Sneaking Up (Dick)

[babs]

Barbara Gordon had been patrolling Gotham as much as possible lately. It was best to keep busy. Unfortunately, being between semesters gave her more time than she would prefer (especially at night when the library was closed), but there were plenty of ways to fill that time. Research, tracking, all those sorts of things. Things she was good at. And, if there was ever a bit of time where she wasn't working on something a bit more involved, she could hit the streets and see what Batgirl could find. Which would sort of explain what she was doing now. Just a nice, low-impact evening of dealing with a bit of the Gotham scum.

Of course, that was before she got a bit distracted. It was nothing really. Or, at least, that's what Barbara kept telling herself. She was stopping some nameless thug that was after some tourist's wallet and, while he was falling to the ground, the crimefighter was sure that she saw a specific insignia tattooed on his arm. She tried to push it from her mind (which was easy as she was dealing with him, but harder when she was not doing any damage), but it wasn't relenting. She knew that mark. She had seen it somewhere, but she couldn't place it. That bothered Batgirl almost as much as anything else. She remembered everything.

Barbara patrolled for a couple more hours before deciding that this was a "slow night". She dealt with a few more small issues, but every moment she still thought of that tattoo. Whether it was the obsession with something that she didn't remember or her subconscious mind trying to push something home, she didn't know. But she quickly decided that she had to figure it out. And she would rather figure it out with Bruce MIA than have to explain why she was hijacking their source for something so damn petty. So she would have to be fast.

Luckily, she had a motorcycle for just such a need.

There were still several hours before the sun would rise, meaning she had some time to work. The redhead pulled the cowl from her head, tossing it to the side of the computer. Her fingers started to fly, practically running on muscle memory rather than conscious thought. She just couldn't get this out of her mind and, while searching through the image database was probably not the best use of her time, she needed to settle this. Especially now that it was bothering her so intensely. As the image gallery popped up, Babs set the entire thing on auto-flip and leaned back in the chair. She slid her hands behind her head, eyes focusing as she stared up at the screen. "Come on baby, show Momma whatcha got..."

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

The hum of a motorcycle could be heard as it trailed through the tunnels of the lower cave. Dick had pulled in late that night. Another visit to the Batcave to get information he needed.

Honestly, he hated coming back here at times. Especially lately. He just didn't like feeling like he needed help. But only the Batcomputer was fast enough to pick up the information he needed to know on a few cases.

A computer of that speed was best for attacking security systems in and out of the city without having to go there and hack it yourself. Dick knew how to work the codes. He may not be the greatest at computers like Tim, but he knew enough to make a hacker look like a novice.

The sleek black bike pulled up along side of the old Red bike, now remodeled lately, he had once driven. He knew Tim was out with Bruce on a mission tonight to help prepare him for taking on his own. So it was the perfect chance to go about and work when no one else was there.

But as he shut off the motorcycle and took of the helmet, heading for the short flight of stairs, he saw a familiar bob of red hair. Oh, great, was the first thought that had passed through his mind when he saw her sitting focusing on the computer.

He hadn't talk to Barbara in a while, beside a few tag-team missions with Tim and getting information. Other than that he would not make contact with her. Not since she had broken up with him had they talked of anything near their relationship.

He wasn't sure where he stood with her at this point. For the first month, it was nothing but the cold shoulders and glaring going on from her. But it had seemed to pass with times. And since he had left Gotham it made it easier for him to stay out of sight.

Dressed in his Nightwing suit, he walked up the stairs and stopped a bit short. He had heard her words earlier. And now saw her typing away at the computer.

He looked up at the computer screen. And slightly shook his head. "There is a faster way to get into the systems main frame," Dick spoke up. Not really wanting to go in any other direction beside work right now.

[babs]

When she heard the motorcycle approaching, Barbara turned to look who was driving up. Of course. She had been so worried about the Bat coming in, it never occurred to her to contemplate the former Boy Wonder. The redhead turned back to the computer, trying to prepare for the upcoming forced interaction the best that she could. She wished she had left her cowl on – at least then she wouldn't have to worry about whatever expression her face was deciding to show at the moment. It was still hard to tell how she was going to react around the man; half the time it was as much a surprise to her as it was to Dick.

There was a fair bit of silence for a bit of time as Dick approach. She wouldn't assume to know what was going on in his head (those days were officially over), but there was a fair bit of tension building up in the cave. And then he spoke. The very first words out of his mouth were how she was doing something wrong? Boy, he was becoming more and more like Bruce with every passing day, now wasn't he? ”Can't conceive that I know what I'm doing, blue bird?” Oh good, her tone didn't come out too harshly, just a bit of bite. Like it always did. The faster she could pretend things were back to normal, the faster they would be. Fake it til you make it, right?

She brought a finger down to the keyboard, pausing the flip. She had already set in parameters (the best that she could considering the tattoo was tribal in nature and hard to describe when one couldn't draw), she had eliminated as much as she could. Sighing, she turned over towards Dick, meeting his eyes for the first time since he entered the cave. ”I'm assuming you need this?” She motioned to the computer, lifting her eyebrows. She wasn't about to ask for help, not right now. But if Dick actually needed something, she wasn't going to keep him from handling his business and heading back to Bludhaven.

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

"What? No. I was just saying," Dick started to say. He walked toward the computer's side screen closest to him to get a look at what was the main focus on this sector.

"Never mind," he said. No point in starting anything over computer work. And how one thought it was best done, That was an argument that always went on for some time between the two through out their crime-fighting life.

