one little bat

[mysunnydisposition]

Who: Stephanie Brown
Broadcast: Fleetwide video
Action: HS Marsiva
When: 2/18

[ Focus on Steph's face as she starts to wake up. She wrinkles her nose, groans softly as she rolls onto her side... and then her eyes snap open. ]

What the...?

[ The camera pulls out as she sits up, looking down at herself. She's still in her costume, hood and cowl pulled back, not in a hospital gown, no tubes or needles attached to her anywhere. The costume's even in one piece. And-- ]

Nothing hurts. [ It's muttered, to herself - she's still a little too disoriented to realize she's being filmed. ] Why does nothing...

[ She presses a hand experimentally against her left shoulder. No pain, no blood or bullet wound... A slight lump under the fabric of her costume that might be a scar, but it seems long healed. What. The hell.

Steph rolls out of the cot, getting to her feet slowly like she's afraid she'll fall over. She's fine, though. Totally fine. At least, until she finally notices the big viewing windows looking out on the void. She exhales slowly, eyes wide, as she approaches the window. ]

Okay. So either this is random neurons firing while my brain shuts down, or... we're not in Gotham anymore.

Comments

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[howcanihelp]

Hello! Welcome, I'm... not sure what neurons are, but I don't think this has anything to do with them...?

[ Uncertain tiny blonde is uncertain ]

Ah, I'm Stephanie Amell. Hello! ...Again.

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[mysunnydisposition]

Oh! Ohhh... geez, you heard that. [ Muttered: ] That's... embarrassing...

[ She hopes she wasn't snoring or drooling in her sleep or something. It's probably best for her dignity if she doesn't ask. ]

I'm Stephanie too. Uh. Brown. So hopefully that won't get too confusing.

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[howcanihelp]

[ a little sheepish ] Yeees, sorry. If it's any consolation, we're on something called... reality television? Which I have been informed means that all of us are being filmed basically all of the time. So you're not the only one.

Really? [ laughs ] Well, Stephanie, it is lovely to meet you, I'm sure.

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[mysunnydisposition]

Yeah, I know what reality TV is. [ Nose wrinkle. ] Honestly that just makes it even creepier. Whoever's watching this right now? You're weird and creepy.

...they're gonna edit that out.

If it helps, you can call me Steph. Unless you're also Steph.

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[hellofist]

[Cass has had dreams like this. Not exactly like this, and maybe they don't count as dreams when they happen as you're dying, but the rest is the same. Stephanie, whole and healthy and alive, using her brand of humor to make things that are impossible a little easier to deal with.

It's familiar, but Cassandra is certain she's awake right now. She's also pretty sure she isn't dead. This collection of little ships makes only the smallest amount of sense to her on a good day, but can it bring people back to life? Can it erase months of grief and fix things Cass had assumed would just be broken forever? It seems like this is a form of torture made just for her, bringing Stephanie so close and yet completely out of reach for three more days.

But what if it isn't real at all? What if it's just the thing behind her ear malfunctioning, making her see a ghost that's all too familiar as a way to help cope with being kidnapped?]

St- [She stops herself, unwilling to put any version of Steph, ghost or not, in danger by revealing her identity.] Spoiler?

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[mysunnydisposition]

[ Steph squeaks a little in surprise. Even if she is hallucinating - which seems less and less likely the longer she's conscious - she hadn't expected to see anyone she knows here. Certainly not any of Batman's people.

A bright smile flashes over her face for a second, before she remembers that the last time she saw Batgirl... she lied to her, and she ran away, and everyone knows by now that the whole mess is all her fault. What do you even say in a situation like this? ]

Yeah. Hi. It's me.

[ She clears her throat awkwardly. ]

So this is probably a little late, but I am so so sorry for everything. Batman was right. You were right. I'm...

Is this real?

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[hellofist]

I don't know.

[The smile, it's exactly how she remembers it. Every single thing her body language says is the same, even the regret is something she can recognize as entirely Stephanie. Is this real? If it is, it's some kind of miracle.]

I hope so. I... [missed you needed you cried for you buried you, it all runs through her head and sounds horrible, not appropriate for right now. She swallows, hard, and doesn't realize she's started to cry.] Batman's not here. Don't have to... apologize for anything. It doesn't matter.

[It does, but to other people. Not to Cass. Cass doesn't care, will never care, because Stephanie is Stephanie.]

