-Gotham Academy, 9:28 am-
"Hey Rionna, what's up?" a hand was put on my shoulder, I spun around quickly to meet eyes with Artemis.
"Gah! Artemis!" I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You seem a bit jumpy today, you alright?" Artemis looked at me, then around me "I was going to thank you with your help with the mission yesterday. We couldn't of caught Joker without your quick thinking. Tricking him into coming to us? Priceless."
"Ah ha... Your welcome. No, I'm still not joining you guys." I stood my ground. "My uncle says its too dangerous to fight alongside you guys."
"But your uncle is-" she hushed down her voice "-Batman, and you took Robin on in sparring effortlessly."
"I need permission from my uncle to join, and I don't have it yet." I tried to make up excuses "I didn't get permission after last night either. I got a stern talking to." I actually didn't as I was still there as Robin, I'm not sure what 'Rionna' (Babs) got other than a ride home.
"Oh, alright then..." she turned around, WHAM.
"WALLY?!" I helped Artemis up as Wally rubbed his head from impact. "You should not be running that fast in a school, haven't you heard of no running in the halls?"
"Ha ha, very funny Rio. Sorry Artemis." He rubbed the back of his head. "I was actually looking for you two."
"Aren't you supposed to be at school right now?" Artemis scowled at him, rubbing her shoulder. Obviously that was where Wally made impact.
"They closed it for the day. Chem lab fire, whole place was evacuated!" Wally smirked, chem lab fire? Something seemed far-fetched here.
{Is everyone connected?} I heard M'gann's voice in my head. {We're entering GA now.}
"What? Wally, what is going on?" Artemis looked at him curiosly, then we both noted what he was wearing. A Gotham Academy Uniform. It didn't make sense to us why he was wearing it. Then the rest of out team came in.
{Where's Robin?} I heard Superboy as he walked in, seeing Wally, Artemis and I.
{Remember, Batman didn't want us to know his secret identity, so I got the next best person!} Wally smiled {Rio!}
Kaldur, Megan and Superboy stopped when they got to where we were standing. I closed my locker, looking at them. They looked strange in the GA uniforms instead of their hero costumes.
{Okay, what the heck is going on?!} I looked at the group, crossing my arms in front of my chest. I quickly looked around {We should get out of here, the hall monitor will be making her rounds soon}
{This way.} Artemis motioned her hand towards the nearest back exit. It was the one that I usually used to Zeta to the Batcave {Now will you tell Rionna and I what is going on?}
{We're not going out of the school.} Megan looked at us {We're going to the cafeteria. All of us. Now.}
{Its only 9:45, Rionna and I are late for class.} Artemis looked back at Megan.
{Actually, I have a spare right now.} I looked back at Artemis
{How'd you get a spare? You're only in Grade 9!}
{I'm smart, duh.} I looked back at the team {You can go to class for now, I'll go to the caf with the Team. Meet us here for lunch.} I was relieved GA had odd class times, 2.5 hours first period, lunch, and two 75 minute last classes. Gave me tons of study time, hacking time, saving Gotham time with Bats... I should not think too much, I'm not sure if M'gann is listening or not.
{Alright then. See you at lunch.} Artemis grabbed her backpack, walking off to history class. {Keep the link up, in case something comes up and you leave.}
We walked into the cafeteria, I pulled out my tool kit and some of my disguised birdarangs (yes, the ones I made into hearts to not be pinned as Robin). I sat down at the first table with the team, adding onto my tech.
"What are you doing there Rio?" Wally looked over as I was screwing one of the rangs together. "It looks like you're making mechanical hearts."
I held up one of the hearts, passing it to him "Don't blow yourself up now. Careful with it." I was putting polyurethane foam pellets into a some hearts, and radio speakers onto others.
Kaldur raised an eyebrow "You work on those with such precision, like Robin with his birdarangs." He picked one up that contained the radio speaker. "Who taught you to build like this?"
"My Uncle and Cousin." I simply put. Really, I taught myself after seeing Bruce's tech. I reached into my tool kit again, but frowned when I didn't pull out a heart. "That's why I don't let Robin use my tool kit." I dismantled one of my hearts and sandwiched the birdarang in it, then putting the heart back together. "Useful, but deadly..." I accidentally sliced my finger on the blade. "...ouch..."
