I Moderate (i_moderate) wrote in we_archive, @ 2006-02-05 15:19:00 |
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Entry tags: | barbara gordon, bruce wayne, maxine gibbons |
i_seeall An Overdue Talk [Babs/Bruce- Predated to Monday]
Babs came to the mansion Monday evening looking for Bruce, but upon not immediately finding him the teenagers became the focus of her search. Though they too seemed to be scarce.
She knocked on Tim's door first as she'd been hoping to talk to him for a while now, but when he wasn't there she went down to Max's room. Her door was open, her lights were on, and she was sitting on the bed surrounded by various books and Ace curled up next to her.
"Burning the midnight oil?"
Max looked up with an odd sort of grin. "More like the nine o' clock oil. I'll be done in like twenty minutes."
"What are you working on?" Babs asked. She rolled into the room a bit more, leaving the door open behind her.
"Calc, history, and French." She pointed at each one as she ticked them off. "History and French are done. Just calc left for tomorrow, I did English during lunch. I've got a science lab I have to finish at some point too."
"Ah, well," Glancing at the stack of books, Babs smiled. "Don't let me distract you. I was just looking for Bruce or Tim. Have you seen them?"
"Cave. Bruce is at least, I think. Though since I'm not allowed down there…" Max trailed off, shrugging before she looked back down to her math book. "He's probably down there, 'cause I know he's home. He was here for dinner."
Babs nodded. "Alright, thanks."
"No prob."
There were oh so many questions she could have followed up with. She really did want to ask how things in the manor were, whether it was as tense as it had been the week before. But she didn't. There would be time later, for now she had to talk to Bruce.
She rolled forward slightly, and then turned back towards the door to leave.
There was a little table by the door which she had to work to avoid, mostly because Max had her backpack shoved underneath it and the straps were sticking out. But as she maneuvered around that, something sitting on the table top caught her eye.
She recognized the circular pill dispenser immediately and from there it didn't take very long for her to draw several possible conclusions as to why Max had birth control, especially with what she'd been hearing from Alfred on the latest drama taking place in the manor.
None of her conclusions actually reassured her. At all. Either way Max was still…
Ugh. So this was what she was missing out on by not having the teenagers live in her house? She didn't envy Bruce much.
Babs forced herself to leave the room without saying anything. She shut the door behind her, though it hadn't been before. She needed to relative privacy in which to press and rub her temples as she moved down the hall.
She was still shaking her head over the whole thing by the time she got back down to the cave entrance. It went on her list of things to ask Bruce about. It was towards the bottom, but it was still there along with Tim and Jason. They had to be talked about too.
Babs entered the cave, and moved down the long steel hallway as quickly as she could, coming out into the main cave entrance within five minutes.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 12:38:59
There was no one in the control and monitor station. But one of the viewscreens was labeled SL3. And it showed Bruce, goggles over his eyes, blow-torch in hand, working on something, a chamber of some sort.
The room flashed, like a door bell ringing for the deaf and Bruce stopped and looked over at something then reached out to press a button. "Come on down."
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 12:45:57
Babs did as invited, finding her way to the ramp that would took her down to the lower levels and Bruce.
She looked around when she reached SL3, eyebrow raised. She was careful to keep back from anything that looked like it would still be hot. "Do I even want to know?"
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 13:03:12
"Kal-el's here." He said simply, and shut off the blow-torch, turning around to look at her. He pulled the goggles off and picked up a bottle of water, taking a drink.
"What's on your mind, Barbara ?"
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 13:10:04
She blinked, surprised. "Well... actually, that was it. The main issue, anyway. Clark's here. I didn't know if you'd found out yet, and well, now that he is here, I think it's time we get down to business."
Babs drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. "I'm ready to begin reforming the JLA, or something like it at least, if you are. There'll have to be changes of course, new members probably, but I'm ready to start."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 13:15:36
He looked quite sober for a minute. "I spoke to Ted." He watched her carefully. "He was concerned about it. Apparently in his time, or universe, the JL became corrupt, inept and apathetic."
He pushed the lid of the water bottle down with his thumb. "We need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that Kal-el may be from that timeline or one similar. He won't trust us. Or anyone."
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 13:22:04
"Ah, hence the..." She looked at the structure he'd been working on, trying to think of a good word. "Cage? It's not laced in kryptonite or anything like that, is it?" She didn't see any pieces of the green glowing rock, but that didn't mean it wasn't embedded in the metal.
It suddenly occured to her to wonder if there even was kryptonite in The City. It was something to look into.
"I emailed both Ted and Clark the other day. I guess Ted got my note if he came over here, but I haven't heard back from Clark. Though it's understandable if he's just arrived. He may not have gotten his computer yet."
Babs looked at the structure again. "Did Ted mention if he's willing to join up if we were successful in starting this? I can understand his wariness, but we're going to need as many members as possible seeing as how we're missing so many of the originals. The list is horribly imbalanced."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 13:27:08
Bruce looked back at the structure. Three feet of lead, two of concrete and then the natural rock surface. It had taken a host of subtle maneuvering and he'd had to try out the min-sub for delivering materials.
