Chapter 1: Batgirl Begins
A new hero in Gotham is born.
Somewhere in Gotham City, a young boy's cries could be heard in a dark, secluded alley over the sound of large raindrops pounding on the pavement. The child's pleas were abruptly cut off by the merciless arm coiled around his neck as the gunman took his pistol from the boy's head and trained it shakily on his father.
"Come on, big guy! Just give me the watch!"
The sound of his son choking back tears mixed with the jingle of the man's Rolex as he ripped and tore at the unyielding latch. He tried forcing the watch over his hand, turning his wrist raw and slicing at his skin.
The gunman pressed the muzzle of his pistol firmly against the boy's head again. He flexed his arm, tightening the grip around the petrified child's neck and raked his fingernails across the man's leather wallet.
"Hurry up!"
Blood dripped from the man's wrist and stained his watch. He rubbed fiercely at his eyes, trying to keep the rain and his own tears from blinding him. He looked up with pleading eyes behind the rain, tears, and blood flowing down his cheeks.
"Please! It won't come off!"
The gunman clenched his teeth and his hands began to shake as a smile spread across his face. He didn't believe him. "Well, that's too bad…"
Not a moment after he cocked his gun was there a new whistle in the wind. Something suddenly smacked his hand, making him drop his gun. He held the child's neck tighter as he spun around, searching the empty alley frantically as the boy's father stared at the batarang stuck in the wall.
"Who's there?!" the gunman screamed over the boy's pleas for air, "Come out, you coward!"
He didn't hear the small figure drop to the ground not far from him, but he managed to catch a glimpse of the unknown hero before their fist knocked his jaw out of alignment. The grip released on the boy's neck, and the figure pulled him behind them.
The batarang, the dark clothes, the pointed ears, the flowing cape, and the effortlessly stealthy movements. The child filled with excitement and looked up at his savior. But wait. Something was different. There was no way this was Batman. This person was much too short and they had a much smaller, leaner frame. Almost as if they were…
No way…
"You son of a-"
The gunman tried to readjust his jaw as he got to his knees and hung his head over the pavement. He was dragged to his feet by the front of his shirt collar and found the eyes of Batgirl burning holes in his skull.
"Don't you know not to swear at a lady?"
As Batgirl pulled her fist back, the gunman slipped a knife from his back pocket. The perfect opening he thought he had disappeared as Batgirl's fist dropped at the last second, grabbing his wrist with almost enough force to snap a bone. She kicked the knife away the moment it hit the concrete. She pressed him against the nearest wall, holding his arm at his back and pinning his other wrist to the wall. He struggled against her, but she held him easily.
The boy's father held onto him tight as they watched with slight fear and wonder. They couldn't help but jump as Batgirl turned to them.
"Take your kid out of here and call the police," she instructed.
The man nodded frantically. He grabbed his son's hand and pulled him along as he sped out of the alley.
Handcuffing the gunman to the leg of a nearby dumpster was certainly easier after Batgirl slammed his head against the wall just hard enough to knock him out. She soon heard the police sirens approaching and decided she was good to leave. Using the Batclaw from her utility belt, she she grappled up to the nearest rooftop. She wiped her hands together as she proudly strode across the rooftop.
Another job well done. But the night's not over yet-
"Good job down there."
Batgirl's confident stride was completely thrown off and she clumsily turned around. The dark silhouette standing at the other end of the rooftop was unmistakable. Batgirl internally planned out her escape routes as the Dark Knight came her way.
"That was a close call though," he continued, "If you had shown up a second later, you would've been too late. Not to mention when the man pulled a knife. If you saw it, you should have disarmed him sooner."
Batman stopped halfway across the roof, but Batgirl continued her nervous shuffle backwards until she hit the rooftop railing. A few helpful tips from the master was nice, but his threatening tone said it was more than constructive criticism.
His experience with young teenagers told Batman to wait for the sarcastic comeback. When she remained silent, he took a step towards her and continued. "This is serious business, kid. This isn't some fun hobby for a cocky thrillseeker."
Batgirl's rebuttal dangerously perched itself at the back of her throat, but she choked it back. She couldn't risk it or it was all over.
Her hand found the railing beside her and rested there. Batman took another step her way and that was all she needed. In the blink of an eye, Batgirl flung herself over the railing. Batman hurried to the edge of the roof, but the girl was long gone. It felt like a stone dropped in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't take the nagging feeling in his chest and took off for Wayne Manor.
The entire study rattled with the grandfather clock slamming into the wall and the entrance to the Batcave opening. Bruce stormed out, pure determined urgency carved into his face, and practically sprinted through the mansion. He passed his and Tim's bedrooms and burst through the door of Tim's neighboring room. Ignoring the Russian Blue cat trying to enjoy her sleep, Bruce ripped the covers off the queen sized canopy bed and found himself having to block a punch to his face immediately afterwards.
"God, Dad! You scared the hell outta me!" Jessica exclaimed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she tried to wake herself up. Despite the manor being in complete darkness, the fourteen year old could still see her father panting heavily.
"You ok, Dad?" She switched on the lamp on her nightstand and could make Bruce out clearly. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he visibly shook. His gasping for breath gradually settled and he relaxed considerably as a feeling of relief filled the atmosphere.
He shuffled in place uncomfortably as he looked away from his young daughter. His eyes landed on Fiona, who was certainly frustrated from her sleep being disturbed. With a few apology scratches under her chin, the cat forgave him and lay beside Jessica once again.
"Sorry," Bruce finally offered, "I was getting some late night work done and I thought I heard something up here."
Jessica looked her father over, obviously catching one or two holes in that excuse, but decided to play it off like she was none the wiser. So, she just shrugged in response.
Bruce patted her shoulder. "Sorry to wake you up like that. Go back to sleep."
She turned off her lamp as he left her room and fell back into her pillows. She listened intently to Bruce's footsteps as they grew fainter. Once she couldn't hear them anymore, she jumped up and wiped the sweat off the back of her neck. She turned the lamp back on and climbed out of bed. On her knees, she reached under the bed and pulled out her Batgirl suit.
She let out all of her air as she hung her head and held the suit to her chest. That was way too close.
Two months ago…
Like her father and older brothers, Jessica was always a night owl. But, unlike the others, she had yet to master the technique of going to bed at five in the morning and still waking up one hour later without a problem. That's where Ace came in.
The German Shepherd charged straight into the teen's room and pounced on her bed. Fiona hissed at the excited canine as Jessica jolted awake. She looked up at the cause of her rude awakening standing over her and groaned as she rolled on her side.
"C'mon, Ace. Give me a break. I still have another-" She lifted her head slightly to peek at the alarm clock beside her lamp.
7:42 a.m.
"Oh, crap!"
Ace jumped off the bed and out of Jessica's way as she scrambled out of bed and raced across the room to her walk-in closet.
