Disclaimer: I do not own Batman, only my OCs and this story.
Chapter 4
Italics indicate speak in Italian, for convenience's sake.
It seemed there were a few kind people left in Gotham. Apart from her savior that is.
After wondering out of the alleyway, she found herself in a loud, neon lit street. Thankfully, while rowdy, it wasn't in a too bad area, even if it was populated with half naked party going versions of vaampires, school girls and various superheros. Again, Eva bitterly reminded herself that her own foolishness had found her out here, as well as her rookie's luck at surviving the night almost unscathed so far.
She gingerly rushed down the street, trying to follow the crowd away from the darker turnoffs while at the same time trying to catch a glimpse of something even remotely familiar. The street name even would've been nice.
Eva passed a once white plaque as the main road branched out again. It was covered in sticky tinsel and a ripped up fake spider's web. She hissed in irritation as it clung to her bare forearms and fingers when she tried wrenching it off, giving up when she saw enough of the name below to know she had never even heard of this street before.
Her home town was sure feeling like another world to her at this point.
Had she really been so sheltered her entire life? That she wasn't even strong enough to stop herself being kicked out like trash by her lover?
Eva shuddered at the idea of Will even kissing her cheek again. She bit her fist hard enough to turn it white as she slumped against the brick corner, forcing the too recent memory of those thugs touching her bare flesh…
People laughed and chattered loudly around her, ignoring her bumpy form on the floor. The cold did nothing to the scantily clad girls just paces away from her, while Eva shivered in Will's clothes. Maybe it was the fact that they chose to be out here, and were having fun in the company of people they knew. It was a key difference after all.
Her bag still hung around her, lying on her stomach. Something dark and with a powerful odour had stained it, probably from Eva's various falls and rough patches. She hugged it tightly, shaking feverishly with wet cheeks. She discreetly hooked out her phone, on just under 20% battery. No one answered her calls. Eva spent a couple of minutes staring at the part of her contacts where several shared her last name. She should call her parents. Tell them everything, hug them and never let go, and take all the punishments she deserved graciously.
Her fingers throbbed, another shudder making her press the wrong button instead of starting a call. She internally cursed at such a small happening, but then froze when she saw the canary vehicle cruising slowly in front of her, lazily scouting customers.
Eva threw herself off of the floor, and ran over. "Hey! Wait up! Taxi!" She screamed as if she was being chased again. People jumped and glared at her, but others were far away enough that the loud uproar of life drowned her out.
Her shoulder slammed into one burly figures side, but she carried on, growling then at the sharp rip of pain in her shoulder while they called angrily back at her as well. She almost fell into the cab's door, which had stopped at the sight of her.
The inside of the car smelt sweaty, but was fairly clean, and credible enough to sport the usual commericals and warnigns to wear a seatbelt. A stereotypical Indian man was a turban and beaded jewellery stared at her panting, jittery form for a second. "Where to, young lady?"
She gulped down enough anxiety to talk, reciting Isabel's address while strapping herself in. Her new wariness made her leave one hand on the buckle, the other resting on the door handle while her bag was tightly clasped in between her thighs.
"Alright then. Shouldn't take too long." The taxi driver said. Eva glumly noted how her appearance made him surprised that she want to be taken to such a nice area.
The drive was horribly awkward and tense. The driver kept sending her pitying glances through the mirror, leaving a poorly fitting country station to play on the radio while the streets pulsed with life outside. Eva kept staring down at herself, trying to ignore anything that would awaken any conscious thoughts.
Much to the driver's alarm, she started shaking with tears again when they reached the familiar neighborhood. Eva was overwhelmed with the events of the night crashing onto her, and relief at what felt like coming home.
"Miss? Miss, we're here." Eva blinked, shakily nodding and avoiding the frowning man's face. She dug into the inside pockets of her bag, mechanically finding her spare money and counting it.
A horrible feeling she was becoming too accustomed in the past few hours consumed her, as she realised she was several dollars short.
After the prolonged wait, the driver looked back again. "Alight right back there-Miss! You ok?"
Eva burst into tears.
"I'm s-so s-s-sorry. I-I don't h-have enough m-m-money! P-please d-don't take me b-back!"
"Hey, hey it's ok lady! Don't, I mean don't worry." In a panic he quickly looked at the money, gently taking it from her. "It's fine ok? You're only a couple short. You're ok now, right?" He swallowed uncomfortably. "Did something happen? Do you need the police? Hospital?"
