TLV 3 - Video

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara's smile is a bit tight. She's trying not to think very hard on the last few days. The renewed grief of losing her first dad. Running and flipping and dancing.]

Everyone come through that flood okay?

[Private to Agent K]

[Her lips are curved in a wry, fond little smile.]

I've been called a lot of things, but 'sweet' usually isn't one of them.

[Private to Stephanie Brown]

It's official, I'd have liked you at any point in my life. [Yes, that is a thank you.]

[Private to Tim Drake]

I...wanted to thank you. For looking out for me.

[Both the warmth and hesitation fade as Oracle takes precedence.]

And I have a question.

Comments

[Private]

[bodilesswarrior]

...I don't know. [Barbara pushes a hand through her hair, looking as tired as she sounds.

She doesn't speak, for a moment, weighing her words carefully. When she does, it's quiet, grim.]

I can understand...the temptation. [That's why she considers that option so fleetingly, so direly; she doesn't want to make it normal, make it easy. Sometimes she thinks it wouldn't take that long, and it's a little horrifying.] And maybe - maybe if I drove everyone away, I'd give in to it.

[Her voice is almost a whisper, now.] If I convinced myself it would mean no more Jasons. No more Sarahs.

[Private]

[peektuttut]

[Panic spasms through him. How close did he come to killing Boomerang? All he had to do was make one good choice, just one, been a little less predictable, and he would have been safe. He could have killed Harkness. And worse, it would have been easy.

But he didn't. Dick - back home, Dick had praised him for it. But Bruce had seen it in him. He'd seen the truth. He knew that Tim had set the whole scenario up, had calculated hundreds of different paths Digger could have taken to get himself out of trouble. But he'd known - and Bruce knew he did - that Digger could only take one path.

I couldn't go through with it...I couldn't let someone else kill him.

Tim can't look at her, finds some spot on the wall across from him to stare at. He'd saved Digger in the end. Saved him. But Bruce always saw right to the quick of things. You saved him tonight, Tim...but what about tomorrow?

He looks like he's going to be sick, when he glances at her again, and he can't say anything. Because he understands, and a part of him, a big part, wants to go home and wrap his fingers around Digger Harkness' throat and squeeze until he's dead again. And how big a step is it from there, to the Batman who carries a gun and has made Gotham safe through murder?

Tim doesn't say anything. He just kills the feed.]

[Private]

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara sits and stares at the blank screen for a bit too long.

A part of her aches to find Tim and wrap him in her arms, but that's now how either of them works. Even if she just talked to him - right now, she thinks it would just be prodding an open wound.

She wishes she knew what had caused it. What had made him so sick and scared.

But if he ever tells her, it will be in his own time. Until then - she'll just do what she can.]