Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or Batman related, I believe DC comics does.
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Gotham, the city of the fallen, the city of the crusader cloaked by darkness and feared by all. The sun is now setting as I walk down the ruins of what us Gotham citizens call a sidewalk. Street lights are commencing to flicker on; their lights shine off the grease in the streets as cars bustle by. Smells from the alleys slither up my nose, filling my sinus with a horrible plethora of stenches.
My nose wrinkles.
As I walk, I watch the sun set in the reflection of corporate buildings, as if its light rays are waving goodbye for the next 12 hours or so. I am tempted to wave back, as some kind of sick joke, but I choose to not.
I sweep my lengthy brown bangs out of my eyes with a quick flick of my bony index finger. I scan my eyes across the streets making sure some creep isn't ogling me, you can never be too careful, here, in Gotham.
I walk still along the pavement, staring at Gotham coming to life. It's almost like its breathing.
1635 was when this city was founded; an English colony built upon trade from the start and had stayed that way ever since, however it was no longer a legal trade. Drugs and illegal items are sold and the rate of criminals in this city is high. This is a city where criminals flourish like roaches and the law enforcement flee like rats in a sewer. I am one of those rats, my name is Eva Duren, police officer and I am proud to say I work for the Gotham Police Department aka the GPD. I am one of the few female officers in our pursuit to bring the criminals in this town down. The GPD is infamous for its corruption, bad cops, fuzz, whatever you want to call them, but the hard part was to weed them out.
I've been a cop for about a year now and a little over six months ago, the GPD was crawling with lying scum, the Mob's men, dripping into our decaying system like acid, corroding us, screwing up our operations. However, a little over six months ago, Gotham changed, forever. Our angel we had all been praying for had finally fallen from hell's heaven to help us in our solemn hour, the Batman.
He says little, asks for nothing.
He's our savior, secretly I think.
Since his reign, most of the corrupt up cops have left, running with their sleazy tail between their trembling legs and tonight as I am walking to the club Fantasia I don't fear the streets alone as much as I once did, for I know he is here.
In Gotham.
I can now see the club. I am meeting my fellow female officer and best friend, Ilia Rendell. It's a Saturday night, and we intend to spend it unwinding.
I reach the club.
Its cheesy neon lights flashing above me, FANTASIA, I open the swinging door and a large familiar burly bouncer is waiting to "greet" me.
Yeah Right.
"Name?" he questions, I roll my eyes and respond, "Eva Duren, I'm here for a friend, I believe she's already in there," I raise my eyebrows, lean slightly to my right side, pointing at the door behind him, "Ilia? Ilia Rendell? We come here, like uh I don't know, every Saturday Night? Come on, you know me by now, right? You now finally know I'm not gonna pull anything." He then has a look of sudden remembrance, poor guy; I think I maybe should have lain off the sarcasm. He steps aside and nods, his best effort at being un-curt. I flash a fake smile and walk past him.
As far as clubs go in Gotham, Fantasia is alright, but it's convenient. I look around, the song "Ricochet" by Shiny Toy Guns is playing, people are dancing throughout the club, bright white strobe lights are occasionally flashing, the lighting is a dim bluish purple and a thick musk hovers in the air. I look forward towards the center of the exotic club. At the hub there is a huge 360 degree round bar and there sure enough, is Ilia, but she's not alone. A male, attractive, is talking to her. I begin to shove my way through the throng of people towards Ilia; the strobe lights that flash occasionally are making my vision a bit disorientated. Now I am within earshot of the male and Ilia, however, instead of walking up right away, I have decided to wait and see how this plays out.
"Can I get you a drink?" the male questions, leaning on one of the retro baby blue padded high top chairs seated next to Ilia's. His body language is suggestive. She is turned sideways facing him, her right arm draped across the bar's glass countertop.
"Nah, look bud, I don't drink, thanks" she smiles as if saying, "Nice try." I know that look.
"Can, I um get you a soda or anything babe?"
Ilia's mouth gapes open a little bit and her eyelids lower, he's not getting the message and that message is, leave.
"I don't drink soda, look, pal, I'm here to meet a friend, but it was nice meeting you, oh and I am not your 'babe'." She dismisses the rejected testosterone with a waving hand and turns back to the bar. I saunter up.
