B a t g i r l

She glanced over at him, then quickly covered her eyes. “You don’t have to.” Then, tilting her head (but not removing her hand) she said, “What if my hobby… is Batgirl? You cook. I punch.” She reached out a hand, groping around for his shoulder to pat it. “You’re nice mostly. Underneath. Like Batman.”

”I know but… You showed me yours, I’ll show you mine?” he said with a snort, putting his mask back on. ”That.. is one weird hobby. Man, being a member of the Bat-Family sounds crazy.” he said with a head shake, his amusement appearent in his tone. ”That might be the best compliment I have ever recieved.”

Cass smiled at the thought. She moved her hand and turned to look over the street, shrugging. "Not the family that's weird. Just me. It's okay though." She watched him, then dropped her voice and leaned in. "I like you. You are nice. Not mean like I said." 

And then she flopped down on the edge of the roof, looking despondent. Cass, of all people, was looking SAD. She was always smiling. What the fuck did you do, Spider-man? “Oracle… was the first person… I really met. She’s… She’s like… my mom, and also friend. I like her. I like Spoiler. She was my first friend. I try to make.. another friend… but you are being mean.” Glancing up at him, she tilted her head. “What do you do? Other than save people? For fun?”

At her words, he looked down. She was right. He was being an asshole. He couldn’t help it sometimes. ”I.. I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to—” Sighing, he stepped closer to the edge of the roof, contemplating for a moment before taking off his mask .”Well, I go to movies. I take pictures.. I cook! Cooking is a nice hobby! Even though it mostly ends with my kitchen on fire..” he muttered the last bit, clearing his throat as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. ”You know, stuff.”

She glanced over at him, then quickly covered her eyes. "You don't have to." Then, tilting her head (but not removing her hand) she said, "What if my hobby... is Batgirl? You cook. I punch." She reached out a hand, groping around for his shoulder to pat it. "You're nice mostly. Underneath. Like Batman."

"…Superboy?" She withered more and more as he spoke. There was a clear sense of… gentleness about him that hadn’t been there before. He was pitying her. She stood straight and gave him a stern look. As if to emphasize it, she put her hands on her hips. "I like them! They— they are cool! You don’t like… people you save the world with?" 

”Whoa.” He backed away a little at the stern look. Yup, definitely a memeber of the Bat-Family. ”What? No, of course I like them! I just.. I have more than just them, you know? I have my superhero friends, yes. I have friends who also happen to be superheroes, also yes. And I also have friends who are just.. friends. Just normal people. It’s nice to embrace that normal part sometimes. It’s really refreshing.”

And then she flopped down on the edge of the roof, looking despondent. Cass, of all people, was looking SAD. She was always smiling. What the fuck did you do, Spider-man? "Oracle... was the first person... I really met. She's... She's like... my mom, and also friend. I like her. I like Spoiler. She was my first friend. I try to make.. another friend... but you are being mean." Glancing up at him, she tilted her head. "What do you do? Other than save people? For fun?"

"I eat. I have friends. Batman. Oracle. Robin. Spoiler." The more he spoke, the more she seemed to deflate. Wasn’t catching bad guys fun? Wasn’t saving people fun? "Before… Before Batman, before Batgirl… I had nothing."

”No, I meant friends. Like, normal people. People you hang out because they are cool to hang out with. Not people you save the world with.” Hearing her talk, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She was basically living a life of duty. That’s just.. that wasn’t okay. 

"...Superboy?" She withered more and more as he spoke. There was a clear sense of... gentleness about him that hadn't been there before. He was pitying her. She stood straight and gave him a stern look. As if to emphasize it, she put her hands on her hips. "I like them! They-- they are cool! You don't like... people you save the world with?" 

She frowned, her mask shifting, and shrugged. “Train? What else… is there?” Too seriously was right. Like, more than he knew.

”Like… Life? Having fun? Going to see a movie? Playing video games? Eating? Food fights?!” he kept going on and on and on, his limbs flailing like spaghetti. ”Don’t you have any friends?” Man that Batman job looked cool, but it seemed like it was also very.. dull.

"I eat. I have friends. Batman. Oracle. Robin. Spoiler." The more he spoke, the more she seemed to deflate. Wasn't catching bad guys fun? Wasn't saving people fun? "Before... Before Batman, before Batgirl... I had nothing."

