earlybird: (might punch your face)
Damian Wayne | Robin ([personal profile] earlybird) wrote in [community profile] dreamsanddisasters2014-09-04 09:10 pm

Tiny Talon Dick (Plus is an E N A B L E R)

[ 'Stay. Inside,' Father had said. 'This isn't your concern.'

And no matter how much Damian had snarled back that it wasn't fair, that there wasn't any sense in barring him from patrol (it was just a boy, just another threat amongst many, what was so special about this one?), Bruce had left Alfred with strict orders to ensure that Damian stayed on lock-down while he left for the streets of Gotham.

Presumably to find that would-be assassin. The child from the Court of Owls. Although Damian wonders if there's anything about it that could be called a child anymore; wonders what might be behind that mask. Something about the voice, quiet and inflectionless as it'd been, declaring that the Waynes were its targets, had set Batman off, had frozen him solid.

Damian's fought the Court of Owls before. He's taken down one of the adult assassins - shot an arrow through its eye, and when that didn't work? Strung it up and beheaded it. Immortal though they were, the monsters could still die. He doesn't see what's so worrying about a pint-sized version of the same.

Pennyworth is being irritatingly clever for a butler, and unusually effective at keeping him caged. He's not falling for any of Damian's tricks, not this time, and both Redbird and Robin remain out of his access. The Cave is closed to him, and Damian's left to pace the boundaries of his room wearing nothing but a scowl and his satin pajamas (no suit, no daggers, no hooded cape), dinner ignored and left to grow cold as he presses his forehead against the chilly glass. Titus is more than happy to lay out in front of the fire, but as much as Damian hates the winters here, he wants to be out there. Fighting crime, throwing his frustration at whatever villain he can dig his fists into. The night is dark, almost inky, with thick, fat flakes of snow silently falling down; he can't even see the grounds through it, just glaring at his own reflection and the powdery puffs of white when they swirl close out of the pitch black.

Drake was allowed out tonight to attend his precious gala, with Cain accompanying him. Todd wasn't, but he left anyway. Smart enough to take off the second Pennyworth had swapped his focus to corralling Damian into his room before the butler tried the same move on him. Ridiculous. ]
graysondive: (hmmmmmm)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
[He makes it all the way upstairs and the kid still hasn't come out to investigate-- he can hear the dog growling (another minor factor, he can't underestimate the dog but he'll have to be dealt with quickly or follow the same fate as his master. It was a weakness they always tried to beat out of his head, but he didn't like getting rid of people that weren't part of the job, even if they got in the way).

He nudges the door to the bedroom open when he reaches it, barely making a sound as it swings open, and Talon waits just outside the door frame, looking in and investigating, studying from afar. The yellow goggles and dark mask was almost humorous in the way that it made him look even smaller than usual, the way it made his eyes look owlishly too big.

And finally, he creeps inside with a knife slipped into the grip of his hand, stepping quietly across the carpet, almost keeping to some kind of invisible edge, and rounding over towards the bed. But he stops, abruptly, but so calmly that it's both natural and not.

He doesn't see anyone sleeping in the bed. But he didn't think to look up fast enough (no doubt another chastisement, when he returns.)]
graysondive: (pic#7056928)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
[His head jerks when he hears movement; his ear barely catches the action, and he moves immediately, throwing himself forward onto one hand and rotating around his pivot to swing back onto his feet. The boy is armed, but the Talon is fast. He has to keep moving, even if the space is small compared to rooftops.

He whirls around, unresponsive to the gloat as always-- it's doubtful if he's even listening, if he even cares, or if he even can listen. His focus is too sharpened, and he has to keep track of both this child and the dog.

So he keeps his breadth of the dog, and whirls around to throw the knife in his own hand towards the boy's own hands gripping the spade. And he doesn't even wait for it to hit its target before he there's another blade in his hand, and he makes his own lunge forward towards his prey.]
graysondive: (graceful landing)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
[The dog is gone, and that's good enough for him; it's possible that the dog may come back, but he should be done, or close to it by then, but it still means he has to hurry. The boy is too skilled and he's already lost the element of surprise for it to be a clean job like he usually does.

He moves again, but the spade nicks the side of his head, damaging the material of his mask. But he's a Talon-- made of tougher stuff than human. So he ignores it, shakes it off with barely a twitch of his head.

