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Post by Oracle on Feb 5, 2012 17:02:17 GMT -8
Submerged in a sea of emerald green from the cascading glow of her computer monitors, Barbara Gordon's alter form had taken over.
Tonight Oracle was making herself useful.
Not only were the internal circuits of the world-wide network abuzz with curious tidbits, but the streets of Gotham were equally so.
"Connect Misfit..." she breathed into her headset.
It had been a while since she had spoken with her protege and honestly hoped she still had her emergency communicator on.
As she was waiting for the connection to go through, she ran a quick trace on the device.
A small map of Gotham City popped up on her left monitor with a homing becon light flickering on and off in the general location that the device was broadcasting from.
She arched an eyebrow, curiously.
The signal was actually pretty close to her location. Maybe a mile or so away. "Good to know it's still working..." she muttered to herself.
Escaping back into her mind she couldn't help but picture Nygma's unconsciously-slumped body in a box.
A small grin crossed her face.
It really was a thoughtful gift to the GCPD. It was almost trademark to what she would end up doing back when she was running around as Batgirl.
--click--!
'Did the connection just patch through?' she furrowed her brow. If it wasn't Charlie on the other end, she knew what she would have to do. 'Better test the waters first...'
She blinked, her computer synthesized voice coming through the other end. "Hello...?"
She waited again. her mind going back to Nygma.
But WHO would *do* that?
It certainly couldn't have been one of Nygma's friends.
No. Certainly not.
It had to have been a friendly.
Technically, she didn't have the same rules as Batman.
{If you're in my city you need to ask my permission.}
But in this case? It might have made things a tad bit easier.
No matter.
"Whoever left him left me with a box full of Questions..." she muttered, poking a familiar Batgirl beanie in the chest.
........
Questions!
Could that have been the eureka moment?!?
Perhaps.
Time for a quick cross-reference...
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Question
Junior Member
There are always questions.
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Post by Question on Feb 5, 2012 17:20:07 GMT -8
As expected it would appear my 'drop' at GCPD Central got her attention or at the very least made her aware of my presence. Of course I was aiming for subtlety when delivering Nygma back into the waiting cuffs of Detectives Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen. He is already on his way back to Arkham Asylum most likely. Now its a matter of will she want to meet face to face or will there be intermedaries like one of her 'Birds'.
Other unaccounted for villains who are Gotham regulars either from Arkham or Blackgate are still out there. Then there's the matter of Bat Family members gone dark as well as Birds who have gone dark too. An attack on one is an attack on all, surely Oracle more than others must see the conspiracy in these disappearances.
As patient as I am, I rather get going, so do I wait or keep looking?
I turn the key and start driving through what's officially known as Park Row and its more infamous name Crime Alley. Not far from the Monarch is where Bruce Wayne saw his parents murdered in front of him. There are many questions and perhaps the worst of it likely bore into Bruce's mind in the decades to follow. Perhaps none more persistent than all the whys that must be kept in check.
In the distance is the GCPD Central with its inactive Bat Signal.
Crime is on the rise and all the pieces are in motion.
Somewhere a countdown is ticking yet what happens when it hits zero?
It is too early to tell and there is much to do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- My cell hums. Caller Unknown.
Strange.
"Hello?"
Connection isn't great. Another conspiracy detail is that cell phone reception isn't really as bad as said, the companies as fronts to the Illuminati divide the reception areas amongst themselves. To keep the companies competing for customers and to promote those ridiculous Can You Hear Me Now type commercials.
I attempt to triangulate the caller's location with a reverse trace program in my laptop though if it is who I think it is then I'll hit firewalls within seconds or even less than that.
Her skills are virtually unmatched and that is the way it needs to be now more than ever before.
So is it you? Oracle?
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Post by Oracle on Feb 5, 2012 17:41:12 GMT -8
The information that she weeded through didn't turn up much save for few random articles with highlighted keywords popping up.
Most of them stemming from conspiracy theories.
And THAT. Was all she needed to attempt to patch through another call.
Hearing the sound a faint beep, Barbara's eye ran along her screen.
Her second line was active... only... the signal was weakened.
