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Chapter Text

Cassandra Cain nestles up against Steph on a cold rooftop and calls her ‘friend’ like she’s daring Steph to disagree.  

I would do anything for her, Steph thinks. It's the strongest emotion she's felt in over nine months. She's surprised by the ferocity of it. 

“Friend,” Steph agrees, and means it. She holds onto Cass and doesn't let go.

Cass likes hot cocoa and pop tarts and Steph. She likes playing tag on patrol and staying up to watch the sunrise. She likes sparring at the Clocktower and drinking diet soda out of the Oracle's fridge after. She likes it best when Steph does these things with her.

Steph and the Oracle are complicated the same way she and the Bat are, the same way she and Tim probably shouldn't be if they're ever going to make this work. By rights she shouldn't be there and they all know it. For Cass, she goes anyway. 

Barbara always watches them spar with narrowed eyes and sharp instructions that are usually aimed more at Steph than Cass. She keeps calling them out: “Faster, spin right, now left, now duck!”

When one particularly rough fight finishes, Stephanie almost shouts. “What was that about?”

“You,” says Barbara crossly, “are going to get yourself or someone else killed. Do better, Spoiler.”

She says Stephanie's name like a judgement and Stephanie counts to ten silently. Barbara definitely knows, she decides. The all-knowing Oracle must've dug into Steph's home life when she started hanging out with Drake, before Cass invited her home. It’s probably why she's so convinced Steph isn't good enough.

But Cass hugs her tightly and Stephanie feels herself relax. Steph doesn't need anyone's approval. She has Cass and that's enough.

She's the first person Steph's trusted since No Man's Land and everything that followed, everything she's never said and never will. She thinks Cass suspects her sometimes, spots the lie in her body. It makes her clumsy, careless around the other Bat. Cass never seems to mind. She just holds Steph close like she thinks she'll disappear if she looks away.

Maybe she's right. Steph wants to disappear most days. It makes her more determined to be bright and loud and purple.

It makes her reckless. It makes her strong.

***

The other Bats ignore her at best. At worst, they treat her like a stray from the Narrows who wandered in after Tim one day and refused to leave. Batman mutters under his breath about ‘Jason all over again’ and growls at her to stay out of the Cave. Alfred calls her a ‘bloody nuisance’ in his BBC-perfect accent. Azrael doesn't remember her name.

Tim is less of an exception than he should be, even though they're technically on right now. They probably rushed getting back together after the quake but they were both so relieved to find the other alive in the aftermath that they'd started kissing again and hadn't stopped. 

It doesn't stop him from telling her to go home when she shows up to help with the crisis of the week. Scarecrow's broken out of Arkham and it's supposed to be all hands on deck. Last she checked, she still had hands.

“Stephanie.” He sighs in a way that reminds her how tightly he pressed his lips together when she told him why she'd been MIA, that awful day in Leslie's clinic. She still doesn't know if it was compassion or hurt dismissal. He looked at her like he'd lost whatever faith in her their relationship had started to build up. It's how he still looks at her most of the time. It's how he's looking at her now.

“I don't take orders from you or Batman,” she says. “I'm staying.”

“I can't be Robin and babysit,” he snaps. “Go home, Steph. We can have date night when the world's not burning.”

“It's cute that you think you're still getting a date after that comment,” she snaps back. She's always given as good as she gets but this time she's genuinely hurt. She makes her voice softer. “You need someone to watch your back while you watch his, Robin. Let me be that someone.”

He sighs again. “Don't make me regret this.”

“Don't worry, I'm saving that for after the mission,” she says. 

Cass joins them and the tension evaporates. It's impossible for Steph to be angry when her friend is smiling at her like there's no one she'd rather have at her back. 

The three of them take to the skies and even Tim starts to smile. He tosses her a spare com. She puts it in her ear.

“Spoiler reporting for duty,” she says cheerily. She can hear the all-knowing Oracle rolling her eyes. She doesn't care.

Steph loves fighting crime. She's the spectacular Spoiler and nothing this city throws at her can phase her. Not anymore.

Scarecrow's dealing fear toxin trips out of a storefront on the East side. People have been paying to ‘conquer their fears and reach enlightenment.’ Steph thinks that's bullshit. She's already faced her worst fear and come out the other side, and she didn't find it particularly ‘enlightening.’ It mostly just hurt.

The air tastes wrong. Steph and Cass’ masks have built in filters. Tim's doesn't, but he's got a gas mask in his utility belt. They came prepared. They'll be fine.

Maybe they'll get milkshakes afterwards. 

Except there's something mixed into the chemical makeup of this batch that makes it erode costumes and seep into skin. 

Steph knows it's getting to her when she starts hearing her father's voice. She's not doing this right now. She's got enough experience facing that particular fear and she doesn't want to do it with an audience.

“Oracle,” she says. “Queue up ‘Goddess by PVRIS.’ I want to drown this out.”

“That’s…actually a good idea,” Oracle admits.

“How come you get to pick the soundtrack?” Tim says. 

“My idea, my playlist,” Stephanie says. “Maybe we can do your rock cover bands next time, buddy.”

Cass starts dancing as soon as the music starts. She glides across the battlefield. It's beautiful. Stephanie can't look away.

Her father's voice is an echo on the periphery of her consciousness but that's not a new thing. 

Cass seems unaffected by the toxin. Like Steph, she's used to living with her worst fears. Tim isn't as lucky. 

“Kon!” he shouts. Steph gets ready to catch her dumbass boyfriend, but he rallies. “You don't get to use him against me.”

Scarecrow's no match for Cass, and Cass plus Steph and Tim make short work of him. The Bat doesn't even have to show.

Cass high fives Steph. Tim actually apologizes. Steph magnanimously accepts both the high five and the apology. It's a good day.

“Oracle,” she says. “Play it again. It's time for a victory dance.”

“Don't push it,” Oracle says. Steph can detect the edge of a smile in her tone.

***

The Scarecrow turns out to be the tip of the iceberg for a designer drug consortium. The Bats are busy running down suppliers for weeks. They don't bother telling Stephanie to sit the rest of the mission out. She hopes that means they're learning her worth.

It's a subsidiary of a subsidiary of a probable Lexcorp front, but Superman can't move without evidence. They need to provide the evidence. That means Stephanie is technically Superman's backup.

More importantly, it means she's Lois Lane’s backup.

The assorted Bats and Birds are gathered in Oracle's Clocktower with the reporter. She's a short woman with gray-streaked hair and warm brown skin that wrinkles nicely when she smiles. She isn't smiling right now.

“Here's how this is going to work,” Barbara says. “Dinah and Lois are going to go undercover with the consortium. Dinah will pose as a would-be investor. Lois will be her assistant, which will let her fade into the background. Zinda’s on standby as backup. Stephanie -”

“Me?” Stephanie looks up, shocked.

“They seem to be primarily selling to bored college kids, so that's you, Cass, and Tim,” Barbara says. “Try to get a sample for me to analyze. Do not ingest or inject anything. The music trick may’ve worked for the airborne variant, but it's unlikely to fully block a targeted concentrate. Get in, get out, don't get caught.”

Steph is great at all of those things. She's not going to let them down.

Cass raises a hand. “I don't undercover.”

“I know,” Barbara admits. “But I'm not comfortable sending Robin and Spoiler in without backup, so just let them do the talking and you should be fine.”

Cass seems unsure. Steph puts her arm around her. “Don't worry. We got this.”

***

Staring down the small army of private security and Belle Reve rejects that have them backed into a corner, Steph is forced to admit that maybe they don't got this. And that's before Deathstroke shows up. He looks vaguely bored by them.

“Don't the hero types ever get tired of sending me their children to kill?”

“Not kill. Win,” Cass strikes. His boredom evaporates. 

Tim and Stephanie might be sort-of fighting, but they still know to have each other's backs and keep the security off Cass’s back while she takes on Deathstroke the Terminator.

Steph isn't sure about their odds and the comms are down. That means no music, no Oracle, and no backup.

Tim draws his electrified bow staff. Steph draws…her fists!

The fight is over in under five minutes. They lose. Badly. The Terminator lives up to his name and so does his team. They dose Stephanie with the toxin and that's the last she remembers.

***

The toxin burns through her system. It's her father, but it's also every Bat who's ever dismissed her. It's Cass finding out her secret pains and disregarding her like all the rest. It's her father again. It's every half-remembered trauma made real and she can't breathe for what feels like hours. Everything hurts.

Steph wakes up alone in a holding cell. Of course the secret evil lab has holding cells. There's no sign of Cass or Tim. Her body hurts and she's still hallucinating. She doesn't care. She could do this next part in her sleep.

The door panel is electric but she has a backup kit in her suit and the guards didn't find it. She's out of the cell in under five minutes despite having to stop every few seconds to cuss out a hallucinated memory. Despite how much it hurts. Oracle's going to be so proud, Cass is going to be so impressed, Tim is probably going to ask her to marry him on the spot, she's that much of a badass.

She runs into both of her teammates also sneaking out of the lab. So much for her grandiose rescue fantasy. Cass is bleeding from several untreated sword wounds. She's unsteady on her feet and constantly looking over her shoulder. Tim is pale and shaky. He keeps chanting Kon's name like it's salvation and devastation at the same time. 

Stephanie fights back the urge to start singing and see if that helps them beat the lingering effects.

They don't need to worry about samples. They've got the chemicals running through their veins.

Deathstroke is waiting by the exit. Cass moves into position. He chuckles. “Not today, baby bat. They're not paying for the kill. Tell Dick Grayson he owes me for letting his kid brother walk free. Make sure he knows I collect.”

The Terminator steps out of their way. He watches them all the way out of the lab with an unnerving stare. They might've just won, but it doesn't feel much like a victory. It feels like a trap snapping shut.

***

The energy in the Clocktower is different when they get back. More subdued. Something's wrong. Zinda's taken a gunshot wound to the chest. Dinah is swearing into a phone. 

Lois is nowhere to be seen. 

Superman flies into Gotham and lands unceremoniously in the Clocktower. Tim watches him warily - he's never forgiven the Kryptonian for rejecting the late Connor Kent. Stephanie doesn't know the details, and she's too busy feeling awed and intimidated to ask. It's the closest she's ever been to Superman. He's even more larger-than-life up close. 

“I can't hear her heartbeat,” he sounds like he's on the verge of panic. “What happened?”

“We got set up,” says Oracle. “They had armed security waiting for both of my teams. Lady Blackhawk is still in surgery. We didn't even get accurate samples. I'm sorry, Kal.”

“I'm going to find her,” Superman says. No one says anything. This might be beyond even Superman.

He can't hear Lois’s heartbeat. There's no sign of her and no evidence pointing to a location. She's just gone. Stephanie wishes she knew how to comfort him. She says nothing. There's nothing to say.

Tim heads back to the Batcave to make a full report. Cass waves off medical treatment and vanishes into the shadows. Steph lingers on in the Clocktower. She wants to be here when any news comes. 

Barbara sighs. “Go home, Stephanie. Get some rest. You've given enough.”

It's maybe the kindest thing she's ever said to her. Stephanie wants to scream back that she can still do more. She goes in search of Cass instead.

Cass is on the Clocktower rooftop. She looks up when Stephanie lands next to her.

“Lost,” she says simply.

“Not your fault,” Stephanie says. “You were incredible out there. You took on Deathstroke and survived.”

Cass shrugs. “Still not enough.”

Stephanie knows the feeling. She pulls her shaking friend into her arms and doesn't let go.

Chapter Text

Cass darts across the Gotham skyline in a flurry of black shadows. She's art in motion. Stephanie can't look away. 

Batgirl has spent every waking moment since the botched undercover mission training or patrolling. Steph isn't sure if she's slept at all. She's worried about her friend.

Steph isn't immune to the siren's call of overwork, but she's got that part figured out. She gives herself one night off for homework and one for couples time with Tim. She's great at this work-life balance thing. She can't say the same for Cass, who hasn’t taken a night off since the botched undercover mission.

Cass doesn't lose. Deathstroke won their fight. She doesn't seem to know how to live with that. It weighs on her.

Steph wants to pick up that weight and fling it into the sun, but she'll settle for tagging alone on Cass's patrols and making sure she's not alone with her darkness. Cass doesn't technically need the backup, but she seems to like having Steph there. Steph likes being there too. 

They're midway through Cass’s route for the night when the Bat drops out of the sky. He’s got Tim with him. Steph waves at her boyfriend and gets a scowl back. A knockoff Bat scowl, at that - this is a business call then. He'll have to make it up to her on their next date night.

“Robin,” she tries to make her voice Batlike. It doesn't work.

“Spoiler,” he sounds a little embarrassed. Good.

“Batgirl. Cave. Now,” Batman is telling Cass. 

Tim takes advantage of the distraction to hiss. “What are you doing here?”

“Patrolling,” Steph answers.

“Since when do you patrol?” 

“Since Cass invited me,” she says. “I don't know if you've noticed but I'm basically a Bird of Prey now.”

Tim does a facepalm. Steph finds that uncalled for.

“Not a good time,” he mouths. This is Tim panicking, not him just being a dick. Something's actually wrong, she guesses.

Batman makes a decision. “All of you. Cave. Now.”

Steph doesn't have to run through her recent missions to figure out which one pissed off the Bat: this is definitely about the setup from last week. Superman probably brought it to his attention the last time the Justice League got together to go bowling or drink mimosas or whatever it is they do in their annual meetings. 

Maybe the Bat has a valid reason this time, Steph can admit. Lois Lane is still missing. Oracle's algorithm isn't finding any trace of her. If she's alive, no one's seen her. 

Steph takes back that particular admission as soon as they're back at the Cave.

“What happened out there?” says Batman. “The Scarecrow's drug is in production. Lois Lane is missing. Deathstroke is in the wind. I count on you to be prepared. To be-”

Steph interrupts him immediately. She's not going to let him make Cass feel worse. “Go yell at Oracle. It was her plan.”

If he tries this bullshit macho motivation through intimidation thing with Oracle, she'll just hang up. Last time, he got nothing but dial up noises every time he called in for weeks. Barbara can hold her own against the Batman.

Cass just bows her head and accepts the critique. Steph isn't about to stand for that.

“She took on fricking Deathstroke and lived, Bats,” Steph points out. Tim makes an abortive gesture at her. She ignores it and him. “So save it, okay?”

She puts an arm around her friend's shoulders tentatively. She needs it as much as Cass does right now. She's not always this direct in standing up to the Batman. Usually,she just ignores him to his face and lets the things he says roll around in her head for days afterwards. It's different when it's for Cass.

“She did good,” Steph finishes lamely.

“Perhaps. And perhaps if she hadn't become distracted by the need to protect the two of you,” he includes Tim in the glare this time. “The fight would've had a different outcome. Robin and Spoiler, I'm pulling you from the field until performance improves. You've become a risk and a distraction to yourselves and each other. Batgirl, you're picking up both of their duties. I trust you can handle that?”

“Team,” Cass whispers. Batman stares her down. She nods.

Tim winces and looks away. He's got his phone out behind his cape, presumably already texting the Titans to pick him up and give him a place to stay until Bruce calms down. It's a time-honored Robin tradition.

Steph sees red. The Bat’s been trying to shut her out since she was a gangly thirteen year old with more stubborn rage than good sense. She's not about to start listening to him now. “That’s not your call to make.”

Batman inclines his cowl at her. 

“I'm a Bird of Prey now,” she adds firmly. It's true. Oracle's already said she can stay. She's not going anywhere.

Batman growls a dismissal. The three of them start out of the cave.

“Superman threatened to come to Gotham and handle this himself,” Tim says by way of explanation. “He said he'd get it under control.”

There's a lot Steph could say to that, but not while Cass is staring straight ahead like something in her is about to break. She holds out a hand. Cass doesn't take it,

Bart Allan, better known as Impulse, is waiting outside the cave with Wondergirl Cassie Sandsmark and the keys to a borrowed invisible jet. He waves when he sees Steph. She smiles and waves back. She likes Bart - they game together over Discord sometimes. He's the only member of the old Young Justice who accepted her unconditionally. She'd even call them friends.

She has more complicated feelings about Cassie, who is either trying to get with Tim or believes Steph thinks she's trying to get with Tim. Still, the Amazon has never really questioned Steph's place on the battlefield, just who she shares it with, which should probably count for something.

“You're both welcome to come with,” Tim says. “The Titans could always use you and it's best not to be in the city limits when he's in one of these moods, you know?”

Cass shakes her head numbly.

“Not this time,” Steph says. “I appreciate it, but I'm staying with the Birds.”

“I thought you'd say that,” he smiles faintly. “Steph, I…the Birds are lucky to have you, you know?”

“I know.” She leans over to kiss him goodbye. 

“I'm pretty lucky too,” he says.

“Don't you forget it,” she grins. He gives her the ghost of a smile. Bart waves one last time and then the Titans are gone and it's just Steph and Cass standing outside the cave as the sun rises over Gotham.

Steph looks over at her friend. Cass says nothing. She seems to be searching for the words. Steph steps forward and takes her still-clenched fists into her hands. 

“Cass,” she says softly. Up close, her friend is still shaking slightly. “You don't look…When's the last time you slept?”

Cass tilts her head. Steph considers giving her the self-care lecture she gives Tim when he gets full caffeine-research-planning mode and then rejects the idea. She considers screaming ‘the Batman is a dick and you don't need to listen to him’ loud enough for the man himself to hear it in his cave; she rejects that idea too. Steph doesn't need words for this. She takes her friend into her arms and holds her close to her heart. 

Cass melts into the hug. Steph presses a kiss to her shaking head. Cass’s knees buckle and Steph gently lowers both of them to the ground. 

“It'll be okay,” Steph whispers. “We'll call Babs and she'll sort out his issues. Then we'll find Lois and stop Deathstroke. It'll be alright. But for now…”

For now, just let me hold you, she finishes silently. Cass can read the comfort in her body. They don't need the words. They have each other. For now, it's enough.

***

The Birds of Prey are different from the Bats. Oracle may have a hardass reputation and a carefully controlled temper, but she isn't the Batman. She doesn't enforce her rules as absolutes. Stephanie doesn't always like her, but she respects her just the same.

One of her rules is that Birds don't abandon their own. There's always at least one of them in Leslie's clinic watching over Zinda while her body knits itself back together slowly. 

It's been Steph a lot lately. She thinks she's supposed to mind since it is cutting into her time in the field. But she likes Zinda, who calls her ‘little sis’ and has an open offer to show her how to fly a plane. She once told Steph she knew about having something to prove and wanted her to know she wasn't doing it alone.

Steph doesn't want Zinda to have to wake up alone either. 

Besides, there's always work to do at Leslie's. It's never just sitting around waiting for Zinda to wake up. It's sorting donations and comforting patients and helping people connect with resources. It's ‘I need an extra hand prepping for surgery because the volunteer nurse didn't show’ and ‘they need an extra set of eyes in triage’ and ‘tell him I don't care what the Bat said everyone here gets care.’ It's good, and helping around the clinic makes Steph feel like she can be good too.

Leslie seems to agree. “You know, if you ever decide to get out of the hurting people business, you'd make a hell of a doctor.”

Steph takes the pacifist’s compliment for what it's worth. “My mom's a nurse. I guess I picked up more than I thought.”

She doesn't add that she picked it up watching her mom patch up her father and his friends. If Leslie connects the dots, she never brings it up. Steph is grateful. At the clinic, she isn't Robin's girlfriend or Cluemaster’s daughter. She's just Steph. It's nice to be just Steph sometimes.

Today's one of those times.

There's a person she vaguely recognizes as one of Tim's rogues sitting next to a teenage boy who's sobbing into the rogue’s mask.

“Stephanie,” Leslie calls. “See what that's about while I finish with the Thomases.”

Stephanie does.

The boy is chanting ‘get off get off get it off’ into the golden mask. Tears are flowing down his cheeks. He looks up and screams: “Off!”

Steph doesn't flinch. “What happened?”

The rogue answers. They sound angry and defeated. “He took something. The narcan didn't help so I brought him here. It's the third time this week with something like this and I don't know what else to do.”

“Okay,” Steph takes a deep breath. “Is this the part where I assure you that we'll figure it out?” 

“No,” the rogue says. “It's the part where you wait it out, make sure he's not alone for the come down, and text me if you find out what it is so I can prep for next time. I'd do it, but I have to get back to distro before it's dark. Can I trust you to do that?”

Stephanie nods. Tim would probably disagree, but Leslie's clinic doesn't make distinctions between rogue and hero and right now, Steph is going to live up to that promise.

I don't care what the Batman said, everyone here gets care.

They press a piece of paper with the number written on it into her hand, retrieve the mask from the still-crying boy, and whisper one last comfort into his ear.

“I didn't get your name,” Stephanie calls after them.

“When I'm in the mask, it's Anarky,” they don't look back.

Steph sits awkwardly next to the boy. It's not her first drug case, but it reminds her more of fear toxin than anything she's seen before. She makes a note of that - sometimes the Gotham dealers lace their shit with Crane’s waste. It could be a place to start on her next patrol.

Later, Steph will text Tim and ask who ‘Anarky’ is and be told that they want to burn down the existing society and don't care who they hurt in the process. Tim will call them a Hollywood caricature of an anarchist. He'll also criticize their combat forms as clearly self-taught and overdone.

Later, she'll find the grainy videos of Anarky at the post-quake protests arguing passionately that now is the chance to rebuild a more just world from all this debris. They will strike a chord in her small Narrows heart, one she won't know what to do with. She'll bury it next to her other secrets.

Later, she'll ask herself if it matters who's right. She'll agonize over texting Anarky and ultimately decide for the moment that they deserve the update. She'll tell him the boy pulled through and is making a full recovery. They'll like the message and leave it at that for now.

Here, in Leslie's clinic, she's holding a boy's hand while he screams about worst fears and old memories.

Leslie shuffles them out of the lobby and into one of the patient rooms when she sees what's happening, but she doesn't tell Steph to leave. It's why Steph is here - the Birds of Prey don't leave people alone. Steph might be a new and only sort-of Bird, but she believes in that promise.

She stays until he falls asleep.

‘Good job,” Leslie tells her after. Steph flushes. 

“I didn't do anything,” she points out. “There wasn't any way to help.”

“Sometimes there isn't, in this line of work,” says Leslie. “But we do what we can, and today, what you could was damn good work.”

Steph takes the compliment. It feels warm.

“I like working here,” she admits. “It feels right.”

“In that case,” Leslie grins. “Why not make it official?”

Stephanie leaves the clinic with an internship that's going to look great on her college applications and a smile so wide it reshapes something in her face. 

The entire way to the Clocktower, she feels like she's flying.

***

Karen Starr is in the Clocktower when she gets back. This is a surprise. No one really knows what to make of the new Powergirl, a Kryptonian who showed up a few months ago with a chip on her shoulder, a smile sharp enough to fall into, and an insistence on carving out a space for herself in the world. 

Karen is a tall, muscled woman in her early twenties with short blonde hair, a white bodysuit and cape with a window neckline, and eyes that seem to be searching the Clocktower for someone who isn't there and coming away disappointed every time.

The only people Steph can think of that it could be are Lois and Zinda, but that feels wrong. Karen is missing someone important to her specifically, not just to Superman or the Birds.

“Powergirl,” she holds out a hand to Stephanie. Stephanie takes it. Her grip is strong. “Kal-El said you've got a gap in the roster. Until you find Lois, he wants me to fill it.”

Oracle looks put out. “After Venice Beach, I thought we agreed -”

“I apologized, O,” Karen interrupts. “New mission, new me. Consider this my audition.”

Oracle looks prepared to argue. “Karen…”

“Babs, can you trust that I have a good reason to be in Gotham right now?” Karen cuts her off again. “We can do this together or I can hover around the edges of your missions until you need me. Your call.”

Stephanie is impressed. She's never seen anyone take control of a conversation from Oracle so thoroughly before. She almost hopes Batman decides to enforce his occasional rule against meta heroes operating out of Gotham - she wants to see Karen do the same to him.

“Fine,” Oracle pinches her nose beneath her glasses. She mutters under her breath. “He couldn't have sent anyone else?”

Karen sighs. “There isn't anyone else right now. You know that.”

It's true. Superboy is dead in an alien attack, Supergirl lost to the dimensions of space and legend. Karen is the only other Kryptonian Superman has left to call, even Stephanie knows that. She supposes he could've sent another League member, but for Lois, he must want someone closer.

“Surprised he didn't try to come himself,” Oracle grimaces.

“He asked. Bat said no. I'm the compromise.” Karen rolls her eyes slightly in a manner that conveys exactly how much she would've respected a no from the Batman. Steph thinks she might be a little in love with her.

Dinah enters. She has one arm around Cass’s shoulders and a bouquet of fresh daffodils in the other. She holds out the flowers to Oracle. “New shipment today.”

“They're nice,” Oracle says neutrally. She takes them anyway.

“Just nice?” Dinah sounds disappointed.

Oracle sighs. “You're not going to guess it, Dinah.”

“I run a flower shop, Babs,” Dinah says. “I'm going to figure out your favorite flower eventually.”

“Not likely,” Oracle laughs under her breath. She clutches at the flowers in her lap. Her mood seems to be improving.

Cass darts over to Stephanie. She's got a new set of signs to show her. Stephanie recognizes some of them - she started watching sign tutorials as soon as Cass mentioned wanting to learn more than the basic ones they used in the field. Sign still requires Cass to conceptualize her thoughts in words, which is slow, difficult work; but it side steps some of the difficulty in getting her disused vocal cords to form the sounds. They study together before patrol sometimes. It's nice. 

“Missed you today,” Cass signs.

“Missed you too,” Stephanie knows the signs for that. It's one of the first things she wanted to be able to say back to her friend. 

Cass leans her head on Stephanie's shoulder. “Touch okay?”

Stephanie nods. “Touch good.”

It turns out that Dinah has also worked with Karen on a mission before - one involving the Justice League’s ancillary West Coast JLI. It seems to have gone better than whatever happened on Venice Beach, which helps.

Cass studies the new team member and says. “Worried. Maybe hiding?”

“Hmmm,” Stephanie begins. "Bad?"

Cass shakes her head. 

“Like her,” she says out loud. “Confusing.”

Stephanie doesn't disagree with that assessment. It's accurate. She also doesn't know what to make of Karen, but she's pretty sure she likes her.

Oracle gathers the four of them at the center of the room for the day's briefing. It feels oddly crowded today. Karen doesn't fill the space left by Zinda's absence so much as she creates her own space and carries it with her wherever she goes.

“The fear toxin drug is an immediate problem,” Oracle says. “They’re calling it Fearment. It comes in breath mint and beverage form. It causes the user to experience their worst fear in real time, followed by a euphoric high that leads them to believe they've conquered fear. It's addictive, trauma-inducing, and deadly at a high dose or when combined with other drugs. It doesn't respond to usual anti-overdose measures and we've yet to find a medication that makes the come down less painful.”

Oracle gives that a minute to sink in. “Until we have a viable antidote, this needs to be our number one priority. We deescalate individual health crises where we can, we find the suppliers where we can't. We find the suppliers, we find Lois, we shut this down before it gets out of control.”

Steph thinks about the sobbing boy in the clinic. She thinks about Anarky and the people on the margins they look out for, who were already feeling the effects before the rest of the city knew what to look for. She thinks they might be past that point.

It's going to get worse if they don't get an antidote soon.

Chapter Text

Cass is dancing ballet along the edge of the overpass construction rig, feet carefully pointed, when Steph finishes her route. She beckons for Steph to join her. Steph shakes her head. Cass hops down gracefully and lands on the ground next to Steph.

“Good patrol?” she asks, after they've hugged and Cass has stolen one of the chocolates Steph keeps in her utility belt for emergencies.

“The best,” says Steph.

Steph is pretty sure the Oracle only gave her a route of her own so Batman wouldn't have space to complain about her joining Cass on patrol. She doesn't care: it's hers, and that makes it perfect. She gets to share Cass’s route for the first few blocks, before diverging to focus more on defending her Narrows streets and the clinic, and then reconnect with Batgirl on the other side of the overpass to finish out their patrol together. 

It usually takes Steph longer to get to the checkpoint - the Narrows is always full of small crises she can't ignore. Steph takes to carrying Narcan and candy bars in her utility belt. She restocks it most mornings in the Clocktower after she makes her report. She expected to have to defend herself to the Oracle the first few times it happened. Instead, Barbara just smiled slightly and said ‘good job, Spoiler.’ 

Steph likes to take that compliment out and rotate it around when she's having a bad day: the all-knowing Oracle thinks she's doing a good job with her route.

“Knew it,” says Cass firmly. “Always good.”

Stephanie blushes under her mask. She stores that comment away, deep inside where she keeps her worst fears and most painful secrets. They can't get to her through Cass’s quiet approval - nothing can. For the first time in her life, Stephanie Brown is untouchable.

Cass’s com buzzes. “The Bat. Needs me downtown.”

Steph nods. “Want me to come with?”

“Still…” Cass shakes her head. Steph knows Cass values Batman's opinions too much for the rest of that sentence but she picks up on the meaning.

“Butthurt about me and Tim,” Steph finishes it for her. “It's okay, I don't need his approval. I have you.”

Cass’s tentative smile is visible even through her stitched-together mask. “Finish the route?”

“Of course,” Steph hugs her friend again. They separate and then Cass vanishes into the gray Gotham night. Steph heads the other direction a few minutes later.

The rest of their route is uneventful. Steph makes it back to the Clocktower before Cass does.

The energy in the tower is sharp, almost frenetic. Oracle is swearing under her breath, moving between calls at breakneck speed. The Justice League (currently minus Batman) is battling robo-spiders on the West Coast and needs to know how to dismantle them; the newest Green Lantern is on her first Watchtower duty and needs to stop jumping at satellites; the tech twins from Tim's current Titans tried to hack Belle Reve and need help covering their tracks; and it goes on. Everyone relies on Gotham's all-knowing Oracle. 

Black Canary waves at Steph as she enters. Dinah's leaning against one of the monitors, casually massaging Oracle's upper back and neck. 

“You know,” Steph hears her say as she passes. “If you need a break l can man the comms for a bit.”

Barbara shakes her head and keeps on working. Dinah bends down to press a kiss to her hair. Steph decides to give them the room. She doesn't need to watch their unofficial flirt thing. 

Steph goes to get one of the ever-present diet sodas from the fridge. There's a couple energy drinks on the shelf next to them, labeled ‘Do Not Touch - Babs’ and a handful of bottles of the kombucha brand Karen and Dinah are obsessed with right now. Then she notices that someone's stocked her current favorite limited edition flavor of Mountain Dew without her having to ask or wait for her mom's EBT to re-up so she could bring them.

It's like the patrol route; another small sign she's starting to belong here with the Birds.

***

Harper Row explodes into Gotham in neon electric fury. Steph crosses paths with them while she's patrolling and says something really intelligent. “Um, wow.”

“Thanks,” the Bluebird says. “You're not too bad yourself.”

They're definitely flirting. Stephanie’s fingers twitch. “I'm taken.”

That's overstating it a bit. She and Tim haven't seen each other since he left for the Titans. Still, she doesn't want to give Harper the wrong idea - she's heard from gay friends at school that crushing on a straight girl is a fast track road to heartbreak and she likes Harper too much to do that to them.

“Compliment stands,” says Bluebird, unphased. “Harper Row. I'm new.”

“I figured,” says Stephanie. She doesn't add that her intel comes from hearing Barbara complain about Bruce complaining about the new vigilante. Apparently they've been setting off DIY EMP pulses and otherwise interfering with his city/mission/brooding time. Steph's impressed.

Together they make short work of Steph's patrol route. Harper likes to talk almost as much as Steph does. They have a brother named Cullen and she's fighting to make Gotham better for him. 

“I get that,” Steph says. She thinks she'd like to make Gotham better for her mom, even though her mom's never been able to make their personal Gotham better for her. “I don't have any siblings though. Just me and my mom.”

Her dad's in Blackgate. He doesn't count.

Except it turns out Harper's a proud member of the ‘my shitty dad's a shitty villain’ club, although theirs at least wasn't dumb enough to pick a code name. Steph relaxes a little. Here, with Harper eating Batburger and fries on the overpass as they wait for Cass, she doesn't have to hide as much.

Cass arrives. She snuggles up to Steph and smiles over at Harper. 

“Like them,” she signs to Steph. Steph nods, relieved. She likes the idea of the three of them patrolling together for reasons she can't quite articulate. It feels a little different than usual friendship feelings. 

Harper seems to like Cass too, seeing as they immediately grin and declare Batgirl ‘a badass.’ Cass, surprisingly, blushes slightly at the praise. 

“It's true,” Steph points out. “You're a better fighter than Batman, even.”

Harper looks between the two of them and mouths ‘taken?’

It takes Steph a minute to process that. Oh. Oh. 

She shakes her head and quotes one of her mom's sitcoms. “Tragically we are both heterosexual.”

Cass doesn't seem to have noticed the exchange but she frowns. “Not me.”

Wait. What? Steph’s brain glitches. 

“Oracle explained,” Cass is still talking. She points at herself. “Like her and Canary.”

“Are -” Steph has no clue what to do with that information. She decides to focus on the part that doesn't make her heart feel like pounding its way out of her chest. “They're actually a thing? I thought…”

She kind-of assumed it was just flirting. She knew Black Canary and Green Arrow were off-on exes like her and Tim so she'd just thought - she doesn't know what she'd thought. 

“Am I the only straight person on the Birds?” Steph leans back. Cass puts a steadying hand on her back to make sure she doesn't fall off the overpass railing. Steph's heart gets even faster.

Cass shrugs. Her other hand signs "Y-E-S."

Harper is watching them both with amused, slightly narrowed eyes. They laugh. “I saw the way you were looking at me earlier. You're not that straight.”

“That's not - I'm not - I have a boyfriend, ffs,” Steph sputters. Harper taps the bi pin on her lapel. Steph groans. “Can we just pretend this conversation didn't happen?”

“Sure.” Harper reaches over to steal the last of Steph's fries and comes away disappointed - Cass has stealthily eaten the rest of them without either of them noticing.

“Cass!” Steph pounces on the distraction. “This is war!”

Cass takes off down the rest of their shared patrol route. Harper and Steph follow. They chase each other through the city and when the sun finally finishes rising they stop to exchange numbers.

“Making us a secure group chat,” Harper says. “Gotham’s Bad Girls, better than the Batman and twice as pretty.”

They wink directly at Cass when they say that. Cass grins back. “Kick names, take ass.”

“Damn right,” says Harper. They reach up to brush a strand of hair out of Cass’s eyes. Cass leans into the touch.

Some unfamiliar part of Steph can't decide whether to be more jealous of Cass or Harper. She pushes that aside - they're all friends and anyway, she's got Tim. 

Speaking of which, she should call him. It's been too long since she remembered their date night. She's been so busy with the patrol route and the clinic that she's kinda forgotten to be a girlfriend.

***

Barbara looks visibly tired when Stephanie drags Harper into the Clocktower two weeks later, but if she has a problem with Harper's presence she doesn't say. 

They end up sparring on the training mats while they wait for Cass. Dinah drifts over to watch.

“Not bad,” she comments. “Your form is shaky, but it's got potential.”

The Black Canary is the best fighter in Gotham and maybe the world, excepting only Cass. That's high praise from her. Stephanie blushes. Harper grins.

“You want to get better?” Dinah asks. Steph hesitates. Harper nods quickly “Run the form again. This time like you're fighting me, not the Bat or your Pops.”

Harper says yes before she can finish the sentence.

Steph freezes up for a second after Canary mentions dads and then remembers that the thing everyone knows about the Spoiler is that she became a hero to stop her dad, and besides, it was aimed at both of them. Not just her. It doesn't mean Canary knows. But there's something soft in Dinah's eyes that makes her suspect she might. It doesn't feel like she's judging Steph for it. It feels like she cares. Steph isn't sure if that's better or worse.

Better, she tells herself firmly. She's a Bird of Prey. She belongs here. Nothing her father did or does can change that. Steph takes a deep breath. “Okay, yeah, sure. I can do that.”

Dinah stops her. “We don't have to do this now, if you're not ready.”

“I'm ready,” Steph says quickly. She isn't an emotionally-frigid Bat: She's not going to lose out on the opportunity to train with the Black Canary because she's too caught up in her own shit.

Cass arrives a few minutes later to find the three of them sparring. She joins in. Barbara actually looks over from the computer to watch the fight. It's a good match. The Bad Girls fall into an easy rhythm as they try (and mostly fail) to fight the Canary. It's easy to see why they call her the best in the world.

The fight ends in a draw. Dinah reaches down to help Cass up. Cass clasps her hand, visibly starry-eyed. Harper looks at her softly. Steph wonders if she should step away and give them the moment. They pull her into a hug instead. She relaxes. These are her friends. Anything else doesn't matter.

“Good job,” says Dinah. “Want to make it a regular thing? It's okay to say no, but you've got potential and it kinda feels like you'd appreciate learning from someone other than Bruce. He's good in the field but his mentoring style leaves a lot to be desired and I'm a damn good teacher, just ask Babs.”

“It's true,” Barbara calls from across the room. “We used to spar together when we were starting out. Still do.”

Barbara blows Dinah a kiss without looking up. Dinah catches it in her hand and smiles slowly. Steph wonders how she didn't see it before.

“So, are you in?” Dinah pulls her attention back. Cass starts nodding before she can finish the sentence. Harper does the same.

“In! Yes!” Steph pumps her fist. Dinah laughs, but it doesn't feel like she's laughing at Steph. It feels like they're a team.

“Karen’s back from ‘wherever’ in ten,” Barbara calls. Her tone conveys both that she knows exactly what Karen's ‘wherever' is and that she's not betraying her teammate's secret. Something unspoken in Steph relaxes. Maybe Barbara knowing isn't the worst outcome.

Maybe she, Dinah, Harper and Cass can be trusted with even the messiest parts of Steph.

“Mission briefing in fifteen,” the Oracle says. “Get changed, get ready, get hydrated. We have a job to do.”

Stephanie is still thrilled every time she's included in that we along with Cass. She thinks she always will be. She's glad Harper's a part of it now too. They're Gotham's Bad Girls and Birds of Prey and best friends.

Steph doesn't need anything else.

Chapter Text

It takes another couple weeks for Steph and Tim to set something up. He isn't willing to come back to Gotham right now, given the Bat's everything. If Steph weren't trying to get a good grade in dating him right now, she might call him a coward. Instead she says ‘I could always come to you’ and he suggests sending Bart to pick her up. 

This is an inspired idea. Bart's great and their weekly RPG sessions aren't the same as actually getting to hangout. 

Bart responds to the idea by texting a string of rainbow exclamation points so long it makes Steph's eyes hurt to read. She smiles. She's missed Bart.

Bart shows up at 6pm on the dot wearing an oversized trench coat and hat over his Impulse uniform. 

“To hide from the Bat,” he says seriously. Steph chokes back an actual giggle. “Don't laugh! The ‘no metas in Gotham’ rule is serious business!”

Steph can't hold it back anymore. “I'm pretty sure he only says that to keep out Superman and the Green Lanterns.”

“Nah, he made it up when Nightwing was dating Wally,” Bart deepens his voice into an approximation of the patented Bat growl. “No dating on the job, I mean, no metas in Gotham!”

“That was so deep,” Steph high fives him. “All that T is working!”

“Right?” Bart drops the serious expression and grins back at her. “We should get going so Tim doesn't think I got ambushed by the Gotham hyenas again.”

Steph raises both eyebrows.

“It's happened multiple times!” Bart protests. “Those hyenas are scary fast.”

“Whatever you say, fastest boy alive,” Steph rolls her eyes. “But yeah we can get going.”

He picks her up and starts running. “Iheardyouhaveapatrolroutenowthat’ssocoolcan’twaittohearmore.”

Steph smiles. It is pretty cool.

They make it to the Tower. It's an apartment complex in SanFran set deep in the mountains. Steph's gathered that the original Flash and Blue Beetle, both deceased, set it up during the first Robin's tenure, back before the Bats had integrated into the hero community. The Titans had started out as a sort-of refuge for sidekicks with complicated relationships with their mentors and evolved into a hero team in its own right. It's kept its reputation as a refuge though.

Steph's been here a few times for Tim, and she was even briefly a member before - before No Man's Land and those two pink lines that almost derailed her vigilante career for good. It's been long enough that she doesn't know the current security code, but not long enough for there to have been significant membership turnover.