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[mysunnydisposition]

[ She lets out a breath, tension in her shoulders easing at Cass' words. It's something. It doesn't fix everything that happened, but Batgirl's still on her side.

...and crying. She is crying. ]

I'm really glad you're here. [ She says it softly, trying not to make whatever's wrong worse somehow. She glances around the big room she woke up in, trying to figure out how she gets out of here. ] Where are you? Can I get to you?

action forever;

[mysterzie]

[ There's someone on the bed behind her, legs hanging over the edge of the hospitable little cots. Was she there before? Answer: no. ]

Please tell me you know what space is.

[mysunnydisposition]

[ Steph jumps and spins around. How had she not noticed there was someone else here? ...probably because she was still getting her bearings after that near-death experience, so she figures she can forgive herself for it. ]

What? Of course I know what space is!

It's just a little weird... being here.

[mysterzie]

Oh, good! Someone else here doesn't know about space or night or ships or gravity. I thought I was going to go crazy.

But yeah, it's definitely weird all that aside.

[detectivewonder]

It's not Gotham. They're just importing the population at the rate of one a week.

... Hi.

[mysunnydisposition]

...oh. You're here too.

[ She doesn't know how she's supposed to feel about this. They weren't... on the best of terms before she made Gotham set itself on fire, and now... ]

...Hi? [ Tiny hopeful smile? ]

[detectivewonder]

[For Tim, that was eighteen months ago - an eternity or two, practically a different world. He's no taller, no visible difference save longer hair. Seeing her as Spoiler is a surprise, but it hasn't occurred to him yet what that might mean. He's... relieved. Embarrassed. Concerned. Steph is always a font of complex emotions for him.]

I got shanghaied first. And then promoted to Captain.

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[noctiphile]

[It's awhile after the broadcast is made that he finds her, wherever that may be. He's tempted to pass by, leave their meeting at a nod but, well. He doesn't.]

They healed us. You. The ones that brought us here. If no one's told you that.

[He thinks about it and then offers his hand.] Mattias. Welcome aboard the boat. It'll be nice to have company that doesn't change shape.

[mysunnydisposition]

[ Steph is sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest when he finds her, trying to look a little less freaked out than she actually is. It's only half because of the whole space thing - everything that came before waking up is a lot to wrap her head around too.

She uncurls when he starts talking to her, perking up a little. She's fine. She's got it together. Honestly. ]

Thank you. That's... one thing explained, at least. [ She takes his hand with a little smile. ] I'm Steph.

...there are shapeshifters here?

[noctiphile]

[He nods.] Only one. No plural. He's unpleasant. I wouldn't recommend a conversation.

[Bending slightly, he peeks at her, hands folded behind his back.] Would you mind if I sit with you or would you rather be alone? Privacy can be somewhat hard to find here but I'll do my best to simulate it if it's what you'd like.

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[wolfuncaged]

Chances are, if you were hurt before you arrived here, they healed you. That's what places like this do.

You are part of the Fleet, not Gotham, whatever that is.

[mysunnydisposition]

It's a city. On Earth. Wherever... that is now... Getting the feeling the answer is 'very far away'.

When you say places like this, do you mean spaceships? Reality shows? Something... else I'm not getting?

[wolfuncaged]

Most likely, I am afraid.

Yes. And more besides. This is the second time that I have been taken into another world, now. There are others here with similar experiences.

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[transferedfate]

Nope, your not in Gotham. [it doesn't hurt anymore? She's curious, but she'll get to the point first]

Bad news is, you probably won't be in this Gotham place for a while.

[mysunnydisposition]

[ Sigh. ]

Yeah, I kind of got that feeling. Which might not be the worst news in the world, since Gotham's kind of... on fire right now... [ More metaphorically than literally. But also literally in places. ]

[transferedfate]

[yeesh, Ringo makes a sympathetic face. Oof...]

Wow... sorry. Were you getting out of the fire before you arrived? [the moment she was taken from her world, it was kinda in turmoil too. So she feels deep sympathy for anyone who has something stressful waiting for them back home]

[video]

[parkinglotangel]

Or Kansas, for that matter. I guess that means you're not Dorothy. [Which is a terrible joke, but he's going to burst into laughter anyway]

[mysunnydisposition]

[ Whoa there dude. It wasn't that funny. ]

I don't know, has anyone tried clicking their heels three times and wishing really hard?