2012-07-27 Super Robin

A back, secure room in the Thompkins clinic, finds Tim resting comfortable on a bed, hooked to an IV drip. The heart monitor has long since been disabled and tucked back into it's corner now that the boy has proven to be stable. Dr. Thompkins herself came in a few minutes ago, and changed Tim's bandages, revealing the extent of his injuries.

A torn ligament in his right knee, a broken left forearm, a large crack in the jawbone, two cracked ribs, and a heavily bruised and cut faces. Over 30 stitches in all, just on his head alone. Needless to say, he's looked prettier.

With the IV drip keeping a low dose of pain medication along with the antibiotics and saline, and Kara by his bedside, all in all Tim is at least in better spirits. He still can't speak very loudly, or move very well, but he's alert, which is a good sign.

Batman has been working on something very specific to combat something equally as specific. It only really matters to one individual in the room, even if he is unaware that it is necessary, but he's built a regulator into the front of his armor that spreads the sound of his heart beat and breathing across the surface of the chest piece. It's still in a prototype phase, obviously, but Kara will note...

For a few seconds, she almost cannot hear the arrival of the Batman.

It might seem like munch, but sneaking up on a super is a fairly big deal. He's clearly use to sneaking up on everyone else. A dark smear in one shadowy corner, a length of cape draped down around his ankles across his heavily armored chest... and suddenly the whites of his eyes set into the black material of his cowl.

"You must be Kara." It is not a question.

Even as he states it, he moves out of the darkness, past Leslie who looks pointedly to the dark clad vigilante and immediately walks out of the little room to give them privacy... and keep out some of the other staff.

"Report." To both Tim, but it is easy to assume he's also talking to Kara, incase she knows something useful about the status of the Teen wonder.

Kara didn't need Dr. Thompkins to change the bandages to know how seriously Tim was hurt. She's still concerned and upset over the extent of the injuries, but there's nothing she can do about it. So, she's busy staying at Tim's side, trying to keep him comfortable and in good spirits while he's awake, letting him rest when he needs it or when Dr. Thompkins orders it. Right now, she's reading a book with Tim, 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. And she's a bit confused by the style of humor in the book; British humor takes some getting used to.

Kara does hear the approach of the Batman, barely, but she knows how much pride and emphasis are placed on skill with Robin and his Mentor. So, while she doesn't jump at his voice, she does blink a few times. She nods a few times. "Yessir. I am." She's dressed in civilian clothing: a t-shirt for the band Maroon5, jeans, tennis shoes, glasses, and blonde hair pulled into a pony-tail. She looks very much like an average teenage girl, even if Batman knows she's anything *but* average.

Tim's already told her the story of what happened, and Batman looks like he wants to get down to business imediately. She sets the book aside and looks over at the Dark Knight. "Would you like me to leave? To let you two have your privacy?"

It must be the drugs slowing him down. Tim is usually fairly proud of his ability to spot things, and normally he's fairly good at playing hide n seek with Batman, but he's caught completely off guard. Normally, seeing his mentor is...well not a calming thing, but at least comforting. This time it's anything put. For all the world it's gonna do, Tim slides a hand under his pillow, grabbing a batarang he's stashed there.

Batman doesn't stop in his approach of the hospital bed, "Janet." Without skipping a beat. He is neither shocked by the reaction, which hints that he already knew this was a possibility, nor scared of the batarang that would have assaulted him if he'd faultered.

"You were attacked by someone dressed like the Batman." Not a question. Glancing to Kara with a fractional shake of his head, "No. Stay. I might have a use for you."

Looking back to Tim, "Report. Tell me everything."

The change in Tim casues Kara a great deal of concern. She hears his heartbeat speeding up, the tension of his body under the bed. The question Robin asks of his mentor confuses her at first, but then she remembers about the imposter, and it makes sense. She tenses up herself, ready to move into action at blinding speed if necessary. She's listening for signs of others, an ambush. But she's also waiting to see what Tim's reaction to the answer is.

Tim relaxes, releasing the batarang and stretching back out on the bed with a pained gasp. "Not dressed 'like' the Batman. His costume detail was perfect. I was three feet from him and made the mistake of thinking it was you. The belt, the grapple, everything."

Tim takes a deep breath and launches into the story. The attack on Alan Winthrope Sr at home, and Tim staking out Gotham Industrial, where the Winthrope's latest scion is C.E.O. Then Batman showing up, not answering his radio, and Robin entering the building to save Alan Jr's life. A brief fight with the psuedo-Bat, then the Joker showing up and Tim fighting them both. A lucky shot with a heavy paper weight, right into the temple and its over.

