DISCLAIMER: all charter and locations are property of DC comics
AN; Just a quick note so you all know where I am this story is set a year after "return of the joker". Terry is now living with Bruce as his full time assistant while studying Business. Max and Dana are also at college.
…
"I'm sick of this, Terry! Every time we make plans, you cancel on me! It's like you just don't care any more," I shout at him through the phone. I can feel the tears welling up behind my eyes.
"Dana, you know I have go whenever Mr. Wayne wants me! I mean Jesus, even my tutors understand. That's why they let me study from home," he tersely replies.
"I don't care, McGinnis!" I scream at him as the tears run down my face.
"You had to run out on my last two birthdays and our prom. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was spending most of prom on my own?"
"You think I wanted to leave?" He shouts back at me. "After two years I thought you would understand! Apart from the mutt, he is on his own, and he needs my help, Dana! Especially since he took back control of his company."
"Then why the hell doesn't he just hire a nurse? I mean, it's not like he can't afford it."
"Because the damn mutt won't let anyone else near him! He even growls at me most of the time!" Terry yells back.
"You know what? I have had enough of this and you obviously don't want to be with me McGinnis. So, I'll make this easy for you. We are through, so stay the hell away from me!"
Sobs begin racking my body, making it hard for me to breathe.
"Fine!" He shouts back as he slams the phone down.
Filled with grief and disbelief, I finally collapse on my bed and bury my head in the pillow, sobbing my self to sleep.
…
It has been two days since that call, and after failing to find Terry at his mum's and college, I decide give Max a ring and see if she knows where he was.
"Hello, Max; it's me."
Max sighs into her phone. "Dana, what do you want, girl? I'm busy."
"I need to speak to Terry but he wont answer his phone. He isn't at college or his mum's," I reply.
"I'm sorry, Dana; since you two had that fight I haven't seen him either. He's practically been working twenty-four seven. Your best chance would be to go to the mansion."
Damn, I so don't want to go the mansion. I've only meet Mr. Wayne once, and he scared the hell out of me.
"Max, will you please come with me?"
"Sorry, Dana, but I can't. With Terry busy and their mum out of town, I'm looking after Matt."
Double damn. I look outside and find it's pouring rain. Making a decision, I give my response, "okay, I guess I better go to the manor."
I start taking slow breaths to try and calm myself down as I head out to my car. I hope Mr. Wayne is in a good mood, I pray as I drive off.
…
Pulling up to the gates, I jump out of my car and run up to the intercom while trying to get as much shelter as possible from the wind and rain.
"Hello can anyone hear me?" I ask after pressing the call button.
"Who is this?" A gravely voice replies.
"Mr. Wayne?"
"Speaking, and I don't like repeating my self."
Damn, he sounds mad. "It's Dana," I say, "Dana Tan, Terry's girlfriend; I need to talk to him. Max said he might be here."
I stand there for what feels like ages, but then the gates finally swing open. Thank God, now I just hope Terry will talk to me.
As I get back in the car and drive up, I can feel my heart pound in my chest particularly after I spot an old man with a dog standing in the doorway. As I get out of the car, the dog starts to growl and bark at me.
"Quiet, Ace," Mr. Wayne grumbles.
I can see why most people don't want to work here: that dog is huge. "Hello Mr. Wayne; is Terry here?"
"No, but I take it you are the reason he is so distracted lately."
"Yes, sir; we had a huge fight two days ago, and I wanted to apologize, but he won't answer his phone," I explain, before suddenly realizing I've started crying and shaking again.
"You better come in then."
As I walk up the steps he calls out to his dog, "Ace, heal."
As I follow Mr. Wayne into a huge study, my initial anxiety starts to wan, the old man no longer seeming so scary any more.
"Take a seat Miss Tan," he invites; so I do, choosing the sofa beside his armchair. "Would you like some tea?"
"No, thank you. So if Terry isn't here, why did you let me in?" I nervously ask, wringing my hands in my lap.
"Do you love Terry?"
I gasp, the unexpected bluntness of his question for some reason shocking me. My eyes momentarily travel down to hands before I lift my head to look Mr. Wayne straight in the eyes.
"Yes, I do; very much," I reply with certainty.
"Then I think you need to see something." Mr. Wayne stands up and walks over to a grandfather clock behind him. "Terry won't be happy since I've asked him several times to keep this secret from everyone, even you. But if it's the only way he can concentrate at work and stop making rookie mistakes, then I have no choice."
I let out a shriek of surprise and jump back as the clock moves aside to reveal a secret staircase.
I look at Mr. Wayne questioningly, "what's down there?"
"The reason I need Terry around so much. So, Miss Tan, are you ready to learn our best kept secret or not?"
Please don't be some kind of torture chamber or dungeon, I think to myself as I head down the stairs with Mr. Wayne following me.
When I reach the bottom, my attention falls on a gargantuan computer with someone occupying its chair, but since the back is facing me, I can't see who it is.
My eyes quickly roam around my new surroundings, finding in one corner a huge penny, beside which are display cases housing old costumes; I quickly recognize one belonging to Harley Quinn amongst others, while opposite to these is the legendary Batmobile. As I turn back to Mr. Wayne, I see four more cases by the stairs, displaying the old Batsuit along with Nightwing's, Batgirl's and Robin's; but the last one is empty for some reason.
