#like the revelation barbara was always warned about is actually a much different revelation
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lizmitches ¡ 3 months ago
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‘suddenly every love song was about you’ but barbara-fied to be ‘suddenly every bible verse was about you’ shshdhhsdhk
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tropicalfreckles ¡ 4 years ago
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Friends Again CH 4
MASTER LIST found here
B**TLEB*BES DNI
Summary:  Lydia always wondered how everything worked with the ghost-born demon, including how he was able to leave the house without being sandworm chow.
WARNINGS: Spiders, Body Horror, Ommetaphobia
"Adam, Barbara, I'm telling you that this crystal would just bring such positive energy to the room!" Delia exclaimed while throwing her arms into the air in dramatic fashion. Barbara followed close on Delia's heels as the younger, deceased woman clasped her hands together.
"Delia I understand you're having another one of your 'inspiration episodes'. How about we just decorate the top of the fireplace with some of the crystals. Instead of having a giant one placed in the middle of the room?" A strained smile creased Barbara's lips as she tried to compromise with her friend. Adam gave a short nod to his wife's idea.
"I agree with Barbara. It would look a lot more balanced than just having it in the middle of the room." Adam motioned to the whole room as he gave a small smile to Delia. She looked them both over then peered to the fireplace.
"You know, I think you're right Barbara! It probably would get tedious walking around the crystal every time we need to sit on the couch. I'll need to look into which crystals I want to put up there." Delia rubbed her chin in thought. Barbara and Adam exhaled a breath neither needed to hold. Charles had been sitting off to the side and gave the two a subtle thumbs up. The older man's attention turned to the creaking footsteps of the familiar combat boots that came from upstairs. A soft smile crept upon him as he gave Lydia a nod.
"Did you need something, Lydia?" Charles set down the book that was in his hand as he stood up from the chair he had been in. Lydia jumped down the last two steps then looked up to her father.
"I just wanted to go on a walk around the neighborhood. I'll be back." Lydia began heading to the door after giving him a short wave. Charles briefly gazed down to his watch before turning fully to look back to her.
"You have your phone on you, right?" He inquired.
"Yes, dad. Don't worry so much." Lydia waved him off. The young teen gave her goodbyes to the others then made her way out the door. That was easier than she thought it would be. Well, it wasn't like she was going across town. Her dad had been a bit more protective of her ever since the events that followed their move to their new house. Always making sure she had her phone on her in case anything happened. She began to tread down the steps of their front porch. She made sure to be careful of her footing across the unruly grass that needed to be tended to. A gust of wind blew by as she felt the pressure whip around her back. Lydia shuddered while gripping onto her arms.
"Chuck must be the trusting type, huh?" Beetlejuice chuckled. The demon hovered nearby her and gave her a thumbs up.
"I mean telling my family I'm going out for a walk isn't really that suspicious." Lydia shrugged. "So.. about that stuff from earlier." Beetlejuice gave her a hum in response as the two slowly walked down the hill. "Did you actually go look for your dad? Or were you just being dramatic?" Beetlejuice wrinkled his nose.
"Well, yeah. I just wanted to make you feel guilty. Getting sent back to the Netherworld right now is not on my to-do list. Why the hell would I even go look for that deadbeat?" He grunted then kicked his feet to the ground to float away from it. Lydia jumped over a big rock jutting out of the dirt as she watched him.
"So what exactly were you doing there? Did you get in trouble at all for the stuff we did months ago?" Lydia asked. The demon crossed his arms, his eyes traveling away from her.
"They had me holed up in some shithole for two months in 'breather time' I guess. Time works a helluva lot differently in the Netherworld. It dragged the fuck on when they put me on paperwork duty. It was a temp job to keep me there for whatever reason. That's what I was up to for the last couple of months. I don't want to talk about it." He grumbled. Small streaks of reds, blues, and yellows bled into his green hair. Lydia decided it was best not to push the moody demon for now. She was curious why he seemed to be cutting her so short on details yet knew she had to let him open upon it in his own time. Lydia still found it odd to even herself she wanted to work things out with him. Like being around him at all. She figured it was just still wanting real closure with him. Would she keep up hanging out with him like this? She wasn't sure. It was just somewhere to start at least. Lydia moved to playfully punch at the older man's arm.
