A/N: This is merely a work of fiction. I, do not in anyway, own the marvelous Batman (or Bruce :( ) All rights and ownership belong to DC comics. I DO own my plotline and Nicolette. Enjoy!

This is just a short prologue, just to introduce you to my original character and the time frame I've set. The actual story will be written in varying third-person narratives.

The melee had finally ended.

They hoped.

That one dreadful evening in Gotham had been the final straw, the even that would determine the state of the city. Most of the citizens turned to flee, but the Joker's plan had worked; his point had been made. Harvey Dent, Gotham's white knight, had fallen. Thankfully no one except Commissioner Gordon, the Batman, and few others knew of Dent's treachery. And that's how they planned to keep it.

With the Joker locked up in Arkham, the city was ready to rebuild mentally and physically. The tables had turned; Batman, the hunter, was now the hunted. The police really didn't want to capture him, but they put on a good show. After the Joker, crime rings had paused a little, but then they came back full force. Drugs and weapons were making their way into the city, week after week, and the criminals were tougher- and smarter. The Batman was relentless though, do everything and anything he could.

It now dated six months after the Joker had been captured. New and old faces returned to Gotham, hoping for a fresh start. Nicolette Anderson, a Gotham native, noticed the new families in her upper-middle class neighborhood. It have her a spark of hope that things might get better.

Nicolette had lived in Gotham all her life. Her parents, professors at the U of G, brought her up in a ring of hard-worn professors and opinionated scholars. As an only child, she looked up to these people, leading a quiet, inquisitive childhood. By the time she reached her teenage years, Nicolette was tired of her parents harsh rules and standards. To get out of the house, she turned to activity. She had always been in shape, but she spent more time sitting primly in a lecture hall than outside riding bikes. So Nicolette enrolled herself in ballet and gymnastics programs, surprisingly to her parents approval. Secretly, she was also going to a martial arts class as well. At this point in time, it was only a way to get out of the house.

Once Nicolette graduated high school, she had dreams of taking a year off to travel, dreams that would not come true. Instead her parents registered her for college. She chose to major in history, moved out, and never looked back.

College was a rush for Nicolette. She met her best friend, Marina Santona, who was also a long-time ballet dancer. The two clicked instantly, plotting their future together and possibly a business together. Senior year came fast and the two girls decided to act on a whim. They bought a large space in downtown Gotham, Nicolette persuading her parents to invest in her business, and they started working at opening their own ballet studio. Soon their business was thriving and many students were showing up for their classes. Nicolette remained a part-time student, working for a teaching degree. As the years passed, Nicolette and Marina's business annually did well and Nicolette added a teaching degree to her wall. She started teaching part-time at a community college and that's when the Joker struck.

The ballet studio struggled some during all the terror, but it managed to stay alive. Once the attacks were over, business picked up again as usual. Now at the prime age of twenty-five, Nicolette lives her life with purpose, still studying martial arts, ballet, and gymnastics. Gotham doesn't seem a mighty stranger anymore with the Joker gone and the Batman still protecting the people.

Batman, that raised a new question. How long would he continue to serve Gotham? The people counted on him to be there, no matter how much bad publicity the Joker threw on him.

But now, reports of a new type of criminal are being fed through the television. A criminal even more misunderstood than the Joker. Will the people of Gotham be able to survive another ring of fire? Will the Batman be able to survive it alone?

Please I would LOVE LOVE LOVE reviews. I've started work on Chapter One. I promise it will be longer than this. I just wanted to post a short beginning to diffuse an possible confusion. :)

I'm about 4 pages in on Chapter One. I hope to get it to around 6-7, but I don't know where it'll take me! :)
I want at least 3 reviews for the next chapter to go up. TOUGH LOVE KIDDIES.

-K