Fawkes

Moving Day

I didn't sleep that night, instead spending the hours playing the kazoo and taking apart my bed. I braided my hair twelve different times until my alarm clock read six o'clock and the door opened.

The plate I had been balancing on my forehead went clattering to the floor and my hands let the braided hair fall from their grasp. I was used to waiting another two hours until Alfred came in, but this time it was Bruce who was standing at my threshold staring down at me. I wondered for a second why Alfred didn't come, but remembered soon enough. I glanced at the wall where I had drawn the butler, covered by a scarf that I tacked over it so Bruce wouldn't read it.

"You ready?"

Somehow it looked like he had been fresh from a polishing machine. He didn't look like it was six in the morning and he'd just woken up. He didn't look like he'd just worked a night shift stopping criminals and gotten about two hours of rest. He looked alert, and almost bored.

I on the other hand, didn't quite meet the hype. My hair was messy and crinkled. My eyes were wild and sat on bags. My limbs felt like lead and my back hurt from lying on the ground for so long. The different parts of my bed sat around where I was on the floor, and Bruce eyed them warily before looking back at me.

"Born ready." I grinned because I would never let Batman know that I was even the slightest bit tired. Hopping up and grabbing my small bag of belongings, I followed the man out of my room, Gotham Academy envelope clutched in my hand.

I silently said goodbye to José, and scanned the Batcave before looking back at Bruce.

"Where's the Tweetie Bird?"

"You mean Robin?" Bruce responded, "He left early to warn the others."

"Warn them?" I chuckled, "Of what?"

"Of you," He said as if it was obvious, making me only laugh harder.

"Seriously Bats?" I grinned, "You still don't trust me."

It wasn't a question.

"Baby steps."

We trudged up the stairs and I jogged to catch up to him.

"What do you think I'm gonna do? Kill them?"

He gave me a look and I gasped dramatically at him, still grinning.

"Seriously?"

"You're unstable."

"I'm unstable," I repeat, nodding, "U-huh, okay. Well maybe you should buy a shock collar, you know. Just in case I go rabid."

He rolled his eyes and soon we were walking through the manor, me saying goodbye to random pieces of furniture as Batman tried to ignore me. To no avail.

I searched for signs of Alfred around, but it seemed he did a good job of trying to stay away from me. I was hoping to maybe say goodbye one last time, but all I could do was hope he would read my little letter.

I sat in the passenger side of one of Bruce's cars, and for most of the ride, I switched through every radio channel that existed until Bruce angrily turned off the stereo.

"So what exactly are you trying to get out of me being on this team?"

"You to stop trying to escape." Bruce made a sharp right turn, "Make some friends, be a valuable asset to protecting civilians. Be quote unquote 'normal.'"

"Fair enough." I shrugged, "But Robin could be right you know. I could ruin everything. Probably will to be honest with you."

"Do you want to be taken back to the manor?" He rushed through a yellow light and calmly waved off the other angry drivers.