The New Girl : Chapter Six
'Shop Till You Drop'
Authors note: This chapters grammer will be poor b/c my computer got a virus and some programs still won't open. One being spell-check. Sorry it took me so long to update. I was having a bit of a writters block. I promise that chapter seven will be out sooner. Just...Don't hurt me!
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or anything related to him. I just own Rachael, but I'll happily give her to DC comics in trade for Robin. j/k ;) LOL.
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BEEP BEEP
"So whos this new kid that I'm letting ride in my porche?" Dinah Lance a.k.a. the Black Canary asked as se adjusted the baseball cap that hid her bleach blond hair that made her well known around the super-hero community. Her hot red porche was parked out front of the large, castle-like Mansion owned by the philanthropist, Bruce Wayne.
"Her names Rachael. She's a sweet girl." Barbara informed her partner in action as she looked down at her watch. "She's also a late girl."
Just as Barbara spoke though, Rachael bounded down the front steps of Wayne Manor s she tied her long chesnut hair back in a ponytail. "Sorry. I was ready in time, but I took a nap and I guess I over slept." She opened the back seat car door.
"Rachael, I would like you to meet Dinah Lance, the Black Canary. Dinah, This is Rachael. The 'Falcon'." Barbara introduced the two as Rachel clambered into the backseat.
"Wow." Was all she could say in awe as she shook one of her favorite female superheroes hand.
Dinah chuckled slightly and turned back to the front wheel. "Come on kid. We have a long day of shopping ahead of us." B.C. said smoothly as she flipped on a pair of cool." sunglassess and started the car. Barbara held up a credit card. "And Bruce is paying."
The three girls laughed as they sped off in the sweet little ride.
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"Ohhh. This would look so cute on you!" Dinah held up a VERY low neck sleeveless blouse.
Rachael looked at the blouse at horror. "No."
"Aw. C'mon. Whats wrong with THIS one?" Dinah held up the blouse, pleadingly.
"Its...pink." Rachael said, disgusted and as if that was answer enough.. "Okay..." Dinah put the blouse back and pulled out a black leather, zip-up tanktop. "How about this one?"
"Geeze Dinah. Shes fifteen, not twenty!" Barbara put the tank top back up and puled out a simple white, button-up shirt.
"Guys? Haven't we shopped enough yet? I already have, like, five bags of clothes here!" Rachael held up the five mentioned bags as proof. They had been shopping for three hours straight. She would would have been enjoying the trip more if it wasn't for the fact that every muscle in her body still ached from that mornnings training session.
"You can NEVER shop too much." Dinah stated as the three aproached the check out counter with another huge pile of clothes and acessories. They had bought several pairs of fishnet stockings on Dinahs persistence that they would look good o Rach' and several skirts, jeans, simple buttn up blouses and tanktops and one or two stylish hoodies. Rachael had even convince the other two women into letting her buy a good pair of camoflage pants and black tanktop. She hated to wear bright colors, with the exception of blue. She mostly wore earth tones and blacks. ANYTHING to keep her from looking like a prep.
After adding the fifth and sixth bag to their growing collection, they headed for the food court.
"Ow." Rachael groaned as she set the four bags that she was carrying down at her feet as se sat down at a nearby table and rubed her sore calfs.
"Hard first day of training." Barbara stated, it wasn't a question. he layed down the two bags that she carried as well.
"You have NO idea." Rachael replied as she slumped over in her chair.
"I'll go get us our food. What do you guys want?" D5nah asked as she layed her purse in one of the chairs at the small table.
"Vegitarian mushuu with chinese pancakes and some chicken burbon. Hot tea and maybe some eggdrop soup?" Rachael requested. Her body was runnng on empty and she was in dire need of some fuel
"I'll just have two slices of pizza and a coke." Babs' told her friend and Dinah went off to get the grub.
"H ere." Barbara handed Rachael a small pill botle and a bottle of some sot of lubricant. "Take the tylonol with ur food and put the flexall on before your next training session. It will soothe the muscle ache.
"Thanks." Rachael put the medicine in her newly bought purse, but not before getting out two of the tylonol from the small bottle. Dinah joined them again suprisingly quickly and passed them around their trays of food, with a hotdog and fries for herself.
"So whats this I hear about you and Tim?" Barbara grined smartly and raised an eyebrow. Racheal nearly choked on her chicken.
"I don't have a CLUE what your talking about." Rachael re[lied cooly as she tried to regain her composer, but the bright red blush that graced her face reveaed all. She took a large bite of the vegitarian mooshoo that was wrapped in the paper thin chinese pancake.
"Batgirl told me allll about how she walked in on your little kiss with Robin." Babs leaned over the table a bit to eat her pizza as she smirked simi-evily.
Dinah nearly choked on her hotdog as she heard this and looked over at poor Rachael, on the verge of laughter. "You don't waste any time when it comes to men, do you."
Rachael blushed even more feverently(why does my charater blush so much? Does she have a blood pressure broblem or something? I don't know. I should though since I'm the author LOL.). "We...didn't kiss." Well they didn't....but they almost did..."I barely even know him!"
"Uh huh. Suurre." Babs and Dinah begin to find it extremly funny to see the young grl so flustered over the subject.
"We didn't!" Rachael exclamed somewhat loudly.
