Ancient History: Renascence
It had taken a lot of convincing--and no small amount of whining if he were honest with himself--and finally a phone call from Wayne before Mary McGinnis had agreed to let Terry accompany Wayne to Africa.
When he'd arrived the next morning, he'd had hopes that Wayne and Grayson had managed to put aside their arguments to focus on Bane. Or at least have gotten tired of it for the moment. He knew he certainly was.
He wasn't entirely sure why he'd hoped for that, as Wayne and Grayson hadn't even shown signs of slowing down. Wishful thinking, perhaps.
The current argument was about whether or not Grayson would let Wayne install a video link into his mask like the one Terry had in his cowl. There was just enough time during the plane trip, but Grayson refused to give in.
"I don't want you spying on me. I can take care of myself."
"That's not the point. With the odds stacked against you, you'll need every advantage you can get."
"And just how would you watching my every move be an advantage?" Grayson asked skeptically.
"Sometimes in the middle of a fight, you miss little clues because you're too busy fighting. You don't notice something because your mind is elsewhere. If you were blinded for some reason, you'd be vulnerable, but it wouldn't affect the person on the other end of the vidlink."
It was a good point, Batman had even needed Wayne's help for just that reason. Spellbinder had shown him illusions, making it impossible to distinguish a vision from reality. A valid argument, but as clear as glass. It was obvious Wayne couldn't stand the idea of letting Grayson out of his sight again, even for such a short time.
"Like I said, I can take care of myself. I'm not letting you put one of those things in my mask."
"It's only temporary, Dick," Wayne said evenly. "If you have some reason to hide your actions--"
"Don't bring that up again!"
Grayson actually sounded offended, as if he couldn't believe Wayne would think that of him. Terry wanted to roll his eyes. After what Grayson had done, he was surprised Wayne trusted him as much as he did.
Then again, Wayne seemed to have a blind spot when it came to the ex-Robin. Sure, he'd brought up the possibility that Grayson might have ulterior motives, but the only person that seemed to have bought that act was Grayson himself.
It was obvious that Wayne trusted Grayson, maybe too much. Terry had seen Grayson's old room; everything was in perfect order. Even the jacket he'd borrowed--though, at the time he hadn't know what the initials 'D.G.' stood for--had been in top condition.
Wayne wouldn't let go of the past when it came to Grayson; he couldn't see beyond what he wanted to see. He trusted him so far that he seemed to deny even the possibility that his former ward could be lying. Terry had to wonder what Grayson could have done to inspire loyalty like that in the old man.
He, on the other hand, had no such loyalty and could see Grayson through objective eyes. He could consider that this entire situation could be a trap. Grayson could be luring them away from Gotham and into Ra's al Ghul's stronghold.
There was no question Grayson had the patience and knowledge to execute such a plan. Anyone who could hide from Wayne for so long and build the life Phoenix had had to be smart and willing to bide their time for decades.
Where he himself fit into this picture, he wasn't sure. Grayson could just be tying up loose ends, making sure no one came after Wayne.
It was possible, but.... It didn't feel right to Terry. If Grayson had merely wanted revenge, he could have disposed of Batman and Wayne any number of times. He couldn't discount the idea--who knew what the Lazarus pit did to someone's mind--but it wasn't the most likely possibility.
The bigger concern was Grayson's loyalty to Ra's al Ghul. It wasn't so much that Terry thought he would turn them over to al Ghul, but that he might do something stupid to protect the terrorist. Batman would have to count on Phoenix every step of the way once they reached the base. If Phoenix was lying about having cut all ties with Ra's al Ghul, it could get one of them hurt.
If Grayson wanted to jeopardize his own safety, that was fine with him. But when his own life was on the line, Terry didn't want to have to worry about who Grayson was going to side with.
Wayne's suggestion that Grayson was just using them to get to Bane and kill him may have been an exaggeration, just Wayne baiting him, but Terry couldn't let the idea go. If Grayson had been angry enough to run away from his entire life for four decades and join a psychopath, he might just be angry enough to kill the villain that had started everything.
Grayson might not go after Wayne, but in the middle of a fight he could snap and try to kill Bane. Terry couldn't care less what happened to Bane, but he needed Phoenix focused and aware. He didn't want to have to fight off Bane's guards and pull Phoenix out of a frenzy.
He wished that he could talk to Wayne about this, use him as a sounding board. But as long as Wayne refused to acknowledge the possibility that Grayson couldn't be trusted, he'd keep his thoughts to himself.
He'd just have to watch both their backs.
Dick had made it more than clear that he'd wanted to go on this mission alone, that it was his fight. But part of him had wanted to leave them behind because--and he wasn't about to admit this aloud--he didn't want to see them hurt.
The kid wasn't even anywhere near his league--though Dick could see the potential in him; Terry had the natural athletic grace required for their profession, he just hadn't had fifty years to perfect it--but he could take care of himself. Bruce couldn't. Not without some major help or serious injury.
Bruce had blackmailed him into coming, though, so he was left without a choice. Which brought up the question of where they would set up his equipment to watch the fight.
The computers were powerful enough to pick up the broadcast from Terry's cowl for several miles, but not powerful enough to do so from the nearest real town. The small village near Ra's' headquarters wasn't nearly big enough to have any need of a hotel or any other facility they could use, which left them in a quandary.
Dick solved the problem by reluctantly volunteering a small house he owned on the outskirts of the village. He'd had need of it a few times during his stay with Ra's. Ra's had provided more than adequate quarters for him, of course, but there had been times he needed to get away from all the pressures his position carried. Often he would travel all the way to Malange, but there had been times when he'd only needed a little space and that had been too much hassle.
He didn't see the need to tell Terry or Bruce this and saw the suspicious look Terry had directed at him. The kid thought he was hiding those looks pretty well, but Dick had spotted him glancing his way several times during the plane ride. Bruce had failed to train the kid in subtlety, too.
While they worked to discretely carry the equipment Bruce would need into his building, Dick caught a few more looks from both of them. The kid he could understand, but Bruce? Either he didn't care or he was slipping in his old age.
