Off the Deep End

Fallout

The buy with the Falcone's had been a cover up, purely to draw Batman and Robin away from the CBD, so the Maroni's could launch an attack without drawing attention.

The attack had been done during the same time frame, on an armoured vehicle transporting funds from a secure location to the Gotham Bank, just down the road from the court house. It had been done so quickly that back up wasn't called in, the transport didn't show up at the bank so they started a search. The vehicle wasn't found till early morning, empty except for the dead officers, left at the landfill to be processed in the morning.

Robin stared at the screen.

His mind couldn't help but blame it on Zucco. Maybe there was no real connection, maybe there was. Either way his head took it and ran with it.

He had to run out, head to school. The whole way he planned, thinking of all the connections and possibilities.

He told Alfred he'd be at Barbara's that afternoon to study and that Jim had said he could stay the night. He had a second bag with him, but it didn't hold pyjamas, instead his equipment.

He waved Alfred goodbye at the gate to Gotham Academy and walked in like there was nothing different. He got a few looks from people who heard about the case, but otherwise he was as low profile as usual. People had stopped caring about him being Bruce Wayne's ward a while ago, now he was just the kid who was really good at maths and probably jumped off roofs for fun.

Carrying an extra bag wasn't uncommon either. He stayed at Barbara's often. This time, before she could see him, he hid the bag in his secret spot in the roof of the building with all the lockers. He told Barbara that, if anyone asked, he was at her place. That wasn't uncommon either, he often needed cover-ups for big hero nights. And Barbara knew, so she had no problem backing up the lie.

And then he waited, the whole day spent thinking. 

Wally had gone home after the mission as well, or rather to his Uncle Barry's house.

His room was still mainly empty thanks to it having previously been a guest bedroom, but his alarm clock was sitting on a full cardboard box of clothes, and not long after it went off his phone joined in with a text from Artemis asking if he'd heard from Robin.

He had not. He scrolled through his phone to make sure his friend hadn't texted him. He had not. Wally was starting to get worried, and he wasn't sure why.

He rushed through his morning routine, eyeing his phone every few seconds waiting for Dick to text him.

He was just about to head out the door when he heard the news on the tv.

"... The vehicle was found this morning, evidence at the scene suggests involvement of the Maroni crime family, but the Gotham City Police Department have not come forward with support of this theory."

Wally eyed the Central City journalist who gave the report, waiting for them to yell 'sike!' because surely this was too ridiculous of a coincidence to be real.

And Wally knew exactly what Dick would say, a coincidence is a correlation in sheep's clothing.

"Wally, you're gonna be late!" Iris called out from upstairs.

"I'm going!" he said farewell to his aunt and uncle then ran out the door. He had to get a hold of Dick and check up on him. At least he wouldn't do anything rash, not during the day. But after school Wally would be heading to Gotham immediately.