[closed] a thousand years forever and a day

[pixieboots]

Date & Time: today
Location: THE OUTLANDS
Characters: khisanth and dick
Summary: a robin meets a dragon
Warnings: khisanth



[ It’s the body language that gets his attention. She’s moving – whoever she is – with the kind of purpose that says she knows something. Which maybe wouldn’t have been all that special back in the hold. Or even out in the main part of the city. Where everybody goes when they have money to burn or people to see.

This lady though, she’s headed somewhere else. Somewhere out there, past that invisible threshold of nothing that’s supposedly so unworthy of a real workup. All the real exploring he hasn’t been doing while he’s been tied up in missions and patrols and bodyswaps. He can’t not fall in behind her, keeping inside the shadow of the debris as she moves ahead. He’s grinning when he slides up underneath a fallen chunk of metal, squeezing the batbinoculars to tighten the range just enough that he can almost reach out and touch her trajectory. ]

Gotcha.

Comments

[onblackwings]

[ She stops. She's not entirely sure why. Is it a scent? Scents are dulled to this short, blunt human nose, but maybe...

Either way, she's glancing around, eyes narrowed just slightly. She's supposed to be alone this far out. Humans are rare this far removed from the city, so who would there be to sniff out? She's probably imagining things. But nonetheless she doesn't start forward again, she seems more interested in scanning the area. ]

[pixieboots]

[ He holds his breath and waits, pressed into the side of one of the still half-standing walls. He'd done something; whispered too loud, breathed too hard. The wind stirs his cape and he cringes, reaching as stealthily as he can to grab at the edge and hold it against his stomach. The uniform never was built for stealth.

When the wind moves again, stirring just enough eerie noise in the debris he hits the ground, crawling forward underneath what probably used to be strut support for something big. He needs to get closer; needs to find a way to get up above her so he can really see where she's headed. ]

[onblackwings]

[ Is that wind-based scuffling? Or some animal? She can't be sure. It's seeming more and more like she really is alone, and just being paranoid, but just in case...

Loudly, in a voice designed to carry (and even somewhat magically amplified): ] Don't bother. I have a spell set to incinerate interlopers.

[ There, now she feels better. It's a lie, of course, but people should know better than to test mages. And if there's no one out there to hear her bluff — well, that's even better. She's smiling a little when she starts forward again, striding once again with purpose. She's almost out far enough now. ]

[pixieboots]

[ Incinerate. Oh, shoot. Shoot shoot shoot. A spell, that could be anything. Invisible land mines, incorporeal flamethrowers, anything. Maybe...

Who could she think she's talking to? Who's supposed to be following her, powers or no powers? What does she have out in this wasteland that's important enough to kill for?

Maybe. Maybe she'll kill for it. He holds his breath another second, long enough that he can feel his pulse starting to thud away in his ears. Then he slides a batarang out of a side pouch and tosses it at the ground, horseshoe style.

Nothing. No movement, no fire.

He lets out his breathe in a rush, then takes a cautious step forward, flinching again at the loud creek on the metal. ]

...Aw, no.

[onblackwings]

[ The light metallic tink of batarang could be overlooked, but that second one, the loud creak? There's no way that one is wind, debris, or animal.

She's turned around again immediately, scanning her surroundings sharply. Doesn't she have a spell for this? Anything to detect a hidden person? ...Nothing she can think of, damn. She'll have to fix that. ]

It's unwise to sneak after magic users, especially displeased ones. Come out now and spare yourself the displeasure I would find in a search.

[ The spell for a fireball is at the tip of her mind. Anyone who's putting this much effort into hiding might be dangerous. ]

[pixieboots]

[ Welp there's probably no point now in pretending he isn't here in the first place. Only he's had enough encounters with professional goons to know that complying with a request like that usually just means offering up an easier target to shoot at. If she could have picked him out with whatever abilities she has, she would have done it already, right?

It's a thought he clings to he slips back underneath the metal strut, pushing past the crusting metal gravel towards another crumbling half-wall. Somehow he needs to put her off. ]

Okay, good one. You had me there for a minute.

[onblackwings]

[ Wait, it's a child? She frowns, trying to place the voice. She doesn't know many children, and less that would be sneaking around out here. Maybe it's just some random kid.

She turns with a roll of her eyes, starting the way she was going again. ]

Go home, child. [ A rare moment of mercy. This kid better appreciate it. ]

[pixieboots]

[ ...Huh. That's- not really the response he'd been expecting there. He stays down on his stomach for another few seconds, until he's pretty sure he can hear her moving again. He pokes his head up far enough to get a better look, and sure enough there she is. ]

Maybe I'm just passing through.

[onblackwings]

[ She calls over her shoulder this time, without bothering to look in the general direction of the voice. ]

Then keep passing!

