Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or anything Batman related, I believe DC comics does.
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My thumb jadedly punches the buttons on the remote to the television as I surf the channels. It is about midday and the apartment is a bit stuffy and hot. However, I am comfortable as I flip through the channels. Nothing catches my interest.
Except the news.
"Last night, a murder took place outside of the not-so- quaint Gotham's Finest Apartments. Reportedly, Ilia Rendell, an assigned detective at Gotham's Police Department, was killed by a man who has dubbed himself with the name of "The Joker". There were no eyewitnesses at the scene…" The male reporter's voice fades away as my mind drifts back into the awful reality that was last night. I reach under the Barbara Gordon's nightgown that I am wearing and run my fingers delicately over my stitched laceration.
The stitches to my gunshot wound are bumpy and grotesque. They sometimes catch like little wretched elven fingers on Barbara Gordon's nightgown. Fortunately, they are dissolvable stitches, so they will be gone in a few weeks' time.
But still…
I know that I am going to have a scar there, a little reminder of him, a little reminder of how he took Ilia's life, a little reminder of how I barely managed to escape with mine.
Just. A. Little.
Luckily, I did manage to take a shower and clean myself up. Barbara was kind enough to let me borrow a hair band to pull back my thick unruly hair and a nightgown to rest in. She also made me a scrumptious breakfast; she made me toast to be exact. However, even the nice warm shower and filling toast cannot even begin to seal the gap that I am feeling right now. I just cannot bring myself to accept that Ilia is gone. I want to pick up the phone and call her, but I know that she will not answer. She was my main piece to my life here in Gotham. She was who I would go out with every Saturday to Fantasia, who I would joke with and who I saw every day of my life for over the past decade.
It just all seems so unreal.
But the worst part is that it is.
I am interrupted with my selfish grieving when my phone rings obnoxiously.
I look at the I.D. on the front.
Lucas Marks.
"Hello?"
"Hi Eva, it's me, Lucas," he says sounding out of breath.
"Oh, hey Lucas."
"Hey, I heard about last night. I heard that she um, uh, Ilia was um…" He trails off, knowing that he is walking on an unsteady mine field of my emotions.
"Murdered, Lucas, she was murdered," I say to him through the pain of anxiety.
"Yeah. Listen Eva, I'm really sorry. I just called to see if you are okay."
"I'm in existence," I respond, secretly wishing that I am not.
"Well, um that's good to hear," he sputters awkwardly, "I don't know if you've been watching the news lately, but the reporters are still at the scene."
"You mean my apartment?" I ask correcting him in his ignorance.
"Um…" dead silence hangs in the air for a moment, "I'm so sorry Eva, I didn't mean-"
"It's alright."
"So are you okay? Gordon said that you needed to take the day off because you weren't feeling well emotionally. He also told me that you are renting out a room somewhere downtown in saidIlia was spending the evening in your apartment room last night and she was murdered there. He he doesn't want you there, says it's a risk." Lucas explains.
Then I recall this morning with Gordon talking to me.
"Consider this your promotion, Officer Duren, you're going into hiding and undercover."
Lucas does not even know that I even had an encounter with the Joker. All the more better I suppose, if I am the one the Joker is looking for, then the least amount of people who know the better.
Thanks Gordon.
"Yeah, Lucas, Gordon's right," I say playing along to his unknown folly.
"I'm sorry to hear that Eva, but you know what might cheer you up? If I took you out this weekend."
"Lucas I don't know-"
"Come on, it'll be fun," he says sounding hopeful. I know he means well.
"Can I give you a call in a few days?"
"Sure."
"Alright," I say.
"Okay, take care Eva."
"You too Lucas."
With a click of the end button the conversation is over. There is no way I am going to be allowed to go out with Lucas, no matter how much I really want to. Gordon will never allow it. If I am scene in a populated area, like Fantasia for example, the Joker might find out my whereabouts and track me down. I still do not even know why he was trying to kill me and God knows how long I will be able to keep this whole predicament under wraps.
I am only beginning to scratch the surface of what my life is going to be like working undercover. My thoughts are soon interrupted.
As if appearing out of thin air, Barbara Gordon is now standing in the doorway with a plate and a glass of water. She approaches me slowly and sits on the edge of the couch bed. Her short brown hair gives her an intimidating appearance along with her hardened, but pleasant face.
"Hi Eva, I thought you might be hungry so I whipped up some grilled cheese for you," she flashes a pity smile for me as she gingerly hands me the plate.
"Thank you Mrs. Gordon," I say politely.
"Oh god, please, call me Barbara."
"Okay, sorry," I say semi-embarrassed.
"Oh don't be.
She looks down at her opened hands and inspects her palms aimlessly, "So, um, how's your side?"
I do not respond to this, but instead I give her a half-smile when she looks back up at me and begin to munch on the sandwich.
She passes me the water, clears her throat and speaks, "Well, um, I'm going to go, but I'll be back in here later to check on you, okay?"
"Alright, thank you for the grilled cheese," I say feeling the weight of Ilia's death on me again. Barbara nods and grabs the now empty plate. She leaves and I continue to watch the news until the early evening.
Through the blinds cracks, I can see the sun dipping away now. It is seven twenty two. Gordon should be here soon. The smell of food is wafting through the apartment, so I am obviously suspecting that Barbara is making dinner. It smells like pasta. I feel that I flushed a day. I haven't done anything and it is driving me nuts. I have been left here to rot in my selfish mourning and pain.
How poetic.
Not.
