___

When I eventually got to sleep for an hour after my intern duties, it was anything but restful. A nightmare plagued by floating red orbs, Scarecrows, and Candymen took over my dreams. Atop a hilled street, where I couldn’t run, my mind refused to wake me. I prepared myself to fight, and in my nightmare I shifted, determined to survive. Instead of shifting, I just created a copy of myself. I wasn’t the monster anymore, I was looking at her instead. A shadowed figure, with glowing white eyes stared back at me.

The shadowed silhouette of my suit was now encased in smoke, with the black tendrils of my trench coat becoming one with the shadowy creature I was. My clones suddenly turned from the copies of my enemies, into citizens. People you’d walk by on the street. Not a lab coat or a clown mask to be seen among them. I tried to cry out for my clone to stop. To not hurt them, but it didn’t heed me. Instead, I watched helplessly as it began to slaughter them all. With Lucius’ words repeating in a distorted, evil voice:

“If you fail, you fail to protect them too.”

Lucius’ evil cackle in my nightmare jolted me awake. Bullets of sweat trickled down my face as I quickly used my hands to rub my eyes.

Well, that’s one way to interpret my situation, I thought to myself.

My eyes glazed across the alarm clock I had perched beside my bed. I almost looked past it, but the time caught my eye, making me do a violent double-take.

“Crap!” I cried out.

It was ten o’clock, ten minutes past Lucius’ normal calling time. I looked over to the circular device, and sure enough, it was blinking red and awaiting my response.

Rushing to get my new suit on, I slipped into the light, protective material before putting on the new bracers and boots. Once everything, including the protective plates and chest piece, were in place, I carefully put on my mask while ensuring it rested comfortably on my face.

Just before I was about to leave through the window, a gentle knock stopped me in my tracks. Frozen, I stood in place, unsure of what to do. A familiar soft voice whispered to me through the chipped wooden door.

“It’s me, can I come in?”

I gave Sydney the okay, recognizing her voice. She quietly tiptoed into the room, silently shutting the door behind her. When she saw me, she let out a silent gasp.

“Sarah! You didn’t tell me you got a new suit!”

She whispered in excitement as she came closer to me. Her warm presence was inviting, and I knew it was one I wanted to stay in. However, I needed to go.

“Y-Yeah sorry, I got it last night but… Look I got to go-”

“I know, and I’m sorry kiddo! I don’t mean to keep you. Despite all my concern, I’m happy to see you out of your room since last time…”

She spoke softly but with a somber tone. I could see that she was replaying the time I collapsed in her arms, covered in blood. I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to respond.

Sydney was silent for a moment, as we both sat in its awkward stillness. I watched as Sydney slowly walked over to my bed, before taking a seat on the edge.

“Kiddo… I’m scared for you. You narrowly escaped a madman, and now you're going back out there?”

“I ended up killing him…”

I spoke coldly, looking down at my shoes.

“I don’t give a damn about that, and you know that-”

She sounded dire. As if to plead with me.

“-I’m worried about your safety. I know this was what you signed up for… But after that run in a few weeks ago? I can’t stop picturing you… dead… Look, I know I can’t convince you to stop. But. Can you at least take something for me?”

Sydney looked down, choking back her worry. She slowly pulled out a small object, one that I recognized immediately when the moonlight caught it.

“A taser?”

I walked towards Sydney, gently taking the object out of her hand.

“Y-You can put it in your boot if you want. It’s small enough to fit in there! I know you have your fancy gadgets, but… Maybe something simple will help too. I just… It’s selfish of me. But I can't go through another funeral, especially one that I could have tried to prevent.”

She stopped in her tracks, before looking up at me again. Tears were forming in her eyes. My distant attitude towards her recently made me feel guilty. I was going through my own demons, but never thought about Sydney’s. All those silent moments of somber pondering. The way she clung to me, and Bill, it made sense.

She had lost someone.

I went over to her, sitting next to her on the bed. I shifted my weight to face her. Tears started welling up in my own eyes, seeing Sydney cry.

“I-I’m sorry I’ve been so distant, Sydney… I just…”

I started to let it out, letting myself break like I had before.

