Dated March 19, 2012

[beyondthesuit]

A few hours in and he has to adapt. Healing and dressed like a normal citizen of the island, Terry's world starts spinning itself into some kind of order. He folds up his Batsuit in a knapsack from the clothes box and keeps it on his person, but doesn't wear it. He starts crafting stories in his head, like he used to tell his mom when he came home with bangs and bruises that couldn't be hidden under clothing.

A few hours in and Terry McGinnis is on the island. Batman's brief appearance remains only with the first few who saw him.

Only one obstacle remains and it lives next door to Cass and Steph and, for now, him too. As he sits on the warm ground, trying to figure out what to do and what it all means, his eyes keep drifting toward the other hut. Bruce isn't home now, but if he's anything like the Bruce that Terry knows, eventually he'll come back to his cave. And when that time comes...

Well. Terry's not actually sure what comes after that. Hi. So you don't know me yet. But when you're old and there are no Robins or Batgirls. You get me. How's it going? I'm Terry.

Yeah, that'll go well.

Comments

[beyondthesuit]

"He looked fine, before I left. Battered and bruised, but Joker-free."

It feels like a betrayal to say his name and Terry stands there a long time, imagining Tim Drake's face as he slowly slipped back into himself.

"Tim."

[crusaded]

Tim. I feel my eyes harden at that. Not Jason. Joker moved on from there. But Tim.

It sounds so much like something he'd do. And the fact that this young man knows, so shortly into his time on the island, that Tim Drake is one of my Robins— neither does he bat an eye at the thought of there being more than one— has me trusting more the idea that he is closely related to me in some way.

Whether or not it's positive, I can't say for certain.

"So what is it that you're trying to get here?"

[beyondthesuit]

"What? From you? From this place?" Terry isn't sure he actually has an answer for either of those questions. It's hard enough just moving and letting go of the story, watching Bruce get the same hardness in his eyes that he always had. It translates through years.

"'Cause I guess I want you to believe me. As for the second question, I don't know. I just got here."

[crusaded]

"From this conversation," I clarify. "More the former than the latter."

I'm still not convinced that any of us is on the island for a reason. No reason beyond the arbitrary whims of some empowered force or madman, at least. But I'm not much of a believer in fate.

To have that kind of faith wouldn't do anyone favors, from what I've seen.

"One conversation isn't going to convince me of much," I tell him. "I suggest you settle in as well as you can for the time being. My goal is to leave the island. I doubt there's much for us to gain from being here."

[beyondthesuit]

It's Bruce. He should know that a few words won't convince him of anything. Terry's smarter than that, knows the old man better.

But the part of him that doesn't think, the one that's all tangled up with instincts and hopes, is crumpling into itself.

"You don't...you don't trust me now. But I swear, in my world, you will."

But now he has no way to prove himself.

[crusaded]

I can see something change slightly in his expression. Is it disappointment? Something about him screams of being a child.

And I don't know what to make of that.

"I think we're done for today," I tell him. "But I'm sure we'll run into each other soon."

Let's seem him work up a decent track record first. A day means nothing.