D'habitude, il n'y en a pas autant. D'habitude, c'est juste Batman et Robin et... moi. Et quand j'ai failli faire tuer Robin...
La tête de Stephanie s'inclinait juste à gauche du centre, ses yeux brillants s'éblouissant alors qu'ils regardaient vers l'avant dans le néant. Son esprit était préoccupé à ce moment-là par ce qui aurait pu se passer dans ce scénario. Et de toutes les choses horribles, une seule chose en fait s'est échappée de ses lèvres et a été rendue audible, même si à peine: "Il ne m'aurait plus jamais fait confiance. J'ai failli mourir, et il l'a un peu perdu. Jason est mort, et il l'a perdu. Damian mourant?...non, merci."
Pression? Ça en faisait partie. Mais rarement Stephanie a eu la chance de simplement en parler. Tout avait été plus dur depuis la mort d'Alfred, perdre la seule personne à qui on pouvait parler de n'importe quoi avait peut-être été le pire. Ça et ne jamais goûter un autre fromage grillé de Pennyworth. Kate Kane était quelqu'un à qui Steph pouvait parler... de n'importe quoi, maintenant. La pensée même a apporté une nouvelle vie dans son visage et ses yeux, un soulagement de la libération cathartique qui a mis Steph dans une nouvelle sorte de facilité.
Elle souriait même quand elle a regardé Kate en entendant l'invitation. Le sourire était facile et petit, mais il y avait plus caché derrière. Un courant électrique traversa son corps; la tête vers les orteils, donc il sentit, au moins. C'est à ce moment même que la fille de la Cluemaster l'a réunie. Pourquoi le courant électrique? Pourquoi Kate a-t-elle évité ses yeux d'une manière si évidente et si maladroite quand elle est entrée?... Pourquoi a-t-on eu l'impression que Kate Kane lui demandait de sortir?
Puis, comme un garçon de douze ans, Stephanie Brown rougit. Ça aurait pu être une invitation innocente, mais maintenant rassembler tous les signes de leur temps ensemble... il lisait comme le gentil gars qui était heureux d'être son ami, mais trop hésitant pour faire connaître d'autres sentiments. Pas que Stephanie avait beaucoup d'expérience avec ça, ou les garçons en général. Ou les filles.
Son sourire grandit, s'affaiblit et se réchauffe comme on pouvait le lui donner la veille. Ça sonne bien. Retrouve-moi au centre d'étudiants vers neuf heures ce soir?" Puis elle se leva de son siège et se déplaça à la porte : « Je ferais mieux d'aller lui parler. Je te vois ce soir... va dormir un peu, ouais?" Elle s'arrêta assez longtemps pour profiter du moment, et Kate Kane, quelques instants de plus avant de pousser la porte et de perdre ce sourire. Bien que la chaleur n'ait pas été perdue, il était encore là son ton murmuré quand elle est apparue à côté du lit, et l'enfant.
"Je suis désolée. Ne me fais plus jamais peur comme ça. Certains d'entre nous se sont attachés... même à une tête de cul comme vous." Stephanie a embrassé ses lèvres à peine au temple de Damian, essayant de ne pas sourire, ni pleurer, ni les deux. -- Reposez-vous tant que vous le pourrez, il sera bientôt là.
!( "Steph")
_**“And it was only then that young Stephanie truly realized...gravity would forever be her enemy."**_
**Name:**
Stephanie Brown
**Alias:**
Batgirl, formerly Spoiler, formerly Robin
**Age:**
19
**Occupation:**
College student.
**Skills & Abilities**
- Trained by Batman, Richard Dragon, and O-Sensei in martial arts and the ninja arts.
- Trained by Zatanna Zatara in escape and sleight of hand.
- Possibly the best driver in the Batcave.
- Knows the Gotham Underworld from her father.
- Can fake her death like NO ONE'S business.
**Equipment**
- Whatever she 'steals' from the Cave.
- Batgirl suit.
**Personality & History:**
Stephanie Brown started life as just another smart-assed Gotham City girl, born in the lower middle class scrum of inner Gotham City living to Arthur and Crystal Brown. For the majority of her young life, Arthur Brown was more an absentee father than proper parent. Arthur was no dead beat dad, no alcoholic, or womanizer--he was a masked villain that went by the alias of Cluemaster. Though the Cluemaster was able to confound the Gotham City Police Department, there would be no out foxing Gotham's new Dark Knight.
Thanks to Batman, Stephanie's father would spend the vast majority of her childhood behind bars for one crime, or another. Interestingly enough, Stephanie never blamed Batman for this--she blamed her idiot father. Despite this, Steph and her mother had a decent life, all things considered. Her mother worked as a nurse and took enough shifts to take care of their needs, and to take care that Steph barely saw her, too. This lifestyle would turn Steph into an incredibly independent young woman, learning she could never depend on anyone but herself.