"That's a problem...." she said rubbing her chin before typing in a few commands. "...not for long...!" It only took her a fraction of a second to ensure the signal's strength was not only amplified, but encrypted as well.
Pfft.
One had to be stupid to think that any incoming or outgoing transmission coming from her command center wasn't protected.
The incoming transmission cleared up as a very identifiable male voice pattern came though.
{Voice print confirmed.} her system chimed.
Excellent.
"Was that present for me?" she cooed, over the com-line.
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Question
Junior Member
There are always questions.
Posts: 87
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Post by Question on Feb 5, 2012 17:53:06 GMT -8
"Didn't your father always say 'don't you just love he gift wraps them for you?'"
Of course I knew Gordon meant that about Batman, not me, I think the Commissioner had years upon years of experience to find humor in the things Batman did. At least when it came to having the criminals back in custody. Such as the case of one Jacob Feely, one might call Feely a precursor to Noah Kuttler.
"So to answer your question... yes... you could call it a gift for you."
He couldn't remember the last time a woman have ever cooed in his ear, even through a cell phone that is.
"I heard about Batman... about Bruce... and then there's the disappearances since then that are troubling to say the least."
As I thought, its her, but how could it be anyone else?
I had come to admire and respect her. Barbara Gordon is a peer to many and the agents that were her 'Birds' would attest to this belief. Many have learned the mistake of crossing or messing with her because her Birds will inevitably make them regret such mistakes in short oder.
"I imagine you must feel alone in more ways than one. So it would be time to reach out to others who are still here because we need you as much you need us. It is not hard to imagine what's been going through your mind since it happened."
I try to avoid sounding condescending or give pittance. It wouldn't help anything to sound either way now.
"I also read about what the Archer's been up to in these parts."
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Post by Oracle on Feb 5, 2012 18:12:09 GMT -8
A small smile crept upon her cheek with the mention of her father. The relationship that him and Batman shared was.... different. No one else in the GCPD wouldn't dare even get close.
Well...
Bullock and Montoya were runners' up, but still.
It didn't compare.
"I haven't received such an intriguing present in quite a while. I'll cherish this one."
Something told her that her remark would probably come off as sarcastic through the synthesized voice.
Nothing she could do about that.
If anything, it amused her internally.
The hidden pain from within seemed to have scratched it's way to the surface.
Another painful reminder and the harsh reality that He really was gone.
Others knew it.
Others were feeling it.
She was still having issues of coming to grips with it herself. And yet... Question seemed to have picked up on that... even though he hadn't been face-to-face with her... or spoken to her in a while.
"Are you sure you don't have any psychic powers there, Q? I think you're hiding something from me."
Humor. An obvious dodge to avoid the real matter at hand.
And yet, he brought up another point.
The Emerald Archer.
"Good to see my eye isn't the only one catching up on key points of articles concerning with green. And arrows."
She paused. "Is... that why you're here? Taking a... special interest?"
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Question
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There are always questions.
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Post by Question on Feb 5, 2012 19:51:10 GMT -8
Her synthetic voice takes the sound ouf of it. He couldn't read through the voice, but the words will tell him things just the same. Let's just say her last meeting with her father didn't go unnoticed by many including him. The usual warmth was there yet they hardly spoke of their respective jobs. They took solace in each other's company. The father-daughter bond sustains them yet the loss of Batman affects both.
The Gordons and the Bat Family were blue bloods so to speak. Only to borrow a notion that you would have probably have heard from the lips of Helena Bertinelli and Huntress - she is still not entirely welcome within the Bat Family. However the Huntress found another home, another family with Oracle and her fellow Birds. Just as Black Canary did and Misfit among others.
He had been watching them for a long time just as he had been watching others for a long time. He didn't have a Rogues' Gallery like some of the other heroes did like Batman, Superman, or even Green Arrow.
Merlyn really did a number on him and Star City.
"One doesn't need psychic powers to see your pain, your suffering, Gotham limps on, and her watchers are night creatures of habit. You stick to what you know, what you do, and wonder how you'll get through this."
No luck tracing her signal yet that didn't surprise him. If he could find her location with a tracer than anyone could especially Noah and he couldn't allow that to happen. Gotham has already lost so much including Batman and Bruce Wayne.
