Hello again, everyone! I am SuperHeroTimeFan, and I am coming back to you with another new chapter of my best story yet, Path of the Padawan! It's great to know everyone has supported me to get this far already. It means so much, I thank you all! Thank you, The Christian Jedi, Logan GC, JacklyinKarst, YellowFlash67, Scourge from BloodClan, Darkest Nightmare's Dread, Flaming Dragon, Sonarkiller27, shin obin, Robin Rani, Falcongal, Swimmer555, All4TheSnow, Moreanswers24, JediSpiritMonk, trickster3696, Jenn, pootisman343, Princess9903, Hylianodst, Ahsokanerd, Crashingthroughthesnow, link01742, chalant4eva, witchsoul531, Useless Whispers, Crystal-Rose-Lover, Ahsokalo, KrautYank, Ocnarf, and all of the Guests for reviewing, favoriting, and doing all you can to make my story as great as possible. It means so much to me! You're all too kind for words! Now, before I begin my next newest chapter, please let me address a couple of issues that you all had. KrautYank and The Christian Jedi, I just saw that I made an error in the time of the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne. I changed it to a different time to as not to confuse everyone. Thank you for pointing that out to me, I'll try not to do it in the future. Also, to The Christian Jedi, I hadn't read some DC comics in a while, so I didn't know that Zsasz wasn't called Doctor Zsasz. Once again, that was my mistake. Now that I have addressed everyone's questions and concerns, please allow me to move onto my newest chapter! Please be sure to review, rate, and as always, please be sure to enjoy!
Chapter 36: Out of House and Home
Bialya May 25th 2308 hours UTC
Sylas walked throughout his base grimly as he looked down to all of his generals with looks of either approval or disgust. Since Syrena was the only ORDER agent to win his trust, she was currently training his daughter, Xion, for battle against the Team. In the Training Room nearby, the head of the ORDER could see that Xion was starting to learn how to master her powers over the Force.
Ever since Messiah had come to him and taught him the ways of the Force, he had also been sure to teach his only daughter everything he knew. Now, it was Alakshmi's turn to teach as Sylas looked into the Training Room. Xion took no notice of her father, but Sylas gave a nod of approval to both his top general and his daughter. With that being done, he walked into the Control Room, where he had some more of his operatives waiting for him.
The Terror Titans, along with Killer Croc and Kid Wykkyd, all stood ready for Sylas to enter. As they were waiting, Black Widow decided to have a talk with Killer Croc. "I heard that you failed to liberate all the other prisoners from Arkham." She retorted. The crocodile-like criminal growled at this while Barriss went on teasingly. "It's too bad that you only managed to get just one prisoner out with you." She spat before adding on, "And a talentless one at that."
Kid Wykkyd sighed internally as he heard this. Unable to control his emotions any longer, he turned around and punched Black Widow into a wall. "I have powers that you can't even imagine!" he remarked. Enola then flew over and her hands started to glow with energy. "You wanna take this outside, crud-boy?!" she snapped. Kid Wykkyd smirked and was about to fight back, but at that moment, the door whirred open, and Sylas entered, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and straighten up their postures respectively before their leader.
Sylas looked down to the generals and Terror Titans and sighed. "The more you fight against each other, the more the League gets one step ahead of us!" the leader yelled angrily. Everyone nodded and performed a Zogist salute, henceforth apologizing for the recent behavior. Sylas smirked at this as he walked towards Killer Croc and Kid Wykkyd. "I'm pleased to hear that your breakout at Arkham was a success, Waylon." Sylas stated. Killer Croc growled deeply and bowed before his leader accordingly. "Truth be told, I was only expecting Batman to appear, but with the Jedi's interference, things got complicated for me." He replied. Sylas nodded at this before turning his attention to Kid Wykkyd. "My boy, it is great to have you on board the ORDER." Sylas congratulated Wykkyd. The young villain smiled at this and saluted, causing Sylas to smirk once again.
After consulting with the two new ORDER operatives, Sylas then started to turn and make his way towards the Terror Titans and generals. Most of the operatives started to gulp, especially Black Widow when Sylas started to near her. "Tell me, Barriss. Why is it, that Syrena was the only ORDER general who was able to execute a plan perfectly?" he questioned. Barriss started to sweat in Sylas's presence, especially since she had served him, undergone surgery for him, and even carried out his deeds and that she was now failing at her new life. Sylas growled and snapped his finger, leaning in closer towards her. "Well, what is it?" he asked.
"I-it was because Alakshmi was able to thoroughly plan out the operation, bring herself to the source of her enemies, and seduced them from the inside out." Barriss Offee quickly replied. Sylas nodded at this and started to walk across the room, looking each of the ORDER operatives in the eyes. "She is correct, everyone." He strictly stated. "The best way to take down your enemy is to strike at their center." He sadistically added on. The Terror Titans gulped as Sylas started to look to each and every one of them. "Now, everyone, who has a plan?" he asked sinisterly.
Everyone remained silent at that remark, causing Sylas to tense up beneath the skin, cursing silently to himself, but allowing everyone to hear what he was saying at the same time. Just then, Falcon, Prowler and Xanadu stepped up with confident smirks on their faces. "We have a plan." Falcon stated, causing Sylas to raise an eyebrow in interest while Xanadu went on. "It involves Batman's home, as well as the gain of control over his business, Wayne Enterprises." She retorted in a savvy tone. "It's the perfect coup." Prowler stated. Sylas mumbled to himself before nodding at this. "Tell me what you had in mind." He ordered. Everyone soon started to chuckle as the twins of Zatanna, Artemis and Dick explained their plan to Sylas, now smirking and grinning with delight.
Gotham Academy May 26th 1426 EDT
It was nearly the end of the day at Gotham Academy. Most of the students were either already packing up to go home or staying after class for help on their Final Exams. Only Artemis, Dick and Serra were doing none of the above, as they were instead searching across the school for any signs of their ORDER nemeses since the latest ORDER strikes. They had been searching all day since the end of their eleventh period classes and they were starting to feel tired.
