Thunderstorms: Part Four
Why she actually went to Wayne Manor that evening, she would never know. Annie wasn't sure why she was listening to a man she had no reason to like, but she would do it if only for McGinnis, someone she'd gained a new respect for. He certainly wasn't as clueless as he let on in school, but that was to be expected. Most people knew Bruce Wayne as a rich playboy back in the day, when he was really just the opposite. For Annie, the lines seemed to blur more and more between her and her own mantle in Japan, and she wasn't sure that was a good thing.
She arrived at the manor promptly and was escorted down to the Batcave by Terry. It still didn't make sense to her that Bruce changed his mind in the course of one evening, she knew he was never given to brash decisions.
"You wanted to see me again?"
"You came?" Bruce asked her, turning from his post at the central computer. "I'm almost shocked."
"You knew I would."
He nodded. "Of course. Tim always did, even after we had a fight. And you are not unlike him, in fact there are times that you are exactly like him. And other times I wonder if you're really his daughter due to your faulty logic."
"Unlike you, Bruce Wayne, I'm far from perfect." Annie spat. She didn't know if she wanted to be angry or to wait it out--an invitation from Wayne after a day like yesterday wasn't something that happened every day. She tread on eggshells--but did she want to care? She had been losing the battle with apathy since she'd arrived in America. It was eating at her soul, whispering in tones inaudible to her conscience, so that it slowly turned her heart to stone. She wouldn't let it win. "What do you want me to do?"
"So I assume you're interested?" The old man asked, folding his hands over his cane. "What caused this change, might I ask?"
"Apathy." Annie replied automatically. "There's too much in this world, in this city, already. If I don't care, if I don't fight for those who need protection, who will?" Somehow she knew just what to say, and she could have sworn she saw Bruce's blue eyes smile. Smile? Bruce Wayne?
But he only nodded. "Good question. That's what your father said to me when I caught him down here the first time. And what your mother got so upset with me over, when I tried to make her rest after her battle with Lady Shiva. She wanted to keep fighting, no matter what. And I see that same light in you, Annie Drake."
That surprised her. It was the most he'd ever said to her at all, much less about her parents. Was she truly like them? No…her father would not have struggled with suicide, turned his back on family selfishly. Her mother would never have approved of the way she fought with Bruce, no matter what the qualms, the arguments.
"You are like them. Both of them. Even if you can't see it, I do."
Annie's eyes darted to meet his. Had he read her mind? But how could he…she shook the thought aside. "My father never did the things I have. My mother never disrespected anyone without knowing what she was saying."
"I said you were like them, Drake. I didn't say you were them." He remarked, patting Ace on the head. "But, I wonder…what about protecting yourself?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. For three years you've mourned, hiding from everyone who tries to help you. You claim that it's because you don't need help, but I think you do. You're just too afraid to ask for it." Bruce paused to feed Ace a biscuit, then looked straight at Annie. "If you honestly think that you're the reason your parents died, you're very arrogant. More so than I would have thought. But then again, that streak is rampant on both sides of your family."
Tears stung behind her brown eyes. Bruce was completely calm, emotionless. What he said was true, and now he was making her face that truth, as ugly as it was. She was afraid. But what was she afraid of?
"What are you afraid of, I wonder?" Bruce continued, as if reading her mind. "Of failure? Raising your brother on your own hasn't been easy, I know. You've had to grow up very fast, just like I did. Just make sure that in taking responsibility you don't shut anyone out. You know who I'm talking about."
Yes, she did. Annie had hardly spoken to Cassie or Kon-El since she'd arrived. And after that botch of a reunion at the NJLA Headquarters…she wasn't sure if she wanted to. She'd gotten a job at a local Japanese restaurant to earn money to pay them back for the apartment they'd purchased for her and Jared. But…Bruce would never even bother to steer her away from making mistakes. This certainly wasn't the Bruce Wayne she'd spoken to yesterday. What was he up to?
"Why are you doing this? One day you act like you don't care and now you're concerned? I find that a little hard to believe."
"I could say the same about you." he replied. "You were quite angry with me yesterday…you had good reason…and now you're standing here. What of that?"
"An invitation from Bruce Wayne doesn't come often. I figured it was worth the effort."
"Did you now?"
She didn't like his attitude. There was something in it that made her feel like she was being mocked, even when she couldn't read a damn thing in his emotionless features. "Stop patronizing me, Bruce." She remarked, dropping her pack at her feet. "I asked you a question, and it was forward enough. I deserve an answer. Or should I go?" She turned and motioned to the entrance to the cave, taking a step for effect.
"Ane Miako Cassandra Cain Drake, stop running away!" Bruce barked suddenly.
That was the Bruce Annie knew. "Running away?" she asked. "From what? There's nothing here for me to run from!"
"Responsibility to your parent's mantles is." He said calmly. "You claim to care about them, about preserving their memory for Jared. And what of their jobs in this city? Are you just going to act like they were never there?"
