PROLOGUE

"Gotham is yours, none shall interfere. Do as you please…"

A rippling explosion shook the walls and projected shrapnel spinning into the air, blasting a gaping hole straight through the steel entrance. The crowds that had congregated on the street fled, a mass of screams filling the streets.

"But start by storming Blackgate and freeing the oppressed!"

Few dared to look back, throw a fearful glance over their shoulder as they ran for their lives, to see a swarm of orange pooling out of the smoking abyss. Hundreds of prisoners were spilling out onto the street through the settling dust of the explosion, thrusting guns in the air, their chanting incoherent yet powerful. Every prisoner wore the same crazed expression that held dangerous intensity, intoxicated by the feeling of liberation. They were frenzied, high on the feeling of power they had been lavished in, after for most, many years of bitter persecution and containment.

Except one.

Deep amongst the chaos, one figure stumbled forward with the mob as it pushed its way out of the prison, being shoved and rammed into cohesion. Rather than brandishing a gun manically above their head, they gripped it close to their body, their feet dragging along the ground hesitantly. They were engulfed in the crowd, blending in with the rest of the orange jumpsuits and hidden by the towering statures of everyone else. If anyone were to notice this figure, to look close enough, they would notice that no matter how much each prisoner blended into another, there was something different with this particular one.

Hordes of prisoners now flooded the street to the horror of the citizens and reporters who had all congregated at the event. The atmosphere was palpable and the desired effect had been achieved – creating a state of crisis.

"Step forward those who will serve!"

There was a loud roar as the prisoners let out war cries, declaring their allegiance. The mood had reached an immense climax, and gunshots pierced the air as they shot into the sky in acts of dominance over the terrified people.

It was this sudden eruption of explosions, like fireworks cackling in the sky, which jolted the certain inmate who had previously been acting in a trance-like state into action.

It was that moment that Claudia Shard snapped back into reality. Failing to even notice she had been gripping the shotgun in her arms so tightly that her knuckles had started to turn white, she released one hand from the gun and clamped it over her ear. The gunshots surrounding her were deafening, yet no one else seemed to be flinching and jumping every time one banged into the air like she was, they were too overcome with adrenaline. A split-second decision was made and she dropped to a crouch holding the gun at her side and shouldered her way through the crowd. She had to use a fair amount of force to squeeze herself through the chaos but her frantic movements lead her to the edge of the mob. With one final thrust, breaking through the barrier of two men she stumbled forwards and landed on her knees, her gun clattering to the pavement as she anchored her hands down to support her fall.

Breathing erratically, she spun her head round to shoot one last look behind her before she pushed herself up, grabbing the gun on the way and took off. The sound of her feet pounding on the pavement pulsed in her ears and she felt the blood rising to her head but she urged her legs to carry her. Noticing an alley coming up ahead to her right she dodged into it and pressed herself again the cold brick, leaning her head back and panting heavily.

For years Claudia could only imagine what it would be like to step outside and inhale the fresh, pure air. Confined in a cell for most hours in the day, it was a thought that often filled her head. Yet that day had been nothing like she had ever anticipated- she had been thrust out of the familiarity of the prison into chaos and fear. This was no homecoming; she had a heavy feeling yanking in her stomach that she had been thrown out into something much worse than a life sentence in Blackgate Prison.

Gotham had changed.