Bloodshed is All I've Ever Known

Costumes and Cars

=====

Eliza was stunned, to say the least. Her brows furrowing as she looks to the Bat with a loss for words.

"What game are you playing?" The girl snaps, her mistrust flooding her thoughts as she reaches for the dagger strapped into her belt, whipping it out and pointing it towards the man.

"There's no game, Eliza. You are alone, living in some rundown wear house, and stealing food just to stay alive. You are an excellent fighter, with a strong will, and I believe there is good in you. Gotham needs people which such abilities as yours," Batman replies calmly despite the weapon pointed at him.

"What, you want us to be partners in crime? Don't you already have bird boy to help clean your messes?" The girl asks.

"You say you're safest in Gotham because of me , so why not train under my wing and be positive of your safety?" Eliza contemplates his words, knowing they ring true as she contemplated the idea. "You can fight and train with us. Be a part of something bigger then yourself."

"You don't understand," The girl says defeatedly, moving the blade between her fingers as she stares down at her calloused hands. "Bloodshed is all I've ever known. I am the thing the people run from, not depend on."

Eliza sounds almost shameful as she averts her gaze from Batman. She was a killer. People would quake in fear of her and her deadly aura. She was a soldier. A weapon. Plagued with the memories of the blood spilled by her hands.

"Then what was that back at the alley?" The man asks, noting the way she had allowed the woman her escape and spared the thugs life, even though he was scum.

"You're a pretty popular man. How would everyone in Gotham and farther not know that I'm living with the Wayne's?" Eliza asks, ignoring his previous question. "Not to mention why I'm living with you and not my family."

"We would change your last name, say that you were orphaned and your parents were good friends of mine and they wanted me to watch over you. I won't let anyone know your staying with me or send you to school until you're ready," Batman says as the girl scoffs.

"Sending me to school is a no."

"Why not? don't you think it would be nice to socialize and get a real education?" The man questions, as Eliza crosses her arms.

"I've already studied any advanced courses that school could give me, and socializing is absolutely pointless," she says, rolling her eyes behind the mask as Batman smirks.

"I know someone who used to think like you, but now it seems that their ways have changed. Much like I hope yours do," He says, thinking back on recent events."But you still haven't given me an answer to the first question."

The girl sighs as she thinks it over. Knowing if she really needed to she could always leave. Create another new life for her as she's tried many times before.

"I suppose a change could be well welcomed," Eliza sighs pondering the idea before caving in."But I'm allowed to leave anytime I want, even if it's for good."

"If you wish," Batman says, smiling in the slightest.

"So, how are we going to get to your lavish manor without being spotted in broad daylight?" The girl asks, looking up to the now fully risen sun that shines through the wearhouse before turning back down to Bruce who was still clad in his dark costume.

"I called Alfred to come pick us up sometime ago. You might want to change out of your costume if you have any other clothes," He says walking behind one of the crates to wait.

Eliza moves for her duffle bag and pulls out a change of clothes. Slipping on a pair of dirty dark jeans and a black sweatshirt, pulling on a dark ratty flannel coat that had been her only source of warmth for weeks now. She slowly pries the cowl from her eyes, reveling the dark brown, almost black iris of her left and cloudy white of her blinded right. She runs her finger gently over the light scar over her lib before pulling the hood over her head before packing up the rest of her things, keeping her bag of little supplies close as she before taking one last look around the place that served as her temporary home. Eliza was almost saddened by the thought of leaving. Some of the few good memories she had were in this place and the thought of abandoning it for something so new was almost frightening.

The girls lips twitch into a smile, a genuine smile as the bright light shining through the shattered windows and covers the large old wear house in a soft morning glow.

"It's time to go if you are still coming, Eliza," Batman says coming out from behind the crates as the girl turns back to him. The man was now dressed in a suit now. Dark hair combed back and blue eyes visible without the cowl. This was no longer Batman. The man before her was just plain old billionaire Bruce Wayne. She wonders where he had gotten the get up from, but she knew the man had many little secrets and decided he could keep some for himself.

The girl takes one last look around the wear house before turning away for the final time as she begins walking towards outside towards the black corvette glistening in the sunlight.

A man stands in front of the car. His hair peppery grey and he looked in his seventies or later from the girls assumption as she slowly approaches him.

"Hello, Ms. My name is Alfred Pennyworth, it's a pleasure to meet you," The man, Alfred, says, offering a hand to shake as the girl smiles.

Eliza saw how calm and composed the man was. He had a comforting British accent and his eyes held kindness, though she could tell deep down that this man had seen some shit in his lifetime.

"I'm, Eliza Abadon. It's a pleasure to meet you as well," she says, shaking the man's hand. His hands are soft and wrinkly and feel foreign against the girls rough calloused grip.

"That's a beautiful name, Ms. Abadon," Alfred says smiling, his eyes crinkling at the edges.

"Please, just call me, Eliza," The girl says, wincing slightly at the putrid last name inherited from her father.

"Master Bruce has informed me that you will be staying at the manor with us. I've already prepared the guest room for you, Ms. Eliza," Alfred says, reaching to open the car door for the girl as she nods in thanks.

"That's very kind of you, I really don't have much stuff though," she says with a sigh as the man closes the door and climbs into the drivers seat with Bruce already in shotgun.

The corvette pulls out of the small lot and Eliza turns to give the old wear house one last look as she wonders if she made the right decision.

=====

A/n

This chapter was a little boring but the next few will get much more interesting. I mainly wanted the first few chapters to really dive into Eliza's backstory and how truly has fear and trust issues with others.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed part three of  "Bloodshed is All I've Ever Known" series part four is gonna be up soon!

Don't forget to vote and comment

Edit April 2020