"Don't you guilt me into this." Annie spat, turning to face him. Her eyes narrowed. "We're too embedded in it to just ignore it. Jared and I are their legacy. And I intend to preserve the memory for him without any of your guilt, emotional trauma, or petty tricks."
"And there is your problem, Drake." Bruce scowled, shaking his head. "You're too blinded by pride to realize that some of that is necessary."
"None of it is necessary, Bruce!"
"It got the results required, and there were no complaints."
"So why did my father leave?" Annie had him, and she knew it. She didn't dwell on it, however. She didn't have time to gloat, nor reason to. It was enough that he knew that she'd won the argument, at least for the time being. "So do you still want me?"
"I've always wanted you to be Robin, Annie." Bruce laughed lowly and Annie shivered. There was something unnatural about the Dark Knight laughing. "It was just a matter of you being ready and proving yourself capable."
"I…see. So where's Terry?"
"He's on his way. I sent him on a quick errand. In the meantime, I suggest you suit up." He gestured to a case against the far wall. In it was a female's black body suit and dark red eye mask. Across the chest was Annie's symbol she'd worn as Komadori--the Robin symbol she'd designed. Somehow he'd gotten a hold of it. There were dark red gauntlets to go over the first layer of black material for her wrists and forearms.
"You did know I was coming."
"I already told you that. It was made specifically for you. Go on and change. I want to see what you look like."
Annie shook her head and went to do as he said. "I don't understand you, Bruce Wayne."
"Few people do."
She changed quickly--the material was comfortable but incredibly hard to get on because of the texture. All her life she'd only gone in black spandex or some derivative thereof, and this suit had wires and weaponry built in. It was certainly different, but she would master it quickly. That she promised herself.
"You need to lose some weight." Was all Bruce said when she stepped out.
Her eyebrow went up. "I could say the same to you." Using his words, with an equally calm countenance, might get him to ease up. "It's muscle, Bruce. Not fat. It isn't my fault my body isn't slender like my mother's."
"I'm not faulting you for curves, Drake. All I said is that you need to lose some weight."
Annie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She might not be the paper-thin girl some of her peers were, but she was still small for her height. Petite, her mother would say. Her years of study had turned much of her body fat into lean muscle, and for Bruce not to recognize that was shocking.
"In all honesty, Bruce, I don't give a damn. I'm healthy. That's all I need."
"I'm glad to hear that. The last thing I need for a Robin is some bulimic."
A Robin? And to accuse her of being a bulimic? "Bulimia, like Anorexia nervosa, is a disease, Bruce." She spat, eyes growing dark. "Girls don't ask for it. They are led to believe things that are not true from whatever source and thus make the choice to do terrible things to themselves. Most don't see it as a problem. But they are victims. I had a friend who was Bulimic and she purged one too many times, ruptured her esophagus, and choked to death on her own vomit."
"I know very well what it does."
"I know you do. Which is why I'm wondering why exactly you brought it up?"
"Bulimia is a psychological condition that can be brought on by depression and a lack of adequacy in society." Bruce replied. "I know that you've been depressed, and I know about that stunt you pulled with the shukusen."
Annie touched her wrists lightly. This is Bruce Wayne, she told herself, he knows everything, no matter how secret it might seem. "Regardless of my past, I'm ready now. If you need me, I can help, but if you don't, I'll continue going out on my own. Stop playing games with me."
"Then go down to Pier 237 on the south docks. There's a smuggling operation going on between America and Japan involving narcotics and counterfeit."
"Busy bastards, aren't they?"
Bruce reached up and smacked her with his cane.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Don't curse when you're in my presence." he replied. "I don't think Powers is behind this, he's too smart for narcotics. No, I think this might involve Luthor."
Annie could see Bruce's mind kicking into sleuth gear, and she was glad for once to hear him speaking of something other than how much of a disappointment she was. "Luthor? In Metropolis?"
"Yes."
"Then why are we going after him? Why doesn't Clark or Kon-El?"
"They're in our territory now."
I'm only here a few months and something involving LexCorp comes up, Annie thought as she glided above the city on her hoverboard, suited up as Robin. Why does trouble follow me? She spotted the docks and landed on Pier 235; she couldn't afford to be seen. She knew how desperate some narcotics dealers were, especially if they smelled a bat. Scanning the area for McGinnis, she saw a shadow move past a crate, and she sprinted after him.
"So you came, eh?" Batman whispered when she caught up to him. They now stood on Pier 236, and had a clear view of the criminals on the dock ahead.
"I couldn't let you have all the fun." Annie remarked. "But you're one step ahead of me if you know how to work these suits. I'm used to something a little more…archaic."
"Yeah, well watch yourself. These are professionals. Have a look." He touched the side of her cowl and her view through the mask suddenly zoomed forward. For a split second, she found herself missing Michael and their nightly runs. The whim was quickly forgotten, however, as something familiar caught her eye.
"I know that man."
"Which?"
