𝔾𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕞, ℂ𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕚𝕖𝕤 | Ｅｄｗａｒｄ Ｎａｓｈｔｏｎ

Seven

A new day dawned in Gotham City with the sky as dark and gloomy as ever. Alice slept in bed with her feet dangling off the side, her skin reddening at the edges, and her makeup smeared across her face. She opened her eyes after a few nudges, and Alfred told her to get dressed. When he left the bedroom, she pulled back the covers, wishing she could sleep in for some more time; until she recalled today was the mayor's memorial. 

"Crap, Crap, Crap-" 

She shot out of bed and rushed into her bathroom to turn on the shower. She began to strip off the partial clothing she had on her body and rushed inside. She began scrubbing away the memories of last night, all but one. The mysterious man that saved her from last night and a few nights ago seemed suspiciously coincidental. She was curious, too curious for the riddler's liking. She was hungry for more, and more information meant that her life could be in danger, and in the hands of a serial killer. 

Once she finished cleansing the dirt off her skin, she hopped out and covered herself in a towel. She was unsure what to wear for this event, and the last time she had to dress up for an occasion like this was for her parent's memorial. She remembered the fearful face Bruce had when they saw their parents in the caskets. All the lights hurt their poor eyes as the feds shoved cameras in their faces. She couldn't forget all the questions that were asked, and all Bruce could do was cover her ears as they walked, attempting to protect her from this tragedy, wishing she could have a bit more peace for a while. But what haunted them all was seeing their parents in those awful uncomfortable caskets. She could remember herself staring at someone she felt was unknown, the way they laid their lifeless, skin colorless, lips pale and-

"Alice, are you ready?" 

"almost!" 

Alice zipped up the back of her black dress and slipped on her flats. She walked out of her bedroom as her brother waited for her. She apologized for taking so long on changing, but Bruce wasn't upset. If anything he was grateful, he wasn't in the mood to be attending this memorial, just as how Alice felt. She assumed he invited her because, as siblings, it was appropriate for them to come together, and it was a respectful gesture. Not to mention that as part of Waynes, a tragedy as bad as this hasn't happened since, and they felt responsible to attend.

As they both went into Bruce's Chevrolet Corvette, she noticed Alfred's cufflinks on the cuffs of his shirt. She didn't feel like mentioning it to him since he and Alfred had probably gotten into a dispute beforehand. Yet, everything about attending this memorial felt wrong to her. Once they had made the line towards the hall, there were many protesters behind the metal fences. 

"No more lies! No more lies!" 

They chanted all together in harmony. Bruce glanced over to Alice who was staring at the people dressed in the riddler's clothing. She wondered if he was in the crowd, watching, she wondered if he was proud of what he accomplished. She was unsure if she felt angry or pleased. But she knew the city was in chaos, and that her brother and herself were so vulnerable to anything that could come their way. 

"If you feel uncomfortable...tell me, and we can leave" 

"I'll be fine Bruce. I won't freak out" 

He nodded his head and parked the car. They both took a breather before opening their car doors. Bruce and Alice walked together, making their way up the steps as they were called by the swarm of reporters taking photos. 

She was following her brother as his change in direction was towards another man. She was quick to follow up until he was pushed back by bodyguards. Once the man in front turned around she realized it was Falcone.