It was several minutes later when Batman arrived. A barely lucid Dragon had one arm slung around his shoulders, and both of them looked a more than a little worse for wear.

"Deathstroke?" Knight asked knowingly.

Batman grunted. "Who attacked?"

"Ravager and Merlyn. Merlyn managed to nick Miss Wayne with a poisoned arrow, but I got the antidote to her in time. However," he looked out to the street, "both are gone."

"So are Shiva and Deathstroke. A pair of smoke bombs were used by an outside party during the fight, and by the time it cleared both of them had disappeared." The two of them exchanged a look. They both knew this was not a coincidence.

"Will they come back?" Stephanie asked, interjecting herself into the conversation. Knight shook his head.

"I doubt it. One of them is heavily injured and they've lost the element of surprise. They'll probably flee the city for now and try again at a much later date, if they don't scrap their plans altogether."

It wasn't complete assurance, but it was enough for Stephanie to calm down a bit. She looked at everyone, smiling lightly, if tiredly. "Thank you, then. For saving me."

Batman quirked his lips into something resembling a smile. "It was nothing Miss Brown."

"He's right," Knight concurred, "We were just doing our jobs."

Dragon just gave a nod, while Cass squeezed her hand. Stephanie's smile lingered for a bit, though it faded away. "What now?" she asked.

Everyone else exchanged a look. "We're going to take you to the main precinct," Batman finally said, "They'll take your statement, and then call your guardian to take you home. However, Miss Brown, do not tell them about Dragon's or Miss Wayne's involvement. It's imperative that they keep as low a profile as possible, for all our sakes."

Stephanie glanced at the alley where the Batmobile was presumable parked. "That'll be hard, seeing as we're all going to be piled in the same car." Dragon, after all, was clearly in no condition to drive.

"I'll take you to the precinct on the R-Cycle," Knight offered, "I need to introduce myself to Gordon anyway."

The former hostage beamed at him gratefully, then frowned. "What's your name, by the way? I've been calling you Red Bat in my head, but I doubt that's it."

Knight stilled at her words, and a small chuckle escaped his mouth, one that he struggled to keep from evolving into full-blown laughter. Everyone stared him at like he was crazy, and he waved them off.

"Sorry," he apologized as the chuckle tapered off, "In-joke. And no, that's not my name. You can call me Knight. Gotham Knight."

Compared to the ordeal of finding and rescuing Stephanie, the aftermath was almost routine. Just like he said, Knight dropped off Stephanie at the precinct, only staying long enough to introduce himself to Gordon before disappearing into the night like any other self-respecting Bat. Stephanie had been checked over by the on-site EMT, and once she was given a clean bill of health, gave her statement. Knight had helped her craft a plausible story that deliberately left out Dragon and Cass; the presence of two vigilantes had helped on that account.

After she was done, her mother had arrived — with Alfred in tow. Apparently, Bruce Wayne had brought Crystal Brown to the Manor to wait out the kidnapping, knowing that his own son and ward had been harmed trying to prevent it. Now that she was safe, he had offered Alfred's services to take them home, and told her to come visit the Manor as soon as she was able. No doubt it was to talk about Cass' participation in her rescue; Stephanie had been around Bruce long enough to know that whoever the ditz was that the gossip column wrote about wasn't the actual man himself. In reality, Bruce Wayne was ridiculously astute and intelligent. There was no way he didn't know that Cass had been a part of her rescue.

The question was why he let her go. Not that Stephanie wasn't grateful to him or to Cass or to any of the Waynes really. They had done more for her than most others would've done in the same situation. Certainly more than what her father would've done if he had faced a similar predicament. More than likely Arthur Brown would've written her off and had another child to replace her.

Bruce Wayne was not Arthur Brown. He might not have been the most open person, but it was obvious to anyone who spent any appreciable time with him — the real him — that he adored his children. Allowing his daughter to enter such a dangerous situation, even if it was to rescue her best friend, was not characteristic of him in the least. If anything, he would've gone himself before allowing her to go.

…Wait.

Stephanie combed her fingers through her hair, careful not to let Alfred or her mother see the distress she was feeling.

