Hello people! This is just a little story I wrote because I like
Cassandra so much! As always, I don't own any of the characters, you know
the drill. Oh, and something else: I have never so much as picked up a
Nightwing comic book (I'm working on it, I promise) and everything I know
about Amy Rohrback came from "The Book" (The Ultimate Guide to Batman,
check it out! It's incredible!) so if I wrote her entirely out of
character, I apologize. I am rather new to the comics and I hope I didn't
screw up too badly. Enjoy!
The Surprise Party
"I still don't see why I have to go shopping; I'm perfectly fine with what I'm wearing," Cassandra Cain said with a sigh.
"For the umpteenth time it's because I won't have you wearing black - pants, nonetheless - to this soirée for Bruce. It's his birthday, not his funeral!" Barbara said, not taking her eyes off of her computer screen.
"What do you mean.soirée? What's that?" the black-haired girl asked. Despite being able to speak for some time, there were still many words she was not familiar with.
"Soirée.it's a party in the evening. Is that clear?" The redhead explained. She had taken a motherly liking to the black-haired girl and she didn't mind explaining things when they came up. "Are you ready to go shopping?" Cassandra noticed a glint in Barbara's eyes as she spoke those words. The older girl actually enjoyed shopping; something Cassandra just couldn't fathom.
"I guess," she said heavily. She definitely was NOT going to have fun. Barbara just shook her head knowingly and led the way out.
After a few minutes of driving, the two girls reached the store: Faks Sixth Avenue. As the females went up the ramp, Cassandra gazed in wonder.
"It's so.shiny," the girl said. Barbara laughed out loud.
"Well I guess you're not used daylight," Barbara said, still giggling. Cassandra just glared.
As they walked in, an over made-up, middle-aged woman with big plastic-like blonde hair bombarded the two girls.
"Hello and welcome to Faks Sixth Avenue. May I help you?" The saleslady said. Her permanent smile let the fluorescent light reflect off of her whitened teeth.
"You're blinding me," Cassandra said, tactless as usual.
"Excuse me?" The lady said, still smiling. Her face probably couldn't resume its normal position if it wanted to. Barbara Cringed. Cassandra started to speak but the redhead cut in.
"Don't mind her, she doesn't get out much," she said in a hasty tone. The saleslady looked Cassandra up and down, perusing over her black boots, black pants, black tank top and pale skin.
"I can tell," she said. The black-haired girl said something barely audible. Barbara went to reprimand her by hitting her arm (knowing full well she wouldn't do any damage) but Cassandra caught her wrist inches before it made contact.
"Let me do the talking," Barbara said as the black-haired girl released her wrist. The latter nodded with a hint of disappointment shadowing her usually stoic face. Barbara turned to the sales lady. "We're looking for an evening dress for a formal occasion. Can you help?"
"Of course, right this way." The saleslady led the pair to the 'formal' section. "Let's see, you have a great build, so let me pick out some outfits. Ah, this will do nicely!" The lady picked out a hot pink formal with big green beaded flowers on it. As soon as Cassandra saw it, a look of disgust (whatever that is on her unmoving face) washed across her features.
"No." She said flatly.
"But-"
"No."
"You should-"
"No. Not a chance."
"Cassandra," Barbara said dangerously. There were an extreme few that could guilt Cassandra into doing things and Barbara was high on that list. "Humor me."
"Fine!" The girl said as she grabbed the dress from the saleslady's hands and stormed into the dressing room. Barbara waited strategically outside until she heard Cassandra's voice. "Um, Barbara, how do I put this on?" The redhead had to conceal her laughter as glided into the changing room.
"Here, let me help you," she said, very mother-duck-like. The saleslady sighed. It was going to be a long day. It wasn't long until she heard the younger one's voice again.
"I can't go out like this! It's a threat to the public!"
"Just go, Cassandra. It won't kill you." A sulky looking Cassandra followed by Barbara soon followed.
"You look ADORABLE!! How CUTE!" The saleslady raved.
"Sometimes I wish I couldn't understand this language," Cassandra replied derogatorily. "This is so.restricting," she continued. "How am I supposed to fight in this?"
"You're not," Barbara replied. Cassandra gave her an 'are you crazy' look. "Now change out of that before my teeth melt."
"What?"
"Forget it."
An hour and six dresses later, Barbara was tired. She had seen everything from a watermelon-color combination to eggplant colors and Cassandra had loathed every one. The redhead made a desperate grab into the dress rack and pulled out a two-piece dress. She handed the dress to Cassandra (who was ready to kill something.literally).
When the black-haired girl came out, Barbara knew the dress was a keeper. The top was a red, corset-type strapless number while the skirt was black satin that graced the floor.
"What do you think?" Barbara asked.
"It's better than everything else in this sinkhole. Let's just get it." Barbara smiled: Cassandra liked the dress.
"Okay, we'll buy it," Barbara said. The poor saleslady just nodded, leading them to the cash register. As Barbara pulled a credit card out of her purse, Cassandra lost whatever tact she had.
"Where'd you get the money for all of this?" she asked.
"Cassandra, remember what I said about letting me talk? If you must know, Bruce is lending it to me," the redhead replied.
"But he doesn't know about the party, how did you get him to loan it to-" Cassandra was cut off by Barbara, who abruptly changed the subject.
"Thank you for all of your help. This is a very nice place. Let's go, Cassandra," Barbara said forcibly. Cassandra quietly followed Barbara out of the store and as soon as the door closed behind them, Barbara started talking again. "Why do I begin to take you out in public? It's just not worth it. I swear, when that guy gave you speech he should've at least added manners onto that!" she ranted. After a moment, Barbara realized that the footsteps had stopped behind her. She looked back and noticed Cassandra leaning up against the railing, looking the other way.
"Do you think I want to act like that? Like I'm doing it just to spite the whole world? In case you forgot, I had no childhood. How am I supposed to know until after I do something wrong. Which is all the time, by the way." Cassandra said quietly, with her back still turned.
"Cassandra.no, I didn't mean it like that. I'm so-" Cassandra didn't let Barbara finish.
"Have fun being perfect," she said as she walked away. Barbara didn't know what to do, but before she could officially react, Cassandra was gone from sight, presumably still holding the dress. Barbara was very worried about Cassandra, but knew that she could take care of herself. As guilty as she felt about thinking about it, Barbara couldn't help but worry just a bit about the dress. It was a relatively insignificant amount that she hacked from Bruce's bank account, and he would understand later, but if that went to waste Barbara would die.
