Author's note.
This part of a larger story I am writing that is not based out of any current DC universe. This one is starts eight years before and ends 1½ years before Clark Kent went to Metropolis and became Superman. Wonder Woman participated in WWII working for the War Department. At the end of World War II Wonder Woman went back home, becoming tall tales like Paul Bunyon.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
8 Years Ago
Bruce and Alfred were in Japan, where Bruce was learning various martial arts and earning his Bachelor's degree. When he arrived in his room, he found a note on his bed. "Please meet me at the usual place. (Signed) T". He thought he had terminated his association with the League of Assassins. He wondered what Talia wanted. When he arrived, Talia got right to business.
"Beloved, I have a huge favor to ask of you."
"The answer is no."
"You haven't even heard the request, yet. Would it help if I told you that an innocent life was in jeopardy?"
"What is it? I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow." She motioned for someone to enter. Lady Shiva entered holding a slightly timid little girl's hand.
"Meet Cassandra Cain. Her father started abusing her when he found out that the child was not his. She has been training with both of them since she could walk. For an eight year old, she is dangerous. We can't just leave her with anyone. Who knows what she would do. Would you consent to being her guardian? It is only a matter of time before he does something severe to her." Talia replied.
"Lady Shiva, do you know who the father is?"
"No, the person looked like my husband, but right before he exited my chambers, he changed into an old man. DNA later confirmed that she is not his."
"Cassandra, do you want to come with me?" She shook her head at first. Then, without looking at her mother, she reluctantly nodded her head in affirmation. "Then let's get you home. Is there anything else I need to know about Cassandra here?"
"Yes, she was never taught to speak. She seems to only understand body language, but as you can see, I am not that sure of that."
5 Years Ago.
As they depart the plane ramp to their awaited limousine, Bruce says to Alfred, "Alfred, when we get to Gotham, we will need to set Cassandra up with a school."
"The Princeton Academy of Gotham has the best reputation of all of the private schools within Gotham."
As they both look at the stairway railing in Cassandra's hand that had just detached from the stairs, Bruce adds, "Maybe we should look into getting a tutor instead." Cassandra looks up at Bruce and Alfred with an apologetic look.
Later in the day, Bruce is sitting in his CEO office when Lucius comes in. "Mr. Fox, it is good to see you. How has Wayne Enterprise been treating you?"
"Well, Mr. Wayne. I trust the rest of your education has gone well?"
"Yes, it has. I would like to transition into the CEO position as we have discussed prior to our arrival back. Also, I would like to discuss some technologies that I would to see explored. Some of these will also be for personal use. I have some hobbies that I have picked up on my travels, like cave diving. Make sure these come in black."
3.5 Years Ago.
In the Batcave, Robin is freaking out at Batgirl. "Bane has kidnapped Batman. What are we going to do?" Before Batgirl could respond, they hear a noise coming from the costume area. They bolt over there to find Cassandra putting the mask on her Batgirl costume.
"Oh no. Batman would kill us if we allowed you to take on Bane. You have no training. You won't survive." Batgirl replied.
The voice of Alfred resonated across the cave. "She has been trained by the League of Assassins until she was 8 and by Bruce ever since."
Robin asks, "How would she make a difference? He was good enough to capture Batman!"
"Cassandra, would you be a dear and show them?"
Cassandra walked over to the Batmobile and lifted it up and balanced it on her left hand. "You . . . get . . . Batman. I . . . will . . . handle . . . . Bane." Said Cassandra in her halting English. "Black Bat." Cassandra said pointing to herself.
They arrived at the secret underground location. Gaining entrance through the ventilation ducts, they sneaked around until they found the command hub. Knocking all of the personnel out Batgirl took up position at the main monitors. "I will set up the virus in the mainframe. Robin, get into position to get Batman. Black Bat get ready to go knocking on the door. All but Bane has been taken out. I am guessing the security protocols on Batman's mask did that. I will coordinate here and make sure the cameras don't record us. Go." At Batgirl's signal, Black Bat punched the door knocking Bane through a couple of walls. Batgirl joins them in the room. After killing the lights, Robin activates a device on Batman's belt, and they all dissolve into the shadows. Stepping out of the shadows of the Batcave, the trio bring Batman to Medical area to Alfred's care.
Elsewhere, Nigel puts the phone down and says, "It seems Bane has failed to get anything from Batman before his protégés found him and helped him to escape."
"No worries Nigel. We will proceed with our plans to expand into Gotham."
1½ Years Ago.
Alfred presents a package to Cassandra. "This has just arrived on the UPS truck. Were you expecting a package?"
"No, Alfred. This must be from Zatanna. The card says 'Happy Birthday' and is just signed Z." She opens the box to find two black bracers and a thin black rope. "Why would she send me these?" She sets the box on her bed and proceeded down to the Bat Cave for some pre-patrol training.
