Raven
This is a bad idea. A really, really bad idea.
This was not the first time Raven felt kindness. It was not the first time a stranger took her into their home out of the kindness of their heart. During her lonely days on the road, she met several kind people, some she got to know personally. She watched them disappear from her life, either suffering because of her or horrified when they learned the truth about her. Some even blamed her for the tragedies that befell them, accusing her of bringing trouble to their doorstep. They weren't wrong, either. Trouble followed her everywhere. It was why she preferred staying out of sight, avoiding people and only getting involved when it was necessary.
It was better not to get attached. It meant less heartache and less drama when tragedy knocked on her door.
Tragedy was an old lover, and misery loved company.
Jump City was just supposed to be another stop. She'd gather supplies, seek out esoteric shops with knowledge of diabolic matters and get a feel on what to expect during her short stay, then move on. That had been the plan, but the demonic presence in the city was greater than she anticipated.
Trigon's essence made her a light in the dark, and the demons were drawn to her like a swarm of moths, yet that didn't explain why there were so many of them. Too many demons. There were two theories as to why, either someone created a portal to Hell and purposely left it open, or Jump City had a serious infestation. Frankly, she didn't know which was worse.
The plan had been to leave, but of course, Raven just had to have a bleeding heart. With so many demons around, it was a matter of time before someone got hurt or worse. She justified it as a "training exercise", a way to hone her abilities and put her teacher's lessons to practice. As much as she flung curses, verbal and literal in his direction, she couldn't deny he was good at what he did.
Her latest hunt led her to the care of one Rhody Edwards, who was, quite frankly, the most confusing boy she'd ever had the pleasure(?) of meeting.
She knew he was telling the truth, but the things that came out of his mouth beggared belief. As little as she involved herself with civilization, Raven understood society and its norms. Hearing the sexual roles and morals of men and women were swapped in Rhody's world was…well, she found it weird. Weirder still was Rhody's confession about the Omnitrix's origins and the fact he was in a different body.
More than that…he knew.
Heroes existed in his world. The same heroes in her world. Black Canary. Wonder Woman. Zatanna. Superman. Green Lantern. Batman. The Flash.
Her.
Rhody knew about her, about her origins, about Trigon…and he didn't care.
He could have escaped from the demon when he turned into an alien. He could have left her behind when she kept the demon from causing anymore damage. Instead, he helped her. Took her back to his home, dressed her wounds, and even offered her food.
Raven knew better than to trust the kindness of strangers. It always ended in tragedy on the stranger's part. She didn't want to get attached, couldn't let herself be affected. She hardly knew Rhody.
"You don't have to leave, you know?"
The offer was sincere. It was the same as all the other times. The only difference was that he knew the risks, the dangers of getting involved with her.
And…he didn't care. He trusted her. A person he confessed to hardly knowing. A person he trusted because of word of mouth.
It was naïve. It was stupid. It was suicidal.
And Raven—
"…you wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all. I'm a sucker for a pretty face, and I'm used to sleeping on the couch."
—she broke her number one rule.
I'm so going to regret this…
REVERSED DC
Trials and Tribulations
====
"Rhody"
You would think that having a goth mage girl living with you would mean you're about to start your superhero career.
Well, you'd be wrong.
Two weeks flew by since Raven started living with me. The "official" conversation with my landlady was that she was a friend from Gotham who found herself in a difficult spot, and I offered a helping hand. To lessen suspicion, I introduced Raven to her and told her that if she needed any help or somebody to listen to her ranting, the landlady was the person to go. It worked a little too well.
Before, the landlady was a mother hen. Now she was a freaking helicopter mom, fretting over me and Raven. Worse, the latter off-handedly mentioned how she liked treating us like we were kids because it reminded her of the days when she looked after grandkids.
Even in RSM worlds, old grannies are wholesome and annoying!
Anyway, while I wasn't going out being a hero, Raven was. Every so often, she ventured out to deal with demonic threats. I'd occasionally come along to give her backup, giving me more experience with my aliens. Turns out the infernal suckers are like cockroaches; even with Raven's expertise with magic and the Omnitrix, they were difficult to pin down long enough to kill. The first demon I met was fresh in my mind, how he turned himself into a suicide bomber out of spite. Neither of us wanted a repeat, so we ended up blitzing the bastards first chance we got.
It was surreal and thrilling…but it also reinforced the idea that superheroics wasn't a game. Cuts, gashes, burns, and all other injuries piled up. Raven's magic was useful in covering them up, making it look as if we hadn't been fighting the monsters that went bump in the night, but it did not change the fact that heroism had dangers. That you were fighting for dear life, to protect other people from dying.
It made me wonder how the others could handle it. Knowing they might screw up and die, that one fuck-up could result in someone losing their life.
"They make it look so easy," I muttered.
"Something wrong, Rhodes?"
"Ah, it's nothin', Casey. Just lost in thought is all."
Life as a barista is less complicated than going out to kill demons. Not to mention relaxing. Don't get me wrong, introducing Raven to video games is fun, but there's nothing quite like the relaxing atmosphere of a slow day at work and the smell of coffee to help you kick back. There weren't many customers today, much less troublesome ones who thought I'd be an easy pick-up or something.
Although I will say the last one was amusing, if only because of the god-awful pick-up lines. I mean, really. "You must have fallen from heaven because you look beautiful?" I almost cracked up from that alone. Still, points for effort and being able to say it with a straight face.
Then again, it wasn't the worst pick-up line. Barbara still had every other contender beat.
Speaking of, I kept up with the latest superhero news. There was no news on Robin leaving Batman, so we were still far away from the potential formation of the Teen Titans. The Bat Family is still the undisputed guardians of Gotham, and Wayne Enterprise is still doing the best work possible to provide for the city's lower class. Batgirl, however, has been flying solo lately.
It made me wonder whether this world's version of the Teen Titans, assuming they came to be, would be led by Batgirl and not Robin.
…I really hope that isn't the case. I would rather not have to deal with flirty Barbara Gordon, thank you very much!
"Slow day," David said as he cleaned one of the tables near the counter. "Makes me wonder if something's gonna happen."
I raised an eyebrow. "Another one of your 'gut feelings', Dave?"
"Hey, I haven't been wrong before. Remember that huge traffic jam a couple days ago? Slow day that day. That explosion by Wesley Street? Slow day. The tripe homicide at Cliffgate Hotel? Slow day. I'm telling you, something's gonna happen today."
I'm not sure if David's some kind of psychic or something, but he wasn't kidding around when he said slow days concur with something bad. It was impressive, in a creepy sort of way, I guess.
Still…
"Well, I'm not complaining about business being slow," I said with a shrug. "Just means I have less trouble to deal with."
"I-I'm sorry," Becca stuttered. "If I had more confidence a-at the front counter, I could…"
"Relax, Becca, it's fine," Casey assured the part-timer. "Believes it or not, Rhody here is used to troublesome customers." A teasing smirk formed across her face. "You've really learned how to pull off the ice prince look, you know that? You'll be breaking hearts in no time."
I pouted. "Don't tease me, boss."
"I'm being serious here, Rhody. With those look of yours? You could snag any girl you wanted. Hell, you practically got half our usual customers chasing after you."
