Fic: Five Days Gone 6/8 [DCU--Tim/Cissie]
Title: Five Days Gone
Authors: lady_sarai, zoe_chan
Continuity: Future AU.
Word Count: Total length: 31,500 This chapter: 5,300
Pairing/Characters: Tim/Cissie, Bruce, Dick, Kon, Bart
Rating/Warnings: Teen for language
Disclaimer: We do not own anything or anyone. We promise.
Note: As stated--this takes place in the future. Bart and Kon are alive (it's very handwavey as to how), Tim and Cissie are married. Tim has given up Robin and become Kestrel.
Summary: Cissie gets kidnapped.
Chapter 6: October 20th
Dick tapped his earpiece, frowning. "Batman… I think I've found something."
“What’s your location?”
"Blüdhaven, the old financial district."
There was a pause on the line. “Proceed with caution. Batman out.”
Dick regarded the building in front of him carefully. There were four entrances that he had noted, though the people he suspected to be the kidnappers were only using two. He hoped that meant that they hadn't noticed the other entrances, and not that they were blocked off.
He moved carefully toward the back entrance to the building and tested it. The door didn't open easily-there was debris piled on the other side that scraped across the floor as he pushed it opened. He paused before entering the building, listening for any indication that they'd heard his entry and come to investigate. There were distant voices, but they didn't come any nearer, so he slid into the building.
The room, which had once been a receiving area for deliveries, was bare and filled with assorted rubbish and debris. Dick picked his way carefully across the floor to keep from making any more noise than was absolutely necessary until he got out into the hallway, which had been thoughtfully cleared out. There was a door opened on the far end of the hall with light shining out of it, and the voices Dick heard were coming from there. He crept closer to hear what they were saying.
"I just-I don't think it's really necessary," a quavering voice insisted.
“We’ve been over this, John,” a woman’s voice replied. “If you aren’t with us on this, you’re a liability.”
“Should’ve done it last week,” a third voice snapped.
"I'm with you, I'm with you," the first voice grumbled. "I just-are you sure we can't just dump her on the side of the road somewhere?"
“How stupid are you?” the other man growled. “She’s seen us-she knows our fucking names. Besides, you wanna risk another close call? We’ve gotta just do it, the sooner the better.”
Dick scowled. He had a feeling he knew exactly what they were talking about, and he was not impressed. It was time to find Cissie-now-and get her the Hell out of here. He glanced down the hallway, looking for signs that another person was being kept here. His eyes lit on one of the doors. The dust had been disturbed around it more than it had around the others. If Cissie was here, that was her most likely location.
He edged quietly along the hallway and carefully eased the door opened. Bingo. Cissie was lying on the floor against the far wall, hands tied in front of her. He scowled. That couldn't possibly be comfortable. He crossed the room and crouched next to her. "Hey, Ciss," he whispered, touching her on the shoulder to let her know he was there.
Cissie barely stirred, making only a small noise in response. Dick frowned and tightened his grip on her shoulder a little. “Hey, Ciss,” he repeated, leaning closer. This time she frowned and shrank back against the wall with a whimper.
Dick closed his eyes and took a moment to master the urge to rush into the other room and start hurting people. Getting Cissie out of here was the important thing. He took her shoulder again and shook it gently. "It's Dick, Cissie. I'm here to take you home."
Cissie’s eyes opened slowly-just a little. She blinked a few times, frowning up at him. “Dick?” she murmured thickly.
He shot her a small smile that he hoped didn't look too forced. "Hey there, beautiful. How're you doing?"
She swallowed, licking her lips. She stared at him for a while, giving him a chance to notice how glazed her eyes were. “Dick,” she repeated. Her eyes slid shut again. “Tim?”
"Tim's not here, honey. He's waiting for us at home. Do you think you can move at all?"
She nodded and started shifting a little, but stopped. Her face crumpled and she shook her head. “Can’t. I want to go home,” she muttered weakly.
"Okay, Ciss," he murmured, scooping her up into his arms. "I'll get you home."
“Hmm.” Cissie’s head dropped to his shoulder as he carefully left the room. He made his way silently down the hallway, keeping an eye on the door at the end before sliding into the store room he’d entered the building through.
He paused there a moment, listening. When he heard no noises of pursuit, he carefully maneuvered Cissie through the door and outside into the air. After a moment of consideration, he shot out a jump-line and lifted them to the rooftop of the nearest building. He wanted Cissie safely away and out of sight in case her captors realized she was missing and came out looking for her-with guns.
He sat down on the rooftop and settled Cissie in his lap while he leaned back against the retaining wall. "You okay?" he asked quietly, trying not to startle her.
She began to nod, and then frowned and shook her head. She blinked slowly up at him, and finally murmured, “My head. I can’t… think.” She dropped her head to his shoulder and whimpered. “I want to go home. I want Tim.”
"I know," he murmured. "I'll get you home to Tim as soon as I can-I promise." He reached up and tapped his earpiece. "Batman-it's Nightwing."
“Go ahead.”
"I have her. She's… God, she's drugged out of her mind, but she's okay." Dick paused a moment before continuing. "Kestrel-did you get that? She's fine. I have her."
There was a long pause, during which Dick repeated himself a number of times, and with increased urgency before an unfamiliar voice came on the line. "This is Zephyr. We got it, Nightwing. Kestrel's processing the information."
~*~
Kon reminded himself to breathe, watching Tim wait for word from Nightwing. Tim was as pale as Kon had ever seen him, and so tense that his jaw was probably going to hurt from being locked so tightly shut. He tried to shut out Bart's anxious movements as he looked from Tim to Kon and back again.
Just when Kon thought he couldn't take this waiting for another second, Tim's eyes widened and he paled further. He tore off his headset and thrust his hands out to push against the console. He shoved himself away with enough force to send his chair rolling several feet before Kon registered what was happening and was able to grab the back of the chair to halt its movement. "Tim!"
Bart, pale, had leapt to his feet. "What is it?"
Tim blinked up at both of them mutely for several seconds, clenching his fists against his legs. He swallowed hard a couple of times, before dropping his face into his hands and starting to sob.
Kon felt his stomach drop out from under him. Fuck. Next to him, Bart made a small noise and grabbed Kon's elbow. They watched Tim shake as he sobbed loudly behind his hands. Kon finally found his voice. He didn't want to know, but-he had to ask. "What happened?"
Tim made a visible effort to compose himself before looking up at them again. "Cissie," he choked out. "She… Dick has her. In Blüdhaven. She's okay." He started shaking with the effort to contain himself.
Kon stared uncomprehendingly at him. Next to him, Bart gave a joyous yell and leapt several feet into the air. The sudden movement knocked Kon out of his shock and when he realized what that meant, he grinned. He grabbed Tim and yanked him up out of the chair in a hug. "I knew it!" he crowed.
Tim hung limply in Kon's arms, letting his forehead fall against his friend's chest.
