I do not own Batman/Bruce Wayne, Dr. Leslie Thompkins, or Martian Manhunter/J'ohn J'ones. DC does. Please enjoy this chapter for free.

Tree line Behind Ainsley Manor Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths

Soon after he fed it, the old dog ambled away not toward the house or back up the hill but continuing along the tree line. Samson didn't bother to watch him after that. He put all his focus and energy into waiting for Alice to come looking for the mutt, who shouldn't be making it back up to the house anytime soon.

Ainsley Manor Parlor Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths

A silence fell between the Martian and the psychologist. John's head rose and turned. Leslie's eyes widened as she heard his voice in her head. Thomas is approaching in the hall listening for our voices. He's worried about you being alone with me.

Leslie adapted quickly to their new form of communication. He's supposed to be watching Alice and keeping her safe. Samson has kept trying to reach her.

I know.

John reached out his mind to find and check on the young woman. His brow-ridges rose. He stood up and looked to the Doctor. Her eyebrows rose also. John?

Tree line Behind Ainsley Manor Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths

Alice walked along the tree line after filling most of the dogs' dishes with food and water and locking them in their kennels so they didn't get into each "others" dishes. Now she just had to find Juniper and take him inside the manor.

Alice smiled to herself proud she was entrusted to do this on her own by Thomas. She loved all the dogs at Ainsley Manor. She wasn't sure she'd ever been so happy as she as tending all the sweet German Shepherds and Dobermans. They licked her hands, looked up at her with adoring eyes, and when she scratched their favorite spots, their eyes glazed over and their tails and sometimes even their legs thumped away. It was hard to believe they were supposed to scare away trespassers. Despite this all this though, she still liked Juniper best.

Juniper was older and so much calmer. So, he was easier to snuggle. Maybe, because he needed more care in his old age, he tugged at her heartstrings more than the others. Whatever it was, she admitted to herself she was glad he was allowed to live in the house. He always came, tail wagging, when she called for him. He would be so glad to go back inside and get food, water, and scratches before a nap.

"Juniper! Juniper!" Alice heard bushes rustling and turned looking down at where Juniper's head should appear with a smile. When she saw a man's stained shirt instead, she blinked and looked up. "Sam?" A bit of hope lit her eyes, but the big smile she'd had thinking it was the humongous dog fell away.

Samson's practiced smile fell away. "You're less happy to see me than you would be that mutt?"

"He … Sorry Sam. But ... he's … What are you doing here?"

Samson walked up to her and kissed her head. "I can't come see my best girl?"

"You … you let those men …"

"Honey, I promise, they told me they'd just keep you for a little while. I needed the money real bad. Me and the other girls would have been homeless if I hadn't taken that deal. Then you would have been too. And I didn't think you'd be gone for good."

"Oh."

"Are you ready to come back?"

"Well … I just … I've been helping here."

"You think they need you more than me?"

"How … How have you been doing?"

"Awful, I owe money to people who will hurt me if I don't pay them. I need your help, Sweetie."

"I … don't have much money."

"These people haven't been paying you?"

"I … eat for free, and … live here. They're helping me study to get me high school diploma. Asking for more seemed wrong … You told me not to be greedy."

"With 'me!' But these other people 'have' money! And I've been watching you. You do a lot for them."

"I … they do a lot for me. You used to say it was trouble to take care of me and the others …"

"But you're my 'best' girl. The one I can count on."

Her lips puckered in a pout and furrows formed between her eyes. Samson saw this and sighed. "Look … if … you really like it here that much. You can just ask them for some money and give it to me, and I'll get by."

"You … don't want me back?"

"I want you happy, but I 'need' that money."

"What if … they won't give me money?"

"Well, this place has a lot of valuable old stuff lying around."

"I'm not sure they'll give me valuables either."

"Will they miss the oldest, most out of the way ones, the way I'll miss money I don't have when the brutes come to collect?"

"You want me to steal it?"

"If you have to. They won't mind if they don't miss it."

"I don't steal!"

Samson scowled, raised his open hand, and slapped her across the face. "Enough! I'm so sick of your disloyal, spoiled, ungrateful attitude!"

Alice fell. She had learned to brace herself, but the change happened so fast, the blow was so hard, and she was out of practice. She turned as she fell and landed on her hands and knees. Then she froze. Tears gathered in her eyes. Her cheek smarted, but she didn't sob. Her chest was too tight and mind and heart too frozen in fear as well as indecision to sob.

A loud growl sounded. A white, tan, hairy form almost as large as Samson landed beside Alice and almost at Samson's feet. He backed up as the big drooling dog rose onto its hind feet like it was going to plant its front on his chest. The nails still scratched him through his shirt as he retreated. Samson's face grew red as he tried to shout over the barking dog. "Get out of here mutt!"

