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A Crown To The Aged By Louise Freeman Davis Chapter 1. But from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children. Psalm 103:17 "Did you see it?" Green Arrow burst into his kitchen, where his wife was waiting for him. "It's on now." was all she answered. Dinah Lance did not look up from the TV screen. "–the consequences of his actions in Kansas, that seems unlikely." The Amazon princess paused amid a shower of flashbulb bursts and a volley of frantic questions from reporters. "That is all," was her only response, as she turned and departed. Oliver Queen whistled in amazement as the assembly of costumed figures took off into the sky. "I can't believe it," he said. "Ol' Blue Tights really is back. You, know, he flew right by me!" "He say anything?" "Offered me a lift. I declined." "That's the scene now in the UN, Wanda," said the newsman, turning back at the camera. "—where, for those of you just tuning in, Superman, who only recently resurfaced after a 10-year self-imposed exile, has just stunned the world by announcing the formation of an all-new Justice League, whose stated goal is to put an end to the chaos and destruction that errant bands of metahumans have been causing for so many years. Earlier today, in New York Harbor, he, Wonder Woman and a host of costumed allies—" "Looks like he snagged a lot of the old crew," mused Ollie. "Lantern, Flash, Power Girl—" "I think she prefers Power Woman these days," Dinah corrected her husband as she filled his coffee mug. "I don't know if we should be hurt or relieved that he didn't come calling on us." "I think he's going strictly for the super-powered this time around," answered Ollie. "His invitation to me seemed a bit half-hearted. Not surprising, considering what—" "Quiet, love, I want to hear this…" Dinah pressed the volume button of the TV remote. "Chet, is there any word on exactly who has been recruited into this new Justice League?" asked the anchorwoman. "No official statement as of yet, Wanda, but we have a team analyzing the footage from this morning's battle with the Minutemen. So far, we have confirmed that that altercation involved the Flash, the Green Lantern, the Hawkman, Robin—" "ROBIN?" sputtered Ollie, sending a spray of coffee over the kitchen table. "Why the hell would Robin—" "Shush, hon…that can't be right! I didn't see anyone who looked like—" Oliver picked up the TV remote and flipped until he found a channel that was rerunning the press conference. "There! That guy in the black cape, behind Superman!" indicated Dinah. "Lantern was helping him when they flew off." Ollie squinted at the screen. "Think that's Tim Drake? What's with the suit?" "He liked to redesign things, Bruce always said," answered Dinah. "But speaking of Bruce, he isn't going to be as concerned with the costume as with who's in it. We should get over to the cave." "Right. I hope he's got cable. I sure as hell don't want to be the one who breaks the news to him." My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths, for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. Proverbs 1:15-16. "It's not Tim," said Bruce, quietly but with great intensity. "It's Dick." "Dick?" responded Ollie, incredulously. "Clark got Dick Grayson to be Robin again?" "So it would seem," answered Batman. "Are you sure, Bruce?" asked Dinah. "I'm sure." There was no point in asking further; Batman knew his former partners' every move and mannerism. "So what's next?" scoffed Ollie. "He plan to make Roy 'Speedy' again? Or maybe he wants to see Donna Troy prancing around in a red costume and ponytail…" "Don't underestimate him," cautioned Batman. "Or Dick." "But why now, Bruce?" asked Dinah. "As many times as you've tried to convince Dick to join us…" "He always admired Superman. They have a lot in common. The way they choose to cope with personal loss, for instance. Or chose not to cope, I should say." "They both lost their wives, Bruce," said Dinah, gently. "That kind of hurt can take a lot out of a person." "I wouldn't know." "God willing, I never will either," Ollie took Dinah's hand and squeezed it hard. "But why would a Superman need a Robin?" "According to the official release, it's 'Red Robin' now." "Whatever. Everyone else he's recruited so far has powers far beyond those of mortal men. Or women!" he added in response to Dinah's reproachful look. "I don't think the power to 'come bob-bob-bobbin' along' is exactly in that league, if you'll pardon the pun. So