"I suppose it could be a cage." But his voice was touched with an edge, as if he could the idea distasteful.
"Ted isn't sure we won't all end up fighting each other. I can make no guarantees." He paused, looking back at her. "Although, a good start would be to get you to stop thinking of this as plug and play. This is about pooling our resources, Barbara. Not about trying to copy the original. We need to work together to figure out why we're here and to defend against any threats."
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 13:43:29
Babs could only shrug. "I'm not trying to copy the original, but you have to admit, the format is there, and it worked for the most part. There're improvments to be made of course, but if it's not broken, I don't want to 'fix' it up too much.
"Don't worry, I have the beginnings of a plan, but before we can begin to pool our resources, we're going to need recruits. I have a list of possibilities there too." She looked from the cage back to Bruce. "One of us will have to talk to Clark, and one to Kyle."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 13:51:09
"It did break, Barbara. Badly. And as someone who was never officially a part of it to begin with..." He shook his head, his face becoming a casual mask. In reality, a mask of concern. "Talk to Ted and Kyle. I'll look for Kal..-el"
The formal part of Superman's name was added on a second belatedly. Bruce kept talking. "Too much power in too few hands and no agreement in what the limits to that power should be." His voice dropped a touch, steeling. "I never completely trusted it and in at least one universe, I was right not to."
He met her eyes. "Do your plans take into consideration the fact that I won't be in the forefront of this ?"
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 14:00:10
"You ended up a part of it," Babs said simply. He was in her time at least even if he didn't remember, moreso than he'd been in the past.
That was all she said there, not wanting to push. At least he wasn't adverse to putting the idea in place in this world, and that's what mattered. "We'll make limits, and while I'd hoped you'd want to be more in the limelight when it came down to it, yes. I have alternate ideas. I'm not completely sure I want Clark holding all the power either, Kyle is too young and inexperienced. I would prefer to remain unseen. Oracle needs to resurface, and be Oracle. I can't do that being seen, and I'm not sure how people would take to being led by someone they couldn't see. But there're others with leadership capabilities, who could share with Clark."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 14:09:43
"I'll talk to Kal-el about that. But I don't think he should be..." Bruce paused. He didn't think Kal-el would be sane enough, frankly, to handle the leadership position.
There was no Fortress of Solitude in the City. No place for Kal-el to disappear to, where Kryptonian technology could cocoon him and give him quiet and peace of mind. The room he was building couldn't hope to match that.
"I don't think he should be counted on in a leadership role either." His eyes grew dark. "An Oracle cannot be bribed, or persuaded by anything but logic and always has the best possible outcome in mind. You just need some sort of face, Babs." The nickname slipped in.
"It need not be your own. Oracle would be best for now, until we gather more members." And then in a voice blending slowly into Batman's trademark gravel. "Someone needs to be watching from the outside, especially knowing what could happen. The best person for that job is me."
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 14:19:17
"I'll... I'll think about it," she said. The idea was already settling into her head, and would provide her with plenty to ponder over for the rest of the night.
Babs wasn't sure she could actually do something like leading the JLA, even if it wasn't in it's purest form. Of course if it had been, then she and Bruce wouldn't have been having this conversation to begin with.
"My face would be my voice, like always. I just don't know if I'm the right choice for this. You're right about yourself though, and I would suggest that you let Tim watch with you. He's an excellent detective, he'd come in handy for spotting things."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 14:24:30
He smiled. It was wicked and dark and just a touch scheming. "I had no intention of letting Tim anywhere near the JL. And if he questioned it, I fully intended to pout to get my own way and suggest he no longer wanted to be my partner."
The smile eased a bit. "Dick though, if he wants to, should be welcome. He would be someone you could lean on." He face grew more sober still, even if his eyes glinted a bit. "You said you've been coordinating heros for a while now. This would be no different, at least at first. And in this place, you would have to be counted on as a guiding force anyway, or people would find themselves cut off and lost."
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 14:34:32
"Tim is not going to be pleased to hear that." Babs smirked. "I actually had him on my list, underneath Dick. I know you don't know him like I do, but Tim would be an asset. Just think about that."
She nodded when he talked about her worrk. She wasn't fully convinced yet, but the idea wouldn't be completely tossed either. "You're right, but I'll still have to consider it. Though considering we have a lack of leader types..." she shrugged again. "We'll see, I suppose. Whatever ends up happening, I'll be behind the computer anyway, still feeding information."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 14:38:12
"Who says I don't know Tim's an asset ?" He said a touch sneakily, then pulled back on his goggles.
"Wait until you actually get some yeses before you start planning the leadership hierarchy, Barbara."
He pointed to a second blow-torch. "But for now, help me weld this door together."
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 14:45:06
Babs smiled and shook her head fondly before moving over to the table and putting on a pair of heavy gloves and slipping the goggles over her eyes. "You know, Clark could most likely get out of this if he really wanted to." She wasn't a downer. She was a realist. A realist without any kryptonite.
