10287/This Thing Rocks At Homework

This Thing Rocks At Homework
Date of Scene:	25 February 2022
Location:	Batcave
Synopsis:	Duke runs into Stephanie doing homework with help from the Batcomputer.
Cast of Characters:	Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas

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Stephanie Brown has posed:
A lone figure is present in the Batcave just now. Over at the Batcomputer sits Stephanie Brown. She's wearing her Batgirl costume minus the cowl. Her Batcycle came zooming in beneath the waterfall that conceals it not that long ago. After parking she headed over to the seat on the raised platform and quickly got to work.

Is she solving the Riddler's latest clue? Tracking residue that might lead to Joker's latest base? No. She looks up as the solution to a math problem appears on the screen. "Ok I don't get it, where did the '3x' come from," she says aloud, and then enters a command to have the Batcomputer show the whole proof.

"Oh, crap, I'm an idiot," she says, shaking her head and hastily using an eraser on the paper she has before her. She glances up at the solution, but then back down to the paper steadily as if working the problem herself again rather than just rote copying it. "Batcomputer, I know you're a multi-million dollar crimefighting tool. But you rock at homework," she says to the computer. It doesn't respond unless you count the blinking cursor. Stephanie likes to think it's blinking with pride.

Duke Thomas has posed:
Schoolwork in the Batcave is a common theme today it seems. Duke comes strolling out of an elevator dressed in olive green slacks, a Buffalo Bills football jersey, and crisp, white Adidas. Over one shoulder is slung a backpack full of school books. The computer down here is much more powerful than the MacBook up in his room.

"Hey Stephanie," Duke says, a genuine smile on his face. "Makin' the world safe for decent people?" he asks as he strolls closer to where she is working. His gait is smooth, athletic, and easy.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The blond coed looks up from her homework and spots Duke as he addresses her. She flashes him one of her big warm smiles, but then her eyes focus on his jersey. "Bills!?" she scoffs. "Go Knights!" she says, invoking the name of Gotham's team.

"Yep," she answers Duke then, as she looks back down to her paper, considering for a few more seconds, and then jotting down more of the solution to the problem. "Went out doing some recon on Falcone's crew earlier. But I've got to hand this in, in another hour or so," she says, attention on the homework. "How're you doing?" she asks, finishing the solution before finally looking back up again and over to Duke. "Still doing the wide-eyed stare in here, or starting to get used to it?" she asks with a grin. She's been there before.

Duke Thomas has posed:
The young teen flops down in a chair and thumps the heavy backpack on the tabletop. He unzips the bag and tugs out a multi-variable calculus textbook and a differential equations textbook. Looks like today is math day for the young genius. "I mean, do you *ever* get used to being in the frickin' BATCAVE? I hope I never get used to it because the cool factor here is amazing. And the work that Bruce and the team does can't be quantified." He looks around the vast complex as though his words simply fail to sum up what he's feeling inside. He sighs and says, "Well, shit." Yeah, now he's satisfied. THAT summed it up.

He turns back to Stephanie, still grinning like an imp. "What'cha workin' on?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
As Duke's books are set on the counter, Stephanie glances over at the titles on spine or cover as can be seen best. "Hah. Precursor class to those," she says, tapping at his book with her mechanical pencil before looking back to her page. "Was never quite the best student I'm afraid," she tells him as she taps her bottom lip with the end of the pencil while considering the next problem.

After a few moments she starts writing the solution to it. "Actually I'm not entirely sure how I got into Gotham University. I suspect Bruce. Or Barbara. Or both. One of them had to be behind the scholarship, though everything about it showed as a legit thing in memoriam to a couple's kid. Even met the mother," she says. "Well, whoever, whatever, I'm grateful for it. It's turned out to be a great experience. Much better than community college would have been."

For the record, Barbara hacked the University to get her name in their admissions list. The scholarship was Bruce.

Duke Thomas has posed:
Next, Duke tugs out a tablet and stylus for note-taking. He taps the tablet's surface to activate it. It reads his face and unlocks. "You do dangerous, selfless stuff, Steph. You deserve a chance at a good school and a good education." He quirks a small smile as he flips open the multi-variable calc book. "When I figured out my microscopic vision thing one thing I learned real quick was not to look too close at something unless you really need to because you won't always like what you find."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie seems to finish the final problem, and then types it into the Batcomputer to double check her result. "Got it," she says as the displayed answer matches her own. She closes that down and then stows her paper into a folder. "Wish this professor let us just email things in. If he 'can't see our handwriting he doesn't know who did it though'," she says, the last part in a bit of a snooty tone as if she's impersonating the man.

