Superbat is set in the DCAU, following from Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Static Shock, Justice League, and Teen Titans, which is not technically part of the DCAU but I like it and I want it.

Spoiler warning! Contains spoilers for The New Batman Adventures and Static Shock seasons 3 and 4.

An unremarkable sedan drove down the road in the stillness of a spring night, dark buildings and black windows looming on all sides. The driver and his passenger's alert faces lit up momentarily as they passed under street lights. It was quiet … too quiet.

Something heavy banged on the roof and the driver swerved.

"What was that?!" the driver hissed.

A black fist smashed through the driver's window, glass shards flying across his lap as he shielded his face, causing the car to swerve with a screech.

"It's the Bat!" the passenger cried, scrambling for his gun.

The arm grabbed the driver and pulled him out the window with a shout. The passenger grabbed the wheel to keep the car steady as he shot holes into the roof. His gun clicked, and he dropped it, turning back to the road. He pulled the wheel hard, startled to see a police barricade just ahead. The car squealed as it turned sharply, then lifted up on two wheels. A strong arm grabbed him and yanked him out of the car as it flipped over. He flew through the air, everything a blur of motion, before setting down on the ground beside a streetlight. He looked into the shadowed face of the Dark Knight, two white slits glaring through the darkness.

Batman slipped away, his cape sweeping the air. The man turned to run, but his arm was jerked back. He looked to see his wrist attached to the streetlight by bat-shaped handcuffs.

Batman had disassembled the glove box and moved to search the backseat of the car when a white-haired man with a mustache and a trench coat approached him.

Batman faced him. "Where is it," his gruff, monotone voice came, more a demand than a question.

The Commissioner held up a small black case. Batman reached for it, but the Commissioner pulled it back.

"I need that," Batman insisted, "It has to be studied, and then prevented from falling into the wrong hands."

"Which will be done. Sorry Batman, this belongs in the hands of the law. Not masked vigilantes. If we decide it needs an extra measure of secrecy, maybe we'll hand it over."

Batman hid inside his cape, considering. He suddenly shot a grappling hook at the corner of a building and flew away, disappearing into the shadows from which he had spawned.

Commissioner Gordon sat in his office behind his desk, studying some files. Upon a table against the wall stood a television and a radio. Filing cabinets stood on either side of the table. The other wall held a few framed diplomas and awards. Otherwise, the room was bare of decoration or liveliness. An officer entered and approached the desk with another file.

"Forensics has analyzed the compound that was intercepted on its way to the Penguin," the officer said.

"What is it?"

"You've heard about the city of Dakota?"

Jim paused, then leaned on the desk. "That place that had the accident that created a crisis of Meta-Humans?"

"Yeah." The officer hit the file with his fingers. "This is the stuff. The chemical that turns people into Bang Babies."

The officer handed the file over, and Jim took it. He quickly looked over the information which detailed its properties, the little understood about its chemical makeup, and other scientific mambo-jumbo he didn't understand. A few pictures included the teen crimefighter Static Shock, the shadowy Ebon, and the fiery Hot Streak.

"How did he get his hands on this?" Jim asked, "Do we know how much more is out there?"

"The authorities in Dakota have kept it remarkably well-contained. If there's any more out there, it's completely undocumented, just like what we have here."

"This stuff cannot be allowed to get out. No one can even know about it. Maybe we should give it to Batman. With his help, it'll never again see the light of day."

The officer went back to work. Jim looked over the file in a little more detail. It was remarkable how little his detectives were able to uncover about it. Suddenly an idea came to mind, crowding out everything else.

Maybe we should give it to Batman.

Jim Gordon sat at his desk, lit with little more than a lamp. He fidgeted his fingers, unable to concentrate, waiting for the inevitable jump scare. The blinds blew out from the window before drifting back. The perfect opportunity for the shape of Batman to appear in the dark corner by the window. He looked, but no one was there. He waited a moment longer before a secretary came in with some files. Behind the door would have been the perfect place for a pointy-eared silhouette to appear. She closed the door as she left. No Batman. Jim turned with a sigh and jumped to see two eyes staring at him from the dark corner by the window.

"Batman! I've got to keep my office better lit."

"What was it you wanted to discuss?"

"Well … everybody knows … it's a little conspicuous, especially with you being in the Justice League and all … you're not a superhero."

