didn't exactly see how she could stay calm when she's poisoned. Must be for health reasons or something. I'll have to read about it sometime later...that is if I live through this. Batman continued to drive recklessly around the streets of Gotham, with the police chasing after us. I grew a little nervous that they might catch up to us, but after that sharp right turn and hearing the tires behind us screech when they lost track of us momentarilly, I felt a bit better. Although, Rachel wasn't so good. The jolt made her gasp in fright.
"Breathe slowly," Batman advised
Part of me wished that I got nfected with what Rachel had, just so I could go through this with her, and to know what she was seeing. Just so she wouldn't be alone.
"Hold on," Batman said as we made a very hard left turn.
I braced myself as we turned into a parking garage. The spiraled road made me dizzy as we swerved up to the top. Then I realized something. This was a one way road up to the top, and the cops would be blocking our only way out.
"What are you doing?" Rachel noticed it too.
"Shortcut," Batman replied.
"Shortcut?" I found myself protesting. "There's no other way out! Are you blind?"
By now, I was really ticked off. The car came to a halt, while cops made a semi-circle around us in their cars. I let out a frustrated sigh. There was only one way to get out of this. I started unbuckling myself.
"Let me out," I said in a hurry.
Batman turned around in his seat and grabbed my wrists. I struggled to get them out of his tight grip.
"Let go!" I shouted.
"You listen to me," Batman growled. "You go out there, your whole life will go into a bigger mess. You don't want to go live with your uncle because of all this, do you?"
My eyes looked at nothing but him. How did he know about my problem with my gaurdianships? I just stared at him as he loosened his grip from my wrists.
"Do you trust me?" he asked more softly.
I don't know. How could I trust someone who know what I was going through right now? How could I trust someone who seems to know when I'm afraid? And how could I trust someone with eyes that are recognizable to my heart, but not my head?...But if it wasn't for him, I'd be dead. Therefore, I trust him.
"Yes," Was the only word I said to him.
Batman nodded and turned back to face forward. Rachel and I watched in silence and in awe as he ducked under with the steering wheel under the dashboard. I was wondering what he was doing, until I heard a loud BOOM! Jumping in my seat as I fastened my seatbelt, I looked up...no way...he just blew up a 4 1/2 foot wall of concrete making an unusual way for us to escape the police. I looked in the drivers seat. He wasn't coming back up, and thecar started up again on full speed. Rachel and I looked away in nervousness as the car jumped and drove over rooftop. Every bump made the car rattle and shake. Now and again, there was a swerve or two, but we were still flying over rooftops in the strange car. I closed my eyes to maintain my growing queasiness at a very low level. The bumps were making me sick. I breathed slowy. Soon, all this would be over I though to myself as finally got onto a reak road. I'll be home with a fixed leg, I'll be in a nice dress, and I'll make my Princess of Gotham appearance to everyone in the Fancy World of Gotham at Bruce's party...the party...oh no! The party! I totally forgot about it! Through all the explosions behind us, and the occasional bumps and scrapes, I wondereing when this car chase wouls stop. Looking out the small window I had, I noticed we were now taking this show down the highway. Batman had finally come out from under the dashboard. Pressing a few buttons, I saw the headlights grow dim, making it a bit darker. But to my astonishment, the police went past us...Batman did something...
"I--What did you do?" I asked Batman softly.
Instead of answering, Batman put the car on self-mode for a bit and faced Rachel, who was a bit dazed.
"Stay with me," he said.
Rachel looked at Batman. I watched them...They seemed to look at each other as if they knew each other. As if one was telling the other that everything would be fine. But Batman broke this awkward moment, as he turned the car off self mode and focused. First we were going slow...but when we sensed the cops noticing the car hiding in the dark, we put it on full throttle. Batman swerved off the road into a nearby forest that bordered it. He didn't even seem to notice the gate as he ran right through it. Hanging on, I looked at Rachel...No! She was losing consiousness! We were too late!
"No!" I heard myself scream.
"Just hold on," Batman urged.
I was now leaning forward, and trying to shake Rachel awake. She wasn't responding. No! She can't! She can't die! I thought all this as the car went faster towards a waterfall, and Rachel's head lolled to one side, closing her eys.
"RACHEL!" shouted Batman.
Time seemed to slow down. I looked at Batman. His voice wasn't raspy, I thought as the car jumped off a grassy ramp.
His voice was familiar.
(A/N: Review please!)