Born to Fly

Not the Life it Seems - ✔

O. COBBLEPOT.

I've never known if I had a soul. If I did, I never cared that it existed. I'm not remorseful for the things I've done, so whatever soul I might have must be corrupt and rotten. After the last few days, there cannot be any hope for it. Still, after everything that has happened, I feel whatever soul I have ripped from my chest as Sera hits the ground.

Her head collides with the ground. My insides scream, but all I can do is stare in horror as she falls. At this moment, I've never been so close to her, nor so far away.

"You!" I shout at a man in the valley. "Take care of her!"

It's the district attorney. Harvey Dent also turns a rather horrified gaze upon the woman. He carries her bridal style. His dark eyes fall over her frame. I know he's looking for signs of life, yet it still makes me horribly, murderously jealous.

"I'll get her to a hospital!"

I think about threatening him. Maybe that will tell him how urgent her situation is. She falls limp in his arms. All I can manage is a weak thank you.

It's hard to walk away from the scene. My decoy that murdered her has turned the gun on himself. He's weeping as if he's made the worst mistake of his life. As far as I'm concerned, he has. I let him kill himself. It saves me from having to do it.

"Get him out of here!" Jim Gordon escorts the snake out to his car.

He aims his gun at me, just as I aim mine on him.

"Hello, Jim. Please step aside."

"You know I can't do that."

"You would if you knew what kind of man you were protecting."

The serpent whispers into his ear. "Shoot him, detective."

He speaks quietly and slow, trying to calm my excited manner. It's far too late for that. "Oswald, listen to me. You have to put the gun down!"

"He killed my mother, Jim."

"I know."

Galavan is shocked. Sera must've told him. Even in death, she's still the hero.

"Detective Gordon, I am ordering you to put that man down, now!"

"He had her murdered in front of me." I dare to step forward. "I held her. Watched her die. Do you know what that's like? It changes a person."

A gun cocks behind me. "Sorry about your mother, Penguin." It's Harvey Bullock. "But I'm going to need you to put the gun down on the ground, slowly."

I take a deep breath. "One of us is going to die tonight. I've made my peace with that. I suggest the new mayor does as well."

"Don't make us shoot you."

"Shoot me and you have no idea what his endgame is, Jim! And you should, because it concerns someone you know. Someone you care about."

Again, Galavan dares to speak. "Shoot hi—"

The loud shot breaks all concentration. Pain burns through my chest and forces me to the ground.

"Duck!" The detectives shoot at the sniper on the roof.

She will be paying the same price as Galavan! Meanwhile, I make an escape. The car has already been started. I sneak in, clouded by chaos and drive away. Gunshots follow behind me, striking the car. I'm not sure if Jim misses on purpose or not, but I'm thankful either way.

The woods provide a safe haven. I brought a trailer out here when I first returned to Gotham. All I know is that I'm going to get out of the city if I make it through the night. The only people I've loved are dead at Theo Galavan's hand.