It was probably just his appearance. It was expected that Bruce would have grown old in their time apart. Dick had had time to prepare for that, but Bruce had been blindsided with the fact that Dick was still alive and that he appeared not to have aged more than a few years. He would have thought Bruce would adjust more quickly than he had, but he could admit it had to have been quite a shock. Bruce had just been caught off guard, and that's what was behind the high number of intense looks.
His shoulder blades still itched every time he turned his back, though. He could feel Bruce's stare on him. While he knew the kid would want to form a more detailed plan than, 'we go in, fight them, give Bane the anti-Venom, then leave,' he needed to get away from that gaze for a little while.
The sky was just beginning to lose the painfully bright shade of afternoon blue. Evening would be setting in soon, and they'd planned to sneak into the headquarters after dark to increase the element of surprise. He had just enough time to slip away from their temporary base with the excuse of doing some reconnaissance on his own.
Terry gave him another strange look that probably meant he was thinking Dick could be sneaking off to meet with the enemy or to set some trap for them.
He would have preferred not to leave and risk more suspicion--whether they liked it or not, they would have to completely trust each other soon enough--but some time alone was necessary. Besides, they could use any information they could get.
Hastily, he turned his thoughts back to the mission at hand. There was no time for that kind of thinking. If they weren't at their best, Bane would crush them. They were the last hurdle between Bane and his goal. He needed to keep that in mind at all times.
Right now he was supposed to be gathering information, seeing how many guards Bane had recruited for the premises, and, if he could, find out what had happened to Ra's. Talia hadn't known where her father was or if he was even still alive. She'd been about to return to the compound after completing a mission for him when she'd learned of what had happened.
Dick was of the opinion that Ra's had sensed what was coming and sent Talia away to protect her. He'd always been an arrogant man and thought that he could deal with problems on his own, just like....
There was no point in wondering what might have been different if Talia had been there. Maybe they could have defeated Bane together or maybe she would have disappeared as well. That didn't change what was.
Talia had intended to return immediately after the news, despite the danger, but he'd talked her out of it. She had resisted at first; Ra's was her father after all. Eventually he'd convinced her that without a plan they'd be doomed to failure. She'd agreed to wait until they could accomplish that much before acting.
He'd promised her that he would include her in any plans he had, but he'd never intended to keep that promise. He hoped she would forgive him, but if not, it was better than the alternative. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if she'd been hurt.
Again, Dick pulled his mind away from those distracting and dangerous thoughts. He slid a small but powerful set of binoculars from the gauntlet around his left wrist. He'd donned his costume that morning and pulled loose civilian clothes over it. Halfway to Ra's' compound, when he was sure no one would see him, he'd shed the clothes, tucking them into a knapsack for when he returned.
He'd known a situation like this would arise, which meant he'd need to have Phoenix's costume on hand for precisely the reason the gauntlets came in handy just now. It was surprising he hadn't thought of adding them to his costume until he'd become Phoenix; though he supposed Nightwing hadn't needed to carry as many tools as Phoenix did. And the gauntlets were certainly better than a tacky belt of all things.
He swept his gaze across Ra's' base, mentally taking note of everything he could see. There were fewer guards than he had expected, which was good, but which also bothered him a little. Bane had never been stupid; he had to know that taking over Ra's' organization wasn't this simple.
On the other hand, Bane was a loner and confident, bordering on arrogant, in his own abilities. He wasn't the type to gather a gang just to have power over them or impress others. He had no trouble being a leader or ordering others around, but he didn't depend on them, either.
It was likely that his unease had more to do with his frayed nerves from the past couple of days than anything the scene below presented to him.
Still, it never hurt to be too careful. He'd chosen a well-concealed ledge along one of the mountains next to Ra's' headquarters. Ra's had never liked staying in one place for too long and they'd moved several times while Dick had worked with his organization. They'd almost always set up base somewhere on the same continent, though.
He'd never said, but Dick suspected Ra's had originally been born somewhere in Africa, hence his willingness to endure the dry, desolate deserts and other inconveniences the place offered. Or perhaps the Lazarus pits were simply indigenous to the continent.
The last place Ra's had chosen was near a small pair of mountains. He'd chosen the easternmost one for his base as the other was too jagged and steep for renovation. As it was, Dick had had trouble finding even the small plateau he was now perched on.
It was still too far from the base to properly judge Bane's strength, though, and so he carefully made his way closer. He'd only gone a few yards when a small cascade of rocks slipped from beneath his foot and he tumbled down. He fell several feet before he could dig his boots in and regain his footing.
He concentrated on breathing properly for a long minute while his heart rate returned to normal. As he watched the rocks he'd loosened tumble down the mountainside he realized he'd been in no real danger of hurting himself. The mountain was high and steep enough that he'd have had plenty of chances to push off the surface of the rocks, spread his glider wings and land safely.
Not that that was a smart idea. If he'd done that there was a good chance he'd have attracted the attention of Bane's guards. He'd have to be more careful from now on. This time he'd been fine, but he needed to focus and not let his thoughts wander even a little.
The rest of his excursion passed much more quickly. With his attention fixed on his current situation more than an hour had gone by before he became aware of how long he'd been gone. Done with the compound for now, he tucked the binoculars back into his gauntlet and carefully made his way down from the mountain.
The way back wasn't far, but would take awhile on foot. He could have used the boosters installed in his costume to carry himself back within minutes, but he chose to walk instead. It was only about a mile and he still had plenty of time before dark. This would be the best chance he'd have to quell the growing sense of unease stirring in him.
His thoughts wandered back to the scene he'd just left. Bane's guards had been well-placed, if small in number. There were numerous entrances to Ra's' compound, but Bane had strung his men out well. It would be difficult to approach the main area without attracting their attention.
