"Wait…wait…will you wait up!" Tim might have slowed down a tiny bit, but not nearly enough to let her catch up…at least not without looking desperate. Then again, who cared about looking desperate? Stopping, she withdrew a line with a batarang attached, twirled it almost idly, then let it fly.

"Wha…hey!" The line tangled around his feet, tripping him up and knocking him to the ground. Batgirl sauntered over as he sat trying to untangle himself.

"I said wait." He glared at her, but his heart wasn't in it. After Scarab had given him the required information, Tim had taken off like…like… well, she wasn't sure what it had been like. All she knew is that something had upset him. She crouched down beside him, pulling the cords off with ease…something he should have been able to do himself, had he not been in such turmoil. "You ok?"

"Fine." He shrugged. She frowned. "What?" He fiddled with the batarang, uncomfortable with her perusal.

"What happened?" He pointedly avoided her eyes.

"I don't know what you're…ow!" She sat back on her heels, frowning behind her mask. This wasn't going exactly as she'd predicted. "Geez, Ca…um. Batgirl. Give me a break already."

"You give me a break. What happened?" He sighed. Scarab had decided that since Tim had been the original target that somehow he was the only one allowed access to the information she claimed to possess. Batgirl had been told to leave, which started a brawl and ended with three of Scarab's men unconscious before Tim had suggested that it may be a good idea to play along. That hadn't gone over well either, but she'd left. And Scarab had told Tim something that had upset him.

"So?' He sighed.

"It wasn't anything. Really. I've never even heard of the guy she said hired her." Batgirl cocked her head to the side.

"Why would he want you dead then?" Tim shrugged.

"I don't know. I… I think what bothered me was his name…Johnny Warlock."

"Like a witch?" She shook her head in bemusement as he laughed.

"Maybe. Anyway, Johnny's a common enough name, and I've never heard of this Warlock guy, but for some reason it made me think of this guy I…um…ran into a few months ago. Before the gang wars."

"Maybe he changed his name." He gave a bitter laugh.

"I doubt it. He…um….he died." Batgirl stiffened, then grabbed his arm, dragging him into the shadows of an alley. "What the…"

"Wait." She glanced around, then pulled down her cowl.

"Um…what are you…"

"Shh!" She grabbed his shoulders and stared into his eyes, searching for…something. He leaned back, uncomfortable with her sudden strange behavior.

"But…" She shook her head and he shut up.

"You…you…" she blinked and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You killed him?" His eyes widened, then he looked away. He had seen the guilty flash of hope in her eyes, and he almost felt bad for letting her down…she so desperately needed, or felt she needed, atonement for her "crime" as a child. Or at least some sign that she wasn't alone…that she could be accepted in this life with such a stain on her background. He sighed.

"No…" She tried to turn away, but he caught her arm. "Wait. I thought I did…I don't know. I probably could have, but everyone insisted that his…I don't know…he had powers he hadn't had before…he was using them and…"

"What kind of powers?" he shot her a dirty look for interrupting, but sighed.

"I don't know. Telekinesis…moving things with his mind" he added at her blank look. "And he did some kind of electric shock thing…but wherever he got these powers, they were…it was like something was sucking him dry. So I guess the theory is that his powers killed him…but for the longest time I thought I was the one…that it was my fault... And I lost faith in myself. I almost quit being Robin." his voice caught and he cleared it, continuing hastily, "but it doesn't matter, because he's dead. The name just seemed similar and made me remember all that."

"You think it's a trick?" He shrugged.

"I don't know. All she asked for in return was some information about Blockbuster…information I didn't even…"

"Blockbuster? Isn't he the one who…"

"Yeah." His grim face showed that he'd made the connection too. "But I couldn't get anything out of her about what her intentions were." He made a face. "That's probably why she wanted you out of the room." She laughed..

"Scarab wouldn't know about…"

"She could. Think about it…you've fought Shiva, were raised by Cain…I'd say there's a good chance word gets around." She grimaced, but conceded the point.

"So what did you tell her?"