Case in point, Rose Wilson. Deathstroke’s daughter is standing in the doorway with a mostly-dead joint when Bart deposits Steph in the courtyard. “Hey, babes. Bart.”

Steph grimaces. She's never known what to make of Rose. The last time she was here, when she was resigning for quake reasons, the other girl had called her a cheating whore. But the sneer hadn't reached her eyes, which had held a strangely soft understanding.

She can see that same soft understanding in Rose's expression when she looks at Steph now. It makes Steph feel off-balance. She looks away.

“Hey Rose!” says Bart, oblivious to any undercurrents. “Wanna go crash this date with me?”

Steph elbows him. “Bart!”

“What?” Bart looks at her, all wide-eyed innocence. 

“I'm here for couple time, Bart,” Steph hisses under her breath. Rose snorts.

“Of course,” says Bart. “And I'm coming with you! So’s Rose! Right, Rose?”

Rose puts the joint out on her sword hilt. “It depends. You want me there, babes?”

Steph is saved from answering by Tim's arrival. He's wearing his old school blazer over a red and black Superman tee. He looks ridiculous. Steph smiles. “Honey, I'm home.”

“Yes,” he says simply, and leans in for the kiss. Rose makes a gagged noise.

“God, save me from this straight nonsense,” she mutters. Steph feels oddly defensive. Sure, she's straight, but she doesn't understand why people keep making a big deal of it. She just likes boys. That's all there is to it.

She leans in to kiss Tim again just to prove the point. He tastes like unsweetened dark roast coffee, which is to say, like himself. She smiles. It is good to see her dumbass boyfriend again.

They head upstairs, shaking off the entourage. Tim hesitates at Kon’s cracked door before steering them into his own room. It's musty and smells of disuse.

“Sorry,” he says awkwardly. “I've - mostly been staying in his room. It…makes it easier, you know? Feels like he could just come back at any point and I'd be there. Less nightmares that way, too.”

“You know?” he asks again. There's something oddly helpless in his tone.

“I know some other ways to stop the nightmares,” says Steph. She pulls him in for a kiss. He lifts her down onto the bed. It creaks slightly. She presses in closer. He grips her tightly, like he's afraid she'll leave for somewhere he can't follow the way Kon did.

“Hey,” she whispers. “It's okay. We don't have to do this right now. We can just exist together.”

He nods shakily. “Kon, he…I just really miss him, you know?”

Steph rubs his shoulders lightly. She doesn't really know but it seems like the thing to do. “I think so.”

“Do you want to go downstairs and game with the team?” he asks after a minute.

“Absolutely,” she says. She takes his hand and helps them both stand up.

***

Downstairs, Marvin and Wendy Harris are playing Smash Bros while Rose offers biting commentary from the top of the couch.

“You're just mad because I see it coming,” she says.

Wendy levels her with a glare. “Stop being a bitch and grab a controller.”

Rose does, to Stephanie's faint surprise. “I'm even more of a bitch this way,” she warns. “Never game with a precog. We're always a step ahead.”

Wendy snorts. “I hacked this when I was twelve. Precognition’s got nothing on practice.”

“They're the same thing, babes,” Rose says. She swings down onto the main couch cushion.

“You two gonna join or just sit here staring?” Wendy calls. Tim plops down on the floor, but he doesn't pick a controller. He just stares down at the carpet for a few minutes before getting up and wandering out of the room. Steph should probably go after him.

Then Rose pats the cushion next to her and gives Steph a meaningful look. Steph sits reluctantly.

“Did I do something to you I'm not aware of, babes?” Rose seems genuinely put out. “I don't bite, I promise.”

“Sometimes you do,” says Steph before she can stop herself. She mouths ‘cheating whore’ at her. Rose flushes and looks away.

Stephanie knows it could be her own fault for letting people think she cheated, letting them insinuate that she found comfort and stability in a stranger's arms in exchange for shelter in the aftermath of the quake and paid the price for...something? She's not entirely sure. She doesn't care. She's not in a mood to take that from anyone. Even Rose, who probably didn't mean for that months-old comment to hit like that.

“Ignore her,” Cassie calls from somewhere near the room. “She's a bitch.”

“And you love it, babes,” says Rose. But it sounds like her heart’s not in it. She looks over at Steph. Everything in her expression says sorry.

“Are we going to play or not?” Wendy ends the standoff. 

“You'll regret that,” Rose warns. She proceeds to kick both of their asses. Marvin gets bored with losing and taps out. Wendy takes it as a challenge and turns up the difficulty to the ‘hard mode’ she and her brother invented. 

“That's more like it,” Rose grins. 

“ArewetestingRose'sprecognition?” Bart joins them midway through the round. Stephanie makes a split second decision - she hands him the controller. She's not going to beat a precog and a hacker at this game anyway.

“This is why you,” he says seriously. “Are my best friend.”

Stephanie smiles. “Give them hell for me.”

Bart types ‘Bartman’ into the character creator. He moves the control so fast it almost shatters from the strain. 

It's speedster vs. hacker vs. precog for the championships. Stephanie's rooting for Bart. Marvin's giving Wendy pointers. No one's cheering for Rose, which just makes Rose more determined. Stephanie knows the feeling.

Cassie drifts into the room again at some point, rolls her eyes, and starts back out. 

“Not a gamer,” Bart explains without looking up. Cassie takes that as a challenge and digs a fourth controller out of the cabinet. She really is so bad at this. Amazon battle reflexes don't seem to transfer to pixelated combat.

“Ugh,” says Cassie. “Where's Drake when you need him?”

Rose snorts. “Who needs him, babes? We have our own Bat.”

“Me?” Stephanie is so shocked she almost falls off the couch. “If you want to get technical, I'm a Bird of Prey, not a Bat.”

“Our own Bird, then. Even better, babes.” Rose gives her a one-eyed wink. Steph's still mad at her, probably. Right now it doesn't seem to matter. 

Maybe the Titans are her team too.

***

Steph spends the night with Tim in his mostly-unused room. They don't go any further than kissing, and only barely that. Steph finds she doesn't seem to mind. She might actually like him better this way.

“I love you,” he whispers sleepily the next morning. Right now, she thinks she might love him back. It won't be true when she finishes waking up.

She pulls herself out of bed and exits the room quietly, careful not to wake Tim.

There's a sword and a box of chocolates outside the door. The note on them reads ‘sorry’ in shaky handwriting. Rose.

Stephanie clutches them both to her chest. She thinks she might like Rose after all.

Our own Bird.

She wanders downstairs to find Cass perched on the counter wearing a too-big shirt that looks like it belongs to someone else, most likely Harper, who's making coffee and humming an Emei song. Rose leans against the sink polishing her own sword, singing along in her husky smoker's voice. 

“That girl, that girl, wanna meet that girl,” she looks directly at Harper and winks. Harper blushes. Cass stares at them both with hearts in her eyes.

Something in Steph feels tight. She's struck by how much she wants Cass to look at her like that. 

“Hi,” Cass waves at her excitedly.

“How?” Steph asks. Cass shrugs.

“Here to ask you and Tim to come back,” she says. “Batman got hurt. Deathstroke. I'm going after him. Wanted to ask Rose to come with.” 

“I'm trying to talk her out of it,” Rose says. “He's not the kind you find, he's the kind who finds you and makes you regret looking.”

“And I'm trying to get her to let us all go,” Harper says. “Bad girls road trip. Rose can be an honorary bad girl.”

“I am good at being bad,” Rose says seriously, hand on her heart. Steph isn't sure what's going on, but she kind-of likes it.

“No,” Cass says forcefully. “Needed in Gotham.”

“And you're not?” Steph points out. “You're the best fighter we have. The Birds need you - I need - we need you, Cass.”

“She’s right, you know,” Harper says. Rose crosses her arms and nods firmly.

Cass sighs. She seems to be arguing with something in herself. Then she comes to a decision. “Will go back to tie loose ends. Two weeks. Then I go.”

She gets up abruptly and walks out of the kitchen, signifying the conversation’s end. It's a bad habit she's picked up from Batman. It's never bothered Steph before. Rose makes a pfffft noise. 

“You want to go after her or should I?” she doesn't wait for an answer. She leaves the sword leaned against the sink and follows her - girlfriend? Steph isn't sure - out of the kitchen.

Steph looks at Harper. “We can fix this in two weeks, right?” 

Harper nods. “We have to.”

It's the most serious Steph has ever seen them. They can't be Gotham's Bad Girls without Cass. It's unthinkable. 

When Cass returns a few minutes later, she has a stain above her lip in the exact shade of Rose’s gloss. Harper reaches down to wipe it off gently. 

Steph looks away. She's never felt more like an intruder.

“Time to go,” Cass says. 

“Rose?” Harper asks. 

Cass shakes her head. “Hates goodbyes. Will come after me if I need her.”

There's a soft wonder in her voice when she says that. It sounds the way Steph feels when she watches Cass dance across the skyline. It's nothing she’s ever felt about Tim. She isn't sure there are words for this feeling. It's a strange, yearning ache and Steph doesn't know if she wants it to end. She thinks she should: A beautiful ache is still an ache. But a small, soft unheard part of her wants it to stay.

She looks over at Cass and thinks. Please don't go. I don't know if I can be me if you aren't there.

Cass looks back at her. Whatever Steph is feeling must be visible in the lines of her body, because Cass smiles slowly and blows her a kiss. Steph catches it like she saw Barbara catch Dinah's that day in the Clocktower.

Stay, she thinks. Stay here with me.

Chapter Text

Cass is cold. She hasn't stopped moving since they got back, quick, deliberate fidgeting meant to keep her blood circulating and her body warm. She leans into Steph and Harper, both Gotham-born and used to the weather, seeking their warmth. Steph holds her tightly and feels the two week countdown clock tick in her mind.

Don't go don't go don't go don't go.

Deathstroke put the Bat in the hospital and tore a hole through the GCPD. Steph doesn't want to think about what he could do to Cass. Her friend is the best fighter she knows, but Steph knows better than anyone that all it takes to lose sometimes is a bad distraction and worse luck. He's already beaten Cass that way once; she can't let it happen again. She has thirteen days to make sure it doesn't. 

Steph shivers.

“Cold too?” Cass’s hand movements are slower than her fidgeting but no less deliberate.

“Let's get inside,” Steph nods. She reaches down to take one of Cass's hands. Harper's already clutching the other.

They walk hand-in-hand into the Clocktower.

***

It's busy in the Clocktower. Crowded, too. Steph takes stock of her surroundings while Harper goes to get drinks and Cass runs to hug Barbara. 

The Oracle is swearing into her personal phone next to the computer terminal. All six of the screens are displaying a piece of a Gotham City map with what Steph assumes are Fearment hotspots marked out alongside patrol routes. Hers is drawn in eggplant purple, which makes her smile. There are a lot of hotspots on her route, which makes sense; Steph stops every time she sees someone struggling and she always logs it afterwards. She's good at this.

Dinah is leaning against her girlfriend's chair, offering occasional commentary on the call. She doesn't seem to be patched into the line, which means she's only reacting to Barbara's side of the conversation. Steph catches the words ‘Dad’ and ‘please,’ followed by Dinah calling the Commissioner ‘a bastard,’ and quickly moves on. She knows the Gordon family dynamic is different than her own, but that doesn't mean she particularly wants to hear it.

Karen is checking and re-checking her own phone like her life or maybe someone else's depends on the next text. Her Kryptonian hearing means she must already know it's not there, but she doesn't seem to care.

Helena Bertinelli is leaning against the wall farthest from the other Birds. She's wearing the pants from her Huntress gear and a white undershirt tank, her jacket tied around her waist and her mask discarded nearby. She's gazing around the Clocktower warily, but she smiles when her gaze lands on Steph. Steph waves. Helena waves back, which Steph takes as an invitation to head over.

“I missed you last month,” Helena says casually. She doesn't take her eyes away from the Oracle. 

Steph flushes. Once a month, she goes to Helena’s apartment, ostensibly for tutoring. They do a little of that, but they also drink Italian coffee and catch up and watch bad mafia movies. Occasionally they spar, but theirs is a friendship that exists largely outside the masks.

Steph didn't make it to the last one; she was busy at the clinic. “Sorry.”

“Don't be,” says Helena. “It's the job.”

“I still should've tried to reschedule though,” Steph admits. She feels bad. Helena was the only one who was there for Steph when it counted during the quake - she can't forget that. She needs to do better by the Huntress.

Helena acknowledges this with a dip of the head. She still hasn't looked away from the Birds. Steph doesn't exactly blame her - she knows the other woman left the team in bad terms once before.

“Surprised you're here,” Steph says softly. She moves ever-so-slightly so Helena can see her face without changing her focus. Helena smiles tightly. “I thought…”

“A lot of people thought,” Helena waves a hand. “Babs and I have our shit. We probably always will. This is bigger than that.”

“I get that,” says Steph. “I have shit with her too, sometimes.”

Helena raises an eyebrow and mouths ‘go on?’’ Steph is surprised she didn't know. 

“She used to judge me for…,” she pauses. She doesn't want to say it here, not with Helena, who's the only person besides Steph who knows the full story. “What happened during the quake.”

It's the closest they've come to actually talking about it since Steph rode out the worst of the recovery on Helena's pull-out couch, she realizes. The last time it came up, Helena offered to kill him without changing her tone. She could've been talking about the weather or the relative hotness of Gotham’s most wanted. Steph thanked her reflexively. But she never brought it up again until now. She hopes she isn't going to regret this; she thinks she might.

Helena's brows furrow. She looks down at Steph and shakes her head slowly. “Not you. She judges herself for not seeing in time to stop it. The usual Bat complex. She blames herself for a lot of things, with you. With me too.”

Steph is relieved she didn't have to turn down another murder-offer and even more relieved to know that what she mistook for the Oracle's judgement was actually a form of care. She already knew she belonged with the Birds, but it still feels nice to understand.

Helena is still talking. “She messaged me after. I had to talk her out of sending a packet of hysterectomy and counseling recommendations. Told her it wouldn't come across the way she wanted. Most things don't with her. She's working on it. I think actually being with Dinah now is helping her. I think you being on the team helps too.”

Stephanie goes red. She chokes out. “R-really?”

Helena nods. “It helps me too. Lets me remember that it's okay to be back here. That I can belong.” 

“That's all I want to do,” Steph says softly. “Help people find a place to belong.”

“You do,” Helena smiles.

Steph feels awkward now. It's a good awkward, she thinks. “Now what?”

“Now we go back to not talking about him, and I go back to birdwatching,” Helena says. “And you go sit with your girlfriend, who's been trying to get your attention.”

Steph looks over at Cass, who's beckoning to her a spot on the training mats next to Harper and a collection of snacks. Her face goes even redder somehow. “Why does everyone think we're dating?”

“I don't know the answer to that, Stephanie,” says Helena in her best teacher voice. “I got here fifteen minutes ago, I'm still catching up.”

Steph flips her off. Helena laughs under her breath. 

“Next week,” says Helena. “Goncharov, affogato, Thursday, 6 o’clock.”

“I'll be there,” Steph promises. She goes to join Cass. It's almost time for the briefing to begin.

***

Barbara hangs up her phone and turns to face the assembled Birds and Helena. She presses a hand to her glasses. Dinah takes it in hers and gives her a steadying look. It's sweet. Steph wishes someone would do that for her. Cass presses a Mountain Dew into her hand. She takes a sip. It's Electric Berry. Her current favorite.

“Cass,” she says, after a minute. “Did you tell Barbara my flavor?”

Cass nods. “Wanted you to have it.”

“I could kiss you,” Steph says gratefully. It still means so much that the drinks are here when she needs them.

“Go for it,” says Cass seriously. Harper gives them both a meaningful look but says nothing. Barbara calls the briefing to order, saving Steph from having to explain that it's an expression, damnit! 

Isn't it? She can't actually want to kiss Cass, can she? She glance back over at her friend. Her beautiful, perfect friend with her knowing smiles and her dancer's grace. 

Oh shit, she thinks. 

Barbara gives them all a look that says 'pay attention,' but she mostly looks amused.

“The city wants to reclassify Fearment as a drug use felony instead of a Scarecrow attack. The Commish is done fighting them. I told him that's the wrong move, but he says he can't push it any further. He might even be right,” Barbara says, like it pains her to admit.

“Doesn't Gotham have decriminalization?” Karen asks. “I thought…”

“Not exactly,” Barbara says. “The quake made decrim unofficial policy, but the new mayor's been pushing them to go back to enforcing drug charges for awhile. It sounds like they want to make an example of the Fearment crisis.”

She sighs into her keyboard. Dinah touches her shoulder lightly. Barbara finishes her thoughts after a moment. “Which means we need an antidote and we need to shut down their suppliers now.”

That's going to be more difficult than anyone expected. Fearment itself seems to have a single untraceable source - the Luthor-backed consortium that paid Scarecrow to design the formula - but the market’s been flooded with deadly knockoffs made of bootleg fear toxin mixed with whatever drug the suppliers have on hand. Steph's seen the aftermath at the clinic; it isn't pretty, it's rarely even treatable.

The Birds are still talking through their options.

“I thought Lane was running an inside op on that,” Dinah says. There's concern underneath her casual tone. 

“She hasn't made contact, Dinah,” Oracle groans into her keyboard. “I can't assume she's in unless she does, but I don't want to send in a retrieval team and risk burning her and the op if she is.”

“Wait,” Karen holds up a hand. “Lois is…undercover? That's why none of you are treating this with anything like urgency. Why didn't you say so before?”

Steph had suspected vaguely that there might be some reason Barbara hadn't redirected their resources to the search for Lois earlier, but she hadn't expected that.

“Because we don't know,” Barbara sighs. “There's been no contact, and none of my recognition algorithms have picked up any sign of her. We don't have anything to go on, we don't know if she made it in, we don't even know if she's alive. We just…don't know.”

Karen processes this. “And you didn't tell Kal-El this because?”

“She asked us not to,” Dinah says. “We were trying to respect that. Now we're not so sure.”

Barbara hums thoughtfully. “The Question's in town. You hate to admit it, but she'd know if anyone would.”

Dinah nods. “That'll cost me a favor. Might be worth it though.”

“Might be,” Barbara agrees.

“Vic Sage is a conspiracy theorist,” Helena says flatly. “Unhelpful, usually wrong, and last I heard he was off pretending to be dead anyway.”

“Not Vic,” Barbara says patiently. She shoots Helena an almost-real glare. “Renee. You missed a few things while you were off duty, Hel. Montoya took over the mantle.”

“I thought Renee Montoya was on the fast track to Commissioner,” says Karen. Everyone looks at her. “What, I can't know things?”

“I really like her,” says Harper. Cass pats her shoulder. 

“Not anymore,” Dinah says. “She resigned for personal reasons. Now she's a pain-in-the-ass PI and Harvey Bullock’s the likely candidate for when Nakano finally pushes Gordon out.”

“God help us all,” Barbara mutters. She doesn't challenge the part about the new mayor and her father. That's probably not a good thing. 

“I'll drop Renee a message about Lois,” says Dinah. “And see if she knows anything about the consortium while we're at it. Where are we at on an antidote?”

“I have a contact I can ask,” Dinah says.

“Does that contact happen to be named Pamela Isley?” Barbara narrows her eyes at her girlfriend. “Because if it is, I have to call the Cat first. Her people, her rules.”

“I have her number,” Dinah points out. “We send each other botany memes.”

Everyone stares at the Canary.

“You have Poison Ivy's personal number?” Karen raises her hand.

“I'm a florist and she does plants,” Dinah protests. “It’s not that weird.”

Karen looks like she wants to argue this - she's probably not familiar with the complex web of Gotham alliances between hero and villain

“It doesn't matter,” Barbara says. “Selina's protective of her people, especially since she and the Bat are on the outs right now. If we're asking for case help, it has to go through her.”

“Point,” says Dinah. “So, I get Renee, you get Selina. Helena, Karen, care to weigh in?”

Karen looks down at her phone again; Helena launches into a report on which mob factions are getting into the knockoff Fearment business. When they dial in Azrael to discuss coverage of Batman's shifts with both him and Robin out of the field, Steph excuses herself so she doesn't miss her shift at the clinic.

Cass squeezes her hand twice as she gets up. Harper blows a kiss goodbye, Steph catches it in her free hand.

I love you both so much, she thinks. But Cass is leaving in thirteen days and Steph isn't sure what to do about that, or where Harper fits into her newfound feelings. She resolutely pushes it aside and heads to the clinic.

***

There's an undercurrent of fear running through the clinic tonight. It's nearly empty, like even the rumors about criminalization are enough to keep people away.

“It's a public health crisis, is what it is,” Leslie grumbles. “If the political class can't understand that they ought to come by here some Friday night, see it for themselves.”

Steph knows what she means. Most nights, her patrol involves a lot of talking Fearment users down from their worst fears and offering chocolate for the come down. There's not an antidote for the drug, so she's improvising. Chocolate is always a good stopgap solution.

Leslie's still talking. “You know my funding requests have been with the city council since the quake? Shows where their priorities are.”

Steph nods. She's gathered that the clinic mostly stays open through community support and volunteering. She suspects that community support is code for ‘one of the criminals Leslie's treated donated their score’ as well as the obligatory Wayne Foundation funding. The city council barely factors into it. Maybe they should do more, but it's Gotham. This is all it's ever been.

“All I can say is, if they're not going to treat the problem, the least they can do is not make it worse,” Leslie finishes. 

Steph nods. She likes listening to Leslie, who seems to know all kinds of things about health and politics and heroics. The older woman might not approve of vigilantism, but she's giving Steph the tools to be a better Spoiler.

It's time for Stephanie's thirty minute break. She doesn't always take it, but it's a light day at the clinic and she needs time to process the day's realization. 

“I'm gonna go check on Zinda,” Steph says a few minutes later. Lady Blackhawk is awake and healing, but still out of it, and Steph wants to make sure she's okay. 

“Check in on the Bat before you take your break,” Leslie says. “His vitals are stable, he's mostly just sleeping it off, but call me if there's any changes, will you?”

Steph takes a deep breath. She opens the door to the room they've cordoned off for Batman's stay here. The Bat is asleep and snoring. Even like this, he's still intimidating. He looks like he's going to wake up any minute and yell at Steph to get out. He doesn't.

She's about to log everything as stable and head out when there's a flicker of translucent light and a girl appears next to the bed. 

“Wow, the inside of Batman's head is scary,” she mutters. She looks up and spots Steph. Her wide eyes flash. “Spoiler! I have a message from Lois Lane for Oracle and Black Canary! The city is at risk!”

Stpeh stares at her. She isn't in costume. She's never even met this girl. “What?”

The girl picks herself off the floor. “I'm Nia Nal, Lois Lane sent me, I'm here to rescue the future.”

Chapter Text

“Okay,” Cass nods unconvincingly. “So we all die.”

Steph facepalms.

“N-not all of you!” Nia rushes to clarify. “Just, you know, most of you. Batman and Robin.”

“Batman can't die,” says Harper. “He probably has, like, a backup brain scan uploaded to a secure server programmed to auto-download into a robobatman and keep fighting. Or maybe a clone?”

Steph stares at her. “That is way too detailed.”

Harper shrugs. “I'm good with specifics. Mechanics, too.”

Steph sincerely hopes there is not a secret army of robotic Bat clones. One Batman is enough. 

“Not that good,” says Cass, which probably means there isn't. She would know.

Nia is visibly going through stages of grief. She raises her hand. “Is it too late to go back to the clinic and wake up Batman and just tell him?”

“Yes,” all three Bad Girls chorus.

“Batman is…” Cass begins.

“A dick,” mutters Harper. Cass smiles slightly.

“Resting!” Stephanie cuts them both off. She shoots Nia a look that's meant to be reassuring. “Because he got stabbed by Deathstroke and we're very lucky it only grazed his vital organs. He'll be out for at least two weeks.”

“One,” amends Cass. “Will take him one week.”

“And we can't go directly to the Birds of Prey because…?” Nia rubs her forehead. Steph wants to offer her a hug but it probably wouldn't be appreciated right now.

The actual answer is that somehow, Steph doesn't think Oracle is going to find any of this believable and they need to find a way to vet Nia's information first. Which is going to be hard because it's a future timeline and not remotely verifiable.

Steph thinks she might hate the future.

She's saved from answering by Harper. “We are the Birds of Prey.”

Nia doesn't appear to find this reassuring. Steph doesn't really blame her. This isn't their best moment.

“Wait, start over,” Harper runs a hand through their short hair in a way that Steph finds exceedingly distracting. “You're from the future and you're here to fix the timeline where Batman dies.”

“No!” Nia almost shouts. “I’m from Metropolis. Technically. It's complicated. And it's not just Batman, it's most of Gotham.”

That pulls everyone's focus back to her in a heartbeat.

“Okaaaay,” Nia takes a deep breath. “I'm a Naltorian seer. I can travel using the dream realms and see visions of the future. I saw Gotham in flames, I went looking through the dream realm for someone who could help me stop it -”

“And you found Batman,” says Cass. It isn't a question.

“Makes sense,” says Harper. “That's who people usually find when Gotham’s on fire.”

“No,” Nia takes several more breaths. “I found Lois Lane. She told me to go to the Birds of Prey.”

Her tone says she's not sure why, and after the way this conversation is going Steph doesn't exactly blame her.

“I am trying to get information from Lois to the Oracle. I have a pass code. I have details on Lexcorp’s operations. I know where Deathstroke is going to be next.”

“Where?” Cass’s tone gets quiet and dangerous.

“Bludhaven,” says Nia. “They're expanding the Fearment market to the next port city. Deathstroke's overseeing the shipment. He should be arriving there around…now.”

Cass darts across the room and starts digging gear out of the piles where she's left it and tossing it into a bag. She's packing. Steph's chest clenches. 

“Cass, wait!” Steph can't keep the panic out of her voice. “We'll call Nightwing and put together a team to go after him. It doesn't have to be you.”

“Not enough,” says Cass firmly. “Need to be there.”

“Cass, hun,” Harper looks as gutted as Steph feels. “At least reconsider letting us come with you?”

“No,” Cass stops moving. “Needed in Gotham. I - you - need to be safe.”

“And you don't?” Steph's heart unclenches enough to start racing. “Cass, it hasn't been two weeks yet. It hasn't even been two days. That's not enough time.”

“No,” says Cass softly. “It isn't. But it's still time.”

“At least let us tell Barbara first,” Harper says. They don't seem to be panicking the same way Steph is. They just look sad and resigned. “We'll call Rose, and we'll go to the Clocktower, and if you still gotta leave after, I can live with that.”

Steph shoots Harper a betrayed look. “I can't.”

“Has to be now,” says Cass. Her tone is too firm for argument. Steph is going to argue anyway.

Nia has been watching all of this in confused fascination. Steph turns to her. “Nia, if Cass goes after Deathstroke now, does it do anything to stop your vision?”

“I don't know,” Nia shrugs. “Maybe? The Deathstroke part was all Lois Lane. I don't actually know how it connects to what I saw. I just know what she told me.”

“It's enough,” says Cass. “Will be enough. I beat him, we stop it.”

“I really don't think it's that simple,” says Nia. “Visions are complex. There isn't usually any one big thing that can stop them. Just a lot of intersecting smaller factors.”

“See?” Steph says. Cass shakes her head. 

“Still,” she says softly. “I have to.”

“We know,” says Harper. “We're just worried. We love you, Cass.”

Steph nods agreement. She doesn't trust herself to talk here. Her own feelings for Cass are so new she's barely been able to acknowledge them to herself. But she trusts her friend to read the truth in her body. I love you. Please don't go.

“I love you too,” Cass signs back. She looks back at Steph. “And you.”

Something in Steph feels like it's cracking open. This isn't how she envisioned having that conversation. She thought she'd have twelve entire days. She thought they'd have twelve entire days.

Nia raises her hand. “Do you want me to step outside so you can make out?”

Harper snorts. “I like you, future girl.”

“Yes,” says Cass seriously. Nia exits the nook. 

Cass flings her arms around Harper's neck. Harper lifts her off the ground so their lips meet and holds her close. They're breathtaking. Steph can't look away. 

Harper glances over at her and quirks one pierced eyebrow as if saying ‘want to join in?’ and Steph isn't sure if she's ever wanted anything more. It doesn't feel like the right time; it feels like the only time they're ever going to get.

She hasn't even broken up with Tim yet.

Harper sets Cass down gently. Cass nuzzles her head into Harper's chest just beneath their heart. 

Then Harper lets go and Cass runs to Steph. She flings her arms around Steph and whispers ‘friend’ once again. 

Cass pauses and pulls back, her searching gaze taking in every feeling on Steph's face. “More than that?”

Steph nods. “A lot more, Cass. You're - you're everything to me. I love you.”

Cass stands in her tiptoes and presses her lips to Steph's cheek in a silent I love you.

“Wait for me,” says Cass softly.

“Forever,” says Steph. She means it. She thinks she'd wait for Cass till the end of the world.

Cass looks between Harper and Steph one last time. She nods. “I come back. I always come back. Promise.”

“I'm gonna hold you to that, baby,” says Harper. 

“I know,” says Cass. “Won't have to.”

And then she's gone, before Steph can think of what else she needs to say. Harper crosses the distance between themself and Steph and pulls her into a hug.

“I believe in her,” Harper says. They press a kiss to the top of Steph's head. It feels nice. “She'll come back for us.”

Steph swallows. She wants to share Harper's easy faith, but she saw the way Deathstroke took Cass’s strikes apart the last time and she can't help being afraid.

“She'll come back,” says Harper. There's that unshakable faith in their tone again. Steph wants to scream. “I may be an atheist, but I believe in Cassandra Cain.”

“I believe in Cassandra Cain,” Steph echoes. Her voice is shaky. She's going to say it until it's true. It's the least Cass deserves.

“There you go,” says Harper. They pull apart. “I’m gonna go get Nia.”

They exit. Steph takes a deep breath and pulls out her phone. She's got Rose's number somewhere. Rose took her phone and entered it while they were at the Tower with a ‘text me babes, you know I'll pick up’ and a smile.

Heyyyy Rose, she types. 

Hey babes, Rose answers immediately. Miss me?

Steph wants to say yes and fall into their developing banter. She can't. Cass left to fight Deathstroke.

SHIT, Rose replies. She know where he is?

Bludhaven, Steph sends back.

Omw, says Rose. I'll take the Bart Express. That good with you?

YES, Steph answers. Bart and Rose together will be good backup for Cass. She just wishes she could be part of it. Might call a bit later.

Please do, says Rose. Miss ya babes.

Steph puts her phone away as Harper reenters with Nia. “Rose is going after Cass.”

“That's good,” Harper says. “We should ask her about the vision. She's a precog. She might have more info.”

“Good point,” says Steph. 

“Now what?” asks Nia.

“Now we wait for Cass to confirm Deathstroke's location,” Steph manages to say it without getting emotional. “That'll let us know your info is good and then we go to Oracle.”

Nia nods, clearly relieved. “I thought it might be like that.”

They end up not needing to wait very long for the confirmation. Nightwing sends a text to the Bat group chat - the one Steph is in - saying Deathstroke's been spotted and requesting aid. Cass says she's on route. Steph feels sick.

“Now we go to Oracle?” Nia asks hopefully. Steph nods. Oracle will know what to do.

***

Nia is fidgety and easily awed. She stares around the Clocktower with the wide eyes and open-mouthed stare of someone who's never been a part of something like this before. Steph wishes she knew her well enough to offer a hug. Instead, she holds out her hand. Nia takes it and squeezes tightly enough to cut off the circulation. Steph doesn't pull away. Harper drapes their arm around Nia's shoulders, which was probably the better plan.

“It's okay,” Steph whispers to Nia. “It was a lot for me the first time too.”

It still is sometimes, she thinks but doesn't add. She's not sure it would be helpful right now and Steph is trying to be helpful. If she can help Nia, she can help Cass.

Nia offers her a wary smile. “Do you think they'll listen?”

“They have to,” Steph says firmly.

“They will,” says Harper. There's that faith again. “Barbara’s good like that.”

Barbara hasn't looked up from the computer yet, although Steph is sure she knows they're there. It's impossible to sneak up on a Bat, and Oracle was a Bat before she was anything else. Now she's even better.

There isn't anyone else in the main room. They've presumably left on their respective assignments - Steph makes a note to check in with Harper later and make sure she didn't miss hers.

Steph is considering a dramatic throat-clearing for attention, if only because the longer they stand here the more nervous Nia gets and she's starting to lose feeling in that hand, when Dinah wanders into the room and stands close to Oracle. She's wearing one of Barbara's fluffy sweaters over her Canary uniform. It's pink.

Nia's eyes go wider. “You're Dinah Lance! I read about you in Our Voices magazine! I have your picture on my wall!”

Dinah blinks. “Who?”

“I'm Nia Nal,” Nia defaults back to her prepared message. “Lois Lane sent me.”

Dinah reaches over, grabs Barbara's energy drink, and takes a long swig. Barbara wheels away from the computer to give her girlfriend a mock glare and spots the three of them. She plucks her drink out of Dinah's hand, finishes it, and lobs the can at the nearest trash. It lands neatly in the basket.

“Okay,” she says. “Now I'm ready. Dinah?”

Canary nods. “Start over. From the beginning.”

“Okay, um, but first can I just say how cool it is to meet you in person? You helped me be brave enough to come out and -” Nia trails off, clearly embarrassed. She drops Steph's hand. Steph massages it with her other one, trying to restore the feeling in it. Nia glances at her apologetically. Steph smiles in what she hopes is encouragement. Harper taps Nia's shoulders rhythmically.

Dinah's expression softens. She looks genuinely touched. “I didn't think anyone remembered that interview. I almost backed out of doing it, but Babs reminded me it'd be worth it if even only one person read it and related. Guess she was right.”

“I usually am,” says Barbara softly. She takes her girlfriend's hand.

“Now,” Barbara redirects smoothly. “What's this about Lois?”

“I'm a seer,” Nia sees. “Naltorian, actually. I get, um, visions of the future and I can travel the dream realm.”

“I'm calling Zatanna,” Barbara mutters. Dinah mouths ‘wait.’ Barbara nods reluctantly.

“Last week, I started getting this vision of Gotham City in flames, overrun by fears enforced by a military force. They called themselves the Magistrate and no one could stand against them. I saw Bruce Wayne dead and a Robin torn apart. I saw Lex Luthor in the Oval Office. I saw the end of everything, and I knew I had to act,” says Nia. 

Her voice is a lot surer when she talks about her vision. “I asked the dream realm to take me to someone who would help me understand and it brought me to Lois Lane. She told me Deathstroke is expanding the market to Bludhaven. Cass went after him.”

“Shit,” Barbara almost shouts. “She's not ready.”

“She might be,” says Canary. “She's better than I am, and I've beaten him. You never know.”

“That's the problem, isn't it?” says Barbara. She turns back to Nia. “Did Lois say anything else?”

Nia nods. “She, um, she says Luthor’s planning something big with Fearment. She thinks it's his magnum opus. She wants to stay deep cover until she can figure out what and she wants to keep using my dreamwalking as a secure line of communication. She sent me to Gotham so I could do that.” 

“Your dreamwalking,” says Barbara. “How does that work?”

“I go into the dream world, find someone's dreams, and end up where they are,” says Nia.

“Hmmm,” says Barbara. “I don't like putting you at risk like that.”

“It's not a risk! I can do this,” Nia fires off an energy blast.

“Did you know she could do that?” Harper asks Steph quietly. Steph shakes her head. Nia is full of surprises.

“That's not…we’ll have to get you training,” Barbara concedes. “Is there anything else? Anything at all?” 

“Lois, she–she says she's arranged for someone to find concrete evidence of her death and that we're not to tell Superman she survived. Him knowing would jeopardize the mission and the slightest wrong step could plunge us into the dark future I saw,” Nia says.

“Oh shit,” mouths Barbara.

“I don't like the idea of Lois undercover alone,” Dinah says. “We'll have to find someone else we can put on Luthor's payroll without telling them about Lois and give her a way to contact them if shit hits the fan. When shit hits the fan, apparently.”

Barbara nods. “I have some ideas. Question, Katana, Shiva, maybe Tigress.”

“Tigress would be good,” Dinah agrees. “Or Sandra. She's been looking for a new assignment and she owes me.”

“Tigress?” Harper raises her hand. “Isn’t she a villain?”

Steph is more concerned with one of the other names listed. “Shiva Sandra? As in Cass’s mom? Are you sure that's a good idea?”

Dinah and Barbara exchange a look.

“Let’s just say they're both good in situations like this and leave it at that,” Barbara's tone doesn't allow for argument.

“We work with villains all the time,” Dinah reminds them. “I have Ivy's personal, remember?

“The Birds don't judge people by their pasts,” Barbara finishes.

Steph kind-of wants to argue the point with Cass’s mom specifically but she can't: The Birds didn't judge her by her past either.

Nia grits her teeth. “And my future?”

It's true. Neither of them seems to be addressing the vision part, just the immediate needs of the mission. 

“I'll reach out to other precogs to cross check and see if anyone can find more details,” Barbara says. She must realize how that sounds, because she adds gently. “This isn't a dismissal. It seems likely that the current mission is our best chance at prevention, but I'll look into this Magistrate and pass a warning on to Batman and Robin. And I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that Luthor never sees the inside of the White House. Is that clear?”

“You believe me?” Nia sounds stunned.

“The girls and Lois vouch for you,” says Barbara. “That's more than enough.”

Nia nods, relieved. She reaches for Steph's hand and Steph lets her take it. She doesn't need the circulation. 

More than enough. 

Barbara trusts her. She believes Nia. And Dinah believes in Cass. Maybe there's still a chance they'll all be okay.

Dinah stretches her arms forward and laces her palms together. “I'm getting another energy drink. Do you want one?” 

“Please,” Barbara sighs. Dinah heads towards the fridge. “We'll both need one. We have work to do.”

Chapter Text

Steph throws herself into the work. She expands her patrol route to cover for both Tim and Cass. She talks down Fearment users and punches henchmen and argues with Cass and Rose over the phone and flirts with Harper and hangs out with Nia and generally tries to stay busy. But mostly, she works at the clinic. 

The clinic is the only place she can go where she doesn't think about Cass so much. The clinic is hers.

It's crowded when she gets there that day. The new doctor, the one Steph hasn't met before, is directing a small army of volunteers in the lobby. She smiles when she sees Stephanie. “Let's see - Stephanie Brown, right? I'm Dr. October, but you can call me Victoria. It's a pleasure. I've heard a lot about you.”

Dr. Victoria October is a pretty middle aged woman with gray streaked hair. She wears a trans flag lanyard over her lab coat. It's covered in pins. Steph's favorite is the “she/her'd you the first time' one. Steph appreciates a good pun, okay?

Victoria likes to talk, and she seems to sense that Steph is in the mood to listen.

“I'm doing a research study on approaches to ‘unnatural’ medical conditions, and why that framework no longer serves the field,” says Victoria. “So-called ‘unnatural’ conditions, such as those triggered by fear toxin, meta attacks, and alien substances are too-often siloed off from other medical conditions due to a lack of understanding. They're given the ‘unnatural’ label and as a result, most residents never even learn how to handle them. Gotham’s frequently used in case studies on the development of these conditions, which makes it the perfect place to implement my new approach. Call me a biased idealist, but I refuse to believe that anything in the lived experience is ‘unnatural' and I want to build a care framework that reflects this belief.”

Steph likes her a lot. “I think a lot of people in Gotham would really benefit from that. Especially right now, with the Fearment crisis.”

Victoria smiles. “I see what Leslie means about you being her brightest student. I think we'll work together well, .”

Steph blushes. “Leslie said that?”

Victoria nods. “She thinks you have a lot of potential. She says the clinic is lucky to have you. And I agree.”

“Thanks,” says Steph awkwardly. 

“Now,” says Victoria. “I'm meeting with a member of the city council. I'm putting you in charge of the volunteers. Do you think you can manage?”

“Yes!” Steph says. She won't let Victoria - or Leslie - down.

***

There really are a lot of volunteers in the clinic today. Anarky's sent their second, a green-haired person called Miracle. Miracle excuses themself every hour or so to smoke weed and always returns with someone else in need of care. Steph understands how they got their name. They're talking to a group of women who are sorting out donations.

“It's agony,” she hears one of the women saying, “living in my body. The insurance companies didn't understand that - Leslie did. I wish the entire system worked that way.”

Miracle and their group don't seem to need much supervision from Steph, but she lingers next to them just in case, listening.

