|| City on the Edge || trample & PressHeart

[PressHeartToStart]

It was just another night in Gotham, for most. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and the chill in the air was the same as any other, but things were certainly not as they seemed. The vigilantes that protected this city were scrambling, hoping that word of Batman’s absence wouldn’t be spread into the criminal underworld. If they knew, there would certainly be a surge in crime. One that the bat family might not be able to handle, especially with their fearless leader down for the count.

For Barbara the problem was two fold. Getting back into the swing of things had been more difficult than she would ever admit. After years of being Oracle, hitting the pavement as Batgirl was certainly an adjustment. Despite having been training, she was still out of practice and a little rusty. Muscles she hadn’t worked in years would scream at her, but she powered through the pain, determined to get back to where she was. Surpass what she was.

The warehouse was silent, save for the few whispered voices coming from below the scaffolding she was perched on. The men were low level drug peddlers, handing out their latest shipment and going over who had what area of the city. There were four that she could see, but she had a feeling more were hidden in the shadows out of view. The haul was too big to only be guarded by four men, none of which were very impressive looking. The conversation was wrapping up though, and goodbyes were being said. The redhead couldn’t let them walk out, needed to strike when she could feasibly take them all out in a short span of time and hope none of them ran.

The only warning would be the metal clang of a canister hitting the ground, before smoke started to rise up and billow along the floor. Barbara hit the ground silently, landing behind the ringleader and immediately wrapping her arm around his throat. “Bat!” A voice yelled out from the left of her, and she quickly spun, dragging the man in the chokehold with her as a leg kicked out. The heel of her boot hit something solid, and the sound of a pained grunt affirmed her hopes that it was the one who had called out.

In a matter of moments she already had two down, but she could hear footsteps moving toward her. Certainly more than those that belonged to the two men she knew of. Shit! Three? Five? Batgirl was trying to focus while still staying out of reach, trying to gather as much information as she could before the fight broke out. The smoke was helping, buying her much needed time to regroup and formulate a plan, but it was starting to dissipate.

“Do you see anything?” “No, this damn fog...you really think it was a bat?”
There was obvious fear in their voices, and it irritated Barbara that they probably wouldn’t be nearly as terrified if they knew it wasn’t the Bat that had crashed their party. It was that moment of unfocus that proved to be a downfall, a hand reaching through the clearing smoke and grabbing hold of her cape with a violent tug. “Ha! It’s a girly bat!! Heeey beautiful. Nice of you drop in.”

The only response the man received was growl, as the redhead quickly recovered and swept her leg around. The thug was knocked off balance as soon as she made contact with his calves, knocking his legs out from underneath him and sending him towards the ground. There wasn’t much time to celebrate though, as more bodies started to close in on her. It was too many, and she knew that, but her pride wouldn’t allow her to turn tail and. Of course she could hear Bruce in her head, lecturing her on choices, but she quickly pushed that all knowing voice aside.

“Looks like it’s a party.” Despite her worry, there was a confidence to her voice that was a little unsettling to the men surrounding her. “Had I known, I would have brought some dip or something.” With that she was rushed from all sides, each man having his own reasons for wanting to get their hands on her.

 

[trample]

The very first thing Dick had done when he became Nightwing was to get rid of the cape. It was an encumbrance and it screwed up his movements. All those years as Robin he'd been pretty good, but losing the cape felt like a weight was lifted. Of course Robin's cape was nothing compared to the one Batman wore with all those built in features. It was large by design, too, meant to intimidate and to make it seem as if the Bat were a part of the night itself. Anyway, Bruce had his reasons, and now, unfortunately, Dick had to live with them.

Bane had already put the word out that the Bat was done, and Bruce hadn't actually asked Dick about taking over until two days after being injured. That was two days and two nights of the city still dealing with the breakout from Arkham and rumors spreading like wildfire that the Bat would never return. Criminals were emboldened and the signal shone in the sky only to be ignored. It was dangerous for this to continue, and Bruce knew from his initial consultation that he would be in no shape to fix things for months, if ever.

He'd asked Dick on board his private plane on the way to seek treatment in Europe just a few hours ago. Of course Bruce had a suit in Dick's size already, because preparing for even the unimaginable was just Bruce being Bruce. "The city needs Batman," Bruce said, "and right now that's you."

The city might need Batman, but did Batman need this stupid cape? He was getting used to it, but he was being more cautious than he wanted to be while he adjusted. Not too cautious, though, Batman needed to make his presence felt, and that meant leaving bruises.

"You did bring a plus one," he said, his voice a deepened growl to emulate how Bruce did it. It seemed to come from nowhere, and in the split-second of hesitation it caused the thugs, it was already too late. Dick launched out of the shadows (that's one for you, cape) and drove a foot into the back of the first man's knee while his elbow smashed into a second man's side, driving the breath from his body a he crumpled. In the same motion he spun, a swirl of black fabric, and swept into a crouch, his leg taking a third man's feet from under him.

