EXTRA

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After managing to heal Selina, Raven had created a portal to take her directly to Wayne Mansion, or rather, to the mansion's vast garden - to prevent anyone from seeing the alternative method of travel. The cat just didn't expect to be accompanied by an extremely insistent alien:

— We can talk to his father and...!

— No — Selina answered seriously, even before the other managed to complete the question. She was walking slowly, still wearing the Superboy cloak to cover the damaged part of the uniform - while the other followed her across the lawn and continued:

— I'm sure he would authorize it, especially after his miraculous recovery and...!

— Not even.

— Dick is suffering from the lack of his brother...

— ... The answer remains no.

— We miss Damian too!

— Already said no! — Selina said sharply, she was not in a position to accept stubbornness.

— ... He is our friend, it is normal for us to want to help — Kori tried to justify the attacks. As much as she tried to be optimistic, she was just as anxious as Dick for the young titan to return to normal.

— Help not getting involved in this — the oldest asked.

— But Damian...!

— He is fine! — She started to walk a little faster, they were already relatively close to the mansion's entrance — Despite the crises, the fear, the childish behavior... It's the first time he's been having any time with his family, instead of go fight crime! Let him have those moments in peace — he asked.

— So that's why they refuse help? Because they want to pretend that everything is fine when it isn't! — Kori frowned, clearly irritated by that justification.

— ... Understand as you like — he said between his teeth, finally opening the door to the place he recently called home. Before closing the entrance again, she faced the alien and warned: — I will protect my son from you as long as you still want to touch his head and force him to return to normal. When you decide to act only as friends, you are welcome. — And closed the door.

Kori spent a few seconds staring at the closed door and feeling bad about those words. She did not want to "force" Damian back to normal, she would wait as long as necessary - and tried to convince Dick that this would be the best - but it was true that she was anxious about Robin's return to the point of forgetting the frightened child that Damian was now.

Before getting lost in those thoughts and judgments of how "bad friend" was being with little D, Dick called her through the communicator:

Starfire, I'm with Robin Red's communicator. Don't go back to the Tower now, I need help finding the Hood.

— ... Was he not coming home? — asked as soon as he activated the communicator

He ran away and is out of control.

— But he is always out of control! — replied with some grace.

This time is different.

— It has something to do with...

— Yes — Dick interrupted her — Remember, Starfire: always use codenames and codes.

— Okay, Nightwing!

And with that answer, the alien took flight. He started scouring the mansion's surroundings and then went downtown, surprised by the relative quiet of the night - if it weren't for the two assault attempts she prevented, there wouldn't have been any action, it wouldn't have been Gotham.

Allowing himself to rest a few minutes on top of any building and observe the beautiful cloudy sky with reflected lights, Starfire began to remember the doubt that had not been resolved in the last conversation with Dick. Taking advantage of the communicator, she resumed the subject:

— Nightwing!

Did you find him, Starfire?

— Not yet, but I... — Before I could explain the reason for the contact, she was interrupted:

I'm getting worried, he is not even in the safe hiding place! — Dick was distressed, starting to be afraid of what his brother could do.

— Let's find him! — Kori tried to sound optimistic.

Hope so...

— Er... Nightwing!

— Yes, Starfire?

... did Batman really let you hide under his cloak?

— Starfire! — sighed.

— It is normal to be scared, but that would hinder in the middle of a confrontation and...

I did not hide in fear, I only hid there because the colors of my uniform were too striking! — He was angry, probably frustrated at not having found Todd yet - or just embarrassed.

— So he allowed it?

Yes...

— And were you behind him or...?

Starfire! We are in an open channel!

— I'm just trying to understand! — despite the justification, she let a laugh slip away — It must be terrifying for a malefactor when Batman opens the cover and a little boy with colorful clothes comes out!

Could you...!?

A fearful little boy with colorful clothes! — Another one got into the conversation.

— Jason! — Kori let a smile escape, after all, if he was making his bad jokes it's because he was fine.

Where did you go!?

— Was he listening to us all this time? — Starfire asked confused — We are after you!

I thought they were talking about how ridiculous it is for Dick to hide under the bat cloak when he gets scared... — scoffed.

And you curled up in it when you got cold!

Hey!

— ... Is she warm? — Kori leaned on one of the building's gargoyles, thoughtful — I always thought she was made of cold material...

Ask the Hood, he who slept curled up with her!

I didn't sleep at all!

Yes, I did!

Shut up, fearful!

Shut up, little bird!

The two boys would continue in that fight all night, if it weren't for one more person getting into the conversation and making a compromising comment to the two boys:

No matter the reason, you were so cute wrapped around the cover when you were little! — Selina said like someone who wanted nothing, letting out a laugh shortly afterwards.

Starfire had to cover his mouth with his hands to avoid laughter, but he was unable to avoid a question that had been consuming him for a long time:

— ... Would Batman allow me to touch his cover?

Yea! — Dick replied optimistically, continuing shortly after: — It is good to see that your sense of humor remains the same, Catwoman.

