DC Infinity Presents
Batgirl # 5
All in a Lifetime's Work
Part1
Gotham City
Nearly a dozen men loitered around the entrance to the Gotham Gardens tenement, but no one dared challenge them. They were members of the Hispanic gang Vatos Locos, and for all intents and purposes, they might as well have been the landlords of the building. In return for looking the other way, residents were allowed to live in relative peace.
Today though, the gang members were especially paranoid. They had vital business to conduct, business that could only be conducted at night, and that was the problem.
Hell, in Gotham, it was always a problem, because the night belonged to The Bats.
The criminal dozen went about their business, discussing recent events in spanish while every now and then, a member would politely trail off, declaring they were heading for home. Each and every one of them carried a backpack, gym bag or a paper bag large enough for groceries. Though the young men tried to act casually, they scanned the shadows with their eyes, almost certain they could feel a certain Dark Knight's eyes cast upon them.
And though Batman was indeed a man of considerable myth, the gang members of Vatos Locos weren't wrong in this instance.
One block away, standing atop an adjacent apartment building roof and peering through special binoculars that would be employed by Navy Seals within the next year, were Batman and Batgirl. Their equipment contained directional microphones that allowed the duo to listen in as if they were standing next to the young men, and contained a live digital feed to the Batcave that scanned and documented the men's faces for later reference.
Cassandra saw one man step away, and gave him a casual once over.
"Him."
"Him?" Batman repeated.
"Do I question your detective skills?" snapped Cassandra, too quickly and too smoothly to be anything but a prepared statement. But rather than take the bait, Batman simply nodded in acknowledgment, and went back to watching the gang. Several minutes passed, and Cassandra pointed out another, and then another.
"Hmm, clever," Batman returned the binoculars to his belt, Cassandra did likewise.
"Why aren't we...following one?" Cassandra demanded, her tone uncommonly accusing.
"Last night, I broke into their head quarters and copied down their cell phone numbers," Batman explained, "in addition, I planted a tracer in the shoes of several men I suspected would be the mules. Two of my choices were correct. I was simply waiting to see how many people were chosen to carry the payment."
Batgirl didn't respond, and the Dark Knight took that as a good sign.
Over the course of an hour, the group went their separate ways. Cassandra, with her ability to read body language like bold font, picked out the men Batman was looking for from the decoys meant to distract him and any police, or rival gangs who might decide to follow. There were five in all, and Cassandra routed out each and every one.
"I suspect I know where they're going, so now is as good as time as any to go over your new arrangement," Batman put the binoculars away and turned to Cassandra.
"Arrangement?" Cassandra looked at her mentor curiously.
"To be precise, your future patrols are going to be limited to North Gotham for the foreseeable future," Batman explained, "this is not up for debate."
"Why?"
"Your arrangements will be changing," answered Batman curtly, "you won't have the time to cover the entire city effectively. But with Nightwing covering South Gotham, there shouldn't be any problems."
"And if I leave...the north end?"
Batman could almost smell the trap, "I understand that investigations don't respect borders. I'll respect your judgment."
"Hmph," Cassandra snorted, denied a possible avenue of rebellion.
With Batgirl pacified, if only for the moment, the Dark Knight removed his grappling hook and fired it towards a nearby building. Within seconds he was swinging through the Gotham skyline.
Batgirl hesitated for a brief moment, resentful of how she was forced to mimic her mentor if she wanted to follow him. Before she secretly enjoyed emulating him, if not in action then in spirit, but Cassandra found herself instinctively disliking it now, as if it were a sign that she was simply a shadow of the man himself.
Still, the situation dictated a certain method of travel. Following with her grapple, the two Bats traveled in silence. With practiced skill and grace, the two didn't make a single sound as they traveled through Gotham. Cassandra spared a glance down every now and then, at what was to be her new territory and protectorate.
Asians, African Americans and Hispanics (that's what the TV called the people below her, Cassandra remembered. She honestly didn't know what the differences between them were beyond the physical), all of whom according to Batman and Oracle had their own gangs along with the usual organized crime that plagued Gotham endlessly.
Eventually, the nocturnal duo's travels came to a conclusion atop a dockside warehouse. A single glance down the sky light informed them there were a half dozen well dressed men, and three of the five gang members Cassandra had deduced were mules.
"This is about an arms shipment," Batman explained, "Vatos Locos has to compete with at least a half dozen gangs in Gotham just to hold onto the territory they already have. To do that, they need arms, and a steady supply. I suspect that they broke up the payment to insure that even if one of them were caught, they could still afford some arms."
Batgirl processed the information silently. There was no real need for words now, given how many times the two of them had worked together on raids, at least as far as Batgirl was concerned.
The Batman, however, knew better. He knew Cassandra resented how he'd painfully tricked her into accepting a normal life. She would follow his lead, he knew, but she wouldn't be happy about it and wanted her own pound of flesh along the way.