“Something's happened, Sydney… I might have caused something… Crane’s alive. Something brought him back… Candyman too. And… I don’t know how I’m going to beat this. They killed people last night… I saw the bodies. It was awful… And I have to go out and figure it out before they hurt more people...”

Sydney looked at me, concerned. She pulled me into a small hug, comforting me as I tried to breathe.

“You’re stronger than you know, Sarah… Scarecrow, Candyman, they aren’t going to get you. No one's going to get you.”

Sydney spoke softly, tightening her grip on me.

“It wants me dead, Sydney… Whatever brought them back... it’s after me.”

“Look at me, Sarah-”

Sydney lightly shifted my head, looking me in the eye, interrupting my current worries.

“You’re not alone. Whatever this is, you can beat this. You can fight it. You have to. Because you deserve to live.”

I sighed, wiping the tears from my mask. She released her hand from my face, lowering them to her lap.

“I can’t do it just for me. It’s not about me anymore… It’s about the people who are going to suffer-”

“To hell with that!”

She spoke rashly but sighed when she realized how she sounded.

“I know that… It’s just… hard. Seeing you slave away, not living your life. You’ve come to be a light in both of our lives. Bill and I... You’ve given us hope, and… I haven’t seen Bill smile this much since… Well, since our daughter.”

“Wait, you and Bill have a daughter?”

I perked up, looking at Sydney with complete shock. She nodded, before somberly speaking her next words.

“Had… We had a daughter… Once.”

I inhaled sharply, looking down at my boots. She looked away too, wiping tears that trailed down her soft, sad face.

“I-I’m so sorry Sydney…”

“Thank you, Sarah. That means a lot… It’s why we owe Lucius so much. He stepped in and supported us both during that dark time. He even got our bills paid for a year while we grieved. Bill and I would have told you sooner… But it’s so hard to think about her. She used to have the brightest smile…”

Sydney broke out in quiet sobs, covering her mouth as she closed her eyes. The first thing I could think to do was pull her into a hug. At that moment, we both consoled each other. I holding her, and she holding me. Each of us calmed the other, acknowledging the other’s pain. I let my silent tears fall, and Sydney released a pain that had been held up for many years.

Together we healed, in the embrace of the other.

Is this what it was like to have a mother? I couldn't help but think.

The foreign feeling of support, and pure maternal instinct. It took me so long to realize it. That Sydney was like the mother I never had. She was kind, soft, and nurturing. I was like the daughter she never got the chance to see grow. That’s why we meant so much to each other. Each of us had our tragedies, but because of them, we were able to fill the void in both of us. Like a puzzle, whose pieces somehow fit together in different ways.

When we let go of each other, we had become tranquil. Though the pain remained in both of us, it was at least now shared. The burden was no longer on us alone. She put a hand on my shoulder, sighing in relief.

“You remind me so much of her, you know? She was a fierce kid… And she was so spirited. She could make a mountain out of an anthill if she had her mind set on it…"

She paused, before wiping her tears and smiling.

" I shouldn’t keep you too long. Lucius... Hell, Gotham needs you!”

Sydney motioned towards my blinking device in the corner of the room. I nodded, slowly getting up. I walked up to the slanted window, grabbing onto its sides to pull myself up to the ledge. With my feet on the window’s seal, I turned to Sydney. I wished I could stay longer, and be in the safe embrace of bonding.

I couldn’t. I had to come to the city’s aid.

“You can do this, Sarah.”

“Thank you, Sydney…”

Before I hopped out, I stopped myself. A burning question lingered in my mind. About my chosen name, the one Sydney picked out for me. My gut knew what the answer would be, but I still let the question fall from my lips.

“Sydney… What was your daughter’s name?”

I asked softly.

She smiled, standing up and walking to the door.

“Emily Delgato… She was the brightest six-year-old I knew. I gave you the same name to honor her. That, and to make Bill happy. You should have heard him when I told him your fake name. He said it was ‘fate’, and ‘destiny.’”

I gave a slight chuckle.

“I agree with him, in a way.” I said to her.

