Please note: this is an AU, so certain aspects of the Batfamily history are different from official canon.
I don't own DC Comics.
"OK," Hood said once they waved goodbye to Annika and her girls, "the guy we're going after should be up on the northside of town. 90th and Charleston." Barbara nodded and tried to pay attention, but Annika's words spun in her head.
"It's the girl's old pimp, who also happens to be the father of her toddler," he continued.
"Hood's worth knowing."
"He's threatened to take their kid away unless she comes back to work for him."
"Besides, from what my girls have told me and the noises coming from the rooms upstairs …"
"So we're going to go have a little 'chat' with him."
"… Hood has a talent for making sure everyone has a good time."
"Hey." She was nudged by Hood's arm.
"What?" She blinked.
"You OK, Batsie? You've been a little quiet," he said as they got to the bikes, still parked a few blocks away from the Angels HQ.
"Just … thinking," she said, putting on her helmet. Thinking about you being more than a smartass with a gun. Thinking about how grateful Annika looked to know you. Thinking about what amazing things you must have done to those girls when you were alone…
"Annika didn't scare you back there, did she?" She looked at Hood, not sure if he was mocking her or asking a genuine question.
"No, just … it was educational."
"Oh yeah? Did she offer to teach you some new moves?" he gripped the handbars and went to shift the bike into gear.
"Actually," she said as nonchalantly as she could, "she said you were teaching the girls yourself."
His foot slipped off the shift and he almost fell right off the thing. She tried not to smirk as she started her bike and started toward their destination, perhaps a little slower than normal so he could eventually catch up.
"You think you're pretty clever, don't you?" she heard in her headset amid the torrent sound of the wind as she sped through the city.
"On occasion," she smirked as she saw his bike in her rearview, "Anyway, you know you love it." She waited for his comeback, but it never came. It was only when they arrived at the 90th block and parked their bikes out of view that he finally broke the silence.
"OK," they moved into the alley, "we've got about an hour bumper between when he's supposed to arrive for his poker game. He'll be coming in through here," he pointed at the door next to her, "So we're going to get up on the roof to keep a bird's eye view. The most important thing is to get him before he opens the door or else we could have more pricks to deal with."
"Right," she surveyed the area, "What if he has company when he's walking up?"
"… Then we'll deal with it."
"Fantastic," Barbara grumbled, going to her utility belt, "You should really be glad you have me."
"Why exactly?" She could feel his eyes on her as she got out what she needed.
"These," she holds up one of the dime-sized bug, "are motion triggers. By putting them in the darker spots of the surrounding areas, we'll have all our bases covered and nab him before he gets close to the building."
"Sounds like a plan," he said (like always she couldn't see his face, but Barbara could guess he was smiling), "I guess I'll get things ready above."
It only took 10 minutes to place and set up the sensors — she wasn't sure why she was happy to get up to the roof so quickly. If she was being honest with herself, maybe some of it had to do with impressing Hood. That's silly. You're just glad you're gaining his trust, she thought, for the mission. Right. Mission. She grappled up the four stories up to the roof and as about to tell him everything went smoothly when she realized — he had his helmet off.
She instinctively hid behind the large air conditioning unit next to her, her head hitting the metal. She took a deep breath in. Get a grip, Gordon. She slowly peered around the corner to get a better view.
Hood was still facing away from her. She could see a lit cigarette between his fingers and could almost hear him take a long drag from it. There wasn't much she could see, really, except for him running the other gloved hand through his hair — pitch black and shaggy. Damn it — she had a thing for dark hair. He had taken off his leather jacket revealing his skin-tight black armor shirt and his tight gray jeans that showed off what she just realized was a really nice ass. Damn it — she had a thing for nice asses, too. Her heart skipped a little at the view, but that's when Hood flicked the cigarette off the building and put his helmet back on. She hid again behind the corner and counted to ten before walking casually towards him.
"Sensors are set."
"Sweet." With that blank red helmet back on, she couldn't help but wish he had turned around so she could finally—
"You shouldn't smoke, you know," she said a little too quickly, "It's terrible for you."
"Wait," he said, "were you watching me, Batsie?"
"No! I … can smell it on you."
"So you've been smelling me?"
She huffed. "In your dreams, leather boy."
They stood in silence for about 10 minutes, just watching the street and keeping an eye on the sensor remote. But—
"Why do you even wear that thing?" she finally blurted out like an idiot.
He paused. "You're going to have to be more specific, girlie."
"The helmet. What's up with the helmet?"
"Yeaaaah," he dragged out, "I'm not talking about that."
"Oh come on!" She almost threw her hands up in the air — why was he so infuriating? And then he chuckled.
