Chapter 36: 'Tell All The Truth But Tell It Slant'
A/N: Next few chapters shouldn't be too far. Okay and yeah, the chapter name sucks. But whoever can guess the poem gets a cookie!
Jason's POV
I don't look at her. "This isn't funny Jase!" Panic starts to rise up in her voice as I swallow the lump in my throat. I hate to ruin her week, especially since her birthday is coming up...but she needs to know the truth.
"Not funny!" She yells. I look at her. Tears are starting to stream down her face as she takes more steps back until her back bumps into the window. My eyebrows arch and I step towards her. "Autumn..." I say as gently as possible. She shakes her head.
"What do you mean you killed him!? That...that can't be..." I walk closer, but she presses her back harder on the window frame.
"I was...fighting The Joker when your brother got in the way...it...it was an accident." She freezes for a while in shock and horror. Then she starts to shake violently. "N...n...no..."
"Autumn, I'm sorry. But I thought you should know..."
"N...nooooo...this isn't happening! No...you didn't kill him...you didn't..." I sigh. She's trying to block out the truth."I...I'm sorry...but...it's the truth...Autumn, don't be blind. Open your eyes and accept the truth!" I'm practically forcing her eyes open to look into the shining light disregarding the consequences.
"...it...it makes sense now. Why you've been avoiding me..." She says softly. "Why you won't even look at me...why you won't even talk to your little sister anymore..."
"Autumn..." I walk closer to the fragile little girl. She clenches her fists and I just stop in mid pace.
"Because...because...you were guilty..." She looks at me, the truth did a number on her eyes. "You killed him..." I shake my head. Maybe I shouldn't have told her what had happened, maybe if I just kept it a secret, she wouldn't be hurt right now. "No, it was not-"
"No! You killed him! My mom was the only witness..." I remember the woman holding onto the boy, crying until the tears were replaced by salt. "She described a face. A man with a red domino mask. She would draw pictures of him almost every night...no wonder...when I saw your real face...it didn't ding back then, but now...I remember feeling familiarity..." She narrows her wet eyes at me. "Now you're admitting it...the connections...it makes perfect sense...that's proof enough for me..."
"No...I didn't mean to kill him..."
"You were guilty..." She whispers. I've always been guilty, since the day it happened. "You killed my only brother." She whimpers. "Why!?"
"Autumn! Listen!" Her eyes are burned with the truth, her ears are deaf with the ringing.
"You self worshipping asshole!" She screams, and that hits me like a tank crashing through a brick wall. "You were guilty, you couldn't take the guilt. So you came here hoping that telling me the truth would make you feel better!" Her frown digs down her mouth.
"I never even thought of..."
"You never thought of what I would feel? You know what happened after that day!? That was the reason why my mom killed herself! I wanted justice...at LEAST justice...but we couldn't even get that for my little brother...because you ran away! I don't think you even felt guilty on the day it happened! You just ran away! That's what my mom said! You ran! And NOW. You find out that the little boy you killed was my brother. NOW you're guilty. Because only NOW you realize the lives you've ruined!"
"No...you don't know how much the guilt of that kid's death has eaten me up!" I defend myself, remembering how harsh that guilt was. He was just a little kid...
"You don't have the right to be angry right now!" Her eyes pierce right into mine. "You...you...killed...him..." She staggers, and finally, she drops to the floor, her knees and hands trying to support her body as tears taint the floor. "This can't be happening...you couldn't have killed him..."
She's confused, angry, scared. She doesn't want to believe the truth right now, but she has no choice because this is reality. "I...I'm sorry...but...this is real...I'm so, so sorry." I lean down to try and pull her in a hug but she snaps up with a mixture of anger and sorrow. She pushes me away.
As I stumble backwards, I feel something being copied from my mind. She leans back on the wall, choking on tears. Fire starts to dimly light around her. "I-I can't believe...this..." She slowly shakes her head. "And you know what the worst part is?" I sit down on the floor in front of her. She looks right into my eyes with an extremely pained look. "You made me feel like it was my fault...I thought that the reason why you were avoiding and ignoring me...was because you hated me..."
I shake my head. "N-no..."
"You made me think that maybe...maybe we weren't siblings in the end..." She shrugs sadly. "I thought maybe you forgot that I was your little sister." Her voice is so tiny, so fragile, so sad. "You would silently yell for me to go away..."
Her eyes drop, and we both sit here in an aggravating silence. "He died...because..." She looks at me with a tired expression, "because you were so angry at the Joker...that you would kill anyone in your way to get your revenge. Nico was in your way, and so you killed an innocent boy..."
I shake my head. "N-no..."
"You killed him because you couldn't get all that red out of your eyes...you killed my little brother because you were so set on revenge for your own death. That nothing else mattered! Not the innocent lives...not your family..."
"I don't know if you really are my brother...but I do know one thing...YOU'RE A MONSTER!" She screams, and I feel something inside of me explode. She stands up, grabs her phone, and jumps out the window. I don't even bother to stop her...I just sit here, my head down.
I never thought it would...break her...this much...I never thought Autumn could get this angry...or this sad...but I couldn't have kept it a secret for so long...she was right, I was guilty. I thought that telling her would let the guilt just go away.
Words really do hurt so much more.
Especially when those words are coming for your own little sister.
'Success In Circuit Lies'
****Break****
Dick's POV
It's already morning, and I didn't get any sleep. I just lied here in my bed, staring at the ceiling. The sun is probably up, but I can't really tell because the world outside my window is practically gray. It is December after all.
I hide my head under the pillow and shut my eyes, trying to warm my cheeks from the cold winter air. But I realize that no matter how tired I am, sleep just doesn't come to me.
Forget sleep.
I sit up and pull the covers off of me. I sling my legs over the edge of the bed and rub my droopy eyes. I stand up and pull a warm shirt over my body.
I open the door and walk out of the room. I'd be planning to do stuff or maybe just mope around the manor but no, I've got work at 9:00. But it's best I get out of bed early and work through two nights of detective work as a police officer, and detective work as Nightwing.
I walk down the hallway and drowsily move towards the stairs. A door opens and I turn around. I look at the door to Autumn's room and instead of the little girl stepping out, Jason is the one who walks out of her room. His eyes are marked with dark circles and his unruly hair looks like it got hit with a hurricane. His shoulders are hunched over and tired.