"The one limping, with an eye patch."
"The gimp?"
"His name's Eddie. Kentaro and I caught him and a few others busting into a bank in Osaka where they kept the government's minting plates. I'll bet you anything they're working for the same person."
"Yeah, but why counterfeit money if you're dealing narcotics? Second income?"
"Two reasons." Annie said softly. "One--if they want to buy narcotics, they'll get them without spending anything. If they have plates…they could do anything. Two--you know that powdery feel to older, laundered money that you get after it's been put through enough registers?"
"Yeah, what's that got to do with narcotics?"
"They could lace the counterfeit money with powdered narcotics to distribute to anyone they wanted without being caught. It's the same principle they used in the second world war to smuggle Jews out of the country without being caught by the SS men. They would lace handkerchiefs with powdered rabbit's blood to dull the noses of the dogs so that when they went aboard the boats, they would find nothing. You can put a powder almost anywhere, weave any plant into a fiber, encase it inside creds without it being detected."
Batman stared. "Damn." He said. "Bruce, did you say you had doubts as to who her Dad is?"
Shut up, McGinnis. She has a point. That could very well be it, but we can't be sure. Stay there and watch for anyone who might be in charge.
"Anthrax all over again." Terry sighed. "There's one thing I don't get--how do you know that the gimp is Eddie?"
"I'm the one that gave him the limp and the patch."
"Remind me to never make you angry." He continued to scan the docks. "Hey, Bruce, isn't that--"
Barbara has been alerted. She's got stings all over the docks.
"And you were going to tell me this when? Need I remind you that Gordon wants my head on a platter?"
"Quit complaining." Annie hissed. "I see an opening. Let's go."
Without waiting for Batman, she slipped back into the shadows, moving among the large shipping crates with ease.
"Bruce, she's--gah, is she crazy?" Batman hissed into the phone, hurrying to catch up.
In this line of work you have to be a little crazy, McGinnis. Get a move on.
"You like her, don't you? Why act differently?"
Not the time to ask, McGinnis. Follow her or you'll lose her, believe me.
Annie landed softly near a crate that shielded Eddie from view of his henchmen. She watched him lift a cigarette to his lips with a shaking hand--good, he was nervous. The beating she'd given him had had the desired effect. His good eye darted from shadow to shadow, unaware that the real threat was just behind him.
But Robin had no need to make a move on him yet.
Ears pricked for any approaching threat she waited, silently observing more closely the deal that was being negotiated. This was far bigger than anyone had anticipated, and certainly the biggest case she herself had ever been involved in. So many faces, anonymous faces, ones that would blend with anyone on the street. With the exception of Eddie, none of them looked shifty in any way. She surmised that several had children, families of their own, to whom they returned daily from a nine-to-five job in the daily grind of the Gotham City rush. Few if any knew how deep this went--they probably considered it just another income--since so many men were too many loose ends, too many possibilities for squeakers.
If this was a sting operation, she would have to tread carefully--the last thing she needed was her aunt Barbara's lecture in addition to Bruce's imminent tirade. Patience had never been her strongest suit, and she had to use every bit of her training now to fight the urge to move in. Then something caught her eye--Eddie was heading away from the dock, toward a group of warehouses just beyond the waterline.
She had to follow him.
Silently, carefully, she made her way between the crates and over the roofs of the warehouses, making her movements equal his, steps ginger when his stepped so, and quick when he dashed between shadows. Eddie looked around quickly before entering the warehouse on the far eastern side; Annie found a window in the roof and took shelter there, sticking close to the old wooden shingles. Peering in the window, she saw three men, all in business suits, sitting around a table, a hanging lamp the only light in the dark, worn down room. She couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but she knew that something wasn't right.
"Eddie, you was supposed to…damned shipment on…!" One of the men yelled.
"There were hang-ups…couldn't get…blue boys showed up." That was Eddie. She couldn't tell just how much firepower they had on them, but they had two thugs with what looked to be advanced versions of Tommy guns. God, she hated guns. She shook the thought away. She had to get inside, somehow. Looking further up the roof, she found her chance: a skylight was open to allow for ventilation. Now all she had to do was get in without letting the moonlight cast a shadow.
"Batman, this is Robin," she said softly into her link, "I'm at an abandoned warehouse a ways off the docks…number…." She paused to verify the number, "Number 42."
"Okay, Robin. Wait for me before going in." Batman replied.
"If I do that, I might miss my chance. Meet me here."
"But--"
She turned off her radio; she didn't have time to hear him arguing with her. She had to go now. She waited until Eddie and the other men had their backs to the skylight, and slipped in under cover of shadow, stepping carefully among the rafter timbers, knowing that their age might give away her position. She silently thanked God for her father's drills over the pond; whenever she made a noise on the beam, her father would knock her off of it and into the water. It had taken hundreds of dunkings before she was able to master her weight and footing, and avoid weak spots. She could hear the conversation quite well now. The man in a blue suit motioned to a thug and the thug stepped forward.