"Hey babe!" I say slyly in the lowest octave I could muster in my high voice. Her back is turned to me; she slumps over with tight shoulders.
Obviously pissed.
Ilia turns to face me, and then a grin spread across her face.
Her cheekbones raised high, directly underneath her saucer oceanic eyes. Her eyelashes naturally curled skyward. Her tan skin and dark hair complement her fierce features incredulously. Ilia is also a tall woman, as opposed to myself, she reaches a height of 5 10', intimidating, I guess what one could compare her to would be like a female lioness.
She looks and isuntamable.
"What's crackin'?" she says calm now, patting the high top chair to the right of her for me to sit down. I acquiesce; I'm glad to be with my friend.
"Nothing really, rough week at work, I like this club vibe here, it's a huge relief from the stress the Commissioner puts on us, Loeb's been packing on the paperwork. Lots of bank robberies, I mean first the mob, now this shit, it truly is a crazy little world we live in." A bartender walks up to Ilia and I, he asks what I'd like. I just request water and Ilia does the same.
I don't like to drink.
"Yeah, hey, look you wanna go dance? I like this song," Ilia is rapping her knuckles on the glass countertop of the bar, tapping along to the slow but sophisticated beat. I eye the dancing mass of humanity throughout the club, swaying almost in a sensual manner back and forth; I am contented listening to the music.
"For now we stand alone
The world is lost and blown
And we are flesh and blood disintegrate
With no more to hate"
"Well, I was actually wondering if we could talk about work for a little bit," I feel a bit uneasy for some reason, I think it is probably because, I know Ilia doesn't really want to talk about this. I hope she will not get cranky.
"Alright, what do you wanna talk about?"
"Just work, in general, like do you know about any trials coming up? I heard that the new DA is trying Maroni, or did I hear wrong?"
"Yeah, I heard about that, what are his charges?"
"I was hoping you'd know," I give Ilia a skeptical look as I say this. She responds with an answer I often hear.
"Nope, I'm outta the loop."
"Hm," I mumble in agreement while sipping at my chilly water and then place it back down on the countertop.
"And in your darkest hour
I hold secrets flame"
"So, um, what do you think about the new DA, Harvey Dent?" I ask Ilia, pondering what she will say next.
"Who, butt chin boy, ugh, frankly, I don't know how you think he's handsome." I roll my eyes to defend Mr. Dent, Gotham's White Knight.
"No, that's not what I meant; I meant what do you think of him as a DA, Ilia, a DA."
"Oh, ok, well I like him; I mean I don't really know him, g-u-d-d-d a-a-a h-i-p-p- s-m-e-a-c-hsk," Ilia slurps at her water during these last few words and it sounds ridiculous so we both burst out laughing. She ends up spewing water all over the countertop. Ilia flags down the bartender for a paper towel so she can clean up her mess, he nods chuckling to himself and brings one to her. About a minute later we calm down and I ask to clarify what her final words were.
"What?"
"I said he's good at his speeches, I mean you hear the guy talk it's like listening to like a Greek philosopher." Another round of laughter erupts from the both of us.
"On a more serious note, I really do think he's going to help clean up Gotham a lot though, we really need someone like that right now," I complement.
"What about Batman?"
"What about him?" I asked surprised, I know how Ilia "feels" about him.
"What do you think about 'em?" I now know I am going into testy waters as she interrogates me on my opinions about the vigilante. I shift a little in my seat before answering.
"I don't know, sort of mixed feelings I guess, you?"
"He's B.S." Ilia snorts impatiently.
"Why do you say that?"
"Um, I don't know, maybe 'cause he's a vigilante."
"I know that but, for the time being we need him as much as we need Dent."
"Whatever you say," I know Ilia wants to say more. More stabs at the Batman.
"Like I said, mixed feelings…" My voice drifts off on those last two words.
"And now the kingdom comes
Crashing down undone
And I am a master of a nothing place
Of recoil and grace"
"So the Narrows, have you heard anything? Have we caught all the inmates that got loose from Arkham Asylum a few months back?" I think semi-asking the question again in my own mind.
"Yeah, I think, like I said, I'm outta the loop," In her hand, Ilia is making the water in her cup spin like a whirl pool, rotating her hand around and around. It reminds me of the turmoil of insanity that ravages this city from time to time.
