Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Camera flashes echo through the room as people eagerly surround the podium, waiting for Bruce Wayne to speak.

Once upon a time, he had been Gotham's beloved playboy billionaire. But that all changed after the disappearances.

It became Gotham's most infamous cold case, outweighing the brutal murder of Bruce's parents decades before. Somehow, all of Gotham's tragedies seem to revolve around him.

The man of the hour finally steps up to the podium, drawing everyone's attention. His eldest and youngest sit behind him, the only ones who remain. He clears his throat and begins speaking.

"I am very thankful to all of you for joining us today. As many know, eleven years ago, my children, Tim, Duke, Jason, Stephanie, and Cassandra disappeared in the expanse of the Gotham Forest. We had not, and we still do not know why they decided to go that faithful day, but I regret not asking every day. 

"I wish I had more time with my children. I still see them all around me, playing with each other, mocking me. Which brings us to the reason Wayne Enterprises has called you here today. Last week, a man was walking his dog next to the borders of Gotham Forest, when the dog bounded into the trees." The cameras flash at Jack Napier, the man aforementioned, and his dog Daruka. She snarls at anyone looking at her, and constantly tugs against her leash, yearning to run away.

"He had chased after it, and found it near the heart of the woods, a camcorder in his mouth," Bruce continues. "Multiple other ones were found strewn across the forest, and upon collecting them all, he turned them in to the GCPD. It has been confirmed that the camcorders had belonged to my late children, and could possibly provide some evidence as to why they vanished. Once GCPD has more information on the matter, the public will be informed. I must kindly ask for the media to not bother my family at this time as we remember those who have past." He opens his mouth to say his concluding statement before screams are heard from the crowd. A woman falls to the ground as Daruka leaps over her, the enormous black stray pushing through the crowd. Jack chases it desperately, but it runs out of the doors, bounding towards roads.

There's no point in commenting after that. 

Bruce thanks the organizers before heading out, Alfred, Dick, and Damian at his side. Dick sniffles all the way on the ride home, muttering about nonsense. Damian places a comforting hand on his shoulder and stares out the window, eyebrows furrowed.

𖣂

At the manor, Bruce immediately goes to his office, pulling out the SD card reader and the little plastic baggie the GCPD had given him. It had taken a while to convince Commissioner Gordon to let him look at the footage first, but he wouldn't allow the GCPD to look at it otherwise. He turns on his laptop and plugs the SD card reader in, popping the tiny card into the reader. 

The files pop up one after the other, newest to oldest. He had compiled all the footage from the five individual camcorders and put them into one SD card in preparation. 

Bruce scrolls down to the very first recording, labeled July 17, 2013. He stares at it for a few seconds, almost scared to click it. Is he ready for what might have happened to his kids?

He thinks of Jason's harsh laughter, like it was being startled out of him. Tim's quiet giggles. Cass's secret smiles. Steph’s loud cackles, the ones that make you laugh again even after the joke was over. Duke's toothy grin.

He had waited for 11 years for this. 

He clicks the video.

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶ 𝗩𝗛𝗦

12:38

JUL 17 2013

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

12:38

JUL 17 2013

The camera is turned on, showing one Tim Drake, dressed in a dark blue sweater vest with a white t-shirt underneath. Cass was next to him, wearing a matching outfit, making them nearly indiscernible from each other.

"G'day mate!" Tim exclaimed in a horrendous impression of Steve Erwin, making Cass giggle. "I'm Tim Drake, and this is my lovely sister Cassandra Wayne--" Cass waved at the camera. "Also here is Stephanie Brown and Duke Thomas--" The camera moved to Stephanie, dressed in a black cardigan over her purple tank, and Duke, in white shirt with a yellow denim jacket over it. "And behind the camera we have Jason Todd!" A hand came into the frame, waving at the camera before flipping Tim off.

"I'm sure you all have a lot of questions," Tim said, speaking in his normal accent again. "Like, 'Hey Tim, why are you in the woods outside your mansion?' Or 'Why does it look like you're about to camp in the Gotham forest?'" He stuck up a finger at the camera. "Just you wait my dear viewer, everything shall be explained in time." Tim took the camcorder from Jason, pointing it at him as he bent over the multiple backpacks piled up in the corner.

"We got everything?" he asked, inspecting what was clearly his own bag of the bright red color and the label saying "Jason" was anything to go by.

"Yep!" Steph chirped from the side. "Now hurry up Tim, I wanna go adventuring!"

Duke snorted at her, while Cass giggled loudly. As Tim reached to turn the camera off, a black flash ran through the trees, barely visible at all.

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

13:35

JUL 17 2013

The camera turned back on at the recorded time 1:35 in the afternoon. It was back in Jason's hands, who stood behind the rest of the group as they hiked through the trees. 

"So, Tim, care to explain why we're here?" Steph asked, panting as she walked. The hill wasn't extremely steep, but steep enough to make them tire quickly.

Tim finally came to a stop near a small clearing. Everyone let out a sigh and started unpacking. The camcorder was still focused on Tim as he began.

"We're here to investigate the mystery of Gotham's most famous legend," He paused for dramatic effect. "The Mist Weaver."

"And cue intro," Stephanie joked, laughing as everyone started singing different intros to TV shows.

"I'll edit it later," Tim promised through loud laughs. "Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah," His voice took on an eerie tone, "The Mist Weaver!"

