A/N: Shorterish chapter than I usually right but by the end, I forgot where I wanted it to go xD
This is what happens when I don't have internet for two days.
Heads up, this is heavily Barbara oriented.
GOTHAM CITY
July 20, 18:37 EDT
A soft breeze blew through the park, ruffling Barbara's red hair. Walking down the walkway, Barbara sighed. She was going to do it. Today was the day. She was going to tell her best friends, Dick and Jace, about her plans to become a vigilante. After all, they had a right to know.
Right?
Continuing on her way, Barbara bit her lip. She had thought about this long and hard. She wanted to fight crime but her dad, as the Commissioner, wouldn't allow her to so Barbara had the thought that maybe, just maybe, she could convince the Batman to train her. Sure, it was a long shot, but Barbara's thought everything through.
She had a name: Batgirl.
She had her costume: all black with a yellow bat insignia, utility belt and cape.
She had the motivation: she just wants to help Gotham out. She loves this city.
All she needs now are the means. She needs to get her hands on proper gadgets and gizmos. Her make-shift grapple, a simple rope, is not going to work for very long. She needs a grapple gun that she's seen the bats use numerous times. I could also use their bombs, she noted, they would definitely come in handy.
As she strolled deeper into the park, Barbara paused, a small smile settling on her lips. Across the way she could see Dick and Jace, chatting and just having a good time waiting for her.
Barbara was the one who called this meeting. She had told the boys it was pretty urgent and now that she was here, she was nervous.
All these 'what ifs' began to flood her mind.
What if they protest?
What if they tell her dad?
No. Barbara shook her head, effectively removing all the thoughts. She was not going to let 'what ifs' deter her. There were always 'what ifs.' Jace and Dick were her best friends. They'd understand. After all, they both knew of her dreams to fight crime.
Well, she kept to herself the part about wanting to become a vigilante. They just thought she meant a police officer.
Dick glanced up, noticing the red head staring at them. Waving his hand, he called out, "Barbara!"
Barbara's blue gaze settled on her friend as a grin spread across her face, "Hey guys!" She called out, racing towards them.
"Hey, Babs." Jace smiled before getting straight to the point, "What's this urgent business you spoke of?"
Barbara's smile faltered, before she plastered on an even bigger smile, hoping the two boys didn't notice. But, being the bats they are, they picked up on it. Jace could also sense the air of nervousness that had surrounded Barbara when she sat down.
Barbara let out a sigh, calming herself down. Relax, Barbara. It's just Dick and Jace, your best friends. Once she felt calm, she made eye contact with each of her friends before delving into her explanation, "IwantotjoinBatmanandRobinandStrikeandfightcrimeinGothamtohelpprotectthiscity."
Jace and Dick shared a glance. Due to the fact they were best friends with a speedster, they had caught everything Barbara had just said.
Jace paled at the thought of Barbara becoming a vigilante. Barbara was one of his best friends. Sure, she could hold her own, but that was only against simple-minded school jocks and bullies. She would never survive one night as a vigilante on the streets of Gotham. The criminals and villains would eat her up!
Across the table, Dick was having similar thoughts. Barbara was his best friend. She was the first person, besides Alfred and Bruce, to accept him. As Commissioner's daughter, she was already almost always in danger, causing Dick to worry about her slightly more than he would if she had any other relation to the Commissioner. Not to mention, Dick harbored a slight crush over the years for her; one that may or may not have deepened as the years have gone on.
Not that he'd admit that.
Barbara began to panic. Jace and Dick just sat there, like statues. It was times like this she wished she was a mind reader. She would give anything to know what they were thinking! Were they thinking of ways to help her out or rip her dreams to shreds?
A few minutes passed, all of which seemed to last forever to Barbara, before Dick spoke up, "Could you repeat that? At a processable speed this time?"
Barbara nodded, swallowing nervously, "I uh… I want to be a vigilante."
