#hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh auntie rae

[squiddybeifong]

CassRae Weekend Day 1: Back-Up

 On Ao3 here

--

“Hey there, Bats!”

The whisper-yell was more of a yell over the sound of rain pattering on Gotham’s rooftops and the Batman silently turned to her niece, a small smile curling her lips at how excited the young hero was.

Nightstar’s outfit wasn’t a bright as any costume any Robin had donned, but the girl was just as eager as any bird had been at the chance of finally making her own path through patrol. The tiny picture held between Batman’s fingers fluttered against the relentless rain droplets but the lamination worked to keep it sturdy.

Mar’i noticed the little square and pressed her cheek to Cass’ as she stared, the preteen’s green eyes wide and curious, “What’s that?”

Her response was hummed out in tune to another tender stroke of black gloves over the picture’s faces, “My back-up.”

A smirk pulled Batman’s lips at the way Nightstar gasped, obviously affronted at the news, “But that’s supposed to be me!” Sputtering, Mar’i furrowed her brows as she craned her neck to stare at the two again. She pointed at the toddler’s face, his cheeks not as chubby as when he’d first been adopted but just as adorable, “And Christopher’s too tiny to fight yet. He’s even smaller than Jake!”

“Not like that,” Cass grinned as her thumb traced over the laminated lines of her wife’s face. She didn’t let herself relax (they were still on patrol, after all), but some of the tension left her shoulders as she sat alongside the gargoyle, still gazing at Raven’s candid smile. The whites of her mask found Mar’i’s gaze and the Batman spoke again, her voice quiet, “You’re too young to remember Joker teaming up with Control Freak a few years back?”

The girl’s brows furrowed and her floating lowered an inch, “I think so.”

Cass slowly nodded, her shoulders arching as she rolled her neck and rubbed at her nape. The phantom bruises seemed to never leave from that debacle and she grunted out, “It was a mess. Oracle and Cyborg fixed up after, but a lot of photos were lost.”

Mar’i’s face scrunched up in thought as a flash of lightning lit up the sky, making the violet of her outfit shine almost as bright as her eyes. Cass noticed that she was putting together certain habits she had noted during her training (habits that Dick especially was fond of) and Batman tapped the square again. Once she had her sidekick’s attention, the Dark Knight explained, “If something ever happened, I need to make sure I still have this one with me.”

Their faces turned to the sky as the wind shifted, blowing the rain so hard it was nearly sideways. Cass stood and emerald eyes fell to her, “Grandpa says we shouldn’t have stuff with our family…”

Her words trailed off as Batman motioned to a little scanner on her utility belt, “It’ll self destruct if I’m compromised or too injured.” Cass’ head tilted to the side in thought, the ears of her cowl poking the gargoyle’s shoulder, “But mainly it’s in case I go unconscious.”

The half-Tamarian perked up in recognition, “Oh, just like the rest of our gadgets?”

“Exactly.” Cass’ chin tilted to where the Watchtower was, halfway across the city. She pulled out her grappling hook and shrugged one shoulder, “Oracle’s always tuned in to keeping these from getting out.”

“Really?”

Another nod as the sky lit up again, this flash of lightning’s thunderboom waiting for three seconds before sounding over the city. Still, Gotham rumbled on without a trace of visible chaos and Cass narrowed her eyes behind the cowl, “This is my… eighth? Maybe ninth.” The woman shrugged, kissing her son’s face once and then putting the small picture back, “We have copies at home but I like having them here… with me. Especially when it’s calm out.”

Nightstar let out a groan at her words, flopping against her aunt’s shoulder before she could take aim, “I knoooow! It’s Friday and it’s Gotham! Why isn’t anyone doing anything?”

Batman shrugged as she fired and jumped from the rooftop, her grappling hook scraping the crumbling brick rooftops as they started patrolling the city some more. She let out a breath to the tune of her sidekick’s hair swishing as she flew beside her, patiently explaining, “No need to spend Halloween in a cell. They like to wait.”

Mar’i pouted at the news and Cass chuckled. She shook her head, feeling the rainwater flick off the whites of her mask, “Enjoy it now. Tomorrow’ll be real busy.”

The preteen snickered as they continued their rooftop patrol, “Dad’s already stocking up on coffee.”

