"Once, the city used to pulse with energy.
Dirty and dangerous, but alive and wonderful.
Now, it's something else."
-Mirror's Edge
"Please don't leave, Ozzy!", The little girl in the polka-dot dress whined and pulled on the boy's black suit jacket. "I'll be lonely if you leave. Who will I play with once you've gone?"
The gloomy boy scoffed and hid his face from her.
"Literally, anyone else. Annoy someone else for a change, I'm sure somebody will be dumb enough to play with you.", The boy stated coldly.
"But, I only want to annoy you, Ozzy!" The little girl didn't care about his words and never faltered in her begging. "Please, Please, Please don't go! You're my only friend! You're the only one who believes me when mommy and daddy hurts me. I'll miss you….." Tears welled up in the pipsqueak's eyes as she stared down at the locket within her hands.
The boy sighed as his rocky exterior fell. He turned around and hugged her head into his mid torso. She felt tear droplets on her head as he spoke softly. "Listen, I have to go. There's nothing I can do about that right now. But…. When I'm king of Gotham, and in charge, I'll come back for you, okay? Just like in all those stupid fairy-tale books that you bring, The king can't run things without his queen." He kneeled down and hugged her tightly one last time. "I'll come back. I promise. I'll come back for you, one day."
MEH! MEH! MEH! MEH! MEH! ME-
My hand slammed down on to the alarm clock button. I eloquently decided to knock it off the nightstand completely for disturbing my slumber so I can go to work.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes with my palm. The rain pattered against my apartment window, as I looked around at the dump I called home. The wallpaper is dirty, peeling off the walls, the place smells like urine, and the heater is broken but, it's all I could afford. I'm just a waitress at a local cafe, after all. My parents don't give a rat's ass what happens to me which means no help whatsoever from them, either. So, for now, this is home.
Home Smelly Home. Yay.
I pushed myself off the bed and pulled my dirty over-sized t-shirt over my thighs, then I walked to one of the windows in my small apartment. My room was near the top floor of the apartment building, so I could see almost all of Gotham city. Today, it was gloomy. Meh. It was always gloomy in Gotham. The muffled sound of cars and splashing of water comforted me since it pretty much was always bustling in this forsaken city. So many people come here to seek their fortune, and some, change their lives. But, you also have the chance of losing whatever you came with, including your life.
It's sad really, but who could resist such a city? Not me. I came with nothing, and expected nothing. So, I got nothing. I'm okay, though. I make do with my job and keep food on the table. That's more than what could be said for a lot of people.
By day, this place was strictly business and vanilla go to work, come home life. By night, it transformed into a place more corrupt than I can describe. Maybe, it's corrupt in the daylight too? It's possible it's just hidden like the moon, only visible when the sun disappears. Swept under the rug, or just hidden, either way, all the sin, death, and super criminals come alive at nightfall.
I turned away from the window and grabbed my relatively clean coffee pot from the sink. I turned on the faucet, the pipes creaking and groaning, before deciding to grace me with the presence of water. I rinsed out the glass pot once before placing it in the coffee machine, and flipped the switch on it. As it whirred to life and started to brew my precious life-force, I dwelled on my previous thought.
It never really was sunny here, the clouds always blocked the sun in one way or another. Mostly, it was from the industrial plants. I sat in on one of the environmental nut meetings and beside their doomsday rants about global warming, they said the big pollution clouds came from "Sionis" industries, owned by a man with the name of "Roman Sionis". They shared whispers about how no one really knew what they were making there.
Still, at night, when most of the factories are shut down, this place is truly beautiful. The lights that blossom within the city are stunning, no matter how dangerous it is out there. Music is heard in the streets, laughter, talking. It's nice just to walk around, listening to the sounds. It's one of the things that make living here worth it.
The coffee is going to take a while, so I walk over to my closet, and sift through my clothes. I'll wear whatever is comfortable. I'm not a picky girl. Beggars can't be choosers.
I decide on a grey hoodie, lounge pants, and my worn out white sneakers. I really couldn't care less what people see when they look at my slobby outfit. I'm a hard working girl trying to support herself the right, legal way. So, they can take their judgments and shove 'em right up their ass.
