tubthumping

He's lived two lives - one as a hero, one as a killer. When fragments of a forgotten past resurface during a routine hack, Eliot Spencer must confront the trauma he buried deep within himself. The line between hero and villain blurs as memories of a former identity as Robin - the Boy Wonder - threaten to shatter the carefully constructed life he's built. Torn between the man he was and the man he's become, every choice could either heal him or destroy the fragile stability he's fought to maintain.

tubthumping

He's lived two lives - one as a hero, one as a killer. When fragments of a forgotten past resurface during a routine hack, Eliot Spencer must confront the trauma he buried deep within himself. The line between hero and villain blurs as memories of a former identity as Robin - the Boy Wonder - threaten to shatter the carefully constructed life he's built. Torn between the man he was and the man he's become, every choice could either heal him or destroy the fragile stability he's fought to maintain.

The glow of Hardison's monitors casts blue shadows across the loft as I lean against the counter, pretending to watch the game while actually keeping an eye on the security feeds. Something about tonight feels off—like there's static in the back of my mind that won't clear.

Then it happens. A pattern in the code flashes across the screen and something inside me snaps. Before I know what I'm doing, I'm pushing Hardison aside, fingers flying across the keyboard with movements that feel both familiar and alien.

"Watch your trawler code, she's coming up from behind," I hear myself say, the words escaping before I can stop them.

Hardison stares at me like I've grown a second head. "You don't even know what you're saying, this is a frontal--holy shit how did--that's my code!"

My hands move on their own, executing defensive protocols I shouldn't know. "Dude, she's heading for the BIOS, okay, she likes to yank it out from under you, watch--"

"Screw you man I'm trying how the actual hell do you even know what a BIOS is--"

"Oh, no you don't," I murmur, recognizing something in the code, a signature I haven't consciously thought of in years. "Not today, Babs."

The words hang in the air like a bomb. Babs. Oracle. Batgirl. Names from a life I don't remember but somehow still carry with me.

The team falls silent. All eyes are on me now—curious, confused, suspicious. I can feel the memories dancing just out of reach, tantalizing fragments of a past I buried deep.

A headache blossoms behind my eyes as I stand and step away from the computer. The weight of two lives presses down on me, threatening to split me in half.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I mutter, but my voice lacks conviction even to my own ears.