peektuttut | [RL, Slade & Robin] And All I Know

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slade

[RL, Slade & Robin] And All I Know

Tim missed what the city used to be. It had been a playground, a home, a place to relieve his tensions. It used to be a comfort, swinging through the air on a jumpline that felt like it would snap under his weight, even though it could hold ten times that. Gotham used to be a place of companionship and entertainment. Now it was just a place of fire, crime, unrest.

He was tired, and the night had only just started. Perched precariously on a roof, he watched, waiting for the Network's call. It'd come soon enough, that was the experience he'd gained in the past few weeks. They all needed help. There was too much to handle on their own, and the sheer logistics of fighting a war against a city - it brought back bad memories. Squire had suggested a break, and he'd taken it - when her suggestion became a demand. Tim didn't have time for breaks.

Scratching his head, the Boy Wonder crouched, one hand holding the edge of the roof. In the distance, he could see fires blazing. He heard the sirens, but didn't know who was there, helping; the fire trucks were too far away. Someone - Batwoman? - had called in saying she was on it with Huntress. Still...big fire.

He was just about to head over when a sound caught his attention. It was faint, almost missed, but Tim turned sharply, peering into the black alley below him. Silently, he slipped down the fire escape, listening and watching hard.

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Since first making contact with DramaDramaDuck - a ridiculous name for something that could very well cause a breakdown in the time/space continuum itself - Slade had not been idle. He'd spent the first day or so going through entries on the community as well as personal journals and had since identified multiple names he recognized from his own world. Bruce Wayne, Ra's al Ghul, Harvey Dent, the Joker, Jonathan Crane, the Riddler...all of them were people he'd known by reputation at the very least, and all of them were from worlds other than his own. It was all very curious, but that wasn't why he'd decided to make a trip to this particular incarnation of Gotham.

He'd come because of Tim Drake.

From the moment he'd first made a public entry on the main community, Slade had been testing the waters, choosing the name of his now deceased son in order to determine whether or not he had an alternate in another dimension, and sure enough, someone had taken the bait. What he hadn't anticipated, though, was that the one to recognize his family name would be a teenager. In hindsight, it made a certain sort of sense - the Teen Titans, after all, had encountered plenty of dangerous characters (such as himself) despite their ages. It was difficult to say for certain, even after researching Tim's background, whether or not he was also part of the costumed crowd of this world. However, he had learned plenty about his own counterpart - the man who continued, to this day, to call himself Deathstroke the Terminator - and that would, at the very least, give him something to work with if his true identity was discovered.

His research done, Slade had taken to the streets, keeping to the shadows as he explored the Gotham that wasn't his. It was a sight worse to behold than the one in his world, the air putrid with destruction that seemed to hang over the city like a shroud. It reminded him of brimstone, the flames that had overtaken his own world not too long ago when Trigon had come to claim it. Gotham wasn't that far gone yet, of course, but if things continued to progress as they were, it would be. Not that it really mattered. This wasn't his city or his world so whatever happened here wouldn't affect him or his. It wasn't his place to interfere, besides, even if he had been inclined to (which he wasn't).

Thus, his curiosity satisfied, he'd turned to leave - when something caught his eye. It was a figure clad in red, the mask and cape denoting his identity just as much as the yellow "R" stamped on his chest. Robin, he thought, eyeing the boy closely from afar. The third, if he wasn't mistaken. Interesting.

Curious despite himself, Slade put his plans to leave on hold for a little while, taking a moment just to watch him. This one was clearly older than the Robin of his world - the one who had become Nightwing here. Thus, he was probably a great deal more experienced, especially if what he'd learned about the Batclan here was true. Hmmm.. Then, his eye glinting, he very lightly tapped the nearby fire escape with the metal of his arm guard. The sound was soft, barely noticeable, but the Boy Wonder was sharp. He was already moving towards the source, but Slade was quicker, disappearing into the shadows as Robin began his descent.

