Batgirl hissed in pain and glanced down. A red line was rapidly spreading across her upper arm…the knife which had caused the wound quivered nearby, lodged in a crumbling wall. She crouched into a defensive position, searching the shadows for her would-be assassin…only to find that Robin had gotten there first. The…intensity…with which Robin was beating the pulp out of the man was…well, it made a warm feeling inside her. With a satisfied grin hidden beneath her mask she turned to take out the man who'd thought to sneak up on her. He hadn't succeeded…obviously. She was in a generous mood so she knocked him unconscious within a few seconds, and surveyed her surroundings. Only two? She turned to voice her doubts on that score to Robin only to find him staring down at the man who'd thrown the knife at her with a perturbed look on his face.
"What?" He looked up, startled out of his reverie. Though hidden behind his mask she could tell when his eyes found the wound on her shoulder. His lips thinned and he actually turned a little pale.
"I'm sorry." The two words were too small to convey the depth of his distress…in fact, he sounded for all the world as if she had died instead of receiving a simple….oh. Well…it was only to be expected that he'd become more overprotective of those near to him…a trait shared among all the men of the Bat clan, she thought ruefully. She sighed. Better snap him out of it.
"Did you throw the knife at me?" He was taken aback.
"What? No, of course not! I just…"
"Then no need to be sorry. Come on." She started down the alley, as if she hadn't a care in the world.
"But…"
"Come on!" She heard his exasperated sigh and smiled. Good. If he was irritated at her he couldn't be worried and feeling like he'd failed somehow.
"Batgirl…wait!" She turned, impatient to find their killer and be done with the whole thing.
"What?" She snapped, wincing as he came to an uncertain halt.
"I…um. Your arm." She glanced down again, having forgotten her injury. The sleeve of her costume was completely soaked through with her blood, and the wound didn't seem to have any inclination to close in the near future.
"Hmph. I forgot." She could feel his shock, though he was good at hiding it. Really…he should have known better. He'd seen her shot before…and knew her history. Anyone who was punished by her father shooting her was unlikely to be slowed down by a knife cut…even one as deep as this.
"Riiiight…but we'd better wrap it up before we go any further." She let him fuss over her arm for a few minutes, pleased that he wasn't trying to apologize anymore. After all…even if he should have guessed that guards would be left behind to stop them…she should have known. She knew how the assassin's mind worked. But they'd been distracted. Having fun racing through the dark, forgetting for a few moments that they were on a deadly serious mission.
"Can we go now?" He chuckled at her impatience and rose. She flexed her arm experimentally…the bandage was tight…it had to be to stop her from losing more blood…but loose enough she could still work. She nodded, satisfied.
"Any idea where they went?" His question was said lightly, but she sensed a tension beneath the surface.
"Ummmm…" she looked around. She'd seen the direction they had been going, but they could have…and almost certainly would have…changed direction to lose their pursuit. She sighed and shook her head.
"I see." There was something in his tone…she glanced at him suspiciously.
"What did you do?" He shrugged with a smile.
"The one who threw the knife at you…wasn't exactly unconscious when I left him. By now I'm hoping he's recovered enough to take the initiative to flee back to the boss…after all, we have disappeared and can't be following him." She rolled her eyes.
"You put a tracer on him."
"Well, even if they couldn't kill us, I assumed their aim was to slow us down enough to lose the scent…which they accomplished. So…having successfully bamboozled us and then been left 'unconscious' in a dark alley…there's no reason he can't go back to the nest."
"Unless they were just hired thugs in an alley and have no connection." He made a face and she smothered a giggle. She'd thought of something he hadn't!
"True, but they'd have to have had time to find some 'trustworthy' thugs and pay them in advance…and, while we were kind of far behind them, I don't think they had that much time." She hmphed …he was right…again.
"Fine. Where is he?" Robin pulled out his tracer…then grinned.
"This way!"
Barbara wished she could sink into her chair and simply disappear. Her feelings must have shown because Dick's face took on a mulish expression.
"What!"
"This is like that time you got shot and holed up in my apartment calling America's Most Wanted every ten minutes solving all their unsolved cases for them without even trying, isn't it?"
"Huh?" She waved away his question.
"I've been sitting here for…" she checked the calendar, "almost three weeks without any trace, any lead on clues to Cain's disappearing/reappearing act and within a day of Bruce going all Bat on you…"
"How did you know about that?" she ignored him.
"…you've solved the case. Right?"
"How did you know about…" she rolled her eyes. Clearly she wouldn't get an answer out of him until she responded.
"Because…first, he always goes Bat on you, you've said so yourself. Second, I've been monitoring the cave's security equipment. Third…"
"You hacked the Batcave's computer?" She sighed and raised an eyebrow. His face split into a grin. "I knew there was a reason I loved you." He hesitated. "Have you done that before?"
