The cold breeze of the night caressed her face gently, as if it was welcoming a dear friend long gone. The girl tilted her cloaked head slightly to the side, trying to feel as much as possible the loving wind on her pale skin as she ate the final pieces of what has been a red and delicious apple. She dangled her legs without even noticing it as she looked down with her blindfolded eyes at the city from the skyscraper's rooftop she was sitting on, getting lost in the ocean of neon and flashy lights underneath her. In its beautiful own way, Gotham was indeed gorgeous and unique. Something that, perhaps, only eyes which grew in darkness could appreciate.
Eyes like her own.
Crow let a whispering sigh escape her lips as she stood up, ready for another night of patrol. Her black short dress flowed around her as she turned around, the metallic tapping of her black low heel wedge-shoes against the rooftop filling her ears. The cloak that covered her head- which was attached to the very dress- ended in a sharp end, simulating a beak and hiding her face and her snow-white braided hair, which was twisted around her neck.
"Lyn? Lynzirel? You there?" The girl placed her fingers on her ear, more concretely over her earpiece.
"Yes. Though I think I told you to call me Crow when I'm on duty." She coldly said, making the man on the other side chuckle. For other people, she might have sounded rude, cold-hearted even, but not for him. He was her helper, her eternal companion in her lonely nights; but most important, her best friend. Who would have thought that, inside that playboy façade of his, Bruce Wayne was an ally of the still recent Gotham's vigilante?
"You know that won't work for me. Now then, how's the suit? Did Lucius make a good work? He told me to tell you that it's made of the highest quality-materials, shoes, gloves and tights included. It might seem like normal cloth, but it's a 100 times more resistant."
"It's perfect. Thanks." She looked slightly down, observing the symbol on the middle of her chest: a white bird with its wings extended; the place where her armour was the strongest.
Funny.
"You say that, but I have just by my side the belt. You know the one, right? The one full of gadgets and tech that could possibly save your life in more than one occasion? You only took the grapple and the hacking device! You're really thinking about going out there, alone, with only that dull sword of yours?"
"It's all I need."
"If you say so…" he sighed, knowing battling with the girl was futile "And the blindfold? Can you really see with that on?
"Yes, clear as day. And the incorporated scanner works just fine."
"Glad to hear it, though I'm concerned about your back. I hope the space is big enough for—"
"It is. I'm fine, Bruce."
"Alright, alright…I just don't want you to get hurt."
"I know."
She stopped her walk when she stepped on something soft, different from the rest of the structure. She slowly lifted her feet, releasing a two-days old newspaper. In the front page, in big letters with a blurred image of herself underneath, it could be read:
THE CROW: FACT OR FICTION?
For how long has she been making this now? Six months, perhaps? She remembered her first time acting as Crow, those thugs just laughing their asses out before she broke their teeth and bones. Now no one was laughing, the myth of her existence expanding through the streets like wildfire.
A sudden caw stopped her thoughts, causing her to look towards it direction. She recognized the dark raven as it landed on the girl's arm, looking at her with its obsidian eyes. The bird shook its feather fastly and rattled as if it its sounds could make any sense to the girl.
Even though she could not put it into words, she knew something bad was adrift.
"Lyn, I have something." Bruce's voice echoed in her ears, stopping her thoughts "Seems like the Red Hood's Gang is on the run again, this time in Ace Chemicals."
"I'm on my way."
As the raven flew away, she ran towards the edge of the rooftop and jumped.
Jumped into the abyss.
The only moment where she truly felt free.
Not long after, the alarm of the factory ringed in Crow's ears as she swiftly approached the building, shouts and gunshots mixed with it. If she did not hurry, someone could get hurt.
The front door was full of cops, so that was not an option. Activating the scanner vision, she found a weak spot on the rooftop, made of glass. Grappling onto the highest chimney of the factory, she let herself drop heavily over the structure, breaking it into a thousand pieces and entering in the place. As she landed gracefully placing a hand on the floor, a muffled scream greeted her, making the girl look at the person that was just right in front of her.
A tall and slender man, dressed with a suit and a red cloak and oddly-shaped helmet yelled again when she looked at him with no eyes, making him walk backwards shaking uncontrollably as he tried to remove his helmet. Crow frowned slightly, surprised at his scared reaction. He was clearly the one who broke in and a member of the Gang, but then…why was he reacting that way?
Perhaps her theory was right. Perhaps no Red Hood was the same as the latter.
But he was a criminal, no matter what.
"S-Stay away from me, freak!" he warned, the man finally deciding that his best choice was to stupidly run for it, forcing the woman to do the same.
