I don't own YJ.

Chapter 6—

It had been easier than Angel had first expected it to be. She reached the phone box, landing lightly on the asphalt, and looked around. Subconsciously, her wings curled around her, offering her warmth from the cold night air. She slipped into her second state of mind and found the alley, this time shrouded in mist. Batman knew better not to walk all over the trail she had to pick up and so the earliest must have been belonging to Robin. She tuned her mind and let her own magic whisk her away to the past where she saw Robin stumble out and take a mask from his face. Then he froze and fell to the floor before running off.

"Gotcha." She murmured and fazed back into reality as the Zeta beam spat out a Batman in front of her.

"You got here fast." He noted.

"Someone has my big brother." She crossed her arms defiantly, "How did you know?"

He gave her a rare smile, "Cameras."

She smiled back. "Hm."

He beckoned her forwards and she obliged. He lifter her bandanna and took it from her. She dipped her head, ashamed of the emotions her eyes always gave away. Then Batman pulled something over her head, resting it over her eyes. A mask, like his and Robin it had the reflective lenses, giving nothing away but it didn't hinder her vision like her bandanna did. It started halfway up her forehead and came down over her nose, winding back around her head at the same time. It was made just for her.

"Is that my present?"

"No, it's something I've owed you for a long time." He admitted and turned to the Zeta beam. On cue, KF stepped out, a black shoe box inside. I held it as if it was glass and he was scared he would drop it. He offered it to Batman who opened it and smiled back at his daughter. "This is your present."

She stepped forwards and pulled a ballet shoe from where it was delicately placed amid black tissue paper. Beside it, a second one waited. They were made of a tough yet supple material, the colour was a coarse black that reflected nothing. She ran the ribbon across the back of her hand, feeling the material brush her skin.

She made a point never to get sentimental with any object. She lived a rough life of danger and so had to be ready to drop everything and run. She had a small backpack holding all of her belongings: a change of clothes and a knife. However, she knew that she loved those shoes more than anything did—it would be hard to leave them behind.

KF gave her support as she slipped them on, winding the ribbon up around her grey tights. She span, standing on her toes, as she tested the shoes. She found they glided gracefully, even on the rough surface of the asphalt; they made no sound what so ever. KF picked up her old boots and gave her a playful smile, and raised his eyebrows. Then she realised she was beaming like crazy. She coughed, restraining her emotions as she glanced down shortly but she only saw the wonderful shoes; it didn't help.

"I'm glad you love them. Give this to Robin, will you? Oh and hit him for me, preferably hard and over the back of the head." He handed her a note and she took it without even thinking of reading it. He liked that about her.

Batman left and it was only KF and Angel. He gently arranged my boots into the box and closed the lid as he stepped towards her and spoke quietly so the cameras couldn't hear. "Kick him in the groin unless he's dying, of course. That would be mean."

Batman re-entered the mountain, feeling warm from his daughter's smile, and his attention was immediately dragged to the computer once more as it flashed restlessly. He answered the call, only to be confronted by a woman stolen of her beauty by fatigue and exhaustion. Mariana had bags under her eyes and mascara smudged up the whole right side of her face. Her hair was in a state from a bashful night before. God knows how long she had been out.

Batman was just relieved to see he had kept Esty from her Mother's bad mood. She took the dinking well but not the hangover. With that, she gave a slight whinge. "Batman? What are you doing calling here?"

"Feathers, I had to borrow your daughter."

"Our daughter." She corrected, bringing a hand to steady her head. Wonder Woman gasped, along with many other League members but Fathers and Bats didn't seem to notice. "I should have known, I wake up to find my daughter missing and your name in my call log. What have you got her doing anyway?"

"The Joker has teamed up with a man named Sloane. He's very brutal, stoops low for torture ideas. He loves to mess with the mind."

"Never heard of him." She pursed her lips—like mother like daughter, Batman thought. "What does he want?" Feathers asked with a boldness defying her appearance.

"That's what I've sent Angel to find out."

"Well if she's planning to get caught for some insider info then your dealing with her, understand? And no putting ideas into her head like Christmas or birthdays." She died off to a mumble.

"I want what's best for her." Batman told her firmly. "This mask makes me cold, your bad drinking habits and torture methods make you worse. However, I can take this mask off any time."

She laughed bitterly, but that was only normal. "I don't see it as torture; I see it as teaching her to deal with pain. Besides, I don't see you diving to care for her."

"I have a son, one is enough, the two of them is too much. They're so alike it hurts my brain."

"I know you do, babe. How is he?"

"Stubborn, unpredictable and irrational."

"You adopted him yet he might as well be your own."

"I think of him as that. What do you think of Angel?"

"She's her own person, an adult and woman in her own right. I don't mind her going out and coming back late. I wouldn't mind if she starts drinking. I don't fuss over injuries or complain whether she can handle things or not because I know that even if she can't, she'll be fine. You call me cold but it's to make her tough. It's something my parents should have done with me, I would be better now, if they had. I'm making her strong. Do you really want to have this conversation in front of your team?"

"Angel isn't an adult; she's eleven, for God's sakes. Let her be human, will you."

"She's not human, she's Angel. She's a hero, she's not meant to cry, love or fear. I won't let her."

"That's my point."

"She deals, okay? God, do you strap Robin to his bed at night, behind foot-thick steel bars? Is Angel staying with you tonight?"

"I think that'll be best." Batman said through gritted teeth, then hung up on the hung-over heroine.

"Who was that? Batman, I think it's about time you filled us all in." Superman asked.

Kid Flash knew the answer so asked while he could, "Can she join the team? Plleeeeeeaaaaaase."

Ignoring Superman, the Dark Knight turned to Kid Flash who turned his knees in, close to kneeling and hands clasped together until his knuckles turned white. "Talk to her." Batman waved him off dismissively. He got enough of the puppy eyes from Dick.

Another chapter up, I know I update regularly, please review!