DC Infinity Presents

Batgirl # 4

Matters of Circumstance Conclusion

Staring into the Shattered Mirror

Gotham City, Earlier

Cassandra Cain examined herself in the mirror carefully. Unlike almost every other night for the last several years, she wasn't wearing her ebony uniform as Batgirl, one of Batman's staunchest allies and preparing to wage her nightly crusade against the underworld. No, tonight her costume, and subsequent mission, was radically different from any night she could remember.

To begin with, the expert martial artist was costumed in the dark purple and blue uniform of the internationally known and feared killer named Kasumi. It was a persona created for her by The Batman as a deadly contract killer, and it came in handy when infiltrating certain criminal enterprises. Raised by and among some of the deadliest killers in the world, Cassandra could navigate their world with a casual ease. The most notable time Cassandra had employed the costume was when Batman had her infiltrate the Justice League Elite as a 'redeemed killer' to be his eyes and ears within the group. Though she regretted the lie to this day, Cassandra still found the costume to useful.

Her mission for tonight was simple enough. Spy on the young heroes known as the Teen Titans. Cassandra didn't know why exactly Batman wanted her to spy on fellow heroes, especially a team that both Robins had proudly served on, and she wasn't about to ask. First, she believed in her heart that Batman would never lead her wrong. Though HE was rarely forth coming with explanations, Batman's actions never lacked for motive.

Second, simply too much was riding on this mission. The two warriors, so alike in attitude that their disagreements could be counted on one hand, had come to an impasse regarding her lack of a personal life outside the cowl and the street. To Cassandra, anything less than her current life was considered a punishment. To Batman, her lack of a social life was extremely troubling. They came to a compromise though, as Batman could hardly force her to go outside and 'have a good time'. The Dark Knight might be skilled in dozens upon dozens of fields, but he wasn't so skilled that he could make her do something she didn't want to.

The compromise was simple. If Cassandra completed this mission to his parameters, Batman swore that he'd never raise the issue again. And Batgirl trusted Batman's word above all else.

Cass pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she did one last check of her equipment. Like before, she was carrying an Emperor's Staff, a staff that, with a twist, pulled apart to produce two long thin blades. Strapped around her waist was a modified version of the utility belt the Batclan preferred to use. The usual detective tools were removed in favor of some light weight explosives, tear gas, knock-out poisons and other passive aggressive weapons. In addition, she carried several devises that would enable her to sidestep the advanced security system protecting Titan's Tower.

Now properly armed, Cassandra stalked towards the hangar where the Batplane awaited, along with the Dark Detective. She took her seat behind the cockpit, and without a single word exchanged between them, the jet roared out of the hangar and into the night sky.

Even with the cutting edge technology within the ship, their destination was nearly an hour away as it lay on the other side of the country. The two crime fighters allowed silence to be the rule as they flew.

Though she had lived in silence most her young life, Cassandra found this to be one of the few times in recent memory that silence disturbing, rather than comforting. A part of her wanted to say something, anything just to break the blanket of quiet that was cast over the plane, but thought the better of it.

After all, the Batman wasn't one for 'idle talk', a term Cass had picked up from Oracle, not that she understood the term, not really. To Cassandra, words were to convey vital information that couldn't be expressed otherwise. Why would someone casually waste something so important baffled the young woman. It reminded her of the expression Oracle used, of 'burning money'.

A small voice in her head suggested that was one of the reasons why Batman wanted her to have a normal life, to understand things like that but the young woman silenced the voice instantly. If Batman wanted her to learn something, then it shouldn't be too much to ask of him to teach her.

Still, the flight was long enough for Cassandra to shore up her self confidence. With an end goal within sight, Cassandra felt that there was no way that she could fail. No matter the opposition she faced, Cassandra silently vowed not to lose.

In her mind, Batman was simply testing her one final time. And she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let HIM down again.

&&&

A single blinking light was the only communication that passed between the two Bats as they approached Titan's Tower. Cassandra checked the stored oxygen in her mask, and then pressed a single button. The floor beneath her seat slid open, and Cassandra dropped into the water below.

Even through her insulated suit, Cassandra could still feel, at least to some degree, the icy chill of the waters of San Francisco Bay. The currents were as strong as she was warned, but Cassandra Cain was nothing if not well conditioned. In addition, she only had to swim the distance of a city block to reach her target.

She swam the length with nearly inhuman precision, taking care not to strain herself too much while at the same time, in her minds eye, going slow enough so that anyone on monitor duty wouldn't be inclined to notice her.

