Post by Oracle on Sept 27, 2015 23:28:05 GMT -5
“Please, that’s all I have.”
They had her against the red brick of the building forming the small alley, thin and dark with the neon lights of the local business street front coloring the sidewalk at the mouth of the alley. One leaned against the large dumpster while the other two pinned her roughly. The man against the dumpster had their loot for the night, three purses he sifted through to gather what they’d want before dumping the bags in the trash.
“That’s all you have, eh? Then maybe we’ll get it in a different form of payment.” His hands roamed under her jacket and down her side as the woman shuddered and cried, begging further. The other man started checking the pockets of her jacket, her pants, then pushed up her shirt.
The sleek, black metal would have gleamed had there been light in the alley, the batarang’s silent entrance was missed until pain pierced the man’s forceful hand. He retracted the limb instantly with a shriek and just as his cohort glanced over to find the cause, a small device landed in his neck and delivered the electrical currents designed to stun him. The device did its work and the man went stumbling back with a blubbering noise before he felt to the black pavement and seized a moment. The woman was left standing free while the third man stood from the dumpster in shock. But the look of shock was replaced with pain as the canary yellow boot connected with his jaw and sent him to the ground.
Batgirl walked toward the others as the man who’s hand now bled from the batarang stood and reached into his jacket to pull out a gun.
He took aim and pulled the trigger and the wing-tipped gauntlets raised up with direction and planning. She knew the ricochets could harm the woman but with the math already done, the trajectories were planned to keep her safe. Sure enough, each bullet hit her armored gauntlets and glanced out this way and that, bouncing down the alley harmlessly. Five bullets before the hammer clicked empty and Batgirl, having continued her walk toward the man. When she’d closed the distance and he’d run out of bullets simultaneously, she threw her defensive arm out, hitting his raised arm out of the way before delivering the offensive blow to his jaw. It was followed by another two punches before she grabbed hold of his flailing arm and sent two kicks to his ribs, hearing their audible crack before she released him with the sound of the oncoming footsteps behind her. The man near the dumpster whom she’d hit had recovered.
The whip of red hair went up as she dove low to miss the swinging fist and delivered her own blow. But he’d guessed she’d do so and he caught her exposed cheek with another fist. The blow was hard and it caught her by surprise, pain lancing through her face and her body almost falling off balance. He hit so hard, something she was still getting used to. And the man she’d sent into electrified shakes on the ground had recovered and the kick he sent to her side really did send her off balance. Batgirl went down hard to the pavement and she could see the three purses on the ground, their contents littering out with mirrors, lipsticks and empty wallets.
A kick landed her in the abdomen before she’d had a moment to recoop and reply, knocking the wind out of her so fast she couldn’t properly gasp to try and get it back.
The sound of cloth sliding against cloth could be heard before it was interrupted the the sound of cartilage crunching beneath a boot. “Argh!” The formerly electrocuted man stumbled back, one hand coming to his nose as blood spurted from his nose. “It’s not polite to strike a lady.” Dick was moving as he spoke, his foot connecting with the alley wall, he leapt from the kick and through his foot forward, his lead foot connecting with the man that had emptied his pistol, sending him stumbling off and creating distance for Barb. Dick’s body followed the motion, his rear foot tucking in before he extended it, delivering the second kick to the man currently holding his nose and sending both men falling to their back. Dick landed easily, the blue stripe across the chest of his uniform gleamed in the light, he took a second, making sure the men weren’t getting back up too soon before turning his attention to Batgirl. The woman that had been assaulted had long since made a break for less dangerous pastures. “Batgirl, you alright?” His hand pressed to her shoulder gently, genuine concern showing in his eyes, though she couldn’t see due to the bright white monitors placed in the eye sockets, both for hiding his eye color and examining evidence. “Sorry to break up the party, but sounded like you had enough fun to go around.” With his attention on Barb, Dick barely heard the approaching footsteps in time, the man who’d received Barb’s foot under his chin had regained consciousness, brandishing a knife, Dick turned in time to misdirect the blow, though the blades sharp edge slid into the tight fabric of his uniform, his flesh tearing beneath the blade. “Agh!” His hand gripped the man’s shoulder and he turned, slamming him back first against the brick wall. The other two men recovering took the brief distraction as a chance, one running out into the open street as the other, the one that was initiating the hands contact, rushed Batgirl.
Barbara climbed to her feet in the time she was given, lungs laboring hard to bring in air once more. Her abdomen had gotten the blow but it was her chest that burned from working so hard. “I barely count as a lady at times.” She offered a weak smirk to the former Robin and added a reply. “Yeah, that party was more fun when they were on the ground.” She felt disappointed in herself and embarrassment that he’d caught her at such a time. It wasn’t the first time she’d wound up on the ground and it certainly wouldn’t be the last and Barb tried hard not to be too harsh on herself. Hell, there’d be time for that from Batman enough.