Jim waited awkwardly for Batman to respond.

"What's your point?" Batman growled.

"Well … what if you were?" Jim didn't know a shadow could glower. "I mean, for one, you'd have no trouble catching the creeps around here. You have to admit, sometimes it's a pretty close call, and one of these days, you may not get so lucky. But you know, you wouldn't have to have children for sidekicks anymore. You could do it all on your own. Not to mention the aging problem, I mean, you can't keep this up forever."

"Then it's a good thing I have young protegees. But all this superhero talk is irrelevant. What's your point, Jim?"

"I mean … if you had the chance to get superpowers … would you take it?"

"I'm not a superhero."

"But wouldn't it be better to be a real superhero?"

"I am real, and I am not a superhero."

"But you unnecessarily endanger the lives of children! Robin and Batgirl are just children! So was the old Robin, and look what he turned into! What if they turn into more Nightwings? Is that what the Batman does to children?"

"What's wrong with Nightwing?"

"He used to be happy, optimistic, always cracking jokes. He went away, he got away from you and found friends. He was a kid, he got to have a semblance of a childhood with his friends, with the Titans. But after he came back, he went dark and solo, just as bad, maybe even worse than you. If the Batman had superpowers, he wouldn't be ripping away childhoods!"

"Nightwing's come back around. Where are these ideas coming from?"

Jim sighed. "Nowhere, I was just … curious. You hang out with the big boys now, and it got me thinking.…"

"I've beaten mutants and hybrids and sorcerers. I put Superman on guard. I don't need to be a superhero."

"But do you want to? Would you be excited if you had superpowers? Pleased at the results?"

Batman leaned toward him out of the darkness. "Batman does not have superpowers. That's not what I am. That's not who I am. If I ever got superpowers … I wouldn't be the Batman anymore. If you're even asking these questions … you don't have any idea who I am."

With a wave of his cape, Batman was gone, soaring over the streets, hanging on tight to his little string. Jim closed the window and turned back to his papers. Batman had the right to refuse. He just didn't understand why.

Jim listened to his beautiful daughter's beautiful voice over the phone as they talked, mainly about meaningless trivialities. He didn't care what they talked about as long as they were still talking. Despite both working at the police station, they almost never saw each other. Jim mainly worked at night and Barbara mainly worked in the day.

"Well … good night, Dad."

He couldn't let her go again. "Dinner. Tomorrow."

She paused. "What?"

"On me. We never see each other. Let your old man take his beautiful daughter out to dinner."

"Dad, I'm … so busy."

"Please, Barbara."

"Dad, I … I'm sorry, I- I can't."

"I'm just … I'm just afraid we're … drifting apart. I never see you, and I don't know what's going on in your life. I know I have to give you room to grow into your own woman, but … I guess I'm just a silly old man, afraid of being left behind."

Jim waited in a tense silence. Was she still there? Had he gone too far?

"It's nothing. Forget I mentioned it. Go on, live your life."

As he moved to hang up, her voice came over the speaker.

"Tomorrow. Dinner."

Jim's heart soared. "Great! I can't wait to catch up. I love you, Sweetheart."

"I love you too, Dad."

A stunning young woman walked into the dimly lit foyer, orange hair drifting over her shoulder and a glittery dress flowing like a waterfall. Jim beamed with pride that she was his. He met her in front of the water display and noticed a cut on her cheek.

He brushed her hair away from her face. "Your cheek. How did that happen? Are you all right?"

She chuckled nervously as she pushed his hand away. "It's nothing, Dad. I just tripped and fell is all. Nothing serious."

"When was that?" he asked, realizing it was the policeman coming out. Or maybe it was just the Dad.

"Last night, out with friends. I was tired and just wasn't watching my feet."

"Promise me you'll be more careful."

"Sure, Dad."

They waited for their table and sat down to a nice meal. Barbara opened up to him more than she had in a long time, talking about her apartment troubles, but he still sensed she was holding back. He forced himself not to pry further. The meeting was already a huge step in the right direction, and he didn't want to push it off track again.

Jim worked on some paperwork on his desk, half-listening to the television playing quietly on its table by the wall. He looked up when he heard the voice of the young Robin. Some lucky reporter had caught the Boy Wonder on a street corner, his suit as bright red and his hair as spiky as ever.

