Fighting Crime Doesn't Pay

Chapter 5

I spent that afternoon at Alexis's house. We watched movies and ate popcorn and I stared at my phone for hours until it hurt to close and open my eyes.

"How are you holding up?" Alexis asks as she walks in with the fourth bowl of popcorn.

"I want to beat someone's face in and I feel like if I try to get off this couch I will collapse." I answer, surprised that I can be so coherent.

"The police will find him. I promise. I bet they even pull Super Girl out retirement for this." She says, trying to reassure me. My fingers clamp down on the coffee table until the wood cracks. Alexis jumps.

"Oh gosh. That scared me! I didn't realize that table was rotting." She says, catching her breath. People will come up with an explanation for anything rather than guess that their friend has the ability to break solid oak. Just as Alexis is sweeping up the scattered splinters her door bell rings. "You stay here, I'll go get it." I slump back into the couch and stare at my phone again. I hear voices coming from the door but I don't really register them because my brain no longer functions beyond eating and staring. Finally Alexis walks in, I think she's talking to me. "Andy? Andy, please wake up." She says in a desperate tone.

"Not asleep" I manage to slur out. I turn around to see Eric standing next to Alexis. My eyes widen and I suddenly become alert. "Did something happen? Is he ok?" I shout as I rise off the couch.

"I'm afraid I don't know anymore than you do. I just thought that maybe you should wait this out at Wayne Manor." He says a little sheepishly.

"Mr. Wayne isn't exactly my biggest fan." I reply. This is true, though him not liking me is due entirely to the fact that I called him out on being a shit dad.

"Very true. But misery loves company, and with the state Master Bruce is in right now, I think it would be good to have another person around." Eric replies. Eric is very good at his job; meaning that it's almost physically impossible for him to show distress of any kind. So I've gotten pretty good at reading him, and his eyes are screaming for help.

"Ok, I'll go."  I relent. "Should I go grab some clothes and stuff?" I ask, sensing that this will be for the long haul.

"No need. I'll head down to your place later and grab what you need. If you want you can make up a list." Eric answers. I guess he realizes that I might die if I get within ten feet of my apartment. I just nod, cause I barely have the energy or motivation to stand right now. Alexis says bye and hugs me for an absurdly long time and then Eric herds me into the car and we drive across town to Wayne Manor.

Wayne Manor is huge. And not just regular huge, super, frickin huge. I have been here tons of times and I still haven't seen all of it. I end up just laying on one of the many couches staring at the ceiling and listening to Mr. Wayne screaming into a phone somewhere in the distance. Every twenty minutes or so Eric shows up, usually with food.

"Would you like anything to drink, Miss Andy?" He asks as he sets another plate of cookies down on the super fancy coffee table.

"No thanks." I reply. I don't care enough to protest the title in front of my name. One glance at Eric proves that it was a test. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?" He asks, looking very concerned.

"Not unless you can bring him back." I say, knowing that it's a low blow. For the first time I've ever seen Eric almost breaks character, doing absolutely nothing to acknowledge my words he turns and walks out of the room. I sigh and nibble a cookie. I stay there for hours, long after the cookies are gone. At some point during the night Eric returns and forces me upstairs to one of the guest rooms. I stand in the room for a while, looking at my tear stained face in the mirror. Eventually my body hits the soft bed, some time after that I drift asleep.