The Gordon's television has been off for a while and every now and I can hear James and his sister playing in the other room. Occasionally, one of them will shout or giggle, which causes me to wonder if I sounded like that when I was younger playing with my two brothers. I would not ever be able to ask the oldest, for he O.D. on illegal drugs and the other, Jake, well he had moved out to Ohio. My parents also moved out of state also and now reside in Washington. Someday I will call them, but not today. Today is the day after my best friend's death and the only memories that seem to be able to fill my mind are that of her.
Tears tease my eyes, but I blink them away. Frustrated am I that I am so susceptible to my self-pity.
I hear what I believe to be the front door of the apartment open which is then followed by a male voice.
Gordon's back.
I can hear him and his wife conversing somewhere in the residence. Although I have been here all day, I have not actually been through much of the apartment with the exception of the bathroom to shower.
I listen to Gordon's tired footsteps go in the direction of where James and his sister are playing. He greets his children and then I hear his footsteps begin to walk towards the room I am in.
He reaches the doorway and walks in holding two plastic grocery bags.
He turns to face me.
"Hi Eva," he says having a stressed expression stitched into his face.
"Hi Lieutenant," I say trying my best to sound pleasant.
"I," he clears his throat and continues, "brought you some of you clothes and your toiletries." He looks down at the two plastic grocery bags, implying that is what he brought them in.
"Thank you so much Lieutenant," I say and I sit up cautiously, not wanting to cause pain to my side, unfortunately this doesn't work out as well as I planned. I let out a small gasp of pain and look into Gordon's eyes. He sees my distress and his mouth fidgets underneath his mustache.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better than ever," I say smiling kindly. He smiles at this remark and looks at the ground.
"Glad to hear that, Eva," he chuckles and shakes his head.
"So, what's new down at the GPD?"
His smile fades quickly and he looks back up at me.
"What? What is it?" I ask.
"Well, the good news is, I was able to cover up most of the evidence that the murder was attempted for you and that you were even shot. Last night, when he dropped you off here, he um, told me what happened. However, tomorrow you have a meeting scheduled to talk to about exactly what happened. Other than that, only a select few know what really occurred. There are," he pauses, "infiltrates from the mob in our unit and I cannot afford to have any of them know that the Joker is after you."
"Well why would the mob matter? He isn't tied in with them."
"Eva, one thing I've learned is that you don't underestimated criminals. That's what gets cops killed," Gordon scowled at me as he said this.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant."
"For what?"
I opened my mouth to speak and then closed it like a fish out of water. I then feel my brow furrowing in confusion. I tend to do that a lot, apologize when there is nothing to apologize for.
"So, um what's the plan?" I ask.
"What do you mean?"
"What am I going to do? Where am I going to stay after I get better? When do you want me working on the Joker case?"
"I already told you Eva, I don't want you on that case anymore."
I feel myself getting worked up about this.
"Lieutenant," I hiss, "I already told you, that I am not just going to give up that case. That man is out there, killing people, killing people like Ilia. You assigned me to this case and I am not just going to give it up."
He looks at me and I can tell by the look in his eyes that he is contemplating this scenario.
"I really don't think," he pauses and lets out an exasperated sigh, "I really don't think that you should do this."
I stare deeply into his eyes. He doesn't blink and neither do I.
"I'm not standing down," I say calmly, regaining my cool demeanor.
He does not say anything, he just looks at me.
I stare right back.
There is a long quiet pause.
He sets the two plastic grocery bags down steadily.
"If you continue, just know that you are going against my better judgment, but if you really want it that bad, then I… I guess I let you keep the case. But you do know that you are going to have to work undercover. You are going to have to keep everything about the Joker case clandestine." He says a bit defeated.
"Thank you Lieutenant."
"Hm." He grunts in response.
"Jim!" Barbara called from within the apartment somewhere, "Can you get the kids and Eva? It's time to eat!"
"That's our cue," he said smiling.
"Is it okay if I eat with-,"
"Of course. Can you walk or do you need help?"
"I think I can do it," I say and fully sit up. Gordon leads me to the kitchen.
As for the dinner, I was right, it was pasta; it was delicious just as I assumed it would be. Barbara looks at me as she is cleaning up the meals and says, "How about dessert?"
"Oh, I am fine, thank you," I say sincerely.
Barbara, who is walking around the kitchen frantically to clean, talks over her shoulder, "Alright, anyone else want anything?"
The children mumble no.
Gordon smiles with his elbows propped up onto the table, wringing his hands.
"Um, Barbara?" Gordon asks.
"Yes Honey?"
"Did you get the newspaper this morning? I didn't grab it when I went to work."
"No, sorry honey."
"Okay, I'll be right back," he says. Gordon gets up and heads for the front door which is to the left of the kitchen. When he comes back in holding the newspaper and he looks at me smiling. His aged eyes are crinkled with contentment.
"Eva, there's something for you outside."
I give him a puzzled look and get up and walk over to the front door. I twist the doorknob anxiously, wondering what it could be.
I open the door.
There, sitting in the front, is Ilia's bike which I had thought would be lost forever. It gleams in all its purity. There is a note attached to it.
"Ms. Duren: You seemed to have forgotten this late last night."
It is not signed by anyone, but I definitely know who delivered it.
Now, I have one more thing to thank him for than just saving my life.
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A/N: I am so sorry for not updating as soon as I should have! I had a lot of school work, as usual (sighs). Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW! It makes my day super if you guys do! Also, please check out my new story "In Talia We Trust" and review! I would really appreciate feedback on it! Please be brutally honest!
BTW: Even though I started a new story, "City of the Fallen" is my big project, so please don't think that I am going to put it on hiatus! "City of the Fallen" is first and foremost.