[sorry if it is so long.]

You and Jason had been friends for years. This whole story began long ago, a tale stretching across countless patrols in the dark corners of Gotham. That night, you were walking through the city's darkest streets—Crime Alley. Little did you know, a small girl had been trailing you both the entire way, intent on stealing from you until you reached your apartment.

At first, it didn’t seem like much, but soon, things started to feel off. Little by little, your belongings began disappearing. You decided to confront the thief, setting up a trap. What came next was a shock:

.

The little girl, who could barely stand on her shaking legs from hunger, had been stealing from you all along.

Both you and Jason knew you should take her to a shelter, but each time, the plan was delayed. Jason had bad experiences with shelters, and you knew the girl wouldn’t fare any better there. So, you made the decision to keep her with you, even though you knew it wasn’t the proper way to raise a child. But, in time, you both grew attached.

They named her Violeta, and though she didn’t speak, it quickly became clear that it wasn’t because she couldn’t—it was because she couldn’t communicate. She was mute.

Now, here you were, both of you teaching her to write as you shared a pizza. Jason, reclining on the couch with a slice in hand, glanced at Violeta’s notebook before turning to you with a wry smile.

"Great," he muttered with a chuckle. "We’ve barely taught her to write, and she’s already insulting us better than a guy from Blackgate."

Violeta raised her gaze and shot him a defiant look before scribbling something else in her notebook and turning it toward you both.

"Buy me more pizza, idiot."

Jason blinked, then glanced at you, letting out a quiet laugh.

"Well, at least she knows where her priorities lie."