Batgirl Begins (dbspock/WendyTheRed)

"Hey, you never said you were offering to help." Chloe pointed out before she broke down in a fit of giggles.

Bruce didn't object to her removing the manual from the console, so if there was a rule about it leaving the vehicle he wasn't going to enforce it. "And yes, I told her an agent from the sponsoring organization would be along to help coordinate." Which was not the question he figured she was asking and would give her little more information than she already had, but then that was the whole point. He was actually enjoying the little cat and mouse game they were playing.

John heard her snort as he helped Mr. Wayne into the vehicle, and he turned to give her a sharp glance, though his face remained impassive as he returned to his duties. He waited while Babs gathered up her bag and stowed the keys, then a small frown flickered across his face as she just...stood there. Was this supposed to be a power play of some sort? A reminder that she had a closer association with Mr. Wayne than he did and was probably his boss under these conditions? Some sort of revenge for making her strip last night, even though it hadn't been his idea? John wasn't sure what kind of game she was playing, but he had no interest in playing it himself. So he just opened the front passenger door for her. Whenever Sara gave Bruce a ride under official business, Mr. Wayne always sat in the back, and everyone else up front if there was room, John saw no reason to change it up now. "Miss Gordon." He told her with a polite nod as he waited for her to get in, but he wasn't about to salute her. Mr. Wayne's personal assistant or not, she wasn't that important.
 
Barbara smiled at her. "You should know by now that you and I have each other's backs."

She smirked at his non-answer. She had little doubt that he had told Sara she was driving. There were people she'd expect to object but she wasn't sure if Sara was one. Hell, if Agent Johnson and Bruce Wayne weren't objecting, she was sure Sara wouldn't either. She shook her head and glanced at him, pretty sure she saw a subtle smirk on his face he might not have even known he was there. Yes, he was just taunting her now.

She blinked in surprise when John called her Miss Gordon and opened the door for her though she was relieved that it snapped her out of her temporary social anxiety and paralysis. She smiled and slid into her seat, watching him as he circled and got into the driver's seat. Once they had pulled out of the garage she spoke up. "Sam contacted me and wants to do some training after work today. I told her I'd be bringing along a new guy that I thought would help our chances and that I'd introduce the two of you." She couldn't help noticing a sort of coldness in him and it puzzled her but she thought maybe he was just putting on a persona for Bruce and acting like he was 'just' an employee or something.
 
"Oh, I need that in writing. Should I make up a contract?" Chloe teased.

Out of habit, John checked the security camera feed on the display on the dashboard and verified the surrounding streets were empty, as usual, before he pulled out. Not that it really mattered if anyone saw them exiting the building, but he firmly believed int he concept of better safe than sorry. Once the garage door had closed behind them, John brought up the security system and verified all points were active and secure before arming the system and heading towards Wayne enterprises. Clearly he had made the trip before as he didn't require any navigational aids to make the journey.

John kept his gaze focused on the road when Babs spoke, but his hands tightened on the steering wheel as Babs gave him another order, totally disrupting the plans he had for the night. Was this another sort of test? Had Sara put her up to it? Sara always did say he needed to learn to be a bit more flexible, and he wouldn't have put it past her to tell Babs the plans had changed to see how he adapted. Of course, he also wouldn't have put it past Barbara to try giving him an order because she thought she was superior to him due to her father and employment. On the other hand...he had agreed to participate in the upcoming tournament and asked to meet Sam...so was Babs just following his instructions?

John pondered the conundrum for almost a minute before finally deciding if it was a test from Sara, or Babs just following his instructions, that was two reasons to agree. And if Babs was testing him...well, she'd soon find out he reported to Sara, and not her, if she tried to push it too far. "Very well." He finally told her.
 
She saw how John watched the camera feeds as they pulled out and filed that away for later. This garage seemed to be quite important to Sara, in particular keeping it hidden. She wished she had paid greater attention but she closed her eyes and mentally replayed what she had seen in her brief look around. She opened her eyes after a few moment and glanced briefly at John.

