8625/Last ride of a Batgirl

Last ride of a Batgirl
Date of Scene:	02 August 2019
Location:	The rooftops, Gotham
Synopsis:	Barbara goes for one last run as Batgirl before official retirement and Stockholm gives her a nice send off ass beating.
Cast of Characters:	Stockholm, Oracle

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Stockholm has posed:
Things have been busy. Which is a way of saying business has been very good for Stockholm in recent days.

She has some very powerful clients that seem more than willing to throw cash at a freelance mercenary.

There is the gang war, drug war, other wars all sparking along towards full fledged conflagrations and ironically people on all sides of that conflict are willing to hire someone with her skillset. She is also willing to take those jobs since none of them have been longer than single engagements.

The horrible MD12 Drug disaster in Metropolis was of course one of those gigs.

The Third Gotham Bank and Trust gig was not associated directly with the war but it also paid well.

Tonight though Stockholm is in the narrows on a roof top of a crappy tenement setting up some pretty sophisticated equipment to spy on a drug operation in the building across the way. Hook is a hell of a drug and for some reason her best employers want it completely wiped off the face of the earth for now. She isn't one to argue with money.

She is wearing her black mercenary armor and gun rig, but her hair is cut down to a very boyish cut. Humming as she works "It was always burning. .. . .. Since the world's been turning..." under her breath. She has really good tempo.

Oracle has posed:
One last run across the rooftops.

One last dive into the sky.

Barbara Gordon had already signed off on her replacement and has been helping train her for months.

She's given over the command codes to the Batgirl armor and changed her registry in the Batcomputer.

But nastalgia is a hell of a thing.

Babs glances back at the suit, the original, something she has a keepsake and is only as close to the current armor as to the color scheme. It lacks the armor, more of a nomex weave than plating, and the cowl was designed specifically for her.. But it was never something she expected or intended to put on again.

Until she did.

Running across the roof of a building near the Watchtower with the half cape fluttering out behind her, Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Oracle formally known as Batgirl... wanted to fly one last time! A leap out over the open gap with a grace that's not quite left her yet, yellow boots kicking through the air as the sound of her own breath huffing in hear ear fills her with such a thrill as the rooftop disappears and the sixteen story drop of an alleyway opens up like a void like the mouth of say city spanning beast.. and then her boots crunch on gravel in a dead run..

It had been almost nine months since she'd donned the costume and though she swore she was done, there was just a stroke on the clock said... nah.. you'll always miss this part. BUT

That part isn't what had her hang up the cowl was it? The sound of singing draws her attention and she slides along the gravel far further than she intended.. ring rust obvious as she balances on her toes at the edge of the building she's on... arms out to balance herself... eyes turning towards... Stockholm?

Now THAT'S irony. One of her first enemies as Batgirl and it's going to be her last?

"Hey... Julia... I heard you've been looking for me..." Yellow gloved hands out, red hair kicking in the wind, "Here I am.." Bruce would frown at not using the element of surprise...

Stockholm has posed:
Julia carefully adjusts a directional microphone straightening it and listening to the pick up in her ear piece. "Hmm" which is about when she straightens up and turns to see who is calling her out like that. The fact she was met with a barb verbally and not a gunshot or a batarang to her skull means it was a calculated risk to not just spin and fire herself.

She looks Batgirl up and then down slowly now and then squints. "I am looking for Batgirl... there are.. so many batgirls in this town." she pinches the bridge of her nose "You look like a retro throwback batgirl which makes me wonder if I am hallucinating again to be honest.... " her hand leaves her nose and she waves it generally in Batgirl's direction. "Are you a copycat or a real deal Batgirl...?" curious tone really as she studies Babs and the old outfit. "I mean it looks about right... but .. older." no shooting yet just pondering. "I could beat you in a heartbeat.... prove to murder Robin he is wrong about me."

Oracle has posed:
"Real deal, babe." Babs says, crossing her arm over top her protruding chest... This suit did not do well for Women's Equality, can we all agree on that please? Despite it, she looks smug as she starts running, cat walking up a small vent shaft and forward flipping into a round off in Julia's direction. She's out of it in a crouch, "At least for one last night... you kind of got me in a transitional period of my life."

It is a calculated risk, but Babs is feeling a little cocky.

