Chapter 1 - Welcome to Gotham City
Welcome to Gotham City -is written on the sign as the cab drives passes it. That makes it official. Finally, I'm starting a new chapter of my life. Although my sister Elena wasn't all that happy when I announced my decision to move to Gotham City. I don't know why, but something inside of me just feels like this is the right thing for me.
This is my new beginning.
After everything that happened last year, it was time to be close to my sister again. The Flashbacks of the last few years are threatening to come back up, as I desperately try tosuppress them.
The car ride shouldn't take much longer, even though the driver looked a little taken aback as soon as I told him the address to where I was heading.
Oh, yeah did I forget to mention, my sister is dating none other than Bruce Wayne, who apparently is a huge number here in Gotham City.
It was almost 2 years ago that Elena moved here when she started to work as a nurse in the local Gotham Hospital and well somewhere along the line, she met Billionaire Bruce Wayne.
I'm was really happy for her, after everything that we had been through, I was glad that she had finally found her way.
Me on the other hand, well let's just say that I'm still trying to figure everything out and besides Elena is 10 years older than I am. My parents didn't initially plan on having another child, so it was a big surprise, or well as my mother would put it a big disappointment. So ever since I can think back, I've always done what everyone else expected me to do.
What to wear, how to look, how to act. I never wanted to disappoint my parents and now that they're gone, Elena has taken on the role of making sure I'm not steering off the path, as she likes to put it.
That's just how I got through the years.
Surviving.
Never once was I ever asked, what I wanted for myself. The only thing I ever truly wanted was to finally be myself. To finally be free.
The cab comes to a halt in front of a mansion and my jaw drops to the floor. "Wow", thinking to myself, my sister didn't exaggerate when she said that Burce was rich.
I pay the driver and as I get out of the car I'm immediately pulled into a hug.
"Aria! It's so good to see you." My sister Elena squeaks.
"I've missed you so much, Lena."
"Oh, and this is Bruce. I'm so excited that the two of you can finally meet each other."
A tall-haired man approaches me, extending his hand. "Bruce Wayne. Nice to finally meet you. Your sister has told me a lot about you."
"Well, I hope only nice things." I chuckle slightly as I put my hand in his shaking it. "Thank you again so much for allowing me to stay with you."
"That's no problem at all. I have more than enough space and also please allow me to introduce you to Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred is my buttler and a family friend for many decades."
An elderly man appears from behind Bruce, extending me his hand. "Pleasure to meet you Miss, Brooks." I can tell from his accent that he has English roots
"Please call me Aria."
After the welcoming greeting, Bruce and Alfred take my suitcases as we head up to his mansion and the second I step through the door, I'm mindblown because this place is more than just huge.
"If you allow, I'd like to show you around and after the room tour you can start to unpack and get comfortable before it's time to eat."
Nodding, still in shock by the space of one room along. Just as Bruce is about to show me around, Alfred comes out of the kitchen. "Miss Aria, is there anything that you don't eat, that I should know of?"
"Don't worry about me, I'll eat just about anything."
"Very well" Alfred nods and retrieves back into the kitchen as Bruce shows me around his mansion. We go through his office, gym, bedroom, living room, and well a lot more rooms, that I wasn't even aware could fit in. The last stop was another guest room, well now my new room.
"Bruce your home is amazing!"
"Please, feel just like at home." He smiles kindly at me.
"Don't worry. I think I'll actually enjoy being here" A small chuckle escapes my lips before I can even realize what I have said. "Sorry, I... I didn't"
"No, I understand. You and your sister haven't been all that close over the last few years, I just hope that's going to change now and if there is anything and I mean anything that you need, you can always come to me."
Elena never said just how generous Bruce was. When she told me that he was rich and successful I kind of imagined that he might be a little stuck up as well, but that wasn't the case at all. In fact Bruce was pretty down to earth, pretty calm and I liked him already.
"Thanks, Bruce and if at any point it's getting too much for you, please just let me know and I'll find myself another place."
But he only shakes his head at me. "You are now also a part of the family. Elena has told me bits and pieces about what happened with your parents. I also lost both of my parents when I was 10 years old. I can imagine how you're feeling right now and please don't ever feel like an inconvenience."
After Bruce left the room I started to unpack all of my stuff and it's only now that I realized, that everything I own was in those suitcases. Every last memory that is threatening to resurface.
Once I'm done putting my clothes into the closet and making the room a little bit more comfortable I decide to take out my dairy as I let myself fall on the freshly made, soft bed and start to flip through the pages. Seeing old entries, fotos and a lot of memories on a few pages I can't help but to let out a huge sigh.
Grabbing my pen I start to pour my soul onto the empty pages.
Dear Diary,
I've officially made it to Gotham, Still can't believe that I was able to convince Elena to let me come here, although if I'm being honest, even if Lena said no, I still would've come here. She warned me that Gotham was way too dangerous, but after all, she has lived here as well for now more than two years.
I've tried so hard to move on with my life, but the truth is I can't escape those haunting memories from that night. No matter how many people might tell me that it wasn't my fault ... I know the truth. If it wasn't for me, they would still be alive and what shocks me the most, is that I actually feel kind of relieved.