She pauses during her next questions. Even with a synthesizer, he reads hesitation in her words. With little to pull herself up, she is looking for a sign that her faith in other heroes and heroines is not misplaced. That she won't lose anyone else yet when someone like Batman falls... it resonates. You can't get away from it because Batman is synonymous with Gotham City.
He couldn't put words to his being here.
"If you want to think of it like that, you wouldn't be far from the truth, but I'm not entirely sure of my motives here. Only that I suspect that you are in danger... that your allies are in danger. Things have been moving quickly in the criminal and supercriminal underworld."
Could he really voice suspicions about other cities' Rogues and Noah to her?
"Some have left their home cities like me... like Arrow... others are off-the-grid entirely. As for Rogues of other cities, they are on the move too."
He draws the conversation out because Oracle has already had enough bad news in recent times so why add it to?
Still she must be told, whatever this is... must be head-on.
"Some who espouse the reformed citizen act aren't quite what they appear to be, but then I'm known for being suspicious and mistrustful."
Why didn't he just say it?
"I think the potential mastermind or architect to the current web of dangers to you lies with Noah Kuttler."
Would she believe him?
He said it, he believes it, but then he doesn't have irrefutable proof as of yet. Only that Kuttler or someone associated with Kuttler has been the last in contact with several villains from Star City, Keystone City, Metropolis, Bludhaven, and beyond.
There really wasn't anyone worth going to in Hub City and besides he had personal reasons that he wasn't ready to discuss with anyone for leaving there.
He couldn't answer his own questions, but he would do the utmost to answer others' wherever... whenever possible.
"Call this a.... walkabout."
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Misfit
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Misfit In Action
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Post by Misfit on Feb 6, 2012 14:40:59 GMT -8
The Artist Formerly Known as Misfit has hit a rut.
At least, that's what she calls it. Charlotte Gag-Radcliffe hasn't hit the streets as Misfit in weeks. It wasn't due to a lack of crime, considering that it was Gotham City and all, but it was more due to the fact that she was a small fish in a big pond. Well, that's not quite right...it's more to the fact that she saw Gotham as a huge, giant, omega sized pond, and she was a plankton dressed as a fish. Despite being close to Oracle, she was never first in line for any of the big missions, and now with people like the Arrow guy and that dude without a face, Charlie felt that she may never be needed again...
At that exact moment, Charlie was stepping out of the downtown movie theater, coming out of "The Return of the Gray Ghost", a movie that she had already seen about six times. It wasn't that it was a good movie. She just desperately needed something to occupy her time. Mosfit's Official YouSpace.com page hasn't been touched in ages, her die hard fans (all three of them) actually beginning to think that she had died in battle. It was depressing, but what was she supposed to post?
"Hai guys! Still here, jst benched. Any1 know of any crime 2 fight? Getting all b0red. WTF? lol."
Yeah right.
Still, as Charlie lifted her head, looking up at the clocktower, that same tower that not only watches the city below, but not too long ago she considered as a second home, she could only sigh, wishing that things could have gone back to the way that they were.
However, Charlie's eyes suddenly find themselves lighting up like the Bat-signal when the familiar buzzer begins to sound in her earpiece comlink. Despite not having much action, she still wore it everyday, dedicating herself to always be ready for a mission, even if the mission wasn't ready for her. She couldn't help but smirk, almost squeling in delight as she dashes down into the theater's conjoining alley, taking cover as she presses the button on the comlink to accept Oracle's transmission.
"Oracle, is that you? I can't believe it! It seems like it's been ages! Has something come up? Do you need me to suit up? I can bounce to my dorm, grab my costume, and be there in a---"
All Charlie could hear was static, an unfamiliar sound considering Oracle's advanced tech.
"...Hello? Oracle? Do you copy?"
Still nothing but static.
Charlie was beginning to worry. Not only was it strage for Oracle to contact her out of the blue, but it was strange for any of her equipment to be malfunctioning. Something had to be wrong.
Remembering rule number one (your identity is the most important thing in the world), Charlie bounced back to her dorm, quickly suiting up into her Misfit costume (she had it down to 45 seconds) and immediatly bounced back to the Clocktower,suddenly appearing directly behind Barbara, mid-conversation with The Question.