"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure they want me to be a notch on a belt. In my experience, the ones who only give out phone numbers are the ones to steer clear of."
"Amen, brother!" David nodded solemnly. "Seriously, why can't most women be like boss or Becca?"
At that, Becca squeaked, cheeks turning red. I sighed, content to know that normal girls from my world do in fact exist, even as a minority. I wish more women in this world were like Becca. They'd be so much fun to tease.
The bell chimed as the door opened, announcing a new customer. A familiar woman with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped inside, a small smile on her face.
"Welcome," Casey greeted with a nod. "Danvers, right? You're becoming quite the regular here."
It was still jarring to see Supergirl, especially this early in the timeline. I mean, granted, I'm no expert in the comics or animated series, but she doesn't show up for a long while. Usually around the time the Justice League is a thing, I think.
Well, not that I'm complaining. So far, Kara's been nice and pleasant. No flirty remarks or forward advances, just small talk and questions about Jump City in general. By her own admission, she wasn't really looking for romance. Well, not yet anyway. She wanted to finish her studies before even trying to look for a boyfriend. Jury's out whether she meant school work or Earthling customs.
It also helps I'm her favorite barista, since I tend to spoil her and she gives me tips. I'm a sucker for tips. Especially when I don't have to wear a skirt!
"What can I say? The coffee here's great." She walked over to the front counter and hopped on one of the stools. "What's recommended for today?"
"You're in luck. Today's specialty is the Cuban espresso Café cubano. It comes in two styles, a cortadito with a splash of milk and con leche with steamed milk."
"I think I'll take a Cubano cortadito today. Oh, and one of those lemon cakes if you still have them. I am so gonna need the fuel for my essay."
"School life kicking your ass?" I asked as I took her bills and coins. A quick round-up told me it was exact change. Once the cash was in the register, I wrote up her order and passed it to Becca.
Kara groaned. "Don't ask. If it's not the work, it's the teachers, and if it's not the teachers, it's shitty lab partners. They'd rather play on their phones or talk about stupid stuff like sports and games over doing class assignments."
"Not boyfriend talk?"
"I tune that kind of stuff out," she replied with a grimace. "Especially when they start bragging. I swear, I always get stuck with the jocks."
"Think about it this way," I said with a wry grin. "At least it wasn't cheerleaders." I knew I was being stereotypical and biased. Back in my day, cheerleaders were fucking vicious when it came to gossip, usually bitchy or snooty because they needed somebody to vent their frustration on or just looked down on others because they had the boys slobbering over them.
To my mild relief, Kara gagged at my words. "Oh god, don't even joke about that! The cheerleaders are worse. I'd rather hear the jocks talk about how they rode their boyfriends into the mattress than the boys bragging how many women they slept with!"
Out of context, that line would be nothing new in my world. In the context of an RSM world, though? It just felt weird. I also try not to think about what male cheerleaders in skirts look like. Boys look prettier in this universe, lacking in body hair (and as someone who detested his 'love trail', thank fuck for that), but it's still jarring to see guys in women's clothes, even after spending almost over half a year in this universe!
A conversation soon engulfed me and Kara, the latter talking about school life with me. I listened, responding and offering my own two cents with the occasional nugget of advice. It was surprisingly easy to talk with her, likely because she wasn't trying to get into my pants.
"So what brought you to Jump City in the first place?" I asked as I handed over her order. Kara all but sank her teeth into the lemon cake, groaning in pleasure from the burst of flavor. "You mentioned you moved from Metropolis, right? I thought people liked being in the same city as Superman."
"My cousin recommended it, actually," Kara told me, to my surprise. "He said I would find all kinds of opportunities to grow outside Metropolis. Well, that, and despite what you think, Superman does get the occasional challenge. Especially when a certain bald CEO gets it into his head that the big man in blue is a menace to society or something."
Translation: Kal-El told her she could get more experience as a superheroine by traveling while also warning her away from Luthor.
Now that I think about it, what was the Lex Luthor of this world like? I'd have to look it up sometime. I don't think I'll ever cross paths with the bald bastard, but better to be safe than sorry.
As Kara and I chatted away, I spot Becca and David giving us a weird look. David was grinning like a loon while Becca was furiously writing something in that odd blue notebook of hers.
Wait, notebook? Where the hell…?
Suddenly, the air shrieked with the clarion calls of hell as several police cars zoomed past the window and down the street.
"Called it," David said. "Something's going on."
At that same moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Given the timing and the number of contacts on my phone can be counted on one hand, I knew what was going on. This was the first time Raven was calling me on my work hours.
"Um, sorry, could you…" I stared at the empty space at the counter. I sighed. "Well, that figures. Now how the hell am I gonna explain this to Casey…?"
Kara Zor-El
Spoiler: Supergirl
Sooner I get this done, the sooner I can get back to my coffee and my cake. And back to making a friend. We were becoming friends, right? I wasn't pushing too hard? Being human is hard…
Despite having been on Earth for the better part of a year, Kara still felt like a stranger in a strange world. Granted, she spent most of that time recovering in Kal-El's Fortress of Solitude, but even then she had material to gleam information from, like video archives and text books. She didn't miss those days, not when Kal-El hovered over her like a worried grandmother. She wasn't five, for Rao's sake.
First impressions of Earth's social customs? A little familiar, but also weird. Women being the dominant gender wasn't anything new. 70% of Kryptonian women had the aptitude for military service. The social status of men, on the other hand, took some getting used to, especially when it came to women's attitude toward them. She was expecting something similar on Krypton, where men were warriors of the mind, delving in matters of technology and science, with the occasional male having enough proclivity for warfare to join the military. General Zod was a good example. It wasn't often you encountered a male who took to martial life like he did, as though he was specifically bred for the role.
Earth was nothing like that. On paper, men had as much rights and opportunities as women. In practice, they were looked down upon in female-dominated workplaces, sometimes seen as trophies to be won or symbols of status. The harem thing was also surprising, and also worrisome when she asked Lois about it.
The remainder of her time on Earth was spent in Metropolis, learning to acclimate and integrate in society. Kal-El lived his whole life on this planet, native in all but name, and he taught her everything he knew. There were a couple of translation errors here and there, but nothing too serious. If anything, her cousin found it amusing.
Jerk.
A little over a month ago, Kal-El decided it would be best if Kara saw more of the world. Get a better understanding of the people here beyond just reading reports, documents, and watching television. She didn't like it, not at first, but she understood his reasonings. That didn't mean she didn't protest. Tensions between him and Luthor were on the rise again when he announced his intention to run for mayor.
"Just leave him to me," Kal-El insisted. Pleaded almost.
It was like he thought she would be in danger. The worst part was that, loath as she was to admit it, Kal-El was right in a sense. She read about everything that happened between them, how close Kal had been to dying on more than one occasion. She still couldn't wrap her head around it. How had Luthor gotten his hands on Green Kryptonite? Where could he have found it? Were there other Kryptonians here besides them?
The more she thought about it, the more confused and conflicted she became.
Kara took her cousin's advice and decided to see more of the world. Jump City was a place with a relatively low crime rate. "Relative" being the key word. Every city had crime in some manner. It wasn't like Gotham. Truth be told, she wanted to visit the home of the infamous Batman, but Kal told her not to. Apparently, the caped crusader had problems working with others? "A work in progress," Kal told her.