After a while, the three regrouped in the East Hallway, all exhausted from their search. Robin was the first to speak as he knelt down on the ground, placing his hands onto his knees and panting tiredly. "So far, I haven't sighted Falcon, Prowler, or anyone out of the ordinary." He reported. Artemis panted as well as she sat down on a bench and kicked off her shoes, placing her head back and fanning herself with one hand. "Same with me. It seems that Sylas might have called them off after Enola attacked Maxwell in Paris." She stated. Serra nodded as she threw back her hair and leaned against the student newspaper office. "This may be nothing but a wild Bantha chase." The Jedi remarked, wiping off some sweat from her forehead. Dick and Artemis looked to Serra at that moment with confused looks on their faces. "What's a Bantha?" Artemis asked in curiousness. Serra sighed at this and cracked her back. After doing that, she looked to the two and placed her hand out in front of her, saying "Okay, you see; a Bantha is like…"
Serra didn't get the chance to continue, as she then heard something going on in the room next to them. "Hold that thought." She said, causing the other two heroes to nod as they started to listen in on what Serra was hearing. Dick's eyes widened as they heard the muffled conversation. "That's Barbara!" he exclaimed. Artemis gasped at this as well as they all started to listen on her conversation with the editorial instructor.
Inside of the office, Barbara was squirming in her seat, watching as her editor looked throughout her papers. He let out a big sigh as he placed the papers down, causing the young adolescent to sigh. He then looked over to Barbara and shook his head. "Miss Gordon, I understand your enthusiasm, but writing an excerpt from Metropolis's latest week's issue of the Daily Planet is plagiarism, something that I know a fine, young student reporter would never do." He stated in a curtly tone.
Barbara sighed and looked down to her feet meekly. "Mr. Jamestown, I know, but my father won't let me in on any story of Batman, Superman, or the Justice League!" she exclaimed calmly. Mr. Jamestown nodded at this before he walked over to get a cup of coffee. "Please continue." He calmly said. Barbara started to clench her dress as she went on. "I mean, ever since the ORDER revealed themselves to the world and attacked us, the press hasn't been allowed to get any news on what has been going on." Barbara added on.
The teacher nodded at this again as he sat back down in his seat. "Well, Barbara, since your father is head of the Gotham Police Department, he may not be able to give you as much insight as to what is going on as anyone else." He said, causing Barbara to sigh once again as she played with her hair. "But, there just may be a story available for you." He added on, starting to give her some hope. Barbara's eyes widened when she heard this, muttering the name "Ahsoka Tano" under her breath. At that, Mister Jamestown nodded. Barbara gasped at this happily and nodded, panting excitedly. "My father never said that I couldn't do a story on Ahsoka!" she exclaimed. Ceren Jamestown nodded and smiled as he placed a hand on Barbara's shoulder. "Go for it." He said. Barbara nodded happily as she soon went for the door.
Serra gasped and pushed Dick and Artemis away from the door, right before it swung open with Barbara laughing happily. Dick looked to his friends, unsure of what to do. Fortunately, both of them gestured for him to go towards his best friend with Serra pushing him towards the daughter of the Gotham Police Department. "Go for it, man!" Artemis urged, working with Serra to push Dick, not dragging his feet on the ground, towards Barbara.
Barbara, on the other hand, was distracted thinking about her big accomplishment and only took notice of Dick when he cleared his throat. The young redhead smiled at her best friend, in which he smiled back shyly. "Hey there, Barbara." The young Boy Wonder greeted his friend. Barbara nodded excitedly as Dick started to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. "So, are you having any luck with finding a new story?" he asked nervously, not wanting to drop any hints that the three were eavesdropping on her conversation. Barbara nodded happily and squealed, letting out some excitement. "I was able to get the chance to get an exclusive story on the Jedi, Ahsoka Tano!" she exclaimed. Dick's eyes widened in surprise, but he already knew this since he was listening in on the conversation. "That's great!" he stated. Barbara nodded as she started to make her way to her locker. "By the way, Mr. Wayne has volunteered to look after me at his home while my dad is on patrol." She informed. Artemis and Serra both snickered as Barbara sent a wink towards Dick before asking, "You're fine having me as a guest, right?" Dick nodded at this, causing Barbara to smile and turn back to her locker. "I'll be seeing you later!" she called out. Dick smiled and nodded before Barbara went off to find a good story on Ahsoka Tano.
As soon as Barbara left, Serra and Artemis walked up to Dick and placed their hands on his shoulders. "Just wait till Zee hears about this!" Serra quipped, causing Artemis to chuckle a bit while Dick sighed and went to his locker. Right after he left, Artemis looked around and sighed. "I wonder what Ahsoka's up to anyways." She said to herself. Serra looked to her and shrugged, not knowing her whereabouts either.
Meanwhile, somewhere else down in Gotham City, the Royal Flush Gang, consisting of Jack, Ace, King, Queen and Ten, were setting up an illegal arms deal in the Black Market down near Crime Alley. "We haven't got much time before that Batman shows up." Queen stated in her dark tone. Ace chuckled with delight and placed down a Particle Disrupter. "No need to worry, Queen. Batman never cares for criminals like us when he's always too busy with guys like the Joker, or maybe Penguin." She retorted.
Jack suddenly gulped at this and leaned against a wall, inspecting a Rorschach image of two large blobs and a small one in the middle. "Dudes, we've got a Justice League to take care of. Recently, they've been increasing in numbers." He reminded them. Ten scoffed when he heard this and punched a wall, cracking his neck soon after. "Man, I don't care about any kind of hero on the League! I just care if I can take them down and get away with murder!" the dark-skinned criminal remarked. King hit his scepter on Ten's head and sighed in much frustration. "That doesn't mean that we can't let our guards down." He scolded. The rest of the Royal Flush Gang nodded as they went back to work, selling a Sonic Cannon to the half-faced gangster known as Two-Face.
