The Bat's New Protégé

Chapter 8

The rest of the group decided to come back with me and Dick to the Wayne Manor, which pleasantly surprised Alfred when he came to pick us up to see all eight of us waiting for him.

We walk through the front door, me being quicker than the others and I run up to my room to put my bags away which I managed to steal back from Kaldur.

As I take the trip up the stairs, my body starts to feel heavy and my vision starts to go foggy. I manage to make it to my room when my body gives out and I pass out.

Hours later

When my eyes open, I realise I'm not in the Manor. I sit up quickly, dizzy spots blocking my vision for a moment.

Where..where am I? Am I even in Gotham?

I drag myself to stand, using the wall as support and I look around myself.

What happened?

I start to feel some sort of substance on my hands, my eyes follow down my arms until they reach what I'm looking for. A sick feeling develops in my stomach instantly.

Blood...

Tears spring to my eyes as panic starts to overwhelm my thoughts, my breathing becomes choppy as I frantically look around the area.

I-I can't see anything.

It's too dark, I need to move. I drag my heavy legs to walk, keeping a hand against the wall to stop any chance of collapsing low.

A sudden thud sounds from behind me, I gasp out and slowly turn with fearful eyes. Out from the shadows emerges a guy with a bow and..a robot arm?

Is this a new thing? Having robot appendages?

The buzzcut guy walks towards me with caution, which is understandable considering I've got blood on my hands and who knows where else.

"Miss, are you alright?" The guy asks, putting his bow into the quiver hanging on his back as he sees the state I'm in. My head shakes at his question and I answer, "I-I don't..." My voice comes out scratchy and faint, making me even more confused than I already am.

He comes closer to me, carefully reaching to grab onto my shoulders. "Can you walk?" He asks, looking down before reaching my gaze. I nod, swallowing back a fear filled sob as he puts an arm around my ribs and he helps me walk despite my answer.

Turns out this guy is known as Arsenal, which is what he told me as he led me to the police station. Once we got seen by an officer, I got placed into a private room. As it seems, I'm in Star City, not Gotham.

How did I get here?

My gaze never leaves my blood stained hands, wandering just whose blood this is. Just as my thoughts goes down a dark path, the door to the room opens and in walks in Arsenal.

He sits on the couch opposite me with a sigh, he leans forward and cups his hands together. "I'm gonna need some answers, otherwise the police are keeping you here as a suspect for a crime." Arsenals tells me bluntly.

I look at the one armed man in disbelief and worry.

Crime? I don't even know what I did.

I speak to him quietly as I explain, "I-I don't even know what happened." I look back down to my hands with a tearful expression. "One moment, I'm at the Wayne Manor in Gotham and then I pass out, and then I'm here."

God, I bet I sound crazy.

Nothing is said for a moment, until it seems a light bulb lights up in his head. "Wait, did you say Wayne Manor?" He asks with furrowed brows, I nod in return.

He stands and mutters a quick, "Wait here," and then leaves. I sigh, leaning my head back against the couch.

An hour later

I'm broken out of my thoughts when the door suddenly reopens. I look up and see Bruce, he breathes a sigh of relief. "Dahlia." He walks inside, closing the door behind him and sits next to me. He looks between my face and bloody hands. "What happened?" He asks quietly with concern.

I shrug, looking down at them. "I passed out when we got back from shopping and then I wake up, and I'm in some alley with blood on my hands." I ramble out, panic written all over my face.

A hand gets placed on my shoulder and I turn to Bruce. "It's okay." He whispered slowly. I nod slowly, taking a shaky breath. "Let's get you out of here." Bruce shrugs his suit jacket off, placing around my shoulders gently.

I carefully tug it closer, pulling myself to stand up and follow my adopted father. I ignore the questioning stares of the officers, keeping my head down. "Thank you, Arsenal." I hear Bruce tell the vigilante, almost causing me to walk into his back as he suddenly stops.

I peek up slightly, seeing Arsenal look at me before nodding. "It's nothing." Before he walks off, he pats my shoulder almost in reassurance.

And with that, me and Bruce leave and head on home.