It was a shame. She really wanted to meet Batgirl and exchange stories.
In any case, Jump City seemed like a good place to start. It also helped one of the first friendly faces she saw was a cute barista working at a coffee shop. She thought he was a girl at first, with that girlish face of his, but his physique didn't match. The way he moved was another giveaway. They met only handful of times, always in his workplace, but Kara found him surprisingly easy to talk to.
She chalked it up to the coffee. It was just so good! Why hadn't Kal told her about this stuff before?! The jerk! She was going to clobber him the next time she saw him!
Anyways…
Kara arrived at the scene of the disturbance. It wasn't the sort of thing she was expecting, not in a place like Jump City. She was expecting car jackers, muggers, or bank robbers. Instead, she found a monster the size of a small building charging its way through the streets, sending cars flying.
Instinct took over. Faster than the eye could blink, Kara was a blur in motion, snatching the cars out of mid-air and setting them back down to the ground. Just as quickly, she launched herself at the monster and seized it by the horns.
"Not so fast, big green and ugly!" She grabbed hold of its horns tight as she could, feeling the bone crack beneath her grip. With a grunt, she twisted her body and sent it flying through the air and into the bay. "Take a moment and chill, would ya?"
There. A nice first impression! People had to have been watching her, right? With this, she established herself. A public debut in Jump City as its newest hero!
…wait. Why was the water bubbling?
"Crap."
The water's surface exploded as the monster emerged, now sporting a pair of bat-like wings. Kara got a good look at it. Bright-pink leathery skin, hooves for feet and talons for hands. Large green eyes burned with hate as an inhuman roar erupted from its maw.
"What even are you?" Kara asked. "A meta human? Natural monstrosity?" It was her genuine curiosity taking over. Nothing in her studies mentioned a creature like this, and people with superpowers were well known. And yet, something about this monster didn't feel right. Like it wasn't a native species on Earth, much less a human overtaken by the metagene.
It doesn't matter, she thought resolutely. It's a threat, so it's going down.
She assumed a standard combat stance, ready to engage. The monster sensed her intentions and roared again, its body tense. It was about to attack.
"Sup?"
Kara yelped, hearing a voice from behind her right as a green beam shot past her and into the monster's face. It let out a cry of pain, clutching the burnt spot on its face before looking up in anger. She turned around, finding a woman clad in a black cloak with dark energy surrounding her and a red creature, its body vaguely resembling sketches of pterodactyls but with yellow wings, green eyes, and a human-like mouth full of rectangular teeth.
Spoiler: Jetray
Kara blinked. "…hi?" she said. Lamely at that.
"Yo," the girl with the cloak replied. "Mind if we join in?"
REVERSED DC:
Trials and Tribulations
====
Raven
When Raven sensed a demon on a rampage, the first thing she did was text Rhody. It wasn't hard to pinpoint its location, not when it was wreaking havoc in broad daylight and in plain view of the public. It wasn't ideal, not when she was trying to stay on the downlow and respect Rhody's wishes about wanting to keep out of the spotlight, but they knew this would happen eventually. That there would be a demon who didn't care about subtlety.
What she didn't expect was to find Supergirl already locked in battle with the infernal hellspawn.
What the heck is she doing here?! I thought she was partners with Superman!
Briefly, she wondered whether the famous Man of Steel was also here, intending to expand his horizons. While she wasn't a nerd about superheroes and kept to herself, even she knew about Metropolis' famous superhero. One of the very first, and the most popular male superhero. There wasn't anyone alive that didn't know his name. Having seen clips of him online and what he'd accomplish, part of her hoped, prayed even, that if Trigon ever managed to show his ugly mug, Superman could kick the crap out of him.
On the one hand, seeing his cousin was a relief. Anyone could bend steel beams with their bare hands was a worthy ally to have when facing demonic threats. On the other hand, demons had a tendency to exploit flaws. Some infernal hellions liked their mind games, play tricks, ravage people's minds until their brains were just ugly gray slurry oozing out their ears.
What would happen if a demon managed to work their magic on someone like Supergirl?
Raven didn't like her odds in that case.
She took a deep breath. She could only thank her stars that the demon wasn't one of the annoying ones and more of a dumb brute like the last few had been.
"You puny runts!" the demon snarled in the inferni tongue. "You dare get in my way?!"
Rhody responded by shooting another laserbeam from his eyes, shutting the demon up. Raven followed up with a basic spellcast, two dark orbs spiraling out from her hands and nailing the demon in its wings. The best strategy to deal with flyers was to ground them, after all. Her attack succeeded. The orbs slammed into the demon's wings, ensnaring them and expanding into thorny vines. The demon struggled to stay afloat, distracted long enough for Supergirl to grab it by the face and violently throw it back down into the streets below.
With the enemy grounded, Rhody placed a hand over the Omnitrix's dial and changed form.
Spoiler: Hybrid
What was once a red-winged creature was now a ten-foot-tall mountain of white muscle, with three sharp claws for hands and two-pronged feet. Its head was bulbous and affixed to a stump rather than a neck, with sharp thorns sprouting on the sides. Insectoid-like wings unfurled from its body, two flesh-like and the other with a thin green membrane, exposing a writhing green mass of flesh in the center of its chest.
Supergirl stared at Rhody's new form in awe. "Whoa! You're a shapeshifter?"
"You've seen nothing yet," Rhody growled, his voice bearing a minor echo.
The demon rose up to its feet, roaring in anger and charging with reckless abandon. Rhody met its charge first, ramming into it shoulder-first and wrapping his arms around its torso and body-slamming it into the ground. The demon headbutted him in response, stunning Rhody long enough for it to kick its way out of his grip and roll away. Before it could go on the offensive, Supergirl intercepted and delivered a brutal haymaker to its face.
"Don't forget about me, pal!" the blonde heroine shouted as she threw another punch in the demon's face, its head snapping back. She kept up the momentum, delivering another punch to the face before seizing the demon by its horns and driving her knee into its jaw.
Rhody followed up with a brutal uppercut that sent the demon flying into the air. Raven seized the opportunity before her and threw a concentrated blast of dark magic into the demon. The blast exploded on impact, damaging the demon's thick hide considerably.
The battle was going well, in hindsight. Even with the alien powers at Rhody's disposal, the demons were durable and could take serious punishment. It didn't help they needed to practice restraint so as to not cause serious collateral damage, something the demons often took advantage of. Supergirl's presence was a considerable game-changer, able to hit fast and hard enough to leave the demon dazed.
It was…amazing, actually. Raw power, but focused. Refined. Concentrated. She was a powerhouse, a flying brick that could knock down buildings, but she knew that. She knew how to channel that strength, and how to control it. Part of Raven felt envy, but for the most part, she was awestruck.
There was also the confidence that radiated from Supergirl. A passionate drive that shined like a beacon amid the torrent of emotions whirling around the area as civilians panicked and fled for safety. Supergirl wasn't one to sit idly by while people were in danger, and when danger came knocking, she didn't open the door. She kicked it down and went in swinging.
This was the sort of person Raven wished she could be, if not for—
Stop. Focus.
Raven took a deep breath.
"Is that all you've got, worm?!" Rhody taunted as he headbutted the demon, payback for earlier she assumed.
