Night of the Bat - episode 1
I notice that no one seems to be writing anything about Batgirl. I get that this is a Smallville centric site, but I'd like to add Batgirl to the mix. She did meet Kara - Supergirl on more than one occasion. The Gotham Forum didn't seem to have a spot for fan fics. Now we know that Joss Whedon is writing a Batgirl big screen movie, so my hope is that the lady caped crusader can get some love from Smallville fans. Enjoy!
Night of the Bat
Alternative Batgirl origin story
West Town Gotham City Condo Complex
A young girl about sixteen years old walks along a grimy alley behind a medium income housing project. She is about five foot seven with bright reddish blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She has a slim figure and carries two black sports gym bags in either hand.
I know that this is the address that Mrs. Keane gave me. She muses silently. What apartment number was it again? She fiddles with her black SMART phone, as she drapes one bag over the other. Oh yeah, here it is: Chief James Gordon. So my dad is the Police Chief? She wonders. I hope that he has money!
The young woman nervously glances around, instinctively checking the shadows for movement. It’s nearly ten PM, and all underage kids had to be off of the streets by 10:30 for curfew. The curfew was put in place for good reason. Gotham City was a cesspool. In recent memory the Gotham Police Department had been making progress in fighting crime, but that was due mostly to the mysterious Batman. She considered, as she buzzed the entry button at the condo’s outer fence.
The Batman was so cool, the tired girl’s thoughts drifted. I wish that I could meet him. No answer. Where is this guy? She questioned sourly. I know that Mrs. Keane called him otherwise she wouldn’t have sent me out here. She buzzed the door again. Nothing. I’ll have to dig out the phone number that she gave me. She set down the bags and leaned against the red brick wall at the condo’s rear entrance.
She punched up the number on her phone. It rang and rang. “Why the hell doesn’t he pick up?” She complained aloud. She’d heard some movement high above her. As the phone continued to ring, she looked up. Her gaze followed the four black metal fire escapes that adorned the weather beaten building. She hadn’t seen anyone around. “Maybe it was just rats, cats, or bats!” She joked aloud in an attempt to stave off her mounting fears. Finally, the phone voice recorder kicked in.
“Chief Gordon? This is your daughter, Barbara. Mrs. Keane said that I should contact you. I assume that she already told you about me. Anyway, I’m in the alley behind your condo. Curfew’s coming. I need to get off of the streets. This is not the greatest part of town you know.”
As if on cue, four shadowy figures seemed to appear out of nowhere. They edged closer to the unsuspecting girl. Two came at her directly, while two more encircled her. “Ooh! Look what we have here! Boys! We have a new plaything!” A scruffy looking guy with olive skin and a shabby goatee said.
“Alright! I thought that this was going to be a boring night!” A second rough looking dark skinned thug said. “Hey Chica! Don’t you know where you are? Anything that comes into our turf, we own!” A third creepy looking guy added. The forth goon was silent as he closed in on Barbara.
“Guys, I don’t have time for this!” Barbara snapped bravely as she dropped her gym bags and pocketed her phone. “Oh excuse us, Chickie! Fine! What’ve you got?” The first thug stepped nearer. “In our town you have to pay. We take credit cards, cash, phones, dope, and whatever you got. If you got nothing, we take your ass!” The creepy kids laughed raucously.
The closest goon lunged for Barbara. She easily sidestepped him and whirled away into the middle of the alley where any passersby could see her. Barbara ducked as the next thug tried to grab her from behind. She was aware of him, and used a classic judo move to throw him over her shoulder and onto his back. He landed with a thud. There was a brief moment of silence as the stunned boys were caught off guard.
“Ooh! I like this one! She’s got spirit!” The dark skinned boy commented as he jumped at Barbara from the side over his buddy. He went too high and Barbara slid down onto her knees tearing holes into her jeans and leg whipped him as he landed, taking out his stance by the shins. He’d fallen face first into the other goon that was just sitting up. Barbara immediately leapt back up into a fighting stance.
The last two gangsters tried to attack Barbara at the same time. One managed to get a firm hold on one of her shoulders. He worked his way behind her. Barbara mule kicked him in the groin. He crumpled to the ground in pain. The injured goon howled as he ripped part of Barbara’s white t-shirt and held it in one hand. With her arms now free, she punched the last assailant right in the nose, breaking it.
He screeched as blood poured from his nostrils and into his mouth and down his chin. Immediately Barbara stepped out of his reach and counter attacked with a snap kick to his stomach. He doubled over and fell before her. All four kids were now down and moaning. Her safety wouldn’t last for long though, because she still had no place to go, and she still had to gather her things. “Thanks daddy!” She said sourly. Barbara backed away from the groaning creeps.
