Okay, the reason behind this chapter taking a while is the fact that I fell under the weather at the very beginning of January, and I took a little while to recover. And also, I was working on another story that is a spin-off of this one. The story is called Spoiler: Rise of the Demon, and a little bit of the premise will be introduced in this chapter. I hope you all have a nice day, and God bless!


CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE SAFEHOUSE

As soon as Nightwing walked through the opening into the Batcave, with Black Canary behind him, he found before him a scene like no other. Alfred stood over a bed, and Robin lay there with a bloody bandage over his leg, though he was conscious. Not far from him sat a beautiful blond woman wearing a green garb and a green headdress. Nightwing felt as if he'd seen her before, though he didn't know where. However, Black Canary answered that question for him.

"Mera, what are you doing here?" she asked. That allowed Nightwing to knew who she was: Mera, the Queen of the Atlanteans, and Aquaman's wife. Nightwing wondered where Aquaman was.

"It is good to see you again, Black Canary," Mera replied. "There was an attack. In Atlantis! Orrin tried to stop Ocean Master, but he failed, and was stabbed and defeated. We arrived here not too long after. Robin was wounded by a piece of glass."

Nightwing walked over to Robin. "How're you doing?" he asked.

"I'm in a little pain," Robin answered. "But I could be worse. What about you?"

"I need to get my leg checked out, if you wouldn't mind, Alfred," Nightwing said. "Two-Face shot me. What villains were you have to deal with, besides Ocean-Master?"

"Firefly and Black Manta," Robin said. "Was it just Two-Face that you were battling, or were there more than just him?"

"There were more, all right," said Black Canary. "Deathstroke, Two-Face, Copperhead...and my sister." She saw the expressions on the faces of those around her. "Yes, my sister is one of my enemies. White Canary is what she likes to be called, and she's a member of the League of Assassins, which, as you probably already know, is led by Ra's al Ghul...ahhh..." The pain in her side nearly doubled, and she walked forward and grabbed gauze from a nearby table. She looked down at her bandage and found that it had already been bandaged, but it needed fresher wrappings.

"Are you alright, miss?" asked Alfred.

"Yes," Black Canary replied. "She stabbed me in the side. I can do this myself, don't worry." And she did bandage her side up on her own.

"So are we allowed to use our real names here?" Robin asked.

"I believe we all know each other well enough, by now," Nightwing said, "with the exception of Mera. But I think it's better we allow Batman to decide on that–" He cut himself off as someone stumbled through the archway. When he saw who it was, he couldn't believe it.

"Red Arrow?" he asked. "What in the name of God are you doing here? I thought you were in Central City with Flash!"

"I was," Red Arrow said, "but we were attacked! There was Cheetah, one of Wonder Woman's enemies, I know, along with Count Vertigo, this guy who could turn himself into some hulking monster–"

"Bane!" exclaimed Robin.

"–and Zoom. It had to be Zoom. I've seen him before, mostly thanks to Green Arrow. I didn't think I would have to see him in person, though. But a fight broke out, and Vibe was defeated, as was Flash. I tried to help, but I could only defeat...Bane, as you call him. God, Kid Flash is going to hate me for this!"

"How'd you find us?" Nightwing asked.

"There are coordinates in this communicator I was given," Red Arrow said. He took it out of his pocket and showed it to everyone present. "I was told that it would take me somewhere safe. At least, that was how I interpreted it. Is this place truly safe, or are there supervillains who know about this place? Because I don't feel like fighting again for a while."

"Relax, Red Arrow," Black Canary comforted. "This is a safe place, I know it."

Red Arrow turned to her. "How did you escape?"

"Nightwing was smart," she replied. "Just calm yourself. I know how crazy everything is, trust me. I just had to fight my sister, so you know how annoying that is. We're going to be safe her for now, until we formulate some plan to get Flash and Aquaman back."

"Are you injured?" Nightwing asked.

"No, but I hit my chin on the ground hard," Red Arrow told him. "Are you alright?"

"Shot in the shoulder by Two-Face and in the leg by Deathstroke, but I'm fine otherwise," Nightwing said.

"You're lucky you got away from Deathstroke. He's not one of those who will normally let you go. Once he has you, you have to have a sharp mind to defeat him," Red Arrow said.

Nightwing merely nodded. He began to think about all that was happening. There was so much to think about, though. Were the rest of the members of the Bat-Family in trouble, or were they all fine? If Flash and Aquaman had been taken down, then did that mean Batman had been taken down, as well? He didn't know, but he wanted to very badly.

The sound of boots scuffling across the floor made his head snap up, and he saw Kid Flash appear through the archway. It could be seen that he wasn't happy. But he was unharmed, and that was one of the things that mattered most.

"Holy crap," he said when he saw where he was. "Is this the Batcave? All you guys are here?"

"Yes," Black Canary answered. "Where did you come from?"

"I was with Green Lantern in Coast City," he explained. "We were talking when we were attacked by one of his enemies, Star Sapphire, as well as few other enemies, like King Shark and Killer Frost...Oh God, it wasn't good to see Caitlin again. Flash won't be too happy that I knocked her out, either. Where is he, by the way?"

Red Arrow seemed depressed as he relayed the truth of how Flash had been unable to escape from Zoom. Kid Flash's face was impassive for the time it took to give him everything. Then, when Red Arrow was done, Kid Flash hung his head. "Well, at least you tried to help him," he admitted. "What about Vibe?"

"He didn't make it either," Red Arrow explained. "Cheetah stabbed him in the abdomen. I wanted to stay and help him, but Flash told me to go as fast I could, to get out of there, and I didn't want to disobey what he was telling me. I could have stayed, but I think I was just so fearful about everything that was happening, that I...panicked."

"It's not your fault," said Kid Flash. "I would have done the same, likely. Correction: I have done the same, and I still feel guilt for that." He sighed, and then looked around the Batcave. "So is this where Batman's base of operations is located?"

"And the Bat-Family," Nightwing corrected him. "So far, though, it's only Robin and me. Batgirl and Catwoman are still out there, and I'm fearful for them both. Thank God Spoiler's not here, though. I would feel horrible if something bad happened to her."

