𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐨 𝐖𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥?

‘But beneath that mask, where many eyes won't dare, Lies a heart yearning for a life beyond the glare. A mere mortal, longing for love's tender embrace, Yet tied to duty's call, sacrifice she must face.’

“Am I fired?”

'But beneath that mask, where many eyes won't dare, Lies a heart yearning for a life beyond the glare. A mere mortal, longing for love's tender embrace, Yet tied to duty's call, sacrifice she must face.'

Penny's voice rang out through the kitchen. The three men looked at her in a mixture of pity and shock. The girl looked so small in that moment, curled up in a ball in the corner of the kitchen with flour covering her face and her doe brown eyes wide.

"Fired?" Bruce repeated, surprised at her question. As soon as Penny nodded in confirmation he quickly shook his head. "Why would I fire you?"

"I nearly burned your house down." Penny told him gesturing to the tray of black, smoking cookies. She wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to kick her out as well.

"Trust me, kid. This isn't the closest call we've had." Dick shrugged his shoulders. Bruce and Tim can't help but nod their heads in agreement. It was then that Penny noticed her hand was still on her friend's chest. She quickly removed it with a blush.

"Sorry." She apologized. Tim sheepishly smiled in response.

"How about I show Miss Parker to the lavatory while you three clean this mess." Alfred's voice interjects, causing the four to jump in surprise. Penny pushed herself to her feet with the help of Tim and followed after the butler's retreating form. The vast bathroom she was led to had a white marble tiling, contrasting the wooden floor of the hallway. From the ceiling hung a small chandelier that lit up the room.

"I shall be preparing for dinner if I am needed." Alfred told her as she stepped inside. Once the door closed Penny took a deep, calming breath. She looked into the mirror and barely recognized the girl staring back at her. Her hair was in disarray, her face was coated in a thin layer of flour, and her clothes were soaked in sweat.

"Deep breaths, Penny. Deep breaths." She chanted to herself. The sink was turned on, causing cold water to pour from the faucet. She quickly wiped down her face, shivering as the water made contact with her skin. This was followed by her fingers running through her knotted hair in an attempt to make it neater. When she was finished she gazed back at the mirror. She didn't look the same as she did a few weeks prior. Her cheeks were hollow due to a lack of food and her enhanced metabolism. Her hair had grown out and was no longer vibrant. It was dull.

Five minutes passed before she exited the bathroom. She barely made it five steps before she froze. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as her spidey-sense went haywire.

'Duck.'

'Duck.'

'Duck!'

Penny did as advised and dropped to the floor. A dagger flew right over where her shoulder would have been. She jumped back to her feet and raised her fists in preparation for a fight. To her surprise, she saw a boy standing across from her. He was a head shorter than her and he looked similar to the rest of the Wayne family.

"You must by Drake's girlfriend." He stated. His voice sent shivers up Penny's spine. Though she would never admit it, this 13 year old terrified her.

"No!" The girl exclaimed, embarrassed. "I'm just his friend."

The boy who Penny assumed to be Damian Wayne raised an eyebrow at her response.

"Pity. Perhaps a significant other would make him more bearable." He said, gaining laughter from the girl across from him. Penny suddenly stopped her bout of laughter when a thought occurred to her.

"Wait, did you just throw a knife at me?"

"Yes. And you dodged it." Damian confirmed with a nod of his head. Penny stared blankly at him. He did the same.

"Alright." The mutate nodded awkwardly. "Do you happen to know where Tim is?" She questioned. Damian stared at her for a moment before turning around  and walking down the hallway. Hesitantly, Penny followed after him. They walked through the twists and turns of the manor before eventually arriving at the dining room. There was a long wooden table in the center of the room with a dozen chairs surrounding it. More food than Penny could ever remember seeing before was piled high.

While the girl was busy staring in amazement a hand suddenly slapped down on her shoulder. She jumped in surprise, thankfully not high enough to raise suspicions. Dick quickly removed his hand and raised it in a surrender-like motion.

"Sorry, kid, didn't mean to scare you." He apologized.

"It's fine." Penny murmured. "I'm sorry about-" She was swiftly cut off by the man.

"Rule one in this house, kid. Don't apologize if you didn't do anything wrong." He stated, giving her a warm smile. With some hesitance, Penny nodded her head in agreement. He then proceeded to guide her to one of the many vacant chairs and took a seat on one side of her. Only a few moments later, Tim arrived and took the other. The mutant avoided eye contact with her friend as though it were the plague. Embarrassment wracked her body and she wanted nothing more than to sink into the earth, never to be seen again.

Before long, Bruce arrived and was seated at the head of the table. He cleared his throat before he gestured to the food. That was all the invitation the boys in the room needed. They dove into the meal, grabbing what they could and claiming it as their own. Penny sat, unmoving. She was waiting for the rest of the company to finish getting their portion of the food before taking her own.

"Is something the matter, Miss Parker?" Alfred questioned, causing Penny's head to snap over to where he stood. Frantically, she shook her head.

"No, sir. I'm just waiting for everyone else to be done." She explained, hoping she wasn't offending the man.

"Please, Penny. Take whatever you want." Bruce requested. With a hesitant smile, she scooped a small pile of mashed potatoes onto her plate.