Normally Batman would never allow such a thing on a mission, but recognized that if he confronted her about it now, it would only make matters worse. Batman reminded himself that if he pushed her too hard, Batgirl would never be emotionally independent from him. That in many ways, her anger and resentment towards him was good for her, given how she used to hold him up to a pedestal and all but worship him.
So Batman ceded complete control of this raid, something he was loathe to do, and decided instead to rely on his faith in his young charge. All things considered, the Dark Knight reflected, she'd already earned it a dozen times over.
The last two mules arrived, and the Bats jumped into action. Smashing through the sky light, Batman repelled down a rip cord towards the ring leaders while Batgirl addressed the rabble.
Batman grabbed a man in a fine business suit who'd just finished talking to a youth in torn and ragged clothes, and slammed their heads together. They knew nothing he din't already know, so it wasn't as if he needed them conscious.
He glanced over his shoulder, to where Batgirl was still dealing with her opponents.
To the untrained eye, the fight would seem to be choreographed. With only four men left, Batgirl would punch one, then fluidly duck under the counter attack. The men would charge (Batman didn't doubt that Cassandra had disarmed them all already), and she would sidestep them into one another. To anyone else, it looked like slapstick comedy. To Batman, it was a confusing change from the norm.
"Batgirl, do you need assistance?"
Cassandra Cain, at least from appearances, jumped when she heard the voice. Reaching into her utility belt, she removed a single batarange and sent it hurtling towards Batman, and then preceded to dispatch the four men in three moves.
Batman knew instantly he could have avoided or caught the weapon, but he also knew that wasn't what Cassandra wanted, not exactly. So he brought up his left wrist to deflect the weapon. The pain the impact caused was nothing compared to what Batman was used to dealing with, but he allowed himself to feel the stinging pain from his wrist all the same.
"You...startled me," Cassandra's lie was amazingly unconvincing, but again, Batman let the matter slide. He knew full well that he was the reason, the true source of Batgirl's current un-professionalism at the moment, and if he chastised her, the situation would only grow worse.
Besides, having completed the raid, the night for all intents and purposes, was over. So Batman felt secure in loosening his 'zero tolerance' policy towards unchecked emotions in the field, just this once.
"It won't happen again," Batman answered in a neutral tone.
For a moment, Batgirl felt a tinge of guilt about hurting her mentor, however slightly. She tried to remind herself why she was angry at him, why he deserved the pain (however slight it was), but having actually succeeded in hurting him, those justifications seemed hollow now.
&&&
The two stood on silent guard for several minutes, the silence thick with tension. Finally, the wail of police sirens ended the silent stand off between the two.
Silently beckoning for Batgirl to follow him, the two slipped out a back door as the first patrol car skidded to at stop at the front of the warehouse. They kept to the shadows for several blocks, until Batman came upon a manhole cover in one of the countless back alleys of Gotham. Removing the cover, he motioned for Cassandra to enter. Once she was down the ladder, Batman followed, replacing the manhole cover as carefully as possible. It wouldn't due for someone to trip over it and discover what he'd down here, after all.
"Activate your tracer," ordered Batman.
Cassandra looked at the Dark Knight curiously, but removed her tracer devise from her belt and flipped it on all the same. To her surprise, a bright red arrow came up on the screen.
"I took the liberty of attuning your new cave to your tracers while you adjust to your new living arrangements," Batman explained as he walked past Cassandra, "however, I would suggest you make yourself familial with the local sewer system."
Following the signal (and not Batman, thank you very much), the two nocturnal warriors eventually came across a heavy metal gate. Batman pressed his hand against a seemingly random brick, and with a hiss the steel gate rose.
Stepping through, Batman then depressed several more bricks in the side wall, and with a rumble it slide aside to reveal a sleek, metal staircase.
"What...was this place?" Cassandra asked as they stepped though. In the past, it had been her experience that Batman had an amazing ability to find abandoned hide-aways, holes in the wall no one knew of, and revamp them for use in his...their crusade.
"I called in a few favors from the metahuman community, actually," answered Batman, "Sand and Geo-Force helped excavate and buttress the cave, while Flash and Mr. Terrific helped install the computer and other equipment."
Cassandra took a look around at her new cave. Thankfully, it was built much in the same way as her other ones had, with a giant computer pressed against the far wall, a row of motor cycles and in its own corner, some sixteen feet wide with weight benches, wooden dummies, tagets and other practice and workout tools.
Behind the workout area, behind a door of bullet proof glass, Cassandra could see a store room of bataranges, spare costumes, gas pellets, grappling hooks and other tools of her crusade.
Visually, the cave reminded Cass of all the ones she'd had in the past. Emotionally…she wasn't sure what she felt. Ever since she encountered the Teen Titans, Cassandra questioned almost everything about her life that wasn't combat. Were homes supposed to be so easily, so casually replaced?
A door slip open behind the computer, and Batgirl tensed as an Asian woman, in her late thirties and casually dressed, stepped into the room. Though she hardly looked like much of a threat, dressed in casual clothes and wearing a smile on her face that was expressed with her entire body. But her body had the undertones of an experienced warrior, especially when Cassandra saw the respect with which she carried a katana in one hand.
