Devil's Playground • Gotham Fanfiction •

IV - Somebody Else

"That's the worst way to miss somebody. When they're right beside you and you miss them anyway." - Pittacus Lore, I Am Number Four

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Bird stared out of the window in her car as her driver made his way through the morning traffic.
She was scooted down in her seat some watching the other cars and city buildings blur by.

It was days like today that Bird had a hard time understanding how the rest of the world seemed to function.

Days like today where she'd much rather have stayed in bed. Even if sleep was evading her again. Laying around her house sounded much better than having to get up, shower and pretend to be human.

The last few days had been nothing but a mess.

She hadn't seen or spoken to Jim since they'd parted ways in the woods behind the mansion where the F.B.I. had been holding Strange.

She'd gotten a call on her landline phone the night before but when she'd answered, the other person had hung up.
Her first thought was maybe it was Jim, but now she felt like maybe that was more hopeful thinking on her end.

Oswald had confided in her his plans to challenge Mayor James in the upcoming election and she'd promised to help him as much as she could.

But top of the list of what was currently weighing heavily on her mind was 514A.
Subject 514A, that was.

Another Arkham escapee -who also happened to be an exact clone of Bruce.

She'd been at Wayne Manor the night 514A had found his way there.
He seemed just as confused as to why he looked like Bruce as the rest of them were.

He'd been a test subject at Indian Hill, who'd escaped on the same bus that Fish had.

Alfred had argued that they needed to turn him over to someone, but Bruce had argued that clone or not, 514A was a person and should have the rights any other person would.
He didn't want to see him locked back up somewhere and tested on.

Bird wasn't sure where she stood in that argument.
Her first and foremost concern was for her brother of course and she didn't want some clone of his running around the city and making trouble for Bruce.

But, 514A looked just like her brother. His voice was a little different and his hair hadn't been cut in years, but the face was nearly identical and because of that, she wasn't sure she could stomach turning him over to someone and not knowing what would happen.

So the trio had fed the clone, let him shower and gave him some clean clothes to wear until they could figure out what they were going to do with him.

The last time she'd spoke to Bruce on the phone the day before, he'd filled her in on the latest developments with 514A, who Bird had started calling 'Five'.

Five had been wandering Wayne Manor again and stumbled upon Bruce and Alfred boxing.
Bruce had given him his gloves and let him have an turn.

Despite claiming to have no prior training, Five had caught on quickly and landed some blows with Alfred.
Bruce told Bird that he was quicker than your average person and stronger too.

Which only caused Bird to remember back to trying to fight Azrael and finding it physically impossible with the enhanced speed and strength he had after Professor Strange's experiments on him.

But that wasn't all Bruce had shared with her.
Apparently Five also didn't feel physical pain.

He'd gotten burnt and didn't feel it. Alfred had landed a direct hit to his face, causing the clone to have a severe nose bleed and Five claimed it didn't hurt at all. That he hadn't even felt it.