DC Infinity Presents

Batgirl # 39

Sibling Warfare

Part 1

The Light

Gotham

Cassandra Cain had heard many odd things in her life. Confessions of murder, threats of violence, the occasional requests for mercy. The usual for a Gotham vigilante, all things considered.

Despite not being gifted with words, Cassandra knew how to respond.

Until someone said the oddest, nineteen words to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should introduce myself. My name's Gabrielle Doe, and… uhh, well, I guess I'm your sister."

"Yeahbutwhat?"

"Cassandra, this is Gabrielle," Tatsu said, standing up, "she was Halo when I was with the Outsiders."

"Oh. Oh!" Cassandra said quickly. She had read the files some time ago, and had made a mental note that Tatsu had legally adopted Halo. But at the time, that was a simple fact like the sky is blue, water is wet and never trust a clown.

"Nice to meet you."

Cassandra offered her hand, but was caught off guard when the blond pulled her into a hug, that seemed to activate every single bruise and stretched muscle in Cassandra's tired, battered body.

"Welcome to the family!"

Through the (albeit minor) pain, Cassandra felt a certain degree of umbrage. That someone would be barging to into her home, welcoming her to the family. Who did she think she was?

"You seem tense," Gabrielle said, breaking the hug, "are you okay?"

"…long day," Cass replied. She rolled her shoulder, and it popped loudly, "injured recently."

Tatsu was at Cass' side in an instant, massaging her back, "Has it gotten better or worse?"

"Comes and goes," Cassandra said.

"Think a stasis nap would be helpful?" Gabrielle offered.

Cassandra gave Gabrielle an odd look, then glanced at Tatsu, who seemed to be mulling it over.

"It just may, actually," Tatsu said, after some consideration.

"Stasis nap?" Cassandra said, thinking it might be some obscure word she hadn't learned yet, "…that is?"

"Something we used to do when we were in the Outsiders. But we should do this upstairs," Tatsu gently guided Cassandra towards the stairs, as she explained, "Gabrielle's ability to manipulate light gives her several different abilities, including to put people into stasis. It's good for restraining criminals, and we found, helping ease the aches of a long battle."

"Batman tried to act tough and only asked me to do it once," Gabrielle said with a roll of her eyes, "but Black Lightning and Tatsu, seemed like they were using it every other day. I could have made a fortune charging them…!"

"Not all of us were gifted with youth in our careers," Tatsu said dryly. They entered Cassandra's room, and Tatsu helped her adopted daughter into bed.

Even the simple act of lying on her back sent pins and needles through Cassandra's body, and she wondered why she had agreed to allow some stranger to use her as a guinea pig for…what, she still had no idea.

"Just try to relax, Cassie," Gabrielle walked to Cassandra's side, and placed her hand on her shoulder.

Gabrielle concentrated, and a warm, calming energy flowed from her hands, and covered Cassandra like a second skin. She felt all her aches and pains warmly melting away, and her eyes began to feel heavy though she hadn't recalled being tired.

"According to Batman, my stasis fields piggyback on the body's natural healing and energy," Gabrielle explained, "so I'm basically supercharging you into healing yourself as you sleep. Neat, huh?"

Cassandra was so comfortable, so relaxed, the ability to form words was escaping her.

But as she drifted off to a dreamless sleep, she still caught sight of Tatsu and Gabrielle as they left, chuckling together at some private joke, and found she still had enough strength to scowl.

oooOooo

Elsewhere, Secret Location

Dexter Fuller looked at his four guests. Two guards, one priest and one prisoner. Any other time, Dr. Fuller might have cracked that 'This is like a start of a weird joke', but the circumstances were too somber.

They were here to exeute a man, after all.

"Gentlemen, just so there's no confusion," Out of reflex borne from his university days, he straightened his collar before continuing, "what we intend to do is drop radioactive liquid napalm on Mr. Mack here, in the hopes that it will kill him. I respect the level of effort it took to get you all here, but are you sure you want to do this?"

"Absolutely" Kenny, the prisoner of all people, said eagerly, " but are you sure this could kill me?"