"Oh my God, you're the original Batman! But that means-" As I spin to face the person in the chair, they turn at the sound of my voice.
"Dana?" I find myself staring at none other than the new Batman, his white lenses wide with surprise. He quickly pulls his cowl off to reveal the very familiar face I know so well.
I recoil with shock and anger before rounding on him. "McGinnis, I'm going to kill you for keeping this from me!"
…
"Dana, I wanted to tell you; but if Inque or any of the others ever found out my identity, they would hurt or even kill you to get to me."
"What?" I shout at him. "You think I can't look after myself?" The glare I give him doesn't seem to faze him much, so I walk up to him, grab the collar of his suit and pull it down so his face is level with mine. "You might be Batman, but it doesn't mean I can't kick your arse," I growl at him.
As I storm off towards the stairs, Terry reaches out a hand and grabs my shoulder. Ok McGinnis, you asked for it. I spin out of his grip, then drop to a crouch and punch him in the gut. As he doubles over, I stand up and knee him in the chin before swinging around again and kicking him in the side of the head, making him fall back.
"Told you I can kick your arse," I smirk at him. God, that felt amazing."Mr. Wayne, is there a punching bag or something around here? I think Terry has had enough for now, but I still need to hit something."I ask, hiding the fact I'm surprised he hasn't moved away from his spot at the foot of the staircase.
"There is a gym across from the office; feel free to use it, Miss Tan"
"Thank you."
I catch a flash of a smirk as I walk past him. I guess he thinks Terry needs a bit of a kick now and again.
…
I'm still laying on the cave floor in shock, clutching my stomach as I watch Dana head back up to the mansion. God, I haven't been in this much pain since those 10 jokers ganged up on me.
"You ok?" Bruce asks. Oh sure, now he says something.
"Apart from bruises and being in a lot of pain, I'm fine." I glare at Bruce as I get up.
"So after all I have taught you, why couldn't you dodge her moves?" He asked
"Hello," I shout, "who would expect their girlfriend to do that?"
"I would."
"Well, yeah but your ex's include an assassin and Batgirl."
"Two assassin's and you forgot Catwoman. You know, at times I was more scared of Barbara than any one else."
I can't help but laugh at this, which causes me to wince in pain. "Yeah, I can imagine. Is there any way to check on Dana? I know you have cameras all over this place."
"Yes but I'm not going to tell you how," Bruce replies, sitting at the computer and typing in a command. The camera from the gym comes up, showing Dana kicking and punching the bag.
"Damn, she is really pissed," I exclaim as she kicks the bag clean off the chain, sending it flying across the room.
We continue to watch her pick up a Bo staff as she approaches a punching dummy before she spins with weapon in hand and decapitates it.
"Well, good thing I didn't follow her, or I would have gotten my head kicked in; she must have been holding back. So how do you think I should handle this? I doubt pizza and a movie will do it this time."
"Well, whenever I upset Barbara, I went all out: chocolates, flowers, jewellery, fancy dinner and a show."
"Did it work?" I ask, but he just stares at me in reply. "Uh, forget I asked. I'm gonna go out on patrol in case she comes back." I pull my cowl on and as I walk over to the Batmobile, I hear Dana coming back down the stairs.
"Terry we -" Her last words are drowned out by the roaring engine, but that doesn't stop her. "Terry," her voice comes through my comlink. Damn it, Bruce. "Dana, I'm sorry but I really can't start arguing with you now. I need to concentrate."
"I was just going to say be careful," she counters. "But if that's all you think I want to do, then you can get lost."
I roll my eyes at my brashness; I should have just shut up and let her talk.
…
After I terminate the link with Terry, I walk over to Mr. Wayne's side, glancing over and noticing he is breathing heavily.
"You ok?" I ask with concern.
"Yes, I just need my pills. They're on the table behind you."
Quickly fetching them, I hand them over to him. "Here you go." I wait for him to take the necessary dose before I ask, " Mr. Wayne do you think I'm a spoiled brat who keeps demanding all of Terry's time?" I lean on the back of his chair and stare at the computer.
"No; I think you are a normal teenage girl, and don't lean on my chair."
"Sorry!" I quickly apologize, straightening up.
"You can clear that table and wheel it over here if you want."
"Thanks." I do as told and use the table to sit next to Mr. Wayne.
"Not that I care, but why aren't you mad at me as well?"
Is he always this blunt? "I don't know. I think it's 'cause I'm a bit scared of you."
Suddenly, an alarm starts wailing, cutting off our conversation. "What the hell is that?" I shout over the noise.
Mr. Wayne turns his chair back to the computer and silences it. "Terry, the alarm at the Gotham museum just went off. You better check it out."
"Ok, I'm on my way. Call you when I get there."
…
A few minutes later, I arrive to the museum and begin circling it to scan the area.
"I'm at the museum. Looks normal from the outside." I land and activate the Batmobile's cloak before moving over to an open skylight. "I'm heading in."
"Ok, I'll be watching through the video link in your cowl"
"Um, Bruce, shouldn't there be guards?" I ask, finding the solitude strange.
"Yes."
"Any idea where the alarm actually came from?"
"No."
I roll my eyes and suppress a laugh. Helpful as ever, boss. "Great, so it could be any of the alarms in here," I sigh before suddenly spotting lights.
