___

I don’t remember what happened after I slipped into unconsciousness. The only thing I could feel was an overwhelming sense of peace. It was as if I were floating in a dark, calm sea. Endlessly drifting with the current. In a vast ocean of nothingness, I was finally able to rest. During my peace, I could hear faint voices. As if I were under the water, listening to a select few people above. The voices were tranquil, though I couldn’t make out what they were saying most of the time. The only voice I could hear was calm, and nurturing. Recalling what it spoke to me was another challenge, however. I could only remember that is was soothing. When I started to gain some form of recognition, I could feel the stillness in my body, experiencing every chill and sensation. Eventually, I was coherent enough to open my eyes with some coaxing from the calming, deep voice in my head.

Once my eyelids lifted, I was blinded by a bright light above me. As my vision focused, the blurred shape of a ceiling appeared to me, with mechanical lights above. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the foreign brightness. Confusion filled me as I stared above, the white ceiling displaying a sense of serenity and cleanliness. Looking at the yellow walls, I saw a large window, with the plastic blinds open, allowing the warmth of the sun to beam through. It was hard to make out what was beyond the glass, as the window completely outlined itself in the sun’s glory. Looking away slowly, I shifted my head to look down at my body, which was covered with a sheet. I carefully lifted the thin white material off of me, to see I was now in what appeared to be a medical gown. I tried to regain my memories, piecing together all that I remembered before this moment. All I could recall was collapsing down stone stairs, before blacking out completely. As I retraced the steps in my mind, I carefully recollected the series of events that had happened before I blacked out. With each horrific event I remembered, the adrenaline I felt in those moments came flooding back to me as if I were reliving them over again. The patient and his victim, the monster in the tunnels, the injected goon. All leading up to the memory of the Joker. It stirred inside me, causing my heart to race again. I heard the sounds of rapid beeping on a monitor, which finally caused me to break away from my memories and return to the present. It all finally connected, and I understood now I was safe in recovery after the horrific night at Arkham Asylum and its abandoned underbelly.

Somehow, I made it out alive. Despite all of the things I had endured, I was here. I let out a small sigh of relief when I deciphered this wasn’t a dream. Holding up my pale, shaking hands, I looked at them both bandaged and swelling with pain. The right hand contained a small device on my index finger, and when my vision focused I could tell it was a heart monitor. As I gained more awareness, I could feel the pain all over my body begin to circulate through me. Everywhere felt sore, with my abdomen, face, and hand stinging more than the rest of me. Yet, I couldn't help but be grateful. Instead of in a coffin, I remained breathing.

A slight snore turned my attention toward the back corner of the room. When I was able to make out the area more clearly, I understood that I resided within a hospital room. In the corner, a sleeping silhouette slightly shifted in the dark green chair that resided by the door. The shadows of the room concealed half of the person’s body, but the sunlight illuminated a small portion of their face. When I realized who was sitting in the chair, a whole wave of emotions crashed into me. With me in the hospital room, someone I never thought I’d see again was sleeping across from where I lay.

“S-Sydney?”

I whispered in a whimpered breath, my voice remaining frail. Its tone cracked with disbelief, as my eyes began to spill relieved tears. Sydney remained asleep, leaning against the wall to support her head. I began to sit up, but a strange sensation in my arm caused me to look down. Attached to my arm was an IV, taped to the spot. Even though it was meant to deliver me the necessary fluids for my recovery, it stood in the way of my getting to Sydney. With a swift motion, I plucked it out of my arm, setting it aside. Once I removed the heart monitor, the machine began to beep beside me. None of it mattered to me, as I shifted to sit. When my bare feet touched the cold, smooth floor I felt a shiver go up my spine. I began to slowly walk toward her, stumbling slightly as I moved. Feeling the cold floor, and my racing heart only solidified my reality. When I reached her, reality strengthened even more so.

She was really here, and so was I. Against all odds, we were finally here.

As I kneeled to reach her level, a small exhale escaped my lips, and tears still flowed down my cheeks. Acting on instinct, I grabbed her hand and shook it slightly.

“Sydney…”

I spoke softly, but with enough air to be heard. My body continued to ache, but I pushed it all aside. Sydney shifted slightly when I shook her hand but jolted awake when my voice broke through to her. Her eyes bolted open, and her head shot suddenly in my direction. I remained kneeling on the floor, staring up at her with my eyes still spilling out my emotions. When her eyes met mine, her tears began to flow with mine. Her brown eyes widened with shock before a small gasp escaped her lips Before any words could be spoken, she pulled me up into the warmest embrace I’ve ever known. I hugged her back, so tightly my body began to hurt. The pain didn’t matter to me, however, as I clung to Sydney like I was going to lose her again.

“Sarah! Thank God… Thank God…”

Sydney whispered out, beginning to sob with relief and gratitude. I cried with her, letting every feeling escape my heart.

“I-I never thought I’d see you again, Sydney!”

My words flowed out of me, and once I spoke she hugged me even tighter.

“I’m so sorry Sarah… I’m so sorry…”

As we held each other, we shed our burdens and our fears. Together, we finally began to put what had transpired that horrid night behind us. The event that I thought would claim my life failed in its attempts, and I had made it here to Sydney’s embrace.

It was all over now, I thought.

After what seemed like forever, Sydney and I finally stopped our tears of joy. Pulling away from me, she exhaled before beginning to stand.

“Here, let’s get you back to the bed, kiddo.”

