𝐃𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐄 ╍╍ 𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍

06, GOTHAM'S ORPHANAGE

Having cleared all the scheduled consultations, Mariane and the staff were now dealing with walk-ins. Surprisingly, there were no emergency cases at the moment, so Mariane found herself in the main lobby, casually scrolling on her phone.

Suddenly, something outside the hospital grabbed her attention, prompting her to put away her phone. Right next to the pet hospital was the general hospital, where multiple ambulances were arriving with patients on stretchers and wheelchairs.

What caught Mariane's eye was that most of them were children, and the sheer number of ambulances raised concerns. She couldn't help but wonder if it was related to a home or some other troubling situation.

That explains why Evleynn had to go. Just as she was about to call Tim, a buzzing noise came through her intercoms at the hospital, the device she used to talk to the staff.

"Mariane, can you hear me?"

Mariane's eyes widened as she recognized the voice she was just about to call on her phone. "Tim? How did you—"

"No time to explain; let's just say I'm a skilled hacker. Tim, focus!!" Tim paused for a second after basically reminding himself. "I just sent you the location of the fire. It seems we need more than one backup."

And just like that, Tim had already sent a location. When they opened it, the live GPS showed it was just two blocks away.

It was Gotham's Orphanage.

:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.::･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

"Holy cow," Mariane exclaimed as she witnessed the chaos below.

Lifted into the air by Bronze, she had a bird's-eye view of a three-story house engulfed in flames that refused to die down. Firefighters were on the scene, battling the blaze with hoses and stocks.

Spotting Evelynn emerging from the burning fire of the orphanage with two children in her arms, Mariane wasted no time. With a magical barrier protecting her, she flew into the burning house.

Dodging falling debris and flames, she made her way upstairs, guided by the sounds of cries.

"Bronze, bring them down!" she commanded. Responding to Mariane's orders, Bronze quickly wrapped three kids in his metallic arms while Mariane formed a protective barrier around them.

Attempting to clear the roof and extinguish the fire simultaneously, Mariane faced a challenge.

Despite her efforts, Mariane couldn't shake the feeling that something enchanted was fueling the flames. Determined to prioritise the safety of the survivors, she focused on getting everyone out of the burning house.

I have to be quick.

Now, she's focused on the little girl, who's already sobbing with tightly shut eyes.

As she reaches out toward the girl, the barrier expands without her consent, protecting them both. The surrounding noises fade away, and the little girl slowly opens her eyes to find Mariane crouching in front of her.

"Hello there," Mariane waves with a small smile, glancing around at the collapsing roof. "We have to go! C'mon."

Mariane tilts her head and reaches out her hand to the little one, but the girl hesitates. "W-What if you're trying to kill me? Is Red Hood going to save me?"

Shaking her head, Mariane reassures, "I'm not going to kill you. Please, just take my hand, and I'll take you down to a safer area."

With the imminent collapse of everything around them, the little girl finally takes Mariane's hand.