Wally had already grabbed napkins from the table's dispenser, and was wrapping my finger with them. "Rio, be more careful..."
SCHING! A three-pronged knife hit the table between Wally and I. I looked up, seeing a familiar cat-like mask. Cheshire. What was she doing here? It was probably not to pick up Artemis.
"Well, well, who's your new girlfriend?" Cheshire put her hand on her hip, observing out group. "I was here to collect files, but taking you out seems more... Interesting."
"Cheshire." I looked at her, my group froze after I said her name. I grabbed some of my heart birdarangs, flinging them at her. She flipped to avoid them, although one of the ones with polyurethane foam caught her knives, trapping them. I'm not sure how that happened, it was too quick for me even to keep track of. {Artemis, Cheshire in the cafeteria!}
{On my way, Rionna!} Artemis replied via psychic link.
"Hand to hand then, you're not a very smart one are you?" Cheshire looked at me, motioning a 'come at me bro', before lunging at me.
I avoided the strike, flipping to sit on top of the recycling bin like a monkey. "Ha ha, missed me!" I quickly moved to avoid the next strike, but she grabbed my hair. Uh oh.
WHAM. Wally rammed into Cheshire, making her let go of my hair and slamming her into a table. He stood up straight "Rio, you alright?"
The rest of the group ran to me, Kaldur helped me up this time. Megan was trying her best to keep Cheshire down with her mind. Conner was trying to help Megan hold Cheshire down. I pulled out a pair of handcuffs from my back pocket, handing them to Wally.
I watched as Wally attempted to cuff Cheshire, but she fought against Megan and slashed her claws across his face. She then ran into me, throwing me to the floor. She then had hold of my hair again. "Get in my way, will ya, I'll teach you..."
I saw another knife be produced from her belt. Instinct took hold, get the wig off and startle everyone, then cuff her in the process. I flung myself away from her, RIIIIIP...I felt for my handcuffs, damn, they were still over by Wally!
FWIP. Just in time, an arrow flew by me, bursting into foam on impact with Cheshire's wrists. Polyurethane handcuffs, clever, Artemis. She came over, helping me up, then wiping the blood from Wally's cheeks. Artemis looked at my short hair as I picked up my wig "What happened to you?"
"Home Ec incident. Cooking is not my thing." I pulled the wig back on. "I keep it short for when I'm around fire, or something that could light on fire."
"Really? Because with it so short, you look like Robin! Are you sure you're not twins?" Megan smiled sweetly.
"We're cousins." I reinforced, Wally was slightly giggling, I started to wonder why. "What's so funny?"
"When you were 'monkeying' the recycling bin, nice Bat-logo boxers!" His face was bright red, he was still laughing.
SLAP. That's exactly what both Artemis and I did to him. At the exact same time. In front of the team. Wow, Kaldur looked shocked, Conner's face was lightly red. Artemis scowled at Wally "Perv, why the heck were you staring at her... don't answer that. I don't wanna know."
I always wear boxers, those academy skirts are too short. I don't really see what was so funny. The only time I wear something else is if I'm in my Robin uniform. don't want anything bulky under that. I looked at him "What she said."
"Am I interrupting anything?"
"Babs!" I turned around, looking at my friend at the door. She blinked a few times, trying to register the scene. Yeah, looked totally bad. A dented recycling bin with shoe prints all over it, a broken window, broken table...and Cheshire on the ground with polyurethane handcuffs.
"Oh how sweet..." I heard Cheshire hiss, looking at her I saw she had somehow gotten out of her 'handcuffs'. "I was told to take no hostages, just the information from the office... But this'll do." Cheshire lunged at Barbara - not a good idea.
Babs flipped over Cheshire's lunge, landing and performing a low spin-kick. Cheshire was on the ground a minute later. Babs ran over to me "What is going on, Ri?"
"Um, if you haven't noticed already, Cheshire is what's going on!"
"And now she's gone." Wally pointed to the empty floor space, "I swear she's quicker than me!"
Babs looked briefly at me, "You took on Cheshire without Robin's help, and without getting killed? I congratulate you, Ri."
I put my hand on my forehead, roll-call time. "Barbara Gordon, meet Wally West, Conner Kent, Kaldur Ahm, Megan Morse. You already know Artemis."