Sydney slowly put a hand on my shoulder and walked me back to the hospital bed. Her usual formal attire was gone, replaced with comfortable grey sweats and a green tee. As if she had been here for some time, her curly hair was unkept in a bun that looked like it had been put up days ago. Dark circles remained under her eyes, displaying the amount of worry and sleepless nights she might have had. Despite how worn she appeared, she seemed to beam with positivity, finally at ease seeing me.

As she sat me down she spoke to me softly, placing the heart monitor back on my finger to silence the repetition of the beeping alerts. She tucked a few loose strands of my tussled hair behind my ear before holding my cheek, just like a mother comforting a child. After a brief silence of her glancing at the wounds on my face, she spoke softly.

“Sarah… What do you remember from that night?”

I could feel her gently graze over the stitches I must have had on my temple. As I sat up, I searched through my fragmented memory while my legs swung back onto the bed. Propping myself up on the pillows, I closed my eyes to try and remember.

“It’s all a blur, but I remember getting to the asylum for what we thought was a small mishap. Then after some gas entered the room we were in, I woke up somewhere in the asylum before ending up on the abandoned floor they built the new one over… It was Joker… He took some staff hostage, and I had to go through his sick game trying to free them.”

“L-Like what, kiddo? What happened?”

Sydney’s concern remained visible on her face, wanting to know exactly what had been done to me. I could tell her overprotective side was leaking through the cracks of her voice.

“I had to get through lunatics and something in the sewers… Then fight a man who was hopped up on some kind of steroid… I almost didn’t make it. But I couldn’t give up… I tried so hard to get everyone out… There were a couple of times I thought that would be it. That I wasn’t going to make it back to you or Bill…”

“Oh Sarah…”

Sydney began to tear up again, and I did so as well. We hugged again, and while my memories were racing, I remembered a small detail of my trial in the sewer with the monster-life man.

“Y-You actually save me Sydney! That taser you gave me! I’d actually be dead without it.”

I let out a small laugh of disbelief, causing Sydney to chuckle slightly and hug me closer.

“A-And Joker… He showed me everything he’d done… From pictures he’d taken at crime scenes to news articles… It was all sick…”

I couldn’t help but spit out Joker’s name in disgust, my face erupting in stinging sensations as it curled into an expression of anger. As I spoke, my speech slowed as I recalled the articles and the room containing his morbid slideshow. That’s when a small detail finally slipped back into my mind, as the memory of reading one of Joker’s articles replayed inside my head. The details about a classroom slaughter, and the blaring name typed amongst dozens of others.

Emily Delgato.

I pulled away from the hug, looking at a confused Sydney. My face relaxed into a sorrowful glance as I placed my hands on her shoulders. Her eyes met mine, as she awaited what I had to say next.

“I-I know now… What happened to your daughter… I saw the news article… I’m so sorry Sydney.”

She remained stunned, blinking away a few tears before they started spilling out again. Sydney choked back another sob once her tears started spilling again, seemingly haunted by the mention of her lost child. After a moment, she composed herself, sniffling away her heartache. I pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly as she unburdened herself of the memory of her murdered daughter.

“Bill and I… We went through Hell. We were never whole again after what happened. It’s one thing to lose our daughter like that… but to have had to go in and identify what pieces belonged to her… It almost broke us, Bill even more so… To imagine how scared Emily was, how much suffering our little girl went through… We couldn’t bear it. T-that monster took away our lives… and the lives of the other parents… We all tried so hard to go on. We started a support group, but three parents didn’t make it. One ended in the psych ward, and another couple took their lives… We were so close to following them to the grave… The pain almost took us too… But Bill and I agreed Emily would have wanted us to try and be happy. We didn’t want her murderer to win. Each day after, it got better, but it always felt empty… Like a hole remained in our hearts for years…”

She shook her head, sobbing for a bit before pulling away from the hug. She took a moment to compose herself, grabbing a tissue from the box beside the hospital bed. She clutched the tissue in her hand, wiping away her shedding heartbreak.

“You save us, kiddo… You will never know just how much you helped us… By having you around, it gave us some hope… You filled that hole. You became apart of our family. I was so scared of you doing this, but you made so much sense. You were right… No one else could do what you do, and if there was any chance you could have prevented the next Emily, I wanted you to do it… That was so selfish of me, and I almost lost you bec-”

I placed a hand on hers, silencing her thought. Shaking my head, I looked down.

“I-It’s not selfish… We both took our chance to make the world a better place… A-And I’m here now… I’m not going anywhere…”

“Sarah…”

Sydney gently grabbed my bandaged hand, holding it in hers so tightly I thought it might break. She sighed, wiping her tears before looking at me.

“I-I can’t let you do this anymore, Sarah… I tried to be supportive… You almost died. Bill nearly got put in here with you once he heard you were hurt-”

“W-Wait… does he know?”

“Not the full story. I told him we were called to an emergency at work, and you got hurt in the process of stabilizing a product. Lucius even staged the entire accident to help sell the tale…. But my point remains… You can’t do this anymore.”

I nodded, acknowledging her words. I contemplated what she was saying, however my memories kept flashing red glows of light in my mind. Visions of a woman made of blood haunted me, as I placed her presence in my mind. Besides the Joker, I finally pieced together to hows and whys of that night.

