Disclaimers :: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N :: Eh, It's been over a month since last update? Sorry again for being very, I was busy finishing cosplays for Katsucon, then went away for the con. But I am back now! Hand is healing much better too, thanks everyone for get well PM!
I decided to cut this chapter in two parts, since a lot of things happened but in a sense, it's still cooperates in the same chapter. And believe This chapter is very long. The second part will be post around Monday. I decided to change a few things and re-write some parts. Hope you enjoy the first part!
Also, I made a playlist for this story, mostly are the songs I feel fit along with the story(as well as some that will be fitting for events in the near future of the story) I will post the link on my profile if anyone interesting.
Warning :: No beta. Strong language and some graphic violence. Do not try at home!
Chapter 12 :: Let's Dance.
Let's dance for fear
your grace should fall
Let's dance for fear tonight is all
- David Bowie, Let's dance.
Part 1;
Tim looked at his watch again, 10 minutes to 10, before glanced back at his reflection on glass wall of the museum. Disguise was in place, instead of his black hair, he wore red curly wig that cropped short, freckles dotted across his face, his blue eyes covered with brown contact lenses. With a little help of latex, his cheeks looked fuller, his nose a little bigger. He didn't look like himself.
He should be satisfied, he never use this newest disguise before. And the whole point of it was to avoid any knowledge of he was about to do fell into Bruce's hands by accident. In case, something happened inside the museum, so many cameras were installed just before the start of this summer, upgraded with facial recognition program. Becoming much more handy for Barbara to track down any thief who stupid enough to rob this museum.
Rocking on his feet, he glanced back at his reflection again. Lysandra wouldn't recognize him. Hell, Dick almost dropped him this morning when he saw Tim came out of the guestroom of Dick's apartment, thinking Tim was a burglar. He even added good few inches with his custom made sneakers to his height. His lean body looked even lankier. That why he got here half an hour before meeting time. He knew she would looked right pas―
"What are you doing?"
Tim's eyes caught round pair of blue orbs staring right at him in the reflection, his breath hitched and swirled around by his reflex to face the owner those blue eyes.
Lysandra stood there with a fist to her hip, long sleeves gray hoodie covered all the way to her wrists, but cutoff denim shorts showing off her toned legs. Long hair pulled into a ponytail under a ball cap. Backpack strapped at her back. If Tim didn't count her breath-stopping-pretty face, she would have passed for a normal teenage girl.
"Umm…Hi!" Yep, his loss of speech seemed to agree to his statement. Lysandra lifted a brow. Tim struggled his tongue to unknot and his brain to work again. What the hell was wrong with him anyway?
"Hi" She responded with laughter in her eyes. His heart did a somersault.
"You know me?" Somehow that came out dumber than he intended. But it was the only logical thing he could think of at the moment.
Lysandra tiled her head, gave him amused look. "Do you want me to know you?"
YES! "..Maybe?"
"So what's your name?" Oh, she played along. But when Tim opened his mouth to answer she held up her hand. "…..Never mind, I'll just called you Percy"
Percy? Is she serious? Does he look like a Percy to her?
"Percy?" His eyebrow quirked.
"Yes, you know….the redhead one from that movie…ones with children playing with wands and flying on brooms"
Tim stared down at Lysandra. She compared his disguise to Percy Weasley? He cleared his throat, trying not to look offended. He muttered. "Well, at least he was a Headboy"
"Please, you reek authorities in this getup, Stiff" She gave him a lopsided grin, snatched his elbow in her grip, dragging him toward the entrance. "Nice touch on the freckles though and thicker nose. Very impressive.…"
"Apparently not good enough since you plucked me right out" Tim muttered as both handed their tickets and stepped through a walkthrough metal detector at the entrance. Lysandra went in fist, leaving his question lingered. She glided pass it without problem, Heh, No weapon? That was unexpected. He pecked her for a paranoid from the way she survey the places as they walked.
She gave him thoughtful look, waiting for him to slide through before answered. "It's your presence…."
His presence? He expected she would say it was his speech pattern, or the way he stand or his eyes that gave himself away, not his presence. What was she, an aura reader?
"Do you mind explain that?" Because he really wanted to know.
She gave him a sideway glance, as they started walking. "It's hard to explain…." She paused for a minute to think. "I think it has something to do with the blood oath we took yesterday. Though I never really swear a blood oath before so I can't really compare…." She paused again, Tim didn't interrupted. "….I think somehow it created connection between the magic in my blood to yours, and your presence is calming―"
"Calming?" I am now the Zen Master!
"Yeah, like a tree shade in the hottest summer day, after a really long walk in blasting sun kind of thing…." She shrugged. "….And there was this big tree full of green leaves, you just want to sit or lay there and take a break, you know…"
No, he really didn't. But he accepted her explanation, for now. "Ah…"
They continued making their ways to the exhibition on the second floor. Lysandra wasn't dragging him anymore but she strode a little ahead of him, her pace fast and on purpose, he kept up with hers. Tim could tell she was counting the security cameras as she turned her face occasionally, avoiding direct angle for the cameras to capture her face, this girl glided the floor as if she knew it as her own backyard. She'd been here before, probably numerous times, scouting the museum like a conman prepare for a heist.
