"Oh how good at martial arts can you be?" Max asked her. Max, Emily, Terry, and Dana were studying in Dana's room. Max and Emily were sitting on the floor and the other two were laid on the bed with their heads at the foot of it.
"You know how good I am at math?" Emily responded.
"Yes," Max asked wondering if she could be that good of a fighter.
"Well I'm even better at martial arts."
"You can't be!"
"No way!"
"Oh I am. I can prove it."
"How, are you going to fight Terry?"
"Oh I wouldn't waste my time. To SHOW my skill I'd have to fight someone who's at least of expert status, not an amateur."
"I'm not an amateur."
"Indeed you are McGinnis. You have the spirit and the strength and the speed, but you lack discipline."
"I'm beginning to hate this discipline that I don't have," Terry muttered.
"So how can you prove it?"
"Simple. Dana, where's your computer?" Emily asked.
"Right over here," Dana said as she stood up and ushered the three to it. Max sat down in the chair and Emily leaned against the back of it, facing away from the computer at Terry.
"Cross reference World Martial Arts Championship, and Emily Grayson," Emily told her and Max started typing. The computer made some beeps and then a roll of text and pictures appeared on the screen. Max read it aloud.
"In 2045 the WMAC was held in Akita, Japan. The greatest martial artists worldwide attended and competed. Competitors ranged from ages 13 to 54. The over all victor was 13-year-old Emily Grayson, daughter of billionaire Richard Grayson. Grayson defeated 5 time champion Hino Seiya to take the title which she will carry for the next four years in till the next WMAC," Max read. The other three were silent and Emily smiled pleased with herself.
"You're the World Martial Arts Champion!" Dana yelled in shock.
"Yup, I'm the best fighter in the world. I do wish they hadn't mentioned my father though."
"How can you be that good?" Terry asked her.
"Discipline," she replied smiling. Terry huffed angrily.

"You don't have to come with me," Terry told Emily. The two were walking into the dojo where Terry took his lessons.
"I know, it'd be fun to see Middy again," Emily said smiling.
"Why do you call her Middy?"
"I could never say her name when I was little, so I called her Middy."
"How little?"
"Real little," she replied as the elder woman walked over to them. She and Emily exchanged hugs.
"You, go change. You come with me Emily-sama," she said as Terry went to change and Emily started walking with her.
"This place hasn't changed since I was here last, Middy-sama."
"The faces have, the fish sure have."
"Oh what ever became of Akita?"
"You still remember that fish? He died long time ago, hara-kiri."
"Oh I doubt that, Akita was a wimpy fish."
"Wimpy, but honorable."
"Friendly too."
"Why you come here, Emily-sama?"
“Who’s fighting for the Hino family this year?”
“His daughter is fighting.”
“Miaka? Oh boy. We haven’t exactly gotten along in the past.”
“She blame you for father death?”
“Yup. Middy-sama, should I fight this year?”
“Depends.”
"On what?"
"Whether or not you feel like kicking butt!"

"It was good to see Middy again," Emily said as she and Terry walked through the city. Terry looked at her not amused and shifted the backpack on his shoulder.
"I still don't know how she survived that crash," he said. Emily glanced at him with eyebrows raised. She smirked slightly, Terry noticed.
"What?" he asked.
"Uh yea see, Middy isn’t who you think she is."
"What do you mean?"
"The person you're thinking of did die in the crash, that was Maddy."
"You mean, twins?"
"Nope, triplets. Meddy is still in Japan. They each ran a dojo in different parts of the world. Middy came to take over the Gotham branch."
"Geez you couldn't say any of their names could you?"
"Nope."
"Why didn't, uh, Meddy take over the Gotham branch?"
"Well, because Middy's wasn't do as well," Emily said and laughed slightly.
"Where was her's?"
"Sweden. She got a few students. One of them was an orphan she took in. He was in the last WMAC, he was only 15 then, I had to fight him."
"You win?"
"I became champion didn't I? He came with her to Gotham."
"Was he in the dojo today?"