Short black hair in a clumsy ponytail, uniform vest half on, tie hanging loosely from her neck, Jessica stumbled down the grand staircase into the great hall. The door to the dining room was left wide open and she hustled in. Sitting on the edge of the long table spanning about the length of the room were a plate of french toast, a cup of milk, and her lunch bag. A few pulled out chairs told Jessica she missed breakfast again. She chugged down the milk and took a whopping bite of the toast. Holding the rest of the toast in her mouth, she shoved her lunch into her crossbody bookbag and fixed her ponytail on her way back into the great hall and out the front doors.
Alfred had the car outside the doors and stood by the back seat, waiting patiently. He looked up from his watch as Jessica hurried to the car and opened the back door for her.
"Nice of you get up, miss."
They exchanged quick smirks as Jessica hopped into the backseat.
When Tim realized Damian didn't notice Jessica climbing blindly into the car, he pulled his little brother into the middle seat as their sister dropped into the window seat.
"Took you long enough," Tim exclaimed with a goodnatured smile. He looked over her disheveled state as she tried to pull herself together. "Geez! What happened to you?!"
"Shut up!" Jessica reached behind Damian's head to give Tim's arm a good shove. Damian knowingly leaned back in his seat as his older siblings playfully went at each other in front of him.
Alfred revved up the car engine, telling the two to settled down and started for the front gates.
If you saw all four siblings together (and ignored them not looking alike), you'd never tell the boys were all adopted. Dick was just twelve when Jessica came into the picture, and over the course of those fourteen years, he came to love her as his sweet little sister. Same with Damian when Bruce brought the little newborn home when Jessica was four, then with seven-year-old Tim when Bruce took him in a year later, and with the second brother when Jessica was two. The five of them with Bruce and Alfred were proof it doesn't take blood to be a family.
Jessica managed to pull herself together by the time Alfred pulled up to her and Tim's high school: Levison Private High School. Basically the school for Gotham's elites. What better place for Bruce Wayne's kids to attend?
The two teens took turns wrapping Damian in a sideways hug by the neck. They said their goodbyes to Alfred and popped out either sides of the car just as the bell rang. They waved each other off and went their separate ways to join their friends.
Jessica slipped through the crowd of students heading inside until she spotted her friends' meeting spot beside the large stone steps leading into the school building and made a beeline for the four boys and two girls just beginning to leave the area.
Being the biggest justice freak since preschool, Jessica was the first to step in when a group of seven bullies were picking on one little kid back in the third grade. Bruce had been training her and Tim in martial arts for three years before that fateful day, but Jessica had yet to tackle handling multiple enemies at once. When she was overwhelmed, five kids from all across the playground jumped in to help. Two fourth grade boys, Connor and Ken, a third grade girl and boy, Dean and Aaron, and a fifth grade boy, Jacob. A few bruises, knocked-out-to-early baby teeth, and a couple calls home to their parents later, the five of them became best friends.
Chloe was a different story. Bruce was always good friends with Lucas and Malinda West, so who better for Jessica to play with than their one year old daughter? Fourteen years later, the girls were inseparable as ever. From spending all night talking on the phone to keeping each other sane during their parents' friends' boring parties, the two had been through it all. Chloe was the sister Jessica didn't know she wanted. She was also the one who noticed her little freshman friend coming for the group.
With a mile-long smile, she threw her hand in the air and waved her friend over. the others took notice and waved along with her.
Jessica swerved through the crowd until she reached her friends and was met with a strong arm around her shoulders. Ken pulled her in for a side hug and ruffled her hair.
"Late again, Wayne?"
She poked her elbow into his ribs with a chuckle. "Shut up, Four-Eyes."
He looked her dead in the eye as he pushed his glasses up his nose with his middle finger and backed off quickly before she took a less playful jab at him.
Jacob patted Ken's shoulder as the group laughed. "You can kill him later, Jessica. Let's just get inside before we're all late."
"Or a fight breaks out," Dean muttered to Jessica, locking arms with her and pulling her towards the school building while the others followed suit.
Chloe hurried to Jessica's side and locked their arms together same as Dean did, completing the chain. "Hey, Jess, we were thinking about dinner and bowling tonight. You in?"
Jessica smiled wide. "Wouldn't miss it."
After dropping Damian off at his elementary school, Alfred returned to Wayne Manor. He stepped through the front door just as Bruce came drowsily down the stairs.
"Good morning, sir."
"Morning, Alfred."
Bruce yawned as he trudged lazily into the dining room.
"The kids at school?"
"Yes, sir. Just dropped them off."
Bruce dropped himself into one of the chairs and attempted to rub the sleep out of his eyes as Alfred headed for the kitchen. Maybe one of Tim's Red Bulls with breakfast would help.
"Alfred…" Bruce said keeping his head down and his eyes closed.
The butler stopped just before entering the kitchen and looked over his shoulder at the worn out man. "Yes, sir?"
"Jessica's in high school now."
"That she is."
His elbows on the table, Bruce clasped his hands together and brought them to his lips. "Do you think… It's time I told her?"
Alfred was taken aback a bit. Of course, he always knew this day would come, but it seemed so soon now. Was she really ready to know?
He briefly shifted about for answering, "To be completely honest, sir, yes, I believe it's time."
Bruce shot a quick glanced the old man's way then looked back at the table. He responded with a nod and now Alfred left to prepare the man's breakfast.
Jessica and her friends sat around their meeting spot as students filed out of the building with the school day's end. Somewhere between the jokes and jabs at one another, they managed to finalize their plans for later. It wasn't very hard though, considering it was the same routine as any other time they went out. Dinner at Vinny's then a few hours at the bowling alley. It wasn't the glamorous outing you'd expect these kids to have. but they liked it that way.
Jessica spotted Alfred posted at the front gates, waiting for her and waved goodbye to her friends before heading for the butler. She reached him a few seconds before Tim. Alfred had to smile at the teens as they slung their arms around each other's shoulders and led them to the car where Damian was waiting.
Alfred followed the siblings through the entrance of Wayne Manor and shut the doors behind them as the three of them all head upstairs to their rooms. Alfred went straight to the study and found Bruce just as he stepped through the secret passage to the Batcave into the study.
"Sir, Miss Jessica is upstairs."
"Thank you, Alfred."
Bruce straightened his posture before leaving the study and ascending the stairs. As he came closer to Jessica's bedroom, he noticed the door was wide open and heard voices.
"But you can't go!" Damian argued in almost a whine, "You're gonna miss the new episode of Psych 7!"
"Damian, the episode airs at 10," Jessica explained calmly, "I'm not gonna be gone for that long. And if I am, just watch it without me. I'll catch it tomorrow."
"But we always watch it together! It's our thing!"
Bruce stood in the doorway and found Damian sitting on Jessica's bed while she walked in and out of her closet, bringing with her a new article of clothing. Damian caught Bruce out of the corner of his eye as his sister started for the closet again.