She saw how John gripped the steering wheel and mentally replayed the oddness of him calling her 'Miss Gordon'. Something was going on but she was unsure what. She twisted briefly in her seat to look at Bruce Wayne then looked back at John. "If you don't want..." She paused as a thought occurred to her. "Oh. You were going to pick me up after work today. That probably means more training in Sara's regimen. I'm an idiot." She shook her head. "I should have told Sam I already had plans. Unless...maybe we can do both? Also, I will be checking out a car from Wayne Enterprises so you don't have to pick me up if you don't want."
 
Bruce, for his part, seemed intently interested in his phone, and paid no attention to Babs or the interplay between the two teens in the front seat.

John tightened his grip on the steering wheel again as Babs gave him an out, casting doubt on his earlier decision. What kind of game was she playing? And what were the rules? John wasn't sure, and not being sure of something made him nervous. This was probably why Sara had stuck him with Gordon in the first place. "I already said yes." He snapped at her. Backing down from his decision didn't seem like the right call. He frowned as Bab's just seemed to realize they had training scheduled for that evening. What did she think he was picking her up for? "We can do both." John declared, confidant in that part at least. He didn't imagine Sam's training would proceed past midnight, which left him eight hours to complete Sara's checklist. That should be enough time. "And I'll pick you up." They didn't need a caravan of vehicles going to the garage.
 
She saw John's reaction and his knuckles turning white again. Her brow furrowed as his mood seemed to be quite bad today, specifically in regards to her. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out what she might have done. She flinched slightly as he snapped at her and merely nodded, looking out through the passenger window. Because of who she was, she couldn't help analysing events and she could think of two potential reasons for his mood.

One, perhaps something had happened with Sara that made him angry. Since he seemed to be mad at her, it must have something to do with her. Maybe Sara didn't approve of something that happened in their training? Or even the friendly way they had talked? Two, possibly he was upset Sara and Barbara got to go on the delivery mission and he didn't?

She merely nodded when he said they could do both, unwilling to engage further and risk another bout of anger aimed at her. She almost corrected him about him picking her up and insisted on driving but once more she decided it wasn't worth it. "Alright, after work I'll drop my car off at home then we can ride from there to Sam's dad's house."
 
"What?" Damn it, she'd surprised him again. John had thought he'd pick her up at work and they'd head to Sam's place together. Why did she have to complicate everything? But there was no reason her plan wouldn't work as well, and while they could meet at Sam's instead, that would just complicate things. He didn't want to risk arriving first and have to meet Sam without Babs to act as a buffer. Sam had no idea who he was, and probably wouldn't even let him in. And while he could carry out his original plan, or his original modified plan, and just take Babs to Sam's from the office, he had to admit there was logic to her having the car at home rather than the office.

"Fine." He conceded. "I'll pick you up at your house. Text me when your heading home, and I'll meet you there." Damn it damn it damn it. Another wrinkle occurred to him then. "Unless your dad is going to be home." Sara hadn't forbidden him from meeting her father, but John had no desire to be interrogated by a police captain about what he was doing with his daughter at night that required her to be naked. John doubted her father would understand.
 
She glanced over at the tone of his voice when he asked what after her comment. She studied him as he seemed to be thinking over what she had said and she saw the moment he seemed to concede that her plan was better even before he spoke. She nodded her agreement to his request to text him. She was a bit concerned about his worry about her dad being home. "It doesn't matter if he's home. I'll let him know I'm going to Sam's and that's that. Who I ride with won't be all that important to him I'm sure."

She considered something and added. "I could also get a ride with Chloe if you're that worried about my dad." She shrugged slightly and looked back outside, figuring he'd react angrily to that too if the rest of the car ride was anything to go by. She briefly wondered what Bruce Wayne thought of their discussion. She knew he was absorbed in his phone but she also suspected he paid a lot more attention to his surroundings than the average person thought.
 