From the moment she saw Shiva's face, she knew that there was a good chance that Cass would eventually appear. It was obvious which of her friends Shiva had been interested in, and while she never stated their relationship, it had been easy to figure out what it was. She wasn't as smart as Tim, but she wasn't an idiot. What had been more surprising is that it seemed Cass hadn't known either. There was no faking that look of shock on her face when she had first arrived to the warehouse and saw who, exactly, had kidnapped Stephanie.

But more importantly, she had only expected Cass to appear. Her, and perhaps the police. The man with her, Dragon — Richard Dragon, according to him — was unexpected, but when she learned that he was Cass' mentor and more than that, someone special from Shiva's past, his appearance made a lot more sense. What hadn't made sense were the appearances of Batman and the new guy, Gotham Knight.

That they had been tracking her, in hindsight, wasn't a surprise. Considering that she had been nabbed in broad daylight and the attack had involved Tim Drake and Damian Wayne, it was probably a part of the twenty-four-hour news cycle within the hour of the 911 call. No, what had been surprising had been their behavior during their arrival. Batman had acted as if he personally knew both Shiva and Dragon. And Knight — he had trusted Cass to fight off that crazy chick in orange and black armor without a second thought. Had even given her a knife to help her. It's as if he knew she was capable of fighting her, beating her.

He knew Cass. Personally. That was only way his behavior made sense. And if he knew Cass, then that possibly meant Batman knew her as well. Not to mention, crazy chick mentioned something about him being the 'second Robin'. Stephanie thought back to Batman's behavior over the past year, and remembered there had been a brief period of a couple months where he had been seen without a Robin. During that time, he had become increasingly reckless and violent, and had only settled back to something resembling normal when Robin — a new Robin that wore pants — started working with him.

That Robin was shorter than Knight. Knight was tall, easily beating her out by several inches. She hadn't seen the new Robin in person, but the pictures in the news suggested that he couldn't be an inch or two taller than her. So if Knight was, indeed, the second Robin, then this new Robin had to be the third. Combined with the rumors of Nightwing being the first Robin…

Nightwing was Bludhaven's vigilante. Dick Grayson, the eldest of Bruce Wayne's sons, lived in Bludhaven and worked there as a police officer. The second Robin disappeared over a year ago and reappeared now as Gotham Knight. Jason Todd's supposed death happened over a year ago, and just recently he had turned up alive. And the third Robin…he appeared around the same time that Tim had been taken in by Bruce.

Could he really be Robin? She couldn't outright dismiss the possibility. She thought back to the attack, and noticed that Tim seemed much better at fighting then someone would guess at first glance. She knew he had taken martial arts classes, but those were just classes. She doubted a rich kid like him had ever been in a real fight before.

Except it seemed he had. The moment the men had proven hostile he hadn't hesitated to throw the first punch. He — and Damian for that matter — had tried to fight them off with a ferocity she had only seen in the likes of Crime Alley kids. If only there hadn't been so many, he might've even won, and Stephanie would've never needed to be rescued at all.

If Tim was the third Robin, then Dick and Jason were undoubtedly the first and second. And if they were Robins, then Bruce Wayne had to be Batman. It would explain why he was so different around his family compared to his public persona. Who would ever expect an idiot playboy like him to be Batman? Stephanie certainly hadn't, until she met the man himself. And it would explain why Batman had all these cool toys; Bruce Wayne had more than enough money to pay for that kind of tech. Hell, he had a company that was more than capable of producing all of it.

And Cass. Cass had said she wanted to help people, and that Jason had disapproved because it put her in danger. And what could be more dangerous than the life of a vigilante? Especially in a city like theirs, a world like theirs. Jason was so protective of all his siblings — he would've never let them run around the streets in colorful spandex and fighting criminals unless he was right there alongside them.

It all made sense. But was it true?

There was only way to confirm it. Confront them. But after that? Things would change. Whether she right or wrong, things would change. She didn't want things to change. But she also couldn't get rid of the knowledge in her head.

So what should she do?

"Stephanie is on her way back home with her mom, Dragon and you are all treated for your injuries, and everyone else has been updated and can finally get sleep," Jason summarized to his brooding father. "Cheer up. Everything went better than expected."

