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The Light Within | Chapter 15

Summary: The members of the Justice League save a young woman who knows much more than the League bargained for, yet Batman himself trusts her and takes her in. But this stranger’s arrival prompts secrets and events that could not have been foretold and inadvertently leads to the creation of the mysterious persona known only as ‘Enigma’. First part in The Luminary series. (AU)

Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or The Dark Knight Trilogy, which are the property of DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., etc. Nor do I make any profit from this story.

A/N: It’s another insert-an-OC for me, but I really enjoy these. This story begins a little after the cartoon episode The Terror Beyond, and quite some time before the next episode Secret Society. The year is 2013 and I have totally messed with ages and dates so it will fit my particular story.

Chapter 15: Assured

The first thing Bruce managed to explain about the bat cave was, of course, its technology. All the computers stood bright and shining against the darkness of the cavernous space.

"Obviously these are computer workstations," Bruce told Meara, gesturing at the whirring, chirping components all around them. "Not much to explain about all of this, except that it's the most advanced technology you could manage to find almost anywhere in the world. Computers and other technology are scattered throughout the entire cave. There are multiple ways to get in the other sections of the cave, some on the ground and some above our heads, but we mostly use the ground levels when not in costume."

"What are the different exits?" Meara wondered.

"Grandfather clock and corresponding stairwell back through this corridor," Bruce began, pointing out the same path they took to arrive in the current space. "And actually, there is an exit right here in this room. The waterfall entrance is directly opposite this embankment. From the outside, the entry doors have been made to look like the stone facing of the cave."

Splashing through puddles behind Bruce's easy gait, Meara gasped out loud as lights flashed on all across the cavern around them, bursting to life like the sun had risen in the cave. The one vehicle Meara had actually ridden in, but never knew where it disappeared to, sat off to the right on its own cliff.

"Impressive, of course," the brunette laughed like a little kid at the grand flying machine parts sprawled around the space in both full bodies and spare pieces. "Not that I like riding in that thing… but… impressive."

Exhaling in awe at the sight of a familiar black structure rising from the water as it had in The Dark Knight Rises, the most recent innovation of the batmobile sitting on its platform, Meara accepted that her wildest, grandest visions of the bat cave had just been thoroughly trounced by the real thing.

Chuckling genuinely at her reaction, Bruce offered a hand to steady Meara'a uneven steps on the stone beneath their feet and helped her onto the main walkway lifting to connect the platform to the rest of the cavern. There were two shorter bridgeways connecting the central platform to either side of the spacious cavern. On the right, the batwing sat surrounded by parts, frames, and tools all in neatly organized placeholders.

"This is amazing!" Meara breathed excitedly. "It's like walking into your own dreams. All the things I always loved coming to life here."

Turning to look back at Bruce, energy and thrill brimming in her dark ocean eyes, Meara added excitably, "You have no idea how much I've always wanted to see a live version of the bat cave!"

Snorting, Bruce nodded understandingly. "It was a fantastical world you could lose yourself in. To imagine was only a pale imitation of physically investigating such an environment."

"Do you have old versions of your vehicles still?" Meara asked, a bounce in her voice and step.

"Follow me," the vigilante offered secretively, waving an arm towards the left side of the black platform.

Across the left bridgeway, the two of them walked straight to multiple levels of cliff-like protrusions rising far above their heads. Judging by the reflections bouncing off of some kind of barrier at various points, Meara assumed a vehicle sat behind each one.

"Be careful through here," Bruce warned her seriously. "I'll watch for you, but you need to be aware of the ledges and condensation on the way up."

Making note of the precarious edges and surfaces all around her, Meara paid a good deal of attention to her feet as they moved slowly across the protrusions, stopping at each clear barrier to view a different vehicle. Bruce's steadying hand against her back felt infinitely more reassuring than her own questionable ability to balance in the unexpected environment.

"Ooh, that one is retro," Meara murmured in amusement at the first vehicle they saw; it had a certain nineteen-eighties flare about it.

Snorting again at her humor, Bruce shook his head. "It didn't last long. Too much weight on the hood."

The next batmobile incarnation wasn't even a full vehicle, but half a black hull with a definite scorching along the rough edges.

"I can guess what happened to that one," Meara remarked with a funny expression that scrunched her nose and mouth.

"Bomb," Bruce explained anyway. "The hood was too weak to last through the explosion, so I tried the heavy hood we just viewed."

Nodding in understanding, Meara allowed him to lead her up to the next level. "So, as far as when the vehicles were made, we're going backwards in time, right?"

"Exactly," the vigilante confirmed.

"Do any of the intact vehicles still work?" was her next intrigued question.

"Only eight of twelve," Bruce responded, a bit disappointedly if Meara was any judge. "I've been working to try and fix that, but it's not working as well as I'd hoped."

They stopped at every vehicle in turn, each becoming bulkier in total shape and size until finally their steps carried them to Meara's personal favorite. Exhaling a heavy breath in geeky excitement, Meara put her hands flat against the transparent barrier between them and the original incarnation of Bruce's batmobile.

"The tumbler," Bruce announced with knowing humor. "I believe this is the one you mentioned."

"Oo-oo-oh," Meara actually squealed in delight. She couldn't believe the sound came from her own throat. "This is so cool! Favorite, right here, yes. Yes, yes. Total favorite of mine."

Bruce laughed quietly in his chest at her amazement and enthusiasm, leaving Meara grinning even after she forced herself to calm down a little.

"I love this car," Meara couldn't help saying, leaning her head back excitedly to look Bruce in the eye. "Tank… Whatever… I just love it."

An exasperated, long-suffering expression overtook Bruce's face at the continued commentary, but he didn't say anything about it.

"It did have a built-in bike pod," the billionaire confirmed instead, without the young woman even asking the question.

Breathing in with disbelief, Meara pulled away from the glass and leaned forward towards Bruce to ask with greatly repressed energy, "Do you still have it?"

Smirking deeply at the brunette for her childlike fascination, Bruce silently offered a hand to help her back down. Only they didn't go back across the platform. Instead, they followed the top cliff all the way across towards the waterfall and a piece of the rock facing began to grumble and shift, finally slipping open onto a small, well-lit tunnel. Inside the cavern at the end, Meara realized her question had been answered – more than answered, really.

