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From the journal of Alfred T. Pennyworth:

“In the early days of Young Master Wayne’s crusade against crime, there were only a precious few individuals who could accurately be described as his allies. There was Mister Fox, who provided resources, Leslie, who provided medical aide, Mister Dent (As tragically as that story wound up being), the now commissioner Gordon and, of course, me. A small group, carefully selected so as to keep Master Wayne’s secret as tight as possible. But, as with any plan, even one as carefully crafted by someone as fastidious as Bruce Wayne, there are cracks to be had and be exploited. Young Richard proved that after the first year.”

“Before him, however, there was the one known as Oracle.”

“I remember it with clarity: It was during a case involving that ghastly fellow, Jervis Tetch. He had been responsible of a series of kidnappings, seeking to turn citizens of Gotham into characters from Lewis Carroll’s works, as it is to be expected from someone who’s based their entire personality around a children’s book. Still, could be worse, it could be from a movie serial. Regardless, I was aiding Master Bruce remotely as per usual, when all of the sudden, I was cut off from the communication’s channel. The private line between me and Master Bruce had been hacked, which both of us thought to be impossible. The perpetrator presented themselves as an ally, known only as “The Oracle”. They offered their assistance in this particular case, as it seemed they had it in their best interests to stop The Mad Hatter. Both Master Bruce and I were, of course, appalled, and refused the stranger’s aide, but (And I shamefully admit this as a former member of Your Majesty’s Special Service) I was unable to kick them off the comms, so they stuck around for the remainder of the case.”

“In time, This Oracle person proved themselves to be a worthy ally. Thanks to the clues they provided, as well as some of their technical assistance, Master Bruce was able to find and defeat the Mad Hatter, freeing his captives. In spite of myself, I found myself thanking the stranger, who promised to help our cause whenever possible, promising that, any secret they found out about our operations, they’d keep them. Master Wayne, not happy with letting this episode end, immediately began to scrub off the distortion that disguised the stranger’s voice to at least have an idea of who this Oracle was”.

“To our surprise, it was a woman. And to my dismay, it was estimated she was no older than a teenager! Oh, what would my former MI6 colleagues would say if they found out!”

“Eventually, This “Oracle” continued to aide Master Wayne in a couple other cases. And each time, she’d evade any questions regarding her true identity. But as she already knew, she was dealing with The World’s Greatest Detective. Thus, her identity remained secret for only a couple of months after: Barbara Eileen Gordon, then aged 16, daughter of Commissioner James W. Gordon and Barbara E. Gordon. Studying at Gotham Heights High School, she also works as a librarian on the Weekends. Reportedly, an excellent Gymnast and an expert Hacker, with one of her online monikers being “Oracle”.

With her façade gone, Master Wayne went directly to her to let her know that, as much as her assistance was useful and appreciated, he wasn’t looking for a sidekick at the moment. She protested, of course. Teenagers aren’t exactly known for just letting things end quietly. She wanted to help, so she said, because her father wouldn’t let her become a police officer. She admired my Master’s career as Batman and figured she’d help him whilst hiding her identity, behind her father’s back. Her plead was so heartfelt, so emotive, that I was very nearly swayed to her side. But Master Bruce’s word was final. He told her that, unless she wanted her father to discover the truth, she’d stop contacting us, and go back to living a normal life. And for a while, it seemed like that was truly the end of it, with a young woman trying her best to hold back tears, her dreams of making a difference seemingly ended.”

“Months passed, and with them, a new year was upon us. By then, Young Master Grayson was just starting to adopt his identity as “Robin” and I hadn’t heard back from young Miss Gordon. This all changed one evening of October (Funny how that month is always so eventful in Gotham City), Master Wayne had been invited to a Masquerade Ball dedicated to the GCPD. He had other, mask related commitments in the other side of the city, however, so he chose Master Grayson to go in his stead, much as the young lad protested. As he would later told it, the event was indeed dreadfully boring, and the evening would have been just another lavishly dull affair if it wasn’t for the fact that, this being Gotham City, a man dressed up as a moth broke in.”

“The man, one Drury Walker (Alias Killer Moth, amusingly enough) had tried to make a name for himself in Gotham’s underworld as a sort of “Anti-Batman”: Helping criminals against the police and Batman, with an assortment of Moth themed gadgets and vehicles. Lacking Master Wayne’s resources and intellect, this Killer Moth proved to be nothing but a nuisance for both the law as well as the criminals he tried to help. His crashing at the ball was an attempt at a “Big Hit” by holding the guests (Which included most of the GCPD) for ransom, in exchange for the freedom of his allies. To make sure he was taken as seriously as possible, Walker had recruited someone far more dangerous, both in firepower and a lack of scruples: One Garfield Lynns, alias Firefly, a demented man with a particular proclivity for Pyrotechnics and an absolute lack of morals”.