Nastalgia will do that to a person.

"What the hell are you doing anyways?" Jutting her chin at the device the Mercenary is working on.. "And what gives with the -" waving at her own chest, then out at Stockholm's armor and gun harnass, " -Who are you copying this week? Punisher? You know he's not a villain right?" She really should already be in fight mode. It is without a doubt that she's going to regret this come morning.

Stockholm has posed:
"Deadshot I suppose.. he kind of crawled into my head for generic mercenary work and I can't get him out right now. Also the outfit is nice.. armor.. guns... I mean sure it isn't a Harley but we can't all be Harley all the time ... " she seems chatty this evening.

"I'm shutting down a major drug operation if you are being nosey about it." a glance to her equipment, a gesture, "I do appreciate you coming to see me before you go into retirement... I don't have a batgirl outfit yet..." and then when she looks back up gesturing towards you she is drawing a gun and ... unless she ends up Bataranged shooting to wound in the leg.

Oracle has posed:
It was only a matter of time.

Batgirl is watching Stockholm despite the cavalier way she approaches her, but she's not an idiot... Nastalgia doesn't make a person stupid... Nastalgia doesn't ALWAYS make a person stupid... There's a batarang tucked into the winged glove her right hand is crossed beneath and she's worked it out between her fingers. "Oh, yeah, I can see it.." Nodding with her chin jutting out a little.. It looks a little cushiony on him, though. I don't know, I really think that's what's wrong with the superhero costuming industrial all around, if you ask me.."

She glances side eye at the device, "That's spy equipment, babe... really.." Her eyes roll, "You're not working for those Foot Clowns are you? Offing Hook compitition?" She tuts quietly, left arm coming up just as Julia goes for the gun. The batarang whistles side toss at her and Batgirl is leaping off to the right in a kong vault over a pipe. Frog leaping forward with her hands planting to carry her over the obstacle and beyond a bit of roof jutting up like a shelf. She lands in a shoulder roll with another batarang ready incase Stockholm... well of course she's going to fight, right?

"Come on, Julia.. we probably could have talked this out, maybe?"

Stockholm has posed:
"Ow, son of a bitch!" as the gun hand gets struck and her gun goes flipping in the air. She actually dances back a bit stepping around the spy equipment and scrambling to catch her gun. She likes her guns. I mean if she wanted she could have pulled the other gun fast and shot. She is very fast after all.

She checks her gun for damage turning it over in her hand. "That is so going to bruise you jerk." then she looks after you now behind your cover. "The Foot aren't the only people trying to wipe Hook off the map B-Girl. The stuff is bad news bears evidently and not everyone is doing it because it is the competition at all as far as I can tell. The Foot doesn't deal in drugs and some of the players just seem absolutely pissed it is in their city." light shrug. "At least this will be a lot more surgical than blowing up the building I figure."

There is a pause "Hey .. if you are retiring.. I could be Batgirl." okay yeah she is still crazy. "Hear me out here... I've been trying to retire you for years... maybe this is serendipity or something."

Oracle has posed:
"What are you offering in trade?" Batgirl is leaning up against the stairwell, knees bent so she's a low center of gravity, enough that when she peeks out around the edge she's not presenting a high target, but one covered by the pipe she kong vaulted... but she can still see Stokholm's feet.

The batarang danglings from her fingers, "I got an idea.. how about you let me take you in.. and we'll discuss it over dinner? I'm thinking brinner... bacon and eggs for dinner? That's a solid offer, you know I'm right." She comes up finally, darting in the direction that will definitely make her a target, but she hurls another batarang in Julia's direction over her left shoulder. This one set with an electric charge after she pushes a button on the end near the bladed tip.

She dives forward and crouch rolls into a new position.. sliding through the gravel behind an air condition vent .

Stockholm has posed:
"Well... I do like bacon.. I mean who doesn't like bacon." it is mused there as she considers the offer. "I don't really need anyone to take me in though.. I have my own place and I make plenty of money."

Which is about when another batarang flies at her now and while she is ready to block with her armored forearm it shocks the snot out of her sending her tumbling backwards as she tries to get away from the attack but it is too late "owfuck!" she wheezes "Oh... " wheeze "Take me in to Jail.. got it..." which is when she fires several high caliber rounds into the HVAC unit you are hiding behind. Bang Bang Bang. "Jerk!"

