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stephanie nashton does it all ([info]forthem) wrote in [info]doors,
@ 2014-03-20 19:49:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:batman, riddler, stephanie brown

eddie n., da bat
[comm to eddie n.]

[During Bruce's post, right after Eddie comments the breakdowns on the clinics, etc. She's Spoiler'd on a rooftop near midtown, where the highest buildings are. Beep, beeeep, beep. When he picks up, teasing warmth:] Look at you still playing tactician.

[comm to bruce w.]

[After this. Beeeep beep beep insistent beep!! until he picks up.]


(Post a new comment)

[comm: eddie/steph]
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-20 11:59 pm UTC (link)
[Smile.] I prefer being called an information wizard, thank you.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 12:03 am UTC (link)
[Grin.] Sorry to break the news to you, but there's nothing magical about you.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 12:05 am UTC (link)
That's not what you said last night.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 12:08 am UTC (link)
I think that was just getting high on "back at home" fumes. Or the margaritas. It was the margaritas!

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 12:09 am UTC (link)
[Tough bargaining skills.] Say my margaritas are magic and I'll let the whole thing slide.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 12:12 am UTC (link)
[Smirk.] You'd really make it that easy?

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 12:14 am UTC (link)
I can't be faulted for bringing it up later behind closed doors. That's my right. I earned that.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 12:17 am UTC (link)
I think I'm gonna need an amended list of things you've earned then, baby.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 12:19 am UTC (link)
[Eyebrow waggle.] We don't have that kind of time. [Beat.] Do you want to stay off the radar?

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 12:24 am UTC (link)
[Lip bite.] I think we need to tell Bruce first. I'm not sure if anyone's noticed Batgirl's gone yet or not? We should tell him before he hears that a chick in eggplant is trying to run his streets.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 12:27 am UTC (link)
[The thought of people seeing Spoiler and freaking amuses him. He chuckles and then nods.] I told Harley yesterday. It's easier in person, I think. Maybe we can get him to meet up?

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 12:31 am UTC (link)
[A smirk. She can guess what he's laughing at.] Hush, you. [A noise.] How'd she take it? [Thoughtful hum.] Yeah, let's do that. If you aren't busy right now? I'm in midtown. Across from the Ellsworth Building.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 12:34 am UTC (link)
Well, but I also brought donuts. I don't think sugary treats will sway Bruce. [Nod.] Alright, I'll be there in 15.

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Re: [comm: eddie/steph]
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 12:43 am UTC (link)
We really need to figure out what his weak spot. [Smile.] Okay. I'll be the one looking like a dystopian bad-ass. In case you forgot. [And before he can responds, a click.]

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eddie/steph
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 12:50 am UTC (link)
[As promised, Eddie gets there in 15 on the dot. She can see his gloves gripping the top of a catwalk ladder before he pulls himself up on the rooftop and smiles at her from behind his cowl. He's wearing his Earth-3 Riddler getup. Green peacoat with the collar turned up over his mouth as a cowl, black combat pants and boots that are good for running in. His hair twists in that familiar curl and there's a streak of white hair on the side of his head. His violet glasses glow brightly in the dark, but he takes them off as soon as he sees Stephanie and walks over to her as she paces.]

C'mere.

[He motions with his hand for her to walk over to him and when she does, he pulls down her cowl and holds her head with both of his hands gently.] Nervous, huh?

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Re: eddie/steph
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 01:05 am UTC (link)
[When he arrives she's obviously keyed up. Cowl up and blonde hair tucked back so all that's seen is blue eyes carefully (but quickly) scanning nearby buildings for jumpers. Shoulders tense in black kevlar. Her boots crunch the remnants of snow on the roof underneath as she paces back and forth. She's also dressed very similarly as she would on Earth-3, aside from the heavy artillary. Who needs a bow and arrow when it's so calm? There's still a pistol strapped to the inside of her thigh, but it's filled with blanks. A sign of respect for the Bat, and truthfully, she doesn't plan on using it. Just a show thing.]

Hi, baby.

[She obliges immediately, stepping up close to him and pulling his cowl down, too. A scattered laugh.] How could you tell? [Lip bite.] He's the only one I'm really, really nervous about, you know?

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Re: eddie/steph
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 01:09 am UTC (link)
[Smile. He rubs her cheek with his thumb.] Yeah, I know. [He leans in to kiss her softly and then rests his forehead against hers.] The Dark Knight will understand. I bet he'll just be glad we didn't lose any time. Can you imagine if we were blinked out of here for a month?

