Robin wasn't trying to shake pursuit…a fact for which Batgirl was quite grateful. Had he been trying, she would never have been able to keep up…especially as she wasn't entirely sure of his destination. As she caught sight of a flash of color, she altered course again. It wasn't until he landed on the roof of a familiar apartment building, surrounded by flashing lights, that she realized the import of whatever he had read. She caught sight of him preparing to descend, and she put on a burst of speed. She impacted with his back in an uncontrolled descent, and tackled him to the ground. He fought her blindly, not even cognizant of who had attacked him.
"Stop!" She tried to catch his hands, but he landed a solid blow to her sternum, robbing her of breath. Gasping, she switched tactics, grabbing his head and giving it a solid thump on the roof beneath him. It didn't knock him out, but it fazed him enough that he stopped struggling long enough to realize who exactly was on top of him.
"Let me up!" His voice was insistent, with an edgy, almost panicky quality to it. He shoved at her again, more gently this time, but she still didn't move.
"No." She could tell he was about to freak out again, so she hurriedly continued, "You can't go down there! You're still Robin!" That gave him pause, but she could tell it didn't completely convince him. His mind was racing, unable to think logically. She sighed, and decided to take matters into her own hands. She tugged at his cape, forcing the sudden-release feature to open, and tossed it aside. Then she unceremoniously pulled off his mask, not taking the time to keep from injuring him a little as the spirit gum attaching it to his face resisted, hoping the extra pain would shock him into awareness. Apparently it did, as he blinked up at her, a bit confused at first, but his expression clearing.
He pushed at her again, but she could tell he was under much better control this time, so she released him. He sat up, glancing towards the edge of the rooftop as if he would bolt, so she inched closer.
"There are people down there." She said it as a warning reminder, but he stiffened, a desperate light coming back into his eyes.
"I know! I have to…I don't have time for this!" His voice broke as he started to rise again. She grabbed his shoulder and forced him back to a sitting position. Taking his head in both hands she made him look at her.
"You…have…to…change!" she said each word slowly and distinctly, as if that would get her pint across better. He closed his eyes and a shudder ran through him, but he nodded…and this time she really believed he would act more sensibly.
"I…I have a set of civvies in the…the…" he waved vaguely at a ventilation shaft with a curved head. She glanced worriedly at him one more time, but he seemed in control so she rose and went to fetch them. He removed his outer tunic and shirt, though his hands were shaking so bad it took a few tries. By the time she returned with his clothes he was only wearing his tights. He pulled on the sweatshirt, dragged a pair of baggy jeans over his tights, and stuffed his feet into an old pair of tennis shoes. Batgirl collected his Robin gear without speaking and stuffed it into the hidey-hole where he'd left his civilian clothes before.
He didn't wait for her, but descended to street level. She wanted to follow…obviously whatever was going on was big, and he'd need a friend. A movement to the left caused her to whirl defensively, but the darkness rearranged itself into a familiar figure.
"Batman." He frowned at her, every movement screaming that she shouldn't be here. "What's going on?" He didn't answer.
"Where's Robin?" His question was short, curt, but she sensed he already knew the answer.
"Down." She indicated the street with her head. Though he had anticipated this answer, he tensed even more and actually started pacing! She hadn't seen him this agitated before, and it worried her even more than Tim's panic attack. "What is going on!" Her voice was more insistent this time, and seemed to break through to his thoughts.
"You don't know?" She fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing he would know even through her mask. As it was she was hard-pressed not to let the sarcasm escape into her tone as she answered.
"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking." He nodded, but continued his silence, preoccupied. She was about to insist a third time when he suddenly spoke.
"Oracle intercepted a 911 call." She blinked. A nine-one-one ca….oh. Duh.
"Here?" He nodded.
"She didn't want Robin to know about it…called me instead. I was across town…I was still on my way when she told me you two broke into the tower." There wasn't any censure there, not like she'd expected anyway. Just a bleak…empty…statement of fact.
"It's bad?" She barely trusted her voice, and it came out a whisper. He obviously didn't trust his voice either, as he simply nodded. A chill ran down her spine and she looked back to the edge of the roof where Tim had descended. There was an urgent feeling in her chest, and she thought she understood now why Tim had been so unreasonable.
She pulled her mask and cape off, earning her a sideways glance from Batman. He obviously knew what she was doing, and he just nodded, silently. With all the cops and ambulances downstairs, none of the Bat-clan could approach…not yet. But she could. Tim had kept civilian clothes on his roof to make it easier to go home in the morning. She, on the other hand, carried a baggy shirt in one of her large utility belt compartments…it wasn't so conspicuous for a girl to be wearing tight pants, so she didn't bother covering those up. She pulled on the shirt and bunched up the cowl and cape in between a couple of air conditioners. Then, with a deep breath to steady her racing heart and a last glance at Batman, she hopped off the roof and made her way down to where she could enter without being conspicuous.