He had long since discarded his suit, placing it back in its compartment and exchanging it for a shirt and some sweatpants. Bruce had only taken his cowl off, but the injuries he sustained had demanded he take the night off. He'd be back at it the next night, Jason was certain, but for now he hoped his father would take this brief reprieve as, well, an actual reprieve.

"And worse," Bruce reminded him. "Don't tell me you didn't notice."

Jason sighed. "I noticed. I hoped to keep my mind off it a bit longer, but I noticed."

"…Do you think he knows? They're all known for working for the League."

"We don't have proof they're working for him this time around," Jason stated bluntly, "But, if he does know, or even just suspects, then he doesn't have proof either. It's too fantastic a tale even for this world. He would need confirmation from us, and if we confront him—"

"—then that's all the confirmation he'll need," Bruce finished the thought for him. "And then we'll be on our own, without the homefield advantage. We might as well be handing him right to you. Meaning—"

"—all we can do is wait," Jason sighed. "What a mess."

"What happens if he does suspect? If he knows? He could tell someone else, another villain, and after that, it would spread."

"He won't. Bruce, you've been foiling him for so long, and with the likes of Clark and Diana around he'll need every advantage he can get. He'll try to acquire me, or at least the knowledge in my head, first."

"And if he can't get that?"

Jason didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Thankfully, they were interrupted before the conversation could continue by the telltale chime of the Cave's elevator. Both men watched as Cass, now dressed in her nightwear, exited the cart and walked towards them. There was a strange look on her face, one that made Jason's stomach turn.

"Shiva."

Both men were startled to hear that name come from her mouth. "Cass…" Bruce said cautiously.

"To me," she cut him off firmly. "Who is she?"

Her father and brother exchanged a look. Bruce stood up, silently deferring the explanation to Jason, and made his way to the changing room to give them privacy. Coward, Jason thought, though there was no real heat to it. He'd book it too if he was in Bruce's position.

"Jason," Cass asked, voice even. Her eyes had not strayed from her brother, even as their father departed.

"You've already guessed," Jason said instead, not quite answering the question.

"Say it anyway."

Jason observed her for a long moment, then exhaled. "She's your mother."

Cass stared back at him, and then shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Jason went to comfort her, but she pushed him away angrily.

"You knew," Cass accused him.

"Yes." Jason didn't deny it.

"For how long?"

"…since the beginning."

His sister gave out an anguished cry, and started repeatedly hitting him in the chest. The blows stung only a bit; despite her current state Cass couldn't find it in herself to actually hurt him.

"How?" she demanded. "Why?"

Jason opened his mouth, but no sound came out. This was it, this was the moment of truth. So why couldn't he say it?

"Jason—!"

"I'm a time traveler," he blurted out. "That's how I knew."

Cass pursed her lips, her gaze unblinking.

"Cass—"

"I knew it."

Jason froze. "What?"

"You knew me," Cass continued, as if he hadn't said anything. "You knew me, but…we never met. Before. And the way you look at me — it was too much. You knew too much."

Her older brother grabbed her by her arms, gently but firmly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Waiting. For you." She swallowed. "Is that why…?"

Jason sighed. "Yes. The idea of you living on the streets for a moment longer, in danger…I couldn't stand it. Not when I had the power to change it. Talia — Damian's mother — was fond of me, so I told her some of the truth, and she agreed to find you and let you and Damian come home with me."

"But…Shiva…?"

"Cass, I'm from the future. I knew Shiva would come after you because that's what she did the first time around. And she didn't stop until the day she died. I—We, didn't care then." He smiled at her. "What makes you think we care now?"

Cass threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. Jason rubbed her back soothingly, muttering comfort into her ears. They stayed like that for a while, long enough for Bruce to finally get out of the showers. A look from Jason had Bruce going upstairs using the elevator; this was a conversation for them alone, and chances are it would take all night. Bruce could have his own private talk with Cass later.

Eventually, her tears subsided, and Jason gave her a few moments to clean herself up. He led over to the mats, plopping down on the softer-than-concrete material with his sister following his lead.

"You alright?" he asked her. Cass nodded. "Okay then, what do you want to know? There are some things I can't tell you about just yet, but for the most part, anything is fair game."

"Shiva."

"You want to know why she's after you?" Jason surmised.

