Robin's Shadow (Batman OC)

Chapter 18: Nightingale

I finally remembered though my grief-numbed brain that Jason will come back, that he should come back. I don't know when, or if it will still happen with me here, but he should come back to me. That thought, along with my hate for the Clown, has given me purpose again. It doesn't show outwardly, I still walk around the manor in a daze, but I have a storm brewing inside.

I am crafting an all new persona. A true vigilante, an anti-hero, and she will have one initial goal, and that's to kill the Joker. She will not be a member of the Bat clan, and she will not follow his moral codes. The Joker and all his loyal followers have gotten away with too much to be allowed to safely return to the Asylum like they always do. 

I hack into the Bat computer one day shortly after being caught by Alfred and do some very 'creative accounting' and set up an offshore bank account. I wire enough funds into it to use for the supplies I need to order, and extra in case Bruce kicks me out for quitting or catches on to what I'm doing. I can have certain things shipped to an abandoned building that has no affiliation with me at all, and I can make sure everything I do in untraceable. Bruce really shouldn't have taught us so well on how to use computers.

Some of the things I need can be found around the cave already, like materials needed to make a new suit. I craft it to be something I would never be found in, something opposite of my own personality and style. I have to make me look and act different, enough that the world's greatest detective can't find out who I am, even while living under his roof. 

Batman's way doesn't work anymore. Gotham needs a firmer hand, they need something to actually fear. A new symbol, someone not afraid to get their hands dirty. Someone who was an assassin in their past life, who knows how to walk away mentally undamaged from killing. Batman would never be able to do that, he's already so close to being permanently damaged each time he goes out. I spent years assassinating and killing in my last life, and it never once changed who I was. 

For my new persona, I'm focused on revenge, but it's not just my own personal revenge, it's everyone's who has died by the Clown's actions, and everyone who will die from him in the future. If there are other dangerous criminals like him out there, those that kill recklessly and can't be reformed, then they too will need to be dealt with, but not until the Clown is dead.

I spend weeks making my new costume, and making the new persona from the ground up. The costume itself was a lot more risqué than my normal clothes, and I added a gel like padding in area's to give my body a new shape. I am very muscular, and I have scars all over from years of being Shadow. This has caused my womanly shape to not really form yet, despite being 15. I have some breasts that finally started growing in recently, but the new suit added a lot more. I naturally have very straight hips, but I do have a butt almost as nice as Dick's, so I add padding to give the illusion of curvy hips. The outfit will also come with heels, to add to my already tall 5' 8" frame and make me more imposing. 

My goal is appearing like a different woman, older, and not reminiscent of me at all. I ordered some white hair chalk the moment my brain remembered about Red Hood's white streak, and I intend to add a white streak for every time I wear the outfit in order to throw off my appearance and keep my brother close to me in my actions. 

One last thing that will differ this new persona from myself and from Shadow will be a something iconic, something to strike fear into my enemies when they hear it. I will have a whistle, a tune specific to me that I will use when I enter an enemy hideout. Shadow always worked best in silence, but Nightingale will be remembered and feared for her tune, and for her merciless behavior. 

I chose Nightingale as my symbol because it's a sign of love, loss, and mourning. I wanted a bird symbol, like Robin, but one that had meaning to me, so I did research on different birds and their meanings. The tune of a Nightingale is supposed to resonate deeply into one's soul, and symbolize darkness and sorrow. Nightingale's are small, innocent, and harmless birds and teach the lesson of peace and harmony. I will use that deceptive meaning to fool my enemies, to make them think they are safe from me when they are not, but I will bring peace and harmony in my own way.