Sad Burnt Bread

A black motorcycle sat silently on the shadows of an ally that looked out at the bustling Gotham freeway. You sat on the motorcycle wearing all black, your clothes covered every inch of skin. The helmet was the only part that held any design, it had soft white marking, causing a skull-like design.

a small white cat sat between the handlebars, his yellow eyes looked up at you. He held a small paper in his mouth; the paper was crinkled in Marley's mouth, and a soft purr came from him when he dropped it into your hand. He nudged your gloved hand causing you to let out a smile that was hidden behind your helmet. Carefully, you unfolded the paper with one hand while petting him with your other.

'Tessa Ellis, Logan Coleman'

You hummed lightly and scratched behind Marley's ear, "These the last two? Finally, almost done" you huffed. Reaching into your pocket you pulled out a lighter and held it up to the paper. The smell of fire crept threatened to seep through your mask as you watched it burn. Marley settled down in your lap as you kicked the stand to your bike.

Speeding out of the ally, you weaved through traffic. Lights flew past you as your laughter echoed along with Marley's meows. You could hear cars honking as you zoomed past them, you leaned forward and picked up the speed. Marley enjoyed the intense wind as he clung to your jacket with unnatural strength. You turned sharply into a parking lot, and started slowing down.

Your bike came to a stop as you placed your foot on the ground, your other foot kicked the stand. Your legs straddled the bike while you looked up to the name of the building, 'Gotham Arcade' in bright neon letters that were dimmed thanks to your visor. Slowly you swung your leg behind you, climbing off the bike. Marley's paws settled on the ground without a sound as he followed you into the building. Your walk was confident as you made your way through the crowd, your shoulder made contact with a woman slightly pushing her. She turned with a scowl on her face, only inches from your covered one. her mouth opened, ready to voice her annoyance, however her eyes glanced down to the white ball of fluff at your feet.

"Oh! what a cute cat!" The woman said, immediately forgetting her anger. Her voice was high pitched, which caused her friends to turn to the commotion. Carefully she leaned down, gently pushing the hair out of her face to see Marley better. As she was distracted, one of her friends turned to you her blushing and poor attempt at flirting caused you to cringe. Your expression was hidden from her as she continued. you sighed, growing annoyed with the delay, you snapped your fingers. Marley looked up at you before dragging himself away from the woman and climbing up to your leg. He laid down on your shoulder, nuzzling into your covered neck with a purr.

Through the noise you heard a high-pitched laugh that drew your attention, turning to it, your helmet reflected slightly at the neon lighting. A woman stood in front of a brightly lit claw machine, her short blond hair bounced as she squealed and clutched a stuffed animal to her chest, giggling excitedly. A taller man stood next to her and laughed. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. His eyes glazed adoringly at her. Making your way towards them, you felt a smirk form on your face. One word formed in your head: Bingo.

Your steps were measured and precise, boots making an inaudible sound against the dark floor. quietly, you stepped behind them. stopping your movement just behind the man, you placed your hands into the pockets of your black jacket. Your right hand gripped the metal object resting in that pocket.

"Oh, are we blocking your way?" The woman smiled sweetly when she noticed you, her head tilted slightly causing her hair to sway. Slowly the man turned to face you, his hand settling on the woman's waist.

"Tessa Ellis and Logan Coleman, right?" You asked, already knowing their answer. The woman's smile faded slightly, the man's hand gripped her waist harder as she nodded. Although your voice was even and non-threating, the couple still felt unease at a stranger knowing their names.

The dark helmet you wore gave no expression away as Marley meowed in confirmation, target acquired. Without a word you slipped your right hand out of your pocket bringing the object with it.

.....

BANG

Screams erupted around you. The man, Logan, dropped to the ground as blood poured from the bullet wound in his head. Tessa had dropped the stuffed animal as her hands went to her blood covered face; her screams were the loudest of them all. Her trembling knees gave out under her, a thud sounded as her knees hit the floor. She reached for her boyfriend with trembling fingers. Her pleading eyes met the visor of your helmet. A whimper escaped her throat, raw and painful sounding. Without hesitation you fired the gun once more at her. In an instant her body slumped over top of her boyfriend.

Marley jumped off your shoulder right at the couple's feet, his white fur faded into black, and his eyes shined a bright blue. You watched their souls as flowed into Marley, once fully absorbed, Marley returned to his usual white coat and yellow eyes.

You slid the gun back into your pocket while Marley returned to his spot on your shoulder. turning on your heels, you walked back to your bike. Your hand pushed the glass door open, your boots clicking louder now that the civilians have all evacuated. A few feet in front of you stood a man, he had black hair and wore a black suit with a blue bird on his chest that went up his shoulders and down his arms.

Your head tilted causing the moon to reflect on the glass of your visor. The blue bird, as you've decided to call him, held duel escrima sticks that looked to have electricity in them.

You felt Marley shift on your shoulder, he meowed lowly. Glancing at him you noticed his hackles raised before a hiss escaped him.

"You work for Catwoman or something?" The man asked, his eyes narrowed behind his blue domino mask, "no, she doesn't kill unless she needs to. You're new to Gotham, who are you?"

"I'm not supposed to give strangers my name" you teased. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be impressed so you raised your hands next to your head in a surrendering gesture. "We're all done here so I was just taking my leave" you offer, trying to sound innocent. Blue bird pointed one of the sticks at you, further preventing your escape.

His stance shifted slightly "The only place you're going is Arkham Asylum" his tone was flat as he kept his eyes trained on you.

You scoffed and lowered your hands, "Yeah, no thanks blue bird. I'm done so now I'm going home" Marley jumped off you, padding his way to your bike and curled on the spot between the seat and the handlebars. he gave you a look that said, 'come on, let's go' and yawned.

