Waffletastic Stephanie Brown Appreciation (Spoiler/Robin/Batgirl/Spoiler again)

[sunofdarkchild]

Spoiler #6 Special Double Sized Crossover with Teen Titans

Reverand Knutland opens the door to his church to see a a very energetic Kid Flash say "Hi!" before disappearing to explore the building, causing many papers to be thrown around the church. Behind where he had been standing Tim, wearing black sunglasses and his civies, sheepishly apoligizes. Reverand Knutland says not to worry, that any friend of Spoiler's is welcome in his church. So Tim and the rest of the Titans enter.

Inside Spoiler is upset with Kid Flash. "I said to come in civilian clothes so you wouldn't draw attention to this place!" Tim apoligizes again, saying that they can't control Kid Flash and that he changed at super speed once they arrived. He then asks if she is happy to see him, and she replies "Always. But let's save the mushy stuff for when we don't have company." Superboy is annoyed while Wonder Girl is amused and asks why Tim never mentioned he had a girlfriend.

As he sits down Tim asks what the story is with the church. Spoiler says that one of her early actions as a vigilante was saving Reverand Knutland and many congregants from a fire in the church and then catching the arsonist. She and the reverand became friends afterwards.

Tim asks Spoiler to give them the full lowdown on what's going on. She fills them in on everything except her ssecret indentity. She says she called Red Robin because he knows more about the Ghost Dragons than anyone else and because "This is all your fault for yelling my real name in front of the bad guys."

Before Tim can respond Wonder Girl asks how he could do something as stupid as Kid Flash, and Spoiler answers playfully that "love makes us do really stupid things sometimes, right?"

Tim puts his hand up to stop any further embarrassment and says that they should stick to the matter of what to do about the Ghost Dragons. The gang's expansion into the suburbs is inacceptable. Superboy suggests just bringing the whole gang to the police since between them they have the power. Tim and Spoiler agree that it would not help since they have nothing that would stick. The suggestion that they have Horntail arrexted for kidnapping is similarly dismissed, since it would entail further compromising Spoiler's secret identity and would only lead to a new leader taking over the dragons.

At that thought Tim snaps his fingers. "That's it!" He then says that they need to find King Snake and restore him to his former position as leader of the Ghost Dragons. Spoiler says that he's crazy. King Snake would make the dragons more dangerous than ever. Tim agrees, but says their priority is stopping the expansion of the dragons out of Chinatown and ensuring her safety. King Snake's sense of honor would not allow him to "stoop" to operating in the suburbs and would even lead to him honoring a deal with them. He asks if she wants to live, and she replies that she rather likes that state of affairs.

Tim orders the rest of the Titans to stake out Gotham Heights. Even after her escape the fact that they have something so concrete on Spoiler will make the dragons not hesitate to bring their full might to bear against the suburbs after two years of hiding. The Titans can keep the peace while he and Spoiler track down King Snake.

For several days the Titans fight street crime in Gotham Heights, and Wonder Girl in particular is shocked by the brutality of the Ghost Dragons.

Meanwhile Tim tries to use his computer skills to locate King Snake with Stephanie. She asks how he can be so ok with deliberately bringing back one of his worst enemies. Tim answers that in the long run they can deal with Snake, but in the meantime he cares more about her, and she is right that it is partly his responsibility and he has to make amends. Steph kisses him on the cheek and says that she didn't mean it that way, but Tim says that his calling her by her real name even while in costume came from him not respecting her. Steph agrees that it would be ironic if she got killed because of someone else's screw-up.

Tim says that it's impressive that she was able to keep a gang like the Ghost Dragons out of her town for two years by herself, and Steph remarks that everyone always seems so surprised when she accomplishes something. Tim says he can't speak for anyone else, but she has earned his respect. Steph says that that's good, since a relationship not built on respect couldn't work.

The facial recognition software on Tim's computers finds a match for King Snake in Hong Kong, and Tim realizes that he is likely trying to destroy that city to "save it from the Chinese" again. He and Spoiler fly to Hong Kong to King Snake's location, an abandoned factory where Snake's men are manufacturing chemicals to poison the water supply. Red Robin remarks about how the mighty have fallen, and he and Spoiler make short work of the relatively few members of Snake's newest operation.

