Becoming Nightshade

Maggie groaned as sunlight streamed through her curtains, far too bright for her liking. She rolled over, trying to ignore the distant sound of Alfred's measured footsteps approaching her door. A soft knock followed.

"Miss Maggie, breakfast is ready," Alfred's ever-patient voice called through the door. "Your father requests your presence downstairs."

Maggie sighed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Be right down, Alfred."

After reluctantly getting out of bed, she threw on a hoodie and leggings, running a brush through her hair before making her way down to the dining room. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and bacon filled the air as she stepped inside.

Jason, already halfway through a plate stacked with pancakes, perked up when he saw her enter. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "Morning, gorgeous," he murmured, the warmth in his voice making her stomach flutter.

Maggie smiled, nudging him lightly as she sat down. "Morning."

Across the table, Dick scrolled through his phone, offering her a knowing smirk. "About time, sleepyhead."

Bruce, seated at the head of the table, didn't look up from his tablet as he sipped his coffee. "You both have the day to yourselves until training. Don't waste it."

Maggie exchanged a glance with Jason, a smile tugging at her lips. "Guess that means no naps."

Jason grinned, leaning closer. "We'll see about that."

Maggie sat cross-legged on the couch, her laptop perched on her knees, the glow of the screen reflecting off her concentrated expression. The quiet hum of the manor surrounded her, punctuated only by the rhythmic tapping of her fingers on the keyboard and the occasional soft thud of a rubber ball bouncing off the wall. Jason, sprawled beside her with one arm draped across the back of the couch, tossed the ball lazily, his eyes flickering between her and the multiple tabs open on her laptop—Gotham City University, Metropolis University, MIT, Harvard, Yale, Oxford.

"So," Jason said casually, catching the ball mid-air. "How many more applications are you planning to send out?"

Maggie sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm almost done. Just submitting the last letters of recommendation and essays." She clicked through a few more pages, double-checking everything before hovering over the submit button for GCU. "I mean... this is my future, Jay. I can't just wing it."

Jason smirked. "Since when do you not overthink everything?"

She shot him a look but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. "I can't afford to screw this up. These schools have some of the best biochemistry programs in the world." Her fingers hesitated over the submit button for MIT. "I want to make a real difference, you know?"

Jason set the ball down and shifted closer, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You already do, Mags. You just have to figure out where you want to do it."

Maggie exhaled deeply, finally clicking the button and watching the confirmation email pop up. "Yeah... but leaving Gotham feels weird."

Jason leaned back against the cushions, stretching his legs out. "You don't have to have it all figured out right now."

She looked at him, her brows furrowed in thought. "Yeah, but I kind of do. Dad's been... well, Dad. I know he won't stop me, but I can tell he's hoping I'll stay close."

Jason chuckled, brushing his fingers through her hair absentmindedly. "Bruce? Subtle? Never."

Maggie nudged him playfully with her elbow. "What about you? What if I do leave Gotham?"

Jason raised an eyebrow, his tone light but sincere. "You think I wouldn't follow you anywhere?"

Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked back at her laptop, feeling a little less overwhelmed. "That's sweet, Jay."

He grinned, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her temple. "Yeah, well, I have my moments."

Before Maggie could respond, Dick sauntered into the room, plopping down into the armchair across from them. His eyes scanned the laptop screen, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Wow, look at you being all responsible. Oxford, huh? Trying to impress the Queen?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "It's one of the top schools in the world, Dick."

He leaned forward, tapping the screen playfully. "Yeah, but you'd have to trade Gotham's crime for... I dunno, British crime."

Maggie scoffed, shutting her laptop with a sigh. "British crime? What's that? Tea smuggling and overly polite muggings?"

Jason chuckled, tossing the rubber ball at Dick. "I dunno, I hear those blokes can be pretty ruthless with their cricket bats."

Dick caught the ball effortlessly, leaning back with a grin. "Hey, don't underestimate them. One minute, you're minding your own business, the next, you're getting chased down an alley by some dude in a bowler hat quoting Shakespeare."