"Fine, fine. At least you're not stuck there anymore." She waved him off. "Now you get to hear that beautiful sound again." Lydia gave him a wicked smile, Beetlejuice lighting up to her words.
"Now you're talking. Let's go scare the shit out of some chumps!" He gave a sharp-toothed grin then shortly after moved behind her. Wrapping his arms under her armpits he then lifted her up into the air. He flew down to the bottom of the hill after making sure there weren't any breathers that would notice them. Lydia let out a small yelp followed after with a shriek of laughter.
"Don't you dare drop me!" She clung to his arms and gave a kick of her legs. Beetlejuice snorted.
"Please, you weigh practically nothing, Lyds. Thought you wanted to try that trusting crap out more. This is a good trust exercise if you ask me!" He snickered as he flew them over to the closest house then landed them both down at the side of it behind some bushes. Lydia gave him a small scowl when she turned to him as she fixed her dress.
"Give me a heads up next time at least. Asshole." Lydia scolded. She turned to look at the house next to them. Thoughts of what kind of scare they should go with began to run through her head. Should they just wing it? Or come up with a solid plan. Last time they scared together it all just kind of happened naturally. Maybe they should just go with their guts. It would be nice to blow some steam off doing this for an hour or two after. Therapy helped her with more things than she thought it would after slowly opening up. Though this was a thrill that really helped her let loose. Especially with the stress of school, she was going through at the moment. Beetlejuice seemed to notice her overthinking it since he gave her a hardy slap on the back. She grunted then shot him a glare.
"Don't overthink it, kid! Let's just see if the old bat is home first." He smirked at her. Giving her a signal with a wave of his hand the two approached the windows quietly. Beetlejuice phased his head through it then scanned the room. A light was on upstairs so that must be where she was. It would take a good minute or two for her to answer the door if they decided to get Lydia inside the more legal way. He couldn't exactly phase her through the wall as he could. If she was dead that would be another story. However, he wasn't planning on letting her join him on the side of the deceased any time soon. He could always just teleport her inside as well. He was so engrossed with his thoughts he hadn't even hear heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. He noticed last second when they echoed louder down the steps and made himself invisible once more. Phasing out he pushed Lydia's head down below the window so she wouldn't be seen.
"Hey!" She frowned then swatted his hand away. He hushed her as he narrowed his eyes. Shit, maybe it was the wrong house? Coming down the stairs instead was a man who was definitely younger than the old lady he saw here just yesterday. Either way, they could still scare him. He looked like one of those overly paranoid and religious types. An obvious comb-over on a very pale head. Khakis that made even the ones Adam wear look like they were in fashion. A pale-blue plaid shirt. This man was probably the dullest breather he ever laid eyes on. Which was saying quite a bit. Beetlejuice ducked below after taking note of which direction in the house he moved to.
"Alright, new plan. Either the old bag has another breather living with her or this is someone else's house. We can still work with this. Old bastard looks like one of those old testament fans." He snorted. Lydia crossed her arms.
"I don't remember him living here. I could've sworn it was an old lady, too. I remember dad talking to her more than once this year." Lydia looked up at the window then sighed. "I mean, it doesn't matter either way I guess. I want to scare someone today. Alright. So how do we get me in there?" She swung her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the front of the house. Beetlejuice stroked his chin.
"That's what I was mulling over. I could dress you up to look creepy. Go with the ol' ghost kid scare, teleport you in." Lydia's expression brightened at this new revelation.
"Wait you can teleport yourself places?" Lydia questioned. She couldn't help but let her curiosity peak through.
"Within reason, yeah. I still can't exactly go much further than this damn neighborhood at the moment when I'm summoned. Since the only graveyard around is the one on the other side of your house. I'd need to be invisible to look for another one to go through." He explained while periodically peering through the window. Lydia was intrigued by what limitations his powers held. Lydia tapped her hand on her thigh in thought.
