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Dianna's knuckles turned white as she gripped the podium. The bright expression drawn on her face contrasted the tightness of her fists. It was barely noticeable, an ordinary spectator would not look twice; the bold glint in her eyes made sure of that.
"Twenty-five million dollars were stolen. Forty-six million for historical reconstruction. And these people were allowed to walk away." The teen scoffed; her emotions were contagious to the crowd. "Oh, but I'm not talking only of these red-hooded robbers. . . this group of foreign vigilantes are to be held accountable as well.
"They waltzed into Gotham's National Bank, with Commissioner Gordon's authorization, I may add, risked everyone's lives and gave those criminals a police escort. They are nowhere to be found, now, of course."
Her tone, the sentiments that crossed her face─ It made one wonder whether her words were genuine. Was this her way of openly blowing out steam with the Titans? Or was she a great pretender?
"Give it up for our new heroes!" The sarcasm was clear, both in her voice and the slow clapping. Some members of the crowd wooed along. Dianna waited for them to calm down; rarely interrupting their expressiveness. "Other known issues have also arisen due to this attack.
"The State will fund the bank's structural repairs. And the money stolen is but less than forty percent of the bank's monthly profit." Dianna's gaze connected with the camera. "But what about the people? I don't see the Government assisting the hospitalized victims or offering any psychological aid to the children taken away from their parents. Where're those fundings?"
She cleared her throat. She'd once explained to the team that it allowed people to divulge the information thrown at them; it also gave her enough time to prepare her following words.
"In my guardian's absence, I must step forward in these situations. Wayne Foundation will grant financial assistance to these families. We usually do this silently, Bruce Wayne is not a man fond of humbling, but I felt the need to speak up. This incident struck too close to home.
"I came here tonight to remind you that, at the end of the day, it is our people we must trust. The connection we citizens share will never be forged by any vigilante that walks our streets. We keep each other safe, we maintain hope.
"Thank you for your time." Flashing a wry smile, the teen walked off the stage with her chin raised.
Artemisia remained watching the screen for a few more seconds ( even if Dianna was long gone ). People continued cheering for the girl. Something twisted in her gut at the sight. "Holy shit, she's good. Almost convinced me we were total assholes."
"We are," Marge spoke. She pushed her rolling chair across the room in the Batcave, stopping by her side. "One of the people at the hospital died. All because we couldn't─"
Taking both of her shoulders, Artemisia managed to silence the rookie hero. "Don't overthink it. We did what we could. What we were told to do. If we hadn't gone there, handled the situation, then all those cops would be dead, too."
