"A Little Birdie Told Me" Zero Hour MUX (zerohourmux.com 7777) 30 September 1999 Metro: The Habitat - Bart's Room Bart's room is reasonably well-lit, and not nearly as much of a hellhole as his room in the New York headquarters was. There're posters all over the room - bands, movies, and a couple of posters of Golden Age heroes. Bed's a simple Harvard frame, desk is hella messy, floor is mostly clear. There're boxes stacked in one corner, and an electric guitar leaning against an amp nearby. Bart's sprawled across the bed, most emphatically NOT playing Pokemon on his gameboy. Robin walks through the hall that leads to the private rooms in the Habitat. "I think it's this one, " he says to Spoiler, and then looks over his shoulder behind the two of them. "You see anyone else? Wonder Girl, Arrowette?" Stopping at Impulse's door, he knocks. "Hey, Bart, we're here." "Don't see anyone," Spoiler reponds as she glances back down the hallway although she's not sure why. She has no idea why they are here but Robin was rather insistent about coming to Bart's room. She's tried to contain her curiosity, biting her tongue a few times to keep from demanding to know what is up. There's a muffled 'Come in!' and a clatter like someone just tossed something small, plastic, and heavy under a bed. Once they enter, they see Bart (still in that goddamn suit) sitting on the edge of his bed, studiously reading a book. Which is upside-down. "Hey, guys." Robin lets Spoiler go in first and then closes the door behind them after looking up and down the hall. He turns and spots the upside down book. "Looks like Interlac that way, I guess?" he says and looks around the room pulling at his gloves. He's looking at the walls and ceiling actually - not Bart's stuff. Spoiler glances around the room a bit then snickers as she sees the book. She doesn't ask. There are just times it's best not to. Crossing her arms behind her back, she looks around idly before focusing on first Bart then Robin. "So...what's up?" She couldn't bite her tongue any more. This is one room she never really expected to be visiting after all. Bart Allen gahs, glancing at the book, eyes widening. Then he laughs, and tosses it under his bed, too. "Nah, not blocky enough to be Interlac." He doesn't explain. He's sure he doesn't need to. The kid stands and gestures toward the one chair in the room, "Spoiler...?" He lets the sentence dangle, then glances at Robin. "It's not soundproof, but if you want I can draw the shades." Robin nods still looking around the room. "Yeah, the shades. Do it." He goes over to the heating/cooling vent and shoves a couple boxes in front of it. "Soundproof we can't do anything for, we'll just hope Superboy's out." He looks at Bart. "I didn't see Arrowette, Dolphin or Secret. Cassie going to make it?" Why does she feel like someone is going to pull out spy cameras and stuff any minute now? Arching a brow under her mask, Spoiler plops down in the offered chair as she watches both of you. She bites her tongue again. In their own good time, apparently. Bart Allen shakes his head, pulling the shades down and closing the curtains. He turns on another light, compensating. "Nah. She's making up a test she missed right now, and then her mom has her doing stuff all afternoon and evening. But I'm sure she wouldn't mind you telling her later." He sits back on the edge of the bed, and grins at Spoiler, offering a little shrug. It's Robin's show. Robin stands in front of Spoiler and Bart. He puts right elbow in his left hand, but instead of hooking his right index finger under his lip, he tugs at his collar, runs his hand through his hair and rubs the back of his neck. "It's like this, " he says and then brings his right hand forward before bringing it to his belt. "Like I was telling Bart, before, things have changed for me since I first put on this costume. Robin is me now. Not Batman's sidekick, not a hero in training. Not - well not somebody else's idea of Robin. Just like you guys, I've gotten better at doing the hero thing, and making my own decisions doing it. And there's one that I'm ready to make now." She doesn't remember ever seeing him this anxious. The mask clearly shows as Spoiler's brow furrows in confusion as she listens. She has to agree though with everything he is saying. Robin is definitely more than just a sidekick now. Leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, Bart nods. Then he grimaces as his hair falls into his face, and he flips it back again, but keeps silent. Again, this is Robin's show; it takes a lot of nerve to do this, and putting him off track in any way would just be wrong. Robin sees there's no comment yet, and goes on. "The last few years we have done ok as a group. We haven't gotten the press that the Justice League or the Titans have gotten but I think that will change." He raises both palms in a stopping gesture and shakes his head. "But that's not the point. You two, and Wonder Girl - Cassie - have been more than teammates, you've been friends. The four of us have, in my mind, become the core group. Superboy kinda but, I don't connect with him as much yet." Robin shrugs. "I feel like I'm abusing your friendship now by keeping my name from you guys. I'd really like to give it to you two and Cassie, so we can be 'normal kids' out of costume more often." Spoiler blinks owlishly and shakes her head a bit, fighting the urge to dash out of the room. "Robin, I told you. I...don't feel you should trust me with that type of thing. I'm not like the rest of the group." She honestly doesn't feel she has the force of will of some of the others. "I mean if something happened, what if I revealed who you are? I don't want to endanger you or anyone close to you." Bart Allen rubs his forehead, then glances at Spoiler. "Not to put words in Robin's mouth - he'll maul me later if I'm