Cassandra knew exactly where she was going: Blüdhaven. If Barbara wouldn't appreciate her, then Dick would at least listen. She couldn't talk to Bruce about it because he wouldn't understand why she was shopping and as much as she wanted to talk with Alfred, she feared he wouldn't understand. Tim was out of the question: she wasn't very close with him, so on to Blüdhaven it was. /I don't know why I'm so upset, it's not like I'm an emotional person, / Cassandra thought as she went down the steps into the train terminal. /It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. /
The train ride was virtually uneventful: a few 'street toughs' thought they could take her down, but the one-sided beat down was over faster than a flash. /I beat the holo-room slower than that, / Cassandra thought to herself. For the rest of the 45 minute train ride, Cassandra lost herself in thoughts.
Finally the train stopped and when Cassandra got off she instantly saw the dinginess of the city. /And I thought Gotham was bad. Poor Dick./ It didn't take Cassandra long to find Dick Grayson's apartment complex (1013 Parkthorne, if you wanted to know) and she just hoped he was home. Night was falling and as much as Cassandra like beating people up, she didn't feel like fending off sex offenders. She stood outside the building and rang the buzzer five times in five-minute intervals but finally decided that he wasn't home. So she took an alternate route in.
It had been a rough day at the station for Officer Richard Grayson. Then again, every day was a rough day in this godforsaken town. /That's the reason I'm here, right?/ he thought. As he pulled up to 1013 Parkthorne Avenue, his eyes wandered up to the third floor that was host to his apartment. Something was different; something made him look up. It took him a moment to realize what it was, but when it registered that it must be the TV light, he was very wary. He cautiously entered the building and silently climbed the stairs. Dick pulled his gun out of its holster, expecting the worst. Whatever that was.
Dick put his back up against the wall next to his door; he was going to do this old-school police break-in style. He reached for his keys to unlock the door and just as he pulled them out, the door flew open. Dick reacted by whipping into his shooting stance but was surprised to see who the culprit was.
"Cassandra.?" he half-asked, stunned.
"Come in," the girl in question said as if she owned the building.
"What are you doing here?" Dick asked, holstering his firearm. He was nervous. What if something happened to Bruce or Tim.or Barbara? The suspense was killing him. Cassandra motioned for him to walk in so Dick went and sat on the couch. "Now tell me what you're doing here. Has something bad happened?" The anxious cop asked.
"Barbara hates me," Cassandra said, bluntly as always.
"What? That can't be right!" Dick said with mixed feelings. He was relieved that everyone was okay, but he was confused by Cassandra's statement.
"Yes. She said I was unfit for going out in the public and that I should've gotten manners with my speech. She was serious. She hates me," Cassandra said, her voice giving off the slightest bit of emotion.
"Now, I'm sure she didn't mean that. What were the circumstances?" Dick said as he grabbed a cold drink from the fridge.
"She meant it," Cassandra said. She then proceeded to tell Dick the background. "I'm sorry I bothered you," the girl concluded. "I didn't know who to talk to. Out of the whole five people I let myself be close to, you're the only one who would understand."
"Don't worry, Cassandra, it's not like I have a life out of vigilantism. Now, it's late, you've traveled awhile and I'm tired. If you would like, you can stay in the extra apartment* until you figure things out, okay?" Cassandra nodded and headed off in that general direction. /How does she know my apartment?/ Dick wondered. /She must have been waiting awhile before I came home!/
Once Cassandra had left the vicinity, Dick picked up the phone and dialed. Barbara answered the phone, but she sounded funny.
"Barbara, were you crying?" Dick asked.
"No, why?" she lied. He could tell that she had been crying.
"This wouldn't have to do with Cassandra, would it?" Dick said, avoiding Barbara's blatant fib. "She ended up here, you know. But she's safe, just.confused and hurt. Well, as hurt as that girl gets."
"I know. I screwed up badly. She's just so hard to deal with sometimes. She has the naïveté of a three year old in a seventeen year old's body, so society expects so much of her. She's hard to work with. Ask her to save a political figure from an international assassin, she's on it, but ask her to read today's headlines from the paper and she can't. Cain sure did a number on screwing up her childhood. I just feel so bad because I didn't mean to say those things but I'm just really stressed out right now."
"From what?"
"I'll tell you later."
"Okay, then. Well, why don't you just let her chill here for a few days, and if Batgirl is needed, you can just call and I'll send her back, okay? But it's getting late and you should go to bed," Dick said.
"Okay. Thanks for calling; I would've been even worse if you hadn't called. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," the black-haired guy replied right before he hung up the phone. It was going to be a long few days.
When Dick went into the living room the next morning to get ready for work, Cassandra was already sitting on the couch watching the morning news with a cup of hot tea. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that were too big for her.
"I see you've raided my closet already," Dick said, pouring a cup of coffee for himself.
"What else was I going to wear? Not my dress...it'd be too uncomfortable," Cassandra replied, not taking her eyes off the television. "I feel sorry for the cop force out here. This place sucks."
"Thanks for the uplifting words before I go to work. What's this dress?" Dick asked, sitting down at the kitchen table.
"It's what we bought last night. It was the least gaudy of everything else. I forgot I had it when I ran off. It's for Bruce's big surprise party." She said, taking a sip of tea.
"What's this party?" Dick asked, truly interested.
"Bruce's birthday party. Barbara's organizing it. It's Saturday, at eight and you're supposed to bring a bribe." Cassandra said, inwardly surprised that he had not already been invited.
"A.bribe? You mean a gift?"
"Bribe, gift, whatever you want to call it. Don't you have someplace to be?" she asked.
"Well, when I leave for work, what are you going to do all day?"
"Probably nothing. I'm good at that," the girl said. Dick felt bad about leaving her alone all day, but what was he supposed to do? "Don't worry about me," she said, as if reading his mind. "I'm used to being alone. I'll just meditate."
"Alright, but if you need anything don't hesitate to call me, okay? And DON'T go running out. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt." Cassandra looked up sharply at him. "Okay, well, I know you could kick almost anyone's ass, but still.just for my sake, stay here?" Dick watched as Cassandra gave a little nod. He hoped she was as good at following orders as she was at fighting.
The day went by relatively quickly for Cassandra; taking only small breaks from her meditations for meals. She certainly didn't need to eat much; her training had made sure of that, but she liked to occasionally. Apparently, from the understocked cabinets, Dick didn't need to eat much either. Or he just hadn't gone to the store lately. Cassandra couldn't be sure. The girl was just starting to get bored with meditations when Dick came home from work. He fixed something quick for dinner then relaxed and watched tv. At precisely ten o'clock, Dick got up to start his nightly rounds. Cassandra looked up.
"Can I go?" she asked, wanting some excitement.
"Do you have your suit?" he asked. She shook her head a little, signally the negative. "Then.no. I can't have you out there without its protection."
"You're acting like Bruce. He's like that, you know. Couldn't we just make up a disguise? You have to have some kind of extra masking," Cassandra pleaded.
"Bruce will kill me."
"Why does he have to know?"
"I'm used to working solo; I wouldn't want to get you in trouble."
"I'll go look for the masks," Cassandra said. She knew he was just trying to find reasons for her not to come. /Well, I might as well let her come, she'll guilt me into it eventually,/ Dick thought. He gave in and gave her a mask and some gloves to use with her black outfit. He also gave her some extras like smoke bombs and a little taser.
The routine went on like that for a few days. Finally the weekend came and Dick was off work. On the Saturday of the party, Cassandra was sitting on the couch watching television when the door buzzer unexpectedly rang. Dick ran over to the intercom and answered. The black-haired girl didn't hear who was coming up, but she stood up.
"It's okay," Dick said, "You can sit down. It's a friend from work." Cassandra sat back down and a half-minute later, someone knocked on the door. Dick answered it and a woman walked in. "Come on in!" he said. The two at the door turned to Cassandra. "Amy, this is Cassandra, my girlfriend's sister-" Cassandra shot him a questioning look. He just shrugged. "Cassandra, this is my partner, Sgt. Amy Rohrback. She'll be helping you get ready for the party tonight."
"Hey," Amy said. Cassandra just gave Dick 'a look' and left the room.
"Um, sorry about that, Amy. She's not a real social person and I'm trying to coax her into going to this party tonight. She doesn't really want to attend, you see," Dick said, making apologies for Cassandra's abrupt behavior. "Make yourself at home, I'll go talk to her." Dick showed Amy the couch and followed after Cassandra.
Once he went into the other room, he shut the door behind him.
"Cassandra," he said, trying to remain calm. "Please go to this party tonight. It mean a lot to Bruce if you went."
"No. You can't make me do it. It's just a stupid party. I hate being around people, anyway. Why would I go?" Cassandra said, never meeting Dick's eye. She felt a strain of remorse in not going; but how could she confront Barbara?
"I know what this is about," the black-haired man said, his voice serious. "You can't run away from her and live with me your whole life. I've talked to Barbara, she's really sorry. She's also hurt that you ran-" Dick was cut off.
"It's not about that-it's about all the people. You know I'm uncomfortable in group situ-" It was Dick's turn to interrupt.
"You know perfectly well this is about Barbara! Just suck it up and move on. Every time someone gets frustrated you need to realize it's not always about you. Apologize, or let them apologize and move on with your life. The party would be the perfect time for you to make up. So what do you say?" Cassandra was moved by Dick's speech, but she'd never let him know. After a moment of silence, Cassandra spoke up again.
"Fine. I'll go. But it's only for Bruce. I refuse to associate with Barbara." She said. Dick knew differently, however. He knew that she wanted to make up with Barbara, she was just too proud to say so. Finally, the two emerged from the room and Cassandra went off to change into her dress so Amy could see the color scheme.
"Did you get everything worked out?" Amy asked, turning off the tv; it had been entertaining her while Dick talked with Cassandra.
"Yeah, she's changing into outfit now. Thanks a lot for coming out here, I know it's know it's not your idea of a relaxing Saturday afternoon, but I really do appreciate it." Dick said, sitting down on one of the chairs in the living room. "It's just you're really the only woman I know well enough in this city to help me with this. Thanks for coming out, again." Just then, Cassandra entered the room in her dress. Dick was speechless; Cassandra could look quite stunning when set in the right atmosphere. He felt like a proud older brother when he saw her.
"You look lovely," Amy said. "Now lets get started with your hair. I think we can just flip it out a little and it'll be fine." Then the Sargent went to work. By the time she was finished - a full hour later - Cassandra was completely made-up and ready to go. She looked at herself in the mirror and shuddered.
"I look like a fool," she said. "This.lipstick.It's too flashy. It will get me noticed."
"Don't you want that? I hardly know a girl that doesn't like attention," Amy replied, looking at her masterpiece. Before Cassandra could reply, Dick cut in.
"Well, it's just that she doesn't like being in the public eye. She's shy," he said. Amy apparently bought it. While Amy had been making Cassandra up, Dick had changed into his evening tuxedo. Most men don't even have one tuxedo, but Dick had no shortage of them. That was the curse of living in Wayne Manor.
"Wait, you're missing something," Amy said to Cassandra. The girl gave her a puzzled look. She fished around in her pocket for something. "I wasn't quite sure what you were wearing, but I figured you wouldn't have necklace, so I grabbed this. I expect to get it back, Dick," Amy said as she pulled out a silver medallion on a chain of the same material. "Here." She placed the necklace around Cassandra's neck. The black-haired girl didn't think it was unsightly, but if she had her way, she wouldn't wear it. Of course, if she had her way, she wouldn't go to the party, either.
When Amy was finished getting Cassandra ready, it was already seven o'clock. Dick and Cassandra escorted Amy to her car, getting into the black-haired man's car after the blonde was safely on the road again.
The car ride to Gotham was painfully silent. Every conversation Dick started either got answered with a noncommittal noise or it just didn't get answered at all. /Oh joy,/ he thought, /This'll be tons of fun/. After trying several unsuccessful conversations, he just went for the radio and listened to music for the rest of the way to Gotham. Cassandra, however, didn't exactly realize she was being rude towards Dick's multiple attempts for conversation. She was lost in her own deep thought. So much so, in fact, that she missed entire conversation starters and barely noticed when he turned on the radio.
Dick's discomfort carried on until he parked the car at stately Wayne Manor. He stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to Cassandra's door, opening it and offering his arm, like a good escort. Cassandra accepted and the two walked towards the building, where others were streaming in. Once the two reached the front entry hall, Dick realized that it wasn't going to be a small 'family' party. Everyone was there it seemed. People came up to Dick, greeting him and making small talk. Cassandra was inadvertently ignored, which kind of got to her. She brushed it off, though, telling herself that these people didn't know any better. She didn't know anyone here and it would be odd for him or her to approach the girl.
The small talk happened for a little while and Cassandra got bored. She let her eyes wander around the crowded room, letting people pass her without acknowledgment. It's not like she wanted to talk to them, either. She did, however, get offended when she saw spiked black hair-just below eye level- pass her by. Moving nothing but her arm, Cassandra grabbed the boy's collar rather comically, stopping him mid-step and yanking him back.
"Hey! What was that for!" he cried indignantly. Cassandra just smirked. He was staring straight at her and he didn't even recognize her.
"Sharp skills? I doubt it," she said to him, letting go of his collar.
"Cassandra?" the boy said, a complete look of surprise crossed his face.
"Tim," she said plainly. The little boy wonder looked his comrade up and down in total disbelief. After a moment, Tim performed a whistle of surprise.
"Whoever did you over did a fine job!" Tim commented. Cassandra rolled her eyes but changed the subject.
"Has Bruce arrived yet?" she asked. Tim shook his head, denoting the negative.
"No," he replied, emphasizing the point. "He's not here yet but I see Dick over there."
"I know, I came with him," Cassandra said in a 'everyone should have known that' tone.
"You did? I thought you would come with Barbara. She's coming in with Bruce. Why didn't you come together?"
"It's a long story," Cassandra said, brushing it off. Tim was about to comment when someone came over the impromptu PA system.
"Bruce will be here any moment," the feminine voice said, "We ask that you find a spot to greet our unknowing host." There was a bit of shuffling but everyone found a spot to stand. The tension in the air was tight: excitement circled the room like electricity. The room became stark quiet when the heavy handles of the oaken doors twitched from their original positions. The door opened slowly and the crowd went wild, yelling SURPRISE at the top of their lungs. Cassandra, of course, did not partake in this little ritual: she hated raising her voice. The playboy had a look of utter surprise on his face, his bright blue eyes lighting up under identical black eyebrows. People were clapping and having fun as Bruce came onto the floor of the party followed by Barbara, who was very dressed up. Bruce turned to her.
"What is this all about, Barb?" he asked her.
"It's a surprise party, Bruce. You must've known that," she said facetiously. Bruce looked at her.
"I KNOW it's a surprise party, Barbara, but what for?"
"Sometimes I think you're the most clueless guy, Bruce. You're the only person alive who would forget his birthday. I had to remind you, so I organized this party," Barbara said frankly.
"YOU organized this? All by yourself?" he asked. If Bruce could've gotten anymore surprised, that would've been the kicker.
"For as smart of a man as you are, Bruce, sometimes you ask such stupid questions. Of course I organized it, I just said so, didn't I?" Barbara smiled up at Bruce. The astonished man bent down and gave Barbara a kiss on the cheek, thanking her for all of her help. The party, of course, had started up again after Bruce walked in, and he felt a hand on his arm.
"Excuse me, Bruce, I think that's my girl you're fraternizing with," came a voice from behind, apparently connected to the arm in some way.
"Dick! You're here too? This is wonderful. Who else is here?" Bruce said, gazing around at the crowd.
"Everyone and their brothers, old man," another voice stated. Bruce turned around to see Tim, dressed in an evening suit, standing next to Barbara.
"Good evening, Tim. You actually got dressed up?" Bruce said, cracking a joke.
"Yeah, as much as I didn't want to, Barbara made me," Tim said, teasingly. Barbara gave him a pseudo-stern look, but didn't have the chance to speak as another face added itself to the circle around Bruce.
"He's not the only one," the new girl said in a monotone. Bruce felt like he knew her, but she wasn't registering in his head.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude," the multi-millionaire started, "but have we met?" Just as the words escaped his mouth, he realized who the girl was. Barbara obviously did too, as they spoke at the same time.
"Cassandra?!" Barbara and Bruce said in unison. Bruce continued. "You look wonderful! Did Barbara make you up?" he asked. Cassandra was about to scoff, but she thought better of it. She was here to make up, not get mad again.
"No, Dick's friend Amy did. Dick insisted I come, much to my dismay, but this isn't a bad party after all." Cassandra's bluntness would've offended anyone else, but Bruce took it with understanding. He glanced up at Dick when he saw his arms move slightly. Bruce interpreted their movements and decided to leave Barbara and Cassandra alone.
"I see. Well, wow, you look great, and I hate to be rude, but I have a feeling I must socialize with my other guests. Thanks again for this, Barbara, and thank you for coming, everyone. We'll talk later?" Bruce ended as he walked off. Dick and Tim, who had obviously missed the signals, followed him to into the crowd. Barbara turned to Cassandra, who spoke up.
"A herd of elephants could've been more subtle," she said, knowing Barbara knew what she was talking about.
"Yes, well, let's give them the benefit of the doubt. They probably underestimated your skills again," Barbara said. She started to speak up again, but Cassandra obviously had the same idea.
"Look, I'm sorry-" they said in unison. Then Barbara started laughing and a hint of a smile hovered on Cassandra's face. "You go first," the redhead said. Cassandra took advantage of the chance and spoke.
"I'm sorry about the other night. I should not have taken things so personally; I knew you were stressed out, and I apologize for running out like that. I guess I do have a lot more to learn."
"No, Cassandra," Barbara said, "I'm the one who should be sorry. Yes, I was stressed out and aggravated-not at you, by the way-, but I shouldn't have said the things I did. I was mean and the words were more hurtful than I had initially thought. Well, I didn't really think when I was talking, but in any event, I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted," Cassandra said in return, and this time she really did smile, if briefly. The two girls continued the small talk and returned to the party, enjoying the evening and having fun.
**Epilogue** It was another late night. Oracle had many things to research before Batman's new case could go further, and the computer light illuminated the dark room. Sitting in the window seat of the previously mentioned room was a young girl with black hair pulled back into a small ponytail. She was looking out on the city: the lights from the buildings made the sky an eerie shade of crimson. The silence was thick, letting only the tip-tap of the keyboard penetrate it. When the girl at the window got bored of looking outside, she spoke up.
"Barbara?" she said. The girl at the computer didn't look up.
"Yes, Cassandra?" Oracle replied, typing away.
"The other night - Bruce's party - was a lot of fun. Wearing a dress wasn't that bad and I almost liked the shoes."
"Oh? And why is that?" Barbara said, turning around to face Cassandra.
"Because," the black haired girl started, getting as excited as she would allow herself to get. "If I were to kick somebody, it would really screw them up."
The Surprise Party
"I still don't see why I have to go shopping; I'm perfectly fine with what I'm wearing," Cassandra Cain said with a sigh.
"For the umpteenth time it's because I won't have you wearing black - pants, nonetheless - to this soirée for Bruce. It's his birthday, not his funeral!" Barbara said, not taking her eyes off of her computer screen.
"What do you mean.soirée? What's that?" the black-haired girl asked. Despite being able to speak for some time, there were still many words she was not familiar with.
"Soirée.it's a party in the evening. Is that clear?" The redhead explained. She had taken a motherly liking to the black-haired girl and she didn't mind explaining things when they came up. "Are you ready to go shopping?" Cassandra noticed a glint in Barbara's eyes as she spoke those words. The older girl actually enjoyed shopping; something Cassandra just couldn't fathom.
"I guess," she said heavily. She definitely was NOT going to have fun. Barbara just shook her head knowingly and led the way out.
After a few minutes of driving, the two girls reached the store: Faks Sixth Avenue. As the females went up the ramp, Cassandra gazed in wonder.
"It's so.shiny," the girl said. Barbara laughed out loud.
"Well I guess you're not used daylight," Barbara said, still giggling. Cassandra just glared.
As they walked in, an over made-up, middle-aged woman with big plastic-like blonde hair bombarded the two girls.
"Hello and welcome to Faks Sixth Avenue. May I help you?" The saleslady said. Her permanent smile let the fluorescent light reflect off of her whitened teeth.
"You're blinding me," Cassandra said, tactless as usual.
"Excuse me?" The lady said, still smiling. Her face probably couldn't resume its normal position if it wanted to. Barbara Cringed. Cassandra started to speak but the redhead cut in.
"Don't mind her, she doesn't get out much," she said in a hasty tone. The saleslady looked Cassandra up and down, perusing over her black boots, black pants, black tank top and pale skin.
"I can tell," she said. The black-haired girl said something barely audible. Barbara went to reprimand her by hitting her arm (knowing full well she wouldn't do any damage) but Cassandra caught her wrist inches before it made contact.
"Let me do the talking," Barbara said as the black-haired girl released her wrist. The latter nodded with a hint of disappointment shadowing her usually stoic face. Barbara turned to the sales lady. "We're looking for an evening dress for a formal occasion. Can you help?"
"Of course, right this way." The saleslady led the pair to the 'formal' section. "Let's see, you have a great build, so let me pick out some outfits. Ah, this will do nicely!" The lady picked out a hot pink formal with big green beaded flowers on it. As soon as Cassandra saw it, a look of disgust (whatever that is on her unmoving face) washed across her features.
"No." She said flatly.
"But-"
"No."
"You should-"
"No. Not a chance."
"Cassandra," Barbara said dangerously. There were an extreme few that could guilt Cassandra into doing things and Barbara was high on that list. "Humor me."
"Fine!" The girl said as she grabbed the dress from the saleslady's hands and stormed into the dressing room. Barbara waited strategically outside until she heard Cassandra's voice. "Um, Barbara, how do I put this on?" The redhead had to conceal her laughter as glided into the changing room.
"Here, let me help you," she said, very mother-duck-like. The saleslady sighed. It was going to be a long day. It wasn't long until she heard the younger one's voice again.
"I can't go out like this! It's a threat to the public!"
"Just go, Cassandra. It won't kill you." A sulky looking Cassandra followed by Barbara soon followed.
"You look ADORABLE!! How CUTE!" The saleslady raved.
"Sometimes I wish I couldn't understand this language," Cassandra replied derogatorily. "This is so.restricting," she continued. "How am I supposed to fight in this?"
"You're not," Barbara replied. Cassandra gave her an 'are you crazy' look. "Now change out of that before my teeth melt."
"What?"
"Forget it."
An hour and six dresses later, Barbara was tired. She had seen everything from a watermelon-color combination to eggplant colors and Cassandra had loathed every one. The redhead made a desperate grab into the dress rack and pulled out a two-piece dress. She handed the dress to Cassandra (who was ready to kill something.literally).
When the black-haired girl came out, Barbara knew the dress was a keeper. The top was a red, corset-type strapless number while the skirt was black satin that graced the floor.
"What do you think?" Barbara asked.
"It's better than everything else in this sinkhole. Let's just get it." Barbara smiled: Cassandra liked the dress.
"Okay, we'll buy it," Barbara said. The poor saleslady just nodded, leading them to the cash register. As Barbara pulled a credit card out of her purse, Cassandra lost whatever tact she had.
"Where'd you get the money for all of this?" she asked.
"Cassandra, remember what I said about letting me talk? If you must know, Bruce is lending it to me," the redhead replied.
"But he doesn't know about the party, how did you get him to loan it to-" Cassandra was cut off by Barbara, who abruptly changed the subject.
"Thank you for all of your help. This is a very nice place. Let's go, Cassandra," Barbara said forcibly. Cassandra quietly followed Barbara out of the store and as soon as the door closed behind them, Barbara started talking again. "Why do I begin to take you out in public? It's just not worth it. I swear, when that guy gave you speech he should've at least added manners onto that!" she ranted. After a moment, Barbara realized that the footsteps had stopped behind her. She looked back and noticed Cassandra leaning up against the railing, looking the other way.
"Do you think I want to act like that? Like I'm doing it just to spite the whole world? In case you forgot, I had no childhood. How am I supposed to know until after I do something wrong. Which is all the time, by the way." Cassandra said quietly, with her back still turned.
"Cassandra.no, I didn't mean it like that. I'm so-" Cassandra didn't let Barbara finish.
"Have fun being perfect," she said as she walked away. Barbara didn't know what to do, but before she could officially react, Cassandra was gone from sight, presumably still holding the dress. Barbara was very worried about Cassandra, but knew that she could take care of herself. As guilty as she felt about thinking about it, Barbara couldn't help but worry just a bit about the dress. It was a relatively insignificant amount that she hacked from Bruce's bank account, and he would understand later, but if that went to waste Barbara would die.
Cassandra knew exactly where she was going: Blüdhaven. If Barbara wouldn't appreciate her, then Dick would at least listen. She couldn't talk to Bruce about it because he wouldn't understand why she was shopping and as much as she wanted to talk with Alfred, she feared he wouldn't understand. Tim was out of the question: she wasn't very close with him, so on to Blüdhaven it was. /I don't know why I'm so upset, it's not like I'm an emotional person, / Cassandra thought as she went down the steps into the train terminal. /It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. /
The train ride was virtually uneventful: a few 'street toughs' thought they could take her down, but the one-sided beat down was over faster than a flash. /I beat the holo-room slower than that, / Cassandra thought to herself. For the rest of the 45 minute train ride, Cassandra lost herself in thoughts.
Finally the train stopped and when Cassandra got off she instantly saw the dinginess of the city. /And I thought Gotham was bad. Poor Dick./ It didn't take Cassandra long to find Dick Grayson's apartment complex (1013 Parkthorne, if you wanted to know) and she just hoped he was home. Night was falling and as much as Cassandra like beating people up, she didn't feel like fending off sex offenders. She stood outside the building and rang the buzzer five times in five-minute intervals but finally decided that he wasn't home. So she took an alternate route in.
It had been a rough day at the station for Officer Richard Grayson. Then again, every day was a rough day in this godforsaken town. /That's the reason I'm here, right?/ he thought. As he pulled up to 1013 Parkthorne Avenue, his eyes wandered up to the third floor that was host to his apartment. Something was different; something made him look up. It took him a moment to realize what it was, but when it registered that it must be the TV light, he was very wary. He cautiously entered the building and silently climbed the stairs. Dick pulled his gun out of its holster, expecting the worst. Whatever that was.
Dick put his back up against the wall next to his door; he was going to do this old-school police break-in style. He reached for his keys to unlock the door and just as he pulled them out, the door flew open. Dick reacted by whipping into his shooting stance but was surprised to see who the culprit was.
"Cassandra.?" he half-asked, stunned.
"Come in," the girl in question said as if she owned the building.
"What are you doing here?" Dick asked, holstering his firearm. He was nervous. What if something happened to Bruce or Tim.or Barbara? The suspense was killing him. Cassandra motioned for him to walk in so Dick went and sat on the couch. "Now tell me what you're doing here. Has something bad happened?" The anxious cop asked.
"Barbara hates me," Cassandra said, bluntly as always.
"What? That can't be right!" Dick said with mixed feelings. He was relieved that everyone was okay, but he was confused by Cassandra's statement.
"Yes. She said I was unfit for going out in the public and that I should've gotten manners with my speech. She was serious. She hates me," Cassandra said, her voice giving off the slightest bit of emotion.
"Now, I'm sure she didn't mean that. What were the circumstances?" Dick said as he grabbed a cold drink from the fridge.
"She meant it," Cassandra said. She then proceeded to tell Dick the background. "I'm sorry I bothered you," the girl concluded. "I didn't know who to talk to. Out of the whole five people I let myself be close to, you're the only one who would understand."
"Don't worry, Cassandra, it's not like I have a life out of vigilantism. Now, it's late, you've traveled awhile and I'm tired. If you would like, you can stay in the extra apartment* until you figure things out, okay?" Cassandra nodded and headed off in that general direction. /How does she know my apartment?/ Dick wondered. /She must have been waiting awhile before I came home!/
Once Cassandra had left the vicinity, Dick picked up the phone and dialed. Barbara answered the phone, but she sounded funny.
"Barbara, were you crying?" Dick asked.
"No, why?" she lied. He could tell that she had been crying.
"This wouldn't have to do with Cassandra, would it?" Dick said, avoiding Barbara's blatant fib. "She ended up here, you know. But she's safe, just.confused and hurt. Well, as hurt as that girl gets."
"I know. I screwed up badly. She's just so hard to deal with sometimes. She has the naïveté of a three year old in a seventeen year old's body, so society expects so much of her. She's hard to work with. Ask her to save a political figure from an international assassin, she's on it, but ask her to read today's headlines from the paper and she can't. Cain sure did a number on screwing up her childhood. I just feel so bad because I didn't mean to say those things but I'm just really stressed out right now."
"From what?"
"I'll tell you later."
"Okay, then. Well, why don't you just let her chill here for a few days, and if Batgirl is needed, you can just call and I'll send her back, okay? But it's getting late and you should go to bed," Dick said.
"Okay. Thanks for calling; I would've been even worse if you hadn't called. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," the black-haired guy replied right before he hung up the phone. It was going to be a long few days.
When Dick went into the living room the next morning to get ready for work, Cassandra was already sitting on the couch watching the morning news with a cup of hot tea. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that were too big for her.
"I see you've raided my closet already," Dick said, pouring a cup of coffee for himself.
"What else was I going to wear? Not my dress...it'd be too uncomfortable," Cassandra replied, not taking her eyes off the television. "I feel sorry for the cop force out here. This place sucks."
"Thanks for the uplifting words before I go to work. What's this dress?" Dick asked, sitting down at the kitchen table.
"It's what we bought last night. It was the least gaudy of everything else. I forgot I had it when I ran off. It's for Bruce's big surprise party." She said, taking a sip of tea.
"What's this party?" Dick asked, truly interested.
"Bruce's birthday party. Barbara's organizing it. It's Saturday, at eight and you're supposed to bring a bribe." Cassandra said, inwardly surprised that he had not already been invited.
"A.bribe? You mean a gift?"
"Bribe, gift, whatever you want to call it. Don't you have someplace to be?" she asked.
"Well, when I leave for work, what are you going to do all day?"
"Probably nothing. I'm good at that," the girl said. Dick felt bad about leaving her alone all day, but what was he supposed to do? "Don't worry about me," she said, as if reading his mind. "I'm used to being alone. I'll just meditate."
"Alright, but if you need anything don't hesitate to call me, okay? And DON'T go running out. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt." Cassandra looked up sharply at him. "Okay, well, I know you could kick almost anyone's ass, but still.just for my sake, stay here?" Dick watched as Cassandra gave a little nod. He hoped she was as good at following orders as she was at fighting.
The day went by relatively quickly for Cassandra; taking only small breaks from her meditations for meals. She certainly didn't need to eat much; her training had made sure of that, but she liked to occasionally. Apparently, from the understocked cabinets, Dick didn't need to eat much either. Or he just hadn't gone to the store lately. Cassandra couldn't be sure. The girl was just starting to get bored with meditations when Dick came home from work. He fixed something quick for dinner then relaxed and watched tv. At precisely ten o'clock, Dick got up to start his nightly rounds. Cassandra looked up.
"Can I go?" she asked, wanting some excitement.
"Do you have your suit?" he asked. She shook her head a little, signally the negative. "Then.no. I can't have you out there without its protection."
"You're acting like Bruce. He's like that, you know. Couldn't we just make up a disguise? You have to have some kind of extra masking," Cassandra pleaded.
"Bruce will kill me."
"Why does he have to know?"
"I'm used to working solo; I wouldn't want to get you in trouble."
"I'll go look for the masks," Cassandra said. She knew he was just trying to find reasons for her not to come. /Well, I might as well let her come, she'll guilt me into it eventually,/ Dick thought. He gave in and gave her a mask and some gloves to use with her black outfit. He also gave her some extras like smoke bombs and a little taser.
The routine went on like that for a few days. Finally the weekend came and Dick was off work. On the Saturday of the party, Cassandra was sitting on the couch watching television when the door buzzer unexpectedly rang. Dick ran over to the intercom and answered. The black-haired girl didn't hear who was coming up, but she stood up.
"It's okay," Dick said, "You can sit down. It's a friend from work." Cassandra sat back down and a half-minute later, someone knocked on the door. Dick answered it and a woman walked in. "Come on in!" he said. The two at the door turned to Cassandra. "Amy, this is Cassandra, my girlfriend's sister-" Cassandra shot him a questioning look. He just shrugged. "Cassandra, this is my partner, Sgt. Amy Rohrback. She'll be helping you get ready for the party tonight."
"Hey," Amy said. Cassandra just gave Dick 'a look' and left the room.
"Um, sorry about that, Amy. She's not a real social person and I'm trying to coax her into going to this party tonight. She doesn't really want to attend, you see," Dick said, making apologies for Cassandra's abrupt behavior. "Make yourself at home, I'll go talk to her." Dick showed Amy the couch and followed after Cassandra.
Once he went into the other room, he shut the door behind him.
"Cassandra," he said, trying to remain calm. "Please go to this party tonight. It mean a lot to Bruce if you went."
"No. You can't make me do it. It's just a stupid party. I hate being around people, anyway. Why would I go?" Cassandra said, never meeting Dick's eye. She felt a strain of remorse in not going; but how could she confront Barbara?
"I know what this is about," the black-haired man said, his voice serious. "You can't run away from her and live with me your whole life. I've talked to Barbara, she's really sorry. She's also hurt that you ran-" Dick was cut off.
"It's not about that-it's about all the people. You know I'm uncomfortable in group situ-" It was Dick's turn to interrupt.
"You know perfectly well this is about Barbara! Just suck it up and move on. Every time someone gets frustrated you need to realize it's not always about you. Apologize, or let them apologize and move on with your life. The party would be the perfect time for you to make up. So what do you say?" Cassandra was moved by Dick's speech, but she'd never let him know. After a moment of silence, Cassandra spoke up again.
"Fine. I'll go. But it's only for Bruce. I refuse to associate with Barbara." She said. Dick knew differently, however. He knew that she wanted to make up with Barbara, she was just too proud to say so. Finally, the two emerged from the room and Cassandra went off to change into her dress so Amy could see the color scheme.
"Did you get everything worked out?" Amy asked, turning off the tv; it had been entertaining her while Dick talked with Cassandra.
"Yeah, she's changing into outfit now. Thanks a lot for coming out here, I know it's know it's not your idea of a relaxing Saturday afternoon, but I really do appreciate it." Dick said, sitting down on one of the chairs in the living room. "It's just you're really the only woman I know well enough in this city to help me with this. Thanks for coming out, again." Just then, Cassandra entered the room in her dress. Dick was speechless; Cassandra could look quite stunning when set in the right atmosphere. He felt like a proud older brother when he saw her.
"You look lovely," Amy said. "Now lets get started with your hair. I think we can just flip it out a little and it'll be fine." Then the Sargent went to work. By the time she was finished - a full hour later - Cassandra was completely made-up and ready to go. She looked at herself in the mirror and shuddered.
"I look like a fool," she said. "This.lipstick.It's too flashy. It will get me noticed."
"Don't you want that? I hardly know a girl that doesn't like attention," Amy replied, looking at her masterpiece. Before Cassandra could reply, Dick cut in.
"Well, it's just that she doesn't like being in the public eye. She's shy," he said. Amy apparently bought it. While Amy had been making Cassandra up, Dick had changed into his evening tuxedo. Most men don't even have one tuxedo, but Dick had no shortage of them. That was the curse of living in Wayne Manor.
"Wait, you're missing something," Amy said to Cassandra. The girl gave her a puzzled look. She fished around in her pocket for something. "I wasn't quite sure what you were wearing, but I figured you wouldn't have necklace, so I grabbed this. I expect to get it back, Dick," Amy said as she pulled out a silver medallion on a chain of the same material. "Here." She placed the necklace around Cassandra's neck. The black-haired girl didn't think it was unsightly, but if she had her way, she wouldn't wear it. Of course, if she had her way, she wouldn't go to the party, either.
When Amy was finished getting Cassandra ready, it was already seven o'clock. Dick and Cassandra escorted Amy to her car, getting into the black-haired man's car after the blonde was safely on the road again.
The car ride to Gotham was painfully silent. Every conversation Dick started either got answered with a noncommittal noise or it just didn't get answered at all. /Oh joy,/ he thought, /This'll be tons of fun/. After trying several unsuccessful conversations, he just went for the radio and listened to music for the rest of the way to Gotham. Cassandra, however, didn't exactly realize she was being rude towards Dick's multiple attempts for conversation. She was lost in her own deep thought. So much so, in fact, that she missed entire conversation starters and barely noticed when he turned on the radio.
Dick's discomfort carried on until he parked the car at stately Wayne Manor. He stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to Cassandra's door, opening it and offering his arm, like a good escort. Cassandra accepted and the two walked towards the building, where others were streaming in. Once the two reached the front entry hall, Dick realized that it wasn't going to be a small 'family' party. Everyone was there it seemed. People came up to Dick, greeting him and making small talk. Cassandra was inadvertently ignored, which kind of got to her. She brushed it off, though, telling herself that these people didn't know any better. She didn't know anyone here and it would be odd for him or her to approach the girl.
The small talk happened for a little while and Cassandra got bored. She let her eyes wander around the crowded room, letting people pass her without acknowledgment. It's not like she wanted to talk to them, either. She did, however, get offended when she saw spiked black hair-just below eye level- pass her by. Moving nothing but her arm, Cassandra grabbed the boy's collar rather comically, stopping him mid-step and yanking him back.
"Hey! What was that for!" he cried indignantly. Cassandra just smirked. He was staring straight at her and he didn't even recognize her.
"Sharp skills? I doubt it," she said to him, letting go of his collar.
"Cassandra?" the boy said, a complete look of surprise crossed his face.
"Tim," she said plainly. The little boy wonder looked his comrade up and down in total disbelief. After a moment, Tim performed a whistle of surprise.
"Whoever did you over did a fine job!" Tim commented. Cassandra rolled her eyes but changed the subject.
"Has Bruce arrived yet?" she asked. Tim shook his head, denoting the negative.
"No," he replied, emphasizing the point. "He's not here yet but I see Dick over there."
"I know, I came with him," Cassandra said in a 'everyone should have known that' tone.
"You did? I thought you would come with Barbara. She's coming in with Bruce. Why didn't you come together?"
"It's a long story," Cassandra said, brushing it off. Tim was about to comment when someone came over the impromptu PA system.
"Bruce will be here any moment," the feminine voice said, "We ask that you find a spot to greet our unknowing host." There was a bit of shuffling but everyone found a spot to stand. The tension in the air was tight: excitement circled the room like electricity. The room became stark quiet when the heavy handles of the oaken doors twitched from their original positions. The door opened slowly and the crowd went wild, yelling SURPRISE at the top of their lungs. Cassandra, of course, did not partake in this little ritual: she hated raising her voice. The playboy had a look of utter surprise on his face, his bright blue eyes lighting up under identical black eyebrows. People were clapping and having fun as Bruce came onto the floor of the party followed by Barbara, who was very dressed up. Bruce turned to her.
"What is this all about, Barb?" he asked her.
"It's a surprise party, Bruce. You must've known that," she said facetiously. Bruce looked at her.
"I KNOW it's a surprise party, Barbara, but what for?"
"Sometimes I think you're the most clueless guy, Bruce. You're the only person alive who would forget his birthday. I had to remind you, so I organized this party," Barbara said frankly.
"YOU organized this? All by yourself?" he asked. If Bruce could've gotten anymore surprised, that would've been the kicker.
"For as smart of a man as you are, Bruce, sometimes you ask such stupid questions. Of course I organized it, I just said so, didn't I?" Barbara smiled up at Bruce. The astonished man bent down and gave Barbara a kiss on the cheek, thanking her for all of her help. The party, of course, had started up again after Bruce walked in, and he felt a hand on his arm.
"Excuse me, Bruce, I think that's my girl you're fraternizing with," came a voice from behind, apparently connected to the arm in some way.
"Dick! You're here too? This is wonderful. Who else is here?" Bruce said, gazing around at the crowd.
"Everyone and their brothers, old man," another voice stated. Bruce turned around to see Tim, dressed in an evening suit, standing next to Barbara.
"Good evening, Tim. You actually got dressed up?" Bruce said, cracking a joke.
"Yeah, as much as I didn't want to, Barbara made me," Tim said, teasingly. Barbara gave him a pseudo-stern look, but didn't have the chance to speak as another face added itself to the circle around Bruce.
"He's not the only one," the new girl said in a monotone. Bruce felt like he knew her, but she wasn't registering in his head.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude," the multi-millionaire started, "but have we met?" Just as the words escaped his mouth, he realized who the girl was. Barbara obviously did too, as they spoke at the same time.
"Cassandra?!" Barbara and Bruce said in unison. Bruce continued. "You look wonderful! Did Barbara make you up?" he asked. Cassandra was about to scoff, but she thought better of it. She was here to make up, not get mad again.
"No, Dick's friend Amy did. Dick insisted I come, much to my dismay, but this isn't a bad party after all." Cassandra's bluntness would've offended anyone else, but Bruce took it with understanding. He glanced up at Dick when he saw his arms move slightly. Bruce interpreted their movements and decided to leave Barbara and Cassandra alone.
"I see. Well, wow, you look great, and I hate to be rude, but I have a feeling I must socialize with my other guests. Thanks again for this, Barbara, and thank you for coming, everyone. We'll talk later?" Bruce ended as he walked off. Dick and Tim, who had obviously missed the signals, followed him to into the crowd. Barbara turned to Cassandra, who spoke up.
"A herd of elephants could've been more subtle," she said, knowing Barbara knew what she was talking about.
"Yes, well, let's give them the benefit of the doubt. They probably underestimated your skills again," Barbara said. She started to speak up again, but Cassandra obviously had the same idea.
"Look, I'm sorry-" they said in unison. Then Barbara started laughing and a hint of a smile hovered on Cassandra's face. "You go first," the redhead said. Cassandra took advantage of the chance and spoke.
"I'm sorry about the other night. I should not have taken things so personally; I knew you were stressed out, and I apologize for running out like that. I guess I do have a lot more to learn."
"No, Cassandra," Barbara said, "I'm the one who should be sorry. Yes, I was stressed out and aggravated-not at you, by the way-, but I shouldn't have said the things I did. I was mean and the words were more hurtful than I had initially thought. Well, I didn't really think when I was talking, but in any event, I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted," Cassandra said in return, and this time she really did smile, if briefly. The two girls continued the small talk and returned to the party, enjoying the evening and having fun.
**Epilogue** It was another late night. Oracle had many things to research before Batman's new case could go further, and the computer light illuminated the dark room. Sitting in the window seat of the previously mentioned room was a young girl with black hair pulled back into a small ponytail. She was looking out on the city: the lights from the buildings made the sky an eerie shade of crimson. The silence was thick, letting only the tip-tap of the keyboard penetrate it. When the girl at the window got bored of looking outside, she spoke up.
"Barbara?" she said. The girl at the computer didn't look up.
"Yes, Cassandra?" Oracle replied, typing away.
"The other night - Bruce's party - was a lot of fun. Wearing a dress wasn't that bad and I almost liked the shoes."
"Oh? And why is that?" Barbara said, turning around to face Cassandra.
"Because," the black haired girl started, getting as excited as she would allow herself to get. "If I were to kick somebody, it would really screw them up."