Once upon a time in Gotham, many years ago on All Hallow's Eve, there was a girl named –
"Edina Lee Thompkins! Put that bat down and come over here and sit quietly with us."
The girl's parents, two of the most notorious villains in Gotham, were utterly perplexed by her fascination with Gotham's legendary hero who had seemingly risen from nowhere in recent years and made for quite the vexing enemy.
"But I LOVE the bat!" Edina says, pouting. The squishy plastic bat she had brought home from her best friend's Halloween party earlier that afternoon now hangs limply in her hand. She had gotten excited upon seeing the news break that Batman had once again saved Gotham mere hours before it was time for trick or treating and had jumped in front of the set to fly her new bat around in appreciation.
Her mother shakes her head and pats the seat beside her, indicating were Edina should come and sit down before turning to her father. "How did we of all people raise a hero worshipping –"
"Hey, I don't want to hear it," her father counters. "You're the one that lets her play with Barbara."
"Jim's daughter?' Her mother waves her hand dismissively. "She's harmless."
"Oh yeah? Well they've become best friends." Edina's father shakes his head. "Our daughter and the Commissioner's daughter? What could possibly go wrong?"
"Hush," Edina's mother says and gently reaches up to nudge her father's shoulder with the ball of her stockinged foot. "I want to watch."
"Yeah!" Edina says, finally hopping up on the couch and lifting a finger to her lips. "Be quiet now, Daddy!"
You might know Edina's father better as The Riddler. And her mother? Well, she needs no introduction. . .
As Batman is shown foiling The Penguin's plans for that evening on instant replay in the foreground, there's a flash of sleek black hair that can be seen in the corner of the screen. It's there for less than a second, but it's unmistakable.
"Lee. . .?" Edina's father asks, stunned. "Tell me it isn't true."
"What?" Edina is lost.
Her mother just smiles wickedly. "What? Are you jealous now?"
"No," Edina's father replies with a pout. "You might just want to tell me the next time you and Oswald are planning something. I could have easily helped you avoid this."
He motions to the set.
"What? And spoil all the fun of almost getting caught?" Her mother says with a quirk of her lips.
"Oh! Oh!" Edina finally gets it. "Were you one of the bad guys tonight, Mom?"
"Yes, sweetheart."
"Too bad The Batman nabbed you." Edina giggles uproariously and begins batting her mother with . . . the bat.
"She's starting to talk like your ex," her father says wryly. "'Nabbed?' What kind of word is that? I'm telling you, Lee, Barbara's a bad influence on her."
Edina's mother leans over to kiss her father, saying huskily, "Don't be grumpy."
"Yeah, Dad!" Edina exclaims and vaults off the couch, suddenly bored watching the news with her parents. "Time to put my cape on."
She races out of the room.
"See?" her father says. "She's even dressing up as that vigilante now."
"It's Halloween, Ed," her mother replies. "Besides, it's not like you've never dressed up as one of your enemies before. Remember your little show in The Narrows? Penguin -"
"You used to dress up as Uncle Oswald?" Edina asks, so shocked her mouth hangs open and she almost drops the cape she now holds in her hands.
"You can't even imagine that, huh?" her father asks her.
"Uh uh." She shakes her head, but then it's back to business. She lifts the cape. "Can you help me put this on?"
"Come over here, sweetheart," her father says and plunks his signature hat on her head once she's in range. "Now wouldn't you rather wear something like this . . . a nice, sinister hat to shield your face and hide your intentions from the world?"
"No thank you, Daddy." She takes off the hat and hands him the cape. "I want this."
He sighs.
"Don't look at me," Edina's mother says. "She's your daughter, too."
The doorbell rings just as Edina's father finishes transforming her into the Caped Crusader.
"She's here! Barbie's here!" Edina screeches, running to the foyer.
Her mother and father soon follow, and her mother opens the door.
"Jim."
"Lee, nice to see you this evening," Barbara's father says with a knowing look in his eye. "Again."
Edina's father immediately steps between them. "You caught the bad guy already, Jim. Back off."
