DC A Little Less Conversation, a Little More Action Please (DCAU Plus)

[AndrewJTalon]

Cass

- - -

Thinking in words was difficult. Her entire life, she had been spoken to in action. That was the language she knew fluently: What people felt and what they were going to do, how they were going to move.

What they experienced as they died.

It had been an uncomplicated life until then. It revealed an entire world of concepts and ideas that she was ignorant of. She knew someone was angry, but WHY was he angry? Why was he hurt inside? Why did he push on despite this pain?

Her father had no answers. He saw her the same way he saw his sword, his gun, his men: A tool. All for the immortal man.

So she ran, barely understanding anything outside. So many people, all with their own thoughts and goals and secrets. So many different lives.

Sneaking onto a ship had been easy. Hiding from the crew had also been easy... Until they reached another shore. Until a man in orange and brown had found her, and set his men on her.

She had fought furiously, moving among the men like a whirlwind, but always trying to avoid death to them. She had seen a man die at her own hand once. She had no desire to see it again.

Cass had brought down all of them, save for the man in orange and brown. She had advanced on him. His body language spoke of traps and deception, and she hoped to strike before he did.

But the man had been just fast enough, filling her face with gas, bright light and loud sonics. She staggered back, disoriented. She could feel the blows coming, but couldn't block them all. She was strong, she had taken bullets to her flesh, but enough hits dragged her down.

She was on the docks, fists, sticks and feet pummeling her. Still Cass fought, still she resisted...

Then there was a muffled boom. Then another, and another. The blows stopped coming and she smelled smoke. She opened her eyes, blobs staggering about. A smaller purple blob appeared, and took hold of her. The blob ran, pulling her along and her clumsy feet struggled to keep up.

Running. Crawling. The blob got her somewhere dark and quiet, and Cass's vision began to clear.

The blob resolved into a girl in a ragged purple hoodie, a black ski mask, torn jeans, a messenger bag, black gloves and scarf. She reached out to her, and Cass shrunk away- Before realizing her intentions from her body language. Intentions she spoke aloud.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," she said gently. She reached out to Cass, and began to clean and bandage her wounds. Cass watched her work, silent. The girl looked up at her, grimacing through the mask.

"Hang on," she murmured. She pulled down her hood and yanked off her mask. A kind, pale face with green eyes, light freckles and long blonde hair emerged. The girl smiled at Cass. She found she liked this smile.

"I'm Stephanie," she said. "What's your name?"

Cass struggled, trying to recall the sounds her father made when referring to her. Why, she didn't know, but it was nice to have a name. Even a weapon had a name.

"Cass... Andra... Cain," she got out slowly. Stephanie beamed.

"That's a nice name, Cassandra. Can I call you Cass, for short? I don't have to if you want..."

Stephanie began talking, endlessly. Yet now Cass was getting some context to her body language. Enough to put together a story:

Stephanie's father too was a bad man. He made things for bad people-Things that hurt good people . He made money, traded for food and home, for his family. But kept most of it to himself. Her mother... Slept a lot, because she took something. So Stephanie was alone. Stephanie did not like her father hurting others. She tried to stop him in disguise.

Stephanie was hurt by her father. Hurt by the pain he caused her and others. Cass stared at her, and found a question she could voice.

"Why?"

Stephanie smiled. "Because someone has to... And because it's what Batman would do."

Cass saw the reverence in Stephanie's body language when she said that word. The awe. The hope.

"... Tell me. Batman. About."

It took some time but Cass put together what she felt was the most important part: There was someone who fought to stop pain and suffering. No matter what. Someone who took on pain for others. Someone who did the impossible.

That someone was Batman.

"So... I'm trying to stop this shipment," Stephanie admitted. She sighed, and held out her bag filled with tools and other items. "But it kind of relied on those smoke bombs... And now they're looking for us.. "

Cass shook her head. "... Give up?" She asked. Stephanie shook her head.

"No. But I need a new plan..."

Cass found it in herself to smile. "... Help?"

Stephanie stared. "You are hurt pretty bad," she pointed out. Cass shook her head.

"Okay. Do?"

Stephanie nodded slowly. "Okay... We need... She leaned close to the wall of wherever they were and peered through a hole in the metal. Cass
emulated her, finding another hole.

Outside next to several shipping containers was a large vehicle-bright yellow with a bucket on the front end. Stephanie bit her lower lip.
"We could use that, but it's so slow it'll take forever to get the cargo! Not without something to occupy them!"

Cass thought. What was the word... what were the words?

"... I go," she said, trying to move her hands to explain, "and..."

"Draw their attention? Be a distraction?" Stephanie asked, and Cass nodded with a smile. Stephanie grimaced. "It'll be dangerous."

"Yes. Do anyway," Cass said firmly. Stephanie nodded with a smile.

"All right... But you're gonna need these." She rummaged in her bag and produced a grappling hook and a length of rope. Cass took hold of them, weighing the items thoughtfully. Stephanie pulled her mask and hood back on, and stood up.

They made their way out of the warehouse, barely sneaking past a guard. They climbed up into the vehicle-A bulldozer, as Stephanie named it-and

Stephanie fiddled with the controls. The engine roared to life, and Stephanie grinned.

"All right... You sure you got this? I mean, do you even know how to use that thing?"

"Hey!" The man searching for them before pointed his flashlight and gun at them. His ugly face glared up at them. "Get down here you little-!"

Cass swung the rope and hook, and with a crack she knocked the flashlight and gun away. The man was left stunned-Before Cass's next swing clocked him across the head and sent him down to the pavement out cold.

Stephanie whistled. "Okay... That was awesome."

Cass smiled. She was pleased to see the amazement and admiration in Stephanie's body language. She hadn't seen anything yet. "Drive."

Suffice it to say, the thugs at the dock were unprepared when Cass leaped in, swinging her rope and grappling hook like a whip, bludgeoning and disarming them like a swarm of angry bees.

They were even more unprepared when a bulldozer roared into the truck they were unloading, destroying it and all their illicit cargo. The sirens of approaching police scattered the rest, and Stephanie and Cass both escaped on the former's moped: A loud, noisy thing that sputtered as it propelled them along.

Unfortunately the man in orange and brown had escaped too... But Stephanie's disappointment over that was tempered by joy.

They traveled through the city, which Cass learned was named "Gotham", to an apartment building in a dirty, run down part of town. Stephanie grinned at her, now looking shy.

"Uh... Thanks," she said. "Um... You know, if you don't... Have anywhere to stay... You can stay with me? I mean, my mom won't care. She doesn't really care about anything... But if you don't-"

Cass found words inadequate. So she hugged Stephanie tightly. Her body was getting it across better than her words:

She wanted to share her home with Cass. Not just space and food but so much more. For as long as she needed it.

"... I'll take that as a yes," Stephanie laughed, hugging Cass back tight.

