Hey again! I know it's been awhile, but I hope this is worth the wait a bit... :)

As always, I don't own anything related to DC comics or Christopher Nolan. ;-;

I make it a few blocks and wonder how long it will take for him to notice my absence. Maybe he already had… The thought has me quicken my pace.

I remember basics about the original warehouse we had stayed in, and so I look for familiar things. It needs to be abandoned, it needs to be large, and it needs to be out of the way. I pass old apartment buildings, abandoned stores, and even a boarded up hotel. But none of the empty buildings fit the bill. I continue to search, and notice something… off. Call it intuition, but I could feel someone's gaze on me. Were those footsteps behind me? I pause to listen, but the soft noise stops as well. I turn and look, but find myself alone. I start walking again, listening intently. I don't hear the sound of footsteps behind me.

I go back to searching. Too big, too small, none of the buildings fit my memory.

The wind blows, and I wrap my arms around my torso. There's something besides the chill that makes me shiver. Goosebumps cover my arms, and the hair stands up on the back of my neck. I pass an alley-way and pause. Was someone crying? I look inside and see a hunched figure in the shadows. By the sound of the whimpers, it is a woman.

"Excuse me? Miss? Are you alright?" I ask softly. It's probably a bad idea to talk with people in the Narrows, but she seems so helpless. She ignores me, and sobs continue to rock through her body. "Ma'am?" I walk up to her, and extend my arm to put on her shoulder, but it passes right through as if it weren't there.

I recoil my arm and look at my hand, shocked. I glance back up as the woman does, and find myself looking into the face of my Mother.

I skitter backwards and land on my backside, a surprised gasp escaping my lips.

I'm alone.

Where the crouched shape of my mom cried just a moment before, there is nothing but empty space. I put my head in my hands, and try to catch my breath. I can't do this. If I'm going to hallucinate every five minutes, I don't know what I'm supposed to do to handle it.

I contemplate just going back to the Joker's new warehouse instead of going on this insane venture, but hesitate. If I go back, I still need to fake being a psycho… Although with these hallucinations I don't doubt that it would all be acting.

I turn the corner, and see it. The last warehouse. I don't know why it hits me with such certainty, but in that moment, I'm sure.

Its looming empty structure almost looks haunting. The bare metal roof glints in the sunlight in some places, but the majority is covered in thick orange rust. The sheet metal walls are peeling off in some places, and missing all together in others. It's definitely abandoned and out of the way. The Joker is written all over it.

I pause however, because the entire outside of the building is surrounded be bright yellow "Caution" tape. I can't imagine why it's there, and head inside the building after a few moments of confusion.

The slight scent of something rotten assaults my senses, and I plug my nose in disgust. I notice the outlines of bodies in tape on the floor and remember that Scarecrow killed the Joker's men. The smell is horrible, but I'm glad the bodies are gone. I don't know whether I would have been successful in my attempts to retrieve the phone number if the bodies were still here.

I hurry down the hallway, and into the Joker's room, only to find it stripped bare. I should have figured out that if the police were here, they would search the entire building. There is nothing in the room but an empty table toward the back wall. None of the objects are still around. I feel a sense of loss as I walk across the room. The table is mockingly bare, and there isn't anything I can do about it.

I turn and run from the room, determined to think of something that would make this trip outside anything but a complete waste of time. And to make matters worse, I have to return to the Joker without an excuse. Great.

The cold Gotham air hits me hard, and my eyes water from its bite. I wrap my arms around myself, and slowly make my way back to the current warehouse. It takes about half hour, but luckily, I remember my way. I walk into the slightly warmer room, and sigh. I don't know what entirely I was trying to achieve by going there, but I didn't get anything but a chill that won't go away.

The sound of a foot tapping makes me lift my head warily, and I see the Joker standing about 20 feet away.

"Listen, I-"

"Don't even start with me, Lane." He growls. "I have given you shelter, protection and freedom time and time again, and this is how you repay me? Leaving randomly again?"

I'm strangely reminded of a reprimanding father by his tone.