Dick had far more practice on the streets than she had and it wasn’t as though that experience was easily earned. She may be top of her class in martial arts and gymnastics, but the thugs of Gotham didn’t care how well she was praised on the mats of the dojo and gym, just that they get their fist in her face.
When the man rushed her, she’d found a strive and her blue eyes from behind her cowl narrowed at him. She spun and delivered a fast roundhouse kick before a strong side kick, planting her boot into his chest to launch him back. He hit the ground and started up at her once more. Quick one he was, but that just meant he wasn’t as methodical with his blows as she would be. He was buff, stronger than her by far, and so she decided to let him wear himself out. He threw punch after bunch and she played the defensive, blocking with both hands and turning her body as needed all the while he lost energy and grew more angry at failing to hit her.
When he’d wasted his energy enough and his blows had begun to slow, she dipped, giving a powerful floor sweep kick and watching him go down hard. Bigger men fell harder and she moved quite a lot faster. She grasped her bat claw and snapped it to his ankle before setting it off. The claw launched skyward and grasped the fire escape above before it pulled him along with it and dangled him a few feet from her face. She turned to check on Dick’s progress. “How long were you watching before deciding to play?”
The man in front of Dick was already injured, his second attempt with the knife was straight forward, an underhanded motion, aiming the blade straight at Dick’s abdomen. His forearm went rigid as he blocked the man’s blow, his head slamming forward onto the bridge of the man’s nose before his left hand shot forward, the heel of his hand dragging across the cluster of nerves in the man’s neck and Dick watched as his feet buckled. The brachial plexus origin was a nifty cluster of nerves, activate it and it’d shut down that entire side of the body. Dick went about the simple work of securing the man’s hands and feet before turning to Barb, who had neatly dispatched her own baddie.
“Oh, just for a few seconds, I didn’t want to steal your thunder. But, unless, I’ve miscounted, we have one baddie still standing and he’s not gonna stick around long.” He retrieved his grappling gun from his side and fired, feeling the hook latch to the top of the nearest building. He bent his body forward, before offering Barb his arm. “Your chariot awaits.” Turning back to the suppliers, Dick offered his trademark smile.
“So, sleazebag 1 and 2, the GCPD are on their way, they’re usually pretty prompt, but, it’s been a busy night, hopefully they don’t leave you two like this for too long.” If Barb took the offered arm, Dick would activate the retracting mechanism, pulling them both to the top of the nearest building before using the height advantage to try and spot their missing man. “Now where’d he run off to?”
When Nightwing offered his arm in quite the gentlemanly fashion, Batgirl couldn’t help but grin as she slid her blue gaze at him. Her arms snaked around his offered one and held on tightly as she coiled her body, ready to leap up with the grappling hook’s pull. She watched Dick’s trademark smile and rolled her eyes, despite the slight blush that warmed her cheeks in reply. He was such a corn dog at times, but he pulled it off handsomely somehow, something that she’d noted Batman didn’t condone much. Still, Gotham was a cold and unyielding city and their line of work was already dark and forboding as it was, dangerous and difficult, having someone with a sense of humor to lighten the mood that Batman somehow darkened further than a dark alley in Gotham City- was a great relief.
Every time she’d worked with Dick and Batman, she’d often get the certain look from their mentor that almost said ‘don’t encourage him.’ But it was an impossibility, though there were times that she’d certainly glare at Grayson and cross her arms, ensuring he understood now wasn’t the time to play around. The rest of the time? She welcomed it for the chance to lighten up unless it impeded her work. Dick was a gem that way, in all of the darkness and shadows thrown about Gotham, he was still glinting with light and it was something she never wanted to see snuffed out. Batman had said that it caused Dick to be unfocused, but Barbara could argue that the amount of anger Batman harbored daily was something that could get one quite unfocused. However, arguing with Batman and bringing up his anger weren’t fantastic ideas unless you were dedicated to making a stand with them.
When the hook hauled them up to the roof, Batgirl released her male counterpart and set a boot up on the ledge as she scanned the streets. “This particular little clique tends to hit up the same sections of Gotham, empty the extras and keep their loot, I’ve been tracking them from the dumps they leave behind. The addresses of most of their victims are similar enough to follow a pattern,” she glanced over at Nightwing. “The pattern of which I’m sure he’ll stick to when running away.” She went back to scanning, blue eyes narrowed with focus as her mind did the math as to where he’d be headed. “They’re criminals but they’re the local kind, afraid to step far out of their comfort zone for fear of the bigger fish. Which leads me to bet he’s headed near the park, they like to skirt around the pond and pick up prey. I bet he’d feel safe hiding amongst the darker parts there.” Barbara stepped fully onto the ledge and offered the Robin a smirk. “You feel like hunting with me?”
