Insanity - Gotham Fanfic

[1] Welcome To Gotham

||Ansley's POV||

  I pull my coat tight around my torso, well tighter than it already is. It's really cold out tonight, and it's not helping that I had to run out to get milk, which is cold too. I can't wait until I'm sixteen, then I can finally drive, then it's no more chilly nights for me. I'm actually surprised Barbara and Jim let me out to go get it, I mean sure I used to be a street kid and I've ran these streets almost my entire life, but it's still as I remembered it. Dark and dangerous. I've only been in Gotham about a week now, and I have to say, I've actually missed it, with the smoke-filled air, grey skies, it's good to be home. My parents had to take me away when I was like 9 because they got into some trouble here, but now that's all taken care of, my uncle has custody of me, and here I am. Happily back in Gotham with the past hopefully staying in the past.

I stop walking once I reach an alleyway. I hear someone shout, deciding to check it out, I peer around the corner of the building. A man with a mask pulls out a gun and points it at a family. The woman clutches her son tight, while her father hands him a wallet. The woman gives him her necklace on command, and before anything can be processed, he shoots them both, he points the gun at the boy, but decides not to shoot him. When I notice he's running this way, I hide under the metal stairs so he can't see me. Luckily I'm wearing black. As the killer passes, I accidentally drop the gallon of milk I was holding. I don't know if he saw me or not. The boy lets out a piercing scream knocking me out of my frozen terror, before I can think about what I'm doing, I rush over to him. I place my hand on his shoulder as he cries. "W-Who a-are yo-ou?" He asks through sobs. "My name's Ansley, but that's not important right now. What's your name?" "Bruce." 

I sit down next to him on the cold ground. "Why are you here?" He whispers, staring at the concrete. "I was going home, until I heard something bad happening, and here I am." I tell him. He starts to cry more. "I could have done something." I feel sorry for the kid. He's about my age, I know how he feels. "Look Bruce, there's nothing you could have done. That man had a gun pointed straight at you. One thing you learn in Gotham, don't question someone with a gun." He looks over at me and back to the ground. "Thank you for staying here. The police should be here soon. You don't have to stay though." He whispers. I shrug. "My uncle will probably be here, he's a homicide detective." Bruce sighs and looks at his parents. "Hey, don't look at them. It'll make it worse." I tell him. He nods and I help him up and sit on a metal staircase. 

"You're really experienced with this stuff, aren't you?" He asks, wiping tears away with his coat sleeve. "Yeah, I used to be a street kid. My parents, they ran the streets with me. I know this city pretty well. And, how the people are." "I'm sorry you're a witness now." He tells me. I give him a small smile. "It's okay. As long as the killer's caught."  He holds out his hand, and I take it. Trying to calm us both down. 

We sit in silence for a few minutes until the police pull in, blinding us with their flashing lights. Someone jumps out of one of the cars and runs over to us, carrying two blankets. "Can you tell me what happened here?" He asks, handing us both a blanket. Bruce shakes his head. The cop looks at me. I shrug. "I'll only talk to Detective Gordon." Bruce tells him, the cop looks around and nods. "Fair enough." Once the cop returns to the other cops examining Bruce's parents, I turn to him. "Why wouldn't you tell them?" I ask. "Because, I don't know, I guess I just feel more comfortable talking to someone you know." I nod and continue to stare at the ground.

Soon enough my Uncle arrives along with his partner, Harvey. The cop from before directs him over to us. "Ansley, what are you doing out so late?" He asks me, looking down at Bruce and my hands. "I was getting milk, because we were out, and I heard something, so I decided to check it out ya know. Then I saw someone shoot his parents." I say the last part quietly, so no one hears. My uncle looks at Bruce. "What's your name?" He asks. "Bruce Wayne." My uncle nods. "Can you tell me what happened Bruce?" He nods slowly, only to start crying some more. He leans over on my shoulder and cries. I rub his back reassuringly. "It gets better. Don't worry." My uncle says softly. "I bet Ansley and I both know how you feel. It may seem dark right now, but there will be light." Bruce raises his head up a little bit. "We'd just got out of the movies and decided to take a shortcut through the alley, then a man came out of the shadows. He was tall and had a black mask and gloves, he made my dad hand over his wallet and my mom's necklace, then he shot them. He shot them for no reason." Bruce explains choking on a sob. "I will find the man who did this. You can count on it." Jim says standing up. A taller man crosses the police tape, causing Bruce to stand up. He runs over to the man and hugs him. I follow my uncle over to the man. "James Gordon." "Alfred Pennyworth." My uncle nods in return. "We'll get the guy who did this." "You're new, aren't you?" "Yes sir." "Good luck then mate." And then he walks off with Bruce behind him.