Blue bird looked at you, incredibly offended "BLUE BIRD?! ITS NIGHTWING! NIGHT-WING" he yelled waving his arms around furiously.

"My bad" you apologized honestly however you couldn't contain the laugh at how defensive he got. "I really have to get home, you see my boss would be really mad if I kept his cat out any longer" Marley meowed in agreement from his spot on your bike. However, as you walked past Nightwing he grabbed your arm in a tight grip. Both of you stared at each other through the covers on your faces.

....

You swung your free arm at him, the water on the floor splashing around the two of you as he blocked your hit. his leg kicked the back of yours causing you to fall backwards.

"Shi-" the curse died in your throat as your back hit the pavement, you had kept your grip on his arm trying to make him to fall with you. He, however, had more grace and did a backflip out of your grasp. You huffed in annoyance, trying to get back up. But Nightwing left you no time to get up as one of his escrima sticks made contact with the concrete, right where you shoulder was. Luckly, you rolled to the side before it made contact. You reached one of your hands up and grabbed his arm twisting it causing him to flip over. Using this time, you bolted to your bike and hopped on, startling Marley. You kicked the stand and took off, in that time you heard Nightwing get back up and follow after you. using some kind of grappling hook to follow. Marley climbed into your jacket as you picked up the speed, moving faster than any human would dare. You glanced behind seeing him hot on your trail, your teeth gritted in anger. Nightwing was almost close enough to touch you if he tried. You turned sharply into a pitch-black ally. Seeing Nightwing follow, you used the shadows to guide you away. Slightly using your powers to manipulate the shadows, throwing nightwing off your trail.

The boss is going to be so mad for doing that

You sighed, slowing down in front of an old house on the outskirts of Gotham City. Slowly, you let your bike come to a stop in the shadows and stepped off. With a sigh you reached up, pulling your helmet off you felt sweat line your forehead causing your hair to stick uncomfortably. You reached your free hand to your head and pushed your hair back, A sigh of relief bubbled out of your throat as you placed your helmet on the seat of your bike. Marley jumped off before black mist formed and swallowed the bike whole, leaving no trace behind. Marley ran to the front door; he sat on the old welcome mat and looked over at you. You sighed, walking up the creaking steps of wooden stairs, your hand pushed the door open and Marley dashed inside. You followed him into the dusty living room; an old worn couch sat in front of a fireplace. You let your body fall against the couch as you felt your bones go weak in exhaustion. You were so going to get revenge on Nightwing for making you feel such human emotions.

Suddenly a deep voice came from behind causing you to flinch and slowly turn to the cause. There stood a tall man, he was dressed in a long black cloak with the hood up, casting a shadow over his face. He held a large scythe that even surpassed his height. the same black fog from before filled the room, then the man slammed the bottom of his scythe down clearing most the fog instantly. his head lifted, showing a skull in place of what should've been a face.

Marley ran over to him, purring and rubbing his face on the bottom of the mans cloak.

"Oh, hey boss" you spoke nervously, a hand came to the back of your head as you chuckled "I got the job done"

"You used your powers", He stated plainly causing you to flinch again "You failed this test"

....What?!

you jumped and turned; your hands gripped the top of the couch as you now had your chest pressed against the back of the couch, leaning forward to meet his 'face' halfway.

"What!? But I got it done!" You yelled. Sure, that would probably annoy him even more, but you couldn't fail this test! this was the last one before you could become a full-fledged grim reaper! "Come on boss! I could've gotten away easier if I had the ability to go undetected by humans like you!" to be honest, your argument was ridicules and you knew it. You didn't get such abilities until you finished training. However, you were going to try anyway possible to not fail.

"You will restart the test" He spoke clearly, his voice sounding disappointed. your eyes widened and you shook your head.

"WHAT!? Another 100 souls!?" You yelled; the man only sighed and crossed his arms.

He spoke to you as if you were a child who didn't understand basic words, so in otherwards, condescendingly "You are to claim 100 souls, of which have evaded death, without the use of powers" He huffed "And Marley reported the use of your powers tonight"

Your eyes met Marley's, your betrayed expression was ignored. You groaned loudly "but I technically didn't use any powers on them, it was the blue guy who forced me to use my powers!" You defended. You really did not want to retake this test; it took you four years the first time!

He only shook his head, "That is still counted against you, you're not allowed to use them at any point, even the retreat" you could tell by his voice he was growing annoyed "get comfortable here, your new test will be in the limits of Gotham City since that is where you failed"

Turning away from you he spoke one last time, "You are to blend in with the humans, go to school and do your best to not be suspicious" Your groan went ignored by him "perhaps this may prove to be more useful for your future, if you want to be a successful grim reaper" the black fog returned and surrounded him before dispersing, he and Marley had left you all alone.

You pressed your face into the couch to muffle your yelling, it seems like you're enrolling in Gotham High School...

The bustling of students caused Tim to groan, he had stayed up extra late the previous night and already had three cups of coffee. His head was pounding at all the noise, thankfully it quieted down when the teacher walked in.

"Good morning class, we have a new student" the soft voice of the teacher spoke as she placed a folder on her desk. A figure followed behind her, Tim was immediately enthralled by the man who stood at the front of the class. His headache cleared as all thoughts halted to focus on the man. The teacher turned to the new student, her smile was warm and inviting, "go ahead and introduce yourself" she encouraged softy.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm M/n, I just moved here from Metropolis" Your voice was enthusiastic which contradicted the annoyance you felt at having to do this. The teacher guided you to a seat, right by some guy named Tim.

Tim felt his heart race as you sat next to him and introduced yourself again, this time just for him to hear.