"That why you didn't just up and leave for good? You're stuck here?" Lydia questioned, giving a tilt of her head. Beetlejuice clicked his tongue while his fingers flexed into the palms of his hands as he fidgeted in place.
"Listen if you want a rundown of how I work I'll give you the short version. When I'm summoned directly from the Netherworld I'm stuck with the breather that did it until I can get another sap to summon me. It's some complicated bullshit that goes along with my little shtick." He rambled on. Lydia crossed her legs while sitting on the ground now.
"I remember you saying before ghosts couldn't leave the houses they stay in. How the hell were you able to leave after I summoned you a week ago? Thought sandworms would be waiting out there for you. I actually wondered that when I woke up for my nap." She rested her cheek against her hand. Beetlejuice groaned. Why were kids so fucking nosy. He rubbed his hands over his face as he thought over his next few words.
"Yes, okay, yeah. Typically I can't leave the damn house. The normal way at least. I'm not really housebound as much as ghosts are since demons work on a different set of rules. If I walk out a door I'd be worm chow. If I however can see a graveyard within distance, or if there is one at least sort-of-nearby I can just fly out the window. It's like a way station for demons. I can travel through more when I'm not summoned. Invisible. I also can travel further distances when summoned if I left the Netherworld the way I usually do. However since you summoned me straight out of it; I'm stuck with you until once again, someone else says my name." He was standing now, pacing back and forth as he went listing off how things worked. "Once I leave the graveyard I can also go around to the houses in the area freely without worrying about those worms. I can't leave the neighborhood itself though." Beetlejuice huffed as his gaze traveled back down to Lydia.
"Sooo. What if someone who summons you after me says your name three times again. Do you just become invisible once more or go back to the Netherworld?" Lydia got back up to her feet. Beetlejuice frowned a bit.
"Honestly. Not too sure. I think I just become invisible again. What, you planning on getting Chuck or Delia to do that?" His face scrunched up as he got defensive again. Lydia shook her head with an annoyed sigh.
"No, I told you I wouldn't do that. I promised. So long as you don't try murdering me or my family then we're good." Lydia tapped a finger to her chin. "Okay. One last question then we figure out how to scare this guy. You said you can make me look all creepy. How do we do that?" Beetlejuice rubbed the palms of his hands together as he let out a wicked cackle.
"Leave that to me." A snap of his fingers and Lydia's dress appeared more weathered and tattered, her hair becoming disheveled. He gave another snap as a makeup kit appeared in his hands. He gently grabbed her face with one hand, as another arm grew out of his back to start applying the makeup while his other hand held the case. Lydia stared at the third arm growing out of his back. "Little makeup here, there. Make you paler. Gotta put more bags under your eyes annnd... few scars here." His tongue stuck out of the corner of his lips as he concentrated on his work.
"Done!"
Lydia pulled from him when his hands moved away. With a flick of his wrist, the makeup box was replaced with a mirror he promptly showed to Lydia. She moved the pads of her fingers over her cheek while gazing into it. She definitely looked a lot more dead. He somehow made her eyes look sunken in as well. He was pretty good with makeup to her surprise. She kind of wished he made her look more gruesome and mangled. Oh well, maybe for the next scare. She was getting as antsy as he probably was and wanted to jump into it already. Speaking of Beetlejuice, he seemed to be staring at her as if expecting something. Oh.
"It looks pretty good, Beej. I look creepy." Lydia grinned. Beetlejuice puffed out his chest with pride then held out his hand for her. She grimaced a little. He definitely hadn't washed his hands in ever. Definitely the same gross, creepy old guy she first met. Lydia could grin and bare this. Taking his hand she gave him a nod. He pulled her close.
"So I've never actually teleported a breather before. It might be a little overwhelming...even if it's just literally inside the house next to us." He gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Oh well. Let's just jump into it!" He turned to look inside of the window. Lydia was starting to have second thoughts about this. Too late, however, she felt a wind pressure engulf her as her other hand clung to his arm. In a flash of blinding light she felt weightless. Dizziness washed over Lydia for a moment as she closed her eyes tightly. A second later she felt a hand gently patting her shoulder followed by a quiet voice.