With a last nod, I hopped out of the window, into the cold winds that had surprised the city. Aiming my bracers at the building across from me, I activated my grapples and squeezed my fist closed. With the cable shooting out, I breezed through the night.

As I swung through the buildings, I touched the comms unit I had placed in my ears moments before.

“Lucius, I’m on my way. I’m so sorry, I-”

“Ah, Ms. O’Harren. Glad to hear you can make it out tonight. A change of plans tonight. Instead of heading straight to Wayne Tower, you’ll be headed elsewhere. There’s been an urgent matter. Oracle just notified me five minutes ago, asking for you. Robin seems to be headed to a hostage situation down at the warehouse in the Bleake marina. Eleven S.W.A.T team members were taken after they attempted to bring in two fugitives. It appears it was a bigger operation than they thought. Police squads haven’t arrived yet. But when they do it could wager unfortunate endings for the hostages. Robin could require your assistance down there.”

“I’m on my way now, Lucius.”

“I’ll patch your communications over to Oracle. Good luck.”

___

On the way to Bleake Island, Oracle clued me in to let me know what had happened. A S.W.A.T team was sent to bag two fugitives that were spotted in the south docks - the location of an abandoned warehouse. Their estimates of how many men were camped there ended up being way off, leading to their capture. Oracle described that Robin saw the place as a standoff, with men outside keeping officers at bay. Negotiations were taking place, but from the looks of it, Robin said they wouldn’t budge. Oracle said Robin would tell me the plan once I arrived, and to meet him on the rooftop of a building a few clicks west of the docks.

At least I knew he had a plan, but I could feel my doubt seeping in. The nightmare I awoke from just an hour before reinstated the pressure I felt during my conversation with Lucius. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me as I thought about it. From the sounds of it, the warehouse was crawling with armed men who would most likely kill me in the blink of an eye. The natural survival instinct in me kept me alive this long, but it’s been my fatal flaw. I needed to learn how to keep my fear and panic in check because I couldn’t fail myself again. Otherwise, I would fail. I tried to reassure myself I would be better, but instead, crushing doubt was lurking in my heart.

When I saw a figure pacing on a rooftop near the marina, I aimed my grapple there. The cable shot out once my fists closed, pulling the trigger mechanism on my middle finger. The hook at the end of the cable caught on the edge of the building I aimed at, pulling me suddenly in that direction. This evening, the breeze was especially strong. As I catapulted through the air, I couldn’t help but see the clouds out above me. They were dark and grey, encasing the world in a veil of darkness. Much like a normal night in Gotham. Tonight, however, they were brewing something violent. I could see and hear small flashes of lighting above, indicating a storm was due at any moment. Almost ironic, considering the actual circumstances I found myself in at this moment in time.

Once the cable had reached the hook, it retracted back into my bracers, giving me a slight launch upward. Before I could go toppling below, I used my foot to push off of the roof’s edge, leaping upward onto the building. I looked up to see Robin standing with one hand to his ear, looking out at the warehouse just two blocks away. I could hear him arguing with someone in his comms unit.

“Babs, how the hell can we trust her? I get Lucius does… Look, I’m just saying this can only end badly if we continue to let her fight out here... If he were here, he would have never let- No, I appreciate the help… But what if she loses control again? It was a bloodbath last time… You weren’t there! You didn’t see the things she did to-”

Robin suddenly turned around when he heard me make a slight movement with his foot.

“I gotta go. I’ll keep you up to date…”

Once he spoke, he lowered his hand away from his comms unit. I couldn’t help but look to the ground when he approached. Was he talking about me? I couldn’t help but let the thoughts continue, filling me with doubt.

He didn’t trust me, I thought. The realization stung like a blade. Part of me wanted to prove myself, but the other part of me wanted to run away. Conflict arose in me before he spoke, distracting me from my thoughts.

“Good, you’re here finally. I’m going to cut to the chase because we don’t have a lot of time. Oracle called you here because she believes two of us working together will pose less of a risk to this situation. I’m inclined to agree… Do you see the building there by the docks?”

