Brothers In Arms (Batfamily) - Completed

Chapter 15 ~ Fight Club

for Deadpool_Red thanks again for the idea ^^

Alice stared at the impressive building which was just in front of her. She felt so small, so insignificant compared to one of the most important building of the whole city. Gotham's Academy was indeed one of the oldest and also one of the most beautiful places in the whole city. It was creating a real contrast between how dark and gloomy Gotham was.

The school looked like a huge ancient manor made out of yellow bricks. Its massive architecture being accentuated by a lot of windows and by the broad chimney. The whole school was surrounded by a tall wall made out of yellow bricks too. Inside the school was a large park where all the students could relax during lunch time or during their breaks.

Alice looked all around her, tightening nervously her grip on her backpack's straps. It was the first time in her whole life that she was standing in front of this school. Her hands were slightly shaking in a mix of fear and apprehension. She nervously brushed the skirt of her uniform for the third time since the orphanage's director himself had dropped her in front of the massive iron gate of the school.

The tuition fees had generously been funded by the Wayne Foundation. The orphanage would indeed never had been able to afford them without its help. It was Bruce Wayne himself who had called the orphanage to announce them that he would personally take care of Alice's schooling. Rather surprised (and a bit confused), the orphanage's director accepted the offer and was even more surprised when Wayne told him that he would also pay for everything which would be needed for Alice's well being...

The young girl was still waiting in front of the gate when a teenager, around seventeen years old, approached her with a warm smile on his lips. "Hi, you're Alice Jacobs, right?" he asked with a soft voice. The little girl gave him a vigorous nod. "I'm Tim Drake and I'll be in charge of you. Come on, we need to pick up your schedule." The little girl smiled and let Tim guide her through the vast corridors of the school. However, as the teen was talking to her, she felt as if she already knew his voice. She had a strange feeling that she already knew him... but she brushed this thought out of her head when she told herself that it was probably because she had already seen him on TV. He was Bruce Wayne's son after all...

She was struggling to realize what was happening to her. She felt as if she wasn't belonging here and the school was scaring her. Besides, she was with one of the sons of the most influential man of the whole city and, deep inside her, she was missing her mother. Sometimes, in her nightmares, she could still see the scene in the bank. She could still see the crimson red blood which was creating a large puddle on the floor. She could still hear the loud sound of the gunshot. When she woke up, she was sweating, shaking and trying her best not to make a sound while she was crying because she already knew how much of a burden she was for the two other girls who were sharing their bedroom with her.

Tim guided her through the building until they reached the classroom where Alice had her first course. "If you need anything, just ask me. Okay?" the teen smiled.

"Yes. Thank you for everything," she answered with a shy smile and sighed deeply once she entered inside the classroom and everyone peered at her with curious eyes.

Tim raked his hands through his hair when he let Alice enter inside the classroom. It was him who had asked Bruce to take everything in charge for the little girl. He knew he could take care of her if she was there. He got attached to her, without knowing why. She had been through hell, just like him...

***

Damian sighed once again, asking himself what he was doing with those 'mentally defective people' as he liked to call them. He leaned back in his chair and stared warily at the blackboard while he flipped his pen between his fingers out of pure boredom. It had been at least ten minutes that he had finished the six exercises he had to do while his classmates were barely just starting the third one.