SHHHHHHHHHHHHH! You guys can't say ANYTHING! AARGH I took like three hours just to revise this; I already had the dialogue and basic actions written out and it STILL took forever.
ANYWAY. Just want to go over something. You guys don't have to write a review and just say 'update!', if I haven't updated in a while. Because don't worry, this story and Trigger Point I'm going to see out until the end. I mean, if you want to you can, but don't feel like you HAVE to because if you don't I won't update.
And... sorry it took so long. But I've been super busy and super uninspired. A special thanks to schubskie for writing such a long Jason part! (serious we wrote out TWO chapters worth!) I didn't read over this since I was so pissed and so DONE with it by the time I finished. So please ignore any typos and try not to let them ruin the story. =D
Reviews are loved and hugged and make this torture feel worth it!
"What the hell."
Robin glanced over his shoulder, hearing these three words spoken. He knew very well who it was, and wasn't surprised to see Dick and Jason standing there, either disturbed or in shock.
Not for the fact that he and Batman where here, but the fact at what was around them. The room's walls were covered with papers and pictures. All of Red Robin.
Through the days he was Robin, to the present; they were connected by strings and next to each picture was a small map where the picture was taken. There was one large map placed in the back wall, which was covered in small circles and had pins sticking into it at different places. It was a map of Gotham.
Batman was standing in front of some of the hanging pictures; scanning for finger prints to see how long ago Joseph left this place.
It was obvious he hadn't been here in a while.
There were two decaying bodies in the corner of the room, leaned against the doorway that led into another room. It looked like they had been killed through a gash straight across the throat.
Jason gave one look around the room, eyes becoming harder to read once again. He walked further into the building, "It reeks."
A board creaked under one of his boots as he narrowed his eyes at the bodies.
"Good to see you again too Todd," Robin said sarcastically, crossing his arms and giving him a dirty look.
Dick, meanwhile, was still getting over how much this guy had stalked his little brother before capturing him. It had to have been for years; ever since his wife and child died. His stomach churned as he came into the middle room, looking around him. Momentarily, he remembered that he and Bruce had not left on the best terms, and he should still show that this was a reluctant partnership.
"What… what the hell is all this?" He said instead, his tone clearly showing his discomfort.
"Tt. Drake's fangirl." Robin stated from his position, leaning against the doorway the bodies were right next too. He didn't seem the slightest concerned for them though; or the smell for that matter.
Jason was showing his annoyance that Batman had been the one to reply to his remark. His lip curled up a little and he snorted. The boots made a clunk! sound as he stalked out of the room with a sneer, mumbling something about how he'd check out the other rooms.
Batman, however, pretended not to notice. Dick sighed, watching his little brother leave the room. The ebony looked to his mentor and frowning a bit more, walked over to speak to him more privately.
"So…" He looked at the map, then to the man, "I'm assuming you know who's doing this."
"Joseph Hench."
"Think it's because of… well, you know."
The Dark Knight paused and looked to his eldest son. His face expression didn't change as he glanced back to the map. He placed a gloved finger on one of the circles and traced it to the next. His eyes narrowed.
"He was following the patrol patterns." His voice was blunt and suspicious.
Dick blinked and looked back to the wall. His blue eyes scanned over the areas and realized that Batman was right; this guy had been watching for a while now.
Enough to feel confident in where Tim would be that night.
"How? Aren't they random for the most part?" The ebony's eyes turned to his mentor once more.
"For the most part, yes. But he didn't just follow them for a week or a month. It looks like at least a year," Batman looked down the line of maps across the wall, then to the pile that had been collected across the floor and tables. There were hundreds and hundreds of papers and pictures, studying everything about Red Robin; his suit, his schedule, his weapons, his life in general.
It sent chills up Dick's spine and he forced his eyes to stay on the map. He wondered if Bruce was thinking the same thing he was. He wondered if Tim would remember who Joseph was and why the man was obsessed with him.