Which was why they weren't going in through any of the routes Bane knew about. Ra's had built several well-concealed entrances should the need ever arise for them. Dick was sure that they'd been built should he have ever turned on the other man. He would have wanted a way to surprise Dick and quickly regain control of his organization if he managed to wrest it away. Ra's had thought he hadn't known about them, but Dick was more thorough than he had suspected.
He couldn't really blame Ra's for not trusting him. They'd frequently disagreed and the basis of their partnership had not been the most stable of relationships.
The northernmost of those entrances was the quickest route to the Lazarus pit. They would circle around the barren mountain in order to remain hidden as long as possible.
It was inevitable they would encounter resistance, but they would be able to handle it. The fact that Bane had apparently chosen not to endow his guards with the Venom worked in their favor. They'd been equipped with high-powered laser rifles, but there were no tubes leading into their bodies. Guns they could handle. It was the thought of dealing with dozens of mercenaries with Venom flowing through their veins that had been troubling.
Hopefully they would only have to deal with one mercenary given super-human strength by Venom.
That settled, his thoughts slid away from Bane and back to Bruce and the kid again. Terry would be suspicious because he'd been gone so long but wouldn't say anything unless Bruce did.
One thing he had to hand to Bruce was that the man could inspire loyalty unlike anyone else he'd ever seen. It wasn't even simple loyalty; it went far deeper than that. After less than half a week, Dick could already tell the kid would probably be willing to die if Bruce asked him. Dick wished he knew what it was about Bruce that inspired that; maybe then he could figure how to prevent what had happened to....
No. This wasn't the way to settle his thoughts. Maybe it was better to just put the whole situation out of his mind entirely rather than trying to let it fuel him. Don't even think about it anymore, Grayson.
But, as he approached his building, those thoughts refused to leave. The images from that horrible night so many years ago flashed before him, painful in their razor sharp clarity.
Easier said than done.
After Grayson had left, a heavy silence had descended on the main room of the house. Normally, Terry would have thrown out strategies for their invasion, or tried to get Wayne to open up about his past. But he didn't think Wayne would hear him, much less answer.
So he let the quiet stretch between them, only the muffled thuds of boxes being set down breaking the silence. When the equipment was unloaded, Terry stood off to the side, unsure what to do next. He didn't know where to start unpacking--he wasn't even sure what was in half of the containers.
He watched Wayne for a while as the old man set about sorting out the dizzying array of wires, monitors, panels, and boards. As Terry watched him connect various jacks into outlets, he wondered if it was just his imagination or if Wayne was moving more slowly than usual.
It was probably just the shock of seeing Grayson alive and the long plane ride that had him so slagged. Still... something felt different about this silence. Like it wasn't just about Grayson. There was something else.
He concentrated on Wayne a little harder, trying to spot any clues he'd previously missed. Wayne didn't seem to notice his scrutiny, which was a warning sign all by itself. Usually the old man had eyes in the back of his head.
There was a tightness to his expression that not even an encounter with Grayson could cause. He also seemed paler than usual. Not that Wayne saw much sun holed up in the Batcave, but if he got any whiter people might start mistaking him for a corpse.
What could cause all that.... Oh. Terry started to panic for a moment before he dismissed the idea. Wayne might not say anything if he were having another attack, but he couldn't hide it. Not well enough to keep Terry from seeing it, anyway.
Still, the sooner they were back in Gotham City, the better he'd feel. Bane had to be dealt with, of course, but for the first time he started to think maybe it would have been better to just let Grayson handle the situation on his own.
Grayson. Where the hell was he, anyway? He hadn't checked his watch when Grayson left, so he wasn't sure exactly how long he'd been gone. But it had to have been at least an hour by now. What was taking him so long?
Terry moved to one of the windows that faced the twin mountains, keeping Wayne in sight. He couldn't see any movement in the distance, but he hadn't expected to. Maybe if he had his cowl on hand he could see Phoenix or the guards he knew must be surrounding the base.
For several minutes he stayed at the window, stealing glances at Wayne, searching for signs of a problem, while keeping an eye on the scene outside. He was so focused he lost track of time, and nearly jumped in surprise when Grayson stepped back into the room.
Grayson looked about as distracted as Wayne, so Terry didn't think he'd noticed. His suspicions about Grayson's activities rose again when he realized how agitated the other man seemed to be. He held his tongue, though, knowing it would be a losing battle. Wayne refused to open his eyes and Terry had no proof. He wasn't even sure he was right.
So he'd just keep an eye on Grayson instead.
"There were approximately twenty guards placed around the compound," Grayson said without preamble. He sank slowly into one of the chairs scattered around the main room. If he noticed Wayne's condition, he said nothing. "They're all carrying guns but are Venom-free." He rubbed at his eyes as though trying to massage a headache away. "We've got that much going for us, at least."
Wayne nodded sharply, absorbing the new information. "What else?"
"I was right. Bane doesn't seem to know about the hidden entrances." Grayson's hand stopped its motion but he left it over his eyes. "He could have guards posted on the inside, but I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"There were only twenty guards posted outside. I don't think he hired very many people. If he had, I'd have seen more of them. And if he'd known about those doorways, he'd have guards posted directly in front of them."
"But you're not sure."
Grayson sighed and finally dropped his hand. "No, I'm not sure."
Great, Terry thought. For all we know, Bane could be setting us up. This just keeps getting better and better.
Night had finally fallen, for which Terry was thankful. The few remaining hours between Grayson's return and the current time had been filled with increasing tension. He wasn't used to having to wait. You knew where the bad guys were, you went and kicked their butts.
You didn't sit around until it was dark and sneak in.
It hadn't helped that Wayne insisted on checking and rechecking the feed from his suit. Though, they hadn't been able to properly test it, as they hadn't wanted to risk sending another person out. If he'd been able to escape for a little while, he might have been in a better mood.
On the other hand, getting out hadn't done much for Grayson's mood.
As Bane's base came into view, Phoenix pointed to the mountains on the left. He banked to the west, intending to fly around it and didn't look to see if Batman followed him. Terry swallowed his irritation at the move and increased his speed just enough to be side by side with Phoenix again.