Eva listened to his rambling, slowly calming down. She hiccupped. "N-no th-thank-k you-u. I'm s-s-"
"Forget about it. Just go home, take a hot bath and go to bed Miss. I always find that helps." The driver smiled. He was relieved when Eva shakily returned it. She thanked him again and got out on wobbling legs. He made sure that she had gone through the gate (having produced her own key – at least he knew she wasn't a squatter or something), walked up the drive way and was unlocking the front door. Satisfied that the girl was in no danger, the taxi driver went away, hoping that all was well now.
Eva had followed her angel of public transport's advice, more or less. After a shower that washed away dry and fresh tears, as well as stinging the scraped skin of her body, she had dressed in a pair of Isabel's pjs, knowing that her friend wouldn't mind. Will's clothes were thrown in the trash, after she had spent a good few minutes stamping and ripping at them. It helped, if only a little. The bathroom had yielded her some health creams and antiseptic, which she used in fear of infection from being on the filthy concrete floors of Gotham. Large bruises had formed, bulbous and black along her gut and limbs, as well as on her collar bone when she had hit the ground. Even the areas where she had successfully blocked her attackers was painful.
She was pathetic. Stupidly weak and pitiful. The world seemed dark and haunted, even as she curled into Isabel's large bed. She wished her friend was home. She wished that they had stayed in, curled together and spooning in the most platonic way possible, sheltered from all the things that had happened. Eva settled for sending a text to her friend, merely telling her where she was.
Sleep was mercifully quick to come, yet cruelly made her relieve every detail in scorn. A small comfort was the shadowed figure, it's presence dulling the fear even just that little bit.
In the morning, Eva awoke with Isabel next to her, still dressed in her party dress, her makeup smudged but otherwise clam and healthy.
When she awoke, she told her everything up to when Will kicked her out. She said she found a taxi and went to the house straight away. The rest of the story, she was determined to never mention or even ponder on ever again. The cloaked memory had been pushed away, suppressed and drowned from sight.
Isabel, of course gaped in shock at was Will had done. She gave the expected support and promise for revenge that Eva had guessed she would. The day continued on and Eva was picked up and driven home like nothing had happened. When she was asked about her night, she said it was fun. Cosy, even.
The nightmares followed her home. Luckily, she never woke up too loudly, and after the fist few days, was able to briefly relax throughout the day. Her family show off the anomalous days as sadness that she couldn't had stayed at her friend's longer.
Eva couldn't stand being near her family's male servants and guards that she didn't know well. Most were as harmless and known as her own family, but those who had only been there for maybe a year or so terrified her. Her fears created dark leers and stares when they were really looking boredly at something behind her, or at someone else.
She went to school, worked and went to bed early, her desire to sneak out evaporated. Life went on.
Her martial arts classes had been a recreational thing that Eva did, mainly because she enjoyed it and it helped her stay in relatively good shape. Now, she engaged herself with it feverishly. When she made mistakes, her memories would dissolve the will to stop, as if promising a repeat. She needed to be ready for that.
Eva would never let herself be so weak again.
Several months later, the Selvaggios sat around the large polished table, filling themselves with the warm Sunday food of dinner. The house was quite but for the conversation in this room, and the servants in their quarters having a similar meal.
"Luciano, eat slowly you silly fool, or you will choke." Esta Selvaggio scolded.
Her son grumbled, swallowing and obeying her. "Yes Mama."
"Honesty, grandson," Grandma Gina said, daintily cutting into her food. "You look like a boar. How will you attract a lovely wife to give me great-grandchildren with manners like that? PONZIO!"
Grandfather Ponzio immediately froze, his fork still wedged into his overflowing mouth. Bashfully, he swallowed as also mumbled an apology while his wife raged on.
From across the table, Eva watch with an amused gaze, matched by her father. The erst of their large family was not with them this night, which made it unusually quite. Alonzo Selvaggio looked down at his daughter next to him fondly. A year ago, she would have joined in with teasing her brother, but it seemed that this was the age that she had decided to mature. Something faintly nagged him that he was missing something at the back of his mind.
"Darling, have you decided on what you are going to do?"
"Yes father." Eva nodded, taking a sip from her drink. "I know that I've have sent off all my college applications, but...I'm not sure that i'm ready yet."
Esta jumped in. "My baby, you are not giving up are you? Your grades are so high, my clever one! You could go to the same college as your older brother!"
Luca looked up tensely, "Please don't."
Eva ignored him. "It is not that Mama. I just don't think I am ready to start college, not this year. I want to have to some time to just..." She sighed, worried that her wants would be shot down.