- - -

DCAU Plus is basically an AU take on the DC Animated Universe begun with Batman: The Animated Series, trying to integrate the 06 Teen Titans animated series into the backstory. It really picks up around the time of Justice League. But that's for future chapters. So, hold onto your butts.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

This adventure begins just after the Justice League pilot "Secret Origins".
Bruce
It was sloppy. Damn sloppy. The kind of mistake he'd shout at Dick or Tim over for hours after. Know your limits. Three days without sleep, fighting an alien invasion? Too much for anyone. Even him. Especially while alone and your potential backup was scattered across the city.

"Wakey wakey, Batman~," chuckled a sinister voice through the haze. Batman blinked, his eyes regaining focus. He was tied up, hanging by his wrists several feet above a bare floor, in an abandoned candy factory. And leering up at him was Joker, who looked almost relieved.

"Not to imply you've been laying down on the job, Batsy! After all, you've been so busy away from home! Dealing with aliens! Saving the world! I thought I'd throw you a welcome home party!" The mad clown chuckled, and held out a bottle of champagne. He opened it with a pop, and poured the suds into a flute. "Congratulate you on forming the Super Friends! It's so nice to see you expanding your circle of friends!"

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Is that why you had a fake me and fake Robin running around, Joker? Feeling lonely?"

Joker downed one of the flutes of champagne, before he spat it out. He blinked in confusion. "Moi? No!" Joker shook his head and snorted. "Really Batsy, presumptuous aren't we? My life doesn't revolve around you, you know!" He laughed. "Besides! I could do better than two pieces of jail bait! My boys outside can verify!" Joker grinned wider. "Now, the first thing on the itinerary..."

He held out his hand, and a small man in clown makeup tumbled up and handed him a clipboard. "Thank you Gaggy. Yes, let's see... Bobbing for piranhas! Yes, yes. A good old acid bath, then putting you into the taffy stretcher! Trust me, a man as uptight as you could use it, HA!"

There was a boom outside, at least four. And the sounds of a great deal of confused men all yelling. Gunfire broke out. Joker sighed.

"Oh poo. One of your kids has shown up to spoil my fun, huh? Well! The more the merrier, I say! Gaggy, be a sport and look after our Dear Dark Knight?" The Joker ran out, pulling a gun. He vanished behind a large rusting hulk of a machine, while

Gaggy glared up at Batman. Batman glared back, already thinking frantically.

How many men were out there? A full frontal assault by Nightwing and Batgirl-That was suicide. They couldn't be that reckless. He had to have taught them better!

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw it: A small, female form slipping through the window and sliding down a rope. Batman made no further movement, keeping his gaze on Gaggy. The little clown scowled back, and held up his gun threateningly. On his tiny form, the gun was huge and comical-But clearly deadly.

"Jest a little interuption, Batfreak, then we'll have some fun," Gaggy chuckled. The small form crept from shadow to shadow, being careful and quiet. They were sloppy and slow by his standards, but Batman could recognize they were fully focused. Getting closer... Closer... They stepped on broken glass, and Gaggy spun around. He scanned the area with his eyes and gun.

"Who's there?" He demanded. "Come out! Show yerself!"

There was more tinkling of broken glass, further away and at a high angle. Gaggy immediately aimed in that direction, and opened fire. The bangs of his machine gun thundered in the gaping darkness of the abandoned factory, but nothing emerged.

Gaggy walked towards the source of the noise, past a broken down conveyor belt where several of the Joker's weapons and gadgets had been carelessly piled.

Gaggy scanned around, his eyes going back to Batman.

"If it's one o' yer kids, tell 'em to back off or I'll-GACK!" Gaggy's eyes widened and his hair stood on end. He shook and convulsed, before falling to the floor limply.

The female figure rose from underneath the conveyor belt, and pulled one of the Joker's weaponized joy buzzers off her gloved hand.

"Can't believe he leaves these things lying around like this," she muttered. She ran into the light, and Batman got a look at his would be rescuer: A teenaged girl, maybe fourteen to seventeen years old, athletic build, long wild spiky blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in a cheap Halloween-grade Robin costume with quite a few patched improvements. She grinned up at him, grabbing a ladder and carrying it over nearby him.

"Hello! Friendly neighborhood Robin here!" She said cheerfully, climbing up. She stood on the top of the ladder, wobbling a bit, before she jumped up and grabbed his arm. She hung from it, making them swing, and he grunted.

"Sorry! Hang on..." She produced a knife and began fiddling with the complex cuffs holding him up. "I gave my Batgirl all the rope we had left; She's outside, causing a big distraction. Which usually would be my job because I'm loud and dressed in bright red but she insisted on it. Anyway, this stupid thing-"

"A grade six interlocking cuffing mechanism," Batman identified. Robin nodded, fiddling with the device.

"Yeah, these things. They're such a pain, but I know how to unlock them. So, what's your name?"

Batman stared at the babbling blonde. "Batman."

The Girl Robin rolled her eyes and snorted. "Sure you are," she said condescendingly, "and I'm Sailor Moon."

Batman raised an eyebrow under his mask. "I'm actually Batman."

"Yeah, look buddy, just because your costume is better than mine doesn't mean you're the real thing. Especially," and here Robin wagged her finger in his face, "when you get captured like some punk ass loser."

Batman continued to stare. "Really?"

Robin nodded, getting the knots undone.

"Really! The real Batman would never have fallen into such a trap and would already be out of here, without needing any help from me!"

The restraints clicked loose, and Batman dropped. He landed easily on the floor in a crouch, still woozy but able to keep his balance, while Robin swung from the chains overhead. She swung back onto the ladder, shakily... Then lost her balance and fell backwards.

"EEP!"
Robin landed on his back, making Batman grunt. Robin blushed, and got off of him. She rubbed the back of her head with one hand, while rubbing his back with her other.

"Um, sorry. Anyway, we should be going-"

A tall thug in clown make up crashed through the door and slammed facefirst into the rusting hulk. He groaned and slid down.

A moment later, a slight girl in a Batman Halloween costume emerged. Her suit though had much more extensive modifications-A facemask, goggles, spraypaint of dark blues and darker grays for camoflague, and only the yellow outline of a bat on her chest.

Robin scowled.

"Batgirl! We were supposed to get out! Not show off"

The Bat-girl tilted her head. "Too much fun," she said in clipped English, making it clear it was not her first language.

Batman blinked. "Your... Friend?"

"She's super cool," Robin said happily. "But she can't help showing off."

"Neither can I," the Joker called out.

Maniacal laughter filled the room, and they all looked back. Joker came in through the door, grinning as he held out his gun.

"So! Recruiting Girl Scouts now, Bat Brain? That's adorable! Though honestly, how any little waif like you could hurt a fly is a question for when you get to-"

The Bat-Girl moved, knocking the gun out of Joker's hand and, before he'd even had time to be surprised, landed a kick upside his chin and a punch into his gut. The clown staggered back, slamming against the wall with a grunt. He gaped in shock at the Bat-Girl, who advanced on him menacingly. But Joker was resourceful, and a moment later he had a can of peanuts out.

