Chapter 7: Fleeing

"I knew it," Robert said with satisfaction. Superman was too shocked for words while Wonder Woman looked ticked. "You, my friend, are on a one-way ticket to the Monster Prison Camp." Batman's eye filled with horror before forming a piercing glaring at him.

"I'm not going back there," Batman declared.

"I don't think you have much of a choice," Robert said. Batman pulled out smoke bombs as Robert said that. "You're coming with me." Batman dropped them and smoke filled the room. Batman used that as a cover to slid out of the lasso. Superman slammed him into the wall once he was free.

"Don't make me have to hurt you," Superman told him. Batman pulled out his kryptonite ring and Superman dropped to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Kent," Batman muttered. He ran to the window and started unbolting it as the smoke started to clear.

Wonder Woman found Superman on the floor groaning. She ran up to him.

"You all right?" Wonder Woman asked. Superman shook his head. She looked around to see if she could see Batman. No luck.

Batman had the window unlocked and now it was open. He had one foot out the window when Robert saw him.

"There!" Robert yelled as he pointed to Batman. Batman quickly slipped out the window and jumped heading straight for the rocks below. Robert ran towards the window and saw Batman turn into a bat before he hit the rocks. Robert felt anger rise up in him. "You haven't seen the last of me! I'll find you John Valjean!" Batman kept flying away from the Watchtower.

Batman kept flying until he reached Bludhaven and even then he didn't stop. He was still a bat and he was at the edge of the city looking for the cliff-side. He then found a large cliff and flew inside. Once he landed he transformed back into his human form. Then a woman walked out of the cave carrying a torch. She had long black curly and messy hair, her eyes were a dark brown that was almost black, her face was as white as a sheet, and her dress was black and brown and hung low on her breasts, tight, and strapless. She gave him a crocked smile.

"Welcome to our inn, stranger," the woman said in a seductive tone as she swayed in a slithering like motion. It sent a wave of fright down his spine.

"Are you Thenardier?" Batman asked. She nodded and gestured for him to come in. Batman followed her hesitantly and they walked into the cave. Batman found himself in a hobbit-hole like structured cavern but it was more toxic than cozy. The place smelled of alcohol and sweat and monsters were lying all over the tables and the floor. It gave off a dangerous vibe that seemed to say, "Death awaits you". The woman stopped and Batman saw a man standing next to her. He was a tall man, about 8' 3", had blonde hair, brown eyes, and he gave Batman a crooked smile which enabled Batman to see his that his teeth were crooked and some were missing. He muttered, " Must be half-giant."

"Well what can I do for you stranger?" the large man said. Batman looked around the room and saw in the northwest corner a small girl about ten with short raven hair, soft brown eyes, and dark tan skin. She was wearing a ragged dress and her face was covered with dirty and she was scrubbing the floor and briefly looked up and saw Batman looking at her. He gave her a semi-smile and she returned it fully. Thenardier catch on and redirected her attention to the small girl. She gave the small girl a glare that radiated coldness. This wiped the smile off the girl's face and she resumed her work.

"Do you need a room?" Thenardier asked. "Or would you prefer a drink?"

"I'm looking for someone," Batman informed her. "Her name is Cassandra Cain." The girl shot up like a bullet and Thenardier and the other man shocked in surprise. "Her mother sent me here to retrieve her."

"Oh um..." Thenardier started trying to recompose herself. "Well..." Batman saw that Thenardier was looking at the little girl. He turned and walked towards her slowly. "Hey!" He sat down next to her and she looked up at him.

"What's your name?" Batman asked gently.

"Cassandra," she told him. "Cassandra Cain. But everyone calls me Cassie." Batman smiled and looked over his shoulder to see the Thenardier and the half-giant.

"Now sir...we promised her mother..." Thenardier started.

"Her mother wants me to take care of her," Batman interrupted. "Since she...can no longer. She passed away a few hours ago."

"Oh," Thenardier said in a mixer of surprise and intrigue. "Well that's...tragic." She said tragic with such insincerity that you knew she didn't mean it.

"Mommy's gone?" Cassandra questioned. Batman turned his attention back to her. He nodded and she hugged him as she cried. He stood up but he was still holding her close to his chest.

"She's coming with me," Batman told them. "Any objections?"

"Sir...we.." the half-giant started. Batman pulled out, from his belt, a handful of Romanian gold coins and displayed them to the two. The half-giant looked at him and gave him a wicked grin. "Deal." Batman dropped the coins into his waiting hands and gently led Cassandra outside.

A pair of bats emerged into the Bat Cave and landed in front of the stairs. They changed back into their human forms and Batman gently led her upstairs. He opened the exit and they walked into the manor. Cassandra looked around in awe.

"This is where you live?" Cassandra asked in astonishment. She had never seen a place any more grand and cozy.

"Yes, and now so do you," Batman responded. Cassandra looked at him in joyful surprise.

"Is this a dream?" Cassandra asked. Batman shook his head.

"No," Batman replied. "It's not." Cassandra's smile grew wider and then her stomach growled. "When was the last time you ate?"

"I don't eat," Cassandra said. "I drink blood." Batman almost face-palmed himself at his stupidity. He KNEW that and that's what he was implying but leave it to a ten year old to be literal.

"When was the last time you drank?" Batman corrected himself.

"A few days ago," Cassandra informed him. Batman walked into the kitchen, with Cassandra in tow, and opened the fridge. He pulled out a test tube full of blood and handed it to Cassandra.

