Riddle Me This

I woke up alone, but I wasn't scared. It was day time outside, and I smiled. Sitting up, I stretched, and got out of bed, entering the bathroom. I caught sight of myself in the mirror and stopped what I was doing. I looked into the big reflective surface at this person I didn't recognize. She was tall, pale, and had long flowing brown hair. I slowly walked up to the mirror, determined to figure out why it wasn't me that I was looking at. Touching the cold surface, I jumped back.

It was real.

I didn't look like this!

Touching my face, I felt the smooth skin of it and panicked. This wasn't my face! Tears filled my eyes as fear swelled within me as I thought of Scarecrow and what he would do if he saw me without my face. I turned around and started searching the bathroom for my face, moving back into the bedroom, ripping the sheets off of the bed and throwing the pillows across the room. I opened and closed the drawers in the walk in closet, and of the wardrobe, but I couldn't find it. The tears came more increasingly, and I was soon in hysterics.

Walking back into the main room, I saw three men I didn't know looking at me. I stopped what I was doing and hid my face with my hands, "Don't look at me!"

"Bethany," said one of them, and I had a feeling of sort of snapping back to my self, "Bethany, are you okay?"

Looking up, I saw Bruce and I broke down again. He held me to him and said to Alfred, "Please call Dr. Grey?"

"Yes, Master Wayne. Of course."

Bruce let us fall to the floor, him cradling me to him. The sound of Dick coming over came and he said, "Bruce.... Is there anything I can do?"

"Could you get a glass of water, and her breakfast?"

"Yeah, of course."

He left, and it was the two of us. "Bethany, it's okay.... I have you in my arms, you're fine. I love you so much." I clutched the front of his shirt, feeling comfort flow through me as he continued to whisper to me, letting me know that he was there for me, and that he wasn't going to go anywhere. Dick and Alfred came back, Dick setting the plate and the glass down next to us, and I sat up a bit, sitting in Bruce's lap. He handed me the plate and I whipped my eyes as I turned to Dick.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I'm sorry you have to see me like this."

He shrugged, "It's okay. It's not something you can help."

I gave a small laugh and said, "It shouldn't happen now."

"Bethy, it's okay," said Bruce, "It's going to take a while for this to get passed this."

I ate some of my breakfast, and drank some of the water, and I began to feel better. My therapist came in, and we moved out into the gardens. We sat down at one of the tables, and he started by asking what had happened.

(Bruce's P.O.V)

It took them well over two hours to come to terms with what happened. I sat with Dick in the dining room watching them as we finished our breakfast. I was worried about Bethany. She hadn't had a relapse this awful for a while. I took a sip from my coffee, and Dick asked, "So... what happened with the Scarecrow?"

I frowned for a moment, then said, "Do you remember reading articles about the attack that Scarecrow and the Joker did last year?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember the fourth person who was working with them?"

"Yeah... Raven?"

I nodded, looking at Bethany I said, "She's Raven."

When Dick didn't say anything, I turned to look at him. He was obviously shocked. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was dropped. Finally he managed, "Be-Bethany is Raven?"

I nodded, "The Scarecrow had her under a drug he made that caused her to be in a perpetual state of delusion. He brainwashed her into thinking that she was Raven, and only Raven. It took a long time to convince her that she was Bethany..... She's been slowly recovering ever since. This is the worst relapse she's had in a while."

Dick looked at Bethany, and said, "Wow.... That's horrible."

"She had hard times before then too. The Joker threw her off of Gotham bridge, and killed her mother."

"He killed her mother?"

I nodded.

"That's awful.... How did the Scarecrow get close enough to her?"

"He was dating her."

Dick dropped his fork, letting it clank against his plate, "You let that happen?"

"He was apart of this program that Arkham was doing. They were trying to reform some of the inmates. Give them therapy to get to the bottom of their actions, then help them function in society. Crane was one of the more cooperative, and was doing well. Then he started dating Bethany, and it all went to hell. But... at the time... I thought dating her would help him further progress."

Dick frowned, "You blame yourself, don't you?"

I nodded.

"You can't do that. You couldn't have known."

"No... but I should have. As Batman, I should have been three steps ahead of the Joker."

Dick smiled a bit, "We were never three steps ahead of the Joker. Just two steps behind."

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Do you have any idea who this new guy is?"

"No.... But are you sure you're ready for him?"

He nodded, "Yes."

I nodded in response, "When she's finished, I'll have Alfred watch her while we go to Gordon."

"Okay," he said, "He's Commissioner now? I remember when he was lieutenant."

"It happened last year."

"Oh. Remind me to congratulate him."

I nodded.

Bethany and Dr. Grey came in from the gardens and she was smiling. I felt a weight lift off of my heart when I saw her, glad that she wasn't sad anymore. She sat next to me, and Dr. Grey sat across from me when I asked him to sit down. He smiled and said, "Bethany is fine. She just had a little scare, triggered by a conversation yesterday."

I felt myself cringe. I had said his name. I did this.

"However, she's okay. She knows who she is, and she'll be fine. She needs to just take it easy today, and not do anything."

She smiled, "I'm thinking of inviting Ronnie over, and watching a movie. Is that okay?"

I smiled at her and kissed the top of her head, "Yes. Anything for you, love."

She smiled, and leaned her head against my shoulder.

"You're surrounded by great supporters," said Dr. Grey. Turning to Dick, he said, "I need to talk to you."

Dick nodded and they left the table, talking in a corner. Turning to Bethany, I asked, "What movie are you going to watch?"

"I don't know.... It's whatever she wants to watch, really."

"Not you?"

"Well. I'll put in my usual choice of Much Ado About Nothing, but I don't think she's gonna go for it."

"That's because no one likes Shakespeare."

She frowned at my joke, but gave me a quick kiss before Dr. Grey and Dick came back.

"Alright, well, since everything is okay here, I'll be off," Dr. Grey waved before being escorted out by Alfred, "Remember to take it easy!"

"I will!" Bethany gave him a smile before he left, and she turned back to her coffee.

"Dick and I are going to be out for a bit.... Are you going to be okay?"

"I have Alfred here, and I'll be with Ronnie. It's going to be okay." She gave me a very convincing smile, and I smiled back.

Giving her a kiss, I said, "I love you."

"I love you too. Go kick some bad guy's ass."

I smiled, and Dick and I went to the Bat Cave.