Barbara Gordon (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} wantstodogood) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} madisonvalley,@ 2024-09-26 14:56:00 |
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What: Fighting animatronics
When: During the plot [Backdated!]
Where: Streets
Rating: low
“They’re always open so early.” He remarked as he and Barbara walked down the street together. They had a dinner date at Crescent Moon Bayou and Dick was looking forward to it. In order to get there, they ended up walking by the Spirit Halloween that had taken residence in an abandoned store.
He remembered last year. While they hadn’t had a terrible time as the costume he had been in - the sex, as always, had been great and it was nice to see Barabara being able to walk again - he wasn’t the sort of person who liked his mind messed with.
“...Are we dressing up again?” He glanced to her.
“That’s because people get excited by it,” she said with a laugh, rolling down the street next to him as they headed to get dinner. The two needed a night out, and she was looking forward to spending some time just the two of them without anything going wrong, or at least, that was what she hoped.
His question caused her to do a double take to the store, debating about her answer. That whole becoming of their costumes had been something that was sure. It was fun in some ways and disaster in others, feeling more like her early years when she was causing trouble. However, considering the costume, it was much more than during those early years. Though the sex had been fantastic, breaking a few things that had gotten in their way, sex was always great with him, especially when they were themselves.
“I don’t know. I feel like that’s asking for another round of that whole costume situation. The only way I’m doing it is if we pick with the possibility of that happening,” she admitted, but Barbara was fine having fun without any costumes.
“Like our own suits?” He said it before he thought about it, then felt a mixture of embarrassment and worry. Embarrassed because it reminded him of that ridiculous Lego version of himself, but also worried because Barbara hadn’t put on her suit for years. They both knew how long and he didn’t want her to have to remember that. Especially not after he had been forced to replay all those moments a few weeks ago. “Or maybe we just go to the masquerade this year.” He decided to deflect.
There was movement up on the roof of one of the buildings and Dick glanced up. Was it movement? There was a robot clown peering down from the roof at them. It didn’t move. Weird place to put a decoration - and early too - but some people, he had learned, went all out.
Barbara knew Dick well enough to know what he was feeling, and she gave him a small smile. “It’s fine,” which it was. Had this been back when it first happened, she may have felt more awkward at the comment, but she was used to this. Sometimes, she did miss that lifestyle, but it wasn’t like she wasn’t in the fight in her own way. Someone had to keep the police department under control and avoid corruption in the department. “You can wear your suit, and I can go as myself just in case, then we wouldn’t have to worry if we need someone hacking into systems.” Then again, she already had most of the systems under her control as she liked to keep an eye on things around here, especially when bored. “But we could also go to the masquerade. You do always look good in a suit.”
Like Dick, she was usually aware of her surroundings and had caught the movement as well. Following his gaze to the same clown, frowning at it. “Maybe I’m losing it, but I’m pretty sure that wasn’t there,” she commented. Anyone else, she may have kept her mouth shut, feeling she was overthinking it, but Dick was a different story. No, she was pretty positive she would have noticed a creepy clown, considering her history with clowns.
Dick’s eyes narrowed. He wanted a better look. He looked at Barbara. “I’ll be right back” It was impulsive, but at least if she gave him shit later she probably wouldn’t be surprised. He did a running leap for the fire escape and then climbed up nimbly. He disappeared on the roof for a moment. There was a moment of silence, then a scuffle, then Dick came flying off the roof with a humanoid rabbit. They both landed on the awning first before the awning ripped and they crashed to the ground in a heap.
Barbara wasn’t at all surprised by Dick’s comment on him rushing up to go check it out. Honestly, she probably would’ve been more surprised if he had ignored it since that wasn’t anything they really did. Watching from above, she heard what sounded like something going on, it was a little hard to tell from the street, but confirmation came when they were flying off the roof. A look of surprise since she was not expecting this at all! Caught off guard for a moment before rolling over to where the two were on the ground, pulling one of her batons out from under her seat. “Dick!” She called out, rolling over as quickly as she could to the two. “Are you okay?” She asked as she neared, double checking as she crossed that whatever that was didn’t have any friends lurking. If it did, she didn’t see them at the moment.
There was a slight pause and then a hoarse, “Yeah.” He recovered quickly though and pushed the animatronic off of him and climbed to his feet. He looked at it with a puzzled expression. He also clearly a shiner on his left eye. It would make for a wicked black eye the next day. He rubbed his chin. “Believe it or not, but that thing attacked me. Not sure why it’s inactive now.” Dick didn’t think it made sense the machine would just stop after it clearly was trying to kill him a moment ago.
Looking back up, he tensed. “Barbara. The clown is gone” He didn’t have his weapons with him, but he moved into a defensive stance next to Barbara, back to her like they were used to when there was a threat.
