1964-04-14 - Snake and Bat
Summary: Delphyne and Batgirl meet back up to talk about their current case and vigilanting in general…
Related: [http://marvel1963mush.wikidot.com/log:1964-03-15-a-murderer-of-women:chapter-one-bag-of-bones]
Theme Song: Ain't No Rest For the Wicked - Postmodern Jukebox
barbara delphyne 


Another night, another patrol. Some might find such predictable action tiring, but for Barbara? It was perhaps the part of her day she looked forward to the most. Twisting through the air, the redhead cast her arm out, her grapple line tangling with an out-reaching rail and slinging her body sideways into a swing around the corner before her wrist gave a practiced motion and the line uncoiled sending her into free-fall. It should be terrifying, but she'd yet to find anything more exhilerating as she cast her arms wide and let her cape flare, bringing her into a glide to a new perch.

*

Some people don't have grapple lines… but then again, some people might not necessarily need them. Delphyne is, once again, on 'patrol' of sorts, though she disguises it as some intense workout routine. That just happens to run around on buildings.

As it is, she was also looking for Batwo… er, girl, so when she spies the other vigilante flying towards the perch, Delphyne changes course, then launches herself towards that building. She doesn't have the wonderful toys, but she manages to land on the roof with a tumble, rolling up into a crouch.

*

Batgirl doesn't have an superpowers, but one doesn't need them to when a Gorgon comes tumbling down to the very same rooftop you've landed on. Babs straightens up for a moment, cape catching the breeze as she draws back her hand to her waist, ready to cast one of the batarangs towards a new threat before those green eyes flicker with recognition. Not that she'd ever admit she was startled.

*

Delphyne does keep her snakes bound behind her, but one of the snakes peers at Batgirl a bit balefully when Babs goes for the possible batarang, keeping an eye on her as the Gorgon straightens to her feet, glancing back at Batgirl.

Then she speaks, tilting her head slightly, "Batw… er, girl. It's good to see you." She actually smiles just a touch, "I would have made an appointment, but I do not have your… ah, what is, phone number? Yes, that." Maybe she's learning jokes?

*

"I don't spend much time around a phone anyway," Batgirl speaks, a visible smirk to her lips before she refolds the throwing weapon and tucks it back in her belt. A pause, the woman steps off her position at the outcropping onto the roof properly, rolling her shoulders lightly.

"I don't have any new news about the killing, only that I've turned the evidence over to someone I trust with the resources to find out more." The news itself seems to sadden the heroine, even if she tries to hide much of her face behind her cowl.

*

Delphyne nods, and crosses over towards Batgirl, standing near her as she looks out over the city, "Which means he's still out there, somewhere." She hrms, "Why do so many vigilantes take an animal avatar?" Her eyes flicker towards Batgirl, "I mean, I met the one that has the powers of the spider, that was obvious, but you don't seem to have any powers like a bat?" Not really joking this time, as she sounds genuinely curious.

*

"It's…a tribute I guess, a mark of respect to my mentor. He taught me almost everything there is to know about what I do." Barbara says softly, frowning a little. "Besides, there's something about the cape, the profile, the quiet menace that tends to terrify the criminal element. Helps us seem supernatural." A pause, she smiles sidelong. "We can't all turn people to stone."

*

Delphyne smiles back towards Barbara, "Only when I wear my helmet. A gift from Athena… which I suppose helps make up for the curse she laid on my ancestors." She looks over towards the vigilante's eyes, meeting them with her serpentine gaze, "But yes, I can definitely see where the cowardly would quail at the sight of that visage."

*

Truthfully, Babs had been doing her best not to meet that gaze. She'd read the tales and she was one to exercise caution, but when her moment of curiousity doesn't result in her ending up a lawn ornament, she exhales a small breath of relief. "So how did you end up here Delphyne?" she questions, turning her gaze back to the cityscape. "I don't want to assume, but I'd guess you're a long way from home."

*

Delphyne smiles a bit, studying Barbara's eyes for perhaps a moment longer than most might, then turns back to look over the city with Barbara. "Actually, I travelled here with some of my kin. Amazons, that is, not Gorgons." She chuckles softly, "We have been long isolated from the world of Men, so we wished to see what has become of things in our separation."

*

"You probably haven't exactly seen the most shiny examples of greatness here too, coming to this city. People are good, but there's a lot of bad out there some nights." She's trying for stoic, but she doesn't quite have it as downpat as the Batman, she simply sounds a little sad. "But I hope it hasn't all be negative for you."

