No Heroes

A Long Way To Go

A Few Days After: Selina

When she opened her eyes, she didn't know that she was awake. After all, it was almost pitch black inside of the strange room. She remembered the cheap soap smell from when she woke up in a hospital the last time. After Five pushed her out of that three story window, she had been livid, but now, she was just confused. The only reason that she knew she wasn't dreaming was because she felt an unbearable burst of anxiety burrow itself in her already damaged stomach.

"Bruce?" she called desperately. No answer.

"Bruce?" she said again, louder. Nothing.

She felt an impossible weight on her chest. She wanted to get up, but her body was restricting her from doing anything. She kept struggling, and eventually started sobbing, unable to keep her usual stoic and emotionless facade on anymore.

"Bruce!" she cried.

Suddenly, she heard a door open and the loud footsteps of a man on a mission.
A familiar voice whispered, "Selina."

It was Alfred. He took her recognition of him as an invitation to put an arm on her shoulder. To try to soothe her.

"Hey, calm down, you're going to be okay. The doctor said that they got the bullet out. You need to breathe, okay?"

She exhaled slightly. Some of the weight had lifted off of her chest. But not all of it.

"Bruce?"

Alfred gave her a pitiful look. She almost broke down, expecting the worst, but then remembered that Alfred cared about Bruce as much as she did. If anything happened to Bruce, he would be devastated.

"There were bombs that went off in Gotham. They had to evacuate the city, but Bruce wanted to stay and help. He asked me to make sure you were alright."

Her initial relief was now accompanied by a stinging pain. Bruce had broken his promise. She tried her best to shake it off and move on. Easier said than done.

"What did the doctor say again?" she asked, having composed herself within the few minutes that Alfred had been there.

Alfred cleared his throat. "They removed the bullet. But," he paused. "It hit your spinal chord. They're not sure how much damage there was or how long it'll affect your body."

Selina stopped breathing. She had stopped going to school from a young age, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what he meant. There was a high chance that she would never walk, let alone steal something for Barbara or Tabitha or, hell, even for herself, again. She couldn't run from the people that had tried to hurt her. She wouldn't know what to do. How to live. She was nothing without her legs.

She didn't know what she was going to say until the words ripped themselves out of her mouth.

"I want to go back to Gotham."

Alfred looked at her with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"Selina, I don't think that's the best idea for you at the moment. I promised Master Bruce that I would ensure your safety and your wellbeing."

I wouldn't worry, she thought bitterly, he doesn't care that much for promises. She pushed the thought to the back of her head. That was the old Selina, and she was trying to do better. To be better.

"What do I have to do?" She asked through gritted teeth, "to prove to you that I can go back?"

He sat there for a moment, closing his eyes and thinking. He took so long that Selina wanted to kick him to make sure that he was awake, and actually tried, but had to bite back the yelp of pain from attempting to do so.

"Sit up." He answered.

"What?"

"You heard me. Stop sulking, sit up, and we go back. Those are my terms."

She gulped. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and willed herself to sit up. As the muscles through her body contracted, she felt her stomach and back burn. Not just burn, it felt like they were melting from the inside. She cried out. She felt hot tears running down her face. For a moment, she gave up.

And then, she thought about Bruce. Who promised that he wouldn't leave her and then did.

About Tabitha. Who probably didn't even know about the predicament that Selina was in.

About Barbara. Who probably didn't even care about what happened to her. Selina was probably dead to her for walking out when they were planning the assault on Ra's.

And she turned all of the pain that she had felt a into anger. Not just the pain from her body. The pain of her parents leaving before she even knew them. The pain of running away from everything for years. The pain of her fragile trust being snapped in half every time she tried to care. Every time she tried to love.

She lost the only thing that ever stood by her, her own strength.

No, she didn't. She wouldn't. Tabs had always been there when she could be, ever since that night in the club. Other people would leave, and she needed to be able to move on. Physically and mentally.
If Bruce could leave, so could she.
She wanted to get back to the only one who hadn't left. She needed to. She opened her eyes.

Alfred was looking at her with astonishment and an odd sense of pride.

She looked down. She did it. She had pulled herself into a sitting position.

She couldn't help it. She laughed. Ten minutes ago, she thought that she would never walk, run or jump again. Now, she was sitting upright. She looked back at Alfred.

"Well," he sighed, "we have a lot of work to do."