Without pause, Dick shot to his full height, fist driving upwards with all the power in his body to catch yet another man in a brutal uppercut. He saw red misting the air as he stilled and the man dropped and briefly wondered if he might've overdone it just a bit. It had been a matter of something less than a second since his joke (did Batman joke? He should probably try to be consistent), and the last of the men was trying to flee while Dick observed Barbara. She shouldn't be doing this, but damned if the girl didn't still have the moves.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

The voice booming from the shadows caught her off guard as much as the men rushing towards her. There wasn’t much time to contemplate it though, as the action picked up almost immediately after the shadowed figure had made his presence known. It was instant, the recognition. Barbara had spent years fighting alongside Dick, and there was no mistaking the way he moved. It was hard to focus at that point, and she probably looked a little silly just standing there slack jawed as “Batman” dispatched most of the goons without much effort.

There was a rush of emotions. Relief, excitement, annoyance and irritation. Dick represented a lot of things for the redhead. The one thing she would never live up to, the line she had never crossed and a bunch of other confused feelings that had never been worked out over their years together. It was only as the last thug started to make a run for it that she snapped back, reaching for her belt and hurling a batarang in his direction. The metal made contact with the back of the goons head, sending him sprawling forward, body limp before it even hit the ground.

Barbara tried to to show the relief she felt in actually hitting her target, as her aiming had been a little off lately. “The situation was under control.” The aggravation would be obvious in her tone, only turning to look up at the man next to her after the words had left her lips. Bright green eyes narrowed and burned into him. “I didn’t need your help.”

Maybe it was a bit of a lie, but Dick knew better than anyone that Babs was prideful to a fault sometimes. It even overrode the fact that part of her was happy to see him, and had this been a different situation she probably would have welcomed him with a hug. That wasn’t on her list of things to do though, simply glaring at him before shooting her grappling hook up towards the ceiling in order to make her way to the roof. GCPD would be here soon to clean up the mess, and as always...they needed to be elsewhere when that happened.

The fresh air felt nice, the wind gently rustling her cape behind her as she took a moment to compose herself. The question of why he was here...was a stupid one, but she couldn’t help but ask herself anyway. Grumbling to herself as she did so. “Stupid Boy Wonder…” It was mumbled under her breath, just as she moved to kick an empty water bottle that had no doubt been left up here by one of the warehouse workers on break. The plastic crumpled a little as it skidded across the roof, stopping as it reached the edge of the building.

“I did not bring a plus one.” The redhead was pacing a bit now, arms crossed over her chest. Not caring if Grayson had followed her or not, which she suspected he would. The man had a tendency to be annoying like that. Why was she so wound up over him being back? Seeing him again? It was a road of questioning she wasn’t really willing to go down. Memories rushing back to her mind, years of tension and arguments...friendship and laughter. “Ugh!!”

 

[trample]

Dick was obviously more in character than he thought as he managed to keep the joke in response to himself and said, "I know," even though it was a lie. He had enough faith in Barbara and her skills that he doubted a handful of idiots would take her down, but it was obvious as he approached that she'd rushed in and let herself be surprised.

He crouched down and checked to make sure the man he'd dropped so brutally still had a pulse as he said, "the more memorable appearances Batman makes tonight, the better. And I was looking for you anyway." At the sound of sirens, Dick glanced up toward the door. In his ear, Alfred confirmed having alerted the police, who were eager to pick up this gang who appeared to be involved with smuggling in some of the venom that Bane was flooding the city with. Did Barbara even know about that? Would she have been so reckless if she knew about the performance enhancing drug that made users superhumanly strong and aggressive?

As he glanced toward the sirens, she was gone, and Dick allowed himself a rueful smile as he wondered if she was going to make him chase her. It had been the sort of thing she'd do all those years ago, and despite all his training and skill, his longer legs and the fact that (not that he'd admit it) he knew the scent of her perfume or shampoo or whatever it was and could recognize it from twenty yards.... despite all that, he only caught her about half the time.

He shot up onto the roof (the grapple was still calibrated for Bruce, so that's at least one thing he overlooked) and landed with the cape billowing out around him in that over-the-top dramatic way that Bruce favored. Dick had seen it so often that he really felt like Batman for a second as he stood up.

His serious veneer collapsed as he saw Barbara, unscathed, a little mad. He shouldn't have noticed the way her cheeks flushed after all this time, but it was just good detective work, right? He took a second to repress that thought (and the scent was still the same? Brand loyalty, or Miss Gordon knew what worked for her?) and to rethink his impulse to express concern or surprise to see her out like this. How long had it been since the wheelchair? Not long enough.

"I guess you heard about Bruce...?" He walked a few steps closer to her, wondering if it was a good or bad thing to talk with real names. It wasn't like anyone could overhear, and Batman talking about Bruce Wayne might just help confuse the issue for anyone close to figuring it out, anyway. Plus, was he supposed to talk about Batman? He was Batman. That thought seemed blasphemous, but it was true.

"I stopped by your place, but obviously you were elsewhere. How long have you been... back?" He gestured toward the outfit in a way that was a struggle not to move his hand in an hourglass-y way to indicate her figure. He might've failed at that a little, but at least he kept any hint of judgment from his voice about her being back in the cape and cowl.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

The redhead turned as soon as she heard his voice, something comforting about it. “Of course I know about Bruce.” The words were soft, sullen. Green eyes peered up at him, teeth digging into her bottom lip. A tell that she was nervous or frustrated, in this situation possibly both? It had been a long time since they had seen one another, Dick had his own life now, his own city. It was strange seeing him now, as Batman. It felt wrong, like a kid playing dress up in his father's clothes. In some ways, it was exactly like that.

“A few months.” Of course she noticed the subtle movement of his hand, hinting at the curves of her body with its motion. “It’s been...an adjustment.”