My eyes widened, as I looked up at Sydney, memories of what transpired continuing to awaken my realizations. My abilities had a name, and the monster inside of me was the reason all of this was happening. Mortis, who called himself the Deathbringer was a being of unknown origin, cursed to join with a human soul. That soul was fated to be me, his youngest Bound yet. My mind flickered with the recollection of the tale he told me, and I finally put a name to the red figure. Caedes, the Bloodspiller was my enemy. The one who brought back all of these killers to try and kill me in hopes Mortis would reincarnate to someone who would feed her with the death and carnage she desired. It seemed too bizarre, too insane to be true. I questioned if my memory was correct, wondering if I had made it all up while I was bleeding out from Joker’s assault. As if subconsciously asking myself if this was real, my answer came to me through the familiar voice in my head, confirming the truth.

“She’s real, dear one… She’s still alive…”

Another vision of the red woman played through my head. Of how I wounded the woman made of blood, causing her retreat. As my mind continued to sew together the lost memories from that night, I remembered my vow to stop Caedes and prevent her from causing more damage. When I snapped to reality, Sydney was speaking.

“What are you thinking, kiddo? You spaced out”

I closed my eyes, shaking my head at her. Gently, but firmly, I told her my decision.

“I can’t stop Sydney. I’m sorry… I know now what’s going on, and I’m the only one who can stop it…”

Sydney scoffed and looked at me with a serious expression.

“I know you think that, but that’s bull, kiddo. These guys out here can handle it… It’s too dangerous now-”

“You don’t understand Sydney. Joker, Candyman, Scarecrow… They were all pawns. Pawns the real threat brought back to kill me. Pawns that won’t stop coming back until I stop what’s out there… I don’t think I have a choice anymore.”

“What are you talking ab-”

“-I know where my abilities come from now, Sydney…”

I took a pause, sighing and readying myself for the conversation ahead. With a calm voice, I explained to Sydney what I had learned that night about Mortis and Caedes. I explained to her the story of the Deathbringer, and how we were tied together. With no way to separate us, we were chained together in this life, and I was cursed, in Mortis’ words, to live with his being tied to me. I told her about Caedes, the one behind this all, and how she wanted me dead. How my unwillingness to become a killer seemed to weaken her after years of getting what she wanted. As long as I breathed, I was a target to Caedes. A target to any of the dead criminals she chose to bring back.

“- And that’s why I have to stop her… Sydney, I’m the only one who can stop her. I’m the only one who can stop her from hurting anyone else… Because of her bringing back Joker and the others, many people are dead, and many more are going to be in danger… Please-”

I paused, pleading with Sydney and holding her hand in desperation.

“Please understand... As much as I want to have your permission, I can’t afford that right now… I know you’re scared. I’m scared too… And the last thing I want is to put you and Bill in this position over and over again, but this started long before any of us met… And I don’t have a choice in finishing it. I love you Sydney. I love you and Bill both…”

I started tearing up again, feeling my voice crack with emotion as I spoke to Sydney. Her nose scrunched with worry and disapproval, but I could see in her eyes she understood me. I continued to speak, looking up at Sydney with a gratitude I longed to express to her.

“Without you I don’t know where I’d be… But that’s why I have to keep doing this… I don’t know what Caedes knows, but I know that with her after me, no one I love is safe… I’m going to stop her. Before anyone else gets hurt… I have to…”

Sydney shook her head, looking down in frustration and defeat. I could tell she was holding back tears, but she held them back with everything she had within her. She let go of my hand after a brief moment, wiping away a loose tear. Breaking the tense silence, she spoke with a strong voice.

“God damn it, Sarah… God damn you…”

She faltered after speaking, sobbing as she pulled me into another hug. Silently, I shed my tears, listening to her sobs of defeat and bitter acceptance of my fate. I held her, somberly listening to her heart continue to break. I spoke up, whispering a promise to her, in order to help ease her.

“I promise I’ll do everything I can to make it out of this alive, Sydney… I promise…”

“You better, kiddo… You better…”

She sighed, hugging me tighter as if she weren’t planning on letting go.

After a brief moment of hugging, the door to the hospital room opened, and a nurse stepped in quietly. As if shocked to see me awake and conscious, she called for the doctor. Sydney and I broke free of our hug, allowing them to come in and process me and my injuries. I learned that I was placed in a five-day coma to save my life. However, I woke up just a day early, showing strong vitals and indications of a successful recovery story. Sydney once again told the nurses the story of the Wayne Enterprises accident, and I silently went along with the tall tale. After I was cleared, and left to finish my remaining days at the hospital, Sydney and I remained inseparable, attached at the hip it seemed. Bill came to visit when I was well enough, and though he remained positive, his worry could be seen plainly on his pale, freckled face. Days turned into weeks, and the majority of it was filled the three of us, together watching soap operas, eating bad hospital food, and listening to the melodramatic stories Bill spun about my ‘daring’ escape from the accident. Despite the Hell I endured, I couldn’t help but shake it all away in those moments, appreciating the little bits of Heaven that I could enjoy while they lasted.

___

When I was released from the hospital two weeks later, Sydney told me we needed to go somewhere first. Before we left, I stopped by the bathroom. Though I had avoided my reflection before, an accidental glance at the mirror as I washed my hands caused a startled gasp to fall from my lips. Bruises and cuts scattered around my face, with a bandage across my nose and some stitches along my temple. At this point, I had more bruises than freckles. Overall, I was unrecognizable to the girl I had seen in the mirror before. This one was battered, looking worse than how I imagined I’d look after enduring that night. Even after two weeks, it still remained as if the fight had occurred yesterday. Still, I lightly touched the bridge of my nose, wincing in pain as I did so. I shook my head, sighing to myself.