Although Rhody explained it to her beforehand, it was worrisome and jarring to see how his alien forms influenced him. While Rhody assured her he was still in control of himself, he did also warn her some transformations were…difficult. In the case of the white alien form, it made him a powerhouse on par with Supergirl and aggressive. More than that tiger man thing he turned it a while back. What had he called it again? Rath?
The demon caught Rhody's fist mid-punched and responded with a punch of its own, swiftly followed up a straight punch to the chest and a kick. Kara swooped in and dived, intending to plow right into its solar plexus. The demon dodged at the last second, even snagging her cape on one of its claws and tugging her back, pulling on her cape and sending her into Rhody just as he recovered, sending the two down to the ground in a pile of limbs.
"Pathetic," the demon taunted. "Is that the best you can—"
"You talk too much," Raven snapped, shutting it up with a binding of dark energy around its maw, She yanked it into the air and pulled it right back down. The pavement cracked and shattered beneath the impact. She didn't give the demon a chance to recover, pulling back on it while throwing a punch of her own, one infused with as much magic as she could muster without suffering from the backlash.
While her physical strength wasn't anything special, Raven at least took pride in knowing she could hit people as hard as some of the better heroes out there. It was always satisfying to see a baddie's head recoil from the punch and stumble back.
She readied another attack, this time with the intent of binding it further as she knew it was only a matter of time before it tried to perform the same suicide trick the demon from two weeks ago had. Just as she was about to launch the spell, the energy already dancing around her hands and fingertips, she felt it.
A presence, sitting at the very edge of her senses. Distant, yet close. Watching. Observing. Waiting.
The momentary hesitation gave the demon an opening. Raven realized it too late; the demon struck her with a lariat, sending her straight into the windshield of a car. The hood crumped and the window cracked, its alarms blaring in her ears while her back roared in pain. Raven groaned, slightly disoriented. She tried to get up, only to find a foot pinning her and pushing her further into the car. The demon leered at her with a fanged sneer.
"Foolish half-breed. You think you can reject your heritage? Run from who you are?"
Raven glared in defiance. "Oh, please. I've heard this bullcrap from dozens of others. You're wasting your breath, hellspawn. If you're gonna kill me, just shut up and get it over with."
"Hmph. As you wish."
The demon opened its maw. Within its mouth was a swirling mass of fire, ready to be unleashed.
Raven smirked. "You idiots sure do love to monologue." The demon looked at her in confusion. "When are you gonna learn not to waste your time? In case you forgot, I'm not alone."
A set of mismatched hands seized the demon by the horns, yanking its head back just as it unleashed its fire. A pillar of flame spewed forth from its mouth and into the sky. Supergirl and Rhody struck in sync, hitting the demon square in the face. Raven heard the pleasant sound of bone crunching beneath the weight of their fists. Once more, the demon was sent flying, bouncing off the ground like a ragdoll.
By this point, the fight had worn it down considerably. Its hide was battered and beaten, its scales cracked. Its face was a swollen, bleeding mess.
Raven spat out a glob of blood as she floated by her comrades' sides. Rhody chuckled and brandished his claws as a show of intimidation. Supergirl cracked her knuckles.
"Feelin' like saying uncle now, big guy?" she taunted.
The demon glared hatefully at her. "Never!" Its body started glowing, power swelling around its core.
Raven recognized what he was attempting immediately. She was quick to respond, already anticipating this turn of events. "Azarath mentrion zinthos!"
Before the demon had a chance to rush them or chase after a hapless civilian and turn their victory pyrrhic, her magic ensnared it in an orb of dark energy. It wailed and snarled in anger, thrashing against its confines. The process couldn't be stopped. It would explode no matter what. Despite having been put through a severe beatdown, however, the demon still had enough strength to resist. It was already starting to break through its prison.
"I can't hold it!" she warned Rhody.
He caught on to her meaning. "I got it!" he assured her, unfolding his wings and flying over to the black orb. He gripped it tight with both arms and flew high into the air, then started to spin his body around. "Around and around the world she goes! Where she'll end up? Nobody knows!"
At the height of his spin, Rhody let out a roar and tossed the sphere as far as he could. At that moment, the swell of energy reached its apex. The shield gave out just as the demon finally managed to break free, only for its final act of spite to be in vain.
The power was released, and the demon knew no more. It exploded in a burst of fiery gore, hellfire pouring out in a violent fury. Rhody just barely managed to get out of the blast radius in time, narrowly avoiding the flames. He couldn't escape the shockwave, however, as he was soon thrown back quite a ways, nearly knocked out of the air entirely and back on the ground.
Raven released a sigh of relief she didn't know she'd been holding for so long. She flashed a small smile at Rhody, who in turn gave her a thumbs up.
Supergirl, as she expected, had a much different reaction. "What the heck? Did-did he just explode?" the heroine asked, horrified and shocked. "What just happened? Why did he…?!"
"A suicide attack," Raven told her. "Scum like him are petty. When they realize they're going to lose, they can't help but try and make your victory as meaningless as possible."
Supergirl turned to her. "You've dealt with guys like that before?" Raven nodded. "And there are more like him?"
"There shouldn't be."
That was the part that vexed Raven immensely. Jump City was mildly peaceful, and to the best of her knowledge, there were no signs or hints of people who dabbled in the occult. She found no magical signatures, no signs of witchcraft or rituals whatsoever when she did a sweep of the city. No matter how hard she looked, she found nothing that suggested someone was actively summoning demons. She didn't want to believe her heritage was what called out to the hellspawn, not when there were so many coming out of the woodwork.
No, this wasn't because of her. Not entirely. There was something else at work here.
She just wished she knew what.
"As fun as this is," Rhody said, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I gotta bounce. I stick around any longer, and the boss is gonna roast my sorry ass." He made some kind of sound as he looked at Supergirl. "You weren't half bad. For a Kryptonian runt."
The blonde sputtered. "Excuse me?!"
"Later." Before Supergirl could give him a good tongue-lashing, Rhody took off flying, heading back to his workplace.
Now that I think about it, he said he works at a coffee house, Raven thought. I might have to stop by there one of these days if those lemon cakes are as good as he makes them out to be.
Now that she thought about it…when was the last time she had lemon cakes?
"That jerk!" Supergirl angrily stomped her foot in the ground, leaving a hefty footprint in the concrete in the process. "The nerve of him!" She turned to Raven with a scowl. "Is he always like that?"
Raven smiled wryly. "Not always," she assured her. "His transformations have an effect on him. Be glad he didn't turn into a tiger man, otherwise he'd be screaming in your face."
"Tiger man?"
"Rhody"
Thankfully, I made it back just in time. None of my coworkers suspected anything. They were mainly concerned by the fact I took so long in the bathroom. Which, of course, meant David had to ask if I was constipated.
Not the worst excuse I came up with, though it was certainly the most embarrassing.
Unfortunately, my return also coincided with renewed activity. There was a new surge of customers; not a tidal wave where we were scrambling to get drinks out in a timely fashion, but just enough to make us haul ass. Thankfully, I didn't have any troublesome customers pestering me about my number.
Half an hour into the flux of customers, I heard the news report on the TV. Displayed on the screen was the ruined streets me, Raven, and Kara fought just a short while ago.