A whole fleet of bikes and smaller land gear flooded the area. Most were not covered like the batmobiles, yet none were coated in dust. At the far left side, Meara caught sight of the very bike she had been looking for.

"I swear, this is the most glorious bike I have ever seen!" Meara told her host, the excitement building back up again as she traveled the smooth floors so different from the cave path. "Did you make a new one of this, too?"

"Yes, it's over there," Bruce waved at the wall to Meara's right. "The far right motorcycle is the newest version. All of them are functional, though. It's one of the quickest methods of travel for us, so Dick and I keep them up in case of emergency."

"Which is basically every other week," Meara commented as though it were a normal discussion. "But those newer bikes are nowhere near as awesome as this one. You do know that, right?"

Bruce just shook his head at her.

"We haven't even seen anything to do with medical or training or costumes…" Meara stated amazedly, glancing back at him impressed. "I mean, just how many parts are there to this place?"

"A few," was Bruce's understated answer, another smirk playing about his lips.

Rolling stormy eyes at the billionaire, Meara moved forward to look at each bike incarnation with great interest, and then led her own investigation of the motorcycles still in the midst of fixing.

"Wow," the young woman uttered, shaking her head in never-ending wonderment of Batman's broad range of talents, skills, and resources.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Bruce retorted amusedly, a grin almost escaping him before he reined it in.

Suitably energized and provoked for their next stop on the tour, Meara followed Bruce's gesturing fingers towards the entry corridor and back through to the waterfall cave again.

"We'll go past the stairs," Bruce insisted, waving an arm at the corridor between the waterfall cavern and the entrance beneath the grandfather clock. The longer tunnel curved a bit, then widened out to reveal ten times as much computer and technical equipment as they had seen in the first cavern.

"Ohhhh my God," Meara breathed, stepping back in surprise over the sheer expanse of the cave as it sprawled out before her and stretched eons above their heads. From where the young woman stood, she could see three tunnels leading elsewhere, in addition to what she now realized was actually the true center of the bat cave.

Multiple different cave walls featured long metal work surfaces with any number of advanced technologies and computers sitting on top. At roughly the center of the room, two large tables with computers took up most of a raised circular platform.

Far and wide across the area, Meara could see an extensive training area that didn't stop at merely ten or twenty feet above them. Training apparatuses ran as far as the bottom of stalactites in some places. Some even utilized stalactites in the apparatus itself. Interwoven with all the equipment was a variety or workout gear, half of which Meara would have to ask about to even know what they were.

"This is… beyond anything…"

There were not enough words in any language under the sun to describe how awestruck Meara felt.

Bruce sounded very pleased with himself when he commented, "Would you like to see the rest of the caverns?"

"Wow," Meara repeated herself, coming back to reality very slowly to retort, "You have to ask?"

Chuckling, Bruce led her through the main area and on across the training floor, Meara's head on a swivel as she tried to take in every amazing sight on the way.

Eventually, the two of them moved into a smaller space filled with storage chests and trunks, shelving and tables, hooks and hangers. Every inch of space beheld some tool, gear, or resource that Batman's team used out in the field.

"Armory," Meara noted with a new thrill in her veins, her awe tempered only by her intense curiosity.

"I don't think there's enough time in one night for you to adequately explore this area," Bruce dryly concluded, turning back.

"I don't think there's enough time in one year for me to adequately explore this area," Meara countered, reluctantly following the billionaire through to the center of the cave again.

"Over here," Bruce started describing the cave again, pointing to a tunnel across from the clock stairs, "is an elevator that leads through a bookcase, opened—"

"—by a piano," Meara and Bruce completed the sentence in complete synchrony, the billionaire turning in surprise to stare at his new charge.

"Films?" he hypothesized.

"Exactly," Meara nodded, face exuding a humble joy. "I have to say, it's kind of neat, and fun, to already know some things."

Given his foreknowledge of Meara's fascination with superheroes and all that came with that title, Bruce didn't bother to feel annoyed by her small feelings of pride.

"Each exit route leads in a different direction, then?" asked Meara.

"Roughly, anyway," Bruce added informatively. "I would consider the clock entrance southeast. The waterfall is east, the lake northeast, and the piano northwest."

Moving on, the dark-haired vigilante led Meara into a tunnel further to the left of the elevator entrance and past a long wall of computers.

"This is our medical bay," Bruce explained, allowing Meara to walk ahead of him into a very different looking space. Rather than the rock walls of the cave, this area had been treated to and overlay of solid, clean, neutral walls and gleaming floors. Amidst med tables, rolling chairs, and more computer systems, there were carts already full of what Meara deduced to be standard treatments after an average night of patrol. An x-ray machine sat against a far wall, along with numerous other machines Meara didn't have a name for yet.

On an off glance above, Meara saw a frosted ceiling of some kind. Arching her neck to peer up at the near-transparent barrier, Meara frowned in curious thought.

"What is that made of?" she wondered.

Looking up as well, Bruce quickly replied, "Those are transparent ceramic panels made of a substance called 'celucent.' Far superior to glass in durability, holding up in weather conditions, chemical resistance, and withstanding bullets. Plus, it can be insulated against extreme temperatures."

"Why don't people use it instead of glass, then?" Meara considered confusedly.

"Too expensive, for one thing," Bruce answered with a shrug. "And the one downfall is its lack of clarity. People don't want a cloudy window impeding their view."

"But down here, for what you need, it works," Meara guessed.

"Yes, it does," Bruce nodded leading the way back towards the central cave. On their way out, Bruce pointed to a doorway just to the right of the med bay entrance. "Bathroom and shower area."

Coming back into the central space, Meara needed no guide to notice a display across the way – one she had been looking forward to almost as much as the vehicles.

"Wait," Meara stopped abruptly at the thought of the batmobiles, Bruce coming to a sudden halt behind her. "If you ever had to use one of the old batmobiles, how would you even get it out? They're up on cliffs!"

"Wouldn't want it to be too easy, now would I?" was the only response Bruce gave, leaving Meara frowning with frustration.