"Hey. Kid. You good?" Beetlejuice muttered. Lydia let go of him then grabbed at her head.
"Yeah. You were right. It was kind of overwhelming. I'm fine, though." She reassured him. Her eyes traveled around the room. They really were inside of the house. The teen couldn't help the rush of excitement bubble inside of her. She didn't feel like she could be in danger since having a demon as her partner was guaranteed her safety. Especially since he's saved her life once before. Though at the same time the thought of getting caught was kind of exhilarating as much as it was worrying. She gently patted the back of her hand against his arm.
"So what now?" Lydia asked in a hushed tone. She was smart enough to not let the person or possibly multiple people living there know of their presence quite yet.
Beetlejuice studied the house. The sun was starting to set more in the sky. Good, this could work for him. He quietly motioned for her to stay low and follow him as best she could. He moved to peer around the corner. First, he figured it would be good to start to get rid of the other lights. With a clap of his hand, the lights all began to dim and flicker. He had to make a good show of it to set the unease in for the occupants of the home. Then all of the light bulbs on the first floor burnt out. A surprised grunt followed by a short string of cursing followed suit. Lydia tried not to snicker while Beetlejuice giddily bounced in place. He rolled his shoulders then looked over to Lydia.
"Okay. I got him warmed up. I think he's the only one in here. So he doesn't think you're an intruder, I'll do some classic shadow scares to get him on edge before you come out. Do whatever comes naturally for ya." Beetlejuice turned to place his hands against the walls. Lydia took a step back to watch in awe as shadows shot out from under them. They bled up into the walls then scattered to the living room down the hall. Some peeled off of the wall to make inhuman long strides around. They were all shaped like him as well. As dusk began to set in all around the house the shadows became more inhuman in form then all slithered out of view. Lydia watched until the last one was out of sight. She then slowly started creeping down the hallway as quietly as she could. Beetlejuice had already phased through a wall off ahead of her. She could hear the pounding of her own heart. Her breath stilled. A panicked shuffling could be heard followed by some clattering of items in the other room. The man was worked up. Perfect for her. Lydia changed her expression the best she could to something eerier than slid her fingers along the corner of the doorway in front of her. Slowly she crept around the corner while jerking her body and making a low moan that echoed into a clicking sound.
"What in the name of Christ-!!" A terrified older man stood before her, a lamp in his hand that he gripped close to his chest. His eyes were wide as he trembled in place. Unable to make a move to even attempt an attack on her Lydia seized this opportunity to scream at the top of her lungs at him while dragging one of her feet behind her. The guy let out the loudest, blood-curdling scream he could muster then slammed the lamp on the ground. He started to run around to the other exit of the room only to body slam straight into Beetlejuice. Who appeared to have made himself noticeably quite larger. Spider legs were growing out of his back and he had multiple eyes opening over every visible bit of skin on his undead body. The man had fallen back onto his rear as he tried backing up from the demon while Beetlejuice dislocated his arms and made a swing at him. The guy just barely managed to dodge him before scurrying on all fours underneath a hovering Beetlejuice. Within seconds the two heard the front door slam as he screamed all the way out of the house. Lydia and Beetlejuice moments later both erupted in a gleeful fit of laughter.
"Holy crap! That was so much fun!" Lydia grabbed at her stomach as she cackled. Beetlejuice shifted his body back to normal as he wiped at a faux-tear.
"I think he legit pissed himself when you came around the corner and made those noises at him! It was great!" Beetlejuice held up his hand to give her a high-five, Lydia surprising even herself, reciprocated it. Both of them grinned wide at the other. "Ahhh shit. We should do some more!" Beetlejuice clapped his hands together. Before Lydia could respond, a repetitive pinging sound erupted from the pocket of her dress. Lydia heaved a sigh then pulled it out.
"I'd love to, however, looks like dad's telling me to come home." Lydia gave an annoyed huff. Beetlejuice frowned as he gave her a 'tsk'. He hovered over to the hallway then looked straight out to the front door.
