Author's Note: I do not own anything to do with Batman or Batman Arkham Origins, I just really love it.
Basically, this is Arkham Origins as told through the eyes of Barbara Gordon. It might turn into a larger story depending on if you guys like it or not.
Enjoy, and please let me know what you think.
Christmas of the Bat;
Chapter One: Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon: fourteen years old and ready to take on the world. Well, her own little world at least and only if her over-protective uncle would let her. She couldn't exactly blame him for being as he was, considering the fact that he was a cop in Gotham City – one of the few police officers who weren't corrupt and taking cuts from the city's biggest criminals. These days, it seemed that there weren't that many cops left and Barbara should know due to how much time she spent at the GCPD.
The reason Barbara spent so much time at the GCPS was mostly due to her mother's line of work. Thelma Gordon would often pull double shifts at Arkham Asylum, an old creepy mansion situated on a lonely island in the north of Gotham Bay. Most of the residents were there on their own merit (or their families) due to some serious psychological condition, but there was a secure wing that housed a few criminals who couldn't afford to buy off lawyers or attorneys and judges, much to her uncle's displeasure.
Her uncle, Captain James Gordon (better known to her as Jim) was the most honest cop in the entire precinct, something which made a lot of officers around him a bit jumpy –which in turn made her uncle pretty jumpy too. Barbara hated it; the whole system in Gotham was broken and corruption went right up to the highest levels, and not just in the police force. The whole city was rife with corruption and Barbara just wished that there was someone that would stand up and fight it. Gotham was the only city that she knew of where it was probably better to not call the police if you needed help. Recently though, there was something that had unnerved the criminals, both on the street and in the Government. A rumour and a myth, something that Barbara hadn't believed when she first heard about him. No, it hadn't been until numerous reports had come in from various sources, including from police officers that she and a lot of other people had started to pay attention.
The Batman.
At first Barbara had thought it was some kind of hoax because there was no such thing as a man-bat, but she had managed to find some files from detective Wertz (a somewhat shady officer who worked under her uncle) that actually contained some poor-quality pictures of a guy dressed up as a bat who would kick the snot out of people. From what Barbara had read, the Batman would attack at night and he varied in what he would actually do to people. According to one guy, he swore that Batman was a vampire who had sucked his blood, and another said that the Batman had been armed to the teeth. The only consistency that Barbara could find was that Batman always seemed to be stopping some form of crime, regardless of the thugs being proper criminals or corrupt cops, hence the reason why most of the police force in Gotham hated him. It excited her really, that there was finally someone in the city who was fed up. Well, at least that's what she hoped that was why the guy acted like he did. Hopefully, something in the city was about to change, she only wished that she were old enough to be a proper part of it.
"Hey kiddo how was school?" asked her uncle as she walked into his office that overlooked the 'bullpen'.
"It was okay," Barbara answered with a shrug. "Despite the fact that today was the official last day of term before Christmas and we were practically snowed in, didn't learn anything and we just sat there watching cartoons. I mean, I should have just stayed at home and I would have learnt more."
Jim smiled warmly at his niece, who dropped her heavy school bag somewhat dramatically in front of his desk before sinking into the chair beside her.
"You know, most kids your age would have enjoyed school today," Jim told her lightly, watching Barbara as she rolled her eyes. "I bet the teachers love having you in their classes."
"Is that supposed to be a complement?" asked Barbara with a slight frown as Jim stood up, his smile widening and walked around his desk.
"You bet it is kiddo," he said ruffling up her pony tail. "I've still got half-an-hour of my shift left are you okay to wait here?"
"Of course," Barbara nodded. "But are they actually going to let you get away on time tonight?"
"Hey, it's the end of a double shift; if they think they can keep me here a minute past four o'clock, they've got another thing coming." Jim told her seriously as he left his office, making Barbara smirk.
She sat in silence for a few moments before getting up and walking around the desk to sit in her uncle's chair, gazing at the items upon his desk. The computer screen had been left open on a court statement that was very much a work-in-progress and Barbara wondered if the case would even go to court. Beside the computer there was a thick pile of manila folders that had an empty mug of coffee on top of it and a photo frame that held a picture of her hugging her cousin Jimmy. They both looked fairly similar; red hair, blue eyes and freckles across their cheeks, the main difference was that Barbara had a pair of thick-rimmed classes on. She smiled at the photograph for a few moments before the office door suddenly burst open and an angry looking SWAT lieutenant stormed in.