Babs wanted to stay mad, but it was impossible for her to hold a grudge against Grayson. They had been through so much together, in some ways he was her best friend. Or had been before he left. Even though she understood his reasons, she still felt a little like he had abandoned her. It was childish, but even in knowing that...it didn’t shake the feeling.

“I’ve missed you, it’s good to have you back. Even if...it’s a little weird having you all…” The redhead motioned with her arm towards his costume. It was weird for other reasons too, but she wasn’t about to breathe a word of the emotional effect he was having on her. Mainly because she wasn’t sure she really understood it. All she was doing right now was fighting the urge to hug him. Or just be close to him. Dick had always been her comfort, made her feel safe, and even with everything that had happened...that remained the same.

“Bet you love having a cape again, huh?” There it was, the teasing words and that bright smile that taunted him playfully...as it had so many times in the past. Some of the tension eased in that moment and it almost felt like old time. Almost. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”

It was strange to think that he was now in that position. Of course Bruce would probably still be calling most of the shots from the sideline, but on the street...Dick was going to be the leader. It wasn't that much of a stretch, given their history. Nightwing had lead the Teen Titans, so it was an old hat. "Don't get too bossy with me though, I might like it."

Arching an eyebrow at him she let out a chuckle, having always enjoyed pushing his buttons. Nothing had ever came of their flirtations, but no matter how much time passed or where they were in their lives...it never really stopped.

 

[trample]

Dick rolled his eyes, not that it was all that visible behind the mask. Bruce had wanted Batman to appear pretty impassive, and so the mask covered most expressions. The depth of the protective filament also allowed for various tech lenses to slip out to allow for targeting, night vision, or heat signature tracking. It all made for the inert, scary batman that the criminals of Gotham feared and prevented rolling eyes from making the city's Dark Knight look frivolous, even though the man behind the mask just now certainly felt that way. "Don't get me started on the cape... If Bruce doesn't hurry back, by the time he returns Batman's going to really different."

He smirked then. This was not a facial movement that the cowl could conceal. He rapped his gauntlet-ed fist gently on the sleek armor over his thigh. "Hell, I oughtta change over to yellow tights on the legs. See how he likes it."

His smirk was just starting to fade when Babs threw in that little flirtation. He was incapable of making his smile vanish at that point even though he really should. Something about those lips calling him boss as she laughed gently at the idea made him move smoothly to stand nearer. His hand reached out to barely brush her hip as he said, "You never struck me as the submissive type."

His fingers slid down over the curve of her armored leg and he tipped his chin slightly before moving away, "but I don't think you're gonna be thrilled with following these orders. I can throw in you having to wear stockings, though, if it'll make it easier." Another grin and then his smirk vanished.

"Here's the thing, Alfred's running things for me from the cave, but..." He reached up and did something at the side of his cowl which would keep Alfred from hearing any of this. "He's not really here. He needs to go help Bruce, at least for a little while, but I need somebody watching the systems even more than Bruce ever did. So..." He gestured toward the gorgeous redhead, "you'd be great to have here... or in bed or on that rooftop over there..."

He grinned now. "Seriously, though, you're an asset in the streets for sure," this he said sincerely, though truthfully Dick wasn't excited about Barbara being in costume so soon after her recovery. She was certainly great, but how fragile was she? How rusty? "But what I need is eyes on the whole city and Alfred needs to go help Bruce. It's the only way I see us getting the city under control and getting rid of Bane."

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Barbara tried to remain fairly stoic as Dick moved closer, commenting on how she didn't seem to be a certain type. Still she could feel the light brush at her hip, swallowing hard as she just chalked it up to a accidental bump and not a intentional touch. It didn't stop her heart rate from picking up for a moment. "It's cute that you think you know me so well." Then he mentioned stockings and she couldn't help but chuckle, the joke distracting her from the turn in conversation that was sure to make her unhappy.

As he continued she finally turned to look at him, eyes narrowing a bit as he started to ease into his point a little more. The flirtations were still distracting, seemingly peppered in there to keep her from flying off the handle too quickly. Still, he did have to eventually make his point. "You're trying to bench me?" O f course she knew his point was valid, but it didn't really help ease the sting of what he was saying. "I mean, I understand what you're saying...but..."

The logical part of Babs was on board with his reasoning, but the hotheaded little bat was internally screaming at him for coming into her city and making changes like he had the right. "What about a compromise? I can make some calls, pull some strings, and find someone suitable to help out manning the systems." Of course she would still need to help out, as most of the people capable of taking over the job of Oracle had other things on their plate as well. Still, it would keep her from having to be a permanent behind the scenes fixture. Not now that she didn't have to be one.

There were numerous people that could help, but if she were able to get a hold of Julia AKA Penny-Two, they would be set. Alfred's daughter knew the system as well as anyone, but she was almost impossible to get a hold of these days. Hopping from country to country. Still, she could try. If not, there were some people who owed her favors that would work in the interim. At least free her up a little so she could run around and fight the baddies. Dick's reasoning had been logical enough to where she didn't question his motives too carefully. No clue that he was concerned if she was ready or not to be back in the mask.

Had she known that...this conversation would be going very, very differently.