"You just keep telling yourself that." Babs patted the girls arm inn mock comfort and Rachael groaned. She gave up. It was no use.
Barbara and Dinah laughed triumphantly. It was fun teasing the younger members of the Batclan, but Babs thought it was time to change the subject. There was no need to force the young girl back into her shell...or cave in this matter. "How do you like livng at the manor?"
Rachael sighed, relieved. "Its alright I guess." She shrugged her shoulders in a teenage fashion.
"Its not healthy for a girl your age to live in that mansion all alone. Alfred is great and all and Bruce is....something. ut you need someone a little more arond your age and gender. Not to mention, once the press gets ahold of this, they'll make you out to be Bruce's illegitamate daughter or something....How about you move iinto the clock tower after your basic training? It wil be a whol.e lot better then living around the gloom and doom house." Babs offered the girl.
Rachael perked up slightly at this. "Realy? I'd LOVE to." She wondered how long it would take her basic training to finish...it sure didn't seem basic to her. "Exacty how long is basic training? When do I get to don a cape and mask?"
"One step at a time, Rach. It will probably be a few months before your basic training is over, then you move on to the hard stuff. Besides, your nowere NEAR ready enough to don a mask yet. You can't even do a flip flop" Babs told her.
"Geeze. Do you have to snoop in on EVERYTHING"
"They don't call me the 'All seeing' Oracle for nothing" Barbara beamed proudly at her eaves dropping skills.
Dinah wtched the onging conversation somewhat worriedly. What did this all mean? "Babs, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Dinah asked as she threw the garbage left over from her lunch n the garbage near ther table.
"Sure. Rachael, how about you go browse the ''Books & Music Cafe' a bit. We'll be along shortly." Babs tossed her the credit card.
"Ok..." Rachael put the card safely in her purce and forced a smile. She could guess the subject of their up coming conversation.
"Thanks Rach," Dinah told the girl as she headed to the nearby cafe.
After Rachael was out of hearing distance, Dinah turned back to Barbara with a serious face. "Cute Kid."
"MmmHmm" Barbara replied nonchalantly. Rachael kinda reminded her of herself at that age. t brought bck many good and bad memories.
"Your not trying to shove another apprentice on me, are you?" Dinah narrowed her eyes, leaned forward, and propped her head in her hands with her elbows on the table. Barbara laughed.
"Heck no. The girl just looks like she needs some sister-figures in her life. She'd probably go MAD if she had to spend all day of everyday in the manor by herself." Babs slurped up the remainder of her drink. "She needs some kind of role model other than the Bat."
"Ah hah!" Dinah exclamed, smiling. "You ARE trying to shove another apprentice on me!" The Birds of Prey had already ended their apprenticship with the Spoiler because they didn't have the time or the pateintce to train her.
Barbara looked at Dinah with the same serious look that Dinah had previously worn and frowned. "Do you really want another one?"
"No...Maybe." Dinah settled back in her chair. "I don't know."
"I really didn't plan for you to take Rach' under your wing at the moment(A/n: Pardon the pun). She just needs some friends..." Barbara took the brakes off of her wheel chair and wheeled over towards the garbage, dropping er empty soft drink cup in it.
"Okay." Dinah got up from her chair and the two headed for a nearby speciality shope. They'd go pick up Rachael from the cafe in a minute. "But I think sshe'll need some friends her own age as well..."
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Rachael browsed the many isles of boofs that graced the jazzy cafe; every once in awhile stopping to skim through a book that looked intresting, only to put it back while shaking her head. She had always loved to read and to draw, but now she didn't know where she would find the time. She wasn't really a people person. She rather curl up with a good book,or comic book for that matter, anyday rather then go out and socialize.
She decided to just get what she considered the essentials: A Bible, 'Food' by Susan Powter, 'Bridgmans cmplete guide to drawing from life', and the 'Chronicles of Narnia', her favorite fairytle of all time. She also picked up a few intresting books on martial arts and forensic science, deciding she needed to do as much studying and research as possible. She also made sure to get a sketchbook and several art pencils. She loved martial arts, but Art had lways been her first love. She had been drawing since she was one and hadn't quit since.
After selecting her reading material, she headed for the music and quickly made her selections from her favorites: Weird Al Yankovicks new 'Poodle Hat' cd, Six Pence None the Richer, Super Chic[k], Daniel Bedingfield, P.O.D., and Grits (A christian rap band.).
Ordering a frapuchino and paying for her stuff, she headed for one of the many available tables in the small cafe. She clutched her bags of books and cd's in one hand(she had left her other bags filled with clothes with Barbara abd Dinah) and her coffe based frap' in the other. She got out a few books to rumage through before she even got to her table and closed her eyes to enjoy the fresh coffe aroma. She loved this. Loved the quiet surroundings and the calming feeling of down time. Gotham wasnt to bad during the day, but she knew ,come night fall, it would be a completely different story, a nightmare on earth, and it thrilled her that soon she would get to face down those ightmares and hopefully come up on top. But she didnt know what true danger was, she was an innocent soul.
"Oh!" Rachael exclaimed as she and a blond haired girl collided with each other while Rachael was just nearing her choosen table. Rachael managed to save her precious caffiene, but her books that she had gotten out of her bag went flying.
"I'm SO sorry." The blond girl apologized as she knelt down to help Rachael recover her dropped reading material.
