The elevator doors slid open with a hollow ding, spilling pale light into the hallway. Pamela stepped out first, Barbara following close at her side. The classroom building, stripped of students at this late hour, felt like a husk of what it once was. Fluorescent lights hummed above, their sterile glow pooling across the linoleum floor and stretching shadows down the corridor. The silence pressed in, making every step sound too loud.
Barbara's eyes flicked from door to door as they moved. "How do you think the professor got ahold of your Midnight Rose?" Her voice was low, wary, like she half-expected him to step out from one of the lecture halls.
Pamela's brow furrowed as her gaze hardened. "I wouldn't be surprised if someone in the administration department handed him the keys to my dorm." She spoke it flatly, but the bitterness was sharp beneath.
Barbara's shoulders tensed. "You think someone in the teaching administration is… targeting female students?"
Pamela's eyes narrowed, her steps halting as she turned to face her. "If they are, they're going to meet my swift and bloody vengeance."
Barbara stopped as well, her arms folding across her chest. "I'm with you. Anyone targeting sophomore girls on a college campus doesn't need to die—" she paused, her jaw tight before finishing, "—but they sure as hell don't need to keep walking either."
Pamela's lips curved into something darker than a smile. "Excellent. I love the way you think."
They left the empty hallway behind and pushed through the main doors, the cool night air settling over them as they stepped onto the campus lawn. The lampposts glowed faintly, leaving long stretches of shadow between each pool of light. Pamela stopped at the bottom of the steps, turning her face toward Barbara with a sense of purpose. "No time like the present. Let's find out how the professor accessed my dorm. After all, you can't get into the female dormitory without a keycard—issued by administration."
Barbara hesitated, pulling her jacket tighter around her frame. "You don't seriously plan to stay on campus anymore, do you?"
Pamela tilted her head, her hair catching the glow of the nearest lamp. "Why not? I kind of enjoy pretending I'm just another struggling student."
Barbara let out a sharp laugh under her breath. "I get that… but with our new plans? I'm seriously considering dropping out. I mean, come on—I can help you with science, strategy, anything. You don't need a degree to be a criminal goddess."
Pamela groaned, dragging her hand down her face. "Ugh, don't mention student loans."
Barbara blinked at her. "Wait do you have any?"
Pamela's mouth pulled into something mischievous. "Nope. I worked before going to college, I have paid everything off. No student loans here."
Barbara's expression softened, a trace of envy flickering in her eyes. "Your lucky. My dad covered all mine, but yeah… guess we're both debt-free. Still, we've got work to do." She gestured toward the administration offices across campus. "Let's sniff out the weirdo handing out unauthorized access to the girls' dorm."
Pamela nodded, and together they cut across the lawn. The night was quiet except for the distant buzz of the city bleeding in from Gotham's streets. By the time they reached the administration building, its looming structure cast heavy shadows across the stone steps. The place looked older than the rest of campus, its arched windows glinting with moonlight.
They pushed inside. Polished wood floors creaked underfoot, and the grand reception desk stretched across the lobby like a relic from another age. No one sat behind it. The room was utterly silent, the only sound the faint hum of electricity behind the walls.
Barbara glanced around, a faint grin tugging at her lips. "Reception's unmanned. Perfect."
She moved quickly behind the desk, crouching before the computer terminal as if she'd done this a hundred times before. Pamela leaned against the wall near the doors, arms crossed, her eyes locked on the entrance as if daring anyone to step through.
"Take your time," Pamela said coolly. "I'll make sure no one disturbs us."
Barbara's fingers danced across the keys, her posture tightening with focus. "Excellent. Give me five minutes and I'll know exactly how the professor broke into your dorm."
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