[ CHAPTER II (2): "BARBARA GORDON: FOR HONOR, WHAT IS THAT? ANOTHER SCAM?" ]
The fiery red-haired heroine watched slowly as her access got revoked, with her high tech, specialized Wayne Company produced computers slowly reverting back to normal.
In her own home, in her own den mind you, with disregard to what she feels in the matter. Which stung her even more.
And so, Barbara could only grumble under her breath, crossing her arms as she bad mouths a certain masked vigilante that only has money for powers.
Lots of money, yes. In the billions and possibly more than that, sure... but still powerless; and at the end of the day, a hero without powers is still powerless.
"Stupid Bruce. Stupid computer. Stupid base of operations that doesn't listen to me."
She watched as the computers reverted back to normal, either hiding away or merging back with the walls. Even the blinds that made the room dark slowly pulled back up, which caused sunlight to enter her base of operation.
And for the sleep deprived, tired, and somewhat night-person of a person like Barbara who operated mainly in the night; she instinctively tried to cover her eyes.
"Ugh, am I turning into Bruce?"
In annoyance, she turned her wheelchair to the side, all the while trying her best not to get hit by sunshine. Which felt incredibly annoying.
Normally, she wasn't easily annoyed or swayed by her emotions. She's Barbara Gordon after all; but adding everything that had happened to her, it compounded, and made her emotions flare up and up, even without her noticing that fact.
Until finally, it all exploded into today. Her overworking herself as Oracle, her haplessness relating to her crippled legs due to a certain green haired psychopath, and in not being able to go out at night.
It exploded and she had a fight with Bruce, complaining to him about everything that has happened to her. Even to some extent, blaming him for not putting down the Joker.
She wouldn't have done that normally, in her calm, zen-like state. But she was fed up. And so, she complained and complained; before then being told to rest by the Caped Crusader himself, even if she doesn't want too.
"God, please." She continued, forehead lightly slamming into her desk, as she continued on complaining. "I don't want to be like Bruce."
Barbara is self aware enough that she doesn't have the skills, will power, or even the temperament to be like her idol.
First, even with her enhanced, superhuman memory; her memories still have lapses, which Batman seemingly doesn't have, able to recite 500 pages books in an instant.
Secondly, she's easily annoyed, angered, and controlled by her emotions. That isn't because she's a woman, but usually, once or twice a month, it does happen. Unlike Batman who rarely shows emotions, and is stoic.
Thirdly, she can't gather eight hours worth of sleep in under an hour; at most she can do five to six hours for an eight hour worth of sleep. But Batman, he can sleep for an hour and feel like he slept for eight. THAT is crazy.
Those Tibetan Monks that trained him in his early days are crazy, everything about him is crazy, which is probably why she idolized him so much when she was young.
But now... after operating for some time. Experiencing ups and downs---mostly downs---she can testify that she isn't built like him. And that idolization which she had, had now mellowed down to some degree.
And perhaps that is a good thing. Individualization is a good thing, she isn't turning into Bruce, but is turning into her own person. The tech savvy Barbara that is.
With her skills it would have been easy to hack back the access of her den, light work that wouldn't have taken 10 minutes at tops.
But if she did do that, it would ruin the trust that Bruce had placed on her. And could complicate her relationship with him to some degree later on.
That could lead to Oracle being sidelined even more, and for Bruce's views of her being temperamental and a baby, to be even more true, as she gets less work.
That's the rational thought that entered her mind. But Barbara isn't rational at the moment, she's pissed-off after all. "Who cares, not like I need his permission to be a superhero. Duh."
And so she worked on, turning her laptop back on as she typed away. Breaching each firewall that Bruce had placed on her system; luckily though, she made a back entrance.
Amongst many that is. So she tried each and every single one that she made, all ranging from obscure and easily noticable. Until finally, a couple minutes later.
[ WELCOME BACK, ORACLE! ]
"I did it!" She did it.
Amidst the blue texts and black backdrop of her laptop, she did it. Easily so, like she said. Excited, Barbara went and pulled back the CCTV footage of Victor Zsasz.
The crazed, maniacal, bald killer that tallies his kills using his own body as canvas; talk about crazy. But in all the villains and villainess that Gotham has---which are all deranged.
Funnily enough, Zsasz could be considered tame. Especially with him not having any powers like the likes of Poison Ivy, or the scientifical mind of the weird Professor Pyg, who can turn people into mindless drones.
At least Zsasz only kills people (which is bad, yes) and records it, and not torture the person by making them into puppets.
Still alive, yes, but without being able to control their own body; only being able to do what is commanded of them by the deranged, weird masked guy with a weird speech pattern.
Fixing her glasses up, which was slightly crooked on her face, Barbara was about to continue her investigation but was cut off from her immersion. "What the hell?"
"How did this get here?" By a weird gaming ad no less. Which shouldn't be possible, as she custom made her computer to not receive any spam ads, or unnecessary junk.
[ FOR HONOR! ]
[ EXPERIENCE MEDIEVAL FIGHTING AS A KNIGHT IN REAL-TIME WITH JUST A CLICK OF A FINGER. PLAY NOW! ]
For her, it was basic. And she believed wholeheartedly that it worked. So, why is there one right in front of her, obscuring her vision from the CCTV footage of disguised Zsasz.
