Holding On

Gotham’s Commissioner sat at his desk, as he looked at a case file from 1995 and held up a picture of a little girl who hasn’t been found. Her hair was long, wavy, and a dark shade of brown. Her eyes were grey, and her skin was pale white. The girl in the picture looked happy, yet her eyes were terrified. For 13 years, he had his eyes open for her.

He sighed and sat back on his chair, as he ran his hand off the desk to his lap, making his files and documents fall.

“Shit.” He cursed, sliding back and getting on his knees to pick them up.

As he did, he picked up the photo of Anna and then saw the paper with Melinda on it. He glanced at the two seeing something that made them so much alike.

“Gordon.”

“Jesus!” Gordon jumped and realized it was, “Batman? What are you doing here? You know we’re out looking for you,”

“Listen Gordon… Joker is up to something,”

“When is he never?”

“I have a feeling its going to be big. Have your men keep their eyes peeled.”

And then he was gone. Thought Batman is still wanted, he knew the truth. And he would always trust Batman.

…

His eyes snapped open. The dark ceiling was grey and dirty. He stared up at it instead of the 12 year old girl. He growls and crawls out of his loped sided bed. He cracked his back and shuffled towards the bathroom. He grabbed the can of temporary green hair color and sprayed it viciously around his hair then set it down on the counter and washed his face. The hot water felt nice against his skin, the steam fogged the mirror when he looked up. He whipped the fuzzy clear coat off the glass to stare back at a tired, young, yet older man with horrible rough scars on each cheek that reminded him of that day and what he was. He told many stories about them…His father (which was semi-true) and his wife, though he never was married. But he had someone. And she was now in the next room. He could remember how scared she was of him. How afraid, frightened, how petrified she was, that made him tear up inside. The whole process of becoming the criminal he is today became a blur.

Disgusted with his reflection. His bare tanned skin and dark circles, and the dark brown eyes staring back at him—mocking him. He snarls and threw a punch at himself as he stormed out of the room and left the shattered shards on the sink and floor. The minute he slammed the door behind him, a fly buzzed in front of his face. He swatted at it, but it circles around and buzzed in his ear. He swung his hand in that direction and started slapping the air. The fly flew by him and landed on the table next to him. He slammed his hand on the table and waited, before slowly pulling his hand away. No fly. He heard it’s buzzing in the room, it almost sounded like it was laughing. Even after these years.

He still couldn’t kill a fly…

…

I was sat up from the bed with an enormous headache. I touched my forehead and immediately hissed feeling a painful sting. Lightly, I touched it again and felt two stripes holding my wound together. That damn goon. I would love to choke him out!

I need to pee. Really bad! I still stink as well. I went to the bathroom that had a nasty tub filled with slim, rust, and dead/live roaches and flies. The toilet was broken so it doesn’t flush and it was just slime and dirty. The water was brown, and the smell was revolting. But for as long as I been here, my sense in smell was shot. For toilet paper, I ripped a small piece of the bed sheet to wipe my ass with. After I finished I returned to my cell, and as I did; the door opened and in came the Joker. Bastard.

“Bravo on that broadcast!” I clapped my hands, “What’s next? Crashing a TV show? Let’s see… Myth Busters? Prison Break? Two and a Half Men? How about hijacking a Lady Gaga concert?”

“Ohhh, dollface. Don’t start putting ideas into my head.”

I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes. “So, what is your ‘plan’ for today, Mistah J” I mocked Harley’s voice.

He looked annoyed and almost crossed his eyes from it, but he grins, “Oh, that you don’t have to worry your pretty little head. Today, however,” he opens the door and leaves, wanting me to follow. I do, and at the left of the hall he opens another door and looks at me. Hesitantly, I approach and appeared inside to see a cleaner looking bathroom. With nothing in the tub. “you need a bath. You stink.”

“Oh, thank you so much.” I said sarcastically and looked for a towel. When I turn to look at the Joker he giggles and leaves.

‘No towel. Okay. What about clothes? Nope. No clothes? Okay, gross.’

I really hope I’m not talking to myself out loud without knowing. That would give the clown a reason to ‘break’ me more. I shut the door and see no lock. Great. I cautiously took off my clothes, listening for footsteps in case he came back. I turned on the tub, and brown water started coming out.

’Please go clear, please go clear, please go clear!’