"Would I tell you if I had?" He blinked and she allowed herself a small smile. "And third, because he mentioned it."
"He…wha…why?" She shrugged.
"The only thing I can guess is he wasn't sure how you'd react..." she winked, "you know how he is about loose cannon. His exact words were…and I quote, 'I had a discussion with Nightwing…he might try something stupid. Keep your ears open' end quote." Dick rolled his eyes.
"Nice to know I inspire such confidence."
"If it makes you feel better, I think he really was concerned for you…not just afraid you'd do something to screw up." He blinked blankly at her for a second, then shook it off.
"Whatever."
"So…back to the topic at hand…what's the dirt? What have you managed to dig up in a day that I haven't found in weeks of searching through all my contacts?"
"Nothing."
"…" She blinked at him. "Um…ah….you want to run that by me again?"
"Ok. Nothing. Nada. Zip, zilch, zero, not…"
"I get the picture." She massaged her temple. This was what she got from dating someone with a…weird sense of humor. "Ha ha. Very funny."
"But…"
"No, no. That's all right. Joke's over. I have stuff to do."
"But I…"
"Come on, Dick. I don't have time for…"
"You didn't even let me finish!" She leveled a cold stare at him. "What?
"What do you mean, 'what'? I didn't say anything." Either her acting skill had taken a huge hit or he knew her too well to be fooled…quite probably both…after all, this whole situation had been grating on her nerves for…
"You didn't have to." She rolled her eyes, hidden beneath the hand she was currently using to prop up her forehead.
"Fine. I'm sorry. Do, please, explain to me again your master plan."
"Sarcasm does not become you" Dick hmphed. Babs sighed.
"In all honesty you've found…nothing?"
"Yes, but what I said before was true too. I do know how to prove he did it." Raising a skeptical brow, she sighed.
"Go ahead." And he did. He outlined his plan in intricate detail…down to the last speck of dust. Much as she wanted to deny it…in truth, his idea could work. But…
"But it's too involved, too much is at stake with too little gain." Dick's face took on a frighteningly Bat-like quality.
"You don't think Tim and Cassandra's peace of mind is 'enough gain'?" She winced at his tone. Of course, he was right.
"Ok. You win." A boyish grin split his face and she couldn't stop the answering smile.
"Good. Now…" he rubbed his hands together in a parody of the classic 'plotting villain'.
"Wait. Before you plan out your little escapade…I think we should call in backup on this one."
"What? What backup? You're a computer genius and I can do the…oh. You don't think I can do it!" He accused, obviously offended.
"I know you can do it. But…"
"If you're thinking about my leg, it's feeling a lot better." His tone was taking on that irritatingly irresistible puppy-dog quality.
"I'm sure it is. But you don't want to leave a trace, right?" He nodded, slowly. She sighed.
"I just got a message from Wally. He's lost Tim and Cassandra." She grimaced. "In fact, he never found them. They disappeared in Cairo…and, as you've pointed out, since I should be trusting them to make it on their own…"
"You sent someone else, didn't you?"
"What? No, I…"
"Who was it? Superman? Dinah?" Babs sighed.
"I didn't send anyone. On the other hand…unfortunately Bart decided he needed to ask Wally something when he caught up with him methodically casing Cairo he…"
"You're letting Bart…Bart Allen?… be their backup?" The incredulity in his voice made her wince.
"I didn't have a choice! You know how…persistent…Bart can be. And…I think Wally felt that it would go over better for Tim to have a friend as backup rather than himself."
"Wally's a friend…they've worked together before…"
"I know. But…really, this gives us an opportunity."
"Oh?" She didn't miss the sarcasm in his tone.
"Wally can do the footwork here. Bart will find Tim and Cassandra…and, if need be, Wally can go back after we're done with him."
"If it's not too late." Babs sighed. She didn't know how to get it through his head…there really was nothing to worry about. Really.
"Well."
"It's…um…"
"Well it's definitely not what I expected."
"What, do you want me to admit I was wrong? Ok! Fine. I was wrong. The guy was obviously just a two-bit thug hired to do us in and there's no possible other explanation for why he's stopped in at a bar instead of returning to headquarters right away. That what you wanted to hear?" It was…to a point. The frustrated disdain in which it had been delivered left much to be desired.
"Maybe he was thirsty?" Robin shot her a look. Obviously their man could have just stopped off for a drink on his way back. Or arranged to meet someone here, or even suspected he was being followed. She hadn't been trying to make a point with her observation, but Robin apparently was having doubts of his own.
"Or he could be meeting someone, or suspect he's being followed…or…what?" She had shot him a look of such surprise as he echoed her own thoughts that he broke of, concerned. She shook her head.