The chasing only lasted for a couple of minutes, until they reached the pools full of chemicals. What happened next was an almost surreal situation, Crow watching wide eyed how the clumsy man tripped with his own feet, falling helplessly over one of the containers. The girl only had an instant to run towards him and, sliding through the ground, caught his hand before he touched the chemicals.
"I got you. Don't move!" she tried to pull him out, but she was not strong enough. She had to use both hands to hold his so he wouldn't fall, unable to use the grapple this way. Furthermore, filled with terror, the man screamed and moved endlessly, trying to get a hold on something.
Suddenly, the white-haired girl could almost feel the bullet passing just behind her, making her clench her teeth and look to the side.
"Don't you dare to move, freaks!" one of the cops that aimed at them shouted, readying his gun. She ignored the cop and looked at the poor man below her, who has just started to sob, or so she thought as the helmet covered all his head.
"You're...you're her! The Crow!"
"Come here and help me lift him up." The girl mumbled loud enough for him to hear, who cracked a laugh to her astonishment.
"Y' know what? I've gotta better idea." The mere sound of his voice made her cringe "How 'bout I shoot you both? Two birds with one stone, hehe."
Just when she was going to reply, a horrible sight filled her: the man, who was wearing gloves, was slowly slipping outside the one of the hand she was holding. Through her fingerless gloves, she sank her black and sharp nails in his skin, trying to stop his fall.
"No!" she yelled, incapable of doing nothing more than to watch how the man unstoppably fell into the pool, not even able to scream. She watched how the chemicals swallowed him as he disappeared slowly in the container.
Another failure added to her list.
"Well…seems like that one's dealt with." The cop said, amused, as he walked towards Crow. She stayed lying on the floor for some moments, holding in her hand the man's glove. The girl slowly stood up, facing the other direction. The man stopped for an instant.
"Wow…nice tattoo, weirdo."
Her cold silence seemed to annoy the man who clicked her tongue and aimed at her head. She turned her face slowly to him, looking at him through the blindfold.
A kick on his jaw was her answer to his corruption. This alerted the other cops who tried to shoot her. Before they even noticed it, the girl was gone, leaving behind a swirl of black feathers.
"I couldn't save him, Bruce." Lynzirel said as she looked at the fire burning at the fireplace, sitting on the sofa hugging her legs as she buried her face in her knees.
The cosy living room of the Wayne manor was one of the few places where Lynzirel felt completely safe. She was not in her normal environment, yet there was something about the balance between the wealth the house displayed and the aura of joy and familiarity that soothed her.
"Don't you dare to blame yourself, Lyn." The black-haired man responded from another sofa, nearby the first one. His blue eyes observed the girl, now dressed with one of her friend's shirt and shorts, her wavy hair running wild through her back and shoulders. He smiled internally slightly, remembering the little girl she was when she met her "You didn't place that mask on his head. You didn't force him to go to the factory and steal from it. This situation only happened because of him."
Silence filled the room. Not the uncomfortable type, no. The one where Bruce could almost hear Lyn's brain working, thinking about everything as she took another bite of the apple she was currently eating. He had to admit it, she looked rather cute.
"Hm…" she simply responded, still looking at the crackling of the flames. She took out one glove, dirty but apparently expensive- the one that belonged to the Red Hood "Tell me, where are your parents?"
"Around this time of the year, they should be in our vacation house in Switzerland." He cheerfully said, placing a hand on his chin "You know, they hate when you don't talk about them like they're not your parents too. Goddammit, we grew together! You are like the daughter they never had."
"I don't deserve that title." The coldness of her voice, accompanied with the stillness of her body made Bruce sigh, standing shortly after and walking a few steps towards her. He kneeled just in front of her, the girl lifting his head only enough to look at him in the eyes.
Those breath-taking yet scary eyes of her.
The iridescent combination of deep violet with traces of icy blue and olive green of her irises could make everyone feel like they were lost in a stormy sea of emotions and colours, guarded by her white and long lashes. Yet her eyes seemed somewhat tired of seeing, the big bags under her eyes proving it.
"You saved them, Lynzirel. If you hadn't intervened… I don't want to imagine what could've happen." The intensity of his pure blue eyes caused her to look away, a light blush covering her pale cheeks.
"Anyone would've done the same."
"You're wrong. You were younger than me, yet you stopped the criminal just before he shot us. You were a girl from the street and we were a rich family. You never met us before and yet...yet you risked everything."
"There was not much I could risk" a half smile, so rare in her, appeared on her face, making Bruce laugh a bit.
Both of them remembered quite well that day, the day where everything changed.
