Definitely Time To Bounce [OPEN]

[charlie]

When the cool wind hit her face, like a natural alarm. It must be morning as Charlie tiredly opened her eyes. She was still wearing her costume, probably not the best idea but after a long night she didn't really care. She was sore and tired and as she went to wipe her hair from out of her face, she couldn't. Her eyes shooting open , she saw a rope around her wrist. That made her freak out as she went to sit up but her hands were tied to the floor, but not her legs. The welcoming sun was not existing due to the darkness of the dark warehouse.

Looking around, she saw a man standing over her. Her was big and brutal, wearing a dirty white shirt matching the fowl expression on his face. Trying to sit up, she saw the crowbar in his hand. Before even thinking, she knew she could get out of their. As light emulated from her chest she then combusted into pink smoke and appeared behind him. The fear in her wasn't good, she knew fear made you weak. But as he turned towards her swearing profanity, Charlie punched him up the face and he launched backwards into the wall. ''What the hell are you doing? Who are you?''.

Bleeding around his nose, the bruised lump of flab looked up at her. ''They told me - that you would be easy to capture''. Charlie's heart jumped as she turned and ran. Going towards a boarded window she dived out and bounced to another rooftop. she should have felt safe, but she didn't. She then began to run, as fast as she could.. Away from her life. What was she? A wannabe homeless trailor trash with nothing to live for.

Her foot hitting a brick she flew forwards. In a diving faceplant she hit the ground hard as her limbs followed. Her hands having hit the ground first, as soon as she recovered she looked at them. Besides the dirty long nails and filthy skin, she saw blood from the grazing of the cement. It was then she began crying. Life was unfair, she knew this. Only for the passed two months had she put on a costume and tried to save people. But she wasn't worth saving. Right now, she was crap.

[k]

[charlie]

This wasn't the first time Charlie felt useless and unsafe. The feeling reminded her of six months ago when her mother died. As she stood outside on the road watching the house burn down, this, this was what she felt. Thereforth, she was crying. In an attempt to stand up, she just dropped back down. She never wanted to get up again. But startling her were a pair of black boots landing in front of her. Looking slowly up the woman's appearance, she knew the yellow bat symbol and cape from anywhere. It was the real Batgirl. Charlie was amazed, but then realized something. She had taken the Batgirl's appearance and some believed Batgirl teleported now. She had to get out of their.

''Oh, no''. Bouncing from her spot she reappeared the next building away, running. Looking behind her as she ran, she looked forward only soon enough to see the side of the building. Men scaling it and trying to get to the top wearing black masks and carrying weapons. When one looked at her and screamed 'Get her!', she understood that the fat man really wanted her dead now.

Charlie was about to run but when a piercing boom blasted through her ear drum. Stopping, a force made her not move. Then as the blistering pain took place, she dropped to her knees. Looking down to the thigh, she saw the hole. She had been shot, and beginning to hyperventilate, she fell back in pain. Beggining to cry again, she then saw them approaching. Bouncing away, she reappeared sitting. Looking to her wound, what she had expected had happened. The wounds had half healed, and bouncing again only a scratch was left. So looking to the guys, performing a backflip to her feet she sighed. ''That wasn't very nice !''.

[k]

[/b] Babs instructed her, "later," she added, before she turned her attention back to the men. Armed men were always dangerous, but Babs had faced men like this before. In fact, she'd very much literally just got herself out of this situation in the warehouse. She didn't want to waste precious seconds letting someone else take aim at her or the girl. Lucky she'd armed herself with some stun batarangs before leaving the cave, she thought, and pulled them from her belt. She didn't have many, so some of the remaining men would have to be taken down by physical combat. She threw the first batarang, watching the man fall to the ground. This first instance of attack riled the others and Babs set about attacking them, delivering a kick to disarm one and a punch to stun another, throwing an attacking man to the ground as he ran at her. Just another night on the beat, she thought, hoping that the girl behind her wouldn't pull one on her and disappear somewhere else. She did have a lot of answering to do once this was over.[/ul]

[charlie]

She was now side-by-side Batgirl. This was friggin amazing. It was like if you were fighting crime alongside Lady Ga Ga. In Charlie's eyes, Batgirl was amazing. A famous figure of woman power where when in the slums as the next door neighbours beat eachother up, Charlie had someone to look up to. Someone to believe in. And now, her role-model and hero was now looking like she was going to kill Charlie. Charlie had no choice but to stay. The last thing she wouldn't want is Batgirl hunting her down, possibly with the rest of the Bat Family. So Charlie stepped back as Batgirl took charge, knocking down a few men. As three circled toward Charlie, she guessed that now was a great chance to show her, well, skills to her star.

