Gotta go

Aaron checked his phone and saw a message from Claire.

< Claire: hey. ik i said i would take care of chloe but something came up. can you come home?

< Aaron: I'll be right there. 5 minutes

< Claire: ttyl

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I have to get going," Aaron said aloud. He came up to Harper, gave her a nod, and added, "Great meeting you, Harper. I hope you and Izzy get along."

He brushed past her, opened the door, and exited the hospital at a brisk pace. He saw Jada Thompkins in the halls and waved at her. She was busy but was able to wave back with a smile.

'There's six or seven doctors in the clinic.' His gaze sweeped the area. White walls, small hallways, and expensive equipment. Bruce Wayne probably should have invested in the clinic's structural integrity rather than the medical supplies. The place looked like it was a century old. The paint on the walls was cracked and rusting.

Inevitably, when Gotham was once again swallowed in chaos, there would be a sea of people here. The legend and legacy of Thompkins Clinic would continue, from mother to daughter. Yet its condition did raise concerns. He stepped outside, thinking, and shoved a hand in his pocket, grabbing his phone to call a taxi.

"Wait up, Aaron Reigner."

The abrupt call of his name **** him to stop. A finger tapped his shoulder. Glancing back, he saw Harper Row, hands in her pockets and standing beside him.

"What's up?" Aaron asked, brow raised and hands lodged in his pockets.

"The streets are dangerous. It's good to have someone tag along."

'I was going to call a taxi but…I don't want to embarrass her.'

Aaron smiled down at her. He slowed down, matching her pace, and said, "Thanks. I owe you one."

"It's no problem," she muttered, pulling her collar over her mouth. It was cold outside. December gave no mercy as they breathed out a steady chill.

"You think it will snow soon?"

He didn't know if Harper was shy or awkward with men, but she didn't speak for a solid two minutes. The jacket she wore wasn't as thick or protective as his. Maybe it was that.

"Maybe," Harper replied. "Hopefully not. Snow plus war? That's a recipe for disaster. Our electrical grid might not be able to handle it either."

"Considering Zero Season? Probably."

Zero Season. Aaron must have been six years old when it happened. Riddler's first super crime where he used an EMP detonator to remove power from the entire city. The darkness was staggering and the fear moreso. His caretakers had come close to abandoning the orphanage and only stayed because they didn't know what the Riddler would do next. Again, it was fear that kept them in-line.

And that fear was justified too, because soon there was flooding on top of the power outage, and the only way to remedy the disaster was to solve the Riddler's great challenge.

Aaron remembered little of what happened in those months. Those two or three months where the Riddler reigned supreme, when he boasted absolute power, when Batman did not fully emerge from the shadows. He was six, a boy understanding very little of the things around him.

"Zero Season. Even without Riddler, it was bound to happen," Harper claimed, shaking her head and tutting. "I'm sure you've noticed that Gotham City has been growing colder over the past decade."

"Climate change," Aaron supplied.

"Yep. Climate change." Harper kicked her feet as she walked. "Gotham is super, super old and the city council, before and now, don't like to mess with things. The issue was, at the time, they didn't winterize the wind turbines and the natural gas infrastructure. It's why they weren't able to get the power on for months. The Riddler's meddling combined with the unexpectedly cold winter season screwed things over."

Aaron turned his head and listened attentively. Topics of politics, social issues, and science intrigued him when it came from someone that was obviously schooled in it. Harper continued without halting in their path.

"On top of that, Gotham's power grid isn't connected to the Eastern or the Western Interconnection. Those are our two main national grids. Meaning, we couldn't import electricity either."

"Hm. What about Mexico though? Isn't there a connection there?"

Harper looked up at him, eyes twinkling, impressed. "Yeah, you're right, there is. Unfortunately, unless we paid an absurd price, Mexico wouldn't give Gotham anything."

Aaron chuckled. "Even back then, our municipality was corrupt as hell. I doubt they'd cough up a penny."

"Exactly." Harper finger-gunned him. "Even now, our grid isn't perfect. There's been a dozen reports from U.S. federal regulators that our power plants would fail in certain high-intensity conditions."

"So if it starts freezing rain, we're done for?"

"Yep!"

"You think it's possible for Mr. Freeze to conjure up a massive winter storm?"

"I'm pretty sure he's already done that. Batman was able to stop it before it got too crazy though."

"Isn't there a chance he'd try again?"

"Probably."

"Gotham sucks."

He and Harper shared a laugh over the grievances of their city. Despite her unruly appearance, she was very well-educated. Not just smart but introspective. She offered solutions and gave an informed opinion over her area of expertise.

The minutes felt like hours and the sight of his apartment came into view.

"I'll see you later, Harper." Aaron bid her goodbye. She did the same while wearing a small smile.

"Yeah. See ya, man."

He swiped in and headed to the third floor. Seeing the plate number 312, he was washed in the comforting presence of his home. He unlocked the door and braced himself for a mess.