Flashback Chapter 18 Starting Points

Batgirl mostly worked solo, but when Batman called, she came. Her (new) bike was stashed in a garage near her house, meaning she was soon cruising into the cave. Switching off and dismounting, she glided towards the computer where her new mentor was waiting. "Yeah? What is it?"

Batman tilted his head towards the way deeper into the cave, and Batgirl glanced over in time to see Robin hurrying over, fastening his cape at the throat. "Sorry," he muttered. "Hey, Batgirl. We leaving?"

"Where are we going?" Batgirl asked.

"League headquarters," Batman grunted, leading the way to a larger-than-normal Batmobile.

"We'd been thinking of getting a four-seater," Robin told Batgirl. "Then when you came onto the scene we actually did. Shotgun."

Batman glared at his first protégé. "Both in the back."

Robin sulked, but complied. Batman slid in the front and started driving. "How are you coming along with the Arabic?" he asked.

"I've made a start," Batgirl shrugged. "I'm not sure which dialect to learn."

"Shadow dialect," Batman said. "It's spoken almost exclusively by the League of Shadows, the assassins. It sounds like high Arabic, but most speakers would find it slightly different, even if they can't place why. It has thousands of nuances dependent on the slightest variations in stresses."

"The word for 'friend', depending on where and how much emphasis, can mean 'friend', 'lover', 'ally you are concealing things from', 'ally you have coerced', 'ally coercing you', 'person you are taking advantage of', 'person trying to take advantage of you', 'hostile making you send a message', 'passing acquaintance', or 'one you owe a life debt'. It's nearly as much fun as Romani," Robin added.

"Romani's your first language, isn't it?" Batgirl asked.

"Teach her it," Batman instructed. "I'll cover Shadow Arabic."

There was silence for a moment. Then Batgirl spoke up again. "Why are we going to the League headquarters?"

"A full meeting was called, with all junior partners," Robin supplied. "Don't know why."

"Don't ask for names," Batman told her. "When you are introduced to someone, they will give their name, or not. Don't use their real names unless asked to, and don't give anyone's out. It's your choice to give out your name; I recommend not."

"He doesn't let me," Robin muttered. "But then, it's easy to get from me to him."

"If that's what you recommend, I'll keep quiet," Batgirl decided.

The rest of the journey passed in silence, until they pulled into Mount Justice. Already there was the outline of an invisible jet, and a small Atlantean watercraft. As the three of them left the Batmobile, there was a rush of wind resolving into the Scarlet Speedster and his junior.

"Hey, Bats," Flash said. "You did bring the kids!"

"Gonna introduce us to your girlfriend?" Kid Flash smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Robin cuffed the hyperactive boy. "Flash, Kid Flash, this is Batgirl."

Flash reached out to shake her hand, but Kid Flash grabbed it first, kissing the knuckle. "Great to meet'cha, gorgeous," he smouldered.

Batgirl glared at him, then nodded to her glove. "I haven't sterilized that since before I was last crawling through the sewers," she warned him.

Kid Flash froze, eyes bulging, and vanished.

"Didn't know you'd been working in the sewers," Robin commented.

"I haven't," she admitted.

Flash laughed, and took her hand. "Good one, Batgirl. Nice to have you around."

"Do you know why the overgrown Boy Scout called us?" Batman growled.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Flash shrugged, heading inwards. "Or better; I mean, you are meant to be the world's greatest detective."

They reached the main meeting room. Most of the League were already there. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Red Tornado and Atom were all sitting around the meeting table, and Aqualad, Speedy and Wonder Girl had congregated to one side. Flash zipped over to his own chair as Kid Flash reappeared.

"Batgirl, Justice League," Batman said to the room at large.

Batgirl went round shaking hands, getting names from Diana, J'onn and Hal and greetings from the others. Then Robin pulled her over to the youngsters.

"Donna," Wonder Girl introduced herself. "Been a Bat for long?"

"A few months, bit hard to pin down exactly when I actually started doing it right rather than just trying, but I only started working with B properly three months ago."

"And he didn't bring you here to meet us himself," the archer laughed. "I'm Speedy."

"Garth," Aqualad said, shaking her hand.

"I'm not touching you again," Kid Flash grumbled.

Batgirl smirked at him. "You do know I was joking don't you?"

"I hate you," Kid Flash muttered, but the slight twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed him.

"She told him she'd been crawling through the sewers after he kissed her hand," Robin explained.

"Nice one," Wonder Girl smiled. "I decked him when he tried that. I thought he was being chauvinistic."

There was a slight rush of air, and Superman arrived. "Evening, everyone," he said. "Aquaman couldn't make it?"

"He was called to take some time critical reports; he will arrive as soon as he is able," Aqualad reported.

"Fair enough," Superman shrugged. "Batman, you brought your new girl?"

"Batgirl, Superman; Superman, Batgirl," Batman said abruptly. "Is that all?"

"I'd thought you'd want to introduce her to us yourself," Superman commented. The two glared at each other for a moment. "Actually, I have someone to introduce," Superman continued. There was a blur, and a blonde girl appeared in front of Superman. "This is my cousin, Supergirl. We've been waiting before introducing her to the public, and she wanted to meet you first."

"Hi, guys," Supergirl said nervously. "My name's Kara Zor-El, though I also go by something else, of course."

Before she could continue, Aquaman rushed in. "My apologies; I bring grave news. The alien being Starro the Conqueror has invaded."

"Alright, League," Superman started. "Let's-"

A shrieking alarm. Robin reached the computer first. "Hatton Corner, Delaware," he read off. "Town's teenagers have been kidnapped…by a tornado?"

Another loud beep sounded, and Batgirl moved to another computer. "Metropolis, Mister Mxyzptlk," she reported, starting to run through the stages of making a strategy. Analyse the threat; Mxyzptlk was by-and-large harmless but irritating. Consider resources – the local knowledge of a Super would be helpful. Make a plan, enact it… "I think I can handle that one; if I can have Supergirl."

Batman nodded, but Superman frowned. "She's not public yet…"

"I've taken that into account," Batgirl assured him.

"Um, I'd like to help," Supergirl offered.

"I think us juniors can handle the Hatton Corner incident," Robin said. "That'll free the rest of you to deal with this Starro."

Batman nodded approvingly. "Stop wasting time."

"If no-one disagrees?" Superman sighed.

AN: Before people start asking, this is the start of both the Teen Titans and the friendship between Batgirl and Supergirl that ended with Babs giving the eulogy at Kara's funeral during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. I learnt about Arabic dialects from an Iraqi friend of mine, who said that pretty much any Arabic speaker can understand any other Arabic speaker, because all dialects have their roots in the older High Arabic, and there is only one written form. So, when I was wondering which dialect the Bats would speak, I invented Shadow Dialect.

I don't intend to write what each group does next; I honestly don't know the source material well enough.

Also updating this week is Black and Red. Next week will be back to Family Ties. I don't actually know what else I'll be writing for next week; probably Little Bird's Vengeance. With luck, I'll get back to updating on Monday...

Anyway, review. Please. It makes me so sad when you don't.

See you soon,

Katara