Barbara's big eyes got even bigger as Dean described the crime scene,  and she regretted the full meal she'd just eaten. "That sounds like the work of some of the crazier people from Gotham,  to honest.  Definitely some kind of cult behavior of an u balanced mind.    If you'll help me find Jennifer Gordon, I'll definitely agree to help you find her killer, presuming they're not the same person. "
She went from shocked to detective mode
"At sixteen,  you say?  How long ago was that?  And you're presuming that her killer had access to this interdimensional staircase?"

  "Eight years.  Seems like forever ago, and sometimes like just yesterday.  My mom was into all kinds of weird stuff, fringe religions, new age stuff.  Always looking to find some higher existence.  She might have found it, or it found her.  Trail is really a cold case now though.  She was cremated, only things I still have that were hers is my ring, these iron knuckles, and the knife that Jill is carrying."

  He shrugs, "If any of that can lead to saving your cousin, let's make it happen.  You're the crime expert, so...how do we do this?"

Barbara nodded,  frowning in thought
"I'll admit that I'm less prepared for this mission than usual.   When i went through the door , i wasn't expecting an infinite staircase.   And meeting all of you, I'll admit,  distracted me more than it should have.   What i SHOULD  have done is try to find out more about Jessica before leaving my world,  but i was rushing in case she was in mortal danger,  which, admittedly,  she still could be.  And, i should have looked for clues outside the door,  thoughis looked like the stairs didn'tlemd themselvesto keeping footprints.   But there still might have been something to learn at the scene of the crime."

"Your mother was found in a room with locked doors ? It may be then that a Warden is involved. We can lock and unlock common doors without keys easily. It isn't even a challenge normally."

Barbara narrowed her eyes at Skye's casual pronouncement, as if it were offensive to  her personally.
"So, it seems that I need to learn about this Warden nonsense before I can properly solve this mystery."

"It is not nonsense, we Wardens serve a very important purpose ! We have saved worlds and even the Grand Stair before. While some turn bad, the vast majority of us hold true to protecting the Grand Stair and helping those lost on it get home, or find some way to survive. I know your worried about your kin, and I said I would help but even I need to rest after that walk. We can go back and search around your Door or I can use my wayfinding to search for her. I wish I had seen those strange markings you mentioned as well Dean. We have a power called Exgenises that let's us speak all languages once we are past a Door. It would take a return to your Door and an inspection of those markings. The reason we walked here was to give you the chance, the more we walk the Stair the more chance you all have of potentially becoming Wardens. Someone more skilled in the esoterica of the Stair told me it looks for certain qualities."

Barbara looked at Skye and nodded
"My apologies.  I didn't mean to be disrespectful.   If i need to learn about becoming a Warden, in norder to solve this, then that's what I'll do "

  Dean raises his eyebrows as he listens to the discussion.

  “Skye, are you saying that the stairs are sentient?”

  He yawns.  The brief chair nap had not been enough.  “I agree that we can’t languish too long, but without a good rest we might miss something important too.  Forty winks would probably do us all some good.  Why don’t we all get some rest then Skye can try her Wayfinding, whatever that means.  We’ll then all go look for your cousin together.”

"You might have to, you see being a Warden was forced on me and my friends. When I left my Door and others of my friends left their Doors and we all came across a dying Warden. He was beset by monsters and we joined in killing them but even with the magic they had, and the technology I had we couldn't save him. He sacrificed himself to make us all Wardens. The Grand Stair was in such danger it needed many to be created at once. I confess I do not know how he did it. Since then I have come to learn that the Stair does pick people when needed."

"Even if you don't become Wardens I promised my help as did Millenia and we will do what we can to help out. Most Wardens on this expanse are friendly so if you see people in the metal expanse near the fountain you might get help from them should something happen to me."

"Some think the Stair are sentient."

Barbara shrugged
'Whatever it takes,  let's do it"

  Dean looks around.  "So, what's the bunk situation?" he asks semi innocently.

Barbara blushed deeply  and tried very hard to only look at Skye to hear the answer

"Do you want a pod, or a set of blankets and pillows ?"

