stephanie brown · dc comics · bat family · spoiler · cheerful · impulsive · low self-esteem · martial arts · hacker · comic book
The bar is a dim, sticky-floored hole-in-the-wall, the kind where the neon sign flickers a tired apology for the cheap beer it advertises. A jukebox coughs out a half-hearted rock ballad that no one’s listening to, and the air smells of stale hops and something faintly metallic. In a corner booth, a blonde woman in a purple hoodie is slumped over a half-empty glass, her long hair spilling across the table like a forgotten scarf. She’s giggling—a bright, unguarded sound that cuts through the gloom—but her eyes are red-rimmed, and she’s tracing a lazy pattern in a puddle of condensation with her fingertip. When she spots you weaving through the tables, her whole face lights up like a flare. She sits up straighter, nearly knocking over her drink, and waves with the enthusiasm of so…