The day the bird was born from the ashes of the bat.
"You are a heroine, Lyn. The one Gotham needs but possibly doesn't deserve." the man's hand brushed slightly the albino girl's skin, making her tremble a bit and instinctively avoid his touch. His smile became wider, gentler "Ah, I still remember the day you discovered Mother had signed you to ballet and singing lessons…"
"Don't you dare!" a pillow met Bruce's face, who laughed heartily as Lynzirel watched him with a small smile.
"You're a member of this family, like it or not." he finally stated as he placed his hands on his hips, ending the conversation. The smile disappeared from her face and, with a sigh, she went to her old room, ready to change her clothes. After so many years together, Lynzirel still struggled to be a part of a family.
Half an hour later, she was dressed with comfortable jeans and sweater, boots and a scarf that covered half of her face, just as she liked. As best as she could, she hid her hair under her clothes. White hair had that flaw of being highly recognisable, you see. Then, she took her guitar and walked towards the main door.
"Leaving without a goodbye again?" Bruce's voice echoed on her ears, making her turn around to face him.
"Goodbye."
"You are impossible, Lyn. It's almost unnerving." though his smile was always present on his face, he meant it and Lynzirel knew it "Don't you prefer to stay here for the rest of the day? You don't have to go to your apartment in the middle of dawn, it's September already and it's cold outside…"
"I rather leave. Nothing like my own bed to get a good sleep. Besides, my roommate will worry if I don't return."
Bruce's eyes became sad, but he argued no more.
"Are you sure about her, Lyn? What if she finds out about Crow?"
"She won't. I've been living with her for two months now and nothing happened, and the Nest is far away. Besides, my door has a latch" to the man's surprise, she winked at him and opened the door, putting on a pair of sunglasses "Say goodbye to Alfred for me."
"Don't forget to put your skin cream on!" the bang of the door was the answer he received. He rubbed his head, sighing "Just...be careful, Lyn."
"Sleepyhead, wake up! Time for lunch!"
Lyn stood far too fast, causing her head to spin for some seconds as she laid down again.
"On my way…"
"Come on, I even prepared it. You are going to love it."
"Not if it's another of your salads!"
"It's even better. I prepared vegan pizza!"
"That'll have to do…" yawning, Lynzirel finally arose from the bed, walking a few steps towards her window, opening the curtains. The cold and gentle sun of the winter coronated the sky while the soft snow fell from the sky, painting the city white. She adored winter and how cold the wind was against her skin.
She dressed messily with just an oversized T-shirt so it would allow her to enjoy the cold ambient, her hair tied up in a lazy bun behind her head leaving a few locks out. Lyn took her phone and, yawning one last time, walked outside her room.
Their apartment was big for two people but small for three, just the perfect size for both girls. Hanging from the rooftop, on the walls and inside many pots, plants of all varieties and kinds lived with them, alongside many injured animals that Lyn used to bring back home until they were healed. Her roommate was a scientific after all, and between her love for plants and Lyn's love for animals they both got along quite nicely, their house turned into one of the few nature redoubts that were left in Gotham.
"Where's Blackie?" The white-haired girl asked, looking for the black kitten she saved a few days ago.
"Here."
A breath-taking red-haired woman came out of the corner, her fiery and curly mane contrasting with her bright, emerald eyes. She looked at the girl as she smiled mischievously, her crimson lips accentuating her incredible beauty. The woman was dressed with heavy clothes which protected her from the unmerciful winter-the season she hated the most. In her arms, she held the little animal with care, who meowed in pleasure as the woman scratched its loin.
Doctor Pamela Isley: the most gorgeous woman Lynzirel had ever met.
"You should eat fast, dear." she spoke with her alluring voice "You'll be late if you don't hurry up."
"Come eat with me?" Pamela smiled and nodded, and so both women went to the kitchen and eat. Meanwhile, a swallow Lyn had adopted just a few days back a while ago, landed on her head and squawked, making Pam laugh melodically and making the albino girl to laugh with her, both joining in a cheerful laugh. They've been together for nearly six months now and they had learned to live together in harmony, surrounded by the wildforest that was their apartment.
They both sat and started eating, a slight smile appearing in Lyn's face at the delicious taste of the pizza. Yawning, Pam took the remote and turned on the TV, tuning automatically to the news' channel.
"The mysterious figure of Gotham's female vigilante was seen again tonight, as she discovered and destroyed a hidden weaponry stack that belonged to the infamous Oswald Cobblepot, also known as the Penguin. New witnesses affirms that we are in the presence of a winged woman, while others deny this statement claiming to not see such a thing. As the existence of the Crow is becoming more and more clear, the police is doing their best to stop the masked woman from carrying the law in her own special way, never killing any of her victims…"
"Well I say it was about time a woman took the bull by the horns." Pam said as she watched the news, nodding and smiling "And if she has time to kick some men, even better!"
