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“And that's lower Gotham done.” Batgirl says, landing on a nearby rooftop. “Honestly, I'm glad we're not running a case right now. Covering three people's patrol routes is a hassle. How did we do this when we had fewer people?”
“A lot of folk fell through the cracks.” Oracle's voice is soft in her ear, crisp and clear like she's right next to Batgirl, whispering in her ear. “You're doing so well, Batgirl. That's my good girl~”
Batgirl shivers as Oracle's praise ripples through her, like the sensation of fingers down her spine.
Then there's a loud sound nearby. Batgirl straightens up from her customary Bat Crouch to look in that direction, seeing smoke rising up from street level a few blocks away.
“I've got an incident on Ditko Avenue.” She says, freerunning across rooftops toward the growing cacophony. “Investigating now.”
Arriving above the scene, she witnesses three individuals in open gang colors (one of the minor street gangs that crops up from time to time) and one very large, very muscled individual. The gang bangers fire on the larger man, but their bullets ricochet off his skin.
“Blockbuster?” Batgirl leans closer, letting her HUD give a readout on the large man, but the facial recognition suggests it isn't him, despite the grey skin.
“Not exactly.” Oracle says, seeing the same thing on her screens. “Nightwing's investigating a possible variant of the Blockbuster steroid being sold on the streets. I think we can consider this confirmation.”
“I'm engaging.” Batgirl says, swinging onto the scene with an opening salvo of flashbangs. She interposes herself between the hulking brute and the guys with guns, giving a very authoritative “Get out of here before this gets ugly!”
“Oh cripes, it's Batgirl!”
“Looking good, Batgirl!”
“Is that the one that's a dyke?”
“I heard they're all dykes.”
Batgirl growls at them louder. “I said get the fuck out of here! Now, while you have a choice!”
For a moment, she thinks they scarper because of her.
Then the blockbustered fist collides with the side of her face.
She goes flying for several feet, skipping across the street like a stone. Her ears ring and she stumbles to her feet, checking herself for breaks.
Nothing broken, but it's going to be a hell of a bruise. Thank god for whatever protective features Oracle included in the suit.
Okay. Round two. She detonates a handful of smoke pellets and gets her feet moving. He charges into the smoke, going right for where she was, the sort of obvious mistake roid raging muscle hulks tend to go for.
He's also slow. Not the kind of slow that comes from being big, the kind that comes from having no combat training. Batgirl fires a set of bolos that catch him around the ankles and knock him down.
Then it's just a couple of well-placed hypoallergenic Bat Tranquilizer Darts and he goes under.
As the smoke dissipates, Batgirl congratulates herself on a job well done. “Less than a minute. Not too shabby.”
She sticks around for the ambulance. Sure the guy might've tried to kill her, but that's no reason she shouldn't make sure he gets the help he needs. But as he's wheeled away for treatment, Batgirl feels slightly hollow.
She hasn't received the praise she's become so used to.
She presses her finger to her comm. “Oracle? You still there?”
“----- com ‐‐‐‐‐ if ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐-‐‐‐-‐‐‐‐‐ ome!”
The once crisp audio is harsh static in her ear. Even where Babs’ voice breaks through, it's sharp and scratchy.
Must have been busted when she got punched. She'll need to trade this whole cowl out for one of the spares.
“I'm coming back to the Clocktower.” She tries, just in case. “Be there soon.”
“N‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐girl. ‐‐‐‐‐‐-‐‐‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐‐-‐- come home.”
Well. That's a bust. But at least it sounds like Babs agrees.
The great thing about patrol circuits is that you end up where you start, so getting back to the Clocktower takes very little time. Once in through the window, Batgirl takes off her cowl and makes her way to the storage units. Then she notices Babs’ conversing with another voice she recognizes.
She freezes quickly, stopping so suddenly that her boots squeak on the floor.
Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson both turn to look at her.
“Lacey!” Babs shouts with alarm. “I tried to tell you not to come home yet!”
“Oh!” Dick says brightly. “Is this your new Batgirl? I've been looking forward to meeting- Tim?!”
Babs smacks him in the arm. “Don't deadname her!”
“I didn- I me- Ti- I mean Lacey! - you're transgender?” Dick sputters. “And Batgirl?! …And transgender??”
“I really wanted to let Steph and Cass in on this first.” Babs sighs. Then, suddenly registering Lacey's face, she spreads her arms. “Oh my god! Baby, come here, let me look at that.”
Lacey looks at Dick, who is staring at her aghast, but does as Babs says, moving to her side. Babs grabs her wrists and tugs her into her lap, then examines her face.
“Oh, that's gonna swell so bad.” She groans sympathetically. “We'll ice it overnight, and I'll give you some ibuprofen with your estrogen, okay?”
Still blushing at receiving this treatment in front of an audience, Lacey nods. She glances back at Dick who, having started processing all this, rubs the back of his neck.
“Well, hey.” He says, clearing his throat. “Congrats on the gender, Lacey.”
“Y-yeah…” Lacey tries to control her blush, but it isn't working. “It's, um… it's new? Kinda caught me by surprise too.”
“I mean, it all makes sense in retrospect.”
Lacey stiffens. “What's that supposed to mean?”
Babs laughs.
“I mean, you know.” Dick gestures up and down Lacey's body. “Everything about you ever? Your hair, your fashion choices, the way you talk, your total inability to convincingly perform masculinity, not to mention the clear discomfort you show whenever you try. Oh, plus that one time after an undercover operation when you were still wearing the dress and you were spinning it in a mirror and looked happier than I've ever seen you otherwise.”
Lacey covers her face, which at this point is glowing red. Who knew the ordeal of being known could be so mortifying. But then she feels Barbara's hands moving up her body, nudging her hands away to cup her face.
“It's okay, baby.” Babs coos, her eye contact immediately soothing. “He's just teasing. And it isn't a bad thing that you were born to be my Batgirl, is it?”
“...No.” Though being treated like a child while her brother is watching is a bit much.
Looking into Barbara's eyes like this, Lacey feels some of that loosen. Then Babs pulls her into a deep, loving kiss, and for one brief moment everything feels right.
Until Dick makes an alarmed noise, and Lacey remembers that those kisses are usually behind closed doors and the rest of her family doesn't know about this either.
“Oh, grow up Dick.” Babs rolls her eyes when the kiss breaks. “We're all adults here. More or less.”
“Sorry if I'm a little shocked to see my bro- sister kissing my ex!” Dick says, reasonably rattled. “My ex who's a decade older than her, I'll point out.”
“I'm sorry I have such W rizz.” Lacey says, affecting nonchalance. “I didn't mean to steal your girl, but older women are so hot I couldn't help it.”
She yelps when Dick pinches her thigh, hurting just a little bit through the padding.
“She calls me Mommy~” Babs says, snuggling Lacey tighter.
“Don't tell him that!”
“Honestly, I'm more surprised she doesn't call you ‘Big Sis’.”
“Oh my god!!”