They find King Snake just as he is about to sample some of his own poison and are just able to stop him from committing suicide. King Snake is a broken man, having lost all of the power he once had as 'the deadliest man alive.' Red Robin offers him the deal, a chance to lead the Ghost Dragons again in exchange for keeping their operations limited to Chinatown and their leaving Spoiler alone. Snake agrees, since he has nothing else to live for.

Red Robin, the Titans, and Spoiler bring King Snake to the Chinatown headquarters of the Ghost Dragons and proceed to beat up everyone in their way until Horntail finally shows himself and Snake challenges him to unarmed combat for the right to lead the dragons. The teen heroes are only there to ensure that no one murders Snake as he fights. The fight is a total curbstomp, as Horntail was an inferior fighter to Lynx, let alone King Snake. However, even once Horntail surrenders Snake snaps his neck, to the heroes' shock. Red Robin yells about his sense of honor in killing an opponent like that, and Snake replies that it was the only way to fulfill his promise, as Horntail was certain to seek revenge on Spoiler for this humiliation. He assures them that he has every intention of keeping his end of the deal and contracting the Ghost Dragons back into Chinatown and bids the youngsters farewell.

Later, in front of the Titans' aircraft. Superboy wonders if they did the right thing. Red Robin says that King Snake will likely be attempting at some point to use the dragons to regain his position as head of the Kobra terrorist organization, but he's Batman's problem now, and for the moment he thinks Snake will take it slow so as to not risk his current regained position. Wonder Girl offers Spoiler an invitation to join the Titans, but Red Robin cuts her off, saying that this incident proves that the suburbs need Spoiler and that she can't abandon them even for the causes the Titans fight for. Spoiler agrees, and she and Red Robin ask for a moment to be left alone.

Red Robin wishes that he could stay, but his work with the Titans is too important, and like her he can't abandon them now. Spoiler says that she knows. Heroes can't pick and choose their battles. But she makes him promise to contact her more often, "since you do respect me now and all." They share a long kiss, and as Red Robin leaves he tells her to call whenever she feels she's in over her head.

Once alone, Spoiler wonders if he meant to include trying to come up with an excuse for why she missed three days of school.

[sunofdarkchild]

Spoiler #7

Spoiler is fighting another band of armed thieves when one manages to get his gun pointed at her back. She is saved when Batgirl jumps on the man's back. Spoiler then throws a brick at another one trying to grab Batgirl from behind, and they trade banter about their needing to do a better job watching their own backs.

After the fight they retreat to a rooftop, and Spoiler thanks Batgirl for the help, but asks what she's doing out of the city. Batgirl says that she's working a case that started in Gotham, but refuses to elaborate further, and Spoiler realizes that Batgirl doesn't trust her. Batgirl admits that she never heard of Spoiler until that high profile kidnapping incident a month earlier, so she is wary of the younger vigilante. And it is clear that Batman does not approve of her.

Spoiler says that she may not be in the big leagues like Batman, but this is her town. If something big is going down she demands to know. Batgirl agrees. She says that she was keeping tabs on the GCPD's investigation of a suspected child molester when he vanished, and Batgirl's investigation led her to believe that he had relocated to Gotham Heights. Batgirl takes a photograph of the suspect out of her utility belt to show to Spoiler, who is startled by who she sees.

"Jim Murray. But he died years ago." Batgirl assures her that he is alive and well, although he goes by Andrew now, and asks if she knows him. Spoiler responds mechanically, saying that she is familiar with Murray's work. She says that she wants to help Batgirl with this case, and that she has an avenue of investigation she wants to check out. They agree to meet the same time the next night, but as Spoiler swings away Batgirl thinks to herself that she is still unsure about the younger vigilante. Spoiler reminds her too much of villains like Knightfall, and she seems to have as dark a past if her reaction to the photograph of Murray is any indication.

The next day, Stephanie pays a visit to her father in Blackgate Prison. Cluemaster asks if she plans on beating him up, but she ignores the question and cuts to the chase. "Where is Jim Murray?" Cluemaster is surprised, but Steph says to cut the act, that she knows he helped Murray fake his death six years earlier. Murray was not smart enough to pull it off on his own.

