[CHAPTER THREE]
The team's collective worry had grown over the course of Batman's conversation with Batgirl. Although they could only hear what he was saying, even that half sounded as if Batgirl was in serious trouble. M'gaan was about to speak up and ask if they should go in to help her when the Zeta-Tubes activated.
"Batgirl, B10."
As the lights faded, the team got their first glimpse of Batgirl. Her costume seemed similar to the Batman's, except for a golden bat-insignia on her chest, gold gloves, and the fact that the inside of her cape was purple.
The evidence of the battle she had just been in was obvious. There were tears scattered across her suit, showing a considerable amount of skin. The cape hung on a string three inches from its seam, and seemed to be missing about a third of it's original material. Her red hair was knotted and speckled with dried blood. But the most concerning was the way she clutched her wrist to her chest.
M'gaan gasped. The rest of them could only stare as she walked towards Batman. Even thought she seemed like she had been put through a shredder, then beaten to a pulp, there was a spring in her step and a sly grin on her face. Batgirl's confidence was evident as she walked over to Robin, who just shook his head and smiled. "What took you?"
Batgirl narrowed her eyes in mock annoyance. "Oh, nothing. Just thought I'd make a pit-stop on the way here. But hey, at least I'm awake. You look dead on your feet."
Robin smiled sweetly. "Would you like a mirror?"
Batgirl swatted at his chest with her good hand. Noticing the people standing behind him, she waved. "Hello, Junior-Justice League. How's it going?"
When they just continued to stare at her, she shrugged and looked to Batman, who had been observing their greetings in his usual stoic manner. "Batman, would you like the report now, or can I get cleaned up first? My wrist is staring to throb a little."
Batman took in her appearance for a moment, then nodded. "I can piece together what happened, between what you said and what the police discover at the scene. Do you need help?"
Batgirl paused for a moment, then looked back at Robin. "I could use some help with my back, and my wrist. Care to join me?"
Robin nodded. "Meet me in the med-bay?"
She nodded. "Sure thing. You have any—"
"Yeah, I've got some civvies for you. And a pair of shades. Can't have a Bat walking around with their identity unprotected."
Batgirl rolled her eyes as Robin went to his room to retrieve her clothes. Looking back at the rest of the teenagers in the room, she smiled. "Anybody know where the med-bay is? I didn't have time to memorize the floor plans for this place before I got here."
M'gaan shook off her shock and smiled at the battered-yet-cheerful girl before her. "Sure!"
Wally looked her over. "Why exactly does Robin have some of your clothes?"
Artemis smacked him on the back of the head, but he ducked at the last second. "What? It's a fair question!"
Batgirl laughed. "For emergencies. He's got some of my clothes, and I've got some of his clothes. When the stuff we have on gets shredded, it's nice to have places all around the city where you can change."
They all nodded, thinking that it made sense. Zatana was slightly relieved. For a moment she had thought there was something between her and Robin.
M'gaan walked over to Batgirl and then led her out of the room. The others looked over at Batman, pleading silently to be let off the hook for training.
Batman noticed their looks and weighed his options. Their attention would be scattered at best, but they needed the practice, and having to train like this might help them become more focused. Distractions make the best tools, when used correctly.
Batman nodded. "Alright, let's get to work."
They all sighed, then tried unsuccessfully to put all thoughts of Batgirl out of their heads.
_
M'gaan and Batgirl entered the med-bay in comfortable silence. M'gaan usually felt uncomfortable in these types of situations, but the presence of the girl beside her was unusually comfortable.
Batgirl studied the room before her. It appeared well stocked, if a bit hospital-
like.
M'gaan was just about to ask if she needed help when Robin entered the room with a pile of clothes in one hand and a pair of dark sunglasses in the other.
Seeing him enter the room, Batgirl took it as her cue to get out of the torn up costume. She started peeling off the pants, the usually slow task made all the more difficult by the fact that it now had giant slits in it. When she looked up, the pants successfully taken off, Batgirl saw that M'gaan looked slightly embarrassed. "What's wrong?"
Robin rolled his eyes as he readied the med-kit. "See, there's this thing called modesty; I'm not sure you two have been introduced."
Batgirl looked mildly surprised. "Oh, sorry. It's just, after a few years of walking in battered and bruised, needing medical attention, you start to pay less attention to that stuff."