"No, no. Thats ok. I should have been watching where I was going." She laid her frap' and the rest of her bagged goods on a nearby table and picked up the last of the spilt books.
"I come here alot, I've never seen YOU here before." The blond girl tried to make conversation as she put some og the picked up books on the table near Rachaels other things.
"I...just moved to Gotham." Rachael sat down at the table and the girl joined her. She seemed nice enough.
"Oh Really? Where are you from?" The blond haired girled asked, intrested.
"Well I moved here from Texas, but I'm FROM Florida." Rachael thought it was ok to give away this info. She wasn't even supposed to exist here. What harm could it do?
"Thats cool...I don't think we were properly introduced. You are?"
"Rachael. Rachael Simmons." Rachael her hand cheerfully.
"Well Hello Rachael." The girl took Rach's hand and shook it with jy of making a new friend. "I'm Stephanie Brown. Glad to meet ya'."
Rachael's jaw dropped and her grin disappeared. She hd herd from the others how Stephanie Brown, formerly the Spoiler, was puled out of costume after nearly killing a criminal and an innocent bystander. And here she was, standing right infront of her. God sure did seem to have a weird sense of humor lately.
"Hey, are you....alright?" Step' looked at her strangely.
Rachael was getting ready to make a quick excuse for her to leave when someone did it for her. "C'mon Rach'. We have to get you back in time to do your 'Chores'." Barbara told the girl as she and Dinah poked their heads around the corner. Stephanie instictivly hid her head behind a newspaper as she heard the familiar voices. They were some of the LAST people she wanted to see.
"Comind." Rachael quickly gathered her stuff up and followed the two others out of that cafe as quickly as she could without them being suspicious.
"Something wrong, Rachael? You've like youve seen a ghost." Barbara noted as she sw how nervous Rach' looked.
"Nothing. Nothing at all...just a lttle jumpy from all this caffiene." Rachael came up with an answer a little to quickly.
"Riiight." Babs decided just to leave it at that.
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Stephanie watched as the trio left. Her eyes burned with anger and jealousy. She felt betrayed. She felt like she was being replaced. And in some ways...she was right. This new kid must hve just poped up from nowhere and was offered the 'night job' right on te spot. Stephanie would have to show this...this 'Rachael' that she wasn't going to let her take her place this easily...
Stephanies mind began to leap to illogical conclusios and her heart began to fill with pure hatred for Rachael. NO ONE was going to replace her like this.
She stormed out of the mall, plotting her revenge as she went.
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Wayne Manor, 5:00 p.m.
Rachael heaved a sigh of exaustionas she entered the front door of the manor and dropped the heavy bags (That Babs and Dinah had just handed her as she got out of the car) on the marble floor.
"Here, Young Mis Rachael, allow me to carry those up to your room for you." Alfred offered as he picked up two of the seven bags.
"That sn't necessary, Alfred. I can get those." Rachael said as she tried to pick up a few bags as well. Alfred stopped her from doing so.
"Nonsense, Miss. Its my job." Alfred wlked down the close at hand allway to where the stairs were. "By the way, your new 'training uniform' is down in te sub-basement locker-room. Master Bruce wants you suited up and down to the training area as soon as possible for more training." Alfred called down from the stairwell. Rachael groaned and headed for the Grandfather clock that hid he doorway to the Batcave. Se wanted to scream. She wanted this day to just be over with. Would it ever end?
She yawned instead as she entered the clock entrance, shut it behind her, and headed down cave steps.
Robin sat at the Crays computer, he wore a tired face not to much different than Rachaels. He had only gotten four hours of sleep that week. He'd been patrolng every nght and going over clues or spending time with Ives,his best friend, during the day.
Crime was busyer in the Summer and the Bat-family could use someone else out there. But , sadly, Rachael wouldn't be ready to handle a simple agravated assualt case for weeks, let alone to go out on an actual patrol.
"Hey Boy Wonder, you know where I can find the lock-rooms or is it part of my training to search for it?" Rachael asked as she came up behind Tim and scanned the screen to see what the latest case he was working on was. A kidnapping ring.
"Hm? Oh." Tim turned the high backed chair around to see her. "Sub-level four, second door on your right. Can't miss it."
"Thanks. I need to change into my costume" the words rolled of her tongue proudly. HER costume. HERS. She grinned widly. " hed on to the training area. I'm guessing Batman is already down there?"
"Mmmhmmm." The two stood there in uncomfortable silence before Rachael finnaly turned er back to Robin and headed for the elevator tat would take her to sub-level four. She was to tired to tke the ladder.
Tim watched her as she went, then trned back to is work as he shaked his head. This was ridicous. He had a case to work on, he didn't need to spend any time thinking about a girl. That had gotten him in a big enough mess before.
His eyes scanned the police and insurance records of one of the many suspects, but his mind didn't register it. He barely even KNEW her, Rachael that is, not the suspect. Al he ad on her so far was her lllookes and her attitude towards everything so far. Other than that, he didn't know a single thing about her. Besides, maybe he was better off by himself...'C'mon, keep your head on the case. The case is more important then the status of your love life.' he scolded himself and did his best to going back to connecting the clues of the case.