At that moment, five small cards were thrown towards the poker-motif alliance. They all gasped as the cards for Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace were placed into the wall, nearly slicing off their heads. Two-Face snarled at this, as well as all of the other criminals. "It appears I have the lucky hand." A female voice retorted. Scarecrow seemed to be the one scared at this, causing Magpie to raise an eyebrow as King scoffed. He soon formed his scepter into a shotgun and aimed it at the shadows. "Show your face, coward!" he demanded.
With that command, the attacker came out in a flash. Everyone soon gasped at the heroine. From her orange skin to her white and green head-tails, it was easy to make out who she was. "It's Ahsoka Tano!" Lunkhead exclaimed. Ahsoka just scoffed and unsheathed one of her lightsaber hilts. "That's right. Now, I'm giving you all till the count of five to turn yourselves in." She threatened, pointing the blade to all of the villains. Magpie was about to break one of the walls down, but Ahsoka shot an energized arrow at her nails, also causing Ten to crack his knuckles in angst. "Don't try to escape either, because I have all of the Gotham Police Department surrounding the area." She additionally warned them. Every criminal looked to each other for a moment, trying to decide on what to do. Seeing as they had no choice left, everyone placed their hands up in the air, all ready to be taken in. Ahsoka scoffed as she deactivated her lightsaber and placed her hand on her hip. "I thought so." She quipped. The Royal Flush Gang started to murmur angrily, but soon stopped after a quick glare from Ahsoka. She smirked at this and started to let the Gotham Police Department enter the building, all cuffing the fugitives of the law one by one.
Soon, the News Crew and reporters arrived on the scene, Barbara one of them. They were all watching as Ahsoka and Commissioner Gordon were taking away each and every criminal at the Black Market. Ace sent a snarl towards Ahsoka before being taken away, but he was kicked into the police van by one of the guards. Barbara nearly squealed in excitement as she saw Ahsoka for the very first time, but she was able to contain her happiness as she soon realized that her father was there at the scene as well. Looking around to see if anyone wouldn't notice her, Barbara quickly and stealthily made her way past the blockade of policemen and near her father and Ahsoka, but out of sight at the same time.
Ahsoka and Commissioner Gordon both watched every criminal be taken away. As soon as they were all locked up in their vans, the lieutenant looked to Ahsoka with a slight smile on his face. "The first time you came, everything now goes perfectly." He stated. Ahsoka just scoffed at this and placed her hand on Gordon's shoulder. "So I've heard." She remarked back. James nodded at this before Ahsoka went onto her next question.
"So, is it true, that you consider vigilantes or other heroes to be dangerous if they decide to take the law into their own hands?" she asked. Once again, the Commissioner/Lieutenant sighed and nodded his head in agreement. "If the law is not taken care of properly, then there might be people who would just do as much as change it to fit their needs, like Batman or the Penguin." He explained. Ahsoka nodded and sighed, placing her hand on her hip and looking into the sky. "Well, Lieutenant, I'm not one of those people, so there's no need to worry." She stated. James Gordon smiled slightly at this before Ahsoka walked off to her bike. "I have to go now, Lieutenant. Bruce Wayne just invited me for some business offers at Wayne Manor." She said. Lieutenant Gordon nodded at this and saluted. "My daughter is staying over with him, just to let you know." He yelled. Ahsoka nodded and asked, "Do you want me to look after her?" in which James nodded. Ahsoka smiled as she rode away.
Barbara had seen everything unfold as she came out of her hiding spot. It was her very first time seeing Ahsoka, and now, crazy thoughts started to go through her mind. This is perfect! If I can at least find out who Ahsoka Tano really is, have an interview with her, or find out some dark secret about her, then I'll have the story of the century! She thought to herself excitedly. With that being done, she ran off back to her house before her father would get there. Before she left, she heard some clattering and voices. She seen walked towards the alley to see what was going on. To her surprise, there was nothing there. "Heh, I must be imagining things." Barbara said to herself before walking off home.
Unbeknownst to either Ahsoka or Commissioner Gordon, Falcon, Xanadu and Prowler were watching from the shadows, seeing what Ahsoka was up to. "This will be like killing two birds with one stone." Prowler quipped. Xanadu looked to the evil archer and elbowed her in the chest. "Don't talk like that in front of my boyfriend." She threatened. Falcon scoffed and started to caress Xanadu's cheek. "Don't worry, my love. I'm used to those kinds of things." He reassured her. Xanadu smiled and soon, the three were off.
Mount Justice 1649 hours EDT
As soon as Ahsoka reached the Cave, M'gann told her to help her get ready fro Final Exams. Ahsoka was nonetheless confused and curious about Final Exams. M'gann and Dick had told her that they were some sort of series of tests to show what one has learned over the entire duration of their school year. Truth be told, since Ahsoka never had school in her universe, and because these exams were causing so much stress for everyone, she had no idea what the big deal was. From what she heard from the upperclassmen, Final Exams are just like any other test or quiz that someone has to take. Still, these exams were putting M'gann and Connor on edge, so she did her best to help the two prepare for their tests.
It took about an hour to quiz both the Martian and the Kryptonian, but to Ahsoka, it was all worth it. Now, she was getting ready to head over to Wayne Manor. As she was about to go, Zatanna soon walked up to her. Ahsoka turned to her and smiled. "Hey there, Zee. What's up?" she asked. Zatanna smirked and patted Ahsoka on the shoulder before sighing. "Now that I know who Robin really is, I think I'll pay him a visit." She stated. Ahsoka smiled at this and together, the two started to walk towards the Zeta Tube. Recognized Ahsoka Tano B-1-1, Zatanna B-0-9. The female computer AI voice announced as the Togrutan and the mage walked through the teleportation system to get to Gotham.
Wayne Manor 1755 hours EDT
Recognized Ahsoka Tano B-1-1, Zatanna B-0-9. The female computer voice said as Ahsoka, now in her Ashley persona, and Zatanna, emerged from the yellow glow of the Zeta Tube radiation and into one of the rooms of Wayne Manor. Artemis, leaning against a wall, smiled as she turned to see them. "Hey, girls. What's up?" she asked. Ahsoka chuckled and patted the archer on the shoulder. "I was just going to ask you the same thing." She stated. Artemis rolled her eyes as she got off from the wall and kicked herself back onto her feet. "Dick let me come here to train in the BatCave, so there's that." The archer explained. Ahsoka and Zatanna both nodded before the sound of footsteps caught their attention.
