"Ngh…" waking up while still feeling groggy, I stretch a bit before getting up from bed. "My phone and wallet got taken last night but luckily I didn't have much money on me, so nothing of value was lost. I'll probably just buy a cheap burner phone soon and get it set up."
Walking over to my small desk I open up my slightly aged laptop and start searching for keywords I could use to start figuring out what's going on.
"Elizabeth Arkham Asylum" going through the institution's main page it seems all is right. Quincy sharp is currently the warden overlooking the asylum, but from what I remember he's just a schizophrenic fool who believes he's the reincarnation of Amadeus Arkham - poor guy.
Well… maybe he's right? Maybe he was the reincarnation of the founder of the Asylum. I mean, there's me…
No, poor bastard was going off the deep end. Adding on with Hugo Strange's brainwashing; he was a dead man walking.
Most of the major hitters should be locked up there right now I think. As for my other investigation, "let's see what this shows". Typing in 'Blackgate prison transfer' I'm met with a link to an official city paper confirming and approving the transfer of prisoners from the Blackgate federal penitentiary to Arkham asylum due to a fire compromising the prison.
The Joker's already moving his men.
"Ok I got the gist of it. With Barbara's paralysis now confirmed, I can also guess that Gordon is probably already being placed at Joker's amusement park." The events of the 'Killing Joke' are already underway and 'Asylum' should probably start within a couple of months; And with it comes arguably Batman's greatest adversary…
"Officer Balls..."
A name so vile, so evil, even the mere mention of it left a foul taste in my mouth.
Thankfully Gotham wasn't nearly as bad during daylight as it was come night. Heading out into the city I began getting much more intimately familiar with my new home. Turns out I lived near an area called "Burnside". Chinatown was nearby as well, so Chinese-American culture was pretty prevalent here.
Another fact is that Gotham was based off of New Jersey meaning the city was rather walkable but cramped. Despite being an amalgamated group of islands, most of its buildings stood tall, showing that the city had expanded upwards to deal with its growing population.
This entire place was hauntingly beautiful. No pictures on paper could truly do it justice, like something out of an Art deco piece, the word "Noir" fit this place perfectly. Considering Batman was created in the late 1930s it would only make sense that this city would be presented as a magnificent display of pure Americana - a love letter to a country of old.
I could see now why Batman has fought for this place so desperately. I feel as if though I stay here for long enough I too might one day fall under its bewitching spell which seems to cast over the faces of all its inhabitants.
But this place was no fairy tale.
One of the most extreme cases of class divide in the country was established in this place. Not to mention the excessive amount of crime had made Gotham city be voted the most dangerous city to live in the United States. I'm sure that felt like a slap in the face for Bruce, having fought for over a decade with no signs of stopping led to virtually no change. Yet he fought, the caped crusader was unwavering in his faith…in his justice.
"I had to try, if someone can be saved, I have to try". That was a quote I remembered from one of his movies, and it's what made me fall in love with him as a hero. He always called his villains by their real names. Showing that despite what horrific things they had done, he still saw them as human. It was childish in a sense, to treat something so vile so humanly, but that's who he was. A kid who never left that alley. A boy who had to learn how to shut off his heart in order to prevent any other child from ending up like him.
Perhaps it was also childish of me to think I could one day be like him. It sounded corny but I did always want to be a hero growing up. Maybe not a superhero but someone who at least one person could look up too.
Becoming a hero or maybe a vigilante was a far fetched dream for now, and one I had to plan carefully. I wasn't an alien from another planet, I wasn't a descendent of a greek God, and I certainly wasn't a billionaire who had some of the most advanced tech in the world at his disposal.
Unlike our neighbors across the pond, I didn't have to worry about fighting invading aliens. The crime here was much more grounded. It was the perfect nurturing ground for someone regular to accomplish the irregular.
Finding out me and 'Oracle' were next door neighbors might've been the greatest gift I could ask for. It was selfish of me, I knew that already. To approach a downtrodden and possibly traumatized woman and "use" her abilities for my own gain. However, as it stood, she really WAS my only lifeline if I wanted to start developing myself to be prepared to come face to face with what this city truly had to offer.
Let's put aside all this thinking for once I'm home. It seems amidst my inner monologue I had already arrived at the electronics store nearby.
"Hey, I was looking to get a phone. Nothing crazy, I just need it to answer calls and texts."
Luckily I had frozen my credit cards once I woke up through my bank's website while researching, and took some of the cash stored in my emergency stash. The mugging really was no big deal looking back at it. Sure I "died" but I'm back now, so nothing of value was really lost nor was any gained.
"Of course sir, over on that wall is our more affordable section of smartphones." The young man pointed over to display shelves filled with cheap smartphones. The ones that already came with an equally cheap mobile plan. They were pretty decent for the price tag to be honest.
"Right, thank you!"
Walking over I was assaulted with a huge assortment of cheap smartphones. In principle they were all the same so brand or specs were irrelevant. Walking over to the counter I let the employee scan the six burners I had bought.
"Your total is $241.69, cash or card?"
"Cash"
Handing the man $250 flat, I took my things and walked out and into the clothing store across the street.
I entered the store.
Noticing a potential customer, a sales employee walked on over to me.
"Good afternoon, are you looking for anything in particular today?"
"No ma'am just looking around." I smiled and waved her off. Arriving at the men's section I started browsing for some pants and came across a pair of grey parachute pants. "Perfect just my size". I couldn't find anything more loose and flexible so I stuck with my choice and started looking for a top. A charcoal-black bomber jacket stood out.
Trying it on fit me slightly large but that was perfect for me since I was most likely gonna be wearing body armor underneath it.
Walking out I decided to come back home to put my things away. After that I took a shower, dressed up in something a bit more presentable. Exiting my building I stopped by a small flower booth.
"Good evening young man! Anything you like?" Chimed the elderly asian lady behind the counter.
"Umm, well I'm visiting someone at the hospital so maybe something that represents 'Recovery'."
"Hmm then how about some chrysanthemums?" She points towards a vase filled with a group of flowers coated in a deep rich violet - almost crimson like color, with pinnatifid leaflets attached to the fully developed bud of the flowers.
"Yes they're beautiful, how much?"
"They're freshly cut boy. But for you I could do $90"
"Sure I'll take them". I wasn't aware of how much these flowers really were, but it didn't matter much. I just needed something nice to bring to Barbara.
Walking away with the slightly heavy vase I begin to make my way downtown. Thankfully it's about a 15-20 minute walk so nothing too burdensome.
It was finally time to pay my future accomplice a visit.