The following evening, a quiet knock on the manor’s front door announced Barbara Gordon’s arrival.

After a brief greeting, she and Hailey headed downstairs into the Batcave, the elevator’s descent a silent, surreal journey. The cavern opened up before them, a world of shadows, technology, and echoes of a life Hailey was only just beginning to grasp.

Barbara, ever the pragmatist, got right to the point.

“Bruce told me some of what happened,” she said, her voice steady. “But I want to hear it from you. All of it.”

Hailey nodded, and for the next little while, she told Barbara everything. She spoke of her desperate, tearful plea to Bruce, not to Batman, and how he had responded with a compassion she had never known. She recounted how he had crafted her a new life under the name Hailey, an identity she had grown into and cherished. She spoke of the shelter, the work she’d been doing, and the unexpected joy of caring for Richie. There was a hint of skepticism in Barbara’s expression at first, a slight narrowing of her eyes as she listened to the story of the former Harley Quinn. It was a story almost too good to be true, a redemption arc that defied every villain she had ever known. But as Hailey spoke, her voice filled with a genuine sincerity, Barbara’s skepticism gave way to a dawning sense of discovery.

Hailey told her about Bruce’s reluctance, his attempts to keep her and Richard at a distance, and the final, crushing moment when he confessed his fear of losing the people he loved. She told her about suiting up in the Batgirl uniform, her own terror, and the fight with Bane. She finished by telling Barbara how she’d taken down Bane, and of her conversation with Commissioner Gordon.

As Hailey spoke, Barbara’s expression changed, the pieces of the puzzle fitting together in her mind. This wasn’t a story of a villain reborn. It was a story of a woman finding her purpose, finding a family, and finding a hero to fight for, even when that hero couldn’t fight for himself. It was a story of a broken man finally allowing himself to be healed.

Barbara’s heavy silence finally broke.

“Go put it on,” she said, the statement simple and direct, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Hailey hesitated for a moment, her mind racing. The suit was a symbol of her recklessness, a reminder of the pain she’d caused Bruce and the fear she had felt. But Barbara’s gaze was unwavering, and Hailey finally nodded, understanding what was being asked of her.

She followed Barbara’s instructions, walking to the vault and donning the familiar black and yellow uniform. She walked out of the vault, fully uniformed, a small, unsure figure in the vast space.

“It fits you,” Barbara stated, her eyes tracing the lines of the suit.

Hailey was unsure of what she meant—of the suit, or the role. She was unsure of herself. What was Barbara getting at?

Barbara then reached for the comm. “Bruce,” she said, her voice clear and commanding, “come see this.”

A few minutes later, Bruce came down the stairs, one hand pressed gingerly against his bandaged ribs. He stopped at the bottom, his eyes widening in a mixture of shock and disbelief. Hailey, in the iconic Batgirl uniform, stood before him, her arms crossed as if to shield herself from his gaze.

The Batcave was silent, the air thick with tension. Barbara broke the silence, her voice echoing in the cavernous space.

“Hailey,” she said, her tone firm but kind. “You showed incredible restraint against Bane. You could have killed him. But you didn’t. You chose not to. It’s time you face the hero you truly are.”

Hailey looked from Barbara to Bruce, a puzzled expression on her face. Bruce’s look of shock mirrored her own. They both had no idea what Barbara was talking about.

Barbara spoke again, her voice clear and decisive.

“Bruce, meet the new… and improved… Batgirl.”

Hailey and Bruce were stunned into silence. Hailey’s head snapped back to Barbara, her mouth slightly agape. Bruce, for his part, just stared, the words failing him.

Barbara, seeing their stunned faces, gave a small, knowing smile.

“Don’t look so surprised, Bruce. She didn’t need your training. She learned how to fight as Harley Quinn. Now it’s time to put those skills, once meant for harm, to good use. She has the compassion to save people and the strength to bring down a monster like Bane. Even in the movies, the villain sometimes becomes the hero.”

“But… but it’s your suit…” Hailey finally managed to stammer, her voice barely a whisper.

Barbara chuckled.

“It’s a suit, Hailey. It’s the person inside that matters. The person who chose not to kill Bane, who rushed to defend the man she loves.” She looked at Bruce, a hint of steel in her gaze. “The person who didn’t let her past mistakes define her. She’s earned this, Bruce. She’s earned a chance to do good, to make things right. You’re not the only one who gets to be a hero in this family.”

Bruce, looking much smaller than the powerful Batman or Wayne Enterprises CEO, finally spoke, his question cut short as soon as it began: “What if she—”

Barbara cut him off, her voice firm. “It’s her choice, Bruce. Not yours.”

She then turned her focus entirely to Hailey, her expression a mix of challenge and encouragement.

“Hailey, what do you say? Are you the new Batgirl or not?”

Hailey looked at the uniform, then at Bruce, then at Barbara. The ghost of her past, the reckless and cruel Harley Quinn, felt miles away.

In her place was a woman who had found a family, a woman who knew what it felt like to love, and a woman who had just stared down a monster to protect those she cared for. Hailey took a deep breath, and a slow, determined smile spread across her face.

“Yes,” she said, her voice clear and strong. “Yes, I am.”

Bruce knew his opinion didn’t matter. It was settled. Harley Quinn, Harleen Quinzel, Hailey Smith, was now the new Batgirl, and he simply had to live with it.

© Copyright 2026 J.R. Geiger. All rights reserved.