“It should,” Miracle agrees. “It’s why we have to protect the spaces like this that do exist while fighting to create more.”

“I agree,” Steph says, surprising herself. She hesitates, but if anyone understands about street names and secret identities, it's going to be Anarky’s people. “It’s why I fight. I'm Spoiler on the streets, btw.”

“Oh yeah,” Miracle says. “I've heard of you. You do good work. Anarky likes you.”

This is high praise. Steph's getting a lot of that today.

“I'm Frankie. Operator,” says the first woman. She's a dark-skinned woman with elegant locs and arm crutches. “I do repurposed drones and hacking. I spend a lot of time lately overriding predatory startup apps.”

“Badass,” says the second woman in the group, a tall willowy girl with short black hair and a battle jacket with trans flag lining. “I'm Alysia. Fruitbat. That's Jo. She hasn't picked a codename yet. We're on a second date.”

She gestures at the quiet redhead next to her.

“I think this is at least our third date, baby,” says Jo.

“I wasn't counting the jail ones,” Alysia says. This has all the makings of a well-worn couple's argument and it makes something in Stephanie ache.

Cass is gone. 

Steph makes sure the women know to find her if they need anything and moves on.

***

Most of the other volunteers are the self-professed Strays, Catwoman's loose collective of street kids who stay over by her unofficial HQ. Steph's directed people that way during her patrols. She hasn't been to the current loft, but her too-few nights spent at the old location back when her father was home and she couldn't be are cherished memories. She's glad the Cat is still keeping people safe.

Most of the Strays are her age or a few years older, but there's a few younger ones, including their self-professed leader, a twelve-year-old who goes by Shoes. Shoes is wearing a handmade Cheshire cat mask and a pair of bejeweled rainbow sneakers. They wave at Steph when she joins them.

Steph offers them a hug and some guidance; they accept both and proceed to attach themself to her hip. She finds she doesn't really mind.

Shoes leaves one of the older ones, a skittish dark haired woman whose name Steph doesn't catch; who's standing next to a vaguely familiar person in an oversized hoodie with big heart frame glasses; in charge so they can follow Steph around and offer ‘tips.’ They're rarely wrong. Steph likes Shoes. They remind her of herself at that age, all sharp edges and carefully buried kindness. 

Awkwardly rounding out the volunteer list are the twin would-be valedictorians from Gotham High, Hank and Claire. They linger around the edge of both groups, not really mingling with either. Hank throws himself into whatever task Steph gives him wholeheartedly, while his sister follows him around anxiously. They're trying, and that's what counts, Steph reminds herself. She just wishes Hank would stop flexing for her - she's starting to suspect she really doesn't swing that way.

“He doesn't mean it like that,” says Claire. Her voice is a soft soprano to match her pristine school uniform, perfectly curled blonde hair, and wide blue eyes. Steph fights back a spike of irrational dislike. None of those things are Claire's fault. “It's just that he heard a rumor you're a superhero person and he's…auditioning.”

Steph channels her best Leslie impression. “As far as I'm concerned, everyone here is a superhero person.”

“I know,” Claire nods quickly. “Believe me. It's just…Batman saved us when we were kids and now we want to do the same for other people.”

Steph sighs. ‘A superhero saved me and now I'm going to be a superhero too’ isn't an uncommon hero origin. But it isn't Steph's, and she doesn't know what to say to it at the best of times. This isn't the best of times. This time she finds it annoying. She's not the only one who's annoyed.

“Put your muscles up, up and away from my girlfriend or I'm getting out mine,” the person in the hoodie has dropped her hood and stepped between the skittish girl and Hank. “And you won't like it when I do.”

It's Karen. Steph stares. Has the clinic - has this woman - been Karen's ‘wherever’ all along?

“My apologies, ma'am,” says Hank, with yet another pose. “I'll be on my way.”

Steph facepalms and then remembers that she's in charge which means she's the one who's supposed to be preventing this from escalating. She runs towards them. Shoes follows.

“Hey! What's going on?” She shouts it loud enough that almost everyone's heads turn. So much for not escalating.

“Leave Helena alone!” Shoes doesn't shout, but they infuse their voice with enough authority that Steph suddenly gets how this kid became leader of the Strays at twelve.

The dark haired girl - Helena - steps out from behind her girlfriend. She's got vaguely familiar features and a combat-ready stance. “It's okay, Shoes. Kar, I'm okay.”

“Everybody calm down,” says Steph. “Hank, if you don't stop harassing the other volunteers I'm telling Batman.”

“Can you do that?” Hank seems genuinely uncertain.

“Yes,” Steph glares at him. He's got about a year and a lot of muscle on her. She doesn't care. “More importantly, I'll tell Leslie, and she'll get you and your sister barred from volunteering.”

Claire steps out from behind Hank. She's shaking. “He-he didn't mean anything by it.”

“I know,” Steph deliberately makes her voice softer than she feels. “But the people here don't know you or your brother, so you can't expect them to make the same allowances.”

Claire nods hesitantly. “We're just trying to help. We're sorry.”

“I don't need a sorry from you,” Steph gives up on the soft tone. “I need one from him. And not to me, to her.”

“It's really okay,” says Helena. “I'm not mad.”

“I am,” says Karen.

Steph pinches her nose. “Hank…”

“I'm sorry,” he says, looking every inch the dumb high school boy he is. “I didn't think-”

“That's the problem,” says Steph crossly. “You didn't think. You wanna be a superhero so badly? Start thinking like one, starting acting like one. Audition failed.”

Shoes has their own perspective to add. “We're the fucking Strays. That means Catwoman. Do you want to know what Catwoman does to people who fuck around?”

“Shoes!” Helena interrupts. “Let Steph handle this. It's her space.”

Shoes crosses their arms. “Sorry, Stephanie. But this can not happen again.”

“Of course not!” Hank sounds almost offended, or maybe he's just trying too hard to hide how scared the mention of Catwoman made him. “Do you want me to go?”

It's directed at Steph. She sighs. Leslie believes in restorative justice and the chance to make things right. Right now, she's doing Leslie's job. That means there's only one answer she can give. “Helena, do you need him to go?”

“He can stay,” she says. “It didn't mean anything. It's really fine.”

“Okay,” Steph nods. She looks back at Hank and Claire. “You can stay. But be better, okay?”

“Of course ma'am,” says Hank. He salutes her. She rolls her eyes.

“Thank you,” says Claire softly. Her eyes are watery. Steph sighs internally.

“Good job, Steph,” calls Frankie. 

“Oh yeah, I really see why Anarky likes you,” Alysia adds.

Miracle bursts through the doors with several people in tow. “There's nothing seriously wrong yet but if they stay out in that rain there will be. They also need food.”

When no one moves, they take stock of the still-defusing tensions. “What happened here?”

“Nothing happened,” Helena says.

“Thanks to Steph,” Karen adds. She doesn't sound particularly apologetic. Steph wouldn't expect her to.

“Yeah, let's hear it for Steph,” Shoes chimes in. Other people add their voices to it.

“That was well done, Stephanie,” says a quiet voice from behind her. She turns. It's Victoria October.

Oh thank fuck, Steph thinks. Then she catches sight of Victoria's face. Maybe not thank fuck.

***

“What is it?” Steph asks.

“I just got off the phone with the councilman,” Victoria says. “The council voted to criminalize Fearment and start enforcing all existing drug laws, effective immediately. Gordon and Nakano are giving a joint press conference tonight. It's preempting GCTV.”

Victoria is speaking quietly to avoid creating panic. “I'd send everyone home, but it's Gotham and from what I'm told -”

“Yeah, we don't exactly tend to react well to unpopular policy changes,” Steph finishes. “Or any policy changes. Or press conferences in general. The Joker once attacked a City Council campaign speech because the man's tie was pinstriped and he wanted it to be push-striped.”

“I'm guessing that's meant to be a joke about pushpins,” Victoria raises her brow slightly. “But it sounds very serious.”

“That is what he used to kill the guy, so I guess it was,” says Steph. 

“Well then,” says Victoria. “Let's hope Nakano and Gordon remembered to leave the stripes at home, and let's hope the policy changes are less damaging than they sounded over the phone.”

“Agreed,” says Steph. “On both counts. I should check my phone and see what my team is doing about this.”

“We should probably also turn the TV on,” Victoria sighs. “They'll want to know why we can't send them home.”

Shoes presses the remote into her hand. “You need this. I hid it so they wouldn't connect it to Leo's radio again.”

“Again?” Steph mouths. 

Shoes nods. “He has bad music taste and he's the only one with an ad-free account.”

Victoria fiddles with the remote. Steph fully registers Shoes’ presence. “How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it,” Shoes shrugs. They don't seem all that panicked. Steph tilts her head inquiringly. “I've lived in Gotham most of my life. I'm used to this shit.”

They sound so much older than twelve that it breaks something in Steph's chest and threatens to send her spiraling into carefully-locked memories. She takes a deep breath. She can't afford to lose it now; she's Spoiler, for fuck’s sake.

She's also Stephanie Brown, who lived through the quake and all the worst Gotham has to offer well before her sixteenth birthday. And Stephanie Brown doesn't scare that easily. She ducks out of the room to get her gear and her confidence - she'll feel better if she has both with her.

Chapter Text

Steph checks her phone as she's putting her gear on. Cass has sent her a string of colorful hearts. Steph smiles and blows a kiss to the screen. She doesn't mark the message as read. She wants to see it whenever she opens her screen tonight.

There's a string of messages in the Bird's chat she hasn't had a chance to read.

Oracle: Commish says the recrim vote’s today. He's not hopeful.

Bluebird: Anything we can do to stop it?

Oracle: Negative. I want you and Canary on the ground at the press conference

Bluebird: Protection duty's not my strong point. I'm better at blowing shit up.

Oracle: Consider it a training op then.

Canary: soothing floral gif

Bluebird: In that case can I bring Dreamer?

Oracle: Negative

Canary: No!

Bluebird: Consider it a training op for her?

Oracle: Negative again.

Canary: That's really not how it works, 🐦

There's a lot of this. The Birds of Prey, including Steph and excepting only Cass, are generally chatty people. But Steph needs to get back to the main room. She skims through the rest of it. The gist seems to be that Oracle’s waiting on the response to call the rest of the Birds in, and deploying Huntress to patrol the streets in the meantime.

Steph types: Spoiler checking in. Still at the clinic. Need me for anything? 

She's already decided she's staying if she can. The clinic is at the heart of the Narrows, on Crime Alley. They might need her more than the Birds do right now.

Steph notices that there's a check in message from Karen right above hers that makes no mention of her location. She smiles. She'll keep Karen's secret.

Oracle: Spoiler, stay put. Defend the clinic, defend the Bat.

That's right. Batman's still drugged up in one of the clinic's private rooms. In all the Nia and Cass of the past few days, Steph had nearly forgotten that part. She kind-of hopes he doesn't wake up for this, if she's honest. She doesn't really want to hear the Bat's opinion on the situation or her tentative plans. She glances back down at the chat.

Oracle: PG, be ready to head out as soon as you hear trouble.

Batgirl: good luck babe gif

Bluebird: Not what that means, baby, but appreciate it.

Steph gets a lump in her throat at the sight of Cass’s message. It's more proof that whatever she's doing, whatever danger she's in, her friend is okay right now and thinking about them. About Steph. She likes the message and pulls her coat over her uniform to disguise it. 

Not everyone in the other room knows she's Spoiler yet. They probably will by the end of the night. She hasn't decided how to feel about that yet. She thinks she'd feel better if Hank wasn't there - she doesn't actually hate him, but the guy's too annoying to be allowed to tell his probably-more-annoying friends he knows Spoiler.

Steph puts her phone in her pocket and ducks back into the room. The press conference should be about to start.

***

The news is still playing when she gets there. It's finishing a pre-recorded segment on projections for quake recovery across town. 

“And that has been, No Man's Land No More, a special case study on the impressive bounce back of Gotham’s neighborhoods, businesses, and communities. Coming up, the results of today's City Council vote and a special message from Mayor Christopher Nakano and our old friend Commissioner Jim Gordon,” Vicki Vale chirps into the camera. 

Vicki’s a Gotham institution. Steph's always found her annoying, and that was before she had to watch her try to flirt with Bruce Wayne for three hours as part of an art gala stakeout. Now she just tries to tune the reporter out.

“The new mayor, who's been faced with an impossible task of balancing the reputation for fairness and heroics he earned during the quake with the demands of a changing city and the voice of a City Council which seems more in tune with the city's needs; and the old Commissioner, who's been facing increased scrutiny since the quake which have led to renewed calls for his resignation both on the streets and within City Hall.”

This is the part where Leslie would call the City Council bastards and Nakano a naive would-be idealist who's too new to politics to understand how to stand up to them. Nakano is a former cop who came to power in a post-quake special election with no political experience, but most of the Council are the same corrupt politicians who fled Gotham before the ink on the No Man's Land declaration was dry. Leslie's got words for all of them.

Steph just feels tired. When she was fourteen, they had eight mayors in the span of a year, but the council stayed the same through all of it. Shoes is right - she is also used to this shit.

The news goes to commercial. 

“Batburger’s all new breakfast menu - it's the breakfast of heroes! Limited time only, get a collectible Bat-token with every purchase and trade Bat-tokens in for free bonus items. It's Batburger: the official burger of Gotham City.”

Victoria hits the mute button to a chorus of relieved sighs. Steph takes stock of the situation. The Strays are all huddled together on the floor, gathered around someone's phone. They're probably calling the Cat. Steph catches the words ‘decrim,’ ‘probably trapped for the night,’ and ‘bastards.’ 

Helena and Karen have disappeared. Steph guesses they're in a different area of the clinic making out while Karen waits for the Birds’ signal. She can't say she blames them - she and Drake have done the same thing. She and Cass might be doing the same thing now if Cass was still here.

Steph opens her phone and stares at Batgirl's string of hearts. She thinks: I miss you. Come home safe.

She goes back to scanning the room so she won't start crying. Now isn't the time for her feelings about Cass. 

Alysia and Jo are curled up together on one of the chairs. Alysia is playing with Jo’s hair. Steph looks away quickly.

There will be a time, she reassures herself. Just not now.

Frankie is sitting with the two straight-A students, reassuring them quietly. Claire is staring at her with those wide, unblinking eyes; Hank is saying something about being ready for a fight. Steph rolls her eyes. 

Wait, she thinks. Her count is off. Miracle is missing. Of all the times…

***

Steph finds Miracle on the doorstep finishing off a joint.

“Really?” Steph asks. “Now?

Miracle shrugs. “No time better. I'll be in before it gets rough. I just wanted to get one last look in.”

“I get that,” says Steph softly. “Just be safe, okay?”

“Likewise,” Miracle puts the joint out on their copper-tipped boots. From this angle, Steph can see the outline of several weapons under their clothes. She relaxes slightly. Whatever happens with the clinic, even if Karen leaves, she won't be the only one defending it. Miracle bumps Steph's shoulder lightly. “You're good people, you know? Most hero types would be gone by now, but you're still here. Good people. You. Don't forget that.”

Steph smiles. “Right back at you.”

They watch the city skyline together for a few more minutes. It's full of construction equipment and campaign billboards from the special election and that trademark Gotham smog. It's oddly beautiful, the calm before whatever storm. Steph loves this city sometimes. She's glad Miracle reminded her of that. 

Steph hears shouting from inside and decides to head back. She trusts Miracle to head in when they're ready. She unbuttons her coat so her gear is fully visible on her way in.

Most hero types would be gone by now. 

Steph needs to make sure everyone knows she's still fighting for them. Spoiler has work to do.

***

Inside, the press conference is starting up. Steph takes a seat close to the Strays. 

The TV is showing the security lined conference stage. It's outdoors, which is bold for Gotham. Probably Nakano’s call - he's got a reputation as a risk taker and he likes to do things out in the open. The TV crew is taking wide shots of the crowd and the surrounding area, which is empty even for this city. No one seems to have wanted to risk actually being there. Steph doesn't exactly blame them.

The camera pans around. Steph amends that statement - no one except a small crew of anti-recrim protestors, led by a person in all black except for the golden mask on their face. Anarky. They're flanked by Leslie in her lab coat waving a stack of scientific studies on decriminalization, drug use, and public health; and a woman Steph vaguely recognizes as Sister Maggie Kyle, in the old nun habit she only breaks out for special occasions. Steph counts about seven people in black gear behind them, holding up anti-recrim signs. 

The newscaster makes nervous chatter about them, but they're right outside the property line and security seems oddly unwilling to force them to move farther away. A minute later she realizes why - Bluebird is standing a few feet away from the protest with their taser-gun slung across their chest and their arms crossed. It's an implicit threat. Steph can faintly hear them shouting. “That's unlawful intimidation of free expression! One step closer and I fry all your tech so bad it won't turn back on for weeks!”

Steph's phone buzzes. It's the group chat with audio transcript mode enabled, so she can be read into the Birds’ comm chatter without having to wear an earpiece and risk getting distracted.

Oracle: Stop improvising! I gave you lines, use them.

Bluebird: I'm improving the lines ;)

Oracle: You're threatening cops.

Bluebird: They're threatening me.

Oracle: Canary, help.

Canary: Dial it back, 🐦

Bluebird: Both of you try to remember I'm from the Narrows challenge, level: impossible. 

Oracle: Listen to me. No one is saying you have to get along with the cops. What we are saying is that you threatening them with what they do not know is a non-lethal weapon is not going to make it easier on anyone. If you want to help Leslie, say what I tell you to say. Please.

Steph puts her phone away. She doesn't need an Oracle lecture right now. Besides, from where she's standing Harper's doing just about everything right and next time Steph sees them she wants to kiss them about it.

“They’re badass,” Shoes comments. 

“They’re my…” Steph pauses. “Something?”

“Nice,” says Helena. She and Karen have drifted back in, and Helena's using her girlfriend's lap as a chair. “This world needs more queer heroes.”

She puts a slightly odd emphasis on ‘this world.’ Steph isn't sure what to make of it. 

It might be the first time anyone has called Steph queer. It feels surprisingly nice. She's not the Birds of Prey’s lone straight girl anymore. She's queer too.

***

On-screen, Nakano takes the stage. “People of Gotham, I was elected on a promise to continue Gotham's recovery, and Gotham cannot recover so long as she is plagued by vigilante attacks, corruption, and drugs. Gotham cannot recover so long as we are not willing to commit to that recovery, to invest in that recovery. Today, the council voted unanimously to approve my proposed budgets for quake survivors funds, foundation stabilization research, and community growth programs. In doing so, they also reviewed the law and found that the city has grown lax in enforcing its own policies against crime, crimes that lead directly to tragedies like the recent Deathstroke attack that claimed the lives of five officers and wounded six others. This led to a draft resolution that was presented to me just hours ago, ramping up the city's efforts to defeat drugs like the so-called Fearment and restore sanity and stability to the streets. I signed that resolution, as I signed others dedicated to Gotham's continued recovery process. I will take questions at the end but first, Commissioner Gordon.”

“Huh,” says Victoria. “So he traded Fearment and recriminalization for his recovery budgets. Smart. And Leslie told me Nakano didn't know how to play politics.”

The Commissioner takes the stage.

“Alright so,” the Commissioner begins. “I don't want to be up here yapping and you don't want to be stuck listening so let's get on with it. In short, the GCPD’s been given an increased warrant to prosecute drug offenders as co-attackers with Scarecrow and Deathstroke where Fearment’s involved.”

Nakano looks uncomfortable. He scratches at his eyepatch. This doesn't seem to have been a concession he wanted to make. It makes sense - mayors may be temporary in Gotham, but the city council is forever so what they want, they usually get. This must've been his first real brush with that inconvenient fact.

Gordon continues. “We're also bringing renewed scrutiny to the other shit that's out there ruining lives and fueling gangs. Where there's one drug, there's another. Let's get ‘em all.”

“Oh fuck,” say about six people at once.

“That's fuckshit,” says Miracle from somewhere behind Steph. “He just called fear toxin victims ‘co-attackers.’ They all did. Fuck that.”

There's a resounding chorus of ‘fuck that.’ Hank, probably still trying to be some kind of hero, tries to start a ‘fuck da police’ chant and gets shushed because the conference is going to questions.

***

The questions start. The first one is predictably about whether this will affect Gotham’s dispensaries. The answer is that weed’s staying legal in Gotham. Steph guesses about half the people who were still watching turn their TV off after that.

“Mayor Nakano,” it's Leslie. “You say you're investing in community health programs. Any community health program lead will tell you, criminalization is an outdated way of approaching what is, at its core, a public health issue. How do you reconcile your stance on one with the other?”

Nakano looks even more uncomfortable. He launches into an explanation of his community health grants for programs doing quake recovery that doesn't mention drugs or Fearment once. It's very clear that this is what he came prepared to talk about. He doesn't seem to care either way about the criminalization issue.

Gordon gets a question from Sister Maggie about the impact treating victims as attackers will have on an already hurting population.

Gordon shrugs. “Plenty of people are hurting, ma'am. That doesn't make what they're doing right.”

Steph checks the group chat.

Oracle: What the hell, dad. I told you to fight this, not make it worse.

Huntress: He's worried about his job. Resignation calls are loud right now and this protects him.

Bluebird: He's a coward.

Oracle: …no argument there.

Bluebird: Didn't think so. 

Canary: Harper, be nice.

Bluebird: This is me being nice.

Steph adds: I think you're very nice.

Bluebird: Thank you, baby. I think you're nice too.

Huntress: No flirting on comms. Goes for Oracle and Canary too. Some of us are single.

Power Girl: Sounds like a you problem.

Steph sighs and looks away from her phone. The Birds - Harper and Karen maybe excepting - don't seem to be taking this seriously yet. They're not surrounded by reeling people the way Steph is. It's a different experience and one she can't really process right now.

“Co-attackers,” she mouths. A quick search engine check reveals the resolution’s been posted and that is the language used in it. What the hell.

Steph doesn't want to think about what that means for the people she gives chocolate and comfort to on her nightly patrols. 

Some of them are becoming regulars and she knows all their names. Like Theo, who asks her for grindr advice and doesn't mind when she hasn't got any; Elaine, who always tells her about the family she lost in the big Joker attack five years back that ruined her life; and Alex, who cries every time and swears it'll be the last even though it never is. Steph doesn't want to see them get hurt. If there's anything the Spoiler can say about it, they won't. She'll just have to make sure of it.

That's when the first gunshots go off, followed by the warning siren to clear the streets. Gotham is under attack. It's begun.

Chapter Text

The warning siren goes off every hour at first. It's a recommended curfew designed to keep people out of the way in case of open war between the GCPD, the Bat, and whatever villain is causing problems this week. It slowly decreases and increases in timed intervals depending on attack severity.

The TV is flashing a warning on the bottom of the screen. It says the Scarecrow's been spotted outside the gates of Arkham and to take cover. The mayor is being ushered into City Hall by security. 

Gordon rolls up his sleeves and says. “Alright boys, time to work for a living.”

Something about this seems off. Steph checks the muted Bat chat reflexively to see if there's any chance the Bats have information the Birds don't.

Except the only active Bat in town is Azrael. The chat is full of updates on the hunt for Deathstroke, links to Tim's Titans mission reports, and details on Batman's condition. She can't deal with any of that right now. She switches back to the Birds one.

Huntress: I thought Scarecrow was in Arkham awaiting trial.

Oracle: I'm checking Arkham feeds right now

Oracle: His cell’s empty

Oracle: GCPD is currently raiding all major Fearment distribution hubs looking for him.

Steph: What happens to all the ‘co-attackers’ during an actual attack?

Oracle: I don't have an answer for that. I don't know if anyone does. It's new policy, which means it's being written on the ground.

Steph closes the chat. In Gotham, written on the ground usually means written in blood. She looks over at Karen, her face tight. “This is bad...”

“Don't worry. I'll keep the streets safe. I'm Justice League. It's what we do.” Karen kisses her girlfriend twice. And then she's gone, faster than a speeding bullet and all that. 

Steph glances at Helena and attempts comfort. “She'll be alright.”

“I know,” says Helena. “The only person in the city who could hurt her is asleep down the hall.”

She's talking about Batman, Steph realizes. There's an odd disdain in her voice, like Batman isn't measuring up to whatever standard this girl holds. Steph respects her for it.

The Strays don't seem afraid. They seem pissed. They're talking wistfully about the retribution the Cat's going to deal out to the council, the mayor, and the cops. Steph catches ‘the Cat's gonna rob them so hard’ and ‘Viagra.’ She looks over. Shoes gives her an innocent look from under that paper cat mask of theirs. Steph rolls her eyes back.

Steph moves on to check on the next group. Frankie has her laptop open and earbuds in.

“Police scanner,” she says. “I’m also hacking the GCPD. We know what they know as soon as they do.”

Steph nods. “Smart.”

Steph might technically have access to the GCPD through Oracle, but what she thinks is important and what Oracle puts in the chat aren't always the same thing.

“Thanks,” says Frankie. The screen flashes. “Operator is online. If I was at my place, I'd be able to deploy repurposed surveillance drones and get us on-the-ground live footage but that's harder to do from here.”

If they make it through this, Steph is totally introducing her to Oracle.

Alysia, Jo, and Miracle are positioned next to the exit. Miracle has a vape, throwing knives, and a gun; Jo has a military grade taser and a noise siren; Alysia has a trans flag-painted baseball bat.

“It's why they call me Fruitbat,” she says when she catches Steph staring. “I was gonna go with Bat-Girl, but apparently that's taken.”

“Yeah,” Steph smiles. “Yeah, it is. Fruitbat’s good though.”

Alysia grins. “Right?”

Steph glances over at Miracle. “Leslie will kill me if I let you smoke in here.”

“No ash,” says Miracle. “And she doesn't know. World might be ending. Don't make me do withdrawals too.”

“No, the world ending comes later,” Steph says before she can stop herself. She's thinking about Nia's vision now. She wonders if this is how it starts.

“That's the spirit,” says Miracle. Steph doesn't have the heart to correct her.

***

The TV is just showing an empty stage and the warning message now. They haven't turned off the preemptive broadcast yet. 

“We can put something else on,” Victoria is saying. “It might be good for morale.”

Shoes suggests ‘The Purge' and gets shouted down immediately. Victoria links up her own phone playlist instead.

The show was ending and I had started to crack

Woke up in Chicago and the sky turned black

Steph listened to this song with Cass once before when they were trying to pick a song for her dance solo. Cass had liked the refrain of ‘hold on to each other'; she'd used it as an excuse to try to teach Steph how to dance.

Cass.

Steph checks the Bat chat reflexively.

Nightwing: Deathstroke's been spotted at the docks. We're in pursuit.

Batgirl: it's clobberin’ time gif

Robin: I'm starting to regret teaching you memes.

Steph counts to ten. She and Tim haven't talked since she texted ‘we need to break up’ and he sent a picture of him kissing Cassie Sandsmark in response. She hopes he's treating Cassie better - she doesn't really care. It doesn't mean she wants to talk to him though.

Nightwing: I'm looping Ravager into the comms for this. We'll coordinate better that way.

Batgirl: 🌹 🌹 🌹 

Ravager: Thanks babes.

Robin: Really wishing I'd come with you. Could use some action right about now.

Batgirl: no boys allowed treehouse gif

Robin: Meme privileges revoked.

Nightwing: Banter after the mission.

Batgirl: See him.

Nightwing: Cass, wait!

Steph closes the chat so fast it feels like her fingers are burning. Shit.

She can't be here for Cass and for Gotham at the same time. Deathstroke in Bludhaven on the same night that Scarecrow breaks out in Gotham. What in the unlikely odds?

The siren intervals are at fifteen minutes apart now. They must've skipped the half hour setting. Steph keeps thinking about everyone she's met who doesn't have a place to go that's off the streets.

The Birds chat is going off rapidly.

Power Girl: We have a problem.

Canary: Just one?

Power Girl: I'm picking up a lot of chatter in the Narrows. They're talking about standing against ‘Scarecrow’s people.’

Oracle: Scarecrow doesn't have people in the Narrows.

Huntress: That's not what Gordon said at the PR conference. Co-attackers, remember?

Power Girl: That tracks with what I'm hearing.

Stephanie starts hyperventilating. Victoria rushes to her side. “What is it?”

“It's Gotham,” she says, holding out the phone so Victoria can see for herself. “They're doing what Gotham does, and a lot of people are going to get hurt.”

Victoria absorbs this. “Give me five minutes.”

The power goes all the way out.

“Give me eight minutes,” Victoria amends. 

***

The power comes back in six minutes. So does Victoria. “I got ahold of Leslie. She wants to open the clinic to people in need of safety. Does that work?” 

Steph nods tightly. “How will they know to come here?

“We'll tell them,” says Miracle from behind her. They're flanked by Jo and Alysia. “Thinking we go look for people and bring them back here. That good with you?”

Steph should probably say no. It's what the Bats would do - keep the civilians out of the line of fire. But Steph's not a Bat, and they're only mostly civilians. “Do it.”

“Knew you'd come through,” says Miracle. “Here. Put your number in. I'll add you to the chat.”

“Add Frankie too,” Steph says as she types it in. “She's hacking the GCPD. She’ll be able to direct you.”

“Will do. Got her number earlier,” Miracle says. Jo hands the other two filtered masks, knit black hats, and goggles. Miracle expertly tucks their hair under the hat. “It blocks facial recognition. Won't be the first time we've had to do something like this.”

Steph nods. She's glad they're prepared.

“Won't be the last either,” Miracle finishes. “This damn city hates its people more than it hates the clowns.”

That's been true all Steph's life.

“Be careful,” Steph manages.

Alysia grins as she fiddles with the mask straps. Her girlfriend leans over to kiss her for luck. “I was on the ground after the quake. This is nothing compared to that.”

“Yes,” says Jo patiently. “And you've only mentioned that about a hundred times.”

Alysia’s eyes crinkle. “Pride is a radical act.”

Jo rolls her eyes fondly. “Well, we're certainly radical.”

“Take me with you,” says a new voice. They all turn. It's Zinda in her full Lady Blackhawk gear with a gun slung over her shoulder.

“Are you sure you're well enough?” Steph asks softly.

“Well enough for search and rescue,” Zinda shrugs. “My shoulder's stiff and I probably shouldn't go full acrobat about it, but I was set to check out tomorrow. Let me help.”

Steph isn't sure why everyone keeps looking at her to lead. She takes a deep breath and tries to channel Oracle. “Okay. But stay in touch, stay safe, and don't take unnecessary risks.”

“Will do,” says Miracle. “Team, let's head out.”

And then they're gone. Steph hears Miracle starting up some kind of call and response chant. She tells herself they'll be okay.

***

The TV flickers again and goes off. The lights follow. Claire starts crying. Victoria emerges from somewhere in the clinic with battery-powered lanterns, glow sticks, and snacks. She holds them out to everyone, just in case. 

Shoes grabs an entire pile of glow sticks and starts stringing them into jewelry. When they're done, they've got a bunch of rainbow necklaces that they're holding out to the other Strays. They keep at least ten for themself. Between that and the rainbow shoes, it's the first time Steph's seen them look their age. There's a lump in her throat. She forces herself to swallow it.

In one of Steph's group chats, her best friend is fighting for her life against Deathstroke. In another, the Birds are discussing coordination with the Sirens. In the newest one, Miracle's group is divvying up routes with Anarky and the protestors to cover the most ground. 

Victoria turns on the lantern.The light reflects a crowd of scared faces.

Steph can't do much for any of the chats. But she can keep this group together. Spoiler can fight for them - for anyone who ends up needing to shelter at the clinic. She's ready.

Chapter Text

Victoria directs the Strays to get supplies ready for incoming people: Food, water, blankets, basic first aid. After a moment, Claire and Hank throw themselves into helping.

The first stragglers arrive a few minutes later. One of the women is hyperventilating. A man has a club wound.  

There's a slow but steady stream of them after that - some who ran at the sight of the police, some who came at Miracle's team’s urging, some with injuries from angry Gothamites. Steph, Victoria, and Helena set up a makeshift triage.

Helena turns out to know her way around a suture. Victoria comments approvingly on her stitches. She flushes. “I learned it for my father.”

Steph understands. That's how she learned too. She shoots Helena what she hopes is a ‘same’ smile, but she doesn't think it reaches her eyes. 

“I learned in Girl Scouts,” says Claire, oblivious to the undertones.

“I learned after the Star City bombings,” says Shoes. 

“Wouldn't you have been like, seven?” Steph raises both eyebrows. Even her father hadn't trusted her to hold a needle that young.

“Yes,” says Shoes seriously. 

“What?” asks Claire, having finally caught up to what kind of conversation this is.

Shoes shrugs. “My house blew up, I got kidnapped, I'm over it.”

That doesn't sound like something Shoes should have to get over. Steph sighs. This kid…

The next wave of people hits. Hank appears with more bandages and to check on his sister.

“Dr. October,” he says seriously. “How do I keep people from starting fights? Frankie says I'm bad at de-escalation.”

Victoria sighs. “I'll be right back. Who's starting fights?”

“This guy can't find his lighter and he's accusing people of going through his pockets. I told him not to call the police but he didn't listen and they didn't pick up and...” Hank isn't trying to sound like a hero now. He just sounds like a high school boy out of his depths. Claire puts a soothing hand on her brother's shoulder.

“Show me,” Victoria sighs. He points. She starts running towards the about-to-break-out fight. Steph registers vaguely that she's wearing four inch heels.

The people just keep coming. They're hurting, and they're Steph's responsibility, and wow, this city learned nothing from the the quake. Or at least, the lessons it took away were very different from the ones Steph learned. Her takeaway was that since no one was coming to fight for them, they had to fight for each other. Half the city seems to have missed that class.

***

Bluebird stumbles through the door with Leslie, Sister Maggie, and a small army of people. They're supporting two, and their face is tight with pain. 

“Hi honey,” they make eye contact with Steph. “I'm home.”

Steph's eyes well up without her permission. “Welcome home.”

Harper waits for the people they're carrying to get checked into triage before collapsing into Steph's arms. She strokes their hair. It's plastered against their head, but one last determined spike is still standing up. Steph twirls it gently.

“Don't stop,” Harper murmurs, soft enough that only she can hear. “Don't ever stop.’

“It's a war zone out there,” Leslie grumps. “The city's turned out anyone they think’s on Fearment. You'd think it was the quake all over again with how people are carrying on. They still haven't caught the goddamn Scarecrow.”

There's chatter from Harper's comm. Steph's phone lights up. She looks down at the screen.

“Yes,” she says. “They have. He's dead.”

“Does that mean it's over?” asks Claire.

Steph shakes her head. “I don't know.”

“Unfortunately, I think it's just starting,” says Leslie. “Goddamn mess, is what it is.”

She and Maggie take over triage, relieving Claire and (to their disappointment) Shoes. Victoria keeps putting out fires and fights. Steph sits in a chair by the door with Harper on her lap icing their head for as long as she can before getting back to work, reading over the chat.

Oracle: Scarecrow confirmed dead in a warehouse outside the river district. Killer is GCPD Officer Sean Mahoney. More details coming.

Leslie ends up being right. The sirens keep going, still spaced five minutes apart. The people keep coming. Nothing changes. It feels like something should've changed.

Oracle: Still no sign of any planned attack so lockdown stays until they've ruled it out.

Canary: Starting to think this was just a breakout.

Huntress: In Gotham, it's never just anything.

Harper looks up sleepily. “Say, 'in Gotham it's never just.' It's a good comeback.”

Steph gazes lovingly back at them. “I think you have a concussion.”

“Still a good comeback,” mutters Harper.

***

Miracle stumbles through the door, supported by Alysia and Anarky. Anarky's missing their mask and they've got a long gash down their face. The top of Alysia's bat is broken. Miracle's leg is twisted badly.

“Where's Zinda and Jo?” Steph asks immediately.

“With the Cat,” answers Anarky. “They sent us back for medical.”

“I can still-” Miracle begins. Anarky glares at them. They sigh. “Fine. Okay if I smoke? Gave my vape away.”

“You have to stop doing that, you know,” says Alysia. “That's the third time since I met you.”

“No smoking in the clinic,” says Leslie crossly, but she sounds too relieved for the effect to come across. “That's going to need surgery - Maggie, prep a room.”

Miracle grimaces. Alysia puts her arms around them. 

Anarky sits nearby. Helena starts cleaning off their face for sutures. “Any sign of K- of Power Girl?”

No one answers.

Alysia trades her ruined bat for Miracle's knives and gun..She starts to head out alone. Steph moves to stop her. She just shakes her head.

“Wait,” says Hank. There's a quiet intensity brimming in his voice. “I'll come with you. I have a blue belt in jujitsu. Please. Let me help.”

He doesn't sound like a boy pretending to be a hero; he sounds like he already is one.

“Okay,” says Alysia. “But keep up.”

They leave. Leslie and Victoria take Miracle in for surgery to reset the bone so it won't heal wrong. Steph takes Leslie's place at triage.

The night drags on. 

***

There's a crash from a neighboring room. The Bat of Gotham comes stumbling down the hall, pulling his costume on as he goes.

“WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY CITY?”

Anarky steps forward. They're practically yelling back. “What's happening is that our city is on fire and innocent people are getting hurt in the crossfire.”

“The GCPD is shutting down the Fearment trade tonight,” he interrupts them with a patented Bat scowl. They don't back down. This is going to end so badly. “I have to get out there.”

“Oh, shut up!” shouts Steph. She steps between him and Anarky. “You don't have to do anything! You are seriously injured and need at least another week to recover. You are only going to make everything worse, just like you always do! Now get out and let us do the real work while you brood masculinely at the problem!”

He tilts his head like he's actually seeing her for the first time. Steph is suddenly uncomfortably aware of how she must look, with her borrowed lab coat on over her clearly visible Spoiler gear, no mask or purple hood over her wild eyes. She doesn't think she looks very much like a superhero right now.

“Get. Out,” she repeats. There's a strange catharsis in getting to be the one saying that to him. He pushes past her and runs into the night. She wants to go after him. She doesn't. Steph has real work to do.

***

It flows and mostly ebbs for the remainder of the night. Steph remembers those hours in flashes - Shoes asleep on a collapsed folding chair with their mask ajar and a fistful of glow sticks; Claire calling her parents to reassure them she's safe with a visible question in her eyes and waving them off when they ask to talk to her brother; Victoria breaking up another fight over outlets by reminding everyone that they don't even work.

There's less and less people coming in. Everyone's had time to get into hiding now; no one wants to risk the trip to the clinic.

At three am, the power comes back on for long enough that Steph sees her own desperation reflected in Helena's eyes. There must be over a hundred people huddled in the clinic - it's still not enough.

At five am, Steph's phone dies. Harper's comms are long dead. Steph gives Operator Oracle's security frequency and braces for the lecture. It doesn't come. Oracle is just glad to hear they're okay. 

“Do we know what happened tonight? All of it?” Steph asks.

“Yes,” says Oracle. Even through the voice distortion, she sounds tired. “The GCPD hit all the known supplier warehouses. The Commissioner swears their forces were just too divided for them to prevent Gothamites from playing purge simulator in the streets. They're actually addressing it now.”

“Not buying it,” says Harper.

Steph doesn't go that far, but she says. “Too little, too late much?”

Oracle sighs into the mic. “The GCPD’s going to declare victory based on Scarecrow's death and order everyone to dial it down. Meanwhile, Nightwing and Batgirl’s team was unable to stop Deathstroke from delivering the drug to Bludhaven, so we can probably look forward to another round of this in a few months when the Haven dealers start shipping back to us. So we beat on, and etcetera, etcetera.”

“And Batman?” Steph asks.

“He's not with you?”

“He sort-of ran into the night shouting about his city,” says Steph. “I told him not to go, but he wasn't exactly in a listening mood.”

“He never is,” Oracle sighs. “Don't beat yourself up, Spoiler. You and your teams did good work. You saved a lot of lives last night. Thanks to you, PG, the Sirens, and the Birds, the death count didn't break a hundred.”

“No,” says Steph. She feels hollowed out. “That's not a victory.”

Oracle sighs. “Steph, you did everything you could. We save as many people as we can. That's all any of us can do. And last night, you did everything you could. You were a seventeen year old girl in an impossible situation and you handled it beautifully. This is not your fault. This is on the city council and Luthor and Scarecrow and every Gothamite who made the worst choice at the first opportunity, not on you. Do you understand that?”

Steph nods and then remembers that Barbara can't see her. Her voice comes out very small. “Yes.”

“Good,” says Barbara. “I'm so proud of you both. I'll see you soon.”