Charging towards the group of men, she jumped slightly and kicking off his chest, she launched herself in an aereole backflip up and over Batgirl and landed on a chimney. Smiling, she saw that the man was down and the others looked up at her. She chuckled slightly, but three men shot exsessive amounts of bullets at Charlie. Bouncing just in time, seconds went by before the men realized they were shooting at nothingness. Little did they know that Charlie was standing behind them. A hard front kick to one man's back sent him like a bowling ball through pins. The men fell over and first up, first attacked. The first man standing had Charlie charging at him. A side step to surprise him, she smashed a swing across his face. Swinging back, she then grabbed him by the shoulder and flipped him forwards onto his back.

Charlie was now heated and having fun as one guy went to rise. But moving forwards she slid across the ground foot first and kicked out the guys arm, forcing him to fall. As he went to get back up she spun in a crouch and kicked him across the face. With her added super strength, the guy flipped horizontally in the air and smashing into the ground. Charlie rose, sending an uppercutt up some other guys face and launching him like a rocket into the air, finally spining and kicking someone else across the face and the spining once more and sweeping out his feet. This was a blast.

''Warmed up yet?''.

[k]

[/b] Babs began, but didn't get to finish her sentence before she found herself engaged in a fight with another armed man. He had his gun worrying close to Babs, and she was struggling to disarm him. As she kicked him hard in the chest the gun discharged and Babs threw it to the ground, finishing the man, who was bent double in pain, with a second kick to the face, propelling him backwards. She glanced behind her to see where the stray bullet had gone, finding it had managed to pierce the shoulder of one of the approaching men. Babs mouth fell open as she watched the blood splatter the floor. That wasn't supposed to have happened - if that man died, it would be her fault.

Babs took her attention away from the man as she worked her way through the fight, finding herself caught in the middle with Charlie.
"Not bad," Babs told her, wiping blood from her mouth as she launched herself back into the fight, using a third stun batarang. She couldn't take her mind off the man with the shoulder injury, and spoke into her comm-link as she continued to fight.
"Get me through to Gotham Police Department," she said clearly, waiting until her call was picked up. "This is Batgirl, I need a police van and- and an ambulance to East Gotham," Babs said, absentmindedly muttering their location as she glanced back at the man. She couldn't let him die, it would sit on her mind, and he was losing a lot of blood. She needed to take the men down quickly and fast. Her usually controlled fighting style was left behind as she bent one of the men's arms behind his back, delivering a kick to his back and throwing him forward into a second, flooring them both. It wouldn't take long for the police to respond to her call, but she needed to take the rest of them out.
[/ul]

[charlie]

As simple as a punch rendered a man on the ground crying like a woman. She smiled, it was good to feel in power. Not to much power, but just enough that she knew that she was not helpless. Hearing running from behind, she performed a backflip handspring, bull kicking a guy in the chest and launching him backwards. Standing up right, Charlie didn't realize how cocky she was being. It had actually transformed into recklessness and she did not anticipate the guy coming at her with the crowbar. He swung it, hitting Charlie up the face and she staggered backwards into the wall. A pain in her face that would have rendered any normal person to the ground she shook off, tough for a 14 year old. Walking towards him, now cautious and a bit worried she saw him swing at her legs. Performing a backflip in the air, she then landed and the swing missed. But he moved quickly, smashing her in the back with the crowbar. Falling forwards, she then bounced besides the guy and kicked the crowbar out his hand. Then jumping after the kick, she crossed her leg over he body and kicking the guy in the face as he fell backwards. Charlie fell to her back, having only a moment to move as the crowbar darted down where her body was. Now in the middle, she was now besides Batgirl.

