batwomans_gotham | Pleasant outing to the museum

Current Mood: aggravated
Current Location: Thomas Wayne Museum of Antiquities

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Pleasant outing to the museum

Brenda gritted her teeth as she rolled her wheelchair toward the door of the Thomas Wayne Museum of Antiquities, feeling painfully aware of the three dark-haired little girls who clustered around it. Alfred had suggested that she take Kat, Bree, and Clara out to celebrate the lovely day, and she privately wondered what she'd done to tick him off so badly. She'd already seen tabloid stories about how at least one of them was a secret lovechild from some union with this actor or public figure or that, and was sure that this would only add fuel to the fire.

Bree thanked the doorman seriously as he opened the huge carved door, then stepped aside and watched as Brenda rolled inside.

"It's good to see you up, Miss Wayne," said the man respectfully as she passed.

She smiled her socialite smile, eyes dancing with a happiness that she was far from feeling. "Thank you, it's so lovely to be out and about again!"

He touched his cap and smiled, and she faced forward again, wishing that Bree would stop laughing at her. She could read the kid's mind like a book and what it was saying was seriously annoying her.

Come to think of it she understood why Alfred had sent her out today.

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Katalyn followed sullenly, dark sunglasses hiding a bruised eye and a coat hiding her arm, which had moved from cast to sling as it slowly healed. She still moved somewhat painfully, and wasn't really sure how she'd gotten roped into this feildtrip.

She glanced around, not particulary interested in anything this show had to offer, but wandering off slightly, reading the information on the little cards and taking in details she thought might at all ever be relevant.

Brenda looked around a trifle helplessly, having no idea what to do now that she was here. Once upon a time she would have checked the security and watched the other patrons, as Bree was now. But right now, in Brenda mode... well, she was lost.

Katalyn frowned, then leaned against a tall statue, studying her hero from afar for a moment. It was obvious Brenda didn't want to be here, and Katalyn wondered if it had been Dr. Leslie to push her into that, too, or Alfred.

She sighed, dropping to a sitting position, looking around and taking some comfort that the only paparazii to follow them had been turned away at the door.

Brenda looked toward the giftshop, thinking that perhaps a guidebook would help her figure out what to do, then noticed Kat and frowned in concern as she rolled over there. "Katalyn? Is something wrong?"

The small girl looked up, then sighed.

"Why are we here? You don't wanna be, I wasn't supposed to, and Bree's more interested in the security," she said, curling around her hurt arm.

"Alfred thought that a little day trip would be fun for the three of you." Brenda offered her a helpless smile.

Bree found a crack in a display case and examined it minutely, ignoring a security guard's curious regard.

"You still didn't want to come. You don't even like me, and you're just pretending to be happy so you can keep your cover. Why even bother?" Katalyn said.

Brenda blinked, her smile fading as she said sternly but with no trace of the Bat. "I bother because two people cared enough to teach me manners when I was growing up, and because being miserable doesn't do anyone any good."

She looked out the doors, hunching. Her home wasn't too far from here, sewer walking.

"when will the cure be ready?" she asked softly, looking at her.

"This isn't the place to talk about that." Brenda's reply was as soft, and apologetic.

Katalyn sighed and got up, walking away, head hung. Her hero didn't like her, probably would have killed her by now if she weren't a child, and she'd lost her power, her abilities, and her status, depending on the former Bat for safety and shelter.

Brenda looked around and sighed, seeing that non of the children were really enjoying themselves. Frowning, she herded them together and brought them to the gift shop, offering one thing to each.

Bree headed for the books.

Katalyn just stood stalk still, not really sure what to do.

"Isn't there anything you want?" Brenda asked her a little hopelessly, though she tried to keep smiling.

"What would I do with it?" Katalyn said softly, then she shook her head, feeling bad. She could see she wasn't helping any, but what could she do about that? Where would she put a trinket of no worth, what could she possibly do with it? "No thank you, Ms. Wayne."

"Katalyn," said Brenda softly. "Look at me."

She frowned, but slowly turned, eyes watching her from the veil of her dark glasses.

"You have a home now. It's alright to have things."

Katalyn's face didn't move.

"I've got a home, ma'am. I'd only impose 'till I'm big again and can make it."

"Your home is the Manor." Brenda's face showed sadness and regret. "It should have been a long time ago."

Katalyn frowned, not understanding.

"I want you to live at my house."

Katalyn looked at her blankly.

"Why? I don't follow all your rules... you don't even like me that much," she said. Then she scowled slightly. "I'm not going to be a kid for much longer. I shouldn't be treated like one."

"I'm not treating you like a child. Even adults need homes." Brenda's voice held nothing of the Bat, but her eyes were absent and sad.

"I've got a home," she repeated, thinking of her tiny, unsafe refuge.

"Please?" She bit her tongue at having to say the word, but knew that all the logical arguments in the world would only make the girl defensive.

Katalyn twitched slightly, then looked up at her.

"But my home's been home since forever. And I can't be in the middle of the underworld from your house, I'll loose my edge," she said softly, not adding how much loosing her edge would make her useless.

For a moment the sadness lifted from the black-haired woman, and was replaced by a sort of grim satisfaction as she murmured very softly, "Someone else who lived there was very often right in the middle of the underworld. And living there never made her lose her edge."

"If you wanna stay on top of the deepest secrets and the newest plots you do," she said softly, though her mind was now madly processing this new data.

"Missy brought it to me."

"I was a part of it," she said, face troubled.

"I know that, sugar," murmured Brenda, her voice suddenly that of the waitress, Missy Malone.

"Then you know I can't be out of it," she said. "Besides, I'm not even related to you! And I'm no hero."

"You're not hearing what I'm saying."

She frowned. She really wasn't getting it.

"Non of those things matter. It won't interfere with your work; as a matter of fact it will give you an added edge. You're staying."

She blinked, but remained silent, trying to proccess the information.

Brenda left her to it, rolling over to see what Clara was so excited about, the socialite smile once more firmly in place.

Kat wandered over, then blinked as she found a replica of a diamond necklace somebody famous wore. She touched the fake jewels, thinking about what Brenda had said. She'd been instructed to stay at the mansion, and part of her wanted to, but the other part was railing against it. Her fear of the Bat, which had driven her to lay low years ago, was warning her of the same happening again, when she wasn't ready, wasn't on the look out.

But then... a home. Not just a home, a mansion. Could she live in a place like that? All those rooms full of unneccessary objects, out in the open... with other people. And not afraid, not worried about gangs or villians all the time. The underground of Wayne Manor was a well-kept secret, she wouldn't have to sleep with one eye open anymore.

She sighed and picked up a tiny modle of some statue, going over and showing it to Brenda wordlessly before she put it on the counter and went to the bathroom.

And Brenda watched her, then nodded to the clerk and went to find Bree.

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Pleasant outing to the museum

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