Cluemaster smiles and tells Steph to say what she's really thinking. Steph glares and says that he knew what Murray was when he made him her baby-sitter. It's the only reason he'd help Murray after what he did to her. Cluemaster says that he was worried Steph would turn into a wimp like her mother, and he wanted Murray to help toughen her up. Steph angrily grabs him by the shirt and pulls him close. Cluemaster says that it worked better than he'd hoped, then taunts Steph. "Does it sting, to know just how much of what you are, the good Spoiler does, is because of me? I made you into this figure of vengeance, Stephanie. It's all me."

Steph drops Cluemaster and yells that he's wrong. "I am who I am because that's how I choose to be! You had no say! Not you, and certainly not Jim Murray!" She raises a clenched fist, and then unclenches it. "And sorry to disappoint you, but I was never a 'figure of vengeance.' You've got your vigilantes mixed up." She asks once again where Jim Murray is.

That night, Spoiler tells Batgirl that she has several locations their suspect might be at. Batgirl replies that that is good, because there have been reports of a young girl going missing in the area, and she thinks Murray is behind it. Spoiler is visibly shaken by the news, and Batgirl asks if she is ok. Spoiler doesn't answer, insisting that they have to move now.

As they travel, Spoiler explains how Murray had three friends whose houses he could stay at until the heat cooled off, which is how he escaped arrest in the past, but if he was being active again it meant he must be staying at the house he owned himself under a pseudonym. Batgirl thinks to herself that this is too personal for Spoiler-much like it would be for Batgirl herself if went up against the Joker again-and that she'll have to keep an eye on her to keep her in line when they arrive.

They arrive at their address and knock on the door. When there is no answer Batgirl lets Spoiler kick the door down, thinking to herself it's better the younger vigilante not know how weak her legs still are. They find Murray in the living room with the child tied up. He freezes at the sight of them. Spoiler angrily calls him Jim, and he panics and runs out the back.

Spoiler yells at Batgirl to go after Murray, and the older vigilante complies. Spoiler stays behind to free to make sure the child is all right. Physically she is unharmed, but she is still frightened, and the sight of Spoiler does nothing to alleviate her panic. So Spoiler pulls her mask off to show the child that she's a normal person like her and not a monster. She finishes untying the child and hugs her, telling her everything will be ok, that the bad man won't her her anymore. Spoiler flashes back to when she was eleven, when Jim Murray attacked her and she fought him off by biting his nose before running away. "He won't hurt any little girls anymore."

Later, after Spoiler and Batgirl watch the police take Murray away and the girl back to her parents, Batgirl says that she was surprised that Spoiler gave her point in taking down Murray. "I know the two of you have a...history." Spoiler says all she cared about was making sure Jim Murray couldn't hurt anyone. She also reveals that she knows that Batgirl had been following her since they met the day before, and when Batgirl asks how she knows that, Spoiler answers "You're a bat."

Since Batgirl knows who she is, Spoiler takes off her mask and looks at it. "I guess I won't be needing this anymore." Batgirl asks if that means she plans on giving up crime fighting, and Spoiler replies "No. I just need a new mask. Something a little friendlier. I'm not trying to scare anyone. I'm not some figure of vengeance."

Batgirl agrees. "I've seen too many people who, after one bad day, decide to make the whole city pay for their misery. But hearing what you said to your father, seeing what you did tonight-it's given me hope, hope for Gotham I haven't felt in a long time."

Spoiler says that if she would let herself be defined by her past, she wouldn't have a future, and Batgirl has a brief flashback to the time she was shot by the Joker before rubbing her back and saying that that is a good lesson. Spoiler asks if anything is wrong, and Batgirl smiles and says no. "I'm just thinking that it might be worth coming to the suburbs more often. The atmosphere is better out here. It helps me clear my head." Spoiler smiles as well.

"Cool. I love team-ups."

[sunofdarkchild]

And here's my take on what Steph in the Nolanverse would be like.

