Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Batman or any of the Original Characters
This is a ONE SHOT short, about Barbara Gordon. This takes place still in the early years of Batman and before she becomes Batgirl, which therefore means before she becomes Oracle. I was read the Comics of Batman, involving Superman as a kid, so i tend to see both Gotham and Metropolis as very closely linked, which is why this has references to Metropolis. This is set before Batman and Superman begin working together!
You can set it in any universe of Batman you want, but I based on Nolan's verse and also the Comics and perhaps some of the Akrham Asylum game as well. There are some apperances from cetain other characters.
Also: this is an Alternate version of Barbara's life. Here she is a Student at Metropolis, in her second year and therefore relatively young.
I Hope You enjoy...
The 213 Night train heading towards Gotham City Central sped along the dark tracks, lurching and shaking at every slight turn, or slight kink in the tracks below the iron wheels. The inside of the train was packed full of people, leaving the sprawling yet clean city of Metropolis behind for Gotham. Through the throng of people, a young girl with bright red hair sat, her weekend bag upon her knee and glasses resting on her bright blue eyes, on the window seat of the carriage staring out the window. The train jolted once more throwing the whole carriage into a momentary darkness, as the lights shorted, but another jolt brought the industrial glow back to the dirty carriage.
Next to the girl, was a respectable man wearing a business suit a briefcase at his feet. He had spent most of the journey immersed in the newspaper. The only people on seats were those who had boarded the train at Metropolis, when it was empty. As it reached cities closer and closer to Gotham it had become fuller and most of the Metropolis passengers had left well before they were even in New Jersey. The red head and clean looking man next to her, were the exception. It was when they reached Blüdhaven that the man looked up from his paper and sighed, turning his attention to the girl next to him. She had turned her out dated I pod on at this point, and to him she oozed the aura of 'student'. But something about her interested him.
"Excuse me, do you happen to have the time?" He tapped her on the shoulder, shaking her from her little world.
"Er, yeah. Sure." She rooted through her leather jacket pocket and pulled out a very old Nokia phone. She pushed up her glasses and looked intently at the screen. "11:45pm."
She smiled at him, but he just sighed.
"This train is as late as ever. It was due in Gotham 1 minute ago and we are at least 18 minutes away."
"That was a very precise calculation!"
"That is my job." The man lent to the side and took a pack of mints out, popping one in his mouth. He offered one to the girl, but she declined. "Calculating things."
"What things?"
"What someone fears the most and the right amounts of certain compounds to create the ultimate experiment and carry it all out within a matter of seconds-"
"Right, ok. You some sort of scientist then?" The red head girl cut him off, which severely annoyed him.
"I was, some sort of scientist. Before I was fired."
"Ah. Sorry to hear about that. I was fired once…"
"Were you? Please tell me. Did it make you fear anything?" The man lent in closer, focusing entirely on her.
"I was working as a waitress in a small café in Metropolis, you know, to help pay my student finances." She tucked a stray hair strand behind her ear. "And I may have accidentally split soup on someone… important."
"Who was that?" The man crossed his legs and folded his hands on his lap.
"Well… it was, Lex Luthor. And he was not really that happy, with having tomato soup on his head."
"How did you feel? Scared? I hear he is a scary man!"
"Lex Luthor? No… he doesn't scare me. He just shouted, a lot. I felt a bit angry though. He did get me fired after all. Why were you fired?'
"Oh. Similar thing to you really."
"You split soup on someone?"
"No. No. I tested one of my gases on my class, as an experiment." He chuckled. "They told me many of their fears. But I am interested in yours, what do you fear?"
The girl kept smiling as best as she could, but this man was starting to scare her. The talk about fear. "I am not really sure. I was scared of the dark as a child. But not anymore."
"Oh. You sure? Everyone is scared of something! Even I-"
"Gotham City, Arkham Island. Exit Right. Thank you for Journeying on the Metropolitan Line."
"Oh my! I must dash!" The man reached up to the baggage rails above him and pulled down another briefcase. "This is my new job! I am working in Arkham Asylum!"
She smiled. "That is nice. I hope it all goes well!"
"Oh it will. Lots of people to experiment on. What is your name?"
The train doors whooshed open, as the red light bleeped.
"Barbara Gordon-"
"One day I hope to discover your fears, Babs. May I call you that?"
But before she could reply he had rushed out the carriage and jumped through the closing doors. He winked at her through the glass.
Barbara Gordon was pleased when the train lurched forwards out of the Arkham Station. She was also glad that no one had got on the train from this particular station. Signs outside read:
"All Passengers Entering Train must have Identification at the ready and be prepared for instant DNA testing. All visitors, do NOT approach suspicious persons or offer strangers assistance, they may be escaping prisoners. Thank you."
She knew she was home, as soon as the train skimmed around the Island and she could see the Towers of Arkham manor. She had to thank Arkham Asylum, her essay on the history and death, which surrounded the place and seemed to spasm into the city itself, had got her a distinction. Yet she chuckled at the irony that she could only tell she was home when she saw the Madhouse.
