Chapter 8 – "Masks and Mirrors"
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Wayne Manor — Late Night
The glow of the Batcomputer lit up the dark cave, rows of holographic footage flickering over Batman's grim expression. One clip showed the girl in white — mask sharp, eyes glowing faint blue — web-swinging through Gotham's skyline like she'd done it her whole life.
He slowed the footage. Frame by frame.
She moved like a dancer, like someone who knew where every strike would come from before it landed. Her reflexes were beyond human — and her tech didn't match any known blueprint.
"Energy readings are irregular," Alfred said, glancing over a diagnostic feed. "Not your usual power signature, sir."
"Not tech-based either," Batman muttered. "Her webbing composition… changes mid-flight."
Another clip. She caught a falling civilian, then turned invisible before the nearby cameras could capture her face.
"She doesn't want to be found," Batman concluded. "But she's protecting people. Efficiently."
Alfred raised an eyebrow. "So she's one of the good ones, then?"
Batman didn't answer. His gaze shifted to another monitor — one showing Black Canary's upcoming training session schedule at Mount Justice.
"If she shows up there," he said, voice low, "I want to know exactly how she fights."
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Mount Justice — Next Morning
The zeta tube shimmered to life.
> "Recognized: Ghost Spider. B-08."
The girl stepped through, her new white-and-black suit gleaming under the base lights — trimmed with faint blue lines that pulsed like veins of light. Her mask was minimalist now, two expressive lenses that narrowed slightly as she took in her surroundings.
"Nice entrance," Kid Flash grinned, jogging up with that typical bounce in his step. "You always travel by teleport, or was that just for the drama?"
"Drama's not really my thing," Gwen said, folding her arms. "Just... punctuality."
"Could've fooled me," Artemis muttered from the side, twirling an arrow.
Robin leaned on the console nearby, scanning her up and down. "Ghost Spider, huh? Gotham's newest mystery girl. Batman said you could handle yourself."
"I can," Gwen replied simply.
Aqualad, calm and steady, stepped forward. "Today, we train as a team. But first, Black Canary will evaluate your combat abilities. She is our mentor."
"Lucky me," Gwen said under her breath.
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Training Arena
The large metal dome echoed faintly as everyone gathered around the sparring circle. Canary stretched her arms, eyes sharp but welcoming.
"I hear you're the quiet type," she said, cracking her knuckles. "Let's see how you move."
Gwen tilted her head. "You sure you want that?"
Canary smiled faintly. "Show me."
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At the first signal, Gwen moved — quick, fluid, unpredictable. Canary blocked two blows and tried to sweep her leg, but Gwen flipped over effortlessly, landing on the ceiling before dropping back down.
"Nice acrobatics," Canary said. "But raw agility doesn't win fights."
Gwen smirked. "Good thing I've got more than that."
The floor vibrated as Canary lunged forward with a flurry of strikes — controlled, precise, each meant to test her opponent's balance. Gwen ducked, countered with a low spin-kick, then fired a thin web to yank Canary slightly off stance before backing off.
Robin whistled softly. "That's not beginner-level movement."
"She's analyzing," Aqualad observed. "Adapting."
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Canary went on the offensive again. Gwen dodged three punches — but the fourth connected, sending her skidding backward. She steadied herself, eyes narrowing.
"Round two," she said.
And then it happened — a faint blue charge rippled across her fingertips. She flicked her wrist and fired a short electric burst that danced across the training floor. Canary jumped back just in time.
"Energy manipulation too?" Canary asked, half-impressed, half-concerned.
"Something like that." Gwen didn't elaborate.
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Aqualad gave a nod. "Team, assist her opponent. Let us see her teamwork under pressure."
"Wait, what—" Gwen started, but before she could finish, Kid Flash zipped in, a blur of yellow and red, circling her fast enough to stir dust into a small cyclone.
She dropped low, shot a web at the floor, and yanked herself upward — flipping clean over his path — then caught him mid-run with a quick strand to the wall.
"Hey!" Wally protested. "No fair!"
"Don't run into the web next time," she teased.
Robin came next, using his grapnel to swing behind her, tossing a smoke pellet. Gwen's mask lenses switched to thermal view instinctively — Weaver-12 adapting on command.
"Cute trick," she said, catching Robin's next kick with a web strand and pulling him into a controlled roll before tossing him aside gently.
Miss Martian floated above, telekinetically flinging a piece of training debris her way. Gwen vaulted backward, dodging it by inches.
Then came Artemis, firing two blunt arrows that split mid-air. Gwen's spider-sense spiked — she twisted between them, landing on all fours like a cat.
Superboy, annoyed, stepped in next. "Enough playing around." He swung — the ground cracked beneath his punch — but Gwen barely dodged, shooting two reinforced webs to his arm and using the momentum to vault behind him. She kicked him in the back of the head — light, but enough to make him stumble forward.
"Whoa," Wally said, wide-eyed. "She just tagged Superboy."
"Barely," Conner growled, brushing it off.
Canary raised a hand. "Enough."
Everyone stopped, breathing heavily. Gwen landed lightly on her feet, retracting her webs.
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Aftermath
The silence hung thick for a moment before Canary stepped closer. "That's some skill. You learn fast — too fast. That instinct… isn't normal."
Gwen shrugged, masking her heavy breathing. "I guess I'm just built different."
Canary studied her carefully — something in the girl's tone told her there was more she wasn't saying.
"Fine," Canary said finally. "You're good. But this isn't about being the strongest — it's about trust. Can you work with others, Ghost Spider?"
Gwen's gaze flicked to the rest of the team — Robin's curiosity, Artemis's faint smirk, Kid Flash's excitement. She hesitated.
"I'll try," she said. "No promises."
Aqualad nodded approvingly. "That is enough for now."
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Later — Wayne Manor
The footage played again on the Batcomputer.
Batman stood silently, analyzing every movement, every electric spark.
"She's not like the others," he said. "Powerful, yes. But controlled. Too controlled."
Black Canary's voice came through the comm. "She's got walls, Bruce. But under those, she's got heart. She's a fighter — and she's scared of something."
Batman's jaw tightened. "Then we'll find out what."
He paused the footage — frame-perfect — on her masked face.
"Ghost Spider," he murmured. "Let's see what your web leads to."