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Rachael looked at herself in the full length mirror that was located in the girls dressing room. It was only a temporary costume. She wanted to design her own. Her mind was filled with good and bad ideas for costume designs. She turned around a bit so she could get a bettr look at the back of the current costume. It wasn't to bad, actualy, considering it was sewn together and desined by a sixty or seventy year old man. It consisted of black and covered nearly her entire body. The only part that WASN'T covered by the black material was her face, neck and the parts that were covered in red. The neck-line was somewhat low, showing off her feminine figure with a certain class of modesty and without looking cheap. A red, sharply designed Falcon symbol covered hher chest and the top of her forearm-length gloves. Her face was covered by a small black mask with white pupiless eyes. It was very simalar to Robin and Nightwings own mask. Rachael, or Falcon now tht she had the siuit on, tilted her head to the side in thought.
DEFINITLY would have to change it around a bt. Maybe show a little bit of mid-drift....
Rachaels mind drifted to Tim. She remembered back home how she and her friends would argue over who would get to date Rbin if he were real and they would write fanfics where Spoiler would either die or move away and their own charaters(Usualy themselves personified)) would end up with Robin. She chuckled.
Funny how things changed once she arrived in Gotham. She would MUCH rather be back home in her little country house n Texas, where her friends and family were, then be in a place where they...where SHE never even existed. She used to dream about how cool it be to live in Gotham city, but now...Rachael had to take her mask off to wipe a silent tear from her eye and then headed back up the elevator, passing the training area. She wanted to get a good drink of water before begining another hard training session. She passed by Robin without uttering a single word of greeting.
Fortunatly, he also didn't feel like talking to anyone anyways. He was a little to confused to make conversation.
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Rachael looked at the blue, padded, gymnastics floor that lay before her, mocking her.. She could do this. She was making this out to be musch harder than it actualy was.
She began to run across the mat. She just had t believe she could do this...Rachael lifted her arms in the air and got ready for the jump.
All she had to do was visualize herself doing a front flip and--THUMP!!! She fell from a handstand to land flat on her back and groaned. What she needed right now was a good chiropracter.
A dark shadow shaped as a large bat, hovered over her aching bod. "Again." the shadow commanded in a monotonal voice.
"Can I just rest a minute?" She mumbled as she turned over so that she lay on her side.
"No." it replied.
"Um...Batman? Oracle wants to talk with you." Robin informed his mentor as he walked towards the trainer and trainee.
"About what?" Batman asked as he turned towards Tim.
"She wouldn't say."
Batman looked down at Falcon as she took advantage of His and Robins conversation to stretch out leisurely and relax on the uncomfortable blue mat. "I'll be right back. Continue to practice." Batman told the young girl as he left. Robin went to follow him but he stopped when Batman continued. "Robin, help her out and make sure she does as shes told."
Rachael rolled her eyes. No, she wasn't going to do as she was told. She was going to go goof off and watch Fairly Odd Parents. She knew that if she DIDN'T do as he said, her punishment would be awhole lot worse.
"So...hows your first day of training?" Robin asked as he held out his hand to help her up.
"One word: 'Ow'." Racael half-joked as she accepted his hand and he pulled her up, chuckleling.
"Figured that much. I saw your attempt at a flip-flop. Ouch."
Rachael stood up and straightened her costume. "Yeah...I don't know what I'm doing wrong." She pouted slightly, wondering where her flaw could be.
"Well, for one thing, your arms are a bit uneven when you try to ush yourself up out of a handstand. And another, you probably need to arch your back a little more." He evaluated. Here, why don't you try again." He look at her pained face. "I'll spot you to make sure you don't fall." e offered kindly.
"Okay...but don't laugh at me if I DO fall." Rachael instructed as she readjusted her mask and walked back towards the edge of the mat where she had started before.
"Wouldn't dream of it." He knelt down near the center of the mat, ready to help her along the way and keep her from getting hurt...again.
"Well....Here it goes..." She ran across the blue flooring, got ready to jump, and...her hands met the ground and her feet lifted into the air. Robin quickly grabbed her around the waist and guided her to push with her arms, then he let go. She arched her back like he had instructed her and stretched out her toes so she landed on the balls of her feet in a crouch.
"Yes! I did it!" Rachael pumped her arms in the air victoriously. Robin smirked as Rachael turned back to Tim, smiling herself.
"Thaks." She said somewhat shyly.
"Hey. Don't mention it." After that, things were once again awkwardly silent.
"Well...um..." Rachael tried fuitlessly to pierce the silence. "Look. There's hardly any kids my own age round' here that I can meet. Other then you and Batgirl, that is. And I'll go CRAZY training all day long without any teen interaction..." Rachael rubbed the back of her neck. It would probably be best to put last nights 'Expierience' behind them. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm gonna need some pals. So...friends?" She shoved her hand frward and he looked at it for a long moment. He was disappointed, yet at the same time, relieved.
"Friends." He took her hand, smiling, and they shook on it.
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"Alfred watched on from a short distance away. "It looks like the start of a beautiful friendship, eh Master Bruce?"
Batman, who had just finished up a call with Oracle, noded silently. It was all set. Rachael would be moving in with Babs one week before school started.
"Trying to play match maker, Alfred?" Bruce questioned as he raised an eyebrow.
"Nonsense, Sir. I am doing nothing of the sort." Alfred replied, even though he knew that it was true. He smiled as he watched the two young adultys continue to practice, making jokes and both laughing when she fell straight on her back.
Alfred was right. It was a start of a wonderful friendship.