Robin’s voice sounded serious. His green eyes focused on the task at hand, and nothing else would deter him from it. I walked over to where he stood without delay, peering over the buildings to get a better look at the warehouse. It was old, worn, and rustic, from a previous time. The marina next to it was swamped with boats of all kinds, tied and anchored in place. I could make out small specs of what looked like people walking outside, most likely guarding the place from would-be rescue teams such as Robin and me. Once I got a good look at the location, I nodded at Robin, waiting for his orders.

“Alright. So from what I gathered, this is a gang that continued operation after Black Mask’s death. Originally they got a tip on two freshly escaped fugitives, but we know how that turned out. Right now they’ve got men outside and inside. I need your help clearing out and distracting the men on the outside, so I can sneak my way inward. Do you understand?”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I nodded once again. Looking out at the building, ready to help get those S.W.A.T members out alive. That’s when he spoke up.

“We’re all counting on you… We can’t afford to have you go ballistic again. You sure you got things under control?”

I could tell his voice hinted at concern, mixed with uncertainty. Not just that my head wouldn’t be in the right place for this mission, but also worried about the lives he thought were at stake due to my presence.

“What happened with Scarecrow… It won’t happen again.”

I straightened my shoulders, determined in my answer.

He gave a respectful nod, before looking away from me once again.

“Alright then. Here’s the plan. You see the two buildings down there to the front right of the building? Work your way down there and use as much cover as you can. Take out the men on the right and work your way in through the back-right exit. Then join me inside. From what I gathered from my scans, hostages are scattered between the first and second levels. So I’m thinking I’ll take the second level while you handle the floor once we’re inside. Got it?”

“Got it, Robin. I’ll see you on the other side.”

I nodded abruptly once again and watched as Robin did the same before hopping to the next building, going to the left side of the warehouse to follow the plan. I activated my wrist bracers again after watching him leave, grappling to the two buildings closest to the warehouse down below. As I soared down, I felt simple drops of rain start to fall from above on my face and hair. Like gentle, cold whispers from the sky. At first, it felt comforting and reassuring, like they were encouraging me. Once I jumped down to land on the asphalt with my knee, a violent crash of thunder erupted in the sky, and the rain’s gentle drops slowly became a heavy pour. My hair soon was weighed down by the wet rain as I felt the bitter chills of the wind and water around my neck and face. Part of me wanted to savor the feeling of the growing storm, but I couldn’t. Not when time was of the essence.

I grappled to the last building, next to the sea and directly across from the rickety, faulty building. Landing on the roof in a crouched position and quickly running to the edge, I peered over to get a closer look at the men below. From what I could count, ten men were waiting below, some brandishing very large firearms while dressed in sharp, expensive suits. Topping off their odd, mobster-like dress code were half masks covering their faces, resembling the jaw of a black skull. Once I surveyed my surroundings, I took a deep breath. I started to feel the doubt sneak its way into my mind again once I saw the guns.

What if I can’t do this without taking a life? What if I mess up again?

No, I told myself. You can’t mess up anymore.

If I let it get out of control, I’ve lost all hope. The people will have lost hope. I have to contain it, for everyone around me. I thought back to the story I was told hours earlier. The story of Batman, one man who bore the weight of it all. And despite everything this city put him through, he kept his head up and showed the people he was better than his anger. I let my breath out, closing my eyes, taking to heart the legend I was told.

Once I opened my eyes, I looked down at the warehouse across from me. There were three men closest to the building I stood on, fatefully aligned with each other.

Three birds, one takedown, I thought.

I quickly activated my grapples again, aiming towards the ground by the last man’s feet. The end hooked right onto a bar in the wall behind him, causing him to look down in confusion, yelling out. Before he and the others could truly react, I came barreling down with excessive speed. I felt the violent winds scream through my ears as I propelled downward, with the rain now striking my skin like cold daggers. My leg came swinging out, kicking the first man with enough force to send him flying into the other two he stood beside. All three went flying into the wall of the warehouse, each toppling like dominoes. I knew I didn’t have time to stand there, as I could already hear the remaining men in tuxedos yelling out. Sure enough, my grand entrance caught the attention of the outside gunmen, and they swiftly lifted their firearms to fire. Without a second thought, I reappeared behind one of the men, elbowing him harshly in the neck. The blow sent him to the ground, making me move on. My attention turned to the man who stood beside him, whose gun raised to me. I could hear him cry out, unsure of what he was seeing.