After ten minutes, Cassandra reached the outer most edge of the island. The island was designed for easy approach by those who called the ocean waters home, but that wasn't to say security was lacking in any way. Cassandra could feel the sensor net sweep over more than once, but the circuitry within her uniform subtly mimicked the background energy patterns while suppressing her own body heat. Oracle once explained that the suit acted like a chameleon, blending into the background

Cassandra waited several minutes, both to see if the alarms had been tripped (better safe than sorry) and to allow the water to drip off her uniform. It was difficult to be stealthy when you were leaving puddles of water everywhere.

Finally, enough time had passed. Cassandra was confident that the alarm hadn't been raised due to the lack of teenage heroes patrolling the grounds or klaxon alarms, and so darted inside, and began her mission.

However, unknown to the teenage crime fighter she didn't go unnoticed.

&&&

"…so I was thinking, why don't we take the spare T-jet out and swing by Hawaii?" asked Gar Logan. Known to the world as Beast Boy for his animal powers, he never let his green skin or world wide popularity get in the way of having a good time. If anything, he seemed to slightly enjoy the extra attention his unusual complexion drew.

However, his best friend and brother in everything but blood, Victor Stone, was a little different. Following a lab accident, well over half his body was replaced with powerful cybernetics. As a result, more than half his body was composed of a gleaming silver metal several times stronger than titanium. Though Victor Stone would always be proud of the work he'd done with the Teen Titans, he still longed for the day when he could look in the mirror and see more than half his original face.

Still, his surgically altered form had its benefits. As he politely explained why using Teen Titan equipment to pick up women was a bad idea, he was able to keep an eye of Cassandra's approach to the Tower in his mind's eye. Cyborg had been forewarned to expect her, and agreed to the initial (and rather bizarre) request from the Dark Knight only because of his respect for another Titan, this one a founding member.

But that didn't mean he'd just hand over free reign to the Tower. For her well being and for those of the kids entrusted to him, he fully intended to keep a watchful eye on her.

&&&

Cassandra crept through the high security tower like a wraith, unseen and undetected by nearly all.

Cassandra had seen and memorized the blue prints for the Tower, but that was hardly enough information to predict where the Titans might be at any given moment, even with the Titan profiles Batman had provided.

Ducking into a rarely used hallway, Cassandra put some thought to the matter. Late at night, what would eight super heroes, about her own age, do to pass the time?

Naturally, Batgirl's first thought was 'training', but she dismissed that idea instantly. One of the reasons Batman wasn't quick to trust other heroes, because of their lax or non existent training; another reason was because Robin didn't consider training all that fun.

After a few moments of silent contemplation, Cassandra realized that she honestly had no idea whatsoever what people her age might do to, let alone fellow heroes. The realization was like a stab in the heart, a stinging reminder of how different she really was.

Still, anyone who patrolled Gotham City at night held a tight reign on their emotions. Reminding herself that she had little desire to be normal, Cassandra decided to simply stalk about the tower and observe whomever she happened upon. It was hardly a plan worthy of Batman's protégé, but some things couldn't be helped.

&&&

"This…this is a travesty of justice," Jamie Reyes couldn't keep the disbelief from washing over his voice; "it's almost abuse!"

"Jamie, calm down, it's not that big a deal," laughed Lorena Marquez.

"It is! It's like never seeing the Mona Lisa, or Michelangelo's David!" Jamie continued sifting through the entertainment center's collection of DVDs.

"I'm sorry, could you say that again? I don't speak geek," teased Lorena.

"But you will!" Jamie held up the object of his search triumphantly, the box set collection of Star Wars, "I can't believe that you've never seen Star Wars! It's a classic!"

"What, you've seen every 'classic' movie too?"

&&&

'Kasumi' listened to the two teenagers talk back and forth for some ten minutes as they watched their movie. Neither of them noticed her crouched behind the couch they were relaxing on, and Cassandra was in no hurry.

The male, according to Batman's briefings, was the new Blue Beetle. Bonded with an alien scarab and given strange new powers, and thrust into the 'hero world'. From what she'd learned, it had been very hard on him. His identity was revealed to the world when he fought an alien during his High School graduation, and when his parents proved incapable of handling what had happened to their son; he'd had little choice but to leave. As it stood now, he was a ward of the Titans.

The female, Aquagirl, had her own fair shares of hardships. When San Diego was sunk by a supervillain, she was one of the few survivors mutated by the madman who'd caused the original tragedy. She survived. Her family didn't. Taken in by Aquaman, the young woman helped her mentor keep the peace in the new 'Sub Diego'.

Batman's orders were explicit. Evaluate each and every Teen Titan. Determine their mental fitness and general well being, and report it all back to HIM.