"So what are we looking for?" Tim asked as they stepped on the escalator.
"I don't know" She sounded hesitated and frustrated. And still made no sense for bringing him along.
Tim tried again, "Well, do you mind telling me the origin of the object then?" She gave him a hard stare as the escalator glided upward, Lysandra oblivious to ogling eyes directing at her from male teenagers who stood a few steps ahead of them, their dreamy smiles lit their pimpled faces. One of them slipped his gaze to meet his, he gave Tim a once over look and sneered then went back staring at Lysandra's pretty head, ignoring his amused gaze. Probably thinking he had a chance with her more than him, Hah! Not in this life.
His spine straightened, elbowed her lightly showing intimacy by touching her body. And gave her a little grin. "Come on, humor me. What could hurt, right? I mean, I swore not to tattle on you remember?"
Lysandra of course, gave him suspicious look. He winked at her and she shook her head. His gaze lifted to the boys above them, giving them his triumph smile. They glared back at him but the death glare match didn't last long until the whole group almost tripped on their feet when the moving escalator steps reached the second floor. They stumbled away the other side of the building. Faces reddened.
"Well, I guess it couldn't…." Lysandra replied. Her voice trailed off a little. They reached second floor as well, she continued after they both stepped off. "You know the result of War of the Titans?"
Tim nodded, almost anyone knew about it. The Titans lost the war to the Olympians, got sent to Tartarus, Ancient Greek equivalent of Belle Reve Penitentiary. The worst, most dangerous beings were thrown, including The King of Titans, Cronus.
"Apparently, some bitch goddess decided, it would be nice to change the rulers of Olympus―" He noticed the sneer on her face. "― so she's helping Cronus breaking out of prison as we speak. But you see, Tartarus isn't just some county jail. It is THE Prison. The oldest, strongest prison. Because it wasn't made by any gods, it was born. It's the force and the deity that was born along with Uranus- the sky, Gaia- the earth and Pontus- the sea. Underworld was built on top of Tartarus itself. You can't just waltz in and out as you please. Even the gods themselves wouldn't be able to break out. The only way to get out is to be let out…."
"But you can break in from the outside?"
Lysandra sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. On top of that, Tartarus was protected by seven seals. Zeus, Hades and Athena saw to it sometime after Cronus first tried to break out the first time that they should reinforce the gate, just in case something happen….like now….I am tasked to find those seals and reinforce them before that bitch goddess would have her chance and broke them. "
"How noble of you to be doing this" Tim said. "But that still telling me nothing how are we going to find this thing you looking for"
They stopped at the entrance of the hall that held Ancient Greek Exhibition. Lysandra tiled her face up to meet his eyes, Tim noticed the intensity in them, burning bring like the heart of flame. He knew this look, he'd seen it before. In Bruce, every night when he went out on patrol, Bruce who determined to save this rotten city even they all knew it would never be done. The determination in those blue eyes resembled them both like they were reflection of each other in the mirror.
"Noble? No, Stiff. I'm far from noble" Lysandra almost gave him a snort. "I did because I want something in return as well….And don't you worry about finding it, that's my job. You just accompany me with that perky face of yours because the goddess said I have to take you….please don't tired yourself out…"
Her words full of sarcasms. She turned away from him, leading him into the hall. But as soon as she set foot inside, Lysandra stopped death on her track and inhale deeply. Her eyes widened. Hand snatched his wrist, her blunt fingernails dug into his skin. He forced himself not to wince.
"It's here….." She said. " I can feel it…..it's here…."
Before Tim had time to open his mouth, Lysandra tugged on his arm, dragging him along farther inside.
Magic filled the air of the hall as soon as she stepped inside. Like Electrical current flowed through her, pricking at her skin then seeped itself inside her every pore. Her breath hitched and her heart slammed fast against the cage in her chest. Excitement sprinkled in her eyes. Lysandra gripped Tim's hand and follow the current of the magic.
As if it was calling to her.
"Where are we going?" He asked, as they rushed passed the crowds through the hall. Lysandra ignoring the rest of the exhibits, she chased through the thickness of mystic power.
"To it" She simply said. He wouldn't understand why she could feel it. She only understood just now why she would be able to find this artifact.
Outside Themyscira, Mystical power was unstable, unlike wave of the sea. It flowed around and dispersed. Magic users such as witches or sorcerers would be able to draw power to themselves, channeling it, stored it inside objects or even in their own bodies but with limited source, they would have to take a break before used up those powers they collected inside themselves. Different origins of magic, different currencies of the powers.
True, Lysandra didn't study deeply mystical arts, maybe some easy blood ritual like biding with blood oath. But her entire existent was purely base on magic. She was conceived by divine touch of the goddess, She grew up on a conjured island, air that fill with mystical climate. Magic would always be part of her. Magic was in her blood, deep inside her soul. She would recognize the one solely just by let it lead her to the object itself.