"Forget it." The video was still playing, and the bald killer was slowly getting away. So, Barbara tried discarding the weird gaming ad with that weird white, bold font.
But she noticed that it doesn't have any "x" on it which should be violating certain laws regarding ad space, and ad time limitation.
So in annoyance, especially because Zsasz is now kidnapping someone in the background. She then tried dragging the annoying ad away.
"Get out of the way!"
Which, surprisingly, worked out. As she was finally ID the person that Zsasz actively kidnapped and dragged into the back alleyway amidst the trash piles of Gotham.
It worked out, yes, until finally it didn't. As that annoying gaming ad, "For Honor" came out back again. Same font, same size, same everything in the same place.
"You have got to be kidding me." Annoyed, she threw her arms up in the air, before slamming it hard onto her desk,
"Did Bruce bug my system?"
Pulling the ad back out of her view. Barbara now realized that she couldn't do it, and now, approximately 40% of her screen isn't visible to her; blocked instead by a big advertisement, talking nonsensically about sword fighting.
Trying her best to get it out of the way. She used all tactics in her arsenal, took her approximately a few minutes, but no matter what she did, it didn't work.
"Damn it, Bruce! I won't forget about this!"
"Fine, I'll-I'll download this garbage."
With not being able to do a thing anymore. Barbara resorted to the last option and clicked at the advertisement instead.
Downloading the game, which would hopefully get it out of her way. And after that, she would delete it; easy fix. She isn't a fan of medieval Knights and whatnot after all
Seeing the game (which is more likely a scam, or a disappointment, or both) gets downloaded in under a second, with it only having a few MBs on it.
She instinctively frowned. Her guesses about the ad being a scam, a junk, and annoyance turning out to be correct. "I knew it."
But at least the act of downloading it made the annoying, seemingly unmovable ad disappear. Which was a great relief for her.
"Finally, calm once again."
Stretching her leg, cracking her knuckles. Barbara Gordon, the Oracle herself, was ready to continue what she does best and catch wrong-doers, like Victor Zsasz.
But before she could do so. She felt weird, unexplainable headache going about, which made her clutch her head in pain. "What now?"
Even with her trying to control it, which was thanks to her extraordinary training, she still couldn't stop it. Which then spiraled into her world shaking, until...
[ READY PLAYER ONE ]
She heard a voice, stoic, metallic, and undeniably feminine all-around her. Which made her turn around in fear.
Fear in being kidnapped... again.
"Who said that!?!"
Seeing that no one was behind her, she became even more scared, as her vision slowly got blurry, and as drowsiness took over her being; causing her to yawn.
"I must... get... help..."
[ BANG! ]
[ -----| SCENE BREAK |----- ]
Feeling the sudden drowsiness pull out of her body, the heroines quickly regain control as she pulled her head up; eyes darting from one place to another, as she scans the surrounding.
"AHHHH-! Oh, wait, I'm alive!"
"Damn, did I hit my head?"
"Wait... Where am I?"
Quickly noticing the fact that she's no longer inside her precious Clock Tower, which had been her home since a long time ago. Perks of being the Commissioner's Daughter.
She immediately became wary of her new surroundings. A medieval, castle wall-filled, ultra realistic roleplay-like surroundings, belonging to that of olden' Knights and Kings.
But... that shouldn't be possible. She doesn't remember being unconscious for that long, at least, not long enough for her to be transported into another era entirely.
Unless, of course.
"Did that advertisement did this?"
"What was the game again, For Honor?"
She concluded, using her quick detective skills, that yes, it was that weird ad's fault why she's now standing in the middle of nowhere...
"Wait," Standing...?
In curiosity on why she's able to feel the gust of wind, and the strain of her own weight, she slowly turned to look down; and what greeted her was her own... "LEGS!"
Covered in fitted silver armor with red color in some parts, yes. But still, legs, her own legs. In amazement, she tried to confirm if it was really her own legs; lightly moving it.
Kicking in the air, and when he felt it strain for quite a bit, Barbara was in disbelief, as she realized that yes, it is her own legs. And that, she's no longer a cripple.
"IT IS MY LEGS!"
"This is awesome, wow. I'm-I'm..." She was about to cry tears of joy, but paused as she remembers the predicament that she's on about. "Wait, where am I again?!!"
Stranded in the middle of nowhere, with gigantic stone walls in her front, a village in some distance behind her, a small but sizable river on the left, and grassland on the right.
Instinctively, her hands formed into fists, as her training kicked in. Legs following suit as it performs a fighting stance.
The last part making her giggly on the inside, but didn't show it on her face. As she's in serious mode, using all her focus into detective and battle mode.
About to move on forward and search her surroundings, the great Oracle stopped, pulled out of her focus once again by that same feminine, metallic, stoic voice that rang inside her head seconds prior.
[ WELCOME PLAYER: BARBARA JOAN GORDON (21182) ]
[ WAIT FOR ANOTHER PLAYER TO START THE GAME ]
[ ---------- ] [ ---------- ] [ ---------- ] [ ---------- ]
[ FUN FACT: "Barbara Gordon, middle named Joan, is the daughter/adopted daughter/niece (depending on the continuity) of the Commissioner Gordon. She is also---without his knowledge---the superheroine Batgirl, sidekick to the one and only Batman; after the events of the Killing Joke, she became the information broker, Oracle." ]
[ 08/28/2026 ]
[ 08/28/2026 ]