Fanfic / The Underside of Gotham

Eight warlords. Eight vigilantes. Gotham finds a new crew of villains in her midst, as the Undersiders come to blows with a giant bat and his family.

The Underside of Gotham is a crossover fic between Worm and Batman, with primary inspiration from Batman: Wayne Family Adventures written by ColossalMistake. The Undersiders have been transported to the city of Gotham after an incident with the portal during the Imago arc of Worm, and focuses on the two groups coming into conflict and their interactions with one another.

The fic is now complete at 18 chapters and an epilogue.

Beware of unmarked spoilers for Worm.

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The Underside of Gotham provides examples of:

• Adaptational Jerkass: Heavily downplayed, but Batman is shown to be more akin to his usual comics version rather than the Adaptational Nice Guy he is in the webcomic.
• A Father to His Men: Batman and Skitter both qualify, literally in the former's case. The Batclan fail to recognize this initially, and are blindsided when, after they take Imp prisoner, the Undersiders ambush and capture Orphan in return.
• Amicable Exes: Brian comments during his Point of View chapter how he and Taylor are this, which he is rather grateful for given what he's dealing with and how he sees her as a form of stable support. Granted, it's somewhat subverted, as Taylor's tendencies towards escalation and deciding to stage a fight with Batman and his allies after injuring Red Hood goes against his desire to simply lay low and get enough resources to go back home, simply under the assumption that Batman will want to retaliate for injuring one of his compatriots. When that results in getting Aisha taken hostage, after which Taylor responds by taking Cassandra prisoner and letting Regent use his powers on her, he decides to go behind her back and make contact with Nightwing to exchange her for Aisha.
• And the Adventure Continues: The fic ends with the Bat-Family and the Undersiders having reached, if not a truce, than at least an armistice of mutually-assured-destruction, with the Undersiders laying low and Batman working with the Justice League to find them a way back to Earth Bet.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse: Ultimately how Batman gets the Undersiders to stand down. They'll cooperate with Batman to find them a way back to Earth Bet, or else Superman will take them down.
• Badass Crew: The Undersiders are this, having fought the various gangs of Brockton Bay, the Endbringers, and the Slaughterhouse Nine before finding themselves in Gotham. Granted, they're also a bit of a mess, both emotionally and mentally given all they've been through. Which contrasts them rather nicely with...
• Badass Family: The Bat-Family. While they aren't without their own personal demons, they all come across as far more well adjusted and put together than the Undersiders. Aisha even remarks how much she comes to like Stephanie during her imprisonment, calling it her favorite kidnapping.
• Berserk Button: Both sides keep hitting eachother's buttons, driving the constant escalation throughout the story.
• Crazy-Prepared: The Bat-Family, naturally. After Red Hood's encounter with the Undersiders, the Bats come to the next fight with personal insecticide dispersal devices, and sonar-equipped batarangs for the dogs. After their second clash, Batman develops a wide-area insecticide sprayer to mount on the Batmobile. This comes back to bite them hard when Scarecrow gets his hands on the schematics.
• Culture Clash: A minor example, but the way Batman and vigilantes like him operate throws the Undersiders for a bit of a loop, seeing as how the DCU doesn't have things like the 'three-strikes rule' or the Birdcage. While they've managed to adapt somewhat well, they haven't really changed how they themselves operate as a group, meaning that it's only a matter of time until they overstep. They do just that when they not only kidnap Orphan but, much like how they would escalate back in Worm, they get Regent to try and take control of her with his powers. They then do it again when they threaten to reveal Batman's identity. To the Undersiders, at least Skitter and Tattletale, this makes perfect sense. To everyone else, it's a complete overreaction.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Red Hood gets subjected to one after encountering Skitter, Tattletale, Bitch, and Imp after he interrupts a meeting between all the mobs that have been hit by the Undersiders. He only manages to get one hit on Skitter with his knife, which only goes deep enough to necessitate light bandages thanks to her armor.
• Death Glare: The Bat-Glare is in full effect when Batman first interrogates Aisha. She mostly snarks it off, but it still manages to unsettle her. It comes back in full force when he angrily confronts Aisha after Orphan gets taken, outright terrifying her.
  • Oddly enough, when it gets to the prisoner exchange between Aisha and Cassandra, it's Stephanie who has this, not Bruce, who's doing his best to keep himself calm.