"Gordon, I've just pulled in a bunch of hobos who claim to have been saved by the Bat again and I can't find Wertz." said lieutenant Branden without looking to the chair that Barbara occupied.
"Who were they being saved from, you and your SWAT team?" asked Barbara innocently, making Branden glare over to her.
"Eh, should have known you'd be in here." He said sourly. "Don't you have a house to go to? Or ballet or gymnastics or whatever it is that you do?"
"Why would I go home and miss all the excitement of homeless men and giant man-bats?" she asked him sarcastically.
"Look kid, I don't care that Gordon is your uncle," Branden said quietly, moving forward to lean on the desk as Barbara folded her arms in reaction to his unappealing tone, especially since he had a loaded firearm holstered at his hip. "And I know for a fact that a lot of other men in the precinct feel the same as I do. We've seen you loitering in dark corners, watching and listening to everyone, so don't think we won't come after you if you start blabbing about the things we do here got it?"
"Is everything okay in here?"
Barbara quickly looked from Branden's intense and frankly threatening expression to the doorway, where Officer Aaron Cash stood looking at Branden with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah," Branden said roughly, turning to size up Cash before giving Barbara one last threatening look before leaving the room.
"Arse," Barbara said under her breath. "Who am I supposed to tell on him to in a city this corrupt anyway?"
"You got that right, kid," Cash nodded understandingly, "Especially the part about him being an arse."
Barbara gave him a warm smile; she had always like Aaron Cash. He was an honest cop whom she could definitely trust.
"Thanks for that," she said awkwardly, knowing how bad the situation could have been if her uncle had of walked in on that.
"No worries," Cash said with a smile. "I saw him come in and I knew that the Batman had put him in a bad mood. I'd hate to know why, but I think we can both hazard a guess. I know I don't have to remind you to be careful around him."
"I know I'm sorry." She said honestly. "He's just so… so…"
"I know," he told her seriously. "At least try to avoid him, considering where his loyalties lie. This job is hard enough for your uncle without needing to worry him about you more than he already does."
Barbara nodded guiltily, not wanting to imagine the possibilities there.
"Shouldn't you be careful saying something like that here?" asked Barbara quietly.
"Don't you worry about me," he said seriously before continuing in lighter tones. "Except if you won't be here tomorrow to help me with the computers down in the sever room."
"You've lost them again?" asked Barbara in slight amusement.
"Power surge at lunch time," Cash explained in annoyance. "Some idiot up in SWAT managed to spill three mugs of coffee on a toaster. We haven't lost power, but the servers are only just managing to keep everything running. Will you be in?"
"Of course," she said eagerly. "I mean, what would you do without me?"
"Lose my job probably," he laughed, making Barbara grin at him.
"Why don't they get IT in to fix them?" she asked. "What about that Nashton bloke?"
"Because that would be the logical thing to do, and we wouldn't want that now would we?" said Cash, once again smiling. "And Edward Nashton is in the Cyber Crime unit, who I have already asked to chip in and help but he reckoned he couldn't do it which is a blatant lie. He could probably give you a run for your money. He said he was going too busy over the next couple of nights working on some kind of project. Anyway, I will see you when you come in tomorrow morning."
"Goodnight," Barbara said, watching him leave and his place being filled almost instantly by her uncle, who looked annoyed, so she gathered that Branden had managed to find him.
"Are you okay Jim?" she asked as he put his coat on.
"I'm fine," he answered her somewhat gruffly. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah," Barbara said as she stood and picked up her bag, before adding lightly. "I told Officer Cash that I would be coming in tomorrow."
"But tomorrow is Christmas Eve," Jim stated, looking down to her with a startled expression.
"He needs help with the servers," Barbara explained.
"Ah," Jim nodded. "He told you about the idiots in SWAT then?"
"Yeah," Barbara said with a smile.
"I don't know what we would do without you here rebooting the computers all the time," Jim told her honestly, making Barbara's smile widen in pride.
"I agree," she said cheekily, making her uncle laugh despite himself.