He wondered how their boosters would hold up under this much use. Wayne and Grayson had said there wouldn't be any problems, but he was sure they hadn't been meant to take this kind of abuse. He really didn't want to end up walking back.
Phoenix pulled ahead of him again and this time Terry let him. Grayson was the one who knew where everything was and the best way to get in. Batman watched as he pulled one glove off and slid his hand along the wall. When he'd covered about three feet of it, there was a sudden click and the sound of stone scraping against stone.
Phoenix put the glove back on, grinned at Batman, and gestured for him to follow. "Just like I remembered it," Grayson said softly. His tone made Batman wonder just how long it had been since the other man had been back here, anyway.
"Keep him in your sights," Wayne cautioned. Ostensibly the old man was warning him not to get lost. But the real reason for the warning was more than a little obvious. Wayne didn't want Grayson out of either of their sights. Maybe he thought the ex-Robin might disappear again once their fight was over.
Batman said nothing, entering the nearly pitch black darkness Phoenix had stepped into. Tapping the controls in the temple of his cowl, Batman switched on the night vision lenses built in. Immediately he spotted Phoenix making his way down what appeared to be a hallway.
They traveled down the passageway for several long minutes, neither of them saying anything. Eventually, a faint light appeared in the distance, and when it grew strong enough, Batman turned off the night vision.
Finally an end to the hallway came into view and Phoenix held out a hand to stop him. "You remember what you're supposed to do?"
"Yes." Grayson's instructions had been little more than, 'You see a bad guy with a gun, you take him out, and Bane's mine'. It wasn't that difficult to remember.
There was a sharp turn in the hallway ahead of them. Just beyond it Batman could hear the voices of Bane's guards. Grayson had provided a diagram of the place and indicated where the guards were likely to be positioned.
It was mostly made up of one large room, which would make being undetected that much more difficult, but the lack of available lighting helped to make up for that. Ra's al Ghul had preferred to illuminate the main room with firelight rather than overhead lights.
The flickering shadows provided cover for the two black-and-red suited invaders. Phoenix crept to the right while Batman went left. As he worked to as quietly as possible knock the guards unconscious, Terry noted that Wayne had been far more silent than usual. It was possible that he just didn't want to distract Batman again. Or maybe he trusted Terry to do his job.
They'd taken care of four men each when all hell broke loose. Someone shouted a warning to the others and suddenly Batman and Phoenix had several men converging on each of them at once.
Almost as one, they took to the air, where they would have a greater advantage over their attackers. Batman dived sharply when one guard took aim at him, dodging the laser shots by less than inches. He swooped down just long enough to yank the gun from the guard's hand and hit him over the head with it. Not hard enough to permanently harm him, but strong enough that he wouldn't be a problem anymore. Batman dropped the gun to the floor and few into the air again.
He repeated the same maneuver again and again, occasionally taking cover inside one of the many niches carved into the cavernous room.
Together with Phoenix--who worked as quickly as he did--they managed to clear over half the guards. But they were getting tired, and they'd both taken several hits. Their attackers may not have been on Venom, but they were still good shots. Their suits protected them, but wouldn't hold out indefinitely.
Batman flew towards the ceiling, dodging more lasers. From the higher vantage point he could see Phoenix fighting one of the guards hand to hand. That was odd; Phoenix was better than that. The attacker should have been lying on the ground, out cold by now.
Just as he dove in their direction, more shots were directed at him. Forced to glide off to the side, he couldn't get to Phoenix before another guard came up behind him. The guard lifted his gun and brought the butt of it down on the back of Phoenix's head.
The second his attention was focused on Phoenix, Batman was caught unaware by an especially strong volley of laser fire. It hit him across his mid-section, knocking the wind from his lungs. Terry dropped to the ground like a rock, unable to control his descent.
The last thought he had before the ground rushed up to meet him was that the only way Phoenix could have fallen for such a basic ploy was to have done it on purpose.
Surprisingly, Dick's head didn't hurt as much as he'd expected it to when he woke up. There was a lingering ache, of course, but he could still think clearly. He opened his eyes slowly, not wanting to alert anyone who might be watching.
He was in the cavern that housed the Lazarus pit, though no one else seemed to be around. He sat up carefully, mindful of the rocky surface beneath him and his hands locked in place behind his back.
When he'd made short work of the restraints, Phoenix lifted a hand to the back of his head. He winced at the contact. The guard that had come up behind him had really hit him hard. Not his favorite way to be captured, but the fastest way to Bane under the circumstances. Now, if Bane would hurry up a little, they could get this over with and he could get out of this place.
And hopefully never come back.
Distant footsteps and low, unintelligble voices were the first signs that he was about to get his request. The sounds grew louder until two guards appeared in the doorway, a weary-looking Batman held between them. They dropped him next to Phoenix as Bane entered behind them, murmuring something to the guards that was too low for Dick to hear.
Keeping their captors visible out of the corner of one eye, he made sure they didn't notice him picking the locks of the cuffs around Batman's wrists. "Way to go, Batman," he whispered.
"Hey, you're in here, too."
He was not going to get into an argument about who was the better superhero. He wasn't. "Yeah, but I was captured on purpose."
Batman didn't even blink. "Your point being?"
Phoenix's hands stilled for just a moment before the lock made a quiet click and Batman's wrists were free. He noted that Terry had the good sense to leave them in the same position. The last thing they needed was to attract attention.
Terry lifted one shoulder a fraction in a half-shrug. "Hey, I couldn't let you have all the fun. So, you have any ideas about getting out of this?"
"I'm working on a plan."
"I don't suppose you feel like filling me in."
Phoenix quickly glanced over towards their captor again. "All right. When Bane and the guards come back to kill us, we don't let them."
Batman was quiet for half a second. "Great plan."
"If you have any better ideas I'd be glad to hear them," he hissed. "Don't you have anything in your utility belt we can use?"
Batman shook his head. "Not really. They took away all the really fun toys. Wait, I think I have some..." Batman dug around in a few of the hidden pockets of his suit, coming up with a long white string.
