Original Opening for "Near Death Experience" Fic
"Ok, tell you what, I'll present it and format all the references if you guys do the actual writing stuff."
"Deal."
"No, Mrs. Cooper said we all have to contribute writing."
"You're gonna need to write someday, Beck, so you might as well learn now."
Beck stuck her tongue out at the last speaker. Babs rolled her eyes.
"Mature."
Well, she was the youngest in her class.
"Val,* really, it's better this way, you've never read Beck's writing," Geri* said.
"Hey! I'm writing in my fourth language."
"Beck, you could write novels in ancient Sumerian if you really wanted to," Babs scolded.
"Why would anyone want to do that?" Geri grimaced.
"Beck, if we assemble the research and do our own references, you can just do the introduction and conclusion and then present," Val counter-offered.
Beck cringed, but agreed, since Barbara elbowed her in the ribs, and Babs's elbows were sharp.
"But we're reviewing it," Geri added.
"Fine by me."
Beck caught Geri's eye and winked, and she winked back. They both looked away innocently before Babs or Val could catch them, secure in the knowledge that Beck would format Geri's references, and Geri would write the intro and conclusion. She actually enjoyed English somehow, so really, it was a win-win.
"Ok," Val, self-appointed leader continued, "now that that's settled–"
Blaring alarms sounded from all four girls' phones, making them jump. Each screen had lit up with a bright red exclamation point in the center and bold, capital letters underneath reading DIAMOND DISTRICT.
Beck opened it in a millisecond. Bruce was patrolling Diamond tonight.
"Oh, my God," Val whispered.
All three leaned over Beck's shoulder to see the alert. Babs's fingers were gripping Beck's arm almost hard enough to bruise.
Explosion. Gotham Royal Hotel. 9:47 PM. Casualties unknown. Cause unknown.
Where the hell is Batman?
Val stepped back, fumbling for the remote and calling up Gotham City 1 on her TV. Jack Ryder was already there across the street, shouting into his microphone over the wailing of people and sirens.
"-- threat or statement was issued, so the police frankly have no idea who's done this, or if they will strike again. Right now all efforts are on evacuation, fire, and medical. Although it seems folks below the forty-sixth floor are alright, relief efforts are scrambling to find other accommodations, or else return passage to vacationer's homes."
Geri sobbed as the camera caught a shot of a gurney being loaded into an ambulance. Even from far away on a TV screen, Beck knew no hospital would be able to save the victim.
Val tentatively wrapped an arm around Geri's shoulders, and the other girl hid her face on Val's shoulder as she started sobbing. Beck swallowed tightly and texted Bruce.
Beck: b pls i need 2 know ur ok
Barbara slid her hand down Beck's arm to squeeze her hand. Beck squeezed back, knuckles going white, barely breathing as she kept staring between her phone and the TV for whatever would tell her about her dad first.
"-- as much of the wreckage blasted laterally. It seems that a few of the collateral buildings were empty office spaces, but at least one apartment complex–"
Beck: BRUCE
B Man: fine, chum.
Beck leaned back in her seat with a sigh of relief. Babs gave her hand another squeeze, but she looked relieved too.
Beck: do u need me?
Another few minutes, as reports of damage gained horrible clarity. Then,
B Man: no
Beck turned off her phone and went to join the others by the TV, wrapping an arm around Geri's waist. It seemed most of the initial chaos was ebbing, handled mainly by first responders. But now she could see Batman onscreen, a shadow that darted about carrying the wounded and dead. Gordon was there, too, face pinched as he explained that the GCPD currently had no clues as to who had done this.
A jarring burst of Taylor Swift came from Geri's phone. She went sheet white, eyes rolling up, and Beck and Val shouted as she sagged in their arms.
“Babs!” Beck ordered. “Val, go get water.”
She lifted Geri and laid her on the couch as Val ran from the room and Babs answered the phone.
“Hello? Uh, no she's… We just heard about the bomb… Um…”
“Geri,” Beck called, checking and finding a steady pulse. “Geri, wake up.”
“Oh, God… I'm so sorry, Mrs. Pruitt. Y-yeah, of course…”
Val returned with a glass of water as Geri stirred. Her eyes filled with tears immediately, and she started sobbing when Babs, having hung up, whispered, “Geri, your mom called–”
By the time the girls could calm the panic attack that ensued, and Babs could explain that Geri's father – who'd stayed on the forty-seventh floor – was injured, not dead, her brother had already arrived to drive her to the hospital. Babs, Beck, and Val gave her each one last hug and whispered reassurance, then stood and shivered on the doorstep, staring as the siblings sped away.
“I'll take over her part,” Val whispered.
Beck and Babs nodded silently. Beck's phone buzzed again. This time it was Alfred.
“Do you want a ride home?” she asked Babs quietly. “Or to stay over?”
“You're welcome here, too,” Val murmured.
“I'll take the ride,” Babs said quietly.
Beck nodded and texted Alfred. The three girls waited for him on the stoop, not talking. Beck's mind was racing, trying to puzzle out the whos and hows and whys, but not coming up with any answers. She knew Babs was doing the same, and probably Val, too, in her own way.
Finally Alfred came, and they drove to the Gordons’ and then home in silence.
Beck went up to her room but didn't go to sleep. She sat up, watching news that told her nothing, until she heard footsteps down the hall. Then she slid off her bed and followed Bruce into his room.
He didn't speak either. Just smoothed back her hair and let her crawl under the blankets to curl against him, to feel his warmth and remind herself he was ok.
He stroked her hair in silence until she fell asleep.
*OC classmates of Beck and Babs at Gotham Academy
