Simply Broken

2

"Okay, that's the third kid I've found wandering around Crime Alley without a parent in sight." You said, letting the child go who was shaking out of fear. Having to make your way to the bus's with him on your back and his arms over your shoulders. He couldn't be any older than seven, and he only stopped crying when he was able to see the bus's.

"I can go back and find anybody else in the area if you give me the keys to the Batmo-"
"No."
"But-"
"I said no. After this, I want you on that bus leaving Gotham." Batman said, once the child was out of sight and heading onto the bus that was filled with children that got separated from their parents in all the rush. It's only been three hours since the warning, which means there's twenty one hours left. Most of Gotham had been evacuated by now. But ever now and then there would be a cry of a child or the screaming of a mother who had lost her kid in the mess. Or just some drunk who didn't see a reason in doing anything anymore.

"What? But I'm helping." You backed yourself up, stepping back and crossing your arms. The area you and your father were speaking in was secluded, nobody else around. It was raining pretty hard, as it usually does in Gotham. Not even the fact you were wearing a red sweater under a denim jacket was helping the cold very much. At least it wasn't snowing like the last incident. Since it's been a while since you cut your hair, the long locks of (H/c) hung out in a loose ponytail and your bangs swept to the side. You were wearing casual clothing, with jeans and a pair of black boots. The only thing he gave you in terms with defending yourself, knowing nothing could stop you from helping put people on bus's? A pair of gloves that had metal plating on the knuckles. That's it. Sure, you had mace. But your father, Batman, didn't give you anything else but that.

"You'll-"
"And don't even say that I'll get in the way. You know I can help. This is just another one of Scarecrow's attempts to get to you. Just that, nothing more-" He cut you off just as you had cut him off, stepping forwards and jabbing an index finger at you.

"It's rumored Scarecrow isn't working alone. I haven't found anything else so far, it's too early to tell. But I'm not going to let you stay here. Get on that bus, now. That's the last bus out of Gotham. If I have to drive you out of the city myself I'll do just that." The rain was pouring down now, rolling down the black cowl he wore over his face. A stern look being seen, clenched jaw and teeth grit together after he finished speaking. You're over the age of eighteen, you're not a kid anymore. But he just can't seem to get that through his head. He keeps remembering what happened to Jason whenever you ask to be apart of something. And what does that mean? It means he always says no.

Bruce said it harshly, he made it sound blunt. It almost sounded hurtful, and he didn't mean for it to come out like that. But if it got his point across? He didn't care, as long as you were safe.

He let out a sigh, placing his middle and index finger up to the mask where his temple was and looked down at the ground. Repeating his reasons in his head why he didn't want you involved, yet you've been asking to help since you were old enough to understand these things. Old enough to be able to talk about your dad and hide the fact he was Batman. constantly being told as a child that this is a secret very important, more than that. Old enough to understand that this wasn't just some game and it's all real. That age was ten.

It was short lived, but when he let his eyes trail back to you? He stepped closer and let his arms wrap around you in the form of a hug. As any other hug you have with your father, it felt weird. He never just hugs you like any normal father does. And with a small amount of pressure on your back? You knew what the motive was.

"Thanks for trusting me." You mumbled, shoving out of his grasp and pushing off of him before making your way to the bus. Ignoring the tracker on your back as you got onto the bus, stepping up individual step.

While you sat in the bus, you looked out the window and saw your father watching the bus as it slowly left the large gates that surrounded Gotham, making sure you were out of the city and safe. As if he didn't even trust knowing that you got onto the bus was enough.

While the bus continued to go out of the city, in a traffic behind all the cars and other bus's? You took off your jacket and pulled the tracker off of the denim fabric, holding the piece in your left hand.

Like he hasn't done this before? Sticking one in your backpack when you started going to a private school, after you told him you didn't want to be home schooled anymore. Sticking one on you whenever you said you were going off to a friends house just to make sure you weren't off with Jason whenever the Robin suit was out of it's case.

You always knew how to get out of it, leave it in place. Then go back to it every now and then and move it around as if you were walking around a house. Or go back to it because sometimes? He had a habit of sending Dick out to go and check up on you.

Which is something he would do in this case, assuming you'd just go to a friends place or the safe house he has outside of the city. And then what, that you'd actually stay put? That you wouldn't just leave it there? He's planned ahead for stuff like this, and since Dick's in Bludhaven, and knowing who your father is? He probably isn't going to accept help from almost anybody. He's probably gonna push Tim away too.

But you can't exactly just come and go between the safe house outside of Gotham and to Gotham as you please. The bus ride as it is? It's going to be at least three hours. That makes it eighteen more hours left until the city is doused in fear gas.

You could take a nap on the bus, knowing you'll need your seep. Once the bus is out of the city and at it's stopping point, you can probably get to the safe house and get a change of clothes, something more durable. Something bulletproof, knowing Bruce has that around the safe house somewhere. Spare parts from recent suits or just prototype things. You could probably make something.

One thing you knew for sure, was that you weren't going to let him continue treating you like a kid. Something like this? A threat this big? He's kidding himself if he thinks he can do this on his own.

So you took a nap, sure it took about an hour to actually get to sleep. Making it harder because of the chatter or silenced cries of children who miss their parents. And the fact you didn't have any of your meds on you, but knowing there's some in the safe house just in case you would ever need it? Helped you rest just little easier.

Despite what you told him, you feel like it's more than Just scarecrow. That rumor of it being more than just that fearful lunatic? You believe it. You just didn't want him to know. Didn't want to agree with your father, didn't want to let him become aware of the fact you understand his reason for shoving you away.

With your head against the window, and your arms crossed over your chest. You let yourself sleep while the bus continued on out of Gotham. Just trying to work out how you would even get back into Gotham.