Kid Flash wanted to inquire, but then the sound of someone huffing brought their attention to the archway. Wonder Girl appeared, and she was unharmed. "Oh thank God!" she exclaimed. "Martian Manhunter wasn't lying when he said this was a safehouse. Oh thank God!" She took a moment to catch her breath.

"Where is J'onn?" Black Canary asked her. Nightwing could see she was taking the role of leader for the moment, which he was fine with, seeing as how she was the most-seasoned superhero there, being an actual member of the Justice League, and not a sidekick like the rest of them.

"He was defeated..." Wonder Girl said, still trying to catch her own breath, "...by his own brother, whose name I forget. There were other villains, though. A man who wouldn't stop speaking in riddles and one with some sort of gun that shot fire."

"Ma'alefa'ak, Riddler, and Heat Wave," Nightwing said. "It definitely seems as if there is a team of supervillains, after all. That voice wasn't kidding when it threatened us. And now it seems that the team of supervillains are winning! What the heck is going on?"

"Where is Wonder Woman?" Wonder Girl asked. "Please, I need to know!"

"I don't know," Nightwing admitted. "I think it was Batgirl and Supergirl who went with her to Themyscira, and–"

He was cut off when he heard someone's voice. He wondered who could be coming through the archway this time. He did not know how many more heroes had been defeated, and while there weren't many sidekicks, he didn't know all who escaped, or who had been given the coordinates to the Batcave. He hoped none of the supervillains had been able to get a hold of the coordinates.

But his heart became light again as he saw Batgirl and Supergirl appear. Supergirl had a few scars, and Batgirl's shoulder was wounded. As soon as they saw each other, Batgirl and Nightwing ran to one another and embraced. "Thank God!" Nightwing said. "I was hoping our family would remain intact! Thank God I wasn't telling myself a lie!" He looked to her shoulder. "What happened?"

"Harley got me," she explained. "While we were there on Themyscira, she arrived with Poison Ivy, Metallo, Ares, and a group of soldiers that I guess were Ares's, though I'm not really sure. But Supergirl checked it over. It's not that bad. I just need it to be checked over so that it won't become infected later."

Nightwing hugged Supergirl as well. "Metallo beat me," she told him. "It's not as bad as you think, though. They've mostly healed themselves since the fight."

Wonder Girl ran over to them both. "What about Wonder Woman and the Queen?" she asked.

"The Queen was able to escape, I heard," Supergirl admitted. "But Wonder Woman..." She stopped for a moment, and then hugged Wonder Girl. "Ares was able to defeat her. We wanted to help her, but we were unable to. I'm sorry. As soon as we tried, she told us to leave. We had no choice. We were outmatched. I'm so sorry."

Wonder Girl nodded. "I understand," she said. "It's not your fault."

Batgirl hurried over to Alfred, seeing Robin. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Batman called and said your ship's beacon was located in Gotham Harbor! What happened?"

Robin quickly told her everything he knew. He introduced Mera to her as well, and explained that Aquaman had been defeated by Ocean-Master, who had turned out to be his own brother, to which many of those present gave a gasp or muttered an exclamation.

"Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman..." Nightwing ticked them all with on his fingers. "That leaves Batman and Superman. And that means Catwoman and Aqualad."

"So Aqualad wasn't with Green Arrow?" Supergirl asked.

"What do you mean?" Black Canary asked. "No, he wasn't with Green Arrow. Green Arrow didn't bring anyone with him. What are you talking about?"

"Batman called Wonder Woman and told her that Green Arrow had been attacked, and that he had said Aqualad was injured, which didn't make any sense, because Green Arrow took no one with him, as confirmed by you and Batman."

"Green Arrow was attacked?" Black Canary asked.

"Yes," Red Arrow said. "He contacted us in Central City, and he was attacked. But I heard Aqualad's voice. So how could Aqualad be in two places at once?"

"Well, for one, I wasn't," came the voice of Aqualad, who appeared through the archway. He was limping, and he had someone with him. Supergirl recognized her as Lois Lane. Batgirl, Robin, and Nightwing had seen her before, too. "I was with Superman."

"Lois!" Supergirl said, and she ran to the ebony-haired woman. "What happened? Aqualad, you're limping! What the heck happened to you both? Where's Superman?"

"I'm sorry, Supergirl," Aqualad said. "He was defeated by Parasite and Lex Luthor. I would have helped him, but the fire around me was affecting me too severely, and I was forced into battle with Black Spider. As he was being defeated, he gave me these coordinates, and I arrived here with Lois."

"What happened to you?" Lois asked Supergirl.

"Metallo," Supergirl answered. Tears were coming to her eyes. "He was defeated, though?"

Lois and Aqualad nodded solemnly. Batgirl walked over to Supergirl and hugged her, comforting her.

"Out of the founding members of the Justice League, that leaves...Batman," Robin said. "If anything, Joker had to be the one who faced him out of this group of supervillains. That's my best guess. I just hope nothing bad happened to him and Catwoman. We need them both."

"Don't worry," came a voice. And finally, through the archway came Catwoman. She was limping, and her costume was dripping wet, but she was otherwise unharmed. "We're both here."

Batman appeared out of the shadows, leading the relief of the rest of the Bat-Family. Batgirl ran to Catwoman and hugged her softly. Catwoman hugged her back. "Are you okay?" Batgirl asked her.

"I got shot in the leg by Black Mask," Catwoman said. "What about you? What happened to your shoulder?"

"Harley," Batgirl answered. "She was on Themyscira, along with Posion Ivy."

"What about Wonder Woman?" Batman asked.

"Defeated by Ares," she admitted.

"You're the only founding member who wasn't defeated," Black Canary told him. "I'm sorry to say it, but it's true. Out of all of us, it seems only you, Lois, Mera, and I were the only ones able to make it with the recruits out of the specific locations, besides the recruits."

Batman lowered his head solemnly.

Nightwing couldn't believe it. All the founding members but Batman defeated. All the sidekicks—or recruits, as Black Canary had called them which he liked more, now that he thought of it—had made it out, but only two of the major heroes who had come with them had been able to make it, along with Mera and Lois, who were the love interests of two of the heroes who had gone to their specific locations with one of the recruits, respectively. He didn't know if he could take it anymore. There was so much going on right now that he couldn't begin to even ponder the meaning behind everything that was happening. But he knew one thing for sure: there was a group of supervillains behind this, and they and their leader needed to be taken down. The superheroes who had been defeated needed to be saved.

