Role Play Board: What Goes Around (Part 5)

What Goes Around (Part 5)

Posted by Nightwing on 10/15/2008, 5:55 pm
98.242.72.252

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“Are you ready son?”

I gaze at the dangling bar in front of me and try my hardest not to bite my finger nails off into the quick. Turning sheepishly to my father, I try my best to smile and nod to him, “Yes sir.”

“Alright, do it just like we practiced. Remember to forget about the safety net and act like this is the real thing. Make it count and keep your mind focused. Let the weight of your body go and focus on your senses. Your body will do as it needs to, but you must first have a sound mind and a clear sense of what you’re doing. Do you understand?”

Again I nod, “I think so…”

My father smiles at me and it immediately gives me a boost of confidence. I know that I have to do this right, I have to impress him and make him happy. Without any further hesitation, I step to the edge of the mount and rub my hands along the cloth that covers my legs. I take the bag of powder next to me and I clap my hands together, just as I had done so many times before. With a final, heavy breath, I push off with my right leg and leap forward.

Time seems to freeze around me as I glare at the bright red bar just out of my reach. As I flow through the air I close my eyes and let my senses control my next action. My arms stretch out as far as they can and I try to feel through the great nothingness for that single metal bar. It is the only thing that can save me now. The tips of my fingers are the first to make contact, and I immediately increase my grip. I feel the cold metal texture of the bar, and I know that I’ve made it.

My eyes flare open and I look over to where my father had stood. I am eager to see him smile, to see the gratification on his face. To my surprise he is missing. Dangling from the bar, I quickly look around the large tent for my father or any other familiar faces, but see nothing but emptiness all around. My instincts are to begin swinging on the bar and jump backwards to the stand once more so that I can search for him. However, I find my body unresponsive, and I am unable to move.

I feel my arms begin to go numb and sweat pours over me. Fear grips me tightly as I hear the ropes holding the bar in place tear and shred. Tears stream down my face and I begin to weap for help. My young mind can’t comprehend what is happening and in an instant I begin to free fall. Below me the net and ground have vanished, and all that remains is nothingness. I close my eyes and yell at the top of my lungs.

“FATHER!”

Everything around me fades to black. I begin to wonder if I’m alive or dead. Then like lightning crashing to the ground, my answer comes to me with a thunderous roar.

“Son, are you ok?”

I tilt my head up and reach out with my hands. They find their way to a set of arms and strong shoulders, and I let out a small gasp of air. Hope returns to me and I smile, “Father?”

My eyes relax, and I slowly open them. To my amazement, the man before me, the one I hold onto so tightly, is not my father, but rather a monster. The glaze that cover my eyes fade and I come face to face with the Dark Avenger of Gotham himself, “Batman?”

Bruce helps me to my feet as the look of confusion eludes him. As I survey the surrounding area I see that the others have already begun to leave in separate directions. We are the last two to leave the town hall. I rub my shoulder and pop my neck as the blood begins to flow back to my feet. Once more Batman looks at me and questions my health, “Are you ok?”

I hesitantly nod my head. Batman turns and begins to walk back toward the car and I immediately start to follow him out. Once we are in the car I turn back to him and hold my thoughts for a few miles before finally asking him the question that wracks my mind, “Did we win?”

He doesn’t look from the road, “Yes, but the mission is failed.”

Running my hand through my hair and down to my sore arm I give him a more questioned look, “What does that mean? How can we win and lose at the same time?”

“Before any questions could be answered, the ones responsible for all of this fled the scene. Although we managed to beat the hired muscle, we are no closer to finding what Oracle needed. Thus, mission failed,” I can see that he’s frustrated and so I don’t want to push any further. The remaining ride home is quiet with nothing else being said between us.

-----={The Cave}=-----

Batman leaps from the car and makes his way straight to the main computer. His mind is still very focused on the mission and so I leave him to his work. Alfred greets me at the bottom of the stairs with a hot towel and a bottle of water, “You look as though you could use some refreshment master Dick.”

I gladly take both and make my way to the resting area near the med lab. Removing my mask, I apply the hot towel over my face and lean back for a moment. After a few minutes I hear Alfred follow me in, “It would seem that it was not the best night for you two.”

A smile creeps onto my face as I remove the towel and look up at Alfred, “You could say that.”

“It would seem that the return of the dynamic duo was not as promising a reunion as one would hope then,” he says with a frown.

I take a quick swig of the water and apply the hot towel to my shoulder, “I wouldn’t say that Al. We won the fight, but the war continues on.”

We both look at Bruce in the distance who types obsessively, searching for his next lead, “You know how he gets. He’s on to the next big mission, never taking a break to enjoy what little of life he has.”

Alfred’s frown doesn’t dissolve, but he nods in agreement. I remove the towel and try to rotate my arm, letting out a small grunt. It doesn’t get past Alfred’s attention, and he is standing over me in seconds, “Allow me young sir.”

His hands grip my sore shoulder tightly and quickly begin to move the muscles around. At first its nothing but sharp pain that courses through my entire body. Then, without any sign, the pain is gone and a rare feeling of easiness fills me. I lay back and let out a heavy sigh that finally brings a smile to Alfred’s face, “There we go, much better.”

“You’re the best Al. I don’t know what we’d do without you,” I reassure him of his goal in life.

Alfred bows and turns to leave. Just before he gets to the door, he turns back to me with his finger raised high in front of him, “Oh yes! While you were all out, Ms. Gordon called and asked that I remind you to call her once things calmed down. I believe she has another mission for you.”

I playfully frown at him and climb back to my feet, “Already? Man, she’s worse than Bruce these days!”

He smiles and continues making his way back into the mansion. I pick up my mask and place it back on my face. My bike rests in the far corner of the cave and so I begin to walk over to it. Stopping at the computer on my way, I put my hand on Bruce’s shoulder and lean in, “We’ll get em boss. Why don’t you take some time to rest for a bit?”

I’m given no reply or reaction. Bruce continues to type away on the computer and insists on ignoring my recommendation. It never makes a difference, but I always try in hopes that one day he will finally agree with me. Of course, that day is only likely to come on his last.

Reaching the bike finally, I throw my leg over and rest on its seat. I give Bruce one more look over, and shake my head in disbelief as I twist the key in the engine. The bike roars to life, echoing throughout the cave. I take the helmet from the handle bar and place it over my head. Aiming the front of the bike towards the exit, I flip the visor on the helmet down and rush forward into the open night.

***TBC***