A Little Birdy Told Me (Bat Family)

Eyes, Ears, Teeth, and Tail

Selina

Mary, the girl who looks like my daughter gave me a tour around the ship. Not that I would leave my room to go anywhere by choice unless it was for freedom. All I wanted to do was leave this boat and go home to my daughter. I wanted Michelle, I needed her. She was my anchor she held me down in moments I thought I was never going to return from. She kept me sane. I never did anything I thought would jeopardize our lives, of course I stole, but I've never gotten caught before; that is, except for by Batman. He was always a step ahead of me, like I was his tail. I admired that. Someone who could top me. The world was full of dumb men who I could manipulate, who I could have my way with. Bruce was not one of them. He is his own person and he knows what he wants. Bruce is a good man. But that's not what Eve and her evil man-hating organization thinks. They feel his presence oppresses women. Mary explained to me they call it C.O.W.L an acronym for Crushing Oppression in Women's Lives. Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.

If anyone's an oppressor it's the Joker. I've witnessed he and Harley's relationship first hand, and that shit's just not healthy. But they don't care, they focus on Batman, the one who's trying to better the city, the world. The one who wants to help. Not Superman or even the Flash who my daughter adores. I asked Mary about this and she explained to me that Flash and Superman both have powers that make them unique. Anyone with training and money could become Batman, that he was only human. Which I guess is true, but I still don't see how they can just antagonize him for trying to help. They're just trying to see something that wasn't there.

I kept my mouth shut. I didn't need them to know I knew more about the Bat than I had let on, I didn't need to go through more torture. Being away from my daughter is torture enough. The girl next to me wasn't helping as she reminded me of Michelle with every glance. Mary, however, I didn't know if she was friend or foe. She pointed out every camera she knew about on the ship but proceeded to talk about Eve like she was God, one would be convinced she actually worshiped her. I knew the rest of the girls were the same. I couldn't help but to picture my daughter here on this boat, kissing the ground Eve walked on. The thought made me want to vomit.

Mary smiled sympathetically. "Oh, do you get sea sick?" She asked. "You'll get over it soon enough, and when you get on land you'll be land sick." She assured me, giggling.

I laughed uneasily baring my teeth in a broken grin. "I'll be fine, thanks."

She nodded and kept leading the way through the labyrinth that was the ship.

Part of me hoped the ship would sink, a tragedy worse than Titanic. Eve would be the one to drown first, me watching her choke and gag on the water. Watch as her eyes close, her consciousness slipping away, her body sinking, the last few bubbles escape her mouth and she's gone forever. I would let out a cackle and embrace my own watery death. Yes, I'm fine with Eve's death and my own but there had to be fifty innocent lives on this boat. They shouldn't have to die for following someone who most likely saved their lives. Orphans, convicts, poor, cast out, abandoned, that was the trend of people on this boat, they were all females and they all needed saving. Eve was there to save them. They repay her by following her cause, by believing in it, by worshiping her. Its not their fault. They shouldn't have to suffer.

So that meant Eve, and Eve alone had to be put down. I was the only one on this boat who seemed willing to do it. Eve didn't save me from anything. I was happy with my life, and I am unhappy being pulled away from it. I am angry, I am depressed, and I will die before they try to kill my daughter's father.

Michelle

I wake up and the clock on the nightstand next to my bed reads half past nine in the morning. It's Friday, December 1st, my second day in my dad's house. If you even count the first day since I was unconscious for most of it. I don't want to get up. I don't want to go back to sleep. I wish I could just lie here forever and forget about all my problems. Forget that my mom is missing. Forget that I let Birdy die. But that wouldn't be fair. I wish I knew how to solve my problems all at once, so everyone could be happy. A big happy family, my mom, my dad, my siblings, and Alfred. Maybe Chrissy and Danny could come live with us too after I reunite them. I groaned, I forgot about Danny, I would have to tell my dad about him.

Snoring from the other side of the room pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned my head and saw Jason slouched in the chair, his long legs stretched out. I smiled at him. We had stayed up half the night talking. I don't remember who fell asleep first, it was probably me. Alfred came by to bring me some medication for the pain and after that things got foggy. I remember Jason just asked me a lot of questions about my life. I answered them. Then I went to sleep, I didn't dream about anything, which wasn't exactly abnormal.

I watched Jason sleep. The back of his head rested on the back of the chair. His mouth hung open and light snores escaped. Stubble from his beard was trying to grow out. His shaggy hair was wild over his head, in the front it nearly reached his eyes. I wondered absentmindedly how old he was, I never bothered to ask. How long had he been working with my dad?

Speaking of my dad, the door knob turned and his head peeked in. He smiled when he saw I was awake and I returned the gesture. "Good morning." He spoke, quietly but deeply.

"Morning." I said softly. I looked to Jason who was sleeping, I didn't want to wake him.

"Did you sleep well? How are you feeling?" He asked, coming over to sit on the edge on the bed.

I shrugged. "I slept okay, I'm okay." I bit my lip.

"How's your arm? Your side?" He looked down at me worriedly.

I touched my right arm, it really didn't hurt that much. "I'll be fine."

He nodded. "We get hurt a lot around here, Alfred knows how to cure pretty much everything."

I let out a dry laugh. I didn't really like the idea of my family getting hurt. "If you're Batman, is Jason Nightwing?" I asked the question came to me randomly.

My dad chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, no. Your oldest brother, Richard- we call him Dick- is actually Nightwing. I don't know if you ever heard of him or watched the news or anything, but Jason is who they call the Red Hood."

Red hood... Red hood..? "Yeah I've heard of him but the people on TV said he's been around since the seventies or something, I thought he was some old guy." I said looking at Jason's young face. "And isn't Red Hood a- a bad guy?" I said confused.

My dad sighed. "Antihero."