But he was just happy that all of the Bat-Family was safe despite all of them having been wounded. He now saw the cut on Batman's arm.

"Who did you have to face?" he asked him.

"Joker, Killer Croc, Black Mask, and Clayface," he answered.

"I guess Joker got you?" Batgirl asked.

Batman nodded.

"Three leg wounds, two shoulder wounds, and an arm wound," Nightwing said. "All of us had to be wounded, it seems. What's next for us? A mouth wound?"

"It's good to see you again," Lois Lane told Batman, who merely nodded at her before walking away. "Better than nothing," she muttered as he did so.

The main heroes and recruits, as well as Lois, found places to sit down. Alfred, meanwhile, checked over the wounds of Batgirl and Catwoman, disinfecting Batgirl's shoulder wound and pulling out the bullet from Catwoman's leg and bandaging it up. Catwoman did her best not to cry out in pain, and she did very well in her effort.

"Would you like me to take a look at your wound, sir?" asked Alfred to Batman, reffering to the cut on his arm.

"No, Alfred, but thank you," Batman said.

"So you have a personal butler?" Kid Flash asked.

"He's not a personal butler!" said Batgirl. "He's one of our greatest allies, and Batman's oldest ally, at that. So please don't call him a personal butler, okay? He's done a lot more for us than butlering, or whatever you call it."

Kid Flash nodded. "Sorry. I didn't know what to say," he admitted to her, and then sat back in his chair.

"This is beyond anything I imagined," Batman said, ignoring Batgirl and Kid Flash. "Something is wrong. All the founding members but myself have been taken down. Why is that? Who could be behind all of this?"

"It wasn't Lex," Aqualad said. "It seemed as if they were taking orders from someone."

"It definitely wasn't Harley, Metallo, Ares, or Poison Ivy," Batgirl said. "When Harley said she wanted to kill me, Poison Ivy said that 'he' still needed me. I don't know what in the name of God that means. Could that mean the leader wants me? If so, then who could that be, and why do they want me so badly? What could I have done that makes them want me?"

Batman seemed to think for a moment, and there was an expression that crossed his face, but no one present could read it. Batgirl tried to think everything through, as well. Was it because of her that everyone was in danger? Was she the reason why everyone had been forced through so much trouble? She hoped not. She didn't know if she could forgive herself if she was.

"So what do we do now?" asked Supergirl. "Are we supposed to just sit around here and wait, or are we going to get our butts out there and save those who need our help? My cousin was defeated, as were many of your mentors! And when it comes to Lois, Mera, and Black Canary, it was their own love interests that were defeated! We need to save them from the clutches of whoever it is that took them!"

"You're right," Batman said. "But we have to wait." Seeing Supergirl's incredulous expression, he explained himself. "We don't know where your cousin and the others are. If we just went looking around, we'd bring too much attention to ourselves."

Supergirl gave in and nodded.

Batman was about to say more, but he was suddenly cut off by a beeping sound from the computer behind him. He turned the chair around and clicked a few buttons. A symbol appeared on the screen, along with two buttons: Accept and Decline. The symbol was a black mask with white eyes and a purple hood over its head.

Batman pressed Accept, and a beautiful girl with tan white skin, sapphire-blue eyes, and light blond hair appeared. She wore a purple cloak with a hood that was down at the moment, and it was seen her costume was black under that, with some purple. She was bleeding from the mouth. The landscape behind her was beautiful, with a shore in the distance and waves crashing over the rocks.

"Spoiler," said Batman.

"Batman, I—" She stopped for a moment, seeing all those behind Batman. Batgirl realized that while Stephanie had been seen by the rest of the Bat-Family and Supergirl (and Superman) without her mask on while in costume, she had no idea who the rest of those behind Batman were, and she saw that Stephanie didn't have her mask on. "Uh, hello, everyone," she said, waving a little. "I'm sorry, Batman. I know, I'm supposed to have my filter mask on, but I was kicked in the jaw, and my mouth is still bleeding."

"That's alright, Stephanie," Batman said. "What's going on over in Europe? Why are you dressed as Spoiler?"

"It's Ra's al Ghul," Stephanie explained. "He and Talia are here in Ireland, and they just took two of my friends and two boys who I don't like, but still don't deserve to have been taken. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. I suited up to find them, and while I found Talia, she was able to beat me in a fight, kicking me in the jaw. I called because I need your help. What should I do here? Please tell me."

"Calm down," Batman told her. "Do you know why Ra's and Talia took your classmates?"

"Not yet, but something tells me that Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pits might not be working. That's my best guess, but why else would he steal children? I think it's to take their youth away from them."

"Ra's must have a hideout somewhere around there," Batman told her. "Try and find it. You should have placed a tracker on Talia before she defeated you."

"I tried," Stephanie said. "But she found it easily and destroyed it. I'm sorry, I'm just not as good as the rest of you."

"It's not your fault," Robin said. He limped to the computer, and as soon as Stephanie saw him, she smiled. "At least you tried. If you ask me, you should get back up and surprise them by showing them you haven't given up."

She nodded, still smiling. Then the smile faded as she saw his bandaged leg. She looked all around them, and she found Batman, Batgirl, Nightwing, Catwoman, and Robin had all been wounded in some way. "What the heck happened to you all?" she asked them.

"Trouble at home," Batgirl told her. "It's good to see you again, Spoiler. I hope to see you soon. Be safe."

Stephanie's smile returned. "Thank you," she said. "I'll be back real soon, so don't worry. I'll do my very best to stop them. I think I have an idea of where they are, so I'll follow my hunch, and see where that leads me from there." She quickly wiped the blood from her mouth and put on the filter mask, which covered both her mouth and her nose, then drew the hood of her cloak up over her head. "I'll see you all soon. I'd probably like to meet all of you."

Catwoman and Nightwing came up. They both waved at Spoiler, who waved back.

"Well, I'll be going. I can't let them get too far ahead of me. They think they can win. Spoiler alert: No freaking way."