Bingo; switching on my camouflage feature, I creep towards them. I spot a lone female guard tied to a chair with no sign of any one else.
"I'm gonna get her out," I tell Bruce.
"You do realize it's a trap, right?"
"Yep, it's also the best way to flush out our thief." I creep up behind her and switch off my camouflage and cut the rope with my claws.
"You ok, lady?"
"I am now," she replies, her sultry voice taking me aback.
"That voice – it can't be her," I hear Bruce gasp. Suddenly, she spins around and kicks me in the face.
"Terry!" I hear Bruce and Dana cry out.
"Sweet dreams, Batman,".
The last things I see are her luminous green eyes as she leans over my face. The last thing I can remember thinking is why her before I black out.
…
"Mr. Wayne, who was that woman?" I look over to see shock on his face.
"Her name is Pamela Isley; you may know her better as Poison Ivy. I thought she was dead. "Irritation flickers in his eyes.
"Oh my God, I have heard of her. She was one of your most notorious villains." I jump up and run towards the stairs, trying to hold back tears of fear.
"Miss Tan, if you go after her, she will kill you."
"I can't just sit here; I have to go help Terry," I shout at him, this time letting the tears run down my face.
"Then if you want to help, you can; but before you go, you should be briefed." He types something on the computer and brings up a file. "Read this."
Name: Poison Ivy
Real name: Pamela Lillian Isley
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 115 pounds
Hair: Red
Associates: Harley Quinn
Abilities: Expertise in botany and toxicology and Plant manipulation
Background:
Botanist Pamela Isley was transformed into a human-plant hybrid by a science experiment gone wrong. With chlorophyll flowing through her veins instead of blood, she developed a toxic touch and a pheromone-fuelled talent for seduction.
Notes:
Ivy has an incredible immune system; no toxin or chemical of any type has been known to affect her.
In recent years Ivy has developed the ability to control and communicate through plant life.
She can manipulate men and women to do her bidding using enhanced pheromones and mind controlling toxins.
Ivy's skin tone has in recent years changed to pale white.
…
"Dana, you will need this." Mr. Wayne hands me a black suit similar to Terry's.
"Mr. Wayne, you're giving me! a Batsuit?" I look up at him with surprise.
"Terry and I were watching you in the gym, and I think you have great potential; I've been making this as a spare for Terry, but it isn't finished."
"Ok," I barely utter since my throat starts going dry.
"Go get changed. I have recalled the Batmobile; I'll run you through the features I have installed on the way to the museum."
"Mr. Wayne," I call out as I walk over to him. "There's a problem: the cowl is too big, I can't see through it."
"Hold on." He moves over to the cases where the old suits hang. "Here, try Batgirl's on."
I pull it on and flick my hair through the hole in the back. "How do I look?"
"It will do; if you tap the side, it will turn the communicator on. Here, take these."
He hands me a short silver tube and a pair of lenses. "It's a collapsible Bo staff. Give it a twist." So I do and watch the staff extend.
"Nice. What are these for?" I ask as I pop the lenses in.
"Night vision lenses that activate automatically in low light."
I hear the Batmobile approach, and once it lands, I jump in before the canopy has fully opened.
"I can fly it by remote from here so don't worry about steering or navigation."
I sigh with relief at that. As the engine fires up, Mr. Wayne's image appears on a video screen in the cockpit.
"The suit has servo motors that will enhance your speed and strength, a built-in grapple hook, and retractable claws."
"Sounds easy enough," I reply, hiding the fact that I think I'm crazy for even doing this.
"Good luck, Dana, and be careful. Ivy probably has all of the guards under her control by now, so the only way you can take her down is to either deliver a large electrical charge or physically knock her out."
…
As the Batmobile lands, I slip out and creep over to the open skylight, looking down into the room to find it has been covered in vines.
"Any last minute tips?"
"Watch out for Ivy; she may hide behind mind controlled people and her plants, but she is a lot stronger than she looks."
"Thanks; ok, here goes." With final thoughts reiterating how crazy this is, I quickly spot Terry tied to a statue with vines.
When Ivy saunters in, I can see why men drool over her. She has the figure most women would kill for; her bright red hair is stark against her pale skin and the black dress she's wearing only accentuates her bust.
"Those must be fake."
"If you mean Ivy's breast's, they're real. "
I raise an eyebrow under the cowl. "And how would you know?"
"Nightwing, He pretty much made the same comment you did, and she, shoved his face in her chest to prove him wrong."
"Uh, that's not something I wanted to know."
"You asked."
"Yeah, remind me not to do that again."
I suddenly notice Ivy's green eyes are looking right at me; just to make sure she really does see me, I wave a hand only to find she waves back and smiles sinisterly as she mouths "bye Batgirl". So much for stealth.
A huge vine comes shooting towards me, and with a curse, I jump through the window and fire the grapple hook to slow myself down as I land on a statue. I turn to face Ivy.
"First off, it's Batwoman not girl, and second no body beats my boyfriend up but me!," I yell at her.
"Aw, you're worse than the Cat was for the first Bat." I can't help but gasp at that.
"Seriously, Batman and Catwoman?" Ivy nods. "Wow, I never knew that."
"Dana, concentrate on the mission," Bruce shouts at me through the communicator.
"So Ivy, just between us girls, how are you still alive?"
