Wayne's Daughter

Prologue

It was a dark and snowy night, cliche I know, but that's how the weather was when I was kicked out by my mom. On Christmas Eve no less!

I sigh as I look around the forest, there is not much a kid can do. Where was my sister when I needed her most, i grumble in my head as I walk in a random direction.

"I am so lost.." I mumble, looking at the dark shadows under the fall trees. There is a snap of what sounds like a branch, causing me to jump. Then I just start to run, and run and run and run! While shivering from the freezing cold.

Tears stream down my face along and mixes with the snow. I rub my cheeks and feel little pieces of ice crumble into my hand. My tears are freezing! I just keep running, despite the slow numbing feeling coming over my body.

After forever, it at least seems like that, I stumble onto a road and fall onto my knees. Glancing up my eyes widen when I see a large mansion at the top of a hill. Spooky and scary, but it may be my only hope not to freeze out here in this snow.

Sniffling, slowly I half drag half walk myself up the long driveway. Coughing and sniffling the entire time. By the time time I reach the large doors, I can barely feel my fingers and toes.

Weakly i knock on the door, sneezing loudly as I fall to my knees for the second time that night. Everything is so cold, and going dark.

My snow covered bleach blonde hair falls in front of my face as my head slowly dips. At least that's what my sis called my hair color. I can barely remember what I was taught anymore, even if I wasn't freezing to death on the steps of mansion.

The voice of what sounds like an older man echoes faintly as everything fades slowly. So cold. Harleen always did say snow had a deadly side to the beauty of it, just like those criminals she is so infatuated with learning about

Faintly do I feel my tiny body being lifted up as everything goes dark.

When I wake up, the first thing that I feel is major confusion. I sit up on the lavishly comfy bed, with red satin sheets and just everything screams expensive.

"Where am I?" I ask myself quietly.

There is the faint sound of a door opening to my right and I quickly hide back under the blankets. Please don't find me, please don't find me!

Someone pulls the blankets away from my small body, I instinctively roll off the mattress and then roll under the bed. Curling into a tight ball.

There is a deep sigh. "Miss, please come out. I am not going to hurt you."

I shake my head back and forth, sneezing quietly from the small amount of dust surrounding me.

The man sighs again. At least I think it is a man, his voice is deeper than Mommy's.

Slowly I poke my head out from under the bed and look up at a...butler? He has dark brown hair, with hints of grey at the edges. When he looks down I quickly duck back under the bed, I did it even faster than normal when I hear another set of footsteps walk into the room.

"Where is the girl Alfred?" A much younger male voice asks the other man, who I can only assume is what the butler's name is.

"Under the bed, Master Bruce. She seems to be a timid young girl," Mister Alfred comments as he steps back to allow the other man to get closer.

Please don't look down! I didn't mean to be a bother, leave me alone! Just don't hurt me..

Sadly, Mister Bruce kneels down and looks at me as I cower further away from that side of the bed. He gives me a soft smile, one that relaxes me slightly.

Then he speaks softly. "You don't need to be scared, we aren't going to hurt you. Please, come out from under the bed. Alfred made breakfast downstairs, pancakes I believe." He slowly holds his hand out to me. Despite alarms going off in my head, I cautiously grab his hand.

On my hands and knees, well one hand, I crawl out from under the bed and stand. To my surprise I am not in the rags I was wearing yesterday. Instead, I am wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants that are multiple sizes to big for my tiny and scrawny body.

Mister Bruce guides me out of the room and down a large flight of stairs towards the dining room I would guess, with Mister Alfred following us.

This gives me a good chance to look around at this mansion. The halls are decorated with what looks like rather expensive things, but that is hard to judge by. Everything seems expensive to me.

Soon I am sitting at a small family sized table with Mister Bruce on one side and me on the other. Mister Alfred serves two plates with stacks of pancakes.

I devour them faster than Mister Alfred could come back from the kitchen with what I can assume to be syrup and butter. He gives me another plate of pancakes and I eat them just as fast. When I am finished my second plate I finally grow enough courage to speak.

"T-T-Thank you f-for the food, M-Mister Bruce a-a-and Mister Al-Alfred." I stutter out, shifting nervously.

Mister Bruce smiles slightly. "You're welcome. Now, may I just ask, what is your name?"

I bite my lip. "M-my name..oh..its Uh..." I frown slightly, what was my name again? Mommy never used it, and when Harleen was over she never spoke to me by name.

Mister Bruce frowns now. "Do you not remember your name?"

I shake my head quickly as my name pops into my head. "N-No. I remember. My name is Lilla....Lilla Quinzel."

Mister Alfred takes the plates away as Mister Bruce nods. "Okay Lilla. How come such a young girl was out in the snow in the early morning of Christmas Day?"

Now it was my turn to frown, I look down at my lap to try and hide the tears welling in my eyes. "M-My m-m-mommy kicked me out." I sniffle quickly, rubbing my eyes.

Mister Alfred comes back, a frown on both of the older men faces I can only guess. "Out in the snow, alone?" Mister Bruce asks.

I nod, sniffling again. "Y-yeah. Said a brat like myself was to much to handle. S-so she drove me to the woods and...and..dumped me.." I start sobbing, it all hitting me that I was alone in the world. No one would want to take me in, a useless brat.

Bruce sighs quietly. "How old are you Lilla?"

Through the sobs I manage to mumble, "Eight."

After a moment of silence I just stand, still sobbing, and run out of the room in the direction I assume the room I stayed in was. I hear the men call after me but I just keep running until I reach the room, closing the door behind me.

Soon I am hiccuping as I sob silently with no tears left to cry when I hear the door open and a single pair of footsteps walk towards me.

I open my eyes slowly and glance up to see Mister Bruce sitting down next to me on the floor in front of the bed. Without thinking I whisper, "I-I don't want to be alone." Then I look back at my lap.

Mister Bruce looks over at me, I can just feel his gaze. "Lilla, you can stay with Alfred and myself if you wish."

My head snaps at, looking at him with wide eyes. "I-I can?"

He nods. "Yes, you can."

I smile and do another thing without thinking, I hug him tightly. "Thank you thank you Mister Bruce!"

He smiles faintly. "You're welcome Lilla, and you don't need to say Mister."

I just nod and keep hugging him, happy I have a shot to live a normal life.