I do not own Batman or any of the DC heros mentioned in this fanfiction. I do own the rights and idea of Megan Winters. She is mine.

A/n: I'm back! And my writer's block is gone! A vacation is just what I needed. Anywho, I hope y'all had a Happy Fourth of July and set off a bunch of fireworks! Did you here about the San Diego display? The whole city let off a bunch of fireworks at once! I would've loved to see that! Here's a warning: Band camp starts next week and lasts all week and the week after that so I might not be able to update as much as I'd like to. So I apologize in advance! Well here's another chapter! Enjoy~

Chapter 9

The door that led to the room the Joker was in burst open as the G.C.P.D. marched in and captured him. The crowd cheered as the mad clown was dragged away.

"Mark my words, Gotham! You haven't seen the last of me!" He threw his head back and cackled. Megan smiled as she watched the T.V. showing The Joker's arrest. She left the broadcasting room and headed for the exit. Suddenly, she was surrounded by Joker Thugs.

They don't look too happy. She thought.

"So that's the mangy mutt that clobbered Tiny, eh?" One of them pounded a fist into his other hand.

"Matches the description, don't it?" Another one shouted. Megan took on the same fighting stance she saw Robin use in training.

"Don't worry, Young Mistress. Help is on the way." She could hear Alfred in her ear once again.

"What do you mean help is-"

Just then, a dark figure swooped down from the ceiling and knocked out two Thugs. Another figure fell from the ceiling, landing next to her.

"Hey, Meg. Looks like you could use an extra paw." The boy wonder grinned. Megan groaned from his corny joke.

"Really, Robin? Just really?" She ducked as one of the Thugs came tumbling her way followed by a swift sucker punch to the gut. Robin used is bo staff to knock out another Thug heading their way.

"What? I thought it was pretty good."

"Enough talk. Start fighting." Batman ordered. He had taken out most of the Thugs already. Megan gulped and looked to Robin.

"H-He's mad isn't he?" Robin gave her a weak smile. She sighed.

"I will avenge Pinky! I won't let you get away, mangy mutt!" A Thug lunged himself at Megan, grabbing her throat. She kicked his face then pulled his hands off her throat. She growled at the henchman and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt pulling him down to her face.

"I've had it up to here with you all calling me that! My name is not mangy mutt! It's Mega-" She stopped herself before she said her real name.

"Mega?" The Thug echoed.

"Y-yeah! My name is Mega... Megamutt! And don't you forget it!" She barked before she punched him in the face, knocking him out.

"What you did was completely out of line!" Bruce paced back and forth at the head of the table in the dining room. Megan sat at the other end of the long table with Alfred standing behind her. "I told you to stay put, Megan! Is it really that hard to follow orders? You could have been killed!"

Megan just stared down at the table refusing to meet his gaze. She felt terrible for disobeying him and getting Alfred in trouble. "I-I know..."

"I don't think you do!" He snapped back at her. She had never heard him yell before. Whenever he got mad at her he'd give her a stern look and told her to never do whatever she did again and that was it. But this was different. "Not only did you put your life at risk! You put mine, Dick, Alfred, and all of the people at that benefit lives at risk! Did you even think about that?"

"I-I did, b-but..."

"'But what?" He slammed the table making her jump.

"I didn't want you to get killed!" She squeaked. He stopped his lecturing and stared at her. "I-I didn't want you or Dick to die knowing I could have done something to help save you." She never once looked up from the table.

"Maybe you're being too harsh on her, Master Bruce. After all, I did allow her to leave. In fact, I encouraged her to go." Alfred spoke up, his voice never wavering. "There's no reason to be upset. She didn't know you would be this worried." Megan looked up slightly without moving her head.

"S-So you aren't mad? Y-You were just w-worried?" She could, for some reason, feel him loosen his tense muscles and sighed. He walked down to her end of the table.

"I was more worried than mad, yes. But that still doesn't excuse your behavior." Bruce looked up to see Alfred giving him a nasty look. "Okay. I'll let you off with a warning since this is the first time you've disobeyed me." Megan felt her own muscles relax and she sighed.

"I promise, Uncle Bruce! I won't do anything that risky again."

"That's good to hear. And I'm sorry for scaring you like that. It was... wrong."

