"Acknowledged," said Batman, briskly, already lowering the Bio-Ship for the two girls.
It was quick work to get Robin, Kid Flash, and the assassin on board. He was startlingly young, and not at all happy. Batman's curiosity was piqued, but he probably needed to debrief the boys before getting his questions answered.
Miss Martian shifted a spare seat and restraints from the Bio-Ship. Robin was a sight more thorough in checking the restraints than he singularly needed to be, and that was cause for concern.
His request to speak privately, after eyeing Wally briefly, was, too.
Getting real privacy wasn't viable. They'd have to do with speaking low and trusting the team not to eavesdrop. The prisoner, he wasn't sure about-- he was young, and Bruce was about to suggest they speak French as a precaution -- Dick's Quebecois could use some more work -- but Dick cut him off, clearly wanting to get the thing over with.
"Unforeseen complication," he began, and Batman could detect a slight trace of negativity. Pinning down the kind of negativity was a bit more difficult.
"Two psychics, I'm guessing rivals of the assassins', because our new friend tried to get me to run from them."
Batman nodded.
"Also because they, um, attacked him. And me. I saw--" he broke off, would not make eye contact, and Batman wondered if that negativity he'd sensed was disappointment in himself? Dick wasn't prone to shame. Dick was, in fact, rather shameless. "Um, pretty much his whole life story. He saw mine. So."
"He knows."
"I'm sorry--"
"Don't," Batman said, a bit brusquely, but not really attaching any weight to it. "You would have fought it off if you could have."
"Something like that," the boy wonder mumbled. Still wasn't making eye contact, but Batman would have to sort him out later.
He cleared his throat. "So it's a stalemate as far as leverage goes--"
"--Right, because any evidence we might have had kinda blew up, and the accomplices got away. The other psychics neutralized Miss Martian and Zatanna, and KF and I might be good--"
"But this is a little out of your league, without some backup," Batman finished. "I'll see what I can do."
"He says he wants to cooperate," Dick added, wanting to fix things. "I didn't-- didn't want to make any deals I can't back up, and I don't think he'd agree to patiently wait out a jail term..."
"I'll see what I can do," Batman repeated. He ruffled Dick's hair mainly as an afterthought, trying to combat some of that negativity. "Go check on M'gann and Zatanna, make sure there's no permanent damage. Try to keep them from paying attention to the assassin and I."
no subject
It was quick work to get Robin, Kid Flash, and the assassin on board. He was startlingly young, and not at all happy. Batman's curiosity was piqued, but he probably needed to debrief the boys before getting his questions answered.
Miss Martian shifted a spare seat and restraints from the Bio-Ship. Robin was a sight more thorough in checking the restraints than he singularly needed to be, and that was cause for concern.
His request to speak privately, after eyeing Wally briefly, was, too.
Getting real privacy wasn't viable. They'd have to do with speaking low and trusting the team not to eavesdrop. The prisoner, he wasn't sure about-- he was young, and Bruce was about to suggest they speak French as a precaution -- Dick's Quebecois could use some more work -- but Dick cut him off, clearly wanting to get the thing over with.
"Unforeseen complication," he began, and Batman could detect a slight trace of negativity. Pinning down the kind of negativity was a bit more difficult.
"Two psychics, I'm guessing rivals of the assassins', because our new friend tried to get me to run from them."
Batman nodded.
"Also because they, um, attacked him. And me. I saw--" he broke off, would not make eye contact, and Batman wondered if that negativity he'd sensed was disappointment in himself? Dick wasn't prone to shame. Dick was, in fact, rather shameless. "Um, pretty much his whole life story. He saw mine. So."
"He knows."
"I'm sorry--"
"Don't," Batman said, a bit brusquely, but not really attaching any weight to it. "You would have fought it off if you could have."
"Something like that," the boy wonder mumbled. Still wasn't making eye contact, but Batman would have to sort him out later.
He cleared his throat. "So it's a stalemate as far as leverage goes--"
"--Right, because any evidence we might have had kinda blew up, and the accomplices got away. The other psychics neutralized Miss Martian and Zatanna, and KF and I might be good--"
"But this is a little out of your league, without some backup," Batman finished. "I'll see what I can do."
"He says he wants to cooperate," Dick added, wanting to fix things. "I didn't-- didn't want to make any deals I can't back up, and I don't think he'd agree to patiently wait out a jail term..."
"I'll see what I can do," Batman repeated. He ruffled Dick's hair mainly as an afterthought, trying to combat some of that negativity. "Go check on M'gann and Zatanna, make sure there's no permanent damage. Try to keep them from paying attention to the assassin and I."