I looked at myself in the mirror. Yepperz. I looked like hell. Whatever.
I pulled my light blond hair into a bun and stuck a pencil into it to hold it in place.
My coffee starts beeping at me, letting me know it's done.
"Okay, Okay, Mr. Wake-up-drink-up. I hear you. Give me your insides.", I shake my head reprovingly as I get a mug from one of the cabinets in my kitchen. I take the pot and pour me a cup of joe. I search through my cabinets, trying find sugar to put in it, only to find an empty sugar bag.
"Awwww.", I let out a disappointed sigh before tossing the bag in the trash. I suck it up and accept taking my coffee black. I take a sip of the bitter black liquid as I take a sticky note writing "Need Sugar" on it before plopping it on my desk. I finally sit down on my rutty couch, and turn on my television. I flip through the channels boredly until I hit the GCN, Gotham City News.
"-the GCPD still have not found out a motive for these gruesome crimes. The infamous clown prince of crime known as "The Joker", has of this time not been caught and brought in for questioning. The famous masked vigilante whom has apprehended The Joker on multiple occasions, Batman, has decided not to comment on the situation." I let out a bitter laugh. He doesn't ever comment, news lady. You don't need to tell us. "Now, back to the morning weath-"
The newscaster halted mid-sentence as she puts two fingers up to her ear, obviously over an earpiece. She talks but, her microphone doesn't catch what she is saying. When she finally returns to the desk, she has an anxious look on her face.
"We apologize for that interruption but, our own Vicki Vale is on the scene right now capturing criminals breaking from the world renowned, Arkham Asylum, on camera!"
The TV flickers before switching to a shaky cameraman view.
My eyes widen as the first thing I see is an explosion and people flying back and possibly dying from the impact. How are they showing this on TV?! Vicki comes, from the side of the frame, despite what's happening, she's still insisting the cameramen to film.
"Yes, I am Vicki Vale, and I am live outside Gotham's City's Asylum - Where notorious criminals are currently breaking out-"
She gets cut off when a bullet nearly clips her ear and hits one of her cameramen. Thugs can be heard yelling in celebration of their new found "freedom".
"Mark! Are you okay?", Vicki asks, looking away from the camera filming her to check him.
She straightened out her pencil skirt nervously, before facing the camera and speaking again.
"As you can see, it is total chaos down here. The GCPD are on their way to hold back the riot but, the real question is; Where is batman? Why hasn't he come yet, and what will Chief Warden, Quincy Sharp, have to say to answer for this? I am Vicki Vale, and this is Gotham City News."
As she motions for them to shut off the camera, someone extremely pale in a purple suit, with a smile that has been stretched, or cut into his face, puts a hand on her shoulder. Anyone in Gotham can tell you who he is. The Joker.
"Why, yes, I am happy to be here! Thank you, Vicki!", the way he said her name made me shiver. It sounded like he was the happiest person in the world.
Vicki spoke up, "Y-You! You're the Joker! You've killed hundreds of people!"
Her face was contorted in utter horror as the criminal nodded.
"You got that right, babes! And, that was just in one of my little temper tantrums. Silly me."
Joker. Now, that was a bastard that has caused buildings to explode and countless lives to end. Rumor has it that he fell into a vat of acid when we was a simple thug, but that vat of acid wasn't your run of the mill burn-face-off acid. It turned his skin and hair, as well as stretched his face into a smile that could break a mirror.
Well, after that, he lost his flippin' mind. Declared himself as "The clown prince of crime" and from then on, dressed to impress. By my knowledge, ever since the big "Lacy Towers" scandal, he's been all cray-cray, loony toons, woohoo in the noggin'. Well, I'm the one who's always been interested Gotham's conspiracies, so who's crazier?
He put an arm around the reporter's shoulder and started talking casually, not caring about the bullets whooshing past them.
"Anyways, my boo-boos aside, I can tell you it is a lovely day in Gotham! Our new project 'break the prisoners out of the nut house' has gone exceedingly well, don't you think, Beautiful?"
Vicki went visibly rigid and stiff.