"Hi, Dad."
Jessica looked back at the ten year old before noticing her father. "Hey, Dad. What's up?"
Bruce realized the clothes she was getting were some jeans and a cute, red top as opposed to her usual stay-at-home sweatpants and baggy t-shirt.
"Going somewhere?"
"Yeah," Jessica said bringing out a pair of sneakers out from the closet, "Me and the guys are going to dinner at Vinny's then we're going bowling."
Bruce stared at that excited, cheerful smile spread across her face. She really was just a kid. All she needed to worry about was school and her social life. That was worse enough. And now he was about to give her possibly the biggest burden he ever could. But how could he? It wouldn't take anything at all to make that genuine, carefree smile disappear forever.. Was he really going to do that to her?
She's so young…
"Dad?"
Bruce snapped out of his thoughts and noticed both his children watching him, expectantly.
"Did you need something?" Jessica asked.
Bruce cleared his throat briefly and straightened up. "I was just going to let you know I have a meeting to go to so I can give you a ride if you like."
Jessica smiled. "Sure. Thanks, Dad."
"I'll meet you downstairs." He nodded to Damian before he turned on his heel and left down the hall.
Jessica slipped off her tie and her jacket, throwing both on the bed. Before she could tell Damian to leave so she could change, he suddenly turned on her.
"You still have to come home for Psych 7!"
She had to shake her head at him. She lifted him off her bed and shooed him out the door.
"I will! Now get outta my room!"
Vinny's was the last place you'd expect to find the children of some of Gotham's most elite. It wasn't fancy and expensive, but it wasn't cheap and dingy either. It was your nice, average pizza joint for the everyman. Jessica and her friends saw it as an escape from the stuffy atmosphere of upper-class living every now and then.
The teens sat at their usual table in the back corner under the wall-mounted TV. Seated at the end of the table, Aaron and Dean were tasked with slapping each piece of pizza on a plate and sliding it down the table to each person like a pair of bartenders. They had their usual fun of throwing jabs and messing with each other until the news report on TV caught Jessica's attention. She immediately looked up at the monitor just overhead as the words hit her ears:
"This is Vicki Vale with the latest update on the recent muggings in Gotham."
Chloe noticed Jessica's sudden interest in the news and decided to tune in herself. One by one, the others joined in until they were all craning their necks back to see the screen and listening intently.
"It seems you can't step outside your door anymore without someone holding a gun on you. Few arrest have been made and even fewer convictions and the rate of attacks doesn't seem to be decreasing. It appears Gotham is in the middle of an epidemic."
The report went on, but it seemed the meat of it had passed and the teens brought their attention back to the table.
"I bet it's some kind of crazy conspiracy," Aaron pitched, "Like, the police or something are trying to scare everyone for a laugh."
"The GCPD are pretty screwed up," Dean admitted with a shrug, "But I doubt they'd sink that low."
The others at the table didn't pay much attention to their conversation, but they didn't notice Jessica was subtly listening in.
"It can't be any more complex than a few random muggings," Dean continued, "People just think they can do whatever now. And, with how few people are actually in jail, obviously they can."
"They weren't convicted 'cause no one could find any evidence they did it," Aaron pointed out, "They couldn't find any of the stolen stuff and not a single pawn shop owner reported seeing any of the guys in the sketches or the stuff they stole."
"What if all the muggers in the city are working together?" Dean speculated, "And they have a secret hideout somewhere where they're stashing everything?"
"Like some kind of secret organization," Aaron continued for her.
The conversation between the two died when they noticed Chloe going through her bag. Jessica and the others sat on the edge of their seats as the blonde pulled out her tarot cards with a smile.
"Who wants to know their future?"
Four hours of not-so-friendly competition later, the teens continued laughing and throwing insults at each other as they stepped out of the bowling alley. It had gotten dark outside over an hour ago and street lights now attempted to brighten the dim streets.
Ken checked his phone as everyone took note of how dark it had gotten. "It's not that late," he informed them, "It's only 9:40. You guys wanna catch a movie?"
Jessica was about to give her approving vote along with everyone else when she remembered Damian and the season premiere of Psych 7.
"Sorry, guys. I can't. Gotta go home."
"You sure?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah. Damian's waiting on me. You guys go ahead."
With a few reluctant shrugs, the others said their goodbyes and Jessica called Alfred to pick her up. She went back inside the bowling alley to wait while her friends walked down the dark street.
Jessica lay in her bed, cuddled with Fiona the next morning. Saturdays are meant for sleeping in all morning, but not this morning. She heard scratching at her door, but figured she was still dreaming and rolled over. Whether it was pure force or the German Shepherd's paw somehow catching the doorknob, the door opened and Ace fell in. Instead of launching himself onto Jessica's bed like usual, he stopped just beside it and barked at her.
Fiona seemed to share Jessica's annoyed expression. She rolled on her back and leaned up on her elbows to see the family guard dog still barking at her.
"Come on, Ace! It's Saturday!" With that, she pulled the covers over her head and let Fiona snuggle up to her chest.
Ace clamped his teeth on a corner of the covers and yanked them off the girl.
"Hey!" she shouted, jumping up. She ripped the blanket from Ace's jaws. "Knock it off, Ace! I mean it!"
But the dog refused to leave her alone. Jessica didn't notice until now, but his usually cheerful attitude was gone. There was a sense of urgency to his actions. Something that became clear when Ace pulled on Jessica's sleeve.
He refused to let go until Jessica was on her feet. He finally dropped her sleeve and hurried out into the hallway and down the stairs, all the while checking that Jessica was still following him.
She groggily trudged down the stairs and let Ace lead her to the den. Ace ran in the room, but Jessica stopped to lean against the doorframe. This had better be good…
After rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes, she noticed Bruce planted on the couch with his back to her, unaware of her presence. Ace came to lie at his feet, but Bruce didn't notice. His attention was solely on the news report on the TV.
Crazy dog…
Jessica turned to leave.
" - another mugging occurred last night."
Wait!
The teen froze in place and listened in as the reporter continued.
"The victims of last night's attack were Ken Clarit, Dean Princeton, Aaron Benson, Jacob Harbard, Connor Ackerman, and Chloe West."
Jessica felt all the wind leave her lungs at once as her whole body began to shake.
"It's reported that five men attacked the group of teens while they were walking the streets some time between 9:30 pm and 10:00 pm."
Oh, my God…
Jessica's whole being switched into autopilot. Pale-faced and breathless, she ascended the grand staircase and stepped into her room. Her autopilot disengaged a second after she locked the door. Her knees finally gave and she dropped to the floor, feeling the Earth shake with the weight of this news.