"Bruce," the woman nodded to Batman, "And you must be Cassandra."
"Yes!" Cassandra shouted instantly, unsure of how to greet this woman. Was she supposed to greet her as an equal, superior, or fellow warrior? And how did she know Batman's identity?!
"My name is Tatsu Yamashiro, and you'll be living with me for the foreseeable future," the woman gently explained. She held up the sword, "would you take this upstairs, please? I'll be up in a moment to better introduce myself, I just need a moment alone with Bruce."
"Why...did you bring it...down?"
Tatsu smiled coyly, "So that you would take it up. I'll be up in a moment, promise."
Hesitant, Batgirl spared a fleeting glance towards the Dark Detective.
"It's alright," stated Batman.
"Didn't ask!" Cass snarled as she snatched the sword out of Tatsu's hands and stalked off.
The two waited a moment until they were confident that Cassandra had indeed, left. They both knew the young woman wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation, but were fairly confident that she knew better than to try that on two veteran heroes.
"Children," Tatsu observed in an amused tone.
"Hmm," Batman grunted, "I can't begin to thank you enough for this, Katana. I have to warn you, Batgirl can be stubborn at times. Very willful."
"Yes, I wonder who taught her that quality Bruce," Tatsu replied, emphasizing her former teammate's name. It annoyed her slightly, how Batman would refer to her by her codename even in private. It was as if he was pained to admit they were actually friends, "and if anything, I should thank you. The last time you asked me to watch over a young woman, I gained a wonderful adopted daughter."
"How is Halo these days?"
"Gabrielle is fine, attending college in Europe," Tatsu rubbed the bridge of her nose, annoyed "forgetting to call, or write, all the time."
"Children," Batman replied with an amused tone.
"Hmm. Is there anything else I need to know?" asked Tatsu, "I'd really prefer not to keep her waiting all night. Tomorrow will be busy enough as it is."
"Batgirl...didn't entirely grasp the concept and importance of secret identity when she began her career," Batman stated, "I fear I wasn't as strict in that regard I as now know I should have been."
"Understood," Tatsu shrugged, "I'm hardly some defenseless flower. You'll have to excuse me, Bruce, but Cassandra is waiting."
Tatsu turned to leave, but stopped when Batman grabbed her arm suddenly.
"Be patient with her. Some areas of her social education were neglected more than others," Batman's tone was tight and controlled, "but that was my mistake, not hers. Don't punish her for it, please."
"She had a father who cared for her, and was willing to move heaven and earth for her if need be," Tatsu stated, "that's more than too many children can say."
&&&
When Tatsu arrived at the top of the stairs and into to the basement of her townhouse, Batgirl was there waiting, sword in hand. Tatsu thought Cassandra might have been mistake for a statue, the young woman stood so still.
"The sword please?" Tatsu reached out her hand for the weapon, "and take your mask off, young lady. The drapes are all closed, and I prefer to talk to a person in this home, not a mask."
Cassandra handed the sword over without hesitation, but moved for her mask ever so slowly. It wasn't as if she didn't trust the older woman (Batman clearly did, and despite it all, that was enough for Cassandra), nor was she overly concerned about her 'secret identity'.
No, she hesitated because she had no idea what would happened next, once it was removed.
Once it was off, Tatsu directed Cassandra to follow her into the house, and specifically the living room, without saying a word. She'd been briefed on the young girl's intuitive nature, but seeing it was another thing all together. It was odd, to say the least, for Tatsu to see someone so young and so passive. It was almost as if Cassandra was looking for any direction at all, thought Tatsu.
"For the foreseeable, this is where we'll be living," Tatsu motioned to the living room with her hand and decided to float an idea, "this is your house as much as mine, do you have any decoration ideas? I've just moved in myself, so I'm hardly set on what I want."
"Its fine," answered Cassandra without so much as glancing at the room itself.
Noting this, Tatsu began up the stairs and stopped in front of the first door. Cassandra looked inside to see the boxes of personal items, keepsakes, clothes and some old pictures, that she'd packed the previous day.
All combined, there wasn't more than four boxes and a bed to represent her entire life up until now.
"This is your room. And of course, you can decorate it anyway you like."
Observing the bed and dresser, Cassandra stated simply, "Its fine."
"Well then, I'll decorate it as I see fit," Tatsu replied.
Cassandra looked at the older woman, "How...will you know...if I like it?"
"I won't," replied Tatsu warned, "I guess that's all the more reason for you to do it yourself."
Cassandra was about to reply, but thought the better of it. She couldn't help but remember all the times Alfred had 'caught' Batman in some meaningless but still somehow important argument. So this was how that felt, she realized.
Tatsu started walking down the hall again, "And lastly, we have my room."
Cassandra wasn't too surprised to see that the room was fully decorated. Laying across the bed was a red and yellow custom in a sun pattern that looked exactly like the flag that was across the far wall. Resting on the book case was another katana, resting inside a glass case emblazoned with several odd looking symbols that Cassandra couldn't quite place.
