capeandcowllogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

WHO: Dick and Tim. Bruce later.
WHERE: Batcave.
WHEN: Monday night after the switch back.
WARNINGS: None? Angst?
SUMMARY: Dick is himself again. He's also in a cell in the Cave and someone needs to tell him about the last ten days.
FORMAT: Quicklog.

[He's cold. That's the first thing that passes through his head before he realises that the reason he is might be that he's on the floor, in the Cave –

No, not just in the Cave. He's in a cell, being kept locked there. For a moment, he thinks maybe Tim's future... but then he remembers the electric shock, trying to contact Batman... and he gets insanely worried. He was switched, he was switched like Tim and Gar and Roy were, and now he's back and he's in a cell.

This – this can't be good. And he doesn't have his communicator, it must have been taken away from him when whoever locked him up. Bruce, probably. Wow, it took about ten seconds for his mouth to get completely dry and for the dread to settle, his torso and lungs suddenly hurting.

He gets up and takes a breath in, trying to calm down. Maybe he's wrong.]

Batman? [If it's the night, he might be patrolling, but calling for him can't hurt.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Tim had gone back to the Tower once he was able to move - a little - without bleeding, to be around his friends. And away from the cold darkness of the Cave, and the pressing knowledge that Dick's cell was so close. Paradoxically perhaps, he found himself watching that very cell on the monitor feeds he had hooked up, with Batman's knowledge, to the Tower.

And that's why he saw the change. The AI's post to the network had been the hint, but he had to see it for himself - and he did.

He was up and into the elevator before considering that using his superspeed might not be a good idea. So he took the Redbird instead, allowing him to sit still. The injuries weren't going to tear open too easily, not now, but they were still tender and sore enough that this was a good idea, even if it was a little slower.

When he got to the Cave, of course, he just barrelled out of the car and ran over to Dick's cell anyway, unlocking the door and - stopping. Before walking in.]

... Hey. Welcome back.

[When he'd gotten no answer, he'd been expecting to stay there until Bruce was back from patrol. Probably a few hours. So having Tim show up first, not that long after he... woke up? It surprises him.

Especially considering the last time he saw Tim, he was going around with a cowl and guns on his belt. At least, the change in that last bit is a definite improvement.

Tim's obviously hurt, though, and Dick suddenly wonders how much he missed.]

You, too?

[He doesn't sound sure of himself at all, the worry still very, very much there.] What happened?

[Tim stays standing for a moment, then sits down on the floor with a sigh. He really just wants to hug Dick right now, but - that would probably come off as really weird. Instead, he just reaches over to ruffle his hair.]

A lot of stuff happened. Sorry for kicking you out of the Tower.

[He pauses, clearly uncomfortable and working on hiding it. But it's better Dick hears this now, from him, than from someone else later on.]

Your future self was here again. Only... from later in the timeline.

[He stares at Tim for a moment. Being kicked out of the Tower hadn't crossed his mind and the second Tim tells him about his future self, he doesn't care about it anymore. He can practically feel his heart beating in his chest because of how nervous he suddenly gets.

Later in the timeline can mean plenty of things, but Tim's... Tim is uncomfortable about it. Tim had barely been uncomfortable the last time and he really should have been, he'd done a very good job at hiding everything for a long time.

This is something worse, and this is something he doesn't think he can hide from Dick. None of this points to something Dick is going to like.]

How much later?

[A part of Tim wishes that it was Bruce who had been here to tell Dick, but then, Bruce has never been very good at talking about things, not when they're this... emotional. Not that he thinks he is, either, but maybe he can do something to reassure Dick.

Not mentioning the stab wounds might be a start.

He leans back a little, face serious but open.] A long time, I think. Several years.

[Okay, so Tim's being uncomfortable and avoiding saying anything useful, and Dick is starting to panic, here. Internally. And he's refocusing that into anger, because there's nothing much else he can feel.

Was it after I become the Joker.

It's an easy question. It's also a question he can't bring himself to ask, because he doesn't want to hear the answer. He knows, deep down, it explains how Tim is acting, but he can't bring himself to ask.

