Baia clung to Selina's neck like a koala, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to say something, but every time she tried, she choked up and couldn't continue.
It was a stark contrast to her calm demeanor in front of Mr. Freeze just moments ago.
Selina, who was previously engulfed in anger, gently patted the girl's back to soothe her, her mood gradually calming like the calm before a storm.
Their eyes met briefly as Selina held Baia.
"Are you cold?" she asked softly.
Baia nodded.
In reality, Catwoman didn't need to ask. Baia's condition was no longer about being cold; it was about how severe her frostbite was. Her pale face bore patches of redness, a clear sign of frostbite.
"Let's go warm up in the car for a while. I think our detective friend has something to tell me," Selina suggested.
Selina wanted to run her fingers through Baia's frozen hair but refrained, fearing her claw-like gloves might catch on her. So, she coaxed Baia into the Batmobile to wait.
Batman turned on the heater in the car, creating a comfortable temperature. Initially, Baia was hesitant, clinging to Catwoman and looking at Batman with teary eyes, as if she didn't want to be left alone.
But as soon as Catwoman pushed her into the warm passenger seat, Baia surrendered to the comfort.
Although the Batmobile looked fierce from the outside, it was quite cozy inside. Batman opened the door on the other side and handed her a blanket.
She buried her face in the black blanket and took a deep breath. Even though the soft fabric stung her frostbitten skin, it reminded her of Batman, and she wondered how he was doing.
And Holly, was she okay?
After the car door closed, and as her body gradually warmed up, her stiff joints loosened. Pressing her nose against the window, she realized that despite the tinted glass, she could still see outside clearly.
"They seem restrained," Baia muttered hoarsely. "But I still feel like Selina is arguing with him."
System: ...I don't know if it's appropriate to mention this now, but—
Ding!
The long-absent system prompt suddenly sounded.
[Side Mission: Heart as Cold as Winter]
Help Victor Fries, also known as Mr. Freeze, cure his wife, Nora.
Mission Reward: Skill [Frost Heart], 30 skill points.
Note: The essence of this task lies not in healing one person but in addressing the city's deep-rooted issues.
The familiar yet enigmatic style of the note. However, at least the mission description was quite clear.
Baia said, "I remember you said my skills couldn't heal Nora. Why release this task?"
System: You don't necessarily have to rely solely on skills.
This brand-new challenge temporarily overshadowed Baia's lingering worries and fears. She contemplated recent events, sinking into thought under the blanket.
The control panel of the Batmobile was complex, with many data she couldn't understand flashing on the screen, intertwined with a blue light, quite mesmerizing.
Bruce had locked the Batmobile before leaving, so Baia couldn't operate this black beast, and it wasn't polite to mess with someone else's things. However, the blinking blue bird symbol on the screen still piqued her curiosity.
She reached out and tapped it.
After a long time without hearing it, Nightwing's anxious voice immediately came through.
"Batman? Thank goodness, you're not with—"
Nightwing's words stopped, as there was no response on the other end. He quickly realized, "Baia? Is that you over there?"
Baia made a muffled sound.
"Oh... poor thing," his voice immediately softened. "Are you okay? Don't be afraid, you're safe now, no one will hurt you anymore."
Baia remained silent. For some reason, she always managed to remain quite calm in front of strangers, but when faced with a familiar voice, she couldn't control her tear ducts.
Dick decided he needed to personally check on Baia's condition because he couldn't determine if it was Mr. Freeze who had frightened her or Jason and Bruce.
After all, the latter two were also adept at soothing crying children.
While Dick comforted the little sparrow...
"She's doing something very dangerous," Batman said.
After all, Selina wasn't Baia's legal guardian, but she still paused for a moment before whispering, "That was my mistake."
No one expected things to turn out the way they did today. After all, Baia had only displayed her abilities within a very small circle. In Selina's estimation, dangerous criminals wouldn't set their sights on her, considering she posed no threat to anyone.
But they forgot about Mr. Freeze.
However, Mr. Freeze rarely cooperated with other criminals, and he didn't have any henchmen. He remained low-key in Gotham.
The fact that he got hold of Baia's information clearly had some other reason behind it.
These matters could be investigated later. After all, once the little witch was exposed, neither Selina nor Bruce could risk leaving her in that apartment anymore.
Not to mention, from a practical standpoint, the severely waterlogged and deformed apartment would be uninhabitable once the ice melted completely.
"I think..." Batman hesitated, a rare occurrence. "Perhaps—"
Selina widened her eyes. "Are you serious? Oh, you are serious. But the most important thing is her opinion."
"If she refuses, I'll try my best to arrange for her to stay with a reliable family and get her out of Gotham," Batman said. "Leaving her here to grow up freely will only lead to trouble sooner or later."
