Hey! First off, thanks a bunch for checking out this story. It seriously means a lot. I've been working on this one and off for a few weeks, and I figured that I'd post this one up and see what happens. I took a week off of my other story, mostly because I felt like I was losing the characters and I wasn't happy with how the new chapter was turning out. Long story short, here I am, taking a break from about seven re-writes. Haha okay. I'm rambling. Anyway, let me know what you think!

Thanks! * p.s.* sorry if the ages are off. I kinda switched around ages to fit better with the story line.

It was a frigid night in Gotham City; windows were dark and people were scarce. Rows of street lights illuminated small portions of cement across the empty streets, giving the area an all around lonely feel. It was quiet, and everything was still.

Nestled in the back corner of a shadowed alley, A tall, glass plated building sat, the very top reaching just high enough for a perfect birds eye view of numerous city blocks.

Perched on the very ledge of said building were two forms, still and hidden to anyone not specifically searching for them. A strong gust of wind swept over their bodies roughly, fabric rippling out behind their backs as it passed. What once were outlines of midnight black erupted in a short burst of bright color; Canary yellow and deep violet coloring the night before disappearing seconds later.

Moments after, one of the figures shift. The movement is quick, barely noticeable. A minute or two goes by before the action is repeated, this time more visibly. Again, another shift, slow but stealthy. Then again. And again, this time more exaggerated. The other shadow has yet to move, showing no sign of acknowledgement to any of the other's actions.

Finally, the fidgeting shape rises from their position, shuddering slightly as the cool air whips over their body.

"Jeez. We couldn't have picked a better night to patrol. I don't think any criminals are even willing to brave this weather." A soft voice breathed quietly.

"Shh. Don't wanna blow our cover, do you?" The whisper was barely heard over the roar of icy air.

The standing form, a girl, rolled her green eyes behind the lenses of a mask.

"Oh, calm down Robin. No ones out here." Her voice lowered to a grumble. "You're Just like Bats. Always so serious."

A short chuckle followed, but no movement.

The girl sighed, pushing some of her dark red hair out of her face as she walked toward the building's edge, stepping up onto the drop off and walking it like a tightrope. Her arms swayed from side to side as she held them out, keeping her balance .

"Robbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Let's go do something! No ones out here tonight, why don't we go have some fun?"

The raven haired boy turned his head slightly, one eyebrow raised before turning back to the streets.

The older teen felt her mood drop as she watched her friend, still as a statue, hidden eyes glued to the streets. Sure, she was completely thrilled to be out here with the kid again, but to spend the night in 20 degree weather just sitting was really starting to get to her.

Her hands trailed down to her utility belt, fingers wrapping around her shiny black grappling hook. The next building was so close! Maybe she could…

"Robin…I missed you, you know. A lot." The redhead murmured, her voice soft and serious, losing all enthusiasm.

The boy next to her turned away, running a gloved hand through his tousled hair. There was a long moment of complete silence as he lifted his head to observe the glowing moon.

"I know Batgirl. It's just… I have a team now! You knew from the start that I wasn't going to be around as much." Robin paused, the white lenses of his mask disappearing as he closed his eyes. "Besides," the lenses reappeared, as well as his usual smug smile. "You and Batman have things covered around here. It's pretty obvious that Gotham doesn't need me anymore."

Batgirl shook her head, scoffing at the idea. "Doesn't need you anymore? HA! The day that Gotham doesn't need Robin is the day that the Joker knits Batman a sweater, and we all know that isn't happening anytime soon."

Robin snorts, picturing the Dark Knight. "You got that right."

Both teens grew quiet. Then, a small smile broke out on Robin's face. He turned to Barbara, trying to stifle the grin, to no avail. The heroes locked covered eyes, and burst out laughing.

And just like that, all of the tense silence and seriousness of the situation evaporates like it was never there. That was the thing that Barbara liked the most about Dick. No matter how bad the situation, he always has a way of making people forget about it all. It was nice, especially in times like these.

"So…" The redhead starts, smiling coyly. "There are plenty of buildings around here…hows about we practice our ninja skills?"