Something silently landed behind her. “Gah!” Young Barbara shrieked as she whirled, and came face to face with The Batman. “Now you show up?” She berated the tall dark figure. “Get your stuff.” Batman’s synthesized voice ordered the teen. Batman stood stoically like a statue staring at the squirming thugs. One light skinned assailant managed to get to his knees. Batman immediately kicked him in the face. He fell backwards, holding his cheek in pain.
Barbara had jogged over to where her luggage and cell phone were. She gathered her things and glanced over at the Batman. “Your father is on an unavoidable stakeout. Follow me.” Batman’s gruff deep artificial voice boomed. “Thanks anyway.” Barbara began. “So you’re friends with my dad?” Batman dutifully ignored her. Barbara jogged behind Batman and headed towards her father’s condo.
Suddenly, just below the fire escape’s lowest ladder, Batman came to a halt. Barbara nearly ran into his broad back. With lightning speed, Batman fired a grappler hook upward, that clanked onto the fourth floor fire escape. It slid back and wrapped itself around the fire escape railing. The Dark Knight grabbed Barbara at her waist, and pressed a button on the grappler hook base.
Instantly, the super powered bat grappler recoiled and the two of them were hauled straight up and onto the fourth floor landing. “Whoa! That is so cool!” Barbara praised as Batman set her down gently amidst her luggage. Without a word, Batman untangled the grappler and popped out a corner of the window in the fire exit door, using some type of glass cutting knife. He unlatched the door handle, and shuffled into the fourth floor corridor, young Barbara at his heel, bearing her gym bags. The thugs were none the wiser.
“Jim’s condo is the third door on the right. Go.” Batman informed her. “I assume he gave you the security code?” He questioned. “Not so much. No problem though, I can hack into it.” Barbara volunteered as she walked over to her estranged father’s door. “He’ll be mad.” Batman commented as he followed her. “He’ll get over it.” She added sourly. Batman quickly checked the dark hallway for any lowlife.
Within seconds, she had hacked the security code and the door opened. Batman’s eyes widened, though Barbara couldn’t see that beneath the mask. “Thanks, Batman. I’d invite you in, but that would be improper.” She flirted. “Not a problem.” Batman growled. Barbara carried her luggage into the condo, which luckily for her, was good sized. It had to be one of the more expensive condo apartments in the area, she observed. Batman gave the condo a quick once over and turned his back on the tough teen.
“Reset Jim’s security code and lock the door.” Batman directed without turning to face her. “I’m on it!” Barbara said as she tagged along behind Batman, who was heading for the door. “Thanks again. Can I call you Bats?” The precocious high schooler teased. “Please don’t” Batman grumbled. “Fair enough.” Barbara agreed as she tailed him out into the hallway. “Will I see you again?” She asked hopefully.
“Probably.” Batman said simply. “Thanks.” Barbara repeated, and Batman disappeared into the darkness. She heard him clatter onto the fire escape, and then silence. Barbara returned to her dad’s condo, reset his security lock, and flopped onto the well-worn brown leather couch in the apartment’s largest room. She draped her legs over one arm of the sofa, and sighed deeply, quickly falling asleep.
Over an hour later, Chief James Gordon pressed the access code on his condo’s door. He was greeted by the sound of light snoring. Jim hustled over to the couch, and saw the teenage girl snoozing peacefully. “My God! She looks just like my ex when she was in college.” He said aloud, keeping the volume on his voice to a minimum. “She’s had a rough night.” A tall shadowy figure said from behind them. “A bunch of gangbangers tried to assault her. Barbara got the best of them. I let her in your condo.”
“Thanks, Batman.” Jim Gordon said, though it somehow seemed inadequate. Jim was so used to thanking Batman for everything that it was a bit anticlimactic. They left Barbara in silence, locked the condo, and headed out to the fire escape. Meeting the Batman here had become nearly a nightly ritual. Chief Gordon had come to depend on the Batman as he would any other crime-fighting detective partner.
“I was only made aware of Barbara’s existence a few years ago.” James began to explain. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Jim.” Bruce responded. “I was too wild in college. I let my guard down a few times. I got caught up in the adrenaline flow. I studied hard and partied hard.” Chief Gordon admitted wistfully. Batman listened, though he had enough of his own problems to deal with.
