Enter: Oracle

[newoutsiders]

Trouble at the docks again. Steph just phoned in. So much for Damian "settling things there once and for all." There was apparently an explosion. She can handle it, you tell yourself. You've got a lot more pressing things to worry about.

You take another sip of coffee as you trace some shelled bank accounts to Bialya. If you're right, there's a secret European war being funded by some major US corporations, and no one but 12 people on Earth even knows it's happening. You just need a little more-

You doze off for a quarter of a second before perking up. You've been awake for 50 hours now, and you haven't moved an inch. Since the Justice League took off and you took charge, things have been busier than they've ever been. But you can't stop. Everyone is counting on you.

Your main monitor blinks with the notification of an incoming video call. It's the League Watchtower.

Comments

[jlf_oracle]

"Wait, Batman's back?" Oh, that stings. He never calls, he never writes... And Babs probably needs to talk to Steph in person rather than over open channels, so they can both bitch in private.

Babs shakes her head. "It sounds like a proper gossip session is in order," she says dryly. "You should come over and tell me more about your new dreamboat."

[stephbrown]

"It's not Batman-Batman," she says after a moment. "I think it might be an old friend of ours in a new suit. I also don't think we have to worry, thought we probably should make contact."

She revs her bike's engine. "I'm on my way."

[jlf_oracle]

Babs signs off and puts on another pot of coffee. Then she looks around the place. Is it even worth trying to clear away the clutter?

[stephbrown]

It takes Steph a little while to get to the Tower, but when she manages to get there and hide her bike, she puts her code into the security system. It'll get her in the door and let Babs know she's here.

[stephbrown]

Steph is super glad that Babs likes her enough to disable the security on the stairs. Or, well, most of the security, but she's pretty sure that one trap was just to make sure she was paying attention.

She knocks on the door to the apartment and waits.

[jlf_oracle]

The coffee pot starts beeping just as Steph knocks at the door. Babs lets her in and then immediately turns around. "Hi Steph," she calls over her shoulder as she wheels towards the kitchen. "Caffeine calls."

[stephbrown]

"Caffeine," Steph says happily. "I'm so in for some caffeine. And a hairbrush." She pulls off her cowl and grimaces. Cowl hair is the worst.

[jlf_oracle]

Babs eyes Steph suspiciously as she comes over. "Are you limping?"

[stephbrown]

"Maybe a little?" Steph asks. "I might have gotten stabbed a little. It hurts more now than it did when it happened."

[jlf_oracle]

"Yeah, that'll happen when the adrenaline wears off," Babs says dryly. "Take your pants off and sit on the desk."

[stephbrown]

"You got it, boss," Steph says. It takes a few minutes to peel her suit off - blood and sweat and general tightness will do that - and sits on the desk. She winces as she looks at her leg; it's not a pretty sight.

[jlf_oracle]

Babs sighs and opens her med kit. "That's one part of the job I don't miss: awesome new scars."

[stephbrown]

"Makes shaving hard," Steph agrees. "On the other hand, I'm considering giving up shaving my legs. That little bit of extra warmth in the winter, you know?"

She peers down. "So how's it look?"

[jlf_oracle]

"It looks like you ran around for hours without wrapping it. Probably going to need a couple of stitches."

[stephbrown]

"Okay, well, have at it," Steph says. "Give me a cool embroidery pattern."

[jlf_oracle]

Babs laughs at that despite herself. "I'll see what I can do."

[jlf_oracle]

Babs is shoving a stack of files into something resembling a single pile - seriously, why do people still do so much on paper? - when the security alert lets her know she's out of time. Oh well; at least there's a chair free. Mostly.