Well yes, it has been a while but only for two reasons: 1. I didn't really like this chapter and 2. I finished writing the story and decided to give it to you in a boom. the last chapter should load soon so stay tuned. I just love Cassandra, like officially love her and I think that's why I can't write her for shit because it isn't good enough anywa, i will suceeded when all else fails!
Cassandra didn't wish to say everything wasn't falling according to plan. That would indicate that even they – trained under Batman – hadn't a suitable contingency plan. It was true, though no less aggravating to admit.
It had begun simply enough.
But all plans began like that. They infiltrated the base known as Mount Justice, knowing it was the easiest location to access the Bat Computer in. Bat Cave would be much too difficult to enter without disturbing alarms and the Watch Tower would be too large a station to secure, and would be needed in case of a global crisis.
And they'd already partially revealed themselves to the occupants of Mount Justice. It was a logical maneuver to follow through with. It'd felt right.
They'd split up upon entering, keeping to radio silence until Tim and Stephanie took control of all security measures. Cassandra slid the USB port into the computer box in the engine room, and a second later, her best friend had perked up: "We all here?"
"Unfortunately," Jason hissed.
He'd been forced into the upper vents as heroes bypassed his hiding spot and his large frame didn't approve. Cassandra smiled, ducking out from behind where she'd crouched and angling up to enter the vents as well. "Here," she whispered.
Cassandra made the long trek upwards, shoveling towards the higher levels to get into position for a healthy dose of reconnaissance. "Present," Damian grumbled.
Damian had yet to catch sight of Batman, and while he was terrified to confront his father he still very much wished to witness him with his own gaze. He'd never seen Batman that young, not in person and he was intrigued to see if the resemblance between them was more profound.
Damian was very simple to read. Most children were, Cassandra had found. "And here," Tim finished, "We all in position?"
"Close," Cassandra affirmed just as Jason grumbled, "Hang on."
Cassandra overhead the familiar scrape tug of Jason yanking himself though the ventilation system, while she crawled through the system at a much easier angle towards her expected location.
Batman stood, firmly inside the light of the arena beside the Zeta-Beam with holographic windows opened beside him depicting the failure for the Team. He wasn't angry at them, which was something Cassandra didn't witness often in these situations. He was more indignant that his Team hadn't collected enough data.
That was something Cassandra had heard about.
Through the shafts of the air vents, Cassandra observed the Team they'd faced off at that government facility. They were all younger than Jason, with little to no instinct to guard their bodies' tells.
Not that much could be done for that. It didn't matter how Batman wished that weren't true or how Timmy shut the emotions behind a mask.
Her mentor wasn't pleased, "How is it that no one on this team has a positive description of the perpetrators?"
Kid Flash – indignant and nervous – muttered to Robin – much smaller and uncertain of his footing with Batman, "There wasn't anything positive about them."
Her mentor narrowed his glare and Jason snickered over the line. Stephanie shushed him, which only made him laugh a little longer. "What about the perpetrator with the guns? Can anyone give me markers?" Bruce truly didn't like Jason's guns. "Super Boy?" he snapped.
Super Boy – withheld frustration and need, so much need, tinged with hurt – straightened his spine but kept his fists inside his pockets for an air of nonchalance. "It's in my report," he returned.
Batman's glare didn't let up. Robin shifted in his position.
"He was about 6 feet, big shoulders, biker clothes; really red helmet gave him away?" Artemis injected.
Batman sucked in a breath and Robin interrupted, "We've written it in the report, B. What's going on?" he was so much younger. He trusted in Batman fully, his shoulders never holding him back from delving to the man's side wholly.
Her mentor worked his jaw, "You've withheld information." His stare was all on Super Boy. Oh, Super Boy definitely had withheld something.
Ms. Martian – full hearted and didn't expect this – hovered closer to Super Boy, as if to protect him from the accusation. "Why would he withhold anything? We're all on the same side here." That was true.
"I think Super Boy left something out of his report," Batman inclined. He had noticed something lacking in the report, than cemented his conclusions in observation. He wasn't certain though. That was until Super Boy crossed his arms.
"It's not – I didn't mean to withhold information," Super Boy stuttered. He growled, straightening his spine to deliver a further report. "It doesn't make much sense," he warned.
Her mentor wasn't impressed, "Every little indication is important, Super Boy."
Super Boy worked his jaw. He felt embarrassed, uncertain and rather indignant to be shoved into a corner. "I know that," he said, "It was just a feeling. Like, I'd recognized his moves from somewhere else or someone else." He shrugged again.
Batman's gaze narrowed, "From where?"
"From Robin," he glared, "And I know that doesn't make sense so I didn't add it in."
Jason swore over their communications but he didn't sound all too upset about it. "You fool, Todd," Damian growled. He was worried at any step Batman would get closer to them. Jason snorted a quip on his lips only halted by their incognito status.
"Like me?" Robin asked, voice far too high pitched for her brother. Super Boy nodded.
Kid Flash bounced forward, ever exuberant, "You think Rob had something to do with this?"
"Uh," Timmy's grunt didn't sound all that promising. "We might have a problem in a few seconds." Cassandra heard his fingers typing across his computer glove, "Security systems about to reboot, I'll try to get a handle on it – stay hidden," he clarified.
"Not good, so not good," her best friend groaned.