At least I’m still breathing, I thought.

Slowly exiting the bathroom, I caught up to Sydney, who was awaiting my discharge. As we exited the familiar halls of the hospital lobby, I couldn’t help but experience a sense of deja vu. It occurred to me this wasn’t the first time I’d have left these halls with Sydney. My first sense of freedom was by her side many months ago, seemingly leaving the darkness of my imprisoned life behind to follow her into the bright unknown. As I walked through the glass doors, a chill crawled down my spine as I felt the sting of a cold gust of wind. A major difference between the warmth I felt back then when I left. My hair flew back violently as Sydney and I walked down the sidewalk towards where she parked. It seemed as if she parked in the same spot as months before when I first climbed into her car.

I continued to relive the memory of before as it intertwined with the present, noting the differences from then to now. Before, I was hopeful, ready to begin a new life. The sun shined and wrapped its warmth around me. Now, the clouds were graying around the sun, shutting out its light. The new life I thought I’d have turned into one of urgency and danger. A life that now endangered itself and those around me, and a life I wasn’t sure I’d keep after this was all over. I sighed, climbing into Sydney’s beat up vehicle, looking out into the sky as I buckled myself in. If only I’d have known, then maybe I could have chosen differently. If I knew how this life would turn out, I’d have chosen to save the lives lost in this madness. Despite the differences from when I first left the hospital, the one thing that remained the same was the feeling that everything was going to be different now. As we drove, the stirring feeling that once filled me with hope now swallowed me in dread.

Buildings, cars, construction sites, and more all passed by my field of vision. I couldn’t help but imagine them in flames, burning because of what might lie ahead. As if it were my mind warning me of what was to come, I clenched my stitched up fist and began leaning it against the window hopelessly. While the destruction of the city danced in my paranoid imagination, my eyes closed in defeat.

If only I chose differently, I thought.

Now, the thought of Caedes tearing the city apart was more likely to become a reality, and I was the only person who could stop her. The weight of the world seemed to lower itself onto my shoulders again, and I began to feel it crushing me within. My heart sank into numbness, as I watched the sky begin to darken. As if the technicolor of the world I once saw dimmed before my eyes, the responsibility of my new life mission dulled my optimism.

Nothing would be the same again, I thought.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

The car ride lasted a lot longer than I originally expected. I knew something was up when we passed Wayne Enterprises. Watching as it disappeared behind us in the rearview mirror, I turned away from the window to look at Sydney.

“Where are we going? I thought you said we were going to Lucius.”

“We are kiddo. Well, you are… Lucius’ only instructions were for me to drop you off at Grand Avenue Station. I can’t follow, as frustrating as that is.”

She trailed off, tapping her finger on the steering wheel. Doing my best to ease her worries, I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Hey… I’ll be okay, Sydney…”

She glanced over at me, and her face which displayed her inner turmoil melted into a smile of comfort. She nodded in my direction before returning her gaze to the road.

“I know. I just… It’s not easy letting you go alone after everything.”

“I understand… But hey, I made a promise, didn’t I?”

I managed to crack a smile, doing my best to display some form of false hope. It seemed to ease Sydney’s worries even more so, as she relaxed her shoulders.

“You did, kiddo… And I’m holding you to that.”

Doing my best to lighten the mood, I mimicked Bill’s eccentric voice with a dramatic flare.

“As the queen commands.”

In doing this, Sydney burst into a slight chuckle, finally shedding away the rest of her fears in the light moment we shared.

“Okay, one of him is enough, Sarah.”

Driving on, we both conversed as the surroundings blurred around us. Finally, it seemed we were putting what had transpired behind us. Slowly, even if it were bleaker than before.

___

When Sydney dropped me off, I was washed away in a wave of people, trying to use the station to get to where they needed to go. Unlike them, I had no idea where I was headed. The only thing that remained sure in my mind was that I needed to fish out Lucius amongst the crowd. My gaze drifted to the unique architecture of the station as I approached the massive building. The station itself had a structure forming an arch-like roof above. As I approached, I noticed the gigantic red letters that spelled out the name of the station, curving downward towards the world below. A giant clock resided within the structure’s metal dome above, proudly displaying the time in a grand elegance. The station had earned its name, surely being one of the most daring buildings I had seen in Gotham yet. Once I entered the glass doors, the elegant appearance remained, with shiny checkered floors and bronze decor, white pillars, and detailed statues adorning the walls. Overall, I managed to take in the marvel of this place while walking towards the main area.

As I wandered, I looked around in the sea of individuals, trying to spot the familiar face of Lucius amongst them. The task seemed hopeless, as droves of people continued to flow through the station. I watched as a train neared departure, waiting for the rest of its riders to board. Seemingly in defeat, I decided to sit on one of the empty green benches, plopping my aching body down as I scoured the building. I could feel the pain of my injuries begin to creep up on me, indicating that the time to take the painkillers prescribed was near. Though for this meeting, I needed to remain unaffected by the medications. Needing my focus, I would have to grit and bear the pain. It wasn’t anything new to me, thankfully. I was used to the aches and the searing sensations that accompanied my body now.

A loud notification sounded, causing my attention to snap back to the train. I watched as its large metal doors closed, indicating its departure. Within a few moments, the train began to pull away. I watched in slight curiosity as it did so, with it occurring to me I had never seen a train up close. It still puzzled me that trains like this one still existed. When the massive metal transport finally cleared, my entire being perked up seeing what resided on the other side. On a platform across the way, the familiar figure of Lucius stood in front of a white door off to the side. I stood up, realizing I had found him. Noticing he was looking in my direction, I waved to get his attention. Part of me was excited to see him again, glad I was alive to do so. In a slight nod, he acknowledged me, smiling my way. After, he looked at his surroundings before slowly opening the door he stood in front of. Curiously, I watched him disappear, tilting my head slightly. As I watched the door close, I realized what I needed to do.