• Deliberate Values Dissonance: The Undersiders take the notion of being unmasked much more seriously than the Bat-Family expect, and view the threat to unmask them in kind as perfectly proportionate.
• Didn't Think This Through: From a meta perspective, Tattletale threatening to reveal Batman's identity as Bruce Wayne. To her, it's a perfect deterrent that will only result in mutually assured destruction if he decides to retaliate. Unfortunately for her, this isn't the only time that Bruce's identity has been discovered, let alone used against him by his enemies.
• Dysfunction Junction: Much like in canon, the Undersiders are this. All of the traumas not only concerning their pasts, but also the fresh ones they've gone through over the course of Worm are starting to build up and threaten to burst. Being stuck in Gotham isn't helping.
• Easily Forgiven: In-Universe; Cassandra urges Bruce to give the Undersiders, even Regent, a second chance after what they tried to do to her. The rest of the Batfamily, except for Stephanie with regards to Aisha, aren't willing to let it go; Cassie gently but firmly reminds them that it's her decision, and they don't have the right to be offended on her behalf.
• Enemy Mine: Just when it seems like a third fight is about to break out between the Undersiders and the Bat-Family, Scarecrow hijacks Gotham's emergency broadcast system to announce his new campaign of terror, using the Bat-Family's insecticide dispersal unit (which the Undersiders inadvertantly helped him obtain) to spread his fear toxin. Skitter offers to help, and after some convincing from Foil, Batman agrees to set aside their differences to take down Scarecrow.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Regent genuinely cares for Imp, and is genuinely, unusually furious when the Batfamily captures her.
• Evil Feels Good: Regent's excuse for using his powers on people. In fact, after the damage his father did to him, it's the only time he can feel anything at all.
• Foil: The Undersiders and the Bat-Family are this as a group and individually.
  • Taylor and Bruce: Both are the leaders of their respective teams who also cultivate a reputation as The Dreaded. Both believe that what they do is for the greater good and are willing to push or cross moral boundaries in order to uphold it. However, Bruce, for the most part, has a code of conduct that he absolutely refuses to compromise on and knows that he can go too far and tries to reign himself in. He also, despite the corruption around which he grew up in and faced during his early years, believes in the law and is willing to work with a select few who represent it. Taylor meanwhile has no faith whatsoever in any form of authority outside of her own and continually crosses moral lines that she knows she can't take back, but still believes (at this point in Worm canon) that what she's doing is necessary, even if it isn't the 'right' thing to do. In spite of this, deep down she is a good person and does what's best for the people around and under her.
  • Brian and Dick: Both are the right hand man to their respective leaders. Both come from impoverished upbringings, Brian from his abusive and neglectful parents and Dick when he was put into the foster system after his parents death. Both used to be in leadership positions to their teams, but where Brian eventually lost it to Taylor due to rapidly changing circumstances, Dick replaced Batman for a time after he died during Final Crisis. Unlike Dick, after he lost his old position, Brian struggled due to his trauma after fighting the Slaughterhouse Nine and never really returned to prominent position until after Taylor left and even now has trouble asserting his concerns. Bruce on the other hand fully trusts Dick to replace him as leader of the Bat-Family when he finally becomes incapable of doing so himself, and Dick even now is able to act as The Heart of the team, being the one person they all trust explicitly and without question, something which all of the Undersiders sorely lack.
  • Lisa and Tim: Both are members of the team who handle the more 'intelligence' aspects of the job, looking over information and collecting and gathering intel for the others and themselves to use. Both also have a reputation of being the smartest among their peers and even the adults among them. However, where Lisa's intelligence is due to her power, Bruce has stated that Tim is outright smarter than he is, and is one of the people he knows would be a suitable replacement should Dick refuse the Cowl for whatever reason. Tim also became Robin as a way to help Bruce emotionally after Jason died, seeing the dark path he was going down and wanting to help Batman remain the symbol of good that he is to so many people. Lisa on the other hand has a near pathological need to make herself be seen as the smartest person in the room (likely shard influenced, likely trauma based due to her past) and can't help but mouth off what she knows, even when it would be better to keep her mouth shut. Also, while Tim helped Bruce realign himself after a period of grief, Lisa ultimately encourages Taylor's worst aspects, acting as a toxic influence to her and makes her go down a dark path.
