-----

Author's Note: Here's Ch. 15, its got two good things going for it: length and action. There's also a couple cameos, some from my previous stories and a few DC characters I slipped in. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

-----

Chapter Fifteen:

“Everything should be ok,” said Cameron as she shuffled papers.

“Are you sure?” I asked, moving my fork through the eggs on my plate.

She nodded. “I interrogated the suspect myself. He was very high at the time of the mugging. He was a junky looking for a quick fix. He rambled on and on about you one minute and then a yellow elephant the next. He was only coherent half the time so Detective Schorr barely believed him.”

I let out a sigh of relief. I was pretty certain the guy was going to give them an accurate description of me and there would be reporters knocking on my door first thing in the morning. There was someone at the door when I came downstairs for breakfast but it was only Agent Chase. She didn’t look too happy when grandma invited her in for a cup of coffee. Apparently, she had spent half the night at the Chicago police station. First, trying to convince Detective Schorr to let her interview the suspect and then once she got to him, she spent several more hours trying to see what he knew. But like she said, he was too strung out to really remember much.

It was good to know that I didn’t permanently damage him after I subdued him. A broken wrist and some bruised ribs, both things he’d be able to live with. After the police station, they moved him to the ER where he was currently recuperating. I suppose I should have put him in a full body cast but the only one that would have satisfied was me.

I smiled. Cameron frowned. “You were lucky. Too lucky, you can’t keep taking risks like this. First the mall and now this. You can’t keep doing stuff like this.”

I groaned. “So you wanted me to let the guy mug me?”

She sighed, shaking her head. “You could have just left him there; you didn’t have to call the cop over.”

“He would have gotten away and tried it again.”

Cameron didn’t argue with me there because she knew I was right. What I should have done was stripped the son of a bitch to his underwear and tossed his ass out into the street. It would have drawn a lot of attention but at least he’d not only be embarrassed but arrested, too. I’m sure that would have gone over really, really well with her. But I needed to play nice. I was already towing the line as it is. After I disappeared on them the other day, I think they were pretty peeved with me and now I pulled this. I still couldn’t believe we lost them like that, they were the US government, how could they lose track of a group of sixteen-year-old girls?

Cameron sipped her coffee then looked down at her papers. It was a file folder, I’m sure it was on me. It wasn’t very thick but I had a feeling it was going to get thicker in an hour or two as soon as she filed all this. I’m not sure if I was impressed with it or not. It still bugged me that these people thought I was a massive threat to national security. If anything, I was an asset. After all, I took out some really bad guys in Greece; clothes-lined a purse snatcher and put a mugger in the hospital. I didn’t expect medals but at least they could have been grateful. Ok, so the last two weren’t terrorists but those guys in Greece were pretty damn hardcore. That had to count for something.

“So what happens now?”

‘Nothing at the moment. You continue to be a normal high school student and we continue to monitor you for a while. Like Agent Faraday told you, as long as you stay out of trouble we’ll leave you alone. But the more trouble you cause…”

I didn’t need for her to finish that sentence. “And if trouble finds me?”

She smiled. “I can’t tell you not to take care of it. But I can advise you to practice a little more caution next time. You’re just lucky no one saw you take care of that guy last night.”

She finished her coffee, grabbed her folder and thanked my grandma for the hospitality. Then she said her goodbyes and left. I finished my breakfast and Donna finally came down the stairs, bleary eyed and bed frazzled---I’m sure that’s a phrase somewhere. Besides, she did look frazzled. Her hair was all over the place and it looked like she’d had a fight with a bear and lost. There were dark circles under her eyes and she was dragging her feet as she entered the kitchen. When she flopped down in the chair Cameron just left, she yawned. She noticed the empty coffee cup and yawned again.

“What did Cameron want?” she asked, not missing a beat.

“Cassie was mugged last night.”

Donna winced. “Poor guy. Did you put him in the hospital, too?”

I smiled. My grandma didn’t find it funny. She answered for me. “The man may have been a criminal but he was sick, too. I might not condone what she did to him but at least he’s in some place where he can get the help he needs.”

Donna winked at me. “Good for you” she said softly so grandma couldn’t hear.