You sighed, not noticing Tim's intense stare as you mentally calculated how long this test would take.

Yeah, you were going to get revenge on Nightwing for this.

Your heart began to race, your hearing became fuzzy, you couldn't breathe. fear shot through you, freezing you in place. Why him? Why HIM!?

No, no, no, NO, NO, NONONONO-

It felt like the world came to a stop when his eyes met yours. It was only a second, but that was enough to add fuel to the hatred. Melting the ice that froze you, you had to leave.

He paused after meeting your eyes, turning from the thugs at his feet to you. He took a step in your direction, reaching his arm out to you. But it was too late, you disappeared like a ghost.

You hurried though the alley ways, it was too soon to fight them. You had to be prepared, then, you would kill them. All of them. Meeting Damian was by chance, but it showed you just how weak you were. Your blood boiled, you wouldn't show weakness like that again.

Daiman looked though the crowd then back to his hand. A soft sigh escaped him. He reached down and grabbed the woman's bag and handed it back to her. Before she could thank him, Damian left. He was going crazy; just how many times is he going to delude himself into thinking you were still alive?

Your bare feet hit the pavement before coming to an abrupt stop. The city light danced through your vision, blurs of colors flashed brightly all around you. People surrounding you, staring AT you, judging you. How dare they!? They have no clue the pain you've gone through, you should just-

"Excuse me, young man?" An elderly woman broke you from your train of thoughts, her soft smile seemed to make all your previous thoughts disappear. "You seem hurt, and your clothes are dirty. are you all right?"

Confused, you turned to a nearby shop window. Oh, that's it. Your hair was a greasy mess, it had grown out longer than before. You were still wearing the white pajamas Dr. Crane gave you. The button-up top was dirty and torn in some spots. The pajama pants were frayed and even dirtier than your shirt, worst of all was your bare feet. You smiled softly at the woman, your eyes taking on a sad look.

"Ah, I apologize for worrying you ma'am. I'm alright, I just ...tripped?". you laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of your neck "silly me". The old woman let out a chuckle, her wrinkly hand reached for yours. Her soft touch almost made you flinch.

"Are you sure you'll make it home ok? This city is quite dangerous" the concern on her face reminded you of your mother. You gently took both of her hands into yours.

"Thank you for the consideration, ma'am. But you don't need to worry, I'll be ok". Your words seemed to make the old lady faulter, she slightly nodded before walking away. That woman helped clear your head and set a proper plan. First, money. You needed weapons ...and some other clothes. But for that, you needed money. When you were younger, you never really thought much about money. It was always accessible, of course you knew it didn't come out of thin air. You were always taught the value of a real job by your mother. However, you didn't have time to get a job and slowly make money, no. You needed money fast. But how? Hold someone for ransom? Rob a bank? No, that would make you to known...

Thats when you saw it. A young woman who looked about as average as could be, if not for your enhanced vision, you wouldn't have seen her pickpocket the businessman she passed. Thanks to the one of the experiments Dr. Crane preformed, you were able to scan the way it was performed. Your eyes landed on an elderly looking woman, busy looking at a shop window. You mimicked the pickpocket's movements exactly, quickly slipping out the woman's wallet. Within the blink of an eye you took out all the cash then placed the wallet back. Once you were far enough you counted the cash, $68. It was... decent, but not enough. Looking around you spotted a few more people who looked like they might have something. You needed much more than this...

Looking down at the cash you let out a sigh. You felt shameful, resorting to such things. your bank account should still be up, unless Bruce canceled it. But you couldn't access it, you're supposed to be dead. You clenched the money tightly in your hand, feeling your mothers disapproving gaze. It had to be done; revenge was all that matters. If you survive past your revenge, then you swore to repay everything you take and more.

By the end of the day, you managed to get $621.

The empty hallways of the manor seemed gloomier than ever before. A soft weeping sound echoed, leading the man further into the empty halls. The man passed many rooms, before stopping at the source of the noise. The door was slightly more extravagant than the rest. It was cracked open, a warm light leaking out into the dark hallway. The man slowly pushed it further open, inside was a large bed, and in the center sat a woman. Her delicate hands covered her face as sobs wracked through her body, her shoulders shook with every breath. The man walked up to her; his chest ached from seeing the woman cry. He reached his hand to her shoulder; however, she pushed him away, flinching at his touch. With her face no longer covered, he could see the tears streaming down.

"How could you?!" Her voice broke "You killed my son! Our son!". The man tried to speak but nothing came out. "My baby! Bruce, you killed my baby!"

Bruce reached for her again, just as his hand touched her, she faded out. He was no longer in the manor, now he was outside, in the middle of a battle. He was rescuing an old woman, but why did he feel like there was something more important?

"DAD!!" A scream echoed through the area, he looked over to see his son being pierced though.

"M/N!!" Bruce rushed to him, catching him as he fell. Bruce wrapped his cape around him holding him tightly before setting him on the ground. No that's not right, he had to get you somewhere safe. Looking down at him he saw his son's dead gaze staring up at him.

"Dad, why? why did you kill me?" blood poured from his mouth and stomach, covering Bruce in it. "I tried to be a good son. Why did you let me die? WHY DID YOU LET ME DIE?!"

GASP

Bruce woke up with a sharp breath, panting he looked down at his clean hands no longer covered in blood.

"Another nightmare sir?" Alfred asked "I heard you shout"

Bruce sighed and fell back onto his bed, covering his eyes with his hands. "Yes...."

This had to be good enough for now. You bought some new clothes, a black turtle-neck shirt, black waist-high pants, some durable boots, a white mask that had light gold accents, and lastly a long black coat that reached your mid-calf, the inside of the coat was white. You bought each item from different stores so that none could be traced.