"Go on and examine the uniforms," Bruce prodded with a smirk.

Wordlessly, but giving her host the stink eye all the while, Meara headed into the more open space housing the various costumes for Batman's team. Each piece was wonderfully kept, not a scratch on the housed outfits in their gleaming glass cases.

All except one.

Eyes glued to the last Robin costume on display, far at the other end of the cases, Meara knew without asking whose it had been and why it failed to match the other pristine uniforms that came before it.

Quietude stifled the space in which they stood. Meara knew that Bruce understood her hesitation and silence, but she didn't dare ask on this one point. Too much dark, rusted red tainted the tattered edges of that costume.

"Any questions?" Bruce eventually asked, voice the softest Meara had ever heard it, but it was a genuine inquiry.

He would answer.

If only she asked.

Turning away from the costumes with a decidedly blank expression, Meara answered surely, "No."

Meara did not catch Bruce's eyes and he said no words in response when she made to leave. Their trip up the staircase was all too quiet for several moments.

"I'd like to start you on some reading material tomorrow," Bruce brought up after a moment, waking Meara from her empty feelings with a jolt; she hadn't precisely expected him to bounce back in a matter of seconds. "I've created a booklet about Wayne Enterprises for you to study before you start work. It's about the company's origins, the various ways it functions… You'll need to know every department and what it does. The overall process in which those various departments interact, who answers to whom, prominent external contacts, and a hundred other items."

"You made it?" Meara wondered with slight incredulousness.

"I started working on it after our discussion in the library you're first morning here," the billionaire explained easily. "I knew you'd need a good jumpstart to ease your transition at first. After learning more about you every day the past two weeks, however, I began to realize you wouldn't need it for very long. But I'd rather be safe and give you every piece of information I can."

"I guess I'll get started on that tomorrow," Meara agreed with a tired sigh.

Exploring the bat cave didn't seem like such a daunting or tiring task in the long run, but by the time Bruce and Meara made it through the grandfather clock, the young woman had in fact become quite sleepy.

Taking her rest one more time in the Caligo Room, for the sake of simplicity if nothing else, Meara awoke much better rested and ready to take on her wardrobe move to the Aerius. Pulling on a casual working outfit of a light blue button-down, black leggings, and black flats, Meara quickly headed down to find something to eat for her afternoon of work.

Meara didn't expect to find Barbara Gordon in a gray sweater, blue jeans, white converse, and a high ponytail, leaning on the kitchen counter and eating oatmeal with blueberries.

"Hi!" Barbara called to Meara with a smile. "How did you sleep?"

"A lot better," Meara answered, walking over with a slightly bewildered expression. Admittedly, in the wake of touring the cave and realizing the source of her insomnia, Meara forgot that she and Bruce had left three people behind in the kitchen. "I'm just glad I know where the insomnia stems from now."

"Oh, you do?" the redhead looked up in surprise.

"I guess Bruce didn't say anything," Meara deduced interestedly. "I've been woken up by the cave entrances opening and closing."

"The end of patrol," Barbara realized, hazel eyes shooting heavenward for a moment. "That makes sense! No wonder Bruce looked so sharp when we were discussing it."

"At least when I move totally into the Aerius room, that might not happen," Meara commented with relief. "Unless Bruce does decide to remove the soundproofing, at which point I'm going to be in trouble as far as getting proper rest is concerned."

"I doubt he will," the other young woman shook her head. "He won't want you to miss out on sleep. Anyway, it's gone soundproofed this long without a problem."

"Good point," Meara shrugged, gauging the saucepan still half full with oatmeal. "Mind if I…?"

"Go ahead," Barbara gestured at the pan gladly. "There are bowls up in that cupboard, spoons in this drawer over here, and there's fresh fruit on the plate by the stove."

Grabbing a bowl and spoon in the indicated locations, Meara filled up on oatmeal and mixed in sugar and raspberries.

"I thought Alfred and the guys already moved all your things to the Aerius?" Barbara queried confusedly after a few minutes as they stood eating. "Dick told me when I asked what they were doing this weekend."

"Everything except my clothes and accessories," Meara explained. "Alfred wanted me to be able to do so myself. I'm very independent usually."

"So am I," admitted Barbara. "I have to say, though, it can be hard to argue with Alfred's skills."

"Especially with food," Meara added knowingly.

"Especially then," Barbara laughed. "I can't cook much beyond oatmeal and boxed potatoes. So for me, it really makes sense. Alfred said you can cook pretty well, though, so I imagine that might get frustrating eventually."

"Not really," Meara decided truthfully. "When it comes to good food, I won't argue."

Finished with her oatmeal, Meara pushed off from the counter's edge and set her bowl and spoon in the sink alongside Barbara's. "I better get working before I lose the energy to move my clothes. It's a pretty hefty pile thanks to Alfred and Bruce."

"Would you like some help?" Barbara offered. "I'm mostly just hanging out today."

"I can't imagine saying no," Meara half-laughed. "Thank you."

"No problem," the redhead smiled again, following the brunette up to the Caligo Room with curiosity in her gaze.

With a rather dramatic swoosh, Meara flipped the closet doors wide open.

"Oh, wow," the redhead said incredulously upon seeing the full closet awaiting them. "I mean, you're not the first woman in our little world with this kind of wardrobe and I understand the need in your position… but wow."

"That is a lot of clothes," Meara agreed, only now truly seeing the wide range of items in her new wardrobe. "And that doesn't include whatever is in the dresser and the chest of drawers."

"Well," Barbara rubbed her hands together. "Looks like we better get started. Lead the way, Meara."

"Let's just carry it all over to the new room first," the brunette in question suggested. "Then I'll sort it out once we're done."

It took four trips between rooms, both their arms full of clothing that seemed heavier every subsequent time, before Meara thought of a very practical idea that might speed up the process.

Barbara later confessed wryly, "I'm glad you thought of using this cart. It took a load off the work, I must say."

"I just figured if I wasn't using it in the ballroom right now, we may as well use it up here."

"The ballroom is starting to look so much nicer, by the way," Barbara informed Meara as she helped fold the last of the brunette's jeans.

