Gotham's daughter

Bruce's Lie

"Where do you know her from?"

"From the streets. She always got me information about crimes, I used to pay for the information." He paused as he looked at her. "I worried about Selina."

"Selina never needed to be worried about her."

"I know that" the man said very calmly. "My concern was for the girl."

"What girl?"

"Selina's daughter."

"Does Selina have a daughter?" Bruce asked, unable to hide his surprise, something plummeting in his stomach.

"Yes, she has. And that's why I always worried about her. He was afraid Selina would mess with the wrong people and leave her daughter alone." Clark explained and Selina's heart monitor alarms changed, the heart rate had increased, and Clark noticed. He glanced at the monitors and turned to Bruce; his voice lowered now. "You know, doctors believe that people in a coma have excellent hearing. Would you like to continue this conversation while we have coffee? The cafeteria here isn't the best, but I could answer all your questions about Selina without her listening..."

On any other occasion, Bruce would never have coffee with a journalist he'd just met, let alone feel like getting away from Selina now that he'd found her, but two things led him to accept the proposal: one - he she needed to know more about Selina and this supposed daughter, two – her instinct, strangely, trusted this man. And Bruce trusted his instincts.

So, he accompanied the journalist to the hospital cafeteria, not before looking once more at Selina's sleeping face.

"This coffee is really bad, don't you think?" the journalist asked as they drank coffee from the machine. It was past midnight, and it was just the two of them in the empty cafeteria.

"What did you want to tell me about Selina?" Bruce asked. "You're not trying to get information from me to publish, are you? Because I..."

"Wait, Mr. Wayne, I've already said that I'm not that kind of journalist." Clark defended himself. "My interest in Selina is genuine, and you are the first person I see who seems to have some connection with her. I feared that sooner or later something like this might happen to her, and now I'm worried about that poor child. Mr. Wayne..."

"You can call me Bruce."

"Right... Bruce, I would like to know if Selina has anyone, if she has any family members. She needs care, and so does her daughter."

"There's no need to worry about that, Mr. Kent."

"You can call me Clark."

"Very well, Clark. I intend to take care of Selina. We were very close in the past, she was..." Bruce thought about what Selina would have been to him. "She was my best friend as a child."

"That puts me at ease," Clark said with a less tense face.

"But could you tell me what happened to Selina? Who did this to her?" Bruce asked very restrained, although he squeezed his empty coffee cup almost to the point of crushing it.

"Nobody knows. All we know is that she was shot in the head. Luckily, it was superficial, although it left her in a coma. The police found her lying in a dark alley, her daughter next door in shock...."

An image formed in Bruce's mind: a girl in a dark alley, next to her shot mother. A very familiar image, an affliction pressed in his chest...

"And where is she now? The child..." Bruce asked, trying to keep the apprehension in his voice.

"In social assistance. A friend from work has an aunt who works there, I heard they picked up the girl as soon as Selina was sent here. I can help you find it."

"I would like this." Bruce said getting up, Clark repeated his gesture. "How can I make up for it?" He said, putting his hand in his pocket.

"Save your money, Bruce. It is not necessary. I'll call my friend and let you know when I hear from the girl."

"I appreciate it, Clark." Bruce said extending his hand to the journalist who shook it firmly. "I'm going back to Selina now; I intend to get her out of this place as soon as possible."

"Do it please. Until we know who this to Selina did, I don't think Metropolis is a safe place for her. I will be in touch shortly."

Clark walked away from Bruce feeling immensely relieved to know that Selina and her daughter would be supported. He, strangely, trusted Bruce. His instinct told him that this man's feelings for Selina were legitimate, and even greater than he seemed to show. Clark even felt a little guilty for withholding from Bruce everything he knew about the attack Selina had suffered. However, he still didn't feel safe sharing his suspicions, and now knowing that Bruce Wayne knew Selina Kyle, he was extremely intrigued.

For a street thief, Selina knew too many billionaires...

***

Bruce spent that night in the uncomfortable chair beside Selina's bed.

A thousand things went through his mind as he looked at Selina. The ever-present guilt for leaving her, the thoughts of a daughter she supposedly had... With whom? When? And what trouble she would have gotten herself into to be in that state. Could he have avoided all this if he hadn't walked away? After all, he decided to leave for the sake of those he loved. Of those he loved...

The sun hadn't even risen yet when Lucius Fox called Bruce saying he was all set for Selina's removal to Gotham.

Bruce would accompany Selina, but not before finding her supposed daughter. And he was about to leave in search of the child when his phone rang. It was Clark.

"Bruce, the girl is no longer in social assistance."

"Why?" he asked immediately worried. "What happened?"

"She was taken yesterday, by a tutor."

"The girl's father?" Bruce asked a little anxiously.

"No, I don't know who took her, actually. The social worker signed a confidentiality agreement. But there is something very strange..."

"What?"

"Custody of the girl... are you sure you didn't ask for it?"

"Of course not, I didn't even know it existed until you told me."

"Well, custody was mediated by Wayne Enterprises' attorneys, Bruce."

Bruce froze, his mind worked through a thousand possibilities in a split second, and he responded with conviction to Clark.

"I think I know where she is."