Tim's heart was racing…keeping time to the mantra running through his brain as he pounded down the fire-escape. He kept telling himself it was a mistake…that the police had gotten there in time…or that it was a simple robbery…no one could be hurt. Oracle's alert had only shown the intercepted call, with the Drake name posted across the flashing box. It hadn't provided any details as to the reason for the call. But something inside him insisted that it wasn't so simple.
His headlong rush was halted suddenly as he rounded the corner and noticed the police blocking off the entrance to the building. He went cold. This was bad. He backpedaled to keep from being seen, melting back into the shadows. He considered his options. The police wouldn't let him in, he was pretty sure of that. Glancing back up, he noted a dark figure starting to descend the fire escape. Batgirl. Or…a strange still-functioning part of his mind observed… considering the lengths she had gone through to make him remember to keep the identity a secret, she was probably in street clothes herself. With one last glance behind him at the guarding officers, he started back up the fire escape. He could sneak in the window…he did it often enough. He was halfway back up when Cass reached him.
"What…?" He kept climbing, not willing to pause even to answer. She shrugged and climbed with him. He found himself resenting her presence, even as it was comforting. She seemed to think he needed a babysitter…and she may be right. He didn't trust himself…just look how close he'd come to blowing the whole secret! But…but someone could be hurt…or…no. He wouldn't think that way.
He reached the window to his own room and clambered in. Without a second's thought, he raced through the apartment, heading instinctively towards the kitchen where he could hear voices. He didn't attempt to hide his presence, as he thudded down the stairs. A pair of cops glanced up, tensing automatically. Tim started towards the kitchen and they reached out to stop him.
"Hold it, son! Where do you think you're going!" Tim eluded the first officer's grasp, but came up short as the other moved to block the door.
"How did he get in, is my question. And what he's doing here." The man folded his arms across his chest in an attempt to intimidate him.
"I live here!" Tim almost informed him, as well, that he'd been intimidated by the best and that he in no way measured up, but at that moment, Cass made an entrance of her own, distracting them.
"Jeez! They're crawling out of the woodwork." The officer had some pretty obvious suspicions as to where they'd come from…and what they'd been doing in the recent moments that had kept them out of sight for so long. Cass glared at him as Tim ducked around the other officer.
"We came up the fire escape." She informed him as she followed Tim. It was an explanation, but also a warning…an alert to the police that their security wasn't as tight as they'd assumed. Both men let out an exclamation intending to stop them from entering, but they posed no threat to two teenaged vigilantes.
Tim entered the kitchen in full-fledged attack mode…ready to take on any comers. A few police officers looked up at his sudden entrance, and the outburst from their peers. One stood, intent on intercepting Tim, but he was too slow. Tim came to a halt just inside the door…feeling as if his heart had stopped as well.
"No….God, no…." he felt his knees give way, but inexplicably didn't fall to the floor. He was vaguely conscious of Cass supporting him, but all he could see was… blood…so much….it was…oh, God….his vision seemed to be clouding, and he felt his stomach heave. Cass lowered him so he was on his hands and knees. He was dimly aware that two of the officers were next to him as well, trying to get him out of the kitchen, away from the scene. He resisted at first, fighting tooth and nail and managing to break free from them…but he couldn't fight off Cassandra when she got her mind set on something and he numbly felt himself being dragged into the living room.
Cass held Tim's head as he retched again. She herself was shaking…though not for the same reasons as Tim. One police officer approached her, trying to ask her something important…she just shook her head, unable to form any type of understandable words. The woman left, only to return a minute later with another officer. This one crouched down, trying to get Tim to respond, then glanced up at her when that failed to produce a result.
"Miss?" He snapped his fingers close to her face, eliciting a glare…which apparently satisfied him that she was paying attention now. "Miss, I need to ask you some questions." She stiffened, not sure she was capable of navigating tricky police questions. He ignored this response, instead continuing his questioning. "Did you know the victim?" She nodded, glancing at Tim, who still looked decidedly green, but also seemed unaware of his surroundings. The man caught her glance, and followed it to Tim, then looked back at her questioningly.
"He…he was…his…dad." The officer's expression softened, and he nodded. He wrote something down on the pad of paper in his hand.
"And where were you earlier this evening?" For a moment she panicked…she couldn't tell him the truth! But she forced herself to relax, knowing only too well how body language could give everything away. Instead she patted Tim's shoulder absentmindedly and answered with a straight face.
"We were at my apartment. We…weren't supposed to be there…which is why we were sneaking back in." That sounded plausible enough, didn't it? She wished that Batman were here. He'd know what to do…about everything.