He turns his body sideways and strikes out with his free hand to grab the length of the spade, tightening his grip in an effort to wrench it away and out of the enemy's hands. The hand still holding the knife is poised, positioned out and across his torso with the blade towards Damian, should he try to make a forward move.]
graysondive: (wow no)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
[He takes the spade with ease, spinning it over the back of his hand as he reeled back and grabbed it again in a rare case of showmanship. At least it had the practical implication of letting the momentum wear out so the Talon himself wouldn't fall back.

Before he give the spade a swing of his own, however, the curtains are covering him-- it's not exactly restrictive, and he's already taking his knife to the fabric to rip himself free, but it slows him down and he loses visual.

His stare is blank as always as he watches the boy tumble out the door. But there's a slight jump in his chest-- that could almost be construed as panic if he were in the business of being in charge of his own faculties.

He rips the knife through the fabric with more force, more zeal, until he's freed from its grip. He abandons the spade on the wayside and follows the boy's trail, hopping onto the window sill and barreling out into the snow and rolling through the drift once he makes contact with the ground.

Ironically, he appreciates the open space more. But he can't let the boy get away from him, and he immediately starts following the trail left in the snow. He shouldn't have even let him have the chance to run away.]
graysondive: (oops)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
[He jumps into the first story window without a second thought, gliding through the halls and following wherever the trail leads-- and he's close behind, doesn't even have to stop at the clock and doesn't spare the mind to even wonder about it. The pole is barely more than a guide, and he uses one hand to grip and slide down into the depths below.

It's their base-- they call it 'the Batcave,' that his feet touch down on the floor of.

The Talon knows that he has made a grave mistake. He's allowed the boy to come this far to his bunker. Even if it affords him a glimpse into their operations, it's a gross mistake.

The only way the Court will let him out of this alive is if he makes sure the boy dies despite this. He has to.

So once again he takes to the shadows-- he can't just go rushing forward like when they were in the house. The boy has the home field advantage, but he stays quiet, follows the trail of blood he's left.

He stays calm. He has to, because it's the only way.]
graysondive: (pic#7056928)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 07:11 am (UTC)(link)
[He waits-- looking at the boy with a critical eye behind the goggles. Almost like he's studying, waiting to call the bluff. It doesn't read as much but it's hesitation. Freezing up. Like a panicked child caught looking in a cookie jar.

That was not a trait he had ever been trained or allowed to posses.

So; it seemed like no matter what, he was dead either way. Even if he managed to get away, the Court didn't like that kind of attention. So he really should've known better.

He wasn't afraid of dying, if there was nothing he could do.

But some part of him was still scared. And it makes his stomach feel sick. But he doesn't know why.

Talon's still like he's already a dead man; he's quiet until suddenly he's not. He's moving and there's a knife in each hand now, and he's actually yelling, a grunt like he's angry, and rushing forward to meet Robin in his advance and swing his weapons without hesitation, and without discrimination, but still an alarming degree of precision.

The least he could do is not disappoint them completely.]
graysondive: (pic#8210455)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 03:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[The mask is already loose from the encounter with the spade to the side of his head; and it's a little more loose now when the Talon is forced to go on the defensive.

His armor is solid protection, and he can deflect the blade of the swords even with the smaller knives, swiping and stabbing at any opening he can find (to the boy's credit, there's not very many). But it's no longer completely clinical, and he's grown a fury to match Damian's own.

He doesn't realize it as first when his mask is hooked and ripped right off his face by the tip of a blade.

And underneath he somehow still looks so much like a kid. His face is still round. His black hair is tangled and messy like he just got roughed up at school. But his tan skin almost looks like it's been drained to look sickly and pale, there's a hint of something in his veins just under the surface, and his blue eyes have been steeled and dulled during his service.

At least up until he realizes he's exposed. And he stops again, withdrawing himself from the engagement, looking at Damian with owlishly big eyes. Surprise. Maybe even so far as shock. Maybe even panic. This has never happened before. Was never supposed to happen.

He tries to swipe the mask back in a gesture that seems way too normal, all the grunts and yelling dissipated.]
graysondive: (pic#7298997)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Give--

[He started to speak. The word sounded cracked and dry, and he hadn't even hit puberty yet. He wanted to yell, Give it back, and it was utterly childish in the way he wanted to vent his own frustration and bury his face in the mask's hidden safety.

He cuts himself off immediately. A flash of panic cuts behind his eyes again, but this time both more immediate as well as far away, one more like remembering than dawning recognition.

The Court didn't like it when he spoke, because he was never very obedient when he spoke. And they always demanded absolute obedience. A tool was supposed to be obedient and silent.

