Young Knights
Issue #5: Just another day.
Amy Rorbach turned her car down the Gotham side street as the morning sun rose above the old brick buildings. She pulled into the parking lot of an older one of those brick buildings, the address given to her by an Alfred Pennyworth.
It was a dingy apartment building, she noted as she sipped stale coffee from a disposable cup. She hadn't had time to make her own and was forced to get the corner store variety before she left Bludhaven. The bitter taste assaulting her throat as she moved down the hallway typical of the kind of apartment a high school dropout would be living in.
118, this was it, she thought. Three succinct and sharp knocks to the apartment door.
Some shuffling, a small crashing sound and a few muttered curses came from the other side of the door, then the clicking and sliding of locks being unlocked before the door swung open.
"Amy?" The kind voice was familiar to Amy, but the rest wasn't. While she should have been greeted by a handsome young man, with nicely cut hair, a clean shaven face, who would be wearing a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt that concealed but still hinted a body so finely toned that celebrities like Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie would be getting into cat fights over which one of them he would be escorting down the red carpet, she instead found a haggard shell of that. Dick's hair was unkempt and dirty, his face dressed in what had to be at least two days of stubble, and he wore only a pair of boxers, his eyes still half glazed, telling her he had just woke up.
"Jesus Grayson, you look like shit."
"Glad to see you to."
She smiled, "Go get a shower Rookie, then we're going out for coffee."
"What if I have plans?"
"I wasn't asking, now go clean yourself up, that's an order Dick,"
This time he smiled, "Yes M'am."
Tim yawned, math was boring.
Beside him Rafe was making doodles, Rafe always doodled in math.
Tim didn't know why math was boring, he liked computers so wouldn't that mean he liked math? He thought the theory made sense, and yet here he was, sitting in class, hating math.
"Christopher, can you help me solve the equation," Tim gave a worried glance at Rafe, the boy had zoned out and didn't hear the teacher.
"Christopher?" Mr. Williams prompted again, coming to stand right next to Rafe's desk.
Glaring down at the blonde shaggy haired boy, Mr. Williams made a rather audible attempt to clear his throat, "ahem! Mr. Rafesen..."
Rafe clutched his pencil a little tighter, and Tim really did feel sorry for him. Slowly, with visual effort to keep a straight face Rafe looked up and made eye contact, "Sir?"
"Can you answer the question Christopher?"
"Two?"
"Two?!"
"Lay off Drake?"
"Okay, I admit your situation was hopeless, but two?"
"Don't make me hurt you Tim,"
"I mean we're in senior math, couldn't you have at least thrown in a decimal?"
"Drake you are seriously asking for a beat down."
"And you are seriously asking for an F in that class man"
"I know I know! Look it's not my fault that.... Hey, who's the new girl?"
"Huh?" Tim had been lost in his verbal sparring that he hardly noticed the girl across the school courtyard, Hey... that looks like.
"Hmm, looks japanese," Rafe commented, "Hey she's turning this way... Wow, she is a looker, eh Tim... Tim?"
Tim didn't even hear his friend, he was already on his feet and in a light jog towards the girl, grabbing her by the shoulder, "Cass?!"
"Tim!" She nearly squealed with glee and jumped him, wrapping her arms and legs around the stunned boy, "So happy to see you!"
"Umm, uh..." If Tim was wearing his costume, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference in between the color of his shirt and the color his face. "Cass I'm glad to see you to, but what are you doing here?" the confusion he felt radiating from his face.
"Wanted to see you," she answered as if it was obvious, "You said you were my friend, I want to go have fun with my friend."
Tim looked back across the courtyard; Rafe was watching them like he was watching the climax to the Star Wars movies for the first time. And then the bell rang.
"Cass, I'd love to spend time with you, but I have classes..."
Cassandra's face scrunched up, her arms crossing over her chest and her face took on the most adorable pout. It'd be almost too much for Tim to bear if he didn't remember she was one of the deadliest people in the world. "I'm being, uh, what'cha call it, blown out!"
It was too late, he couldn't stop it even if he tried and before Tim knew what he was doing, he laughed at Cassandra Cain.
"Not funny!" she shouted, swatting his shoulder hard enough to make him flinch.
"Ow! You're right, not funny," He replied, giggling and rubbing his arm, "but it's blown off, not blown out."
"Oh, so you're blowing me off?"
"No, it's just that I'm supposed to be in..." He stopped talking when he saw Rafe waving at him profusely and then shooing him away. "Well, what the heck, not like I'm going to fail. Sure Cass, let's go."
