Gotham's Knights

Prologue

A/N: I would like to start out by first saying thank you for taking the time to read my story. Secondly, this will be a slow burn between my OC and Batman/Bruce Wayne, so I'm sorry if you don't like reading slow burns; that's just the type of writing I prefer for romance stories. Thirdly, NO LEMONS OR SMUTS, I'm sorry but just NO. Also, I'm sorry that there's not really any information about the main character in this Prologue, the Prologue is really just to set the story up before it actually begins; so bear with me please.

Lightning cracked across the October sky; orange being almost swallowed whole by blacks and grays. I pull my black jacket closer, seeking warmth and comfort as I walk the streets of Gotham City at night; the only thoughts on my mind being ' Why did I think it was a good idea to take a walk so soon to night' and 'I need to get home as soon as possible'. Even though Gotham has a protector, a guardian angel of sorts, I still don't feel safe on the streets. Besides, Batman's one man, a great and powerful man, but still just ONE man. I start to quicken my stride, hoping to get to my apartment before the rain starts to fall, when I suddenly hear footsteps behind me. Trying to keep calm and act natural, I keep heading towards my apartment and then sharply take a quick turn into an alley; starting to run. The footsteps behind me break out into a run as well and I start taking quick turns in random alleys, trying to remember all of the back alleys to get to my apartment quicker. I take a turn into an alley, hoping it's the one that I faintly remember being one of the back alleys, and stop dead in my tracks. Breathing heavily, I stare in horror at the dead end in front of me and my body tenses. I turn around when I hear the footsteps suddenly stop, only to see the silhouette of a big hunched over figure as it starts to rain.

The figure starts to slowly stagger in my direction an I start to think of a way to escape my current predicament. I can't call for help, no one would help me in this town anyway. I can't attack my attacker, I don't have a weapon and the figure would surely overpower me with how big they are. The only possible ways of me getting out of this alive is if fate smiles down on me, and sends the Batman my way, or if there's some type of ledges or a fire escape that I can scale for my escape. My eyes flick around to my surroundings wildly, looking for anything that could help my escape in the slightest. My eyes immediately freeze on a couple of window ledges that are spaced close enough together that, if I could scale them, I could climb to the roof of the building.

  I run to the windows at the back of the alley and start to pull myself up, holding onto the top of the first window. The figure starts to speed up, staggering in my direction quicker and a lot sloppier, and comes close enough that I can see that the figure is a burly man. The man, clearly under the influence of alcohol, has piercing brown eyes and dark brown hair clumped by his face, his jacket a dark denim jacket that looks like its been through everything its so worn. His pants are simple jeans and his shoes are boots, similar to hiking boots, that are worn down and scuffed. The man starts to mumble and shout what sounds like gibberish as I start to pull myself up onto the window diagonal of the first one.

I finally fully pull my body onto the second window ledge when I take a small step. The water on the window ledge made the ledge slick and I suddenly started to slip. Adrenaline filled my veins as I started to fall and I quickly tightened my grip on the ledge, begging for dear life that I can hold on and make it to the top. I take a glance down at the man below me only to see that he's shouting at me to come down while trying to figure out how to climb onto the first window ledge. I force myself to keep my eyes on the window above me and carefully start to pull myself up onto the last window ledge below the roof. When suddenly, I feel a hand grab my ankle and try to pull me down. My eyes widen with fear and I let out a gasp, gripping onto the edge of the ledge for dear life. I look down and see the man right below me, holding onto my ankle with one hand while the other holds a firm grip on the window below me. I start to scream when he starts to pull on my leg harder and I start to try kicking the man. After kicking him in the face a couple of times, he finally lets go and I scramble to take the opportunity to climb the rest of the last window and pull myself over the roof. Once fully on the roof, I collapse on my back and take a moment to breathe, the adrenaline finally leaving my body. The soft pitter patter from the rain, mixed with my exhaustion almost makes me fall asleep on the roof; almost. The burly man below me lets out a sudden scream, one filled with so much fear it almost takes hold of those who hear it. Ignoring the ache of my muscles, I pull my body up to a standing position and cautiously, take a look over the edge of the roof.

Once I look down, I'm in awe at what I see; the caped crusader that wears all black and is as silent as the night is incapacitating the thug that was after me. The crusader turns slightly in my direction and my eyes freeze on where his covered ones should be, my thoughts coming out in a whisper,"Batman...".