Chapter Text
With the back of her hand, Babs wiped at the sweat beading along her forehead as she rolled her shoulders to shift the weight of her backpack from where it pressed across her shoulders and against the small of her back. The bag seemed to cling to her no matter what she tried. A heavy sigh later, she took the stairs to her apartment two at a time. Until the weather shifted, nothing was going to help with the clammy itching sensation that seeped into her skin. No matter what you tried, the moment you stepped outside, the humidity wrapped you in a wet wool blanket. A cool shower and an icy glass of lemonade sounded divine, but she didn’t have time for that. Not tonight.
Besides, before long she’d be back outside and any relief from the heat would be short lived. She’d been out grading projects at the coffee shop and had lost track of time. Now, she was running late and it was almost time for patrol. Originally she’d only been scheduled for a half-patrol tonight, but with Bruce suddenly leaving town for a WE emergency, she was now lead. Hence, the grading the marathon. The summer session was coming to a close and she needed to have the grades in sooner than later.
The opening lines of the chorus from ‘The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze’ chimed from her phone. Babs smiled and hummed along to the ringtone as she unlocked her apartment before sliding her mobile from her pocket. Not long ago, Dick had ‘borrowed’ her phone and assigned that ringtone for his calls. She left it because the song always reminded her of the time he’d taken her up on the trapeze. It had been quite a while now since she’d last been up with him. If she asked, he’d probably jump at the chance to take her up again. “Hey Dick, you’re calling early tonight.”
Juggling between her phone and her keys, she pressed the phone between her ear and shoulder while she locked the door behind her and divested herself of her bag.
“Hi Beautiful.” An overworked fan buzzed in Dick’s apartment. Blüdhaven wasn’t any cooler than Gotham. “I was missing you so I thought I’d call early.”
“That’s sweet. Do I still get my mid-patrol call?” Stopping by the kitchen, she grabbed a water bottle and a pre-patrol snack before heading to her bedroom.
“Of course. I’d stay on the line with you all night if you wanted.”
“Mm-hmm.” She switched the phone to speaker and tossed in on her bed as she set about the process of changing from her day clothes into her uniform. “I’d like that, but probably not tonight. I’ll be on an open-comm for the majority of patrol.”
He made a non-committal noise. The sound shifted as he also turned his phone to speaker. They both had things to do.
“Are you patrolling tonight? Or, do you have the night off?” She laid out the pieces of her uniform and checked them again for any wear or damage that might compromise the integrity of the protective layers.
He sighed heavily. “Yeah, I have patrol. Though I think I’ll need to make it an early night as long as nothing dire happens. I have to work in the morning and they’ve not been entirely happy with me lately.”
Babs stopped the examination of her suit and sat on the edge of her bed. “Oh? What’s up?”
Though she couldn’t hear the whole body shrug, she could sense it through the extended pause. Instead of answering, he changed topics. “A little bird told me Bruce is out of town tonight.”
“And which little bird is that?”
Dick laughed. “Actually it was Bruce who told me, so I suppose it was more of a big bat than a little bird. He asked me to pick Damian up when I headed out to Gotham for the weekend. Bruce thought that Damian might appreciate spending some time with me.”
“That’s surprisingly thoughtful for Bruce.” She ran a hand over her jacket and examined the carefully stitched tear for any signs of further damage. “Did he happen to say anything about talking to Jason?”
He blew out a harsh frustrated breath. “No.”
With the first inspection of her uniform complete, she moved on to checking the various bio-metric sensors incorporated into the suit’s construction. The basic data that was the same in all the suits was sent back to Bruce’s Batcomputer in a live feed. She had added extra sensors into her suit that covered a more extensive array of data. Both the basic and the more exhaustive information were sent back to her computer where she collated and analysed the data after every patrol.
“Well, maybe when Bruce gets back from Vienna we can talk some sense into him or something,” she said.
“Right, I can see that happening.” There was no missing the deep running sarcasm. “Despite being the world’s greatest detective, he can be overwhelmingly obtuse when he wants to be—especially when it comes to family.”
Babs agreed. It was partly why she and Dick and decided that, if Bruce wasn’t going to mend the broken bonds, then they would. This was their family too and they didn’t want to lose it. Someone had to take the first step, offer the first hand—it might as well be them. “At least he’s trying with Damian.”
Dick was moving around again. From the clatter, he was in the kitchen. “So, before this rabbit trail we were talking about you being lead on patrol tonight.”
“Yes....” They were talking about that, after Dick had mentioned his job wasn’t going well. Which he apparently did not want to discuss—at least for the moment.
“Mmm. I was thinking, wouldn’t it be nice if I came out to Gotham and joined you on patrol. Would you like that?” While his tone was light and edging towards reminiscence, she still bristled at the suggestion.
Babs rolled over so she was lying on her stomach with her elbows propped on either side of the phone. She kept her tone light, though there was an edge to it that warned him to watch his words. “Richard Grayson, do you not trust me to run a patrol on my own.”
