[Fic, DC] Who I used to be
Title: Who I used to be
Author: Eirene
Characters/Pairing: Babs, Dinah
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1173
Continuity: Some sort of time between Birds of Prey and The Black Canary and Green Arrow Wedding issues, I guess?
Summary: Two of the most awesome women DC ever managed to create. And they are BFFs.
Disclaimer: DC owns 'em, the fucking bastards.
Author's Notes/Warnings: I've been working on this on and off for about a year, but now, after them dumb September solicits, it seems appropriate to post as many Babs-centered fics as possible. Because she was the first and the best Batgirl, sure, but she also was the first and best woman to get shot in the back by the Joker, survive, become paralysed, set up a kickass persona as the Oracle and lead a team of badass chicks such as the Birds of Prey. But apparently all of this isn't enough. Damn you DC. Damn you to Hell.
It has been difficult, I won’t deny it. The feeling of being completely useless tormented me: not able to walk, to run, to feel the cool breeze blowing in my hair as I skipped over Gotham’s rooftops. Everything was gone the moment I opened that damn door and found myself face to face with that freak. In that moment more than ever I wanted to be an active part of the battle for Justice that the people closest to me were carrying on. I wanted to fight on field, to kick the ass of that bastard, who left me stuck on a wheelchair for the rest of my days.
Instead, I sank into a deep depression as all my dreams, everything I worked my hands to the bone to realize, laid around me, scattered like broken fragments of a glass pane. My entire life had no meaning whatsoever anymore; I was just a pathetic woman leaning towards her thirties, robbed of her only purpose in life.
What I just couldn’t stand was everybody’s pity and sympathy. Me, Batgirl, a tough woman who never needed anybody’s help, who fought so hard to prove herself worth of being one of Gotham’s finest, had now to endure all those piteous looks from those I ended up considering as my family. Talking about adding insult to injury...
There was only one person who really understood me and was my only lifeline in that dark despair into which I had descended. It wasn’t Dick, he had his own share of troubles at the time. And her name started with a K. It wasn’t Dad, who was still recovering from the mishap and dwelling over the notion of my secret alter-ego. It was nobody from the JLA, I never got to really meet or bond with any of them before I became Oracle.
It was, of course, him: Batman. He never treated me any differently and for this I was eternally grateful. He knew how well I did with technology and so insisted that I could still be helpful to all of them by becoming their source of information, by becoming their safety net, or rather, web. I was hesitant at first, but then it came to me that this was that second chance that very few are given by life.
So I rolled up my sleeves and set to work, building up a new confident persona around me, as the young carefree Barbara Gordon slowly disappeared from view. I tried to tell myself that my days as Batgirl were playful and childish times which only brought bruises and physical distress. Furthermore, being so young and naïve I was never that much of an help to Batman or Robin. I could tell that I could never compete with the Boy Wonder when it came to Batman’s favourite sidekick.
Yes, I tried to convince myself it was all for the best. Being paralysed was the best thing it could ever have happened in my life. Now they needed me for real.
My body didn’t buy it, of course, I was never good at lying to myself. I craved the feeling of free falling from a six-stories building more than I craved for minty chocolate ice-cream. I needed the adrenaline rush that only that last instant before splattering to the ground would give me. And the comrade bond I used to have with both Batman and… Robin.
Robin. Dick Grayson. We used to be great friends, before deeper feelings made their way between us. I used to think he was the only one for me and that he’d always be there when I would have needed him. Used to. We have both grown out of our silly teenage romances since then and now, things are so different, I can barely see his cheeky smile behind the new mask he is sporting. I miss him.
No time to think about the little Bird Boy, though. I had work to do and a new team to organise all by myself. My very own Birds. Funny how in the business, volatiles seem to always came up. Anyway, so much work to do that I left behind my social life and in no time I found myself to have become a scornful nerd, all locked up in my apartment with only my PCs as company.