After ten minutes of deliberation, unseen observation and just general instinct, the young crimefighter came to the only conclusion possible about the two. Despite all their hardships, everything they experienced, they were...normal. They were changed by their experiences... older in a way only someone who could read body language as a written language could see but also stronger. They carried their scars, were the stronger for it all the while remaining two normal teenagers. Hell, one had to be blind and deaf to miss the signals they were giving each other, regardless of their losses.

Cassandra knew she should have been happy for them, proud that fellow heroes had weathered such hardships so well. She wasn't.

Their strength, their general well being, caused some discomforting reflection for Cassandra. The lives of the two young heroes had some comparisons to Cassandra's, after all, that of powerful emotional upheavals at a young age. But there was little doubt as to who handled the trauma better.

Once again the young woman banished the uncomfortable thoughts to the corner of her mind with only a little more difficulty than the first time. Deciding that'd she'd seen more than enough, the mistress of martial arts fled the room with equal parts speed and stealth.

&&&

At first glance, the Titans Beast Boy and Cyborg were exactly what 'Kasumi' expected to find in older heroes. The two were in the computer banks, updating the files on friends and enemies, coordinating file transfers with other super hero teams and the like. Professional, focused, dedicated. Just like HIM, though certainly not to the same degree.

But upon examination, Cass saw a different side to the young men. Beast Boy, despite a skin tone of grass green, was relaxed and easy going. Cyborg, despite being half metal, was just as well adjusted, though a little self conscious even after all these years.

For the first time since she began her mission, 'Kasumi' began to doubt herself. When she reviewed the files on the Teen Titans, she naturally assumed that the team members would have issues, or 'hang ups' as Nightwing called them, something that , emotionally, drastically separated them from regular people beyond just their amazing powers.

And as of yet, she'd found nothing. Cassandra griped her chest as a sharp pain stabbed through her heart. She told herself, unconvincingly, that the pain was simply a delayed reaction from the swim, and then Cassandra did what she always did in situations like this.

Glancing up at the security monitors, 'Kasumi' noted the positions of her remaining targets. Speedy, Superboy and Donna Troy were in the training room, while Raven was silently meditating in her room.

Then, like before, Cassandra fled from the heroes, both mentally and physically, with no one seemingly the wiser.

&&&

Donna Troy swung her fist, easily dispatching the practice robot that came her way, "Orders, Mia?"

Mia Dearden nodded, still struggling to comprehend the idea of giving orders to a heroine who had founded the original Teen Titans, years and years ago. Unfortunately, she still felt a little uncomfortable ordering about her vastly more powerful teammates.

"Umm, just keep hitting the things?"

"Oh yeah, intricate plan that," teased Kon-El, otherwise known as Superboy.

Like twice before, Cassandra watched, this time from up in the monitor room and behind a sheet of specially reinforced glass.

From her vantage point, Cassandra, with her unique perception of the human body, could see everything. The three were what Nightwing had once described as 'walking wounded'.

It was to be expected, after all. According to the files, Mia was infected with a blood disease that would eventually kill her (Cassandra couldn't recall the disease's name. She just didn't see the information as important), Donna Troy, within the last year, had a miscarriage and sundered relationship with another hero, and Superboy himself had been resurrected from the dead itself. After experiencing that herself, Cassandra could relate to how it could alter your perspective

But despite it all, the three seems to draw strength and confidence just from being in proximity with one another. Their teamwork was excellent, and their skill was outstanding for superhumans.

Effective heroes socially interacting while training. A part of Batgirl found the idea disgusting, a stain against one of the greatest tools of preparation she and the Batclan had. Training was just a hair's breath away from real combat, in Cassandra's mind.

But another part of Cassandra's mind felt pure envy. To be so close to someone else so casually...

Unwittingly, Cassandra found herself reaching to the glass with her hand as her heart pounded and her breathing became shallow in anticipation of...what?

A thousand needles slashed through the young woman's heart as she realized she had no idea how to introduce herself, how to stand alongside other heroes her age as anything other than Batgirl.

Clenching her fist as tightly as humanly possible, Cassandra choked those thoughts down like a bitter pill, telling herself that it simply didn't matter. She had a mission, and the mission and only the mission mattered.

Repeating that mantra in her head as if her life depended upon it, 'Kasumi' removed herself from the observation area and headed towards her final target.

&&&

Of all the Teen Titans past and present, Raven had perhaps the worst relationship with her father, something Cassandra could relate to. But in terms of bad fathers, Cassandra also knew that Raven beat her hands down.

Raven's father, after all, was Trigon the Terrible, an inter-dimensional demon who impregnated Raven's mother so that he could eventually use his own daughter as a gateway into this reality via the powers his demon blood gave her. In order to prevent this from happening, Trigon's enemies took his daughter and raised her in isolation to control her powers and to, eventually, stop her father.

