heads or tails?

[sibyllant.livejournal.com]

WHO: Harvey Two-Face, Barbara Gordon
WHERE: the Gordon household
WHEN: tonight
WARNINGS: none
SUMMARY: The price of living a civilian life is not being able to install your own security system.
FORMAT: shortpara, or whatever you feel like

Though she'd installed her own cameras outside the apartment, it didn't do much good if you weren't actually monitoring them during times of trouble. Oracle's hideout is highly secure, with the best system money can buy and her mind could create. The apartment, on the other hand... well, Barbara Gordon wouldn't have the means or expertise to install her own security system, would she? But Barbara Gordon didn't have any enemies, unless you counted Pete.

She was in the kitchen making tea when a beep from the computer room alerted her to someone approaching. She took out another mug, assuming it was her father or Cass, both of whom would likely appreciate something hot to drink.

Comments

[notthebatman.livejournal.com]

Harvey still remembered where Gordon's apartment was. He had been there ages ago, to help the man out when it came to his powers. He had waited until it was dark, or at least dusk, to skulk out of his apartment and go to Gordon's house.

Back home, he had tried to kill Jim's children. He had tried to make Gordon suffer just like how he had suffered. It was only fair. But Batman got in the way. Not this time. During his talks with everybody, it occurred to him that he could do the same thing here. Gordon had a kid. Barbara. She would work perfectly.

Pistol in his hand, Harvey walked up to Barbara's door. Unlocked. That was easy. Obviously Gordon was expecting someone. He gripped tighter on his gun, the other hand going into his pocket to finger his coin. It was still there. Wonderful.

He walked into the kitchen, looking at Barbara. Noting the mug, he smirked slightly. How domestic. "You're Gordon's kid. Barbara, right?" He cocked the gun, pointing it straight at her. "You're the only one he's got here."

[sibyllant.livejournal.com]

Every now and then, life came along to kick you in the ass and remind you of how many things could go wrong just when you weren't expecting it. Barbara stared at Harvey, gripping her mug tightly. It could be a useful weapon if Harvey — Two-Face — got close enough, though the tea had cooled a bit. That might give her time to get to her escrima sticks, hidden beneath the armrests of her wheelchair. But none of that would be any good if he shot her, so she stayed perfectly still, mind racing. She'd known he was here, but safe in her metaphorical tower, it'd never even occurred to her that he might be a danger to her. He'd spoken at her father's retirement party, for christ's sake... but that was a different Two-Face, a different Harvey Dent altogether.

"Mr. Dent, why are you doing this?" She said quietly, looking past the gun at his face, unflinchingly.

[notthebatman.livejournal.com]

"Two-Face. Not Dent." Harvey frowned, looking at Barbara. God, he had forgotten that she was a cripple. No matter. Hell, he was about to kill kids back home. This wasn't anything different. "Harvey never killed."

At her question, Harvey raised an eyebrow. "Why am I doing this? It's Gordon's fault that Rachel died. It's his fault that I'm like this. It's only fair that I even the stakes. That way, things will be balanced. One of his for mine." He glared at Barbara, looking straight at her.

[sibyllant.livejournal.com]

"Rachel," she repeated, clearly not recognizing the name. No Gilda? "It doesn't matter to you that my father never did anything like that?"

[notthebatman.livejournal.com]

Harvey still pointed the gun at Barbara. It was pretty obvious that Harvey wasn't entirely all there. "Except he did. Back home. I told him that there were corrupt cops in his unit. He just didn't listen."

[sibyllant.livejournal.com]

She shut her eyes briefly. An explanation of alternate universes wasn't going to do any good with the state Harvey was in. She should take him out now before he shot her. The only question was how.

"There's no Rachel where we're from. We're not from your world, Two-Face. You're trying to punish an innocent man. There won't be any balance."

How high could she teleport someone before the fall would kill them? It would be ideal if he broke a leg, but she should be careful.

[notthebatman.livejournal.com]

"There will be for me!" he snapped, tightening his grip on the gun. That was what mattered. He wanted Gordon to pay. He wanted justice to be done. Pausing for a moment, Harvey reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out his coin. He clenched it, scowl on his face.

"The fact that you're not from my world doesn't change the fact that Gordon did what he did. And he needs to pay." Harvey took the coin, and looked at it in his hand. "Second time's the charm. I trust you know the rules."

And with that, he flipped the coin.

[sibyllant.livejournal.com]

How many times had Batman let Harvey flip the coin? How many times had it fallen the right side up, allowing Harvey do the right thing? But how many times had it fallen the wrong side up, which was only when Batman would act?

Oracle was no Batman.

As Harvey flipped the coin, she opened one hand and concentrated on the gun, teleporting it from his hand to hers.

[notthebatman.livejournal.com]

Harvey caught the coin and turned it on his hand, bad side up. It was at that moment that Harvey realized that he didn't have his gun. Frowning, Harvey looked over at Barbara.

"That's new," he simply stated, looking at her. Barbara had powers. More specifically, she had powers that could hinder him.

[sibyllant.livejournal.com]

Pointing the gun at Harvey, she teleported the phone into her free hand, keeping her eyes on him.

"I'm calling the police. Please don't make me shoot you." The moment she said it, she knew she shouldn't have. It made her sound weak, which would encourage him to try to attack her, as she already looked weak in a wheelchair. Regardless, she started dialing.

[notthebatman.livejournal.com]

No. He couldn't go to the police. He had plans. He needed to start working on the mob and the cops here. He couldn't be arrested. Frowning, Harvey looked over from his gun to Barbara to his gun.

Time to find out if he could bounce bullets.

Clenching his fists, Harvey swung a punch at Barbara's head.

[sibyllant.livejournal.com]

The thought process Harvey was undergoing was remarkably translucent, so by the time he took a swing, she was ready. Instead of firing, she teleported him back across the room, continuing to dial.

"There's a man in my home trying to kill me," Barbara said into the phone, giving her address rapidly.

[notthebatman.livejournal.com]

Harvey's mind was racing. He had no idea what to do now. The last thing he needed was the police to show up. So, he did the logical thing he could think of. He ran, full steam towards the door, hoping that he would be able to leave and get a good distance away before the police showed up.

[sibyllant.livejournal.com]

"Damnit!" She reached for him, but as she'd discovered through earlier experimentation, things that were out of her sight were out of her ability to teleport. Grabbing her comm off the kitchen table and depositing the gun on it, Barbara wheeled to the door and shut it, locking it.

"No, he's gone now..."