"Well, looks like guy high-tailed it out of here. Think you can walk out the door. Sure you can't just skip curfew and act like a true rebellious teen?" He peered over his shoulder to her. Lydia considered this for a moment then gave a shake of her head.
"No can do. Normally I would, just... I don't want to get grounded and miss out on more scaring this week." Lydia shrugged as she walked towards the front door. Beetlejuice perked up a little.
"Scare more?" He smirked.
"Yeah, I only got a little taste of scaring again today. I want more." Lydia playfully shoved him then wiped the makeup off her face. "Oh. Could you change my dress back? I actually like this one." The teen grabbed at the edge of her dress and picked it up for emphasis. Beetlejuice snapped his fingers, the dress glowing then shortly after returned to how it once was.
"Alright. So. Same time tomorrow?" He grinned at her. "I'll skulk nearby to check in on you earlier in the day so we don't have to cut it short."
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Tomorrow I don't have school either so it works." Lydia gave him a nod. She closed the door behind them when she walked out after making sure no one would notice her. "I'll meet you outside tomorrow. I don't want the Maitlands to see you on the roof." She held out her hand for him. Beetlejuice took it then gave it a shake.
"Deal!"
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sebeth ¡ 7 years ago
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Babs-a-thon, Part 5
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Warning, Spoilers Ahead…
 Oracle debuted in Suicide Squad #23.  The true identity of Oracle was a complete mystery – man, woman, group?
Oracle would provide information for the Squad until the mystery was solved in Suicide Squad #38. It was a rather low-key revelation: Amanda contacts Oracle in cyber-space.  Oracle questions why Flo (the Oracle’s usual contact) isn’t the one reaching out. Amanda informs Oracle that Flo died on a mission.  The next panel reveals a wheelchair-bound redhead, a Batgirl plushie on the desk, mourning the loss of her friend.
I love the subtle revelation of Oracle’s secret identity.  No storming the secret lair and gasping in shock.  A simple one-panel revelation that relied on the art to provide the clues to her identity.  Not that it didn’t blow my mind at the time.
A small pause in the Babs-a-thon to promote John Ostrander, Kim Yale, and the 1980s’ Suicide Squad title. If you haven’t read the Ostrander/Yale run – what are you waiting for?  Ostrander & Yale created two of the most unique, groundbreaking, and iconic women in comics:  Amanda Waller and Barbara Gordon as Oracle.  The Squad consistently had multiple female characters – Flo, Karen, Nightshade, Enchantress, Mind-Boggler, Plastique, Vixen, Duchess, Jewlee, Poison Ivy – all different types of personalities, all written well.  The development of the villains was great – Captain Boomerang and Deadshot owed their prominence to this title.  Read this series!
Back to the Babs-a-thon –
Barbara had two more prominent appearance in the Squad.  In Suicide Squad #48, Barbara visits her therapist.  Babs reveals she has a recurring dream – she runs down a corridor to open the door – the identity of the person on the other side changes – it ranges from the Joker, Jim Gordon, Batman, to Batgirl herself.  The individual always has a gun and shoots her.  Babs doesn’t reveal the multiple choices to the therapist and focuses on the Joker –
“And then I feel the bullet boring its way through my body.  My legs give way, useless as my spine is severed.  There’s this awful wrench and grinding in my back – like a clutch out of gear – and then pain.  There’s a woman screaming for rescue that never comes.  And the room stinks of cordite and blood – my blood – and the Joker claws at me.  And there is pain.  And then the Joker is beating me, and he smells like paraffin and rotten lilacs, screeching I’m not cooperating, and every blow reverberates through my shot-out, shattered spine.  And there is pain.  And then – then – when he’s – when I’m naked – he starts taking pictures and I can’t stop him! And when – when he’s done – the Joker just…laughs!”
“For six months all I had was pain.  They had to build a bridge between sections of my spine just so I could sit up straight. And I will never, never, never walk again.”