"If you want to know about me, Bats, then I want to know about you."
Barbara eyed him warily. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well," he tried, "let's play a game then. You answer a question, then I do."
She raised her eyebrow. "Any question? What if one of us doen't want to answer?"
"Then you have to answer something just as good."
She looked down and tried to organize the pros and cons in her brain, but Hood leaned in and that just broke her concentration.
"Are you in or out, Batsie?"
Looking straight at him (almost defiantly), she answered, "In." She leaned on the AC unit and added, "But I get to ask first."
Hood just shrugged and got next to her. "Shoot."
"Why do you wear your helmet? Why not just a mask?"
He sighed a little. "Why do you wear a cowl instead just a mask?"
Barbara thought about her dad. "I don't want to be easily recognized."
"There's your answer. Now for my turn—"
"Nope," she said, "You just asked me a question. It's my turn again." She didn't hold back her grin when he conceded. "Has anyone seen you take off the helmet?"
"No."
She blinked. "What?"
"No, I don't let anyone see me without my helmet."
"What about—" Barbara stopped herself, but it was too late.
"What about what?" he asked with a tilt of his head.
"Nevermind," she I already asked you a question so that's against the rules."
"I'll allow it," Hood said, "What were you going to ask?"
"What about Annika's girls … when you're having 'fun'?"
He paused before chuckling.
"Oh. No, they haven't seen me without my helmet, either. I, uh," he leaned in and whispered, "I find blindfolding them is helpful when I need to use my mouth."
She rolled her eyes, but it came with a chuckle. "Good for them, I guess. OK, now it's your turn to ask a question."
"What's up with that Nightwind guy?" Hood said a little too quickly. Barbara coughed a little.
"Um … You mean Nightwing?"
"Yeah," he said more casually, picking at the seam of his jacket, "I mean, that night I saw him in town you two seemed close. Are you—"
"That's … kind of personal," she rubbed the back of her neck where her cape hit her cowl.
"Well," Hood crossed his arms, "you either have to answer that or tell me your dirtiest sex fantasy."
Barbara glared at him, but he just shrugged.
"Those are the rules."
"Fine," she sighed, "We dated. But we're just friends now." She hope that would satisfy him, but he motioned for her to continue.
"We were high school sweethearts, in a sense. He was actually the first Robin — I never know how many people know that — and we kept dating even after he became Nightwing and left for Bludhaven. But the distance was tough for both of us and…" she trailed off and closed her eyes.
"What?" she heard him say softly beside her.
"And then someone we cared about was killed. That tore the whole family apart for a while." She thought about Jason — cocky, dorky, sweet Jason Todd. And then she thought of the funeral and how it was one of the only times she ever cried in front of Bruce. "Nightwing and I needed space and that was right before the— well, he's happy now and his girlfriend's really nice, so it all worked out OK."
"What were you going to say?" Hood's voice was serious and clear for once … and for some reason, she took a deep breath and answered him.
"I—I was shot?" She hated that came it out as a question. "Several times, actually — all up and down my legs and one to my gut. It wasn't even on duty — they used me to get to someone who loves me."
"Jesus, Ba—batgirl," Hood whispered.
"The doctors," she looked out at the street, "the doctors said that if the shot to my torso had been just a centimeter to the right I could have lost my legs. It still took a good 14 months of physical therapy before I could walk again."
"And you still went back to the job?"
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why wouldn't I?" He didn't reply.
"So," Barbara broke the silence, "since it's my turn, when was the first time—"
"Do you want to join me?" He faced her.
She blinked. "… What?"
"Do you want to join me? Be my partner permanently."
"That's— it's not your turn to ask," she blurted out.
"I'm not playing anymore," Hood answered, "Are you interested?"
"Hood," she stumbled, "I—" She went silent as the remote blinked red in the upper left corner.
"Someone's coming up the northside alley," she whispered and pointed. They looked over the edge of the building to see a male figure walking by their building.
"Blond hairtips and red leather jacket," Hood whispered, "That's our guy." The duo slipped down to the street and silently stalked the pimp. Once they got within arms reach—
The guy's skull made a harsh crack sound as he hit the wall.
"What the fu—"
"Hey, Bobby," Hood had his scarier voice back, his mask an inch away from, "Do you know who I am?" Bobby looked him up and down.
"Oh yeah," the pimp sneered, "you're the guy who's fucking my whore."
"Shut the hell up," Barbara growled, but the guy scoffed.
"So what, you screwing little Kensie and the Batman's slut?"
That's when Hood's fist hit the scumbag's gut hard. He just laughed through his coughing.