It's not true… It can't be true… It's impossible…
Feeling flowed back into her legs and she propelled herself to her desk. Ignoring the charging cord, she snatched her phone up, the cord jerking her laptop to the edge of her desk until it finally crashed onto the floor. Her fingers dialed the first number that came to mind: Chloe's. She prayed for her friend to pick up, but all she got was the answering machine.
She tried Connor's, Jacob's, Dean's, and Aaron's, but all produced the same result. By the time she was trying Ken's, she was sitting on the floor again, leaning back against the leg of her desk. Tears flowed down her cheeks and her stomach ached more than she could have ever imagined. She wasn't sure whether she held her hand over her mouth to silence her sibs or to keep herself from throwing up. She heard someone knocking on her door and her name being called multiple times, but it became only white noise in her ears. She blocked everything out the moment she heard her friends' names on the news. All that mattered was someone answering their damn phone!
"Hello?"
A wave of relief washed over her at the sound of Ken's voice. She forgot to swallow the frog in her throat, so when she tried to answer him, no sound came out.
"Hello?" he repeated, "Jessica?"
She quickly cleared her throat before trying again.
"Ken!"
"Hey, Wayne…" All the life and energy in Ken's voice was gone. He was always so happy to hear from her. But, now…
An awkward silence sat between them. Jessica soon realized she never planned what she'd say if someone answered. She just wanted them to pick up.
"How was Psych 7?" Ken finally offered, sadly.
"Good… It was good…"
"Good…"
Halfway through their next silent pause, Jessica decided on what to say.
"I… I saw the news…" she choked out.
"Oh…"
"Are… Are you ok…?"
"Yeah, I'm alright…"
Jessica held her stomach as she pulled her knees closer to her chest.
"I tried calling everyone else, but… They didn't answer…"
"Chloe too?"
No shit, Chloe too!
"Yeah… She didn't answer…"
There was a brief pause on Ken's end. "They're fine… Everyone's fine…"
Jessica dropped her hands into her lap and leaned her head back against her desk as she let out all of her air in a big sigh of relief. Everyone was ok. Thank God!
"Jessica? Jessica? You still there?"
Remembering she still had Ken on the line, she quickly brought the phone to her ear again. "Y-yeah! I'm still here!"
"Don't worry that they didn't answer you. We're all still getting over it…"
His voice trailed off in a way that made her stomach sick. She really didn't want to ask, but she knew she had to or she'd never relax.
"Ken, what happened?"
Ken was quiet, but Jessica heard him shuffling around. He cleared his throat a few times and took a deep breath.
"We were on our way to the theater and these guys in black hoodies just jumped out and dragged us into the alley. Two of them pulled guns on us and they told us to hand over our money. We gave them all the cash we had in our wallets but… But, Chloe… The zipper on her purse was stuck…"
"They took the whole bag from her and forced it open. They saw her ID and they figured out who we all were. They accused us of holding out on them. Connor kept trying to convince them that we weren't, but they didn't believe him… So, they started beating him…"
"We tried to stop them. Then they attacked all of us… One guys held me and Dean at gunpoint and…"
Ken pulled the phone away from his ear, but Jessica still heard the shallow breaths. His voice was shaking as he continued, "Jessica…"
"Yeah…?"
"I saw everything… Me and Dean… We saw everything… There was blood all over… They beat Aaron's head on the ground so hard he passed out… We didn't know if he was still breathing… And Chloe… Oh, God, Chloe…"
Jessica didn't want to hear anymore, but with her throat closed up, she couldn't tell him to stop.
"Jessica… They raped Chloe…"
Jessica had been hit in the stomach plenty of times while training. More than she could count. But, none of that could ever compete with the gut-wrenching feeling she had now. The whole world started spinning and she couldn't see straight anymore. She heard a distant mumble beside her ear. Could've been her name. Her phone slipped through her fingers and crashed on the floor as she let her body go limp against her desk. Moving on it's own, her hand pressed end call and slid across the carpet, back to her side.
As she sat there, paralyzed, one thought refused to leave her brain: "This is my fault… If I'd been with them… It's my fault… My fault…"
Six… seven… eight hours passed and no one had seen Jessica since that morning. Tim and Damian made initial attempts to make their sister come out, but once the news of last night reached all residents of Wayne Manor, everyone agreed it'd be best to just leave her alone. So, she stayed in her room with the door still locked and her phone shut off as she lay in her bed, not asleep but not fully awake either. Her entire body was numb and her mind played like a broken record repeating the same phrase over and over, burning itself into her brain.
Dressed in a nice suit and wearing his best cologne, Bruce knocked lightly on the door later that night. "Jessica?"
No response.
"I have a dinner date tonight. I'll probably be back late. I'll bring you back some dessert, ok?" He paused and waited for some sort of answer. After a moment or two, he sighed and walked away.
The slamming of the front doors sounded throughout the mansion and not long after did Jessica's door creak open. Effortlessly silent, she shut the door behind her and descended the stairs. As Alfred moved about the foyer, cleaning diligently, Jessica stayed in the shadows and slipped by unnoticed. She made sure the door to the study was closed before she went straight to the grandfather clock without missing a beat. She set the hands to 10:47 and took a step back as the entrance to the Batcave opened.
She passed the suits' display case with currently only one and the Batcomputer and entered the training hall. Sure, she could have used the gym upstairs, but she always preferred using the Batcave's when Bruce and Tim were on patrol and she didn't want anyone to bother her.
She punched a few keys into the control board, making a punching bag suspended by a metal chain gradually dropped from the ceiling. She got Tim's boxing gloves from the nearby shelf and stepped up to the punching bag. She couldn't care less about having wraps on her hands or even about still wearing her pajamas. All that mattered was how many times could she hit that bag of sand before the chain shattered
Before Bruce even knew he'd be needing a new Robin, he made sure all the siblings started martial arts training as early as possible. Jessica's body naturally went into kickboxing posture from eleven years of training, but all concepts of keeping form and using strategies went to Hell as she blindly unleashed a furious onslaught of random kicks, punches, knee shots, and elbow hits. All she saw was red and she ignored her sore muscles. As she continued, her hair and clothes clung to her from all the sweat and her air was dying out fast.
But she refused to stop. With each impact she saw another black hoodie. She saw herself taking them all down, putting them in holds, breaking their arms, and smashing their heads against the concrete. All the things she could have done. She could've, but she didn't. Because she wasn't there. Her friends got hurt and her best friend was raped. Because she wasn't there to stop it.
It's my fault! It's all my fault!
The whole Batcave shook as Jessica smashed her fist into the punching bag one last time. She pressed her forehead against the vinyl and tried to catch her breath. After being held closed all day, the floor gates forced themselves open and Jessica's tears flowed down her cheeks likes rivers. She made a weak attempt of holding onto the punching bag as her legs gave into her grief and she slid to her knees.
Why didn't I stay with them?! Why did I go home?!
Why did I let this happen…?