"You...You let them...let them all out? You're the one who let these maniacs free?"
"Ding-Ding-Ding! You've figured it out! You get a cookie. Though I wouldn't call them maniacs, I mean, the doctors would be offended! I think I speak for all of the dedicated psychiatrists and healthcare providers of this rehabilitation facility when I say that they are simply troubled individuals who need treatment through love and honesty….", he left out 'pffft' before bursting out into a laugh that could make a baby cry. It was a laugh of complete insanity. "Fooled you, didn't I? I sounded just like that toad Sharpie!"
He pushed her to the side and grabbed onto the camera currently filming him.
"You hear that, Bats? The band is having a meeting. Everyone will be there. It'll be a party, and lucky for you, you're the guest of honor! Come and get me. Let's play our fun-fun-fun game!", he laughed before pulling a gun out from somewhere out of the frame.
He pointed the gun at the camera, to which the cameraman tried to run, which he just responded by firing off a round, which I assume was fired into him, and have the camera fall over and break.
The TV went to static as a "Please Stand By" message appeared on the screen. I suppose the news were trying to figure out their next move after a slip-up like that.
I glance at the clock on my wall. It's 8:40 A.M.
"Shit!", I yell out, "I'm gonna be late!" I quickly gulp down the rest of my coffee before getting and dashing for my things. I grab my bag which has my personal effects, wallet, phone, the usual. I quickly swing it over my shoulder before running for door.
I suddenly stop in my tracks. I start patting my chest and neck, feeling for something that is obviously not there.
'No. I can't leave without….'
I walk over to my dresser which has nothing but a lamp, and a piece of gold jewelry on top of it. I don't leave home without it. I take the necklace and clasp it around my neck. It was a simple golden chain necklace with a heart locket pendant. I could sell it for a lot of money, since it's pure gold. I've thought about that a lot. But, the picture inside is what stops me every time.
I opened up the pendant to reveal a picture a young girl in purple and white polka dot dress with a pink ball in her hands, standing beside a rather scary looking lanky boy in dark clothes. The boy was quite older than the little girl, being in his teens while she was just a child. Yet, even with his look of melancholy and his hand gripping a black opened umbrella, both the little girl and boy have an expression of pure happiness on their faces.
Looking at this picture makes me want to cry. The little girl in the photo that's grinning like an idiot was me. I was seven. The boy was around... Sixteen? He never told me. He had dark circles under his eyes, and snapped at anyone who tried to talk him. I smile softly at the memory. He was my only friend.
I felt a wave of nostalgia rush over me as my mind floats to him. He really was a bitter kid. He didn't like anybody, but I guess that's because all the older kids picked on him. Everybody used to make fun of him for the way he walked, talked, and dressed. Didn't help the situation that he was most likely filthy rich, and rich kids were always looked down upon and spit on in the neighborhood I lived in. The older kids used to make fun of the way he used to sort of limp when he walked. I always got confused when someone brought that up. I never noticed, nor cared. To me, he walked fine. Maybe I was too busy begging him to play with me to notice something like that.
He always got annoyed with me and called me a "weird brat" for pestering him, but for some reason I always smiled back at him widely and said: "I may be a weird brat, but I'm a weird brat that wants to be your friend!" He would always grumble profanities, before hesitantly giving in and playing with me. Those times where we played together were one of the best times of my life. Times where I wasn't alone, and times where I smiled at someone who, after some convincing, smiled back.
I've always have been a bit... Different. I'm not good at talking to people and making friends. So... I don't have any. Simple as that. The goth-looking boy who always walked funny was my only friend. And one day, he left. He gave me a pure gold heart locket, saying and I quote: "I'm moving away, so take this to remember me. Don't do anything stupid, you weird brat." He was so blunt and harsh with his words. But, he then kissed the top my head, and told me that he would miss me, before disappearing forever.
No one's ever told me that they would miss me. That was the first and last time I heard that.
I realize that I've been dwelling on my thoughts for a while so I don't even bother to look at the clock as I panic. I chant swear words like a tribal dance as I swing around and rush out the door, making sure to lock it behind me.