"Fishnets or the kind with the seam up the back?" There was a small smirk pulling at her lips as she teased him about the stockings. Hinting that these types of items might very well already be tucked away in a dresser drawer somewhere. Clearing her throat with a light shake of her head she focused back in on reality. "Can I finish off my night before you send me to the bull pin? I've got one more stop on my usual route."

 

[trample]

Dick didn't anticipate the offer, but he really should've. The mask did keep from revealing the momentary consternation as she suggested a compromise. With her connections and all that time with the Birds of Prey and the other Batgirls it stood to reason that she would have a few potential replacements to call in. They probably weren't as good as Oracle, but then neither was Alfred, and that was how Dick had phrased the whole problem, wasn't it?

"I just need somebody behind the comms who knows this city and the systems as well as Penny-One and that I can depend on. Obviously you're the best choice, but I'm willing to consider alternatives." Maybe he ought to just flat-out tell her that he was worried.... but of course he could easily imagine how well that would go over. And maybe he'd just caught her at a bad moment, too. Her error earlier could've been a one-off thing.

(But Dick knew that didn't really matter. Even if Babs was perfect tonight, he'd still worry about the girl getting hurt again. It wasn't fair, he knew... she wasn't really at any greater risk than Bruce or Tim or Dick himself, but because of what had happened to her and how he felt about her, the concern was very different).

"And he's not going anywhere tonight," he said as he switched back on the audio connection with Alfred, "so you're good to finish your rounds. Let me tag along, though..." He grinned and his hand deliberately grazed her thigh and around toward the swell of her ass as he moved around her. "I need to observe you in motion before I can decide, but I'm thinking fishnets..." He squinted and let his gaze move over her body, "and maybe nothing else...?" His smirk broadened.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

The redhead was relieved as Dick agreed to her terms, but she sensed on some level hi didn't really want to. Babs wasn't going to push her luck though, he had agreed to her terms and that was all she really needed right now. The relief she felt as he said she could finish her rounds was short lived by the fact that he would be tagging along. Lips parted to protest, but the words caught in her throat as soon as she felt his touch along her thigh.

It was purposeful, and she was amazed that such subtle contact could send little bolts of electricity through her body the way it did. It wasn't the touch, on some level she knew that. It was who was touching her that was causing the reaction. Still she tried to hide the effect it had as best she could, although it was made all the more difficult with what he was saying to her.

The image played through her mind, as much as she was trying to will it not to. Sitting at her station, nothing but fishnets on...Dick coming in all sweaty from fighting... Whoa! Stop it! Shaking her head she pushed the thought to the side. No completely banishing it, as it might be of used later after she had crawled into bed and called it a night. Which was...horrible of her, but Dick had a way of making his way into most of her fantasies. The cocky bastard.

"In your dreams." Lame comeback, but she had to say something before too much time passed. "Just try to keep up, huh?" With a smirk her hand moved to her belt and she started running, leaping off the edge of the building, only to come swinging back upward, and landing without a sound on the next rooftop.

The last stop was an easy one. Just checking on an abandoned house that used to be a hide out for some rather seedy Gotham villains. It had been abandoned for a long time, but Barbara had been making it a point to check on it...just in case. It was old and dilapidated. Looking as though it might have been pulled from some post apocalyptic move set. There wasn't much inside. Some dirty mattresses, an old dresser which only housed one drawer and a slew of empty liquor bottles. Hoping in through the upstairs window Batgirl let out a sigh. Everything appeared to be as she had left it last time.

It was a bit of a disappointment, as she really felt she needed to work some aggression out now...or more...frustrations. When Dick no doubt made his appearance, as she hadn't actually been trying to lose him, she would turn to him and shrug. "No more action for me tonight...unless you wanted to tumble." The redhead playfully stretched her arm out, lightly punching his shoulder.

 

[trample]

"Only every night," he said in response to her come-back. It was timed so that even if it made the redhead flush (and her pale cheeks showed a flush so easily it was impossible not to try and make it happen) it wouldn't screw up her launch off the building. And of course it wasn't entirely true. The fishnets were a new thought, to be honest, but the frequency of Barbara in his dreams was decidedly regular.

He watched her dive off the building and swing up and across the city skyline, telling himself it was to assess her form and technique. Of course the fit of her uniform was more what he noticed. "A bit distracted, Master Dick?"

He broke into a jog to follow her, and as he did, he said, "I'm cutting the visual feed," he said, then added, as if it would cover where his eyes had been, "does Bruce still have biometrics built into the batgirl costume, or did Barbara find those and pull them out? I want some readouts on her performance since she got back at it if possible... see how she's getting back into the swing of things."

Something about the "Very good, Master Dick," suggested that Alfred didn't buy it, but at least recognized that it was a good idea. He punched in the code on the palm of the glove that shut off the feed to the cave just as he dove from the rooftop, and for a few minutes Dick was Batman, trailing Batgirl through the night air. It was probably his imagination that he could smell her perfume leading him as surely as that streak of telltale red hair.

He dropped in the window of the derelict building, one of the various red hoods' old hide outs as he recalled. As she punched his shoulder, Dick smiled. "Aren't you a little rusty to be challenging Batman?" He shifted back into an easy stance, rolling his shoulders. "But if you want to make things interesting, you in stockings sounds like pretty good stakes for when I win..."

