A hand grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. It was small, too small to belong to any of the armed men, and vaguely familiar. She grasped at the fingers, trying to get whoever it was to let her go, when she felt hot breath on her ear.
"Don't struggle!" Robin's voice snapped. The smoke cleared enough for her to see his face, eyes obscured by the black domino, as always, a grim set to his mouth. His other hand was clasped around a line as they swung around the expansive room. He let go and they landed with a soft thud behind a large black antique chest. He held her tight against him, as if though afraid she'd scream or try to run. Instead, Cassie's eyes were wide and accusing. As soon as the Boy Wonder released her, she took a defensive stance, momentarily missing the feel of his hand on the small of her back. She shook her head, deciding to think that one over some other time.
"What are you doing here?" Cassie hissed, hands balling up into angry fists at her sides.
"This is Batman's city, remember?" Robin stated. His eyes wandered every few moments away from the blonde's face to scan for the intruders. "And, boy, are you lucky he's out of town. He'd give Wonder Woman hell for you being here."
"Humph," the girl huffed, crossing her arms on her chest, "I came on a school trip to a museum. I don't control where we go on field trips, Robin. Besides, how was I supposed to know these thugs, robbers, or whatever, would rob this place today?"
The corners of the boy's lips turned up in a small smirk. "It's Gotham. Thugs, robbers, or whatever, rob anyplace every day."
Cassie huffed indignantly in response.
"Robin!" Nightwing's frantic voice yelled out, several yards away, "Behind you!"
The thirteen year old ducked out of the way just in time before one of the Masked Goons, as Cassie had decided to dub them until Robin gave her a proper name to call them, fired a gun straight at his head. A momentary glimpse of terror crossed the young crime fighter's face as he looked up to see the bullet heading for the girl.
Cassie crossed her wrists in front of her face, the jacket sleeves slipping down her forearms to reveal silver bracers, shielding it from the bullet's impact. Instead, metal thudded harmlessly against metal and the small object fell to the floor at the girl's feet. Her bright blue eyes filled up with rage immediately, all thoughts of the Bat-family's intrusion on the trip she had so been looking forward to forgotten. That creep had just taken a shot at Robin. He had just aimed a gun and pulled the trigger on her teammate and future leader. That was a crime that could not go unpunished. His eyes widened in fear as he regarded the lack of damage the bullet had caused her. The shocked and slightly relieved look on her teammate's face was yet another thing she'd leave to analyze later... If ever.
"Listen, you creep," she hissed, "You do not shoot at kids. And you definitely don't shoot at Robins." With that said, she flew over, fists at the ready to punch the living daylights out of the criminal. He took the blow to the stomach, doubling over at the pain. She'd cracked a rib. Good. Maybe that'd teach him. Grabbing the man by the arm, the young superhero sent him careening towards a pillar. His back connected with solid brick, and he slumped against the pillar, where a waiting Nightwing was ready with Batcuffs.
"Is that all of them?" Wonder Girl asked, looking around at three more cuffed men strewn randomly about the Egyptian artifact-filled room. One was slumped by a sarcophagus, the other two were on their stomachs, and all three were knocked out cold.
"Yes," Nightwing assured her, "Look's like Robin's got the last one." He appeared to be looking somewhere over her shoulder, so Cassie turned to look as well, just in time to see her teammate push the last robber to the floor, front-first, and pin him there, hands cuffed on his back. The man gave an angry groan and a threatening curse. Robin grabbed the sides of his head and forced it against the ground with enough force to knock him out, but not hard enough to cause any permanent damage.
"Nice job, you two," Nightwing grinned, "The cops will be here any minute. Although, Cassie, you might wanna try using a little less force next time. The broken rib was unnecessary."
"Unnecessary?" the young girl repeated incredulously, "He shot at Robin!"
"Occupational hazard," the boy told her, startling her at the close proximity, as well as the smile on his face.
"Well, then for your sake, I hope that suit is bulletproof," Cassie snapped, back in defensive mode.
"Be that as it may," Nightwing smirked, "I need to go get some things taken care of with the officials. Think you can figure out a way to sneak her back to her classmates, little brother?" Robin returned the smirk.
"Did that while you were taking care of the first one." He motioned towards one of the black-clad men in ski masks who gave a soft groan.
