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“Did Batman send you?”
Nightwing’s lip didn’t curl but scorn rang clear in his voice. Cass crossed her arms. So what if Bruce sent her? Wasn’t that a compliment? An endorsement of ability, worthiness, trust? Apparently Dick didn’t think so. “You should go.”
“Make me.” This was her city too. She helped when Dick left Blüdhaven. And the Bat on her chest gave her plenty of right to stay.
All of that was packed into her masked glare. Beneath the blue domino mask, Dick’s face pinched. Then he shook his head and turned away to refocus on the device in his hand. Hah. She won. But the dismissal stung more than expected.
They’d never been very close and Cass never envied the relationship Tim or Damian had with Dick. She had Stephanie, Barbara, Duke, and Bruce. Dick was friendly and didn’t mind that she moved into Blüdhaven when he’d left for a time. He was the brother that understood her to an unsettling degree.
Now…it was because of Bruce. That was why he looked at her like an invader. Cass frowned. Dumb. He should be grateful she's assisting.
Donna flashed a reassuring smile, coming to stand beside her. “He’s in a mood today. Bet you it has to do with Batman.” The rest of the Titans made faces of agreement.
“I’m sorry,” Dick said in a raised voice, back tightening even more. His knuckles whitened around the device. “I didn’t realize we’re all here to gossip about me and not to deal with the out of control hack magician cult.”
“Don’t worry, we can do both.” Roy winked at Cass. Dick glowered.
Garth let out a loud sigh. “Gonna be a long night.”
Cass did not envy her siblings' fighting techniques. There was no reason to when she beat them all. But as Nightwing backflipped away from a volley of magic darts, executed a clean quadruple, and crashed down on another sorcerer…Cass envied. Across the battlefield, Dick caught her staring and smirked. One day, she'd nail that flip too. For now she went back to showing why she was better. A worthy heir to the mantle.
People in purple and red robes swarmed around them, wildly swinging staffs. Cass weaved between them with ease, every strike telegraphed–no, announced like a foghorn. Easy. They fell one after another to her hits.
A green elephant trumpeted beside her. It swung its massive head, bowling three people over.
Gar laughed, “Spare! Next time I'll go for a strike–oop!” Beast Boy warped into a fluttering bird that darted towards the ceiling.
Right as an orb of red streaked below him, slamming into Cass and knocking her to the ground. Her body tingled like every muscle was asleep. ‘Shake it off. Get up.’ Bruce ordered in her head. So she did, pushing herself onto hands and knees before staggering upright.
“My bad!” The little bird called down. Cass went to reply and let Gar know that it was entirely his fault. But couldn't. Her mouth…she pressed fingertips against the mask.
Her lips were gone.
Yanking her mask off, Cass grabbed at her mouth–only there was no mouth, her skin was smooth, no tongue even trapped away behind it. She couldn't make a noise. Couldn't scream. Couldn't speak.
Frantic, she ripped her gloves off and clawed. She could do it. Rip it open again, carve her mouth back into existence. Speak. Someone grabbed her arm. Their jaw was sharp against her fist and the hand vanished. Cass went back to clawing, silently screaming. Her voice. She needed her voice. Needed the language she'd fought so hard to gain. It was hers. Hers. She wasn't his anymore, a tool, a monster. She was Batman's daughter, not Cain’s.
She was free.
Shapes crowded around her. Voices clamored enviously. Fight. Survive. Cass lashed out indiscriminately.
“Get back! Give her space!” Blue stripes and a familiar voice broke through the masses, all her overwhelmed senses focusing on it. Dick shoved his way to her, body tensing as he took in her state. Then he crouched, hands up, palms facing her. Letting her read any move he might make. “Cassie, stop. You're hurting yourself.”
Her eyes opened even wider, desperate for him to understand in that private language they had. “I know,” Was his immediate answer, “I know you're scared. Raven is coming. You’ll be okay. Trust me, alright? Trust.”
“I'm sorry,” Gar said, “I didn't realize she was behind me.”
Something shifted in Dick's expression, his comforting expression darkening. He was on his feet and seizing Gar's shoulder impressively fast. “You let her get hit?” Dick snarled, crowding his friend’s space, filled with that same frantic fear Cass felt. “The main rule is to look out for your teammates on the field! What the hell is wrong with–”
“Stop it!” Donna shoved Dick back with one hand, freeing Gar. She kept one hand planted on Dick’s chest in warning. “Accidents happen! Batgirl will be okay. Enough.” Dick glared at Donna but didn’t try to escape.
“Step aside.” Raven appeared, kneeling and laying a hand over Cass’s missing mouth. Purple illuminated her eyes.
Cass’s ears popped. A sharp metallic flavor flooded her mouth. With a cry of relief, she pressed fingers to her returned lips, feeling her teeth, and pinching her tongue. A collective sigh of relief went up from the group, Gar mumbling more apologies. Cass barely heard him. She was too overwhelmed by the sound of her own voice.
She was huddled on a rooftop bench, watching the twinkling lights of Blüdhaven when Dick found her. It’d been three days since the Titans mission and they’d parted ways. Of course they both ended up back in Blüdhaven. The city that gave them freedom.
Sneakers crunched on gravel as Dick sank down beside her. He didn’t speak, just crossed his legs and stared at the horizon in mutual silence. The space between them wasn’t tense or anxious. The same calm she’d been reveling in continued to exist.
“Doing okay?” Dick finally asked, motioning to his mouth.
Cass nodded. “You didn’t…want me there. But you’re here now.”
“Yeah.” Sighing, Dick ran a hand through his hair and rubbed at his neck. Nervous? Uncomfortable, likely. Dick liked hiding his thoughts too. “Donna was right, Bruce was pissing me off and I took it out on you. Sometimes–well, most of the time–the two of you…anyway, I’m sorry, Cass.”
She was like Batman? Barbara said they shared the same bad habits, though Cass didn’t understand what was bad about them. Now Dick. The words settled warm in her chest.
“I do like having you around.”
“I know. You freaked.” And she mimicked his gesture at her mouth with a smile.
A light flush crept up his neck. “Sue me for being worried about my little sister! I think I was allowed to freak out a bit.”
“You were being mean.”
“Yeah, ‘cause it was a bonehead move, no matter who got hit! Seriously, what was Gar thinking? And yes, I apologized and he’s fine. Roy’s fine too. Said your hit cleared his sinuses right up.” Dick chuckled for a moment before looking at her with evaluating eyes. Cass froze, trying to suppress any body language Dick could interpret. “You’re sure you’re okay?” His voice was soft now, encouraging but not demanding. He'd let it drop if she refused.
“I…” Cass trailed off. How could she fit that turmoil into words? Voiceless, helpless, trapped; none of them seemed to capture it fully. Did she even know the right words? She mentally paged through them, while Dick sat patiently.
It was then Cass realized she was wrong. Maybe they had a rocky start–and sure she tossed him through a window that one time–but…Dick was always there offering a quiet space, advice, or a listening ear. He got her, in a different way than Bruce and Barbara, and the same way she got him. Complicated words weren’t needed. He would understand.
“I felt like…a child again.”
Dick exhaled slowly, nodded. “I’m sorry, Cassie.”
Cass went to shrug but found she couldn’t. Her body refused to cooperate, to let her dismiss the haunting memories. They echoed through her bones like muscle memory of a dance.
But that’s all that they were, echoes. She’d evolved.
Cass scooted down the bench to press against Dick’s side. Simple contact once forbidden and now freely given. Nothing more needed to be said. Dick didn’t push or try to pry an explanation from her. Her head rested on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her as they went back to watching the city move around them.
The brother that understood her fully.