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Batgirl Begins (dbspock/WendyTheRed)

She glanced at him for a long moment. She got the feeling he was getting a bit uneasy about all of this and she felt the need to apologize. "I'm sorry if this is taking up your day or whatever. Mister Wayne hinted I might get a company car so maybe you won't have to do this again. Especially if I can just drive straight to the dojo to meet you or whatever." She realized that that might not be allowed for some reason as there was definitely a feel of secrecy about things.

She nodded and wondered why they had a Wayne Enterprises parking pass but then smirked. It was probably Sara's van, of course she'd have a parking pass. She was in for a shock though when she opened the glovebox and saw the mix of parking passes and the placards. Her eyes widened slightly as she lifted out the GCPD and FBI ones, looking them over. She wasn't an expert but they looked real to her eyes at least. She glanced at him and carefully put them back. She placed the parking pass on the dashboard and closed the glove box.

"So...uhh...I wonder if Sara will be upset I saw that stuff. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But...I have a lot of questions now." She looked outside thoughtfully. "I already suspected there was a lot more to Sara than it seemed and that pretty much confirms it." She thought back to last night. "While we were dancing Bruce Wayne asked me if I'd be willing to do illegal stuff if it meant helping people. I mean, that was the gist of the question. I, of course, wasn't sure how to answer because I wasn't sure about my conclusions about some things were correct." She slowly shook her head and nodded at the glove box. "Perhaps he was trying to get a feel for whether I viewed the law or justice as more important."
 
“I don’t have anyplace I have to be until this afternoon. “ John assured her. Sure, this was more convoluted then he’d anticipated, but it wasn’t an inconvenience, or against at least the spirit of his instructions as he understood them. “And that’s up to Sara, but if you get a fancy company car, it might attract the wrong kind of attention in that part of town.

John had seen her examine the official placards so he knew what she was referring too. He shook his head though. “You are nowhere near field work ready, but Sara didn’t say to hide that kind of stuff from you. Just don’t tell your dad, and it won’t be a problem. “ he assured her, and as she’d already promised to keep it a secret, he was sure he was right.

He frowned for a bit when she said she had a lot of questions, but listening to her he didn’t hear one. Still, he decided to address her last question. “If I followed the law that said I shouldn’t trespass on roofs, or attack people who were walking down the street, well, I think we both know your night would have been a bit more…interesting. “ he said, of course confirming it had been him she’d seen that night.

Since she wasn’t asking questions, he tried one of his own. “So what’s a dork face?” He asked curiously as they drove by her house, and sure enough her fathers car was in the driveway.
 
She nodded her understanding. "Well, I just figured it might be easier on you. I don't even know if I'll get a car. He sort of hinted strongly at it but it may have just been him thinking out loud." She was trying her best not to make any assumptions, in fact, she was belatedly realizing she hadn't really gone over almost anything practical about the job with Bruce Wayne.

This was another time he had mentioned field work and she looked at him thoughtfully. There was definitely a lot more going on here than she knew. She thought about how he'd essentially told her she'd be getting a bullet resistant outfit and stuff and nodded slowly. She nodded as he confirmed what she'd already guessed and also confirmed her thoughts that there was a difference between the law and what was right sometimes. She mused on this and looked at him in surprise at this question.

"It's just a silly name people call each other. It's sort of a nice way of insulting someone in a playful way I guess." She shrugged a little and looked out the window. "So, those placards. Field work. The talk of bullet resistant clothing. This isn't about me just learning martial arts. I know you know Bruce Wayne well enough to call him Bruce. Sara works for him. He tried to see how I'd react to breaking the law if it was helping people. This feels like the start of something bigger to me. I'm going to be learning more than just how to fight aren't I?"
 
“I don’t think easy is supposed to be part of this for either of us. “ John pointed out, though he was grateful Babs personality made his task easier. He had no idea what her vehicle situation might be so he made no comment on that. Just as he didn’t really know what to make of her explanation of dork face, so he remained silent on that as well.

Then she did ask him a direct question, and he nodded in response to her reasoning. “If all this was was about martial arts, you could get that at Miyigo-do. “ he pointed out. “This is about keeping you alive, in situations that you might keep others alive as well. “
 
She nodded her agreement to his comment about it not being easy. "True but I doubt that driving me all over counts. Right?"