Barbara raised a confused eyebrow
"You don't have,  like, beds or cots, or anything?"

Skye gets up after pressing a few buttons on the chair she is on.

"So you mind sleeping in the infirmary ? There are enough places to sleep there that are open beds."

  The pods looked a little cramped, even for just himself.  Dean couldn't picture any kind of comfortable situation in the event that anyone had any interest in sharing.

  "Think I'll go for the blankets and pillow option on a bed, if that's okay.  More room to sprawl."

  He wasn't sure what Jill, or Barbara, or even Skye would opt for, or if any of them had any intent on sharing.

Barbara chuckled
"Meh.  It wouldn't be the first time I've slept in a hospital bed.  I'm game.  I'm curious about your infirmary anyway""

Xantria "Can I sleep with someone ? Im little."


Skye leads people to the infirmary and she energy cleans it before having bedding brought to the are so she could prepare the beds for everyone.

"I used to like the pods but I think I will join you all in here."

Skye looked to Xan, "Don't worry we will all be together."

  Dean waits to see if Skye has any preferred places to put people.  After all, it's her place, so he didn't want to go claiming a bed that she may have intended for herself.  While it's all being figure out, he shrugs out of his leather jacket and  black tee-shirt, then sits down to untie his boots and shrug out of his pants.

  Nakedness didn't bother him, having spent time in the military in close quarters and the year and a half working at the strip club.  In no-time he is down to his black boxer-briefs, and looking to see where he is intended to be.  Inwardly, he wouldn't mind cuddling up with any one or more of the beautiful women, even if it was just to cuddle for companionship...but hey, if there was more, he was game.

Barbara looked at Xan with a curious expression
"Are you feeling okay?  You're not scared to sleep by yourself,  are you?"

When Dean took off his pants, she gasped lightly and lokked away,  blushing hard enough to raise the ambient temperature in the room.
She supposed a soldier wouldn't have any problems with being in his "skivvies" (as her father, an ex army man himself, used to refer to underwear).
She accidentally saw his reflection in some polished metal.
"And with a body like that", she mused, " any man shpuld he happy to be nude as much as possible
Still, she worked not to look in his direction, at least for a while.

Placing her utility belt and cape nearby,  she got into the medical bed. Barbara kept on her newly cleaned costume.  They were all technically on the trail of a killer, after all, even if the trail had gone cold, and there was no telling what might happen during the night.  After some thought,  she took off her cowl, and let her red hair tumble free.   She figured she could sleep better like that.

"Xantastic,  you can join me,  if you'd like.   There's plenty of room here with me"

"Thanks yeah, I have to admit I am a little scared."

She pulled a stuffed dragon out of her pocket to cuddle it and climbed on to the bed.
"Thank you Batgirl, I won't take too much room."

Barbara smiled at thr little girl, who was supposedly her mean, tough bodyguard,  but also had a stuffed animal.
Of course, Barbara had a stuffed tiger back in her dorm room.  Not to cuddle with,  mind you,  but just because she liked it.  Her father had won it for her when she was seven,  at one of the last Gotham city fairs they'd been able to go to before James Gordon had all his free time taken up by work

She laid down,  trying to get comfortable

"Though I'm not sure why you don't have regular beds.   Hospital beds are notoriously uncomfortable..."  she yawned
"I know this is all high tech and futuristic and all that, but there....no way a hospital bed will be that comf......."
She was asleep, and snoring daintily

  Dean sat down on one of the empty beds (if there were any that were larger than others, he gravitates towards it, since tall guys usually wind up with feet or head hanging off one end otherwise), fluffs the pillow and leans his head up on one elbow.  He watched as everyone prepared to sleep.  Batgirl and Zan nodded out pretty quickly, leaving Jill and Skye yet to settle down.

Jill hopped into bed with Dean.

Skye climbed into her hover chair and then it reclined and she closed her eyes. A light blue glow came from her.

  Wrapping his arms around Jill, Dean smiled and took in her scent.  She always smelled good, even though she didn't tend to use a lot of cosmetics.  Hers was a very natural beauty.  He gave her a kiss.

  He whispered to her, "So Doc, now that you know everything there is to know about the human body..."