First Info Exchange
Jason grumbled to himself as he made his way to the park that he told Nightwing he'd meet him at. He was still not happy, even a week later, that he had fallen asleep clinging to Nightwing's back. Actually, Jason's kinda surprised he didn't let go and end up as road pizza. Falling asleep on Dick wasn't the worst part. Jason had definitely given Dick his address, so now Dick knew where he lived. At least, he had to, because there was no way Jason fell asleep in his bed. He was even tucked in too, which just pissed him off more. Not a kid. So not a kid, dammit. He was starting to regret actually putting minutes on the phone. Dick was probably going to be more trouble to deal with then stealing tires was. Jason just sighed as he collapsed onto a park bench, idly flipping his cell open and closed, waiting for the guy to show, so he could give up the info, get his money, and run. He was also going to ignore that he was genuinely starting to like Nightwing. Nope, never happened. Jason has no idea what you're talking about.
As incredibly fun as the motorcycle was, it was also very noticeable, which meant that more often than not Dick was forced to hide it somewhere and proceed on foot. Not that he minded taking the rooftops - that had thrills of its own - but it was a shame that he could never really cut loose with the bike. The same was true tonight, with Dick hiding the bike several blocks away and approaching the park via the roofs of the run-down town houses next to it. He paused for a moment at the edge of the roof, surveying the scene below him. From what he could see, it was just the park, which was delightfully open and free of spots that he could be ambushed from. He'd spent a couple hours earlier in the day inspecting the buildings in the area and was currently fairly certain that no one was waiting in there with malicious intent. Paranoid? Maybe. Bruce would have said it was merely caution and Dick was inclined to agree on that point at least. It only took one bullet to take him out of commission for good; no room for error there. So, on top of all that, Dick had also been sitting on the rooftop for a good fifteen minutes before Jason arrived and he let the boy cool his heels for a couple minutes before finally showing himself. It was actually kind of fun sneaking up on Jason, seeing how close he could get to a boy that was specifically on the lookout for him.
Jason has been waiting for a while, and he wasn't exactly sure which way Dick would be coming from. He was pretty sure he'd hear the motorcycle coming, but for all he knew, Dick was probably doing the swinging the rooftops thing. He did seem like someone who didn't like to keep his feet to the ground. It was now a few minutes after the meeting time, and Jason was getting...not nervous, but a little suspcious as he opened and closed his phone again, noticing something in the reflection of the phone screen. Trying not to be obvious, he just flipped the phone open again, actually really paid attention the screen before going back to his periodic opening and snapping shut of his cell. Someone was sneaking up behind him, he was pretty sure. He got pretty lucky with the cell phone as he continued to fidget with it, pretending he was completely off guard.
The cell phone was mostly hidden by Jason's body, so Dick didn't notice that he'd been spotted earlier than he might have expected. Although, even if he had realized that the gig was up, he probably would have still vaulted over the back of the bench and landed in a crouch that then slid into a nonchalant lounge on the far end of the bench from Jason. "So, steal any tires lately?" he asked conversationally, giving Jason a little grin in greeting. He might seem easy-going and careless, but his attention was actually very focused on Jason and his body language. Dick was good at spotting a liar.
Jason wasn't surprised at all when Dick landed next to him on the bench. "Nope," he said popping the p, and he was telling the truth. "You're not good at sneaky. I knew you were behind me." He grinned a little before pocketing his cell phone. If it weren't for his cell phone he never would have noticed Dick behind him, but he wasn't going to tell him that. Make the guy think his sneaking skills sucked against a 16 year old street rat. Jason liked bruising other people's egos.
It almost worked, but Dick was pretty damn certain that if Jason had spotted him it hadn't been until he'd been on the ground. No big deal. "Yeah? For how long?" he shot back, careful not to let any ruffled feathers show. Actually, it was interesting to know - another sign that the kid had a good head on his shoulders. He paid attention to things around him.
Jason shrugged. "Just a few minutes," he answered, debating whether or not to tell him how, but he pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. "Saw you in the reflection when I was flipping it open and closed." Take that, smug Batman wannabe.
That actually brought a pleased smile to Dick's face. He let out a low chuckle and ran a hand through his hair - it was getting a bit long, he noticed. Have to get that cut tomorrow, if he could find the time somehow. "Very slick," he said approvingly. "You'll be doning cape and cowl in no time," he joked, flashing Jason a teasing grin. "So, what's the word on the street?" He'd at least thought ahead to bring a more respectable notebook - very small and black, tucked into a pocket at the small of his back, along with a pen. At some point he was going to have to break down and get a damn belt like Batman's, but that was another concern for tomorrow. If he had time.
