Againts all Odds || Dick Grayson [1]

28| Gotham

***

I followed Selina into a large room that was completely bare except for a vanity and a large bed at the far end of the wall that faced a large window that ran across the entire side of the wall facing out into the city. It was only now that I realized that I had spent the entire night out as the first signs of daylight began to break through night sky. This was clearly a spare room as it lacked any person touch and seemed so devoid of life.

I watched as Selina placed a bag on a table before lighting a candle breathing some life into the room. "Before anything we need to have a talk."

There was a seriousness in her voice that surprised me as she usually spoke in a sultry and teasing manner. Her change in attitude made me feel like I had already done something wrong. "About?"

"Batman." She stated, turning to fully face me her eyes reflecting the same seriousness as her voice. "You cannot tell Ivy or Harley who Batman is."

"I wasn't planning to." I replied firmly, although I felt the weight of that resentment heavily on my chest. The thought of revealing Batman or Robin's identity had never crossed my mind, in fact thinking about it now was horrifying. Knowing that danger that they would be in if the city's villains knew about who was under the cowl. "Out of curiosity why do you care?"

Instantly her mood shifted as a smirk tugged on her lips. "Didn't anyone tell you? Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back."

There seemed to be a brief moment of pride in her eyes that quickly slipped away as she walked over to the large window and looked out towards the city as the pink hues of morning twilight began to break through. "Not many people see the beauty in Gotham."

"I've always hated Gotham." I admitted as I joined her by the window remembering everything that this city has not only taken from me, but also countless others. "It's a city that takes so much but gives nothing in return."

A look that I couldn't completely recognize came over her features, one that spoke a million words but said nothing at all. "I felt the same as you at one point. That was until it finally gave me something."

I knew better than to ask what that something was, only because it was clear that it was something that she wasn't going to share. Especially to a girl that was a stranger to her.

"Gotham creates demons. Gotham creates villains. Gotham turns good men bad, and bad men good. Gotham created Batman." She expressed, her words strongly reminding me of the ones Bruce said to me only two nights ago. "Gotham needs Batman. That's why we have to protect his secret. As much as I hate to admit it he's just too important."

"I know." I replied quietly as I joined her by the large window. Seeing the city almost like it was the first time, the city that I grew up in and ultimately brought me here. "Before any of this I remember how it felt. Seeing the Batsignal illuminate the night sky and feeling safe, knowing that he would be there to protect us. Protect the city."

"What finally changed your mind?" She questioned, the sudden change in topic stunning me for a moment. As I quickly began to search the true reason why I left because in the end it felt that there were many. "I can imagine how hard it was for you to leave your pretty Robin."

"They didn't trust me. They found out who killed my parents and hid it from me." I replied though I knew the pain that I felt ran deeper than that. Even though what Bruce stopped me from doing was the turning point in that pain, the moment that drove me to leave it wasn't what made me realize that it was change I needed. "Worst of all he didn't even notice. He did even notice that I was hurting or that something inside me had changed."