~ The Time ~

"What was that whole killing thing about?" Nightwing questioned back at the cave.

"The kid is an assassin. Her mission is to kill me," Batman answered. He was going over what little he had on them, adding new information gained from the night's events.

"Do you know who hired them?"

"No."

"Where they're from?"

"No."

"Where they're staying?"

"No."

"You mean you haven't followed them?"

"I have. Every time I try, they lose me."

"You mean you lose them," Nightwing corrected, a smug grin plastered across his face. Whoever this girl was, he was liking her more and more.

"They are very skilled, especially the kid."

And it hit him. A kid. The girl was just a kid. Robin's age. She was what Robin once was, who he could still be if he hadn't been handed to Batman.

"What are we going to do to help her?"

"Help her? She's a killer, Nightwing."

"Technically, so is your kid."

"He doesn't kill."

"Anymore," scoffed Nightwing.

"He doesn't kill." Batman really didn't want to have this conversation. Couldn't Nightwing just go away? He could go bother Robin for all he cared.

"He lived with Talia and Ra's for ten years. You really think he's never killed before?"

"Go away, Dick."

Though he couldn't see it, he knew his past ward was rolling his eyes.

"So, I'll repeat, what are we going to do to help her?"

"She's a criminal, Nightwing."

"She doesn't know any better! That's probably all she's ever known or she's being forced to! More than likely, both! And don't try telling me she's a criminal. Bruce Wayne helps rehabilitate criminals all the time!"

"I don't think this is about the way she was raised or this being a hit. I think it's something else." Nightwing sighed when there was no elaboration and prodded for more. Luckily, Batman was in a talking mood. "She only targets me. She uses nonlethal moves with Robin; she holds back. If it was a hit, Robin would be a target, too."

"Unless they wanted him alive," Nightwing pointed out. He shrugged when Batman stared at him. "Robin has been a target before. Many people want the Boy Wonder."

Batman didn't want to admit it, but Nightwing had a point.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Ugh!" Daire sighed, pacing in their safe house. "That Robin kid is so annoying!"

Clone glanced up from cleaning his knifes but didn't say anything.

"I mean, he's such a narcissistic brat! He thinks he knows everything, and does his own thing, regardless of the consequences!"

"Um," Clone frowned. While Daire wasn't a brat, nor entirely narcissistic, she had a decent ego. The mission they had finished was a direct violation of what they had been told to do, and they were both surely to be punished for the insubordination.

Daire continued, "And he has a smart little mouth that makes people want to punch it!" Daire was known for her sharp tongue at times. Clone had seen Daire's snide comments get her into messes and fights (she always won, but that's beside the point). "He thinks just because he's Batman's sidekick, it automatically puts him above everyone else!"

At this point, Clone wasn't sure if Daire was talking about Robin, herself, or both.

While it was uncommon, Clone could name multiple occasions where Daire used her family name to get what she wanted. The commands weren't of any extreme, but she had been known to point out her "birth rights" put her above others.

It wasn't something she hadn't started doing until she started killing. Clone noticed that much. But in most cases Talia encouraged her to take control of others (with the exclusion of herself) and to repeatedly prove her rank and superior skills, so the habit wasn't going away.

Her watched beeped, cutting off her rant. She sighed, going to the safe house laptop and starting up the video chat features.

"Mother," she greeted, as formal as ever.

"Daire, I heard about your little side project." Daire remained silent, waiting for her punishment. "But I'll deal with that when you return. Right now, I need you and the clone to-"

"Heretic."

"What?"

"His name is Heretic," Daire repeated, the first time she used his newly chosen name.

Talia glared. "Whatever. I need you to check on one of the set of assassins. They have failed to check in. I'm sending you the coordinates now." She glanced down, pushing something Daire couldn't see.

It took a few moments, but the message finally arrived. It was just a few cities over. Daire recognized the place. It was a mission she helped planned.

"I want you to kill them."

Daire jerked her head up, shocked. "What?"

"Kill them," her mother repeated, no empathy in her tone.

"But they're our men."

"They've either failed or are not following orders. There's no place for failures or insubordination in the League. Kill them. Every last one of them."

"But we planned to get the Batman tonight," Clone- Heretic informed.

"I can handle him myself. You can go," Daire decided.

Talia didn't seem to care. "Just get the job done. I don't care who does it." Without a farewell, she ended the call.

Heretic went straight to packing. Talia was already upset with them. Making her wait- even just a few hours- to start the newly assigned mission would not help their case.

Daire went over plans for a robbery they had come across. She knew the perfect place to wait for the bat and his little bird. When the robbers were caught and the vigilantes guard was down, she'd strike.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The amateur thieves were late.

They were also inebriated.

Daire let out a frustrated sigh. They weren't even trying at this point. Who the hell pulls a heist while drunk? What could they possibly be thinking?

It was clear the Batman wouldn't need to be here. The police could take care of these imbeciles on their own. Still, she waited. Maybe he'd come.

And Robin did. His short silhouette bounced along the rooftops. He was quick and graceful, pausing and lifting his hand to his ear before going in.

A com. He must have a com on him.

And while Batman hadn't yet come, she knew a way to change that.

Robin could easily handle the situation on his own. Going in would only annoy and antagonize him.

So, naturally, that's exactly what Daire did.

