BATGIRL HAS A REALIZATION

said Batgirl one fine night. I've had a realization.

Way to be redundant, said Robin, who was locked in a deeply competitive game of Connect Four with Nightwing.

No, really, said Batgirl urgently.

Well, what is it? asked Nightwing.

All of the girls on this show, said Batgirl in a hollow voice, her face serious, are gymnasts.

Robin and Nightwing looked at each other, then back at Batgirl. they asked at the same time.

Think about it, continued Batgirl. Do research on any female costumed hero or villain, and at one point in their lives, you will see that they've been gymnasts.

That can't be true, said Nightwing, placing a black plastic disc inside of a little slot to block the passage of three other red plastic discs. What about Harley Quinn? No, wait, she was a gymnast. . . Catwoman?

The body of a gymnast, replied Batgirl. Whether or not she ever was a gymnast, she's got the muscle tone and shape of one.

That's not the same thing, protested Robin, stalling for time as he looked desperately for an opening.

Hey, if you look like a gymnast, act like a gymnast, and can pull a double-backwards-handspring-with-a-twist like a gymnast, you're a gymnast, stated Batgirl.

What about you, then?

I was a gymnast before I even touched a Bat costume.

Okay then, Miss Know-It-All, said Nightwing in a challenging voice. What about Poison Ivy? Or Talia al-Ghul?

Robin dropped his red disc in the slot while Nightwing was distracted.

Again, the body of a gymnast thing, Batgirl shot back.

What about Spoiler? asked Robin.

Batgirl raised an eyebrow. You of all people should know that she is defiantly a gymnast. Robin turned deep red. And anyway, she's not in the show.

Hiya, Robin, waved Spoiler, who was indeed not in the Batman Animated Series and will not be in this fanfiction ever again.

Nightwing triumphantly slipped his black plastic disc next to two other black discs, while Robin was distracted. So, what was the point of this discussion, anyway?

The point is, said Batgirl, that this show is so demeaning towards women. If you're a woman and you want to be a villain or hero, you have to be a gymnast. You can't be a little pudgy, either. You have to be young, sexy, in perfect shape, and anything else you have isn't worth as much as how good you look in tights.

Well, duh, said Nightwing.

A few minutes later, while Batgirl was teaching Nightwing a few things about feminism (with her fists. . . and brass knuckles) Robin emptied the yellow plastic disc holder, got rid of a few of the black ones in strategic areas, placed all the other discs back. Raising his fist proudly, he slipped the final red plastic disc into the winning slot.

Connect Four! Robin cried happily, as Nightwing lay on the ground, cringing in pain.