The Mercenary & The Magpie

Grief

"Can you please tell me the last time you saw your brother Miss Griffin?" The officer spoke but it was like it was to someone else, this wasn't real this couldn't be real. Maggie had known something was horribly wrong the moment the officer's arrived at her door and now she was sat in the police station being told that her brother had been involved in a horrible accident and he was now dead.

"I want to see him." It began as a whisper, she couldn't even be sure if she said it out loud. Again the officer asked when the last time had been when she had seen her brother and again it felt like he was talking to someone else, as if knowing that she was going to be useless they began talking about where he had been found, if Maggie knew who Scott's friends were.

These questions felt like knifes in her head as the guilt began to set in, this was all her fault. "I want to see my brother!" she screamed finally finding her voice scaring herself and the officers sat opposite her.

She followed behind the morgue technician towards her brother's body, the corridor was dark remind her of a crypt, florescent light directed there way as a lump began to form in her throat. "Don't you dare." She scolded herself "Now isn't the time for your grief , this is about Scott." Angrily she brushed away a tear that dared to fall as they finally reached her destination.

"Take as long as you need." The man spoke, his tone void of any emotion reminding her of the doctor who had saved Bane's life. Entering the room the lump of emotion expanded as she struggled to swallow it away, the room housed a single metal framed gurney placed in the middle. A pale sheet covered the body up to the shoulders only revealing the face and neck of the corpse beneath... the corpse of her brother.

Slowly she moved towards him, she had been around death before because of her job, naively she believed she had become accustomed to it  "I am so sorry." She whispered as she brushed Scott's dark blondish hair from his eyes, those eyes full of mischief now closed. Her eyes caught the wound slashed across her brother's throat. "An accident." They had repeated over and over, she had seen accidents before.

Kissing her brother on the cold cheek she silently said goodbye, turning she bolted out the door her hands covering her face as soft sobs shook her body. "Miss Griffin?" The morgue technician spoke softly he was sure familiar with this scene.

"Can I have some water?" Maggie sobbed struggling to catch her breath, she heard his footsteps disappear down the corridor as she suddenly straightened wiping away the tears from her cheeks. She had caught the eye of the file as she had walked in, grabbing it she skimmed her brothers autopsy report.

Cause of death - A deep laceration to the throat caused by weapon found at the scene. As anger caused her hands to shake a photo of said weapon fell out, a weapon she instantly recognized. 

With every step she felt her rage deepen, her mind reeling with questions on what had happened to Scott but still she couldn't bring herself to look at the evidence photo she had stolen in her pocket, shakily she opened her door and let herself in to the darkness and once she felt herself engulfed she let out her first harrowed sob.

"Maggie?" A voice spoke out in the shadows, a voice in that moment she loathed to hear. Whipping round blindly Maggie lunged in the direction of the voice.

"GET OUT!" She screamed as she connected her left fist at Blake's face knocking him ever so slightly off balance. 

"Maggie please!" He half yelled, grabbing at her wrist trying to calm her as she clawed at any body part she could connect with.

"You killed my brother." The words were out before she fully registered what she had said, she felt the fight leave Blake's body as she pushed herself away from him. Ripping the picture from her pocket she threw it at him  it crumpled on the ground between them, the stolen evidence photo of the iconic batarang this one was covered in her brothers blood.

"Maggie please let me explain." Blake half sobbed as he move to take a step forward, Maggie felt her body move slightly back not wanting to be anywhere near him.

"The next time I see you I'll kill you." She spat disgusted at the very sight at Blake's pathetic tears but she could feel the fight leaving her body.

"Maggie." Blake spoke again he took a step forward.

"Just go." She whispered almost unable to get the words out. Closing her eyes she heard him leave as the pain again began to rise, slamming her fist down she screamed  at the events that had unfolded in her life throwing her arms against anything she could find she smashed and screamed to help make the pain go away.

Sitting beaten and defeated she realised her right wrist was badly cut she watched as her blood began to colour the floor around her, she felt lost. A simple amusement photo caught her attention, the only thing in the whole apartment that she cared about. The photo of her mother and brother.

"Maggie." Another voice spoke in the shadows, a voice she had believed she would never hear again.

"Bane." She spoke almost to herself and suddenly he was knelt beside her, she reached her right hand out the effort enormous as she ran her fingers across his cheek "It's over." She spoke.

"No my dear it's only just begun." Standing Bane scooped her up in his arms, silently he tended to her wounds and bathed the blood away, he didn't question when she resisted being placed on her own bed and instead layed her down in the room he had used. 

They layed together for what felt like hours not saying a word, Maggie's hand resting on Bane's chest as she could feel his pulse strong beneath his fingers. "Bane." She spoke her mind racked with grief and anger "I know who Nightwing is."