Bred as a weapon by an evil father, raised in isolation and then push out into the world. Cassandra felt a stab of remorse. Were her mission (and life) different, she and Raven might be friends.

Unlike before, Cassandra opted to spy on her target from the ventilation shafts. Part of her reasoned it would act as a guard against any…temptation that might otherwise present itself, affecting the mission.

The mission and mission alone is all that matters, the young woman reminded herself again and again. It was as if a vice was clamped over her heart, and the only way Cassandra could think of to relieve the pressure was to focus on her objective and nothing else.

'Kasumi' was thankful that she found Raven still silently meditating, sitting mantis style in the center of her quarters. When a body was in motion, it spoke of all kinds of things to Cassandra Cain with but the slightest muscle movement. Still, a body was little more than a whisper.

Cassandra thought her mission complete, and was about to leave, when Raven looked up towards the ventilation grate that 'Kasumi' had been spying through, looked into the young vigilante's eyes, and said "Would you like to come in?"

Cassandra nearly jumped out of her skin, certain that she'd done nothing to betray her presence, yet discovered all the same.

"I only wish to talk," Raven assured her, "please come down."

Cassandra tried, and failed, to think of some possible alternative. She soon realized that no matter what she did, she needed to get out of the ventilation system now that she'd been compromised. Batman's orders were to observe and not be seen, and if caught Cassandra was to employ her best judgment.

Right now, it meant climbing out of the vent shaft, sharing a few words, while waiting for an opening to knock Raven unconscious and then escape undetected.

Cassandra slowly extracted herself from the vent and landed in the center of the room with silent grace. Raven didn't seem concerned that 'Kasumi' had placed herself between Raven and the door.

Cassandra found herself shocked at the Titan's total calm. Cassandra was garbed in the costume of an international hitwoman, who'd just been discovered creeping through her team's headquarters. Most people would have at least put on guard.

But then, Raven was far from 'most people'.

"You must be 'Batgirl. Few others could be so pure in emotion," Raven began, "Richard told me about you once, in passing."

Cassandra cocked her head to the side. Richard? She'd never heard that name before; did that mean that there was a leak within the Batclan?

"Nightwing," Raven clarified, sensing Cass' confusion, "he's very impressed about how far you've come, with your background. He asked if we would consider you for membership in the Titans."

Cassandra swallowed the lump in her throat, "How...did you know I was there?"

"I've sensed your emotions from the moment you entered the Tower, if you must know," explained Raven.

'Kasumi''s mind raced to process the information. Raven could sense emotions?! That wasn't in the briefings! But how could Batman have missed something like that, when his first partner was a founding member of this team? Nightwing and Raven served on the same team together, even!

That was impossible for HIM to make just an enormous mistake, unless...

"I've sensed your turmoil, your pain," Raven said calmly, "and I can tell you such things need not be. The Titans were founded as a family for youths like ourselves. No one, no matter how strong, can bear the burdens we do alone and especially at a young age."

Raven reached out her hand in one of the purest gestures of friendship Cassandra had ever seen.

"I would be honored if you joined us."

Cass' legs felt as if they were made of rubber, and her heart pounded with such fierce strength it was as if it wished to burst from her chest. In all her life, Cassandra had never been in a situation like this. For a moment, 'Kasumi' was ready to grab Raven's hand as if it were a great lifeline vital to her salvation. Until now, Cassandra Cain never realized how so very much she wanted friends, someone to talk to, to confide in like she had with Spoiler, to just not be alone anymore. This entire mission dredged up every last one of those emotions, and they burned worse than any fire.

Cassandra had begun to give into the temptation, to allow herself to fail the mission just for something resembling human contact, when Cassandra remembered something about the idea of 'friends'.

Friends were expected to be open with one another. Heroes discarded their masks around one another, talk about their problems and were generally open with one another, especially the Teen Titans.

If she joined the Teen Titans, her teammates would insist on knowing her as Cassandra Cain, not Batgirl. Cassandra Cain, who couldn't read. Cassandra Cain, deemed stupid by the smartest hero ever, Oracle. Cassandra Cain, easily the least of the Batclan. Cassandra Cain…just so incomplete as a human being compared to any of them.

"No…" whispered Cassandra as tears of shame streamed down her cheek. The idea of being so vulnerable threw her instincts into overdrive, and she reacted the only way someone trained by the world's greatest assassin and Batman rationally could.

"No!"

&&&

Having given Raven the heads up that 'Kasumi' was heading her way, Cyborg had begun to relax. He honestly had no clue why Batman had essentially asked that Batgirl be allowed to spy on the team. Victor agreed only out of deference to one of the world's greatest heroes, and in the hope that the young woman would be motivated to join their ranks. He'd seen the file Nightwing compiled, and was suitably impressed. She'd make a fine Titan.