***

At seven am, Alysia and Jo wander back in, arm-in-arm. Hank trails behind them, looking shell-shocked and supporting Zinda.

Claire runs to her brother and throws her arms around his neck, crying. They both rose to the occasion last night in a big way. Maybe Steph was underestimating them and she'll see them out on the streets sometime. She hopes she doesn't - this life is hard on people. But she's glad they were here last night. She's glad she was here, too.

At seven-thirty, Karen lands and goes straight to find Helena. Her girlfriend starts crying, soft and fast. Karen gently strokes her hair. “It's okay, love. We're okay.”

They're not okay yet. But for the first time this morning, Steph almost believes they're going to be.

At nine am, the Bat drags himself back into the clinic to Steph's silent ‘I told you so’ and Leslie visibly counting to ten. He says he went to Arkham to investigate the breakout and tore out his stitches in the process. He looks over at Steph: “Good job.”

“Good job, me?” Steph asks. He nods.

“You cared for my city when I could not. You stayed when the others left. You have my blessing to continue as a crime fighter,” he turns to Leslie. “No pain meds, I think. I have much to contemplate.”

Leslie's visible count hits twenty. Steph is grinning as they leave the room. She doesn't need the Bat's approval, but it still feels good to hear.

At ten am, Steph texts Nia. The other girl spent the attack at the ballet nook, hiding from her first real Gotham experience and trying to sleep through the sirens for long enough to gather information for the heroes on the ground. If she succeeded, Steph hasn't heard.

Was that it? Steph asks. The militant fear you saw in your vision. Did we stop it?

Nia's typing bubbles go on for awhile. When the answer comes, it isn't good. No, I'm sorry. The future remains unchanged. 

Steph stares at the screen and tries not to start screaming. If she does, she thinks she won’t stop.

Nia seems to sense that something is wrong. Precogs are complicated like that. She sends: That doesn't mean it wasn't worth fighting for.

I know, Steph answers. She types out but doesn't send the next part ‘but it means it could happen again.’ Nia already knows.

At eleven-thirty am, the power comes back on for good. It's over. It feels like it's just starting, but it's over all the same.

After that, Steph lets herself fall asleep on a folding chair next to Harper. The chair isn't big enough for two but they make it work somehow, even if that somehow is mostly sitting on each other's laps. She runs her fingers over the outlines of Harper's face. Her now-charging phone goes off - it’s the Bad Girls chat - Cass and Rose checking in. Cass is reeling from the third consecutive loss; Rose is ‘just glad we're all alive, babes.’

They are alive. A lot of good people aren't. Steph doesn't know what to do about that yet, but she'll figure it out.

She's Stephanie Brown. She's a fucking superhero. They all are. Together, they'll find a way forward.

Together, they can keep going.

Chapter Text

Gotham decides to sweep the attempted purge of the Narrows aside, putting it in the same box as it always puts villain attacks and gang violence. The GCPD puts up a tip line for information on the Narrows attacks, but they don't seem to be actively pursuing it. There's a persistent rumor that the people who perpetrated the attacks were influenced by fear toxin released into the air by the escaped Scarecrow. People call it The Scarecrow's Night. And the Scarecrow is dead - Sean Mahoney received a medal for his bravery in taking him down - so as far as the city's concerned that makes this over.

Steph knows the truth. Scarecrow didn't do this - Gotham did. There are people missing along her route now. There are people missing along all of their routes. She can't let that be swept aside. 

She won't let it be over. 

Anarky texts her two days later. You did good work that night. 

Anarky doesn't send texts without cause. Steph likes the message and waits for it. The second one comes a minute later. A group of us want to put together a vigil for the dead. I thought you'd want in.

YES, she sends back. 

Meet at the Cat's loft at three for planning. Bring anyone you think can be trusted.

Steph texts Harper immediately. U in?

Harper answers with: You know it baby ;)

Steph blushes. They haven't had the conversation yet - Steph thinks Harper is waiting for Cass and Rose to hopefully make it back from Bludhaven so they can throw her an official ‘welcome to the polycule’ party date - but they might actually be dating now. Steph hasn't felt up to going to school, so she's been spending her daytime waking hours at Harper's and her nights patrolling with them. Harper's brother Cullen finds them ‘annoying,’ which Harper says counts as ‘mlm wlw hostility.’ He flipped them off after they said that.

Steph’s not sure what to make of their particular sibling dynamic. Harper and Cullen are only a couple years apart, but with their mom dead and their dad in Blackgate, Harper seems to have taken on a more parental role. It shows in every way, including Cullen's weird disapproval of his sibling dating anyone. According to Harper he's worse about Cass, which Steph can't think about for too long or she'll end up disliking him for real and not just for the bit. 

For her part, Steph's mom dubbed Harper ‘very polite’ before going back to sleep the one time they met, so Steph is taking that as a win. Although Crystal Brown did also gently ask her daughter if she was sure this was a healthy way of processing her breakup with ‘that Drake boy’ and remind her that there's no shame in being single, but Steph's fairly sure that was just the second-wave feminism talking. Her mom's never been the homophobic type. Steph doesn't see why it would be any different when it's her daughter. If anything, she'd probably want to be more supportive because it's her daughter, right? Harper isn't convinced.

Cass and Rose find both of their agonizing in the group chat about the other’s family disliking them funny. Apparently, Rose's extended family (minus Slade) like Cass better than they like Rose, which ‘isn’t saying much because they all hate me, can't imagine why, I'm a delight.’ That almost makes the whole conversation worth it just for the picture Cass sends of Rose's shocked face when they all unironically agree that she's great. 

Steph is very, very glad they're all okay. 

The Bad Girls chat goes off. She checks it.

🌹Rose🌹: On our way back to Gotham.

🌹Rose🌹: [picture of Cass looking like grumpy cat]

Harper and Steph both heart eyes react to that. 

🌹Rose🌹: She didn't want to come but I convinced her 😘 

Cass (using speech-to-text): did not take much convincing 

Cass: want to see you

Harper: I want to see you too, baby.

Steph: I really REALLY miss you.

Steph: BOTH of you.

🌹Rose🌹: You're making me blush babes.

Cass: good for her gif

Harper: I'm starting to think you're the only one who is using these correctly and everyone else's just wrong.

Steph: Yeah that's definitely the vibe I'm getting.

Cass: ☺️

Steph is smiling so hard she has to put her phone down so she's not late for the meeting at Catwoman's.

Anarky didn't say to come in costume, so she throws on her favorite ‘Black Canary World Tour’ crop top, a purple hoodie, and sweatpants in a slightly different shade of purple before splashing water on her face, and pulling her hair into a messy ponytail. She runs back upstairs as she's mostly out the door when she realizes she forgot mouthwash because she wants to be able to kiss Harper when they get here without worrying about morning…er, late afternoon…breath.

She also grabs the duffle bag with her spare costume in it, in case this runs later than she expects and she doesn't have time to come back before patrol. And her keys. And her wallet. And her water bottle and wow, she really did almost forget literally everything today.

Harper is waiting outside when she finally gets everything together. They smile that intense, distracting smile of theirs. Or maybe the distracting part is the cut of their muscle shirt, which is Steph's exact favorite shade of purple. Steph's mouth feels dry. She's really glad she remembered the mouthwash. 

“Hey, baby,” says Harper. “I thought about bringing Cullen but this didn’t seem like his scene.”

“I'm kinda glad you didn't,” Steph admits. “That way there's no one around to complain when I do this.”

She stands on her tiptoes to kiss them. They taste like tinted berry chapstick and electricity. It's Steph's new favorite flavor. She runs her tongue over the top of their lip, letting it catch on the piercing. She plays with it like that for a minute. Harper moans into her mouth. Steph's whole body goes as purple as her clothes.

It's over too soon. Neither of them wants to be later than they already are.

“More of that later,” Harper promises into her ear. Steph blushes a response.

They take the rooftop route there. It's quicker and lets them avoid the bustling roads and the GCPD blockades, which have been springing up everywhere since the so-called Scarecrow's Night. 

It's also the best way to get into the Catwoman's loft, which is only really accessible by fire escape, rooftop, and window. Holly Robinson, who Stephanie vaguely remembers from her too-few nights at the Cat's old place, is leaning against the fire escape smoking a menthol and directing people.

“Hey, Stephanie,” she says.

Steph stares. “It's been at least four years, how-?”

Holly shrugs. “I never forget a face. Comes in handy. Cigarette?”

Steph shakes her head. It's not a habit she's ever picked up, although she's hit Harper's vape a few times for pre-patrol jitters. Harper takes one. Steph's never seen them smoke an actual cigarette before, only the vape. Holly hands them a lighter, and they hold it out to Steph. Steph tilts her head.

“I thought you knew,” Harper says. “Pretty people don't light their own cigs.”

“Well, you're certainly very pretty,” Steph lights for them and hands the lighter back to Holly, who's watching them with a soft, unreadable expression. That expression gets a lot more readable when Selina Kyle herself pops her head out of the window and leans up to kiss Holly - it's nostalgic and understanding, Steph thinks. She remembers Selina-and-Holly from her times at the Cat's. It's nice to see that whatever happens between Selina and the Batman, those two are still going strong all this time later.

Holly pulls Selina the rest of the way through the window and presses the remaining part of her cigarette to her partner's lips. Selina takes it gratefully. She's wearing plain black pants and a graphic hoodie with a shocked cat face that reads ‘lesbians eat WHAT?’ but even dressed down, Selina Kyle still has more of a presence about her than anyone Steph has ever met. It's hard to look directly at her and impossible to look anywhere else. 

Steph manages it briefly when Harper puts the cigarette out between their fingers and tucks the remainder behind their piercing-lined ear. “I should smoke around you more often if you're gonna look at me like that.”

“This is how I always look at you,” Steph protests.

“Yes it is,” Harper winks at Steph. Steph reaches up to ruffle their sleepily-spiked hair, careful not to dislodge the cigarette. They might need it later.

Selina offers them both the same nostalgic smile her partner wore a few minutes earlier. She steps aside to allow Steph and Harper window entry and gestures at her loft. 

“Wow,” whispers Harper once they're inside.

“Right? You know, now that I think about it, I think she was my actual first crush,” Steph admits.

“Baby, she's Catwoman. I'm pretty sure she's everyone's first crush,” Harper says. They reach out and take Steph's hand. Steph leans into them, full body. It's nice, being here with Harper. It keeps Steph from trying to catalogue all the ways this place is the same and different from the one she remembers, which also keeps her from thinking about why she was there back then to begin with.

It's crowded in the loft. First, there's the usual mix of street kids and cats. Steph spots several she recognizes from the clinic, including Shoes, who's chasing someone Steph thinks is Leo around with a fly swatter and being chased in turn by several energetic kittens; and Helena, who's leaned against the wall checking her phone while another cat rubs against her ankles. Occasionally, she bends down to scratch the cat's ears. Then there's Anarky, pacing around practicing their presentation for the meeting, and Miracle, sprawled on one of the sofas next to Frankie and a couple more cats. Frankie is drawing what looks like the Operator logo on Miracle's cast. Jo and Alysia don't appear to be here yet, but Victoria October is. She waves and comes over to them when she sees Steph and Harper.

“Stephanie! So glad to see you again under, hopefully, better circumstances,” she says. If she recognizes Harper outside of the Bluebird costume, she doesn't say. “Leslie couldn't make it, so I'm here on behalf of the clinic. Wait, is that Pamela Isley? I must talk to her, her thesis on resurrecting extinct plants as a solution to unsolvable medical quandaries was groundbreaking.” Victoria hurries off.

Sure enough, Poison Ivy is drinking coffee behind them in green denim overalls and oversized safety goggles. Steph is ready to intervene, but she doesn't seem to mind Victoria approaching her.

“Yes, I have considered whether that particular thesis could be applied to the Fearment crisis,” Steph hears her saying. “As you know, what makes Fearment particular is the lack of a Narcan equivalent or even an antidote like Waynetech produces for standard fear toxin exposures.”

For the first time since the Scarecrow's Night, Steph feels something like hope begin to root in her chest. Maybe between Ivy's plant expertise and Victoria's knowledge of ‘unnatural' medicine, they'll be able to find a better response.

***

Steph and Harper find a seat. Well, Harper finds a seat. Steph just sits in their lap. They're playing with her ponytail in that way of theirs that makes focusing on anything else difficult and being in their lap seems like the best way to make sure that continues indefinitely. Besides, Steph likes sitting in Harper's lap - it's her new favorite place to sit.

Jo arrives and sits next to them. “Alysia picked up a shift, so I'm here for both of us.”

Steph nods. “Does she have a new bat yet?”

“She does! She hasn't painted it yet, but she's got a lot of ideas,” Jo smiles.

“Okay, I have to know,” says Steph. “How many dates have you actually had? Because you seem way too established for it to have been only your third.”

“It was at least date five,” Jo says. “We were friends first and neither of us know when exactly that changed, I'm guessing you know the feeling.”

“Yeah,” says Harper. “We're the same way.”

“Excuse you,” Steph sticks out her tongue at them. “I know exactly when I figured out my feelings and…”

Except that had been after the breakfast at Titan's Tower, and the group chat, and a lot of what Steph's been thinking of as really obvious embarrassing pining on her part but might've just been called ‘being in a polycule.’ She closes her mouth. Harper smirks. Jo watches all of this with amusement. Steph buries her face in her hands. 

Karen arrives, no hoodie disguise this time but again with the red heart glasses. She makes a beeline for Helena, who's already put her phone away. They start kissing and don't really stop, which takes Jo’s amusement off of Harper and Steph, at least.

***

Anarky takes the floor. “Okay, as you know, we're here to put together a vigil for the victims of the Narrows attacks. We lost 87 good people that night, with an additional 58 injured, six of those have since died.”

A ripple of gasps go through the room.

“The political class wants to do what they always do, blame the villains and use it as an excuse for more policing. This time, we know that's not true. This time, we can't let them. We need to pull the focus back to the victims and we need to do it in a way that even Gotham can't look away from. I'm taking suggestions now.”

Jo glances over at Harper and Steph conspiratorially. “Alysia will kill me if I don't suggest this since she's not here to do it.”

She raises her hand. 

“You don't have to raise your hand, we don't do that here,” says Anarky wearily. “Just shout it out.”

Jo shouts. “Burn down Wayne Industries! Torch the Iceberg Lounge! Incinerate City Hall!”

Steph's eyebrows shoot up and she reminds herself that she's not a Bat here. It makes perfect sense why people would be angry at Bruce Wayne and Oswald Cobblepot and the city government. She's frequently angry with all of those people and she knows that at least Bruce is Batman (even if she doesn't always like Batman very much). It's just that if they do two out of three of these options, the Birds of Prey will probably end up being called on to stop them and Steph doesn't want to have to make that kind of choice.

Her eyes find Karen. Karen shakes her head slightly. Steph relaxes. 

Anarky sighs. “Serious suggestion or meme?”

“Both!” says Jo triumphantly. Anarky sighs again. One of the cats yowl agreement.

“Those are all good ideas,” they admit. “But I was thinking this one could be a little more focused on the victims than any of that allows for right now. What I want is, essentially, a vigil that makes a loud enough statement of pure, unambiguous grief that there's not a dry eye left in Gotham. What lets us do that?”

There's a back-and-forth that goes on for awhile, interupted periodically by the cats meowing their own suggestions. They finally decide on a march for the lives lost and destroyed by the attacks. They'll start at the clinic and work their way slowly back to City Hall and the origin point of the violence. It's part-protest, part-vigil. It's going to be beautiful. Steph's glad she gets to be part of it.

She posts it in the Birds chat immediately after.

Steph: I'm going to this.

Power Girl: Yeah me too.

Canary: We all should.

Oracle: Agreed. Remind the city that we fight for all the people of Gotham, not just the convenient ones. The Bat's been so concerned with making sure criminals are scared he's forgotten what else that fear can become.

Steph sighs. The Bat's been holed up in his cave since the attack, brooding in his masculine guilt. He thinks if he hadn't let Deathstroke get the drop on him to begin with he could've prevented this - Steph thinks he would've been too busy helping the GCPD find Scarecrow to try. She hasn't believed in the Bat since well before the quake - Cluemaster never rated highly enough for him to care, and Steph has never really forgiven the Batman for it. But she has the Birds now; they're better.

The Birds won't make her do this alone. They won't make the Narrows grieve alone.

Chapter Text

Steph dresses for the match in her Spoiler gear, without the hood or the mask. When all of this is over, she might end up needing a new code name but that doesn't seem to matter right now.

She wants the people she helped to recognize her, to know she cares enough to be here and to keep fighting. She wants the people who hurt them to know the Spoiler is coming for them.

Her mother doesn't say anything when Steph comes downstairs in costume, just sighs into her coffee. Crystal was covering an emergency swap shift at Gotham General that night; she saw almost as much carnage as Steph did. 

“You should come, mom,” says Steph softly. “We'd be glad to have you.”

Crystal just shakes her head. Steph didn't really expect anything better from her mom, but she's still disappointed. She'd liked the idea of the two of them standing together.

“I never wanted this life for you,” Crystal says finally. “Any of it.”

“It's late for that, mom,” says Steph. She clasps her mother's hand. This is the closest they've ever come to talking about any of the secret undercurrents of their lives. “I grew up in a war zone. That was true even before all of this. You can't blame a girl for wanting to fight back.”

“Stephie,’ her mother whispers. “I'm so sorry.”

“It's okay, mom. I'm okay. I understand why you couldn't fight for me before, but I'm going to keep fighting for both of us now,” Steph says. “Can you try to understand that?”

Her mother nods. Steph decides to take that as a victory. She leaves before that changes. She supposes she has a bit of the usual Bat complex in her after all.

***

Harper is waiting for her outside in full Bluebird gear. They've embossed the words NARROWS STRONG onto their tasergun strap. They look hot, and angry, and hot. Bart is with them in jeans, tinted flash logo sunglasses, and a trans flag shirt that reads ‘We Are The Future.’ 

“Hi Steph!” he runs over and hugs her. “ItwassupposedtobeasurprisebutIcouldn’twaitIwantedtoseeyou’reokay.” 

It takes Steph a minute to translate the speed talk. It was supposed to be a surprise but I couldn't wait. I wanted to see you're okay.

“What was supposed to be a surprise?” Steph blinks. Last she'd heard, Bart had gone to Bludhaven with Rose, but that doesn't necessarily mean…

“Hey babes,” Rose steps out from the nearest patch of shadows. Cass is with her. “Miss me?”

Harper starts running towards them. Steph can't make her legs move. 

You came back. You both came back.

Harper swoops Cass up into the air and tilts their head to kiss Rose as Cass presses a kiss to their forehead and then all three are trading kisses back and forth like it's easy, like it's breathing. It's the hottest thing Steph's ever seen and the prettiest, too.

“Well, baby,” Harper looks back at her. “Ready to join us?”

Steph finally gets her shaking legs to cooperate and she throws herself at the three of them. Rose catches her on her lips, and dips her slightly. 

“Wanted to do that for a long time, babes,” she says it sultry, but there's a genuine feeling in her tone.

“Sorry it took me so long,” Steph says, and means it. Rose laughs. 

Harper sets Cass down gently and leans over to kiss first Rose, and then Steph. They taste like themself filtered through Rose's heavy lipstick and Steph's moans.

Cass flings her arms around Steph. “Stephanie,” she whispers. There's something strangely desperate and yearning in her tone.

“Be right back baby,” says Harper. They move to kiss Rose again, leaving one arm draped around Steph's neck.

Steph bends to kiss Cass. Cass’s lips taste like mint and beeswax and home. She tastes like the sunrise over Gotham City. She tastes like hope.

Cass bites her lip slightly, and look, Steph has Harper draped around her, inadvertently pressing Rose into her with their arms, and now Cass is doing that and Steph moans into the kiss.

“Um, guys. I'm glad you're gay, being gay rocks but…shouldn't we be getting to the protest?” It's Bart. He's right. They pull apart.

“We'll have time for more of that later,” Rose winks at Steph. 

Steph blushes. She bends to adjust her crumpled uniform. Cass, in her Batgirl uniform minus the mask and plus a pointed domino that leaves her face more expressive, is doing the same. Harper seems unbothered. 

Rose isn't in uniform. She's in jeans and a zipped blue jacket, her swords strapped across her back. Her eye patch has a rose embroidered on it and it glints slightly in the dimming light. “Nightwing says the Lady Deathstroke look might be a bit much for Gotham right now.”

Steph nods. It makes sense. At this point, she mostly thinks of the Ravager costume as belonging to Rose, but it is very visibly influenced by her father and she can absolutely understand how that might not be the message they're looking to send. “Is Nightwing…are they here?”

All she knows about the Original Robin is that they're The Best, the standard by which Batman measures every other vigilante. She's met them twice, and she's never really gotten much of an impression of them. They're kind and quippy and a bit of a show off, none of which seems likely to have created that kind of reputation.

Cass shakes her head. “Taking over the patrol routes for tonight.”

“All of the patrol routes?” Steph frowns.

“Yes,” Cass says seriously. Okay, maybe Steph gets it a little more now.

The Bat is still brooding in his Cave and Robin is presumably still with the Titans - Nightwing taking over the routes frees up all the Birds and Azrael for the vigil. 

It's time to make a statement even Gotham won't forget.

***

They meet at the clinic. Catwoman, Ivy, Holly, and Birds, all in their gear; Steph unmasked and defiant at the center; flank the impromptu stage as Leslie speaks, arm in arm with Sister Maggie and Victoria. 

“Tonight, I'd like to thank the following volunteers and clinic staff who showed up for an easy day sorting donations and got an emergency. You showed up, you stayed, and you kept showing up even when it got dangerous. The Strays, Alysia Yeoh, Jo Muñoz, Miracle Molly, Victoria October, Claire Clover, Hank Clover, Stephanie Brown.”

The crowd lets out a whoop after each name. Steph finds most of the others in the crowd, looking proud and sad. Nia is with the Birds in her new blue-and-white Dreamer outfit, wearing a trans flag with ‘The Future is Ours’ and an anarchy symbol spray-painted across it as a cape.

The Strays are flashing the Cat's two-finger salute, creating shadow-puppets that resemble cats. Helena has Shoes on her surprisingly strong shoulders. Hank and Claire are here with two middle aged Gothamites wearing confused-but-supportive expressions - their parents, presumably. Jo and Alysia are holding hands, as are Anarky and Miracle. Miracle has their bad leg propped up on a wheely cart.

Some of Frankie's drones hover around the crowd broadcasting. Frankie, like Barbara, has mobility issues that prevent her from being physically present at the protest, but they've still found a way to show up. They're coordinating with Oracle to broadcast this footage onto every screen in Gotham. Today, the rest of the city mourns with the Narrows.

Victoria takes the stage. She looks a little more frazzled than usual. She's wearing a trans flag skirt and a shirt with the word ‘UNNATURAL’ crossed out by a red line circle under her lab coat. “I had prepared remarks but instead I have an announcement to make. Yesterday, Dr. Pamela Isley and I began working on a project to create a Narcan equivalent for Fearment, one which will hopefully alleviate drug-induced psychosis and prevent overdose. We're still in early stages yet, but I have full confidence in this project.”

The crowd erupts into stunned cheers.

“Thank you, and thank you once again to everyone who showed up, that night and tonight, to stand up for the people of the Narrows. Together, we can build a world where no living person is treated as unnatural.” Victoria seems a little overwhelmed by the positive response. Stephanie gets the feeling it's not something she's used to.

Sister Maggie leads the crowd in an interfaith affirmation - ‘you each carry within yourself the space for unimaginable grief and hope, the capacity to create and to create overwhelming change’ - and grieving ritual. 

Her sister Selina Kyle takes the stage alongside Anarky, who's supporting Miracle, to walk through the guidelines for the march. Selina teaches them the Strays chant first. “Here many have lived and lost, in the cold nights and long days. We follow none but we will always have each other. There will always be Strays.”

“There will always be Strays,” the crowd echoes, and raises their hands in the cat shadow-puppet symbol. Steph feels goosebumps prickle along her skin.

Miracle leads them in a few other basic call and response chants. Steph particularly likes the one that goes:

‘WHEN THE NARROWS MOURNS

(WHEN THE NARROWS MOURNS)

ALL OF GOTHAM WEEPS

(ALL OF GOTHAM WEEPS)’

The crowd seems equally into the one that goes.

‘GCPD (CO-ATTACKERS)’

‘GCPD (CO-ATTACKERS)’

‘GCPD (CO-ATTACKERS)’

If Barbara thinks this is unfair to her father, since he's not the one who wrote that line into law, she doesn't say. Steph is glad; Gordon may not have written it, but he gave the speech that instigated the attacks and the GCPD chose to prioritize the search for Scarecrow over saving lives.

Then it's Anarky's turn. “Thanks to some of our disabled comrades, we have a straight shot to City Hall. That means good lights, redirected traffic, and cops sent on wild chases to the other side of town. We're going to demand that the City Council, Mayor Nakano, and the GCPD take full responsibility for these attacks. We're going to name every victim we've been able to identify. We're going to hold a collective moment of grief - when the Narrows mourns, all of Gotham weeps!” They lift up their hand in the Cat's shadow. 

“When the Narrows mourns, all of Gotham weeps,” the crowd echoes, their Cat's shadows flashing in the night.

***

The march begins. True to her word, Barbara makes sure they're unimpeded by things like traffic lights and busy streets. She makes sure every streetlight is running and every security cam is turned off. The only footage of this march will be what Frankie's drones post, and that's carefully angled to avoid doxxing anyone. 

The Birds, the Sirens, and Azrael lock arms at the front of the march. They make an imposing site, in their uniforms and weaponry, their faces grief stricken. Karen flies ahead in full Power Girl regalia, looping back around at the speed of sound to protect the group from any counter protest. It doesn't come. Their march has taken Gotham entirely by surprise.

As they journey through the Narrows, people lean out their windows to scream ‘the Narrows mourns!’ and be answered with ‘all of Gotham weeps!’ Many join the marchers.

That happens less after they cross the overpass, but it does still happen. As they pass the electric billboards that line downtown, Steph looks up to see that they're alternating between playing footage of the march and names of the dead.

There are more hecklers downtown, mostly people angry that the march has preempted their sports game.

Steph hears Shoes yell back. “Your mayor and commissioner preempted us first!”

It becomes a chant.

‘YOU PREEMPTED (US FIRST)

YOU PREEMPTED (US FIRST)’

Steph throws her lungs out screaming and keeps screaming anyway. Cass has both hands raised in the Cat's shadow and a silent, open mouthed scream on her face. Harper has one arm raised and the other on the small of Steph's back. Nia looks happier than Steph has ever seen her, like maybe she also believes that this march can change her dark future somehow; Steph hopes so. She believes it.

Rose is marching with the Strays, her teeth bared and her swords reflecting the light from the streetlights. Bart is with her some of the time; he keeps running around to find stragglers and bring them back to the front of the match. Rose hands him one of the swords and his excited whoop can be heard all down the street. Steph hears several people calling him the Flash - he doesn't seem to care enough to correct them.

Alysia's new bat has a black mourning band and ‘Narrows strong’ in addition to the trans flag bands. Jo is waving a progress flag with the hand that isn't flashing the Cat's shadow. 

Miracle is determinedly wheeling their cart down the gravelly streets, supported by people around them as they falter. Leslie has a megaphone; Victoria looks overwhelmed-but-enthusiastic; Hank and Claire are each holding one of their parents' hands firmly in the air even as the elder Clovers look like they're faltering. Everywhere Poison Ivy steps starts growing green and floral and healthy, like she's single-handedly bringing the life back to Gotham. Maybe she is. 

Someone shoots one of Frankie's drones out of the air and Karen's there an instant later. She makes a big show of flying the gun to the front of the march and breaking it over her knee.

“You break our shit, I break your shit. You break us, I break you. Capisce?” the remaining drones broadcast her audio across town.

They have no more problems till they reach City Hall.

The ‘GCPD (CO-ATTACKERS)’ chant starts up again. Anarky, Leslie, and Selina trade off reading the names.

“We will not allow the city to blame villain attacks to avoid taking responsibility! The Scarecrow was nowhere near the Narrows that night and you all know it! You killed 93 people without cause and we will not let you pretend it away,” shouts Anarky into Leslie's borrowed megaphone. “When the Narrows mourns…”

“Gotham weeps!” The crowd finishes.

“We pledged to protect this city,” Canary begins. “That means the whole city, even the parts the government would rather look away from. Even the Narrows. Especially the Narrows. The GCPD also pledged to protect this city. They failed, and they failed all of you. You deserve accountability. You deserve justice!”

“Justice! Justice! Justice!” The crowd chants unprompted.

“The Justice League calls for an independent investigation into the GCPD, the Gotham City Council, Mayor Nakano, and everyone involved who could've prevented this tragedy and chose instead to escalate, instigate, ignore,” she gestures at the crowd.

“Escalate, instigate, ignore!” The crowd takes it up. 

‘ESCALATE, INSTIGATE, IGNORE!’

The marchers, Steph included, are roaring it now.

‘ESCALATE, INSTIGATE, IGNORE!

ESCALATE, INSTIGATE, IGNORE!

ESCALATE, INSTIGATE, IGNORE!’

And then the Canary begins to sing. She offers up an Acapella medley of two songs:

Our love is good, our love is great

Let this be a vigil and not a wake

Don't go blindly into the dark

In everyone of us shines the light of love

Black Canary hasn't toured since the benefit concert for the quake. You wouldn't know it to hear her. The most hauntingly beautiful voice of a generation, Steph remembers hearing her called. Her favorite has always been the feature Canary did on that one Against Me! album. This performance might be even better. The marchers join in after the first part.

I want to look away

I must not look away

They scream the lyrics till they're begging Gotham not to look away, till they're demanding it. 

“When the Narrows mourns, Gotham weeps!” Canary finishes. “And the Justice League weeps with you.”

There's no following that. Anarky steps forward anyway. Their voice is hoarse behind their mask. “I'd like at least some of us to stay until there's a response from City Hall, but I can think of no better closing statement than this: Tonight, we ensured that Gotham could not look away. Here many have lived and lost, in the cold nights and long days. We follow none but we will always have each other. There will always be Strays. And there will always be a Narrows.”

“There will always be a Narrows,” Steph echoes with the mourners. There are tears streaming down her face. 

The Birds of Prey clasp hands and raise their fists to the sky. Karen lands in front of them and kneels with both hands up in the Cat's shadow. 

Gotham weeps.

Chapter Text

The City Hall offices are set to open at nine. There won't be a response until then. Security and the cops have formed a loose perimeter around the remaining marchers, but they haven't crossed any lines. They're waiting too. All of Gotham is.

Steph isn't really sure what to expect - in all her years living in Gotham, she's never seen anything like this - especially not if the Justice League is serious about opening a full investigation into the City Council. The Justice League are the most powerful force on earth, known more for fighting aliens, robots, and gods than for concerning themselves with social issues, only - only they didn't start out that way.

Steph's heard all the stories. Superman got his start defending labor rights and immigrants in his Midwestern Metropolis; the first Flash, the deceased Barry Allan, was an outspoken voice for police reform; Blue Beetle Ted Kord was ultimately killed lobbying for ethics in Silicon Valley; Black Canary and the Green Lantern walked away from government positions to fight for justice instead; Black Lightning, now mostly out of the action, remains a voice for inner city education; and together with the Wonder Woman, ambassador for peace, truth, and equality, they formed the first iteration of the League. As time went on and they became known as the only force on earth that could stand against god-tier threats, the mission changed to meet the new need.

Last night, with conviction radiating in her tone, the Canary changed it back.

Steph doesn't know what that means yet. She doesn't think anyone does. They're in uncharted territory. She stands with her arms around her partners and waits with the rest of the city to find out.

***

They get the first inkling at nine am sharp that morning, when an invisible jet lands just outside the perimeter and Wonder Woman Diana Prince exits in her ambassadorial chiton with her lasso of truth on her hip, flanked by her sister Nubia in her own version of the Wonder Woman armor, both Wonder Girls in full Amazonian ceremonial garb, and a woman in a crisply pressed burgundy suit who Steph vaguely recognizes as Lt. Etta Candy, the Amazons’ ex-military mission coordinator. They're trailed by a reporter in a wide-brimmed hat and a Daily Planet badge, who's taking professional shots of the assembled crowd. It's a full delegation and the weight of that spreads through the assembled Gothamites and the city force in sharp whispered bursts.

After a short break, Oracle and Operator are back to broadcasting just in time for the whole city to watch the arrival - Oracle probably got advance notice they were coming, now that Steph thinks about it.

More people are appearing in the streets to watch in what can only be described as wonder. It's the closest most of Gotham has ever been to an Amazon.

It can be easy for people who've only ever seen them on television to forget that they aren't simply powerful human women; even Cassie and Donna stand head and shoulders above most men. They are something else entirely and Steph can't look away.

The crowds part around them. Without a word, Dinah and Karen fall into their ceremonial march forward. Diana holds out both hands to Selina; Nubia does the same to Leslie; Donna to Victoria; Cassie offers hers to Anarky, who says ‘my place is here,’ and waves her towards Steph instead. After a moment's hesitation and a nudge from Lt. Candy, Cassie extends her hands to Steph. She can't quite meet Steph's eyes. Harper snorts softly. Rose rolls her eyes. 

Steph takes the outstretched hands. Nia shoots her a nervous look. Steph gives her what she hopes is a reassuring nod. Cass reaches over and squeezes the seer’s hand.

The four chosen delegates join the Amazons’ slow processional towards City Hall. The assembled police give each other nervous glances.

“Let us pass,” says Diana softly, with her hand on the lasso. Her voice radiates power. They stand aside.

A staffer meets them at the door. “This is highly irregular. Come back with an appointment if you must, but without advance notice -”

“These are irregular times,” Diana interrupts. “And I would confer with your governing body. You were given notice by my compatriots last night. Are you not prepared to receive us?”

She's talking about the marchers, Steph realizes. They're the ones who put Gotham on notice.

“Surely this doesn't merit a delegation of your status-” the staffer attempts.

“I shall be the judge of that,” says Diana. “Now stand aside and allow us safe passage into your halls. Trust that we shall respect the laws of xenia.”

“Hospitality code,” Cassie whispers to Steph. “It's a big deal.”

Steph nods. She'd gathered that part.

The staffer holds the door open for them. They enter.

Lt. Candy pauses next to him and pats his hands gently. “You get used to it.”

Steph doubts that. The Amazons are an experience.

***

Steph's never actually been inside City Hall before. A plaque near the entrance says that the building was donated by Dr. Thomas Wayne five years before the untimely death of him and his wife Martha. It's the only indicator that the building is not as old as it appears, with its ornate stone columns and repeated owl feather motifs. Steph shivers. There's something very wrong here. 

They march slowly on towards the Council Chamber.

“I'm not dating him, just so you know,” Cassie whispers under her breath. She still can't meet Steph's eyes.

“I didn't think you were,” Steph says. Truthfully, she hasn't been thinking about Tim at all.

“It was one kiss and we both knew it was a mistake right after,” Cassie keeps clarifying. “I don't even like him like that.”

Steph sighs. “I really don't care, Cassie. Date him, don't date him, it's none of my business.”

“I'm not dating him,” Cassie says again. “He said something really weird after about how I was the last person Kon kissed and it made me realize I'm not over him either. Kon, I mean.”

Either. A lot of things about Tim's behavior since Kon died suddenly make sense. He's gay for Kon. Oh shit.

Steph sighs. It's not her problem anymore, but she does feel for Cassie. “Next time, call someone instead. It doesn't have to be me, but you deserve to have space to grieve your boyfriend without…all of that.”

“I could call Anita. Or maybe Cissie,” Cassie's entire face lights up when she says Arrowette’s name. “That would honestly really help and I've missed her since she left the team. She's probably my best friend, you know?”

Steph doesn't know, but she has a sudden feeling that Cassie's going to be just fine. I give it about six months. She's got a lot to unpack and Tim's everything probably didn't help.

***

They reach the Council Chamber. The doors creak open ominously. Selina gives it an appraising look, like the thief part of her is already planning how she'd return. The Amazons' wear matching stoic impressions - it occurs to Steph abruptly that they must have an opinion about the way American politicians try to imitate the classical Greek style, and it's probably not a positive one.

Steph's opinion of the Council Chamber isn't positive either. It's an eclectic and ornate mixture of imitation Greek and something reminiscent of a cathedral. Every inch of the wall, including the columns, is adorned with interlocking owl feathers. Steph thinks, inexplicably, of the old playground game about owls and talons kids in Gotham used to scare each other with when she was growing up. 

Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time. She hasn't thought of that in years; the memory still makes her shudder. Canary gives her a concerned glance; she pushes the fear aside. 

Seated on one side of the central table is a lone woman in her twenties in a lime green dress. She has pressed bleach blonde hair, a simple pearl necklace, and an owl feather brooch at her lapel. She smiles coolly at their assembly. 

“My name is Cressida Clarke. I'm the Council Chairman’s personal assistant. Won't you sit down?”

“We are here to speak with either Mayor Nakano or a member of the Council,” Diana says gently-yet-firmly.

“Ms. Prince…Diana…may I call you Diana?” Cressida Clarke clasps Diana's hand between both of hers. Her icey blue eyes survey the rest of the group dismissively. “I am authorized to speak for the council. They felt that you were more likely to understand the situation coming from a fellow woman.”

“My fellowship is extended to those who work for justice, not for it's subversion, Ms. Clarke,” Diana takes back her hand.

“Then we understand each other plainly,” says Cressida.

“I fear that we do,” Diana's tone is somber. “We will wait here until the Council deigns to meet with us.”

“Would that not be a waste of your time? Surely the Justice League…” Cressida simpers. Steph decides in that instant that she hates this woman.

“Time spent in the service of justice is never a waste,” Diana responds. 

“And is it just to come here, uninvited, in the company of aliens, agitators, and thieves? One even might call it a threat, Ms. Prince,” Cressida’s eyes skate across Karen (and the reporter for some reason), then Stephanie and Leslie, then land on Selina.

Leslie looks like she's about to cross the table and strangle the woman, pacifism be damned. Karen crosses her arms and glares like she's about to use her heat vision. Selina just smirks back.

“Are you enjoying this, Ms. Kyle? I admit, when I heard the infamous Catwoman was paying us a visit, I did not expect it to be under such legal conditions,” Cressida says. She raises her hand in a weak imitation of claws.

Selina actually laughs then. “I can always come back later.”

Diana taps her hand on the table. “I am here on behalf of the Narrows. 93 dead in a single night and still no justice. I have brought with me those equipped to speak on their behalf, valued members of my own team, and one of your American reporters to ensure that an accurate accounting of this conversation is made. You forget, Cressida, that I am an Ambassador of Peace to the world, and that includes Gotham.”

“Gotham does not require your peace or your protection, Ambassador,” Cressida's voice gets sharp.

“93 dead in a single night would disagree,” Nubia speaks for the first time. 

“We have a high crime rate,” Cressida says smoothly. “And I'm assured that the man responsible for that night's regrettable casualties, Dr. Jonathan Crane, is dead. There is your justice. Now you may depart.” When no one moves, Cressida points at the door. “You may depart.”

“Dr. October,” Nubia interrupts. “Give your report.”

“I was on staff at the Thompkins Clinic the night of the Narrows attacks. These people weren't attacked by Scarecrow. They were attacked by ordinary Gothamites,” Victoria begins.

Cressida shrugs her shoulders. “Ordinary Gothamites attacking regrettably under the influence of the Scarecrow's toxin. I believed your position was that sufferers of fear toxin ought to be treated as victims, not attackers. Unless that has changed recently?”

“They weren't exposed to toxins! They were incited by the GCPD into attacking the Narrows!” Steph can't let this go unchallenged. 

“That would be a serious accusation, if true,” says Cressida softly. Her voice takes on a dangerous tone. She looks at Steph like she's trying to figure out how best to eat her.

“It is!” Steph bristles. Cassie puts her arm across her protectively.

“That seems unlikely,” Cressida says, in her normal tone. “But if it helps, I'm told that Commissioner Gordon is planning to tender his resignation this morning, effective immediately, in response to the utter failure of the GCPD to mount a meaningful response. I will bring a personal recommendation to Mayor Nakano's office that we move to increase funding to the GCPD so that they never again have to choose between preventing a serious attack and defending the people of Gotham. It may mean diverting money from his quake recovery projects, but given that this tragedy happened on his watch, he will undoubtedly understand that such sacrifices are necessary for him to keep his seat.”