She picked up the blow-torch, and moved over next to Bruce. "Tim... I wanted to ask you about him as well. Actually, both he and Max. And Jason for the matter. But first Tim. I was wondering when you were planning on sending him to school? We talked about this before, but I think you've stalled long enough."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 14:51:15
Kal-el could get out of there if it was a cage. But it wasn't meant to be. And he also wasn't likely to be there completely alone, some of the time. But Bruce didn't bring it up.
If no one else had thought through what it meant for Superman to end up in this City; maybe it was for the best. At least as far as potential enemies were concerned.
"I had hoped to get to know him better first. Let him know me. But, he seems recovered enough that you can talk to him yourself about going back to school. But let him know I'm more than happy for him to have tutors until the proper beginning of term."
He glanced her way and nodded, turning on the torch and going back to welding. "As for Jason, " There was a sudden tension in his shoulders. "Have you found him ?"
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 15:50:18
"I've seen signs of him, nothing definite, but signs." Babs turned on her own torch, and started in on the two pieces needing to be fixed together. "As for Tim, I'll accept the tutors, so long as he's learning something." She grinned briefly at Bruce before her expression turned serious again.
"How're he and Max doing otherwise?"
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 15:58:39
"I wouldn't know." Bruce responded stiffly. "I don't ask." And he didn't look, and he didn't communicate and he mostly didn't think about Maxine at all if he didn't have to.
The torch turned up higher and hotter, a sign that this was a subject Bruce would rather leave off.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 16:06:01
Babs frowned. He wouldn't know? Were things still that bad? And did that really mean that she would have to bring up the disturbing, yet important, information she'd discovered?
"Oh, well... so, you didn't know that Max apparently went to the doctor's at some point?"
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 16:07:49
Bruce turned, eyes cold. "Is she pregnant, diseased or trying to avoid both ?" the torch wuffed as if hit with a chilling breeze.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 16:16:37
Babs caught the sarcasm in his voice, but still wondered if he knew more than he was letting on. "Actually, I did find birth control in her room. I didn't stop to look for a morning after pill." She hoped Bruce caught her own sarcasm attached to the last remark.
She looked over at him seriously. "You didn't know?"
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 16:22:09
"I give her room and board and I've promised to pay for her college education. I'm glad to know I won't also have to add childcare." His eyes flashed for a moment. Hard but haunted.
"We don't speak, Barbara. If she'll talk to you, then..." He shrugged. "Perhaps you could offer her a place to stay ?"
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 16:28:08
"Why? Because you don't want to try and talk to her? When was the last time you talked? After you caught her coming in? Have you tried?" She asked. Her voice was neutral, unpatronising. "She's not stupid, that much is obvious. But I get the feeling she's not used to this... to having to report back everything to an adult, or to the feeling of an encompasing family. It would be the same staying with me. Shunting her to the side isn't going to solve the problem."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 16:49:16
There was silence. Long loud silence, filled with the sudden relighting of the blow-torch, and gentle pings from a hammer and Bruce's controlled breathing.
There was a set to his shoulders and spine that said 'No talking until I'm ready' and he expected anyone he'd trained to know it and respect it.
The silence grew and Bruce thought. Finally, he spoke.
"She lost my trust, Barbara." Which meant he didn't think he was the right person to talk to her, but he agreed that there was a problem and leaving it alone wouldn't be wise.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 17:02:59
"She's a teenager, Bruce," Babs said, shaking her head. She didn't know how else to stress this. "A teenager. They do stupid things. They're supposed to. How many stunts did Dick and I pull? There were times when you were completely fed up with us. And Tim, Tim has done his share of stupid things. We all have. What's so different about this?"
She held up a hand, staving off Bruce for the moment. "I know that what she did was kind of big for a first offence, but not talking to her to the point where you don't know that she'd got birth control? Bruce, that can't be good. You said that that guy she's seeing was twelve years older than her."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 17:10:39
"I knew you." He answered quietly. Calm to her inner frustration. "I could predict what you would or wouldn't do, how far you would go. And you never did stupid things. Misguided." He said, eyes going above her head slightly to where the ears of her cowl would have been. "But not stupid."
"She's an unknown and she doesn't want to be known." He paused, however, remembering Ted's words. A Batman who didn't listen. An apathetic J'onn J'onzz. A jaded, angry, Kal-el.
"Invite us for dinner. I'll go." If Barbara offered neutral ground, he would make the attempt. But even Alfred had been giving him space about this, and Alfred rarely let anything go.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/05/2006 17:22:26
"I will then," Babs said, still looking seriously at him. "I will. All I'm saying is that teens can't be left to raise themselves, and essentially, that's what she's doing right now. Might not be what she wants, but it's what she needs. You don't want to push her away, which is what's going to end up happening."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/05/2006 17:27:34
"Tell me what happened with Dick." He said in a soft but determined voice. He knew that they might all have forgotten he'd been aware of the touch of strain during the initial meeting.
And they also tended to forget he was watching, learning, putting the pieces together. And in this case, Barbara was trying desperately to stave off the repeat of something.