Chapter Text
Gotham City, or just Gotham, a passable city to some, criminal empire to others, home to some, like Nova. Nova was born and continues to be raised by Gotham, along with the citizens that dwell and or linger here as far back as she can remember. Growing up, her mother wanted to move away from all of the carnage that took place, but her father saw balance in a city that spewed nothing but darkness, he saw heart, unlike so many others. He made sure he raised Nova knowing that no matter what you may think you know about a city, there is always something that lingers behind the facade.
During her time away from her home, she missed it. She missed the endless noises of the sirens racing through, the constant yelling from strangers, the bottles breaking on the sidewalks and the corners, but mainly her family. Nova worked at the Gotham PD, alongside James Gordon, Jim to many, and Harvey Bullock. Her and Jim grew up together, even though he was a couple of years older than her, they were brother and sister. When it came to Harvey, he was her unofficial father, showing her the ropes as she was making her into the department, teaching her the ways her father taught him. They were both with her after her father died, making sure she knew there would always be someone by her side, no matter if she needed them or not.
As Nova sits in the backseat of the taxi, eyes glazing over the buildings in a city she missed, the citizens causing small fights over useless arguments…just Gotham itself. She was home.
She looked at the clock in passing as she was getting ready for her first watch back and as she saw she had some time to spare, she smiled to herself as she put on her jacket before heading out the door, she wanted to visit her favorite shop. Growing up, her father once a week took her to this little hole in the wall shop that, according to him, had the best donuts in the city. Nova was surprised that her father never really received a food belly from all the donuts he ate from the place, but she also had her doubts about the donuts at first, but after she had her first one, she knew she would have to keep coming back to buy more. Not just for her, but also for the memory of her father.
“Miss Linda! I need six of those donuts, please”, Nova tells the owner as soon as she walks into the little shop, surprising the old lady, causing her to drop the newspaper she was reading in excitement as she walks around the corner of the front counter to give her favorite customer a hug.
“Miss Nova! You’re back!” Miss Linda exclaims in excitement as Nova reciprocates the hug, smiling as the feeling of home is already seeping into her body.
“I am, for good for this time. I had to go and take care of some personal business”, Nova tells her as they release each other from the hug, smiling as her eyes take back in one of the place’s she missed dearly.
“Oh sweetheart, no need to explain anything to me. I had your drinks delivered specially for you. They’re in the back”, Miss Linda tells Nova as she releases her hands from the hug to go and grab her donuts for her. Nova’s smile doesn’t leave her face as she walks to the back to grab her delivery.
As Nova walks into the back, she sees the box with her name on it sitting directly in front of the entry way, smiling to herself as she leans down to open it, but an unknown voice yelling from the front interrupts her activity, so she pauses in her movements to listen.
“ALL OF IT, NOW!” Nova hears from her spot in the back, instincts kicking in automatically as she grabs her gun from her holster, pointer finger on the barrel, middle finger on the trigger, safety off. She walks out of the back low towards the ground to make sure she can’t be seen, eyes ahead.
“That’s all I have”, Nova hears Miss Linda tell them, as nervousness and fear take over her body as she is being held at gunpoint.
“You know he doesn’t like liars”, the mask figure tells Miss Linda as he moves the gun closer to her head. Nova quickly stands up from her spot, gun pointed straight ahead, finger ready on the trigger, “Gun down! Now!”
A shot goes off, but not from Nova. The mask figure quickly turned around when he heard Nova’s voice and took a shot at her, before running out of the shop. Nova quickly moves her spot to run towards Miss Linda.
“Are you okay?” Nova asks her as she checks her over for any injuries, “I’m fine, don’t worry about me”, Miss Linda tells Nova as she gives her a quick kiss to her head before running out after the mask figure.
She runs outside and quickly looks both ways trying to spot the figure, and when she sees someone making a quick turn down an alleyway, she quickly checks the chamber of her gun before running towards the alleyway.
