I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.

I only own my OC's!

Induction and Introductions

THE WATCHTOWER, MID-DECEMBER

I look around the large space-station, seeing several heroes I recognize—Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman—and several I don't. There's a robot off to one side, a green man in a cape, and a man dressed as Robin Hood talking to a woman in fishnet tights. The one I don't see is the very one I need to talk to—Batman.

I sigh before leaving the party in search for the ever-stealthy Bat. I'm not really into partying, and I tend to be a wallflower anyway, and I'm still curious as to why I was voted in. After searching for almost an hour, I find him in the monitor room. I steel myself and walk up to Batman before sighing. The faint sound causes him to turn to me. I take a deep breath and speak before he has a chance to scold me for whatever I may have done wrong in the Watchtower. I'm not used to this place, and I don't know the rules yet. "Why did you guys choose me? I haven't even been a hero for that long. It's only been five and a half months since I found out about the powers in the necklaces."

Batman turns to me. "You have promise."

"I have Asperger's."

He crosses his arms. "And that means you can't be a League Member?"

"I wasn't good enough for Culver EMS, and three weeks after I started protecting Culver I had to leave because I wasn't good enough to protect them either."

"You would not be here if you weren't good enough for us."

I smile weakly. "Thanks." I turn to the door before turning back. "You know, you're not as scary as I used to think. You're actually kind of cool, in your own special way." I sigh. "My partner and I could use some training lessons. We just started protecting Chicago a week and a half ago, she's only eight, and I barely know how to fight."

"Snowfire's eight?"

"I kinda…took a page from your book. Robin was nine when he started fighting by your side. Snowfire chose this." I smile. "After all, she's been protecting me from abuse since she was two. I had to leave home last month because she couldn't do it anymore. My birthfather wants me dead, and forbade me to call the police again. I can fight the toughest criminal in Chicago, but I can't face my own biological father."

"What happened to your adoptive parents?"

I sigh. "Mom's been dead for six months. Dad's too busy with work to shelter me. I moved into a half-way house last month. It's funded by the Carter Family—the richest family in Chicago. The benefactor even said he'd put in a good word at the medical school when I'm ready for it, and funds my hero work."

Batman nods. "Sounds like he believes in you."

"He's a doctor at an inner city hospital. He's seen Chicago's scum first-hand. Even been almost killed by one." I notice Batman tenses up, so I send him a reassuring smile. "Bruce, I know." This time I get a stunned and angered look. "I've studied on the League, I know who almost everyone is. I even know your story. Lost your parents at eight, killed in front of you by Joe Chill. Started training at fourteen, became Batman at twenty-one. Took in a protégé almost four years ago at the age of twenty-eight, Dick Grayson, last survivor of the Flying Graysons, orphaned at age nine on April Fool's Day, his entire family killed by Tony Zucco. Now you're thirty-one and Dick is thirteen." I sigh. "Dad's getting older all the time, and he's not healthy. It's only a matter of time before I'm an orphan too."

"But your biological—"

"Disowned me, and negligent. Nothing but a brother and sister-in-law, and only when they want to be. I tell ya, sometimes he's worse than the Joker." I smile slightly. "But other times, he can be the greatest brother ever. That's a bipolar for you."

I sigh and turn toward the door, stopping when a black-gloved hand rests on my shoulder. "Wait." I turn and sit down beside Batman. "Why did you feel you were not good enough for the League?"

I look down at the floor, embarrassed, but knowing that Batman could easily have me kicked off the team if I start acting like a child around them without him knowing why—and usually I do. "I'm…kinda at the emotional age level of a thirteen-year old—on a good day. Sometimes if things go bad or I get scared, I'm even younger. Immaturity has been my greatest weakness, and my emotions and the meltdowns second only to that." I sigh heavily. "I'm good at keeping it together when it matters, but…" I turn to Batman. "Snowfire has always brought me that emotional strength that I've needed. When I found out about the powers in the necklaces, she was the first person I went to—I had bought them as friendship necklaces last year—I didn't know they held power until my other star-shaped-courage-bringing necklace broke and I started wearing this one."

Batman turns to look at me before doing the one thing I never expected him to do—confiding in me. "Several members of the League think I'd be…insane…without Robin."

I giggle. "Bruce, you run around Gotham dressed as a Bat. What's sane about that?" I sigh when he glares at me. "Okay, okay. I know what you meant—that you lost control of yourself and almost killed someone—but you didn't. I've heard some tales about you going ballistic on anyone who hurts Robin, so I understand. If anyone hurt Snowfire…" I sigh. "Not only would I have to face my birthparents accusing me of abusing her again, but I'd have one very angry cousin to answer to."

"She's not your daughter?"

"Everyone in my family insists I'm not ready to be a mother." I sigh. "At their rates—waiting until I've "grown up" more—I'll never have my own child." I sigh. "I'm going to return to the chaos that passes for a party on this floating hunk of high-tech metal, and pray there're no drunks waiting to feel me up in there."

I leave the room, missing the rarest occurrence of all: Batman smiling at my retreating form.