"But Tim!" Duke interjected in a rehearsed voice. "Who's the Mist Weaver?!"

Tim cleared his throat, beginning his monologue. 

“As you all know, I conduct extensive research on all of my conspiracy theories and topics,” Tim said. Everyone was silent now, as they waited for him to finish his monologue. “I was in Gotham University’s Library–” “Which you should totally check out by the way!” Jason interjected. “They have tons of free resources.”

“Yeah, it’s awesome there. Anyways, I was at the library around 1:00– because of course Gotham is the only place where the libraries are open 24/7– when suddenly a book fell from the shelf I was sitting under, right on my lap. It was about some of Gotham’s oldest legends, including the one where I learnt about this myth.” He pulled out a brown leather book from his bag, with a scraggly title carved into it.

“Anyways, it was one o’clock, I was bored, so I decided to open it up and check some of the stories out.” He flipped through the pages, showing red and black scribbles and illustrations. “Most of it was obviously fake, and I had actually already covered two of them in previous videos already. I was about to keep it back on the shelf, when I found this.” He stopped flipping the pages, landing at one completely covered in red and black lines. Tim moved closer to the camera to show the pages. “The Mist Weaver. I’ll upload real pictures later, but for now I’ll paraphrase.

“The Mist Weaver was a young woman who lived in Gotham around the same time as the Salem Witch Trials were occurring in Massachusetts. She was lively and beautiful, and had many suitors. The town was peaceful back then as well, and the Puritan settlers in Gotham got along fairly well compared to other places. But one day, strange things started happening.

“Animals started disappearing from their barns in the middle of the night, husbands were acting strangely, scaring the women of Gotham, the city hall had claw marks covering all the walls, and near the very end, a dead deer was found in the town chapel, seeming to be part of some ritualistic practice. The town was in a panic, and in the end, they took a page out of their neighbors’ books and began a witch hunt.

“Many young women were accused, but attacks seemed to continue until our young lady was accused, and by none other than her own betrothed.” Steph whistled in the background.

“Yeah, ultimate betrayal,” Tim continued. “The villagers tied her to a tree and lit it on fire. According to legend, she cried so much her tears created the river of Gotham. The tree eventually burnt down, leaving nothing but her charred remains, but not before she cursed the entire town.” Tim paused for dramatic effect.

“This was where things started going wrong. Since her death, whenever men entered the forest, they didn't come back out. Out of seventy-eight people who went in the forest, one returned home, with a firsthand account of the curse of the forest.

“He said that as night fell, he prepared to leave the forest, before the trees were slowly flooded with mist. He claimed that it took the shape of his wife, his mother, and his three children, calling for his help. He saw terrifying images of his family and friends, being killed, dead, suffering an unimaginable fate. He hadn't realized that the mist was drawing him deeper and deeper towards the heart of the forest. Towards the burnt tree. 

“Just as he was about to reach the riverbanks, he heard a voice of a young female calling to him. That wasn't his wife or kids. He came to his senses long enough to run, and he didn't look back once."

"Wait, but was the girl the one who was cursing the village?" Duke asked confused.

"See, that's what's so crazy. After she was killed, the attacks did stop, leading the villagers to believe they had got the right person. But also, some suspected that it may have been the work of local children, pulling a cruel prank, and after a person died due to their thoughtless actions, they decided to stop. But no matter what, it was too late. The Mistweaver had declared Gotham's forest as her domain and cursed anyone who stepped in."

Everyone was quiet for a moment before Tim interjected again.

“Or so the legend goes I guess.”

Laughter rang throughout the trees, as Jason reached for the camera, powering it off.

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

17:30

JUL 17 2013

The camera turned back on, this time being held by Steph, who pointed it at the set up tents.

“What’s up?” Duke asked from his tent, stepping out with a new yellow hoodie.

“Tim said he was going to explain the game plan so I needed to start filming,” Steph said, shrugging.

“Ok, where is he?”

“Over here!” A voice yelled from behind a tree. “I was marking the spot, in case something happens, you know?”

Steph and Duke walked over to him, pointing the camera at a little star he’d drawn on the tree.

“Smart,” Jason said from behind them, causing Steph to jump.

“What the fuck,” Tim breathed. “Don’t ever do that again.”

Cass went to give them a hug before they went back to their campsite, everyone taking a foldable chair. Steph placed the camera somewhere, adjusting it so everyone was visible, before taking a seat herself.

“Alright, so let’s get started.” Tim said, pulling out his phone, opening his notes app. “Here’s the plan. I don’t want to stay here for too long, and I don’t want to go any deeper into the forest than we already are.” He opened a knapsack with various items.

“Here is what we’re working with. I want to limit our actual exploring to the day, and at night, we have to be at the campsite. The last thing we need is for someone to end up dead. Tonight, we’ll have dinner, and then set up, in the tent or outside, I don’t care. We’ll use all the ghost-hunting stuff I brought to see if there is a spiritual presence in the area with us. If there is, we’ll do  the usual Oujia shtick, some other little things, and then wrap it up.”

“How long are we planning to be gone?” Jason asked, examining an EMF meter. 

“Hopefully by tomorrow evening, we’ll be back,” Tim said, snatching the meter from him. He rolled his eyes when Jason pouted. “Anyways, tomorrow after breakfast, we’ll begin exploring as much of the outskirts as possible, since there have been some rumors that the Mistweaver had a cabin in the forest. After, we’ll begin the hike back home, and then the next day it’s my birthday!”

