~Chapter 4~
It is 12:00 A.M. and everybody in the apartment is asleep except Abigail, she wrote a note to Valerie and left it on her pillow. The note says:
"Dear Valerie, I am terribly sorry for leaving, but I just can't stay here. It's not you, Brittany, Casey, or Randal. It's me, I need to be on my own. I don't want to be adopted, or stay in a Foster home, or even an Orphanage. Please do not worry about me, I'm fine. I know how to take care of myself, I know how to make my own food, get water, clothing, and make a fire. I'm sorry Valerie, thanks for taking care of me. Sincerely - Abigail."
Abigail took a back pack with some clothes, canned food, water, blankets, flashlight, a few batteries, six dollars, and some matches. As she exited the apartment she took one last look at the it then left. She traveled a mile away from the apartment and found an abandoned ally and stayed there for the night. She woke up knowing Valerie has possibly found her note and left the ally. "Hello sir, sir!" Abigail said spotting a man in a suit. "Yes?" The man asked. "What time is it?" Abigail asked. "It's nine o'clock." The man said looking at his watch. "Thanks." Said Abigail walking away.
Abigail spotted some policemen and hid at once, she doesn't know if Valerie reported her missing. "This is probably the stupidest thing I've ever done." She whispered to herself. The policemen walked past Abigail's hiding spot, Abigail had an idea to stay around a five blocks which would be her area to stay.
She went to a store a bought some paper and some pencils, she walked around Gotham and found the five blocks she wanted. Better yet she found a perfect spot to stay. She studied everything and took notes and started drawing a map of her very own, she looked for perfect hiding spots and three places to move around to stay at. It took her a month to draw the full map out of her hiding spots, places to stay, and the whole area around the five blocks.
She was really getting a hang of living in the streets, sadly one of the policemen found her and took her to the police station. "Abigail?" Lieutenant Gordon said seeing Abigail. "Hi..." Said Abigail. "Where have you been?" Gordon asked. "Hanging around." Said Abigail. "Now if I may, I'm going back to Valerie's." "Didn't you run away?" Gordon asked.
"What makes you think that?" Abigail asked playing stupid. "A month ago," Gordon said. "Valerie found this letter on your pillow in your room." He puts the letter on the table. "She reports that you are missing and we've been searching for you ever since. Valerie is very worried about you. Why did you do that?"
"Read the letter and find out." Abigail said coldly. Gordon looked at her kinda angrily and put the letter back into his pocket. "Okay fine!" Said Abigail. "I left because I never wanted to be in the foster home in the first place!" "Well there's Orphanage's." Gordon suggested. "I don't wanna be there either." Said Abigail upsettedly. "I don't want to be adopted by anyone. I just want to be alone."
"You know I can't let you do that." Said Gordon. "Why not?" Abigail asked. "I'm fine, I just took care of myself for a month with no help by anyone at all. And if I can live in Gotham for a month on the streets without being killed I'm fine!"
"I can't let you wonder the streets on your own!" Said Gordon. "It is not safe, you are going to an Orphanage and that's the final decision." "But- but!" Abigail said angrily. "It's the final decision Abigail." Said Gordon. "I'm sorry." Abigail got escorted to an Orphanage two hours after the talk with Gordon. This time it was a little harder to escape but Abigail managed to find a way after a week.
Abigail went back to her main ally where she stayed and kept moving around her places more frequently. Two months went by and none of the policemen found her, in those two months she trained herself on how to be a professional pick pocket, and amazingly great at it. In between these two months Batman has made his first appearance, Abigail read it on a newspaper and go interested in this mysterious character.
Abigail seen what he's done and figured he was on who was trying to help. Since she was interested in the Batman she looked into information about him, but nothing. So she moved on, still curious about this strange Batman person.
She had more hope that she was doing something right, a week later after her two month mark she got caught again and put in a more secured Orphanage. It took her a week and a half to study and escape the Orphanage. While she was being put into these Orphanage's and escaping them Dr. Jonathan Crane was watching very closely, and was watching where she was being found. He then figured out which places she stayed and waited for the right time.
This place was the top secured Orphanage in Gotham and she escaped, the police then started giving up. Abigail was pleased with herself and kept moving on. It's been four months since she's last seen Randal and she wondered how he was doing, so she went to his favorite place to go. Abigail found Randal and snuck up to him. "Randal..." She whispered behind a bench. "A-Abigail?" Randal asked turning around. "Ssshhhh!" Abigail whispered. "Follow me!" Abigail took Randal to the an ally and started talking to him.
"Where have you been?" Randal asked. "Valerie has been worried about you." "I'm sorry." Said Abigail. "I just can't be with other's... I'm fine by myself. How have you been?" "I've been alright." Said Randal. "I'm now the only kid left with Valerie. Brittany and Casey got adopted a month an a half ago." "That's cool." Said Abigail. "I've gotta leave soon, please don't tell anyone you saw me."