A few hours later, Batman and Black Bat were on patrol when Oracle called out on their radios. "There is a disturbance on Lincoln Ave between Windsor and Hope. Three officers down and a fourth wounded and calling in back up. That is odd. She is claiming the bullets just bounced off of the female perp's chest. Must be dealing with a new meta. The perp just through a police vehicle three blocks away. Suspect is a tall, slender white female dressed in all black with black hair. Sounds goth."
When the two Bats arrived on the scene, Batman stayed on the ground level, hiding in the shadows, and Black Bat took to the roof tops. Batman threw a gas grenade at the suspect. As it went off, the woman turned to Batman and blew the gas his way. Already wearing his gas mask, Batman dodged to the side barely avoided being flattened the city bus she just threw at him. She looked past where he was crouching. Two beams of red light shot out of her eyes igniting the tank on the car behind him. The resulting explosion shot Batman into her waiting arms. Grabbing him by his throat and raising him up above her head, she said, "How pathetic. Are you the best this world has to offer? General Zod will be disappointed that this world doesn't offer a true challenge. Goodbye, Batman." As she said this last part, she started squeezing his neck, causing his eyes to bulge out of their sockets.
Before any permanent damage was done, she was launched into the nearest building, creating a huge hole in that wall in the process. When she emerged, she couldn't see what hit her, nor could she see Batman anymore. "Come out. Come out where ever you are. You can't hide from me. I can see through walls. I can hear a flea sneeze." Suddenly, she found her feet yanked out from under her, and her head smashed into the ground. She whirled around trying to grasp whoever was attacking her but only grabbing air. Launching herself into the air, she immediately tore through the semi being dropped on her. Spying a flicker of movement, she immediately flew up and over the building trying to spot what was moving with her x-ray vision. Quickly and quietly, she dropped down behind Black Bat and froze her in place with her freeze breath.
"You led me on a merry chase, but as you can see, you are only human." Suddenly, the ice cracked as a device in Black Bat's utility belt thawed her out, and Black Bat punched her antagonist through the adjacent building. Black Bat cries out in pain as twin beams of light lanced out grazing her arm. It was just the opening needed for her to be plowed into a building across the street. Bringing her feet up, Black Bat kicked her assailant off of her and into the air. Reflexively, she brought her arms up to her face, reflecting the twin beams into the air to her right. Looking to where her wrist should be been injured, she noticed she was wearing her new bracers. Distracted, she failed to notice her opponent until they were already off the ground heading into the upper atmosphere.
"Who are you?" Black Bat quickly asked trying to distract her.
"Ursa, second in command to General Zod the future ruler of this pitiful planet."
At that, Black Bat wrapped her arms around Ursa and head-butted her. Three impacts later Ursa drops Black Bat. Ursa shouted to her disappearing foe. "You could have been a worthy ally. Now you will only be a dark smear on the pavement."
Suddenly the dark speck changed directions, and with the speed of Hermes, Black Bat punched Ursa out of the atmosphere.
"I didn't know I could fly." Black Bat thought to herself as she prepared for Ursa's retaliatory strike. Reflexively, she brought up her arms and started deflecting a barrage of heat vision from Ursa. After a couple of deflections, Black Bat realized that she could aim them and started reflecting them back at Ursa. The beams stopped coming, but were replaced with Ursa's fists of fury. Blows were exchanged. Finally, Black Bat delivered a two fisted hammer strike down on Ursa pile driving her six feet into the pavement below. Black Bat started looking for something in her belt that might restrain Bane when she pulled out her new black rope. I was already tied like a lariat. She reflected a few more laser beam from Ursa and started twirling the lasso. As Ursa approached a lightning bolt arced out of the lasso and hit Ursa head on. This time Ursa didn't try to rise. She only lied there twitching. Batman and Zatanna came out of the shadows.
Batman looked at a device in his hand. "Well, she came from this dimension, but there are particles on her that definitely came from a different dimension."
Black Bat replied, "Well, she could have broken out of an extra dimensional prison."
"Allow me to send her back, then." Zatanna replied.
"That probably would be the safest." Batman said as he watched Zatanna send Ursa into another dimension.
"Hey, Z. I wanted to thank you for my birthday present. It came in handy for this fight."
"You're welcome, but I didn't send it to you, yet." Zatanna answered puzzled.
Black Bat showed Zatanna her the bracers and lasso to Zatanna and Batman. Both of which decided they needed to look into where they came from.
Author's note: For those like me that have not read the comics, I have merged Cassandra Cain AKA Black Bat with Cassandra Sandmark AKA Wonder Girl. Please let me know what you think.