She tilted her head further, almost parallel to the ground. “My loved ones?” … “Batman?” Yeah, she clearly did not give any fucks. “No records. I’m um…” What was the phrase? “Off the grid.” She was a ghost. She had no identity but Batgirl.

”…Batman is your loved one?” …Oh. OOOOH. Right. ”Off the grid? Honey, you are taking this Batman gig a bit too seriously.. If that is even possible. What do you even do in your spare time?”

She frowned, her mask shifting, and shrugged. "Train? What else... is there?" Too seriously was right. Like, more than he knew.

She tilted her head, watching him. He seemed really convinced of this, and the others had been, too. “…Then they have a picture of me?” Cass tilted her head. Sure, it was the way they did things. But that didn’t mean she understood it. “Why dangers? It’s… just a face.”

”By having a picture of you, they can learn who you are. By learning who you are, they can learn who your loved ones are. And if they learn that, then they could hurt them. You see where I’m getting at?” he asked, tilting his head in a similar manner. She really didn’t give a crap about secret identities, did she? That was either bold or stupid.

She tilted her head further, almost parallel to the ground. "My loved ones?" ... "Batman?" Yeah, she clearly did not give any fucks. "No records. I'm um..." What was the phrase? "Off the grid." She was a ghost. She had no identity but Batgirl.

Turning on her heel, Cass pulled herself up onto a roof, holding up one hand. “Wait, Jason!” See, this was why it was a good idea to put changes of clothes in plastic bags throughout the city. Tucked away on the rooftops, available for a quick change whenever she needed it. Of course, there was the issue that there was now a silhouette on top of a laundromat hopping around on one foot while she tried to pull on her jeans. But hey. It’s Gotham.

He watched her as she went onto the roof, obeying her request. As if he was going to run off someplace at this point. There was food in his future and he was willing to wait for it. Watching Cass struggle to put on her casual clothes on the rooftop reminded him of his Robin days, earning a small smile.

"Pizza now?" she asked, still pulling her shirt down to cover her belly. Pink Floyd. She didn't even know what Pink Floyd was. Clearly it was stolen from Babs's closet. "I want, um... olives? Black kind." 

Cass tilted her head, but complied and pulled her mask back on. “Did you… recognize me?” She wasn’t famous. People barely saw her out of costume. She still didn’t get the deal. Batgirl was her. She would do the job without the costume or with. It didn’t change the nature of what she did. “You are a hero. You won’t tell.”

”Well.. no..” he removed his hand once the mask was back on. ”But what if I bump into you on the street one day?! However unlikely that sounds, the world is full of odd coincidences!” he pointed out, nodding his head repeatedly. ”And yes, I may be a hero. But what if a non-hero sees you without your mask? What happens then? What happens if they somehow manage to take a picture? The possibilities and the dangers are endless.”

She tilted her head, watching him. He seemed really convinced of this, and the others had been, too. "...Then they have a picture of me?" Cass tilted her head. Sure, it was the way they did things. But that didn't mean she understood it. "Why dangers? It's... just a face."

Confused owl was her thing. As evidenced by the head tilt at his words. She dropped her hand to her side. “It’s not leather.” To demonstrate as such, she straight up rolled her mask off and handed it to him. “See? Not leather.” 

”Whoa!” he quickly covered his eyes, shaking his head. ”I’m pretty sure, by being a member of the Bat-Family, comes the burden of having a secret identity. A.K.A. you don’t just take off your mask in front of strangers.”

Cass tilted her head, but complied and pulled her mask back on. "Did you... recognize me?" She wasn't famous. People barely saw her out of costume. She still didn't get the deal. Batgirl was her. She would do the job without the costume or with. It didn't change the nature of what she did. "You are a hero. You won't tell."

 ❝ spider-man, nice ta’ meet ya’.     i’d mention your outfit but hey,     i can’t exactly give fashion tips. ❞

     "Not very, um, different from yours. No cape. Capes are... fashionable."

Say something, I’m giving up on you I’ll be the one, if you want me to Anywhere I would’ve followed you Say something, I’m giving up on you

...Thank you.