Kon supported Tim's weight as he cried, holding him up. Bart, who was practically bouncing in his joy, rushed over and threw his arms around both of them. Feeling a bit lightheaded from relief himself, Kon shut his eyes in an effort to tune out Bart's happy babbling-and realized he was hearing something else under Bart's voice. He focused his hearing and grabbed Bart's shoulder. He interrupted him, jerking his head toward the headset Tim had abandoned. "Bart-go tell Nightwing Tim heard him, he's waiting."
Bart nodded vigorously and zoomed back to the station that Tim had been working at. He picked up the headphones and put them on. "This is Zephyr. We got it, Nightwing." He glanced back across the cave where Tim was crying into Kon's shoulder. "Kestrel's processing the information."
Tim made a choked noise and Kon hugged him closer, laughing for no apparent reason. Bart was back as soon as he removed the headset, hugging them and continuing his giddy babbling. After several moments, Tim finally lifted his head and looked at them both. His face was wet and his eyes were red from crying, but he smiled tiredly.
"She's okay! I knew she'd be okay," Bart exclaimed, throwing his arms around Tim's shoulders.
"Are you okay?" Kon asked Tim.
"Um." Tim grimaced. "Getting there."
"Maybe you should sit back down," Kon suggested carefully.
Tim let out a short laugh that continued on and on, with a slight touch of hysteria. "Yeah, maybe," he gasped between peals of laughter.
Bart watched him, concerned, before raising his eyebrows at Kon. Kon shrugged a shoulder and pulled back to take Tim's shoulders and push him back into the chair.
"Uh, Tim?" Bart asked hesitantly. He looked at Kon again. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," he gasped, tears streaming down his face. "Nothing at all!"
"It's okay," Kon said, seeing Bart's eyes widen. He dropped a hand to Tim's shoulder, still grinning foolishly. "He's okay." He laughed, shaking his head as it all began to sink in. "Cissie's okay."
Tim's laughter redoubled, and he threw his head back with the sheer joy of it, whooping loudly.
Kon sank into a chair of his own, his face beginning to hurt from grinning. He and Bart watched Tim rejoice, feeling weak with relief. Kon exhaled slowly and rubbed his face. "So-what now?"
Bart shrugged, shifting rapidly from one foot to the other. "I don't know," he said, frowning at the upstairs entrance to the Cave.
"I don't suppose either of you are up for a trip to Blüdhaven?" Tim asked, finally getting his laughter under control.
Bart froze in place, staring at Tim. Kon coughed loudly. "Uh-what?"
"Blüdhaven-where Cissie is," Tim said slowly. "Shouldn't we be moving?"
Bart and Kon looked at one another. Kon turned back to Tim slowly. "Well-Nightwing has her-and Batman wasn't too far away. Maybe… we should wait for them here."
Tim frowned. "Look-I've been a really good boy all week. I just-" he closed his eyes briefly. "I need to see my wife. I need to see that she's okay."
Kon made a face, exchanging a look with Bart. "I know," he said slowly. "It's just-I think we should wait. Until we hear from Batman, at least."
"Kon," Tim growled, frustration evident in his voice.
Kon winced, and held his hands up. "I'm sorry, it's just-Nightwing's probably already called the police and they're going to call here and-you can't go to Blüdhaven."
"Please don't make me stay," he said quietly.
Kon felt like a complete heel. "Tim-I'm sorry. You have to."
Tim narrowed his eyes at him. "You can't really keep me here."
"Uh…" Kon couldn't exactly argue that-nevermind that even if he hated to admit it, Tim probably could take him, for all he knew, the Cave was equipped with Kryptonite dust or something. He glanced at Bart-only to find that Bart was nowhere to be seen. Perfect. "Look-I know you want to see her, but how're you going to explain to the police how you found out before they called you?"
"I don't care," Tim said stubbornly. "For all they know, I've been monitoring police bands ever since she went missing. Plenty of non-vigilantes have scanners, Kon."
"And when you're there before the police even get a chance to show up? You won't have to wait long, Tim," Kon argued, wondering where on Earth Bart had disappeared to-he could really use some back up.
"It's an hour to Blüdhaven by fast car. I wouldn't be there before the police." Tim sighed and eyed Kon wearily. "Do you really want to fight me on this?"
"If he will not, Master Timothy," came a mild voice from behind him. "I will." Tim turned to see Alfred on the lowest step from the house to the cave, with Bart standing behind him and shifting anxiously from one foot to the other.
Kon breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them. He glanced over at Tim and frowned-Tim was watching Alfred cross the cave with a tense, wary expression. He opened his mouth to speak, then realized he didn't know what to say. He cleared his throat and finally said, "Sorry, Tim."
Tim didn't answer, choosing instead to watch Alfred open a box and remove something from it. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.
"Master Kon," Alfred said, as though he hadn't heard Tim. "I shall need your assistance."
"Huh?" Kon watched Alfred remove a hypodermic needle and a bottle of solution from the box. He choked. "With-what?"
"Oh, no-" Tim took a step back, scowling.
"I'll need you to completely restrain Master Timothy while I administer a sedative."
Kon stood up, alarmed. "Uh…" He watched Alfred use an alcohol wipe to clean the top of the bottle before beginning to fill the syringe. "Wait-seriously?"
Alfred arched an eyebrow at him as Tim took another step back. "Of course, 'seriously,' Master Kon. If you please-he is getting away."
Kon shot a frantic look at Bart, who seemed to be frozen in place, watching Alfred check for air bubbles. "I can't-you don't-he's not going anywhere, right, Tim?"
Tim scowled between the two of them before finally shaking his head sharply.
"Are you quite sure?" Alfred asked calmly. "I have prepared the sedative, should you find yourself unable to-"
"I said I'd stay, Alfred," Tim ground out. "At least until the police call, okay?"
Alfred nodded once, calmly placing the needle back in the box. "Very good, Master Timothy."
Kon exhaled in relief, rubbing his temple. Bart finally shook off his shock and appeared at his elbow, watching Alfred and Tim warily. "So-what now?" he asked Kon in an undertone. "We just… wait?"
Kon nodded slowly, still watching Tim's movements carefully. He didn't want him doing anything that might make Alfred bring out that needle again. "Yeah, I think so."
"I was afraid of that." Bart sighed heavily and sat in a nearby chair. He was still for approximately five seconds before starting to tap his foot-it wasn't long before the foot-tapping was happening at a speed too fast to watch.
Tim made an impatient noise. "You know, just because I'm grounded doesn't mean you two are."
Bart's foot stopped. "What do you mean?"
Kon looked at Tim warily. "We're staying with you," he pointed out.
"You don't have to-if you want to go to Blüdhaven, no one's stopping you-you don't have to wait for the cops to call, and then get there at normal speeds."