She listened as he confirmed what she was suspecting already. "Keep others alive. Protect others. That's what I want to do. After no one would help me I decided I'd try to be there so others didn't have to feel like I did. I know I can't be everywhere and this will impact my life but I have to do it."
 
John shrugged. “It does if Sara says it does. “ he replied, then nodded once again at her statement. He wondered if she had any real idea how difficult it would be, but he supposed she would find out. He hesitated for a moment, then responded. “I added my name to your phone as a contact. “ he admitted. “I can’t be everywhere either, but if you ever do need help, I’ll do what I can. “
 
She smiled at his response, looking at him curiously. "You're very dedicated to Sara." She said it as an observation and didn't sound judgmental at all. She was curious about this situation though.

She saw the look in his eyes she'd seen before and smiled slightly, thinking back to her realization earlier that she'd be giving up a lot for this mission of hers. She raised her eyebrows when he said he'd added his name to her phone. "Oh...uhhh...thank you. Do you need my number?"
 
John didn’t reply to her declaration he was dedicated to his Sensei, but he didn’t deny it either. He wasn’t sure what reaction to expect when he gave her his number, and he relaxed a bit when she thanked him. “No. “ he replied when she offered him hers, and he didn’t specify if it was because he’d never call her, or he already had her number.

John didn’t have to hunt for the entrance to the employee parking lot, and as he pulled up to the gate he pulled a badge from his pocket. He placed the badge next to the card reader, and the gate obediently swing open. The guard at the booth glanced up, saw the placard on the dash, then returned his attention to his newspaper.
 
She watched him thoughtfully and was a bit surprised when he simply said no about having her number. She wasn't sure how to take that and her brow furrowed briefly. She wanted to ask him more questions but they had pulled up to the gate now and gone through. As they were pulling into the lot, something occurred to her. "Uhh...how is Chloe going to be able to bring my clothes to me if this lot needs a pass to get into?"

She twisted in her seat to look back in the direction of the guard booth, wondering if she'd see Chloe's car and then looked over at him. "Maybe you could go meet her since you have the badge? Oh, and are you picking me up after work for more training?" She seemed to remember him saying that but wanted to confirm it.
 
“She can park in the visitor lot and walk over. “ John explained, or at least that was his plan. He had to admit he was a bit curious what Chloe might do. Babs wasn’t the only one being tested here. Babs plan made a good back up option if Chloe couldn’t figure it out.

“Yes. “ John confirmed. He’d thought they already covered that, but wasn’t sure enough to call her out on it.

He saw her twisting around to look for her friend, then reached out and pressed a section of the dashboard. It moved up, and revealed a small TV monitor with a small control panel beneath it. John fiddled with the panel a bit, then sat back as the display broke itself into 4sections, one for each corner of the van.
 
She nodded her reply to John and noticed something in his tone. She shot a look in his direction and cocked her head. "Are you testing Chloe for some reason? Why? She's not being trained." She was genuinely curious, which to be fair, was quite common for Barbara. She had, of course, remembered that he was picking her up after training, her question was more her nervous chatter than anything else.

She turned back when he pushed the button and raised her eyebrows when she saw the control panel and then the views from hidden cameras on the van. She slowly looked around the van as if imagining what other secrets it might hold then settled back in her seat. "You know, I have no idea what to do when I walk in there. Bruce Wayne just told me to show up today. I don't know who I'm supposed to talk to or report to or even if they know he's hired me." She laughed and shook her head. "Technically, I don't even know what my salary is. I'm a terrible negotiator it seems. I just sort of took it on faith he'd give me a fair salary."
 
John shot a quizzical look at Babs as she quickly gauged his intent. He considered not answering before he remembered the deal they made. “The caliber of your friends can say a lot about you. “ he finally told her.

He looked at her quizzically when she began to talk about her job and the questions she had. Did she expect him to have some sort of inside knowledge? And nothing she said was really a question anyway. He finally just shrugged. “I’ve never heard anyone say their salary wasn’t fair.” He finally said, then leaned forward and tapped a control to zoom in on one of the cameras.

