-Athena's POV-

I smiled and sat back in my chair. Grayson crossed his arms and Alfred scowled. Tim looked bored out of his mind as he lazily looked over the room.

"Waiter, bring some drinks in here, will ya?" I called. The three looked up at me, all with the exact same expression. Eyebrow raised, eyes wild and confused. I laughed loudly, trying to appear to the people in the room that we were just happy and rich Waynes.

"Wine? Why the sudden interest in social engagement?" Alfred asked, taking a sip of the newly arrived alcohol. Dick also reached for his, but I swiped it and drained every drop into my glass. He sighed and growled.

"Mmm, delicious," I said sweetly after taking a gulp. "Try some, Tim."

"I can't, I'm fourteen," he said shyly. Grayson took the glass and drank down all of the wine. I smirked. My plan had succeeded in getting Dick drunk. Now, I could easily get some information from him to offer to Joker in exchange for some info on the other villains of Gotham.

"So...since we're all here, why not tell us about you?" Alfred leaned forward, a small polite smile creeping across his face. I took a small sip of my wine and smoothly pushed it towards Grayson's grasp.

"Where do you want me to start, Pennyworth? Want me to talk about my sleepovers with the Bat Family or maybe that time that I killed a thug in the street?" I rolled my eyes.

"Start at when you trained," Grayson shouted out, taking my cup and slurping it down.

"Fine. I went to a school, took a million martial arts classes, and came back here. Done," I sat up, "now tell me about this little city you live in and who I should be fighting."

"No, no. You're not done talking yet," Dick slurred his words. Crossing my arms, I raised my eyebrows and slightly opened my mouth. Another classic look: Nightingale's Sassiness.

"Well, what would you like to know?"

"How about you start with your childhood," Tim encouraged, smiling small. I shrugged.

"All of us heros don't have the best childhoods do we? So why should I repeat the exact same story that all of you have already told?" Dick slammed his fist on the table after he had tossed back another drink that I wasn't aware he ordered.

"Just tell us, god damn!" He shouted, grabbing the attention of others from different tables. He immediately shrunk down in his chair in embarrassment, making me laugh.

"Alright. Just pay attention, because I won't be repeating myself. I grew up in a nice neighborhood with a large group of friends. They didn't last but that's not important. Anyway, my mommy and daddy didn't want a kid and they didn't want me. I was small and weak. I couldn't become a working cash cow for them, so they decided I needed to be roughened up to become what they wanted. I didn't remember much of the abuse, I was only about a year old, but my brother did," I paused, looking down for effect, "He used to hold me when I cried and whisper stories in my ear. That was what I remember most from my life in Metropolis. Jimmy would hide in his closet in my room with me when my parents were looking for us. I always remember that he had these scars all over and he was always bloody and burned. He once came for me and I vaguely remember how funny he walked. I later realized at my parent's court case that they had broken his leg." I glanced around the room at the sad faces that stared back. Good, they were convinced.

"When I was taken away as a tiny baby -- I couldn't even walk yet -- it was right after the death of my brother. My parents had cut his food supply and that was the second week he hadn't eaten anything. My mom had him working like a slave all day and night. When he had finished fixing up their farm in Smallville, he came home to me getting roughed up again. Jimmy snapped I guess. Apparently, he attacked my dad and forced him to stop hitting me. My dad fought back of course and tackled my brother down. My mom grabbed a bat and whacked my brother. They beat him to death and tossed his body in the trash can. Next thing I know, I was being dragged to an orphanage by some cops and my parents were arrested and sentenced to life in prison.

"As I grew up with no family and scarring memories, I tossed myself into learning. I learn at an abnormal pace, so I was at a middle school level by the time I was five. When I had been told why I was in the orphanage and what my parents did, I decided I wanted to be out of the city. My mom and dad had been killed in prison and I was sent off to Miami. I wasn't like those other kids in those sweet little stories, I was never saved by Superman and inspired to let go of my hate for my parents. I was angry at them. I was angry that they had killed the only person who cared about me. I had nightmares about the little memories I had -- still do," I let out a little tear and felt a hand rest on mine. Tim frowned up at me, stroking my hand softly with his hand.