"Goood morning sunshine! I take it you had a lovely rest." I say in a talk show host voice, even though I don't look the part.
He glares at me as his frown starts to deepen even more. He scowls. "Not in the mood Dick." He storms past me as I frown and arch an eyebrow.
"Little Wing?" I get that he has never been a morning person, but something's not right. "What's wrong?" He ignores me and walks into his room and shuts the door.
I knock on it. "Something's wrong Jay. You don't usually call me by my name." It's either Golden Boy, Circus Freak, or dick. A few seconds later, the door swings open, revealing the still exhausted Jason but wearing a leather jacket and pants. He's gripping onto his keys with a hard, angry but pained look on his face. "What's wrong?" I block his path.
He finally makes eye contact with me, and he scowls. "Nothing Grayson. Get out of my way."
I stare him down. (hey, he's only like almost half an inch taller than me!) "No. Something is obviously wrong."
He scowls, scrunching his nose and letting his eye twitch. "I said nothing is wrong! Can't you just believe me!? Now get out of my way!" He violently pushes me and storms past me.
He runs down the stairs and I follow him. "Jay!" I try to call for him, but he's blocking me out. He briskly walks to the main door, making a heavy 'thump' with every step he takes. "Jay!" I try again.
He finally turns around. "Quit calling me that!" His voice raises.
"Tell me what's wrong first." I demand as I put my hand on his shoulder and squeeze it. "I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong."
His eyes move to my hand, then his eyes land on mine. "Nothing is wrong Grayson." He angrily shrugs my hand off of his shoulder. "Just leave me alone."
He turns around, opens the door, and walks out into the cold, freezing air. He slams the door in my face. It doesn't take long before I hear the roar of a motorcycle engine speeding away.
I sigh. I turn around. Now, where's my jacket?
Bruce's POV
I walk down the hallway, and Dick walks out of his room wearing winter clothes and carrying a small bag. "Where are you going, son?" I ask him as he closes the door to his room.
"I have to fix something." He turns to walk down the stairs. "He's gonna freeze out there." Dick mumbles, running towards the stairs. "I'll call you if I can't find him." He yells as he runs down the stairs with the bag slung over his shoulder.
That was odd.
I shake my head and continue to walk to my destination. I ball my hand into a fist and raise my arm. I softly knock on the door. "Autumn?" I know she's awake. She wakes up early to help Alfred with the chores. "Autumn. I need to talk to you." I need to discuss that turning herself into a house maid instead of a resident of this household isn't acceptable.
I get no answer. My hand soon roams to the cold, freezing doorknob. I twist it and push the door open. No one's here.
Autumn's POV
I walk down the sidewalk, my head bowed, my hands hugging my cold arms, my nose frozen. It's an early, gloomy day. I can feel tiny flecks of snow falling down and touching my neck. I've been walking from the Wayne Manor to Gotham City since last night, wearing a T shirt and black sweat pants. I wish I had at least brought my slippers and jacket, but...I panicked.
It's early, but the streets of Gotham are already busy.
I flinch when I hear echoes of maniacal cackling. I stop in my tracks as my head begins to pound, and I lean on the wall. I look up and bright light starts to flash in my eyes. I try to blink it away but it continues to dance, blocking my vision.
I hold my head as I stumble, walking forwards, the bright flashes of light continuously blinding my eyes. I close my eyes tightly and shake my head. When I look up, I'm no longer where I'm supposed to be, no longer walking down a sidewalk by Park Row. Instead, I'm in an open spaced empty parking lot beside what looks to be a market. I see a man wearing a red domino mask, a brown shiny leather jacket, gray cargo pants, and armor. He's standing ten feet away from a mad man with green hair, bleached skin, and pale psychotic green eyes, grinning from ear to ear.
They both stand in front of barrels of two guns facing each other's heads. Although Red Hood's eyes are narrowed behind the eyelets and The Joker has that inhumanly usual grin of his, he's cackling.
I walk towards them, knowing that neither of them can see or hear me. As I walk closer to The Joker, I notice the small figure that he's holding, wrapping his arm around the figure's tiny neck. My eyebrows arch when I recognize the face of the six year old boy. He's weeping, his eyes filled with great fear.
"Let the kid go, Joker." I turn to Red Hood, eyes still narrowed, voice sharp and stance tense. His finger is on the trigger as he flicks the safety.
The sadistic clown giggles and smirks. He sways the gun. "Nuh uh uh! Hoodie!" He points the barrel of the gun to Nico's temple.
My eyes widen. "NO!" But my screams go unheard.
The little boy cries silently, scratching at the arm of the lunatic. "Ya know what'll happen if ya pull the trigger? Now, let's see if there's still a little boy blunder inside of all that red!" Joker laughs, testing Jason. Red Hood clenches his teeth and scrunches his nose. "Put the gun down if ya don't want this little kiddie to get hurt!" Joker mocks, but Hood only holds onto the handle of the gun tighter.
"You and I both know that you'll kill him if I put the gun down." He growls venomously.
Joker grins. "Aww. You're debating whether to kill me, taking the kid with me, or to put the gun down...it's either me, or him...now, why does that sound familiar?" The psychopath giggles like there's no tomorrow. Jason glares at him.
The memory blurs, and an invisible force makes me kneel down on the ground. The vision clears. We're still in the empty, open spaced parking lot, but now I see Jason kneeling on the ground, his back facing me and The Joker getting away. Out of curiosity, I stand up and walk in front of Jason as I look around for the little boy, Nico, who is missing. But when I look down, there he is, a tiny figure laying in the large hands of larger man.
My big brother holds onto my little brother.
I stare down at the figure and my tears break loose, but I don't look away. My eyes are glued to the pale, dying figure of my tiny little brother. He just lays there, unable to move, in shock with red blood pouring out of his skinny chest. The boy is heaving and spitting out blood while trying so hard to grip onto the last bit of life he has left. "NICO!" I scream as I kneel beside him.
His flickering eyes stare at the emotional face of my older brother. Nico opens his bloody mouth to talk, but all the comes out are unheard whispers. Tear stream down his face. "Y..you're a...hero...y-you...know..." He whispers to the Red Hood.
Jason is caught off guard and his eyebrows arch. "Kid, stay with me." He gently shakes my little brother, trying to wake him up.