“Wait, what the fuck!”

After his exclamation, his finger pulled the trigger to his massive assault rifle, sending shots firing toward me. My immediate thought was to disappear and reappear away from the fire, but something was wrong. I couldn’t disappear. Instead, I just faded in and out of black smoke. Switching between my abilities, and my vulnerable skin.

Shit, I thought.

The blasts sent me flying back, as I cried out. I expected to feel shooting, excruciating pain, but stead, I felt nothing. I fell to the ground with a hard impact, feeling nothing but the abrupt jolt of my fall that pulsed through my body. I looked down at my torso, to see the man had luckily shot at my chest plate, which to my relief acted as a bulletproof vest. The grateful thoughts in my head were cut short, however, when I heard the heavy footsteps of a few gunmen come in my direction.

I tried to disappear and reappear away to the side, but once again, I was having trouble focusing again.

Why isn’t it working, I asked myself. What’s going on with me?

Just as my inner crisis was unfolding, the man who shot me peered down at me with three others. They all gasped when they saw me alive.

Just as the gunman lifted his rifle to aim it at my face, I used my legs to roughly project myself up, flipping upward and using my hands to swiftly grab the gun he held and force it up away from me. With him still holding on firmly to the gun, I used every ounce of force I had, pushing the gun towards him to hit him in the center of the face with his weapon.

The tuxedoed man’s mask cracked, as he fell to the ground, his nose beginning to drip blood. I dropped his weapon on the ground before giving him one last kick to the chest to ensure he stayed down. My head jerked towards the second and third man who accompanied him to see if I was dead. As far as I could tell, they were surprised I was still alive, too. The two each had matching tuxes, matching brown hair, and even a matching pair of butterfly knives.

Great. A pair of twins, I thought.

They took their time twirling their blades with precision and skill, before lunging at me. I quickly stepped out of their path, almost losing my balance in the process. I could hear the others behind us towards the back cheering on the twins, telling them to gut me. I tried to phase, changing my solidity. This time I was able to focus enough to do so, watching as the two twins plunged a knife each into my torso. To their confusion, their butterfly knives went into clouds of black shadow instead of my innards. While they were stumped, I disappeared and reappeared right behind the twins.

I extended my forearms out on each side of them, my fists clenched tightly. Only to suddenly swing both my arms together to bash each of the twins in the head with the bracers on my wrist colliding with their respective sides. Their heads smashed against each other, and while they cried out, I quickly brought my knee up, only for it to strike the twin on the right in the back. He arched his spine in pain, letting out a painful yowl before falling to his knees. As he did so, I only added salt to the wound by using his back as a stepping stool, jumping up onto him to gain some leverage. I elbowed his brother in the jaw with my left arm once I leaped off of the twin. Hearing a gruesome crack as my elbow collided, his mask broke from his face as his jaw slanted from his skull. His eyes glared beams of hatred in my dorection, holding his broken jaw gently. Without delay, I spun around to launch a kick into his chest using everything in me. My assault sent him falling backward onto the asphalt. With the twins taken care, I turned to face the four others whose cheers turned to angry taunts.

“Alright men, let’s get this one in the trash!”

One shouted out before three more men came running at me, with one staying behind with his gun.

I could feel my heart rate pick itself up, with my pulse beating throughout my body. My adrenaline was now in full swing, taking over my senses. I could feel myself running towards the men again.

I was ready to fight. Ready to unleash my abilities. When I came to that realization, my heart sank, and my gut told me otherwise. Warning me I couldn’t lose control. I grappled with my inner denial while focused on my targets ahead.

A smaller man was going to be the first to get to me, with the others close behind. No weapons on the three of them, just fists. My instinct was to appear behind him, to surprise him, but when I tried, I couldn’t, to my surprise.