"Hey, Boss. Um....you rang?"
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Question
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There are always questions.
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Post by Question on Feb 6, 2012 15:21:07 GMT -8
I hear a second voice through Oracle's synthetic filter. The words suggest it might be Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe aka Misfit. This is a relief insofar as thinking one less to account for within the Birds roster. He recalls that Oracle's last base was within an *old clocktower dating back to the era where gas lamps* were still commonly in use on street level. Gotham City is a centuries old place yet it is architecture remains imposing down through the centuries.
Undoubtedly the principal enemies of Batman who are out of Arkham still are holed up somewhere in the city. They are as tied to Gotham as their late enemy Batman. Representations of a city's multiple facets to put it psychologically. Next on his list of potentially missing Gotham City rogues is Scarecrow and he didn't particularly look forward to how he might have to fight a man who thinks himself fear incarnate.
Riddler was just the beginning, the others were testing the waters so to speak in order to draw out allies and associates of Batman. They sense the off-balance and eager to press the advantage.
Still I keep the line open waiting for her next words yet my compunction to wait is fading steadily.
Compulsive behavioral tendencies was a description attributed to him by others, but then that was never quite the way the late Professor Rodor thought when offering him the opportunity to field test the faceless masks for which Question had become known for. He felt increasingly ineffective as a someone who works news and some networks nowadays are cyclic. Same footage... over and over.
He got his news from reading, both actual newspapers and their digital counterparts.
So he told Oracle his presence here is a walkabout and perhaps the most accurate... precise description to give her. Still the conversation is no longer just them with Misfit there hearing what was said, but he had no way of knowing how much she heard. What else to say or rather think outside him being a private person.
His silence is habit though this walkabout could serve as a learning experience about actually working with Oracle's Birds including Misfit.
Some used to call him Charlie, some still do, and others call him Vic. Otherwise he is the Question. --------------------------------- *description is a nod to the Elseworlds story Gotham by Gaslight*
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Post by Oracle on Feb 6, 2012 22:37:24 GMT -8
The silence of the tower was suddenly filled with another voice booming through her speakers.
Charlie's voice came though so clear through her speakers that Barbara could have sworn that the girl was within the confines of her flat.
Barbara leaned her head back in her chair and tilted her head. Allowing her red locks to fall back away from her ear.
'It's amazing what a new upgraded sound system will do. ' she marveled in thought.
It was almost as if her voice were appearing out of thin air-- though... in a way it was.
A new prototype she was able to get her hands on basically allowed sound to carry from any surrounding air particle. The displacement of the soundwaves echo and reverberated in such a way to give the result of a crystal clear sound that seemed to resonate from all directions.
If anything, she thought it could come in handy if her little fort ended up getting infiltrated....
A small smile crept over her face. "Good girl." It seemed that Charlie still had her link. WHICH was working. And remained active.
She patched back through to to Charlie. It also seemed that the connection was coming back secure. She couldn't help but grin as she listened to her. "It's good to hear your voice. And yes actually.. I do have something I could really use your help on... if you're not too busy?"
Upon waiting for an answer she switched links back to Question. "If you can read me that well, it's looking like I might have to invest in a lock and key." She was attempting to throw a bit of light-hearted humor into the matter.
Though, it could have been easily seen as yet another attempt to dodge the 'It's okay to mourn' card.
She did do her mourning though. Despite her still not wanting to believe it... here was reality with a fresh cup of 'Nice to meet you.'
"A walkabout with a very interesting card being played. You think.... we're in danger?"
If it was one thing... she knew never to dismiss Question's claims.... EVER.
He may have had a cooky way about going about things. And sometimes his thoughts were an organized jumble of perplexing editions that no one seemed to make heads or tails of.
She paused a moment.
Calculator?
The last time she 'checked up' on Kuttler he was... being a "good boy."
But, of course, she knew better.
After all. Her greatest nemesis being "good" was basically like saying that you weren't going to get pelted by an asteroid while standing idly by in the Kuiper Belt.....at SOME point.
And Noah...?
