don't tell me it's not worth trying for

[batmantled]

WHO: batmantled and abirdcodename
WHERE: The porter room
WHEN: Now!
WARNINGS: BLOOD AND INJURIES and batangst
SUMMARY: Dick is back from the dead. Babs is back with two main arteries slit. Also the world is ending soon.
FORMAT: words

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[abirdcodename]

[Babs remembers being terrified, her photographic memory still won't release her from that day: she can still smell gunpowder, feel the carpet that's long since been replaced underneath her back. Crawling for her life is one of those moments she'll never, ever forget, but considering her current state, she's not sure how long she'll have to remember it, especially now that she's suddenly cold, ripped from Dick's arms and face down against a metal panel

[batmantled]

[ All the nights he's spent missing that voice in his ear like it's an ache; all the cases that could've done with a little of that implacable logic; the months he's lost here without that friendship; now is when the Porter decides to dump her back. The memory hits like a two by four - the formula, the knives, James. She's bleeding to death. She's dying.

He's on his feet again and moving until somehow he's on the floor beside her. One knife out, just like before. Goddamnit. ]

Say something. [ Get her talking again. Keep her breathing. ]

You remember this, right Babs?

[abirdcodename]

[Never in their many years of working together had she pictured going out like this. She'd always thought that it would be a blaze of glory, an explosion, something more than a flicker that she sees this moment. Still, as she shifts a little toward him, weakly attempting to stay up on that elbow, she really can't have imagined anything better than being with her best friend at the end of her life. She knows that time is ticking down against her, but she still takes the moment to glance around.]

The City, Dick. Yeah.

[The weird part is that she feels like she's literally fading, like she's somehow becoming more transparent with every drop of blood that leaves her.]

He got away, didn't he.

[batmantled]

...No. We- [ No. No don't say that. He cuts the fabric around the wound and tears hard, then goes in again with the cauterizer. They need to operate to unblock the artery, so be it. ]

Long as you don't leave me in the lurch again I think we'll be alright.

[abirdcodename]

[Babs shifts again, laying back against the Porter floor, grateful for once that she can't feel her legs; she won't be able to feel him cauterizing the knife wound. Regardless of his words, a fatigue begins to sweep across her and her eyes flutter closed. She wants to fight, she wants to make sure that Dick's never left alone again, but her body is deciding otherwise and quickly.]

Dick.

[Any attempts to snark die on her lips as she focuses in just one task: breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth.]

[batmantled]

[ Oh no. No no no. He slides his arm under and lifts up, pulling her up and off the floor until he has her in his arms. He smooths the hair back and then can't let go, like somehow it'll stop if he just holds her there long enough. ]

Come on, Babs, you gotta fight. [ He needs to get her out of here. Needed her out of here ten minutes ago, back in that other dimension where the ambulance he called would've been here by now. He reaches for the belt with his free hand and tries dialing without looking, rocking a little back and forth. ] Can't give up, okay?

[abirdcodename]

You know me, I don't give up. [Babs tries to force her voice to sound stronger than she feels, trying to dig into some internal spring of energy to keep going and keep fighting, but it's like trying to climb through mud and she's wholly and completely exhausted. She's honestly never felt like this before. Not after hours and hours of patrolling or days without sleep has she ever been unable to just sit up. It's something that should be easy, but there's a heavy weight in her chest.

But she's not scared. Not anymore.] There's no light or tunnels. [Yet.]

[batmantled]

Not till you have a couple dozen great grandkids to show for it. [ Saying it out loud will make it true. He slides his comm out over on the other side of her hip and starts scrolling down. Someone. Anyone. ]

...What do you say to a ride in the Batmobile? [ Remote access: activate. ]

[abirdcodename]

[Babs takes a couple moments to hear and respond to his question as staying awake becomes increasingly difficult. No napping, Babs. Stay awake.]

Like I could ever say no.

[She almost feels bad that she's not even trying to support her own weight anymore, her body has already thrown in the towel.]

[batmantled]

Thatta girl. [ He has to get up, has to lift her without letting the knife slide out. ]

Just keep saying that.

[abirdcodename]

[Babs doesn't nod or visibly respond to his words as she slowly starts to dip into unconsciousness, a heavy drowsiness clouding her senses as she mumbles a reply.] Nnnhh.

[Even breathing is starting to get difficult, but instead of feeling frightened at what that might mean, she almost feels peaceful and ready, as if she had been preparing for this moment her entire life.]

[batmantled]

[ She's been through worse than this. Goddamnit, she knows better. But nothing to do now but wait for the car. Wait for it and fight that slow-creeping, gut-deep certainty that says he's losing her.

One second, two seconds, five seconds. Five seconds too late when the sensor finally pings. It's not as if it'd be the first time he'd been caught on camera with a bleeding victim, but he can't think about it when he lifts her up and starts looking for that half-remembered exit. Whether she's still listening or not he'll just keep talking. ]

You know I know I haven't always made things okay when I should've, but from now on it's gonna be different, Babs.

[abirdcodename]

[Babs is trying desperately to stay awake, but the pulling to just sleep is getting stronger. She needs to fight back, she has to fight back. She doesn't just give up and she won't ever give up. So, she stretches out her hand to the bat symbol on his chest, fingers pale against the black.]

I know, man wonder. [She can feel the reinforced plating under her fingertips, as well as the man underneath. Dick.] Keep... talking.

[batmantled]

[ They're definitely drawing a few stares outside, but, well. The Batmobile's windows aren't tinted for nothing. Keeping her head down would've been better, but the front seat will have to do. He'll drive fast.

He takes the hand back when he's in the front seat and squeezes a little harder. Talking. She wants him to keep talking. ]

...Would've done anything to hear you say that when we were kids.

[abirdcodename]

[Even if Babs were aware of the stares, she wouldn't care much. As it is, though, her focus has narrowed almost completely to only her breathing and the sound of his voice; it's an anchor to reality and something to hold onto even as she feels like she could slip under at any moment.]

This probably... counts as too little, too late. [She doesn't even have the energy to smirk or frown or any of that.]

[batmantled]

[ He rubs her fingers a little feverishly, like he can bring the warmth back right through the gloves that way. ] Never too late, Babs.

[ Like hell is he sitting in this traffic. One click and the turbo jets activate. He'd been meaning to show her back home for weeks. ]