"The boss wants his cocaine, Eddie." He said. "And you don't want to make the boss angry."
Eddie started to fidget in place; he was nervous. Something hadn't gone right. "But Joe, it wasn't my fault, see. There was blue boys everywhere--"
"We don't pay for excuses, Eddie. We pay you so's you get the job done." Joe waved a finger at the thug at his side and he cocked his gun.
"No, Joe, please, I'll have it for ya, in just a few days, you gots my word!"
"Your luck just ran out, Eddie." Joe raised his hand again.
She couldn't let them shoot Eddie, henchman or not. She swung down and knocked the thug at Joe's side to the floor, delivering the knifehand she had practiced so long to his neck.
"What the hell? Shoot her!" Joe cried, obviously taken aback.
Annie had more time than she'd thought. The other thug fumbled with his weapon.
"I thought you said no one followed you, maggot?" Joe screamed, pulling a small handgun.
"I--No one did! I swears it!" Eddie was tripping over himself trying to get away. She couldn't do anything at the moment. She caught one of the other men trying to escape. "You're not going anywhere." She kicked him in the groin, stomach and then the head, and dodged three bullets as the thug got a handle on his weapon. She saw the third man dash out of the warehouse with a suitcase. She wouldn't be able to stop him and prayed Batman would.
The thug was a good shot; she was having trouble dodging all of his bullets. She had to try another tactic. She took to the rafters again, where she was at least partly masked from the thug's aim, and came down right on top of Joe. She pulled him into an easy choke and wrenched his gunhand behind his back, the force causing him to drop the gun. "Why don't you play nice?" She asked. The thug didn't seem to realize what was going on and fired a few shots at her feet.
"Don't shoot, you moron!" Joe cried. "Ack--let me go, bitch!"
She only pulled harder. "Get out of here." She said to Eddie.
He seemed rooted to the spot, petrified."But--"
"NOW!" She yelled, and he took off running. Then she used an open palm to strike him in the small of his back, and he crumpled. No longer shielded, she knew she had seconds to get back to the shelter of the rafters. She swung up onto the closest one she could reach and as she moved to reach for higher ground, she felt a searing pain in her shoulder. She tripped, and felt her body hit something hard. Then nothing…
When Annie woke, she found herself in almost total darkness, alone on an observation table. It was cold, and she was stripped of the suit. She was covered only with a white sheet and chills flowed down her body. She tried to sit up and winced--her torso was tightly bound with cloth bandages. She'd broken a few ribs. But how? Looking around, she could distinguish a low-lit doorway high above her head.
She was inside the Batcave. Her heart beat faster as panic began to set in. Where was everyone? She remembered the last time she was as scared as she now was--it was the day her parents were murdered, so long ago now, but still fresh in her mind. Breath came short as she began to hyperventilate and look frantically for signs of life. She remembered falling through the air, hitting something hard, and then…nothing. It didn't seem right. Where was Bruce? Where was Terry? Or even Ace? She suddenly wished her father was there.
"Easy, Drake. Lie down." Terry appeared instantly by her side and eased Annie back onto the table.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out and in her mind she cursed. It wasn't enough that she'd had to speak in sign until she was five, now she would have to do it again. Damned brain trauma.
Luckily Terry seemed to interpret the look of confusion and anger on her features. "I got there just as they hit you. You'd put two of the suits out and one of the thugs, but the one left shot into the rafters and caught you in the shoulder," he motioned to another bandage and she remembered that sourly, "and as you fell back, you hit your head pretty hard and then fell into a bunch of crates. Right about then the Commissioner busted in with some of her people and I just grabbed you and brought you back here. All things considered, you still did pretty well."
"You're lucky McGinnis was there." Bruce's voice. Annie craned her neck to see him walking up directly behind McGinnis, cane in one hand and something she didn't recognize in his eyes; it was a mixed expression of concern and anger. Had he actually been worried about her? "Your voice will return within a few days. What worries me is that you went ahead and--without going over it with me first--went after Eddie. You could have ruined the sting, Drake!"
Annie frowned and pointed her finger into an open palm and across it, using her mother's sign language.
"What's she saying?" Terry asked.
"You moved away from the docks, yes, but you chased him up to the roof of one of the foreclosed warehouses, Annie! Without thinking he might be going to a higher--"
She began to gesture broadly and nodded vigorously.
"You knew they would be there." Bruce said coldly. "You obviously misjudged their ability to fight."
She thrust her arm out at the costumes encased against the wall.
"Occupational hazard, yes." Bruce nodded, and Annie saw something change in his eyes.
"Occupational hazard? You're going to get killed, Annie!" Terry cried. "You aren't going to let her go out again, Bruce?"
"Yes, she will. All that has changed is that she's learned that she isn't a superhuman, and perhaps it's better this way, McGinnis." He turned to Annie. "Go to sleep, Drake. You've caused enough storms since you got here, no need to incite any more."
