The Aster {Book 1 & 2} (Batman/Joker/Robin/Batgirl story)

1.2. The Aster Begins

Gotham first thing in the morning is probably the proven best time to go out. It's quiet, the air is at its freshest and statistically, you have to worry least about being held up (by gunpoint) in whatever shop you're patronising.

I stroll casually down the high street, thinking about all my friends starting back at school today. Dad wanted me to go back but Mum put her foot down, said I could stay home for as long as I needed. They were still rowing about it when I left. I thought the whole point of them getting divorced was that they wouldn't have rows anymore, but since things were finalised Dad's been round the house far more than he ever used to be when they were married. He's neglecting his Spanish bitch shamefully. Actually, isn't it that blonde who answers the phone in his office now? Who knows, maybe it's both.

I turn off down off the high street and head for the seedier, weirder part of town. The streets are narrower and stink of cigarettes and piss. I think most of the places down here are suffering badly from protection demands from the mob. You can get pretty much anything down here. From bizarre sex shops which you probably won't come out alive from to tobacco shops you can get an under the counter Uzi at a discount price.

I know they'll have exactly what I need.

***

An hour later I'm heading back towards the high street, my big blue and white beach bag over my shoulder. It's satisfyingly heavy.

Just as I reach the street corner I stop. School's out. Shit. The last thing I want or need is to run into anyone I know. Especially any of my friends. Friends. I don't think I'd care if I never saw them again now.

I try to keep my head down low but it doesn't take long someone to spot me.

"Ohmygod Meredith!"

Fuck. Ashley Gilmore. The two-faced bitch of the cheerleading squad.

I reluctantly lift my head to face the perfect blonde hair with the perfect surgically altered nose. I'm pleased to see my hair is more perfect than hers today. A small blessing.

"We've all heard about your sister, it must have been so terrible for you!"

Oh great, she's got her whole squad of wannabe bitches with her.

"Actually yes," I say as passive aggressively as possible for her low IQ not to notice. Okay, she's noticed. I guess I must have miscalculated by an IQ point or two.

"You know coach is pissed you're letting down the whole 'leaders squad."

Well, that didn't take long to get nasty. She really needs to learn to be more subtle. It really isn't that difficult, I promise.

"Ashley... I don't give a fuck."

With that I turn and walk away but someone runs up behind me and yanks my head back by the hair.

I don't even bother to talk. In a microsecond I spin round and land one right on Ashley's pretty little jaw.

She topples over backwards and falls right back into her crowd of wannabes, who try their best to keep up appearances but are visibly shifting backwards away from me.

"See?" I say flatly. "I told you I didn't give a fuck."

With that I take off down the high street at a slow jog, gaining speed until I'm practically sprinting past the bright shop windows and then the small suburban terraces to get home.

I burst through the front door so loudly Mom almost drops the bowl of some sort of uncooked food stuff she's carrying. Looks like Dad must have left after all.

"Meredith! Is everything okay?"

"Fine," I yell down after me. It doesn't come out as nicely as I'd like it too.

The second I'm in my room I lock the door and hang my pink jumper over the handle so no one can look in through the lock. A little over paranoid, maybe, but it makes me feel better.

Next I go over a roll the blackout blind down and pull the curtains over the top of that. Now the room is nearly dark apart from my bedside lamp which I left on from this morning. It's all the light I need.

I strip down to my bra and pants, tossing my clothes across the room and try not to look at the deep purple-red scars on my torso.

I dump the contents of my beach bag out onto the bed and begin.

First is the thick metal corset. It's cold and too tight against my skin but it'll do. Next is the fine chain mail shirt. Again, it's too small and only goes down half my arms but it means my movements will still be free. I wish I'd got something for my legs, they feel a little exposed in just a pair of jeans.

Looking in the mirror I look like a cross between a medieval knight and some pervert's dream video game character.

I pull on a baggy black sweater over the whole lot and tuck it into my jeans. Suddenly I look pretty normal again.

I put my hair in a braided ponytail and slide in a thick black band to keep everything but my bangs away from my face.

I grab the black work belt and yank it around my waist. Everything I already need is in the pouches.

And lastly, the mask. Just a cheap plastic black mask from a party store. But it does the job.

I go over to the blind and with my fingertips push it aside just enough to see out into the street. Twilight is in it's final stages.

Now all I need is to be able to get out of the house without Mom spotting me. And that's going to be the toughest part of the night. Not because it isn't difficult, because of what it entails.

Slowly, quietly, I turn off the lamp, unlock the door. I can hear the Tv blasting down in the kitchen. Good.

I cross the landing and go into Sally's room. It's dark and cold. I can still smell vaguely smell her, her perfume, her deodorant. It's not how it used to be though, it's stale.

I head over to her window which overlooks the mews behind the house and suddenly something catches my eye. On her bed is a bunch of flowers. They look fresh. Mom must have put them there.

Asters. Her favourite flower.

Funny, I always hated Asters. Like overly fancy daisies.

But that's who I am now.

The Aster.