A Little Less Conversation, a Little More Action Please

A DCAU Plus fanfiction project

This adventure begins just after the Justice League pilot "Secret Origins".


Cassandra II


She let Stephanie lead her from the Batcave. The blonde girl's emotions were not hard to decipher, and they never had been: She was always so open and so unguarded with Cass, and that was why Cass liked her. And right now, Stephanie was angry and furious over how Batgirl had treated her.

"That smart aleck, jumped up... Bet she just got her costume because she was the commissioner's daughter," Stephanie ground out. She still held Cass's hand tightly, and led her to the living room of the manor above. The sun was setting and the first stars were peeking out. The manor was still and quiet.

Stephanie sat with Cass on a couch, and looked at her in naked concern. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Cass frowned. She blinked away tears. Strange... She had stopped crying around her father. It always resulted in bad things. Yet here...

"I'm sorry that bitch said those things to you," Stephanie said firmly. She shook her head. "We gotta get the Sexy Batman to teach us or something because Gordon's just-!"

"Language, young lady," Alfred admonished. Stephanie jumped, letting out a squeak of fright. Cass looked at him quickly, then read his body language. He had been listening in: He didn't seem surprised to see them. He was confident though, and carrying a plate of cookies and milk. Stephanie glowered.

"I see where Batman learned that trick," she muttered. Louder, she spoke to Alfred: "I'm sorry Alfred but Gordon just-She's setting us up to fail and mocking us when we do!"

"Really? What did she say?" Alfred asked gently, setting the snacks down and rising back up, as refined and dignified as ever. Cass reached for the cookies and began eating, while Stephanie ranted.

"First she has us go through 'Joker' level on that Zogger thing, then she has me do combat and gymnastics training without any breaks for five hours, but worst of all-She made Cass do some detective crap without even bothering to ask her if she could read," she seethed. She glowered deeply, her normally bright eyes narrowed in disgust and anger. "Did her daddy ask Batman if she could become Batgirl or what?"

"Now Miss Stephanie, that is improper," Alfred scolded. "You have no idea about Miss Barbara's past or the challenges she has overcome. Any more than she knew about yours! As much as it may surprise you, Batman and his associates are not omnipotent. Nor should you expect them to be!"

Stephanie, shocked, settled into a sigh of resignation. "I'm sorry Alfred," she said. "But seriously, she's been running us ragged and treating us like dirt! What am I supposed to think?"

Alfred sighed, and rested a hand on Stephanie's shoulder. "Your outrage for your friend is understandable, even commendable," Alfred said, "but it is more likely this is all the result of a misunderstanding. Above all else, Miss, you must remember: Master Bruce is a man of action, not of words. And his associates have picked up some remarkably bad habits from him, acting without thinking of talking about it. Please, do not be the next to pick them up? I'm sure it's nothing we can't all overcome with some communication. All right?"

Stephanie, her anger mostly exhausted, nodded slowly. Alfred smiled. Cass liked when he smiled: His body language wasn't so much closed, as refined. Like he knew exactly how to shift and stand to say what he wanted with his stance, and nothing more. Save that he was tired, probably from working so hard for them all.

For people he barely knew. Cass smiled back, and there was a small twinkle in his eye. She liked that, too. It made her feel special.

"Now, you and Miss Cassandra have your cookies and milk. I will be back soon, and we'll sort this out. I promise," he said. Alfred turned and walked off to the study. He entered the Batcave, the grandfather clock door sliding open with a low hum and then closed with a soft thump. Stephanie looked over at Cass, in concern.

"Cass?"

"... Okay," Cass decided.

"Are you sure?" Stephanie asked. "You're... Crying."

Cass smiled at her. "... Could not cry. Father not... Let me," she explained. Stephanie's eyes glistened. Cass blinked. "Now you cry."

Stephanie hugged her tightly. Cass returned it. She then let Stephanie go and looked at her seriously with her hands on her shoulders.