And then the transmission was over.

"Who was that, exactly?" Wonder Girl asked.

"Spoiler," Batgirl told her. "One of the Bat-Family."

"Her name is Stephanie Brown," Batman told everyone. He turned to them in the chair. "Now isn't the time to lead an assault on the supervillains. We'll have to wait for a while before we lead the attack. We'll have to find their base of operations first. In the meantime, we'll all be staying here."

"Here, in this cave?" Red Arrow said.

"No. There's a manor above this," Batman told him. "If we're going to stay there, however, it's time you learned each others' identities. It's not something I want to do, but we have no choice. This is a secure location, however. None of the supervillains will be able to get in." He took the corners of his mask and lifted them up, revealing the rest of his face underneath. A gasp came from a few of the recruits.

"You're Bruce Wayne?" asked Kid Flash. "Holy crap..."

Batman turned his attention to the Bat-Family without saying a word. His expression allowed them to know it was time to allow those around them to know their secret identities. Nightwing began. He took off his domino mask. "My name is Dick Grayson."

Robin went next. He took off his domino mask. "My name is Tim Drake."

Then Catwoman. She sighed as she did so. "My name is Selina Kyle," she said when she was done.

And finally, Batgirl. She took off her mask, and revealed who she was underneath. "My name is Barbara Gordon," she told everyone, and Kid Flash suddenly spoke up.

"Wait, isn't the name of the police commissioner here James Gordon?" he asked. "Does that make you—"

"Yes, that makes me his daughter. And yes, I know, I'm a vigilante, while he's on the 'right side of the law,' as some might say," Barbara slowly explained. "Why don't you go ahead and reveal your secret identity?"

Kid Flash sighed, and he took off his mask. "My name is Wally West," he said. "My aunt is the wife of the Flash, making him my uncle."

Supergirl went next. "Well, I don't really have to take off a mask," she said. "But I do have a secret identity. As you all know, Superman is my cousin. My name here on Earth is Kara Kent, while my real name is Kara Zor-El. I come from the planet once known as Krypton before its destruction. Along with a few others, Superman and I are the only living members of our race, unfortunately."

Wonder Girl was next. "Like Supergirl—Kara—I don't have mask, but like her as well, I do have a secret identity. My name is Cassie Sandmark."

Aqualad came up. "My name is Kaldur'ahm, but my friends in Atlantis call me Kaldur, which you may do if you wish."

Black Canary was next. "My name is Dinah Laurel Lance," she said. "The man I love is Green Arrow, who has been taken as well."

Then Mera. "I am Mera, Queen of Atlantis, and my husband Orrin is the one you call Aquaman." She seemed to be shaking with both anger and fear, and Batgirl understood it was because she didn't know where her husband was at the moment, or if he was even alive.

Then Lois. "I am Lois Lane, ally of Superman and Supergirl, and lover of Superman. I am also an ally of the Bat-Family, and I already knew Bruce's identity from a while ago."

And finally, Red Arrow, who was quite apprehensive about it all. But in the end, he gave in, sighing all the same. "My name is Roy Harper," he said, "and I am the ally of Green Arrow and Black Canary."

Then, from farther back in the cave, came another voice that made Wonder Girl suddenly jump.

"My name is Alfred Pennyworth, and I have been serving the Wayne family since Master Bruce was a boy, and since he became Batman, I have also cared for him when he is injured and needs advice or refreshments, and for the rest of the Bat-Family for the same reasons."

Alfred appeared again. He nodded at Bruce.

"So we're going to have to be like...this...for this whole time? Until we can find out where the villains' base of operations is?" Red Arrow asked.

"Yes," Batman said.

"What if we need to change into something more comfortable? Because most of my stuff is up at the Watchtower, to be honest," Kid Flash explained.

"It's all down here," Bruce told him. At everyone's inquiring expressions, Bruce explained himself. "I had your bags brought here by Zatanna before she left. They're over there." He motioned toward a group of walls erected around them, which was where they would likely be changing privately.

"Where did she go?" Barbara asked.

Batman didn't answer, and she was left to wonder. "So do we need to do anything else?" she asked.

"Change, and then go upstairs. We're going to be staying here for another few days while we plan everything out. Do you understand me?" Bruce said.

Barbara nodded. She walked over to the changing area, found the bag with her clothes inside, quickly undressed, and dressed again in pajamas, which consisted of a black shirt and dark blue sweats.

When she had finished, she picked up the bag, and walked upstairs, and found that Kara had already finished changing into her pajamas, using her superspeed, obviously. "Hey," Kara said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright," Barbara replied. "I'm just trying to think all of this through. It's kind of hard. There's so much going on, and to try and make sense of it is too hard at the moment. I think I'm going to go lay down and rest. If you want to, you can join me. There are four beds in that room. Usually, it's me, Stephanie, and Selina, but since Stephanie's gone, I guess you and Cassie can join Selina and me."

"Thanks," she said. "I guess you're going to try and sleep as much as you can before we have to do anything?"

"You've got that right," Barbara answered. "I'm so tired. My shoulder still stings a little, and I have an idea for what we should do tomorrow, and that could last a long time, so I need to sleep."

"I think I might come with you," Selina said as she appeared from behind her changing wall, wearing her pajamas. She was limping. "Thank God my bag was one of those there. I guess Zatanna knew where to go for my bag. If you wouldn't mind, could you help me up the stairs? That gunshot is still real painful, and I hope the pain goes away soon."

"It should, Miss Kyle," said Alfred. "If not, then come and see me tomorrow. I will happily help you."

Barbara was about to take Selina's arm and sling it over her shoulder, but then she thought about something, and walked back to Bruce. He was looking at something on the Batcomputer, but he stopped when she neared him. "What is it?" he asked.

"Should we be worried about Stephanie?" she asked him. "She told us that she's on the trail of Ra's and Talia. That doesn't seem like something we should take lightly. It's quite serious, wouldn't you agree?"

"She'll be fine," he said. "I have faith in her." It was obvious he was done speaking when he turned away from her, and she took that as her leave. She walked back to Selina and slung her arm over her shoulder.

