rekindleme | [Open] To Find a Bat

Entry tags:

[Open] To Find a Bat

Who: Barbara, Batman, and whoever wants to meet her (Specify whether before or after she meets up with Bats, though0
Where: Everywhere (not off limits, anyway)
When: June 10th, through the day.
Summary: Exploring the town, and teaching Sissel how not to lick himself in public.
Warnings: Batglares.

It was another night in costume for Barbara, standing on a rooftop with her cape fluttering behind. It made little snapping noises as the wind pulled it taught. Both hands on her hips, creating an image for anyone who might look up. She'd usually use it to scare criminals. Right now she was using herself as a bat signal, though, her eyes looking not for criminals but for her favorite caped crusader.

She'd stay up there for maybe half an hour before getting bored, and taking to the streets - whether he showed up or not . Barbara knew he was around somewhere - in one identity of his or another. She just had to find him.

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She wasn't entirely sure how she was meant to take that, but she assumed it meant that she was the one being threatening. She rubbed her arm, feeling awkward. Would it really hurt anything to confide in the strange girl, just a little? Would it help anything? Only one way to find out.

"Yeah. I've kinda only been Batgirl for a few weeks. The one before me, she gave me her costume and left. It's been a struggle." Every other person she met seemed convinced that she was a fraud, Batman and Robin included.

"What about you? How'd you get the gig?"

It was as much a deflection as a threat: trying to pump herself up by saying Batman trusted her. Trying to ignore the idea that maybe he preferred a Batgirl like this. Or might not even be from her world to know her.

The few weeks comment, though, changed things a little. It was hard to be childish when listening to someone making a confession like that.

"I made the costume and stalked him for a month," she admitted, before adding, "That was two years ago."

"Stalked him, huh." She had to grin at that. It was kind of cute, really. Clearly this girl idolized Batman like Steph had when she was little. Before she realized that nobody was going to save her but herself. She moved over to the edge of the roof and sat down, letting her legs dangle over the street below.

"I started out on my own four years ago. Well, mostly on my own. You can't really go solo in Gotham. Batman's too much of a control freak."

"He sort of changes his tune once you save his butt a few times," Barbara promised, smiling faintly.

"Not that it makes much difference these days," she muttered, good mood fading faintly as she glared into the moonlight. "Apparently replacing me didn't stop with Robi."

"How many times is a few? Twenty?" She had saved his life plenty of times, but he still fired her, and tried to fire her some more, and generally just refused to treat her like a part of the team. She had to admit she was a little jealous 'Barbara' had seen his softer side.

"Nobody can replace you. Even if they take the same name, they're not replacing you. They're carrying on your legacy." As Robin she had to learn that herself. Of course, she didn't really learn it until after she had been fired, nearly killed, and eventually returned. Such was life.

"Is that why he's always training RObin instead of me?" she asked, still not looking at Steph. She was irritated.

"He can list off the president's phone number, but I bet he doesn't even know my birthday..."

She's mad at him for not being there.

She still couldn't quite believe it, Batgirl coming before Robin, him being a new thing. Even if she was feeding into a delusion, she could definitely relate. It didn't help much that she knew Dick's story and why he became Robin in the first place.

"No, that's because he's a jerk." The look she gave Babs said that there was nothing either of them could do about that. "And probably sexist."

"Robin probably needs it more, anyway," she muttered, feeling suddenly defensive - of Batman and her annoying little brother figure.

"They sort of have a special relationship..." Barbara added, trying not to look disappointed.

There was no use defending Batman to Stephanie. Her feelings towards the man were intense and very mixed. How could they not, when she had 'died' in his service? She shook her head.

"If by 'special' you mean he hand-picked him. Like I said, control freak. He doesn't like it when you don't dance to his tune."

"I don't know how much picking went into it," she said, vaguely. Finally she glanced back at Steph - a little uncertain. To accept that Steph was who she said, and make her own peace offering? Or... not.

"I'll use names if you do."

Steph just shrugged. Her world could be different enough that Robin's story was entirely different. How would they know?

Then she looked at the girl like she was crazy.