"When I arrived at the boarding school, the School for Superior Boys. I was the first girl to go there, but I excelled in every subject. I studied every time I had free time and acquired all the highest tutors in the world. After a mugging, I decided to take a chance in going to the on-campus martial arts classes. Turned out I loved them. I got a black belt in Karate in a year. My gym teacher suggested Ballet, so I also took that. I studied abroad for academics, Ballet, and Martial Arts of all kinds. Once I graduated from the school at a PhD level when I was seventeen, I went to an Australian college.

"That school was mostly just to study abroad and to learn how people there fought. They had a really old master of Ninjutsu, so I took my first opportunity in going. Once I was announced a genius and a skilled dancer as well as fighter, I came to Gotham. I never let the fire that burned inside of me die out. I chased down gang members of the gang that originally mugged me, since they were in Gotham, and I became a vigilante. Now, sometimes I often find myself drifting into dream-like states during the day in which I'll revert back to my most terrible memories," I sighed, laying my head down and letting out a small sob. Tim rubbed my back. I lifted my head back up and wiped my face, "I swore to myself that I would never let what happened to me happen to anyone else."

"Wow, I-I didn't know," Grayson choked, "I didn't know you went through so much."

"Yeah, well, I don't like to talk about it." I looked around the restaurant quickly. Still the same old rich people.

"Let's talk about something else. You wanted to know about the Rogues of Gotham?" Tim took a sip of water. "There are tons of bad people. The recurring one right now is none other than the Joker." I subtly took a nervous gulp. Robin -- at least the third one -- was smart. Did he know?

"Yes, Master Wayne and Master Tim here have been on many missions now trying to catch the slimy bastard," Alfred added. I smiled in agreement.

"What about the other ones?"

"Like Bane, Killer Croc, and Riddler?" Grayson had sobered up a little, but he was still at the point of telling me things who wouldn't normally tell me.

"Don't forget about the Sirens, Penguin, Black Mask, Mr. Freeze, Two Face..." Tim listed. I nodded, wanting him to elaborate. He didn't, but Dick looked like he was ready to.

"Excuse me, but Bruce Wayne had requested you four to meet him outside by his car," a young waiter cut in. I mentally rolled my eyes and stood up.

We all charged outside and hopped into one of Bruce's luxury cars. I still didn't want to talk to him, so I just sat there with my arms crossed.

After a quick stop to the Batcave to change and collect extra gear. Robin and Batman hopped in the Batmobile, while Nightwing and I took to the skies.

"What are we doing?" I asked as we grappled through the city. The air was blowing in my ears so I decided to talk over ear coms.

"I caught a security camera in the Iceberg Lounge that was trying to be encrypted. Penguin had a meeting with the Joker," Batman answered, "that means we're gonna have a meeting with Penguin." I smirked and swung faster to catch up with the mobile. Grayson was behind me, not even making an effort to catch up to me or Batman.

I landed on top of the casino with a small ping. Robin and Batman got out of the car and joined me. A little while after, so did Nightwing. I glanced through the ice-covered windows down at Penguin. He was shouting at his goons, but I couldn't hear what he was saying from where I was. Quickly turning on my computer's voice amplifier, I leaned in a bit closer.

"If Batman knows that that freak came here, I'll be back in Arkham before I could even start a business deal!" He shouted, hitting one of the men's legs with his cane. I watched as he wobbled around like the little, plump penguin that he was.

"Are we just gonna wait here?" I whispered to Batman, who was using his special goggle vision to look around the building. His usually white eyes in his mask were a light green. I looked around at everyone. Nightwing wasn't really doing anything, but Robin was tracing something on his computer.

"We should wait here to gather intel on Penguin and why Joker was here in the first place," Batman finally said, turning on his voice amplifier and showing everyone. I groaned and listened in on my own.

"It was dumb of that clown to even come back. I heard he had hidden himself so good, Batman stopped looking. If he would've stayed hidden all the way across the world, I wouldn't have to freeze my business to make sure he doesn't screw it all up!" Penguin hobbled around back and forth in a stressful manner. One of his guards chuckled a tiny bit, but Penguin heard it. "Is something about my situation funny to you?"