"Yeah, it was mostly all me. I've trained with Batman pretty much my whole life. Even before that, I taught myself how to use a Batarang. Those thugs didn't stand a chance."

Batgirl's yellow bat logo and fists on her hips suddenly blocked the camera. "No interviews. Come on, Robin, you know this."

As she turned and pushed Robin away, the side of her face became visible for a moment. Jim couldn't believe what he thought he'd seen. He vaulted out of his chair and scrambled for the remote, backed it up, and turned up the volume.

Batgirl blocked the camera. "No interviews. Come on, Robin, you-."

He paused it. The image glowed, blurry with motion but clear enough. Batgirl had a cut on her cheek. He studied her profile. He played her voice in his head. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before.

How could his sweet Barbara be Batgirl? She had been distancing herself. He had thought it was college and a natural progression of growing up, but maybe it was because of Batgirl. It would explain why Batgirl tended to avoid speaking to him or spending much time around him. It made sense. He couldn't believe he had been so blind. It was such an unlikely, inconceivable, impossible idea that he had never made the connection.

After the shock of his daughter being Batgirl, another thought entered his mind. It might've been pardonable for Batman's influence to be putting other people's children in danger, but his own? Unforgivable. Batman, his long-time friend, was putting his own daughter in danger, forcing her into violence and vigilantism, not to mention causing her to lie to her father. Batman had to be stopped.

Jim couldn't focus on his job. He had to see Barbara as soon as possible. But she would've been out. She had a night job in addition to her Assistance and Data Analyst position for police headquarters. She'd tried to tell him about the night job and he'd told her she didn't have to share anything she didn't want to. Had she tried to tell him about Batgirl? Was it his own fault he didn't know? No. She should have told him anyway. Batman had still never told him, and he couldn't allow his daughter to engage in such dangerous, lawless activity.

He had to wait until he was sure Barbara would be home. He tried not to think about it, but it tormented him. The thought of his little girl in so much danger, up against huge men and even supervillains. Swinging high in the skyscrapers, nothing but a thin rope stopping her from falling to her death. And the lies. All the lies. Parties, friends, homework. None of it had been real. Every time he looked into Barbara's face, he was looking into the face of Batgirl, and she had never told him. Maybe she had tried, but she hadn't tried hard enough. He pictured her bright smiling face, framed by flowing orange hair. He couldn't imagine she could be Batgirl.

Maybe she wasn't Batgirl? Maybe the parties and homework had all been real? Maybe they both had a cut on their cheeks? Or maybe the lies were to cover up another secret. Maybe there was a boy. One she thought he wouldn't like. Then she would have been normal. A normal girl keeping normal secrets from her dad. But then they both had the exact same facial profile, the exact same body type, and the exact same voice.

He finally rushed out to Barbara's apartment building. Her car was in the parking lot. He took the elevator up to her penthouse and knocked on the door.

Barbara opened it after a minute and looked at him in confusion. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

There it was. That cut, partly healed.

"Barbara … I need to ask you a question."

Barbara laughed nervously. "Dad, you're scaring me." Her face fell, seeing the gravity in his face. "Why don't you come in?"

She stepped aside, let him in, and closed the door after him. She invited him to sit on the couch. He took the offered seat. Barbara hesitated before joining him on the couch.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"Barbara … I need you to tell me the truth.… Are you hiding any secrets from me?"

Barbara studied him. "A girl has her secrets. What's all this about?"

"Barbara, I need you … to tell me the truth. Not the little meaningless secrets that girls only share with each other during slumber parties. I mean real secrets."

He could see her mind working.

"I tried to tell you. I tried to tell you, once. But you wouldn't let me."

His stomach dropped. "The night job?"

"Yes. You said I was capable of making my own decisions. You didn't need to approve of them. All I needed to know is that you love me." She looked hard at him. "All of me."

Jim looked back nervously.

"I knew you'd find out eventually," she continued, "I wanted to tell you for so long. I'm sorry it had to be a secret."

"You can't apologize until you've told me what it is! Just say it to me!"

"Are you mad at me for it?"

"I don't know yet!"

He looked away. Neither of them spoke for a moment.

"I am Batgirl."

Jim looked at her and, to his surprise, he felt no anger. Only love, and relief that she had been honest. He hugged her.