  • Alec and Jason: Both are the token evil teammate of the group, being far more comfortable using violent or unethical methods in order to get the job done. Both also come from broken households, though Alec's was far worse compared to what Jason went through. Both also resorted to crime early in their lives in order to support themselves at incredibly young ages. Whereas Jason was able to get out of that life thanks to Batman (while ironically stealing the hubcaps of the Batmobile), Alec had no such luck, and while early in his career as the at best anti-heroic and at worst nominally heroic Red Hood Jason had bouts of sociopathy, Alec is a full blown sociopath, who feels no regret for his actions, even if on some level he knows they're wrong. And while Jason may have been an out-and-out villain during his early years as Red Hood, he eventually made a better man of himself and resolved to be a better hero, Alec has no such desire to change and is perfectly fine being the way he is.
  • Sabah and Barbara: Both are the least combat focused of the groups, Barbara due to being paralyzed and Sabah having a power ill suited to combat, but even then Barbara is still more than able to take care of herself if the need arises. Sabah tries her best to be the voice of reason and the team mom of the group, but more often than not fails due to her lack of experience and connection with the rest of the Undersiders, and is incredibly uncomfortable with the direction the team is going. Barbara on the other hand has a much better time being this to not only the Bat-Family, but the entire heroic community due to her intelligence skills and hacking capabilites.
  • Rachel and Damian: Both are the most socially handicapped of the group, Rachel due to her trigger replacing her human instincts with canine ones, Damian due to being groomed as the successor to the League of Assassins. Rachel both has a better time relating to dogs and acts like one, while Damian has a fondness for animals to the point of being vegan and has an ego the size of China due to being told he's 'Heir to the Demon.' Both are also known to get in frequent bouts with their teammates due to their abrasive personalities, despite deep down caring for them. Like Alec, while Rachel has no problem with her criminal lifestyle, Damian was eventually able to better himself working with Bruce and Dick, even if he still has trouble with his more violent tendencies.
  • Aisha and Stephanie: Both are the gadflies of their respective groups, being bubbly, energetic and imaginative. Stephanie is like this more due to it just being her personality, while Aisha is this partly due to her ADHD (her brain rot as she calls it) and other issues from her mother's neglect, acting as a cry for attention. She also has further issues with impulse control due to other growing problems from her mother doing drugs while pregnant, and while Stephanie didn't have the best home life she was at least able to bounce back thanks to the help of Bruce and the rest of the Bat-Family. Aisha on the other hand, while getting a better support network with the Undersiders, is also sliding into crime because of said network, with her worst impulses being encouraged because of that. Both also have issues with being seen as holding the others in their teams back, Stephanie due to how harsh Bruce could be to her at times during her early career, whereas with Aisha it is more to do with her various issues hampering the team on more than one occasion. Despite this, both get along rather well because of these similarities.
  • Lily and Cassandra: Both are the best outright fighters on the team, having very similar abilities (Cassandra's body reading, Lily's superhuman timing from her shard). Both had difficult childhoods, Lily from growing up and bouncing around both the foster system and the Wards, Cassandra being groomed into a human weapon by her father David Cain. While Lily followed Sabah into the Undersiders both in order to look out for her and keep from going in too deep with a group of villains, she's also just desperate to be loved and Sabah was the only person willing to give it to her and reciprocate it, despite the age difference between the two. Cassandra on the other hand was able to escpae from her abusive situation and become adopted by Bruce, practically idolizing the man's staunch desire to protect human life at all costs. Both are also the most moral members of the team because of this, Cassandra ripping into Kate when she took Clayface's life, while Lily is trying to help Sabah in stopping the Undersiders from crossing too many moral lines, even secretly hating the team for forcing Sabah into evil from her perspective.
• Entertainingly Wrong: The Bat-Family and the Undersiders with regards to eachother. To wit:
  • Barbara, Tim, and Dick all try to figure out how the Undersiders work and where they came from. They try to deduce how their powers work with the logic of the DCU, with ideas ranging from Bitch being a Mad Scientist to Skitter using technology in her mask to control her insects. Dick in particular struggles to figure out their motives after they kidnap Cassandra, seeing it as outside of their short MO of stealing from the mob, and incongruous with how nice Imp is after talking with Stephanie.
