Falling || Scarecrow

Ch.3

The rain didn't lighten for another week, until one day dawned with a dark cloud filled sky. Not raining, but not moving. The blanket of clouds stayed still, and didn't shift. But it did make the boat ride to the island where Arkham was, more tolerable.

When the boat neared the docking ramp, and she jumped out. A loud siren was heard as it started to wail through the still air. Maria froze as the two other colleagues that rode with her, started to run back to the boat which was rapidly chugging away. The driver didn't even glance their way as the boat practically flew across the water.

Her colleagues then decided to swim after the boat, and she lost sight of them in the gathering fog. Alone, she decided to go to the asylum to see if any survivors were lucky enough to still be alive. As she swallowed her worry and quickly ran as she stuck to the shadows of the foliage. Diving twice behind a tree to avoid two groups of people clad in orange.

Their wild yells faded as she started to run again. And when she looked back once to see if she was being followed, she ran smack dab into someone.

Falling to the ground dazed, she looked up to see very familiar blue eyes.

"Jonathan?" She whispered.

He roughly grabbed her by the arm and drug her behind a nearby tree, just as a large group of inmates barreled past with blood on their clothes.

"What are you doing here!?" He hissed angrily. "You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"I..." Her voice failed as she collapsed to the ground hyperventilating. She could feel Jonathan still gripping on her arm, but not tightly. She also just could hear his voice speak through her panic.

"Are you on a special medication?" He asked while taking her pulse.

Maria nodded and could hear him mutter something under his breath. "Do you have it with you?"

"No.." She whispered quietly as her eyes closed as she tried to fight the anxiety and fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

He said something again under his breath that sounded like a swearword. But he helped her to stand as he constructed her to lean on him.

"Why are you helping me?" She managed to whisper while they went through Arkham's main doors. No one was around, just wreckage from a lot of furniture. And millions of dirty footprints, and some dried blood.

"Because you're of an interest to me." He finally said. "And the one person that can tell exactly who I am and why I do what I do."

She wearly nodded as they reached their destination. Jonathan opened the door with one hand and guided her in with the other. He helped her to her chair, then quickly locked the office's door.

Maria managed to find her medication in a drawer, and opened it with trembling fingers. She swallowed one pill, and started to relax as a minute went by. She closed her eyes in exhaustion, but jolted up a minute later as a bang sounded from the corridor.

She watched as Jonathan looked out silently and ran a hand through his brown hair in frustration. "Batman's here." He said.

Her eyes widened as she stood up. "You gotta go before he finds you!" She whispered urgently.

He gave her a glance. "Why would you care?"

She shook her head instead of answering. "You helped me, so let me help you."

He hesitated then nodded. "I'll see you again, Maria."

She put her hand on the door handle, but before she turned it, she raised on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you." She said seriously.

Maria watched as his cheeks slightly reddened, and quickly walked out of the office before he could say a word. As she went down the hall, the Batman suddenly came around the corner. She proceeded to change her walk to a limp and pretended to look like she was in pain.

"Please help me!" She cried as he neared. "Some thugs found me and..."

Then she stumbled on purpose, and he quickly lunged forward and caught her.

"Stay calm." He said as he picked her up and ran outside, placing her on the ground as a group of police ran up.

Then he vanished back into the asylum, while she hoped Jonathan made it out alive and well.

...

Maria watched the news with a bored expression as she relayed the days events in her head.

After she was interviewed by the police, they sent her to the hospital of Gotham General where she was deemed fine. Just rest, eat and drink plenty of liquids.

But she refused to sleep as she returned home an hour before midnight. She wasn't tired and didn't know what to do with herself.

Shutting off the TV, she grabbed her coat and shoved her arms through the sleeves as she left her house. Just walking in one direction, passing dirty buildings and shadowy alleyways. She was glad she lived on the fringe of Gotham's slums. Cause the other side started to merge into fields with a house every so while.

She spotted a small cafe, that only looked slightly rundown, and walked in. That's when she realized this was kinda of the mix neighborhood of the rich and poor. Where they all mingled and pretended to be each other.

Ignoring those folks, she ordered a hot beverage and slid into an empty booth. Doodling on a napkin, with a pen she kept on hand.

But she lifted her head as she heard someone slide into the seat in front of her. It was a young man with bleached hair and green eyes. He slid a piece of paper towards her, then got up and left before she could process what had just happened.

Maria grabbed the paper and turned it around. It had one word written down in black ink.

SCARECROW