The train began to empty as it arrived at Gotham Central Station, but Barbara stayed put not joining the crowds heading into the Central City. Luckily this train stopped at another station, only 20 minutes walk away from her old man's house. T made more sense, than to spend 30 minutes navigating the underground and overground trains. She settled back into her seat and checked her phone. She swore. It had run out of battery. The phone was totally unreliable, but she preferred it to the more expensive models and it usually did the job. Barbara threw it into her bag. She then spotted a man reading an old newspaper sat at the other end of the carriage. She squinted at his hands and recognised the ring on his index finger, an elaborate golden piece, which did not match his general appearance. He lowered his paper to turn the page, and she avoided his eye. It was him, her stalker. He was a shabbily dressed man, a harsh area of stubble collecting on his chin and a scar moving over his forehead. This man had been at the Bar the night before and Barbara had noticed him around Metropolis a few other times, even follwing her into the bank and out again.
"Gotham City West Island. Exit Left. Thank you for Journeying on the Metropolitan Line."
Barbara stood and swung the weekend bag over her right shoulder and moved towards the left side door. The red light beeped and switched on, as the doors whooshed open, barraging her with the familiar Gotham smell. Rain and hints of factory smoke, but it was home and she smiled. Sometimes Metropolis was too clean.
She got off the train and stamped her travel card in the machine, meaning that the gates clicked open, allowing her down the covered walkway into a back alley below the raised Station. She heard footsteps behind her, very uneven as though the person had a slight limp. She turned her head slightly and saw her stalker a few feet behind her, ambling down the stairs slowly.
He's been injured. Some time between Metropolis International Station and here.
She quickened her pace, hoping she could lose him on her way to her dads' house, and then at least he would not follow her anymore. But as she entered the quiet and dark back alley, she spotted a large group of men stood at the other end, blocking her path. She could make out long sticks in their hands, sticks that were crowbars and lead pipes. Barbara swallowed and hoped the welcoming party was not for her. She doubted it however.
From above, she sensed something and stopped walking to peer up. She saw a bat, whisper across the sky. Barbara stared awhile, before realising that the group of men were advancing down upon her.
"Ere? You sure tha er?" One of them drawled.
"Yea! Red ead, aint she? Boss said she wos ere an look! Victor's behind er."
Barbara frowned, she saw no way out the alleyway except from the way she had come. She concluded that she could take down a man with a limp. She abruptly changed course and immediately bumped into the one known as Victor. She stared up into his ugly face, which contorted into a grim and awful smile, reeking of insanity.
"Hello, there. Listen, there must be some sort of mistake!" She patted his jacket and tried to pull away, but he had her in a vice grip.
"There is no mistake, Babsy!" He smiled down at her and pointed to his scars with his free hand. "You're gonna become one of my tally!"
She exhaled air and grinned, before kicking him in the shins.
"Don't think so!"
He yowled; she had kicked him in his recently injured kneecap. She brought up her fist in an undercutting action and collided with the bottom of his jaw. She heard it shatter and finally jabbed her foot forwards into his diaphragm. He fell to the floor like lead.
Barbara dropped her bag as she felt something collide with her shoulder and cried out in pain. She spun around and came face to face with another thug. She gritted her teeth, trying to forget the pain. He had a crowbar in his hand and smiled; Barbara sensed someone behind her and then someone else to her left. They had her surrounded.
She threw her weekend bag at the one before her, distracting him for a moment and then ducked, elbowing the one to her side in the neck and striking the other with her fist in the stomach, winding him slightly. She then jumped up and kicked them both in the heads and jabbed her leg out, breaking the kneecaps of the man now behind her. He cried out in agony as his legs bent in an unnatural way. She skidded through the gap she had created, while grabbing her weekend bag. She grabbed a lead pipe and threw it at the legs of the man still standing, after coping with her other attacks. He fell to the floor in tears.
She flashed her mind back and recalled she still had 4 men left, from the original group. But she spotted a dark mass flitting between them, taking each one down. She realised that the fabled Batman was fighting before her and she almost found herself cheering, however she restrained herself, and took to flinging another pipe at a man bearing down upon Batman. Before she knew it, the lynch mob had been reduced to a groaning heap on the floor.
The Batman turned around to face her and they made eye contact.
"Thanks!" Barbara smiled, but the Batman did not.
Sheesh, smiles sure do not hurt anyone! And last time I checked, they don't kill the users!
"You're welcome." Batman growled, in a low voice. Barbara narrowed her eyes, there was something similar to this Batman. She flashed her mind back to news reports of one Bruce Wayne, Gothams economic saviour. He had similar eyes and general body build. She would have to do some hacking and research at home.
"Barbara? Babs?" She heard an older voice call from the other end of the alley, flashing red and blue lights of the GCPD beating down the alley. She returned her attention to the Batman, but he had gone.
