It was like a scene from a noir film: streaky clouds and smog surrounding dark structures rising up into the night. The new temples of man – high-rise buildings and billboards – stretching so far it looked like they would impale the stars in the sky. Batgirl stood sentry on the roof of one such building, observing the city as it citizens drifted towards slumber.
Barbara was exhausted. She had been working the ‘sex bugs’ case, as Dinah had so eloquently dubbed it, for the last two weeks. Every spare moment that she wasn’t on patrol or at work she was researching; sifting and gathering intel in attempt to piece everything together. Somehow she had even managed to fit in an undercover mission to the thinly veiled ball over the weekend to get additional information. Her feet were still aching from the five-inch heels Dinah had forced her to wear.
Eyes darted back and forth over the Gotham horizon, legs dangling over the side of the superstructure. The comm lines were quiet tonight and Barbara was thankful for the reprieve, no matter how temporary or slight. Out of the corner of tired, emerald eyes she spotted the light – an entirely new signal gracing the Gotham skies. Lips pressed together into a tight smirk, she pushed herself up with the aide of the safety railing and took a running leap off the building.
Within ten minutes, Batgirl was standing near the source of her amusement and she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. “You know,” Barbara declared into the shadows. “I would say that it’s a crime to deface police property.” Hands went to rest on her hips. “I would say that, if it weren’t so funny.”
“There may be angry Bats and police commissioners arriving soon. Might want to douse the light. Unless your intention was to bring more attention to yourself, then by all means, keep it on.” Crossing her arms over her chest, hip jutting to one side, Barbara stood with cheeky demeanor.
His helmet was in his hand, and a cigarette was dangling from his lips as he scanned the skyline. The signal was blazing in the air, a brilliant amethyst bat in the heavens. The weather wasn’t cold enough to seep through his armor, but the wind was brisk, biting at his face. It had been a good thirty minutes since the light went up. A small pile of black butts littered the ground at his feet, a sign of his impatience.
A light sound of footsteps on the far side of the light caught his attention, and he tugged the helmet over his head as he stepped around the buzzing spotlight. He blinked twice as the HUD powered up, changing his visual field from the naked skyline of Gotham to a pulsing stream of information. Batgirl was standing across the roof, looking annoyed. Good. He flicked the butt of his cigarette at her, watching as the coal spun crazily in the night wind. It landed without striking her, rolling into the toe of her left boot.
She spoke.
With a deft hand, he pulled the handle of the light downward, cutting the power off. The buzzing stopped, and the MCU rooftop plunged into what seemed to be pitch darkness, without the brilliant symbol illuminating their surroundings. He allowed a few seconds for her vision to adjust, then spoke.
"No one is even going to notice, Batsie. There’s a multiple alarm fire on Sandy Hook, plus a hostage situation the new Bat is dealing with up on South Channel Island. No one’s here; certainly no one who’s going to meddle in our affairs.” She looked good. Tired, maybe, but good. Vibrant red hair, sharp eyes. Legs that, had Jason allowed himself to dwell on, would have thrown his concentration fully. He closed his eyes for a brief second, then, in a softer voice, spoke again.
“I need your help, Batsie. I’ve got a kidnapping case I’m working on, and I need someone softer to back me up. Domestic cases aren’t my forte, but this is a favor for a friend. I need someone victims will trust, someone they’ll talk to.” He raised his hands in mock surrender, his tone taking on a sarcastic tone. “No tricks, no trap. This is the Big Bad Wolf asking Little Red for help.”
and all of this will never be the same again 