"Please," she snorts, "I'm more plant than human now; as long as I have sunlight I can stay alive." Ivy moves over to Terry's unconscious body, her hips swinging seductively. "I only came back to check on Harley; I wanted to be sure that clown hadn't messed her up again; but being back in town, I couldn't resist having a little fun." She strokes Terry's arm before leaning over to kiss him all the while watching me.
I'm going to scratch your eyes out, you witch.
"The old Batman said you where one of his hardest opponents," I say instead, trying to keep her attention.
"Yes, I bet I did make things hard for Batman, Robin and Nightwing; and with their body armour, I doubt it was very comfortable," she says with a sly wink.
"Eww, so not what I meant"
She chuckles. "Well, what did you expect with a body like mine?" She runs her hands down her side for emphases. "Now Batgirl, I think it's time for you to die."
"For the last time, it's Batwoman!"
"Whatever; Batman be a sweetie and kill her."
"Whatever you say Mistress Ivy," he replies, suddenly lifting his head as he awakens.
Oh great timing, McGinnis.
As I jump up, a vine slams me into the floor, knocking the wind out of me
As Terry drops towards me, I fire my grapple and pull my self out of the way just as his foot slams down.
"Need to be faster than that, honey," I taunt.
"Lets see you dodge what you can't see," he smirks before throwing some smoke bombs around me.
"Little help, boss," I ask Mr. Wayne.
"Tap the left side of your cowl; it will activate the heat vision lenses," he guides in reply.
"Very schway," I smile when I do as suggested. "Damn, the right one is broken." I quickly throw down my own set of smoke bombs.
"At least if Ivy can't see me I only have to worry about Batman."
I suddenly hear jets approach and jump out of the way just as Terry flies past.
"What's the best way to ground him?" I ask.
"The wings are vulnerable, but even with the enhanced strength, you wont be able to rip them off."
"Ok, guess I better improvise." I jump as he passes under me again and grab onto his back.
"Aw does my baby want to fly?" He mocks.
"Nope; just wanted to do this." I fire the grapple through his right wing and jump, snapping it with my weight.
Losing his flight capability, he fires his own grapple and lands on a support beam. "Smart move babe," he growls, clearly not happy with the assault.
Terry fires two bolas at me; I manage to dodge one but the other wraps round my legs, making me mutter a curse.
"Focus you beat him once, you can do it again," Mr. Wayne coaches.
As Terry drops towards me, I fight the urge to roll away. Instead, I bring my legs up and kick him in the gut, rolling both of us over so he lands beside me. I elbow him in the face, knocking him out again.
As I slice through the bola with my claws I call out to Ivy, "guess what, Ivy; I won and you're next."
"Not quite, Brat-girl. Guards! Finish her off."
Crap, I forgot about the guards. Throwing down the last of my smoke bombs before dragging Terry out of the way, I watch the five guards spread out. I'm not too worried about them, though; they'll be easy enough to knock out. Sneaking up behind a pair of guards, I kick their legs out from under them then loop a line around their feet and fire it into the ceiling, causing them to hang upside down from the roof.
"Two down, three to go."
Noticing a lone guard not far away, I hide by a statue and wait until he walks past, getting close enough for a roundhouse kick to the head that sends him to the floor. A curse escapes me when I notice the last two guards are standing back to back.
"Boss I need some suggestions; I got two guards back-to-back so I can't get behind them."
"Use a bola, then just punch them," comes the gruff reply from Mr. Wayne.
"Well, here goes."
Getting as near as I can by climbing over display cases, I throw a bola around them, which by sheer dumb luck, they wind up banging heads and passing out.
"Wow that was easy," I mutter to myself. "Hey Ivy, any more guards to hide behind? Because you're next."
"No, but you will have to find me first Brat-woman"
At least she called me woman this time, I think as my eyes roll.
"Come on Ivy, we're both too old to play hide and seek."
Suddenly, I feel a vine wrap around my legs and pull me up to the rafters where Ivy is laying on a vine of her own.
"Hmm, true but it is fun." She rubs her hand across my cheeks.
Oh forget this, time to play dirty. I head butt Ivy in the face, causing the vine holding me to let go. Before I drop, I grab Ivy's vine, swing around and kick her in the side of the head.
"You little witch," she growls before kicking me in the stomach.
Doubling over, I roll and grab her rising leg, pulling her over the side with me.
As we fall, Ivy uses one of her vines to catch herself; unfortunately, I'm not so lucky and slam into the ground.
"Dana!" I hear Mr. Wayne cry out.
"I'm fine," I lie as I roll over and spit out some blood, thanking God I only fell a few meters.
"Aw, such a pity. I was hoping that would kill you." I look up to find Ivy pouting. "Guess I will just have to bash your head in myself."
As I struggle to my feet, Ivy lowers herself down on the vine. Before I can even focus on Ivy, she kicks me square in the face. I hear a load crack as a sharp paid shoots from my nose before I collapse on the floor again.
"Aw poor baby Bat, time for you to die."
As Ivy launches herself at me, I use the last of my energy to do the only thing I can. I grab my Bo staff, and as it extends, I ram it in to her stomach and flip her clear over me. While she is down, I smash the staff across her stomach and kick her in the face, knocking her out.
"I win Ivy," I groan before everything goes black.
…
When I wake up, I discover I'm lying in bed. "Where am I?" I mumble.
