The fact that dark alleyways made good hiding places and therefore were the logical choice for assaulting suspects seemed to have escaped Tim at the moment. Batgirl glared unsuccessfully at the back of his head as he practically paraded himself in the flashy lights of a local nightclub. She also noted with irritation that he was succeeding in his aim…though not, perhaps, completely.

He had decided…not asking her opinion, she'd noticed…that they should try one more time to determine if the man they were tailing really was one of the men from the alley in Istanbul. So Tim was acting like a young man on spring break, checking out the local clubs…and the girls who went with them. This would supposedly draw suspicion away from him being Robin but still grab their quarry's attention.

Well…Tim was getting lots of attention…so his plan had succeeded. Unfortunately all the attention was from the local beauties and none, as of yet, from any gangsters, hit men, or other villains. Batgirl shifted restlessly. Oh, she could be silent and still as a statue when the situation called for it…but this situation didn't. After all, what were those bimbos…a word she decided she'd have to thank Barbara for…going to do to her? She'd thought they were going to beat the guy up and get the information from him like Tim had promised…not end up with her crouching on a dark rooftop while he got hit upon by every…

"Uh…no thanks. No, really…" Tim's voice broke through the rather reddish haze that was gathering in front of her eyes. One of the women was trying to forcibly remove Tim to her vehicle. Batgirl chuckled behind her mask as Tim tried to politely decline the woman's kind invitation. He threw a rather desperate look her way, but she just shrugged at him. He got himself into this mess…he could get himself out.

Movement down a side street caught her attention and she straightened, focusing. Well. Maybe Tim's plan hadn't been so…no, she cut that thought off. It was a dumb plan. But, unfortunately, it seemed to have worked. She glanced down at Tim again…he had escaped one intent beauty only to be assaulted by another. The fact that he was resisting their advances was drawing even more attention to the scene…probably more attention than they really wanted.

Their "friend" stepped out of the shadows, just long enough for her to recognize him, then slipped away, motioning to someone out of sight. Well…drat. Now she had to Tim from the horde of women before she could follow the man…and by that time he might disappear again! She heaved a sigh and pulled out a line. Batgirl to the rescue!


"You want me to…what!" Barbara sighed as her contact repeated the question for the third time. She really hadn't thought it all that difficult a concept.

"I just wanted you to…"

"No. No. Nononono…no! Not going to happen."

"But…"

"I can't believe you would ask me to go against…"

"But if I could just…"

"…in His city, no less…"

"You wouldn't be in…"

"..and you haven't even told me what the…"

"Will you shut up!" The figure on her screen sat back, blinking at her uncharacteristic outburst. She sighed, trying to let go of her irritation. When she was sure he wasn't going to interrupt again she leaned forward. "Look, I know this isn't your normal kind of operation, but you're the only one who can really pull this one off."

"Why can't Dick…"

"He's…busy." She hastily cut that line of thought off. "Besides, you know, Robin's good enough to detect his presence." At the raised eyebrow this comment elicited she continued, "It's true! They've kind of made a game of 'hide and seek' on slow nights, trying to sneak up on each other. It hones their skills, but it's also made them hyper aware of each other's tricks. Tim would sense him in a heartbeat."

"Ok…but…"

"And you can go in undetected…if you don't need to interfere, there's no need for anyone to know."

"By which I assume you mean Tim. What about…He doesn't know about this, does he?" She rolled her eyes.

"No. He thinks they can take care of themselves."

"Annndd….you….don't?"

"I don't know! We're dealing with the unknown here! You know I respect his judgment...most of the time. But he has been wrong before." She made a face at his look of mock horror at this heretical statement. "I know, I know. Not often…but it has happened. That's why I want you to keep an eye on things. Just to cover any contingencies.

'O-kaaay…but, again, why me?"

"You've worked with Tim before…"

"Not closely. If you just needed superpowers, wouldn't one of the Titans be better…his friends and all that?" She gave him a look.

"Yeah, because I can just see Superboy and Kid Flash being willing to stay hidden, or even the inclination not tell Tim we're interfering…they are his friends after all. Not to mention simply having the maturity to deal with the situation…I'm not actually sure Tim's told them about his dad yet."

"Don't underestimate them…I've made that mistake myself, and am coming to regret it."

"I…"

"But I see your point. You don't want them put in the position of feeling that they're betraying a friend…or feeling betrayed themselves by learning second hand of this major event in his life."

"Uh….yeah." She blinked, but relaxed. Sensing his imminent capitulation.

"Right. So…to what exotic destination are you sending me?"

"well…the last time we heard from them and they were in Turkey, but I think you should start in Egypt."

"Egypt?"

"A 'Dr. Fledermaus' bought two tickets from Istanbul to Cairo a few hours ago."

