Batgirl: Ascension (a fanfic)

Another Night

Barbara rubbed her ankle. It felt like she kicked that goon wrong.
"Oof." She sighed as she raised it back onto the pillow. The ice easing the pain.
"Hey, what happened to you?" Her father asked, studying her on the couch.
"I think I twisted my ankle."
"Doing what?"
"Crime fighting daddy." She jested, all the while being quite serious.
"Ha-ha." Jim's eyes narrowed. "We were able to arrest Black Mask. He's going to Blackgate this time."
"Good." Barbara smiled.
"And Montoya arrested the Riddler last night..."
"That's good right?"
"No." Her father sighed and sat down on the chair not too far away.
Barbara sat up, watching her father's hands being buried into his hands. "What's wrong daddy?"
"I..." He stopped and peered at his daughter. "There was a female and male duo reported at the Riddler arrest. Riddler and his three goons reported it themselves."
"Okay."
"I'm...just worried about the kids Batman has been recruiting."
"Talking about Robin?"
"Yeah but he appears to have two more wards. And he sent them to...alone to a deadly deal. They could've died."
"Have you asked him about it?"
"He's mum on the issue..."
"But did he say they were his wards?"
Jim grimaced and then smiled. "No, I guess not. But...still. It's a bad sign."
"Why?"
"More vigilantes? Mayor Kane has a hard enough time accepting Batman."
"Maybe they're rogue."
The realization hit her father. "Right...like that Green Arrow guy."
"And his ward, Red Arrow. Batman and Superman have given the world hope. That there are people willing to combat crime."
Gordon merely nodded and stood. "I hope you're right. I got to go to work. You alright? I know you have to be disappointed I missed movie night."
"It's fine dad." Barbara smiled. "I get it. Gotham never sleeps. Sometimes...neither can you."
Jim grinned and leaned over. He kissed his daughter on the forehead and left. Barbara took a long sigh out. She didn't realize how fast her heart had been beating. She started working on her app on her phone. Its encryption network wasn't as secure as she'd like.
As she tinkered, she began to wonder. What would she do if her father found out? Would he ever find out? Should she just tell him? Would he support her?
Before she knew it, she finished some of the work she wanted to. The app was still buggy but the encryption looked to be strong enough for her. She put her phone down and stared at the ceiling. Before she knew it she had passed out. She sprung up and gasped at the tall figure above her.
"Easy Babs." It was Jason.
"Fucking hell. You scared me!" Barbara sat up and hit him hard in the side.
"Ouch." Jason smiled. "Ready for another night of crime fighting?"
"How did you find out where I lived?"
Jason grinned and held up his phone. A GPS tracker app showed a little yellow dot over her garage. "You bugged my bike."
"Correct!" Jason smile widened.
Barbara looked at her phone. It was late, but her father shouldn't be home anytime soon either. "Fine. We can go. Got any leads?"
"Just one." Jason held a hand up.
"There's another cape in town."
"Who?"
"Supes."
"Superman? What's he doing here?"
"Riddler is squawking about Bane. And the League of Assassins."
"What does that mean for us?" Barbara started heading upstairs.
"It means..." Barbara closed her door behind her as she got dressed. Jason continued, getting the hint. His voice raised so she could hear him. "The League sounds like a whole bunch of shady assholes. But I've been doing some research. I think they're a pretty old construct. Like...centuries old."
"Any news on the owl thing?"
"No..."
Barbara got finished getting dressed and stepped out. "We can change that. Maybe the League knows something about them."
"That's what I was thinking." Jason smiled at her outfit.
"What?"
"You look like quite the badass."
"We look like badasses." Barbara corrected.
Before they knew, they were on their bikes. Going back to the narrows to find out anything they could. They traced their footsteps back to the warehouse. They found the police tape and discussed how to find any signs of anything. To their surprise someone did show up. A man in a green hoodie. No, perhaps it was more militaristic than that.
They watched him from afar as he studied the crime scene. A kid in a red hoodie soon arrived. He took off his hood and a skinny teenager talked to the green one. "Green Arrow, I couldn't find anything."
"I did." Green Arrow stood. "We were right. Bane did come here."
"How can you tell?"
"For one, Batman reported Riddler was here."
"What does the Justice Society think?"
"They think we are wasting our time."
"But the Court of Owls is real."
"So, is the League of Assassins." Green Arrow shook his head and brought down his hood. His neat goatee looking all too familiar. This was the iconic Green Arrow. He was real and he was following the same leads Barbara and Jason were.
"Batman was real sloppy with this one."
"It wasn't me." Batman walked from out of the shadows. And Robin soon behind him. His dark green, red and yellow suit starkly contrasting the dark suit of the bat. "There are rogue vigilantes here."
"And they took down the Riddler?" Green Arrow asked.
"Appears that way." Robin smiled.
Barbara and Jason shared a look. Should they make a move? Or stay in the background?
"It was luck." Batman said. "They were lucky to make it out of that situation alive."
"Did Black Mask provide any info?" Green Arrow asked, ignoring the sentiment of Batman.