We finished breakfast; then both Donna and I scrambled to get dressed. I knew what they were planning for today and I wasn’t looking forward to it. I dragged my feet through changing, wondering if it was possibly to jump out the window. I actually looked over at it, wondering if it would hurt if I jumped from that distance. In the end though, I decided it wasn’t worth it. So I finished dressing and went downstairs. Grandma and Donna were waiting for me; both of them were overly excited. Me, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

There are several things I was hoping to avoid in my new girlhood. One of them was wearing a dress, which of course I did just a few days ago. It was only in the store but soon it would be in public. The second thing was going to a beauty salon. The idea of having some crazy woman mess with my hair and everything just sent shivers down my spine. As far as femininity went, I was a definite tomboy and I liked it that way. Ok, so maybe I was a little too pretty to be one but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. When we were clothes shopping a few days ago---almost a week ago now---I made sure that there were no skirts in my wardrobe.

There was another thing I was avoiding too, one I knew I couldn’t avoid much longer. I knew all about a girl’s monthly visitor and I was definitely not looking forward to that.

The salon was in Woodfield again. I tried to talk the two insistent women out of it but it was a no go. In the end, Donna actually had to push me inside. This place was worse than that stupid spa. It was pink and girly and smelled like someone dropped twenty bottles of flowery perfume in here. My grandma had apparently already made an appointment for me, putting me down for the full salon treatment. Whatever the hell that means. Let me tell you something right now, if anyone ever tells you you’re getting the full treatment, run like hell. Suffice to say I had more fun beating the hell out of those guys in the streets of Greece---yes, the ones that were trying to kill me.

Ok, so I’m exaggerating a little. But not much. They plucked, teased, and waxed. I was turned and twisted in so many different directions I felt like they were going to pull me apart. Ok, so some of it was actually soothing. I can honestly admit that I like it when someone else washes my hair. There’s something about someone rubbing their fingers on my scalp that makes me feel like I’m in heaven. I also didn’t mind it when they gave me a manicure and a pedicure. But if anyone ever tries to wax me again or pluck my eyebrows, I’m going to put them through a wall. Did you know they wax down there too; they call it the bikini wax. I call it a gross invasion of privacy. The whole time though, they put these little headphones on my head, playing soothing music. It only helped a little. Things got better when they gave me a facial, though. I didn’t even know they did things like that in a salon but apparently, it was a part of the full treatment here. After that, they worked on my makeup.

Overall, it took about three hours or so for them to finish with everything. When they finally tuned me around and allowed me to look in the mirror, I nearly passed out. I’d been pretty before but now I was gorgeous. Not that I’d ever put makeup on again but there was something about the girl in the mirror staring back at me that made me want to see her again. My hair was amazing too. They trimmed a little, highlighted some of it and now it was all gathered on the top of my head. I can honestly say that I looked like a princess in a Disney movie.

“Cassandra you look wonderful, honey,” said my grandma as she appeared in the mirror behind me.

“You think so?”

“A knock out, kid” said Donna from somewhere off to my left.

I smiled. Ok, I couldn’t argue with her there.

We left the salon after that. Me, I was glad to be out of there. Donna wanted to do some more shopping but I wasn’t in the mood to let her rope me into something I’d regret. She was already skating on thin ice with me as it is. I’m sure she meant well, trying to set me up with Connor but sometimes, I wondered if she wasn’t evil and out to get me. I looked at her as we left the salon, the three of us moving through the crowd. She looked like she was having a good time but I could tell that something was bothering her. I wonder if it had anything to do with Barbara. The two of them seemed happy enough but Donna was still unwilling to go that empty apartment.

“Don’t look now,” she said softly to me. “But you’ve got some admirers.”

Of course I looked and I turned beet red. Everyone we passed stopped and looked at me. It made me extremely embarrassed. If they didn’t think I was a model before, they sure did now. I tried not to let it get to me but it was hard when everyone was staring. I wanted to scream but instead I held my head high and walked with a confidence I didn’t know I had. People continued to stare but I let them. After a bit, it actually started to make me feel good.
We ate lunch in the food court. We were there about another hour then we drove back home.

It was strange having all this hair piled on top of my head. I reached up to touch it and Donna smacked my hand away. “Don’t you dare?” she said with a laugh.

“It’s weird,” I said, fidgeting.

“It’s beautiful” she said, reaching into her purse and taking out a compact. She snapped it open. “See... look.”

She angled it so I could see my hair and she was right, it was amazing. I’m not saying I thought it was beautiful but it was a lot better than it was before. It was just a lot to get used to. I didn’t really like all that hair; it was heavy and a pain to deal with. But having it up on my head like this it felt heavier but at least it was off my neck and back. It still made me nervous though. I looked way too much like a girl now. Like I said before I was hoping to go for the whole tomboy thing but looking like this there was little chance anyone would mistake me for a guy. Not that they did before but I was hoping to not stick out as much.

