Opening Part 2

There was much Dick thought about as he packed his leftover biscuits away. The first being 'what are the odds?', and the next being 'how much of a trap is this?'.

Opportunities like this did not just fall into Dick's lap. He had learnt that long, long ago. So, the question now was: "To spring the trap or not to spring the trap?". Dick meandered down from his little alcove as he decided.

On the side of being safe, also known as, don't spring the trap was rather obviously – the Owls will not find you. If this entire operation was meant to draw Dick out, then the best course of action would be not to go along with it.

But what if?

What if this was the real deal? Dick thought. What if this was the break he had been half-heartedly chasing after? What if this was his chance?

What if this allowed him to actually start to fight back?

Really, it wasn't much of a decision at all.

Tracking the thug was laughably easy. Mainly because they had bee-lined to one of the booths while trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Which of course, only served to make them look suspicious as all heck to anyone paying attention. Dick meandered with his dirty dish, collecting random plates as he went. The very moment the guy stood to shimmy out of the booth, Dick jostled him. Just enough so that he could catch a look at the app the guy's second-hand iPhone was on.

Twitter. Score.

HoodlumLyfe – Dick grinned, that was easy enough to trace. Additionally, was using Tobias' general free WiFi – this actually made it even easier. Tobias' HangOut's WiFi was rather notorious for being a bit iffy on the connection during the rush – plans were being made for upgrading it but that would still take time. For now, they'd all suffer the connection drops.

"Sorry." Dick threw at them, stabilising the pile of crockery in his hands; walking straight into the kitchen. He had to finish his shift – but then, afterwards? He had a kid to trace.

-.-.-.-

Dick's shift finished right after the lunch rush. With the air growing cold and the winds beginning to pick up, Tobias didn't typically get much of the 'in standard education' crowd hanging about till after the dismissal bell rung.

Given that quite a number of 'Outreach kids' couldn't exactly attend standard education normally, the Hub provided 'home-school' sessions which allowed children, teens and adults the opportunity to receive their GEDs and apply for the ACTs or SATs (whichever they so pleased).

As Dick packed his haversack (nestling the leftovers securely on the top) he pulled out his 'homework' to review his answers.

"Hey Rickie!"

"Mr Tobias?"

"Listen I know you have your classes to get to so I'll be fast. Cue's got a full check up at one of the clinics today so I need someone to run stocks for tomorrow's batch."

Dick's eyes widened imperceptibly. "Oh it's supply day today?"

"Yeah, the Hub's slowly cutting back the shelf food supply as we get more self-sufficient. But Cue was supposed to do the run today so…"

"Oh! Toby's recital is today?"

Tobias sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah it is, I know you don't typically do this and…"

"Say no more Mr Tobias - I'll handle it."

Tobias chuckled, "I keep telling you guys you're all good kids." he reached over and patted Dick's shoulder. "Maybe one day you'll believe me."

-.-.-.-

Unfortunately he wasn't able to go pick up the supplies right away since Dick had his education to attend to. His home-school sessions at the Hub today were almost laughably easy. Again, the benefits of being part of the Wayne Outreach were truly something.

Maths, Computer Science and Chemistry. Also known as – stuff you need to know to be an effective Talon as according to the Owls. His old tutor with regards to sabotage in the digital world would be deeply disappointed – and maybe a little amused at the dismally basic knowledge the local education curriculum's was conveying. As it happened – this meant that Dick's time in the Computer Science classroom was now finally being put to good use.

HoodlumLyfe (aka, according to his Facebook page: Irvin Swann, born on the twelfth of October) was terribly trusting with the use of his personal data.

Irvin Swann had links to everything on his Twitter. A Youtube account (links included) where he was desperately trying to video log his way to his fifteen minutes of fame. A Tumblr link and… the jackpot – a direct link to his Facebook page.

A Facebook page with – of all things – his mobile phone number. Just there. No privacy settings. No friends only settings. Just *there*. For the entire online world to see.

'Way to go Irvin Swann.' Dick thought as he rolled his eyes, he was slightly amazed himself. What was it like to be that trusting? He wondered. What was it like to be so desperate for fame and fortune that you give up privacy? And why, of all things would you be a thug if you were comfortably upper middle classed?

He sat back in his chair and with a few clicks on the WXOver prototype, he had a real-time tracker of Mr. Swann's mobile phone's location.

-.-.-.-

About a fortnight ago, the Hub held a raffle of sorts. Apparently, the WayneTech research and development department wanted to learn about how intuitive their mobile phone-PDA hybrid was with various age and income groups. They called it the Wayne XOver.

Dick (or, to be fair, Rick Johnson) had been one of the lucky hundred or so in various age groups to have been randomly selected to test the device.

So far it had been something of a blessing.

Prepaid plans were easy to use and discard and his convenient Outreach ID allowed him to obtain the number without problems. In fact, the fact he technically only needed to leave his room to use a computer and not the internet was a complete gift.

Dick could programme little reminders that he couldn't on a regular mobile - like Tobias' supplies! Dick let out a little groan as he remembered that in his excitement, he had done something pretty uncharacteristic.

He hoped this wouldn't take too long - he still had to take the supplies to the HangOut. In a rare instance of forgetfulness, Dick had left them in his Hub Locker.

Dick pulled on the dark grey sweat-wicking turtlenecked vest over his head and zipped up the navy hoodie. Throwing his body pouch over a shoulder, he waited for the shadows in Gotham to grow long and slipped out his modified attic window.

