What Once Was

Chapter 42: How Soon Is Now?

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Follow the maze until you find the rat. Bring him into the light and you'll find where I'm at.

Falcone was the last piece of the puzzle. The little light at the centre of the universe. The real kingpin running this shitshow of a city we all call Gotham.

Everything was falling into place.

All I needed was The Batman to bring him to me.

And I knew he would.

My whole life had been building up to this.

Gotham needed someone like me, a nobody, to uncover the truth.

It is only when we've lost everything that we are free to do anything. To rebuild. To start again.

Hope.

Then (Y/N) came along.

At somehow the worst yet best time possible.

She inspired me.

I needed to make Gotham better. Better for her.

I secretly knew our honeymoon phase wouldn't last forever. I knew we couldn't live in ignorant bliss for eternity.

That didn't stop me from dreaming though. How I wish we could settle down. How I wish I could watch her graduate. Watch her get her dream job. Meet the rest of her family. Friends. How I wish we could buy a little house together in the suburbs, just outside of the city. Get married. Have a couple of children. Watch them grow up. Go to school. Take them to football practice. Watch them graduate. Help them leave the nest. Oh how I wish we could grow old together. Stay together. Forever.

But I knew none of that was possible.

God I love her. Everything about her.

And I know her. More than she knows herself.

She'll understand.

Maybe she'll wait for me.

I'll get out early on good behaviour. Gotham doesn't have the death penalty.

Or I could say screw it. Screw the rest of my plan. Come clean to (Y/N). We could run away together. Change our names. Start that little family together, someplace far away from Gotham.

No, Edward.

They'd never find us. We coul-

Edward, NO!

So here I sit in the bedroom of my apartment, surrounded by the inner workings of my brilliant mind, waiting, watching my plan unfold through the eye of a sniper rifle.

Soon.

He'll bring him to me. I know he will. We're a team. We always have been.

It'll be perfect.

I've been perfect.

Not long.

I picked up my phone and punched in her number. It rang only once.

"Oh my god Eddie!" (Y/N) sighed.

"Hi angel".

I'm so sorry.

"Have you seen the news? The Riddler's latest piece on the Waynes... shit... Eddie, I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you..." She sounded muffled, like she'd been crying.

"Hey! It's okay! You have nothing to apologise for. You couldn't have known... none of us could have known the extent of their corruption..." I felt a twinge of guilt in my gut.

"It's good to hear your voice..."

Oh god. I love you, (Y/N). I'm so sorry.

"Are you free? Would you be able to meet me at the diner?"

Please say yes please say yes.

"Yes! Yes of course! Right now or-"

"In about 20 minutes. How does that sound?"

"Of course! Yes... I- um... I can do that. I love you Eddie. I'll see you soon".

"I love you (Y/N). See you soon".

Soon.