“It happens.” Bruce remarked, devoid of any emotion. “Partying really wasn’t my thing. I was too angry, driven, and always fighting.” Batman admitted. This persona was exactly the opposite of his Bruce Wayne, billionaire party boy image. Batman had developed and honed his duplicity over the last few years to perfection. Jim leaned over the edge of the fire escape railing.
“My ex-girlfriend, Barbara’s biological mother, is now getting married. She didn’t want to take on the additional responsibility for Barbara, but I talked her into it, and sent her some money for support. My daughter is now sixteen. She’ll be fully grown soon. Barbara has had it hard, but it could’ve been much worse for her. My ex took reasonably good care of her. As they got older, they started fighting. I think that their personalities are on the one hand too similar, and on the other they disagree on everything.”
James continued to bend the Batman’s ear. “Barbara is fiercely independent. We cut her some slack with the attitude, because she’s very smart, and aces most of her exams in school.” Bruce noted the similarities to his own life. He was basically a genius, and found school boring, and frequently acted out. “You sound very proud of her, already Jim.” Batman remarked sincerely. “I am, Batman, yet I don’t really know her.”
Batman was getting tired. He’d gone without sleep for twenty four hours again. Alfred would certainly give him a piece of his mind. The rest of the conversation with Jim could wait for another time. “Now you have the chance to get to know your daughter, Jim, make the most of it. I’ll get going now. Can you pay for the damage to the fire escape door?” The Dark Knight joked, though Jim Gordon had missed that completely. “Sure. No problem, Batman, and thanks again.” James realized that he was talking to himself.
“I hate it when he does that.” Chief Gordon grumbled aloud. Below him, a winged, dark shadow dropped silently to the ground. Bruce had hidden the Batmobile behind an abandoned storefront a few blocks away. He leapt into it as the cockpit shielded window assembly retracted, and then resettled in place. The twin turbine engine roared to life, as Batman sped off into the night.
Jim headed back into his condo, showered, and fixed some beef soup. He cooked enough for two. Barbara would eventually wake up, and would probably be hungry, James surmised. He considered waking the teen up, but the better decision was to let her sleep. They could always reheat the soup later. Jim took a seat across from the snoozing girl, pausing a moment to admire and store her petite features in his mind. Just like any police officer, he could never know if he would make it back home alive the next day. This thought unsettled Jim further. What would Barbara do if he never came back again?
I notice that no one seems to be writing anything about Batgirl. I get that this is a Smallville centric site, but I'd like to add Batgirl to the mix. She did meet Kara - Supergirl on more than one occasion. The Gotham Forum didn't seem to have a spot for fan fics. Now we know that Joss Whedon is writing a Batgirl big screen movie, so my hope is that the lady caped crusader can get some love from Smallville fans. Enjoy!
Night of the Bat
Alternative Batgirl origin story
West Town Gotham City Condo Complex
A young girl about sixteen years old walks along a grimy alley behind a medium income housing project. She is about five foot seven with bright reddish blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She has a slim figure and carries two black sports gym bags in either hand.
I know that this is the address that Mrs. Keane gave me. She muses silently. What apartment number was it again? She fiddles with her black SMART phone, as she drapes one bag over the other. Oh yeah, here it is: Chief James Gordon. So my dad is the Police Chief? She wonders. I hope that he has money!
The young woman nervously glances around, instinctively checking the shadows for movement. It’s nearly ten PM, and all underage kids had to be off of the streets by 10:30 for curfew. The curfew was put in place for good reason. Gotham City was a cesspool. In recent memory the Gotham Police Department had been making progress in fighting crime, but that was due mostly to the mysterious Batman. She considered, as she buzzed the entry button at the condo’s outer fence.
The Batman was so cool, the tired girl’s thoughts drifted. I wish that I could meet him. No answer. Where is this guy? She questioned sourly. I know that Mrs. Keane called him otherwise she wouldn’t have sent me out here. She buzzed the door again. Nothing. I’ll have to dig out the phone number that she gave me. She set down the bags and leaned against the red brick wall at the condo’s rear entrance.
She punched up the number on her phone. It rang and rang. “Why the hell doesn’t he pick up?” She complained aloud. She’d heard some movement high above her. As the phone continued to ring, she looked up. Her gaze followed the four black metal fire escapes that adorned the weather beaten building. She hadn’t seen anyone around. “Maybe it was just rats, cats, or bats!” She joked aloud in an attempt to stave off her mounting fears. Finally, the phone voice recorder kicked in.