That is pretty much Dinah’s point. She’s sitting in one of my spare wheelchairs, doing stupid wheelies with her tongue peeping out of her tight lips. I hate it when they do that.
I sigh. “Dinah, please, would you stop being such a goof and get to the point already?”
The wheels hit the ground with a soft thud and now she’s crouched beside me.
“What’s so interesting that you can’t spare a free moment to hit the town with one of your best pals?”
I roll my eyes. “Dinah…”
“No, seriously, I want to know! There must be a good reason why you just can’t turn that damn thing off for the day.” Her eyes are stuck to the monitor, but are at the same height as mine, an unusual situation for me.
Our friendship started as a convenient cooperation. I had been Oracle for a while and Dinah had been pretty much swept away by bad events at the time. Just like me a couple of years before, she needed to find a meaning in her life and I was willing to help her help me. We were an odd team, but we worked well enough. I was the brain and she was the brawn, so to speak.
I push my glasses up my nose. "Well…” The truth or a feeble lie that would have her mad at me for at least a week? “I guess you could say it’s not that important. I localized an hangar down at the docks where a gang of drug dealers are currently unloading a cargo of coke from Brazil. Nightwing and Robin are already on their way, so I think that could be considered taken care of. Batman is tracking down the Penguin at the zoo, another one of his plans where exploding robot-animals are involved and-am I boring you?” I snicker as I see Dinah trying to hide a consistent yawn.
“Whut-no no! So you said you’re free, then. Coolio, I have some awesome plans for tonight!”
“Dinah, I didn’t say I’m free… What if anything goes wrong? I’m needed here.”
“What are you, their mother hen? Babs, they’ve always been dealing great even before you started playing Big Brother. Come on, they can live one night without you. It’s been forever since we had some fun together.”
“And where exactly do you think I can go this way? Clubbing?” My voice drips sarcasm.
“Definitely not. You need something more stylish for that. That’s why we’re going on a little shopping spree before!” She flashes out a Visa with Oliver Queen written across it and her mischievous smile finally persuades me.
“Dinah, you’re the worst.” I smirk back.
Author: Eirene
Characters/Pairing: Babs, Dinah
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1173
Continuity: Some sort of time between Birds of Prey and The Black Canary and Green Arrow Wedding issues, I guess?
Summary: Two of the most awesome women DC ever managed to create. And they are BFFs.
Disclaimer: DC owns 'em, the fucking bastards.
Author's Notes/Warnings: I've been working on this on and off for about a year, but now, after them dumb September solicits, it seems appropriate to post as many Babs-centered fics as possible. Because she was the first and the best Batgirl, sure, but she also was the first and best woman to get shot in the back by the Joker, survive, become paralysed, set up a kickass persona as the Oracle and lead a team of badass chicks such as the Birds of Prey. But apparently all of this isn't enough. Damn you DC. Damn you to Hell.
It has been difficult, I won’t deny it. The feeling of being completely useless tormented me: not able to walk, to run, to feel the cool breeze blowing in my hair as I skipped over Gotham’s rooftops. Everything was gone the moment I opened that damn door and found myself face to face with that freak. In that moment more than ever I wanted to be an active part of the battle for Justice that the people closest to me were carrying on. I wanted to fight on field, to kick the ass of that bastard, who left me stuck on a wheelchair for the rest of my days.
Instead, I sank into a deep depression as all my dreams, everything I worked my hands to the bone to realize, laid around me, scattered like broken fragments of a glass pane. My entire life had no meaning whatsoever anymore; I was just a pathetic woman leaning towards her thirties, robbed of her only purpose in life.
What I just couldn’t stand was everybody’s pity and sympathy. Me, Batgirl, a tough woman who never needed anybody’s help, who fought so hard to prove herself worth of being one of Gotham’s finest, had now to endure all those piteous looks from those I ended up considering as my family. Talking about adding insult to injury...