"As Batman doubtlessly informed you, I once went by the codename of Katana," Tatsu pointed towards the costume, "I've retired, and you'll feel why in a moment."
Cass was about to ask what she meant by feel when Tatsu opened the glass case. Almost instant, Cassandra felt her battle hardened nerves scream danger, and without hesitation she dropped into a fighting stance, her eyes and ears searching for her invisible foe while her heart pounded in her ear. Every instinct told Cassandra that she was surrounded by the most vile and disgusting enemies, even if she could not see them.
Tatsu closed the lid, and the feeling vanished as quickly as it appeared. Cassandra did the math.
"What is in….that case!?" she demanded, her voice carrying the authority of Batgirl.
"What you just felt was the magic of my other sword, the one I used in my time as a member of the Outsiders," Tatsu explained, her tone deadly serious, "it's called the Soul Taker. The souls of some of the most evil and feared men are locked away inside. I used to be able to wield it without fear of their evil overcoming me, but there have been...changes with regards to magic. Luckily, this case has been enchanted to contain its evil, and I know how to resist its pull. I simply gave you this demonstration so that you were forewarned to never, ever touch the sword."
"You should destroy it," Cassandra hissed. She didn't mean to sound so angry, but she had a hard time recalling when she was in the presence of such pure evil. Not even the likes of Shiva and Deathstroke compared to the horror she felt.
"There's simply no way to do that without destroying the souls trapped within," Tatsu explained, "and even if the soul of my husband weren't trapped as well, I could never do that. No one deserves such a thing."
Cassandra wasn't sure she agreed, if only because she wasn't that familiar with the concept of a soul. Between her own ignorance and Tatsu's belief that she was correct, Cassandra decided not to press the matter.
"We have a full day ahead of us tomorrow, Cassandra, and we'll need our sleep. Good night, I'll see you in the morning."
&&&
The next day started with an early morning trip to the Gotham Department of Records. They two of them loitered in the lobby for several minutes before a round, pudgy man came down to meet them, a folder tucked underneath one arm.
"Mrs. Yamashiro? Gary Wilbur," the man extended a hand in greeting, "and you must be Cassandra."
Cass nodded, though she was becoming annoyed that so many people who's name she didn't know, knew hers. Two too many thus far.
"Oracle told me everything you'd need," Gary handed her the file, "social security number, foster care 'records' from Bludhaven, birth certificate, the whole nine yards. Given what happened in Bludhaven, the holes in her records are easy to explain, and saves me some trouble. Can't have things looking too perfect, that attracts more attention than no records!"
"I understand. We shouldn't overplay our hand," Tatsu took a moment to scan the forged documents, verifying that all the documents she needed were inside. Although she hadn't too much experience in forging documents, at a glance they appeared to be perfectly legitimate.
"Thank you, Mr. Wilbur," Tatsu said finally, "Oracle didn't tell me why you'd be willing to help, but I'm thankful all the same."
"He saved my daughter," the man volunteered instantly, "some online pervert tricked my daughter into running away. A few days later, I get an email from nowhere, someone calling themselves Oracle sends me an email, promising to return my daughter. I thought it was just a sick joke, but the next day, cops are calling me, telling them they got a tip and found my girl, along with detailed files that're enough to put the bastard away for the rest of his natural life. If you're his friend, that's good enough for me."
"Thank you for your work," Tatsu decided against correcting the man's mistake regarding Oracle's gender. Even Tatsu knew that the less said about the mistress of computers, the better, "I wish I could buy you breakfast, but there's somewhere we need to be."
"I understand," the man replied, "daughters are God's treasure, but they require all kinds of work."
"They are indeed," Tatsu smiled, "thank you again. You've been a greater help than you know."
As the two women left, Cassandra found herself puzzled by Tatsu's words. Did the older woman really think of her as a daughter, or was she just agreeing with what the man said. Though he obviously cared for her, not even Batman went so far as to openly address her as 'his', let alone daughter. Cassandra didn't know how she felt about either option, really.
So, mustering up her courage, the world's most talented martial artist decided just to ask.
"Where next?" blurted out Cass.
Coward, Batgirl rebuked herself silently.
"Before you can begin school, you'll need to take some placement tests," explained Tatsu, "to see where you will need help when you begin your classes."
Not entirely understanding, Cassandra nodded and mentally indexed the information. Nothing she couldn't handle.
Right...?
&&&
When their car pulled into the parking space, Cassandra Cain instantly felt uncomfortable. The building was designed like a school, like what Robin attended but bigger and greater somehow. From watching TV, Cassandra knew that when people were finished with their average schooling they went to a higher one called college. This place looked a little bit like that, and Cassandra found the idea deeply unsettling.
"What…is this place?"
"Gotham City Institution of Meta Impact and Evaluation," Tatsu explained, "they're attached to the school you'll be attending."
