*Two Weeks Later*

I stepped off the plane and repositioned my backpack and suitcase. Diana and Barbara had taken me shopping for an actual wardrobe while we were in Paris. Now I was in tight blue jeans and a red sweater with golden stripes on the forearms, a style they insisted fit me well. The two of them had spent the week preparing me for my new lifestyle—one I wasn't totally excited about. So far, all I had seen of Gotham was the bird's eye view from the plane. It looked dingy and smoggy, not a thrilling combination. And seeing as the only information I had regarding my future guardian and housemate was Barbara's story of abuse, I wasn't particularly thrilled about living in a manor either. But when Diana had covertly called Bruce, while Barbara and I had been out shopping, she had managed to make him comply to the plan.

So it should have been no surprise that when I stepped onto the elevator that lead to the exit of the terminal, I immediately saw a sign that read, in perfect block letters, CASSANDRA SANDSMARK.

Sandsmark, I thought to myself, who takes a name like Sandsmark? Diana had assured me that it was, in fact my proper surname, as she had been one of the Amazons present when Zeus had appeared with baby me and my mother. Helena Sandsmark, the only name I could think about when I was on the plane; the only person I really wanted to find. Sure, Bruce would be 'training' me in the art of stealthy crime-fighting, or whatever he wanted to call it, but I would put his connections to the test.

The man holding my name was aged, but very nicely so. Everything about him screamed 'neat', from his perfect mustache down to his polished shoes. I wonder if Diana had sent a picture, or if maybe Bruce had pulled one, because the old man seemed to recognize me immediately, and was already putting the sign down as I approached.

"Miss Sandsmark, I assume?" he put his hand forward, "My name is Alfred Pennyworth, butler to Master Bruce." I took his hand, and found it firm, yet gentle. "Now then," he asked, "Is this all of your luggage?"

"Yep," I said, looking down to my small suitcase, "I left most of my things on Themyscira."

"Ah," he said, taking my suitcase from me and motioning for me to walk with him, "The fabled home of the Amazons. What is it like?"

While no man had ever set foot on Themyscira (well, save for Zeus, apparently), as far as I knew, there was no rule forbidding me from describing the island to one. I smiled at the thought of my former home. "It's beautiful," I began, "The only weather I've ever known has been partly sunny, with just enough heat to keep warm, but not enough to burn unless you don't put on the proper lotions before training, or farming. While the animals of the island never seem to disappear, we do take care to ration our intake, so we tend to grow most of our food. It's really wonderful—the perfect shade of green—and all of the buildings are built from white stone, although the palace is white marble." We had already made it to the car—or limo, rather, like the ones I had seen on the T.V. in Paris—and Alfred had put my suitcase in the trunk, before opening the back door for me. I climbed in and had almost clicked my seatbelt into place when I felt it, the presence of another person. I reached for my belt, which quickly became my lasso and filled the car with light. Seated opposite me was a teenaged boy, with thick black hair and smirking blue eyes.

"Who are you?" I demanded, raising my lasso.

He laughed and leaned back, with his arms spread across the seats. I felt the car start and begin to move, and I realized that the partition between the driver's seat and the back area was closed. What a pity, Alfred had seemed so nice.

"My name is Richard Grayson-Wayne," he said, "Although given the company you held in Europe, you probably know me better as Robin."

I recognized the unmasculine name immediately; so this was the little prick who hurt Babs. Now that I could see him, I could see that he was as small as his name suggested. I was gonna chew him up and spit him out.

"Hm," I said, crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair, "As unimpressive as I imagined." I gave him my best smile, "I can't say it's nice to meet you though."

His frown told me that I had clearly hit a point, and his relaxed demeanor disappeared. "How is she?" he asked, completely serious.

"The first time I met her, when she was attempting to explain how she had come to travel with my aunt, she burst into tears. After that though, we generally didn't mention you or Mr. Batman, so she was fairly happy."

His frown shifted to an all-out scowl, and I felt my smile grow. He wasn't going to get information out of me for free. I was determined to log him with an emotional debt equal to what Babs was paying out.

"I assume your 'aunt' left you with a means to get a hold of her?"

"They both have burner phones, and I can only call Diana's in case of extreme emergency, so I'm gonna go ahead and say no."

"I wouldn't call her on it," he insisted.

"No, you would just plug the number into your computer and track all the places she's been, and then try to predict her movements on the off chance that you might meet her at one."

"I..."

"Exactly," I said, "You're desperate to have the guilt that weighs on your shoulders resolved, and you're willing to ignore what's best for Barbara if that means you can feel better."

Evidently, I stepped too far with that one. One moment, I saw the anger flush his face with red, and the next moment he was across the limo and on top of me. His hands closed around my throat, and I saw the hurt and pain swirling beneath the anger in his eyes.

"Don't you dare think that I don't want what's best for her," he growled, "Take it back." I met his glare with as calm of a gaze as I could manage.

"Let go of me," I ordered, but his grip tightened slightly.

"Take it back."

I tugged slightly on my lasso, so that the loop I had threaded around his arms just before he grabbed me tightened. "Do you see this rope?" As I spoke, some of the red in his face disappeared, "It was given to me by a very…powerful person. It allows me to channel lightning into whoever is in its grip. Do you really want to play this?"