*

A soft laugh, "No, there has been some darkness… but even in this strange world of Men, there is light." Delphyne smiles, glancing over at Batgirl, "Your presence, in a world where you are treated as inferior instead of the opposite, gives me some measure of hope." She then looks aside quickly, her cheeks coloring a particularly darker shade of green, "Ah, forgive me, I didn't mean to…"

*

Well, there is some advantages of wearing the mask she does: it's a little harder to see the slight flush of red on her face when compared with Delphyne's green. Clearing her throat she bites her bottom lip for a moment before speaking again. "If there were no shadows to hide in, no problems that needed solving? I'm not so sure I'd have found myself the way I did. Without Batgirl? I'd just be me the boring old me…"

*

Delphyne snickers, "Somehow I doubt you're boring, but I can see why you might feel that way. I thought /I/ was rather ordinary, before coming here." She shrugs, looking back at Batgirl with a wry expression, "I mean, my kind aren't common on the island, but we're not really unknown like we are here either."

*

"Well…maybe not. But I certainly wasn't jumping between rooftops on a nightly basis, or beating up thugs." Barbara tilts her head to oneside, turning her gaze back towards Delphyne's own. Seems it was safe enough, so why not? "There aren't a lot of…gorgons back on that island?"

*

Delphyne shakes her head, "A few, descendants of the two that were not Medusa… but over the years our numbers haven't really grown all that much." She smiles, "My Amazon sisters treated me as one of their own, without separation, so that was welcome."

*

"A step above most of our people then," Batgirl comments, finally shifting and coming to a sitting position. It was a lot more relaxed than she'd generally maintain in costume. "Perhaps, if your island permits visiters, I'll manage to come see it some time."

*

A soft laugh, "We've been isolated for a very long time, but who knows. Perhaps we can allow a visitor once in a while." Delphyne grins at Batgirl, "I wouldn't mind showing you around the sights. I think you'd appreciate them." She hmms, "Men, in general, are forbidden, but there's no rule prohibiting women from the outside, if I recall."

*

"I would ask," Barbara comments with a chuckle, "if they'd find it strange to meet some woman dressed as a bat, but I imagine you'd have different standards of strange." A pause, she blinks and looks back at Delphyne. "If men are forbidden, how do you all…sustain your population?"

*

Delphyne grins, "We bathe in the waters of the sacred river Pelipedes, and the lucky ones are blessed with…" She then coughs and starts laughing. "Sorry. But no, we find men outside the island that are worthy, and well…" She then shrugs, "Not that it ever tends to last long. I mean, men can't handle women that aren't subservient, more often than not."

*

"I…might have actually believed you," Batgirl comments, offering a smile in return of the jest. "I'm suprised you went undiscovered for so long with such a practice." Shaking her head, the redhead suddenly blinks, curiousity coming to her mouth a little quicker then even her brain. "So do Gorgons lay eggs…? Sorry, that's probably a little personal."

*

Delphyne blinks, then laughs long and hard at that, unable to help herself. Slumping back against the wall, she actually hugs herself, "Lay eggs?" She then shakes her head, "No no no… it's just like other women, real…" She pauses, then gives Batgirl a suspicious look, "Do /you/ lay eggs?"

*

"Do I…what? No!" Babs flusters, blinking a little before she laughs. "No. No I'm the same as any other woman…Well, any other woman who dresses up like this and beats criminals down with her fists."

*

Delphyne nods, "Okay, just making sure things haven't changed /that/ much out here." She hmms, "How much training have you had, with combat?" Her tone changes a bit, growing somewhat more serious.

*

A chuckle, Babs just shrugs her shoulders lightly. "More than most expect, enough to know there are others out there with more than me." A stretch of her arms over her head, she shrugs her shoulders once more. "I do what I can."

*

Delphyne grins, "Alright then. Hit me, if you can." She takes a few steps back, "If you like, consider this practice." Her eyes dance, as she does keep her snakes bound behind her in her scrunchie.

*

Barbara actually chuckles at that, pulling herself to her feet. "You're awfully confident." A shift of her stance, the caped woman raises her gloved hands. "Don't think a mere mortal can take you on?" Batgirl smiles. After all, she doesn't have to fight fair.

*

Delphyne laughs, "No, I just want to take your measure. I'm just curious how well your Batman has taught you." She winks at Batgirl, "Besides, I would like to see if there's something /I/ can learn of fighting in this land."

*

"If your technique is half as smooth as your talk, perhaps I'm in a lot of trouble." A wink from the woman, then she leaps, her legs sweeping in a rush before she twists into an elbow and a flurry of punches. She's one for using speed when her strength might be outclassed

*

Delphyne grins and parries the punches, blocking expertly as she laughs, "Smooth talk? Is that what I've been doing?" She hmms, "I'll have to rethink my conversation." She stays defensive, using her hands to block and deflect as she doesn't mind giving up a little ground, studying Batgirl's technique intently, "Though most of us /are/ experts in hand to hand combat."

