At first it's a little laugh. A giggle, at the absurdity of it all. Her shoulders quake, and she reaches out and places the cocktail down so it doesn't spill anywhere.
Dick Grayson. Nightwing.
Jason Todd. Red Hood.
Tim Drake. Robin.
God, does that mean that Damian was the current Robin? She hasn't met the kid, even if they are related, but...
God. God.God.
That meant Bruce Wayne - her cousin, Bruce Wayne - was Batman.
And her cousin Kate Kane was Batwoman. (Okay, that much she knew, but Kate had to have known who Bruce was, right? She was in so deep with him.)
Which made Bette...what? The literal bright sheep of the family? Cousin to both Bats and forever kept out of what was literally the family business?
It's a mix of emotions, almost too much to take in. Anger at secrets kept when they all knew who she was. Doubt, because if everyone else could be let in, then why did they always try to shut her out? Kate had given up on her so quickly - even if she did later let her back in - but through it all, Uncle Jake had been the only one to take her side and truly try to train her after years of her trying to make something of herself.
How long had Kate known that Bruce was Batman anyway? She hadn't even become Batwoman until Bette had been Flamebird for awhile. God, that stung too.
She laughs again, a strangled, broken sounding one. Heavy. It all clicks, now. A weird piece of the puzzle that she hadn't realized was missing, and now so much of everything makes sense.
"Sorry, sorry," she says after a long moment. "This is just like a lot to take in and like so not your fault, because you probably assumed I knew most of this. But no. So cousin Bruce is Batman. Wow! I - that should have been obvious, right? You know, I have to admit, I suddenly envy Supergirl a bit. Superman probably never kept her in the dark about who he was, right?" And if he did, he was almost as big a jerk as Bruce. "See, I was being like so literal when I said I was in the guest house when compared to everyone else. But like not even that, because guests are usually invited in."
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Dick Grayson. Nightwing.
Jason Todd. Red Hood.
Tim Drake. Robin.
God, does that mean that Damian was the current Robin? She hasn't met the kid, even if they are related, but...
God. God. God.
That meant Bruce Wayne - her cousin, Bruce Wayne - was Batman.
And her cousin Kate Kane was Batwoman. (Okay, that much she knew, but Kate had to have known who Bruce was, right? She was in so deep with him.)
Which made Bette...what? The literal bright sheep of the family? Cousin to both Bats and forever kept out of what was literally the family business?
It's a mix of emotions, almost too much to take in. Anger at secrets kept when they all knew who she was. Doubt, because if everyone else could be let in, then why did they always try to shut her out? Kate had given up on her so quickly - even if she did later let her back in - but through it all, Uncle Jake had been the only one to take her side and truly try to train her after years of her trying to make something of herself.
How long had Kate known that Bruce was Batman anyway? She hadn't even become Batwoman until Bette had been Flamebird for awhile. God, that stung too.
She laughs again, a strangled, broken sounding one. Heavy. It all clicks, now. A weird piece of the puzzle that she hadn't realized was missing, and now so much of everything makes sense.
"Sorry, sorry," she says after a long moment. "This is just like a lot to take in and like so not your fault, because you probably assumed I knew most of this. But no. So cousin Bruce is Batman. Wow! I - that should have been obvious, right? You know, I have to admit, I suddenly envy Supergirl a bit. Superman probably never kept her in the dark about who he was, right?" And if he did, he was almost as big a jerk as Bruce. "See, I was being like so literal when I said I was in the guest house when compared to everyone else. But like not even that, because guests are usually invited in."