Hastily, I began to walk to the other side of the platform. Crossing a small pedestrian bridge above the platforms, I made it across. Looking all around for any prying eyes, my vigilance remained. I knew better now than to remain unaware of my surroundings. When I concluded no one was following, I walked towards the door Lucius went through, turning its metal handle. After one last glance around, I carefully entered. The darkness below became a stark contrast to the bright, elegant station above. As the door closed, the light within dimmed with its fleeting beam. Once the outside world was closed off to the area I resided in, all that remained was a bright blue mechanical light illuminating the stairs which lead downward. On the right, a strange device stood on the side of the stairs, looking almost like an elevator that followed the path of the stairs. Peering all around, I began to descend, the fancy walls becoming old bricks the further down I traveled. The ceiling above curved in the same arch shape as the station, only this time they were held up with stone pillars. Almost like Arkham, it was as if a new station was built over an older building. When I stepped onto the lower level, I followed the curving room to the left. I was faced with a corridor, leading to a rusted metal door. What grasped my attention however was the giant metal gate that blocked off the rest of the corridor, which seemed to be an old tunnel beyond. Before I could approach either entrance, I watched as something stepped out of the shadows.

“I’m so glad to see you here, Ms. O’Harren.”

The soothing, familiar voice of Lucius rang in my ears as it echoed throughout the area. Standing by the gate, he stepped closer to allow me to see him. I could see the glare in his glasses due to the blue light built into the brick walls. He wore a sleek black suit, adorned with a blue silk tie and white undershirt. As always, his hair was neat and displaying his class, never failing to miss a first impression. My heart seemed to break out of its numbness seeing him. I quickly walked over, and as he extended a hand to shake I ignored him, instead hugging him gently.

“I’m glad too, Lucius… Thank you…”

Surprised, he took a second to hug me back. After we pulled away, he placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me toward the gate.

“Actually, it is you we need to thank. Because of you, the majority of Arkham’s staff is safe. For a moment there, we thought you didn’t make it… I’m happy to see that night didn’t best you.”

“For moment it did…”

I managed to say quietly, recalling the events of the Arkham Lockdown, and my showdown with Joker. A fight I had lost, and one that almost killed me.

“Regardless, you did it. And on your own I might add.”

I smiled lightly, but it disappeared as my mind flashed with visions of a red helm. With the last two weeks, I was able to remember most everything. Every detail of the night remained burned in my brain. Including the hints of Red Hood, who had helped me fight off the Joker and escape. Yet, I remembered the promise I had made to him. No one was to know he was there, and in exchange he would dial back his ways of fatal vengeance. I intended to keep up my end of the bargain, choosing to leave Lucius in the dark. Not a word was uttered to anyone about the man in the red helm, and it would remain that way.

My attention turned to the gate, looking on in curiosity as I approached it.

“Lucius, what is this place?”

“This is the under tunnels of Grand Avenue Station. Used mainly for maintenance now. The majority of it is closed off, luckily for us. This particular tunnel had a little pocket we could utilize.”

“Utilize how?”

Lucius smiled at my question, turning toward the brick wall to the left. He beckoned with his hand for me to come over. As I did, I could see the silhouette of what looked to be a smooth gray panel box beside the bars of the gate. With a swift motion, Lucius placed his hand on the panel, which then curiously lit up with a teal glow in a grid-like pattern. The glow outlined his hand, and after a sequence of beeping noises the light glowed green. Sharp sounds of metal retracting from the gate echoed in the corridor, and the sudden opening of the gate caused me to jerk my head towards the noise. Lucius adjusted his glasses, before walking into the now open tunnel. Unsure of where it might lead, I followed him through, and once we had made it through the gate it abruptly closed behind us. I looked back, watching the glow on the panel disappear. As if nothing were out of the ordinary.

I caught up to Lucius, walking beside him as he navigated down the tunnel. Looking up at him, I quickly flipped my mess of hair behind my shoulders, moving it out of the way. Unlike Lucius, the upkeep of my appearance wasn’t a priority in the past weeks. Too much pain and exhaustion racked me to care about anything more than brushing. The striped white shirt I had borrowed from Sydney displayed itself now, free from the blockage of hair that used to reside in front of it. The black sweats I wore began to ride up as I walked on. Before I spoke again, I tried pulling them down towards my slip-on shoes.

“I guess I asked the wrong question before. What is this place actually?”

Lucius chuckled at the question, walking on.

“Well, as you know Wayne Enterprises serves as a front for my base of operations. Here, Grand Avenue Stations serves as a front for someone else.”

Perplexed at what he meant, I asked my next question.

“Whose?”

Just as I asked, we rounded the corner ahead, and as we did we were blinded by flashes of blue and teal lights. The sudden brightness took a moment to adjust to, and once my gaze could see past the light, many different shapes came to my vision. What appeared to be a giant, transparent monitor was outlined in greenish blue light. It took up most of the room, and though I couldn’t depict what was on it, I could see words and shapes rapidly moving across it. Different gadgetry and tech lined the brick walls, displaying an impressive collection. As we walked closer to the entrance, I could see a figure sitting in front of the large transparent monitor. My eyes could make out the shape of a ponytail, burning red with fiery strands of hair. Small, pale hands typed on what appeared to be a similar ghostly keyboard. The outline of a woman began to take form, with her body sat up straight in what I could make out now was a wheelchair. Curiosity set in as both Lucius and I walked into the bright room.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Drake.”