"Thank you. Thank you for telling me."

Barbara enjoyed it for a moment. "Thank you for understanding."

"Understanding?" Jim let go. "I'm glad you were honest, but you're still in big trouble."

"What?!"

"You're B-!" He stopped and lowered his voice so the apartment below them wouldn't hear. "You're Batgirl! You've been Batgirl this whole time without my knowing! You've been putting yourself in danger! You're a vigilante, everything the law despises! You're my daughter, how did you learn such disrespect for law and authority? You went behind my back! You lied to me! Repeatedly! You will not be Batgirl any longer!"

"What about making my own decisions?! What about not needing to approve of them?!"

"Not telling is different from lying!"

"I never told you I wasn't Batgirl!"

"Yes, but the excuses! Friends, parties, homework, was any of it real? Barbara.…" Jim took a breath to calm down. "You know I love you. More than anything in the world. I could not allow you to continue this dangerous vigilante business. You could get hurt, killed even."

"I know the risks, Dad. I love the job, I want to do it."

"Then do it the right way! Become a police officer!"

"But this is what I want! This is me. All of me!"

"No! As a vigilante, you ignore the law, and as a police officer, it is well within my power and my authority to arrest you! I cannot allow you to continue unnecessarily risking your life!"

"But-!"

"No more Batgirl! And that's final! Unless you want me to reveal your identity to the whole world."

Barbara glared at him for a tense moment. "Batman would never let anything happen to me."

"Do not bring Batman into this! Batman is pushing you into this! He's putting you in danger! He's encouraging dangerous vigilantism and rebellion against authority, instilling these ideas in the minds of young children, not to mention stripping away their childhoods! I've allowed Batman to continue his work because we need it so badly, and because he's never put innocent lives in any more danger than they would've been otherwise. But now he's putting my own daughter in danger and I will not stand for it any longer!" Jim paused to calm down. "I'm putting a guard on you for the foreseeable future, because if you're Batgirl with the costume, you're still Batgirl without the costume."

He stood up and walked toward the door.

"For how long? You can't do this to me!"

"Would you prefer to be arrested?"

Barbara shut her mouth and glared at him. It hurt him. Almost as much as her lies, as her being Batgirl. Almost. Jim opened the door and walked out.

Batman landed on the roof beside the Bat Signal, his cape falling around his shoulders. Commissioner Gordon held up the black case, his hair and coat blowing in the light wind.

"Batman, I need you to take care of this."

Batman took the case and opened it. A small canister full of purple gas lay snugly inside. He closed it.

"What is it?"

"It's a chemical that turns humans into Meta-Humans. Penguin managed to get it from Dakota. And we need you to escort it back. You've been there before, haven't you? Their scientists will put it to good use, and prevent anyone else from getting their hands on it."

"I'll get Static Shock to meet me there."

"Great. I know I can count on you."

Batman checked the contents of the box and made sure it was secure in the Batwing before taking off. He had already let Alfred, Robin, and Nightwing know where he was going and that he should've been back before the night was over. Virgil Hawkins had been greatly annoyed that Batman had called him in the middle of the night, and even more annoyed that he had to get up again when Batman arrived.

Batman landed the Batwing in a park in Dakota - a much smaller, cleaner, and better lit city than Gotham. Thick foliage and early summer flowers adorned the bushes and trees. A dark-skinned young man appeared, his dreadlocks blowing as he floated on his metal saucer. The light of the electricity from his hands revealed a long blue coat with black trim and a gold lightning logo on a black shirt. Batman opened the cockpit and jumped out.

Static Shock yawned. "So what's the deal?"

"Some of the chemical, the 'Big Bang' formula, made it to Gotham. I'm bringing it back."

"And why do you need me?"

"Escort. Gotham is my turf, I know everyone and everything. This is your city, you know your way around, and it's crawling with superpowered young criminals with whom you have experience. Here, you're my strongest asset."

Batman opened the case to make sure it was still secure. He felt like a rock had dropped into his stomach as he stared at the empty canister.

"You hang out with the biggest superheroes on the planet. You think you can't handle a couple o' Meta-Human punks? Batman? What's the matter?"

Batman quickly closed the case and faced him. "What is the state of development of the cure?"

"The cure? For what, Bang Babies?"

"Yes! How near is it to completion!"