"Hm, hey, have you heard about the bank robbery down at Gotham's National Bank? I heard about it one day while I was doing paperwork, Gordon wanted me to stay behind when they all hightailed it to the scene," I was in a way pissed. Gordon is always watching out for me, just because I'm young or something.
"Yeah there's been quite a few, 'cept the Mob isn't behind it or so I heard. I heard it was some freak that wears like makeup or whatever."
"What?! Are you serious? How do you know?" I was kind of taken back a little by the last comment of Ilia's; makeup?
"Dead serious, I don't joke about that kinda crap. I was also on the scene, this guy's a weird fella, he left like a joker playing card. I guess it's his trademark, this guys nuts, but he's a nobody, he's got no connections. Although this isn't his first robbery, he's also hit a few other banks. We still have nothing on him. Loeb told me to go to the scene... you were stuck back at the station doing, whatever it was you were doing, which I now that it was paperwork, so, yeah."
There was an awkward pause.
"I knew there was a bank robbery, I didn't know that it was non-mob related," I am now pondering, and this panic feeling in my gut is chewing at my innards.
Paranoid.
Who the hell is this guy?
I voice what I am thinking, but watered down.
"Do you think it's anything to worry about? What's Gordon say?" I ask Ilia this and a angsty grin sprawls across her lips.
"You worry so much sometimes, I doubt it's anything to worry about. Gordon says we should keep going after the Mob; we need to bring 'em down. Like I said, the guy's go not connects. He robbed a Mob bank you know, so now, he's 'prolly got the mob after him," Ilia says casually glugging at her water.
"Is it bright where you are
Have the people changed
Does it make you happy you're so strange"
Time passes as we continue to chatter and the club begins to fill with more people about every ten minutes or so. I like the environment, the feel, the vibe. It makes me want to dance and fills me with a sense of invincibility, the feeling of a youth, it's a feeling that makes one think they are going to live forever and I love it. I still am young, I'm only 23. I went to college when I was eighteen and got a degree in forensic study and psychology. A little while afterward I entered the Gotham Police Academy, a year later I graduated and entered the work force. One year later, I'm still alive and in this city, that's a good thing. The same goes for Ilia, we grew up together and chose the same career paths, so here and together we stand.
"Come on, I really like this song, can we please dance now?" Ilia sounds almost desperate. I consider it while trying to identify what song is playing; it is "Predator" by Collide.
I think about it.
"You know I think I'm going to stay here just relax to this one-,"I am cut off in the middle of my sentence, mouth slightly ajar when Ilia begins to speak.
"Again? Come on, I don't wanna go out there by myself. Please?" Her faced is pinched in true desperation, I have to bite my tongue not to laugh at her pitied ridden face.
"I'm not going to go, but I'm not stopping you."
"Alright fine, I'll go just watch my purse." Ilia throws it to me and instinctively I catch it. I then place the purse at my feet so I can keep an eye on it.
Ilia lets out a grunt, bounds off her high top, gives me a look like, 'your loss,' and trounces off into the horde of dancing souls.
For a few minutes I am sitting alone at the bar.
Bored.
I consider going to go and dance with her until a warm hand places itself lightly upon my shoulder. I turn to look to see who it is. It's the new guy, fresh out of college as one of our new detectives down at the GPD. His name is Lucas Marks, and a huge grin is spread across his face. I smile lightly, I feel my cheeks begin to glow.
"Hey, didn't expect to see you here tonight," he says calmly, his voice is the sound equivalent to hot chocolate. His eyes are a light brown with matching light brown hair; he's tall, tan and has a wonderfully bright smile that could make any girl feel special.
"Yep, same to you, Ilia and I have been coming here every Saturday night for about two months," I respond, thankful that the club is dim or else he would see my pink cheeks.
"Hm, a buddy of mine told me to check this place out, so I took his advice, so here I am," He shrugs while taking what was Ilia's seat a few minutes ago.
"Yep, it's alright here, so anyways, how do you like your new job," I elbow him playfully.
"It's good, can't complain," He nods while laughing that wonderful rich laugh of his.
I smile.
"Loeb's kinda harsh though," he adds.
I nod in agreement.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" This reminds me of the incident earlier between Ilia and the other man, however going against what I would usually say, I decide to let loose a little.