Barbara hadn’t realized she had been on edge with worry until he spoke, and a sigh of relief slipped from her lips. Running her fingers through her hair, she glanced upwards to where Dick had fallen, then to the surrounding buildings as if she would see something, even more so when she felt like there were some eyes or a presence nearby lurking just out of sight. “I didn’t think you grabbed it and decided a nice fall off a building was a great idea,” she said with a smirk. “No, I believe you, but the question is why and how?” Cause for that to be working with those goals, someone had to pull the strings. Was it the dome or someone in town? “I’m guessing because it didn’t succeed in whatever its goal was, so maybe a kill switch,” she suggested, looking at it momentarily. Her eyes weren’t on him; however, she could tell his stance, but she was more preoccupied with the animatronic on the ground.
“Do me a favor and bring me it?” She nodded to the machine, considering her chair got in the way to do it herself. Holding out the one baton for him, knowing he knew how to use it. He could use it when she took a look at the machine. Barbara wanted to see if there was a way to get to any of the systems or find out anything. Her lack of equipment made it difficult, but she needed to see for herself rather than assume.
It was his trust and years of fighting with Barbara that he didn’t hesitate to go and collect the robot and bring it to her. He knew she could handle her own and he was there if she needed help. They both knew she was better at hacking and electronics than he was too.
As he propped the machine up for Barbara so she had access to what he thought would be where the CPU was, there was laughter echoing from the alleyway. .He tensed and his eyes darted to Barbara. “I’ll hold whatever they are off.” He’d give her time to work. Besides, she gave him a baton. It’d be a shame not to use it.
Barbara maneuvered the robot so that she had access to it once Dick brought it over to her. There were few people she trusted to have her back, especially since she and Dick had years behind them that allowed her to have that. Just like there were few people she’d hand over any of her batons to, considering it was the only thing she had connected to that life. She depended on it in a fight, even more so when people underestimated her because of her situation, figuring she’d be the weak link.
Her head turned, glancing toward where the laughter came from. “You’d think we were in some messed up haunted house,” she commented, nodding at what he said. “I’ll try to be quick,” she promised, and she would, or at least try since she was limited on tools since they were in her apartment. He took her baton, and she turned the robot, confused about how there seemed to be no opening where these typically were. Running her finger along it as if trying to feel for a little gap or something that would let her open something. “Where the hell are you?” She asked herself, finally finding what might be something; she tried to open it with no luck. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her keys, using one to open the spot. It took some strength behind it, but it finally gave way. “How’s it going?” She called to Dick, glancing at what was inside. Whoever or whatever was behind this had made it more complicated, which she figured was to throw people off if they ever got inside the robot.
Whatever the Dome was up to, he didn’t think it a coincidence that robotic clowns were coming their way. Why’d it have to be clowns? The rabbit on the roof had been surprisingly fast so he knew not to overestimate them. So when three showed up at the alleyway, Dick fought like he was fighting the Joker’s goons.
One of them got a lucky punch on Dick, his head cracking to the side as Barbara called out. “Been better!” He called back. The problem wasn’t that Dick couldn’t lay a hit on the clowns - he could - but they were metal so it was almost like hitting Connor or Clark. Only at least they were smaller in build so he could kick them and get some distance.
Barbara heard him, but her focus was on the machine, especially with the slightly complicated system behind it. It was pretty much something one might find in Gotham from one of the many people who love to cause problems. Holding her key ring in her mouth, she pulled out her cell to turn on the flashlight to get a better look further down the back that she couldn’t pull out. Hidden to the side was a more advanced chip, which made sense considering they were in the future. If Dick had his weapon on him, she knew it would be easier to deal with the clowns since frying them would destroy the chip. The best route was when she had none of her equipment or locating the signal, which was also easier if she had any of her equipment.
“They have a chip like nothing I have ever seen before,” she called to him. Barbara doubted he cared about the specifics, only how to deal with them, as she enjoyed this type of information. “The best option is destroying the chip, most likely. I can’t test this theory out since this guy is gone. It’s hidden on the side of the upper back, and electricity, water, or anything like that might do the trick unless, in the future, they find a way to protect chips from that. Option B is finding where the signal is coming from since they are being told what to do from somewhere nearby.” Barbara looked back in the direction of Dick, not wanting to leave him alone, while she went to find something to destroy the chips.
Dick was all for destroying these things, particularly because he knew his ribs were going to be sore from a few of the punches they landed. He wished he had his Nightwing batons with him, the ones that conducted electricity. It would make this fight over quickly.
He managed to maneuver around one - a ‘girl clown’ with pigtails and a crying face - and smash the plate and, presumably the chip. It fell to the ground. The others seemed more guarded of their back once they saw the first clown go down.