Jason was not pleased that Dick seemed pleased, not at all. He didn't need this guy's approval, even though it felt good to get it. "Pffft, why would I wanna do that? I'd end up a sidekick or something. I'm not gonna end up dressed all brightly colored like an idiot or Robin or something," he said flippantly, though he fleetingly liked the idea of maybe a cape, but he vetoed that idea as soon as it came to mind. "So, yeah. I haven't heard much, but there's been a few kids my age passing by the park on 5th street. They've been frequenting there for a while, and those kids have been selling drugs around my block for a while. I'm thinking that park is where they meet their supplier."
" 'Like an idiot OR Robin'?" asked Dick. "They're too different things or is Robin a special breed of idiot?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, I wouldn't wish this line of work on anyone - you gotta have some serious mental issues to run around in a spandex suit at night." As for the information Jason had given him, that didn't really need writing down, but Dick dutifully made a note of it anyway. He'd gotten the damn notebook out after all. "Hmm...not much, but it's a start. I'll look into it. What time they usually come by?"
Jason waved his in dismissal. "Nah, Robin's gotta be a special brand of idiot. It's kinda obvious when he wears bright colors and Batman doesn't, that all Robin is is a distraction, so Batman can kick bad guy ass," he stated then paused, thinking about the next question. "Around midnight, they start heading over this way. They're kinda dumb; they don't even change up the times or anything. Might end up being bum lead, I guess, but it's not my fault there are idiots around me."
Dick had to fight very hard to bite back a laugh at Jason's assessment of Robin. He really had been little more than a distraction when he'd first started, but he liked to think he'd done some good even in that stupid, stupid costume. Seriously, what had he been thinking with that thing? But back to the present. "Eh, I'll take idiot druggies over the clever ones. The clever ones are a pain in the ass to deal with."
Jason gave a Dick a look, noticing he looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Do you know Robin or something? That why you're trying not to laugh?" he asked before he grinned, leaning back on the bench. "Oh I bet was right, and he's just an idiot. Cool." He paused. "Idiot druggies don't last long on the streets. It's probably the clever ones you really wanna find."
"Eh, Robin is an okay guy," was Dick's diplomatically vague reply, accompanied with a careless shrug. He knew damn well that the Robin Jason was thinking of was him, but no way in hell he could let onto that. Of course, Dick was now thinking of Tim, who was indeed an okay guy. Well, actually, Tim was quite the clever little bugger, all things considered. Dick had only met his replacement a few times thus far, but he liked the kid, who was smart, skilled, and seemed to do a lot to keep Bruce from retreating too far into his Batman persona. That was a good thing, in Dick's opinion, though he worried about Tim at the same time. But that was a worry for another time, when Jason wasn't around. "I'll get to the clever ones eventually. That takes a bit more work is all," he said, clearly confident in his ability to do this. If there was one thing Dick had going for him, it was confidence. Bruce certainly hadn't raised a boy who didn't know his own worth.
"You have to say that. You probably know him or something. Talking behind another vigilante's back must break some kind of hero code," he stated then gave Dick a side glance. "So, you've got your info. Money, please." To add to what he said he held a hand out lazily. He actually still had a bit of the money from last time, but that didn't mean he was going to vocalize that fact.
Dick gave an amused snort as he returned the notebook to it's pocket. "Calm down there, Oliver Twist, I'm not going to stiff you," he soothed, managing to keep a straight face in spite of his teasing. He produced three 20s, folded neatly together, and passed them over to Jason. "There you are, as promised."
Jason snatched the money, pocketing it quickly as he quelled the urge to stick his tongue out at Dick. He was sixteen, not six. "I told you to stop calling me that," he muttered. "And I didn't think you'd stiff me." Jason was kinda of surprised that his last words had been truthful. He was trusting this guy way too much after only one week. He really needed to fix that.
Of course Jason's sullen response to the nickname just made Dick grin broadly with amusement. He couldn't help but poke at the kid a bit - the teenage posturing that he got as a response was way too amusing, considering how recently Dick himself had been reacting in very similar ways. It was good to hear that Jason seemed to trust him though - as far as Dick could tell, that had been truthful, which was good. Some level of trust was definitely a necessary element to arrangements like this. "Well, good." A slightly awkward pause as Dick considered what to do next. They seemed to be done here, so after a moment he stood and gave Jason a rather silly little salute. "As you were, soldier - I'll give you a call in another week or two." And with that he was gone, disappearing into the shadows between two rows of townhouses.
