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The lobby of the Gotham Museum of Antiquities was empty. Batgirl never thought she’d see it, but it was almost midnight.
“He should be in the center of the museum,” said Oracle on comms. “Two rooms right, then left four.”
Batgirl followed instructions while Orphan tailed silently. It was her first outing since returning from Hong Kong and Batgirl appreciated the backup. This would likely be an easy night, though with the Riddler one was never sure.
They cleared the next room, passing two unconscious guards on the way.
“Guards are down, but no obvious injuries. Should I bring potstickers home?”
“Focus. Nygma took out the cameras and there are too many old buildings full of lead between here and you. I can’t actually see anything.”
“I’m being careful.” Truly, she was. Surveying her environment as quickly and holistically as possible was something both Batman and her father taught her. “But there’s a Chinese restaurant still open nearby. Why not take advantage?”
“He’s moving, but you can intercept him.”
Sharp, rushed footsteps sounded from ahead. Orphan bolted in a running crouch, retrieving two batarangs from her belt before flinging them to the right as she cleared the exit and skidded into the wide hallway on the other side. A thud and a yelp said Orphan found her target.
Batgirl saw the Riddler by a column lining the far wall, retrieving a small wooden statue. Orphan caught Batgirl’s eye, patiently staying close.
“New suit, Edward?" said Batgirl.
Instead of his question-mark-ridden suit, he wore a shinier, darker green one with the usual cane but no bowler hat.
“Thanks for noticing,” said Nygma. He looked between the heroines and smiled. “I’m impressed. How’d you know I was here? I was quite meticulous.”
Batgirl couldn’t disagree. The guards were dispatched yet relatively unharmed. No alarms were activated. Oracle’s super-hearing was the only thing that tipped them off. Even now, she only had that and the building's floor plans to work with.
Still, Batgirl wondered why he wore such distinctive garb if he meant to be stealthy.
"I'd have thought museum theft somewhat beneath you."
He shrugged. "I’m flexible given the right incentive.”
“And there’s no chance you’ll let us in on said incentive, is there?”
“Smarter than you look.”
Batgirl heard Oracle again. “Police should be there in about four minutes. You can stall or take Riddler now. Your call.”
“He hasn’t tried fleeing yet,” mumbled Batgirl. “We should find out why he's stalling.”
Nygma addressed Orphan. “And who are you supposed to be?”
She only gave a tilt of her head.
“So talkative. I can barely get a word in.”
A low groan sounded through the hallway. One of the guards had regained consciousness and was clumsily getting to his feet. The Riddler checked his watch.
“Stay back, sir,” Batgirl commanded the guard. “We’ll deal with this.”
Batgirl unsheathed a small metal rod from a compartment at her back and extended it into a staff. Before the guard could answer, Orphan flew into action. She must have seen something Batgirl didn't; nobody read body language like her.
The Riddler brandished his cane with a startled look as Orphan ran straight for him. In seconds she knocked the statue from his grip and sent it sprawling across the floor. The guard, to his credit, immediately ran to recover it.
Nygma did a surprisingly decent job of avoiding injury, though he couldn't possibly keep that up for long.
“A police cruiser just arrived at the back entrance but it’s not with the squad on its way,” Oracle said suddenly. “Two people inside, just waiting. I don’t…”
Oracle trailed off, and Batgirl didn’t have time to ask why. Nygma was now racing after the guard and the statue with Orphan on his heels.
“Switch!” yelled Batgirl.
Orphan changed paths immediately and Batgirl threw her staff like a javelin. It stymied the villain’s advance, but only just. He recovered too quickly for their liking.
“He's got backup pretending to be cops. Keep him inside until real PD can get to you.”
“Easier said than done,” Batgirl mumbled, dodging swings from the Riddler’s cane. “He’s gotten better at fighting.”
Batgirl noticed the guard frantically waving his gun in an effort to take aim. His other hand clutched the recovered statue, and soon that was all he held as Orphan disarmed him and tossed the gun away. She pointed roughly at the entrance to the next room, signaling the guard to get out of harm’s way. He didn’t listen.
“They’re coming in now.”
The sound of shuffling movements echoed through the air. The Riddler suddenly shoved his full weight against Batgirl's staff, sending her to the floor. Orphan cleared the expanse in seconds to provide backup.
“My apologies, ladies, but I’m on a very tight schedule,” he said, removing a small bauble from the top of his cane. He tossed it over the girls’ heads and straight at the guard before fleeing with renewed purpose.
Batgirl lurched to give chase, but stopped when Orphan whirled back around and sped in the opposite direction. In one motion she detached her cape and flung it over the guard as he scrambled away from the object the Riddler had thrown. Orphan shoved him backward into the adjacent room and just barely had time to turn away before it exploded.
Despite the small blast radius it launched the heroine into the closest pillar. Her head and back made contact before the rest of her slammed into it at an odd angle.
The way she twisted and slumped to the ground sent a shiver down Batgirl’s spine.
“Was that an explosion?!” came Oracle’s voice.
Batgirl possessed no will to speak. Her senses tunneled and deadened. Looking at Orphan's unmoving figure, all she could think about was a tragedy long passed and a gorgeous, sunny day at the beach.
