Disclaimer: I don't own it.

It's a well known fact that history repeats itself. Events in the past will eventually happen again. Patterns will emerge throughout time, and certain things can seem unavoidable because of what has happened in the past.

The only way to avoid repeating something is to learn from it, and Batman prided himself on being a quick learner.

However, when it came to his family, Bruce Wayne was horribly unequipped. That reason alone was why the scene in front of him gave him such a strong sense of deja-vu.

"If you won't train her, I will."

Batman looked at his son, who was sitting sullenly on the ledge next to him.

They were sitting on top of a building, across the street from the apartment they were staking out, and silence was key to them not being detected. Robin knew this, but Richard just wouldn't let the subject drop.

"No." Batman grunted, trying to end this conversation before it started. Even then, he knew it was futile, as it had started nearly three months ago.

"Why not?" Richard demanded. "She's going to want to help, no matter what we do."

Batman gave his partner an incredulous look. "One. You and I are both extremely busy, and adding another responsibility could distract us from the mission. Two. She's a civilian in a cheap costume pretending to be a superhero. Three. As your best friend, the probability of her discovering our secret identities is extraordinarily high."

It was hard to tell underneath the mask, but Bruce knew Robin was rolling his eyes. "One," The boy said, mimicking his father. "You and I both know time is not an issue. Sleep deprivation is my middle name."

Batman shook his head and turned back to the building, but Robin continued.

"Two, she's using a 'borrowed' police vest, a modified riot helmet, and is creating her own functional equipment after seeing ours in action once. She has a photographic memory, which basically means she can revisit a crime scene whenever she wants, and she regularly hacks into the GCPD to find cold cases and evidence. In the three months we know she's been in action, she's captured an average of 12 petty criminals a night." Robin said, crossing his arms. "Barbara's not pretending."

Batman held back a sigh, but only just. Every point Robin had made was valid.

Barbara Gordon, or Batgirl as she was calling herself, was both smart and strong enough to be a vigilante, and she had proven this time and time again. Alone, she had taken to the rooftops, and alone, she had fought the smaller crime lords of the city. She had never asked for help from either Batman or Robin, even when she had obviously needed it. And then, whenever they interacted, she came back with another addition to her suit that was a cruder homemade copy of their equipment.

To Robin, it was a downward spiral. If they kept interacting with her to try and make his best friend stop throwing herself into danger, she would study and copy them, and then throw herself into more danger later. On the other side, if they ignored her, she would eventually die because they weren't watching her back.

To Robin, the best solution was to officially train her so that they had some control of what she did.

Batman thought differently. There was a difference between fighting crime because it was the right thing, and fighting crime because you wanted to feel like a hero. There was no way he could trust anyone if he didn't understand their motivations, and until he knew exactly why Barbara was doing this, they had to stop her.

Bruce turned to his son. "And my last point? Keeping our identities secret would be impossible."

Richard grumbled something unintelligible, and turned back to the building they were watching. While his son sulked, Bruce stayed silent, knowing Robin couldn't stay quiet for long.

Eventually, Dick groaned and rubbed his hand through his hair. "Would that really be a bad thing?" He mumbled.

Batman raised an eyebrow.

Prompted by the silence, Robin continued. "I mean, I seriously doubt we can stop her, even if we told the Commissioner. If we don't train her, she's going to get herself killed."

"Or," Batman finally grunted, "We stop her before she goes too far. She's doing this for the thrill, and if we wait long enough, she'll give it up."

"Or we wait too long and she dies!" Robin snapped. Bruce whipped around, and leveled an intense glare at his son. The message was clear, lower your voice before you give away our position.

Properly admonished, Dick lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper. "I wish she hadn't started this in the first place, but even I can't stop her when she sets her mind on something. Training her is the only option."

"I hear you, Robin." Batman said.

Bruce couldn't help but be amused at the irony of this conversation. It mirrored the debate he had had with Diana over a decade ago. There were times when Richard was too much like his mother.

Suddenly, Batman noticed someone climbing the rooftops across from them, slowly getting closer to the building they were staking out. Crouching down further into the shadows, he pointed at the dark figure. "That's why we're here."

Spotting her, Robin tilted his head questioningly. "I thought we were here so you could try and scare Babs away again."

Batman shook his head and pulled out his grappling hook. "No, we're here to end this. One way or another."

"Well that sounds inviting." Robin mumbled, coping his father.

Together, they zip lined across the street and onto the adjacent rooftop. They went unnoticed by Barbara, who had just clumsily landed, and she was fumbling with the rewinding mechanism on her homemade grappling hook. Bruce had to admit, the device was acctually fairly impressive. He could see delicate, but important, metal parts welded onto the tool that copied their own grapples. Another person might have overlooked them, but Barbara had mimicked theirs flawlessly.

They got into position, but Robin was the first to step into the light. "We need to talk." Robin said, purposefully keeping his tone lighthearted. To Bruce's great displeasure, Richard had always been friendlier to Batgirl than Bruce ever wanted him to be.

Barbra turned to face the Boy Wonder with a smile. "I can't believe people say you're the sociable one. Aren't people supposed to say hello before going right into a conversation?"