Dear Diary,

It's been 2 weeks since Bane and his army took over Gotham. Marshall law is in full effect. But even worse than that, when Bane broke open Blackgate Prison, he also tore down the heroes Gotham would have looked to for inspiration. Harvey Dent turns out to be a murdering psychopath, and Commissioner Gordon turns out to be a liar. The commish's' wife over in Cleveland confirmed every word of Bane's speech, so we know it's all true. People don't know what to believe in anymore, so no one is able to make any sort of resistance against Bane.
But, do you know something, dear diary? People are stupid. They don't realize that when Bane tore down Dent and Gordon, he inadvertently raised another symbol from the mud, a symbol Gotham could rally around if we'd just get our heads out of said mud. A symbol that today, we're going to remind everyone of.

Long live the resistance, dear diary!

--------------------

Helplessness.

It was not a feeling Bruce Wayne was used to. He was a man of action, of power. Every person in America knew his name twice.

And no one knew where he was now. Left for dead in a hell on earth, held upright in a harness that another prisoner insisted would strengthen his injured back, he could not turn away from the monitors displaying the depths into which his city was sinking.

The feed was the news from America, broadcasting live from New Jersey, just across the river from Gotham. And every day it was the same. Bane was in control of his city. The government was helpless to do anything about it. And the people of Gotham were too demoralized to resist.

"We have a breaking development in the ongoing situation in Gotham City." the news anchor said. Bruce did not react. It would be the same. A new attack on the upper classes of Gotham by Bane, or another speech in which the man who was supposedly the leader of the free world said absolutely nothing.

"Our studio has received a video from a source inside Gotham, a source that identifies itself only as Oracle. This is the first message from the city since the coup that has not come from Bane or his people." Bruce said nothing, but his eyes became more attentive. "We have been unable to trace the exact origin of this video, which we believe is all the more reason to share it."

The screen changed as the video began to play. A single image, a blue outline of a face, was all that was displayed.

"We are the citizens of Gotham." an electronically altered voice said.

"Several weeks ago, our great city was attacked and taken over by terrorists. Our mayor was murdered and our entire police force imprisoned underground. Many good people have been murdered and we have all become prisoners in our own city, hostages to Bane's crusade.

"Bane has tried to break our spirit by destroying our faith. But we, the people of Gotham, are stronger than he realized. We do not need to worship Harvey Dent, as our once honored police commissioner thought, to know right from wrong, or to act.

"Today, the people of Gotham strike back. We will not be cowed by an army of thugs or by a nuclear weapon. We will resist you, Bane, with our dying breaths. We will take back our city and make it a good pace for decent people to live once again.

"Watch for our symbol at exactly 8:00 tonight."

-----------------------

In an abandoned house is Gotham, John Blake turned his attention from the television to the man sitting next to him.

"Pretty brave, huh, commissioner?"

"Yes." James Gordon agreed.

"And they don't seem to have been too badly shaken by the Dent thing. Maybe you should have had more faith in Gotham." Blake did not try to hide the criticism in his voice.

"That remains to be seen." Gordon scoffed. "For all we know this is just a kid with a computer and too much time on his hands. We'll find out at eight, I guess. Still…"

"What is it, commissioner?"

Gordon rubbed his chin. "That last bit, about a symbol. He said almost the exact same thing to me when I first met him."

-----------------------------------

"We return to our top story." the anchor said. "The occupation of Gotham. With 8:00 only minutes away we are all anxious to see if this Oracle can make good on its claims."

"You seem tense." Bruce's cellmate observed. "It's not good to fidget like that. You need to stand straight if you want your back to be fixed."

Bruce spared him a look, then turned back to the monitor.

"Bane said he wanted to give Gotham hope and then crush it, like he's doing to me. Now we see if he can live up to his word."

"And if it is just one man, what difference can he make?"

"All it takes is one to inspire others."

"We are getting word that something is happening!" the anchor exclaimed. "This is a live image from above the Hudson River!"

The screen showed the Gotham skyline as seen from New Jersey at night. There were far fewer lights on than there had been before Bane's takeover, as nearly all of the major businesses were closed.

The camera moved up over the river, centering on a signal lit in the night sky. Bruce's eyes widened and his mouth dropped as he saw the symbol Oracle had adopted.

A searchlight showed against the clouds above the Hudson River. A searchlight with a black bat in its center. An oval shaped bat.

"Oh my god." The announcer said. "This is-hold on. It seems we are receiving another message from Oracle, one they are demanding we air immediately. Give us a moment."
Again, the blue face appeared.

