Tim Drake-Wayne (redrobin) wrote in doorslogs, @ 2012-12-20 23:13:00 |
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Entry tags: | batman, door: dc comics, red robin |
WHO Luke & Spencer -> Bruce & Tim
WHAT Tim can't get to Gotham and Spencer meddles
WHEN A few days after Babs woke up
WHERE Passages -> Wayne Manor
WARNINGS None
Luke felt like he’d been going to Passages a lot as of late, more than once a day without fail, but he understood that this was a particularly trying time in Gotham and the last thing he wanted to do was get in the way of Bruce fixing things in his city. He had a lot to make up for, and maybe it was an impossible task, but he could grudgingly admire the man’s unyielding determination. Failure simply wasn’t in his repertoire; it was something the two of them had in common. It was mid-afternoon on this particular occasion, after an overnight shift that had run late, and he was more tired than usual as he caught a cab to the hotel, still in his work uniform. The sooner he got onto the force, the better, though he had a feeling the irregular hours worked by law enforcement were just going to make this whole process even more complicated. There was no use dwelling that far in the future, though. He was still trying to take each day as it came. Yawning all the while, with a cup of coffee in hand, he traversed the stairs which led to the hallway where Gotham’s door stood, same as it always was. If only they could exist simultaneously, he mused, but that would just be too easy. Upon getting kicked while checking up on Babs, Tim had discovered after a dozen attempts, that his door was broken. It only opened to Iraq, to the cave he’d first found himself in when he’d stepped through the door the first time. Spencer was unconcerned, given how angry Tim had been recently. Really, it was bad when even the door picked up on it. So, instead of worrying about it just then, Spencer had Tim cool off for a couple days before he reached out to Luke. It had been the first time they’d spoken since discussing his lunch with Wren, but the man agreed to let him through and that was what mattered. It was as much for Bruce as it was for Tim, as far as Spencer could tell. He arrived at Passages after work, dressed in his Army fatigues and combat boots, various pockets filled with the essentials. They’d had a mini drill that afternoon for the ROTC students and Spencer had been tapped as an instructor, hence the get up. He was more than a little tired, but he didn’t let it show. Those 5 hour energy shots were really helping him out, lately. The way up to the DC door was so familiar, Spencer barely paid any attention as he made his way. It wasn’t until he turned the corner and caught sight of a very familiar silhouette that he paused for the briefest of moments. His mind was churning, trying to see if there was anything to the flicker of recognition while also remaining calm as a button, walking up to Luke. “It’s nice to meet you, though I wish it were under somewhat better circumstances,” Spencer greeted warmly, quick to smile as he offered his hand out to the other man. The circumstances could’ve been far worse, if he’d decided to pursue questions about Alexander. Normally, Luke did his best to avoid crossing paths with anyone else who might be visiting the hotel at the same time. Countless people had doors here, and keys to go along with them, but he knew most of those who shared his door, so there was never any need for conversation. No one had ever stopped him in the hallway before, and he looked up a little too sharply at the sound of approaching footsteps, immediately wary. His first thought was that he’d have to circle around and come back, not wanting a stranger to see which door was his; that was quickly replaced, however, by a flash of recognition. Army fatigues aside, he’d recognize Spencer anywhere. Between himself, Falcon, and everything that had happened with Wren, he was having a hard time keeping who knew what straight. Did he have reason to introduce himself? He’d never met him as Luke before, had he? Fuck. Fuck, he didn’t think so. He had a choice, to let the facade fall or play dumb, and instinct made his choice for him. “Uh, hi,” he said, an equal mix of uncertainty and confusion as he eyed the other man’s proffered hand. “It’s... nice to meet you too, I guess. I’m sorry, do we know each other?” “Not formally,” Spencer replied hesitantly. “Spencer Williams,” he introduced himself, dropping the hand because it seemed Luke wasn’t the type. Or maybe he’d just caught the man off guard, but since they’d arranged meeting on the journal, it raised a slight question. Very slight. “I appreciate you helping me out here. Tim’s a little antsy to get back and he’s not too keen on another fourteen plus hour flight,” he explained, putting the slight unease in the back of his mind. If Luke was Falcon, and it was really only a very vague suspicion, then he was probably in really deep shit for talking to Wren about Falcon. Can we worry about me please? Tim huffed, eager to cross. Spencer shrugged slightly. “Plus, I figure it’s a good chance for the two of them to talk.” Meaning Bruce and Tim. “Ready?” Because they didn’t have much else to talk about unless the dots started connecting. This, right here, was the problem with being paranoid as opposed to merely cautious. Luke realized too late that his reaction might have been questionable, and seconds ticked by as he stared at Spencer, silent, listening to his introduction and what came after. Okay, maybe if he played it off as being tired or something, he might avoid raising suspicion. "Oh," he said, after a moment's pause. "Oh, right. Shit, sorry, I'm just all over the place today." He gestured to his coffee and gave an apologetic grin, though how well it worked, he had no idea. "Nice to officially meet you, I guess. You already know who I am... and don't mention it. I’d be sending him through the