John couldn't help his hands tightening on the steering wheel again. He kept his eyes fixed on the road, but he was still aware enough of the surroundings to know Mr. Wayne was listening to every word, and would probably report his failure to Sara, and he hated disappointing her. "I don't think a cop will be that lenient and let his daughter go off with a guy without knowing anything about him." He told her, at least not if Sara's stories about her dad were to be believed, and he had no reason to doubt them. Chloe taking Babs was a possibility, but it still had the issue of him arriving at Sam's without an escort.

But then, Mr. Larusso ran a dojo and had probably had strangers arrive at his house before. And he'd never seen Sam naked, so he didn't have to worry about that part slipping out. That was the best option, he supposed. "Text me when your heading to Sam's." John finally declared. He should be able to time his arrival pretty close to theirs, which should minimize any awkward conversations he might have to have.
 
She saw his hands tighten on the wheel all over again. She shook her head. "I'd just have to tell him he is a fellow student in Mister LaRusso's class. Worst case, he'd call to make sure I actually showed up but I think he trusts me." She listened as he more or less ordered her to text him. She didn't particularly care since he was a teacher to her for the moment at least. She nodded and turned to look outside once more, unwilling to risk making his anger worse since she had no idea what the source of it was.

It briefly occurred to her that she was riding in a car with two men that had seen her naked, neither of whom had any interest in her sexually as far as she knew. That was a surreal thing to think about and the annoying part was she had no one to really talk to about it. Chloe would faint if she brought it up, maybe literally if today was anything to go by.

Unless one of them spoke again she was silent for the rest of the ride to Wayne Enterprises. When they arrived she made sure to grab her duffel which she now realized she wouldn't leave and stepped out of the car. "Thank you for the ride." She said and shouldered her bag. Once Bruce was out she'd accompany him to the elevator back up to their offices, her mind turning to the letters she'd write to R&D along with other stuff she needed to handle, such as opening the envelope Lucius had dropped off which she assumed had paperwork and maybe an employee manual and going down to see Stan again and getting a new vehicle checked out.
 
"He trusts you. No reason for him to trust me." John pointed out as he shook his head. "YOU didn't trust me when we first met." He reminded her, and he wasn't sure if she trusted him now, and the thought bothered him more than he cared to admit. he had no reason to say anything else, and was afraid if he did Babs would throw another Monkeywrench into their plans, so he remained silent for the remainder of the trip as well. Bruce seemed intent on his phone still so no one spoke until Babs thanked John for the ride. "Your welcome." He said with a nod. That statement from her, if not exactly expected, John hadn't had much of a choice in the matter, was not a curveball, and was appreciated, so he gave a slight smile in response.

Once Bruce and Babs had entered the lobby, a security guard walked over to them. "Mr. Wayne? Mr. Fox asked you to stop by his office as soon as you returned, sir." He said, and Bruce nodded as he turned to Babs. "Drop the forms off on my desk and I'll sign them as soon as I can." He promised her before he headed off. The guard then turned to Babs. "And Miss Gordon? Special Agent Logan with the FBI came by to see you. When I told him you were out, he wanted to wait. He's in your office now."
 
She briefly glanced back at John. "Of course not, which is why if you drove me and I told him we were going to martial arts class he might feel compelled to call and make sure I made it. Though he also knows I'm not dumb. And I'd probably have tried to talk you into giving Chloe a ride as well though now that I think about it, that would not have been a good idea since I'm guessing we have training afterw2ards." She saw the slight smile when she thanked him for the ride and returned it with a nod.

She wondered if this was normal, a security guard waiting for Bruce Wayne liked that but considering his lack of reaction it must be. She nodded her understanding and smiled. "It's first on my agenda Mister Wayne. I'll also drop off that resume we discussed." She didn't want to say it was Chloe's in front of the security guard, even though he wouldn't know who Chloe was. She turned her gaze to the guard when he addressed her, surprised. But her surprise at the guard addressing her was nothing compared to what he had to say to her. "I see. Thank you."