He feels like he's going to be sick. He was-- he was letting too much emotion out, he had to focus, bring it back in, get back to the job. The boy could easily hand the mask over when he's dead. (But that, he doesn't like the sound of that anymore but it's his job and he has to.)

He tries to steel himself again(he can't lock it all away again, not right now on such short notice), and moves to bodily tackle Damian to the ground in response to his stupid game of keep away. He needed to finish this and get away and leave now.]
graysondive: (pic#7056941)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's like the kid is egging him on to speak again-- well, practically demanding it, really. But he refuses. He's not gonna slip up again and fall for it. Maybe the boy's just trying to waste time until the Batman arrives.

(But really, he doesn't like the goggles very much either. They're a bit big for him and make it hard to see the peripherals.)

If Robin was going to keep running, then Talon was going back on he offensive, and sends one of the knives flying towards the target on top of the display case. And now he's aiming all for vital points, not just to disable.

Still, it's kind of hard to look like a serious assassin when you don't realize there's an angry pout on your face.]
graysondive: (wow no)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[This kid his making him angry and he needs to stop. He needed to shut up and Talon needed to stop getting angry.

He doesn't know the terrain, and Robin can still move and talk, but the open wound is starting to take its toll. If he waits it out long enough, he can win by attrition, make the boy bleed out from exertion. It's messy. He'll have to deal with the consequences on both sides of the fence. But he hopes it'll be enough to get the job done.

The taunt is aggravating, but it doesn't stop him from rushing forward with the full force of his own agility and keep taking a swipe at his jugular.]


Maybe you'll bleed enough to match the barn.

[He's spoken again, the words are angry and stilted and it feels awful in the pit of his stomach no matter how much he actually wants to talk, but-- it's a clearly phrased threat. Robin's likely close to losing consciousness and probably knows it, and once he's dead he'll have his mask back, and no one will have any clue he'd even said a word.]
graysondive: (pic#7298997)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[He's not entirely aware what's happening, but Robin is pulling him and for some reason his reflexes are failing him, and he's falling forward and he's off his feet and he's on the ground. Walls around him.

He doesn't wait, doesn't think; he springs back up to his feet, whipping around, driving for the only exit but he's too slow and the force field is already in place when he reaches it.

Caged in. He's not exactly un-used to it. But usually it's not in the hands of the enemy.

The Talon backs away from the threshold (he can recognize that getting past it from this side is pointless). He throws a glance around the cell, looking for any other kind of weakness or opening for him to exploit, but he knows that the Batman wouldn't make that kind of mistake. The man is good and that's exactly the problem.

He's trapped. And still exposed. He wants to go back to the Court but they'll never take him back now. He's not as afraid of dying as he is at the thought that he is now completely alone.

He doesn't really care what the kid is saying anymore, or that he's gloating and smirking and everything else that made him feel angry before. He's stopped, that weird way he has of hesitating that looks like he's waiting when he's not, and with his mask gone it's easy to see the roll of emotion in his eyes-- shock, anger, fear, most of it dwarfed by shame-- that he's trying to hide, and all in all he just looks a little lost, like he can't comprehend the new state of the surroundings.

In the end he just sits on the ground, crossing his legs in front of him, placing his hands between them, and staring at the floor. Waiting for a repercussion before he can plan another move.]
graysondive: (hmmmmmm)

[personal profile] graysondive 2014-09-05 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[He's hardly moved a muscle since Robin left, hasn't readjusting his position or even looked up. He's had plenty of time to go over his mistakes (and the number is high), to ruminate on the situation (and the creeping feeling of loneliness comes back and he feels like he could vomit but is grateful he doesn't), to imagine a few scenarios in his head and even how he might be able to get out of here-- he knows whatever the Bats decide to do with him, the Court will get him back, and rectify the damage he's done before he's dismissed for his failure. It's a small consolation.

But there's still a hole burning through his stomach. If he even realized he could, he might've cried.

By the time Robin returns to his confinement, he's taken the time to collect himself again, shoving everything down and locking it away again to make life easier to deal with (he's not even sure why this boy has gotten so under his skin in the first place). It's less effective now, but at least it keeps his composure steeled when he finally looks up, even if his eyes look exhausted.

He's silent; it seems like he might simply return to his mute act (this isn't the first time speaking has gotten him into trouble, though it may be his last). But all he really can do now is talk, and the boy is still expecting an answer.]


Talon. [Simple and professional. Stating the obvious, but not condescending. More like he doesn't really understand the point of the question, but he's obliging anyway.] You already know that.

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ye sounds good to me!!

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