However, the explosion that came from Raven's room extinguished that idea rather brutally. Alarms sounded automatically, and with his mind's eye Cyborg quickly checked on Raven. The sensors indicated she was still alive, but because they were installed with general privacy in mind, told him nothing else.

Something to change in the future, Victor Stone reflected as he activated the Tower coms., "Attention Titans. We have an intruder in the Tower. Approach with extreme caution and subdue."

&&&

Though her eyes were blurred with tears and her heart burned with every step, Cassandra's instincts remained razor sharp. She remembered what halls led where, and ran towards the exit like a Bat out of hell. With security on lock down, the only way out was through the front door.

The first two obstacles presented themselves not thirty feet from Raven's room. Superboy and Blue Beetle, two of the most powerful members of the Teen Titans.

Experience told 'Kasumi' that Superboy would come at her first, and she was right. Though the young man had speed that enabled him to break the sound barrier, it wasn't something he could easily employ without turning an enemy into a blood stain.

So when the young clone shot forward with a right hook, Cass dodged it by bending backwards nearly ninety degrees. As she came up, the young woman removed two explosives from her belt, and slapped them onto the sides of the young hero's head. A specially putty held the explosives in place, and Cassandra somersaulted backwards as she detonated the bombs.

The Boy of Steel's head easily withstood the explosion without as much as a scratch. But like half of his genetic father, Superman, Kon-El possessed super senses, chief among them super hearing. At the moment, his ears were pounding a symphony of pure agony and his eyes radiated pain. With one foe blind and deaf, 'Kasumi' turned to her next foe, Blue Beetle.

"Hold it right there!" shouted the rookie hero, his right arm now in the shape of a hand cannon, "that trick won't work with me!"

Cassandra saw right through the young man's bravo. And like always, action was faster than reaction.

'Kasumi' leapt over Beetle's head faster than he could follow, and when she landed right behind him, she kicked the insect themed hero in the back of the knee.

Blue Beetle stumbled, and would have fallen on his ass had two hands not caught him. But before he could right himself, those two hands harshly shoved him into Superboy.

"Think you can take me just 'cause I can't see, huh?" roared Superboy, though temporarily blind and deaf, he was still damn powerful. The young clone lashed out with a glancing blow that sent Jamie's head reeling.

"Conner, wait!" Blue Beetle pleaded, not yet realizing his teammate couldn't hear him. When Superboy pulled his fist back, Jamie reacted instinctively, his beetle armor firing an energy bolt from his hand. Unfortunately, it also told the Boy of Steel exactly where his 'enemy' was.

"Stronger than you looked, huh?" Superboy blasted through the air, into Blue Beetle and through more than a few walls. By the time Superboy realized his mistake, 'Kasumi' would be far, far away.

&&&

When Speedy saw the intruder come at her from down the hall, she moved with practiced grace. Removing arrow after arrow from her quiver, she unleashed a hail of, if not deadly, then incredibly dangerous weapons towards her target…

…only to watch the mystery woman catch each several without breaking a sweat, dodge the rest all the while never breaking stride. 'Kasumi' leapt at Mia feet first, coiled her legs back and then lashed outwards like a coiled snake. The impact was so great that the archer found herself thrown backwards where her back slammed into the wall.

"Damn it…" Mia saw past the stars in her vision just to see her foe throw the arrows she'd caught. Squeezing her eyes shut, Mia's breath frozen in anticipation of a sudden and painful death as she heard the –thunk!-, -thunk!-, -thunk!- of the arrows embedding themselves into something.

A second later, realizing she wasn't dead, Speedy opened her eyes and saw that she was merely pinned to the wall by both her costume and her own arrows.

"Oh, Ollie's gonna have a field day with this…" sighed the young archer.

&&&

"I'm think we're going too easy on these kids if one babe in purple can get past them," Beast Boy remarked to Donna Troy as the duo moved to intercept the intruder.

"Or she's better than she looks," Donna Troy observed, "be careful."

"But not good enough!" boasted Beast Boy. His body changed into that of a lion, and lunged for Cassandra.

Though it was impossible for her to predict what animal Beast Boy would change into, 'Kasumi' remembered that it was only Beast Boy's body that changed shapes, not his mind. Slamming the flattened palm of her fist into Beast Boy's lion face was enough to buy her some breathing room, and a snap kick rendered him unconscious. Had he the fierceness of an animal or their ability to casually ignore pain, Cassandra knew the battle would have ended very differently.

Donna Troy stood her ground for a moment, analyzing the situation. With most of her team defeated, she knew better than to take her foe lightly. If nothing else, she needed more information about her mysterious foe before she engaged.