His eyes glanced around, then ducked to avoid being hit. “The fire hydrant -” There was one a little ways down. He did a round-house kick. He’d lead them there and maybe they could get the hydrant’s cover off.
Barbara also wished he had his batons with him, knowing it would make frying the chip a whole lot easier. Only he did not, and hers did not conduct electricity, leaving them without that option. However, she’d probably offer from now on after this to have one of his under her chair with hers when out for a more what-if type situation. Hopefully, this is a one-and-done type of ordeal, one could hope around here.
Not having much more luck with finding an easier solution for this chip, planning to take it once they dealt with this to explore it better, she rolled towards where she could see Dick, noticing the change in how the things were acting. Maybe the chip was the answer or, at least, one of them, and if they could deal with it, then perhaps them.
At his idea of the fire hydrant, she had thought about it, remembering it, but the cover would be the tricky part without any proper tools. Still, she said. “Okay, going,” she called back, moving herself and the chair toward where she knew the fire hydrant was. Her mind was already trying to find ways to get it open. Getting a car to hit it was one, but then it left it damaged and people potentially at risk until that was able to be prepared. No, it wasn’t the best idea; however, it was in the back of her mind.
Reaching the hydrant, she cursed, trying to find something to remove the cover. While she knew it would be no success, Barbara felt she still had to try as she took out her other baton and hit it hard on the hydrant, which she definitely felt it through her arm but had no impact on the hydrant. Her eyes glanced up as she could see Dick heading in her direction. “We might need to make sure we carry new tools on date night, just in case,” she yelled as he came closer.
The idea of having to bring a bag of tricks was practical, even if Dick could recognize that it was kind of overkill for the day to day stuff. He noticed her struggling with the fire hydrant. He hadn't thought the hydrant threw entirely, but he recognized the need to improvise.
He led the machines toward it, then after a series of moves that could only be described as acrobatic, Dick got the drop on one of the machines. He took hold of it and used the head of the sad clown to bash at the hydrant. Thankfully it was a machine otherwise the ordeal would have been much gruesome as he bashed the head over and over again on the hydrant until the cap fell off. The spray sent both Dick and the sad clown stumbling back, but all the machines were sprayed and were in various states of dying out.
It might sound like overkill to anyone else, but considering their lives and this place, she figured they might need to put together a little bag of tricks for what-if situations. However, she was making sure he had his weapon on him even if she stored it because it would have been handy right now, or maybe she’d need to upgrade her batons, especially since they were always on her. Problem for another day, as there was no point in worrying about it now when nothing could be done. Barbara knew it would’ve been too good to be true if the cover had been easier to get off, but she knew it was on tight for a reason. Right now, it would be very helpful if it had been easier to come off without any tools that she did not have!
Times like these were when she disliked the Joker more than anything for what he had done to her, forcing her to leave the more challenging tasks to others. Barbara moved back a bit when pieces of the machine spewed out from the bashing, and a sigh of relief escaped when it finally got the cap to come off. Rolling around the hydrant to avoid the spray, she kept out of the water’s path as she moved down until finding Dick. “You okay?” She asked, extending herself and holding a hand out to help him while keeping an eye on any that didn’t get caught in the spray, but from what she could see, there were none, at least none of the ones that had been chasing Dick. “I’d say that was a date night one won’t be forgetting anytime soon,” she said, smirking. If it weren’t for where they were from, she’d be a bit more on edge, but Gotham had prepared them for the odd shit.
Dick was drenched, but he was happy that all the robotic clowns seemed to be dead now, if you could call a machine dead. It was definitely a blast from home in a strange way.
He took her and climbed to his feet. He did his best not to get her wet in the process. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He’d be bruised, but it wasn’t like that was anything new for either of them.
At her joke, he gave her a wry grin. “That was all part of my plan.” At least neither of them were the sort to fly into a rage when this sort of thing happened. “Want to call something in and head back or want me to grab a change of clothes.” Did Dick have a few duffle bags stashed around the city with items like a change of clothes and other items? Yes, yes he did.
Barbara could care less about ending up wet when helping him up. Even though he said he was fine and looked it, her eyes did a quick once over, only making sure nothing looked twisted. Bruises came with their lives, and it’d be more concerning if they never had any. A small laugh left her lips at his reply to her joke. “Can’t help trying to be better than all my exes, huh? Will be hard to top anything this one guy I dated and our troublemaker ways,” she teased, hinting at their past of breaking into places. His question, she glanced at the pile of robotic clowns, then back at the building where it had gone down. “I think calling something in might be better. I doubt this is a special one-time-only incident, so eating back at my place and looking at the cameras might be a better way to spend the evening.” Since she knew like her, Dick wouldn’t feel comfortable only ignoring this and not checking it out more.