why him?" "Kent's trying to assemble a team of the best and the brightest, to bring down a bunch of superheroes who are running amuck. Sound familiar?" Oliver winced. "Yeah, it does, kinda." "If it were me, Dick Grayson's who I'd want in my corner." "Bruce, maybe I shouldn't point this out, but it is you. And it was been, for years." said Dinah. "My ways aren't Superman's. And apparently, they aren't Dick's either. Not anymore. We'll have to trend cautiously, where the two of them are concerned." A buzzing sound came from Oliver Queen's hip pocket, and he reached in to flip his cell phone open. "Green Arrow." "Grandpa?" came a young woman's voice. "I need to talk to you, fast!" For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11: 2-3. "Let me get this straight, Superman recruited your dad into the new League?" "Not him, exactly. Nightwing did. Or Red Robin. Uncle Dick!" Lian Harper pushed her red hood back from her face and regarded her grandparents with trepidation. "He's bringing in all the old Titans he can! Donna, Aquaman, Uncle Vic… So far, Menagerie's the only one who's said no!" "Damn!" Ollie slapped his kitchen table in frustration. "I thought Roy had more sense than that." "Dad thinks we should both join. He says the League is the best way of putting a stop to people like Genosyde, for good." Ollie covered her hands with one of his and squeezed warmly. Lian's mother, Cheshire, had been one of the casualties at Belle Reve. "Red Hood and Red Arrow have been doing a helluva job themselves on that front, for a lot of years now, with no help from any self-righteous metas! No secret to me why the Southwest's one of the safest regions in the country! Why the change?" "I guess they think this way will be faster. But I don't like some of the stuff I'm hearing! It's like anyone who doesn't join them is–" "We understand, love," said Dinah, soothingly. "We have a problem with some of these new Leaguer's methods, too. But they want you, right?" Lian nodded, almost in tears. "You've never told your dad about our little arrangement, have you?" asked Ollie. The young woman shook her head. Lian's aunt Olivia, who had taken her mother's place as the new Black Canary, had worked with Dinah, Ollie and Batman since she was a teenager. Two years younger than Lian and subsequently more like a sister than an aunt, Olivia had recruited Red Hood as Batman's major contact in Southwest, and Lian had been secretly transmitting information to her grandparents for several years now. "You know how Dad is about Batman. He'd freak!" "Lian," said Dinah. "You have to do what you think is right. We don't want to see any problems come up with you and your father…" "Yeah, well, at the rate things are going, I may have a new stepmom to worry about, too. I mean Donna." she answered in response to her grandparents' questioning look. "You mean, she and Roy…?" asked Ollie. Lian sniffed. "I think the Widow Long spent a little too much time on Paradise Island, if you know what I mean." "I don't think I want to!" stated Oliver. "Sweetie, go along with your dad now, if that's what you think you have to do. But keep in touch. You know where you can reach us, if things get too hot. But Batman can use any information you can get us about exactly what Superman and Wonder Woman are up to. I think that's the best way you can help in this situation, for now. Understand?" Lian smiled. "All right, Grandpa. Want to know who's next on the recruitment list?" "That'd be a good start, yes!" "Irony of ironies. Batman." Grey hair is a crown of splendor; it is obtained by a righteous life. Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. Proverbs 16: 31-32 Red Hood was correct. Within a few days the Man of Steel had paid a visit to the ruins of Wayne Manor. Batman surprised no one by politely rejecting Superman's offer, but as Green Arrow emerged from his hiding place with Dinah and Ted Kord, a knot tightened in the pit of his stomach. It was going to come down to Superman versus Batman, sooner or later, and he didn't like the odds, even with Batman masterminding the plan. "It's time we drew that web tight," said Beetle, as Batman clicked his computer mouse and the views from his Gotham surveillance cameras were replaced by the various faces of his agents throughout the world. "More than that," answered the Dark Knight. "We've got to spin a larger one, and keep the League from encroaching on our sphere of influence. Since he failed to recruit me, he'll be looking for more, and he'll want them