Undaunted, he continued. “Of course I trust you. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, you know...Patrolling with you was always more fun.”
When he spoke, desire and longing tinged his words. She grinned at the memories of patrol together...and later on when their calls over the private line became more than flirtatious.
“You know,” he continued, “with Bruce gone, you’re the senior vigilante in town. Which means, you’re the boss. I could be there at your every beck and call. Think of the fun we could have.”
“Sounds delightful Boy Wonder, but you’re forgetting two things.”
“Oh?”
“First we’re not in high school anymore—the family has expanded. Cass is on patrol with me tonight.”
There was a rattling on the far side of the line as Dick poured a bowl of cereal. The splash of milk followed. “Ah, well that’s easily accounted for. Cass won’t mind. Besides, she totally ships us.”
“Fine. She might not mind, but this is work.”
“You know what they say, ‘all work and no play makes Dick a dull boy.’” He munched on the cereal for a moment. “What’s the second thing I forgot?”
“If you’re in town, I’m no longer the senior vigilante.”
That caused him to pause for a moment before he bounced back with a response. “Oh, well, I’m okay with you being the boss.”
“Or, you know. Partners.” She rolled off the bed and slipped on the first layer of body armour.
“Right.” He exhaled. “Any big cases you’re working on?”
“You know Gotham. There’s always something going on. I still have some follow-up on the Maroni case, but that’s still mostly computer work at the moment. Jason’s keeping an eye out for me during his travels and Tim is working on the WE side of things. Other than that, it appears we’ve routed the Maronis from Gotham for the time being. Before heading out on patrol, I’ll check the active and passive cases, but I’m pretty sure I’ll just be working off the List tonight.”
She didn’t need to explain anymore than that. Being a vigilante in Gotham meant more than taking down criminals during the act, it was also about preventing the crimes from happening in the first place—or at least stopping them before they spun out of control. It some ways, the List was tedious work. No one enjoyed the long nights of checking empty warehouses and storefronts, but when their rogues appeared seemingly out of nowhere, their familiarity with the status of Gotham’s dark corners helped them pinpoint the villains’ hideouts more quickly. The list also included people who they wanted to keep their eyes on—those who had committed crimes in the past and were now on parole and those who were tempted to fall from the straight and narrow. Sometimes the checks were simply a reminder that someone was watching them, other times the checks alerted the vigilantes to where help was needed.
“Sounds like you’re planning on a slow night.” He drummed his spoon against the bottom of his bowl, creating small splashes alongside the rapid clinking. Even living in a different city, Dick was feeling the general malaise that had moved in with the humidity.
“Sure, that’s the best case scenario and you know how often those go according to plan. Gotham’s got that feeling it always gets right before a major incident. You know that feeling, the lull—the breath—before everything goes pear shaped. So, yeah, I’m hoping for the quiet to continue, while preparing for a major incident.”
The drumming stopped. She could picture him worrying away at his bottom lip. She wanted to kiss it and promise him everything would be fine. But, she knew better than to make any such promises.
“Are you certain...” He didn’t finish the sentence, already knowing her answer.
“Dick, I can handle patrol.” She massaged her temples. “As I said, Cass is patrolling with me tonight. Steph is on standby. And, if things get dicey, you and Tim are about the same distance away. I’ll call. I promise.”
“I know. And I do trust you. I just don’t like the thought of a major crisis beginning with so few of us in town. Every night I keep going over the list of rogues. No one’s seen Croc for a while. Ivy still hasn’t been found. Penguin’s been itching for an incident after Bruce shut down his last scheme. And, it’s really been too long since a breakout.” His voice trailed off as he considered all the possible dangers that awaited them each evening when they put on their uniforms, no matter what city they were in.
Babs breathed deeply and slowly let out the breath. She knew what he was feeling, every night he was alone in Blüdhaven she felt the same way. At least in Gotham she had backup.
“On the other hand,” she countered trying to ease his anxiety. “Activity from the mobs have been quiet since the incident and Cass has accounted for all the guns they brought into town.”
“But, what if....”
“Don’t forget, my dad is out there. He might not be Bat back-up, but you know he’ll be in the thick of things if something happens.” She grabbed her phone and jacket and headed towards her computer. She’d wait to put the jacket and cowl on until right before she left. It was truly too warm out for all the layers, but she wasn’t going to go on patrol without the protection. “And, you were the one talking about the old days earlier. Back when I started, it was just the three of us. Not so different from tonight.”
“Okay. Okay. I get it. I’m being overprotective. And I’d still rather patrol with you than alone. I’ll just keep my fretting to myself.”
“You know, the feeling is mutual. I worry about you being all by yourself in your big bad city. You don’t even have the same backup I do.” She skimmed the programs running on her computer, checking to see if any required her immediate attention. “Promise me, you’ll take care of yourself. Be safe.”