She hops up and heads over for the little locker room area to change, but keeps talking loud enough to be heard to carry on the conversation. "Ooo! Yeah, I can imagine. Seeing dust mites was bad enough in class, but being able to zoom in on them anytime you thought about it? Or, I don't even want to think about food if you can see bacteria," she calls while changing into college student attire.

"So where are you going to school!?" she calls over. "Did Bruce get you settled in the place he went to?" she asks loud enough to be heard.

Duke Thomas has posed:
Duke logs into a terminal to the Bat computer. He flips to about the midpoint of the textbook he's using. "I'm over at Gotham Academy," he replies to Barbara. The little shit starts composing a Python app on the fly to solve for partial derivatives. "Bruce got me in. Bruce pays for it." He shrugs. "The dude likes doing nice things for people, so who am I to complain?"

Of course that trajectory that landed him there involved his biological mother and his step father dying, but Duke's not one to complain.

"I like it there. It doesn't pander."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie emerges a few moments later. Wearing simple jeans and tennis shoes, with a vintage Nine Inch Nails 'NIN' t-shirt worn over a warmer, longer sleeve green shirt beneath it.

"Good, hope you make the most of it," she tells him. "And yeah, he does. For all that, you know. Brooding Face of Brooding," she says, flashing a soft grin. "He's... he's a good guy. And a good father," she says, her voice softening a little bit, and maybe there's a touch of emotion in there when she says it.

Stephanie heads back over to the Batcomputer, gathering up her things and getting them into her backpack. "So you're living up at the manor now, I understand? That's a bit to get used to also," she says with a soft grin and a quiet grunt after if remembering her first visit to the place. "Maybe even more than the Batcave in some ways," she says, glancing about the darkened cave, and up at the recesses where the bats can just be seen hanging as they nap and prepare for their nightly flight in search of food.

Duke Thomas has posed:
The teen snorts in response. "Yeah, living in Wayne Manor is a bit intimidating. Alfred's always making my snacks and putting them on fancy plates, and sometimes I just wanna go into the kitchen and make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." He laughs. "I swear he has motion detectors in there.

"How long you been, you know, doing this stuff?" Duke asks, motioning around the Batcave with one hand. The boy with, like, 37 kinds of vision watches Steph closely when he asks.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown turns her back to the Batcomputer's console, sitting back against it so she's facing Duke more directly. "Started at fifteen," she tells him. "My dad is... a real work. You probably know him best by the name Cluemaster. And he's on the loose after breaking out during the Blackgate riot," she says, looking down, fingers fidgeting with each other as her face is painted with some pained emotions.

She clears her throat as part of pushing those thoughts away as she looks back up. "Well, he got help. Prison psychologist. Stopped leaving the clues that always led Batman and Robin to catching him. So, I made a costume and I started leaving them clues. So they would catch him. And send his ass back to prison," she says. "Called myself The Spoiler."

She gives a quiet chuckle. "Of course Bruce and Tim tracked me down in no time, figured out who I was. I was just getting by on guts and stubbornness, not knowing what I was doing. Well, I started doing my own crime fighting after that. Worked with Tim on some things. Took a long time before they revealed who they were. And, I had a rocky path to ending up here today," she says, glancing around the Batcave. "Bruce didn't think I was cut out for this. Barbara actually took me under her wing and mentored me, brought me back in."

Of late, Stephanie has started to wonder how much of that was Bruce not believing she had what it took, and how much was creating a situation that would prompt Barbara Gordon to step forward as a leader. Though she's not spoken those thoughts aloud.

"And, well, after a lot of training... a LOT of training, she trusted me to take up the Batgirl mantle," she says.

Duke Thomas has posed:
Duke leans back in his chair and puts his feet up on the table as he listens intently to Stephanie. "That's a heck of a ride," he murmurs, shaking his head. "I never really heard your story until just now. I know we have files and stuff, but I don't like to pry in that way. People will tell their story if they want it told."