Alice got up on her hands. "Juniper?" One part of her, the part Samson had used to control her for so long, told her to tell him to back away. Samson wasn't bad. She was bad. Another part of her that had been growing bigger while living with first Leslie and then Evelyn and Thomas said something different.

He hit me … I … started forgetting what it was like. Thomas never hit me even looking scary, even when made mistakes caring for the dogs … Alfred didn't hit me while teaching me to take care of the house. Dr. Thomkins, Evelyn, and especially Madge get frustrated with me all the time. They never hit me … Why? If it's me? They don't hit Madge either. Samson hit both of us. He hits all the girls who live in his building. But he saved me once. He's always under stress paying the men who take his money and taking care of all of us … But …

She didn't break out of this cycle of thoughts until, Samson, having backed up into the bushes due to the large growling, barking form's advancement on him, picked up a large stick and struck the dog on the head. Alice shot up to her knees. Her eyes widened. "Don't hurt him!"

Samson struck the dog on the other side of the head as it paused to shake it. "You care about this mutt more than me!"

"Stop!"

Then the animal timed a spring right. He bit the man's arm. Samson screamed.

Alice shut her mouth and rose to her feet. She stared. Parts of her heart warred within her. Then, Juniper let go and backed up between her and Samson. Red-faced, the man reached behind his back and pulled out a gun out of his belt. He aimed it at the dog.

Alice screamed. Samson fired. Two shots sounded close behind each other. One came from in front of Alice, and the other from behind.

Samson also heard both. He looked up behind Alice to see a tall slim form holding a shotgun aimed at him. His own eyes widened. He turned and ran back into the trees. Juniper dashed after him.

As Thomas ran up to her, Alice turned and yelled. "He shot Juniper! Juniper's been shot!"

Thomas pointed to the house. Alice ran toward it. She paused part way, though, and sent a glance back behind her. As Thomas disappeared into the trees, guilt stabbed her.

She could have, should have, done something to save both Samson and Juniper from this. Tears fell down her cheeks. Then she turned and ran fully into the house. It was too late! She'd have to tell Evelyn and Dr. Thomkins about this, and they'd be so furious … Alice began to sob already expecting more blows to be rained down on her soon.

Woods Behind Ainsley Manor Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths

Thomas followed the man through the woods. His path wasn't hard to trace since he was wide, apparently clumsy, almost completely without woodcraft. Thomas saw a place in a fence showing the divide between Missus Ainsley's lands and public ones, where wires had been cut to make a gap. He sighed. Samson had gone back through. Best to go back himself and let Missus Ainsley know to call the police if Alice hadn't made the necessity clear by now.

He raised the whistle to his lips before remembering Juniper would not respond to it. He dropped it to hang back over his chest and sighed. They'd have to hope the dog would come back. He should if he didn't die of his injuries first …

Thomas raised his head and furrowed his brow in thought. Odd … he hadn't seen any blood.

In the Woods on the Public Lands Bordering the Ainsley Lands Behind the Manor Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths

Samson stopped hearing the crashing and barking behind him. Maybe the bullet or what he gave the mutt earlier had finally taken effect. He cursed the dog in his mind in about every way he knew how. The mutt had ruined everything. It'd take even longer to …

What happened next was out of a horror movie for Samson. A tall, green, monstrous form seemed to rise out of the bushes or ground in front of him. His eyes beheld a bare, muscled body, green skin, and red glowing eyes that stared into him. The Thing's mouth opened wide and words echoed through the woods around him as well as his own head. "Do not come back! No longer hunt women or hurt women! Or you will pay! To me!"

Then it disappeared, vanished. Samson nearly fainted. He nearly had a heart attack. He was short of breath and having chest pains when he reached his car, but he still managed to drive away ... sweating.

He had no idea that behind him, he'd left a panting and pained Martian sitting against a tree. John raised a hand over a place in his chest, concentrated, and clenched his jaw. His flesh peeled back forming a small pit-like shape. Then a bullet flew out of it into his hand. He collapsed back against the tree again and sighed.

To become a dog (even a large one), take a bullet, chase a man, even a fairly slow one, change forms, and even briefly become invisible had been a lot to ask of his body. He didn't think he could ask any more for at least several hours. The light in his eyes faded and breathing slowed. His form became very still.

What do you think now?

Whumptober is over, but this is still very Whumpish.

Also, if you find yourself thinking like Alice, reach out to others who haven't hurt you for help, and/or find a safe way to reach out to professionals/charities/organizations that might give you some of the same help our heroes are giving Alice. It's not okay for people to treat other people the way Samson treats Alice or the other women who stay at his apartment building.

God bless

ScribeofHeroes