Invisible woven caressed her skin, weaving her closer and closer to destination. Lysandra peered around her finding the source that emitted such powerful current in the air. And if she wasn't wrong, this room was filled with more than just one mystical objects.
A touch of cool air brushed against her left arm, she tiled her face― double decker Siana cup shimmered its force, too weak, this wasn't it. Lysandra scanned across to her right where a warmer breeze touched her, A bell Krater depicting the return of Persephone. She gave it a stare for a good second, it emitted small amount of power, possibly it had been touched by higher beings but wrong story telling on the krater, Lysandra moved away, Next…
Suddenly she felt like she was slamming into an invisible wall. Lysandra gasped, the magic hissed as the force pulled her in as well as pushed her away. Next to her, Tim winced again from her nails digging into his arm. He didn't complain, just stood there next to her, his free hand grabbed her shoulder as if to support her. Did she need it? She wasn't really sure. Mystical force was so much it made her legs almost tremble. The air was hotter around her, making it harder to breath. Tim squeezed her shoulder. But her gaze was locked on the object in the glass case.
A ceramic Phiale sat inside on the showing stand. The round, shallow bow without handle or feet, painted in red-figure style of three individuals, man holding lightning bolt―Zeus, a woman in full armor with an owl on her shoulder―Athena and another man wearing dark helmet―Hades. All three pointed their fingers to the middle of the bowl where a bulbous indentation, which was paint in a closed eye.
Lysandra blinked, and reached out to touch the glass case. Electric pricked at her hand.
Release me. It called to her. A little voice in her head. Touch me. Bleed for me.
Bleed for it? She couldn't even touch it directly as it is. Her hand formed a fist. If only she could punch the glass and snatch it away…
Help me. She said in her head. Trying to tell that voice. She might be crazy, talking to a thousand years old bowl, but didn't seem too stupid at a time. Help me get you out and I will bleed for you.
Bleed for me, little demigod. You blood shall open the all-seeing eye. The voice said again. Hurry before it's too late.
"I take it you found it?" Tim said. She could only nodded. Her right hand still gripping his and his hand still on her shoulder. "So, now what?"
"Now, I need to touch it and fill the bowl with my blood" She simply said. Silence greeted her as an answer, Lysandra turned to Tim, whose face looked like he just saw her grew another head or some sort.
"Oh no….No. No. No. No way." He shook his head. His voice alarmed, stepping away from her and let go of her shoulder. "I am not robbing a museum, especially one my mentor owns half of the things here and his company basically installed surveillance cameras. Not to mention, I am usually the one who prevent the robbery!"
"Who said we need to rob the museum? I said I just need to touch it!" She hushed her voice down. And now he was glaring at her instead.
"Oh, really? And how would you propose we do that?" Tim crossed his arms, trying to intimidate her. Lysandra glared up at him. Fists slammed to her hip, didn't let him win this easily.
"You won't do a thing!" She announced. "You're here only because Athena ordered me to bring you here, she didn't say anything about you helping me getting this artifact, not that I need your help―"
"And you expected me to what? Let you robbed the museum?—"
"―Not robbing, I just going to borrow it!"
"So you expecting me to let you steal―"
"I said borrow!"
"―borrow without permission? Yeah, right. Same same" Tim didn't back down. His fake reddish eyebrows knitted together, eyes disapproved.
Her eyes twitched, anger bubbled inside. Oh this irritating mortal, she'd punch him so hard his teeth ached for weeks! How dare he―
Suddenly another surge of power hummed in the air, lights in the room flickered and the crowds gasped. A smell of rotten eggs hit her nose, her hand flew to her mouth. Before she had time to think, all the lights shattered. Screaming erupted. She heard pop pop! Over and over, noticed puff of smoke came out from every surveillance camera in the room. Tim moved behind her, grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer, their bodies slammed together. The new voice boomed.
"Awww, look at these weak mortals, sister! They're so scared and they should! We will rule them soon enough" The blond hair woman in a designer summer dress beamed as she strutted into the exhibition hall, her stiletto heels clicked as she walk. Beside her another dark hair woman paused and inhaled. Charging in from behind them two of the security guards who work for the museum placed their big bodies there. Batons in hands.
Lysandra frowned when their beautiful faces started to blurred away, some kind of glamour was in place, they emitted large amount of mystical energy. Lysandra gaped when the shimmering of glamour stopped. They had donkey faces under those beautiful glamour…
Well, well….look who just showed up…
"Such pity creatures…." The dark hair woman mumbled and sneered. "I miss the old days when they're arrogant fools and crave for power at least they tasted gutsy"
"Kneel before us, you weak mortal!" The blond rumbled, her voice echoed the room but when the crowd only gaped at her. She tsked and raised her hands. The nearest display cracked and shattered.
People screamed, shouted then dropped on their knee to the floor.
Lysandra narrowed her eyes, and stood her ground. But behind her, Tim's hands pushing her. Trying to get her to crouch down on the floor. She fought the urge to punch him, resisted his hold.