Lucius spoke up, and as he did, the woman turned around in her wheelchair, seemingly moving the keyboard out of the way in midair. Whatever strange technology she was using seemed to be matterless, abd made from nothing. As she turned, I could see the outline of green glasses on her face. Her gloved hands turned the wheels of her chair, making the blue jeans she wore more apparent. A purple sweater remained on her torso, seemingly keeping her warm in the drafty underground. Her face had a splash of freckles across her cheeks, outlining her heart shaped features. Big, bright green eyes stared at Lucius as her lips stretched into a smile.

“Took you guys long enough. The hospital delay the paperwork or something?”

Once she spoke, she turned to me, her eyes piercing into mine. As soon as I saw her a slight gasp escaped my lips. Suddenly, my mind was flooded with the sight of Joker’s slideshow. Of a woman he had shot, lying on the ground. Her messy red hair spilled from the bun, as if they were flames in the picture. My eyes widened in shock, realizing the woman from that picture was the same woman who sat in front of me.

The wheelchair made sense now. This was one of Joker’s victims. The commissioner's daughter he had mentioned.

Her voice wasn’t unknown to me either, which left me even more puzzled. As my brain picked through the possibilities of where I had heard it before, she spoke again. This time directing her words at me.

“Welcome back, Sarah. Hope the recovery is going well.”

Unsure of what to say, I just nodded in her direction. As if she could sense the confusion I felt, she wheeled closer and extended her hand out to me to shake.

“I’m Barbara Drake. Nice to meet you officially. But you know me as-”

Before she could finish, my brain blurted out the answer. Finally figuring out the voice I had recognized was the voice of aid to me throughout multiple nights, I spoke.

“You’re Oracle…”

She smiled slightly, somewhat impressed at my reaction.

“Good ear… You’re right.”

“A-And you were shot.”

As if she weren’t expecting it, she turned her head slightly in surprise. Her smile dropped as she looked at me.

“How did you know?”

“Joker showed me… I’m so sorry.”

Her nose seemed to twitch in disdain hearing his name. She sighed, nodding in confirmation.

“You’re right again. But that’s all over now. Or so we thought…”

She looked at me with sympathetic eyes, lowing her hand. Instead, she reached out to grab mine, holding it in sincerity.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. Playing his games… It’s haunting. It changes you.”

I nodded, looking at her with an uneasy glance. Yet, a smile slightly crossed my lips as I expressed my gratitude. She pulled her hand away after a second, still gazing at me with empathy. I spoke softly, looking down.

“At least I had your help in the first half… Thank you.”

“Hardly. It took me forever to try and get that lockdown lifted. Whoever designed the security system outdid themselves. Dr. Matthews managed to get to the control board. Since I couldn’t hack into the systems themselves from where I was, I managed to at least contact him through the security gate system. He said you sent him. Was that true?”

I nodded, recognizing the head of the hospital and his image in my head.

“Good job… Through him I was able to get access to lift the lockdown. After that, I saw your heart rate drop to almost fatal levels… We thought we lost you.”

The somber silence she shared after that made me look down. Visions of Joker’s assaults kept playing in my mind, haunting me with every stab, hit, or blow I took. When I looked up again, she looked at me, as if she were hesitant to speak.

“Look. I know reliving that kind of thing is the last thing you want to do right now. But since you’ve been in the hospital, we’ve had no secure way of…”

She trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. Suddenly, a foreign male voice cut through the room and entered the tunnel. I abruptly turned around, jumping at the sudden voice.

“We need to find out what happened in there.”

As I turned, the man walked past me, moving to stand beside Barbara. The man was large, built like an ox almost. He wore a tight gray tee, his pale muscles seeming to stretch the material. He placed a hand on Barbara’s shoulder, causing her to smile up at him. As my gaze drifted to his face, his dark green eyes stared into me. His sharp facial features extended a form of sympathy in his expression. Something remained familiar about him, yet I stayed quiet. His bald head turned to Barbara, before looking to me again.

“We were able to apprehend Candyman. He’s not speaking, but he’s in Arkham where he belongs, along with others we found. The only one unaccounted for is Joker… We need to know what happened in there, Sarah.”

Silence filled the room as I collected my thoughts. As I was about to speak, my attention turned towards the room behind them, looking at the different gadgets that lined the old brick walls. Staring off behind them, a flash of red caught my eye. I focused in on the colors, making out what looked to be a suit in the corner, residing safely inside a cylinder display case. Green accents made the suit instantly recognizable, as my attention turned to face the unknown bald man. My imagination seemed to picture the man in the suit, holding his staff while on the rooftops of Gotham. With the mystery over, I knew exactly who I was speaking to now.

It was the both of them, together. Robin and Oracle, here in front of me. I thought back to the mentions of them working together, and how hard they tried to remain anonymous from me. Now they were unmasking themselves, revealing themselves to me. Wonders as to why were hushed when I realized what they were doing. Before, Robin mentioned they couldn’t trust me yet, but with the circumstances of the recent attack they had no choice but to rely on me. I now possessed knowledge they needed. Their unmasking was a symbol that I had earned their trust, and it was a bargaining chip to try and earn mine in return.

