Melissa smiled with relief. Training had just ended for the day and that meant she could kick back and enjoy herself. Unless of course, the team was needed somewhere which was bound to happen so she was taking a break whenever presented with the chance.

"Anyone seen the TV remote?" Allie asked.

"I was going to watch it," Melissa shrugged tossing the remote.

"Anyone else find it weird that a few months ago they were at each other's throats?" Danny laughed.

"Eh," Richie shrugged, Virgil doing the same.

"I'll rock paper scissors you for it," Melissa smirked.

"You're on!"

After three rounds Melissa was declared the winner.

"Criminal Minds again?" Allie asked.

"I was thinking SVU,"

"What's with you and crime dramas?" Wally asked, popping in suddenly.

"I could watch Frozen instead,"

"NO," Wally cried, "NOT THAT!"

Melissa grinned, "Relax I was just kidding,"

"Is that you're favorite Disney movie?" Danny asked.

"Nope,"

"What is it?"

"I'll never tell," Melissa smirked, "I'm going to grab a snack before I start this. Don't touch the remote,"

"Okay,"

As soon as Melissa stepped out of the room Dick vaulted in grabbing the remote from the couch as he frantically changed the channel.

"Uh, Melissa was going to-"

"Shh," Dick ordered, "This is important,"

"Babe, is there a reason you disrupted my show?" Melissa asked upon her return a few minutes later.

When the group of teen heroes looked at her their eyes grew wide.

"What?"

Dick threw a glance back to the news which was in the middle of a special story about Carmen Sandiego. He paused it as the thief's picture flashed on the screen.

"What? I'm I bleeding? Do I have a zit? Seriously what gives?" Melissa demanded.

"You look just like her," Dick said.

"Like who? Carmen? I don't see it," Melissa huffed, "Now can I please go back to my show?"

"I gotta talk with Bruce," Dick muttered stepping out of the room leaving a group of geeking heroes and his annoyed girlfriend behind.

"Could you guys stop staring?" Melissa asked pointedly.

"Don't you still have your costume from that undercover mission?"

"Yeah,"

"Go put it on," Danny urged.

"No,"

"Melissa-"

"No,"

"We'll leave you alone if you put it on," Allie promised.

"Fine," Melissa sighed, "I'll be right back,"

When she returned her teammates gathered around her in shock at the uncanny resemblance.

"How can you not see it?" Richie argued, "You look just like her!"

"You guys are trying my patience here," Melissa growled pushing through the group so she could change out of her costume.

By the time she had returned Batman arrived and requested to see her in private. Shrugging and grumbling to herself she followed him into the empty room. Inwardly she was yelling in her frustration although she would have liked to do it out loud she knew better than that. With a groan she slumped into the first empty seat she saw and waited, glaring at Dick once he entered the room.

Without a word, Batman ran Melissa's DNA through the master database while she continued glaring at her boyfriend who smiled apologetically in response.

"What do you know about your mother?" Batman asked suddenly just when Melissa was ready to tear into her boyfriend.

"My mother? Nothing. I never knew her. Just that my dad always ranted about her and her broken promises whenever he beat me, whining that I looked and acted just like her. I always thought she was dead." Melissa replied.

"She's not dead", the Dark Knight said. Melissa was shocked silent by his words. If her mom was alive, then why did her dad raise her? Did she not want her own daughter?

Her mind reeling Melissa found herself at a loss for words. Dick mentally braced himself this wouldn't end well.

"All right! THAT'S IT!", Melissa shouted once she found her voice again. "ANSWERS! NOW! Who is my mother, and where on Earth is she?!

"Dick was right, you mother is Carmen Sandiego," Batman stoically replied.

Shoulders heaving and eyes blazing Melissa made a hasty exit tearing through the base with no regard for anyone who got in her way.

"Allie, where'd Melissa go?" Dick asked worriedly.

"She left,"

Uh-oh.

…...

Melissa locked herself inside her room and proceeded to scream as she let loose on the punching bag her confusion manifesting itself in the form of a giant temper-tantrum which caused Jenny to go pale. Melissa hadn't been this worked up in months and now she was beating the crap out of her punching bag to the point where it broke from the ceiling and when that happened she kicked it against the door again and again and again before ultimately curling into a ball and rocking back and forth on the floor.

When Jenny dared to open the door she found melissa in a shaking heap.

"Melissa?" she called out.

There was no response.

Struggling to figure out what had set her adopted daughter off, Jenny pulled the girl to her feet and gently ordered her to go shower.

