Broken (Jason Todd x OC)

16. Bad Idea

=--Bruce--=

Sometimes I used to wonder what it would be like to have a sister. Growing up as an only child, I would wonder what it would be like to have any sibling, but a sister just seemed better. Growing older I got rid of the idea, I didn't need anyone but myself.

Eventually, I got older though and more mature. I ended up adopting a child. 

Dick.

I knew what I was doing. Maybe not to the full extent, but I knew something. What I didn't know about was his sister.

Maybe it was irrelevant at the time, maybe I saw it and didn't care, maybe I didn't fully register what was happening, but now I know. I tore what was left of the family apart. Granted Dick didn't seem to upset about it, and never really brought her up. The first few days here he was closed off and sad. But I had expected that from him, after all, I had lost my parents around his age. Just a few years younger actually. And after a couple days, maybe a couple weeks, he was adjusted to his new life, and exceptionally happy.

But what about Allison?

She is two years younger than Dick. There is something wrong with that sentence that bothers me every time I think about it. She is younger than him. 

The file I gave DIck was smaller than the one I read. I gave him minor information, just what he needed to know. He has no idea just how bad the houses were or her other activities.

After I read all the information on her I was torn. I didn't know what to do. 

I felt guilty. She was just eight years old when everything happened.  She was the same age I was when I had lost my parents, so I know what it feels like. And not only did she lose her parents, she also lost her brother. The one piece of her family she had left I took from her. I couldn't imagine if I was her age and I lost not only my parents but also my brother was taken from me. 

I pitied her. She had so much taken away from her. She was so vulnerable that night with the nightmare. She suffers from some PTSD symptoms I think. She has gone through so much and is really just broken, and trying to stay together. I imagine the way she would probably wait for her brother to come take her away from the pain, or fix everything, like a hero big brother, but he never did. 

I could tell people those were the main two reasons why I chose to foster her, but I am not fully sure of why I did.

She seemed pretty content with living on her own. She took down Joker in a matter of seconds and only ran because she was uncomfortable with the number of people looking at her. She also had put the little one away before she did anything. She was the first to have an actual reaction to the gunshot. Although other people screamed and ducked slightly, she was the first one to take action. She picked up the kid and ran away. Then returned seconds later empty-handed. 

She almost seemed relieved when she saw Joker's people. Like maybe she thought it could be worse, or someone worse. Then he comes and toys with her, she jokes around with him like they are old friends. 

But that has been on the least of my worries. She seems to be the type of person who will put up fronts and lie without a second thought. Just like when I woke her from her nightmare, just like she did when Joker was around, just like I learned she always does.

What does worry me, is her suit. It is professional, made of Kevlar, has a mask, great weapons, it's like she is a real vigilante. 

On top of that, Oliver told me to trust her, but not with my own life. I have no idea what that means. She has a bow and arrow, I know that, so did he train her? Did he face off against her?