"Gotham General Hospital," I hear an unfamiliar female voice beside me reply. "If you're interested, you have three cracked ribs and a broken nose."
"Oh crud." As I reach up to my face, I realize I still have the cowl on.
"If you're worried about your identity, I warned the ambulance crew and doctors not to remove the cowl unless they wanted to get arrested." I look over to see Commissioner Gordon sitting next to my bed.
"How's Batman?"
"Apart from some bruises, most of which I'm told you gave to him," I notice she is smiling at that, making me guess she doesn't like him much, "Mr. McGinnis is fine."
" What!" I sit bolt upright, cringing at the immense pain from my ribs. "You know who he is?"
"I should; that's my old cowl you're wearing."
"Oh great," I moan. "I suppose you know who I am then."
"No; I might not like what you are doing but I respect your identity. By the way, he's the one who treated your nose," she points to the other side of me. I turn to find Terry still in his suit and asleep in the other chair.
"Nothing changes," I laugh and shake my head. "When can I get out of here?"
"Tomorrow," she pauses, "well technically today since you've been out all night"
"Great, what am I going to tell my room-mate?"
"If it helps, I used to tell my dad I had slept at a friend's after a late study session. Now since you are awake, I'm going to go and give Bruce hell about letting you go out."
"Where is my suit?"
The commissioner turns as she leaves.
"McGinnis is sleeping on it, but your staff is on the table there."
I grab the staff and use it to poke Terry.
"Hey wake up, you lazy sod," I shout at him.
"Huh what?" He mumbles as he rubs his eyes. "Oh hi, glad to see you're awake."
"Yes, now get off my suit so I can get dressed and get out of here."
…
It isn't long before we are back at the cave and I'm seated on a table while Mr. Wayne checks my ribs.
"Ow, take it easy," I warn.
"Sorry," he grumbles. "Well, with some bed rest you should be fine in a few days."
Jeez, Bruce's study is so bright compared to the cave.
"Dana if you want to stay and work with us, there are rules:
One, I'm in charge,
Two, no killing, ever,
Three, you don't go out alone until you can match Terry in flight and target training,
Four, you always give me one hundred per cent,
If that's a problem, there's the door," Bruce stares at me, waiting for my answer.
"That's not a problem, but do I have to tell Barbara who I am?"
"Not until you're ready."
I can't help but smile with relief at this.
"Bruce, are you sure about this?" Terry asks. I turn to glare at him.
"Dana beat you twice and took Ivy down on her own. As long as she follows the rules, she stays."
"Besides, McGinnis, how are you going to stop me?" I grin.
"Terry, show Dana around but don't train her until her ribs heal."
"Sure. Come on, Dana," he replies and takes hold of my hand, leading me into the cave.
After Terry has shown me the various training rooms, we head to the workshop where I see Terry's and my suit laid out.
"Sorry about the wing. Will it take long to fix?"
"Nope," he smiles. "Here, I'll show you. Since Bruce wants you to stay, you better learn this stuff. See, there's a pin at the top and bottom of the wing."
"Yeah, I see them."
"You just unscrew these and, presto, the cloth can be removed; then just get the spare, stretch it into place, re tighten the screws and done." He stands back and rubs his hands.
"But how does it go rigid?"
"It's a special cloth that Wayne Tech designed. Just pass a charge through it, and it will take on a pre-set shape; see the pins are connected to the suit's power supply."
"Very schway," I grin.
"As for the surface damage just patch it with spare material. As long as the circuits are fine, it's easy."
"Can I try to fit my wings?"
"Sure go ahead; while you do that, I'll get some measuring tape."
"Why?"
"To measure you for your cowl. The suit conforms to the wearer, so that won't be an issue," he explains before walking away.
When Terry returns, he has a scanner with him as well.
"We need a scan for the security system, so place your hand here a moment," he says, gesturing to the scanner's glass face.
After my head has been measured and my wings fitted, Terry plugs a cable into the suit's data port.
"Once that's all done, your suit will have all the same set up as mine. So, what do you want to do now, Dana?" He asks, looking down at me.
A mischievous glint flashes in my eye as I lean up to kiss him. "Got a bed?" I whisper in his ear.
A grin crosses his lips as he lifts me into his arms and carries me to his room.
….
It's an hour later that we find ourselves laying beside each other in bed, the covers pulled up to cover my bare chest.
"Crap, Terry, I think we broke the bed," I giggle.
I turn to find him grinning as well. "Guess we'll get a new one later. I better call Max. She is gonna flip when she finds out about you."
"What? You told Max but not me?!" I shout, my eyes narrowing in to a glare.
"Relax, Dana. I can explain. You remember that program Max used to find the Jokerz' identities?"
"Yeah?" I raise a brow at him.
"Well, it spat out my name, but when they attacked Max, I had to save her, and she ended up working it out herself."
"I get it," I reply, easing my frown. "But I want to be the one to tell her."
"Deal," Terry agrees as he starts making circles on my shoulder with his finger.
I lay my head against his chest again. "Any other surprises."
"Um well," he hesitates before continuing. "After that fight we had at the club a few years ago, I met this other girl called Mel. We, uh, slept together once, but I swear I haven't spoken to her in over a year,"
I sit bolt upright, unable to say a thing for a few seconds before I find my voice and round on him. "McGinnis, I am going to kill you!" I scream.
