Secrets

Chapter 1

  (I own none of the DC characters, and this is an Alternate Universe so it won't exactly follow the comics or movies. Please be patient with any errors and enjoy!) 

I looked with shock at my home. The fire raged through the house, I heard a scream and knew who's voice it was.

"This was not an accident." I thought to myself, desperately trying to get into the house, trying to save him. Suddenly I heard a gunshot. The screams stopped. I looked up and saw a figure leaving the house by the upstairs window. I only saw his outline but I knew in that instant, that he was the one responsible for this. I stood, frozen in horror. Suddenly there was a young man beside me, he was in a black outfit, with a blue eagle over the front. I looked up into his face and saw that his eyes were covered by a mask.

"Is that your house?" He asked. I nodded unsure who he was. He ran at the house and leapt into a tree near a window and disappeared into it. The smoke stung my eyes and made me cough. I began to realize what I had lost. He came out a few minutes later, holding a white bundle.

"Everyone inside is dead, I'm sorry. But I was able to rescue this." He said, his face seeming to be full of empathy for me. He handed me the bundle. It was my cat, Huntress.

"Thank you." I said, then grew silent as what had happened began to sink in. A few moments later I felt a presence in front of me, and it wasn't the boy. I looked up, defiant in my grief and thinking that perhaps my family's killer was coming after me.It was Batman. He was famous in Gotham, the city where I lived.

"Your name?" he asked, making sure the boy was out of hearing.

"Gwen."

"You want to find the man who killed your family, and bring him to justice. The police can't help you, only I can. But I have to train you; you will become my... apprentice for lack of a better word. Do you accept?" He stated, matter-of-factly and his eyes narrowed at me.

"Yes." I said, without hesitation.

"You will address me as Batman, or sir. Understood?"

"Yes sir." I answered, impressed by the aura of command radiating off of him. He pulled something out of his cloak and handed it to me. It was a mask.

"Come, Batgirl." Batman ordered, and I followed.

"Welcome to the Bat family, Batgirl." The younger one said, coming up to us. "I'm Nightwing. I used to be Robin, but then I graduated. I'm kinda like another Batman but different." I simply bobbed my head to signal that I had heard him, stone faced. Now that I was becoming accustomed to the strange man in a cape, my realization of what I had lost was returning.

"Hey, I know what you're feeling. This is almost exactly how Batman found me. It gets better, I promise." Nightwing comforted. I simply nodded, trying to grasp what had happened in the last twenty minutes. I felt a sharp prick on my arm and looked down. Huntress had clawed at me, wanting attention.

"I don't suppose you have a cat carrier in that car. " I said as Nightwing and I followed Batman. He laughed.

"Nope, sorry!" Nightwing said, looking suspiciously at my cat. It was clear that they weren't a favorite of his.

"Will I need an undercover name or did Batman just give one to me?" I asked, realizing that Batman had called me Batgirl and I had responded like it had always been my name.

"Well, he kinda gave it to you. Like he did me."

"He gave you the name Nightwing? You would think he would call you Batboy."