"No way, not out in the open like this. You don't know who might be listening."

"On a rooftop?" she asked, clearly skeptical of anyone having a microphone up there. She didn't think buildings were really any better, but she started scouting the area anyway. A little break wouldn't hurt.

"So where?" her eyes were locked on the forbidden zones. Maybe there'd be less security.

She wanted to compare knowledge. Make sure they really were both who they said they were.

"You've been doing this two years and you can't figure out security?" She didn't mean it to be as critical as it came out, but seriously. She wanted to start throwing their secret identities around in a place where they could be overheard by metas, bugged, watched, or even psychically stalked. At the very least they could eliminate a couple of those threats.

"We need to find an empty building we can scope out for bugs. The outskirts of town is probably good."

"I haven't been caught this far," she said, crossing her arms and scowling a tiny bit. She was still scouting, though, and she eventually pointed to a small place bordering the forbidden zone.

"How's that?"

"Then you've been lucky." But she got to her feet, turning to eye the building Barbara pointed to. She couldn't see it well from here, but it looked to be in a decent location.

"Race you there." And with that she was off, soaring through the air in the direction of the building.

"I've been good," she corrected, not appreciating the implications as she took off herself. She moved at top speeds, flipping from rooftop to rooftop - not afraid to use her grappling hook.

...It helped that her world didn't have nearly so many metahumans walking about, comparatively - especially not with special hearing. She didn't tend to use real names, either, but she'd been trying to be nice.

Maybe by your standards, she thought to herself, though she was tactful enough not to say it out loud. She was amazed Batman let her get away with such lax security, and wondered whether or not he truly did.

She said nothing as they raced across the night sky, paying little attention to the idea of a 'race'. She remained silent when they reached the building, putting a finger to her lips to signal Barbara to do the same. She peered sidelong through the windows first, ensuring that the building was in fact empty. Then she motion for her companion to enter and did so herself, beginning a thorough search of the building for bugs or signs that someone might be watching.

It didn't really... come up with Batman. She was a bit more cautious on her own world. Where people might actually recognize the names. ...Besides, Batman had spilled her secret identity on a rooftop just like that, once upon a time.

Barbara kept her own thoughts to herself as well, though, as she raced ahead to the building. She actually was trying for the flush of victory, though she had the good grace to slow down before plowing straight into the building. Even if Steph's security levels caused an eye roll, she still turned to searching for bugs.

Whatever Steph could do, Batgirl was going to do better.

Steph pointedly ignored any eye-rolling with the smug sense of for once in her life being the most paranoid person in the room. The last time that happened she was training with Black Canary, and the woman didn't even really have a secret identity.

Inside she found a corner away from any windows, and having determined that there were no bugs she pushed her hair away from her shoulders.

"Unless we've got any meta eavesdroppers we should be safe here. I'm not too worried about M'gann."

"So how do we do this?" she asked, still studying one of the walls. It was a bit easier than just glancing at Steph.

"Shout a name we should both know on three?" She figures it's the easiest way to confirm they're both really who they say they are.

Steph crossed her arms and considered the redhead critically. What was a good way to test her that wouldn't risk revealing too much to someone who didn't need to know?

"Has he told you who he is?" That was as good a place as any to start. Besides, Steph needed to know how much Babs knew.

She nodded, a little uncertain about throwing out Bruce's name. it gave too much of the game away. Plus, he was actually there - and she didn't want to see his expression if he ever found out.

"I was thinking maybe we'd start with Robin?"

She shook her head. She didn't want to use any names, secure location or no. They weren't her names to give.

"Name one way into the cave. Vaguely," she added, almost in warning.

She opens her mouth. Closes it. then names one of the mansion entrances - careful not to actually mention words like mansion or Wayne.

Did that really prove anything, though?

It proved a few things, and Steph nodded her approval. Babs did know who Bruce was, and had apparently been in the cave. She herself named one of the entrances accessible from the road, the one she had used as Spoiler before she knew who Batman was.

"Well, you check out. Mostly. And you seriously joined up as sidekick before the boy wonder?" That she had the most trouble believing, both the first status and the term 'sidekick'.

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