Bruce's butler, Alfred pennywort, soon walked up towards them, holding a cane in one hand and a tray in the other. "Master Tano, Master Zatanna, it is an honor to have you here tonight at Wayne Manor." He stated in a gruff voice. Ahsoka smiled and shook Alfred's free hand. "You must be Alfred." The Togrutan said. Alfred nodded and started to lead them into the hallway. "Master Bruce and Master Grayson are waiting for you." He added on. The three girls nodded as they went in to meet up with the famous billionaire and the former flying Grayson.
As they were walking, Artemis started to nudge Ahsoka a bit. The Togrutan chuckled at this before softly elbowing the archer back. "What is it?" Ahsoka asked, chuckling a bit while all Zatanna could do was roll her eyes in exasperation. Artemis looked around and then started to whisper to the two girls. "Keep an eye out for a redheaded girl named Barbara. She has to stay here because her father is out on patrol, and she is really desperate to get a story on you." Artemis whispered. Ahsoka's eyes widened at this and after thinking for a while, she nodded back and said, "I'll do my best not to reveal myself." Zatanna and Artemis both agreed as they soon approached a large door leading to the living room, Ahsoka now reverting back to her original skin.
Not far away, the three Terror Titans, Falcon, Prowler and Xanadu were listening in on the whole conversation. "It seems that there are more to kill here." Prowler stated vexingly while sharpening her arrows. Xanadu nodded at this and started to polish her wand. "Shall we go in?" she asked her boyfriend. Falcon sent a Slasher Smile and nodded. "With pleasure." He quipped. The three then laughed and jumped down from the top of the building they were on, landing on the ground soon after. Falcon snickered and looked to both Prowler and Xanadu sinisterly. "Let's go, girls." Falcon said. The two girls nodded and soon, they started to make their way to Wayne Manor.
Back in Wayne Manor, Dick was showing Barbara around his home. So far, the young redheaded female was enjoying the place, especially after she saw a portrait of Vincent Van Gogh, as well as the advanced computers Bruce Wayne owned as a wealthy investor and businessman. As soon as they came out of the art hall, Barbara let out a huge sigh and started to place her hand on Dick's shoulder. "How are you liking the place so far, Barbara?" the Flying Grayson asked. Barbara chuckled and placed her hands in front of her. "Dick, this is all really nice, but right now, the only thing on my mind is finding the perfect story on Ahsoka Tano!" she exclaimed. The Boy Wonder in disguise nodded at this and mumbled to himself quietly. Barbara raised an eyebrow at her friend, confused as to what he was so distraught with.
Soon, the two arrived in Bruce Wayne's office, where he was busy sorting out files and papers. As soon as Dick cleared his throat, the billionaire looked up and smiled. "Dick, I didn't hear you come in." He stated. The young ebony-haired boy smirked as Barbara started to walk up towards him. Bruce smiled to her as well and stood up to shake her hand. "I assume that you are enjoying your stay here?" he asked. The redheaded girl smiled and nodded at this. "I hear that Ahsoka Tano is visiting for a cooperation." She said. Bruce nodded to this and sighed. "As you know, Miss Tano has made a big impact on our lives the day she got here, so I was thinking that Wayne Enterprises would try to be of help to her." He explained further on. Barbara nodded at this as the billionaire started to go back to his desk.
At that moment, the door opened, and Alfred came in with Artemis and Zatanna standing around Ahsoka Tano herself. Barbara squealed in excitement, much to Ahsoka's surprise. Wanting to ease up everything, Bruce cleared his throat and walked up to Ahsoka. "Miss Tano, thank you for agreeing to meet with me." He said gratefully as he extended his hand towards her. Ahsoka smiled at this and shook his hand. "As a Jedi, it is of great honor to be meeting with you, Mister Wayne." She replied back. Bruce nodded and redirected her to his desk, taking a seat across from him. "Now, are we ready to talk?" he asked. Ahsoka soon nodded and the two started to place down files on the table.
Before the two could talk, though, Barbara started to walk up to her. Ahsoka took notice of this as Barbara started to put a big smile on her face. "Excuse me, Miss Ahsoka Tano, I am Barbara Gordon of the Gotham Academy Newspaper Department, and I would like to ask you a few questions." Barbara informed her. Ahsoka nodded slightly and before the young reporter could respond, Ahsoka placed her hand on Barbara's shoulder. "I have a friend, Ashley, waiting in the kitchen. I think that you would like her, she and you being the same in practically every way." She calmly said. The young redhead let out a sigh, but Ahsoka just sent a confident smile and nodded. "I'll be glad to answer all of your questions, but right now, I have some work to do." She explained further on. Barbara sighed, but soon happily nodded and walked off into the kitchen, leaving Artemis and Zatanna to snicker the minute she left.
Now that Barbara had left the room, Bruce and Ahsoka were able to talk to each other. "Now, what did you really call me here for, Bruce?" she asked, as she now knew what Batman's secret identity. Batman sighed and looked to Artemis, Zatanna and Robin. "Sometime after we dealt with Arkham, I've been growing concerned about your behavior, due to how you were with the Joker and all." He stated. Ahsoka nodded at this, but Zatanna raised an eyebrow at this statement and ran up to Ahsoka, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Ahsoka, what's he talking about?" she demanded. Ahsoka sighed and looked down to her feet meekly. "I-I don't want to talk about it." She sadly said. Artemis placed her hand on her hip as Dick started to eye the Togrutan with concern.
