"Get in line," Taya's words came out much harsher than she intended but they seemed to affect her charges, the kids as they quietly lined up, that was good, still the lick of fear that had gathered in one boy's lips gave her a bitter taste, leaving her no heart to scold the murmurings of the few bold children.

Perhaps sensing her plight the mute girl, Mira, hushed her fellow kids, she was such a responsible one, intelligent too and her red eyes were truly charming. Perhaps her voice was the price for all that.

Taya tore her eyes away from them and to the steel ribbed gate that served as their main entrance and the portcullis that provided a solid second layer. God knew they needed it in this city.

"Children be good," She told them as her hands went for the motor control that worked the portcullis, with one press of the switch the crisscrossed mesh of steel lifted off the ground and the crevasse of the door frame.

Mira's eyes unknown to Taya fixated on her, the ruby red eyes trying to gleam anything possible from her vista. Alas try as she might, she was not a mind reader, and reading her body language was beyond her. She averted her gaze not to be caught. All she could do now was wait

But the wait hardly lasted for a moment, a knock rattled the door, "Ah, he is here," Taya smiled as she reached for the door. The heavy deadbolt slid back and let in the dying sunlight bathing the children in a golden orange glow broken only by one man standing in the middle of the door.

"Children, meet Bruce Wayne," She said, showing her brightest smile possible.

He walked in with a smile, an implacable one at that, but his eyes only spared the kids a glance before scanning every bit of the room, Mira caught his eyes running over to the steel crossed windows and ventilation, then to the corners, then to…then to them, anything that could be grasped was devoured, body language, movements, facial expressions, how much of a danger they were or how much of it they were in. All of it.

Mira felt her spine turn liquid. This was not a man in front of her but a monster, a monster with human skin.

But also an opportunity. An opportunity like nothing before. The man for all—all this was not a madman. He had a bleeding heart for children. Maybe, just maybe she could exploit that?

She forced her back straight and a smile grafted onto her lips. Batman had caught that. He did not know what to make of it, the girl was terrified of Bruce Wayne, she followed his gaze, and the trembling in her lips was obvious. Why, though?

"Hello," He said, walking slow and steady steps to the kids, his knee bent to bring him to their level, "How are you guys?" His smile was a charmer's, gentle and bright, his public side was shining through.

"Good," A child jumped in, "Great," Another echoed his sentiments, it was a chorus only Mira had yet to sing. Still, it was a chorus that both adults smiled at, "Anything you guys want?"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Mira and he made eye contact but the former broke it. She needs to look weak, wanting to say something but keeping it boxed in. Sympathy was her sword, her rapier and she would need to poke a hole in the heart of the Bat and worm her way in.

And sure enough, Batman caught on to her eyes. Her lips parting and closing, eyes switching between her feet and him.

He turned back to look at the caregiver, and she caught his meaning, "The little one is Mira, mute but very intelligent."

Her words were disproven almost the next second, "I am not mute." Her words caused all eyes to turn to her, the words out of the girl's lips since she had joined the orphanage.

All according to plan.

"You are powerful right?" She dribbled out and his eyes went wide, his tongue was stuck, what was he to say to that? To a child.

Taya moved beside him, she held an astonished face but she was moving to separate them, probably take the girl somewhere to ask a few things, no need for that.

He gestured to her to hold her steps, a frown emerged but she did, "I am."

"Then…" She paused and glazed over her friends, "Please come with me to my room. I want to—want to show you something. Alone."

The girl could have been an assassin, a poison vector? He shook his head off of things. He was dealing with a nine-year-old child, Bruce Wayne was needed, not Batman.

"Well, lead the way then."

———

——

—

The room much like the rest of the building was well protected if nothing else: An air flush grafted onto the vents, steel bars at the windows and a small fridge to keep canned food.

Now that she looked back at it pulling her small black and red bag from under the bed, it was really a good choice to join this orphanage.

Digging through it she pulled out two photos, the last belongings of the true Mira Dracena.

A picture of a family of three in a broken home with forced smiles on the couple.

A picture of Victor Zsasz 'liberating' the couple taken from below a bed.

This was Mira Dracina's story, a poor girl who loved her family, a girl who loved to be happy…Mira couldn't tell anyone anything more about the girl, because she herself knew nothing more.

Did the girl like chocolate? What was her favourite ice cream flavour? What was her favourite colour? She didn't know. The girl Mira Dracina died somewhere in the streets of Gotham, and that day a new 'Mira Dracina,' woke up. And the real one was no more, no one would even remember the cheery girl. For all intents and purposes, Mira Dracina might as well have never existed.

"...In our city," She said as she handed the 'Photo Liberty' to the man, and he took it.

"Only men with power can get justice…" Her teeth clench, "Only their words mean anything," A deep breath, "I…please you are an orphan too, you know how it feels. Help me get justice,"

Batman froze and the girl had to have taken the picture hidden from the madman, she'd watched it happen, "Or help me take it."

He knelt in front of the girl and wrapped her in a hug, his face leaving a bitter smile, he did not know, he did not know about this, maybe on a day he was not at Gotham? Maybe, "I am sorry."

Her voice was muffled due to him but she denied him, "None of it is your fault."

His voice was crumpled, he was Batman, any crime he did not stop he considered his failing, so he mirthlessly repeated, "I am sorry."

She scoffed, "Not your fault, even if it were, a sorry does not bring back my family," She pushed him away, and he let her go, "Will you help me?"

He looked at her, the anger, the rage at the man was clear as day, easy to see, she would go after the murderer as he had with his parents. He could not allow that. So he nodded, "I will."

'So that you don't turn out like me.'

———

——

—

"A sister? With who? Catwoman? Wonder woman?" Damian looked up from his tablet and asked, as the lean old man Alfred told him the news.

"None, Master Damian, an adoption," He said with peak professionalism.

The spiky-haired teen looked up from his tablet, "Seriously?" Alfred nodded, "She is a child of nine years, a similar story to Master Dick."

"Oh?" Damian said without much mind, he felt pity for the girl, but these things happen, the league of shadows had dealt with a lot of death, murder, and assassinations, he was naturally familiar with it. One can only accept it and push past the difficulties, "So why is he accepting her? We cannot take in every crime made orphan in this city."

"Master Bruce said that she has the will to push past and become a force for good."

"If he is right."

"He hasn't been wrong yet."

Damian nodded, Alfred was correct, he hasn't been wrong yet, not with Dick, not with Barbara, and not with him, he had mistakes but he was not wrong about anyone…mostly anyone.

"Well, tell the rest then, Oracle is down at the cave," He said as he laid back on the sofa. Maybe she would be fun, who knows. But one thing was for sure, he was not going to let her turn out like the others.

Not like Jason at least.