The truth is, I was wrong. I thought that I could smile and nod my way through it, pretend like it would be okay. Pretend like everything was fine. Pretend like nothing ever happened. The plan was to change who I was and create a life. Without the past, without the pain. Someone alive. I haven't felt alive since ... well if I'm being honest with myself, I guess I never really have felt alive.
I had hoped that I was able to forget. Which the word forget is ironic in its self considering, that I can't remeber every little detail. The doctor who treated me, did say that the memories might never return, yet I'm still trapped by an invisiable force.
And the things I so whish I would be able to forget, will stay with me forever. The plan was to change, but if I'm being honest I don't know who I really am. Being forced to be someone you are not, for years and years on end, you lose yourself completley.
It's not easy. The bad things stay with you. They follow you. There's just no escape, no matter how much you crave one. All you can do is be ready and hope that something good will come, and when it does come you invite it in. Because you need it.
I need it.
I'm responsible that my parents are dead and now after I've finally graduated from High School, for the very first time in my life, I took my chance and made MY decision to start over. To start fresh.
From this point on it's going to be different. I'm going to try and smile more, enjoy life, and NOT let others dictate my life for me.
I have this feeling, that now that I'm in Gotham, I can finally be myself, maybe for the first time. No more hiding!
Elena & Bruce P.O.V.
"Why?" Elena groans as she keeps walking around in circles. "Why does she have to be so stubborn? Seriously, Gotham? From all the places on this earth, she decided to move to Gotham. And why did you agree to let her stay with us? It only harder for me to talk her out of it."
"Elena", Bruce takes a seat next to her trying his best to calm her down."I know that you are concerned, but she has just turned 17 last week and next year you won't be able to tell her what to do." Hearing her sigh deeply he continues "I know where you're coming from it's not the best idea for her to move here as well. I agree with you, but the truth is, there isn't one place on this earth that is completely safe."
Another groan escapes her throat. "Do you think I don't know that? I see it everyday, Bruce. These lunatics running around, Riddler, Scarecrow not to mention him" She spits. "They're all FREAKS!"
Bruce knew exactly who his girlfriend meant. A new criminal has suddenly appeared in Gotham over the last few months. A psychopath, who calls himself The Joker and no one seems to know, where exactly he came from, but one thing was for sure, wherever he appeared, death, chaos and destruction all followed him.
He hated to admit it to himself, but Joker was different from the rest. He had no remorse, no motive, no meaning. His actions were just for his pure amusement. He already took so many lives without even blinking an eye over it and no matter how hard Bruce tried to catch him or even find anything out about him, it all came to a dead end.
It's almost as if he didn't even exist at all.
"Bruce", Elena rips him out of his thoughts. "You know I love you. And you know that I love Batman, but you can't save everyone. We've both lost our parents ... I'd rather not lose my sister too, especially to some thugs."
Taking a moment the couple starts to slowly nod in agreement. "You're right." Bruce starts carefully. "But Elena, you do realize that even if you somehow manage to convince your sister not to live here, that there is no guarantee that she won't stay here after all without even informing you? I know that the two of you haven't had that family bond, but if I may ask what exactly happened between you and your sister?"
He never asked her about her family life, respecting that she didn't want to talk about it, but since Aria was now moving in with them it seemed like the right time for this question.
"Our parents were strict with us. They had certain expectations that we had to follow. They weren't all that affectionate with us, but as long as we followed their rules it wasn't all that bad. Although I guess Aria did come up short sometimes. We were expected to be straight A students and to go to college. No parties, no boyfriends, nothing. Education was everything and well once I was off to college I lost all contact. Not only to my parents but to my sister too. I guess she was mad, that I left her. She and Mom never got along."
Taking a break to wipe a single tear out of the corner of her eye Elena continues. "It was the night of Arias prom. It was the first time, that she wanted to attend a party, but Mom was against it and well we all thought it wasn't the best idea for her to go. She just isn't a social person. But Aria being Aria decided to rebel and didn't listen to us. Mom agreed to let her go as long as Paul would take her. He was a close friend of our family. Now I don't know the details, but somewhere along the line, I guess she just changed her mind and called our parents to come pick her up." A few more tears fell down Elena's face.
"As they drove back home, well I don't exactly know the full details since Aria doesn't ever talk about it, but they must have lost control of the car and as the car crashed it fell off of a bridge into the water. Someone must have witnessed what went on because paramedics quickly arrived but they were only able to save her."
Bruce placed his hand softly on her face, kissing her passionately. Reassuring her, that he knew she needed. "You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you or your sister? The reason that I offered her to live with us was because of the fact that this is the safest place in Gotham."
Elena managed a weak smile, contemplating if this maybe wasn't as bad as she thought. Truth is she did miss her sister terribly and even though a small part of her did hated her sister for what had happened to their parents, another huge part of her was happy to see her after almost two yearsbut she knew that Bruce was right somewhere, so she had no choice but to hope for the best.