Smiling at Batgirls comment, she was still able to kick a guy back to keep the circle so they didn't get close. But Charlie noticed Batgirls concern and looked and saw the guy. The wound looked brutal and Batgirl had to do something.
''Batgirl, we have to do something. He is going to die'', Charlie hadn't seen a dead body before and she didn't want to start now. So she was relieved when Batgirl began to call the police. Charlie then went back into action. Sending a punch across the guys face, he staggered and headbutted the brick wall. Bouncing off it staggering, Charlie spun and swipped out the back of his head and he fell down.

Then, Charlie saw him. These guys had a reinforcement; A big fat bald man who seemed to be crossed between Fat Bastard and The Incredible Hulk. He looked to her, probably because she was the primary target. So taking a breath, she charged at him. She didn't want to waste time, so approaching a foot kicked off his knee as she backflipped and kicked up his face. He barely moved from it as she then charged at him again. Jumping at him, a large fist met with her gut as she shot onto the ground winded. This guy was definitely metahuman.
''Okay fatty, thats how you want to play''.

Standing up to him, she planted a punch up his face, then across and then across again. He only smiled, which scared Charlie. As she went to kick him, he caught her leg in a tight grip. She could get out of it as he then kneed her in the ribs, feeling as if they broke and then throwing her hard. Charlie flew hard and smashed through the edge of the brick wall, sending herself and orange rock onto the ground. Trying to get up, she couldn't taste anything besides blood and dust. She groaned, and a hit like that actually hurt her.

She went to get up but the fat man walked up and with ease, kicked Charlie in the ribs and propelled her into the air and she flew not before hiting an AC box. The metal crumbled as Charlie fell to the ground, unfortunately coming in and out of consciousness.

[k]

[/b] Babs snapped. She had to control the bleeding - she couldn't let him die. Sure, he'd tried to attack her and the girl, but Babs was about saving people, not killing them. She was often morally conflicted, and to many people a vigilante helping someone who had just tried to kill her might seem strange, but to Babs it was how she played the game. Nobody died, not on Babs' watch. "Apply pressure, hold it there, stay with me," Babs told the guy, who was now laying on the floor. She looked down at him, wondering what exactly had happened to him to get him involved in such a gang. Debts? Family? Perhaps he was looking for a purpose? The struggles of every day life could turn people into criminals in mere seconds.

Babs heard a crash behind her and she sprung to her feet, turning around as the metahuman pounding Charlie into the AC box. He was about to strike again, and Babs pulled several batarang from her belt. She knew it wouldn't be of much use, but all she needed was a distraction from him killing the girl. She flung them all, hitting the large man in several different places. Now she was the target, not Charlie. The attention of the man was drawn across to her, and she focused on him, trying to think of a plan. However, some of the best results came from the sudden decisions and the unplanned. She couldn't imagine she'd be able to land a hit that would do much damage, but Babs needed to try anyway.

Babs could hear the sirens in the distance and was relieved. The man would live, whatever happened to them, she could save him and she could save the girl too. Babs gritted her teeth as the large metahuman approached her. She took a running kick at him, trying to land a direct hit to his head. Babs impacted, but she barely managed to make a scratch. Sure, she was well trained and strong, but she was only human too. She had exactly two stun batarangs left, not enough to floor the guy. She landed next to Charlie, and turned her attention to her.

"Hey," she said, looking down at her as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Babs pulled metal and debris from on top of Charlie. "C'mon," she growled, looking down at the girl. The man was approaching again and Babs stood up, the long piece of metal in her hand. She held the end of it, bringing it down hard across the man's face, glad to see it at least made something of an impact on him as she managed to make him stumble. Babs glanced back at the girl, momentarily worried. This was her fault - the man with the gunshot wound, the girl unconscious on the ground. This was her fault, she decided as she plouged the metal at the man again.[/ul]

[charlie]

Was she actually seeing birds. A large bump was protruding off of her forehead as more pieces of metal fell onto her. She just wanted to sleep now, and that day was pretty crap. First came getting kidnapped, and then it was like The Matrix and now it was Batgirls verses Fatty. And he was packing because he had rendered her harmed like a little girl. Well she was a little girl, but she didn't like to think it. Barbara came to her side and took debris off of her, and Charlie attempted to smile at her. "its oh - okay", she moaned but then saw Batgirl face up against him. She would get hurt; she would get hurt protecting her. With that in mind, Charlie then stood up and shook it off. Nothing some bouncing couldn't fix, but looking to Batgirl's utility belt she had an idea.