"Think fast!" He gasped, and ribbons and confetti burst out of the can. They wrapped around Batgirl like coiling snakes, and she hopped back, struggling to get free. Joker advanced on her, pulling out his hand buzzer with sadism in his eyes. Batman struggled against his exhaustion and soreness, lunging to his feet, but Joker would get there first.

"End of the line, Gogo," he hissed. He looked up to see a blonde and red blur tackle him, and he staggered back. His eyes bulged again as Robin kneed him in the groin. "OOF! YOU LITTLE-!"

"You suck, Joker!" Robin shouted, leaping back and narrowly escaping the clown's swinging arm. Seeing her predicament, Batman lunged for his utility belt on the conveyor. If he could just reach it before the mad clown got his hands on her-!

"You suck and your sense of humor sucks! You're a crap comedian and a crap supervillain with lousy jokes!" Robin shouted. The Joker seethed as the girl ran behind the hulk of busted, aging machinery. He chased after her.

"YOU WORTHLESS SLAG-SHUT YER MOUTH!" He produced a length of multi-colored rope, and threw it like a lariat. It lassoed Robin, and she yelped as he yanked her off her feet. Joker laughed and ran up to her, kicking her in her stomach as she laid flat.

He grinned down at her, feeling triumphant.

"Not so smart mouthed now, huh brat? What have you got to say for yourself?"

Robin grinned back up at him. Joker blinked. In his rage over her insults, he'd forgotten something important-

Which hit him like a fist across his temple, then his solar plexus, his groin, his chin, and finally the back of his neck. He collapsed into a heap, blacking out.

Robin looked up at Bat-Girl and Batman, and mocked scowled. "You... Took your time!" She wheezed, catching her breath. Batgirl shrugged and untied her. Batman helped her to her feet.

The three of them shuffled out into the courtyard of the factory. Batman scanned the many fallen (but still breathing) bodies littering the pavement of the enclosed parking lot. Robin frowned.

"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen... Nuts, I miscounted," she said. Bat-Girl waved her hand, as if it was no big deal. "Well, yeah, but how many more smoke bombs did you have to use?"

Bat-Girl held out a very empty canvas bag, and Robin sighed. "Great. Now we're out," she grumbled. Batman pressed a control in his belt.

"Don't worry. I can get you more," Batman said. Robin turned and glared at him, and shook her finger.

"No way! No more playing hero for you!" She scolded. "Seriously, this was dangerous!"

"And yet you're still doing it?" Batman asked. Robin looked at Cass, and they exchanged nods. She looked back to Batman.

"Of course we are," she said. "Someone's gotta do it! And we work pretty well together!"

"You made a lot of mistakes," he pointed out. Robin shrugged.

"Yeah, well..."

"You could use some instruction," he said. The familiar roar of an engine filled his ears, and the Batmobile came around the corner. It pulled up to them, and the cockpit hatch slid open. Batman walked over to the waiting vehicle, as Robin's jaw nearly hit the pavement.

"Buh...?" She muttered. Batman hopped into the vehicle, and tapped a few buttons. Something buzzed in Robin's belt, and she pulled out a cellphone. She stared at it, and then back at Batman.

"I just texted you an address," he said smoothly. "Meet me there tomorrow morning, 6 am sharp. We'll start training. For both of you."

"... How did you get my cellphone number?" Robin asked. Batman smirked.

"I'm Batman. And you two?"

Robin stared at him. She cleared her throat.

"... I'm... Stephanie Brown," Robin muttered, clearly torn between embarrassment and astonishment. She gestured over to Bat-Girl, who waved. "That's Cassandra Cain."

Batman stared at the Bat-Girl, who stared back. "Doesn't talk much, does she?"

"No talk. Action," she said. Batman nodded.

"Good. Again. 6 am. Sharp." The hatch slid shut, and the Batmobile roared off into the night. Batman watched the two girls stare after them as he departed, and he turned up the gain on the bugs he'd planted on them both.

"... You knew it was the real Batman the whole time, didn't you?" Stephanie gasped. Cass's response was inaudible. "I can't believe-I called the real Batman a punk ass loser-We saved the real Batman from the Joker-OhmyGodthisissoawesome!"

Batman sighed. He might regret it... But having these two under his supervision would be better for them and him in the long run. He had a feeling that with the Justice League, he was going to be far busier.

And these two... Warranted checking into.

- - -

Reply guys. I need feedback.

 

[dreese55]

Mmm well writing looks good, It did seem a bit like the 2 new characters where too good at what they did compared to batman, but again that could be easily shown just to be the joker getting the jump on him and Batman not being at his best, depends how further chapters go. The names of your 2 characters sound familiar, im not a big dc fan though. Cassandra Cain is definitely a name ive heard before though. I assume shes from another DC universe? She comes off, weird, not like I cant speak english weird, but more I am a robot weird. Her part is really choppy, i actually thought she was an alien until she met steph, the intro was similar to another story with an OC in the DC YJ universe.

 

[Bear Ribs]

Mmm well writing looks good, It did seem a bit like the 2 new characters where too good at what they did compared to batman, but again that could be easily shown just to be the joker getting the jump on him and Batman not being at his best, depends how further chapters go. The names of your 2 characters sound familiar, im not a big dc fan though. Cassandra Cain is definitely a name ive heard before though. I assume shes from another DC universe? She comes off, weird, not like I cant speak english weird, but more I am a robot weird. Her part is really choppy, i actually thought she was an alien until she met steph, the intro was similar to another story with an OC in the DC YJ universe.

That's actually pretty good writing on AJT's part.

Cassandra Cain is Batgirl and hails from the period when Barbara Gordon was first paralyzed by the Joker . Cassandra's quirk is language, she was so heavily trained in martial arts, from before she could walk basically, that she never learned how to talk and her psychotic supervillain dad didn't see anything wrong with that.

She eventually started talking later after Batman took her in and she became Batgirl, via various shenanigans, but never got good at it.

 

[dreese55]

Thanks for the reply Bear, ya I recognized both Cass and Steph from reading other stories, just didnt remember them exactly. Knew they where related but not exactly why. Still i like these kind of stories, i prefer a 1st person view, but these are well written, so will follow along and see where the Author goes.

 

[Abhorsen]

Cassandra Cain has always been a favorite character of mine, and I enjoy what you've done so far.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Dick

It was funny how alien invasions could fade away in priority when your love life suddenly got complicated. Maybe that's what it took to be in their line of work: To see the difficult and fantastic as something to be overcome, and the mundane and ordinary as alien and strange.

It wasn't the first time this had happened, either, to Richard "Dick" Grayson: Formally Robin, then Nightwing.
The night of the Imperium invasion, he'd been in Jump City to reconnect with the rest of the former Teen Titans: The core originals. Victor Stone, Cyborg. Garfield Logan, the Beast Boy (who was going by Changeling now). Rachel Roth, Raven; and-of course- Koriand'r, Starfire. Their obligations kept them apart, but they still found the time to meet back up at the Tower every few months. They had just settled down to pizza like the old days, to talk about what they were up to.