"I…yes. I am her daughter. And when saw me, she angry. So angry," Cass shrugged. "And she left with Cain. Want to know why."

"It's not a happy story, Cass."

"Does not matter. Need to know."

Jason expelled another breath. "Then our story begins a long time ago, with a lonely hunter whose dreams kept dying. He wanted to raise the perfect assassin, but his children kept failing him. And soon, he realized the problem — they were not his. Not of his flesh, his blood…his strength. He realized that to have the perfect child, he needed the perfect woman to be the perfect mother."

"And so, the lonely hunter searched the world looking for her. And then one day, in the city of Detroit, Michigan, he found his perfect bride."

He met his sister's eyes.

"And he killed her."

"So, you're going?" Jason asked, trying not to let his disappointment show. In the end, Dragon hadn't brought all of this down on them. Shiva hadn't even known he was here.

Dragon shrugged, not even wincing despite the obvious pain he should've been in. The man had bandages and bruises everywhere. "Now that she knows I'm here, it'll only be a matter of time before it spreads to the rest of the community. I refuse to be swarmed by two-bit punks trying to pick a fight with the Dragon."

He wasn't wrong. Jason had no desire to deal with any of that either. Typically, those 'two-bit punks' also tended to be criminals with rap sheets a mile long — the last thing they needed in the already crime-infested Gotham. "Very well then, if you think it's for the best. But Cass…"

"She'll be fine. You noticed it, didn't you?"

Jason did. He had spotted the way his sister was able to predict and anticipate his movements, no matter how complex they were. Her body-reading ability was back to where it used to be. "She'll still need training. More techniques."

"And your father can handle that. He knows plenty enough himself," Dragon gave him a pointed look. "I imagine you do too."

He crossed his arms but said nothing. No need to give him any more ammunition.

"You know, there's something strange about you. I noticed it from the moment I first met you. But, with everything that's happened…I don't think there's anything bad about it," Dragon admitted, smirking. "You've got a lot of potential. Don't waste it. And maybe, in a few years or so, you can seek me out. I'm sure we can have a good scrap or two."

Jason grinned. "I'll take you up on that."

Stephanie shivered. Despite the two layers she was wearing, the late October air felt like it was dancing on her skin. Or maybe it was all the stares and whispers she was getting ever since her mother dropped her off at the front of the school.

Despite Crystal's misgivings, Stephanie had insisted on going to school once the weekend was over. The kidnapping had been harrowing, to say the least, but honestly, she just wanted things to get back to normal as soon as possible. She had survived. No one else had gotten killed. Some had gotten hurt, but it seemed they were on the way to recovery. All in all, things had ended well enough. It was time to move on.

Of course, that would be hard considering that she was now the center of attention. Just like she suspected, her kidnapping had landed on the news, and while it was no longer a part of the cycle (having been resolved days ago), that didn't mean people had immediately forgotten about it. Stephanie supposed she should be just grateful nobody had dug up the fact that her father was a jailed supervillain. That was the last thing she needed publicized.

She'd just have to grin and bear it out for the next week or so and it would all blow over. Hopefully.

"Steph!"

The sound of Tim's voice brought a genuine smile to her face. Stephanie looked up to see her friend and his little pseudo-brother at the front steps of a nearby building, and rushed over to them. She enveloped Tim in a big hug, only to let go when she heard him let out a hiss of pain.

"Sorry," she squeaked.

"It's alright," Tim said, wincing a little, "They're almost healed anyway."

"Brown," Damian called up to her, face oddly placid. Stephanie crouched down and embraced him as well, though much more mindful of the injuries he might have as well.

"Are you okay, Stephanie?" Tim asked once she let go of the younger boy.

"Sorta?" she offered, figuring it wouldn't hurt to be honest. "It was scary and all, but I got out mostly unscathed. I'm not okay okay, if you get what I mean, but I think I'll get there eventually." Her expression morphed into something more concerned. "What about you? I'm sorry you two got hurt because of me."

"It's fine, Steph," Tim allayed her worries, "Just a few bruises. Nothing that won't heal. Honestly, the only thing either of us regret is that we weren't able to stop them from taking you."