"And immature." Alfred coughed. Bruce glared and Megan laughed. She stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

"I'm sorry, too."

He smiled and pet her head. "Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed? It's been a long day." She let him go and ran upstairs to her room. Alfred pushed in her chair and glanced over at Bruce.

"Is something wrong, Alfred?"

"Oh, nothing, sir. It's just that I believe I warned you about this yesterday." He raised his eyebrows. Bruce sighed and was about to exit the room but Alfred continued.

"I still believe the Young Mistress will follow your wishes, but when you put her in that kind of situation it is obvious she will do everything she can to help. After all, she learned this behavior from you."

"Me?" Bruce was caught off guard by this sudden accusation. "You're the one who always says how much she resembles John. How would she learn from me?"

Alfred sighed in disappointment, "She never knew Master John but you and him were close friends. Remember how people always thought you were brothers? It was because you two were so similar."

"So you're saying I'm like her father?" Bruce never liked the idea of becoming too attached to others.

"In some form, yes. She's known you since the day she was born. In fact, you are the closest thing she has to a father figure, just like Young Master Dick." Bruce wanted to object but he knew Alfred's words were true. "What I'm trying to say, Master Bruce, is that you may not like it but both of them will grow to be as headstrong and noble as you."

"So now you're saying we're in for one hell of a ride?" Bruce scoffed. Alfred turned to exit, rolling his eyes.

"You still fail to realize you have been given what every man fears: a child who is just as bad as they were as a child but doubled." The old butler grinned as he saw Bruce's face turn pale before he walked out of the room.

Everyone sat at the table for breakfast. Alfred was in the kitchen with Rex, and Ace was in the dining room with Bruce, Dick, and Megan. Dick described the Bathound's homecoming to Megan since she went to bed early.

Ace had gotten home later than Bruce had expected. As planned, Ace entered the estate through the Batcave and into Bruce's study. He was not happy to see a small, golden puppy curled up in his bed. Rex was waiting for Megan once Bruce had finished talking with her last night and fell asleep. Megan didn't want to wake him so she left him there. Ace growled at the intruder, waking him up. Rex didn't know who Ace was so he panicked and ran off into the kitchen. Ace chased him through the lower level of the mansion until Bruce commanded Ace to stop.

"He was running with his tail tucked between his legs!" Dick snickered.

"That's not funny! Ace could've hurt Rex real bad!" Megan growled. "Did you at least explain why there was another dog in the house?"

"Psh. That would be silly, Meg! How would we know if he understands?"

"Don't think I can't understand human language. I would still like an explanation why another male is on my territory and why Megan is now a hybrid." Ace huffed.

"See? He's not stupid. He knows what we're saying!" Megan smiled.

"What do you mean? He didn't say anything; he just sighed!" Dick gave her a confused look.

"Yes he did! He said he knows English and wants to know why Rex is here!"

Ace, as well as Bruce and Dick, looked up at her, "How do you know what I'm saying?"

"How do you know I'm still me?"

"Your looks have changed but your scent hasn't."

"Scent? I just took a bath!"

"Your natural scent. You can't smell it since everyone gets used to their own scent."

"Megan, could you please stop barking and tell us what you're talking about." Bruce looked at her curiously.

"I'm speaking English!"

"Don't you bark at me, young lady!" Bruce scowled.

"When was I barking?" She asked offended.

"You were barking at Ace just now." Dick explained.

"I was talking to Ace!" Megan was confused.

"You have been talking to me but not in human. Dogs communicate by barking. That's what they mean." Ace walked over and sat next to her.

"So you can talk to dogs, too?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, Ace just explained it to me." She huffed, still upset.

"Well, I should have expected that." Bruce looked down at Ace who gave a low bark. "What does he want?"

"To know why Rex is here. He's the puppy I rescued from that meanie head, Charlie."

"I never liked that human. He reeked of blood and chemicals."

"Ewww! I never smelt that!" Megan made a grossed out face.

"Sorry to interrupt your, er, 'conversation' but how're you feeling Meg? Any different? Any better?" Dick asked.

"No. I feel more doggy-like than I did yesterday." Megan huffed again.

"Don't worry. We'll be doing more training after breakfast." Bruce spoke up. Megan's face lightened.

"Ooo! I can't wait! What will we be doing?"

Bruce smirked, "That's a surprise."