And Ashes Shall Fall

I was totally, and completely hungover when the explosion shook the whole city. "Monaaaaa" I whined twisting further into the dark red sheets to mute the noise, the only response I got was a grunt from the other side of the room "What was that?" I moaned my cheek pressed to the mattress "I don't know" Mona grouched flipping onto her stomach.

"You're a lot of help" I hissed propping up to my elbows then fished underneath the covers for the remote control to pop on the television. The first thing that glowed on the box were the words 'UNKNOWN MENANCE BOMBS FOOTBALL STADIUM'. I blinked and reeled my arm back to chunk the remote at Mona, who yelped and sat up in a hurry, "WHAT." She barked rubbing her forehead "Look, moron" I waved my hand at the television and reached for my pack of Newports on my nightstand. Mona made a choking noise and scrambled under her pillow for her phone "Oh my god. Ben was at the game" She squeaked pressing a few buttons and putting it up agaisnt her ear, as soon as Ben answered, she jumped up and rushed to the bathroom.

Lighting up the cancer stick, I placed it in between my teeth and took a long drag with my eyes closed in bliss. I watched the TV show a picture of the villian that had blown up the game, a muscley bald man with a weird looking spidery mask clipped onto his mouth and cirling his whole head "Huh. Another freak" I muttered thinking back to the clown from a couple months ago "Ben's okay. He's coming over" Mona announced padding back into the room, her red mane a mess and lipstick smeared across her cheeks and lips "Kay" I nodded ashing my cigerette into a empty Absoult Vodka bottle beside my bed.

I rose from my bed and stretched making little baby dinosaur noises "I'll go make coffee" I cracked my neck "Mm" Mona tittered typing away on her phone, I walked out of the bedroom and lumbered to the kitchen and over to the cracked Coffee Master. The bag of Starbucks mocha beans sat beside the maker and I just poured about half the bag in the filter and pressed the start button, pretty soon the thick sound of liquid orgasm filled the room "Yay" I grinned running a hand through my matted blonde hair "MONA" I called then paused "WHAT" came back "I NEED TO GO TO THE STORE. BRB" I told her then quickly bunned up my hair and grabbed a tic tac and my black Jack Daniels hoodie, slipped on my white Keds and headed out the door.

The streets of the usually bustling Gotham were strangly quiet, and vacant. Not that I complaining. Harolds Handy Mart was open thankfully, I open the window door and hearded the fimilar bell ringing above me "Rowan!" A rough Boston accent yelled happily "Harry!" I grinned sleepily "Newports, darlin?" He  wiggled his eyebrows knowingly "Ah, of course" I nodded stepping up to the counter as he slid the packet toward me "On the house, doll" Harry shrugged "Thanks, Har" I thanked and took the Newports and shoved them in my back pocket. "You heard bout the football bombing?" He asked me "Yeah" I browsed through some magazines "Some guy name Bait? No..uh Base? Er, Baaaaa..." He trailed off looking to the side "Bane!" Harry remembered loudly "Bane?" I cocked an eyebrow "Yeah, says he's 'Gotham Reckoning'...he's got a nuclear weapon too" Harry puckered his lips distastfully "A nuke?" I asked surpised "Yep, crazy son of a bitch" He hissed walking to grab a cloth to wipe the countertop.

A laugh broke through my lips "Gotham's Reckoning? My ass." I grinned and left the shop, instantly popping a stick in my mouth and lighting up, sighing out toxic smoke from the side of my mouth and gazed up into the skyscapers and the smog the city cased "Reckoning?" I whispered then gasped as a shoulder roughly bumped into mine. Immediatly, anger burned my insides as the stranger continued on "Ass" I growled narrowing acid green eyes on their back, the person must have felt a hole burning in between their shoulders because they turned and make eye contact, all the air rushed from my lungs.

Bald. Large. Black coat. Spidery Mask.

"Oh shit.".