How could he? We erased his memories. You allowed Bruce to erase your little brother's memory of it-
CRASH!
Batman and Dick both pricked and whipped their heads in that direction. Light dust was coming from the next room over. They exchanged glances before running out of the room to check it out.
Robin watched them go. He gave an annoyed groan and stood from his crouch position by one of the bodies. He tossed the batarang he had been poking it with into the ground and it stuck into the ground. The boy stalked out of the room grumbling under his breath. As he came into the next room, his spoke with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, irritation written clearer across his face.
"Todd what are you messing up now-?" He cut himself off when he opened one of his masked eyes and saw the giant gaping hole that was now in the middle of the empty room. The dust was settling once again.
Dick was crouched by the hole, "Jason!" He called, cupping his hand around his mouth, "Are you ok?!"
Batman was knelt next to him, withdrawing his flashlight from his belt. He flicked the ray of light and pointed it down into the darkness, though the rubble made it hard to see still.
"What an idiot," Robin scoffed, walking over. He withdrew his flashlight as well and looked in with a seemingly bored look on his face.
Jason's cough was heard from the darkness below. The ebony shifted and picked his hand up, slowly pressing his hands into the ground; it felt like cry clay and sand.
He shook his black strands out.
"Why the hell…." He glanced around, eyes narrowing.
In the darkness, there were outlines of cases of old books and papers all stacked around the walls. It could only be seen by the filtered in light. There was light coating of dust on all of them now; cobwebs attaching their invisible strands from the rocky walls. Connected to the ditch was a narrow passage that seemed to go down like a hallway. The boxers were lining the dirt walls there as well.
Then, Batman's figure came down and landed behind the ebony, followed by Dick and then Robin. The three glanced around, though the Dark Knight's eyes stayed on the passage as soon as he spotted it.
"Oh great. More reading." Robin said unenthusiastically.
"Jason," Batman cut him off right at the end though, "You're with me. You two, start going through those." He ordered, heading down the passage without a second glance back.
"Oh no way," Jason shot back then, "I work alone."
"Then don't come at all," The Caped Crusader's voice carried down, his figure already disappearing into the dark.
Dick frowned and looked to his brother, "Jason, just go," He spoke lowly, "Don't do it for him. Do it for Tim, ok?"
"On second thought, don't go." Robin smirked to himself. The 10-year old was leaned against one of the higher stacks of boxes. His fingers were already flipping through a book nonchalantly.
This earned a scolding look from his eldest brother.
Jason gritted his teeth, "I hate him." He growled, stalking past begrudgingly.
Dick watched them go with a concerned frown. He then sighed and picked up a book. He brushed the dust coating it with his palm before opening it and flipping through the yellow tinted pages.
Jason walked stoically. He seemed to be paying no mind to anything or anyone. Instead, he focused on glaring ahead into the darkness of the long passage.
Batman's figure was barely made out in the darkness. Dick and Robin's voices were slowly fading out as they continued further. The stacks of papers and boxes were lessening. The walls were coming closer together, though the two didn't take a step closer to each other. Soon, the only thing that broke the silence between them was their footsteps as they hit the sandy ground.
Tak, tak.
Tak, tak.
Tak, tak.
Tak, tak.
Tak, tak.
Their footsteps sounded similar. The sand did little to deplete the sound and it echoed down the passage. But an echo was good. It meant the sound had to be reflecting back. It meant they were close.
And close they were.
Less than a minute later, they came to a thick metal door. Batman's flashlight glinted off the door. Though rusted, it looked freshly polished, meaning that Joseph had been here recently. He had come down his exact hallway.
It also meant that he wanted them to find this passage as well.
Jason made a point of reaching for the handle first. It made a clink sound as he tried to turn it.
Locked.