Jessica's breath had calmed, sweat had dried, and tears had run out. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but she knew it'd been long enough. She'd better leave before someone found her down there. She absentmindedly wiped the dried streams coating her cheeks and climbed onto her feet. She dismissively dropped Tim's gloves back on the shelf and began crossing the Batcave to the stairs. She scratched the back of her neck, separating her hair from her skin and glanced up at the display case as she passed. She suddenly became still as a statue and she stared long and hard at the Batman suit.
Sunday
The news was once something she'd only watch in passing. Now, it was all she watched. Her TV, flicking between different news station and her YouTube history and browser history consisting of purely news reports. All titled "2016 Recent Gotham Muggings".
Monday
Multiple stacks of printed sheets cluttered her desk to one side of her. All of them police sketches. Similar faces were grouped together in different stacks while unique faces were placed in a single stack. To her other side, a new stack gradually took form, consisting of her own sketches. A phone call to one of her friends and a handful of questions later and she'd add another sketch to the collection. When asked why she wanted the men's descriptions, she'd say in case she ran into them on the street then she'd know to run. When asked if she'd spoken to Chloe yet, she'd pause before she'd admit she hadn't then quickly hang up.
Tuesday
The large map of Gotham City she'd taken from the study could've taken up her entire closet floor. Perfect. She sat on her bedroom floor, notebook with a page full of times with corresponding street names by her side and a sharpie clenched in her hand. She went down her list and marked each street on the map and wrote their coinciding times. Streets with more than three times were circled. The process continued until she ran out of times. Looking over her map, she drew a large circle around the general area with the most markings and wrote in the center, 8:00pm - 3:00am.
Wednesday
She was never one for sewing. But if she'd known this was coming, she would have asked Alfred to teach her years ago. She pricked her fingers repeatedly, but ignored the stinging and the blood trickling off her fingertips onto the carpet, her pants, and the black fabric. She finished the last stitch and snapped the threat with her teeth. Holding up her work, she gave it a long look over. It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty close. It didn't matter too much though; it would do.
Thursday
She practically waited by the grandfather clock for them to leave. The moment she knew the Batmobile had left, she sprinted down the steps. She went straight to the empty display case and hit the button beside the glass. Out of the wall came a shelf with multiple gadgets and back-up belts. She grabbed one of Robin's belts and stocked up.
Friday
She zipped up her backpack and stashed it under her bed. This was it. No turning back. And she didn't want to.
Alfred had to deliver Jessica's meals to her room for the last week. Earlier, he'd brought her breakfast and lunch and assumed dinner wouldn't be any different. But just as he placed the tray on the floor, the bedroom door swung open.
"Hey, Alfred," Jessica said. Her cheerful attitude was as if she hadn't locked herself away in her room and skipped school for the past six days.
Alfred quickly straightened up, tray in hand, completely taken aback. "Hello, Miss Jessica," he said dumbfoundedly.
She glanced at the food tray and smiled at the elderly man. "You know, Alfred, I feel like eating with everyone today."
Alfred's face lit up with surprise and he smiled, still unsure. "Of course, miss." He let her pass him and followed her to the dining room.
Bruce, Tim, and Damian lost their hope of Jessica coming down for meals a few days ago and therefore, started without her now. When the door opened, they assumed it was Alfred coming back from delivering Jessica's dinner. But when Tim saw it was his sister herself, he dropped his fork, splattering lettuce leaves on the table and floor, and jumped out of his chair only to freeze on the spot.
The others at the table felt their hair stand on end when Tim's sudden actions broke the suffocating silence. They followed his eyeline and mimicked his disbelief as Jessica calmly took her seat across from Tim and Damian and Alfred placed her food in front of her.
"Hey, guys," she said nonchalantly, "You ok, Tim?"
He snapped back to Earth, as did the others and eased back into his seat. "Uh, yeah… I'm fine."
Jessica shrugged it off and dug into her dinner.
Ok, what the hell? First, she locks herself away, giving no indication she was still alive other than the meal trays brought to her room would disappear and then reappear an hour later, clear of food. Now, she's sitting at the dining table as if nothing happened. Did she just repress everything from the last week or something?
While Tim and Damian exchanged confused looks, both unsure if they should say something or not, Bruce cleared his throat before addressing his daughter.
"Jessica, I promise everything will be taken care of. It'll be ok."
She flashed him a small, appreciative smile while her eyes held a determined fire that no one seemed to notice.
"I know."
No one found it odd when Jessica made a rather last minute announcement that she'll be spending the night at Chloe's house. The two could definitely use each other's company. Within minutes of finishing her dinner, Jessica found Alfred already waiting in the car, ready to take her. She hopped in the backseat with her backpack and alfred took off.
The West's mansion was one of the largests in the neighborhood and therefore, was impossible to miss. Alfred pulled up to the gate and buzzed them in. The giant, metal gates opened and Alfred drove to the front doors where one of the maids, an older lady named Gretta, stood waiting for them.
Jessica caught the "subtle" hellos Alfred gave Gretta and had to crack a smile. She said her goodbyes and climbed out of the car. Gretta welcomed her and led her her inside as Alfred drove back to the gate.
"I'm sorry, Miss Jessica," Gretta said, "but I don't believe we received any notification that you'd be coming."
Jessica smiled and shrugged readjusting her backpack strap on her shoulder. "I just felt like dropping in." She was already on her way to the stairs when Gretta mentioned Chloe was in her room and watched stealthily over her shoulder as she went off into a different room. Confident, no one could see her, Jessica finally rid herself of her fake smile as she trudged up the grand staircase. She looked at the overtowering doors as she passed in the hall and remembered how she and Chloe would run all throughout the mansion when they were little, playing whatever game they came up and giving the servants heart attacks all the while.
A genuine smile nearly creeped onto her face, but it quickly retreated when Jessica found herself before Chloe's bedroom door.
She could easily pull off a calm disposition, but forcing her heart to stop pounding was something she never mastered. She clenched and unclenched her fists to keep them from shaking and took a few deep breaths. She went to knock, but froze. So she reached for the knob, but met the same result. She dropped her hand and tightly gripped her backpack strap with the other as she stared at the carpet. She wanted to punch herself. Maybe she should just leave…
"Jessica?"
Snapping her head further down the hall, she saw the nineteen year old coming her way.
"Ryan…" she said, stepping away from the door as he approached. She held her trembling hands behind her back and tried to recreate her fake smile from before. What came instead was a rather pathetic half-grin.
"I didn't know you were coming over," he said, standing in front of her.
She shrugged. "I wanted to stop by and say hi."
Ryan looked at his sister's door and back at her friend. He didn't say anything and watched her shuffle uncomfortably under his gaze and refuse to meet his eyes. Finally, he smiled warmly.
"You know, I'm glad you're here."
