Therapy: Riddle Me This Finale [Part 8]

Susan groaned, and for a moment, she couldn't see anything, and she started to panic.

“Don't be afraid.”

She stopped. That voice was so familiar...

“Who...?”

Slowly she started to be able to see again. Batman was standing over her.

“What happened?” She asked. “Where's Seth?”

“He's okay. The police will be here any second.”

“How are you here?”

“The police got a call from the Asylum. Dr. Arkham was worried about you. I was able to figure out where you were going when I saw the security tapes.”

She remembered running into him there. “So that's what it was...”

She looked up at the hole in the ceiling. “I don't remember that hole being there before...” Batman didn't respond, and she heard sirens in the distance. “I used to live here... until the apartment burned down...”

“I know...” He murmured.

She felt him pick her up and looked up at him. It was familiar... so familiar.

She remembered, once again, the night of the fire. Her parents wouldn't answer her. Susan had fallen on the floor, no longer able to breathe. All of a sudden the door burst open, a man dressed in all black ran to her. And Susan had been so scared. “Don't be afraid.”

Her eyes widened. “It was you...?”

She didn't remember much after that, until she was put on a stretcher. Seth was near her, but not beside her. He looked at her from far away with that strange look still on his face. Batman was gone, and Edward was put in the back of a truck, so be taken back to Arkham. He wouldn't look at her.

A week later she was in Gotham City Hospital and was expected to make a full recovery.

Detective Montoya came by to see her. “Hello Dr. Crowe, how are you feeling?”

She smiled. “Fine, thank you. But... is something wrong?”

Montoya shook her head. “No, I just though you may want this returned to you.”

In a small plastic bag was her engagement ring. “The Riddler had it in his possession. We confiscated it when he was arrested.”

Susan took the ring. “Thank you.”

“Have a nice day Doctor,”

Montoya left the room and nodded a hello to someone just outside the door.

A moment later Seth walked in.

There was a long silence.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah, yeah I'm fine... how are you feeling?”

She tried to smile. “A lot better.”

Another long silence.

“Listen, Seth... Whatever Edward... The Riddler said to you back there... you shouldn't-”

“No. Everything he said about me... us... was all true.”

They looked each other in the eye and Susan knew they were thinking the same thing.

“Susan... I'm messed up... I don't deserve you, or anyone else. Not until I set my life right once and for all. I never meant to hurt you... I never wanted to... But I did. And that's-”

She took his hand and gave him back his ring. “I understand. It's okay Seth.”

He looked down. “I hope someday I can become a guy who's worthy of a girl like you.”

He shook her hand and started to leave.

“Where are you gonna go?”

He stopped and thought about it for a moment. “I'm not sure... I hear Central City is nice this time of year.”

She smiled. “I heard that to. Goodbye Seth.”

“Bye Sue.”

Seth left the hospital that day, went straight home, packed all his things and took the first plane he could to Central City. Susan hasn't seen him since.

If was a while until she was able to go back to work. Dr. Arkham insisted that she stay away from Nygma. But she wouldn't listen. So after a lot of arguing Susan was waiting in her office.

The guard escorted him in.

“Thank you, you can leave us.”

The guard paused. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Absolutely, thank you.”

The guard left and she and Edward were alone.

“You look awful, have you not been eating?” She asked.

“I suppose not.”

“You're out of solitary now, you need to eat more.”

He wouldn't look her in the face, but he had a strange smirk. “I heard your wedding has been canceled. I'm so sorry to hear that.” She could hear the mocking tones, the feigned sympathy. He was building a wall between himself, and her.

“I'm not.”

He looked at her, shocked. And she just smiled at him. “Now I thought we'd try something new today-”

“Susan...”

She stopped, and looked up from her files. “Yes Edward?”

“Why are you here?”

She let out a sigh and looked him straight in the eye. “I've already told you, I'm your doctor. I'm here to help you. But in order for me to do that I need you to meet me half way. How about it?”

It had been months since she had spoken similar words in her very first session with Edward. He looked at her, his expression unreadable.

He looked away. “No promises...”

----

Okay, that's the end of Susan Crowe Therapy for a while. Hopefully after I get everything else done I'll go back and turn these into comics.

Anyway I've known for a while that A Pre-Batman Bruce Wayne saved Susan's life when she was a kid and wanted to somehow include it.

As for Seth... I doubt we'll see him ever again.

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