He has to know.]

I -- I want my comm. [Deep. Breath. He can do it.] Where is it?

[Oh, no, he can't just - let him find out from the network. He'll see that post, with Damian's dead body... he can't do that, not without a warning.]

It's - Batman put it somewhere, but - Dick, you know you're not responsible for what happened while he was here, don't you? You're not going to turn into him, not any more. You're not... you're not turning into the Joker.

[That should be all the answer Dick needs, really.]

[Oh god. He's starting to feel sick. He's -- he's done something. More than one something. If he needs to be warned about how he wasn't responsible because, it certainly isn't because they locked him into a cell on the first day.

He covers his eyes with his hands, not because he's crying (he's not), but because he can press there and it makes him feel something, makes him hurt, and hurting is making him feel a little bitter, stop thinking, although not nearly enough.]

Fuck. Fuck.

[It's not true that whatever happened wasn't his fault. It was still him. He was supposed to make sure that future would never exist, thought he'd managed to erase it already, but he was wrong. Obviously.]

What did I do? [He remembers something and looks up again, eyes wide.] You're hurt.

Edited 2010-03-09 04:30 (UTC)

I'm fine.

[It's automatic, the Bat response that comes out in an attempt to reassure Dick - but if he remembers at all, even fuzzily like the memories Tim has of his time as his future self, all fragmented and vague - well, it's enough to scare him. And it's sure to be enough to scare Dick, obviously it is. Tim winces and looks down.]

No, so I'm not fine. But I'm healing, I was taken care of. And it's not your fault, Dick, please. You're not him.

Yes I am! [He's screaming before he can think about it.] Who else would he be! [He feels like clawing at his skin, or hitting at the wall until his knuckles are all bleeding.] I could still -- I --

[He can't start sobbing over this, he needs his head right now. Needs to know how long, who else he hurt, who knows.

He can't breathe.

Tim hasn't even told him how hurt he was. But he can find that out. He can probably find out a lot of things by himself.

He stops looking at Tim, avoids doing so, and starts the motion to walk out of the cell and to get to the computer.]

[He can feel his stomach dropping like a stone when Dick yells, it's enough to make him wince again. He knows where Dick's coming from, though, the intensity of the fear of becoming something so twisted, the fear that it really is inevitable - like the cowl and the guns for him, a cold, dark sentence looming over his future, waiting in the shadows even though he did his best to erase that possibility.

And he knows where Dick is going when he turns and starts walking away.

It's barely a thought, just a motion, to surge up and grab onto his arm, hold him here - away from the computer, the knowledge of what his future self had done, just a little longer. It's sudden and sharp and sends a twinge through his back, but he ignores that.]

Dick, stop!

[Tim grabbing unto him makes him shudder and freak out. He doesn't want to be touched, right now, and he doesn't understand why Tim would want to touch him, comfort him and keep him away from whatever he's going to find.

He's bound to discover it all, it's not even logical, there's no way Tim and Bruce are going to keep him locked away forever so that he never knows. He'll know, and Tim's...

Tim, who's not fine had ruffled his hair and tried to cuddle him, in his way. He hurt him so much that he could tell from the way he moved and Tim's there --

He doesn't want Tim touching him. Tim shouldn't want it either.]

Let go! [He's yelling again, but he's not exactly crying out, not like before; it's the stress, the pain and the fear that make him talk loudly.]

Don't touch me! [He pulls on his arm to try and free himself from Tim, not thinking that engaging a fight is not the brightest idea if he doesn't want to hurt Tim more.]

Please, Tim, don't. Just -- let go. [Go away, leave me alone.]

[Shit. Tim is torn between letting Dick go and pulling him in for a hug - if Nightwing were here, he thinks with a touch of bitter irony. Dick really is a different person from the one back home, and he can't just approach him in the same way. And he's not sure he can use the way Nightwing would react to this as a guideline, either - he'd definitely go for the hugs, though.

Tim doesn't. He does hold on, but loosely enough that Dick can shake him off without too much trouble in a moment.]