"Don't blame yourselves. There were a lot of guys and they were really big. And their boss…" Stephanie shivered again. If she never met Lady Shiva again it would still be too soon.

Tim and Damian exchanged a look. Stephanie didn't miss it. "Guys…"

"Not here, Steph," Tim warned her, "After school, at the Manor."

Stephanie slowly nodded. She was good with that.

Just then, the warning bell rang. The three of them sighed.

"Yay, more school," she said with little enthusiasm.

Tim raised an eyebrow. "Your first class is gym. You like gym."

"Gym also means being the center of attention for every busybody in this place," Stephanie pointed out, sighing, "I'm gonna get grilled like no tomorrow."

"So just another day?" Damian piped up, amused.

"Yeah," Stephanie admitted. "Just another day."

School had gone exactly like how Stephanie expected, though the stares and gossip had began to taper off after lunch. She imagined that most of it would be gone after next week, just as she predicted. She'd just have to endure.

The moment the final bell rung, she collected her things, placing them in her bag and hurrying to meet up with Tim and Damian at their usual spot. After what happened last Friday, it had immediately been decided to go back to the usual method of having Jason picking them up at the curb instead of meeting up with him and Cass at a random location. After what happened last Friday, it was a lot less likely people were going to mob them to get to Jason, whose karaoke episode was no doubt old news by now.

Jason seemed to think so, seeing as he had parked the car at a nearby curb and had actually gotten out of it for once. He had a pair of shades on to make him less recognizable, but for Stephanie, who had gotten to know him well these past few weeks, it was easy to spot him. She could see the moment he spotted her as well; his face brightened, and a small smile crossed his face. He spread out his arms for a hug, and Stephanie obliged him.

They embraced for a long minute before letting go. Jason brushed back her hair and cupped her face, his expression adopting a sorrowed slant. "You're not okay," he stated knowingly.

Stephanie diverted her eyes downward and gave a tiny shake of the head.

"But you will be," he added. To that Stephanie gave a much more vigorous nod. His smile finally widened, becoming a little more genuine.

"Good. Remember that. You're going to have other days like that throughout your life. All of us do. But remember — when you're low, the only place you can go is up." Jason pointed up to the sky for emphasis.

Stephanie giggled and gave him a playful push. "You're such a dork."

"Indeed he is," Tim concurred. He and Damian had been silently watching the whole exchange from the side, but now that the emotional tension had been dissipated, they felt comfortable interjecting themselves into the conversation. "I've been saying that for months and yet no one ever believed me."

"They believed you," Damian said drily, "It was just debased by your own foolishness, Drake."

"Oh, like you're one to talk munchkin. I distinctly remember a certain someone interpreting Spongebob Squarepants as a communist allegory."

"Because it was!" Damian insisted stubbornly. "The depravity of that Mr. Krabs character — the embodiment of capitalism — was proof enough! Just look at how mistreats the titular character, a caricature of the abused proletariat if I ever saw one."

As the two bickered over the deeper themes of a cartoon about an anthropomorphic undersea sponge, Jason sighed and gestured to Stephanie to get into the car. It was time to go home.

"Thank God," Jason mouthed the moment the Manor came to view. Next to him, Stephanie, who had taken shotgun in place of the missing Cass (who was currently recuperating at the house), could only nod in agreement.

The debate over the old cartoon had evolved into a full-blown discussion over the greater themes prevalent in western media, which ballooned into an argument over whether western or eastern culture was superior. Jason's mediation had prevented it from becoming too vicious, but after things had devolved into bickering over the morals of the Bible and the Torah, he was just about ready to crash the car.

He loved his younger brothers and was all for stimulating intellectual discussion, but by God, a minute longer and he was going to drown himself in the nearest body of water. The argument boiled down to taking potshots at the various infamous works both sides had, and that was fun and all for the first five minutes but became annoying rather quickly. Combined with Gotham traffic, and it went from annoying to a complete, long-suffering nightmare, and any and all attempts by Jason and Stephanie to shut it down proved to be ill-fated. The visage of the Manor was salvation, truly.

The moment the engine was off, the seatbelts were off as well and both of them were out of the car. Jason rushed to get Damian out of his car seat as well, cutting off the argument briefly, though it immediately started up the moment his brothers caught sight of each other again. Setting down his youngest brother quickly onto the ground, he ushered the two inside, just in time to see Stephanie throw her arms around a confused Cass.