They walked up the steps to the manor's interior. Barbara found Wally and Kaldur in civilian clothes, talking to Dick. Barbara overheard something about the supervillains the three of them had been forced to face. Barbara smiled at Dick, and continued on past them.

Soon enough, Barbara and Selina made it to the room, and they entered. Cassie was already there, and she was obviously very tired. She was dressed in pajamas.

"How are you?" Barbara asked her. "I'm sorry that Wonder Woman was taken, Cassie. I'll do everything in my power to help you rescue her from Ares, and whoever is pulling the strings."

"It's not your fault, Barbara," Cassie told her. "You and Kara did your best, and if you ask me, that's all that matters. I would never hold this against you."

Barbara sighed, thankful for that. "Alright," she said. "I'm going to sleep. I have plans for tomorrow with Kara. I would like to bring you both along, but I think it would be easier to do it with her. Not trying to be a jerk, so don't think that. She's just the person I feel the most comfortable with. No offense, Selina."

"Understandable," Selina said. "And none taken. It's like how I feel comfortable with the whole family, but Stephanie is the one I have biggest sense of comfortability around. Not sure why, but I think she just has that kind of personality."

"Well, Stephanie's always been lovable, so I'm not surprised," Barbara said. "I just hope she stays safe. If she's going after Ra's and Talia, then there's probably going to be a big fight coming up. Oh God, please keep her safe."

She sighed, and then lay down. Kara soon entered, and she looked somber. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," Barbara greeted. "You okay?" She thought about her question, and she thought of what she had just asked. "I'm sorry. That was a stupid question. Of course you're not okay."

"Hey, it's alright," Kara told her. "I'm glad you're trying to help me through this, and you do very well. It's just...it's not an easy thing, you understand?"

Barbara nodded. "Goodnight, everyone."

And even before the lights were turned off by Kara, Barbara had closed her eyes and fallen into a deep slumber.

She suddenly found herself in the sewers of Arkham, less than a year ago. She recognized it well. It was where that one specific event had happened, the one that she felt she could never forgive herself for. She hated the memory with all her heart. She heard the steady drip-drip of water on stone.

This had been during a mass-breakout from Arkham, which Joker and a group consisting of himself, Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Firefly, Riddler, and Two-Face. She, Batman, Spoiler, Robin, Nightwing, and Catwoman had been trapped inside the asylum the entire time, and the ordeal took five hours to finally end.

But it was here in this room, the main sewer room, that something had happened. Something that she would never forget. It had been burned into her memory, and even now, she could no longer believe it.

"You're too late, Batgirl!" yelled Scarecrow. She was on the ground, while he stood over her. She'd been shot in the shoulder earlier by Harley, and he'd taken advantage of it. "Soon enough, the entirety of Gotham will be on its knees, and they shall worship me for what I am! I will be a god, or a monster, to their eyes!"

He held a large bag full of his toxin over the sewer system. If he dropped it in there, the entire city would feel the effects.

"You can't go through with this, Crane!" she'd yelled.

"It's too late," he replied. "And at the end of fear, o—" Suddenly, out of the waters below them, Killer Croc lunged at Scarecrow and took hold of him. "AHHHH!" Scarecrow screamed. One of Croc's claws stabbed into Crane's body, and blody splattered the stone below.

Batgirl reacted almost instantly, throwing a Batarang at Croc's shock-collar. Croc screamed in pain as the shock seemed to overtake his whole body. But it was too late.

Croc jumped back into the water, Scarecrow still in his grasp.

Barbara sat up in bed, and she found just how much she was sweating. Her entire right hand was covered in the...cold sweat? She hadn't had a cold sweat in a very long time, not since her last experience under the Scarecrow fear toxin.

She sighed, and decided to get up from the bed. She needed some water, or maybe a hot cup of coffee or tea. Regardless, she needed something to help her.

As she left the room and entered the living room, she found Bruce and Dinah sitting in front of a roaring fire. They were obviously talking about something. When she walked in, however, they stopped.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to walk in on something," she apologized. "I, uh, couldn't sleep."

"That's fine, Barbara," Dinah said. "What stopped you from sleeping?"

"I, uh, had a nightmare," she explained. "Not like a bad a one, but it definitely left its mark on me. It definitely left its mark on me after it happened."

"Let me guess," Bruce said. "The night in Arkham when you failed to stop Croc's attack on Scarecrow?"

"Yeah," Barbara said. "It...it definitely left its mark on me. I'm not gonna lie. I don't know why I can't forget it. Maybe it's because I blame myself for what happened?"

"Maybe," Dinah said. "Did you have to deal with these nightmares right after the event?"

"Yes, and it wasn't fun then, either. I used to have a tear in my costume from that night, but I sewed it up the night before we received the threat, before we had dinner. These nightmares used to keep me so awake at night, when I had them off from patrolling, that I could barely function during the next night, and beyond that. I thought these nightmares had gone away for some time, but now, it seems they've returned." She sighed, and then turned to Bruce. "Did they ever find anything of Crane's? A body, anything?"

"No," he said. "But they found pieces of his mask, as well as his blood. It's unknown if Croc killed him, but that seems the most likely."

She sighed again. "I'm sorry to come out and talk to you guys this early. I just wanted to have someone to talk to about this. There's Kara, but no matter how great of a friend she is, it's always good to come and get advice from someone like you two. Now, if you excuse me, I think I'm going to get a cup of water, and then go back to bed. I'm going to need it for tomorrow."

"What are you going to do?" Bruce asked.

"I'm going to meet with my father, and give him some kind of excuse as to why I probably won't be seeing him tomorrow. We're going to try and do the rest of it tomorrow, right? Track down the villains and make them pay for what they've done?"

"Yes," Dinah told her.

"I'm not surprised," Barbara said. "That's how you do a lot of things, honestly, Bruce."

She smiled, and then sighed one last time. "I'm going to get my water, and then I'll go back to bed. See you later." Then, as she began to walk away, she turned back. "Do you think Stephanie is really going to be okay over there in Europe, with Ra's and Talia? Those are some of our greatest enemies, and she's facing them on her own. I just want her to be safe."

"Don't worry," Bruce said. "She will be."

Barbara nodded, and continued to do what she had been doing before.