There was only one person who really understood me and was my only lifeline in that dark despair into which I had descended. It wasn’t Dick, he had his own share of troubles at the time. And her name started with a K. It wasn’t Dad, who was still recovering from the mishap and dwelling over the notion of my secret alter-ego. It was nobody from the JLA, I never got to really meet or bond with any of them before I became Oracle.
It was, of course, him: Batman. He never treated me any differently and for this I was eternally grateful. He knew how well I did with technology and so insisted that I could still be helpful to all of them by becoming their source of information, by becoming their safety net, or rather, web. I was hesitant at first, but then it came to me that this was that second chance that very few are given by life.
So I rolled up my sleeves and set to work, building up a new confident persona around me, as the young carefree Barbara Gordon slowly disappeared from view. I tried to tell myself that my days as Batgirl were playful and childish times which only brought bruises and physical distress. Furthermore, being so young and naïve I was never that much of an help to Batman or Robin. I could tell that I could never compete with the Boy Wonder when it came to Batman’s favourite sidekick.
Yes, I tried to convince myself it was all for the best. Being paralysed was the best thing it could ever have happened in my life. Now they needed me for real.
My body didn’t buy it, of course, I was never good at lying to myself. I craved the feeling of free falling from a six-stories building more than I craved for minty chocolate ice-cream. I needed the adrenaline rush that only that last instant before splattering to the ground would give me. And the comrade bond I used to have with both Batman and… Robin.
Robin. Dick Grayson. We used to be great friends, before deeper feelings made their way between us. I used to think he was the only one for me and that he’d always be there when I would have needed him. Used to. We have both grown out of our silly teenage romances since then and now, things are so different, I can barely see his cheeky smile behind the new mask he is sporting. I miss him.
No time to think about the little Bird Boy, though. I had work to do and a new team to organise all by myself. My very own Birds. Funny how in the business, volatiles seem to always came up. Anyway, so much work to do that I left behind my social life and in no time I found myself to have become a scornful nerd, all locked up in my apartment with only my PCs as company.
That is pretty much Dinah’s point. She’s sitting in one of my spare wheelchairs, doing stupid wheelies with her tongue peeping out of her tight lips. I hate it when they do that.
I sigh. “Dinah, please, would you stop being such a goof and get to the point already?”
The wheels hit the ground with a soft thud and now she’s crouched beside me.
“What’s so interesting that you can’t spare a free moment to hit the town with one of your best pals?”
I roll my eyes. “Dinah…”
“No, seriously, I want to know! There must be a good reason why you just can’t turn that damn thing off for the day.” Her eyes are stuck to the monitor, but are at the same height as mine, an unusual situation for me.
Our friendship started as a convenient cooperation. I had been Oracle for a while and Dinah had been pretty much swept away by bad events at the time. Just like me a couple of years before, she needed to find a meaning in her life and I was willing to help her help me. We were an odd team, but we worked well enough. I was the brain and she was the brawn, so to speak.
I push my glasses up my nose. "Well…” The truth or a feeble lie that would have her mad at me for at least a week? “I guess you could say it’s not that important. I localized an hangar down at the docks where a gang of drug dealers are currently unloading a cargo of coke from Brazil. Nightwing and Robin are already on their way, so I think that could be considered taken care of. Batman is tracking down the Penguin at the zoo, another one of his plans where exploding robot-animals are involved and-am I boring you?” I snicker as I see Dinah trying to hide a consistent yawn.
“Whut-no no! So you said you’re free, then. Coolio, I have some awesome plans for tonight!”
“Dinah, I didn’t say I’m free… What if anything goes wrong? I’m needed here.”
“What are you, their mother hen? Babs, they’ve always been dealing great even before you started playing Big Brother. Come on, they can live one night without you. It’s been forever since we had some fun together.”
“And where exactly do you think I can go this way? Clubbing?” My voice drips sarcasm.
“Definitely not. You need something more stylish for that. That’s why we’re going on a little shopping spree before!” She flashes out a Visa with Oliver Queen written across it and her mischievous smile finally persuades me.
“Dinah, you’re the worst.” I smirk back.