BOY was he EVER the asteroid.
She groaned at the thought. "Are.... you avaliable to discuss this furth--"
And again!
Her beautiful speakers came though.
Charlie's voice was as bright as ever. However... this time... she heard movement-- that definitely wasn't her own.
Turning quickly, she blinked, muting her connection with Question.
Barbara couldn't believe her eyes.
"Charlie...?"
Sometimes, she had to wonder if that girl had a drop of speedster blood in her.
"I think.. that has got to be the greatest response time yet." She turned back to the blinking dot she had been monitoring that WAS Charlie's com-line signal. Sure enough, it was right where it was supposed to be....
A few feet away.
"I was kind of hoping you could do a little bit of recon for me..."
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Misfit
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Misfit In Action
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Post by Misfit on Feb 6, 2012 22:55:15 GMT -8
Misfit couldn't stop smiling.
It had been weeks since she had seen her mentor (seemingly weeks since ANYONE needed her) and just the idea that she, in this 'Darker Time' in Gotham city could be needed for something made her night.
Just looking at Barbara's smile took her breath away. Charlie would be the first person to admit that she totally had a hetero-crush on Barbara, or 'Hero Worship' as the kids used to call it, but it was highly justified. Barbara Gordon was her hero. It wasn't Batgirl, or even Oracle. It was the woman behind the glasses that made Charlie want to give herself to the world of capes and costumes. The way Charlie felt about Barbara was unmistakeable. She would go anywhere for her mentor. She would do anything for her mentor. No questions asked. The rest of the world could worship Batman for as long as they wanted to. Charlie has Barbara Gordon.
A color of blush immediatly etched on Misfit's cheeks, just below her mask. Hearing a compliment from her hero was always a blessing.
"Yeah...heh...thanks, Boss. I've been practicing lately. Alot. Really seems like the only thing I can do anymore..."
Charlie was slowly finding her mindset switching back to the lonely, depressed place it had been in lately, due to her lack of action. But here she was, in the big leagues. The Den of Oracle. Home of the Birds of Prey. Epicenter of the entire hero community. She had to dig down, and bury the secret, hidden anger that she has been feeling latelly. Charlie had to 'bounce' out for a while, bcause Misfit was back, and Misfit had work.
"Recon?"
Her smile grew even wider, taking all of Misfit's strength not to break down into a pure giggle fit.
"Oh, um...*ahem*...yeah, totally! I'd be happy to. Where do you need me?"
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Question
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There are always questions.
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Post by Question on Feb 7, 2012 4:31:26 GMT -8
Oracle's sense of humor still in play yet there is recognition in the signs of recent developments. At least she's open to believing my suspicion about her nemesis Calculator despite the probable deception Noah Kuttler is pulling with his likely corporate front. One of several unknowns include who is contacting the Rogues on his behalf if not him and besides doing it directly risks one of them fingering him if they are caught.
So who are they? Also where are the various Rogues now?
Arrow and myself have made our presence known, but this is only the beginning. The list is considerable both in liaisons and contracts. Even with Misfit's unexpected arrival interrupting our first conversation in ages, I already know the answer to her query of availability.
"Your place or somewhere suitably private at a public venue... less chances of eavesdropping by Noah or someone working for him."
He made his opening statementand now left cross examination to her.
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Post by Oracle on Feb 7, 2012 21:44:31 GMT -8
Spinning back to her computer array, Barbara re-established the com-link transmission with Question. "I.. would prefer my location."
Pulling up a command prompt, she typed in a series of commands. "You should be receiving a series set of coordinates. Just follow them... I'll... take care of the rest."
The only way he would be able to get up to her flat would be if she let him in. And this time?
Poofing into her little 'Fort Knox' just wasn't an option if you weren't in her databanks.
Scanners and other security measures were a must in this day and age. And there was no way in hell that she was going to skimp on the security.
Wheeling over to Charlie, she smiled as she glanced the girl over. She could tell she was holding back an explosive amount of excitement. Deep down, she knew that that type of never-fail attitude was something that just couldn't be learned. It was the type of thing that either a person had or didn't. Charlie certainly had it. And that was exactly what she was looking for.
