Gotham: Soaring To New Heights

Welcome to Gotham City

What do you call a dirty rundown city in Jersey, filled with crooked cops, psycho criminals and above the law vigilantes? Gotham City of course. In my case, it's home. I was born in Central City until my father got a job at WayneTech. After moving cities my martial arts training aided more than it ever did in Central City. When I was younger my father insisted that I take self defense classes and enrolled me in Karate. When I got older I taught myself the basics of other martial arts and incorporated them into what I already knew. It has helped me out of certain sticky situations like the occasional mugging on my walk home from Gotham Heights Highschool, or Paulie's Diner, or the City Park.

It may shock very few people to know that my home is one of the most dangerous places in the U.S.A. and only the strong can survive in such a place. Most civilians live in fear of the criminals and the criminals live in fear of the Batman and his vigilante buddies. I always thought it would be cool to be a vigilante. Some nights you can hear the footsteps of them running on the roof or hear them terrorizing the thugs outside. It's dangerous work and not everyone is suited for such a job. Not only that but also the split opinion of the public doesn't help with the morale. Some of Gotham believes in their cause while others call them no better than the criminals they fight. Don't get me wrong I understand both sides of the argument. On one hand you have those that are grateful for the time they had been saved or rescued when the police couldn't do anything but Batman could. On the other you have those who believe in the system no matter how wrong and corrupt it is. Not all the cops are on the right side of the law these days and very few are on the straight and narrow. The politicians and judges are worse than the police and are just as deep in the pockets of the organized crime syndicates.

It's an overall crappy town but my dad gets paid good money for the research he does at WayneTech. It's classified information but I found out that it's some type of technology for covert military operations.

School wasn't any different than the previous. High school is tough on some and not on others. They always had their cliches, the jocks, the rich snobs, the cheerleaders, the nerds, the losers, and the outcasts. Same old same old. I don't socialize much and I'm not particularly part of any group, like an outcast of outcasts. In the weeks that I have been attending Gotham Heights, I have sat alone and have kept to myself. I try to avoid the spotlight and stay off others radar.

"Alex." My dad's voice asked through the phone.

"Yeah, Dad?" I said snapping out of my thoughts.

"Did you hear what I said?" He asked me as I walked home from school. "Your mom wants you to pick up dinner for you two, it's gonna be a late night for me again and she'd rather not cook a big meal if we won't all be there."

"Sure thing." I said as we said goodbye.

I pivoted and started walking back in the direction I had just come from. The diner was back and around the corner. I love a good greasy burger and fries. I'd get mom her favorite celery salad.

I threw the hood of my jacket up to block the cold wind as I exited the building and began to head back home. I passed the slums, than the ghetto, to the mediocre part of town. I ran up the stairs and opened the apartment door on the third floor. Mom came and gave me a hug. We ate in the living like we always do when Dad isn't home and watched TV. I told her about my day, it was as bland and boring as always. After we ate and talked for a while I went and took a shower, then I threw on some PJs and fell on my bed. There I let sleep take me only to awake and repeat the same process.