A Different Game: Part 4c:

Alfred walked toward Barbara Gordon's apartment in the cool breeze. He saw the gleaming sun as it started to fall behind the skyscrapers of Gotham. It was a breathtaking sight -- normally. But this was not a normal day for Alfred Pennyworth. So much had happened this day -- the verdicts and sentences. How his heart had broken when Judge Vargas sentenced Dick to death. Bruce was gone, and the State was taking Dick away as well. He had felt so helpless.

Then they escaped. Escaped. When he heard that news, it was as if the sun had parted through the clouds. He had hope again. Yet, that hope was still tempered with worry. He worried for his boys. Tim and Dick were still in danger -- from the police and from whoever HAD murdered Bruce.

He turned and started up the steps of the Clocktower. Perhaps Miss Barbara had heard from them by now.

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"I feel bad about leaving Roy's car in that neighborhood, Dick. It's gonna get stripped."

"I know, but this way, Roy's not implicated in our escape. When we get to the bottom of this, I'll see to it that the rental company gets a check for the car," Dick said as he drove the Nightbird through the streets of Bludhaven. The traffic was thick, it was the evening rush hour -- a perfect place to get lost. "I've been thinking Tim, we missed the obvious."

Tim turned and looked at Dick and saw Robbie Malone. Dick's transformation into Robbie was always amazing. He wore a black T-shirt and dirty jeans. A chain looped from belt loop to belt loop. The stubble Dick had applied look so real, and Tim didn't know how, but when Dick became Robbie, his hair seemed longer. "What'd ya mean?"

"It's been right in front of us the whole time Tim. The video tape."

"I hate that thing. Don't even talk about that."

"Jacobs was right about one thing, the tape proves no one else entered the Manor that night after we left until Lucius got there."

"Lucius didn't kill Bruce," Tim replied sarcastically.

"I know that, twerp. But what we -- you and I -- know is that there IS another way in the Manor. A way that isn't shown on the security cameras."

Tim surveyed the traffic almost at a standstill around him as he thought about what Dick was saying. His eyes grew wide when he realized what they had missed, "The Cave."

"Yep." Dick replied with a slight smile.

Turning to look at Dick, he said, "That means whoever killed Bruce knew he was Batman."

"Exactly. And that's a short list. I've also taken the liberty of eliminating you and me from consideration. We've been accused enough."

"Amen to that. Well, it's safe to say, we're looking into only the baddies who know Bruce is Batman."

"Right, so who's on the short list? Ra's, Talia -- "

"Bane, Shiva, --"

"Hugo Strange, I'm not convinced we fooled him last time. Maybe Slade Wilson, he knows who I am and he's not stupid. It would be easy for him to make the connection, if he hasn't already," Dick continued.

"True, but we're looking people who know how to access the cave," Tim added.

"And these are people who, while they are capable of killing Bruce, wouldn't necessarily want to kill him. In fact, in the past they haven't wanted him dead. They could want us to just think he's dead."

"Are you saying you don't believe Bruce is dead?"

"I dunno. I'm not going to get my hopes up, but it is a possibility."

"But the DNA?"

"That's what we're going to find out. Our first stop is going to be the morgue."

"Could the morgue be our second stop and our first stop be food?" Tim asked.

Dick looked at the boy beside him and smiled. "I hadn't even thought about that. I'm running on adrenaline. We haven't ate since breakfast, have we?"

"Nope. And that was jail food."

Dick's smile widened, "How's about a Biggie Burger Super Combo?"

"With cheese. Go large."

"I'll take the next exit, when I can get to it. There's a Biggie Burgers over on Alden. I use to ride past there on patrol. Besides, there's a Quick Gas across the street, we can fill up there and then get the food."

Bip Bip Bip ... Bip Bip Bip

"What is that?" Dick yelled as he turned to look at Tim. Tim had a sheepish look on his face as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his Young Justice Communicator. "Timmy, I'm gonna smack you! I told you not to bring ANYTHING Oracle could track."

Tim shrugged his shoulders, "Man, I'm sorry! I forgot about it."

"Don't answer -- Damn it Tim!" Dick yelled as Tim opened the channel.

"Well, uh Robin here, I'm kind of busy right now."

"Uh... hi, it's Wonder Girl. Long time no talk to..."

"Yeah, I've been kind of ... well ... unavailable. Gotham's been real hectic lately."

"We know, Tim. We've been watching."

Tim. She called him Tim. She knew, they all knew. They had been watching -- watching the trial! His felt his mouth open, but no sound came out.

