Thursday 26th February 2009, 23:00.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
East End.
Barbara Gordon hummed a tune to herself quietly as she sat on the couch just adding the finishing touches to her assignment due in tomorrow. The only sound besides her humming was the sound of the TV playing in the background and the sound of the shower coming from the bathroom.
The week had been relatively simple, almost normal as she and Esau fell back into the routine of things. Esau for all intents and purposes had become his usual self, sure he still had moments where some of his injuries flared with pain, but they were few and far between. It was a great relief to Barbara, who for the first time had truly been terrified of losing her best friend. Not even any of his older injuries had been this bad, for the first time she had faced the fact that her best friend might die and her heart clenched painfully at the thought.
"In other news, reports have come in from all over the city at the rise of a new vigilante that the people of Gotham are calling, Black Hood." The news reporter, an elderly woman wearing a business outfit informed the populace of Gotham. Beside her, on the screen, a blurred image of what appeared to be the figure of a man wearing all-black clothing with a hood pulled obscuring his face from the camera completely popped up. "He was reported to be seen fighting numerous masked members belonging to the criminal organisation, the False Face Society. This has been the third sighting of him and the police encourage the people of Gotham to come forth with any knowledge they might have on this vigilante and his whereabouts."
"What're they on about?" Barbara turned around to see Esau leaning against the doorframe in a short-sleeved burnt orange shirt and blue shorts as he looked at the screen in confusion. They had been baggy on him a few weeks ago, but he had since been putting on a lot of weight, bulking out and looking much stronger. The gym was never something Esau had used much of in the past before, it had been an uncessary expense for him when he had struggled to even make ends meet.
Esau himself had not really been focused on the TV, or anything in particular really.
The blonde had instead been lost in thought.
He had always known he had feelings for her and just her here, in his room, so relaxed and unbothered by the day's events had really driven home how much he cared for her. But it made it especially clear how much he wanted to protect her and keep Barbara safe.
Yet he knew, that keeping her safe would be much harder than simply hiding her from the world. Gotham wasn't a place for someone as good as her, the city was a place where innocence went to die. The fact that Barbara and people his age were still innocent was a point in Batman and his Bat families' favour. But criminals needed to be shown that their actions had consequences and Esau knew that they would never cross that line.
'Sometimes, the world doesn't need another hero.' He thought back to something the elderly man, Wilfred who used to live next door to him before passing away. He was kind and had practically helped Esau live and had also taught him various martial arts. 'What it needs, is a monster.' He smiled ruefully, becoming a monster to keep the criminals in line isn't exactly something he had planned to be doing, but if no one else was going to do it, then he would, for Barbara.
"Nothing much, just a new vigilante." Barbara shook her head with a frown as Esau moved to sit down next to her. "He's been called Black Hood."
"You don't approve?" Esau questioned with a frown, though it was more of a statement. He knew Barbara, he knew how she thought and knew how to tell what she was thinking by just the faces she pulled and it was obvious to him, that Barbara did not approve of this new vigilante.
Barbara shook her head. "He's a murderer. He killed them and didn't even give them a chance to face justice." Esau clicked his teeth in annoyance as Barbara looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"
"I think this Black Hood guy is doing us all a favour." Barbara looked at him in shock, she had known that he had his moments where he got a little dark, but to accept murder like that was just shocking. "They're criminals, how many people have they killed, robbed, raped?"
Barbara grimaced at the last one, as a woman herself she couldn't say what was worse, death or rape? While she hadn't had to deal with death much yet, her experience was mostly limited to hers and Esau's parents. Rape, on the other hand, she had stopped numerous women from being raped and sometimes turning up too late as Batgirl. Each and every time she had to console those crying women and had even received reports that they had killed themselves out of shame and fear that it might happen again.
It all hit close to home, everything did in Gotham.
Often, lives were forever changed with a single bad day and at any moment, the next victim of society could be someone knew, the person that was least expected. But it wasn't an excuse and just because someone did them wrong, it didn't mean that one had to abandon their morals and cross the line. Barbara could never say what the correct answer was, the same questions and thoughts that came to others came to her also, but she was certain that murder wasn't the answer.
After all, death was the easy way out and often, it was everyone else who had to live with the consequences.
"That still doesn't make it right," Barbara argued and Esau barked out a laugh.
"Not right." Esau shook his head in annoyance. "How the hell is not right? You're always the one who says that excuses aren't a reason for what someone does so don't give me shit like that. Every day they live is another day someone else isn't. Those heroes like Batman, they're too soft. Last I checked, crimes still going and," he chuckled, "pretty sure they've made criminals smarter and more dangerous."
Barbara narrowed her eyes, angry at Esau who had unknowingly insulted her actions as Batgirl.