“Chief Gordon? This is your daughter, Barbara. Mrs. Keane said that I should contact you. I assume that she already told you about me. Anyway, I’m in the alley behind your condo. Curfew’s coming. I need to get off of the streets. This is not the greatest part of town you know.”
As if on cue, four shadowy figures seemed to appear out of nowhere. They edged closer to the unsuspecting girl. Two came at her directly, while two more encircled her. “Ooh! Look what we have here! Boys! We have a new plaything!” A scruffy looking guy with olive skin and a shabby goatee said.
“Alright! I thought that this was going to be a boring night!” A second rough looking dark skinned thug said. “Hey Chica! Don’t you know where you are? Anything that comes into our turf, we own!” A third creepy looking guy added. The forth goon was silent as he closed in on Barbara.
“Guys, I don’t have time for this!” Barbara snapped bravely as she dropped her gym bags and pocketed her phone. “Oh excuse us, Chickie! Fine! What’ve you got?” The first thug stepped nearer. “In our town you have to pay. We take credit cards, cash, phones, dope, and whatever you got. If you got nothing, we take your ass!” The creepy kids laughed raucously.
The closest goon lunged for Barbara. She easily sidestepped him and whirled away into the middle of the alley where any passersby could see her. Barbara ducked as the next thug tried to grab her from behind. She was aware of him, and used a classic judo move to throw him over her shoulder and onto his back. He landed with a thud. There was a brief moment of silence as the stunned boys were caught off guard.
“Ooh! I like this one! She’s got spirit!” The dark skinned boy commented as he jumped at Barbara from the side over his buddy. He went too high and Barbara slid down onto her knees tearing holes into her jeans and leg whipped him as he landed, taking out his stance by the shins. He’d fallen face first into the other goon that was just sitting up. Barbara immediately leapt back up into a fighting stance.
The last two gangsters tried to attack Barbara at the same time. One managed to get a firm hold on one of her shoulders. He worked his way behind her. Barbara mule kicked him in the groin. He crumpled to the ground in pain. The injured goon howled as he ripped part of Barbara’s white t-shirt and held it in one hand. With her arms now free, she punched the last assailant right in the nose, breaking it.
He screeched as blood poured from his nostrils and into his mouth and down his chin. Immediately Barbara stepped out of his reach and counter attacked with a snap kick to his stomach. He doubled over and fell before her. All four kids were now down and moaning. Her safety wouldn’t last for long though, because she still had no place to go, and she still had to gather her things. “Thanks daddy!” She said sourly. Barbara backed away from the groaning creeps.
Something silently landed behind her. “Gah!” Young Barbara shrieked as she whirled, and came face to face with The Batman. “Now you show up?” She berated the tall dark figure. “Get your stuff.” Batman’s synthesized voice ordered the teen. Batman stood stoically like a statue staring at the squirming thugs. One light skinned assailant managed to get to his knees. Batman immediately kicked him in the face. He fell backwards, holding his cheek in pain.
Barbara had jogged over to where her luggage and cell phone were. She gathered her things and glanced over at the Batman. “Your father is on an unavoidable stakeout. Follow me.” Batman’s gruff deep artificial voice boomed. “Thanks anyway.” Barbara began. “So you’re friends with my dad?” Batman dutifully ignored her. Barbara jogged behind Batman and headed towards her father’s condo.
Suddenly, just below the fire escape’s lowest ladder, Batman came to a halt. Barbara nearly ran into his broad back. With lightning speed, Batman fired a grappler hook upward, that clanked onto the fourth floor fire escape. It slid back and wrapped itself around the fire escape railing. The Dark Knight grabbed Barbara at her waist, and pressed a button on the grappler hook base.
Instantly, the super powered bat grappler recoiled and the two of them were hauled straight up and onto the fourth floor landing. “Whoa! That is so cool!” Barbara praised as Batman set her down gently amidst her luggage. Without a word, Batman untangled the grappler and popped out a corner of the window in the fire exit door, using some type of glass cutting knife. He unlatched the door handle, and shuffled into the fourth floor corridor, young Barbara at his heel, bearing her gym bags. The thugs were none the wiser.
“Jim’s condo is the third door on the right. Go.” Batman informed her. “I assume he gave you the security code?” He questioned. “Not so much. No problem though, I can hack into it.” Barbara volunteered as she walked over to her estranged father’s door. “He’ll be mad.” Batman commented as he followed her. “He’ll get over it.” She added sourly. Batman quickly checked the dark hallway for any lowlife.
