Nebula (nebula_rises) wrote in freedomtownic, @ 2018-02-07 19:53:00 |
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Entry tags: | barbara gordon (cyber_did_it), nebula (nebula_rises) |
Showing She's a Person Under All that Anger
Who: Nebula and Barbara
Where: The Clock Tower in Gotham
When: Night after this post
Rating: PG-13
What: Bonding and Nebula showing she can be a functioning adult around the right people
The sound of happy, unrestrained laughter rang through the Gotham Clocktower, as it typically did when it was a 'girls night in'. The smells of several different types of food wafted through the air, and at first glance, it would appear to be a typical scene when the Birds of Prey had some downtime.
But nothing about this scene was typical.
First, the obvious: sure, this was Gotham, but a new version of it, built on the planet Galador. Second? This would have felt rather normal were it Barbara hanging out with her friend of what felt like a lifetime, Dinah Lance. But no... she was sitting by her computers, surrounded by the various foods, and joined by Nebula. Has there ever been a more unlikely (and frankly, kind of unsettling) friendship?
"I'm telling you.... I didn't know whether to be flattered, impressed, or mortified. This girl was 16 tops, and had this Batgirl costume cobbled together from scraps of clothing. I mean, she was very serious about wanting to join us, but could you see a kid running around yelling 'DARK VENGEANCE!' and not either laugh or cringe?"
"To be fair, I was younger when I started out." No one would picture Nebula to be the type to hang out with...well, anyone! She didn't give off the vibe of 'girl's night' type of person, but here she was, sitting on the table next to one of Babara's computers, feeding herself with chopsticks right out of a carton of Chinese food (which she'd discovered a love for once someone opened a shop for it once Gotham was built).
Oddly enough, though, it seemed that this sort of normalcy was what Nebula needed. Not that she would likely ever come off as 'giggly' or anything, but anyone that might catch a glimse of them together would notice that Nebula was far more relaxed around Barbara than normal. She was still aware of all the exits to the room and what might come through them (some things you could never turn off), but she seemed comfortable.
"I would have at least taught her to not scream a catchphrase, though. Terrible for stealth."
"You're gonna fit in with us just fine, Nebby. I mean it." Babs told her, reaching over to turn on her stereo, feeling the need to hear music in the air. "At first? I was worried. But you're good people. It's just a matter of getting past all the messed-up stuff you've been through and finding the real you, which frankly? I'm glad I did. I think Dinah especially is going to adore you once you get to know each other." At least she hoped so... Dinah was the closest thing to a sister she had, and with Nebula oddly beginning to feel like that as well... she didn't want to think about how awkward it could get if her two best friends ended up loathing each other.
As she dug through one of the food cartons with her own chopsticks, her eyes went comically wide as she put a bit of food in her mouth. Immediately, she held it out to the other woman. "Ohmygod. Nebula. You HAVE to taste this. These Singapore noodles are better than sex. Swear to god."
Nebula wouldn't say it out loud, but she was a little worried that maybe she wouldn't get along with Dinah. She wondered if Barbara was just a one-person thing. There were a couple of people she could tolerate, at least, but Barbara was the only one she would call a friend. Maybe it was simply because she wanted to find out who she was, deep down. When was the last time that happened? Would Dinah be as willing?
"I think you might be the first to call me 'good people,'" Nebula said, smiling a bit. Her friend online the other night had been quite disbelieving.
"I don't know. Sex is quite entertaining," she mused, reaching over and helping herself to the noodles just the same. She may not have been the seducer that Gamora had been, but she wasn't a Vestal Virgin, either.
Ok, so that made Babs smirk. Not that she thought Nebula was some emotionless robot, but she seemed so... cold, and devoid of anything remotely like a libido... it was nice to see that it existed. "So.... if I can be serious for a moment? I want you to know this isn't just some... friendship of convenience for me. When I really let someone in? I'm ride-or-die. I think that's what the kids say now. Anyway... I guess what I'm saying is, as long as you're being the person I see in front of me right now? If anyone tries to use your past against you? I have your back. Even if... heaven forbid.... Thanos or his minions show up: we'll be there at your side for anything."
Even people like Nebula had an itch that they needed to scratch from time to time. "I didn't think you were the type for such a friendship of convenience." She was good at reading people (you had to be when you were an assassin), and Barbara didn't seem the type. "I am not worried what others think of my past. I am not the only one here with a sullied past, after all." She then smiled. "I appreciate the offer, though."
She did go still for a moment at the mention of Thanos. "I am glad to hear it, even if I fear such a day happening. He is beyond ruthless. He will happily use any sentiment we have against us. It is his way."
"A few years back..." Babs began, clearly taking a moment to steel her resolve before continuing. "I was shot, at point-blank range, by a madman who then did despicable things to me and sent photos of it to my father. He took my dignity, my innocence, and my legs. Trust me. Nobody truly scares me now."