"What do you want? Why are you here?" Donna demanded.

"Why am…I here?" Cassandra choked out, unable to keep the pain from her voice. Her left hand went smoothly into her belt and removed a small disk that was little bigger than quarter, "I…wish I knew."

Donna Troy hesitated for a moment, hearing the voice of a pained young woman underneath the costume of a deadly killer. Life as a Titan had taught her many things most especially that appearances were rarely as they seemed. Something in Donna's mind told her that this young woman hated being here, what she was (being forced into?) doing. Perhaps if she extended an olive branch instead of violence, like her sisters had taught her…?

Cassandra saw the offer of assistance coming, and used that as her opening. She flung the small disk into the Amazon's mouth, where it exploded and released a thick, choking black mist.

Donna fell to her knees gagging, and 'Kasumi' sped past and out the main doors of the Tower.

Cassandra was ready to believe that she was home free when she sensed someone approaching behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Aquagirl sprinting towards her with a look of determination in her eyes.

Though some would callously disregard Aquagirl as a danger in comparison to the other Titans, Batgirl wasn't among them. As a matter of fact, she considered Aquagirl one of the most dangerous members of the team.

The incredible ocean pressures and constant water resistance that Lorena lived with nearly every day meant that she was faster, stronger, and had superior senses compared to those who lived on the surface, no matter how much or how hard they trained. In practice, it meant that no matter how fast she was or how strong, Aquagirl was better. Already Cassandra could sense her foe closing in on her, crossing the distance of three feet for every one Cass made.

Removing several smoke bombs and flares from her belt, Cass threw them over her shoulder, hoping to slow her foe down. Unfortunately, Aquagirl's reflexes were as enhanced as the rest of her body. She clamped her eyes shut and bulled through the smoke and flares while her ears followed Cassandra's footfalls. The under water heroine barely slowed down.

"You're not getting away that easy, bitch!"

Cassandra had one last, desperate plan. Only a few feet from the water, she dove forward with every last ounce of energy. As expected, Lorena tackled her in midair, and the two crashed with the water with a large splash.

"Dumb move, bimbo," Aquagirl had her hand wrapped around Cassandra's throat. The two of them were just below the water, and Cassandra knew that was exactly where her foe would keep them, "I don't think you can fight down here half as well as me."

Cassandra could say nothing, but it was just as well. She could plainly see that Aquagirl was beyond talking. As far as the young woman was concerned, Cass had willfully hurt her friends, and thus, was as far beyond words as a heroine could be.

Luckily, Cass had one remaining trick up her sleeve.

All the suits Batman had given his allies carried a mild taser charge, as a precaution. Normally, it was a one shot weapon designed to disable the average thug who happened to be lucky enough to pin or immobilize a vigilante. But Cassandra, recognizing the possibility that she might have to fight Aquagirl in the water, asked Batman to incorporate the same weapon into her suit, and to add a much bigger battery.

With her right hand, Cassandra gripped the wrist that led to the hand around her throat and applied pressure to several key points. Then, with her left hand, she activated the suit taser.

Cass heard the crackle of the taser charge, and watched the young woman's body tensed and then went limp. It was only because Cassandra was using pressure points that Aquagirl's fist didn't clench tight from the electrical jolt, snapping her neck. It was a risk, but it would be a cold day in hell before Batgirl doubted her ability to handle those.

Aquagirl went limp in the water, and after sparing a moment to confirm that the Titan was still breathing, (Cass still hadn't gotten used to the unusual biology's of meta-humans. The unconscious Titan looked too much like a freshly drowned corpse for her tastes) Cassandra made good on her escape.

For most people, fighting their way past six superheroes was more than enough for one night. But the Cassandra hardened her heart for one last battle, perhaps the most important one of all.

&&&

"…ar me, Lorena?" Aquagirl awoke to see Cyborg and Raven looking down at her, worry plastered on their faces.

"Been better," the teen hero croaked. She sat up gingerly, Cyborg gently helping her, "guess…whoever that was got away, huh?"

"Don't concern yourself with it," Raven assured her, "the matter is in capable hands. Though I pity the man who started this all..."

&&&

Observing the blinking light on his consul, Batman surmised, with a heavy heart, that Cassandra had finished her mission and was now dealing with the consequences. It didn't escape his notice that several of the tracers on the suit were offline, while the remaining few were actually the most accurate ones she possessed.

Batman knew it would come to this, though, so he saw little point in wasting time. He guided the Batplane towards the signal (a darkened alley that perhaps defined 'out of sight'), activated the plane's hover capabilities, and repelled to the ground silently.