door either way,” he shrugged. As for Bruce and Tim talking, he wasn’t sure how well that was going to go, but at the very worst Tim would just end up screaming at him and storm out for good. Not ideal, obviously, but better to prepare for the worst than pretend it wasn’t going to happen. “Those two talking couldn’t hurt,” he agreed, deciding it was unnecessary to mention his own doubts. The longer they stuck around in the hallway, the more complicated things could get, so why waste any more time? Luke had used his key so often that it was practically instinct by now, sliding it into the lock and turning, and he gave a mock little wave over his shoulder before stepping over the threshold. Spencer smiled and waved off any concern. “Not to worry. Happens to me all the time.” Sort of. Not really. But Luke didn’t need to know that and he honestly kind of wanted to avoid any weird things about Wren, Alexander, Falcon, and all that stuff. He didn’t even ask Luke about himself, not wanting to know. Just in case he was right. “Not at all. Just hope it ends up well.” He could hope. Tim was hoping to run off and back to Drake Manor but Spencer was certain he wouldn’t just zip past Bruce. He had things he wanted to say, plenty more he didn’t want to say, and a good number of things he should say. Spencer was hoping it would turn out alright. Luke went first, and Spencer followed shortly thereafter. Tim sighed in relief once he was on his side. Even though it was Wayne Manor, with the owner standing just there, it was Gotham without the ridiculous plane ride. That was the most important part. Dressed in jeans and a worn, nondescript tee, he looked sort of like he’d just gotten out of bed. It wasn’t entirely accurate, but he was emotionally tired for the most part and it was starting to take it’s toll. He put some space between himself and Bruce, but he didn’t run off. He didn’t say anything either, but he didn’t run off. Spencer was counting that as a victory in his mind. Once through the door, Bruce barely had any time at all to think on what he might say once Tim followed. Aside from Jason, who had yet to cross, it seemed he had reached a tentative sort of truce with everyone else, but Tim... Tim was still angry. Too angry to forgive him, too angry to even speak to him, though he did hope that time had lessened some of the hurt. The problem was, of course, that he was terrible at this, and pushing was difficult. He was not the sort of man who accepted failure readily, but he’d never been one to force himself upon anyone, and as he so often thought those around him would be safer at a distance, fighting to mend bridges was a struggle. He looked as he usually did, in what constituted as casual attire (a suit, no tie, a lighter shade of solid gray), and waited until Tim stepped over the threshold. Part of him expected the boy to ignore him entirely and leave, but when that didn’t happen, he felt a faint spark of hope that this might not go as badly as he feared it might. Oh, the space was there, and Tim wasn’t exactly striking up conversation, but it was a start. “Hello, Tim,” he said after a long moment, his attempt at a greeting. “How... have you been, since we last spoke?” It was, perhaps, not the best situation for them, but at least now Tim was more angry at the hotel than at Bruce. Time had lessened some of the anger and a lot of it was just him accepting that things weren’t going to be the same. It was easy to blame Bruce for everything, even though it wasn’t right. Things were just a mess and Tim was too blinded by hurt to see an end where everyone was happy. Shuffling about awkwardly, he waited to see if Bruce would try or if he would just let him go, and when he got his answer, he wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not. He got a halfhearted nod in reply. “Fine,” came the short reply a few moments later. Spencer was there though, nudging him to the point where he gave a frustrated sigh and continued. “I’ve been focusing on the gangs. Gives me something to do.” There, that would have to be enough. He wanted to be so angry, but he was just tired. There was a small part of him that wished Shiva was still around to give him advice because it felt like he couldn’t rely on anyone else to help him through. Helena was there, of course, but things were complicated and he didn’t want to rely too heavily on her now that Kara was around. “I saw Gordon showed up. That’ll be helpful.” In all honesty, Bruce hadn’t expected a reply, so that short fine was certainly more than enough for him. He tried not to look too eager, or to make his utter lack of direction visible; he felt blind, groping along for some indication that he was on the right path. “I’m glad you’ve been keeping busy,” he offered. “What sort of progress have you made?” It wasn’t a critical question, but one which was genuinely curious. Returning to Gotham after what had occurred involved playing some serious catch-up, and he wanted the boy to have succeeded. As for Gordon, he nodded; having the man around would be helpful, especially since they came from the same world. Finally, someone who understood, someone who wasn’t an adversary, but an ally. “I’m glad he’s here,” he admitted. “Gotham PD needs him.” Tim just shrugged. “Broken them up enough that they’re floundering. Tried coming together but I took care of it.” He was understating the amount of work that had gone into surveilling the gangs, marking the key players, and taking them out of the equation. He was vigilant about it because he felt like it was the only useful thing he could do. “Better than just sitting around waiting.” Spencer was chastising him for the bitterness. Bruce hadn’t been responsible for his outright exclusion, but he was a suitable person to be mad at as far as Tim was concerned. It hurt, a bit, when Bruce said he was glad that Gordon was around. The bit about the PD needing him around felt like an afterthought