 

[PressHeartToStart]

"I wouldn't dare challenge Batman.." The smile on her lips was friendly enough, but there was a mischievous little twinkle in her eye that usually hinted that she was up to something. "...and when I win, you get to bust out those yellow tights." Part of her knew there was a good chance she wouldn't come out on top, but every now and then the underdog would pull out a win. That, and she had some tricks up her sleeve.

Sparring wasn't new to them, had done it countless times in the past, but a lot of time had passed. Barbara wasn't convinced she could predict him quite as well as she used to be able to. That, and he wasn't rusty. Everything inside of her told her to back down, but that damn pride of hers was once again overriding logical though. Plus, it might be fun...and maybe a small part of her just wanted to touch him.

Taking a step the side she squared up with him, looking him over for a moment...having forgotten how tall and toned he was. Trying to hide any intimidation from her features she let out a sigh and rolled her shoulders back. They shouldn't be doing this, it was childish...but Dick and Barbara seemed to be bad influences on each other sometimes. "Age before beauty."

The redhead had a plan, goading him into moving first. The goal was simply. Dodge his advance and get her hands on that cape. Dick wasn't used to having one, and that was certainly an advantage. If she was successful, the girl would move in fast fluid motions to maneuver herself behind him, working to pull that cape up and over his head before leaping onto his back in an attempt to keep it there. Toned legs would wrap around his waist, her chest pressed firmly to his back. Even in the situation it would be hard to ignore how close they were.

If there was one thing she was happy about though, it was that he didn't have those damn sticks. Having been shocked by those more than once...she wasn't a fan of being on the other end of them. Nightwing was an annoying little bugger to fight. The thought made her chuckle to herself, realizing just how odd this all was. Didn't make it any less fun though, as she knew that neither of them would actually do any serious damage to the other. Not like when the brothers went at it sometimes...that could get pretty ugly pretty past. With Babs they had always kept it fairly playful though, and if anyone did get hurt, it was purely accident.

There was an advantage to Dick dressing up like Batman though, it almost neutralized him in her mind. At least a little, which made her head and her heart less of a mess.

 

[trample]

Dick inclined his head slightly and said, "I think the idea is that the Bat is an ageless, immortal symbol of the heart of Gotham... or something, so I'm not sure technically how 'age' stacks up, but...." He stepped forward with his nearer foot as if about to rush at her and then smoothly pushed off that toe and lifted his whole body on it. Something between a ballerina and an acrobat, that movement was the opposite of what his body language indicated - and by design. If Dick were fighting himself he'd know how much he hated that damn cape just as much as Barbara did. He'd go straight for it.

So instead of giving her access to it he pivoted up on his toe and swung his other foot up and out, snapping a kick toward her torso that would send anyone sprawling -- but not much worse. The shift would be even more effective if she was going to feign to his weak side (like he would have done) before darting around him to get near his back the other direction.

And it would've worked, too, except that the weight of the cape. As Dick shifted his body in that artful way the cape just kept moving and his kick was thrown off by the fabric overlaying his foot as he swung it. He barely connected and was hopelessly open for a second, desperately crouching to block whatever she was about to throw at him with one arm while the other reached for his shoulder. He was taking this damn cape off! There was no way this ended in anything other than Barbara in fishnets... or, ideally, out of them....

 

[PressHeartToStart]

That leg of his would make contact, but just as she had predicted...the cape was throwing him off. Didn't stop her from being knocked back though, taking a few steps to recover but not creating as much distance as he probably wished he would have gotten from the move. As he crouched she moved, the floor creaking beneath her as he rushed forward. "Yea, yea...doesn't change the fact that I'm prettier."

The goal wasn't to land a blow, so much as it was to knock him off balance, skidding down to one knee as she approached and kicking her leg out towards his dominant knee. If successful she would follow through, pushing up and into him, knocking Dick onto his back.

This house couldn't take much, dust filling the air as the foundation seemed to groan with each movement they made. The walls were falling apart, and it was possible that the floor beneath them might give way at any moment. None of this seemed to phase Babs too much though. The girl was quick, and much lighter than her sparring partner. Plus, it wouldn't be the first time she had been tossed through drywall or fallen through the floor if it winded up happening.

If the move wasn't successful, and he had managed to keep his footing she would step back and regroup. Smart enough to not stay too close to him for too long. The reality was he was stronger than she was, so best to stay out of reach if at all possible.

Whatever outcome the same words would make their way past her lips. "You kick like a girl." It was snarky, teasing and...well...just what one would expect the redhead to say in this situation. "A six year old girl."

 

[trample]

A week from now this would have gone very differently. After he'd had more than a night to acclimate to the costume, there was no way he'd be this off-balance. And anyone except Barbara would have had a much harder time taking advantage, too. She knew how Dick moved and she knew how Bruce moved. She'd trained and sparred with both of them, in and out of costume, for years. In one sense this was actually ideal; Babs was the perfect person to highlight all these flaws for him before he was in a situation against someone who would really punish him for the mistakes like Shiva or Bane. It was just not the first thought on his mind, to be grateful, as she caught the side of his knee with her foot and rushed forward to bring their bodies together briefly before her momentum pushed him backwards.

He landed heavily on the tired old wood with a grunt, turning to take the fall on his shoulder instead of his back so his breath wouldn't get knocked away. As he hit he was already planting his hands and rolling backwards, though. He threw his weight back and dug his fingers into the floor as he kicked up with first one foot and then the other. If she were too cocky to move back after knocking him down, his feet would catch her under her pretty chin... otherwise they'd just arc through the air and carry him into an elegant flip to his feet, cape flowing back after them and, for once, doing what he wanted it to do.