"Dr. Flede…?" He dropped his head into his hands into his hands.

"Yes. Quite. I think he got that one from Dick." She grinned at his rueful expression.

"Makes sense. None of you Bats were ever the most creative individuals."

"Uh-huuh. Says the ultimate master of creative naming protocols."

"That's me." He winked at her and she laughed.

"Go on. Get out of here. And, Wally…thanks."


"I didn't need to be 'rescued'" Tim grumped as he untangled himself from Batgirl's cape and the decel line…which had somehow become nearly impossibly snarled, trapping the two of them next to each other.

"Sure you did." He shot her a dirty look…she was doing her best to appear totally innocent…not easy when dressed in a black bat-costume with no face. He rolled his eyes and would have continued the argument but she continued, "I saw our guy."

"Oh?"

"He saw you."

"And?" These short sentences were becoming annoying. She sighed in defeat.

"He recognized you."

"Ha! Told you!" She ignored his triumphant grin.

"He has someone with him…they took off. That way." She pointed. Tim's eyes narrowed and he moved towards the edge of the roof, now intent on the case…on his target. Batgirl's arm shot out and latched onto him…stalling his forward progression.

"What…?" she indicated his backpack, stuffed behind some crates on the roof. His Robin suit was inside.

"You should…change."

"What? Why? He already recognizes me out of uniform…has seen me with you. If Robin suddenly shows up…" she shook her head at him.

"He knows."

"WHAT!" She sighed.

"Not…he doesn't know you…your identity. But he's involved in this…searching for Robin. He may not have known in the alley that you… I mean, I think he just made the connection between the boy in the alley and Robin. Just now. So you might as well go in armed." She tried to be nonchalant about it…not let her concern for his safety show. Maybe it worked, because he let out his breath in a huff.

"Well that … complicates things." He shook himself and reached for his bag. Batgirl hesitated, then turned and strode over to the edge of the roof, looking out over the city in order to provide him with some privacy. A few minutes later a gloved hand touched her shoulder and she turned.

"Satisfied?" He shot her a cheeky grin, turning from side to side as if to model a new outfit. Rolling her eyes behind her mask, she pushed him aside and took off running across the rooftop. She leapt at the last second, the air rushing past her…the excitement of the chase thrumming through her as she reached out, flipping silently onto the neighboring building. Robin landed a split second later with a soft thump.

"Slowpoke." She just laughed at her, obviously feeling the same rush at being back in action.

"Tell me it's a race next time before you take off and we'll see who's slow!" She shook her head at his challenge, smiling beneath the cowl.

"Ok. It's a race." And with that, she took off again, hearing his laughing footsteps close behind.


"You did what?" Barbara sighed, feeling a distinct sense of déjà vu.

"I told you, I asked Wally to watch out for Tim and Cassandra since…" Two blues eyes blinked at her across the screen.

"Uh…why?" his confusion irritated her…well, more than usual, that is.

"Because no one else seems to care whether or not they walk into a trap and get themselves killed!" she snapped. He looked taken aback, and not a little hurt, by this proclamation.

"How can you…"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" She rubbed her forehead, feeling the beginning of a migraine coming on. "I know you care. But…" how to put this delicately?

"But I'm not exactly up to the task?" She searched his face for any sign he was hurt or offended, but all she noted was a combination of light teasing with a hint, just a touch, of self-deprecation.

"Well, I wouldn't say that…um…"

"But it's true. I know. I wouldn't be much help with this leg and, seeing how Tim didn't ask for our help…he'd probably resent my interference…even more than Wally's." Babs nodded, glad that someone seemed to be on the same wavelength as she. "Though I do have one question."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Why Wally?" She shook her head. Then again…

"For a number of reasons. First," she ticked them off on her fingers as she went along, "Wally's worked with Tim before. Second, he's your best friend and since Tim is, in effect, your 'little brother' that would have given me the obligation leverage should I have needed it." Dick raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't interrupt.

"Third, he's able to stay hidden, fast enough not to be noticed. Therefore with any luck they won't need help and will never know we interfered."

"We?"

"Fourth…"

"We? Hey I never…"

"Fourth…"

"This was all your idea…"

"Fourth…"

"You just don't give up, do you?"

"FOURTH, he was the most obvious choice…I needed someone with powers. The Titans are too…unpredictable, not to mention too close to Tim. And Batman isn't on the best of terms with most of the JLA which leaves them out. And…"

"I get the picture." She stopped her recital at his laughing protest. "Now. Don't you even want to know why I called?" She narrowed her eyes. In her experience any time one of the Bat-clan, especially Dick, wanted her to ask what they knew, she most likely didn't want to know the answer. She rolled her eyes.

"Ok. Why?"

"Because. I figured out how to prove Cain did it."


To be continued…