(no subject)

[thegoshdarn]

It's not an interesting event. Boring as hell, actually, and Tim might have spent the last hour or so trying not to let her attention glaze over entirely, but being here is one of the occupational hazards of being Bruce's adopted child. At least she has years' worth of practice from being the Drake daughter to call upon in her hour of need. (Several hours, technically, and she might be counting down the minutes until she can reasonably leave.)

And then it's... It feels almost like someone smashed her arm with a sledgehammer. There's noise and sensation and pressure but nothing quite connects, even when she looks down at her arm and sees she's bleeding through her stupidly expensive dress. For a second, she thinks - should've worn the Robin suit, and she turns to Bruce, ready to say something stupid about the cost-benefit analysis of high fashion versus body armor if she could only get her voice to work.

Comments

[thegoshdarn]

That's actually kind of reassuring. Because at least no one was targeting Timothea Drake-Wayne for her own sake. "At least they're not just psychotically enraged by teenage girls." That's comforting, right?

[knightbynight]

Given some of the people they ...came across, that was comforting. "No, just spoiled rich men, which is much more reasonable. " He wasn't even joking. "I don't have a name yet. When I do, you will. And when I have him, you'll know that, too." The shooter and the person behind it. "I don't want them to have an opportunity to try again."

[thegoshdarn]

"They won't."

She has full and certain faith that there's no chance in hell the shooter is getting near her again. Not while Bruce is around.

I would love to stop losing notifs

[knightbynight]

"No," he agreed, "they won't. Especially since you appear to be keeping a level head about it." And letting him wrap her in a bubble for the time being.

always a fun activity for the whole family.

[thegoshdarn]

"I'm also still pretty high," she points out helpfully.

Just. In case he forgot. She's going to start objecting to that bubble eventually.

[knightbynight]

"I intend to keep you that way as long as I can, and work as fast as I can." While mostly staring at her. Though since she is high: "How do you feel about Switzerland?"

[thegoshdarn]

"...traditionally good chocolate?" she ventures after a moment.

[knightbynight]

"Really good physical therapists and medical care."

[thegoshdarn]

"Okay...?" She's not really following, Bruce, sorry.

[knightbynight]

"I think you should go there, if I haven't put an end to this by the time you're ready for physical therapy."

[thegoshdarn]

"...Oh."

You should. Not we should. He wants to send her away, and that. That probably makes sense. It's not like she can contribute much like this.

That's..." She can't quite bring herself to say she agrees with it.

[knightbynight]

"That's, unfortunately, the best option I can come up with to keep you safe," he said, grimly. Then he had a rare moment of near emotional competence and honesty: "I can not lose another child, Thea, and I'm not going to." No matter what. Losing Jason had very nearly been the end of him. He really didn't think he could survive that again.

[thegoshdarn]

If nothing else, it interrupts the justification train going on in her head that is coming to mostly terrible conclusions.

"You're not going to lose me." Beat. "But I don't really want to go to Switzerland." Away from him and Alfred and her life.

[knightbynight]

"I don't particularly want you to, either, but if that's what it takes to keep both you and Alfred out of harm's way while I resolve this, we're both going to have to live with it."

[thegoshdarn]

"Or I could help."

Two heads are better than one, etc.

[knightbynight]

"You can help from a location where you can't be shot."

[thegoshdarn]

"I could help from here."

Where she won't be shot. Probably.

[knightbynight]

"Where you got shot."

No.

[thegoshdarn]

"I didn't get shot in the Manor."

Just saying.

[knightbynight]

"And as long as you stay in the Manor, that is fine. You can not stay here indefinitely, even if I vet your physical therapists and bring them to you."

[thegoshdarn]

"So you'd rather send me to another continent."

[knightbynight]

"Than risk you being shot by some lunatic who hates me? Yes."

[thegoshdarn]

"Fine."

It's not like she has much choice, does she?

[knightbynight]

No, she doesn't. "You'd rather be shot again?"

[thegoshdarn]

"Those aren't the only two choices."