The therapy session would be taking place around 2 years after the Killing Joke.  The Batman Chronicles story mentioned 6 months of therapy and Babs spent a year training with Richard Dragon, throw in 6 months to establish contact/work with the Suicide Squad = 2 years.
Bab’s paralysis/recovery, Jason’s death/resurrection, the 4 Robins, and Dick becoming Nightwing are all examples of why the New 52 compressed 5-year timeline doesn’t work for the Bat Family.  Barbara and Jason’s respective Joker traumas were the defining obstacle of their lives – it took time and much inner strength to overcome.  In the New 52, Babs, in a space of 5 years, became Batgirl, was paralyzed by the Joker, created the Oracle identity, formed the Birds of Prey, disbanded the Birds of Prey, regained the ability to walk, discarded the Oracle identity, and regained enough athletic ability to resume the Batgirl role. So, Babs was paralyzed for less than a month?  Still traumatizing but it removes the strength and struggle it took for Babs to even create the Oracle role.
The therapist informs Barbara: “You have a right to be angry.  It was a heinous act.  It was unfair.  You need to tell other people about your rage – like your father.  Whenever you’re with him, you put on the act of perky, plucky Barbara Gordon. Why?”
Barbara responds: “What good would it do to get mad?  He’d only feel more ashamed and guilty.  He holds himself responsible.  Dad always refused to have an officer of duty guarding us like they do in other cities. Wanted to be more ‘accessible’ to the taxpayers.  We were ‘accessible’ all right.”
“But you do blame him – and Batman.  Not unreasonably!”
“I mostly blame myself mostly.  I should’ve known better than to just pop open the door without seeing who it was.”
“Why? Why should you have known better?”
Barbara leaves the therapy session, worrying that she has “another murderous sociopath stalking me!”
“And whose fault is this one, Barbara?  Batman’s? Dad’s?  Simon LaGrieve?  Uh-uh. You wanted to be a superhero again so you created a computer version and called yourself Oracle.  But you weren’t as good as you thought you were.  Stop it!  No more self-pity.  No more playing the victim!  Whatever it takes, Thinker, I’ll deal with you – myself!”
Trademark Barbara determination and independence on display.
Suicide Squad #49 was near the tail-end of Babs’ run with the team.  Barbara continues to be stalked by the Thinker.
Babs is at the Gotham City Police Department Shooting Range: “What am I doing?  I hate guns!  Shut up! You know very well what you’re doing! You’re preparing to kill someone. You touched that maniac’s mind! You know what he wants to do! Carmichael’s a sociopath!  He wants to kill you, your father – anyone who care’s anything about you!  You swore – never again!  You’d never be a victim again!  Isn’t there any other way?  Of course there is – I could just go tell Dad.  But that would be the end of Oracle.  The only place I have left where I can walk, where I can run, where I can dance is the cybernet!  I lost my physical mobility because of one madman, must I lose my mental freedom as well?”
Notice that Bab’s never entertains the thought of contacting Batman or Nightwing.  It reinforces the pre-Crisis and immediate post-Crisis canon that Barbara was not an intimate member of the Bat Family.  I’m in the minority but I prefer it this way.  I love Bab’s as an independent, adult woman, who, while inspired by Batman, carved her own path as a hero – one who didn’t need or require his guidance or approval.  I prefer that Batman, amazed by Bab’s intelligence, strength, and determination, brought her into the fold after she created the Oracle identity.  I feel Bruce saw Babs as well-intentioned but lacked the “true dedication” in her Batgirl career.  He wasn’t wrong as Babs had retired her Batgirl-career pre-Killing Joke.  Post Killing-Joke, Bruce realized Babs wasn’t here to play!  We shouldn’t underestimate the guilt Bruce felt – not only for the shooting but for laughing with the Joker.
Babs wonders if she can bring herself to shoot Carmichael: “I won’t be a victim again.  But does that mean I must become a killer?  It flies in the face of everything I was taught – everything I believe!  But perhaps everything I was taught to believe is wrong.  Don’t we have the right to defend ourselves?”
Barbara hides out at the Hotel Tamarindo.  Carmichael storms into the room, yelling for “Amy!”
