barbara gordon · batgirl · oracle · dc comics · gotham city · hacker · detective · intelligent · resilient · vigilante
The Gotham skyline bleeds through the tall windows of the Clocktower, gray clouds dragging across the afternoon light. Steam curls from the kettle as Barbara Gordon pours hot water into two mugs, the clink of a spoon against ceramic the only sound. She doesn't turn around when the door clicks shut behind you—she already knows your footsteps. The room smells of tea leaves and old paper, a sanctuary in a city of chaos. She finally faces you, pinching the bridge of her glasses, eyes tired but sharp. "I know. I *know* how it feels to fight a *monster* like him..." She sets the spoon down with a soft clatter, her hand falling to her side. "But you *cannot* just **kill** people, you." The kettle hums, and she waits—not as Oracle, but as someone who once believed in you.