A/N: THIS IS VERY RARE. A, because this is based off of a video game, B, this video game is based off of DC Comics, and C, because I don't particularly agree with this ship. This fic happens to be between Barbara Gordon and Tim Drake. I naturally ship Babs with Dick and Tim with Steph, but because they paired them up in the game, I decided to play around a little. This is my alternative to Barbara's "death" in the game, so yeah. Feedback is appreciated! I apologize since it's not my best work; I did write this at 3 in the morning after all.
"And this is her end." Slowly, and purposefully, he stared the men in the face and injected Barbara with the toxin.
The redhead gasped and froze up, her hands tightening around the arm rests of her chair.
"No!" Batman shouted, slamming his fist against the glass.
"Barbara!" Robin called loudly, pressing his hand to the clear barrier.
Scarecrow laughed, a deep sound that had the power to haunt those listening for years. "You're too late, Batman. It's all gone; your second Boy-Wonder, your parents, your lover, now the Commissioner's daughter; your responsibility. It's all your fault."
Barbara's eyes widened and she leaned back in her chair. "N...no." She whimpered. She couldn't push her chair back due to the immobility of her legs and tears began to well up in her eyes. "Stay away from me, please." She begged.
"Barbara, it's me, Robin!" Robin tried again. "You are fine, whatever you're seeing isn't real!"
"Don't shoot me!" She cried, shaking. "Please don't shoot me..."
"Bats..." Robin said, turning to look at his mentor.
"I've got Scarecrow." He rasped. "Count of three...one..."
Robin raised his staff above his head like a baseball bat.
"Three!"
The staff smashed into the glass, the contact like thunder. Batman kicked the glass at the same time and the material gave way, shattering into millions of tiny pieces.
"Get away from me!" Barbara shouted, grabbing the gun off of the table. "Stay away!" She shot several rounds at Robin, who skillfully dodged each one.
"It's the Bat!" A voice called from behind. Several armed Militia thugs ran into the room, guns aimed.
"Dammit..." Robin grumbled, glancing back at Barbara. He smacked the gun out of her hand and ran in to her, the chair and all falling backwards. Several bullets zipped above their heads, and Robin hurried to cover Barbara with his own body.
Her terrified cries filled the air and he glanced down at her. "C'mon, Barbara, listen to me! It's not real!"
More gunfire.
"Just breathe! I promise you, I will get you out of here!"
She whimpered, her hands pushing against his unmoving chest.
"Barbara, please!" He begged, lowering his head slightly to avoid more gunfire. "Batgirl overcame everything."
Barbara gasped, her fingers scraping against his suit's material. "T...Tim?" She asked breathlessly.
"Yes!" He said victoriously. "I'm right here, it's alright!"
"He's everywhere." She cried. "I see him and I'm reminded more and more how I can't feel my legs."
"Barbara, listen to me." Robin wheezed. "Just look at me."
"I can't..." She said, shaking her head.
"Yes you can." He urged. "Look through those purple glasses, I'm literally hovering over you."
A bullet bounced off of something and landed by his arm. "Dammit." He hissed, shifting them over. "Can you look at me a little faster, the Militia is kind of shooting us down."
"Tim..." Barbara breathed, sucking air in. "What's...what's happening?"
"We're saving you!" He exclaimed. "Are you hurt?"
"No. Just really tired...and sick."
"Great. No hard feelings about this...compromising position, right?"
Barbara breathed out in amusement, blinking up at him. "No, no hard feelings."
"Are your glasses like Bat-Brand or something? They never break."
She rolled her eyes, but moved her hand down to his waist.
"Woah, woah Barbara, I know we're in a tough situation, but now is really not a good time..." He said, looking down at her.
"Idiot." She mumbled, digging her hand in to his belt. Successfully retrieving a Bataarang, she pressed a button on the weapon and flung it forward. It slammed into one of the thug's head and bounced off, hitting another one's hand. He dropped the gun, swearing.
"I'll deal with them." Batman said. "Stay here."
"Not a problem." Tim grumbled as their mentor raced out to deal with the Militia.
Robin glanced back down at Barbara. "Seriously this time; are you okay?"
She sighed, pressing her lips together. "I'll be better when this is all over."
"We're clear!" Batman's rasping voice called. "Let's move!"
He rolled off of Barbara, brushing his suit off. Carefully, he reached forward and pulled her into his arms. Barbara gasped when he lifted her and Tim froze.
"What?" He asked timidly.
"N-nothing." She stuttered. "Sorry...I just...expected my back to hurt."
Tim's jaw clenched when he realized what she meant, but started in Batman's direction anyway.
"Nightwing was taking out thugs on the roof." The Knight informed. "He went off in search for more Militia thugs. I have to get you two out of here."
"Where?" Barbara asked. "The Clocktower's where I was abducted in the first place and the movie theatre was overrun. There's no way we can get to the precinct either, there's already enough chaos there."
"Wayne Manor." He stated. "I'll get you in through the Cave. C'mon."
They exited the facility quickly and the Batmobile was already waiting for them.
The back opened up, two seats extending outwards. Tim set her down gently in the chair, adjusting her before settling down himself. The seats pulled back into the car and the back closed up again, small white lights turning on to illuminate the dark space.
"I thought you were at the theatre with the infected." Barbara said softly as the car zipped forward.