His statement didn't throw her off much. For as long as she'd been friends with Chloe, she'd been close with Ryan too. Almost like another brother, as if she needed more. He was always happy to see her. While it didn't really faze her, she did finally look him in the eye.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, grinning all the while. "We haven't had one of our talks in a while."
Jessica had to smile back and Ryan led her further down the hall to his room.
"Tea or water?"
Jessica dropped into one of the cushion chairs in Ryan's sitting room and held her backpack in her lap.
"Water's fine," she called.
Ryan relayed the message to the maid outside his bedroom door then crossed the room to the sitting room and sat on the couch across from Jessica.
"How's Bruce been?"
"Alright."
"Still donating his time to the needy women of Gotham?"
Jessica had to smirk at that. "Yeah, he's very charitable with his time."
Ryan chuckled. Even if it wasn't the best time, she had to admit a nice laugh was appreciated.
One of the maids stepped in, carrying a tray with a glass of water and a teacup. She placed the tray on the coffee table between Jessica and Ryan, earning a thank you from both parties, and took her leave.
"And your brothers? Alfred?" Ryan asked, picking up his tea, "How are they?"
Jessica took a quick sip of her water, using it to clear her throat. "They're fine."
"And how have you been?"
Jessica paused. She immediately caught what he meant and knew he wouldn't let it go now that he knew she knew what he was getting at. She placed her glass back on the tray and held her backpack close to her chest.
"I'm holding up…"
Ryan nodded and sipped his tea. His eyes watched her over the teacup as her expression darkened while staring down into her lap.
"Did you know Chloe asked me to come with you guys?"
Jessica looked up as Ryan nonchalantly left his empty cup on the tray and leaned back in his seat.
"No… No, I didn't…"
He crossed his arms and hung his head. A depressing atmosphere fell over them and mixed with Ryan's usually comforting aura, creating an unnatural combination.
"The first thing she did when she got home was tell me you were all going out. She said I should come. But I said no."
He grew an almost ashamed smile.
"Had a date with Becka."
Jessica shrugged. Chloe undoubtedly backed off after hearing Ryan had plans with his girlfriend.
"Chloe came home before me," he went on, "I went to her room so we could compare each other's nights. Like always…"
His expression darkened.
"But the door was locked and she wouldn't let me in. I thought she went to sleep already."
He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He knew Jessica wasn't fooled by that old trick since she was eight, but that didn't stop him from trying.
"I didn't hear about what happened until the next morning…" he stated, "She still hasn't come out of her room. Or let anyone in."
Jessica's eyes moved to a spot on the carpet.
Sounds familiar…
Ryan stared out the large window overlooking the garden. "I keep telling myself I should have gone. I should have been there."
Jessica shook her head slightly, staring into her lap and gently massaged her temple.
"You couldn't have known…"
"Yeah…"
She knew he was watching her now, but she didn't feel like indulging in this any further. Of course he felt guilty for not going, but it didn't take a genius to tell what he was doing. And he should have known her well enough to know not to bother.
After a while, Ryan subtly cleared his throat and focused on the tray on the coffee table as he forced out every word in the most convincing tone he could. "Carrying around that kind of guilt isn't healthy. I know that. It can make you do crazy stuff. Go to extremes you'd never dream of before. The hardest part is having to constantly remind yourself it isn't anyone's fault. Especially yours. That some things are just meant to be." - his voice lowered to a whisper, as if to himself - "The universe works in mysterious ways…"
Jessica fought the urge to look at him as she clutched her backpack tightly.
"I guess it does…" she muttered.
A knock on the door made them both jump and turn to the scrawny frame in the doorway.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you two." Malinda gingerly stepped in and stood beside the couch her son occupied.
"It's fine, Mom," Ryan reassured her, his charming, carefree attitude restored as if nothing happened, "We were just talking."
Malinda nodded with a smile before addressing their houseguest. "Jessica, I had no idea you were here. You could've stopped to say hello to Lucas and I, you know."
Jessica gave a sheepish smile. "Of course. Sorry. Next time, I promise."
The tall blonde gave her a grin before clapping her hands, looking at the two still seated. "Well, dessert is about to be served. Jessica, you're more than welcome to join us. We'll have another plate prepared in an instant."
Jessica wasn't very surprised Malinda seemed unaffected by everything. For as long as Jessica knew her, Malinda was never one to deal with issues. She always just brushed them under the rug and pretended they didn't exist.
"Thank you, Malinda," Jessica said as she slung her backpack over her shoulder, "But I was just stopping by. I actually have somewhere to be soon."
Ryan stood up as Jessica did and walked her to the front door.
"Thanks for the talk, Ryan."
"Anytime." He was one of the few people who would say that and she knew he meant it. "I'll let Chloe know you were here."
"Thanks."
Ryan opened the door and bowed to Jessica like a butler, earning a less than honest chuckle. She gently shoved his arm on her way out.
"Not anyone's fault", huh? I love you, ryan, but you can't be right all the time.
A fancy dinner and some fine wine later, the night was turning out just lovely for the young couple stepping out of the restaurant. His arm draped affectionately over her shoulders, they strode happily down the street. They didn't bother paying the alley they passed any mind and didn't notice the two hooded figures creep out. The couple stopped dead, all sense of joy and fun drained from them as they felt those gun barrels pressed against their backs. Her long hair twisted in a ruthless fist and an arm wrapped around his neck, the two were dragged into the dark alley where three other figures waited. They forced him against the wall and threw her onto the concrete. One of the two figures standing over her held a gun to her head while of the three corning him pulled a gun of his own.
"Alright, buddy," the gunman said, aiming for the man's chest, "Just hand over the money and there won't be any trouble."
"Ok! Ok, ok!" the man shakingly produced his wallet, dropping a few coins and dollar bills as he held out the bulk of his money.
One of the figures prodded the back of the woman's head with his gun, thoroughly enjoying how it'd made her shake and cry in terror. The other didn't seem to notice when he was pulled into the shadows behind him.
The other figured surrounding the woman soon realized his companion had disappeared. He looked around for the missing member but only saw the three other hooded figures and their two victims. He didn't consider checking the dark corners behind him until a gloved hand covered his mouth and he was dragged away.
One of the tree cornering the man noticed the woman realizing her captures were gone and beginning to stand. He pulled his own gun and aimed for her.
"Hey! Where'd those two go?!" he demanded.
She desperately tried to choke out an answer between her sobs, but the fear practically sealed off her throat.
He he took a step towards her as he cocked his gun but a batarang knocked it from his hand. He and the remaining attackers nearly snapped their necks turning to the small, bat-shaped projectile now stuck in the concrete.
"It's the Batman!" one exclaimed.
"Not quite."
The three hooded men spun towards the low roof just above them and spotted the outline of a small frame sitting on the edge. One of the muggers redirected his gun from the man to the mysterious newcomer and fired in a panic.