as close as possible to us." Bruce tapped a few more keys, and a detailed map of their network, and the surrounding area appeared on the lower screen. Bruce pointed at an area across the Gotham River that was conspicuously black amid a the sea of lights that represented Batman's assistants, human and machine. "Blüdhaven." remarked Ollie. Despite its proximity to Gotham, Batman had never managed to establish the control there that he had in the rest of the region. Oliver had often suspected that Bruce's reluctance to send his forces into that area was a subconscious deference to Dick Grayson's presence there for so many years. Dinah had a different hypothesis: Bruce was deliberately letting chaos reign there in the hopes that it would inspire Nightwing to come out of retirement, to re-establish order in the city he and Starfire had made their own. Of course, neither had ever dared broach the subject with the Dark Knight directly. "High metahuman activity; there are several 'clubs' in the area. He'll head there, soon." "Think he'll try the clubs in Gotham itself?" asked Dinah. "It's very likely. If only to get under my skin." "Should we try to get to them before he does?" asked Beetle. "No. With these young hotshots, his 'invitation' is not likely to be as cordial as it was to me. Let him show his true colors. Then we offer an alternative, before they can RSVP." "That means we'll have to keep tabs on him," said Dinah. "Right," answered Batman. "Contact Red Hood. She'll need to let us know exactly when he's going. And we'll need an agent to blend in at the club scene, one we know we can trust." Bruce glanced up at Oliver and Dinah. "Black Canary." Oliver nodded numbly. "But if she's going into the 'Haven, I am too." "I know. Consider yourself promoted to vice-president in charge of marketing and sales." "Ah, a business opportunity! Who's better qualified?" Oliver gave a brief and bitter smile, which faded after a few seconds as he exchanged a glance with his wife. They were indeed tightening a web, but two strings on that net were Oliver Queen's daughter and granddaughter. As he glanced up at their pictures on the checkerboard of monitors, he realized they were both pawns in a game that was getting much larger. And how tight can you draw a web before it wraps around someone's neck? Chapter 2. Woe to the obstinate children, to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my spirit, heaping sin upon sin. Isaiah 30:1. "Dick?" A gentle knock came on his door and it opened slightly. "Hi, Donna," he answered, giving his longtime friend a small smile. "Come on in." "Just want to let you know, Garth arrived. He's getting settled in now." "Good. Thanks." Roy Harper entered Dick's quarters just behind Donna. "Hail, hail the gang's all here?" he asked cheerily. "Just about." Dick's tone was still sad. Donna recognized the framed picture he had just placed on his nightstand; she had taken it herself, over eight years ago. Kory and Amanda posed side-by-side in mid-air, their red and purple flight-streams intertwining, creating a colorful ribbon behind them. More than any other, this photograph caught them at they were, full of life, their faces as radiant as the sun that powered them. It was the last picture Dick had of the two of them together. Donna laid a hand on his arm and squeezed. "She'll come around, Dick. I'm sure." "I hope so, Donna," Dick answered, returning the hug she offered. "You don't know how lucky you are that Robert decided to go the college route." "I wasn't happy about the circumstances, but I must admit, I sleep better at night these days. But Amanda has a lot of common sense, Dick. She'll listen to reason; maybe it just has to come from someone other than you." "God willing." Dick glanced at Roy. "Lian moved in?" he asked. Roy nodded. "Y'know, Harper, you're going to have to give me some parenting tips sometime." "Hey, Amanda'll be here eventually, if only to laugh when her old man shows me up, again." Dick couldn't help but smile at the memory this evoked. It was perhaps the Titans' darkest hour. The Wildebeest Society had waged a terrorist attack against them, kidnapping their five small children and brutally murdering Terry Long, Sarah Charles-Stone and the newlywed Jillian Logan. Angela Margolin was saved from death only when Wally sped her into the future, where she could be healed. The attempt was successful, but it came at the cost of Wally's own humanity. Never again would he be fully separate from the Speed Force. Under