Nebula almost answered at least he left your father intact, but this wasn't a contest. "I remember Thanos once passing along to someone that he would wish for something as sweet as pain if he failed him," she mused, more in her own thoughts than present at the moment. "Seems we have despicable people in common."
"I am sorry that you had to experience such things. No one should have innocence ripped away from them in such a way."
"Before I was confined to this chair...." Barbara smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Would you believe I was another one of those people that run around in a flashy costume? It feels like a lifetime ago."
Nebula smiled. "I can picture it, actually. I bet you were a true Valkyrie out there on the streets of your Gotham." She tiled her head at Barbara for a moment, studying her. "Do you want to be back out there at all? Out of that chair?"
"A valkyrie... oh, I like you, Nebby." Babs laughed, searching through her phone for a photo, before holding it up for her to see. "Not quite as fierce-looking as you made it sound, hm?" She considered the woman's question for a few moments though, before actually answering it. "You know... like I said: it feels like a lifetime ago. I'm at peace with my place in the world now. Not gonna lie and say the ability to feel from the waist down wouldn't make having a love life a ton more appealing, but hey."
Nebula smiled at the picture. "You cut quite the figure," she pointed out. She was sure that criminals had learned to fear the sight of her, at least. When Barbara admitted that she would at least like to feel from the waist down, Nebula lifted up her robotic hand to make a point. "I've seen others talking about doing surgeries for others. With the technology here, if you are interested, I am sure that you could be given the ability to walk again." Since her friendship with Barbara, it had caught her attention. "I wasn't given a choice in my upgrades, but I am sure something similar could help you if you wanted."
"I guess... I never thought about that being possible." She admitted, blinking in realization. "I mean, replacing limbs is one thing, but repairing an obliterated spinal cord? I guess I never thought of that as being something anyone could do..."
"It seems here, anything is possible," Nebula pointed out, setting her arm back down. "If you did want it, I do not see why the team that helped the other woman would refuse you." She smiled ruefully. "Even if they question your judgment in friendships a bit." Then again, there were plenty here that had pasts little better than hers. The strange thing about Nebula was that, while she didn't always like everything she had done in service to Thanos, it didn't bother her in a traditional sense, either. Maybe she was missing a little bit of whatever made people have morals. She certainly hadn't been raised to have any once Thanos had decided to keep her.
"If you're talking about Tim... ignore that." Babs told her, waving that off dismissively. "His... adopted father is a very paranoid, mistrusting person. And I think he kind of drilled some of that into Tim's head over time. It comes from a place of love." She looked at Nebula with a bit of surprised affection. She was truly touched that the woman was so quick to try thinking of ways to help her. "Besides... I see nothing to question. All I see is a beautiful young woman who's loyal to those she cares about.... and ok, is maybe a bit on the 'shoot-first-ask-questions-later' side, but nobody's perfect."
"I suspect, if the situation were reversed, I might express concern, too. I understand it, at least." She frowned for a moment. "If he tries to call me Nebby, though, I will make it that he doesn't walk without a limp for weeks." Well, she didn't threaten to kill him, though, so progress? She smiled again at Barbara before continuing. "But questions take time, Barbara, and guns are infinitely more entertaining."
".....you are going to get along so swimmingly with Helena." Barbara said in a total deadpan, before snickering. "Back home, I had a core team, and then an entire network of backup that I could call in at any time, depending on the needs of the mission. At least for now, I don't see a need for that here, but I definitely need a core team. I have you, Dinah, and Helena, and I'm going to be approaching a woman named Jessica Jones soon. I think, if we can bring her aboard, we'll be pretty much set for now, outside of getting a pilot. And I have an idea there, but I need to find out if she's available."
Nebula smiled. She had seen Jessica Jones online a bit as well. Honestly, she was kind of curious to see if she could drink the woman under the table, oddly enough. Maybe if she accepted, she might try it just to see what happened. "Who were you thinking of as a pilot?"
"Her name's Hera Syndulla." And she's from freakin' STAR WARS, Babs said but wisely didn't voice. "She's one of the best pilots in the galaxy where she's from, and from what I've seen of her, I think she'd fit in well with the rest of us. Plus... she seems so lonely." She glared at Nebula quickly then, giving a playfully stern look. "And not one smart-ass comment about that not mattering. Everyone deserves to feel like they have a purpose."
Nebula actually smirked at her for a beat before saying, "It does help one sleep a little easier at night." Feeling like you were working toward something definitely made Nebula feel a little better here. Nebula had felt like she was adrift here for so long, having what felt like less than no purpose. Now, though, Barbara gave her something to work toward, and she couldn't thank her enough for it.