Ahsoka soon sat up from her seat and made her way to the door. "Barbara will know that something is up when she finds that Ashley isn't waiting for her." She stated, trying to come up with an excuse. Bruce nodded at this as Ahsoka soon shapeshifted herself into her human skin and walked off into the hallway. Zatanna sighed and placed her hand on Dick's shoulder. "I worry for her all the time." She stated. Dick nodded in agreement and then they all looked to the Dark Knight. Alfred soon cleared his throat and looked to Bruce with a respective look on his face. "Sir, if I may be so bold, I suggest that you give her some time and that you take a break." He suggested. Bruce remained silent as he opened up the jaw of a Tyrannosaurus skeleton and pressed it, revealing an entrance to the BatCave. "If you need me, then you know where to find me." He said. Everyone else nodded at this as Bruce Wayne soon slid down the pole and into the BatCave, starting to don his Batman suit to try to think things out. Dick sighed and looked to Artemis and Zatanna, who started to nod back at him. Artemis then looked to Alfred and sighed. "We'll be with Ahsoka if you happen to need us." She stated. The former M16 agent nodded and the three were off. Ahsoka, knowing that Barbara would get to the kitchen first due to her getting a head start, started to use Force Speed to get herself there.
Meanwhile, Barbara was just getting to the kitchen. I wonder what Ashley's like. She thought to herself. Before she could open the door, a gust of wind blew by, causing Barbara to gasp. She looked around to see if anyone was there, but as usual, she saw nothing. "I've got to stop eating my dad's protein bars!" she exclaimed to herself. With that, she entered the kitchen, turning the lights on and seeing a young, blonde girl drinking some coffee. As soon as she saw Barbara, she smiled and placed down her drink, walking over to her excitedly.
"Hey there, you must be Barbara!" Ahsoka, in her human disguise, exclaimed. Barbara smiled and nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Ashley." She stated. Ashley nodded and the females sat down at a table. "You know, I heard a lot of interesting stuff about Ahsoka Tano." Ashley stated. Barbara nodded at this and started to look around, as if she were about to give away a secret. "Believe it or not, Ahsoka Tano is actually right here in this mansion, meeting with Bruce Wayne!" she exclaimed. Ahsoka pretended to show some surprise at this fact, but couldn't help but hide away the guilt of lying to her new friend. Barbara continued to show excitement as she started to take out a pen and pad. "I want to be able to try to uncover a big secret about her, or something that could make a great story for my School Newspaper!" she added on.
"That sounds pretty exciting." Ashley stated somberly. Barbara shared a confused look as soon as she noticed Ashley's change in demeanor. "Is something wrong, Ashley?" she asked curiously. Ashley sighed and looked up to Barbara, putting the best smile she could make on her face. "It's nothing, Barbara." She reassured her. "I was just thinking about a decision I had to make back then, a decision that would have changed my life forever if it never meant ruining the other person's life." She explained. Barbara gasped quietly at this statement and just kept her mouth shut, not knowing how to respond to this.
Just then, the sound of footsteps filled the room. Ashley and Barbara looked around to see if there was anyone there. "Who's there?!" Ashley called out. All that came was the sound of a laughter. Barbara's eyes narrowed at the origin of the cackle. "Wait, I know that laugh!" she exclaimed. At that moment, a boy dressed like Robin, only darker in contrast, jumped down from the ceiling and landed on the ground in front of them. "Looks like a full house tonight." He darkly quipped. Soon, Dick, Artemis and Zatanna entered the room, gasping as soon as they laid eyes on the sight of the evil clone. Dick's eyes narrowed dangerously at the clone, in which the evil doppelganger smirked. He then sent a low whistle, signaling for two other assailants to emerge from their hiding places. One looked like Zatanna, emerging from a cupboard while the other resembled Artemis, starting to come out from the dumbwaiter.
Soon, Falcon, Xanadu and Prowler were in the kitchen, looking to their original counterparts devilishly. Artemis raised her crossbow and snarled at Prowler, as did Zatanna when she lifted up her wand and looked Xanadu dead in the eyes. Barbara took notice of the tension going on and started to wave her hands around. "What the Hell is going on here?!" she demanded. Dick straightened up his sunglasses and bit his tongue. "Let's just say that we've got some bad blood in out families." He stated. The Terror Titans just smirked and laughed evilly at this. "Now, where's dear old Mister Wayne?" Falcon demanded sadistically. Dick just snarled at this and with Artemis and Zatanna, they all charged at the Terror Titans. Ashley looked at the scene before grabbing Barbara's arm. "Let's get out of here!" she yelled. Barbara started to hesitate as she looked back onto the battle. Artemis is fighting her evil twin, and Zatanna with hers, but if Dick's battling that demonic version of Robin… Barbara thought to herself. Her eyes widened with surprise at that moment, and before she could ask anything, Ashley dragged her out of the room as fast as she could.
The kitchen was now turned into a battle zone, as each member of the Team was fighting their Terror Titan counterpart in a no holds barred battle. Artemis ran up to Prowler, immediately throwing a right hook followed by a right upper kick, causing her evil twin to dodge and block the attacks as she went to the side to avoid a left hook made by her good twin. Artemis soon kicked her away and unsheathed her crossbow, as Prowler took out a golden broadsword and charged at her. Artemis loaded up as many arrows as she could and strafed her twin down the hallway, causing Prowler to dodge and take cover behind many paintings, clocks and suits of armors. Artemis backflipped over a couple of fallen objects and started to aim her crossbow at Prowler, now hiding behind a staircase. Prowler smirked at this and then ran out of her hiding place, jumping into the air to strike. Artemis saw this coming and soon shot at her in midair, causing her to land on the higher level.
Zatanna looked around for her evil clone, preparing her wand and ready to aim a spell at her wherever she was. Just then, Xanadu jumped right behind her, sending Zatanna into the closet, crashing into some brooms and mops. Zatanna growled at this and soon stood up from her spot. Xanadu ran over and tried to kick her where she was, but Zatanna went to the side and jumped into the air to kick her away. Zatanna then got into another fighting stance and performed a bicycle kick into the air, sending Xanadu away before landing back on the ground and twirling to kick her into the wall. The two then exchanged a series of punches and kicks before they were eventually fighting each other side by side against the wall. Zatanna tried to stab Xanadu with the tip of her wand, but Xanadu grabbed her wrist and placed her back against the wall, pinning her. She then tried to attack Zatanna with both fists, but Zatanna was stronger this time, as she split her hands apart and sent her into the kitchen once again.