"Just a short while ago, Weston Street became the grisly sight of meta-human violence," the news anchor said. I couldn't help but pity the poor guy. He looked like he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. "An unidentified villain went on a rampage, barreling through the street and hurting several civilians and brave police officers in the process. While no one was thankfully killed in the attack, at least forty people had to be rushed to the hospital for immediate treatment. Thankfully, the meta-human's rampage was thwarted thanks to the efforts of not only two other meta-humans, but also an unexpected hero. That's right, folks. The one and only Supergirl has come to Jump City."
"He could at least be a little more enthusiastic," Kara groused.
…wait, Kara? The fuck? When did she get back?! How long had she been…?
I quickly collected myself. "I wouldn't be too hard on him," I said. "Guy looks pretty miserable. Chances are he's running himself ragged to get as many stories as he can get."
"That tracks. Way I heard it, the news business can get pretty cutthroat."
I smiled wryly. No doubt she learned that from Lois Lane. I diverted my attention from Kara to the customer approaching the counter. A young man of Mexican-American heritage walked up, his curly black hair framing his face. A fellow pretty boy by the look of him, albeit with more masculine features like a strong jawline and broad shoulders.
Spoiler: No one important, surely...?
"Hola," I greeted. "¿Le puedo ayudar en algo?"
The young man's eyes widened in surprise. "¿Sabes español?"
"Nowhere near enough," I replied in English this time, offering him an apologetic smile. "Failed that foreign language class, sadly. Anyways, what can I get you?"
"I don't suppose you have an Affogato?"
"As a matter of fact, we do. Would you like that with fiordilatte or vanilla?"
"Fiordilatte, please."
I nodded, writing down the order on the notepad nearby. "Got it. Anything else?" He shook his head. "Okay. One Affogato with fiordilatte. That'll be $7.25." The young man dug in his pocket, taking out a ten dollar bill. I stashed it away in the register while taking out the appropriate amount of change. "Can I get a name?"
"Reyes, señor."
"Reyes… Okay, I'll yell for you when your order is ready. Will it be for here or to go?"
"To go, please. I'm kind of in a hurry," he said, flashing me a nervous smile.
I glanced at the backpack slung over his shoulder, the zipper partially undone. I saw several books with familiar titles on the spines. He was probably in college, same as Kara, and likely racing to get his homework done.
I feel your pain, my friend.
…Reyes… Where have I heard that name before?
Elsewhere, in the dark underbelly of Jump City, a meeting took place.
"The half-breed continues to interfere with our work."
"We expected as much. The master warned us she might find herself here one day. Even so, the extent of her meddling is…unexpected."
"She is not alone, either. A shapeshifter aids her."
"A fellow half-breed?"
"No. But whatever they are, they are not human."
"Their interference will be for naught in the end. We are close to the ending. And yet…we cannot afford any delays."
"We cannot kill the half-breed. Not without incurring her sire's wrath."
"We need not kill her. We need only…incapacitate her."
"Indeed."
"Remember, my sisters… Soon, the church shall bathe this putrid city in blood."
"The church shall bathe this city in blood."
"In his glorious name."
REVERSED DC:
Trials and Tribulations
====
It was one of those days. A day where I had nothing better to do and too much time on my hands. Today was Sunday, which meant the café was closed. There were no signs of demonic activity, which meant to superheroics. For now at least.
And since I was bored, I did what I was wont to do.
Do the "things".
"What in the heck are you doing…?"
At Raven's words, I ceased my tinkering and looked up from my work, pulling the tiny goggles away from Grey Matter's bulging eyes. Raven was staring down at me inquisitively, raking her eyes over the hot mess in front of me. It was a casket of metal, wood, and tech I salvaged from the nearby garbage dumps.
Stealing trash was illegal, but seeing as how there were no security cameras and next to no protection, nevermind some of the stuff just begging to be found and repurposed, I couldn't help but break the law. Did I feel bad? Maybe a little. But it was for a good cause, I swear.
"Nothing, really," I shrugged. "Honestly, this is just me passing the time by doing something I hadn't thought of doing until it popped in my head. I can't remember the last time I played the guitar. I was never any good at it, mind you, not unless it was Guitar Hero. Actually, do they have that in this universe? I know for a fact I saw a guitar console controller at GameStop the other day. Ah, that brings back memories… Wait, what were we talking about?"
Raven stared incredulously. "You're…building a guitar?" she asked, sounding utterly skeptical. Not that I blamed her. To a normal person, the mess of machinery in front of me could in no way be considered a musical instrument. Well, not by Earth standards, at any rate. "That is a guitar?"
"Not right now, no. I'm still building the darn thing!" I huffed. "Give me another minute, and it will be a guitar."
Raven stared. I stared back.
After a minute of silence, she sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "Forget it. I haven't had nearly enough coffee for this conversation." She turned away, about to go back to reading her book when she noticed the discarded papers scattered about my desk. "What're those?"
"Blueprints for a project of mine," I told her. "Though I doubt it'll ever get off the ground anytime soon."
While I hadn't become a true hero, not in the "full-time" sense, that didn't mean I hadn't considered the idea. In the event fate conspired against me and I had no choice but to embrace the role, I wanted to be absolutely prepared. That meant getting every possible advantage I could.
One of the first things I looked into was jailbreaking the Omnitrix. I remembered how in the show, Ben's future son, Ken Tennyson, hacked the Omnitrix and unlocked the Master Control setting; it not only let him switch to any alien he wanted at the drop of a hat, but it also removed the time limit. I imagined Ben could likely do the same if the thought ever crossed his mind. I could already switch aliens by touching the Omnitrix symbol, but it cut down the amount of time I could stay transformed. Master Control was pretty useful, but the time limit thing was something I was a little hesitant on removing.
While my personality would remain intact while transformed, the alien form also influenced it. Hybrid was a good example. Atasians, or Highbreeds as they're commonly known, are literal space-Nazis that could give the Targaryens a run for their money when it came to inbreeding. In fact, they spent so long mingling with their own race for the sake of "genetic purity" that it became their downfall. By their very nature, Atasians are cocky, arrogant, and look down upon others for being "inferior" or "impure".
In our team-up with Supergirl, I meant to give Kara a genuine compliment, and I did…while also insulting her. It was going to make our next meeting really awkward, even if Raven told me she cleared up the misunderstandings.
The time limit existed to prevent any potential "mental contamination", i.e. the alien's personality subsuming mine, or corrupting it. Granted, I could just sidestep the issue by changing back whenever I wanted, but therein lied the issue. When.
The DC multiverse wasn't lacking in bullshit. Even ignoring universal conquering warlords and tyrants like Darkseid, there were was the magical and mythical side to remember as well. Even with the right alien for the job, would it be enough?
That was when I remembered something else, from my least favorite entry in the series. Something I never would have remembered if I hadn't learned I had access to an Atasian alien form. Something I would absolutely need in the worst case scenario.
"What is it?" Raven asked, curious.
I didn't see a reason not to indulge her. "It's something from my world. You remember how I told you the Omnitrix is part of a TV show, right? Well, those blueprints are for an upgraded version of it. It's called the Biomnitrix. It's basically a dual Omnitrix, but its purpose isn't to transform into an alien."
"It isn't?"