"Oh, I'm okay, I just pay for it myself, I'd feel bad if you did," I lied innocently.
"No, Really, its fine, what do you want?" He says with a smile on that perfect face.
"Um, a vodka and cranberry juice will do just fine."
"Alright, hey, excuse me sir, can I get a vodka and cranberry juice for the Miss here," he says giving me a quick grin as he orders my drink.
"Yes Sir," the bartender replies.
About thirty seconds later, my drink arrives.
"Thank you Lucas," I say politely.
"You welcome. I know this may seem kind of sudden, but, are you seeing anyone?"
I am embarrassed to admit, I have never had I "boyfriend" in my life, so I obviously don't have one now.
"No, why?" I ask, knowing what to expect next.
"Well, I was wondering, if you'd like to get together some time, maybe I could take you out or-"he's twiddling his thumbs.
"I'd love too," I smile with delight. I begin to drink my vodka and cranberry juice.
"So how about Monday night? We can go out to eat, I'll pick you up around eight?"
"Again, I'd love to, I'll give you directions," I say sounding glad but not too elated.
"Great!"He concludes the inviting, clearly thrilled. It is cute, and he is like an excited little boy in a toy store. But now it's getting awkward, I don't know what to say, neither does he, but thankfully however, Ilia shows up at the scene. She's sweating with yet again, another irritated look on her fierce face.
"Let's go, that weirdo from earlier is still here, still trying to hit on me and I am still saying, well, isn't it self-explanatory?" She throws her arms up, defeated. ilia rolls her eyes upward and snatches her purse that she had left at my feat to guard.
I nod.
When Ilia is angry, you listen, or you get the anger thrown your way.
"Well, I'll see you around, Lucas," I say to him slipping out of the chair and walking towards Ilia, who is already walking out the door. I scurry up to her; I sometimes feel like her pet.
We exit the club and find ourselves curbside eyeing the marvelous nightlife of Gotham.
I feel a tiny bit edgy; it is very ominous out tonight.
Together, Ilia and I live in the same apartment complex, it borderlines the Narrows, I know it is not the most magnificent place to reside but it is what we can afford. On the plus side, the bathrooms are very clean; I tend to be a bit of a freak about dirty bathroom. However on the downside, the apartments are pretty creepy to walk to at night, and it takes about fifteen minutes to reach it by foot from Fantasia.
Fantasia is only a few blocks away, so there was no need to drive. Right now though, I find myself wishing we had brought a vehicle. We commence to walk, and for the first five minutes it is silent. I am still, as an adult and have grown up here, am blown away by Gotham at night. The sounds, it feels like it is living. The buildings tower over us, looming giving the feeling of a false sense of security.
Like lying sentinels.
As we advance deeper into the streets to reach our apartment the sound fades away and the lights seems to turn from their golden-yellow to a dark orange. The streets seem to almost become giant chunks of rubble, and then I remind myself that I am in the really cruddy part of Gotham, the nastiest next to the Narrows. Smells of urine and garbage are hovering throughout the air. There is no moon tonight.
The darkness sings out from the alleyways with spindly shadows.
Fog is rolling in.
The buildings drip with condensations, which gives them a rotting and sweaty appearance. Ilia seems unfazed. However, I on the other hand am extremely nervous. I now see the apartment building. Its front is about the size of two school buses and its width is about the size of one school bus. Ilia's room is on the first floor and mine is on the second, room five to be exact. We depart with a subtle, "Goodnight," and smile I take the stairs up to the second floor. They squeak with each step, which makes me wonder if it is my weight or the mice inside of the staircase. I reach the top of the staircase walk down the gritty hallway and reach my room, I insert my key into the lock that I keep in my back pocket at all times and twist open the tarnished knob.
However as I do, I cannot help but feel eyes on me, I turn around panicked in the dim hallway. I thought I heard something. I tell myself it was nothing while stepping inside my apartment and quickly lock the door behind me.
Immediately I get ready to sleep and then flop onto my untidy bed to get some good weekend snooze-time.
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Author's Note: Okay everyone! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review and sorry if this chapter was a little boring, but after all it was mainly a character introduction!
BTW: The lyrics that were in the story earlier are from the song, "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning" by Smashing Pumpkins.