"Tt, you're late." Robin hadn't even looked in her direction, taking one of the intoxicated men down with ease.

She didn't respond. She had learned last time- near the end- that not responding quickly aggravated him. She would need his full attention.

"The silent treatment?" he guessed, still receiving no response. He turned in a mid-air kick, finally glancing at her.

She suddenly leapt over the boy, using his shoulder as leverage. He body swerved at the momentum, and her leg made contact with another robber's face.

Robin, too stubborn and prideful to say his thanks, grunted it.

In an bored silence, they tied the attempted criminals up and waited for the police. Robin always found this part boring, but maybe this wouldn't be so bad. While the girl irritated him like his so-called brothers, there was something about her that intrigued him. Something he couldn't name but knew was familiar.

The flashing lights took his attention off the roof they had been waiting on. The police arrived quickly, to his satisfaction. When the inebriated men were dragged into the cop cars, Robin finally turned.

"You aren't-" he paused his- forced- compliment, seeing he was alone. Alert, his eyes scanned his surroundings, his peripheral vision catching a quick jerk in the shadows of the building next to the store he was on.

He could see Daire jumping onto the next roof, as she meant. She could hear Robin's quiet put quick footsteps follow her, landing rather heavily on the sturdy roof.

She lead him further away, giving him time to contact Batman. She made sure to stay within eye sight, staying just close enough to keep his interest while being far enough away to have the advantage.

She flipped off the roof, landing loudly on the rattling fire escape halfway down before jumping the rest of the way. The girl was being careless in her escape, leaving an easy trail for Robin to follow.

He jumped the entire way, going into a roll at the end of the three story drop.

"Batman," she heard Robin report. "Thorne has returned."
He easily did a somersault over the six foot fence Daire flipped over.

"No, those idiots weren't even a warm up." A pause. "Grandfather made sure I fought tougher, more skilled warriors when I was a toddler."

He lost sight of Thorne looking up to see her at the top of a different fire escape. How had she climbed it so fast?

Didn't matter. He grabbed a grappling hook from his utility belt, quickly catching up.

"I'm following her now. Yes. No. No, I can-. Fine."

She lead him to an abandoned warehouse that turned out not to be as abandoned as the city believed. Crates lined the walls and created mini walls around the place. There was a big open area which could be seen from the small walkway along the walls of the second floor.

Robin took action, roundhouse kicking her through a taped window. The window shattered, and Daire fell though. None of the shards pierced her skin, and she brushed the remaining shards off.

Their fight wasn't quite, but there wasn't anyone around for their racket to bother. The children fought in the narrow space, using the rail and wall to bounce around in feeble attempts to gain the upper hand.

Another of Robin's attacks hit its mark, knocking Daire down. He paused, standing smugly above her. She didn't hesitate to swing her leg, his legs forced out from under him. As he hit the ground, she grabbed his cape, forcing him back up and flipping him over the railing, onto the concrete first floor below.

She jumped over the railing, landing beside him. She leaned forward, ready to end the fight.

Then Batman showed up. He stopped her from knocking Robin unconscious, tackling her away. They rolled, giving her the chance to escape, a chance she took advantage of.

She knew the match was no longer in her favor.

She was losing. Outnumbered, overpowered, and out maneuvered. Robin was a ball of energy, which was no surprise for his age. And he did a good job taking over the fight.

He stayed close, refusing to let Batman get a clear shot. While that worked in her favor, he was also close enough to strike, fast enough to do so repeatedly, and strong enough to do some damage.

The guard on her forearms softened most of his blows, but the force behind his punches were starting to hurt.

She blocked his next punch to the side, flipping him towards Batman, who had attempted to sneak up behind her. The boy only pushed the Dark Knight a couple steps back, but he reached out to soften the fall for his little bird.

Daire turned around, trying to get away. The night was lost. She'd try again.

But Batman stopped her.

Batman knew how to be on overbearing opponent. He was definitely a worthy one. Daire had trouble keeping up with him and took many blows.

Daire had managed to get the grappling hook wrapped around Batman's ankles, shooting the end to the ceiling. Batman was pulled away and left to- literally- hang around.

But Daire knew that wouldn't keep him for long. Less than a minute.

Her attention now on Robin, she dove forward, going into a roll when he dodged aside. She stretched out her leg, knocking his out from under him. He fell with a grunt, landing heavily on his forearms.

Daire was first to rise to her feet, pointing her katana at Robin's neck. He glared at her, knowing when not to fight back.

"Surren-" Daire started, but was cut off when a bat-a-rang batted her hand. She let out an embarrassing yelp from the surprise, dropping her katana.

Robin hopped to his feet, ready. She felt pressure around her wrist and neck. His hand shifted as her feet left the floor, moving to her hip. A steadfast hand forced her up, rolling over Robin's shoulder. She landed flat on the ground, frozen in shock.

Not of the impact.

But of the move.

Daire recognized it. It was a lover her grandfather taught her and her brother. The next set of moves would end her life, as the young assassins were taught. It was a move not even her mother knew.

And the only other person (beside her grandfather and herself) who knew it was her beloved brother.

But Robin just started it.

Robin, who had the same skin tone and midnight hair as her brother.

Before she could say anything, Robin was quickly pinning her to the cold concrete floor. Firmly against her neck- but not hard enough to cut skin- was a bat-a-rang.

Could it be?

Could it really be?