"Get down!" He whispered. "Stop drawing attention to yourself and get down, For Pete's sake, Woman!"
"I am an Amazon, I kneel to no one!" She hissed back. But Tim didn't wasted time, he swooped down and swiped her legs. Lysandra yelped and lost her balance, dropping hard to the ground, on her butt. His hand came around from behind, pressing over her mouth. The other hand clutched her left arm, bending it over behind her back. Pushing her to stay down on the ground next to him.
She struggled, even bit down hard on the fingers he had covered her mouth. But his hold tightened. He whispered next to her ear. "Stop struggle, Lysandra. You're going to dislocate your shoulder"
"Then get the fuck off me!" She hissed through his fingers.
"Stop and listen for a second, would you?!...They fried all the cameras so they're here probably to rob the place, if you draw attention to yourself, they will eliminate the threat first…And I bet you're not afraid of fighting but think about what if the fight broke out and you end up breaking that bowl you're looking for?...so can you please calm the hell down?" His voice was low next to her ear, making her shiver. It also made her want to break his fingers even more.
Lysandra wasn't sure it was her pride kicking her hide from letting Tim caught her off balance. Or something else. Something she didn't want to admit, a mix of danger and the way he took her down to the ground so easy like no one except Artemis had ever done ever since she grew up from that scared little girl she used to be. Because Lysandra was damn sure she'd made herself capable, no one would ever caught her off guard again, she might act like she was oblivious to those watching eyes, but she'd always knew. Because in some twisted way of being caught by him wasn't at all unpleasant. She was actually calming down already when he pressed himself closer to her.
She wasn't lying about how she saw through his get up. He stood out like a flag pole, radiated with those calmness even though he was rocking on his feet, body language giving away that he was nervous. Something he did to himself, changing the shape of his nose, his cheek looked fuller, black hair to fiery red and those annoying little freckles dusting across his face. He didn't look like Timothy Drake anymore. She would just scan pass him if it wasn't because of his damn present, beaconing her, pulling her in. She suspected it was something Athena did to bind them to this quest. Maybe it was their blood oath. She couldn't pin point. All she knew that she could picked him right out from the crowds.
And that pissed her off.
She hated that she felt calmer when Tim was around, like she was sitting in a peaceful garden. But it also made her sense to danger duller. And she didn't like being blind sight even the subject obscured her was pretty damn fine to look at.
Maybe she was just confused. She'd never been around a boy her age. Hades, she'd never been around anyone her age. Her situation, almost got killed twice in less than a month apart, the gods and their stupid demands, all of it, it made Lysandra felt already on edge. Then Tim barged in, literary. She felt like she was tripping all over the place, she barely hold it together. It was almost too much too fast. She wasn't sure she like the calmness he gave or hate it that fault safe feeling she had.
But Tim seemed to be oblivious to that. Because he kept talking in that low, hush voice. And it angered her even more because he was right. "I believe, this has something to do with magic, everyone coming through the entrance has to pass through that metal detector scans, so they didn't carry real weapons."
"They don't need weapons!"
As though, to agree with her, the dark hair woman waved her hands. Every glass displays shattered. People screamed, some whimpered. Tim covered her with his body. Debris flew pass them, cutting his fake cheek, some caught bare skin of his arm that the sleeves didn't covered.
Tim paused behind her but his hold still in place, probably watching the situations. "Well, that's handy…"
"I bet I don't have to worry about robbing the museum now, do I?"
The blond woman strutted around the room, as if looking for something, but couldn't. She scrunched her nose. "Cordelia….there's too many mystical artifacts here, I don't know which one was the right one…"
"Then we take all of them. We can almost make use of them somehow…You there…" The dark hair woman point to the closest man that crouched down by her feet, the man lifted his face up to look at her. Lysandra saw the panic in his face fade away, replacing with a dreamy smile instead. He stood up and strode over to them.
"Yes, Mistress…." He slurred.
"One man's not going to get this done soon enough, sister!" The blond woman announced then raised both of her hands. Magic hummed in the air, released it from her, crashing out like waves. Seconds later, the rest of men in that hall rose to their feet.
Great, They're strong enough to hypnotize people now. Damned them to Tartarus! Lysandra cursed inside her mind, until she felt Tim's grip loosened up. Hands dropping from her mouth and released her arm from her back. Lysandra frowned and turned back. His fake brown eyes were glazing over.
Uh oh. Not good. Tim was joining their mindless little army.
Lysandra snagged his wrist and pulled him down this time. But the pull was very strong. He stood up straight, with her death grip on him, it hauled her body up along with him. She muttered a curse, glancing over to the two magic users, the source of all trouble in this hall.
The hypnotized men started to grab the artifacts from the shattered displays, then mindlessly marched toward the door, Following Cordelia out the door to gods knew where. They were in the further side of the hall, and The blond woman didn't seem to pay any attention their way. She was eyeing the men as if they were pieces of meat, they probably were to her.
Tim moved further away after he grabbed the phiale bowl, all the while Lysandra was trying to pull him back. It didn't seem to be working…..
