The Scene Unfolds
In the early hours of the morning, Baia emerged wearing a new light green cashmere nightgown, presumably chosen to match the color of her eyes. It was warm, cute, and quite long, revealing only a glimpse of her slender legs and ankles.
With underfloor heating in Wayne Manor, there was no chance of feeling cold. Her fluffy slippers made no sound as they tread upon the expensive Persian carpets, showcasing the agility of a cat's movements.
Dick pressed a few keys on the piano, and the door to the Batcave opened silently. With the girl finally asleep, the daily routine of the Bat-family began. Originally, Dick had intended to settle Baia and then return to Blüdhaven, as he couldn't afford to be absent for too long. However, it seemed that plans had changed.
Bruce had returned from his nightly patrol by the time Dick stepped out of the elevator. The man, now unmasked, had slightly disheveled hair damp with sweat, busy tending to wounds with alcohol and bandages. Red Robin sat at the computer, typing rapidly as usual.
It seemed like any other day, with no noticeable differences.
"The situation with Dr. Langstrom is starting to clarify. If you need to leave Gotham now—" Red Robin began, lifting a cup of coffee and glancing at Dick who had just arrived.
He then set the coffee down again.
"Huh?" Dick was perplexed by Tim's peculiar expression. Wasn't he arriving at the right time? Or perhaps Tim had already written "Prepare for the worst" all over his face.
Dick turned slowly.
Baia stood with her arms crossed, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.
Dick couldn't fathom what was happening. Unless he was deaf, this just couldn't be real.
Think fast, Nightwing.
"What, Bruce, you're actually Batman!" Dick blurted out, his brain scrambling for something to say.
At this, Baia let out a cold laugh.
Bruce, who hadn't bothered to continue concealing his identity since he hadn't fully removed his armor, shot Dick a look that was enough to make even the most stoic Green Lantern shiver.
Meanwhile, Tim, also in uniform but without a mask, remained remarkably composed.
Dick was caught between a rock and a hard place, feeling like he couldn't win.
"Baia..." Bruce began, still unsure how to explain.
For them, this was all too sudden. At least, it was for him. It wasn't something he had anticipated.
"Sit down!" Baia ordered.
She couldn't really pull off being tough, but she was enough to make Bruce feel her anger.
The Dark Knight silently obliged.
Baia first glared angrily at Dick. "Work relationship! Argh!"
Dick thought to himself, he knew this day would come, but he didn't expect karma to hit him this fast.
Then she turned her stern gaze to Batman. "You, again! Is that friend really you?"
...Batman averted his gaze from Baia's eyes.
Then she looked at Red Robin, who just blinked back at her.
Seemingly, there was nothing to be angry at Tim for. After all, they hadn't known each other for long, and he hadn't made any promises to her.
Baia wasn't asking for unprincipled honesty.
"Why did you leave me behind? Why say those things?" she asked.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Baia continued slowly, addressing Bruce directly. "You said it, Bruce. If I wanted, I could be a part of this family. But I can't stay here and pretend I don't know anything."
Bruce turned to Dick, clearly in need of some assistance.
Dick shrugged, indicating that Baia was obviously not directing her anger at him.
Baia noticed the injuries on Bruce's shoulder, not sure if they were claw marks or something else, but they looked deep. Yet, he seemed accustomed to them.
She walked over indignantly, refilling Bruce's health and giving Red Robin a boost as well.
"Alright, I'm out!" Baia stamped her foot, although her fluffy slippers made little noise. Without waiting for Dick to try to persuade her, she left the Batcave on her own, following the same path she came in.
Leaving the bats to stare at each other in confusion.
"Well played, Bruce," commented Tim, "Apart from calling out her name, you remained silent the whole time."
"She didn't give me a chance to speak," Bruce rubbed his brow, feeling quite helpless, then immediately turned his gaze to the instigator of this situation, "Why did you bring her here anyway?"
Dick felt completely innocent.
"Come on, you're just realizing how unusual she is today?" Dick protested, "I didn't even notice her, not a sound. Maybe it's her mutant ability or some kind of magic, for all we know, we have no idea what she's capable of."
"We'll have to run some tests on her sooner or later. But, speaking of which," Bruce paused, a slight smile appearing on his face, "she's even more talented than I imagined."
Tim raised his cup in agreement. "Absolutely."
After leaving, Baia had expected to leave on bad terms, or at least have some unpleasant aftermath. She had known Dick for so long. Since the first day she arrived here, and now he was about to become her legal brother, yet he had hidden it from her without any qualms.
Knowing their identities beforehand didn't make Baia any less angry.
But as she calmed down, she began to wonder if she had gone too far. After all, she was still just an outsider.
However, the dramatic increase in goodwill beneath the big bat and little robin symbols was something she hadn't anticipated. It seemed that rebelling had paradoxically had a positive effect.
Baia wondered what kind of family she had just joined.
She sat on the living room couch with a large pillow, lost in thought, not particularly eager to return to her bedroom.
Even Baia herself didn't realize she was subconsciously avoiding the crack in the wall.
A plate of cookies was placed on the table in front of her.
Baia looked up to see Alfred standing in front of her.
"Expressing emotions isn't Master Bruce's forte," Alfred said, "Nevertheless, I hope you get what you want, Miss Baia."
"Thank you, Alfie. I'm not sure what I want, but besides these cookies," Baia replied.
The old butler and the girl smiled at each other.
