Closer Than Your Shadow

Everybody's Scared To Die

November 23rd 2:14 a.m.
Gotham
12th street

Everything was happening in slow-mo. My vision was still a little foggy and my head tried to put the pieces together but I couldn't.

I didn't know why I was surprised my low iron wouldn't mix well with crashing out of windows.

A few cop cars were parked in front of the store with their sirens blaring. I could hear slivers of the officers shouts.

I stayed on my hands and knees as I watched him twitch. He started to mumble something. His body was a jumble of black shapes mushed together and I couldn't stop blinking, sort of hoping he'd disappear every-time I opened my eyes again. He pushed himself up and I moved back but I didn't have any where else to go. I was already against the wall.

He didn't pay me any attention, he stumbled to the edge of the roof and watched the cops work.

"Are you cut?" he asked as he turned towards me. I almost laughed, but I coughed instead.

"You just choked me and broke me out of a fucking window! Are you fucking stupid?" I yelled at him. I was grateful the sirens were loud enough to drown out my voice.

"Do you want me to take you down there?"

"Fuck no!" I yelled at him. Then it all clicked. "Wait you aren't going to take me down there?"

Was I about to die? Was Robin going to be the one to kill me?

"Is that what you want? You want to go to jail?"

I didn't answer.

Obviously, I didn't want that. Why was he asking all these stupid questions?

I was going to die at the hands of this psychopath.

Oh god.

An ambulance shot down the street and it's siren echoed up to us.

Danny needed help. Now that I thought about it a lot of people were bleeding and curled up in weird positions.

"If you can't keep this to yourself, I'll find you and take you to the cops."

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone it was me, and I'll let you stay in whatever evil lair you came out of, alright?" He walked along the edge of the building's roof. "I didn't mean to. I-," He turned to face me again. "I didn't know it was you." Then he jumped.

I ran to where he dropped. I was half expecting to see a dark figure of Robin squashed on the asphalt. But he just vanished.

I looked around the roof as the sirens rang.

The flashing lights lit everything in a purplish glow and I stood there for a second. I watched the shadows dance off the bricks of the surrounding buildings before I ran down the fire escape in the dark, it didn't take me long to get to my apartment. Everything in Gotham was smushed together.

I slipped through my front door and locked it behind me.

My whole body was sticky from running home and I peeled off my bulky black sweatshirt to get in the shower.

I stared at the white tiles as hot water stung my throat. I didn't mind it, I'd rather it burn then ache.

The whole night was a disaster, every minute of it. Flying through the window was just like the car crash. Just as fast and forceful. But that wasn't even the worst thing.

A flash of Robin wrapping his hands around my throat seared behind my eyes. I turned the water off and leaned against the wall as steam curled around me. I always put it the hottest it would go. Even if it hurt. Most times I'd have to go lay down and catch my breath after.