A Reader: Yep me too. Cass is way too bad ass to be some frilly princess who needs help all the time.

I'm trying to be speedy with my updates since I'm pressed for time!

Chapter 25

Jason watched the surface of the water anxiously with his weight on the back of his leg as he stood in a stance. He hadn't realized that he was holding his breath, until he felt his lungs strain. Come on, Cass. Bubbles rippled on the water, and her face bursted through as she gasped. Jason felt his body lean forward, and he eyed her carefully.

Cass's skull nearly seemed like it was splitting, burning, and freezing all at the same time. Madness was seeping into the corner of her eyes as she sucked in air. Jason was standing at the edge of the water, but her vision was distorted by rage and nothing was clear. Her body, on impulse jolted her out of the water, with her arms wildly swinging.

"Cass! Stop!" Jason shouted, but his words were just as useful as his arms against her punches. She had already landed a few in his sides. His skin tingled as he looked at her wide grin stretch across her face. "Cass! Don't figh -" She spun into the air and her heel connected with his jaw. He flew onto his back, gasping for air. She rolled onto him with her hands gripping onto his collar, but before he could figure out what she was doing, his back slammed against the ground again. His eyes went dark so he blinked. She had kicked him over and tossed him. He could hear her starting to laugh hysterically as a wave of aches crawled down his spine. Jason pulled himself onto his feet with his hands up and his knees weakly bent. "Cass, you have to listen to me. Don't let it control you."

Cass's head wobbled to the side, and her face felt stiff. She blinked seeing the clearer image of Jason breathing heavily with a bloody lip. Her legs felt rubbery when she stepped forward. Jason immediately took a step back.

"Come on, just think, Cass." Jason's fingers twitched, and his eyes darted back and forth. Cass dropped down to her knees, succumbing to the numbness of her muscles, and he watched her smile disappear. He sighed and knelt down next to her. "Jesus, Cass." He rubbed his hand against his jaw and licked the blood off his lip.

"S – sorry." She muttered staring at the backs of her hands resting on her lap. They were shaking. Jason pressed his fingers against her ribcage checking for the claw marks. "Gone. No big deal," she said smiling and grabbing onto his hand.

"Just making sure," he brushed aside a piece of her wet hair out of her face, seeing the cut that was once on her cheek no longer there, then sliding his two fingers down to her neck to check her pulse. "Normal," he said with a sigh, dropping his hands down to the ground with a chuckle. He held a hand up to press into his ear, but realized that his com-link had been knocked out, and squinted across the floor to search for it, only to find it right next to him. He picked it up and placed it into his ear. "She's alright. Cass is alright." He repeated looking at her as he caught his breath.

"Thank God!" Barbara shouted through the com.

"Tell her to suit up." Bruce answered coldly.

"Wait – what?" Jason glanced into Cass's eyes, and she wrinkled her brows together at his outburst. "You can't be -"

"Dead serious," Bruce quickly said before Jason could finish, "According to Nightwing, Joker was involved the entire time."

"Joker?" Jason's voice became more like an animalistic growl as his stomach clenched into a ball. Cass's head bobbed up and her eyebrows rose slightly. Her hand latched onto his sleeve, but he shook her off and stood with his back towards her, staring holes down into the ground. "Where is he?"

"Still in his cell at Arkham," Bruce answered.

"Then how the hell -"

"Bruce!" Barbara yelled hysterically silencing them both.

"What is it?" Bruce asked quickly.

"I'm giving you the audio recording, now!" Static filled the com then shuffling of the sound device.

The voice on the com was now different, and clearing his throat dramatically. Jason's fingers curled and he bit the inside of his cheek as he listened. "Helloo! Betchya Bats think that I'm out and about bringin' a smile to Gotham's face, but I thought I'd coach from the sidelines, if you know what I mean." Joker said with an ending laugh. "Croc ole boy, decided to do a little favor for me and Jonny. Can you smarty pants guess what it is? Tick, Tock! Time's up! And the answer is – drum roll please…" His laugh was low, but short, "Jonsie, decided to stash a few of his own bits of fun with - explosive parting gifts." He laughed again and took a deep breath, "I'll leave filling in the blanks to you... And take a bit of advice from a clown, I suggest that you start searching. Toode-a-loo!" But his deep cackle was cut short. "Oh and pass the message on, will ya, Bats? Tell Hoodie, I'll still hold up my promise, even though he's broken his."

Jason's breathing felt restricted against the anger building in his blood. Promise?! I swear I'm going to kill that bastard!

"The other hostages you recovered didn't have any devices on them." Oracle said with a sigh.

"And the doctors should be distributing the antidote." Tim's voice rose.

Jason's eyes darted towards the blue vials on a table near the computer, remembering that he hadn't taken any of it yet. But Cass was already up on her feet packing them into the compartments of her utility belt. He blinked, taking in the sight of her back in the Batgirl suit with the cowl pulled back. He took a breath, "Cass, toss me a ready one." She slipped on one of her gloves and flung a syringe in the air without looking. Jason swiftly caught it, and jammed the needle into his leg with a force that seemed a bit overkill.

Cass looked up and squinted, "Me too?"

"Just to be safe," Jason nodded as he approached her. She quickly followed and injected the antidote into her leg, looking at him through the corner of her eye. Jason was furious. He held his hand out and placed it on her forearm softly, but the way he did it was crude and jaggedly cut through the air. "Cass, you shouldn't be going back out." Her head rapidly snapped up with annoyance written in her expression.

"Okay – Bruce." She rolled her eyes while stuffing a com-link in her ear. And Jason let go just as irritated.

"You almost died." Jason said sharply. Joker had a message directed for him. He didn't want her to come too close to death again.

She took a breath and pulled tried to pull the cowl over her head but Jason pushed down on her hand, her bottom jaw slightly tilted out, "Risk comes with job." Jason's fingers squeezed around hers, and she glanced down at his body language. "You think I'm stupid." She added bitterly.

"I didn't say that!" Jason let go as if he was disgusted with what she just said.

"Your body did," she countered with her teeth pressing together.

"I – It. Did. Not, Cassandra."

Her eyes widened at the use of her full name and she nearly scoffed. "Just like him." She muttered shaking her head.

"Like who?" Jason's eyebrows furrowed together with his mind fixated on the Joker, as he felt the irritation spread across his lips.

"Bruce." Cass tightened her gloves on.

"Oh, so now we're comparing each other to our mentors?" Jason's eyes narrowed, feeling his face and his chest get hot. "Alright, Shiva." Before he could blink, a fist crashed into his nose, making his tear ducts active, blurring his vision and slamming his back against the keyboard of the computer then down into the ground. Jason felt the blood sliding down the back of his throat.

"I am not weak." She said clearly, but her voice was a bit higher in pitch.

He blinked looking up at her face while rubbing the back of his hand against the blood that was running down his upper lip. He almost didn't realize that her eyes were misty, until she turned her back towards him, pretending to continue working on packing the compartments in her utility belt. Jason closed his eyes with a sigh. Dick move, Jason… He steadily stood up. "Cass, I didn't mean it." Cass ignored him, snapping the belt around her waist as she walked away. Jason was used to her silence, but this time it made guilt feel like lead was being leaked into his bones. But then again it was for her own good. "Come on. I'm sorry, alright?" Her boots echoed against the floor of the cave. "You can't go out there, Cass!"

Jason's tone almost seemed like a whine of a spoiled child, and she turned around. "I am not weak. I don't need to - be protected. People need help – so I help." She pulled on her mask, "But maybe it was a mistake – helping you."