Bruce decided to announce himself then, to stop his son from flirting back. "This has to stop." Batman growled, and Barbara spun around again.

"... Okay, it it like a Bat-rule or something that you have to be able to melt out of the shadows? Is that why you guys don't like me? Because I don't have the innate ability to freak people out?"

Batman narrowed his eyes. "This is serious. Your behavior cannot continue."

"Are you trying to tell me to stop? That worked well the last seventeen times. Or do you want to make it an even twenty?"

"Batgirl." Robin reprimanded softly.

Barbara pulled herself up short. And for good reason. Both Batman and Robin had never called her anything other than Barbara or Miss. Gordon. If they were recognizing the name she had chosen, then she would know how important their conversation was. "Did you just call me... " She stuttered, "But you've never-"

"That's what we're here to discuss." Batman growled.

Her jaw snapped shut. "Really?" Her voice was hopeful, but there was an edge behind it. "Because I've been doing this for three months. What changed your minds?"

"Nothing." Batman glared at the Boy Wonder. "But certain people have convinced me to give you a chance."

Barbra glanced at Robin out of the corner of her eye, but he just shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile. "Wow, Um-" She began.

"You have ten words."

"What?" She questioned, attention snapping back to the Dark Knight.

"This is your test. You now have nine words to convince us to train you. If not, you will never pretend to be a vigilante again. You will go home and act like the last three months never happened. You will leave your costume in a box in the deepest parts of your closet, and you will never wear it again."

"You can't do that!" She exclaimed.

"Five words left, Miss Gordon. You're not convincing me."

Barbara snapped her jaw closed for the second time. She sent an outraged look towards the Boy Wonder, but his face had flattened into an unreadable expression.

Realizing that she was getting no help from the younger Bat, her glare turned into one of cold fury and she leveled her glare at the imposing man in front of her. As she thought, Batman saw her posture change. Her stature transformed from a cornered animal to someone who was going to fight.

Then, the moment passed, and when she spoke, it was in a controlled and even tone.

"I'm going to help, Bruce."

Batman narrowed his eyes to a dangerous glare, and Robin was too well trained to react, but Barbara just smirked... and then started talking in sign language.

'If you think I wouldn't have figured out that my Best Friend is moonlighting as a famous vigilante, you're crazier than the news says you are.' she signed, constantly smirking at the loophole she found. 'Even then, it was guesswork, so congrats to that, but don't insult me and deny it.' She smirked wider, and tilted her head to the side. ' I didn't tell anyone. And you know why?' she asked. 'It. Wouldn't. Help. Anyone. And that is all I want to do. Help people. As Batgirl I help people more than Barbara ever could. And I'm going to keep helping people. Damn your tests. Get over it."

Robin slid off of the ledge he was perched on and looked at his friend with a mix between amazement and shock. Barbara, however, didn't shift her steely gaze away from the Batman. She had basically just told him to screw himself, she couldn't back down now.

Then, something truly insane happened.

Batman smiled.

"Consider me over it, Batgirl." he said in the voice of Bruce Wayne, and he extended his hand to shake hers. "Welcome to the team."

Richard had once thought that being trained to be a superhero by your parents was the hardest thing any junior hero could possibly do.

"Again."

Bang! "Watch out!" Crash! "Ow..."

He also thought that he should be allowed to be wrong sometimes.

"Again."

"Arrrggghhhh!" Thump.

The hardest thing, was to be trained by your superhero parents... in front of your friends.

"One minute break, then again." Diana said, smiling at the panting teens around her.

Robin lifted his head off the floor, and studied the rest of his exhausted team. They were scattered around on the ground, groaning and casting wary glances towards Wonder Woman.

This was definitely not what they expected training to be like.

When they had been told that Wonder Woman would be training them today, his team thought she would be giving them pointers on their fighting technique, or teaching them ways to win in Amazonian spars. This was different.

As soon as they had walked into the training room, Wonder Woman had asked them all what helped make them heroes.

Artemis had said her skill with a bow. Wally, his speed. Kaldur, his water bearers. Conner, his strength. M'gann, her telekinesis. Zatanna, her magic.

When it was his turn, Robin fell back into his regular response. "Besides my amazingly quick wit?" He sassed.

His mom had just crossed her arms and smirked at her son. "Give me your belt." She ordered.

"Say what now?" Robin asked.

"Don't make me repeat myself young man." She said, holding out her hand. "Your utility belt."

Tentatively, he handed her the equipment. In return, she handed him a blindfold.

"What's this?" he asked, holding it up.

"Punishment for talking back." She deadpanned.

"What?! I didn't-" He cut himself off when he saw the glare his mom was leveling at him. He quickly slipped the blindfold on.

Diana then turned on the rest of the team.

They all took a step back.

She then proceeded to make their normal fighting styles impossible.

like Robin, Artemis and Kaldur lost their weapons. Though, of course, they didn't get a blindfold.

Wally was given normal sneakers to wear, which meant he couldn't use his speed without setting himself on fire.

Zatanna was given a gag, preventing her from casting any spells.