"Alright Amy, time you tell me what this is all about."
Amy rolled her eyes, chugging back another crisp mouthful of her coffee, before screwing her face a little, "Jesus Grayson, is this what Gotham calls a good cup of coffee?"
Dick smiled, Amy knew that smile, it was the one he'd give when he just won, whenever she'd fall into one of his traps, "Nope," he admitted, "I figured you'd talk faster if you had a bad cup, because we're not leaving until you say what it is you came to say."
It figured that he'd use her love of java against her, "Can't a girl visit her old partner?"
A shake of his head, "Nope, not when that girl is a Police Captain in a city an hour and a half away, when that city is still mired in corruption and crime, even with the mysterious death of that city's top crime lord, somehow a social call doesn't seem to fit."
Amy's eyes locked with Dick's, all traces of the easy humor gone. Blockbuster's death wasn't a mystery to either of them. They both knew exactly what had happened. Her finger's clenched around the warm mug in her hand and for what seemed like an eternity, she did nothing but stare deep into the milk brown liquid. Now or never, she thought. Reaching into the inside pocket of her jacket, she succinctly place a police shield badge onto the coffee table. Amy watched Dick's eyes move from the shield, to her eyes, back to the shield and then back to her eyes. Reading into them, he knew exactly what she wanted to ask before she ever said the words.
"Amy... I can't go..."
"Shut up Dick." She sipped her coffee, eyes closed. "There's no sweet way to put it, we're in a tough spot, and I need people I can trust, people I know are good cops. Dick whether you pretend or not, you are a good cop. And I mean that in every way. You're a good man and you're good at the job." One final gulp and her coffee was finished. She stood up from the table and dropped a five on the table for her drink. "Listen Dick, you're already one of the world's greatest Detectives, why not wear the badge that proves it."
Before he could answer, she left, leaving Dick Grayson with nothing but his thoughts, and a luke warm cup of coffee.
"Hello, yes Dana I'm leaving the office right now, no dear there were no major problems, and the meeting went great. Yes dear, I called Tim this morning. No he had already left for school, I left a message asking him to either call me or come by the house when he was free. Yes dear. I love you to, honey, see you in a few."
Jack Drake left Wayne Plazas with a glorious smile on his face. He had made the meeting last minute, contacted Mr. Fox directly and taken every precaution to make sure Bruce Wayne wasn't doing him any favors. That said business was business, and Wayne tech had the best business. And Jack Drake, well Jack Drake had the best ideas.
He hailed a taxi cab, soon he wouldn't need cabs, soon he'd be able to support his family again, his whole family, Dana, Tim, and...
The cab pulled up beside him, it was faster than normal, well then he'll get a nice tip, Jack thought as he climbed in the back and gave the driver his address.
"Right away sir," the man was very polite and clean cut, Japanese if Jack wasn't mistaken, watching the man slip a pair of wire framed sunglasses back over his eyes.
Such a good day,
Such a horrible day,
He hated being out in the daytime, he felt so visible, so exposed. But unfortunately for the Batman, crime didn't maintain a five to nine shift and once in a while things demanded some day time detective work. Things like seven dead bodies, and the remnants of a new drug found by Nightwing at the scene of the crime.
A beep in his ear, "Go ahead Alfred," the dark and gruff voice of the Batman commanded.
"Sir, Mr. Fox is calling your cell phone."
Batman nodded to himself, "Alright Alfred, patch him through." This time the voice was soft, harmless and charismatic, it was Bruce Wayne.
"Hello Bruce?"
"Lucius, what can I do for you?"
"How about come to work?" Lucius berated the "aloof playboy"
"Sorry pal," Bruce conceded, putting on his best airhead routine, "An old friend invited me for some golf out in Bludhaven."
"Bludhaven?! Bruce you really need to let us know these things"
"Sorry Lucius, I will next time, I promise" Why was he calling, Batman wondered, this sort of behavior was fairly normal for Bruce Wayne. "So what's up?"
"Ahh," Batman could practically hear his CEO grinning, "I just heard an amazing proposal for the tech division, This guys ideas were amazing!"
"Really?" Bruce asked, trying to sound bored, "One of our men?"
"Nope," Lucius was quick to answer. "A freelancer, looking for a grant, I think he wants to start up his old company but if I can get him into our fold completely, I'd love it!"
"Give me a name Lucius."
"Jack Drake,"
There was a pause, not even the world's greatest Detective could have seen that one coming, "Well keep me updated, it's my turn for tee off."
"Okay, boss, see you when you get back."