Everyone stares. Steph really hates this woman.

Leslie, predictably, recovers first. “And you shits get what you wanted all along.”

Cressida raises both eyebrows inquisitively. “Go on.”

Diana taps her hand on the table again, recentering the conversation. “I am not satisfied with this, Cressida. Neither will the people of Gotham be when they hear it.”

“We shall see, Diana,” Cressida smiles. “We shall see. Now, I have a meeting to get to. You are welcome to continue sitting here in hopes of seeing the Council, but you will not receive any other answer from them.”

“I understand,” says Diana. “And we shall depart. But know this, Cressida Clarke. I am not satisfied, the Justice League is not pleased, the demands of xenia go unfulfilled. The blood of the Narrows cries for justice, and justice it must receive. We will keep careful watch on this city and its people. This has been a parlay, according to the demands of my office, and you have failed, as you have failed your people. Keep that in mind.”

Nubia is not so circumspect. “See that it isn't repeated. We'll be watching.”

“Oh,” says Cressida. “I'm counting on it.”

Steph swears she can feel the eyes of the owl sconces watching them as they proceed out of the building. She barely stops herself from shivering again. She's too old to be afraid of nursery rhymes.

***

“What was that?” Cassie demands as soon as they're clear of the grounds. “We should've made her swear on the lasso or-or-”

Leslie harrumphs. “Bitch threatened the recovery funding and my volunteers. She had no excuse for that bullshit.”

Steph agrees with both of them. She wants to fight someone, preferably Cressida. She wants justice.

“That, comrades, was a warning delivered,” says Diana. “And a test failed. Cressida Clarke is a dangerous woman. I expect I'll cross blades with her again. I look forward to it.”

In that moment, it's hard to forget that Diana is a goddess of war as well as peace. She looks as ready for battle as Steph feels. Steph appreciates that.

***

They turn to find Batman watching from the Batmobile window. The Amazons, Canary, and Steph approached; joined by Nia, who's got what Steph is coming to know as her vision expression on. Whatever is about to happen, it matters. 

The others fold back into the protest. Diana's group reaches the armored Batmobile.

“Hello, Bat,” says Diana. Her tone is warm.

His isn't. “What are you doing in my city, Diana?”

“What you should've done long ago,” says Diana. Her face shifts. “Will you not join us in bringing justice to this place that you love, Bat? Is that not your mission?”

Batman scowls. “It's not that simple, Diana. There are forces at play here you don't understand. Your actions - all of your actions - over the past eighteen hours have unleashed the full force of their wrath. Gotham will bleed for this.”

“Gotham is already bleeding,” Steph begins.

“Not if we stop it,” Nia pushes to the front of the group. Her voice is full of desperate conviction. “The future isn't set. We can change it together. We have to try.”

He looks down at her, clearly confused. “Who are you?”

“I'm Nia Nal,” she answers defiantly. “Dreamer. I'm a seer. And I believe what we're doing is the only way to stop a terrible dark future where -”

He holds up a hand. “Then you're wrong. All you've done is show the darkness your weak points. The city can't survive this.”

Steph puts an arm around her friend. “I won't believe that. The city is stronger than you think - we're stronger than you think.” 

“We have to try,” Nia repeats. She’s almost shaking now. Steph taps her shoulder like she remembers Harper doing that day in the Clocktower and hopes it's soothing.

Batman just tilts his head.

“Who are we if we do not stand, Bat?” asks Diana. She places a hand on his shoulder. “I choose the side of the people. Of justice. Is that not why we fight?”

“All you've done is show them your weak points,” repeats Batman. “You pushed the only remaining honest cop in Gotham out of his position, you painted a target on the clinic, and you let them dismantle Nakano's recovery grants at a time when the city is in desperate need of them. You cannot win a war on these terms.”

“They were going to do all of that anyway,” says Nia, but there's a note of uncertainty in her tone. “I've seen the future. I know what they do. I couldn't let -”

“We couldn't let,” Canary interrupts. “Come on, Bats. Leave the teenage girl alone. Help us defeat whatever this is. We've fought worse before, we'll fight worse again. Help us do this.”

“You still don't understand,” Bruce sighs. “So be it.”

He disappears into the night. Nia is shaking. Steph hugs her close.

Batman is afraid. Steph doesn't want to know what could make Batman afraid. Remembering Cressida’s watery smile as she sized Steph up, she thinks she already might. Then she finds she doesn't care. Stephanie Brown is far too pissed off to be this scared.

You don't get to scare me, she glanced back at City Hall. You don't get to do any of this.

***

Diana turns to the reporter. “Clark, did you get what you needed?”

The man nods. “I-I think so. There's an article or three in all of that, so long as we can bring it to print.”

“Then bring it to print we must,” says Diana. “The people of Gotham shall have their justice, and this so-called Council will taste my wrath.”

“And Batman?” Clark asks softly.

“Batman will do what he feels is right,” Diana answers. The Wonder Girls roll their eyes slightly. 

“That's all any of us can do,” says Clark. He takes his notebook from his pocket and his pencil from his hat brim and jots something down.

“Indeed,” Diana answers. Her tone is somber. She approaches Anarky, who's still holding vigil with the remaining marchers. “You ought to send them home. You have made your point and made it well. The evil I glimpsed in there has been wounded. They will respond in blood.”

Anarky stands defiantly. “We are not afraid. We are ready to face it, to pay the price to tear down their unjust structures and build a better world.”

Diana bows her head, acknowledging the weight of their words. “This, I understand. You, all of you, are truly brave of heart and spirit. Themiscyra salutes you, brave warriors and mourners alike. May the goddesses be at your side, as my sisters and I stand at your side today.”

She gestures. Nubia and Donna Troy break off from the others and step into the still-assembled crowd. The remaining Amazons board their jet, and the onlookers disperse, leaving only the continuing protest.

Steph and Nia join Rose, Harper, and Cass near the front of the march. Harper bends to kiss Steph and hug Nia; Cass remains unmoving in her grief; Bart is messing with one of Rose’s swords as she visibly tries not to laugh. After a moment's hesitation and a glare from Rose, he holds it out to Steph. She takes it.

We're coming for you, Cressida, she thinks again, holding out the sword the way her girlfriend once showed her. The Bad Girls are coming for you. And we're not afraid to fight back.

Chapter Text

The protest feels different today. Before the City Hall meeting - before the Amazons - there had been a sense of uncertainty about it, like even Anarky had expected the people to return to their homes after expressing their grief. But on day two, it's evident to everyone: this grief isn't going anywhere. Neither are they.

Today is Jo with Leslie's megaphone, giving a dramatic reading of the hastily issued resignation statement from Commissioner Gordon to widespread cheers and oinks. 

“I have tried to serve this city with honesty and integrity. Today, integrity demands I step down - fuck yeah it does!” Jo begins. “The GCPD's failure to mount an effective response on the Scarecrow's Night is a stain on this department. We did what we thought was right, we failed, and Gotham paid the price.”

“That's not a fucking apology!” Someone yells. The rest of the crowd takes it up. Jo holds up a hand for quiet.

“My last act as Commissioner is to recommend a full internal review investigation into this Department. I'm told Maggie Sawyer of Metropolis has recently requested a transfer to Gotham. I knew Maggie in her academy days and I can think of no one better to root out the corruption and oversee this review. It's been my honor to serve as your Commissioner - Jim Gordon,” Jo finishes. She pauses for breath. 

“Typical cop shit,” Miracle scoffs. “Bet you anything that internal investigation will clear them of all wrongdoing.”

“I’m not taking that bet,” Jo agrees.

Alysia winks at her girlfriend. “This is why we should do some of my suggestions. Maybe not right now, but soon.”

“Save it for our honeymoon, baby,” Jo answers, apparently forgetting she's still holding the megaphone.

“Is that a proposal?” Alysia grins. Jo blushes. 

“Depends,” Jo rallies. “Do you want it to be?”

Alysia nods. She’s blushing the same shade of pink as the stripe on her trans flag bat now.

Jo puts the megaphone to her lips and slides one of her own rings off her finger. She holds it up. “Marry me, Fruitbat? Build a new world with me?”

“Yes! Obviously, Yes!” Alysia runs towards her. Jo tosses the megaphone to Miracle in time to catch her girlfriend in her arms and deftly slide the ring onto Alysia's hand. They kiss.

The protestors - Steph included - break into cheers. Jo doesn't seem to notice. She just dips her girlfriend deeper. 

“Get a room,” Shoes yells.

“Can't,” Jo pulls out of the kiss for a second. “We haven't set up the tents yet.”

“You heard the lady,” Miracle says into the megaphone. “Let's get started on the tents!”

Steph isn't entirely sure what's happening, but Harper drapes an arm around her shoulder and pulls her aside for a kiss before she can volunteer to help with the tent setup. 

“I need to -” Steph begins. 

“Baby, when was the last time you sat down?” Harper asks softly. 

“I sat,” Steph starts to argue. “I sat in City Hall.”

Harper raises both eyebrows behind their mask. “Uh-huh. That doesn't count and you know it.”

Steph resists the urge to stick her tongue out at them and say ‘does so.’ Maybe she is tired. 

***

Harper leads Steph towards the back of the protest. They pass Karen, who's handing Helena tent parts and complaining cheerfully about how she ‘could do all the tents in seconds’ while her girlfriend nods along and tells her to remember their last camping trip. 

“That was on another earth! For all you know I could be great at tents on this one,” Karen argues.

“Hmmm,” says Helena. She holds out her hand for the next piece. Karen kisses it. She laughs. “Compelling argument, but no.”

Karen seems more relaxed with her partner around, less like she's hiding the most essential parts of her heart. Steph understands the feeling - something in her relaxed the first time Harper kissed her and no matter how bad it gets, that doesn't seem likely to change.

Harper finds Steph a quieter place to sit, although she still ends up mostly seated on their lap. Harper peels their beaked mask off their face, stuffs it into their belt, and kisses Steph's face so gently it almost hurts. They wrap their arms around Steph and bury their face in her hair.

“I'm so proud of you, baby,” they breathe. Steph smiles.

Rose arrives a few minutes after, dragging a weary Cass behind her.

“She was planning on standing up there till the world ends,” Rose sighs as she plops down on the hard ground like it's nothing.

“World would not end,” Cass says seriously. “Would stop it.”

“Probably need sleep for that, babes,” says Rose. She pulls Cass onto the ground next to her and gives her a quick kiss that results in Cass ending up mostly sitting on her lap. Rose leans her own head against Harper’s shoulder. This close, all four of them are touching. Steph feels warm and soft and almost safe for the first time in awhile.

***

“Can't stay. Have to keep watch. It was my fault,” Cass says after they've been sitting together for awhile. There's only one ‘it’ she can mean. Steph untangles one of her hands from Harper and holds it out to Cass. Cass doesn't take it. “Should have been here. I could have - could have -”

Cass bows her head and signs. “My fault.”

“Did Batman say that?” Steph asks. Cass and the Bat have similar-but-divergent inabilities to deal with death. Steph has caught Barbara complaining about ‘Batman fueling her unhealthy coping mechanisms’ many times. If the Bat tried to blame this on Cass being gone, Steph is going to throw her support firmly behind Jo’s ‘burn down Wayne Industries’ plan.

Cass shakes her head and signs. “He didn't have to.”

“If we hadn't been in Bludhaven, Nightwing would've tried to fight my father alone,” Rose points out patiently, like they've already had this conversation.

Cass frowns. She switches back to words, and they come out with staccato sharpness. “Did not beat him. I did not help.”

“We destroyed his Fearment shipment,” Rose strokes Cass's hair lightly. “Give yourself some credit, babes. And maybe a nap.”

Cass makes the grumpy cat expression, but doesn't argue. She curls into Rose's chest and grips Stephanie's hand. Harper bends to kiss each of them in quick succession. Cass gets a forehead kiss, because she doesn't seem to be in the mood for makeouts like Steph and Rose are. When they pull away, they both have Rose's lipstick smeared across their faces. Neither of them moves to wipe it off.

“I don't know what happens next,” Steph says. “I've never done anything like this before.”

“Neither do I,” Harper admits. “I’ve been at some of Leslie's demonstrations, but this feels different.”

Rose is oddly quiet. Steph nudges her. 

“I've been on the other end,” she admits. “My father was doing extrajudicial enforcement for Bludhaven PD and I was acting as his apprentice. I was…it was...” 

Rose looks down at her hands, which are wrapped around Cass, as if she can still see the blood. Steph takes one hand, Cass takes the other, Harper puts her hand on Rose’s shoulder and begins tapping rhythmically. 

When Rose doesn't continue, Cass picks up the story. “She fought Nightwing.”

Rose nods. “They made some sort of deal with my father to get me out. I've never known the terms. He and Dick, they were…Dick was like me, you know?”

Stephanie doesn't know and says so.

“My father,” Rose goes very still, like she's no longer aware of them holding her here. “He picks apprentices to learn his craft. My half brothers, Tara Markov, Dick Grayson, Amy Allen, Deb Morgna, KC. Me. It's not - it's not a job you choose, or at least it's not a real choice. He's the only one who gets to make those. He decides you're his successor, he decides when you're done, he decides why you fight. Who you kill.”

Rose's face is still shuttered. She pulls her hand free of Cass's grip, lifts the eye patch, and taps her scarred socket. 

“He decides,” she repeats hollowly. Cass takes Rose's hand and presses it to her lips.

“Not anymore,’ she says softly. She looks around the four of them as if coming to a decision. “David Cain, Slade Wilson, Arthur Brown, Marcus Row, all the same. But no more. Now, we decide.”

Steph and Harper exchange looks. Marcus Row and Arthur Brown are bad men and worse fathers, but they aren't on the level of a Deathstroke or a Cain. That doesn't seem to matter to Cass - all she seems to care about is that these men each hurt one of them badly. Maybe she's right.

“Now, we choose how we fight,” Cass repeats, a little more sure of the words. She's picking up the cadence of the protest marchers, Steph notices. “I choose this.”

The rest of them must also be picking up the rhythms because they echo it back to her. “I choose this.”

“I choose you,” Steph says, and the others echo it back to her. She means every word. She can tell they do too.

***

Nia approaches, trailed by Bart with a chili dog and the reporter with his notebook.

“Someone brought a grill!” Bart shouts. “And I think I saw someone else setting up to make tortillas! I love this protest!”

“It's a pretty cool protest,” the reporter agrees with an easy smile.

“He helped me find the food!” Bart announces. “Mark Kent is my new best friend.”

Steph shoots him a fake-hurt look. He tries to flip her off with the hand that's holding the chili dog and just barely manages to avoid smashing it into his face.

“It's Clark, actually,” the reporter says. “Clark Kent, Daily Planet.”

“You came with the Amazons,” Nia says.

“I did, yes,” Clark says. “I'm trying to get quotes from the protestors about why you're here, what this means to you, that sort of thing. It's good for the story.”

“Well, if it's good for the story,” Harper shrugs.”I'm from the Narrows. I have a brother back at home. I want him to get to have a better world, after everything he's been through - everything we've both been through. I want things to be different for both of us. For all of us, you know?”

Clark scribbles some notes.  

“For me it's that if we can stop the darkness in Gotham, maybe we can stop it everywhere. Maybe my vis- my fears won't come to pass if we hold the line here,” Nia's eyes shine.

“You should give a speech tomorrow,” Steph says. Nia shakes her head. “Come on, you'd be good at it.”

“You're dodging the question, baby,” says Harper. “Tell him why you're here, Spoiler.”

“Rose first,” says Steph. She's not sure what to say.

“Don't look at me babes. I just want to piss off my dad and make out with hot girls,” Rose gives them each a meaningful look. It doesn't get the response she wants. Clark Kent raises his eyebrows over his glasses.

Rose sighs. “Look. I want to do a little good for once and I want to be very gay about it. Best you're gonna get. I don't do speeches.”

“That was - that's actually good. This protest is, um, it's queer in a way I appreciate greatly, but I'm a bit Bi-Aced,” Clark winks in case anyone missed the coming out. It gets a laugh. He smiles.

It's Steph's turn. She's not sure how she's supposed to follow that.

“I'm from a bad future,” Bart bails her out. “I came here to make sure there's a good one.”

It would probably be more impactful if his face wasn't covered in chili dog, but it's still pretty impactful.

Clark is still looking at her in that kind, thoughtful way that makes Steph want to say the right thing. She sighs.

“I guess I just want to be a hero in a way that matters,” Steph admits. “Working at the clinic, giving out supplies on patrol, everything I did to help on purge night. This feels like the next step.”

“I get that,” says Clark. “That's what I think heroes should be. I'd never tell my editor, but I miss the days when every other story was about Superman defending strikers and breaking open ICE detention facilities.”

“He should get back to doing that,” Steph says. She's read a lot of stories about those days, and if the Canary's serious about changing the League's mission she can't think of a better way for them to show it.

“Yeah, I think it would help a lot of people,” says Nia. She's got her vision face on. Steph wonders if she's seeing Superman take a stand. She hopes so. Nia deserves to see good futures.

“And it would piss off Lex Luthor,” Harper adds. 

“So, so much,” Rose agrees.

Clark nods. “That's always a worthy cause. Lex got a friend of mine killed recently. She was always fighting for the right cause. I think I owe it to her to do the same.”

He's talking about Lois Lane, Steph realizes. Lois did tell Nia she'd arranged for them to find evidence of her death - that must've been found by now. She feels sad for Clark. It sounds like Lois means a lot to him.

“We all owe it to each other to fight the good fight,” says Harper easily. They lean over to ruffle Cass's hair.

Cass raises her hand and signs. “I will speak.”

Clark smiles. He starts signing the words as he speaks them, the motions fluid and easy. “Why do you fight? What brings you here?”

“Life,” signs Cass slowly but firmly. “I fight for life. They take it. Gotham needs life.”

“Gotham needs life,” Clark echoes as he writes it down. “Thank you. That's powerful stuff.”

Cass grins back. Steph really likes this guy. She hopes they gave him what he was looking for.

“Thank you all,” he says, still signing as he speaks. “I'm going to go see if they need more tent help. I'm stronger than I look and I'm good at carrying things. Keep on fighting. Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow, as Superman would say.”

It's been so long since Steph's heard the actual old Superman slogan, the one he used in early interview sound bites, that she's almost forgotten it exists. Headlines, made for TV documentaries, and quotes from people talking about Superman usually swap in ‘and the American way’, but come to think of it, Steph's not sure she's ever heard Superman himself use that slogan. 

“I like him. Nice,” Cass signs. Steph agrees.

Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow. She can get behind that. She hopes Superman starts living up to it again soon. The world could use a hero like that.

Chapter Text

Cass is still smiling. It's adorable and it makes something in Steph's heart flutter. She didn't know she could be this happy. They're still sitting at the edge of the protest, nestled up against each other. 

“What?” Harper asks, twirling a strand of her hair between their fingers in that way that makes Steph melt. Rose presses a kiss to Steph's forehead and Steph's smile gets even bigger somehow. 

“I just really love you,” she says softly. “All of you.”

“We love you too, baby,” says Harper easily.

“So much,” echoes Cass.

“I need a drink so I can toast that, babes,” Rose grins down at them.

“There may be coffee in the big tent they're setting up,” Nia says. “I'll go get some.”

“I'll go with you, they're about to start making out,” Bart says.

They're both gone before Rose can explain that that's not exactly what she meant. She makes a face. 

“Are we about to start making out?” Steph asks.

“It depends,” says Harper. “Do you want a kiss, baby?”

“Please,” says Rose. Cass pulls her hand free and signs Y-E-S. Rose kisses her. 

“I'm not going to say no,” says Steph.

“I know,” Harper bends to kiss her. “But I'm going to keep asking.”

“Please,” Steph breathes into her mouth. She can feel Harper's smile pressing into her lips.

***

Nia returns empty-handed and minus Bart. She sits awkwardly next to them.

“No coffee,” she grumps. “Still brewing new.”

She's muttering under her breath about needing caffeine so she doesn't fall asleep and dream. Steph understands the feeling. She doesn't want to sleep through whatever comes next either.

“I'll try to find you something,” she says. Nia shoots her a grateful look. Steph peels herself out of Harper's lap reluctantly. 

“I'll come with you,” Rose offers. She lifts Cass, who's slowly falling asleep and denying it, into Harper's lap and takes Steph's hand.

Steph and Rose wander through the evolving protest. People have set up their own tents throughout and Steph keeps getting distracted by the music. 

I have seen men provoked 

And I have seen lives revoked

Someone is wailing into a guitar, so close Steph almost trips. Rose catches her with one hand and pulls her into a dance. She spins Steph around and dips her again.

But I can't give up that quick 

My life is a candle and a wick 

Rose pulls Steph out of the dip and into a kiss. Steph's smiling so hard she almost can't hold her lips in place. 

You can put it out but you can't break it down 

In the end we are waiting to be lit 

They stay with the song, dancing and kissing. Rose doesn't know that many dance moves - it seems to be limited to ‘spin Steph’ and ‘dip Steph.’ But Steph doesn't mind. She likes both of those things.

And give us your strength, world, and your food, and your water

Oh, I am your savior, your last serving daughter

The song finishes. They drift back into the flow of people, towards the two big connecting tents that have been set up at the center. Steph doesn't let go of Rose's hand.

***

The clinic's mobile van is backing into the first tent as Shoes, perched on the long-suffering Leo's shoulders, shouts instructions. Pamela Isley, her overalls open over her costume, is calling out additional instructions to avoid hitting the patch of dandelions that is spreading outwards from beneath her feet.

Leslie leans out the passenger car window. “Who's driving this thing, me or you?”

“Me, actually,” Sister Maggie peers out of the driver seat window. “And I think they're both doing a wonderful job.”

Leslie facepalms before disappearing back into the cab. Sister Maggie starts slowing the van to a stop.

The Strays (plus Hank and Claire, who Steph didn't realize were still here) start unloading before the van’s finished stopping. More tents, cooking supplies, waterproof ponchos, extra parkas and socks. Someone pulls a few pairs of donated shoes out of the back.

“It's you!” Leo laughs up at Shoes, who flips him off.

“We're in the field,” Shoes hisses loudly.

“So?” Leo asks.

“So I'm the Cheshire Cat,” Shoes says, and taps their mask. “Duh.”

Victoria arrives to help Leslie out of the van. Leslie shrugs off the assistance and massages her knee after she hits the ground. Steph can see Victoria's internal count start up again. “This should be the last trip, then we can get the white tent pitched and set up for triage. I swear it gets harder to load every year.”

“Or you get older,” Sister Maggie hops out of the passenger seat. Leslie scowls back good-naturedly.

Victoria spots Steph and waves her over. Rose follows at a distance. “Can you help get the white tent out? I'm afraid Leslie's going to throw out her knee trying to get it started.”

“I got it,” Rose says. She taps her right bicep. “Enhanced strength, remember?”

Rose strips out of her jacket and tosses it to Steph to hold. She’s wearing a tight white crop top with a rose-wrapped dagger on it. Steph feels suddenly warm.

Then Rose hoists the medium-sized white medical tent out of the van singlehandedly, puts it over her shoulder, and asks Leslie where she wants it. While Leslie and Victoria debate, Rose leans it on the ground and smiles over at Steph. “Enjoying the view, babes?”

Steph reaches up to kiss Rose's cheek. “Enjoying it very much.”

“Come give me a hand with setup if you wanna see more?”

Steph does want to see more. She also wants to help. Together, they make short work of the medical tent with it's white paneling and scorched edges. It would probably be shorter work if Steph wasn't stopping every few minutes to appreciate Rose’s muscles, but she's really good at multitasking.

When they're finished, Rose pulls her into the tent for a much-wanted kiss. Rose pauses to reapply her lipstick first. It smears across Steph's sweat-salted face, leaving her a little breathless.

“No making out in the clinic,” Leslie calls as she pushes into the tent with one end of a folding table between her hands, Victoria and Sister Maggie on the other end. The girls pull apart. Steph blushes. Rose goes to reapply her lipstick with a smirk.

***

“Oh, hey Spoiler. Anarky asked about you in the main tent. Thought you'd appreciate the strategy parts.” Miracle wheels in as they're still unpacking supplies. They're smoking a joint.

Rose tilts her head inquiringly. “Spare a hit?”

“Do you one better.” Miracle opens a pouch on their belt, pulls out a pack of prerolls, and tosses a few to Rose.

“Thank fuck,” Rose breathes. “I've been out since Bludhaven.”

She looks over at Steph, who still has her blue jacket tied around her waist. “Lighter's in the top pocket, can you grab it babes?”

Steph finds the lighter - which has a peeling rose decal and a worn flint. It takes her a few tries but she gets it lit. She holds the flame out to her girlfriend and tries for Harper's easy confidence in the motion. “Pretty girls don't light their own cigarettes…er, weed?”

Rose blushes. She takes a long hit and then says. “You think I'm pretty, babes?”

“The prettiest,” Steph kisses her cheek.

Sister Maggie laughs. “Ah, young love.”

Leslie coughs. 

“No smoking in the clinic, all of you out, out, out,” She shoos the three of them through the panels brusquely.

***

Anarky, Nubia, Poison Ivy, Dinah, Alysia, and Selina are gathered in a circle at the center of the other main connecting tents, the one that isn't currently full of mobile van and Strays. 

Azrael is leaning against the tent post eating a bowl of chili when they enter. He smiles when he sees them. “Stephanie, hello! I'm learning so much here. The Cult of St. Dumas seems to have greatly neglected my education. Also, this is delicious. You should acquire some.”

“You remembered my name!” Steph grins.

“Yes,” he says. “The Bat also seems to have neglected my education on certain points. I am sorry.”

It's the first genuine apology Steph has gotten from any of the Bats. “Does this mean I can tease you now?”

“I cannot promise to understand it, but yes, you may. That is another area of my education that's been left undone,” he says it seriously, but he winks. “And if we're going to use each other's names, you can call me Jean-Paul.”

Steph decides she likes the Angel of Vengeance after all. She's going to be the insufferable little sister he probably didn't get in the Cult. He deserves to be included in the full Spoiler experience.

Alysia waves her over. Her eyes are sparkling. Steph hugs her. “You're engaged!”

“I'm engaged,” Alysia grins and holds up the ring. “Not bad for a third date.”

Rose raises her eyebrows. Steph mouths ‘inside joke' as Alysia says. “It's a long story. A good one, too.”

Steph hopes Alysia gets to tell it for a long time.

“So we have reliable supply lines,” Nubia is saying. “Good. And two or more of my sisters will be in your camp at all times, of course. Dr. Ivy, you had an idea?”

“I could grow a hedge of protection around the camp,” Ivy says. “It would also serve as an early warning system. The roots would alert me if anyone came close with ill intent.”

Steph isn't entirely sure how a plant could determine intent, but she's not about to question Poison Ivy about that. Truthfully, the woman still kind-of scares her even though they're on the same side now.

“Oracle and Operator will keep at least one screen on each street playing the names of the dead at all times,” says Anarky. “When we need more screens or footage, it'll be there. This means we can keep reaching all of Gotham, maybe indefinitely.”

“It's what we've been waiting for,” Miracle nudges them softly. Anarky puts their hand on Miracle's bad knee and rubs it gently. Miracle relaxes into the touch. “A revolution they can't black out.”

“A statement they won't ever forget,” Anarky agrees. “And a grief that demands to be shared.”

Steph can tell they're workshopping the next set of speeches. She leans against Rose, listening to the plans, until someone announces that the coffee's ready.

“Nia! We forgot!” Steph exclaims. “We'll be right back.”

Dinah gets up to help them carry enough coffee for the group. She looks back at the collective and smiles. 

“That's usually how these things go,” the Canary says softly. Steph must look surprised because she adds. “Back in the hard traveling hero days we used to stop by a bunch of these. I'd do a few songs, Ollie would make his bad speeches, Hal would be Hal. Roy would be right in the center of the action and - actually, I should call Roy. He'd appreciate this.”

Steph fills in the blanks. Ollie - Green Arrow, current mayor of Star City, California and Dinah's ex; Hal - the old Green Lantern, the one who died in that big Keystone, New Mexico disaster long before Steph picked up a mask. Which means Roy must be the Green Arrow’s old sidekick, the one who hung it all up in the aftermath of the Star City bombings. 

Dinah pulls out her phone and makes a quick note, presumably a reminder to make that call. She's quiet the rest of the walk, seemingly lost in the memory.

Steph has a lot of questions but she doesn't want to interrupt. This seems private and sacred to Dinah, like she's getting some core part of herself back.

***

They take a seat next to Harper and Nia, who take the coffee - and in Harper's case, the weed - gratefully. Bart is running laps around the perimeter, shouting out to people as he goes. He already seems to know everyone's names.

Cass blinks up at them drowsily. Steph hands her the coffee. She takes a tentative sip and her eyes open wide.

“Yeah, I should've warned you,” Steph says. “Hank and Claire made it and I don't think they got any instructions except make it strong.”

She keeps being surprised by Hank and Claire. They stuck around even after their parents left - they even skipped school to be here. 

“Strong is good,” says Nia. She's already drained hers. After a second, Cass holds her cup out to Dreamer, and Nia drains that as well.

“I talked to Babs and Diana about long-term planning for this,” Dinah says casually. “We can't all be awake holding the line at all times. Anarky's already had a similar conversation with their people. Things like this take time and resilience and a fuckton of coordination.”

“We don't have time,” Nia starts to argue. “My vision demands action.”

Dinah gives her a look. “This isn't about a one night outpouring of grief anymore. It has to be about building a movement, which means we have to be prepared.”

“I thought the Justice League -” Steph begins.

“They'll be here. We'll be here. The rest of the Amazons are going to relieve us tonight so we can all sleep, and after that Oracle has a color-coded spreadsheet of rest, patrols, and time here. She's reworking the patrol routes so we don't need as many people on the ground at a time.”

“Can she do that?” Harper asks. “I mean, Batman -”

“Doesn't control the Birds, and Nightwing and Azrael will follow us in this,” Dinah says smoothly. “Nightwing isn't going to be able to stay here long-term - they're the only active duty hero in Haven and they can't leave it unattended for long, especially since Deathstroke's still in play - so we can't rely on them to cover the routes for more than a few days.”

Steph nods. It feels weird to think about patrolling right now. It feels weirder to think about leaving. She needs to be here. She needs to protect this place, these people, this little Narrows in the middle of Downtown.

“The Birds can't be an effective wall if we're not well-rested. We can't protect the protest if we don't protect Gotham,” Dinah stresses, looking directly at Steph. “You can rest here - I brought us extra tents - or you can go home and check on your families. What you can't do is burn yourself out trying to fight without breaks.”

Steph sighs. “You're probably right, I just…”

“I know. I'm going back to the Clocktower as soon as Diana and Cassie arrive to fill the gaps,” says Dinah. “I'll be back by dawn, but right now I need to go see my partner.”

“You expect four Amazons to fill in for all the Birds?” Rose raises an eyebrow.

“Four Amazons, the hedge of protection Pam's growing around this place, and Karen, who’s sleeping here but will wake at the first sign of trouble,” Dinah says. “As well as whoever Anarky's got on first watch. I can't promise it's enough, but it'll make a damn good deterrent.”

Cass starts to say something but starts yawning before she can find the words.

“What she said,” Rose agrees. “She and I can go back to the Clocktower with you. Harper?”

Harper shakes their head. “I don't want to leave Cullen alone for much longer.”

“Nia? Bart? Steph?” Dinah prompts them.

“Wallyscomingwithandwe’regettingamotelandhe’sbring-”

“Bart,” Dinah says.

“Right, sorry. Wally's on his way here with backup. He's going to pick me up on his way to the motel,” Bart says.

“I want a tent,” Nia says softly. “I need - I need to be here for this. I need to wake up from a vision of darkness and see the people fighting back.”

Dinah nods. “I'll make sure you're setup. Stephanie?

“I should check on my mom,” Steph says. “And probably grab some things. I'll meet you at the Clocktower right after.”

“I'll hold you to that,” says Dinah. “Stay on comms, stay safe.”

Steph digs around in her utility belt for her comm and pops it into her ear. She kisses Harper goodnight. Harper dips her deep enough that she almost swoons before setting her down gently.

“See ya tomorrow, baby. I'll bring the rest of that cigarette,” Harper winks. Steph blushes deep purple. Her partner shoots her finger guns, and goes to say goodnight to Rose and Cass. Then it's Steph's turn.

Steph gives Rose a quick kiss that turns into a longer one. Rose tastes like grease and green and sunsets. The kiss ends abruptly. Steph actually whimpers.

“I'll pick up where I left off once you're at the Clocktower, babes,” Rose whispers against her ear. “I’ll be awake. I always finish what I start.”

Cass throws her arms around Steph and gently brushes their lips together. “Be safe.”

Steph nods. There's a lump in her throat. She gives Bart and Nia quick hugs. Then she darts away, into the chilly Gotham night.

When she looks back at the protest, she can see the beginnings of Ivy's hedge growing around it. It's already getting tall. She hopes it's enough.

“Keep them safe,” she whispers to the leaves, and maybe it's just the wind but she swears the leaves wave back.

Then she's gone.

***

It's dark in Steph's house. Her mom must've picked up another shift because it's still too early for her to be asleep.

Although. Although, she usually tells Steph when she's going to do that. Steph checks her phone. No text. She checks the kitchen. No note.

The bedroom door is ajar. Crystal Brown always sleeps with the door closed to keep out drafts. Steph frowns.

It's probably nothing. It probably just came open on its own. She's just going to go check to make sure, like she used to when she was a kid and she needed to make sure it was only mom in the house.

She pushes the door the rest of the way open. Then she screams, even though all her training warns her that screaming will alert any remaining attacker to her presence.

She can't help it. She's not a superhero right now, she's just a daughter, staring at the one nightmare she never expected to be real.

Her mom's lifeless corpse keeps staring back. 

Steph's training finally kicks in. She presses the panic button on her comm reflexively. While she waits, she tries to analyze this like it's any other crime scene and not - not the one person she's never really let herself believe she could lose.

Crystal Brown is carefully tucked into the bed with the covers pulled up to her shoulders and her throat slit open. There's blood trailing down her neck onto the fleece comforter. 

On the pillow next to Crystal is a single owl feather.

Steph thinks about Cressida's glinting brooch and City Hall’s feathered stone columns.

Beware the Court of Owls. 

Dimly, she recalls the rest of the rhyme.

They'll send the Talon for your head.

Except they didn't come for Steph's head. They came for her mom. 

Chapter Text

Steph remembers the next few hours in flashes. Helena bundling her into her cloak and carrying her away from the scene. Zinda on the phone with the cops saying ‘I'm calling to report a homicide.’ Steph screaming into Helena's chest that she can't leave, can't let her mom be alone, can't keep going without her.

Cass helping her out of her Spoiler gear and into one of her oversized hoodies. Rose sharpening her swords in the doorway and only stopping when Steph beckons her over. The three of them in a blanket nest waiting to hear from Harper and trying-and-failing at not paying attention to any of Oracle's screens.

Most of them are still displaying protest footage. 

Operator - who's moved her base to the Clocktower for increased security - is quietly monitoring the protest from the main desk as the biggest screen moves between drone footage. The protest footage is partially obscured by Ivy's hedge of thorny protection, which opens of its own accord to allow Leslie's van to pass through before once again sealing the marchers behind the trembling leaves. Maybe the plants can sense intent.

Another screen shows the patrol routes and location of everyone in the field. Zinda's still over by Steph's place, which makes something in her hurt all over again. She should've stayed behind to help. Surely she owes her mom that much, especially since her heroics are what got Crystal Brown killed.

She unmasked in full view of the city. She stood face-to-face with Cressida Clarke and refused to back down. She chose the war over her mom again and again, and the war took her mom in turn.

This is Steph's fault. If she had just stopped at any point in the past thirty six hours to check in on her - on Crystal; if she had just thought about the consequences before she acted for once; if she hadn't - if she hadn't - would her mom still be alive now?

“Not your fault,” Cass pats her hand firmly.

“Look who's talking,” Steph tries to crack a smile. Her face doesn't respond.

Cass sighs. “Still. Not you. Owls.”

And there it is again. The Court of Owls with its sharp talons and ruling class society is supposed to be a myth, a rhyming game to scare children. It was never meant to be real.

Now it is.

Steph looks back at the patrol routes. Nightwing's blue iconography is moving rapidly across town; most of the Birds are clustered here or at the protest; Harper's electric blue is moving steadily closer to the Clocktower. She stares at it for a long time, willing her partner to be safe.

Oracle is swearing into the comms in the tone she reserves for Batman. “I don't care that they're not digitized. Get me your files on the Court of Owls. I know you have them. I know -”

The lights flicker and then Batman is standing at the center of the Clocktower. Oracle swears. Steph holds back a scream.

Batman glares around the room. “The Court of Owls is a myth.”

“Don't bullshit, Bats. It's a bad look,” says Dinah. “Crystal Brown -”

“Is dead because you provoked a response,” says the Bat. He looks directly at Steph as he says that. Rose shakes herself free of the blanket nest and stands between the two of them. She crosses her swords in front of her.

“No,” says Rose. “She's not. Want to try that again and use your inside voice this time?”

Cass signals for her to stop. Rose tilts her head and laughs. 

“I'm not moving till you either apologize or leave,” she looks over at Steph. “Your call, babes.”

Steph shakes her head numbly. “It's okay, Rose. It's just Batman. Let it go.”

“He's treating you like shit,” Rose snaps. 

“He's just Batman,” Steph repeats. “Let him speak.”

Rose sighs. “You hurt her any more than she's already hurting, I take your eye and finish what my father started.”

“Rose Worth. Xia,” Batman says. Rose flinches so hard she almost drops her swords. “Stand down.”

Rose doesn't look like she's anywhere close to backing down. She clutches her sword hilts tighter and bares her teeth. “You just made sure I can't.”

Harper appears in the doorway. They're wearing cutoff sweats and one of those muscle shirts Steph likes so much. Their hair is damp. They draw their tasergun and aim it squarely at the Bat. “Are we fighting Batman now? Is it that kinda emergency? Because I would've geared up more if I'd known.”

“No one is fighting Batman,” Oracle wheels between the Batman and Harper. She nods at Dinah, who moves in front of Rose. “Everyone is going to stand down, now, and we're going to trade information like grown ups.”

Harper reluctantly lowers their tasergun. Rose lets her swords hit the ground with a clatter.

Oracle sighs. “You too, Bruce.”

Batman glares at her, but he relaxes his stance slightly.

“Batman is Bruce Wayne?!” shouts a new voice. Cullen Row steps out from behind Harper, his eyes wide and his hair wild. He looks over at his sibling. “Did you know that?”

Harper nods. “It's part of Gotham vigilante orientation.”

“No, it isn't,” Batman turns his glare on them. “Who are you?”

“He’s my brother,” Harper says. “He's here because if someone is targeting our families, I can't leave him alone, and he didn't want to go to the protest this late.”

“Or at all,” says Cullen. “You have to know that's not going to work. Direct action needs to have, like, actual consequences and just camping outside City Hall doesn't do shit. Which you would know if you'd listened to any of the podcasts I sent you, they talked about this a lot.”

Harper sighs. This is a very well-trod argument. Steph's gotten caught in the middle of it before. 

Oracle presses her palm to her face. “Okay. I can work with this. Harper, take your brother to the guest room and make sure he stays there. Rose, hit the showers. Steph-”

“I'm staying,” says Steph firmly. “They killed my mom. I can't walk away now.”

“I'm not leaving her alone with him,’ Rose spits the words.

“She's not alone,” says Dinah. “She has us.”

Cass nods. She wraps her arms around Steph tightly and doesn't let go.

As soon as Harper, Rose, and Cullen are gone, Barbara turns back to Batman. “Now.”

Batman looks like he wants to argue the secret identity issue some more. Barbara glares at him. 

“Fine. But this isn't over,” he concedes. “What do you know about the original Court of Owls?”

“They were a secret society of wealthy speculators who operated during the 19th century,” Barbara says. “They seem to have employed local vigilantes as their personal assassins, whom they referred to as Talons. The initial version of the rhyme seems to have been in use around that time - references to it surface first in state folklore collections and newsprints from 1891. In the 1920s, with the dominance of the emerging mob, the society finally collapsed for good and its properties were taken by what would become the Falcones and the Bertinellis,” Barbara nods at Helena. 

