A Daughter of Gotham. Part One.

A Daughter of Gotham Part 1.

A Daughter of Gotham
Part One
Late summer, 1984.

       For Nadia Kramerik, life began the day she met Bruce Wayne. She was seventeen years old when it happened. He was only sixteen. But even then she knew he was the most extraordinary man she would ever know.
    They met at the food court in the mall, ironically. Nadia hated malls. She hated them for two distinct reasons. The first was her mother. The second was her father.
    Nadia's mother, Anja, was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, and was one the most photographed. Her image could be seen everywhere. Her face  was in every cosmetic display; her fashion could be seen in every clothing store. Walking through a mall made Nadia feel like she was being followed by her mother. Being spied on, and judged.
     Nadia's father, Roman, inherited the company that produced most of what her mother modeled and sold, along with a worldwide chain of luxury resorts and spas. This inheritance made him one of the wealthiest men in the world.
    By the late 70s her parents were considered the power couple of the decade, second only to Jackie and Aristotle. With Nadia they were passed off in the media as the perfect family.
    But no one ever wondered why only her father smiled in family photographs. Nobody cared. They wouldn't have ever wanted to know her father was an abusive alcoholic, who only smiled in public. They didn't care that he had five trained Dobermans that he released on the grounds every night, hoping someone would be foolish enough to trespass. They didn't care that he loved those dogs more than his family. This was because, as he told them often, they had never disappointed or embarrassed him.
    No one would have wanted to know that her mother suffered from anedonia and schizophrenia, and spent all of her time at home alone in her room, speaking to herself.
    They wouldn't have wanted to know that their palatial mansion, named Krameric Castle by the press, was more of a prison than a home. Even though they employed a full time live-in staff, the place was always lifeless; joyless and sterile.
     All of her life Nadia had been adored by the press. She despised them in return. As a child they had terrified her; always crowding her, yelling her name as they flashed their pictures.That was another reason she hated malls. They always followed her in malls. They were always trying to sneak a photo of her standing next to one of her mother.
    The one shopping center for which Nadia made an exception was the South Dock Mall. The South Dock was the area where the Gotham River poured into the Atlantic Ocean. This was the original heart of the city. The three story South Dock Mall was one of the first indoor malls in the nation, and in its day was the most prestigious. But the area deteriorated in the 50s and 60s. By the 70s the area had become the worst part of Gotham. The South Dock was officially declared a dead mall.
    But the area had been the center of a $20 million revitalization program starting in the early 80s. The committee behind this project had been chaired by her father. $3 million was spent on the mall and surrounding parks and properties. The stores and halls were refashioned with a medieval theme, complete with gargoyle and dragon statues and paintings throughout and around outside. The large park outside was decorated with a farrie theme to match.
    By the mid 80s the once dead mall was thriving again.
    The food court was Nadia's favorite part. A life sized picture of her mother had been built there next to the main entrance, just before the arcade, and across from one of the  malls two walk-in movie theaters. It was Nadia's favorite picture of her mother; really, the only one she had ever cared to see.
    It had been taken when her mother had danced for the Gotham Ballet. It was from Les Sylphides. Her dress was romantic; white, with lace around the shoulders and neckline; her full length skirt transparent to show her legs. She stood en pointe on the toes of her right foot, with the toes of her left foot brought up to her right knee. Her right arm stretched straight up towards the ceiling. Her shoulders curved down into an arc, with her left arm parallel with her lifted leg, ending with her hand curving towards the floor.
   This photo was found inside of an enclave that was made to resemble stone. The effect made it appear her mother was dancing inside a dungeon cell, something Nadia had felt they had both been doing all of their lives.
   Her mother had been very young then, the same age as Nadia now. When looking at this picture Nadia had to admit to herself that her mother was as beautiful as the world found her to be. Nadia would often sit here and stare at the image, and wonder why the person in it was such a stranger to her.
    Nadia had been sitting here, staring at her mother, watching out for opportunistic photographers, the day Bruce Wayne entered her life.