Jason blinked as watched Nightwing disappear into the shadows. Soldier? He chuckled at that. Really, like he'd be such a good soldier. With nothing else to do, Jason stretched before standing up to head back to his squat and get a good night's sleep.
As incredibly fun as the motorcycle was, it was also very noticeable, which meant that more often than not Dick was forced to hide it somewhere and proceed on foot. Not that he minded taking the rooftops - that had thrills of its own - but it was a shame that he could never really cut loose with the bike. The same was true tonight, with Dick hiding the bike several blocks away and approaching the park via the roofs of the run-down town houses next to it. He paused for a moment at the edge of the roof, surveying the scene below him. From what he could see, it was just the park, which was delightfully open and free of spots that he could be ambushed from. He'd spent a couple hours earlier in the day inspecting the buildings in the area and was currently fairly certain that no one was waiting in there with malicious intent. Paranoid? Maybe. Bruce would have said it was merely caution and Dick was inclined to agree on that point at least. It only took one bullet to take him out of commission for good; no room for error there. So, on top of all that, Dick had also been sitting on the rooftop for a good fifteen minutes before Jason arrived and he let the boy cool his heels for a couple minutes before finally showing himself. It was actually kind of fun sneaking up on Jason, seeing how close he could get to a boy that was specifically on the lookout for him.
Jason has been waiting for a while, and he wasn't exactly sure which way Dick would be coming from. He was pretty sure he'd hear the motorcycle coming, but for all he knew, Dick was probably doing the swinging the rooftops thing. He did seem like someone who didn't like to keep his feet to the ground. It was now a few minutes after the meeting time, and Jason was getting...not nervous, but a little suspcious as he opened and closed his phone again, noticing something in the reflection of the phone screen. Trying not to be obvious, he just flipped the phone open again, actually really paid attention the screen before going back to his periodic opening and snapping shut of his cell. Someone was sneaking up behind him, he was pretty sure. He got pretty lucky with the cell phone as he continued to fidget with it, pretending he was completely off guard.
The cell phone was mostly hidden by Jason's body, so Dick didn't notice that he'd been spotted earlier than he might have expected. Although, even if he had realized that the gig was up, he probably would have still vaulted over the back of the bench and landed in a crouch that then slid into a nonchalant lounge on the far end of the bench from Jason. "So, steal any tires lately?" he asked conversationally, giving Jason a little grin in greeting. He might seem easy-going and careless, but his attention was actually very focused on Jason and his body language. Dick was good at spotting a liar.
Jason wasn't surprised at all when Dick landed next to him on the bench. "Nope," he said popping the p, and he was telling the truth. "You're not good at sneaky. I knew you were behind me." He grinned a little before pocketing his cell phone. If it weren't for his cell phone he never would have noticed Dick behind him, but he wasn't going to tell him that. Make the guy think his sneaking skills sucked against a 16 year old street rat. Jason liked bruising other people's egos.
It almost worked, but Dick was pretty damn certain that if Jason had spotted him it hadn't been until he'd been on the ground. No big deal. "Yeah? For how long?" he shot back, careful not to let any ruffled feathers show. Actually, it was interesting to know - another sign that the kid had a good head on his shoulders. He paid attention to things around him.
Jason shrugged. "Just a few minutes," he answered, debating whether or not to tell him how, but he pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. "Saw you in the reflection when I was flipping it open and closed." Take that, smug Batman wannabe.
That actually brought a pleased smile to Dick's face. He let out a low chuckle and ran a hand through his hair - it was getting a bit long, he noticed. Have to get that cut tomorrow, if he could find the time somehow. "Very slick," he said approvingly. "You'll be doning cape and cowl in no time," he joked, flashing Jason a teasing grin. "So, what's the word on the street?" He'd at least thought ahead to bring a more respectable notebook - very small and black, tucked into a pocket at the small of his back, along with a pen. At some point he was going to have to break down and get a damn belt like Batman's, but that was another concern for tomorrow. If he had time.