“There were several attempts to restart the society after World War II as a sort of Gotham-flavored equivalent to the Freemasons, but none of them seem to have taken off, from what I could find. I suppose one of them must've gone underground and gained control of the City Council, but I can't find the records of it. I assume you have them?” she finishes.

Batman shakes his head slowly. “The postwar attempt did fail. As did all other attempts until the mid-eighties, when the society reformed with the backing of several influential Gothamites who were then able to gain control of the City Council, which they have held to this day.”

“You knew this, but you didn't fight them. Why?” Dinah asks what they're all thinking.

“I’ve tried,” Batman begins. Barbara raises her eyebrows. Batman sighs. “It wasn't just any influential Gothamites. It was Thomas Wayne.”

“Go on,” there's a dangerous edge in Barbara's voice.

“My father was a complicated man,” Batman sighs. “But he loved this city, and he believed that love came with certain responsibilities. A noblesse oblige. After his alliance with the Falcones failed to bring the peace he sought, he broke with them and forged a society of like-minded wealthy families seeking to restore Gotham to her former glory. This alliance became the modern-day Court of Owls. I had hoped that the quake, following on the plague and the flood as quickly as it did, would be enough to break their hold on Gotham for good. Then I thought the Wayne Foundation, Mayor Nakano, and the Commissioner would be enough to check their influence as the city rebuilt. I thought wrong.”

“Clearly,” says Barbara. Batman dips his head. 

“I ought to have brought this to your attention sooner,” Batman says. “Perhaps if I had you would not have acted so rashly. I had a plan in place to slowly erode their power and then strike. Instead, you have played directly into their hands.”

“Or perhaps you should've stood with us from the beginning,” says Dinah. “This is what the League is for, Bats. This is what we're meant to be.”

“Then it will be on your head,” says Batman. “On all of your heads. Call off the protest. Turn off the livestream. Do not allow this to escalate any further.”

“Escalate, instigate, ignore,” Cass mouths softly. It's Dinah's chant from the protest. She's right. They didn't escalate this, they didn't instigate this, and they sure as hell won't ignore it now.

Barbara shakes her head. “This is bigger than us now, Bruce. Even if we let it go, do you think the Narrows will? Do you really think they'd all just walk away? I became Oracle so that no one would ever have to be alone in the dark. I'm not about to leave them there now.”

“So be it,” says Batman. Then he's gone.

Barbara sighs. “Operator, watch the comms. Dinah, I'm taking five. Join me?”

Dinah grabs her kombucha and follows her girlfriend out of the room.

“Nightwing, this is Operator,” says Frankie into the comms. “Um, no, she's fine. I think she and Canary went to go make out.”

“They do that,” says Helena helpfully.

Rose slips back into the room. She's changed into a silky pink tank top and a fresh pair of jeans. She smells like weed and the Clocktower’s jasmine bodywash. She takes a seat next to Steph and leans her head on her shoulder.

“Lillian Worth,” Rose says softly. “She was my mother. She called me Xia. She was a Hmong prostitute in Vietnam when she met him. Slade. For the first ten years of my life, he didn't know. When he found out, he came for her. For me. No one has called me Xia since.”

“I could,” Cass begins. Rose just shakes her head.

“Your turn,” Rose tells Steph.

“Crystal was - my mom was - she loved me,” Steph finishes finally. “She didn't always do it right, but she loved me, you know?”

“I do,” Cass holds Steph close.

Harper finds the three of them curled up together a few minutes later and crawls into the blanket nest beside them. Steph nestles underneath their chin and they pat her hair softly, rhythmically. 

I'm here. It's okay. You're safe. I'm here.

***

Steph jolts awake to find gray light peering through the Clocktower windows. She's at the center of a cuddle pile with her partners, and it takes careful effort to climb out without waking them, but she manages it somehow.

My mom is dead. It hits her abruptly across the face.

Suddenly, she needs to be doing something. She needs to be somewhere else, somewhere that isn't true.

Nightwing is perched on the nearest desk eating cornflakes in chocolate milk. They've thrown sweats on over their uniform. Their hair is braided down their back. “You good? Oh, dumb question. Of course not. Sorry. Dick Grayson.”

“I know,” Steph says. She looks over at Rose, and then back to Nightwing. There's something she needs to say here, but she wants to be careful how she says it. “Thank you for getting her out. She doesn't really talk about it, but it means a lot to her. I don't - I don't think anyone had ever helped her before.”

Dick smiles. “That's the job, isn't it? Helping people who don't otherwise get the help they need. The kicking ass is just a nice bonus. The people are what matters.”

Steph nods. “Except when I try it, people get killed.”

Dick sighs. “I'm not the person you want to talk your way out of an unhealthy guilt complex, I've been trying with B for years. Feel whatever you gotta feel, just…don't be like B about it.”

Steph nods. Don't be like Batman about it isn't bad advice. She'll take it for now.

“I want to go back to the protest,” she says. 

“Cool,” says Dick easily. “I'm headed over there in a bit. Walls and Linda are bringing the twins. I think Walls also has a small army with him, or at least that's what it sounded like when he called from the motel.”

“Why is he staying at a motel?” Steph asks. Bart had mentioned something about that yesterday, she remembers.

“It wouldn't be fair of us to try to house two seven year olds with superspeed here or at the camp,” Dick says easily. “My niblings are about several handfuls.”

Steph absorbs this. Something occurs to her. “Bart said you and Wally used to date?”

“If you're asking if I'm in a polycule with my lifelong best friend and his beautiful wife, I'm not going to answer that,” Dick says easily. Steph decides that's enough of an answer and goes back to thinking about the protest.

“I want to go as Spoiler,” she says finally. “I know that's what got my mom killed, but I have to show them I'm still in the fight. I can't let them take this from me.”

She expects them to argue with her. Instead, they just wink and say. “Sounds like you better suit up.”

***

Steph pulls her hair into a messy ponytail and considers her face in the mirror. Her eyes are visibly red and she has tear tracks on her face that linger even after she rinses it off. She has makeup here at the Clocktower for emergencies but this doesn't feel like something she should cover up.

Let them see that she's hurting. Let them see that all it's done is make her fight harder. Let them know that the spectacular Spoiler, Stephanie Brown, is coming for them.

She's not backing down. She's going to keep fighting - for herself and the Narrows and now, for her mom, too. 

She mouths ‘when the Narrows mourns’ at the mirror and her reflection grins back readily. When Steph cries, she wants the Owl Court to weep.

Chapter Text

Steph stops by the blanket nest to say goodbye and good morning to her girlfriends before she goes. Cass is still asleep - Barbara took one look at her after they got back and ordered her to take a full day off active duty. Knowing Cass, she'll be awake and arguing that decision in a few hours. Right now she's resting quietly in Rose's lap. 

Rose is smoking a joint and staring contemplatively out the Clocktower window. She looks very far away. Steph recognizes it as Rose’s personal version of the post-vision expression she's used to seeing on Nia. She crouches next to her. “Bad dream?”

Rose shrugs. “Are there any other kinds?”

Steph waits. Rose will share when she's ready and not before. She isn't like Nia, who usually seems to be desperately overflowing with the need to have her visions heard, acknowledged, believed. Rose locks them in her chest where she stores her deepest hurts and most genuine feelings and releases them in sharp, barbed asides. She looks like she's trying to think of one now.

“You know,” says Steph gently. “You can just tell me things. Not everything has to be iconic.”

“Where's the fun in that, babes?” Rose says, but she sighs and says. “I need to apologize.”

It's the first time Steph's heard those words from Rose in awhile. Maybe ever, come to think of it. “For what?”

“I saw you find your mom a few minutes before you sent the alert,” Rose says. “Couldn't figure out the best way to warn you so I just…I'm sorry.”

Steph wraps her arms around Rose's neck. “I wouldn't have done anything differently if you had.”

All she would've done was insist that it couldn't be true and barge in to see for herself. Steph does have some self-awareness. She just usually chooses not to listen to it.

Rose looks like she wants to object, but she sighs instead. “Would you do today differently if I told you how it ends?”

Steph thinks about it. “No. I've made my choices.”

“Then I'll be there when it counts,” Rose promises. 

“I wouldn't expect anything else,” Steph says. She leans over to kiss Rose. 

Rose presses her lips hungrily into Steph's, like if she makes it last for long enough she can protect them both from whatever she saw today. Maybe she can. Steph has learned not to underestimate Rose Wilson.

Cass blinks up at them sleepily and smiles. “L-love you.”

Steph kisses her forehead gently. Cass’s lips find hers in return. Their kiss is brief. Their kiss is everything.

“I love you too,” Steph looks back at Rose and adds. “And you.”

Rose presses a kiss to Steph's hairline. She says nothing. She doesn't have to - Steph already knows.

***

Raised voices drift out of the guest room. Harper and Cullen must be arguing again. Steph sighs. She wants to kiss Harper before she goes, but she's not sure she feels up to dealing with Cullen’s shit this morning. She thinks about the sad conviction in Rose's voice when she talked about today ending, and decides she doesn't want to risk an ending without a Harper kiss.

She pulls herself to her feet and follows the voices into the room.

“I'm just saying, if Batman is Bruce Wayne why does he need you around?” Cullen is arguing. “He could hire a whole private army to police Gotham instead of - instead of stealing my sister to do it for him. Does he even pay you or is it all unpaid alienated labor?”

“I am just about done having this conversation with you,” Harper says. “Can you please turn off the podcast for one second and listen to me? I'm not working for Batman, I'm fighting for us. For our home.”

“Maybe I don't want you to fight for me. Maybe I just want you to be here,” Cullen sounds like he's about to cry.

“I will be,” Harper promises. “I will always be here.”

They spot Steph in the doorway. Relief floods their face. “But right now, I'm going to go protest with my girlfriend and you're going to stay right here and-”

“I'll come with you,” Cullen blurts. “You need someone to watch your back. That's my job.”

Steph almost joins the argument then and there, because she already has Harper's back. Harper shakes their head slightly. Steph nods.

“No,” Harper snaps at Cullen. Their tone is much more parent than sibling now. There's no room for argument. “It isn't. Your job is to stay out of danger and try not to break anything. That's all.”

Cullen shrinks back and puts his earbuds in. He scowls over at Steph. “You better not let anything happen to them.”

“Wouldn't dream of it,” Steph says seriously. Harper pulls their Bluebird jacket and tasergun strap over their muscle shirt and tactical pants. The shirt reads ‘100% THAT BITCH’ in electric blue lettering. Steph needs to kiss them now.

Cullen rolls his eyes. “Ohmygod, do not start making out right now. I don’t need to see that.”

“So don't watch.” Harper steps out of the room, grabbing Steph's hand and bringing her with them in the process.

“Morning, baby,” they say softly. Their hair is even more disheveled than usual. Steph reaches up to pat it and ends up scratching at their shaved undercut. Harper kisses them fast and hard. Steph smiles as they reach down to hoist her up, without ever breaking the kiss. Steph wraps her arms around their waist. They spin her around and press her against the wall. Steph finds their lip piercing and bites down hard. Harper moans into the kiss. Steph bites harder. Harper squeezes her ass into the wall and kisses her back with desperate, tender desire. 

“Morning,” Steph says when they come up for air.

“Ready to go burn it down?” Harper grins.

“With you?” Steph grins back. “Always.”

Harper sets her down gently. They head out, Steph tucked safely under Harper's muscled arm.

***

Rose is waiting by the door with Nightwing when they get there, both of them trading hits off another joint.

“Heard from Tara,” Nightwing is saying. “She's still on the Squad but says she'll bust out and kick his ass if we need her. Nothing from Joey yet. Deb's in rehab again. KC’s in a monastery. Amy told me to stop calling and trust her for once.”

“If Joey gets back with him after Etienne I'm kicking his ass,” Rose mutters. “But thanks for checking.”

“Of course,” Dick puts a hand on her shoulder. “We look out for each other. It's who we are.”

“You know it'll probably be someone new,” Rose sighs. “He's predictable like that.”

“And then it'll be your turn to give the speech,” Dick says easily.

“Right,” Rose finishes off the joint and tucks the remainder into one of her pockets. She shakes off Dick's hand. “Because I'm so good at that.”

“You're so much better than you think you are, Rose Worth,” Dick says gently. It doesn't escape any of their notice that Dick doesn't use her father's name for her - they use her mother's.

“They're right, baby,” Harper slings their other arm around her shoulder. “You're the best.”

Rose blushes. She wraps herself around Harper and presses a kiss to their cheek. “Come back safe, babes. Please.”

“I'll make sure they both do,” Dick says easily. 

The three of them step out the door. When Steph looks back to wave at Rose, she's struck by how sad her expression is. Whatever she saw this morning must still be haunting her. Steph wonders if she should've made her say it, and then she wonders if it matters.

The future isn't set. They have the power to prevent bad dreams from becoming reality. Steph has to keep believing that.

***

The protest smells like weed and sweat and Ivy's flowering hedges when Steph arrives, in costume, with the sword Rose gave her sheathed in her belt.

The hedges part. They enter. More people keep arriving - a surge of excited college students from Burnside who’ve been reading theory voraciously since the quake; groups of Narrows people who've just gotten off shift and caught up on the news; people from across the city emboldened by their actions.

Steph and Harper linger by the main entrance as Dick drifts off to call Wally. Harper hits their vape idly. Steph watches the crowd; she loses track of the new names and faces quickly. 

Holly Robinson, standing next to the hedge entrance and giving people quick, deliberate, once-overs, does not. Karen stands next to her, surveying people with her X-ray vision and pointing out any carefully hidden badges or fire materials. Then she, along with the almost-definitely-sentient hedge, removes anyone Holly points out from the premises

“I never forget a face,” Holly reminds Steph quietly. “Some people need to stay away.”

“Undercover cops hate this one weird trick,” Karen is less circumspect.

“I'm more worried about clowns,” Holly says, still quiet. “The cops we can plan for.”

“And the Talons?” It slips out without her meaning to say, and then she's sobbing out the story to Holly and Karen as the hedge closes behind them and Harper pats her back.

“We'll take the fight as it comes. We always do,” says Holly, but she looks genuinely worried. It takes Steph a minute to realize Holly is worried about her, not the Talons.

“I'm okay,” Steph says hurriedly. 

“You don't have to be,” Holly pats her shoulder.

“I know,” says Steph. “But I want to be strong for her.”

“You already are,” Holly assures her. Karen hands her the heart-shaped glasses and Steph takes them without a thought. They don't fully hide the tears, but they make them less noticeable and right now that's something she needs.

“And I'll be strong for you,” Harper kisses Steph's cheek softly. Steph leans into the touch.

You're already strong. Steph isn't sure about that, but she knows she wants to be. She knows she's trying. She just hopes she's enough for whatever's coming. With Harper standing next to her, she thinks she just might be - together, they are infinite.

***

Steph and Harper drift through the camp, following the chatter and the echoes of voices until they finds Jo at the center of the crowd. They take up positions next to Nia, who waves at them excitedly. Someone has painted rainbow hearts on her cheeks, and people have added heartfelt slogans and graffiti tags to the trans flag she's still using as a cape.

“I have had four cups of coffee,” Nia says. “Which is not a lot, but it's still morning.”

Jo does the Cat's Shadow and the crowd goes still. Jo is also in costume, although hers is all black and designed to obscure every facet of her identity - sunglasses, beanie, bandana, black clothes. Her engagement ring is covered by her gloves, but she holds her left hand close to her heart anyway, like she's protecting it. Like she's protecting Alysia, who doesn't seem to be there today.

It makes sense. Alysia works as a station chef and can't always give as much of herself to the fight as she'd like to. Jo does some sort of remote work that lets her fill in for both of them.

“Two days ago, we collectively read the names of the Narrows dead,” Jo shouts. Operator's drones hover nearby, picking up every shift in her voice. “Those names are still being broadcast on every advertisement screen in this city!”

Someone starts up the ‘ALL OF GOTHAM WEEPS’ chant. Jo holds up a hand for silence. “Today, I have another list of names for you. They are responsible for the Purge of the Narrows, they are under active investigation by the Justice League, they are our city government officials and we will not leave this encampment so long as even one of them remains in office:

JOHN WYCLIFFE

LEONID KULL

MARIA POWERS

HAMILTON HILL

ROLAND WORTH 

ARTHUR REEVES

DANIEL DICKERSON 

DONALD WEBSTER 

SEBASTIAN HARDY

AUBREY JAMES

PRESCOTT BELMONT

MARSHALL ROLAND

“These are the members of the Gotham City Council. The blood of the Narrows - our blood - is on their hands! We demand resignation! We demand investigation! We demand recognition! We are the Narrows, and we will not be ignored! No response without responsibility!”

The crowd takes up the chant. Steph joins in. 

‘NO RESPONSE WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY’

Take responsibility, Steph thinks fiercely. Take accountability. For Gotham, for the Narrows, for my mom.

It's becoming her own private chant, one she repeats to herself internally between the others. She's not ready to share it yet. She hopes she will be soon. Her mom deserves that much. She deserves that much. When Steph touches her cheeks she realizes she's crying again. She doesn't bother trying to hide the tears. This is a space for shared grief as well as shared purpose. This is a space where she doesn't have to hide the hurt.

For Gotham, for the Narrows, for my mom, Crystal Brown.

***

They don't have to wait long for a City Hall response this time. The cops form a new line around the protest camp starting at the base of City Hall. They raise up riot shields and lock them together.

Chatter begins on the Birds-and-Sirens comms as Oracle, Diana, and Ivy form their response. In the protest camp today are four Amazons, Powergirl, Azrael, Steph and Harper, as well as Holly and Ivy. Huntress is covering the daytime patrols, Canary is in the Clocktower to rest and coordinate with her partner, and Holly apparently point-blank ordered Selina to rest.

Canary: Pam, get to wherever you need to be to defend the hedge. 

Ivy: I can do that best from the center of the root system.

Diana: Amazons, form a perimeter. 

Oracle: PG?

Powergirl: On it. Up up and away, as they say.

A minute later, she takes to the skies. Holly and Azrael go to fill gaps in the perimeter.

Canary: Spoiler, Bluebird, guard the speakers. They’ll try to target the perceived leaders first.

Bluebird: Steph is a lead.

Canary: Then your job is to protect Steph, 🐦 

Bluebird: On it.

Steph takes up a position next to Jo. Harper stands at her side. “Do you feel safe, baby?”

“So, so safe,” Steph says. Harper presses a kiss to her lips. She grins.

The announcement goes out to clear the area. On social media, there's a second announcement: Special Assistant Cressida Clarke is about to give a press conference. There's speculation she's going to declare a state of emergency. 

Oracle: They're trying to override my preemptive software.

Operator: Can they do that?

Oracle: They can try.

A chant begins.

‘WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE’

‘WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE' 

‘WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE' 

Sirens start to go off. The cops look like they're prepping something. Victoria appears next to Steph, trailed by a bleary-eyed Claire in a lab coat and an almost-manic Nia on her eighth cup of coffee. She's handing out goggles, ear plugs, and masks. “Help me get these to as many people as you can. That was a direct challenge and we already know how they feel about that.”

Steph shivers. She does know, as well as anyone here. She challenged them, and they took her home. The protest challenged them, and now they want to make it go away.

“They want to clean all this up and make it look good for their cameras,” mutters Anarky, stumbling out of their tent with their mask crooked and their jacket unbuttoned. Miracle follows on crutches, leaning over to hit the joint Anarky holds out to them. 

“Good thing we have cameras of our own,” Miracle's grin is fierce.

“That's not all you've got,” says a new voice.

The Flash runs into view, trailed by Impulse, Kid Quick, and a group of the friendlier Rogues in combat gear with the twins in costume on their shoulders. Then comes the Arrows - Green and Red; an Atlantean delegation made up of Tempest, and Aqualad on a crested wave; several Green Lanterns, a Martian, and the lone Star Sapphire; Black Lightning, his daughters, Rocket, and Steel from Metropolis; Shazam and Mary Marvel on a bolt of lightning; Zatanna in a glimmering magic sphere; the two Hawkwomen flying wing-in-wing; the current roster of Titans led by Robin in a new black and red costume, complete with the new Blue Beetle and a blonde female archer Steph thinks might be Cassie's Arrowette; Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Kate Godwin from the Doom Patrol; the invisible jet deposits Black Canary, Huntress, Rose, Batgirl, Lady Blackhawk, and the Question; and then, rounding out the group, Superman, descends from the sky to land at the front of the protests.

“Holy shit,” Anarky breathes.

“I'll say this for the Justice League,” Leslie mutters. “They sure know how to make an entrance.”

There's a stunned silence followed by a cascade of overlapping cheers and chants. 

‘JUSTICE! JUSTICE! JUSTICE!’

It isn't everyone - Batman is glaringly absent, and Steph can come up with a few other missing faces if she tries (Starfire, who's in deep space, Raven, who she thinks might actually be dead right now) - but otherwise it's the full active roster of heroes, standing between the protestors and the incoming cops. 

They showed up for us, Steph thinks. She's not sure she really believed they would. But they showed up for Gotham. They showed up for the Narrows. They showed up for my mom.

“Take that, Cressida!” Steph screams, with all the fury and grief and joy in her body. “You owls are fucked now!”

Chapter Text

Every screen in Gotham is playing the Justice League’s triumphant entrance. The protestors are so loud Steph can no longer make out her own screaming voice in the crowd. Nia jumps up and down, her flag cape flapping with the motion. Harper keeps their hand on the small of Steph's back through all the commotion, and when Steph looks up she sees that their cheeks are a new shade of pink. She leans up to press a kiss to their lips and then they're kissing at the center of the protest as the world changes around them.

Harper's joy is Steph's new favorite taste. It tastes like relief and anticipation and her own smeared lipgloss. It tastes like hope.

“I love you,” Steph breathes. Harper's response is inaudible under the noise, but she knows it's there. She kisses them again. 

Cass and Rose find them and join in without words. They are here, and they are in love, and they are the future they're fighting for. The kiss grows, open mouthed, until the crowd starts up the Strays chant and they pause the makeout to raise their Cat's Shadows high.

Rose tosses one of her swords to Nia and Nia lifts it into the air, illuminating it with her dream light. The glow ripples around them, transforming the five of them into a beacon of a more just queer future. 

Bart runs a circle around them, and Nia tosses him the still-glowing sword.

“Ohmygod you made me a lightsaber! You guys are so cool!” He runs around the full protest, sword in hand, making it back before the glow can fully fade.

The crowd roars the last lines of the chant and every hero joins in.

‘THERE WILL ALWAYS BE STRAYS’

‘THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A NARROWS’

‘AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE JUSTICE’

Steph looks between her partners and her two best friends, seeing her own mingled defiance and joy reflected on their faces. She touches her cheeks and finds she's crying tears again.

Superman clears his throat. The world goes silent as he begins reading, once again, the list of the Narrows dead. His voice is aching, as if Superman himself mourns every single name. He's holding a familiar-looking notebook, Steph realizes. 

Clark did say he missed Superman as a voice for justice.

Something occurs to her and she grabs for Bart's shoulder. He looks back at her 

“Crystal Brown,” she says. “He needs to say Crystal Brown.”

Bart’s eyes go soft with understanding. He hands the glowing sword back to Nia and runs for the front.

Superman keeps reading. Bart approaches him in a blur of nearly-invisible light.

The fastest boy alive, Steph thinks proudly. 

“Crystal Brown,” Superman finishes the list with Steph's mom's name. “Who bravely treated the victims of the Purge, only to be murdered in her own home after. We honor Crystal's actions and her life today, as we honor all of the Narrows dead who lived and lost in the cold nights and long days.”

The tears are flowing down Steph's cheeks now. She's not the only one. Cass, Harper, and Nia are openly crying and Rose's lone eye is watery and red.

“They deserve truth, justice, and a better tomorrow, and today I promise you - all of you - that we will live to see tomorrow. The truth will be brought to light, justice will be done in Gotham City, and we will create a brighter tomorrow,” Superman says. 

“Thank you,” he finishes awkwardly.

Cressida takes the stage at the front of City Hall. The assembled press glance awkwardly between the two groups as if unsure who they should be questioning.

The screens around downtown crackle. 

‘ASK THE COUNCIL IF HAVE ANY ANSWER TO THIS’ 

The words flash across the screen, followed by the Oracle logo in the colors of the progress pride flag. The overlay fades into a cascade of found footage from security cameras, traffic lights, bat cowls, and phone videos of Purge night. 

“We have a high crime rate,” Cressida's dismissive voice begins over the video. The images play on, overlapping the assistant's conversation with the Amazon delegation. “That would be a serious accusation, if true.”

The videos keep playing. Steph feels herself being pulled back viscerally into the memory of that night. She sways slightly. Harper pulls her into their arms. “It's okay, baby. I got you. You're here with me.”

The audio switches to the decriminalization conference. It plays Leslie's group's questions in full, along with Nakano's dismissal. When Gordon says the words ‘co-attackers,’ the resolution text flashes across the screen with those same words highlighted. The message is clear: Gordon's resignation isn't enough of a response. The City Council has to answer for their actions.

Oracle's text flashes agreement as the video ends.

‘WE DEMAND TRUTH. 

WE DEMAND JUSTICE. 

WE DEMAND A BRIGHTER TOMORROW. 

WE ARE THE NARROWS.

THE WORLD STANDS WITH US.’

The Oracle logo flashes again and the screen fills with a montage of the protests, the chants, the speeches, the grief. It's soundtracked by Canary's singing.

Before I lose my courage

Take my little bit of faith

Steph mouths along to the words. Around her, the crowd begins to sing along.

Now all I know is don't go, don't leave

Let's fight it out, come back to grieve

The camera begins playing a final montage of news clips, social media threads, and supportive vigils in other cities. Steph had no idea this many people cared what happened here in Gotham. She clutches her partner's arms and reminds herself to breathe.

“Did you know this was happening?” she asks Harper. Harper shakes their head.  

Nia shouts “that's my sister!’ when the screen shows a clip of the Metropolis Solidarity March and then claps a hand over her mouth in case anyone else heard. She doesn't need to worry - even Steph couldn't tell which of the marchers she meant. 

“They fight,” Cass breathes. There's a wonder in her voice. “They fight for us.”

Steph remembers suddenly that Cass was homeless on the streets of Gotham during the worst of No Man's Land. She has even less reason to expect people to show up for this city than Steph and Harper. Steph nods at Rose, and Rose pulls Cass into a hug as the Batgirl's entire body shakes.

Let this be a vigil and not a wake

Let this be a vigil and not a wake 

The video closes out. All of the screens are now showing City Hall. The security detail attempts to usher Cressida into the building and she shrugs them off as she takes the stage.

“Talk about a tough act to follow,” Cressida smiles. No one laughs. “I was sent here today to receive your terms in hopes that we could reach a civil agreement. I see now that there is no reasoning with this. You gather here in a show of force to demand that the democratically elected government of this city stand aside and allow anarchy to reign unchallenged. That will not stand. Gotham City deserves justice, but it must be a justice of law, of civility, and of compromise. There can be no justice when radicals, criminals, and people with no understanding of this city or their own actions flood our streets and hijack our airwaves to spread lies and disunity. There can be no justice when crime and disorder defy our duely chosen officials. There can be no justice when -”

“Shut the fuck up,” yells someone Steph thinks might be Shoes. The marchers take it up gladly.

‘SHUT THE FUCK UP

SHUT THE FUCK UP

SHUT THE FUCK UP’

Security moves to flank Cressida on every side. She shouts into the microphone. “The Council moves to place Gotham under curfew. Go home, all of you. You may return when you can respect our city's executive decisions and act in the interest of civil compromise and not before. If your grievance is valid, you should make your point without threats, felonies, and riots.”

“Riots,” Steph hears Anarky mouth. “You haven't seen the riots yet.”

From somewhere nearby, Alysia agrees. “Yeah, I was on the ground after the quake. This is nothing like that.”

Steph privately agrees. After the quake was turf wars and food theft and every-man-for-himself smash and grab. This is better. This is everyone for each other and shared food and a united city.

This is everything she's fighting for.

“Congratulations Barbara,” Batman's growl rings out over the comms. “You've just instigated a riot.”

“It’s the movement of the people, Bats,” says Oliver Queen easily. “Better get on board.”

“Not helping,” Dinah calls into the comms. “If you boys haven't noticed, we're a little busy here.”

The riot cops shift awkwardly against each other. A few of them tap their shields against the ground. They keep looking up at the League and muttering to each other like this isn't how they expected their day to go. 

At the front of the protest, Superman is hovering a few feet off the ground. He stares down at the cops with his best ‘I’m not mad I'm just disappointed’ smile. 

“What're they gonna do? It's fucking Superman,” Anarky still sounds a little shocked at the turn of events.

“Whole damn league,” Miracle grins.

“Whole damn league,” Anarky's smile is audible through their mask. They put their arm across Miracle's shoulders. Miracle takes their hand and squeezes it. 

The curfew attack sirens go off. Several people nearby start crying - Steph doesn't blame them. These are still Narrows people at their core, and ever since Purge night the Sirens mean something different to them. That night the sirens went off over and over as the attacks went on. 

Steph suspects Cressida's people know that. This is too targeted for them not to. Fucking owls, she thinks.

Someone starts up the ‘we’re not going anywhere’ chant. Someone else is playing a Steely Dan song nearby. Victoria October and Claire are handing stacks of gas masks, goggles, and ear plugs to the speedsters to distribute. 

A single cop tosses a concussive grenade at the crowd. Superman catches it in his hand. The pieces clatter to the ground. He smiles and beckons at the cops as if to say ‘who’s next?’ 

Several of the nearest riot cops drop their shields and run for it. The Flash catches each of the shields before they fall and lowers them each to the ground gently.

“Okay, now you're just showing off,” Nightwing says into the comms.

“The words you're looking for are ‘setting a good example for my kids,’ but yes,” Wally West answers. Steph can hear Dick rolling their eyes in the comm silence that follows.

Wonder Woman steps forward, sword in one hand and the other outstretched. She looks like a statue of justice come to life. “I ask you now to stand down. We do not come to make threats, but we will bleed in the defense of these people. Will you?”

The riot squad sounds the retreat. They push back to City Hall and form a wall along the steps.

“Now what?” Rose mutters into the comms.

“Now we ready ourselves,” Diana answers. “The true fight has yet to begin.”

***

‘Readying themselves’ means more strategizing, more tent pitching, more music, and more of Hank's terrible too-strong coffee. It means Harper draping their jacket over Steph for warmth while they huddle together in the big tent listening to Black Lightning, Diana, and Canary trading strategy with Leslie, Anarky, and Selina. It means cheering on Rose as she tries and largely fails to teach Bart, Shoes, and Nia how to hold a sword (Shoes gets the highest grade - that kid is full of surprises). It means watching as Cass climbs to the top of the nearest building with Nightwing to drop a banner that reads ‘NARROWS STRONG’ from its roof.

It also means Steph making out with Harper in the back of the tent and distracting Rose from her swordplay with a kiss and being distracted in turn when Cass flips off the building and lands by her side to kiss her softly. She's just really gay, okay? She's decided that counts as part of the protest. The Owls want them to vanish into their respective hiding places and let them run the city with impunity, let them hurt people without consequence.

The League - Steph included for the moment - isn't going to let that happen. Steph is going to be as loud and bright and visibly purple as she needs to be to keep her people safe.

She just hopes they’ll all be enough.

The night is growing dark and cold. Steph wraps her own cloak and Harper's jacket tighter around her. Someone knocks into her. She turns. It's one of the college students from Gotham U, a brunette girl wearing an oversized pink sweater and jeans. 

“You're Stephanie Brown,” she says. Her eyes narrow. “The Spoiler.”

“That's me,” Steph nods. She unmasked for good reason, but it's still strange to be this recognizable. Bats are creatures of the shadows. They're not meant to be seen and known by the people they're protecting, they're meant to inspire cryptic fear. But Steph hasn't been a bat in a long time, and she won't be made to regret the decisions that brought her out of hiding. 

“I didn't get your name,” she says.

“Alexis,” the girl blinks at her. “It's Alexis. I'm new.”

Steph feels a momentary discomfort. She pushes it away. She holds out her hand. “We're glad you're here.”

*Wouldn't miss it,” Alexis grins. “Not when it's just about to get interesting. Can you believe how many heroes showed up for this? I didn't think anything less than an apocalypse would bring them all together in one place like this. I'm glad to be wrong. The League can be a powerful force for change if they want to be.”

“For good,” Steph corrects halfheartedly. It's not that Alexis is wrong, exactly. It's just that something about the way she talks makes Steph want to start a fight. “They're a force for good.”

“That's what I said,” Alexis pushes her ill-fitting glasses up above her nose. “A very, very powerful force for good.”

Steph hopes Alexis is right. Watching the League arrive today - watching Oracle's video - watching the cops break and run - is the most real hope she's felt since before the quake.

She wants that hope to keep growing. As her partners wave her over to join them in Cass’s tent, she thinks it just might. 

She drifts over to the tent. Harper pulls her through the flaps for a kiss. Cass climbs into her lap. Rose leans over to kiss all three of them in quick succession, and Steph lets herself relax the rest of the way.

Chapter Text

Steph wakes to the sounds of people. Music from both speakers and guitars drifts through the camp. There's an argument about sports of all things going on a few tents down, overlapping with another one about the upcoming federal elections. Steph gathers that the Gotham Knights are having a bad season and there's no clear forerunner for the presidency.

“Not that it matters,” someone is saying. “The federal government didn't give a damn about us during the quake, why should we care what they do now?”

“Fair enough,” the other person says. Their voice gets thoughtful. “There's a rumor Oliver Queen is considering a third party run.”

“That rumor's almost old enough to drink,” the first one dismisses the idea. That's an exaggeration - Oliver Queen's political career is still in its first decade - but Steph isn't about to join the argument just to be pedantic. She's not that bored.

There's a nearby snore. Steph glances down at her partners. Cass is curled up in Stephanie's hooded cloak, warm and soft and here. Rose is asleep by the tent flap, her swords at her side. She looks unusually peaceful like this. They both do. 

Steph's heart swells. She gets up quietly. She doesn't want to wake either of them, but she thinks she'd like to be kissed right about now and Harper is nowhere in sight. That means they're awake, which makes them her best bet at getting a wake-up kiss.

Steph creeps out of the tent, shivering in her uncloaked purple costume. She wanders through the music and weed smoke and tent paths, careful to avoid the patches of wildflowers that have sprung up wherever Ivy's stood.

The sun is peeking over the horizon like it can't decide whether to rise or not. In the meantime, it's a drizzly, cool Gotham dawn that's turning into a damp, cold morning. Steph's costume is weather protected, but her face isn't. Her cheeks feel a chill. The wind whips her hair around her face and she pauses to pull her hair back. It doesn't want to cooperate. She swears under her breath.

“Hey baby,” Harper appears out of nowhere, sipping on a bottle of berry gatorade. “Need a hand?”

Steph holds her hair-tie out to them. They move closer to take it, standing so they're blocking the worst of the wind from hitting her. They pull her hair through the ponytail holder a couple tugs, tug it gently to tighten it, and press a soft kiss to her hairline as they finish. Steph makes a happy noise and leans her head against their chest. Harper shifts slightly to hold her closer and the wind hits her in a rush. She shivers.

“Sorry, baby,” they strip out of their Bluebird jacket and wrap it around Steph's shoulder in a single fluid motion. Underneath, they're wearing a cutoff shirt that reads ‘FEMME BAIT.’

Accurate, Steph thinks. 

“Feel better now?” Harper places their hands on her shoulders and draws her in slowly. 

Steph rests her hands on their chest and bites her lower lip. She nods. She wants to kiss them now. She wants them to kiss her. She can tell they want that too.

Harper licks their own lips contemplatively, then they pause and hold up the gatorade. “They had your favorite.”

Steph makes an inquisitive noise. Harper holds the drink to her lips and she tilts her head up for a quick kiss before she takes a long, thirsty sip. Berry anything is her favorite taste, but she likes it best with Harper's kiss lingering on her lips. Harper smiles.

They reach into the jacket pocket for their vape, their fingers brushing over her racing heart. They take a short puff. This close, Steph can taste their berry mint breath. She licks her lips. Harper laughs softly. Slowly, they press a kiss to the top of Steph's head, then to her forehead, then down her cheekbones before once again reaching her lips.

“Hi,” Steph breathes. “I missed you this morning.”

Harper leans their forehead against Steph's so that they're sharing a breath, just close enough that Steph can touch her lips to theirs whenever she feels like it. Her pulse feels like it's spiking but Steph has never been more calm.

“I missed you too, baby,” Harper cradles her head with their hands, sliding Steph's ponytail into their hands. They twine Steph's hair through their calloused fingers. Steph moans. She kisses them quickly, her tongue finding their lip ring with practiced ease. They have each other memorized by now, have quickly learned the shape of each other's bodies so well that it feels like they've been doing this for years.

Harper dips their head to kiss along Steph's collarbone. Steph lets out a sharp, short breath that turns into a yawn. Harper hesitates. Steph presses a kiss to the top of their bent head. Harper makes a contented noise that melts Steph completely. She scrapes her short nails along their shoulders and back as their mouth moves to the exposed skin above her costume neckline. Harper bites down, their lip ring scraping at Steph's throat. She moans into the kisses as her hands reach under their shirt and clutches at their chest. 

Harper's hands find Steph's chin and tilt her face to theirs. Their tongue grazes the roof of Steph's mouth. She digs her fingers into their chest trying to get closer, closer, closer. 

“You're gonna be the death of me,” Harper breathes against her lips.

“Impossible,” Steph says lightly. Her hands move to Harper's hips and draw them into hers. She presses a short kiss to their jawline. It turns into a series of kisses, Steph pressing her lips to every bit of their much-loved face, her tongue lingering on each of their piercings. “You have to live forever.”

“Forever,” Harper agrees as they come up for air. They say it like they mean ‘I love you,’ and Steph blushes Spoiler purple.

“I love you too,” she says softly. Harper puts their finger under her chin and draws their lips back together. Steph grins into the kiss. Harper Row is a damn good kisser. Steph isn't so bad herself. They fit together perfectly. She wants this to last forever.

***

They're sitting against Ivy's hedge when Rose finds them, trading occasional silent kisses back and forth comfortably. Harper's hair is visibly ruffled and their eyebrow piercing is crooked. They're smoking a half-cigarette Steph found in the jacket pocket, since the vape is long-dead. For her part, Steph’s ponytail has come undone again, and she has her costume top around her waist with Harper’s jacket over her purple sports bra.

She feels more anonymous this way. It's not that she doesn't want to keep being Spoiler, newly unmasked hero and accidental protest leader, but it's nice to take it off and be just Steph sometimes. With Harper and Rose (and Cass), she doesn't have to be anyone else.

“Hey babes,” Rose says. She's got the remnants of the vision expression on and she's halfway through a joint. “Mind if I join?”

“Go for it,” Steph says. Harper pats the grass next to them and Rose sits heavily. She's got sunglasses on in place of the eye patch today, and they've slid down part the way to reveal the scarring around her bad eye. Her hair is loose around her face, her jacket dangles loosely from her shoulders, and she's carrying her sword belt in one toned hand. She slips the jacket the rest of the way off and tossed it and her swords aside.

“Switch?” She asks Harper. Harper gets the meaning before Steph does. They hold out the remains of the cigarette and take the joint, pressing their lips together as they swap smoke. Rose leans into the kiss, her other hand cupping Harper's face. She straightens the crooked piercings before they pull apart. Rose leans their head on Harper's shoulder. They take a few puffs of the cigarette and start to hold it out to Harper, who shakes their head.

“You can finish it,” they tell Rose. “It looks like you need it more.”

Rose nods. She finishes it off and twists the filter between her fingers. Harper puts the joint out between their fingers and tucks it into Steph's borrowed jacket pocket. They take Rose’s hand in theirs and pull her gently against their chest. Steph leans against their other side, right above their heart. Harper kisses both of their forehead in quick, sweet succession.

“Have you seen Nia? I need to…precog notes,” Rose mutters against Harper's chest. Steph can barely make out the words.

“Not recently,” says Harper. They squeeze Steph’s ass, which is one way of admitting that they've both been too wrapped up in each other to notice. Rose rolls her eyes slightly, but she's smiling now and that's a victory where Steph is concerned. Harper reaches the hand over to tap Rose’s ass and the smile becomes sharper, hungrier. Rose tilts her head to kiss Harper's lips. Steph's mouth waters. 

