Chapter Text
It was raining, dull drops falling into the dark alleyways, bathing the dirty streets with the thick smell of wet trash; the gray sky and the heavily polluted air made that morning the perfect setting for a terror movie. In another place, the little light that managed its way through the clouds would not have been seen as bright, in Gotham trough, even that made the usually dark City feel unnatural.
And standing in front of the sad old building in front of her, with her hair and clothes soaking wet, Cass felt out of place. The butterflies in her stomach were stating a war inside of her.
She couldn't help the strangeness in her chest when she saw the place during the day, it was so disturbingly different than the last few nights she was here. It felt far less welcoming than she remembered, but that, had probably more to do with the fast beating of her heart than anything else.
Three nights ago, she entered the building for the first time. At the moment, there was a cape behind her back and a bat symbol on her chest. She had entered the place and had tried not to think too much. Tried not to read the posters on the wall (you are not alone, they read, it wasn't your fault ). It proved to be far harder not to think when she talked to the mother of the missing child. (She tried not to think about the bruises and marks that covered the women’s skin.) Oh, and how hard had she tried to not think of the two small and scared children hiding begin her (there were scrapes in their hands, large bruises on their innocent faces, and too much sadness in their eyes).
Before she left, one of the children, a little girl no older than 8 looked at her with amazement in her eyes ( she looked so small, with the black bruise on her neck and the big clothes she was using), she was holding a small piece of paper, fidgeting with it.
“For you, ” she whispered, handing her a drawing. Cass only ruffled her hair, unsure if she would manage to speak, but it seemed to be enough for the kid, who bounced in happiness (and if Cass kept the drawing in between the most precious of her belongings, nobody had to now)
Her chest felt tight as she ran through the rooftops, a sharp reminder to focus on the task, to keep trying her best to find the child, to follow all of Oracles instructions. She could only hope he would still be alive.
That same night, the child was returned to his mother. Cassandra saw all of the other women in the refuge approach their encounter. Their bodies all expressing relief, love, and support. They seemed to communicate in a dance, going from one place to another as if they already knew what to do.
Cass never really thought a domestic violence refuge would be such a warm and peaceful place. But then again, she never thought Barbara would convince her to be a volunteer in one of them either.
Taking a deep breath, Cass walked to the front door and pressed the bell. She could do this, And if she didn't, she would learn.