Necromancer | Daughter of Batman

Chapter XXIII

The man opened his eyes ever so slowly, finding a doctor and nurses surrounding him. He blinked softly, unable to feel his arms and legs. "Bruce. Can you hear me?" Reynolds shined a light into his eyes. Bruce swallowed the frog in his throat. It was incredibly dry, along with his mouth. He could hardly speak, but he managed to nod. "You were shot twice in the chest. You've been in a coma for a month, my friend,

Bruce closed his eyes once more, before he soon realized something was missing. "Kim..." He strained. "My daughter..."

Reynolds placed a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's still missing."

Bruce attempted to sit up. "Get me out of here." He pleaded, his voice hoarse. "Get me out." He planted his hands behind him and attempted to sit up.

"No!" Reynolds pushed him back down by his shoulders.

"I need to find her!" Bruce seethed.

"You can't walk! You can hardly breathe on your own!"

"Get me out of here, Keith, please!"

"No! There's nothing you can do!" Reynolds forced Bruce to remain down in his position. "Bruce, please!"

"Let me go." Bruce choked up and plopped his head down as he held back tears. "She's a child. She's just a child..."

Reynolds pursed his lips as he watched the man fall apart. "I'm sorry, Bruce. I'm so sorry..."

Bruce...

Bruce.

"He's coming to." Alfred leaned over the man calmly.

"Kim found him not too far from his last transmission signal. She carried him home." Dick bent down beside Bruce's head as he opened his eyes.

"Kim..." Bruce whispered feverishly.

"She's fine. She went upstairs to clean her wounds." Dick placed his hand on his father's arm.

"How long...?" Bruce closed his eyes.

"Seven hours."

"Damian... If those animals get their hands on him, I—" Bruce sat up.

"I've been out there, Bruce. There's no sign of him."

"You don't understand, they're after our family! If they get their hands on Kimberly, and find out who she is—"

"Dad...?" Kim appeared at the bottom of the steps. Bruce stood up shakily and leaned against the cot he'd been placed on. Kim rushed toward him and threw herself into his arms. Bruce wrapped one around her and rested his chin on her forehead. "You scared me..."

"I'm alright, sweetheart." He lifted his head at the sound of an alarm going off. The radar appeared on the largest computer screen, revealing over a hundred small dots rushing toward Wayne Manor. "They're here." 

"Who's here?" Kim walked toward the computer screen. "Oh, Jesus."

"The Owls." Bruce picked up Batman's cape and lifted his hood into his head. "Kim, get yourself ready. I don't know if it's Bruce Wayne or the Bat they've come for. But either way,

they're about to get a welcome they'll never forget."

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