Barbara Gordon left the college dorm and hurried down the sidewalk to the street. Her college uniform consisted of a knee length skirt of black and a matching jacket over a white shirt. Being so eager for tonight, she hadn't bothered to change after her last class, only taking the time to stop at her dorm to drop off her books.

A shiny black car was parked at the curb, and a distinguished older gentleman in a dark suit and cap held the rear door open for her.

"Good evening, Miss Gordon," the man greeted.

"Hey, Alfred," Barbara said in return before climbing into the back seat of the car.

Alfred closed the door and went around to get in the driver's seat.

As the car pulled away from the curb, Barbara pushed back a stray lock of her red hair and focused her attention on the other person in the back seat with her. Immaculately dressed in a navy colored suit and matching tie, the man was broad shouldered, square-jawed, and currently wearing a scowl. Barbara ignored his dark expression as Bruce Wayne had never been very jolly.

"I'm so glad you're finally going to be able to meet Ron," Barbara said. "I know you've been busy with your nighttime job, but it's been almost a year."

"I wish I'd made time sooner," Bruce admitted. "I did some digging and found out some things you should know."

"No," Barbara quickly interjected as the old argument between them flared to life once more. "You're not doing this again. You're the stereotypical disapproving father, blocking anyone you think isn't good enough, but you're not my father, and you're not going to ruin this. I really like Ron, and I thought, just once, you'd be supportive."

"His name isn't Ron," Bruce told her firmly. "His entire identity seems to be a fake."

"You just can't help it, can you?" Barbara accused. "Not everyone in the world has some hidden agenda. Maybe he got a name change because he's hiding from a psycho ex or he's in the Witness Protection program."

"He's not in Witness Protection," Bruce denied. "I checked."

"Of course you did," Barbara fumed as the car pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant and stopped. "I had hoped you could set aside your paranoia for just a few minutes and have a nice dinner with a guy I like, but I was apparently asking too much. Consider my invitation to you rescinded."

Barbara got out of the car and slammed the door behind her. She headed into the restaurant without looking back.

An hour later, Barbara left the restaurant on the arm of her boyfriend. A few inches taller than her, his blond hair was cut short and his brown leather jacket couldn't hide his well-developed muscles.

"That was a nice dinner," Ron told her. "Now that it's over, you want to tell me what's bothering you? I can assume it has something to do with the person I was supposed to meet who never showed up."

"He showed up alright," Barbara grumbled. "I should've known better than to think he'd be happy for me."

"Your father?" Ron asked.

"He tries to be, but no," Barbara denied. "I guess you could call him my boss or mentor. He taught me stuff, but he's very controlling, has to have everything conform to what he thinks is the way it should be, and he never considers what someone might want for their life that might be different from his vision."

"I knew someone like that once," Ron said softly, his eyes on the sidewalk. "My life was different before. I made a few bad decisions and some people tried to kill me. I survived, but it changed me. I couldn't be who I'd been before."

"My boss said your identity was fake," Barbara commented. "Those people still after you?"

"No, but others are," Ron admitted. "I thought I'd found a way back, and I might not have chosen the best methods, but when my old life was within reach, it was stolen from me again by some self-righteous guy who couldn't see me for anything except my mistakes and what I'd become.  Until I met you, I thought I'd never find peace."

"Well, you have," Barbara said, tightening her hold on his arm. "I'm not letting you go, no matter what."

Their conversation was interrupted when Batman dropped out of the sky to land a few feet ahead of them on the sidewalk.

"Step away from him," Batman ordered. "He's not who you think he is."

"I'm not going anywhere," Barbara countered.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" Ron demanded of Batman, his voice deepening.

The arm Barbara held surged in size while changing in texture. The leather jacket was gone, replaced by soft clay. She unknowingly stepped back, and as she watched, Ron transformed into a humanoid figure appearing to be made of damp mud.

"Clayface," Batman said in satisfaction.

"You wouldn't let me go back to being Matthew Hagen," Clayface roared. "You stopped the treatment before it finished. Since you won't let me be anything other than Clayface, then this is what you get!"

Clayface's hands transformed into pickaxes and his arms lengthened to twice their normal range, swinging the sharp implements at Batman in an attempt to kill the masked crime fighter. Batman rolled and dodged the incoming attacks, barely staying ahead of Clayface and his fury. He took a freezing grenade from his utility belt, but before he could throw it, a bola spun around him, tying him up and rendering him helpless on the ground.

"Stop!" Barbara yelled, stepping between Batman and Clayface as the shapeshifter was about to deliver the killing blow. "He may have taken away your ability to become Matthew Hagen, but he didn't force you to become Ron. You chose that for yourself. You are who you choose to be. It has nothing to do with him. Don't let him take your choice away again. Be who you choose."

Clayface had been motionless with his arm upraised, but he slowly lowered it as he transformed back into Ron. He noticed the bola wrapped around Batman.

"I see I wasn't the only one keeping secrets," Ron said.

"We are who we choose to be, and I choose you," Barbara said, taking out a batarang and dropping it to the sidewalk with a clang. "I told you I wouldn't let you go, no matter what."

She looked at Batman. "He'll get loose, but he'll have his hands full with problems in Gotham and be too busy to come looking for us."

"Where do you want to go?" Ron asked as Barbara put her arms around him.

"Anywhere but Gotham," she answered. "I can finish my college courses online if needed."

Ron picked Barbara up in his arms as giant wings spread out from his back. Taking to the sky, they flew away from Gotham and their pasts into the unknown possibilities of their future.