The water soon became clearer as I quietly muttered a ‘yay’ before plugging the drain and filled it up. I looked for some kind of soap and found a beige bar of soap and liquid soap. I could get a bubble bath with the liquid and wash myself with the other. I squirted the liquid soap where the water came out and bubbles started to foam and it smelled nice. I’ll surely smell that disgusting bathroom again, for sure. When it was filled, I stuck my hand in the water to see how hot it was before getting in. The bubbles surrounded me like walls. The hot water felt nice on my sore muscles and stung on my cuts. I dunked my head in the water, washing out all the dirt, and used the bar of soap to wash my hair, arms, torso, legs, and face then rinsing it off. Then I just laid there. He never told me how long I can take in here; it’s been half an hour. I’m probably a prune. I stared at the wall across from me and stuck my foot up in the cold air. The bubbles were decreasing and I could hear the millions of tiny bubbles popping in my ear. Sighing, I slid down and went completely underwater.

As I opened my eyes to see the ceiling, blurry and wavy. The room started to change into a bathroom I once knew. Then I saw him appear. Looking down at me with those big brown eyes and his long wavy blonde locks. He was wearing his favorite red button up shirt and jeans. He smiled down at me. I missed that smile. He looked so happy. So bright and ready to take on the world. He was an angel. His cheeks were smooth with no sign of gashes on ether side. I returned a smile as I saw him chuckle. I wanted to touch him. I reached my hand out of the water to feel the cold air touch my warm, wet skin. But he made no move. He just stared at me. Then he suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me out.

I gasped for air that I didn’t realize at the moment that I needed it.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Trying to drown yourself?! You should know by now; that’s my job.” That annoyed high pitched voice said while he wrapped me in a towel, that I thought he didn’t have as my head started spinning and my eye sight started fading.

“Jack…” I cooed.

“What did you say?” he felt him stop rubbing me dry and looked at me.

I never answered. I just blacked out.

…

“Well children…” Chuckles Riddler, “Interested?”

The new goons Riddler picked up from Gotham jail, looks at each other. One with black shoulder length hair looks up at the man in the faded green suit and sneers.

"Why?" Asks the one ith black hair.

“Too put a good name in our society.” Quotes Two Face from the corner of the room, flipping coin.

“I…I thought you were dead?” stutters a chubby goon stood up.

“Ha! It’s gonna take a lot more for Batman to kill me.”

“Fuck me…” mutters a ginger head.

“Please, gentlemen. Think it over. There’s not much you can really say in this. Ether; you’re in. Or you out…Though, if you are out; you’ll most likely will not walk out that door alive.” The Riddler giggles as he pointed at the door.

“But don’t see how we can just go up against that—“the fat man struggles to say,

“Oh contraire, big boy. We have a fantastic group going on here, don’t we Two?”

“Indeed.”

“I’ve killed 5 people wi' naw problem: but dat guy scares de shoite outta me! Makes me skin crawl every time Oi tink aboyt it, Oi tell ye.” says the ginger head with his Irish accent.

“Uh-huh! That makes two of us! Just take me back to jail, man! I’d rather be rotting in a cell than—“

He shreiked as a long knife was against the man’s chubby under chin ready to slice into it. The fat man looked down at the bare arm to see tally marks all over it.

“You pissed yourself.” The stranger spoke darkly into his ear.

The Fat man indeed pissed himself, as a puddle began to form under his foot. The stranger pushed the goon down and came out from the shadows.

“I warned you, big boy. Now look who you got to deal with as we continue our discussion.”

“Wait! Please, I’ll help!”

“Ah, ah, ah! You said you’d rather be rotting in a cell then help. Can’t go back on your word now. I think Zsasz here would like to add another mark to his collection.”

“No! NO! WAIT—“the stranger, Zsasz cut in off by covering his mouth and dragging him back in the shadows.

“Come here little piggy…” they heard Zsasz say before slicing and dicing the guy.

“Little piggy…I should use that next time.” Grins The Riddler and turns to the Irish ginger head. “You want to join him, laddie?” he mocks his accent.

The ginger head said nothing.

“Now we’re a man short.” Says Two Face,

“Ahhh….” He removes his hat and rubs his scalp while leaning on his cane before placing it back on his head. “Shit…”

“What about a woman?” A Boston high pitched accent echoes.

“Ohhh Harley… How long have you been standing there, love?”

She smirks. “Long enough.”

…

During the nights. Bruce decided he would portal the city for any connection with Harley, Riddler, and especially The Joker. Oh, how he would love to wrap his hands around that psycho’s neck!

Poor Melinda. She looked horrible on the news. He prayed that she was still alive. You can say that Bruce had developed feelings for her, even if they’ve only known each other for a few days. But the way she listened and gave him sympathy after he told her about his parents and how they died and how she told him that she lost her memory and lost everything in a fire. As much as he wished Joker wouldn’t have intruded. He would have gotten the chance to ask Mel on a date.

He would find her somehow.