Did a major writing spree for this yesterday because I only had about a hundred words written of this chapter. I'm posting a day early because of an event I have tomorrow that lasts all day long, and I didn't want to not post a chapter.

I wasn't expecting this to turn out the way it did, but I enjoyed writing it. It was like taking a step back from the rest of the story and bringing in something fresh.

.

Guest reviews:

Guest 1: thanks XD I really appreciate the spellcheck. I fixed it :)

.

Kim: It was fun to write Selina, and I knew that those two would be jealous of each other. As to what happens next . . . Spoilers ;) But yeah, the Team will get their little bird back eventually. Also, I did get both reviews, I just had not yet moderated them when you posted the second one. Sorry about that.

.

Guest 2: I fixed the spelling error. Thank you :)

.

Guest 3: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying this. Here's a nice update for you, and some cookies for being sweet! (::)(::)

.

.

Thank you all so much for your support! It means so much to me!

Disclaimer: I either lost the slip of paper that says I own Young Justice, or I just don't own it. Sorry!

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter 15

.

.

Gotham City

May 21, 1:33 EDT

.

Barbara was going to be in so much trouble.

Not only was she disobeying her dad by being out at night, but she was disobeying Batman's direct order not to go on patrol.

He'd been keeping his promise to train her, but he'd been strict, cold, and very unlike her best friend's foster father. She hadn't seen Jason or Tim at all, and, much to her relief, Batman refused to take her to meet Dick's Team. She wasn't sure she wanted to join them yet. Not if Dick wasn't there. He'd promised to introduce her to the Team, and she wanted to hold him to that promise. At the same time, she knew that they were more likely to be able to help find Dick, and that was something she wanted to do very badly.

Of course, she'd met Artemis and Wally before, and even Zatanna once, but with Artemis it was at school, and Zatanna had been doing hero work at the time. She and Wally had a mutual understanding of Dick. They both knew his secret identity, and while Barbara didn't have any powers, she was trained in self defense. They would protect him. Not noticeably of course, because Dick would hate that, but behind the scenes.

Barbara had been wishing ever since Dick was kidnapped that she'd been able to help him. Surely if they'd pushed harder for Bruce to let her join patrols, she would have been with them that night, and she could have calmed him down. He wouldn't have gone out alone, he would've been safe.

Thinking like that didn't help anything, so Barbara had settled for pushing herself in her training with Bruce. Occasionally Jason would join them, but he seemed to prefer not to go on patrol on the same nights as Barbara. She knew why. They both did. Dick had wanted to take Barbara out on patrol so badly, yet his disappearance was what had made Bruce agree to let her go. Jason had been trying to avoid actually taking Dick's place, and Barbara didn't blame him. Actually, she was relieved that that he wasn't. His version of Robin was sharper, with a more sarcastic and biting sense of humor, kind of taking away the lightness that Dick brought to the role.

It was comforting though, because it reminded Barbara that her friend was an overwhelmingly -or perhaps whelmingly- positive person. He would be figuring a way out of whatever prison he was being held in, while they figured out a way to get him out.

Barbara heard a shriek split the night air, and her attention went to scanning the streets around her. She's already stopped a few robberies, a mugging, and saved one girl from an attacker.

As she peered down into the alley the scream had come from, she knew she was about to help her second. A terrified teenage girl was backing away from a tall man with a knife.

"Hello, pretty thing," the man said harshly. "I wouldn't scream anymore if I were you. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"I think I'll make it the hard way," Barbara said coldly as she dropped down to land between the girl and her attacker. "I'm sure the police will be glad to have some more company in their cells."

The guy flinched, then frowned. "You're the new bat brat," he said. "Batwoman?"

Barbara frowned. "Batgirl," she snapped. She took out a batarang. "Now, since we've already chosen the hard way, this should be easy." She threw the batarang at the man, who yelped and ducked out of the way, only to be tripped as she sideswiped his legs and he fell to the ground. Just as she'd thought. Most men like this didn't actually have any skill, they just went for a girl because they were weak. Or, they thought that that the girls were weak.

A punch to this guy's jaw that knocked him out cold proved that wrong.

After tying him up, Barbara turned to face the girl, who was leaning against the wall, a look of complete relief written all over her face. She was a few years older than Barbara, but seemed not to realize it. "Thank you so much," she said breathlessly. "I shouldn't have been out tonight, but I had to close down at my work today, and I passed this guy and he just grabbed me, and-"

"Hey, it's alright," Barbara said soothingly, laying her hand on the girl's arm. "Do you live nearby?"