She walked into the kitchen, took a glass out of the cabinet, and filled it up with water from the fridge, and then made her way back to her room, hoping for good sleep, despite the nightmare.

And when she woke the next morning, after having slipped back into the bedroom and back under the blankets and sheets, she found beautiful rays of sunshine glowing through the window, and onto her face. She was surprised she hadn't been woken earlier by them, seeing as how bright they were. She guessed it was because she'd needed a great deal more of sleep, allowing her to sleep through much more than usual.

She felt well-rested as she sat up in the bed, and she looked around the room to see Kara and Cassie waking up as well. Both of them seemed just as well-rested as she was.

"Good morning," Barbara greeted. "You guys doing alright?"

"Yeah," Kara said. "Do you think we should be on our way?"

"We can wait a little longer, and see how everyone else is doing out there," Barbara told her. "Let's just hope nothing happens during the time we wait, though."

She saw Selina had not woken yet, and decided it was better she continued to sleep. She'd attempted to wake her up once before, which hadn't ended the best way. So for now, Selina would be allowed to sleep. She relayed this information to Kara and Cassie, and they quietly left the room.

When they reached the kitchen, they found the boys already there, eating breakfast. Barbara saw it was cereal, and while she felt hungry, at the same time she didn't have that much of an appetite. She felt as though it might be better if she skipped breakfast for the time-being.

"Good morning," she greeted. "How are you guys doing? Were you able to sleep well?"

"Pretty well," Dick replied. "You know, it's been a little harder since all that happened. Hopefully it's all wrapped up soon. I have faith that it will be, but we still need to be on our guard during this time. You never know what'll happen, am I right?" He went back to eating his breakfast. "So what are you going to be doing today? Would you like to go out?"

"I'm already planning on that with Kara," Barbara told him. "But if you'd like to meet up after that, you're more than welcome to. I'm going to see my father and tell him that I probably won't be able to see him tonight, which I'm sure he'll understand. I'll just say I'm helping a friend out, which is technically not a lie."

"Alright," Dick said. "Just be careful, though."

Barbara nodded. She looked around for a moment, and then said, "I might as well eat something for breakfast. I feel as if I haven't eaten in a while, honestly."

"Well, it's very likely that you haven't," Kid Flash told her. "The last we ate was during dinner that night where we were announced as the recruits, remember? I don't think any of us ate breakfast. I didn't, only because I wanted to be sure I wasn't going to be late to the training. Besides, I usually count breakfast as the least important meal of the day, so...yeah."

He said most of this very fast, and he didn't leave the others much time to think. But Barbara didn't care once she returned to what she was doing. Once she'd poured cereal, she quickly added the milk, then scarfed the breakfast down. Once she had finished, she looked to Kara, who said, "I've already eaten. Superspeed, remember?"

Barbara nodded. "Well, I'm done," she said. "Let me get dressed, and then we can go."

Kara nodded. "I'll get dressed, as well," she said.

Barbara hurried to get dressed, her clothes of choice being a black shirt and dark blue jeans. When she had finished getting dressed, brushing her teeth and hair, and putting on deodorant, she walked back outside to find that Kara was already dressed, which didn't surprise her very much. After all, she had superspeed. She wore glasses and a brunette wig to conceal her identity.

As the two of them reached the front door of the manor, Bruce appeared, with Dinah behind him. "Be careful," he warned them both. "None of our enemies know our secret identities, but even then, we still must be careful. We don't know what's out there. We don't know who's pulling the strings."

Barbara nodded. "Trust me, I know what to do," she told him. "We'll be back soon."

"Be safe!" Dinah called as they left.

Barbara closed the door behind them. There was a car waiting for them, with Alfred being the one to drive it. He happily opened the door for the two young women, and then closed it when they'd both entered.

"This shouldn't take long," Barbara told Kara. "We're going to be able to find Clark soon, I just know it. There's no possible way a villain could have taken him and hidden him somewhere that we couldn't find, am I right on that?"

"Unless Darkseid was behind it, then I would believe you'd be right," Kara said. "Darkseid is one of our greatest enemies. He is someone you don't want to mess with. That's all I'm going to say about that. I know for sure, however, that he is not behind any of this. If he was, I'm sure I would know. I'm sure we would know. If he was, you know...here...right now." She sighed. "So why did you wake up so early?"

"What?" Barbara asked. "What do you mean?"

"I saw you get up early in the morning. Honestly, I have no idea why I was awake, but it was probably because my mind was still on Clark. But it looked like you were sweating. What was wrong?"

"I had a nightmare," Barbara told her honestly. "About the last time I ever fought Scarecrow. It was down in the sewers of Arkham, and he was threatening to pour some of his fear toxin into the sewers, so that all of Gotham would be under the effects of that crap. I got there, and I attempted to stop him. I sort of succeeded, but I also failed at the same time." She stopped speaking for a moment, and then looked at Kara, who was staring at her with a little concern. Understanding, Barbara continued with the story. She would talk with Kara about her feelings over it all later. But for the moment, she just needed to collect her thoughts and finish the main story. "While we were down there in sewers, with me confronting him, Killer Croc appeared, and he attacked Crane, thinking he was an unfortunate guard who had stumbled into his domain. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to stop Scarecrow from being taken into those disgusting waters by Croc. I don't know if he's still alive, but something tells me he isn't. There's no way someone leaves Croc's grasp like that alive, unless you're Bruce, of course. When it comes to Croc, the rest of the Bat-Family do our best to stay far away from him." She sighed. "I feel horrible for the fact that happened, because I feel as if I'm responsible for what happened there. I pretty much am responsible for what happened to Crane. He may have been evil, but he didn't deserve to die like that. I don't understand why I didn't try harder to save him, but even if I had, I don't know if it would have made much difference. This world is strange, you know what I mean? It's like that Linkin Park song at times. You try so hard and get so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter. I tried as hard as I could to save Crane, but it didn't matter by the end of it all. It affected me pretty badly afterward. I didn't feel as if I could continue for weeks. I almost retired the cowl and costume because of it. Selina and Stephanie helped a lot, as did Bruce and Alfred. I think I've almost completely moved on from it, but the nightmare reminded me of it, and it's affecting me all over again. It's horrible. I don't know if you've ever felt something like this, and I'm sure you haven't. You're not perfect, obviously, because no one in the world is perfect, but I think you get my meaning."