"The napalm was designed by Lex Luthor to use against Superman, Kenny," said Dr. Fuller, "I guess Martian Manhunter was on his mind too, because the stuff burns twice as hot as the sun. But it's so damn radioactive, it was deemed impossible to deploy and a pain in the ass to store. Umm, please forgive the language, father."

"I've heard much worse," Father Craemer said with a good natured smile. He placed a gentle hand on Kenny's shoulder, "if there is anything you would ask of me as a man of God, Kenny, now would be the time. We can find a private room, and I could take your confession, if you'd like."

"Guilt is the only pain I still feel. It'd be selfish to give it up," replied Kenny, "Dr. Fuller, through that far door?"

"That's right," Dr. Fuller replied, "first door will lead to a second. Be patient, the doors are three feet thick, half of that lead. Once you're inside, we'll have to observe via the monitor."

Kenny nodded, and Dr. Fuller watched as Kenny walked towards the door not like a man walking towards his own execution, but a man filled tepid hope. Perhaps that was why he wore an orange jumpsuit, but no shackles of any kind.

From beginning to end, it took thirty minutes for Kenny to make it into the chamber.

"Okay, our guest? Uh, whatever, he's in the chamber now," Dr. Fuller said. Everything had been programmed, arranged, and coordinated so that all that was required of him now was to press one (of course) large, red button.

But Dr. Fuller hesitated. He'd never ended a life before. Even if this was a state sanctioned execution, he didn't think that absolved him of responsibility.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can do this," Dr. Fuller said, after some thought.

"Well, I can," said Doug Clark, one of the guards. He gently moved Dr. Fuller aside, and pressed the button, "I want to get back to the prison at a decent time."

The room rumbled as giant gears went to work, and in his mind, Dr. Fuller imagined the giant doors opening above Kenny, and napalm that could kill every member of the Justice League spilling down like a terrible waterfall.

"That's awfully cold," Dr. Fuller said. He knew that Kenny was a meta-human, but he simply couldn't imagine anyone surviving the krypto-napalm. All Kenny's powers might do is extend his suffering, but nothing more, "he is…he was, a human being, no matter his crime."

"Look, if history keeps, he still is," Doug said, "I just want to get back and clock out, okay? I miss my wife."

"If history keeps?" Dr. Fuller said.

"Well, look at the sensors," said Doug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "is that super napalm still kicking?"

Dr. Fuller was shocked when he looked across the board, and found that everything had flat-lined. The relays, scanner nodes and every failsafe designed to monitor the radioactive napalm all said the same thing, that there was less radioactivity in the containment room, where they'd just dumped a radioactive war-crime, than there was outside.

"…how?" Dr. Fuller looked at the monitor, and saw that the room was filled with steam. The deadly napalm, created by one of the most brilliant men on the face of the planet, to the point that it had been immunized against Firestorm's transmutation abilities, was just harmless vapor.

"Survival is what he does," said Doug.

Dr. Fuller glanced at the monitor, and saw Kenny, his orange jumpsuit not even singed, on his hands and knees, his entire body wracked with sobs.

"No matter how much he doesn't want to."

oooOOoo

Gotham

Cassandra blinked awake, and was shocked at how well she felt. She couldn't feel a single soreness. In fact, her muscles felt as if they were brimming with strength now

She stood up and stretched, making sure that everything was in proper working order. Cass could only remember a few days when she felt like this, not just good, but perfect.

Satisfied that she was in peak condition, Cassandra glanced at the clock, and saw that she only had an hour before she had to get to school.

Cassandra bathed quickly, and was dressed and ready in record time.

Bounding down the stairs, she expected Tatsu to be there, lunch made and breakfast prepared.

But Cassandra found was Tatsu sprawled out on the couch, asleep, while Gabrielle was slumped in a chair, softly snoring. Two half finished glasses of wine were on the table-top, sitting next to an almost completely empty bottle of wine.

The scene was baffling to Cassandra. Tatsu was always so composed, so controlled, and yet here she was, laid out like a drunk after a binge.