"I won't." Said Randal. "But why do you have to leave soon?" "I'm constantly moving around." Said Abigail. "So no one attacks me, so the cops don't find me, or anyone else." ~Beep-Beep-Beep~ Randal's watch went off. "Sorry Abigail, I've gotta get back to Valerie." Said Randal disappointed. "Okay, be safe." Said Abigail. "You too." Said Randal leaving.
Abigail then moved around once again for two weeks in till something happens to her that will change her life forever, and make her look at life in a whole new way. Four and a half months she's been alone, eating at least once a day, being able to stay healthy, and out of trouble. In less you count be caught and taken to Orphanage's the past four months twice.
She was just having a regular day at her main area where she stayed, not caring about anything, but studying her map to see if she can find a new hiding spot. She then heard someone in her ally, she peeked over a box and saw no one. She put down her self drawn map and walked out to see who was there. "Hello?" She said watching every corner. "This is my ally! Now go away!" She searched her ally and when she was sure no one was there she turned around to walk back to her spot.
Abigail then gasp's in when someone grabbed her from behind and cover's her mouth. "Le- meh-go!" Her voice muffled under this man's hand. A big van with to big doors in the back drove up. "N-no!" She yelled under his mouth. She tried prying off the man's hand off of her mouth but no use at all, she was kicking frantically and being dragged, she was screaming and screaming but barely any noise came out.
"Paul why is she still awake?!" A man asked opening the back door's to the van. The man named Paul who was holding Abigail against her will shrugged, the other man grunted and took Abigail by her upper arm then threw her in the back of the van. She got up and was about to scream in till something hard hit her in the head and was knocked out.
It must have been two or three hours in till she woke up, as she woke up everything was kind of blurry. She tried moving her arms but her wrists are strapped to the metal table above her head, she then tried moving her feet but her ankles are strapped too. She became very scared and screamed but only a muffling sound came out, there was something over her mouth which she did not know of in till that time. Someone then opened a door at her bottom right, she quickly looked and is surprised to see who it was.
Dr. Crane has walked into the room briefcase in left hand, wearing his formal attire. Abigail then had a little hope that he was going to let her go, but the smile on his face should have given her the answer. He then took off what ever was on her mouth and she was able to talk. "Dr. Crane, thanks goodness." She said in relief. "Now I can be set free... You are gonna let me go? Aren't you?"
Dr. Crane looked at her strangely. "Um... why would I do that?" He asked. "Because I need your help to get these... Dr. Crane? What are y-" Dr. Crane opened up his case and pulled out a mask. "Wh-what is that?" Abigail asked. "Oh it's something I like to use in experiments." Dr. Crane said with a smile. "Experiments?" Abigail muttered. "Wait! You're gonna use me?!" "You are correct." Said Dr. Crane clicking a button in his mask. "Why?' Abigail asked starting to get afraid. "What have I ever done to you?"
Dr. Crane didn't answer. "Dr. Crane!" Abigail yelled in desperation. "Please! Let me go! I'll never say you're doing experiments to anyone! Just please let me go!" "Why should I let you go?" Dr. Crane asked. "You've told me yourself that you have nothing else to live for except for just being there. Weren't those your words?"
"Yes, but I didn't mean it!" Abigail said tears flowing from her eye's. "Please don't kill m-me!" "Oh, I'm not going to kill you." He said putting on his mask. "You were wondering why I was asking you those questions... well, here's your answer." He then sprays some type of gas into her face.
Abigail gasps as it startled her and accidentally breathes it in. She coughs for a few seconds then opens her eye's. "So what do you see?" Scarecrow ask's. "What do you fear?" Abigail screams as she see's spider's crawling on his face. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" She screams. "Now, why would I do that?" Scarecrow ask's deviously.
Abigail screams again as she see's more spider's and then cockroaches, she then hear's a gun shot and she jumps thinking it was at her. But it was her own mind thinking there was a gun shot. "LET ME GO! PLEASE!" Abigail screams in fear. Scarecrow does a high pitch freaky laugh which makes Abigail more scared. "AAAAUUUUGGGHHH! PLEASE LET ME GO! DON'T HURT ME!" She was now crying in so much fear, her brain can hardly manage the intensity of it.
"Sir!" A man said entering the room. "What is it this time?" Scarecrow asked angrily. "Um... Mitch is missing." Said the man. "Well go find him!" Scarecrow said impatiently. "And how much did you give her?" The man asked. "As high as her brain can take." Said Scarecrow. "Now go find Mitch!" The man nodded and left. Abigail was now trying to keep her eye's shut, but every time she closed her eye's, her father's death was right in front of her.