Bart and Kon exchanged looks. "Yeah," Kon said slowly, "but… we don't want to leave you here…"
Tim made a face. "I'll be fine-Alfred will keep me company, right?"
"Of course, Master Timothy" was the serene reply.
"Do you want us to go?" Bart asked.
"No," Tim said, frowning. "And yes. I think if you're there, it will speed things along."
Kon crossed his arms over his chest to hide the way he was clenching his fists. Now that Tim had brought it up, he really wanted to go bash some heads together. He cleared his throat. "We'll do what you want us to."
"Just-go-help Nightwing. Be there for Cissie."
~*~
Over the years, Bart and Kon had held more than their share of races, for many reasons-most of them not reasons so much as excuses. Out of all those races, Kon had won only once, and then only because Bart had been distracted by a tornado in Oklahoma. It wasn't really a race to get to Blüdhaven, not officially, but they did make a point of getting there as fast as they could. There were no distractions, so it impressed Bart (in the part of his brain not preoccupied with worrying about Cissie and Tim) when Kon was only about a second behind him when he arrived on the rooftop in Blüdhaven where Nightwing was waiting with Cissie. "Wecametohelp," he said in a rush when Nightwing looked up in surprise. "Is she okay?"
Nightwing's head jerked sharply in surprise. "Uh-hi," he said, staring at them. "She's…" He frowned. "They drugged her up pretty badly, so she's really out of it. I've been waiting for the police to come so I can move on the kidnappers, because I don't want to leave her alone."
"Where are they? We can get them," Kon suggested, cracking his knuckles. He frowned at Cissie, who hadn't seemed to register their arrival, or even move. "Or we can stay here with her."
Bart flapped his hands impatiently at Kon. "You two go play, I'lltakecareofCissie."
Kon frowned slightly. "What-you want to stay here? Are you sure?"
He nodded rapidly. "Yeah-you guys kick ass and deal with police. I'll take of Cissie and get her to a hospital after the police get here." Bart was too angry, anyway, to fight the kidnappers in normal time, and he thought that Nightwing and Kon might like a chance at them. Besides-he needed to see for himself that Cissie would be okay. She looked really out of it.
Nightwing hesitated, frowning at Bart before glancing over his shoulder at another building. His jaw set and he turned back, nodding tersely. "All right." He looked down at Cissie and shifted her in his arms enough to brush her hair off her face. "Hey, Ciss," he said gently. "Bart and Kon are here-Bart's going to stay with you while I take care of some things, all right?"
Cissie blinked up at him. "Bart?"
He crouched down next to her and took her from Nightwing. “Heya Ciss,” he said gently. “How’re you feeling?"
She made a soft noise, frowning up at him. "Not good," she muttered. "I can't-think. Where's Tim?"
Kon knelt next to them, touching Cissie's hand. "He's waiting for you."
Cissie tilted her head to look at him, leaning back against Bart. "Can we go home now? Please?"
"Soon," Bart promised, hugging her tightly. "I promise we'll get you home as soon as we can."
Cissie whimpered and turned her face into Bart's shoulder. "I want to go home now-I want Tim."
Bart grimaced as Nightwing and Kon began to move toward the edge of the roof and the kidnappers in the building next door. "I know," he murmured soothingly. "Tim's in Gotham, though. We're in Blüdhaven, and we have to wait for the police."
She reached up and rubbed weakly at her eyes, frowning. "Why do we have to wait? I don't want to."
"Because they'll want to talk to you, Ciss. I'm sorry."
"I don't want to talk to them," she muttered. "I can't talk to them, I can't think. My head is all… funny."
He smoothed her hair back from her face in sympathy. "That's the drugs they gave you-I'm so sorry."
She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. "Can you fix it? Please take me home, Bart."
"As soon as I can," he whispered. "I promise."
Cissie sighed unhappily, pressing her forehead against Bart. Her voice shook. "I need Tim-I just want to be home, I want this over." There was a loud crash from the next building, and she flinched against him.
"It's okay,",” Bart soothed. "That's just Kon denting a wall with a bad guy."
"I hope it was Bill," she mumbled, her words slurring slightly. She curled closer, her breathing evening out as she began to drift off in a drug-induced sleep.
"I hope it was whoever's been hurting you," Bart murmured, taking in the myriad colorful bruises around her wrists and on her face. The light began to flicker and Bart glanced up to see police cruisers pulling up next to the building where Nightwing and Kon were. An ambulance was right behind them. Good. "Hey, Ciss?" he asked, quietly shaking her slightly until she stirred. "The police are here. We're going to head down and say hello, okay?"
She blinked up at him for a moment before nodding slowly, her eyes sliding shut again. Bart carefully scooped her up in his arms; she barely made a sound as he carried her quickly down from the rooftop to the waiting ambulance.
"Hithisisyourkidnappingvictim," Bart said rapidly, depositing her in the arms of startled paramedics. "DoyoumindifiIstickaroundshe'sgottenusedtome."
"Uh-no. No, that's-that's fine," she replied. Her partner stood gaping at Bart for a moment before Bart shoved him-lightly-toward the ambulance.
"Go on, check her out," he said, nodding toward Cissie. "She's tired and she wants to go home.".”
Bart did his best not to vibrate in place in his impatience-the paramedics seemed to be taking forever getting her settled on the gurney. How long did it take to check vitals anyway? He looked behind him-why weren't the police inside the building yet?
"Hey," he said, getting the attention of the nearest paramedic. "If she asks after me, I'm talking to the cops, okay?" He waited for the man to nod his understanding before dashing off to find the police. "So what's going on? Do you have the bad guys?"
The cop nearest looked up in surprise. "Who-where'd you come from?"
"Zephyr," he said, introducing himself. "I'm helping out Nightwing and Hyperion. So… What's going on?" he asked again.
She narrowed her eyes at him and paused before answering with a sigh. "We're surrounding the building before we move in. Nightwing said the victim was clear, but we're not taking chances-where is she?"
"I left her with the paramedics, and K-Hyperion and Nightwing can handle themselves, so you can definitely move in, now."
Her mouth quirked in what might have been a smile. "Thanks," she said dryly. "But there's a protocol to follow."
Bart frowned. "Well, yeah, I know. I'm a cop in-uh-back home. But this girl and her family have been through enough, so can't we just wrap this up and send everyone home?"
She shook her head, making a face. "Are you all cops?" she muttered, turning back to regard the building.
"No," Bart said, brow furrowing in confusion. "Why?"
She waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind." The radio in her hand buzzed and she listened before speaking into it, giving the command to move in. She glanced sideways at Bart. "Are you planning on letting us do our job, or are you thinking of helping? Because I think we've got it." She nodded toward the ambulance. "She's all right?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so. They didn't seem over-concerned, and she was on and off conscious earlier. I think the kidnappers drugged her up a lot, though, because she's really out of it. And is there anything I can do to help?" He grinned. "'Cause that's why I'm here."