"Thanks," Meara replied gratefully, folding up casual tops for the dresser. "I hate seeing a lovely room wasted like that. To think Bruce almost refused me on those efforts…"

"How hard was it, living with four bullheaded guys for almost two weeks?" Barbara asked her ruefully, to which Meara realized only now how little she'd bothered about being only with male company.

"You know, in the moment," Meara replied thoughtfully, "I didn't even think about it. I'm pretty used to living with male company. But now… I guess it was pretty ridiculous and dramatic on occasion."

Laughing at the descriptor, the redhead agreed, "Yeah, that sounds like them."

Shaking her head, Meara laughed as well.

"I just realized we wear about the same size," Barbara remarked out of the blue.

"You're a little bit taller, though," Meara detracted. "I'm five foot six and your old workout clothes were a little baggy on me."

"I'm only a half-inch taller than that, actually," Barbara explained with a wave of her hand. "But they're bound to be baggy on you because I've lost weight. Those were made when I first joined the guys. Bruce made them for me, but I didn't like them much. I'm not a fan of white and black stripes. Reminds me of jail. Granted, stripes aren't actually jail gear anymore, but you know what I mean."

Snorting, Meara just shook her head at the idea. "Good to know."

With Barbara's help, the process of moving clothing into the proper places in the Aerius worked much more quickly and Meara thanked her profusely for speeding up the process.

"Now I have plenty of time to go work in the ballroom during the daytime," the brunette told her companion gladly. "And tonight I can sleep in a soundproofed room without worrying over insomnia."

"I'm glad to help," Barbara responded to the emulsion of thanks. "But I have to wonder… is the ballroom so desperately in need of attention today? I mean, why don't you just take some time and get used to the city?"

"That sounds helpful," Meara hesitated as they strolled back down to the main level.

"You don't sound so sure," the redhead remarked with a small laugh.

"I'm not sure why I think so much about working…" confessed Meara, "Habit, I guess. And… well, I can't make a solo trip at this point in time."

"I was thinking more along the lines of a girls' day out," was Barbara's mutedly excitable suggestion, the redhead tilting her head over to look at Meara with encouragement in her luminous eyes.

"You're really starved for girl company right now, aren't you?" Meara gathered with good humor.

Throwing her gaze off to the side with casual carelessness, Barbara shrugged and tried to reply offhandedly, "That might have a little something to do with it."

Losing her composure with a small snort at the obvious act, Meara decided her course for the day much less stringently than usual. "All right, Miss Gordon… You're on."

"Deal, Miss Nolan," Barbara retorted with a repressed grin, smacking a pair of jeans on the covers with decisive, enthusiastic force.

Rather unsurprisingly, Meara and Barbara ended up spending time at the library first. The redhead was all too enthusiastic to show off her workspace, wherein she acted as assistant to the main librarian.

"I love the smell of books," Barbara sighed pleasantly in the middle of the historical section. "Old paper, fading ink, worn leather… it's comforting."

"I love books, too," Meara allowed a little laugh to escape her in the quiet atmosphere. "Maybe not that much, but that's okay."

Laughing a little as well, Barbara shrugged carelessly and turned to exit the aisle with a smile.

"So, where were you at the last week or so?" Meara wondered inquisitively, following behind the readhead.

"I went with my mom and my brother to visit her family in Ohio," Barbara explained. "Dad was in the middle of a case and couldn't leave, so just the three of us went. Not as much fun as you might think."

"You don't like your relatives?" Meara wondered with a frown.

"They don't really understand me," Barbara explained with a shrug. "I think fast and dream big. I want more than they do. Gotham is my home; to them, it's just a diseased city that can't really be saved. To them, my dad is fighting a useless battle. To me… he's always been my hero."

A warm smile lit Meara's face at the admission, tempered by an unhappily dark emotion she buried deep from her companion's gaze. "I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Neither do I," Barbara half-laughed, a smile adorning her own nostalgic features. "So, what kinds of books do you like, Meara? Well, I hope we have some of the same books and authors between worlds."

"Tolkien and Shakespeare are two of my favorite authors," Meara answered thoughtfully.

"Those we have," Barbara laughed quietly.

"I love Grimm's Fairy Tales, Sleepy Hollow, and Canterbury Tales, too," Meara continued, glad for some similarities. And… well, when I was younger I loved Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. Mostly I like fiction, but I do love reading about art, music, and architecture as well. What about you?"

"I'm big into nonfiction, actually," Barbara admitted with a small laugh. "Sciences, technology, biographies, engineering… Otherwise, I only really like science-fiction – Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Orson Scott Card, Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells… "

"While I know those names, I don't particularly care for their stories," Meara shrugged. "Except for Mary Shelley. Frankenstein was a really great read."

"I totally agree with you," Barbara nodded interestedly. "Matter of fact, I think I'll check that out and read it again."

In the ensuing silence, their feet traveled most of the library, crossing the carpet calmly and patiently while the hour passed by in steady minutes. Conversation failed as they each became in engrossed in perusing books along the way, hazel and blue orbs equally absorbed in mismatched subjects ranging from geography to music to biology to art.

Meara and Barbara left with a stack of books each, contrary to Meara's original expectations when entering the library in the first place. Barbara was persuasive, though, convincing Meara to obtain a library card in short order. For classes, at least, it would be useful.

Giggling at their own overzealousness as they pushed out of the front doors with their shoulders in lieu of free hands, both young women accepted the situation with good humor and moved on to the multitude of bookstores Barbara planned to visit, dropping their books in the Maserati along the way.

The last of their visits stood head and shoulders above the rest of the shops, not only in actual physical stature, but in the quality and quantity of books lining the dark wooden shelves throughout the store. Meara practically goggled through the broad-paned glass windows, making Barbara laugh.

"This is the biggest and brightest bookstore in Gotham," the redhead informed Meara as they passed through the revolving glass doors and into a coffee lounge lining the front wall of the business.

"I guess modern bookstores don't change much," Meara commented with a puff of laughter, lowering her voice to add, "Even between universes."