The explanation did nothing to settle Cassandra's unease. As they entered the building, Cassandra made a point to keep close to Tatsu as her eyes darted around, taking the details of the interior. The place very much reminded Cassandra of the hospital, minus the distinctive smell.
They checked in with the receptionist, and were asked to take a seat in the waiting room.
For the moment, Cassandra set aside her unease to simply observe the people around her.
It was obvious to her that the people here were some sort of care providers. They moved with purpose and intent, their minds always preoccupied with something else. There wasn't a single person working here that didn't have to be somewhere else immediately, it seemed.
But what really caught Cassandra's attention were not the staff, but what she could only assume were the patients.
One boy walked past the waiting room hunched over, drooling sliding down his mouth and incoherent grunts coming from his mouth. That was odd enough by itself, but just a glance at his body language and Cassandra saw that the boy wasn't putting on any act, he was in fact animalistic!
As if that weren't baffling enough, Cassandra saw an older man walk by, arguing with himself, literally. Though that wasn't too strange for Cassandra, she had fought Two-Face after all, it was still an oddity.
The last person Cassandra saw truly startled her. It was a young girl, age eleven with light blond hair and a haunted look Cassandra had seen before, literally. She recognized the girl as a victim of the Joker. She'd been kidnapped by the madman because her father was once a (disloyal) henchman, taken on 'Take your Daughter to work' day by the Clown Prince as an object lesson to others who might cross him. Batman briefed everyone on the situation, even though he'd forbidden their involvement in the case.
Eventually the girl was rescued by Batman himself, but surviving the Joker, and living, were two entirely different things. Cassandra knew that from experience.
All three individuals were accompanied by doctors and their parents (or legal guardians, whatever) who's concern and fear about their children's welfare was obvious
Unbidden, Cassandra mentally did the math, and quickly found the only common factor between the patients. On some basic level, there was something wrong with them all. Cass followed the thought to its natural conclusion, about why she'd been brought here, and began shifting in her seat uncomfortably.
"Ms. Cain? Ms. Yamashiro?" Cassandra glanced at the doctor who's just entered. White lab coat, thick rimmed glasses and silver hair, he didn't seem threatening until he spoke.
"I'm Doctor Aaron Jackson. I'll be evaluating Cassandra."
Now Cassandra found him threatening. She looked at Tatsu with eyes that said 'don't make me go!'.
"Will you be needing me to watch?"
"That shouldn't be necessary," Dr. Jackson assured her, "it's best if there are no outside influences on her evaluation. That is, if she's comfortable away from you."
Tatsu gently patted Cassandra hand, "She'll be fine."
"Alright. Cassandra, if you'll just follow me, we'll get started."
Cassandra stood up, and gave her guardian one last, pleading look.
"You'll do great," Tatsu assured her, "trust me."
&&&
The conversation down the corridor was perhaps one of the most awkward time in Cassandra's young life.
Dr. Jackson was attempting to make small talk, to ease Cass' discomfort with 'chit-chat', but Cassandra was at a loss at how to answer the man correctly. After all, she never cared about the weather and how she felt really wasn't his business, but for whatever reason knew it was frown upon if she actually came out and said as much.
To make matters even worse, Cassandra knew that the doctor was evaluating her, watching her reactions while trying to form an opinion about her. While there was nothing wrong with that per say, Cassandra felt she knew that she'd be found wanting.
"Here we are," the Doctor ushered Cassandra into the room, "make yourself comfortable. We'll begin in a moment."
The room was odd, to say the least. There was a small table with two chairs across from one another, and in the corner was a book shelf with no just books, but stuff animals and board games.
Cassandra felt a little offended by the sight of the children's game. She was no innocent child.
"We use these rooms for a variety of different purposes," explained Dr. Jackson, "just ignore the toys. If you'll take a seat and give me a moment, we'll begin."
Cassandra observed several cards scattered across the table. There were common patterns in almost all of them, some small, others painfully obvious, she observed, and on a whim, Cassandra organized them in accordance to their respective patterns. It wasn't like she was doing anything else.
"I'm ready to... begin," Dr. Jackson looked at the table and did a double take, dumbstruck by what he saw. The cards that he'd brought to begin the testing, cards with intricate patterns that took most children, no matter how intelligent, at least five minutes apiece to decipher, and here was a young woman who'd finished five sets of the cards in the several seconds it'd taken him to remove and flip through the evaluation books he needed.
It was impressive, without a doubt. But also a little annoying, reflected the doctor.
"Sorry," apologized Cassandra honestly.
"It's alright, dear," the Doctor removed several more cards from his book. On a whim, he decided to test a theory, "I've plenty more tests."
Removing several cards from the book, he placed on the table in front of Cass. The cards had the pictures of an aardvark, elephant, shark, kitten and a cat, respectively.
"What do you think I want you to do with these, Cassandra?" he asked with genuine curiosity. If what he was beginning to suspect was true, Dr. Jackson realized that he might have to change how he was planning on conducting the tests entirely!
