Teen Titans Presents Robin; Torn Legacy of a Prodigal Son
/
Chapter 53: Indestructible
/
The bat - mobile's passenger tonight was not Tim, but Babs as she watched the night, while her driver Bruce, made sure to keep them from a collision course with a mailbox or ten. The wheels rolled on, the case was Ragdoll. A rather scrawnier version of Crane and therefore, more of an annoyance than anything the cat's info could cough up.
"Last we heard from Selina; Ragdoll was in the Gotham Museum viewing the artifacts from the Victorian London model of Big Ben.
"Way, out of his league." Babs agreed with nod. Her arms under her cape as she wondered how Tim was faring as Jason's lap dog. Or Jason as…. well, they had to focus on this tiny threat before it got to the point of eluding them.
"He's never been this slippery." She noted as Bruce said nothing and gunned it to the floor, the car spinning before coming to a halt in front of the Museum entranceway.
After dark.
/
She knew to stay close by, as quiet as a little mouse. Though, Selina knew that dodging the bat to scope out the rag – face's real MO was…to say, it could have looked like any other option she'd wanted to take. She tailed on by the ceiling, shadows long and serpentine above her beloved's cowled head. How she'd become an unofficial antihero…just for him.
The cat crept into the next room, flipping off and silently she waited, finding a humming joke tip toing away from the scene of a stolen opportunity. She bit her lip, ignoring the crowned jewels exhibit. It was lesser trash. She'd go after true diamonds. Some day.
"I suppose it should be here….humm….though, did Riddler not tell me what and when… -
"When you'd be spotted, shorty?" Selina sauntered over with her whip, Bruce coming in on her right as she tagged and gagged him, his arms squirming to get away.
"The tech and energy you put into this is, well. Could a girl ask for anything so intimate, Bat – boy?"
Babs turned her head and said nothing as Batman joined in the interrogations. "Talk, Ragdoll. Why are you after the mechanism of this exhibit?"
"It's the parts my employer desperately asked for, Batman." Ragdoll grinned and moved his shoulders, Batgirl coming over with a way to stun him from trying. "No, bad. You'll talk to the cat and the bat, or this bird has to keep you all tied up for when the cops take you to Arkham in cuffs."
"He's going to do it anyway, you caught me! Oh Well!" Sighed the rather dramatic sounding villain. "Whoa, am I…. you'll feed me my rights and I'll get no dessert after a meal of gruel and malnourishment. What's a LOON to do?"
"You can't." Bruce sniffed. "That piece in your outfit, Selina?"
"With pleasure, big bat." She smirked and tugged it off of the villain's suit.
"Oh, but yet again…. I'd almost forgotten?" Ragdoll chuckled and started to rhyme, rather eerily so…
"Riddle me this…. Every night I'm told what to do, and each morning I do what I'm told. But I still don't escape your scold."
Bruce looked at the item as it began to beep.
"Give up? It's an alarm clock!"
Babs came up to the clown and gawked at his space case attempt for…
"A riddl –
"Bomb. Back. Now!"
The three dropped their perp and dove down, away from the blast as it burned priceless replicas of the original, still in London. The debris was getting hotter as Bruce helped out Selina, while Babs saw to the aftermath. "You…. he got out?"
"He's a contortionist and mad as one." Selina scowled. "He was with Nigma that entire time we were on his back. I'll use that sack of sand as a scratching post…. ang! ~"
"Selina?"
Dear gods…Babs had never seen it until now, but….
She was in pain, not the unbeatable, unbearable obstacle that they'd come to be divided on.
He helped her out, her paw then…. holding what looked to be evidence as Bruce smiled. "You saved the gear, for me?"
"Anything to have you hold me this close, darling…I'd purr myself to sleep if, you'll allow it?"
"As long as you're not too badly injured." He allowed her to stay in his arms as he walked by the Commish. Babs just ignored the man as he nodded to her, hands in his oversized coat pockets. "Maybe next time, kid."
/
So, was he aware?
Her father, James Gordon and she…he was not even ok with keeping the bat's identity in check, but…
They had a relationship to save the city. To be its protectors, and no one here had lost a life. Sirens and bells were done behind them as Selina was laid up at the bat seat, her leg in need of Alfred's TLC.
"Cave, right?"
"Almost." Bruce stopped and messed with the knobs to let them into his domain in the wood's entranceway. "I want you here with Selina. I'm going after Nigma."
"On your own, B? He'll get you first!"
"I know his one location. All thanks to Selina and your hard work."
"The tazer…it's a tracker?"
"Yes. So, tell Alfred to do what he can. You both can standby and…I'm sure this will be the last villain to stop for tonight." He sounded, less than hopeful, yet forlorn.
"He's ok, we will find…him…too."
"I am not – Dick is not a priority, not yet. He's on the back burner of my missing persons list until a new case is settled."
He didn't give up, just…took a break.
Babs nodded, thinking to if Tim was still on the wrong side of the law. Hacking security cams, blowing up stuff and freeing his darker side.
Batman needed her right now, and Selina was a good egg. She put a gloved hand to Miss. Kyle's arm out of sympathy as the cat took it with a mighty squeeze. "Thanks, kid…You're a lifesaver…" It felt, nice to hear for a change.
Yeah, and the only anchor Bruce needed to come to his senses in the end was this pretty cat and boastful bird. His insight and, his wisdom she supposed? (Oracle talk.)
/