Oracle has posed:
There's a distinctive sound of a HCR makes when it exist a chamber.

Batman is a demanding instructor and Babs wont soon forget the sound of a fifty cal going off near her ear. It's like a sonic boom even with earplug and sound dampening headphones. It'll knock you off your feet... and it will trash an HVAC unit like wet toilet paper.

Babs grunts and side rolls over her shoulder to the right, near the edge of the roof, and dives straight off with her hand already reaching for the grapplegun. SNIPTSSS

Babs whistles through the air, around the outside corner of the building, and comes right back up with a handful of smoke pellets hurled out side arm towards the armored, heavily armoed, psycho-girl.

"It's not so much about the money as the peace of mind, ya know? Three hots and a cot.. surrounded by your peers.. tons of rec time?" Batgirl lands in a crouch atop the stairwell she original hid behind and immediately feels the jarring pain shooting up her leg when she takes too much of the fall directly on the knees..

Pain control is great, but mobility might be a little spotty.

Ring rust is real.

Stockholm has posed:
Julia is picking herself up from that shocking experience while Batgirl swings around the building. "Stupid... meddling... bats..." she sounds a bit pained there.

Which is right about then she ducks fast and gets hit by one of the smoke pellets, several going over her head. "uck" and she tries to remember which way is the edge of the roof and which way is out of the smoke cloud that has her coughing and blinded for a moment. "Who died and " cough "Made all of you lords of Gotham... you break as many laws as I do." she fires a shot in the direction, center mass-ish, below the voice taunting her. "And not like Arkham or Black Gate can hold me... I'm bettter than you!" she is starting to sound really worked up which means more unstable by the moment.

Oracle has posed:
Batgirl touches a small indentation on the side of her mask and lenses drop down into place over the open eyeholes... legit this is an old suit... immediately switching over a thermal visual spectrum so that she can make out blips of Stockholm through the thick fog of grey smoke. But Babs is having a little trouble of her own... might have pulled a muscle... might have torn a hammie... may have dislocated her patella.. hard to tell without triage and there's no triage time.

So into the fray she goes, limping on her right leg, and throwing it forward towards Stockholm in what will be a painful kick for BOTH of them if it lands. "I don't really know how to answer that... you kind of do have a point. That's why I'm retiring. If you'd do me a favor though, we can just... not beat each other up? It's a crazy notion, but I feel like shaking things up a bit might be exactly what wins the day here, right?"

Stockholm has posed:
Julia can't see Batgirl coming in the smoke and takes the hit solid with a grunt of pain and a stagger. I mean she would be pleased to know that it hurt Batgirl as well but she doesn't know that.

Still being kicked does give her an idea where in the smoky roof Batgirl is and she lunges back swinging her armored arm to try to clock Batgirl with her gun this time.

"I was minding my own business planning to take down a bunch of super drug dealers and you attacked me... and you are saying we shouldn't beat each other up... what the fuck is wrong with you all... first Robin tries to tell me to be a good guy and now you don't want to fight." there is a pause as she brings her profile in tighter, turning and bringing up an arm to block again. "Is this some sort of mind game!?"

"I play the games!"

Oracle has posed:
It does hur though. It hurts a lot.

Babs feels the jolt all the way up to her hip when her straight kick jars bone on bone... Okay, dislocated patella. That's an easy fix... if not a very pleasant one. Down on her knee now, she puts a hand on either side of disjointed kneecap and gives it a crunching twist in the oposite direction.

Right about the time Julia comes around with the gun in a downward pistol whip. The barrel catches her just above the jaw where her lightly armored cowl begins, but it still send a white flash of pain into her left eye like a firepoker. blood already starting to ooze from her busted nose..

PAIN. CONTROL.

Batgirl goes down and to the side onto her hand, but immediately snaps her left foot backwards in a half mule kicked aimed in the direction the pistol swung. She's hoping to hyper extend a knee, maybe knock a foot out from beneath Julia. "We're growing up and getting older.." She murmurs through the pain in her face, "You should try it... it's all the rage this time of the decade.."

Stockholm has posed:
Julia is just not feeling it as much as some other people really, probably her meta-gene. God knows it isn't clean wholesome living. She is very satisfied at the crunch from connecting with that pistol whip though.

