When I arrived home there were no lights on and the gates were locked tight.
“Really?” I groaned to myself parking my bike and stepping off. I grabbed my gun and kept it in my hand the whole time I walked to the panel on the side of the tall stone wall. It had started to rain a couple minutes ago so I was shivering; causing myself to mistype some of the code.
“Access denied.” Said this chirpy little voice. It was my voice from when I first moved here. I wouldn’t leave Richard or Bruce alone about the too robot sounding voice on the box so they had me record it instead. Hey, I was six.
“Damn it.” I muttered. My voice was definitely raspier now and sounded deeper. I had grown up spoiled yet it was harder for me here. I could always have what I wanted; save for a family. I knew that there were limits and I wasn’t always, ‘gimme gimme.” In fact, I was hardly ever like that. Bruce never knew what to do with me and Ricky could read my mind perfectly. I’m actually really glad that they live together. Apparently Ricky was in the same boat with me; he lost his family to some nut job and that’s all I know. Bruce took him in but didn’t really know him at the time. Ricky just wanted to leave but Alfred used that charm of his to make him stay. I tried to type in the code again.
“Access denied!” I laughed hysterically through the speaker. Wow, I did sound like the Joker… sweet.
“Come on, come on.” I whispered aloud trying to type in the password, and failing again.
“Access denied! The police will be here momentarily! Enjoy your day!” I laughed as the keypad shut down and locked its self.
“Great.” I groaned and finally decided to just fall asleep against the wall. I woke to someone shaking my shoulders and a bright light in my eye.
“Can’t you go two hours without calling us?” Gordon smiled at me.
“Bright.” I groaned shielding my eyes. “What time is it?”
“About three in the morning.” He sighed. It was still raining and my clothes were completely soaked. I looked over and sighed. It’s a good thing I covered my bike with the spare tarp before knocking out.
“And I take it you had to call the house?” I asked cautiously.
“Yes,” Gordon nodded. “Alfred answered it and said he’d be down here shortly.” Gordon shrugged off his jacket and started to wrap it around me when I shook my head.
“You keep it. I’m already soaked and it won’t do me much good. We don’t need Gotham’s finest sick now do we?” I smirked and coughed.
“We also don’t need the guest of honor to be sick for her party tonight.” Gordon frowned at me. “Katrina how long have you been out here?”
“Um, since I rode off and the keypad locked me out?” I shrugged.
“We got the call two hours ago, you rode off three hours ago.”
“Great, three hours in the cold and rain.” I coughed a little more violently. “Looks like I’m not going to school tomorrow.”
“Hello Commissioner Gordon.” I heard Alfred say. “And Master Katrina would be…”
“Hello.” My voice scratched and he looked down to finally see me.
“Great Scotts! Katrina what are you doing out here?!”
“I forgot the pass code to the gates.” I smiled up at him sleepily.
“Good grief child. Get inside and I’ll tell you when you wake up. You’re nearly asleep in the mud.” Alfred scolded trying to get me to stand.
“I’ve been sleeping in the mud for two hours.” I said. “It’s actually warm.”
“Alright, you’re going to take a hot shower and going straight to sleep. No Facebook, television, or cell phone. Bed, do you hear me?” Alf said after finally standing me up with Gordon’s help.
“Mhmmm. Hot chocolate?” I said half out of it. I just wanted to curl up and go straight to sleep.
“Sure, only if you get in the house soon.” Alfred coaxed me to start walking.
“Crap, what about my bike?” I frowned. I was not leaving it outside the gates, it just wasn’t gonna happen.
“Don’t worry about your bike. Look, we’re moving it on this side of the gates. No one’s gonna mess with it and it still has a tarp on it.” Gordon said as he pushed my bike behind the stone wall on our side of the gates.
“Okay, lets go inside. It’s cold.” I muttered starting to fall asleep again.
“Come on Kat, we’re almost there.” Alfred said as he grabbed my arm as I tripped on the bottom stair. “I didn’t tell Bruce or Richard.” He whispered in my ear.
