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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:04:12 GMT -8
Originally posted by: OracleDate: Jan 15, 2007 9:45 AM Involving: Oracle, Nightwing, Robin, Calculator Days had passed in the wake of Gotham's recent attacks. The strain of the cleanup, the stress, and the smell of rotting flesh haunted the stagnant airs of Gotham. The sky was laced with a purple crimson hue. Crimson was usually the warning color of a rainstorm. Good. Maybe a rainstorm was just what the city would need to put out a few of the scattered fires that were dotted around the city. Wheeling herself into the back bedroom, Barbara quietly rolled her chair next to Tim's bedside, checking on his IV bag, trying to estimate when he would need a refil. He had a few hours yet. turning toward the sleeping boy, her hand gently stroked his cheek, adjusting the blankets that were draped over his body for warmth. A small part of her felt guilt. Guilty for the fact that she was unable to save his father and mother. "I've failed you, Tim... I'm so sorry." she whispered.
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:04:34 GMT -8
Robin Posted: Jan 15, 2007 10:08 AM
Tim rolled over feeling groggy and heavy headed. He could feel his hair sticking up in the back and felt that his boots, cape, and Kevlar chest piece were off as well as his belt. He felt the soft sheets and pillow and rolled over on his other side coming face to face with Barbara.
She looked so… upset. Like a terrible weight had been placed on her shoulders. He sat up feeling the sting from his ribs and ran a shaky hand through his dark hair.
“Your back…” he said with a small smile. “Superman said… said you left… where’d you go?”
“What’s wrong?”
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:04:52 GMT -8
Oracle Posted: Jan 15, 2007 10:17 AM
Her head raised when she heard him move and quickly tried to usher him to lay back. "Don't try to move too much... you'll strain something."
She fell silent for a few moments. How could she tell him what she witnessed, what happened. "I.... went down to GCPD." Maybe feeing him little chunks of information at a time would be best with him.
"Calculator gave me an ultimatum that I couldn't back down from..."
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:05:10 GMT -8
Robin Posted: Jan 15, 2007 10:26 AM
“I’m okay…” he said softly as she laid him back down. He saw her face, it looked so stressed and upset. He sat up slightly as she explained where she had gone.
“What… what did Calculator want?” he asked feeling a deep sting in his stomach, not from pain, but from dread. He could tell from Barbara’s face something bad had happened. “What did he say?”
Frowning Tim sat all the way up now wanting to hear what she had to say. What had Calculator held over her head?
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:05:27 GMT -8
Oracle Posted: Jan 15, 2007 10:34 AM
"He wanted me. The... person behind the green mark. And I delivered. It was either that or two very important people close to us wouldn't have escaped alive."
She bit her lip, trying to keep her face in a somber mood set. SHew knew once Tim started really askiing questions and recieved the information, her somber moodset would have to be the comforting overtone to him.
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:05:55 GMT -8
Robin Posted: Jan 15, 2007 10:42 AM
Tim looked at her unsure of what to say. “You… you gave yourself up… but…” he stopped as she continued to explain. Two very important people… but… why did that dreadful feeling keep reappearing?
She paused, biting her lip and Tim put his head down. Something bad had happened he could tell. He felt his hands shake slightly. Had a teammate fallen? A family member?
“Who… who were the people?” he asked softly.
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:06:17 GMT -8
Oracle Posted: Jan 15, 2007 10:50 AM
Taking notice to Tim's now shaking hands, she gently took hold of his hands within her own. She stroked them gently, trying so hard to keep things in a delicate light.
"My father and your father.
"Calculator knew I would come because he knew how much I cared for your well being. He figured taking your father would deliver a bit of initative and it did. My daddy... was a coincidental target, most likely taken because of his power and affect on the city as a whole."
Her eyes wondered a moment, her eyes affixed on Tim's fingers. They were about as big as her hands now.
"There was-- there.. was a confrontation.."
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:06:34 GMT -8
Robin Posted: Jan 15, 2007 11:00 AM
His father had been captured? Tim face went pale. “But he… he went on the plane… he… he… he was supposed to get on the plane. Why… how…. Babs he went on the plane…” Tim told her feeling himself starting to panic.