Garfield had gotten some roles in Hollywood movies after his successful stint in scifi television, and he hinted that some producers were interested in the story of the original Teen Titans. Victor was pumped, though Raven, Star and himself were more dubious about the prospect.

Rachel was working in the realm of magic, doing jobs that Doctor Fate was too busy to handle, as well as mentoring young homo magi. She seemed to enjoy it.

Victor was maintaining the T-Tower, but not alone: The computer space on the tower was massive and its capabilities huge, and many corporations, governments and organizations rented time on its mainframe to conduct experiments and run new programs, everything from curing cancer to inventing new kinds of flip flops. This, along with coaching youth sports teams, kept Victor busy but happy.

Kori was acting as a diplomatic official between her homeworld and Earth. Ever since the Darkseid invasions, Earth governments had been looking to make connections with other worlds and Tamaran was only too happy to exchange the debris from alien invaders for basic medical and food supplies. She had grown more regal, and more beautiful, her kindness still radiating from her like a small sun. She still greeted him, almost shyly, like they were meeting again for the first time.

And Dick? Dick was establishing himself in Bludhaven. Working with the local police, stopping criminals, and making a name for himself. He occasionally dropped back in Gotham to check on Alfred and Bruce. Occasionally to see Barbara, and to help with Tim. The reconciliation between himself and Bruce was difficult... But he was starting to see that maybe the old man wasn't the monster he'd grown into in his mind's eye.

It was all so tranquil... And then the trouble alerts had begun. Not just from Jump City, but all over the world. Alien invaders, screaming klaxons and red lights. It was so familiar.

So familiar, there was only one thing he could really do. He stood up, and pointed to the door.

"Titans, GO!"

That night had been fraught with peril and danger. The invaders had cut off Earth from the sun with their construct towers, so
Starfire was weakened. Their shapeshifting was a match for Garfield's-Better, in fact. And they were telepaths. Yet Jump City had not fallen. They sent wave after wave of enemies after them, and they'd triumphed over every challenge... Until they were finally overwhelmed, and had to retreat to the Tower.

They had prepared for a last stand. The defenses of the Tower, powerful sonic cannons based on Cyborg's own weapons, were sweeping the enemy from the skies and seas as fast as Victor could control them. Nightwing had broken out his old Robin arsenal and shared it with everyone, using his old R-Cycle as a bomb against a tripod. Garfield had gone full Beast mode, fighting like a crazed berserker. Raven unleashed the full power of her arcane magics, sending the invaders into portals to unspeakable realms and unleashing demon fire. And Starfire herself was an angel of death: Starbolts flying from her hands and eyes as she flew here and there, holding nothing back.

But it wasn't going to last. It wasn't going to hold. That certain feeling in the back of his mind, honed by experience, kept saying the same thing: We're not going to win this.

Well. If they weren't going to win this, they would at least make sure the Imperium never forgot the Teen Titans.

Then... The artificial cloud cover broke. The sunshine poured down. Dick had to squint through his mask as the sun reappeared.

The Imperium creatures screamed and burned in the radiance of Sol, melting away and leaving only smoke, ashes, and exhausted heroes.

Garfield was the first to speak, as usual: "Did... Did we just... Win?" He whispered.

"Don't jinx it," Raven murmured back. They all looked at each other. Victor's lip twitched. It was all over from there as they fell into loud, hysterical laughter, holding and hugging. Dick found his arms filled with a joyful Starfire, who grasped his face and kissed him deeply. And Dick couldn't find it in him to resist, even as Rachel, Garfield, and Victor cat called.

It was a far cry from the kiss they'd shared in Tokyo, one that was awkward and difficult to speak about for both of them. The kiss they had before Dick had gone back to Gotham, and Starfire back to her people. It was an adult kiss, with all that implied.

And that night, nobody bothered them when they snuck off to their old rooms in the Tower. For that, Dick would always be grateful. The next few days were filled with rebuilding and activity, but Starfire was never far from Dick's thoughts. Nor he from hers.

The fourth morning after the invasion brought with it news-And a visitor. A visitor who had the decency to knock, for once.

Dick opened the doors, and stared into the eyes of his father-The Batman.

"... May I come in?" He asked, almost politely. Dick nodded, and waved him in. He offered a chair, out of habit. Out of habit,

Batman declined. Dick shrugged, and got to work on breakfast.

"I heard about what you all did here," Batman began without preamble, as Dick's back was to him. Dick nodded.

"I heard about what you guys did, too," he said. He smiled over his shoulder. "A team of superheroes, huh? Never heard of that before."

Batman almost smiled. "You could try to take the credit if you wanted."

Dick shrugged, scrambling some eggs and bacon. "Nah. Wouldn't want to get a swelled head-Too many role models in my life with that." He scooped the food out onto a plate, and slid it to his father. Batman took the fork, and wolfed it down fast. Dick winced.

"Geez... How long since you ate or slept? Can I count it in hours or do I have to go to days?"

"Been busy," Batman said, only after swallowing. "Got a space station out of decommission for a base. The Watchtower."

Dick nodded. "Right," he said. "So... Is this the part where you ask me to join your Justice League?"

Batman was silent for a moment. "The thought had occurred," he admitted. "I couldn't think of anyone better suited for it."

Dick flushed. He was appreciating Bruce learning how to express his pride in ways other than grunts or abstract gestures.

"Thanks..."

"But I want you to do something more important," Batman said. Dick frowned.

"What?"

Batman produced a few file folders, and set them down on the counter in front of Dick. Dick scanned through them, his eyebrow rising.

"I want you to reform the Titans permanently," Batman stated. "Gather the old members, get new recruits. Train the next generation. If the Justice League is going to last, it needs a pool of people ready to take over and keep it going. Even bolster its ranks."

"You want me to be a schoolteacher, huh?" Dick asked, smiling wryly. Batman managed to return it, just.

"I'm sure you'll find ways to keep busy," he said.

"What about Barbara?" Dick asked.

"She doesn't have the experience you do, which is why I'm leaving her in charge of some new recruits in Gotham," Bruce explained. He looked at Dick. "That said, I want you two to compare notes. You work well together, always have."

Dick winced. "Er... Well... There might be an issue there..."

Starfire floated into the room, half awake, wearing nothing but one of Dick's white shirts. She drifted over to him, hugged him, and kissed his cheek. "Good morning, Dick~," she sighed, nuzzling him. Dick coughed, and Starfire looked over at Batman. She "eeped" and hid behind Dick.

"Ah, good morning, Mister The Batman, sir," she stuttered. Batman remained expressionless, as Dick rubbed his forehead. At last, Batman shook his head.

"I'll trust you to resolve it then," he said. Dick looked up at him in disbelief. Batman shrugged. "Is that so strange an idea?"

"I... Guess not," Dick admitted. "Now."

