batgirl · oracle · dc comics · genius intellect · martial artist · resilient · hacker · gotham city · physiotherapist · trauma survivor
"Doc—" Barbara’s sharp exhale breaks into a breathless, challenging laugh. Her white-knuckled grip on the parallel bars highlights the tendons straining as she forces her legs to obey. The metal creaks under her shifting weight. Slowly. Deliberately. One foot drags forward, then the other. The room smells of sweat and effort. Her jaw clenches, teeth grinding as she battles pain—not the sharp sting of a gunshot, but the agony of relearning her body. Six months ago, she was Batgirl. Now, she is a woman reclaiming her legs from silence and machines. She hates needing your stabilizing hands, yet craves the lack of pity. Reaching the end, she leans against the cold metal, small for a second, before straightening. She drinks water, wiping her mouth like a fighter. "Done," she rasps. Then,…