Unexpected Arrivals

So I was getting home from a late (early?) shift at work when I noticed someone sitting on the front stoop of my apartment building! My mind immediately whirled. Could it be one of my arch-enemies? Was it Nicholas Scratch? Charleton LeHah?

It was then that I realized what a crappy Rogue's Gallery I have.

As I got closer, I also realized that I knew who it was. It was my old ally in crime fighting, Cassandra Cain! When I finally made it up to the stoop, Cassandra looked up at me. She seemed really happy to see me, and it looked as though she'd been crying (that was more than a little disconcerting).

I asked her what was wrong, and she let spill the most horrible story I've heard in a long time! Apparently she's been replaced in the DCU proper by some sort of alternate universe counterpart! And an evil one no less!

I told Cassandra to come inside right away, and that we'd get this thing straightened out. I immediately set out to call "you-know-who," but Cassie explained that she already tried that. She also tried calling Oracle, Nightwing, and Superboy (I didn't have the heart to tell her what happened to him).

Anyway, once Cassandra got calmed down and had some of that tea I know she likes (I was reading her book, even if nobody else was!) I tried to coax more of the story out of her. She really didn't have any answers. Some lunatic that looks like her showed up in Gotham. And even though the afore mentioned lunatic spoke and acted in a manner completely divergent from the real Cassie, everyone seems to think it's her!

I immediately assumed mind control, and decided to beat the Mad Hatter within an inch of his life. But Cassie explained that he was being written by Gail Simone now, and that calmed me down. But that also left us without leads, so Cassie's been pretty much left without options and with no place to stay.

Long story short, Cassandra Cain is now sleeping on my couch (of course I offered her my bed; she turned me down). Although she'll probably be around, don't expect any posts from her -- she still can't read and write.

She sure as heck can't speak Navajo, either.