"Good," Batman said. He rose, and nodded politely to Starfire. "Nice to meet you, Princess Koriand'r. I've heard many good things about you from Dick."

"Ah... Thank you!" Starfire replied with a nervous smile. "Then... You approve of our-?"

"He's never needed my approval before," Batman stated simply. Dick smiled, feeling pleased and foolish at the same time.

Batman headed for the doors. Starfire cleared her throat.

"Will you come visit again? It would be nice to get to know you," she said earnestly. Batman paused, and looked back at them.

Dick smiled and shrugged. Batman's lips thinned.

"... I'll check on your progress from time to time," he said at last. Dick nodded back.

"I'll look forward to it," he said. Batman nodded, and headed out the doors. Starfire beamed and hugged Dick.

"He seemed nice," she said. Dick sighed.

"Yeah... He did."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

The Imperium Invasion was unlike anything she'd seen before. Sure, Mind Controlled Superman and the forces of Darkseid had invaded years ago, but their attacks were focused and limited: They had only attacked a few military bases and defense centers. Gotham had been left alone, the invasion turned back quickly. She had shared Kara's grief though, comforting the younger woman.

Her cousin, Superman himself, trying to kill her. The fear that greeted the two of them... That was real but it was so easy to compartmentalize it as a "Superman" or "Metropolis" problem. A problem she could help with but in the long run didn't seem to affect her personally.

Superman slowly regained the trust of the world. The losses were small enough the larger public could forgive. The criminals went back to work, and so did they.

The Imperium was vastly different. Monsters from another world came for them all. None of them cared about costume or non costume, religion, skin color, nationality: In the eyes of the Imperium, all of Earth had to die.

That night seemed endless. She and Tim had been practically all alone... At first. As they were using the Batmobile's missiles to fight a tripod in Robinson Park, the trees themselves had come alive and tripped it up. That had let them finish it off, and she was feeling surprisingly grateful to Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn: Both of whom had tagged along.

Then Mister Freeze had saved them from a few Imperium soldiers, stating that the destruction of the world was in no one's interest. Then Bane, who agreed they had a common enemy. Then Roxy Rocket, who just came for the thrill.

But despite all this (often reluctant) help, they were simply outnumbered and outgunned. They had been cornered in Arkham Asylum itself, surrounded on all sides. The Joker seemed to think it was great fun, and revealed just how bad the guards at Arkham were at frisking him with his acid and bombs.

But it wasn't enough.

The Imperium busted in, cornering them after a long, brutal struggle, in the rec room. Barbara had tried to put herself in front of Tim, but the boy instead made himself her shield. She hadn't realized how tall he had gotten, how he'd grown. How strange, the things you think about at the end as the creatures advanced.

Then... The clouds broke. The sun shined down through the skylights and windows and doors. And the Imperium died, dissolving away like bad dreams. For a time, there was nothing but silence.

A silence broken by the Joker:

"Well... That was fun. Who wants breakfast? The buffet is quite nice on Saturday mornings."

To her dying day, she would deny that the Joker made her laugh. It was the relief that they were going to live, that they had won, that did it.

The next few days were filled with work. The criminals went back to crime and had to be locked up. Looters and rioters had to be stopped. Her father had run the GCPD like an army, and run himself ragged, but they had restored order.

Throughout it though, one thought had been on her mind: Dick. All their petty arguments, all the jealousy, all their issues seemed so small after fighting against extinction with previously sworn enemies. Her crush on Bruce seemed so childish; He had rebuffed her every time, no matter how hard she'd tried.

So Barbara came to a decision: Five days after the invasion, she heard Dick was back in town, staying at his old apartment. She went right there, wearing her sexiest under her coat. She was going to have him. She wasn't going to play anymore. He would be hers, she would be his, and this second chance at life for everyone: They wouldn't squander it.

She walked up the stairs. She followed the hallway, and found the door. She took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

It opened... Revealing a tall, buxom orange woman, with burning green eyes and a sweet smile. Dressed only in one of Dick's shirts. The woman beamed.

"Oh, hello! You must be Barbara. I'm Korind'r. Are you here to see Dick?"

The words the woman spoke turned into a dull roar in her ears. She stared past the woman. She saw Dick, clean shaven, shirtless, his eyes meeting hers... He opened his mouth, but Barbara didn't stay to hear what he had to say.

She was running down the hallway. She was hopping onto her bike. She was racing through traffic for the Manor, ignoring the calls on her phone.

Because the world had changed... But Barbara Gordon hadn't changed with it.

- - -

Barbara

It was sadly typical of Bruce to dump new responsibilities on her without warning. It was the nature of their work, after all. But training two teenaged girls was a hell of a thing to get smacked with. Two teenaged girls he'd let into the Batcave.

Especially after the night she'd had. Especially after going to Dick's apartment to try and make up... And her at the door... Barbara shook her head free of those thoughts. Focus on the now.

She stood in front of them in the Batcave, dressed in her full Batgirl gear. The two were standing attentively: The blonde girl, Stephanie, looking nervous while Cassandra was unreadable. Barbara scowled at them, letting a bit of a growl out. Just as Bruce had growled at her during training.

"All right. Batman somehow thinks you two will work out. But you have to prove it to me!" She ordered. Stephanie saluted, and Cass copied her.

"Yes sir! Um, ma'am!"

"Don't suck up to me," Barbara growled. Stephanie flushed and nodded, putting her arm down.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Now," she stated, "you're going through the Strategic Self-Mutating Defense Regimen 4. You're going through it as many times as we need you to in order to gauge your abilities."

"Is that what Tim called 'Big Bad Zogger'?" Stephanie asked. "Because that sounds cool-"

"Enough!" Barbara growled. "Giving me lip isn't going to get you through this!"

Stephanie clammed up, and nodded. "Yes ma'am," she said again. Barbara pointed them to the obstacle course. They walked over to it, and Barbara took her seat at the Bat Computer. She started up the program, and robotic limbs, turrets, and drones fired up, surrounding the girls.

"Since you've already tackled the Joker," she stated, "we'll start at that setting first."

"Uh, what are we supposed to-?" Stephanie asked, but was interrupted when a robot slugged her across the face. "GURK!"

"Survive," Barbara said blandly.

- - -

Cass responded to the combat simulation easily: Dodging around stun beams, and breaking the turrets with her bare hands. She was intensely focused and was weaving through the obstacles like they were nothing. Barbara had to admit: She was impressive. No wonder Bruce had recruited her... She was younger, faster...

Barbara turned up the difficulty level, the Zeta-series androids now attacking with more coordination. Cassandra bobbed and weaved, nearly a blur, seizing a stun baton from an android and shoving it through the robot's head. Stephanie, for her part, was trying to follow Cass but was taking lots of hits. Barbara scowled.

"Gotta keep up, Brown!" Barbara shouted over the intercom. Stephanie pushed herself, sliding between the legs of an android and shoving it from behind into another. She tried to dodge around another, but a fourth threw its stun baton at her from behind. Cassandra intervened, bodily throwing a Zeta in the way. Stephanie yelped and hid behind it, as Cassandra moved back to cover her. Barbara shook her head.