Your last goal was weapons; the store you found was small but had decent stuff. Looking around you sorted through your options, a gun felt too much.... Jason. You ended up choosing throwing knifes, a few daggers, a cross bow, and a few different types of hand grenades.

"Your total is $2,513.68 will that be cash or debit?" This was a problem, after buying the clothes you had less than $200.

"Sir, can't you cut me a deal?" You used your sweetest voice, the clerk glared back at you.

"You think this is some charity case? Pay up or get lost." You couldn't put anything back, you needed everything. You looked down at the throwing knifes, picking it up you examined it, thinking hard about what you were about to do. Mother would be so disappointed. "Well? You wanna put that back or something? I don't have all day". It had to be done. Without looking up, the hand that held the knife flicked up, flinging the knife straight into his head. With a crash the man fell to the ground. You collected your stuff before walking out.

The next thing was finding somewhere to rest and manage your new weapons.

You found a good place in Gotham Woods, settling in a tall tree you got to work, layering belts and securing weapons in perfect reach. Lastly, you had two daggers left. With a bit of tinkering, you put them in the sole of the boots, with a tap to the opposite side, the dagger would pop out.

Now, it was finally time to start.

Tim was doing his night pratol, A report of a dead body was found at a weapon store, there was no leads. The camera had been down all week and there were no witnesses. Tim could already tell this was going to be a pain. He searched the alley nearby when someone appaired in front of him. A man suddenly appeared, the gold on his white mask catching in the light of the moon.

"Hello, Red Robin" The masked man spoke, "Or would you prefer your real name? Timothy" Tim startled, how did this man know his name? Tim looked around, grateful to see no one in listening distance.

"Who are you?" Tim demanded, he had to hurry back, to inform the others about this. The masked man chuckled, a dry unimpressed laugh.

"You have to find that out on your own" You tucked your hands into your pocket, showing him that you didn't see him as a threat. Tim got ready to fight, preparing for hand to hand. If that was how he wanted it, then you play his game. You rushed at him, a swift fist to his gut. It landed; however, he managed to avoid the grunt of it. He grabbed your arm with both hands, getting ready to flip you. You let your body drop slightly, using the momentum and his surprise, swiped a kick at the back of his knee knocking him down, he grabbed your leg. You twisted your body using his other leg you kicked the side of his head. He wasn't down yet but it gave you an escape from his grasp. Tim stood clutching his head. You weren't giving him a chance to plan his attacks, you were too fast for him, but he couldn't let you go. Tim kicked some crates near-by, knocking you off balance. He sent out an alert to the others while you were distracted.

Within only a few minutes, Dick showed up. You let out a scoff, if it were you, you'd be lucky to even get a response. Dick threw a wingding, hitting a flowerpot above. It landed on your head, you stumbled back. The pot wasn't heavy enough to kill but defiantly enough to knock someone out. If not for your advanced healing, you might've passed out.

"That was a low blow" You muttered, Dick jumped from his spot, landing next to Tim.

"Give up, you're cornered" Dick demanded, getting in a fighting stance. You Jumped at Dick, he leaped backwards avoiding your attack. Tim reached to grab you, but you dodged focusing more on Dick than Tim. Tim was the smartest, but the weakest physically. Besides you had a plan. You leapt at Dick again, just as he jumped backwards you smirked flicking a throwing knife from your sleave, gripping it between your fingers. You kept your gaze on Dick as you threw the knife at Tim. If he hadn't moved, it would've pierced his heart. Instead, it went straight through his shoulder.

"AH!" Tim hollered, his hand instantly grabbing his shoulder, putting pressure on it.

"Red Robin!" Dick rushed to him, checking the wound.

"We'll meet again, Red Robin, Nightwing. Next time I'll take it more seriously." Jumping backwards, you threw another at Tim. This time Dick pushed Tim out of the way. Dick barely managed to dodge, the knife slicing the top of his arm. While they were distracted, you took the opportunity to escape. you leapt between buildings, taking different paths to make sure no one could follow. once you were sure you were alone you returned back to your tree. Your heart was pounding. You did it! You actually did it! Sure, you didn't kill them, yet, but you managed to take them down. You'd never been able to do that before, always being the weakest.

Your eyes gleamed with a sort of manic joy. You let out a laugh, remembering all the times they belittled you for not being stronger than them, 'who's weak now?'

"Damn it!" Dick shouted, he had chased after the masked man but lost him. With nothing left to do, Dick returned to the manor. Tim returned ahead of him to receive treatment.

Once Dick made it back, he headed straight to the Batcave. Bruce was already waiting for him. Dick explained everything as best he could. The strange man, the mask, and Tim getting stabbed. Tim walked in shortly after, his shoulder covered in a bloody gauze. The rest of the bat family followed, looking equally concerned. Damian however, looked annoyed.

"He knew my identity" Tim said, everyone looked at him in shock. This was concerning, just who was this masked man?

Bruce let out a sigh, his hand rubbing his temples. He looked like he hasn't slept in weeks.

"We'll find this masked man; he won't escape us." Bruce walked off, returning moments later in his Batman suit.

TO BE CONTINUED

You needed to calm down and breathe.

