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Stephanie usually prefers wild colors on her fingernails. It's one of the best reasons for wearing gloves on patrol beyond Bruce's probably-reasonable paranoia about not leaving fingerprints or DNA trace evidence behind. It means Stephanie Brown can have neon pink fingernails one day and fuschia the next but Spoiler won't show a single sign of the latest color.
Usually, she can match Cass's nails, but her friend has been distracted lately. Stephanie had been giving her space and had almost left so much distance between them that she missed all of the clues.
Happily for Steph, she is not nearly so respectful as the others, so she is sitting right in the middle of Cass's bed and using Cass's neatly packed duffel bag to prop herself up while she studies the clear polish on her fingernails and waits. If Stephanie is right, and she's pretty sure she's right, she won't have to be patient for much longer.
Steph experiments with different hairstyles while she waits. This isn't the time for Robin's defiantly curly hair or Spoiler's messy-hair-don't-care cowl. She needs something that's practical but maybe she isn't as ready for sedate as she thought.
Just when Stephanie's about to give up on the simple braid and try something else, the door opens almost silently. If Steph was in her own room, or anywhere else, she probably would have missed Cass making the stop to grab a duffel bag. She's always known that her friend is going to outclass her and she'd spent years being okay with it. Cass is one of her closest friends. Being jealous of Cass's ridiculous ninja skills would mean ignoring all the pain she went through to develop that talent. Stephanie knows what it cost.
That's why Stephanie refuses to give up without a fight.
“Steph?” For once, Cass looks discomfited, and it's not nearly as fun as Stephanie thought it would be to shock her.
“Cass,” Steph replies. “Going somewhere?”
Cass's confusion settles right into the stubborn-as-a-mule expression that they've worn as a matched pair so many times. “Yes. I am.”
“Cass.” Steph hadn't thought Cass would deny it, exactly, but she isn't ready for that to be the answer. “Shiva?”
Cass frowns. “How...”
Stephanie leans back harder against the duffel bag. “I gave you some space, sure, but it's impossible to not figure out you started pushing everybody gently away after talking to your mom. I thought we agreed that both of your biological parents and my dad could all go sit in the eternal waiting room of not-my-parent until they learned what they should be apologizing for and came up with a decent apology. If Shiva apologized, she made the wrong deal afterward.”
“Stephanie.” Cass glares at her. “Stephanie, it is my life.”
“For now, sure.” Stephanie studies her barely-glossy nails and peers at her friend over them. “Want to talk about what happens a year from now?”
Cass freezes. “How...”
“I realize I'm not the best but I got trained by Bruce, too.” Stephanie's come to terms with it. She's spent years knowing that Bruce is freaking Batman and the reputation sticks for a reason. Dick is amazing at leading teams and knowing just how to get a witness on his side. Barbara was a legend as Batgirl and most people have no idea that she grew up to be Oracle. Tim can follow Bruce's crazy detective thought patterns and he's had his own time with Lady Shiva to learn how to be dangerous. Cass is one of the best fighters out there, full stop, and Stephanie has listened to the Justice League breaking down the rankings of best hand-to-hand combatants in the world.
Stephanie's feisty and fearless and never gives up. That's her thing. Sometimes, it's enough to leave even the second Batgirl stunned.
“Steph, you...” Cass shakes her head.
Stephanie's still working with sign language. It takes years to be fluent, even with practice, but she knows that Cass might always understand signs better than words.
I know S-H-I-V-A made an offer, Steph signs carefully. They haven't talked about Lady Shiva often enough to make a name-sign for her. I think you should stay.
Staying is— Cass frowns. “Mediocrity.” Each syllable is far too careful, like it's a word she heard from someone else. It's not one that anyone else would have said to her.
Is that what S-H-I-V-A said?
One year of being best, then we fight. I still will be a Bat. I will be okay. I need to do this, Stephanie.
It hurts. It hurts because it does every single time Steph has to swallow her pride. It's like a part of herself never gets to heal because every single time the media or the Justice League or some civilian says it she has to admit they're right. Spoiler's not the scariest Bat in Gotham and she never comes up when they're talking about the smartest heroes or the best fighters. She's stubborn and she works hard and sometimes it feels like all she can do is tread water but sometimes that's enough. She's saved people, too, people that everyone else would not have been able to get to in time.
“Then we'll tell Shiva it's double or nothing.”
Cass shakes her head. “No.”
“That's the deal or I'm calling Bruce.” Stephanie's voice is flat and she hasn't done a thing to her phone since keying in the emergency number that will get to Bruce no matter where he is, whether he's in space or on patrol or in some important meeting or other. She has one finger over the call button and even Cass isn't fast enough to stop her from making the call.
“Steph?”
“I'm serious,” Stephanie says. “If you're not good enough, then fine. I refuse to fall even further behind you. You've told me for two years that hard work pays off and that I'll only keep getting better. If that's not good enough for you, it's not good enough for me. Double or nothing.”