Batman grinned at the news and slowed her swinging down, half-stretching her shoulders as they all but floated through the buildings’ shadows. From their spots so high in the sky both heroes watched as a ship’s lights went dark for half a second then immediately lit up. Cass tilted her chin towards her niece, savoring that spike of adrenaline that patrol always bought, “Wanna lead the way?”

Nightstar perked up, “One of our perps think there’s supposed to be a warehouse deal going on near the harbor maybe-tonight.” She flew an inch higher as Cass smirked and turned on her comm. The dark knight’s voice was casual, “Heard that, Oracle?”

“Cameras around the whole block went off with that power surge, something’s going down,” Barbara’s voice filled their ears. Her keyboard’s clack-clack-clack! preceded the redhead’s hum, “Ten minutes ago three vans parked near the port’s parking booth. I can’t see if there’s any weapons with them but you know how Gotham is.”

There was a smile in Oracle’s voice and the ding! of a message. Babs hummed once and then her voice filled their ears again, “Good luck and Raven says not to get shot this time.”

--

“Keep still, Peanut,” Raven’s soft chiding made the girl quiet down, although her hiss of pain turned into a giggle as her aunt’s magic worked through her system. Mar’i knew they were just a few scrapes and that she could easily handle it, but she didn’t want her parents or her aunts to worry too much. Not on Halloween Eve.

Cass ran a hand through the girl’s messy hair, a small smile on her lips, “More impulsive than your dad.”

Nightstar grinned at the news and Raven sighed at the thought of all the future injuries she’d have to heal, the soft glow on her hands dissipating as she finished. Mar’i raised her face and the mystic pecked her forehead, “It’s still early, are you two going back out?”

“I am.”

Batman gave her sidekick a pointed look before she could complain. Mar’i settled for a pout and Cass’ smile widened a tinge, “You need to rest up for tomorrow.”

The pout deepened and Nightstar crossed her arms over her chest, “I’m not a kid!”

“We know you aren’t, but this is your first official Gotham Halloween patrol,” Raven soothed her. She rubbed a circle to her niece’s back and aimed a look her wife’s way, “I know you’ve done Blüdhaven with Nightwing but it gets crazy out there. You probably won’t be getting home till after sunrise and Batman needs you in top shape.”

“Can’t be without my back-up,” Cass drawled.

Nightstar brightened up at the idea and she stood, her excitement lending to her hovering a few feet above the ground. She enthusiastically punched a fist into her palm, looking so much like Kory that Raven couldn’t keep away her chuckles, “Right!”

Batman tilted her chin towards the BatCave’s elevators, “Go get some rest.”

As her sidekick elected to fly up the stairs, Cass walked up to the main computers. She pulled up the file that Oracle already sent, looking over what little bit of security feed the power surge didn’t destroy.

“You know, she was talking about fanny packs when y’all first came in,” The ex-Titan murmured. A lazy smile curled her lips and she sat on the edge of the desk, away from any buttons. She didn’t need to see her wife’s eyes to know that Cass was looking her over, “I’ll warn Oracle to make her some safety switches for any pictures she might stow away.”

Gotham’s masked crusader raised her chin as she stared over the CCTV’s footage, knowing that the city’s rare quiet gave her some opportunity to solve a case early. Still, brown lips curled and she pulled out the picture again, holding it out for her beloved to see.

Raven let out a quiet, happy little sound. Recognizing the way her shoulders rolled, Cass leaned from the computer and opened her arms as her demoness strode up against her.

“And here I thought I married Batman,” Raven’s voice was a teasing lilt as she wrapped her arms around the hero’s shoulders, leaning down to peck her lips. Once, twice, a third smooch and then the empath murmured, “You’re the dark knight, babe. With an A, not an O.”

Cass stayed quiet at the teasing, reaching up for another kiss. Raven eagerly met her and the hero’s shoulders nearly sagged at the attention. After an all-too-short moment her comm went off, bringing a groan from both of them.

Pouting, Batman sighed out in the breath between them, “One more?”

Raven giggled and pecked her love again, “For luck. You don’t have your back-up, after all.”

“No,” Cass reluctantly pulled a hand from her mage’s hair to put the picture back into her utility belt and Raven’s eyes softened at the mention. The mage swooped down for another kiss, covering her crime-fighting wife’s quiet affirmation, “I still do.”