"A six year old Kara, maybe..." Did she kick hard when she was six? Dick seemed to remember Clark not getting powers until he was a teenager, but it sounded good... He reconsidered getting rid of the cape, instead trying to feel it's weight and remembering how Bruce used it. Batman fought two ways, either waiting and reacting to an opponent or going in for the kill. He shifted his weight and dragged his eyes over Barbara's body, touching his tongue to his upper lip. "You're lucky you caught me on my first night in this cape or you'd already be undressing...."

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Dick recovered quickly, and as he flipped back up to his feet she was thankful she had taken a step back. Catching a boot to the chin was not her idea of a good time. "Pfffft..." Well, that was possibly the worst comeback of all time. Wasn't even really a comeback as much as it was a noise.

It was possible that even in the dimly lit room, where a nearby street lamp was the only source of light, he would see the blush creeping in on Batgirl's cheeks. There weren't many people out there who had this effect on her, in fact...there was only one. Being out of practice in dealing with him wasn't helping either, but it seemed that at least for the moment she had forgotten that she was mad at him for leaving in the first place.

"Hey! I agreed to fishnets, not...naked fishnets." Okay, so she had caught onto that a little a late. Did she really agree to be naked? This was distracting her, and maybe that was the point, but just the thought of it was making her heart pound. It had been hard enough getting back into the swing of things recently, adding Dick Grayson into the mix was going to make it damn near impossible. At least until he got distracted by some gorgeous blonde.

Which would no doubt make her a little jealous, in a weird way...there was really no winning. Maybe it was a good thing he had left. At least for her sanity. Didn't matter though, as he would be back at least until Bruce was back up and running. Who would be none too pleased that the two were 'fraternizing' like this right now. "Maybe it's not the cape. Maybe...you're just...losing your touch? It happens sometimes. Spending all that time in cushy Budhaven...Gotham might just be too much for you now."

 

[trample]

"Maybe," he said as if he might agree with her. The tone was noncommittal, almost conversational, and as he said it he took a second to feel the weight of the cape and of the body armor and really let it sink in for maybe the first time. He was not about to lose.

Dick shifted his weight back and then rapidly forward, closing the distance between them lightning fast and rearing back to strike out at her. "Or maybe," he said now as he changed direction abruptly to spring to the side, leaving her (hopefully) poised to defend a blow that wasn't coming. He used his momentum to run a few steps up the wall of the old building and turned so that the bulk of the cape was between them, obscuring his movements.

"...I'm distracted at the thought of you," behind the cape he kicked out with both legs, one shooting toward the back of her knees as the other scissored in toward her stomach. Unless she were quicker and stronger than he thought he'd catch her between them and drop her to the ground, captured and on her pretty ass as he knelt over her. "in those fishnets." He reached for her wrists and grinned. "And. nothing. else."

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Barbara fell for the bait, letting out an annoyed little grunt as she hit the ground. Even more irritated that he had used the damn cape to pull it off. With her lower bod trapped under his weight she went to move her arms, but Dick was a step ahead of her, already grabbing for her wrists. The words he spoke caused her breath to hitch in her throat, heart thudding in her ears.

The term 'you could cut the tension with a knife' would have been an understatement. With so many years playing cat and mouse with each other it had reached a whole new level. Arching her back she tried to push up against him, wriggle herself free, which she knew wouldn't do her much good. Dick was stronger, and smart enough to get to her hands before they could get to her belt. "How are you...even more annoying...than you used to be?"

Each cut in her words was filled with a little grunt as she tried to get some kind of leverage against him. Noticing the creak that rang out when her hips swayed to the left. Also noticing, and ignoring the fact that she could feel some slickness between her thighs. Again her hips moved, the house groaning beneath her. Maybe, just maybe, the floor would give out. Falling would hurt, but it would at least give her an opportunity to get out from under Dick. Not that she was banking on it working. It hadn't given out when she fell after all.

Still, she had to try?

"I will give you...fishnets...with bra and panties...and no touching." Barbara was just trying to buy time at this point. Come up with a plan, or have the floor give out. Maybe get struck by lightning? Anything would be good at this point, the last thing she wanted to do was lose. Losing to Dick was...the worst.

 

[trample]

Dick shifted his weight forward and down toward her, pinning her more securely as his hands tightened around her wrists. It was easy to bring her two wrists together and spread his fingers wide to grab both of her wrists in one strong hand. Barbara had a lot of assets, but being stronger than him was certainly not one of them. "Years of practice," he said as he tightened his grip and brushed his now-free hand down her cheek. "I figured you'd appreciate the effort."