No, Cass signs, face set in a frown.
“I'm not kidding. I called Lady Shiva myself. She was happy to tell me all about the deal.” Stephanie keeps her finger over the call button because she might not be able to do this and she's always known that sometimes she needs more than what she can manage alone. She didn't go out to stop her dad personally. She left clues and made it easier for everybody else to make him stop.
Cass doesn't respond.
“Unless she was lying?” Steph asks. “You know that I trust you more than I'll ever trust her. You can tell me that she was lying when she offered you one year of being the best in exchange for a fight to the death after it's over. She said she'd train you, and that you'd be even better, but in a year one of you will be dead. Either she kills you or you go back on your one big thing, Cass. You told me that you'd never kill again and I believed you. It was the most important thing to you and I won't just forget what you told me. So you won't do this alone. Shiva said she'd train me, too, and if I can impress her she'll even let me take your place a year from now.”
No. “No,” Cass repeats out loud. “Stephanie, no. Not you.”
“It goes both ways, Cass. If you're not better than me, I'm not better than you, and there is no way I'm going to...” Stephanie has to stop before she cries. She needs to be calm even if it feels like she left her heart behind when she packed the duffel bag of her own. “You said that I didn't need to be a better fighter to earn your respect. You promised. If you didn't mean it, then we'll fix that together. If you did...” Her voice is choked but she isn't going to cry.
Steph takes time to get her emotions under control. “If you meant it, then stay here. Tell Lady Shiva that if she really wants a death match she can pay Deathstroke or somebody. If you're not good enough, there's no way you can pretend that I am. So if you're going, I'm going with you.”
Cass's lips are pursed tightly and Steph can't read her expression. S-H-I-V-A might kill you. Not before the year, in training.
I know.
I don't want you to die. I don't want anyone to die.
Then stay. If you go to her, then S-H-I-V-A will kill you or you'll kill her in a year. I will not let either one happen. I don't want you to die either.
Stephanie's phone is blank again. Cass is close enough that there isn't any way that Stephanie could call Bruce in before Cass could close the distance but maybe it's okay. Steph had the chance to say her piece and she doesn't know what else she can say. If Cass takes the bag and vanishes, even Bruce will have a hard time tracking her down.
Shiva had been all too clear about what she offered. Shiva had dared to tell Cass that she was mediocre and would never be the fighter she could be without Shiva's training. Shiva dared to say that the price for the training was a fight to the death, one where Cass died at Shiva's hands or killed her mother, and Stephanie had shouted at one of the most dangerous people in the world until Shiva laughed and said that Stephanie could come along, too, if she wanted.
If Stephanie survives Shiva's training, Stephanie would be one of the contenders for most dangerous fighter when people whispered rankings, and the offer is almost tempting.
Stephanie could be one of the best, if she agrees, but she won't go without Cass. If Cass stays...
Cass moves forward, again, and Steph doesn't bother to brace herself. She won't win against her friend in a fair fight and would never want to hurt her.
Cass doesn't grab for the duffel bag or Stephanie's phone. She leaps onto the bed and hugs Stephanie, hard, and Stephanie doesn't protest at the tight band of pressure around her ribs.
“Steph,” Cass says. “Steph, I...”
“I know.” Stephanie lets herself cry when Cass starts. Earlier, she'd needed to focus on her words, because she'd only have one chance. Cass is stubborn. Batman himself wouldn't have been able to talk her down once she made up her mind. When she hadn't done anything more than pack, though...
Cass cries silently into Stephanie's shoulder. Stephanie's not nearly as quiet but no one ever raised her to not make a sound.
“You're not mediocre,” Stephanie promises in a whisper when they've both calmed down. “Never, ever mediocre. If you want to learn from someone else, we can call Dinah. She's got to have a few new techniques and she'd show you if you asked. Anyone in the Justice League would be happy to teach you a few new things. You're not bad at fighting. You're learning language, Cass. Most of us learn a new language or struggle with the one we already know and get completely flustered. You're learning how to talk and your sense of body language is going to come back.”
“It won't be as good.”
“Maybe not,” Stephanie says. She doesn't let go. She might not let go until Cass needs the space. “Bruce is good with body language. Maybe he can help you relearn it when you have words to put with what you see. If it really isn't enough...”
Cass hums quietly.
“If it isn't enough, then maybe you'll want to go back to the way you used to understand the world,” Steph says. “You lost body language when Bruce asked for help so we could teach you language. We couldn't figure out what you wanted or how to explain what it was he was trying to give you. If you don't want it, they could probably undo it.”
Cass frowns. “Give up talking?”
“You'd have body language back. Maybe we could try to leave room for sign language, still, because you're stuck with me. I'm going to be your friend even if you decide that language isn't something that you want. We couldn't ask you, before, but now you can choose. Even if it's what Lady Shiva offered.”
“Can I choose tomorrow?” Cass asks.
“Tomorrow. I'll be here.”
“So will I.”