"I just-"

"No, Lane. I've tried helping you in every way I can, and instead of being a good criminal… You just find your way out of every little scheme I can think up! I don't even know why I should bother with you anymore." He spits on the floor.

"Fine." I hold my hands out to my sides. "What's your plan to get rid of me?" I'm beyond caring about his words. I feel deflated. Like everything I once had going for me has blown away in the wind.

He laughs loudly. "I can't ruin the surprise, Lane! That just wouldn't be any fun, now would it?"

"I guess not." I shrug. I can only hope it won't be super painful.

"Awww." His tone is mocking. "What'sa matter, Lane? Feeling a little blue?" He saunters over to me, and pulls my chin up. His eyes are dark, but shine with a spark of excitement I can't explain. The strange scent of his makeup makes my nose wrinkle, and he smirks. "What can I do to-uh, help, hmm?" He jerks my face side to side, and smacks my cheek twice.

"Explain why I'm still here."

"Well it's obvious that every ounce of time I invested in you went straight into the trash. Ya know, usually, I like a little fight in people… But you, Lane… You just turned out to be a disappointment." He shakes his head in mock-sadness. "Oh well, I guess there's nothing we can do about it now." He pulls out a knife and flicks it open in one well-practiced movement, and begins to move it toward me.

I back up at a quick pace, putting my hands in front of me. "Please, no." I don't know what else to say… He doesn't think I'm good enough? What am I supposed to do? "Wait! What if I can… prove my worth?" It's a stretch but maybe it could work.

He pauses. "Puh-rove it, hmm?" A smile begins to grow on his face. "What-uh, exactly did you have in mind?"

"I… Don't know. Something big?" I'm reaching for some idea; something that will allow me to live. "Batman?"

This stops him. "Batman? What could you do to him? Get caught?" He laughs loudly.

"I could… Lead him to you? So you could… catch him?" The plan is forming itself as I speak. Of course it would be simple. I already know Bruce Wayne is Batman so it will be no trouble finding him. The trick will be getting him back here without him catching me first. I could just leave first, but I'm sure the Joker will be keeping an eye on me until I bring him.

So, I bring Batman, him and the Joker get into some fight, and I escape without anyone the wiser. I could go find Crane, and have him fix my head. It's perfect. And it's not like the Joker will actually be able to catch Batman. He's unsuccessfully tried so many times in the past so what makes this time any different?

I look at the man in front of me. The Joker has uprooted me from my entire life. He's forced me to relive terrible memories and messed with my brain. But could he really be that bad?

Wait. That's a bad sign. There's some sort of name for feeling that way, right? Sympathy toward the captor… What's it called again?

The Joker clears his throat, distracting me. "Catch the Batman, hmm? And how do you propose to do it, exactly?"

"Easy. He's looking to rescue Melanie Ryder. If I 'come out' from hiding, he'll follow me anywhere I go. And if he manages to grab me, you come out from wherever you're hiding, and catch him. An ambush."

I smile as I see the grin form on his face.

"Lane!" He sounds pleased. "I'm impressed… That gas really did do something didn't it?"

"Sure…" I hesitate.

"We need to get things ready… You'll leave at dusk." He decides.

A few hours later, the Joker deems me ready. I'm dressed in the purple and green jumpsuit, and my face is painted. Now that the Newspaper has run my photo, everyone will recognize me. Hopefully my image will keep the thugs away, and the citizens that see me will notify law enforcement. Soon after that, Batman will show up, and I will lead him as close to this spot as possible. I can only hope that Bruce guesses the Joker's plan. I can also only hope that I will get my chance to get away.

I am armed with two switchblades which I have no intention of using, thick rings along my fingers for hand-to-hand, and even a grenade. I don't even know how to use the last one, or have a reason I would need to. But I just smile and nod my head as the Joker hands me the weapons. I need him to believe me fully, and have no suspicions of my ruse.

Throughout the day, I had two more hallucinations. One of my father, and one of a growling dog. Both times, I held my breath, and tried to look normal, but I think the Joker may have noticed me twitch for the second one. He only glanced my way for a moment or two, right in time to see my hands shaking, and I hope he just thought I was nervous about my new mission.