He doesn't go into much detail about the beating that followed, mostly because it isn't needed. Tim points at the bag in the corner. "Front pocket. I got a blood sample from the imposter. Its wrapped in the note Joker stapled to my chest."

"Doesn't matter, I know who it is." Batman says once Tim has related the entire story, "I suspected the Joker was involved, this confirms it." Pointedly.

The Bat stands like a dark clad shadow, the white lenses over his eyes masking the direction of his stare, but his posture suggests something thoughtful. Even though he seems certain, he still takes the blood sample and slips it into one of the many pockets of his utility belt.

"This is now priority one." The Joker is /always/ priority. Nothing is ever as important as the Harlequin... Nothing.

"Can you follow orders." His head turns and, though they cannot be seen, his stare is quite assuredly focused on Kara down beside the bed.

With Tim relaxing, Kara relaxes almost simultaneously. She lets out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding in. So focused was she that the question from the Batman does catch her by surprise and causes her to balk. "Ummm...yes. Yes, I can follow orders." She takes a deep breath, relaxing. "I think the fact that I've obeyed your rule of not using my abilities in Gotham unless invited to, even though I've heard about 15 serious crimes while I've been here at Robin's bedside shows that. Maybe not to your satisfaction, but hopefully, it's a start." She realises that she's babling a bit and blushes. "Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

"The Doctor says at least six weeks, so it will take at least three." Tim starts. "So I imagine I'll be playing backup eyes in the sky." Running his good hand down his side, he winces a little, shaking his head. Probably shouldn't have pulled the batarang stunt so soon, but if you can fool someone as sharp as Tim, it's better to be careful.

"Unless you have another idea. The Joker's psuedo-bat is injured, and his target, Alan Winthrope Jr. is in protective custody. Which makes him very easy to find. Whats the plan?"

Batman reads the note and folds it back along the exact same creases, "I'm going to give him a blonde side-kick." Said with a low rumble in his chest, glancing to the side at Kara. "Meet me tomorrow night at junction twenty between the docks and three hundred block west. I'll need to fit you for your new Robin armor."

No, she doesn't need it. He realizes that.

Glancing back to Tim, "I'm going to have you moved back to the Cave, Tim. While you're healing, you run referances on George Czermak. I've already got files, I'll send you the passwords through your wrist computer." Said as he turns, stalking almost impossibly silent for the amount of armor and weaponry he's surely carrying. "Contact Nightwing, tell him that Joker is loose. I will talk to Oracle."

As he passes Kara, his hand opens and there's a small chip in the grooves of his gauntlet, "Put this chip into the communicator Robin gave you. It is a failsafe burn out, you'll have access to my communications for fourty eight hours. You're covering Robin's patrols tonight." To Tim, "Tell her your route."

Of everything that Kara was expecting Batman to ask of her....this was *nowhere* on the list. She blinks as the chip is pressed into her hand, the words still registering in her mind. Then, she nods. "Alright. I'll need to fly back to Metropolis and get it, but I'll be back for when the patrol starts. Do you want me in my usual costume or something else? Also, what are the rules you want me to follow? Open use of my powers or use them only when neccessary?" Yeah, she's determiened to get this right. "And what time do you want me to arrive for my costume fitting tomorrow?"

Tim grins at Kara as the plan clicks into place in his mind. "Batman is giving the Joker exactly what he asked for. Joker wont be able to resist trying to go after a blonde Robin. We'll rig something for you to wear out of my costume for tonight, and get you into your own tomorrow."

He slides his hand over to Kara, holding it out for her. "I'll be in your ear the whole time, and I'll walk you through every step."

"No powers. You need to learn not to rely on them so heavily." Batman says with a voice that can easily be felt as cold, detached, but he's speaking. That's more than most people can say he's done with them.

"You travel like we do, you fight like we do. Only use the abilities you cannot help, your resistances to damage."

Glancing from Tim, to Kara, and finally to the dark corner from which he stepped. "Being super has it's limits. Find them." Standing facing away from the pair, "And beat them out of yourself. Tomorrow night at sunset, meet me at Junction twenty." He steps into the darkness and, though his heart can be heard, it's faint.

The Batman is adapting to the Super-men.

Kara nods. "Good thing I've been sparring a bit with Wonder Woman...." she says quietly. Probably still loud enough for Batman to hear. "Alright. I'll fly to Metropolis and get the communicator. Then I'll come back and learn Robin's route, and his devices." There's a faint smile on her lips. "I won't let you down. Either of you."