"Mhmm." Jace nodded, attempting to remain calm, "We got that, but why?"
"Why?" Barbara looked between the boys curiously. They were acting strangely calm and just plain… strange. "To protect this city! I want to fight crime!"
Dick glanced at Barbara, "Last time I checked, Batman and his protégés did that."
"Yea," Barbara agreed, "But why can't I?"
"Because it's dangerous?" Jace supplied.
"You'd get yourself killed?" Dick added on. They were both trying to find the right words to say.
"How do you guys know!? I can take care of myself!"
Jace sighed, "But Barbara, how many times have you been kidnapped?"
"Exactly!" Barbara exclaimed, completely missing the point Jace was trying to make, "The next time I get kidnapped, I don't want to be some damsel in distress waiting for my knights in shining armor to save me! I want to save myself. I want to fight crime, kick butt, save lives! I'm done feeling helpless."
"Then be a cop?"
Barbara huffed, crossing her arms, "You guys know my dad won't let me! Besides, if I was a cop, I'd just simply be known as the Commissioner's daughter! I want my own name! I want to be so much more than just the Commissioner's daughter!"
"Barbara, we've been over this before," Dick placed his hand on Barbara's, "You already are so much more. You're so much more to us than just the Commissioner's daughter."
Barbara smiled softly, twirling her fingers in her lap. This was not going how she had planned. "Of course you guys would say that, and I thank you, but it's not enough. I want more. I want, no need, to be a vigilante!"
"Barbara, why?" Jace spoke up, "It's not what you think it is." As soon as the words left his mouth, Jace realized his mistake. Gritting his teeth together, Jace hoped Barbara wouldn't catch his slip up.
Barbara's head snapped, "How would you know?"
"I uh… I meant to say that it doesn't seem like being a vigilante is what you think it'd be."
"Uh huh," Barbara narrowed her eyes. She had this feeling in her gut that they had something they weren't telling her. Glancing between the two, she voiced her thoughts, "What's been up with you two lately? Is there something you're not telling me?"
Dick sighed, "Barbara it's just, this is Gotham. This is the city that, in less than a minute, took my whole family from me. This is the city that claimed Bruce's parents. I just, I don't want this city to take you from me, from us."
"You have to remember Barbara," Jace went on, worry in his voice, "Gotham isn't a very forgiving city. Its home to the Joker, remember?"
"So are you guys telling me to not become a vigilante?"
Dick and Jace nodded their heads, "You don't know what you'd be getting yourself into. We don't know what you'd be getting yourself into."
Barbara pouted, crossing her arms, "Should've known you two wouldn't support me."
"Babs…"
"You know what?" Barbara stood up, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes, "Don't 'Babs' me! This means a lot to me! Why can't you guys just be supportive?" With that said, Barbara turned around and stormed off, leaving two guilty boys behind.
"Think it's time to tell her?" Jace asked, moments after Barbara was out of sight.
Dick shook his head, "She's going to be beyond pissed if we tell her."
"She'd get over it," Jace replied, standing up, "Besides, I'm sure Strike and Robin are more persuasive than Jace and Dick are."
Four hours later, Barbara found her sitting alone in her room, deciding what her next move would be. She could either a) go against what her friends said and follow her dream or b) just sit in her room doing nothing.
Barbara knew her decision.
Since her dad had already left for the station, Barbara was completely alone and didn't have to worry about him checking up on her. Strutting over to her closet door, she pried it open. Reaching deep inside, she pulled out her black leggings and black under armor turtleneck with a yellow bat insignia stitched on.
She quickly stripped before dressing in the dark clothes. Sauntering over to her dresser, Barbara hummed to herself. She opened a drawer before she pulled out the rest of her costume. After tying her belt around her waist, she flung her cape around her back, attaching it at the base of her neck.
Spinning around, Barbara marveled at how good she looked. She made a great vigilante! Before she slipped her gloves on, she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and then slipped her mask on over her face, removing any aspect of Barbara Gordon from her appearance.