Well, then…there's only one way to get him out of this state.
"Sorry about this―wait maybe I'm not…" Lysandra muttered then shrugged. Before slammed her fist into Tim's sternum so hard, he choke. Knocking the air out of his lung. He double over, dropping the bowl. Lysandra dived down to catch it in time, skidding across the shattered glass, cutting her legs in the process. She forced herself not to wince as the blood seeping out from fresh cuts, instead she sighed in relief both from saving the bowl just in time and seeing Tim coughed hard and blinked.
"What the hell?!" He choked the word out after several minutes, giving her angry look.
"Saving your ass, that's what" Lysandra muttered. Holding the bowl in her hand. Its magic washed over her like a wave.
Bleed for me, demigod. It called again.
"Shut up!" She hissed. Tim gave her another confused look. "Not you, I was talking to the bowl…"
Tim's eyes gazed around him, assessing the current situation then traveled back to her. His eyes widened and rushed to her side again. "You're bleeding"
"What? Oh…" Lysandra looked back at her legs, shredded glasses stuck out from her cuts, crimson droplets slid down her legs. She ignored the slight pain and shrugged. "Don't worry about it, they'll heal later" They would, in several hours. She gritted her teeth, she'd lived for now. "We have bigger problem though"
"I can see that…" Tim trailed off a bit as his eyes went back to the blond woman who still directing the line of men holding the artifacts in hands marching out the hall. Two muscle guys in security guard uniform stood there keeping the rest of the crowds in control. Suddenly Tim swooped down, grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her behind one of the remain wooden display stand, he quickly clear any shattered glasses on the floor before settle them there, blocking the view from the chaos, away from the situation. Lysandra still holding the bowl in her arm, her back against the wood panel.
Tim gave her a slight wince as he checked on her cuts. His gaze shifted back to the robber then her, back to the robber again, then he stared at them, brows knitted, before his eyes widened. He blinked several times. Tim looked at Lysandra. "They….she….donkey face?"
Ah, so he broke through their glamour too? Interesting.
Lysandra gave him a small grin, reach out one hand and patted him on the arm. "Well, Stiff….you want to meet your murderers?…..here're two of them…."
His mouth gape open, and stared. After several minutes he cursed. Their eyes met. Lysandra could see something behind those fake brown eyes of his twinkled.
"Yeah, we have a really big problem…." He muttered before digging his hand in his pants pocket. Pull out a small patch and held his hand out. "Give me the bowl…"
"What're you going to do with it?" Lysandra move it out of his reach in reflex. But Tim just held his hand out patiently.
"I have a plan, you have to trust me on this…." His voice sounded assuring but she wasn't about to fall on her knees and take it.
"Trust must be earned not given, Stiff…." She narrowed her eyes at him.
Tim sighed. Then Showing her the tiny patch in his hand. "This is a tracking device, I'm going to put it on the bowl and it will lead back to their hiding. I believe you said they're three of them, correct?" She nodded. "….Then, we're going to use it as a bait….then we can also catch them for the robbery as well…."
Corners of her mouth turned down as she stared at him. The phiale bowl still called to her, more like screaming, telling her to bleed for it. Her temple twitched with annoyance, wanting to smash it on the ground and just walk away from all of this.
"Look, We will wait till tonight, see where they store all of the artifacts, when we will plan our approach…." Tim reached and clapped her arm with his free hand. She felt like swatting his hand away but surprisingly didn't. She let his palm touched her, comforting warm spread through the sleeve of her hoodie, that serene energy shifted in the air around her. Something inside her fought not to surrender. They held their gaze. And Tim held his hand out again.
Swallowed hard, Lysandra let him has his way.
Successfully avoiding being caught in the aftershock of the robbery and risk being seen by his mentor, Tim and Lysandra sneaked their way out before the police or worse, Batman arrived. Thanks to the robbers-slash-murderers they apparently fried all the surveillance cameras on their way in and cut the back up security system. The whole thing lasted less than ten minutes of chaos. While Tim pretended to be eye glazing mindless puppet, he lined up after other hypnotized victims carrying the phiale bowl with tracker to the white van without license plate parking in front of the museum before faked passing out on the pathway just like the rest of other men.
Lysandra grabbed him from the ground after the rest of panic people in the museum came out screaming, saving him from being ran over by the crowds. They didn't say anything when Tim led them away from the scene.
They found an empty alley when Tim could have a look at her cuts. Most were shallow and the bleeding already stopped. Lysandra took Liberty getting rid of the shredded glasses by digging them out herself before she left the museum. Tim knew she gritted her teeth and bore the pain while brushing it off saying they would heal in a few hours and told Tim not to fret about it and instead to check the tracker.
He did comply her, thinking how she merely shove her injuries aside and tried to work, like the time when they first met in the Park, as he pulled out his PDA. The girl didn't seem to even care about getting scarred. He shrugged it off as his PDA screen lit up. Lysandra leaned in to see, fists to her hip.
