***

A couple of years ago I would have never imagined myself in this position. Though who ever ends up where they imagined themselves to be? Some would certainly argue that I no longer had any redeemable qualities as I became exactly who they claimed I was. But a girl could certainly try to make up for some of her wrongs even if she had no real regrets. Even if my trying to find this missing family began as a selfish way of attempting to find a friend, and later became the curiosity of wanting to solve this mystery. It became clear to me early on that this Robinson family had not connection to Holly Robinson like I initially  believed. 

I sat in my car looking through the files and paperwork that I had accumulated throughout the past couple of weeks. The soft sound of the radio in the back ground only adding to my confusion, and all the thoughts running rapidly through my head. 

Weeks of investigation only to find out the missing family I had been searching for had simply moved. Nothing made any sense. Now here I was parked outside of this perfect looking home like a complete idiot. And although nothing seemed out of the ordinary, I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that this family had decided to sipper from the lives of their friends and family.  But who was I to judge them for disappearing out of the lives of the people they loved.

With a sigh I put my key into the ignition ready to leave just as a mad holding a folder walked up the steps of this families home. It wasn't anything odd, or suspicious. Not really, but something made me stay. Something didn't feel right about the man approaching this families' home.

I watched as the man entered the home only to exit seconds later, the file no longer in his hands. And not long after the family of four walked out of the house carrying large cases and placing them in the back of their mini van. They all got into the car and drove off, leaving me to wonder what that man could have possibly told them. 

In a split second decision I turned the key on the ignition and drove after them. I don't know what made me do it, in reality I had no reason to think anything was off.  Or maybe I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't waste so much of my time looking for this family for nothing. That I didn't waste valuable time that I could be looking for her, by investigating this family who possibly had not connection to her. 

But after months I was determined to find Selina Kyle. 

***

I parked on the other side of the street from them and watched as they seemed to discuss something. The reason for them arriving at the apartment building could be as simple as them visiting a friend or family. Which is odd itself considering that their family or friends haven't heard from them in months. And normally I wouldn't have driven across an entire state for a small hunch, but that man that arrived on this families' doorstep convinced me that there was definitely something not right here.

Quickly I walked to the entrance of the apartment building and and stopped to pull out my lipstick and a small compact mirror from my purse. I slowly applied the lipstick as I waited for the family to approach the building. I watched them come closer through my mirror and wondered what my next move would be considering I didn't have much time to come up with a better plan.

Analyzing the situation I realized that the girl would be the easier target of the four, so as they approached me I turned around and acted as if I had accidentally bumped into the girl. In unison the entire family stopped and looked at me expectantly. 

"I am so sorry." I apologized, as I placed a hand on the young girls shoulder and attaching microphone to her sweater. "I can be so clumsy sometimes."

The girl just looked at me with a blank expression until her mom cleared he throat, seeming to bring the girl back to reality. "It's alright." She said giving me what seemed like an excited smile. "I like your lipstick. It looks very good on you." 

"Thank you." I replied as I smiled at her, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling that this family was giving me. "I'm sure this shade would look great on you too."

"Mother believes that it would be inappropriate for a girl like me to use those colors."

"Come on darling lets go." The father ordered with an unsettling smile. And the way he spoke to her, as if she were a child made it clear that there was something very wrong here. I had seen people act this way in Gotham before when they had been brainwashed. But could this family be brainwashed? And for what reason?  "We're on a time crunch. Tick tock."

I watched as the family walked inside the building before rushed back to my car. Opening the center compartment of my car I pulled out a small device that I quickly linked to the microphone that I planted on the girl's arms. My time with Gotham's Dark Knight might have been short, but I did learn a lot from that time.

Placing the small earpiece I realized that a small part of me was over analyzing this whole situation and maybe there was nothing wrong with this family. 

"It's the fifth floor." I heard what sounded like the father instruct. "She shouldn't be home yet."

For a couple of minutes I heard rustling, must nothing significant. Nothing that seemed abnormal.

"Hey, you okay?" I heard a woman ask cautiously. She clearly didn't know these people, and although I couldn't see what was going on I could only imagine.  "What's your name?"

"I don't have a name." The girl replied, in a tone of voice that was much different than the one that she used on me.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, followed  by a cry of pain from the woman who lived the apartment. "Where's your partner? " The mother's voice demanded.

"Tell us." I heard the father's voice say after another cry of pain. And I didn't have to hear anymore before I pulled the earpiece out of my ear and began to run back into the street.

I ran into the apartment building not bothering with the elevator as I ran up the staircase. I didn't know what I was thinking, but how could I possibly think that this normal looking family could be this insane. Once I got to the fifth floor I began looking for the possible apartment that they could have gotten into, but I didn't have to do much guessing as the door at the end of the hall was slightly open.

Entering the apartment I found it a disaster, and there were clear signs of a fight. Although I wasn't surprised at what I had found I couldn't help but curse myself for being so stupid. Now not only had I lost track of the family, but an innocent person was now possibly hurt.

Slowly I walked further into the room, shattered glass crunching against my heels. I looked at the counter beside the door to find a police badge on top of it. And I could only wonder why they would choose to attack a police officer. Now they were guaranteed to be on the top of any most wanted list.

Continuing my search I saw a trail of blood leading to a woman lying on the floor, her hand over her stomach clutching her blood soaked shirt. I rushed to her side and bent down beside her brushing strands of hair from her face.

"It's okay." I tried to assure her seeing the frantic look in her eyes. But from her wounds and large amount of blood around her, my words were empty ones and I had a feeling that she knew that too. "It's okay they're gone."

She began to wildly gasp for air as she looked at me with blank eyes. I didn't understand why she would be a target for anyone.

"What did they want?" I asked needing to make sense of what was going on. Why would anyone risk attacking a police officer, now they were guaranteed to be on the top of any most wanted list int the state. "Why would they do this?"

"Grayson." She replied barely a whisper and hearing that name after such a long time made my heart feel like it sunk to the pit of my stomach.

"What?"

"They were looking for Dick Grayson." She said repeated and saying those took everything out of her. And I watched her take her last breath, I had seen people die before and the feeling of watching someone die never changes. It's like it takes a piece of you every time. 

But I didn't have much time to linger on those thoughts as I quickly began to make sure that there was no evidence that I was in this apartment. The last thing I needed was to become a murder suspect. I had to get going, I knew I wasn't going to be able to catch up to this nuclear family. But at least I knew where they were going. 

They were after Dick Grayson.

I couldn't believe that after all these years, my life would lead me back from the person that I was hoping that I would never see again. Yet, at the same time I was hoping that I would. And I honestly didn't know if I was strong enough to face him. Not after all these years. But whatever this family had planned, they need Dick, and I had to warn him.

***