“I’ll do my best. You be careful too,” he said. They both knew that no matter how hard you tried, you could never completely guarantee your safety when you went out on patrol. You didn’t even need to be in costume for Gotham to act against you. In the end, despite all your preparation, all you could really do was your best and hope that tonight wouldn’t be your last night out.
She pushed aside the unease that dwelling on such thoughts always brought. Still, she opened up the secure file on her computer that contained messages for Dick, her dad, and the rest of her family and friends. If the worse ever happened, the messages would be sent out. The letters contained her last wishes, instructions for how to access her databases, and her final goodbyes. In the case of her father, the letter also contained the confession of her identity. All the letters had been updated recently. She was pretty certain she wasn’t the only one of them who did this regularly.
Her phone chimed, reminding her that she was scheduled to meet up with Cass in a half hour. The younger woman was probably already out on the streets. “Dick, I’ve got to head out in a few minutes. I love you. See you in a few days?”
“Yup. I’m counting down the hours. I love you.” She heard the smile in his words and caught the lighthearted inflection in his voice that he used to mask the ever present concern. She wondered if he heard the same in hers, because she knew it was there. This was the cost of caring for someone.
“Good night,” she said, clinging to the words as long as she dared.
She waited for his responding, “G’night,” before disconnecting the call. Neither of them wanted to end the conversation, but they both had work to do.
Despite needing to meet Cass halfway across town in less than thirty minutes, Babs took a moment to remotely access the Batcomputer and briefly scan through the list of active and passive cases. She needed to know what everyone was working on, what she should be on alert for and if there was a case she needed to prioritise. There was never just one case that needed attending to. Sometimes the cases were spread out with each member of the family focusing on a single case. Other times, they each juggled multiple cases, following the leads as they were discovered. Many times the cases ended up overlapping and they needed to work together. And that didn’t even count the myriad of passive ones that they kept an eye on in hopes of preventing minor incidents from becoming major ones.
While at present the number of active cases was relatively low, it didn’t mean that most of the Bats and Birds weren’t mid-investigation on their own cases. Jason was still searching for leads on the human trafficking case. Every time he thought he found aa answer, it lead him to a half dozen new inquiries that needed following and left him no closer to the source of the trafficking. Though Huntress was not exactly under her purview anymore, Babs checked on Helena. The other woman’s investigations were taking her down similar roads as Jason’s. Only, Jason was in Sao Paula, while Helena was in Taipei. She wondered if the two were sharing information. She ought to see if they wanted her to coordinate their efforts for them.
Steph was maintaining a general surveillance of the Gotham underground while Cass was between cases. To the untrained eye, Tim’s caseload was a tangled hodgepodge of starts and stops. Half the data was apparently missing, though Babs noticed the telltale signs that he was hiding information. She could sort it out, figure out what he was after, but that would take more time than she had at the moment. Even if she had the time, she wouldn’t pry—not right now. She’d keep an eye on him and if things started to look dicey, she would see what he needed. Tim had good instincts. He needed the room to follow them. When he was ready to share, that’s when they needed to step up and support him. As for Dick, he’d mentioned to her the other day that there were rumblings of a new player in Blüdhaven. He was still trying to pinpoint who they were and what was their goal.
Which left Bruce. He hadn’t told her what business was drawing him to Metropolis, but she know that it actually concerned the company and he wasn’t using it as an excuse to leave town early. He took Damian with him. The original plan had Damian remaining in Gotham under Alfred’s care while Bruce was out of the country. In the new and improved last minute revised plans, Damian would spend the next few days with the Kents. The boy would be a lot less likely to runaway if he was already at the location he tended to run towards.
Besides, Bruce apparently had more plans for Vienna than just the symposium. He had left enough unscheduled time on his itinerary that he was clearly planning on either Batman-ing his way across Europe, or a secret liaison. When Selina’s name (or rather, several of her aliases) popped up in connection to Bruce’s plans....well, Babs could put things together.
As much as Bruce tended to aggravate Babs with the way he treated Dick and the others, she was glad he was making time for Selina. She also hoped that the older woman could help Bruce relax. Maybe Selina could determine the root of whatever was bothering Bruce. If possible, he’d been even more taciturn and surly since she and Dick had been kidnapped.
Her phone chirruped again, reminding her that she needed to leave now if she wanted to meet Cass on time. The computer would keep working while she was out on the street. If anything important came through, it would alert her to the problems no matter where she was. It was time to leave Barbra behind and be Batgirl.
She pulled her hair back and slipped on the cowl. Running her fingers over the hidden controls, she accessed the various feeds that ran through her comms and engaged the security feature that prevented others from removing her mask. Her utility belt was snug on her hips and filled with the tools needed to cover a myriad of contingencies. For one last brief moment, she breathed in the cool air of her apartment before slipping on the last piece of her uniform—the jacket with the bat emblem splashed across the chest.
Exiting through the window, she embraced the muggy night air and took to the rooftops. Batgirl was on patrol.