He prayed nothing happened. He didn’t want anything to happen. “No… he was on the plane…” he retold himself. “Calculator how… no… is my Dad… our they both okay? What happened?”
He felt his hands shaking more. “Tell me they’re okay. Babs my Dad was on the plane…he’s okay he is… isn’t he?”
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:07:02 GMT -8
Oracle Posted: Jan 15, 2007 11:10 AM
She kept her tone low as she spoke with the boy. "Your dad... was at your side when Deathstroke had left you for dead. He was trying to revive you.. He called for my help and as I was instructing him on how to better assist you when his line... just.. cut out.
"I tried to build back the communication but it failed. It was later restored when Calculator brodcasted a message to me announcing her had your father and my own."
Inhaling deep, she spoke slowly. "Batman caught wind of my message and raced to the scene. He had compiled an antidote to counter what Calculator had injected with himself. with. As he appeared, so did Captain Boomerang.
"He... was only trying to help the situation. So he... pulled out a Boomerang and thought he could stop Calculator. His hands were around your father's and my father's necks.
"Calculator sensed Boomerang's attack and he turned..."
Her eyes were welling with tears of guilt. So much for strength. "Yuh.. your father caught the weapon instead of Calculator."
Sadness had set onto her face. Her head, lowered. She knew that he would know exactly what she was trying to tell him. "I'm... so sorry, Tim...
"....I tried.... I failed you... I'm so sorry."
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:07:50 GMT -8
Robin Posted: Jan 15, 2007 11:29 AM
It was almost as if time stopped around him. His Dad hadn’t listened to him? He didn’t get on the plane? He tried to save him? But… he was supposed to get on the plane. And now… now because Calculator knew who Robin was… he used that to his advantage. He used his father to get to Barbara knowing she cared about him.
Tim felt the tears swelling up in his eyes. His hands shook and he started to sniffle slightly. He pulled his head down to prevent Barbara from seeing him break down.
Batman caught wind of my message and raced to the scene. He had compiled an antidote to counter what Calculator had injected with himself with. As he appeared, so did Captain Boomerang…
“No… no… he’s not…” Tim said looking back up at Barbara, tears filling up his eyes. “Barb…”
He... was only trying to help the situation. So he... pulled out a Boomerang and thought he could stop Calculator. His hands were around your father's and my father's necks…
Did that mean that his father was… was…
Calculator sensed Boomerang's attack and he turned...
“No… Barb… no…” Tim said putting his head down and shaking it. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.
Your father caught the weapon instead of Calculator…
The tears were flowing freely down his pale cheeks, he pulled his head up looking at the wall as the tears came down hitting the sheet.
I'm... so sorry, Tim... I tried.... I failed you... I'm so sorry…
“No! Dad! NO!” Tim shouted pulling off the sheets attempting to run somewhere. He ran over to the door, his IV ripped out. He didn’t know where he was going to go, he wanted to see his father. “Where’s my Dad Barb?! Where’s my father?! He’s not dead! He’s not! He was on the plane with Dana! Barb…. Barbara please… no…” he cried standing still at the door way turning around looking at Barbara.
He didn’t know what to say. He wanted her to be telling some sort of lie. He didn’t want it to be real. He leaned against the door way crying, his shoulders slumped and he slid down the wall until he bumped the floor. He buried his head and cried not knowing what to think. He didn’t have a mother, and now he didn’t have a father. He wanted his father… his Dad.
He hiccuped from his tears as the tears dripped on the floor.
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:08:12 GMT -8
Oracle Posted: Jan 15, 2007 11:43 AM
Barbara sat up the moment Tim bolted. She attempted to restrain him in lue to his injuries, but figured she'd only cause more pain.
His reaction was more than words could ever announce. The shock was setting upon her as well. Her hand covered her mouth as she watched him from where she had orginally situated herself.
"He's being held at GCPD for the time being. He's being VERY well taken care of. I assure you..."
She paused a moment and wheeled herself over to where Tim had allowed his body to fall.
"Tim... there's something else you really should know..." She had to tell him about Dana.