The little boy's eyes continue to droop. "S...so...c...can...c-can...I have...your...autograph?" The boy whispers, his lips barely moving as his breath gets shorter and shorter every second. I glance at Jason with tears in my eyes.
His eyes widen slightly with sadness. "I'm sorry kid...it's-"
"not...your...fault…" Nico hands to him a fading smile. "I-it's...i-it's okay…" and with those last words, he takes a shallow breath and closes his eyes. His head lolls to the side and life is drained out of his fragile little body.
Hot, scalding tears stream down my face. "NICO!" I hear a mother's scream from behind me. I don't bother to turn around. The memory of Teresa Williams phases through me and collapses on the ground next to her only son. She weeps, holding onto him.
"I-I'm...sorry…" Jason Todd mutters, letting go of the lifeless body.
Slowly, and quietly, he stands up, hands still stained with the blood of an innocent. He stares at the weeping mother and the dead child, and for a moment I think he glances right into my eyes. WIth his shoulders heavier than before, he turns around and runs away, trying to stay hidden even in the daylight, running towards an ally as blaring sirens are heard.
I stand up, trying not to look at my little brother anymore. I back away as the memory starts to blacken.
I take a painful breath, breathing in the stench of smoke and injustice. I look up at the gray sky. I hold myself, shivering from the blistering cold. I hold my hand out, feeling the ghost white frozen water melt on my hand.
The streets have suddenly become silent. I'm in another neighborhood, a more silent, eerie neighborhood. A dark, brooding place deep in The East End, Park Row, just past the border called The Bowery; a place with an intense stench of blood, death and poverty. Suddenly, I find myself stop in front of a familiar rotting, old building. My eyes raise to the fire exit.
My legs bring me up the fire exit and into a blocked apartment window. I burn the wood blocking the window and slip inside and into the oh-so familiar 'home.' It was not much to The Waynes. It was nothing but a piece of crap. But to me, this abandoned empty old apartment room is everything, it was all I had, and it was the place I called "home".
I sit on the floor by the window, staring out at the night while sitting in the dark. My only companion is the creaking of the rotten floorboards and the termites slowly eating away at the floor of my old life. It was over two years ago. In retrospect, two years is pretty short, but a lot can happen in two years. Hell, a lot could happen in a day.
I sit here, shuddering from the cold freezing me from the inside and out.
I touch the floorboards with my hand, and I press one long wood and the other end opens. Hidden in the floor is an old music box that would play a lullaby. A lullaby my mom would hum to my brother and I. A lullaby my mom would play for both of us. I was supposed to give this to her and my brother for Christmas. But they both died too early.
buzz, buzz. I take out my phone and open a new message with a numb expression on my face.
R: Hey A.
I stare and muster the strength to reply.
Me: I called you a dozen of times.
Before a moment even passes my phone buzzes again.
R: I know.
I can feel the crushing tension even over the line.
Me: Something wrong?
Two minutes passes before he replies,
R: Yeah...actually…
Me: Yeah...I'm not having the best day either.
I reply and look out again, the snow starts to fall.
R: Can we talk...I need someone to talk to…
It's not like R to ask for help…
Me: Yeah sure…
R: Where do you want to meet?
****Break****
A/N: Credits to a friend for picking this wicked song! Thanks J.O! (no I'm not saying the real name of this person. Just the initials!) You should listen to it while reading, it totally sets the mood. watch?v=pnxmi5KNjAc
My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride
We both sit here in the dark, hugging ourselves as we sit by the window in front of each other. The dim, gray winter sky is our only source of light, and it's making Noah's face darker, placing a light shadow over half of his face. His eyes are down on my feet and mine on his shoes.
"You ran away." He states.
I shrug. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Anyways, what did you want to talk about?" I narrowly change the subject.
He rests his chin on his knees and sighs heavily. "My...Mom...she's...gone...now…" My tired bloodshot eyes widen slightly. "She died yesterday, at 5:12pm." That's why he hasn't been answering my calls and why he didn't go to the winter ball. "My sister's preparing the funeral." He says solemnly.
I don't say 'I'm sorry' because nobody wants to feel weak and pitied and sorry isn't gonna fix anything.
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
I sigh. "I just found out that the reason why my little brother died was because of my older brother." I know it didn't make any sense to Noah, but I just needed to tell someone that. "I found out just after the ball." And right now, R is the only one I can trust to tell someone that. "And now my older brother is probably scouting Gotham for me."
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
If today was your last day
His head lowers and his shoulders hunch. He doesn't seem bothered by the confusion or whatever questions he has in his head. He just frowns. "I miss her already." He mumbles. "I fought with my sister just a while ago. We screamed at each other. She cried. I was yelling. My father was...nowhere to be found."
My eyes look everywhere: the empty dark room, the snowflakes freezing the wooden boards, the clouded sky, anywhere but his face. His eyes fill with revenge, "I hate them...I hate them all! I hate my sister. I hate my dad for not working. I hate the doctors for not saving my mom. I hate my mom for leaving me behind!" He shivers. "There are times when I think that they're not my family. Not anymore. They never will be."
Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you'll never live it twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life
"I remember when my mom would tell me to make the most of the day whenever I would wake up, when she'd tuck me in at night, when she tried so hard to speak to me…" He looks at me with sad and painful eyes, "Autumn...I-I...I just want to die…" Tears stream down his face, then his eyes drop back down to his feet.
I put my cold hand on his shoulder and gently squeeze it as I scoot closer to him. "I know it's hard, Noah. But...don't fill your heart with hate. I know you just lost your mom, your sister is never home, your dad doesn't try. But you gotta keep fighting, you gotta keep going. Life isn't easy, it's never gonna be and it never will be. But life only comes once in forever."
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
"I'm not saying to do it now, but you have to let go of the past one day. And you have to try and fix things today. Because tomorrow could be too late." I sigh, and I keep my hand on his tense shoulder. "Take care of the family you have left. Love them today, because you don't know what could happen tomorrow. You don't know who could leave next, you or them. Love what you've got. Do and say what you need to today."
"Don't take your own life...R...you gotta let go of the past...but hold onto the good memories of your mom. Hold onto her memory."
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
"I never thought that...yesterday would be her last...I never...expected…"
"No one does…" I shake my head.
"I-I wonder...if my mom...was able to do everything she wanted to...I wonder if she got to do every dream she had…" He whispers.
Reminisce old memories
"I think...she did..." I look at him, letting go of his shoulder. We both look down.