[pixieboots]

[ Oh...kay. That could have gone better, all things considered. But on the other hand, if she's not looking to blow away a kid just for following her... ]

Wait! [ He's vaulting the debris before he can really think about what he's doing. ]

Don't they say the outlands are supposed to be dangerous?

[onblackwings]

[ She glanes back, ready to be annoyed — and stops, blinking. Those colors are familiar. But... hadn't the kid she knows been taller? Broader, at least. ]

Al? [ She's frowning, like if she looks closely enough he'll suddenly snap into focus and become familiar. ]

[pixieboots]

...Who? [ Al. It stops him short, that name. That faceless kid it belongs to. That somehow now she thinks he's... ]

-No. That's...

No.

[onblackwings]

[ No? She frowns, stops, and turns to face him more fully. It's the same black hair, and the same clothing. With that mask in place, and shape of the body (okay, fine, and pitch of the voice) aside, she'd be able to see no difference. But then, humans can be tricky to tell apart. ]

Then why are you dressed like him?

[pixieboots]

It's a uniform. [ Which... sure makes it sound uniform, doesn't it? Exactly the opposite of what it's supposed to be.

He shifts against the grain of the wind, stance rigid and uncomfortable. The costume feels bare suddenly; cape too thin and loose where it hangs by his legs. He tilts his chin up and tries staring her down through the mask. ]

What makes you think he isn't the one dressed like me?

[onblackwings]

[ She considers that, finds no clear answer, and realizes that she doesn't actually care that much one way or the other. They can dress alike if they want to, what does it matter to her?

So she shrugs, turns away, and starts forward again. ]

I saw him first. It's a straightforward enough conclusion to draw, isn't it?

[pixieboots]

I guess... [ He stays where he is, hand cocked on hip while he watches her. He's pretty sure - actually he's completely sure - that he's being brushed off like a flea. ]

But he isn't first. It's my uniform. [ He takes a step forward, then one more. ]

If you want to know the truth he didn't even ask me.

[onblackwings]

[ She doesn't stop or look back, but isn't downright escaping him. Sure, it's a brisk pace, but she could just be teleporting away. And besides that, she might have some very idle curiosity to indulge. ]

So why allow it, if you don't like it?

[pixieboots]

Well, I-

...I don't know. I mean I wouldn't if- [ if he knew - really knew - that Batman remembered. That he's not doomed already, buried and forgotten somewhere in the future or just shipped back to the boy's home, away from Bruce and away from Gotham.

Those kids had to get the suit somehow. ]

It's not totally my decision. [ He picks up the pace a little, yellow cape flapping while he breaks into a short run until he catches up. Not quite falling into step beside her, but close enough. ]

When I get home I'm gonna settle it, though.

[onblackwings]

Why wait? If something's not to your standards, it should be confronted. It's the only way to settle things.

[ Stated so firmly and confidently, as if she were speaking with more than just a small handful of years' worth experience. ]

Mm. Not that such a gaudy outfit is worth too much concern.

[pixieboots]

It's the name. The outfit's a bonus. [ He pitches his tone dry, but it's still rings a little hollow after he's said it.

He waits until he thinks she'll miss it and then steals another glance at her. There's something about the way she carries herself. Smooth and confident and tough. He tries to loosen his stance a little more, shoulders pushed further back. ]

I'm not incinerating the guy if that's what you think. That wouldn't really solve anything.

[onblackwings]

It solves more than you seem to think.

[ That with a little smirk, because look, she just loves incinerating people, alright? But even so... ]

But in this case, I suppose you're right. [ Definitely not said because the Other Robin helped her out once and she sort of likes him now. Definitely not. ] He's larger than you, I doubt if it would go well.

[pixieboots]

How big is he?

[ It's out before he can really think through what it is he's asking. But what are the odds that the lady he'd started following almost a whim is the one person on the island he's met so far that's actually been willing to talk about that Al kid? ]

I haven't really gotten to meet him yet...

[onblackwings]

[ She glances over at him, considering. In a few seconds she holds out a hand, a good deal above his head. ]

He's this tall, I think. [ Her other hand lifts as well, this time out in front of her as she walks. At about shoulder height, she indicates the decently wide shoulders of an almost-man. ] And this wide. So, like I said, I doubt it would go well.

[pixieboots]

[ He follows the motions with his eyes, tracing the person-shaped outline when she draws it until it starts to take shape in his head. It's a good size. An almost grown up, solid size.

Maybe that's what Batman's looking for. What he's wanted all along, in a partner. ]

I bet I could take him. [ He's been holding his fists down at his sides, and he has to concentrate for a few seconds on getting his fingers to unclench. It's not her fault. Nothing she could help. ]

I've taken out guys bigger than that.

pulls out this icon for delicious irony

[onblackwings]

[ She glances over again. Whereas it was considering the first time, this time it judges and find him amusingly lacking. ]

Could you? I doubt it. [ This with a fond little smile: ] He was a decent warrior, for his age.