Gotham's Story
"Really?" he asks, his words dripping with skepticism.
"We're studying the impact of crime in contemporary cultures," you say, thinking quickly. "I chose to do research on recent incidents here in Gotham."
"Hm," Alfred replies, not entirely conviced, but seemingly willing to drop the subject. "A dark subject for junior high school, but I suppose I am gld to see you involved in your studies again." With that, Alfred ruffles your hair and leaves your room. A pang of guilt hits your chest, but you know this is for his own good. In a few moments, you have the rest of your things packed and you leave through the window. Your food grows cold on the table where Alfred left it.
***
You crouch silently in the alleyway behind Alberto's, trying to hide your breathing. The entrance to the restaurant's kitchen is twenty feet away, but it may as well be a thousand miles away. Guarding this back entrance, are two large men with the bulges of muscles and handguns hiding under their suit jackets. As stealthily as possible, you creep around the boxes and crates in the alley so that you can gain access to the window. Things go surprisingly well as you inch your way until you are under the window. With a hand on your pack, you jump up and reach with your other arm to grab the window.
You miscalculated and the window pops out to fall into the street.
At the sound of the crash, you cringe and assess your situation. You are in a hooded jacket outside a crimelord's eating establishment with a vial of poison inside your pocket. Two armed men are now running towards your location. You should definitely run.
As you head down the alleyway, you can hear the voices of the bodyguards and the loading of pistols. You take a sharp right into an alleyway and run into a trash can. You can't be sure if its the ringing of the collision or the sound of gunshots in the alleyway, but you can't stop to find out. You see streetlights and head towards them in a mad rush for any sort of safety.
In the darkness you do not see the puddle on the ground. Your foot slips and your ankle rolls. You cry out and your pursuers close in on you. A shadow falls between you and the street light ahead of you.
"I have you now," you hear as hands lift you from the floor of the alley. You are dragged into a black car that is on the street. You wince with pain as you are set down in the back seat.
"We must hurry, Master Bruce," Alfred continues as he rushes to the drivers seat of the car. You can still hear the bodyguards rushing to find you, but as Alfred's car speeds away, you know they won't be able to catch up.
"I'm sorry Alfred," you groan inbetween bouts of painful tears. "I'm not strong enough."
Alfred is quiet for several minutes. He doesn't reprimand you, chide you or comfort you. He is simply quiet. Finally he says:
"You will be, Master Bruce. I know you will."
"We're studying the impact of crime in contemporary cultures," you say, thinking quickly. "I chose to do research on recent incidents here in Gotham."
"Hm," Alfred replies, not entirely conviced, but seemingly willing to drop the subject. "A dark subject for junior high school, but I suppose I am gld to see you involved in your studies again." With that, Alfred ruffles your hair and leaves your room. A pang of guilt hits your chest, but you know this is for his own good. In a few moments, you have the rest of your things packed and you leave through the window. Your food grows cold on the table where Alfred left it.
***
You crouch silently in the alleyway behind Alberto's, trying to hide your breathing. The entrance to the restaurant's kitchen is twenty feet away, but it may as well be a thousand miles away. Guarding this back entrance, are two large men with the bulges of muscles and handguns hiding under their suit jackets. As stealthily as possible, you creep around the boxes and crates in the alley so that you can gain access to the window. Things go surprisingly well as you inch your way until you are under the window. With a hand on your pack, you jump up and reach with your other arm to grab the window.
You miscalculated and the window pops out to fall into the street.
At the sound of the crash, you cringe and assess your situation. You are in a hooded jacket outside a crimelord's eating establishment with a vial of poison inside your pocket. Two armed men are now running towards your location. You should definitely run.
As you head down the alleyway, you can hear the voices of the bodyguards and the loading of pistols. You take a sharp right into an alleyway and run into a trash can. You can't be sure if its the ringing of the collision or the sound of gunshots in the alleyway, but you can't stop to find out. You see streetlights and head towards them in a mad rush for any sort of safety.
In the darkness you do not see the puddle on the ground. Your foot slips and your ankle rolls. You cry out and your pursuers close in on you. A shadow falls between you and the street light ahead of you.
"I have you now," you hear as hands lift you from the floor of the alley. You are dragged into a black car that is on the street. You wince with pain as you are set down in the back seat.
"We must hurry, Master Bruce," Alfred continues as he rushes to the drivers seat of the car. You can still hear the bodyguards rushing to find you, but as Alfred's car speeds away, you know they won't be able to catch up.
"I'm sorry Alfred," you groan inbetween bouts of painful tears. "I'm not strong enough."
Alfred is quiet for several minutes. He doesn't reprimand you, chide you or comfort you. He is simply quiet. Finally he says:
"You will be, Master Bruce. I know you will."