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day
"I wonder how my brother felt too…" I whisper.
"It was too late." He mumbles.
If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothin' stand in your way
Cause the hands of time are never on your side
"What if...we all died tomorrow?" I ask. "What if you died tomorrow? If you only had one last day to live, what would you do?"
If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
A long, raging silence. Then, "I guess...I would...spend all the time I had with my family. I would live my last moments with them. I would give all I had away to others. And-"
"You would let go of the past to live in the present." I continue for him. His eyes climb up to mine as the tears are blown away.
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories
"I would spend every moment I have with the people I...love…" He mumbles.
I let a small smile tug at my lips. "What if that day was tomorrow? Would you do it today? Would you make the most of today everyday?" I ask him. His eyebrows arch.
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
I smile sadly. "Yeah...exactly." He smiles back, eyes sad, eyebrows arched and his shoulders hunched.
If today was your last day
We're all running out of time. We're all going to die, maybe tomorrow, maybe later. R's mom, my little brother...they all died. Everyone dies. Everyone's life ends. But it's up to you what you choose to do with it.
****Break****
Dick's POV
"Jason!" I speed up until I'm in front of my brother. I stop my motorcycle right in front of him and he has no choice but to stop.
"Dick. Get outta my way." He says calmly but forcefully. I narrow my eyes at him. We're both in our motorcycles, stopped in an empty road, so early in the morning in the cold, cold snow.
"Tell me what's going on."
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"No you're not!"
"Quit sticking your nose in my business!"
"God, Jason! Just tell me what happened!"
"Nothing! Okay? Just go away and leave me alone."
"No. I'm your brother, and brothers don't just abandon brothers."
His head cocks to the side. "Really? Last time I checked, that wasn't your motto." He yells as the wind starts to howl and the snowflakes start to increase in number.
"Jason just listen to me! You're going to freeze out here!"
"Well so are you if you keep following me! Leave me alone!" He repeats.
I shake my head. "You know I won't unless you come back home with me!" He groans. The wind brawls harder. "Jay…" I say with compassion.
HIs eyebrows furrow, "I-I'm looking for Autumn...something happened, okay! And she ran off." He explains. "And now I'm looking for the kid before she freezes her ass out here."
That's obviously not the full story, but I'll have to let it slide for now.
"You won't be able to find her if you're a popsicle." I smirk. "Autumn can take care of herself, you and I both know that. Whatever happened, you have to give her time to think first. She'll come back on her own. Turn around Jay. I heard there's gonna be a storm today."
His eyes drop to the ground. Puffs of cold air leave both our mouths as we breathe. "Alfred's gonna make hot chocolate." He looks at me and smiles. But not genuinely.
Damian's POV
"Father, where had she gone?" I ask. He takes a deep breath as he types furiously on the keyboard of the computer.
"She found the tracker I placed in her. She left it here in the manor."
"I've checked the security cameras." Drake says, standing next to Father's chair. He clicks something on the keyboard and a video plays on the screen.
It's Autumn with extremely unruly hair, a t-shirt, and sweatpants. She's not even wearing shoes! She simply walks down the sidewalk, her head down and preoccupied. "She's in Crime Alley, last time I checked."
"Perhaps we should give her time alone." Pennyworth walks into the cave from behind us, holding a tray of four mugs.
"But Alfred, she'll freeze out there!" Carter says, looking into his eyes.
"Whatever happened, I believe that she will need time to think." He smiles warmly. "Miss Autumn can take care of herself quite well."
"That's not what I'm worried about, Alfred." Father finally replies. "I'm well aware that she can take care of herself." Well, I have taken noticed in the fire that usually surrounds her. "But Autumn could be up to something." Father says.
Drake, Carter, Pennyworth and I frown. "You gotta be kidding Dad." Carter says. "I don't think Autumn is up to anything."
"Yes, I agree. I do not think that she is planning anything evil."
"I think she's just sad." Carter says walking closer to Father. "Dad. What the hell?"
"Miss Christine-"
"You tell me to get closer to her, and then now you're all 'I think she's planning something evil'?" She shakes her head and walks out the cave.
I honestly think that Father only lets Cross stay here because he knows that if he kicks Cross out, then Todd might just leave out of frustration. I shake my head. "Maybe Pennyworth is right." I swat away the thought of Autumn being up to no good. "She needs time to be alone for now. She obviously looks distraught in the video."
I walk up into the manor, leaving Father alone to talk to Drake and Pennyworth. I hear the front door slam. "Todd, Grayson." I greet them, walking past the two.
"D-D-em-mon." Todd greets back. Both Todd and Grayson seem to be shivering, snowflakes scattered on their hair, their lips slowly turning blue, and their faces becoming pale.
I raise an eyebrow. "Where have you two been?"
****Break****
The two of them sit on a couch in one of our lounge rooms, blankets wrapped around them and warm chocolate in their hands. "So did you find her?" Carter asks.
Grayson's eyes move to her. "No."
"Wait start from the beginning. I want to hear the entire story." I shake my head and wave my hand.
"I left the house, looking for the kid-"
"Yeah, you didn't even bring a warmer jacket-" Grayson snickers.
"Shut up Goldie!" Todd continues. "Golden Boy here came after me and caught up to me before I even found her. If he hadn't dragged me back...maybe I could've found her!"
"Not if you freeze to death stupid!" Grayson slaps the back of Todd's head.
"Ow!" He rubs the back of his head.
"Anyways, no. We didn't find her." Grayson finishes.
"But we've gotta find her." Carter says. We all raise an eyebrow at her. "What?" She frowns.
"Chris, it's fine. Autumn can take care of herself. She'll be okay." Grayson says to all of us. I nod. "I agree." Well Autumn is an assassin, a mercenary, a child-crime boss, and an ex-villain. I'm well aware that she can take care of herself. She'll find a way to get shelter and food and clothes. "She needs time alone for now. Whatever Jay did..." Grayson looks at Todd and grits his teeth.
Todd just looks down. Carter and I furrow our eyebrows. "What?" We ask simultaneously.
Grayson shakes his head. "Hey, where's Timmy and Dad?" He asks, swiftly avoiding the subject.
"Grayson, tell us!" He shakes his head.
"Just answer me." He demands more than asks.
I lean back, letting my shoulders down. "Down in the cave."
