CHAPTER 4

Old Navy, J.C. Penny's, Gotham Mall, 2 makeup stores, and a riding outfit store. That was the list of stores Ciara was wanting to go...

"Miss, I think we'll be able to go to the Mall, and check off Old Navy(there were 2 in Gotham, as well as J.C. Penny's.) J.C. Penny's and go to one makeup store." said Alfred.

"Ok... I've never really been to a mall before, I'm still not used to these surroundings." replied Ciara.

It was almost a year now since Ciara moved to Gotham. She was an in several foster homes since she was 5. She was found on the side of a road at the age of 4, all she had was a small bag with a necklace, a diary with a note from her real mother, and a some clothes.

"Here we are the mall." announced Alfred.

At Wayne Manor...

It was 6 PM, and Dick had just gotten home. He and his best friend Wally were going to have a "guy's night".

"Hey! Ciara!... Alfred?" called Dick.

"Where are they? I thought you said that she and ,Alfred, were usually home." asked Wally.

"They are..."

"I'll check the house, you look for clues." joked Wally, dashing off in a blur.

As Dick looked around he didn't notice anything unusual.

WHOOSH!

"Couldn't find them... But I did find this note..." said Wally.

Wally handed the note to Dick. As he started to read it he knew that Bruce wasn't going to be happy.

"Dear Family,
Alfred and I have gone shopping. I don't know when we'll be back, if you need to get in touch with us you know what to do.
Love,
Alfred and Ciara"

"Well, that's that... I'm going to go unpack by sleeping bag upstairs." said Wally, grabbing his lightning sleeping bag and heading upstairs.

This is going to be a looong night! he thought to himself, as he headed upstairs.

At the Gotham Mall...

"Phew! Well, you were right ,Alfred, we got almost everything done and it's only- well, almost 7 PM." said Ciara.

"And our last stop will be?" asked Alfred.

"Clinton's Riding Shop. I looked it up on the internet, it has all the riding outfits I need."

"I'll look it up on the GPS."

"At this rate we'll be home in... An hour."

I just hope that when I get home, that no one will be waiting for me... she thought to herself.

"Miss... Clinton's Riding Shop is only a 20 minute drive from here." explained Alfred.

"Ok... We'll back in no time."

At Clinton's Riding Shop...

RING, RING!

"How can I help you?" asked the clerk.

"I'm looking for riding outfits, boots, helmets, and the actual clothes." answered Ciara.

"Well then... You've come to the right place... Let me show you where they are."

As they walked down the aisles, Ciara saw everything! Boots, helmets, riding saddles... Everything.

When they stopped they were in front of some riding clothes.

"Pick what you like. I'll be at the front desk if you need anymore help." said the clerk.

"Thank you." replied Ciara.

The clerk nodded and then left.

"We'll make this quick, pick only what is essential for riding, not how it looks." said Ciara, to Alfred.

He nodded then started looking.

When they went back to the desk they had boots, a helmet, a riding crop, some riding clothes, and a some riding gloves.

"Found everything you need?" asked the clerk.

"Yep! Thank you." answered Ciara.

As the clerk rang up the total, he nodded.

"That will be $127.67, please." announced the clerk.

"Alright..." replied Ciara, digging in her purse for her wallet.

When she found it she handed all the money to the clerk, as he put the things in a bag. And when they finally left, they stepped inside the car.

"Well, that was only 45 minutes!" exclaimed Ciara happily.

"Shall we go home now?" asked Alfred.

"Yeah, it's getting late. And I'm really tired."

At Wayne Manor...

SLAM!

"Hey, guys! We're home!" yelled Ciara.

Wally and Dick came jumping down the stairs.

"Hey! Guys... Where's ,Bruce?" asked Ciara.

"Job. Remember, the money he makes to pay for your stuff." answered Dick sarcastically.

Ciara looked at him confused.

"Whatever. Um, I'm gonna take my things up to my room." said Ciara.

"I will prepare dinner." replied Alfred.

As both left Wally wowed silently.