He draws in a deep breath. "Hey, you're *Batgirl*. That's a big deal, a huge deal. You wouldn't be goin' around with that title unless Bruce trusted you." The kid cracks a small grin. "You maaaaaay have noticed he's a bit...inflexible on things. Not much on compromising his beliefs."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
As Duke comments on what a ride it was, the coed gives a nod of her head in agreement, "It really was," she says, letting out the kind of sigh that someone does when are reflecting back on a journey. "I had to get over my doubts at first. Thing is, Duke? I didn't feel like I belonged here. I don't mean, wearing a cape. I always believed I was good enough for that. I mean... THIS," she says, motioning up towards the family manor above, and then towards Duke. "Being a part of this family," she tells him.

Stephanie looks down then, her fingertips toying with one of her fingers, rubbing about it. And she's smiling despite what she was just saying. "I know I belong, though, now," she says, looking and giving him a confident smile, one that shines with a lot of inner light. "These people are my home, as much of one as I've had," she says.

Duke Thomas has posed:
"That's the part I like the most," Duke confesses. "I mean it's one thing to let you run around in a costume beating up bad guys. But to get invited to *live* in the house, be a part of the *family*? That shit hits me in the feels." He quirks a little bit of a grin.

After a beat or two, he continues. "Honestly, if I had to choose bet...AAAAHHHHHHH." Duke was leaning too far back in his chair and suddenly flops backward to the floor with a crash. From beneath the plane of the tabletop can be heard his exasperated sigh. "Okay I meant that. Are there cameras in here? Is that gonna be shown somewhere?" Duke stands up and rights the chair, flopping back down in it. His good-natured laugh dispels his embarrassment.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie is grinning over at Duke when he over tips his chair and ends up on the ground. As he's getting to his feet, he might think he catches Stephanie saying something softly aloud. "Ah, my old nemesis, Gravity. You shall not have the youngling. This I swear."

By the time he's righted himself, she's just got a grin on her face for him. "Oh heck yes. Capturing and sharing embarrassing moments is... it's not even a hobby around here. More of a calling. Especially if it involves Damian," she says with a grin.

Stephanie pushes off the counter she's been sitting on the edge of to stand upright. "Don't worry though, I'll spot you this one. Just remember that the next time I... that is, if I should ever, as unlikely as it might be, do something embarrassing myself," she says, trying to gloss right over what she was about to say.

Duke Thomas has posed:
Careful to keep both feet on the floor this time, Duke lightly hits the palm of his hand on the tabletop. "Okay, ante up! One embarrassing thing you've done in the Batcave?"

He leans back a bit more in the chair but still keeps his feet on the ground. No way he's doing that twice. Maybe no way.

"But it has to be legit, no lame story. Something at least as juicy as me falling backwards in the place where I'm supposed to be training to an agile, acrobatic fighter."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Laughter results at Duke's request for one of her many, many... many embarrassing moments. "Oh no, just stick around and you'll be around for one soon enough I'm sure," she admits with a laugh that is more self-deprecating this time.

"And I need to get on my way back to campus so I can hand in my homework," she tells him. "Great we had a chance to talk though, haven't really had much chance just the two of us like this," she tells Duke.

Stephanie slings her bookbag over her shoulder and then moves over to Duke. She tells him, "Welcome to the family, glad to have you in it," she says, opening up her arms as if to give him a hug if it's welcome.

Duke Thomas has posed:
Duke gives a play pout when Stephanie refuses to relinquish a secret, but his good-natured grin never leaves his face and the kind sparkle never leaves his eyes. He's like the anti-brooder, this one. It's a wonder he can fit in around here. He stands up and offers Stephanie a warm hug -- did we mention he's a hugger? "Alright, sis," he says. "But I'll be waiting for the next slip up." Sis. It's the first time he has referred to her as that. They're not related, obviously, but it sort of fits as both are Bat wards.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown grins and hugs him back. "I wish I could say it'll be a long wait," she says as she lets him go and then starts down the stairs and down the walkway towards a back section of the Batcave. One that Duke might not have been shown or admitted to yet. "Though past history doesn't make it likely," she finishes, grinning over her shoulder at him. She puts her hand on a biometric lock and it opens for her. She gives a wave and then passes inside, the door closing after her.