She was quite confused by this news and found herself on her guard as she entered the elevator. She could think of no reason why an FBI special agent would want to speak with her. She wracked her brain as she rode the elevator up, trying to come up with scenarios. Had she interacted with someone the FBI had an interest in? That seemed the most likely scenario but she couldn't think of who that might be.

Agents Coulson and Daisy came to mind. Perhaps they weren't who they said but surely Bruce Wayne would know that and would have found a subtle way to warn her. It could also have been someone at the gala but none of her interactions there stood out in her mind as something important enough for the FBI to want to talk. Likewise, her interactions with the Ghost Dragons wouldn't draw FBI attention. Her thoughts turned to the cop, Bulloch. Maybe he was under investigation? But usually that'd be handled by internal affairs. She paled while riding the elevator as another thought occurred to her. Could it have something to do with her dad? Or her hacking into the police computers to make the program to track the Batmobile?

She used the rest of the ride to compose herself and walked out when the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. As she walked, she realized this could also be another test arranged by Sara. She entered her office, wondering what she was walking into.
 
John doubted he'd be able to pull off the 'he was just a regular student' trick Babs seemed so in favor of. He also doubted Jim Gordon would be satisfied with a simple telephone call...he wouldn't be surprised if the police officer put some sort of tracking device on Bab's phone, and he made a mental note to check it every night Babs took it to the garage. He cursed silently that he'd failed to do so when Babs had arrived at the garage, but consoled himself with the fact Bruce Wayne had brought her there, and John hadn't really had time to check her phone. Besides, they hadn't really stayed there long enough for anyone tracking them to be suspicious. But there was no reason to point all that out to Babs, as it wouldn't have changed their plan, and he nodded in response to her suggestion about Chloe. They could have made it work, of course, but it was easier of they didn't have to. The night was complicated enough already.

It wasn't exactly normal for Mr. Wayne to be stopped as soon as he came in the building, but it wasn't real unusual either, so Bruce took it in stride. He just nodded when Babs said she'd have the paperwork on his desk, he'd expected nothing less. He nodded when she mentioned the resume as well, he didn't need her to specify who she was talking about. Chloe had made quite the impression both times he'd met her.

The agent glanced over when the elevator doors opened, but he took no interest in Barabra until she walked in and took a seat at the desk. Sometime while they'd been gone, someone had come in and placed a nameplate on her desk, it just said her name without any type of job title, but that was easily enough for the agent to determine who she was as she took a seat at her desk.

"Miss Gordon?" He said as he rose to his feet. "I'm Agent Dan Logon with the FBI, and, well, I'm here to investigate the report of your kidnapping." He admitted as he shook his head with annoyance. Clearly Babs did NOT look like she was under any sort of duress. He took out his phone and showed Babs a picture. Sure enough, it was here...but it was from over four years ago. "You don't have a sister, by any chance?" he asked, wondering if that was where the confusion came from.
 
Barbara was, of course, unaware of John's thoughts though if she had known she'd have been highly amused at the idea of her dad tracking her phone. Not because he wouldn't want to but because he wasn't exactly technically minded, especially when it came to cell phones.

She noticed the nameplate on her desk with a bit of surprise. She hadn't expected them to be so fast on things like that. Still, she was more focused on the agent and she looked him over as she sat down and placed her purse next to her desk. She surreptitiously slid her phone out of her purse when she sat up and sat it to record while she nodded to the man across from her.

The one scenario she hadn't considered at all was a 'kidnapping'. She was genuinely confused for a moment and then it hit her. Her mother. She had to be behind this. But why? Why go to all this trouble? "I must admit. In a way, this is almost a relief. I had no idea why the FBI would want to talk to me. So, to cover the important stuff, I left on my own. I got transportation to Gotham on my own. No one helped me. No one even knew I was coming, including my dad. I more or less walked into the police station and said hello." That was close enough to what had actually happened that it wasn't exactly a lie. She looked at the photo she held out then and shook her head. "That's me. But it's an old photo." She bit her lip. "I left my mother's home because, well, let's say my stepdad didn't make it a comfortable place for me to be. I assure you, I wasn't kidnapped, not even technically since I did it all on my own using my own money and didn't tell anyone. This is, at most, a case for the courts though I'm old enough I believe that in Gotham I can tell them who I wish to live with. I'm sorry Agent Logan."
 