'Shop Till You Drop'
Authors note: This chapters grammer will be poor b/c my computer got a virus and some programs still won't open. One being spell-check. Sorry it took me so long to update. I was having a bit of a writters block. I promise that chapter seven will be out sooner. Just...Don't hurt me!
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or anything related to him. I just own Rachael, but I'll happily give her to DC comics in trade for Robin. j/k ;) LOL.
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BEEP BEEP
"So whos this new kid that I'm letting ride in my porche?" Dinah Lance a.k.a. the Black Canary asked as se adjusted the baseball cap that hid her bleach blond hair that made her well known around the super-hero community. Her hot red porche was parked out front of the large, castle-like Mansion owned by the philanthropist, Bruce Wayne.
"Her names Rachael. She's a sweet girl." Barbara informed her partner in action as she looked down at her watch. "She's also a late girl."
Just as Barbara spoke though, Rachael bounded down the front steps of Wayne Manor s she tied her long chesnut hair back in a ponytail. "Sorry. I was ready in time, but I took a nap and I guess I over slept." She opened the back seat car door.
"Rachael, I would like you to meet Dinah Lance, the Black Canary. Dinah, This is Rachael. The 'Falcon'." Barbara introduced the two as Rachel clambered into the backseat.
"Wow." Was all she could say in awe as she shook one of her favorite female superheroes hand.
Dinah chuckled slightly and turned back to the front wheel. "Come on kid. We have a long day of shopping ahead of us." B.C. said smoothly as she flipped on a pair of cool." sunglassess and started the car. Barbara held up a credit card. "And Bruce is paying."
The three girls laughed as they sped off in the sweet little ride.
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"Ohhh. This would look so cute on you!" Dinah held up a VERY low neck sleeveless blouse.
Rachael looked at the blouse at horror. "No."
"Aw. C'mon. Whats wrong with THIS one?" Dinah held up the blouse, pleadingly.
"Its...pink." Rachael said, disgusted and as if that was answer enough.. "Okay..." Dinah put the blouse back and pulled out a black leather, zip-up tanktop. "How about this one?"
"Geeze Dinah. Shes fifteen, not twenty!" Barbara put the tank top back up and puled out a simple white, button-up shirt.
"Guys? Haven't we shopped enough yet? I already have, like, five bags of clothes here!" Rachael held up the five mentioned bags as proof. They had been shopping for three hours straight. She would would have been enjoying the trip more if it wasn't for the fact that every muscle in her body still ached from that mornnings training session.
"You can NEVER shop too much." Dinah stated as the three aproached the check out counter with another huge pile of clothes and acessories. They had bought several pairs of fishnet stockings on Dinahs persistence that they would look good o Rach' and several skirts, jeans, simple buttn up blouses and tanktops and one or two stylish hoodies. Rachael had even convince the other two women into letting her buy a good pair of camoflage pants and black tanktop. She hated to wear bright colors, with the exception of blue. She mostly wore earth tones and blacks. ANYTHING to keep her from looking like a prep.
After adding the fifth and sixth bag to their growing collection, they headed for the food court.
"Ow." Rachael groaned as she set the four bags that she was carrying down at her feet as se sat down at a nearby table and rubed her sore calfs.
"Hard first day of training." Barbara stated, it wasn't a question. he layed down the two bags that she carried as well.
"You have NO idea." Rachael replied as she slumped over in her chair.
"I'll go get us our food. What do you guys want?" D5nah asked as she layed her purse in one of the chairs at the small table.
"Vegitarian mushuu with chinese pancakes and some chicken burbon. Hot tea and maybe some eggdrop soup?" Rachael requested. Her body was runnng on empty and she was in dire need of some fuel
"I'll just have two slices of pizza and a coke." Babs' told her friend and Dinah went off to get the grub.
"H ere." Barbara handed Rachael a small pill botle and a bottle of some sot of lubricant. "Take the tylonol with ur food and put the flexall on before your next training session. It will soothe the muscle ache.
"Thanks." Rachael put the medicine in her newly bought purse, but not before getting out two of the tylonol from the small bottle. Dinah joined them again suprisingly quickly and passed them around their trays of food, with a hotdog and fries for herself.
"So whats this I hear about you and Tim?" Barbara grined smartly and raised an eyebrow. Racheal nearly choked on her chicken.
"I don't have a CLUE what your talking about." Rachael re[lied cooly as she tried to regain her composer, but the bright red blush that graced her face reveaed all. She took a large bite of the vegitarian mooshoo that was wrapped in the paper thin chinese pancake.
"Batgirl told me allll about how she walked in on your little kiss with Robin." Babs leaned over the table a bit to eat her pizza as she smirked simi-evily.
Dinah nearly choked on her hotdog as she heard this and looked over at poor Rachael, on the verge of laughter. "You don't waste any time when it comes to men, do you."
Rachael blushed even more feverently(why does my charater blush so much? Does she have a blood pressure broblem or something? I don't know. I should though since I'm the author LOL.). "We...didn't kiss." Well they didn't....but they almost did..."I barely even know him!"
"Uh huh. Suurre." Babs and Dinah begin to find it extremly funny to see the young grl so flustered over the subject.
"We didn't!" Rachael exclamed somewhat loudly.
"You just keep telling yourself that." Babs patted the girls arm inn mock comfort and Rachael groaned. She gave up. It was no use.