Someone was definitely down here. Tim was positive. Sliding down the fire escape, switching on the night vision in his mask, he frowned. The sound came from this level or the next - the next. Jumping down to land lightly on the railing in a crouch, the Boy Wonder frowned. Maybe he was losing it...no. No there had definitely been a sound beyond the usual creaks and groans of old architecture. It was a metal on metal kind of clink, the kind of sound he'd get if he tapped a batarang against the rail.

The frown deepened. Someone had been here and disappeared.

How many people did he know capable of that? Himself. Dick. And--

Tim's eyes widened slightly, partially hidden by the domino mask. And Bruce. He wasn't getting his hopes up, certainly not. He was making a guess. There wasn't nearly enough proof for anything else, and he knew that, as the detective he'd always considered himself. But he couldn't unthink it now. Following the line of the shadows cast, Tim crept down, following the likeliest route in silence. Even if it wasn't Bruce - thought it could be - he had to know just who was so near, leaving in such a way. Dick was supposed to be busy uptown, and if there was a new player that was as sneaky as Batman - well. It was something they should all know.

Especially if it is Batman.

He clung to the shadows, keeping his movements smooth and silent as he made his way through the narrow pathways. It was a game he knew well, having played it a number of times already in his own world, most specifically with the Robin there. This Robin, however, was not the same. He's older and more experienced so Slade knew he would have to be careful, much more so than he would have been in his own world.

Unfortunately, observant and mindful though he was, this wasn't Jump City, nor was it even the Gotham he knew, so he wasn't as familiar with it as his pursuer. Thus, when he came to a dead end, he was less than pleased about it. He adapted, though, as he always did, finding the quickest way up to the rooftops in moments. And then he was moving, scaling the nearby fire escape as quietly as possible before vaulting over the edge of the roof. He landed with a nearly inaudible thud and straightened, taking a swift path over the rooftops now and fully intending to leave the Robin of this world behind.

Intention is easily corrupted, however; Tim didn't intend to be left behind. The movement of someone climbing the fire escape caught his eye, and he sped up it lithely, carrying himself with ease. He looked up in time to see his target leap onto the roof, and frowned. He barely saw, but Tim was certain there was something - weirdly familiar there. He pushed himself, muscles straining slightly in exhertion as he reached the roofer quicker, following fast. No cape, no ears. But that didn't necessarily mean anything. Bruce had been forced to operate under different aliases before, it was still possible!

The Boy Wonder remained silent; he wasn't law enforcement, he didn't have to give a warning before pursuit. He was being run from, and running implied guilt. Or something to hide. But what could Bruce be guilty about? What would he hide?

Tim had to remind himself forcefully that this may not be Bruce; he ran on anyway, booted feet pounding across the rooftops, leaping over gaps where necessary with ease.

Slade wasn't guilty of anything - or at least not here. As for what he had to hide, well, the only thing he valued keeping to himself at the moment was his identity, and that could be discovered easily enough with a trip to his own world. He didn't expect the lies he'd spread to shield him forever, especially not with people who could recognize him on the network, but he did want it to be a secret for as long as possible.

Some things just weren't meant to be, though, as he turned his head and spotted his pursuer, still hot on his trail. If he was perfectly honest with himself, it was actually impressive. However, since he didn't particularly care to get into a conversation with this world's Robin, he quickened his pace, his path becoming a bit more convoluted as he attempted to lose Tim in the jungle of rooftops ahead.

Slade wasn't the only one impressed. Most people who tried to escape on rooftops got sloppy, or hid fast. Some needed rescuing, but whoever this was - he was fluid. He moved, Tim was sure, with practice, and his chest tightened as he vaulted over an alley. It wasn't because he was tired. Hands in fists as he ran after, Tim clenched his jaw. Whoever this was, he was fast, faster than the Boy Wonder. Tim to start playing smart.

Watching him as he went, Tim ducked away, out of the direct path he'd been following. Watching where the runner headed from the corner of his eye, he headed around, parallel and trying to get ahead of him. Hopefully, it would look as if he'd broken off the chase. Then again, if he was at all intelligent, that would only make him suspicious. If it was Bruce, he'd keep going.