He smiled and let his hand trail down her neck as she continued to struggle. "Bartering, huh?" He pressed his body down to try and pin hers, hips pressing forward and man was he glad that the batsuit was basically armor. Those old Robin costumes weren't exactly built to conceal the sort of reaction a gorgeous, squirming redhead could generate. His gauntleted hand slipped down to very near the top of her breasts. "The deal was just fishnets, Babs.... but if you're conceding then I suppose--"

With her last shift the floor gave out and Dick's words were cut off as their movements sent them through the rotted wood. He had to let go of her wrists, but he snatched one of her hands as his other shot out to grasp for purchase. The floor felt stable enough as he lunged to the side, but no sooner had he gotten a grip than the wood began to crumble. It was just enough to keep them from falling, but once Barbara's weight was caught along with his the wood shattered and he dropped. She would only have a few feet to go to hit the floor beneath, but Dick had the whole level below to drop before he'd stop -- assuming the floor on that level was sturdy enough to not shatter under the weight of the man and the suit.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Barbara was trying to keep her breathing under control, but as his covered fingertips brushed along her cheek and down her neck she couldn't help the somewhat ragged breaths she was starting to take. Every move he made seemed to bring their bodies closer together and it was making it all the more difficult to focus. Part of her had hoped that she had grown out of it, that her silly little crush on Dick Grayson had run its course...that was apparently not the case though.

Just as his hand dipped lower, and he was about to give in to her terms, the floor gave way. The sound was almost deafening given how quiet it had just been, and as the redhead started to free fall to the floor below she felt a hand grasp her own, stopping her descent...at least for a second. Before she could even think to breathe a sigh of relief, the wood Dick was grasping gave way as well.

Given she only had a few feet to fall she landed with ease on her feet, but as Dick hit the ground...there was another loud creak, followed by a snap. "Shit, shit, shit.." Not wanting to rush towards the floor that was caving in Barbara went for her belt, pulling out her grappling hook and sending flying just in time to wrap around Dick's calf before the floor once again gave way.

Barbara knew this house, the first floor...didn't even really exist anymore. The wood completely rotted away. If Dick did fall, he would be heading two floors down to the basement. Which wasn't somewhere he wanted to be, as it had been flooded with some pretty questionable water.

As soon as his weight caught on the line, she was dragged forward, quickly fumbling for another line on her belt as she tried to dig the heels of her feet in. It was her off hand she was working with, so it took a minute, but she eventually tied the rope off to her suit before shooting the hook. It sailed through the air, cutting through the side of the house before attaching itself. "Unnnng...you need...to go...on a diet..." There was no where to tie of the line that was holding Dick, so she was stuck taking all of his weight on herself. Not that she thought he was going to want to hang there for long. At least she had sopped moving forward, and if the floor did give way, hopefully the second line would hold and keep her from falling.

 

[trample]

The hook wrapped around his calf just as he started to plummet, perfect timing to arrest his fall but also, unfortunately, perfect to hurt. He could almost feel the bruise develop in a line along his calf as the line caught his weight and the hook circled his leg. Dick pointed his toes at just the right moment to catch the hook so that it wouldn't accidentally dig into his flesh, but the metal still jerked back hard on his boot as he stopped falling and started swinging toward the wall. He heard Barbara grunt with the effort of stopping him and once more mentally cursed the cape that kept him from seeing behind him.

Going to have to go forwards.

He reached for his belt as he started to sway, looking through the window and trying to ignore the two story drop below to what appeared to be either a swamp or a sewer. Somebody's sump pump was not up to the task. "It's the armor," he said conversationally as he reached for his own grapnel. "Must weigh 40 pounds, or didn't you ever wonder why Bruce was always smashing through walls." He did a hanging sit up and took the gun off, then pulled himself up further and wrapped a gauntlet into the line she had fired. It took a second to get a little slack in the line so that he could work his leg free.

"All these years I thought he just hated walls," he said with a laugh as he finally got his leg free and hung for a second before firing a shot up through the opening he'd fallen through. The line dug into the ceiling - the beams there seemed sturdy enough - but he held onto her line anyway. Dick shot upwards rapidly, releasing his line as he got higher and dropping down near her. As soon as he did he yanked her toward him with the line he still held, lifting his arm and stepping aside in an effort to wrap her up and draw her close, almost like a dance move... "Nice catch, Babs," he said.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

There was a roll of her eyes as he mentioned it being the armor, teeth gritting as she felt the weight on the line shift. "This isn't...story time..." There was a hint of a laugh at the end of her words, amazed that he was trying to just have a normal conversation with her given the situation. It was then she saw the hook shoot up, and the weight on the line she had been holding disappeared. The sudden shift causing her to stumble a few steps back.

"You-" The words were cut short as she was tugged towards the figure that had landed in front of her. Using the line she had used to catch him in order to manipulate her movement. Hands hit his armored chest, resting there as she peered up at him. It was still a little strange...having Dick dressed as Batman. It kind of messed with her head. Then he complimented her... "Well...I've had a lot of experience saving your ass Grayson."

Deep down she knew she should pull away, even more so she knew that they needed to get the hell out of this house. On the bright side...it probably would be off the list of possible hideouts. "Maybe we should have tried this in a place that wasn't falling apart. Especially since you're fat now." It was teasing, the redhead even moving to push against his stomach...which she knew was probably nothing less than toned muscled perfection...but had to pick on him anyway.

 

[trample]

They weren't that far from where the floor had just given way, and common sense dictated getting clear. But then common sense didn't account for Batgirl with a line of cable around her body held close in his arms, her hands on his chest, did it? Common sense was a terrible guide. His brow went up even though it was invisible behind the mask and he smirked. "I think you're confusing 'saving' with 'staring at'," he said.