Bouncing from where she was, she bounced behind the man, the bump on her head gone. She smiled as Barbara took him on with a piece of metal. But unless they hit him hard with everything they had, they were not going to disarm him. So she held up her hand and inside it was Batgirl's batgrappler Charlie had managed to grab on her bouncing way over (maybe she did two stops). "Time to rock your world fatty", she told him but then bull-swinging at the man, she shot the grappler and it wrapped around his neck, the thin cable chocking him. Charlie had grip and then grunted as she swung. Her went with it, nearly falling as she swung and then released him at the brick wall, him dizzily spinning and headbutting the brick wall, smashing through it. She smiled and the grappler retracted.

Looking to Batgirl, she was happy. All the men were down and the fatty didn't seem to be getting up anytime soon. She considered it a job well done and walked over to the Batgirl. "So - how did I do?". She smiled at her and then heard pounding on the roof access door, but it was locked. So nodding to Batgirl, Charlie ran forwards and dived across the gap between buildings into a front roll. Now she knew it was answer time.

[k]

[/b] Babs repeated. "On a scale of slightly mad to downright insane? I'd say you're clocking in on pretty downright insane," Babs responded, though she was smiling all the same.

She heard the pounding and smiled, glad to see the police and ambulance had made it. She watched as the girl disappeared and the access roof burst open, cops and EMTs spilling out. Babs was gone before they'd even had time to clock who'd been standing there, leaping across the roof to land beside Charlie. She watched from afar as the police began to make many arrests. That was a lot of paperwork, Babs thought. A lot of paperwork her father would probably end having to deal with, she thought glumly. How long would the men even get in prison? For carrying firearms? Not an awful long time in Gotham, not because the law was lax, but because there wasn't the space to keep so many men locked up in a relatively small town with such miniscule misdemeanors when others ran around blowing up the city. Babs watched as the man was given first aid and she turned to face Charlie, a little less joy in her face right now.

"Who are you?" Babs said, looking almost solemn right now. "And why?" Babs asked, gesturing to the makeshift Batgirl costume. Sometimes she had the brief look of her actual age about her, like she really, genuinely looked eighteen years old. Sometimes she acted eighteen years old and enjoyed life like one would - but most of the time, as Batgirl, Babs was something else. She couldn't afford to act her age, because it would get her killed. An eighteen year old fighting crime was madness, and yet this girl in front of her was probably even younger than herself. [/ul]

[charlie]

Two good questions. Two questiosn that Charlie knew she had to face. She had jeapodised what Batgirl stood for, what she meant to the world. She didn't realize that until now. She wasn't a hero, or atleast not yet. She was just a girl trying to make a difference with a few super powers. But Batgirl was serious now, dead serious. And Charlie knew it was going to get emotional. She might be tough, but she is still only a fourteen year old girl. More then that - she was a fourteen year old girl living on the streets. She had to be straight with Batgirl, she owed her that. So sighing, she then did what a superhero shouldn't do; took off her mask. It revealed her face, and she tried to smile at Batgirl.

"My name is Charlie Gage-Radcliff. I am - um - fourteen years old. You should know, and I am sorry. But ever since I was young you were my idle. And when my mum -", she stopped. She hadn't spoke about it out loud before. A tear began to role in her eye as she looked to the ground, and then too her mask. She guessed she could hide her face well enough; but she couldn't hide the truth from herself. Wiping her eye and then wandered over and sat on the edge of the building. She didn't know if Batgirl wanted to here what happened or if she even really cared. But maybe it would do Charlie some good getting it all off of her chest.

"About five months ago, their was a fire in our apartment. I could bounce out easily. But I can't bounce with living things. So my mother told me to go -", she began to shake and the tears were released. " - so I went and I watched ... the house burn to the ground. And my mother die", she sobbed and held her face in her hand, sobbing. She felt like dying, and then looking up at Batgirl.

