Fic: Run Ragged(Tim/Cissie)
Title: Run Ragged
Verse: Empire of the Bat
Characters: Tim Drake/Cissie King-Jones
Word Count: 410
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In Gotham's hottest, bloodiest summer on record, Tim pushes himself a little too far.
Author's Notes: This is an AU set ten years in the future after Gotham was destroyed by Joker and most of its heroes were killed. Tim is a dark Batman now, Cissie is a hero named Golden Arrow. Cissie has recently left the JLA to try to save Gotham with Tim. Written for lady_sarai's summery prompts of awesome, for "heat exhaustion".
Cissie was fast, but she could barely keep up with Tim these days. He leapt the roofs of Gotham like a wild animal, and unlike his predecessor, he had no fear of the daylight. In this hellhole of a Gotham, still devastated by the Joker's bombs five years later, crime was hunted by the Batman in both day and night. And on this 102-degree day, as Cissie was barely staying sane even in her loose-fitting, cool outfit, she had no clue how Tim was even alive in 40 pounds of kevlar.
She got her answer soon enough, Tim had ferociously put down a band of gang members and swung back to the rooftops. But as soon as he landed, he went down like a ton of bricks. Cissie leapt over.
"Tim? Tim, can you hear me?"
Tim tried to force himself up. "M' fine. Heat just got to me a little. Still a whole corner of Gotham to patrol."
"Are you crazy?" Cissie felt Tim's cheek. "You're burning up! You never put a cooling system in here?"
"Takes up space. It would slow me down. Someone could get away. Someone could die."
"Well, yeah! You! Come on. We're getting back to the base, and you need to cool off."
Cissie helped Tim to his feet. Tim tried to protest, but quickly trailed off, the exhaustion taking its toll on him. Cissie knew she had to get him to safety, and soon.
__________
The blast of the Citadel's air conditioning cooled Tim as his mind cleared for the first time. "I can't believe I let that happen. I always know my limits. I guess I owe you, Ciss."
Cissie sat down at the side of the bed and handed Tim a glass of iced tea. "Well, yeah. Haven't I always known best? Now drink."
Tim took a sip, and let a rare smile cross his lips. He prided himself on not needing anyone, ever since he had lost his second family in the Joker's destruction. Gotham was his to protect and his alone. But maybe he needed someone to protect him as well. If Cissie wanted to insert herself into his private hell, who was he to say no?
For a second, there was no Golden Arrow and Batman. There were no costumes, or wars. There was just Tim Drake and Cissie King-Jones, and as Tim let himself drift off to sleep, it was like nothing had changed in the last ten years.
Verse: Empire of the Bat
Characters: Tim Drake/Cissie King-Jones
Word Count: 410
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In Gotham's hottest, bloodiest summer on record, Tim pushes himself a little too far.
Author's Notes: This is an AU set ten years in the future after Gotham was destroyed by Joker and most of its heroes were killed. Tim is a dark Batman now, Cissie is a hero named Golden Arrow. Cissie has recently left the JLA to try to save Gotham with Tim. Written for lady_sarai's summery prompts of awesome, for "heat exhaustion".
Cissie was fast, but she could barely keep up with Tim these days. He leapt the roofs of Gotham like a wild animal, and unlike his predecessor, he had no fear of the daylight. In this hellhole of a Gotham, still devastated by the Joker's bombs five years later, crime was hunted by the Batman in both day and night. And on this 102-degree day, as Cissie was barely staying sane even in her loose-fitting, cool outfit, she had no clue how Tim was even alive in 40 pounds of kevlar.
She got her answer soon enough, Tim had ferociously put down a band of gang members and swung back to the rooftops. But as soon as he landed, he went down like a ton of bricks. Cissie leapt over.
"Tim? Tim, can you hear me?"
Tim tried to force himself up. "M' fine. Heat just got to me a little. Still a whole corner of Gotham to patrol."
"Are you crazy?" Cissie felt Tim's cheek. "You're burning up! You never put a cooling system in here?"
"Takes up space. It would slow me down. Someone could get away. Someone could die."
"Well, yeah! You! Come on. We're getting back to the base, and you need to cool off."
Cissie helped Tim to his feet. Tim tried to protest, but quickly trailed off, the exhaustion taking its toll on him. Cissie knew she had to get him to safety, and soon.
__________
The blast of the Citadel's air conditioning cooled Tim as his mind cleared for the first time. "I can't believe I let that happen. I always know my limits. I guess I owe you, Ciss."
Cissie sat down at the side of the bed and handed Tim a glass of iced tea. "Well, yeah. Haven't I always known best? Now drink."
Tim took a sip, and let a rare smile cross his lips. He prided himself on not needing anyone, ever since he had lost his second family in the Joker's destruction. Gotham was his to protect and his alone. But maybe he needed someone to protect him as well. If Cissie wanted to insert herself into his private hell, who was he to say no?
For a second, there was no Golden Arrow and Batman. There were no costumes, or wars. There was just Tim Drake and Cissie King-Jones, and as Tim let himself drift off to sleep, it was like nothing had changed in the last ten years.