Nightwing's masterful leadership, the Titans tracked down the Wildebeest, capturing them all without taking the lethal revenge all of them wanted on one level or another. While the rest of the Titans subdued the criminals, Nightwing had located the children's holding cell and found them unharmed. Three-year-old Tula was splashing happily in the sink while Lian, the oldest at 7, proudly cuddled Baby Iris. Robert tore wildly about the room, playfully dodging Amanda's miniature starbolts and blessedly ignorant of his father's death. When Nightwing broke through the cell door, Amanda had soared into his arms with a gleeful cry of "Hi Daddy!" Once the shock had worn off and the children were safely reunited with their parents, Dick had gently asked her why she wasn't scared. Her proud reply was "I knowed you'd find me! Lian said she's got kidnapped lotsa times, and her daddy always comes gets her! And you're way smarter than Uncle Roy!" This had elicited an angry protest from Lian, and only Nightwing's gentle restraint of his daughter had kept the resultant "Is not!" "Is too!" exchange from an explosive finale. The children's joyful innocence brought a ray of light into the team's grief, and they had picked up the pieces of their shattered lives and gone on. Another knock came at Dick's door. "Come in," he said, releasing Donna, who slipped her arm around Roy's waist. It was Superman. "I just came from Wayne Manor," he said. "Batman's not interested in helping us." "Figures." "Dick, maybe you can reason with him–" "Forget it, Superman. He'd listen to you a helluva lot sooner than he would me!" Dick had last seen Bruce Wayne five years ago, after his Batman identity had been exposed and Bane and Two-Face had attacked the manor. Bruce had survived his broken neck; Alfred had not. To make matters worse, the Batcave had yielded evidence of Barbara Gordon's work as Oracle, and their next step had been to murder her. His last meeting with Bruce had not been cordial. "Everyone's going to have to make a choice eventually, Dick. They're either with us or against us." "I understand, Superman." "If Bruce isn't with us…" "I can handle it, sir." "Superman smiled. "I'm sure you can. That's why I'm going to ask you to lead the mission to Markovia. We've requested a meeting with both the Church of Blood and the New Outsiders." "Did either agree?" "No. I'm afraid we're going to have to insist on this one. You know the country, and some of the people we want to see. You willing?" Dick exchanged glances with his two former teammates. "We're willing," he assured the Man of Steel. Do not revile the king, even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. Ecclesiastes 10:20 "Margarita, on the rocks." As Olivia Queen sipped her drink, she scanned the room with her sensor eye, methodically recording an image of every face at the bar, at the tables or on the dance floor. The feed went directly back to the Batcave; those the computers couldn't identify would be recognized by Batman himself, or their identities traced within a day. Black Canary startled slightly as she recognized one young woman across the room. Amanda Mary Grayson, daughter of Batman's former partner, Nightwing and his alien wife. Olivia had met her a few times as a child; they were almost the same age. She had last seen her ten years ago, at a slumber party celebrating Lian's 12th birthday. Olivia smiled softly as she remembered the trouble the three of them had gotten into after Lian talked them into letting her double-pierce their ears. But it was definitely her; the clear green eyes were unmistakable. Black Canary wondered if Batman was watching. For a second, she considered going over to re-introduce herself, but then discarded the notion. She was here on business. Besides, as far as she knew, Amanda could be reporting to her father, just as Olivia was reporting to hers. As if on cue, the communication bead in her ear buzzed. With the most inconspicuous of motions, Olivia activated her microphone. "How'd it go?" she whispered softly, sipping her drink. "Not great," came Green Arrow's voice. "Same as in the first one, they want to know what we've got to go up against the big red S with. They remember me as the guy with the nifty boxing glove arrows, not much else. Think we could convince them the "green" stands for kryptonite?" Black Canary didn't answer, but she wasn't expected to. "He should be headed your way now," continued Oliver. "Let me know if he says anything different this time." "Will