The shadow dropped, just dodging the bullet, and landed crouched in front of the nearest hooded man. With one swinging kick, his legs were swept out from underneath him and his head smashed onto the pavement, leaving him disoriented.
The second hooded man's punch was easily blocked and in a manner of seconds, he was flipped over a strong shoulder and sent flying into the nearest wall. The remaining mugger attempted to aim for the unknown figure, but a single roundhouse kick knocked the gun from his hand. A powerful forearm pressed against his throat, restricting his air as he was slammed backwards into a wall.
The figure turned to the couple now huddled together in a corner and cocked its head towards the street outside the alley. The couple nodded frantically, eager to accept the offer, and took off. The figure watched them leave, ensuring they escaped safely while effortlessly pinning the hooded man to the wall despite him fighting vehemently against the hold. The figure snapped back to the man and he froze under the glare from those chilling blue eyes.
"Who the hell are you…?"
A smile crept across her face.
"I'm Batgirl."
One good blow to the head and this guy will wake up in a jail cell with his buddies weeks from now. Just like the last three groups of muggers she left hanging from light poles. With the small amount of light she had, she'd checked their faces and none of them matched the descriptions witnesses had given. There was no point in wasting more time than she needed to on these guys.
"Like some kind of secret organization..."
Aaron's words flashed through her mind like a sudden epiphany. The hooded man pinned to the wall still cowered despite Batgirl lowering her fist by her belt. Grabbing a fist full of his hair through the back of his hood, she pulled his face menacingly close.
"Get out of here," she growled. She threw him to the side and stood over him with a threatening aura until he scrambled away.
The two other hooded men shook off the last of their daze in time to see their companion flee and Batgirl turn on them next. She crossed her arms and nodded after the escaping hood. The two sprawled out on the concrete took her up on that offer. They pulled themselves onto their feet and scurried off. They looked over their shoulders once and found her still there, watching them. But the second time, she was gone without a trace. Terrified, their pace quickened, never noticing the lithe teenager trailing them from the low rooftops.
Batgirl kept herself above the men at all times as they swerved through back alleys, going somewhere. And she was determined to find out where. The first man finally dropped to his knees and ripped the lid off a manhole. He jumped in and the other two followed suit. The last man hastily pulled the lid over the hole, making it jiggle about trying to find stability. Batgirl threw a batarang and whether it was perfect aim or pure luck, it wedged between the concrete and the very edge of the lid, leaving the lid propped open.
Batgirl descended to the ground without a sound and silently moved the lid to the side. She dropped into the sewer and pulled a small, hand-held device from her belt. With the press of a button, the device's screen showed a map of the Gotham sewer system with a yellow dot indicating where Batgirl was and flashing red dot from the tracker she stuck on the back of one of the men's hood moving further into the sewer. Batgirl kept her hand on the slime-covered wall as she quickly followed her tracker through the sewer.
The lack of light made trudging through the sewers quite the adventure. Batgirl made several mental notes to grab some night-vision goggles and waterproof running shoes next time. Then she'd have to kick herself for that. There wasn't gonna be a next time. The second she catches her friends' attackers, she was done. A one-hit wonder. And that'll be the end of Batgirl.
She looked up from her tracker when she noticed the faint streams of light on the ground coming into view. Up ahead was a large grate pulled open, leading to a lit up area. A quick glance at the tracker proved her target to be just up ahead. She pocketed her tracker and hurried to the edge just past the gate. She crouched down and kept in the shadows as she peered out.
The muggers didn't just have a hideout. It was a full-on sewer den. There were more than just five black hoods running around. More than ten. More than thirty. It was like a small village. And while Batgirl couldn't see their faces well, she could see their haul very clearly. Wooden tables lined one of the long walls, covered in wallets, purses, watches, necklaces, rings, and other items that were sure to turn a pretty penny.
Batgirl pulled out a small camera from her belt and snapped a few pictures of the loot piles. Pulled into a tight ball with her back pressed against the wall, she zoomed in on the pilfered goods. She went through her mental checklist of the reported stolen belongings and marked off each she saw. Eventually, she spotted a wristwatch a few layers from the top of the stack and that was all she needed. A Rolex GMT Master II with a slight crack in the face from when it was dropped once. She'd recognize that watch anywhere. It was Jacob's birthday present last year.
Got them.
Two sets of hands snatched Batgirl up, one holding her arm and fabric at her waist and the other holding her shoulder and back of her mask with her hair. Her mask pulled halfway off, she caught a glimpse of the men lifting her into the air and recognized them as the two she had knocked out and left in the alley. Now blinded by her own mask, she swung at the air, desperate to land one hit. Instead, the men threw her into the lair.
She landed in the pool of sludge and water and quickly readjusted her mask before returning to the surface. She clawed at the slimey ledge for a steady grip. She clung to the edge and spotted a few members scrambling for guns while others grabbed as much loot as they could and made for the exits.
Batgirl shot her batclaw to the ceiling, pulling herself out of the water as it repelled. Bullets flying all around her as she ascended, she stopped seconds before hitting the ceiling. With the click of a button, two wires shot from the batclaw and attached to the two far walls, creating a zipline. She rode the zipline to one wall, soaring over the fleeing members' heads and readied her explosive gel gun as she neared the wall. She quickly drew a line of explosive gel above the exit as long as she could and kicked off the wall towards the other exit. She drew another line of gel above the exit upon reaching the wall. She quickly dropped through the exit and kicked one of the members trying to climb the ladder to escape in the face, knocking him and the others below him off the ladder. Batgirl stepped back before hitting the trigger. The gels released a flurry of explosives. The stones above the exits crumbled and fell. The members scattered and dove for cover as the rubble piled up at both ladders, blocking their escapes routes.
Without hesitating, Batgirl slapped a new tracker on the sewer wall and took off for the nearest manhole.
The Gotham City Police Department began its gradual clearing out as officers took their leave, but one man was always guaranteed to stay. Commissioner James Gordon worked tirelessly by a dim light on the papers on his desk. A sudden gust of wind came from the window across the room, blowing the papers about the desk. Gordon held down as many papers as he could and waited for the wind to die down before he crossed the room to close the window.
"Strange…" he mused to himself, "I don't remember opening that window…" His voice trailed off as he scanned the office.
"Are you there?" he called.
"Commissioner Gordon."
Gordon spun around and held his gun on the unfamiliar voice. Batgirl already had her hands up by the time he turned on her.
"Who are you?"
"A friend."
Batgirl glanced down at the files littering the commissioner's desk, all of them police reports. About the Gotham muggings.
"Looks like something does have to happen to the people who matter before anything's done."
"We've been trying to stop these attacks for weeks," gordon argued, "Not just 'cause of the West girl and her friends."
"Then allow me to answer your prayers…"
Batgirl reached for her belt, making Gordon grow tense with his gun. Batgirl held her other hand up higher, showing she meant no ill will, and threw her camera on the desk then put both hands up again.