She shook her head. "Just-stay out of the way," she said, shooting him a small smile to take the sting out of the command. "I think we've got things under control." She raised an eyebrow, watching the building. She shook her head with another wry smile. "Or-Nightwing and Hyperion do."
"Well, if they have everything all set, do you think you can go in, now?"
"We are," she said simply. "We've got it, Zephyr."
"Great," he said, beaming. "So does that mean I can take Cissie home to her family? Because I think they really miss her."
She shot him a surprised look. "We should really take her to the hospital first, and we have to take a statement-I thought you said you were a cop?"
He grimaced. "Yeah, but she's been through a lot, and don't you think she'd be better off with her family and you can take her statement after she's had a chance to recover?"?”
The cop-Bart was actually pretty sure she might be the chief; she was the one in charge, in any case-sighed and crossed her arms. "Look. She has been through a lot, which is why it's important to get a statement as soon as possible-and why we should take her to the hospital before she goes home."
"Okay, okay," Bart muttered, making a face. "Can I at least take her to a hospital in Gotham, then? So that she's near her people? Because I think she needs that-and so do they." Bart thought of Tim waiting for news in the Batcave and grimaced.
She frowned and glanced back at the ambulance, considering. "Well… I suppose." She grabbed his arm before he could dash off. "Wait for the paramedics to give the okay. I'll contact the GCPD to meet you."
He nodded rapidly. "Sure thing, Chief," he said with a grin. He sped off to check in with the paramedics. "Heyguyshow'sshedoing?"
They looked up in surprise. "Where'd you come from?" one of them asked, bewildered.
The other shook her head and went back to cleaning a spot on Cissie's arm. "We're just getting some fluids started, and then we're heading in."
Bart shook his head sharply. "No, don't do that-I'm taking her to Gotham, and I'm not sure I can juggle her and an IV."
The paramedic looked up, surprised. "You're-what? Why are you taking her to Gotham?"
"That's where her family is-she'll be more comfortable there."
"Um." She exchanged an uncertain glance with her partner. "Did you clear it with the cops?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Chief… somethingorother said she'd have GCPD meet me there to get her statement."
The second paramedic shook his head. "I heard Rohrbach was friendly with vigilantes, but come on," he muttered.
The other glared at him. "Shut up," she hissed. "He's a speedster-he can get her to Gotham before we can get her to Blüdhaven General, so let it go."
Bart shifted impatiently from one foot to the other during this exchange. "So does this mean I can take her?" he asked once the male paramedic had lapsed into a disgruntled silence.
The female paramedic nodded. "I don't guess I have to tell you to be careful."
He grinned, taking Cissie into his arms again. "I'll treat her like she's one of my best friends," he said, winking at the paramedic.
~*~
Dick settled onto the edge of the rooftop to wait. He watched with amusement as Kon hovered fretfully from one side of the building to the other. Bruce made the kid uncomfortable, which Dick could understand and even empathize with-especially since they weren't waiting for Bruce-they were waiting for Batman. He had wanted to check in with them after they finished with the police, but he was still a few minutes out.
"Calm down," Dick called with a smirk. "You're going to wear a trough in the roof."
Kon scowled at him. "Bart's already got Cissie in Gotham-why are we waiting around here?"
"Because Batman told us to," Dick replied calmly. "Though you’re certainly welcome to dash back home without checking in with him if you’ve got the stones."
Kon's scowl deepened and he grunted, dropping to a seat on the wall next to Dick. "I just want to make sure she's okay, and make sure Alfred isn't sedating Tim."
Dick laughed. "Man, I wish I could have been there to see that."
Kon looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding?"
"No," he said, still chuckling quietly. "He threatened to kneecap me once, after I’d been shot in the leg."
Kon only looked surprised for a moment before shaking his head. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen him fill that syringe earlier."
Dick raised an eyebrow. "Damn, that kid’s stubborn. He never had to fill a syringe for me."
"Tell me about it," Kon muttered under his breath. He jumped at a noise from behind him and turned around in time to see someone climbing onto the roof from the fire escape.
"What is it with you and rooftops?" Amy Rohrbach grumbled as she hauled herself over the edge.
Dick grinned over at her. "The haunts of my childhood never grow old. How’s it going, Amy?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. "Oh, you know-no rest for the weary. How's the Big Apple been treating you?"
"Can’t complain. How are things going around here?"
She made a face. "Like I said-no rest for the weary. Though-there's a new vigilante in town. Well, not so new now," she added wryly. "But I'm sure you're well aware of that."
Dick gave a slight shrug. "I might have heard something about it. How’s Blue Jay working out for you?"
"He's no Nightwing," she replied with a smirk and a shrug. "But-he's actually a pretty good fit. However," she added slowly, "he hasn't been around much lately. I kind of expected to find him here when I got your call-he doesn't much care for company."
"Jay doesn’t always play well with others, no," he said with a wry smile. "It runs in the family. But he would have been here if he could. He’s out of town on business."
"Ah," she said, nodding. She shot a smile at Kon. "Nice to meet you, by the way," she said to him. Before he could respond, Amy turned back to Dick. "It was nice of you to bring your friends, but next time-how about leaving the speedster at home?"
Dick coughed to keep from laughing at the look on Kon’s face. "Zephyr was just a little anxious. He’s worried about her family."
She raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you are, as well-but Nightwing, I swear. You bring that boy back here, and there will be a full-page ad in tomorrow's paper that will make that mask pretty obsolete."
Kon made a garbled noise, staring wide-eyed at her.
Dick shook his head, grinning slightly. "Relax, kid. She doesn’t really mean it."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, don't I?"
He raised an eyebrow in return. "You like me too much to wish the fallout on me."
Amy sighed. "Damn, I hate it when you're right." She pointed at him. "I mean it, though-keep Zephyr out of Blüdhaven from here on out." She glanced over at Kon and jerked her thumb at him. "This guy, he's okay. I intimidate him."
Kon nodded sharply. "Yes, sir. You certainly do, sir."
She laughed. "I like him."
Dick grinned. "Me too. He’s a good kid."
Kon groaned, dropping his face into his hand. "Right here," he mumbled. "And I'm not five."
"Sorry," Dick said unrepentantly. He turned back to Amy. "Hey, you should probably go back to your people. Hanging out with vigilantes isn’t exactly a great idea for the Chief of Police. Plus, 'Dad’s’ on his way."
She shrugged. "It works for Gotham's Commissioner."
"Not always."
Dick turned, raising his eyebrow at the dark patch of shadow that had made its presence known. "Speak of the devil."
"We need to get back to Gotham," Bruce said, ignoring the comment. He nodded at Amy. "I trust the police have the situation under control here?"
"Of course," she replied, not quite bristling. She glanced back at Dick. "Nice seeing you, Nightwing. Tell Blue Jay he's missed.”
Dick nodded. "You too, Chief. And I’ll let him know."
