Something Like Family (Cass, Jason, PG-13, Batclan)
Title: Something Like Family
Author: Mimic
Characters/Pairings: Cass, Jason
Rating: PG-13 for language
Disclaimer: I don't play for keeps. DC owns them.
Notes: Inspired by one of my "5 things" replies, found here. Yes, it's a bit of a wish-fulfillment. So sue me.
Feedback: Please and thanks.
Word Count: 600
He hadn’t been that surprised to find out there was a new chick running around in Barbara’s costume, after all, he had been replaced so why shouldn’t she?
It seemed that Bruce would never get over wanting shiny, new toys around to play with.
Jason had put off seeing her. He didn’t want to be faced with another stupid *pretender* running around in clothes that didn’t belong, and maybe he was more than a bit afraid that this girl would turn out to be better than Barbara in the same way his pretender was better than him.
He was right to worry.
She was better than *all* of them, including Bruce, and possibly *put together*. It was watching perfection to see her fight, and he felt the same sort of hot anger rising around his collar.
Always trade up, right Bruce? Losing an operative is just a chance to improve the team.
He jumped off the roof he was watching from, and landed solidly twenty paces away from the girl. He wasn’t trying to be subtle, that wasn’t what he was about anymore, and she turned toward him immediately.
She didn’t say anything, but the tilt of her head behind that (fucking *scary*) cowl resembled confusion. Or maybe she was just thinking of the proper way to maim him.
He wanted her to talk first, to give himself to play off of, but there was nothing but silence.
“Taking lessons from the Bat, I see,” he snarled, lips bared in anger.
The tilt of her head became more obvious. After a little while she seemed to make a kind of connection, and said, “Robin!”
There was an obvious gap between her syllables Jason remembered from small children, just learning to speak, and it threw him off.
“No,” he said coldly. “Not anymore.”
She didn’t do anything obvious, but her next words were condescending even if she had more trouble pronouncing them. “Still are. Doing that thing,” she tilted her head again, “Denial.”
He froze and shifted his weight, leaning back from her.
“Can see,” she nodded at him, moving her hands apart as if to gesture to his body.
He looked at her for a long time before something clicked. “You read body language.”
She nodded.
He licked his lips, knowing how much that would give away to someone like her, but not really caring anymore. “You couldn’t talk before? Not like this.”
“Oracle. Helped.”
Jason was beginning to pick up her speech pattern. Some words she obviously understood and knew well, while others gave her pause. It was a disjointed way of speaking that left him grasping for the meaning of them.
“Babs?” he asked, and shifted again.
He never thought Barbara would *do* that. Actively choose and train a replacement, but the girl was good.
Batgirl nodded again, and it was okay to call her that if Babs *chose* her. “Nice. Gave me suit. You understand?”
“Yeah, yeah I think so.”
“Good. Like you,” she pointed, “Should come home. Batman miss you.”
He snorted. “Yeah right.”
She -- it was probably a glare behind the cowl. “Can tell.”
He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, letting her take in his relaxed posture. “I’ll think about it.”
Batgirl’s entire body shifted into something warm and bright. It reminded him of how Dick used to smile with his body as he flew through the air.
“Good. Like family.” She crossed the roof, and hugged him at the shoulders. “I never had before.”
He grinned, he couldn’t help it, and returned the hug. “Me either.”
Author: Mimic
Characters/Pairings: Cass, Jason
Rating: PG-13 for language
Disclaimer: I don't play for keeps. DC owns them.
Notes: Inspired by one of my "5 things" replies, found here. Yes, it's a bit of a wish-fulfillment. So sue me.
Feedback: Please and thanks.
Word Count: 600
He hadn’t been that surprised to find out there was a new chick running around in Barbara’s costume, after all, he had been replaced so why shouldn’t she?
It seemed that Bruce would never get over wanting shiny, new toys around to play with.
Jason had put off seeing her. He didn’t want to be faced with another stupid *pretender* running around in clothes that didn’t belong, and maybe he was more than a bit afraid that this girl would turn out to be better than Barbara in the same way his pretender was better than him.
He was right to worry.
She was better than *all* of them, including Bruce, and possibly *put together*. It was watching perfection to see her fight, and he felt the same sort of hot anger rising around his collar.
Always trade up, right Bruce? Losing an operative is just a chance to improve the team.
He jumped off the roof he was watching from, and landed solidly twenty paces away from the girl. He wasn’t trying to be subtle, that wasn’t what he was about anymore, and she turned toward him immediately.
She didn’t say anything, but the tilt of her head behind that (fucking *scary*) cowl resembled confusion. Or maybe she was just thinking of the proper way to maim him.
He wanted her to talk first, to give himself to play off of, but there was nothing but silence.
“Taking lessons from the Bat, I see,” he snarled, lips bared in anger.
The tilt of her head became more obvious. After a little while she seemed to make a kind of connection, and said, “Robin!”
There was an obvious gap between her syllables Jason remembered from small children, just learning to speak, and it threw him off.
“No,” he said coldly. “Not anymore.”
She didn’t do anything obvious, but her next words were condescending even if she had more trouble pronouncing them. “Still are. Doing that thing,” she tilted her head again, “Denial.”
He froze and shifted his weight, leaning back from her.
“Can see,” she nodded at him, moving her hands apart as if to gesture to his body.
He looked at her for a long time before something clicked. “You read body language.”
She nodded.
He licked his lips, knowing how much that would give away to someone like her, but not really caring anymore. “You couldn’t talk before? Not like this.”
“Oracle. Helped.”
Jason was beginning to pick up her speech pattern. Some words she obviously understood and knew well, while others gave her pause. It was a disjointed way of speaking that left him grasping for the meaning of them.
“Babs?” he asked, and shifted again.
He never thought Barbara would *do* that. Actively choose and train a replacement, but the girl was good.
Batgirl nodded again, and it was okay to call her that if Babs *chose* her. “Nice. Gave me suit. You understand?”
“Yeah, yeah I think so.”
“Good. Like you,” she pointed, “Should come home. Batman miss you.”
He snorted. “Yeah right.”
She -- it was probably a glare behind the cowl. “Can tell.”
He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, letting her take in his relaxed posture. “I’ll think about it.”
Batgirl’s entire body shifted into something warm and bright. It reminded him of how Dick used to smile with his body as he flew through the air.
“Good. Like family.” She crossed the roof, and hugged him at the shoulders. “I never had before.”
He grinned, he couldn’t help it, and returned the hug. “Me either.”