“For a moment, it seemed like the two bug themed men would get their way, especially with Master Bruce away and Master Grayson unable to act without blowing his cover. But as the Gazette would tell next morning, salvation came from an unlikely source: An unidentified partygoer dressed up like a female version of Batman successfully fought off the crooks long enough for help to arrive and, most notably of all, battled and defeated Firefly all by herself. As the authorities and the media would find out, the guest wasn’t a guest at all, and by the end of the evening, disappeared without a trace.”

“But no one in Gotham City remains hidden for long, and once again, Master Bruce identified the mysterious “Batgirl” as our old friend, Barbara Gordon. Only this time, when he confronted her, he didn’t try to make her quit her crime fighting career. By then, Master Bruce had long changed his mind about closing the door on potential allies, even ones as young as Miss Gordon, and he was further swayed by Young Master Grayson, who had seen her in action firsthand and saw great potential in her. Before giving her answer, Miss Gordon asked both men to leave her alone for a moment, but the resulting squeal of joy was loud enough for me to turn off the comms, let alone not be heard behind closed doors.”

“And just like that, the number of allies by Master Wayne’s side grew once more. Looking back, it is rather impressive: It wasn’t long ago that Master Wayne had lost a prized ally in his battle against crime to madness. For a while, I was afraid he would close himself from others for good. Now, however, not only had he taken in an apprentice, he now had a spirited young lady, with technological skills that rivaled his own, as well as many others abilities that, once honed, would make her an enduring ally”.

“Young Miss Gordon was, in a way, the first ally who actually sought to fight alongside Batman as Oracle. Now as the so-called Batgirl, she became the one who opened the proverbial floodgates. More and more people, old and young, would be accepted and even welcomed inside Master Wayne’s close circle. Sure enough, it hasn’t always been a field of roses. Throughout the intervening years, we have faced… loses. As it is to be expected from this line of work. But I cannot deny the increasing number of victories that have come with them, accomplished by men and women who were once lost, scared and lonely.”

“And all of this was started by a scrappy young hacker who wanted to help her personal hero. For these and many other reasons, I am thankful that Miss Gordon decided to not listen to her father.”

“Until the next time this sentimental old fool feels like reminiscing, this is Alfred T. Pennyworth signing off.”

Description

From the journal of Alfred T. Pennyworth:

“In the early days of Young Master Wayne’s crusade against crime, there were only a precious few individuals who could accurately be described as his allies. There was Mister Fox, who provided resources, Leslie, who provided medical aide, Mister Dent (As tragically as that story wound up being), the now commissioner Gordon and, of course, me. A small group, carefully selected so as to keep Master Wayne’s secret as tight as possible. But, as with any plan, even one as carefully crafted by someone as fastidious as Bruce Wayne, there are cracks to be had and be exploited. Young Richard proved that after the first year.”

“Before him, however, there was the one known as Oracle.”

“I remember it with clarity: It was during a case involving that ghastly fellow, Jervis Tetch. He had been responsible of a series of kidnappings, seeking to turn citizens of Gotham into characters from Lewis Carroll’s works, as it is to be expected from someone who’s based their entire personality around a children’s book. Still, could be worse, it could be from a movie serial. Regardless, I was aiding Master Bruce remotely as per usual, when all of the sudden, I was cut off from the communication’s channel. The private line between me and Master Bruce had been hacked, which both of us thought to be impossible. The perpetrator presented themselves as an ally, known only as “The Oracle”. They offered their assistance in this particular case, as it seemed they had it in their best interests to stop The Mad Hatter. Both Master Bruce and I were, of course, appalled, and refused the stranger’s aide, but (And I shamefully admit this as a former member of Your Majesty’s Special Service) I was unable to kick them off the comms, so they stuck around for the remainder of the case.”

“In time, This Oracle person proved themselves to be a worthy ally. Thanks to the clues they provided, as well as some of their technical assistance, Master Bruce was able to find and defeat the Mad Hatter, freeing his captives. In spite of myself, I found myself thanking the stranger, who promised to help our cause whenever possible, promising that, any secret they found out about our operations, they’d keep them. Master Wayne, not happy with letting this episode end, immediately began to scrub off the distortion that disguised the stranger’s voice to at least have an idea of who this Oracle was”.

“To our surprise, it was a woman. And to my dismay, it was estimated she was no older than a teenager! Oh, what would my former MI6 colleagues would say if they found out!”