"It's just...you said freeze sir and it's the Iceberg Lounge," he replied, shaking.

"Get out." Penguin hit the man with his cane, the man running off. "Any other clowns? I already talked to one today and I don't intend on recruiting anymore." I rolled my eyes. Penguin obviously wasn't going to tell us any valuable information. I turned on my computer and searched up his alias.

"The Penguin aka Oswald Cobblepot is a widely known villain who clearly resembles a sinister penguin. He owns his own little casino and is more involved in business than mass murdering. He has been keeping it on the down low since his release from Arkham Asylum and is mainly focusing his attention on the Iceberg Lounge," the article read. I sighed again, turning off the computer. I was so bored. Ever since I had been forced to stop going out and hunting down Batman's little gang, I had found life as a masked hero is pretty boring.

"This is bullshit," I announced. The three looked up as I smashed a window and dove in.

"Nightingale, no!" Batman whispered screamed but I was already diving inside of the club. I landed right in front of the Penguin. He looked at me with shock. After a small pause, he calmly waved his hand and the four guards charged at me. I smiled and jumped above them, landing on the shoulders of one of the men. The sweet rush of adrenaline filled my veins as I began punching and kicking the men. I wrapped my legs around the guy's neck and swung him down, quickly grabbing another with my strong calf. I kicked him in the face just in time to punch another. The last one I grabbed and flipped over my shoulder, landing him perfectly on the top of the pile of people I just made.

"Batman trained you well. Another Robin?" Penguin remarked, glancing me up and down. I smirked cockily.

"If I was anything like Batman I wouldn't of came after you, would I?" I said. Penguin shrugged and turned to run, but in two seconds I had him pinned against the icy wall. He tried to break free, but I held him down with all my weight.

"What is this about than if you're not with Batman?" He asked, falling limp.

"Joker. Where is, what did he tell you, and why is he here?" I spoke bluntly and to the point.

"I am not particularly fond of the psychotic clown, but I don't sell out fellow Rogues that easily."

I pulled out my red pistol and pressed the butt of it into the back of his head. "You better start selling him out quick before I paint the ice with your brains."

"Aw, so you use guns, huh? All you masked heros are the same. You won't kill me."

"Guess you haven't heard of the Black Shark killings. Almost twenty members dead all due to a masked girl named Nightingale. Bet you can guess what my name is," I pulled out my white pistol and put both guns on the sides of his head. I felt him gulp nervously.

"Fine. He came to me and threatened that if I didn't tell him where Riddler was, he would send his people after my people. I have been threatened by worse people, so I wasn't scared," Penguin answered smoothly again. I knew he had avoided two more questions. I hit his head hard with my gun, but not hard enough to knock him out. "Ow!" He cried.

"Where is and why is he here," I said again, "answer."

"All I know, you know."

"Count of three, Cobblepot," I hit him with my gun again and jammed it under his throat. "One...two..." I heard Batman creep closer. "Thr-"

"Okay! Okay! He told me that he had some trouble figuring out some riddles and he thought Nygma had placed them. He told me that if he didn't find Nygma he would come after me. I don't know what the riddles are or what they're for, but he can't figure them out. I have no idea where Riddler is, but I know that he was last seen with Scarecrow. He's always with Crane. I don't know where Joker is, but no doubt he went to talk to Crow," Penguin peeped, "that's all he told me." I nodded and shoved Penguin away as I grappled up to the three again.

"That was uncalled for," Batman shouted. I shrugged and smirked in a cocky way again.

"I got Cobblepot to talk and that's all that matters. We need to get back to the Cave to get some rest and research before going after Scarecrow. I have no idea who he is or where, but we obviously need to find him. No time to lose arguing about how I get things done," I grappled away and towards the manner.

"She's right. Wherever Scarecrow is, is where we'll find Nygma, is where we'll find Joker," Tim agreed. I returned home first and hopped in bed. Faking emotions and intimidating people is tiring work!

~~~~~~~New chapter! The holidays are coming up and I feel like I will be able to update more during Christmas break than Thanksgiving. So, it's a miracle I got this up because I have so much homework! It is 2:30 AM right now so I should be getting to bed. This story is moving along greatly! Vote, comment, and follow.~~~~~~