I'm so sorry for the handwriting on the layout. Writing on my tablet is harder than is sounds.
Sometime into the next morning, Lyla realized her necklace was gone. She was sure the robbers didn't get it, so whoever patched her up must have taken it off.
She was pretty sure it was the butler, Alfred, who had stitched her up. She'd met him before she went to sleep last night when he came to check on her, and informed her Robin as on patrol but he could take care of anything she needed.
She had picked up on the fact that he was more resourceful than he appeared as he checked on her wounds. Lyla was curious about his story, everyone has a story, but she wasn't sure she was in a place to ask him for it.
Perhaps if she's here long enough she'd have the chance to hear it.
She asked Robin about her necklace when he came to see her not long after she woke up. He claimed to not have seen it.
She wasn't sure she believed him.
From what she could tell Boy Wonder was still school age, though in a just world she'd be in school to, and the only other person around seemed the be the butler.
Robin had joined her in the room after he got back midday. He sat in the window seat and worked on homework while they talked.
He asked her about all kinds of things, but mostly he wanted to know what her life was like on the streets.
He dodged most of her questions blaming it on "secret identities" but that would stop her. She persisted for most of the evening, trying to learn anything, but he wouldn't budge.
The sun was setting outside the window when something beeped on his watch. He excused himself saying he had a world to save and Lyla was left alone to her thoughts again.
The next morning she was no longer physically able to lay still in that, to big, to empty, bed. She had pulled her IV full of liquids out of her arm hours ago when it had started bugging her, and her legs where fine, she'd been pacing for what felt like hours.
All of the drawers in the night stand and dresser where empty, she couldn't seem to find anything to keep her hands and mind busy.
Alfred had brought her breakfast this morning before Robin snuck in her room.
They ate together and she really did appreciate the company, but he couldn't stay.
Of course.
The busy life of a teenage superhero.
Lyla felt like she was going crazy, idle didn't suit her, and she'd been nothing but idle for three days.
Plus, she wanted her necklace back. The alarm clock on the night stand told her it was now 2:00 P.M. She figured she had at least an hour until Robin got back.
She had to at least try.
As she snuck around the house, her brain worked on the pieces of the puzzle. A kind British Butler, a huge old mansion, and a teenage boy.
The whole picture was nearly there but something was missing.
She turned down a the stairs, through the large open door under the balcony, to find herself in a huge room with tall ceilings, a huge desk facing away from the door, bookcases that stretched the entire room, but what caught her eye was the portrait over the fire place on the far side of the room.
Not bothering to check the room for company, she made her way to the unlit fireplace.
The woman was beautiful, with soft features, grey-blue eyes, hair the same brown shade as Lylas, and scattered freckles. She was middle aged and had smile lines to match her heart warming smile.
On the bottom of the frame was a metal piece carved with the name Martha Wayne.
Her head began racing again.
" Martha Wayne?" " If that's Martha Wayne then.... No that's not possible"
Lylas head flooded with the memory of reading a stolen newspaper. She'd found her missing puzzle piece. But the full picture was buried deep in her memories. An article she'd read more than three years ago:
Bruce Wayne adopts homeless boy. Declaring,
" Everyone deserves a chance at a better life."
She remembered wondering when her billionaire would show up to adopt her.
This boy had been one of the lucky ones.
Most street kinds only dreamed of a life like he would be thrown into.
His name was whispered by other the kids for weeks around the street of Gotham.
He'd nearly become a celebrity to kids like her.
" So if this is Wayne Manor, and Robin clearly lives here.... Robin is Bruce Wayne's adopted son." She wracked her brain for him name, she had known it once. "Todd." She nearly said out loud "Jason Todd." Her head was still spinning trying to connect all the pieces. " If Wayne's son is Robin... Bruce Wayne might just be Batman. No that's impossible...... Is it?"
Her raging thoughts where interrupted by his soft voice.
" You're not supposed to be down here." Robins voice rang.
Noticing the intensity in which she was staring at the portrait he came to his own conclusion.
"You figure it out yet?" He asked calmly.
She turned to face the boy who was now standing far to close to her.
" Ja...Jason?" Lyla whispered out nervously.
He took her by the hand and pulled them both to one one of the sofas behind them. Lyla sat as close as she could get comfortably.
Slowly she reached for the domino mask on his face, he didn't stop her from removing it, the one the thing that kept him safe from the world. Lyla released the breath she didn't realize she was holding as his full face became clear. His soft features made is bold eyes stand out even more.
" You can't tell anyone." Jason whispered.
" I don't have anyone to tell." Lyla joked.
" I'm serious."
" I know, I'm sorry."
" I wanted to tell you, but he didn't think it was a good idea."
" Batman?" Lyla interrupted.
Jason nodded.
" Is Batman?" Lyla hesitated " Is he Bruce Wayne?"
Jason nodded again " You're good at this." He said with a chuckle.
" holy shit." Lyla whispered
" Don't let Alfred catch you use that kind of language." Jason joked.
" I don't think he's here. I snuck all the way down here with out seeing him."
" If you got down here he knows about it."
Lyla scrunched her nose with the question. Jason answered her silent question.
" Nothing happens in this house with out Alfred knowing."
Lyla took Jason's hand and meet his green eyes with her soft blue ones. Placing their hands on the place where their knees touched, she said,
" Thank you, for trusting me with this."
" Come on us street kids gotta stick together, who else is going to look out for us?" Jason said through this smile.
Lylas smile faded.
" It's you. You're the one who found me. All those years ago."
" Lyla..." She continued rambling.
" You said that same cheesy line all the time. It was so unbelievably annoying."
" Lyla..."
" You saved me. I never would have made it with out you."
"Lyla.." he tried to interject again but Lyla was talking to fast.
"and then you saved me again now. Did you know?" She finally breathed.
" Of course I knew. Not when I found you, but when I saw you after Alfred patched you up. I never forgot your face, you where my biggest regret out there." He admitted.
" Jason, I..." but this time he cut her off.
" I promised to look out for you, you where just kid out there all alone. But when you left, I didn't look for you, I gave up, I gave up on you. And look what happened." He pleaded brushing her wrist brace softly.
" Jason, it's not your fault. You where just a kid." Lyla wiped a single tear from his face.
" That's why I wanted you to stay here. I want to teach you to defend yourself."
" Jason wait..."
" Gotham is dangerous Lyla, let me teach you to survive it, again."
" I'm not a fighter Jason, I can't do what you do."
" I don't want you to. It's too dangerous. I just don't want to see you hurt again. Please let me teach you how to take care of yourself." Jason pleaded.
Lyla took a deep breath as she thought about what he was asking.
" Umm yeah, Alright.... After I'm healed."
" Of course" Jason said, bringing their hands to his lips and planting a small kiss on the back of hers.
Lyla was suddenly so confused about how she felt.
Until now she couldn't wait to leave, but Jason felt so safe. Suddenly she had a friend again, she'd been alone for so long, she'd wanted this so badly yet something still felt to good to be true.