Little Lost Bird
Isn’t anyone tryin to find me?
Won’t somebody come take me home.
It’s a damn cold night.
Trying to figure out this life.
Won’t you take me by the hand?
~I'm with you, Avril Lavigne
The last few days had been great. The princess and I had helped Wally, Linda and the kids settle back in. Jai, Iris and Lian seemed to have gotten along well enough, and even Hal had dropped by for dinner. Despite all the reunion cheer, a somberness had hung over us. Bart wasn’t far from our thoughts.
And that had left me thinking. Not everyone had something to celebrate about. So, two days and a favor from Mia to watch my baby later, I walked up the steps to the Titan Tower. The familiar huge T structure pierced the San Francisco sky. When I had been a kid, the Arrowcave and the mansion had been home, but so had this place too. No matter how had things had gotten with Ollie or how many times he’d gone running off with Hal, the Tower had been there. The Titans. Dick.
And now his little brother was in a world of pain. How did I know this? Because of my Robin, Dick. He’s my brother, been that way for well over a decade. And one thing I’ve learned about Robins in that time is that they take loss badly, personally; and they horde all the hurt and guilt for themselves. How Tim had taken command of the Titans in the midst of his pain I had no idea. Solemnly, I walked past the new statues of Bart and Kon. Robin had to be dying inside. Both of his best friends were gone. The least I could do was look in on the little bird.
I walked up the steps. I hadn’t gotten far into the building, when Kory and Cassie floated towards me.
“Roy!” the Tamaranian said as she flew faster towards me. “Good.”
“We were just about to call Nightwing,” Cassie informed me as she landed next to her teammate. The blonde’s eyes were filled with worry, a look I knew well. She locked her lips.
“What’s up?”
“It’s Robin. He’s gone,” said Kory.
That got my attention, loud and clear. When Robins disappeared that was never good. “When?” I asked hurriedly.
“Two days ago,” Cassie answered. “He was checking the news feeds and intel when he jumped up and said he had to take care of something. He’s turned off his communicator.”
My mind went to the first, most plausible choice. “Did you check with Bats?”
Kory shook her head. “He doesn’t know where Robin is either. He’s been calling every hour to see if we’ve heard anything.”
Damn. When Bats doesn’t know, you’re officially up the creek. Ever since Jason’s death, Bruce had been keeping a close watch on his boys. If he didn’t know, something was seriously up with the Timster.
“I’m on it.”
**************************
I scurried over the rooftops of Metropolis, while the moon cast shadows on Suicide Slums. I hopped off the roof of a corner store that had a couple of letter missing in its WINE & BEVERAGE sign. Landing hard on the next building, I was thankful that Hal had the mind to put gripping soles on these boots.
My eyes squinted behind the lenses in my domino mask and I gazed into the alley. Nothing. Unless one counted the homeless man who was taking a leak against a battered trash can. I sighed and readied my legs for the next jump.
Metropolis seemed like a good idea. I figured if Robin was in Gotham than Batman definitely would’ve known. Nothing went on in that town without his knowing. SO, Big Blue’s city it was…
An hour must’ve passed as I hit every dive and disreputable place I could think. I could have called Superman for help, but had instantly decided against it. I wanted to keep this as under control as possible, and once you brought in the biggest cape of us all, that was a sign. A bad sign. That would send the message a Bruce and the very last thing I needed was a pissed Bats.
Another hour passed and just as I was thinking of exactly how I was going to face Kory, Cass and eventually Dick a flash of red darted through the night. Bounding off rooftops, I took off after him.
I kept him insight. He was good, fast, but his strengths had always lied more on the cerebral end of things- tactics, analyzation, detective skills. Dick was the acrobat. I caught up to him, running just ten feet behind.
“Robin!”
He kept going, didn’t even look back, eyes ahead. He’s such a bat.
“Robin!”
There was no response from the boy. I knew he’d been through a lot, but I couldn’t let him go off into the night. Not like this. I stopped and toke an arrow from me quiver. Don’t. miss.
I let it fly and it landed just before his next step. He finally turned around. I could see past the domino mask well enough to see that he was pissed. More than that he was scared.