Kara nodded. She took Barbara's hand. "I do understand what you're saying, because I actually have gone through something similar, believe it or not. It happened a very long time, or so it seemed. I don't even know why I haven't tried to forget it. It happened during a sort of crisis we faced in Metropolis. I think Batman called to make sure it wasn't too serious. During that whole thing, Lex Luthor had a huge role in it. He brainwashed Clark, and it instilled a whole lot of fear in me. I didn't know what in the name of God I was supposed to do when I saw that my cousin was fighting against me. It was thanks to my words that he returned to his normal self. We confronted Lex not long after that, but it was just such a horrible experience, one that I don't want to remember very much anymore. But like you, I've had nightmares that have reminded me of what's going on." She sighed like Barbara had. "This is why I'm glad we're friends. We understand each other so well, and we don't have to worry about each other hiding anything, you know?" The smile that had appeared on her face disappeared quickly afterward. "I wish Clark were here. I wish the rest of the central Justice League members were around. But only Batman, Mera, and Black Canary were able to make it out. That's just sad, in my opinion, because the other recruits who lost their mentors are feeling so down. I know how they feel, of course, because my mentor is missing...my cousin is missing. But I know I shouldn't feel so down, because I know we're going to get him back. It won't be long now until then. I just know it."

Barbara smiled. "That's a good way to think about it," she said. "I don't know what I would do if Bruce was taken. Because he's what's held this extended family together for so long, even though there have been some definite bumps in the road. Especially when it came to Jason and Dick's departure before that. But enough on that. Let's just keep our minds on what's at hand: We're going to save your cousin soon, trust me. He won't be gone for long."

There was the tap of a finger on the glass from the driver's seat. Barbara opened the window, and she found Alfred looking at her with a small smile. "We've arrived, Miss Gordon. Would you like me to get you something from the café not too far from here?"

"No, thanks," Barbara said. "You've helped a lot already, Alfred. Thank you again. We'll be done soon, but if you want to go ahead and get something for yourself, I'll understand. Anyways, see you soon."

Barbara and Kara left the car, and they walked toward the Gotham City police station. Kara opened the door for Barbara, and after giving her thanks, Barbara entered the police station and began looking for her father. When she didn't see him among the great amount of cops in the main area, she guessed he was in his office. Her idea was proven only a few moments later.

"Barbara?" came a male voice in a Brooklyn accent. Barbara turned around to find Harvey Bullock there. He held a donut in one hand, and a cup of coffee and a file in the other. He smiled at her. "I'd give you a hug, but my hands are full. What can I do for you, kid?" He saw Kara. "And, uh, who's your friend?" Barbara saw that he was beginning to check Kara out, and she saw that Kara seemed a little disgusted.

"This is Kara," Barbara said. "She comes from Metropolis, and I met her at Gotham University. We're here to see my father, though. Is he in his office?"

"Yeah," Harvey said. "I'll bring you to him." Still eyeing Kara, he brought them toward the commissioner's office. He knocked on the door.

"Come in!" yelled a voice from inside. Harvey opened the door, and Barbara found Commissioner Gordon sitting there at his desk, a cup of coffee in his hand. When he saw his daughter, Jim Gordon's blue-gray eyes widened in surprise. "Ah, Barbara! I was wondering when you'd finally come and visit me! Come in, come in! And bring your friend with you!"

"Hey, Commish," said Harvey. "There were a few guys who wanted to talk to you about the sounds of gunshot coming from over by the river. They say they're a little scared. Especially those who are residents there. If you're going to be busy, what should I tell them?"

"Just tell them I'll talk to them later on," Jim said. "It's probably just one of those crazies. Batman likely took care of them. God knows this city needs him."

Bullock nodded. "Alright, then. I guess I'll talk to you later."

He took one last look at Kara, and then exited the office, leaving the girls and the commissioner.

"Hey, Dad," Barbara greeted. "Sorry, I meant to visit earlier, but I've been doing a lot recently. I've been helping Bruce Wayne's ward, Tim, with his homework. That's not all, but that's definitely something that's taken up time. It's worth it, though. Bruce Wayne pays me for it, even when I tell him he doesn't have to."

"Well, that's very nice," Commissioner Gordon said. "Before we move on, if I may I ask, who's your friend?"

"This is Kara," Barbara said. "She comes from Metropolis, and she's a friend of mine from Uni, before I graduated. She graduated a year after me, so that's why you didn't see her at my ceremony. She's probably one of my greatest friends."

"Is that so?" Commissioner Gordon asked. "Well, thank you for your friendship towards my daughter, Kara. Do you have family in Metropolis?"

"Yes," Kara said. "My cousin works at the Daily Planet, actually. I live with my aunt and uncle, though. My parents are travelers, so while they have a home, with the money they have, they like to travel the country and see what it's like."

"I see. Well, one thing I can definitely tell is that you're very sweet, and I know you and my daughter were definitely meant to become friends with one another." The Commissioner turned his attention to Barbara. "So why have you come here? As much as I love visits from my beautiful daughter and her friends, I have a feeling that's not the only reason why you're here, Barbara." For a moment, Barbara was a little scared, and then she saw a smile cross her father's face. "I'm kidding," he laughed, pointing at the expression on her face. "I know, when I say that, you're always like, 'What are you talking about? Have I done something wrong?' But did you come here to tell me something?"

"Yeah," Barbara said. "I came to tell you that I have plans for this evening. Bruce invited me to dinner with him and Tim, and he said to bring a friend, so that's why I brought Kara with me. He just wanted to give me a big thanks for helping Tim in school. I would normally tell him it's no big deal, since the kid's grades are actually pretty good, but he insisted, and since he's helped me out so much, by paying me and all that, I couldn't say no. Do you understand?"

"I understand," her father told her. He got up from his desk and hugged her. When they finished their embrace, he placed a hand on her shoulder–her injured shoulder.

