eddie/dick rescue log Who: Eddie and Dick When: Last nightish Where: Deep under Arkham What: rescuing Eddie Warnings: bantering
Even with his marbles jumbled, Eddie knew how to get them back in the jar. He consumed every text, every picture, every message that Stephanie sent him and slowly pieced every part of him back together. He had done it before. That time Ivy had put a boot through his head so hard he lost everything except his crosswords, he had put it back together by seeing the questions marks that dotted his every thought. This time it was different. It wasn’t about the question marks or the riddles or the super genius, now it was about her it was about friends and family he couldn’t have claimed to have before this Gotham. They were the key.
He wasn’t quite there when Ra’s started making hilarious jabs about losing his head (Eddie thought there were some missed opportunities in the pun department and the lack of knowledge of dwarves irked him), but the green man didn’t have any time. He’d have to say goodbye, fashion something sharp and try to stab at least one motherfucking ninja before they carted him away. Another blow to the head and Eddie was Eddie again. Only much, much angier.
The riddled man thought he’d wake up with steel pressed to his neck. Instead? He was lifted off the ground in a padded cell and placed in one of the most complex straight jackets he had ever been in. Part of him was delighted for such a challenge, but mostly? Mostly, Eddie was pissed. He was pissed that Ra’s likely duped his wife into thinking he was going to die. He was furious that Gotham was so easily taken down by a pack of ninjas. He hated how much this felt like Earth-3.
So, now he just hung in the trap Ra’s left him in. Edging his fingers against the straight jacket’s fabric to try and find a way out.
Once Babs and Gwen had managed to swap trade secrets Dick finally had a not only a trail to follow but a god damn location. And he ran. Nightwing suit still forgone, but he was no less armed, and just a bit more bloodied (he had some body armor on - but not a lot) than he might have been otherwise when he finally busted his way into the room where Eddie was hanging. But not decapitated, and definitely alive.
Of course the state he was in, mentally, was going to be kicker on whether Dick cut him down or carried him out all swaddled. “Eddie?”
Eddie had never thought that he’d be broken out of a padded cell by pixie boots, but stranger things had happened. He gave a sharp look down and squinted at the almost super spy gear. “You better have an energy bar in one of those pockets.” He was so happy to see Grayson, over the moon happy, but it mixed with worry about Stephanie and anger at Ra’s. “Where’s my wife? What the fuck happened out there?” So many riddles as he wiggled from the straight jacket cocoon.
Well, he was planning on escaping himself, but Eddie loved a good shortcut.
Relief. How do you spell relief? E.D.D.I.E. “I know, this is freaking me out right now too, lets just settle on calling it poetic,” he said with a smile, that was clearly relieved and glad to see him back to his old new old new self.
“Your wife,” he sighed. “Well Ra’s dropped decapitated body that may have been yours off. So I sedated her and took her to the Wayne Tower Batlair. Where she should be resting comfortably, hopefully still passed out - with Babs there keeping an eye out. Bruce has or is being rescued. You’re not dead. I’m going to be her favorite brother until infinity. And now we are going to take back this fucking city.” And with that he produced a small (like hospital sized) bottle of water a protein bar from his pocket like magic. “Were you just hanging around for fun, or did you know I was coming and want to impress me?” he said clearly, clearly relieved. He was taking deep breaths and everything. And smiling. This was one win.
Eddie took a moment to take all the information in and closed his eyes with a frustrated sigh. In all the time they were in Earth-3, Stephanie never had to be told that her husband might be dead. He was always escaping by the skin of his teeth and even Owlman hadn’t tried to fake a murder. Probably because Owl would actually kill him. This was a bad time for it, too, because Stephanie knew exactly how distant Eddie was feeling about her lately and though his last words to her were full of love and forgiveness, it didn’t erase everything else. He nodded and opened his eyes, actually pretty hopeful about the rest of it. With Bruce out and the rest of the family safe, Ra’s didn’t have a chance. He could have as many fucking ninjas as he wanted.
“Well, I was going to escape on my own.” Eddie said with a smirk and wiggled for good measure in the cocoon. “But, I wanted to give you a chance to feel like a hero and earn some brownie points with Stephanie. If you were the guy who told her I might be dead, trust me you’ll need it.” Bantering? Eddie could do bantering. "Now cut me down and feed me, Pocketman."