If at First You Don't Suceed

[emit_dark]

 Who: Tim and Alice
What: Damsel in distress! Sorta...
When: Aug. 17th, 10:45 PM
Where: The Park
Rating: PG-13-ish
Status: complete

Comments

[futureinmotion]

Alice was walking in the park. Many nights she found her way there, since the streets were not particularly interesting after everyone had gone to bed and everything had closed. The park wasn't especially interesting either, but it was a little better. Plus, other insomniacs tended to gravitate there as well.

Tonight, too, she had a nagging feeling that this was where she needed to be. It hadn't quite solidified yet, but Alice knew better than to ignore these little urges. If she wanted to know why, she had to follow

[emit_dark]

After the martial arts and weapons training, Bruce had taught Tim something very important. It came to him easily on nights like this, when he was out in the open.

"Nature is one of your best allies Tim, listen to it. Animals sense danger before most humans, they're your best early warning system."

Of course, that that been on a small lecture on how to treat the city as a living organism, but in Aternaville, he was able to take the advice more literally. There were no natural sounds in this section of the park; it was what had drawn him there.

There was a woman walking alone near a stand of tall, unattended bushes. Switching filters on his mask from night vision to thermal and gasped. There was something there, but it was crouched, practically impossible to tell what. All Tim could tell was that it was roughly the size of a full grown man, and there was no good reason for a man to be lurking in the bushes like that.

'Remember last time. If it's too much, contact Abe, get to the police station.' As much as it would wound him, he

[futureinmotion]

Alice heard the warning cry in her thoughts an instant before it reached her ears, and that was right on the heels of the crashing of shrubbery as the thing leapt. She forced herself not to move too quickly. Time didn't move for her the way it did for humans, and it felt as if she took an hour to turn, as if in surprise, and face the monster.

It looked like a giant praying mantis. Taller than she was by several feet, with pincers fit to snap a human being in half, glittering insect eyes, and hungry, wet mandibles. Even as she watched, it shrieked, and its skin began to change.

So she wasn't going to tear its head off. What would a human do? Alice had never been human, for any practical purposes; at least she couldn't remember it. She'd learned to improvise in most everyday situations, but she'd never had to play the damsel in distress before. What would a helpless, frightened human teenager do?

She sucked in a deep breath and screamed, loud and long and shrill. She leaped ba-- no, she backpedaled, one short step at a time, and--

[emit_dark]

The moment Tim switched filters on his mask again, back to night vision he wanted to groan.

'What is this, Farmer Brown all over again?!'

"Come on ugly, let's dance." Tim taunted, reaching behind him for his staff, smirking he felt the tazer end hum to life, even as his mask bleeped loudly in his ear, a line of green flickering over his right eye.

'Molecular make-up in flux.'

"In flux to what?!"

FWOOSH. CLANG! One massive bladed arm swung out; Tim blocked instinctively, but could tell without really looking the steel was notched, he'd felt the metal give. Changing stances, the boy shifted back nearly the whole length of the staff and pressed another button near the base--a length of looped wire sprung out of the opposite end, the sort of thing used to wrangle out of control animals

[futureinmotion]

It went against Alice's instincts to watch a fight going on and not participate. But she was used to going against her instincts. Besides which, she was still having fun. The boy was very skilled, really; he moved with a grace and agility that was almost superhuman. He had it handled. If things took a turn for the dangerous, she'd be the first to know.

Keep looking panicked. Right.

Once again she reset her face into the unfamiliar lines of wide-eyed fright as she watched the battle. Her body was relaxed, she realized, and made an effort to tense some muscles. Should she be bursting into tears or something? Maybe afterward. Though she'd have to watch that; she couldn't produce actual tears, and she wouldn't want to make him suspicious. Maybe she should just stick with frightened.

[emit_dark]

A single steady exhale later, Tim felt his senses sharpen, focus honing on his opponent just as it made a swift gliding lurch in his direction, wings beating a furious staccato. Both bladed arms reached out like a pair of scissors, just about level with Tim's neck.

"Woah!" In an instant he was flat on his back, the shock collar planted at what he prayed just the right arm to actually get a hold this time

[futureinmotion]

Alice watched in some amazement as the battle between the creature and the boy went on. It was giving him some trouble, but that was to be expected, considering the size of it. She was impressed by his arsenal - and his sheer, stubborn determination. Emmett would have given this boy a hearty clap on the back after watching that performance.

He would, that is, if Emmett would have been able to get anywhere near him. Even from here, Alice could smell the blood on him. Not much blood, but enough to make her mouth water. Her hands clenched around fistfuls of grass, and she called to him from where she was, keeping a safe distance.

"Hey, um. Are you okay?" She took care to make her voice hesitant and shaky. It didn't come naturally, but she hoped it was convincing. She put a little quaver in her lips for effect, trying to channel Bella's friend Jessica as best she could. "You saved my life! You were - you were just amazing! Oh my god, what was that thing?"

[emit_dark]

"Mmmmfine." The words came out as a slurred groan as for a length of time he simply lay there, looking up at the clear night sky, lips forced into a grin.

'Nobody messes with Tim Drake.' It was childish, if Bruce were he'd be pointing out every rash, reckless thing he did wrong, but he didn't care. He was alive (moderately) and Mothra's evil cousin wasn't.

"Noth--nothing to worry about mam...." Shaking and grunting painfully, Tim rose gingerly to sit in the grass, hands gripping the middle of his sparking staff as he shakily found his feet again, his back on fire. "Are...are you alright?"

[futureinmotion]

Easier - and probably far smarter - to pretend she was still too shaken to get up. Though Alice did feel a little guilty for not helping him when he was clearly in pain. On the other hand, from what she'd seen of him, he wouldn't necessarily welcome help. Painful it might be, but she could see the pride blazing in him. He had something to prove - to himself at least, if not to her.