Alonzo frowned. Indeed, his daughter had been too unfamiliarity meek these days. "If that is what is best for you, then do so Eva. College is always there for you. Just one year, however. I do not want you to throw away your opportunities. You and your brother are the first of us to apply to college, and will not have you fail to reach your potential. Understood?"
Eva exhaled with relief, smiling gratefully at him. "Thanks, Papi."
"But you must find something to occupy yourself with!" Esta said. "I will not have you turning into an ornament with indecent slovenliness."
"Of course Mama, I would never!"
"Oh I know you wouldn't, my precious!" Esta cooed, stroking her daughters curls lovingly. Suddenly her head whipped to Luca, eyes narrowing. "Son! Why do you never visit you poor mother? Was I merely a provider of food for 18 years?!"
Luca growled incredulously. "I visit every Sunday!"
"What are the chances of me dying before the next day of the Lord, you ungrateful boy! Oh my, what have I done to deserve such a son?"
"MAMA!?"
She hadn't ventured out of her apartment after 5 o clock ever, not for the entire 2 months she had lived there. It was nearing the end of November now, and Eva's friends were all on the next fazes of life. Isabel was in the next state over, studying Literature, and Lin was in New York with Maddy, studying Digital Design while Maddy had been accepted by her agency of choice. They were all doing well, kept in contact with her, and were gently pushing her to be more social now that their group had broken up. Eva visited her family frequently, and was finally about to begin her work.
Throughout her life, she had never really been able to pinpoint a career that she could spend the rest of her life doing. Medicine was fascinating, but she wasn't compassionate enough to be a doctor. She didn't take any creative subjects seriously, and the idea of becoming a housewife made her feel ill.
All she knew was that she liked science. Evolution had always fascinated her, for any and every species and time period. It sort of clicked like many ideas did that perhaps studying Evolutionary Biology was a viable option, maybe even Zoology.
And so, after talking to her father (her mother would think she wanted to be a vet and complain that she didn't want her daughter having her hand up a cat's anus regularly), it was agreed that she would spend the year working at Gotham's Park Zoo, known for it's wild diversity and sheer size. It would be the perfect opportunity to study the animals in he own time, be in a working environment and not to mention look good on her applications when she reapplied to college the next year. Eva was planning to also help out as much as possible, as she didn't have much voluntary work to show either.
She didn't know what to expect as she walked to work. Her apartment was only 10 minutes away, and the streets were bright with sun and the smell of cafe's lining the streets. Here, she didn't feel any wariness after that unforgettable Halloween, but for the response to move away when anyone male was too close. It was getting better. She could easily reason with her mind that she was safe, while being on guard if they were trying to pick pocket her. And still, no one knew what had really happened that night, but for her dark saviour.
She had trouble finding her way to the information building of the zoo, but was only 5 minutes late at most in the end. Having been informed of her fairing physical day, Eva had come dressed in khaki trousers, black trainers and a shirt with a marron fleece under her winter coat. If her mother saw her, she would cry at the poor fashion taste of it all, but at least she was cosy. Her long hair was french braided into a bun, and she remembered to throw away her gum (a habit from school) before talking to the lady at the office desk. "Is Mr Breem available?"
The receptionist was efficient and Eva didn't have to bother sitting down before a hispanic looking man with a shaven head came down. He was well built and deep tanned like copper. They shook hands.
"Good to see you again Mrs Selvaggio. I'll show you to the lockers and changing rooms first, so you can put away your things. Then I'll show you around, sound good?"
"Yes, thank you. I'm excited to get started sir."
He smiled as he held the door open for her. They began to climb the stairs quickly. "Max is ok. May I call you by your first name as well? We tend to drop formalities here."
"That's fine with me. Call me Eva, my full name's such a mouthful." She joked. He laughed politely, as one does with acquaintances.
They met several other co worker to whom she was introduced to, most of them working directly with the animals as zoo keepers, though one woman they met was part of security. They only briefly toured the zoo, large as it was, so Max gave her a map and told her where to marked specific and helpful areas, such as short cuts and where his office was.
They stopped at 1 for a lunch break, Max leading them back to the small staff canteen. "You duties at first will be shadowing other workers to learn how to interact and deal with the animals. Until told otherwise, assume you do not have authorisation to enter the cage of a specific animal. Our guys have all gone through years of training, so pay attention and you'll do fine." Max said encouragingly.
Eva nodded enthusiastically back. Perhaps this had been the right choice. Everyone was nice, and the animals were fascinating to watch. As well as that, because of 1 vague memory from years ago, she couldn't wait to visit the Reptile Region of the Zoo.
Sorry for the longer wait - don't worry, Waylon will be along soon.
Love,
Renzin xo
