°three days later°

□Bruce□

White hot light sprays into my eyes as they open. It burns, but I don't even feel it until I think about it. I squint as I sit up, disoriented, but quickly gain control. I've trained myself for this, so my brain catches up with what has happened extremely quick.

The last thing I remember is covering Mara befo-

Mara!

"Mara!?" I blurt out to no one in particular.

Then it seems as though I can see, because I find Damian, Dick, Tim, and Alfred around me. Damian is standing and staring near and out of the glass window. The room I'm in is pretty spaced out, with the hospital bed I'm in placed in the center of the room.

There's a couple chairs to the left and right of me, a small steel table behind the left side of the chairs, and then the big window Damian's standing by.

To the right side of the room is the door, a smaller sized window with blinds that are closed, and a closet and small metal table that can roll if need be.

Alfred speaks first, as Damian completely ignored me, Tim's asleep, and Dick's deep in thought. Alfred seems wide awake and alert, probably the most sane of them all at the moment.

"Master Wayne, she-"

"Is she alive?"

I asked that question because then I can get it out of the damned way. If she's alive, then she's alive. If she's dead, then-

No. Nope, not today. Mara's alive.

"Yes Master Wayne, she's alive. She's in surgery at the moment, almost done I believe. The surgeon's and medical professionals are doing what they can to help her, so please don't go asking them. Damian's already caused enough ruckus with them, we don't need more." He tells me, and I peer over at my son, who's brooding by the window.

"What did he do?"

"Well, I forgot how much he actually cares about his siblings - because of his usual dark and miserable looking moods - because when we were told that Mara was going under again, he wanted to see her. The doctor said no, but he didn't listen. We almost had to escort him out of the building, but we calmed him down before he did too much damage," Alfred's tone is sarcastic at first, but gets serious after the first sentence.

"What damage?" I ask, my exasperation creeping up into my voice. I've honestly just about had it with Damian and his foolish actions and behaviors lately.

"He had a doctor and nurse tied up in a storage room-"

That's all I need to hear, amd Alfred knows it.

"Damian, what the hell is wrong with you?!" I shout angrily. Might as well take my anger out now rather than later.

He turns immediately, surprising me. He doesn't look angry, which throws me off as I do a double take, making sure I saw him clearly.

"I'm sorry for that, I was out of control and infuriated, but it's your fault you couldn't keep her safe." Damian replies, keeping his usual emotionless posture up. I don't see a flash of regret in his eyes.

"It wasn't- Damian if you keep up that tone with me-"

"Fine, whatever. I'll behave better I guess."

I guess? What the hell is going on?

It takes me a minute to think about what to say, as my head started to pound, ever so slightly. It makes it harder to think, which does not help my mood.

I sigh, just giving up.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get some food, I'll be right back...you guys want anything?" Tim's voice bounces around the room, and I peer to him. Good, he's awake.

He looks like shit.

"No. No thank you," I mumble, trying to work myself back into some form of normalcy. Tim nods and looks to Damian. He knows he's not going to get an answer out of him, but he asks anyways. No answer from him, so he just leaves Damian alone.

"Dick?" He asks, but gets no response again. His shoulders sink a little, and he pats his brothers back. Dick doesn't even seem to blink.

"Alfred? Would you-"

"Of course, Master Tim. May I accompany you?"

"Yeah of course."

And then there were three. Dick's out of it, Damian's -- well I don't know. What I do know is that I might be able to sneak down to see Mara.

What the hell am I talking about? I might be able to sneak down and see my daughter? I'm Bruce Wayne, I can do as I please.

So, with that, I rip off all of the wires and shit attached to my arms, plant my feet firmly on the ground, and steady myself. Then, I stand, and grab a Dick's long black coat, that sits on the chair next to him. I take it to blend in, or to cover up my gown, so that the doctor's might tolerate me more so if I'm not a patient myself.

I head off towards the reception desk, but realize they know me as a patient. I turn around and decide to just wander. It'll help me clear my head and go frame by frame with what happened at the event a couple of days ago.

Some people notice me, some don't. I don't give out a smile or a smirk - I'm too caught up in thought.

The bomb...who planted it? It had to have been someone in the building, maybe someone came through the vents...

It could've been a male or female...most likely female...who could I rule out?

Who went into the bathroom that day then? When? Why?

Did they have a bag? Were they empty handed? And who the hell would plant a bomb? Why?

Was it an aimed attack? Was it random? Was it anyone I-

"Excuse me mister?" A quiet voice says, and I feel a tug on my coat. Okay, Dick's coat now, but it used to be mine. I turn, expecting a nurse to tell me to get back to my room, but see no one. Another tug, and I realize that it's a child, not an adult. She looks about four or five, so not too old.

I'm cautious of her, even if she is a child, but her blue eyes look up into mine, and I'm less cautious. I think she's just a kid. I sigh.

I kneel down, meeting her at eye level.

"Hello there," I tell her, giving a small smile. "What's you name?"

"Narcissa Q,"

"Bruce W."

"Like, Bruce Wayne?"

"Yeah, that's me,"

"Cool! My Daddy told my Mommy that he wanted her to tell me to tell you something about Mara!" She exclaims, and I freeze. My breath catches in my throat, and I just stare at her.