"It has been a bit slow, hasn't it?" she smirked just faintly, rubbing the back of her neck. "In a way, you could look at it as a good thing. Less crime... less unnecessary deaths in the city. That's always a victory in my book. Wouldn't you agree?"
Wheeling over to the kitchen, she pulled open the fridge. "Though.. I'm quite sure that this period is just the calm before the storm. And if I'm right? We're going to be in a boat-load of trouble.
"Unless... this is one of those occasions where things might just smooth out...."
She looked over her shoulder and crinkled her nose, trying to hold back a bit of a snicker. "Though.. this *is* Gotham... So we BOTH know that isn't true."
Discovering a bowl of grapes, she popped one into her mouth before offering the bowl to her. "But.. yes.. I'd love for you to do some scanning..." She paused.
"Okay... That's a lie. More like spying."
At least she was being truthful, right?
"I'm sure you've heard the rumors about a certain Emerald Archer possibly laying stakes down in this neck of the wood?"
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Misfit
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Misfit In Action
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Post by Misfit on Feb 8, 2012 1:43:42 GMT -8
Leave it to Barbara Gordon to know exactly what to tell a girl when she's feeling mildly down.
Charlie felt like a bit of an ass, but Barbara understood what she was going through. Her she was, down in the dumps about not being able to 'play' superhero, when the fact is that it is exactly what every hero in Gotham City...hell, every superhero in the world...is aiming for: a world where the hero is no longer needed. Charlie knew that she really should count it as a blessing, and to perhaps enjoy a world that doesn't need Misfit. A world where she could just be Charlie.
"Yeah, I guess you are right...I mean, if there was ever a city that deserved a bit of peace and quiet, its Gotham. Still, wouldn't hurt to be able to stop the occassional natural disaster once and a while..."
Stupid! Stupid stupid girl!
Charlie let out a quiet, yet annoyed grunt at herself, catching her own words moments after they slipped out of her mouth. 'Wishing for a natural disaster?' What the hell is wrong with you? Your hero, the original Batgirl, is goin to think you are the biggest douchebag on the planet! Quick...say something cool. Say something witty. Say something...hero worthy!
"Well...um...you have nothing to fear! If this is some sort of 'calm before the storm', I know that we, the forces of good, will be able to rally together and fight the darkness of evil....and...."
Come on...you're almost there...
"...pave the way for...a....future we can all look forward to. A future where we can bypass our darkest night, and finally face our brightest day."
A little thick, but the world has heard alot worse.
Charlie took a silent breath of relief as she reached out and snagged a grape, quickly popping it in her mouth. It was desperately needed. When Charlie gets nervous, her mouth tends to get very dry, and trying to impress her hero, she faced quite alot of dry mouth. Though now that she was successful in her neverending quest to make an ass of herself, it was time to get serious. It was time for Charlie to take a break, and time for Misfit to come out and play. As soon as Barbara began talking business, her smile faded, and a more focused and serious mindset was set into motion.
"Emerald Archer? You mean...that newspaper article about Green Arrow?"
Since the moment she discovered her ability to 'bounce', Charlie dedicated herself to studying the world's heroes. There were some heroes she liked, some heroes she had mized feelings about, and some that just, frankly, bored her to tears. Green Arrow was, in her opinion, one of the boring ones. Everything about him just screamed...bad. First of all: Green? Seriously. With twelve billion Green Lanterns in the world, he couldn't choose a different, underused color? Please! Second: a bow? Could there be a more old-school weapon to use? Batman took the boomerang idea and made it his own. Wonder Woman took the lasso and made it cool. Hell, even Aquaman has a badass trident, but Green Arrow...uses a bow? LAME! And speaking of lame, third: the beard. What. The. Hell? Misfit has seen a JLA memebrship photo or two, getting a good look at Green Arrow's beard, and frankly, it scred the hell out of her. Why would someone have something like that on his face by choice? It was just...yeesh!
But, anyway, one shouldn't speak ill of the dead...or seemingly dead...or whatever. Back to business.
"I heard that Green Arrow died back in Star City during those explosions? I just assumed that what happened to the KGBeast was some copycat archer..."
Stupid! Stupid stupid girl!