Conner, funnily enough, had thin sheets of tin foil wrapped around his wrists, and then was told that if he broke them, he would be out of the exercise.

M'gann was just forbidden from levitation or mental manipulation.

Once each and every member of his team was hindered in some way, Diana had stepped back (or at least, Robin though she did) and told them to knock her down. Not win. Not even pin her. No, they just had to make her lose her footing once.

They were doing really well.

Robin looked around the room again.

If really well meant that they were all on the floor, exhausted and bruised, while his mom was standing above them without breaking a sweat, then yeah, really well.

"Did I say you could take your blindfold off Robin?" Diana asked.

Dick scrambled for the cloth he had tossed off his face, and slipped it back on over his mask. Turning to his mom, he smiled innocently. "No... which is why didn't take it off."

"Nice try, Robin." His mom said, and he could practically hear her smirk. "Stand up."

Robin groaned, but lethargically got to his feet. He could hear his friends shifting positions, not to save him from embarrassment, but to watch the show. Traitors.

"You will all now see what happens when you break the rules."

Richard could hear her typing on the computer, and his fears were confirmed when the robotic voice activated.

"Simulation activated. Challenger: Robin. Opponent: Wonder Woman. Starting in 10 seconds."

They shifted into fighting stances at the same time, but it was obvious Robin was much more defensive than the Amazon Princess.

"I'm so glad you volunteered to show your team how to loose gracefully, Robin." Diana teased.

Robin took another precautionary step back, but managed to keep his apprehension out of his voice. "Are you sure I volunteered? I'm pretty sure Wally volunteered at the same time."

"Dude!"

"Perhaps, but no one can fall with as much style as you."

Robin straightened up with pride. "Well I guess I can live with-"

"Begin."

Robin jumped out of the way as fast as he could, but he still felt the air next to him shift, meaning she had sped forward and was inches away. His heart plummeted when he heard metal grating against metal.

"Holy Hera! Are you using your sword?!" He asked, trying to flip further away.

Knowing that she kept her sword on her right side, he ducked left, hoping he might get a little distance from the blade. Unfortunately, because of the blindfold, he practically flipped into his mother's kick.

Thump.

"Ow." Robin groaned from the ground.

"That was amazing!" Wally exclaimed, holding his stomach from his laughter. "Dude, you didn't even last five seconds!"

"Thanks, KF." Robin deadpanned, shooting a glare at where he thought Wally was.

"Indeed, Thank you Wallace." Diana said, sheathing her sword. "You just volunteered yourself for the next exercise."

Wally's smile vanished.

The sound of steady running water was starting to get on Robin's nerves. He couldn't pinpoint why, exactly, but it annoyed him. It was bothersome. He didn't like it. Silence would be better. Silence would let him think.

If Black Canary could just turn the damn waterfall off, he could think.

Of course, he had bigger problems than the constant sound, but he couldn't focus.

He took a shaky breath.

"I don't want to be the Batman, anymore"

"Robin..."

"I... I don't even know what to do with that. Like- What son doesn't want to be like their father?"

Dinah placed a comforting hand over Robin's "You're not a bad son, Robin."

Robin pulled his legs up to his chest. "It feels like I am."

Dinah's heart broke when she saw how small the child looked. "No. You're worried about the future. About your future. Bruce would be proud that you have that foresight."

"Don't say names." He said automatically.

"Dick... this is a secure room."

"...It doesn't feel right."

"Why not?"

"Because..." He struggled to find the right words. "I'm Robin right now."

Black Canary leaned back further in her seat. "You've separated your identities so much, if feels wrong to hear your name in uniform?"

Robin uncurled from his seat. "Yeah- I don't know... I guess."

"Do you want to list your identities?" Dinah asked.

Robin met her eyes for the first time. "Why does that matter?"

"Humor me."

Robin sighed, and his gaze went back to the floor. "There's Robin, Partner to Batman, and Richie Wayne, heir to billions. There's also Dick, who I probably enjoy being the most, and he's brothers with Conner, and best friends with Wally and Barbara. And... a few others... Why is this important again?"

Dinah leaned forward."Because I believe these two problems are connected."

"...Sorry Dinah, can't see it." Robin croaked.

"Your identities... They're like pillars of your personality, supporting and forming the real you." Dinah said, motioning to the boy sitting in front of her. "Usually, they're all equal. However, the simulation has shaken your 'Robin pillar' to the core. It's unbalanced you." The boy in front of her had gone completely still, but Dinah continued. "The only way you can really find balance, is to merge all the pillars together, and to make it into one, whole, unit."

Dinah went silent, allowing what she said to sink in.

Slowly, he lifted his head. "And how does that fix my first problem?" he asked softly.

"Because then you'll know who you are. If your identities are whole, you'll realize you can't be anyone but yourself. Robin is a part of who you are, but you are not just Robin... Of course, your parent will influence your life. That's life. But in the end, who you are in the future, that depends on you."

Robin's eyes widened, like he had had an epiphany "...No matter what name you use." he whispered.

Dinah smiled and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Now you're getting it."

Wow. I can't believe I started this story a year ago.

Reviews are appreciated!