“Is that Chloe?” He asked as the camera focused on a blonde who had glanced around the parking lot before zeroing in on the van. Johns briefing had covered Babs, but not her friends.
 
She nodded thoughtfully. "Chloe is good people. Responsible, hard working, loyal. She's also not like us. I mean she isn't up to this..." she vaguely waves her hand at the van and him.

She saw the quizical look and shrugged. "Just venting. And letting my anxiety get to me. I'm more nervous about this than I was waiting on that street corner for you. I don't want to let Mister Wayne or my dad down."

She looked into the camera and nodded. ""It is." Unless he stopped her she'd open the door and wave Chloe over.
 
John simply nodded at Babs assessment of Chloe. “Very few are. “ he confirmed when Babs indicated the van, but at least Chloe had figured out how to park and had located the van.

He frowned for a bit when she mentioned she was more nervous now than earlier. Clearly he hadn’t been doing his job right. “That should also be on the list of things we don’t tell Sara. “ he told her. He might as well take advantage of their deal as well.

With her confirmation the visitor was her friend, John touched a control on the dashboard, so the side door was already open when Babs moved to it. Chloe smiled widely as she saw her friend, confirming she had identified the van correctly, and that Babs at least didn’t have any visible bruises.

“Good morning. “ Chloe said brightly as she climbed into the van, eyeing its passenger with interest as he shut the door behind her. Her eyes widened as she spotted the video camera feed.

“Wow…it’s like Mission Impossible or something. “ she said as she laid a garment bag and a duffel bag on the floor, along with a Manila envelope.
 
She nodded back to him and then thought of the events at the mall. "I mean she'd fight to defend people but yeah, she wouldn't seek this out."

She looked at him in confusion. "John, don't you get worried at the thought of letting Sara down? I mean I was worried about my safety while waiting but I also realized it was probably a test."

"Morning. Chloe? John. John. Chloe." She grinned at Chloe's description of the van and then realized she'd thought John would hide the monitors. She looked at the envelope and lifted it curiously, opening it to peek inside. "What's this?"
 
“That’s good to know. “ John said with a nod, then actually blushed a bit, the confirmation Babs probably needed that he did worry about disappointing Sara, hence wanting her not to know he’d failed to make Babs nervous enough during the test.

John nodded politely to Chloe after the introduction, then looked a bit surprised when she reached out to shake his hand. Chloe blushed furiously when Babs asked what was in the envelope. “My resume. “ she muttered softly, and sure enough if Babs looked she’d see Chloe’s list of qualifications for an IT job…and her name listed as a reference, along with Jim Gordon.
 
She looked a bit surprised at the blush and arched an eyebrow. "Don't you have a crush on Sara John?" She was actually curious but more important was enjoying him being on the other end for once.

She smiled at her friend. "I got all excited for a second. A manilla envelope delivered to me in a Mission Impossible van? I mean come on." She opened the duffel bag to check its contents then nodded and opened the garment bag first. She made a spinning motion with her finger then after a moment of blushing she started to strip down after turning her back on them.

She debated leaving her underwear on but was pretty sure she had seen clean undies in the duffle bag so she slid them off, muttering. "Maybe I should find someone to do my laundry." She wiggled into her clothes, doing her best to be quick and not blush to badly.
 
“What?” John looked at Babs with confusion then shook his head. “No. “ the thought had never occurred to him until now.

“Oh. “ Chloe said softly as Babs actually seemed disappointed in the contents of the envelope. She’d worked hard on her resume in the hopes of sneaking it into HR when she’d delivered Babs clothes, but now it looked like she wouldn’t make it past the van.

Chloe obediently turned and began to examine the dashboard when Babs gave her silent signal, but John either missed it or didn’t Understand as he watched with interest as Babs peeled out of her clothes again. And there was indeed underwear in the bag, but when Babs looked again, the bra was missing. John was examining the clasp and the label on it.
 