"Seriously, are you planning to ignore this, Bruce?" Dick leaned against the Batcomputer console, arms crossed, "Even for you, this is a new low. At least, you could've gone with your favorite 'we need to talk.'"
"I will talk to her, of course," Bruce stared at the screen, occasionally typing a few words, "I'm just... dealing with other matters right now. And it's you who's avoiding this, not me."
Dick sighed loudly. "No need to remind me we're in cahoots. Fine, the responsible big brother will go comfort his betrayed sister. As for someone else dealing with other matters, let him be."
"What about you?" Dick turned his head, "Tim? No opinion?"
"If fate allows, I'll make our little witch stop being mad at you," Tim chuckled.
"Now you're the good guy?" Dick muttered under his breath.
"Um, Baia?" Dick cautiously placed his hand on the back of the couch.
Baia responded with a nasal sound, without looking up.
"That night," Dick began, "I collapsed in the alley, and you saved me."
Baia replied coolly, "Yeah, you called out my name directly, and I didn't think anything of it."
Dick moved around and sat on the opposite couch.
"It's not like I wanted to keep it from you..." he genuinely wasn't shifting blame, really. Bruce didn't say anything, he spilled the beans first. Is that fair?
"I know," Baia remained very calm, "It was probably Bruce's idea, after all, he's the master of Gotham, wanting to control everything is normal. I don't blame you."
...Though it was pretty much the same meaning, why did it sound like a villain coming from Baia's mouth?
"Really? Can I have my dear sister's chicken soup tomorrow?" Dick remembered Baia quite liked cooking, so he changed the subject, flashing a rather bright smile, hoping to lift her spirits.
Baia sighed, looking at Dick with a helpless expression, stood up and patted his shoulder.
"Drink more hot water, less chicken soup."
Stretching, Baia said, "I'm going to bed."
The girl's heart, a needle in the ocean. Dick knew he had misjudged, actually, Baia probably wasn't waiting for him at all.
After all, Bruce was the one who could decide whether this family would truly accept Baia.
Bruce wasn't really incapable of facing a parental conversation; after all, he had raised several Robins. He just hadn't made up his mind yet because his impulse had already caused serious consequences. If Baia got involved in their dangerous nocturnal activities, she would have to be stronger, sharper, and more dangerous than she is now. That meant daily training and facing the dark side of Gotham.
It meant she would be walking a tightrope, and if she strayed too far, it would be irreparable.
Bruce stood at the closed door of the girl's bedroom, just a wall away from where Jason used to live.
Jason.
His love, his past, his... mistake.
He had to close his eyes, dispelling the boy's smile and the barrel of the red hood from his mind, his fingers hovering over the door, hesitating whether to knock.
Before Bruce could knock on the door, Baia opened it herself.
Sometimes the girl surprised him, and he wasn't sure if it was good or bad.
"Talk?" Baia said.
She was still in her pajamas. Baia regretted it for a few seconds, whether here in the Batcave or now, it made her seem powerless.
Although Bruce wasn't exactly her adversary, it was hard to say if she was really angry with him. These were the greatest beings in Gotham.
"Talk," Bruce sighed lightly. He pulled up a chair and sat across from the girl.
Baia sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her feet.
"I'm sorry for sneaking after Dick without permission," Baia spoke first, though she didn't seem all that sorry, "It was mainly an impulse."
It wasn't exactly an impulse, at least, not just a momentary one. Bruce shook his head. "You're right, Baia. I shouldn't have kept it from you. It's just that I'm not ready yet."
"You might not know, but there were more than just Dick and Tim here," he lowered his eyes, leaning back in his chair, looking somewhat tired, "There was another boy, my adopted son, my second Robin, and I..."
This wasn't an easy story to tell.
Tim and Dick's blue eyes were like the color of the sky, while Bruce's was more like the deep sea, a blue formed from tens of thousands of meters of icy cold seawater, hiding too many stories and tragedies, making it hard to breathe just by looking at it.
"I lost him," Bruce said softly.
"Baia, I don't want you to get hurt. You're empathetic, and you happen to have the ability to do what you want, you just never thought about what you might lose because of it. You don't understand Gotham, and that's normal, and that's why I want you to be protected."
"You're different from them; you have the ability to take care of others, but you can't protect yourself."
"And my intention, all of this, is to protect you. If the end result is the opposite, if the secrets beneath Wayne Manor ruin you," he looked into Baia's eyes, "I don't know if I can bear it again."
"I don't know... I'm sorry," Baia looked a bit helpless, "I just..."
"It's okay, girl," Bruce comforted her, "Come here, don't be afraid."
Baia jumped off the bed and hugged Bruce's neck, and he ran his fingers through her hair to comfort her, neither of them saying anything.
"If you're curious about the Batcave," Bruce started the conversation again, "you can let Dick show you around. But don't do anything dangerous; I trust you know what to do, don't disappoint me."
Baia murmured in a sullen tone.
"No more casually mentioning your abilities to others, okay?" Now he sounded more like Batman.
"Mm."
"Still mad?"
"No."
"Then sleep?"
"Okay."
Bruce tucked her in, turned off the main light, leaving only the soft glow of the bedside lamp filling the room. Bruce didn't leave immediately; he walked to the wall and traced the crack, frowning slightly.
The mansion really needed some repairs.
As the bedroom door was gently closed, the room fell into silence.
Only the low whispers echoed repeatedly through the crack in the wall.
"Zero... escaped..."
"The zero... escapee has..."
"The zero escapee has fled."
"The zero escapee has fled!"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone