Bart stares at the screen. His horror knows no end. He's done this to her.
He is seen to do to her. The people he stands by look at him while he is
still doing this to her.
WonderGirl's face squeezes onto the screen. "Are you sure you should be
snooping around with a video-OH MY GOSH!", she blurts out. Two white gloved
hands slap on top of oversized goggles instantly. Then one snakes over to
cover Superboy's eyes as well while her other arm picks up the slack. "I'm
so sorry. I'm so sorry.", she repeats as a little mantra to calm herself.
Tactile telekenesis parts WonderGirl's fingers and allows an eye to peak out.
Bart Allen's only motion is extracting himself. He does so slowly as if
trying to hide the act. An audible *pop* destroys that delusion. As if he had
never existed, Bart dissappears leaving only his clothes.
Cassandra Cain realizes something. It's a really simple concept. With all her
exposure to it, she should have realized it sooner. Murderous, killing rage
is the stuff for amatuers.
She has the real deal.
While WonderGirl tries to blindly grope for her end's off switch with her
elbow while holding her eyes, Cassandra delicately tosses one of Impulse'
boots at her end. The shoe bounces off the power button on the video phone
and the connection is cut. She doesn't throw it hard enough to break the
device. After all, the Batman gave it to her and she would not disrespect the
Batman.
The girl in the cave calmly stands up and drapes her robe over her arm. She
casually walks over to where the also naked Bart is folded over in a fetal
position out of sight of the video phone's camera. Kneeling in front of him,
she cradles his face.
"I'm sorry I did that to you. I'm no hero. They see it now. I'm a villan.",
Bart starts out.
Cassandra silences him with a kiss. "Still hero. Want you to help like that."
She kisses him again. "If ask you go to Man-ches-ter and stay, will know
still love?" Bart doesn't reply. She kisses him again. "Will know?"
"Yes." the boy answers. She smiles.
"Please go. Don't leave until know.", Cassandra asks her lover.
"When will I know?", he counters.
Cassandra gives him the smile the Lady Shiva gave him. "Will know."
*****
"You've never been interested in your utility belt before.", the Oracle says
from her wheel chair. "Usually you just wear it and don't use anything until
I tell you to." The Oracle can see the wheels turning in the Batgirl's head.
"When in fight, good to know ev-ree-thing.", the girl offered. She holds out
the belt and all the satchels that hang from it. "What in here?"
The Oracle shrugs. Spoiler walks in. "Okay.", the woman says. "You train with
Steph and I'll lay everything out so we can go over it."
The Batgirl walks over to Spoiler and grabs her by the arm. The blonde's mask
helps to hide the confusion on her face. Just as the Oracle is getting
started, she hears what sounds like an auditorium of applause from the room
the girls use. A few seconds later, a very visibly dazed Spoiler stumbles
out.
The Batgirl side steps her and walks up to the table. "Done training.", the
shadow tells her watcher. "What in belt?"
*****
Robin sits securely in the shadow of a gargoyle. The Fenucci family just
moved into Gotham, and he's been ordered to get a scoop on them. Right now,
he's just counting heads and taking digital pictures of who comes and goes
from the high rise apartment.
"How like Young Justice?", the Batgirl asks him.
"Yeee-aggh!", Robin jumps, startled. He hits his head on a wing of the statue
he's under. Rubbing the crown of his head the Boy Wonder asks, "What are you
doing here?"
"Just curious. Impulse on Young Justice. Like him lot. You on Young Justice.
Can tol-er-eight you. Just wonder what like.", she tells him.
Robin's brow arches under his mask. "Oh. Okaaaay...", he begins. "Well, it's
mostly all the adult superheroes' sidekicks. I'm on it from our group. You
know Impulse is from the Flashes. Wonder Girl hangs out with Wonder Woman.
Secret and Arrowette are on their own though. Secret's/"
"No one from Soo-per-man?", she interrupts.
Robin shakes his head. "No. Superboy comes from Metropolis. He has this
tactile telekenesis that mostly makes him talk about having tactile tele-
kenesis a lot."
"No powers? Thought super."
"Oh he's 'super' all right.", Robin explains. "He can move just about
anything touching him. It first off allows him to fly, be pretty invulnerable
and mimic super strength. On top of that, it works like he has other powers
too. He can blow up stuff by touching it and concentrating and he's as fast
as he thinks he is. The way he tells it, he can fly faster than the Flash but
never accepts the offer to race from Impulse. Impulse told me that Superboy
being 'super fast' is like saying Arrowette's skirt is 'super short'."
Robin catches himself. "Not that he thinks about Arrowette's skirt a lot." He
sees that the satchels attached to the Batgirl's belt seem a bit more stuffed
than they usually are. "Aren't those kind of full?"
The Batgirl smiles proudly. Then she steps off the roof. Robin is about to
look after her, only the first gun shot from the Fenucci apartment room stops
him. The boy rolls his eyes, then shoots a line to swing into action.
*****
"Sure, I've met Superman.", Nightwing says into his cowl's radio transciever.
"At first he looks human, but then...It's just something about him. More than
being the big symbol. It's like you're standing in the presence of God."
Nightwing's expression changes to shock. "Uh...maybe. My opinion is that the
big bad Batman could take anyone and anything, all at once or one at a time.
But the way I hear it, he's never had to beat up Superman. He just glares at
him over their conference table and Superman gets the message."
"That's all you wanted to know, Cass?", he asks. "Well, okay then. Catch you
later, li'l sis. Say hi to Babs for me."
*****
The Batgirl peers into the depths of the cave from its center. Sure, the
Batman gave her her own, beautiful cave. But his is like the Holy Land. She's
eternally grateful for giving her a little piece of it-her meditation
platform she usually gets debriefed on. But with the Batman gone, she can
find a place to hide in. If she suprises him, he will be pleased with her
progress and that will help her. Just as she think she's figuired out a way,
the Batman touches her on the shoulder.
Then the Batman catches the fist that automatically tried to break his face.
"Sorry.", she apologizes. This isn't going well.
"Don't be.", He tells her.
"Have re-pote for you.", she says. The Batman snaps his fingers to cut her
off and points at her meditation platform. She sits on it and assumes the
lotus position. He holds out his hand before she can even reach for the
papers she has for him.
He takes the ragged notebook sheets to His throne in front of the interface
to the Crays. Carefully, he studies each sheet. The first one is ripped where
she cut it with the tip of a ball point pen. The actual writing is done in
red crayon. It gives it a red jagged blur across white background effect.
'Want beat up {S} Boy' 'Very bad. Make good pepil hurt and cry.' 'Him no hero
just bullee' and on and on it went. The Batman knows how hard it is for her
to try to read and write and but the message is clear. The subcouncious hand
writing clues, the words she uses, the anger this paper has seen...it is
typical woman scorned.
"No.", he says while rising. Cassandra implores Him with the most earnest
face He has seen on her.
"But/"
"Are you questioning me?", the Batman asks her.
"No, sir.", Cassandra answers. She tries to hide that she's on the verge of
tears. She wanted, no-desired, no-lusted, no-thirsted after beating up that
punk. And the Batman knows it. It's his worst fear for this girl come to
life. On the other hand, the Lady Shiva Wusan would be proud. And what will
Impulse think when she tells him that she can't do what her love moves her to
do for him because the Batman won't let her protect him.
"Here's tonight's hastily prepared meal, Master Bruce.", Alfred calls out
while walking down the steps to the cave.
"I didn't call for any food.", He wonders.
"And if I waited for you to ask for food you would have already starved to
death.", the Butler retorts. The Batman rolls his eyes, shakes his head then
relcutantly sits down.
He looks at the veal parmesean laid out before him. "I thought you said that
this was hastily prepared.", the Batman asks.
"It is.", the Alfred replies. "That's why it's not accompanied by a white
wine sauce."
"You always amaze me, Alfred."
"Why thank you, sir."
The Batgirl watches all this play out in front of her. The Batman respected
the Alfred enough to let himself be countermanded. Then the lightbulb went
off. If the Alfred said it was okay to beat up Superboy, then the Batman
would approve. It would not be a sin anymore.
Just then a light glares up on the map of Gotham on the computer. "Sorry,
Alfred.", the Batman tells his butler. "Looks like the Second National Bank
is under attack. I'm going to have to miss out on your fine cooking." And
with that, the Batman swoops off to his chariot. The car's engine roars and
the Batmobile rips off into the night.
The Alfred considers the girl staring at him. "Perhaps you would appreciate
a home cooked meal, Miss Cain." The girl frowns. "Of course, I apologize-Miss
Cassandra." The girl smiles and nods with vigour. "Come along then. And
perhaps I can accomodate you with something proper for the manor?"
*****
Cassandra Cain is still surprised that the Batman is also this rich debutante
...what was his name...Bruce Something? She is seated at a table longer than
ones for surgery. She figured out how to wear the dress (gown?) Alfred laid
out for her, and she wish Impulse could see. And the dinner before her...
The girl takes a sip of her water. The Butler immediately freshens it back to
its full depth. Before she can reach for the linen napkin, the Alfred has
already unfolded it and draped it across her lap. She regards him, standing
with the pitcher at attention.
"Not ness-ess-air-ee.", Cassandra sputters out.
"Nonsence, Miss Cassandra.", the Alfred replies. "With the amount of effort
you have put into the master's mission, you deserve some respite. This is not
unlike the treatment former charges of Master Bruce have been accomodated
with." Just a hint of the English accent remained.
The girl shrugs her shoulders and tears into her plate. Food dissappears. The
bread basket empties in a blink. "I will aquire desert, madame."
Cassandra spins in the antique oak chair. "Have question." The Alfred turns
slightly with a raised eye brow. "If one man hurt man of couple, is okay for
girl to beat up?"
The Alfred seems to assume an even more upright stance. "The master's mission
is one of protection, not vengance. I believe that this girl should take the
time to think about whether she is acting out of anger or because Impulse
needs her protection."
"I hope you like strawberry short cake."
Cassandra contemplates his words. Yes, she is angry...furious...more! But it
isn't anger at Superboy for her. It's anger because he has hurt Impulse. Like
he's intentionally trying to harm members of Young Justice. Her Impulse does
need her help. She is doing this for protection and that makes it okay. And
with the Butler's protection, the Batman will not be mad at her.
She appraises the cake that has somehow sneaked before her. "What is it short
about?", she asks, taking in the monster slice.
He is seen to do to her. The people he stands by look at him while he is
still doing this to her.
WonderGirl's face squeezes onto the screen. "Are you sure you should be
snooping around with a video-OH MY GOSH!", she blurts out. Two white gloved
hands slap on top of oversized goggles instantly. Then one snakes over to
cover Superboy's eyes as well while her other arm picks up the slack. "I'm
so sorry. I'm so sorry.", she repeats as a little mantra to calm herself.
Tactile telekenesis parts WonderGirl's fingers and allows an eye to peak out.
Bart Allen's only motion is extracting himself. He does so slowly as if
trying to hide the act. An audible *pop* destroys that delusion. As if he had
never existed, Bart dissappears leaving only his clothes.
Cassandra Cain realizes something. It's a really simple concept. With all her
exposure to it, she should have realized it sooner. Murderous, killing rage
is the stuff for amatuers.
She has the real deal.
While WonderGirl tries to blindly grope for her end's off switch with her
elbow while holding her eyes, Cassandra delicately tosses one of Impulse'
boots at her end. The shoe bounces off the power button on the video phone
and the connection is cut. She doesn't throw it hard enough to break the
device. After all, the Batman gave it to her and she would not disrespect the
Batman.
The girl in the cave calmly stands up and drapes her robe over her arm. She
casually walks over to where the also naked Bart is folded over in a fetal
position out of sight of the video phone's camera. Kneeling in front of him,
she cradles his face.
"I'm sorry I did that to you. I'm no hero. They see it now. I'm a villan.",
Bart starts out.
Cassandra silences him with a kiss. "Still hero. Want you to help like that."
She kisses him again. "If ask you go to Man-ches-ter and stay, will know
still love?" Bart doesn't reply. She kisses him again. "Will know?"
"Yes." the boy answers. She smiles.
"Please go. Don't leave until know.", Cassandra asks her lover.
"When will I know?", he counters.
Cassandra gives him the smile the Lady Shiva gave him. "Will know."
