Jason and the Argonauts Chapter 25 Shadows of Things to Come
Saturday, 13th December 2014
Cass was tired, but Bruce had left her a note. She was to go to bed and file her report in the morning, which mean she couldn't just sleep as much as she needed to, but had to get up.
Bruce had a habit of skimming through the data collected by the Watchtower's systems for anything that caught his attention, then sending the Outsiders to investigate. This time, it was a lab in India that was experimenting with Luthor's Everyman technology. Naturally, the mission went south.
At least Bruce had learnt not to send her on those sorts of missions when she had school the next day…
She entered the dining room, and stiffened. There was an unknown, dark-haired female eating breakfast. And Damian had a large bandage on his head. And everyone was looking a little banged up and tired. "What happened?" she asked. "Who this?"
"Um, hi?" the new girl said hesitantly. Cass focused on her, reading the truth, or otherwise, in her body. "My name's Rose Cain-Todd-Wayne." Truth. "I'm your great-whatever-granddaughter." Truth. "I saved Robin last night." Truth. "So Batman's given me a grace period here."…Half-truth.
"Luthor managed to convince a whole bunch of villains to stage simultaneous attacks all across the country," Tim explained. "The hope was we'd be sufficiently over-stretched that someone would get taken out. Dami got snatched by Joker, but that was the worst of it."
"He was fitted with a preoptic thermo-stimulator which tricked his body into near-freezing in an effort to cool down," Rose explained.
Damian looked up. "Joker threatened some scientists into putting a probe in my brain," he clarified.
"To make you freeze?" Cass asked.
"He wanted to see what would happen," Damian shrugged.
"And where does…Rose…fit in?"
"As I said, I'm your descendant," Rose shrugged. "I ended up with the Legion of Superheroes. That didn't work out, so I could either quit B Inc activity entirely, or go somewhere else. Here I am. I happened to recognize the preo- the brain probe." She hastily changed the last bit, apparently realizing the term meant nothing. "I also helped your doctor remove it."
"She left a time beacon, and Jason and I ended up activating it last night," Dick added. "It's a long story; you can read our report."
"Bruce, you were going to decide if she could stay and join our B Inc?" Jason prompted.
"I've sent a message to Rip Hunter; he'll brief Rose on adjusting to life in a different time period," Bruce announced. "Assuming he passes her, I'll give her a B Inc assignment."
"We have a lot of operatives here in Gotham already," Tim said dubiously. "Plus the media's still in circles over Helena, and it'll be a nightmare trying to slip her into the records, especially coinciding with another street operative appearing."
"Nightsider," Rose corrected softly. "It'd be weird for me to suddenly be with you guys all the time. Besides, I'm not exactly a Gothamite. I'll be fine wherever you want to send me."
"Are you sure?" Dick asked.
She nodded slowly. "I've grown up with you guys as larger than life figures of legend. It'll be hard enough without being around you all the time." She tilted her head in thought, "I could do with a better name than Shadow. And I'll probably need a new suit; Hunter'll want mine put away."
"Philippines," Cass said abruptly. She locked her eyes on Bruce. "You promised. Next agent, the Philippines."
"Isn't that Dark Angel territory?" Rose frowned.
Cass looked at Bruce. Bruce looked at Rose. More glances were exchanged around the table. "We don't have a 'Dark Angel'," Tim said succinctly.
"You sure? I mean, her commissioning is unrecorded, presumably in the burnt section-" Cass frowned, and Rose produced a book, flipping it open. Indeed, there was a section of copies of burnt paper. Rose flicked past them. "See, uh, she's mentioned here, about 25, 26 years still to come. See. 'At the age of twenty-one, Catherine Martha Todd-Wayne took the name Red Bat and joined Dark Angel in Cebu, the Philippines, for nearly a year before she retired.'"
"I'm gonna have a kid?" Jason exclaimed. "In four years' time, I'm gonna have a daughter? A little girl?"
"That is probably the sort of thing Hunter would counsel you to not say," Bruce sighed.
"Ah, sounds like maybe you are Dark Angel?" Tim interrupted. "If you're retiring in 25 years-"
"I was given the nickname by some victims I rescued," Cass interrupted. "Logical for Rose to take name."
"Alright," Bruce shrugged. "If Rip Hunter agrees, that's what we'll do."
"I'm gonna be a father?!" Jason continued. "In four years? This is – wow!"
"Don't tell him anything more," Bruce hissed.
"What? But- but- who's the mother?" Jason demanded. "I have to know!"
"Wouldn't it be better to find out for yourself?" Rose hedged. "You've got three years to find a wife."
"But – I'm gonna be a dad!"
AN: Only one chapter and two epilogues left. I think.
Also updating: Black and Red, Ultimate Avenging Alliance, Ultimate Writing Adventure. Oh, and a teensy tiny Daredevil drabble.
Up next: More of these four. Hopefully in time for Christmas, and I am hoping to finally get LBV out. Definitely before the New Year.
Please review. Make my Christmas.
Katara