Maggie laughed, shaking her head. "You two are ridiculous."

Jason nudged her again. "You know you'd miss us if you left."

Maggie let out a small, nervous laugh, glancing at the screen again. "Yeah... first I have to see where I get accepted." She drummed her fingers against the laptop. "It's weird, you know? Knowing everything could change in just a few months."

Jason grinned. "Mags, you're the smartest person I know. Me? I'm gonna need a lot of luck just to get into GCU."

Maggie nudged him playfully. "Please, you'll get in. You're way smarter than you give yourself credit for."

Jason scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right. Let's be real—GCU's gonna take one look at my academic history and run for the hills."

Dick, still lounging in the chair, smirked. "You mean the academic history that includes 'creative' ways to avoid detention and your legendary 'accidental' fire alarm incident?"

Jason pointed at him. "That was never proven."

Maggie laughed, shaking her head. "Seriously, Jay. You're capable of more than you think. You've been through tougher things than a college application."

Jason leaned back with a sigh, raking his hand through his hair. "I dunno, Mags. College feels... weird. Do I really see myself sitting in a lecture hall listening to some guy drone on about history or whatever?"

Maggie tilted her head, thoughtful. "Maybe not, but you'd be good at something hands-on. Engineering, mechanics, maybe even law enforcement if you're into that."

Jason snorted. "Yeah, because I'm sure Gotham PD would love to have me."

Dick chuckled. "You never know. They might need someone who knows how the other side thinks."

Jason shrugged. "I'll figure it out." He glanced at Maggie, his expression softening. "But seriously, you? You're a shoo-in. MIT, Oxford, wherever you want to go—they'd be lucky to have you."

Maggie smiled, leaning into him slightly. "Thanks, Jay. I just... I want to make Dad proud."

Jason squeezed her hand, his voice softer. "You already do."

Dick stretched with a grin. "Alright, enough of this motivational speech. Food, now."

Maggie nodded, grabbing her jacket. "Let's go before Bruce catches us slacking."

Jason smirked, following them to the door. "Yeah, last thing I need is a lecture about 'discipline' and 'future planning.'"

As they headed out, Maggie stole one last glance at her laptop. The applications were in.

Maggie and Jason walked down the stone steps into the Batcave, the dim lighting giving the cavernous space its usual eerie feel. The hum of the Batcomputer echoed softly in the background, and Maggie rubbed her arms, mentally preparing for the grueling session ahead. Jason, hands in his pockets, glanced around with mild disinterest—until he spotted the two figures waiting for them near the training mats.

"Seriously?" Jason groaned, his eyes landing on the towering figure of Clark Kent and the grinning, more casual stance of Conner Kent—Kon-El. "You brought the Boy Scout and Junior over?"

Maggie's lips curled into a smile as she jogged over. "Hey, Conner."

Conner smirked, stepping forward and wrapping Maggie in a big, hug. "Hey, Mags. Long time no see." He squeezed her slightly before pulling back. "How's Gotham treating you? Still brooding in the shadows like a true Wayne?"

Maggie laughed, "Gotham's Gotham."

Jason, standing nearby with his arms crossed, smirked. "You here to actually help, or just steal my girlfriend?"

Conner grinned, leaning casually against the Batcomputer. "What, you jealous, Todd? Afraid I might charm her away with my irresistible Kryptonian swagger?"

Maggie rolled her eyes, nudging Jason playfully. "Relax, tough guy. You're stuck with me."

Jason huffed, but there was a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Yeah, well, I'm watching you, Kent."

Clark, ever the mediator, stepped in with a bemused expression. "Let's keep the banter to a minimum, boys. We're here to work, not start a rivalry." He glanced at Bruce, who was silently observing from the sidelines, arms crossed in his usual imposing stance.

Bruce's voice cut through the air, cool and authoritative. "Enough talk. We have work to do." His sharp gaze landed on Maggie. "You'll be training with Conner and Clark today to push your limits. Your shadow abilities need refining under pressure." Then, his eyes shifted to Jason. "You're with Dick. Weapons training. No excuses."