"Conner looks like Superboy." Babs plainly said. "Nice uniform."
Conner raised an eyebrow, I intervened before any questions could be asked. "Babs, what are you doing out of class?"
"One, I heard the ruckus, and saw Artemis run by. Two, I won a contest to get seven tickets for ComicCon."
"You'll never get me in there." I looked at her, she gave me a ticket anyhow, along with the rest of the Team. "Holy crap, does that say Hawk Town?!"
"If you can read, then yes it does. Hawk's playing at the Con. Also, knowing the recent Joker incidents, I had an idea." She pulled a purple and black uniform from her backpack. I gasped when she took out a cowl. Batgirl, she wasn't kidding me.
"Babs, seriously? Did you make this?" I turned over the fabric, then seeing a yellow utility belt. It was mine, I usually had it on me, but not for school. "What's this?"
"Oh, Bats asked me to bring it for you." Babs pulled on the cowl and cape, smiling. "Tada!"
"Now try the Batglare. Betcha you can't do it." I smirked, then looking to the shocked team. "Okay, I'll getcha in the loop now. Batgirl, this is Kid Flash, Superboy, Aqualad, Miss Martian and... you already know Artemis."
"We don't know where Robin is right now though. Couldn't reach him through his phone or the communicator." Conner looked at me "You don't know where he is?"
"I, uh..."
"He just got back from patrol with Bats. See, I just got a text!" Babs held up her phone. She kept all of those old text messages? It worked in fooling everyone anyways. "Oh, and he wants Ri to return to the Batcave. I'll just be taking her with me... See you guys later!"
Babs tugged me down the hall to the doors. I looked back once, the team looking curiously at us. I looked back at Babs "Thank you for saving me from explaining again!"
-Batcave-
"Robin B-01. Batgirl B-16."
"You two are back early." Bruce was sitting in front of his computer.
"We had a Cheshire incident." Babs approached the side of the computer, "She said she was looking for files."
"The other villains caught wind of Rionna tricking the Joker." Bruce held up a thick file folder "Sportsmaster was looking to get his hands on these, your personal information file Rionna."
"Kid Flash B-03."
"Rio?" Wally ran out of the ZetaTube, tripping over his feet.
"Hey, get whelmed." I helped him up "You alright KF?"
"Sorry, I just rushed back from GA. Cheshire made a mess of the records office, she looked like she was looking for something" Wally looked at me "She also looked like she didn't find it."
"That's because Bats already got the file. It's safe here in the Batcave for now." Babs looked at Wally, smirking. She leaned in, whispering just so I and Wally could hear "I bet you're here for Rio."
I looked at her for a minute, then I heard Batman clear his throat. "I bet you're wondering about the ComicCon tickets. I bought them. Barbara didn't have to enter any contest."
"Wait, you got the tickets? Why?" I looked at him
"Mr. Oldyy is playing again, which may mean he will be in the crosshairs of any villain now that Joker's plan has been brought to law attention. Thank you Barbara for that." Batman looked at his screen "Also, you and the team may roam freely in your uniforms within the convention." He pulled up a picture of four men dressed as the Flash. "There will be many, many look-a-likes." he zoomed in to a girl with red hair dressed as Robin in the background.
"So you want the Team at the Con. What about Rionna? Babs gave her the ticket, not Robin!" Wally looked at Batman, who simply pulled up a webpage for the Con on his computer.
"Rionna, you will be rooming with Artemis, Miss Martian and Barbara. Wally, you'll be with Superboy and Aqualad." Batman looked at me, then Barbara and Wally in turn. "Robin 'will be with me on a mission'. I already made room arrangements for the Team, and you can Zeta there from the Mount Justice."
"But what about Rionna's costume?" Barbara looked at Batman
"I think you should've figured it out by now. The term is 'crossplay', right?" Batman got a nod from Babs "Rionna is going to 'crossplay' Robin, but she really is Robin. It was Barbara's idea."
"Whose idea was it then to dress me up as a girl?!" Wally grouched over his experience as Willow.
"That, was your uncle's idea." Batman looked at the younger speedster. "You three, Zeta to Mount Justice, collect the team, then Zeta to San Diego."