Robin's face turned thoughtful before he opened his mouth to speak. Batgirl laughed before he could speak, throwing her voice into a poor imitation of his. "First sign of trouble, its back to business. I know I know."

The younger teen pursed his lips, shooting a wary glance at the streets down below before looking back at his partner, whose hands were clasped under her chin in a pleading manner. The boy sighed. "Fine."

"Yes! Awesome Robbie! This is gonna be so much fun! Where do you wanna start?"

No response.

Huh…?

"Robin?" The girl frowned, scanning the area around her in confusion. He was gone. Right when she was going to call out for the ebony haired boy once more, the faint echo of a cackle reaches her ears.

He didn't…

"Robin! You cheater!" She calls, Jade eyes barley catching the edge of his cape as he swings around a corner. Unhooking her grappling hook with a large grin, she follows after.

This was the Robin she missed.

XxXx

Walls of grimy brick and murky glass mixed into a faded blur as Barbara flew past buildings, the night's cool air making her shiver. It also made her smile widen. The girl's dark hair was blown out of her face as she maneuvered turns, the bright glow of the crescent moon guiding her way through the alleys.

Barbara had lived in Gotham for most of her life, a born and raised Gothamite, but, when she was soaring through darkness in empty midnights, this was honestly the only time she had thought of the city as her home. When the cars stopped driving and the people went away, the redhead felt a certain wave of calmness sweep over her that she just couldn't explain. It was the one of the best parts of being Batgirl, in her eyes.

The girl tucked her legs in, swerving around an edge at an alarming rate. Her adrenaline rose, causing her lips to tug into a breathtaking grin. It was crazy how different it all was; being a super hero.

'Being a hero comes with sacrifice. You're going to get hurt, and it's going to be hard. Any fight that you involve yourself in could be your last. There are people at there that you don't want to meet. They don't have hearts, and no matter how much you beg for them to spare you or to let you go, or to have mercy, they won't. I can promise you that.'

Batman had been right, of course. She remembered her first night on the job, her first real fight.

Robin turned toward her, an animated grin plastered on his face. "Babs! This is gonna be awesome! We're gonna kick some serious ass out her!"

Robin had been right too. In one way or another.

Her first battle scar had come shortly after, as well as a two day stay in the hospital, courtesy of Poison Ivy.

"And who are you? A girl bat? My my…" The woman's grin turned wicked, her fingers twirling through the air, twisting a tangle of vines up Barbara's torso. The ropes tightened painfully around her rib cage. She could feel the layers of thorns tearing through the Kevlar under her uniform.

Poison Ivy advanced, circling her prey with hungry eyes. She paused suddenly, clicking her tongue as she reached forward to grab a chunk of the girl's hair.

'I must say, I love your hair…such a waste. "She shook her head, giving the fiery red lock a tug for good measure.

"It's a shame you know..." the vines pulled tighter. "You're strong. You put up quite a fight." She laughed, twisting two of her fingers in the air.. "And my babies seem to have taken a likening to you." Ivy sighed, pulling her hand into a fist. Barbara couldn't breathe.

"We could've been great friends, you and I..." Her vision turned splotchy. A choked sound escaped her throat as her lungs heaved with effort.

The older women turned, eyes glittering as she admired her previous victim, the boy wonder, who was strapped to the wall, thick weeds wrapped around his ankles and wrists. He struggled uselessly.

"Oh well. Once a bat, always a bat." With one final grin, Ivy balled her fist, knuckles white with force.

Blackness had followed immediately.

The green eyed girl had taken a lot from the experience. She had trained daily, working harder than she ever had in her life.

Then came her next fight.

'Robin! We can't fight them both alone! C'mon! Let's go get Batman." She had pleaded, tugging the raven haired boy's arm uselessly.

Her partner turned with a smirk, eye lenses pulling down in a dangerous glare.

"We can do this."

They couldn't of course.

"Babs… I'm sorry. Clayface just… I didn't see him until-"

"Dick. It's okay."

Her statement held partial truth.

Batgirl glanced up, leaning back to take in the blanket of stars over head. The wind whistled past her ears.