"Yea, you probably saw him. Short, blonde hair, he has a kanji written on the back of his tunic."
"Oh yea, I waved to him, he was looking right at me and he didn't wave back," Terry said. Emily stopped walking and Terry continued for a bit before noticing. He stopped too and turned around.
"What?" he asked. Emily rubbed her lips with finger trying to hide a smile, but Terry saw it.
"What?" he asked again. Emily began to laugh slightly and Terry walked toward her.
"What!" he repeated getting a little anxious.
"McGinnis!" Emily started, "McGinnis Niklas is blind!"
"You're kidding..."
"No! His parents died in a fire when he was little, the flame's light burned his retina, blinded him."
"And he was in the WMAC?"
"Yup, did pretty well too," Emily told him.
"Really?"
"Yes, though I paled in comparison to this raving beauty," a voice from behind Terry said. Terry turned around and saw a blonde boy walking around the corner. His hair fell to his ears and around the top rims of his dark blue sunglasses. He wore a white sleeveless turtleneck jacket with blue trim that fell to his shins and white pants with dark shoes.
"Or so I've been told," he said with a strong Swedish accent smiling and walking over to them. Emily's smiled widened.
"McGinnis, Niklas Ingemar. Niklas, McGinnis," Emily introduced.
"Hiya," Terry said and extended his hand toward him. Niklas laughed slightly.
"He put his hand out didn't he?" he asked.
"Sure did Niklas," Emily answered. Terry put his hand down in embarrassment.
"Don't worry McGinnis, it's commonly done," Niklas told him.
"So are you following us or something?" Emily asked walking up next to Terry.
"Or something. I wanted to talk to you, I heard about Zander," he said and rubbed the back of his neck. Emily looked at the ground sadly. Terry looked at her with his eyes wide.
"Does he mean Kobra, Zander?" Terry asked urgently. Emily nodded.
"The very same. There are four of us, we used to get together a couple times a year," Niklas told him.
"Four?"
"Yes. Niklas, Zander, Aisha and I used to spar at times."
"Aisha?"
"A girl from Kenya."
"We were a culture clash, the four of us. From four different continents, Europe, North America, Africa, and South America," Niklas added.
"Zander was South American?"
"Yes he was born and raised in Brazil."
"I was wondering how a cult formed around snakes developed in Gotham."
"Stranger things have happened," Emily said, her high spirits dwindled. Terry nodded.
"They certainly have," Terry replied. Ever since Emily and Bruce told him about Emily's "special skills" Terry remembered that things could always get stranger. Though it would be tough to beat Emily being only half-human.
"Hey, I have a big test to study for-" Emily started.
"You? Study? You've never forgotten a thing in your life," Niklas told her.
"That's not true, I'm beginning to forget what kind of person Zander was," she said and walked up to Niklas. She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, "good to see you again Niklas," she said and walked away from them.
"Ditto," Niklas said a little worried.

Terry and Niklas walked through a park in Gotham. The sun was setting and the city lights were coming on. The two were alone and walking with their thought.
"What's it like being blind?" Terry finally asked. Niklas smiled.
"What's it like being able to see?" he asked. Terry thought about how to answer.
"Exactly," Niklas told him, "it's impossible to explain what sight is like and it's impossible to explain what blindness is like. It's just normal."
"Do you ever wish you could see?"
"At times. I'd like to see Emily, just once. Tell me, is she as pretty as everyone says she is?"
"How pretty do they say she is?"
"If she was walking down a crowded hallway, everyone would stop and fall silent and just stare at her," he answered. Terry laughed.
"I've actually seen that happen!"
"Really?"
"Yea! Geez it was creepy!"
"Heh, you know Emily has a very powerful presence. Even I can tell when she enters a room; I can feel her. Plus I can smell her."
"Smell her?"
"Oh yes, she smells like, uh, dawn."
"Dawn!"
"Yes. Dawn is a very beautiful smell. Flowers opening, everything cleansed by dew. Very peaceful."
"How can something smell peaceful?"
"When you're blind and a martial arts expert all of your senses blend together."