"You like her then?" the albino asked, achieving to talk in a monotone voice.
"She's doing good for this city- and for women too! Don't you see? Out of all the kind of patterns and kinds of outfits she could've chose from, why would she wear a suit in form of a dress if not to show everybody her femininity? She's killing two birds with the same stone."
"Hm. Perhaps you're right…"
Lynzirel usually forgot just how astute Pam was under her warm aura. It was a curious danger to her other persona.
"So...nervous about this afternoon?" Pam's voice reached her ears, causing her to lift her eyes as she eated her last portion of pizza. Lyn shocked her head.
"Nothing that I haven't done before." she calmly said, waving her hand as if she was taking away significance to the matter.
"But you're playing at the Gotham Theater!" she exclaimed "Don't you see? Your group is becoming more and more famous each day that passes! How many people would be there?"
"A lot." a small smile peeked through her lips, a bit flattered about her friend's excitement "You'll be there, right?"
"Wouldn't lose it for anything. Though I admit indie rock is not exactly of my liking, your voice is just-!"
"Thanks, Pammy. It means a lot to me."
"You know...you and your group could do a lot of things if your influence grows." her eyes brightened as she thought about her own words, the many possibilities filling her mind" You could promote animals' rights and environmental justice. You could change things!"
"I try not to influence anybody, but...I suppose you're right."
A sudden hug from the scientific surprised the girl, who blushed uncontrollably.
"Sometimes I think you're the only one who understand me, Lyn...I'm so glad we found each other."
"Yeah...me too."
Perhaps, one day, Lyn would understand that the reason why her heart beated so fast when she was around her was not just a sign of friendship.
"Will you be wearing that pink wig? You look so-!"
"Enough!"
Captain Gordon had never seen such an atrocious scene.
Eight corpses were lying on the ground of the abandoned warehouse in an advanced state of decomposition, the mere smell of it provoking all the cops except for him to get out crying and vomiting. He tossed his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it as he clenched his teeth, angered by such display of wickedness. This was no normal murder. This was not even a normal murderer.
How would a normal murderer make the corpses smile?
Everything was changing around him, and he could do nothing to stop it. News of humans with superpowers, the vigilante in his own city and now this...his precious city was becoming more and more difficult to save by the day.
Gordon could only feel the silent presence behind him before she spoke.
"Captain Gordon."
Jeez, he would never become used to her sneaky movements.
"I was hoping you'd be here…" his resigned voice showed his disagreement with working with the vigilante. In any other situation, he would be the first one to pursue the girl and throw her into a cell. But this...this was beyond his abilities.
"Is it that bad, then…" she was not even asking, aware of Captain Gordon's feelings towards her.
When the girl entered the room, she understood Gordon's behaviour.
"What do you think?" he asked as he looked at the Crow with still doubtful eyes, focusing his eyes on her figure. He opened his eyes a bit when he watched her back, never being this close to her and thus never really appreciating the tattoo that decorated it.
"This corpses must've been her for over a month...the state of decomposition is very advanced. And their faces, the color of their skin...it's almost like…
"Like what?"
"Like someone was using them for some type of practice. The toxic type." she stated, the cold tone of her voice giving the man chills.
"Good god…" he could only say as his fears became true: they were about to face a really dangerous and insane criminal.
Crow coughed, her throat still sore after the concert, but focusing on the case regardless. Slowly but ever gracefully, she walked around the warehouse, seeing each and every corpse. No pattern to be had, all men and women of different age, race, etc. This was the work of a man who had nothing, but at the same time everything against them. Approaching one of the corpses, who grinned at her with a deadly smile, she kneeled and took a small piece of skin, thinking about analyzing it later at the Nest.
"If this was a test, does that mean that-"
"He or she will do it again, yes."
Gordon looked at the girl, surprised and angry equally at the lack of feeling of her voice, her coldness always present. She looked young, though her face was completely hidden and thus, unable to know for sure. But even so, what made her be what she was?
"I should leave and try to determine what toxin was used here. You should stay alert."
The Crow walked passed him, sharing a ephemeral look with the captain, who could only stare into darkness. Just when she was about to leave, Gordon cleared his throat.
"I hope you understand we're working together due to the extreme situation. What you do...it must be stopped."