“I feel like this is a good time to remind people,” Duke said. “Please do not go into Gotham Woods and try this. We’ve pulled off many successful explorations, and are properly equipped to do this. You are not.”

“Yeah,” Steph interjected. “And, our goal here is always to see if urban legends are real or not, not to capture a ghost, avenge them, or any other dumb bullshit. Please don’t try to do any of that. We’re not the Ghostbusters, we’re not psychics or clairvoyants trying to help them move on. We’re just a group of dumb teens seeing if things check out.”

Cass firmly nodded, before signing, “ We are prepared. We have plans for emergencies .”

Tim agreed, “Yeah, that’s really important. I’ll add one of those stickers that say ‘Don’t try this at home’.”

Jason got up, groaning as his knees cracked. “I know it’s early, but who wants dinner?”

As everyone walked away to go eat, the camera shut off.

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

18:12

JUL 17 2013

The camera switched on revealing Duke in the tent.

“Everyone’s still outside eating,” Duke whispered. “But I just felt so scared out of nowhere, so I thought I should say what happened. I was going to the bathroom, and I suddenly felt like something was watching me. I don’t know what. I think it was some kind of large animal, or person. Probably an animal though, right? I’m just overreacting.” He giggled nervously, trying to calm down.

“I don’t want to tell the others and get them scared for no reason. It was probably nothing. I think I’m just a bit jumpy.”

“Duke,” Steph’s voice called from outside. “Are you good?!”

“Yeah,” Duke said back. “Okay, bye,” he said to the camera, before switching it off.

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

18:48

JUL 17 2013

The camera showed Tim, with a mischievous grin on his face. 

“It’s tiiiimeeeeee,” he said in a sing-song voice.

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

18:48

JUL 17 2013

The camera showed the group sitting in the tent in an open circle, with Tim in the middle and Cass and Jason next to him. Duke sat next to Jason and Steph next to Cass. In the center was the EMF meter along with a small radio, a twist flashlight, and a Ouija board.

“This,” Tim said, holding the radio up, “Is a spirit box. Ghosts can change the channels to give us messages.” Next he held up the tiny flashlight. “This is just a flashlight. It doesn’t require much force to turn on, so the ghosts can use it to answer questions. And everyone knows what a Ouija board is right?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Tim continued. “We’re mainly going to be using the board to communicate, but at times it may be easier to switch to the spirit box. So let’s go over basic rules so we don’t hurt a ghost’s feelings. We have to turn all the lights off and only have a singular candle, but since that’s a fire hazard, we’re using a lantern. We have to treat the spirits with respect, and we HAVE to say goodbye before we take our hands off the planchette or they may decide to stay.”

“Let’s get started!” Tim said, placing the planchette on the board. He put his index finger on the board, and the rest followed suit. “Remember, keep one finger on the planchette at all times, or something bad will happen. And please don’t push the planchette, we want to see if there are real ghosts here.”

Jason snorted, clearly disbelieving, but he followed Tim anyway.

“Are there any spirits in the woods with us?” Tim asked. Everyone watched as the planchette moved to “Yes”. 

“Well, obviously there are,” Steph muttered under her breath. Duke gave her a glare, mouthing “respect”.

“We want to talk to the woman who is now known as the Mistweaver. Is she here with us?”

The planchette moved towards “No”.

“Who are we talking to?”

“J,” The planchette began to spell. “A, M, E, S. James.”

“Who are you, James?” Duke asked, hand trembling a bit.

The spirit box flicked on, playing Anne Marie’s FRIENDS. 

“You’re a friend?” The planchette moved towards “Yes”.

“Who is the Mistweaver?”

The spirit box switched to the Disney Channel station, playing a female voice singing a riff.

“I don't get it,” Tim said. “Who is this? It's not any of the princesses.”

“I know,” Jason interjected. “It's Vanessa. She sings this before getting married to Eric.”

“So is the Mistweavers's name Vanessa?” Duke asked.

“Yes,” the planchette said.

“Where can we find her?” Tim asked.

The flashlight suddenly switched on, spinning wildly on the floor.

The spirit box changed channels, quickly cycling through them, creating a jumbled song.

“‘She’s here’, ‘go’, ‘please leave m–’ ‘run’.” It finally settled on Psycho Killer by the Talking Heads.

A hush fell over the group as they waited.

“Psycho Killer,

Qu’est-ce que ce’st?

Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, far better,

Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away”

As the group stared at the box, the camera switched off.

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

19:02

JUL 17 2013

The camera switched back on, as Steph’s face popped up.

“Steph, what’re you doing?” Tim asked.

“The camera switched off, so I’m turning it back on.”

“How’d it switch off?” Duke asked, slightly trembling.

“I don’t know,” Steph said, shrugging. “I waited for us to say goodbye because I was too scared to turn it back on while that was going on.”

“Do you think….” Cass trailed off.

“I don’t know.”

“In recap,” Tim said to the camera. “A ghost came, told us the Mistweaver’s name–”

“Vanessa, by the way,” Jason interrupted.

“I was about to say that,” Tim said, pouting. “Told us that she was here, then to run, and then we said goodbye to it.”