Meanwhile, Dick was still fighting against Falcon. The two were at equal strength, but Falcon was stronger than the flying Grayson as he had his full stamina and Dick used up most of his while training in the BatCave earlier. Falcon elbowed his twin, causing him to groan, but he was still able to hold his ground and fight back. He soon sent a right hook towards his twin. Falcon was forced to dodge and go to the side, but failed to avoid a left jab made by the Boy Wonder. Falcon then attempted a left jab, but Robin went to the side and blocked a right hook with his left wrist. Robin growled and soon lunged his left hand forwards, causing the Boy Terror to grab his wrist and engage in a lock before they broke off.
Meanwhile, Ashley was still taking Barbara away from the scene of the battle. Barbara was still confused about what was happening, and as of now, she was demanding some answers. "What is going on here, Ashley?!" she incredulously yelled. Ahsoka remained silent as they tried to find a safe hiding place to take refuge in until the whole fiasco was over. "There's no time!" Ashley loudly replied back. Barbara was slightly taken aback by this, now curious as to what was causing Ashley's strange behavior.
Before she could ask anything, though, Dick was sent flying through the wall and into the hallway. The two girls gasped immediately at this as Falcon soon ran in, cackling madly at him. "Prepare to go down, Boy!" Falcon sinisterly exclaimed. Barbara started to tense up at this sight. "That bastard!" she cursed, picking up a sharp, broken metal rod and starting to charge at him, but Ashley only grabbed her arm. "No, don't!" she exclaimed. Barbara panted and just shook her arm off. "I can't just sit here!" she replied back in anger.
At that moment, Xanadu rejoined her boyfriend, still recovering from the injuries she sustained from Zatanna. The two smiled sinisterly as they went to finish off Dick Grayson, but the sound of footsteps caught their attention. Falcon scoffed at the sight of Barbara and flipped her off. "Pest." He remarked. Xanadu then ran towards Barbara and tried to punch her in the chest, but Barbara flipped over her and slashed at her robe, injuring her with her own improvised weapon. Xanadu groaned in pain a bit before regaining herself in time to see Barbara run towards Falcon. Falcon just scoffed again and blocked the attack with his Bō staff. Barbara gasped as her weapon was thrown aside and she was slashed by the staff soon after. Barbara panted and attempted to run back to Ashley, but Xanadu, now wanting some revenge, gutted her in the stomach and threw her over in the air, making her land on the ground back-first.
Barbara gasped at this outcome, and just closed her eyes when Xanadu started to bring her pointed wand down onto her. Ahsoka, not being able to take it anymore, Force-Sped over towards her and unsheathed a lightsaber, slashing Xanadu in the stomach and then Force-Pushing her away. Barbara looked up and gasped, now seeing who Ashley really was. "Ahsoka?" she asked weakly. Ahsoka looked back and sadly nodded, ashamed at hiding a secret from her new friend. Barbara was about to say something, but Xanadu was starting to get a grip on herself, now even more angry than before. Before she could even blast a spell at them, a gunshot was heard, causing the two girls to turn around and see Alfred. "As a former member of the M16 unit, I order you to leave immediately." He sternly stated. Falcon growled at this, even more at the butler for hurting his girlfriend.
Soon, Batman jumped down from the ceiling, glaring into Falcon's eyes deeply. The Dark Knight looked to Ahsoka with a concerned but thankful look on his face. Ahsoka looked up to him and smiled. Batman seemed to show the same emotion as the Togrutan stood up with an injured Barbara in her hands. "Take her to the BatCave for now. I'll take care of the Terror Titans." He ordered. Barbara looked to him weakly and shook her head. "Dick's Robin, isn't he?" she asked. Ahsoka and Batman looked to her with surprised looks on their faces, but they soon faded away as Falcon started to crack his neck as if her were undead. Batman looked to the Boy Terror and narrowed his eyes. "Get out of here, now." He ordered. Ahsoka seemed to hesitate at this, in which Batman took notice. He then took out an explosive batarang and shot it at the ground, causing Ahsoka to gasp as she took away the young daughter of the Gotham Police Department Lieutenant.
Batman glared angrily at Falcon, who was smirking at his success at being able to defeat the Boy Wonder. "I guess I got you angry, huh, Bruce?" he asked sadistically. Batman said nothing at this remark and the two charged at each other, jumping into the air and punching one another in the chest. The two then fell to the ground and started to fight again. Falcon sent a lower kick, in which the Dark Knight dodged and the two elbowed each other in the chests. Both were knocked back, giving Batman the opportunity to unsheathe a large batarang, shaped like a blade. The two jumped onto the skywalk and battled, with the Dark Knight fighting in tranquil fury. He slashed everywhere, but Falcon easily dodged every attack and shoved him aside as the two fell down and back onto the ground soon after.
Falcon performed a lower roundhouse kick, in which Batman executed a high sweep of his blade and stabbed, but the Boy Terror grabbed his blade hand and knocked him into some suits of armor. He then unsheathed weapons of his own: bola staffs, in which the Dark Knight countered with another batarang blade. The two soon started to strafe each other, waiting for either one of them to attack. The crashed through the walls as they ran, in which Falcon struck first, but Batman was able to block this as he slashed Falcon into the wall. Before the Dark Knight could land his blades onto Falcon's body, he blocked hid blades and threw him aside. Batman regained his footing and soon kicked Falcon onto the ramp very hard, knocking him into unconsciousness. Batman seemed to smirk at his victory, but he would not let it be, since Falcon nearly killed his protégé. He charged once again at the Boy Terror, but Falcon had been playing dead the whole time and when the Dark Knight charged, he threw him over the edge, following him after and stepping onto his chest. Unsatisfied with this challenge, Falcon started to walk away, but Batman soon gave chase.
As soon as Ahsoka and Barbara were out of Batman's way, the Togrutan decided to have a talk with the redhead. "Okay, how did you know?" she asked. Barbara panted weakly and nodded to her. "If Artemis, and I think I know who she really is now, and Zatanna were fighting against people who looked just like them, as well as had their skills, then Dick had to be Robin, due to the costume similarity and all." She reasoned. Ahsoka nodded at this and smirked. "You're a good detective." She stated. Barbara sent a weak smile as she tried to cover up a dried-up blood stain.