"Your father made sure to put Dana on that plane in an effort to get her to saftey.
"Th-- The plane... Tim..." Her voice couldn't stay stable. ".....it was shot down..."
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:08:34 GMT -8
Robin Posted: Jan 15, 2007 11:59 AM
Tim couldn’t control his tears. He was crying uncontrollably. He looked up as she came over. She told him his father was a GCPD. He wanted to see him. He wanted to see his father and pretend none of this was real. He turned around not facing her as he cried.
His shoulders shook uncontrollably and he hiccuped a few more times. It took Tim several minutes before he spoke. “I-I…. w-w-want t-t-to s-see him… I w-want m-my D-Dad… p-p-please… I w-want t-to s-s-see him…” he said in between tears.
It seemed like hours before Barbara spoke again. And again… the news wasn’t pleasant.
“D-Dana…? No… B-Barb…” Tim couldn’t keep the tears back anymore and lost control. He cried running his hands through his hair and looking up at Barb for some answer that this would all go away. Tim turned placing his head on the wall, not caring that he looked like a child having a temper tantrum, not caring that his shirt was wet with tears.
“I-It’s m-m-m-my f-f-fault… m-mine… I… I… I c-c-could have d-d-done... done s-s-something…” he said softly in his shirt sleeve. It was his fault. Not Barbara’s, he was Robin, he let his identity get exposed, and now he was paying the price.
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:09:13 GMT -8
Oracle Posted: Jan 15, 2007 12:14 PM
As she pushed closer to Tim, Barbara rested her hand on the top of his head, allowing her fingers to stroke him gently. His heart was broken and she could literally feel his pain.
Leaning forward, she rested her head ontop of his trying to give him some idea subconsciously that she wasn't going to leave his side. She wasn't going to silence his sobs. He needed to let it out. It was okay grieve.
"It's not your fault, sweetheart. It never was. Please don't blame yourself.
"Y-you did everything you could, Timothy..." She called him Timothy. She never called him Timothy. Then again the entire mood had fallen around him. It was no wonder.
"Your father loved you SO much.... he would have never placed this blame on you."
Just as Dick had comforted hours before, she was now doing the same with Tim. No words could speak in the manner that she wanted them too.
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:10:51 GMT -8
Robin Posted: Jan 15, 2007 12:30 PM
She called him Timothy. She never called him Timothy. Unless it was something serious. And Tim knew that no how hard he tried this wasn’t going to go away. This wasn’t a bad dream, his father wasn’t coming back. And the second wave of truth washed over him.
Tim pushed himself up on his knees looking back up at Barbara. His eyes were filled with tears as he looked back at her. Before he knew it, he pulled Barb into a hug crying on her shoulder. “I m-m-miss h-him B-Barb… I-I’ll d-d-do a-anything t-t-to h-have him b-back… p-please… w-wuh… why? Why?” Tim asked in between sobs.
His body shook with pain from his injuries and from the lost of his father and Dana. Life had taken so much from him. His mother, his girlfriend, his best friend, and now his step mother and his father.
Tim’s cheeks were wet and he paused trying to calm himself. He simply couldn’t. He felt so small in this world. “W-W-Why… B-B-Barb w-w-why..? I m-m-miss t-them… I m-miss t-them…” he choked out as another wave of tears came gushing out. “I w-want m-my Dad…”
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Post by Oracle on Aug 8, 2008 14:11:14 GMT -8
Oracle Posted: Jan 15, 2007 12:44 PM
Hearing his sobs of pain and sorrow only seemed to make it worse. Her heart was hurting for him. She hated seeing Tim in pain. She hated seeing his tears. Hated seeing him in such a sadden state.
"I know, sweetie. I know..." She held onto him in a tight embrace. Her hand gently came up stroke the back of his head. She was never good at dealing with such situations herself, but she knew if this wasn't watched carefully the same darkness that have enveloped Bruce could envelope Tim. And she'd be damned to allow that to happen.
Resting her head against his, she whispered to him. "If I could give my own life so you and your father could be together again, I would......"
Silence.
"I... tried to... I..." She closed her eyes. The wave of guilt looming over her like a rain cloud. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I really am."
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