Later in her adolesence Arthur Brown would finally return home, and declare himself a reformed man. Happy to hear it and hoping it was a new leaf for her father, but refusing to trust him, Stephanie began stalking her father due to her suspicions. It wasn't long before her father disappointed his little girl yet again, this time for the last time. This time it wasn't the Batman who put an end to Cluemaster's newest crime spree...it was a purple clad, never born seen, vigilante that simply called herself 'the Spoiler.'
Though unsanctioned by the Bat or his Cavelings, Steph found quitting the vigilante game much more difficult than she expected. It wasn't long before she was brushing capes with the likes of Robin and Nightwing. After a friendship and partnership developed with Tim Drake, then Robin, even Batman himself was forced to contend with the fearless daughter of Arthur Brown--a daughter that had inherited Arthur's intellect. In short time even Batman would have to admit her talents, leading to multiple stints for Stephanie as Robin, and multiple 'firings', before the big man finally trusted Steph enough to bring her on full time, not as Spoiler or Robin, but the new Batgirl.
A mantle Stephanie is determined to put her unique 'stamp' on...
**Impressions**
_Batman:_ You gotta feel for this guy, right? Talk about a bad hand of cards dealt to you at the start of the game. Bruce is getting better, I think; starting to realize there's either a life AFTER Batman, or there simply will never be life AFTER Batman, and that choice is entirely his...
_Catwoman:_ My bad girl icon. It's actually a little sad to think that the Catwoman I grew up watching from a distance is likely gone from Gotham City for good. Good for private art collections all over the city, bad for having cool anti-heroes in the shadows of Gotham City nights.
_Grayson:_ The boy scout with a bad side. I'm always a little worried his true focus left Gotham City ages ago, instead worrying after star-crossed Titans, and being a reservist for the Justice League. But considering I may know Dick the least out of all the Bat-fam, best to wait and see what comes of this one.
_Barbara:_ My living, breathing, Warning Sign. Wonder what happens to the Robins and Batgirls that get taken out? Look no further than Babs; both for what happens, and how to turn getting taken out into anything but the END of your story. Sure as hell not the end of Bab's story, as she continues to re-write what's possible seemingly using nothing but the power of her own human will. You go, girl. And, hey, she gave me her blessing for Batgirl.
_Jason Todd:_ Sometimes I think Jason's around the Cave JUST IN CASE anyone here forgets how to brood. Because, you know, can't be having Batcaves without brooding. It just would not do, as Alfred was so fond of saying. So that's my suspicion why Todd's still hanging around. It's either that, or not even death gets you out of the Batcave rollcall. Needless to say, I don't trust him.
_Tim:_ The gorgeous guy with the super-fine mind and the athleticism, not to mention body, of an NFL All-Star. Not a bad ex-boyfriend, even if I say so myself--which I TOTALLY do! Tim's still the same sweet soul I remembered before I shocked everyone by suddenly appearing as if by magic, and taking on the Batgirl mantle. To say this confused Tim is something of an understatement, I'm afraid. He knows I dig the superhero game. He knows I'm probably in it for the rest of my life. Let's just hope 'the rest of my life' at least lets me reach my 30s.
_Kate Kane:_ Oh, just an uber-wealthy red haired hottie that's decided I'm her college campus pal. And here I thought the Cave was where all the weird shit in my life would go down. Whatever Kane's reasons, I'm actually glad to be her campus pal; she's fun, likes talking as much as I do, and is utterly fearless. Sometimes I think there's more to her than meet's the eye...although judging by Kate's many campus admirers, what does meet the eye on Kate Kane might just keep her plenty busy.
_Damian:_ Talk about rough starts to life. I'm not sure which is worse; having the Cluemaster as your father, or having the Batman as your father. At least the Cluemaster would eventually give it up. The Batman? May only 'give it up' if he dies. That's the cold, harsh, black and white reality in which this kid exists. And in a competition between mothers, I'm well aware my mom is a huge win over Damian's crazy-fuck mom. Believe it or not, I think women kinda freak him out, especially strong women who AREN'T crazy-fuck and evil. It's like the poor kid's brain just can't compute such a thing.
Oh well. I'm nice to him when he lets me be.
**Story Arc:**
_The New Bird._
As the newest addition to the Bat family, Stephanie is still trying to find her place, feeling as if she has to 'justify' the decision to hand her the 'Batgirl' mantle. For the first time in her life, Steph wants to see this through to the end--and having already 'died' as Robin once, she knows exactly what 'the end' means for members of the Bat family. Something of a mixture of all past Robins and Batgirls; with a smarter mouth than all past members combined...lucky Bruce. Despite her reputation, the new Batgirl has proven herself equal parts resourceful, cunning, and too violent to be ignored.
Whether she likes it or not, Gotham's goons, and their villain bosses, have begun to talk about the new bird in the Gotham night sky. It's only a matter of time until Batgirl is tested to her core by the likes of the Joker, or Two-Face. Whether Batman thinks she's ready for that, or not.
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