"Tatsu…?" Cassandra said cautiously, not entirely certain that her guardian hadn't been replaced by some shape-shifting imposter.

Tatsu awoke with a start, and moaned, "Oh, Cassandra, not so loud."

"Loud," Cassandra spoke in a stage whisper instinctively, "you…okay?"

"Just catching up with Gabrielle," Tatsu rubbed her forehead, "forgot the time. I'm sorry, I forgot to make your lunch."

Tatsu leaned over gingerly, and reached into her purse. She handed Cassandra a wad of bills, "Buy something, I'll…I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

Cassandra was about to protest, that the money was too much, but Tatsu had already fallen asleep.

Cassandra scowled, just as Gabrielle snored even louder.

oooOOooo

School

"So you have a sister now? That's so awesome!" Sarah Gibbs said, "you didn't have to go through the whole 'hand me down phase', or so I hear."

"Ain't a problem if you're the oldest," Josh said, "I got the good stuff first."

"She's the oldest," Cassandra said with a scowl. She picked at her food, barely hungry. Irritation had that effect, "didn't know she existed before yesterday."

Which wasn't entirely true, if she was being honest with herself. Cassandra did her research on Tatsu, a habit for those of the Bat and knew that she had adopted another young woman, the Outsider known as Halo. But that was a fact that registered factually, like how Cassandra knew one day she would die.

It didn't hit her emotionally, until the woman showed up, unannounced, butting into the life she had with Tatsu.

"What's she like?" Sarah said, and Cassandra hated the envy she saw on Sarah's face. Sarah had a mentioned a few times before, that she wished that she wasn't an only child. Cassandra thought that she was only kidding.

"We only met briefly," said Cassandra, "she's…bright, I guess?"

"You guys didn't get long, huh?" Josh said.

"She got in late," said Cassandra defensively.

Josh just snickered, "She got in early enough for you not to like her though, right?"

Cassandra made a face.

"Just give her a chance," said Josh, "she can't be that bad."

oooOOooo

"I don't think she likes me much," Gabrielle said,

"Cassandra is a Bat," Tatsu replied as she put the breakfast dishes in the sink, "only one of them can express themselves properly, and I'm afraid that Cassandra has more issues there than most."

"I dunno, I guess after talking to Wendy, I expected something different," Gabrielle shrugged.

"How is Wendy doing, if I may ask?"

"Pretty good, actually," Gabrielle said, "Geoforce has been very generous with making sure she has help. Also, don't change the subject."

"I wasn't changing the subject, simply asking about a friend. You both barely know one another," Tatsu said, "we can fix that, we'll eat out tonight."

"Sounds good to me," Gabrielle said, "hey, are you serious about being retired? You're not that old."

Tatsu laughed, despite herself, "Nor am I that young. You fight with powers, and I fought with a blade that could cut through anything. But since the upheaval in magic, my sword has become unreliable, and you don't fight with something you cannot rely on. Retirement suits me, and I enjoy the life Cassandra and I have here."

"Your sword's really broken?"

Tatsu shook her head, "Not broken, just in flux and beyond my ability to repair. After the Crisis, only a fool would rely entirely on magic."

oooOOoo

Elsewhere

"Oh, it's almost time," Alexander Spencer muttered. He was pacing back and forth in his study, his thoughts consumed by the potential for revenge, "that stupid Asian ninja chick is going down!"

He cast his eyes towards the window, eyeing the evening sun. Once the sun had begun to set, Spencer would begin casting.

According to the few mystics that accepted money as payment, night was the best time to cast a spell. The rays of the sun would interfere with an amateur mystic, and Spencer knew that his money didn't buy him experience.

He laid the scroll that he'd bought down and spread it across his desk. According to his sources, the thing would literally read itself when he began.

"A few more hours, and I'll make that stupid ninja's life a living hell."

oooOOooo

Later

Cassandra was surprised when she received a text on her cell from Tatsu, indicating she would be picking her up after school.

But when the SUV pulled up, Cassandra scowled when she saw who was driving.