“So, is that it?” Duke asked hopefully. “Are we done with the whole ‘communicating with the spirits of the dead’ thing?”

“I guess,” Tim said. “But also, maybe we should try to contact her again later in the night? It’s still pretty early, so maybe that’s why she didn’t come yet.”

“Sure,” Jason said, carefully cleaning up the equipment. “Let’s sleep for a while and wake up again at midnight. We need our energy if we want to go hiking tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Tim agreed, opening his phone. “I set an alarm for 12. Let’s hope we wake up then.”

“Good night,” Cass mumbled, already tucked in her sleeping bag. “Don’t let bed bugs bite.”

‘G’night y’all.”

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

6:36

JUL 18 2023

Tim woke up first, stretching. He stared right at the camera and cursed.

“Ah shit,” he said. “We forgot to turn the camera off last night.”

“Do you think it has enough battery to last the day,” Jason asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Even if it doesn't, it's fine. I have like six more in my bag.”

“Hey,” Steph said, yawning loudly. “Where’s Cass and Duke?”

“Maybe the bathroom?” Tim suggested.

“It seems unlikely that they’d go at the same time,” Jason deadpanned.

Suddenly, Cass came into the tent, a look of pure terror on her face.

“Speak of the Devil and she appears,” Jason grinned, not catching the look on her face. “Where’s Sunshine Boy?”

“Duke’s gone.” Cass said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Can’t find.”

“What do you mean?!” Steph yelled, fully awake now. “Are you sure you checked everywhere?! He can’t just be gone!”

“I checked camp. Need to go into forest. Now.” Cass said urgently.

“Give us a second to get up and we’ll go,” Tim reassured her, trying to appear calm, but his eyes were panicked. “I’m sure he may have just wandered off somewhere while looking for the bathroom or something. He’s probably just like, four yards away.” 

Cass nodded, but didn’t say anything else as she watched them get ready.

“Wait,” Jason said. “If he left, wouldn’t the camera have captured it?”

Everyone’s gazes switched to the camera. Tim reached for it, ending the video.

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶ 𝗩𝗛𝗦

0:02

JUL 17 2013

The alarm blared through the tent as Duke grumbled, turning it off.

He stretched his arms and yawned loudly, looking to see if the others were awake. Steph and Cass were in a tangled jumble while Tim was straddling Jason (a habit since he was young).

When he realized none of them were going to wake up, he stared at the camera. 

“Good morning,” he whispered, stretching his legs. “God, I have to pee.”

He reached for the bag with all of Tim’s supplies, rummaging around.

“Did Tim not pack a flashlight?” he muttered, frustrated. “Dammit.”

He looked at the camera again, reaching for it this time.

“This has a flash, right?” He said, messing with the settings before turning on the light, shining it directly in his eyes.

“Damn,” Duke winced. “That’s bright. Well off we go.” He picked up the camera, pointing it at the ground in front of him.

He walked in silence, searching through the woods before stopping at the tree that Tim had engraved a little star in. He carefully ran over it with a finger before placing the camera on the ground.

“You stay right here, kay?”

He then walked a few feet behind the tree, out of the camera’s range. The woods were filled with the sound of his… business before he zipped up his pants.

It was dead quiet for a few seconds as his silhouette walked back to the camera.

Suddenly, a figure began following him back, two silhouettes in the shadows instead of one.

Duke seemed to have noticed something, as he turned around. Just as he opened his mouth to scream, the camera shorted out.

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

11:32

JUL 18 2013

The camera switched on in the middle of the forest, with the heavy foliage only allowing patches of sun here and there to be seen.

It was clear that the cheerful mood from the night before was gone. Steph was anxiously looking from tree to tree, as though she was expecting Duke to jump out of one, while Tim was biting his lip, drawing faint traces of blood. Cass and Jason may have appeared much more nonchalant to someone who didn’t know them well, but they were also very worried.

Cass had Duke’s yellow jacket tied around her waist, fiddling with the sleeves nervously. Jason, meanwhile, was calling out Duke’s name, his eyes frenzied and wild.

“Duke?!” He kept yelling into the trees, but there was no response.

Suddenly, a big black dog leapt out of the trees, barking at them with hunger in its eyes. 

“Woah, easy there,” Tim said, like he was calming down a horse and not what was basically a wolf. The dog moved closer, before pouncing on Cass, who began shoving it off with Jason’s help.

“Bad dog!” Steph chided as it finally got off of Cass and ran, but not before grabbing Duke’s jacket from her waist. It bounded into the trees, a few yards away, and then just sat there.

“Does it want us to come take it?” Tim muttered, pinching his nose in frustration.

“It probably just thinks this is all a game,” Steph said, walking up the dog, her body language open. “Hey buddy!”

As she got closer the dog went further into the trees, leading Steph into the woods.

“It wants us to follow,” Cass said, walking after Steph.

“Oh hell no,” Jason said, now angry, “We are not following a random dog in the woods! What about that doesn’t make sense?!”

“Jason,” Tim piped up. “I think that dog is a Great Dane. It might lead us to Duke if we follow. Please.”

“We’ve gone deep enough into these cursed woods! Right now, we should go home, call the police and conduct a safer search! Not this!”

“Look,” Steph interjected. “It’ll take hours to go home, and even more time for the police to organize a search! Who knows what would happen to Duke by then?! I’m going now, and Cass is too. Tim, it’s your choice.”