*****
"You've never been interested in your utility belt before.", the Oracle says
from her wheel chair. "Usually you just wear it and don't use anything until
I tell you to." The Oracle can see the wheels turning in the Batgirl's head.
"When in fight, good to know ev-ree-thing.", the girl offered. She holds out
the belt and all the satchels that hang from it. "What in here?"
The Oracle shrugs. Spoiler walks in. "Okay.", the woman says. "You train with
Steph and I'll lay everything out so we can go over it."
The Batgirl walks over to Spoiler and grabs her by the arm. The blonde's mask
helps to hide the confusion on her face. Just as the Oracle is getting
started, she hears what sounds like an auditorium of applause from the room
the girls use. A few seconds later, a very visibly dazed Spoiler stumbles
out.
The Batgirl side steps her and walks up to the table. "Done training.", the
shadow tells her watcher. "What in belt?"
*****
Robin sits securely in the shadow of a gargoyle. The Fenucci family just
moved into Gotham, and he's been ordered to get a scoop on them. Right now,
he's just counting heads and taking digital pictures of who comes and goes
from the high rise apartment.
"How like Young Justice?", the Batgirl asks him.
"Yeee-aggh!", Robin jumps, startled. He hits his head on a wing of the statue
he's under. Rubbing the crown of his head the Boy Wonder asks, "What are you
doing here?"
"Just curious. Impulse on Young Justice. Like him lot. You on Young Justice.
Can tol-er-eight you. Just wonder what like.", she tells him.
Robin's brow arches under his mask. "Oh. Okaaaay...", he begins. "Well, it's
mostly all the adult superheroes' sidekicks. I'm on it from our group. You
know Impulse is from the Flashes. Wonder Girl hangs out with Wonder Woman.
Secret and Arrowette are on their own though. Secret's/"
"No one from Soo-per-man?", she interrupts.
Robin shakes his head. "No. Superboy comes from Metropolis. He has this
tactile telekenesis that mostly makes him talk about having tactile tele-
kenesis a lot."
"No powers? Thought super."
"Oh he's 'super' all right.", Robin explains. "He can move just about
anything touching him. It first off allows him to fly, be pretty invulnerable
and mimic super strength. On top of that, it works like he has other powers
too. He can blow up stuff by touching it and concentrating and he's as fast
as he thinks he is. The way he tells it, he can fly faster than the Flash but
never accepts the offer to race from Impulse. Impulse told me that Superboy
being 'super fast' is like saying Arrowette's skirt is 'super short'."
Robin catches himself. "Not that he thinks about Arrowette's skirt a lot." He
sees that the satchels attached to the Batgirl's belt seem a bit more stuffed
than they usually are. "Aren't those kind of full?"
The Batgirl smiles proudly. Then she steps off the roof. Robin is about to
look after her, only the first gun shot from the Fenucci apartment room stops
him. The boy rolls his eyes, then shoots a line to swing into action.
*****
"Sure, I've met Superman.", Nightwing says into his cowl's radio transciever.
"At first he looks human, but then...It's just something about him. More than
being the big symbol. It's like you're standing in the presence of God."
Nightwing's expression changes to shock. "Uh...maybe. My opinion is that the
big bad Batman could take anyone and anything, all at once or one at a time.
But the way I hear it, he's never had to beat up Superman. He just glares at
him over their conference table and Superman gets the message."
"That's all you wanted to know, Cass?", he asks. "Well, okay then. Catch you
later, li'l sis. Say hi to Babs for me."
*****
The Batgirl peers into the depths of the cave from its center. Sure, the
Batman gave her her own, beautiful cave. But his is like the Holy Land. She's
eternally grateful for giving her a little piece of it-her meditation
platform she usually gets debriefed on. But with the Batman gone, she can
find a place to hide in. If she suprises him, he will be pleased with her
progress and that will help her. Just as she think she's figuired out a way,
the Batman touches her on the shoulder.
Then the Batman catches the fist that automatically tried to break his face.
"Sorry.", she apologizes. This isn't going well.
"Don't be.", He tells her.
"Have re-pote for you.", she says. The Batman snaps his fingers to cut her
off and points at her meditation platform. She sits on it and assumes the
lotus position. He holds out his hand before she can even reach for the
papers she has for him.