Bruce made an impatient noise. "Let's move."
~*~
Authors: lady_sarai, zoe_chan
Continuity: Future AU.
Word Count: Total length: 31,500 This chapter: 5,300
Pairing/Characters: Tim/Cissie, Bruce, Dick, Kon, Bart
Rating/Warnings: Teen for language
Disclaimer: We do not own anything or anyone. We promise.
Note: As stated--this takes place in the future. Bart and Kon are alive (it's very handwavey as to how), Tim and Cissie are married. Tim has given up Robin and become Kestrel.
Summary: Cissie gets kidnapped.
Chapter 6: October 20th
Dick tapped his earpiece, frowning. "Batman… I think I've found something."
“What’s your location?”
"Blüdhaven, the old financial district."
There was a pause on the line. “Proceed with caution. Batman out.”
Dick regarded the building in front of him carefully. There were four entrances that he had noted, though the people he suspected to be the kidnappers were only using two. He hoped that meant that they hadn't noticed the other entrances, and not that they were blocked off.
He moved carefully toward the back entrance to the building and tested it. The door didn't open easily-there was debris piled on the other side that scraped across the floor as he pushed it opened. He paused before entering the building, listening for any indication that they'd heard his entry and come to investigate. There were distant voices, but they didn't come any nearer, so he slid into the building.
The room, which had once been a receiving area for deliveries, was bare and filled with assorted rubbish and debris. Dick picked his way carefully across the floor to keep from making any more noise than was absolutely necessary until he got out into the hallway, which had been thoughtfully cleared out. There was a door opened on the far end of the hall with light shining out of it, and the voices Dick heard were coming from there. He crept closer to hear what they were saying.
"I just-I don't think it's really necessary," a quavering voice insisted.
“We’ve been over this, John,” a woman’s voice replied. “If you aren’t with us on this, you’re a liability.”
“Should’ve done it last week,” a third voice snapped.
"I'm with you, I'm with you," the first voice grumbled. "I just-are you sure we can't just dump her on the side of the road somewhere?"
“How stupid are you?” the other man growled. “She’s seen us-she knows our fucking names. Besides, you wanna risk another close call? We’ve gotta just do it, the sooner the better.”
Dick scowled. He had a feeling he knew exactly what they were talking about, and he was not impressed. It was time to find Cissie-now-and get her the Hell out of here. He glanced down the hallway, looking for signs that another person was being kept here. His eyes lit on one of the doors. The dust had been disturbed around it more than it had around the others. If Cissie was here, that was her most likely location.
He edged quietly along the hallway and carefully eased the door opened. Bingo. Cissie was lying on the floor against the far wall, hands tied in front of her. He scowled. That couldn't possibly be comfortable. He crossed the room and crouched next to her. "Hey, Ciss," he whispered, touching her on the shoulder to let her know he was there.
Cissie barely stirred, making only a small noise in response. Dick frowned and tightened his grip on her shoulder a little. “Hey, Ciss,” he repeated, leaning closer. This time she frowned and shrank back against the wall with a whimper.
Dick closed his eyes and took a moment to master the urge to rush into the other room and start hurting people. Getting Cissie out of here was the important thing. He took her shoulder again and shook it gently. "It's Dick, Cissie. I'm here to take you home."
Cissie’s eyes opened slowly-just a little. She blinked a few times, frowning up at him. “Dick?” she murmured thickly.
He shot her a small smile that he hoped didn't look too forced. "Hey there, beautiful. How're you doing?"
She swallowed, licking her lips. She stared at him for a while, giving him a chance to notice how glazed her eyes were. “Dick,” she repeated. Her eyes slid shut again. “Tim?”
"Tim's not here, honey. He's waiting for us at home. Do you think you can move at all?"
She nodded and started shifting a little, but stopped. Her face crumpled and she shook her head. “Can’t. I want to go home,” she muttered weakly.
"Okay, Ciss," he murmured, scooping her up into his arms. "I'll get you home."
“Hmm.” Cissie’s head dropped to his shoulder as he carefully left the room. He made his way silently down the hallway, keeping an eye on the door at the end before sliding into the store room he’d entered the building through.
He paused there a moment, listening. When he heard no noises of pursuit, he carefully maneuvered Cissie through the door and outside into the air. After a moment of consideration, he shot out a jump-line and lifted them to the rooftop of the nearest building. He wanted Cissie safely away and out of sight in case her captors realized she was missing and came out looking for her-with guns.
He sat down on the rooftop and settled Cissie in his lap while he leaned back against the retaining wall. "You okay?" he asked quietly, trying not to startle her.
She began to nod, and then frowned and shook her head. She blinked slowly up at him, and finally murmured, “My head. I can’t… think.” She dropped her head to his shoulder and whimpered. “I want to go home. I want Tim.”
"I know," he murmured. "I'll get you home to Tim as soon as I can-I promise." He reached up and tapped his earpiece. "Batman-it's Nightwing."
“Go ahead.”
"I have her. She's… God, she's drugged out of her mind, but she's okay." Dick paused a moment before continuing. "Kestrel-did you get that? She's fine. I have her."
There was a long pause, during which Dick repeated himself a number of times, and with increased urgency before an unfamiliar voice came on the line. "This is Zephyr. We got it, Nightwing. Kestrel's processing the information."
~*~
Kon reminded himself to breathe, watching Tim wait for word from Nightwing. Tim was as pale as Kon had ever seen him, and so tense that his jaw was probably going to hurt from being locked so tightly shut. He tried to shut out Bart's anxious movements as he looked from Tim to Kon and back again.
Just when Kon thought he couldn't take this waiting for another second, Tim's eyes widened and he paled further. He tore off his headset and thrust his hands out to push against the console. He shoved himself away with enough force to send his chair rolling several feet before Kon registered what was happening and was able to grab the back of the chair to halt its movement. "Tim!"
Bart, pale, had leapt to his feet. "What is it?"
Tim blinked up at both of them mutely for several seconds, clenching his fists against his legs. He swallowed hard a couple of times, before dropping his face into his hands and starting to sob.
Kon felt his stomach drop out from under him. Fuck. Next to him, Bart made a small noise and grabbed Kon's elbow. They watched Tim shake as he sobbed loudly behind his hands. Kon finally found his voice. He didn't want to know, but-he had to ask. "What happened?"
Tim made a visible effort to compose himself before looking up at them again. "Cissie," he choked out. "She… Dick has her. In Blüdhaven. She's okay." He started shaking with the effort to contain himself.
Kon stared uncomprehendingly at him. Next to him, Bart gave a joyous yell and leapt several feet into the air. The sudden movement knocked Kon out of his shock and when he realized what that meant, he grinned. He grabbed Tim and yanked him up out of the chair in a hug. "I knew it!" he crowed.
Tim hung limply in Kon's arms, letting his forehead fall against his friend's chest.