do," answered his daughter. This time there was something different. Superman wiped out an entire shelf of liquor bottles to capture everyone's attention. He hadn't employed such a dramatic display in the Blüdhaven clubs, which were, by every measure, much rowdier. He must like the idea of creating some chaos on Batman's turf, though Black Canary. As she trained her camera on him she thought of the stories her father had told to her when she was a child, and wondered how this could be the same man. As usual, a brave few mocked him and were quickly silenced. The rest absorbed his pitch quietly, some with indifference, others with clear interest. As the speech drew to a close, Black Canary slipped unnoticed out a rear door, and pressed the button to contact her father. Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. Psalm 45: 10 Nightstar regarded Superman with emerald eyes. Coming from someone other than her father, the offer sounded more appealing. Nightstar was not altogether proud of the life she was leading. Superman had, after all, gotten Dick Grayson to do what his daughter had wanted for years: come out of retirement and continue the fight her mother had given her life for. And amid all the arguments over the years, her father had made one point that could not be denied: Starfire would never have wanted to see father and daughter at each others' throats. Here they had a chance to be on the same side, but at what price? "Are you in?" Nightstar asked her companion. Avia certainly seemed interested. Nightstar sipped her drink and considered what she had heard. Her thoughts were interrupted by a whoosh that soared by Nightstar's head. An emerald arrow embedded itself in the wall beside her. "So you heard Big Blue's pitch," came a voice from the doorway. "Now for the democratic response…" Nightstar listened. And at the end of it she rose to shake Green Arrow's hand. Preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life to you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go your way in safety and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster, or the ruin that overtakes the wicked. Proverbs 3: 21-25. Nightstar glanced down the street and spied Green Arrow getting into his car. "Hey, wait up!" she called, sailing into the air to land squarely on the car hood just as Green Arrow was revving the engine. "What the hell?" snarled Ollie, opening the door, clearly gearing up for a fight, before he recognized the young woman. "Amanda Grayson?" he asked. "I go by Nightstar now," she retorted, sliding off the hood and regarding him over folded arms. "I see. What do you want?" "Suppose I told you I was interested in seeing what the Batcave looks like?" Green Arrow lifted his chin. "I'd say I could probably arrange that." He jerked his head toward the passenger door. "Get in." Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house. Psalm 36: 7-8. Nightstar ducked into the ruins of Wayne Manor, her eyes wide with amazement as she took in the sight. Oliver wondered what her reaction would have been to the intact mansion. "The clock! Just like my dad told me about!" she exclaimed, darting over to it and pushing it aside to reveal the hidden staircase. "Hey, hold up!" called Green Arrow. "We usually take the service elevator… To get in that way you're going to need hip waders." Nightstar looked back over her shoulder at him, her expression quizzical. "Sorry, forgot who I was talking to here…please, be my guest!" He followed her down to the base of the stone staircase. "Bruce!" he shouted through cupped hands. "I've got someone here who'd like to meet you!" His voice echoed through the mammoth cavern and roused a family of bats from their sleep. At Green Arrow's nod, Nightstar flew across the flooded cave floor to land by Batman's command module. "Seventeen through twenty-one to sector 7H. Code orange." Bruce spoke into the microphone, barely glancing at his visitor. "Nightstar." was all he said. "Hello." was her reply. Silence reigned for a few moments. "You don't seem surprised to see me." Nightstar said, finally. "I am not so foolish to exist without personal surveillance cameras," responded Bruce. "Unit six, resume patrol." Batman swiveled in his chair to regard the young woman. "You have your mother's eyes." "So I've been told," she responded, crossing her arms in a gesture reminiscent of her father's. "Funny, I'd have thought you'd call me Amanda, too." "You changed your name, legally, on your 18th birthday." Nightstar blinked in