"On there, you'll find pictures of an underground lair in the sewers. The muggers have all been hiding themselves and the stolen goods there."
She reached for her belt once more, but, this time, Gordon didn't flinch. In fact, he lowered his gun slightly. Batgirl produced her tracker.
"If you follow this, it'll take you to their hideout."
She placed it beside her camera and stepped back. Gordon, keeping his gun low but still aimed for the teen, moved to his desk. He stared down at the camera and tracker and had to admit, they were identical to the ones Batman carried.
"And why should I trust you?"
"You trust my father. You can trust me too."
Gordon looked up at Batgirl, but she was already gone.
One by one, the GCPD officers standing in the sewers went down the line of cuffed muggers and lifted them out through the manhole, passing them off to their fellow officers, who immediately threw each member into the back of a police cruiser. Gordon stood off to the side, keeping the tracker and camera hidden under his coat. He watched one squad car full of arguing, hooded individuals take off for the station and just shook his head in disbelief. His eyes still trained on the strings of arrests driving away, he held the tracker and camera out just beyond the reach of the street light and Batgirl slipped both back into their pouches on her belt.
"They'll all be given a fair trial and the items will be returned to the people they stole them from," Gordon assured her.
"Good. their victims deserve justice."
Gordon looked Batgirl's way, but found nothing but air.
Jessica was always good at hiding her excitement and today was no exception. She stared out the back window of the car, focusing solely on keeping her smile at bay. Alfred glanced at her in the rearview mirror repeatedly, trying to gauge her emotions. Unfortunately for him, she was the best at hiding things.
They pulled up to the West mansion on that surprisingly bright Saturday morning. Jessica waited patiently for Alfred to open her door and stepped out nonchalantly. Gretta almost forgot to greet Jessica as she and Alfred approached the front doors. Jessica flashed Alfred a smile and slipped inside, leaving the two elders to chat. She forced herself not to run up the stairs and took a breath before knocking at Chloe's door.
"Chlo? It's me."
There was a pause then the door swung open and Chloe threw her arms around her friend. Jessica hugged her back as Chloe buried her face in her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry…"
Chloe pulled back, tears and snot running down her face. She got a tissue from the waistband of her pajama pants, spilling two more onto the floor, and wiped her tears and then her nose.
Jessica finally got a good look at her friend. Her pajamas were ragged and baggy as if that's all she'd been wearing. Her face was red and her eyes severely swollen from non-stop crying. She expected her blonde hair to be oily and disheveled from lying in bed all day like her pajamas suggested. Instead, it was wet as if she'd just been through a shower. She noticed the perpetual steam coming from Chloe's adjoining bathroom from her constant showers. Jessica saw the bandages on Chloe's wrists and her blood turned cold.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I should have been there…"
Chloe froze, staring at the crumpled up tissue in her hands. She sighed and threw it in the trashcan by the door.
"No… You shouldn't have…"
Jessica took a half-step forward, hinting at her intention to come in. Chloe stepped to the side, letting her friend pass her, and closed the door behind her. Jessica moved straight to the window on the far wall. She parted the drawn curtains and cracked the window open, trying her best to air out the steam. When she turned around, Chloe was sitting on her bed, head hung.
"You know, it's a really nice day. I was thinking we could go to the mall or ice skating or something."
Chloe gripped the sheets tightly, turning her knuckles white.
"I don't think so, Jessica…"
Jessica gently sat beside Chloe.
"Why not…?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"I just… Don't know if I can do it…"
Jessica nodded understandingly and put her arm around her friend's shoulders.
"I get it…"
Chloe hung her head lower and Jessica gave her shoulder a squeeze. Jessica spotted the pack of tarot cards on chloe's nightstand.
"Hey, how 'bout we just do each other's fortunes and watch some old movies? Like any other weekend?"
Chloe quickly wiped away the beginnings of tears and smiled at the brunette.
"Yeah, let's."
Chloe brought the tarot cards into her lap as Jessica flicked through the TV channels. Just before Chloe could let Jessica know she had stopped on a news station, she suddenly turned to the blonde, cutting her off.
"Oh, wait! I have to let Alfred know I'm staying! Be right back!"
She hopped up before Chloe could say anything and could hear the report on the TV as she slipped out.
"This is Vicki Vale with amazing news on the Gotham muggers."
Jessica found Alfred still by the front door, chatting with Gretta. She almost felt bad for interrupting them, but stood beside them nonetheless. After it took them a moment to even notice her, she cleared her throat, grabbing their attention.
Alfred swallowed the awkward lump in his throat. "Yes, Miss Jessica?"
She cracked a quick grin. She wondered if he'd even notice if she just never came down.
"I'm just gonna stay here and hang out with Chloe. You can uh…" She glanced at Gretta briefly. "Go… do whatever."
The two seniors weren't very good at hiding their blush. Jessica flashed them a smile and hurried back to the stairs. Just before ascending the steps, she spotted Ryan pulling Chloe into one of his warm hugs at the top of the stairs. She jogged up to the third step from the top just as Ryan let go of his sister.
"How ya feeling, Chloe?" he asked, still holding her shoulders.
Chloe gave the best smile she could muster up. "I feel fine, Ryan."
Jessica gave her friend a quick onceover. Her stretched out pajamas were now replaced with her favorite blue top and skinny jeans. Her hair was still damp from the shower, but was also combed out. The light makeup on her face seemed rushed and the lip gloss still in her hand suggested she was doing it on the run.
Ryan also noticed his sister's clothing and smiled. "And where are you off to today?"
Chloe glanced Jessica's way. "I was thinking ice skating."
The brunette swallowed the lump in her throat and expertly hid her excitement. "Did something good happen?"
Chloe beamed. "Very good."
"...the trials will begin later this week to decide what will be done with them. We can only hope that these men and women who tormented Gotham City will receive the punishments they deserve…"
Jessica finished folding up her suit, the poorly sewn Bat Symbol smiling up at her. She packed it away in a shoebox and sat on her bed, the box in her lap. She patted the top of the lip fondly.
"Well, guess I won't be needing you anymore…" She crossed the room to her closet and stood on her toes to reach the top shelf.
"We had a good run. Maybe you'll be a good Halloween costume someday."
With a good push, the box slid back to the wall, nice and unsuspecting. Jessica swung her arms into a stretch over her head on her way back to her bed. She aimed the remote at the TV as she pulled the covers up.
"This just in!"
Wait…
"Five armed men are holding up Gotham City Bank. Police have gathered outside and are currently negotiating for the hostages."
A helicopter view view of the city back appeared. Multiple police cars were clustered at the front steps. Commissioner Gordon stood front and center, megaphone in hand.
"One thing everyone's asking, 'Where is Batman?'"
Jessica's eyes trailed to her closet.
Why not? One more run won't change her life.