Donna frowned. “What’s wrong?” I asked

She shook her head, a tears in her eyes. She didn’t say anything but I knew she was upset about something. I took her in my arms and let her cry on my shoulder. It seemed like the right thing to do. She sobbed through a few apologies. I’m not sure what she was talking about, she did nothing wrong. But she apologized for being pushy and for trying to set me up with Connor. I laughed. I wasn’t really mad about that stuff. It was kinda annoying but she was doing what she thought was right. I still planned on getting her back but now it wouldn’t be anything as drastic as I was planning before.

“She’s a bitch,” Donna finally said when she pulled away from me. “I called her last night to tell her about the Exhibit and she got pissed off about it.”

So this was about Barbara. I thought it might be. “She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”

Donna smiled. Then she wiped her tears and looked at the clock. It was getting close to three in the afternoon now. She made an eep sound then got to her feet. “You need to get into the bath right now,” she said, dragging me to my feet.

“What” I asked as she pushed me toward the stairs.

She didn’t say anything. She just grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the upstairs bathroom. She pushed me inside then started the bath water. She threw in some beads and things like that. The water started to foam up with suds. She ordered me to strip, which I did reluctantly. She let out an intake of breath when she saw my naked form. Her eyes lingered a bit longer than they should. I flushed and stepped into the water. She mumbled something about being “jealous” as I slowly sunk into the soothing suds. I couldn’t remember the last time I took a bath, especially a bubble bath. It felt good though, like childhood.

“Remember to keep your head above the water.”

I was in the bath about twenty minutes. When I got out there was a new robe waiting for me. I wonder if my grandma had something to do with it. I made my way to my room but Donna came around the corner and intercepted me. She led me downstairs instead. I could see she was starting to prepare herself, too. I don’t know why we were getting prepared so early, the Exhibit opening didn’t start for another four hours. But my Mom always got prepared several hours too early as well. I learned long ago not to question women when they did things like that and now I was one of them. So I followed Donna downstairs. The two of us sat on the couch and watched TV. We ended up watching the news. The local had nothing but the Exhibit opening. Bruce Wayne’s events always made the news; they were a big deal in the city. The newscaster was talking about everyone who was going to be there, the list was a mile long. Then the story shifted, going to another story about new billionairess Olivia Queen. Once again, the press was hounding her as she was trying to go somewhere.

“They’re like vultures,” said Donna as she flipped the channel. “Why don’t they leave the poor girl alone, she just lost her grandfather?”

After that, we watched some cartoons for a while. It was nice to be a kid for a little while. After about two hours or so of that, Donna shut off the TV and told me it was time to get ready. She led me upstairs where a pair of underwear was waiting. Just underwear, no bra. It wasn’t even proper underwear either; it was one of those thongs. I groaned. Donna quickly explained that I needed to wear them so no panty lines would show through the dress. So I dropped the robe and reluctantly put them on. It felt like I had a permanent wedgie. When I asked about the lack of bra, she said with a dress like mine I didn’t need one. That didn’t make me feel any better.

We didn’t dress right away. First she made me wear some dangly earrings and she put a necklace around my neck. Then she made me put on the dress. It was a lot tighter than I remember and left little to the imagination. She made me walk over to the tall mirror in the corner so I could get a good look at myself. I gulped but then found myself smiling really big. I looked amazing, better than amazing in fact. I was a knock out times ten. I wonder what Connor would think? I groaned. The girliness must be seeping into my brain now.

“You stay here and practice in those heels, I’m gonna get dressed.”

As soon as she dressed, I ran over and grabbed the phone. Grandma had a phone line installed in my room. She said it all teenage girls needed their own phones. There was already a jack in here from when Vanessa had this room but now it was one line, in my name. I opened the bedside table and took out the card there, dialing the number. When I heard a man’s voice on the other end, I smiled big. It was finally payback time.

After that, I slipped on the three-inch heels---like I needed to be any taller---and walked slowly around the room. I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Donna showed up about ten minutes later wearing a black dress that kinda sparkled, almost as if there were little stars woven into the fabric. She looked really pretty but even in her heels she was still shorter than me. She made me walk a few times for her to make sure I wasn’t going to fall and break my neck. Then the two of us headed downstairs. Of course, my grandma took pictures; this was a big deal apparently. After numerous flashes, Donna and I went and sat on the couch again.

