Cora~
I lead my mom through the hallways of Wayne manor. It's quiet up here without the boys. They're 'downstairs' moving over my boxes.
I can feel how nervous my mom is. Her face is passive but she's shaking. Luckily Mr. Wayne wasn't in his office. My next assumption is the library. I'm trying to remember where it is. I'm not in there often.
I see a set of gorgeous double doors when we turn a corner. My face lights up at the slight familiarity of them. This has to be it. I creak open a door as nicely as I can.
Mr. Wayne is sitting comfortably in an arm chair, he's reading a very old looking book. He looks up as we enter. His face matches the passive expression on my mom's.
"Cora, I'm happy to see you're back. Who is this?" He says charmingly. I figured he would know, he's Batman.
"Mr. Wayne, this is my mother. Mom, this is Bruce Wayne." I say. I can honestly say I was not expecting him to pale slightly.
"Lovely to meet you Mrs. Sanchez. What can I do for you two?" He says, the charming smile not leaving his face as he extends a hand for my mom to shake.
"You as well Mr. Wayne." She says as she accepts his hand. "I have recently been made aware of my daughters recent living arrangements. I wish to speak to you about that." She says formally. It's been a long time since I've heard her speak like it's a business meeting.
"Ah. Would you prefer to move to my study then?" He asks politely. I can see why he's the head of a grand company. He's formal but not off-putting.
"Here is fine. It should be a quick conversation assuming we agree." She says. Mr. Wayne gestures to the couch across from his chair and we sit down.
I feel a little awkward, like I'm in trouble and they're talking about how long I should be grounded. There's that same amount of fear.
"So what specifically is your plan for Cora?" He asks. My mom quirks the side of her mouth, like a suppressed smile.
"I have been informed that you are the one responsible for the 4 boys that brought her here, and thus her as well. Correct?" She answers with another question.
"Yes, that's correct." He says, motioning for my mom to continue.
"I would like for that to continue, under a few conditions." She says, the smile isn't as suppressed now.
"You want her to stay with me? Here?" He asks, I know he means in this dimension.
"Yes." She states. Mr. Wayne turns his attention to me.
"And Cora, would you like to stay?" He asks. I nod.
"Yes, assuming it's alright with you," I answer. I feel very small and childish at the moment.
"Mrs. Sanchez, you mentioned conditions. Those are?" He asks. His attention is thankfully back to my mom.
"She will be cared for physically, mentally and emotionally, she will have the option to return to me and her universe at any time for any length of time, and finally, you keep her from becoming a hero, or a vigilante." She states.
I understand her concerns behind each of these. I don't have any particular interest in becoming either a hero or a vigilante, so that doesn't matter to me. I do have a question, but before I can ask Mr. Wayne speaks.
"I find these terms to be acceptable. However, I want you to be aware of the people she will be in close contact with. There's no keeping her away from it completely." He explains. My mom nods none the less.
"I am well aware. I am also aware of my daughter's own affinity for combat. She is fully capable of taking care of herself against an opponent. All I ask is that she doesn't go looking for one. I will accept if she trains with your boys or if she goes to a studio of some kind." My mom explains thoroughly.
I didn't know that she actually remembered how much I enjoy combat. I love Karate but MMA has always been my favorite. I guess she must remember the countless open classes I've dragged her to.
"As long as you're aware. There are risks that come with living with a billionaire as well as a vigilante." He says lightly. My mom allows a small chuckle.
"I believe she might surprise you. However, there is the issue of her schooling. She can't continue to go to her current school. There's only a few weeks left, but she'll have to transfer once the year ends." She states. I feel panic rise in my chest once again.
I feel my mom subtly grab my hand. She is maintaining eye contact with Mr. Wayne but her hand is warm and comforting. It quells a fair amount of my fear.
"Fair point, did you have a school in mind?" He asks.
"I don't. I assume Damian and Cora are in the same year? What school does he attend?" She replies.
"To my knowledge, they would be. Damian attends Gotham academy. It's the most prestigious school in Gotham." He says proudly. He sounds like such a proud dad. I'll have to mention that to Dami later.
"I'd like nothing less for my girl. Do you have any concerns with her living with you that I can address?" She asks politely. I swear this is a business meeting.
"Just 2. You're aware of the relationship between Damian and Cora I assume?" He asks. I feel myself blush.
"Yes, is there anything I should know about?" She says. I do not miss the small look sent my way. My face is probably the color of a tomato.
"Nothing that comes to mind. I just wanted to make sure you knew. My other concern is my children as a whole. In kinder words, they can be a handful." He says with a laugh. My blush starts to fade.
"And you believe she can't handle them?" My mom asks. I can hear the smirk in her voice. Where is this going?
"I'm just aware of the stress they can cause." He says gently. My mom laughs. Not for a long time, or very loudly, but she laughs.
"Mr. Wayne, the last thing you need to worry about is my girl handling your children. If anything your children should be mindful of her. I've seen the effect she has on them first hand." She says lightly. There's that blush again.
"Oh? I've heard of an instance or two, care to elaborate?" He says, obviously amused. I have to say, I'm also curious.