"In the meantime, I'll make your favorite dinner,"

"Do we have to talk about it?" Melissa inquired.

"Not unless you want to,"

"I'd rather not,"

"Okay,"

Just as melissa got into the shower, the doorbell rang. Jenny opened the door startled to find a very frantic Dick on the doorstep.

"Is Melissa here?" he blurted before Jenny could utter a word.

"She's in the shower," Jenny replied as she let Dick inside, "She was pretty upset when she got here. Did she fight with Allie?"

"No, they're best friends now,"

"Then what happened?"

It's my fault really,"

"Go on,"

"I-I Can't. It's not my place to tell you,"

"You're right," Jenny sighed, "But I'm worried. She hasn't had a meltdown like that in months,"

"I know," Dick cringed.

...

Meanwhile, Melissa continued to cry, her mind reeling, trying to process this news. The mostly stable life she had been building shattered into a million pieces, years of suppressed memories and abuse crashing over her making her blood run cold despite the steam that filled the bathroom. She felt cold to the bone.

After her shower, she stomped to her room, put on her most comfortable PJs and climbed into bed pulling the comforter over her head. Hiding in the darkness her blanket provided made her feel safe. It reminded her of when she was younger and she'd hide under the quilt when it was storming. Bud and Lou had often joined her, licking away her tears with their slobbery tongues. She was okay. She was safe. Under her blanket, the realities of the world couldn't creep up on her.

She heard the door open but she ignored it.

"Melissa?"

It was Jenny again.

"Melissa, please talk to me," she pleaded.

"I don't want to talk,"

"Talking helps,"

Melissa wriggled out of her hiding place and turned to look at Jenny.

Jenny was so put together. To Melissa, she always seemed put together. Her blonde hair pulled into a tight ponytail, her button-down shirt void of wrinkles, her slacks the same way. Makeup perfect, shoes polished. Sp put together while Melissa was the opposite. Wearing oversized PJs, and fuzzy socks, her hair blocking her sight, eyes red from crying.

"Please, Melissa?"

"Fine,"

Jenny sat down expectantly.

"We-we found out-" Melissa faltered.

"Found out what?"

"Who my birth mom is,"

Jenny gasped but Melissa continued.

"Carmen Sandiego"

...

The timing was ironic really. Bruce returned home to find an envelope laying on the coffee table with Carmen's logo on it. He didn't open it. He didn't need the clue he already knew what Carmen was after based on her past thefts instead, he continued on his way to the cave. When he got there he found none other than Carmen herself sitting in his chair.

"Hello, Batman," she smirked, "You look troubled,"

"The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but it can be picked up and carried away, can't it?"

"What do you know?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Just that you have a daughter, her father likely stole her away from you to punish you for betraying him", Batman said.

"Decided you needed an heir, didn't you? So you did what you had to do, but you underestimated the anger of the father, didn't you?"

"He WAS one of my best agents", she replied. "My physical equal. Clever enough to think quickly on his feet, but his temper was a flaw he was too stubborn to control, making him a poor choice to make an equal partner. However, he feared my intellect. Likely why he went into hiding when he stole her from me before I even recovered from childbirth. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you found her when I couldn't all these years, Batman. You always were my only true equal. Is he taking good care of her?"

"He abused her, brutally, for years", he told her solemnly, making her eyes narrow with a flash of anger. "He used her as a proxy for you until she ran away from home. She was then found and raised by Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy off-and-on until recently. She made friends and turned her life around and is making something of herself. I only learned of her connection to you recently,"

"Where is she?" Carmen asked.

"For what it's worth, she's grown into a fine young woman with your love of art, sarcastic wit, and a knack for puzzles A bit reckless, though. She took on the Joker and lived to tell the tale."

"And her father?"

"Prison. And he won't be getting out until he's a VERY old man."

Carmen realized something. The reason Batman was withholding the information she wanted.

"You know who she is personally, don't you, Batman", Carmen's smirk widened, arching an eyebrow. "Does she know I'm her mother?"

"Don't, Carmen", he warned.

"I only want to see her, Batman", she grinned 'innocently'. "My daughter has the right to know that I have been searching for her all her life; that I didn't abandon her. What she decides after that is up to her."

"I won't allow you to ruin the life she's building by tempting her into yours", Batman said bluntly.

"See you around, Batman", Carmen grinned, tipping the wide brim of her hat in her signature style

He watched her go knowing there was no catching her at least, not this time.

Yes, I finally got around to the sequel! Yay! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Review!