realityshifted | (no subject)

Entry tags:

dcu (d1) barbara gordon/the oracle

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[Barbara is wandering the Plane, memorising the new constellations; it's the closest thing to a proper layout this place has, even if it keeps shifting and flickering

suddenly her head snaps up, and her eyes focus on something that isn't there; her voice is hoarse with wounded hope as she calls out]

Robin? [and then, an aching whisper] Jay?

[she's heard his voice here – cocky laughter, angry muttering, passionate ranting – just as she's heard her first parents, and Flo, and Marcy and James and Mom; she'd written that off as too little sleep and the Plane's machinations, but he looks so real, darting between the stars]

Robin!

[a flash of a smirk over his shoulder, and he's running into the shadows; Barbara gives chase, pushing as hard and quick as she can, certain her hands will suffer for it and not caring at all]

Bet you can't catch me, Batgirl!

[she remembers that cheerful taunt so well, and it makes her heart pound and her eyes burn, and please, please let her catch him before he's lost again –

and then he disappears, and something – something that smells of blood and decay – sinks its teeth in her leg and rips her from her chair]

What the hell -

[she managed to grab her Escrima sticks before they fell, and now she's beating at the thing to little avail as it chews on her legs]

Weak spot, where's the –

[where's Robin, and she has the sick, sinking feeling he was never there]

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[Braxiatel's voice is sharp, cold, and solid, a voice to cut through battlefields and illusions.]

Barbara.

[He shoots at the creature with his staser and won't stop firing until it stops moving.]

[Botta is still carefully exploring his new surroundings, still vaguely hoping to find either a way out, or something that will wake him up from this bizarre nightmare.

Oh, look, there's a woman getting attacked over there by some kind of monster. He knows what to do about that, and drawing his huge sword, he hacks at the thing, splattering gore and decaying flesh about.]

Get away while you can, miss!

[his voice tears her from the confused grief blurring her vision, at least, and she turns strategically, giving him the clearest shots she can; she deftly flips round as the creature drops her, landing in a brief hand stand before her bloody legs fall limply to the ground

she turns her head up, smiling ruefully through drying tears] Thanks, Brax. It...caught me off... [closes her eyes, for a moment; when she speaks again there's rage in her voice, at the creature and herself] It lured me, that's what it did. And I fell for it.

[well, that's certainly enough to make the creature drop her, and she twists both so that she catches herself on her hands and give her rescuer more room to swing that sword]

Not my style, sorry!

[crawls swiftly over to her chair, grabbing a batarang from its storage under the seat before turning back]

Get back, this will explode on impact!

[Braxiatel is quickly at her side, one eye still on the corpse] A telepathic lure isn't a too-uncommon technique. Nor a particularly nice one. But it fits the pattern.

[rather bitterly] Of messing with our minds, you mean? [she's a bit breathless, but remarkably casual for someone who was almost eaten by a giant plant monster; her legs sport several deep gouges, but of course she doesn't feel them] We'll need to warn people.

Exactly that. It seems to be a running theme.

[Braxiatel finally puts away his staser, but he'll be quick to draw it if he must.] We'll need to get your injuries cleaned up first. Creatures of that nature rarely brush their teeth.

Maybe the Machine feeds on our misery.

[she looks about to argue, but instead reluctantly nods] Wish I had one of my first aid kits on me when all this happened.

[begins to drag herself towards her chair, shifting as much as she can so she doesn't scrape the wounds over the Plane floor too much]

Edited 2010-10-11 00:01 (UTC)

Understood!

[Apparently she's not a civilian after all, and he retreats as instructed, keeping an eye out in case whatever explosive she has doesn't kill the thing after all, or more monsters decide to attack. He gathers mana around himself, ready to cast on the thing.]

Pillars of Earth, obey my call...

[Barbara's throw is expert, hitting her target with deadly accuracy despite the darkness - right into the creature's torn, bleeding mouth

the small explosion rocks the creature violently, wreaking havoc on its insides, but it doesn't burn, and it still moves, sluggish and weak]

Edited 2010-10-10 23:06 (UTC)

[And seeing that, he allows the held spell to resolve.] Grave!

[Three huge spears of rock jut out of the surface below the creature's remains, stabbing through and crushing the body into a mass, before the mana fades and the rocks crumble away.

Not seeing any other attackers nearby, he turns his attention to the woman and kneels beside her.] Are you all right?

[she doesn't bother reaching for another, just resting against the chair and watching him work; when he kneels down, she grins weakly] Nice attack. I'm...

[finally gazes down, looking at her legs properly; they're strewn with ragged gouges, some deeper than others]

I've had worse. Didn't hit an artery, at least. [looks up again, smile returning] Thanks for the save.

[He nods once, and frowns at her injuries, still in mission mode.] I can try to heal you, but I'm not sure how well it will work. You don't have an Exsphere, do you?

[It's an unfortunate quirk of his world, his healing only works well on other people with magic.]

...Not as far as I know. [gestures at the wounds] These should be okay once they're cleaned and wrapped. ...They don't hurt.

I'd not be surprised.

[Braxiatel isn't sure if he should offer to help her or not - his old-fashioned manners drive him to offer help, particularly to ladies, but then perhaps Barbara doesn't want his assistance, and he knows that the automatic actions he has trained himself for to mimic humanity are somewhat out of style and thus occasionally offensive to changing values - and so he fails to do anything at all.] I wish I'd brought some of my own healing supplies. But there should be linen in the bathhouse.

If you're sure. ...Let me help you to safety, then, at least, before we attract more of them. [He moves to help her back into her chair.]

[Barbara wouldn't balk at the offer, but she wouldn't accept it either, so it's just as well; she's pulled herself back into her chair so many times now, she almost makes it look easy] That should work, and soap is better than nothing.

[holds up a hand] I've got it, thanks. [and she turns, pulling herself up with easy strength and clear experience]

Of course. [He backs off respectfully, letting her handle herself.] ...My name is Botta, by the way.

[she appreciates that, and it shows in the smile she gives him] Barbara. Nice to meet you, despite... [gestures at the wounds, the monster] this.

[Dino prides himself on being something of a gentleman when he can, and he is not going to let anyone fall pray to the monsters here if he can help it.]

Hold still. [That's the only slight wanting he gives before he touches the shoulder of the firey horse (http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u65/Plantress/RP%20Stuff/skudelia.png) standing next to him.]
Brush that thing off, Skudelia.

[Skudelia charges forward, pivoting at the last second so it can lash out at the creature with a kick, catching it in the side and sending it flying a good distance.]

[Braxiatel steps up beside her. Perhaps unusually for him, he takes a moment to hold to her chair.]

[It is difficult to keep grounding oneself in reality.]

[But he is in control again, and he smiles at her.] I've met a few people, these past days, who have been plucked away while alone and forced to make a decision.

[equally unusually for her - in most circumstances, with most people - her hands rests on his for a moment, squeezing it lightly]

Oh? Same kind that got us into this mess, you think?

[Barbara immediately freezes, and doesn't even flinch when the horse kicks the plant off her; she falls backwards, twisting to catch herself on her hands, remembering a time when she could throw herself onto her feet and effortlessly join the fray]

...Good horse.

[the plant begins to advance again, battered but not burned; Barbara drags herself back, towards her chair]

Edited 2010-10-12 16:46 (UTC)

Charge!
[The horse takes off and charges the monster again as Dino puts a hand to his whip before glancing over at Barbara]
You doing all right over there?
[He's still keeping half an eye on the battle. Skudelia isn't doing as much damage as he should be doing to that thing...normally flames should be eating away at it already.]

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