Jason groaned, rolling his eyes. "Seriously? Again?"

Dick twirled his escrima sticks with a smirk. "What's the matter, Jay? Afraid I'll make you look bad?"

Jason smirked back. "Please. You wish."

Meanwhile, Maggie took a deep breath, stepping onto the training mat as shadows curled subtly around her fingertips. "Alright, boys," she said, a determined glint in her eyes. "Let's see what I've got."

Conner grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see if Gotham's shadows can keep up with Kryptonian speed."

Clark placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "We're here to train her, not break her, Conner."

Maggie smirked, eyes narrowing. "Don't worry, Clark. I can handle it."

Bruce nodded from the sidelines. "Show me."

With that, Maggie focused, summoning the swirling darkness around her as Conner lunged forward, a blur of motion. Her shadows reacted instinctively, surging in tendrils to intercept him, but he was fast—faster than anything she'd ever trained against before.

In an instant, he was behind her, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. "Tag," he said with a cocky grin. "You're it."

Maggie spun around, gritting her teeth, the shadows pooling around her feet like ink. She reached out with them again, this time anticipating his speed, forming a dome of darkness that engulfed the training mat. "Let's see how fast you are in the dark," she quipped.

Conner's confident smirk faltered slightly as the shadows swallowed him whole, blotting out the bright cave lights. He could still hear her, feel the air shifting around him, but his sight was gone. "Not bad," he admitted, stepping cautiously through the inky void. "But I don't need my eyes to find you."

Before Maggie could respond, Conner lashed out with his super-speed, his arm grazing the edge of her form as she barely dodged, her body melting into the darkness. She moved like a shadow herself, shifting and reforming, using her environment to her advantage. She reappeared a few feet away, breathing hard but determined.

Clark observed from the sidelines, nodding in approval. "Good. You're adapting, Maggie. But don't just react—control the space, dictate the fight."

Maggie nodded, summoning the shadows around Conner's feet, thickening them until they gripped like heavy chains. He attempted to power through, but she anchored them deeper, forcing him to push against the weight.

Conner strained slightly, his eyes glowing red for a split second before Clark's warning voice cut through the dark. "No heat vision, Conner."

Conner huffed, relaxing his stance with a smirk. "Fine, fine." He flexed, breaking through the shadows with brute strength, sending them dispersing into the air like smoke. "Nice trick, but you've got to do better."

Maggie gritted her teeth and raised her hands, pulling the darkness back together, faster and denser this time, weaving it into thick tendrils that lashed toward Conner's midsection. He dodged with ease, but Maggie wasn't done. The shadows split mid-air, forming multiple strikes from different angles.

Jason, watching from across the cave while sparring with Dick, grinned. "That's my girl."

Bruce's voice cut through the cave. "She's relying too much on her powers," he observed, his tone critical but even. "She needs to mix in physical strikes. Shadows can't always protect her."

Hearing that, Maggie pivoted and sprang forward, landing a solid punch against Conner's side while he was momentarily tangled. He grunted but grinned. "Alright, that one stung a little."

Clark stepped in, signaling for a pause. "Good instincts," he said, looking at Maggie with approval. "But your endurance needs work. You're burning too much energy maintaining the shadows."

Maggie wiped sweat from her brow, nodding. "Got it. More efficiency, less theatrics."

Bruce folded his arms. "We'll work on that."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the cave, Jason groaned as Dick landed a precise strike with his escrima stick to Jason's ribs. "Come on, Todd. Focus."

Jason scowled. "I am focused!"

Dick smirked. "You're too busy watching your girlfriend kick Superboy's ass."

Jason rolled his eyes, spinning his stick and lunging forward. "Shut up, Grayson."

Across the mat, Maggie was already repositioning, ready for another round. She glanced toward Bruce, her expression determined. "Again?"

Bruce nodded. "Again."

Conner grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Round two, shadow girl. Let's see if you can keep up."