Soaring Eagle

Chapter 10 A Sketch from the Past

Tim drags me straight up to my room, ignoring the odd look he gets from Dick as we race past him, and points to the locked desk drawer hiding my sketch pad, "Care to explain?" he asks.

I'm scared that he is going to yell at me so I stare at my shoes as I say quietly, "Those are from before you guys took me in."

Two strong arms wrap around me and I freeze, "They're really good, Em" Tim says into my hair.

"T-thanks Tim." I murmur.

"Hey do you think you could do one from the day we met Spirit and Thunder? That's a day I'd really like to remember," he asks.

I smile and nod. I take my sketchbook out and flip to a blank page. Passing my hand over it, an outline of an image appears. It's Tim and I riding Spirit and Thunder. "I can't actually draw so I use my magic to create the image then I color it in." I explain, "This doesn't take a lot of magic and even though my outline will eventually fade I'll be done long before then."

"So that's why they look so life-like." Time says

I nod, "Everything I draw is based off my memories."

"Do you have any from... You know..." Tim trails off.

"From my abuse days? Yeah, I do." I reply, then I walk over to my nightstand. Unlocking it I toss another sketchpad at Tim, "See for yourself."

I watch as he flips through the sketches of my various injuries, the weapons used and the faces of the people who hurt me besides my fake parents. "Em, did it ever go to far? Did they try to do anything else?"

I smirked, "One tried but I kicked him. I paid for it later but none of them ever tried something like that again."

I saw relief cross Tim's face, "That's good. We should show these to Bruce. He could arrest a lot of people based off of these images and written accounts you added in the margins."

"I'd forgotten I'd done that," I gently take the pad and skim my fingers of the words written by a terrified teen who was just learning to use her powers, "Let's show Bruce."

Heading downstairs we approach Bruce's study. Tim knocks, "Yes?" Bruce asks.

Tim pushes open the door, "Em, has something to show you."

Bruce stands up and comes out from behind his desk, "I see, and what might that be?"

I hold out the sketch pad, "I drew these throughout the time I was abused. Tim thinks you can use them plus the notes in the margins to have more men arrested."

Bruce takes the pad and flips through it. Then he swiftly grabs the phone on his desk and dials a number. "Mr. Gordan?... Yes this is Bruce Wayne. You know of my newly fostered daughter Emily, correct?... She was going through her belongings and found a sketch pad from before I took her in... Yes they are sketches of her injuries, the weapons used on her, even faces of people who were involved. Every image is accompanied with notes that she wrote in the margins... Yes I have it right here... Tim has seen it but no one else... No, Tim won't tell anyone... Of course we'll give it to you, that's why I called... I understand... We'll see you then... Of course Commissioner... Thank you, good night sir." After hanging up he turns to us, "The Commissioner well be here in about two hours to pick up the sketch pad. Before then I want you two to go down to the cave and copy the whole thing into the Batcomputer."

Tim and I nod as I take the pad back from Bruce and run for the hidden entrance. We sprint down the stairs into the Batcave, "I'll work the scanner, you work the computer," I say to Tim.