"I was. And then Harley crashed and tried to keep the infected to herself." Tim sighed. "The one guy we thought was immune was the worst of them all; he murdered all of the infected and then killed himself."
"Damn." She shook her head. "So he actually let you help him?"
"No, I just followed him."
"I can still hear you." Bruce's voice filtered to the back of the Batmobile.
"I know." Tim said, smiling. "Lighten up, old man."
Tim carried her to one of the tables in the Batcave, setting her down.
"I'll clean you up." He said, grasping several items from a cupboard. "Afterwards, Alfred can take care of you."
"Wait, you're not actually going back out there again, are you?" Barbara asked, staring up at him. "Tim, it's literally hell out there."
"And Bats still needs my help." He dabbed an alcohol wipe against the scrapes on her face.
"You're going to get hurt." She said, flinching softly.
"I'll be fine. I'm Robin, remember?"
"And I was Batgirl, remember? Look at me now, Tim, I'm a cripple in a wheelchair. All I'm good for is my hacking skills; hell, everyone needs Oracle, not Barbara."
Tim looked down at her, pulling the wipe back softly.
Barbara reached up and gently pulled the mask off of his face. "I don't want Robin to get hurt, but he can take it. It's Tim that I'm worried about."
He forced a smile; even then, it was dim. "I'll take good care of him; I promise."
"Master Drake?" The familiar cockney accent rang through the cave as the friendly butler made his way to them. "Miss. Gordon? You have no idea how relieved I am now that the two of you are safe."
"Barbara is." Tim stated. "I'm heading back out to help Bruce."
"Are you sure, sire?"
"Positive. He's been kicking ass all night without help, I'll ease the load for him." Tim took another wipe and cleaned the scrapes that littered Barbara's exposed legs. Her yellow shorts and Timberland boots were dirtied, her sweater torn. The thing that amazed him the most, however, where her glasses. They stayed on her face the entire night after she had been taken, beaten, thrown, pushed, and everything in between, and not the slightest scratch sat on the lenses.
"I guess I can stay and help Alfred with the hacking, right?" Barbara shrugged. "The night's not finished yet."
"Yeah." Tim agreed, nodding. "I'll see you guys later alright?"
"Please keep in touch." Barbara said softly.
"I will." He said, beginning to back away. "That, I can do."
"Be careful." She added. "Do me a favor and come back to me. You're not much use to us dead."
Tim paused; if this was the last time he saw her, he had better make it worth it.
He walked back in her direction and grasped her face in both hands. He heard her breath hitch and he pressed his forehead to hers.
"I will come back." He breathed. "I love you."
Barbara reached up and wrapped her elegant fingers around his wrists. "I love you too, Tim. Stay alive."
He smiled softly and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Barbara kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.
Ever so carefully, he pulled back, stroking her hair. Then, he took his mask from her lap and sprinted out of the Batcave.
"Shall we, Miss. Gordon?" Alfred asked, making her realize the older man was still present.
Barbara blushed lightly. "Um...yeah. Sorry." She said, laughing nervously. "Question: how are we getting me to the computer?"
He opened the door and walked out, standing on the edge of the stairs. Alfred had set the wheelchair up and was now opening the car door for Barbara. He lifted her out and set her down in the chair, then began to push her up the path.
She looked tired; hell, who didn't look tired? It was eight in the morning and Tim hadn't slept since yesterday morning. Even then, he had woken up early.
The moment Barbara saw him, she smiled, her entire face lighting up with joy. She looked as if she were about to fly out of the wheelchair and run up the steps to him.
"Oracle." He greeted as Alfred pushed the chair up the incline.
"Boy-Wonder." She said; Tim moved to open the door for them.
"Master Drake." Alfred said, pushing the chair inside. "Feeling better?"
"Not entirely." Tim answered, walking in behind them. "I still haven't slept."
"An unwise choice, sir, noting you took a bullet last night."
"What?" Barbara asked, turning her head. "You got shot?"
"Scarecrow." Tim mumbled, walking up so that he stood beside her chair. "It's no big deal."
"It's a big deal." Alfred countered quietly.
As they walked down the hall of the safe house, he moved his arm so that his hand dangled by her armrest. Barbara quickly got the idea and grasped his hand with her own, her fingerless gloves brushing against his warm palm.
"Any word on Bruce?" She asked as the three of them turned in to the main room.
"Master Bruce has gone into hiding." Alfred answered. "A part of Protocol Knightfall; the entire world believes that Bruce Wayne, the Batman, and myself are dead."
"Sounds like something he would do." Tim muttered.
"I do suggest the both of you rest; it's been a long night." Alfred said, locking the wheels on the chair. "Goodnight, Master Drake, Miss. Gordon. I trust you two can manage from here." With a slight bow, the butler retired to one of his own rooms.
"So...need help getting to your room, gorgeous?" Tim asked, smiling down at her.
"Yeah." She grinned back up at him. "Sleep now, live later."
He laughed, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Hell yeah."
A/N: I know, not a great story. I didn't explain much about what happened to Scarecrow after they broke the glass, nor was the writing all that good. Still, I'm trying to take all of my stories off of my phone and post them. In regard to my FlashxLaura story, you may be seeing a sequel in the near future, along with a few PolarisxHavok fics. Thanks for reading!