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Chapter 30 - Let It Be

It had been a long, tense night. They patched Bruce up with some supplies liberated from an unattended ambulance and he slowly became alert and functional now that his lungs were clear of smoke. Bruce had sustained a badly broken arm, cracked ribs and a mild concussion but he stood under his own power, his arm in a field splint. His eyes beneath the mask were bloodshot and tired, his mouth drawn in a firm, tense line as he decided what to do. Silently, they made their way west into Old Gotham and the headquarters of Gotham Family Services.

Lucy held Selina�s hand as they all stood vigil on the rooftop, watching as more of the city�s orphans and lost children were led into the center. Some of them would find foster homes for the night. Others would sleep in a converted church basement or a high school gym. There were so many children that GCFS was completely overwhelmed and it was a long time before all of the children were processed and looked after. Selina knew that, within a year, most of them would be back out on the streets. Jessica Bradshaw may have killed the people who had hurt them but she had done nothing for the children themselves. Selina knew as well as anyone that vengeance did not heal an old, deep wound. It was barely more than a salve.

�What will happen to them?� Tim asked, his voice sounding high and young in the wind. Bruce tightened his jaw, frowning beneath Batman�s cowl. Dick spoke slowly, gently.

�Maybe some of them will find families,� he said hopefully. �The Wayne Foundation can help with that.�

�The Wayne Foundation didn�t do much for them before this,� Selina pointed out. �Those kids were on the streets of this city for months. Holly knew most of them. There are twelve of the missing girls,� she pointed at a the group of pre-pubescent girls clustered around the doors of GCFS, smoking cigarettes and plotting their escape from state care. �Miss Misery just collected them for us. And there are probably more out there, somewhere.�

Dick sighed tiredly. �Well, they�re all still alive, and they�re in the system now. They�ll be okay.�

Selina opened her mouth to speak but Lucy squeezed her hand. �Maybe,� the little girl told Dick.

�What do we do with her?� Tim asked Bruce. Lucy titled her calm, wide-eyed face up to Batman.

�I�m not going to an orphanage, am I?� she asked him. Bruce shook his head and Selina�s grip on Lucy�s hand tightened. Tim and Dick looked at him in surprise.

�Batman?� Dick asked. Bruce sighed.

�She�s a metahuman, Dick. GCFS wouldn�t know what to do with her.�

Dick nodded, glad they hadn�t yet told Bruce about Lucy�s telekinetic abilities. Her telepathy was bad enough. Bruce did not like metahumans. If he knew she had the power to form a solid rock ledge with her mind, Bruce would regard Lucy as a threat and Dick didn�t want that to happen, somehow.

�We should head over to Leslie�s clinic,� Selina suggested. �You need proper medical attention,� she said to Bruce in a tone that booked no refusal. �And she can examine Lucy.�

Bruce nodded, watching as the last of the children were led into the GCFS building. He�d forced himself to watch this so he could understand how badly he was failing in his mission. More of them were being created every day while he wasted his time fighting costumed theme criminals. This new breed of hurt, frightened children were growing up to be criminals who would hurt and frighten in their turn. Jessica had shown him things he never wanted to think of again, but he used it, as he always did, to illustrate his own weaknesses. He wasn�t doing enough.

Selina picked up Lucy, settling the child into her arms for the trip north to the East End and Leslie�s clinic. Bruce stopped her. �Let�s go back to the manor,� he said tiredly. �We�ll see Leslie in the morning.�

�You�re sure?� Selina asked him, and Bruce turned away, heading for the fire escape. Tim and Dick shrugged, following their leader off the rooftop. Selina sighed, trailing after them, Lucy�s head on her shoulder. They all just needed to sleep. Everything would seem better in the morning.