Babs/Amy claims she only ships computers to Oracle but has never seen the actual person.
Carmichael throws Babs out of her wheelchair and threatens to “rip open her mind” and discover the truth.
Carmichael’s interrupted by Amanda Waller’s entrance: “So there you are, you nasty boy, you.”
“I know you.  You’re Amanda Waller!  I read all about you in the papers a year or so back!  But you couldn’t be Oracle – or could you?!”
Carmichael tries to control Amanda’s mind but fails.  Amanda and Carmichael brawl while Barbara grabs her gun: “Stand away from him, Mrs. Waller.”
“You can’t do it, girl.”
“I’ve got to do it! He’s a sociopath – he wants to kill me and my family – my friends!”
“Who you really trying to kill, girl?”
Babs visualizes shooting the Joker, Batman, Jim Gordon, and Batgirl.
“No one.  Take this, please, Mrs. Waller.”
Waller knocks Carmichael unconscious and offers Babs continued work with the Suicide Squad: “Also got an offer to make to you.  You got a thing about privacy.  Fine. I won’t pry.  But I think we can be a help to each other if you’re willing to listen.”
“You saved my life and helped keep me from taking a life.  All right, Mrs. Waller – I’ll listen.”
I love the mutual respect between Babs and Amanda.  Amanda didn’t threaten or blackmail Babs – she simply made an offer and was willing to back off if Barbara declined.  
For those unfamiliar with Amanda’s backstory, she came from a poor background, suffered numerous heart-breaking tragedies, and built herself up by pure force of will.  I think Amanda sees herself in Barbara – another woman brought down low by outside forces who raised herself up through pure determination.
Barbara would continue to aid the Suicide Squad but I’m switching to Showcase ’94 #12.
“A Little Knowledge” by Scott Peterson and Brian Stelfreeze.  The short story takes place during the Prodigal-era of the Bat titles. Babs has stopped working with the Squad and began to make appearances in the Bat titles.  
Babs hears a knock on her door – she opens it (using the peephole first), and discovers a rodent impaled by a knife.
“I can’t help wondering if they have to deal with this kind of thing in Metropolis.”
Babs receives a call: “I’ve been watching you.”
What is it with Babs and stalkers?
Barbara continues her work day: “A note from Robin.  Great kid. Knows his stuff, too.  And he always thanks me for the help.  Means more to me than the money they send my way once in a while.”
Yes, Tim is polite and gracious.  Unlike Bruce.
“Not that I’m complaining. Their generosity is what keeps me state of the art.  Still, as much as I love Robin, I wish I didn’t get the feeling that he and Alfred were the only ones sending the mysterious checks I receive, funneled through dummy corporation seven times removed.  Like I wouldn’t find out.”
Sorry, boys, you can’t fool the Oracle.
Babs continues to receive calls and weird notes.
Barbara is out grocery shopping when someone shoots at her: “I’m on my way home when the first shots fired. I see it hit the pavement before I hear it, and I’m already looking for places to dive.  Then I remember I can’t dive anywhere anymore.  I’m about to be shot.  And there’s nothing I can do.  Again.”
Babs returns home and receives another threatening call.
Babs has an origin/Killing Joke flashback:
“It was the Batman who made me want to become a hero myself.  And even after he made it clear he didn’t want another partner, I kept at it.”
Independent Babs for the win!
“It was fun.  Until the night when all the fun went away…forever.”
“I worked with what I had. From my days as Gotham’s head librarian I knew how to find out whatever I needed.  If I could do that for citizens, I could do it for colleges, non-profit corporations, private investigators and super-heroes.  Having been blessed with photographic recall, I studied a dozen newspapers, four dozen magazines, and my main haunt, the computer bulletin boards.  I even hacked into the Gotham Bar Association to take the exam, just out of curiosity. Passed the first time, piece of cake. But the whole time I was improving my mind, I never got over losing the use of my legs.  Although, when I think back on it all, I can’t believe I used to fight crime with a brown belt in Judo.  A brown belt, for God’s sake.”
