MAILBAG

Girl of Twilight Wings, chapter 84

That was a great chapter, though i'm a bit confused about why Scarlet didn't go ninja on the guy.

Response; Honestly, I think she's been caught off-guard. Attacked in her own home, woken by a strange man with erratic behavior in an abandoned asylum and forced to dress in his dead daughter's clothes, and proffered before her father on television like an offering- she's shocked and afraid. And even if she was thinking of fighting the man- she's Scarlet Grayson. Not Sparrow. People would grow suspicious of her alter ego if Scarlet Grayson was able to subdue a full grown man, and even if she wanted too- she's been drugged, so she;s definitely not at her prime, and with Roy and Dick restrained, it'd be her vs. him. In her current condition, she might not win.

Finally- she doesn't know what to do. She's only 9, and never been in this situation before. She's not sure if she should throw caution to the wind and fight, or pretend to be a good girl until; Bruce comes to save her. In this chapter,m though, the decision will be made, and things will happen. Thanks for the thoughtful review!

Silly60, chapter 84

I WANT THEM TO LIVE SO I AM REVIEWING! Simon better flee to the ends of the world because he has unleashed a daddy bats after himself! Can't wait for your next update!

Response; Oh- Simon escapes Daddy-Bats. But in an unexpected way.

TurtleLynn, chapter 84

I love how you say if you want them to live, but they live anyway. I'll play along tho because this is what I was going to do anyway. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! BUT THEY LIVE ANYWAY! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm not crazy.

Response; SHH! Okay, yeah, there is a sequel, for those of you who've read it- but don;t spoil it for the first-time readers!

Scarlet stood, trembling, in the dress. This was it. The insanity beneath the man's surface had finally come to light. She watched in horror as he cocked the gun- she was going to die here.

The man smiled at Scarlet. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, sweetheart."

He seized her forearm, dragging her towards the staircase.

"No! Let her go! Scarlet, fight him! Fight!" Roy yelled, feeling abject terror run through him. It was clear Scarlet was scared and not sure what to do- but he was pretty sure she'd listen to him when she told her to fight. She had to.

She scrambled then, thrashing desperately.

"Stop it!" Simon yelled, irritated, as he struggled to keep her still. He managed to get her into a bear hug, arms pinned to her side. Scarlet, in an act of pure desperation, bit into his hand, clamping her teeth down as hard as she could.

Simon screamed, grip loosening, and she bit harder, tasting warm blood but continuing to bite. Possessed for a moment by pure animalistic instinct and fear, she shook her head from side to side, like a dog with a chew toy. The flesh ripped even more, but Simon backhanded her and she lost her grip, falling onto the moldy rug.

"You stupid bitch! Teresa would never do that!" he yelled.

The fighting had taken away precious minutes, and the sirens in the distance were growing louder.

Simon put her into a headlock and dragged up up onto the staircase, and they stumbled onto the roof in time to see police cars surrounding the place.

He put the gun to her head. "Nobody moves or she dies!" he screamed. "Where's Wayne!?"

"Scarlet!" Bruce stepped out of the police car, staring at his little girl. She looked absolutely terrified, afraid of this insane man, and afraid to fight him for fear of blowing the fact that she was Sparrow.

A sick grin spread across Simon's face. "Finally, Wayne, finally..." he was breathing raggedly.

Bruce could swear he saw Scarlet staring at hm, eyes pleading for him to tell her what to do, to give permission to lash out and risk exposing her identity, or, if he wanted her to, to die. He realized with horror, she wouldn't hesitate to listen to him either way. It was terrifying to know he had so much influence over the girl that she;d die if he asked her too- but he didn't have time to ponder the moral implications of her admiration and loyalty.

She had a few seconds, at most.

"Scarlet- FIGHT!" he screamed.

That was all the permission she needed, and she moved, trying her best to duck her head as she elbowed Simon in the stomach.

The gun went off inches from her head, Simon was forced back so he was standing sideways, and he fumbled to keep his headlock on her.

She swung her arm back wildly, fist colliding with his face, and blood erupted from his nose. He staggered back towards the edge of the building, loosing his hold on her completely, and she turned, stumbling downstairs, not really concerned at the moment with if Simon fell off the roof or not.

She raced past Roy and Dick, who were yelling advice about what to do, where to run. She didn't have time, she realized, when she heard Simon stumbling downstairs after her, and she darted into the hallway.

"Teresa!" the deranged man yelled. "Your blood for Teresa's!"

She raced into a darkened hallway lined with doors and sprinted down it, diving behind one and forcing it shut.

She stared. There was a single, barred window in the door to the room, and on the walls, among the peeling paint, was what appeared to be claw marks. She could imagine it now, and it made her shake even more, thinking of the poor, insane soul, raking their nails along the walls as they raved. And she could also see the bloodstains, and smell something awful.

Simon staggered into the hallway, then. She huddled in the very back corner of the darkened room, hearing his ragged breathing.

Officers had started to try and storm the building, now, and Simon stood, looking from cell door to cell door. She huddled in the back, peering through the rusted chicken wire window, afraid...

Simon started to laugh, then. It was a hollow, empty laugh, and Simon smiled.

"You win, Scarlet." he said. Footsteps were pounding, officers were yelling in the distance.

"But they won't take me."

He lifted the gun to his head. her eyes widened behind the bars.

"No!" she sprang from the cell just as the gun went off, and Simon's body hit the floor with a sickening thud.

A single shot rang out.

"No." Bruce breathed, staggering, almost falling to the pavement, horrified. Scarlet had never used a gun before. Neither had Dick, or Roy, that shot could only mean one thing...

"Storm the place! Now! Where's the SWAT Team!?" Gordan was yelling, and officers started to swarm the place.

Bruce ran in ahead of them all, fighting fate, hoping against hope...

"Scarlet!" he could hear her crying, he felt a rush of relief. She wasn't dead, but she could be shot fatally...

He ran down the hall, where officers were already standing, staring at the scene before them, not exactly sure what to do.

Bruce pushed past them all to find Scarlet sobbing, in the now bloody dress, with a dead Simon's head in her lap.

"Scarlet..."

"Daddy..." She sobbed, running a blood-covered hand through Simon's once blonde, now bloody hair.

"I tried to stop him, Dad, I swear..." and she broke down sobbing then, all out crying.

Bruce stepped forward, then, gently laying Simon down, picking her up and holding her against him as she buried her face in his chest and cried.

"It's alright, Scarlet. It's going to be alright." he looked down sadly at the body of the man, the insane man, who'd tried to kill her. If his children had been killed, he'd probably loose his mind, as well. But this man's, his daughter's death, had just been some freak thing...

And Scarlet had paid the price. She'd watched this man off himself, he knew, and she'd been traumatized by watching him die.

"It's going to be okay, Scarlet." he stroked the nine year old's hair as she sobbed into him. If only he could be sure it'd ever be alright again.

Ta-da! Simon escapes Daddy-Bats, Scarlet fights off a maniac, and everyone is traumatized! Happy weekend everyone! :)