"Yes. Bane has claimed the Narrows as his home base. He's somewhere here..."
"So, we're close without being close." Red Arrow stepped forward. "What now?"
"Now?" Batman sighed. "Robin and I are going to find our rogue vigilantes. They may know something we don't."
"I doubt." Green Arrow shakes his head. "What of the boy scout?"
"Superman needs to stay in Metropolis. There are signs, according to Lex Luther I and III the claws of the owls is digging in."
Jason gave Barbara a small touch on the shoulder. She gazed into his eyes and nodded. She knew what they needed to do. Give themselves up.
Before they could though, a fifth person arrives. A woman wrapped in some type of green garb. She appears, almost out of nowhere.
"Who the hell is this?" Green Arrow asks.
"Green Arrow. Red Arrow. This is Talia. A former member of the League of Assassins."
"How do you know her?"
"Because I was a member of the same team..." Batman shakes his head.
"You? The non-killer?"
"Times have changed." Talia said stepping forward. "Ollie, Bruce."
"How?" Green Arrow steps back.
"Talia." Batman says stepping forward. "We discussed this."
"Sorry. Bats, Arrow."
"What do you know?"
"I know we're not alone." Talia grins.
"What does that mean?"
"The Court of Owls has eyes everywhere." Talia says. "Meaning, anyone of us could be a member of the Court."
"What does this have to do with the League?"
"There is a war going on in Gotham Batman." Talia turns, facing away from them. "I know...where both you're wealth comes from. I need to know...have you been approached by an owl?"
"No." Batman said quickly.
Green Arrow though, takes a deep breath in. "Yes. We have. Red Arrow and I..."
"Why am I just hearing about this?" Batman demands.
"Because..." Red Arrow steps forward. "We were thinking of infiltrating them."
"Without back up?" Robin steps up.
"You're right." Talia said. "You're both right. We should use this chance to infiltrate the Court."
"But the League." Green Arrow offers.
"She said there was a war going on." Batman offers. "Should we take advantage of the Court...we can find their enemies. With their resources."
"And I..." Talia offers. "Can rejoin the League."
"Too dangerous." Robin shakes his head.
"Robins right." Batman says. "We can protect you from your father."
"Ra's won't stop. And he's found a replacement for you." Talia shook her head. "If I return to him now. Perhaps we can bring down both the League and the Court."
"What do we do?" Barbara whispered into Jason's ear.
Jason shrugged as they continued to watch the five beneath them.
"Should I inform the Justice Society?" Green Arrow asks.
"Dr. Fate would never agree to this plan." Batman responds. "But...Lex Luther I just might."
"We should inform his grandson as well." Red Arrow offers. "He's done nothing but aid us in our crime fighting endeavors. "Our fox to your bats."
"Batman." Green Arrow says. "You likely have a considerable amount of wealth. One of Gotham's elite I am sure. It is only a matter of time before the Court approaches you."
"And before father does as well." Talia says.
"They will approach me." Batman agreed. "And I will say yes. I will play along as long as I can. But...I will not kill."
"You'll be cut down by Bane if you don't." Talia shrugged. "As for the Court. Who's to say."
"I'll be the first to infiltrate the court." Green Arrow offers. "After that? Well, let's just hope the Justice Society has a solid back up."
"Perhaps call Diana in." Red Arrow offers.
"Wonder Woman is no spy. She's barely compatible with males as it is. Her wealth in non-existent." Batman shakes his head. "There has to be another way in."
"Selena might know something." Robin offers.
"Who?" Green arrow crosses his arms.
"A friend. Robin is right. We have a plan. Here." Batman hands them each an small device. "This is a batphone."
"It's a cellphone shaped like a bat Bruce." Talia chuckled.
"Bruce..." Jason breathed out. "Dear god, I think I know who that is."
"Shh." Barbara insisted.
"These phones will let us keep in contact with each other. There is an emergency setting. One you can press and will ping your location to the Batcomputer. From there, either Robin or myself can find you."
"And what of our rogue vigilantes?" Robin asks.
"They will make a mistake soon." Batman says. "When they do, we will stop them from mucking up more of this city. Vigilantes...rogue ones are bad for business. Their sloppiness will cost us important leads."
"They may get themselves killed too." Robin offers.
"There is that." Batman agrees. "If we're all in agreement. I suggest we go our separate ways."
Talia bows and disappears in a cloud of smoke. Green and Red Arrows both nod and take off out the door. Leaving only Robin and Batman. "Where to next boss?"
Batman touches his ear. "Alfred has informed me the bat signal is up. Gordon must need us for something."
"I can look for traces of the rogues."
Batman hesitates, looks around but nods. "Get it done."
Batman takes off. Robin grins as he paces around. After a few minutes of them watching he finally looks up and directly at Barbara and Jason. "You can come on down now."
"How?" Jason said standing up.
"Bats flagged you down before we arrived. You going to come down here? Or will I have to chase you?"
"How do we know you're not apart of the League or the Court?"
"Because I'm just a circus kid." Robin shrugs. "Come on down. We have much to discuss. Including those gaudy uniforms you're wearing."