Why she actually went to Wayne Manor that evening, she would never know. Annie wasn't sure why she was listening to a man she had no reason to like, but she would do it if only for McGinnis, someone she'd gained a new respect for. He certainly wasn't as clueless as he let on in school, but that was to be expected. Most people knew Bruce Wayne as a rich playboy back in the day, when he was really just the opposite. For Annie, the lines seemed to blur more and more between her and her own mantle in Japan, and she wasn't sure that was a good thing.
She arrived at the manor promptly and was escorted down to the Batcave by Terry. It still didn't make sense to her that Bruce changed his mind in the course of one evening, she knew he was never given to brash decisions.
"You wanted to see me again?"
"You came?" Bruce asked her, turning from his post at the central computer. "I'm almost shocked."
"You knew I would."
He nodded. "Of course. Tim always did, even after we had a fight. And you are not unlike him, in fact there are times that you are exactly like him. And other times I wonder if you're really his daughter due to your faulty logic."
"Unlike you, Bruce Wayne, I'm far from perfect." Annie spat. She didn't know if she wanted to be angry or to wait it out--an invitation from Wayne after a day like yesterday wasn't something that happened every day. She tread on eggshells--but did she want to care? She had been losing the battle with apathy since she'd arrived in America. It was eating at her soul, whispering in tones inaudible to her conscience, so that it slowly turned her heart to stone. She wouldn't let it win. "What do you want me to do?"
"So I assume you're interested?" The old man asked, folding his hands over his cane. "What caused this change, might I ask?"
"Apathy." Annie replied automatically. "There's too much in this world, in this city, already. If I don't care, if I don't fight for those who need protection, who will?" Somehow she knew just what to say, and she could have sworn she saw Bruce's blue eyes smile. Smile? Bruce Wayne?
But he only nodded. "Good question. That's what your father said to me when I caught him down here the first time. And what your mother got so upset with me over, when I tried to make her rest after her battle with Lady Shiva. She wanted to keep fighting, no matter what. And I see that same light in you, Annie Drake."
That surprised her. It was the most he'd ever said to her at all, much less about her parents. Was she truly like them? No…her father would not have struggled with suicide, turned his back on family selfishly. Her mother would never have approved of the way she fought with Bruce, no matter what the qualms, the arguments.
"You are like them. Both of them. Even if you can't see it, I do."
Annie's eyes darted to meet his. Had he read her mind? But how could he…she shook the thought aside. "My father never did the things I have. My mother never disrespected anyone without knowing what she was saying."
"I said you were like them, Drake. I didn't say you were them." He remarked, patting Ace on the head. "But, I wonder…what about protecting yourself?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. For three years you've mourned, hiding from everyone who tries to help you. You claim that it's because you don't need help, but I think you do. You're just too afraid to ask for it." Bruce paused to feed Ace a biscuit, then looked straight at Annie. "If you honestly think that you're the reason your parents died, you're very arrogant. More so than I would have thought. But then again, that streak is rampant on both sides of your family."
Tears stung behind her brown eyes. Bruce was completely calm, emotionless. What he said was true, and now he was making her face that truth, as ugly as it was. She was afraid. But what was she afraid of?
"What are you afraid of, I wonder?" Bruce continued, as if reading her mind. "Of failure? Raising your brother on your own hasn't been easy, I know. You've had to grow up very fast, just like I did. Just make sure that in taking responsibility you don't shut anyone out. You know who I'm talking about."
Yes, she did. Annie had hardly spoken to Cassie or Kon-El since she'd arrived. And after that botch of a reunion at the NJLA Headquarters…she wasn't sure if she wanted to. She'd gotten a job at a local Japanese restaurant to earn money to pay them back for the apartment they'd purchased for her and Jared. But…Bruce would never even bother to steer her away from making mistakes. This certainly wasn't the Bruce Wayne she'd spoken to yesterday. What was he up to?
"Why are you doing this? One day you act like you don't care and now you're concerned? I find that a little hard to believe."
"I could say the same about you." he replied. "You were quite angry with me yesterday…you had good reason…and now you're standing here. What of that?"
"An invitation from Bruce Wayne doesn't come often. I figured it was worth the effort."
"Did you now?"
She didn't like his attitude. There was something in it that made her feel like she was being mocked, even when she couldn't read a damn thing in his emotionless features. "Stop patronizing me, Bruce." She remarked, dropping her pack at her feet. "I asked you a question, and it was forward enough. I deserve an answer. Or should I go?" She turned and motioned to the entrance to the cave, taking a step for effect.
"Ane Miako Cassandra Cain Drake, stop running away!" Bruce barked suddenly.
That was the Bruce Annie knew. "Running away?" she asked. "From what? There's nothing here for me to run from!"
"Responsibility to your parent's mantles is." He said calmly. "You claim to care about them, about preserving their memory for Jared. And what of their jobs in this city? Are you just going to act like they were never there?"