At five, the doorbell rang. Donna got up to answer but I beat her too. It was kinda weird running in heels but I managed. I opened the door and smiled when I saw Jay standing there. He was wearing a black tux, his hair slicked back. He looked a little uncomfortable. I smiled evilly. “Hey, Jay” I said, ushering him inside. He was carrying a single rose and looked a bit nervous.

I walked him into the living room. Donna saw him and gave me a look. I smiled at her and I think she knew she’d been paid back. “Jay, this is my friend Donna, Donna, this is Jay.”

“Hi” they both said uncomfortably.

Donna shot me a look but all I could do was smile. “You two kids play nice.”

I left them in the living room together. It was a cruel thing to do, especially after she cried on my shoulder about Barbara. But it was a nasty thing for her to set me up with Connor. I’m sure she’d be pissed about it for a while but she’d get over it. I walked into the kitchen and my grandma frowned at me. I shrugged and sat at the kitchen table. She didn’t say anything but I could tell she wasn’t happy with what I did either. But I didn’t care. I was tired of Donna teasing me and trying to push me into things I wasn’t ready for. Did I feel bad about setting her up with Jay... nope? Who knows, she might have a good time and forget about Barbara, at least for one night anyway.

I sat at the kitchen table for a long time. My spirits were raised a bit when I heard laughing from the other room. That’s always a good sign. I knew the two of them could never hit it off but maybe they could become friends. My good mood evaporated as soon as I heard the doorbell ring. I looked at the clock on the wall; it was only quarter past five. It couldn’t be. Then Donna called from the living room.

“Cassie, Connor is here.”

I groaned and got to my feet. I walked out into the living room. At the sight of Connor standing there in his tux, his hair gelled, holding a bouquet. Ok, I’ll admit it, he looked good. I went weak at the knees a bit. My heart thumped and I found myself smiling. That is until I looked over at Donna and she had an evil smile too. I knew her game now. Touché and bring on round three. I smiled and nodded, tipping my head as to say bring it on. It never hurt to have a little rivalry between friends.

“I’m not early, am I?” he said, looking around. “Donna called and said to come now.”

“You’re not early,” I said, walking into the living room and taking his arm. “I just thought it would be cool if the two of us hung out a bit before we had to leave.”

“These are for you,” he said, handing me the flowers.

“Thanks” I said, taking them and giving them a sniff. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? “Let’s get some water for them.”

I led him into the kitchen. Grandma smiled when she saw them. Her eyes said it all. She was happy that Donna got me back so quickly.

I was shocked when the limo pulled up in front of our house. I guess I was just expecting us going to this thing in our own cars. It was kinda exciting actually; I’d never been in one before. Connor led me out, my arm looped in his. Jay and Donna followed. Why did they get along so well---they were both fans of a certain band apparently? I think I did good. But my excitement was short-lived when the driver got out and opened the door for us. There was already someone inside, two someone’s in fact. I’d been avoiding her for the last few days, even when she called asking for me. I refused to talk to her. I wonder if this was her idea or my grandma’s. But as soon as I saw my mother, I wanted to turn and run the other way. I looked back at the house---to my grandma in the doorway---she looked as surprised as I did.

“Miss?” asked the driver, waiting for me and Connor to get in.

I took a deep breath and grumbled. I let the driver take my hand and I slowly got into the limo, making sure to do it like a lady, just like Donna showed me earlier. I looked over at Mom. She was dressed in red---she usually dressed in red. Her hair was up like mine, her glasses were gone tonight. She owned contacts but rarely wore them. She said she didn’t care about her appearance but apparently, she did tonight. I have to admit she did look pretty but of course, she didn’t hold a candle to me. She knew it too. As soon as she saw me, her eyes widened a bit. I think she was shocked and surprised that her former son could outdo her.

I looked over at Jason and smiled. He was dressed in a tux too but no black tie for him. It was too formal and stuffy. He looked like he usually did. He was always very prim and proper, regal in fact. He came from England; he arrived here a few years ago on an exchange program and loved it so much he stayed. I think Mom had something to do with that. The two of them weren’t serious---in fact, they had a very open relationship---but I think he cared a lot more for her than she did him. Dating was a distraction to Mom and her work. Not that she didn’t spend a lot of time with him though. She called them “academic dates”, like she was afraid to call them what they really were. Looking at him, with his dark hair–silver at the sides---I could see what a lot of his female students saw. Jason was a fox, a little on the old side but still he was quite handsome.

I groaned, wondering if every guy I saw was going to be handsome now.

“Hi” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Jason Blood, your aunt’s boyfriend.”