Tim sighed, looking torn between the two groups. “Fine,” he said. “We’re following the dog.”

“Good. Jason?”

“You guys can conduct your death search, but I’m not following. I’m heading back to the manor and finding someone who can actually help find Duke.”

“Ok,” Steph said. “Have fun walking back alone.” Her voice sounded cold, but it was clear that Jason’s decision to not come with them had made her upset.

“Wait!” Tim said, dropping the camera on the ground, creating a weird angle as he talked to Jason. “Here, take these!”

He handed him a flashlight and another camera. When Jason looked at him quizzically, he sighed and said, “This was the camera from yesterday. The one with Duke in it. Show this for proof, just in case.” Jason nodded, before Tim told him another thing.

“I carved little stars into the trees. Follow the stars and you’ll reach home.”

Jason turned around and began walking away, but not before Tim told him to hurry.

He picked up the camera, pointing it to where the girls were following the dog.

“Please get home safe.”

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

14:24

JUL 18 2013

Jason was chewing on a granola bar he had stashed in his bag, grumbling as he ran his fingers over the little carvings Tim had left for him.

“If baby bird didn't want to come here, none of this would’ve happened in the first place. He just had to go into the Gotham Woods, where literally no one has ever come out alive.”

The camera began to slightly blur, and Jason groaned. “Great, now it’s raining too.”

He looked up and sighed. “I didn’t notice when it started getting so cloudy. Should I keep going?”

As if in response, it began raining even more. He sighed again. “I guess we’re taking a break.”

The camera switched off.

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

17:42

JUL 18 2013

The camera turned back on around 6:00. Jason was under a tree for shelter, slightly shivering.

“The rain hasn’t completely stopped yet,” he said. “But if I don’t leave now, it’ll be midnight when I reach home.”

He stepped out and continued tracing the trees, looking for the stars.

Eventually after two or so hours, he reached where they had camped before, with the now damp firewood still there.

“Seriously?” he groaned. “All that walking, and I only got to the campsite? At this rate, I’ll never reach in time.”

Jason began picking up his pace, tracing the stars quicker. The landscape around him changed, but at some point it began to feel familiar. 

“I think I’m getting close!” he exclaimed, relieved to reach. But he never did reach the path home. Because at the next turn he made, he was back at the campsite.

“What the hell?! Did Tim seriously lead me in a circle? How am I going to get home now?!”

He sighed, defeated, before getting back his determination.

“It was probably because I rushed it. I’ll walk around again slower, and I’ll be home in like, two minutes.”

He went another circle, slowing down his pace this time around as he checked the trees for stars more cautiously.

“If I remember right, this should be the last turn!” He said, slightly picking up the pace again.

But it wasn’t. He was just back at the camp again, with the remains of the firewood still present.

“Shit. Tim must have marked these wrong.” He took a deep breath, before picking up his resolve again. “Okay, one last time. I won’t even follow the stars, I’ll just go off muscle memory.”

He started walking again, poking his head around trees and pointing out familiar landmarks as he went.

“So, I remember this tree being here, but not those flowers, so it’s this way!”

Jason continued on for a while, before he inevitably ended up where he started, the campsite.

“Shit. Shit!” He yelled. The sun was almost gone as well, the time being well past 8 o’clock.

He looked up cautiously at the sky, biting his lip nervously, before he huffed and rolled his eyes.

“The only thing this forest has are deer. Mistweaver, my ass.”

As if on cue, the mist started setting in as soon as he said it. You could no longer see above the tops as the trees, as the mist appeared to be creating a bubble over the forest.

Now Jason was hyperventilating. He kept taking shallow breaths, fixating himself on his feet.

“There’s no Mistweaver, there’s no Mistweaver,” he kept chanting slowly.

But the mist was making it impossible to see anything. The camera was getting blurry, covered in the condensation.

“Jason,” a voice quietly whispered out, so soft one might mistake it for the wind.

“Mom?!” he whimpered. The voice was recognizable now. It was Catherine Todd, his mother.

“Jaaasonnnn,” the voice called again, drawing out the ‘A’ and ‘N’ sounds. “Come to momma. Momma’s sorry, Jason.” The mist slowly formed into her body, soft and inviting, her arms in that awkward position she always folded them in.

“Jason, chum,” another voice sounded out from behind Jason. It was Bruce’s. “Come here, lad.”

“Bruce?” He said, scared now. “Is that you?” The mist swirled into Bruce’s form, making him tall and warm .

“Who’s it going to be, Jason?” Catherine asked, angry now, her eyebrows furrowed. “Me, or him ?”

“I-I don’t–”

“Come here, lad,” Bruce repeated, still calm. “Come home.”

“CHOOSE!” Catherine screeched.

Jason immediately went in the direction of her voice. “I’m sorry, Bruce.”

Bruce just scowled. But Jason didn’t pay him any mind, running into Catherine’s now outstretched arms, his eyes almost seeming glazed over.

Catherine picked him up and spun him around, and for a minute, it seemed like Jason was a little kid again, smiling like there was no tomorrow.

“Oh, Jason,” she sighed sadly. “You never were good at choosing right, were you?”

Jason finally seemed to realize something was wrong, trying to escape Catherine’s grasp, but it was too late.

“I really did love you, you know,” she sighed, before looking in the camera's direction. “We can’t have your ‘siblings’ figuring this out too quickly, can we now?”