  • Meanwhile, the Undersiders, a gang of teenagers and one adult who have been screwed over by every system that touched them, all believe that they're the only ones that can look after one another and refuse to seek any help from legitimate sources after being burned one too many times. Taylor in particular views the Justice League with open suspicion; viewing them as someone like Alexandria or Director Tagg with the power of a Scion-like entity at their fingertips. Of course, the Justice League don't operate like that, and even if it did, Superman would have none of it.
• Friendly Enemy: It doesn't take long for Stephanie to get on nice terms with Aisha during her time as a captive of Batman. Aisha even comments that she wouldn't mind the two of them being nemeses. Their relationship wavers after the rest of the Undersiders kidnap Orphan, but by the end of the story Aisha is welcome at the manor for Alfred's grilled cheese.
• Fun with Acronyms: Aisha attempts this in the epilogue, introducing herself to Alfred as Evalina Michelle Parker.
  Alfred: Evalina begins with an E, not an I."
  Beat
  Aisha: ... I'm gonna fucking kill him.
• Genre Savvy: Tattletale and Grue are able to recognize that, due to being in a different world and the heroes of the DCU acting differently from the Protectorate, they aren't going to have the same sort of ease to operate that they did back home due to Batman and his allies being able to focus solely on them since they're vigilantes and not a goverment organization like the PRT. However, it somewhat morphs into Wrong Genre Savvy when she and the Undersiders still operate the same way they did in Brockton Bay, leading them to work with the likes of The Penguin and Scarecrow so they can stage a fight to kidnap Orphan in order to gain an edge in a plan to recuse Imp after she's been taken hostage.
• Genre Shift: Due to the author taking main inspiration from Batman: Wayne Family Adventures in their portrayal of Batman and his supporting cast, the tone of the story is slightly more serious thanks to the inclusion of the Worm cast, coming across more like a mainline Batman comic.
• I Know What You Fear: Skitter goes through a rather harrowing version of this, courtesy of Scarecrow's Fear Toxin.
• Malaproper: Imp mispronounces 'copacetic' as 'copapathetic'.
• Not in Kansas Anymore: While the phrase itself isn't said, the same general feelings it evokes are felt by the Undersiders during their stay in Gotham. Brian sees himself slipping into old habits to cope with his PTSD from Bonesaw, while Rachel just gets a general sense that there's something slightly off with the city despite not being able to explain why.
• Outside-Context Problem: The Undersiders. Not to a great extent, as Batman has faced equally and far more dangerous enemies than Skitter and her crew, but their clear experience and pragmatic tactics despite appearing from out of nowhere, not to mention the differing mechanics of their powers, causes some hurdles during their first encounters.
  • Conversely, The DCU and its heroes are one to the Undersiders. Seeing as how the likes of Superman and the The Justice League are not at all like the PRT or Protectorate, the Undersiders are, for once, actually in a world where its heroes are competent. However, despite the likes of Lisa and Brian recognizing this, it becomes something of an Ignored Epiphany when they still act the same way they usually do in their home universe, which leads them to making some missteps when fighting Batman and his group.
• Pet the Dog: Not literally in Rachel's case, but she spends time with Taylor as a way of showing that she cares for her and as thanks for always looking out for the needs and wants of the team as best she can.
  • Alec truly cares for Aisha despite being a sociopath, calling out to her after Batman flees with her in tow after their confrontation. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get her back, such as using his powers on Cass to give the team an edge against the Batclan.
• Poor Communication Kills: While thankfully no one actually dies, this is the main reason why the two groups come into conflict. The Undersiders, a group of abused and disenfranchised teenagers (and one adult) are too set in their belief that Adults Are Useless to reach out to any of the hero groups of the DCU for help getting home, not to mention the impending apocalypse of their world. They don't go to Batman in particular due to the first member of his team they meet being Red Hood, who's use of guns and past brutality sours their already low opinion of Gotham's heroes. The sad irony is that, if they were willing to actually talk with him, Batman would have no issue helping them get home nor with helping save it as well.
  • This trope is also in play with the Undersiders themselves. Brian has trouble voicing his concerns and issues with what the team does due to his PTSD, which is also the same issue Sabah herself has due to her insecurities of dealing with a team of troubled yet efficient teenagers and feeling like they don't value the words of the Token Good Teammate. It comes to a head when the vote to use Regent's power on Orphan passes, causing Sabah and Lily to honestly consider just cutting their loses and Brian going behind the teams back and arrange a deal with Nightwing.
