This is where stuff starts to get real, so be warned!

The Rumbles

Tim

My life is relatively tame in the grand scheme of things, I have a routine, I have a pattern, and people who love and look out for me. Now… Now I've been reminded just how fragile all of that can be. The last thing I heard before the screaming, and the crumbling masonry, the panicked stampede of people, was "How about for once in your life you try to be a Dad?" I turn my head to where Dick and Barbara stand, opposite of Bruce. I was about to say something when the plane hit, when it fractured the lenses in which I see the world. Everything is a disjointed mess of fractured glass, heat and fear.

I reach for Damian's shirt collar, throwing him out of the way of the showers of glass. There is so much screaming and my ears ring. Jason is yelling at me to do something. He's already bleeding, how can that be possible? "What?" I seem to shout but I can't even hear myself. Suddenly he has his hands on my face, slapping me gently, pulling me back into the chaos of this cold September morning. "I need you to go into that tower," He turns me to the tower that remains in tact. "I need you to take Damian and get as many people out of there as possible, but as soon as this other tower starts to look like it's coming down I need both of you to get the hell out of there! Do you understand?" I nod or say something along the lines of "Uh huh." Because next thing I know, me and Demon Spawn are watching Jason, Cass and Steph disappear into the flaming building.

I look back to where I just saw Dick and Babs and Bruce, but I can't seem to locate them in the throng of panicked people. I grab Damian and I follow orders, something I've always been good at. I run up the stairs, leaving Damian in the lobby to usher people outside, I stop at every floor yelling, "Evacuate the building! It's not safe!" Then I just step back as the flood of people surge around me, like a stone in a river. The minutes surge past me, flying faster than I could ever had thought. About half way up I get this twisted feeling in my stomach and race back down the stairs only to be stopped by the sight of a young man, curled into himself and murmuring softly. I approach him with caution, not wanting to frighten him any more. "Sir? Sir are you ok?" I place one of my shaky hands on his shoulder. "Sir we need to get out of this building now!" He looks up at me, tears planning trenches long his cheeks, "My wife works on 95th floor in the North Tower." He turns his head to look out the window and points into the black hole of smoke and destruction. "Right… right there. She works by the window so we can see each other. Right there…" His voice breaks off into muffled sobs.

My eyes stayed glued to the fire on the tower across from us. Today was just supposed to be a regular Tuesday. Bruce got us out of school, Dick got out of work and we came here to have fun, to have a good time, to bond. And now it's actually gone up in flames. I grab the man's shoulders and haul his to his feet. He doesn't resist, he just lets me lead him to the stairs, and guide him through the rush of terrified people, running from what they are incapable of facing. I take one second to look out the window at the opposite tower. Where is Jason, Cass and Steph? Are they ok? Are they alive? What would I do with myself if they died? Why can't I seem to move? But that wasn't an issue for long, planes can be very persuasive when it comes to stationary objects, like myself.

The building shuddered and heaved from the impact, sending most people sprawling to the floor. I sway slightly before regaining my balance, then immediately rush down the stairs as fast as possible. I have to get to Damian, he's my little brother. Although he's the vain of my existence, I love him and it's my job to keep him safe. I jump the last few stairs, squeezing my way past people, sliding into the lobby, scanning the room frantically. "Damian! Damian!" I'm yelling, hands cupped around my mouth in a vain effort to make my voice be heard. Someone slams into my shoulder, sending me crashing to the ground, I try to get up, to regain my footing but there are too many boots, too many bodies crushing down on me. I curl in a tight ball and try to ignore the impossible circumstances.

"Drake? Tim?" Damian. I open my eyes and try to push my way up again, steel plated boots come down hard on my ribs, cracking my facade. "Damian?" I croak out weakly. Seconds pass and I feel a small hand on my shoulder, it yanks me up harshly and I wince. He let's concern slide across his face for a fraction of a second, before re-establishing his frown. Feet planted firmly on the ground, balance regained, Damian turns back towards the stairs. I stop him with a hand on his shoulder. "Damian, what are you doing? We've got to get out of here now!" I pull him back towards me, he pushes back fiercely. "There are still people in here Drake, what are you? Stupid? We have to save them!" "Damian, Jason Said tha-" "I don't give a shit what Todd said! We save people that's our job!" That's it, I will get this child out of here if I have to drag him out myself. "How do you expect to save people if you're dead Damian?! Think rationally for once and let's get the hell out of here. Because we are going to live god dammit, we are going to live through this so get your ass outside NOW!" He's taken aback from my outburst, but frankly I don't give a shit, so I grab the little monster and pull him along with me into the September sun.

We stumble out into the street, already congested with emergency vehicles. I look around for anyone, for Dick or Barbara, for Jason. I hope they're aren't still in that tower. The smoke is so thick and heavy it starts to blot out the sun. The world starts spinning in nauseating ellipses and I find it hard to keep my stomach at ease. All of the chaos, the commotion, it's indescribable.

Someone grabs me harshly by the shoulder and pulls me, and Damian, out of the stream of people and behind a fire truck. I look up into those sea blue eyes and they offer more security than I usually seek in them. "Timmy, are you two okay?" His mouths moves and we nod mutely. "Jason, Cass and Steph went into the North Tower Dick, i don't know if they've come out yet." He drags a hand across his scalp, and breathes in heavily. "Ok, ok… ok." He looks up at the North Tower and suddenly his mouth goes slack and hangs limply from his head, agape. I look up too to find something falling from the sky, then there is another, and another. People. Jumping from the fire, leaping by the fistful to the cruel concrete hundreds of feet below them. I keep waiting for the parachutes to open, or for their grappling gun to go off, so they can swing to safety. None of that happens though, as they embrace the wise street below with a splat.

"I need you to stay here, both of you. I'm going to go find the other three, keep an eye out for Babs and Bruce I can't seem to find them." And before either of us has the mind to protest, he's gone. I rest my head back against the truck in defeat. I want to go help I want to be the hero, but they don't need a hero, they need a miracle. I keep and tight grip on Damian's hoodie, so afraid that he'll slip away, that he'll go pull a Jason and do something reckless. Then he does just that. "I have to do something Drake." he spits as he swiftly unzips his hoodie, wriggles free and takes off for the south tower. "God Dammit!" I hiss the words as I take off after the little bird. He's so stupid! What is he thinking?! I step inside the lobby when the building groans. Damian stands just out of reach. "Damian, let's go...Now." I hold out my hand to him. He glares back at my request. "Jesus fuck Damian, come here right now!"

I take an angry step forward and the world around me makes this odd sound. Almost reminiscent of the sound a shoulder makes when it's put back in the socket, but at the same time the sound a rock slide. The building coming down, I know it, I know it's coming down and it's coming down now. "Damian!" I reach forward again, not wanting to lose the safety of the doorway. The young bird is frozen the building begins to collapse. I scream out again "DAMIAN!" Someone from behind me screams my name. Barbara? He won't move he can't. He's paralyzed in fear. I lunge forward. The supports sway. I snag his wrist. We're almost to the door. The lights crackle out, the only light is from the front windows and doorways. I can almost touch it!

Then we all… fall… down...