The gun shot she kept hearing reoccurring was the gunshot she heard when her father died. Scarecrow touched Abigail's arm slightly which made her scream. "N-NO, PLEASE!" She screamed. "DON'T HURT ME!" "Open your eye's!" Scarecrow demanded. Abigail out of fear opened her eye's and saw Scarecrow holding a knife. Abigail screamed louder, but all Scarecrow was holding was a pen.
Abigail now starting to lose it more and more, her brain can handle so much of this. She was now beginning to black out, but she was still screaming every time she looked at Scarecrow, closed her eye's, or imagined seeing her worst fears. Glass then shattered and the light went out, Abigail screamed as loud as she could.
She looked around not being able to see a thing, something then touched her left wrist. "NO - DON'T HURT - ME!" She screamed. "I'm not going to hurt you." Someone said in the dark. Her left wrist was now free but she was now not really able to move since she was now becoming strangely exhausted.
The light's turned on, Scarecrow was gone. But a strange figure dressed all in black has set both her ankles and wrist's free was different. "Can you stand?" He asked. "I-I... d-don't know..." Abigail struggled to say. The man then picked her up and walked out the door, Abigail now starting to fall asleep was making this man more anxious and looked like he was in a hurry to help her.
This guy put her into a big black car and jumped into the driver's seat. "Stay with me." He said. "What's your name?" He asked trying to keep her calm and awake. "Abi-Abigail." Abigail said weakly. "Who're y-you?" She looked at him and her vision was a tad blurry. He has tall ears which was very strange to Abigail, she then closed her eye's and started getting very sleepy again. "Abigail, stay with me!" The man said. "I-I'm not g-g-gonna make it..." Abigail said in a low whisper.
"Abigail?" The man said looking at her. "No, stay with me!" The car then went faster which startled Abigail and woke her up a little. "Wh-what's going on?" She asked in fear once again. "I'm going help you." The man said. "But you have to stay awake, in able for me to help you." "Who're y-" Abigail couldn't finish. "I'm here t-" Abigail heard the man say but she blacks out before he manage's to say the rest.
This man then made the car do a tremendous jump into a waterfall and in a dark cave, he exited the car in a rush, then got a syringe and ran back to ejected the antidote into Abigail. He then carried Abigail out and placed her on a table then went onto a computer. "Hello, Master Bruce!" Said an elderly man. "Who is this young woman?" "She's another victim of Scarecrow." Bruce answered. "Do you know who she is?" The elderly man asked. "No Alfred, I don't." Said Bruce taking off his cowl, Bruce then walked to the computer and typed in Abigail's first name.
"What are you doing?" Alfred asked. "I'm trying to find out where she lives." Said Bruce. "Before she wakes up." Bruce spent two hours looking through Gotham records of different Abigail's, he found the right one. But she has no address of where she lives, Bruce then searched for her parents and found out both are deceased. Bruce looked at Abigail sympathetically as he saw that her father died just recently and felt bad for her.
"But wait, why isn't she in an Orphanage?" Bruce asked. Without realizing it Bruce spent five hours searching through everything. "Master Bruce, it is five o'clock in the morning." Said Alfred. "You need some sleep. And the poor girl is probably gonna sleep through the night." "No Alfred," Bruce said. "I've got to find out where she lives." "Bruce you need sleep!" Said Alfred. "What happens if she wakes up?" Bruce asked. "Well..." Alfred said thinking. Bruce kept searching and searching why he couldn't find out where she lived, in the process he fell asleep.
Bruce spent the next two days searching for where she lived and found out, she lived no where. But suspiciously Abigail wasn't waking up, which had Bruce a little worried. "Master Bruce it's been three day's since that girl's arrived." Said Alfred. "And she has not moved or opened her eye's once." "She's fine Alfred." Said Bruce taking off his cowl, since he put it on earlier thinking she was gonna wake up. "I saw her move yesterday so she's fine."
"Here's your breakfast." Alfred said putting a tray on Bruce's table. "Thank you." Said Bruce taking a sip of water. Bruce only nodded in response, still frustrated why he couldn't find out where she's been living, and who with.
Abigail then opened her eye's slightly twenty minutes after Alfred left. Everything was a haze at first then everything was clear, she is confused where she was. There was bat's on the ceiling of the cave, there was the sound of the waterfall, and someone typing on something.
She is shocked to see the Batman... without his mask? She sat up and looked at the man who was unknown to her, Bruce heard something move behind him and looked. He is shocked to see Abigail awake and Abigail is shocked who she saw. They both stared at each other in silence Abigail trying to figure out how Bruce Wayne was Batman and Bruce knowing he just blew his identity.