surprise. "That's right. How did you know?" "Your father was furious. Undoubtedly your intention. He actually called me up, demanding to know if I had somehow put this idea in your head." Nightstar's brow furrowed. "Why the hell would he think something like that?" "I've wondered that myself, a number of times, over the years. Sit down, Nightstar." Bruce's voice took on a hint of gentleness. "Perhaps we can enlighten each other." Nightstar sat. "Dad and I, we don't see a lot of things the same way," she said, softly. "I know the feeling. When's the last time you spoke?" "A few days ago. He tried to get me to join up with the League." "And you declined." "He doesn't really want me out there, you know. He just knows I'm going to do it anyway, so he figures it's better he has me on his leash. I told him forget it, I'm too old to do the sidekick thing now." "Odd. I would have thought Dick Grayson could relate to that kind of sentiment." "There was a time when that was what I wanted, more than anything! He would never let me. Not after what happened to Mom." "He loved your mother, Nightstar. It was a hard loss for him." "Well, it was a hard loss for me, too! But I wasn't the one who ran away to join the circus! Mom would never have wanted that! She taught me that a good warrior never surrenders! He gave up! All my life that what I wanted to do, work with him and Mom. He just threw it all away!" "I see." Bruce steepled his fingers. "And joining my organization would be the perfect revenge, wouldn't it? I'm sorry, Nightstar," Bruce turned back to his monitor and began pressing buttons. "I need good soldiers for a good cause, not little girls trying to defy their daddies." "It's not like that!" Nightstar exclaimed, jumping up from her seat, her eyes flashing with fury. "You think that's the only reason I'm here?" "Give me another." "All right, how's this? I work alone now. I like working alone now. And I don't think the Justice League's going to allow that much longer." "What makes you say that?" Nightstar lowered her head and turned away. "What Dad said. Or how he said it. You know, Dad and I fought a lot when I was a teenager. I've been angry with him plenty since Mom died. But I haven't been truly afraid of him not since I was…" her voice trailed off. Bruce turned his chair toward her. "Since when, Nightstar?" Fear had always been Batman's weapon of choice, but one Dick employed only under extreme circumstances. Bruce couldn't imagine him using it against his own child. Nightstar wiped a tear from her cheek. "You're going to think this is dumb…" "Sit down and tell me." Nightstar sat. "I was thirteen… About a year after we lost Mom. Dad had dragged us both off to the circus. He didn't go back to performing; all he wanted to do was manage the business and keep to himself. If I couldn't train in crimefighting, I at least wanted him to let me be part of the flying act, but he wouldn't even do that.". "Perhaps he thought you had an unfair advantage." Batman said with a small smile "He just wanted to fade into the woodwork, and me along with him. I hated it. So I got this crazy idea, I was going to be the next Robin." Batman raised an eyebrow. "It sounds stupid now, I know, but I dug one of his old batarangs out of the trunk. I got Ms. Zarinka in wardrobe to sew me a costume and everything, and I'd sneak out at night and practice under the big top. Once I got good enough, I planned to come here, and get you to finish training me." Bruce was genuinely stunned. "You wanted me to…?" "Dad used to say you were the best teacher he could have had, because you were the hardest to please. I knew you didn't have a Robin anymore, and I thought maybe you could use one who could really fly. I figured if I was good enough for you, I'd have to be good enough for him. And that maybe then he would understand; I didn't just want to be like Mom. I wanted to be like him, too!" Nightstar wiped her cheek again. "It was a dumb idea. It's not like you'd have wanted me, anyway." "Amanda," Bruce's voice took on a slight waver. "The fact that we haven't met until today wasn't my choice. Your father and I have had difficulties of our own, over the years." Bruce paused. "So, he foiled your plan, I take it?" "He caught me one night. I'd never seen him so angry. He grabbed me by the arms and started shaking me, wanting to know what I was doing, where I got the suit, if "my grandfather" had anything to do with it. I told him no, I'd never even met you, but he wasn't listening to me. All