Part 4: Life Has Changed (Adventure 0 Prologue)
School was a doldrum, a place where time seemed to stretch endlessly in the monotony of the same faces, the same hallways, and the same disinterested glances. Thankfully, no one bothered you, which was just how you liked it. You could exist in your own little world without anyone trying to pull you into theirs. The fall days had grown cold, and the darkness came early—too early, it seemed. The air was thick with an unspoken tension that matched the gloom of the sky. Gotham always felt oppressive, but lately, it felt even heavier, like the city was sinking into an abyss.
You knew why. Everyone knew why.
The Waynes were dead.
It was the only thing people talked about, the constant undercurrent in every conversation, even at school. The tragedy had gripped the city in a way nothing else had. The wealthiest, most influential family in Gotham had been brought low in the most senseless way imaginable. Gunned down in Crime Alley, just another statistic in a city drowning in violence. The newspapers were filled with stories about it, but they all said the same things. Broken pearls, blood on the cold pavement, and Bruce Wayne screaming in the night.
It was the kind of thing people would whisper about for years, the stuff of legends in a city built on fear and despair. But to you, it was just noise. You didn't want to talk about it. Everyone already knew what had happened, and rehashing it wouldn't change a thing.
You stared out the window of the classroom, your breath fogging up the glass. The world outside looked bleak and washed out, the sky a murky grey that pressed down on the city like a weight. The autumn leaves, once vibrant, were now dead, littering the streets in dull shades of brown, grey, and black. Everything felt muted, and you were fine with that. You didn't want to see color, to notice the life around you. Life was just something that would eventually hurt, anyway.
You didn't know why you felt that way, but you were feeling such a way.
The faces around you, your teachers, your classmates—blurred together into a sea of indifference. They were like shadows, barely more than silhouettes in your peripheral vision, and that was how you wanted it. You didn't want them to see you, and you certainly didn't want to see them. It was easier this way, to keep the world at arm's length. No one here cared about anything interesting. They didn't know anything you didn't already know. They weren't going to say anything that would matter.
And honestly, what could they say? The city was going to change now, and everyone knew it. The death of the Waynes was sending ripples through Gotham, ripples that would soon turn into waves that would consume the whole city. But you weren't worried about that—not yet. What really gnawed at the back of your mind was the future. Your future. Specifically, the future of the orphanage.
You heard the whispers. The older kids, the matrons, even some of the new kids that were coming into this place, those that were able to anyway—they were all talking about it, even if they thought you weren't paying attention. They were afraid.
Without the Wayne family's money, without the generous grants from the Martha Wayne Foundation, how was the orphanage going to survive? Gotham didn't care about its orphans. It barely cared about anyone who wasn't willing to pour billions into the city, or the mob wasn't about to make a buck. The Waynes had been the only ones who gave a damn, and now they were gone.
You tried not to think about it too much, but the thoughts crept in anyway. You could feel the anxiety rising around you, and it was contagious. Some of the older kids talked about running away, trying to survive on the streets before the orphanage shut its doors for good. The matrons tried to keep everyone calm, but you could tell they were worried, too. The city was teetering on the edge of something, and no one knew what would happen next.
But maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't matter. You might be adopted by then. You had to believe that. You had to believe that there was still a chance someone would come for you, that you wouldn't be left to fend for yourself in a city that devoured the weak. You clung to that hope, as thin as it was.
"Mr. Romero, thank you for finally rejoining the class," the teacher's voice cut through the haze, a sharp contrast to the dull monotony of the day. The figure stood at the front of the room, casting a long shadow that seemed to hover over the rows of desks. You blinked, once, then twice, your mind slow to catch up with reality.
The teacher continued, but their voice had become a background hum, blending with the ticking of the clock on the wall. Words about fractions or grammar, or whatever today's lesson was supposed to be, melted into nothingness. You were waiting now, not for the lesson to end, but for the day itself to be over.
Your eyes wandered to the window once more, watching the world outside move at its own pace. Somewhere, out there, life was happening. Just not for you.
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Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. The sudden flurry of movement around you—students gathering their things, talking, laughing—felt disconnected like you were watching from behind a glass wall. You packed your own bag slowly, feeling the weight of the day settle on your shoulders. School was over, and now you stood in the hallway, staring out into the fading daylight, wondering what was going to happen next.
The city always felt different after school. The air changed, as if Gotham itself knew that nightfall was coming and with it, the shift from the mundane to the dangerous. You couldn't help but feel that same anticipation, that pull toward something unknown.
What do you do?
[] Go Home to the Orphanage:
It might be better not to keep the Matron waiting. She wasn't exactly forgiving when it came to lateness, and there was always the chance that the orphanage's "rules" would get enforced in a way you'd regret. Besides, there was some sort of security in the routine, even if it was an unpleasant one. You could get lost in the crowd of other kids, blend into the background, and wait for the day to end. (Begin Adventure: Orphanage of Hell)
[] Spend Time at School:
You could stay behind. There was homework to be done, and maybe if you buried yourself in it, you could forget about everything else. The silence of the empty school hallways wasn't so bad, and helping someone study might give you a small sense of purpose. Something to distract from the gnawing sense of dread that seemed to follow you everywhere. (Begin Adventure: A Scarecrow's Lament)
[] Wander the City:
Curfew wasn't for a few hours, and Gotham's streets called to you in their own way. The city was dangerous, but you knew how to navigate it. You could disappear into the alleyways and lose yourself in the labyrinth of darkened streets. Maybe you'd find something interesting—or someone. Why was that girl playing with a bunny on the corner? And wait… was that magic? (Begin Adventure: A Magical City)