If Agent Logan was aware she was starting to record their conversation, he gave no sign of it. As far as he was concerned, she could have shoved the camera right in his face. He had nothing to hide. He didn't even bother to hide his annoyance when she explained she hadn't been kidnapped, though of course it wasn't directed at her. In a way, he was relieved she hadn't been kidnapped. He hated child custody cases like that. No one ever really won, especially the kids.

"Well, most people aren't relieved to find out they've been kidnapped." The Agent said with a grin. No reason to take his annoyance out on her. He nodded as she explained how she'd arrived in Gotham. "And your dad will verify this?" he asked, watching her carefully for signs of nervousness when he revealed they'd be checking up on her story, and he nodded with satisfaction when she didn't react adversely. He sighed softly when she revealed it was an old photo. "Do you mind if I take a current photo to show my supervisor?" he asked. "Along with a copy of your driver's license?" He still had to file a report, of course, and showing a picture of Barbarba, obviously old enough to make up her own mind about where she lived, would make the decision not to follow up easier to explain.

"If your mother objects to your...change of address, that's a local matter." he agreed with her, then his eyes narrowed as she used the term 'uncomfortable'. "In what way?" He asked suspiciously, curious if there was another case he should be investigating.
 
She felt a little silly now. She'd started to record the conversation because she had no idea what this was about and had had all kinds of worries that it might be someone trying to trick the new hire into saying something stupid or something. She smiled back at him. "He will. Also, I took a bus into town if that helps." She rattled off the buses she had taken. He could at least verify buses took that routes at the times she said if he needed to. She shook her head when he asked about the picture and when she leaned down to retrieve her wallet she put her phone back in her purse though she did leave it on top.

"I still haven't gotten a new license. It feels like I've been here forever but not long enough to do stuff like that yet." She saw the change when she described how she'd felt at home. She sighed at his question. "In the way you suspect and it was escalating. But not to the point where I could have pressed charges. Not yet. I saw how things were going and left before it got to that point. It was...uhh...at the point of him 'accidentally' seeing me in the bathroom. 'Accidentally' copping a feel when I'd have to squeeze past him in the hallway. Stuff like that. But comments he made and how much more often things started to happen made me not willing to risk it." She sounded somewhat proud of herself that she hadn't stuck around long enough for things to cross that line.
 
Agent Logan raised an eyebrow when she rattled off the bus scheduled. Most native Gothamites couldn't do that, much less someone who was new in town. He duly noted the times down in his notebook, but didn't really feel the need to follow up. he didn't think that part of the investigation was going to amount to anything, so it wasn't worth the time to follow up. He nodded when she gave him permission to snap her phot, and quickly brought his phone up to do so. He doubted his supervisor would push the issue after reading his report, but it only took a few seconds, so better safe than sorry. He shrugged when she stated her license didn't reflect her current residence. "That's fine. I just need proof I actually talked to Barbarba Gordon, and that she's older than reported." He assured her.

Damn it. Logan thought. He hated these kinds of cases. It seemed Barbara, at least, had the good sense to flee. He just hoped she wasn't in a worse situation now. Gotham wasn't exactly a haven, and the GCPD did not have the best reputation. "And how's your current living situation?" He asked with concern. he frowned when she listed what had happened to her, and noted it all down in his notebook. "Does he have access to any other juveniles or teens?" He asked, curious if this was an emergency situation. "And unfortunately your right, this isn't a federal case, but I can make some calls and have CPS give him a little talking to. Not to mention...there's a good chance he's the one who filed the anonymous report. If...when...we find that out, that is a federal crime." Not a big deal, and normally he might be let off with a warning, but under the circumstances, Logan might push the issue a bit more.