"No. It's to fuse aliens." At Raven's confused look, I started explaining. "The Biomnitrix basically takes the DNA of two alien species, then splices them together to create a hybrid form. For example, suppose I were to mix the DNA of a Galvan and Pyronite. In that case, I'd create an alien that possesses the latter's pyrokinetic properties and the former's super intelligence."
"So, an itty-bitty lava man?" Raven smirked.
I chuckled, recognizing the good natured jab for what it was. "Maybe. As you can imagine, though, it has a lot of potential."
"No kidding. You're a terror with what you have already. Can't imagine what you'd accomplish if you had something like this." Raven frowned as she remembered my earlier words. "You said you wouldn't be able to get this off the ground, though. Why?"
"Lack of resources, for starters. No offense to Earth technology, but we are literal light years behind. Secondly, I'm basically working off my own hypothesis about how the Biomnitrix is constructed. The show never exactly went into detail on how Ben built it, only what it was capable of and what it could do."
Beep-beep-beep-beep.
"Huh. Time-out already? Damn. I must have been working longer than I thought!" I sighed as I hopped off the dining room table, lest I turn back while standing on it. I didn't want to test its fragility and spend more money on furniture than I already had after helping buy Raven some necessities. A flash of red later, and I went from Grey Matter and back to Rhody Edwards. "If I were to build the Biomnitrix with the resources Earth has and with only Grey Matter, it would take me at least fifteen years to build it."
The goth half-demon woman hummed. "A bit of a long wait, but not too bad, I guess."
"Maybe, but I don't want to wait around too long," I said. "Especially if Darkseid shows up sooner rather than later."
Raven flinched at my words, her expression quickly growing somber and dim. "That's…the New God you talked about before, right? The one you can't beat in a head-on fight?"
"You can beat him," I corrected her. "Actually killing him is another story."
When I told Raven how I came from another world (while leaving out the stuff that would cause some existential crisis like the fact she was a fictional character), one of the first things I did was tell her what may occur. The formation of the Justice League, the Teen Titans, her potential new allies and friends, and of course, the threats the world would may one day face. At the top of the list was Darkseid, ruler of Apokalips, an enemy the Justice League faced numerous times.
If you compared Darkseid to the universe-threatening foes the Justice League would face in their career, he would always be near the top. He wasn't the worst, but that was only because he was nerfed, and defeating him is an accomplishment all on its own…for however long it lasts. The scary thing about Darkseid? The man who nearly brought the Justice League to its knees countless times? It wasn't him. Just a remote body he uses to invade other universes. Fighting him on his home turf was next to impossible, and if he ever invaded the world in his true form… Well, might as well say your prayers and kiss the universe goodbye, because his presence alone would destroy it.
The thing about tyrants like Darkseid? They don't want to rule over a dead world. Suffering? Miserable? Yes. But a world without life? Without resources to pilfer, without people to conquer? Those worlds were useless. No, Darkseid would squeeze every little bit of life out of the universe before leaving it to rot and decay.
Raven wanted to doubt my words, that nothing could ever usurp Trigon in terms of sheer power and threat. The things I told her, and the emotions she sensed? I could tell she was still skeptical, because she wanted to believe I was just blowing things out of proportion.
Honestly? I'm hoping I was. Holding onto the vain hope that, maybe, Darkseid wasn't a thing here.
But then again, when are inserts like me ever that lucky?
The atmosphere turned depressing after the sudden change in topic. Raven's expression grew pensive, clearly thinking and dreading the potentiality of fighting the New God of Apokalips.
Yeah, no. That shit don't fly in Casa del Rhody.
"Hey," I said, looking at Raven. "Wanna go out on a date?"
Her imitation of a fish was priceless. The one thing I enjoyed about RSM? How utterly baffled and flat-footed women are when they're the ones being propositioned for a change.
"L-look, you can't just say stuff like that!" Raven said to me as we walked through the ever-bustling daylit streets of Jump City.
Spoiler: Raven's casual outfit
Even when it's almost been a month since she became my roommate, seeing her in something that wasn't black or stereotypical goth; a gray hoodie with a navy blue shirt, jeans, and black sneakers.
As for me, I continued on with my perceived "tomgirl" image and went for a white windbreaker with a black hoodie and dress pants. The only time I will be caught dead wearing skirts is when I'm going for tips. Or if I'm dressing nice and special for my girlfriend. If I ever get one. Well, a girlfriend who treats me right and not like a possession or some boy she fucks on the side. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this universe?
"People are going to get the wrong idea," Raven continued. Her cheeks were still red. "You do know that, right?"
I chuckled. "But, I said it to you, an empath who knows what I meant. Relax, Rae. I ain't stupid."
"Sometimes I wonder about that," I heard her mutter acridly under my breath.
Despite her words, the slight bounce in her step told me she was actually excited for our outing. Until now, most of our interactions had been minor hang-outs in the apartment, watching crappy shows and movies, reading books, and demon hunting whenever she sensed one out in the city. I didn't count the time we hanged out at Café Costa, seeing as how I was on the clock at the time and she wanted to see if the lemon cakes really were that good.
One of these days, I really need to ask David for the recipe.
At any rate, by her own admission, Raven had never really tried fast food before. As a fan (and addict in my younger years) of fast food, I saw fit to correct this atrocity by introducing her to a place I was extremely happy to know existed in this universe.
McDonalds.
Seriously, you have no idea how happy I was to know this place existed in this universe.
McDonalds wasn't too far from the apartments, barely even a block away. It was still early in the afternoon, so the "lunch rush" wasn't as intense. At best, we waited maybe ten minutes before we made it to the counter to order food. The cashier was a woman who thankfully wasn't making ga-ga eyes at me, more focused on staying awake. The bags under her eyes implied she didn't get much in the way of sleep. Even Raven was concerned and asked her if she was okay.
"I'm okay," she told us with a weak smile. "Just haven't been getting enough sleep. Worried about my boyfriend and all that."
She didn't offer anymore, and we didn't pry. It wasn't our business anyhow. We ordered our food and took a seat over by the windows, spending the time people watching. We didn't have to wait very long for our food.
"This is unhealthy," Raven said the second she saw her double bacon quarter pounder. It wasn't her first choice, having deferred to me to order for her since she wasn't familiar with anything on the menu. "It's so…greasy."
"It's fast food. If it ain't greasy, it ain't worth the money," I replied, chewing on a French fry. "Honestly, I prefer the chicken sandwiches. I've never been a huge fan of red meat. By the way…"
"What's up?"
"I've been wanting to ask for a while now. You said you had a teacher?" From what little of the comics I remember, Raven's magical tutors differed, though from what I remembered, her teacher was a man named Azar. What little of her past Raven willingly divulged implied that wasn't the case here.
The dark-haired girl nodded, still looking warily at the burger on her plate. "Yeah. I met him when I was ten or so. My magic was acting up, something to do with me maturing. I don't really remember the specifics. All I know was that I was attracting demons left and right, and I couldn't cast spells worth a damn. One day, I get cornered in an alley by a hellspawn. Then this guy shows up and kills it, like it was nothing."
"So a knight in shining armor?"