“What are you doing?” he demanded to know.
I took another arrow and laced it along the bow, in a manner way more nonchalant than I felt. “C’mon little bird, what’s it look like?” I let the arrow fly; it landed at his heels.
“Stop that.”
“Nope. You’re going back. With me.”
“I have… I have something to do, okay,” Tim managed. I caught the slight break in his voice.
I readied another arrow. “Be that as it may, you’re starting to worry lots of people who care about you-even Bats and you know how hard that is.” He glared at me half heartedly and turned for the edge of the roof. I let the arrow loose. “You want to keep playin’ this game? Cause I can do this all night.” Not that I want to. I hardened my voice, just a little, just so he knows I am quite serious. “Robin, tell me what you’re doing.” He was quiet, even when he turned and his shoulder slumped slightly. “Give me a chance; I’ve had lots of practice helping Robins.”
He didn’t move and I took the opportunity to walk close to him. When he didn’t immediately bolt I lowered my bow. We stood there in silence for a while.
Finally, he spoke. “It was our case-me and Kon and Bart. It was a bunch of international drug dealers and sex slavers. They were good too, but” I grimaced as the boy wonder choked back a sob. “Bart and Kon just wanted to work a case with me- bat-style, they said. Thought it’d be fun. We almost had the guys too. But they vanished.” I watched as Tim shrugged helplessly and looked down. “I was checking my intel. The dealers- they’re back. I just… Everyone’s been so happy about Wally. It’s the only thing Dick can talk about. And I’m glad he’s back too, but that doesn’t help me.”
I didn’t think. I just moved. Taking Robin in my arms, I let him cry and sob and be undeniably broken. I’d been there. Donna’s death had left everyone that way.
“The past few days must have been killer,” I offered.
He didn’t say anything. Tim let go of one more painful heave and backed out of my arms. “I just want to get these guys. For Kon. And Bart.”
I looked him in the eye. He was serious; he was going to do this. He needed to do this. I nodded. “Let’s go get ‘em. Together.”
Robin nodded once. He took a deep breath and then we dove into the night.
Won’t somebody come take me home.
It’s a damn cold night.
Trying to figure out this life.
Won’t you take me by the hand?
~I'm with you, Avril Lavigne
The last few days had been great. The princess and I had helped Wally, Linda and the kids settle back in. Jai, Iris and Lian seemed to have gotten along well enough, and even Hal had dropped by for dinner. Despite all the reunion cheer, a somberness had hung over us. Bart wasn’t far from our thoughts.
And that had left me thinking. Not everyone had something to celebrate about. So, two days and a favor from Mia to watch my baby later, I walked up the steps to the Titan Tower. The familiar huge T structure pierced the San Francisco sky. When I had been a kid, the Arrowcave and the mansion had been home, but so had this place too. No matter how had things had gotten with Ollie or how many times he’d gone running off with Hal, the Tower had been there. The Titans. Dick.
And now his little brother was in a world of pain. How did I know this? Because of my Robin, Dick. He’s my brother, been that way for well over a decade. And one thing I’ve learned about Robins in that time is that they take loss badly, personally; and they horde all the hurt and guilt for themselves. How Tim had taken command of the Titans in the midst of his pain I had no idea. Solemnly, I walked past the new statues of Bart and Kon. Robin had to be dying inside. Both of his best friends were gone. The least I could do was look in on the little bird.
I walked up the steps. I hadn’t gotten far into the building, when Kory and Cassie floated towards me.
“Roy!” the Tamaranian said as she flew faster towards me. “Good.”
“We were just about to call Nightwing,” Cassie informed me as she landed next to her teammate. The blonde’s eyes were filled with worry, a look I knew well. She locked her lips.
“What’s up?”
“It’s Robin. He’s gone,” said Kory.
That got my attention, loud and clear. When Robins disappeared that was never good. “When?” I asked hurriedly.
“Two days ago,” Cassie answered. “He was checking the news feeds and intel when he jumped up and said he had to take care of something. He’s turned off his communicator.”
My mind went to the first, most plausible choice. “Did you check with Bats?”