The camera turned off.

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

15:54

JUL 18 2013

Tim, Cass, and Steph were still following the dog, going deeper and deeper into the forest. The trees became more dense, with the only signs of life being various animal tracks and plants.

“Shit,” Steph muttered, cheeks red. “This fucking dog is just leading us deeper into the woods. And us dumbasses are following it in.”

“If you have a problem, turn around and follow Jason,” Tim said. His voice appeared calm but anyone could tell that he was incredibly stressed.

Steph made no move to leave, but kept grumbling under her breath. Cass, on her part, was quiet, just focusing on following the dog.

They eventually came to a stop as the dog heeled, barking loudly. It dropped Duke’s yellow jacket on the ground, the denim wet with drool.

“He must be somewhere around here,” Tim said, searching the area.

“Or this stupid mutt left us in the wild,” Steph complained, but she searched right next to him.

Cass decided to go in a different direction, going out of the camera’s view, near a large tree.

“Maybe he’s wandered off near here.” Tim said, trying to keep his cool. “Duke?! DUKE?!”

“B-brother,” Cass’s voice sounded off camera.

Tim took the camera, walking over before dropping it. Steph bent over and began gagging, trying to keep herself from throwing up.

“Duke?” Tim whispered, slowly picking up the camera and pointing it up at a tree.

Slung over one of the branches was Duke, eyes glazed over, and covered in blood. But the most peculiar part was his mouth. Growing out of his mouth were wild tansies, blood dripping down the side of his face.

Cass wept silently, her shoulders shaking violently. “Gone,” she whispered.

“Fuck,” Tim whispered. “Fuck.”

Steph got up, shaking with rage. “This is all your fucking fault.”

“How is it my fault?!”

“You’re the one who said ‘Oh, let’s go into the woods that no one ever got out of!’ And now, they’re going to add our names to that list!”

“I DIDN’T WANT THIS!” Tim argued, tears rolling down his face.

“IT DOESN’T MATTER ANYMORE! WE’RE ALL STUCK HERE AND WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF YOUR FUCKING CURIOSITY .”

Tim scoffed. “ You’re making it sound like I dragged you here by the ankles! You knew the dangers when you said, ‘Oooo, I love exploring together!’”

“I didn’t ‘know the dangers’ when I agreed!”

“Do you think I did?! Why on Earth would I ever lead us here if I knew?! Why would–” his voice shook. “Why would I want this to happen?!”

“I–”

“Guys,” Cass interrupted, looking at the tree again. “Sign.”

Tim walked towards her, putting his hands on a drawing on the tree.

“What does it mean?” Stephanie asked.

“Give me the book in my bag,” Tim said, reaching for it. Once Stephanie pulled it out of the bag, he flipped through the pages before settling on one. “They’re runes. One for ‘life’ and one for ‘death’.

Cass muttered something unintelligible.

“What?” Steph asked her. Cass shook violently, eyes rolling up.

“Shit! Is she seizing?” Tim asked, running to hold her. “What do we do?!”

“I-I don’t know.”

Suddenly, Cass sat back up, blinking. But something appeared  to be off. Her eyes were glassy, as if she’d just zoned out instead of fainted. 

“We go. Now.” She said firmly, walking off into the woods.

“What?” Tim exclaimed. “Cass, you’re still hurt! You just fucking fainted!”

“Jason. Hurt. We go. Now.” Cass made no move to stop, her eyes still glazed as if she was somewhere else.

“Do we follow her?” Steph asked cautiously.

“We followed the dog, and we found Duke. Clearly something magical is going in these woods, Steph. We need to find Jason before it may be too late.”

“Okay,” Steph said, exhaling. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“Let me say goodbye to Duke,” Tim said quietly, handing the camera to Steph. She showed him gathering wildflowers and tying them together with a blade of grass, leaving it under the tree. 

“We will get out,” Tim whispered, kissing the tree softly. “I promise.”

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

19:32

JUL 18 2013

The group had walked around the forest for a while, wandering through the trees behind Cass. She still didn’t seem fully conscious, her eyes hazy as she darted through shrubs and bushes.

“Do you really think we should follow her?” Steph asked, eyeing her suspiciously. “She doesn’t seem. . . all there.”

“I don’t know either,” Tim sighed, frustrated. “For all we know this could be a trap set out by her.”

Steph snorted. “Who’s ‘her'?”

“Oh c’mon, you know what I mean!” Tim whisper-shouted, before lowering his voice even more. “Vanessa. The Mistweaver.”

“Don’t tell me you believe all that crap! Tim, we debunk mysteries, we don’t believe in them!”

“What else could this be then, Steph?!” Tim said, not even bothering with the whispering anymore. “You’ve seen what’s been happening! You were there last night with the spirit box! You saw Duke’s recording! You saw–” he choked back a sob. “You saw his body on that tree. Dead bodies don’t grow flowers.”

Steph shut up at the mention of Duke. She took a long breath in before speaking again, a cold tone in her voice. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation for all of this. You’ll see.”

“Oh please,” Tim said, rolling his eyes, before slowing to a stop behind Cass. She looked around, seeming lost, before dropping to the ground again, her eyes rolled back in her head.

“Shit!” Steph said, rushing to catch her before she fell.

“What’s happening?” Tim cried. “This is the second time she’s fainted. Do you think she needs to eat something?”