Raven scoffed. "Hell no. He's the most unmanly person I've ever met, a total fucking asshole." I raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. "He's a tomgirl like you, but he treats everybody around him like crap, and he's such a snob! He acts like he's better than everyone around him, just because he knows his way around magic. The worst part? It's not boasting. The few sorcerers I know sing his praises as much as they curse him. It probably helps he dabbles in the occult and knows more about demons than anyone else."
There was something else there. Something she wasn't telling me. There was more about her teacher than I suspected. What's more, he sounded familiar to me, like I knew who she was talking about. Still, I didn't press her about it. She could tell me about him when she was ready to talk. It wasn't anything worth ruining a good friendship over.
For all her vitriol toward him, though, Raven's face told a different story. She didn't hate him, not fully. If anything, she sounded fond as she told me about some of their lessons.
"I wouldn't be half as good as I am if it weren't for my teacher. Even if he does have a stick up his ass."
"Think I could yank it out for him?" I joked.
Raven's laughter—a genuine laugh—was a wonderful sound. "I'd pay money to see that."
From there, the conversation lulled a bit. Raven changed topics, discussing more mudane things like what the weather would be like this weekend and whether we'd end up stopping mundane crimes as opposed to demonic ones. Truth be told, I was getting just as annoyed by the frequency of demons and wanted to engage in regular heroism for once. As for me, I asked about her interests besides magic and books. Turned out Raven was a huge nerd for mystery novels, and was especially a fan of Agatha Christie.
She and my mother would get along, I liked to think.
"…on the subject of wanting to ask things," Raven said suddenly. "You said that isn't your original body, right? You're actually older?"
I nodded. "Surprised you remember. Yeah, I'm older than I look."
"Not to be rude, but how old are you?"
I laughed. "Not that rude, Rae. To answer your question, I'm thirty-two." I paused. "Actually, since we're in August, I'll be turning thirty-three by the end of the month." Raven stared at me strangely. At first, I didn't get why, not until I remembered she was still a teenager and I just told her she'd been living with a guy old enough to be her dad all this time. I cursed internally, realizing I had just made this really awkward. "Er, listen. I'm not…"
"That isn't fair…"
I blinked. "What?"
Raven blushed. "Oh, n-nothing! Nothing at all!"
The hell…? Is she…not creeped out learning I'm an old geezer?
"Come on, we-we should eat! Don't want the food getting cold!"
I raised an eyebrow, a little off-put by her embarrassment and deflection. I was about to say 'screw it' and press her for answers when I heard a familiar voice call out to me from behind.
"Oh, Rhody! Fancy seeing you here!"
Raven looked up, swallowing a mouthful of burger before blinking in surprise. I turned around and saw a familiar blonde-haired flying brick smiling at me, holding a cup of soda in her hand. Next to her was the curly-haired guy from the café the other day.
"Oh, hey," I greeted lamely with a wave. "Right back at you. First time running into each other outside work."
"Small city," she joked. She noticed Raven and smiled at her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your date."
Raven's cheeks flushed. "W-what? No, this isn't…"
"This is Rachel, my roommate," I told her. "She's an old friend I made back in Gotham. It's a long story, but the short version is that she was in trouble and needed a place to crash. Rae, this is Kara, one of my regulars. You're Reyes, right? We met the other day."
The curly-haired guy was surprised. "You…remember me?"
"I pretty much know the faces of most of my regular customers, especially this one," I said, jabbing a finger in Kara's direction. "She's addicted to cortaditos."
Kara sighed. "But they're so gooood…"
"See what I mean? Anyways…" I leaned forward and offered a hand in greeting. "I'm Rhodes Edwards. Call me Rhody."
Reyes looked at my hand, then back at me. A small smile bloomed on his face as he shook hands with me. "Jaime Reyes. Nice to meet you."
About twenty minutes later after Kara had more or less turned what was mine and Raven's first outing into a budding friend group, and the start of something else that I finally realized where I heard Jaime's name from.
I was sorely regretting not reading the comics as much as I should have.
What the hell is Blue Beetle doing here?!
REVERSED DC:
Trials and Tribulations
====
GOTHAM, WAYNE MANOR
7:34 P.M.
Spoiler: Barbara Gordon
Spoiler: Dick Grayson
"Look, all I'm saying is that it should bother him," Barbara said for the umpteenth time today, each word laced with annoyance and grief. "He's been doing this since I was in elementary school, and people act like he's yesterday's news."
Dick sighed, also for the umpteenth time today. "You gotta let this go, sis. This is, what, the fiftieth time you've brought this up?"
"The point still stands, Dick."
This…really wasn't what Barbara expected to happen when she finally started coming into her own.
It took her two years before she was finally able to establish herself as a superheroine, but she finally did it. People didn't think of her a sidekick anymore. When people heard "Batgirl", they didn't think of some scrappy kid who was riding on Batman's cowls. No, they thought she was an asskicking crime fighter hoping to change Gotham for the better. For a while, she basked in the praise, beaming whenever people started praising her work and contributions.
And then they started talking about how she was better than Batman. Than Bruce.
The praise grew uncomfortable. She tried to ignore it at first, thinking it would pass. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. And still they thought she was doing a better job than the man who gave her everything. Taught her all she knew.
It felt like a slap to the face. She was mortified. She was angry. She didn't understand how people could be so quick to turn on Bruce after everything he did for Gotham. She knew not everyone was a fan, but Gotham was slowly improving thanks to him and her father. And now they thought he was second-best? That, all of a sudden, he didn't matter?
On the one hand, she understood why people felt that way. Male superheroes were rare, outnumbered by the superheroines and standouts like Wonder Woman or Black Canary. The former was the most popular, being active as far back as the 90's if you believed the stories. On the other hand, it also irked her. Bruce and heroes like him weren't fads! They were just as important as the superheroines!
When she tried to vent her frustrations and feelings to Bruce, he just smiled and said, "Don't let them get to you." Somehow, that annoyed her more than what people were saying; she didn't get why he wasn't angry or bothered that people weren't giving him more credit. If she didn't know any better, she would swear Bruce cared little about what Batman meant to Gotham and her.
"Aren't you just as pissed about this?" Barbara asked Dick. "I mean, you have been hearing what they're saying about you, right?"
Dick rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm aware. I'm Batman's 'jailbait sidekick with the sexy ass'. Thank you oh so much for reminding me, really."
"I'm being serious here!"
"And so am I. Believe it or not, I do get where you're coming from, sis, but that doesn't mean you have to obsess over this. Just because people think Batman is yesterday's news doesn't mean he's gonna disappear."
Barbara chewed her bottom lip. She understood what Dick meant, but that nagging feeling wouldn't go away. She doubted it would anytime soon.
"Anyway, have you—"
A familiar beeping on the coffee table silenced the conversation.
Barbara and Dick looked at each other, the familial and casual air vanishing in an instant.
GOTHAM, HISTORIC DISTRICT
9:12 P.M.
Spoiler: Batgirl
Spoiler: Robin
"Have I ever said how much I hate stakeouts?"
"Be glad Batman isn't here," Batgirl said blithely. "Always so laser focused and nowhere near enough time to banter."
Robin chuckled. "Tell me about it. You'd think he would loosen up a bit around us." He peered over the lip of the rooftop and down at the empty lot below. "Still nothing?"
"Nope. Nothing on the scanners, either."
"Any chance we got faulty intel?"