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Re: eddie/steph
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 01:21 am UTC (link)
[She returns the kiss, eyes closing at his gentleness, and she visibly relaxes in his hold. Shoulders down, a sigh, and she smiles up at him slightly.] Warring family members. Burning skylines. Bruce going bald from stress. [Her blues open slowly. She still sounds nervous, but he always diffuses that.] Gotham would be screwed without us.

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Re: eddie/steph
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 01:24 am UTC (link)
[He wraps his arms around her.] The poor guy got into this vigilante business to knock heads together and now he has to deal with family politics. [Nod.] So screwed. And, way less pretty.

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Re: eddie/steph
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 01:32 am UTC (link)
[She slips her arms around his waist and tugs him close. Humming in satisfaction.] You think the other Bruce felt like that? Or the whole collecting orphans thing kinda cancels that out? [She catches his chin in her fingers and brushes her thumb against his bottom lip.] Are you calling yourself pretty, war hero?

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Re: eddie/steph
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 01:36 am UTC (link)
Oh, no. He loved ordering brats like you around. That was his thing. [A kiss to her thumb before he bites it.] I was talking about you, but I don't mind being pretty, too. [He pulls her a little closer.] Do you want to call him or should I?

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Re: eddie/steph
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 01:43 am UTC (link)
I was not a brat! [She whacks her back with her other hand and then twists it in his pea coat. Wrinkling her nose when he bites her thumb. Teasing.] You used to hate when I said you were beautiful. [Even closer. Flush against him.] I'll do it. Maybe he'll hear the bad-assery dripping from my voice and catch a hint.

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Re: eddie/steph
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-21 01:48 am UTC (link)
[Laughing.] Look, baby, if you want to go over all my insecurities from before we won't get anything done. [Rumble as she pulls him close. He kisses her cheek, then her nose and then presses a quick kiss to her lips before slowly readjusting her cowl.] Or he'll wonder how an old lady got ahold of Stephanie Brown's communicator. [He grins and then zips his cowl back up and steps away from her.]

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comm: bruce/steph
[info]onerule
2014-03-21 05:08 am UTC (link)
[Wind and movement.] Bat.

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Re: comm: bruce/steph
[info]forthem
2014-03-21 07:48 am UTC (link)
[There's something decidedly different about Stephanie compared to when he talked to her only a couple days before. Confident, maybe a little crisp. The only hint of nervousness is what Eddie can see: the wringing of her hands. Otherwise, she just sounds...different.] Hi. It's Stephanie. I know you're probably busy at the moment, but Eddie and I have to talk to you about something really important. In person. If you're anywhere near midtown, you think you could swing by us?

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Re: comm: bruce/steph
[info]onerule
2014-03-22 04:13 am UTC (link)
[Pause. His steps slow. While e can't quite put his finger on what, he does recognize that something is different. Combined with the knowledge that she wouldn't claim something was 'really important' unless it actually was, it's enough to get him to agree.] Yes. I'm not far.

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Re: comm: bruce/steph
[info]forthem
2014-03-22 04:33 am UTC (link)
[Palpably relieved.] Okay, cool. We're on the roof of the Ellsworth Building. We'll be waiting.

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Re: comm: bruce/steph
[info]onerule
2014-03-22 06:16 am UTC (link)
[There's no actual words spoken, just an affirmative sound before the comm disconnects.

It takes him just over five minutes, give or take, to get to the building, and while he isn't sure what to expect he's still his usual stoic self.]

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rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]forthem
2014-03-22 06:28 am UTC (link)
[Stephanie takes the time between the disconnection and his arrival to key back up that nervousness that Eddie managed to assuage, pacing back and forth and keeping watchful eye for anyone who might have just gotten the shock of a real Gotham back in their system. Whatever Eddie does isn't particularly successful, only momentary salve for a panic she hadn't really felt in years.

When he arrives, she's somewhere in the corner staring towards the nearby Wayne Tower. There's no strange activity going on for the time being. And, she is incredibly glad that Bruce hadn't sneaked up behind them. Years and years on Earth-3 made her as jumpy as any soldier would be. She spots him out of the corner of her eye and smiles behind cowl. There's Stephanie, notably not as Batgirl and body slightly different even behind kevlar and cowl. He can only see the blues of her eyes, but even those seem different. Pushing through the nervousness to keep a tone he might recognize. It seems a little stunted.] Hi, Bruce.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-22 07:50 am UTC (link)
[Eddie's waiting on the other side of the roof. He turns and looks at them and walks over to Stephanie. Even with the cowl up over his mouth, there's obviously age marks across his forehead and that white streak of hair on the side gives plenty away. His voice is calm and rough with years of war.] Dark Knight.