Snorting, Barbara decline to respond to that remark, leading Meara further into the store. Just as with the library, they both became absorbed within moments, roaming shelf after shelf of tomes to explore. Brand new flimsy paperbacks, leather volumes meant to appear as old as some of those at the library, hardbacks in colorful shining covers, it was all there in the store. Meara needed little nudging to buy more than she really needed at the moment.

"I suppose I'll need most of these anyway, when I start at Wayne Enterprises," Meara wryly remarked upon the architectural and business-themed volumes she purchased.

"Not that Bruce Wayne couldn't buy them for his new protégé," Barbara teased as the headed back to the car.

"Protégé!" a cheerful, overly-energetic voice sounded almost directly beside the two young women, each jumping at the startlingly loud sound. "Bruce Wayne personally took on someone new at the company?"

"You're ears are a little big, don't you think?" Barbara commented with a sharp decline between her brows as they turned to face their interloper.

Dressed well in a sharp red skirt suit, the red-lipped woman behind them stood on the shorter side, even in tall black pumps, but she exuded a bold confidence and fearlessness that made up the difference. Black hair hung in a styled wave and exotic, almond-shaped violet eyes sat hooded by thin, dark eyebrows marshalling a very small point at the top.

"Lois?" Barbara asked incredulously, a tinge of concern in her voiced Meara almost missed in her shock at meeting another infamous member of the Justice League's adventures.

"Barbara, I didn't realize it was you!" Lois Lane laughed with the same assuredness that oozed from her wide, white smile and straight posture, offering a casual handshake. "How are you?"

"I'm doing all right," the redhead responded, accepting and shaking the other woman's hand. "What brings you to Gotham?"

"Oh, just a celebrity farce," the raven-haired woman rolled her eyes widely. "Mayor Keendale attended a New York state water safety campaign in Bludhaven. They're the epicenter for the campaign after their recent water crisis. When the mayor didn't show up for his planned appearance this morning, Perry shipped me over for a scoop. Turns out Keendale spent the time with his mistress here in Gotham. Not that big of a story after what happened with Senator Henley last week, but it's something to keep me going. Unless Bruce's protégé is up for an interview?"

Fast-talking and keen of vision, Lois Lane stunned Meara into speechlessness as the words washed over her and the woman's piercing gaze pinned the brunette to the ground on which she stood.

"Um, well, Meara's not up for—" Barbara tried to explain.

"Meara? That's your name?" Lois cut in instantly, jumping on the clue and training her eyes back on the young woman in question. "What's Bruce hiring you for?"

"It's just Urban Planning," Barbara tried to brush off the position when Meara failed to reply, sending Meara a lifted brow as prompting.

"If Bruce is doing the hiring, it's not 'just' anything," Lois remarked, then drilled again, "Is it an internship?"

"No, nothing special like that," Barbara tried again, her attempts at playing off the new job failing pretty rapidly.

Once again, Lois rammed the door of the conversation, "Then which position is it? An assistant? It couldn't be much more. She's obviously too young to have any more experience than that."

Proving her career choice as reporter took just as much importance as Meara had always read about or watched, Lois already had a pad and pen in hand, jotting down notes at astronomical speed.

"I'm sure you can get all this information from Clark Kent," Barbara finally threw the comment from left field, leaving Meara to stare at her instead of Lois Lane.

Lois' head snapped up at a nauseating pace and her eyes narrowed, pen frozen above the notepad. "Clark knew about this?"

"He did visit the manor two weeks ago," the redhead shrugged, visibly feeling more confident. Meara just felt resigned. Pitting Clark's reporting career against Lois' career was never a good idea.

"Just like him to keep this from me," Lois scowled, then exchanged her anger for cold certainty, "Oh well. He's not going to get the exclusive interview. He clearly didn't get it when he came here, otherwise Bruce Wayne personally hiring a new employee would be all over the front page by now. My victory, his loss."

"I am not doing an interview!" Meara finally freed her tongue from its captivity, aghast at the very idea of slamming her inexplicably close relationship with handsome, single, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne out into the public view. How much harder would her job become if everyone thought she was having an affair with her boss? Meara didn't like to imagine the possibilities.

"Don't be ridiculous," Lois waved her off unconcernedly. "Everyone can accept a leg up and some recognition to move further in life."

"I don't need any of that," Meara immediately retorted, losing her temper already and pulling out the basic black cell phone she carried now. "I'm calling Bruce. He'll explain everything."

"You have him on speed dial?" Lois wondered with slow curiosity, both eyebrows rising with surprise as Meara held the button to call Bruce.

Rolling her eyes as broadly as Lois had moments earlier, Meara ignored the remark and waited out three rings before Bruce picked up.

"What's wrong?" the billionaire's smooth voice had taken on traces of Batman, although not yet reaching the gravel of the cowl.

"Lois Lane. Please talk to her," Meara did not hesitate to respond, rushing her last words to him before Lois practically ripped the phone away from her with an impatient hand.

"Bruce, come on," the reporter snapped into the phone. "It can't hurt the girl to get an interview."

A brief pause stole over the conversation, until Meara heard Bruce's voice pick up again. She couldn't hear his words, but his tone didn't seem overwhelmingly upset, which made the brunette feel marginally better.

"Everyone has troubles, Bruce," Lois snapped again, exhaling irritably.

Another pause, longer than the first, took over the discussion while Bruce spoke again, but this time Lois' eyes narrowed with concern as the talk wound down.

"All right, I can do that," the dark-haired woman eventually agreed cautiously, leaving Meara incredibly curious what she was agreeing to. Rather than answer the inquiring expressions tossed her way, Lois wordlessly turned the phone back to Meara.

"Bruce?" the young woman questioned, voice repressed with doubt.

"Come back to the manor with Lois," Bruce informed her without his usual mysticism. "We have to tell her."

"Are you sure?" Meara wondered, biting her lip doubtfully.

"If we don't, I know exactly how that article is going to be run," Bruce sighed heavily. "I can do the talking. You don't have to worry about it."

"Fine," Meara sighed as well, ending the call with further resignation.

Ringing startled the three women before they could discuss their new plans, Barbara digging out her phone in a hurry to look at the screen.

