.:E a r l y . L i f e:.

. : The granddaughter of one of Gotham City’s most dangerous crime lords, Rupert Thorne, Alexandra Rosalie Thorne {L e x i} was all too familiar with the dismal streets of Park Row, otherwise known as Crime Alley. Raised on both wrong and right, Alexandra never found a balance between the two and watched as it manifested in the forms of her parents Flint Thorne, a skilled hitman working for his father, and Samantha Gordon-Thorne, a once aspiring gymnast whose ideals matched that of her brother’s, one of Gotham’s few straight cops.

Alexandra first laid eyes on the Batman when he appeared in her grandfather’s study the night her father was incarcerated into Blackgate penitentiary for dealings in his father’s business. The eight year old girl was quick to idolize the Dark Knight when she realized he had been the balance of right and wrong in Gotham. Once the Bat had left, Alexandra began drawing her own costume and promised herself that she would have no part in her grandfather’s business but would one day be its end.

Shortly after that night, Alexandra sped down to her grandfather’s study to collect costume sketches she had hidden within the pages of a book entitled ‘Crime and Punishment.’ Finding the double doors left slightly ajar and hearing hushed voices; Alexandra peered through the cracked door to see her grandfather consorting with Willis Todd, a man who grew up with her father and turned to petty thievery. Listening from behind the door, what she made of the conversation seemed to be mild, until her grandfather grabbed Todd by the jacket and spit words into his face that would ring in the back of her head as clear as if they were said directly to her.“I want Samantha Gordon dead. Take care of it.”

Alexandra couldn’t find the words in her throat to tell her mother what she had heard, and so Samantha remained unaware of Rupert and Willis’ meeting and took Alexandra to Haly’s Circus for her ninth birthday celebration, believing her daughter’s speechless behavior to be excitement. When they arrived, Alexandra and her mother were greeted by the Flying Graysons, Samantha and Mary Grayson having been old friends. It was then Alexandra encountered Dick Grayson for the first time, having a crush on the older boy’s charm her worries were pushed to the back of her mind.

Interrupted by a wealthy looking family asking for a picture with the Graysons, the old friends promised to catch up after the performance; however the meeting did not come to pass as anticipated. After witnessing the death of John and Mary Grayson, Samantha picked up Alexandra and rushed to Dick’s side who sat with Samantha’s brother Police Commissioner James Gordon. As Dick explained to the commissioner what he had witnessed between Mr. Haly and _______, Alexandra’s fears returned.

Making their way home from the circus, Alexandra walked close to her mother with her head down, when a figure turned the corner and pulled the trigger, hitting Samantha in the chest. Alexandra let out a terrified scream, alerting the Police still patrolling the Circus tent, and the gunman took off, leaving her kneeling in a pool of her mother’s blood. Finally able to form the words she regretted not telling her mother she told her uncle everything and James Gordon was able to arrest Willis Todd as he was the only suspect in the case but unable to touch Rupert who became Alexandra’s legal guardian.

Following her mother’s death and the incarceration of her murderer, Alexandra took to the streets of Gotham at the age of 10 where she picked up Parkour and crossed paths with Jason Todd. At first the two bickered incessantly over the assumption that she was a spoiled brat, and he a petty thief; but when she followed him home to a rundown apartment building and saw his mother passed out on the couch, she offered him a meal and snuck him into her room on the second floor of Rupert’s apartment, and the two truly came to understand each other’s situations.

Though she disagreed with his thieving, the duo were almost inseparable for two years, Jason giving her the nickname ‘Lexi’ and loosely calling her ‘his girl’ when referring to her to others. When returning to Jason’s home one night, they stumbled across the Batmobile parked conspicuously in an alleyway and despite Alexandra’s protests; Jason proceeded to remove the tires from the car, nearly done when they were caught by a baffled Bat. After that night, Jason was placed in a boarding school courtesy of the philanthropist billionaire Bruce Wayne and Alexandra was taken from her Grandfather’s custody and adopted by her uncle James Gordon.

Alexandra would not see Jason for months after the adoption, though she developed a sister-like bond with her cousin Barbara Gordon. Barbara, being the first person she divulged her secret dream of becoming a crime fighting vigilante, found it humorously ironic however taught Alexandra everything she knew of Gymnastics when she asked. Alexandra was quick to discover Barbara’s secret identity of Batgirl while studying the similarities in their movements and as a result she finished her first suit and once again took to Gotham’s nights alone. :.