i_crusade Encounter [Tag: Tim]
Above-ground, the sun was sinking below the horizon. It was nearly time. After spending all afternoon at his computer with Barbara, Bruce finally stood up.
"I'm going to get Dick," Bruce said to Barbara, before stepping into the elevator. There was little hope that Robin -- no, Nightwing -- was in the manor, but it felt right to Bruce to go to look, himself. What had happened that sent Dick out on his own? The cold analysis in his mind suggested that he himself was probably the cause. There was much he did not know about the Dick Grayson in the City with him. But there were some things - core things - that Bruce knew were still there. He didn't hesitate to call on Dick for this outing to Arkham.
When Bruce started upstairs, however, a shadow cast on the floor from the library caught his attention. He stopped on the third step and narrowed his eyes. That was not a familiar silhouette. Silently, he stalked back down the stairs and across the room. Paused against the wall. Listened.
And then stepped into the room, blank expression plastered over his face. Under his skin, however, his muscles were coiled, ready for a fight. Who had come to the manor without his knowledge? And how much would it take to get them out again?
From: i_laidanegg Date: 07/17/2006 20:35:41
Tim looked up from his book as he heard someone mounting the steps, marked his place and closed it. He's been greeted at the front door by Alfred some time earlier and had since been shown to 'the room near Maxine's'. He'd found his own room easily enough, with more then one extra suit stashed away, unfortunately they were not the new suit.
He stood and moved toward the doorway, running his hand though his hair a bit nervously. A younger Bruce, that meant there was a possibility that this Bruce didn't know him as anyone more then 'tiny Tim Drake', the son of his one time neighbor Jack. He's already looked around the city for his fathers place when that had occurred to him, and found it nowhere. He'd been about to exit the room when suddenly he realized something was wrong.
Whoever had come up the stairs, he hadn't been paying much attention unfortunately, had stopped. Not just stopped in the hallway, but they seemed to have stopped breathing, stopped moving. They had in a sense, disappeared. Tim knew of only a very few people who were able to do that so easily and would be in Wayne Manor. Still, best to be cautious. Ready to defend himself he said softly "Bruce? Dick? Is that you?"
From: i_crusade Date: 07/17/2006 20:46:31
The shadows against the wall slid away from him as he stepped out into the light. When the person turned, he recognized the face from the recent file Barbara pushed to his computer. This was Tim Drake, the one that he had, some time in the future, chosen to replace Dick?
He was much smaller than Bruce had originally imagined.
"Yes," he answered. "You must be Tim."
After a cautious pause, he finally added, "Welcome."
From: i_laidanegg Date: 07/17/2006 20:59:10
Tim stared openly. This was one heck of a shock, when Barbara had said he was a bit younger he hadn't expected this. It came as a bit of a shock to him. Immediately the thought occurred to him that Bruce this young might be prone to make mistakes, might even be somewhat of a liability as a partner. Noting his stance though, and the way he remained cautious - he knew better.
Besides, Tim trusted in Bruce. He trusted in his abilities and generally his judgements, though... of late he'd been questioning those a lot more.
"Hello..." he said after his short shocked silence. "I'm sorry you just... you're quite a bit younger then you were when I saw you yesterday. Sorry for stopping by unannounced but my old apartment is gone and I wanted to touch base." He eyed him again.
"I understand you're probably confused about me, and I assume since you know my name Oracle had you look over my file." It was then that Tim met his eyes with a steely determination. It was time to make one thing clear. "I'm not going to be talked out of what I do, so don't try. I was trained by the best to be the best."
From: i_crusade Date: 07/17/2006 21:14:36
Bruce laughed. The kid had steel in his spine, and that pleased him. But that did not mean that Batman would go to Arkham with this Robin tonight. It spelled disaster, trying to team with a boy who, despite having been trained well, was a complete stranger.
"If your dedication was lacking enough to be talked out of the path you have chosen, I doubt your mentor would have led you down it to begin with."
His mirth had vanished as swiftly as it came. He remembered what Barbara had told him, and wanted to rectify what he could as soon as possible. Carefully.
"I understand that you had some difficulties before you arrived. Your sleeping arrangements are your own to make. But I would prefer if you were closer than the carriage house. I understand that there is a room here specifically for you. Will you be using it?"
From: i_laidanegg Date: 07/19/2006 19:54:27
Tim considered carefully for a moment, then decided it would be best for the time being to stay close. He nodded slowly and looked at him. "Yeah, for now." He paused a moment as he considered this 'new' Bruce, then met his eyes. "I'd like to go out with you tonight, if you don't have any 'social' obligations as Bruce Wayne."
From: i_crusade Date: 07/19/2006 20:56:41
"Good," Bruce said. The way the boy was looking at him told Bruce that he was wary of him. Just as well.
"I would like that also," Bruce said, answering Tim's desire, and there was some truth to it. The sooner he learned how far he could push the boy, how far he could trust him, the better off they would all be. "A friend of ours is in need of your company this night. She's waiting downstairs. But there will be many other nights. The City is growing worse, I fear, not better."
From: i_laidanegg Date: 07/19/2006 21:04:00
Instantly Tim's expression went carefully blank. "A friend of ours?" He asked, just a hint of curiosity in his voice. Inwardly he was considering everyone he knew that they knew, he discounted the titans. Oracle then possibly, or this Maxine girl. His fear however, was that it might be Cassandra Cain.
She's fooled them all, for who knows how long, and that lesson had made Tim very cautious of everyone now. He was quickly learning that there were few people in this world he could trust, and that thought was frighteningly like words his partner had spoken to him time and time again.
If there was one thing that Tim didn't want, it was to become a mirror of Batman. He had no friends, he had allies. Tim pushed that line of thinking away for the moment and concentrating on the problem at hand. The 'friend' waiting.
From: i_crusade Date: 07/19/2006 21:15:40
The boy's caution would serve him well. Bruce was pleased to see it in the quiet nothingness of his expression. Excellent. Unnecessary at this point. But excellent.
"Barbara," he said quietly, explaining what the boy wanted to know. "And there is much to do. If you are ready."
The gentle barb should be enough to get the kid up and going. The young always seemed to want to prove themselves. It turned out that this young one had need to prove himself to Bruce. For now, however, Bruce had need to find the one Robin he knew and trusted -- Dick.
"I must go now."
From: i_laidanegg Date: 07/19/2006 21:21:31
Tim's expression lightened instantly and a small smile curved his lips. Babs, now that was good news. His expression turned neutral again when Bruce mentioned he had to leave so suddenly. "Oh? Why's that?" A test, although a small one. He wanted to see how much trust a younger Bruce would place in him, a little he hoped. Enough.
From: i_crusade Date: 07/19/2006 21:40:42
Bruce detested unnecessary questions. They set him on edge. Made him cautious. But there was none of that cautiousness in his face, no shift to be detected.
Yet, perhaps the boy did need to know where he was going and who he was seeking. It would smart, sting, and if all went to plan, drive the kid to excel.
"It's getting late," he said, gesturing to the curtained window in the library. "I wanted to find Dick before it got too much later."
The kid would figure out the rest. Dick was riding with him tonight.
From: i_laidanegg Date: 07/19/2006 21:49:43
For a moment Tim's eyes lit up. He's like to see Dick too, and then he understood what that meant. He was being, at least for the night, pushed out of the picture in favor of dick. He understood that, and he didn't hold it against Bruce. He nodded and made his way toward the stairs. "Later."
Just because Batman went off without his Robin didn't mean that this Robin wasn't going to fly solo. He made his way down the steps without glancing back and looked around for Barbara.