Chapter 10: Preparations
AN: I'm ALIVEEEEEEEE! I'm so beyond sorry for the LONG hiatus! Had horrible writer's block and just could not write ANYTHING for the longest time. For the moment, this is the only story I will be updating. I was working on way too many projects at once and got overwhelmed. Once this one is done, I may write a companion piece, one that has how all the notorious members of the BatFamily met Dick, besides Bruce, of course. Not sure though. Let me know if you would be interested something like that?
Damian and Jason pause, running into Dick in the hallway. Jason frowns, seeing a fresh bruise on Dick's cheek, and the bird was clutching his injured leg.
"Everything alright?" Jason asks. Dick sighs, nodding.
"Just a couple of wannabe heroes. We have a bigger problem though. Apparently Two-Face is working with Black Mask now." Jason's eyes narrow, and he crosses his arms.
"That is a big problem. We should move our hideout."
"To where?" Dick hisses, turning his gaze out a nearby window. "We scouted this area for weeks. This building was the only one that was stable enough to take shelter in. Plus, it's the only one large enough to house everyone. Downtown isn't an option either."
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Jason growls. "We don't have the firepower to deal with two gangs!"
"I don't know!" Dick shouts, running a hand through his hair in agitation. "Increase patrols. Reinforce all of the entrances until I can figure something else out." With that, Dick brushes past them, heading in the direction of the roof entrance. Damian punches Jason in the arm, who turns to glare at the younger boy.
"What?!"
"Tt. Idiot." Damian walks off to gather the others for patrol.
A couple of hours later, Jason sighs, taking a step out onto the roof, gently closing the roof access door behind him. Just as he had suspected, Dick was sitting perched on the ledge of the roof. His right leg was dangling off while his left was hugged to his chest his chin lightly resting on it. Jason walks over to him, and sits down next to the bird, who was still staring out at the half forgotten section of Gotham being illuminated by quickly fading sun. They sit there in silence for a moment, the cool winter breeze ruffling their black mops of hair.
"Do you know why I always come up here?" Dick asks quietly, eye still gazing out ahead of him.
"Because you're an Adeline junkie and love heights?" Jason retorts, causing Dick to smirk. The acrobat shakes his head slowly.
"You know, I'm actually terrified of falling. Sometimes, I still see them; my parents. Can still hear their bones breaking; hear their screams." Dick lets his eyes close as Jason frowns over at him in concern. "But when I'm up here, with the wind rushing around me, I feel close to them; like I'm flying again with them." Jason wraps an arm around Dick's shoulders, tugging him closer.
"I'm an asshole." Jason mutters after a few moments of silence.
"I know." Dick states simply, opening his eyes again to gaze at the building around them. "We can't leave here."
"I know."
"But we can try to draw Two Face and Black Mask away. Have a decoy location." Jason smirks, ideas already start to form.
"We need to scout again for something that would be suitable. Small party so they won't be seen." Dick nods at the idea.
"Was thinking Cassie and Dami. If anything happens, Cass can hold her own and allow Dami time to get away." Jason nods in agreement. They both knew Cassandra was by far their best in hand-to-hand combat. "Once they find a location, we station a group there."
"Have them bring some supplies we can do without for a while to make it look lived in."
"Then rig booby traps at the entrances. Something that we will be able to hear or see from here so we can provide backup." Jason grins at the idea.
"Hell, we could even snatch some manikins and put them in there to make it look like there's more people. Have the group that's stationed there doing patrols like normal."
"We should start setting up a rotating patrol for the new site." Dick pushes unsteadily to his feet, and starts dusting off his jeans. Jason sighs, rising to his feet as well.
"That can wait until tomorrow. You should get some sleep." Dick starts to protest, but Jason holds a hand up to silence him. "The bags under your eyes are as dark as my hair. I'll keep an eye on things tonight." Dick rolls his eyes, punching Jason's arm playfully.
"Whatever, asshole." Dick snarks, heading for the roof access door.