Dick, I'm not letting you do this alone. I'm not going to leave you or abandon you or - I'll let go, but it's not because of that, okay?

[As soon as Tim loosens his hold, Dick gets free and takes a few steps away so he's out of reach. It doesn't make him feel better, but it still feels like it's more right that way than it was with Tim holding on.

He can't listen when Tim speaks, and the words get in, but they don't mean much. It's not going to be Tim's choice whether he wants to be alone, after. This is Dick's life, Dick's future, and Dick's decision to make.]

This isn't about you.

[He takes one last glance at Tim and turns away to run to the mega computer. He'd still like to find his communicator better, and he'll look for it after, but he knows they have files to keep track of their injuries.

Tim's injuries. Eight stab wounds. He'd been... practically tortured. Probably without the 'practically' in there.

Bruce. A bullet wound in the shoulder.

He finds nothing in Jason's files, and same in Cass'. The next one in line is Damian's...]

[It takes him a moment to get up and follow Dick, slowly and carefully, hushed by the declaration.

He lets the information on screen scroll by, and schools his expression to one of neutrality - careful, still, and serious. If he tries too hard to pull Dick close again, he'll just push him away all the further.]

What I meant was that, whatever you choose to do, I'll be here if you need me. So will all your friends, Dick. No-one is going to let what happened change that.

[He sighs, almost folding his arms - but his shoulders are still stiff and sore, so he abandons the gesture.]

You're not responsible for what he did. You're not the same as him, not yet - and it's not inevitable that you will be. ... I'm sorry.

[Dick's listening, keeping his eyes on the computer and... looking miserable. It's true that he's not the one who punctured Tim's right kidney, not yet. If he hasn't change his future already, he doesn't know he's supposed to.

It all feels so useless, now. He's going to snap at Tim again, about his apology that doesn't mean anything in the circumstances, argue that he can't know, he doesn't know, but he's opened the next file.

He'll never understand why people insist of making the "Deceased" note on a dossier huge and red. Or maybe it looks redder and huger because he did it. He can't look away from the screen, but can't look for more information, either.

Deceased.

He'd killed someone. He'd hurt Bruce and Tim and... he killed Damian.]

Where's my communicator. [His voice is hoarse and raw, suddenly quieter. He doesn't shut down the computer, the big, red "Deceased" still taking half the screen.]

[Tim feels like swearing, like yelling and punching things and pulling Dick into a hug and never letting go, but he just moves to find the communicator and bring it back to Dick.

He holds it out, silently, expression drawn and closed off for now.]

[Dick takes it and flips the cover immediately, getting on the network and looking quickly through the posts. He sees the date for the first time and learns it has been ten days.

The first relevant thing is Damian's death, and the post makes him sick, and he -- he'd answered people, only with another communicator. Without looking up, and still looking at the board, he tells Tim quietly,] I want the other communicator, too.

[It takes a little more to discover that he's not on the Titans filter anymore, so he's probably missing a good chunk of the info that was posted only to the Titans. Same for the filter the Bats use.

He sees the post that must have trapped Tim, another post he made that he'll have to go through later when he has the other comm --] Wally... [So he hadn't stuck to only the Batfamily. He'd thought...]

Is there anyone else?

Edited 2010-03-09 14:08 (UTC)

[Tim watches, still silent, but with growing concern - as if there were really that much room for the emotion to grow. He'd been concerned from the moment Dick changed back, from before even then, but there was something about the slow, inexorable way Dick was investigating his own actions that only served to intensify the feeling. It almost hurts to watch.]

Roy tried talking to you. It didn't work out too well, but he's okay.

[Better off than Damian, or Tim himself, at least.]

[Of course, Roy too. Wishing someone had been left out of this is completely useless.]

I want the other comm I used, [he repeats. And then closes the communicator. He knows enough for now, he's saturated, and he's going to crack down if he keeps pushing himself.

He'll have to keep looking at it later. Possibly when Tim's not watching him.

Roy tried talking to him... this means Roy knew that this psychopath was him. He looks down and puts the comm back in his pocket, closing his eyes after a second. His voice cracks a little when he asks the next question.] Who knows it was me?

