[week 27, day7] [accidental video]
[Dick blinks awake and stretches, frowning at the unmistakable smell of grass, the soft, damp feel of it beneath his cheek, the warmth of sunlight filtering through treebranches and dappling his body. He sits up abruptly, looking down at his body, still dressed in the lightly armored suit, and he reaches up. The cowl is still in place. That is a small relief, at least. He takes a slow breath, taking stock of the situation, looking around. He isn’t tied. Good. There are no apparent captors nearby. Also good.]
[Actually, there is no one at all, nearby, unless he counts the seemingly tame wildlife. And no skyscrapers, no bustle of Gotham. His forehead crinkles beneath the cowl. Not so good. He has no idea where he is, other than it is a rural area. A very picturesque one, he realizes, and imagines bringing a picnic lunch here, along with some company. Maybe Babs, if he can get them away from their duties for a moment or two. They still haven’t talked about what had happened with her brother James’ attack, or about anything, really. Bruce has come back to Gotham again and is keeping him far too busy to manage much of anything.]
[There are no threats that he can see, just a tree... an enormous tree and a pond at its foot, the water appearing to spring from the willow itself. It seems to be emitting the most curious, appealing sense of calm and trust and restfulness. He laughs out loud at the whimsy despite the serious situation, imagining relaying the information to Bruce in a report. Maybe he should report in, though. All he remembers is closing his eyes for a moment as he was going over a stack of reports, and now this. He taps the comm in his headset.]
Hello?
Oracle?
Alfred?
Bruce?
[Nothing.]
[He doesn’t know where he is or how he’s gotten here or how he’ll get back, but the thought doesn’t seem to upset him as it should. Not when he looks at the tree. A part buried deep inside him imagines it is calling to him.]
[It is morning... and there appears to be no threat. He still needs to attend to his daily routine, no matter where he is. He stands, stretching again, lazily, feeling his back pop, and he smiles, heading for the pond. A drink of water and a quick dip in the water will go a long way to making the day a little better. The sensors in his suit are still working, except for not being able to pick up anyone over the comm unit. It is distressing, but he’s been in worse situations; there is no need to panic. No one is nearby, so he can actually swim properly instead of just a hasty, stealthy splashing of water over parts of his body.]
[He goes toward the pond, stripping the utility belt free as he walks, never noticing the device attached to it, or the button he presses. He strips down to his boxers, grinning like a child as he pulls the cowl free, stacking the clothes with the belt atop it all. Within moments, he is in the water, diving beneath the surface and testing the depth. It is the perfect temperature. Warmer at the surface, cool beneath. Everything he could want. And clear enough to see through. As long as he doesn’t go too high and angles the jump perfectly to avoid the rocks, he can even dive...]
[He scrambles out of the water, laughing and whooping as he jumps up, only barely able to grab one of the branches thick enough to hold his weight. He swings himself up and balances, walking out over the water, looking down at the lazily swimming koi and the lotus blossoms out towards the edges. He takes a breath and jumps, cleanly cleaving the water, going beneath the surface with barely a splash. He doesn’t come up for air until two minutes and more pass, and then he throws his arm over his face and floats lazily for a moment, starting up at the clouds and the swaying branches of the old willow.]
[Bruce has kept him busy for the last year and more. He can relax for a few minutes before he tries to get home...]
[The beeping interrupts, though, and he leaves the pond, following the noise to the pile of his clothes, standing there dripping and looking down at the flashing light at his belt.]
What the...
[He picks the device up, staring at it.]