Well now, Bruce thought, that's interesting. He filed the tidbit away in his mind as he fell from the rooftop and landed on the fire escape.
Back to work,
"So, this where you live?"
"Not anymore," Tim licked his ice cream cone, leaving a smear of chocolate on his chin. "It's my parent's house; I lived here before, well before all that stuff with my dad."
"So why come here now?" Cassandra asked, her eyes fixed on the rising moon,
"Dad asked me to come over to talk, hope you don't mind me dragging you into this, but if you don't mind I'd like some back up, you know, for moral support."
Cassandra nodded beaming proudly.
They walked up the front steps and Tim reached for the doorknob to find the door already ajar. "That's not right." Cautiously he pushed the door open and eyes went wide in fear. The entire front hallway was trashed, "Dad, are you home?" A noise echoed from the living room, Tim carefully made his way inside, Cassandra on his heel. "Dad?" Turning into the living room Tim felt his heart skip five beats. The entire place was a war zone. Furniture was broken, couches flipped over, glass broken. But that, that was nothing, it was the sight of Jack Drake, beaten bruised and bleeding profusely in a corner that made Tim want to puke. "Dad!" Hurtling the couch Tim landed by his father, who was reeling in and out of consciousness. "Cassandra, call an ambulance!" He was hurt and he was hurt bad. Bones were cracked, bleeding all over. Tim started checking for vitals and was surprised to fine a cell phone in the man's hand. One with a note on it,
....Robin,
Bruce and Dick found Tim in the emergency ward of Wayne Memorial, gripping the back of the chair beside his father's bed. His knuckles were white, his eyes never left Jack. And Jack looked horrible; he was stitched up and bandaged with IV's running into his arms and tubes up his nose and down his throat.
"Tim..." Dick started, but stopped, He didn't know what to say.
"They hurt him," Tim chocked out, "They hurt him to get to me. And I don't even have a damn clue who they are."
Bruce placed a hand on his youngest protégés shoulder. His presence giving more comfort than any words could. Not that it helped a lot. And Bruce couldn't help but notice the unfamiliar cell phone on the table, always the detective.
Just then the phone rang, Tim moved so fast that no one even saw him grab the telephone. And both Dick and Bruce saw him press a tiny bat shaped receiver to the phone's base, "Hello?"
"Tim Drake?" the voice on the other end was smooth.
"Speaking,"
"Robin the boy wonder?" Tim gritted his teeth. It was malicious to.
"Also speaking"
"Good," the voice replied, "Just so we're clear, I'm in control, and your father deserved what he got. Your step mom on the other hand..."
"You bastard," Tim cursed, "Where is she?"
"Such language little robin, she's with me, and she's fine for now."
Tim's knuckled were white, but his voice stayed level, and his eyes never left his father, "Who are you?"
"Me? Oh I'm just the Philippe to your Louis."
"The what?!"
"Goodbye Tim, talk to you soon! Oh, and take a look at the Gotham times, I hear the July 1st 1988 issue was extremely well written."
"July 1st..." before he could ask another question, the line went dead. Everyone around him was silent, Tim could tell they were all curious, but all respectful enough to keep their mouths shut. It went on like that for minutes, before the silence was broken.
A sharp and phlegm filled cough from Jack Drake's lungs, his eyes surged open and locked onto his son, "T...Tim!"
Tim was on his knees beside his Father's bed, hand snaking out to clasp the older man's hand. "I'm here Dad."
"Tim, Th...they took her," another cough, "They took Dana." He was getting weaker again, falling back into unconsciousness.
"I know Dad," he game the hand a little squeeze, "I'm going to get her back Dad, I promise."
He was so close to a full black out that Tim was amazed the man still had control of his senses as his head lulled from side to side, "No...Tim...y..you...don't under...stand."
"Dad, what do you mean?"
"She, she's pregnant Tim... Dana's pregnant.
To be continued...
Next Issue: With not only the life of his mother but that of his unborn sibling on the line, Robin races against the clock to piece together any clue he can find about who his mysterious enemy is and what he wants, pushing away his friends in the process, but it all just leads to more questions. So when the cell phone rings again and Oni calls Tim into a trap, will he go it alone, or will he remember that he still has a family to count on? With one installment to go until the dramatic conclusion, the action comes to a head In Issue #6 of Young Knights.
A/N: The chapters have a new format, first tested in issue four, if I like how it looks by the end of the story, I'll go back and re-do the first three issues. Hope you like so far, please read and review.
Edit: put in the scene breaks through and changed the parts that said Janet to Dana.