A few hours later, Cassandra and Damian slip out of the warehouse they called home to start scouting buildings in the area to be the decoy hideout. They all agreed that it would be very bad if Two Face and Black Mask found their true location. Jason had been right. They didn't have nearly enough firepower to fend off two gangs. So, as instructed, Damian and Cassandra start checking out nearby abandoned buildings. They needed something close, but not too close for their enemies to find the correct building.
Cassandra takes the lead, since Damian loathe to admit, she knew the terrain better than he. She always led regular scouting trips in the area to search for useful supplies in the different buildings and warehouses.
She leads them to an abandoned office park district about two and a half miles away. It was close enough that backup could arrive if needed in a relatively short amount of time, but far enough away that if they needed to evacuate their current hideout, they would have time.
The two start by entering a building towards the center of the office park. Two Face and Black Mask would know that they wouldn't be stupid enough to pick one of the outlier buildings. It was far too exposed to prying eyes.
They cautiously enter the first building and decide immediately that it wouldn't work. There was no way to block the entrance; the layout was far too open. The pair quickly move through three more buildings, ruling them out as well. Just as they enter another building, Cassandra suddenly whips out one of her knives and tosses it to her right in the blink of an eye. The knife hits the wall with a soft thump, as Damian tenses, unsheathing his sword. Cassandra frowns, her gaze snapping over to where she could have sworn she saw a shadow. She shakes her head, causing Damian to relax, and move on.
Green Arrow holds his breath, hiding in the shadows, not daring to move as the two children enter further into the building. He will never admit to Bruce or Barry that the girl had actually managed to nick a small portion of his mustache off. Barry would never let him live it down! Though, he had to hand it to the kids, they were smart; trying to lure Two Face and Black Mask away from their actual hide out. The Outsiders were far more organized than he thought.
Damian and Cassandra return to the warehouse as dawn approaches. They had been out most of the night and found a few places that seemed to have potential. Dick and Jason would need to come with them to make the final decision. They make their way into the main living area and Damian sighs, seeing Dick already up, starting to put together breakfast for everyone. They really didn't have any way to cook anything, so the bird was currently making peanut butter sandwiches. Stephanie was beside him, helping, as Jason started to wake the children for breakfast. Dick's eyes snap up to Damian and Cassandra as they approach, both removing their masks.
"Any luck?" The bird asks hopefully.
"Some. We found a few places that you and Todd need to take a look at. They seem promising." Damian informs, folding to the floor in front of Dick. He takes a sandwich gratefully as the bird hands him one.
"That's great news! Hopefully we can get a decoy place picked out tonight and start getting everything set up. We'll have to steal some manikins." Damian snorts at the comment.
"Let me guess, Todd's idea?"
"Yes. It's a good one though! To make it look like there's more people. We have to be sure to only steal the kid-sized ones." Damian rolls his eyes, glancing over at Cassandra, who was sitting across from Stephanie, eating a sandwich as well.
"Tt. Whatever." Damian mutters. "Should be an easy heist. It's the explosives that you want that are going to be complicated." Dick shrugs a shoulder.
"Not necessarily. I may know someone who can help. Though, whether she's willing to or not is questionable." Damian raises an eyebrow at his.
"Who is this person?"
"Don't worry about it." Dick hops to his feet, stretching his hands above his head. "I'll let you know if we have to go another route by tonight."
Several hours later, Oliver, Barry, and Bruce sit at the kitchen table, all sipping on coffee as Alfred prepares breakfast. Bruce eyes Oliver suspiciously.
"Is your mustache shorter?" Oliver's eyes widen, and he nearly chokes on his coffee.
"No. Anyway, you want to know what The Outsiders are planning, right?" Oliver quickly changes the subject, noticing Bruce's eyes narrow at the evasion technique.
"Yes." Bruce lets it slide, and Oliver relaxes, noticing Barry giving him a questioning look.
"So, the kiddos are trying to find a decoy hideout. From what I understand, it's to shift attention away from their actual home base. It' pretty smart. They know they can't take on two gangs, so I think they are probably going to make the other location booby trapped or something." Bruce nods, setting his coffee down.
"It's a smart play. Try to take out as many as they can that way, and then pick off the rest."
