Chapter Three
Bruce paced up and down the hallways, thinking. It had been a week since the "Girl Without a Past" showed up in the newspaper, and no on seemed to know who she was. Her picture had been in the newspaper, saying she was sent to the Paura Orphanage and if anyone knew her to come get her right away. No one had even said she looked familiar.
Alfred watched as Bruce paced, hands clasped behind his back, his eyes following Bruce. "Sir, you have an appointment to meet with Mr. Fox in an hour, so if I were you, I'd stop pacing and start making your way down there."
Bruce stopped and turned to face Alfred. "You've been telling me that for three hours, Alfred, and you keep acting like I forget every five minutes!"
Alfred raised his eyebrows. "You just seem very deep in thought, I thought it good to remind you."
Bruce sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's just... This girl..." Bruce admitted.
Alfred reached for a newspaper sitting on a nearby table. "You mean, this girl?" He pointed to a picture of a girl with the title "Girl Without a Past" above it. Bruce nodded.
"I mean, I talked with her the night of the fire... Well, it was more like she talked to me. I feel... somewhat responsible for what happens to her," Bruce said, seeming to stumble over his words, as if you couldn't think of what to say. Alfred only nodded, as if he knew exactly what he was saying.
"But, sir, if I may, you don't even know her- like everyone else in Gotham City doesn't seem to know who she is," Alfred said. "But if you feel responsible for her, I'll support you through this."
Bruce looked up at Alfred and smirked. "Why does it seem like you always support me with everything I do?"
Alfred shrugged. "I'm you butler, sir, I don't have much of a choice."
Bruce rolled his eyes and chuckled. He went to get his jacket before heading for the door. "I suspect you'll be going to see Mr. Fox?" Alfred called after him.
"That's right," Bruce opened the front door.
"And after that?"
Bruce turned back and smiled mischievously. "Paura Orphanage."
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Selene opened her eyes, the noise of the morning reached her ears. Girls voices, the sound of bare feet slapping the wooden floor, shouts and screams. Selene wanted to scream herself and go back to sleep, but instead she slowly pulled herself out of her bed and climbed down the ladder. She unlocked her locker and grabbed some clothes. Mostly, she just wore the clothes she came in, but every-now-and-again she wore some clothes the orphanage had given her. Selene pushed her way through the girls and to the bathroom, which was occupied. After waiting for at least for five minutes, the girl emerged, her face caked in makeup, hair perfect. She looked Selene up and down in disgust before pushing by her.
Selene sighed and walked into the bathroom, shut and locked the door. The bathroom counter was covered with makeup, hair produces, a curling iron, and hair dryer. Selene pushed the items away until she found a hairbrush. She started to attack the tangles in her long black hair. She looked into the mirror and almost turned away at her appearance:
Bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, too pale of skin, flat,boring black hair. Selene quickly shock her head and got dressed. Just because other girls thought she was ugly didn't mean she had to believe it. Selene finished and open the door where a small line of girls waiting. Selene got out of their way and went down stairs to the cafeteria for breakfast. Not that Selene enjoyed breakfast, but she had to eat.
The cafeteria food was never good, the cereal stale, muffins tasted funny, but hey, it was food. Selene grabbed a bowl of cereal and splashed some milk onto it. She sat at a table alone, and waited, spooning her cereal into her mouth. Finally, Megan entered the cafeteria. Megan was the girl that had the bunk under Selene's. She was one of those girls that liked pink and all those bright colors, but at least she talked to Selene. Megan spotted Selene and walked over. Selene smiled a little at her at looked at her outfit. Jeans, a pink shirt and dark blue sweater, and pink clips kept her bangs out of her face.
She sat down across from Selene. "Good morning," she said happily.
"Mornin'," Selene replied. Megan started talking about some book she was reading, and Selene tried to pay attention. She should be grateful that at least someone wanted to talk to her, but Megan was so different from Selene. She had a past to remember, even if it wasn't great. Megan's Dad had died from cancer when she was two, and her mother didn't have enough money to support them both and left her at the orphanage when she was five. Megan had basically grown up in the orphanage and knew the place inside and out. At lest Megan could show her places she only knew about.
After breakfast, Megan went to the library and Selene went to what Megan called the Secret Place. It was basically an attic, but at least Selene was alone. Above Selene's bed was a trapdoor that lead to an attic-like room. There was a small window that let her look out to the front of the orphanage. Selene and Megan usually were up here, but Selene liked being up here alone. It let her think about her past, trying to remember pass when she woke up in the burned down warehouse. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember.