Damn it, why are my abilities not working? I asked myself.

Due to my inability to disappear, the small man arrived in front of me, delivering a powerful blow to my cheek, causing me to cry out and stumble back. I shook my head to recover, just in time to see a larger man with greased hair jump up, ready to pummel me down with his fist. I quickly jumped and rolled out of his way, narrowly evading the enormous fist that would have struck me. With the adrenaline, my eyes darted frantically back at the men, getting back up off the ground after my dodge.

Are my abilities not working? How will I beat them now?

I got my answer when the gunman who stayed behind loaded up his large gun and began firing. Not thinking, I phased to avoid the bullets, before quickly charging at him. I could hear the other three start coming after me too, but I needed to get the gunman to take him out first.

Just please don’t give out on me now, I thought. Just a little longer.

I was almost to him, while he frantically shot into me, each bullet going right through me like smoke. I focused so intently on staying in this form, my head starting to strain from doing so.

Please just hold on. Please-

I was finally able to reach him in time, phasing back and swinging a sharp kick to the side of the head. This caused him to stumble for a brief moment. Before I could deliver a swift elbow to him, large muscular arms grabbed me from behind, putting me in a chokehold. I cried out as the big man from before began to put pressure around my neck, making my airways constrict. Breath slowly left my body, as I quickly reached up to dig my nails into his arm desperately. I tried to focus, just enough to phase, but that wasn’t working now. Panic settled in as thoughts of worry filled me.

Why am I not able to do this?

I was like a faulty machine, only operating at uncertain times. The pressure to figure out a way out of this was making my heart constrict with worry.

Come on think, Sarah. THINK.

Just then, I watched as one of the other three men walked in front of me, slipping on brass knuckles. I could hear him chuckling under his mask, readying himself to throw a punch. That’s when I quickly thought of something. Still struggling for breath, I managed to push off from the ground, leaning into the larger man for support. I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to make him fall over, so as he still held me in a chokehold I was able to swing my legs in the air, quickly using them to rope the man with the brass knuckles into a choke-hold of my own using my legs. With my hands holding onto the large man’s arm for support, my body extended out as I used every ounce of strength I could to choke the man in front of me in a leg-lock. It seemed to work, as his arms began banging in my calves to try and release himself. I could feel my body begin screaming for air, as I was still trapped in a hold. In this chain we all found ourselves in, each of us grunted and struggled. That’s when I got another idea.

I released the man in front of me from the leg-lovk, only to use my legs to push up again, swinging my legs higher, letting my right leg swing up to collide with the man's head in front of me, sending him harshly on the ground. Before my feet touched the ground again, I forced myself to swing my right leg backward into the man who held me. My foot collided with his knee, causing him to finally release me when he buckled. Both of us went crashing to the asphalt. I took long, sharp inhales when I fell, coughing and gagging while trying to get oxygen back into my lungs. I was able to get to my knees, only to see the man I had in a choke hold begin pointing a gun he found at me.

As he began firing, I quickly dove out of the way, pushing myself off of the ground and bolting in the direction I was facing. Somehow, everyone had gotten turned around, and my opponents and I were facing the docks. I ran towards them, thinking on my feet. Rain now barreled down like heavenly missiles above, showing no mercy or signs of relenting. Lightning still flickered in the clouds above, with thunder crashing like cannons of war. My heart did the same, both echoing in my body externally and internally.

I staggered between my right and left legs to avoid fire, remembering the lessons Nightwing taught me about gunmen. If you have to have your back turned, make sure you never run in a straight line. Make your moves unpredictable. I did just that.

To help, I did everything I could to focus on disappearing. If I could just get under the docks, that would get me covered. Then I could find a way to surprise the four. My attempts were shotty, resulting in me only changing to and from a shadowed form in slight paces. I leaped onto the last dock, my heavy boots stomping on the old, creaking wood.

Come on, come on, Sarah!

I panted as I sprinted, gunfire ringing loudly behind me in the stormy evening sky. I was only a few feet from the edge of the dock, with waves beginning to come in and sway the old structure slightly.

Come on!

