I strode down the faintly lit alleyway, holding a clutch in my hand and a massive duffel bag over my shoulder. My combat boots clicked softly on the cobblestone street, causing me to cringe at each step. A sane person wouldn't be strolling through this area near midnight, but due to a late flight, here I was searching for my new apartment. I briefly pulled out a paper to confirm the address and came to a halt under a street light to read it.
The atmosphere was eerily quiet, excluding the light buzz of traffic in the distance, or a rustled leaf crunching beneath my foot. I murmured the street name to myself, hoping to find a sign to direct me. I nervously veered left through a more obscure pathway. I stopped myself when I detected the sound of hushed voices. I glanced upwards as I felt a presence above me. A shadowy animal, or human, leaped from the railing of a fire escape, and towards the voices.
"It's him!" a voice yelled. I recoiled as I heard a bottle shatter, and other people calling out. The shadow seemed to be causing quite the commotion. I debated my next course of action, then quietly walked in the direction of the noise, peering around a brick building to investigate. There were about fifteen men, all gripping various weapons. A white van was started with some of the men hurriedly loading crates into it. They looked like the stereotypical mafia-style drug dealers. I briefly wondered why they appeared so tense, and then I saw him. The center of attention was a dark caped figure who was attacking the apparent drug dealers.
He was dressed in a thick black body suit, held together with a wide belt containing slips for weapons. I could see a protruding grappling hook amongst a collection of what I believed to be ninja stars. I was uncertain whether his rippling cape was advantageous or simply a nuisance. While it hid the shape of his body from his enemies, it could also be grabbed onto. I also noticed a mask concealing everything but his eyes and jaw. It formed into two ear-like points at the top of his head. My first thought: bat.
The attacker had a strong stance, and clear skills; the other men had no idea what they were doing in comparison. The Bat was loosely surrounded, but didn't seem distraught. His confidence was clear. A few men took their chances shooting bullets at him, which he smoothly dodged. A man threw a knife at his chest, but he easily caught the weapon, throwing it aside. Another particularly brave soul sought out a fist fight. The hooded junkie swung a fist at the Bat's face who lazily deflected the blow, breaking the guy's arm in the process. From behind him, I saw someone harshly swing a bat down on his head. How ironic, the Bat got hit with a bat.
The Bat collapsed to the ground, and the men closed in. He tried to get to his feet multiple times, each resulting in a kick to his side. I wasn't even sure who the bad guy was here, and I obviously didn't think my actions through, but I came out from behind the building.
"Hey!" I said loudly, mentally slapping myself for my stupidity. They glanced up, probably all thinking how idiotic I was. I'm pretty sure I even saw the Bat facepalm. "Um-I think I saw the cops somewhere-coming this way. Yeah, they were definitely coming this way. You guys should all bail while you have the chance," I continued, nodding my head with a shrug.
"There are no cops down here, honey," a bald man with an Italian accent said to me, then looked back to the Bat with his foot on his chest. I was slightly put off that they didn't consider me a threat. The men resumed the beating and I realized that if I wanted to assist the Bat, I would have to step in. I unzipped my suitcase, and rummaged around for the pocket knife that my closest friend made me purchase "for safety". I finally grasped it and pulled it out, hesitantly walking within ten feet of the circle of men.
"Seriously though," I said, trying to sound bold. "You should go," I finished, wielding my pocket knife in front of my body like fire. I must have looked like a moron, a tragically heroic moron. A man nodded towards me, and a few guys left the group to come up to me.
At this point, the Bat had caught on, and swung his legs around the ground to trip the distracted dealers. He was back on his feet, fighting again. I grinned proudly and felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up at the two large blonde men in front of me who were probably twins. Then, in unison, they punched me in the face.
A couple minutes later, my eyes flickered open. I had been dragged off to the side of the alleyway. I tried to figure out who was winning, which wasn't difficult considering all of the bodies on the ground. I saw the Bat deliver a final punch to the bald man, who then proceeded to pass out. As the Bat bent over to grab something on the ground, I slowly stood up, dusting myself off, feeling a bit light-headed. Then he turned and faced me, walking closer.
"Why would you do that?" he demanded angrily in a rough, guttural voice. He took another step closer and towered over me by at least a foot. "I can handle myself, and I don't need unnecessary distractions." I felt strangely offended. He would have been dead if it weren't for me, right? I desperately hoped that his submission wasn't part of some sort of larger plan. So, I avoided the topic of fighting entirely.
"You should probably cut down on the cigarettes," I stated. "You sound like you're about to die any minute now. And I can hardly understand you." I wasn't used to being so outspoken, but this guy had no idea who I was, so I might as well speak my mind.
"Here," he said gruffly, shoving my closed pocket knife into my hand. I muttered thanks and looked around for my suitcase and wallet. I spotted them a few feet away and went to grab them. "And I don't smoke," he growled. When I turned back, he was gone.
Fifteen minutes later, I had managed to find my apartment. It was an older building, partially made of stone. I wandered into the entrance, and traveled up a rickety staircase. I found the door labeled fourteen, then opened it using a key I had mailed to me. I pushed the door open, and gazed around judgmentally.
It had four rooms; the kitchen, the bedroom, the living room, and the bathroom. The thin walls were beat up, and badly needed a paint job. I doubted that the previous owners had washed the floors once in their pitiful lives; the place was a mess. It would be bearable though, once my stuff had arrived, and I had furnished it to my liking.
I guessed that the appliances were newer, as well as a marble counter top and a few silver swiveling stools that were attached to the ground. I excitedly clapped my hands together as I entered the bedroom and saw a colossal contemporary bed taking up most of the space. I hadn't expected the place to come with a bed, explaining my pleasant surprise. I unpacked the few things I had brought with me: a sleeping bag, some clothing, shoes, a huge water bottle, a hairbrush and other cosmetics. Hopefully, the rest of my stuff would arrive soon, because I was living on bare essentials at the moment.
Just after I had pulled my pajamas on, my phone lit up. It was a reminder of my interview at Wayne Enterprise tomorrow morning. I glanced at the time, actually, it was in about six hours. I took out a black pencil skirt, a light gray blouse and a pair of matching gray flats. Thankfully, everything was wrinkle-free.
As I laid in my sleeping bag on top of the bare bed, I fretted over the interview. This was my first job after college, and I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. Would I be a secretary? Would I be the assistant of himself? Or would they decide I qualified for neither, and offer me a position as custodian? And why the Hell did Gotham have a giant bat flying around? I gradually slipped into a worrisome sleep.