Kon supported Tim's weight as he cried, holding him up. Bart, who was practically bouncing in his joy, rushed over and threw his arms around both of them. Feeling a bit lightheaded from relief himself, Kon shut his eyes in an effort to tune out Bart's happy babbling-and realized he was hearing something else under Bart's voice. He focused his hearing and grabbed Bart's shoulder. He interrupted him, jerking his head toward the headset Tim had abandoned. "Bart-go tell Nightwing Tim heard him, he's waiting."
Bart nodded vigorously and zoomed back to the station that Tim had been working at. He picked up the headphones and put them on. "This is Zephyr. We got it, Nightwing." He glanced back across the cave where Tim was crying into Kon's shoulder. "Kestrel's processing the information."
Tim made a choked noise and Kon hugged him closer, laughing for no apparent reason. Bart was back as soon as he removed the headset, hugging them and continuing his giddy babbling. After several moments, Tim finally lifted his head and looked at them both. His face was wet and his eyes were red from crying, but he smiled tiredly.
"She's okay! I knew she'd be okay," Bart exclaimed, throwing his arms around Tim's shoulders.
"Are you okay?" Kon asked Tim.
"Um." Tim grimaced. "Getting there."
"Maybe you should sit back down," Kon suggested carefully.
Tim let out a short laugh that continued on and on, with a slight touch of hysteria. "Yeah, maybe," he gasped between peals of laughter.
Bart watched him, concerned, before raising his eyebrows at Kon. Kon shrugged a shoulder and pulled back to take Tim's shoulders and push him back into the chair.
"Uh, Tim?" Bart asked hesitantly. He looked at Kon again. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," he gasped, tears streaming down his face. "Nothing at all!"
"It's okay," Kon said, seeing Bart's eyes widen. He dropped a hand to Tim's shoulder, still grinning foolishly. "He's okay." He laughed, shaking his head as it all began to sink in. "Cissie's okay."
Tim's laughter redoubled, and he threw his head back with the sheer joy of it, whooping loudly.
Kon sank into a chair of his own, his face beginning to hurt from grinning. He and Bart watched Tim rejoice, feeling weak with relief. Kon exhaled slowly and rubbed his face. "So-what now?"
Bart shrugged, shifting rapidly from one foot to the other. "I don't know," he said, frowning at the upstairs entrance to the Cave.
"I don't suppose either of you are up for a trip to Blüdhaven?" Tim asked, finally getting his laughter under control.
Bart froze in place, staring at Tim. Kon coughed loudly. "Uh-what?"
"Blüdhaven-where Cissie is," Tim said slowly. "Shouldn't we be moving?"
Bart and Kon looked at one another. Kon turned back to Tim slowly. "Well-Nightwing has her-and Batman wasn't too far away. Maybe… we should wait for them here."
Tim frowned. "Look-I've been a really good boy all week. I just-" he closed his eyes briefly. "I need to see my wife. I need to see that she's okay."
Kon made a face, exchanging a look with Bart. "I know," he said slowly. "It's just-I think we should wait. Until we hear from Batman, at least."
"Kon," Tim growled, frustration evident in his voice.
Kon winced, and held his hands up. "I'm sorry, it's just-Nightwing's probably already called the police and they're going to call here and-you can't go to Blüdhaven."
"Please don't make me stay," he said quietly.
Kon felt like a complete heel. "Tim-I'm sorry. You have to."
Tim narrowed his eyes at him. "You can't really keep me here."
"Uh…" Kon couldn't exactly argue that-nevermind that even if he hated to admit it, Tim probably could take him, for all he knew, the Cave was equipped with Kryptonite dust or something. He glanced at Bart-only to find that Bart was nowhere to be seen. Perfect. "Look-I know you want to see her, but how're you going to explain to the police how you found out before they called you?"
"I don't care," Tim said stubbornly. "For all they know, I've been monitoring police bands ever since she went missing. Plenty of non-vigilantes have scanners, Kon."
"And when you're there before the police even get a chance to show up? You won't have to wait long, Tim," Kon argued, wondering where on Earth Bart had disappeared to-he could really use some back up.
"It's an hour to Blüdhaven by fast car. I wouldn't be there before the police." Tim sighed and eyed Kon wearily. "Do you really want to fight me on this?"
"If he will not, Master Timothy," came a mild voice from behind him. "I will." Tim turned to see Alfred on the lowest step from the house to the cave, with Bart standing behind him and shifting anxiously from one foot to the other.
Kon breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them. He glanced over at Tim and frowned-Tim was watching Alfred cross the cave with a tense, wary expression. He opened his mouth to speak, then realized he didn't know what to say. He cleared his throat and finally said, "Sorry, Tim."
Tim didn't answer, choosing instead to watch Alfred open a box and remove something from it. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.
"Master Kon," Alfred said, as though he hadn't heard Tim. "I shall need your assistance."
"Huh?" Kon watched Alfred remove a hypodermic needle and a bottle of solution from the box. He choked. "With-what?"
"Oh, no-" Tim took a step back, scowling.
"I'll need you to completely restrain Master Timothy while I administer a sedative."
Kon stood up, alarmed. "Uh…" He watched Alfred use an alcohol wipe to clean the top of the bottle before beginning to fill the syringe. "Wait-seriously?"
Alfred arched an eyebrow at him as Tim took another step back. "Of course, 'seriously,' Master Kon. If you please-he is getting away."
Kon shot a frantic look at Bart, who seemed to be frozen in place, watching Alfred check for air bubbles. "I can't-you don't-he's not going anywhere, right, Tim?"
Tim scowled between the two of them before finally shaking his head sharply.
"Are you quite sure?" Alfred asked calmly. "I have prepared the sedative, should you find yourself unable to-"
"I said I'd stay, Alfred," Tim ground out. "At least until the police call, okay?"
Alfred nodded once, calmly placing the needle back in the box. "Very good, Master Timothy."
Kon exhaled in relief, rubbing his temple. Bart finally shook off his shock and appeared at his elbow, watching Alfred and Tim warily. "So-what now?" he asked Kon in an undertone. "We just… wait?"
Kon nodded slowly, still watching Tim's movements carefully. He didn't want him doing anything that might make Alfred bring out that needle again. "Yeah, I think so."
"I was afraid of that." Bart sighed heavily and sat in a nearby chair. He was still for approximately five seconds before starting to tap his foot-it wasn't long before the foot-tapping was happening at a speed too fast to watch.
Tim made an impatient noise. "You know, just because I'm grounded doesn't mean you two are."
Bart's foot stopped. "What do you mean?"
Kon looked at Tim warily. "We're staying with you," he pointed out.
"You don't have to-if you want to go to Blüdhaven, no one's stopping you-you don't have to wait for the cops to call, and then get there at normal speeds."
Bart and Kon exchanged looks. "Yeah," Kon said slowly, "but… we don't want to leave you here…"
Tim made a face. "I'll be fine-Alfred will keep me company, right?"
