#’’She’s still on shaky ground. Jason doesn’t know if he can trust her. Steph has to play along in order to get close enough to free Jason.’’

[msfcatlover]

So the Joker’s little “BANG!” guns can launch that flag pole out with potentially lethal force (at least, according to Batman Beyond). Which very much seems like the sort of thing he’d do—it’s a double punchline.

Why does no one ever just pull the trigger twice?

[completelypeccable]

Can I Have This Dance? Chp 4

Previous - Here - Next

Chapter 4: Dancing in the Dark

Barbara Gordon

////Sorry it took me forever to write this chapter.  I ended up starting the Two for One Deal story to get a better perspective on the characters’ relationships, then changed this chapter like 12,394 times.  I recommend listening to the song (Dancing in the Dark by Imagine Dragons) before reading, but you do you.  I’ll also link it right before it ‘plays’ in the story. Hope you like it, it’s a lil angsty. Sorry Dick.////

3:14 AM

Damian al Ghoul has been missing for 13 hours and 27 minutes. 

The rest end up at her apartment in various states and at various times. None of them have stopped moving. Not since...

“Hey,” Tim said- and the poor kid was so tired his voice wobbled on a monosyllabic word- breaking the silence. Barbara was focus, filtering and cross referencing and scanning any possible location within a 5 mile radius from the past two days at 15 minute intervals, then 5 minute intervals. 

She pushed her glasses up her nose and the world came back in focus. Blood dribbled onto the counter. 

Stephanie’s voice snapped at Jason to drop the knife.

Barbara watched Jason enter the gift shop for the fifth time. 

Jason growled, but the blade left his bleeding fingertips, clattering to the counter.

The kid pulled the fire alarm. Jason grabbed his arm. 

His wild eyes were glowing, hair sticking every which way. 

The blast. She paused the video feed. 

Cass draped herself over the man’s back. His eyes refocused, but the glow flickered in and out, mouth twisted. Cass murmured in his ear. With a shudder, he buried his face in his hands.  

Barbara kept seeing the explosion, the panic, the outpour of smoke, even as she wheeled over and shifted Jason’s hands away as gently as she could, Tim already bringing over the bandages. Jason bit his other arm and muffled a scream. Barbara felt useless, and so frustrated. She couldn’t fix this, hadn’t come up with any new information in hours. They didn’t understand and they were a family of detectives.  They would rather shoot themselves in the foot than be this clueless. 

Jason laid his head on the table. 

It’s going to be okay. She breathed without conviction . We have to fix this.

Barbara pretended not to notice Tim’s sniffling, but Cass handed him a tissue anyways. Over and around each fingertip the white bandage danced. 

Barbara took a deep breathe and tried to keep her hands from shaking. Her chest was a vacuum, collapsing with the shell of her chest. Hot tears stung the back of her eyes. Where-

Don’t fall, don’t you dare fall.

She needed, she couldn’t be the only strong one- 

Duke slipped back out the door, fully suited. 

She would do this for them, of course she would. She taped the bandage down. 

She could do this. Alone if she had to, because she was freaking Oracle, but-

Tim leaned his head against Stephanie. 

Where the hell was Dick?

———-

Tim was crying. “Barbara, I- we need some help.”

Time slowed down. Tim didn’t cry, he didn’t lose his cool over nothing. She didn’t feel the bowl leaving her hands, nor did she process anything other than the phone against her shoulder as she flung herself to her laptop. The soup didn’t even burn her legs like it should. All she heard was the thump thump thumping of the blood in her ears.

Please, please. 

“What’s wrong, Tim?”

Haven’t we lost enough people?

“We weren’t in suits, and then this guy-And-and there was an explosion-“

Barbara stopped breathing. 

“And then- I’m sorry, I’m really sorry-“ He took a long, shaky inhale, coughing on the exhale. 

“Tell me what you need me to do,” she whispered. Dread was a 50 pound weight on her chest. 

“Damian’s gone. And we can’t find him.”

————————

“I don’t know, okay? He was there, he was right there!”

“Somebody needs to stop Jason from killing that kid-“

“Maybe he deserves a couple life checks-“

“He doesn’t know anything. He said he was payed by a random man.”

“And do you trust that?”

“Tells truth.”

“Whatever. That piece of-“

“Any identifiable traits? Just ‘some guy’?”

“He wore a ski mask.”

“Basic.”

“Too basic.”

“I just pulled up the schematics. There was a sewer entrance inside the building.”

“I didn’t see-“

“It was too dark and smoky to see shit.”

“I’m going to make him hurt so bad-“

“That won’t help anything, we need to look-“

“We’ve already looked! We looked everywhere!”

“We must have missed something! A kid can’t just disappear!”

“The sewer system is a damned labyrinth because Gotham is an emo hell hole.”

“Would you just shut up and let me think?”

“I’m going back-“

“The police are there by now, idiot. In case you forgot, we’re absolutely useless in the daytime.”