"I don't know! I didn't know they were making a cure!"

"They're making a cure."

Batman pressed a button on his utility belt and watched the Batwing rise up and fly away, finding a place to hover safely on autopilot, out of reach of curious strangers.

"Let's go." Batman shot his grappling hook and flew away into the night.

"Hey, wait for me!" Static caught up to him and led him to the lab where Bang Babies were being studied. "How come you knew they were making a cure and I didn't?"

"I make it my business to know. Every threat to the safety of Earth. And everything being done to defend against those threats."

"Oh, so I'm a threat?"

"Friends close and enemies closer. Why do you think I hang out with the Justice League?"

"Because you're … awesome? Brain tired. No think."

They made it to the lab without any trouble.

"Thanks, Static. You'd better get back to bed."

"You sure you don't need your greatest asset anymore?"

Batman paused. "Wait outside."

"Sure thing, boss."

Batman strode into the crisp white room.

The receptionist behind the desk stared at him. "Batman?!"

He walked past her.

"Wait, you can't-.…"

She trailed off and didn't try to stop him as he pushed through the door into the sterile, white lab area. He stopped the nearest technician who was pushing a cart of tools, startling her.

"Batman?!"

"When will the cure for Big Bang Syndrome be completed?"

"I don't know! Not soon. How do you know about that?"

"Can you give me an estimate?"

"I don't know those details. I can take you to someone who does."

"Take me."

Batman followed her down corridors. Scientists stared as they passed. She led him to another scientist, a small, round, balding man.

"Batman has some questions for you."

"Ah, yes, Batman." He turned and took his glasses off, surprised. "B-Batman!"

"When will the cure be completed?"

"The cure? Yes, the cure. Well, this is all very complicated and completely new territory. Progress is very slow, and-."

"I don't care about the details! Give me an estimate!"

The scientist thought for a moment. "I can't promise you any less than two years."

Batman reeled. Two years?! He forced himself to appear stoic, standing straight and expressionless, but frozen in horror.

"Batman? Is everything all right?"

"Thank you for the information. You're doing good work here. Keep it up."

Batman walked away. He tried to focus, but his mind was swimming. He managed to get to the exit without stumbling or running into anyone. He stopped to take a breath before pushing open the door. He looked to see Static leaning against the wall, dozing off.

"Static."

The boy looked up with a start. "Huh? Ready to go?"

He jumped on his saucer. Batman shot a grappling hook and raced over the rooftops back to the Batwing, Static following.

"How'd it go?" Static asked.

"Progress is slow, but according to plan."

Static paused. "Batman? Everything cool?"

"I just told you."

"Nah, now I'm asking about you."

Batman stopped on the edge of a rooftop and pressed the button on his belt to call the Batwing. It flew down at high speed and stopped in front of him. He opened the cockpit and jumped in.

"Batman. You didn't answer my question."

"No. I didn't."

"Something's got you upset, and it has to do with that box and the Bang Baby cure. Lucky for you, I'm not gonna be doing any more thinking until tomorrow. So … I'll be keeping an eye out for you. See ya."

Batman watched him for a minute as he flew away on his saucer. Watching another yawn and stretch, Batman decided Static wasn't going to follow him, and he took off back to Gotham. Finally having some time alone to think, only one thing was on his mind. Commissioner Jim Gordon.

Gordon looked up from a file and straight into two white points of light in the dark. He jumped back.

"Batman! How'd it- how'd it go?"

Batman put his hands on the desk and leaned toward Gordon. "I dunno. How did it go?"

"I don't- I don't know what you mean."

"Superpowers," Batman said slowly.

"What?"

Batman walked around the desk. "Get superpowers, Batman. You should be a superhero, Batman. Think of the children, Batman." He stood ominously over Gordon. "Just after superpowers fall straight into your lap."

"What are you saying? Did something happen?"

"You did something. You rigged it. You messed with the canister, you messed with the case. I don't know exactly how, but you did something."

Gordon took a breath. "Oh … oh, Batman … did you…? I'm so sorry. Why would I do that to you? I'll interview everyone who was in contact with it. I'll find out who messed up."

"No, Gordon. This time, you've gone too far. You've gone right over the edge." He pressed his face closer and closer, teeth clenched. "You do not … mess … with … me."

He jumped out the window and swung away into the night.