"Don't you guilt me into this." Annie spat, turning to face him. Her eyes narrowed. "We're too embedded in it to just ignore it. Jared and I are their legacy. And I intend to preserve the memory for him without any of your guilt, emotional trauma, or petty tricks."
"And there is your problem, Drake." Bruce scowled, shaking his head. "You're too blinded by pride to realize that some of that is necessary."
"None of it is necessary, Bruce!"
"It got the results required, and there were no complaints."
"So why did my father leave?" Annie had him, and she knew it. She didn't dwell on it, however. She didn't have time to gloat, nor reason to. It was enough that he knew that she'd won the argument, at least for the time being. "So do you still want me?"
"I've always wanted you to be Robin, Annie." Bruce laughed lowly and Annie shivered. There was something unnatural about the Dark Knight laughing. "It was just a matter of you being ready and proving yourself capable."
"I…see. So where's Terry?"
"He's on his way. I sent him on a quick errand. In the meantime, I suggest you suit up." He gestured to a case against the far wall. In it was a female's black body suit and dark red eye mask. Across the chest was Annie's symbol she'd worn as Komadori--the Robin symbol she'd designed. Somehow he'd gotten a hold of it. There were dark red gauntlets to go over the first layer of black material for her wrists and forearms.
"You did know I was coming."
"I already told you that. It was made specifically for you. Go on and change. I want to see what you look like."
Annie shook her head and went to do as he said. "I don't understand you, Bruce Wayne."
"Few people do."
She changed quickly--the material was comfortable but incredibly hard to get on because of the texture. All her life she'd only gone in black spandex or some derivative thereof, and this suit had wires and weaponry built in. It was certainly different, but she would master it quickly. That she promised herself.
"You need to lose some weight." Was all Bruce said when she stepped out.
Her eyebrow went up. "I could say the same to you." Using his words, with an equally calm countenance, might get him to ease up. "It's muscle, Bruce. Not fat. It isn't my fault my body isn't slender like my mother's."
"I'm not faulting you for curves, Drake. All I said is that you need to lose some weight."
Annie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She might not be the paper-thin girl some of her peers were, but she was still small for her height. Petite, her mother would say. Her years of study had turned much of her body fat into lean muscle, and for Bruce not to recognize that was shocking.
"In all honesty, Bruce, I don't give a damn. I'm healthy. That's all I need."
"I'm glad to hear that. The last thing I need for a Robin is some bulimic."
A Robin? And to accuse her of being a bulimic? "Bulimia, like Anorexia nervosa, is a disease, Bruce." She spat, eyes growing dark. "Girls don't ask for it. They are led to believe things that are not true from whatever source and thus make the choice to do terrible things to themselves. Most don't see it as a problem. But they are victims. I had a friend who was Bulimic and she purged one too many times, ruptured her esophagus, and choked to death on her own vomit."
"I know very well what it does."
"I know you do. Which is why I'm wondering why exactly you brought it up?"
"Bulimia is a psychological condition that can be brought on by depression and a lack of adequacy in society." Bruce replied. "I know that you've been depressed, and I know about that stunt you pulled with the shukusen."
Annie touched her wrists lightly. This is Bruce Wayne, she told herself, he knows everything, no matter how secret it might seem. "Regardless of my past, I'm ready now. If you need me, I can help, but if you don't, I'll continue going out on my own. Stop playing games with me."
"Then go down to Pier 237 on the south docks. There's a smuggling operation going on between America and Japan involving narcotics and counterfeit."
"Busy bastards, aren't they?"
Bruce reached up and smacked her with his cane.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Don't curse when you're in my presence." he replied. "I don't think Powers is behind this, he's too smart for narcotics. No, I think this might involve Luthor."
Annie could see Bruce's mind kicking into sleuth gear, and she was glad for once to hear him speaking of something other than how much of a disappointment she was. "Luthor? In Metropolis?"
"Yes."
"Then why are we going after him? Why doesn't Clark or Kon-El?"
"They're in our territory now."
I'm only here a few months and something involving LexCorp comes up, Annie thought as she glided above the city on her hoverboard, suited up as Robin. Why does trouble follow me? She spotted the docks and landed on Pier 235; she couldn't afford to be seen. She knew how desperate some narcotics dealers were, especially if they smelled a bat. Scanning the area for McGinnis, she saw a shadow move past a crate, and she sprinted after him.
"So you came, eh?" Batman whispered when she caught up to him. They now stood on Pier 236, and had a clear view of the criminals on the dock ahead.
"I couldn't let you have all the fun." Annie remarked. "But you're one step ahead of me if you know how to work these suits. I'm used to something a little more…archaic."
"Yeah, well watch yourself. These are professionals. Have a look." He touched the side of her cowl and her view through the mask suddenly zoomed forward. For a split second, she found herself missing Michael and their nightly runs. The whim was quickly forgotten, however, as something familiar caught her eye.
"I know that man."
"Which?"
