Innocent (A Treacherous Novel)

19

Gotham City, New Jersey

February 26, 2007

Ashley and Dick awoke in the early morning hours the next day to the thud of her father's boots as he came in in full batgear. He removed the mask from his head and grunted as he saw the two together. He looked angrier than Ashley had seen him before, and her ever-lingering pool of dread and fear reared its ugly head. "The Manor's clean" He confirmed, eyeing Alfred who looked like he was positively enjoying the scene in front of him. Bruce, however, looked like he was about to explode.

"Great" Ashley said to her father, giving him a thumbs-up before she began to go back to sleep.

"That means it's time to go home" Bruce said, raising an eyebrow. Ashley whined and groaned and Dick laughed lightly. "And get home quickly. I can't rule out them having posts all over the city and being ready to strike at any minute" He informed the two.

"Burn it at one sixty, got it" Dick confirmed. Ashley's eyes shot open and narrowed at the teenage boy.

"You're not going to give me a coronary because you want to drive like a bat out of hell" Ashley said when she realized her unintentional pun. "Get it? Because we're bats" She laughed and Dick shook his head. Bruce looked at his daughter in confusion before turning to Alfred.

"Well, don't ask me Master Wayne" Alfred said with a light smile and a nod. "She's your daughter" He reminded the Patriarch.

"On second thought, you two aren't leaving until sunrise" Bruce said and pinched his nose with a sigh. "You're all going to be the death of me" He groaned.

"No" Ashley denied. "Don't you bring me into your mess, the only person that's going to be the death of you is you" She emphasized to her father and raised her eyebrow. He sighed and looked down at his daughter and shook his head.

"I appreciate that you have so much confidence in me" Bruce began monotonously. "But you also underestimate your ability to drive me into an early grave" Bruce finished, walking off.

"I win" Ashley said, sticking out his tongue at Bruce's retreating figure.

"You're a mess" Dick yawned and closed his eyes, hoping to get some more sleep.

"I'm the mess?" Ashley asked after yawning. "Have you looked in the mirror lately? I'm the only damn thing holding you together" Ashley joked. Dick opened his mouth to argue but it shut when he realized while the statement wasn't entirely true, he did do his best throughout the years both knowingly and unknowingly. "Yeah that's what I thought" Ashley said and poked him on his nose.

"I still stand by you being a mess" He said as his only form of argument.

"Then I'm one hell of a tidy mess" Ashley joked. Dick fought the urge to call her his tidy mess, but he would deny it until every person believed his lie.

"If you're a tidy mess, I don't wanna see what you call a real mess" Dick said with a laugh.

"Well you have, multiple times" Ashley said. "Many times in fact" She jested. "So many times, it's astronomical really" she continued her joke.

"Oh?" Dick asked, interested.

"Yeah, his name is Bruce Wayne" Ashley shouted, hoping it was loud enough for her father to hear. "See also, Roy Harper" She laughed, before realizing how much she has missed Roy. "I kinda miss that asshole" She sighed, thinking about how she would have to annoy him later on in the day if she had a chance to speak with him.

"That is not something I would've ever thought would come from your mouth" Dick said and grabbed a hold of her face and turned it like he was looking for something. "This can't be the real Ashley Wayne, I'm calling bullshit" He joked. Ashley looked around to make sure Lucius, Alfred, and Bruce were nowhere in sight before she made any smart remark.