“I don’t know, give me the water!” Steph commanded, snatching the bottle from Tim’s outstretched arm. She slightly opened Cass’s mouth, pouring the water in gently, wetting her lips.

“Do you think we should take shelter?” Tim asked. “The sun is almost gone. Our only option is to camp.”

“Well if we only have one option, why the fuck are you asking me?!”

Tim didn’t bother responding, kneeling down and pulling the tent out of his bag. It was silent for a few minutes as Tim nailed the tent down while Steph watched Cass.

Finally, he said something. “What about Jason?”

Steph stopped, putting the water bottle down. “What about Jason? You saw how it went with Duke! We’ll spend two hours roaming this fucking haunted forest before we find him, and when we do, he’ll probably be–” Steph paused, trying to find her resolve. “He’ll probably be dead.”

“How?!” Tim shrieked, tearing up. “How can you say that?!”

“Tim, be realistic. Please,” Steph said, her voice softer. “Look at Cass. We need to stay here tonight. We can’t–”

“Don’t.” Tim interjected, cutting her off. “Don’t talk to me.” He left the camera on the ground, walking off into the woods.

Steph sighed and just kept looking at Cass. It was clear that her eyes were watery as well.

It took a few minutes before Tim came back. He looked much calmer and composed. He sat next to Steph, his arm around her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “You’re right. Our safety is the most important thing right now. I’ll finish setting up the tent.”

“Okay,” Steph said, patting Cass’s hair.

Tim went back to fixing the tent, trying to connect the pipes. It continued on for a few minutes before Cass got up again.

“Welcome back loser,” Steph smirked. Tim dropped the materials, turning back around to talk to her. 

“We need to go. Now.” Cass said, standing up.

“No.” Steph said, holding her hand, preventing her from leaving. “We’ve decided to take shelter for tonight. No more walking in random directions for hours.”
“No!” Cass exclaimed, her eyes wide, trying to shake Steph’s arm off of her. “We need to go.”

“Not until you tell us where.” Tim chimed in. “At least give us that.”

“The symbol on the tree. It did. . . something. I don’t know. But I know we need to go.”

“Why?!” Steph exclaimed, clearly exasperated. “What is so important that we need to risk our lives to immediately go to?!”

“Jason. Danger,” was Cass’s grave answer, before she started running into the trees once again.

Chapter Text

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬▶                             𝗩𝗛𝗦

22:08

JUL 18 2013

“Shit, shit, shit.” Tim repeatedly muttered under his breath.

“We’ve been running– hah– two straight– hours,” Steph said, panting between her words. 

“I swear I saw that tree before. Are we going in fucking circles?!”

“Ask Cass, I don’t know.” Steph pointed the camera at Cass who was darting around the trees, mumbling words that the audio couldn’t make out.

“Y’know, somehow I’m getting the feeling that she knows less than us.”

“What’s she saying?” Steph asked, squinting.

“I have no clue. Do you think she’s… y’know…”

“What? Possessed?!” Steph barked out an extremely fake sounding laugh before sobering up. “Maybe.”

Cass turned around to speak to them. “We’re close. Jason– gone.” Her face was grave, tear tracks on her cheeks.

“Jason’s gone?” Steph shouted, her eyes welling up. “How–how do you know?”

“I–When I touched the tree, I saw something. I know the forest now. We have to go.”

Cass turned back around and kept walking, Tim and Steph silently trailing behind her. 

“We’re here.” Cass said eventually, stopping in a shady clearing. The mist was heavy on the ground, not helping the group's high anxiety. “Find Jason.”

The trio separated, looking around the area. It was hard to look around with the heavy foliage. Steph’s camera shook violently as she approached the trees.

“I’m looking for another rune like we found on the tree in the other clearing.” She explained, running her hands over the trees. Her finger caught on one and she brought the camera closer to show it.

“This looks like the same one as before. Lyf ond Dēaþ. Life and Death.”

“What the fuck is that?!” Tim yelled in the background. Steph’s camera whipped around to where he was pointing. In the middle of the mist, it looked like the ground was throbbing up. Tim stepped closer, waving his hand to try and clear the mist. The second the mist moved a bit, he threw up next to the throbbing.

Steph walked towards him, looking at the source. 

There, in the grass laid Jason’s lifeless body. He had flowers growing out of his eye sockets, grotesquely wrapping around his head like a crown. But below his head was even more disturbing. His torso was ripped open, showcasing his ribs. None of the internal organs were present except for his heart, still beating slowly.

Cass gasped, her breath shuddering violently. Steph gagged, shaking the camera.

“What– what do we do now?” She asked.

“We run. We run before whatever killed Jason finds us.” Tim answered solemnly.

“I think it’s too late for that.” Cass answered in a voice that was not her own.

“The–the Mistweaver!” Steph exclaimed, backing up as far away as she could.

“Please dearest, call me Vanessa.” Cass said, her eyes rolled back. The mist at their feet crawled around their shins like vines, trapping them.

“Now,” Vanessa announced. “Which one to kill first. The girl has been annoying me, but the boy is the one who was foolish enough to walk into my territory. What do you think, darling? ” She consulted.

Her spirit appeared to leave Cass’s body for a second, as her eyes rolled back and she convulsed violently.

“Please,” she begged, shaking. “Don’t make me pick. I–” Before she could say more, the spirit entered her body again, her irises gone.