Steph slides a hand up across Harper's chest and onto Rose's breasts. Rose lets out a gasp and breaks the Harper kiss to kiss Steph. Rose didn't bother with lipstick today so she mostly tastes like dueling kinds of smoke. Steph leans into the taste and tries to absorb all of Rose's exhaustion. Harper bends over Rose's neck. Steph leans up to press a kiss to their cheek before her lips land back on Rose's, the sharpness of Harper's sweat and Rose's smoke blending together to create a new taste on her tongue. It tastes like home.

Steph tastes salt and realizes Rose is crying. She pulls out of the kiss and really looks at her girlfriend. The vision expression still haunts her eyes, and she still has lipstick stains smeared around her mouth although she's not wearing any, which means they must be from yesterday.

“You okay, baby?” Harper reaches up a hand to wipe away Rose's tears.

Rose sighs. That's the answer. Harper pulls Rose fully into their lap and holds her close. Steph presses herself in closer to both of them. Something occurs to her. “Was that okay?”

“I'm just having feelings, babes,” Rose nods. She glares when Steph asks if she wants to talk about it, but there's no heat in the expression, only more exhaustion. Steph sighs and wraps her arms around her girlfriend. 

After a few minutes, Rose sighs and closes her eyes. Steph likes this idea. She closes hers. They sit like that, holding Rose tightly between them, until Cass appears with a stack of burritos, a Bart, and a very confused-looking Claire Clover.

Cass plants a kiss on each of them, her movements adapting to the feelings she reads in their bodies. She's slow and lingering for Harper, quick and reassuring for Rose, and soft and hungry with Steph. 

Steph sighs contentedly and lets Cass read the love in her as a response, then decides she needs to say it too. She throws up the sign language for it as she says aloud: “I love you.”

Cass beams, and kisses her again.

“Guys? I'm going to drop the rest of the food and go,” Bart announces.

“I'm going to…also go?” says Claire. It comes out as a question.

“Can stay,” Cass waves a hand. “Finished for now.”

Steph could build an entire world in the promise that ‘for now’ holds. She squeezes Cass’s hand and decides that she's going to.

Rose looks over at Bart. “Can you find Nia? I need to talk to her.”

“Letmeeatfirst,” Bart speeds his way through two burritos and then darts away. Claire follows at her normal pace in case he needs help.

Steph starts counting. She's at fifteen seconds when he reappears empty-handed. “She'sstillwithDinahandAlysiaandKateGodwinandAnarkybutshe’llbeheresoon.”

She's still with Dinah and Alysia and Kate Godwin and Anarky but she'll be here soon.

Kate Godwin, who was famously turned away from the old Justice Society back before Dinah had gotten her start as the Canary and helped found the Doom Patrol in response. Kate Godwin, who's been in trans activism longer than any of them have been alive. Kate Godwin, who Steph is glad her friend gets to meet. She's glad it sounds like Alysia and Anarky are getting to talk to her too. That can only mean good things for their protest.

Their movement, Steph realizes, thinking about the protests and vigils they've evidently inspired across the country. She smiles.

Right now, between her partners and their friends and their movement, she can see the beginnings of something beautiful starting to grow.

“What is it, baby?” Harper asks as they reach for Steph's hair again.

“Nothing, it's just,” she pauses. “We're going to make a beautiful tomorrow.”

Y-E-S, signs Cass.

“I hope you're right, babes,” says Rose softly. “And I hope we're all still here to see it.” 

Steph hopes so too. She can't imagine a future with any of them missing from it. She won't allow herself to think about it. Stephanie Brown has already lost one of the people she loved most in the world: she refuses to lose anyone else. She takes hold of Rose and Cass’s hands and squeezes. Cass reaches for Harper's hand, and then Rose does the same, and then they're all four tangled in each other.

They sit like that for a long time: the future may be uncertain, but their feelings aren't. Together, they can make it through this fight. They might even win.

Nia drifts over, glowing with dream energy and hope. “Kate Godwin called me brave and said she hopes I keep fighting! She said the world needs more trans girls as heroes and she's glad I'm one of them! Am I dreaming? No one wake me up if I'm dreaming.”

“You're not dreaming,” Rose says. She sighs. Steph can tell she doesn't want to bring Nia - or any of them - down, but the morning’s vision is weighing on her.

“I know,” Nia admits. She sits across from Rose and gives her an oddly understanding look. “My dreams are usually much worse.”

“Fucking same, babes,” Rose sighs. “Fucking same.”

“I don't dream,” Cass says softly. “But I understand.”

“I know you do, babes,” says Rose, equally soft. “Now come kiss me until I forget the future.”

“Until you believe in a better one,” Cass corrects. 

“Not sure that's possible, babes,” Rose laughs, sharp and soft. “Better futures stopped existing for me awhile ago.”

“Then we'll just have to make one for you,” Steph says. Harper nods and presses a kiss to Rose's forehead.

“I'll hold the future for you, baby,” they promise easily. “And you can hold it for me.”

“All of us,” Cass agrees. She switches to sign abruptly. “We hold each other.”

“We sure do, baby,” Harper opens their closed circle so that Nia and Bart can move next to them, but they keep Rose and Steph on their lap somehow. After a moment's hesitation, Cass sits in front of them and leans back against all three. Nia and Bart sit on either side of them.

In a few minutes, they will ask Nia if Anarky and Dinah said anything about plans for today. Nia will tell them that Nubia, Sister Maggie, and Superman are planning to push forward to the steps of City Hall and demand an actual audience with the Council. Nia will tell them that Kate Godwin thinks she should speak today, and ask them if they think she should go for it. They'll say ‘yes,’ and reassure her that they'll be with her every step of the way, to the very doors of City Hall. In a few hours, they’ll be back on the frontlines. 

Right now, they sit and hold each other's futures as a storm blows in overhead.

Chapter Text

Steph is half asleep in the grass with Harper's fingers twined through her hair and Cass’s hands in hers. Cass is humming a Dessa song as Harper sings along softly. Rose and Nia are off to the side, talking about the future in sharp serious whispers. Steph catches snippets of their conversation in between the lyrics.

The sun rose from the west today

I doubt we'll see it's setting

“Does that change anything?” Rose is asking again. She takes Nia's hands in hers and rubs her fingers along the other girl's chipped nail polish.

“No,” says Nia. She sets her jaw firmly. “Not for me.”

“It doesn't change shit for me either,” Rose admits. She looks away, but she doesn't let go of Nia's hands. “Maybe it should. But I've made my choices.”

Go lift yourselves up for one last swell

Go lift yourselves up to sound the bells 

Steph's made her choices too. They all have. She's glad those choices brought them here. She's even more glad they brought the five of them together

A higher tide will wash it all, wash us all away

Cass stops humming and tilts her head to the side, considering.

“Can't wash us away,” she decides easily. “Nothing can.”

Steph kisses her then. Cass parts her lips and kisses her back with gentle force. Her tongue dances across the roof of Steph's mouth and Steph moans into the movements. 

I love you so much, she thinks. She tries to infuse the feeling into every curve of her body, every motion, every touch so that Cass will hear it in the language she speaks best. I love you, I love you, I love you.

By the expression on Cass's face when they pull apart, she understands. Her cheeks are flushed and her smile stretches to fill her face - no, to fill her entire body. She's infinite.

They all are. 

“God, you're beautiful, baby,” Harper mumbles. Steph isn't sure if Harper means her, or Cass, or the kiss, or all of the above.

“So are you,” Cass says seriously. 

The Canary scream pulls them all back before this can become another round of kissing. It's Dinah's call-to-attention scream, not her emergency one, and it slices through both the background hum of the curfew sirens and the Bad Girls’ fugues.

Harper pulls themself up first. Steph sighs and wriggles out of their jacket, tossing it to them and pulling her costume back on. It's been nice to be just Steph for a bit, but it's time for her to be a hero again. 

“Zip me?” she asks. Harper nods. They press a kiss to the small of Steph's back, making her shiver as they kiss along her spine ahead of the zipper's motion. When they reach the top of her neck, Steph leans against their lips for an additional beat, not wanting this to be over.

Steph sighs as Harper pulls away.

“My turn,” Cass says. Harper bends their head. Cass kisses along their brow before affixing the Bluebird mask to their face. Harper shrugs into their jacket. Cass straightens her fluttering cape. It's time.

“Rose?” Cass calls. Rose and Nia are still wrapped up in each other, but they look over at her voice.

“We're almost done here,” Rose says. “Go on. We'll meet you there. Right, Nia?”

Nia is glancing back and forth between the three of them with slightly flushed cheeks and an open mouth.

“Nia?” Rose prompts.

“You guys look really good,” Nia blurts.

“Of course we do, baby, didn't you hear? We're the Bad Girls. Better than the Owl Court and twice as pretty,” Harper winks behind their mask. Nia goes even redder.

“Don't worry, babes,” Rose leans over to push a strand of Nia’s hair behind her ear. “You get used to it.”

Nia visibly gulps for air.

“I didn't,” Cass mouths. She gives Nia a reassuring nod. “Takes time.”

Nia nods back tentatively. Rose pulls both herself and Nia to her feet, having apparently given up on finishing the conversation after whatever that was. Steph isn't entirely sure, but she thinks it might be good.

Harper lifts Cass onto their shoulders easily and tucks Steph under their chin, as they walk towards the center of the protest, Nia and Rose following hand-in-hand.

I love you, Steph thinks one more time, and then. Harper's right. They are way prettier than anything the Owls have to offer.

***

The tent is packed full of heroes and protestors. Steph realizes she's not really making a distinction between the two anymore.

Someone presses a purple Kandi bracelet into Steph's hands and runs away before she can thank them. Cass gets a Batgirl one, Rose and Harper get matching blue ones, Nia gets one in trans colors that makes her entire face light up. Steph slides the elastic over her wrist and twists the beads between her fingers as she glances around the space.

A couple Strays are snapping selfies with Black Lightning on an old polaroid; Alysia is talking animatedly about how when when she has her restaurant she'll cater things like this for free, her ring flashing on her waving hand; several Titans are arguing with a group of Gotham High students about whether Wendy the Werewolf Stalker could beat the Unnatural brothers in a fight; Poison Ivy is handing out her homegrown weed. The air is thick with smoke and sweat and the overwhelming floral scent of the hedges. It tastes like burned burritos and burning coffee. Steph catches snippets of the conversations around her.

“You're the establishment now,Ollie, you don't get to be upset that your political campaign isn't what they're here for. You can hold a rally some other time,” Roy Harper is comforting the Green Arrow as Shoes stares at him with oddly starstruck eyes from beneath their Cheshire mask.

“You okay?” Steph mouths. Shoes nods wordlessly. Steph isn't sure if that's a real answer but she lets it slide. Rose smiles as a flash of a vision seems to hit her.

“Family reunions,” Rose mutters.

“What?” Steph asks. Rose doesn't answer, she just smiles and presses a kiss to Steph's cheek.

“Nothing to worry about there, babes,” she assures her.

A different conversation drifts into the space as the Flash group enters.

“Your uncle never would've made us break parole for this,” one of the Flash rogues - the Pied Piper, maybe? - pats Wally West on the back.

“Are you kidding? His uncle would've bribed the PO himself - free coffee for a week. And not the cheap kind neither,” Captain Cold pats Wally harder. Wally grins under the wince.

“Just because you had a crush on my husband doesn't give you the right to smear his memory like that,” says a Black woman with a press badge. She smiles. “It would've been a month at least - and donuts besides. Barry never did anything halfway.”

“To Barry,” says another press badge wielding woman, this one with her arm around Wally's waist - Linda, Steph's memory supplies - raises her coffee cup. The other four do the same. They click their cups together and repeat. “To Barry.”

Steph looks away, not wanting to intrude. Harper pats her back.

“It's exciting, isn't it?” Alexis falls into step beside her. “All this possibility. Like watching society crumble and something else take shape.”

“Something good,” Cass stresses. She slides off of Harper's shoulders and gives Alexis a long, searching glare. Alexis shrugs it off with a wink and a smile.

“That,” she says lightly. “Remains to be seen, now doesn't it?”

***

Steph and the Bad Girls end up next to a group of Gotham High students. They're wearing DIY shirts with knockoff League logos and protest slogans stenciled on them. Steph is impressed and says so.

“Thanks,” says one of the boys. “Riko organized a craft night to make these. She did the signs too.”

One of the girls - Riko? - blushes. “It was Duke's idea. He's the one who organized us. Would you believe we didn't know each other before this? Now there's a group chat and we're talking about organizing a Gotham High walk out and a mural.”

“That's really cool,” says Steph, and means it. She keeps being reminded of how much the protest is bringing people together. How much it means. 

“It's community building 101,” says Duke, who turns out to be a Black boy in a bright yellow jacket. Steph recognizes him vaguely from around the clinic - something Thomas, she thinks. His mother Elaine is a social worker who helps people access resources, which includes the clinic. She brings her son sometimes. This son. Steph grins at him. 

“Good to see you,” she says.

He grins back. His eyes are on fire with purpose and hope and grief, the same way Steph knows her own are. “Spoiler, right? I'm Duke. No code name yet, but I've got a few I'm testing out and I'm hoping to see you in the streets sometime next year.”

“What's the frontrunner?” Steph asks. She doesn't know why, but she believes him when he says he'll be around. He's got the passion for it.

“Lark, maybe? I want to keep the Bird theme but I'm not looking to be one of Batman’s Robins,” Duke says. “No offense to the guy, but he seems like a dick.”

“That's Nightwing,” Cass deadpans. Then she sighs. She switches to sign, her fingers strangely uncertain as she moves. “Not wrong though. Batman is…not here now. Gotham needs him. Not here.”

It occurs to Steph that her girlfriend is deeply disappointed in the Bat. Steph doesn't blame her - Batman’s been letting the Spoiler down for years. Steph puts her arms around Cass’s shoulders and Cass snuggles up against her gratefully.

“Heard,” signs another of the teens. “I'm Sparrow. Good to know you.”

Cass grins, her disappointment temporarily forgotten. “You sign?”

Sparrow nods. “I'm partially deaf. This is actually my first language.”

Sparrow and Cass strike up a casual conversation in sign. Sparrow realizes quickly that they're moving too fast for Cass to connect the motions to words, and they adjust their tempo without needing to be asked. Steph likes them. She turns back to Duke, intending to ask for more information on the pending walkout.

“My mom wants to bring you food, by the way,” Duke throws her off balance instead. “She was sorry to hear about your mom - as far as I can tell she was one of the three Gotham General ER workers who my mom could actually work with.”

All of that tracks. With her personal history, Steph's mom was less likely to meet people with judgement than a lot of her coworkers. Harper taps Steph's shoulders lightly as she realizes dimly that she's shaking. Duke shoots her a worried ‘did I say something wrong?’ look and she shakes her head. Everything he said was right, and she needed it badly. Steph feels a warm ache in her chest.

It's nice to know that other people miss Crystal Brown. That other people are mourning her for who she was, not just as Steph's mom or a name on Superman's list but as a friend.

“Thank you,” she says softly. “That actually really helps.”

“Good,” says Duke in his firm-but-kind voice

Dinah climbs onto one of the tables and screams again for attention. 

“Get ‘em, pretty bird!” shouts Oliver Queen from the back. Dinah flips him off and pulls Anarky and Selina onto the table next to her.

Selina launches into the Stray’s chant finishing off with ‘there will always be a Narrows.’ 

Steph raises her Cat's Shadows high and screams along with the rest of them.

Nubia slams her spear into the ground and the crowd goes silent. “Your Council has received a Themysciran declaration. Today, they will receive an Amazon’s challenge. One of their own, of equal rank, must meet one of ours in a diplomatic challenge. We will each have our swords at the ready should diplomacy fail. I have invited representatives of Channel 4 News and the Daily Planet to serve as record keepers. One of your council will meet with me on the field of peace or the field of battle. The choice is theirs.”

One of the reporters who was toasting the Flash before - Linda - steps forward. “Wonder Woman, how do you plan on getting the Council to accept your challenge when they've previously refused all meeting requests?”

“It's simple,” Nubia smiles, her teeth flashing dangerously. “We take City Hall.”

The Flashes start handing out masks, goggles and earplugs again. Steph gets a set from Kid Quick, complementing the ‘they-slash-them’ pun shirt they have on over their flash gear and receiving a wide, gap-toothed grin in response. Steph grins back and then Kid Quick is on to the next group of protestors, racing Bart to see who can make the most deliveries the fastest.

“Alright, everyone,” Anarky shouts.”Get in groups, use the buddy system, they'll hit us hard as soon as we're out of the hedge, the League will try to draw off the worst of it but we have to hold the line. Let's show City Hall the Narrows is here to stay!”

The crowd roars a response.

***

The Bad Girls find Jo, Alysia, and the rest of their friends in the crowd and take up battle stances near them.

Jo is in all black gear again. She looks over at Nia as the Bad Girls join the group. “I heard you might be speaking today.”

“I want to,” Nia admits. Cass pats her arm gently. “But I don't know what to say. I can't find the right words.” 

“They'll come,” Jo promises. “They always do for me.”

Alysia flashes her left hand as evidence of that fact. The ring is hidden by her thick black gloves but her point gets across.

“You've got this, baby,” Harper says.

“You mean that?” Nia doesn't seem to be just asking about the speech.

“Every damn word,” Harper promises. Nia blushes beneath her gas mask. “You're one of us now.”

Cass wraps her arms around Nia and holds her tight. “Will find words. Don't worry.”

Rose blows her a kiss. Steph decides that sounds like a good idea and does the same.

The Canary scream sounds. The hedge begins to open. It's time. It's time to make city hall theirs. It's time for all of them to be heard - the Justice League, the Sirens, the Birds, the Bad Girls, Duke's band of student heroes - the Narrows screams for justice and justice must answer.

“Kiss for luck?” Steph asks Harper. 

“Who needs luck, baby? I have you,” Harper nuzzles their gas mask against Steph's.

“You're ridiculous,” Steph grins. Harper runs their hand through Steph's ponytail.

“You love it,” Harper reminds her.

“I love you,” Steph says. “Kiss me on the City Hall steps?”

“You know it, baby,” Harper promises.

“I'm gonna hold you to that,” Steph says.

“Counting on it,” Harper gives her finger guns. 

Next to them, Rose offers Cass one of her swords and Cass accepts with a quiet ‘yes’ and a flash of the ‘I love you’ sign. Cass holds the sword aloft and Rose clinks her other blade against it in a warrior's toast.

“For the Narrows!” Rose shouts as she waves the sword.

The curfew sirens get louder. The protestors advance as one. Superman hovers at the front. Above them, the Birds dart from rooftop to rooftop, securing the perimeter. The cops exchange worried glances, clearly wondering why the snipers haven't started shooting.

“Stand down,” says Superman, hovering above. “No one has to get hurt today.”

A couple of the officers seem to be genuinely considering it. They're a line of mostly men with riot shields and weaponry against the hundreds-strong protest backed with the full strength of the Justice League. They have to know they can't win this fight.

“What are you doing?” shouts their leader “Open fire! Advance! Don't let them pass!”

That's not up to you, Steph thinks fiercely. You don't get to scare us. We are the Narrows. You can't drive us away.

That's when the shooting starts.

Chapter Text

Every screen around them lights up in unison. The Oracle pride symbol appears and then the footage of the protest is live. Operator's drones zoom in closer on the crowd and the cops. The entire city - no, the entire world - will see what happens next. 

They'll watch the League forming a shield around the protestors, snatching rubber bullets and concussion grenades out of the air, breaking the sniper's weapons before they can fire off a shot, using their superspeed to funnel off tear gas before it can reach the advancing Gothamites. They'll hear the protest chants intermingled with the rising sirens and the patter of weaponry. They'll watch as the protestors start fighting back. 

The Kryptonians’ targeted heat vision blasts hit the cop's guns and make them too hot to handle even with gloves. Cold blasts from Captain Cold’s gun target their feet and ankles. The Amazons’ swords slice through rubber bullets midair. Ivy's vines grab the police and toss them aside like it's nothing and Steph is reminded why it's a good thing she's on their side. Harper keeps up a concentrated blast of electricity from their tasergun, grinning below the mask. 

Steph wants to stop everything and kiss them, but they haven't reached City Hall yet.

“You really do think you're above the law, don't ya?” One of the cops says. A drone mic picks up his words and broadcasts them across the crowd. He grins and makes direct eye contact with the drone's camera as he shouts. “You fuckin’ vigilantes don't get to intimidate this city any longer. The law has to mean something. This city will not surrender to anarchy and disorder. This city doesn't belong to the League or your paid freaks. This city belongs to us and we will not stand down!”

“What're you talking about? We are this city,” Anarky's response sounds genuinely confused.

Then the whole crowd is shouting 

‘WE ARE (THIS CITY)

WE ARE (THE NARROWS)

WE ARE (GOTHAM)’

Next to Steph, Rose's eyes narrow. The cop fires.

“Get down!” Rose shoves both herself and Steph out of the way as a bullet tears through the ground where Steph was just standing. Rose stretches out her hand to grab it as it cools. 

“Live round,” Rose mutters as she turns it over in her fingers. “Hollowpoint. Designed for piercing armor and denting bulletproof skin. My- he used them in Bludhaven. It was…” she shudders. 

Steph's eyes widen as that sinks in.

“They're not supposed to use those on a civilian population,” buzzes the comm in her ear.

“Look around you, babes.” Rose grouses as she pulls herself and Steph to their feet. “We haven't been civilians in awhile.”

Steph shakes her head. “It's still wrong.”

“Didn't say it wasn't,” Rose agrees. 

Steph takes the bullet from Rose's hand. She raises it to the sky and shouts. “They're shooting to kill!”

Up in the sky, Superman nods. His face is grim.

“Nothing gets through,” comes across the group chat. “No bullets, no gas, nothing. We get these people to City Hall safely at any personal cost.”

“Understood,” Steph can't tell who answered, only that the entire League seems to come to a decision at once. 

Nothing gets through them. They're going to take City Hall and they're going to make the Council hear them.

Overhead, the screens are still showing Steph holding up that bullet. Everyone knows - the world knows - Gotham would rather kill her own than listen.

Steph takes a deep breath and reminds herself that's been true her entire life. If we win this, it won't be.

Cass darts between the advancing cops, using their own momentum and riot shields against them. Steph throws punches and homemade batarangs. Rose gets Nia to light up both her swords with glowing energy and charges into the fray. Harper keeps firing their tasergun. Nia throws blasts of pure dreams. Their dreams, for a better world.

Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.

The cops start to retreat. For one brief, glowing minute, Steph thinks they've already won.

“Is that all you've got?” 

The Birds of Prey chat goes off: Incoming!

Riot squad cops pour out of the subway entrance, the lead-piped surrounding buildings, and the streets around them as helicopters appear in the sky overhead.

All the exits are blocked off. They win this fight here or die trying.

The Green Lanterns form a dome of pure unbreakable will and light around the group. Wonder Woman and Superman lead the flight capable heroes in a return airstrike. 

Steph,the Birds, the Titans, the Doom Patrol, the Flash group, the Sirens, and the rest of the heroes take up positions around the protective dome just outside its safety. They're the front lines. A few of the civilian fighters join them - Steph spots Anarky, Jo, Alysia, the other Helena, Hank, and Duke. No one argues it - they've earned the right to stand alongside the League. They're all fighting for the same thing.

Nothing gets through.

Someone starts up the ‘TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND A BETTER TOMORROW’ chant and Superman’s responding smile fills the whole screen.

This is what the League is meant to be - a force against injustice, a shield for the people. This is what it is to be a hero.

Steph's heart swells. She looks over at Nia and Cass. She can tell they're both feeling it too. She reaches over and takes both of their hands and squeezes three times before letting go.

She'll kiss them both on the steps of City Hall.

***

They fight their way forward. It's slow work, but Steph falls into an easy rhythm. Months of sparring with the Canary mean she's in the best shape of her life. Punch, kick, grapple, disarm. Fighting cops isn't all that different from fighting henchmen, Steph realizes abruptly. That's all they are - foot soldiers for the Owl Court. 

She goes for a leg sweep and a riot shield slams into her head. The world spins. Stars drift around the edges of her vision. She crashes into the concrete. 

“Steph!” Harper screams from somewhere far away. Too far.

The cop leers down at her. He's talking trash, but she can't make out the words. He raises up the shield for another blow. Steph scoots back, caught between trying to get away and trying to find her footing. She can't reach either. She flings an arm up to shield her head as the next blow connects.

Steph feels the bone shatter through her armored gauntlets. It feels - it feels bad.

“Bat bitch,” the cop grunts. He goes in for another blow, aiming the shield at her neck. 

This close, she won't survive the impact. She scrambles for her utility belt with her remaining arm. She finds one of her batarangs.

“I'm - a - Bird,” she flings it at his wrist and the shield veers sideways. It hits the ground less than an inch from her throat.

She pulls herself to a crouching position and tries to leverage it into a stand. She fails.

The cop pulls the batarang out of his glove and grimaces. He goes for his sidearm. Steph throws up her fists, her ruined right arm screaming from the motion.

“Not done yet,” she says, but they both know she is. She's out of batarangs, she can barely move, and he's aiming his pistol at her exposed face.

She's going to die. He's going to kill her. 

I'm sorry, mom, she thinks. I tried.

She raises her good hand in the Cat's Shadow in a final defiant show. She hopes this is on Oracle's screen now. She wants everyone to know the Spoiler went out fighting.

I'm that knife in your boot girl

I got you

Steph's comm lights up with noise as the music blares, loud enough to slice through the din. 

Girl, I got you

The cop takes a confused step backwards as the electric blue light hits him square in the chest. He swings his weapon away from Steph in the direction of this new attacker. As he does, the pale blue dream light hits him from the side. He stumbles back.

I'm your number two man in a fight

We are revolutionaries tonight

Rose steps in front of Steph, swords drawn and lone eye gleaming dangerously. “This one's off limits. You touch her again, I take both your hands. You kill her…”

Trouble coming in the dead of night 

Trouble making everything all right

Cass flings herself at the cop from behind in a fluid black blur. He staggers to the ground as the gun hits the concrete harmlessly.

“It's alright, baby,” Harper calls. “We got you.”

Steph grins, relief flooding her system. “Ohhh, thank fuck.”

It's in your blood it's in your bones

You cannot sleep for trouble 

The Bad Girls form a protective circle around Steph, weapons drawn and fists raised. Harper's razor-sharp gauntlets are dripping with blood and they've lost their jacket somewhere, leaving them with small cuts up and down their arms and a mostly-shredded muscle shirt over their armor. Cass has blood all along her uniform, but she doesn't seem to have noticed and there's no visible wound which means it's probably someone else's. Maybe multiple someone's. Nia's cape has been torn away and the white paneling of her new uniform is ruined, but she's smiling just the same. Rose is also minus her jacket, and she has rubber bullet bruising along her enhanced arms and the exposed part of her chest. Steph touches her good hand to her own head and it comes away bloody. 

They've all five taken a beating. But they're all still here. Still fighting.

Steph feels a surge of love and fierce hope. She raises her Cat's Shadow high and screams. “WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!”

The others echo it back at her and the crowd takes it up.

WE'RE NOT GOING (ANYWHERE)

WE'RE NOT GOING (ANYWHERE)

Steph's comm beeps.

Oracle: Impressive. Now get under the dome and let the medics check you out.

Steph protests. “But-”

Oracle: Stephanie. You have a broken wrist and a definitive concussion. That's an order. Be glad I'm not trying to order a medical evac, because believe me, I could.

Huntress: She's glad you're okay, Spoiler. So am I. We were all worried.

Steph sighs. “Fine.”

Harper tucks Steph under her chin and positions the gun between them both and any incoming cops. They press a desperate kiss to Steph's hairline just below the head wound. “Don't scare me like that again, baby.”

“I'll try not to make a habit of it,” Steph tilts her head up to kiss the exposed line of their jaw. 

“I'm gonna hold you to that,” Harper warns. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

“You'll never have to find out,” Steph promises.

***

Harper holds Steph tightly against their chest, supporting her as they guide them both under the Lantern dome towards the med van. 

There's less people in triage than she would've expected - the Lantern dome strategy must be working - but Steph spots one of the Hawkwomen with a bullet lodged in her wing and someone she thinks is the new Question with rubber bullet bruises forming along her hairline, as well as Beast Boy with a broken nose and Steel repairing his suit. She waves awkwardly. Sister Maggie exclaims over Steph's wounds and ushers her into the van. Harper follows, unwilling to let Steph out of their sight.

Inside, a tablet screen is playing footage of the protest as a very grumpy Miracle tries to convince Leslie that their leg is healed enough to join the fight. 

“Hey, Spoiler,” they give Steph a friendly once over that turns into an expression of concern when they see her injuries.

“Fucking pig tried to kill her,” Harper explains.

“They do that,” Miracle sighs emphatically. “Hope you gave him hell for that.”

“They did,” Steph says.

“We did,” Harper corrects. They reluctantly step back so Leslie can examine Steph. If the doctor is upset by their violence, she doesn't say, just tsks over the gash.

“Serve and protect, my ass,” Leslie gripes. “We'll need an ICC investigation by the time this is through. Shoes, grab the sutures.”

Shoes appears a few seconds later. “Oh, hi Spoiler. My dad says I have to stay inside - fucking Leo gets to be in the action and I'm stuck here.”

“And you're being very helpful,” says Sister Maggie in the tone of someone who's had this conversation multiple times already.

“I didn't know you had a dad,” Steph says, too surprised not to say it out loud.

“That's the thing,” says Shoes. “Neither did I, and now he thinks he gets to show up all ‘I’m the Red Arrow and it's my job to protect you now.’ Idiot. I can do my own protecting.”

“Wait, your dad is Roy Harper?” Steph blinks. Maybe it's the concussion but this is too much new information for her to process. 

“Yes, he's very cool, and it is apparently not his fault mom didn't tell him I survived the kidnapping,” Shoes says, as if that explains everything instead of raising even more questions. “He should still let me fight. You could use me out there. What if Leo or Helena gets hurt because I'm not watching their backs?”

Steph feels the twinge of nostalgic protectiveness she usually feels when she looks at Shoes, but she's not sure what she could say to make it better. Harper taps her shoulder soothingly.

Leslie seems to have had enough of this argument. “Everyone not directly helping or receiving treatment out of the van.”

When no one moves, she clarifies. “That means Steph and Maggie can stay, but the rest of you need to go.”

Miracle ruffles Shoes’ hair. “Come on, kid. We can watch on my phone with the Bird chat on. Best of luck, Spoiler.”

Miracle limps out of the van, Shoes supporting them. Harper doesn't move.

“I'm not leaving her,” Harper says fiercely. “I almost lost her once today, I can't-”

“It's okay,” Steph leans up to kiss them softly. Harper tastes like sweat and desperation. “I'm okay. Go be with the others.”

Harper kisses her again. Steph presses her tongue against the roof of their mouth and bites down hard on their piercing. Harper moans. “I love you, baby. Be safe.”

“Be safe,” Steph echoes. “I'll meet you at City Hall.”

Harper nods wordlessly, and then they're gone and it's only Steph and the medical team in the van, watching the protest play out on the tablet as they begin the process of patching her up as best they can.

A few minutes later, the small figure of the Bluebird appears on the screen fighting back to back with some of Duke's friends. Steph runs her fingers over their image softly.

I love you, please be safe. You owe me a City Hall victory kiss.

Chapter Text

Steph syncs the Birds of Prey chat to the tablet so they can all stay in the loop. As far as she can tell from the footage, the League is winning, but it's slow going. The Bad Girls are trying to stay together to avoid another of their own getting singled out - Rose with her glowing swords, Cass with her fast physicality, Harper with their tasergun, Nia with her energy blasts - Steph looks for them in every crowd shot and zoomed-in fight. 

“Stay still, Stephanie,” Leslie says. Steph sighs. Leslie continues painstakingly cleaning her head wound as Steph winces.

On the screen, a Green Lantern takes a slug to the shoulder and the dome flickers. It's only down for a second but that second is enough for the safezone to begin to fill with tear gas before it goes back up.

Sister Maggie checks the window seals. The tear gas isn't getting through. The screaming is. Stephanie shoots out of her seat and starts for the door. Leslie pulls her back.

“Stephanie. Let me finish your sutures before you go rushing off to try to punch a chemical.”

Steph crosses her good arm and sighs again. She feels so useless.

Star Sapphire: It's creating a vacuum seal holding the gas here so that we can't funnel it off. 

Canary: What does that mean, Carol?

Star Sapphire: It means we have to bring it down.

Green Lantern (Guy Gardner): If the dome goes down…we won't get a chance to bring it back up.

The screaming gets louder.

Star Sapphire: Your call, Oracle.

Oracle: Better an open fight than a chemical vacuum. Bring it down.

The dome flickers again and this time it stays down. The Lanterns redirect to funneling the tear gas away but it's late for that - even from inside, Steph can tell the damage has been done. 

Sister Maggie pulls out her phone and starts dialing Victoria. “We're pinned down here, where are you and can you do tear gas recovery?”

There's a high pitched sound drowning out Victoria's response. The curfew sirens, Steph realizes. The energy barrier must've been partially filtering them out.

On screen, the Birds and the Leaguers are fighting their way towards the center of the protest even as the protestors start to rally and push forward. Steph catches a glimpse of Anarky's gold mask and a burst of purple arrows that must be Huntress. Everything in her is itching to get back out there.

Leslie finishes out Steph's stitches and moves onto her wrist, wrapping it tight to hold the shattered bones in place until they can get back to the clinic and reset them. “This should hold them, but I wouldn't bet on it in a fight.”

The cops are swarming the main march now. Steph guesses Shoes and Miracle are about to get their wish to be part of the fight. 

She examines her wrist again. You might have to bet different. We might not have a choice.

***

Steph can hear the gunshots echoing between her surroundings and the screen speaker. The chants start up again, not loud enough to drown out the sirens and the shooting but loud enough to cut through them.

‘GCPD (CO-ATTACKERS)’

‘OINK, OINK PIGGY PIGGY’

‘GCPD (CO-ATTACKERS)’

‘OINK, OINK PIGGY PIGGY’

On screen, Miracle whacks a cop with their crutches and then staggers back heavily. Anarky has a moment where they visibly catch sight of Miracle and start fighting their way towards them.

A cop yanks the crutch out from under Miracle. They stab at the cop with one of their carefully hidden knives and their attacker stumbles back. She retaliates with a baton to Miracle's side. Their leg gives out and a moment later then Anarky is there to catch their friend and jab the cop away with their staff. 

Anarky runs a soft gloved hand along Miracle’s face and shoulders. Miracle squeezes the hand in a universal signal for ‘thank you’ or maybe ‘I’m okay.’

When Anarky finds the discarded crutch they shake their head and toss it back to the ground. It's bent out of shape, unusable. Anarky and Miracle exchange nods and Anarky hoists them onto their back. Miracle wraps their arms around Anarky's neck, leaving Anarky's hands free to continue the fight. Something in Steph's heart feels soft. The screen cuts away, leaving them to their moment.

It lands on Holly, who claws her way through a riot shield in true Cat fashion. A cop grabs her by the tail and hauls her back. Undaunted, she slices off her belt and keeps fighting.

Karen flies overhead, visibly searching for her Helena as she blasts heat vision holes in the riot shields. One of the Flashes speeds by a minute later, yanking the damaged shields from the cops’ grasps.

Then Shoes appears on screen in their Cheshire Cat mask and light-up sneakers. They've acquired a bow and arrow somehow and they're perched on top of - wait, they're on top of the med van. Steph can hear the motion from inside. They're firing on a group of advancing cops, screaming battle cries as they go. Steph's heart aches for them. For her city, for her people, for my mom.

She can't do anything but watch and wait.

***

The Birds chat goes off abruptly.

Oracle: There are marches breaking out across the city.

Huntress: It makes sense. People are angry, and the cops are preoccupied.

Operator: What do we do? Is there-?

Oracle: We monitor. We don't exactly have anyone to redirect to protect the people.

Batman: Yes. You do. The Bat-Beacons are lit. The rioters have been ordered to return to their homes. I will insure that they do.

“Bastard!” Steph exclaims. She joins the chat.

Spoiler: They're not rioters! They're watching their police force shoot people - shoot heroes - in the streets and they're pissed.

Batman: You're emotionally compromised, Spoiler. Stand down.

Oracle: If you don't get off this channel in the next 60 seconds I'm cutting your mic. Stop distracting me, stop wasting my time, and leave my people alone, Bat. That's a warning.

The Bat ignores her completely. 

Batman: They're taking advantage of the cop's - and your - distractions to show chaos and enrich themselves. Someone has to maintain order when order fails.

Canary: Unjust order isn't better than chaos, Bats. You know that.

Batman: What I know is that my city is on fire and one of us has to try to quench the flames instead of fanning them. When this is over, we're going to have words about the future of your operation.

Oracle: Threatening me isn't a good look. I'd choose your next words carefully.

Batman: Be that as it may, this is on your heads. Batman out.

“Sure, blame us and not, I don't know, the Council or the Owl Court or the cops or-or that bitch Cressida,” Steph explodes out of her seat so fast she almost tears her stitches open.

“Sit down, Stephanie,” Leslie says again. Steph sits grudgingly. She's really starting to hate Bruce Wayne. Maybe when all of this is over she'll find Jo and Alysia and ask about their ‘burn down Wayne Industries’ plan.

(She won't, but thinking about it is a nice distraction from her own helplessness.)

***

There's a thud against the med van doors and a noise that sounds a lot like Shoes falling off the top of the van.

Shit, Steph thinks.

The battering ram crashes into the side of the van again.

“Oh for the love of-” Leslie snaps. “We are a clearly marked medical transport!”

“In all our years of doing this, has that argument ever landed?” Sister Maggie pats Leslie's arm sympathetically.

Claire pokes her head over the driver's seat. “Dr. Leslie? It's not starting.”

“Dammit all,” Leslie groans. Sister Maggie grabs one of the door handles to brace herself as the entire van shakes.

On screen, the cops are gearing up for another strike. Shoes flings themself at the nearest cop, out of arrows and full of spite. He tosses them aside and they hit the ground hard.

Something in Steph snaps. She jams her uniform glove over the surgical wrappings, pulls on an N-95 mask and goggles, and stands.

“Stephanie Brown-!” Leslie begins.

“I am not letting them fight this alone,” Steph snaps. She softens her voice. “I know, I know, and I'll be careful. Just…let me protect you, okay? It's what I do.”

Leslie opens her mouth and then closes it.

“I'm coming with you,” Claire climbs over the seat. “Hank’s not the only Clover with a jiu jitsu belt.”

Claire grabs a mask and goggles. She sets her jaw in a stance Steph understands all too well. There's no turning back for her either.

Steph nods. “Okay. Stay close.”

The two of them explode out of the back of the van. The doors close behind the girls. The outside air tastes like tear gas and gunpowder. It sounds like sirens and screaming.

The cop slams Shoes into the ground again. They bounce back to their feet and fling up their fists.

“Fuck off, pigface!” Shoes screams.

“Change of plans,” says Steph. “You help Shoes, I'll get the battering ram.”

“You're sure?” Claire swallows.

“Trust me,” Steph says easily. “I've been doing this shit since I was that age. The cops won't know what hit them.”

She flips onto the van. “Spoiler alert!”

A few of the cops look up as Steph launches herself onto the battering ram. They drop it under the impact. She laughs. 

Six cops, one injured Spoiler. She likes those odds more than she should. She delivers a leg sweep to the nearest one, grabs his baton, and whacks the next one across the chest.

In her ear, her comm goes off.

Bluebird 🐦: Baby, what are you doing?

Spoiler: What we always do.

Bluebird 🐦: Say no more, I'm on my way.

Dreamer: I'm also on my way! This is surprisingly cathartic.

🌹Rose🌹: Less talking more fighting, babes.

Cass: ❤️✊

Steph breathes a sigh of relief and gets back to work. Her head aches - a couple NSAIDs and a surgical wrapping isn't enough to do more than dull the concussion - but she can't care about that right now.

Now is for keeping these guys on the ropes until her partners get here to bail her out. Her right arm is basically a club right now - she can work with that. She slams her fists into the nearest cop's midsection and uses the momentum to push him into two of the others. 

Out of patience, the remaining ones pull out their guns and start firing. Steph dodges the shots with practiced ease. Claire, having made sure Shoes is okay, throws herself at one of the others and tries to pull off a move she's clearly never done outside of a dojo. It doesn't work. She can't lock it in. The cop tosses her aside and Shoes kicks him in the shins.

Steph can work with this. It's fine. 