Tim watched so carefully he almost missed his jump over an alley.

If there was one thing Slade was not, it was careless. Aside from keeping a steady pace and concentrating on his escape route, Slade also made a point of checking for his pursuer periodically. He looked back, noted Robin's absence behind him, and came to a quick conclusion.

Continuing on more cautiously now, Slade kept to the course he had initially set for himself. He was on the lookout, though, and the moment he caught a glimpse of Robin - there, he thought, a flash of red and yellow appearing on his peripheral vision. That was all the warning he needed, and without so much as missing a stride, he changed directions, still moving with ease despite the pressure of the chase.

Muttering a curse to himself, realizing he'd been seen, Tim stopped trying to hide. Shooting out after Slade on his new course, Tim listened to the pound of adrenaline in his ears, of of gravel and concrete under his boots. There were more important things to be concerned with, he knew - like that fire he could still see raging from the corner of his eye, or any number of the city's ailments - but his heart pounded at the thought of leaving this pursuit. He had to know.

Leaping over a particularly long gap between roofs, he had to catch himself haphazardly on a fire escape, pulling himself up and pressing harder to make up for the misjudgment. He was out of breath, but getting closer, and--

The moon shifted out from behind the clouds, and Tim caught sight of bronze and black and metal, and - he knew that outfit, he'd seen it recently, but where--

Wilson.

He almost stopped short, stalled long enough to let the distance grow between them, but didn't cease his run. What was he doing here? Grant shouldn't be here, he was dead here. There was something else going on, he'd been right to suspect him from the start. Damn it.

Unaware that he'd been identified (but perfectly prepared to deal with it should the need arise), Slade didn't slow his pace. He'd caught a glimpse of his pursuer faltering in the chase and immediately took advantage of it, putting on another burst of speed to widen the gap between them. Taking a moment to look back, the red-and-yellow figure still following, Slade couldn't help but feel genuinely impressed by what he was seeing. The boy was good, no doubt about that, and he couldn't help but wonder, briefly, what it would be like to have an apprentice on the same level who would actually do his bidding. They would be an unstoppable pair, of that he had no doubts - not after witnessing first hand how well he and his own world's Robin had fought together in the bowels of a ruined Earth.

Unfortunately, though, such thoughts were fruitless. He could not have his world's Robin, nor could have have this one's. The multiverse wouldn't allow for it, and Slade had no intention of interfering with the affairs of others worlds or their people. That could prove problematic, though, if this world's Robin caught him. He would have to lose him somehow. Hiding wouldn't work, and descending would just give the boy the advantage of higher ground. That left using his surroundings. Now what--

Ah.

A smile quirked the corners of his mouth as he once more changed directions, this time with purpose beyond simply confounding his pursuer. There was a wicked red glow tingeing the skyline ahead, a stench not unlike brimstone beginning to taint the air as both pursuer and pursued drew closer. It was a building on fire, the street cluttered where people had congregated below, some in shock, others crying, while a select few attempted to hold the flames at bay.

There were still people inside.

Tim was running the math in his head, calculating distances, how hard he'd have to run to catch up, what trick he could pull - where Wilson was headed. A frown crossed his face as his breath came harder, exertion showing just slightly. It didn't take long at all to spot the fire. Tim grit his teeth, certainty rising. He couldn't pass by this. Not if -

There were people inside.

Damn it, Wilson, he thought. He was too far to get a tracer on, but that didn't matter. If he didn't leave Gotham, Tim would find him. If he did, Tim knew where to go. Jump City - what the hell kind of name was that? Growling to himself, Tim pulled a grapple hook from his belt. He said nothing, just veered off course from the chase, shooting across the street to the burning building. He hated letting Wilson get away, hated having to make this choice - but he reminded himself that it wasn't really a choice. People came first.

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[RL, Slade & Robin] And All I Know

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