(Untitled)

[teambatgirl]

Batgirl is on the shoreline. She should be at her post outside the entrance to Rapture, no, she should be down there in the underwater city helping them, Jason and Bruce both. But she's not because fuck Batman and Bruce Wayne and, you know what, add everyone on the ITF who's keeping her topside to her shit list too

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[slowspeedster]

Bart wasn't sure why Bob was tailing him today, although he had been clingy after Halloween. He'd long since stopped bothering with second-guessing the bat's mind, even when he decided to throw off his usual sleep schedule. Instead, they were just going along the beach, and he sometimes tossed up a piece of dried fruit for Bob to intercept for exercise.

When they came across Steph, he circled so he wasn't approaching from a blind side. "I'd ask if you were okay, but I think the answer is obvious. Need someone to hold the bag?"

[teambatgirl]

Stephanie hears someone approaching under the sound of her breathing and pauses, pulling back from the bag for a few seconds. Bart comes into view and she nods a greeting as she takes a few deep breaths and tries to get her pulse to slow. Trying to get the rest of her until control too.

"Sure," she says with a nod, slightly breathless. Gives a slight wave to the bat, who is undoubtedly her favorite bat on the island at the moment. Well, him and Damian.

[slowspeedster]

"He doesn't like getting out of sight, lately. I think he's trying to protect me from stray teddy bears. Or use me as a shield," Bart said, sighing slightly. But he moved to hold the bag for her.

"Should I ask what the mood is for?"

[teambatgirl]

Bouncing on her feet, she starts at it again, ignoring the protests of her muscles to do a set of quick cross jabs. For a long moment she doesn't say anything, simply glaring at the bag, as worry and frustration fight for mastery over her.

Steph can't even tell most people about what's going on, can she? Never mind that the whole secret identity thing is basically unworkable here, she can't go around venting about it until Bruce decides to tell people, which will never, ever happen. But at least Bart already knows.

Each word is punctuated by a hard punch to the bag. "The boss bat has landed."

[slowspeedster]

Bart froze at her words, and it cost him a solid hit as he failed to move with the bag, a grunt escaping him.

"Oh, holy hell," he said, uncertain how he felt beyond the feeling that the shit had well and truly hit the fan. "From your reaction, I can only assume the original. Most people would be pleased if it were N."

[teambatgirl]

"If it were the new and improved Batman we'd be having a party right now," she says bitterly with a powerful side kick aimed at the bag. That's probably not quite true, it wasn't like Dick and Jason hadn't almost killed each other fighting over Batman's legacy, but it couldn't go as bad as it was now. Almost more important, he wouldn't have insisted on doing it alone. Dick's Batman was the kind who saw the people around him as allies instead of burdens.

With another irritated sound she punches hard. "He and Jason are in Rapture together. All transportation down there has been cut off. It's not good."

[slowspeedster]

"And you want to be there," Bart stated. It didn't need to be a question. "Jason isn't exactly going to kill him for being there. He's not that kind of a guy."

At least what he knew about him said that. Although he knew the guy had plenty of anger where a certain black-clad caped menace was concerned. "Anything I can actually do? I doubt I could help you steal a bathysphere or anything."

[teambatgirl]

"I don't think-" She cuts herself off with a sigh then forces herself to keep going. None of this silent Bat stuff for her, thanks very much, not with one of the few people she can actually tell the whole story to. "I don't think Jason would kill him. And I know Bruce wouldn't kill Jason. But they're just- I don't think they should run into each other like this. Not in costume, definitely not in Rapture. And not cut off from everyone who could perhaps lessen the swirl of crazy they find themselves in!"

Stephanie bites at lip irritably and starts to worry one of her nails. "Br- Batman- he's just. Ugh. He's so frustrating. I should be helping."

[slowspeedster]

"Red Robin would probably arrange something like this to be one-on-one. Fewer variables. He'd do the same thing. It isn't always personal," Bart tried to point out. "I wouldn't want something like that spilling out up here. You guys never needed powers to be dangerous."

He could see it, but he didn't like it. "Besides, it does give us time to plan how to deal. It's a small island with no real need for a Batman. Unless he brought half of Arkham with him."

[teambatgirl]

"Well, then Red Robin would also be fucking stupid," she says sharply before she can help herself. Of course it's not personal, it never is with Batman and Spoiler. She's probably not even on his radar. "If he stopped to actually talk to someone or learn anything, he'd find out that Jason isn't a threat that needs to be taken down or some sort of wounded soul that needs protecting. He's creating problems not solving them, ugh, what a jerk."

Stephanie rubs a hand over her eyes and tries not to be mean to Bart in lieu of being mean to Bruce. "Sorry, sorry. Just- this is not exactly a good place for him. I don't know how to deal with him being here."

[slowspeedster]

"Actually, I get it. Being one of the people that regularly gets walked over about this kind of shit," Bart said, smiling a little. "It's a lot easier when you can shout at someone you know you can take, isn't it?"

[teambatgirl]

"It is so frustrating. It's like- he just waltzes in and-" And suddenly she's cut down to size, immediately reduced into something inconsequential.

No, that's enough. She refuses to let Batman control how she feels about herself any more. Stephanie Brown is Batgirl, which means she's at least a tiny bit marvelous.

"It's not going to be an easy adjustment," is what she finally says. Understatement of the year over here, get this girl an award. "But he's going to have time to get to know Damian, so...there's that at least."

[slowspeedster]

"If you need some space, you know there's room at the treehouse," Bart said, smiling slightly. "Waltzing in seems to just be something Batman does. He showed up our first weekend with the Titans because Wonder Woman thought Cassie had made the wrong choice. Brought the whole League to back her up."

He wouldn't forget that. "I'll never quite understand how he feels he has the right to make decisions for everyone around him. Did you know he actually came up with the Impulse thing? For me?"

[teambatgirl]

"Thanks, I- might end up taking you up on that." She gives him a little smile back. Not that she wanted to get pushed out of her own place, but it's nice to know you have options.

She shakes her head, suddenly exhausted at the idea of psychoanalyzing Batman. "He's just like that. And, no, I didn't know that."

[slowspeedster]

"Said it wasn't supposed to be a name, when I asked him. He said it was a warning," Bart said. "First impressions. I wonder if he'd ever take me seriously, even if I still had my speed."

It was stupid, but like Superman, Batman's opinion mattered. It mattered on a level that made not measuring up hurt beyond words. "Wally's nearly as bad. But don't worry about it. Jason's on ground he knows, unlike the guy tracking him. Probably evens things out. I wouldn't want to be down there with them. And I'm kinda glad to know. You and the kid can decide how to handle any attention. If you asked me, it might be for the best if Batman doesn't show his cowl topside. Even though some would know regardless. Well, if he uses one of the common alias. It's a little hard to avoid people who read comics."

[teambatgirl]

"It's not like people aren't going to know Batman is on the island, the ITF already knows, there's no telling how far it's going to spread just from that." She smacks a hard right punch. Probably going to get hell about people knowing her id here. Great, awesome, whatever, another fun thing to look forward to. "People aren't stupid it's not like they won't figure out- a complete idiot would know Damian is Robin if they spent half a minute thinking about it. But I guess we'll deal with it whenever he decides to emerge."

More like he'll deal with it and just tell her what's what. For once, that's fine with Stephanie. Revealing your id is someone's one business and you take their lead on it.