They had her against the red brick of the building forming the small alley, thin and dark with the neon lights of the local business street front coloring the sidewalk at the mouth of the alley. One leaned against the large dumpster while the other two pinned her roughly. The man against the dumpster had their loot for the night, three purses he sifted through to gather what they’d want before dumping the bags in the trash.
“That’s all you have, eh? Then maybe we’ll get it in a different form of payment.” His hands roamed under her jacket and down her side as the woman shuddered and cried, begging further. The other man started checking the pockets of her jacket, her pants, then pushed up her shirt.
The sleek, black metal would have gleamed had there been light in the alley, the batarang’s silent entrance was missed until pain pierced the man’s forceful hand. He retracted the limb instantly with a shriek and just as his cohort glanced over to find the cause, a small device landed in his neck and delivered the electrical currents designed to stun him. The device did its work and the man went stumbling back with a blubbering noise before he felt to the black pavement and seized a moment. The woman was left standing free while the third man stood from the dumpster in shock. But the look of shock was replaced with pain as the canary yellow boot connected with his jaw and sent him to the ground.
Batgirl walked toward the others as the man who’s hand now bled from the batarang stood and reached into his jacket to pull out a gun.
He took aim and pulled the trigger and the wing-tipped gauntlets raised up with direction and planning. She knew the ricochets could harm the woman but with the math already done, the trajectories were planned to keep her safe. Sure enough, each bullet hit her armored gauntlets and glanced out this way and that, bouncing down the alley harmlessly. Five bullets before the hammer clicked empty and Batgirl, having continued her walk toward the man. When she’d closed the distance and he’d run out of bullets simultaneously, she threw her defensive arm out, hitting his raised arm out of the way before delivering the offensive blow to his jaw. It was followed by another two punches before she grabbed hold of his flailing arm and sent two kicks to his ribs, hearing their audible crack before she released him with the sound of the oncoming footsteps behind her. The man near the dumpster whom she’d hit had recovered.
The whip of red hair went up as she dove low to miss the swinging fist and delivered her own blow. But he’d guessed she’d do so and he caught her exposed cheek with another fist. The blow was hard and it caught her by surprise, pain lancing through her face and her body almost falling off balance. He hit so hard, something she was still getting used to. And the man she’d sent into electrified shakes on the ground had recovered and the kick he sent to her side really did send her off balance. Batgirl went down hard to the pavement and she could see the three purses on the ground, their contents littering out with mirrors, lipsticks and empty wallets.
A kick landed her in the abdomen before she’d had a moment to recoop and reply, knocking the wind out of her so fast she couldn’t properly gasp to try and get it back.
The sound of cloth sliding against cloth could be heard before it was interrupted the the sound of cartilage crunching beneath a boot. “Argh!” The formerly electrocuted man stumbled back, one hand coming to his nose as blood spurted from his nose. “It’s not polite to strike a lady.” Dick was moving as he spoke, his foot connecting with the alley wall, he leapt from the kick and through his foot forward, his lead foot connecting with the man that had emptied his pistol, sending him stumbling off and creating distance for Barb. Dick’s body followed the motion, his rear foot tucking in before he extended it, delivering the second kick to the man currently holding his nose and sending both men falling to their back. Dick landed easily, the blue stripe across the chest of his uniform gleamed in the light, he took a second, making sure the men weren’t getting back up too soon before turning his attention to Batgirl. The woman that had been assaulted had long since made a break for less dangerous pastures. “Batgirl, you alright?” His hand pressed to her shoulder gently, genuine concern showing in his eyes, though she couldn’t see due to the bright white monitors placed in the eye sockets, both for hiding his eye color and examining evidence. “Sorry to break up the party, but sounded like you had enough fun to go around.” With his attention on Barb, Dick barely heard the approaching footsteps in time, the man who’d received Barb’s foot under his chin had regained consciousness, brandishing a knife, Dick turned in time to misdirect the blow, though the blades sharp edge slid into the tight fabric of his uniform, his flesh tearing beneath the blade. “Agh!” His hand gripped the man’s shoulder and he turned, slamming him back first against the brick wall. The other two men recovering took the brief distraction as a chance, one running out into the open street as the other, the one that was initiating the hands contact, rushed Batgirl.
Barbara climbed to her feet in the time she was given, lungs laboring hard to bring in air once more. Her abdomen had gotten the blow but it was her chest that burned from working so hard. “I barely count as a lady at times.” She offered a weak smirk to the former Robin and added a reply. “Yeah, that party was more fun when they were on the ground.” She felt disappointed in herself and embarrassment that he’d caught her at such a time. It wasn’t the first time she’d wound up on the ground and it certainly wouldn’t be the last and Barb tried hard not to be too harsh on herself. Hell, there’d be time for that from Batman enough.
