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The Raven's Call	By : AsylumWritings Category: DC Verse Comics > Batman Views: 433 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman/DC Comics, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Insanity is everyone expecting you not to fall apart when you find out everything you believed in was a lie. Shannon L. Alder
“I’ll be out all evening, but I ordered you some food for dinner. It’ll be here soon.” Oz said, walking past me.
“Aw, thank you!” I watched him, turning to lean over the back of the couch. “I was going to cook, but I’m just not feeling it today.”
He bent over to kiss me, not letting go until I could barely breathe. “I’m sorry that I have to go out.”
“Don’t be. You’re important, and I can entertain myself for a night.” I brushed some fluff off his jacket. “Wake me up when you get home.”
He nodded, pressing another kiss to my forehead, then headed towards the door.
“I love you!” I called after him.
“I love you too.” He turned, blowing me another kiss.
Sitting back on the couch properly, I turned on the TV. There wasn’t really much on, but I was tired, and didn’t really want to think, so I figured anything is better than nothing.
I was just getting sucked into watching Taken for the hundredth time, when I heard a knock on the door. I jumped up, hungry, and headed over, opening it. Thankfully, it was my food and a bottle of wine, and it smelled so good.
I settled back down on the couch to eat, a glass of wine on the table. Oz had sent my favourite, satay noodles, and I ate quickly. As I sat back with my second glass of wine, I saw something strange out of the corner of my eye.
Standing up, I looked around to find a red patch on the carpet. I hesitated, anxiety slowly sneaking up on me. I took a step towards it, but suddenly the floor seemed to fall away from me, and I stumbled, landing hard on what felt like concrete. It was so dark, and I could barely see.
I panicked, my mind clouding as I desperately tried to work out where I was and what was happening to me. Crawling forward, I yelped when my hand touched something wet. Out of nowhere, it was like the lights switched back on and I saw what I had touched.
“No… No.” I whispered to myself over and over as I watched the blood drip from my fingers.
I scrambled to my feet, wiping my hands on my shorts.
Brianna… I heard a familiar voice say. It was coming from behind me, but I really didn’t want to turn around for fear of what I would see.
Brianna, please. The ghostly voice tried again, and I turned, finding my dad standing there.
“D…Dad?” I stammered, not trusting my eyes.
“Come on, Bee. We’re going to be late!” He gestured for me to follow him.
I didn’t want to follow him, because I knew exactly what day this was. I’d been living it over and over, in my dreams, in my thoughts, ever since. But I couldn’t stop myself. It was like something was forcing me forward, towards that moment.
I took hesitant steps, trying to prolong my time beside him, even as the tears began to fall and the dread began to build in the pit of my stomach. I was terrified to watch this again, but whatever was happening was clearly going to make me.
“We’re nearly there.” Dad said.
“Dad, don’t.” I whispered, but he didn’t hear me.
He kept walking, even as I hesitated again, until he passed the pizza shop. When I saw the sign, I ran forward, thinking that maybe I could stop it. But as I got close, I realised I was too late. The all-too familiar crack of the bullet flying past, the spray of my father’s blood on my face, and I watched him hit the ground.
I began to scream, my hands shaking as I fell to my knees. Someone grabbed me, pulling me back, away from him.
“Get off me!” I lashed out at them, scrambling back over to Dad.
As I cried even harder, his eyes suddenly snapped open. Screaming again, I fell back, watching in terror as he sat up.
“You betrayed me…” He wheezed, blood bubbling from his mouth.
“No… No, I didn’t!” I managed to get up, running past the crowd of people.
But then he was in front of me, blood on his face.
“You knew… the whole time… You still… dated him.”
“No, I swear.” I turned to run the other way, but there he was again.
I kept turning and turning, but no matter which way I faced, he was always there, and he was getting closer and closer.
“Dad, please. You know I would never.” I screamed at him.
He shoved me to the ground. I sat up, shuffling back until I hit the wall. He was right up in my face, and I could almost see through the hole in his head.
I closed my eyes, blocking them with my hands. I just wanted everything to go away, to pretend like I’d never seen Dad die.
Someone grabbed my arms, but I fought them off.
“Don’t touch me!” I shouted.
“Bee, it’s me. You’re safe.” I heard Oz say, in his familiar British accent.
I opened my eyes, finding myself back in the apartment. I couldn’t breathe, just gasping for air as I tried to work out what was going on.
