Even for the region's notoriously fickle autumn climate, the night was a treacherously stormy one for Gotham City. Thanks to an especially aggressive Nor-Easter, a sharp drop in temperature was accompanied by high winds, lashing rain, and violent thunderstorms.
Though he typically approved of this weather because operating in it made his presence even more terrible, the Batman was a no-show because Bruce Wayne was called away on international business with Wayne Tech. As more than capable temporary substitutes, the Dark Knight's three eldest were tasked with delivering the family's brand of justice for the week. In doing so, their patriarch could leave the city with confidence to maintain and enhance the Wayne empire, his silver spoon- licking playboy facade, and the capital necessary to fund the family's 'nighttime' endeavors.
Red Robin, the youngest and most inexperienced of the three, was assigned a simple, low-key reconnaissance mission. Nightwing looked for leads on a new case involving old foes. Red Hood was busy patrolling the vast drug trafficking territories at the docks.
Red Robin made his way silently to one of the oldest abandoned office buildings in the city. His mission was to listen in on the business of a crime family who had recently arrived in Gotham and had only just begun to sow their seeds in the devious underworld. The Batman was not yet sure what the family's main objective was, but he had been picking up a lot of chatter between the newcomers and Gotham's veteran criminal elite. In addition, several members of the gang had been getting themselves arrested for petty crimes to bolster their presence in the Gotham City slammer and gain rapport with the local scum. But why? It was up to Red Robin to start surveillance and use his extraordinary detective skills to chip away at the mystery.
Tim sprinted through sheets of sideways rain as he leaped from one building to the next, closing in on the old Bank of Gotham tower that loomed ahead of him in Gotham's historical district. With each aerial maneuver, he had to compensate for the gusts of wind that howled in and around the alleyways and rooftops.
A bolt of lightning ripped through the churning black and purple sky, and thunder boomed in quick succession- an indication that the thunderhead was very close. Idly, he wondered how Jason was faring in this weather as he knew firsthand that the older man had a strong dislike for thunder. And who could blame him after all he had been through? **
As if on cue, the commlink in his ear chirped.
"Red Hood to Red Robin," said the very deep and apparently very bored voices of Jason Todd. As usual, it sounded like he had a cigarette in his mouth- not helping the fact that he was barely audible over the sound of the downpour and rumble of thunder from above.
"Go ahead!" shouted Red Robin as he launched over an especially wide alleyway and felt the wind take his cape and twist and flip it over his head. He had to yell into his microphone and forcefully articulate his words to be heard over the cacophony of the storm.
"Soooooo, how's the recon coming?" asked the Red Hood, casually.
Tim smiled to himself as he reflected on how Jason had come such a long way from trying to kill his 'replacement.' The past few months had seen the two heroes become thick as thieves (which Jason, though he denied it because he only stole from criminals, actually was). Even so, Tim was grateful for the colorful re-addition to the family. He even felt safer when he knew that the dreaded Red Hood was on the prowl in his vicinity because he knew he had his back.
"Not in position yet but I will be in a few minutes! I'm about two clicks out!" shouted Tim in return as he fired his grappling gun.
"Sounds," began Jason before taking a huge drag, "invigorating," he finished dryly then exhaled a plume of smoke.
"Ha. This night would be if Batman trusted me with more important missions while he's out of town," replied Tim.
"Well," said Jason, as his message became more distorted, "at least this shitty weather is a good proving ground for you. I can barely hear you! And all this rain soaked my fucking cigarettes. They're mush."
"It's a sign from above that you should quit," said Tim smirking. "Have you heard from 'Wing?"
"Take a wild guess," said Jason sounding annoyed. He pulled a small flask out of his brown leather jacket, unscrewed the cap with practiced hands, and took a quick gulp of whiskey.
Tim could hear the sound of him swallowing, followed by a satisfied "Ahhh," and then screwing the cap back onto the flask.
"Hood, are you drinking on the job again?" asked Tim stopping momentarily to home in on his target with the NVG lenses on his domino mask.
"Oh don't get your feathers in a twist, Red. You know how the saying goes: When the Bat is away, Red Hood gets to drink all his top-shelf good shit," he replied in a sinister mockery of cheer.
"Said no one ever" mumbled Red Robin. He still had to admit to himself that he got a kick out of it. All that booze and Jason Todd still had the steadiest hands in the world with a pair of any firearm.
"Well I'm freezing my balls off," the Red Hood complained. "It's fucking cold in this storm! The whiskey keeps me toasty."
"Buy a warmer jacket," stated Tim blandly. "And by the way, you gotta start cutting 'Wing some slack, bro," he added, shouting above another rumble of thunder. "He lived and worked alone with Bats for years. He's happy to finally have us to talk to."
"I'll direct his comms to you then," said Jason peeved. "You'd be swigging booze too if he always called you first."
"He's missed you!" reasoned Tim.
"Yeah yeah, I know," admitted Jason grudgingly, disgruntled by the tenderness of the notion.
"Just tell him he can call me! Listen, Hood, I gotta go. I've reached the old Bank of Gotham and, besides, I can barely hear you!" said Red Robin.
"Same here. Careful over there, Red," said Jason.
"Psh. Save your lecture- it's just a little recon, nothing crazy," said Tim to his older brother as he scaled the final building standing in his way of the target edifice.
"All in good time, Baby Bird! All in good time!" said Red Hood as a means of signing off.
**This is an allusion to an incredible fic called 'Thunder and Trauma' by the talented R.S. Donovan. If you like Jason and Tim stories, you should check it out! If they aren't your favorite... definitely check it out all the same hehe.
To be continued!