"What did you find out from Two Face?" Barry asks Bruce curiously.
"Confirmed that he's working with Black Mask. They are planning a full scale attack. Two Face wants the kids gone." Bruce states somberly, taking another sip of coffee. "They are armed to the teeth with an illegal weapons shipment that Black Mask just received."
"That's not good." Barry grumbles, rubbing his temples anxiously. "At least Ray isn't planning anything. He's just been going to his regular bars, getting sloshed."
"One less thing for them to worry about." Oliver comments, leaning back in his chair lazily.
"What are you planning on doing to Ray?" Barry asks the Bat, finishing off his coffee.
"Nothing you need to worry yourself with." Bruce mutters darkly, causing the two blond men to shift uncomfortably. Alfred suddenly appears hold a tray of food, startling the speedster and archer.
"Breakfast is ready, Gentlemen." Alfred states calmly, setting the several stacks of French toast in front of the heroes.
Dick takes a deep breath, looking up at the large 'GCPD' sign mounted on the building in front of him. He nods to himself, adjusting the strap of the duffle bag on his shoulder, and pushes open the doors. This first thing he sees, is chaos. People were bustling around, yelling on the phone, yelling at each other, and criminals in handcuffs arguing with officers. Dick weaves his way through the sea of bodies, making a beeline for a particular desk. He sighs with relief seeing a familiar figure sitting at said desk. It was a middle aged gentleman with greyish blonde hair and mustache, thick black rimmed glasses, and warm brown eyes. Dick stops in front of the desk, smirking as the man continues to type on his computer, unaware of his presence.
"Detective Gorden?" Dick asks tentatively. The man spins around in his chair to greet the voice, when his eyes widen upon seeing the teen in front of him.
"Richard Grayson?" Dick nods, smiling shyly. The detective rises to his feet and quickly makes his way around his desk to greet the boy. "It's been about two years now!" Jim looks the boy over, frowning at his ruffled appearance. "Have you been eating enough? Where have you been! I heard that you fell off the map over a year ago." Dick looks away, shrugging a shoulder.
"Around. Actually, is Barbara here? I wanted to talk to her." Jim nods over towards a door at the far corner of the room.
"She just went to get us coffee. She'll be happy to see you. You really had us all worried." Dick smiles softly.
"Thank you. I'm alright, really. Sorry to worry you. Great to see you again, Detective!" Dick beams before scampering off towards the door Jim had gestured to. He makes his way through and down a hallway, stopping at the breakroom door. The bird takes a deep breath before stepping inside.
Beside the coffee maker, glaring at it as if the machine personally offender her, stood a tall, lean teenaged girl, with long, bright, vivid red hair, and deep green eyes.
"If looks could kill, that coffee pot would be a rotting corpse by now." Dick states, letting the door close behind him. The girl's head snaps over to him, and her eyes widen in shock.
"Dick?" She asks breathlessly as Dick smiles timidly.
"Hey, Babs. It's been a whil-" Before he could even finish speaking, he finds himself embraced in a crushing hug. He relaxes, returning the hug. She suddenly pulls back, and slaps him, hard, across the face. He winces, rubbing his now red cheek. "I deserved that."
"You're damn right!" Barbara rages, crossing her arms. "You stopped showing up to school, you weren't at Ray's apartment, you just disappeared without a trace! I was terrified that the bastard had finally killed you!" Dick's eyebrows knit as he frowns down at the ground.
"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't have time to tell anyone. With Ray still on the loose, it was better that everyone thought that I was dead. He really did nearly kill me." Barbara clenches a fist, her eyes narrowing in rage.
"That bastard! When I get my hands on him-" Dick takes step closer to her, chuckling softly and places a gently hand on her shoulder.
"You'll have to wait in line. I managed to escape and that's all that matters." She nods, the tension draining from her shoulders. "Though, is there somewhere we can talk? That's not in a police station?"
"Yeah. There's a café half a block away that's good. Before you say anything, I'm buying. Dad just gave me my allowance and you look like you haven't eaten in weeks." Dick rolls his eyes.