"I have to take this," the redhead informed them apologetically, answering rapidly, "This is Barbara."

In a matter of seconds, Barbara's face turned grim. "I'll be there. Thank you."

"Dad's in the hospital with a concussion," Barbara exhaled nervously as she put her phone away. "Car chase went wrong. Mom's at the hospital now."

"Do they think he's going to be okay?" Meara asked, brows dipping low on her forehead.

"It's the waiting stage right now," Barbara answered, eyes drawn tight. "I'm sorry, I need to go."

"No, don't apologize," Lois assured the younger woman, "We can find our way to the manor just fine."

"We'll drop you off," Meara insisted firmly. "I can take your books to the manor, if you want."

"That would be wonderful," Barbara smiled in spite of her worry. "Thank you."

"Let's go," Lois nodded for them to leave.

After dropping Barbara at the hospital entrance, eerily similar to the one in The Dark Knight Rises, Lois gave Meara surprisingly patient instructions to get back to the manor. Lois Lane knew her way around Gotham pretty well for a Metropolis resident. Driving up to the Wayne home, Meara questioned just how long Bruce had dated the reporter once upon a time.

Alfred opened the door with a congenial smile at their guest, easily taking both ladies' coats as they stepped inside.

"Welcome back to Gotham, Miss Lane," the butler greeted, offering Meara an encouraging nod.

"Thank you, Alfred," Lois smiled gladly at the older man, keeping her bag, notepad, and pen in hand.

"Lois," Bruce called, his steps drawing both women to look over at him as he crossed the floor in black slacks and a light blue dress shirt. From the wry expression drawing in his features, the billionaire expected a bit of a challenge in facing off with the intrepid reporter.

"Bruce," Lois met his wry nature with long-suffering expectation, arms crossed and one foot jutted to the side.

"Come into the lounge," the vigilante knocked his head towards the room he came from. "We'll talk."

With a pot of tea and a pot of coffee now hot and ready on the coffee table, Lois eased into the sofa casually and much more comfortably than Meara ever expected, sipping on a cup of coffee. The woman seemed to have no doubts about her intentions or her ability to make them a reality.

"All right, Bruce, time to start talking," Lois began the conversation with brute force.

"Meara isn't from our world," Bruce cut straight to the chase, leaving Lois blinking a moment. Meara had to wonder just how few times her host had been so bald-faced in his explanations. "She came from an alternate version of Earth where you and I are merely characters from the pages of a book. Aliens, metahumans, cyborgs, and demigods don't exist there. Our lives – or enough details to cause trouble, at least – are put out for public consumption in comics, films, television, and other sources. I don't think I need to explain to you how dangerous it would be if that information or Meara's true origins came to light."

Lois remained silent for a long while contemplating Bruce's direct answer, perfectly manicured red nails tapping on her notepad with intense concentration. As Meara grew ever more impatient and discomfited by the tap-tap-tap of the reporter's fingertips, Bruce simply sat back in the same patience he always garnered when waiting out a problem he knew the solution to.

With her usual shoot-from-the-hip method of persuasion, Lois recovered at last from her thoughts and set forward into Meara's new normal with a punch of brazen certainty Meara wished she could harness for herself.

"All right, here's my proposition," Lois offered, lips pursed in thoughtful focus. Meara felt equal parts disbelief and lack of surprise that the relentless woman still wanted an interview. "You give me your story. Your… version of events, so to speak. We meet somewhere public and obvious for an interview, but kept away from the public gaze. Standard procedure interviews for me end up in restaurants these days. People tend to feel better divulging on a full stomach for some reason. Regardless, you meet me as an up-and-coming designer waiting to spread her wings in the urban planning field. When I heard about Bruce Wayne suggesting his… what are you calling her, anyway?"

Those sharp violet eyes caught onto Bruce, who calmly replied, "Renovator."

"Renovator, right," Lois rolled her eyes slightly at the very uninteresting term. "When I heard my old friend Bruce Wayne was hiring his… inspirational… renovator for the beginnings of her urban career, I just had to tell the world about her humble beginnings and her chance meeting with the man who has helped so many people on the same revolutionary road to success… Blah, blah, blah. We'll figure out the rest at the restaurant."

Having been so drawn in by the poetic words, even leaning forward unconsciously in her engrossment, Meara snapped back to reality by the startlingly anticlimactic ending.

"We're… actually doing this?" Meara heard herself speaking without understanding her own voice. Her stormy eyes traveled to Bruce's unsurprised icy orbs with shock. "Really, Bruce? You can't tell me there isn't a hoard of things wrong with this scenario."

Bruce sighed in his chest, burdened by hard choices Meara had not yet realized she would be involved in. Even still, the reality of her new life, new world – her new universe, for God's sake – hadn't settled in fully for Meara. This whole situation had begun to move far beyond merely starting an assistant job and settling into the city.

"The more we put out there, the less curiosity you'll be subjected to on a more… personal level," was all Bruce appeared to be willing to say.

"What he means," Lois added blatantly, crossing one leg over the other as she leaned forward in interest, "is the more details we give about your personal life, the less likely people will think you're sleeping with your billionaire boss in return for a promising career."

"If it gets out there that Bruce personally hired me," Meara cut in as if talking to a very slow first-grader, "the gossip is going to lead right back to me being an easy A."

"People are a lot more gullible than you think," Lois waved the concerns away like a fly. "If we can lend enough drama and tragedy to your origins, people will be too sympathetic to feel as much suspicion about your relationship to your handsome employer. They'll just see him as the beneficent benefactor."

Bruce smirked at the backhanded compliment, something Lois neatly ignored in favor of her story-of-the-week.

Observing the clear acceptance and agreement of her host paired with the boundless persistence of her interviewer, Meara could see no way out. "I still don't like the idea. You know that, right?"

"When is a good time to come to Metropolis?" Lois asked as though Meara had not even spoken.

"Why Metropolis?" Meara questioned, thankfully at least gaining an answer this time.

"Less likely to draw attention to you," Lois told her simply. "People there won't have seen you yet or learned anything about you."

"If Meara has to start work, she'll be working before lunchtime," Bruce offered.