"Brown, stop weighing Cain down!" She ordered. Stephanie rummaged through the remains of the robot Cass had wrecked, and pulled out a stun blaster. She opened fire with it, covering Cass. The androids froze when struck by the beam, so Barbara increased the remainder's speed. Even Cass was feeling the pressure, wielding two stun batons and almost frantically jumping, flipping and dodging around the crowd. Stephanie clambered to the top of a turret and barely stayed on, as it twisted and turned and fired beams.

At last though, Cass got hit in the back, and she stumbled. This allowed the rest of the androids to dogpile onto her.

"CASS!" Stephanie cried in alarm. She looked over at Barbara. "Okay, okay! Time out! TIME OUT!"

Barbara paused... Then stopped the program. The androids all paused, and slowly stood up and walked away. Cass was revealed: Battered and bloodied but alive. She stood up, breathing hard, and staring at Barbara in confusion and anger. Barbara cleared her throat.

"... Maybe a little too much to start with," she stated blandly.

"Oh really? Ya think?!" Stephanie demanded angrily, still clinging to the turret like a cat stuck in a tree. Barbara hit a control, and the turret slid back into the floor. Stephanie yelped as she collapsed onto the rock, and she scowled up at Barbara. Batgirl scowled back.

"Being a superhero isn't fun and games! It takes more than a costume and an attitude to do this job!" Barbara scolded. "So do better, because you're not getting any time outs out there!"

"Can we at least have a break first?" Stephanie asked. Barbara shook her head.

"No," she said blandly. "But we'll try a less difficult level... If you can afford to stop dragging Cain down, Brown."

Cass's eyes narrowed at this. Stephanie gritted her teeth.

"Fine, whatever you say, Batgirl," the blonde seethed. Barbara glared back, and started the system up again.

Really, what were they complaining about? This wasn't anything she hadn't had to deal with at their age...

- - -

 

[Bear Ribs]

Barbara turned up the difficulty level, the Zeta-series androids now attacking with more coordination.

Shoutout to the Zeta project?

Really, what were they complaining about? This wasn't anything she hadn't had to deal with at their age...

Ah. yeah I can see Barabara taking her mad out on her students ending really, really well.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Dick

- - -

Great. His ex got to meet his current girlfriend in the most awkward way possible. Well, okay: Not the most awkward way, but he didn't think it could get much worse.

"Kori..." He began, but Starfire shook her head. She smiled gently at him.

"I know. It's something you need to handle alone." Starfire hugged him tightly, and kissed him. "Mm... But I will be ready to help. Just in case." She beamed. "I have to check on a few things for the Titans anyway."

"Thank you, Kori," Dick sighed in relief. Kori squeezed his shoulder, and he looked over at her.

"But," she began, "I do suggest letting her... Cool off. That holds true for redheads on any planet."

Dick chuckled. "Don't they?"

- - -

Dick managed to wait until the late evening. He didn't call ahead, not wanting Alfred to alert Barbara about things. He had to do this on his own. He rode to Stately Wayne Manor on the Nightcycle... Which, to be honest, was just one of his surviving R-Cycles repainted and modified by Cyborg. He had to admit, he'd missed the feel of these babies. Once up the driveway, he dismounted with a bit of a flair.

He walked up the manor steps to the front doors, and rang the doorbell. Much to his surprise, it wasn't Alfred who opened the doors: It was an irate looking Barbara.

"What?" She seethed. Dick coughed, but stayed focused and calm.

"Hello to you too," he said. "I'm really glad you didn't die in the invasion."

Barbara glared daggers at him. "What do you want?" She demanded.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dick saw Alfred walk into the foyer, take one look at the situation... And then about face and calmly walk out.

Oh shit, Dick thought. This was bad.

"Can we talk about this? Inside?" Dick asked gently, sincerely. Barbara's grip tightened on the door, as she struggled with the urge to slam it in his face.

"... Fine," she growled. She turned and stalked off towards the study. Dick followed, gently shutting the door behind him. He followed her footsteps, through the grandfather clock entrance and down into the cave itself.

His keen attention to detail gave him a lot of information right off the bat: In the exercise area, a blonde teenaged girl was running through a complex gymnastics routine on the balance beam. It was sloppy and uncoordinated, speaking of fatigue. She dismounted, panting hard. She looked over at Barbara and Dick: The former stalking forward in a furor, and the latter looking more neutral.

"... Take me, sexy Batman," she mumbled. Barb's glare intensified.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" She demanded. The blonde girl yelped.

"Ah, nothing!" She blushed. "Er... Barbara? I was hoping to take a break-"

"You took one an hour ago and didn't get it right, Brown. So do it, again," Barbara ordered. Stephanie held up her hands.

"Not to question your training methods, sensei, but I'm pretty sure that-"

"When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!" Barbara snapped. Stephanie and Dick's eyes widened at this. Barbara immediately stalked off in the direction of the Bat Computer. Dick glanced at Stephanie: Exhausted, sweaty, and on the edge of self restraint.

Dick looked at the Bat Computer. In the chair in front of it sat a lithe, muscular Asian girl with short black hair. She was staring at the screen, tapping buttons seemingly at random. Barbara smacked her hand down on the console, and the girl turned to look at her. This must be Cass, he thought.

"What are you doing?!" Barbara demanded. "I told you to start reading these and sorting them out!"

Cass looked aside. "... I..."

"I? I what?! What is it?" Barbara demanded. "Can't you carry out a simple instruction?!"

Stephanie looked up, and the look on her face heightened the tension in the cave to the breaking point. Dick took a deep breath, comprehension dawning in him. Slowly, too slowly, he saw the look in Stephanie's eyes and the shamed expression on Cass's face.

"... Can't," Cass whispered. Barbara glared.

"Can't? Can't what?!"

"... C-Can't," Cass admitted, sounding... Scared. Barbara's anger was interrupted by confusion.

"Can't-?"

Stephanie stormed past Dick and right up to Barbara, backing the taller, older girl against the screen. Her hands were balled into angry fists.

"She. Can't. READ! YOU INSENSITIVE HARPY!" Stephanie bellowed in fury, her words echoing throughout the Cave. Barbara gaped, shock and shame entering her eyes.

"I-I didn't-!"

"No! No, you didn't!" Stephanie snarled. "I'm sorry being the police commissioner's daughter didn't clue you in!" She grabbed Cass's hand and led her off, upstairs. Dick watched them go, frozen in the moment. Like a bystander by a train wreck in progress. The grandfather clock door slammed shut behind them.

Dick slowly turned and looked back at Barbara. She was looking down at the cave floor, her shoulders shaking slightly. He slowly walked up to her, reaching out a hand.

"Babs," he began, "what the fuck is going on?"

The redhead slapped his hand away, and she sat at the Bat Computer. She turned her back to him and began typing, her angry taps filling the air. "Just-Just GO, all right! Run off! It's what you're best at!"