“Deep breaths.” He whispered, brushing my hair out of my eyes.
“It was so real.” I looked around, still shaking. I was exhausted, barely staying awake.
He stood, lifting me up off the floor. I was asleep before he even put me into the bed.
“I need to know where he is!” He snapped at his men.
“We’re trying, Boss.” One of them replied. “But he’s disappeared and no one’s talking.”
He grabbed the man who spoke by his collar, pulling him close. “Then make them talk. Now get out.”
I opened my eyes, uncurling myself from the foetal position I’d apparently slept in. Everything seemed to hurt, but the worst pain was in my head. Between the headache and the fear that was still rattling around in my mind, I was surprised I’d even managed to get any sleep.
The memories of what I’d seen were still vivid in my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t block them out. I got up, changing into some clean clothes, and shakily walked out to the lounge. Oz was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands.
“Oz?” I whispered, not wanting to scare him.
He looked around, then ran over when he saw me. Sweeping me into a hug, he held me tight.
“You’re finally awake.” He didn’t let me go, just kept his arms wrapped around me.
“Finally?” I pulled away a little, looking up at him. “How long was I out?”
“Nearly 36 hours.”
We walked over to the couch, and I sat down.
“What do you remember?” He asked.
I didn’t answer straight away, trying to get my thoughts in order. When I was still quiet, he touched my leg gently.
“Sorry. I’m still trying to make sense of it.” I placed my hand over his. “I was here, eating the dinner you bought me.”
I told him everything, even the part where my dad accused me of betraying him. As I spoke, I saw him getting angrier and angrier, that darkness spreading across his face, but he kept it under control.
“Crane did this.” I traced his fingers.
He nodded. “I know. I’m trying to find him.”
I lay down, my head in his lap.
“Right now, I’m more worried about you.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “Are you feeling better?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
“Whatever he drugged you with was pretty strong. I think it’ll take a while before you fully get over it.”
“I feel tired and sore. But that’s not what’s bothering me.” I sat up again, feeling too restless to stay in one position. “Ever since I found out what Slade did, I have been feeling like I betrayed Dad. Even though I was sure he would understand, I still felt it. When he said it, in that hallucination, whatever it was, it felt like my worst fear was true. Nothing has ever hurt like that.”
“What can I do?”
“I don’t even know what I can do, right now. Outside of finding him and finding out why he did this, I don’t know.” I shrugged, yawning. “I think I should get some more sleep.”
He nodded, helping me up. “Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?”
“Yes, please.”
He held her as she slept, worried that she would have another nightmare. But her face was soft, and she seemed calm, at least for the moment.
A knock on the door distracted him, and he carefully got up, trying not to wake her. Walking out to the corridor, he opened the front door and found Slade there.
“I’ve got something you should see.” Slade said. “Can I come in?”
He nodded, stepping back. They stood in the kitchen, and Slade dropped a file on the bench.
“Crane was seen entering a run-down house on the edge of the city. I checked it out, and it looks like it used to belong to his grandmother, but when she died, it was sold off. Crane purchased it just a few days ago.”
“Good work. I’ll get back to you when I’ve worked out how to deal with this.
“Fuck you!” I shouted, slamming my fist into the punching bag. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Working out my anger, I punched harder and harder. I was tired and frustrated, but if I was going to get back to form, I needed to push myself.
“Are you alright?” I heard from behind me.
I turned to find Butch standing in the doorway. “Pissed off. I keep ending up in these situations where I get hurt, and I don’t seem to be able to do anything about it. I thought that if I was stronger, faster, I could protect myself. But no matter how much I train, no matter how strong I get, I can’t stop it. I just want to know what Crane wants, and why he drugged me.”
“I don’t have answers for you. But I know where you can get some.” He handed me a piece of paper with an address on it. “This is the address of a bar where you can find Doctor Young most nights of the week.”
I gave him a wide-eyed look, shocked. “If I go to her, she’ll have me locked up again.”
“Not likely. Oz had her paid off to look the other way when we rescued you.” He leaned against the wall. “She’s smart enough to realise that turning you in would get her in a world of trouble.”
“Alright. I’ll go see her tomorrow.” I shoved the piece of paper into my pocket, then leaned over to grab my drink bottle. “Thank you.”
Hugging him goodbye, I picked up my bag and headed back home.
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The Raven's Call