Afraid of the Dark Title: Afraid of the Dark
Author: Celia Tracy (aka Rae Street, aka Rainfall)
Summary: Joker is still on the loose, and Batman is missing. Joker is determined to do whatever it takes to flush Batman out of hiding; little does Kami know the part she will play in Joker's thirst for revenge. Told from Kami's POV.
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Status: WIP
Disclaimer: All Batman characters belong to DC Comics, and whoever else they belong to. Kami, Brute, Smokey and other non-DC characters are my own creations.
=Chapter Two: No "Clowns" Are Out Tonight... Right?= The day after my adventure in the warehouse, I figured the police should probably be informed about Joker's last known location. So I made an anonymous phone call from a phone booth, tipping them off about the warehouse. I didn't tell them any details, or my name; I just told them that Joker had been spotted there less than 24 hours ago. I had my own reasons for wanting to "lie low"... to not have any involvement with the police. After my phone call, I continued on to the doctor's. I was feeling really lousy and sore, especially in my ribs and arms where I'd been squeezed by Smokey. They took x-rays at the doctor's, and luckily they showed that nothing was broken. I just had a lot of scrapes and bruises, but nothing too serious... nothing a little time wouldn't cure. With a clean bill of health from the doctor (and a large medical bill to boot), I returned home to my apartment. I thought that with the passage of time, I would be able to put that night behind me pick back up where I had left off. But as time passed, I found it more and more difficult to concentrate on my normal, everyday life. It's amazing how one night, one event, can change a person's life so much. For the first two weeks after the Warehouse, I found myself becoming increasingly paranoid. I was afraid that the Joker would somehow find me, and have his revenge. I began looking over my shoulder every few minutes, almost positive that I was being watched; but there was never anyone there. I didn't feel comfortable being out alone at night anymore either. Where I once used to take long walks after work, finding comfort in the calm solitude of Gotham's dark nights; I now jumped at the slightest flicker of shadow, even though it usually turned out to be just a leaf or piece of paper blowing in the breeze. Once, while walking home from work, a small creature ran out in front of me from an alley. Startled and panicky, I turned tail and ran three blocks in the wrong direction, before I finally came to my senses; the small creature had just been a stray cat... This absurd event made me realize how out of control my fear had become. I reaffirmed my attempts at taking control of my life... attempting to concentrate harder on my job, and keeping my apartment clean... the usual, normal, mundane things that make life so wonderful. But it was difficult to do when I felt anything but normal. The reports on the various newscasts didn't improve my outlook any. The only information the newscasters had to offer, was that Joker was on still on the loose and had gone into hiding. The police were having difficulty locating him, let alone nabbing him. Batman was also reportedly missing from Gotham's night scene, and they didn't know why. The main people who knew why Batman was missing were me, Dr. Thompkins, the Joker, Batman's friends and Joker's gang. And none of us were talking. My main distraction was that I didn't know if Batman had survived his ordeal or not. I called the clinic, but hadn't been able to reach Dr. Thompkins for further information. This scared me the most... the not knowing. I really hoped he survived. With the disappearance of Batman, every two bit crook in the city was having a field day. Major and minor crimes were being committed throughout the city, more than before. Nightwing appeared on the scene, working with Batgirl and Robin in their attempts to end the crime spree... But the crimes showed no sign of stopping.
Gotham needed Batman now more than ever.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Two and a half weeks went by; Two and a half weeks of agonizing paranoia and unanswered questions. At least until the daily news broadcasts finally began showing reports about the recent crime wave slowing down. Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin's efforts were finally paying off. The Joker was still on the loose, and Batman still had not been spotted recently, but the information about the lull in criminal activity made me feel less jumpy. I was looking over my shoulder less often, and I finally felt that things would be more or less back to normal for me. The 17th day after the Warehouse incident, I woke up feeling pretty good. Pretty much back to my normal self. The day seemed like it was going to be a good one, and as I had some time before I had to be to work, I thought it would be a perfect day to run some errands. I still had Dr. Thompkins jacket, because I had not had the time to return it previously; I also thought it might give me an opportunity to find out about Batman. With that in mind, I struck out across town for the Thomas Wayne Memorial Free Clinic. When I arrived, there were a few patients in the waiting room. Some volunteers were there, sorting the patients out according to medical need, and attempting to make the patients more comfortable while they waited. I didn't see Dr. Thompkins anywhere, so I approached the nearest volunteer; an elderly gentleman with a moustache and a fringe of white hair around his head. "Hi," I said, "I'm not in need of medical attention, but I was wondering if you could possibly help me?" "I will help you in anyway I can," he replied with a cultured English accent. "How may I be of service?" I was sure I'd heard that voice before, but I couldn't place it. I mentally shrugged, and pushed the information to the back of my mind. "I was wondering if Dr. Thompkins was around," I said. I motioned to the jacket draped over my left arm. "She loaned me her jacket and some cab fare a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to return her jacket and pay back the cab fare." And to find out about Batman, I mentally added. The man gave a small smile and shook his head softly. "I'm sorry, but Dr. Thompkins is away on a house call," he said to my immense disappointment. How