The alley felt like a million others the Dark Detective had seen in his time, and he knew that was the trick. One of the first thing The Batman had taught his protégés was that when you wanted to lower someone's guard, you lured or confronted them, depending on the situation, into familiar surroundings. This puts the target at ease, giving them a false sense of control and security.

The stench of the trash bins, the sounds of rats scurrying for their meal, puddles of water that stank of mildew. The Batman had fought, interrogated and hid in alleys for so much of his career, they were almost a home away from home. Here was his element. Here the Detective was in control, no matter the threat. And here, an attack was waiting.

Batman looked around carefully, memorizing every detail, every little nuance of the alley before he took a single step. He scanned the area with his eyes, expecting to see nothing yet taking in everything. His opponent was too well trained, and the Dark Knight knew that no matter how well skilled he was, not even he could detect his quarry, but one always had to try. Finally, he threw down the gauntlet.

"Batgirl? Report."

As expected, several smoke bombs detonated at once, casting a thick blanket of smoke over the alley. It was impossible to see anything, but Batman resisted the temptation to switch the lenses in his mask to night vision or infrared. His decision was rewarded as less than ten seconds later, as several flash bombs exploded and would have blinded him were it not for the protection provided by his regular lenses.

"No more trips to Kansas." growled a voice. Three throwing stars sliced through the air, and Batman barely sidestepped them before they embedded themselves in painful positions in his anatomy, "no trips!"

There was no need for Batman to ask what Cassandra was referring to. Sometime back, she'd developed a seeming infatuation with the teen hero Superboy. Like most teenage girls, Cassandra had snuck away from home, or Gotham in this instance, to visit the young man. At the time, Batman had seen it as a distraction from her duties and responsibilities to both himself and Gotham, and so he ordered the 'relationship' (he knew now it was being kind to even call it a casual friendship) terminated immediately. At the time, Batman thought he was acting within his rights as a commander and de-facto father.

Only upon recent reflection did the Dark Hero realize what Cassandra had really been doing, reaching out to someone, just looking for a friend her own age. And no father had the right to stop that.

"I'm not perfect," answered Batman evenly, "and one of my greatest mistakes was allowing you to think I was."

"No identity...you complimented!"

Batman grimaced mentally. When government agents had recorded Cassandra in action without her costume, Cassandra was confronted with the possibility of never having a true secret identity, and seemed unconcerned. Batman had affirmed her choice at the time, something he deeply regretted now.

"I did. And it was a terrible mistake on my part," Batman confessed, "I'd prefer to have this conversation face to face, Cassandra."

Batman braced himself for what was to happen next. Words would never been enough to satisfy Batgirl's rage. Raised with the closed fist and martial arts, her fist instinct when hurt would always be to respond with violence, no matter how far she'd travel in life.

And Cassandra Cain did not disappoint.

Lunging from the smoke like a feral animal, Cassandra unleashed a flurry of punches at her mentor, and to her surprise, more than a few actually connected. True, Batman intercepted a fair share it she could see how he allowed punches and blows to slip past his defenses.

Seeing this, seeing the guilt in his face, Cassandra ceased her attack and stepped back; casting an angry glare at the man she respected above all others. She didn't want this, his acceptance of her accusations. Her blood boiling, she wanted nothing more than a true, no holds bar battle, both physical and emotional. She knew she was right; she just didn't want him to accept his guilt so easily. She wanted his pain and blood, a true fight, not this sham of a conflict.

Batman saw how Cass' entire body shook in anger. For one someone disciplined enough to climb to the height of greatest martial artist in the world, to be showing such visible emotion, it was an obvious testament to just how infuriated she really was.

"I knew what I asked you tonight would be painful," explained Batman, "but this is neither the time nor the place to discuss it. We should return to Gotham..."

Cassandra carefully removed her helmet, so that she could look The Batman face to face, so that he could see her tear streaked face. Her eyes were red; almost blood shot yet somehow retained the incredible fierceness of a wounded lioness.

If looks could kill, Batman mused for a moment. In truth, he'd expected everything that had happened up until now. He knew that Cassandra, confronted with her demons, would want to return the pain in kind, rather than reflect on the matter.

But what happened next no one could have predicted.

Cassandra pulled back her hands and leapt forward; like she'd done when she was only eight years old, her hand aimed at the Dark Knight's throat in what would be a painfully fatal attack.

For a split second, the Dark Detective, scourge of the underworld and one of the most respected heroes in history, was so dumb founded that he couldn't even move. But only a split second.

Instincts took over, and Batman grabbed Cassandra's wrists before her attack came anywhere near his throat, mainly because she executed the attack with all the grace and speed of a drunken rhino. Anyone with the slightest physical ability could have blocked the attack without breaking stride. Batman felt a tinge of guilt for ever thinking that Cassandra would actually attack him with lethal intent as he caught her other arm just as easily.