"Ever since then, I have been on the streets. I don't want to be taken to a foster home. I am a freak, and they wouldn't understand. And that's what happened just before. I was sleeping on the streets and someone kidnapped me. I guess when I am asleep.... I am just as slow as everyone else". She was still crying, and she hated crying. But she felt pathetic and alone and worthless. She looked away from Batgirl, just looking down on the streets of Gotham. It wasn't any better down their. Pain and terror, that is what Charlie wanted to prevent. But she looked to Batgirl.

"I'm sorry. You probably don't want to hear all of this. It's just, you gave me hope. And even though I am poor and on the streets, I still wanted to help people. Even if no one wants to help me, I want to help them. But I am sorry I did that. I won't do it again, no more Bat suit", she finally wiped her tear stained eyes and looked to Batgirl. "Are you mad at me?". Her final sob but she tried to suck it up. But sometimes; you just can't.

[k]

[/i].

She shook her head as Charlie stopped talking, her eyes down at the ground, before looking up at the sobbing teenager in front of her. It broke Babs' heart to hear what the girl had been through, and then to have the girl tell her she'd given her hope and that she was her idol. Babs had never heard those words before. She'd heard people talk about Batman like that, about how he was symbol and how people idolized him, but she'd never heard them in reference to herself, and she'd never expected to. Her impact upon the world had never quite struck her like that, Babs always assumed she went relatively unnoticed in Gotham, that she was just part of the Batfamily and went about her vigilante behaviour under the knowledge that the good she did would be attributed to Batman, never to herself. Babs' mind trailed back to when she'd first donned the Batgirl costume and the harsh words Batman spoke to her, but how she hadn't been dissuaded from doing it all the same, and returned until he accepted her as part of the team. However, the feeling of never being good enough after he'd spoken so brashly to her had never quite faded from her mind.

"Charlie," Babs said, taking the mask from the girl's hand. "I'm so sorry," she said slowly. "I know what -" Babs paused, knowing she couldn't say too much. She couldn't make that mistake. Babs trusted the girl, but she couldn't quite bring herself to impart too much revealing information about herself. "For what's it worth, Charlie,," Babs said, looking down at the mask she'd taken from the girl. "I do all this - I try to save people - and I wonder if it makes a difference. If it's worth it," Babs explained. She thought back to her chat with Margaret after she'd almost been mugged and how she'd told her how hard it was sometimes, how Babs wondered if it was even worth it considering the state of Gotham. "But you're here, and you're trying to make a difference. Albeit in a slightly... unconventional way," Babs smiled, glancing at the girl's costume, "but..." Babs trailed off, taking a deep breath. "No, I'm not mad," she finished.[/ul]

[charlie]

Batgirl, even though Charlie didn't know they could be so sentimental, was really comforting. She actually made Charlie feel better, her words helped her. Even though she hesitated when about to reveal something about her. Charlie knew she could reveal much, but it did seem like Batgirl didn't trust her. Charlie knew she could reveal everything about herself, and that it is petty to get upset about not being told Batgirl's big secret, but it was how she felt. And that part didn't help, but the rest did. Batgirl was a good person. Charlie just hoped she was like her one day.

"Thank you", she told the heroin with an attempt of a smile, but she was still upset. Going down memory lane wasn't exactly a comfort for Charlie. And she seemed pathetic, but she was only a young girl, barely a teenager. Pushing herself was something she had to do. But what did she have in this life; really. "I just don't know what to do. What should I do Batgirl? I am only young, I can't fend for myself. I can't stay on the streets and I don't want to be taken away. I came to Gotham City with nothing to help people. I have no where to stay and really; I have no purpose. I am just so lost".

