A Little Birdy Told Me (Bat Family)

Broken Wings

Bruce

I was in the kitchen eating breakfast when the doorbell rang. I heard Alfred get it so I waited to find out who graced us with a visit and smiled when the familiar red head stepped into the room.

"I got that info and tests you needed back." she handed me a a file.

I raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Is your internet down, Barbara? You couldn't email it to me?"

"Well, no, I just thought you would maybe want hard copies-- and you already knew I was looking for Dick, didn't you?" she asked, sighing.

I nodded. "I'm sorry to say I probably haven't seen him since you have." I gave her a sympathetic look. "It's just me, Jason, Damian, and Alfred here."

She scoffed. "Jason? He's here but Dick isn't?" she looked down. "The world is coming to an end." She groaned.

"Maybe he went back to Blüdhaven?" I suggested. I got up and went over to the coffee maker. "Coffee?" I offered.

"Maybe." She shrugged but nodded at the offer for coffee. "So what is this stuff?" she gestured to the file on the table after I handed her a mug and pulled out her phone, typing away. "I just sent it to you." she sighed, taking a sip of the dark liquid.

"Let's go down to the cave and I'll show you." I offered and she nodded as I got up to lead the way to the cave.

She followed me down and I walked over to the computer to pull up what she just sent me. On the screen it showed the picture of Frederick Vasper and with some DNA testing we were able to figure out his partner was Benjamin Foster, ex-con, same MO as Freddie, got out a couple years ago, laid low. "These two have been running a human trafficking ring for who knows how long, collecting young girls off of the streets of Brooklyn, Gotham, Blüdhaven, and Manhattan." I explained to her and she leaned in, studying the screen. "We caught one on the scene and the other was found a few hours later."

"How did you kind out about it?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

I pulled up the blurry picture of the girl at the payphone. "She called the house phone right before she was abducted."

"The call on Family Day?" she looked at me and I nodded.

"I collected as much DNA as I could from the room they were keeping the girls. And that's what I had you testing." I pulled up her research. I went through all the pictures and frowned.

"What?"

"None of them are that girl." I studied the info harder.

She pointed to a picture on the screen. "Isn't that her?" She asked and I opened the file.

Chrysanthemum Clemmons, 16
Amber Alert active since age: 14

I shook my head. "No, she's too old, and she's related to..." I pulled up the picture of Roberta Clemmons and my breath hitched, she was the girl who was murdered. "She's related to her."

I replayed what I recorded from the last of the feed of the camera and found out who the other girls in the room were. Roberta Clemmons, and Andrea Castellanos who I already identified before. The mystery caller girl. Patience Booker, Olivia Wilkes, and Luca Anderson. "These were the girls who were there last. No one over the age of thirteen." I noted. "If we can find one of those four we can figure out who the other girl is and why she called." I concluded.

Michelle

I walked and walked and walked. My feet were killing me but the memories of Birdy pushed me on. I felt like passing out but the thoughts of my mom kept me awake. I felt like crying but I didn't. I felt that the moment I let a tear slip someone would jump out of a shadow and take advantage of me while I was at my weakest. So I kept walking, I stayed awake, and I didn't cry.

I was so close now. A few blocks away. The neighborhood seemed nice, all big, rich-looking mansions. They kept getting farther and farther apart. It seemed nice but I still gripped the knife in my pocket, I was sure the knife became stuck to me now, melted to my skin. I practiced opening it a few times like Danny had taught me and I was getting better every time.

It was morning time, the sky was pale and people were leaving out for work and school, or whatever. Expensive cars drove past me and I watched them as they did, one of them could contain my dad. I didn't care if he was rich, or stuck up, or British. I just hoped I'd be able to find him, and soon. And hey, if he's rich that's great for me, right? Dads love spoiling their daughters, right? And like mom wouldn't make me go to him if he was a really bad person, right? Mom trusts him, I can trust him.

The car came out of no where. One minute I was crossing the street the next I was laying on the street looking up at the pale sky. The car never stopped and I was left on the ground. My mouth tasted like metal and there was a searing pain in my side. I let out a cry. I begged the sky to send help. It was no use, no one was around to hear, no one around would help. I stopped calling out, my head was pounding and yelling was only making it worse. Tears fell. Blood mixed with it. I could barely breathe.

I don't know how long I lied there for, but clouds rolled in and brought a slight drizzle. Now I didn't know what was blood or tears or rain. I rolled over on my good side and struggled to return to my feet. It was difficult with my whole right side bruised and broken, but I did it. I started limping towards my destination. The rain got heavier and soaked me, weighing me down. It's like the universe was telling me to stop and turn around. But I was too close now. Why would I turn away. I've been through too much to turn back. There was nothing to go back to anyway. My mom was gone, my cats probably found a better loving loving family. All that was left for me was this road ahead.

I had to find my dad. For mom. For Birdy. And if I didn't find him... No. I was going to find him. No doubt. After all this torture I deserve something good.

All it would take was one broken foot in front of the other. I could see the house now. Mansion. Whatever. Old looking and ominous in this pouring rain. And it was just getting scarier as I got closer.

Thunder started rumbling in the distance and I laughed. If I got hit by lightning that would be just my luck.

I finally reached the black gates of my destiny. On a stone pillar was a plaque reading 'Wayne Manor' and I sighed knowing I was in the right place. The gates were open invitingly but that was the only welcoming view from this scene. I walked- limped up the long driveway. There was a car out front, shiny, but not too expensive looking. I passed it and went up to the door. There was a doorbell and I rang it furiously until someone came to the door.

He was gray and balding. Dressed in a tuxedo. His face screamed that he thought he was better than everyone. Before he could open his mouth to say anything I broke down to my knees. "I'm your daughter." I told him before blacking out.