Clambering light-footedly onto the roof, he checked his GPS tracker and took off across the rooftops towards the South Quay.

-.-.-.-

The Docks of the South Quay were rugged, large industrial looking things. They were designed for high traffic and efficiency. The Wayne Warehouses in particular were designed to reflect this aesthetic.

Dick paused a moment as he hovered over the faint strains of music of the Quayside Community Auditorium. Beneath the glass skylights a little girl danced, pure delight written across her face. Somewhere in the crowd was Tobias cheering his littlest charge on.

Toby looked radiant in the spotlight.

A pang ached inside his chest as he recalled another child basking in a spotlight. Warm smiles showering him as a crowd called his name. Comforting arms pulling him away. A family of three sheltering him as his world shattered. He shook his head and refocused.

The Wayne Warehouses were just a little further ahead. The GPS reading showed they seemed to be headed to number 42. With a little bit of clever parkour, he actually would be able to beat Mr Swann and his associates there.

-.-.-.-

Dick's hand grasped the drainpipe, tucking himself into a ball he flung himself higher into the sky to land cat-like upon the fire escape. The roof access hatch was a simple lockpick job and he slipped easily into the rafters of Warehouse 42.

He glanced at the GPS tracker, noting that Mr Swann was still apparently outside the building, giving Dick ample time to set up his phony WiFi signal. Just as he finished his set up he heard the 'clunk' of the sound of a lock being physically forced.

He groaned to himself - yet another thing for him to do before tomorrow morning.

"Sweet!" Came the voice of one of Irvin's associates, "Free guest WiFi!"

"Really?"

"Yup!"

"No password required?"

"Nope!"

"Well… isn't that a little odd?"

"Ah no. It's one of those coffeeshop WiFis. Disconnects you every thirty minutes."

"Well then! Sweet! Hey Irv!"

"Yeah?"

"Free WiFi!"

"Sweet! I don't need to use my data then! Freaking job wants me to send a video as proof we did the deed over. Soooo obviously they don't know how damn long those take to send over."

"At least you can send it over Skype now."

"Yeah man."

The five boys milled about on the dimly lit floor, stopping every now and then to look at something or other.

"GUYS! LOOK!"

"Oh my… is that?"

"Yuuuuup, the prototype! That one that was rumoured about."

"Oooh… Wait is this?"

"Yup the one they want us to 'misplace' somewhere. Get some man or other in trouble."

"And then owls? Really? Owl graffiti all over these boxes?"

"Hey, the payout is sweet."

"Still man, Wayne Holdings. If they ever find out, we'd be in so much trouble."

"Well, we just won't get found out. Here. Help me move these into that locker."

As they shifted the boxes slowly, Dick compared the boys to the Facebook profile pictures of Irvin's friends.

Easy.

Martin Whoston, Joey Sharp, Tony Routhme and George Fredrijg. All comfortably bored middle-ish class teens. Boys that thought vandalism and criminal activity was just a little bit of excitement needed in their lives.

Dick pitied them.

Some part of him, the part that got locked away safely behind doors so they couldn't touch it, protested against letting them complete the job. This was wrong. They were wrong. They needed to be stopped. Maybe a stint of community service. Maybe walk a mile together with the families that would be affected by their need for a rush.

But the other part of him? The one that reminded him of the bigger picture urged him to wait.

And so Dick waited.

The shuffling continued until a good seven boxes had been stowed away in that small hidden alcove. The rattle and spray of the cans of paint continued on for a good fifteen minutes.

"Shit. I'm nearly at curfew!"

"Wait, what time is it?"

"Five to eleven."

"Dammit okay. Let's take the video and go."

Dick turned his attention to his set up. He attached a trojan onto the file being sent and waited. Within moments the trace lit up. Three possible locations appeared. One was moving. One was in a relatively affluent residential area and the last? The last was in the finance hub of Gotham.

And if Dick knew anything about them it was that they couldn't resist being flashy - in an incognito manner.

As the nitwits scrambled out of the Warehouse Dick sighed once again. This was going to take a while.

-.-.-.-

"Johnson!"

Dick startled awake from his slumped over position where his head was in serious danger of slipping into the dishwater. He curbed his defensive instinct just in time to note that Mr Tobias was standing there. Watching him. With a single raised brow.

"Wha… Sorry Mr Tobias…"

"Late night?"

"Yeah," Dick yawned, "you could say that."

Dick had (in the following order) slipped back to deliver the supplies to the HangOut, taken turpentine and some spare repair kits from the HangOut, gone back to Warehouse 42 and moved everything back, cleaned up the vandalism, deleted the evidence that he was ever there, repaired the nitwits shoddy break-in job and then sorted out the supplies at the HangOut.

All before collapsing into his own bed at about three in the morning.

This was not what he thought vengeance would be like.

"You look peaky Rickie. Head back. I'll give your classes a ring."

"You sure," Dick yawned again, "Mr Tobias? The rush…"

"Off with you…" Tobias yawned, "Now, before you infect us all with that!"

Dick laughed a little. A start was a start - no matter how boring. But first, sleep.

AN: And we begin the first part of the Stalemate! This is the Centre Fight, the opening act into the Stalemate where Dick finds his footing and starts to make a nuisance of himself (to the Owls at least)! The Opening is over, Dick has made his first move against the Owls and the question is, where does he go from here?

Thank you for following along so far and feel free to let us know what you think! If you'd like to contact us via tumblr, my handle is eastoniablogs!