Bruce's POV
"Bruce." I continue to search through the monitors as my son tries to lecture me. "I know that Bruce and Batman are not the same person." He starts. "But you know when to be Bruce, a father, our dad. And you know when to be Batman. But you're always a father first, I know you are." I can't help but think that what he's saying is true. "If you can be Bruce for us, why are you always Batman around Autumn?"
I stop typing. I stand up and look down at my son. I'm not wearing the cape and cowl and he's not wearing his mask. We're both wearing civilian clothes in the cave, but I keep my face emotionless. "You told us to accept her." He looks up at me, not back out. "It looks to me that we all have. You told us she would be our sister. But then, why are you not treating her like a daughter? Dad, we've all accepted her...everyone, except you." He pauses, letting that sink in for a moment. "You're always so hard on her. And, I've talked to her. And Bruce, she's always on her own." He frowns.
"But don't get mad at me for asking. But why? Why are you letting her be on her own?"
I take a deep breath and let go of my emotionless face. "Tim-"
buzz. buzz. Tim quickly takes out his phone, interrupting us. He's just about to turn it off when he sees the caller ID. "It's her." He clicks 'answer' and puts it on loudspeaker.
"Tim." The child's voice is tired, but in a business-like voice.
"Autumn?" Tim says holding out his phone.
"Autumn." I make sure she knows I'm here.
"Mister Wayne." She says, acknowledging my presence.
"Where are you?" I ask.
"Not important." She says quickly. "I just called to let you guys know that no, I'm not up to something. I just gotta be alone for now."
"Autumn what happened?" Tim asks with a concerned tone.
"It...doesn't matter…"She says hesitantly. "Don't bother looking for me anymore. I'll be back soon anyways. I'll be fine, in case any of you want to know. Just tell Jason...that...it's okay. And tell him I said sorry and that I didn't mean it, would ya?"
"Tell Damian that my secret stash of his favorite junk food are under my pillow, and Tim, remember that you can't have both April and Cassie at the same time, k? Ooh, and could ya tell Dick that no, I'm not going ice skating. Ever."
"Autumn wait! Where-"
"Bye." She hangs up just like that.
It seems that she knows a lot more about everyone else than I thought.
****Break****
Tim's POV
At breakfast, we all just sit in the dining room silently. There isn't really much tension right now. We're just eating quietly, but Jason's the one holding onto the tension. "Master Jason. You haven't touched your meal." Alfred scolds like the grandfather he is.
Jason looks at me. "Is that what she really said?"
I nod. "Yeah, she said that it's okay. And that she's sorry."
He shakes his head. "For what? But, that can't just be okay." He mumbles to himself.
"Jason. Just tell us what happened." Bruce urges with a gentle, soothing voice. He looks at all of us, then at Dick who seems to already know the story. Then he starts to explain what had happened.
After listening to what he had to say, we all just sit here in silence. It seems that we've all lost our appetite, well everyone except Chris of course. Bruce falls into deep thought for a while.
Then he looks at all of us and Alfred breaks the silence. "The girl is clearly confused." He states. "She would need help after realizing the truth." He says in a calm tone, not letting the tension get to him too much.
"But none of us can even find her!" Jason says, standing up. With one glare from Alfred, he immediately sits back down.
"We could scout the city." I offer. "I mean, she could get into serious trouble." I say.
"But she said not to look for her."
"So?" Chris says. We all look at each other.
"We need to give her space. After some time, we will look for her." Bruce says.
"Yeah. If you can't find her, that only means she doesn't want to be found." Damian agrees.
We all nod. "Yeah, you're right." Chris says, looking at Bruce.
"She'll need some alone time." Dick announces. We all look at Jason. He sighs and nods.
Dick, The Brat, and I stand up. Alfred starts to get our empty plates. "It is your decision." Alfred says while taking the plates. "Just make sure that this is the decision you won't regret." Alfred walks into the kitchen with the plates in his hands.
"Then let's just hope we all made the right decision." Damian mutters.
****Break****
Chris' POV
It's Monday and it's time for school. The last day of school before Christmas break, in fact. "Christine!" Dad calls from downstairs.
"I'm coming!" I run out of my room, shouldering my backpack and run down the stairs to see Tim, Damian, and Bruce waiting for me.
"Are you trying to get us all late?" Tim asks.
I just smirk, grabbing something quick to eat and walking out the door. "I call shotgun!" I yell, running towards the front of the car.
"Father, is she back yet? She has been gone for the weekend." Damian asks while Dad drives us.
Dad doesn't remove his eyes off of the road. "No. She's not back yet."
The silence and tension stay in the car the entire ride.
****Break****
The lunch bell rings, and everyone exits the classroom.
I go to my locker, put some stuff away and get a few things, and start to walk to the double doors at the end of the long hallway.
From my locker to the cafeteria, I catch parts of Christmas break conversations, since we get off after this week. "I'm going to New York for Christmas break." or "My grandparents are visiting from Taiwan." and even "I've got nothing planned. Just gonna chill at home and play video games all day."
But it's different for me. I don't know what's going to happen over break. We rarely plan stuff because who knows? We could travel across the country for one mission. There might be a jailbreak at Blackgate or Arkham, so we'll spend our time beating and getting beaten. Maybe the apocalypse will fall upon us and we'll all die. Or an alien invasion will dominate the planet. I don't even know which of those events I'd be the most surprised by.
To most people, these would be insane thoughts. But they're what I think about more often than 5-year-old me would've thought.
"What's wrong with your face?" Damian sneaks up behind me.
"Nothing."
"What are you thinking about?" He presses.
"Nothing. Go bother Tim." I say as Tim nears us.
"Have you seen Autumn?" He asks.
"No." Damian and I reply in unison.
He hums in thought. "It's been almost two days since we last saw her."
"I'm aware Drake. No need to restate the obvious."
Tim glares down at Damian. "Do you think she's okay?" He asks me.
"I'm sure she's fine. It's not abnormal for her to disappear. Besides, she's tough. She can take care of herself." I say, trying to cheer him up. The truth is, I'm a little worried, too.
"Okay." I know he doesn't believe me.
"Is it possible that Cross is dead?" Damian asks.
A silence is shared between the three of us while talking and laughter fills our ears. No one speaks, then I realize Damian's looking at me with serious eyes, waiting for some encouragement from me. But that's not what I give him. I don't think I can.
"I don't know, Damian."