[Smile in his voice and even though he had just readjusted his cowl, Eddie unzips his as if to prove it's actually him. Then, stating the obvious:] It's really good to see you.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]onerule
2014-03-22 10:14 pm UTC (link)
[Bruce might be slow to catch on in certain instances, but he's not blind. As far as he knew Stephanie was still acting as Batgirl, and a few days seems a short time for her to have changed her mind so drastically. And it isn't just that; her build is different. Not the same. It isn't quite suspicion that creeps in so much as wariness, and he only ceases his perusal when Eddie approaches to subject him to the same scrutiny.]

Hello. [His gaze shifts between the two, back and forth.] I would say it's good to see the two of you as well, but [...] I don't think it's been quite as long for me, has it?

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]forthem
2014-03-23 03:57 am UTC (link)
[There's a moment of hesitation, and Stephanie lets Bruce speak before following suit with Eddie. She pulls the hood off, then tugs down the cowl. Her smile is flimsy at best, and visible, even in the dim light of Gotham, is the jagged scar crawling along her jaw. She's aged, obviously, but there's also that heaviness of war that Eddie carries with him as well.]

Always the world's greatest detective, Bruce. [It isn't said through malice. More like fondness for someone she's missed for years.] We didn't lose more than a minute here, at least. [A genuine smile then.] It's really, really good to see you, Bruce.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-23 05:26 am UTC (link)
[Eddie looks at Stephanie a moment, almost as if he's measuring the scar along her jaw. A small, thinking frown before he looks back over to Bruce. His voice is clearer than the bat has ever heard it.] We were having breakfast and in a second we were zapped to Earth-3. I told you about the Syndicate once, didn't I? I had to. It's a [...] place in the comics books, an alternate dimension where all the people who usually fight crime, commit it and those who usually get thrown in Arkham, try to be vigilantes. We spent five years fighting with the clown and Freeze and others like that at our side. Trying to save Gotham.

[He knows it sounds ridiculous, so there's a little smile on his face. But, it's flimsy and sad.] Most of them died. It wasn't like here. The city turned into a war zone quickly and that was all we knew. People died every second and then five years in, just as we thought we were going to die too, we got zapped back here. [Pause.] We wanted to tell you instead of having you find out second hand or on your own.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]onerule
2014-03-24 04:20 am UTC (link)
[Behind the cowl, his eyes widen. It's already happened with Selina so he shouldn't be that surprised, but he is. The suddenness of it, the unexpectedness, that's what gets him.] I like to think I earned the title. [An attempt at humor that falls flat.] You're older, both of you. Different, but [...] the same. [Bruce shakes his head.] It's strange. To me you never left, but for you it's been-- [Pause.]

[He begins to ask how long, but then Eddie starts to speak and he falls quiet, opting to listen instead. A nod about the Syndicate; yes, he remembers. It does sound ridiculous. It sounds crazy, in fact. But the proof is standing right in front of him because there's no denying that they've aged, and five years certainly didn't pass here. After a long, long moment of silent staring.] I appreciate you telling me. You two have obviously been through a great deal. [A pause, and he takes a step forward.] Do you know how it happened?

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]forthem
2014-03-24 05:17 am UTC (link)
[Stephanie laughs a little at his observation, but it's also stinted, and she wraps her arms around her middle for a second. A little, itty bit of that insecurity finally bleeding in for the only man aside from Eddie (and perhaps, maybe her father) that Stephanie still wanted approval from despite herself. Still, she goes for a joking tone.] It's been a lot, but how else would we get these buff bodies?

[She stares for a couple of seconds, fingers grabbing her forearms tightly. When he takes a step forward, she capitulates before thinking fuck it and stepping closer to Bruce until she could wrap her arms tightly around him in a hug that bleeds daughter missing her father-figure. There's a sound that bubbles from her, and a shake of her shoulders, but she holds steadfast. Lingering, probably, for a little too long, but she didn't care. She didn't care about the tears she was crying or probably (read: def) making Bruce uncomfortable.]

