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Tweak says, "SOOOOOOOOOOUL PUNCH!!"

Zoe Washburne (warrior_woman) wrote in we_coexist,
@ 2011-02-03 22:16:00

Entry tags:

alfred pennyworth, dinah lance, zoe washburne

But who watches the Tower? (open to Dinah)
The place was dark, as if no one had been there for a while. It wasn't that it was dirty, just empty. Alfred was probably here, somewhere, but then, he lived in the manor, not here in the Wayne Industries building. Then again, he could have an apartment all his own, which would have been fine.

Zoe Washburne worked in Wayne Industries Security department. She'd insisted on taking the tests and doing the paperwork. Alfred had made the suggestions, and she had insisted they follow those suggestions. She was an official employee. It gave her a reason to come in everyday. She was placed quickly in a consultant/special needs position, and was then left alone. She drew a normal check, but Zoe didn't want for anything. She had Bruce Wayne's backing, even if it was a secret backing that only his most loyal man, Alfred, knew about.

As soon as she'd gotten away from the Strange man, she'd headed to "work." Just a flash of the badge, and she was in. The ride to the floor wasn't exactly short, but it wasn't all the way at the top. Said floor was devoted to her reign as the Batman: gym, gear, sauna, sanctuary, even a small living area should she feel the need to hideout. The floor was one of many, and the area near the elevator looked like any other reception area. The area was large enough to keep from feeling claustrophobic, but not enough to make people feel that homey or to take up too much room. The receptionists were rotated, so that they never really knew what was going on. They'd first been handpicked by Alfred, and then met Zoe for final choice. It was a good gig with very good benefits. After watching footage and reading up on the previous Batman(s)'s existence, Zoe had decided that any civilian, even if they were City drones, who had to work or live around her, who was in her life, would be looked after. There was much too much collateral damage for her liking; yes, even for her.

"I see you're out, madam." Alfred appeared as if from nowhere, and just his presence made the large space more comfortable. Zoe was becoming to regard the man as more than useful, and at the moment, he really was her closest friend or at least a very important ally. "You look well."

"Thank you, Alfred. I'll get cleaned up, and then you can tell me what I've missed." Zoe took a few steps then stopped. "Alfred, did anyone show up? Any of the names?"

"I'm sorry, madam, but no." Alfred didn't seem shocked when Zoe actually looked relieved. "In fact, some of the names have been removed." There was a nod and a slight smile. "Good."

Zoe knew if she had been Bruce, Alfred might have joined her to discuss what had happened since her unfortunate incarceration, but Alfred was a gentleman. She appreciated this, even if it meant she had to wait for information. He was a man who lived by a certain degree, a certain air of dignity that very few men seemed to have these days. She'd felt it around the Shepherd, and this was both a comfort and a sad reminder. She'd take what she could from it.

Once she was out, Alfred gave her what information he could. Even he was unsure of how long she'd been in Arkham, and he told her exactly what the place was. She'd read a little about it in her research, but getting it from him helped. She nodded now and then while she ate a little. Soon, it was time to start the patrol, getting used to the suit again. As she was putting it on, Alfred decided to share information that she wasn't suspecting.

"Madam...Zoe, there may be a problem, or an issue you'd like to look into. There is a place called the Watch Tower; it is a hold over from Gotham, and was used by a remarkably gifted young woman Barbara Gordon." There was a hint of sadness and pride with this announcement, and Zoe was somewhat familiar with the name. "I believe it may have been a functioning facility previously in the City but had gone dormant. Now, it seems to be active. As far as I know Barbara is not among the citizens."

"Thank you, Alfred." Zoe gave him an understanding and genuine smile. "You have any idea what this place looks like or where it may be?" The second half of the question wasn't an exact pinpoint location as much as what she could look for to find it. Alfred nodded, already sliding the thin computer tablet over to her. Her fingers moved over the screen, this technology closer to one she was used to, and she read what she could.

"Don't wait up." It was a small joke as Zoe headed for the secret exit, pulling on her gloves and helmet. She knew Alfred would be monitoring her through the suit. It still had a few bugs, and she was returning to the streets after a very unpleasant stay away. Now all she had to do was find this gorram place.

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i_crylikeabird
2011-02-04 04:38 am UTC (link)

The City still felt... empty to Dinah. Sure, there were people just about everywhere. But no familiar faces. She'd ridden around on her motorcycle in an attempt at patrol, but hadn't seen anything unusual. She still needed some sort of notification system. She still couldn't quite trust that Barbara's computer would continue sending alerts and that it hadn't just been a one time thing with the bank robbery.

For that matter, she didn't trust a computer to be able to discern when and where she was needed. A computer with someone behind the computer? Sure, but the computer alone... Well, Dinah never had liked computers after all.

After her meeting with Fred, she had looked for a store to buy some sort of police scanner to no luck.

Now it occurred to her that Barbara used to have a few portable scanners around the Clock Tower-they served as a nice back-up in the unlikely instance that there was a computer malfunction.