"Dude! Your sister seriously changed! What did she do to her hair?! And those clothes!" exclaimed Wally.

"Alfred says she's going through a phase... But I think it's something more." replied Dick.

"Come on, let's go finish our movie."

"Yeah..."

In Ciara's room.

She had a brand new stereo and CDs that she bought when she bought those horse things.

She plugged it in, put in a CD from David Archuleta... And hummed to the tune Crush, as she put away her things.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

"Come in." invited Ciara.

"Hey, Ciara." replied Dick.

"Um... Hi?"

"So... I have a hypothetical question..."

"Ok.."

"Let's hypothetically you had a crush on ,Wally. What would you do?"

"I would probably be nervous to ask him on a date, so I'd keep my feelings hidden. But that's hypothetically speaking."

"But what if it isn't a hypothetical thing... What if it's real?"

"Are you trying to see of I would date ,Wally?"

"No... Yes."

"Me and Wally, are just friends. Besides I think I like someone else."

"Oh? Who is this mysterious guy?"

"Hmm... Just someone I met at Melissa's party."

"You mean Melissa's crazy parties."

"She's nice... Is there something else?"

"Um... Yeah... I think."

"What?"

"What happened to nice yet sassy ,Ciara? Where is she?"

Ciara looked at the floor.

"She went on vacation."

"When will she be back?"

"Maybe never..."

"Oh... What happened at Melissa's party? I know something happened... Ever since you came back you've changed."

"Let's just say... I found out a little bit more about myself."

"You mean your parents? Family?"

"Something like that."

"Tell me."

"I can't ,Dick. I promised."

"You can tell me."

"I can't."

"Ciara, please... I want to help."

"I'm sorry."

Dick sighed, he knew she was serious. He knew something would never change, she would never lie, but she wouldn't tell him anything that he didn't need to know.

"I gotta go."

"Dick..."

"See you at dinner."

As soon as he left, she started to cry, she hated not telling Dick something... But the policy is: If a mortal, or someone outside of your pack or any other pack knows who you are, he or she will not live.

Tears rolled down Ciara's face... She couldn't tell anyone.

As soon as she wiped the tears from her face she started to put away her riding clothes.

Downstairs...

SLAM!

"Hello, Alfred. Is ,Ciara, home?" asked Bruce.

"Yes, I hope you don't mind, but she wanted to go shopping so I took her to the mall and another store." answered Alfred.

"Oh? Well, I hope her attitude is better than yesterdays."

"Indeed. I think she was going through a phase, but I think she like her new look."

"Well, I don't... Ciara!"

CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP.

"You called." said Ciara.

"I've thought about it, and I think that you should dye your hair back..." replied Bruce.

"But!.."

"I wasn't finished."

Ciara sighed.

"But you can get it highlighted. You can keep your clothes, unless they show to much, and I will accept riding classes."

Ciara sighed, again.

"Can't I get highlights of my natural hair?"

"Fine, but they will be bigger than highlights."

"Fine."

"Alfred, how's dinner?"

"Finished, Sir." answered Alfred.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!

"Uh, that's my phone... Uh... Ugh. I gotta go, one of my friends is in trouble." explained Ciara.

"What kind of trouble, maybe I can help." asked Bruce.

"This is something she wants, only me to know."

"Don't be gone long."

"Alright."

In Mount Justice...

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!

"Aqualad, to team!" said Aqualad over the coms.

"What is it?" asked Robin.

"Yeah! I was eating." complained Kid Flash.

"Dude! You're always eating."

"Enough! We have our eyes on ,Wolf Rider." explained Aqualad.

"Coming! Be right there in... 5... 4... 3... 2..." counted Kid Flash.

"KID FLASH, B07."

WHOOOSH!

"Well, that was entertaining." said Superboy, walking in with Megan.

"I ,Wally." greeted Megan.

"I'll be over in 5 minutes." announced Robin.

"Everyone. Suit up." ordered Aqualad.

