Disclaimer: I do not own the Batman series, just my own OC. Just writing for fun.

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Chapter 17: Brave Doll

Everyone managed to scramble out of the mansion, all but Bruce and I. I hoped Alfred got Rachel home okay.

"Amusing, but pointless. These people don't have long to live," Ra's said. "Your antics at the asylum have forced my hand."

"So Crane was working for you," Bruce realized.

I bit my lower lip. Crane also screwed me and my apartment down in the Narrows, to which I was currently homeless now, and bumming off of Bruce's enriched and beautiful home.

"His toxins were formed from an organic compound found in our blue flowers," Ra's continued as they walked through the lobby area of the Wayne Mansion, as everyone was escorted out. "He was able to weaponize it.

"He's not a member of the League of Shadows," Bruce added also in realization.

"Of course not. He thought our plan was to hold our city to ransom," Ra's replied.

I frowned as my captor and I followed behind them, listening to their conversation and suddenly having a bad feeling of this.

"You really are going to release Crane's poison in an entire city," Bruce said.

"Then watch Gotham tare itself apart through fear," Ra's finished, and faced him.

I widened my eyes terrified. I didn't want that for the city. I didn't want to be stuck in my own fears, being stuck in a cage for all eternity, never getting out, never falling in love with the right man at my side. I had many fears, but those were the first two that came to mind. I always thought I was destined to be alone in this world. But when I saw how Bruce cared for Rachel, I got jealous, and wish that had been me instead of her. I wondered if Bruce would ever get over Rachel Dawes. She was a smart and passionate woman about saving this city, something I could never be. I came with emotional and abandonment baggage. Soon, I was going to have to find out who I really was. Melanie Blake. It had a good ring to it. I could be brave and be an actress for sure, but who was I really? I was going to have to have a talk with Alfred soon, to see what he found out about my biological family and see if I had any half brothers or sisters or anything of the sort. I hated not knowing who I was when I was almost thirty myself. I should know who I am by now right?

"You're going to destroy millions of lives," Bruce whispered in disgust.

"Only a cynical man would call what these people have lives, Wayne," Ra's said as they continued walking towards the front door.

"Crime, despair, this is not how man was supposed to live," Ra's turned to face him, stopping Bruce and I short in our trek.

"The League of Shadows has been a check against corruption for thousands of years. We sacked Rome. Loaded trade ships with plague rats. Burned London to the ground. Every time a civilization reaches a pinnacle of its decadence, we return to restore the balance."

"Gotham isn't beyond saving," Bruce said.

I stepped up closer towards them. "He's right, Ra's. We can help save it."

Ra's scoffed at me. "You brave doll. Trying to be the heart of Gotham will get you nowhere in life, dear. That's where compassion runs deep in your veins and squeezes the life out of you. You may have it now. It won't be there later when you realize what you were chasing after no longer hits you as it's done before."

"Leave her out of this," Bruce said, glancing a warning look at me. I gave him a look, letting him know I was on his side. "Give me more time. There are good people here."

"You are defending a city so corrupt we infiltrated every level of its infrastructure. When I found you in that jail, you were lost. But I believe in you. I took away your fear and I showed you a path. You were my greatest student. It should be you standing by my side, saving the world."

"I'll be standing right where I belong," Bruce promised. "Between you and the people of Gotham."

I smiled at that.

"No one can save Gotham," Ra's declared. He glanced over his shoulder at his henchmen members of the league and they started to trash the place, by dropping his grandfather's clock to the ground, shattering to pieces, making me jump at the noise.

"When the forest fires grow wild, emerging fire is inevitable," Ra's continued. I jumped as a spark of flames appeared by my side. I stepped closer to Bruce as they started to do the same thing they did to my apartment and toss gasoline all over the place. No! They were going to burn the place down! The beautiful mansion!

"Tomorrow, the world will watch in horror as its greatest city destroys itself. The movement back to harmony will be ubstoppable this time."

"You've attacked Gotham before?" Bruce asked.

"Of course," Ra's replied, as the room suddenly grew hotter with the flames burning around us. "Over the ages our weapons have grown almost sophisticated. With Gotham we tried a new one. Economics. But we underestimated certain troublesome citizens," he said.

I glanced all around me and felt suddenly suffocated.

"Such as your parents," Ra's revealed. I widened my eyes and turned my head towards Bruce. Oh no. "Her long lost brother," he motioned a quick nod as if I should know that I had a brother in the first place. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You kept us separate or you murdered him?" I asked.

"Together you would've made a difference," he said. "He's still alive, somewhere out there, dear one."

I gulped.

"What's done's done by the very people who were trying to help," Ra's circled around us. "Create enough hunger and everyone becomes a criminal. Their death scandalized a city beyond saving itself and Gotham has limped on ever since. We are back to finish the job. This time no misguided idealists will get in the way. Like your father you lack the courage to do all that is necessary. If someone stands in the way of true justice you simply walk up behind them and stabbed them in the heart," suddenly I felt a sharp pain etch into my body that caused me to cry out in pain.

"No, no, no, no, Melanie!" Bruce cried as he dropped to his knees, trying to catch my fall. "No. You son of a bitch," he sneered at Ra's.

Ra's smirked. "A mere flesh wound. She'll die a slow and painful death, as will you."

The pain twisted and turned inside of me like hot molten lava being burned on my skin.

Suddenly someone dropped from the ceiling.

"Bruce! Behind you!"

The fight engaged, while I was slowly dying, lying on the ground in a pool of my own blood that seeped out of my wound, very close to the heart. I could hardly see, breathe, or think much any more as I glared at Ra's to a soft close of my eyes…. Watching the world around me go up in flames.

~*BB*~