Sense of humor? Can't I find children wrapped in colorful covers something adorable?

It must be a side effect of the Happy Gas...

Happy Gas? What happened to you? — Jason asked a little more seriously.

Let's say I spent one of my seven lives playing with a bomb... meow.

Fuck, what a mess! You're so beautiful to die like that, because of B...

Ah Jason! — she laughed — I preferred when she called me Aunt Selina!

Codenames! Use the codenames, please! — Dick asked.

— I'm glad I didn't do it this time — Starfire murmured against that rule in the midst of such a casual conversation - forgetting that they could still hear it.

Your father is worried about you, what happened? — Selina asked.

I just don't want to be close to that asshole now, it's his fault...

— What is his fault, Jay?

... He didn't tell, did he? — the boy sighed — The brat almost died again because they left him alone! I sent you to look after him, Dick, and you leave him with Bruce!

Jason, I needed to leave and...!

Everyone dropped the brat alone and a fucking chandelier fell on him!

— A... a chandelier? — Starfire whispered disconcerted — Is he okay?

As far as possible — the cat replied.

It is terrible, in coma again! — the rebel sighed once more, apparently he was smoking cigarettes — ... Damn! If my dwarf doesn't wake up, it's your fault!

Jason, it's not our fault! — Dick tried to intervene, but by the tone of his voice you could already tell he was devastated - and blaming himself.

YES IT IS! — grunted — I am warning you: I will only come back when the brat wakes up again... And if he does not wake up, I will end Bruce once and for all — he threatened.

Jason was too angry and probably drunk;

Dick was blaming himself for everything, he felt terrible;

Starfire was shocked at how extensive the family's problems were becoming;

Selina chose to switch off the communicator before getting into that fight;

Everyone was silent for a few seconds, until Oracle finally spoke:

Red Hood located in Manchester, via Manchester, section 15. The closest is Starfire.

— Understood! — The alien responded taking flight again.

But I... — Dick tried to intervene, but Oracle interrupted him first:

You will give me some answers!

It was the last thing Starfire heard over the communicator, before it was disabled again. One thing she had to admit: despite the tension involved and all the family problems, they behaved like a family... not a traditional one, but a family of friends and companions, just as she saw the Teen Titans.

On the hunt for the fugitive, it was not difficult for the alien to find the rebel: there was only him lying on the floor of that deserted highway - with bottles of drinks and cigarettes scattered around. To help further, next to him was a beautiful BMW with the top down and the alarm going off.

— Jason... — She called to him when his feet reached the ground, already close to him.

— No matter what you say, I won't be back! — warned loud and clear, taking a drag on his cigarette and releasing the smoke afterwards.

— ... That car... — Starfire stared at the vehicle — Did he steal it?

— I found him...

— Where? On here?

— In the mansion garage ...

— ... And your motorcycle?

— I don't know... — He took another drag on his cigarette, releasing the smoke and then spilling the little liquid he had in one of the bottles in his mouth — It may be parked somewhere, blown up or at the bottom of the ocean, as it is will i know? — Laughed — This damn alarm doesn't let me think straight.

Starfire, aiming at practicality, shot one of its rays in the car. With the damage, the vehicle went silent - with a little smoke coming out of the hood.

— Problem solved — She smiled, extending a hand for him to get up.

— ... Batman won't let you touch his cover after this one! — He laughed again, a nervous laugh — Damn, at least the alarm was distracting me! I've seen myself die about five times and... forget it, I'm just going crazy...

— You are just sad — She kept her smile and her hand extended — We can talk — he offered.

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NOTE

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Barbara Gordon is the daughter of overprotective Commissioner Gordon (the guy who lights Batsinal and helps Batman by giving police files). Her father never supported her interest in joining the Gotham police, which encouraged her to become Batgirl.

My favorite version of her is in the Silver Age, where she was a librarian with Princess Leia style bun and glasses (first appeared in Detective Comics n. 359; before the 1970s). Batman and Robin didn't know her identity when she started acting - which made it all the more interesting, since she was "just" a librarian who wanted to fight crime.

Over time, despite the changes, she always remained as the young girl who wanted to fight crime alongside Batman and, most of the time, hid it from her father - as much as he had already discovered that his daughter it was Batgirl. That was until The Killing Joke, when the Joker leaves her paraplegic (he didn't just do that in that arc).

Immobilized from the waist down, Barbara continued her fight against crime, but not like the Batgirl who jumped between buildings and ran everywhere. She adopted the Oracle identity and used her computer skills to provide any kind of important information that Batman might need.

Oracle did not only act as a bat helper, it was also one of the "founders" of the Birds of Prey, alongside Black Canary. The two fought crime in the city, with Oracle giving information and coordinating and Canary acting.

I was in doubt whether or not to place Barbara Gordon "just" as Batgirl. Finally, I decided to put her as the Oracle in her spare time, as it is an aid job, which explains why she did not discover anything about Damian in those two weeks in which the fanfic has happened so far (she was too busy).