The Second Batgirl

Prologue

WARNING: ONE SWEAR WORD

Samantha raced down the dirty backstreets of Gotham, her heart pounding in her chest. Her long brown hair flew behind her as she ran outright across a road, narrowly dodging a car.

But she didn't care. She had received an emergency call from Bruce, her father figure, and also kind of leader. After all, since she was Batgirl, he had to boss her around a little.

She got to Wayne manor sooner than she expected. The run to the Batcave was a blur; she'd never heard Bruce more worried. When she got in, she saw the man himself sitting in front of the computer, looking dejected and sad.

"Bruce," Samantha spoke carefully. "What's happening?"

She expected to hear Jason Todd's cocky voice coming from somewhere, but there was silence. Without her best friend, it was almost an empty room.

"Bruce!" She said, louder," what's happening? Where's- where's Jason?!"
He looked up at her, his brown eyes full of tears. This shocked Samantha to the core.

"Jason... Jason is..." He began, but he couldn't continue. Samantha's eyes widened. She ran over to him.

"What? What happened to Jason?!" Bruce remained silent. "Tell me, you son of a bitch!" Samantha screamed, shaking him. Bruce rocketed up from his seat and grabbed her shoulders.

"He's dead!" He roared. "Jason is dead! The Joker got him! And I could have saved him!" He slumped back into his seat. "I could have saved him."

Samantha slowly backed away from him, her green eyes watering. "No," she whispered, "you're lying. No, no, no! He's not dead!" Her voice escalated into a yell, as she continued to step away.

"Miss Samantha," came Alfred's English accent. She turned, to see one of her favorite people. He looked at her sorrowfully. "It is the truth. Master Jason has been murdered."

Samantha could no longer hold back her tears, as she ran up the stairs and out of the Batcave. The ten year old could no longer contain herself, as she ran out to the garden. She dropped to her knees and screamed. Her tears ran down her face, as she sobbed into the night.

"Jason," she said, rubbing her eyes, for once not ashamed of her crying. "Don't leave me! Don't go! Please... Please don't go..."

It wasn't like anyone could hear her. And that was the worst part.

-

A week later, Jason's funeral was held. It was a private one, with only Samantha, Bruce and Alfred. Rather unlike her, Samantha had prepared a speech. She stepped in front of Jason's grave, and pulled out a piece of paper, with her scrawly writing on it. She cleared her throat.

"Jason," she began. "You were my best friend, you were my center. Without you, I am broken beyond repair. I wish that you were still here. Nothing will be the same without you telling me to shut up, or yelling at me because I ate your crisps. You were more to me than a friend, you were my partner, my brother. And I loved you."

Samantha swallowed, before continuing. "But I know what you would have wanted me to do. I will continue to work with Bruce. I will continue to be Batgirl. I will protect this city, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because you would have wanted me to. I will stand tall, and I will remember you.

"Because as you used to say, Jason, there's always a choice: you either give up, or you get up."