"A couple of blocks away," the girl said, shivering, looking terrified at the prospect of walking home alone in the dark. Barbara couldn't really blame her after the experience she'd just had.

"How about this," Barbara said slowly. "You call the police with your phone, and I'll wait with you until they get there. Tell them Batman saved you."

"Batman? But-" the girl started, confused.

"No buts," Barbara murmured. The girl nodded, taking out her phone and dialing the number shakily, before pressing it to her ear.

It was only a moment before someone on the other end picked up. "Um, hi? My name is Samantha Keenen, and I was just attacked. Batman took down my attacker, and he asked me to call you so that you could come pick him up." there was a pause. "Yes. No. 34th street, across from the Benny's. Yes. Alright sir. No, I won't leave. Goodbye."

Barbara nodded as the phone call ended. "Well done," she murmured. Samantha looked reassured, and her trembling had slowed slightly. "I'll stay with you until we can hear the police sirens, then I have to continue with my patrol, alright?" The girl nodded.

They sat there in silence for five minutes before the sirens were heard. Barbara had stayed tense and watchful, hardly caring when the man woke up and started to struggle. She'd made sure to relieve him of all weapons, and there was no way for him to untie her knots.

As she fired off her grappling hook, Samantha Keene grabbed her wrist. "Thank you again," she said, her voice a lot stronger. "Thank you for protecting this city." Barbara swallowed a lump that rose in her throat, nodded, and flew away, wishing desperately that Dick was with her to share the moment. This was one of the biggest reasons she'd wanted to become a hero, to help people. It was why he did it too, and he'd be thrilled to have her doing it with him.

"Batgirl, come in," Batman's voice said over the comm.

Barbara winced. Oh dear. She was probably in a lot of trouble. He'd specifically told her not to go out on her own, and here she was. She'd been itching to get out on patrol, and he'd told her he had something going on.

"Yes, Batman?" she said resignedly.

"Meet me on the east edge of Gotham. There are two people I want you to meet."

Crap. She was definitely in trouble.

Luckily she was also pretty close to the east edge of Gotham, and it didn't take long for her to find Batman, especially considering the two rather colorful teenagers he was standing with. One, a slender girl with shoulder length brown hair, was wearing a dark red dress with a golden lightening bolt down the front, and a silver cape with a hood, wearing leggings underneath, while the guy had an outfit similar to Captain Marvel's, only a dark blue.

They looked about twelve or thirteen, and exchanged nervous glances as Barbara landed on the roof next to them. "What's this all about?" she asked, casting an interested glance their way.

"This is Mary Bromfield and Freddie Freeman. Freddie will be going under the name of Lieutenant Marvel, and Mary under the name of Sergeant Marvel."

"Any connection to Captain Marvel?" Barbara asked wryly. "They look about Billy's age." Bruce had introduced her to the League a little while back, and almost half of them had given her their secret identities, including Captain Marvel.

"They are two of his school friends," Bruce said calmly, ignoring the looks the two kids cast him. They apparently didn't know why he was spilling their secret identities to her.

"Alright, and they somehow got similar powers, yeah?" Barbara said, checking with the two. They exchanged glances, then nodded, Mary stepping forward.

"Billy suggested we talk to Batman before actually stepping up with hero work. He wants us to join the Team, and train. He says once we've been trained sufficiently, then we can choose whether we leave or stay with the Team," she said. From the fire in the girl's eyes, Barbara was fairly certain that she was not going to be staying with the Team when the time came to it. The boy, Freddie, shifted uncomfortably.

"Nice to meet you both," Barbara said, then frowned at Bruce. "Alright, spill, why am I here?" she had a sneaking suspicion that whatever the reason was, she was not going to like it.

"I am taking these two to meet the Team tomorrow afternoon. I think you should come as well. You don't have to join," Batman said quickly when Barbara opened her mouth, outraged. "I just want you to meet them. They'll be looking for a lead on our missing bird, and you might want to work with them while they do."

Barbara hesitated. It was true, she did want to help look for Dick . . . And now that the Team knew his identity, it would be a lot easier to just act natural.

"I'm not promising anything, but I will go and meet them tomorrow," she said reluctantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Send me the code to get to the cave tomorrow, and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Affirmative," Batman said, nodding sharply. "You may return to patrol now. I might join you as soon as these two are back safely, and we will have words about you being out alone later."

Barbara nodded, and then turned, running away across the rooftops and hoping desperately that tomorrow wasn't a disaster.

.

.

.

.

REVIEW!