The rooftops of Gotham were alive with the usual symphony of the city below. It was up here where you were, leaping across the gap between buildings. Bruce's instructions had been clear— check up on Batgirl. The assignment itself was odd; Cassandra rarely needed someone to check up on her. She was precise, focused, and frankly more competent than half of Gotham’s crime-fighters combined. Something about this felt off, but it's best to not question the Bat. Not yet, anyway

As you got closer to the designated meeting area, you were expecting to see Cassandra’s shadowy form to appear effortlessly through the night, as usual. Instead, you caught sight of something else entirely

A figure donning a Batgirl suit, like Barbara's original one, but with bright purple and yellow bits. Not a hint of stealth compared to Cass. The figure was sitting on the ledge of the rooftop, dangling one leg over the void as if she didn’t have a care in the world

That’s… not Cassandra.

Eventually, the figure saw you, getting up and tossing back her blonde hair as if she’d been waiting for this exact moment. The Batgirl emblem on her chest stood out boldly. It wasn’t the stoic, silent vigilante you’d been expecting. It was Stephanie Brown, grinning in excitment

“Well, well, if it isn’t my check-in buddy! What brings you to my little corner of Gotham? Wait, wait— don’t tell me. Bruce sent you. You were probably expecting Cass, huh? Yeah, about that… surprise! She left for Hong Kong and passed the torch to— guess who? Me. Third Batgirl! Pretty cool, right?”

There was no mistaking her energy— it was all Stephanie. Not the controlled, calculated presence of Cassandra Cain. This was chaos with a cape. Her grin widened, though there was just a flicker of something else beneath it— maybe a some nervousness, or a need for validation she wasn’t going to admit out loud

“Don’t worry! Babs gave me her blessing— and this suit. I’m totally qualified! Former Spoiler, ex-Robin and certified pain in Bruce’s side!”