That’s when I was able to phase in the nick of time, right on the edge of the dock. Afterward, I dove off the dock quickly, evading that last bit of gunfire. The cold water first enveloped my fingertips, before my entire being was engulfed. Once I was underwater, I opened my eyes, my hair now floating weightlessly around me. I tried everything I could to fight against the wild waves, doing my best to stay under the water’s surface. It was dark, with my only illumination being the lightning strikes from above. I quickly turned around under the water, letting myself sink to touch the shallow rocks. Three slow strikes of lightning revealed the dock, with a slight space above it to allow for breath. I quickly kicked my feet behind me, not exactly remembering how to swim. I was able to propel myself forward, making it under the docks and coming above the water as much as the space above me would allow. I listened to the sounds of the men running along the dock, hearing their voices yelling out, asking each other who would go after me. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, breathing in and out slowly as my head barely peaked above the water.

I’m not running away, I assured myself. I just need to think. Think about how I would make this work. My abilities weren’t cooperating earlier, making me now extremely susceptible to bullets. Even with the armor Lucius made, if I was shot in my vulnerable areas where my suit was the weakest, it could mean death.

I wasn’t ready to accept that outcome, but, I wasn’t going to hurt anyone. It was so hard to control the urges of power in these life-or-death situations. It would be so easy to slice through them, but they were human too. They have people who would miss them, and mourn them. I’ve taken lives away from so many people, away from their families. I couldn’t anymore. It was difficult to keep myself in check when I fought for my life. The turmoil was rising up, rotting me from the inside out.

All that stopped when the sudden sound of gunfire blasted through a section of the dock to the right of me. Wood pieces scattered into the water, as a small hole was blasted into the dock. I could hear the gunman taunt me

“Come out, freak!”

He said in a grumbly, husky voice.

Suddenly, bullets shot through a section even closer to me, causing me to gasp in surprise. They knew I was under the dock somewhere, meaning my element of surprise was gone.

God damn it, this was the worst idea, I thought to myself.

Another idea flashed in my mind. The dark water rippled around me as I quietly moved toward the side of the dock, making sure I was still hidden. He shot closer to where I was again. The next bullets would be shot right where I used to be under the dock. I waited as I heard the heavy footsteps walk slowly over, to the spot where I needed him. I held my breath as I aligned myself right alongside the edge of the dock, looking up to see where I would grab onto. My heart pounded in my chest, audible due to the suspenseful silence. Wait for it, I told myself. Wait.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Gunshots rang in my ears, and I could feel the explosions of their impact right behind me, crashing into the water.

Now!

With my back turned to the edge of the dock, I reached up to grab the wooden surface above me, pulling myself up as fast as I could. I swung my legs up from out of the water, flipping them over so I’d be on the dock. I let out a yell as I did so, and before my feet touched the wooden surface, they found their place right against the gunman’s upper chest, sending him flying into the water below. I flipped upright once my feet landed, seeing the three remaining men near me to the left.

Each of them ran towards me, with the larger man coming first. He swung with an infuriated fist. I quickly ducked to avoid it, able to reappear behind him. I grabbed onto the two men behind me, leaning and pushing off of them to kick the larger man again, knocking him onto his face. The three of us together toppled as well, with my back colliding harshly on the dock. I tried reappearing upright away from the two men, but this time it didn’t work.

The smallest man managed to get up faster than me, kicking me in the side, causing me to turn over and cry out. He was about to kneel down and deliver a punch, but I was able to flip myself upright, headbutting him in the process. I stumbled back from the impact and watched as the small man lost his balance after my assault, toppling into the shallow water. Without a second glance, I turned around to face the last one standing right at the nick of time, managing to bend my back backward to avoid a large plank of broken dock wood from colliding with my head.

WHOOSH!

