Making Waves

Chapter 2

"Carol is crazy. Carol is a paranoid bitch. Carol is going to get us robbed."

Percy muttered under her breath, as she crossed over onto the other side of the street. She walked swiftly down the block, and along the route that was all too familiar to her at this point. Carol Shane was a crazy old lady who happened to be her landlord. The woman was 70, possibly even 80 years old, and showed no signs of old age except for in her physical body. She had a sharp mind and even sharper tongue but was convinced that checks and electronic methods of payment were being 'monitored by the government'. That, coupled with her general paranoia, led to her insisting that every tenant pay their rent in cash.

Which was why Percy was currently weaving her way through the streets of Bludhaven, trying to get to her bank before it closed. In her crisis, she had forgotten to go earlier in the day. She looked up to the sky and cursed. The sun was setting, and it would be dark soon. As much as she liked Bludhaven, she also agreed that the city was not at its kindest at night. It was much safer compared to Gotham, but that didn't mean encountering some shady character was unlikely. And with her luck, she probably would.

Honestly, Percy mused, as she crossed another street, it was a wonder Carol was still alive. If even one of her tenants accidentally blabbed to the wrong person about her collecting cash payments, someone was sure to try to break in and steal it. Knowing that she housed that much cash on the first of every month was dangerous information. A more prudent person would have moved out long ago but unfortunately, Percy liked to test her fate as often as possible.

Prudent...she didn't even know she knew that word.

She was brought out of her thoughts once she was standing in front of a large brick building with four imposing concrete columns shot up and supported the architrave, where the words Bludhaven Capital Bank were carved into stone.

Although the architecture on the outside was grand, the Bludhaven Capital Bank was fairly small, especially compared to its more well-known rival, Bludhaven City Trust. Percy had chosen it specifically for that reason. Old habits she'd picked up from her childhood and teenage years always had her consciously or subconsciously flying under the radar.

By now, it was completely dark, and Percy sighed, reconciling herself to the fact that the walk home might not be as pleasant. She pushed through the heavy doors and entered. The inside of the bank matched the striking but gloomy exterior. The ceilings weren't as high as expected, but they were decorated with vivid patterns and the crown molding was just as, if not more, intricate. All the tellers sat behind a glass casing on one side of the room, with small circular holes cut in each booth to allow for easier communication with the customers. The opposite side of the room had a long table attached to the wall, with little boxes holding writing utensils and deposit slips. The center of the large room was divided by retractable belts to allow for customers to line up efficiently.

Percy quickly surveyed the room out of habit as she entered and took note of its inhabitants. Today, all but two of the teller booths had been cleared out, and there were hardly any other people inside, which was appropriate for a bank that was meant to close in about 20 minutes. There were three men, one filling out a deposit slip, another in a discussion with one of the tellers, and the third towards the side, arguing heatedly over the phone. A woman was also at the long table, hovering over the slips. Percy noticed her trying to fill one out while her daughter, who was maybe 3 or 4 years old, tugged on her pant leg and whined in boredom.

Since nobody seemed to be approaching the second open booth anytime soon, Percy took it upon herself to wait at the front of the line, so the teller, an older woman with thick but graying hair, could call her over. The teller noticed her presence and waved, and Percy took the signal to approach the glass.