This prompts Terry to run out of the room butt naked, the sight of which compels me to burst into laugher.
"McGinnis, why are you running round my house naked?" I hear Bruce shout at him.
I wrap the sheet round myself and head for the shower.
"You just wait until my ribs heal; I'm going to kick your sexy ass all around that practice room."
…
"Hi guys come on in," Max greets Terry and me.
"Max, we need to tell you something important," Terry starts.
"If it's about Dana being Batwoman, I already know," she instead replies.
"What?" We simultaneously shout. I can tell Max is trying not to laugh.
"How? When?" I ask staring at her with wide eyes.
"Hah! I got you guys. I was just taking a shot in the dark."
"Max, you are evil sometimes," Terry groans as he rolls his eyes.
"I know. Do me a favour, Dana, kick his ass every now and again. It's good for him," Max jokes.
"I already did twice; that's why Bruce let me stay," I grin at her.
"Good for you, girl," Max giggles. The scowl we see on Terry's face makes us both burst into laughter.
It's a few days later that my cowl was finished, and Bruce had been kind enough to let me pick a different colour for my suit, which has been changed to a light grey while the bat remained that bright red. Once everything was done and put together, I'm glad to see that the change was for the better.
…
Sitting up in bed, I find Dana has already dressed but with her top partly pulled up as she studies her still bruised ribs. It's hard to believe that only a few days ago, Dana didn't even know I'm Batman.
"Morning, pretty lady," I start.
"Morning, Terry," she calls over her shoulder. "So, we still on for training?"
"Yup, just give me some time to get dressed and eat."
"Ok, I'll meet you in the cave then," she calls as she heads out the door.
…
I walk into the cave and see Dana looking at the cases with her suit on but the cowl down.
"You look good in that suit, Dana," I compliment as I slowly study the curve hugging costume.
"Be nice and you might get see me out of it later," she winks.
"Aw, only might?" I playfully pout.
"McGinnis, get your hormones under control," Bruce suddenly intervenes. I wince with embarrassment when I realize I hadn't seen him sitting at the computer.
"Sorry," I mutter, frowning at the back of Bruce's head. "So, Dana, what do you want to try first: flight, target training or the Batmobile simulator?"
She shrugs. "Whichever one, I don't really care."
"Then we can start with target training. Just give me a minute to get my suit on." After I'm ready, I place a hand on the small of her back as we walk to the lift and head down to the training area. "A lot of the functions are linked in to synaptic controls, so if you think it, the suit does it."
"Schway," she grins.
…
As we step into the training area we walk over to the target range, which is a row of static dummies.
"The Batarang has three settings: standard which is great for disarming people, shock which acts like a Taser, and explosive which is self-explanatory. Now the Batarang's are part of the suit's synaptic controls as well, so just think of the one you want and it will pop out." To prove his point, Terry pulls out all the three types. "Like I said, it's easy once you get used to it."
"So I take it I just have to score so many hits before I can move on."
"No, you have to hit the bull's-eye ten times in a row before you can advance to moving targets."
"Then, let's get started," I smile, as I call for a Batarang and turn to the targets.
…
"That was impressive, Dana. Out of one hundred targets, you have only missed ten," I start, not hiding my surprise at her performance.
She just shrugs "Why do you think I always win at the fair? I have good aim."
"You think you can continue or are your ribs sore?"
"I'm ok for now."
I give her a nod as I switch on the motors and the targets start moving in different directions.
"To pass this stage, you just need to hit the bull's-eye five times out of ten," I explain, but Dana gives me a grin that makes me wonder what she's thinking. It isn't long before I find out. "Jeez, Dana, ten out of ten! You're better than me at this."
"Nice to learn I don't just kick your butt in combat," she teases, patting me on the shoulder. "So what's next?"
"Simulator; it'll give your side a rest."
"Lead the way."
…
"This is the simulator," I explain to Dana, pointing at a replica of the Batmobile's cockpit. "Once it's on, it creates a hologram of Gotham. All you have to do is stay in the air as long as possible without crashing."
"Ok," she calls out, jumping in. "So how do I fly it?"
"The controls are also part of the synaptic system built in to the suit, so it's pretty easy to drive. All you need to do is push the controls forward to accelerate and back to slow down."
"Easy enough," she grins at me then pulls her cowl on. "Let's do this."
…
It has been an hour since we started, and I'm amazed by how badly she's doing. "Dana, how can you crash ten times?" I find myself yelling with exasperation.
"Shut up McGinnis!I'm not used to something which accelerates this fast," she growls at me. "Can we try something else?" She pulls her cowl off, clearly annoyed with her self.
"Fine; come on, we'll try flight training. Follow me."
…
"Flying is easy. The wings and jets are also part of the synaptic controls; the wings will pop out and the jets will kick in when you think of them."
"Sounds easy enough," she gulps and pulls her cowl back on. "What do I need to do?"
"Just fly through the rings over this chasm." She gives me a look of fear. "Don't worry; there's a safety net, and you won't go fast enough to do any serious damage if you hit anything." I pull her close and reassure her with a kiss. "If you get scared, just fire your grapple and I will fly over and get you."
"Ok, this is scary, but I've got to do it sometime, so let's get it over with." With a running start, she jumps off the edge and fires her jets as she shoots towards the roof.