"And I thought I was the 'mind reader'." He laughed.
"Sorry for snapping at…" she shrugged it off and he subsided. "Anyways, I suppose we had better check it out. They slid silently down to the alley behind the bar. Robin took out a little disk and reached around the door frame, attaching it just inside. The matching viewer he held where they could both see. The bar was crowded, but not overly so. In fact, one corner of the room was completely empty. "Convenient." Batgirl nodded at his assessment and he motioned to the back of the building. There was a door just left of one of the empty booths…perfectly situated for two people to sneak in and spy. Retrieving his camera, Robin stood, turned, and smacked right into a solid body.
"Oomph!" Immediately tensing for an attack, Robin was nonetheless surprised to feel two hands grip his shoulders an shake him a bit…his reflexes must be slowing, because no one should have been able to…
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" A shushing sound from Batgirl's direction confirmed his first impression.
"Bar…uh…Kid Flash…what are you doing here?"
"Hm? Oh. Well, see I was looking for Wa…I mean, Flash, and then he was looking for you, but then he thought it might be better if I looked for you, so I did and here you are!" He seemed so proud of himself Robin couldn't bear to let him down. He shot a glance at Batgirl, who'd cocked her head to the side and was studying Kid Flash like he was some kind of new specimen. Robin sighed.
"And did Flash happen to mention why he was looking for me?" That, in and of itself was suspicious. Delegating the task to Kid Flash was downright unheard of…not that he couldn't handle it…in fact, Robin had always been of the impression that giving Bart more responsibility would serve to calm him down somewhat…an inclination few others shared. That wasn't to say that Kid Flash's leaps of logic and inclination to go from thought to action in a single impulse (a name, Robin mused, that fit him much better than Kid Flash) didn't grate on his nerves just as much as it did everyone else's.
"Ummmm…." Kid Flash frowned, recognizing a possible mistake on his part.
"Never mind. I can't remember, have you met Batgirl?" Blinking at the sudden change of subject, Kid Flash mutely shook his head and stuck out his hand. Batgirl shook it enthusiastically…too enthusiastically, in Robin's opinion.
"Hi."
"Nice to meet you." An uncomfortable silence fell on the trio.
"So…" Robin sighed. Kid Flash really needed some lessons in patience. "What are we doing here again?"
"We…aren't. Batgirl and I were following some…suspects. And you said you didn't know what Flash wanted with me so…" he left the thought open, thinking Kid Flash would take the hint. He didn't.
"Maybe he wanted me to help!"
"I doubt it." Robin mumbled, low enough that no one could hear, though Batgirl obviously got the gist of it, as she elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
"Be right back, Kid Flash. I need to…talk…to you." She yanked him around the corner.
"What!"
"Be nice!" He blinked. She dragged him off a case to spare Kid Flash's feelings?
"I am. I just…" he broke off. He couldn't explain his own feelings…that he wasn't ready to share his father's death with anyone else. Not until he had some closure…had caught the man responsible.
"He wants to help. He is…very good." He eyed her suspiciously.
"Good?" She shook her head.
"Um…young?" He frowned. What was she getting at?
"Innocent!" She lit up at the word and he gaped at her.
"You're saying we should let him hunt for my father's murder with us because he's innocent?" She nodded, then shook her head.
"That might not be right either. He… knows darkness, but it doesn't affect him." She ducked her head, hesitating over the next part. "You…used to be like that. Now…" she didn't have to finish the statement. Robin felt a clutching pain in his chest. Had he really changed that much? Part of him argued that it was to be expected…his father was dead, after all! But another voice chimed in that he didn't want to end up like Batman, cold and unable to touch those around him…and that if he continued on his current path, he would.
"So you want him as a role model." It was not a question. She shrugged and looked away. "All right. He can stay." They returned to the side of the building only to find the subject of their discussion missing.
"Um…" Robin grinned at her confusion. Aside from his levity, not to mention superpowers, Kid Flash could have made a great member of the Bat team…he was certainly able to melt away easily enough.
"If he wants to come with us, he'll find us. Let's get on with it." She nodded, still looking around. Robin placed his camera again, this time next to the booth they'd both noticed. It was still empty, and from this angle they could see a "reserved" sign gracing the tabletop. A commotion at the front door told them they'd set their equipment just in time. A few men walked in, clustered around someone who was obviously their boss. They moved in front of the camera for a second, blocking all access. Batgirl felt Robin tense…this could be a problem. Then the picture cleared and Robin when absolutely sheet white.
"What?" She peered into the viewscreen, trying to figure out what had upset him so much. It was just a man…she didn't recognize him. Throwing a confused glance at Robin, she reached out and shook him. "What? What is it?"
"It's Johnny Warren."
To be continued…