“You’re right,” she said, giving a wicked grin, one that would never be present on the real Cass’s face. “Let’s kill the girl.”

Steph’s vines drew her closer to the Mistweaver as she struggled, trying to stop herself from being dragged. She latched onto Tim’s arm, and spoke to him urgently, handing him the camera still in her hands.

“Tim,” she whispered softly, holding his arms with as much force as she could muster. “You need to run. Leave me behind. While she kills me, run away. Promise me.”

“Steph,” Tim’s voice choked. “How–how could I leave you?”

“Promise me.”

“I– I promise.”

Steph exhaled, giving a soft smile. The camera captured what was probably Steph’s last moment alive. Her face grimy, covered with dirt and rain from running in the forest for two days. Her blonde hair was still in a ponytail with her favorite purple hair tie with a little star charm and her black cardigan was around her waist. She let go of Tim’s arm as he gasped.

The Mistweaver cackled as Steph screamed. She turned away from Tim, giving him the opportunity to run.

He pulled at his legs, eventually getting rid of the mist and took off. It didn’t appear as if he knew where he was going, rather just set on going in any one direction until he reached civilization.

After sprinting for a while, he reached a small cabin.

“I–”  Tim panted. “I can’t run anymore. I– I have to– to take shelter.”

He opened the door of the cabin and walked in, the floorboards creaking with every step he took. He set the camera down on a table opposing him and sat on the ground, laying his head on his knees.

“Just–” he cut himself off, still panting heavily. “Just for a bit, then I’ll go.” He stayed on the ground, breathing slowly.

After a few minutes, he got up, dusting off his pants and taking off his backpack, shuffling through the contents.

“I need to keep inventory if I want to get out of this hellhole.” He sighed before pulling out tools.

He got out a flashlight, two extra cameras, some granola bars and bottles of water. He continued digging through the bag’s other zips, pulling out the spirit items he had packed next. He scowled at the ouija board, but still carefully placed it down on the ground, scared to disturb any spirits. The spirit box however, didn’t receive the same mercy as he flung it to the other side of the room. He got the book out after, flipping through its contents, frustrated.

“They can fit five chapters about the great Gotham fire, but not a page on how to defeat the ‘most deadly monster in Gotham’?”

Then, he got out Jason’s cigarettes, tucked into a side pocket. His eyes welled as he carefully opened the box, as if the $2.99 pack was his lifeline to civilization. He reached into the bag to get out the lighter that Steph had gifted Jason two years before. It was a deep red with a little star chain dangling from it. He lit a cigarette as carefully as his shaking hands could, only to immediately put it out.

Tim sighed, before putting the food, water, and cigarettes back into the bag. He looked contemplatively at the ghost hunting items he had brought before changing his mind.

“Time to get out of here,” he breathed, reaching for the camera, when a loud bang was heard. Tim flinched violently as mist began creeping into the room, covering the ground quickly, curling around his feet.

“Leaving so soon?” the Mistweaver's voice shrieked from Cass’s body. “But the party is just getting started!”

“I know what you are!” Tim screamed, trying to threaten the Mistweaver, to make her back off. “Vanessa!”

“ It’s almost midnight!” She screeched gleefully, ignoring his remarks. “ 10, 9, 8, 7, 6…” The mist began forming in her hands as she called out, creating an almost cylindrical shape.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1!” The mist was now clearly a cake, with mock candles on top somehow glowing. “Happy birthday, Timothy!” She called out, in a voice that was not in the banshee-like tone she was using previously. It was more soft and strict. She was preying on Tim by using the voice of Janet Drake.

The mist crawled up Tim’s neck, choking him. As he gagged and spluttered, the Mistweaver began singing slowly.

“Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Timothy,

Happy birthday to you!”

Tim shuddered, violently spasming as the mist slowly tightened around his neck like a noose.

“Oh, yes!” The Mistweaver exclaimed. “I almost forgot to give you your birthday gift! Hm, since it will be the last thing you see, I’ll show you my true form.” She turned to the camera, moving it to face the wall. “We don’t want this silly thing to capture your gift, do we now?”

The camera could only see the shadows of the terrible acts going on behind it now. Cass’s silhouette dropped to the ground as Tim shrieked, the Mistweaver’s true form revealed to him. The camera glitched, the image on the wall blurry as Tim screamed, calling out for anyone he could, before it shut off.

Chapter Text

A City in Mourning

By Vicki Vale, Head Investigative Journalist

As more details are uncovered about Bruce Wayne’s tragic death, the story continues to get more shocking. Two days ago, the late philanthropist held a press conference, revealing new theories on his children’s deaths. The GCPD had found footage from their ill-fated voyage into the Gotham woods that could reveal more about their whereabouts.

Now, it is being disclosed that a few hours before Bruce Wayne’s jump, he had watched the recovered videos. Did he make the terrible decision to end it all after seeing his late children’s fate? Or had he seen something more sinister on the footage, divulging a truth that was meant to be hidden?

The GCPD has confiscated the tapes, refusing to let anyone view them. When approached for comments, Commissioner Jim Gordon denied, suggesting that something highly confidential was present on the videos. What was the fate of the Wayne kids? What did Bruce Wayne see that was so horrible, he killed himself just a few hours later?

The Gotham Gazette has all the exclusive details and more.

To read more, click here!