Mili Lopez groaned as she let her head fall on the book before her. There was no way she would ever be able to finish this book before the big test next week. The concept of Dante's Inferno was very intriguing but she found it hard to focus on a book of poems about how Virgil perceived hell. Let alone something that was part of a collection known as Divine Comedy. Which part of hell or it's circles was funny? Mili was certain she had lived through more of hell than anyone she knew and she had accepted that no one living would ever understand it.
"I miss you Miguel." She whispered, reaching to the rosary by her book that her friend had left her in death fiver years earlier.
Mili left the room in search of the kitchen in the huge mansion she was no staying in. Mili had come to Gotham to "bond" with her grandfather, Alfred Pennyworth and to attend the University of Gotham. It was rather boring, though her grandfather swore the city was once filled with crime and excitement. He also swore that the amazing Batman had saved them all. Mili hadn't seen crime, Batman or the owner of the massive home in the three months she had been living there.
Mili couldn't help but laugh as she entered the huge kitchen and saw Alfred dancing in front of the double door refrigerator.
"Alfred please do me a favor and don't audition for America's Got Talent." She laughed, grabbing a bottle of water from the door and sitting at the center island. "I wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself."
"I am your grandfather, why will you not allow me the pleasure of hearing you say the word?" He said, scowling at her. "I have been in your life for years now."
Mili knew she had two choices, ignore the man or continue the conversation and end up arguing about the same subject all over again.
"So you have seen me a total of four months the entire 20 years of my life, three of which I lived here for and you think that makes you my grandfather?" Mili asked. She regretted the last part even before it left her mouth. "Look, I have told you to me family isn't about blood or DNA. Family is about understanding someone, trusting them with your life and you would never understand me."
"Why can we not be close?" Alfred asked. "Help me understand you."
"Why don't you ask your daughter why we can't be close? Maybe if she had known which of the many men she spread her legs for was my father we would be close. Maybe if she hadn't thrown me away the minute she had me you would understand me."
Mili knew she was starting to get more angry than ever. She knew this was the point in the argument he would start defending is perfect angel, Lily. Alfred's oldest daughter. Lily's mother was Mexican and the only thing that Mili had gotten from that side of the family was her tanned skin tone and dark hair. She didn't wish to have anything else.
"Who do you think you are speaking to him that way?" The man asked from the entry to the kitchen.
Mili turned to see an older man with circles around his eyes. She recognized him instantly from the pictures all over the house.
"Mr. Wayne how nice of you to come out of your pity wing and grace us with your presence." Mili said, standing from the chair.
Bruce looked the small framed girl up and down briefly before laughing.
"What are you 5'2", 115 pounds?" He asked, limping forward. "Alfred you can take this runt. Why don't you put her over your knee and teach her some respect? Before I do."
"Respect sir, is earned not demanded." Mili said, standing up straighter to try and feel bigger than she really was. "If I would have known that a party full of law enforcement would get you out of bed I would have called them out months ago to arrest you."
"For what exactly?" Bruce asked, with a smile.
This girl had some fire and no care in the world as to who he was. He was quite enjoying their little petty argument however, he was certain she was getting angrier by the minute.
"For treating my grandfather like a slave all of these years Mr. Wayne." Mili answered, seriously.
"You child are a spoiled brat. If you don't like the way I run things you don't have to stay here." Bruce yelled, slamming his fist on the counter.
"Bye." Mili said, nodding a goodbye to Alfred before going to her room.
Mili threw her school books in her back pack and a few clothes in a gym bag before quietly sneaking down the back stairs. She could hear the two still talking in the kitchen.
"She'll never leave for real Alfred. She's spoiled. Where would she go?" Bruce asked. "The girl knows she wouldn't survive a night in the real world."
Mili left the house and was beginning her walk when a police cruiser pulled up beside her.
"You shouldn't be walking around alone at night." the young officer said.
"I'm not afraid of the dark and I don't believe in the boogeyman." Mili replied, continuing her journey.