Four years of crime fighting had taught her quite a few important lessons. She had faced many trials and errors, and had learned something from each villain she stood against.

The power of fear.

The effect of a word game against the brain.

The benefits of a cold personality.

The problem with standing in someone's shadow.

Insanity at its worst.

She had taken it all in, and built her persona to match.

The girl breathed out a soft smile. Her look on crime fighting had always been more like Batman's. Robin, on the other hand, had a whole other approach. One she still didn't quite understand. He was a mysterious kid, hard to read. There were a lot of things she wouldn't understand about him. His thought process being one of them.

"Hey Babs?" the boy called, shifting his head towards his friend. His blue eyes held a look that couldn't be determined at the moment.

"What's up?" she called back, quirking an eyebrow.

"Do you think it's always gonna be like this? Just the three of us, fighting crime?"

Gordan studied the acrobat's face. His expression was hopeful, filled with promise.

"I hope so."

Dick smiled, laying his head back down in the waxy grass. "Me too."

That was last summer. Both teens had been on a victory streak, and things in Gotham had been calm, so Batman had given them the weekend off. Barbara didn't realize how much she had taken the boy wonder's company for grated.

'C'mon Babs! I want you to meet my new team! I'm sure you'll love them!'

Robin had started working with a group of super hero teens a couple months after their break, taking missions farther away from the crime riddled city. She had been happy for him.

'Batman? Are you sure Robin can't come to stake out tonight?'

'Robin is on a mission with the team. He won't be back tonight.' The gruff voice replied.

And that's the way it was. For months. Gotham's trio was down one member. It just wasn't the same anymore.

'Sorry Babs. Wally, Roy and I are taking a mission down in Star. I'll be back soon though, I promise.'

'Sorry. Can't tonight. Emergency at the mountain. I'll make it up. Promise.'

'Sorry. Maybe next time? We will go, I promise.'

'Sorry! Captain cold's starting trouble down in central city. Called for back up, gotta go! Be back soon I promise!'

Same thing, night after night. He's doing his job, she had told herself.

Barbara watched her friend race through the cave, grabbing various weapons and stuffing them in several belt pockets. "Robbie? I though we were going to patrol tonight?" her tone held the sadness she had been trying to cover.

He paused, turning with an apologetic smile.

'Sor-'

She sighed, eyes lowering. 'I know. It's okay.'

He took in a long breath, looking down at his boots.

'I really am sorry, Barbara. I'll make it up to you. I-'

'Promise.' She finished, turning away as the teen mounted his motorcycle, shooting her sad glances the whole way.

One thing she did know about Robin though, was that he kept his promises. That's why he was here tonight.

She ended up at the city's docks, hoping that the boy wonder had ended up here. Her jade eyes traced the perimeter as she rehooked her grappling hook to her utility belt.

Hmm.

The wood beneath her feet was cracked and warped, withered with nails and hooks and who knows what else. Stacks of crated lined the sides of countless warehouses, making it easy for Batgirl to keep to the shadows.

"Robin?" she whispered, voice unsure. "Rob-MMRPH!" a gloved hand cut her off, grip firm over her mouth. She turned quickly, ready to fight, but was relieved to she that it was Dick. He held a finger to his lips, then motioned to the warehouse labeled "24"

Barbara follows his stare. A group of rough looking men were walking out of the shack, obviously arguing about something. One man, the leader, she guessed, held some sort of case with a dingy looking blanket draped over the top. As they walked closer, she was able to pick up some of their conversation.

"Come on boss! Nobodies gonna find out!"

"Listen you idiot! I told you specifically to CHECK. FOR. CAMERAS.! Is that to much to ask? Is it? ANSWER ME YOU DUMBASS!

Robin tensed.

"uh-n-no. I guess I sh-shoulda gave the p-place a b-etta look do-down."

Then came the laughing. A deranged, creepy laugh that held anything but amusement.

Batgirl shuddered.

A gun cocked.

"hmm..i guess you should've."

Bang!

Barbara's eyes widened. She shot a wary glance at the boy wonder, who had his hands wrapped around a sharp bird a rang.