Dinah had no idea if the City's version of the Clock tower would oblige her, but it was worth a shot. She parked the motorcycle in front of the tower and took the elevator up. The doors opened on the Clock tower and Dinah held her breath, as though Barbara or Helena or anyone might be in there.

If only. She stepped out into a deserted control room and sighed. No, of course not.

Well, the least she could do was search for that police scanner. Dinah headed towards a cabinet where Barbara kept all sorts of electronic hardware and started the search.

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warrior_woman
2011-02-04 06:16 am UTC (link)

The suit hid who she was; it obscured her female curves, her voice, and even her height. It hid who she was underneath, save for being one Big Damn Hero. Alfred had put in a few enhancements that upped the level of her physical performance without chemical assistance; though, if she'd known it were possible to have such in the suit, she might have asked for it. Or been tempted anyway.

It had taken her longer than she would have liked to find the place, but with limited curses, a few of which Alfred made cough to remind her that he was listening in over the comms her first time back out and to remind her he did know more than how to butle, or serve, Zoe had settled down on a ledge. She didn't truck with the usual cowl, and she was pushing through Alfred to get something akin to a mule with a better height and speed range rather than something stuck on the ground.

A press of a button, and she was looking out of the mask with naked eyes. It was easier to gauge the distance, or seemed that way.

"Madam..." came the expected voice over the comms.

"Shr ah."* She sighed as she pressed the button returning to the still uncomfortable vidscreen within the helmet. The distance was figured at all times. "I know. Thank you, Alfred." Somehow she said that with little sarcasm.

Looking at the readout one more time, she shifted on the ledge before taking a leap of faith. Faith in the suit, faith in Alfred, and faith in herself. She caught the ledge on the other side of the "gulf" between buildings with only a soft grunt; she was going to have to get back in better shape. Her time away had made her soft. It didn't take her long to find purchase, and soon she was on the ledge and heading to the exit Alfred was certain existed. Getting in here was even easier than finding the place, but that wasn't saying much.

Unfortunately...it seemed someone was home.

* "Yes."

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i_crylikeabird
2011-02-04 10:35 pm UTC (link)

Dinah looked up in surprise as the elevator dinged and the doors opened-minus the alarm that should have sounded with an intruder. As far as she knew, there was no one else in the City who should even have access to this place.

Her eyes lit up as she caught sight of a familiar black shape, from the pointed ears to the cape.

"Batman. You're here!"

Fred had mentioned Wayne Industries but not meeting Bruce Wayne, and Dinah had just assumed that he wasn't here, but apparently she had assumed wrong.

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warrior_woman
2011-02-05 01:42 am UTC (link)

The Batman, the current one, paused, heading tilting a little. The ears on the helmet weren't quite as high as other incarnations, but the body looked firm, even if it was more of an exoskeleton shaped to resemble a man's form. It was possibly a little thinner than previous Batmen, but it did look formidable. Alfred and Zoe had worked hard getting just the right measurements and lines.

"Madam, I believe that is Dinah Lance. Black Canary." Alfred quickly filled in a gap that was missing in Zoe's knowledge. It was a very good thing that he'd been willing to help, insisted in his own way.

"Black Canary." Dinah had greeted with a code name, so this made sense. "Didn't realize you were in the City." Zoe stood there, looking slowly around.

"Madam, she worked with Barbara Gordon. Batgirl, then Oracle. Barbara was responsible for the Tower." Alfred was trying to be helpful, but Zoe was quickly realizing she was going to need to have another discussion with him about the "Madam" business. She also realized she'd have more files to read while working out.

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i_crylikeabird
2011-02-05 01:53 am UTC (link)

"Just got here." Something was off about the Batman... whether it was the movements or the manner of speaking. If she didn't know better, she would think that it had taken him a moment to recognize her.

But then again, there was no telling how long he'd been here, or what time period he was even from.

Out of respect for Bruce, she would never call him by his first name while he was in the costume, but it was hard not to. Hard not to be sure she had the right Batman.

"How long have you been here? Is there anyone else here I should know about?" she asked him, hoping to receive good news about other friends and allies, though fearing who might else have come into the City that actually might belong in Arkham.

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warrior_woman
2011-02-05 02:03 am UTC (link)

Batman nodded slightly, quickly pushing the awkward aside. This wasn't the time to wonder if she was doing it right or wrong. Batman acted. Zoe had to act. She didn't move to embrace Dinah.

"Not long." It wasn't a complete lie. "You, me. Possibly Joker and Harley Quinn." Alfred was busy feeding Zoe information, and she was quickly becoming accustomed to having his voice going as well as talking. "Not many."

Zoe's head turned slightly. A name. She remembered a name. She'd have to look over the files, and she was going to have to kick someone very hard for her not remembering it sooner. Not making the connection. Had she actually talked to one of these masked, suit wearing dogooder vigilantes before Bruce Wayne had approached her? She had to bite her lip to keep from cursing in Chinese. That wouldn't be a complete give away; Bruce Wayne knew quite a few languages after all.

"Anymore than that, they haven't come in from the cold. The City looking after you?" Batman started to move again; fluid, possibly not the same fluidity, but that could be explained - different time, age.