The Joker laughs once, and clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth with a satisfied smirk. I wonder if he really thinks I will be successful, or if he still is just waiting to get rid of me. Maybe he doesn't care either way. I don't think anyone will ever be able to understand him. Even Harleen.

"See ya' later, Lane. Remember, I'll always be watching." He chuckles, pushing me out the door.

I take a moment outside to enjoy the sensation of freedom. I know I'm not in safe waters yet, because the Joker will be following me every step of the way to "See how the gas has affected my abilities without his prompts" as he had put it earlier. But the wind blowing across my face gives me a taste of what is coming. Pure freedom. My life will be unhindered by delusional clowns, strange psychiatrists, billionaires with secrets, or anyone else for that matter. I will truly be my own person.

I head out of the Narrows with a skip in my step, but as I near town, I slow down. I remember what it was like to act on Scarecrow's gas, and I let the memory move my muscles forward now. I slip into a crouch, and stick to the shadows. My eyes tighten slightly as I search for an answer. The sun has just set over the city, and the sky is a dark orange that is fading to deep blue by the minute. Batman should be coming out soon… But the question is where? Gotham City is huge, and I want to find him fast before I have to do something bad. I told the Joker I would try to lead the Batman out, and I know he's probably watching me somewhere, but I don't know if I actually have the guts to break the law enough to actually get Batman to come. Sure the police would come if I broke a window or something, but you need to do something really bad for Batman to make his appearance.

I continue to walk through the shadows, and see something that catches my eye. Someone has left a newspaper on a bench, and I dart out of the shadows to grab it. "Wayne to Host Orphan Benefit," I read. I scan the article, and smile when I see that it is tonight. Perfect. All I have to do is get Bruce to see me, and maybe act a little intimidating. Then I make my exit with Batman on my heels. This is going to be easier than I thought.

Although when I get to his building, I realize it could be much harder. The doors are surrounded by Police officers. The frame of the building is being repaired from the Joker's last attempt to get me out of this place. The officers must realize that Bruce Wayne is often the target of crime, but apparently no one else has made the connection of Bruce Wayne and Batman. I make a circuit around the building twice, looking for an easy way in but just don't see one. I consider using the grenade, but that would cause a panic in the party; and all I need is for Bruce to see me, not cause more front page news. I wait nearly twenty minutes, and finally I see my chance. A woman has come out of a side exit and stumbled around drunkenly before tripping a short distance from the building. The surrounding officers have responded as all good gentlemen would, and hurry to help her. As soon as their backs are turned, I sprint to the building and slip inside.

I make my way up the stairs, slipping into hallways as needed to avoid the occasional bystander. Even if the Joker was watching me outside, there's no way he could see me in here. I know I'm safe from his eyes, and I relax a little. I make it upstairs quickly, and before long, I am only one floor away from the top. I hear the sound of people above me, and take a moment to make a rough plan of what I can do. Being Batman, Bruce has no need or want of police officers in his party. He can take care of himself, and he would have no need for officers. What I will need to deal with are innocent people. I don't want to accidently hurt someone or become hurt in the process. I need to keep the people away from me in order to insure that nothing happens. I pull out the grenade and hold a knife in my other hand. My face turns down into a scowl, and I run up the stairs before I can change my mind.

His door is open and at first, none of the fancy dressed people notices me. I shove past the first group and hold up the grenade.

"Party's over people!" I shout. A majority of the crowd turns quickly to see me, and I see a range of emotion. Fear, panic, disbelief, and one person even rolled their eyes. But one by one, they back away from me, and create a large bubble of space for me to walk around. I hopd the grenade up, and search for Bruce. He has to be here, right? This is his fundraiser! But as my searching face scans the crowd a third time, I realize that he really isn't here.

"Where is Bruce Wayne?!" I shout. The crowd only stares, but I see a few people begin to move. I'm not the typical hardened criminal they are used to seeing. I'm just a slight female that could just be trying to get attention holding a grenade, but not even really threatening to use it. I only have a few moments to get out before they realize I'm not a threat. I spin around and see probably the only thing that could stop me in this long moment of terror.

Alfred.