"I guess they would. Hmm. What do you think the sky looks like now?"
"That's an odd question. Well, behind us is all dark blue with specs of white, and as the sky stretches out in front of us, there're rows of purple, red, orange, then yellow just reaching the horizon. It looks like sun has kissed the night and made it blush," Niklas answered. Terry was silent.
"You are impressed?"
"Uh, yea. You described it so beautifully, and, really accurately!"
"I take no credit. They're not my words."
"Then whose are they?"
"Emily's."
"You're kidding!"
"Indeed not. Emily is one of the most astounding people I've ever met. She's been confident and brave since I've meet her."
"Now that I think about it, she isn't like most people."
"Certainly not! No one else in the word is the world martial arts champion."
"Yet."
"Yet, I hope she will compete again. Has she been training lately?"
"You could say that."
"McGinnis, today when we met, did she look as sad as she sounded?"
"I think so. She's not usually the happiest person around, but she looked downer then usual."
"I was afraid of this."
"Were her and Zander, uh, close?"
"In the most important sense of the word. After Emily's mother died, I mean RIGHT after, we're talking police come, Emily explained what happened then took off! She ran three miles to Zander's house. Climbed up into his room. They've been best friends ever since."
"I didn't think Zander had any friends."
"He did, he just wouldn't admit it. Heh, that's Zander for you."
"Did she, did Emily know who he was?"
"Yea, we all knew. He was a prince; it was cool. We knew the plans, planet of the reptiles sounds great to a nine year-old."
"Yea I guess it would," Terry said thinking about how Matt would react. Niklas stopped suddenly and put an arm out so Terry stopped too.
"What?"
"Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"That!"
"I don't hear anything."
"Then quit talking!" Niklas scolded and the two were silent for a while.
"I still don't hear anything," Terry answered.
"Then you obviously aren't listening well enough. Close your eyes, slow your breathing, concentrate, and listen," Niklas demanded, and Terry did so. Terry opened his mouth and felt his breath enter and exit it through his lips. He heard the wind swim through the trees and every single leaf and strand of his hair. He felt the chill of it against his face and smelled the crispness that it held. He could feel the beating of his heart in his fingertips and felt like the world had paused.
"Now," Niklas said slowly, "open your eyes and tell me what you see." Terry opened his eyes and saw a girl standing about twenty feet in front of him. She had thick white hair tied behind her and fiery brown eyes. She had a black oriental sleeveless shirt with silver trim and a silver sash. On her arms from elbow to fingers she had silver plates and matching shin high boots. She wore dark purple shorts that went to her knees. The gusts of wind blew her hair and the sash tied around her waist. Terry gasped as his mind wondered who the Asian woman was.
"You see her?" Niklas asked softly. Terry nodded.
"Yes," he replied remembering his friend was blind.
"She's trained in martial arts, I can tell."
"Who is she?"
"There's only so much you can tell about a person by their footsteps."
"But you can tell everything by their voice," the girl said with a strong Japanese accent.
"Hino Miaka, let me guess, you're here for revenge," Niklas said.
“Pretty good for a blind man.”
“Miaka, we all know you’re more handicapped then I have ever been.”
“Ouch, I’m hurt.”
“If you do anything to Emily, Batman and Batgirl will stop you.”
“The Bats? I don’t think so,” she said looking straight at Terry’s eyes. His eyes widened in surprise.
“Have I surprised you Terry McGinnis?”
“I’m just surprised you think you’re that strong.”
“I’ve been here for awhile, watched them find some dumb Jokerz. I know all of their moves.”
“You can’t know them all.”
“I’ve been around martial arts all my life, I need to see a person fight once to know all of their moves.”
“Wait, your name is Terry?” Niklas asked.
“Yea.”
“Shway. Miaka, if you’re after Emily, what are you doing here?”

Emily walked down into the batcave slowly. Every step she made echoed throughout the walls of the large cave. When she reached the bottom of the stairs Ace trotted over to her and she patted his head. She walked over to Bruce who was sitting in the chair facing the batcomputer.