I shook his hand and he winked. Clearly, grandma had filled Mom and Jason in on my fib. Mom didn’t look too happy about it but she could go to hell. I introduced myself as Mom’s “niece” then I introduced Connor, forgetting he and Jason already knew one another. The only one who didn’t know him was Jay.
It was a very uncomfortable ride into the city. My mother kept looking at me, glaring actually. I’m not sure what she thought was going to happen but clearly, she wasn’t expecting this. I kept giving her a smug look, daring her to say something. Not that I wanted to get into it with her but I was ready to fight if she was. But she didn’t say anything. Jason held her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. So clearly, he thought we were going to go at it too. I reached over and surprised Connor---and myself---by taking Connor’s hand. My mother’s eyes narrowed. I turned my face from her, looking out the window instead.

We finally pulled up to the museum after one of the most awkward rides I’d ever had. The Field used to be my home away from home. My mother used to spend loads of time there and I used to tag along. I used to love running up and down the halls when I younger. I mean it was a lot better than sitting in her stuffy office all day. I don’t think my Mom cared either way; it got me out of her hair. As I got older, she stopped bringing me then she started to spend more time at the college. By then I was kinda bored with the place anyway. The last time I’d been here was a month ago; I was still Charlie then and bored out of my mind. Tonight things looked to be different. The museum thrived on Galas. They got all decked out, even rolled out the red carpet.

Wayne Galas were even better. When our limo pulled up in front, a man in a red uniform came over and opened the door. Jason got out first followed by Mom. There were a lot of flashes. My Mom was partially known to the press. Tonight was big for her though, this was her event after all. Donna and Jay exited next, there was some flashes too. I took a deep breath when it got to my turn. As soon as Connor got out and then helped me, I let my breath out. The cameras went nuts for me. Microphones and video cameras were shoved in my face; reporters were throwing questions at me left and right. All of them wanted to know who I was. I tried to ignore them. I think they thought I was a model or something. It was kinda freaky.

I squeezed Connor’s arm, maybe a little too tightly. I heard him groan and saw him wince. I eased up a bit, forgetting about my super strength. He looked about as nervous as I was. We walked the carpet as fast as we could, following the precession on my Mom and Donna. I was so thankful when we walked up those steps and got inside. The Main room was decked out for a party, even the giant T-Rex skeleton looked like it was celebrating. I looked around, surprised at such a thing. I’d never been a to a gala here. I’d seen them a lot. The movie The Relic opened here years ago and it was surprising... things looked very similar, though there was a definite Grecian theme going on. The servers wore togas, carrying trays of delicacies that might belong in Ancient times.
I snatched a cream puff as one walked by me.

“There’s so many people,” said Connor, trying to make his way through the crowd like me.

“Wayne goes all out,” I said, trying to make it sound like I knew what I was talking about. I didn’t.

I let my “date” lead me through the crowd. We followed Mom and Jason as they made the rounds. I was introduced to a lot of people as her “niece” Cassandra. A few of the academics asked where I was---me, being Charlie of course. My mother made up excuses, different ones for each person. It amazed me to see her in action, rubbing elbows. She was a different person when she got around her colleagues, likable almost. It didn’t matter that she hated most of them and vice versa. It was all about ass kissing tonight. My mother poured on the charm thick too; it made me sick watching her. When we got to the Mayor and his wife, Mom laughed at all their stupid jokes. I smiled and shook hands. I met the Mayor, the Governor, even Commissioner Gordon. I was actually happy to see him. He was an old poker buddy of grandpa’s. He used to come over to the house all the time, tried to talk me into joining the police force. But of course, I had to be re-introduced to him as Cassandra. It was kinda sad really. I knew a lot of people in the room---for years in face---but known of them knew the new me.

“Carter” My mom said, drawing the attention of one of her colleagues.

The man turned around and I smiled. Out of all of them, I liked Dr. Hall the best. He reminded me a lot of Daniel Jackson from Stargate. Partially because they were both Egyptologist but also because he kinda looked like him too. He and Mom had offices next door to one another. I loved him; he always had the best stories. Mom not so much. They butted heads some. I think he thought she was wasting her time, looking for the Amazons. She thought he was too obsessed with the Egyptian God Horus. Dr. Hall had a thing for birds, well hawks actually.

Tonight the two of them were pretending to be friends apparently.

“Helena” he said, taking her hand and kissing her on the cheek. “You look as lovely as ever.”

“I try,” said Mom then she turned to me. “This is my niece, Cassandra.”

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Hall” I said, shaking his hand. “I’m a great admirer of yours.”

