paper love | edward nygma

Chapter 8 ○ There Was Nothing You Could Do

GRACE GRAYSON

The news struck unexpectedly in the late evening. The most shocking crime was committed: Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered. 

The GCPD had received a call reporting a robbery, but no one knew it was this kind of robbery. 

Thomas Wayne was one of the most powerful people in Gotham, and Martha Wayne had done so many charity events and fundraisers that she was equally as powerful. Gotham was a better place with them. What would happen now that they were gone?

Captain Essen had even gone to the crime scene, which is something she rarely did. I could completely understand why she did this time, though. 

Once we got there, I saw a boy. He was Bruce Wayne, and at that moment I realized that he must have been there. He was there when they died. This boy must be destroyed.

I went over and sat next to him on the fire escape stairs. 

"Hi, Bruce. My name is Grace, I work for the Captain of the GCPD." He looked over at me slowly but didn't say anything. 

"Bruce, I know this is hard, but we will find your parents' killer, no matter how long it takes." He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but he started to quiver and tear up. "Hey, don't cry. Take my coat." I handed him my faux fur coat and let him put it on, after which he pulled up the hood and put his head in his hands. I rubbed his back and he stopped crying, only to sniffle a bit. 

"Bruce, this sort of situation never happened to me, but I remember the sadness I felt when my mom and dad died. It was a few years ago, but I still feel the emotions. The anger, fear, guilt, and the need to say that you love them one last time. It's not your fault, please know that." 

I leaned over to his ear and said: "I know how you feel right now. I promise you it will get better." 

I saw Edward staring at me and at that moment, so was everyone else. Even Harvey Bullock and his new partner James Gordon, (who I sometimes called Jim), were looking. Harvey could care less, normally.

Jim walked over, and Harvey focused back over to one of the cops. Bruce looked at me, and his eyes were very pink and swollen. "We just got out of the movies. We were walking through the allies to catch an uptown cab, and..." He paused for a while and resumed his sentence, but before he did, I signaled to Jim to come closer. 

"...A man came out of the shadows. H-He was tall, the black mask a-and h-he had a hat and gloves and shiny shoes." Bruce sniffled a bit more and then I rubbed his back a bit more. "H-he took my dad's wallet and mom's necklace."

He quivered a bit more and said: "He shot them for no reason. I should have done something!" he said with anger in his voice. Poor child, he thought he was to blame.

 "I was too scared." Jim came over abruptly and said, "There was nothing you could have done to stop what happened. There is something you can do now." 

Jim paused for a bit after saying the most inspirational sentence I have heard all month: "You can be strong. Be strong. I promise you we will find the man who did this." 

After he said this, a man came out of a car in a trench coat, a dress shirt, a tie, and dress pants. He went under the police tape and Bruce quickly gave back my coat and ran over to the man. He talked to James a little bit, and most of it was inaudible except the man saying in a strong British accent, "Good luck, mate." The man and Bruce walked away with long strides, and I got up slowly while wiping my small tears. 

I walked over to James and Harvey and I patted James on the shoulder, and then I walked over to Edward, who just looked at me with a gaze of wonder at how emotional that was, even though I'm pretty sure he was too far away to hear any of the conversation. This was going to change Gotham like it has never been changed before.