Barbara becoming Batgirl was good for Gotham. She was smart, capable, and had the right motivations. But she was also inexperienced. Her eight months of training wasn't enough. She'd get hurt or worse.
Unless someone helped her.
James couldn't reveal his identity as Sovereign. But he could help indirectly. Guide her training as James Carter. Make suggestions. Provide resources.
He pulled out his phone and texted Barbara.
"Hey, random question. You mentioned you were taking Krav Maga. I've been thinking about learning martial arts myself. Any recommendations for instructors?"
She replied within minutes. "Yeah! I train at Gotham Defensive Arts. Instructor is great. You should check it out."
"Thanks. Might stop by next week."
James now had a connection to Barbara's training. He could monitor her progress. Offer suggestions without being obvious.
He visited Gotham Defensive Arts three days later. The gym was exactly what he'd expected. Basic facility. Practical training. Good fundamentals but limited advanced work.
James signed up for classes. Used his civilian identity. Demonstrated competence but not expertise. Didn't want to draw attention.
Barbara was there during his second session. She'd gotten much better since he'd last sparred with her over a year ago. Her technique was solid. Her dedication was obvious.
But she was learning the wrong things. Krav Maga was great for self-defense. Not ideal for vigilante work. She needed more comprehensive training. Multiple arts. More versatile skills.
James approached her after class.
"You're really good," he said. "How long have you been training?"
"About eight months seriously. You?"
"On and off for a while. Trying to get more serious about it though."
They talked about training goals. James carefully suggested she might benefit from cross-training. Maybe add some grappling skills. Some weapon defense.
"Actually, I've been thinking the same thing," Barbara admitted. "Krav Maga is good but it feels limited. Like I'm only learning half of what I need."
"I know a few places that teach more comprehensive systems. I could share some information if you want."
"That'd be great."
Over the next two weeks, James guided Barbara toward better training resources. Recommended dojos. Suggested online instructional content. Offered to spar with her occasionally to test her skills.
All of it carefully calibrated. He was helping her become a better fighter without revealing his own expertise. Playing the role of enthusiastic amateur who happened to have good resources.
Barbara absorbed everything. She was a natural learner. Smart enough to recognize quality instruction. Dedicated enough to put in the hours.
Within a month, her capabilities had noticeably improved. She'd added Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to her training. Started working with weapons. Her movement was becoming more fluid.
She was approaching competence. Not quite ready for real vigilante work, but getting there.
James wondered if he should do more. Offer direct training. Reveal some of his capabilities.
But that was too risky. It would raise questions he couldn't answer. Why was a businessman so skilled in combat? Where did he learn? What was he hiding?
Better to remain indirect. Guide from the shadows. Let Barbara develop naturally while ensuring she had good resources.
Batman would train her eventually anyway. Dick Grayson would probably help too. James's role was just to accelerate the timeline slightly. Make sure she was as prepared as possible when she made her debut.
Because Gotham needed Batgirl. Needed all the heroes it could get.
The city was too broken for any one person to fix. Even someone as capable as Batman couldn't be everywhere.
That was the insight James had come to over the past months. Individual power wasn't enough. You needed networks. Teams. Allies.
He was building those relationships now. With Barbara. With Timothy Drake's family. With the business community.
When the time came, when major threats emerged, James would have resources beyond just his personal capabilities.
That was how you survived in a world of gods.
Not by being the strongest alone.
By being the smartest also.
By having the best connections. By being positioned perfectly when opportunities arose.
James Carter was playing the long game.
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