New Beginnings || New Limits [Prequel]

04| The Dark Night

***

Few Months Later: Gotham City

"For a second I thought you wouldn't show." Selina told me without even looking back. I stopped as I took a seat beside her on the edge of the roof looking out into the city. A city that without question was slowly becoming ruins.  From a distance the sound of police siren's was heard, yet it was doubtful that the police would be able to stop whoever was no going on a crime spree. 

"Our encounters are one of the few things that I actually look forward to." I told her honestly. Sure with Selina I always found myself getting into trouble, but it had become my escape. Even if I was just becoming another criminal in the streets of Gotham City, a simple thief.

Selina turned towards me with a smirk, the goggles onto of her head preventing the cold night air. "More problems with your mom huh?"

"There always are."

"I don't understand, I would do anything to know who my mother was." She muttered softly, but as soon as those words left her lips her face hardened. I haven't known Selina for long, but I was able to understand more of who she really was in moments like this. Moments when she let her tough girl persona crack. Even if it was more a second. "Not that it matters now. I could really care less."

"I wouldn't exactly call her my mother. At least she's never been one to me." I replied, when I left Nanda Parbat with her I believed that things between us would change. I believed her ever word when she told me she would change. But I was naive and foolish. I still am. "But she isn't a topic that I would like to talk about any further."

"Then let's talk about Fish Mooney. I overheard some of her men saying that she's recruiting people. Apparently she's planning on taking down Carmine Falcone." She continued to explain excitement clear in her eyes. 

I crossed my arms across my chest as I looked at her skeptically. I hadn't been in this city for long, I hadn't grown up on the streets like Selina, but I also couldn't see what was so great about this woman that she seemed to admire and look up to. "Why is this Fish Mooney so great anyways?"

"The rise of Fish Mooney is probably the biggest thing that's has happened in this damn city since they killed Bruce Wayne's parents seven years ago. And that's saying a lot when people are still talking about it." Selina argued as she stood up still looking out into the city. "If you want to be anyone in this city you have to be on Fish's side. And I don't know about you, but I'm tired of just surviving, I want to make something of myself. So what do you say?"

Although I did like what she was telling me I couldn't help but hesitate. Was becoming a simple thief, just another follower of one of the most powerful women in Gotham really what I wanted? To become just a follower like I had with Ra's in the league, like I'm doing now with my mother.

There was no doubt that Paula would not agree with this, considering she always claimed that she had much bigger plans than me. And maybe that was why I found myself saying yes to Selina. "Then why are we standing around? Let's go."

Without another word she jumped of the edge of the building landing on her feet in a cat like manner. I rolled my eyes at her theatrics as I followed her lead.

***

I walked along side Selina who walked towards the center go the abandoned port side warehouse with determination. I had never seen Fish Mooney, but it didn't take long to figure out who she was. The woman quit literally was the representation of power,  just as Ra's was. However unlike Ra's this woman didn't have her peoples' respect, but their fear.

"Look what we have here." The woman said as she took a couple steps towards us as a large man and a shorter one with a visible limp walked firmly at her side. "Now what are two young girls like yourselves doing in a place like this?"

"We're no strangers to places like this." Selina was quick to tell her, this action seemed to impress the woman as the side of her lip lifted upward. 

"Then tell me, what can I do for you?"

Knowing that both of us had to appeal to this woman I knew that it was my turn to step up and prove to this woman that we could be a valuable asset to her plans.  "We want to help you take down Falcone. We trust that you will do a much better job at running the undergrounds of Gotham than him."

"Well you aren't wrong." Fish Mooney replied clearly flattered with what I had just told her. "But tell me. What do you two have to offer me?"

"Loyalty." I replied knowing very well how to deal with people like her. People who have great amounts of power value the loyalty of their followers. It was something that Ra's always prided himself in. The fact that all of his followers were completely devoted and loyal to him. This woman was no different.

The woman reached out and lifted a strand of my dark brown hair and smiled. "Good answer."

"And if that doesn't convince you enough. Artemis and I posses what you may call...advanced athletic abilities." Selina added, I could see the satisfaction in her eyes. We were quickly winning this woman over, and it was much easier than we had initially believed.

"I see potential in you two." Fish said as she studied us with a look of satisfaction on her face. "I see this ambition, a darkness in both your eyes the quit reminds me of myself when I was your age. And I know just what to of with you."

There was something unsettling about this women's words. Something I couldn't place. This woman's interest were only her own, and I knew that whatever she had planned couldn't have been good. 

With a snap of her fingers the larger man beside her pulled out a large folder from the inside of his jacket and handed it over to Fish. "These are the plans to Falcone's mansion. What I want you two to do is to retrieve a suitcase that you two must not open. How you do it really isn't important as long as you get it."

Selina was quick to take the folder, and I knew she wasn't thinking this through. Yet, then again I wasn't either. Selina wasn't mush of a follower that was clear, she was more of a person who preferred to be on their own. Why she was doing this I couldn't understand.

I on the other hand knew perfectly well why I was doing this. Unlike Selina I was very much someone who followed other's, followed their rules and did what they wanted of me. That was the was I was raised. The way all League members are trained.

"Now let's go my little penguin." She told the man standing behind her holding the umbrella, yet it sounded more like an order.

"I would really prefer it you called me Owsald." He told her nervously as he began to trail after her, but Fish came to a complete stop as she looked at the man with distaste and anger. The small man looked down at his feet not able to look into his bosses eyes. "But Penguin works just fine."

Without another word Fish and the rest of her followers exited the the building leaving Selina and I standing alone in the dusty warehouse. "This is it Artemis." Selina said as she turned towards me with a look of disbelief on her face. "From now on our lives are going to change."

Whether it was going to be for the good or for the bad I had no clue. Yet, something told me that no matter how hard I tried any good that would cross my path would get taken away from me as soon as it did. 

***

^^^A/N Remember that Artemis is just 17, so she is making stupid decisions and is at the age where she is becoming rebellious. Since most of her child and teenage years were taken away from her. She is far from the character that we all know today. But she will get there. We will spend a couple of chapters in Gotham before she goes of to Starling so we will get to see some fun characters. I did take a couple of elements from the show Gotham, which if you don't watch you definitely should start.^^^