Instead of looking down, he maintains his stare, searching for answers in my face. Those two cared about each other. I just really hope she isn't dead for his sake. But how many times have we been wrong about this stuff?
****Break****
I hate school, but I'm stuck with it anyways. I have to study for my finals, and I have to do it now, when it's late and when I'm supposed to be on patrol. But because I was procrastinating earlier, I have to do it now.
Well, Nightwing, Robin, Red Robin, and of course Batman get to go on patrol. Because they did their homework, except Dick of course. Duh. But Jason is stuck here in the manor with me and Alfred. He and Bruce were silently yelling at each other earlier in the study, but I couldn't exactly make out what they were saying.
I yawn and stand up. My throat is dry. I want water.
I walk out of my room and come face to face with a door leading to an empty room, but I hear shuffling coming from the room and light flickering under the crack of the door, which doesn't make sense because the room is supposed to be empty. I walk towards the door and carefully and slowly twist the knob to open the door. I sort of expected Jason or Alfred to be in here.
But instead I see the one who's supposedly occupying this room. "You really think you could sneak into the manor without anyone knowing about it?" I raise an eyebrow and shut the door behind me.
"Hey Christine." She smiles sheepishly.
"What is it with you and formality?" I ask her. She's wearing dark blue jeans and a navy blue hoodie, and she carries a dark green duffle bag on her shoulder. I notice that she slips a small knife into her pocket. "You can just call me Chris." I tell her.
She nods. "Cool. I didn't think we were close so I thought I should have addressed you with formality."
"Is that why you call Dad Mister Wayne or Sir instead of Bruce?" I ask.
She nods slowly. "It's how I grew up. If you're not close with someone, you gotta address them with formality. That's what I was told."
I half shrug, half nod. "True. Same here."
We stand here awkwardly in silence, waiting for a moment to pass by, and then I ask, "So um...what are you planning to do?" I ask her. "You obviously have some stuff in there." I gesture to the bag. "I thought you said you'll only be gone for a while. Are you running away for good?"
She slips on a small smile and shakes her head. "Nah. I'm not running away for good. If I did, this bag would be bigger and I would bring more clothes. I just…" She shoulders the duffle bag. "I just have some things I gotta do first."
"But you'll be back right?" I ask.
"Well yeah." She answers hesitantly.
"Good, cause it sucks being the only girl in the house." I smirk.
"Yeah, I get ya." She chuckles slightly.
"So um...when will this whole thing blow over?"
She shifts her posture into an uncomfortable state. "Um…"
"We know what happened. But maybe we can help you...you can't just push everyone away." I smile sadly. "Trust me, I know."
"I know that." She says softly. "But…"
"You need your space." She nods, and then she looks at me with sad eyes.
"I mean, I'm confused. Finding out who killed your surrogate little brother, and then it turns out that the person who killed him was your half brother you didn't even know about until how many months ago. It's messed up. Who wouldn't be confused?"
I nod. "Yeah." I wouldn't really know about that, but I get it. She's confused, and she needs time to think. "Life really is complicated"
"I remember wanting to kill the man who murdered my brother along with The Joker to get revenge. But…"
I sigh. "I know." I say heavily.
She walks closer to me and puts her pale hand on my shoulder. I tense, but then my shoulder calms, knowing that it's a friendly gesture. She smiles at me. "It's cool that we finally got along, you know? Neither of us are on our own anymore."
I smile back.
"I mean. Don't get mad but, to me, you're a really cool sister."
I'm slightly taken aback. "Sister?" She suddenly lets go of my shoulder.
"Yeah...you know how sisters work. They fight, but they also get along. And they don't need to have the same parents to be sisters."
I smile at her and nod. "Yeah. It's nice to know what it's like to have a sister."
She looks at her watch. "Well I have to go." She pats my shoulder and moves towards the window. "Don't you dare ratt me out." She gives me a half-hearted glare, and I smirk.
"Depends." She flashes a half smile.
Her eyes suddenly brighten. "Almost forgot." She walks to the bed and takes some kind of old music box that was placed on the bed. She hands it to me. "Take care of that thing would ya?"
"I never thought you were one for sentimentality."
"I am, okay? Nothing's wrong with that! Just keep it for me okay?"
"What is it anyways?" I observe the thing.
"It is what it looks like. A music box. Plays my mom's favorite song."
I nod and hold onto it. "Oh, okay."
She starts to climb out the window. "Hey uh, when you get back...you and I are gonna watch Supernatural, okay? You have to watch it. No questions asked. And then you're going to try Alfred's hot chocolate." I smile.
She nods. "Yeah sure, okay."
"And then you can help us decorate the house for Christmas and the Christmas tree too. It's a lot of fun." Especially now, with the entire family together. "And since you're the youngest, you'll probably get to put the star on the tree." Then I chuckle, remembering something. "Unless Damian tries to kill you for it."
She smirks. "He can try to."
"When you get back, whenever that is, you're going to have Christmas with us, got it?" For some reason, I sound like a naive little girl talking to her only sister.
"Okay, and I'll try to get you the gift you want." She says.
"Great, same here." Although I'm not sure what she would want.
Her eyes fly to the bed where a nice big teddy bear is laying.
"Give Jason my thanks. And tell everyone else, I said 'hi!'"
I nod. "Okay."
She gives me a tiny warm smile and I return it genuinely. "See ya." Some sort of sadness flickers in her eyes, but then it quickly gets replaced by warmth "I'll be back. I promise."
I smile. "Well duh. You're going to have to spend at least a week during the break to take the exams."
"Ugh don't remind me."
"Hey I'm not the one who's super emotionally unstable!"
She's about to jump out the window when I remember something. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Happy birthday." I say to her.
She turns her head. "Thanks Chris."
Then she jumps out.
****Break***
Alfred's POV
I am always the first to wake to be able to accomplish my duties for the day. I move around the kitchen to start with the day. I notice a yellow sticky note stuck to the fridge. I carefully take it from the fridge and read it.
As I read it, a small smile creeps up my wrinkled old lips, knowing who the note has come from. And knowing that she is alive and well.
I carefully keep the note and tuck it away gently, and then I continue to go through my duties with a lighter pressure on my shoulders. I start dusting around the manor and sweeping the floors of lounging rooms.
Moments pass when everyone else starts to wake and get ready to go to school. And so I start breakfast.