Wonder Girl continued, "We're sorry we didn't contact you before to show our support, but the JLA told us contacting you in any way would jeopardize your secret ID, and that would be the LAST thing you wanted. And we didn't want to do anything to get you in more trouble. We just wanted to let you know that we support you, and if there's anything we can do let us know... but we've been listening to Wonder Woman and Superman and not been involved, and we won't be, because we don't want to screw this up for you. That's the last thing we want. But I, we, wanted you to know that we're worried about you and we care for you."

"Thanks. A lot," Tim managed to say as he tried to contain his emotions.

"Be careful," she said as she terminated the connection.

"Gimme that thing. Next time we stop. It's in the trunk," Dick said as he grabbed the communicator from Tim's hand and tossed it in the back seat.

Tim closed his eyes and leaned his back against the head rest. "They're worried about me."

"Because you've been missing?"

"No. They know. They know everything. They wanted to be there for me during the trial, but they couldn't. I wish Mr. Kent had told us that."

Dick looked at the boy beside him and sighed. He realized just how hard it had been for Tim. His friends had been able to be there for him. Having Roy, Wally and Donna there every day lending their support, their friendship and their love had comforted him in a way no one else could have. Tim's hadn't had that. Except for Stephanie and Cassandra, Tim hadn't had anyone. Not even any of his so called friends from school came to visit him. "I'm sorry Tim. I hadn't even realized how this must have been for you. Isolated from your friends."

"It hurt. But I had you," Tim replied with a smile.

"Oh yeah, best cell mate a kid could have, right. Let's get you some food," Dick said with a smile as he took the Alden Street exit.

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"Any word from the young Masters, Miss Barbara?" Alfred asked as he entered Oracle's control room again. Since his return to Barbara's apartment he kept moving between the kitchen and the control room awaiting some contact from Tim or Dick.

"Not a word Alfred. I'm not sure if I should be worried or furious."

"I'm sure Master Dick has a good reason for not contacting you."

Barbara's computers sounded an alert message before she could respond. "Ah ha, I've got them. Tim used his Young Justice communicator. They're in Bludhaven. Let me have the satellites tell me exactly where they are."

As she worked on her trajectory fields, her computer's alarms started going off. Tapping a few buttons, her eyes grew wide, "Oh damn."

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"What kind of drinks do you want with those combos?"

"Zesti."

"For both?"

"Yes," Dick said as his hand tapped his steering wheel impatiently.

"$10.28 at the first window," came the perky voice.

"Food, food, real fast-bad-for-you food. I can't wait," Tim said.

Dick laughed at Tim as he glanced in his rear view mirror at the black car behind them before moving forward. The car had also been at the Quick Gas when they were there. Dick shook off his suspicions as he handed the money to the girl at the window. As he waited for his change, he noticed a silver car drove past the drive through line and circled the building. It wasn't that he was nervous, but he was trying to be aware of his surroundings.

"Thank you. Pull to the next window."

"This is what I've missed," Tim said as he started scanning the radio channels.

"What?"

"A normal life."

"This is normal?"

"Yeah. We're undercover, on a case, grabbing fast food on the move, that's normal for us."

Dick smiled at Tim as he reached over, playfully smacking Tim's head. He drove up to the second window and reached out for the bag of food they had ordered. Dick handed the bag to Tim who reached in grabbing a handful of fries before taking the drinks Dick passed to him. Dick started to pull away.

As his car moved up to turn out of the drive through, a Bludhaven squad car, blue lights flashing, pulled from the front of the building directly in front of the Nightbird. Dick slammed on breaks. His hand reached for the gear stick to put the car in reverse when he noticed the black car behind him move onto his bumper, interior blue lights flashing. The silver car that had circled the building pulling to their side, also complete with flashing blue lights.

They were trapped. Surrounded on all sides.

Tim was breathing heavy, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked around. Then he looked at Dick. Dick's hands tightly gripped the steering wheel. He turned to meet Tim's glance.

"Oh God," Tim moaned.

"I'm sorry," Dick said as he saw the panicked look on Tim's face.

Bludhaven police officers jumped from their cars, guns drawn and pointed at the them.

"Hands on the dash! Where we can see them!" an officer ordered.

They looked at each other and then, slowly, complied as the officers slowly approached the car.

"It can't already be over, Dick," Tim said weakly. "We didn't even get a chance."



To be continued ...



*** AUTHOR'S NOTE***

To see more of Young Justice's Reaction to this story -- go to the Young Justice category and read "A DIFFERENT GAME: THE SIDELINES"