Little Bird's Vengeance Chapter 21 A Day on the Job
It had been a month since Tim had 'ported into another world. It was easier now in some ways; rather than his days spent locked in a cell, he was busy, nightly patrols, days divided between managing his night work and laying foundations for the hardcore research that would get him home. But at the same time, it was getting increasingly difficult to handle the separation. His relationship with his friends and family had been somewhat trained lately, but he missed them so much. Dick's grins, appearing so suddenly and so infectious. Bruce's outer calm masking the storm within even as playboy Brucie hid the core of Batman. Alfred's peaceful, faithful presence. Even Damian, assassin demon child though he be, who never bothered to conceal what he really thought until Dick softened him. And Jason, unapologetically violent and unashamedly bitter. Stephanie, Barbara, Cassandra, Selina, Helena. He could see their faces, their costumes, hear their voices and remember their movement, But he could no longer quite recall their last conversations.
He sighed, pausing in typing up his report to rub his strained eyes. He'd fought with the boys, argued with Bruce and don't get him started on the girls. He'd been cold and distant with the Titans and managed to send some pretty mixed messages to the League. All the strain and grief of the past few years had taken him over so much it was becoming hard to focus on what he still had. How ironic that it takes losing everything to realise how much you had in the first place.
No matter how much he may have wanted it all to go away recently, now it had, he just wanted to go home. Tony, Steve, Thor, Clint, Tasha and Dr Banner had taken it upon themselves to ease his transition, but it wasn't the same. A very childish voice deep in his mind kept crying out "I want to go home!"
No, musings like that would get him nowhere. Tim forcibly returned his attention to the report forming beneath his fingertips. Once he was finished, he could get back to his research. He was trying to set up a meeting, and needed some documents for that. Luckily, calling on SHIELD's resources would enable him to travel the length and breadth of the country in only a few hours. Provided he could pilot the Quinjet, which should be easy enough as the controls were just like that of a helicopter.
Footsteps behind him; the office door opening. The keyboard was a computer simulation, and while Tim had been tempted to ask Jarvis to replicate the tap-tap-tap sound he was used to, he was now grateful for the noiselessness that allowed him to clearly hear and identify his visitor.
"I hear you've been threatening people, kid," Rhodes said.
"Bit naïve, aren't you?" Tim replied casually.
Rhodes snorted. "I'm a soldier. I've seen death, and betrayal, and delivered death in my turn."
"And yet you have no experience of dealing with criminals," Tim murmured. He saved and closed his report, and opened another file. The picture showed a bald, grossly fat man in a crisp white suit. "This is Wilson Fisk," he explained. "Known as the Kingpin of Crime. He controls some sixty, seventy percent of New York's criminal underworld. Last night we had a little chat." He changed the picture to one of the same fat man hanging by his ankles in an alley some hundred feet up. "He agreed to declare Tony off-limits. That will make it more difficult for our mysterious adversary to recruit."
"Oh, and that's what you call progress," Rhodes replied sarcastically.
"That's not all," Tim said. "I've also- oh sh-"
Tim cut himself off mid-expletive as an alarm sounded. He closed the Fisk file and pulled up a scan of the city. There were eight unexpected heat sources; too intense for animal life and too small for normal machinery. Which left either fire, which he might as well help out with; or something more sinister.
"Jarvis, get cameras on those spots, whatever you can find to hack," Tim ordered. "Colonel Rhodes, would you please find Captain Rogers and ask him to come here? Tell him it's probably an emergency."
As Rhodes left, Tim followed, slipping into his bedroom across the corridor to suit up.
The window imploded just in time for Red Robin to glide through. He landed in a crouch and quickly straightened to view the startled occupants. "Fisk," he growled. "What have you been doing?"
Fisk was controlling his surprise at the teen hero's appearance, but it was easy enough for the trained eye to read. He gestured to a trio of beefy, well-armed men on the other side of the room. Red Robin barely spared them a glance as they readied their gear. The Enforcers; the Ox, Fancy Dan and Montana. Capable, could probably give him a bit of difficulty, but the result would not be in doubt. Be time-consuming, though.
"Call off your thugs, Fisk," Red Robin growled. "We need to have a little chat."
Fisk nodded and gestured to the Enforcers; although they didn't put up their weapons, they did not attack. "And what do we need to talk about?" Fisk said, arrogantly. "I do not believe I have done anything you need concern yourself with."
"Oh, really?" Red Robin replied derisively. "So you know nothing about the eight men kitted up with cybernetic flight and weapon harnesses launching attacks on separate locations, all at coincidentally the same time?"
"I have no idea what you are on about," Fisk dismissed. "Now leave, or my men will make you."
Red Robin snorted. "Your men are no match for me, but by all means, they may try. And then we can continue this outside. I mean, you strained the rope somewhat last night, but it should hold for, ooh, three minutes." He sighed melodramatically. "Be such a shame to lose the rope though. So how about your Enforcers stand down, and we can discuss this civilly."
"Well, it's going to be a very short conversation," Fisk smirked. "I don't have a clue."
"Hmm, so I suppose the following sentence means nothing? 'Go ahead this afternoon, just stay away from Stark Industries.' Or how about: 'No problem with those targets, but finish before four thirty.' Ringing bells?"
Fisk stilled. Red Robin had quoted parts of his conversation with his subordinates verbatim, but the operation had been planned long before he'd turned his attention to the New York underworld. That day's discussion was all he had. "What do you want?" Fisk asked.
"What are those guys doing? Tell me, and we'll only take down those in the field." Red Robin locked eyes with Fisk as well as he could behind the mask. "If you force me to beat it out of you, you go down as well."
Fisk gestured. The Enforcers attacked. A playful smile came to Red Robin's lips. A good fight at last. Perfect prelude to interrogation…
AN: Things are happening. I can't be bothered trying to come up with one of my usual witty ANs, so I'll skip straight to business.
Also updating today: Family Ties.
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See you next week.
Katara