"My classes are all after lunch Wednesday through Friday," Meara added resignedly. "The latest ends at four-thirty."

"Well, it doesn't do much good if you haven't even started work yet," Lois frowned, returning to tapping her notepad in thought. "I need to get your impression of being on the job. You'll have to let me know when you start working. Then I'll figure out a place to meet for the interview."

A phone began to ring shrilly and incessantly, prompting Lois the rip the device out of her bag and frown at the display.

"Kent," Lois answered sharply, inciting Meara to prevent laughter by biting the inside of her cheek. Bruce offered the young woman an eye roll for the gesture. "What do you want?"

"Oh, you wanted to make sure I got my big story of the week?" Lois suddenly spoke sweetly, forcing instant suspicion in Meara. "Well, I guess you should have thought of that when you met Bruce Wayne's latest hire two weeks ago!"

The abrupt about-face in tone nearly undid Meara's composure, Bruce's humorous smirk only adding fuel to the fire.

"Yes, I'm in Gotham still," The reporter went on in answer to an unheard question. "Yes, I'm with her and Bruce Wayne right now."

Accompanying the words was a roll of the eyes that rivaled all that had come before it, Lois appearing to be standing on her last leg of patience with her fellow reporter.

"You really want to go down the alley of ex-boyfriends?" Lois retorted as a final send-off. "I can do my job perfectly well without reverting to type, thank you, Clark."

Bruce sighed agitatedly at the blue boy scout's audacity in even bringing up the former relationship between billionaire and reporter, but Meara couldn't help trembling with silent laughter at the obvious worry on Clark's side. Lois eyed the young woman with fearsome eyes that did nothing to dampen Meara's amusement.

"You're right," Lois finally ended the call, "It isn't any of your business."

If the phone had been an old style landline, Meara could only have imagined the brute force with which Lois Lane would have slammed the receiver back down onto the cradle. All the same, the black-haired woman put her cell phone away in her black bag rather violently, taking a deep breath to cool off – however minutely.

"Let me know when you start work," Lois practically commanded, chin tipping up with her selfsame assuredness returned in spades. "At that point, I'll determine the specifics of your interview."

"We'll contact you," Bruce promised in Meara's stead. The brunette remained locked in a valiant effort not to laugh out loud at Superman's worry that Bruce would steal some future chance with Lois away from him.

"Something wrong, Meara?" Lois questioned with the same false sweetness, irritation in her gaze.

Letting go at last, Meara allowed her laughter to shoot forth in a breathy gasp of humor. "Sorry. Oh my Lord, I am so sorry. But Clark worried about you and Bruce getting back together is hilarious!"

Giving in to the funny bone her soon-to-be interviewee couldn't repress, Lois concluded in acquiescence, "We're not even dating, but he still gets worried sometimes when I see Bruce for any reason."

"Oh, and even when that's never going to be a possibility," Meara added with a shake of her head, still smiling.

"Yes, the um… other side of the coin just didn't work for me," Lois confessed, eyes directed with mild apology towards an undisturbed Bruce.

The vigilante only shrugged in reply, "I understood your reasons."

"And, of course, Clark doesn't realize the opposite applies to—" Meara began, but stopped abruptly as she realized just what she was about to reveal. Just because Lois knew about Bruce didn't mean she knew about Clark…

"Oh, don't make me laugh, hon," Lois erupted into a short burst of laughter along with Bruce's chuckle, calming enough to add dryly, "I know who Clark really is."

Relaxing infinitesimally in the wake of that information, Meara leaned back more comfortably in her seat. Laughing again, Lois stood with Bruce and reached out an arm to him. Although the blue-eyed businessman exuded a long-suffering air, he did allow the reporter he once dated to bestow on him a one-armed hug with bruising force. In return, the billionaire dropped a brief kiss onto Lois' cheek.

"If only Clark were outside with those x-ray peepers," Lois teased, a catlike grin espousing her wicked violet gaze.

Bruce snorted at the same time Meara laughed delightedly. In a matter of minutes, Lois Lane had gone from one of Meara Nolan's most annoying acquaintances to a source of excitable good cheer she hoped to meet again.

"Thanks for finally giving in," Lois winked at the younger woman jokingly.

Rolling her eyes for umpteenth time that day, Meara just shook her head, "Whatever you say, General Lane."

"Ugh, please don't call me that," Lois made a disgusted twist of her features. "There is no reality out in the great wide universe where I would want to be my father. Being his daughter is enough of a disaster, thank you very much."

"So I guess he does hate aliens and metahumans?" Meara presumed disappointedly.

"To the letter," Lois sighed, but perked up again. "Enough about Sam Lane. I have a great interview coming soon, a mildly important article to write up, and I just told Clark off – again. It's a pretty good day. I better get going now. Perry won't be happy if I don't get this story in before the morning edition."

"Thanks for taking enough time to listen," Meara offered reasonably.

"You're welcome," Lois responded with a little smile, letting Bruce walk her back out to the foyer.

Meara's soon-to-come interview was one of the most important topics of discussion at dinner that night, topped only by Dick and Tim's amusement over Clark's jealousy, and Jim Gordon waking from a mild concussion. Barbara's phone call interrupted Bruce preparing to discuss Meara's travel plans to Metropolis whenever her interview occurred.

"Keep us updated," Bruce informed Barbara at the end of their conversation, putting the phone back in his pocket.

"I always liked him," Meara commented. "I'm glad he's okay."

"A lot of people like Jim Gordon," Dick added, nodding his understanding. "He's a good guy."

"That he is," Bruce concurred simply. "Now, Meara, depending on when your interview is, I may not be able to go with you. It may even be better that way. Best not to pander to the social gossip machine any more than we already will."

"I could probably go," Dick suggested. "My classes are all earlier than Meara's, so I'll be done by the time she's ready to leave for Metropolis."

"That will work," Bruce nodded in agreement. "You'll be home in time to get some sleep before any of your early classes, as well. Lois isn't going to dawdle around with this."

"I'll have traveled more in a month than I have my whole life," Meara wondered at her new world for the thousandth time. "I can't believe I get to see Metropolis."