Your body felt heavy as if tons of weight were resting on it, everything hurt. everything but your arm... Why couldn't you feel your arm? You could feel your heartbeat getting faster and your breath getting shorter-

Then your breath caught as you realized something, you could feel your heart beating. That had to mean you weren't dead. With this realization you tried even harder to open your eyes, you struggled for a few minutes before you could finally crack them open. You took a few moments to look around the room. The walls and floor were completely concrete with a red door near the foot of the bed you were in, to the right you noticed a small rolling table that seemed to have tools on it, but you weren't able to see from your current position. A soft clack of metal caused your attention to drift to your left hand; you were strapped down by a thick piece of metal. When you tried to lift that arm you noticed that one of the screws were loose, maybe you could unscrew it with your other hand. Your gaze drifted over, and you noticed a large wrap around your stomach, your heart shuddered as you decided to ignore that, escape comes first. As you looked over, all the hope left you. Your arm was gone, cut off just below the shoulder. It was wrapped in some white gauze that was drenched in blood.

A loud creek caused your body to tense, looking over to the cause of the sound, you saw a man holding a clipboard walk in. He wore a long lab coat and had a stethoscope draped around his neck. His dark brown hair just barely reached his shoulders; his eyes had a bored look to them however, as soon as he noticed that you were awake his eyes lit up.

"Good morning!" he walked up to your right side and looked closely at the bandage. "You woke up a bit faster than I thought you would. Very good" After a moment he clicked his tongue at the state of the bandage. The man then walked over to the small table, placed his clipboard down and rolled it over to the bed. Thanks to this you were able to see most the stuff on it. There were multiple tools that looked like something a doctor would use and a few that you couldn't recognize. You opened your mouth to speak, to ask the man where you were. However, as if reading your thoughts he stopped you. "Try not to speak for a few days. Your throat was damaged a bit during the explosion. But you don't need to worry, you are safe here. I will take good care of you". His soft smile did not match the look in his eyes. "Your stomach was in the worst shape, you lost a lot of important internal organs, but I was able to get some...replacements" You wanted to ask the man what he meant but decided to save the questions for later. The man then began unwrapping the bandage on your shoulder, his touch was gentle, yet it still caused a sharp pain to shoot through your body. You grunted in discomfort but that only seemed to make your throat ache. The man then shook his head and sighed. "See? what did I tell you about speaking?", You wanted to argue that a grunt wasn't speaking, and it only happened because of him but the lingering pain in your throat caused you to instead just give him a glare. The man simply ignored your glare and instead picked up a fresh roll of gauze and rewrapped your shoulder you had to hold back any sounds in fear of the pain from your throat. He then looked at your throat. "This one was replaced a just a few hours ago, and lucky for you I am almost done with the replacement for your arm". At his words you shot him a surprised look, was this something Bruce paid for? You found it hard to believe given the state of the room you were in.

While you were lost in thought, the man then pulled out a needle and stuck it into the side of your neck, the pain was immediate. You let out a sharp yell which only made it worse. You looked up at the man, he was speaking to you, but you couldn't hear what he said. Your eyes got cloudy before sleep pulled you under.

The next time you woke up you were in a different room, this one was bright, the walls were white and there was a large light positioned overtop of you. The man from before slouched in his chair on your right side. He seemed very focused on what he was doing, he hadn't even noticed that you wake up yet. You steadied yourself and watched the man, making sure not to move any muscle more than necessary. You knew that the best thing to do in this situation was to stay quiet, after all this unknown man held a sharp tool against your skin. He seemed to be attaching the nerves to something metal, an arm you guessed, you couldn't see form this angle.

Your gaze was trained on the man as he worked. You realized that you didn't feel any pain from the operation, you realized that it must've been from whatever drug he injected you with before.

It took a while, but the man finished with a satisfied expression. After checking over his work he looked to you, a look of surprise crossed his face as he noticed you awake.

"Oh my, how long have you been awake?" He asked, as if you could answer him with what he did to your throat. Your glare seemed to speak volumes because he let out a laugh "Don't worry, you can speak now. You have an incredible healing speed. Definitely something to take advantage of" The man seemed to mumble the last part.

"Who are you?" Your voice was rough and scratchy from not using it. How long have you been out?? "Where am I?" You tried to sound threating, however given your current situation, you probably looked no more intimidating than an injured doe.

The man smiled back "I am the one who saved you, my name is Dr. Crane. During the fight between Batman and Joker you were left to die, the building you were placed in blew up. Luckly for you I was grabbing supplies for an experiment nearby and happened to be passing through the wreckage", He watched you carefully as he recounted that day's events, "Unfortunately, there was no saving your right arm. After all, it was hardly attached. Not to even mention the terrible state of your stomach, I was surprised you were even alive, it was then that I knew I had to have you as my patient. However, I had to sever the remaining bit of your arm and drag you with me. Once we were safe and far enough, I stitched you up enough to survive and brought you back to my lab."

You knew you couldn't trust him however knowing your family left you to die shattered your heart. You never thought they would just leave. You realized then that you had never truly mattered to them; you were just a tool. You resigned yourself to the painful truth before asking Dr. Crane another question.

"So, what do you plan to do with me? Kill me? Use me against Batman, I'm sure you figured out his identity because of me". You felt tired. Honestly, at that point you wished you had died, at least then you would've been able to see your mother again, feel her warm arms wrap around you, more comforting than a blanket.

At your question the man let out a laugh. "What I plan to do? It is simple. I plan to make you into my greatest project. No one will stand in your way when I am done." He seemed excited at the mere thought of your future success, "Ah, and about Batman. I honestly could not care less about him; I am a scientist after all, my projects are the most important to me".

You squinted your eyes at him, disbelief coating your features. However, you paused when you saw him reaching for a needle. "What is that for?" You demanded.

"Well, I thought since you keep waking up, we can try a few experiments. you seem healed enough for now". With that he injected the needled into your upper left arm. Pain shot through your body. Red dots danced through your vision; you hollered out in pain. You tried to move away from the pain, how? the pain is everywhere, but you were strapped to the table. Dr. Crane only watched as you withered in pain. You thought you were going to pass out, but you couldn't allow yourself to.