"Oh shit!" She screams as she dives back down just before hitting the ceiling.
"Dana, calm down; forget about the rings for now, just try and fly in a circle, ok?"
"Ok." She manages to level out and fly in rough circles. "I think I'm getting it, now what?"
"Now try diving then pulling up and levelling off as close to the ceiling as you can."
"Ok, here goes," she replies, sounding terrified.
"You want to stop, Dana?"
"Hell no," she growls before she tries shooting up but ends up smacking right into the ceiling.
"Hang on." I fire my own jets and grab her. "You ok?"
"Apart from a huge headache and my ribs are killing me, yeah I'm fine." She pulls her cowl off and I see she is crying from the pain.
"Come on we better get Bruce to look at your ribs."
…
As soon as we get out of the lift, I see Bruce with the medical kit set up next to one of the beds.
"I was watching the cameras; Terry, help her get the suit off."
"Um, that's not a good idea, Mr. Wayne. I'm kind of just in a pair of boxer shorts I borrowed off of Terry," she confesses, blushing a bright pink that makes me smile.
"Then McGinnis, get her suit off, then help her get some clothes on." He turns back to the medical kit shaking his head and muttering something about teenagers.
"Come on, Dana," I put my arm around her and head her over to the alcove where we store the suits so she can change.
A few minutes later, we walk back over to the bed. "Ok, let's check your head first," Bruce starts. "Look straight ahead." He shines a light into her eyes. "Pupils look normal so no concussion. Lift your top." Once Dana has her top up, we can see her bruises.
"Looks like you just aggravated the injury; take some pain killers and try to relax."
"You got it. Now can we get some food, Terry? I am starving." She looks at me with pleading eyes.
"Yeah, sure; I'll help you to the kitchen," I agree, holding a hand out for her.
…
Once in the kitchen, I hand her a glass of water and some painkillers.
"Thanks, Terry." She pops the pills in her mouth and downs the water.
"So where did you learn to fight like that?" I ask as we sit at the kitchen table.
Dana just stares into space for a few seconds then sighs. "My grandfather owned a dojo back in Japan, and he used to look after me while my parents were at work." She lifts her legs up on the chair and rests her chin on her knees. "He used to let me join in with the lessons. When he died, we moved here, and I stopped training." I move behind her and start rubbing her neck and shoulders. "But when you took over the role of Batman, I started up again partly to keep my mind busy and to give me something to do when you had to run off."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She shrugs "I guess it's true what they say: what's good for the goose, is good for the gander. We both had our secrets."
…
"Oh God, that feels so good," I cry out as I stretch out all my muscles. Now that my ribs are fully healed, it doesn't hurt to finally do this.
It's hard to believe it's only been a month since my fight with Ivy and having moved into the manor. I head over to the changing area and pull on my suit, gloves and boots and buckle my belt. I grab my Bo staff and slide it into the special pocket I made on my right thigh, then pull my cowl on before I walk back out to the cave.
I look over at the Batmobile as I come out and wonder if I can go more than a minute without crashing this time. I head down to the simulator since it's the only thing Bruce is still not happy about.
I mean I achieved one hundred per cent on target training, which is something; only he and Barbara had achieved that before me, and I can fly almost as good as Terry now, apart from scraping my sides on the cave wall every now and again.
So why the hell can't I fly the Batmobile without crashing it? As I climb in and stick my feet up on the dash, I think back to when I told Barbara who I was.
…
Two days ago Bruce had asked her to come to the mansion to invite her to a party he was going to throw in remembrance of his old butler Alfred.
"Hi, Commissioner Gordon," I greeted as I walked up to her. "I need to tell you something."
"If it's the fact that you're Batwoman, Miss Tan, I worked it out."
"What? How?" I blurted out, dumb struck.
"You forget, Miss Tan, not only was I Batgirl, I am also a police officer. It is my job to find things out."
"Ok, but how?"
She actually smiled and chuckled at the confused look on my face. "From the security footage. You told Ivy, and I quote, 'No-body beats my boyfriend up but me'. After that, given I know McGinnis is Batman, it was easy."
"Oh, so I've been getting stressed out about this for nothing then?"
"Yup; I knew the same day they let you out of the hospital. I just wanted to see how long you would take to tell me."
….
I snap back to the present when I hear footsteps coming towards me.
"Dana, you down here?"
"Yeah Terry, in here," I call back and stick my arm out so he can see me.
"Hey, sexy." He leans over the side of the simulator and rests his head on my leg. "So you ready to try the simulator again?"
"No; now that my ribs are healed, I can train you."
"Yeah, right," he rolls his eyes
I swing my legs and put him in a headlock with my knee on his throat. "Excuse me, but I kicked your butt twice already. Go suit up, McGinnis"
….
A little while later, we stand facing each other in the training room.
"I'm going to enjoy this; consider it payback for Melanie, McGinnis."
We start to circle each other until Terry activates his camouflage.
"Nice try, Terry," I switch to the thermal lenses in my cowl and spin away as he tries to grab me.
As he comes at me again, I drop and fire my jets, shoving my shoulder into his gut and slamming him against the wall.
"Give up yet?" I grin.
"No, I've had worse from Shriek."
"Fine, lets up the stakes," I call out as I back flip away and pull out my staff.