"Of course, Master Timothy" was the serene reply.
"Do you want us to go?" Bart asked.
"No," Tim said, frowning. "And yes. I think if you're there, it will speed things along."
Kon crossed his arms over his chest to hide the way he was clenching his fists. Now that Tim had brought it up, he really wanted to go bash some heads together. He cleared his throat. "We'll do what you want us to."
"Just-go-help Nightwing. Be there for Cissie."
~*~
Over the years, Bart and Kon had held more than their share of races, for many reasons-most of them not reasons so much as excuses. Out of all those races, Kon had won only once, and then only because Bart had been distracted by a tornado in Oklahoma. It wasn't really a race to get to Blüdhaven, not officially, but they did make a point of getting there as fast as they could. There were no distractions, so it impressed Bart (in the part of his brain not preoccupied with worrying about Cissie and Tim) when Kon was only about a second behind him when he arrived on the rooftop in Blüdhaven where Nightwing was waiting with Cissie. "Wecametohelp," he said in a rush when Nightwing looked up in surprise. "Is she okay?"
Nightwing's head jerked sharply in surprise. "Uh-hi," he said, staring at them. "She's…" He frowned. "They drugged her up pretty badly, so she's really out of it. I've been waiting for the police to come so I can move on the kidnappers, because I don't want to leave her alone."
"Where are they? We can get them," Kon suggested, cracking his knuckles. He frowned at Cissie, who hadn't seemed to register their arrival, or even move. "Or we can stay here with her."
Bart flapped his hands impatiently at Kon. "You two go play, I'lltakecareofCissie."
Kon frowned slightly. "What-you want to stay here? Are you sure?"
He nodded rapidly. "Yeah-you guys kick ass and deal with police. I'll take of Cissie and get her to a hospital after the police get here." Bart was too angry, anyway, to fight the kidnappers in normal time, and he thought that Nightwing and Kon might like a chance at them. Besides-he needed to see for himself that Cissie would be okay. She looked really out of it.
Nightwing hesitated, frowning at Bart before glancing over his shoulder at another building. His jaw set and he turned back, nodding tersely. "All right." He looked down at Cissie and shifted her in his arms enough to brush her hair off her face. "Hey, Ciss," he said gently. "Bart and Kon are here-Bart's going to stay with you while I take care of some things, all right?"
Cissie blinked up at him. "Bart?"
He crouched down next to her and took her from Nightwing. “Heya Ciss,” he said gently. “How’re you feeling?"
She made a soft noise, frowning up at him. "Not good," she muttered. "I can't-think. Where's Tim?"
Kon knelt next to them, touching Cissie's hand. "He's waiting for you."
Cissie tilted her head to look at him, leaning back against Bart. "Can we go home now? Please?"
"Soon," Bart promised, hugging her tightly. "I promise we'll get you home as soon as we can."
Cissie whimpered and turned her face into Bart's shoulder. "I want to go home now-I want Tim."
Bart grimaced as Nightwing and Kon began to move toward the edge of the roof and the kidnappers in the building next door. "I know," he murmured soothingly. "Tim's in Gotham, though. We're in Blüdhaven, and we have to wait for the police."
She reached up and rubbed weakly at her eyes, frowning. "Why do we have to wait? I don't want to."
"Because they'll want to talk to you, Ciss. I'm sorry."
"I don't want to talk to them," she muttered. "I can't talk to them, I can't think. My head is all… funny."
He smoothed her hair back from her face in sympathy. "That's the drugs they gave you-I'm so sorry."
She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. "Can you fix it? Please take me home, Bart."
"As soon as I can," he whispered. "I promise."
Cissie sighed unhappily, pressing her forehead against Bart. Her voice shook. "I need Tim-I just want to be home, I want this over." There was a loud crash from the next building, and she flinched against him.
"It's okay,",” Bart soothed. "That's just Kon denting a wall with a bad guy."
"I hope it was Bill," she mumbled, her words slurring slightly. She curled closer, her breathing evening out as she began to drift off in a drug-induced sleep.
"I hope it was whoever's been hurting you," Bart murmured, taking in the myriad colorful bruises around her wrists and on her face. The light began to flicker and Bart glanced up to see police cruisers pulling up next to the building where Nightwing and Kon were. An ambulance was right behind them. Good. "Hey, Ciss?" he asked, quietly shaking her slightly until she stirred. "The police are here. We're going to head down and say hello, okay?"
She blinked up at him for a moment before nodding slowly, her eyes sliding shut again. Bart carefully scooped her up in his arms; she barely made a sound as he carried her quickly down from the rooftop to the waiting ambulance.
"Hithisisyourkidnappingvictim," Bart said rapidly, depositing her in the arms of startled paramedics. "DoyoumindifiIstickaroundshe'sgottenusedtome."
"Uh-no. No, that's-that's fine," she replied. Her partner stood gaping at Bart for a moment before Bart shoved him-lightly-toward the ambulance.
"Go on, check her out," he said, nodding toward Cissie. "She's tired and she wants to go home.".”
Bart did his best not to vibrate in place in his impatience-the paramedics seemed to be taking forever getting her settled on the gurney. How long did it take to check vitals anyway? He looked behind him-why weren't the police inside the building yet?
"Hey," he said, getting the attention of the nearest paramedic. "If she asks after me, I'm talking to the cops, okay?" He waited for the man to nod his understanding before dashing off to find the police. "So what's going on? Do you have the bad guys?"
The cop nearest looked up in surprise. "Who-where'd you come from?"
"Zephyr," he said, introducing himself. "I'm helping out Nightwing and Hyperion. So… What's going on?" he asked again.
She narrowed her eyes at him and paused before answering with a sigh. "We're surrounding the building before we move in. Nightwing said the victim was clear, but we're not taking chances-where is she?"
"I left her with the paramedics, and K-Hyperion and Nightwing can handle themselves, so you can definitely move in, now."
Her mouth quirked in what might have been a smile. "Thanks," she said dryly. "But there's a protocol to follow."
Bart frowned. "Well, yeah, I know. I'm a cop in-uh-back home. But this girl and her family have been through enough, so can't we just wrap this up and send everyone home?"
She shook her head, making a face. "Are you all cops?" she muttered, turning back to regard the building.
"No," Bart said, brow furrowing in confusion. "Why?"
She waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind." The radio in her hand buzzed and she listened before speaking into it, giving the command to move in. She glanced sideways at Bart. "Are you planning on letting us do our job, or are you thinking of helping? Because I think we've got it." She nodded toward the ambulance. "She's all right?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so. They didn't seem over-concerned, and she was on and off conscious earlier. I think the kidnappers drugged her up a lot, though, because she's really out of it. And is there anything I can do to help?" He grinned. "'Cause that's why I'm here."
