It's been two days and no word.
I was alone. The place was well stocked but it was lonely, the constant worrying did not help. I was focused on the news; I had the computer turned on and the TV both on the news. I wanted to know anything that was happening in Gotham. I heard that even Megan, Chloe and Eugene were taken away from Gotham. Their parents were also in the fundraiser and were given a shock. I didn't blame them, neither did I blame Bruce really but I wanted to know how everyone was doing. Almost all the people I actually cared about were in Gotham and I was stuck in the middle of nowhere being 'safe.
I was so sure that Gotham was being fixed. The mob was being prosecuted, the government was actually doing something, and Batman was instilling fear in the hearts of every criminal, what else was there? Then this crazy wacko come along and just ruins everything. How could one man turn the city into that kind of chaos? It was mad, he was mad.
The new was on a man's, called Loeb, funeral. Apparently the guy was the commissioner and was killed by the Joker the same time the Joker came to our building. He was killed by a poison that was slipped into his drink. They also reported that a judge was killed during that time when her car exploded; she was the judge in charge of the mob case. It wasn't a coincident, anyone can see that. The Joker was planning something at the funeral.
I could see Mr. Gordon in front; he was sitting behind the mayor. He didn't look at ease; in fact he looked far from it. The mayor was saying a story about his memories of the deceased. I wasn't paying attention to him; I was trying to figure out what was going to happen. It's like watching a movie and as it reaches the climax you try to figure out where the plot is headed, you try to find out what's going to happen next. But this wasn't a movie.
There were gunshots fired in salute to the former commissioner.
A second round
A third
Panic
The third shots fired were directed to the mayor. Someone had pushed the mayor down and was shot down. That someone was Jim Gordon.
I gasped. I could hear the people screaming. I could see everyone running. I saw the police's futile attempt to apprehend the suspect. And I saw him. I saw the Joker, it was just quick and I doubt anyone would have recognized him without his makeup but I did. He was there. He shot Jim Gordon. He shot Jimmy's dad.
Suddenly I was on autopilot. I could feel body moving on its own. I didn't even think really, I knew I had to go back. I just had to. I couldn't just sit in there doing nothing. That's all I ever did. That's all anyone ever did.
It started raining, I didn't care. I called a limo service; I knew that they would arrive faster than a normal taxi. I was right. It arrived not long after. I swallowed and tried not remembering what happened the last time I was alone with a driver. I tried calling Jimmy on the way but he hanged up my calls. Eventually his phone was turned off. I knew it was bad. I was dropped off at the airport and I booked a one way ticket to the fastest flight to Gotham. I showed them my ID and they didn't ask any question, there were many times being a Wayne had its advantages. Still, it was a risky move but I didn't have time to think about it. I had to get back to Gotham.
I arrived well into the evening. The city didn't look too welcoming. I could see people were afraid. The atmosphere was tense. Is this the work of the Joker? Has it really been just two days? What happened? Questions were running through my mind, I was uneasy. I had to get to Jimmy's house. I had to. I didn't know what I was going to do when I get there or even why I had to go but I just had to. I had to.
The house was quiet, and dark. I knocked on his window. The curtain lifted slightly and I caught a glimpse of Jimmy. I felt chills. I had never seen him with eyes like that, his eyes were empty. He didn't move so I did, I opened the window and climbed inside.
His room was dark, but I could still see him. He didn't talk and just sat there staring at nothing. I knew for sure that Jim Gordon was dead; no eyes would look like that unless you lost someone. I saw the same eyes for years when I looked at the mirror; I still see them sometimes.
I couldn't stand looking at him. I hated it. I did the only thing I could think off; I wrapped my arms around him. He remained unmoving. I knew how much he loved his father, I knew how much he looked up to him and idolized him. I couldn't believe this was happening.
I felt him sobbing and I tightened my hold on him. I didn't say anything because I knew words were useless. I gave him the only thing I remember needing when mom died, a shoulder to cry on. He held my arm as if it were life support. Eventually he fell asleep, he looked restless but he was asleep. His mother came to check up on him and was surprised to find me there. Her eyes were read and puffy but she managed to call Alfred to pick me up. She thanked me for being there for Jimmy before I left. When she told me that, I felt like my entire journey to Gotham was worth it.
