Tim lay quietly on the uncomfortable cot that Wayne had prepared for him. The digital clock within his line of sight illuminated the face of his temporary guardian--eyes shut, face calm and blank. Numbers on the screen read 3:30 a.m. Tim listened to Wayne's breath. It was deep. He hadn't moved for over an hour. Surely the man was asleep.
Slowly, almost imperceptably, Tim slid from the cot and crouched on the floor, waiting a moment before crawling toward the door that led to the hallway of the complex. He paused when he heard Wayne grunt in his sleep, waiting for a few heart-pounding seconds until the man rolled over and gave way to deep breathing again. Let out a soundless rush of air in relief, Tim continued his slow process to the door, turning the doorknob carefully and letting the door swing open quietly. He started to slip through the doorway, but the carpet didn't catch the wood of the door. It swung back, about to hit the wall. He made a wild dive for it and caught it just before it hit the wall, listening to the small thud it made as it brushed the wallpaper. Standing now, listening intently for any clue that Wayne had heard, Tim waited a few seconds and then carefully let the door go. He started a brisk but soundless walk down the hallway, moving through the makeshift livingroom and finally toward his window to freedom--the door leading to outside the flat. His hand undid the first chain lock, then the deadbolt, and rested on the doorknob, waiting to turn it and let himself loose--
"I expected more from you, Mr. Drake." Came a voice from behind him, in the doorway of the bedroom. He turned slowly to see Wayne there, smirking, wide awake. "Sure, you managed to make it to the door. But no provisions? No money? You didn't even attempt to steal the keys to my car." He shook his head in mock shame. "You're going soft. I thought you were supposed to be a thief or something."
How the hell did he? Tim stood there gaping for a few seconds. Wayne must have watched him the entire time. How could that man fake sleep so well? He thought his eyes were closed. And why let him get that far and then stop him?
Wayne eyed him with raised eyebrows. "Apparently you're not as smart as they all think, judging by how you're staring at me. I told you, Mr. Drake, I would monitor you. Did you think I wouldn't expect an escape attempt? And if you did make it out, do you think I could not find you?"
Tim frowned. "I promise you, if I escaped, it would be many, many years before you found me. And that would be if I wanted you to find me."
"I enjoy a challenge, Mr. Drake." Wayne said with that same maddening smile. "You present none. Now, if you would kindly return to bed. You have school in the morning."
Tim grumbled and returned to that same uncomfortable cot.
Cy watched his friend enter at breakfast the next morning. Tim's hair was messier than usual, and his grey eyes had dark circles underneath them. He waited until Tim had sat down at the table, then looked carefully at Tim. "You look exhausted."
Tim merely glared at him. Cy shrugged. "Rough night at Wayne's?"
"I'm not here for murder, but by the time I'm done with Wayne, I'll be wanted for it." Tim grumbled, poking his fake scrambled eggs and wondering why everything they served them in this place tasted like rubber. "You ever wonder if they poison this food?"
"It's just tofu eggs." Came Gar's voice as he plopped down his tray next to Cy and sat down, eating eagerly. "They're awesome."
"They're disgusting." Cy said calmly. He stopped poking his food as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw the three who had tried to start a fight the day before standing behind him, Jinx folding her arms.
"I thought you said we could have our table back." She jerked her thumb at Gar. "Because of him."
Cy shrugged and grinned. "Well...I lied. I do that." He watched Jinx frown horribly, then Manfred crack his knuckles as if readying for pounding someone. "However, Jinx, you are welcome to join us." Cy smirked at Manfred, showing him that he could more than take him. Intimidation was not a problem.
Jinx moved away from her group and stood next to Cy, slightly taller than him at the moment because he was sitting down. Her face was inches away from his as she glared at him. "Liars shouldn't compete with the queen of lieing. When you least expect it, you'll get your own."
He smirked. "I've been getting my own for years."
Jinx's slap against his cheek was resounding, and as the three stalked away, the hacker massaged his dark cheek. Tim grinned, his spirits obviously lifted by the encounter. "So, this girl got something for you, or is it the other way around?"
"Neither." Cyborg replied, returning to poking his food. "I just like messing with her. However, Gar has something for..."
"Shut it, Cy." Gar said in a warning growl and Terra passed behind him, laughing and giggling with a group of girls. Cyborg laughed and watched as Gar immeadiately changed the subject. "So where's that Roth girl?"
Tim shrugged, but his mind had been on the same thing. She seemed interesting, this Raven. What was she in for? She seemed even less friendly than most of the people around Juvenile Hall. With the fact that he no longer stayed in the same boarding house as the rest of the delinquets, he had less chance to see her...but it also meant less time to hang out with Kory. That girl had followed Tim around the first night, talking to him incessantly. She was too annoying.
He saw Raven walking not far away with a tray of food and flagged her down. She approached hesitantly, then sat down opposite Tim, on the other side of Cy. She seemed to be as preoccupied with poking her food as everyone else. Cy turned to her, trying to think of something to engage the quiet girl in conversation.
"I didn't see you last night."
"They were confisticating my knife."
Tim raised his eyebrows. "How did you manage to get that through the metal detectors?"
"It's made of plexiglass." Raven had moved on to trying to butter the stone cold, hard-as-a-rock biscuit. "They actually searched my bag last night."
"They search all of us on entering." Gar said thoughtfully. "You mean they searched you an extra time?"
She nodded. All of them stared. Cy whistled and spoke up. "Girl, what did you do?"
Raven paused, eyes trained on the food she hadn't taken a bite of. "I killed my father."