"Good," the team's leader stated and walked over to the man Cassie had injured so direly. In an impressive show of strength, he heaved the gun-wielding idiot over one shoulder and turned to the exit of the room. After a few steps, though, he stopped, and, without turning around, addressed Wonder Girl. "And, Cassie, if I ever catch you in Gotham again without our permission, there will be consequences. Have a nice time here. You two have about five minutes." His footsteps echoed down the hall even after he was long gone. Cassie gave yet another exasperated huff.
"What is it with you Bats and this city?" she snapped, "It's, like, if you can't protect it, nobody can."
"That is true, actually," Robin smirked and held out his arms. "Come on. Your teacher will get suspicious if you don't show up for roll call." Cassie looked at his waiting arms, facing upwards, as if though waiting for her to place something large and heavy in them. It took Cassie a moment to understand the invitation. When she did, though, everything Diana and Hyppolyta had taught her about Amazonian pride, as well as her own stubbornness, welled up inside, bubbling forth in an angry rush of defiance.
"Nuh uh," she shook her head vehemently. "You are not carrying me outside with all my classmates watching!" Alright, there was a little embarrassment caught in that mix too, but it was mostly her lessons about never succumbing to the whims of men, no matter how seemingly sensible. But Robin was hardly ever insensible. This was one of those rare times… In her opinion, anyway.
"Cassie," Robin sighed, resisting the urge to rub his temples and alleviate the headache this girl was causing him. "Please. It has to look believable."
"I don't care if they figure out Batman's true identity when I go out there!" she snapped, cheeks burning a bright red. Although, she would admit, that was taking it a little too far, if the look on the boy's face was anything to judge by.
Tim's jaw tightened. He didn't want to do it, he really didn't, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Batman's identity at this point seemed to be pretty safe, considering he was off-world and Bruce Wayne was supposedly visiting his old friend, Oliver Queen and living it up in Star City. No one could prove anything as long as Queen kept his mouth shut. However, the identity of Wonder Girl would certainly be at risk if they didn't get out of there at that very moment. The 13-year-old gave another sigh. Dick was either going to kill him, or laugh his ass off for this later. Knowing his brother, though, it would probably be the latter.
"Sorry about this, Cass," he muttered and swept her into his arms for the second time that day, flush against his chest. Cassie gave a yelp of surprise.
"What in the name of Hera are you doing?" she practically screeched, arms wrapping around his neck involuntarily. The young super heroine had to remind herself not to use super-strength on her friend to break free. He was only human, after all. The bullet, if he hadn't dodged it, would have proven just how true that was… She shuddered. Her hold tightened. He looked down at her with concern.
"I said I was sorry," he repeated in a gentle tone of voice, "I know this goes against what the Amazons have taught you, as well as pretending to be a klutz and humiliating yourself in front of your friends…"
Cassie had to fight the urge to scoff as the two of them made their way to the exit and down the hall to the elevator, tuning out Robin who was babbling a bunch of nonsense about how they had to make sacrifices in this line of work. As far as her classmates were concerned, she was a total klutz, and she had only one real friend in the entire class, her best friend since forever ago, Cissie. She couldn't count all the times she'd been embarrassed in the locker rooms, made fun of for actually paying attention in class, or not wearing the newest fashion designs. Come to think of it, she wasn't really giving up much of her dignity with this little identity-preservation stunt. And, as much as she hated to admit it, being in Robin's arms felt… nice. It felt warm and safe. He was safe. Safe from guns and the goons who held them… She shivered again.
"Cassie?" his soft voice saying her name interrupted her thoughts. Wonder Girl looked up to meet her companion's eyes – or rather, the white lenses of his mask. She felt very small, even though, in reality, he was only an inch or two taller than her and nowhere near as strong.
"How can anyone do that?" she asked in a voice that perfectly matched her feelings, "How can anyone just… pull a trigger… take a life… and let that be the end of it?"
"He didn't take a life," Robin told her softly, soothingly, like a parent to a frightened child, "Not mine… or yours."
There was a familiar look on his face she knew she'd seen somewhere before, but just couldn't place. It was there for only a second before he covered it up with his usual passive mask. She didn't let it faze her. "That wasn't what I asked."
Robin's eyes widened behind his mask. Cassie wasn't demanding. She asked questions and pestered you until you gave her an indirect answer she was happy with. She wasn't direct, or at least, hadn't been before. Looking into those liquid pools of blue, though, he realized. Wonder Woman deflected bullets all the time, saving herself, innocents, and her fellow heroes. Cassie, however, had only had to worry about ones that were aimed for her or at innocent strangers, in training sessions on Themyscara, or missions that Nightwing made sure were simple enough for her to handle. Seeing that idiot shoot at him today had been traumatic for her. It was different when it was aimed for someone you actually knew, even worse when that person was actually hit. He knew the feeling.