But Esau wasn't done.
"How many criminals do you think were put away yesterday? But how many more escaped or were set free to do as they like today?" There was no answer. "And how many of those who were set free do you really believe have actually changed their ways? All being put in prison does is give them time to plan and train for the next time they get out. Fucking hell, prisons are basically the best type of training camps for them, filled with the best teachers and connections around."
Barbara rose up. "Excuse me. I don't see you doing anything. You talk shit about people like Batman and Batgirl who actually risk their lives, giving their all to improve the world. Asking for nothing in return, risking not just their life but anyone who might know them, just to help people like you. Having to suit up every night knowing it might be their last, the last time they see the people they love, the last time their loved ones will ever be able to stop them never knowing that if they hadn't acted, they could still be alive if they hadn't chosen to let them go. And what do you do?!"
Esau's eyes narrowed.
"You sit at home talking shit about others that want to help yet you go out and fight in illegal fighting rings. Fighting for what money? Adrenaline? To live out a sick fantasy thinking this is all a game. And when you do nearly get killed, you don't say shit! Nothing at all! How do you expect people to help you?"
"How?! By fucking doing something about the criminals in this shithole of a city!" He shouted and Barbara did not shy away from Esau who had gotten to his feet, she too was doing the same.
"We have laws. Rules for a reason." She argued back, keeping her voice quiet, but nonetheless was heard clearly. "If you kill a killer, the number of killers in the world remains the same. All you do is continue the cycle as someone going to try and kill you for revenge and when you die, someone going to get revenge. It's an endless cycle and one you'll be helping continue running." She recited the words told to her by Batman when she first started training to become Batgirl.
Esau laughed. "Ha! That's complete bullshit."
"You said If you kill a killer, the number of killers in the world remains the same right? Ok simple he'll just have to do a lot more. If one won't make a change, it'll be ten. If ten doesn't a hundred more will. Be it a thousand or millions more the number will do down. If he does fall into temptation, he'll just find a bullet with his name on it too. You wanna know the difference between a guy like Black Hood and the criminals that kill? It's that he kills to make sure that the criminals understand that there is no getting off with a slap on the wrist. It's a message that tells them if they kill then they better be prepared to be killed in turn."
"Oh really, and that makes it okay does it? He can kill whoever he deems as being a "criminal" fuck the law right, and everyone who lives by it right?"
"Damn right it does! If the law is worthless why keep it, and what do you mean by live by it? People are dying under it now, it's as simple as this, they are bad so they get put down like the rabid dog they are."
Barbara was having none of it and stepped closer to Esau, who only looked down at her, both their eyes narrowed in anger and annoyance at the other's stubbornness, never mind each other's hypocrisy. "And what makes a murderer like Black Hood different to Batman, or Batgirl?" She asked, wanting to know what Esau actually thought about her alter ego. She had always known that Esau had problems with her alter ego and her partners, but he had never actually said so, always changing the subject or being interrupted.
"I think that underneath all their strength and skill, they're actually cowards." He answered and it took everything Barbara had to not let the hurt and sadness show on her face, especially considering Esau's situation is one of the main reasons she goes out to fight crime. To have that person say that she is a coward is more hurtful than any injury she has suffered before.
"Cowards?" Barbara whispered, finally looking away from Esau to the ground.
"Yes," Esau replied, his own voice quieter having noticed Barbara's current change in attitude. "I remember what the old man, Wilfred once told me, 'If not me then who, sometimes the world doesn't need another hero. Sometimes what it needs is a monster.' A monster to keep the rest in line, to show them that their actions have consequences and Black Hood is exactly that."
Barbara nodded her head numbly as if nothing made sense anymore. "I see." She then turned and moved to begin packing up her stuff.
"Barbara?" Esau called, still confused about how everything had gone so south so fast.
After all, it was just words, right? They had arguments plenty of times, but something was a bit different about this one, he could just tell.
"I'm going, Esau," Barbara replied shortly. "When you actually wake up and start being the Esau I know, let me know. I just; I can't deal with you when you're like this." She took a deep breath and stood at the door to Esau's apartment. "I don't know what happened that night, but you haven't been the same since."
"Barbara, wait." Esau moved forwards, but she stopped him with a raised hand.
"No!" She took another breath. "No, I think we both need time to ourselves to figure out what is going on because I don't know you right now. Please, just give me a little time to understand, just give me some time."
Esau flinched slightly, having heard the heartbreak in her voice, but also because of the words she said.
"I-I." Barbara said nothing more as she opened the door as Esau stumbled over his word. Then the door shut behind her and she walked down the corridor, having just heard Esau curse, "fuck!"
And as she walked, she wiped her eyes, feeling tears gather there. "Idiot." She muttered.