and Tim was jealous. He’d always been that way. There was the briefest flicker in his eyes, and then it was pushed away. “Yea.” Gotham PD needed someone without their head up their ass and Gordon was a good man. He just wasn’t the Gordon Tim knew. Which... “Does he know about Barbara?” Because despite being mad, Tim still thought about his family. There was approval in the way Bruce nodded, more of a tilt of his chin, an acknowledgement, and he made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the gangs in the future. Not because he doubted Tim’s abilities, but because he wanted to observe the shift for himself, and to further watch the boy’s progress. He had a tendency to oversee in silence and shadow, watchful, yet not interfering unless it became necessary. “That’s the best way to deal with them. As a cohesive group, they’re strong, but separate them and they become weak,” he said, before he realized that he was essentially telling Tim what he already knew and falling silent. The bitterness was tangible, layering tension between them, and while Luke could relate (to Tim, not himself) he didn’t exactly have any suggestions either. The prospect of his attention being something which was desired, never mind feelings of jealousy, never crossed his mind, unfortunately, which meant he failed to realize that expressing how he felt about Gordon’s arrival might not have been the wisest choice to make. He did, however, catch that flicker, even if he didn’t quite understand what it was. “I’m not sure,” he said after a moment. “He didn’t mention her. In our world, his children were still quite young.” There was an obvious shift in his demeanor at the approving nod as some of the tension disappeared. He was doing the right thing, he knew, with the gangs, but it was one thing to know it and another entirely to have his actions approved of. Bruce’s opinion mattered the most to him, which was partly why the whole thing with the fear toxin was so difficult for him to bounce back from. He took it personally, even if it that wasn’t the case at all. There was the smallest smile at the older man’s words. “I know. I learned from the some of the best.” Bruce included, but he didn’t want to turn this into some kind of comparison. Tim knew he needed to stop assuming this Bruce knew him the way his Bruce did. Things would just be easier that way. “Does Babs know he’s here?” There was an underlying Does she remember she has a dad? there too, because he knew she hadn’t remembered much of anything a few days prior, when he’d been kicked after attending to her. Part of him realized that Tim might not have meant his comment about learning from the best as a subtle dig, or even a comparison, and Bruce made an actual effort to keep from taking it as either-- or both. It was only the truth, that he had not trained the boy, nor had he trained any of the others. He might share the man’s name, and the basic details, but he was not that Bruce Wayne, and nothing he said or did could ever change that. There was a breath, a pause, and a nod, as though acknowledging that those who had trained him had done well. “I think she might, if she’s seen his posts on the journals,” he said of Barbara, and there was a shift, almost as though he was uncomfortable. “I... haven’t spoken to her yet.” Tim nodded. “I haven’t spoken to her since I got kicked. I don’t know what’s up with my door but-” He stopped and shrugged. Where his door was opening to, what it meant for him, this Bruce didn’t need to know. None of them did. Ra’s knew, and he wondered if the man had said, but he figured he would’ve heard about it by now if that was the case. “I’ll figure it out,” he ended lamely. Tim shuffled awkwardly on his feet for a moment before moving toward the door. “I’m just going to...go. I guess. My bike’s still out in the driveway, I’m betting.” He doubted anyone bothered to right it or move it into a garage which meant he probably needed to do some work on it. Bruce knew where Tim’s door was opening to, thanks to his being privy to Luke’s knowledge, but he wasn’t quite sure of the implications. “It’s not opening here,” he supplied, because that much was obvious, considering that Spencer had needed Luke to open the door for him in order to end up here. “I’m sure you will, Tim, but if you need anything...” He let the offer trail off, well aware that it would likely be declined. He certainly expected as much, but it was still in his nature to offer nonetheless. For a moment, it seemed as though he might stop him, or perhaps ask him to stay, but then he nodded. “Alright. I believe it was brought inside, but you’re free to look.” He paused. “I will... see you later?” Oh, it was undoubtedly a question, and while he hid it well, there was a fair amount of hope within it. Tim nodded. “It’s not.” He wasn’t going to offer up any more than that, but he was going to caution Spencer, for what it was worth, to censor just how much he told Luke in the future, in case there was bleed over between them the same where the was between he and Spencer. “I’ll ask. Promise.” Because part of it was showing Bruce that he was capable of handling himself and the other part was to prove that asking for help wasn’t the end of the world. Not in this family, at least. There was a moment, where he thought Bruce would reach out, figuratively that was, but instead, he just let him go. “I- Yea.” Tim agreed, offering a genuinely happy smile for a brief moment, before all but disappearing out the door. He didn’t want to say anything stupid. On faith, he checked the garage first and there was his baby. Work needed to be done on her, sure, so he settled in and did the repairs he could right there, thinking about what Bruce had said and how they left things. Maybe...maybe it was possible for them to work together. Maybe this place wasn’t the worst thing to ever happen to him. And maybe...maybe it was time to grow up a little too. Maybe. |