As Terry fires Batarang's at me, I swat them away with my staff, then flip behind him and kick him in the back of the head. While he's down, I flip him over using my staff like a pole vault and bring my weight down on his chest.
"Face it Terry I will always beat you in close combat." I pat his cheek and get up.
As I walk away, I hear Terry get up and rush towards me. God, he isn't going to try that again. I just drop and thrust my staff backwards between his legs and flip him up then, while he is in mid-air, I throw two bolas at him, tying him up so he lands hard on the floor. I finish the move by jabbing him in the gut with the staff.
"Now do you give up?" I ask. He just nods. "Smart boy."
I slice the bolas with my claws. "Now you can leave with dignity or try that again, but next time I will break your nose, got it?"
He just walks off, clearly pissed I beat him again.
"Do you think you could try not to break him Dana?"
Crap, I didn't realize Bruce was watching. "The way I see it, Bruce, if he falls for that same trick three times; it's his own fault; would you have in your prime?" I turn to face him, pulling my cowl off.
"Maybe once, but I would have expected it the second time and jumped over you." As he walks away with Ace at his heels, he calls back, "you better go get ready for the party."
….
Taking Bruce's suggestion, I find myself a few minutes later sitting in my room with Max and Ace picking out my dress.
"How about this one?" I ask, holding up Terry's favourite white dress.
"No, I think this will suit you better," Max replies and holds up a purple dress we had found in the back of the wardrobe.
"What you think, Ace?" He tilts his head then barks and wags his tail. "Ok, that settles it; this one it is."
"Any idea whose it is, Dana?"
"No, but I think it might have belonged to Bruce's mom; I just hope he doesn't mind me wearing it. Oh Max, how is that side project I asked you about going?"
"It will be ready for you in a couple of days; although, I don't get why you don't just ask Mr. Wayne."
"Because I want this to be something I sorted out by myself; plus, it will prove to them that you can be helpful, Max."
She gives me a grateful smile. "So, are you ready to dazzle, Miss Tan?"
I grab Max's arm. "Yes I am, Miss Gibson"
As we head down the stairs, I see Bruce and Terry talking to a short man with gray hair. "Dana, Max, I want you meet Tim Drake, the second Robin." Tim smiles at each of us.
"Evening ladies, and allow me to introduce my wife, Stephanie Drake."
He puts his arm around a woman in a green dress with bright white hair and blue eyes. He turns and we see a young, well-built man with black hair and dressed in dark trousers, a black T-shirt and a brown leather jacket. Beside him stands an Asian woman with black hair, wearing a black dress standing just behind them.
"This is our son Jason and his girlfriend Cassie Cain," Tim introduces.
"I hope you don't mind, Bruce, but after everything that happened, I told them all about my past as Robin."
Bruce shakes Stephanie's hand. "Not at all, Tim. In fact, I'm glad you did as I don't have to lie to them now." He then shakes Jason's and Cassie's hands.
"I'm glad, too, Mr. Wayne." Stephanie steps forward. "In fact I always wanted to meet the man who put my dad in jail," she chuckles at the confused look on Bruce's face. "My Maiden name was Brown; my father was a lieutenant for Carmine Falcone when you busted the gang you freed me and my mother."
Bruce nods with understanding and, after receiving an unexpected kiss on the cheek from her, he watches her walk back to the main room with her family following suit. The next person to arrive is Commissioner Gordon wearing a simple black dress.
"Hello, Barbara," Bruce greets.
"No Sam," she shakes her head. "He had to work."
"Well, Tim and his family are through there. They know about all of us, so there's no need to lie."
"Thank God. I've hated lying to them all these years." As Barbara heads off, Bruce goes to shut the door.
"That's all the guests."
"Not quit, old man." We turn to see a couple there; one is a tall, lean man in a dark suit with white hair and blue eyes on the steps, and the other is a slightly shorter woman with white hair and green eyes in a white dress.
"Dick," Bruce takes a step back.
"Hello, Bruce. I take it you remember Kori?"
"Of course; Mrs. Grayson." She just nods and glares at Bruce. Clearly whatever the reason behind Dick's leaving, she isn't happy about it.
"Terry, Dana, this is Dick and Kori Grayson, better known as Nightwing and Starfire," Bruce explains.
"So you are the new Batman and Batwoman I take it?" Dick shakes Terry's hand first, then mine.
"Yeah we are, Mr. Grayson," I reply, pulling his hand and giving him a hug him before kissing Kori on the cheek; however, the gesture causes a static charge to pass between us. "Ow! Holographic watch?"
"Yup," Kori replies. "To help protect Dick's secret; I don't like it, but could be worse, I suppose."
"Better than wearing a full cowl like we do, I guess."
She just shrugs. "No idea, never wore one; at least I can turn this off now."
Suddenly her appearance changes to the orange-skinned alien redhead I remember from the papers.
"Wow, you must be, what, 50 now? And you look no older than 20!"
She just smiles back at me. "We Tamaranean's age slower than humans, and Dick certainly isn't complaining." She gives me a cheeky wink before floating into the other room after Dick and Bruce.
Terry wraps an arm round my waist from behind and rests his head on my shoulder. "This should be interesting"
"How so?"
"I only know bits and pieces from Barb and the others in the Justice League, but I think Dick left to marry Kori and Bruce wouldn't go to the wedding because of Batman business, which is why Dick never came back."
"Oh boy, this is going to be a long night."