Batgirl sighed, studying herself in the mirror, "This is it," She muttered to herself. "No going back now."
Strutting over to the window, Barbara pushed it up. She was instantly greeted with the smoggy smell of Gotham that littered the streets, not that she minded.
Peering out, Barbara glanced around, making sure the coast was clear. After a few seconds, she heaved a sigh as she fully climbed out onto the fire escape. A gasp escaped the girl's lips as she looked down, taking in the height.
'Was it always this high up?'
Barbara began to pace back and forth, courage slowly dwindling as she thought of the injuries the jump she had to make could leave her with. She puffed out her cheeks as she glared at the ground below. No, she was not going to let a meager three-story height bother her. After all, she's seen Batman and his sidekicks perform jumps from higher! She just needed to manage her momentum right.
Finally finding her courage, she jumped down and off the fire escape, performing an almost perfect flip. Her short flight was graceful, surprising herself, but once she hit the ground, she lost her balance, not quite used to the extra height.
As Barbara fell to the ground, pain shooting up her leg, she cursed to herself. If she was going to be Batgirl, she had to have no flaws. There wasn't room for flaws in this line of business.
Standing up, the girl dusted herself off. Applying pressure to the leg that was in pain, Barbara was happy to find out it wasn't broken. She immediately darted down the alley and around the corner, ready to find her first challenge of the night.
A loud scream pierced the night air, startling Barbara. She whirled around, immediately running towards the source of the scream. Slowing to a halt, she paused outside the dark alley. Adrenaline raced through her veins as her heart pounded as she made her decision.
'This is it,' Barbara thought, 'No turning back now.'
Plastering on a brave face, Barbara darted into the dark alley. At the end of the alley, cornering a shivering woman, was a burly, dirty man. His eyes were glazed over with lust as he eyed his prey hungrily.
"Come on sweet'art," The man slurred, obviously intoxicated, "Give me some sugar."
"S-stay away from me!" The woman cried out, shying further away from the man.
The man just chuckled darkly, ignoring the cowering woman's pleas, "Ah, sweet'art, don't be that way! I just want to have some fun." He smirked, stepping closer and closer towards the scared woman.
Barbara shivered. The man was giving her the creeps. Taking a deep breath, she shouted, "Hey! Leave her alone!"
The man turned around, annoyance written all over his face. As he looked Barbara up and down, taking in the bat insignia on her chest, an amused smirk spread across his face, "And who are you supposed to be?" He mused, chuckling darkly, "Batgirl?"
Shifting nervously, Barbara gulped, "Y-yes. I'm Batgirl." She smiled proudly as she finished her sentence more confident than she began it.
The man's smirk was wiped off his face, only to be replaced by a sneer, "Well get lost, Batgirl. I don't have time for petty wannabees like you." He waved the redhead off, turning his attention back towards the cowering woman, who had attempted to crawl away during his distractedness.
Barbara felt herself flush and suddenly, she was thankful for the facemask that covered more than half her face. The man's words had almost deterred her, but Barbara knew that, as Batgirl, she had to be head strong and stand up for herself and others.
Standing tall, Barbara put on the best brave face she could muster before shouting, "Listen here, mister." The man turned back towards Barbara. This time, his face was a mixture anger and annoyance. His hateful sneer reached his eyes as he glared a Barbara, causing the girl to nearly run away. However, one look at the scared woman at his feet and she knew what she had to do, "Let her go or else…" She let her threat trail off, silently hoping it would be enough.
"Or else what?" The man said, mocking Barbara's tone with a laugh. His eyes gleamed dangerously as he stared at Barbara. Barbara bristled, subconsciously taking a step backwards. The man, noticing Barbara's step back, smirked, "That's right, little girl. Just go back home and we can forget this ever happened."
Barbara just stood there, rooted in place. Her mind raced as she thought of what she should do. It had become blatantly obvious to her that this man meant business and it scared Barbara. She was wondering now what she ever saw in being a vigilante.