I knew saying that would piss Mom off.

“Its always nice meet a fan, especially one as lovely as yourself”

My mom butted in. “Still looking for hawks and blue bugs?”

He didn’t take the bait. “Still looking for crazed feminist warriors?”

They glared at one another. Jason intervened. “Perhaps I should take the lady of the hour and get her a drink.”

“You’d be doing me a big favor,” said Carter, I tried to hide my smile.

Mom noticed and glared at both of us. Jason made some excuses and led her away. I stayed and talked with Dr. Hall for a few more minutes. I introduced Connor, who was just glad to be included, I think. Like I said before, this wasn’t really his thing. We talked a bit more then Dr. Hall excused himself to go mingle. After that, Connor and I did some mingling too. I looked around, staring at all the people. There were a lot of faces I didn’t know and some I did. There was a pair of security guards in the corner. I knew the older one, Frank; the younger guy was new to me. But he saw me looking and smiled. It was kinda creepy, especially because I thought he was kinda cute.

I looked around some more and noticed a refreshments table. My stomach grumbled and my throat was dry. “I’m going to get some punch.”

Connor nodded. “I’m going to see if I can find Jay.”

I nodded. In the living room, the two of them had struck up a conversation about the Chicago Bears. Connor was a big fan, Jay not so much. I watched as he disappeared into the crowd before I went off to the table. It was loaded with a lot of good stuff, centered around an ice sculpture of a Greek warrior. I grabbed a plate and started loading it up, my overeager appetite taking control for me. I might look like a freak but I didn’t care. I hadn’t eaten since lunch.

Someone cursed behind me. In Portuguese no less. I turned around and saw a guy standing there. He was shorter than me, with dark hair and a Hispanic complexion. He couldn’t have been more than twenty or so. I knew Portuguese quite well, having spent some time there with Mom a few years ago. I smiled and replied in the same language, surprising him.

“Wow” he said, switching to English. “Beautiful and bilingual.”

I smiled. “My mother travels a lot. You pick up a thing or two.”

He smiled too then looked at my plate. “It’s amazing to see a girl who isn’t afraid she’ll hurt her waistline.”

I smiled. “I have a fast metabolism.”

I nodded. “My girlfriend would die if she ate one of those things.”

“Most girls would”

As if on cue, the girl appeared. She slithered through the crowd, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She was pretty, if you liked them that way. She was shorter than him with hair so bleached it looked almost white. She was wearing a blue dress and a scowl. She looked me up and down, sizing me up.

“Bernardo” she said with a Swedish accent. “I thought you were getting me some punch, not flirting with strange women.”

“We weren’t flirting, Tora, it’s called having a conversation.”

I smiled and excused myself. There was no way I was getting in the middle of that. I wandered back through the crowd, looking for Connor. I found him and Jay sitting at a table, talking about football. I slipped into an empty chair. The two of them talked as if I wasn’t there. I rolled my eyes, men and their sports. Wait, I did not just think that. I groaned and started stuffing my face. I ate for a while, downed the glass of punch in one gulp. They continued to talk or argue rather. Jay was a Patriots fan apparently. I listened to them for a bit until I felt my bladder begin to fill. I excused myself, not that either of them seemed to notice.

I got up and started weaving my way through the crowd. I knew where the bathrooms were but I was hoping to avoid them. I’d been in bathroom publically only once or twice after my change. I hated it. It felt weird and foreign being in the girls’ bathroom, like I was an impostor or something. As I approached, I groaned, noticing a small line. I didn’t want to wait for that. I looked around, noticing that Frank and the young blonde security guard were standing next to the stairs. There was a bathroom downstairs near my Mom’s office; I used it all the time. But the only problem was getting past the two of them. I took a deep breath and put a little sway in my walk.

The blonde guard smiled as I approached. “What can I do for you little lady?”

"There’s such a long line at the ladies,” I said, laying it on thick.

“You think you guys can let me down there for a second?”

“I’m sorry we can’t do that miss?” said Frank.

The blonde smiled. “C’mon Frank, she’s just one girl. She’ll be up and down in no time.”

I nodded, pressing my hands together, pleading. “It’ll be one sec, please?”

Frank stayed stern for a second. Then his resolve melted. “You have five minutes and then I’m sending Mike here down to get you.”

I smiled and kissed Frank on the cheek. “You’re the best.”

