Atlas

Hibijibis

Walking into a quaint little restaurant I took a seat by the back.

My mind was clouded with questions.

Bruce wasn’t joking about Alfred, who turned out to be an incredibly kind old man with wrinkles coveting wisdom and loyalty, coming to pick Eilis up at six o'clock sharp.

The boys were technically suspended for a couple of days, though the school preferred to call it a soul-searching vacation to protect Damian from unwelcome public gossip.

I haven’t seen Bruce since the day he took us home, but I’ve been able to form a proper relationship with Alfred and even Damian, despite his cold exterior he was a sucker for praise. 

“What can I get you?” The waitress asked, holding back a smile.

She had long wavy black hair that cascaded down her back in a low ponytail.

Her voice was cheery and her brown eyes were mischievous.

This was Alice, my trusty sidekick against Gotham’s economic oppression.

When I moved here with Eilis just a few short months ago, she was the first to welcome me.

Working in a little place like this was nice, if only because the coworkers were like bloodbound packs, loyal and fierce against unwelcome customers. But the work could be grueling.  

“The usual pick me up,” I respond and she frowns. 

“Lost your job?” 

I shake my head.

“Nah, but I had to run
out and get Eilis from that hell hole of a school. He got into a fight.” 

“Damn, did he lose the scholarship?” 

“Nope,” I snort and flip through the menu absently.

“Instead that rich asshole Bruce Wayne took the bullet. He’s actually not as much of an asshole as we thought.”

The last comment was an absent thought as I pictured his cool blue eyes and the way his lips would quirk up into an involuntary smile. 

“Girl, you need to jump on that ship! That sexy ass rich guy is in your grasp, you just have to squeeze.”

She sent me a look that clearly meant she didn’t mean anything innocent and I rolled my eyes. 

“Yeah right.” I snort but she interrupts me sternly.  

“Yes, not much else you can do. Unless you want to be poor forever.”

Then she nods her head and walks away.

A few minutes later she comes back with a large hot chocolate, filled with marshmallows and whipped cream. 

“Thanks,” I say before sipping it.

She nods and I expect her to leave but she stays. I wait because she seems like she has something to say, though it takes her a few moments to spit it out. 

“I’m quitting by the end of the week. We were robbed last night. I was closing up the shop and a bunch of thugs came in.”

She was quiet for a moment before continuing.

“The suspects weren’t caught and the police are looking for them, it seems like they’ve hit a bunch of stores and restaurants. But their lead forensic consultant quit and they are low on staff." 

“Seriously? That’s horrible Alice! Are you okay? They didn’t hurt you did they?"

“No, I’m okay. It went really smooth, not like last month’s hit with Sherry on the clock. God help her immortal soul.”