"Ye~es," she said slowly, and took a deep, careful breath, wanting to collect some air for talking so she wouldn't have to breathe if he came any closer. "I'm not hurt." Damn, damn, damn. He really did smell delicious, even at this distance.

No, Alice. Not even a little nibble. Once you go off your diet, you know how hard it is to get back on track.

Lest he try and help her up, she decided it was time she miraculously regained the use of her legs. She climbed to her feet with carefully calculated unsteadiness. "You look awful. Please, you should see a doctor."

[emit_dark]

"Ugh, hold on a sec," unhooking the cape around his neck, Tim gathered the tattered fabric in a free arm, meandering in the tall grass a moment before ducking down onto his haunches and picking something up--the head. It had stopped moving, any luster of live gone from it's eyes, thogh it was still warm to the touch. "Can't go without this."

'Oh my god, this will look amazing in the trophy room.' It was still taking an absurd amount of effort to smile, to the point where it probably made him look more than a little drunk, but again, he reminded himself, he didn't care. He'd done it. Made it on his own.

'Even if making it means an ER doctor pulling splinters out of my back all night.'

"ER would...probably be a, good idea, thanks." And with a weak wave, he started to wander across the park towards the exit nearest the hospital. "Might be a good night to....stay in and read..." He added.

[futureinmotion]

He was taking the head. Well, that was a surprise. A hunting trophy, she supposed.

"H-hey, wait!" Ignoring the little voice that told her it would be wiser to just let him go, Alice scrambled after him. Skilled he might be, but in his current condition, if something else jumped him on the way to the hospital, he was doomed. Or what if he was hurt worse than he seemed, and he didn't even make it to the hospital? Alice wasn't a good judge of these things.

"I'm Alice. Who are you?" She fell in a few steps behind him, trying to keep more or less upwind. "Do you - do you fight things like that a lot?" She was still doing her best to speak in Jessica's voice, but the curiosity was all Alice's.

[emit_dark]

He lopped the wrapped head into his utility belt so that he could devote both arms to holding the staff and hobbling along. The worst part of it was, Tim couldn't even say he didn't remember the last time he was in this much pain--thanks to the Dementors, he remembered all too well.

"Red Robin, just your average, ordinary, everyday superhero." Though it hurt to smile through a lip he just realized was split, he did it anyway. "And uh, not really, but that's...actually isn't my first time with giant insects. I appreciate the concern Alice, but it's not safe here, you should really go home."

'I don't know if I could do that again....' Tim thought somewhat witheringly. "Are you sure you're alright?" He asked again--she had screamed rather loudly and tripped backwards, after all.

[futureinmotion]

"A superhero?" Alice repeated, sounding impressed. She didn't even have to pretend too hard. Superheroes may be a laughable idea at first blush, but he certainly had the skills - and the outfit.

She couldn't really justify hanging around him much longer, since he kept asking her to leave. And there was a smarter way anyway. She smiled at him. "Oh yes. I'm fine. I'll just go, then. Thank you again!"

On impulse, she kissed his cheek - they were about the same size, so she didn't even have to bend down. Though soon enough she'd have to reach up, she guessed. That was how it usually worked. Then she turned and ran off, taking care to stick to human speed until she was safely out of sight down a side street.

And then she took to the rooftops, the better to watch over him until he was safely in a doctor's care. Up here, she couldn't smell the blood.

[emit_dark]

"Uh...sure...thanks." Tim went rigid, surprised by the kiss, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck; dirty cheeks flushing warmly. He watched Alice go, painful, goofy smile taking on a whole new quality. Nodding gingerly, once she was sure she was gone, Tim actually turned to head back to the marina appartment. He wanted to change before going to the hospital at the very least; go from playing the hero to playing the victim.

'Don't think that's ever going to get ol--' A few hobbling steps later, Tim's legs suddenly didn't want to carry him and his head swam. 'Oh hello concussion.' Fingers loosened around the staff despite all attempts to keep a firm hold and he stumbled, falling heavily forward onto the cool, welcoming ground.

[futureinmotion]

Well, that didn't take long.

Alice hopped back down from the rooftop in a blur, reaching Tim's side in time to get an arm around his chest so he didn't faceplant onto the concrete. She slung his arm over her shoulders, trying to avoid breathing in the scent of blood.

"All right, hero." Her voice was back to being her own, rich with a sort of amused concern, the hapless-maiden act dropped. "That's enough of that. Let's get you some help." He didn't look more than semiconscious anyway; it seemed unlikely he would remember this part with any clarity.

...and no. He wouldn't. Not clearly. She wouldn't have to worry.

But her vision didn't stop there.

Laughter.

Alice went statue-still.

Tortured, maniacal, humorless laughter, and then it becomes sobs, horrible racking sobs, and there's screaming, and bright flashing lights and needles and PAIN.

She nearly dropped Red Robin. Her sense of her body was gone; she could feel nothing but the echoes of the agony being inflicted on the boy draped over her shoulder.

A leering face fills her

[emit_dark]

"Supposed...to save you..." Tim muttered, his body detached from the commands his mind was trying desperately to give, but something short circuited, looped back, around, got lost in muddled synapse and nerve along the way. "Not...the other way around."

The world fuzzed, and though Tim knew there was something odd about how quickly Alice had returned to catch him, his brain just didn't seem up to the task of fitting the puzzle together.

Everything was a puzzle just about then, especially the ground.

"Got it all bass akwards," he continued, slurring slightly over the words. "Just not supposed to...to work like that...I'm the hero...got the giant insect head in my belt to prove it..." With an awkward flail of one arm he tried to pat the bundle of insect head at his hip and missed.