I felt kinda dirty when the two of them let me down the stairs. I couldn’t believe I flirted like that just to use a bathroom. But I really had to go and there was no way I was waiting for it. So I slowly minced down the stairs. The damn heels prevented me from taking them two at a time. My mother hated that they put her office in the basement but she wasn’t the only one. There were a lot of academics like her down there. She should have been glad they gave her an office at all, what with her only working her part of the time. But she still griped about it, her office at the university was much bigger. It was also on the second floor of the Humanities building.

I made it to the bottom of the stairs and pushed the usually heavy door open. It was no longer heavy anymore. The hall was dark but I knew my way. I’d been down here lots of time, enough time to navigate it even in the pitch black. When I was younger, I used to make a game out of counting all the doors. There were six offices between the stairs and my mother’s. As I walked along in the dark, moving slowly so I wouldn’t trip in the damn heels, I found the bathroom in-between the second office and the third. It was a unisex so I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable inside. I flicked on the light, glad for some illumination.

I peed quickly, sighing in relief. Then situated myself and flushed. As I was washing my hands, I thought I heard something. I shut off the water and listened. Maybe it was just my imagination. I finished washing my hands and left the bathroom. I got about three feet when I heard the same something again. It sounded like rustling papers and faint footsteps. I turned around; the noise was coming down the hall. I started walking and stumbled. I cursed and pulled off my shoes, realizing that heels were no good in the dark. Besides if someone was down here then the tapping would surely draw their attention. I carried my shoes as I crept slowly toward the noise. I passed one office after another. I think I was a bit surprised when I finally came to the door where it was coming from. It was my Mom’s office. Underneath the door, I saw a faint light. I cursed. Someone was in her office, someone who shouldn’t be.

I counted to three and kicked the door open, hoping for the element of surprise. I didn’t have it. In fact, whoever was in there, they were waiting for me. I saw them, there were at least two. They were illuminated by the dim glow of a penlight---each held one. They were shrouded in black from head to toe, the only thing visible were their eyes. I saw them for only a split second though. Because there weren’t two people, there were three. The third dropped down from above, swinging down from the ceiling, he was probably hiding above the door. He slammed his feet into my chest, sending me flying into the hall. I slammed into the far wall, cracking the concrete. I got the wind knocked out of me a bit but it didn’t hurt much.

In the dark, I was at a bit of a disadvantage. They weren’t, apparently. The one who kicked me came at me again. I know that because a foot went into my chest again, followed a second later by a blow to my head. I stumbled, losing balance. I shook off the blows, they were nothing. Another came at me and instinct took over. I threw up my arm and blocked it. Then I lashed out, driving a punch through the air. At first, I thought I connected with them but it was actually the wall. Concrete shattered under the sheer force of my punch. My hand stung like a son of bitch. I shook off the pain. Another blow came from behind at the same time as from front, telling me two different people were now attacking me.

They landed a few more blows. From behind, it was in the kidneys, from front it was in my sternum. I roared with anger, snapping my head back. I finally connected with a person. I heard a muffled wail and a crunch, it sounded like I broke a nose maybe. I smiled, good. The blows kept coming though. The one I face slammed seemed to disappear but someone took his place. I snapped around and swung but it was clumsy and got nothing but air. I got kicked in the ribs for that. I got kicked in the face too. Then in the knees. I fell to the ground and got kicked in the chest. I blocked the ones that went for my face though. There were at least three people now, all kicking at me at once.

The only thing I could was block. The dark was clearly an advantage to them. Then it stopped. I heard a voice, a stern one. I couldn’t tell much but it was muffled but I could tell one thing. The person, whoever they were, were speaking in Greek. He appeared to be the leader because he told the others to pull back and then they were gone. I got to my feet and stumbled a bit. I never thought I could get pummeled like that. I thought, well I’m not sure what I thought. But these guys were fast and apparently, they could see in the dark.

I stumbled over to my mom’s office and flicked on the light. It was ransacked but I couldn’t tell if they got anything or not. What the hell were they looking for anyway?

“Hold it right there” said a shaky voice from behind me.

I stepped out into the hall and a light hit me in the face. It was Frank and his young partner; both men had their hands on their tazers. Frank moved his hand. I held mine up. “I’m not the bad guy here,” I said, showing them I was no threat.

“Miss, are you all right?”

I shook my head. “No, I got my ass kicked.”

“How many were there?” asked Cameron as she handed me a glass of water.

I downed it before answering. “I don’t maybe four or five.”