I took a sharp inhale before walking toward them slowly, ready to reveal the events of that night. Ready to open their eyes to the threat now lurking in the city.

“Joker was dead… But something brought him back that night. He organized the attack and lockdown, as you know. Blackmailed one of the guards to get access-”

“Higgins.”

Barbara spoke up, and I nodded in confirmation. Memories of his mutilated body came flooding back to me, and I closed my eyes to try and shut out the remembrance of his grim fate.

“He had me go through these… Tests of sorts. I barely made it out, but still did somehow. Once I got the hostages away from Candyman and out of the abandoned area, I turned back.”

“Why didn’t you go with them to try and stop the lockdown?”

The bald man asked in a disapproving tone, confused by my actions.

“Because Joker was still out there by the time I got them all out. I didn’t want to risk him getting away after everything he’d done… And there was still a hostage left to find. One of the heads, Dr. Marie Chacon.”

I explained my reasons to him, which the man seemed to understand. He looked to Barbara, who gave him a slight nudge with her elbow.

“Let her finish, Tim. What happened next, Sarah?”

I looked to Barbara, who turned back to me as well to hear the rest of the tale.

“I found Dr. Chacon. She had been strangled… I attempted CPR, which I think succeeded. Wait… Is she-”

Before I could finish, my thoughts trailed to the bubbly woman I had encountered. Her golden hair shone in my mind, along with her smile and chipper voice which leaked with her optimism. My heart began to sink as I realized I hadn’t known what had befallen her, yet I still clung to hope. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when the man, who was called Tim, spoke.

“She’s alright. She’s in intensive recovery, but will make it thanks to you.”

Once I had confirmed the doctor was alright, I closed my eyes again, letting the rest of the night replay in my memory.

“After I found her, Joker taunted me. I chased him further in the old building, and we fought. I almost didn’t make it-”

The red helm of Red Hood popped back into my mind’s view again, watching the memory of our fight unfold. Yet, my lips remained sealed about his involvement to honor our agreement, continuing on with a slight exaggeration of the truth.

“-Somehow I beat him, but then Caedes took him. He’s gone now...”

I opened my eyes, looking at the others in front of me. Frustration at my failure to stop her scattered across me for a brief moment. Both Barbara and the man remained confused, unsure of who I mentioned.

“Caedes? Who is Caedes?”

Tim spoke almost frantically, looking to me for answers. Barbara remained silent, awaiting my response.

“She’s the one behind all of this. She brought Joker and the others back to life.”

“How can she do that? Bringing someone back from the dead isn’t exactly something that happens around here.”

Barbara inquired, looking up at the large bald man. Wringing my hands, I answered her question.

“She’s not human… She’s this being, a gatekeeper of sorts. Overseeing and embodying murder and bloodshed. She can bring them back somehow. The criminals who’ve done the worst of the worst… Because of her power and the crimes these people have committed, she has a claim to them. And she’s doing it to try and kill me. I have a similar being inside of me, called Mortis. His jurisdiction is death. That’s how I’m able to do what I can... With his power, any death I cause makes her stronger, because in a way it ties the both of them together and fuels her. But since I’m not actively trying to kill anyone, it’s weakening her… So her goal is to kill me so Mortis can reincarnate into someone who will.”

Tim and Barbara remained silent, taken aback by the information I revealed. The expression on Barbara’s face scrunched up, as if she were deep in thought. Her partner sighed, looking down at the ground while he contemplated what to say next. His eyebrows raised as soon as he knew what to ask.

“Anything else you can tell us about this new threat? Any weaknesses… strengths?”

I nodded slowly, recalling my fight with the red woman just weeks before.

“Yeah, but you aren’t going to like this... She can’t be touched by human hands or weapons. The only way I made contact with her was when I was in form. I managed to cut her with the claws I have. She’s otherwise untouchable.”

“Well. At least that gives us something… You said the thing inside you is similar to her. How can we trust it?”

The man kept asking question after question, almost as if interrogating me.

“Tim… We agreed-”

Barbara started to cut him off, but he only responded back to her with a gentler tone.

“I know, Barb. But this is just a precaution. I trust her, but I need to know if there is any possibility of her entity going haywire. If Batman were here he’d do the sam-”

Shaking my head, I spoke up to interrupt his thought.

“There’s no chance. Mortis is tied to me, and me alone. I thought before he was a loose cannon I couldn’t control, but I learned that wasn’t true-”

I then took the time to explain my abilities to the three of them. As I told them about Mortis, they listened intently to each tale about his past and how him being attached to me put me in the driver’s seat of these abilities. I took the time to own up to my mistakes in the past, detailing how my fear and Caedes’ influence made me confused as to what was going on. How my accidental killings were the work of my ignorance of who he was, not the act of a monster within me. The more I explained, the more they understood. As I finished my piece, I sighed with a heavy breath.

“He’s not a monster. If anything, he’s what’s going to help us stop Caedes.”

Lucius walked over beside me, staring at me with intrigue. I could tell his interests about Mortis were peaked, and I dreaded what tests he could be conjuring up in his head.

“Remarkable… A timeless, inhuman being bound to you… It’s something that’s never been heard of before! The things he might have seen. The things he could tell us-”

“Yeah, we’ll ponder that later Lucius… Right now there’s a greater threat out there. We need to prepare for it. Look… Sarah-”

Tim seemed to reel Lucius in for the time being, before turning to me. By the look in his narrow eyes, I could tell he was about to inquire about something serious.