"I've been eating just fine, thank you!" He mutters, following her out of the breakroom.
The two quickly make their way back to Jim Gorden's desk and let him know where they were headed before slipping out onto the street. The two chat idly as they make their way to the café. After the two are settled, and their orders were placed, Barbara leans forward, her expression grim.
"There's a reason that you're only coming to me now. What's wrong?" Dick sighs, leaning back in the booth casually.
"What makes you think something's wrong?" She snorts, crossing her arms.
"Because I know you. You wouldn't risk coming to the police station and possibly being recognized by someone besides my dad unless it was important." Dick frowns, fidgeting with the straw in his chocolate milk.
"Okay, so there is something." He pauses his fidgeting, and looks around quickly, making sure that no one was around. Barbara had thankfully picked a secluded booth in the back of the restaurant. It was scary how intuitive she was sometimes. Dick sighs heavily, leaning forward as well. "So I may have gotten into a little trouble with Two Face and Black Mask." Barbara's eyes widen in horror.
"What?!" Barbara whispers fiercely. "How the hell did you manage that?!" Dick bites the inside of his cheek, considering. Should he tell her everything? She would sense if he was lying, so he didn't really have a choice.
"Because I'm Robin." He states quickly as her jaw drops.
"What the hell were you thinking?! I've been reading about your little gang in the papers! So you what, ran away and decided to start a gang?!" She hisses, her expression turning dangerous. Dick's eyes narrow at the challenge.
"It's not what you think! I've done what I had to in order to survive! If it weren't for me all of those kids would be dead on the streets! It was never supposed to be a gang. We were just stealing what was necessary. Food, water, medicine, and blankets only. But then Two Face decided that we were a gang and that we were in his territory! He's targeting us, and I trying my damn hardest to keep everyone alive!" Barbara deflates at his words, her expression turning somber.
"You foolish boy. Always trying to save everyone. You're going to get yourself killed." She mutters, massaging her temples in annoyance.
"I was doing a good job of keeping everyone alive for a long time. We even held Two Face off for a while. But now, he's teamed up with Black Mask." Dick looks up at her desperately. "If I don't do something, everyone's going to be killed, Babs. And it'll be my fault." She shakes her head, taking his hand, and squeezing it reassuringly.
"It won't be your fault. You kept everyone alive for over a year Dick. And on the streets of Gotham at that." Dick sighs, running his free hand through his hair.
"It's all worth nothing if they all end up dead because of this whole 'gang' business. We have a plan, but it's risky."
"What's the plan?"
"Decoy hideout." Dick smirks. "And booby trap it and blow them to hell when they try to attack." Barbara nods slowly.
"And where are you planning on getting the explosives?" Dick smiles at her sweetly and her expression instantly turns sour, and she drops his hand. "Hell no! I am not helping you with this, Dick. You know I can't swipe that kind of fire power from GCPD and them not notice anything."
"You're the smartest person I know. I'm sure you know how to make the homemade stuff." She snorts, crossing her arms.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Grayson."
"Please, Babs. You know damn well that I wouldn't be asking if I could do it myself. It's our only chance. We can't take on two gangs. They'll slaughter us." Barbara's expression softens, as she sighs, looking away.
"Fine. I can get a couple of grenades and I'll make the rest. I'll set up the traps. I don't trust you not to blow yourself up." She grumbles reluctantly and he beams, flinging himself across the table to hug her.
"Thank you! You're a lifesaver! Literally!" She rolls her eyes, shoving him off as their food arrives.
"Shut up and eat your food." Dick nods happily, digging in. "And you had better keep me in the loop. Don't you dare drop off the face of the earth again. Or I'll find you and kick your sorry ass." Dick smirks around his strip of bacon.
"I don't doubt it."
AN: Sorry not too terribly much happens in this chapter. Needed to set everything up. But, BABS! Another side note, Jim is not commissioner yet. He's on his way there though! Don't worry! Hope you enjoyed! Will try my hardest to keep the updates coming at least biweekly! Thank you all so much for your support and wonderful comments! You seriously gave me to motivation to not give up on this!