Enter: Stephanie Brown

[newoutsiders]

Harbor duty again. These days, it's one of the most boring assignments you can get in Gotham, patrolling for crime as part of the Oracle Network. Babs's hastily formed but naturally well-coordinated alliance of Batman's allies both close and estranged has been protecting his city in his absence. And since that little terror Damian made it clear during a raid on Two-Face two weeks ago that the Network wouldn't be tolerating any shady business at the docks, it's been pretty quiet. Still, it has to be done. And tonight's Thursday night, which means it's your night to do it.

You've just settled into your favorite stakeout spot on the roof of a nearby warehouse, as behind you you hear an all too familiar *pop!*

Now, on top of everything else, her. At least she's unlikely to get in the way of anything.

"Heya, Steph!" a high pitched voice shouts way too loud, way too close to your ear. What sounds like four pit bulls start barking loudly in response, and a few window lights flicker on in the surrounding slum.

"Sorry," Misfit stage-whispers sheepishly, way too late. "But I'm just so excited! I had to tell someone!"

Comments

[stephbrown]

Steph hopes that Charlie still has the communicator that she had when she took off. She taps her own comm. "Hey, Ch- uh. Other Batgirl?"

[newoutsiders]

You hear some fumbling on the other end, like Charlie is digging the communicator out of her belt.

"Hey, Batgirl."

[stephbrown]

She's still alive. Hasn't poofed herself into outer space yet. Steph's relieved. Hopefully she's had better luck than Steph's had. "Did you catch the truck?"

[newoutsiders]

"Well... kind of? I mean, it's definitely stopped now."

[stephbrown]

A bunch of terrible scenarios run through Steph's head, and she has to take a deep breath before asking, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

[newoutsiders]

"Well, the tank got loose, and the driver turned out to be this freaky monster dude and got away. But the truck is definitely stopped. We think it was carrying, uh. Plastic Man Juice. The stuff that makes you all stretchy. Oh! And I'm here with Green Arrow. The cute one."

[stephbrown]

"Oh," Steph replies. That... had not been one of the scenarios she'd imagined, but it's still pretty much not great. "Green Arrow, huh? Are you still with him? Where are you guys?"

[newoutsiders]

"Way uptown. I, uh, kind of overshot the truck at first. By a lot. Like, half the city a lot."

[stephbrown]

"That's not good," Steph says, frowning. "The 'porting thing is getting less and less reliable, isn't it? That's dangerous. We should really figure out what's going on." As soon as she can bring herself to break the news to Babs, that is. "Can you give me an address? I wrapped things up with our friends at the dock for now. Maybe we should group up so we can work on things together."

[newoutsiders]

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll handle it. We're on... 12th and Broome. Near where that creepy old theme park used to be."

[stephbrown]

Amusement Mile. That's not good, either, but Steph keeps that thought to herself. "Okay. I'm heading your way. I shouldn't be long."

[newoutsiders]

"Okie doke."

[stephbrown]

Steph puts her comm away and starts up her bike. She can get to 12th and Broome in fifteen minutes tops, assuming the destruction between here and there isn't too bad. She sets off, hoping she can get there before anything too crazy happens.

[newoutsiders]

You're about halfway there when you see the police have blocked off the road- beyond some barricades, you see a hazmat team cleaning up a nasty, toxic looking spill from the orange tanker. Most bizarrely of all, you can spot Starfire from the Titans floating above the crash site.

[http://thenewoutsiders.dreamwidth.org/1509.html]

[stephbrown]

"O...kay..." Steph mutters. "Time for Plan B." And a call to Oracle, but she's not going to talk and drive, not when she's taking a detour. Steph turns down a side street so she can catch another road up towards Amusement Mile.

Hopefully someone will be able to explain everything to her. Soon. Soon would be nice.

[newoutsiders]

You circumvent the hazard scene and continue towards Amusement Mile. You eventually find Connor Hawke and Charlie waiting for you near a totaled truck cab in a demolished intersection.

[http://thenewoutsiders.dreamwidth.org/1150.html]

[stephbrown]

[Tagged to http://thenewoutsiders.dreamwidth.org/1150.html?thread=55422#cmt55422]