"The one limping, with an eye patch."
"The gimp?"
"His name's Eddie. Kentaro and I caught him and a few others busting into a bank in Osaka where they kept the government's minting plates. I'll bet you anything they're working for the same person."
"Yeah, but why counterfeit money if you're dealing narcotics? Second income?"
"Two reasons." Annie said softly. "One--if they want to buy narcotics, they'll get them without spending anything. If they have plates…they could do anything. Two--you know that powdery feel to older, laundered money that you get after it's been put through enough registers?"
"Yeah, what's that got to do with narcotics?"
"They could lace the counterfeit money with powdered narcotics to distribute to anyone they wanted without being caught. It's the same principle they used in the second world war to smuggle Jews out of the country without being caught by the SS men. They would lace handkerchiefs with powdered rabbit's blood to dull the noses of the dogs so that when they went aboard the boats, they would find nothing. You can put a powder almost anywhere, weave any plant into a fiber, encase it inside creds without it being detected."
Batman stared. "Damn." He said. "Bruce, did you say you had doubts as to who her Dad is?"
Shut up, McGinnis. She has a point. That could very well be it, but we can't be sure. Stay there and watch for anyone who might be in charge.
"Anthrax all over again." Terry sighed. "There's one thing I don't get--how do you know that the gimp is Eddie?"
"I'm the one that gave him the limp and the patch."
"Remind me to never make you angry." He continued to scan the docks. "Hey, Bruce, isn't that--"
Barbara has been alerted. She's got stings all over the docks.
"And you were going to tell me this when? Need I remind you that Gordon wants my head on a platter?"
"Quit complaining." Annie hissed. "I see an opening. Let's go."
Without waiting for Batman, she slipped back into the shadows, moving among the large shipping crates with ease.
"Bruce, she's--gah, is she crazy?" Batman hissed into the phone, hurrying to catch up.
In this line of work you have to be a little crazy, McGinnis. Get a move on.
"You like her, don't you? Why act differently?"
Not the time to ask, McGinnis. Follow her or you'll lose her, believe me.
Annie landed softly near a crate that shielded Eddie from view of his henchmen. She watched him lift a cigarette to his lips with a shaking hand--good, he was nervous. The beating she'd given him had had the desired effect. His good eye darted from shadow to shadow, unaware that the real threat was just behind him.
But Robin had no need to make a move on him yet.
Ears pricked for any approaching threat she waited, silently observing more closely the deal that was being negotiated. This was far bigger than anyone had anticipated, and certainly the biggest case she herself had ever been involved in. So many faces, anonymous faces, ones that would blend with anyone on the street. With the exception of Eddie, none of them looked shifty in any way. She surmised that several had children, families of their own, to whom they returned daily from a nine-to-five job in the daily grind of the Gotham City rush. Few if any knew how deep this went--they probably considered it just another income--since so many men were too many loose ends, too many possibilities for squeakers.
If this was a sting operation, she would have to tread carefully--the last thing she needed was her aunt Barbara's lecture in addition to Bruce's imminent tirade. Patience had never been her strongest suit, and she had to use every bit of her training now to fight the urge to move in. Then something caught her eye--Eddie was heading away from the dock, toward a group of warehouses just beyond the waterline.
She had to follow him.
Silently, carefully, she made her way between the crates and over the roofs of the warehouses, making her movements equal his, steps ginger when his stepped so, and quick when he dashed between shadows. Eddie looked around quickly before entering the warehouse on the far eastern side; Annie found a window in the roof and took shelter there, sticking close to the old wooden shingles. Peering in the window, she saw three men, all in business suits, sitting around a table, a hanging lamp the only light in the dark, worn down room. She couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but she knew that something wasn't right.
"Eddie, you was supposed to…damned shipment on…!" One of the men yelled.
"There were hang-ups…couldn't get…blue boys showed up." That was Eddie. She couldn't tell just how much firepower they had on them, but they had two thugs with what looked to be advanced versions of Tommy guns. God, she hated guns. She shook the thought away. She had to get inside, somehow. Looking further up the roof, she found her chance: a skylight was open to allow for ventilation. Now all she had to do was get in without letting the moonlight cast a shadow.
"Batman, this is Robin," she said softly into her link, "I'm at an abandoned warehouse a ways off the docks…number…." She paused to verify the number, "Number 42."
"Okay, Robin. Wait for me before going in." Batman replied.
"If I do that, I might miss my chance. Meet me here."
"But--"
She turned off her radio; she didn't have time to hear him arguing with her. She had to go now. She waited until Eddie and the other men had their backs to the skylight, and slipped in under cover of shadow, stepping carefully among the rafter timbers, knowing that their age might give away her position. She silently thanked God for her father's drills over the pond; whenever she made a noise on the beam, her father would knock her off of it and into the water. It had taken hundreds of dunkings before she was able to master her weight and footing, and avoid weak spots. She could hear the conversation quite well now. The man in a blue suit motioned to a thug and the thug stepped forward.