wrong anyway - but listen, I'm sure if he trusts you with this, he has ample reason to." The kid pauses, then looks at Robin again. "And I trust me to trust you to trust me. The only other consideration *is* Batman, but...telling him and dealing with him, I'm sure you've already thought through." Robin grins crookedly. "Taking those in reverse order; yeah, I'll deal with Batman." he says holding up fingers as he goes through each point. "I don't have an obvious relationship to him. He's not my father. He's not a relative at all. It's not like Bart and Wally. It's more like Wonder Woman and Cassie. If someone found out who I was, they wouldn't know who he is. Second, I do trust you guys or else I wouldn't have considered this. I'm not interested in telling the other four, as you can see." Robin sits on the bed next to Bart on the side nearest Spoiler. "And Steph, why is my identity any more sacred than yours? Someone could get it out of me, or Bart, or Cassie and then threaten someone close to you. It's a risk we've already learned to take." Robin smiles. "Besides I want to be able to walk down the street or through the hall at school next to you, not have to hide my face in a book or a water fountain. Don't you?" There are times when a full face mask is a good thing. Especially when Spoiler knows she is blushing furiously, cheeks burning. The idea of being able to see more of him, no pun intended, away from the identity as Robin does hold a lot of appeal for her. She drops her head a little, glancing to the side which shows her embarassment even if she isn't glowing. "Yes, I would like that. Very much," she admits in a voice just above a whisper, focusing back on Robin. Bart Allen's hand runs through his hair, stopping at the back of his neck. "You guys go to /school/ together." It's a statement, yeah, but it's surprised. A little disbelieving. Then, "You guys go to /school/ together?" Robin laughs nervously, and he looks a little redfaced. "Yeah, they rezoned the school districts in Gotham and Steph's school merged with mine. I've been running the long way to class since last March." Bart Allen starts laughing, then drops his head into his hands and laughs silently. He takes a breath, and sighs, then looks up and grins. "In other words, it's really sucked to be you." That part didn't even sink in. He actually /does/ go to her school? Spoiler's brow furrows again as she looks at Robin, studying him. Trying to figure out who he might be. She needs a yearbook. Robin makes a gesture like an umpire calling safe. "Ok, so here goes...But we're cool that for now, just us three and Cassie, right? We have to be like the adults and use codenames in front of the other four." Spoiler has that urge to put her hand over her eyes again but she forces herself to grip the arms of her chair to keep from doing it. She feels her heart pounding as she waits. Bart Allen nods, "No probs, Rob. I'll prolley have a hard time *not* calling you 'Rob' anyway." He drops his arms to his lap and leans on his knees again, waiting silently. Robin nods, chuckling. "Yeah, I can see that." He brings both hands to his mask and pulls it off slowly, revealing a pair decidedly not ghostlike blue eyes. He rearranges his hair a bit, and pretty much looks - different. It's startling to realize that the white eyeslits keep people from looking at his _whole_ face. They must stare into the whites. The maskless Teen Wonder blinks, smiling sheepishly. "Hi, my name is Timothy Drake. You can call me Tim." Staring for long, silent moments, Spoiler sits very still. She looks over the face that is revealed at least a half dozen times before drawing in a shuddering breath. She utters one word in a faint whisper, almost lost behind her mask. "Wow." "'...and I'm a crimefighter.' Hi, Tim! Welcome!" He elbows Steph and says in a stage whisper, "Come on, you're supposed to welcome him, too." He grins lopsidedly, clasping his hands together, trying to keep them from showing exactly *how* much nervous energy this has built up in him. Then he reaches up and rubs his face. "Valor. Tim, huh? Tim." Robin shrugs. "Blame my mo--parents." he says, pausing half way through like he remembered something he forgot. Shrugging, he puts a hand over Spoiler's and winks. "Glad to be here." Spoiler is blushing again behind her mask as she realizes what she said. She turns her hand over to grip his lightly, looking up at Ro...Tim. "Nice to meet you, Tim." Is it possible he is even cuter without the mask? She hadn't thought it to be. Bart Allen gives Tim a long look, finally, sort of critically. "You look real normal, dude." A beat. "I mean, other than the fact that you're wearing spandex. Or kevlar. Whatever it is you use." Tim looks down at his tunic. "Yeah, it's Kevlar. Kevlar-Nomex." He shrugs again. "Now what?" he asks. Spoiler shrugs faintly, having no idea at all about what to do now. She's a bit confused and she squeezes Tim's hand again. "I dunno." Bart Allen stands up and straightens his suit jacket, buttoning it. "Let's..." he pauses, "Go bowling. Either of you need a change of clothes?" Tim shakes his head and dangles the Redbird's alarm fob. "We brought duffel bags in the trunk." "And Robin won't have to wear his mask while bowling," Spoiler murmurs with a faint giggle as she winks boldly over at Tim. Going to take some getting used to. Robin. Tim. Bart Allen looks shocked, hand on the doorknob. "Ah so," he says, raising his eyebrows. "Grife. Maybe he'll be a better bowler without it. Dangerous to be me now." Then he pauses again, "You might wanna put that thing back on before I open the door. C'mon. Let's go." Tim gets up and tosses the fob lightly, catching it. "Oh, right." he says and puts the mask on, mussing his hair. That's just creepy - you know it's Tim, but it looks like Robin again! "First round of hot dogs and sodas on me."