“Batgirl?”
Kara sat in front of her workstation, fear of the worst threatening to consume her.
"Anyone there?" she said, voice anything but even. "Batgirl!"
As Oracle, Kara had grown accustomed to Orphan’s pithy responses (if she received any at all) during the few times they’d communicated while Cassandra was away. But Batgirl always answered promptly. This time there was only silence.
"Command, scan vitals for Orphan and Batgirl. Full suit diagnostic."
The voice-activated computer system obeyed immediately and in seconds shared its results.
"Orphan is unconscious. Fractures sustained to the right scapula and humerus. Right shoulder dislocated. Mild concussion," the computer relayed in a robotic female voice. "Batgirl is conscious. No physical damage sustained. Heart rate, adrenaline, and cortisol levels are elevated."
Kara closed her eyes and let her ears work, sifting through the collective wave of noise that rode the air. Batgirl’s heartbeat was something she’d listened to countless times and it didn’t take long to find it. Close by were Orphan’s own and almost a dozen others, blending with the buzz of police chatter.
A switch in Orphan’s breathing indicated a return to consciousness.
Despite her relief, Kara suddenly felt claustrophobic. A short pull on her wheelchair’s sip-and-puff mechanism rolled her away from the desk so she could reassess.
“Barbara?” said Kara softly into her headset. “Talk to me, babe.”
A few seconds passed. Then Kara heard her girlfriend’s voice.
“Riddler, he…got away. He didn’t get the statue, though. Orphan’s down but she’ll make it.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I just thought Orphan was hurt worse than she is. The way she hit the pillar reminded me…” Batgirl trailed off and was silent for a moment before continuing. “Never mind. She’s okay. She’s okay.”
After being with Barbara for so long, Kara often knew what she was thinking. It had been years since the day in question, but given the lasting effects of what had occurred it was impossible to forget.
*
“Who knew all it would take to get you out here was a fight with Reactron,” said Barbara, pulling Kara close as they waded into the water.
Kara, half a head taller, laughed and kissed her girlfriend’s temple. “Oh, don’t be like that. You know we’ve both been busy. But since I blew out my powers, which is apparently a thing, a nice relaxing beach day seemed like a great way to pass the time until I get them back.”
Barbara snorted. “You say that like it was your idea. Who invited whom again?”
They stopped with the water at their shoulders. Laughter surrounded them as others with the same idea played in the water and climbed the formation of sandy rocks nearby.
Kara kissed her on the lips this time. “You did, and I’m very grateful. Staying at the manor while I recuperate is fun and all, but hanging with Alfred gets a little old.”
“And this is a perfect way to get some sun.”
“You think of everything, don’t you?”
Kara had spent her entire time on Krypton without her abilities but apparently she’d gotten too used to them. Being without her powers - even just for a short while - was extremely disheartening, so she was immensely appreciative that her girlfriend made the effort to invite her out and take her mind off it. Even though Kara hadn’t actually said anything about it.
They'd spent the morning either playing in the surf or on the beach, talking and touching and kissing without a care in the world. No distress calls, no super-suits. But as the morning turned to afternoon and they found themselves in the water this third time, the beach started to fill up.
Kara pulled Barbara even further out, a huge smile on her face.
“It’s getting a little crowded out here,” said Kara. “How about we give them some space?”
Barbara looked back to the beach. “Not too far, though. The tide’s getting higher. And the waves are never gentle to begin with.”
Kara wished she’d listened.
Riptides and rocky sandbanks don’t mix well with weak swimmers. Krypton didn't have many areas safe enough for swimming so Kara had never done it without powers. Playful bravado and a refusal to get out of the water and sun even when Barbara suggested a break for food drove Kara too far out into a steep dip in the surf she didn't know was there.
And then she was underwater, deeper than she'd anticipated, swept sideways by the current. At one point Kara couldn't tell which way was up or down. She just knew she was being pulled , and no matter how hard she kicked or pushed with her arms she couldn't stay above the surface.
Even now, Kara couldn't remember the moment she'd hit the rocks beneath the sand. She remembered the pressure of the water and the slow squeezing of her lungs, but not the impact. It felt like a bad dream, and she'd woken out of it in the back of an ambulance.
The most alarming thing about the accident was that even after her powers had returned, she hadn't healed fully. The nerve damage and excessive scar tissue left her in a state of constant pain instead, and eventually she was put under red sun lamps so she could be operated on without kryptonite. But even that was unsuccessful. After debates and arguments with Barbara, Kara was forced to make an impossible decision: live in nonstop pain with only partial control of her limbs and a very slim chance at recovery, or choose with certainty to live with no feeling or control in them at all.
She didn't want to choose the latter. But she couldn't choose the pain.
Barbara had tried very hard to keep herself and their relationship together through the whole thing, and Kara would love her forever for that. But as awful as it had been for Kara, she knew that Barbara was far from okay. She didn’t suit up as Batgirl after the accident, and once Kara had made her choice Barbara elected to never leave her girlfriend’s side. She gave her uniform to Cassandra, along with her codename.
