Why We're Here

Curiousity Killed The Cat

I sat on my bed, staring at the two pictures resting on my dresser. One was of Bruce, Dick, Barbara, Alfred, and me, and the other was one of me and my parents. Two of my families, both on either side of my life. In one picture, it showed Lucille Brimsey The Happy Child. In another, it showed Lucille Brimsey The Tragedy. Both families held a different part of my heart, but there was something else.
They weren't real.
Of course the love I knew Mama and Papa had for me was real. I think, even deep down, the love Bruce has is real. That right there is what makes a family.
The problem is neither of them are blood.
I was adopted by both families. I had to have come from somewhere, from someone, but the question is who. I never knew my biological parents, or anything about them. I barely even knew where I came from. All I knew was that I was shipped off to Mama and Papa Brimsey when I was five, and they adopted me at six.
All my life, I've been curious, but I never had the means to act. Now I had a friend in the other room with the entire world's worth of information at her fingertips. If anyone could help me find out who my real parents are, it's Barbara.
"Barbara?" I leaned against her doorframe.
She glanced up from her spot reading on her bed, "What?"
"I want to find them," I took a deep breath, "I want to find my biological parents, but I don't know where to start."
Her eyes widened. She closed her book and gestured for me to come in. I obeyed, sitting at her feet. She leaned forward slightly, "It's been fifteen years, the records will be buried deep."
"I know, that's why I need your help," I replied, "You're the all-seeing all-knowing Oracle, if anyone could help me, it's you."
She rubbed her chin, "What agency did you come through?"
"I don't know."
"Do you remember what city you were adopted from?"
"No," I replied, "All I remember is being taken to Mama and Papa's when I was five years old. Before that, it's as if I wasn't even awake."
"That's only natural," Barbara rubbed her hands together, "It'll take awhile. I'll have to dig through the records of The Brimsey Family. Then, I'll have to find what your last name used to be, and where you came from. We're looking at a month of work."
I felt my heart fall to my feet. She grabbed my hand, making me look at her, and smiled, "We'll find them, Lucy. At the very least, I'll get you pointed in the right direction."
"Thank you, Barbara," I jumped forward to hug her.
She hugged me back, "What're friends for?"
"Some of the records might be hard to get, what with the work Mama and Papa did," I told her.
"I'll figure it out," she replied, "What I need from you is a detailed description of what you remember the day you were adopted."
I shrugged, "I remember them telling me they wanted to adopt me. I remember being the happiest I had and have ever been. The next day, we went to a courthouse where we all had to sign papers. The judge asked me if Mama and Papa were nice people, and if I would want to live with them forever. I told him yes, we all signed the papers, and we left as a real family."
"Was there a social services agent there?" Barbara asked.
I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to remember. In the back of my mind, I could see a picture of the room where the judge took me to ask me questions. I could see a man standing in the corner. He wore a tux darker than night and a briefcase that seemed to have the faint outline of a screaming face in it. His hair was long and black, and his eyes were so dark they were almost non-existent.
"I-I think so," I concentrated, "I remember a man being there, but nobody acknowledged him. Maybe he was an agent."
"Any agency names? Symbols?"
"His briefcase had a screaming face on it, sort of."
Barbara stared at me, "That's an odd symbol for a social service agent."
"Maybe he was actually a demon."
"Sure," Barbara snorted, "And I'm Batman."
Both of us laughed. When I regained my composure, I smiled at her, "Thank you, Barbara, this means the world to me."
"I know," she smiled, "You're welcome."
***
My first shift at the club was not uneventful. I had only been there an hour when the first familiar face showed up. It was still late afternoon, so the evening rush had yet to arrive. Only a few patrons stood around the club. I was wiping down the counter when a new visitor plopped on the stool in front of me.
"Club soda, please," the man stated.
I sighed, "Seriously, Dick, you're at a bar."
"Can't work when I'm tipsy."
I rolled my eyes, but poured him his drink. When I slid it in front of him, I asked, "So, Bruce send you to check up on me?"
"Can't I just visit the sister whom I love?" he asked sarcastically, sipping his drink.
"Yes, but it's late afternoon, and you don't usually go to clubs."
"He didn't send me," Dick answered, "Barbara told me you got a job, and I decided to check it out. Nice place."
I nodded, "I'm enjoying it."
Dick took a few gulps of his drink. I watched him, eyeing the ponytail he was growing. It whipped around every time he so much as blinked. I could imagine it would be a hazard in a fight. Anybody could grab it and use it as their personal neck snapper.
"Dude, you look like a little girl," I said, "You really need to discover a pair of shears."
Dick frowned, "I happen to think I look amazing, thank you very much."
"You are so not welcome. Seriously, cut it off."
"My hair, my way, shut up."
I raise my hands, "Alright, tough guy, but don't come crying to me when some bad guy rips your hair from your head."
Dick stuck his tongue out at me, making me laugh. Another guest came up to the bar and ordered a gin on the rocks. I quickly poured it up for him before returning to my brother. He had drained his glass, so I refilled it.
"So," dick swirled the ice in his glass, "You're on the hunt for your real parents, huh?"
He glanced up at me. I lifted my eyebrows, "Did Barbara tell you?"
"Yes, but we all knew it was coming."
"You did?"
"We're detectives, Lu, of course we did," Dick replied, "Besides, every orphaned kid wants to find their biological parents at one point or another."
"According to Barbara, finding mine is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack."
Dick grinned, "For that, all you need is a big magnet."
"Or a match," I retorted."
Dick laughed. I grinned as well, but it didn't last long. The anxiety of this hunt was weighing in on my stomach, and it would until we finally had a lead.
"Don't worry, Lu," Dick stated, "If anyone can find them, it's Babs."
"I know, it's just-what if we can't?" I asked, "What if they're dead too? Or worse, what if we find them and they push me away again?"
All these doubts plagued my mind. Dick reached across the bar to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder, "No matter what happens with them, you'll always have us. Bruce, Alfred, Babs, me, and even Jason. We're all here no matter what happens."
"I know," I smiled, "That's why I'm grateful."
Dick smiled as well. He returned to sipping his drink as more people began to arrive. His phone, resting on the bar beside him, buzzed. Glancing at it, he sighed, "Well, duty calls. See ya, Lu."
"Good luck."
With that, I watched Dick leave the bar. Part of me longed to go with him, but I knew this path would benefit me in the long run. I wasn't a hero, I was an engineer, and going to college was the only way to make that happen.
Still, I missed the fight. I missed the thrill of knocking a few teeth out of the bad guy. Every time I saw Batman and Robin on TV, or Nightwing flying over the rooftops, I longed to join them. Deep down, I knew a piece of me would always belong to that life.
A piece of me would always be Blitz.