Ghost in Gotham

Chapter 17: Why?

Can't believe I have over 13K views!!!

Danny's POV

"Nice to meet you, Dick!" Ember said, suddenly popping in. There was one thing I noticed, her outfit was different.

"Nice outfit, Em...Emily." Dick complemented. I noticed how he paused in between.

I gave him a little suspicious glance. But then other conclusions hopped into my mind. 'It's possible that he only forgot her name for a bit, happens to me all the time.' I let all my suspicions go, he's only some guy that happened to go the same party we're going too. It's all just a coincidence.

I nod in agreement, the costume was way better than the last one.

"I know! Isn't it great?" She did a little twirl. "I think I'll go with this one!" She confirmed.

"And it sort of matches your outfit!" She added. (Ya, not gonna tell y'all her costume)

I look a bit more at it, realizing it does. I nod in agreement.

Ember went back into the dressing room and quickly changed back to her original outfit. Leaving me with Dick in awkward silence.

Ember finally emerged from the little dressing room.

"Well... we gotta go pay now. So see ya... I guess." I gave a little awkward smile. Which he gave a little grin in return.

"See ya at the party!" Ember cheered, giving Dick a little goodbye hug.

Ember and I go to the cashier and ask for the costumes.

"Okay. That'll be a total of $325.75!" She confirmed cheerfully. I internally wince, grabbing my wallet from my pocket. I slowly take out a wad of cash, giving it to the lady.

"Thank you, come again!" She told us as we exited the store, costumes in a dismal gray plastic bag..

"So what now?" I asked, looking at Ember from the corner of my eye. "Lunch?"

"Lunch." She confirmed.

*Fifteen Minutes*

"And this is where you'll find the best food in Gotham: the Kestrel Cafe!" I introduced it to Ember. We were standing right in front of the entrance.

"Geez Danny, ya give us to much credit." I heard a familiar voice fro the back of me. I turn around, seeing a certain brunette I hadn't seen all day.

"Aster!" I exclaim, giving a small wave.

He was wearing a usual blue vest on top of a red long-sleeved shirt and some jeans. Along with a Gotham Academy Cap.

"It's been a while, want to usual?" He greeted entering the cafe along with us.  I nodded.

"And who is the lovely gal beside ya?" He said, wiggling his eyebrows around. I simply laugh.

"This is... Emily, she's an only friend of mine I met during my junior year of high school." I introduced Ember, going along with lie a came up with a while ago. Ember greeted Aster with a smile.

"Well nice to meet'cha, Em," He tipped his hat a bit, "Hope you'll like this dreadful city of Gotham!" I silently agree with Aster's statement. As much as it was a great place to stay, it was littered with crooks and thieves.

He went behind the counter, grabbing his little black apron which showed a little kestrel picture in the middle of it to represent the cafe. He then proceeded to take us to our seats, making a bit of small talk here and there.

"Here are your seats, hope you made a decision with that party!" Aster then left without a word, leaving silence between me and Ember.

We sat near the window, giving a clear view of the street.

I saw Ember was about to say something.

Ember's POV

It was weird to see Danny in his human form when I had grown use to his ghost side for so long. But, hey, wouldn't want him to die.

"Why are you doing this?" I questioned, it was a question I wanted to ask all day.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, confused at my question.

"I mean why are you doing this all? The job, the friends, everything! You didn't have to go along withe my idea of going to the party, you could have refused. You're so different from when you were in the Zone. You were  serious and sad there. Here, you're all cheerful and stuff. Why?"  I finally stated, letting all my emotions run through my voice.

He gave a little smile, looking out the window.

"I guess you can call it a distraction." He finally said. "Everything I'm doing is just distracting me from what's in front of me. Their deaths, they still linger in my mind. At the GZ, it was like a constant reminder that they were dead. I'm just trying to get over them. I accept that they are dead. But a part or me still believes that, maybe, I can see them one last time." He said, finally looking into my eyes. I saw the sadness that seeped through them.

"Oh, Danny..." I whispered in a soft tone. I wanted to scream out that it wasn't his fault. That death is inevitable. That even if he saved them at that moment, there will be, possibly, a lot of different ways that they could have died.

But that wouldn't really make him better. He's still human. He still has all these worries around him. He still fears.

"Are you scared of death?" I voiced. 

He nodded, "Every human is." His voice sounded as if he was going to cry any second.

He knows where he can go after death. He knows it isn't the end. But he fears it. He's trying to avoid it, and as much as he tries, he knows he can't do anything about it. He wants to live for his dead love ones.

He's still afraid. I was too.

______________________________________

I finally found time to make a chapter. Though it's short, I kinda like it.

I wanna know if I should add another female character! To even thinks out. There's one main guy (Danny), one main girl (Ember), one other guy (Aster), but no other girl! This girl will, hopefully, be a pairing for Aster. I just want to have all ya opinions on if I should add another character.

<Bat Fact>

In Gotham By Gaslight, one of the villain's best friend was a metal robot and Batman accidentally kicked it's head off.