The tracker seemed to stop in The Bowery area, Tim guessed it might be one of the warehouse. But he wanted to check out the building before planning. So he told Lysandra they should wait until after dark before sneaking in and get the bowl back.
So Tim told her he would pick her up later tonight at her apartment, meanwhile they could prepare themselves for their breaking and entering. To his surprise, she agreed.
They parted at the subway, after Tim telling her to at least tend the cuts after get home. Which she just waved her hand and marched away. With her out of his sight, Tim made his way to The Bowery, his disguise still in place.
He was a few blocks away when his cellphone rang. Showing Barbara's caller ID.
She asked him of his whereabouts and updated him about the robbery at the museum. Tim made joke and asked her if Bruce wanted him at the scene before his suspension was over which she just laughed and denied, saying the man had got there himself.
Typical Bruce. Tim knew the man was exhausted, he probably only slept less than five hours but he never complained. Even shorthanded, still didn't ask for his help. He shrugged the thought away when he finally reached the building the tracker stopped. Or more like, around the corner and saw an old one story warehouse. Tim immediately spotted the guards at the front door, The white van without license plate parked on the street across from it.
Tim entered the address into property owners search. And swore when he got the result. He muttered. "Lysandra….what kind of mess did you just get me into?"
It was a little passed midnight when Tim knocked on Lysandra's door. The rugged looking blond man in his late thirties opened the door. Tim had tried to find out about the man after saw him coming and going in this apartment during his observing period. Only end up in a heap of more confusion when the man named Steve Trevor, a WWII air force vet was supposedly dead more than fifteen years ago.
"You must be famous Mr. Robin…." He didn't smile. His expression placid. He didn't look surprise to see a masked vigilante wearing cape and tights showing up on his door. He was tall and well built, filling door frame with his body. For normal people would probably felt intimidate. But for someone like Tim who lived under the same roof with the Batman. It was just another day in life.
"Mr. Trevor…." He extended hand but the man didn't take it, instead he just nodded and shouted back inside. "Lysandra! Your date is here and he's wearing green tights!"
"Dammit, Steve! For the last time, He's not my date!" He could hear her voice shout back from inside.
Steve Trevor gave a shrug but still didn't let him in. He turned to give him a once over, examining him silently. After a good five minutes, he spoke. "No one see you coming up here?"
"No, sir"
"Good, now….get in here before she throw things at me" He clapped his shoulder and half dragging him inside.
Tim didn't expected to find the apartment to look very spacey, when Lysandra said her place was place was decent, he was expected it to be les― Well, he didn't really know what's to expected. This place furnished with high-end furniture, flat screen TV, a very expensive dining table for four. Kitchen with applicants to meet all the needs, Bookshelves, in the corner he spotted hanging sandbag and a treadmill.
"I don't know what you kids plan to do but whatever it is, she's very giddy about it…and I don't think it always end up pretty" Mr. Trevor muttered to him as if he didn't want Lysandra to hear. "She's been in her room all evening, polishing her arsenal…I swear, that girl loves knives and throwing stars more than clothes and shoes which is very disturbing for a girl her age…"
Tim didn't voice his opinion about how much he'd prefer Lysandra that way. He let Mr. Trevor continued.
".. and from what I gathered, she has tendency of being ruthless. It'd give me gray hair one of these days"
"So you're her guardian?" Tim asked.
"Is that what she told you?" He raised a brow.
"Not really, she just said she lived with you, who is her mother's friend…"
"That's right…" He sank down into the white sofa before gestured Tim to have a seat.
"Thank you" Tim said. Slowly sat down on the opposite couch.
Mr. Trevor grabbed popcorn in the bowl and stuffed it in his mouth. He turned the TV on, Pirate of the Caribbean was playing. All the while his gaze scrutinized him, ignoring Johnny Depp swinging around from wood crane, making an escape on the screen.
He chewed slowly as he dissected Tim with his blue eyes. Even with his Robin suit on, made of Kevlar protecting him from bullets, His utility belt full of Taser, throwing disks, sedative, small explosives but this man's eyes seemed to slice, peeled every layers of him just to see what's inside. Tim forced himself not to squirm by tapping his finger on his knee. Somehow he felt like Mr. Trevor was interrogating him with that baby blues of his. Or more like a father examined a boy who came picking up his daughter for a first date but add ten times intensity.
When Lysandra told him, she lived with her mother's friend, he first thought it'd be a female friend. Since she was an Amazon, having female friends was normal. And maybe this blond man was a boyfriend or a husband of that female friend. Tim didn't expect to find out Steve Trevor was actually her guardian. From the look of this apartment, only two bedrooms, Tim didn't see any sight of another female living in this place.
The man was single, probably with military background. From the way he carried himself, the way he stand and talk and the way he examining Tim. That hardness in his eyes told him Mr. Trevor had his fair share of things in this world, more than he'd liked. Violence of wars changed people, they made men harder, rougher. Military wasn't a place for a faint of heart. He was also not a bad looking, in a rugged handsome way. Stubble across his jaw and those blue eyes would probably attracted women like a magnet. Why would he shelter a young girl like Lysandra? Out of the goodness of his heart?
