Riding on the open road along the east coast was probably one of the most refreshing things he'd done since earning his freedom. The ocean on one side and the road before him... it was wonderfully freeing. Seeing nothing but trees, grass, and water for miles and miles was a wonderful change of pace for him.
He couldn't count the times he was stuffed into the back of a trunk or blindfolded while on the road with Slade. For a long while he wasn't allowed to know where he was or where they were going. Didn't even know the date then. Talking to Bruce about it once, he learned it was part of his brainwashing. Controlling environments and perspective made him more pliable. Until the urge to run was gone, he was trapped with a monster.
But now... Now he was free.
More than once Dick just pulled to the side of the road and watched the scenery. Letting the wind tussle his hair... soaking in the countryside... hearing the waves and the wildlife... it was so peaceful. Sitting on the roof of Wayne Manor gave him a similar peace, but it wasn't the same. He was still a bit bound while there, to a building and the people inside. Though he loved it all dearly, there was nothing quite like the freedom that came with traveling alone like this.
He stopped and sat on a grassy hill about a week away from Gotham to call home. He'd done other quick calls before then, but he hadn't really taken time to just sit back and relax as he talked. "Hey Alfie. How's it going?"
"Oh the usual I'm afraid." A note of humor entered the butler's voice. He was working on something on the other end, and judging by the low hum of a small motor, probably sewing. "Master Bruce has escaped the cave without letting his shoulder finish healing and has dragged Master Timothy into a case involving Mr. Freeze."
"Yeah, heard Tim say something about hypothermia last night. Did he have to really get soaked in some bath?"
"Frozen near to the core," Alfred confirmed. "The rogue has changed some since your time fighting him. Have you caught up on the criminal life in Gotham?"
"Pretty much." He leaned back against the grassy knoll he was on, basking in the sun. It was a particularly nice spot. "If I can't remember, Tim can bring me up to speed. He's got a computer for a brain."
A fond chuckle filled his ear. "Indeed he does. And how do you fare Master Richard? Eating I hope."
"Eating what I can find," the acrobat agreed. "Dug up some carrots not too long ago and cooked a good potato over a fire the other night. Also had some jerky, cheese, bread, and a granola bar before you get all huffy on me about my diet. When I get into town I hit a good place and order wisely. Don't worry too much about it."
"And how often are you in town?" Some bite came to the old man's voice, making him cringe.
"At least once a day, usually twice. Slept under the stars three nights this week, and in a hotel when the hostels were full." He looked at the clouds, hoping they'd tell him what to say to the old man to make him worry less. Nope. No answers there.
"Hmm... Have you been sleeping well?"
"Mostly. Had a crick in my neck for about half of yesterday but that's about all the problems I've had."
"Hm. Have you read the Daily Planet lately?"
That brought a smirk to his face. "Nope! But I'm sure there are some excellent stories coming out. Always are in Superman's city. Anything interesting?"
"Very interesting actually. Shall I keep a copy of them for trophies? I am not quite certain which articles are from your efforts and which are not. Ms. Lane and Mr. Kent do not restrict themselves subject wise."
"That'd be great Alfred, thanks." He looked at the sky again, then at the GPS and map he had in one hand. "Look, I have to call the feds in a few and help them locate a missing person before moving on to the next town. I'm pretty sure the guy was in this general area..."
"Then I will not keep you-"
"Can you do me a quick favor though?" A slight plea entered Dick's voice. "My phone doesn't connect to the batcave and I need to make certain someone is still on the loose."
A pause on the other end, clearly from confusion. "On the loose sir?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Deathstroke was a mercenary. A soldier for hire. It wasn't always about killing and he wasn't always hired by bad guys. That child prostitution ring he and I took down nearly two years ago was a lower paying job from a really upset parent. Since Slade was sympathetic, he brought down the price. Still want to know what happened to those kids but..."
He shrugged. Most of those kids were better off if they didn't remember him anyway. "The list of names for my other targets is under SWBO on the computer. You might recognize a few from old incident reports, or from the news."
"I see..." The sewing machine on the other end came to a halt, telling him he now had Alfred's undivided attention. "May I ask who this person is?"