"You must be new to Gotham then." He laughed, climbing out of the car. "I'm Officer Blake. Let me give you a ride."
Mili paused to look back at the house. Alfred would be looking for her soon and if the officer wasn't going to leave her alone she would get nowhere fast.
"Okay." Mili answered. "Can you take me to the college? I need to study."
Fifteen minutes later Mili walked around the campus wondering what she was going to do. She saw a few options immediately; park bench, library, internet cafe. All places she'd used in her childhood. She chose the cafe so she could read some more of her book and eat before "accidentally" falling asleep at the table. When she entered she expected to see a lot of college students like herself, instead the first thing she saw was a group of 8-10 men huddled in the corner, whispering. They were all dressed in black, with masks and vests on. The campus was on the outskirts of town so she figured they were probably from nearby. There had been a rapist terrorizing the campus recently.
"Cops." Mili thought, searching for a place to sit.
Her eyes fell on a table inhabited by three college girls, cheerleaders she assumed from the peppy way they spoke and their giggling. Two more tables were filled with eight young guys judging by the way their speech was slurred and their eyes were glossy they were either drunk or high; or both. She groaned as she realized that her luck would leave the only empty table between the stoners and the cheerleaders.
"My name is Mildred. What can I get for you honey?" The gray-haired waitress asked.
"Can I get a grilled cheese sandwich and a Dr. Pepper please?" Mili asked, pulling out Dante's Inferno for the second time that night.
"You are the first person I've ever seen actually do homework in here." Mildred said, laughing.
"Could it be because my IQ went down 50 points when I sat at this table?" Mili asked, looking briefly around at the other college kids.
She heard a snicker in the back corner from the men in black. She hadn't been that loud there was no way they could have heard her was there.
Mili returned her focus back to her book but found it hard to study between the inhabitants around her. On one side she heard laughter and discussions of hair, shopping and how none of the guys in the cafe were good looking.
"Half of the guys have covered faces and pretty decent builds. What a bunch of girls." Mili thought to herself.
From the other table they were talking about girls, drugs and sex. Mili pulled the rosary that was marking her page out of the book and put it around her neck before looking at the back table. She could have sworn of the men in ski masks was staring at her but she figured it was just her imagination. Mili stood from the table and made her way toward the jukebox in the cafe. She hoped some music would help her mind get into the book and drown out some of the distractions around her. "Shut Up" by Blink 182 seemed perfect for the situation. Mili smiled and turned as the music began. She found herself facing one of the 'stoner' boys.
"Excuse me," She said nicely trying to step around.
"What do you have hiding under that coat of yours?" The guy asked, grabbing one of the ties holding it together and pulling.
Mili pushed his hand away.
"You want to find out?" She whispered, taking the coat off and laying it on the bar next to her.
"You bet baby." He said, smiling and rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
"Not even in your dreams." Mili said, grabbing her coat and book before turning to walk by him.
She felt his hand grab her butt and instantly fought back. She grabbed his hand, pushing her hip our a little and pulled him over her should and onto the ground. She heard him land and knew she was in over her head. She turned in time to see one of his friends approached, grabbing her and slamming her against the wall.
"Aren't you scared?" The young man asked.
"Of you?" Mili asked, laughing. "What are you going to do? Bore me to death."
The young man raised his hand to strike her but it never came. She looked up to see the man she thought was watching her. He held the young mans hand with his own.
"If you hit her I will kill you." She heard an almost mechanical voice state calmly.
Mili turned her head to see where the voice had come from. In the corner of the cafe stood the largest man she'd ever seen. He was bald and wore some form of a mask of his own, but was not a ski mask merely a half mask that covered only his mouth.
"Not if I kill you first." The man to her left whispered, turning to Mili. "Leave now."
Mili walked through the cafe and grabbed her bags, turning momentarily to look at the large, bald man. She looked in his eyes and saw fire and something no one else would recognize. This man had been to hell and back, just like her. Just like Miguel. As she left the cafe a part of her hoped she ran into this man again. But another told her she should get out of Gotham while she still had her soul.