"Ow," she said. She wanted to take it back, but it was already too late. Her father had heard her. She struggled to come up with a reason for her pain. "Sorry, I, uh, hit my shoulder last night. I didn't watch where I was going, and I ran into a wall. My shoulder took most of the hit, and so it hurts a little."

"Oh, okay," her father said. "Understandable. Well, I don't blame you for that. Maybe tomorrow, we can go out together and get something. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great!" Barbara said with a smile. She hugged her father. "Well, I've got to go. I promised Kara I'd take her shopping. So anyway, see you tomorrow!" She ended the embrace and began to walk out of the office. "Love you!"

"Love you too, Barbara," her father called as she left. "Have a great day, girls!"

"We will!" Kara promised.

As they left, the girls ran into Harvey again. "Bye, Harvey," said Barbara.

When they had exited the police station, they found Alfred standing by the car, waiting for them. He held two coffees in his hands, and he handed them to Barbara and Kara as they entered the car. "I decided to get them for you, just in case," he told them.

"Thank you, Alfred," Barbara said, hugging him. "You're one of the greatest people I've ever known."

"I try my best, and I do it without needing a reward," the faithful butler told them. "Because I believe that in the end, the only thing that will truly matter is faith and love."

Once they had climbed into the car, Barbara and Kara drank their coffees, and both of them were surprised that Alfred had gotten them exactly right, that they hadn't needed to put any sugar or cream in. Both looked at each other in surprise.

"I guess that's Alfred's superpower," said Barbara as the car began moving.

Both of them laughed.

After that, the car ride back to Wayne Manor remained silent. But just as they began to turn into the driveway, Barbara looked to Kara and said, "You know, I'm really scared right now."

"Why?" Kara asked. Then she thought about her question. "Nevermind. Stupid question. Of course you're scared. I'm so freaking scared right now, too. I don't know what's to come right now, and neither do you. But what matters right now, as Alfred said, is faith and love. And that's all that will matter in the end. And if you want to add another superpower, I think his wisdom is one of them."

Barbara smiled as she thought of this. Then she sighed. "I think you're right. I've been affected by fear for so long. I think it's time I allow my faith and my bravery to lead me to where I need to go next. Let's just hope that if this all culminates in a final battle, which I'm sure it will, unfortunately, then none of us will be too badly injured."

Kara nodded. "I agree," she said. "As long as we get Clark and the other mentors back, that's all that I care about. Safety is definitely something that matters to me, as well."

The car stopped and the girls got out. They noticed something different. There was another car in the driveway. Actually, now that they looked, there were two different cars. They wondered whom they belonged to, but they were sure they would learn when they entered the manor.

The doors of the manor opened for them as they reached them, and they found it was Selina opening the doors for them. It took them a moment to realize she was wearing her Catwoman suit. "Don't worry, no one that doesn't know our identities already is here. But there are some newcomers, however. Bruce says to get ready, by the way. It's almost time."

Barbara and Kara hurried down to the Batcave to put on their costumes, only to find the newcomers Selina had mentioned. Other than the other recruits, Batman, Mera, and Black Canary, Batwoman was there, as was a young man neither of the girls had seen before, though he looked as if he hadn't slept in a while, Captain Marvel, and Zatanna.

"You're back," Batman said, wearing his suit. As soon as that was on, and the mask hid his face, Barbara could only call him Batman.

As soon as she put on her suit, she would only call herself Batgirl until it was safe enough not to.

"Yeah, all of it went well," Barbara said. "What the heck are all of you doing here? I thought all the other Justice League heroes had been defeated. Besides you, Batwoman."

"Black Adam tried to beat me, but I was able to escape by transforming into my true form," Captain Marvel told her. "But that doesn't mean he didn't come very close to defeating me. I just got lucky. There's no shame in running from a fight, you know. Especially when your life's on the line. Unless there's another life on the line, like a civilian or one of those you love. Not even a criminal deserves a horrible fate. But fortunately, it was just the two of us."

"I tried to find where the rest of the heroes were being held, but I was unable to, unfortunately," said Zatanna. "I'm sorry, Kara. I tried my best to locate him, but it was too hard. There's something stopping me from finding out where he is."

Kara nodded. "I understand," she admitted. "Thank you for trying, though." She shifted her attention to the disheveled man sitting in the other seat. "Who are you?"

"My name is Cisco Ramon," he said. "I've also been referred to as Vibe by the Flash. I'm one of his allies, and I was there with Red Arrow the day he was defeated by Zoom. I'm really sorry to Kid Flash, because I really wanted to make sure his mentor and uncle stayed with us. But he was taken, and I feel horrible remorse for that."

"It's not your fault," Kid Flash said. "You guys were overpowered. Zoom is one of our greatest enemies, and not even Flash could have defeated him on his own. Not without help, at least. He's done it before, but that doesn't mean Zoom won't beat him anyway."

"But we can change that," Batman said. "Suit up. We're going to find the rest of the Justice League tonight."

"Tonight?" Barbara asked. "Wow, that seems a little quick. Are you sure you know where to go?"

"I have a hunch," was all he said.

Barbara nodded, and then hurried behind the changing room. Alfred appeared there, and he handed her her Batsuit. "I repaired the tear in it, Miss Gordon," he told her with a smile. And then he was gone.

Barbara quickly changed, and soon enough, she was no longer Barbara Gordon.

She was Batgirl.

She walked back out into the open and put on her mask. "I'm ready," she said out loud. She looked over and found Kara had changed into Supergirl.

"Good," Batman said.

"So where are we going?" Supergirl asked.

"Into the heart of Gotham," the Dark Knight replied. "While Zatanna was unable to find exactly where the other heroes were taken, she was able to find something that might be able to help. Superman has a larger life force than most, and she was able to sense it. We're going over there to find the building in which the heroes are being held. Cisco and Mera will remain here and help us with our information and the intel on whatever we find. The Batcomputer will help them with that."

"Why can't Vibe come with us?" Supergirl asked.

"Because I was injured by Cheetah during the attack on Star Labs," Cisco told her. "I could fight, but I don't want to pull my stitches."

"And I am with child," Mera said. "I cannot risk losing my child in battle. Just make sure my husband is returned to me."

Batman nodded.

"So what do we do now?" Batgirl asked.

"We get to work."