Hello Everyone. I've haven't written on this story in a long time. I was coming back to update, but after reading what I had I realized I wanted to start over. So here I am. Restarting this story.

Gotham City had never been safe. And although there was a sense of safety now that Batman seemed to patrol the gangsters and mob bosses, he couldn't be everywhere at once. There was only so much one man in a suit could do, but that didn't keep me from hoping that he'd always be there to protect us if we needed him.

I was wrong.

I don't think I could forget anything about that day if I tried. It was raining. I was heading home later than normal because Billy Murdoch had thrown my books all over the football field and I had to pick them up. The streets were empty like they normally were; most everyone hiding in the safety of their homes late at night.

I was carrying my books in my arms while the rain ran down my hair and into my face. It was hard for me to make out but I thought I could make out the outline of someone standing in front of me a few feet away, thinking nothing of it I went to walk around them. It wasn't until he stepped into my path that I realized something was wrong. Out of the corner of my eye I saw another man emerge from the alley behind me.

I stopped moving and gripped my books tighter in my arms. "Excuse me." I whispered trying to stay calm.

"Where do you think you're going sweetheart?" The man behind me asked while the man in front of me stepped closer. I could see his face now. His nose was long and jagged and his eyes looked sharp and cruel.

"I...I need to get home." I said my voice betraying my fear. Everyone knew the stories about what happened to girls coming home late at night.

"Well that's too bad sweetie, cause we want you to hang out with us." The long nosed man replied.

I saw the knife before I could reply. He grabbed my waist from behind while the man in front of me held the knife against my throat.

That's when the first blackout happened, like I was being ripped out of reality.

When I woke up I was on the ground. The rain had stopped, but there was something wet and sticky on my hands and face. Sitting up and looking down I saw that I was covered in blood. After checking my body for wounds and coming to the conclusion that I was fine I shakily looked around. I saw the bodies of the two men laying on either side of me. Getting on my knees I moved to look closer. They were dead. The same knife they were going to use to attack me being the one that cut open their throats. Realization dawned as I looked back down at the blood on my hands and clothes. I was covered in their blood. Without thinking I stumbled to my feet as fast as I could and ran the rest of the way home in a daze.

The apartment was empty when I got home. My mother being a nurse who worked the night shift and my brother staying at a friends house like always. Going into the bathroom I looked at myself in the mirror. Blood was everywhere and I looked hallow and empty. Stripping off my clothes and turning on the shower I stepped in and let the water run over me. I felt numb as I watched the blood slowly wash itself off my body and wash away in the drain. What had happened? I kept asking myself. I couldn't get the image of the men's dead bodies lying on the ground out of my head. The really disturbing thing though, I wasn't scared.

After I finished washing myself off and putting on clean clothes I gathered the bloody clothes and took them to the dumpster out back. I hurried back inside and laid down on my bed, going to sleep.

The next day there was a story on the news about two gang members who had been killed in the street. There were no leads on what happened.

"Alice, this is why I want you to be careful when you come home so late. That could've been you dead on the street." My mom said motioning toward the TV while she was cooking in the kitchen.

I just nodded and said nothing.

"Alice...Alice! Are you paying attention?" My best friend Yuri asked as she modeled yet another outfit.

"Oh...yea...I am. I was just thinking about something." I replied. "It looks great."

"You're joking right? This dress looks like my great grandmother should be wearing it." She said sitting down next to me. "I know you. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"It's nothing. Just overthinking things like always." I told her.

"Fine, if you wont tell me I'll leave it alone. So, are you sure you don't want to get some new clothes? I'm willing to buy them." Yuri said standing up to go change back into her clothes.

"No, I'm fine. I actually like my style thank you very much." I replied. Yuri was more of a flower print and ballet flats kinda girl while I preferred camo and combat boots.

"You're hopeless." Yuri said coming back out of the dressing room.

"I know." I shrugged.

"Well I don't think I'll be able to find anything today. Why don't we go get something to eat before we head back to your place?" Yuri asked helping me off the floor.

"Sounds like a plan." I told her. "Where should we get something to eat?"

"I was thinking that diner on the corner. I hear that Batman has been seen around there a lot." Yuri said with a sigh. I rolled my eyes at her. She had this weird crush/obsession with Batman that often had her chasing after stupid situations.

"Oh please Yuri I don't understand what you see in that guy. Besides isn't he too old for you?" I said walking out of the store with her.

"No one can tell for sure how old he is because of the mask. And seriously what is your problem with him. He's always saving people in Gotham how can you not like him?" Yuri defended.

Not always I thought to myself, but said nothing.

We stopped in the diner and took some seats in the middle of the restaurant. It was pretty crowded and most everyone was busy eating. After we ordered we talked about some school work we needed to finish for class the next day.

"Did you hear that we're getting a new student at school this week? And that it's a boy." Yuri asked.

"No, what's his name?" I replied.

"I don't know, but don't you think it's exciting. We don't get a new student every day." Yuri said jumping up and down in her seat.

"Maybe, but I don't think its really that big of a deal." I told her.

"Why can't you be normal for once and talk about boys like every other girls does." Yuri asked shaking her head.

I shrugged at her as she began to daydream about who the new student might be and the boy population in general. I watched a group of men enter the restaurant. They were big and muscular and you could tell that they weren't the nicest sort. One of them walked up to the counter as if to order while the three other men walked around the restaurant and stopping in different spots. No one else seemed to be interested in what the men were doing. That is until they all nodded at one another and pulled out guns. One of the men shot a few rounds into the ceiling causing a few people to scream and others to shrink back in fear.

"Oh my god what's going on?!" Yuri whispered next to me.

The men began pointing the guns at the customers. "Any one moves, any one talks, then someone dies." One of the men said.

I don't think I could've said a word even if I wanted to. Everyone went quite. There was a few whimpering here and there from the patrons but for the most part everyone seemed to be ok with taking orders from the men in guns. That is until Yuri leaned over to whisper to me. "Don't worry, Batman will save us."

The man must have had superhearing because he turned around in a flash bearing his gun. "I said who ever spoke dies. So who was it?" No one said anything. He strolled closer to our table. "I think it came from over here." Pointing the gun at me he cocked his head. "Was it you?" I said nothing practically shaking in my seat. He waited a beat. "Well...even if it wasn't that's to bad for you."

I heard the sound of a gunshot.

Blackout.