Before we get started, I would like to display the list of BOTF stories in chronological order:

1. Rebirth
2. Running Out of Inque
3. Remember
4. Eyewitness of the Past
5. Last Resort
6. Big Time
7. The Call
8. Truth Be Told
9. In Waves (which doesn't follow any episodes)
10. What Lies Within (Teen Titans crossover)
11. Betrayal (Part 2 of Big Time; upcoming)

Please read, review and enjoy!

Gotham City, 2037 A.D.

Coba Brooklyn had never been in this much pain before.

Sure, she may have beaten a cancer called neuroblastoma when she was only an infant and had come out of the battle with her right leg crippled, but that pain was nothing compared to this. This was the first time in her life that she felt the agony of losing someone close to her. I'm sorry, Mom, she thought sadly as tears streamed down her cheeks. I'm sorry that I didn't stop those monsters from getting to you.

Natalie Brooklyn, Coba's mother, was murdered by a gang of Jokerz just two nights before when she tried to protect her daughter (who had helped a fellow girl escape from the Jokerz, thus causing them to chase her back to her home) from the ruthless group. Now Coba sat in Commissioner Barbara Gordon's office, waiting for Gordon to come back from the Hall of Records to tell her where she could go. As far as Coba knew, her mother was the only blood relative she had, but was curious as to whether or not this truly was the case.

The young Brooklyn sat up straight as the commissioner opened the door to the office and entered. Once Gordon seated herself in the chair behind her desk, she placed a single file in front of Coba. "This was the only file I could find that had someone with blood similar to yours," Gordon explained. "Well, besides someone who never had children. The person in this file- "

"Wow!" Coba could not help but gasp sarcastically. "That's one small person!"

Barbara stared at the girl in amusement before lightly chuckling. "That is, the person whose information is in this file is Warren McGinnis," she said through her giggles. She regained her serious composure before continuing. "We have determined that he is your biological father. We contacted Mr. McGinnis several minutes ago and told him to come and meet you. If he accepts you into his family, you'll be staying with him permanently. If not, I'm afraid we'll have to do something else."

Coba tensed up at the thought of what that "something else" might be. I hope it isn't having to live in an orphanage, she thought. "I understand, Commissioner," she said after a brief moment of silence.

"Good." Gordon smiled at Coba admiringly. "You know, for a ten year old you're pretty smart. Your intellect matches that of an old friend of mine who's in his seventies."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Brooklyn asked.

"Of course it is!" Barbara explained. "The old friend I speak of is Bruce Wayne. He made the company Wayne Industries."

"Wayne-Powers now," Coba corrected. She glared out the widow behind Gordon's desk. "Curse that Powers!" she snarled.

Gordon shot a warning glance at the girl. "I don't accept talk like that in here, missy," she said strictly.

Brooklyn managed to calm herself down. "I'm sorry, Commissioner," she apologized. "I-I guess I just don't appreciate that he's the man who dated my mother and disrespected her for having a crippled child like me. Not only that, but he gives me the creeps when he smiles."

Barbara's gaze softened considerably. She was about to say something to Coba when there was a rap on the door. "What's going on?" she called.

"Warren and Mary McGinnis are here to see you and Miss Brooklyn," an adult male voice answered.

"Let them in," Gordon ordered.

Coba shifted uneasily in her seat at the sound of her only surviving relative's name. I hope he accepts me, she thought nervously. I don't want to go to the orphanage!

Warren McGinnis was just as uncomfortable as Coba. He walked in, greeted the commissioner anxiously, and sat down in his chair almost hesitantly. His wife Mary, however, sat down and looked at Coba suspiciously. Barbara introduced them to each other professionally before getting up and saying, "I'll let you all get acquainted with each other" as she opened the door to leave the office.

Mary studied Coba's appearance and compared it to Warren's in silence as Warren conversed with his unknown daughter. "Your mother was Natalie Brooklyn, correct?"

"Correct," Coba answered, feeling a hint of sadness in his voice as well as her own. She looked down at her turquoise shirt and black pants, her long, wavy black hair draped down her shirt. "She was killed by Jokerz."

"I know, and I- -" He paused painfully. "I'm sorry this all happened."

"Why is your name Coba?" Mary asked.

"My mother said that my eyes were cobalt blue when I was born," Brooklyn answered. "They have reddish brown spots now because of the effects of chemo-therapy as a baby, but I deeply enjoyed the color blue when I was that young, in fact I still do."

"You had cancer?" Mary gasped in surprise.

Coba simply nodded. "Yeah. I've been on remission for nine years."

"Is anything besides your eyes different?"

"My right leg." Coba pulled up her right pant leg, revealing her crippled leg to be supported by a sturdy metal contraption. "I have to wear this brace almost everywhere to get around easily."

"Does it ever hurt you?" Warren asked curiously.

"Only if I walk or stand for too long."

"Can I talk to you in private, Warren?" Mary asked in a suspicious voice.

"Excuse us," Warren politely said to Coba. He and his wife moved into the furthest corner of the office to be as far out of Coba's hearing range as possible. "What's up, Mary?" he whispered.

Mary stared harshly into her husband's eyes. "What do you think?" she hissed. "That girl has a crippled leg! She's likely to bring a leg-killing disease with her and give it to the boys!"

"Now don't be silly," Warren calmly countered. "She said that the cancer did it to her leg, not a contagious disease. Besides, I think she'll get along fine with Terry and Matt."

"Well I don't think so, Warren! Now tell me how it is that she's your daughter."

Warren sighed in defeat. "You remember when we had that fight when Terry was three years old?"

"Like it was yesterday, yes."

"Well, I was certain that our marriage had come to an end, so I went to a bar that night and fell in love with Natalie Brooklyn. We saw each other for a couple more weeks before we—uh—"

His wife held up a hand. "You don't need to get into detail, I'm well aware of what you two did."

"How's that?"

"I heard about it from a friend. I decided to let it go at that point, but when we started having more troubles seven years ago, I realized that I never forgave you. So one night after a fight, I went to a bar and slept with a guy. I have something else to say that I wanted to keep hidden from you and the boys, but now that I'm going to tell you you need to promise not to tell the boys."

Although he did not like where this was going, Warren simply said, "I promise."

Mary leaned even closer to Warren's ear. "Matt's not your son," she whispered very quietly. "Now you know how it feels. If we are to stay married any longer, we will not bring that little daughter of yours back home."

Warren was suddenly enraged. "I'm sorry I did what I did, but our marriage should've been over many years ago. Who knows? Maybe Terry wouldn't have gotten juvie for three months if we didn't put so much stress on him. He would've stayed out of trouble! I'll take care of Coba by myself if I must. I'm sorry Mary, but we're through."

There you go, folks. That's an idea I have for why Warren and Mary split up. It takes away the fact that Matt is also supposed to be (spoiler alert, probably) Bruce Wayne's biological son, but I've also noticed that him being Wayne's son wasn't exactly cleared up during the show. What about his black hair, you ask? Well, in this story line, it has to do with his biological father (i.e. (gag!) the one man that Mary slept with who wasn't Warren).