Cassandra said nothing in response to his question, too worried about answering correctly to actually answer him at all. The way he looked at her, worried Cassandra to her core. It wasn't as if the older man's gaze was remotely inappropriate. In fact, the young crime fighter knew she would have had an easier time if the man was secretly fantasizing about her. She was used to that, at least.
No, one hundred percent of his attention was devoted to her and her stupidity, Cassandra felt. Never willing to show weakness though, Cassandra went to work on the cards. She didn't need to be told that she was expected to put them in order, she was that smart at least. But figuring out what order, that part was a little more tricky.
Dr. Jackson watched with interest as Cassandra's hands hovered above the cards, deciding which went where. A second after it passed over the card with the aardvark, Cassandra placed it at the front. Then, after her hand passed over the card with the picture of the cat, she seemned to change her mind instantly and placed it next to the picture of the aardvark. The cat picture was followed by the elephant, then the kitten and finally the shark.
"Very good," observed the doctor, "now, can you tell me what you just did?"
"I...placed them in order?" Cassandra ventured. She couldn't imagine her ability to read body language had failed her on a mere, average doctor.
"That you did," he answered, "but do you know what order?"
Cassandra looked at the animals pictured, unable to find any commonality.
"You placed them all in perfect alphabetical order. But according to your guardian, you're illiterate."
Cassandra felt as though her heart might explode. Caught, and scrambling to cover, she tried her best to cover, but all she managed to get out was, "I...I...I..."
"It's quiet alright," Dr. Jackson assured her, placing his hand on top of hers to reassure her, "all it means is that we'll have to restructure the tests somewhat."
After the doctor stood up and left, with the promise of returning in a few minutes, Cassandra placed her hand over her mouth to cover the sounds of her sobs. She knew she was stupid, she just never realized that she was so stupid that they had to make new tests!
&&&
Later
Dr. Jackson handed Cassandra a set of earphones.
"Just place these on, and just listen to the directions, Cassandra."
Nodding, Cass placed the earphones over her head, and with a flip of the switch, began listening.
"Listen to all the directions before beginning," the recording droned, "first, bark like a dog. When you have finished that, hop on one leg. Next…"
The directions came slowly, one after the other and each dumber than the first, but Cassandra listened intently, remembering each one. After all, once the recording was done, she would be expected to do each and every instruction to the letter, self respect be damned.
&&&
Dr. Jackson stepped out of the room, and walked into the adjoining room, from where he could watch Cassandra as she listened to the recording.
In truth, he wasn't quite sure what to expect. Most youngsters, when given the test, followed the directions instantly so as not to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of instructions. Those that didn't were at least visibly worried that they'd be unable to remember all the instructions.
Of course, there were those who figured out the trick, but the good doctor didn't think that Cassandra was one of those. Which made her casual attitude all the more confusing. Could she really intend to follow the instructions to the letter?
Cassandra waded through truly awkward and down right stupid questions before the recording reached its end with its final instruction.
&&&
"...and finally, do not do any of the commands you have heard."
That last order (as Cassandra saw it, anyways) was like a slap in the face to the young woman. She'd just spent four minutes listening to the recording, all for nothing!?
Taking the headphones off and placing them on the table, Cassandra found herself utterly baffled. Why would they ask her not to do all the things they mentioned previously? Did they think she wasn't smart enough to complete even those simple tasks?
"We're just about done, Cassandra. A few final tests, and we can send you on your way."
"Don't have to bark…like dog, or hop?"
"No, not at all," Dr. Jackson looked at the young woman, and decided on an impromptu test to satisfy a theory he was forming, "However, I would like you to repeat back the instructions in the order you heard them. Take your time, and do your best."
To his complete surprise, Cassandra repeated every instruction perfectly (albeit in broken sentences). Some twenty plus instructions, and she remembered them all.
A very gifted young woman, the Doctor reflected to himself. Which was both a gift and a curse, he knew from past experience.
&&&
Several Hours later
It was nearly four o clock when Cassandra finally found her way back to Tatsu. She plopped down heavily into the chair next to her, and seemed intent to stare a hole into the floor.
"Ms. Yamashiro, would you follow me, please? I'm ready to give you my evaluation."
Tatsu set down her magazine, and glanced towards Cassandra, "Will Cassandra be joining us?"
"No, its best if this is discussed just between the two of us," answered the doctor.
"Alright then," Tatsu looked towards Cassandra, who was still had her head drooped towards the floor, "don't worry, Cassandra. We'll be done soon."
&&&
When they entered the office, Dr. Jackson took his seat behind his desk, steepled his hands together, and exhaled a deep, calming breath.
"Before I begin," he started, "did you by chance see the young man earlier, who was hunched over and growling?"
"I did," Tatsu answered, trying to fake some mild confusion. In her time as a heroine, she'd definitely seen weirder.