"Bane, we know you are watching, and we know you would love to take down that searchlight. Bring it on. You may have men all over Gotham, but our symbol will shine over Gotham for a full half hour before you will be able to touch it. This is our rallying cry to all the people of Gotham. Rise up and take back your home from the monsters who would destroy everything Gotham, no, this entire country, stands for. This city is not beyond saving. Over the next half hour we will prove that we have conquered the Gotham skies. It is only a matter of time before we retake the streets as well.

"Your move, Bane."

"There you have it." the anchor said. "Oracle has taken on the bat as its symbol, a clear reference to the legendary Batman that stalked the streets of Gotham a decade ago. This is sure to spur speculation that Oracle is the Batman. I'm getting word that we have traced the beam of light to its source." The camera again cut to the Gotham skyline. "It is a five story building on the river. If we can just get our camera focused on it…there. You can see the searchlight on the roof, obviously modified to have a bat on it. It should be noted that that this bat symbol is different from the one used in the famous 'bat-signal' that used to shine above Gotham. This is a rounder image. Holy!"

The news camera had finally zoomed in as far as it could go, and a figure was coming into view, standing in front of the searchlight. A silhouette in black.

"That's a guy in a bat costume! Ears and cape and everything! You can see it moving in the wind! I repeat: someone dressed as a bat is defending Oracle's signal! Bane has to respond to this!"

---------------------

"Do you think it's him?" Blake asked.

"I don't know." Gordon said. "If it is we have hope again. If it isn't…"

"We still have hope." Gordon looked at Blake, slightly perplexed.

"Wasn't that the point? That anyone could be Batman?"

Gordon nodded and turned back to the television.

-------------------------------

Six men worked their way up the fire escape. They moved silently, as members of the League of Shadows should, even though they knew it would not help them.
The initial attempt to reach the roof was through the building itself. They found the doors to the building barricaded beyond the possibility of entry without explosives. And while they all were armed with semi-automatics, they were merely a patrol group reassigned at the moment due to their proximity to their new target and did not carry any kind of explosives.

And they could not have imagined that the person they were supposed to kill would be too bored to remain standing in front of the searchlight.

"Here we go!"

They were at the fourth floor when they heard the yell and looked up, their minds not fully comprehending the implications of the sound. The one in front was hit by a flying kick from above and knocked down the stairs into his comrades.

"Twenty minutes!" the figure exclaimed. "It took almost twenty minutes just for you guys to start coming up the fire escape! Is Bane really that short on manpower?"
Bane's men began to shake off the initial hit and took their first good look at their foe's slim figure and hair flowing in the wind.

"A girl!?"

"A girl who's about to kick your asses!"

The first goon pointed his gun at her, but the girl in the bat costume grabbed his arm and twisted it into the metal railing. He let go of his weapon and it fell to the ground.

"Your numbers and guns don’t do much good in such close quarters on a fire escape." she said, pushing the man into his friends again, knocking them down the next flight of stairs "And we're on the side of the building facing the other shore, so the whole world can watch your embarrassment on the evening news live."

Another man came forward with his gun pointed at her, and she grabbed the railings on either side of her and flipped herself around, kicking the gun out of his hands in the process. She crouched low as she landed to avoid the tackle he attempted and pushed up as he came on top of her, causing him to lose control of his momentum and fall to the floor behind her. "You guys should wave. You might never get a chance to say 'Hi, Mommy!' on national television again!"

[sunofdarkchild]

Steph in Nolanverse part 2

Selina Kyle sighed as she watched the fight unfold on a nice plasma tv she took from some rich guy's apartment.

"You think this means you can defy Bane? He'll brake you too."

-----------------------------------------------

While she was concentrating on the five opponents in front of her, the disarmed one behind her managed to get her in a headlock. Fortunately for her, the first one to take advantage was also someone she had already disarmed. He punched her in the face twice before kneeing her in the stomach.

Her arms were so busy trying to free her that she had forgotten that she could still fight with her legs until receiving that knee. She kicked up as hard as she could, connecting with the man's chin and knocking him back again. With her front momentarily clear, she was able to concentrate fully on the man holding her from behind. Several hits to the gut from both of her elbows caused him to let go.

She spun around, swinging her arm in a roundhouse right as she did so. Her fist connected with his eye and he collapsed again, this time into unconsciousness.

