When I was a kid, Gotham City was a different place. The streets were full of life, the population was growing, and there was no sign of it slowing down any time soon. Only problem was, nobody took the time to breathe. There was only one thing on everyone's minds – money. New businesses constantly popped up on every corner, but it wasn't necessarily for the better.
The economy crash was the end of it all. Shops closed, people abandoned their homes, and the mob took over. The once great city of Gotham became slums. The only people who actually seemed to care were the Waynes. If it weren't for them, this city would have been dead a long time ago.
I sat at the kitchen table with my head in my hands, staring at the seemingly infinite pile of unpaid bills and eviction notices stacked in front of me. "Russell," my wife's voice came from the back of the house. "Come say goodnight to Ellie."
I stood up, stretched, and yawned. My feet dragged on the hallway carpet as I walked to my daughter's bedroom. As miserable as I was, I couldn't help but smile when I looked at her. "Night, honey," I said as a stroked her blonde hair.