    • Which then leads to Skitter and Tattletale overcompensating by blackmailing Batman with his secret identity: Bruce Wayne.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: In stark contrast to his usual portrayals, Bruce is this after Steph talks to him and says that he's going a bit too far with his usual interrogation methods with Imp. To her surprise and shock, he agrees with her and lets her take point on getting close to her.
• Token Good Teammate: Parian tries to be this. Too bad that, on a team with Skitter and Tattletale, her concerns go unheard and ignored more often than not.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: A short yet succinct one from Cassandra to Alec, in a last desperate attempt to get him to get him to stop trying to take control of her with his power. After learning of his past and what his father did to him, she says that while her father tried to make her into a weapon and failed, Alec's father succeeded in turning him into a sort of 'successor.' It actually manages to piss him off enough to tase her into silence.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: After the team votes to let Regent try and control Orphan, Grue, reaching his wits end after his frustration with Tattletale and Skitter boils over, goes behind the team's back and makes a deal with Nightwing to free Imp from the Batclan. He realizes that what he's doing isn't all that different from what Taylor did when it was revealed she tried acting as a mole, but he doesn't care and he'll face the consequences when the time comes.
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: Brian is this, still recovering after his encounter with Bonesaw. He's noted as being caught staring into nothing at times, and his chapters mention how he's sliding back into old coping habits due to being stuck in Gotham. He was actually starting to do somewhat better before he and his team wound up stuck in another world, but the stress and tension of the situation is starting to get to everyone, him in particular.
• Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism: The Undersiders operate on the more cynical side of the equation, with ironically the grim and gritty Dark Knight residing on the more optimistic end. This causes tension for the two groups. Even In-Universe this trope comes into play when, after kidnapping Orphan as retribution for Robin and Batman taking Imp as a prisoner, the Undersiders argue over whether or not to have Regent use his abilities to take control of Cass. Taylor, Lisa, Rachel and Regent vote yes against Sabah, Lily, and Brian, of all people, voting no.
• Smug Super: Lisa. Not in the sense that she views herself as better than everyone else due to her powers, but it definitely comes across in her interactions with Red Hood and Batman. Even when Sabah tries to voice her concerns with what the group is doing in Gotham, she mostly just brushes her off or rolls her eyes at her. Granted, like in canon, this is more of a front and a bad habit of Lisa just not knowing when to stop running her mouth. It's clear during her POV chapter that the situation they're in is stressing her out and she's struggling to keep together.
• The Sociopath: Regent, though he's a slightly more sympathetic version than most. His chapters note how he knows that what he does and what's been done to him are wrong and messed up, but he's more concerned with experiencing the emotions and feelings of others in order to feel them himself, almost like a drug. The only somewhat redeeming factor he has is his relationship with Imp, but given that he's willing to subject Cassandra to his power to try and take her over, which given her history is akin to a Fate Worse than Death for her, it still showcases he is not a good person.
• Superman Stays Out of Gotham: The main reason the Undersiders don't "run for the hills" is because of Gotham's comparatively low metahuman population. Or, as local social media calls it, #NoMetasInGotham.
  • Subverted in the penultimate chapter, where Superman has indeed come to Gotham.
• Switching P.O.V.: Each chapter rotates between the different members of the Undersiders and Bat-Family told in third-person limited, much like the interlude chapters of Worm. Every member of both teams gets a chapter to themselves, with two chapters that switch POVs more than once.
• Sympathy for the Devil: Cassandra genuinely sympathizes, even empathizes with Alec, and tries her best to reach out to him during her captivity. Sadly, Alec is too bitter over Imp's capture to listen.
• Terror Hero: Batman, as per usual. However, this trope winds up working against him, as it results in the Undersiders, who already have issues with authority, not going to him for help due to the tactics he uses and the spotty history of Red Hood, the first of his allies they encounter.
• Token Good Teammate: Sabah and Lily are still this as Parian and Foil. However, given the new circumstances they find themselves in with Gotham and the actions the rest of the Undersiders are willing to take to get home, the two honestly discuss the idea of rescuing Orphan and outright abandoning the team.