"Help us," she begged her friend tearfully. Cass blinked.

Jason shrugged, a helpless look on his face while Tim and Damian continued at it. Until…

"Little D! Timmy!" A familiar, joyful voice called out.

"Dick!?"

"Richard!?"

Jason's mouth dropped slightly as his older brother, clad in one his ugly sweaters and slacks, came into view with a shit-eating grin on his face. "Dickie? What are you doing here? You didn't call!"

"I thought it'd be a nice surprise!" Dick said cheekily. "See, I got injured during a recent incident at the precinct," he clutched his side for good measure, "and they gave me the week off in exchange!"

"This won't interfere with you visiting for Thanksgiving or Christmas, will it?" Jason asked suspiciously. He was happy that Dick was at the Manor for the week but if it meant he'd miss those important family holidays…

Dick shook his head, his grin still inordinately wide. He was always cheerful barring during their actual work (and even then he was still peppier than most of them were), but right now he seemed to be exuding joy. And Jason, normally happy to see any member of his family like that, had a growing pit of dread in his stomach. Something was wrong, though he didn't know what.

"You're Stephanie Brown, right?" Dick pointed at the girl in question, who blinked at him bewilderedly. Before she could react, she was soon swept up into one of Dick's famous hugs. "It's so nice to meet you! I've heard a lot about you from my siblings. I'm sorry you got kidnapped last Friday," he said in rapid-fire succession. The bombardment of statements and the tight embrace that was slowly squeezing the life out of her prevented Stephanie from replying.

Jason sighed. "Dick, let her go. She needs to breathe."

Dick looked down at Stephanie, who was, in fact, starting to look a little blue. "Oh!" he let her go immediately, allowing her to land back on her feet. She placed a hand on her chest, taking in some precious oxygen. "Sorry," Dick said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, "I tend to get a little exuberant."

"It's fine," Stephanie waved him off, "It's good to meet you too, Dick. Your siblings have told me a lot about you as well. Don't worry about the kidnapping. I'll get over it eventually."

"Great!" Dick exclaimed, his grin turning sly. "Then you won't mind coming to a party this Saturday with us, will you?"

"Wait," Jason interjected, worry evident, "what party?"

"Oh come on, Jay. You know what it is. But if you want to know…" Mischievously, Dick handed him an invitation. Jason took one look at it and blanched.

"My return gala! I thought that wasn't until December!"

"Bruce moved it up," Dick gave a half-shrug, still smirking. "He didn't tell you?"

"No!"

"This is his way of telling you, Master Jason," the amused voice of Alfred cut in, the man himself exiting the breakfast nook while drying his hands on a small towel. "He figured that if it were Master Dick to impart the news, you would handle it better."

"Well, he thought wrong!" Jason shot back hysterically.

"Oh, little wing," Dick slung an arm around the shoulders of his little brother, "it won't be that bad."

"Says you," Jason snorted, "All of them are still laboring under the delusion that you're actually going to inherit the company one day. That's why they throw your daughters at you."

"Wait," Damian cut in, having contented himself with watching the show so far, "he's not going to take over the company?" He sounded oddly elated to hear that.

"No," Jason answered before Dick could. "He's capable of running it if he has to but your big brother is too active to want a desk job. Why do you think he ended up a cop?"

Dick shrugged again. "Guilty as charged." One could have sworn his teeth gleamed when he smiled.

"Well, then who is?"

"Probably you, if you want it," Jason admitted. "I'll take over if something, God forbid, happens to Bruce, but I don't want the job either. So if you're up for it—"

"—I am." Damian paused. "Maybe," he reluctantly added.

"Then it's yours." Jason glared back at Dick. "Moving on, what about formal wear? Is it black tie?"

"It always is, Master Jason," Alfred answered drolly. "Which reminds me — Master Dick?"

Right on cue, Dick produced two more invitations, handing one to Tim, and the other to Stephanie. Tim merely looked at the envelope with resignation, while Stephanie was absolutely gobsmacked.