At that moment, Artemis and Zatanna joined the two. "Where are we headed?" the archer asked. Barbara looked to the archer and smiled. "Hey there, Crock." She said. Artemis's eyes went wide under her hood, trying to hide away a possible exposure of her secret identity. Ahsoka sighed and smiled. "It's alright, she knows practically everything." She stated. Artemis and Zatanna both nodded as the mage soon revealed that she had an unconscious Dick Grayson in her hands. Barbara sighed in relief as soon as she saw him and the five started to make their way towards a large Easter Island Head-like statue. Artemis looked around and pressed a hidden button on one of the eyes, revealing two levers. Barbara soon carried Dick in her hands as Ahsoka nodded to Artemis, who nodded back and made her way towards the levers.
"Well, to the BatCave, I guess." Barbara theorized as she examined the levers. She could always notice and point out a secret entrance when she saw it. She then cleared her throat as she looked to Artemis. "Pull the lever, Crock." She ordered. Just then, Prowler jumped down from the ceiling and shot an arrow at the group right as Artemis pulled the lever on the left. It immediately activated a trapdoor underneath Prowler's feet, causing her to yell as she fell down to who knows where. "Wrong lever." Zatanna joked. Dick soon woke up and noticed what had just happened. "Why do we even have that lever?" he asked out loud. Ahsoka sighed and soon pulled the right one, revealing a staircase leading down to the basement.
Now, the five were in the BatCave. Barbara gasped in wonder as she looked around. She saw many high-tech computers, fossils and collectibles from the Dark Knight's adventures, and a case filled with various suits that obviously belonged to the Dark Knight that were most likely before he donned his current suit. "What's our plan?" Ahsoka asked her Team as they started to sit down in several places, placing gauze and ointment over their wounds "We go back to help, but in out current condition, we need some time to recover." Robin replied. Ahsoka panted and nodded at this, not noticing that Barbara was inspecting one of the Batman suits that Bruce held in his glass case, as well as a golden utility belt.
"I'll go back and help Batman while you three recover." Ahsoka stated. The rest of the Team nodded and just as Ahsoka was about to go, Zatanna placed her arm on her shoulder. "Be careful out there, Ahsoka." The magician called out. Ahsoka turned back and nodded, but once again, before she could leave, someone stopped her. "Whether you like it or not, I got you into this mess, and I won't quit until I get you out." Barbara's voice said in a stern tone, now dressed in one of Batman's suits and armed with a utility belt. Ahsoka looked back to Barbara with the same look and shook her head. "You know, a suit just doesn't make you special." She started out, but Barbara cut her off, saying, "But if my heart knows its place, it does."
At that moment, Artemis, Zatanna and Robin looked to the two girls, wondering what they would do next. Ahsoka just looked at Barbara for a long time before it happened. She put a grin on her face and nodded. "Kid, I like your style." She quipped. Barbara nodded and smiled at this before the Togrutan headed for the door. "Let's go." She said. Barbara once again nodded and followed her, leaving the other three heroes to recover from their wounds.
Meanwhile, Batman lay on the ground, defeated by Falcon as he neared him for the finishing move. "You know, everyone always told me to 'Beware the Batman.'" He retorted. Batman just weakly looked up as he tried to regain himself, only gaining a scoff from Falcon. "To be honest, I see nothing to beware about." He quipped. Soon, Prowler and Xanadu joined him as the evil Robin lifted up a dagger for the kill. "Say goodbye and prepare to join your parents, Bruce Wayne." Falcon darkly stated. Bruce panted and prepared for the worst as he closed his eyes, now seeming to accept his fate.
Just then, a batarang was sent towards the Terror Titans, knocking the dagger out of Falcon's hands. All three gasped at this as they looked over to where the batarang was thrown from. They saw Ahsoka, all ready to fight as she had her emerald lightsaber drawn, as well as another girl at her side, one wearing a Batman suit. Falcon looked over to the two and smirked. "Ahsoka, how nice it is to see you again." He remarked. Ahsoka said nothing as she jumped down with the new girl next to her. Prowler scowled as she took notice of her and pointed a finger. "Who is she?" she asked skeptically. Barbara, not wanting to blow her cover, just scoffed back and craned her neck. "I'm new here, so are you feeling lucky?" she quipped. The three Terror Titans growled as Batman took this opportunity to regain himself back onto his feet. His eyes widened with shock as he started to recognize who the girl in the Batman suit was.
Ahsoka activated her lightsaber and charged towards Prowler and Xanadu, clashing them with bow and lightsaber in hand. Falcon was about to join them to overpower the Togrutan, but a batarang from the bat-motif heroine stopped him in his tracks. Falcon wiped off some blood from his lips and looked over to where the heroine stood. "We have some unfinished business." She spat at him. Falcon smirked and unsheathed a Bō staff. "I don't know who you are, my dear, but if you mess with the ORDER, then you just might be correct." He spat back. The two then charged at each other furiously, fighting, none of them backing down.
Meanwhile, Ahsoka was holding her own against both Prowler and Xanadu, both using weapons of their own. Xanadu was armed with her staff-like wand and Prowler was using her golden bow, now as a blade. Prowler struck first with her blade, in which Ahsoka used her bow to block it, but seeing Xanadu attack from her lower right made her lift up her right lightsaber and block the attack before the witch broke off and twirled her staff in the air, giving Ahsoka the chance to clash with Prowler. However, as she saw the staff about to hit her, she ducked and twirled on the ground, clashing with Prowler once more and kicking her away before putting her attention on Xanadu. She numerously clashed with her staff before kicking her lower leg, but it wouldn't give away. Xanadu tried to strike again, but Ahsoka swept her blade on the ground and clashed both of her weapons with Prowler. She suddenly sensed Xanadu about to attack and kicked her in the chest before jumping back to face Prowler again.
While that was going on, Barbara was still battling against Falcon. He swung his Bō over her head, but she ducked and went to the side, just as Falcon extended a blade from his staff and tried to stab her, but she grabbed the staff and knocked it to the ground before kicking Falcon in the chest and away from her. She then ran over and twirled in the air, performing a kick to his head. Falcon growled at this right when Barbara unsheathed a batarang and ran towards him to attack.
Ahsoka demonstrated an Ataru overhead block against Xanadu before going back to Prowler and using twin Niman defenses against the two girls as they struck. She then broke off and the two performed twin strikes at the ground, in which she jumped over them as if she were playing Double Dutch. Getting back onto her feet, she performed a Shien strike at Xanadu and a Soresu strike at Prowler, knocking her away just in time to see Xanadu strike again. She used her bow to block the attack as she made a Shii-cho slash towards Prowler and twirling around on her side and kicking the back of Xanadu's right ankle, causing her to fall to the ground.
Meanwhile, Barbara was still holding her own against Falcon. He swung from left to right to right to left at her, but she dodged and threw several batarangs at his chest, causing him to fall back as Barbara used one of the batarangs as a melee weapon. She twirled and jumped over Falcon's Bō, and parried off an attack made by him as he tried to stab at her. Growling angrily, Falcon swept his blade under her, but she backflipped into the air over his staff and sent an upper kick towards him soon after. Falcon growled once again and uttered a curse towards her before stabbing his staff. Barbara took a deep breath and then, with all of her might, she punched straight through his staff and knocked him away from the battle.
Barbara then turned her attention to Ahsoka, who was now being levitated into the air by Xanadu. She was then thrown into the wall, both her weapons falling not far from her hands. Prowler and Xanadu chuckled at this, and the two prepared to kill her off. Ahsoka saw this and gasped, activating her emerald lightsaber and arming herself with her crossbow gauntlet and blocked the two weapons. She then looked to Xanadu's leg and smirked. She kicked the ankle, causing her to yell in pain, giving the Togrutan the opportunity to slide under the two and cleave the witch's arm off. Prowler gasped at this and before Ahsoka could attack, Prowler shot her lightsaber out of her hand. Ahsoka backed away from Prowler as she prepared to shoot an arrow at her face. Then, it happened. A green blade appeared through Prowler's chest, causing both Ahsoka and Xanadu to gasp with Prowler letting out a gagging sound from and blood dripping from her mouth as Barbara appeared behind the evil archer, holding the blade and panting heavily. "You nearly took my life, you nearly took my friends, and you nearly took Dick. You ORDER scum will never rob anyone of anything ever again!" she yelled out, just as Falcon regained his consciousness. Prowler stuttered with surprise, but it soon faded away as she exploded into flames.
Barbara soon dropped to the ground on her knees after her kill as Ahsoka then started to run to her side. "Hey, you alright?" she asked. Barbara nodded at this before Falcon ran over to Xanadu with much worriment. He growled at the sight of her missing limb, and turned back to the two girls. "I'll make you pay for that!" he yelled, arming a mounted cannon on his shoulder. Before he could attack, though, Batman tossed an explosive batarang at them, knocking the two Terror Titans out the window. "Say good night." Batman quipped. Barbara and Ahsoka smiled at Batman, in which he shared the same expression. Unbeknownst to them, a purple cloud of mist started to emerge and flow out the window.
In the BatCave, Dick looked at Barbara from top to bottom. "I'm impressed." He stated. Barbara just shrugged and smiled. "I know." She quipped. Everyone laughed at this, but it was soon cut short by Batman. "Now that you know our secrets, you cannot ever reveal this event or any of our identities to anyone else." He ordered, Barbara, still in the Batman suit, nodded. "I know." She repeated.
Ahsoka then walked over to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "What will you do now for a story?" she asked. Barbara, stunned, started to think about it. She couldn't just risk losing the trust of her best friend, and she really wanted to have the best story. "I'll keep searching until I've got the best story ever." She replied. Ahsoka smiled, but shook her head in disagreement. "I've got a better idea… Batgirl." She dubbed. Barbara smiled and started to think. Yeah, Batgirl is a name I could use. She thought to herself cleverly. She then turned back to Ahsoka and nodded. "What do you have in mind?" she asked.
Gotham Academy May 28th 1324 hours EDT
Mister Jamestown looked at Barbara's newest article and nodded. "Well, Miss Gordon, from the looks of it, this new Batgirl seems to be a pretty good heroine for Gotham to have, especially since she worked with Ahsoka Tano to stop Clayface from flooding the sewers." He stated. Barbara beamed with pride before the Newspaper Editor stood up. "You have a bright future ahead of you." He said.
From outside, Ahsoka was listening, and smiled at this statement.
Barbara was smiling on the inside too, as she knew that this was the best great exclusive she had ever written.
Bialya May 28th 1425 hours UTC
The Terror Titans all waited outside of a lab for Xanadu to return. After a while, she came out, only with a mechanical right arm. "This will have to do for now." She stated, fiddling with her metal fingers.
Just then, the purple mist that escaped from Wayne Manor emerged, forming into Prowler. "The new heroine has no idea that we can regenerate as long as our original lives." She remarked. Sylas nodded at this and walked forwards. "It seems that we shall need some new recruits for the ORDER in order to evolve and get on with out plans." He stated. The rest of the ORDER generals, as well as the Terror Titans, nodded at this as a figure started to emerge from the shadows. "Meet our soon-to-be new recruit, Mirror Master." He said. The ORDER all smirked while Mirror Master sent them a glare.
Author's Note: Well, everyone, what did you think of my newest chapter? I'm so sorry for the huge delay, but I hope that my new chapter, as well as its length, compensates for all of it. I'll try to update more frequently, now that work is done and all. The Christian Jedi gave this idea to me, so all thanks goes to him. This is, by far, the longest chapter I have ever written. Please be sure to review, rate, and if you can, please try to Private Message me for anything on the story. After all, I am always keen to hear from you guys and girls. For now, this is SuperHeroTimeFan signing off. Have a great week, everyone, and I wish you all an ultimate time to have a great summer! I'll see you all soon!