Join Sigma Iota Theta Delta.

It was risky, incredibly so. But he couldn’t deny joining Sigma Delta was his best option to actually get to the bottom of whatever was going on here. But he wasn’t about to go in unprepared. He’d done another bout of research into the sorority’s background, there were some controversies about hazing and ****, and even a few disappearances such as the Jane Doe he’d found over in Gotham.

He’d considered a dozen different infiltration options, each with a dozen different sub-options. However, none seemed as viable as the direct route of joining the sorority. Anytime he spent on other options was time he could have spent building a rapport amongst its members, establishing Caroline as trustworthy, and making use of the privileges of membership to access restricted areas.

There was a final bit of preparation he needed to complete first though. While he wished to avoid unnecessary additional changes to his physiology, using the skinsuit to induce appropriate mannerisms may be required for this plan. In the past he’d only ever been Caroline Hill in a professional setting, adapting that persona to a casual setting while also adapting to the new sensitivity and proportions of his altered body meant a risky number of variables to keep track of and a growing probability of drawing suspicion.

He needed assistance to ensure these new artificial mannerisms were realistic, and there was only one person he knew who could get him the right data quickly. He found himself in a secluded spot a little while away from the campus, one of twenty-seven he had located as potential safe havens or vantage points for himself during his initial scouting. This was an old abandoned garden on top of a mostly deserted apartment complex, and he had already determined the best way to get to it without being seen. Making it the perfect place for this communication.

Barbara was suspicious and mildly confused at who he was before he confirmed his identity with security codes and personal knowledge, then amused by both his new body and request.

“So that’s where you ran off to? Bludhaven College… And now you need to… join a sorority?”

The stifled snort of a giggle echoed through the speakers.

“Don’t laugh, Oracle,” he sighed.

“Yes. They may have some clue to what’s linking all these cases together.”

Oracle hummed in consideration, the noise of typing following soon after.

“Okay, I can get you the data you need… but please be careful Tim.”

“Hey, it’s not like this is my first time going undercover. But yeah, I’ll be careful. Don’t worry.”

“I know. But if something happens… Nightwing may have returned to Gotham recently, but he still knows Bludhaven well enough to get to your location quickly if needed.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Oracle.”

The data was transferred to his phone soon after through a secure channel, and Tim set to work configuring the newly modified setting screens into something workable to let him pass more seamlessly.

“Alright… just need to enter Barbara's new configuration for the type of girl who’d fit right in with a college sorority…”

The new alterations activated and the nanobots scattered through his body fired out, causing him to temporarily stumble and catch himself against a wall. A dizzying sensation shot through his entire nervous system as sections of it were rewritten as per the updated settings of the skinsuit. Eventually he regained his bearings, and rubbed his head.

“Ugh… my head… maybe I should have…”

He trailed off and blinked at the voice which came out of his mouth, it was still familiar as Caroline’s… but now carried a noticeably different more feminine affliction. He coughed and tested it again.

“Did my voice change again? Hm… Seems so. well this will help with communicating at least.”

He shook his head to clear it, and tried walking across the roof. He paid close attention to his new body language, and noticed how there was now a slight sway of his hips. Sitting down on an old chair, he instinctively crossed his legs. He crossed his arms, now in a manner which seemed to push up and better show off Caroline’s modest bust, even with the med student scrubs still mostly obscuring her figure. His posture as whole, especially now that he was sitting, felt more naturally relaxed. He even found himself leaning forward slightly.

“Alright… this will take some getting used to. But it should work to make me more inconspicuous. Still a risk, but that’s all part of being Caroline HIll… I mean, all part of being a college student.”

Rubbing his throat, he blinked. He had meant to say all part of being Red Robin, and then tried to instead say all part of being a vigilante detective. Had the effects of Barbara’s new configurations to his motor cortex also made it so he could not speak his identity aloud? That was… somewhat concerning, but admittedly useful.

He could always reconfigure the settings if it was too much, for now he’s wasted enough time. He needed to get inside Sigma Delta.

————

Lizzie turned out to live up to her claims of being able to set up an initiation ceremony quickly, as soon after Tim arrived at the Sigma Delta building he found himself carted off before he could take much time to observe the inside of the main entrance area. Cloaked sorority sisters poured in not long after, encircling around him.

It was a large oval basement room where the ceremony took place, the ceiling was the other most eye-drawing feature of the room apart from the cloaked sorority girls. It was covered with a mural of various sea creatures, some real and others mythological. He knew Bludhaven was a historic whaling town, so ocean-themed architecture was to be expected, he supposed. Still, any potential symbolism was worth noting for later analysis.

Lizzie stepped forward to face him.

“Caroline Hill! Do you swear to be a good member of the sisterhood? To be a Sigma Iota Theta Delta girl until the very end! To uphold the values of our sorority of unity, respect and bringing us to a brighter tomorrow?”

No backing out now.

“Yes. I swear.”

Lizzie beamed and handed him a goblet of bubbling pink liquid.

“Drink up!”

He stared down at the beverage, was he about to get roofied or something? If there were any **** inside, the skinsuit’s automatic defences should filter out anything too harmful at least. The liquid fizzled down his throat, and soon he became lightheaded.

Roofie it was… At least he’d already taken the liberty of hacking the fire detection system of the campus, and was prepared to set it off remotely to provide a distraction if this went badly.