"You're inviting me?" She asked disbelievingly. "But I'm—" she gestured to her entire body with her hands. "I don't even have a dress for this kind of thing."

"Then we'll buy you one," Dick said nonchalantly, "Bruce has already scheduled a fitting for Jason, Damian, and Cass after school tomorrow. It'll be easy to pen you in with them."

"But—the money—"

"Stephanie, we have more money than we know what to do with," Jason said flatly. "We might as well spend it on a friend. Besides, you can use this dress for as long as it fits you. It's well worth the investment, considering you'll probably attending other functions like this as a student at Gotham Academy."

Realizing that they weren't going to budge, Stephanie sighed and gave her assent. "I'll have to clear it with my mom. She might still be a little…clingy after what happened."

"Don't worry, Miss Brown," Alfred chimed in, "Master Bruce already talked to her about it over the phone last night. She thought it would be a good way to get your mind off what happened."

"And my dad?" Tim asked, though it was obvious he already knew the answer.

"He agreed as well. Someone needs to represent the Drakes, after all."

"Wait, represent?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow, "What does you mean by that?"

At that, Dick, Jason, and Tim all sighed. Alfred merely smirked.

"Have fun, young sirs."

After a quick meal had been eaten, the kids had been directed to the theater to watch a movie, as Tim and Stephanie didn't have a lot of homework to do tonight. Before they did, however, Cass had dragged Stephanie up to her room, ostensibly so she could have her favorite pillow down at the theater with her. Everyone, however, knew they were using that as an excuse to talk in private, and left them to it.

The moment the door closed, Cass turned to her best friend with a guilty look on her face. "Steph…I am sorry."

"Cass, no," Stephanie shook her head, "What happened wasn't your fault."

"But it is," Cass said guiltily, "Jason told me she after me. I did not take him strongly."

Stephanie pursed her lips. "Did you know…who she was to you?"

"No. She…has reputation. She is famous among people like me. But that she my mother — no. My other father never said."

"Why was she after you?"

Cass slumped her shoulders. "According to Jason…she wants me to be like her. I do not want to."

"Then it's definitely not your fault," Stephanie said firmly. "You didn't order her to kidnap me; she did that herself. You can't control what she does, Cass. She's her own person and she made her own choices. Besides, if I bagged on you for that then all I'd be is a hypocrite."

Cass tilted her head, confused. "What mean?"

"My father is a supervillain," Stephanie confessed, "A really unsuccessful one, but still pretty dangerous all things considered. The Cluemaster, they call him. He's in jail right now, but I'm dreading the day he finally leaves. I just know he's going to bring more chaos into my life and my mom's too. For a while I was considering cutting off my friendships with you because of that. I wouldn't put it past him to use my connections to you to make a quick buck or something."

"No!" Cass shook her head, grabbing Stephanie's arm firmly. "You are friend. You stay with us. You one of us."

"I know, I know," Stephanie calmed her down. "I don't want to let you go either. Any of you. We'll just have to be careful from now on, okay?"

"Okay," Cass gave a short nod, before pulling Stephanie into another hug. Stephanie hugged her back, happy.

Yet, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. This is it. She could ask Cass right now, and no doubt her friend would tell her the truth. Her guilt wouldn't allow her to lie. But…

Cass was her friend. The Waynes — Tim included — they were all her friends. And if they really were the Bats, well, it didn't really matter if she knew, did it? It wasn't like she was going to tell anyone. She admired the Bats and what they did day in and day out. They protected this city. They saved lives.

So no. It didn't matter if she knew. So she'll just leave it alone.

And if they wanted to tell her one day…well, that was okay too.

A nice cool down chapter and segue into the next mini-arc, which is a bit of worldbuilding. We get to explore my version of Gotham High Society, yay! Plus, expect some more characters we have yet to see to enter the fray and interact with the bats. You can probably guess who, but I won't say anything else for now.

And yes, Stephanie has figured out, though she's keeping mum for now. Jason suspects that she knows, as does Bruce, even if they aren't saying anything, but everyone else is largely clueless. This will come up later, certainly.

The beginning of Jason's tale to Cass is a verbatim reading of the narration from the second-to-last issue of Cass' Batgirl run. You should read it - it's really good.

Next chapter: More exposition about Gotham.