"That young man was one of two dozen controlled by Gorilla Grodd in a battle against The Flash," explained Dr. Jackson, "Grodd's done the same to over a hundred people over the years, but that young man is the only one to turn and stay animalistic as a result. He was a bright, healthy young man with no history of physical or mental abuse, no meta-gene, nothing that sets him apart from others who've been possessed by the same supervillain before or since."
"Should you be telling me his medical history?" Tatsu asked with a raised eye brow.
"The boy's parents put him on a Dateline special, so I'm not breaking confidence. I'm telling you this, because meta-impact evaluation utilizes as much guess work as much as it does actual science. We're limited in a lot of ways, even though we employ some of the most foremost experts in the field and especially if we don't know the cause of the original impairment, or medical history, as is the case with young Ms. Cain."
That's okay, thought the once heroine, because I do.
"That affects our final analyze, so you'll need to balance what I tell you here with what you observe about Cassandra at home. Do you understand?"
"Of course. I've long known parenting isn't a science, and I'll adjust as need be."
The doctor nodded, and Tatsu knew that was what he had hoped to hear. Opening a manila folder, he began, "Let's start at the beginning. As I understand it, you found Cassandra by the side of the road, twenty miles outside of Bludhaven, correct?"
That was a lie, of course. But one easily maintained by the destruction of Bludhaven following a supervillain attack, and Cassandra's general lack of a true civilian life.
"That's correct," answered Tatsu, "her clothes were torn, and she looked as though she'd been living in the wild. I didn't feel I could leave her there and live with myself."
"Too many others could," sighed the doctor, "but that would explain some of the tests we performed. There are some abnormalities in her blood work, and her brain scans are odd…to say the least."
Tatsu knew the source of both those issues. Cassandra's mother, Shiva, had placed Cassandra in a Lazarus Pit to revive her then dead daughter. Tatsu wasn't the least bit surprised that Cassandra still had some remnants of that in her bloodstream. Resurrection wasn't easy.
As for the odd brain scans, according to Batman a telepath had reordered Cassandra's brain early in her career, allowing her to actually use the speech centers of her brain to form words and use her vocal cords. It was perhaps the only way Cassandra would have ever learned to talk at all, and it would certainly account for some odd brain scans.
But Tatsu still had to play ignorant, "Abnormalities? They're not harmful, are they?"
"We don't believe so, no," replied Dr. Jackson, "all the same, it's something you need to keep an eye on. Has she told you anything about her past?"
"No, she saw she doesn't remember anything beyond waking up in the woods."
"Not surprising. I think she's lying." said the doctor bluntly, "not completely, mind you. But given the signs of trauma she's displayed combined with her general lack of knowledge, she's either lying, or lived in a cave her entire life."
Or both, Tatsu thought to herself, "I wouldn't be all that surprised if she was lying, doctor. Alone, scared, who wouldn't lie, at least a little, to avoid being thrown away like trash? But what makes you think she's dishonest, doctor?"
"Miss Cassandra demonstrates signs of hyper-vigilance," explained the doctor, "when I was performing a few of the intelligence tests, she found the answers by paying attention to me, and not the tests."
"Hyper-vigilance? I'm not quite sure what you mean." Another half truth on Tatsu's part. She'd been briefed on Cassandra's ability to 'read' people, know what they were thinking and how they might react, but she was surprised that they actually had a name for it.
"It's a condition children in abusive situations develop. They learn how to read their environment, and how to react and respond to best avoid abuse and please their abuser. It's a survival mechanism, one that Cassandra has in spades."
Tatsu thought back to Batman's original briefing regarding Cassandra, how Cain had trained the young girl in martial arts since birth. Tatsu thought the kind doctor was lucky he didn't know just how right he was regarding Cassandra suffering abuse. Survival mechanism held literal meaning when it came to the young girl's upbringing.
"I don't feel that she's a threat, to be honest. When I tested her, she was eager to please, and followed directions, no matter how odd, without complaint. She's good child at heart, I'd stake my license on it, but it does pose a problem for her education, but I'll come back to that. There are several other concerns I have as well.
"First, perhaps the easiest issue to address, ironically, is that Ms. Cain is dyslexic. One of the more profound cases I'm afraid, and I fear it will take a good deal of therapy to correct."
"I understand that learning isn't easy," answered Tatsu, "and I assure you I'm more than willing to do my part to help."
"That's good to hear," Dr. Jackson stated, "which brings us to our second problem. Cassandra Cain is a genius. Without a doubt one of the smartest people in this building that's not on pay roll."
The doctor allowed the statement to sink in, but Tatsu was more confused than surprised.
"I'm sorry?"
"It took a little doing, arranging the tests so that she couldn't cheat. But I'm convinced that Cassandra is a genius. I taught her basic math, and within half an hour she'd progressed to the multiplication tables. In addition, she perfect recall, both visually and verbally," explained the doctor with a somewhat reserved look on his face.
"I fail to see how that's an issue, doctor."