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-24 05:25 am UTC (link)
[Eddie has a feeling a Stephanie/Bat hug is incoming. It's been five years and Bruce was one of the only people who understood them. The shake of her shoulders gets a surprised look, though and he glances up to Bruce. After a long moment, quietly.] We don't know how it happened. Just that we couldn't come back for a long time. [And, that explains a lot. It says they tried to come back. That they never thought they would.]

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]onerule
2014-03-26 12:56 am UTC (link)
[There isn't time to remark on their physique, if he would have at all. Bruce's intention was to demonstrate trust by moving closer, not to initiate contact, and so the hug definitely catches him off guard. All of Gotham knows he isn't quite the hugging type, and there's a few seconds of awkward uncertainty before he returns the hug. Well, sort of. It's almost painful to watch but he tries.

He mulls over the possibility that they might not have come back for a few seconds before looking up.] However it happened, I'm glad you two made it back.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]forthem
2014-03-26 01:51 am UTC (link)
[Steph hadn't thought about Bruce's intentions or making him uncomfortable. Just the urge to embrace a man she'd come to see as a father. When he finally kinda sorta returns it, she relaxes for a second and only lingers for a couple more moments before pulling back. Eyes red and watery, but a smile on her face. She holds onto his forearms for a second before clearing her throat, stepping back, and turning her face away to swipe at tears that might have been brewing for a long, long time by the looks of it.

She clears her throat again.] It's different for us now, still. Five years in that changes people. You know? [As if imploring him to understand that they weren't the same Steph and Eddie he knew only a day ago.]

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-26 04:12 am UTC (link)
[Eddie extends an arm to Stephanie, an open invitation to hold onto him if she wants to and then looks back at the Dark Knight.] We have changed and neither of us can write an essay explaining all the differences. But, we're still loyal to you and the welfare of the city. I'd like to pick up where we left off. Steph and I are going to be helping out whether you like it or not, but I think you figured that out by now. [Small smile.]

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]onerule
2014-03-26 06:51 am UTC (link)
[Feelings about physical contact aside, Bruce lets her pull back instead of being the one to break the hug. Affection he isn't so good at, but smiles, he can manage those. His smile isn't quite as painful as his hug. And maybe, just maybe, it's kind of nice to know he was missed.]

I know. [Said in all seriousness, because he realizes five years in that would change anyone.] I would never refuse your help. Either of you. I believe it's safe to say you are two of the people I can rely on most.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]forthem
2014-03-26 07:02 am UTC (link)
[Stephanie readily wraps an arm around Eddie's waist when she steps back away from Bruce, leaning against him for comfort and security as she always has. The smile assures her somehow, and while she knows he doesn't do affection well, she'll read under the surface for that.]

I'd hope you say that. [A bigger smile, relieved and placated and feeling secure in her place in this Gotham for the first time since she and Eddie came back.] It's true. [Tugging on Eddie's coat a little as if she were grounding herself there.] For now, I think I'm sticking away from Batgirl. But I'll let you know if I change my mind.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-26 07:07 am UTC (link)
[Eddie's grip on Stephanie tightens once she's in his arms and he nods.] You can always rely on us, Dark Knight. That's a fact. [Back to work:] I'll disable as much security I can at New Arkham so you can get Crane. Spoiler and I will keep on the streets. And, if anyone asks about Steph or me, have them go to us first. As much as I hate reminding myself who Owlman is over and over, I don't mind explaining where we've been.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]onerule
2014-03-27 12:31 am UTC (link)
[A hint of something flickers in his expression as he watches the two of them, the way they are with one another and what it says about their relationship. Wistfulness, maybe, but it's there and gone too quickly to be pinned down.

Bruce nods.] It's your choice. Batgirl or not, you're still one of us. [To Eddie.] Alright. I'll let you know if I run into any trouble, but I don't think that will be a problem. [...] Of course. It's your story to tell. I'll leave that up to you two.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]forthem
2014-03-27 01:10 am UTC (link)
[Stephanie bites back a noise about explaining everything time and time again, but she doesn't say anything contrary. Just a twist of her fingers into Eddie's coat again that betrays her discomfort in all of that. Just a smile to Bruce though, and a nod.] Thanks, Bruce. It means a lot, you know. Especially coming from you.

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Re: rooftop: steph/bruce/eddie
[info]riddlethem
2014-03-27 05:07 am UTC (link)
[Eddie nods and kisses the top of Stephanie's head as if to quell a shared discomfort. He echoes Stephanie and says:] Thank you. [Then he lets Steph go and takes a step back.] Good, let's get back to work.

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