Barbara and Dinah laughed triumphantly. It was fun teasing the younger members of the Batclan, but Babs thought it was time to change the subject. There was no need to force the young girl back into her shell...or cave in this matter. "How do you like livng at the manor?"
Rachael sighed, relieved. "Its alright I guess." She shrugged her shoulders in a teenage fashion.
"Its not healthy for a girl your age to live in that mansion all alone. Alfred is great and all and Bruce is....something. ut you need someone a little more arond your age and gender. Not to mention, once the press gets ahold of this, they'll make you out to be Bruce's illegitamate daughter or something....How about you move iinto the clock tower after your basic training? It wil be a whol.e lot better then living around the gloom and doom house." Babs offered the girl.
Rachael perked up slightly at this. "Realy? I'd LOVE to." She wondered how long it would take her basic training to finish...it sure didn't seem basic to her. "Exacty how long is basic training? When do I get to don a cape and mask?"
"One step at a time, Rach. It will probably be a few months before your basic training is over, then you move on to the hard stuff. Besides, your nowere NEAR ready enough to don a mask yet. You can't even do a flip flop" Babs told her.
"Geeze. Do you have to snoop in on EVERYTHING"
"They don't call me the 'All seeing' Oracle for nothing" Barbara beamed proudly at her eaves dropping skills.
Dinah wtched the onging conversation somewhat worriedly. What did this all mean? "Babs, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Dinah asked as she threw the garbage left over from her lunch n the garbage near ther table.
"Sure. Rachael, how about you go browse the ''Books & Music Cafe' a bit. We'll be along shortly." Babs tossed her the credit card.
"Ok..." Rachael put the card safely in her purce and forced a smile. She could guess the subject of their up coming conversation.
"Thanks Rach," Dinah told the girl as she headed to the nearby cafe.
After Rachael was out of hearing distance, Dinah turned back to Barbara with a serious face. "Cute Kid."
"MmmHmm" Barbara replied nonchalantly. Rachael kinda reminded her of herself at that age. t brought bck many good and bad memories.
"Your not trying to shove another apprentice on me, are you?" Dinah narrowed her eyes, leaned forward, and propped her head in her hands with her elbows on the table. Barbara laughed.
"Heck no. The girl just looks like she needs some sister-figures in her life. She'd probably go MAD if she had to spend all day of everyday in the manor by herself." Babs slurped up the remainder of her drink. "She needs some kind of role model other than the Bat."
"Ah hah!" Dinah exclamed, smiling. "You ARE trying to shove another apprentice on me!" The Birds of Prey had already ended their apprenticship with the Spoiler because they didn't have the time or the pateintce to train her.
Barbara looked at Dinah with the same serious look that Dinah had previously worn and frowned. "Do you really want another one?"
"No...Maybe." Dinah settled back in her chair. "I don't know."
"I really didn't plan for you to take Rach' under your wing at the moment(A/n: Pardon the pun). She just needs some friends..." Barbara took the brakes off of her wheel chair and wheeled over towards the garbage, dropping er empty soft drink cup in it.
"Okay." Dinah got up from her chair and the two headed for a nearby speciality shope. They'd go pick up Rachael from the cafe in a minute. "But I think sshe'll need some friends her own age as well..."
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Rachael browsed the many isles of boofs that graced the jazzy cafe; every once in awhile stopping to skim through a book that looked intresting, only to put it back while shaking her head. She had always loved to read and to draw, but now she didn't know where she would find the time. She wasn't really a people person. She rather curl up with a good book,or comic book for that matter, anyday rather then go out and socialize.
She decided to just get what she considered the essentials: A Bible, 'Food' by Susan Powter, 'Bridgmans cmplete guide to drawing from life', and the 'Chronicles of Narnia', her favorite fairytle of all time. She also picked up a few intresting books on martial arts and forensic science, deciding she needed to do as much studying and research as possible. She also made sure to get a sketchbook and several art pencils. She loved martial arts, but Art had lways been her first love. She had been drawing since she was one and hadn't quit since.
After selecting her reading material, she headed for the music and quickly made her selections from her favorites: Weird Al Yankovicks new 'Poodle Hat' cd, Six Pence None the Richer, Super Chic[k], Daniel Bedingfield, P.O.D., and Grits (A christian rap band.).
Ordering a frapuchino and paying for her stuff, she headed for one of the many available tables in the small cafe. She clutched her bags of books and cd's in one hand(she had left her other bags filled with clothes with Barbara abd Dinah) and her coffe based frap' in the other. She got out a few books to rumage through before she even got to her table and closed her eyes to enjoy the fresh coffe aroma. She loved this. Loved the quiet surroundings and the calming feeling of down time. Gotham wasnt to bad during the day, but she knew ,come night fall, it would be a completely different story, a nightmare on earth, and it thrilled her that soon she would get to face down those ightmares and hopefully come up on top. But she didnt know what true danger was, she was an innocent soul.
"Oh!" Rachael exclaimed as she and a blond haired girl collided with each other while Rachael was just nearing her choosen table. Rachael managed to save her precious caffiene, but her books that she had gotten out of her bag went flying.
"I'm SO sorry." The blond girl apologized as she knelt down to help Rachael recover her dropped reading material.
