Baby Sisters

(Part 1)

New York City

April 24, 04:09 EST

Sam yawned and slouched down even madami in his seat.

"Sam!" holly exclaimed.

Sam groaned and hauled himself up right in his chair. "How much longer?" he asked, yawning again.

"Thirty minutos ago." holly said, glancing at her watch. "They had a storm over Hong Kong when she took off, but I don't see—"

"She's fine." Sam said, placing a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "Except she's late."

holly sat in silence for herself. Had Sam been awake, he would've noticed his girlfriend fighting an inner-battle with herself.

"Sam, while we're sitting here with nothing to do, I wanna—"

"Flight 279 Now Arriving."

"Finally." Sam said, standing up and stretching his limbs. He fixed his dyaket and made sure he hadn't been pick-pocketed before walking off to the terminal. holly hesitated before following, biting her lip.

The door to the terminal opened and a few Asian passengers debarked, most exhausted and stumbling. One red-haired girl fought her way through the businessmen and ran over, hugging Holly.

"Sis!" she exclaimed.

holly hugged the girl back before pulling away. "Ten years?" she asked.

"Yeah, ever since you left for that elite private school."

Sam raised an eyebrow. So that's what the League of Shadows was calling themselves now.

"Yeah, I was extremely busy, and cells weren't allowed! I'm so sorry!"

"Well you're here now!"

Sam coughed awkwardly. "Baggage?" he asked.

The red-head held up a duffel. "I travel light."

Sam raised an eyebrow beneath his sunglasses and reached for the bag.

"I'm fine, thanks." The girl responded, an emotion flashing across her face before Sam could even register it. The male shrugged and started walking towards the car.

"You were right. He is hot."

"Rachel!"

New York City

April 24, 12:09 EST

Sam groaned and fell backwards onto the bed. holly walked in and barely registered him as she walked to the bathroom to fix her make-up.

"Where's your sister?" Sam groaned.

"In the spare bedroom getting un-packed." holly said.

"Good, we need to talk."

holly sighed, finished her eye-liner and turned around. "What is it?" she asked.

"The night-life."

holly sighed. "I think we deserve a vacation."

"Crime doesn't take breaks."

"Which is what the police force has been taking care of for millennia before you." holly replied, turning back to the mirror.

"Not super-powered—"

holly rounded on him. "I'll make a deal with you. One super-powered freak shows up, you can go and I'll stay with Rachel. Other than that, no crime fighting."

Sam nodded grimly. "Deal. I'll alert Draxx."

holly smirked and picked up some eye-liner. "Same girl. Leaving make-up all over the place."

Sam barely registered it as he sent a message to the Police Chief of New York.

Mount Justice

April 24, 13:56 EST

"Report."

"I tracked the assassin known as Durea to Hong Kong. She disappeared from there."

Batman frowned and opened a holo-computer. "Did you ask Cassandra?"

"Cain? Yeah. We searched for hours and Cass looked in the underworld, but no sign of the assassin. She's good." Robin replied.

"Anything else?" Batman asked, fingers hovering over the computer's keyboard.

"She took out the purple-streak in her hair and was in civilian clothes the last I saw her."

Batman grinned. "You missed something."

"What?" Robin asked.

"The only flight leaving that airport around the time you saw her there was headed to New York."

Robin frowned. "New York is right susunod door to Gotham."

"The Gotham flight is cheaper." Batman sinabi with a grin. "Take Blue Beetle and WonderGirl and head to New York."

Robin nodded and walked out of the training room.

New York City

April 24, 21:09 EST

Sam reached to put his fork back into his karneng hiniwa when his phone buzzed. He looked at the caller I.D.

"Uh, I need to take this." Sam said. "Just a minuto ladies."

Sam walked outside of the restaurant and answered the phone. "What?"

"We need to talk."

"I'm in the middle of something."

"Batman again?"