“She’s here, you know,” he said as Emily walked up beside him.
“Has been. I asked Oracle.”
“How is Cassie?”
“A little bored.”
“That’s probably a good thing.”
“She said Miaka came to Gotham last week.”
“What do you suppose she’s been doing?”
“Watching, of course.”
“So she knows then,” Bruce said right as a light began to flash on the batcomputer. Bruce pressed a button right under it.
“Bruce! Bruce! It’s Terry! Some Asian girl gassed Niklas and I! I just woke up and both of them are gone!” Terry’s voice yelled.
“I’m in the batmobile and racing to the batcave!”
“Terry don’t, I’m patching to you the frequency for a transmitter on Niklas, follow that.”
“Roger.”
“Revenge is so predictable,” Bruce said turning around in the chair. Emily was gone.

Batgirl raced through Gotham’s streets on a black and blue motorcycle. Her mind traveled off of the road and into her past. She was 13 again. She had just won the Worlds Martial Arts Champion against Hino Seiya. She was in the hospital, just getting stitches from where Hino’s nails had cut into her shoulder. She was zippering up her coat as she walked down the hall as she bumped into a young Asian girl a few years older then her.
“>Sorry Miaka<” she said in Japanese.
“What are you doing here?” Miaka asked her coldly in English.
“Your father gave me a wound, I was getting it sewed up.”
“My father gave YOU a wound?! Because of you my father tried to shoot himself! Because of ME the shot wasn’t fatal!”
“My God, I’m so sorry! Well he be alright?”
“He will never be “alright” because he was unfairly beaten by a spoiled little rich girl!”
“Now come of Miaka, it was a fair fight,” Emily said trying to calm Miaka down. Miaka just spit in Emily’s face. Emily yelled in surprise and tried to find a tissue in her jacket. She opened one eye and looked at Miaka.
“I will GET you Emily Grayson, you shall feel the pain my father has felt!” Miaka yelled and ran off. An orderly asked if Emily needed help, she declined. She wiped her face as she watched Miaka storm off. It was the beginning to a beautiful friendship; it got even better after Hino Seiya died. Emily narrowed her eyes and sped up her motorcycle.

Batgirl flew from her motorcycle and slammed hard onto the woodland ground. She heard her motorcycle crash into a thick tree and get totally destroyed. She groaned and stood up, afraid to look at her motorcycle. As she had slid ten feet along the around face of her mask had been scrapped off and she had a brush of dirt on her face but no blood.
“Get rid of the mask Emily, it’s you I want to fight, not some false persona,” Miaka said regaining her balance after knocking Batgirl from her bike. The rest of Batgirl’s mask disappeared and Emily stared at Miaka.
“Where’s Niklas?” Emily demanded.
“Come and gone, Batman the junior picked him up.”
“Then it’s just you and me?”
“As it should be,” Miaka said and flipped over Emily in one quick leap. She wrapped a lasso around Emily’s neck and pulled her to the ground. Emily moaned as the lasso tightened.
“You ruined my father!” Miaka yelled. Emily turned the glove on her hand into claws and cut the rope. She got to her feet and in one quick movement kicked Miaka, sending her flying through the air. Miaka hit the ground hard and leapt at Emily. Emily flipped backward and kicked Miaka in mid air. Miaka landed on the ground and charged at Emily. She hit her full force in her abdomen and rammed her into a tree. Emily bit her lip as she hit the tree and could taste blood in her mouth.
“You ruined my life!” Miaka yelled to her face and punched her hard in the stomach. Emily coughed and felt blood trickle down her chin. She regained herself and upper cut Miaka who yelled as she hit the ground.
“Your father destroyed his own life,” Emily said looming over Miaka. Miaka tripped Emily but Emily flipped forward and pinned Miaka at the shoulders.
“And you destroyed my motorcycle!” Emily told her angrily. Miaka kicked Emily back and Emily went rolling over her head. Miaka clamed her legs around Emily’s neck.
