Notes: In case you didn't know, I had to send my laptop away for some repairs (which fell through because they didn't have the part). The laptop itself is fine, it's just a part isn't working. I just got it back after three weeks, so updates should go back to normal (something every 2-3 days). If you didn't notice the slow-down of updates while I was without my laptop, then carry on; nothing to see here.

Chapter 9 - Oracle

Mar'i was standing in the lounge of their apartment, feeling oddly exposed. Her father stood before her, examining the suit for any signs of wear and tear.

"Doesn't look like you got into much trouble while I was gone," he commented.

Mar'i grinned at the favourable suggestion.

"So then, why has Oracle asked the family to track down Nightstar?"

"I have no idea," Mar'i responded honestly. Was there something she did? Or was the family that desperate to stop the 'untrained vigilante'. "Batgirl did approach me about quitting. Maybe she went to the higher power?"

Her dad was silent for a few moments. Mar'i's heart hammered as she ran through all the unfavourable options and whether her father believed her.

"I think I told you too much," he sighed, shaking his head. "You're using it all against them."

"Am I still allowed to go out?" Mar'i asked. Oracle was not Batman. If she wanted to know something, she did. Plus, if Red Robin was working with her like Mar'i suspected, then she didn't think she could hide who she was for long.

Her father made the comments she had already thought about. It was probably only a matter of time. However, "I've gone to a lot of effort to keep you safe and make it difficult for anyone to find you. I know you decided this but, I've always left you an out. Nightstar could vanish if you wanted and there would be no repercussions."

Mar'i didn't get it. She fought hard for this chance and there was no way she would just stop. And what could happen if she decided to stop being Nightstar anyway?

Dick thought about it for a while longer. Mar'i was starting to get impatient. She couldn't leave yet since her dad had said he wanted to talk to her. She had a feeling he hadn't said what he wanted yet.

"Dad, is there a point to this?" she finally asked in an impatient huff.

"Would you like to meet Oracle?"

That... was not what she expected. Not even close. She was certain she almost had a heart attack.

"Let me just check," she commented. "Are you asking if I want to actually meet someone in your Batman family?" Dick nodded. "Are you serious? Of course I'd like to meet her! And Aunt Barbara-"

"'Aunt'?" Dick interrupted.

"I've always wanted an aunt. Besides 'step-mother Barbara' is a mouthful."

"'Step-mother'?" Dick chocked amusingly. "We're not married!"

Mar'i waved off his concerns. Her dad and Aunt Barbara were close. Really close. Had been closer. Even though their romantically close relationship had fallen apart, they were still close.

"You have to agree, she's cool."

"I don't 'have to' agree. I just get the feeling she'll find out if I don't," Dick commented thoughtfully. "Anyway, you want to meet her so I'll take you to her. She's only to know that you're Nightstar, okay?"

Mar'i deflated a little. She wouldn't get to tell Aunt Barbara that she was Dick's daughter and learn more about what her dad had been like as Robin? Because she doubted that Barbara would tell her about Dick as Robin if Nightstar was an unknown.

"You're doing this just to torture me, aren't you?" she grumbled out of ear-shot.

Barbara Gordon, Oracle, was not a woman to be taken lightly. She was a child of Gotham, forged through hardships, tragedies and determination. She loved the challenges she faced and the bigger the challenge, the better.

She also fiercely loved the people of Gotham.

Nightstar was reminded that Oracle ran her own team when she followed her dad onto the rooftop room where Oracle made base. It had low lighting, except for the numerous monitors displaying information and security footage.

Oracle stood before a holographic screen, musing on something.

"Looking for someone?" Dick commented cheerfully.

Oracle didn't even turn around as she responded, "I was wondering when you'd show your face. I know you got back a while ago. Good job resisting the urge to throw B off a cliff during that last mission."

"I was tempted."

"Would have been nice to know what Robin had planned while you were gone. Don't you dare try to tell me you didn't know about that."

"Did he do a good job?"

Oracle was silent, musing on what to tell him.

"Of course he did!" Nightstar volunteered her answer. Oracle turned to look at her, surprised to see that she and Dick weren't alone. Nightstar wasn't surprised, she was slightly hovering, to keep from being sensed by footsteps or pressure plates in the floor. She wasn't sure whether said pressure plates existed but, she wasn't going to risk it. This was her chance to impress the Oracle.

"You're Nightstar," Oracle commented before shooting a glare at Dick.

"Surprise?" he suggested with a grin and a shrug. Nightstar waved.

"Indeed," Oracle dryly commented. She then turned to Nightstar, her face covered by scattered coloured pixels, an effected created by the identity-hiding holo-mask developed by Batman and his allies.

"I heard you were looking for me," Nightstar said.

"You seem to know what you're doing and you have equipment that no one new to this occupation would think of having. You're obviously trained and we can't find out who you are under that mask."

Nightstar had the feeling they were drawing all the wrong conclusions from that information.

"There's someone helping you behind the scenes. And I don't think they mean well."

"What?" Nightstar and Dick questioned in surprised shock. Nightstar took advice and equipment from her dad, she would be stupid not to, but 'doesn't mean well'? She meant well! She meant to help!

"You took down four men without a single injury. For some reason, Robin seemed content to leave you to your own devises while he played Batman. However, I don't think the real Batman will be forgiving of your meddling."

Nightstar was frowning, angry at the suggestion that all she was doing was 'meddling'. How rude! She did the same job any of them did.

"He'll just have to deal then!" she shouted, turning of her heel and walking out. She followed the same path her dad showed her when they came in, leaving without any trouble.

Nightstar sat on a tall building, her knees tucked to her chest and looking out over the lights of the city. She wondered if she was really just meddling.

"What makes what I do any different?" she wondered out loud. She looked at her hands and summoned a starbolt. Her hand sparkled with the purple energy and she wondered if this was why the Batman family didn't seem to like her in Gotham. Maybe they could sense she part alien. "That's discrimination," she sighed, letting the warm energy dissipate.

She returned to looking over the city. It was really pretty. Lights sparkled everywhere. Every light was a person or a family.

Nightstar jolted out of her daze as her comm unit activated.

"Nightstar! I order you to be here."

She had half a mind to ignore Damian's forceful request. But, she couldn't bring herself to do that. It had to be important for Damian to even use the comm to call her.

She tapped the comm in her ear, activating the microphone.

"I don't know where 'here' is," she informed him.

"Here is where Mr. Freeze is freezing the city!" Damian responded as if it was obvious.

Nightstar looked around but couldn't see anything.

"Streets!" she barked. "I need street names!"

Damian rattled them off and Nightstar was on her way.