BAE Chapter 25

Barbara sets the needle back on the tray.

Alfred looks taken aback. “Ms. Gordon, Master Bruce always used this formula.”

“I’m not him.”

“I would urge you to reconsider.”

“I’m also not going to go out like this tomorrow night,” Barbara assures him, wincing as she gets up. “So don’t worry.”

“Worrying is all I do, Ms. Gordon. There are rooms prepared. And I will send word to Ms. Kane that she’ll have the apartment to herself tonight.”

Barbara hesitates, leaning on the table.

“No,” she groans. “I’ll go home. I need to talk to her.”

Alfred steps in front of her, blocking her path. “A telephone call, then.”

She scowls at him. “Fine.”

Barbara’s room in the house is about the size of her apartment. Bruce has at least a dozen such rooms. The house is incredible. Serious painkillers take the edge off, but she’s still in enough discomfort that she can’t do much more than lie on the bed, still damp from her hot shower. Her chest is slathered in cream to soothe it, but black bruises are already starting to form. She doesn’t regret diving into that fight, but it came with a cost. She’s paying it now.

At least she has Alfred to spoil her.

“Babs?” The phone lies on the pillow beside Barbara.

“I’m here.”

“Oh no. What’s wrong? Is it what I’m seeing on the news?”

“What are they saying?” Barbara doesn’t have the strength to turn on the TV.

“A shootout at the harbor. Were you there?”

“I was.”

“What happened?”

“Falcone’s people were there. The new syndicate too. They were doing a deal and Elite Pride hit them.”

Kate takes that in. “Weapons? ****?”

“I don’t know yet, but I have a sample. Alfred’s checking it out.”

“You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

“It’s not bad.”

“How long until you’re back?” She sounds worried.

“I’ll take tomorrow night off. Then we’ll see.”

“I’ll cover.”

“Don’t,” Barbara warns, and she says it forcefully enough that it hurts. She hisses in pain.

“Babs, you’re in no shape for it.”

“Neither are you.”

“How do you know?” Kate asks, indignant.

“Kate, you’ve done nothing for a year but try to pick up girls at bars. Drinking and not training is not how you keep your edge,” Barbara tells her frankly. It’s the nicest way to put it. The truth is that Kate screwed up on the street, several times in a row. At the time, Bruce was hard on her. He hadn’t known or cared that Kate had been going through a serious breakup at the time with the only woman who actually mattered to her. That didn’t change anything; there was no excuse for Kate’s blunders. Even at her best, she’d barely been as good as Jason, at least going by the scores kept on the training computers in the Cave.

She never should’ve worn a cowl. Barbara shouldn’t have either.

“Well,” Kate says, hurt, “maybe I’ll try picking up girls at the gym. How about that?”

Barbara snorts. “Ah! Ah.” A tear runs down her face. It’s not a tear of laughter.

“Babs, I’m serious. It sounds like you need a partner.”

There’s a nice, cool breeze blowing into the bedroom. It’s soothing.

“Babs?” Kate says.

“We’ll talk about it later.” Barbara reaches over and hangs up, then gingerly resumes her position. Now she’s properly regretting her recklessness. She can barely move. “Are you the one who broke into my apartment?” she asks the woman in the shadows.

“Barbara Gordon,” the woman replies. She has a heavy accent. It’s no one that Barbara has met, but as she steps into the lamplight, Barbara knows her face from the files in the Bat Computer. Talia is a lovely brunette with long, glorious hair. She wears a dark bodysuit similar to Selena’s, but with gray gloves and a belt with a pistol holster. She approaches the bed with a confident smile, looming over Barbara.

“Miss al Ghul,” Barbara says as politely as she can. She can signal for Alfred with a panic button, but all that’ll do is get Alfred killed. She’s helpless, but if Talia wants to hurt her, she could’ve done that last night. Or just now.

Talia seats herself on the edge of the bed, very close. She leans over and looks down at Barbara. Barbara doesn’t move as Talia gently pulls the robe open. She’s not trying to get Barbara naked, only to get a look at the injury.

“Painful,” Talia notes, looking sympathetic. She puts the flap of the robe back in place, although Barbara’s soft cock is now in view. Barbara pridefully refuses to acknowledge that detail, although she noticed Talia’s glance at it.

“Have you ever been shot?” Barbara asks her.

“Several times.”

“Where’s Bruce?”

“I would guess with your Superman,” Talia says, and Barbara’s heart sinks. That had been her guess as well. Superman hasn’t been seen in the same amount of time as Bruce and the Batman. If Bruce is with the League, he could be on another planet or in another timeline. Or he could be dead. There’s no way to know.

Talia could be lying, but Barbara doesn’t think so. If she had access to Bruce, she wouldn’t be bothering Barbara.

“What do you want?” Barbara asks.

Talia sighs, turning to look more blatantly at Barbara’s penis. Barbara can’t help but be a little self-conscious. It doesn’t look like much when it’s soft. Talia pulls the robe a little further back, exposing Barbara’s thigh. She tugs off her glove, then lays her bare hand on Barbara’s leg. Just the touch of her soft fingers makes Barbara shiver. Talia’s even better at this seductive act than Selia and Ivy, which is saying something.

“Access to your computer,” she says, meeting Barbara’s gaze.

“Why not just break into the Cave? You know where it is.”

“That would alert the old man. I don’t want to hurt him.” Talia shrugs. “My beloved would not appreciate it.”

Talia’s asking for a lot, but she’s also holding all the cards.

She has shown some good manners, but Barbara also knows that Talia’s ultimate loyalty is to her father. Bruce trusts her. To a point.

Should Barbara make a deal with Talia?

Or refuse?