"Hey, Cassie!" said Gabrielle Doe, as she reached over and opened the door, "hop in! Tatsu asked me to pick you up, said it was a chance to get to know you better."

"Great," Cassandra wasn't sure how well she hid her lack of enthusiasm. She tossed her bag into the back, took her place in the passenger's seat and did her best to keep an open mind.

"I'm glad we have this opportunity to get together, I was so interested when I heard that Tatsu had adopted someone else," said Gabrielle, "but I'd been working in Europe, finishing my credits and studying, and I just never had time to get back to Gotham. So how long you been wearing a mask? I was barely in Gotham when I was with the Outsiders, stationed not fighting, ya know?"

"A few years," Cassandra replied.

"Yeah, I've been doing it a few more years on and off too, though my style's somewhat different," Gabrielle said.

"You need to turn here," Cassandra said quickly. She recognized the street, and saw that Gabrielle didn't.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Gabrielle replied, a little defensive, "there's a cut through up ahead."

Unfortunately, Gabrielle hadn't taken into account that Gotham had suffered an earthquake since the last time she had been driving through it, and her 'shortcut' had been removed for some time.

Cassandra was tempted to say 'I told you so' but refrained, because she realized that even if she said that, Gabrielle wouldn't be able to hear her over her own yammering.

oooOOooo

Later

When they (finally, mercifully) reached home, Cassandra quickly excused herself to her room, insisting that she had homework (technically true).

Cassandra hoped that by burying herself in school work, she could shut out the world, but instincts forged in her childhood seemed to flare to the forefront. Unconsciously, Cassandra tracked the movements of Tatsu and Gabrielle downstairs. They were always close to one another, always talking, always laughing.

After thirty minutes of trying to ignore the two, Cassandra pulled out her phone and dialed a special number.

"Good evening, Cass," replied Oracle, "how are you…"

"Bored, need assignment," Cassandra replied quickly.

"Not getting along with Halo, huh?" Cassandra swore she could feel Barbara's smirk through the phone, "I know she's talkative, but…"

"But never shuts up and never listens," Cassandra replied, "you knew, she was coming. Didn't you?"

"Heard it through the grapevine," Oracle replied.

"No warning?" Cassandra said, accusingly.

"I'm not a siren for your personal life," said Oracle, "besides, she's not as bad as you think. Granted, she does love to talk…"

"And talk. And talk."

"Just give her a chance," Oracle said, "it won't kill you to share."

Cassandra scowled and terminated the call without a word.

"Hey Cassie!" Gabrielle rapped on the door with perfect timing, "we're going out to eat, place called Dino's Dive. Could you reach a stopping point in about twenty minutes?"

"…fine," Cassandra said, making no attempt to disguise her annoyance.

"Great, you'll love Dino's," Gabrielle said, "me and Tatsu would go there all the time, when we were in the Outsiders."

Cassandra hated it already.

oooOOooo

"You two find us a table," Tatsu said, as she let Cassandra and Gabrielle out on the curb, "I'll park the car and be along in a moment."

"So this place…," Gabrielle started.

"Greatest. Heard," Cassandra said, quicker than she meant to.

For a moment, both young women stood there, feeling as though they should say something to the other, but had no idea what.

"So, yeah, lets get that table," Gabrielle said, finally.

Cassandra was about to follow her step-sister inside, when she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye.

But when Cassandra turned her head to look, the person, the object, whatever it was, somehow remained, just out of sight, like an after image in her brain, even as it moved down the street.

Cassandra felt a chill down her spine, and followed. The creature managed to disappear completely from her sight for a second, before Cassandra heard metal tearing, and the sound of glass shattering.

"Get off me…!"

Cassandra heard Tatsu's voice, and panic began to overwhelm her. Cassandra was certain that she hadn't lost sight of the creature, whatever it was, for more than ten seconds, but somehow that was enough.

Because when Cassandra turned the corner, she found Tatsu's car, torn to shreds and metal cast about like ribbons.

And absolutely no sign of her guardian anywhere.

Next issue: Tatsu's been kidnapped, and it's up to Batgirl and Halo to save her! That is, if they can find a way to work together first!