Misfit let out a sigh and looked back at Barbara.
"...that's why you should never assume anything in this business. Isn't it, Boss?"
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Question
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There are always questions.
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Post by Question on Feb 8, 2012 5:12:32 GMT -8
I didn't bother acknowledging with a typical phrase. It is her city, her call, I'm just a visitor, and seldom did others turn up in Hub City at least not recently. One of the last unexpected and unwelcomed outsiders to Hub City was Lady Shiva. I barely survived that experience and even when she could have left me for dead I woke up to smells of hot water boiling as well as tea brewing The brewer introduced himself as Richard Dragon and I spent the next several months of that year in his company. My next run-in with Shiva ended with a draw thanks to Richard's training that is. I haven't seen her since then.
So often was it that a woman preoccupies so much of my time, my thinking, and what to do about situations that might or might not be developing around him had their way into certain lives. In this case, the lives of Oracle, her 'Birds', the Bat Family, and the whole of Gotham City, if I am right about all the targets, let alone those targetting them.
I follow Oracle's coordinates and in time I reach the vicinity of her new residence. I park within pacing distance of the location and cover the remaining distance on foot. It is a cozy looking neighborhood yet accessible so long as one knows where to go. Otherwise it would be like any other Gotham street. A quick text to let her know I'm very close and the next move is up to her.
Of course if anyone is watching me besides her, I certainly pray they aren't working for Kuttler or one of his associates. Otherwise coming here has become a risk and a danger to her yet now is not the time for the timid. Now is the time to, the time to move, and to get things done.
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Post by Oracle on Feb 8, 2012 11:44:34 GMT -8
As Barbara popped another grape into her mouth she listened to Charlie attentively, her eyes watching her form as she spoke.
From her body language, she could tell that Charlie's nerves were getting the better of her.
If anything, that only reminded her how human she really was.
Wheeling closer to her, she gently set a hand on her arm. Almost as if she were telling her to 'relax.' Though.. she KNEW exactly what was probably going on in the farthest reaches of her mind. It was the same thing that plagued her when she first realized that she would never dawn the cape and cowl again.
Hell.
It plagued her even now.
"We all fight for the want to be useful to society. If anyone... I can understand that urge better than just about anyone."
And that was the truth.
"It's like what Edmund Burke said, 'All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.'" She smiled weakly back to her. "WE aren't the ones who sit around. We're the ones that are around to do the exact opposite. And we've proven that many times in the past.
"YOU have proven that many times in the past."
Pep talks.
Sometimes.... they were needed.
Making her way back over to her computer array her eyes scanned for any added movement.
After all.. she WAS expecting a visitor.
She knew Charlie was an incredibly smart girl. And if anything? Barbara knew that hers and Charlie's brains probably worked in similar ways.
Sure...
They had different ways of pulling those thoughts to the surface. But everyone had a different process.... right?
She nodded. "Bingo. Which is exactly why one should never assume anything.
"Remind me to tell you the story on Nightwing 'died' and ended up coming back to life...." she said to her with a wave as scanned her monitors.
It only took a a fraction of a second, but her conveniently placed cameras did happen to pick up a trace of a shadow on the eastern side of the building. Street side.
It seemed that within that same moment a pinged message came through her system.
Taking a few extra precautions of a perimeter check, she made note that her guest had indeed, arrived.
A lot faster than she has originally planned for.
No matter.
She quickly re-established the com-link with Question. "There should be an emergency exit to your left that looks like you can't get in from the outside.... It should be opened for you. Go ahead and walk through and make your way to the service elevator in the back of the building."
With a trigger switch an emergency exit, she popped open the door to allow for Question's easy access.
Turning back to Charlie, she spoke again. "I have a few per-determined areas where I believe our arrow-wielding friend might be hiding. In fact... I'm about ninety-nine point nine percent sure that this IS our Green Arrow and not a copycat. It's.. pretty hard to obtain the equipment he's prone to using. It's... kind of like Batman's batarangs.
"They can be duplicated, but they'll NEVER fly exact.
"I just really need a second set of traveling eyes that can bounce back and forth and look for things that are... well.. out of the ordinary..."
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