Chapter Text
"Stop laughing at me." Tim said to Barb. "If you aren't going to help just leave me be."
"I want to help you Timmy, but I don't believe in ghosts." Barb says with a smile.
"It's not a ghost. I am being followed."
"Are you on that again," Dick asked.
"Not again. Still." Tim said. "I'm not making this up. I see movement behind me on every patrol."
"You need to lay off the coffee and get some sleep." Dick responded.
"What about the feedback on the comms?" Tim asked.
"We have ordered new ones. They aren't supposed to have any interference or feedback." Dick said.
"New equipment will not fix this. Someone is out there, planning something." Tim said.
---
She pulled back into the shadows before Red Robin could see her. She had never meant to taunt him with her presence but she was having fun with it now. Her steps were silent in her transformation and her hooded cloak fell almost to the ground covering her suit with black that faded to a dark red ombre.
Tonight her plan was taking form. Every time he turned his head to find her she disappeared into the shadows. Every time he kept after her she left a batarang she had collected with arrows taped on for him to follow.
She stalled on a roof to give herself a little more time. She let him spot her cape whip around to give him movement to track. She watched him pick up and read it. He looked around for her and then reached up to turn off his comms.
---
He followed her and collected the batarangs. She may think he was playing her game but he was collecting evidence. He looked around for the next one and didn't see anything until there was a flash of movement. He followed and the next had a note 'they are laughing at you'
He looked around again before turning off his comms. At least now he had proof that it wasn't a ghost or all in his head. He followed to the next rooftop. He was being cautious but he wasn't worried. She was very petite and by the path she chose she was not very athletic, probably just a bat groupie who picked him as her focus.
He crossed 3 more rooftops without seeing another. He hadn't seen anymore flashes of movement. He looked around at all the nearby rooftops and decided he had lost her. One more look around and he headed back towards his route. The two buildings he jumped to next were a bit further to get to. Since he had never seen her choose a jump that far he expected she has vanished as she had the other nights.
On the third roof he saw that he had been wrong. There was another batarang. It has no arrow so he flipped it over to see the message 'look out!' but it was too late. A cord suddenly zipped around him, pinning his arms to his sides. A second cord followed immediately after tying his legs.
---
She watched him as he bent down for the last batarang and then she sprang the trap. After the cords secured his arms and legs she jumped over to where he was. She walked behind where he was struggling to loosen the cords and placed her hands on each arm as she lifted her foot to push the back of his knees until he was sliding down to the rooftop.
She made sure he sat down gently before she turned and reached in her bag. His hands were struggling to get loose but she ignored it and put a mug in his hand. He barely saw the little bird on the bottom before she poured hot coffee in from a thermos. She poured herself one from the same thermos and sat facing him.
"Who are you and what do you want?" He asked.
"You can call me Rouge Gorge. I don't want anything. You have been chasing me so I allowed you to catch me." She replied.
"I don't exactly feel like I've caught you."
"You caught my eye. Is that what you wanted?"
"I just wanted to know what you were doing in Gotham."
"I live here."
"Then what are you doing running around on rooftops?"
"Same as you, I suppose." She thought for a moment. "Although it is exhilarating even without your game of chase."
"I'm here to get you to stop. Batman controls who can run around the roofs." She didn't respond. She reached up to his face and ran her finger along the top of his mask before tracing down to his jaw. He held his breath and pulled at the bonds to prevent her from removing his mask.
"I wish I could see your eyes." She said wistfully. "I bet they bring all of this together perfectly." She moved her hand in front of him and indicated all of him. His mask didn't hide his blush fully.
"You aren't taking it off me?"
"It's not my place to do so. That's your identity." She paused and touched her ear. "They are looking for you."
"Don't suppose you are planning to untie me."
"No. I'm not." She reached to his chest straps and pulled off his logo.
"Hey, what are you doing?" She grinned at him.
"Souvenir." She replied before leaning close to him and kissing his cheek, making sure to leave a bright red mark. "That mug is for you. I think you will like the coffee too."
She reached to his belt and flipped the switch on his comms so he could hear and put the control to talk in his hand before she jumped away. He couldn't see her after but she watched until his friends came before she headed home with a flutter of her cape.