Within seconds, she had hacked the security code and the door opened. Batman’s eyes widened, though Barbara couldn’t see that beneath the mask. “Thanks, Batman. I’d invite you in, but that would be improper.” She flirted. “Not a problem.” Batman growled. Barbara carried her luggage into the condo, which luckily for her, was good sized. It had to be one of the more expensive condo apartments in the area, she observed. Batman gave the condo a quick once over and turned his back on the tough teen.
“Reset Jim’s security code and lock the door.” Batman directed without turning to face her. “I’m on it!” Barbara said as she tagged along behind Batman, who was heading for the door. “Thanks again. Can I call you Bats?” The precocious high schooler teased. “Please don’t” Batman grumbled. “Fair enough.” Barbara agreed as she tailed him out into the hallway. “Will I see you again?” She asked hopefully.
“Probably.” Batman said simply. “Thanks.” Barbara repeated, and Batman disappeared into the darkness. She heard him clatter onto the fire escape, and then silence. Barbara returned to her dad’s condo, reset his security lock, and flopped onto the well-worn brown leather couch in the apartment’s largest room. She draped her legs over one arm of the sofa, and sighed deeply, quickly falling asleep.
Over an hour later, Chief James Gordon pressed the access code on his condo’s door. He was greeted by the sound of light snoring. Jim hustled over to the couch, and saw the teenage girl snoozing peacefully. “My God! She looks just like my ex when she was in college.” He said aloud, keeping the volume on his voice to a minimum. “She’s had a rough night.” A tall shadowy figure said from behind them. “A bunch of gangbangers tried to assault her. Barbara got the best of them. I let her in your condo.”
“Thanks, Batman.” Jim Gordon said, though it somehow seemed inadequate. Jim was so used to thanking Batman for everything that it was a bit anticlimactic. They left Barbara in silence, locked the condo, and headed out to the fire escape. Meeting the Batman here had become nearly a nightly ritual. Chief Gordon had come to depend on the Batman as he would any other crime-fighting detective partner.
“I was only made aware of Barbara’s existence a few years ago.” James began to explain. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Jim.” Bruce responded. “I was too wild in college. I let my guard down a few times. I got caught up in the adrenaline flow. I studied hard and partied hard.” Chief Gordon admitted wistfully. Batman listened, though he had enough of his own problems to deal with.
“It happens.” Bruce remarked, devoid of any emotion. “Partying really wasn’t my thing. I was too angry, driven, and always fighting.” Batman admitted. This persona was exactly the opposite of his Bruce Wayne, billionaire party boy image. Batman had developed and honed his duplicity over the last few years to perfection. Jim leaned over the edge of the fire escape railing.
“My ex-girlfriend, Barbara’s biological mother, is now getting married. She didn’t want to take on the additional responsibility for Barbara, but I talked her into it, and sent her some money for support. My daughter is now sixteen. She’ll be fully grown soon. Barbara has had it hard, but it could’ve been much worse for her. My ex took reasonably good care of her. As they got older, they started fighting. I think that their personalities are on the one hand too similar, and on the other they disagree on everything.”
James continued to bend the Batman’s ear. “Barbara is fiercely independent. We cut her some slack with the attitude, because she’s very smart, and aces most of her exams in school.” Bruce noted the similarities to his own life. He was basically a genius, and found school boring, and frequently acted out. “You sound very proud of her, already Jim.” Batman remarked sincerely. “I am, Batman, yet I don’t really know her.”
Batman was getting tired. He’d gone without sleep for twenty four hours again. Alfred would certainly give him a piece of his mind. The rest of the conversation with Jim could wait for another time. “Now you have the chance to get to know your daughter, Jim, make the most of it. I’ll get going now. Can you pay for the damage to the fire escape door?” The Dark Knight joked, though Jim Gordon had missed that completely. “Sure. No problem, Batman, and thanks again.” James realized that he was talking to himself.
“I hate it when he does that.” Chief Gordon grumbled aloud. Below him, a winged, dark shadow dropped silently to the ground. Bruce had hidden the Batmobile behind an abandoned storefront a few blocks away. He leapt into it as the cockpit shielded window assembly retracted, and then resettled in place. The twin turbine engine roared to life, as Batman sped off into the night.
Jim headed back into his condo, showered, and fixed some beef soup. He cooked enough for two. Barbara would eventually wake up, and would probably be hungry, James surmised. He considered waking the teen up, but the better decision was to let her sleep. They could always reheat the soup later. Jim took a seat across from the snoozing girl, pausing a moment to admire and store her petite features in his mind. Just like any police officer, he could never know if he would make it back home alive the next day. This thought unsettled Jim further. What would Barbara do if he never came back again?
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