A Little Birdy Told Me (Bat Family)

Too Late

Bruce

We watched as the girl took the gun and shot the camera out. That was fifteen minutes ago. Jason and I walked up to the place and all the doors were open and it was quiet. We walked inside.

"I told you you should have floored it since we got out of the cave." Jason said, annoyed.

"Sh." I said quickly as I walked to the back of the store and found a door open that led to a dimly lit hallway. We stalked in, there was a fork in the road I kept straight and sent Jason the other way. There was an open door a light was in, I walked in tentatively and saw it was just an office that and that's how they were monitoring the girls.

"Uh, you should see this." I ran out the room and sprinted to Jason. He was kneeling on the floor in front of something.... My eyes widened as I saw it was the little girl, Roberta Clemmons. I checked her pulse.. No luck. I took my anger out on the floor next to her head and punched the cement.

"Who's there?" someone called from the end of the hall. Jason and I looked at each other. "Ben is that you? I thought you wouldn't be back till morning." we started walking toward him. "The girls got away, they couldn't have gone far, we'll be able to find them, and then some by Sunday." we got to the door and Jason unlocked it I heard him step back. "Ben-B-" I stepped in. "Batman?!" I punched him and knocked him out.

I pressed a button on my utility belt to notify the police in the area. "Make sure he stays down until the police come, I'm going to search for more clues on who his partner was." Jason nodded and grabbed some zip ties out of his belt and dragged the man's body over to a pipe.

Michelle

I split up with the girls after Andy pointed me in the direction of Gotham. She gave me a knife for protection and I accepted it gladly, I couldn't have another set back like this. Patty stuck with Andy while Olly and Lucky went their separate ways.

Now I was totally alone. I walked in the brisk fall darkness, quiet, alone. I couldn't help but think about Birdy. And as I thought about how much I wanted her next to me right then tears found their way to my eyes and they fell. I griped the knife in my coat pocket tighter. Eight years old. What did I know at eight? She was too young. Her blood was still on my shirt, soaked through to my belly. My coat covered it but I knew it was still there.

I stopped in my tracks and looked up at the sky, blinking away my tears. No stars were visible behind the city lights, sky scrapers, and fog. I thought about my last words to her. "You're coming with me." I whispered out loud. There I made a promise I would never forget her and I would find Chrissy with her in my heart. "First I have to find my parents, though." I sighed and started walking again.... Andy said something about a highway....

Bruce

I quickly got out of the Batmobile and went to turn on a training bot. Jason left quietly, which would have worried me had I not been so angry at myself. I turned the bot on its most difficult setting and started pounding away.

I hadn't even broken a sweat when the bot was turned off by Damian who I didn't even notice enter the cave. "What are you doing?" I questioned him, breaking my fighting stance .

"I thought you might want an actual challenge, father." he walked up to me.

I smirked. "Oh, is Dick here?" I looked around playfully. He growled and ran up to me swing his fist at me which I dodged. "Cassie, then?" I tried to hit me again and I kept dodging. "You didn't let a bad guy in here did you? What have I told you about that?"

He stopped. "That was one time-" he whined but I cut him off with a swing at his head which he expertly dodged and dropped to the ground, swinging his foot out he caught me off guard and I fell to the ground. He tried to jump on me but I rolled out of the way. He ran at me and I quickly got to my feet and kicked him in the gut. "Damian!" I called surprised. We both froze, him because I knocked the wind out of him, and me because I didn't really mean to hurt him.

He caught his breath and raised his head to glare at me. Uh-oh. He ran at me full force and now all I could do was block or take his hits, no room for dodging. I held back from hitting him again. We kept this up until we were both out of breath.

Alfred was waiting with water, sandwiches, and goldfish crackers, Damian's secret indulgence. My blood son took the crackers and went to sit in the seat in front of the Bat-computer. I took the water and Alfred sighed. He walked away muttering something like "Always watching their waist when I make snacks."

"Uh thanks Alfred." I called to him, and either he was out of earshot or he was ignoring me because he didn't reply.

"I keep telling you, you need a new butler." Damian smirked.

"Alfred's too good to us, I keep waiting for the day he's gonna pack up and leave us and our never ending dirty laundry." I laughed, stealing some of his crackers.

We were quiet for a while and then Damian spoke again. "You wanna talk about it?" he made eye contact with me.

"There's nothing to talk about really. One suspect behind bars, one still on the run. Five hostages missing, left to a dark a dangerous city, and one dead." I gritted my teeth.

Damian looked down, finally understanding why I was in a bad mood. "It's not your fault." he said quietly.

"You sure?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." he nodded.

I looked at the Bat-computer time. 3 A.M. wow. "It's late, you have school in the morning." I made him stand and we exited the cave. We went our separate ways.

"Night, Dad." he called to me and I stopped in my tracks and looked back at him, that was only the third time he called me that and it filled my heart with joy. He didn't look back just went into his room and closed the door.