"The problem comes from the fact that nearly every learning disabled child feels they know how stupid they are," deadpanned the Dr. Jackson, "they see that they have an aptitude, a gift almost, in one area, and then see that they struggle with some of the most basic things that other children master with ease. With Cassandra, it'll be reading, and expressing herself to a lesser degree. She won't understand why she has so much trouble. Just that they can, and she can't. Disability won't be the answer she comes up with, it will be stupidity."
"Children can be very cruel at times," replied Tatsu, "even with themselves."
"Especially with themselves. Given her abusive background, it's unlikely she'll come to you for help. Even in the best of situations, children are so ashamed of their perceived inability that they find a way to hide it, by acting out, or avoiding situations where attention might be called to their disability. With Cassandra, she may feel that if she asks for help, she's being a burden and possibly threatening her relationship with you. That's why I think she's lying about her amnesia, she feels she shouldn't burden you with her past," Dr. Jackson sighed heavily, "it's only fair to warn you, you'll have some work ahead of you."
"I understood that long before I signed the adoption papers," Tatsu reassured him, "Is that all?"
"That's not enough?" the Doctor asked wryly, "no, that's about it, the big stuff, anyways. I trust you know about Cassandra's ignorance regarding history and such?"
"I do, and I promise I won't allow her to remain ignorant for long."
"Then that should be it. I'll type up my report and send it to the school tonight. There's staff there twenty four hours a day, and they'll work up a schedule for Cassandra," Dr. Jackson stood up and opened the door for Tatsu, "by tomorrow morning, Cassandra will be ready for her first day of school."
"Tomorrow? You people work fast."
"For all the money Bruce Wayne has given this institution, we really ought to be done by now," chuckled the doctor.
&&&
On the drive home, Tatsu reflected on how accurate the doctor's assessment had been. The entire time since they'd left the institution, Cassandra hadn't said a word, merely shrinking into herself and staring out the window, a defeated look etched on her face and the weight of the world upon her shoulders.
If Batman himself hadn't told her, Tatsu would have never believed the young woman sitting across from her was Batgirl. The same Batgirl who defeated the then greatest martial artist Shiva not once but twice in open combat, and was recognized as one of the most dangerous women in the world.
"You did fine," Tatsu said, both to break the silence and bolster Cassandra's clearly dwindling self confidence, "excellent, in fact."
"I did not," Cassandra countered, "they only ask questions...I didn't know answers to. All of them. Didn't know answers, so I…couldn't have done good."
"Believe me when I tell you that you did fine," Tatsu reassured her. It occurred to her that Cassandra would know instantly if she were lying with just a glance at her body language. But all the same, it wouldn't do her any good to make Cassandra look, she'd find some excuse not to believe it.
Seeing a grocery store up ahead, Tatsu suddenly remembered that she hadn't anything prepared for dinner. Between establishing Cassandra's false identity and arranging the placement test for school, the concept of dinner had simply slipped her mind.
Well, no time like the present, Tatsu reflected as she pulled into the parking lot.
&&&
"Cassandra, would you grab us a steak from the produce section?" Tatsu ran her eyes over the spices, trying to decide which would be best for tonight. It was a mildly difficult task as she had no idea what kind of steak Cassandra would bring back, but she was confident it would be one Cassandra liked, so she would go from there. And besides, there was no reason why she couldn't restock her spice cabinet while she waited.
A few minutes later, Cassandra returned, tossing a steak into the cart angrily, her eyes watering.
"Cassandra, what happened?"
"Didn't know what produce... section was," Cassandra explained, her voice cracking, "so...I asked. Person who answered, called me...stupid."
Tatsu gritted her teeth. Enough was enough. Incensed that anyone could be so casually disrespectful, especially to her charge, she would be damned if she let an offense like that slide.
"You will point the person out to me, and we will have words," Tatsu snarled through gritted teeth.
"They didn't say it...with words," Cass explained.
Tatsu cursed inwardly for a moment, before answering. Might as well use the last weapon in her arsenal, "Well, they were wrong. Look at me, Cassandra, and tell me if I'm lying when I say..."
The former Outsider's words were drowned out by the sound of automatic weapons. The two snapped their heads to the side, where they saw at least half a dozen young men, fully armed barging into the store.
"Everyone on the floor! Now!" shouted the men.
Tatsu was beside herself with shock. Gotham was easily one of the most violent cities in America, but an armed robbery and hostage taking at a grocery store? What in God's name could they be thinking?
In the split second it took Tatsu to look back at Cassandra, the girl had vanished like a ghost.
"Hey you! Chink!" One of the gang members swaggered up to Tatsu, waving his gun around as if it were a knife, "get yo' ass on the floor, now!"
Tatsu calmly raised her hands, and began to kneel. She knew it would raise too many questions if she disabled the youth threatening her, and that there was no way she could handle the entire gang without innocent bystanders getting hurt. So, for now, she would play the docile victim, but not before she took one parting shot.
"Young man, this is Gotham. You have no idea the wraith you are about to bring crashing down upon yourself."
Next issue: Cassandra tears through some crooks, but then has to face an even greater challenge. That's right, her first day of school!