With a frustrated noise, he let go of my throat and fell into a seat adjacent to me, then threw off the rope. "I realized five minutes after I said it that I was in the wrong. I wanted to give her the weekend to cool off before I apologized, but when Monday came, she was already gone, and neither her dad nor Kara would tell me where she went."

Kara…

That reminded me of Barbara's other request. As I was leaving for Gotham, she grabbed my hand and pulled my focus back to her.

"Look, seeing as you're going to be in Gotham, and you're gonna be going to the same school as…Dick, well, just look out for Kara Kent."

"Kara Kent?" I repeated.

"Yea, she's one of my closest friends, and she was rather sad that I decided to leave for three out of our four high school years, and then last week, she got in an accident. I think she could use a friend like you right now." She smiled hopefully with the last sentence, and for a moment, I thought Donna was in front of me.

"Don't worry," I had said, patting her hand, "I'll keep an eye on her."

I had to make good on my word, so I knew that once I got to school, the first person I would seek out would be her.

"…anyway," I refocused on Dick's explanation, "I'm sorry. Nothing about this is right, and it seems like there's nothing I can do to fix anything."

He actually seemed genuinely sorry that he tried to choke me. In a rare moment of pity, I leaned forward and put my hand on one of his, "As an Amazon, I was raised on the belief that all things are fated. Act as you may, and fight where and whatever you can, but in the end, when you've given it your all, fate is fate. With your options cut off, accept that if you and Barbara are really as close as you thought, then you will one day return to it."

"That's a kind of depressing outlook to take," he grumbled, not looking up at me. I leaned back to my seat and crossed my arms again.

"That depends entirely on how you look at it, Boy Wonder."

I saw him try to quickly hide a grin; the action had me torn. Was he really changed, or was he putting on a very believable mask? I supposed that only time would tell.

A few minutes later, we pulled up at Wayne Manor; a huge, depressing looking building that appeared to have far more room than was needed for its occupants. Once the car came to a halt, Dick jumped right out of the car and strode up to the doorway, where another man was waiting.

He looked to be late-twenties, early thirties, with jet black hair cropped close to his head, and steely gray eyes that held only the appearance of warmth. As Dick entered the house, this man came forward, eyes fixed on me. I could tell from his look that he was calculating, trying to figure out as much about me as he could. He offered me a huge hand that easily enveloped mine, "Hello Cassandra, it's lovely to meet you. Your Aunt told me you intended to stay here for three years?"

"As long as I'm welcome," I replied, and I noticed a flicker of embarrassment race through his eyes, "Otherwise I'm sure I could just as easily inhabit my Aunt's apartment until the time's up."

"Nonsense," Bruce said, "despite what I'm sure you must have heard about Richard and me from Diana and Barbara, I want you to feel welcome here. What we did to Barbara was wrong, and I'm deeply embarrassed by my actions. I can already see the same promise in you that I saw in Barbara, and I'll be a fool if I let it go twice."

While it sounded somewhat like a political speech, I felt sincerity behind his words. Regardless of whether or not Dick had changed, it was clear that Bruce had. "However," he said, as he led me into the house, "I am concerned about your level of education."

"The Amazons are masters of many arts," I felt my pride ruffling its feathers.

"Be that as it may," he said as the door shut behind us, "I want to make sure you're ready for the American public education system. So, just to make sure that you're not overwhelmed your first day of school, I arranged for you to study here for the first few weeks, just to get you up to speed."

"So…home schooling?" I looked at the dark, shadow infested hall. It didn't seem particularly welcoming.

"Yes, it will also allow me time to teach you some of the principles Diana sent you here to learn."

"Crime-fighting," I finger-quoted.

"Yes," he frowned slightly at my gesture, "I don't want you out in Gotham until I know that you know what you're doing."

"How long is that going to take?" I asked; we had turned into a long hallway filled with doors. I had the sudden feeling I was going to get lost more than once.

"I estimate a month or two," he said, stopping at a door.

"A month?" I cried, "Seriously?"

"Depends on how quickly you learn," Bruce said simply, "Maybe more, maybe less."

I groaned and put my hand over my eyes; one full month before I could find Kara, before I could begin my time as Zeus's champion, before I could really experience the life of a teenager. But before I could continue my complaint, the door next to the one Bruce stood at opened, and Dick stuck his head out.

"What's with the noise?" He asked, bored or annoyed, I couldn't tell.

"I'm showing Cassie to her room," Bruce motioned to the door. Immediately, Dick jumped in front of the door and threw his arms out, as if he was protecting it.

"Not this one," He declared, "No one gets this room."

"Dick," Bruce started, but Dick wouldn't have it. He stood straight and crossed his arms, intent on standing his ground.

"Not this one."

Bruce sighed, "Ok," and motioned for me to follow him a little farther down the hall. Once he was sure he had won, and that we were definitely gone, he went back into his room and closed the door.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

Bruce stopped at a new door, and opened it to reveal a full suite complete with a bathroom and fireplace. Large windows were hidden behind tall scarlet drapes, which matched the comforter and detailing of the four-poster bed. I walked in, taking in the room, before I turned back to Bruce, waiting for my answer.

"The other room is the one that she chose when she first came to the manor," he said, looking away from me.

"Who?"

He looked up, and I saw a deep sadness in his eyes.

"Barbara."