Tim's fist connected and he instantly regretted agreeing to this exercise.
Stephanie doubled over his arm without a sound. He had instinctively
struck her after she exhaled, with a blow intended to make her diaphragm
spasm. Though she couldn't breathe, to her credit she did manage to
clumsily evade the next three strikes before falling to her knees signaling
she was finished. She knelt hunched with hands on knees, gasping.
"You...pulled (huff) your punch."
"Steph..." Tim squatted next to her but she wasn't finished.
"And those last three were like quarter speed."
She looked up and realized he wasn't even sweating. It had taken him less than a minute to bring her down this time. The most frustrating part was that she knew he'd started going easy on her lately yet she seemed to be getting worse.
"You know I hate sparing with you. You're not a thug, Steph. I don't want to break ribs. Why don't you ask Batgirl to do this? She doesn't have the emotional attachment I do, and she has better control."
"Which just means she can hit me harder without serious injury." Stephanie idly touched her jaw.
Tim couldn't help but chuckle. "Isn't that what you want?"
She glared at him. He sat back on his elbows.
"Wait. You just chastised me for pulling punches yet you won't take them from someone that you know won't go light on you?"
"She broke my jaw." Steph retorted incredulously.
"It was a hairline fracture." He laughed "If you're afraid of something as little as..."
She was suddenly on her feet seething. "I am Not afraid!" Her voice rose to a confrontational level and Tim grimaced.
"Steph," He rose and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "That's not what I meant." She relaxed somewhat and closed her eyes trying to take comfort in his embrace.
"I just want to be good enough, Tim." She could feel the burning behind her eyes but wouldn't allow herself to cry. Tim half grinned.
"Believe me I understand." He turned her to face him. "But if there's one thing I've learned from this whole business it's that you need to be good enough for yourself first. If you're doing this because Batman says you're not, then believe me, you never will be."
"Then how will I know?" she couldn't keep her voice from shaking slightly. "Who will tell me when it's enough?" He looked down into her eyes.
"You will, Steph. But, you have to be honest with yourself."
"What do you mean?" she pulled away slightly.
He closed his eyes a moment then opened them to hold her gaze again.
"You have to consider...that this may be your best."
"What?" she whispered, eyes narrowed.
"You've worked so hard" he went on hastily. "You've put everything into learning these fighting techniques, and...well, if this is the level you're capable of then you need to accept that. That needs to be good enough."
She wrenched away and stared as if he'd driven a knife into her. There was no holding back the tears now.
"You're on his side!" She sobbed. Tim reached out for her again.
"This isn't about him, Steph, it's about you." But she backed away.
"Even you won't give me a chance!"
He made no effort to stop her as she stormed out the door, but sighed heavily when she was gone. There was no reasoning with her when she was this way. He caught himself wondering if she was menstruating and imagined Barbara smacking him upside the head.
********
Spoiler had come to this crazy part of town looking for trouble knowing all along she should have at least stayed in contact with Tim. But, he'd made his feelings on the matter quite plain in her view. She wanted to get in over her head tonight. She wanted to take on too much and triumph. Spoiler needed to know she was good enough and she felt this was the only way to prove it to herself.
She'd been fuming and flying again, never noticing the attention she was attracting from a particularly vicious gang. This little purple caped crusader was a perfect target. She reeked of "Bat Clan" but seemed much more vulnerable. The perfect scapegoat for any spurned criminal. Her line was cut and at first she'd fought the first three off rather well, but a savage kick to the ribs had sent her sprawling as even more thugs ran into the alley. So, she ran. They hadn't picked this alley randomly. It was more than just a dead end; it was a tomb. She whirled around as the leader grappled her.
"Let's see our pretty prize shall we boys?" He didn't wait for their hoots of agreement before ripping her mask off taking the hood with it.
She felt absurdly naked with her hood off in front of this total stranger. The irony of this thought almost made her laugh in spite of her situation. She was certain of what they had in mind for her. He wanted his fun and she wanted to flee. She decided then that one of them would die trying.
The man hesitated and she cursed herself for projecting her move, but it was to her advantage that he'd pulled away somewhat before her head collided with the bridge of his nose. She had more leverage that way. Spoiler did not consider this, however, since she was already chiding herself for her next mistake. It was a solid blow but he was much more resilient than she'd anticipated; unnaturally so. He stumbled back with a curse but did not release her arm. She reacted expecting to instantly engage the next six but was instead whipped straight back into her captor. His grip was astounding and she realized too late that he was hyped.
"Don't leave yet, freak. We're just getting started with you." This time he pinned her to the wall so hard she thought her arms would break. "You'd have to kill us to stop us now and it pretty obvious you're not going to." He pressed himself against her and she cried out as one of her broken ribs swam under the pressure. Her vision went black and she was sure she'd lose consciousness.
"She won't but I will." Came another male voice from above and to her left. She heard a sickening crunch and suddenly, the brute who'd been holding her crumpled to the ground. Spoiler felt something splash onto her face and forced her eyes open. She saw the back of a strong, blonde man as he faced the others.
Oh good, she thought, he's on my side.