"Um-hmmm." He didn't believe her. Not entirely. Before she could respond there was a commotion at the door. She leapt to her feet as a sense of incredible relief flooded through her. A strange urge to latch onto the man who stood there was curbed only by the fact that, robbed of her support, Tim had slumped to the floor.
"What's going one here?" The officer who'd been interrogating her approached the newcomer…who simply looked disdainfully at him and then ignored him as he hastened to Tim's side. Cass still couldn't manage to get any words out…her brain was finally catching up to the import of his appearance here. "You! What do you think you're…" The officer's demand was cut short as He helped Tim back onto the couch, murmured something too low for her to hear, and then leveled the glare at the officer. It was almost as effective as it would have been behind the mask.
"Bruce Wayne." He said shortly, by way of introduction. "Mrs. Drake called me…I'm a friend of the family. She wasn't sure where Timothy was and wanted me to find out if he'd come home. She couldn't be here herself, as she seems to have been kept over-long at the station. I'm certain that that oversight has been corrected…I sent my lawyer down there just a while ago." In fact, he had sent his lawyer and Alfred…he had a feeling Dana would need emotional support even more than the legal support. He raised one eyebrow imperiously, giving off the impression that everything about this was beneath him. It seemed to convince the officer…but it didn't pass with Cassandra. She could tell he was just as keyed up as she felt inside.
"Of course, Mr. Wayne. We just wanted to make sure everything was…."
"Oh, sure. I understand." He waved away the man's protestation. "I'm just going to make sure Tim and…" he raised an eyebrow inquiringly at her and Cass realized with a start that she was supposed to be playing a part!
"Cassandra." She barely forced the answer out through clenched teeth, but it seemed to satisfy him as he continued.
"Yes. Tim and his friend Callista…" Cass frowned, muttering her name again under her breath, but recognizing the "Bruce Wayne: Fop" act. "…are taken care of. I've sent instructions for Mrs. Drake to come stay at the Manor, Tim will stay too, of course, and I'll make sure that his friend here gets home as well." His tone brooked no argument and he led the two of them out of the apartment without any resistence…although Tim kind of had to be half-dragged out. Cass snuck a glance at Bruce, but he simply ushered them out as swiftly as possible without attracting too much attention.
Cass was itching to speak…bursting with a million questions and concerns. But it was quickly apparent that Bruce wasn't willing to talk yet, so she held her peace…choosing, instead, to try to get Tim to come out of his stupor. Unfortunately she succeeded, only to have to wrestle him back down to the seat and practically tie him down to keep him from leaping out of the car. She couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking…which was disconcerting, to say the least…but what was worse was knowing that he wasn't sure of his feelings either! There was an explosion inside him waiting to erupt at the least provocation…but whether revenge, escape, or something else was the driving force, not even Tim knew. Cass feared that if they didn't keep a close eye on him, he may unwittingly…or perhaps purposefully….place himself in harm's way.
They reached the Manor without any serious incident. Alfred hastened to the car, a concerned look on his face. Bruce climber out, but Cass held back, letting the two men speak in private. Of course, she also held Tim back…not that he was too intent on getting out. It seemed that he was drained of all energy…a cycle she wasn't sure she would ever quite understand. The door on his side of the car opened, and Alfred's head appeared.
"Tim, lad, come." He reached in to help Tim climb out. Tim clung to him like a lifeline, and Cass watched the two of them make their way to the house. She shivered, hugging her arms around her body. A warm hand came down on her shoulder and she started. She glanced back, relaxing as she realized it was Bruce.
"How are you holding up?" She shrugged. Why was he asking her? She had killed someone…once…and the mere sight of a dead body…no matter how gruesome…couldn't hope to measure up to that experience. She felt a queasy sensation in her stomach and felt her knees start to give way. Bruce's strong grip held her up, but she started shaking. What was wrong with her! A painful sensation built behind her eyes and her vision became blurry. A disconnected part of her noted that tears were running down her face, but she couldn't quite understand why.
"I…I don't…" Bruce pushed her down a bit, and she realized he'd led her over to a decorative bench. There was understanding in his face, but no answers. She shook her head. "I…I've…I shouldn't be…" He nodded his understanding.
"You've seen terrible things in your life, Cassandra. But it's much different when it happens to someone you know…or care about." She nodded, but wasn't entirely convinced. She hadn't had this reaction upon Stephanie's death…and she didn't even know Tim's dad…they'd never met. But seeing him…lying there in….well, anyways it hurt more than she could describe to watch Tim's reaction. It was more than just witnessing death…it was the ripping apart of lives…even those who continued to live. And what was worse…she knew it was all her fault.
To Be Continued…