"What?" I respond sternly, now realizing that my caution was instinct. I should've listened to it.

"My Daddy said that if you don't give him Mara, he'll do something way worse to her than try to blow her up!" The platinum blonde girl squirms under my grip.

I realize I've got my hand on her wrist. She's still smiling as I begin to feel very paranoid. My head starts pounding a little harder.

I blink, but as soon as I blink, she's off like the wind. She's already down the hall and almost around the corner. I don't know how she got out of my grip.

I don't realize it, but I'm now sitting on the floor, feeling my body start to heat up. I'm confused and feel like I'm in complete darkness - I have no idea who's after Mara, she's almost dead, Dick's not okay for some reason, and I'm still a bit irritated that my head is still pounding.

I let out a soft huff of...well I don't know what to call it. A mix of stress, anxiety -- which I rarely get, but then Mara came into the picture -- and a hell of a lot more complications.

This situation just got sticky.

There's someone after Mara specifically, and that's all I know. Besides Narcissa Q, I have absolutely nothing.

The message that Narcissa delivered wasn't just a message - it was a threat.

On my daughter.

I have to figure out how I'm going to protect her, how all of us will. How she'll protect herself.

How she'll protect herself.

No. That's -- that's not an option. Never. I've made that mistake four times now, and someone died because of it. Jason is dead because of me. I'm not letting another kid of mine die protecting themselves.

But do I have any other choice? I can't be around for her 24/7, nor can Damian, Dick, Alfred, or Tim. Yes, Tim and her are the same age, but they don't have the same classes.

Anyone could be a threat - anyone.

...

Shit.

"Uh- Mr. Wayne? Are you alright?" I spin around on the floor and see a nurse standing there, looking at me incredulously. She probably didn't expect to find Bruce Wayne sitting on the floor, looking like crap.

"Oh- uh...yeah. I'm alright..." I stand up now, recomposing myself.

"Okay, well, if you need anything-"

"I'm alright." I respond sharply. She doesn't flinch.

"Well, okay then. I was just coming to inform you amd the rest of you family that you may see Mara now, she's out of surgery and stable. She'sjust down the hall, room 1159."

My eyes widen and I swallow, not realizing I didn't keep my firm composure. I wanted to scold myself for showing that much of myself to this nurse, but I'm too eager to see Mara.

My feet hit the ground steadily with each step, my heart beating with them.

I reach the room in a matter of seconds, and stop abruptly. I stare at the door for a moment, debating something among myself, quickly.

But then I think I hear something, and my parental instinct just kicks in. I open the door, and see her. My relief washes over me, but is counteracted by my anxiety as I realize her state. I think she's asleep, or just resting her eyes.

Someone did this to her.

Some bastard did this to her, put that bomb in the bathroom, stepped foot in my building that day.

"Dad?"

It's barely a whisper, but I hear it. It's almost inaudible, but I hear it. And it came from Mara. I swallow hard, and slowly walk over to the hospital bed, not trying to make too much movement or spook her.

"Yeah...I'm, I'm here..." I tell her, sitting down on the chair I pulled up quietly. I decide to just follow my instincts, and I place my hand in hers. Her small fingers wrap around my hand, seeking some form of comfortability.

Her face has cuts and bruises on it, but nothing too major. A wrap goes around her head, and tubes and wires connect to her arms. They've got scratches and bruises on them too.

I could've prevented that. If I had just been more stern with her, or not taken her to my building at all, she wouldn't be in this situation.

"Dad...?"

"Yes?"

"Could I...," she stares at me for a moment. "Have some water?"

"Yeah, yeah or course- just," I pause as I look at her, "- just give me a minute to go get some. I'll be right back...just, uh...just tell me if you need anything else...I'll just be right down the hall..."

Quickly I make my way out of the room, grabbing a plastic cup off of one of the metal tables in the room.

I'm a nervous wreck, but not because of Mara - because of me. What's going on in my head.

I'm seriously debating something that shouldn't even be a thought. Never should've been, and -- I'm having a damn hard time saying it will never be. Because I can't see any other way out of this.

There is someone after Mara, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to get her.

I don't know why, I don't know when, I don't know where.

What I do know is that I'm debating the impossible.

I'm debating the possibility that Mara has to become more like me and her brothers more than she ever imagined.

I'm debating the only way to keep her safe. The only way to protect her. The only way to keep her alive long enough to find and get rid of this person.

But once she gets into this life, she can't get out. It's a one way street.

I don't notice the cup overflowing until the water hits my hand. It reminds me of my mother, for none other reason than the fact that Martha would have loved Mara. But Martha's dead. And the water then feels cold and dead on my hands.

And now I have a choice. I can take Mara down my path to help herself when I can't, or leave it up to me and the rest of this family to try. I know it's a huge risk, making my final decision, but that's what life is. A game of risks. Some you don't take, some you do.

And if Mara becoming a vigilante is what it takes to keep her alive, then that's what I'll do.

I look down, and let go of the button on the water fountain. The water stops. I turn, stepping down the hall, preparing myself for the inevitably shitshow of a conversation I'm about to have.

I thought it couldn't get worse than this for Mara.

I was horrifically wrong.