She saw the look of disappointment on Chloe's face and smiled. "Don't worry Chloe, I'll deliver the resume. But you have to admit it'd have been awesome if it was a mystery envelope someone told you to deliver to me. A girl can fantasize right?" She playfully nudged her friend. "Hmmm....maybe I can even get it to Bruce Wayne himself. He asked about you at the gala after-all." She said the last super casually to tease Chloe even if it also happened to be true, though he wasn't asking about her resume!

She frowned when she dug through the duffel bag and didn't see the bra then she looked at John and blushed. She shook her head and reached for her bra. "Trying to decide whether to do my laundry John? Or have more questions about bras?" Assuming he handed it over she'd slide the bra on, trying not to blush as he seemed to have no shame in looking at her.
 
“You will?” Chloe hadn’t dared ask, but she’d been desperately hoping Babs would volunteer. She then put on an exaggerated frown at Babs fantasy. “I don’t know. Sounds kind of creepy to me. “ she admitted, then her eyes widened. “You…he…he did? What’d he say? Whatd you say?”

John made no effort to keep the bra from her when she reached for it, and he also made no effort to avert his eyes from her bare breasts. Chloe caught the interaction and turned a bit, her eyes widening as she saw Babs flashing the guy. “The latter. “ John replied seriously, though he didn’t follow it up with an actual question, his examination of said bra satisfying his curiosity for now.
 
Barbara nodded with a smile. "Yes but don't expect miracles. It's not like anyone knows me in there." She smirked at Chloe's reply but then realizes it's probably smart to be wary. She winked at her friend. "Well, let's just say I might be in charge of inviting guests to another party."

She blushed an even deeper red when he didn't look away. She turned slightly to protect what little modesty she still had with him and slipped into her bra. After a moment she removed her panties and slid the fresh ones on.

After that she grabbed the clothes in the garment bag and changed into them as quickly as she could. She smoothed them down and looked at Chloe. "Well? How do I look?"

She grabbed a brush and ties from the dufflebag, quickly brushing her hair and putting it back into a ponytail before grabbing a small bottle of mouthwash and nodding to Chloe."You think of everything. "
 
“Except the guy whose name is on top of the building. “ Chloe pointed out, pretending to pout a bit as Babs refused to say how she had come up in conversation. She did raise her eyebrows when Babs mentioned another potential party. “Well, if you need help with catering or whatever, just let me know. Alfred can vouch for me. “

John watched with intense interest as she slipped her bra on…he thought he might be getting the hang of it. “You look good. “ John replied before Chloe had a chance, but she did nod in agreement. She blushed a bit at the compliment. “I’ve had to pack a go bag or two in my time. “
 
She smiled at Chloe. "He hired me. That doesn't mean I have any sway with him. I still need to prove myself." She grinned at Chloe's reply about the party. "We'll see. You have a bikini righ" She asked, once more being casual about it.

She raised her eyebrows when Chloe mentioned packing a go bag. There was a story there but she wasn't going to ask in front of John. She reached into the go bag and found some makeup and a mirror there. She quickly did what she hoped would be attractive yet professional makeup then put them away. "You're in charge of my go bags going forward."

She smiled at the two of them and moved to open the door and exit the van. "I'll call you after I get off." She said to John then looked at Chloe. "Thank you, it means a lot." She leaned over and gave Chloe a quick hug and kiss on the cheek then stepped out unless one of them stopped her.
 
“You have more sway with him than anyone else I know, except maybe your dad. “ Chloe insisted, not willing to let her dream die so easily. She cocked her head curiously when asked about the bikini. “I do. “ she admitted. “Why?”

Chloe grinned when Babs approved of her go bag. “You got it. “ she said happily, then nodded. “You’d better. “ she stated, thinking Babs was talking to her when she mentioned the phone call, though she wasn’t nearly worried now as she had been that morning.

John just nodded in response, though he finally spoke as she was getting out of the van. “Would you like me to show you your office?” He offered.
 
She smiled at Chloe and shook her head. "I have had all of one major interaction with him but we'll see how it goes." She grinned when Chloe asked about the bikini. "Well it's either that or swimming nude at the pool party."

She paused in the doorway and couldn't help her surprise at John's offer. "You know where my office is? That would be great John." She smiled at Chloe then grabbed the Manila envelope. "Can't forget this!" She motioned to John to lead the way.
 
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