"It's a glistening city," Bruce told her. "But you need to be careful. Superman has as many enemies waiting to pounce in Metropolis as Batman does in Gotham."

"Do you always refer to yourself in the third person?" Meara couldn't help asking with a disbelieving air.

Merely staring at her for the remark while Dick and Time laughed over their plates, Bruce eventually just turned back to his meal with a shake of his head. Resigned to not having an answer, Meara shrugged and sighed as she returned focus to her own dinner.

Rising with the sun that easy Sunday morning, Meara felt relaxed as she had not felt for days. Years, if she were honest with herself. Luxuriating in the feeling occupied far more time than the brunette imagined it would. Even so, she wished the feeling could last all day. Nevertheless, she rose with a sense of importance she didn't quite understand. Shrugging it off, the young woman rose and readied herself for the day at last, casual in blue jeans, a red striped top, and white running shoes.

Barbara remained at her dad's side in the hospital, so Meara wouldn't be able to talk with her as they had the previous day. Jim was going to be just fine, but the redhead wasn't about to leave unless she absolutely had to. Meara supposed she would spend her time in the ballroom.

Heading down to what she realized was a rather late breakfast, Meara scolded herself for getting caught up in the sunrise so easily. When she began work at Wayne Enterprises, that would be completely unacceptable to indulge.

"Good morning, Miss Meara," Alfred greeted her as she sat down to the right of Bruce. Dick was absent, but Tim sat on his father's left.

"Good morning," Meara offered in return, smiling at all three males in the room. "Where's Dick gone to?"

"He's with Barbara," Bruce answered distractedly, looking over papers of some kind while his breakfast sat getting cold.

"Moral support, he said," Alfred remarked, winking at Meara conspiratorially. Tim rolled his eyes, bringing a snort of laughter from the young woman.

The meal passed with little other conversation, leaving Meara more energetic than she needed. Tim looked exhausted and Bruce remained absorbed in his paperwork. Alfred returned to the kitchen to do the dishes once they had all 'eaten their fill' – which essentially stood as code for Bruce's half-empty plate. No one seemed surprised, least of all Alfred.

"I'm going to swim," Tim informed them, still tired and dragging his feet as he rose and moved to the doorway.

"Be careful," Meara found herself saying, bringing Tim's surprised gaze around to her. Shrugging awkwardly, the brunette only said, "You seem overly tired."

"Okay," was Tim's easy reply, a little smile passing over his face.

Once the teen Robin's footsteps faded from hearing, Bruce's attention on his paperwork instantly ceased. Startled, Meara blinked emptily until the billionaire sighed.

"Christina Fenwick went into labor last night," Bruce explained without any superficial chit-chat. "She gave birth to a healthy baby girl this morning."

Meara could have sworn she misheard Bruce's words; she was certain she didn't have to start her job so soon. The job she wasn't nearly ready for, the interview that came along lock, stock, and barrel with the new career. She hadn't even started Bruce's reading material on Wayne Enterprises…

But Bruce wasn't smirking – this was no joke.

"When?" was Meara's simple question, leaving Bruce to sigh again far more deeply.

"As much as I would like to give you more time," the billionaire began apologetically, "The board would start to wonder what I was doing if I waited weeks for a specific person who had no formal prior training in the position. We need the job filled as soon as possible."

"How soon is soon?" Meara repeated her basic question.

"This week," Bruce explained, straight to the point.

If she hadn't been sitting in chair already, Meara might very well have landed on the floor for her shock.

"I know it's close, I know it's not going to be easy," Bruce asserted understandingly, leaning forward as he assured her, "but you can do this. You have the booklet to look through and you have all of us as resources, even Lucius. Besides, believe me, if you can handle Lois Lane hell-bent on an interview, you can handle pretty much anything that comes your way."

Burdened by stress before she even started the work she agreed to so many days before, Meara couldn't laugh at the subtle joke.

"I hope you're right," she responded quietly to her host, slumping into the chair disheartened. The sense of importance she had risen with now made all too much sense.

Meara just wished it didn't.

"I'll call Lois," Bruce informed the young woman, exhaling wearily at the situation and pulling out his cell phone.

Given her promised interview, the bold reporter didn't appear to waste any time answering the phone call. Her loud, excited voice came across even to Meara's ears beside Bruce.

"When does she start the job?"

Rolling his ice blue eyes at the woman's overly enthusiastic response, Bruce told her the simple details, "She starts shadowing this week."

"Great! I'll plan for Wednesday, then." The amount of cheer in the woman's voice should be illegal, Meara decided.

Bruce looked to Meara for approval, but the young woman merely shrugged. Everything would happen at once, whether she wanted it to or not.

Concerned by the careless gesture, Bruce nevertheless answered Lois, "That will be fine. Meara's class ends as three-thirty. Plan for dinner."

"Got it! Thanks!" Lois hung up without any form of farewell, leaving Bruce rolling his eyes for the tenth time since being approached about the interview in the first place.

"I suppose I need to call Lucius now," Bruce spoke again, searching for the number while Meara continued to sit in melancholy. "Why don't you go sit poolside? Tim would appreciate the company and it might calm you."

"Sure," Meara responded blankly, not entirely certain why that would help, but willing to try anything to ease her nerves now that they had been shoved into overdrive.

As Meara left the dining room, she could feel those sharp blue eyes riveted to her back even when Bruce greeted his Chairman.

"Lucius. Christina had the baby."

Before Meara passed out of earshot on her way down the hall, she just barely heard as Bruce quietly finished his explanation.

"Meara's starting on Tuesday."

Notes:

I decided to retcon Meara's height. Originally, in Chapter 1, I had her standing at five feet, four inches. She is now five feet, six inches tall. Seems like I write a lot of really short people, so I decided to make a change.

Much of the bat cave's design is totally from my own head, minus those few parts taken from the animated series, Justice League, and The Dark Knight trilogy.

DC Comics had a superhero named Enigma. However, the “mysterious entity known only as 'Enigma’…” (from my summary) is NOT related in any way to the 8-issue Vertigo/DC Miniseries of the same name.

Chapter 16 coming soon!

All Justice League stores can be found at the page Justice League on my blog.

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