Only the Titans, Batgirl, Oracle, and Damian.

[And, of course, Bruce. He slips out of the shadows, having just arrived from patrol. He'd started to head back the moment he'd gotten the notification that the teleporter had returned things to normal. He'd confirmed with Tim that Dick is back to-- well, not normal, but back to who he is normally.]

[Tim shoots a glance at Bruce as he arrives, but his attention is still focused mostly on Dick. Still, a little of the tension that was building eases out of him - he's not handling this alone any more, and it's Bruce, he can't help the small feeling of relief that brings.

He moves to get the other comm, the one Joker-Dick had used, guessing where Bruce had put it, and comes back to hand it to Dick as well.]

[He tenses up when Batman walks in. It's not a surprise, but he had hoped he could get out of the Cave and leave before he'd come back. Tim knew about Dick's future, somehow, Batman didn't. He's not too eager to know how he's taking it all.

Dick takes the communicator and tucks it away, too, not looking at it right now either for the same reasons he stopped looking at the other one.

He nods and bites his lips, just wanting to get out but not knowing where he'd go or how to make some sort of good exit. A 'good exit' most likely doesn't even exist but... still...]

I'm sorry... [Everything in his body language is saying that he just wants to leave, now, please. Everything. So give him a sign he can or something...]

[He's nervous, ashamed, guilty, skittish. It's easy to tell he wants to go, that he wants to escape from it all. After being faced with such a grim future at his age, Bruce isn't surprised.]

[Bruce moves up to him and places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing once lightly before letting go.]

Welcome back.

[It's difficult as ever for Bruce to express affection or relief or any of the other emotions that he's going through right now, but he really is genuinely glad to have Dick back with them. He doesn't really know how else to tell Dick it's okay, that he doesn't hold him responsible for the actions of his future self-- his possible future self-- than what he does say.]

Patrol?

[Ah. That's a good idea - it'll let Dick work out some of stress physically, show him that he's still part of things, and possibly let Bruce talk to him... without talking, most likely.

Still, it's up to Dick whether he feels like it or not. Tim can't join in, even if he wants to.]

Mm. I'll go back to the Tower... soon.

[He leans back against the computer table. He might just have to rest a little first, is all.]

[When Bruce puts a hand on his shoulder, Dick winces and pulls away quickly. He doesn't want the physical contact, either from Tim or Bruce or anyone right now. Maybe it would help, but he's in shock and pretty much hating himself right now and any physical contact is not going to help. Maybe in a few days he won't shudder away. Maybe. Not now.

He's not feeling like he's being trapped at all. Except that he is. Patrolling is both a good and a bad idea right now, though. He's not in the best state of mind and it could be dangerous, both for him and for anyone else he defends or fights against, but he could also get into the patrol and forget for a little bit. Get his adrenaline level a little higher could help.

The part where it's obvious Bruce wants to patrol with him, however... He's not moving like his shoulder is hurt at all, but Dick knows it is. He's certainly not feeling like Batman's partner right now.

He sighs and linefaces.] Sure. Okay. [He glances at Tim.] You sure you're gonna be all right?

[He shies away even from that light touch... He's taking this harder than Bruce was thinking he was. That makes things difficult, but, then, Bruce is used to difficult. At least he's willing to go on patrol.]

[Bruce looks to Tim and gives him a nod. What he had said before holds true now: Tim isn't fired, he's still a part of the group, at least to Bruce. Right now, Dick needs to work things out, and this is the best way Bruce knows how to help him, but that doesn't mean Tim is forgotten. When he's healed, then they'll have their time, too.]

[Tim glances down briefly in acceptance, though he really does have to explain the circumstances around his firing at home to Bruce in more detail. It's just... so caught up with his death that Tim thought it better not to go into, especially since it shouldn't have mattered here.

He looks up again and gives Dick a faint, reassuring smile.] I'll be fine, really. I brought the Redbird, so I can take it easy getting back. If anything happens, I'll call.

[He'll call Batman, anyway. With another little nod, he moves to let them go on patrol, while he heads back to the Redbird and the Tower.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only