The girl took a few more steps and stopped, turning her head to him and tilting it to the side. The man opened his eyes when he saw her almost noticeable smile
"You must do what you think is right. As I do."
The Nest's computer worked fast and efficiently analyzing the tissue as Lynzirel tried to extract the toxin from it, just like Bruce had teached her to. Sadly, he was in some stupid reunion for rich men and could not escape from it, leaving the scientific work to her. The giant screen was divided in two- one side showing the analysis of the tissue and the other the news.
Her hideout was built inside a hollow, one she had found in her early ages, just when she had started living with the Waynes. Far away from the mansion, one day she lost herself inside the woods…
No. There was no time for remembering.
She focused all her thoughts into discovering the core of the toxin, carefully inserting the schematics in the computer as it dismembered the particle slowly. She was in such a hurry that she didn't even took out her suit- or Crowsuit, as Bruce liked to name it-, leaving everything on. The voice of the female journalist on the other half of the screen keeped her oddly concentrated in her task.
"-just two weeks away from its scheduled reopening. Just outside the city, Arkham Asylum has a long a brutal history, beginning when its own architect went mad, hacking his workmen to death with an axe. He was convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the same dark halls that had sent him over the brink. Hopes remains high, however, that this newly renovated structure will-" the sudden coughs of the reporter made Lynzirel arch an eyebrow, watching for the first time the other half of the screen.
"E-Excuse me…" the lady tried to go on, but something was stopping her from doing it, her throat unable to articulate any word. Lynzirel stood swiftly, making the chair go backwards as she approached the screen. Just as she had thought, a shadow started to walk towards the woman as she still struggled for air.
To the girl's horror, the woman's face and skin started to turn white, like something had bleached it. Her face and eyes took a poisonous green colour and her mouth stretched until her lips bleeded, a disgusting smile forming on her face. When the shadow's ghostly hand was placed on her shoulder, the poor woman fell to the floor, dead in front of all of Gotham. Lynzirel could do nothing more than to watch the screen helplessly, placing both hands on it as she opened her mouth wide.
"Ooopsie" a male voice said followed by a chuckle.
The shadow finally became lightened by the spotlights, who showed a tall man as he sat on the wheeled chair. Lynzirel's violet eyes opened in surprise as the man image was finally processed in her brain, his odd appearance making it difficult for Lynzirel to analyze the situation. The man, who was wearing a green suit under purple and long coat, had the same skin color as the previous corpses and the woman, but he certainly looked much more alive. His green, spiky hair matched with his eyes of the same color, giving him an insane appearance. His lips, curled into a threatening smile were painted in red, the color going from his mouth to halfway off his cheeks, making his grin even bigger. Overall, he looked like the clown from a child's worst nightmare.
Before he could even start to speak, a laugh burst from his throat as he made the chair spin.
"Gooood evening, Gotham and gothamites everywhere!" against all odds, Lyn shut her mouth and frowned, not saying nor thinking a thing "Thought I'd take time out of my oh soo busy schedule to say hi to you! With Christmas Day so close, I just thought: hey, why don't I give Gotham the present she deserves! Then again, perhaps it's not the present you want!" his dreadful laugh filled Lynzirel's ears again as she seated on the chair again, crossing her legs over it and sitting just a few inches away from the screen, looking into the man's face without blinking.
Just where has she saw him before? She placed her fingers over his face and delineated it. Was it the face? No, she would remember someone like him. Perhaps...the voice?"
"Hahahaa...aah...sorry, I tend to drift from the main topic. So, ready to hear about my special gift to all of you? Well, speak, goddammit!" he yelled at the camera, as if he was angry no gothamite currently watching the TV answered to him. As if the realization of the impossibility of anyone answering him hit him like a lightning,his eyes widened and another laugh, this time more high pitched, left his mouth. "Well, my present is...DEATH! Death to all of you! Delivered with all my love, of course."
As if by some reflex her arm moved, she reached a nearby apple and started to eat it silently, her eyes never breaking the contact with his own.
"But before any of that happen, first we have to prepare you all for what's about to come, so the only thing you do when your day is near is weep under the beds! Soo…" he grabbed a nearby newspaper and opened it. With his smile never leaving his face, he placed a hand over his eyes and started to turn the pages seemingly in a random way. When he was content with the page, he let out a giggle and pressed with his finger a certain spot from the page. The clown took his hand off his head and, after a second of examining the spot, his body bended back due to the force of his laughter "...HAHAHAHAHA! It seems we have a winner!"
When he showed the page to the camera, all thoughts left Lynzirel's mind, her whole being now having a clear and only goal.
"You will die tonight...Bruce Wayne!"
To save her dearest friend.