• Trapped in Another World: Due to unexplained circumstances with the portal that opened in Brockton Bay, The Undersiders find themselves transported to The DCU, specifically Gotham City and trying to find a way home.
• Tranquil Fury: Batman when he marches into Imp's cell and demands answers on what the Undersiders have done to Orphan. Imp notes that she wasn't that scared of him during their first interrogation. She is now.
• Trauma Button: Cassandra is very sensitive to the notion of her being or becoming a living weapon. After the Undersiders take her prisoner, Alec practically mashes that button with impunity.
  • Right before Brian interrupts them, Cassandra hit's Alec's button in turn by comparing him to his father.
  Cassandra: Father. Made me. Made weapon.
  Alec: And I'm so terribly sorry for your loss.
  Cassandra: Yours. Made... Successor.
  • After Defiant and Dragon unmasked her in front of her entire school, Skitter is very sensitive about the notion of being unmasked again. Sadly she and her team are in Gotham, where unmasking villains is par for the course. When Orphan unmasks her during their fight, Skitter is furious.
    • Scarecrow ends up mashing every Trauma Button Skitter has in the finale, courtesy of a facefull of Fear Toxin.
• Troll: Imp calls Batman a gimp to his face.
• We ARE Struggling Together: The Undersiders are this, since being trapped in Gotham while knowing that their world is going to end in two years in conjunction with all the various issues the group has are starting to boil over. It culminates in Grue going behind the team's back by freeing Cassandra from Regent's attempts to control her after arranging an exchange with Nightwing to get his sister back.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Taylor is in top form here. After being trapped in Gotham and knowing that she's on a ticking clock since her world is ending in two years, she is frantically trying to find a way home and is willing to not only work with the likes of The Penguin and Scarecrow, who's crimes match and in some cases outright exceed the worst that her home universe have to offer, but is also willing to let Alec use his powers on Cassandra, even though she thought he went too far in using them on Shadow Stalker, one of the bullies who tormented her for so long in canon. And all of this because she can't bring herself to trust the DCU's heroes due to her own prejudices against authority.
• Wham Line: After Grue forces an exchange between the Undersiders and the Bat-Family for Imp, Tattletale reveals that she knows Batman is Bruce Wayne in an attempt to keep them from any sort of reprisals for what they tried to do to Orphan.
  Tattletale: And because you do things differently here, lemme put this into words you'll understand. I don't have a staff, but just imagine me twirling one.
  She spun her hand to complete the picture. He watched her savour the moment as her gaze honed in on Batman.
  Tattletale: So, tough guy. Riddle. Me. This.
  The heroes responded, Hood kicking off his tree and Robin reaching for his sheath. Tattletale's mouth was faster than both.
  Tattletale: No amount of wealth will hide the pain. The parents are gone, but the child remains. Who am I?
  Tattletale grinned mercilessly as her words sunk in.
  Tattletale: Never been great with rhymes, but I think it gets the point across.
• What Is This Feeling?: Regent, who normally doesn't feel much of anything at all, is a bit surprised at how angry he feels after the Batfamily captures Imp. As he explains to Orphan while he's using his power to take control of her body:
  Alec: See, I’m telling you this, because normally what I do... it isn’t personal.
  It was survival against his father. Or the Nine. Or Coil. Sometimes it was survival against another day spent being him.
  Alec: In all honesty, I don't even care that much about your whole 'colony of bats' thing, he admitted. There had been dumber costumes back home.
  Alec: Then you took Imp, he said, enunciating each word with deliberate slowness. Maybe some of the others are undecided. But I made my mind up yesterday.
  He twisted the muscles in her forearm, just because he could. Cassie didn’t make a sound.
  Alec: So I’m not doing this because it seems like the sort of thing people should do in this situation. Hell, I’m not even doing it because of the vote.
  He settled down on his throne, grasping her nervous system with both hands.
  Alec: I’m doing this because I want to do this.
  And that thought terrified him.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: The Bat-Family initially assume Bitch is some sort of Mad Scientist, and that Skitter controls her swarms with technology in her mask. The latter assumption bites them hard when Cassandra unmasks Taylor during their fight, which accomplishes nothing and further convinces Taylor that the Bat-Family cannot be trusted.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Cassandra repeatedly urges Alec that its not too late to be better, even as he's using his power to slowly, painfully, take control of her body. It rattles him, but not enough to get him to stop.

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