Batgirl Begins

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I wake up to be blinded by the sunlight that is shining through my window. I yawn and go over to the window. I look out at the big oak tree. The more I try to figure out how someone could get to the branch by window, the more I end up scratching my head. There are no lower branches or knots in the tree that someone could use to climb up... Unless... unless that person used a device to get up, like Robin did at the Iceberg Lounge. Oh my god it was him!

"Barbara," I hear Sarah yell from downstairs, "Come and eat before your food gets cold!"

Cold food I can deal with. Gotta love microwaves.

"Or I'll eat it!" I hear my dad yell from the bottom of the stairs.

OH HECK NO! I grab my glasses case and race down the stairs. He wouldn't even hesitate. I round the corner to see my dad with a plate of pancakes in his hand as he walks to the table.

"Put the plate down," I say in a voice that doesn't sound like mine.

"See, honey, this is why we should feed her more often," My dad smirks, "Otherwise she turns into the girl from the Exorsist."

Sarah laughs while I try to keep frowning.

"Oh come on, Barb. That was a pretty weird voice there." He laughs as he pushes the plate to the other side of the table.

I finally laugh it off, the pancakes are safe. I start to stuff my face as my parents turn on the news. To my surprise, Batman's appearance at the Iceberg Lounge isn't the top story.

"GCPD is not releasing the name of the shooter, but Bruce Wayne is doing just fine."

I nearly drop my fork. I place it safely on the plate and scramble for my glasses case. Once I put on my glasses, I can see the headline on the bottom of the screen: Attempted Murder of Bruce Wayne. Oh my god.

"Sarah, do you know who did this?" My dad asks. I keep eating my food, pretending nothing happened as I listen in.

"I don't know. I haven't gone in yet."

"Who would have the guts to go after the richest man in Gotham?"

"Someone good, someone who isn't afraid of the consequences."

"Well, that narrows it down to half of Blackgate and all of Arkham," He laughs.

"Jim, you know what I mean. They're saying they can't find a trace of this guy. He's a professional."

"That leaves only one person."

"Deadshot," They say together.

"God you're smart."

"Learned from the best," She winks.

I cough as my juice goes down the wrong pipe. "Child in the room."

"Not for long..." My dad says as he gets up.

"OH my god," I say as I push away the plate and go upstairs to change quickly before I'm scarred for life. I race back down the stairs as I hear my dad yell from the kitchen.

"Bye, Barb, have a good day."

I just yell "Thanks," as I pull the door shut. I shudder before I start walking away from the house. All of a sudden, a white convertible pulls up in front of my parents' house with the radio blaring. In the driver's seat is Dinah.

"Get in loser, we're going shopping."

I smirk, "Really, Dinah? Is this the time for Mean Girls quotes?"

"It's always time for Mean Girls quotes. Watch out for buses."

I laugh as I hop in the passenger seat. The click of my seatbelt makes her foot step on the gas, and we soar towards downtown Gotham. We were gone for hours, just shopping, we didn't even buy that much stuff... okay maybe Dinah went a little over board... but it was just the break I needed after last night's run in with Penguin and the Joker... and of course Robin and Dick... come to think of it, he never called me after he ran off to call "help."

As we're driving back to my apartment, coffee in cup holder, I decide to tell her my plan. "Dinah, I've been thinking about what you said the other day."

"Barbara, I was out of line."

"Maybe, but that doesn't make you any less right. I'm going to try and find a way around his system. But it's not going to be easy."

She laughs, "Who said it'd be easy?"

"I've got a plan, but you've got to trust me and not do anything crazy, okay?"

She sighs, "Okay... are you finally going to tell me why you were at your parents' house this morning instead of Wayne Manor?"

"Yes, and ugh..." She laughs as my face reddens to almost match my hair. She parks next to the apartment complex, and we grab all the bags, making sure to grab our coffee.

"So are you going to tell me or not?"

I dig for my keys in my purse, "Hang on... hang on..." I finally find them and unlock the door. "Okay, so first of all, guess where he took me?"

"Uhhh, Babs, looks like you have a visitor..."

I put down my bags to see the figure of a man leaning against the back wall in the shadows. I swallow a lump in my throat as the man steps into the light. As soon as I see the R on his chest, I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god, it's just you."

"I was just checking up on our friend Thorne, since you still have the program on your computer."

"Right... of course you were... uhh thanks for getting me out of there last night."

From the corner of my eye I can see Dinah's head turn towards me... oh boy... I'm never gonna hear the end of it.

"All part of the job..."

"Barbara."

"Yeah, I know," He smiles with embarrassment? Regret? He's very hard to read, if only I could see him without the mask. Still, I can't shake this nagging feeling that I've met him before. "Well, I've got to get going... the boss gets cranky when I'm around town for too long."

"Good to see you again."

"Always good to see you, Babs."

The lights in my apartment flicker, and he's gone. I take a deep breath... three... two... one...

"What the heck happened last night?!" Dinah shouts.

My ears briefly ring, and once I can hear again, I tell her all about my outting with Dick, how it turned into a hostage situation, and how Robin eventually drove me home. I leave out the part about seeing him in the window since I'm still not completely positive it was him or if it was my imagination. When I'm done telling my story, she has this look on her face... like she knows something I don't.

"What do you know?" I ask her.

"Nothing," She smiles as she gets up, "I'll help you move your things over to your new place tomorrow. I just have something I've got to do."

That's Dinah, the Queen of all things vague... "Thanks."

She is about to leave when she races back for her coffee and rushes out the door. Jeez... wonder what's the hurry? I shrug it off, double checking everything before moving day tomorrow.