*
Kara mulled over her options. She could try to track the Riddler, who was likely still en route to his hiding place, if she really wanted to. But Orphan was injured. That took priority.
"Command, open call," said Kara. "Stephanie Brown, phone one."
The line rang twice.
"Hello?"
"How fast can you get to the Antiquities Museum?"
Kara heard rustling in the background.
"Uhh...four minutes if I take the motorcycle and drive like a maniac. Why?"
"Riddler got away. Cassandra's injured and-"
"On my way." The line went dead.
Kara smiled softly. Stephanie was even more reckless than Kara had once been, but she was still one of the most loyal and dependable people Kara knew-especially when it came to Cassandra.
Orphan gave a harsh grunt as Batgirl popped her shoulder into place. She tried to raise the arm and grumbled when she couldn't.
Oracle told them Spoiler was on her way, and Batgirl hated that she’d put them in a situation where that was necessary at all. It should've been routine, but now she had to help Orphan up so they could start the walk to one of the back exits. Police paid them no mind, used to working cordially with costumed vigilantes but never with friendliness.
They heard the low hum just before stepping outside. A wide, custom motorcycle stood on its own without a kickstand after its owner dismounted and removed her helmet. Focused eyes and open features greeted them as she rushed to Orphan’s side.
Spoiler looked around the deserted street, then up above them. A quick flick of her arm sent a batarang straight into the lens of a security camera and then she was free to remove Orphan’s cowl.
Cassandra watched with a soft smile.
“Was it bad?” asked Spoiler.
Cassandra tilted her head. "Had worse…but not fun."
"How are you feeling?'
Cassandra’s left hand floated up and detached Spoiler's half-mask, a movement that was both gentle and quick.
"Better now."
Stephanie flushed under the brunette's gaze, and Batgirl wondered if she and Kara had ever been that obvious. A few moments later Cassandra was secured behind Stephanie on the motorcycle. They pulled onto the street at a gentle, cruising pace, leaving Batgirl alone on the sidewalk.
Keys jingled on the other side of the front door. A few pulls and puffs positioned Kara to face the living room off the entrance, and Barbara entered the apartment with a detached expression and a plastic bag.
Neither said much as Barbara laid out heaps of Chinese food and helped Kara out of her chair. Kara floated herself to make it easier, which was the extent to which she used that ability now, as flying without the use of her limbs was a dizzying experience. Kara hadn’t truly flown in years. Barbara settled her at the end of the couch.
They were halfway through their meal when Barbara spoke up.
"I'm sorry for tonight."
Kara swallowed. "What for?"
She'd been entranced by the smell of sesame oil, but switched her focus once she saw Barbara's face.
Barbara wouldn't look at her. "Did you ever wish that I hadn’t taken the suit back when Cassandra left for Hong Kong?"
Kara knew what she was asking, and it wasn’t the question she heard.
Do you think I’m too reckless? Am I not cut out for this anymore? Should Cassandra have stayed Batgirl?
“No,” Kara said. “I only ever wished I could’ve done it with you.”
A stream of emotions passed over Barbara’s face. It was times like these when Kara wished she could use her hands, if only to hold her girlfriend when she needed it.
“I admit I was jealous at first,” Kara said after a deep breath, “but that wasn’t your fault. I was wallowing and being selfish even though I knew it was hard for you to give it up in the first place and take care of me for all those years. But even then I knew the world needed people like us. That’s why I eventually asked Cyborg to help set me up as Oracle - to continue helping them, and to help you too. I never would’ve asked you not to be Batgirl and I wasn’t disappointed that you returned to it.”
Barbara put her arm around Kara, cradling her and setting them both deeper into the cushions. After a moment, Barbara stiffened.
“I didn’t get back out there until months after you started as Oracle.”
Kara laid her head on Barbara’s shoulder. “I knew you’d be back at it eventually. Neither of us can stay away, no matter what happens. Can I get another potsticker?”
Barbara gave her one, chuckling despite herself.
“Maybe I should’ve stayed away,” mumbled Barbara. “It feels like I was a better Batgirl the first time around. I was sloppy tonight. Hesitant. And Cassandra paid for my mistakes. She hasn’t even been back a week and now she’s hurt.”
Kara kissed her shoulder. “She’s in good hands with Stephanie. Things may not always go smoothly in the field, but oftentimes they aren’t as bad as they seem either.”
“But-”
“Babe, you’ve protected more people than the amount of mistakes you’ve made. Your skills and experience are invaluable in any context. You should be Batgirl. For them, and for you.”
Barbara gave Kara a wondrous stare.
“You sound so sure.”
“I am!” Kara laughed. “I don’t mean to trivialize it but I am sure, Barbara. You took care of me for so long after the accident, and you took care of yourself when I was being much less than a good girlfriend. You’re the best and strongest person I know. There’s no need to worry.”
Barbara chuckled and nodded, rubbing her eyes and silently thanking the universe for Kara.
They stayed like that for a while, cuddling on the couch and picking at their supremely late dinner. Barbara, already feeling fragile, decided not to voice any more doubt, and instead kissed her girlfriend on the lips.