(It's not fine. Her backup needs to get here soon.)

Oracle: Oh my god.

Huntress: That bad?

Oracle: No. Good. The other protests, the ones that started around the city? They're circling around to join us here. They came to help.

***

Steph doesn't believe it at first. But Gothamites keep pouring out of the alleyways and down the street corners. They're carrying signs and bats and sticks. They're screaming out the words to an old protest song.

Now they lay his body down

Sad old men who run this town

The cops are solidly out numbered. The helicopters are long-gone. The expanding protest sweeps toward City Hall.

While he plundered far and wide 

All his starving children cried

The cops exchange worried glances as the full force of the Justice League and Gotham itself descends on them.

And through we sung his fame

We all went hungry just the same 

He meant to shine to the end of the line

‘NO MORE COUNCIL (END OF THE LINE)

NO MORE KINGS (END OF THE LINE)

NO MORE PURGES (END OF THE LINE)’

Canary pushes her way to the front of the crowd and the song restarts, interspersed with the ‘NO MORE’ chants.

Gotham came for us. We fought for Gotham, and they came for us. Steph has never felt more proud of her city. Her people.

The cops are getting overwhelmed. The protestors push forward, partially shielded by lantern's light and speed funnels. Ivy's vines burst out of the ground and cover the cop cars. 

Canary’s voice cuts through the sirens, leading them on through the fray. 

‘NO MORE COUNCIL

NO MORE COPS

NO MORE GOTHAM LIVES LOST’

No more Owls, Steph thinks fiercely. No more.

Superman, Wonder Woman, and Catwoman land at Canary's side, taking the lead as they push through the last of the blockade and land at the very steps of City Hall. 

“People of Gotham,” Diana intones. “Thank you for allowing us to share in the battle for justice. Your blood is not in vain. This victory belongs to you.”

It all starts to sink in and Steph looks around for her partners.

“We really did it,” she breathes. “We took City Hall.”

Chapter Text

The Leaguers step aside and let the Gothamites be the first to climb the steps.

A Narrows Purge survivor stands behind Cressida's abandoned mic. There's a crackle as Oracle breathes life into the speakers.

“The Narrows lives on!” the survivor proclaims. 

“We live on!” the crowd - Steph included - echoes, their Cat's Shadows raised high.

Steph climbs the first two steps and then sits heavily, the exhaustion of the day starting to catch up with her. She glances around at the victorious protestors.

A few steps up, Anarky and Miracle are nestled together whispering ideas for speeches - Steph doubts Anarky has let go of them since the fight. Miracle matters to them - together, they built this movement. 

“And then I told the pig to get fucked!” Shoes is showing their father the video clips of them with the bow as his eyes light up with uncomplicated pride.

“As your dad, I'm probably supposed to tell you to watch your language,” Roy begins. He leans over to ruffle their hair and adjust their mask. “But you were fucking awesome out there today, Lian - or…is it Shoes?”

“In the field, it's the Cheshire Cat,” Shoes says seriously. “The other name’s a work in progress.”

Roy nods. “Whatever you decide, I'll support you. I helped Walls and Dick with their transitions. This isn't my first time. And I want you to know that whatever happens with the protest, I'll stay in Gotham for awhile. Dick's got an old place I can crash at and you're welcome to join sometimes, if that's something you'd want. No pressure, but it'll be there. I'll be there for you, kid.”

“The Strays need me right now but after…I think I’d like that. Dad.” Shoes throws their arms around him like they still can't believe he's real. Roy returns the hug tightly. Steph swallows the lump in her throat and looks away.

Above them, Karen and her Helena are making out, Karen hovering them both slightly off the ground.

“Next time you should wear your gear,” Karen is saying. Helena seems to be genuinely considering it.

There's ongoing feedback from the microphone, which is currently being held by an organizer named Onyx who came with the new Gothamites - who led them here, by the sounds of it. “The Council was unprepared for us to stand up. They thought we would let them slaughter our neighbors while we stood by and watched. They thought wrong!”

Steph cheers. They sure did.

She spots Jo, Victoria, and Duke in the line to speak. She waves, even though she knows they won't see her.

Jo is clutching Alysia to her as her fiancée tries to hold an ice pack to her chest. Duke is talking animatedly with Huntress, who he apparently recognizes as his favorite teacher, and some of his crew. Victoria looks a little shell-shocked but she's smiling just the same.

They all are. 

Then Duke takes the mic. He begins by thanking his mom and everyone who taught him to stand up for what's right, everyone who came here with him. Standing there with his fists raised, he almost seems to be glowing. “Gotham strong, Narrows forever.”

“NARROWS FOREVER!”

Steph screams it with her full heart. 

***

“Hey baby.” Harper meets Steph on the step and sweeps her up into an aching, desperate kiss. They taste like victory and sweat and dried blood. Steph runs her tongue over the spot where their piercing goes and finds only a scabbing hole where it must've been torn out. She kisses the wound tenderly, gently, trying to infuse the kiss with all her hope-filled relief.

Their lips part. 

“I love you, baby,” Harper breathes as they push a strand of Steph's blood-caked hair behind her ear. 

“Right back at you,” Steph leans her head on their shoulder, close enough to share their breaths. She and Harper sink onto their step together to wait for the others. Cass and Rose stumble over, leaning on each other for support. Cass has torn strips of her cape into makeshift bandages for the cuts along Rose's arms, and Rose wears them with exhausted pride. She keeps stopping to press slow kisses to the top of Cass’s head.

Her eye widens when she spots Steph and Harper. She says something low under her breath to Cass, and Batgirl nods. Then Rose tears towards them and pulls Steph into her arms. “You're alive. I saw…oh god, you're alive.”

Cass flings her arms around Steph. She says nothing, but the message is clear.

Steph kisses them both softly. “It would take a lot more than that to kill me. Trust me, I've had way worse.”

Cass nods brusquely. Rose’s face is understanding. They've all three had worse, long before they ever joined the fight as Spoiler and Batgirl and Ravager. Their fights started at home. Compared to that, they can survive anything.

Steph extends a hand to Harper and pulls them into the hug. She knows they understand it too.

Rose is scanning the skies for incoming. Cass pats her arm. “Is okay. We won.”

Rose sighs into the touch. “Last time…”

“I know,” Cass says softly. “But this time is different.”

“This time you have us,” Steph reminds her. Harper kisses Rose's forehead and pulls her onto the steps to watch the speakers.

On the mic, Victoria is rattling off a list of unfamiliar names. It takes Steph a moment to realize they're the names of everyone Dr. October has seen overdose on Fearment since she started at the clinic.

“The Purge of the Narrows began long before the Scarecrow's night! It began with underfunded clinics, lack of resources, and structural desperation. It began when we declared a people and their problems to be ‘unnatural,’ undeserving of help. It began when a health and housing crisis was met with state-supported violence, when victims were dubbed ‘attackers’ and left to die, long before any Gothamite picked up a weapon against us. We demand an end to this violence. We demand that the city recognize the humanity of the Narrows, and today, the city stood up and agreed. Now all that is left is for the policies and governing bodies to follow. Members of the Council, we stand before you today to demand an end to the ongoing Purge.”

“She's good,” Harper comments. 

“The best,” Steph agrees. She resists the urge to stand up and scream ‘that’s my mentor!’, but she hopes her cheering gets the point across. I wish my mom could've heard this. 

Anarky takes the mic with Miracle at their side. They begin by expounding on each individual Councilman's investments and capital crimes. “The Purge of the Narrows was not a one off event! For decades, the Council has profited off the lives and deaths of ordinary Gothamites. Roland Worth has a controlling investment in 65 percent of all Narrows housing and real estate. The Narrows has the highest rate of homelessness in Gotham, and the housing that does exist is unsafe. A post-quake investigation found that none of the Worth properties were kept up to even pre-quake building codes, calling the apartments ‘almost predestined to fall.’ Worth received $57.6 billion in insurance payouts and compensation for the destroyed homes, but most buildings stand condemned to this day and those that have been rebuilt show no signs of improvement.”

“Where did the money go, and why was it not used to improve the lives of quake survivors across the Narrows? This Council would rather demonize the people of the Narrows as addicts and criminals - ‘co-attackers’ with the villains this city fears - than address the material conditions that create addiction, that create homelessness, that create ‘criminality.’ The Council has shown time and again to them that we are problems to be shot, disregarded, and vilified rather than people to be heard and helped. This Council cannot be allowed to stand so long as it fails to stand for the people. This Council must fall!”

They raise one hand in a Cat's Shadow and the other in a fist. The crowd echoes back.

‘THIS COUNCIL MUST FALL’

Steph thinks they might actually have a chance. 

***

Nia joins them, her eyes gleaming. “All my futures, and I never saw anything like this.”

“We make our own future, baby,” Harper says. They pull Nia in for a long-due kiss. “We're the Bad Girls.”

“Is this- this is okay, right?” Nia whispers against Harper's lips.

The other Bad Girls give her a series of supportive looks as Harper nods easily. Nia's been with them since almost the beginning. She's a Bad Girl in every way that matters. She's theirs.

Nia presses a hesitant kiss to Harper's lips and then immediately dives in for another. Steph laughs in understanding. That's the appropriate reaction to a Harper kiss as far as she's concerned.

They sit with their arms around each other as the sun begins to set.

***

“So, did you figure out your speech?” Harper asks when there's a break in the speakers. They nudge Nia towards the mic.

Nia nods shakily. “I know what I want to say. I'm just not sure…”

“We'll be sure for you,” Steph says. 

The Bad Girls follow Nia up the steps to the mic, where Jo is leading the crowd in a moment of silence for the lost. She flashes the Cat's Shadow one last time, and then Alysia is waving Nia to the front and it's her turn. Her time.

Steph gives Nia a quick kiss for luck and her - her girlfriend takes the mic with the collective’s dream energy radiating from her eyes.

“I used to be afraid of the future,” Nia begins. “I used to lay awake at night thinking it would only bring injustice, oppression, and hurt. But you - all of you - make me believe in better dreams. You make me believe in hope. The City Council tried to take that future, to stifle that hope, but they cannot kill our dreams. We are the future. Together, we will make a brighter tomorrow. We are all of us the Narrows, we are all of us survivors. We are Gotham City, and we are strong.”

Nia sits back next to them afterwards. She's starting to hyperventilate. Harper pulls her in close and starts up their rhythmic tapping.

Steph presses a kiss to her forehead. “You did so good!”

“You mean that?” Nia asks.

Y-E-S, signs Cass. Rose nods. The five of them nestle in close together to watch the rest of the speakers, trading soft kisses and lingering breaths. Nia is blushing trans flag pink and her smile is wide enough to hold the whole world. 

I will speak now, Cass signs falteringly.

“Yes!” Nia pumps her fist. “You all should.”

Steph's head is pounding too much for her to really consider the idea. Rose shakes her own head. Harper sighs. 

“Not today, baby.” They give Cass a searching look. “But we'll support you, if you're sure?”

“Am sure,” Cass nods firmly. “Need to stand. There is something I must say.”

Cass stands. “I’m ready.”

“I believe in you, baby,” Harper says. Cass presses a kiss to their jawline. Steph leans over to squeeze her hand, Rose puts her arm around her shoulder, and Nia illuminates the five of them in a shared gleaming dream.

The Bad Girls follow her back to the mic, forming an honor guard around Cass. 

“I came here,” Cass begins. “In No Man's Land. To Gotham. I did not have a name or family or home.”

She's telling her story, Steph realizes proudly. Cassandra Cain was homeless in Gotham for months during the quake. She understands better than anyone what the Narrows is fighting for. She's had to fight for it too.

“Gotham gives me those things. But I never forget not having them. I never forget the Narrows. I become a Bat and I fight for you. I fight for life. You deserve life. We all do.”

She falters slightly. Steph squeezes her hand and she finishes strong. “Gotham needs life. We fight together. Here, many live.”

The Bad Girls join her. “Here, many have lived and lost in the cold nights and lonely days. We follow none but we will always have each other. There will always be Strays, there will always be a Narrows, there will always be Gotham.”

The five of them join hands and raise their interlocked fists high.

We will always have each other, Steph thinks softly. She's glad they're here together.

Canary begins singing one of the vigil songs again.

I must not look away

I will not look away

Steph relaxes into her partners’ embrace. Today, Gotham didn't look away. Today, the city chose to see them.

Don't go blindly into the dark

In every one of us shines the light of love

Steph feels like she's shining too. Like they all are. She's never felt more alive. 

Everyone raises their Cat's Shadows high as the speakers crackle and the song finishes.

I must not look away

I will not look away

“The Council must choose not to lead us further into the dark,” Canary says. “We await a genuine response. We await justice. Keep watching, the world is with us, we will not stop fighting for the truth, no matter the cost.”

Steph looks between her partners, hands still clasped high.

No more Owls. No more injustice. No matter the cost.

They won't look away. They won't ever stop fighting. They are the Narrows, and today, they are heard.

Chapter Text

As the night darkens without any sort of response from City Hall, many of the protestors retreat back to the foot of the steps. Ivy extends a new hedge around the group, tsking over the damage to the old one. The Flashes, the Lanterns, and Superman get the tents moved up quickly and start setting up new ones. Rose trails after them, helping people with supplies. Cyborg, with dubious help from Beast Boy, goes to see about the damaged med van. Harper follows, lured by the promise of engineering and tech. Nia and Cass disappear to make out in the shade of an oversized planter, tucked beneath the dying flowers.

Steph drifts over to the med tent to replace her bandages and charge her comms. She finds Bart leaning against the door, chatting rapidly with Kid Quick.

“This protest is awesome!” Bart announces. “UncleLenletmeshootthecoldgunandIbrokeariotshielddon’ttellWally!!”

It takes Steph a minute to parse that. Uncle Len (Captain Cold?) let me shoot the cold gun and I broke a riot shield don't tell Wally!!

“Wouldn't dream of it,” she says when she finally gets it. Bart high fives her bad hand and then promptly apologizes when she winces.

“This Earth's kinda cool after all,” says Kid Quick, whose name turns out to be Jess. “There's a lot worse places to be time stranded.”

“There sure are,” Bart agrees. “I've been to most of them. Gotham's got better chili dogs.”

Jess snorts. Steph rolls her eyes good naturedly. Bart takes a breath, suddenly serious. “And-and really good people. I'm glad I got to fight with you today. What we're doing, it matters, you know.”

“For the future?” Steph asks softly. She doesn't know much about Bart's dark timeline, but she knows it weighs on him the way the visions weigh on Nia and Rose.

“For the now,” he answers. “But also, yeah.”

Steph gives him a high five with her good hand this time and then slips into the med tent. She's glad Bart's future looks a little brighter.

Hers does too. So does Gotham's.

***

The tent is a sobering sight. It's full of people getting treated for tear gas burns, bullet wounds, and rubber bruises. Several people are holding wads of cotton to their ears where the sirens must've blown out their ear drums. Thanks to the League, the protest seems to have avoided any fatalities, but it was a nearer thing than even Steph realized. 

“Stephanie,” Victoria calls when she spots her. “Thank Maggie's god, we're getting overwhelmed here.”

Steph nods. She grabs a spare lab coat and gets to work. She recognizes some of the faces in the tent, not just from the past week of protesting but from her patrols. She's glad to see all of them here.

Alex waves her over. “Hey Spoiler! Got any chocolate? I haven't smoked anything but weed in three days and Red Arrow offered to help me find a sponsor who doesn't suck.”

Steph digs around in her utility belt and comes up with a single remaining square. She'll have to stock up next time she's at the Clocktower. “That's amazing!”

You're amazing, she thinks softly. Of her regulars, Elaine didn't survive the Purge night and Theo disappeared a few weeks later. She's glad to see Alex is going to keep being around. 

Alex nods. He seems a little overwhelmed but otherwise less shaky than she's ever seen him. She gives him a hug and moves on to the next patient. When she looks back, he's excitedly talking to a few of the others. Her heart feels very full.

It's another small sign that this protest movement is becoming something beautiful. 

Their movement took City Hall with no casualties. It gave Alex a reason to get clean, it gave Steph a reason to keep fighting after her mom, it brought Nia and Bart hope for their futures.

It - they - brought the light back to a city that's been dark since long before the quake, and they're just getting started.

Steph lets that momentum carry her through the next few hours of bandaging wounds, applying salves, and screaming along to the music playing from someone's beat up speaker.

I'll find every way to make it home to you

One way or another I'll try to ease the pain

The League keeps carrying in battered, tired people with smiles that reach their eyes. A stack of signs collects near the door. The line stretches back around the tent. Steph's hand aches, but she keeps working.

Even when it's unsafe to tell you I love you

I'll stay and I'll be the one who holds the weight

They run out of pain meds first. Leslie sighs. “I'll make a clinic run in the morning assuming the damn van starts.”

“Send a Flash,” Victoria suggests. “There's two of them standing guard outside the tent.”

Bart and Jess jump at the chance to help. 

“Stay together,” Leslie tells them, clearly worried about sending a couple teens out on a supply run after everything that's happened today. “Bring everything in the second left drawer - wraps and salves too. It's going to be a long night.”

The Flashes race each other out of sight. 

Baby I don't wanna live in fear no more

You're the only one I wanna come home for

“That's going to need surgery,” Sister Maggie is telling the Lantern with the shoulder wound - Simon Baz, Steph learns. “Can you zeta beam yourself to a hospital?”

“That’s what I said,” his partner, a woman named Jessica Cruz, answers. “But we don't want to leave, you know?”

Steph does know. She's here with a concussion and a broken wrist for a reason.

“Don't try to argue that with a hero type, Maggie, it's a lost cause,” Leslie calls. 

“It really is,” Steph flashes the two Lanterns a smile. They return it.

Even if it cost me all my comfort I would break my bounds to find you

I don't wanna live in fear no more

It's the first time in - maybe since before No Man's Land - that some part of Steph hasn't felt afraid. She could get used to this feeling.

***

The two Flashes reappear about thirty minutes later. Bart is carrying a medical bin. Jess is carrying a box that's clearly from the Clocktower, stuffed with portable chargers, cords, earbuds, and chocolates.

“We made an extra stop,” Jess says unnecessarily. Bart yawns. 

“How're the streets?” Steph asks.

“Really, really quiet,” Bart says. “Like, keptforgettingitwasGotham levels of quiet.”

‘Kept forgetting it was Gotham’ doesn't exactly sound good, but Steph keeps her response light. “So, no hyenas then?”

“Come on, that was one time,” Bart complains. “Well, five times, but still.”

“But still,” Jess nudges him. He gives her a fake glare that turns into another yawn and the Flashes vanish shortly after in search of more caffeine.

Leslie sighs, and turns her focus to Stephanie. “When was the last time we changed your bandages?"

“When you put them on,” Steph admits. She doesn't like where this is going. 

“Sit,” Leslie's tone leaves no room for argument. Steph sits. “Now hold still. The last thing either of us want is an infection.”

Steph lets Leslie redress her wound, exclaiming over the state of it. It's a fair criticism. She did sort-of do a flip off the van immediately after Leslie applied them. She's just lucky they didn't come undone entirely. 

“Hey baby,” Harper appears in the tent as Leslie is finishing up. Leslie steps aside to give them a moment. 

Steph sighs into their embrace. “Guessing you're here to tell me to sleep.”

“Something like that,” Harper agrees, their lips against her ear. “Come on, baby. You've been taking care of everyone else, let me take care of you.”

Steph hesitates, looking back at Victoria.

“I think we have it handled from here,” Dr. October says. “Go be with your partner, Stephanie. You've done more than enough.”

Steph lets Harper lead her out of the tent and into the clouded night.

***

The protestors have all retreated back behind the expanded hedge as the night is growing cold. The League members and some of the leaders are still clustered in the bigger tent as the protestors continue to celebrate. Snippets of chants and songs float through the air, overlapping to the point of incoherence. In the new grass, Cass is teaching Nia how to dance as Rose watches, sharpening her swords appreciatively. Rose blows Harper and Steph a kiss as they pass on the way to their re-pitched tent, which is sporting a floral wreath courtesy of Ivy (she's also left them a bundle of weed, which Harper tucks away to smoke with Rose later.)

Harper pulls Steph down into their lap. Steph sighs as the exhaustion hits her.

“How're you feeling, baby?” Harper runs their fingers along Steph's face, gently tracing the outlines of her bandages. “How's your head?”

“Better now,” Steph leans in to kiss them. Harper kisses her back, hard and fast. Steph bites down on their lip scab lightly, rolling the soft tissue back and forth between her teeth as Harper's tongue presses against the roof of their mouth. Harper's hands find her ass and pull her deeper into the kiss.

“Let's get you out of this uniform,” Harper says, their fingers at her zipper.

“Please,” says Steph. Harper reaches for their jacket clasp and Steph guides their hand down the zipper. They help her out of the uniform slowly, kissing their way along the newly exposed skin, lingering at her collarbone, then pausing to discard their own armor. Underneath, they wear an electric blue sports bra and shorts. Steph's mouth waters, and she pulls Harper closer into her with her good arm.

“Feeling better now?” they ask again. 

“Yes,” Steph catches their lips on hers. Their fingers hover over Steph's bra. There's a question in their eyes. Steph nods. They find the clasp and toss the bra aside. Their hands cup Steph's breasts. Steph wraps her arms around their neck and pulls them in. 

Harper brushes their lips across Steph's breasts. “I know I always go for your ass, but your tits, baby.”

Steph laughs. Harper's hands find her waistband. 

“Is this okay?” they whisper. “We can pick this up tomorrow, if you don't feel up to it right now. You know I'll be around.”

Steph wants to say yes, but her body is starting to give out from exhaustion. She sighs. “That would honestly be better. We can - we can when I wake up.”

Harper tosses her a spare shirt - it has the Oracle logo in progress flag colors - and helps her into it when she stumbles. 

They smile.

“What?” Steph asks.

“I just really love you baby,” Harper says softly. Their fingers clutch her tightly, pulling her closer still. “You scared me today.”

“I scared me,” Steph admits. “But we're okay, and I love you, and I'll try to stay around.”

“You promise?” There's a desperation Harper's voice that undoes Steph completely. She wraps her arm around them and presses a kiss to their heart. 

“I promise,” she whispers. “I'll always come home.”

They fall into the blankets together. Steph is still nestled up against them when they both start to drift into sleep.

“I love you,” she whispers again. “I can't wait for our tomorrow.”

***

They're curled up together in the blankets, Cass and Rose having joined them at some point, half asleep and content with each other, when the scream forces Steph awake. Harper is still snoring next to her.

Steph peers out of the tent and wishes she hadn't. Large, tac-geared creatures with feather-pointed masks are stalking the camp, spears in hand.

The scream comes again and this time Steph recognizes the voice. It's Nia.

She grabs Harper's tasergun and charges into the night to find her girlfriend. She hears the sounds of Harper jolting awake behind her, the light patter of Cass’s footsteps and the clink of Rose unsheathing her swords at her back, but she doesn't wait. Nia can't wait.

The outside air tastes of smoke. She realizes abruptly that the hedge is burning. The camp is burning. She keeps running towards the scream. She hears Cass pausing to pull people from their tents but she can't stop. She passes the League tent, spots the Amazons fighting their way out, and breathes a sigh of relief. The rest of the camp will be okay. The League will protect them. She has to find her girlfriend.

Nia, Nia, Nia.

Steph finds Nia pinned beneath one of the Talons, frantically firing off blasts of energetic blue light to no effect. Steph powers up the tasergun to full blast and pulls the trigger.

“No!” Nia screams as she recognizes Steph. Rose appears and grabs Nias’s shoulders, trying to pull her from the Talon’s grasp with her enhanced strength. It matches her grip. Nia screams again.

Harper's - no, Steph's - electricity slams into the Talon. It shrugs it off without effect and lurches towards Steph, releasing Nia with enough force that it knocks both her and Rose back.

Its blade shatters the tasergun on impact and Steph realizes she's out of options. Even if she had her uniform, her utility belt is long empty. All it would do is delay this inevitability.

Nia is safe. We saved her, she thinks as the blade descends. I'm sorry, Harper. I really did want that tomorrow.

“Steph!” Harper bodyslams her out of the way so hard she almost doesn't register what happens next. Then the blade rips its way through Harper's lung. The Talon kicks their body off its blade and Harper hits the ground hard.

Steph can't tell if they're breathing from here. She throws herself onto Harper's discarded body, searching for a pulse as the Talon moves toward her. Rose catches its blade between her swords.

“Leave them alone!” Rose screams, straining her muscles into the block as her swords begin to crack. Cass and Nia appear on either side of Steph. Then she and Nia pull both Steph and Harper out of the Talon's path. Rose's blades break and she takes off, drawing the Talon away after her, using her enhanced speed to lead it towards the League tent.

Cass makes a small whimpering noise as she stares at Harper. Nia looks down in mingled guilt and horror. Steph curls up against their side and prays that the flutter she finds is a heartbeat. She's not sure. 

“Will live,” says Cass firmly, but her voice is shaking. “Must live.”

“Please,” Steph whispers. “You owe me a tomorrow, Harper Row. Come home to me.”

The tiny heartbeat flickers. 

Chapter Text

The camp is in shambles. The League's made short work of the Talons, but not without a cost. Bodies are being loaded onto makeshift blanket stretchers, the dead being gathered in the center of the camp and the wounded being triaged by Leslie, Sister Maggie, and Victoria.

The medical team has to drag Steph screaming off of Harper's still-breathing chest. Helena Bertinelli catches her and pulls her tight under her cape as she sobs. She doesn't offer comfort. She doesn't tell Steph to stop screaming. She just holds Steph there, rocking her back and forth gently as she screams on. This close, she can hear the buzz of Helena's comm.

“The entire camp is surrounded by pigs,” Karen is reporting. “They're not letting the ambulances pass.”

Steph wants to scream that they can't do this, her partner needs more treatment than the med team can provide here. A lot of people do, by the sounds of it. 

“I'll handle it,” Superman says. He sounds angry. 

From the air, Superman calmly directs the surrounding cops to allow ambulances to pass, controlled fury visible in the lines of his face. Steph catches the words ‘was holding back before’ and the quick assent of moving footsteps followed by ambulance sirens. 

She stares down at Harper and tries not to think about the potential cost of the delay.

It was supposed to be me, she thinks. But Harper Row made Steph promise to live to see tomorrow, and they made damn sure Steph would be around to keep that promise even if it cost them everything. Steph isn't sure if she wants to fight them or kiss them for it. All she knows is that she needs them here with her. All she knows is that they have to live.

Steph needs Harper too much. She can't imagine a world without them there - she won't even envision it. 

Rose reappears, breathless and bruised from the fight but still here, still alive. Steph releases a breath. She hadn't realized how worried she'd been with Rose gone. Rose goes straight to Nia, who's still hyperventilating, and pulls her in for a sharp kiss. 

Nia sobs into her shoulder. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. That thing was there and I saw it happen and I couldn't and then it happened anyway.”

“That's precognition for you, babes. It's a real bitch like that,” Rose says, but her tone is soft with understanding.

“I'm sorry,” Nia repeats helplessly.

Cass takes a break from pacing the camp like an ominous ghost to pat Nia's arm and whisper: “Not your fault. Owls.”

Nia just shakes her head. Her tears are starting to wash at the hearts on her face. Her body is bruised where the Talon held her down. It occurs to Steph abruptly that she almost lost three of her partners tonight. She shivers. The Owls have taken so much from them. She's glad they didn't take Nia too.

I don't want a future without you, Steph thinks. And then, I don't want tomorrow without Harper.

Cass drifts over to Steph, apparently satisfied that Rose can care for Nia, and tugs Steph into a fierce hug. There are tear tracks on her face. Together, they stare down at Harper as the newly-arrived paramedics load them onto the gurney.

Steph pushes out of Cass’s arms and follows Harper up the vehicle's ramp, where she's stopped by an ambulance tech.

“They're my partner,” Steph protests.

“Are you married?” The tech is unimpressed. Steph shakes her head. “Then the answer's gotta be no.”

The ambulance door closes between Steph and Harper as she's forming a new argument. Then it’s pulling away and flashing its sirens and taking Steph's heart with it.

Someone screams. Steph is surprised to find it's not her this time. She turns.

It's Ivy. 

She's writhing in pain, her skin covered in scorch marks to match her ruined hedge.

Holly, Anarky, and Dinah are trying to talk to her. Alysia, Jo, and Miracle linger on the edges of the group. Selina stands watch nearby with Shoes and the Strays’ Helena at her back. Roy is there too. He's got blood smeared down his face but he's staring at Shoes like he can't stand to let them out of his sight.

“You're sure?” Dinah's voice carries over the noise. “The fire would've had to be started from inside?”

Ivy nods through her tears. 

“Could it have been accidental?” Holly’s tone says she doubts it.

“Accidental campfire gone wrong,” Anarky scoffs. “That'll be the story, but it's too convenient on the timing.”

Steph feels a sliver of rage run through her: someone in their camp did this. One of their own set fire to their hedge and let the Talons in. 

“It's everything we can do right now to keep the cops from swarming in and making arrests,” Dinah sighs. “But I'll tell the Birds to keep a lookout.’

“Some of our people are refusing to go to the hospital out of fear the cops will arrest them there,” Victoria joins the conversation, trailed by Claire and surprisingly, Duke Thomas. He and his crew seem to be helping treat low-level wounds and handing out coffee to the shell-shocked Narrows protestors.

“That's not an unfounded fear,” says Anarky. “They've done it before.”

“Will the ambulances transport to the clinic instead?” Holly asks.

“Usually yes,” says Victoria. “This time no, and the med van won't start. There's something wrong with the brake lines. I think they've been cut.”

“Fucking hell,” Anarky presses a hand to their mask and sighs. “Make sure our people know who to call.”

“I'll get Spencer on the line,” Dinah agrees. “She's the best defense attorney we've got. She'll do everything she can for us, but this one might be out of our hands.”

It hadn't occurred to Steph that Harper could get arrested if - when - they survive. Now she can't think about anything else. She runs through what she knows.

Harper, like Steph, charged into battle against the Talon in only their sleepwear. Unlike Steph, their identity is still a secret and the cops won't be able to prove they're the Bluebird who was hitting them with electric blasts most of the day.

That might not matter. They were at the protest, which might be enough for them to get hurt. To go to jail, even. If that happens, Steph decides she'll just have to stage a jailbreak even if it means going on the run with her partner.

Harper is worth it. Harper is worth the entire world. Steph just needs them to live long enough for her to give it to them.

Dinah spots the other Bad Girls waiting next to Helena. She heads over, beckoning Steph to meet her there. “Oracle wants the four of you back at the Clocktower.”

“Staying here,” Cass insists. There's a mournful echo in her voice. “Owls.”

“No, we need to go to the ER,” Steph begins. “We need to be with Harper.”

Dinah and Helena exchange a look. 

“What you need is sleep and food and to get out of the line of fire, at least until we can figure out our next steps,” Dinah says. Her voice softens. “You won't do Harper any good if you get arrested in the Gotham General lobby.”

“Best not to argue this one,” Helena agrees. Steph shoots her a betrayed look and shrugs out of her arms.

Rose glances between her partners and comes to a decision. She nods, and reaches for Cass and Nia's hands. Cass takes the hand. Nia doesn't - both her arms are locked around her chest and she's still muttering under her breath. Rose sighs. She tucks Cass under her chin and extends her now-free hand to Steph, who collapses against her gratefully.

“Your call, babes,” says Rose softly.

“Fine,” says Steph after a moment. “We'll go back to the Clocktower. Just…let us know if anything changes, okay?”

“Of course,” Dinah promises. “We'll tell you as soon as we know anything.”

That's not soon enough, Steph thinks, but doesn't say. She knows it's the best Dinah can give her.

Her thoughts drift back to Harper and linger there desperately, even as Huntress escorts the four of them back to the Clocktower and the unbroken curfew sirens wail.

Steph wants to wail right back at them and let her grief drown out the oppressive noise.

***

Barbara is the only Bird in the Clocktower right now, Frankie having gone back to her workshop apartment to get more drones and fix the ones today's fight destroyed. She looks up when they enter.

“Have you heard-?” Steph begins.

“Nothing yet,” Barbara sighs. “Twelve dead, at least twenty-seven injured, and not a bit of concrete evidence tying it to the Council.”

“What do you mean ‘no evidence’?” Steph exclaims. “They were Talons. Those things killed my mom and- and-”

Steph closes her mouth. She can't say ‘and Harper' while there's a chance her partner is still breathing. Barbara definitely caught the slip, but all the Oracle does in response is purse her lips and sigh.

“Amanda was right about one thing,” the Oracle mutters as she studies them from behind her glasses. “Some days this job really is a life sentence.”

Steph's phone buzzes. She looks down. It's Bart, texting from the motel to ask if she's okay. She doesn't have an answer for that so she likes the message and closes the chat. She'll be okay when Harper is - that much she knows.

Then Cullen bursts into the room. “Where is my sister!?”

Steph turns to face him. “They’re at Gotham General. I'm so sorry. It should've been me.”

“Damn right it should've been,” he shouts back. “You promised to keep her safe.”

Rose steps forward, danger flashing in her eyes. “Watch yourself. It's not her fault.”

“Yes,” Cullen doesn't back down. “It is. I wish my sister had never met you or the Bat. If she hadn't, she'd be safe right now and you'd be the one dying for a cause you don't even understand.”

The words hit and Steph almost collapses with their weight. Cass frowns, like she's searching for words.

Nia mouths ‘they’ at Cullen, focused in on the myriad of ways he's disrespecting his sibling's identity and agency. Cullen doesn't bother to acknowledge her, too caught up in his own grief to care. Nia says it again, louder this time.

“Them,” she crosses her arms.

“What?” He asks, apparently stunned.

“You heard what I said,” says Nia. “Both times. Stop pretending you didn't. If you can't respect Harper's choices, you can at least try to respect who they are. You call them your family? Start acting like it. And leave my girlfriends the fuck out of your bullshit macho power trip or I will personally ensure you have the worst nightmare of your life.”

“Losing Harper is my worst nightmare!” Cullen shrieks. “And this never would've happened without you, so now I'm going to Gotham General to see my sister, because I'm family and I get to be there. You're not. So just stay the hell away from both of us if you actually care about what's best for them.”

He storms out of the Clocktower, still muttering about ‘stuck up, selfish, so-called heroes who think they know what's best for everyone else.’

“If he’d stayed one more minute I would've taken his arm off,” Rose admits. “Good job, Ni. That was hot.”

Nia blushes. Then something seems to occur to her. “Aren't you unarmed?”

“Never unarmed,” Cass rolls her eyes fondly. She turns to Rose. “How many knives?”

“Eight,” Rose admits. “And probably one I'm forgetting. At least.”

“No dismemberment in the Clocktower,” says Oracle sternly, but her eyes are smiling behind her glasses. “Stephanie, sit down. You look like you might fall.”

Cass pulls one of Oracle's coziest sweaters on over her uniform pants and curls up in the blankets from two mornings ago. Rose joins her. A few minutes later, Steph follows. The blankets smell faintly like Harper. Steph presses the fabric to her face. Rose pulls her gently into her lap and pats her hair awkwardly.

Nia lingers on the outskirts of their grief, like she's still not quite sure she belongs. She leans against the Clocktower wall, her face paint smeared with tears but the trans hearts still hanging on, still here.

Steph wants to take Nia into her arms and promise to make it better, but her hope vanished with Harper and she's emptied out of everything but hurt. Rose beckons her over and Nia joins them in the blankets. The four of them sit together as Barbara's screens play footage from the protest alongside news coverage, active patrol routes (Nightwing, Azrael, and Robin currently), and at least one nineties cartoon. Steph isn't sure how Barbara keeps up with all of them. She decides to pick one to focus on.

She's still trying to decide when Nia nudges her. “Look.”

Steph looks obligingly. Vicki Vale’s overly bright face looks back from onscreen. Steph scowls. “Oh, her. Yeah she's the worst.”

Nia nudges her. “Ssssh.”

“Jurors in the Lex Luthor trial are scheduled to announce a verdict in the morning,” Vicki’s saying. Steph starts paying attention.

“The trial, which was moved from Metropolis to Hub City amid accusations of bias, has been ongoing for months. Luthor stands accused of embezzlement, insider trading, corporate espionage, and public endangerment. Earlier charges of conspiracy, attempted murder, and destruction of property have already been dropped.”

“But he did all those things!” Nia points out. “He's - he did all those things.”

“He did,” Barbara agrees from across the room. “You're going to want to prepare yourself for an unfair verdict. It's very difficult to get men like that convicted of anything.”

Steph, Cass, and Rose exchange a look. They understand that all too well.

Nia is radiating disappointed fury. Steph takes a deep breath. Harper would be doing rhythmic taps along Nia's shoulder by now, but Harper isn't here right now. Steph leans over and starts tapping. Nia grabs her hand and doesn't let go.

Something occurs to Steph. “Have you heard anything from Lois?”

Barbara just shakes her head.

The news channel shifts. “In other news, variants of the Fearment drug continue to spread across the country, beating out fentanyl, methamphetamines, and heroin in overdoses, hospitalizations, and availability. There is currently no treatment for Fearment-induced psychosis or overdose. Pressure is building for lawmakers to designate it a class I drug, a controversial move that many say is necessary to address the budding crisis.”

“Because that'll make it easier for people to get help,” Steph mutters, channeling Leslie with unsurprising vehemence.

That channel goes to commercial, another starts talking about the protest, and Barbara's algorithm isolates the footage and moves it to the screen.

“Riots continue across Gotham tonight as the Narrows protests enter day five,” the reporter proclaims. “Reports are trickling in of armed rioters smashing storefronts, burning buildings, and assaulting civilians. The City Council has advised all Gothamites to stay inside, stay safe, and stay off the streets. This comes after a day in which similar movements across the country were shut down by law enforcement action.”

Steph stares at the footage in confused horror. She doesn't recognize any of the people carrying off televisions or setting fires indiscriminately, and the people getting attacked seem to mostly be other protestors. It's as if there are two movements on the streets of Gotham tonight: one fighting for the people, one for themselves. 

She curls tightly in on herself. Her mom, Harper, now the protest itself - it feels like everything is coming undone, like Steph's entire world is breaking, and even the Spoiler isn't going to be able to put it back together this time. Last time, after the quake - after her father - she'd managed it through sheer determination and refusal to quit. She guesses she'll find a way to do it again somehow, but she doesn't want to. Not without her mom and her city and her Harper at her side.

There's a ping on the computer and Barbara wheels over to them. “Harper's in surgery. Punctured right lung and internal bleeding. They don't know yet, which means I don't either, but their condition seems to be stable at least. I'm sorry. I wish I knew more.”

Steph feels lightheaded. Maybe the world really has stopped and it's waiting for Harper to start up again. 

“There's a warrant for their arrest,” Barbara adds. “Disorderly conduct, trespassing, and unlawful assembly. They're going to try to charge them as an accomplice in assault on a police officer, but that shouldn't stick.”

“It's Gotham,” Steph says. Her voice comes out as a whisper. “Shouldn't doesn't mean anything here.”

Whether Harper lives or dies, their life as they've always known it is over. Steph's heart aches. The others put their hands on her shoulders and it's too much all of a sudden. She shrugs them off and bolts for the Clocktower balcony where she can be alone with her need to fall apart. 

Steph pulls out her phone and cues up a song.

And it's been a minute I've been holding on but you're already gone

So what do I do now?

Cause I finally found what I searched for I finally had you

How am I supposed to let you go no I just don't know how

Steph sniffles. She looks down and realizes distantly that she's still got Harper's blood on her shirt. That's when her tears start up again.

You always tried your best to keep my heart from getting hurt

Cass slips out the balcony door and sits next to Steph, close enough to touch but not touching.

“I need to be alone right now,” Steph manages through her tears.

Cass nods. “It's fine. I will be alone with you.”

Steph's heart swells. She extends her hand ever so slightly so that their fingertips brush. “That might be okay.”

I get the part where I get let down but what do I do now

With all of the feelings and all of the pain and all of the words

I just don't know how

There's a lot Steph doesn't know right now. She doesn't know if the protest will fall apart. She doesn't know if Harper will live. She doesn't know if she will ever feel okay again.

But she knows it's nice to sit here with Cass at the end of all things, as the sirens blare and smoke drifts over the Gotham skyline. She knows Rose and Nia will be waiting when she's ready to go inside. And she knows that whatever comes, the Birds of Prey will be ready and the spectacular Spoiler will be with them.

END OF BOOK ONE