Another tear fell from her eyes into the palm of her hand. She had nothing to live for. She had no one to go back too. In metropolis, they lived in the slums and because of that; because of no consideration of safety codes it took her mother's life. Looking to Batgirl, she was going to unload what she felt. "I sometimes think - that maybe I am not supposed to be here. That I was supposed to die in that fire and because I didn't, because I got out this is fates way of punishing me for it. I don't deserve these gifts", she downgraded herself. It was how she felt. Unlike Batgirl, this hero had nothing. Batgirl has a family of heroes to work with, respect from the society of Gotham and everything else, Charlie had nothing. She was too young to get a job, too young to live by herself. It was pathetic, but she felt that life was just unfair. And she hated herself for thinking that.

[k]

[/b] Babs said. "You are young, you have a lot left to do," Babs explained. "You've got a lot of time to do it in," she added. "We can figure something out, together," she said to her. Babs wasn't sure whether she'd be able to keep her promise, but she would try her hardest to do so. She was taking Charlie on as her own burden right now, nobody elses. She couldn't let Charlie waste her talent and her skills, she couldn't let her keep wandering the streets and end up in trouble. She could take care of herself, but she shouldn't need to. Nobody should ever feel like they were in danger.

"No, Charlie," Babs said, shaking her head when Charlie said she thought she ought to have perished in the fire. "We can find a way for you to put your powers to use... for good," Babs said, with a smile. "You have a gift, Charlie, don't waste it," Babs informed her. She looked down at the mask in her left hand, and she moved forward. Babs wrapped her arms around the slightly shorter teenager, giving her a hug as she did so. She felt bad, knowing everything about Charlie, knowing what had happened to her family and hearing her say all this, spilling out her pain. Yet Charlie knew nothing about Babs, and she couldn't do so. It would place her in danger, and it could place Babs and everyone around her in danger too. Babs felt like she could trust Charlie, but she couldn't justify revealing her identity to her. Not yet, Babs thought. Maybe in time...

"Just promise to put the home-made Batgirl suit away," Babs informed her as she looked back at the girl, a hand on her shoulder. "Batman would go mad if he thought I was fighting crime in a skirt," she joked.[/ul]

[charlie]

Charlie actually smiled. Batgirl genuinely wanted to help Charlie. The fact made her blush slightly because this wasn't your everyday woman, this was a super hero. But Charlie didn't want to over react. Now that she had met Batgirl, that romanticized view of her was gone. Now she knew that even though she spent the nights fighting crime she was also an actual person. A person Charlie hopped she would get to know better. And she understood, and when Charlie told her her feelings towards that she basically shouldn't be alive right now, Batgirl didn't believe it for a second. Charlie smiled at her as the woman hugged her and she hugged back. It was comforting, and better then bashing people up as a bonding session. Batgirl wanted to help, but Charlie had to ask. What were they going to do?

Charlie chuckled through tears at what Batgirl said and hugged her back. She felt better, but then parting with Batgirl she wipped the last of her tears and smiled towards the woman. Batgirl, hardly. She was too mature and too much of a woman, but the name was catchy. Charlie smiled at the thought but then reverted back to serious mode. "Don't worry, it is not coming out again. Thankyou Batgirl, but what are we going to do?". It thne hit Charlie. Maybe Batgirl trusted her, maybe enough to consider taking her in. It was a stretch, but Batgirl talked about training Charlie to be great and that she won't stay on the streets. Maybe they were thinking the same thing. But before Charlie could think anything, she looked across at the building and saw an office looking at them.

"Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe. Stop". Charlie's heart jumped. She knew it was about time that the cops tried to take her, and before she could get Batgirl to run with her she was caught. Her arms around her back, and officer had her. "Come one Charlotte. We just need to take you to the station. It will be alright?". His words weren't reassuring at all. Charlie tried to struggle, but then looked to Batgirl really worried. She just knew; they were going to take her away and she would be alone. She knew what happened to metahumans, labs and experiments. She didn't want to be taken, but she knew if she hurt the cop or tried to get away she would be running for the rest of her life. So getting tears in her eyes, he dragged her away and she looked back to Batgirl.

"Batgirl, please. Help me", Charlie said before she excorted out. Soon, she was sitting in the back of the police car with an officer in their. He was a social serviceman who was trying to reason with her, but she just looked out the window as the criminals were excorted out. Would Batgirl save her? Or was it a lie? Charlie just looked down, near in tears but sucked it up. "You can do this Charlie, you can do this.