Alfred didn't say anything when he took me. He didn't ask what I was doing there, or how I even got there in the first place. He didn't reprimand me or get angry. He understood and I loved him for it.
It felt like a really bad dream, one that I was all too familiar with. It was like a nightmare that you wish you can wake up from but you know you can't. It's said that the first stage of grief is denial, it's true. You always think, but I just saw them, or this can't be happening. It's just a cruel game being played. Then pain. It's like a knife being plunge inside of you, twisting your insides. You can't breathe, you can't think, you just become an empty shell. Each second you try to not think about it, so you detach yourself from everything. You think life shouldn't exist because the person you love isn't there anymore.
My thoughts must have gotten the better of me for next thing I know I was standing inside my house. I don't know how long I just stood there. I lost all sense of time, it seemed meaningless. It always seems meaningless when things like this happen.
"Charlie?" asked a surprised voice.
I saw Bruce, he looked troubled but then again, don't we all?
"What are you doing here?" he didn't sound angry. An extremely selfish part of me was thankful it wasn't him that died. I felt guilty for letting such thought enter my brain. I was relieved that I still had Bruce.
I suddenly felt extremely weak and sleepy. It seemed as if my eyelids had weight on them. I could feel my knees falling on the floor and the room getting blurry. Where was I again?
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"Harvey called and said that Batman was going to reveal himself," said Rachel.
Bruce looked up from watching his daughter sleep and stared at his friend. When he had told Harvey that he would be willing to turn himself in, he was not thinking straight. He was overcome with his emotions and did not think about the consequences of his actions, especially concerning Charlie. He was reminded of this when he saw her. Though surprised that she was home, he was glad that he was knocked into his senses. It would not be fair for her if he turned himself in.
"I can't do it," he told his friend. "I'm going to be irresponsible over my actions. I'm not going to turn myself in. I'm sorry Rachel."
"I know you won't," she replied in an understanding way. "I knew from the beginning that if you had to choose between Gotham and Charlie that you would choose Charlie."
"I tried saving both," he whispered. Being Bruce Wayne and being Batman was two different things for him. It was two lives that did not connect. Probably, in another life, being Batman would mean more to him than being Bruce Wayne but not in this life. For Bruce Wayne was also a father, and being a father meant more to him than being Batman.
"Life has a way of making us choose," Rachel sounded like she had something more to say but couldn't say it.
"And your choice is him." Bruce decided to say it for her. If Harvey did announce Batman's surrender it would look bad for his credentials if Batman does not show up. It would jeopardize the entire case of the mob. Can he really risk all that for the sake of his daughter? Yes he can.
She nodded slowly, "He needs me just like Charlie needs you. I respect you for the choices you've made but I need you to respect me for my choices too,"
He stared back at his daughter. Her hair was wet and she was curled up in a fetal position. He saw beads of sweat sprouting from her forehead and was surprised how hot she felt when he tried wiping off the sweat. What have you been up to this time?
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"Billy tried eating a gazillion hotdogs in school today," I told mom over dinner. There was a contest amongst the boys over break time on who can eat the most hotdogs and Billy Keathen won. He did vomit afterwards and was told off by Miss Lotney but it was funny.
"And in class we talked about Gotham city so I told my teacher that I've been there already and she asked me to bring suv-," I frowned. "suv,"
"Souvenirs?' my mom asked with a sly smile.
I nodded happily. "Yes, she asked me to bring suvnirs to show and tell next week,"
She laughed. My mom liked laughing. She was very pretty when she laughed. Sometimes, when she doesn't think I'm awake she looks sad. I don't like it when she looks sad. I try doing my best so she's always smiling.
"Steve should be home by now," she said, checking the watch. Sometimes Steve came home late because he gets caught up at work. I liked Steve, but sometimes I don't like him. Sometimes he makes mom upset and I don't like it when he makes her upset. He's nice to me when she's around but if it's just the two of us he doesn't talk to me. I don't think he likes the stories I tell him much. He has a nice office though. He's a lawyer and sometimes we visit him at work and his office has a really cool lazy boy and the cafeteria has many fancy foods. Mom's work is more fun though, Steve has so many books in his office while mom has guns. Mom is a police so she works with other police officers. Sometimes the other police will let me hold their guns, but there are no bullets. They don't let me hold guns with bullets which really annoy me; but still, I'm the only one in school who can say that they've held a real live gun. Many of the boys are jealous, but I don't care, they're just boys.