M'gaan nodded. Batgirl took this as permission to proceed and slipped off her cowl, then her shirt. Grabbing her glasses off the bed next to her, she slipped them on, knowing that Batman and Robin would throw a fit if she went even one moment without her identity protected. Especially seeing as Artemis would recognize her civilian identity.
Robin picked up a cloth and the bottle of peroxide. Pouring out a generous amount, he dabbed it against the cuts on her back. Batgirl hissed and her back arched involuntarily.
Robin chuckled dryly. "You think that after this has happened so many times, you'd be more immune to this sort of thing."
Batgirl threw a glare over her shoulder. "I'm going to remind you of that statement next time I patch you up."
Robin's eyes widened slightly, then he chuckled nervously. "Heh heh…"
Batgirl looked smug, at least until Robin pressed the cloth against her arm and she hissed again. "Watch it, Wonder Bread!"
M'gaan observed their banter with some curiosity. It looked almost like they were a couple, but she knew that Robin and Zatana certainly weren't just friends anymore. Very gently, she brushed against their consciouses to see what they were feeling.
There was love there, certainly, but not like they were a couple. It seemed almost like they were brother and sister. They exchanged banter that could be considered flirtatious, but underneath all that their really was no attraction.
Batgirl glanced sharply at M'gaan. She could have sworn that she had felt something brushing across her mind. It was not a pleasant feeling.
"If you want to know what I'm thinking, just ask."
M'gaan blushed furiously. "I-I wasn't reading your thoughts. I just— you and Robin acted like you were…"
Batgirl sighed. "It's okay. Lots of people make that mistake. But next time, please just ask. That's kind of rude."
M'gaan looked embarrassed and nodded her head. Robin looked mildly offended that M'gaan would try to sense what they were thinking. but turned back to Batgirl. "Let me see that wrist. It looks like it might be sprained."
Batgirl looked worried. "I hope not. If it is, it'll mean that I have to go off patrol for a few days."
Robin looked at her. "You know that it'll be a week at least if it's sprained. If you can't use your wrist, your maneuverability is compromised."
"But with the thing at Arkham, we can't afford to have one of us sit out. You know what will happen when—"
Robin sighed. "Look, let me see your wrist first; then we can argue about whether or not you can patrol."
She lifted her wrist obligingly. Gently taking it in his hands, he looked it over, pressing in a few places. "I don't think it's sprained, but you'll have some nasty bruises. How'd you do this?"
"While they might not have had good aim, they sure knew how to tie a person up. I couldn't reach my belt, or even twist my arms to rub the spikes against the ropes. I had to, ah, adjust some things to slip this hand out."
"Trying to break your wrist is a stupid thing to do. You could have been out of commission for months!"
She huffed. "Well, I didn't, and my wrist will be fine. All I need is some ice and a day to sit back and I'll be fine." She pulled out of his grasp and started getting dressed. Just as she started pulling her shirt over her head, the rest of the team walked into the room.
They all stared at her as she puled her head through the shirt, then gently threaded her arms through the hoodie Robin offered her. Glancing over at the others, she frowned. "Not this again. C'mon guys, it's not like I'm naked or something." Stepping foreword off the bed, she pulled her pants on and then sat down again, reaching for her shoes. "Are we still training today or what?"
Wally cleared his throat. "Ahh, yeah, Batman said that since we wouldn't pay attention that he was going to make us wait and train with you. Funny thing is, he said it like it was a punishment."
Batgirl grinned. Just what she needed, a little way to wind down after being shot at for an hour. "Sounds like a plan. Just let me ice my wrist for a minute and I'll be good. Can someone point me in the direction of the kitchen?"
Robin offered her his arm. "Shall we?"
She laughed. "Indeed, my good sir. But mayhap you should be careful. Some may mistake your act of good manners for affection." Turning, they walked out of the room.
The others were still blinking after the two. "What…was that?" Wally asked of no one in particular."
M'gaan looked over and smiled. "As near as I could tell, Wally, that…was Batgirl."
While the others shrugged and left in the direction of the kitchen, Zatana stood there with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. What exactly was going on between those two? I mean, what if—
No, she told herself. I will not do this. I will not be that girl. Robin has mentioned her before, and said they were just friends. Really good friends. Maybe even…
Groaning to her self, she walked out of the med-bay following the others. I will not do this, I will not do this, I will not do this…
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the picture of Robin's face when Batgirl laughed out of her head.