"I'm in West Virginia right now," Dick informed him, standing up at last. "The person I'm aiming for should be in Tennessee, but I can't guarantee that. He's been heading east so I might be meeting up with him soon."
"I asked for a name." Some annoyance was in the old man's voice now. After finally getting rid of the man's wrath for a minute or two, it was back. Great.
"Onomatopoeia."
He could hear the surprise from the man. It was a rather unusual name after all. "Excuse me?"
"Onomatopoeia. He's a lesser known criminal. No other name on record. Somewhat a theme villain because he only says sound effects, but he's a pretty good fighter." He brushed the grass and dirt off his back and pants, mulling over what he knew. "I don't know a lot about him other than... Well, he never said thank you for what I did."
"Which was?"
Dick licked his lips before answering. "Broke him out of jail."
"I see." There was a note of disapproval in his voice, exactly what the young man didn't want to hear. In private he had taken care of a lot of his mistakes from Wayne Manor. But there were some things money and information alone could not do. Taking care of escaped convicts who were deadly and unpredictable for most organizations was one of them. "Did you make a habit of this?"
"Not exactly... There are a few others on the list but..." He looked away, despite being on the phone. Truth be told, helping convicts escape was one thing he didn't mind near as much when he was Renegade. Couldn't stand the guys but he had saved them. Very twisted logic there, but it stopped him from vomiting every time he had to. "I think only one other was a killer, maybe two. I know where one is right now and he'll be easy to take out. But if I remember right Onomatopoeia isn't too far away. So can you double check where he is on the computer? Please?"
There was a long pause on the other end. Alfred was showing his displeasure in his usual fashion. He knew the reproach was more for Slade and what he forced Dick to become, but it still hurt knowing the old man didn't approve of his actions. Eventually though he heard the tapping of a keyboard. "The man you are looking for appears to be still in Tennessee. What for I cannot determine from this location. Even the Oracle is uncertain."
The acrobat breathed a long sigh of relief. "Thanks Alfred. Any recommendations for dinner tonight?"
"I could ask you the same question." That won a laugh from him, his nerves leaving once again. "Master Bruce can be such a difficult person to feed, as he tends to ignore his bodily needs on a regular basis. At least Master Timothy will listen to his stomach when it growls. Preferences?"
He thought about it for a moment, hmming to himself as he started to wander around where he was. "Last I checked he liked veggie dishes. Got a good casserole or stir fry for him? And chock it full of beef. He likes that and it'll help put some fat and muscle on those bones of his."
"That does bring a recipe to mind," the butler agreed. Both of them had commented on Tim's diminutive size before, easily passing for someone fresh out of elementary school. Kid ate well, but still didn't grow at a normal rate. He would probably never get close to six feet, but being small had its advantages too. "As for you, I recommend Franks. It has a marvelous Italian menu last I was there."
Dick rolled his eyes. "GPSed me huh?"
"One does wonder where you are from time to time."
He chuckled to himself, looking around still. This area looked familiar enough. Now to find his marker. "Alright, I'll look it up once I'm done here. Tell Tim I'll be working late so I can't call him tonight. A feeling tells me he wouldn't be able to get my call anyway, not with Freeze on the loose."
"Nor with Penguin under watch."
The young man nodded, spotting something distinctly familiar. A rock formation what wasn't likely to change any time soon. He was close. "Know how that is. Kay, I need to go now. Later Alfred."
"Another time Master Richard."
Both men hung up and devoted themselves completely to their tasks. Dick headed over to those rocks, then looked around for another stone. A flat one with a cross scraped into it. It was a personal grave marker. Took twenty minutes to find it, but it was worth the trouble. Sighing heavily, Dick looked over to his GPS and make it memorize the location. Before sending it over to the FBI with a name, he had to confirm there was still a body there.
"Don't worry fella," he murmured sadly. "I'll get you back to your family. Sorry I couldn't save you back then. You or anyone. I just hope I can give all of you peace now."
After a minute more, the young man knelt on the ground and started digging out what he put in there nearly four years ago: the body of an adult male, late forties, whose only crime he knew of was crossing the wrong person. A person who could hire Deathstroke to kill him.