Phoenix stared at him in disbelief. "Dental floss? You expect me to get us out of here with dental floss? Who do you think I am, MacGuyver?"
Even through the full-face mask Phoenix could see Terry's face scrunch up in confusion. "Who?"
"Never mind."
The conversation came to an abrupt halt as one of Bane's guards entered, carrying another body. Bane ordered the guard to drop it next to them and then to leave the room. Phoenix's eyes widened in surprise.
Ra's' eyes were wild and unfocused, darting around the room, unable to settle on any one object. His hands, caught up in the restraints, twitched uncontrollably. Dick stared for a moment but caught himself before his jaw could drop. Bane must have immersed Ra's in the Lazarus pits recently. Too close to Ra's' last time.
"Hey, check out Ra's al Drool."
Phoenix resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Sixty-year-olds didn't do that kind of thing.
Neither of them noticed as Bane approached until he was within speaking distance. He looked both of them up and down, his gaze lingering for a few seconds on Terry. "So. You are Batman." He smiled coldly. "Not the Batman I knew, of course. You are much too young and small. I wonder what happened to my old enemy...?"
Bane's smile changed to one of amusement as he contemplated the possibilities. "I have been given a second chance. A chance to be strong and to rule again. He would be as I was before: weak and helpless. It is too bad that he is not here to see me as I am now."
Neither of them felt like enlightening him and kept silent. Phoenix watched Bane closely as he only half listened to their captor continue to rant about having Batman's successor at his mercy and how easily he'd overpowered Ra's. Dick spared an occasional glance at Terry, noting with each new affront thrown their way how he looked increasingly ready to spring into action regardless of the consequences.
"You may go," Bane said, dismissing the guards with a wave of his hand. "These pathetic creatures are no threat to me."
Dick watched carefully, waiting for even the slightest distraction as Bane continued to taunt them, but no opportunity presented itself.
Until a voice called out from the doorway.
"Bane!"
All four heads turned to see the newcomer who stood defiantly under the stone archway leading to the Lazarus Pits.
Oh, no, Phoenix thought. He wouldn't-- But there was no mistaking the voice. Or the sheer size of the man inside the Bat-Exosuit.
Even Bane recognized his old adversary's voice after so many years. "You!" His voice held both delight and apprehension. "But how...?"
Bruce moved forward several feet in Bane's direction, not close enough for either to land a hit, but near enough to intercept any dangerous moves. "Let the children go, Bane. This is between us!"
Children? Dick clenched his jaw and forced back a snarl at the term. He couldn't lose his focus now. He knew damn well that Bruce couldn't win this fight even with the enhancements of the exosuit. Not at his age and after the amount of energy he'd had to have expended getting through Bane's remaining guards. It was suicide for Bruce to put himself between them and Bane.
Dick couldn't see any weaknesses in Bruce's--Batman's stance, but he knew they had to be there. Bane, on the other hand, didn't know that, and would take the threat seriously. Batman just had to hold him off long enough for Dick to have his chance....
Bane smiled cruelly. "I think not. They may be children, but they are annoyances that must be dealt with. I will enjoy watching them suffer for what they have done to my men." He closed more of the distance between himself and Batman, leaving his back exposed to Terry, Dick, and Ra's.
As Bane reached for the control to pump himself full of Venom, Dick knew he'd never have a better moment. The instant the Venom hit Bane's bloodstream, he doubled over in pain, his scream echoing off the walls of the Lazarus pit.
Phoenix raced to Bane's side and yanked the Venom hose out of the back of Bane's head. The pale green liquid sprayed all over him, but he concentrated on pulling the syringe out of the hidden pocket just inside his gauntlet. He quickly made sure there were no air bubbles and jammed into into one of the many still-bulging veins on Bane's neck.
Bane continued to scream for several long seconds before the injection had time to work its way into his system. His muscles soon began to shrink back to their normal size and he curled into a fetal position on the rocky surface, occasionally making a pained whimper.
Phoenix looked back to see if Terry and Ra's were alright, but only saw Ra's staring wildly at Bane, Terry nowhere in sight. He glanced around the room until he spotted Terry leaning over the fallen figure of Bruce in the exosuit. Terry had gotten Bruce's mask off, and was carefully lifting his head.
Dick rushed over to them, helping lift Bruce further. He studied Bruce critically, noting the sunken and glassy look to his eyes, the pale skin, the shallow, rapid breaths.
"I don't think he has much time left," Terry whispered, as if worried Bruce would hear him. "He had to have used what little strength he had left to fight his way in here. I don't think he's gonna...."
Dick felt his throat tighten. "Bruce--"
Bruce managed to open his eyes enough to stare up at the two of them. "I--" he rasped. His hand started to lift towards Dick but fell back to the ground before it could get even halfway. "Dick, I--" He swallowed hard and began to try again when Dick interrupted him.
"Now's not the time for sentimental speeches, Bruce," Dick said. "We wouldn't want things to start getting weird." He glanced over at the Lazarus pit before turning back to Bruce. "We have just enough time to--"
Bruce immediately deduced Dick's line of the thought and managed to shout, "No!" He coughed deeply a few times, worrying Dick and Terry even more. "Abso...lutely... not," he forced out.
"But you'll die."
"No."
Dick was about to try again when Bruce abruptly lasped into unconsciousness. He had known that Bruce wouldn't willingly go for the notion right away, but that hadn't stopped him from pressing the idea. He hadn't really allowed himself to think of what would happen if he couldn't convince Bruce. He'd assumed that he'd find some way to convince Bruce, find some way to keep from forcing his choice on Bruce, find some way to keep from becoming--
He hastily cut that thought off. Dick looked over at the Lazarus pit again. It was now or never. Now wasn't the time for indecision. He'd made his choice, he had to see it through. He slipped around to slide his hands under Bruce's arms and picked him up as best he could. Dick couldn't lift him very far, though. He may have been stronger than most men his 'age', but even at seventy-five Bruce was huge!
"What are you doing?"