was I going to find out about Batman now? "She did, however," he continued, "mention to me the possibility of a young lady coming to return a jacket of hers. She asked me to give you something when you came," he said, pulling a small envelope out of his pocket and handing it to me. "I'll make sure this gets to her safely," he said, taking the jacket from me. "Thank you," I said, and watched him take the jacket into the back of the clinic. I looked at the envelope the man had given me. Kamille Hodges it read, in a kind of dignified scrawl on the front. I was anxious to read whatever was inside, but I had to go then so I wouldn't be late for work. I was so surprised that Dr. Thompkins had left a message for me, that I was already at work before I remembered that I hadn't paid back the cab fare. I groaned and slapped my forehead, but knew it would have to wait for another day. I work as a Data Entry Clerk at Wayne Tech Enterprises. It's an entry level position, a low rung on the corporate ladder, but I didn't really mind. It paid the bills, and I actually kind of liked the work. The bosses were nice too, which made it all the better. It was a really busy workday, and I didn't get a chance to read the message until my break. When I did finally read it, I found it was just a short message without a lot of details. But the information that was enclosed therein caused new hope to spring forth in my heart. It read, Dear Miss Hodges, I received your earlier phone messages, and know that you are probably very worried about a certain someone. I'm sorry it took so long for me to reply, but I wanted some time to be sure before I gave you any information. He is alive, and has been improving steadily. I expect him to make a full recovery from his ailment. Sincerely, Dr. Thompkins Words cannot begin to describe how relieved and happy I felt at that moment. Just knowing that Batman was alright and recovering, I felt like all was right with the world. Little did I know the trouble that was about to break.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ When I got off work, I picked up some Chinese Takeout on my way home. I'd only had a light lunch and was extremely hungry; the smell of the Chinese food and my elation at Dr. Thompkins news proved to be a very distracting pair. All I could think about was getting to my apartment as quickly as possible so I could dig in, and to celebrate Batman's soon return to Gotham's night scene. Maybe if I hadn't been so distracted, maybe if I had paid more heed to the strange car parked outside my apartment building, maybe I could have avoided the events that were to follow. Maybe. As it was, I took for granted that the car probably belonged to a new tenant, and paid it no more mind. I ran up the steps and into my building; failing to notice the tall, dark figure step out of the car, and follow me inside. I dashed quickly up the stairs, in a hurry to get to my apartment... when I got within view of my apartment though, I saw something that stopped me dead in my tracks. Leaning against the wall next to my door was my baseball bat, Sadie. Remembering that I had left it behind at the warehouse that day, I wondered how it had gotten there. A chill went up my spine as I realized the answer... there was only one way it could have gotten there; by the Joker's hand. Terrified, I spun around, intending to run back downstairs. But a strange man was there blocking my way... a tall figure in a long black trench coat, with green eyes staring coldly at me from underneath a wide-brimmed black hat. He brandished a gun, and started walking towards me. I started walking backwards, very slowly, trying to figure a way out. If I could just get close enough to my baseball bat, maybe I could swing my way out of it. Maybe... I didn't get the chance to find out. As soon as I reached the bat, my apartment door swung open. I looked straight up into Joker's smiling face, and dropped my Chinese food at his feet. "Kamille Rebecca Hodges, I presume. How nice it is to see you again," he said. "Yeah, I just bet it is," I said, my voice strained. I didn't know what he had in store for me, but I wasn't about to wait around and find out. I elbowed him hard in the stomach, and slammed my fist into his jaw. He flew back into the apartment, and I spun around to run. But the stranger was waiting for me. He backhanded me across my face, and I went flying across the hall into the wall. I slid down the wall, coming to rest on the floor, red splotches of pain blurring my vision. The stranger walked over to me, looming above me, and pointed his gun at my head. I shrank back and lifted my arms in front of my face, trying to shield myself from the blast I knew would come. "Don't shoot her, Mace," Joker ordered from the doorway, "just bring her here. If she's dead, it'll ruin all my fun." he said with a grin, an evil glint in his eyes. Mace's gun never wavered, nor did his cold green eyes. I half expected him to shoot me anyway, just for the fun of it... but he didn't. Instead, he reached down with his free hand and roughly pulled me to my feet. He pressed the gun into the back of my neck, and marched me over to the Joker. Joker grabbed my forearms and jerked me inside. Mace closed the door, staying in the hallway. "You're little display in the hall is going to cost you," Joker said coldly, his face less than an inch away from mine. I shrank back in fear, afraid of what he was going to do. He pulled back his fist, and punched me full force in my stomach. All the air rushed out of me with a whoosh, and I fell to my knees, doubled over in pain. He then backhanded me in the face and I flew backwards into the wall. I could taste blood in my mouth, and I was wheezing. But the Joker wasn't through. He hit me again across the face, harder than before. I cried out in pain, and slammed face down into the floor. I was seeing stars now, and was fast losing consciousness. The Joker knelt down by me, and lifted my head so he could look into my eyes. I shrank back, afraid he was going to hit me again. "Kamille, Kamille, you only brought it on yourself," he said in a soft voice. I closed my eyes, and Joker lowered my head back to the floor. I heard him get up and move to the door. It opened, and I heard Mace enter. "Bring her," Joker said to Mace. I felt myself being lifted into the air, and passed out cold.
TBC in Chapter Three
