The hidden sibling

Back to Gotham

*Rachel POV*
Gotham, the place where my parents buried. It had been a while since I last step on this land. Even with the access of the zeta beam, I would not dare to risk being found by Batman aka my dad in the city. Now, I am back home without notifying anyone.

The weather was still foggy wet, heavy cloud creating a large shade upon us. The street outside the airport was surprisingly clean, but rubbish could be seen when entering the next block. Mysterious, stinky puddles on ground reflecting the shadow of the lovely, ugly city. It corrupted. The city was rotten from the core, but it was home, where my family lived.

I hailed a taxi, carrying my luggages to the familiar yellow cab. The driver was a fifty-ish old man, grey facial hair was growing out of his dark skin. Yet he had a pair of warm hazel eyes and soft voice. I hoped this cabbie was not a robber.

"Sight-seeing Mam'?" He asked from the front," it's a terrible choice of destination."

"No, I'm visiting some old friend." I said on purpose.

"I see, wher' teh go?"

"Wayne Manor."

The cab stopped before entering the area, I gave him a generous amount of tips as he was the first nice person I met in Gotham. I dragged my luggages, which was not an easy job since the Manor was basically built on hill.

The familiar smell of my childhood, the sense of grass and flowers from the garden, welcomed me when no one else. My sight stayed on the manor, the place where I used to call home before I left. My brother, my foster father and Alfred were behind the steel gate and wooden door.

My hand was inches away from the bars, just one touch. The alarm system from the Batcave would notice me, and everyone will know Rachel Grayson's back.

"Hey, I'm home......" the three words seemed simple, but it stuck in my throat that I could not spill it out loud with my own tongue.

Eventually, my hand dropped. I was shook to hear the wheeling noise of my luggage which was being pulled on the rough stone road by myself. I was not ready for backing home. Not yet.

Too many memories were there.

Heart-breaking, desperate, angst... I was a mess when I lived there. My room, where I could see it from here, was where I cut myself and shove in a bottle of sleeping pills at midnight. This was my home, but I didn't have many delightful memories here.

"Maybe another day," I thought as I went further and further away from the manor," now I need a place to stay, maybe a motel or something."

*

"A single-room apartment for a single person like you." The landlady commented rudely while handing me the key.

"I'm not single, just currently not into a relationship......" I muttered.
"I don't care, get your key and get out of my face." She yawned and dropped the key on the shelf before leaving.

That's so Gotham. I thought to myself.

The apartment I rented was obsolete, the wooden wall had a broken hole on it, the ceiling had suspicious marks on it, the floor made weird voice when you walked on it. The room smell damp even it was Autumn and away from the sea. Though, the rent didn't cost much, I assume it was reasonable in such a rush.

I would not spend much time here anyway. I could sleep in the mountain or went on patrol if I wanted. More importantly, I would go back to the manor soon, just not ready yet.

After setting up the distillation machine for Synax, in case I had another episode, I hid my suit in the hole in the wall, and hid it behind a short shelf. The moldy wall disgusted me, so I stuck the Flying Graysons poster to cover it.