Tim looked down at the girl in his arms. She looked so innocent and, well, cute, for lack of a better word. She had a frown on her face that he knew had resembled his own when he'd first found out about Bruce Wayne and how his parents and son had been killed. Jason Todd. Tim felt his face contort into a grimace at the name.
He had thought it was unfair, that people thought they could just take lives for some petty reasons, like mugging the morons who were stupid enough to be out late on a school night. It made him sick whenever he heard a gunshot aimed for him, Bruce, or his brother. The people that used guns were cowards with weapons that made them feel powerful, and that made them dangerous. He knew this, had known this for a long time, and he also knew that the same thoughts that had been running through his head five years ago, when he'd discovered Batman's secret identity were now running through the head of the beautiful innocent-looking blonde in his arms. Without even thinking, he leaned down and pressed a pair of soft lips to her forehead.
The second he pulled away, though, he saw a shocked expression on her face. She hadn't seen that coming. Suddenly, she was very aware of just how hot the hallway had become, or maybe that was just the heat radiating from Robin's body. She could feel her heartbeat grow unsteady, looking up into the white lenses that covered his eyes. Vaguely, Cassie wondered what color they were. They'd stopped at the elevator, and he was perfectly still, awaiting her reaction, his hold still tight, in case she tried to make a run for it. Cassie had completely forgotten what it was they were discussing…
"I don't know," he answered her question from before, his voice a broken whisper. For some reason, her hand snaked up to play with the hair at the base of his neck. Wonder Girl had no clue where this sudden boldness was coming from, but it felt good, especially when she saw the Boy Wonder's jaw tense in response to her actions.
"It's alright, Rob," the girl whispered, her voice so soft and gentle, like there was a deeper meaning to the words, but it still sounded so loud in the empty corridor. All the people had run off when the criminals burst in. Gun-wielding psychos with ski masks tended to have that effect on people. "You don't have to know everything."
He looked down into her azure eyes, so full of innocence, but there was pain there, too. Pain for the people she'd lost, pain for her mother and how hard she had to work, pain at how her father had abandoned her when she was just a baby, pain for her mentor and what she might be undergoing at that very moment. It was pain no one knew the girl ever had, that she always covered up with a smile as well as he covered his emotions with that emotionless mask he secretly hated. Who knew he and Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl, had so much in common? His eyes traced over the soft contours of her face and came to rest on her lips. Slowly, steadily, and almost subconsciously, he lifted her up as much as he could. Their lips met in a searing kiss, her arms tightening into a near chokehold on his neck, his nearly crushing her to his chest. Thank the Gods for her strength.
His kiss was steady, insistent, but guarded, just like everything else Robin did. He could never just let go, be the boy behind the mask, especially while still wearing it. She was the opposite. Where he retreated, she chased him back, when he pushed, she pulled. Wild, untamed, just like her. Tim found he would never have enough of this, even if it lasted an eternity.
But all things have to come to an end eventually. They pulled away from each other, breathing heavy, hearts pounding. Robin let Cassie stand on her own, setting her on the ground. As soon as he did, he took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. The Boy Wonder was shocked at himself. Everything he did was calculated, planned. He and Dick had known Wonder Girl was in the city, in this exact museum, and decided to help her out in taking out the bad guys. As well as to remind her that no one was allowed in Gotham City without the permission of the Bat-clan. They'd waited until the crooks had burst in, thrown a smoke grenade through the window, and decided that Dick would get the class out of the Egyptian Wing and into safety, while Tim found Wonder Girl and took out the five well-armed guns. All had gone according to plan – he'd taken out one already, before he got to her, Nightwing took out two more, Cassie took care of the fourth, and he handled the fifth. This though, what had just taken place, was unprecedented. And Tim found, to his surprise, that he liked the spontaneity of it all.
"Rob?" Cassie managed to get out. She was still panting for air, a fact Tim took a small amount of pride in. He had just kissed Wonder Girl, one of the strongest members of the team, breathless.
"Yeah?" he gasped back. Damn. It looked like she was having an even more intense effect on him.