He takes the ragged notebook sheets to His throne in front of the interface
to the Crays. Carefully, he studies each sheet. The first one is ripped where
she cut it with the tip of a ball point pen. The actual writing is done in
red crayon. It gives it a red jagged blur across white background effect.
'Want beat up {S} Boy' 'Very bad. Make good pepil hurt and cry.' 'Him no hero
just bullee' and on and on it went. The Batman knows how hard it is for her
to try to read and write and but the message is clear. The subcouncious hand
writing clues, the words she uses, the anger this paper has seen...it is
typical woman scorned.
"No.", he says while rising. Cassandra implores Him with the most earnest
face He has seen on her.
"But/"
"Are you questioning me?", the Batman asks her.
"No, sir.", Cassandra answers. She tries to hide that she's on the verge of
tears. She wanted, no-desired, no-lusted, no-thirsted after beating up that
punk. And the Batman knows it. It's his worst fear for this girl come to
life. On the other hand, the Lady Shiva Wusan would be proud. And what will
Impulse think when she tells him that she can't do what her love moves her to
do for him because the Batman won't let her protect him.
"Here's tonight's hastily prepared meal, Master Bruce.", Alfred calls out
while walking down the steps to the cave.
"I didn't call for any food.", He wonders.
"And if I waited for you to ask for food you would have already starved to
death.", the Butler retorts. The Batman rolls his eyes, shakes his head then
relcutantly sits down.
He looks at the veal parmesean laid out before him. "I thought you said that
this was hastily prepared.", the Batman asks.
"It is.", the Alfred replies. "That's why it's not accompanied by a white
wine sauce."
"You always amaze me, Alfred."
"Why thank you, sir."
The Batgirl watches all this play out in front of her. The Batman respected
the Alfred enough to let himself be countermanded. Then the lightbulb went
off. If the Alfred said it was okay to beat up Superboy, then the Batman
would approve. It would not be a sin anymore.
Just then a light glares up on the map of Gotham on the computer. "Sorry,
Alfred.", the Batman tells his butler. "Looks like the Second National Bank
is under attack. I'm going to have to miss out on your fine cooking." And
with that, the Batman swoops off to his chariot. The car's engine roars and
the Batmobile rips off into the night.
The Alfred considers the girl staring at him. "Perhaps you would appreciate
a home cooked meal, Miss Cain." The girl frowns. "Of course, I apologize-Miss
Cassandra." The girl smiles and nods with vigour. "Come along then. And
perhaps I can accomodate you with something proper for the manor?"
*****
Cassandra Cain is still surprised that the Batman is also this rich debutante
...what was his name...Bruce Something? She is seated at a table longer than
ones for surgery. She figured out how to wear the dress (gown?) Alfred laid
out for her, and she wish Impulse could see. And the dinner before her...
The girl takes a sip of her water. The Butler immediately freshens it back to
its full depth. Before she can reach for the linen napkin, the Alfred has
already unfolded it and draped it across her lap. She regards him, standing
with the pitcher at attention.
"Not ness-ess-air-ee.", Cassandra sputters out.
"Nonsence, Miss Cassandra.", the Alfred replies. "With the amount of effort
you have put into the master's mission, you deserve some respite. This is not
unlike the treatment former charges of Master Bruce have been accomodated
with." Just a hint of the English accent remained.
The girl shrugs her shoulders and tears into her plate. Food dissappears. The
bread basket empties in a blink. "I will aquire desert, madame."
Cassandra spins in the antique oak chair. "Have question." The Alfred turns
slightly with a raised eye brow. "If one man hurt man of couple, is okay for
girl to beat up?"
The Alfred seems to assume an even more upright stance. "The master's mission
is one of protection, not vengance. I believe that this girl should take the
time to think about whether she is acting out of anger or because Impulse
needs her protection."
"I hope you like strawberry short cake."
Cassandra contemplates his words. Yes, she is angry...furious...more! But it
isn't anger at Superboy for her. It's anger because he has hurt Impulse. Like
he's intentionally trying to harm members of Young Justice. Her Impulse does
need her help. She is doing this for protection and that makes it okay. And
with the Butler's protection, the Batman will not be mad at her.
She appraises the cake that has somehow sneaked before her. "What is it short
about?", she asks, taking in the monster slice.