“I know you’ve been through Hell, and it’s a lot to put on you especially with you not even being in the fight for more than a year. But if what you say is true, then you might be the only person who could prevent more lives lost to this Caedes… Are you going to be up for the task? Because we can handle it if you aren’t…”

I could see the worry in his eyes, despite how he tried to hide it. Part of him seemed to know that chances of beating this were slim without my help. I hated to see him worry, because the answer to me was obvious. I had already made a promise to stop Caedes, as I fled Arkham with my life on a string. He seemed to think this encounter spooked me enough to want to back out.

He was surely mistaken, I thought.

“I’m more than up for it, Robin-”

I said, inhaling slowly before speaking again.

“I have to be. I’m not going to let Caedes hurt anyone else. I’m the reason she’s out there to begin with. I’ll make sure to put an end to this…”

Tim seemed surprised to hear me call him by his moniker, but brushed it aside. After a brief silence, he managed to crack a small smile. His relief seemed to untense his shoulders, and a hand slowly extended towards me.

“Then welcome to the team, Entity… You won’t be going at this alone. We’ll make sure you get the support you need to see this through.”

My heart seemed to skip a beat with a sense of pride at his words. It seemed like just yesterday I was facing his gaze of doubt and distrust on the rooftops of Gotham. Now, I was being welcomed officially to the effort to keep Gotham safe.

I had earned their trust now.

My hand firmly grasped his, and as we shook, I accepted the invite. I turned to see Barbara smiling as well. A slender pale hand reached up at me from her side. Shaking her hand, I thanked them both, my gratitude spilling from my lips.

“Thank you both… I won’t let you down.”

___

After a few hours of meeting, the four of us came up with a gameplan. Once I was fully healed, I’d train. Not only physically, but I’d be mentally prepared as well. Different files were pulled for me to look into. Tim and Barbara weren’t taking any chances, and they agreed I needed to be ready for any foe from the past or present. While I recovered, I would be studying up on the criminals most likely to join Caedes’ ranks. More than ready for the task, we disbanded for the evening, agreeing to meet back in the future once I was stronger. A little piece of me was happy I would be going into this more prepared than before. For the first time, I felt like I had full support in this trialing time.

Once I crossed the threshold of the apartment, Bill hopped out of the kitchen to greet Sydney and I with open arms. Smiles stretched across our faces as we saw each other again. Any and all troubles I felt throughout the day melted away as we three embraced. Bill’s arms wrapped around us, and not a word was shared between us. As if Bill knew the tension we both felt, he knew the serious, empathetic silence was what we all needed. Even though he knew nothing of what transpired, he knew whatever we were feeling was a burden on both Sydney and I. While we hugged, I couldn’t help but feel my heart grow with one realization.

This was my family, I thought. Here, in their arms, I hugged what I knew now was my family. Something I never had before, and something I most likely wouldn’t get the luxury to enjoy anymore. I took it all for granted back then, and now when my eyes were open the time was too late to enjoy. We sat to have dinner, and it contained the usual antics of Bill’s dramatic flares and Sydney’s disapproving smiles. Unusually quiet through it all. I let it all sink in. Though I lost so much in my life, I gained more than I ever wanted living with the Delgatos. With the fleeting hope within me, I couldn’t help but feel strange sitting at the table. A sinking feeling invading my heart told me these wholesome, heart-filled moments would be the last. In a world of darkness, little flickers of lights like this would only fade. I promised myself I would try to cherish them now before they vanished in my new life of dark clouds and peril. Smiling weakly, I excused myself from the table, leaving to go to the room I hadn’t been inside for weeks. I could see Bill and Sydney exchange concerned glances, but nonetheless they let me go.

Silently, I walked into the small room I called my own, closing the door gently. Numbness spread into me again, as I walked around the space. My fingertips traced the tan brick walls lightly, while chills of the past seemed to crawl up my spine. I looked around the room, and it occurred to me that the room I had was once occupied by Sydney and Bill’s daughter. Now, I stood in her place, living with the ghost of her. I couldn’t help but imagine her, playing in this small room with dolls and toys. Happy and loved, her life was full. Until it was stolen from her, by the Joker and his cruel games. My mind flooded to my own experience with the clown, clenching my fists to endure the memory of what I had gone through and witnessed.

“I’ll stop them…”

I whispered out, looking out of the window into the cloudy night. Though I had made the promise before, this time it was to Sydney and Bill. To the daughter now underground, resting in peace. Part of me felt some form of guilt. Joker’s body was now nowhere to be found, and the feeling of his return wasn’t one I could shake away.

He’d be back, I thought. So would the others Caedes had enlisted to kill me. I knew no matter what, I’d fight to be ready for them.

My thoughts turned to my past as I sat down on my bed. I curled my knees towards my chest, letting the cold feeling of isolation fill me. It was almost maddening, and I pondered how I made it through all those years in solitary. Making up daydreams seemed childish now, as I now knew they would never come true. It seemed as if I had no one to turn to in order to talk through these vast, empty emotions I felt. No one to help me through the fear of this crushing responsibility and the failure I couldn’t afford. I decided against turning to Sydney and Bill out of fear I’d back out of this life mission. With my options slim, I had one thing left to get me through this. One thing I misunderstood for so many years. Someone that had been there since the beginning, and something I took for granted.

Whispering out, I reached for my only lifeline.

“Mortis… Are you there?”

Silence filled the room after my question. For a second, I lost all hope. I thought I was truly alone. That was, until-

“I’m here, dear one…”