"I don't answer to the Bat." Sam snapped. "Sorry, I'm tense cause Holly's sister is in town."

"Ah, well I still need to see you. It's important."

Sam sighed and walked back to the table. "Sorry, something…came up at Grant Industries. I've got to go."

holly shot him a death-glare while Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, promise I'll make it up." Sam said, bending down and halik Holly's cheek before leaving the restaurant.

"Your check, ma'am." The waiter said, putting the bill on the table. holly looked at Sam's retreating figure.

"Why that cheap little—!"

"Don't worry about it, sis." Rachel said, laughing. "It is his card you're using."

holly grinned and nodded.

holly and Rachel walked down the street. The two ladies were both in some of their finest clothes. holly was wearing a black dress with a latch over one shoulder only. It cut short halfway down her thighs and a slit for the legs ran up most of the length beneath her waist. holly had let her blonde hair grow out recently. It was almost to her elbows and done in an elaborate, but simple looking design.

Rachel was dressed in a red dress that glittered. She had gone with madami of the classical look, with two straps to hold it up. The hem stopped three inches above her ankle and a slit went halfway up her thigh. Her dark, red hair was tied back in an elaborate bun with several pieces of jewelry. Her make-up even had glitter in it.

"Where to?" holly asked.

"First, out of this dress." Rachel said. holly laughed. "Second, I'm a little low on clothes and high on cash. Are there any good malls around here?"

holly laughed again and grabbed her sister's arm. "Come my friend, and let me ipakita you the wonders of America."

"Nice of you to come." Rose said, sipping her hot tsokolate as Sam sat down across from her. He had changed from his suit on the way over. He was wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a suit dyaket over that. His usual sunglasses were in their place over his eyes not so much for Rose, but so he wasn't seen with another woman.

"Thanks." Sam replied, waving away the waiter. He glanced at Rose's hot-chocolate. "Isn't April a little late for that?"

"I like my chocolate!"

"Whatever. What do you need?"

"Nothing. I'm here to give you information."

Sam leaned back pasulong expectantly. He glanced at Rose from behind his sunglasses. She was dressed in her usual skinny jeans and white tank-top. Her hair was in it's usual pony-tail, but something about her radiated tonight.

"The Light is planning something big." Rose whispered. "I don't know what, and daddy won't tell me, but it's something to do with New York. They sent an assassin over here, but Lexcorp also sent a team of saboteurs."

"What are they after?" Sam asked.

"I have no idea. One of them is a distraction is all I could guess. It could be the saboteurs leading someone into a trap for the assassin, or the assassin distracting someone from the saboteurs."

Sam got the feeling that 'someone' was him.

"I'll keep an eye out." Sam said. "Thanks for the heads-up."

Rose looked at him with concern out of her one good eye. "How much longer, Sam? This is killing me."

"Two weeks and we spring the trap."

Rose smiled and started to stand up. "Oh, I'd like to…play with some of the sidekicks. Daddy's targets are awful boring."

Sam nodded and Rose could see the hidden grin.

"Robin, it's Revenge. I've got a lead I want you to follow."

holly picked up a sando and held it up. "What about this?" The blonde turned around to see no one was behind her.

"Rachel? Rachel?"

Ravager landed on a rooftop with precise silence. No one heard her. She walked carefully to the edge of the building and looked down into the alleyway. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she spun, swords out in a parry position.

"I could've slice you in two." The other girl replied.

"Durea." Ravager growled. "Weren't you in Hong Kong?"

"Was, the Cain's started to get on my nerves and I got a new assignment so I left." The red-haired assassin replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for a fun night." Ravager replied. "What's your mission this time? Another Lexcorp employee who spilled his guts?"

"Confidential." Durea replied, folding her arms over her chest.

"Oh, come on!" Ravager exclaimed quietly.

"Sorry, Rose. You know I can't tell you that. Shadow policy."

Ravager sighed and grinned as a door opened at the end of the alley. "About time."