The wind swished by my face as it passed right above me. I righted myself upward just in time for the next swing the man took, using the metal bracer on my wrist to block it. I tried to swing a kick into his side, but he anticipated that it seemed. He brought the plank down harshly on my knee, which buckled and allowed him to use the end of the plank to smack me upside the chin. I winced, staggering back a few inches. This allowed him to use the plank a few more times to hit me.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

The first strike hit me square in the side of my rib cage. The second blow made contact with the side of my temple. The final hit, he used to jab the end of the plank into the center of my lower chest. This caused me to keel over, the wind knocked from my lungs. I didn’t have time to recover, however. I could hear the larger man behind me grunting, his turmoil from him now getting up alerting me to his action. The man with the plank was about to hit me again, but I was able to catch the side with my hands this time, struggling with him for the wooden weapon. The struggle lasted a good few seconds, but my instincts took over when I heard the larger man walking towards me menacingly, grumbling under his teeth. I quickly pulled the plank harshly to the left, with the man holding on still, but then changed directions to catch him in my trick. The larger man’s footsteps grow closer, and slightly faster. I twisted the plank around, releasing it from the man in front of me, smacking him upside the head in the process.

Mine now, I thought.

He kneeled from the impact. While he stayed there, the larger man picked up speed, and when I could hear his infuriated yelling right behind me, I turned around, using all of my strength to swing the mighty plank.

SMACK!

This sent him staggering back again, the hit catching him on the side of the temple. I threw the plank in the water after this, wanting to be done with the weapon. With the large man blindsided and far enough away from me, I charged at him. Trying to get a running start. When I was close enough, I leaped up, swinging my legs in front of me, landing a flying kick in his abdomen. This seemed to do him in, as he fell over the edge of the dock, his back hitting the shallow water and rocks.

Two down for good, I thought.

I turned back to the kneeling man, hoping he was too tired to fight. To my dismay, he got up slowly, his knees slightly shaking. I could hear him breathing under his mask as if he were a bull seeing the color red. His fists clenched, and he began running at me. Instead of charging too, I waited. Once he was close enough to me, my forearm swung out from the side, attempting to hit the man. Beads of raindrops hailed down on us both. To my surprise, the man dodged. Instead, he ducked under my arms, tackling me over the edge of the docks. We crashed into the freezing waters below, my back immediately smashing against the rocky water bed as the man weighed me down, with him on top of me, his hands now around my throat.

I couldn’t see, as the water we were engulfed in was now growing pitch black. The light of the lightning was blocked by the man in the black suit, his looming figure being all I could see under the water. He shook me vigorously, his hands squeezed tight around my neck. It was as if the air was suddenly being sucked from my body, leaving me struggling viciously against my opponent. It gave me flashbacks to the night Sydney got mugged, being at the mercy of the man who strangled me in the street.

It became a struggle for both of us, as we both were under the raging waves, bubbles and mayhem surrounding us. I swung my legs violently. I tried using my hands to feel around for a rock. Once I found one big enough, I smashed it repeatedly against the man, but he was unyielding. I did everything I could to escape his grasp, to no avail. His hands constrained my throat, with such strength I thought he would break my neck.

I can’t die, I won’t die, I thought out.

I tried focusing in order to phase, or disappear. It wouldn’t come to me, however. I couldn’t focus enough. The voice was absent in my ears.

Panic started to set in, but I never gave up. I thrashed wildly, trying to get my opponent off of me. I felt my lungs burn, and my eyes widen. My head felt like it was going to explode from the pressure. I scratched, I kicked, I hit, I did everything. Despite my efforts, my mind began to black, unwillingly easing into the cold arms of an impending death.

BANG!

A loud shot rang through on the surface. My mind was pounding too badly to see what had happened, what had caused the noise. What I could feel, however, was the man’s hands loosen, slowly slipping off of me. The man fell off me, collapsing beside me. Confusion came over me, as lighting struck above me in the sky. With the flash from lightning now present, I noticed there were still fuzzy spots in my vision. I tried to reconnect myself to reality, my lungs still burning for oxygen.

Get to the surface, Sarah, go!

Despite my thoughts, my muscles didn’t move. It was as if my brain held no control over my limbs, too weak from the lack of air. All I could do was watch helplessly as bubbles floated above me to the top. That was, until a figure clouded my vision once again, plunging their hands harshly into the water from atop the docks, grabbing onto both of my shoulders to pull me out of the freezing shallows.