"Is all of this about Kensie? You know as well as I do she's going to come back to me sooner or later. She loves me. And she'll do what I say."
His blood obviously boiling, Hood went for his gun, but the guy recovered quick and headbutted Hood.
"No!" Barbara shouted as the gun slid a few feet away. Bobby lunged for it at the same time as she did. They struggled on the ground before—
"DON'T. MOVE." Barbara stood and put her boot right on the guy's chest, the gun pointed right at his face. "You OK, Hood?" She called without breaking eye contact.
"Yeah," she heard behind her.
"You stupid bitch," the guy coughed, "Ya think this is supposed to scare me?"
She glared at him, her aim unwavering, but he laughed.
"Baby girl, you don't have the nerve to use that thing. Hell, I doubt you could handle that—"
The shot rang through the alley as she hit the spot two inches from his left ear.
"JESUS CHRIST!" Bobby flinched.
"You were saying?" she said with a smirk. "Now listen up," she leaned over, putting the barrel to his forehead. "My man over there? That's Red Hood. You better remember his name because he protects the Angels and he doesn't fire warning shots. If we catch you near Kensie, her boy or any of our other friends, you won't live to see another day. Are we clear?"
After Bobby nodded, Barbara released him and let him run down the alley and out of sight. The rush of adrenaline was intense and gratifying and it took a deep breath for her to calm down enough to hand the gun back to Hood on the floor.
"Wha—what the hell was that?" he gasped.
Trying not to blush, she shrugged it off. "My dad made sure I knew my way around a gun."
"That was," he tried to catch his breath, "the hottest thing I've ever scene."
"It's not a big deal." Don't blush. Don't blush.
"You're incredible," he stood up, "And if you can hold your own like that, why are you holding yourself back with the Bats?"
"What are you talking about?" she said, bending over to dusted herself off (and avoid his eye).
"No one who can bring a man to his knees like that should be held back by an aging hero with an antiquated, impossible moral code."
"And what?" she snapped, "I should join you instead?"
"Yeah, you should."
"You're crazy."
"I'd pay you well. Better than the Bat, I bet."
She looked away again and she knew it was a tell.
"Wait," Hood said, "Time out — he's not even paying you?!" She tried to walk down the alley, but he followed. "Shit Batsie, I'll at least pay you."
"With blood money," she said over her shoulder.
"Taken from the mobs," he said tensely, "which would otherwise used to hurt more people."
Barbara turned to face him. "You kill people," she said slowly — he only scoffed.
"I'm sorry if I'm not going to weep over dead rapists and drug lords."
"Yeah, and the ends always justify the means, right?" she snapped. "I'm sorry, but those are lines I won't cross."
"Jesus," he said with frustration, "you're such a tight ass."
"Fuck you!" she shouted.
"No really, you're so afraid of living on the edge that you never actually live. You never let yourself go to your full potential and you never let yourself be happy."
"I live just fine and I don't hold myself back and I'm very happy, thank you very much." She crossed her arms. Hood looked right at her for a moment before—
"When was the last time you were fucked?"
"Excuse me?" she said shrilly, "Who I sleep with is none of your—"
Hood scowled. "I'm not talking about sleeping with someone or making love." He moved fast towards her. "When was the last time you were fucked?"
"W—what?" she stuttered, feeling the cool brick on her back as he leaned in.
"Pushed against the wall, hands over your head," he said with a dark intensity, "Fucked into oblivion by a man who deserves you."
She didn't know what to say, partially because his words sent shockwaves through her belly but partially because she didn't have a good answer. She just knew his words were making her so wet.
"If you'd just let go, you'd …" he started, his masked face just inches from hers as he whispered, "You could light the sky on fire."
And then his hand brushed her inner thigh, eliciting a sweet moan from Barbara's lips. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she tilted her face to the sky. But his hand left her — she almost whined for the lack of contact. She opened her eyes and saw him back up slowly.
"You're strong and clever and deadly, Batsie. You and me, we could change Gotham together. Think about it."
Practically holding her breath, Barbara waiting for him to turn the corner before putting her hand between her legs and rubbing vigorously. Any humiliation she could have felt in what she was doing was overwhelmed by the how horny Hood made her. But no matter how hard she rubbed, the spring was wound too tight and she just couldn't get relief. Her fist hit the wall in frustration when she finally stopped trying. What am I doing? She asked herself as she looked back up at the stars.
She got back to her bike a few blocks away. There was a note.
"Annika called. Meet me tonight at the Port Adams docks at midnight. Think about what I said. -RH"
She was thinking about it. All of it. And that was the problem.