The mule kick misses her knee but does manage to slam into her shin there and knock her right off her feet into the smoke. Ow.

She rolls moving painfully away from the engagement now. "God .. Damnit.. you are" cough "Free to go at anytime and retire god damnit..." she limps up to her feet after clearing the smoke and looks around eyes watering from pain and the pellets. "Fuck it."

She reaches fishing into a pocket and lobs a metal sphere in the direction she setup the spy equipment, not at Batgirl and then bolts for the roof access door.

Tick Tick.

She seems to have had enough of this. It is probably less pain vs. how confusing this whole conversation is. So much cognitive dissonance.

Oracle has posed:
There aint no lesson for defending against a god damned grenade though.

Except get away from wherever the god damned grenade is.

Maybe put something heavy over the god damned grenade.

But Babs knee hurts and her jaw hurts and she's really kind of upset about this whole nastalgia business right about now. When the sphere hits the dirt like a hollow stone and makes a sound like a ball baring rolling across the gravel, she dives away from it, in the same direction which Julia was moving.

Dashing... really lashing since she's still kind of limping.. after the villainesse. "I will! You know, once I get home and hop in the bubble bath.. you could be getting a hot shower too you know? I hear Arkham's water pressure is next level." Trying to leap upon Stokcholm's back in hopes of tackling to her the ground...

But there is that ring rust..

Stockholm has posed:
Stockholm isn't in the smoke and well that is a good thing for her and a bad thing for Batgirl really.

She hears the scramble on the roof gravel and pivots reaching out with her armored hand to just palm the other woman on the forehead. "Oh Go Die In A Fire!" and she gives a big shove. purposely using Batgirl's momentum to send herself down the steps even as she tries to arrest of partially reverse Barbara's forward momentum.

This may hurt Julia if she bounces down the steps to the top floor but that is what PAIN MANAGEMENT is for.. and Babs isn't the only one with it.

Oracle has posed:
Babs might be the only one of them with a concussion though.

The palm strike connects right between her eyes, one of the lenses is already shattered from the pistol whip, and it sends her head snapping backwards painful. She was moving pretty quickly too.. not at a sprinters run, but fast enough that when her forward moment is halted suddenly, the rest of her body keeps going. Legs kick up, arms flail forward, Batgirl goes straight down like a sack of potatos. Hitting hard on the gravel. Hard enough that the wind is knocked out of her... hard enough that the cowl is cracked... hard enough that one of her eyes is blood shot. Hard enough that any normal person would be unconscious.

Because they don't have PAIN MANAGEMENT

Which is a defense mechanism. The body goes into shock to spare the person from the inhuman agony the follows the brain being rattled around her in the skull. "Mother fucker..." She murmurs at the four spinning globes of light circling directly above her vision.

Stockholm has posed:
Julia meanwhile bounces down the steps sliding mostly on her back until she hits the wall of the landing below.

Okay that hurt. That hurt a lot.

Not to mention she tweaked her arm now doing that heisman trophy block there.

"Hell." she wheezes and then reaches up with her left hand there and pulls on the railing to get back to her feet and turn the corner.

She is moving as fast as she can to the ground floor now, heading to her bike for a painful ride away now.

Sometime while Stockholm is descending to escape though that metal sphere explodes. It isn't huge or designed to take out the building or anything. It is just enough to destroy her equipment in a blast really. Thankfully Batgirl isn't standing by it.. right.

Oracle has posed:
Nope.

Batgirl is still laying on her back a few dozen feet away staring up at all them twinkling stars trying to make herself focus on something long enough to regain some of her senses. It's been nine months she's been out here.. and while that's not enough to have rendered her COMPLETELY inept... muscle memory isn't enough in a combat situation against someone who HASNT spent nine months sitting behind a computer screen eating cheese danishes.

When the explosion goes off, Babs curls up on her side and covers her face.. just like Bruce taught... then she flops backwards touches the side of her face with the tips of her fingers, feeling that her left eye is already swolt shut.. and she probably has a broken orbital bone from the pistol whip...

"Yup.." She croaks from her back as debrie from Stockholm's equipment rains down around her... a piece of it landing so close that it she felt the wind of it when it crash against the gravel.. "Last ride of THIS Batgirl..."

"So done."