"The boss wants his cocaine, Eddie." He said. "And you don't want to make the boss angry."
Eddie started to fidget in place; he was nervous. Something hadn't gone right. "But Joe, it wasn't my fault, see. There was blue boys everywhere--"
"We don't pay for excuses, Eddie. We pay you so's you get the job done." Joe waved a finger at the thug at his side and he cocked his gun.
"No, Joe, please, I'll have it for ya, in just a few days, you gots my word!"
"Your luck just ran out, Eddie." Joe raised his hand again.
She couldn't let them shoot Eddie, henchman or not. She swung down and knocked the thug at Joe's side to the floor, delivering the knifehand she had practiced so long to his neck.
"What the hell? Shoot her!" Joe cried, obviously taken aback.
Annie had more time than she'd thought. The other thug fumbled with his weapon.
"I thought you said no one followed you, maggot?" Joe screamed, pulling a small handgun.
"I--No one did! I swears it!" Eddie was tripping over himself trying to get away. She couldn't do anything at the moment. She caught one of the other men trying to escape. "You're not going anywhere." She kicked him in the groin, stomach and then the head, and dodged three bullets as the thug got a handle on his weapon. She saw the third man dash out of the warehouse with a suitcase. She wouldn't be able to stop him and prayed Batman would.
The thug was a good shot; she was having trouble dodging all of his bullets. She had to try another tactic. She took to the rafters again, where she was at least partly masked from the thug's aim, and came down right on top of Joe. She pulled him into an easy choke and wrenched his gunhand behind his back, the force causing him to drop the gun. "Why don't you play nice?" She asked. The thug didn't seem to realize what was going on and fired a few shots at her feet.
"Don't shoot, you moron!" Joe cried. "Ack--let me go, bitch!"
She only pulled harder. "Get out of here." She said to Eddie.
He seemed rooted to the spot, petrified."But--"
"NOW!" She yelled, and he took off running. Then she used an open palm to strike him in the small of his back, and he crumpled. No longer shielded, she knew she had seconds to get back to the shelter of the rafters. She swung up onto the closest one she could reach and as she moved to reach for higher ground, she felt a searing pain in her shoulder. She tripped, and felt her body hit something hard. Then nothing…
When Annie woke, she found herself in almost total darkness, alone on an observation table. It was cold, and she was stripped of the suit. She was covered only with a white sheet and chills flowed down her body. She tried to sit up and winced--her torso was tightly bound with cloth bandages. She'd broken a few ribs. But how? Looking around, she could distinguish a low-lit doorway high above her head.
She was inside the Batcave. Her heart beat faster as panic began to set in. Where was everyone? She remembered the last time she was as scared as she now was--it was the day her parents were murdered, so long ago now, but still fresh in her mind. Breath came short as she began to hyperventilate and look frantically for signs of life. She remembered falling through the air, hitting something hard, and then…nothing. It didn't seem right. Where was Bruce? Where was Terry? Or even Ace? She suddenly wished her father was there.
"Easy, Drake. Lie down." Terry appeared instantly by her side and eased Annie back onto the table.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out and in her mind she cursed. It wasn't enough that she'd had to speak in sign until she was five, now she would have to do it again. Damned brain trauma.
Luckily Terry seemed to interpret the look of confusion and anger on her features. "I got there just as they hit you. You'd put two of the suits out and one of the thugs, but the one left shot into the rafters and caught you in the shoulder," he motioned to another bandage and she remembered that sourly, "and as you fell back, you hit your head pretty hard and then fell into a bunch of crates. Right about then the Commissioner busted in with some of her people and I just grabbed you and brought you back here. All things considered, you still did pretty well."
"You're lucky McGinnis was there." Bruce's voice. Annie craned her neck to see him walking up directly behind McGinnis, cane in one hand and something she didn't recognize in his eyes; it was a mixed expression of concern and anger. Had he actually been worried about her? "Your voice will return within a few days. What worries me is that you went ahead and--without going over it with me first--went after Eddie. You could have ruined the sting, Drake!"
Annie frowned and pointed her finger into an open palm and across it, using her mother's sign language.
"What's she saying?" Terry asked.
"You moved away from the docks, yes, but you chased him up to the roof of one of the foreclosed warehouses, Annie! Without thinking he might be going to a higher--"
She began to gesture broadly and nodded vigorously.
"You knew they would be there." Bruce said coldly. "You obviously misjudged their ability to fight."
She thrust her arm out at the costumes encased against the wall.
"Occupational hazard, yes." Bruce nodded, and Annie saw something change in his eyes.
"Occupational hazard? You're going to get killed, Annie!" Terry cried. "You aren't going to let her go out again, Bruce?"
"Yes, she will. All that has changed is that she's learned that she isn't a superhuman, and perhaps it's better this way, McGinnis." He turned to Annie. "Go to sleep, Drake. You've caused enough storms since you got here, no need to incite any more."