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i_crylikeabird
2011-02-05 02:25 am UTC (link)

"The Joker and Harley Quinn?" Dinah repeated. "Damnit," she muttered to herself.

The Joker was always the worst Gotham had to offer. Give him his right hand woman and a confined area such as the City and there was no telling what he and Harley might do.

"Well, it put me in Arkham when I first got sucked in. But then I found the Clock tower when I got out, and the City gave me a flower shop and a place to live. I guess you could say it's taking care of me, abduction and false imprisonment aside, of course. It seemed like a lot of people who didn't belong in there were somehow pulled into Arkham. And then they were just released... no questions asked." Dinah paused, thinking. "Just makes me wonder where they put the people who actually belonged in Arkham while they were keeping all of us."

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warrior_woman
2011-02-05 03:11 am UTC (link)

"The inmates were probably kept inside, as well." Batman paused in front of display. Alfred had grown quiet. This place, not that he'd been there probably, but it reminded him of Barbara, of all the ones who'd come and gone. Zoe understood, not that she ever had to deal with multiple versions of her people, but she understood being left behind.

"Are you thinking of using the Tower again?" Batman looked at the Black Canary. She was young.

"Madam, may I suggest that you not tell her what she should or shouldn't do?" Alfred probably understood these crime fighters better than anyone, whether he'd met them personally or not. Zoe wanted to kill the comms, but she didn't know when she might need him again.

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i_crylikeabird
2011-02-05 03:49 am UTC (link)

"Let's hope they weren't released in the flurry of releases," Dinah said. That could pose quite a lot of problems to be cleaned up. But then again, cleaning up problems was Dinah's specialty.

"Only if I can find the right person to operate B-Oracle's computer," Dinah said. "Otherwise, I would only use the supplies left in the Tower. Were you... I mean, have you been using the tower?"

Bruce had paid for everything to furnish the Clock Tower after all, so if he had a problem with Dinah using it, well... she'd just have to find another base of operations.

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warrior_woman
2011-02-06 02:11 am UTC (link)

"If they did, they will be returned." It was matter of fact. Either Dinah or Batman would do it, but it would happen all the same. If not these two, then someone else would want to keep the crazies off the streets, even if who and what was crazy was under question.

"Or you could operate them." Yes, Batman had just said that, and before Dinah or Alfred could comment on Dinah's apparent lack of skills, Batman completed the thought. "Why depend on someone else when they are likely to disappear without a notice? It does happen, especially in the City." So, Batman had definitely been here long enough to not want to depend on anyone.

"No, I haven't been using it." There was no added information in that its existence was rather new to this Batman.

"Madam, Master Bruce financed the Tower..."

"But, if there is anything you need..." A hand lifted slightly to motion at the space, suggesting all she needed was to ask for it. "The funding is still available." She wasn't going to yank anything away, not if she didn't have to.

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i_crylikeabird
2011-02-06 02:36 am UTC (link)

"You're the second person to suggest that today," Dinah responded, trying to keep the frustration in her voice to a minimum.

When she'd signed on with Barbara, the deal had always been that she wouldn't go near a computer. Strategies, combat, reading people-all of that was her forte, but computers? Not so much.

Then again, Batman had a point. Obviously Barbara had been here and left. Even assuming that she came back, there was no guarantee that she-or anyone else who might attempt to fill her role-would come back. It was a depressing thought, but a sound argument.

"But you make a good point. I'll... have to think about how best to use the Clock tower and go from there. In the meantime, I'm just trying to do as much as I can to help here. If there's anything..." She trailed off, realizing it was silly to say out loud. If there's anything you need... honestly, the Batman she knew would never just state that he 'needed' help from someone else. Sure, he was good at working with teammates when necessary, but stating that he needed something? Less so.

"Well, at any rate, you know how to find me, if I'm needed. And thank you," she said, in reference to the offer of funding. "I'm going to see what I can do with what's here, but I may have to take you up on that. It's appreciated."

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warrior_woman
2011-02-06 02:50 am UTC (link)

Batman nodded. Zoe relaxed in the suit; it didn't show in the stance, but Alfred could tell from the readouts. This had been a test. While she might not have passed it with flying colors, it was over, for now.

"You're welcome. Contact me if you need anything." Batman turned and started for the exit, and then paused. "It is good to know there are others out there to fight the fight." Perhaps it wasn't something Bruce Wayne would say, but there was something to knowing you weren't alone. While Dinah was in a way very much alone - Zoe would not come to the Tower without the suit on not for a long while - Dinah was not alone in that there was a Batman out there fighting with her, even if it was a different Batman.

There were no other parting words. The Batman just left. Dinah could find whatever she was looking for. Zoe hadn't come to take anything; she just wanted to know why the place was up and running again. She had to know if there were those who might cause problems for her in the future; she needed to know that they were more allies than not. Never knew who was using a base until you checked it out; they'd been reminded of that back when they went to see Mr. Universe. She wasn't going to be caught off guard like that again.

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