he could see was the costume. It was like he hated everything about it, everything it represented. And me, for wearing it. For wanting it." "There's one thing I'm certain of where Dick Grayson's concerned. He could never hate you." "He wasn't always like that, you know! Before Mom died, he was so patient, so understanding, so loving. He was the best dad I could have hoped for! But he changed. I told him he wasn't being fair, that I didn't belong cooped up in any circus trailer. Lian had been Red Hood for almost two years, and Robert was in Darkstar training. You know, he actually pulled out the 'if Lian and Robert jumped of a bridge, would you, too?' line?" "What did you say?" "It's not like jumping off a bridge is any big deal for me! I told him, hell yes! If that was what I had to do to save their lives! Just like Mom would have! Because I hadn't forgotten who I was! And I wouldn't betray my mother's memory, even if he had!" Nightstar's voice fell to a whisper and she lowered her head. "That was the only time in my life my father ever smacked me. Within a week he had me off to St. Elizabeth's School for Girls." "Which, as I understand, didn't last too long." Nightstar looked up in surprise. "Bruce Wayne had a friend on the board of trustees," Batman explained. "I might have known. No, it didn't. Neither did the next three. Finally I ran away, for good." "And developed quite a reputation for yourself. I'm afraid I had to give my units specific instructions in case "Firewing" ever reared her head in Gotham City." What he didn't say was that those instructions were not to injure her, under any circumstance, and to bring her directly to the Batcave, instead of turning her over to the local authorities as they did most young troublemakers. Nightstar winced. "I did the best I could! I hadn't had any real training, remember. Blame Dad!" "You do well enough for yourself on that front. It was a long time ago, Amanda." "That's what I thought, too. But when I told him no about the Justice League thing, he started acting like I was a kid all over again. Back then, he always said the same thing: 'As long as you live under my roof, young lady…' Point is, I don't live under his roof, and I haven't for a long time! He can't deny the fact that I'm an adult, not now." "Not in that costume, to be sure," replied Bruce with a raised eyebrow. Nightstar shot him a glare. "He said the League was cracking down on people like me, and I'd better cooperate or be prepared to accept the consequences." Nightstar bowed her head. "Like they were the parents and all the rest of us were a bunch of naughty children. And he had that same look in his eye he had that night he caught me in the Robin suit. That's what scared me." Bruce set his lips in a firm line as his fears were confirmed. Dick had bought into the party line. "The Supester made a nice speech in the club," Nightstar continued. "He packaged it differently, made it sound good for a second or two, but Green "Arrow was right: it was the same line. 'My way or else.' Well, maybe I want to be a hero, but I don't want to be 'dealt with' on any terms but my own. That's why I'm here." She raised her eyes to meet Batman's and he regarded her intently for almost a full minute. "Good," he said finally and turned back to his console. "So that's it?" asked Nightstar. "You've had Darkstar training. That's a definite asset. But get one thing straight: I'm not known for being patient or understanding. I ride my people hard, harder than your father ever could." "That's no secret to me, sir. Dad told me one or two bedtime stories about you. Usually when I'd misbehaved." Bruce raised an eyebrow and allowed himself a slight smile. "All right, Nightstar, here's your first assignment. One you're uniquely suited for, I think." He pressed a button and a single piece of paper slid from the printer. Nightstar took it and read the list of four names. "The first is already working for us, as a mole within the Justice League. The other three, I need. I want you to recruit them, as quickly as possible." A slow grin spread over Nightstar's face. "If we pull this off, Dad's going to flip. And I don't mean the old quadruple somersault." "That's what I'm counting on." "I've never tried putting a team together, you know." "You'll manage, if you're truly your father's daughter. Now get to work on it." Nightstar stood with a wicked smile. "Aye-aye, 'Gramps.'" Continued On Next Page All characters are ™ DC Comics This story is © 1998 by Louise Freeman Davis.