"Do we have to go back?" she almost whined. She could hardly believe she was saying this, but her human side was quickly winning out over her Amazonian one. She knew her face was probably flushed, and there was absolutely no way she could muster up the ability to act like a scared little girl after that kiss. "I mean, can't you just say that you took me straight to the hospital, or something?"
The elevator doors chose that exact moment to open. Cassie had no idea when he'd had time to press the button, but here it was. She sighed as the emotionless mask slid back onto his face again and followed him in. Apparently, they were acting like this whole thing never happened. Alright, she could deal with that… Oh, who was she kidding? There was no way she could deal with that!
But she could stay quiet, at least for now...
Robin took out his communicator and switched it on. "Robin to Nightwing."
"Is everything alright, Robin?" Nightwing's falsely concerned voice sounded in the small space of the elevator. "The teacher of the class, Mrs. Ford says they have one missing. Did you find her?"
"Yeah, I found her," Robin looked up and caught Cassie's eyes, holding her gaze. She wanted to look away, she really did, but found that the most she could do was anxiously gnaw at her lower lip. "She's pretty shook up, though. I think I'll take her straight home, if you don't mind."
"I- Are you-? With what?" Nightwing finally managed to get out. This wasn't part of the plan, and Dick, who knew his brother like the back of his own hand, was shocked that the do-gooder Robin was deviating from it. Cassie's eyes were wide with curiosity. "Sorry, little brother, but it's not like you can take the bus."
"I was thinking I'd take your bike." There was a mischievous smile adorning the younger brother's face as he said the words.
"You don't have the keys," Cassie could just hear Nightwing's teeth grinding in irritation as she tried to hold in her giggling. Her eyes drifted over to the small panel on the wall, which housed all the buttons for every floor of the building. Sure enough, the one for the garage level was pressed.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do."
The sound of shuffling material against material, and Nightwing let out a frustrated curse. Cassie guessed he had been looking in whatever secret compartment he kept the keys, and found them misplaced. Instead, they now dangled from Robin's fingertips. "Dammit, Rob," he growled. Tim merely chuckled.
"I'll see you tonight, big brother." Robin looked up to see Cassie no longer looking sad, disappointed, or any other negative, un-Wonder Girl-like emotion. She was back to her usual bubbly, excited self, teeth digging into her lower lip with the effort it took not to burst out laughing. He sighed and gestured for her to get on with it, afraid she might draw blood. Abruptly, the small space was filled with Wonder Girl's shrill laughter, which subsided only once the elevator doors opened to a badly-lit parking lot filled with a few cars and one shiny black and blue motorcycle that just screamed 'Nightwing'.
"So, where are we going?" she chirped as he stalked over to his brother's ride, her literally skipping after him. It was funny how one moment she could be so upset over one of her friends almost being killed in a fight, and the next so happy he worried she'd bounce right through the ceiling. He handed her a helmet and mounted the bike.
"That depends," he said, turning the key. She sat down behind him a little shyly. This was Nightwing's bike, after all. When she seemed worried about where to put her hands, he gently placed his gloved ones over hers and guided them around his waist, not wanting to startle her with something sudden. "Do you have anything against Bludhaven?"
She smiled contentedly and relaxed. This had turned into one hell of a school trip. Gotham had more than its fair share of nuts, she knew that, but just how dangerous those nuts really were, she had no idea. Then again, if someone so incredibly human, like Robin, Nightwing, and Batman could live in such a dreadful city like this, surely she, a meta with incredible powers, had nothing to fear. The gunshot rang throughout the girl's mind again and she repressed another shudder. That was something she'd just have to get used to, and, honestly, the fact that she was pressed against Robin, who was one hell of a kisser, at the moment, was drowning out the not so distant memory pretty well. Suddenly, though, something incredibly important dawned on her. "Robin, do you even know how to drive this thing?" They were only thirteen after all. It's not like he had a license.
"Nightwing taught me," he assured her and revved the engine, "You know, just in case." The bike sped forward at a fast pace and out of the parking lot. They passed by her classmates, the police officers, who were now loading the criminals into the truck, and a very pissed off-looking Nightwing, although, Cassie could have sworn she saw him smiling as they sped by.
The envious glares from the girls of her class brought a smile to her face and her hold on Robin tightened ever so slightly. She could feel the chuckle reverberating through him. Cassie was positive that none of those girls could say they'd ever ridden on Nightwing's motorcycle, commandeered by his own brother.
A/N: So, this is my first fic for Tim and Cassie. Hope you guys like it!