"No cry. Teach me."

Stephanie nodded. "Okay. I left those books back home-"

"Teach me," she insisted. Stephanie nodded, and walked over to the bookshelf.

"Okay... Let's see if I can find something that wasn't written a hundred years ago and isn't worth more than my house," she murmured. Cass wasn't sure of the joke, but Steph was making one so she did at least smile.

Eventually, Stephanie returned with a green, leather bound book, a pen and papers. She opened it up to a page with a picture on it. The picture was of a blonde girl, a rabbit, a mouse, and a little man in a large hat seated at a table. Stephanie pointed at the girl, and then to a chunk of symbols on the opposing page.

"Alice," Stephanie said. "A, L, I, C, E. That's the girl's name." She reached out to draw the symbols on the paper. She then tapped each one, repeating the letters again slowly. Cass nodded, trying to commit it to memory.

"Are there any other words you can recognize from the book we read back home?" Stephanie asked. Cass scowled at the page. The lines of symbols seemed like an indecipherable mess to her. "It's okay, take your time," Stephanie said. Cass's finger lashed out, and she pointed at one small word.

"... Bi... Bird?" Cass asked. Stephanie nodded.

"Yeah! And what's that mean?"

Cass made the motion of a bird flapping its wings with her arms, and Stephanie nodded again with a smile.

"Yes, that's right!"

"Uh... Hello."

Both girls looked up. Barbara was standing there, her hands behind her back. Her body language spoke of shame and sorrow, but determination. Stephanie's eyes narrowed.

"Hello," Stephanie returned coldly. The redhead took a deep breath and sighed.

"I came up to apologize," she said. "I let my personal issues get in the way of doing my job. There is no excuse... And I'm sorry," she said. Stephanie looked over at Cass. Cass nodded: It was clear whatever pain Barbara was suffering right now was genuine.

"... Accepted, I guess," Stephanie said guardedly. Stephanie couldn't see Barbara's true feelings, so her suspicions remained. But Cass didn't fault her friend for that: No one was perfect. Cass nodded as well. Barbara let her hands fall to her sides, squeezing them nervously.

"... I see you're trying to learn how to read," she said finally. "I did work as a librarian at my college. Maybe... I can help with that? And we can work out the... Other things we all need to work on while we do it?"

Stephanie again looked to Cass. Cassandra nodded, and even gave Barbara a small smile. This immediately made Barbara relax: Less sorrow, less self recrimination. Stephanie too relaxed.

"... Teach me," Cass decided. Barbara walked over and sat down with them, Cass between her and Stephanie. Stephanie was still guarded, but she did scoot a little closer.

"I've been teaching her with Doctor Seuss books, but I don't think Bruce has any of those," Stephanie said. Barbara pulled a tablet out from in between the couch cushions, and booted it up. She smiled kindly at them both.

"Don't worry. I've got plenty on here," she said. "Alice in Wonderland is great, but we should start a bit easier, right?"

Cass frowned. She hated not being able to read. But the reassurance and confidence in Barbara meant she would listen to her. It was clear with how she handled the book that writing was very dear to her.

Just as trying to do right by them was dear to her.

"Right," Stephanie said with a nod. She smiled at Cass. "So! Which one do you want to resume?"

"... Cat in Hat," Cass decided. Barbara's smile grew.

"A girl of taste, I see," she said. Stephanie sighed.

"And here I was trying for Green Eggs and Ham," she lamented.

"Plebian," Barbara teased gently. Stephanie tensed, and for a moment Barbara was filled with fear she'd gone too far. "I mean-"

"Yeah? Better than a snob," Stephanie retorted, but without malice. The tension vanished again, and soon Barbara and Stephanie were slowly warming up to eachother with laughs and words. Cass smiled as well, and focused on trying to grasp the mystery of reading.

If it was anything like reading people, it was probably worth knowing...


And fixing things up.