August 18, 0502h

	The Bat and the man warred within.  One screamed that this was his fight 
and demanded to interfere.  One knew what had to be done and knew that Batgirl 
was the best chance at achieving that goal.
 	And this time the man won.
 	Batman let them fight on, watching for slips, ready to assist if needed.
 	But Batgirl was younger, quicker, and she hadn't been fighting for hours.  
He was not needed.
	Rabbit punches and a sizzling wing chun met blocks and thin air.  She 
whipped and wove, waltzing around the offensive moves.  She evaded the heel of 
his hand, ducking under the taut arm and delivering an elbow to the available 
lower back.  It connected and the assassin rolled forward, immediately 
recognizing his fortuitous proximity to his fallen sword.  The blade was broken 
but certainly still lethal.  He charged Batgirl, compensating for a sidestep.
 	She saw it.  He was well-balanced, could adjust to either side.  So she 
stood and waited.
 	And waited.
 	And waited.
 	She heard Tim call to her, but she ignored it.  Instead, she counted.
 	And waited.
 	She dropped at the last possible second, falling to her back and kicking 
one leg up.  Her heel lodged in the hollow of his hip-she never missed-and the 
assassin flew over her head, perfectly aimed to hit the ground in the corner, a 
few yards from where Batman waited.
 	But the assassin had other plans.
 	The second she kicked him free, he snapped his body tight, arching his 
back to widen his trajectory.
 	Batman grabbed for him, but it was too late.
 	The assassin had gotten one hand-the one without the blade-- on the ledge, 
providing himself the leverage to snap up the heel of one boot and deliver a 
swift undercut to Batman's chin.  Then, he merely flipped his feet over his 
head.
 	And let go.
 	Batman muttered a curse as he staggered back to the ledge, a line already 
in hand.  He glanced down and almost hesitated, but his instincts were too 
strong and the line was already uncoiling as it fell towards the assassin. It 
snagged around his chest and Batman felt the muscles in his arm strain as he 
took the other man's full weight.  He looked down at the man at his mercy, 
hating him, fearing him, wanting to let him plummet to his death.
 	But he couldn't do that.
 	It was against the code.  The code that Dick had nearly died for.
 	And so he braced one foot on the ledge and pulled again.
 	The flash of steel caught his eye and his face twisted in horror as the blade in the assassin's hand neatly sliced 
through the line.  The pressure disappeared and Batman stumbled back.  He felt hands on his back and realized Batgirl 
and Robin-Nightwing-Tim-were bracing him.