Then Kid Flash, left 2 seconds, then came back in 3. Superboy, is always dressed in his "suit", and Megan shape-shifts.

In Gotham City...

She was in the alley beating up a guy, who was stealing from a teenage girl.

"You won't be stealing from anyone anytime soon, now that I am here." said Wolf Rider, "Κρέμονται ανάποδα, πόλο τα φώτα ... Γνωρίστε την παρουσία μου!"

Then suddenly a rope came out of nowhere, wrapped around the guy's feet, and hanged him upside down from a lamppost.

"Are you ok?" asked Wolf Rider.

"Uh-huh." answered the girl in astonishment.

Wolf Rider, nodded, then ran to find more crime. When suddenly she heard chanting.

"Face o cupolă în măsura în care eu sunt de la ea! În cazul în care ea scapă, arde-o." chanted Zatara.

"Cool! What'd you say?" asked Kid Flash.

"You do not want to know." answered Zatara.

"Uh..(tries to pass).. OW! Uhh.. Ow. Roman magic!... Βοήθησέ με, OH Εκάτη, η Μητέρα του Σεληνιακή έκλειψη ... Βοήθησέ με, να σπάσει αυτό το θόλο." chanted Wolf Rider, there was a break but then... The connection broke.

"Blocați magia ei! Profite de ea! Nu-l dau înapoi, până în ziua când ea se afla."

"Κλείστε το στόμα του, μέχρι το πρωί, όταν ο ήλιος ανατέλλει."

A sparkle shot from her hands... Then fizzled.

"Uh! Κλείστε το στόμα του, μέχρι το πρωί, όταν ο ήλιος ανατέλλει. Uh! Εργασία! Με τα καταραμένα παιδιά της Εκάτης, μαγεία τον βρίζουν, ο οποίος χρησιμοποιεί μαγεία της Ρουμανίας! Ugh! You cursed me." yelled Wolf Rider.

"No. I just blocked your magic."

"Curse you!"

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna do any good. You see if blocked your magic." said Kid Flash.

Wolf Rider snickered.

"Seriously?" questioned Robin to Kid Flash.

"What?" asked Kid Flash.

"We're talking about this."

"Fine."

"Enough." said Aqualad.

Suddenly Aqualad had Wolf Rider's attention.

"We only wish to help you ,Wolf Rider." explained Aqualad.

"I don't want your help. Any of yours... But if what you say is true then maybe my Mother can make this world a better one." replied Wolf Rider.

Suddenly a howl came out of nowhere, and then Wolf Rider's eyes started to glow, energy formed everywhere around her circling, her hood was moved by the energy revealing something.

Robin's eyes widened.

Ciara? Robin thought.

A strip of Shining Blue hair. No one else had saw it but Robin, and he just stood there.

Suddenly there was a rumble and a giant wolf appeared.

"Woah! Dude!" exclaimed Kid Flash.

"I thought you said her power was blocked." said Robin.

"It is, but some Children have a Protector, or Guardian." explained Zatara.

Wolf Rider, gasped.

"My power... Κάντε μου και Guardian μου εξαφανίζονται. Και τίθεται Guardian μου όπου πρέπει να είναι, μέχρι να τον καλέσει και πάλι." chanted Wolf Rider, and like that they just vanished.

"How did her power come back?" asked Kid Flash.

"I don't know..." answered Zatara.

At Wayne Manor, in Ciara's room...

WHOOSH!

Ciara sighed.

Why is this so hard? she asked herself.

"Πάρτε μακριά μου, το πάθος." chanted Ciara, then her Wolf Rider suit was put away.

She was back in her regular day clothes. She plopped on her bed and sighed again, she knew that sooner or later she would be found out, and then Batman would come to her as Bruce and tell her that she has to go to the "ceremony".

If Bruce can't tell me he's Batman, why should I tell him I'm the mysterious new vigilante? she thought.

Then suddenly there was a slam! Her door was shut and Dick was here.

"Why didn't you tell me you're ,Wolf Rider!?" yelled Dick.