He reached into his pocket and removed a card, he quickly scribbled some numbers on the back. "There's my card. If your step-dad tries to sue for custody, let me know. I can talk to the judge and show him your case file. I'm sure that will dissuade the judge from trying to force you to go back, I also put the number of our victim services coordinator on the back. If you'd like to talk to a support group. give her a call and she can give you some suggestions. Also, if you change your mind and do want to press charges, I put the number of the agent in charge of sex crimes on the back as well. And unofficially, if you just want to talk to someone, or need to get out of the house for a night or two, I have a daughter about your age, and she'd be happy to host you for a slumber party or something."
 
She could see the mix of emotions playing out over the Agent's face and she appreciated that he wasn't bothering to play the stoic cop with her. "It's pretty good. My dad is, well, let's just say since I came to Gotham I've become aware of two things. One, the GCPD isn't well thought of. But number two, my dad is. I even heard someone call him the hero cop of Gotham once. Captain James Gordon. Anyway, my situation is good. I took my dad by surprise by more or less just showing up but he's adjusting and I have my own room. I believe I'll be getting some better furniture for it soon." She smiled and motioned around her. "And it appears I'll be able to help dad out. I have no idea what the report on me says but I actually have enough credits already to graduate high school. I may go for one semester here in Gotham, partially to spend some time with a new friend I've made. My next door neighbor. She's a kind girl."

She shook her head at his question. "No, not in the house at least. If I'd had a sibling..." She paused, thinking. "I couldn't have taken them if they were younger so I probably would have stayed to protect them." For the first time, she was glad she was an only child and she looked at him. "The report was anonymous and claimed I was younger than I am?" She shook her head. "I doubt it was mom then. It must have been him." She shuddered. "That's a scary and creepy thought." She accepted the card and smiled at the man. "Well, as far as pressing charges, while I do think he is, well, an assault case waiting to happen, I don't have much proof sadly and I don't want to waste the court's time. You know? If he had uhhh...managed to take things further I'd be making sure to file charges. I actually found out just today I have free legal support here as an employee."

She chuckled and shook her head then looked at him thoughtfully when he mentioned his daughter. "Well, I only have a few friends as you can imagine as a new person in Gotham. Still, most teenagers don't take kindly to their parents trying to force new friends on them." She leaned back in her chair, thinking for a moment before she spoke again. "Agent Logan, if I may ask, why do you think your daughter would be willing to host a girl she doesn't know? Are you two new in town as well? If, well, if you made the offer because you think your daughter needs a friend, well, I'm always willing to meet new people."
 
Did he believe her? Jim Gordon had a slew of reports filed against him at the office, but none of them related to any kind of inappropriate sexual behavior as far as Logan knew. And she had been pretty forthcoming about what she went through before moving to Gotham...hopefully she was being just as honest now. In any case, he didn't sense any deception from her, so he decided to take her at her word Jim Gordon wasn't abusing her. He glanced around the office as she waved her hands around. "Yes, you seem to have done pretty well for yourself for being new in town." He had to admit. Her office was far nicer than his. He didn't know what to make of the hero cop stuff she was spouting...it seemed her father had the press on his side, at least. No mean feat in this town.

He nodded with relief when she indicated she wasn't aware of any immediate danger from her step-father. It tied his hands a bit, but it was better than the alternative. He nodded when asked about the report. It was false, so no harm in revealing some of the details. And yes, it was a creepy thought, the idea her step-dad wanted her back. It wasn't hard to guess why. "I'm afraid your right about that. No DA would take this case, but I WILL put the details in my report. If his name comes up again, it'll be flagged. And he'll never pass a background check for working with kids now." It wasn't much, but it was the best he could do.

Agent Logan couldn't help grinning as she asked about his daughter. "Lana is the type who wants to help anything and anybody." He promised Babs. "I've lost count of how many stray animals she's taken in. She knows what I do for a living. If it wasn't against regulations, and I told her about you, I'm sure she'd call you and make sure you're all right, and extend you the same offer I just did." He shook his head at her next question. "No, she's born and raised her...plenty of friends, but as she says, always room for one more."
 
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