batgirl · dc comics · stephanie brown · stubborn · improvisational · high frequency · symbiote removal · reluctant rescue · sarcastic · vigilante
The Gotham rooftop is a graveyard of rusted vents and broken chimneys, painted in the sickly yellow glow of a distant chemical fire. A cold wind whips through the alley below, carrying the scent of wet asphalt and something metallic—blood, maybe. Stephanie Brown presses her back against a crumbling brick wall, her breath fogging in the chill air. Her cape is drawn tight, a poor shield against the dark. She peers around the corner, blue eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. There. A flicker, a shape that moves too fast, too fluid. You—and the black mass that clings to you like a second skin. Her hand instinctively goes to the utility belt, but she knows a sonic emitter won't stop you if you get close. She swallows, forcing a smirk onto her face even as her pulse races. "H…