At that moment, Barbara made up her decision, or more so her subconscious did. Reaching behind her back, she pulled out a kitchen knife (hey, she didn't have a lot of options for weapons) and launched it at the man. Barbara knew her aim wasn't perfect, in fact, she's been told she has terrible aim, which her throw proved. Instead of lodging in the man's arm or something like she kind of hoped, it merely scraped his forearm before lodging in the wooden fence behind him.
The man, who had went wide eyed for a moment, narrowed his eyes at the redhead, "You stupid bitch!" He cursed, enraged, "I'll fucking kill ya!"
He charged forward, seething. As he was running, he produced a switchblade from his pocket. Flipping it open, the silver blade gleamed dangerously in the moonlight.
Barbara, slightly stunned from what just happened, stood there as the deranged man charged at her. When her brain finally registered what was happening, she jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the swipe of the knife.
He whirled around, fury still in his eyes before he proceeded to charge again. This time, Barbara stayed rooted in place. The man's fist, knife and all, came swinging her way. Barbara held up her arm, blocking the swipe before kicking the man in the stomach. He doubled over, dropping the switch blade.
Barbara, slightly giddy from what just happened, dropped her guard as she stared at the man. Before she knew it, the man leapt forward, pinning her to the wall.
"What did I say?" He seethed, breath tickling her nose. Barbara flinched. The man's breath reeked of alcohol, "I said I'd fucking kill ya!"
Barbara let out a gasp as the man's bulky hand clasped around her throat. She whimpered, clawing feebly at the man's hand. Smirking, his grip on her throat tightened as Barbara began to go dizzy from the lack of oxygen.
"Hey!" An angry voice shouted, "Let her go!"
"Not again," The man groaned. His grip on the young redhead's throat lessened as he turned to snarl at the person who decided to interrupt him once again.
Needless to say, he was not expecting snarling Boy Wonder's standing behind him.
The blood drained from his face, leaving the man ghastly pale as he stared at the peeved protégés. He knew there was no way in hell he could take down a Boy Wonder, none-the-less two of them!
Acting on impulse, the man whirled around before shoving Barbara away from him. Barbara let out a squeak as she went stumbling forward, right into Robin's arms. As Robin was steadying the girl, the man made a run for it, frantically running down the alley towards the street. With a masked eye roll, Strike pulled out a birdarang before launching it. The weapon spun through the air before it hit its target, engulfing the man in heavy ropes.
With an 'oof', the man ungracefully fell to the ground with a thud. As Strike closed in on him, the man attempted to wiggle his way to freedom. Strike heaved a heavy sigh as he stood tall over the cowering man below him.
"P-please," The man stuttered, close to tears. The power and confidence he once had felt had been drained from him, leaving him a quivering, cowering mess, "I ju-" Strike's foot shot forward, swiftly knocking the man out.
With one last glare at the man, Strike spun on his heel before making his way back towards his partner, who was holding a slightly shaky Barbara. Pushing back the impulse to just rush forward to make sure his friend was okay, Strike slowly made his way towards the duo, seeing as he had to take a business approach in this situation.
"You okay?" Strike asked the red head. Barbara nodded as Strike's gaze shifted over to Robin's. The duo shared a look as they both silently agreed on how to handle this situation, "Good."
"But what were you thinking?" Robin took over, glancing at Barbara.
Barbara pulled herself out of Robin's grip. She stood tall, or as tall as she could stand with the Boy Wonder's staring at her, as she answered, "I was thinking that I could aid you guys in fighting crime." Barbara silently congratulated herself on how confident she sounded.
Once again, Strike and Robin shared a look. They didn't think Barbara would risk her life by actually following through with what she had said.
"I think we have that department covered."
Barbara crossed her arms, a frown finding its way onto her face, "So? I can help! I want to help!"
