Batman: The Crusaders

Chapter 19

Barbara Gordon's Pov
Tears streamed as I looked down at Dick.

"Why did this have to happen?" I asked.

"I don't know," Bruce replied. I could hear the tears in his voice as his voice cracked. "We need to call your father...we need to tell him everything and our identities. He's the only other person that we can trust.

Soon all of Gotham's police force was here. We had talked privately with my father and told him everything, including our identities. He told us that he would not give the identity of Dick. He said he would make sure there wasn't an obituary or a funeral so it would protect our identities. My father also was amazed that me,  daughter, had helped so much and he was also proud. He promised he would keep our identities a secret and agreed to let me live with Bruce so it would be easier to work together.

The medics loaded Dick's body into the ambulance and my father went with them.

I got on the bat pod and Bruce was in the batmobile. I followed him all the way to the bat cave.

Bruce took off his mask and I did the same. Bruce inspected his lip in the mirror.

I sat down in a chair. Tears still continued to fall as I thought about Dick. I knew him a little bit, we were friends but just the thought of anyone I knew dying made me sad. It would be hard to protect Gotham without him, could we really do this with just two people? Also, I'm just a girl what can I do? But I guess if Bruce has done it all of these years then it should be easy.

"Ouch," Bruce said touching his lip.

"You're going to get it infected," I said, "stop touching it."

"What do I do?" He asked.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" I asked.

"There's one is those cabinets over there," he replied.

I found the first aid kit. He sat down in a chair. I got out a cotton ball and some cleaner. I put a little bit of the cleaner on the cotton ball. I placed it on his lip. He gritted his teeth together.

"Does it burn?" I asked.

He nodded slowly.

Finally the bleeding stopped and the cut had become a scab.

I tried to act like I didn't notice but Bruce had just been looking at me the whole time. Was there something wrong with my face? Was there something in my teeth?

"Why do you keep looking at me?" I asked with a nervous chuckle.

"You're just..." he hesitated like he was trying to decide what he should say.

"I'm just what?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied.

I nodded putting the first aid kit back up.

"I'm going to talk to your father later," Bruce said.

I nodded.

Bruce stood up. I watched him walked away. Realizing that my life was now going to be protecting Gotham alongside Bruce made me really happy. I smiled to myself.