“Well maybe I’ll suit up then, and shove my mask up your-“

“Duke. Look.”

“I looked, Cass, I’m so sorry. I barely saw anything.”

“What see?”

“Duke if you saw anything at all, you have to tell us right now.”

“I already told you! All I saw was that he got knocked out then dragged into the building. Then the smoke was too dark to-“

“Wait, you saw through the smoke in the fire at Antonio’s two months ago, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“So why couldn’t you-“

“I don’t know, okay? I’m trying-“

“We’re not blaming you, Duke. It’s not your fault.”

“Your powers have only gotten more controlled, so something’s different this time.”

“Smoke.”

“Was there something about the smoke?”

“I mean-“

“Was it the building itself, maybe? The location, or I dunno, magic?”

“Wait, wait, the smoke. When it happened, I think...”

“Come on, sunshine, spit it out.”

“It just seemed darker, okay? I know it sounds stupid, but-“

“No, you’re right. I was too freaked out to notice, but it did seem really dark in there.”

“Is this really a bench mark? We need to stop running into burning buildings or some sh-“

“Okay, so we know the smoke was darker, Damian was isolated, we were scattered by a perceived threat, and there was a quick exit through the sewer.”

“We still have no idea who did it, or where they took him.”

“Benefit?”

“There’s a lot of people willing to kidnap a billionaire’s son.”

“Then who would know...?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who would know where to find him, and why would they do it the way they did?”

“Can we just-“

“They knew how to distract us. Our civilian identities wouldn’t have fallen for the hoodie kid.”

“Oh my cheese nips. What if they knew about Duke-“

“Light.”

“They would have known to obscure his vision.”

“And who would want just Damian? Who knows all of our identities? Who is pissed as hell and has been acting like a crazy person for like three months now?”

“...”

“Shit.”

“... has anyone called Dick back?”

————————

Tim was on the phone. 

“Where’s Damian.”

Barbara hacked into the line. 

“What do you mean?” Bruce replied, smooth as butter, but cold like the butter you left in your fridge and destroyed your toast when you just wanted a nice breakfast. The worst butter. 

Barbara sipped her third cup of coffee. 

“What did you do with him?”

“Aren’t you a little detective? Don’t you have some sort of a silly mission to go play with your friends?”

“Bruce, you bastard, I don’t know what kind of a sick game you think you’re pulling, but I want my brother back!”

Bruce laughed on the other side of the line, deep and long. 

Tim white knuckled the phone.

“Didn’t know you to have such balls, kid.”

“Didn’t know you were auditioning for ugliest Disney villain.”

Bruce chuckled. Barbara stared wide eyed at the feed, Bruce smiling all teeth at the camera in his office at Wayne Enterprise. 

“Always a pleasure, dear.”

Click. 

Tim screamed. 

—————

Tim and Jason were the only ones left awake with her when Dick came through the window, hitting the floor and rattling the room. He stumbled into the table. Jason caught his arm and steadied him. 

“Dick,” Barbara started, fury and grief warring in her chest as she ripped out her headphones. “Where the hell have you-“

Dick jerked out of Jason’s grasp. Barbara stared at the bloody hand print on the table. 

“-been,” she finished lamely. 

”I-“ Blood dripped down his arm, more splattered across his torso and left leg. It was hard to tell if it was his. A breath rattled in and out. “Dami-“ his voice broke.

The rage in his eyes scared her. Barbara reached for him, but he jerked away. 

“Dick,” she whispered. 

He tossed a flash drive onto the table. A bloody fingerprint marked the side. 

“Barbara,” his hands were shaking. “Please-“

Barbara flipped it open, careful not to touch the sides, and inserted it into her computer. 

———————— Duke watched as Stephanie roundhouse kicked a guy in the ribs, and he hit the ground with a gasp. 

The bats were out to hunt, and it wasn’t even twilight. Like rabid animals, the feral look in their eyes screamed danger.

Jason, Cass, and Tim took to the sewers while he and Steph scoured the surface world for clues. 

Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat?

Duke bit down his own bile, the dread and grief of every loss he couldn’t deal with hedging in his vision from each side, and threw a punch to cover Steph’s back. 

“Where is he,” she snarled. The criminal whimpered, shoved against the wall. “Where is the bat?”

Where is our snarky kid brother?

Family is family. And Duke’s had a tendency of disappearing.

———————————

It was encrypted video footage, half deleted, half scattered, with enough security to put the US military to shame. 

But they had never met Oracle.

She was angry. She was scared. These could be used, sharpening her wit, a match thrown into a barrel of gasoline. Nothing and no one couldn’t hide from her. She would burn everything down to find what they hid.

She cracked it in less than 15 minutes. 

The world and the buzzing in her head could wait. Concentration and a challenge we’re a sweet relief. She reassembled the code from the scattered bits they gave her, pixels coming together in a cacophony of code. 