“Eventually, This “Oracle” continued to aide Master Wayne in a couple other cases. And each time, she’d evade any questions regarding her true identity. But as she already knew, she was dealing with The World’s Greatest Detective. Thus, her identity remained secret for only a couple of months after: Barbara Eileen Gordon, then aged 16, daughter of Commissioner James W. Gordon and Barbara E. Gordon. Studying at Gotham Heights High School, she also works as a librarian on the Weekends. Reportedly, an excellent Gymnast and an expert Hacker, with one of her online monikers being “Oracle”.

With her façade gone, Master Wayne went directly to her to let her know that, as much as her assistance was useful and appreciated, he wasn’t looking for a sidekick at the moment. She protested, of course. Teenagers aren’t exactly known for just letting things end quietly. She wanted to help, so she said, because her father wouldn’t let her become a police officer. She admired my Master’s career as Batman and figured she’d help him whilst hiding her identity, behind her father’s back. Her plead was so heartfelt, so emotive, that I was very nearly swayed to her side. But Master Bruce’s word was final. He told her that, unless she wanted her father to discover the truth, she’d stop contacting us, and go back to living a normal life. And for a while, it seemed like that was truly the end of it, with a young woman trying her best to hold back tears, her dreams of making a difference seemingly ended.”

“Months passed, and with them, a new year was upon us. By then, Young Master Grayson was just starting to adopt his identity as “Robin” and I hadn’t heard back from young Miss Gordon. This all changed one evening of October (Funny how that month is always so eventful in Gotham City), Master Wayne had been invited to a Masquerade Ball dedicated to the GCPD. He had other, mask related commitments in the other side of the city, however, so he chose Master Grayson to go in his stead, much as the young lad protested. As he would later told it, the event was indeed dreadfully boring, and the evening would have been just another lavishly dull affair if it wasn’t for the fact that, this being Gotham City, a man dressed up as a moth broke in.”

“The man, one Drury Walker (Alias Killer Moth, amusingly enough) had tried to make a name for himself in Gotham’s underworld as a sort of “Anti-Batman”: Helping criminals against the police and Batman, with an assortment of Moth themed gadgets and vehicles. Lacking Master Wayne’s resources and intellect, this Killer Moth proved to be nothing but a nuisance for both the law as well as the criminals he tried to help. His crashing at the ball was an attempt at a “Big Hit” by holding the guests (Which included most of the GCPD) for ransom, in exchange for the freedom of his allies. To make sure he was taken as seriously as possible, Walker had recruited someone far more dangerous, both in firepower and a lack of scruples: One Garfield Lynns, alias Firefly, a demented man with a particular proclivity for Pyrotechnics and an absolute lack of morals”.

“For a moment, it seemed like the two bug themed men would get their way, especially with Master Bruce away and Master Grayson unable to act without blowing his cover. But as the Gazette would tell next morning, salvation came from an unlikely source: An unidentified partygoer dressed up like a female version of Batman successfully fought off the crooks long enough for help to arrive and, most notably of all, battled and defeated Firefly all by herself. As the authorities and the media would find out, the guest wasn’t a guest at all, and by the end of the evening, disappeared without a trace.”

“But no one in Gotham City remains hidden for long, and once again, Master Bruce identified the mysterious “Batgirl” as our old friend, Barbara Gordon. Only this time, when he confronted her, he didn’t try to make her quit her crime fighting career. By then, Master Bruce had long changed his mind about closing the door on potential allies, even ones as young as Miss Gordon, and he was further swayed by Young Master Grayson, who had seen her in action firsthand and saw great potential in her. Before giving her answer, Miss Gordon asked both men to leave her alone for a moment, but the resulting squeal of joy was loud enough for me to turn off the comms, let alone not be heard behind closed doors.”

“And just like that, the number of allies by Master Wayne’s side grew once more. Looking back, it is rather impressive: It wasn’t long ago that Master Wayne had lost a prized ally in his battle against crime to madness. For a while, I was afraid he would close himself from others for good. Now, however, not only had he taken in an apprentice, he now had a spirited young lady, with technological skills that rivaled his own, as well as many others abilities that, once honed, would make her an enduring ally”.

“Young Miss Gordon was, in a way, the first ally who actually sought to fight alongside Batman as Oracle. Now as the so-called Batgirl, she became the one who opened the proverbial floodgates. More and more people, old and young, would be accepted and even welcomed inside Master Wayne’s close circle. Sure enough, it hasn’t always been a field of roses. Throughout the intervening years, we have faced… loses. As it is to be expected from this line of work. But I cannot deny the increasing number of victories that have come with them, accomplished by men and women who were once lost, scared and lonely.”

“And all of this was started by a scrappy young hacker who wanted to help her personal hero. For these and many other reasons, I am thankful that Miss Gordon decided to not listen to her father.”

“Until the next time this sentimental old fool feels like reminiscing, this is Alfred T. Pennyworth signing off.”