Child's Play
June:
Keeping his eyes firmly shut as promise, Tim counted to ten and then opened them. Scanning the city, he found what he was looking for and, grabbing his grappler, he took a running start and leapt. Unlike the first time he had gone off the side of a building, Tim hands and brain were already working on autopilot.
The grappler went out and his body moved itself to get the most out of the move. He hit his first stopping point with a low roll that brought him to his feet. Tim moved slowly until he reached the center of the building's roof. Turning 360 degrees, the teenager waited until a movement caught his eye.
Three buildings to my left, Tim thought as he took a leap to the first building, sliding a little more than he liked on the loose gravel. Righting himself, Tim leapt off that building and used a hook-line to grab a fire escape. The fragile escape, however, didn't hold his weight well and the teenager felt his line go slack. Cursing, but remaining calm, Tim released another grappler and caught the building's ledge slowing his descent.
Dropping the five feet to the ground (and not taking a moment to think about how close he had been to hitting said ground) Tim made his way back up to the top of the building via drainage pipes. Up top again, and knowing he had lost valuable time, Tim looked to see if his target was where it had been. It wasn't, but it also hadn't moved far.
Checking his grapplers (he still had four left, having to leave the first one behind) Tim leapt again. Executing somersaults that had become almost perfected after months in the Cave, Tim nearly flew through the air. He made his way to the target building and arrived just as his target took off. The chase had now become one of speed.
Landing in a crotch, Tim waited a second to see where his quarry was heading, before sprinting. He grabbing a hook, not having the time to work on releasing a grappler, Tim threw it at a building to his left. Leaping, he used the line as a vine, swinging in a wide arch, he was brought around the corner of the building. Landing on a thin ledge of a slightly shorter building, noting his target had following the path he thought, Tim ran again keeping an eye on his quarry who ran on the roof's top so was lower and slightly ahead. Just as the target ready itself to leap off the building, Tim dove, arms first, and successfully grabbed his target's knees, causing them both to tumble on the hard roof surface.
The two skidded and rolled, until they finally separated both crouched on one knee facing each other.
"Very good," Batman said. "You had a little hold up back there," he added in observation.
"The fire escape didn't hold."
Bruce made an 'ah' like sound and rose from his crouched position. "So now, I'm it."
With only a smile, Tim turned on heel and began his allowed ten-second head start at a sprint.
Who knew that tag could ever be so educational…