A sick, twisted idea made him scoffed at himself. Maybe he was just being pessimistic. Tim couldn't help it after all the things he had seen over the years. Some criminals, predators came with a handsome face, charming personality. Hiding under a shiny smile. But something in his guts, telling Tim that Steve Trevor wasn't one of those.
Still, the man was suspicious. His background check came up empty. There was no paper trial, no tax return, no pension paper. If he was military, there would at least be something to follow. Instead, Tim only found one Steve Trevor that would fit the profile and the man died almost twenty years ago at a Veteran home in Boston. Unless, he was using fake name. And people who used fake names always had something to hide. Maybe He was even in one of those special forces, explained the fake name.
"You think you can protect her, kid?" He finally broke the silence. Probably feeling Tim's scrutiny back at him. Before Tim could give any answers he continued. Tim realized it wasn't a question. "You think you can stop anyone from harming her? From her harming herself?―"
"Yes, si―"
"―Because I don't care if you worked for the god himself, you let that girl injured herself again, I will dragged you out of your nest and set your hide on fire, Do you understand, young man?"
"Yes, sir" Tim knew he was serious.
"Good"
Their impromptu conversation ended when Lysandra strode out of her room. Wearing long sleeves black leather shirt with front zipper, Her toned legs were mold by sleek black leather pants with a pair of combat boots. Her shimmering dagger tugged on her hip by the brown belt along with other knives that strapped on her thighs, upper arms. Her silver bracelets shone protectively on her wrists, fingerless gloves on both hands. Her dark hair swept up and braided into one long tail. Slung a crossbow over her shoulder, Lysandra looked at them.
Both of them stood up and gave her a long stare. She was armed to the teeth.
"What?" Lysandra raised a brow and looked at herself. "You think I need more knives?"
"You're armed enough to kill the whole entire blog, Missy" Steve said and crossed his arms. "Leave the crossbow, you're gonna freak people out with that"
"Why?" She moved the crossbow back when Mr. Trevor reached for it. "I might need it"
"Don't you say you just go in to retrieve an artifact? You don't need a crossbow to steal things, do you?" Steve gave her a look. "Beside, you don't even need all these knives, only that glittering dagger of yours is more than enough"
"We're not stealing…just borrow it!" Lysandra quipped but handed the blond man a crossbow. "And a girl can never be too prepare"
Mr. Trevor gave a snort. They exchanged a few more words as Tim watched. Their body language told him much about the relationship he was wondering about. Mr. Trevor was more like a concerned father who fuzzed over his daughter about her first overnight trip but instead, they were talking about vital points she should aim for maximum result. Lysandra only shrugged and brushed it off as if she already knew the details.
"I have suggestion" Tim said after clear his throat. Both of them turned to look at him. "Do you have anything that won't kill a man? Maybe a club or something? Because, I rather not kill anyone tonight…just disable would be more than enough"
He voiced his concern. Bruce wouldn't like it if Tim let this girl ran around his city killing people, even they're thugs.
"A club can kill people too, if you know how to hit" Lysandra said with a raised brow. And Tim bet all his gadgets she knew how to hit too. But he rather not risked it.
"Please?"
"Fine!" She let out an exasperated huff and went back into her room. Mr. Trevor tilted his face toward him with amused look.
"You seem to handle her well" He said, tugging his hands into pockets of his jeans. Tim just shrugged. He didn't really think Lysandra was that bad compared to other stubborn people he'd lived with. A few minutes later Lysandra appeared again from her door. She strapped two law enforcement issued batons to her hip, replacing two of her knives. Tim noticed she still kept her most trusted dagger on to her right side, she seemed to favor it.
"Better?" She spread her arms and let him see. He nodded, though still eyeing those deadly throwing knives strapped across her thighs and upper arms.
Yep, Bruce will skin his hide and hang it on the cave wall if he knew what Tim had done.
Thinking of Bruce, Reminding him about something. He opened his pouch, brought out his spare mask and hand it to Lysandra. "Better put this on too, you never know who's watching."
She made a face when Mr. Trevor commented. "Hey, a mask better than wearing a swimsuit like your mo―"
"Fine!" She cut him off and snatched the mask from Tim's hand. Reluctantly put it on her face with spirit gum that Tim also provided.
"Alright, children….let's get going!" Mr. Trevor clapped his hands and gestured them toward the kitchen door. "I believe, you kids will be using the rooftop route?"
"Sure, But Do you―"
Before he had a chance to finish, Lysandra pulled out her own grapping hook gun from her belt holster. She strode over to the kitchen door, leading Tim to the rooftop terrace. Mr. Trevor followed them both out.
Despite being in mid-July night. The temperature wasn't so high, Steam and smoke floating, darkened already gray sky of Gotham. Lights lit across the city. Noise of traffic played in the background.
Mr. Trevor clapped his hand on Tim's shoulder, stopping him. Tim turned back as the older man stuck his hand out. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Robin"
Tim frowned at his extended hand, earlier the man didn't accept his. Why now? He glanced over at Lysandra, she watched them as she stepped over the ledge.