Jason was not pleased that Dick seemed pleased, not at all. He didn't need this guy's approval, even though it felt good to get it. "Pffft, why would I wanna do that? I'd end up a sidekick or something. I'm not gonna end up dressed all brightly colored like an idiot or Robin or something," he said flippantly, though he fleetingly liked the idea of maybe a cape, but he vetoed that idea as soon as it came to mind. "So, yeah. I haven't heard much, but there's been a few kids my age passing by the park on 5th street. They've been frequenting there for a while, and those kids have been selling drugs around my block for a while. I'm thinking that park is where they meet their supplier."
" 'Like an idiot OR Robin'?" asked Dick. "They're too different things or is Robin a special breed of idiot?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, I wouldn't wish this line of work on anyone - you gotta have some serious mental issues to run around in a spandex suit at night." As for the information Jason had given him, that didn't really need writing down, but Dick dutifully made a note of it anyway. He'd gotten the damn notebook out after all. "Hmm...not much, but it's a start. I'll look into it. What time they usually come by?"
Jason waved his in dismissal. "Nah, Robin's gotta be a special brand of idiot. It's kinda obvious when he wears bright colors and Batman doesn't, that all Robin is is a distraction, so Batman can kick bad guy ass," he stated then paused, thinking about the next question. "Around midnight, they start heading over this way. They're kinda dumb; they don't even change up the times or anything. Might end up being bum lead, I guess, but it's not my fault there are idiots around me."
Dick had to fight very hard to bite back a laugh at Jason's assessment of Robin. He really had been little more than a distraction when he'd first started, but he liked to think he'd done some good even in that stupid, stupid costume. Seriously, what had he been thinking with that thing? But back to the present. "Eh, I'll take idiot druggies over the clever ones. The clever ones are a pain in the ass to deal with."
Jason gave a Dick a look, noticing he looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Do you know Robin or something? That why you're trying not to laugh?" he asked before he grinned, leaning back on the bench. "Oh I bet was right, and he's just an idiot. Cool." He paused. "Idiot druggies don't last long on the streets. It's probably the clever ones you really wanna find."
"Eh, Robin is an okay guy," was Dick's diplomatically vague reply, accompanied with a careless shrug. He knew damn well that the Robin Jason was thinking of was him, but no way in hell he could let onto that. Of course, Dick was now thinking of Tim, who was indeed an okay guy. Well, actually, Tim was quite the clever little bugger, all things considered. Dick had only met his replacement a few times thus far, but he liked the kid, who was smart, skilled, and seemed to do a lot to keep Bruce from retreating too far into his Batman persona. That was a good thing, in Dick's opinion, though he worried about Tim at the same time. But that was a worry for another time, when Jason wasn't around. "I'll get to the clever ones eventually. That takes a bit more work is all," he said, clearly confident in his ability to do this. If there was one thing Dick had going for him, it was confidence. Bruce certainly hadn't raised a boy who didn't know his own worth.
"You have to say that. You probably know him or something. Talking behind another vigilante's back must break some kind of hero code," he stated then gave Dick a side glance. "So, you've got your info. Money, please." To add to what he said he held a hand out lazily. He actually still had a bit of the money from last time, but that didn't mean he was going to vocalize that fact.
Dick gave an amused snort as he returned the notebook to it's pocket. "Calm down there, Oliver Twist, I'm not going to stiff you," he soothed, managing to keep a straight face in spite of his teasing. He produced three 20s, folded neatly together, and passed them over to Jason. "There you are, as promised."
Jason snatched the money, pocketing it quickly as he quelled the urge to stick his tongue out at Dick. He was sixteen, not six. "I told you to stop calling me that," he muttered. "And I didn't think you'd stiff me." Jason was kinda of surprised that his last words had been truthful. He was trusting this guy way too much after only one week. He really needed to fix that.
Of course Jason's sullen response to the nickname just made Dick grin broadly with amusement. He couldn't help but poke at the kid a bit - the teenage posturing that he got as a response was way too amusing, considering how recently Dick himself had been reacting in very similar ways. It was good to hear that Jason seemed to trust him though - as far as Dick could tell, that had been truthful, which was good. Some level of trust was definitely a necessary element to arrangements like this. "Well, good." A slightly awkward pause as Dick considered what to do next. They seemed to be done here, so after a moment he stood and gave Jason a rather silly little salute. "As you were, soldier - I'll give you a call in another week or two." And with that he was gone, disappearing into the shadows between two rows of townhouses.
Jason blinked as watched Nightwing disappear into the shadows. Soldier? He chuckled at that. Really, like he'd be such a good soldier. With nothing else to do, Jason stretched before standing up to head back to his squat and get a good night's sleep.