On this point, they reached a consensus.
"It's really a pity," Catwoman sighed. "You know how hard it is to find a kid who clicks with you? And she cooks so well too."
Regarding the former point, Bruce remained silent.
She continued, "But she can't become Robin. I won't allow it."
"I won't put her in danger; that goes against my intentions," Batman assured firmly, their conversation touching upon those still-sensitive wounds. However, even at the risk of angering him, Selina stood by her point.
"Fine," Selina turned away. "But I can't guarantee she'll agree to your proposal."
Batman's tone lightened slightly, and a low chuckle echoed through the voice modulator, still incredibly magnetic. "That's my problem then."
Baia, curled up in a ball in the Batmobile waiting for Selina, was feeling drowsy. Although she had treated her frostbite with moon dew, the more she treated, the more drowsy she felt, struggling to keep her eyes open.
As Batman settled into the driver's seat, a slight chill emanated from the black door as it opened and closed above. Baia shivered, raising her head slightly to look at the person in the driver's seat.
With cat ears.
Clad all in black.
But it wasn't Selina; it was Batman.
There was no smile on the half of the face revealed beneath the mask, giving off a stern look. Baia shrunk to the other side, reaching out to fumble with the car door for a moment, not finding the handle, and gave up awkwardly.
"Where's Selina big sister?" Baia asked, tilting her head.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at her, seeming to notice that she wasn't afraid anymore. If he hadn't known that Baia had just sobbed her heart out in the car with Nightwing, he might have thought she was very brave.
It seemed she was only like this in front of unfamiliar people... like him.
But that was fine.
"Your old place is no longer safe," Batman didn't directly answer her question, "but I have a friend who is very willing... to take you in."
Without a time limit.
System: This "I have a friend" sentence structure is quite typical.
Baia: But Batman has many friends! He has Nightwing's contact information, Selina big sister, uh, and Selina big sister—anyway, they're not ordinary.
System: I don't care, ask quickly, ask quickly, ask quickly.
Although she didn't know where this soul-searching question in her mind came from, Baia gathered the courage to ask, "So is this friend you're talking about actually you?"
Batman's shoulder stiffened for a moment, and he replied succinctly, "No."
There you have it. Baia shrugged, see, I told you so.
"If you refuse, I'll find a way to place you somewhere safe," Bruce was somewhat nervous. He didn't really want to hear a negative answer, after all, deciding to leave Baia behind had taken him a long time to consider—consider for a long time before finally making up his mind in a moment of impulse.
"Thank you, Batman," Baia said, pretending to be casual. "As you can see, I have nowhere else to go now."
Baia swung her legs, revealing the pale blue pajama pants under her coat. Indeed, when she was attacked by Mr. Freeze in the middle of the night, the little girl didn't even have time to change her clothes, looking quite pitiful. But her answer didn't disappoint Bruce.
She then added, "But I need to go back first, um, to get something."
"It can wait until tomorrow."
"No, it can't. I must go today, I can't wait a minute longer," Baia said firmly, then hesitated and added, "Otherwise... otherwise, I won't go there at all."
She didn't actually want Batman to feel like she was threatening him.
The Batmobile changed direction.
At four in the morning, the moonlight was still bright, and there were two pointed-eared creatures in the frost-covered courtyard.
The disheveled Great Detective was squatting on the mailbox, looking quite disheveled, while a graceful figure guarded the rooftop.
Baia jumped out of the Batmobile, feeling a bit feverish with an abnormal flush on her face, but still bouncing around.
Selina saw her the moment she appeared and leaped down from the rooftop, catching Baia as she threw herself into her arms, rubbing her head. "I knew you'd come back."
"Yeah, Selina, I came back to get something," Baia said. "I might... not live here anymore in the future."
She glanced regretfully at the signboard of the clinic, still stubbornly shining with frost.
Selina smiled gently. "Then I wish you all the best in your future endeavors."
"I don't know. I'm not sure... maybe I'll come back. Actually, I don't know what's best," Baia said.
"We'll always have parting moments," Selina said, patting her head. "But Gotham is small, we'll see each other often, and you still have Holly."
She squatted down and planted a kiss on Baia's forehead.
"Goodbye, little bird."
Selina glanced at the silent black figure next to the Batmobile and disappeared into the darkness without looking back.
Baia turned around and found the Great Detective sitting in the middle of the rose garden, looking at her.
His tail flicked back and forth.
So she slowly walked over, crouched down, and asked him, "Do you want to come with me?"
The Great Detective let out a howl.
"Let's go." Baia returned to Batman's side, carrying a giant black cat. "I already have what I need to take with me."