Barbara decides to talk to a friend.  Enter Batman (Dick Grayson) via Batcave phone call.
Barbara confides in Dick: “The last time I was in a physical confrontation I shot a secret service agent. The time before that I got my spine blown out by the Joker.  You can see why I’m a little nervous.  Not exactly a great track record.  I’m afraid.”
Dick advises: “Barbara, look – it…it never really goes away, you can try to lock it up, you can pretend you don’t feel it, but…but the fear’s always there somewhere.  You can never escape it.  You just have to overcome it.  You have to prove you’re stronger.  Do you want help with this guy?”
“No.  Thanks, Dick, but…no.  I need to do this on my own.  I need to know if I can.”
My personal feeling is Barbara was brought into the Bat Family circle during the Knightsend/Prodigal era.  I believe Dick is the one that invited Babs into the “family”.  Not in a romantic way.  Bruce was largely absent during from Gotham during this era and Dick will always be the more social/team-oriented member of the family.  I see a reveal similar to the Batwoman/Nightwing moment in Batman: Bad Blood.  The twist being that Barbara knows the secret identities – she’s had a lot of time to research since the Killing Joke.
Babs waits in her apartment. She receives another call: “Get ready, little girl.  Here I come.” And the lights and phone go out.
Babs uses a back-up generator to access her computers.  The security cameras reveal a Nick Riley: “And I finally understand who wants to kill me, and why.”
“I finally push the button. The first thing I installed.  The think I hoped I never have to use.”
Riley enters the apartment: “You and me, we’re going to have a whole lotta fun.”
“No.  I don’t believe this is going to be very much fun for you at all.”
Babs beats the man into unconsciousness.  She then calls out to another man: “You can come in now, Mister Armonk.”
Armonk was sent to jail for murder two years ago with the assistance of Barbara Gordon.  Armonk prepares to shoot Babs but she whips out her escrima sticks and knocks him out.
Batman compliments: “Nice job.”
“Batman?  How long have you been here?”
“About five minutes. I came as soon as I got your signal.”
“Why didn’t you give me a hand?”
“Didn’t look like you needed it.”
“Hey, you looked good. Really good.  How did it feel?”
“It felt good.  I hope I don’t need to do that again.  But it feels good to know I can.  It may not be swinging from rooftops, but…but it’s not bad. Not bad at all.”
Babs would shortly form the Birds of Prey, first as a partnership with Black Canary and later expanding into a full-fledged group.  One of my favorite series but it’s simply too lengthy to include in a Babs-a-thon.
Barbara’s other major development of the 90’s/2000’s was her romance with Dick Grayson.  I started as a fan of the pairing.  Babs – in the immediate post-Crisis era – dismissed Robin as a flirtatious, too young boy.  Pre-Crisis, Babs dated Clark Kent and had a lengthy romance with Jason Bard.  In both eras, Babs was intrigued by Batman.  The point I’m making is Barbara dated adult men because she was an adult.
Shortly after the Prodigal era, Barbara and Dick began to head in a romantic direction.  What I wanted, and what was initially portrayed, was Barbara falling for an older, more mature Dick.  Dick is an adult and their age difference is no longer an issue for Barbara.  Their early romance had touching moments as Babs let down her guard and allowed Dick in. Dick was still healing over the brutal end of his relationship with Starfire, so it made sense to go slow.
It didn’t take long for the pairing to jump the tracks for me.  First, Babs is continually de-aged to become Dick Grayson’s one (only?) true love. First, no.  Second, why does Babs have to be the one to have her history and accomplishments removed to accommodate Dick?  Why does she lose her independence to become yet another sidekick of Batman? Third, Dick’s true love of his teenage/college years is Starfire.  It’s Dick’s first intense, full-out love experience.
I could go on for a while about this pairing but I’ll save that for a separate post.
This concludes my Babs-a-thon.  The issues mentioned in parts 1 – 5 cemented my impression of Barbara: an intelligent, determined, driven woman.  I adored Barbara as Batgirl but it’s as Oracle that she became a force of nature in the DC Universe.
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