As her hand moved from his chest to his stomach his own hand rested on her waist. Well, not quite. At her mention of his ass his hand had dipped a few inches lower, just past the small of her back where her amazing ass just started to curve away from her body. Just on the edge of inappropriate, which seemed to be where Dick and Barbara always spent their time. "You picked this place, Batgirl," he said finally and moved his hand from her body to catch her wrist again. She wasn't going to be able to feel his stomach through the armor anyway, but he stopped her from even trying.

He bent down so that his breath was warm near her cheek as he spoke, "And if you wanted to find out if I was fat now, you should've won..." His lips lingered near her cheek, tantalizingly close, and then he pulled back and said, "Let's have the fashion show someplace less derelict, hmm? I haven't seen your new place yet." He grinned.

 

[PressHeartToStart]

This wasn't a new dance they were doing, but it still managed to throw her off balance. Feeling his hand slip further down her back, just to stop right at the curve of her lower back. That line, they had walked it for a long time and it showed in ever little action, every flirtatious comment. It always pushed the limit, but never broke the imaginary barrier they had created. "I didn't pick this-"

The words stopped as he leaned in, warm breath trailing along the sensitive flesh of her neck. Causing her skin to tingle and light shiver to run down her back. "Not sure how you've come to the conclusion that you won..." Finally she took a step a back, even if it was a bit hesitant. Tossing him a smirk she slipped past him, moving toward the window with a gentle sway of her hips. "I'm still set up in the clock tower. Hard to give up that view."

With that, she slipped out the window and started making her way over the rooftop across town. There was no need to follow her, Dick no doubt knew where the clock tower was...unless he had completely forgotten the layout of Gotham. Even then, the damn thing was like a beacon looming over the city. No doubt she would make it there before him though. Knew the fastest route and had gotten a bit of a head start.

The metal door swung open with a push, the redhead stepping inside and taking a quick look around. Having not been ready for any kind of guest, her place was a bit of mess. Clothes strewn about the floor, chinese take out containers and empty water bottles on the coffee table. With a heavy sigh she pulled her cowl back and off of her head, tossing it on the counter near the door before moving further into the room. It was hard to ignore the anxiety rising up in her, wondering if Dick really expected her to...

A nervous little chuckle left her lips as her arm reached around her back, tugging at the zipper and pulling it down her back. Before actually pulling the costume from her arms she picked up some pajamas off of the floor, that..looked clean enough and set them on the couch. From there she would change as quickly as possible, slipping on a black tank top and a pair of sweat pants Tim had gotten her for Christmas with Gotham U printed on the left leg.

 

[trample]

"I can think of better views," he said from behind her, eyes glued to the sway of her hips. He really should call it a night. If he were Nightwing he wasn't sure if he'd feel like he should go to the clocktower or not, but he was Batman. And Batman shouldn't be mesmerized by the sway of any pair of hips or thinking with anything other than the most incisive detective's mind the world had ever known... Too bad that Batman was undergoing preparations for nerve-repair surgery and the cowl was on Dick Grayson's stupid head.

And he needed to check on Babs' set up at the tower anyway, right?

He switched on the audio feed to the cave before he followed, telling Alfred to get a report to condemn the building they were in and telling him to call it a night. He'd let himself in and unlike Master Bruce, he could cook an egg or make a sandwich for himself if he was hungry. They'd talk tomorrow about how things would work going forward... but Dick didn't mention the plans to send Alfred to assist Bruce... not yet.

He dropped to the floor of the clocktower apartment-slash-hideout far less heavily than Bruce would have, seeming to almost stop falling just before he landed. The cape did make for an impressive entrance, though, billowing out and actually almost mimicking the wings of a bat for a moment as he touched down before it settled around him like a midnight cloak. It felt a bit like being Darth Vader, except there was nothing on the utility belt half as cool as a lightsaber.

"I'm sorry, Barbara," he said, his diction taking on that deeper, distant Batman-impersonating tone, "but it seems that I may have overestimated your qualifications to serve as my eyes and ears in the city. I was sure a woman of your unique skills and training would be an asset," he said and now his smirk finally returned as he glanced at her, eyes dragging over her body in the sweats and tanktop, "but clearly anyone who doesn't know the difference between Gotham University sweatpants and fishnet stockings is out of her depth when it comes to tracking the criminal element of this city."

 

[PressHeartToStart]

Even with how experienced she was in dealing with the men in this family, and how sneaky they could be, Dick's entrance caught her a bit off guard. The surprise faded quickly though, the redhead rolling her eyes a bit at the dramatics of it all. Even if she did secretly think it looked pretty badass, she would never voice it...as she would never hear the end of it if she did.

Then he started talking, and an eyebrow arched. Not sure what he was getting at, or why he was getting there. Whatever his point was, he better make it fast as she was starting to get mildly offended at the words he was spewing. Then that smirk...

"You didn't win, Dick." Sure he had pinned her, and had the floor not given out she wouldn't have been able to get free...but the floor had given out. If anything it was a draw. Or at least that's how she was choosing to see it. "I didn't know that the intimate knowledge of sweatpants vs. fishnets had anything to do with fighting criminals...so I guess, I learned something today?"

Arms moved to cross over her chest, tugging at the hem of her tank top and exposing a small hint of the pale smooth skin that was hidden beneath the fabric. "Wait...are you pushing this because secretly you want to be the one in fishnets and your trying to live vicariously through me?" There was a playful smirk on her lips, green eyes narrowing in on him. The brilliant shade of emerald now much more discernible without the cowl. "I wish I could say I was surprised..."