Le Joker

010

Nani crept through the city, blind to her surroundings, due to everyone being asleep. Luckily she knew the terrain well enough to avoid debris and such.
It took an hour for Nani to arrive at her house. She took a pen and paper from the satchel she'd grabbed before leaving Wayne Manor. Looking wistfully at her home, she wrote a note for her family. A note that she hoped would help them all understand why she couldn't stay. Why she needed to go back.
When the sun started to rise and she saw other people making their way to school, Nani stealthily made her way to her door, putting the letter and an apple for Prince. She ran back to her post just in time. Right when she got to the toppled tower that her siblings often liked to play on, the door opened, revealing little Prince.
Nani meant to duck when he leaned down and picked up the apple and note, but stopped when she saw Bryce. He looked tired and worried, nothing like his usual teasing self. He stopped in front of Prince, kneeling and him what he had. The little boy just smiled at the apple. He knew it was his sister. He knew it was her with every bone in his body. "My sister. It's from my sister! Mama! Everybody, it's from Nani!"
Tears began to form in her eyes as Nani watched the members of her family run outside at the mention of her name. Her mother rushed out last, a little baby in her arms as she grabbed to note from Prince and began to read it aloud.

"Prince, I promised you an apple, and this one is all your own.
"I'm alright, please don't worry about me. I can't come home, not yet. This is a mission now, one I need to see through to the end. Mama, I know you don't like me fighting, but I'm good at it, and Daddy taught me well. Jerome speaks one language: violence. I have to beat him, and then I have to kill him.
"This fear won't die until he does. Please do not try looking for me, I don't want anyone else I love to get hurt. I may not be able to reach out to you often, but I will do it as often as I can.
"Romeo, while I'm away, you're the oldest. Take care of everyone for me, alright? Don't let anyone tease your brothers and sisters, and anyone too big for you to scare off, remember who they are so I can give them the worst butt kicking ever, okay? You guys be nice to each other and help Mama and Daddy out around the house.
"Michael, ask one of those nice big kids at your school for help with your homework, and don't let that little punk, Jordan, tease your sister. Just call him out and tell him he likes her so she doesn't have to put up with the kid anymore.
"Don't bother Bryce... Please. Him being involved with us has already caused enough trauma and hurt to his family. But first, can you please tell him I'm sorry and that he was right. All of the other guys trying to talk to me do seem like jerks compared to him. Hopefully that will make him smile. I've realized it's true, I mean, just look at my husband."

Nani's mother was already crying as she was reading the words that sounded so like her daughter, but once she read the word husband, she burst into tears and shoved the letter at her own for him to finish.
Looking at her family- her mother and baby brother sobbing, Romeo silently crying into Bryce's shirt as he rubs his back comfortingly, Artemis holding on to her father's leg and Prince looking around them for his big sister -Nani broke down. She slid down the tower until she was sitting on the ground, the cool metal feeling good. She sat there with her eyes closed, and cried while her dad began to read the note again, unable to move.

"Daddy, when I come back with the blood of Jerome Valeska on my hands, I want that vacation day from training that you've been promising me the past three years.
"I love you all more than anything, and for you, I will come back home. For good, and my own legend.
"P.S. Artemis, I didn't forget you, girlie. I'm gonna need something nice to wear my first day back, I'm putting you in charge of my wardrobe (you know the boys will probably pick out what I always wear). And at the way, way bottom of my clothes, there's a box with a ribbon on it, it's for you. I want you to open it as soon as you find it. The ribbon is all yours too. I love you, little girl."

Nani was about to get up and leave when she heard a voice that almost made her cry all over again, "Can you please just walk us to school one more time?" Opening her eyes, Nani saw her littlest brother standing there, a bite taken out of his apple. "You weren't supposed to see me yet."
The little boy looked at Nani with those big brown eyes, and she knew she couldn't leave him yet. "I will walk you to school one last time before I come back okay? No come here."
Their parents were just starting to freak out about where their son was, when they saw Nani carrying the young boy on her back, his little arms squeezing at her neck, but she didn't care.
Seeing their sister, the kids all ran at her hugging her as tightly as they could. The baby was even reaching for her. "Nani said she could walk us to school today!" Prince cheered from her back. "Let me hug Mama and Daddy you guys, okay? Then we'll start going."
All of her siblings moved aside and Nani ran at her father, who scooped her up in a hug, "I don't like you wearing things like that Nani. I want you to take that boy, and crush him. I have faith in you." He said to her before he sat her feet back on the ground.
Nani looked at her mother, who gave the baby to her husband before she tackled her daughter in a hug, crying and kissing her face, "I love you, I love you so much, don't you ever scare me like that again." She cried into her daughter's face. Nani rubbed her mother's back, ten again, "I won't Mama, I promise I won't."
Her mom sniffled and nodded, still not releasing her daughter, "Good. Now make sure you come back home to me. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." She said into her daughter's ear before letting her go. "Can I see the baby before we head off?" Nani asked, reaching out towards the little caramel drop. Her father handed him to her and Nani looked the tiny baby in his eyes, "I'm gonna need you to hold down the fort while I'm gone little man. You may not be as big as me yet, but I'm sure you're just as smart. Keep everyone smiling okay? I'll be back before you know it." The baby boy cooed as if he was answering, "Glad we understand each other. I'll see you later little guy."
With that, she handed the baby to her mom, kissed her mother and father on the cheek, and began to Gotham City Elementary, Prince on her back, Artemis and Michael holding her hands, and Bryce and Romeo walking ahead of her, as if nothing had ever changed.