Use him. Use this man's smarts and take revenge on Bruce. For what he did to you. Don't give into the pain. Stay awake!

A voice echoed in your head pulling you from unconsciousness, forcing you awake. Forcing you to suffer through the pain.

Someone- Please it hurts. Please, make it stop! Save me! PLEASE!

Your pleading only seemed to make the voice stronger in your ears, refusing to let you rest. Until finally, the pain subsided into a dull ache across your body. You could feel your own face wet with sweat and tears, your body trembled and twitched. Your eyes were blurry as you tried to focus them on Dr. Crane.

"You managed to stay awake?" the surprise evident in his voice, "Interesting..." Dr. Crane rustled around the table, picking up a small vile and holding it up to your lips, "Let's keep going until you can't anymore. Ok, M/n?" Although he phrased it as a question, you didn't get the luxury to answer before he poured the liquid down your throat. You tried to turn your head, but he squeezed your cheeks with his other hand and forced your mouth open and your head still. You could feel the strange liquid slide down your throat as you tried not to swallow. Eventually you couldn't hold it anymore and had to swallow it down.

Dr. Crane did many experiments that day, you don't remember how many, only the unforgettable, excruciating pain. You lost count of the experiments after around number five.

You learned a new meaning of pain that day.

You don't know how long you were out, but when you woke up again you were in the first room you started out in. You realized you weren't strapped to the bed this time. After gathering the strength to move you got up and looked around the room, for a way out. A Sharp pain emerged from your stomach and arm thanks to the movement. Ignore it, you told yourself, there's more important things to focus on. It was obvious that your only hope was the door. So, you walked to it, using the wall for assistance.

The door was locked, you sighed, of course it was. The faint sound of footsteps echoed through the halls; you hurried back to your bed and just as you sat down, Dr. Crane walked in carrying a tray with food. After noticing you sitting back down, he let out a small huff.

"Now, now. If you're going to be trying to escape, I will have to strap you back down". He sounded like he was scolding a disobedient child. Dr. Crane placed the food down on the table that was now cleared of tools, aside from some gauze. He rolled the table over to you. On the tray was mashed potatoes, some kind of soup, and water. You looked down at the food, unsure. Dr. Crane, noticing your reluctance, picked up the spoon and grabbed some mashed potatoes, he made eye contact with you, then ate the spoonful. "See? Nothing to be afraid of, no poison. We well work on poison resistance another time"

You hesitated before hunger took ahold; you quickly scarfed down the food, as if someone would take it away. Dr. Crane watched as you ate, making sure you finished it all. You chose to ignore the obvious hint of amusement in his eyes.

"How long have I been here?" You asked once you finished eating. Dr. Crane seemed pleased that you spoke with him, he most likely assumed you would hate him. You do; you just need information.

"It has been 9 months and 13 days since I brought you here". He answered, "but, who's counting?"

You hesitated for a moment however you couldn't hold the question back. "And my family, do they know?" Your voice was quiet, as if you didn't want to hear the answer. As you met Dr. Crane's gaze your eyes held an unspeakable plea, one not even you could understand. As if Dr. Crane could read your every thought; he left your question unanswered. You laid down on your side, away from Dr. Crane, as though hiding from the truth. Dr. Crane gathered the empty dishes and left in silence; the soft click of the door rang through the air.

The next day Dr. Crane sat and chatted with you as you ate. When you finished eating, he grabbed the tray and pulled a newspaper out of his pocket and set it down on the small table. Once he left the room you cautiously picked it up. After reading the headline you felt your heart drop in sadness? fear? anger? you couldn't say for sure.

"BRUCE WAYNE REFUSES TO SPEAK AT M/N WAYNE FUNERAL"

Your fingers traced the words, then drifted to the article. Your funeral was court and simple, much like your mother's. Her voice soft in your ear as you read.

See? they never cared about you. Take revenge on them. Don't forget all those years of neglect.

The voice was all around you, there was no escape from it. It demanded revenge, you began wanting it to.

Days turned into months, then years. Every day was similar; Dr. Crane would do experiments; he'd keep testing new things until you passed out. After the experiments He would bring you food, during these times he'd always sit and talk with you, it would be about anything that came to mind, you began to feel a type of connection with him. You almost felt like he was your friend, or maybe like the big bother you always wished you had. You resigned yourself to this fate, vowing to one day get the revenge that voice promised you.

After the first couple months Dr. Crane started putting his experiments to the test. He'd take you to what he called the 'training room'. It was a white padded room with vents in all corners. There you would train in strength, agility, resistance and even testing your smarts. The worst experiment that would happen in this room was when he would release a poisonous gas, you were told to bear with it, and you did, past limits you once thought you had.

Other times he put the room to a terrible cold temperature, leaving you with nothing more than your boxers. Even as frost bite gnawed at your bare body, you gritted your teeth and refused to give into the pain.

Everyday Dr. Crane would try injecting you with something new he invented. Sometimes the drug would fail, and he would have to rework it until he deemed it a success, then after that he would take you to the training room to test it.

It was a miserable experience. However, it allowed the betrayal and hatred to build over the years you were there.

You were strong, stronger than ever before. You had him to thank for it, and you knew it. So, you resolved to give him a painless death. You had been planning your escape for years and finally you could leave and extract your revenge. As you looked down to Dr. Crane's smiling face, you knew you did what you had to do. However, you could not stop the silent tears that fell down your face. In one way or another, this man had become someone you learned to care for.

