The Archivist of Gotham (The Magnus Archive × Batman Fanfic)

Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Old Gotham

     

        Old Gotham. One of the Boroughs of Gotham City. This district was filled with more Gotham structures that Gotham City is known for. Gargoyles are Gothic buildings that give off a foreboding and gloomy vibe. It was also where Gotham's clock tower is located.

Arriving in this borough, the Clock Tower wasn't the reason why Jonas was here. Currently, Jonas was standing and gazing at a looming rusty gate filled with vines and black and red roses filled with thorns.

Approaching, Jonas touched the gate, his hands right hand made contact with the thorns of the roses.

" Young master!! "

The bodyguard James and George we're horrified. Plucking out the black rose flower, Jonas replied.

" I'm fine. "

He showed the palm of his right hand toward their family's bodyguards. It wasn't bleeding and there wasn't a single blemish on them. The two guards sighed in relief.

Wearing a glove on his hand, James then chided Jonas and says.

" You scared us young master. Please don't do that again what if you were hurt? "

' I was already hurt. The thorns have pricked my right hand. My fear gods have healed me. '

Instead of saying what was on his mind, Jonas merely smiled and nodded his head. Soon, James started cutting the thorns from the gate using gardening tools. George meanwhile started brooming the vines, thorns, and roses and throwing them inside a sack.

After the roses, vines, and thorns were removed from the old and rusty gate, James took out a key and inserted it into the gate's lock. The handle of the lock opened. James the pushed the gate and it made a squeaking noise.

Covering his ears, Jonas glared at the gate and James himself. James flinched when he notice the glare of his young master and stopped pushing the gate.

" Do the young master dislike that kind of noise? "

Instead of responding, Jonas entered inside the gates. The grasses reaches his knees. He then gaze at the building in front of him.

A Gotham style old manor. At the top edges on two sides of the manor at east and west, Jonas could see two looming and gigantic gargoyles.

Because he was an eye avatar and with the recent upgrade that happened with the Archivist System , Jonas could see from a far and has a clear sight.

The Gargoyles in Gotham Architecture are Grotesque. But instead of whimsical or being depicted in a dramatic humorous way, the Grotesque gargoyles of Gotham are looming and intimidating. In a history book that Jonas have read, the Architect of the Gotham City Cyrus Pinkney created the Gargoyles and the Gotham Style so the city can drive evil away and keep stray people to the path of righteousness. The vision of the Gotham City style that he have was to fight evil and keep the virtue of the people. Unfortunately for Cyrus Pinkney and Solomon Wayne, the things that they envisioned didn't happen.

Solomon Wayne who died at the age of 104 while Sir Cyrus Pinkney died at the age of 40 on his birthday. The former saw the future of their dreams. And it wasn't the future that they envisioned for the Old Gotham and the Gotham City itself.

Old Gotham borough right now was the least populate district of Gotham City. During the event known as Cataclysm where a huge major earthquake struck the Gotham City, the Old Gotham structure which was depicted and intended as connected to each other in such a way that they can't stand alone– because of that design, Old Gotham we're the one that most suffered in destroyed buildings and infrastructures during the Cataclysm.

Old Gotham we're already one of the most few populated districts before, after the earthquake, 70% of it's residents left for the other districts.

Besides the old infrastructures and tourism purposes, the residents who used to live here saw no purpose for the Old Gotham.

Jonas Father used to live in Old Gotham.

But it wasn't during the Cataclysm that he moved to this place but during his childhood. When his father was 8 years old, his Grandpa's company suffered and entered into a state of bankruptcy. According to his father, his Grandpa suddenly accumulated a lot of debts and his previous good fortune took a sudden dive into the bottom.

The reason for debt and bankruptcy of his Grandpa's company were unknown. Grandpa's company– it was a company that the Cane Family have since it was created by their ancestor Annabelle Cane.

To his father and the whole Cane family, Jonas grandpa is considered an embarrassment to the whole Cane name.

After gazing at the towering gargoyles, Jonas walks to the main door of the building.

" Let me take care of it young master. "

James then took out one of the keys and unlock the main door. Pushing it open, Jonas then witness what was inside the door.

They were welcomed by dusts, cobwebs and the very wide hall. There are the main stairs at the center leading to the second floor. Broken chandeliers on the floor, chairs, table and paintings dropped to the ground.

This infrastructure is what was once known as the original manor of the Cane family. The one where the Cane family used to live for many years before his Grandpa destroyed this legacy and inheritance.

Jonas walked towards one of the dropped paintings to the floor. It was a very big self portrait painting of a person.

A smiling beautiful lady possessing a dark brown skin and short blonde hair. Dress in combination of a gothic victorian era style clothes. She has a thin body stature and she has a huge wool hat on her head.

It is the ancestor of Cane family. Annabelle Cane.

The Cane family place great importance and respects their ancestor greatly. Without her, the Cane family would be nothing.

It is a known fact to all Cane family members that the children of Annabelle Cane weren't Cane at all. They were adopted by the ancestor matriarch and inherited her wealth. Annabelle Cane didn't marry anyone or have a children of her own.

In the early days of Gotham City, despite being wealthy and prominent family, Cane family wasn't acknowledged as one of great families of Gotham City because of this fact.

It was only by the fact that each generation of Cane family have proven themselves that they became acknowledge and considered by other other wealthy families of Gotham.

What have his grandfather have done– it was considered as tarnishing and pissing the previous generations graves and the ancestor matriarch herself.

This is the Original Cane manor...

This is where Jonas would build the institute of fear.