*

Batgirl's technique is well honed, clearly making use of her natural speed and flexibility. But that doesn't mean she's purely working with the idea of a fair fight. A fair fight doesn't really work when you make a habbit of dealing with several foes at once after all! Twisting around in a kick she throws an arm and her hip into the motion, bringing her cape's weighted end up in a swinging attack that doubles as a blinding destraction before her leg snaps up to try and catch the Gorgon under the chin.

*

Apparently, they don't often fight with caped opponents on the Island, as Delphyne is perfectly distracted by the cape, taking the kick to the chin. However, she does twist on the way down, landing and trying to sweep her leg to send Batgirl to the ground as well.

*

A leg sweep however, is far more common for Babs to face. After all, there's plenty that get frustrated with their inability to hit and want to stop the heroine's movement. That doesn't men the leg doesn't catch her, but the girl slaps the ground in a perfect breakfall before she rolls over, coming to try and bring herself to a straddling position over the snake-woman with her fist pulled back, a smirk on the redhead's lips. "Nice kick."

*

Delphyne doesn't move /that/ far away, though she does suddenly catch Barbara's wrist as the caped crusader tries to pin her, twisting around, "You know, the Greeks /did/ invent the art of wrestling, right?" And she moves fluidly, dare we say, serpentine, as she moves with surprising and trained agility to try and flip Barbara actually onto /her/ back. If Del can use that cape of Batgirl's for that, even better!

*

Barbara -did- know that, but now she was getting a history lesson either way as she finds herself on her back with a cry. She might have had the edge in striking (or at least she believed she did) but grappling was not going her way. "No kidding…" she murmers before she reaches for her belt, bringing her hand up to press a small device against Delphyne's side. "But are you insulated?"

*

Delphyne's eyes widen, and she smiles, "Maybe not… but do you have antivenom?" With that, Batgirl might notice that the snakes are free of their scrunchy, which means… well, the disadvantage of being this close is that the snakes are definitely within biting reach. Then Delphyne grins, meeting Batgirl's eyes as she says, "Draw?"

*

For mythical creatures? Probably not. Chuckling a little, the heroine eases her hand back and holsters the taser back on her belt. "Draw," she agrees lightly before letting her hands fall back, palms up and open while she looks up at the snake woman. "I guess that means you should probably get off me now."

*

Delphyne laughs, "If I called you a… what is the word, spoilsport, would that be smooth talking?" She then easily moves off Batgirl, sitting next to her as she retrieves her scrunchy, binding the snakes back up behind her. "You are very well skilled, though you should always remember you might not have your gadgets in a fight."

*

"It seemed like the least harmful option," Batgirl comments, remaining laying on her back for a moment before she pulls herself into sitting with her knees at her chest. "I've been taught how to fight without them, or to make things up on the fly, but you have to be more…vicious in stopping people if you can't subdue them easily." That and she didn't really think any escape, even breaking arms, was going to get her completely out of the way of those snakes.

*

Delphyne nods, "That's a good point. I admit I'm not used to some of the things available in this place. But that is something that could be good to acquire." She smiles a bit, "If you want to improve your skills, I wouldn't mind practice sparring. No gadgets, no snakes?"

*

Barbara shrugs her shoulders at that offer, finally rolling herself up to her feet and adjusting her cape, the weighted end helping it fall into place. "I'd welcome that. Varying training is always a good way to improve your skills." A pause, she turns to offer a hand and help Delphyne up. "As long as you promise no neurotoxins."

*

Delphyne takes the hand and gets up with Batgirl's help. "Gladly. I would hope you know I would not have really done such a thing." She smiles a bit wryly, "I don't know many here, poisoning one of the few that I like seems like a bad idea."

*

"I have to confess," Barbara chuckles with a grin behind her mask. "As far as living myths go, you're probably my favorite." A wink of one emerald eye and she turns her gaze towards the city. "This was nice, a pleasent distraction."

*

Delphyne grins at the wink, "Well, I'm glad to hear that. And I enjoyed the distraction quite a bit myself." She hmms, "It does seem odd that I don't know you, aside from the mask. I mean, I think I understand this idea of protecting your identity from the Daily Bugle and such. It just seems… unusual, to consider you a friend and know so little about you. If that makes sense."

*

"It's necessary," Barbara says with a small nod, a little falter in her voice suggesting that the woman wasn't fond of the arrangement. "It keeps my family, my friends safe. Besides, not everyone in my life would be fond of my night time activities."

*

Delphyne smiles, "I understand. Perhaps someday I can earn that level of trust." She nods, "I can only imagine how this society would feel about a woman striking back against injustice. I suspect it would not be favorable."

*

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