"Hey Al." Jason walks in the kitchen first. I raise an eyebrow.
"You are up quite early Master Jason. Is something wrong?"
He simply shakes his head and frowns.
"I'm afraid breakfast is not ready yet."
"It's okay Al." He says tiredly.
"How about you and I sit down and talk for a while. I have just finished preparing tea."
He smiles at me and nods. "Okay."
****Break****
The sun is not in the sky yet, and the clouds are quite thick considering the snowy days, leaving a light shadow of a gray day.
Jason and I sit in front of each other, enjoying warm cups of tea."It...was a nightmare…" He begins, eyes still downcast.
I have known about his nightmares. He would always get them even before his resurrection. Everyone living under this roof has had their share of terrifying nightmares. But the traumatizing facts of dying and then coming back will make the nightmares worse.
After all the boy has been through...
"What was this nightmare about?"
I have missed this quite a lot. Many years ago, when Master Bruce was not home, Jason and I would sit in this very kitchen table enjoying cups of tea and talking, talking about anything really.
He shakes his head, swallowing the lump in his throat. "It's...just a nightmare."
I frown. "No, it's not. You need to tell me or it will stay there forever."
He looks at me.
He starts to tell me what all his nightmares are about. That mad man, the warehouse in the Middle East, the crowbar...
"But Alfred...nothing hurt more than finding out that Bruce hadn't avenged me." He whispers.
****Break****
Autumn's POV
Ah, yes. I miss this suit.
I smirk, throwing on the leather jacket and strapping on a belt. I look out the hole of the boarded window and notice that the sun is finally going down. I ruffle through the duffle bag and pull out my blood red domino mask.
Honestly, I don't even have armour on anymore. The Bat took it, so all I've got is a gray shirt, a leather jacket, and a pair of black leather gloves. Plus the usual cargo pants and combat boots.
In the manor, I kept my leather jacket, gloves, and cargo pants in plain sight, like it's just a part of my wardrobe, so no one really bothered to take it. My gloves and belt were at the back of the closet. I didn't bother to take another belt or my sash of ammo anymore (mostly 'cause the rest of my gear was in the cave and I was not willing to risk it).
And my mask was hidden in between the pages of the book called DEATH. Ah, yes, the irony in that. And no one tried to even open that book, so it was pretty safe.
I don't need much weapons for this trip. Just a grappling gun, a pistol filled with ammo, a few ninja stars, some rope, a knife, and something else.
I was able to keep myself alive by staying in my crappy old apartment, and I just had to make do with the reeking stench of rotting wood. I'd just sleep on the floor, listening to the wind howl. And my source of food was every convenience store down the block.
After R had left, I told him that everything would be alright in the end. He offered to help me and tried to convince me to go back, but I said 'no' to both his arguments and yes, I won.
I look at my phone and read the text message from an unknown number. Then my phone buzzes and I answer it quickly. "What?!" I growl.
"You know where to go later." The voice is deep, using a voice modulator.
I narrow my eyes. "I know where to go."
"And you know the exact time." I clench my teeth. "Don't be late. Because you know what will happen if you are late."
I start to grind my teeth.
"12 o' clock sharp. Is that clear?"
"Crystal."
I can feel him smirk on the other line. "Good. Just called to check in with you."
"I will be there!" I yell and quickly hang up and throw the phone on the floor. I take a deep breath and exhale it. Just one last time, I'm putting on the mask. One last time. And I can't let Phoenix take over.
But why Autumn? Don't you think it's better that we're joined together?
"No. Now shut up. Besides, this is going to be the last time I'll let you take over, just one last time." I put on the red mask. I narrow my eyelets, stuff my phone in one of my pockets, fold the blueprints and the schedules, and grab my duffle bag.
I take one last look at the crappy apartment and frown, then I jump out of the window, wearing all my gear and holding onto the duffle bag.
****Break****
"Punch in the codes. Now." I give him my best death glare while holding my gun to his head.
"I-I thought y-you were d-dead?" The man holds his hands up behind his head.
"If I'm dead then how am I holding this gun to your head right now?" I flick off the safety. "Now. Punch in the codes."
"N-no…" He stammers out of pure fear. "Y-you don't know what hell you'll unleash."
I narrow my eyes. "I know very well." I grip onto the strap of my duffle bag. "I've got unfinished business with this psycho. Now. Do what I tell you to!" I growl.
I would just do it the easy way and burn it, but that would just set off an alarm and it could possibly let The Joker out.
"NOW!" I press the barrel of my gun on his head harder. He winces and punches in the codes.
Once the door opens, I hit him with the barrel of my gun and he falls to the floor unconscious.
"I'm sorry!"
"Shut up!"
I walk into the dark, damp hallway. From here, I can hear the echoing cackling. "Now. Which one of the birdies are here to pay a visit to Uncle J?" He giggles. I open the door and walk in.
I face the mad man, chained down to the ground, wearing a white straight jacket. I drop the duffle bag on the ground. "My, my, my. Who could this little pretty girlie be?" He asks, curiously.
I narrow my eyelets. "You've met me before. But you probably wouldn't remember. Out of all the souls you've tortured, I'm just one of them. Except I am capable of more things than any average human being.
I close the door behind me and zip open my bag. "Ooh! Treats! What could it be?" He says excitedly. I grin when I pull out a crowbar.
"You know what I've heard…" I swing the crowbar around. "I've heard that a man in a red helmet beat you up with the same weapon…" I smirk, and then slightly cock my head. "...and vice versa."
"Oooh, how interesting! So you know Bird Boy number 2! Now, how do you know the kid, eh?" He giggles. "Tell me the story! Tell me!"
I narrow my eyes at him and swing the crowbar as hard as I can and hit his face. He grunts. I clench my teeth and swing it again. "The lives you've ruined. The lives you've destroyed!" I yell. "And all you do is laugh!?" I hit him with it again.
He coughs up blood. "Well...yeah…" He struggles to talk. "Why else do you think I'm called The Joker?" He tries to cackle only to spit out more blood. I hit him again and again, letting the cold metal dig into his pale white flesh.
Blood splatters on the wall, on my hands, and on my face. I don't care if I'm tainted by blood. This isn't about some sort of self righteous justice. It's about revenge. Slowly and painfully killing The Joker. Ending this mad man's life.
"I like this new little kiddie...so angry…" He grins inhumanely.