When she reaches the entrance to the alleyway, she halts in her movements as she raises her gun in front of her, finger ready on the trigger. She slowly takes in her surroundings as she walks forward, making sure not to step on anything that could make noise. Her position is given away by her radio that is placed on her waist line, trying to quickly shut it off, but to no avail as her body is ambushed by a heavier body as she is pushed into a dumpster.
“Ah, fuck”, Nova groans out in pain as she tries to move her body in a sitting up position, only to be met with a gun pointed at her face.
“A cop, how typical”, the mask figure says as he mentions to the side of him, so Nova turns her head and sees seven more bodies walking towards them, causing Nova to drop her head back against the dumpster, but out of annoyance.
“If you’re gonna kill me, just do it dude. I really don’t have time for this”, Nova tells the man as she fixes her body to the right position.
“I think Jerome would like you. What do you think boys?” The other mask figures collectively let out several yes’s, causing Nova to let out another groan of annoyance, which led to the mask man slapping her in the face. Nova felt the crack in her lip as his hand landed the hit, only for her to let out a small laugh at his movements.
“That the best you can do?” Nova teases the mask figure, and Nova can tell she got under his skin by the way she saw his eyes change, but when he went to raise his hand to land another hit, a wetness was felt on Nova’s face, so she raised her hand, and when she saw what she wiped off her cheek, she looked up at the mask man and saw a knife embedded in his skull. Nova lifted her hand and pushed on the man's forehead, causing him to fall backwards, chaos following.
Nova quickly stood up from her position as some of the masked men ran towards her, ducking at the first one to reach her. He swung his fist towards her face, but she managed to swipe to the side, causing him to miss. She stepped forward, grabbed his arm, pulled his body into her back, and bent his arm over her shoulder, breaking it. Another masked man ran towards her with a sword, Nova ready to defend herself, but the man suddenly collapsed to the ground falling forward, with a knife embedded in his spine. Nova quickly looks up and sees what looks like another masked figure, but this one is helping her.
She broke out of her gaze when she felt air suddenly leave her body as she was kicked in the stomach by one of the mask figures, so she threw the man she was holding into the figure that had just kicked her, giving her enough time to get her breath back.
“You broke his arm!” One of them yelled at Nova, shrugging her shoulders as her response, “Could’ve done worse.” Not a well liked answer as one of them charged at her, arm wrapped around her waist as they pushed her body back into the alleyway wall. She quickly looks to her left and sees the “good” masked figure taking out two of the mask figures, leaving only this one and the man with the broken arm left.
Nova can feel pain searing through her ribcage as the mask figure holding her continuously punches her, so she wraps an arm around their neck, tightening her hold, cutting off the oxygen. She looks up in time to see the other figure, broken arm and all, running at her with a crow bar held high, but before she can react, he stops in his tracks, and falls forward, knife in the back of his head. Nova looks to her side and sees the helper figure leaning against a wall, arms crossed, watching her.
“Thanks”, Nova tells the mystery figure as she puts her attention to the one who’s still throwing punches into her ribcage.
“Made me late to my first night back. That was very rude”, Nova tells the captured figure right before her grip becomes tighter around their neck, and snapping it.
Nova lets go of their body, slowly descending onto the concrete as Nova catches her breath, patting her belt for her radio.
“Shit”, Nova quietly says to herself as she walks around the area, trying to find it, until a whistle is heard in the air. She turns her attention towards the helper figure as he throws her the radio. Giving him a nod of thanks, she presses the button to respond.
“I’m here, Jim.”
-Finally Nova. What the hell happened?
“Nothing that couldn’t be handled. There’s a couple of dead bodies that need to be bagged.”
-Bodies? Is there a suspect? Are they still there?
Nova looks up at the helper, both of their eyes set on each other, waiting for the next move. Nova brings the radio back up to her lips to respond.
“No suspect. They got away.”
The helper, even through the mask covering their face, Nova can tell they made a questionable expression, but due to the pain in her side, Nova disregarded it, giving them a small nod before turning to walk the other way.
“Oh, I need Nygma at the station to help. And Jim…who the hell is Jerome?”
As Nova walks away, she doesn’t see the look of wonder and confusion spread across the helpers face.
🎯Nova. Think this place just got a little more interesting.