"Try not to get any of it on the floor," Batman told her. "It's almost impossible to clean up." Cassandra struggled trying to get the cap off of the tube. She yanked and pulled but the cork wouldn't budge. "You want some help with that." She shook her head and then she finally got the cap off. But she was pulling it out it was easier than she expected and this surprised her causing her to loose her balance and spill onto Batman. The tube was half full now. Batman looked down at his blood soaked breastplate and then at Cassandra. She blushed in utter embarrassment before noticing that Batman was chuckling. Cassandra smiled.

"What is going on here?!" Alfred exclaimed when he came into the kitchen. Batman and Cassandra froze. Alfred then noticed Batman's blood covered breastplate and frowned. "Well, I see it took the two of you no time at all to get blood all over my nice clean floor."

"Sorry, sir," Cassandra responded. "I accidentally spilled it all over him."

"Well you'll have to clean that before you go to bed," Alfred said.

"Yes Alfred," Batman replied. Alfred turned his attention to the young girl.

"Hello miss, my name is Alfred Pennyworth," Alfred said gently. "What's your name?"

"I'm Cassandra, sir," she responded. "But I prefer Cassie."

"Well it's nice to meet you Miss Cassandra," Alfred said. "Welcome to Wayne Manor. Oh, by the way, Master Dick, Master Timothy, and Miss Gordon are in the cave and are demanding to see you. It seems Robert Hood found out about you."

"I know," Batman responded. "I'll go talk to them after I clean this blood off."

Batman walked down the stairs to cave filled with dread. Alfred was right; he should have told them earlier. He saw them gather around his computer in uniform and looking very hurt and angry.

"Is it true?" Robin demanded. "Are you a vampire?" Batman sighed.

"Yes," Batman responded.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Nightwing exclaimed.

"It didn't seem like a big deal," Batman said.

"But being an escaped vampire criminal is," Batgirl responded coldly. "We trusted you. How could lie to us about something like this!"

"Seriously, you couldn't even wait two days for parole," Robin added.

"If I had waited I would have been dissected alive," Batman told them angrily. The three were taken aback by that. "You don't what they did to us in there. I did something wrong and deserved what I got there. But there were several who were innocent but were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They..." He paused. "They did unspeakable things to us in there especially the women. Parole was a lie. They would let you go only to capture you again somewhere close by and preform dissections on you while you are still alive." He breathed heavily and was trying to hold back tears as he remember the horrors from his time as a prisoner. The others were frozen in horror not sure of how to approach this. Batman took a breath and calmed down. "Let me start from the beginning. When I was eighteen, I was arrested for stealing a blood bag from a blood bank. The reason was to save my vampire friend who was dying and it was easiest and quickest way to get blood. So I went to a nearby blood bank disguised as a robber and with some make-up on so they wouldn't recognize me as Bruce Wayne."

"How did you get caught?" Nightwing asked.

"They were expecting me," Batman said. "So they caught me in the attack even though I hadn't set off an alarms. I fled and was running in an alley where my friend who was "dying" was waiting for me. I gave him the bag and then he sucker punched me and left me for the cops. So by the time the cops arrived he had already fled."

"But why?" Batgirl asked.

"Because we were in love with the same girl," Batman responded. "She was a good friend of ours and we both liked her. But she was more leaning towards me."

"So he got rid of you," Nightwing finished. Batman nodded.

"Afterward I was taken to trial and sentenced to five years in the Monster Prison Camp," Batman informed them. "And...I'd rather not discuss the rest."

"That's okay," Batgirl said.

"But why did you tell them your name was John Valjean?" Robin said. "That's not ACTUALLY your name, right?" Batman shook his head.

"No," Batman responded. "But I couldn't tell them my real name so I gave them a fake one. I surprised they bought it for so long. They never even questioned it."

"John Valjean?" Nightwing muttered. "OH! Very clever."

"What's very clever?" Robin asked.

"There's a character in a movie called Les Miserables named Jean Valjean," Nightwing explained. "And Jean was arrested for stealing a loaf of bread and was sentenced to five years in a labor camp for the crime and then for fourteen extra for fleeing the scene. Very clever. The situation is very similar."

"That's why I picked it," Batman responded.

"And you know it was originally a book before it was a movie?" Batgirl said.

"Yes," Nightwing responded. "Almost every great movie is based off of a book. Like Harry Potter, Count of Monte Cristo..."

"So what are you going to now?" Robin asked.

"As of right now, I planning on laying low and taking care of Cassie," Batman told them. They raised their eyebrows.

"Cassie?" Nightwing questioned.

"I rescued her mother but she died due to lack of blood," Batman answered. "I promised her that I'd take care of her daughter. So for now I need to focus on that."

Batman changed out of his uniform and into regular clothes, a black t-shirt and red and black plaid fuzzy pajama pants, and went to the guest room where Cassie would be staying. He knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?" Bruce asked.

"Yes," Cassie responded. Bruce opened the door and saw the young girl sitting up but still nuzzled under the covers. Bruce smiled and sat next to her.

"How are you?" Bruce asked.

"Okay," Cassie said. "I still think I'm dreaming."

"I know it's a lot to take in," Bruce responded. "But believe when I say, this isn't a dream."

"But what if my father..." Cassie started. "What if..." She started crying.

"Ssssshhh," Bruce said as he wrapped her in an embrace. "It's okay. You're safe. I promise. You're safe."