"There's someone at the door," I told her. I saw a car pull up in front of the house. Mom looked at the window and gasped.
I wondered why mom looked worried. Was there something wrong?
"Hey Charlie," she said softly. "Let's play hide and seek,"
I nodded. Why was she acting weird? I didn't dare disobey her in case she gets upset. She looked close to getting upset. I was afraid she might ground me again, just like when I decided to go to Tracy's house without her permission. She wouldn't let me watch TV for three days!
"Hide under here," she told me hurriedly as she pushed me under the kitchen sink. "and don't come out no matter what,"
"But mom, how can you find me if you already know where I am?" I asked. It made no sense. What kind of game was this?
"Just don't come out," she started sounding upset so I just nodded. "I want you to promise me that you won't come out," she insisted. "and that you'll not make any noise."
"I promise," I told her. She always told me never break a promise. I remember once when I broke a promise she got really angry and grounded me for forever. I never broke a promise after that.
"I love you," her tone changed, she sounded sad. She held my face and kissed my forehead. "Remember that I always love you ok,"
I nodded again. I felt tears coming out as she closed the cupboards. I didn't know what was going on but I knew it was not good.
I heard mom answer the door and there was a crash. I could see what was going on through a small opening. A few people entered the house. They were yelling. My mom was shouting something to them. She was shouting really loud. Another crash. I can hear many things breaking. I knew something was wrong. I wanted to run. I wanted to scream. I wanted to help my mom. But I couldn't.
I promised I wouldn't come out. I promised. She made me promise.
I heard more yelling. I could see my mom yelling. Her outline and the outline of the strangers were visible. I saw something shiny flash, it was like a mirror, and my mom looked hurt. Why would I make such a stupid promise? She fell on her knee but she started talking.
"You won't get away with this," she said. "You will answer to what you've done,"
I was glad she was talking. It meant she was ok. She is ok, right?
The man laughed. I didn't like his laugh. Why was he laughing like that? His face was covered but I saw his eyes, they were so evil. How can such an evil man exist in this world? It wasn't possible, yet there he was. His eyes, his eyes were so terrifying. There was nothing good about him. What possessed him to be that way?
I heard a loud scream.
Why was mom lying down? Why was the floor red? Why?
I just stared. I couldn't move. I just sat there and stared. A part of me didn't know what was going on, or maybe I just didn't want to acknowledge what had happened. I half expected her to get up and open the cupboard telling me that everything was alright and another half expected her to start laughing because I fell for her joke. Why wasn't she getting up? Please get up. Mom! Please get up! It's not funny! I hated myself for being unable to move. What was wrong with me?
Why am I shaking? Why is my heart beating so loud? IT'S SO LOUD! Where's mom? Why isn't she looking for me? Why is she sleeping there? Mom? Why are you so red? Is that a knife? Who was the guy? Mom? Please come find me! Mom! Was I good? I didn't come out just like you said! I did good right? I did as I promised. I did as you told me to! Why aren't you getting up? MOM!
I didn't stop looking at my mom when the police arrived, flashing their torches around. I could barely even feel the cupboard being opened or when someone carried me out. When they did manage to remove my mother from my line of sight I panicked.
"Mom! MOM!" I yelled, kicking and screaming. "MOM!"
She's just joking! GET UP! PLEASE! Stop lying down! Why? Why are they taking me away? Don't take her! Don't take her! Leave me alone! PLEASE! Don't take her! She's just pretending! She said she'll come find me! It's only hide and seek! She won't know where to look for me if you take her! MOM! She's not dead!
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A message from TemperedRose:
Hope you enjoy this. It was a rather intense chapter for me to write, I hope I nailed it, or at least got close.
I'm feeling a tad bit sick, I think I have a cold coming up. It was raining hard today, and walking seven blocks with shopping bags, soaking wet, was probably a bad idea. Any help on a cure?