"At least 3 of your boys were yelling at each other. Loudly. Cora walks into the room and 1 minute later it's silent. I'm not entirely sure why or how, but she obviously knows how to handle them. Your concerns are valid, Mr. Wayne, but without sustenance." My mom recounts gently.
"It would seem so, Mrs. Sanchez." He says lightly. I hear a small laugh in there somewhere.
"Well, if that's all then I should help the boys with the move. Thank you for your time Mr. Wayne." She says politely as she stands. I stand with her.
"Anytime, Mrs. Sanchez. I will see you tomorrow, Cora." He says kindly. How much of it is an act?
"See you tomorrow Mr. Wayne," I say. I completely forgot to call him Bruce but there's nothing I can do about it now.
I follow my mom out of the library. I'll have to come back and visit that when the boys are gone. I assume they'll go out for patrol tonight.
When the doors close me and my mom walk back in silence. We stride down the corridor and in the distance, I can hear arguing. I sigh heavily, I already anticipate stress.
"I didn't break it! You broke it!"
"Oh god, Cora's gonna kill us. We're dead."
"You were the one who shoved me!"
"You were in the way!"
"Who cares?! It's broken! What are we gonna tell her?!"
"Tell her that Jason was being an ass!"
"How about 'We'll get you a new one'? Because that's what we're doing! Or more specifically, you're doing!"
I pause before turning the corner. I just need a minute before dealing with whatever this is. From the sounds of it, they broke something, and they think I'm gonna get pissed. Depending on what it is, I might be.
With a deep breath, I gather the strength to walk calmly into view. Tim looks like he's having a panic attack, Dick and Jason are still yelling at each other, and Damian is sitting on the floor with his back to me. I see an opened box beside him.
I clear my throat and they all whip around to face me. My mom is standing not too far from me and knew I was there. She's pinching the bridge of her nose.
"He did it!" I hear Jason and Dick shout, pointing at each other. I don't react but I'm going to try to keep my emotions as light as possible. They're obviously scared and I don't want them to be.
"Did what? What broke?" I ask as calmly as possible. They look at each other and Damian stands with a sheet of newspaper covering something.
"Your CD player." He says quietly.
I can't yell at them. I can't yell at them. I can't yell at them. I can't yell at them. I can't yell at them.
"Oh." That is all I can manage. I watch my mom look me up and down. She looks concerned but it's not for herself. I think Tim is shaking. Jason and Dick are looking at the ground in shame. Damian looks worried, though I can't tell who for.
"Honey, I can get you another one. We can check some pawn shops before I leave if you want." My mom offers gently. I force a smile on my face.
"Sure. Sounds great." I say, I can't help the tightness in my voice. It doesn't go unnoticed.
"Cora, are you okay?" Damian asks. I look him in the eyes, still smiling.
"If course, it's just a CD player after all," I state. I hear my mom scoff quietly.
"Sweetheart, it's not good to lie. That CD player is your most prized possession, after your notebook of course. You've told me as much." My mom states flippantly. I look at her and plead with my eyes.
"It's still only a CD player. It can be replaced." I say. I'm practically shaking with the effort to keep calm.
"I think I'll unpack tomorrow. It's been a long day." I say quietly.
"Okay, are you sure? We can help." Dick asks. My breathing hitches.
"I'm sure. Mom, are you going back to our universe tonight?" I ask, she gives me a look but complies.
"I was planning on it. Would you like to come? One last night before you move?" She asks. I can read the subtext. 'Do you need to leave for a bit?'
"Yeah, that's sounds great. You guys don't mind?" I ask politely. They had better say yes.
"Not at all."
"Go for it."
"No problem."
"Of course not."
"Great. I'll be back to unpack tomorrow, is my backpack still there?" I say.
"Nope, I have it. Here." Tim says, he hands it to me with a trembling hand and I put it on. I give them all a wave and kiss Dami on the cheek before I walk away, my mom right beside me.
"Honey, you're not really alright are you?" She asks once we're in Mr. Wayne's study. I shake my head sadly. I don't trust my voice.
"I know, dear. Why did you let them get away with it then?" She asks gently. I sigh heavily while moving the hands on the clock.
"You saw how scared they were. Remember that time I took on a guy above my weight class?" I ask, she nods.
"When I beat him, I hated the way the other kids looked at me. I hate that look mom. And they kept looking at me like that every time I got angry. How do you think they'd look at me if I got angry? If I screamed and threw things?" I ask her.
"My guess is, it wouldn't be good. But that's their problem, Menina. These boys can handle men twice their size, super-powered villains, and they're scared of my 13-year-old? If I had to guess, I would think they are just scared of losing you." She assures.
I look at her gratefully and contemplate her words. I mean, I can be violent if I want to be, but they know me well enough by now to know that I wouldn't beat them up out of anger. Could it be that they don't want me to leave?
I think this over as we ride down the elevator. It's still on my mind as we go through the portal. It consumes my other thoughts as I'm laying in my bed for the final time.
Could they really fear my not being there that much? And even if they did, why? I know Damian enjoys my company and he probably doesn't want me to go, but what about the other boys? What could I possibly bring to their lives that they don't have?
Is it possible, they just, enjoy having me around because I'm, me?