The remaining five attackers moved in on her again, this time with one of the ones who was still armed at the front. She leapt at them, and all of the combatants were in such close proximity that they were all knocked over the railing and fell to the pavement below.

The fight had taken them far enough down the fire escape that the fall was not fatal, but the only one to avoid either being knocked out or suffering broken bones was the girl in the bat-suit, as she had three men to brake her fall. That did not mean, however, that she emerged unscathed.

"Owww." she moaned, sitting up. "Not my best idea, falling off the building. Nope, nope, nope."

One man was still conscious and able to move, and he was slowly crawling to the nearest gun. He was three feet away when a boot clamped down on his wrist.
"Boy, you guys just don't know when to quit."

She kicked the gun away and lifted the man's head up slightly by his hair.

He spat blood in her face.

"Ew." she complained. "That's disgusting."

"I'll die before I talk, you bitch!"

"Yeah, and I can tell that you’re a wonderful conversationalist, with your one syllable vocabulary." She leaned close to his face. "I don't want you to talk to me. I want you to talk to the big man. Tell him that there's still a bat in Gotham. There will always be a bat in Gotham."

----------------------------------------

Bane, too, was watching the evening news. He heard the enthusiastic reaction of the anchor as the figure in the bat costume reappeared on the roof, scalloped cape held out in triumph. Cheers could be heard erupting from the street.

"This is a problem." one of his followers said behind him.

Bane turned his head slightly. "Only if we allow it to become so." he said in his usual calm, almost amused manner. "Or do you doubt that I can brake this pretender even more easily than I broke the real Batman?"

"I do not doubt you at all." the man insisted. "In fact I think this matter beneath you."

"Perhaps. The question is, who are the allies of this new bat?"

-------------------

The red headed woman heard the door open and a groan of pain. She finally pulled away from her computer, steering her wheelchair to the front of the apartment.

"The signal stayed on for forty two minutes before the second group arrived and smashed it."

"So is that a 'good job,' Babs?"

The blonde girl walked past Barbara, threw her backpack on the floor, and collapsed face first onto the couch. "You could have asked if I'm ok. I was risking my life, you know."

"Are you ok?"

The blonde girl rolled over. "I'll live, but I'll be really sore for a while."

"Is this where I ask about seeing the other guy?"

"You know what, Babs? The whole concerned mother act really doesn't work for you."

"Fine. When you're up to it, check out what's happening on the internet. Oracle's become the biggest thing since Batman himself over the last hour and a half."

"In th-yawwwn-in the morning."

"All right." Barbara began to wheel off to her room, but she turned back.

"You did a good job, Stephanie."

There was no thank you response, so Barbara turned her wheelchair around completely.

"Steph?"

But her roommate had already fallen asleep.

Barabara smiled. "Poor kid. You better get a good night's rest. It only gets harder from here."

[beetlebum]

If only this had actually happened.

Dustin Nguyen is truly the best.

[Kid A]

Bluebird looks like she feels left out now that the Pre-52 gang is back together.

[Vworp Vworp]

http://animecat33.deviantart.com/

[gwhh]

Maybe she does have some Amazon blood in her. Man, that would be a great story line!!

[Vworp Vworp]

It's just occurred to me, we've hit our 300th page of this thread!!

I think that seems like a good time for a little look back, and maybe revisiting some old DA pics. First up, a look at where it all began...

[Vworp Vworp]

And naturally, we can't forget one of her finest moments...

[Vworp Vworp]

This was posted on Deviantart way back in 2007... a couple of years before Steph had even come back from the dead, let alone taken over the cowl. Spooky!


http://raevir.deviantart.com/

[gwhh]

Sums Up The New 52 Story Line In A Heartbeat!!

[Punisher007]

Don't forget Nightwing getting the crap beat out of him and having his identity exposed to the entire world by the Crime Syndicate, or Jason losing his memories in an incredibly stupid way, or Bruce acting like a dick to all of his allies after Damian died, or Barbara's dad being accused of mass manslaughter, and so one and so forth.

[phonogram12]

If only this had actually happened.

Dustin Nguyen is truly the best.

This is some fantastic art here.

[Punisher007]

True, but I'm puzzled as to why Klarion is there? He seems to be the odd man out.