With no one holding her up she slumped to the ground which sent another crack of pain through her body. As her eyes fluttered before she passed out entirely, Stephanie considered: Good thing too. He's wearing a hockey jersey but he's beating them with a baseball bat...with nails sticking out of it.
"You...pulled (huff) your punch."
"Steph..." Tim squatted next to her but she wasn't finished.
"And those last three were like quarter speed."
She looked up and realized he wasn't even sweating. It had taken him less than a minute to bring her down this time. The most frustrating part was that she knew he'd started going easy on her lately yet she seemed to be getting worse.
"You know I hate sparing with you. You're not a thug, Steph. I don't want to break ribs. Why don't you ask Batgirl to do this? She doesn't have the emotional attachment I do, and she has better control."
"Which just means she can hit me harder without serious injury." Stephanie idly touched her jaw.
Tim couldn't help but chuckle. "Isn't that what you want?"
She glared at him. He sat back on his elbows.
"Wait. You just chastised me for pulling punches yet you won't take them from someone that you know won't go light on you?"
"She broke my jaw." Steph retorted incredulously.
"It was a hairline fracture." He laughed "If you're afraid of something as little as..."
She was suddenly on her feet seething. "I am Not afraid!" Her voice rose to a confrontational level and Tim grimaced.
"Steph," He rose and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "That's not what I meant." She relaxed somewhat and closed her eyes trying to take comfort in his embrace.
"I just want to be good enough, Tim." She could feel the burning behind her eyes but wouldn't allow herself to cry. Tim half grinned.
"Believe me I understand." He turned her to face him. "But if there's one thing I've learned from this whole business it's that you need to be good enough for yourself first. If you're doing this because Batman says you're not, then believe me, you never will be."
"Then how will I know?" she couldn't keep her voice from shaking slightly. "Who will tell me when it's enough?" He looked down into her eyes.
"You will, Steph. But, you have to be honest with yourself."
"What do you mean?" she pulled away slightly.
He closed his eyes a moment then opened them to hold her gaze again.
"You have to consider...that this may be your best."
"What?" she whispered, eyes narrowed.
"You've worked so hard" he went on hastily. "You've put everything into learning these fighting techniques, and...well, if this is the level you're capable of then you need to accept that. That needs to be good enough."
She wrenched away and stared as if he'd driven a knife into her. There was no holding back the tears now.
"You're on his side!" She sobbed. Tim reached out for her again.
"This isn't about him, Steph, it's about you." But she backed away.
"Even you won't give me a chance!"
He made no effort to stop her as she stormed out the door, but sighed heavily when she was gone. There was no reasoning with her when she was this way. He caught himself wondering if she was menstruating and imagined Barbara smacking him upside the head.
********
Spoiler had come to this crazy part of town looking for trouble knowing all along she should have at least stayed in contact with Tim. But, he'd made his feelings on the matter quite plain in her view. She wanted to get in over her head tonight. She wanted to take on too much and triumph. Spoiler needed to know she was good enough and she felt this was the only way to prove it to herself.
She'd been fuming and flying again, never noticing the attention she was attracting from a particularly vicious gang. This little purple caped crusader was a perfect target. She reeked of "Bat Clan" but seemed much more vulnerable. The perfect scapegoat for any spurned criminal. Her line was cut and at first she'd fought the first three off rather well, but a savage kick to the ribs had sent her sprawling as even more thugs ran into the alley. So, she ran. They hadn't picked this alley randomly. It was more than just a dead end; it was a tomb. She whirled around as the leader grappled her.
"Let's see our pretty prize shall we boys?" He didn't wait for their hoots of agreement before ripping her mask off taking the hood with it.
She felt absurdly naked with her hood off in front of this total stranger. The irony of this thought almost made her laugh in spite of her situation. She was certain of what they had in mind for her. He wanted his fun and she wanted to flee. She decided then that one of them would die trying.
The man hesitated and she cursed herself for projecting her move, but it was to her advantage that he'd pulled away somewhat before her head collided with the bridge of his nose. She had more leverage that way. Spoiler did not consider this, however, since she was already chiding herself for her next mistake. It was a solid blow but he was much more resilient than she'd anticipated; unnaturally so. He stumbled back with a curse but did not release her arm. She reacted expecting to instantly engage the next six but was instead whipped straight back into her captor. His grip was astounding and she realized too late that he was hyped.
"Don't leave yet, freak. We're just getting started with you." This time he pinned her to the wall so hard she thought her arms would break. "You'd have to kill us to stop us now and it pretty obvious you're not going to." He pressed himself against her and she cried out as one of her broken ribs swam under the pressure. Her vision went black and she was sure she'd lose consciousness.
"She won't but I will." Came another male voice from above and to her left. She heard a sickening crunch and suddenly, the brute who'd been holding her crumpled to the ground. Spoiler felt something splash onto her face and forced her eyes open. She saw the back of a strong, blonde man as he faced the others.
Oh good, she thought, he's on my side.
With no one holding her up she slumped to the ground which sent another crack of pain through her body. As her eyes fluttered before she passed out entirely, Stephanie considered: Good thing too. He's wearing a hockey jersey but he's beating them with a baseball bat...with nails sticking out of it.