"No, no. Thats ok. I should have been watching where I was going." She laid her frap' and the rest of her bagged goods on a nearby table and picked up the last of the spilt books.
"I come here alot, I've never seen YOU here before." The blond girl tried to make conversation as she put some og the picked up books on the table near Rachaels other things.
"I...just moved to Gotham." Rachael sat down at the table and the girl joined her. She seemed nice enough.
"Oh Really? Where are you from?" The blond haired girled asked, intrested.
"Well I moved here from Texas, but I'm FROM Florida." Rachael thought it was ok to give away this info. She wasn't even supposed to exist here. What harm could it do?
"Thats cool...I don't think we were properly introduced. You are?"
"Rachael. Rachael Simmons." Rachael her hand cheerfully.
"Well Hello Rachael." The girl took Rach's hand and shook it with jy of making a new friend. "I'm Stephanie Brown. Glad to meet ya'."
Rachael's jaw dropped and her grin disappeared. She hd herd from the others how Stephanie Brown, formerly the Spoiler, was puled out of costume after nearly killing a criminal and an innocent bystander. And here she was, standing right infront of her. God sure did seem to have a weird sense of humor lately.
"Hey, are you....alright?" Step' looked at her strangely.
Rachael was getting ready to make a quick excuse for her to leave when someone did it for her. "C'mon Rach'. We have to get you back in time to do your 'Chores'." Barbara told the girl as she and Dinah poked their heads around the corner. Stephanie instictivly hid her head behind a newspaper as she heard the familiar voices. They were some of the LAST people she wanted to see.
"Comind." Rachael quickly gathered her stuff up and followed the two others out of that cafe as quickly as she could without them being suspicious.
"Something wrong, Rachael? You've like youve seen a ghost." Barbara noted as she sw how nervous Rach' looked.
"Nothing. Nothing at all...just a lttle jumpy from all this caffiene." Rachael came up with an answer a little to quickly.
"Riiight." Babs decided just to leave it at that.
--
Stephanie watched as the trio left. Her eyes burned with anger and jealousy. She felt betrayed. She felt like she was being replaced. And in some ways...she was right. This new kid must hve just poped up from nowhere and was offered the 'night job' right on te spot. Stephanie would have to show this...this 'Rachael' that she wasn't going to let her take her place this easily...
Stephanies mind began to leap to illogical conclusios and her heart began to fill with pure hatred for Rachael. NO ONE was going to replace her like this.
She stormed out of the mall, plotting her revenge as she went.
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Wayne Manor, 5:00 p.m.
Rachael heaved a sigh of exaustionas she entered the front door of the manor and dropped the heavy bags (That Babs and Dinah had just handed her as she got out of the car) on the marble floor.
"Here, Young Mis Rachael, allow me to carry those up to your room for you." Alfred offered as he picked up two of the seven bags.
"That sn't necessary, Alfred. I can get those." Rachael said as she tried to pick up a few bags as well. Alfred stopped her from doing so.
"Nonsense, Miss. Its my job." Alfred wlked down the close at hand allway to where the stairs were. "By the way, your new 'training uniform' is down in te sub-basement locker-room. Master Bruce wants you suited up and down to the training area as soon as possible for more training." Alfred called down from the stairwell. Rachael groaned and headed for the Grandfather clock that hid he doorway to the Batcave. Se wanted to scream. She wanted this day to just be over with. Would it ever end?
She yawned instead as she entered the clock entrance, shut it behind her, and headed down cave steps.
Robin sat at the Crays computer, he wore a tired face not to much different than Rachaels. He had only gotten four hours of sleep that week. He'd been patrolng every nght and going over clues or spending time with Ives,his best friend, during the day.
Crime was busyer in the Summer and the Bat-family could use someone else out there. But , sadly, Rachael wouldn't be ready to handle a simple agravated assualt case for weeks, let alone to go out on an actual patrol.
"Hey Boy Wonder, you know where I can find the lock-rooms or is it part of my training to search for it?" Rachael asked as she came up behind Tim and scanned the screen to see what the latest case he was working on was. A kidnapping ring.
"Hm? Oh." Tim turned the high backed chair around to see her. "Sub-level four, second door on your right. Can't miss it."
"Thanks. I need to change into my costume" the words rolled of her tongue proudly. HER costume. HERS. She grinned widly. " hed on to the training area. I'm guessing Batman is already down there?"
"Mmmhmmm." The two stood there in uncomfortable silence before Rachael finnaly turned er back to Robin and headed for the elevator tat would take her to sub-level four. She was to tired to tke the ladder.
Tim watched her as she went, then trned back to is work as he shaked his head. This was ridicous. He had a case to work on, he didn't need to spend any time thinking about a girl. That had gotten him in a big enough mess before.
His eyes scanned the police and insurance records of one of the many suspects, but his mind didn't register it. He barely even KNEW her, Rachael that is, not the suspect. Al he ad on her so far was her lllookes and her attitude towards everything so far. Other than that, he didn't know a single thing about her. Besides, maybe he was better off by himself...'C'mon, keep your head on the case. The case is more important then the status of your love life.' he scolded himself and did his best to going back to connecting the clues of the case.