Kory shook her head. “He doesn’t know where Robin is either. He’s been calling every hour to see if we’ve heard anything.”
Damn. When Bats doesn’t know, you’re officially up the creek. Ever since Jason’s death, Bruce had been keeping a close watch on his boys. If he didn’t know, something was seriously up with the Timster.
“I’m on it.”
**************************
I scurried over the rooftops of Metropolis, while the moon cast shadows on Suicide Slums. I hopped off the roof of a corner store that had a couple of letter missing in its WINE & BEVERAGE sign. Landing hard on the next building, I was thankful that Hal had the mind to put gripping soles on these boots.
My eyes squinted behind the lenses in my domino mask and I gazed into the alley. Nothing. Unless one counted the homeless man who was taking a leak against a battered trash can. I sighed and readied my legs for the next jump.
Metropolis seemed like a good idea. I figured if Robin was in Gotham than Batman definitely would’ve known. Nothing went on in that town without his knowing. SO, Big Blue’s city it was…
An hour must’ve passed as I hit every dive and disreputable place I could think. I could have called Superman for help, but had instantly decided against it. I wanted to keep this as under control as possible, and once you brought in the biggest cape of us all, that was a sign. A bad sign. That would send the message a Bruce and the very last thing I needed was a pissed Bats.
Another hour passed and just as I was thinking of exactly how I was going to face Kory, Cass and eventually Dick a flash of red darted through the night. Bounding off rooftops, I took off after him.
I kept him insight. He was good, fast, but his strengths had always lied more on the cerebral end of things- tactics, analyzation, detective skills. Dick was the acrobat. I caught up to him, running just ten feet behind.
“Robin!”
He kept going, didn’t even look back, eyes ahead. He’s such a bat.
“Robin!”
There was no response from the boy. I knew he’d been through a lot, but I couldn’t let him go off into the night. Not like this. I stopped and toke an arrow from me quiver. Don’t. miss.
I let it fly and it landed just before his next step. He finally turned around. I could see past the domino mask well enough to see that he was pissed. More than that he was scared.
“What are you doing?” he demanded to know.
I took another arrow and laced it along the bow, in a manner way more nonchalant than I felt. “C’mon little bird, what’s it look like?” I let the arrow fly; it landed at his heels.
“Stop that.”
“Nope. You’re going back. With me.”
“I have… I have something to do, okay,” Tim managed. I caught the slight break in his voice.
I readied another arrow. “Be that as it may, you’re starting to worry lots of people who care about you-even Bats and you know how hard that is.” He glared at me half heartedly and turned for the edge of the roof. I let the arrow loose. “You want to keep playin’ this game? Cause I can do this all night.” Not that I want to. I hardened my voice, just a little, just so he knows I am quite serious. “Robin, tell me what you’re doing.” He was quiet, even when he turned and his shoulder slumped slightly. “Give me a chance; I’ve had lots of practice helping Robins.”
He didn’t move and I took the opportunity to walk close to him. When he didn’t immediately bolt I lowered my bow. We stood there in silence for a while.
Finally, he spoke. “It was our case-me and Kon and Bart. It was a bunch of international drug dealers and sex slavers. They were good too, but” I grimaced as the boy wonder choked back a sob. “Bart and Kon just wanted to work a case with me- bat-style, they said. Thought it’d be fun. We almost had the guys too. But they vanished.” I watched as Tim shrugged helplessly and looked down. “I was checking my intel. The dealers- they’re back. I just… Everyone’s been so happy about Wally. It’s the only thing Dick can talk about. And I’m glad he’s back too, but that doesn’t help me.”
I didn’t think. I just moved. Taking Robin in my arms, I let him cry and sob and be undeniably broken. I’d been there. Donna’s death had left everyone that way.
“The past few days must have been killer,” I offered.
He didn’t say anything. Tim let go of one more painful heave and backed out of my arms. “I just want to get these guys. For Kon. And Bart.”
I looked him in the eye. He was serious; he was going to do this. He needed to do this. I nodded. “Let’s go get ‘em. Together.”
Robin nodded once. He took a deep breath and then we dove into the night.