Selene pulled herself up in the attic and crawled over to the window. It was cloudy again, making the attic cold. Selene pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders. She took a deep breath and let it out. It had been a whole week since Selene had arrived at Paura Orphanage and Selene felt lonelier with each days. The Orphanage was also a school. Selene - not remembering what grade she had been in - was launched into 10th grade. That day, Selene discovered she was very smart. She answered every math, English, and science question correct and was fluent in Spanish, French, Germany, and Italian (No wonder she knew 'Paura' meant 'fear' in Italian). This was another reason everyone disliked her at the orphanage. They envied her for how smart she was. But, they all had something Selene didn't:
A memory.
Selene sighed and chewed on her lip. She guessed this chewing-on-the-lip-thing was a bad habit, because she did it whenever she was thinking. Maybe the other orphans didn't have happy memories or pasts, but at least they had them.
Selene was taken out of thought when she head a car drive up and park in front of the orphanage. Selene looked out the window and saw a nice, expensive car parked outside the orphanage. A man stepped out: Dark hair, high check bones, dark eyes. He was dressed nicely, too nicely.
The man walked up to the front door of the orphanage and Selene looked down, trying hard to see him. Mrs. Paura greeted him and escorted him into the orphanage. Selene snapped her fingers; she had lost sight of him. While Selene tried to make sense of him, one question lingered in the back of her mind:
Why was someone who was obviously so wealthy doing here in this side of Gotham City?
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Bruce stepped over the threshold of the orphanage and took a look around. It was a dark, gloomy place, but it sheltered many homeless children. An elderly women - Mrs. Paura he suspected - lead him to her office. They passed some children, many pointing and whispering. Bruce only smiled at them.
Once they were in Mrs. Paura's office, Bruce sat down and so did Mrs. Paura. "I suspect you are here to look into a adoption," Mrs. Paura said. Bruce nodded and Mrs. Paura reached into her desk and pulled out a few papers.
"Actually," Bruce said, "I've come here looking for a certain girl by the name of Selene."
Mrs. Paura stopped short. She looked up and took a deep breath. "You know this girl?"
"I've talked with her once. I never got her name, but I knew who she was when she was in the paper," Bruce said. "I would have come sooner, but I thought her parents or guardian would have come and got her."
Mrs. Paura nodded. "I will go get her," She said and started to stand. As soon as she did, the door to Mrs. Paura's office and opened and a girls stepped inside.
"Mrs. Paura, I need to..." The girl stopped short when she saw Bruce. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't know someone was here." She started to back out of the office, but Mrs, Paura stopped her.
"Megan, perfect timing. Go fetch Selene," Mrs. Paura ordered and the girl - Megan - nodded and left. Mrs. Paura sat back down. "She'll be here soon."
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Selene jumped when the trapdoor to the attic opened. Megan peered over the edge at Selene. "Selene? Mrs. Paura wants to see you," She said.
"Why?"
Megan shrugged. "There's some man with her... I think he might know you." Selene's eyes widened and she quickly got down from the attic. She jumped off her bed with a loud Thump! and ran down to Mrs. Paura. This person could be a link to her pass. It could be someone she'd known, this could be her father for all she knew.
But she couldn't get to excited. Selene slowed down when she was a hallway away from Mrs. Paura's office. This man could just be saying he knew her and then treat her like a piece of garbage. When she reached Mrs. Paura's office door, she took a deep breath and smoothed her hair. Here it goes.
Selene opened the door. Mrs. Paura looked up and the man turned to see her. It was the same man she saw walking up to the orphanage: Dark hair, high check bones, dark hair. Selene frowned slightly. What did he want with her?
"Selene," Mrs. Paura said, breaking Selene's train of thought. "This is Mr. Bruce Wayne of Wayne Enterprises." Selene nodded. Mrs. Paura motioned for her to sit down and Selene had no other choice but to obey. Mrs. Paura left them and the room was drowned in awkward silence.
Bruce started to speak: "You probably don't know who I am-" He started, but Selene cut him off.
"I know how you are," Selene said sharply. "When I was taken here, I made an effort to remember the city and..." - She looked in up and down - "important personal."
Bruce chuckled. She was smart, and determined.
"But..." Selene said, "How do you know me?"
Bruce let out a breath. "I spoke with you once, the night of the fire. I didn't come sooner because I thought you parents..." He trailed off and Selene looked down at her hands. Oh, how fun it was not remembering anyone from your past.
After a few more minutes, Mrs. Paura finally came back. Selene left and started to go back to the girl's room. As Selene walked up the stairs, she saw Mrs. Paura showing Bruce out. Bruce looked up and gave Selene a small smile. Selene just stared at him until he left. Mrs. Paura saw her on the staircase and put her hands on her hips.
"So?" Selene asked. Did she actually sound hopeful? Like she wanted to know him?
Mrs. Paura nodded. "He's signed adoption papers," She said and smirk. "Soon, you'll be known as Selene Wayne."
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How devious am I? Warning: I adore cliffhangers.
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~| Neverland Child |~