Falling || Scarecrow

Ch.7

"So Ms. Gardner, why would you like to apply as a nurse at Gotham General?"

"I've studied psychology and have degrees in medical. I was once a doctor at Arkham, till the breakout happened and I was fired. Just because of how I look. And I thought about applying here." She paused. "I like helping people, so I guess that's my answer."

Dr. Claus nodded kindly at her. He was an older man in his forties and had a slight white beard like Santa Claus. Which was quite amusing with his last name. "I say we'll give you a week, and decide then to keep you as a nurse."

Maria smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I really needed this."

He held out his hand as he stood and she shook it once she also stood.

"You start next week Tuesday."

"Thank you." She said again.

...

When she arrived home, it was after five, and already getting dark. She had just opened the front door and closed it, when she heard a rustle from the bedroom.

Maria's heart leaped into her throat as she grabbed a taser she kept in a flower pot near the door. She walked quietly to the bedroom, and let out a relieved breath as she realized the window was open. She must've forgotten to close it.

"Ms. Gardner."

She whirled around and pressed a button on the taser. It didn't affect the Batman though, as it clung to his thick body armor. He slowly ripped them off, and she dropped the taser in shock.

"W-why are you here?" She stuttered. Had he figured out she was working with Jonathan. But why wasn't he recovering like Jonathan said?

"I need to know why the Scarecrow abducted you, and how you were able to escape."

Maria knew she wasn't a good liar, so she decided to do half truths. "He abducted me to be bait. Only wanting you to come after him, and then... He let me go. I haven't seen him sense."

He frowned. "Are you sure that was it?"

She nodded.

He kept frowning, but eventually gave a slight nod. "If you see any sign of the Scarecrow again, contact Commissionor Gordon in the police department. He'll be able to reach me."

Maria nodded again as she picked up her fallen taser and fiddled with it, head lowered. When she looked up again, Batman had disappeared.

She ran to the window just as the caped crusader leapt over her fence on the right side. She heard the grumble of an engine and light flooded the side. The growling of the engine soon faded, and all was still like the Batman was never here.

But she decided not to pretend nothing had happened and quickly packed her clothes and her precious belongings. Luckily everything fit into one medium sized suitcase, that looked like it had been through countless beatings. But it held as she put it in her car.

Maria turned the keys in the ignition and backed out of the driveway. It was only when she started to drive down the road, that she actually realised she had left her first home. If it wasn't for Jonathan, she would never have left.

...

When she knocked on the door to Jonathan's building. Silence answered. So she pulled out the key and opened the door. No screaming was heard, no bashing. She was surprised when she looked through a slot, nobody was there. She repeated this process until she had looked through all the cells. Nobody was there.

She shook off a feeling of unease and went to Jonathan's lab. She was releaved to see all his lab equipment and journals. He probably had took her advice to go home and rest, if he had somewhere else that is.

Maria turned and entered the small room with the threadbare couch and a bookshelf full of classics. She ran a finger over the binds lightly, and frowned at the dust that coated her finger.

She sighed as she fell back on the couch. Bored, and was unamused to see a small black spider on the wall. She was repulsed when it started to climb up the wall, but then was fascinated as it disappeared through a crack in the wall, that looked suspiciously like a secret cubby hole.

Maria got up and went to the crack, gripping and pulling until the square piece of wall swung outwards. She contained a scream as the spider landed on her arm. She reacted quickly and flicked it off, then repeated to stomp on it till she was sure it was dead. She shuddered in disgust.

Once her breathing had settled, she turned back to the wall. She was right about it being a cubby hole. It went a foot back and a foot up. Inside lay some pictures and three journals. Praying Jonathan wouldn't come back soon, she lifted the items out and set them on the couch. She started with the photographs.

The first was a young woman with brown hair and twinkling brown eyes. She wore a summer dress, and the background was a field of straw. A mansion loomed dark and eery beyond the straw. She looked back at the woman's face and recognized the smile. It was Jonathan's. This was his mother.

And sure enough on the back it read a date and the name Karen Keeny.

"Karen Keeny." She muttered. Then suddenly remembered her mother telling her the story of her friend,

Her mother and her huddled in Maria's closet. Her father had locked them in, and left for work an hour earlier.

She leaned against her mother who gently combed Maria's hair with her fingers.

"Want me to tell you a story?"

She nodded. "Tell me about your best friend."

Her mother smiled tight lipped. "When I first lived in Georgia, I met my soon to be best friend when I went to school. Her name was Karen Keeny and we did everything together. She also helped me get through a bad breakup once.

"But one day she met a guy called Gerald Crane. When I first met him, I knew their relationship wouldn't work. Yet Karen ignored my warnings and protests. When I eventually moved to Gotham, we hardly talked. The end."

"Do you wonder what happened to her?" Maria asked.

"Sometimes... I just hope she is happy and married to a good guy. Maybe she'll do better than I did."

Maria shook her head at the vivid memory. She set the photo down and looked at the second one.

She recognized Jonathan right away as a young teenager next to a frail looking old lady, that had a look of madness about her. The Jonathan in the photo looked afraid of the lady next to him.

She subconsciously brushed the photo with her fingertips, wanting to know Jonathan more. But she set it aside and looked at the last one. It was a picture of the mansion again, but now abandoned.

Half the roof had crumbled in on itself. The yard was full of weeds and the front door looked like it was about to fall off. And on the chimney of the house was a crow.

It was staring at the camera. It was staring at her.