Chapter Text
Victor prided himself on the fact that he picked the best home long ago, when he first moved in he knew that it was a good pick. There were only three other houses on the dead end street, and all three were spaced out far enough he didn’t have to hear parties or the like. One house was, as far as he knew, unsellable. The one across the street though, it had been occupied by a little old lady for the entirety for his choice of his own home. He would leave early in the morning to drive towards the inner city and smile at her as she sat on her porch, reading and drinking tea. Her small black lab was always happy to come up and say hello, and they made small talk. The little old lady was nice, but not curious. She obviously knew Gotham, even better than he, and never asked about his late nights or early mornings. Never questioned his dark clothes or lack of hair. Only said he had a good smile, even better boots.
This was his neighborhood and he liked it that way.
That peace was disrupted in the summer just before Meroni’s death and Falcone’s retirement. Victor Zsasz walked outside on June first to go for a jog at 5 am as he usually did and saw a new thing in his neighborhood. A moving truck, at the little old lady’s home. They were unloading in the wee sprinkles of the morning, and the old lady was out on the porch, coaching them on where to go. The lab jogged up to see him as usual but the woman didn’t call him back. Victor allowed the dog to jog next to him around the block, until the lab decided to head back home.
The woman was not moving out.
Someone was moving in.
Victor liked his things in order. His suit pressed, his shoes shined, his house orderly, his bed was always made in the morning. So he could admit this new change to his atmosphere was not only noticed, but disliked. Because the movers were messy, putting boxes along the curb of the driveway, things here and there. But more so, it was a change. He had hoped it was a man, maybe the woman had found love so late in life.
Victor was wrong, and he hated to be wrong.
Stopping in front of her house, he nodded in acknowledgement at the woman as she flicked a smile his way. “Hello Mr. Zsasz.” She called out.
“Ms. Roberts.” He nodded back at her, only his eyes darted to the truck. It was then he was answered as a female came out the front door and onto the porch.
“Grandma, do you want coffee, I’m making a pot.” The female smiled and Victor felt his whole body go still. The female stood in a pair of plain jeans and a soft green tank-top, her black bra obviously showing over the top. Her hair was up in a pony-tail but it was stuck to her, she was obviously helping with the boxes.
“No, Blaire, I’m good with my tea.” The old woman answered before looking to Victor. “Victor, this is my grand-daughter, Blaire.”
It was the smile on her lips that he was attracted, she had an honest smile, it was sweet and innocent. Her eyes seemed to be made of blue crystals and her eyelashes were long and thick. Victor didn’t have to tell himself what he felt, it was a basic attraction. He found that he liked the idea of someone good hearted, it was smiles he found what made people attractive. If their smile was brilliant, then their physical attributes followed suit.
“Hi!” She waved, her eyes following her grandmother’s out to Victor. He flashed a short wave as she smiled to him, her smile even grew a bit before she turned back to her grandmother. “Okay, I’m going to go chug some coffee, then work on my room more.”
The woman left a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek and entered the house again.
“She seems nice.” Victor called out, a soft twitch of his own lips as the old woman nodded.
“Yeah, she is.” No clues, nothing. This woman knew Gotham too well. The girl was obviously a mystery that she was not going to unfold on Victor. That’s fine, he thought to himself as he continued on his jog around the dead end and into the woods behind his house for another lap. He liked his world in order, and to keep it that way, he would have to figure out where this new comer lay in it. Hopefully she would be like her grandmother, and stay out of things that she did not belong in.