And she smiled, victorious, twirling one headphone in her hand. Her fingers hovered over the play button. 

Don't throw my name 'round here like that

“Dick?” 

The present came back, though. 

“Dick, maybe you should let me look at that arm now.”

Barbara looked up. Dick was shaking, clutching his tricep with one hand, blood slowly oozing around his fingers. 

You could get us in some trouble Talking that way and

“Come on, you need-“

“I need you to leave me alone,” he growled. 

Monday you got me that's a fact You could get me in some trouble

Jason just sighed. “Come on, Dickibird.” 

With no small degree of apprehension, Barbara watched him grab his shoulders. “Up we go.”

I don’t need nobody

“Get your hands-“

His voice broke. The tears fell. Jason dropped down to kneel beside his chair. 

“Hey, hey-“

Dick flung himself up and away, knocking into the counter. Red hands yanked his hair. 

“Dick-“

If you ever 

A desperate voice rose, shook like a tree losing all its leaves in a single storm. They watched, frozen, as the steady, reliable man shattered. 

Want to join me

“Don’t touch me, don’t- don’t,” he cried. “I don’t deserve-“ 

Dick slid to the ground, sobs wracking his body. 

Baby, I’ll be dancing in the dark 

“Dick,” Tim whispered, lowering to the floor. 

“Don’t, don’t-“

“Dick.”

“It’s my fault, it’s all my fault, I promised him-“ He gasped for air. 

If you ever want to join me

Jason dropped beside him and grabbed his hand. 

“Breathe with me, in and out.”

“I can’t, I- I can’t-“

“Shh, come on. In, 2, 3, 4-“

“Jay, I can’t fu-“

“Out, 2, 3, 4.”

Baby, I’ll be dancing in the dark

He pressed a palm hard against his eye. 

Dancing in the

“I can’t breathe, I-“

Join me

“Come on, you can do it. You’re okay.”

Dancing in the

“Okay?!”

Dick slammed his head into the counter. 

“This- it hurts more- more than dying, Tim.”

Join me, baby

“And they let me die, and-and I let them take him-“

Dancing in the

“And I didn’t- I wasn’t there-“

“We’re gonna find him.”

Join me, baby

Dick covered his face with one arm and wailed. 

Most days I’m keeping to myself 

Jason pulled him into a half-hug, half-hold. Tim scooted over and threw his arms around them. Dick collapsed into them, sobbing harder than Barbara thought a person could. 

Living in my little bubble

Tim was crying. Jason’s voice was wet and thick. “We’re gonna find him, Dick. We’re gonna get him and he’s gonna be fine.”

Throwing my weight and moving my body through the sea

“I love you guys, I love you so much-“

“We know, Dick,” Tim whispered. 

“I love you so much- if you-I- I can’t even-“

Jason shushed him, resting his chin on his hair. 

You could come join me                                                                               Moving like the weekend

“And he’s- I couldn’t-“

“We know, Dick.” Jason let the tears fall. “We’re worried, too.”

Dick pushed both hands into his eyes, hard. “He-It’s not- Damian,” his voice cracked. 

I don’t need nobody 

“It’s not the same with him,” Tim murmured, with that soft compassion, that understanding he always managed to give when they needed him most. “We know. He’s like your baby.”

If you ever want to join me, baby I'll be dancing in the dark

Dick bit his hand and yelled, a grief to rend the ceiling with him. 

If you ever want to join me, baby I'll be dancing in the dark

Jason and Tim held him together. 

Barbara couldn’t fix this. She had to fix this. 

She didn’t know her heart could break this much. 

Dick gripped Tim’s head and Jason’s arm, struggling for air. Treading underwater. She played the video feed. 

Dancing in the No. Join me, baby A laugh. A deal. Dancing in the And the Batman- That bastard- Join me, baby That absolute monster- Dancing in the -let this happen to his own son. Who the hell was he? Join me, baby A handshake and- Dancing in the Ra’s al Ghoul stood above his unconscious grandson. Join me, baby Barbara wanted to scream. She wanted to sink her nails into their bare flesh. She wanted to see Batman scared and painted red. If you ever want to join me, baby They needed to find him, where was he, they had to get him back. I’ll be dancing in the dark What were they doing with him? He’s a kid. Dancing in the What the hell was going on? Join me, baby They had to be missing something. If you ever want to join me baby Suddenly, this shitstorm just got worse. I'll be dancing in the dark Whether it was the raw fear, the sound of Dick’s ragged heaving, or the complete loss of reason within the last 24 hours, Barbara sat there staring. Baby Whoever was involved- Dancing in the It didn’t matter if she didn’t know where or how or why yet. Baby She would. And she was going to destroy them.  

///Oracle is going to e n d them. #Dick is a good dad. #Jason is a good brother. Comments are always greatly treasured like i am the dragon and they are the priceless gold artifacts that I keep for bedding and staring at appreciated :) //