Dick gaped. "Excuse me?!"

"What do you think it means?! You couldn't take staying in Bruce's shadow and you ran off to your space bimbo girlfriend! So what does it matter what happens here?!" Barbara seethed. Dick took a deep breath, and calmed himself. She was lashing out, attacking... This meant things were really, really bad. He had to stay in control, because it had to be really bad if she couldn't.

For both of their sakes.

"Space bim- Jesus Christ Babs, I left because I felt like I needed to become more than just the 'boy wonder'," Dick said, slow and controlled against the fury before him. "Bruce... he did his best trying to finish raising me with Alfred's help but he doesn't know how to let go and let someone leave the nest. I found that with the Titans. And yes, Kori and I clicked and we got back together, but if I recall? Us breaking up was a mutual decision. So don't be pulling this jealousy crap on me now!"

Barbara was still furiously, but she was listening. Caught between the urge to smack him and the urge to run. He couldn't let her run. He would prefer her hit her, if it let her get this all out. He continued.

"Second? I got caught up in my own shit, Bruce was dealing with another crisis that 'only he could handle' and I was feeling hurt that he only seemed to give two shits about me in conjunction to his mission." Dick ran a hand through his hair. "Things came to a head over Bruce's methods. Words were said, punches were thrown, and I left in high dudgeon. Look, I'm sorry. I thought we'd come to grips with that?!"

"You just assumed I had!" Barbara growled. "You never asked! You never thought about me, you just thought I was an extension of him!"

"And you never tried to get in touch afterwards, so what the hell was I supposed to think!?" Dick demanded.

"Maybe if you were thinking MORE, none of this would have ever happened! It's all your fault! Now Bruce has saddled me with these new kids I was supposed to train and that's been fucked to hell because of you, too!"

"The HELL it is!" Dick shot right back. "You were doing a good job screwing that up all by yourself!"

"GET OUT!" She screamed, slamming her fists onto the keyboard as she bowed her head. "I've got work to do and you're just going to make things worse! I have to fix what YOU did!"

"Oh no, you are not blaming this shit on me!" Dick spun her back to face him... And saw the tears running down her cheeks. His anger caught in his throat at the sight. "... dammit Babs..."

"He trusted me... And... And... You come back and... And..." She shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep her tears from coming. He couldn't help himself-He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Oh God Dick... I fucked up. I fucked everything up," she sobbed. "I let my feelings... I just...!"

"That's not true, Barb! Bruce trusted you to train them-Who better?" Dick asked, rubbing her back soothingly. "You're under a lot of pressure, you'll fix this! You're the genius, remember?"

Barb's grip on his shoulders tightened, almost painfully.

"No! No I'm not! I just blew up at a girl who can't even read and I've been mocking a girl raised in the gutter for everything and I just screamed at you because I'm jealous and petty!" She kept babbling. "I-I thought... I thought you were dead! I thought Bruce was dead! Tim and I-We were going to die! I thought we were all going to die, and-and... And he just drops these girls on me, doesn't ask how I am, and you-you're back and I thought we could be together again and then...!" Barbara buried her face in his chest and sobbed, long and hard. "I just... I'm awful... I'm so awful...!"

Dick held her, letting her vent and rage and cry. He rubbed her back, soothing her with quiet whispers and soft noises. After a time, Barbara was able to calm herself, taking deep breaths. Dick offered her a hankerchief, and she blew her nose. She wiped her face, hiccuping a few times. She peered up at him with her reddened eyes, controlling her breaths.

"... God you must think I'm awful," she whispered. Dick shook his head.

"No, no I don't," he said softly. "You've always been the strong one, you know? But that doesn't mean you don't have a limit."

Barbara nodded, sniffling. She hugged him tightly, desperately.

"I'm so glad you're not dead," she whispered. "Even with everything, I'm so glad you're not dead."

Dick hugged her back, just as tightly.

"I'm so glad you're not dead too," he said softly. "And so is Bruce. He just... He sucks at showing it. But believe me, he cares. And he wouldn't trust us if he didn't think we could handle it."

"... I was trying to do things... His way," she admitted. "When you're so angry and... And hurt, it... It felt natural."

"Yeah," Dick said with a nod. He smirked. "I tried his way with the Titans, too... At first."

"... How did that go?" Barbara asked. Dick shook his head and snorted.

"Lousy. It wasn't what they needed. They needed strong, dependable leadership, but they didn't need a drill instructor. They needed someone who knew them, and worked with them rather than trying to force them into an impossible shape. I had to learn how to lead, not just emulate what I knew.

"Indeed," said Alfred, seemingly materializing out of thin air. Barbara still jumped when he did that, while Dick had gotten used to it. The butler offered them a plate of hot tea and cookies. Barbara looked at Alfred anxiously. "No one knows how to lead or teach from the beginning: We learn by doing it and finding out what works."

"Alfred, are they-?" Barbara asked, but Alfred offered her a smile.

"I caught them, gave them some cookies and milk, and talked with them. I assured Miss Cassandra and Miss Stephanie that you are not a 'harpy', and that this is as big an adjustment for you as it is for them." He reached out and squeezed one of Barbara's hands comfortingly. He kind eyes almost seemed to shine.

"And I assure you, Miss Barbara... This is not something we cannot recover from."

Barbara managed a smile, and Dick mirrored her.

"Offering ice-cream therapy as an opener would look like a bribe, wouldn't it?" She asked. Alfred nodded.

"I'm afraid so, miss. My suggestion? Let everyone involved cool off, just a bit. Then start again. I doubt it will be easy... But then, it seldom is in this profession."

He left them the tea and biscuits, and headed off back to the elevator. Barbara and Dick watched it go, before looking back at one another. Barbara took another few deep breaths.

"... I'm sorry, Dick," she said. Dick shook his head.

"I'm sorry too."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Barbara pointed out. Dick smiled and shrugged.

"Always feels better to apologize. Especially if I do something wrong in the future." He sighed and hugged her again. "But... Maybe we should bench this... Thing between us, until we get the other stuff in our lives sorted out? Just one crisis at a time?"

Barbara very slowly nodded, and sighed.

"The never ending battle, huh?" She asked softly. Dick shrugged and smiled wryly.

"It's the fine print that always gets you."

She laughed at his joke, genuinely. It was good to hear.

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Cassandra

- - -

She let Stephanie lead her from the Batcave. The blonde girl's emotions were not hard to decipher, and they never had been: She was always so open and so unguarded with Cass, and that was why Cass liked her. And right now, Stephanie was angry and furious over how Batgirl had treated her.

"That smart aleck, jumped up... Bet she just got her costume because she was the commissioner's daughter," Stephanie ground out. She still held Cass's hand tightly, and led her to the living room of the manor above. The sun was setting and the first stars were peeking out. The manor was still and quiet.