He is frozen in between me and the door holding a platter of various drinks. His suit is neat and clean, and he looks about the same as the last time I saw him. What stops me though, are his eyes. They are filled with a sadness that is so deep that it makes the air hitch in my throat. His eyes close in a gesture of disappointment, and before I realize it consciously, the grenade drops from my hand.

A force hits me from behind, and I am slammed into the ground hard. A man's harsh exclamation of pain comes from above me when I realize the knife I still held was embedded into his leg. But who's? I didn't want to stab anyone! I held the knife to keep them away!

My arms are pulled back behind my back, and the cold bite of the metal handcuffs stings my wrists. The man pulls me around so that I am facing the ceiling, and after my eyes get used to the glare of the lights overhead, I see the man has glasses, and a thick mustache. I remember him from somewhere. My mind struggles to remember his name.

Everything is happening too fast. He pulls me to my feet, and groans when he puts weight on his left leg. Red is beginning to seep through his expensive looking tuxedo pants, and I grimace. He begins to push me toward the door after putting both the bloody knife and the grenade in his pocket.

I try to avoid looking at people's faces as we pass but something triggers me to look up. I meet the gaze of a man standing tastefully behind the front line of people. He has blondish hair that is greased back, and dark brown eyes that look extremely familiar. Instead of fear or anger, he only looks amused. There is something so familiar about his lopsided smirk… He licks his lips in almost a twitch, and it all clicks in that one moment. I'm too far to see the scars on the side of his mouth, but I know where they should be.

I suck in a shocked gasp, and he melts back into the crowd. I try to turn and find his face again, but the man who's arrested me just pushes me toward the door harder.

As we leave the building, I realize that I never even glimpsed Bruce Wayne, and that this trip was nothing but a waste of time. And the Joker was there and saw the whole thing. I really messed things up.

"Alright, in the back..." The man says roughly, pushing me gently into the back of an unmarked car.

The door closes and I watch him limp around to the driver's side with a lump in my throat. He gets in with a groan, and shakes his head slowly.

"Uh," I clear my throat. "Are you going to be okay to drive?"

The man just huffs quietly, and ignores me. He drives us around the corner and down about two blocks when a bulky black car I immediately recognize as Batman's pulls out in front of us.

The man in the front seat laughs a tired laugh and says, "Figures he would find out."

"What do you mean?" I ask, which he ignores again.

Oh, right. I stabbed him. Of course he would ignore me.

"For the record," I say quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry that I did." He sighs and gets out of the car.

He limps forward to meet the shaded figure of Batman and seems to wave off his concern. He waves back in my direction and gestures back toward the penthouse.

I have to get out of here. My hands are handcuffed behind me though, and I have no idea what to do. But I have to get out. Especially now that Batman is here. It's gonna be difficult with my arms tied, but not impossible. Especially because the Joker is still probably watching and all I need to do is get him separated from the cop before he steps in.

I'm happy to notice that because this isn't a normal police car, the doors have handles, and I am quick to take the advantage. I pull my leg up and- using my toes- pull the handle open.

"Hey!" The man's voice yells.

It's too late to turn back now, I have no time. I lunge out of the car and run for it. I have a vague impression of where I am, and so I know I need to head east to get back to the Narrows. But it's night, and I don't have the sunlight to guide me. I recognize a street not far ahead, and I smile to know it heads directly into the Narrows.

I hear the Tumbler behind me, and turn quickly onto the street. My feet pound against the pavement and the air heaves in and out of my lungs. Between the exertion and the panic, I'm running out of steam fast. I panic and dive behind a dumpster, and huddle into a ball. A few moments pass, and the Tumbler doesn't pass. Where did he go? Did he not see me turn onto this street? Did I lose him? How am I supposed to find him again?

A hand falls onto my shoulder and the scream of terror gets stuck in my throat. I turn and see none other than Batman.

"Melanie, stop. We need to talk."

Oh crap.

Well, there it is! I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, reviews/critism/advice is always welcomed! :D If you couldn't tell, the story is moving slowly to a close... I'm not sure exactly how many chapters are left, but there aren't many... :D Thanks again!