Dick had far more practice on the streets than she had and it wasn’t as though that experience was easily earned. She may be top of her class in martial arts and gymnastics, but the thugs of Gotham didn’t care how well she was praised on the mats of the dojo and gym, just that they get their fist in her face.
When the man rushed her, she’d found a strive and her blue eyes from behind her cowl narrowed at him. She spun and delivered a fast roundhouse kick before a strong side kick, planting her boot into his chest to launch him back. He hit the ground and started up at her once more. Quick one he was, but that just meant he wasn’t as methodical with his blows as she would be. He was buff, stronger than her by far, and so she decided to let him wear himself out. He threw punch after bunch and she played the defensive, blocking with both hands and turning her body as needed all the while he lost energy and grew more angry at failing to hit her.
When he’d wasted his energy enough and his blows had begun to slow, she dipped, giving a powerful floor sweep kick and watching him go down hard. Bigger men fell harder and she moved quite a lot faster. She grasped her bat claw and snapped it to his ankle before setting it off. The claw launched skyward and grasped the fire escape above before it pulled him along with it and dangled him a few feet from her face. She turned to check on Dick’s progress. “How long were you watching before deciding to play?”
The man in front of Dick was already injured, his second attempt with the knife was straight forward, an underhanded motion, aiming the blade straight at Dick’s abdomen. His forearm went rigid as he blocked the man’s blow, his head slamming forward onto the bridge of the man’s nose before his left hand shot forward, the heel of his hand dragging across the cluster of nerves in the man’s neck and Dick watched as his feet buckled. The brachial plexus origin was a nifty cluster of nerves, activate it and it’d shut down that entire side of the body. Dick went about the simple work of securing the man’s hands and feet before turning to Barb, who had neatly dispatched her own baddie.
“Oh, just for a few seconds, I didn’t want to steal your thunder. But, unless, I’ve miscounted, we have one baddie still standing and he’s not gonna stick around long.” He retrieved his grappling gun from his side and fired, feeling the hook latch to the top of the nearest building. He bent his body forward, before offering Barb his arm. “Your chariot awaits.” Turning back to the suppliers, Dick offered his trademark smile.
“So, sleazebag 1 and 2, the GCPD are on their way, they’re usually pretty prompt, but, it’s been a busy night, hopefully they don’t leave you two like this for too long.” If Barb took the offered arm, Dick would activate the retracting mechanism, pulling them both to the top of the nearest building before using the height advantage to try and spot their missing man. “Now where’d he run off to?”
When Nightwing offered his arm in quite the gentlemanly fashion, Batgirl couldn’t help but grin as she slid her blue gaze at him. Her arms snaked around his offered one and held on tightly as she coiled her body, ready to leap up with the grappling hook’s pull. She watched Dick’s trademark smile and rolled her eyes, despite the slight blush that warmed her cheeks in reply. He was such a corn dog at times, but he pulled it off handsomely somehow, something that she’d noted Batman didn’t condone much. Still, Gotham was a cold and unyielding city and their line of work was already dark and forboding as it was, dangerous and difficult, having someone with a sense of humor to lighten the mood that Batman somehow darkened further than a dark alley in Gotham City- was a great relief.
Every time she’d worked with Dick and Batman, she’d often get the certain look from their mentor that almost said ‘don’t encourage him.’ But it was an impossibility, though there were times that she’d certainly glare at Grayson and cross her arms, ensuring he understood now wasn’t the time to play around. The rest of the time? She welcomed it for the chance to lighten up unless it impeded her work. Dick was a gem that way, in all of the darkness and shadows thrown about Gotham, he was still glinting with light and it was something she never wanted to see snuffed out. Batman had said that it caused Dick to be unfocused, but Barbara could argue that the amount of anger Batman harbored daily was something that could get one quite unfocused. However, arguing with Batman and bringing up his anger weren’t fantastic ideas unless you were dedicated to making a stand with them.
When the hook hauled them up to the roof, Batgirl released her male counterpart and set a boot up on the ledge as she scanned the streets. “This particular little clique tends to hit up the same sections of Gotham, empty the extras and keep their loot, I’ve been tracking them from the dumps they leave behind. The addresses of most of their victims are similar enough to follow a pattern,” she glanced over at Nightwing. “The pattern of which I’m sure he’ll stick to when running away.” She went back to scanning, blue eyes narrowed with focus as her mind did the math as to where he’d be headed. “They’re criminals but they’re the local kind, afraid to step far out of their comfort zone for fear of the bigger fish. Which leads me to bet he’s headed near the park, they like to skirt around the pond and pick up prey. I bet he’d feel safe hiding amongst the darker parts there.” Barbara stepped fully onto the ledge and offered the Robin a smirk. “You feel like hunting with me?”
