Got Your Back, Always

III.II

Cassie ran a hand through her hair, exhausted. She pulled up the Arkham files again, this time when she looked at the cameras she could have sworn he looked up and smiled at her. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her.

She double-checked the automatic lock system, making sure there were no bugs or loopholes where someone could exploit them and release every one.

Dick walked in and took a seat next to her. Kory took the one on her other side.

Cassie ignored them and continued to double-check things, when she was finished she closed out of the file and locked it again. She shot a quick message to Jason to check up on him, and to make sure he was doing ok. He wasn't really answering her lately though.

"I called Bruce," Dick finally spoke.

"That's nice, he tell you how Jason was doing?"

"He said he's doing as well as he can. But that's not all he said." Cassie didn't say anything. "Bruce said remember your promise. He said it's time."

"Sounds like there's something big, big enough that it could put you in danger? Maybe puts the rest of us in danger too?" Kory asked.

Cassie sighed, and held her head in her hands. She thought for several minutes, Dick and Kory both letting her think. "I... I don't know if I can."

Dick placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, not saying anything.

"Hey," Kory took her hand. "You are always here for all of us. It's about time we are here for you too."

She sighed again, "Ok, ya. But- but I won't be able to tell it more than once. I just won't."

"You won't have to. I promise Cass," Dick had taken her other hand.

She nodded and they all stood up heading to the living room. Cassie started fidgeting with her ring, and made her way to the training room instead.

The other two shared a look, Dick followed Cassie and Kory went to get the kids, all meeting in the training room.

Inside Cassie had a very large selection of knives at her side, and would fidget with one before quickly throwing it where she wanted on the target.

Dick stood out of her way, but watched closely as she tossed them. He smiled when she hit it perfectly every time, he'd admit that he missed watching her train.

Once everyone was placed around her in the training room was when she finally turned to face them, a knife in her hand never staying still. "Ok, so I may or may not have left some details out about some things that happened to me a few years ago."

"Does this have to do with The Joker?" Conner asked.

Cassie threw a knife, and proceeded to make everyone jump.

She picked up another one, "Yes it does. Now before I tell you, you all have to promise not to freak out, get all upset, and you can't treat me any different ok?" She made eye contact with each of them, "You all have gone through so much shit, and this is just one thing that happened to me ok? It changes nothing. Promise me."

They all stayed silent, sharing concerned looks.

"Promise me."

"I promise," Gar speaks up. "I won't treat you any different."

"I promise too," Conner says.

Kory shrugs, "I already know you're a badass, nothing changes. Promise."

Cassie faces Dick, he sighs and nods, "Promise."

"Ok," she tosses another knife, this one not as hard. "So few years ago, when it was just us in Gotham. Before Jason joined him, after Dick had left, after Batgirl had retired, when it was just him and I left... the Joker started these series of attacks, that were hitting him hard. Harder than they ever had. So one particularly bad night... I offered to go out with him."
"But you don't go out in the field," Gar's brows furrowed.