“Thank you Alf.” I smiled as we walked through the doors. I was instantly hit with warmth and, unfortunately, light. “Gah, bright.” I hissed.
“Now, now. We don’t have any vampires in this house.” He teased me. “Here’s a towel for your shower. Use the guest bathroom downstairs. Knowing you you’ll end up falling over the banister and end up in the hospital again.” Alf laughed to himself.
“Hardy har har.” I mocked walking towards the enormous bathroom. It didn’t matter that it was a guest’s; it was still Bruce Wayne’s. The bathroom was huge. The shower was a ceiling to floor stone structure with a glass door and a stone bench inside. There was a double sink countertop made of marble and the floors along with the walls were all tiled. There was a door that lead to a toilet and a separate door that was of course the closet that held everything; including a spare set of pj’s and underwear. I set them on the counter top and started running the hot water. The mirror above the sinks was already half way fogged over. I pulled out my phone that somehow survived the mud drench and turned on my music, setting it down so that it echoed through the entire bathroom. Susan Enan’s Bring On The Wonder came on and I relaxed. I sang aloud and on key. I don’t think I’m the world’s greatest singer, but you know what, I still loved to do it. With the water rushing and being able to actually feel the music through the floor and walls I started crying; because this song woke up all my feelings. The ones about Austin, my family, and Edward. Then the chorus and instrumental part came in and I completely lost it. I got out of my clothes and into the shower, letting the hot water wash away my fears and pain. And the cold, it definitely washed away the cold.
The piano and strings just made the song that much deeper for me. And then of course the mood changed when the next song came on.
I Can’t Dance by Genesis came on and I just smiled. I sang along and scrubbed my hair with my shampoo. After about ten more minutes I stepped out of my shower smiling. I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my body as I walked over to the mirror. I wiped a circle in the fog and jumped back at what I saw.
“There’s no way.” I muttered looking around to see the window was closed and locked. Looking back at the mirror I was still shocked to the high heavens.
“Why so serious?” Was written in purple with a joker card near by. It was the same one with the question mark on the back. I grabbed it down and flipped it over countless times.
“There is no way. I checked before I got in the shower. And I didn’t hear anything. I grabbed my clothes and did a quick sweep of the room before I backed into the little stall to change. I stepped out cautiously. I was now wearing an oversized men’s black shirt with white lettering reading, “What I really need is minions.” Underneath I had a pair of short black jersey shorts. My feet were of course bare and my hair was a big wet mess. I walked over to the mirror to see the writing gone but the card was still on the counter. I grabbed the towel and card and ran out of there.
“Everything okay?” Alfred asked eyeing me suspiciously with a mug of steaming hot coco.
“Um, just a little jumpy.” I said as I bent over and dried my hair with the towel. When I flipped back up my long hair hit my back and stayed out of my eyes.
“You still have your music on in there.” Alf pointed to my phone on the countertop.
“Oh, ya.” I walked back in and snatched it before practically running out.
“You sure that’s all miss?” Alf asked nervously.
“I’m fine.” I smiled and grabbed the mug before flopping down on the couch. “I’m gonna crash down here.”
“Wouldn’t you like the guest room instead?”
“No thanks. The couch is way more comfortable than the oversized bed in there. Thanks anyway Alfred.” I smiled at him over the back of the couch. Just then there was a loud crash in the library and I nearly spilled my drink. “What the hell was that?!” I screamed.
“It’s okay Katrina. Just drink your coco and I’ll go see what it is.”
“I’m coming.” I said getting up before he shot me a look that kept me rooted on the spot.
“No, just drink and go to sleep. You need to stay un-sick.”
I did as he said and he walked towards the library. I took a couple of sips before my eye lids started to droop. I didn’t remember being this tired. After trying to fight it for a few minutes I let sleep take me. Gravity took my mug of chocolate and I heard it smash against the floor before falling into a deep dream.