"No," Super Boy was saying, his voice rose, agitated with the attention and accusations he perceived. "It was just a stupid idea that I had, that he fought like Robin but that's all I left out." He was upset, anxious to not be his Team's downfall.
He wouldn't be. It was their security system that was ensuring Cassandra be forced to use excessive methods.
An alarm whirred to life, "Intruder alert! C3 – 12, unknown – "It abruptly cut off, switching to a lighter alarm and "Bay doors open," it chimed. Batman and the Team didn't move, chilled into inaction while Cassandra stilled in a shadow.
"Batman," Robin hissed. His Team having already formed a perimeter for all the entrances beside them, "Isn't alert C3 – 12 to signify multiple intruders inside the ventilation system?" They'd been found.
"It is," Batman growled. A bat-a-rang whizzed to her location and Cassandra dodged, speeding through the systems towards a more defensible position. She didn't know where this was at the current point but Cassandra would find it.
She was partially aware that Canary screeched, having spotted Jason from where he'd hidden and with a curse he'd jumped out and engaged in combat. "I'm coming," Stephanie hissed and Jason's sarcastic gratitude was cut off.
Cassandra had company, not through the ventilation system Batman and the Team had divided. "I'm cutting lights," Tim bolted, his footfalls loud as he relocated and darkness warmed over.
The flickering red lights the only illuminating source, Cassandra spotted her mentor's bounding shadow dashing beneath her and dodged his projectiles slinking through the metal. "Canary down," Stephanie alerted and whispered, "Sorry," to the prone form.
"Blackie," Tim informed, "Batman, Artemis and Robin are on your heels. Can you lead them towards the living area?" duh. "Spoiler, Hood you're about to be intercepted by Kid Flash lead him to there as well. Demon?" he checked.
"I'll intercept the others and lead them to Cain's location," Damian growled.
Jason snickered, "Pretender's taking charge – fine! I'll shut it." Stephanie must have punched him and the smile was in Tim's voice when he continued.
"Robin's trying to hack me back so keep the line clean," Tim informed.
"Wouldn't want the kid to have nightmares," Jason muttered.
Damian's growl crackled over the line and Cassandra smiled. It was good to be doing something as a family; Bruce would be displeased to miss it.
It required a little back track, though that could have easily been governed as Cassandra searching for an exit. The living area, also the lounging area was beside the kitchen with a narrow hallway leading into it. It was the perfect location for a bottle necked attack.
Robin seemed aware of this, "They're playing us!" he hissed to Batman.
Her mentor had such belief that he could defeat Cassandra that he didn't even pause as the long narrow corridor came up, crashing through the blinds of the air shaft where it smashed to tiles.
The room was dark, only flashing red lights attempting to give away her position. Batman was first through the hallway, Robin quick on his heel and Artemis guarding their back should it be a trick or her accomplice's returns.
Cassandra launched at her mentor and knocked him down in three moves. He crashed, twisting away from her knockout blow and a loud crash from behind stole his attention for a fraction of a second, which was all Cassandra needed to incapacitate him.
Batman thudded onto the kitchen tiles and Robin attacked, "Artemis!" She swiveled and Cassandra swiped down arrows as Robin attempted to keep her occupied, attacking her face with high kicks until a secondary thudding crash rocketed Kid Flash into the hallway.
Cassandra took that second to leap away, hiding in the shadows of the ceiling while Artemis helped Kid Flash up, "What's going on out there?" she rasped.
"It was like a mini Rob from hell," Kid Flash panted, rocking back onto his feet. Artemis took sentry position, "Is that Batman? Why is Batman knocked out?" he freaked.
"Whoever these copycats are their missing out on my winning personality," Robin cajoled. Cassandra knocked the fruit bowl off the counter to heighten their bodies muscle responses and hopefully cut down on confrontation time.
"I might just agree with you on that one," Kid Flash wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth. "We got to wake Bats up…" he began.
Damian grumbled, "Incoming," as a small diameter explosion shuddered into the hallway revealing Ms. Martian skidding backwards, caught only by Artemis' quick fingers. "Aqua Lad is down," Damian alerted.
"Anyone else feeling like this is D-rate horror movie," Kid Flash mentioned, words blending together as he vibrated with nerves. "Because I'm feeling it, and it's not a good feeling," he concluded.
"KF, I'd shut up round about now," Robin gnashed back.
Kid Flash bolted into the darkened hallway, "I got this," he chimed, attempting to be confident. Cassandra should have told him he really don't got this. "I don't got this," Kid Flash grunted, flung backwards into his teammates as Super Boy crashed into him. "Dude, eat less," Kid Flash groaned beneath Super Boy.
Super Boy growled at him, staggering onto his feet, head tipped with vertigo.
Cassandra should end this before the children are further traumatized and also before Damian's confidence in battle skyrocketed. She didn't want to give them nightmares after all, "How about you show yourself and we go easy on your copy cat behind?" Robin taunted.
He was scared though. His mind instantly translating it to determination to get his Mentor and friends from harm's way; this was something that would not change with the years Cassandra was glad to learn. Stephanie was correct though he was very cute at this age, only a child but a child of her elder brother.
That's not what she meant. Words were difficult and unclear, movement wasn't.
Cassandra launched from her shadowed perch, cape spread like a blanket of doom, mask ever stitched into a nightmare and descended upon the children. It was over before they could truly panic. Because it was never the Robins you had to fear, it was the Bats. And Cassandra was an excellent Bat.