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Rachael looked at herself in the full length mirror that was located in the girls dressing room. It was only a temporary costume. She wanted to design her own. Her mind was filled with good and bad ideas for costume designs. She turned around a bit so she could get a bettr look at the back of the current costume. It wasn't to bad, actualy, considering it was sewn together and desined by a sixty or seventy year old man. It consisted of black and covered nearly her entire body. The only part that WASN'T covered by the black material was her face, neck and the parts that were covered in red. The neck-line was somewhat low, showing off her feminine figure with a certain class of modesty and without looking cheap. A red, sharply designed Falcon symbol covered hher chest and the top of her forearm-length gloves. Her face was covered by a small black mask with white pupiless eyes. It was very simalar to Robin and Nightwings own mask. Rachael, or Falcon now tht she had the siuit on, tilted her head to the side in thought.
DEFINITLY would have to change it around a bt. Maybe show a little bit of mid-drift....
Rachaels mind drifted to Tim. She remembered back home how she and her friends would argue over who would get to date Rbin if he were real and they would write fanfics where Spoiler would either die or move away and their own charaters(Usualy themselves personified)) would end up with Robin. She chuckled.
Funny how things changed once she arrived in Gotham. She would MUCH rather be back home in her little country house n Texas, where her friends and family were, then be in a place where they...where SHE never even existed. She used to dream about how cool it be to live in Gotham city, but now...Rachael had to take her mask off to wipe a silent tear from her eye and then headed back up the elevator, passing the training area. She wanted to get a good drink of water before begining another hard training session. She passed by Robin without uttering a single word of greeting.
Fortunatly, he also didn't feel like talking to anyone anyways. He was a little to confused to make conversation.
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Rachael looked at the blue, padded, gymnastics floor that lay before her, mocking her.. She could do this. She was making this out to be musch harder than it actualy was.
She began to run across the mat. She just had t believe she could do this...Rachael lifted her arms in the air and got ready for the jump.
All she had to do was visualize herself doing a front flip and--THUMP!!! She fell from a handstand to land flat on her back and groaned. What she needed right now was a good chiropracter.
A dark shadow shaped as a large bat, hovered over her aching bod. "Again." the shadow commanded in a monotonal voice.
"Can I just rest a minute?" She mumbled as she turned over so that she lay on her side.
"No." it replied.
"Um...Batman? Oracle wants to talk with you." Robin informed his mentor as he walked towards the trainer and trainee.
"About what?" Batman asked as he turned towards Tim.
"She wouldn't say."
Batman looked down at Falcon as she took advantage of His and Robins conversation to stretch out leisurely and relax on the uncomfortable blue mat. "I'll be right back. Continue to practice." Batman told the young girl as he left. Robin went to follow him but he stopped when Batman continued. "Robin, help her out and make sure she does as shes told."
Rachael rolled her eyes. No, she wasn't going to do as she was told. She was going to go goof off and watch Fairly Odd Parents. She knew that if she DIDN'T do as he said, her punishment would be awhole lot worse.
"So...hows your first day of training?" Robin asked as he held out his hand to help her up.
"One word: 'Ow'." Racael half-joked as she accepted his hand and he pulled her up, chuckleling.
"Figured that much. I saw your attempt at a flip-flop. Ouch."
Rachael stood up and straightened her costume. "Yeah...I don't know what I'm doing wrong." She pouted slightly, wondering where her flaw could be.
"Well, for one thing, your arms are a bit uneven when you try to ush yourself up out of a handstand. And another, you probably need to arch your back a little more." He evaluated. Here, why don't you try again." He look at her pained face. "I'll spot you to make sure you don't fall." e offered kindly.
"Okay...but don't laugh at me if I DO fall." Rachael instructed as she readjusted her mask and walked back towards the edge of the mat where she had started before.
"Wouldn't dream of it." He knelt down near the center of the mat, ready to help her along the way and keep her from getting hurt...again.
"Well....Here it goes..." She ran across the blue flooring, got ready to jump, and...her hands met the ground and her feet lifted into the air. Robin quickly grabbed her around the waist and guided her to push with her arms, then he let go. She arched her back like he had instructed her and stretched out her toes so she landed on the balls of her feet in a crouch.
"Yes! I did it!" Rachael pumped her arms in the air victoriously. Robin smirked as Rachael turned back to Tim, smiling herself.
"Thaks." She said somewhat shyly.
"Hey. Don't mention it." After that, things were once again awkwardly silent.
"Well...um..." Rachael tried fuitlessly to pierce the silence. "Look. There's hardly any kids my own age round' here that I can meet. Other then you and Batgirl, that is. And I'll go CRAZY training all day long without any teen interaction..." Rachael rubbed the back of her neck. It would probably be best to put last nights 'Expierience' behind them. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm gonna need some pals. So...friends?" She shoved her hand frward and he looked at it for a long moment. He was disappointed, yet at the same time, relieved.
"Friends." He took her hand, smiling, and they shook on it.
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"Alfred watched on from a short distance away. "It looks like the start of a beautiful friendship, eh Master Bruce?"
Batman, who had just finished up a call with Oracle, noded silently. It was all set. Rachael would be moving in with Babs one week before school started.
"Trying to play match maker, Alfred?" Bruce questioned as he raised an eyebrow.
"Nonsense, Sir. I am doing nothing of the sort." Alfred replied, even though he knew that it was true. He smiled as he watched the two young adultys continue to practice, making jokes and both laughing when she fell straight on her back.
Alfred was right. It was a start of a wonderful friendship.