Stephanie sat with Cass on a couch, and looked at her in naked concern. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Cass frowned. She blinked away tears. Strange... She had stopped crying around her father. It always resulted in bad things. Yet here...

"I'm sorry that bitch said those things to you," Stephanie said firmly. She shook her head. "We gotta get the Sexy Batman to teach us or something because Gordon's just-!"

"Language, young lady," Alfred admonished. Stephanie jumped, letting out a squeak of fright. Cass looked at him quickly, then read his body language. He had been listening in: He didn't seem surprised to see them. He was confident though, and carrying a plate of cookies and milk. Stephanie glowered.

"I see where Batman learned that trick," she muttered. Louder, she spoke to Alfred: "I'm sorry Alfred but Gordon just-She's setting us up to fail and mocking us when we do!"

"Really? What did she say?" Alfred asked gently, setting the snacks down and rising back up, as refined and dignified as ever. Cass reached for the cookies and began eating, while Stephanie ranted.

"First she has us go through 'Joker' level on that Zogger thing, then she has me do combat and gymnastics training without any breaks for five hours, but worst of all-She made Cass do some detective crap without even bothering to ask her if she could read," she seethed. She glowered deeply, her normally bright eyes narrowed in disgust and anger. "Did her daddy ask Batman if she could become Batgirl or what?"

"Now Miss Stephanie, that is improper," Alfred scolded. "You have no idea about Miss Barbara's past or the challenges she has overcome. Any more than she knew about yours! As much as it may surprise you, Batman and his associates are not omnipotent. Nor should you expect them to be!"

Stephanie, shocked, settled into a sigh of resignation. "I'm sorry Alfred," she said. "But seriously, she's been running us ragged and treating us like dirt! What am I supposed to think?"

Alfred sighed, and rested a hand on Stephanie's shoulder. "Your outrage for your friend is understandable, even commendable," Alfred said, "but it is more likely this is all the result of a misunderstanding. Above all else, Miss, you must remember: Master Bruce is a man of action, not of words. And his associates have picked up some remarkably bad habits from him, acting without thinking of talking about it. Please, do not be the next to pick them up? I'm sure it's nothing we can't all overcome with some communication. All right?"

Stephanie, her anger mostly exhausted, nodded slowly. Alfred smiled. Cass liked when he smiled: His body language wasn't so much closed, as refined. Like he knew exactly how to shift and stand to say what he wanted with his stance, and nothing more. Save that he was tired, probably from working so hard for them all.

For people he barely knew. Cass smiled back, and there was a small twinkle in his eye. She liked that, too. It made her feel special.

"Now, you and Miss Cassandra have your cookies and milk. I will be back soon, and we'll sort this out. I promise," he said. Alfred turned and walked off to the study. He entered the Batcave, the grandfather clock door sliding open with a low hum and then closed with a soft thump. Stephanie looked over at Cass, in concern.

"Cass?"

"... Okay," Cass decided.

"Are you sure?" Stephanie asked. "You're... Crying."

Cass smiled at her. "... Could not cry. Father not... Let me," she explained. Stephanie's eyes glistened. Cass blinked. "Now you cry."

Stephanie hugged her tightly. Cass returned it. She then let Stephanie go and looked at her seriously with her hands on her shoulders.

"No cry. Teach me."

Stephanie nodded. "Okay. I left those books back home-"

"Teach me," she insisted. Stephanie nodded, and walked over to the bookshelf.

"Okay... Let's see if I can find something that wasn't written a hundred years ago and isn't worth more than my house," she murmured. Cass wasn't sure of the joke, but Steph was making one so she did at least smile.

Eventually, Stephanie returned with a green, leather bound book, a pen and papers. She opened it up to a page with a picture on it. The picture was of a blonde girl, a rabbit, a mouse, and a little man in a large hat seated at a table. Stephanie pointed at the girl, and then to a chunk of symbols on the opposing page.

"Alice," Stephanie said. "A, L, I, C, E. That's the girl's name." She reached out to draw the symbols on the paper. She then tapped each one, repeating the letters again slowly. Cass nodded, trying to commit it to memory.

"Are there any other words you can recognize from the book we read back home?" Stephanie asked. Cass scowled at the page. The lines of symbols seemed like an indecipherable mess to her. "It's okay, take your time," Stephanie said. Cass's finger lashed out, and she pointed at one small word.

"... Bi... Bird?" Cass asked. Stephanie nodded.

"Yeah! And what's that mean?"

Cass made the motion of a bird flapping its wings with her arms, and Stephanie nodded again with a smile.

"Yes, that's right!"

"Uh... Hello."

Both girls looked up. Barbara was standing there, her hands behind her back. Her body language spoke of shame and sorrow, but determination. Stephanie's eyes narrowed.

"Hello," Stephanie returned coldly. The redhead took a deep breath and sighed.

"I came up to apologize," she said. "I let my personal issues get in the way of doing my job. There is no excuse... And I'm sorry," she said. Stephanie looked over at Cass. Cass nodded: It was clear whatever pain Barbara was suffering right now was genuine.

"... Accepted, I guess," Stephanie said guardedly. Stephanie couldn't see Barbara's true feelings, so her suspicions remained. But Cass didn't fault her friend for that: No one was perfect. Cass nodded as well. Barbara let her hands fall to her sides, squeezing them nervously.

"... I see you're trying to learn how to read," she said finally. "I did work as a librarian at my college. Maybe... I can help with that? And we can work out the... Other things we all need to work on while we do it?"

Stephanie again looked to Cass. Cassandra nodded, and even gave Barbara a small smile. This immediately made Barbara relax: Less sorrow, less self recrimination. Stephanie too relaxed.

"... Teach me," Cass decided. Barbara walked over and sat down with them, Cass between her and Stephanie. Stephanie was still guarded, but she did scoot a little closer.

"I've been teaching her with Doctor Seuss books, but I don't think Bruce has any of those," Stephanie said. Barbara pulled a tablet out from in between the couch cushions, and booted it up. She smiled kindly at them both.

"Don't worry. I've got plenty on here," she said. "Alice in Wonderland is great, but we should start a bit easier, right?"

Cass frowned. She hated not being able to read. But the reassurance and confidence in Barbara meant she would listen to her. It was clear with how she handled the book that writing was very dear to her.

Just as trying to do right by them was dear to her.

"Right," Stephanie said with a nod. She smiled at Cass. "So! Which one do you want to resume?"

"... Cat in Hat," Cass decided. Barbara's smile grew.

"A girl of taste, I see," she said. Stephanie sighed.

"And here I was trying for Green Eggs and Ham," she lamented.

"Plebian," Barbara teased gently. Stephanie tensed, and for a moment Barbara was filled with fear she'd gone too far. "I mean-"

"Yeah? Better than a snob," Stephanie retorted, but without malice. The tension vanished again, and soon Barbara and Stephanie were slowly warming up to eachother with laughs and words. Cass smiled as well, and focused on trying to grasp the mystery of reading.

If it was anything like reading people, it was probably worth knowing...

- - -