Unbeknownst to Penny, Tim was watching with a fond expression as she dug a crater into the potatoes for the gravy to settle in. Damian, however, did take notice of this.

"Quit staring at her, Drake. It's quite rude." He commented, causing Dick to stifle a laugh while Tim's face shifted to a shade of red. Penny somehow managed not to hear the conversation. She was focused on her meal and savoring it as though it would be her last.

"Have you heard about the new vigilante in Crime Alley?" Questioned Dick, causing Penny to quite literally choke. Tim quickly jumped to her aid and slapped her on the back in an attempt to help her breathe.

"I have heard he is part man, part spider." Damian said, barely looking up from his plate.

"I heard he has eight legs!" Dick claimed

"I heard he eats whoever he catches!" Added on Tim excitedly. Penny listened to each rumor with wide eyes. She is certain she does not have eight legs and she is almost certain she has never eaten someone.

"Regardless, he's a meta. Gotham is no home for metas." Bruce stated, causing Penny to subconsciously sink down in her seat. It's true. Gotham was not her home.

"You alright, Penny?" Dick queried, looking to the clearly uncomfortable teenager. She hesitated before she answered, not wanting to offend anyone.

"I just don't see what the harm is. It's not like he's hurting anyone."

"No one knows his motives, though. He's unknown, therefore he's dangerous." Bruce informed her.

"But you haven't given him a chance to prove he's not." Penny argued. This was not some random vigilante on the streets that the Wayne family were against. This was her. "How is he any more dangerous than Batman?"

Silence washed over the table.

"Batman has demonstrated that he is not threat to Gotham time and time again." Bruce calmly stated, as though he has had this conversation multiple times before.

"In the beginning though, before he had joined the Justice League and had taken down all the crazy villains, he was just like Spider-Man. Just trying to do a little good in the world." Penny explained. The company at the table listened intently.

"Spider-Man?" Damian repeated, his nose scrunched in distaste at the name. Penny immediately realized her mistake and was quick to cover it up.

"I've heard a couple people calling him that. He's part spider after all."

The youngest of the group hummed, content with the response he received. The conversation died out with that, one that Bruce revived with a question of his own.

"So, Penny, where do you live? Your file for work was unclear."

The girl froze and looked down at her half-eaten plate of food. With a sigh, she replied.

"Crime Alley."

"I thought you lived near the library? I mean, you're there all the time according to Barbara." Tim queried. If he had known where his close friend was living he would have made sure she was safe getting home after school each day.

"You know Barbara?" Penny asked, not having been aware of this fact. The red-headed woman had heard her mention her companion Tim multiple times before and never indicated that she knew him.

"Babs is an old family friend." Dick answered for his brother. Penny didn't know half of it.

"And don't change the subject. Why didn't you tell me you lived in Crime Alley?" Tim interrogated. Penny shrunk down in her seat, embarrassed.

"You never asked."

"What street?"

"It's near Needlework Nirvana." Penny told him, leaving out an important piece of information. It wasn't near Needlework Nirvana, it was Needlework Nirvana.

"The closest bus stop is a mile and a half from there!" Tim exclaimed. "Have you been walking home everyday?"

Sheepishly, Penny nodded her head in confirmation. Tim groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

"It's a miracle you haven't been mugged yet." He mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.

"I'm fine." Penny reassured. She thought over her next words very carefully. "My guardian, he made sure I was ready for anything."

"Your guardian?" Bruce repeated, never having heard the young girl mention him before. "I would love to meet him sometime. Perhaps when we drop you off-"

"You can't! He..." Trailed off Penny. All eyes shifted to her, some scrutinizing, some confused. She remembered her previous lie about him taking the night shift tonight and decided to run with it. "He’s going out of town, after work."

"And he’s leaving you alone?" Dick asked carefully.

"I'm seventeen! I'm more than capable of looking after myself." The teenager informed them, getting slightly irritated at the constant questioning.

"Not in Crime Alley." Tim stated, shaking his head that still laid in his hands. Dick and Bruce shared a look with one another before returning their gazes to Penny. It seemed as though they had the same idea.

"I'd feel much better, Penny, if you were somewhere safe until your guardian returns." The Wayne man spoke. "How would you like to stay in the manor until then?"

Penny's eyes went wide at the offer. She immediately began to shake her head. "I couldn't. I don't want to be a bother."

"You wouldn't." Tim, Dick, and Bruce all spoke, their voices overlapping. Damian sat silently, not pleased at the idea of having another person residing in his home.

"I insist. We have more than enough space." Bruce told her honestly. Penny hesitated. She knew that if she were to refuse the offer made by her boss then they would have to drive her home. That would only make them realize that she did not have a stable home.

And to be quite honest, Penny wouldn't mind staying at Wayne Manor. She wouldn't have to worry about scavenging for food, or being warm enough each night. As well as that, it would give her a chance to keep a closer eye on Tim.

"Okay." The girl sighed, her head hanging low. She never liked accepting help, even when she was in desperate need of it. “But I'll pay you back. I promise."

“Penny, I’m not asking for any money from you.” Bruce calmly told her. “I just want to make sure you’re safe until your guardian comes home.”

Tim smiled widely at his companion, gleeful that she would be staying with them for the foreseeable future. Penny catches his gaze before shifting it back to Bruce.

“If you insist.”

•••