Batman then stepped up and slipped out a batarang. He pressed it into the lock, snapping it upwards. The doorknob fell to the floor and rolled before halting at the dirt wall to the right. The Dark Knight pressed his gloved fingertips into the cool metal. A low screech was heard as the door opened.
Leading the way inside, he spotted a jumble of hanging on the wall next to the doorway. There was a switch in the jumble.
Batman flicked it on and the switch blew the room into light.
Jason's eyes widened, if only slightly.
The room was almost entirely empty. Expect the back wall. Hanging on it where two skeletons. One was of an adult. The other was of a child. They were both in decent shape, no doubt kept care of. Clothes were still hanging off the bones in pristine condition. They had been freshly changed. All attached by the limbs they both made two of the same shape. Crosses.
"This explains his drive," Batman broke the silence while Jason was already across the room and inspecting them, "Keeping the remains of your dead family isn't something you should be looking at every day."
"Ironic, don't you think," The ebony retorted, not looking back.
A tense silence cut through the air with that sentence.
Batman's footsteps then were heard once more. He came up and stopped in front of the skeletons.
"Not entirely," The man spoke, "I don't see you every day." The Dark Knight had an object in his hand. It let off a blue light as it scanned over the bodies.
"I wasn't talking about me."
"Who said I was talking to you." Batman looked over the readings then, without so much as a glance back to his second eldest son, "It's a match."
Jason rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.
"So should I put you in the backseat with Damian," Batman was turning away now and heading back through the doorway, "Because with your attitude that too would be a match."
The young man's eyes flashed then and he whipped around, "At least we're not failures. Come on, for how many years did you fight that clown and you still lost to him?" His lip curled up with a sneer.
Halting halfway through his step, Batman glanced over his shoulder just barely, "Nothing I say to you can fix what happened." He then continued walking.
Jason scoffed again, "Not like you'd want to; oh no. Bruce Wayne does whatever the fuck he wants, right? Screw everyone else!" He spread his arms out.
"If that's really what you think, then you're more blinded by your emotions that ever, Jason," Batman turned a little more then and narrowed his eyes coldly, "Never. Make it sound like I didn't care for you. Or that I don't care for you now."
His son narrowed his eyes right back, blue orbs burning, "You. Don't."
"How would you fucking know." The Dark Knight growled sharply, "I understand you're hurting, but I have a case Jason. We have a case. If you don't think I care now, you never will. And I can't waste my time on someone who is unwilling to try."
Jason's fists clenched and he took a step forward, jabbing a finger at his former mentor, "You're the one acting like a jackass," he snapped, "The only reason I'm here is because of Dick and Tim. You and Damian don't give a flying shit about the rest of us. And it's insulting when you pretend otherwise.
"Have you ever considered it's the other way around Jason," Bruce took an aggressive step forward then as well, so they were just four feet away from each other. Blue eyes glaring into covered up dark brown ones.
"I know I care," Jason brought his voice dangerously low, "And you can fool everyone else Brucie, but the only thing you'll ever do it save lives. Not souls." He turned back, feeling satisfied with ending it there.
"Jason-" The Caped Crusader growled frustratedly, taking another step forward.
Beep.
Beep.
Beeeeeepppp!
White masked eyes widened, "Get down!" He grabbed Jason's arm and yanked him to the ground.
The room they were in minutes before erupted into orange flames. It was as quick as a thumb hitting a lighter switch. Less than five seconds later, there was another explosion from down the passage; coming from the main building. The heat had already rippled through from the flames.
Jason picked up his head slowly, a high pitched ringing shooting through one ear and out the other.
Batman had rolled to the side and got into a crouch. His eyes were looking down the passage, his hand already fleeting to his com, "Robin, report."
Static.
So good news, I will be updating this rather quickly since I already have the next chapter done. But I want to let everyone have the chance to read it, so I'll probably post it sometime next week (going on vacation during that time too!)
Also, if you could, check out that poll at the top of my page and vote! It really helps! =]
Till then, have a great day!
AMW