"Barbara! Thank goodness you are safe!"
"Hey, dad!" Her fathers' safe arms engulfed her. She knew he would never let anything bad happen to her, as long as he was on watch. "What was with my welcoming party?"
Police officers flooded into the alleyway, handcuffing each felon they came across.
"My enemies thought the best way to get to me is by getting my precious daughter. But luckily you can take care of yourself!"
"And there is Batman." She pointed out. James Gordon smiled at his daughter and winked.
"Do not tell these guys he was here. He is a wanted man, the major doesn't want a vigilante in Gotham, but-"
"Hey. Commissioner?" A Police officers spoke up, shining his flashlight on a groaning villain. "We have Zsasz here, sir! He escaped a while back and was last seen heading out towards Metropolis!"
"One of Jokers croons." James mumbled. "Get him transferred to Arkham."
"What about the others?"
"Send them to Blackgate; only Victor belongs in Arkham."
The men were led away, with Zsasz limping along snarling and growling. He flashed Barbara a death look, before been hauled into a Police van.
"The joker?" Barbara looked up to her father, who smiled sadly. They began to walk out the alleyway into a normal street, heading towards home.
"Yes, one of the new generations of criminals Gotham has the pleasure of dealing with. Luckily he is in Arkham at the moment and hopefully he'll stay there!"
"Hey. At least they aren't super villains!" Barbara laughed. "Everyday Metropolis is witness to at least one Super fight with Superman leading the way!"
From up above a dark figure crouched on the gargoyle of an old building, watching a red head and a silver haired man, walking through the residential streets of the poorer area of town, making sure they got home safely. Batman smiled at them both; these were two people he knew he could trust. An alliance he could use. He aimed his grappling hook at another taller part of the building and glided to the top. He set his eyes on the Police truck carrying Zsasz back to his home, Arkham. But he knew, the Joker wanted Barbara for something. The only question was: What for?
"Session 1. Doctor Jonathon Crane and Patient: The Joker. Known as Alias only, identity withheld by patient. So Mr joker, where shall we begin?"
"At the beginning! That is everyone else starts! Where were you born? Was your childhood unusual or painful? Etcetera etcetera! Do you know what the problem is? They never define an unusual or painful childhood! Do they? A simple event, such as getting cheese stolen in the lunch cafeteria can suddenly be the answer to a man's insanity or sanity, depending on your view point doc!"
"So you had your cheese stolen? Interesting. Is that one of your fears?"
"DO NOT BE STUPID! Of course my cheese was not stolen, you imbecile! If someone had stolen my cheese, I would have already laced it with explosives or something else that goes BOOM! Hahaha!"
"Perhaps, your interest in bombs means that that is your fear. Getting blown up. Is that your fear, Joker?"
"I like you, Doc Crane. Who knows? Maybe I am afraid of bombs. Tell me, good doc. What was your Lecture class afraid of?"
"Hmm. That is an interesting story; but the same things young children are usually scare of, death, rape and pain. Silly things really. But, Joker, we need to concentrate on you!"
"Why, yes, yes OF COURSE! Wahahahaa!"
"Mr. Zsasz was admitted back into Arkham two days ago, attempting to attack the Commissioners daughter. Were you behind it?"
"My, good doc, your eyes sure did sparkle at the mention of this daughter! Are you aquinted to her?"
"I only want to know her fears and true self. I have a… fascination with her."
"Well, I can help you!!! Hahhaa!"
"How?"
"Well… come closer. Closer. Ok, good. STOP GETTING CLOSER! Dear Babsy is beloved by her great Father and Batmans' greatest ally. If I can get to her, I can get to him and finally prove my point! That it only takes a bad day for insanity to take a hold! Like I said with the cheese!"
"How would this benefit me?"
"With your lust for fear Doc, I can unearth hers for you and enable you to be able to get to her when you want! Fantastic plan, eh? Hahaa! You never know, her fear maybe something you wish for! Haaha! Look at you, you're desperate now to get you hands on her!"
"Why would you do this for me, Joker?"
"You have been here 2 days Doc. And already the patients you treated are maddening. I LIKE IT! They have a nickname for you: Scarecrow. You know, we could make a partnership work out. I spread CHOAS and try and get at Batman, while you spread INSANITY and strike FEAR, into Gotham! How about it? Doc?"
"Why Joker, it is as though you can read minds! But I also want to know you're fear… that is my conidition of our 'special' relationship! What? Cat got you tongue? Come now, you don't want to meet Scarecrow just yet."
Authors Notes:
Well I hope you liked it.
For Crane and Jokers dialogue I drew on 'The Killing Joke' for it, but I added Crane's motives to it. This happens way before 'The Killing Joke' (which is what turns her into the Oracle, for those who do not know) as she is not even Batgirl yet!
Well anyway,!!! please review !!! and stuff. :)
XNancyX