Phoenix swallowed the groan he'd been about to make and didn't answer. He ignored Terry and pulled Bruce closer to the edge of the pit. Terry, however, wasn't willing to be ignored. "What are you doing?" he repeated louder, as if Dick hadn't heard him the first time.
Phoenix managed to gain a few more feet, but it wasn't enough. He needed Terry's help. Time to push a few buttons. "Either shut up or start helping me! I don't have time to play Twenty Questions! Either you're in or you're out. When he wakes up he's not going to see much of a difference between just letting this happen and helping me."
Terry snapped out of his daze and moved toward Phoenix and Bruce. For a second, Dick thought he might have pushed too hard. He'd only recently met Terry, didn't really know how he'd react. He might have just made things worse for himself. There was no way he could get Bruce into the Lazarus pit and fend off Batman at the same time.
However, instead of trying to stop him, Terry moved to the other side of Bruce to help lift him. With their combined strength, they had Bruce onto the platform and were lowering him into the pit within a fraction of the time it would have taken Dick by himself.
"He's going to kill us when he gets out of there," Terry commented mildly as only a man who'd accepted his fate could.
Dick found a genuine--albeit tiny--smile touch his face for the first time in far too long. "Yeah, he will." Images of the few times he had really made Bruce mad flashed through Dick's mind. "If we're lucky." Odd, remembering those times should send a shiver of dread down his spine, but right now it didn't really seem like such a bad thing. Shock. He had to be in shock. Or he'd lost his mind along with Ra's.
Dick's smile widened enough for Batman to actually see it, though he wasn't sure if it reassured Terry or disturbed him further.
"Yeah, but his bark is worse than his bite."
It was a bizarre feeling, but Dick felt an urge to actually laugh from genuine amusement. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done that, either. "Where did you get that idea?"
Phoenix peered closely down into the broiling pit to see Bruce just reaching the surface of the liquid. This shouldn't take more than a minute. "The second he comes out of that haze the Lazarus pits put him through, he's going to grab us both by the ears, haul our butts back to Gotham, and lecture us for three days straight."
At the edge of his vision Dick could see Terry also turn to watch the spot where Bruce had disappeared. "I'm having a little trouble with that picture."
"I guess you would. Even after the last few days, I can't see him any other way."
"This is going to be truly weird."
Dick nodded and was silent for a long moment. Almost time. He glanced over towards Bane and Ra's. Bane was still lying motionless on the cave's floor, however he'd stopped making any noise. Ra's was still staring wildly at Bane.
Terry saw him glance in their direction and looked over as well. "What should we do about them?"
"Leave 'em."
"What? We can't just--"
"We'll make sure all of Bane's guards are rounded up. When Ra's' people learn what happened to him, they'll take care of matters on their own."
Terry tried again. "We can't just leave them here. We have to stop Ra's' people, too!"
Dick shook his head. "No. Without Ra's they'll lose their focus. That's why he wanted an heir so badly, someone to keep his dream going. But without an heir, they're harmless, they'll just drift apart. Talia won't take over, she doesn't share her father's vision."
Terry didn't look happy with the idea, but didn't argue further. "What about Ra's himself?"
Dick glanced quickly over at Ra's before turning back to the Lazarus Pit. He still hadn't moved. "In the state he's in, he's not going to be in any condition to lead anyone."
It was time. Dick motioned for Terry to take several large steps backward with him as the pit began to churn violently. "Watch yourself," Dick told him. "The pits affect people differently, but most of them have very violent reactions to it. He's not going to be in his right mind."
Terry was prevented from replying by the huge wave of Lazarus chemicals that crashed up against the edge of the cliff. When it subsided, it left a still, hunched over figure in its wake. Terry started towards the figure, but Dick's iron grip on his arm prevented him from taking more than two steps.
"You don't want to do that."
When the figure still at the edge of the cliff began to move, they got their first good look at him. He was still wearing the remains of the Bat-Exosuit, though it was now beyond repair. A young Bruce Wayne looked back at the figures of Phoenix and Batman and smirked.
It was disconcerting, to say the least. However, even with the maniacal expression on his face, something finally clicked into place for Dick. Finally felt right again. Even after the time spent getting used to Bruce's aged form, it hadn't truly registered that he was an old man.
Bruce's smirk widened until it grew into laughter. Dick couldn't entirely repress a shiver at the insane, demonic quality that laughter held. Terry wasn't faring nearly as well. He had dropped his usual fearless mask and was on the verge of taking several steps back. Dick didn't blame him; he wasn't that far from the same state himself.
However, he had had more experience in dealing with the aftereffects of the Lazarus pit, so he took charge of the situation. "We have to snap him out of it."
Terry looked at him with wide eyes. "How?"
"A physical blow is usually best. The pain gives them something to focus on." Dick swallowed audibly. "But I've never had to restrain someone as strong as he is..."
Bruce, still laughing like a man posessed, began to stalk towards them. "Looks like we don't have much choice," Terry said. "If only I still had my utility belt..."
"It wouldn't have done any good," Dick told him. "The first few minutes after submersion the person is inhumanly strong. Anything you could throw at him he'd either throw it right back or break it."
"And we're supposed to get close enough to land a hit? Oh, that shouldn't be a problem at all."
"I'll do it. I've got a sedative that should knock him out, and I've got a better chance at being able to give it to him without getting my arm broken in the process."
"Hey--"
"What? You want to be the one to do it?"
That shut him up. Dick knew he should probably soothe the kid's ego a little, he'd been there too many times himself. But now wasn't the time. As Bruce came closer and closer, Dick stood his ground. He locked eyes with Bruce, making sure that the other man didn't see him sliding a second needle out of his sleeve.
Once Bruce was almost close enough to reach out and grab him, Dick leapt towards him, hoping that he would still be in enough of a state of shock to surprise him. Luck was with him, and Bruce was startled by the sudden movement, which allowed Dick just enough time to aim for a particularly large vein running along Bruce's bicep.