"SHUT UP!" I swing the crowbar again.
He's the reason why my brother died! BOTH of them! He tortured Jason! He killed my big brother! He's the reason why Jason is suffering! Why my brother died. Why my mother killed herself. Why my dad is dead and haunting me. The Joker is the reason why we're all suffering!
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" I scream and hit him and again and again and again and again! "YOUR FAULT!"
And all he does is laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh.
Half of everything that I've been through is all because of him! ALL BECAUSE OF THIS MAD MAN!
"HAHAHAHEHEHEHEHEHEHOHOHOHOHOHOHOH!" I scowl, trying to release every pint of anger I have on every single blow with the crowbar. But I've been keeping all my emotions inside me too much. I don't know if this will ever end.
"Stop!"
"Shut the f*** up!"
"Don't let it take over! STOP!"
"NO!"
"You know what Joker you're right...one bad day can turn someone crazy."
****Break****
Dick's POV
"We're checking it out now." Robin and I stop our bikes with a loud 'screech' right in front of Arkham Asylum where a lot of police cars are parked with their sirens on. "Commissioner Gordon."
He turns around and faces us. "Nightwing. Robin."
The three of us walk into the Asylum, down the hallway, and past the other prisoners. "Someone broke in somehow. You wouldn't believe what the man did in here."
"Who got out?" Robin asks as we continue to walk.
Gordon shakes his head. "That's the thing. No one was busted out. The whole point of the break in was just to break in, make a mess, and then get out."
"Wait hold up. What did the guy do anyways?"
"You wouldn't believe what he did." We enter a room and at the same time two men on a gurney are being carried out, but neither of them seem to be severely harmed. The room isn't big. There's a computer behind a glass and then another heavily locked door with a keypad on the side.
"This is The Joker's cell." Damian announces.
Gordon nods. "Yeah, it is."
Two GCPD officers are examining the area, searching for some kind of evidence as to who the culprit is.
We walk down the dark hallway and The Commissioner opens the door to a dark, cemented room.
"He didn't want anything else, but to do this..."
Bloody chains lay on the ground. The walls are speckled with blood, and a figure of a lunatic laying in the center surrounded by two paramedics and GCPD soldiers is in view.
Robin and I narrow our eyes at the man who simply laughs and laughs even in this state. "I say we let him die." Robin says. I couldn't agree more, but I ignore the comment.
"That's all the culprit wanted. Obviously had some unfinished business with The Joker."
A lot of people want revenge against this lunatic, but I only know two people crazy enough to pull a stunt like this. One of them is still at home, but the other has been missing for a few days.
"Robin, call Red. Ask him if-"
"Got it." He walks out of the room. I kneel down next to The Joker's beat up face and narrow my eyes at him, doing my best impression of Batman. "
Hello Bird Boy number 1!" He grins. "I'm guessing you wanna know who did this to your old Uncle J?"
It would be so much easier to let him die.
"Well first off, there was a crowbar!"
Wasn't that gig already done before?
"Ooh and then an angry frail little girl! A feisty one, she is. Walkin' around with all that anger bubbling inside her, it's hilarious! Reminds me of someone…" He ponders for a while. I clench my teeth. "She looks like someone I killed and then came back!" I punch him in the face and knock him out. I stand up and turn around to face The Commish.
Robin steps inside beside the Commissioner. "He didn't-"
"I know." I nod at him and he looks at me.
"Uh...is this some kind of Robin to Robin mental conversation? Because I need to know who the culprit is."
****Break****
Bruce's POV
"Not to point fingers or anything, but...Autumn did it. Or Phoenix did anyways." Nightwing says over the comm link. I narrow my eyes at the road. I drive in silence for a moment when someone else connects to the com link.
"Guys…" I hear Chris' voice.
"What are you doing in the cave?" I growl.
"Not right now, Batman. I just got a distress call...and it's from...Autumn…" Chris says, her tone with slight confusion.
"That's not like Autumn to call for help." Tim says.
"No. It's not." Damian agrees. "Phoenix is too arrogant to call for help."
"Chris, where is she?" Nightwing asks.
"In the abandoned carnival down by the docks. That's where the distress call came from." If Phoenix asks for help, it could be serious trouble. I can't risk anyone else getting hurt.
"I don't think she's in serious trouble. She can't be, can she?" Red Robin asks, unsure.
"Well, why else would she send a distress call?"
"Guys, this is Phoenix, not Autumn. She could be trying to mess with our heads." A long heavy silence over the com link.
"Nightwing does have a point. Autumn is our friend, but Phoenix...not so sure…" And then there's that. Phoenix could be back to her old ways. I can't risk it.
A long silence. "Father. What do you think?"
I take a deep breath. "Nightingale, send the coordinates to my GPS. Nightwing, take Red Robin and Robin home. I'm going in alone."
"Wait, Bruce-"
"No. That's final. I can't risk it. If Phoenix really is in trouble, then whoever her enemy is could be powerful. Or maybe Phoenix could have finally taken over and she would be back."
"No. Cross wouldn't-"
"Just listen to me, all of you. We all know that she is mentally unstable I can't risk what happened last time to happen again. I don't want any of you getting hurt." More emotionally than physically. "Chris, make sure Jason's still at home and make sure that he doesn't find out."
"Don't worry Dad. He's asleep."
"Good. Nightwing, take your brothers home."
"Dad-"
"Don't disobey my orders."
"But Bruce-"
"Don't worry. Whatever happens, I'll be back, and I'll bring your sister home." I can hear Nightwing sigh on the other line.
"Okay...just...be safe Bruce."
"I will. Batman out."
Once I get the coordinates on the GPS of the Bat Mobile, I slam the gas pedal.
I'm only slightly surprised that the place where that distress call is coming from is the carnival by the docks. The one that was shut down because a kidnapping took place there and The Joker nearly burned down one of the rides. That was the carnival where Autumn was kidnapped by the very Mad Man who caused us all misery.
And just a few miles away from the carnival was where the same Lunatic had burned that
child's father with acid.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Really! They boost our confidence and make us super excited! We know we don't have many readers but having cool readers like you guys, with all the constructive criticism and the awesome comments, are all that's really keeping this story going! Okay, so the dates are pretty mixed up, but this is all happening at least a few days before Christmas and to confirm it, Autumn's birthday is on the 15th. Don't worry! You'll get your Christmas chapter!