“I shall have your life as compensation for my family’s pain,” Miaka told her and she tightened her hold on Emily’s throat. Emily groaned in pain.
“Ya know it’s funny,” Emily said and coughed, “you have all of this grief for your father, but I’ve never heard a word of your mother. Is she even alive?”
“No, I killed her!” Miaka yelled and strengthened her grip even more. Emily yelled and turned the fingertips on her gloves into claws and stabbed them into one of Miaka’s legs. Miaka yelled and retracted. Emily got to her feet and did a roundhouse kick to Miaka’s face. She went to do another one but Miaka held her arm up and blocked it.
“No bat tricks Grayson, I wanna fight YOU,” Miaka told her.
“You sure about that? I’ve got moves you’ve never seen,” Emily warned her and took her foot down.
“I can beat what ever you have to throw at me. I know every moves any human can make.”
“I know,” Emily said and her Batgirl costume turned quickly into a brand new costume. Miaka’s eyes widened in shock.
“But you’ve never had to deal with a Lunar before,” Emily said and raised a hand. Miaka cried out as she began to fly up into the air, unable to move several feet above the ground. Emily used her other hand and pressed a button on her cowl.
“GCPD? This is Batgirl, I have a person her for you to pick up,” Emily said and lowed her hand.
“What will they arrest me for?” Miaka said looking down at the ground nervously.
“Kidnapping, assault, destruction of property. Shame ‘sore loser’ isn’t a lawful offense, then you’d be out of my hair for good.”
“I will get you.”
“You’ve been saying that for the past four years, I get it! Oh, here comes your ride.”

“I wish you had talked it over with me before you took on a new persona,” Bruce said. Emily in her new costume sat on a stool bandaging various scraps and cuts; Bruce sat in a chair watching her, Ace at his side.
“Why? I didn’t tell you when I became Batgirl. Besides, I shouldn’t be living in the shadows of mine, well, your, past. I might me to make a difference, not the symbol. Plus I don’t think I should be wearing that in the first place.”
“Why not?”
“You see, the thing about the bats, is that they’re human. Doing all of that stuff having no powers or gifts to depend on. I’m NOT human, at least not completely. So I’ll start from scratch.”
“What will you call this new persona?”
“I was thinking maybe about ‘Blaze’.”
“But you only have one fire related power.”
“And you only had little pointed ears. Blaze doesn’t just mean fire; it means like a steady light, a brilliant, striking display, or a sudden outburst of activity or emotion. Then there’s the markings of a trail.”
“Point taken. I still prefer my theory.”
“And what’s that?” Emily asked turning into her civilian clothes.
“You’re your father’s daughter.”
“Want to know what you are Bruce? I’ll give you three hints; a, blank greatest detective, b, world’s blank detective, and c, world’s greatest blank.”
“That was mildly assuming the FIRST time you did it, but now it’s just annoying.”
“Well you are, you’ve even had two of the world’s worst enemies, well, technically one, but you know what I mean.”
“Terry told you about that?”
“Yea, man I would have loved to have seen you young.”
“Younger.”
“Whatever. Speaking of which, where is Bat Junior?”
“Showing Niklas around the cave, he figured it out when Miaka attacked them.”
“Great,” Emily said sliding off the stool, “the blind being escorted by the dumb,” she finished walking off to find them.

“And, uh, in the corner there’s a tank, uh, glass, nothing in it,” Batman tried to explain to Niklas. Niklas smiled.
“That’s enough Terry, I relieve you from having to show me around. Just make sure I don’t fall off the edge and you’re free.”
“Heh, thanks.”
“No problem. Hey Emily.”
“Your ears are as good as ever,” Blaze said walking up behind them.
“Wow, you gotta have good ears to hear HER,” Batman said turning around to look at her. His eyes widened as he looked up and down her new costume.
“Oh yea, I’m Blaze now,” she said doing a little runway turn.
“Wow, I lost my sidekick.”
“Call me that again, you die.”
“Wear that costume in front your dad and you die.”
“Look at me that way in front of my dad and you die.”
“Touché.”