Dick removed the eye mask he wore for now as he stood in the cave. And when Barbara turned to face him he was a bit silent at first. Waiting for that attack on him in almost a way it seemed.

"No point in interrupting you work since it looks like your about more than half way through with it," he stated.

He looked at her than over toward the screen again. "Bruce won't be back for a bit will he," he asked. A sign he might not want to really be around when the Bat got back to the cave.

[babs]

A small smile curved over Barbara's lips as Dick started and stopped. Well, that was always a bit of fun now wasn't it? She hit the key again and the images started to scroll past them again. "Dick Grayson, bowing out of an argument. Bludhaven must really be doing you good." Their back and forth was a pretty set part of their relationship since as long as Babs could remember. It was interesting to see Dick decide that this one was either not worth it or decide he didn't want to play anymore. Though one of those options were a little more welcome than the other.

When he asked about Bruce, the woman scoffed slightly. "I'm assuming we got a few more hours, yeah. But who really knows with him. The moment you think he's got a pattern..." Barbara trailed off, shrugging her shoulders slightly. It was hard to tell what the Bat was going to do and, truthfully, she had long since stopped trying to figure it out. There were a few people in line ahead of her for potentially grasping the man and if Dick or Alfred couldn't figure him out, Babs knew her own efforts were doomed. And she wasn't big on wasted efforts.

Her eyes flickered from the screen to Dick for a moment, then they were back into position. "You two still having issue?" It was asked and answered really, but the question was really an invitation. Despite everything that had happened, Dick was her closest friend and she knew that there was some...ongoing turmoil between him and their mentor. And she knew that sometimes all it took was a small opening to get a ton of information.

So there. Small opening.

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

"I wasn't bowing out," Dick said in his defense. "Just a little focused on the case I was looking at."

Clearly not a convincing lie over not wanting to argue. Sure he would go against her and have an argument. But it just was still a little strange lately. Dick was still being careful, not sure if he was still on thin ice or not with her.

"Yeah always keeps people guessing. His way of testing people," Dick stated after what she said about Bruce's patterns.

Barbara was right on that. It wasn't easy to monitor their mentor. Then again he was the one who would pull something like that. One minute he is out the next, he might be standing in the shadows listening in.

Dick looked at Barbara when she asked the last question. She knew there was something up between them. But he had not said much since he had left for Bludhaven, It was definitely something that was noticeable.

"When isn't there and issue between us," Dick said. "You know as well as I do, he and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things."

[babs]

"Suuuuuure." Barbara teased as Dick offered up that pathetic little excuse. Who did he think he was talking to here? She had seen him have a full on argument while whipping through the air and he was trying to claim that his mind was just other places? Bah. But far be it from her to rob the man of whatever denial he wanted to live in. Barbara hadn't never been the type to steal people' lies from them.

Yeah, Bruce was big about tests, though she didn't say that with nearly as much animosity as Dick did. She supposed it was fair - after all, he had been living and working with the Bat much longer. Truthfully, she was a bit surprised that he wasn't used to how Bruce operated at this point, but that wasn't really the important part of this, now was it? Growing pains, as Dad called them. Never easy.

"I most certainly do. And 'a lot' of things is really an underestimation." It was because they were both so similar and neither of them wanted to admit it. There were differences, key ones really, but that didn't override the fact that Bruce and Dick were of a kind. The rest of them? Well, the jury was still out on that one if Babs was to be asked. "I was offering the chance to, you know, talk about whatever it bugging you in particular at the moment." Her eyes were still trained on the computer, still rolling through the images. She halted on one for a moment, examining it, before eliminating it. The design was too angular. But, with the images halted, Babs did turn to man. "Or you can talk about the case you're so preoccupied with. Whatever. But you standing there and watching me in complete silence is not an option." No, that was just entirely too awkward. Things might not have been the most comfortable between then but it had to be more comfortable than that.

Babs turned back to the computer and hit the button, watching as the images came back to life. "So get to chirping, Dicky bird."

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

"There are a lot of reasons," Dick pointedly said. He knew what she was more or less saying. But he wouldn't admit to it. There was no way he was going to.

Dick lingered for a moment more before his eyes shifted to the computer. Her work was in depth. He could tell she must have been on this for a while now. Though with how much work on a computer she does in an hour of programming and installing new program, it would take Dick about twice that long.

Hacking and rewiring were his specialty, but the programming and brain of computer work was greatly in Barbara's favor when it came to making up knew systems and what not.

Compared to Tim and Barbara, those two were a pair when it came to the computer talk. It was enough to drive him out of the conversation to avoid all the technical terms those two had for computer programs, firewalls, and the list could go on.

His attention came back to her as the images stopped and she had turned to him. "Thank you for your grand decision on the subject at hand," Dick gave a slight mocking bow to her as he says this. This was more of joking than mocking her. Though he knew he ran the risk of something being thrown at him or being hit for this action.

He still hadn't lost that little quirk of his when it came to interacting with her. And he probably never would.

"Haven't heard that one in a while," he replies first before continuing. "You know it's not that easy to get me to talk as much about that kind of stuff as it is a case. But the problem with the case is that it includes the problem I'm avoiding tonight or run the risk of meeting again."

"I was here last week, but the information I got was only enough to slow down the operation by two days, still not enough. And with Gotham's crooks and loonies coming into my town for supplies...it's not helping either side," Dick said.