There was a group of us in one of the conference rooms. After Frank and his partner Mike found me, they called it in. It didn’t take long, seeing as the commissioner and half his force was there anyway. Jay called Cameron and she got there pretty quick. Connor had brought me some ice for my head and my lip. That’s all the damage they did besides the few bruises and scrapes. I think everyone was a bit surprised except for those in the know of course. I don’t think Cameron was really happy with me at the moment but there was nothing she could say until we were alone.

The Commissioner personally went down to the basement with my mother so they could see if anything was taken. They were down there now with a few of his men. I was sitting at the conference table with Cameron; Connor was on my right, Donna on my left. Donna was holding my hand. Jay was on the phone; Jason was pouring me another glass of water. The only person in the room was sitting there, looking at me strangely. I think I might have mentioned meeting Bruce Wayne once. When I met him the first time I was surprised by how young he was. He probably wasn’t the youngest billionaire in the country---that spot went to Mark Zuckerberg of facebook or at least it did until a couple of days ago when Olivia Queen took the title from him. But Wayne was definitely one of the younger ones; he couldn’t have been more than thirty.

His tuxedo jacket was on the back of the chair next to him, his sleeves rolled up and his tie was missing. He kept looking at me too, I’m not sure why.

Finally he spoke. “I’m surprised they didn’t do more damage, Miss Sandsmark?”

I smiled, shifted the ice pack to the other side of my head. “I got lucky.”

He smiled and winked. “Very lucky it would seem.”

Then he got to his feet and scooped up his jacket. He walked over to me, bending down a bit in front of me when he spoke. “If you run into those friends of yours again, you let me know.” Then a little bit louder, he said. “I have an excellent medical facility here in the city if you need it.”

I was a bit confused but recovered quickly. “I’m good.”

He took my hand and kissed it. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Cassie.”

Then he turned and walked out the door, an elderly gentleman standing near it turned and followed him out. I watched them go, wondering what all that just meant. Did he know I was a you-know-what? Cameron watched him go too, she pursed her lips. I think she was a little confused about him too. Then she turned back toward me and asked a few more simple questions. I answered as best as I could, trying not to reveal too much. For the benefit of everyone in the room, she was pretending to be an FBI Agent. Of course, four of us knew who she really was. I’m not sure why she was putting a show on for Connor and Mr. Wayne, even though I think he probably knew the truth.

“Miss Sandsmark” she said, getting to her feet. “If you have any more questions, give me a call.”

She handed me one of her business cards. “Thank you, Agent Chase.”

She smiled at everyone in the room and left.

No one said much after she left. About twenty later, Mom and Commissioner Gordon returned. I think the Commissioner was surprised that the FBI agent was gone but he recovered quickly. I wonder if he knew who she really was too. One of his men questioned me after that, asking me some generic questions. I answered them all, playing up the damsel in distress pretty well. My mom kept giving me a look that I tried to avoid. It was the same one she gave me back in Greece but there was a little sorrow in there too. This time she didn’t try to hide it. Was she really worried about me? I stared at her the whole time the officer talked to me, she didn’t look away.

“Miss Sandsmark” said the Commissioner once the officer was finished. “You are a real trooper, very resilient. You remind me of my own daughter.”

I smiled. “Thank you sir.”

He nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I best be on my way.”

When he left the room, it was very awkward indeed. None of us said much. We didn’t stay there very long after Gordon left. We lingered at the party for a bit more but we were all partied out, especially me. Mom made her little speech, Connor and I danced a bit. Jay and Donna danced too. Our group left around ten thirty. The limo brought Mom home first. She turned back and looked at me as she got out. I thought I saw a tear in her eye but she turned away before I could get a better look.

“She’s worried about you kid,” said Jason softly in my ear.

“I wish she’d show it every once in a while.”

He gave my shoulder a squeeze. Then we dropped him off, he lived a few blocks from her. Connor got dropped off next; I got out of the limo with him. I made sure no one was looking when I pecked him on the cheek.

“That was fun,” he said sheepishly. “I’m not sure I liked the part where those guys nearly killed you but it was still really fun.”

I smiled. “They caught me off guard.”

He laughed. “You are so much like your cousin.”

I smiled. Then I did something I knew I was going to regret. I leaned forward and gave him a soft peck on the lips. It was harmless but it felt really good. I think I ruined it a few seconds later without even realizing it. “See ya later, Clone.”

I knew I blew it as soon as I said it. Clone was a nickname I used to call him, that only I called him. He pulled away and looked confused. I wanted to cry. Instead, I pushed him away and got back into the limo. I yelled at the driver to go. I heard Connor call my name, I’m just not sure which one it was.

I’m such a God damn idiot. I fell into Donna’s lap and cried.