"Wonderful..." Dr. Crane's voice was shaky, he coughed up some blood. So much for a painless death. "No, don't cry over this. You are my greatest success; through your actions I will live on". His voice faded as the fire you caused wrapped around the two of you. However, His eyes remained open, so you leaned down and closed them as a final gesture of gratitude, then you left. You walked through the fire that consumed the lab, the building crumbled around you. The scene almost beautiful in a way, your white pajama pants slightly charred at the ends, you didn't even flinch as your bare feet stepped on the burning embers.

Thanks to Dr. Crane you have truly become a monster, driven only by the need for revenge.

TO BE CONTINUED

"Your head felt like it was pounding, an uncomfortable wave of cold washed over you. Your body felt heavy, as if there were multiple weights resting on every inch of you. All but your arm... Why couldn't you feel your arm? You wondered if this is what your mother felt when she died. No, you didn't want to think about that, About her. One thought repeated through your head, over and over.

"I don't want to die."

"I don't want to die."

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE" "

Over the next few years Bruce brought in many children. Dick was nice, he was cheerful but never had time for you, much like father. Jason was the best brother, you two always spent time together, however, one day he died. Tim... was ok... you were still grieving from Jason's death, and Tim never cared to look your way. Cas and Steph were just... there, Bruce was always training them, and they didn't think you were worth their time. After all, you were simply the spoiled young master Wayne. Lastly, Bruce, he never spent time with you other than at galas. When you went to the galas with your parents and adopted siblings, Bruce would treat you as his precious son. However, your mother could never look at the scene for long, knowing the true neglect that you didn't even know you were experiencing. Aside from that, life was fine. You still had your mother who loved you more than anything, and you had Alfred. Alfred thought of your mother as his own daughter and treated you as his grandson. You did good in school, always wanting to see your mother's smile when she saw your grades.

However, your whole life turned upside down the year you turned 12. Your mother died; her health had been deteriorating ever since you were born.

"Baby..." her voice was shaking, you held the had she reached out, watching as her dazed eyes couldn't find you. The only other person in the room was Alfred, " 'm sorry" Her voice broke into a sob "I'm so sorry for bringing you into this terrible place, please... Please forgive me". Her hand trembled in your grasp; tears streamed down your face.

"I could never blame you mom" you promised, at your words she smiled. With the last of her strength, she spoke again.

"Remember.... don't give... your heart to... these people". Her voice faded and her hand went limp in your hold.

"MOM!", you yelled "MOTHER PLEASE!" Alfred pulled you away from your mother, you cried in his shoulder. Your sobs echoed through the halls of the manor.

Your light was gone.

Her funeral was miserable. Bruce and your adopted siblings came, but only for appearances. As soon as the basic courtesies were over, they all left. You stayed there for the whole day and deep into the night, until Alfred made you get some rest.

After your mother's death, Bruce had you train like all your adopted siblings, it was grueling. He never taught you one-on-one, he had you watch him train the other then practice on your own. He always got so disappointed when you couldn't match pace with the others. However, you wanted to please them. Make them proud. "Foolish child" you could hear your mother say

It was around this time when Jason returned, you were so excited. finally, someone who you could spend time with, you were so lonely. But he was never the same boy you once knew, he was now cold and distant. He looked at you in annoyance... Just like the rest of them.

Days in the Wayne manor passed slowly, you followed your regular routine day by day. Wake up, got to school, go home, do schoolwork, do night watches, sleep and repeat. Things changed when father brought in your half-brother, Damian. Sure, at first you were upset that your father cheated on your mother, but now you had someone you could spend time with and relate to. You thought he would go through the same neglect, instead, he was loved, welcomed. Nothing like you.

"He's had a hard life", they'd say "you wouldn't understand, you've had everything handed to you and all the love you could want". It repeated in your head, all you did was ask why he got more love than you.

It wasn't fair... IT WASNT FAIR!

No... Calm down, take a deep breath. Hold it. Release it. Repeat.

Your mother taught you that when you'd start throwing fits, she was right. There was no use in getting upset over something you couldn't change... You'd just have to prove them wrong, be the best vigilante there ever was.

Damian was the worst. He thought of you as competition, you just wanted to be his friend.

"You know", Damian began, you had asked him to hang out, he was your younger brother after all, and you have to be a good brother like Jason used to be "It's your fault your pathetic mother died".

"...What" It wasn't a question. It was a dare, "Say that again. Do you have a death wish?" Now you were standing right in front of him, your frame towering over him. The empty living room became even more silent.

"I said", He didn't back down, instead, he stood tall "You caused your mother's death. I mean, think about it. If you hadn't been born than your mother wouldn't have fallen ill". you pushed him against the wall, pinning his shoulder with enough strength to break it, if he were a normal person. "Never mind, it wasn't your fault" Oh? was he back down? No... his smirk spread "it was your mother's fault for being so weak"

WHACK

you punched at his face; he moved but you still hit the side of his cheek, then he started punching back. it became a back and forth of fists. The two of you scuffling on the floor before a voice rang out.

"What the hell is going on here!?", you both looked over. It was dick, he was followed by the rest of your adopted siblings. Both of you let go of the other, your breathing ragged. You noticed Damian's breathing was steady, as if he hadn't just been fighting. Monster

'"He-" You tried to explain yourself, but Dick cut you off. He stormed up to you, his expression was furious, and he smacked you...hard. You stood shocked, your head turned to the side and your eyes wide in disbelief, you put your hand to your burning cheek.

"You are older than him! I don't care what excuse you have, you should know better!" Dick yelled, he grabbed you by your wrist and began pulling you. "We're going to see Bruce, you can explain yourself to him". Dick dragged you to Bruces's office, his grip was painfully tight. When you two stood Infront of the doors to his office you felt dread fill you. It wasn't your fault. It was Damian's. you repeated in your head. Dick pushed the doors open quickly, Bruce looked up at his arrival, waiting for an explanation. He always just ignored you; he'd say that he was too busy and to come back later. "He was fighting with Damian. The kid just started punching him." Dick explained. You froze as your father's disapproving eyes turned to you.