She shook her head. "Just-stay out of the way," she said, shooting him a small smile to take the sting out of the command. "I think we've got things under control." She raised an eyebrow, watching the building. She shook her head with another wry smile. "Or-Nightwing and Hyperion do."
"Well, if they have everything all set, do you think you can go in, now?"
"We are," she said simply. "We've got it, Zephyr."
"Great," he said, beaming. "So does that mean I can take Cissie home to her family? Because I think they really miss her."
She shot him a surprised look. "We should really take her to the hospital first, and we have to take a statement-I thought you said you were a cop?"
He grimaced. "Yeah, but she's been through a lot, and don't you think she'd be better off with her family and you can take her statement after she's had a chance to recover?"?”
The cop-Bart was actually pretty sure she might be the chief; she was the one in charge, in any case-sighed and crossed her arms. "Look. She has been through a lot, which is why it's important to get a statement as soon as possible-and why we should take her to the hospital before she goes home."
"Okay, okay," Bart muttered, making a face. "Can I at least take her to a hospital in Gotham, then? So that she's near her people? Because I think she needs that-and so do they." Bart thought of Tim waiting for news in the Batcave and grimaced.
She frowned and glanced back at the ambulance, considering. "Well… I suppose." She grabbed his arm before he could dash off. "Wait for the paramedics to give the okay. I'll contact the GCPD to meet you."
He nodded rapidly. "Sure thing, Chief," he said with a grin. He sped off to check in with the paramedics. "Heyguyshow'sshedoing?"
They looked up in surprise. "Where'd you come from?" one of them asked, bewildered.
The other shook her head and went back to cleaning a spot on Cissie's arm. "We're just getting some fluids started, and then we're heading in."
Bart shook his head sharply. "No, don't do that-I'm taking her to Gotham, and I'm not sure I can juggle her and an IV."
The paramedic looked up, surprised. "You're-what? Why are you taking her to Gotham?"
"That's where her family is-she'll be more comfortable there."
"Um." She exchanged an uncertain glance with her partner. "Did you clear it with the cops?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Chief… somethingorother said she'd have GCPD meet me there to get her statement."
The second paramedic shook his head. "I heard Rohrbach was friendly with vigilantes, but come on," he muttered.
The other glared at him. "Shut up," she hissed. "He's a speedster-he can get her to Gotham before we can get her to Blüdhaven General, so let it go."
Bart shifted impatiently from one foot to the other during this exchange. "So does this mean I can take her?" he asked once the male paramedic had lapsed into a disgruntled silence.
The female paramedic nodded. "I don't guess I have to tell you to be careful."
He grinned, taking Cissie into his arms again. "I'll treat her like she's one of my best friends," he said, winking at the paramedic.
~*~
Dick settled onto the edge of the rooftop to wait. He watched with amusement as Kon hovered fretfully from one side of the building to the other. Bruce made the kid uncomfortable, which Dick could understand and even empathize with-especially since they weren't waiting for Bruce-they were waiting for Batman. He had wanted to check in with them after they finished with the police, but he was still a few minutes out.
"Calm down," Dick called with a smirk. "You're going to wear a trough in the roof."
Kon scowled at him. "Bart's already got Cissie in Gotham-why are we waiting around here?"
"Because Batman told us to," Dick replied calmly. "Though you’re certainly welcome to dash back home without checking in with him if you’ve got the stones."
Kon's scowl deepened and he grunted, dropping to a seat on the wall next to Dick. "I just want to make sure she's okay, and make sure Alfred isn't sedating Tim."
Dick laughed. "Man, I wish I could have been there to see that."
Kon looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding?"
"No," he said, still chuckling quietly. "He threatened to kneecap me once, after I’d been shot in the leg."
Kon only looked surprised for a moment before shaking his head. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen him fill that syringe earlier."
Dick raised an eyebrow. "Damn, that kid’s stubborn. He never had to fill a syringe for me."
"Tell me about it," Kon muttered under his breath. He jumped at a noise from behind him and turned around in time to see someone climbing onto the roof from the fire escape.
"What is it with you and rooftops?" Amy Rohrbach grumbled as she hauled herself over the edge.
Dick grinned over at her. "The haunts of my childhood never grow old. How’s it going, Amy?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. "Oh, you know-no rest for the weary. How's the Big Apple been treating you?"
"Can’t complain. How are things going around here?"
She made a face. "Like I said-no rest for the weary. Though-there's a new vigilante in town. Well, not so new now," she added wryly. "But I'm sure you're well aware of that."
Dick gave a slight shrug. "I might have heard something about it. How’s Blue Jay working out for you?"
"He's no Nightwing," she replied with a smirk and a shrug. "But-he's actually a pretty good fit. However," she added slowly, "he hasn't been around much lately. I kind of expected to find him here when I got your call-he doesn't much care for company."
"Jay doesn’t always play well with others, no," he said with a wry smile. "It runs in the family. But he would have been here if he could. He’s out of town on business."
"Ah," she said, nodding. She shot a smile at Kon. "Nice to meet you, by the way," she said to him. Before he could respond, Amy turned back to Dick. "It was nice of you to bring your friends, but next time-how about leaving the speedster at home?"
Dick coughed to keep from laughing at the look on Kon’s face. "Zephyr was just a little anxious. He’s worried about her family."
She raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you are, as well-but Nightwing, I swear. You bring that boy back here, and there will be a full-page ad in tomorrow's paper that will make that mask pretty obsolete."
Kon made a garbled noise, staring wide-eyed at her.
Dick shook his head, grinning slightly. "Relax, kid. She doesn’t really mean it."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, don't I?"
He raised an eyebrow in return. "You like me too much to wish the fallout on me."
Amy sighed. "Damn, I hate it when you're right." She pointed at him. "I mean it, though-keep Zephyr out of Blüdhaven from here on out." She glanced over at Kon and jerked her thumb at him. "This guy, he's okay. I intimidate him."
Kon nodded sharply. "Yes, sir. You certainly do, sir."
She laughed. "I like him."
Dick grinned. "Me too. He’s a good kid."
Kon groaned, dropping his face into his hand. "Right here," he mumbled. "And I'm not five."
"Sorry," Dick said unrepentantly. He turned back to Amy. "Hey, you should probably go back to your people. Hanging out with vigilantes isn’t exactly a great idea for the Chief of Police. Plus, 'Dad’s’ on his way."
She shrugged. "It works for Gotham's Commissioner."
"Not always."
Dick turned, raising his eyebrow at the dark patch of shadow that had made its presence known. "Speak of the devil."
"We need to get back to Gotham," Bruce said, ignoring the comment. He nodded at Amy. "I trust the police have the situation under control here?"
"Of course," she replied, not quite bristling. She glanced back at Dick. "Nice seeing you, Nightwing. Tell Blue Jay he's missed.”
Dick nodded. "You too, Chief. And I’ll let him know."
Bruce made an impatient noise. "Let's move."
~*~