The moment he felt the sting of the needle, Bruce let out a snarl of rage and backhanded Phoenix across the cave. Dick wasn't entirely sure what happened next, but by the time he'd stopped seeing stars and was able to sit up, Terry was slinging one of Bruce's arms around his shoulders, lifting him off the floor.
"You okay?" Terry asked.
"Just great," Dick wheezed. He carefully climbed to his feet, wincing a few times at his sore ribs. He didn't think anything was broken or cracked, but he was going to be in pain for the next few days.
"You always carry a sedative with you when fighting the bad guys?" Terry asked as Dick managed to drag himself towards them.
The kid was pretty observant, he should have known Terry would pick up on that. "Had a hunch I might need it this time. Let's get going. I'd rather not be here when Ra's' men get back."
Despite the protests from his injuries, Dick helped carry Bruce out of the compound and back to his house. Neither of them felt like walking the entire way, so they risked the extra strain on their suits and flew back.
The trip was uneventful; they met with no surprise attackers or ambushes. Neither Terry nor Dick said a word to each other as they quickly packed away their equipment in preparation for the ride back to Gotham City. Bruce remained unconscious for several hours, leaving it up to Dick to arrange their transportation.
Once they were settled on the plane, Dick tried to relax, but found it impossible. His current situation hadn't been part of the plan. He should have been on a separate plane from McGinnis and Bruce, headed in the opposite direction.
Instead he was headed for Gotham City once more and it was doubtful Bruce was going to just let him walk away from this one without an explanation. He grimaced at the thought but pushed his irritation away. He had chosen this, he'd have to live with it.
No sooner had he started wallowing in these thoughts than Terry flopped into the seat next next to him. "It's a long plane ride," he said simply. "Plenty of time for any long stories you want to tell."
Dick ran a hand through his hair, careful to avoid the tender spots. "I should go check on him..." He started to get out of the seat but Terry didn't move to let him pass.
"He's not going to be waking up any time soon. Now's the perfect time to tell me your side of the story."
Dick sank back into his seat, casting a weary glance at Terry. "I suppose you do deserve to know." He looked away from the kid, turning his gaze to the massive ocean that occupied the entire view from the plane. The angle they were flying at didn't help to calm his jumbled nerves so he turned to stare at the back of the seat in front of him.
Not taking his eyes off the little silver bolt in the upper right-hand corner of the seat, he told Terry everything. His voice remained steady except for when he came to the part about Tim. It was only a small waver, but he was sure the kid noticed. When he finally finished the entire story, he risked a glance at Terry.
McGinnis was staring at him, listening intently to every word he said. "Whoa. So that's why you spent all that time running away from--"
"I wasn't running away--"
Terry waved a hand to cut him off. "Whatever. That's why you did all that stuff? Faking your death, hooking up with Ra's al Ghul...."
Dick frowned at him. "No. I only did what I had to do to stop Ra's. Bruce never managed to do more than prevent his plans and he couldn't keep doing that forever. Ra's would have eventually succeeded; someone needed to stop him before that happened. Having someone on the inside was the best way."
"So you faked your death just to convince Ra's al Ghul that you were serious?" Terry asked. "Isn't that overkill?"
"It wasn't just that." Dick jerked his head toward the back of the plane where Bruce was sleeping. "You think he'd have let me go if he knew what I was planning?"
"Probably not."
"Then you understand why I did what I did."
Terry shook his head. "No. I don't understand how someone could just let the people that care about them think they were dead."
That was understandable. The kid had never been through anything like he had. "You have a little brother, right?"
"Yeah..." Terry answered slowly. "How'd you know that?"
"I knew about you, didn't I?"
"Point taken."
"Well, how would you feel if your father was responsible for your brother's death? Not because he did it on purpose, but because he let your brother get into a situation that was too dangerous for him? How would you feel if it should have been you in the situation and not your brother?"
Terry's eyes flashed brightly. "I wouldn't know. My father's dead."
That was one of the first things he'd learned about Terry McGinnis. It hadn't surprised him; in fact, he'd expected Terry to have lost his father. It was even less of a surprise that he was still angry about it.
Terry shook off the feeling quickly, though. "Besides, it doesn't matter. The only one responsible for Tim Drake's death was Bane."
"Bruce put him there in the first place."
"Bruce let him make his own decision."
Dick snorted a laugh that was more bitter than amused. "Tim worshipped the ground he walked on. We all did at some point. Tim loved being Robin; no danger was too great for the Dynamic Duo. Of course he chose to go. Bruce should have stopped him."
"Why? You're the one who's angry because he stopped you. Now you're mad because he didn't interfere?"
The kid was deliberately twisting his words again and Dick was tired of having this same argument. "You wanted to know my side of the story, now you do. Not that any of it matters, anyway."
"Why's that?"
"Because ten seconds after he wakes up, we'll both be dead."
Terry raised his eyebrows. "You think he'll take it that badly?"
"One time, when I was in my rebellious teen years, I did something really stupid that got me grounded for a week."
"What was that?"
"It's not important." He could feel the heat of a faint blush cross his cheeks. "The point is that I was grounded and not supposed to go anywhere. But there was a lead on a case I wanted to follow up on. A string of carjackings, I think. I don't really remember.
"Anyway, I was at that stage where I was determined to prove I could handle it on my own. I thought I could get out, meet my source, and be back in bed before anyone was ever the wiser. So, I snuck out to talk to the guy who might have seen something and, of course, I got caught."
"How did he react?"
Dick winced at the memory. "Not well. First off, he practically dragged me back home by my cape. During the car ride there, I was positive I was going to lose my supper. I didn't, but I swear there were a couple of times that came close.
"When we were back in the 'Cave, he was silent for so long, I started to honestly wonder if he was ever going to speak to me again. When he eventually did, he told me, in no uncertain terms, that I was now grounded for a month, absolutely no Robin activities were allowed, and that my training was going to be doubled.
"After that I never tried anything like it again. And don't get me started on the first--and only--time I tried to lie to get myself out of a jam."