NO! that's not how it happened! You had to defend yourself, say something...ANYTHING. "He-he said mother was weak! That I was the reason she died!" You stuttered as you tried to explain. He'd understand, surly. However, your hopes were crushed when Bruce's expression didn't change, when it didn't soften in understanding.

"Dick, Leave us. I'll talk with him". Bruce instructed. Dick sent you a quick disappointed glare then left, the door closed with a slight slam. The office was quite before Bruce let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "I understand that you were upset. However, that is no reason to hit your younger brother". His gaze turned to you, then back to the papers on his desk. "Aside from that, I've been meaning to talk to you".

Oh? He wants to talk to you? That has never happened before. You felt yourself getting excited, forgetting all about the scuffle with Damian.

"I have decided to make Damian the heir to the Wayne Enterprises". Bruce didn't even look at you. He never does.

"...What?" You couldn't stop the question from slipping out. No, you had to defend your position, Mother's position. Consequences be damned. "No, you can't! He is an affair child; I am supposed to take over the company!"

That was a mistake. Bruce glared at you, his piercing eyes shutting you up quickly. "Do not fight with me child. The decisions already been made. Now go get ready for your night watch". That was it. The conversation was over. When you walked to your room you passed by the living room full of your adopted siblings, all joking with each other. You watched them for a moment before made eye contact with Damian, then, he smirked.

After it became public that you were no longer going to take over Wayne Enterprises, people outside the manor stopped being kind to you. After all, you were no longer the heir to the company, why should they care about you?

That leads us a couple years in the future, to tonight, the night was hauntingly beautiful. On this night Batman and his crew of sidekicks were all out because the Joker had gotten a new toy. Some beasts with something akin to tendrils. You all had to split up, Cass and Steph, Dick and Jason, Tim and Damian. you were sent off on your own, like always. But it was fine, you were used to it. You had gotten stronger, both emotionally and physically.

but tonight was different, you couldn't handle it. you and Batman were in the same general area; however, you were both distracted with your own fights. Then a quiet voice could be heard, one that was not the joker's, you looked over and saw an elderly lady in the middle of the shopping district you were fighting in. A tendril flew at you before you could run to her, you blocked it and turned to the lady.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?", you yelled at her, she looked at you, a helpless look in her eyes. She was confused. "EVACUATE!" At your yelling, Batman looked over to you two, his eyes widened as he noticed the lady. Batman quickly finished off the beast he was fighting then turned to the lady, a tendril rushed towards her. Batman rushed to grab her first, it was close, but he successfully caught her and dropped her nearby safely.

However, the tendril turned and rushed towards you. Too fast for you to react, all you could do was yell. "DAD!" The first time you had said that in such a long time.

It was too late. The tendril pierced through your stomach.

It went quiet. You couldn't hear or see anything. Couldn't hear Batman's yell of your name, couldn't see him rushing to you. All you could see was the black tendril in your stomach. your vision got hazy, and you dropped.

You were caught, but you couldn't see who. It was terrifying, the cold you felt. Did mother feel the same way?

There was a voice... Who's? Their tone was begging. Was there anyone who cared enough to beg you to stay?

You were so, so tired... Then you saw her....

Mother

"DAD!!" Your voice cut through the air; Batman looked to you. His eyes widened at the sight of you being pierced through.

"M/N!!" Batman didn't even know he could sound so desperate. His son was going to die, just like Jason. He rushed to your side, pulling off his cape to wrap the wound. when the cape was tight enough, he grabbed you, carrying you to a distant building, one untouched by the enemy. He had to fight his way through the area, it was difficult with you in his arms, but he made sure you didn't get hurt any more than you already had. "Don't you die on me, m/n! I promise to treat you better. Don't leave me, not like your mother". He mumbled pleas as he carried you, and even more after he set you down. After he was sure you were still breathing (Although shallow and rough) Batman spoke into the communication device all of his children shared. "M/n is injured. Clear your area and hurry to [-----]. I have him resting safely in an abandoned building, we need to take him back to the manor, I'm not sure how much longer he'll last". It was less than a minute before multiple worried voices came though the mic, promising to be there soon. Batman pushed the hair from your sweaty face, "I won't let you die". With that he rushed back to the thick of the battle.

It was less than 20 minutes later when the rest of the Batfamily arrived, with them all working together they were able to take down the beasts and the joker relatively quickly. As soon as the battle was over Nightwing turned to Batman.

"Where is he!? Where is M/n?!" Nightwing's voice was rushed and out of breath from the fight, the others behind him listened closely for Batman's answer, they were all in a similar state as Nightwing. Batman pointed to an abandoned building, still untouched by conflict. No words needed to be spoken; they all took off in that direction. However, they paused as a laugh cut through the air, they all looked over to the source, it was the Joker. In a weak voice, Joker spoke.

"Boom" At his word many nearby buildings exploded, including the one batman set you in.

"NO!" Red Hood yelled, he felt terrible, he took his anger for Batman out on you, his baby brother. The same brother he swore to protect. They all took off, rushing to the building, holding onto hope that you somehow survived. The building you were set in was completely destroyed, but they all keep searching, they needed proof you were truly gone.

Damian paused his search, before quickly moving stones. His sudden hurry caused the others to all join him. they found something...

bits and pieces of batman's cape, then.... an arm... your arm...

You were gone, and they never had the chance to apologize, to spend movie nights with you, to take you out to eat, to celebrate your birthday.

It only took your death for them realize they failed you.