Gotham City
42nd Street, South Renaissance Five Star Hotel
GOTHAM CITY is an expansion of the northwest coastline, guiding into an oasis of frigid Atlantic Ocean waters outside its port lines. Running over three hundred square miles, holding entertainment and business in the heart of the downtown metropolis. Its interlocking skyscrapers sit upon the bay itself, held up by the drifting inverted buttress that create the illusion of a mythical castle in a sky. But Gotham marks the darkest city in the new world, the largest, a goliath among other cities. Seemingly more welcome than New York or Chicago, the city remains a calamity. Within the 2.8 million people that reside in the capital, only small percents remain cherubic. Corrupted by terrorism and a previous communist government, it is a surprise that Gotham remains stabile. The percentage of criminals and urban decay has increased in the past five decades. It is what Gotham's residents fear most: anarchy. People rely on the police department to keep the streets clean of rapists, pedophiles, and murderers. Succeeding in facing mob leaders and taking the ill to Arkham, it was only recently that the Police Department was demoted for a new noble.
Born from the ashen memories of a wounded child, the faithful guardian powered over Gotham City as a new knight in shining armor. But no, it was a dark knight, the label soon given to the metropolis' hero. Black, pendulous, the silent night watcher.
Gotham City marks the beginning of this story and its end, as all revolves in a circle. For all things birthed within this city will eventually return to die as one will learn.
Having barely slept, Bruce Wayne found it difficult as he raced through the city limits, scaling Gotham's soaring buildings and roadways with the dark skies brightening in the distance. He screamed and cursed at himself for destroying The Tumbler, his concealed identity's means of transportation.
But then again... He thought. I don't want to be noticed.
He recalled the events in the previous weeks, taking the blame of the recently deceased district attorney's crimes. Batman was a wanted man now, and even to Commissioner Gordon's dismay, the Gotham Police Department viewed the Caped Crusader as much as a threat like the Joker. How he hated being compared to the megalomaniac, the two were nothing alike in truth. But he let the people believe he was the enemy, being an even greater hero only to his own knowledge.
His stamina had decreased over the weeks of being on the run from the cops, and when the Joker was imprisoned in the Asylum, Bruce Wayne had time to relax. You need to lose weight, Wayne, if you're ever going to catch the Joker again. He noted how he was already out of breath and not even close to the five star hotel the maniac had announced he was at. The Joker was different than the normal criminal, he toyed with emotions before letting them die in peace. Maybe that was what Bruce hated so much about him.
It was strangely quiet; he began to doubt the Joker was even where he announced.
He would have heard the screams already.
As if on cue, like the nasty clap of an April thunderstorm, the roar of particles splitting reverberated in his ears before the heart stopping sound was visual. Golden flames erupted in the distance where black smoke camouflaged in between the dark streets.
He spread his cape, jumped, and soared down to the streets from one of the tall buildings.
It had been a while since he had last seen his own blood, gushing out of his body as the ruby liquid cascaded down his arm and dripped off the tips of his fingernails. Cardinal, red, flame, hot with fury, the clowns stared at their wounded boss. They had never before seen anything like it; for it was unimaginable to see Gotham's most dangerous man veritably wounded. And bleeding profusely for that matter.