The attack was simply a gesture on Cass' part, in her native tongue. It was the crudest, most vile, disgusting and insulting thing she could think to 'say'.

It had also taken every last once of her strength, both physical and emotional. Cassandra collapsed in Batman's arms, crying like a long lost child who'd just found her father.

"I'm sorry...I...I..." Cassandra tried her best to explain her actions, to justify what she'd just done, but it between her poor language skills and choking sobs, all was lost.

Batman wrapped his arms around the weeping girl, embracing her as a father should, for perhaps the first time, "I know Cassandra. And believe me, I understand. I will make things better, I promise you."

&&&

Later

After his ward had calmed down enough to travel, the Dark Knight made a bee line towards the home of Oracle. Barbara had shot Batman a glare strong enough to melt steel when he explained what had occurred, but she bit her tongue, instead choosing to coax Cassandra towards one of her guest rooms for a talk.

That had been nearly twenty minutes ago, Batman thought to himself, and she still hadn't returned. Certainly not a good sign.

Regardless, he waited patiently in Oracle's den. Rather, his son Dick's and Barbra's den, Bruce Wayne reminded himself. Barbara had been his daughter in law for months, and Batman knew he was heading towards his first real family clash with her.

"Bruce."

As Oracle wheeled herself into the room, Batman found himself almost wishing for the Joker, Two-Face or Harley Quinn even, to suddenly appear. Anything to avoid what he knew was to come…

"I've been talking with Cassandra. Care to explain?"

With Oracle only a few inches away with a scowl of utter contempt, Batman suddenly felt as if he were being interrogated and almost, almost shifted into a defensive mind-set before reminding himself that he was talking to his daughter in law, and most especially, Cassandra's surrogate mother, aunt and big sister figure all in one. She of all people had a right to be angry. Barbra cared as much for the young woman as he did, only she was far more willing to both admit and demonstrate it, Bruce reflected with no small amount of guilt.

"I assigned Batgirl to spy on the Titans. Obviously, intelligence gathering wasn't the real purpose of the mission, rather…"

Not surprisingly, the slap Batman received stung worse than some of the punches he'd received from street thugs in his career. The Dark Knight wasn't shocked that Oracle struck him at all, in fact. Batman held no illusions about just how angry she was. He caught her wrist just as she was about to strike him again.

"We have more important things to do than fight," Batman intoned.

"You'd never hit a woman in a wheelchair," Oracle snapped.

"That's the first time I've ever heard you hide behind your gender or disability," quipped Batman.

"Well, this is the first time I've seen you emotionally destroy an innocent young girl," Barbra answered back, "this is a night of ugly firsts for us all, I suppose."

"The idea for the mission would be for Cassandra to realize her personal social short comings, that's all," explained Batman, "I'd hoped that she would have tried to join. In the worst case scenario, I thought she'd simply be upset and be more amendable to starting an outside life. I…didn't expect her reaction to be this…explosive."

"She has over sixteen years to make up for Bruce," snapped Oracle, "throw all that in her face in one single night and we're lucky she hasn't run away!"

"We both know she wouldn't do that."

"…"

As cold as Batman could be at times, Barbra knew that, in this instance, he was simply stating fact. And the cold hard fact was that, outside of the Bat-clan, Cassandra had no one else she could turn to.

"…why didn't you tell me what you were planning?" Barbra finally asked, her righteous anger having faded now.

"Because I didn't want her to blame you too," Batman said simply.

"What now?" interrupted a new voice.

The two senior heroes glanced towards the doorway, where Cassandra stood just before the threshold, her face concealed in shadow.

"You won, Batman," Cassandra repeated, her tone carefully controlled, "so…what now?"

"Now…now you get a life that doesn't rotate around vigilantism. You start a real life, Cassandra."

Even though they couldn't see her face, both her surrogate parents felt as if they could feel apprehension that bordered on terror emulating from her. But only for a moment.

"Good," Cassandra snapped, stepping into the light to glare at Batman. She took a deep, calming breath and began the lines she rehearsed in her head, "it's about time…I got something back after all I've given you."

The End.

Next Issue: Cassandra Cain faces her biggest challenge yet. A real life! But to face such a huge hurdle, Batman knows his young ward will need help. Who will he call upon? And how will Cass make the adjustment?

Additional notes for readers: The above team of Titans, plus the fact Oracle is married to Nightwing, comes from DC Infinity group fanfiction site. Batgirl will always draw it's continuity from the site, though I will do my best to explain it in context. So Superboy being alive, Mia leading the Titans etc. all from there.