"Nothing. That's the thing." He kicked the wall idly. "I didn't have the information she wanted…that's why I'm inclined to think it's all a trick…a trap of some kind. But I can't figure what the connection is. Or what she's getting out of it. I suppose she could have been hired by a rival of Blockbuster's…to get rid of him…" He hesitated.

"No." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at him.

"What? I didn't…"

"No." He sighed.

"I really really wasn't thinking that, Cass. Really. Well…maybe a little. I mean Blockbuster's done so many horrible things to…"

"You would regret it." She frowned. "He would regret it."

"Who? Blockbus…"

"No. Nightwing. He wouldn't want us to stand by. He wouldn't stand by and let someone kill someone else…even if that meant saving Blockbuster who…"

"Alright! Alright! I get it! Like I said…I wasn't really considering it…it was just an uncontrolled thought. Nothing more." He rolled his eyes at her disbelieving look. "Come on! You know I wouldn't….Cass!" her lip had twitched giving her away. She burst out laughing and after a second, Tim had to give in and chuckle along with her.

"Well…it is tempting." She said, sobering. He shook his head.

"No. You were right." He sighed. "Which means we have to go back."

"Um…to Gotham?"

"Yes. Where else is back?" she shrugged.

"Scarab's hideout?" he could tell she was frustrated that the assassin had gotten away…especially without getting a chance to fight with her.

"No. She'll be long gone. And if she's not, she'd be waiting for us. No." he sighed. "Back to Gotham. I'm not looking forward to the explanations I'm going to be asked to give." Cass pulled her cowl back on silently reflecting that she wasn't looking forward to the explanations she was going to be asked to give. She'd promised to keep Batman filled in…but instead had run off with Tim and cut off communications.

"Um. How are you planning on getting back?"

"Same way I got here. On a plane." He shot her a funny look, then laughed as he realized what she was after. "You got any civilian clothes with you?" She shook her head. "Right. So…first we…uh…I go shopping, then we fly back. It might be a little conspicuous traveling with Batgirl." She nodded, and followed him as he headed purposefully towards some unknown destination. "You'll have to tell me what you need…I've got a credit card…but you'll have to stay hidden." She considered smacking him on the back of the head for that remark, but refrained, recognizing that he wasn't thinking her stupid…he just needed to fill in all the details. They reached a lighted street, where some shops still stood open, signs flashing in the night.

"Well?" She rolled her eyes and started to answer when something caught her eye.

"You sure you want to go back to Gotham right now?"

"Uh…no?" he looked around trying to see what had drawn her attention. "What? What is it?"

"That man." He looked over but didn't recognize him.

"So?"

"He's a Gotham mobster." Tim looked again, but still didn't recognize anyone.

"You sure?" after all, he was the detective here and…immediately he felt guilty for his petty thought. She was an intelligent, capable young woman and if she couldn't read very fast or…well, that didn't mean she couldn't recognize someone she'd fought with…heck, with her abilities she could probably see through disguises to the person beneath.

"Yes. He's…far from home, no?" He blinked.

"Yeeeah." He drew the word out, then let out a breath. "You think he's involved in this whole mess?"

"He…I don't know. If this man Johnny Witch…"

"Warlock." She continued as if he hadn't spoken.

"…really doesn't know who you are, then maybe not. But if he does….you go out there. I'll see if he notices you." Tim shrugged and headed to the store as planned. But the man didn't notice him and after buying some clothes he hoped would fit Cass, Tim left the store and returned to the shadows where she waited.

"Here." She stuffed the clothes in one of her belt's compartments without a word. "Well?"

"He didn't recognize you." Tim relaxed, but she continued, "but I think he's connected."

"Why?" he couldn't keep the exasperation out of his voice and she glared through her mask at him. She held up a tiny device and he recognized a receiver for a bat-bugging chip. "You bugged him?"

"While you were in the store. He was talking to someone on the phone." She paused, feeling the need for dramatics…probably to get back at Tim for his disbelief when she'd said the man was connected to their search. "He mentioned the name Warlock."


To be continued…