The Aster {Book 1 & 2} (Batman/Joker/Robin/Batgirl story)

1.11. Facing Family

"You can unblindfold yourself now," an old sounding British man says from the front seat of the car.

I respond in the most British way I know.

"About bloody time," I pull the soft piece of fabric off my face and see that we're pulled up outside the town hall.

God, this is a posh car. I didn't get a chance to see it before I was blindfolded back at the house. The man who drove me here is old, wearing a black suit with tails as white as his hair. He looks like he belongs in an old black and white movie.

Before he has a chance to respond I jump out of the Jaguar and firmly shut the door behind me.

A few pedestrians on the street turn and look as I start to make my way back home. God, I bet I look horrific. I glance at my reflection in a shop window and my worst fears are confirmed. I look like I've died, been buried and dug up again a few months later. At the very best I look like I've been on an extreme drug binge these past few days. But I guess Mom will prefer that explanation to the truth.

Mom, I've spent the last few days plotting to kill Batman with the Joker and laying unconscious in Batman's headquarters.

Yeah, no.

As I round the corner to my street I see Dad's BMW parked outside the house. Great.

The second I ring the doorbell I see Mom's red hair rushing up the hallway through the fuzzy glass.

"Meredith, where have you been!" She yells. "Your father has every policeman in Gotham looking for you!"

"I'm sure they appreciated that," I mutter under my breath.

Dad suddenly appears behind her and before I know it has physically yanked me into the house.

"Where have you been?" He demands, and not in a pleasant tone of voice.

"Like you care," I storm pass him towards the stairs but he roughly grabs me by the hair and pulls me into the living room.

"You think I don't care? How am I supposed to explain this to Commissioner Gordon? I'll be the laughing stock of the whole of Gotham! I won't allow you to humiliate me like this!"

"Oh get out," I snap back. "You've never cared about what I did, so don't you fucking dare start to pretend you do now!"

"Meredith don't speak to your father like that!" Mom intervenes, standing with her arms crossed in the doorway, blocking my way out.

"Why not, somebody's got to. We're not all walkovers like you!"

Mom looks down at the ground.

"Look at what you've raised," Dad suddenly turns on Mom, wildly flailing his arms about in the air.

All the fallout from the past few days suddenly hits me and I explode.

"What she's raised?! You did this, if anyone has made me a monster it's you! How fucking dare you speak to her like that!"

He turns almost white and for a second I think he's about to hit me. Honestly, I don't care. Let him.

"Get out!" I scream hysterically. "Get out of our house! Get out of our house you bastard!"

My words are still echoing around the room by the time he reaches the door.

"Call yourself a mother?" He spits at Mom before I physically push him out of the front door and yank the chain shut behind him.

Mom is still standing in the living room doorway, almost in shock.

"Meredith, you really shouldn't..."

"How can you defend him?!" I yell disbelievingly, the adrenaline still in control of my body.

"We were both so worried," she says softly. " I... I was terrified I'd lost my other baby."

I feel tears start to sting the back of my eyes, the guilt suddenly hitting me hard. I reach out and hug her.

"I'm sorry Mom."

"Where were you?"

That sparks back some of my anger and I pull away.

"Just get off my case!"

"You were gone two days!"

I start to run towards the stairs but she gets there first.

"Hey, what hit you?" She says suddenly, pushing aside my bangs and revealing the dark yellowing bruise the Joker's panda henchman left there.

"Nothing! Stop fussing!"

With that I run past her up the stairs and into my room, looking the door behind me.

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Hi! I'm sorry, I know not very much happened in this chapter and it's quite short, but I wanted to show a bit more about Meredith and her family. Please like and leave a comment and I promise I'll update soon!