"I see your point."
Dick shifted in his seat, glancing towards the back of the plane again. "And besides that, he'll have a whole new set of problems to deal with when he does wake up."
Terry followed his gaze for a moment as well. "What do you mean?"
"You think he's going to pass up a chance to be Batman again?"
The kid's head whipped around to stare at him sharply. "He doesn't want to be Batman anymore."
"Doesn't he?"
"He quit."
"Because of his age."
Terry shook his head just a little too quickly. "No. If that had been the reason, he would have kept kept building better suits until he found one that worked. Age wasn't why he quit."
Before he could censor himself, Dick asked, "Then why?"
The even look Terry leveled at him gave nothing away. "That's something you'll have to ask Bruce."
There was no way to tell if the kid knew anything or was just bluffing. But the specifics didn't matter. Whatever reason he had for quitting had to be some 'failure' Bruce saw in himself. Nothing Batman could ever see would be worse than that night in Crime Alley, which meant it was something Bruce felt he had failed to do.
Dick attempted a nonchalant shrug as he stood up. Their conversation was finished and Terry could use some time alone to think over this new development. "Whatever the reason was, it won't matter. Bruce is the master of refusing to let his demons get the better of him."
The first thing he was aware of when he woke up was that his head hurt. It hurt unlike anything he'd felt in over a decade. The second was a creeping suspicion that something was very, very different.
Unable to remember through the pain just what it was, Bruce pushed himself out of his bed and towards the bathroom. Maybe some cold water would help.
He pressed the switch for the overhead lights, wincing at the sudden brightness. Quickly he pressed the switch again, plunging the room back into darkness. No, lights did not agree with the pain in his head.
As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he tried to clear his mind. There was something... something important. With one hand he reached for the faucet and splashed some water onto his face. That helped a little.
The other hand reached blindly for a towel, found it, and brought it to his face. When he was done he let the towel drop to the counter and looked up at the mirror.
Oh.
That was what he'd been forgetting.
For one, long, almost endless moment, he simply stared at his reflection, memorizing every detail, comparing it to the face he was used to.
Hesitantly, he reached one hand towards the reflection as though if he moved too quickly it would shatter into a thousand pieces. When his fingers made contact with the cool glass, he could almost hear an audible snap as time returned to its normal speed.
Everything that had happened came back with a painful rushing sensation. He concentrated on just breathing for several seconds before he could begin to process thoughts again.
How dare he? He had had no right to make this decision for him! He'd said no, dammit.
The irony was not wasted on him.
Anything he could say would be thrown back at him. The situations were uncanny in their similarities.
There was nothing to be done about it now, what had happened, happened. He would just have to adjust. Which left him with two options.
He could be angry about what happened and make sure that Dick understood that. And, to a lesser extent, Terry. The kid had been in the room with them and wasn't the type to sit on the sidelines. Dick couldn't have fought him off and gotten Bruce into the Lazarus pit. Which meant Terry had helped.
However, the problem with this option was he still knew Dick well enough that he knew this would drive his former protege away again. If he went after Dick out of anger he would chase his 'son' so far away, he might never find him again.
If there was one thing Bruce Wayne had learned well it was that second chances almost never came along.
He made his way down to the Batcave slowly, but taking less time than usual. He could already feel his body regaining its former strength.
He wasn't really surprised to see Dick still in the 'Cave, helping to put away various equipment they'd used. As the old saying went, Dick had made his bed and he was going to lie in it. Terry was there as well; both of them had changed into civilian clothes.
Terry spotted him first and almost dropped the large box he was carrying. Bruce held his gaze for a long moment, letting Terry know he was aware of the kid's part in everything. He would deal with this first. Terry carefully set the box down on one of the nearby tables as Bruce approached him.
There was an awkward silence before Terry would look at him again. "So... we're okay?" he asked quietly.
Bruce waited awhile to give his answer, studying Terry. He looked liked he expected a fight but was ready to defend himself and his actions. Bruce was oddly pleased by that. "Yes.... This time," he added meaningfully in case Terry got any ideas.
With a quick nod that he understood, Terry slipped quietly out of the 'Cave, leaving just the two of them in the room. Dick had given up the pretense of sorting the boxes and was watching him with a guarded stare.
"We need to talk about what happened."
"What I did was no different than what you did to me," Dick said, immediately defensive.
"You're right."
Dick blinked in surprise. "I'm what?"
The situations hadn't been exactly the same, but close enough. "You're right. Do you understand now why I did what I did?"
Dick stared at him, his expression of shock almost comical. He hadn't been prepared for this at all. "I guess I do," he answered softly. "So where does that leave us?"
"At an understanding, for now." He closed enough of the distance between them to be at arm's length, but no closer. "You've been gone a long time, Dick. I want you to stay in Gotham for awhile."
The tension was back in Dick's frame immediately. "I thought that you understood that I refuse to be cowed into obeying your orders like--"
"No. I want you to stay for awhile."
"Oh." From the look on his face, Dick appeared as though he could be knocked over by an especially strong gust of wind. "I... I don't know. I'll... I'll have to think about it."
That was all he asked for at the moment. They would settle their other... differences later. "All right."
Dick's expression shifted to one laced with panic now that that was over; he looked ready to bolt. He obviously needed time to digest what had just happened, so Bruce wasn't surprised when he said, "I'll be in Gotham for a few days at the least." He looked away from Bruce, off into some far corner of the 'Cave. "But if I do decide to leave, I won't go unannounced."
That was progress at least. "I... would appreciate that." The words were awkward, but Dick seemed to understand their meaning, anyway.
With a quick nod to him, Dick left the 'Cave as well. Bruce watched him go, continuing to stare at the doorway for a long time after he was gone. Eventually he broke out of the fugue-like state and walked over to the bank of costumes.
He pulled open the glass display to reach in and take out the cowl of his old gray and black costume. He turned it over several times, noting all the little rips, tears, and rough edges it had accumulated over the years.
Dick, he realized, wasn't the only one who had some thinking to do.
End