Robin, Wondergirl, and Blue Beetle walked out of the door and looked around. Durea grinned and leaped into the alley below. Her outfit was a skin-tight purple, black, green, and red mix of colors. It didn't make sense to Rose, but apparently it was a bunch of symbols and hieroglyphics meant to strengthen her.

"Crazy Voo-doo." Rose muttered.

Robin heard a swishing sound and looked up, tossing bird-a-rangs as he did. Durea moved her hand and the disks flew at Wondergirl who yelled in pain as they hit her.

"Cassie!" Beetle yelled, running for the blonde, but Durea landed in front of him.

"Watch out!" Robin yelled. "She has M'gann's mental powers!"

Beetle pointed his cannons at her and Robin activated his bow staff. "She's limited to one target though. So she can't take both of us."

"You've got problems of your own, Boy Wonder." Ravager said, leaping and unsheathing her swords. Robin put his bow-staff up and barely blocked the blows.

"Why'd you never call?" Rose asked.

"She gave you her number?!" Cassie exclaimed, rubbing her head.

"Long time ago." Robin said, gritting his teeth and trying to block the attacks Ravager was throwing at him. "Didn't exactly feel like advertising it."

Beetle was having his own problems. Durea was assaulting him with everything she had. Trash cans, dumpsters, pieces of the wall, they all flew toward the Blue Beetle. Jaimie was shooting them out of the air as fast as possible, but he was still getting beaten up pretty badly.

"Tactical Retreat!" Robin yelled, firing his grappling hook and grabbing Cassie before swinging onto the roof. Beetle was still trying to shoot garbage cans. "Blue! Now!"

"Coming, esse!" Jaimie yelled. He flew up to sumali Robin and Cassie before the puno disappeared.

"Well that was fun." Durea said. She glanced at her watch. "Oops! Gotta go!"

And with that she was gone. Ravager growled and disappeared into the night as well.

Rachel walked out of the changing area and almost ran into Holly.

"Rachel! Where were you?!"

"Trying on a new pair of jeans. Why?"

"I've been looking all over for you!"

Rachel laughed. "Don't worry, sis. I always disappeared when we were young."

"True, and mom always fussed at me for getting my clothes dirty." holly said. "Never once cared if we were okay."

"Yeah…" Rachel sinabi sadly. "But she's gone, so lets forget about it and have some fun, shall we?"

holly grinned and the two girls went back to shopping.

New York City

April 25, 09:09 EST

"Revenge."

"How can I help you, Bruce?" Sam sighed, pressing a button to secure the phone-line.

"Robin, Blue Beetle, and Wondergirl were ambushed in an alleyway last night sa pamamagitan ng Ravager and another assassin. Durea."

"Never heard of them." Sam replied. "Wait, Ravager?"

"Yes." Batman said. "I think she's disguising herself as a civilian. Do me a favor and look about please?"

"Sure, whatever." Sam cut the line.

New York City

April 29, 17:57 EST

Sam looked at the computer screen once more. Rachel's picture susunod to that of Durea's. Neither had anything to prove they existed. Both looked almost exactly the same except for one thing: Durea had a streak of purple in her hair, Rachel didn't.

"Sam!" Holly's voice came over his ear-com. "Where are you?!"

"At the base. I'm following up a lead."

"We agreed—"

"League of Shadows."

"Doesn't count." holly snapped.

"Look, Holly, this isn't up for debate. When Batman asks me to investigate Lexcorp commandoes and two assassins in the same phone-call, I don't have much of a choice."

"Well when you really mean you don't answer to Batman, tell me so I'll believe you." holly sinabi bitterly and cut the line. Sam sighed. "Nothing is ever simple."

"Recognized: Artemis. B-07."

Sam looked up as his sister walked out of the zeta-tube closet.

"Hey, Sam!" she called.

"Great, just great." Sam thought.

TO BE CONTINUED!