"No, he didn't!" Barbara says smugly, crossing her arms. "Batman did! Daddy just showed up for the arrest."
Barbara's father gives her a long suffering look and then the two little girls break into a little dance, singing their own personal theme song for the Caped Crusader. "Na na na na na na na na na … "
"I can't believe I'm leaving Barbara with you two villains tonight to go trick or treating."
"She'll be fine," Edina's mother assures Barbara's father. Firmly.
"Edina better not be a bad influence on her," he warns.
Edina's father harrumphs as he looks down at the two little girls dancing about, still singing and intermittently crying out "BATMAN!" Both of them were dressed up like their hero for Halloween.
"I could say the same, Jim."
But in the end, Barbara was a bad influence on Edina. You see, Batman gained another ally not long after the Boy Wonder had joined forces with him.
And it wasn't Barbara Gordon.
No, Batman's new ally was the daughter of two of Gotham's most notorious villains. And her name was Edina. But you probably know her as Batgirl.
Now there are people in certain circles who think they know the true identity of Batgirl . . . and they claim it's Barbara Gordon. But they would be wrong. So where did they EVER get that idea . . . ?
"Ugh, alright already, Barbie! I'll set you up with him at the Halloween party, just please cover for me again tonight, okay? Mom and Dad are getting suspicious. We gotta make this look good."
"They're always suspicious," Barbara says, taking a break in applying her mascara to roll her eyes at her best friend. "Especially your father. He's too smart for his own good."
Edina groans. Her best friend is right.
"Hey Barbie. . ."
"Hmmm… ?"
"His name is Dick."
"Who?"
"Your Boy Wonder."
"I thought it was Robin."
"No, that's just his alias. But you can't let on that you know that, okay? He's just Dick to you."
"Dick . . ." Barbie says breathily, trying out his real name on her tongue, but then she just can't help herself and lets out an excited "Squee!"
Now it's Edina's turn to roll her eyes. "You're gonna have to lose that fangirl nonsense of yours if you want things to work out with him, you know."
"But he's so dreamy . . ."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Barbie, but despite how he might appear in the news, he's just a regular guy," Edina says. "Cornier than my dad, actually."
"How is that even possible? Your dad's riddles are pretty cheeseball if you ask me."
"Oh, it's possible. If I have to hear 'Holy -' … anything one more time, I swear I'm going to gouge my own eyes out. Or better yet, his."
Barbara stands up, finished with her make-up. "How do I look?"
Edina can't help but snort, looking at her best friend's distressed leggings. There's more skin showing than fabric. She shakes her head. "Dick will probably say 'Holey Tights, Batgirl!' when I introduce you two at the party."
Barbara frowns, checking herself out in the mirror. "Too slutty you think?"
"No, you're fine. He'll like it."
Edina smiles as she imagines 'Batgirl' and Robin dating. The press will have a field day.
"Okay, let's go stop my parents from ruining Halloween yet again before we head to the party. I swear, they are such a menace to this city." Edina looks down and shakes her head at the thought.
"Tell me about it," Barbara says.
The two girls head out into the night that All Hallow's Eve - two heroes really. One actually fights beside Batman, while the other pretends to from afar to throw off the scent and keep the real Batgirl safe from the wrath of her villainous parents.
Having chosen a lighter path than them, Edina is quite satisfied with her life. Although she does hope that someday she will be able to not just save Gotham from her parents and their menacing plots, but to save them from their own darkness. She knows that long ago, before she was even born, neither of them were villains. So in her heart, she habors the hope that someday they can re-emerge into the light with her. Until then . . .
She will continue to help the people that she can alongside the Caped Crusader. As Batgirl.
FIN
Author's Note: This ENTIRE plot bunny was inspired by my husband saying to me one night while we were watching Gotham that Lee looked like she could be the mother of Batgirl (specifically Yvonne Craig from Batman '66). I just couldn't let go of that notion and this fic was born!
Thanks to Doomed_Copper and my 1966 Batman watching mother for the beta!