"Not likely, but still possible." A minute of silence passed between them. "…so, how many girls tried asking you out at school today?"
"Depends, how many guys did you scare away like that pink-haired kid?"
Batgirl winced. "I wasn't that bad! …was I?"
Robin nodded. "You totally were. You sounded like the women in those cheesy dramas Alfred likes to watch."
She stared at her fellow sidekick for a moment before facepalming. She knew she came off a bit strong, but hearing Robin of all people tell her how corny she sounded? She wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
But it wasn't like I could help it, a primordial part of her brain screamed. He was so beautiful!
Over half a year ago, Batgirl came across a mugging and stopped it. She thought the victim was a woman at first, a tomboy schoolgirl given how young they looked. Then she realized 'she' was actually a he, and her mind just went kaput. She really hadn't been thinking at the time, and she was mildly frustrated with her lack of love life. It didn't help that Donna, a fellow superheroine and sidekick, had a boyfriend! A really cute one at that! It just wasn't fair! Between not having a cute boyfriend of her own and finding a bombshell, Batgirl went and did, well, "Barbara things" as Dick liked to call them.
It'd been a long time since she saw him, and while part of her wanted to try again, this time without opening her mouth and sticking her foot in it, she hoped he was doing well for himself. He was another victim of Gotham's failings, a reminder of what they were fighting for.
"…hey," Robin suddenly called out. "Kind of a heavy topic, but…have you ever thought how we'd do without Batman?"
Batgirl blinked. A heavy topic indeed, and the last thing she expected to hear from Robin. "What brought this on?"
"We've been talking," he said with a troubled expression. "About how he's been making all these contingencies and plans in case something happens."
"Like Knightfall Protocol, or Code Black?"
Robin grimaced.
Knightfall Protocol and Code Black were contingency protocols, or "last resorts" as Batman called them. In the event he died or his identity was exposed, resources would be allocated and redistributed for the so-called Bat-Family (oh, how that name made her soul cringe, especially how it made her father laugh his guts out) to better go about protecting Gotham without their mentor. Revised training programs, blueprints and sketches of gear tailored to their tastes, and so on.
She understood and agreed those plans may one day be necessary, but Batgirl tried not to think about it too much. Batman… No, Bruce Wayne was like a second father to her. A man of principles like her dad, headstrong and kind with a heart big enough to hold Gotham and never let it go. He was a good man, a rare and valuable commodity in a city as wretched as hers, and something that made him very popular with the ladies. For better or worse.
Batgirl didn't want to imagine what life would be like without him. Robin was likely of the same mind, if not more so. After all, whereas Barbara Gordon all but forced her way into Batman's life, Dick Grayson was welcomed into it. Part of her always felt envious how close Bruce and Dick were, even though she was Batman's sidekick first. That part of her was overshadowed her familial love for her surrogate little brother. He wasn't at all like…
She quietly released a small exhale of breath.
"I doubt he'll kick the bucket anytime soon," Batgirl said after collecting her thoughts. "He's way too stubborn to die."
"I know, but it's been making me think. We're sidekicks, I get that, but I feel like we could be doing more for Batman."
"Okay…?"
Robin looked up at her. "…I'm thinking of going solo for a while."
Batgirl blinked. Once, twice, three times before her brain finally caught up. It took another ten seconds to register what came out of Robin's mouth.
"Are you crazy?!"
The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them. Her mind was racing around a storm of incoherent, panicked thoughts, all jumbled together.
He didn't understand what he was saying. He was talking crazy. When it came to acrobatics and speed, Robin had her beat. She would proudly and happily admit that. Physically, she was stronger than him, more durable, but that was because she'd been at this longer. He was still young. He was a kid who was still finding his footing.
That's what it was. A childish thought. That had to be it.
Before she could lay into him about how much of a bad idea it was, that he could stand to wait another year before revisiting this topic, several cars pulled into the empty lot. The two sidekicks looked at each other, silently agreeing to put the conversation on hold for now. Batgirl took her tonfas from her thigh-holsters while Robin unfurled his bo staff, creeping along the edge of the rooftop.
Leslie's information was spot on like always, despite their earlier skepticism and worries. Several goons stepped out of the cars, all dressed in fancy suits. The head honchos were the last to step out.
A woman with burgundy-red hair hair, dressed in a black pin-stripe suit, her posture oozing confidence and danger. The top half of her face was hidden behind a black mask styled after a skull. Beside her was a young man in a white suit and black dress shirt, hair neatly combed back. Unlike the woman, he seemed nervous as he shifted on his heels, looking warily at their "rivals".
Across from them was another woman, her smile razor thin and eyes wrinkled with hints of danger. Batgirl felt nervous just looking at her, knowing full well what was behind that smile. The fact her goons also looked at her warily was a good indicator what she was like.
Robin's hand went to his right ear. "Batman, this is Robin. We have confirmation. Arms deal between the Sionis and Falconi famiglias. The Hanged Man herself is in attendance."
"There's also a man with Rio Sionis," Batgirl added. "Young, mid-twenties maybe."
"Roman Sionis," came the immediate reply. "Her son. Rumormil is that she's grooming him to take over the family business."
"Permission to engage?"
"Wait until they get into negotiations. If it looks like things are breaking down, intervene."
"How are things on your end?" Robin asked. "We expecting reinforcements?"
"Already handled. I'm ten minutes out." Communications fell silent.
Batgirl looked smugly at Robin. "Ten minutes, huh? Remind me, how long did you think he'd be?"
"You don't have to be so smug about it," Robin grumbled. "I'll pay you when we get back to the Batcave."
"Heh. Easiest ten bucks I've ever gotten. And this is why you never bet against big sisters."
"With all due respect, Batgirl? Kiss my ass."
She laughed. Inwardly, though, she was still concerned. She hadn't forgotten what they were talking about.
They were going to have a long chat when this was over. A very long chat. Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Sleepy Goblin, Serhii, Gahuul and 575 othersSR-97Jul 29, 2025Reader modeNewAdd bookmark Threadmarks SR-97Lord of VanityJul 29, 2025Add bookmark#472The concept of Batgirl being Batman's first sidekick and not Robin was taken from the 2004 cartoon The Batman (not to be confused with the 2022 movie), and is in fact my favorite cartoon about the Caped Crusader, namely because of character designs and the fact Bruce as Batman is...a lot nicer than he usually is. As in, he's totally willing to work with other superheroes. The main reason I went with this is because it actually makes sense beyond just being an AU decision since this is an RSM story.
For background info, Babs becoming Batgirl is much the same as it was in the cartoon where she was inspired by Batman and practically bulldozed her way into becoming his sidekick. It took her about six months before he finally accepted her and took her under his wing. Robin's backstory is the same as it ever was, though it does take cues from the 1995 film Batman Forever where Two-Face was responsible for the Flying Grayson's tragedy. Dick was adopted four years ago, but didn't learn about his activities as Batman until way later when he discovered the Batcave by pure accident.
To give a general reference about Barbara and Dick, the former is eighteen years old and is in her final year of high school whereas Dick is fourteen. Batgirl has been active for almost three years now while Dick has been Robin for eight months. Their relationship is basically like brother and sister, though in Babs case, she's overprotective and kind of smothering. Par the course for an RSM story.