Shaking the suspicious away, he turned back to Mr. Trevor and took his hand. As they shook hands, The older man didn't smile but his expression wasn't placid anymore. It was intense, his blue eyes caught light and flickering like the eye of flame. The pressure at his hand increased. At the last second before their hands parted, something slipped in his palm. A tiny piece of paper.
Mr. Trevor tilted his head toward Lysandra. "You keep her safe, You understand?"
"Yes, sir. I will" Tim assured before he walked over to Lysandra. Slipping that paper inside one of his pouch without reading it. Whatever it was he didn't want Lysandra to see.
"What's that all about?" Lysandra asked. As Tim stepped over the ledge beside her, pulling out his own grapping hook gun.
"Nothing, he just told me to keep you safe" Lysandra let out an exasperated huff. Tim chuckled and got and elbowed from her.
He looked up at the girl standing next to him. Lysandra wasn't even a bit nervous standing over the edge of a building like this. The mask hid her eyes, but he was sure it would be full of eagerness. She stood there, all deadly with weapons. A question form in his head. Should a girl like her be doing this? Looking so much at ease with knives and dagger strapped all over her body? And that was the same question Bruce had asked Dick when he started his mantle of Robin then Tim, himself when he took over. Should a kid like Dick and Tim ready for a life like this? They were just kids when they started. But that were his choice. Himself, Dick or even Bruce had never been force to walk this path. What about Lysandra? Her heritage would train her to be a fighter. But did she have the chance to ever choose?
None of these would make anything better, Right now they needed to the task they set to do. So Tim asked. "Ready?"
She smiled, flashing dimples on her cheek. "Always. Wanna race who get there first?"
She didn't even wait for his answer, Lysandra aim her gun and jumped off the ledge like she'd been doing this all her life. Tim aimed his own gun and fired.
Steve watched Lysandra and famous mr. Sidekick slung away to the next building and the next, and the next after that. Their forms were barely out of sight now. He pulled out his cigarette from his shirt pocket, put it between his lips and lit.
Inhaling in the narcotic then exhaled out the smoke. The substance made his body and senses relaxed. He smoked even heavier now than when he was alive the first time. Benefit of being second timer, living on a borrowed time. It was not like cancer could kill him now. He was only alive for one reason.
"You know, they say cigarettes could kill you" A feminine voice came behind, Steve didn't turn back to see who it was. He remembered her all too well, after all she was the one who dragged him back to life.
Aphrodite sashayed toward the edge of the terrace, joining him. She waved her hand, swatting the smoke out of her face when she came stand by him. Her perfect nose scrunched in disapproval. "Ugh. I hate the smell"
He heard her muttered something he couldn't understand, ignoring her he pumped more nicotine into his systems as he watched gray smoke floated around dark sky of Gotham. Pollution thickened in the air. Even after midnight the noise of traffic still blazing about.
He never liked this city, too much noise, too many people. How he wish he could be in Boston again. Seeing his hometown. Checking on his sister's kids, they'd probably all grown up now. Maybe even married, having their own children. But what could he do? To them, he was long dead and gone. Six feet under. And he never blamed anyone for a path of his choice.
"Do you think that kid could keep her safe?" He asked. Threw away the finished cigarette and smudged the butt with the sole of his shoe. Without blinking he lit the second one. The goddess next to him made a face at that.
"No one could keep her safe at this point" She said. Stepped away from him as she waving the smoke away again. "Maybe you forgot, our girl has tendency of pissing off people as well as put herself in trouble's walk way. But Athena thinks he was her best bet..."
"But what do you think, m'lady?" He asked.
Aphrodite gave a minute or two to think over before she said. "I think his presence complicated things. Though I wouldn't mind, I always enjoy a good tragedy"
Tragedy she said. Steve hoped she meant by the ancient plays. Because he couldn't think anyone's life could be any more tragic than the girl he took care of for a month.
Lysandra was skittish as hell. She never fully trusted him though there was some level of it. What kind of life had she been living until she came here? She never talked about her life there. Bits and pieces he gathered, led him to believe she was trained in an early age. She knew ways to execute, to kill, to make people die an instant dead as well as inflict maximum pain on the body. The girl collected weapons instead of clothing and she knew how to handle each one of them like a trained killer. Did Diana ever know what they had taught her daughter? And did that boy even know what kind of things she capable of?
Steve doubted it.
"Don't worry, handsome. Whatever happens, I am sure she can handle it. You…on the other hand….I will collect your pay soon…." The goddess said, pivoting away and with a blink she disappeared in thin air. Leaving Steve alone on that dark terrace rooftop.
He inhaled again and closed his eyes. He thought of Diana's beautiful face, her gorgeous smile and exhaled.
If only he could see that smile again before his time ran out.
Ps; Please don't kill me, yet! I gotta go finish the second half!
By the way, next chapter there will be some new characters in mentioning. Hint it's Jr. of red and blue!