"Then become a police officer," Robin deadpanned, face set in a thin line, "Commissioner Gordon could always use more men." Barbara flinched at the mention of her father's name, something that didn't go unnoticed by the two bats.
"I-I no… I- what?" Barbara spluttered, attempting to come up with a reply. There was no way Robin just told her that! It was the same thing Dick had told her! "I don't want to be a police officer! Besides, it takes years to get into that department! I want to fight crime now!"
Strike shook his head, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"This line of work is dangerous," Robin agreed.
Barbara's gaze shifted between the two boys as she said, "Yet that doesn't stop you two!"
"We're trained."
"Then train me!" Barbara cried out, arms spread wide. She was trying so hard to not break down as yet again more people attempted to crush her dreams. She was trying to stay strong, she needed stay strong! She could do this.
Strike and Robin just stared at the girl, not quite sure what to say. Fortunately, they didn't have to say anything. In a swift motion, Batman landed silently behind the girl as he glared at his two protégés, who in return smiled sheepishly. They had forgotten to check in with the Bat.
Barbara, noting the sudden change in the air, slowly turned around. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat as her eyes roamed up the figure behind her until she reached the masked glared of Batman.
Barbara squeaked as she took a step back, staring up at the tall man. She had seen the man in person a few times, but only from a distance seeing as her father didn't know she was on the roof at the time… But here, seeing him in person, she realized just how tall and intimidating the man really was.
"Who are you?" Batman grunted, eyes flickering over the girl.
"B-Batgirl, sir," Barbara muttered, voice small as she stared intently at her shoes.
Batman's narrowed, "Who are you really?"
Barbara raised her head, frowning, "If you guys get a secret identity then so do I!"
"Barbara Gordon," Robin coughed into his fist.
Batman glanced at his protégé, sending him a batglare, to which Robin ignored, before returning his gaze to the spluttering girl, "I-I… how?" She sighed in defeat as she hung her head. So much for secrecy.
Robin cracked a cocky grin, "Protégé of the World's Greatest Detective? Remember?"
Barbara's shoulders slumped as she meekly asked, "Just don't tell my father, okay?" There was a pause as a heavy silence fell upon the gathered group.
Batman ran through the options in his head. He knew Barbara pretty well. He also knew Dick and Jace were close friends with the girl. If he were to actually allow Barbara to keep her title as Batgirl, then that would mean another life to look after on the streets as well as to train. The Dark Knight also knew that his protégés would protest to Barbara joining the vigilante life.
On the other hand, if he said no to the girl, she might disobey his orders and keep up with being Batgirl. After all, Barbara was just as stubborn and determined as her father was. And that stubbornness and determination might get the girl killed one day seeing as she was quite obviously untrained.
Batman let out an inaudible sigh. He'd have to talk to Robin and Strike about this whole thing later, but for now, "Fine." Batman barked, breaking the silence. Barbara glanced up at the man, curious as to what he was going to say, "I won't tell your father," Barbara felt hope begin to rise in her chest, "On the condition that you never return to the streets of Gotham as Batgirl." Barbara's heart sank.
"What? But why?"
"You're untrained. You could get yourself killed." Batman explained, turning to walk away. He had some important business to take care of.
"Then train me!" Barbara exclaimed, voice showing her exasperation.
Batman paused, glancing back at the girl, "Strike will take you home, Barbara." Batman glanced over at Robin, giving him a silent order before he grappled off, Robin at his heels.
Barbara, who found herself close to tears, stumbled away from Strike as he approached her, "No, please, let me do this!"
"Barbara, I'm sorry," Strike said, voice soft, "Let's get you home." Strike felt guilty as he watched Barbara shake her head, fighting to control the tears that were threatening to spill over. With a sigh, Strike stepped forward, clasping Barbara's gloved hand in his own, "Let's go," He murmured as he led the girl out of the alley.
A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Sorry I am terrible at updating. This story doesn't have as much priority (yet) as compared to my other stories.
Leave a review! Tell me what you thought c:
