When they were nearing the mountain, Batman's voice came on the speaker.
"Bioship, report."
Robin responded first, "We may have a lead to the on the assassin case. We have a guest with us."
No further response came. The bioship landed in hanger and the passengers disembarked. Batman stood there waiting with Black Canary, their gaze assessing Alexandra as she descended from the ship. The young girl stood up straighter meeting Black Canary's gaze with mild curiosity and Batman's with almost the same hostility as she had met Robin. Only this time she seemed to have the presence of mind to not lash out.
Alexandra stuck out her chin and said, "You remember me." It was a statement and she was daring him to lie. Batman, Robin knew would not be baited nor would he apologize if he did something he believed was right.
"Yes."
Alexandra sniffed disdainfully.
"Her life for his." She nodded back at Robin. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take his life for payment."
Black Canary stepped toward Alexandra but the girl paid no mind to the hero. Alexandra's gaze never left Batman's, and the tension ramped up.
"She might not be dead." His words didn't seem to sink into her mind. She blinked and stared at him blankly.
"What?" Her voice was a thin thread of sound that shook.
"Your sister may still be alive."
Alexandra blinked back tears and shook her head. Her whole body started to tremble like a leaf in the wind.
"No! I saw it! I can't do this again." She held her head like it was hurting her.
"Stop," snapped Megan as she came up behind Alexandra. "Can't you see she's hurt?" She pulled the younger girl closer to her to shield her from everyone and put an arm around her to comfort her. "Let me look in her mind and see what I can do, and then when that's done if she is up to it, then you can talk to her."
Robin felt the urge to say go Miss M. He had never seen her stand up to anyone like that, let alone Batman. Glancing at Wally and Black Canary revealed they were just as surprised by the young Martian's sudden steel. Batman continued to stare at the two girls, but nodded and stepped aside to let Megan lead Alexandra away. Alexandra was still staring blankly at Batman, but not seeing him. Black Canary looked to Batman before following the two girls out of the hanger.
When it was just Batman and him, Robin asked, "Is what she said true? Did her sister die for me?"
Batman pulled out the folder he had withheld earlier. Robin took the file in shaking hands.
"A couple years ago, a young girl came to me and told me that she and her sister had glanced at possible futures. In several the whole world ended, in few you died, in the last which she said was the slightest possible chance of happening she was able to save you and by extension save the world. She made me swear to keep this from you and told me that if you didn't put the pieces together yourself there could be permanent damage done to you and the world would be doomed. The last thing she asked me was to erase her existence on paper and computer. The rest would be taken care of."
Robin flipped open her file. It was filled with pictures, her birth certificate, social security card, her report cards, graduation certificate from middle school. Jessie, was her name. Robin stared at the information, but no memories revealed themselves. The door in his mind remained firmly closed.
The last thing in the file was a few written papers and a painting. The painting looked like a page from a comic book; one of Alexandra's creations if he was any judge. It had seven frames, each containing a different picture. He saw a girl with silvery blond hair kneeling over what looked like a charred body. She had shackles with a broken chain clamped on her wrists. The next picture was a close up on her hands which were laid across the chest of the body. Blood flowed from blisters caused by the metal restraints biting into skin. A purple light streaming from her palms. The third frame showed the damage on the body moving up the girl's hands. The fourth square held a picture of the girl completely burned and Robin's body lying motionless under her charred hands. The next frame showed a black rift and the transparent version of the girl pulling a ghost from it. Then in the sixth frame showed the girl collapsed on top of Robin and his eyes open. Finally the last frame showed the girl's blackened body being zipped up in a body bag.
Robin's hands shook and he almost dropped the file. He had to fight to keep himself from vomiting. The door in Bard's mind, she had died for him. She had been helping him along. Then he remembered her words, how she was uncertain if she was even still alive. No, he wanted to scream and rail against this. Greif was a physical pain that threatened to consume him.
"So she is dead?"
"Part of her died. We believe the people who took her body were able to return her to her core self."
Robin looked up at his mentor and asked, "You knew all of this all along and you never said?"
Batman nodded.
"She made it clear that your life and the world's safety depended on my silence."
"What about her life," Robin exploded. "Was she somehow less important than me?" He turned from Batman and punched the hanger wall. Pain lanced through his fingers but he didn't care. He had been fool and someone he clearly cared for had suffered while he had been completely oblivious.
"She explained it like this, she needed to be in the camp of the enemy to prevent something terrible from happening in the future. If you weren't alive then certain things wouldn't happen that needed to. She is the reason you were originally selected to lead this team. Her and her sister both have prophetic personalities and they foretold you leading a team of young hero's that would save Earth."
"When were you sure she was still alive?"
"After I looked over the tapes from the second attack."
Robin blinked and opened his mouth then shut it again. He turned back to Batman.
"What do you mean after the second attack?"
Batman waved for Robin to follow him as he turned and walked off toward the briefing room, Robin followed. Black Canary had come back and was waiting for them as they walked into the big room. The three of them stood round the main computer monitor as Batman brought up the footage. Fast forwarding, Batman played the video when the assassin had appeared. Together they watched the fight. Robin watched carefully, but even when the assassin was caught Robin couldn't see Batman's proof.
"Did you see it?"
Both Robin and Black Canary shook their heads no. Batman rewound the footage and paused it as the wolf was attacking Robin. Then he pointed at Robin's face. On closer inspection revealed that it wasn't Robin under the wolf. A dark brown haired man was wrestling the jaws away. Scars covered the man's face and hands. Robin blinked.
"How is that possible? I remember fighting off the wolf, that was on me."
"I'm not sure, but either she gave you strength or you tapped into her abilities. Either way it proves she is still alive."
There was a sudden ringing in his ears as Megan connected to his mind.
Robin, I'm going to begin. I think you should be here too
I'll be there in a minute Miss M. He felt Megan leave his mind, then he turned to Batman.
"I have to go." He didn't wait for an answer, just quickly walked out of the room. He couldn't help but feel betrayed by Batman, and resent him. Robin could feel Batman and Black Canary's stare boring into his back until he was out of sight. To escape the feeling he made his way to the medic bay and nearly bumped into Superboy as he came around the corner.