Someone cleared their throat. "Clean this up and dump the body. I gotta get this to the code." A pause. "Learn a lesson from this guy. Don't let his death be in vain."

The laughing started up again, ringing out over the sound of heavy boots thudding across the dock. A timid voice spoke up suddenly, cutting off the sound.

"um.. boss? I don't think we shou-"

Tense silence filled the air, putting both heroes on edge. They shared a look. Neither one knew what to do. Should they get involved?

Seconds passed before the gun cocked once more.

Yes. Yes they should.

The man's voice filled the air once more, filled with acid.

"You. Don't. what?"

Robin sprang into action.

The raven haired boy dashes around the corner, flinging his weapon at the man with the gun the second he sees him. The bladed bird spins rapidly, edges glinting in the moon light. The boy takes of running, climbing stacks of crates to take the group on from above. The bird a rang sticks it's target, wedging itself painfully into the man's outstretched wrist. Said man howled, shocked by the sudden pain, and drops his gun.

That's when Barbara takes action. She runs towards the group, flinging tiny smoke bombs towards the shady looking bunch. They go off, plumes of grey surrounding the men and sending them into coughing fits. Robin jumps down from the crates, landing his elbow into the closest man's back. Batgirl grabs the first guy she sees, pulling him sharply to the ground. He yelled, kicking his legs back in an attempt to break free as she twists his arms back. One of his boots smack against the redhead's shin, sending her backwards before she can catch herself. The man, a blonde with a mean scowl, reaches toward his belt. Great. She thinks bitterly, watching his hand clasp around a black handle. They all have guns. Batgirl spins on the man, sending her foot into his arm before he can grab his weapon. He falls back, giving Barbara just enough time to pull out her staff. She expands it quickly, sending it into the man's forearm. He grunts, running forward to grab her. She parries his attack, turning quickly to find Robin. He's fighting the main guy, keeping him away from his gun, it seems. The strange case that he was carrying before is gone, as well as the rest of his group.

I need to get rid of this guy so I can help Robin. She thinks, jabbing her elbow into Blondie's chest. The teen twirls her staff quickly, flipping backwards and landing a blow into his shoulder. He falls with a groan.

Perfect.

Her metal plates shoes click across the ground as she runs, her staff spiraling as it twirls at her side. Robin kicks his guy backwards, in Barbara's direction. He stumbles, arms flying out to catch himself. The girl lunges forward, shoving her weapon under his legs and pulling him to the ground. He lands with a heavy thump, but jumps to his feet in a fast recovery. Robin cackles, flipping himself over the leader's shoulders to stand next to Batgirl. They share a smile.

Batman stands before the young teens, mouth pressed in a grim line. He clears his throat, dark eyes studying the heroes' faces.

'When you are in combat, you need to remember a few rules.'

'Work together. You're a team.'

Batgirl grabs the guy's arm, pulling it behind his back before he can punch Robin. The acrobat flips backward, pulling another bird a rang out of his belt. The man struggles.

'Don't get cocky. Anything can happen.'

The bird a rang flies, catching the man's sleeve and sticking to the wall of the warehouse. Barbara grins, doing the same, pausing only to high five her teammate. Soon, the man is completely fastened to the wall. He tugs his arms, grunting in annoyance. Robin steps forward with a smirk.

"Now, who exactly are you working for?"

The leader sneers, navy blue eyes pulled down in a glare. "Get outta my face, kid. I ain't sayin' a thing."

The ebony haired boy nods, shooting an amused look at Batgirl.

"I think you'll change your mind after Batman gets here." He states, clicking a button on his belt. It flashes red.

The teen looks back up, expecting the man to be shaking with fear, like most criminals do at the mention of Batman, but, oddly enough…

He's smiling.

Batgirl scrunches her eyebrows. She notices his eyes are focused on a point behind her.

'Last rule, the most important. Never turn your back on a criminal.'

Robin turns, confused. He squints, and then widens his eyes in shock.

"Batgirl mov-!"

' Ever.'

Bang!

XxXx

- Arrow.