Chapter Text
So yeah the whole super hero demon hunter witch thing wasn't nearly as cool it was made out to be, whatever 'it' exactly was. In retrospect maybe challenging a centuries old warlock over territory in upper Gotham wasn't the smartest idea Tim had ever come up with. Not by a long shot.
"I'm coming for you little boy!" Said warlock screeched from seven or so meters behind Tim. Ah come on for fucks sake Tim stopped looking like a little boy two years ago when he hit fifteen, he may be short and small but at least he doesn't look like an eleven year old anymore. Most of the time.
Quickening his already sprint Tim ducks a bar covered in slime. God he hates the sewers, why do so many of the things he does business with spend most of their free time in some form of a sewer at one time or another?
If the blue prints he got of this sewer are correct then there's a fork in the path up ahead, left a dead end and right continuing to a ladder to the surface.
Darting right Tim chances a look behind him and immediately regrets it. The warlock's changed shape and is now something mirroring one of Scarecrows creations brought to life. Not a sight you'd want to see chasing after you. Thank God Tim's fast.
Clamoring up the ladder Tim hisses and his eyes widen when he sees the manhole cover is on and not off like he had put it two hours earlier. A clawed hand grips his left leg and yanks Tim with a more than human strength. Tim cries out as his chin knocks one of the ladder rungs.
"I've got you now little boy." The warlock licks a split tongue across scaly lips protruding from his misshapen face like a snout. Crouching the warlock begins to creep closer rear end raised slightly like a cat hunting.
A gunshot fires then another as the warlock is hit twice and falters stunned looking at blood blossoming the color of lilacs from his chest.
"Don't know if anyone told you this but hunting kids is illegal." A slightly robotic voice calls from a figure walking out of the shadows, light glinting off his red helmet. Tim sighs in frustration and readjusts his mask hoping the charm Pru put on it will hold and it doesn't fall off. Great now one of the bats is involved. Just lovely.
The warlock hisses as the wound begins closing up already. "Don't know if anyone ever told you this, but it's rude to shoot someone in their own home."
It sounds like Red Hood snorts as he replies "Oh I plan on shooting you a couple more times."
Focusing on the new target the warlock begins inching towards Red Hood snarling. Tim starts edging away trying to figure a way out of the tunnel. Hood and the warlock are blocking the only other exit besides the closed manhole, and there's no way Tim's getting that open anytime soon from down here.
The warlock pounces with a shout and Red Hood begins shooting each shot hitting as he falls and rolls the warlock over him. The warlock grins as his wounds finish healing already. Pouncing again the warlock opens the exit to Tim and he darts out. Shots ring behind him. When he hears a thud and crack he turns to see the warlock looking triumphant over a bleeding Red Hood.
Well he already did a stupid thing earlier why not do it again. Make a holiday of it.
"Hey warlock!" Tim cups his mouth and yells. "Come and get me you ugly lousy spell caster!"
Remembering his previous prey the warlock roars charging forward. Tim runs again. This time when he reaches the fork in the path he goes left instead of forward. The warlock follows.
"You stupid little boy." The warlock is almost panting, out of breath from his fight with the Hood. "How could you possibly expect to get out of this?"
Tim grins throwing his bag down at the warlocks feet even as he jumps forward into a roll over the warlock who's focused on Tim's bag more than he is Tim. Just like Tim meant. Throwing the glass beads he had retrieved from his bag's pockets he turns and runs back towards Red Hood.
The warlock roars in indignation. Tim's glad he decided to spend a month perfecting his recipe for the trap he just stuck the warlock in. He's even gladder still his mother taught it to him when he was twelve.
"Come on hurry, it should hold him for two hours at least if he's fighting it but it pays to be careful." Tim grabs one of Red Hood's arms dragging him up, and holy shit is this guy huge. Like not just tall as heck but solid muscle broad shoulder dorito chip huge. And he's also just grabbed Tim by his throat and is shoving him against a wall. That's what you get for being a dumbass he thinks to himself.
"You're not a little boy and that's not human now tell me what the hell you're doing down here kid."
Tim gasps for air clawing at the hand holding his throat and he really shouldn't be thinking this but okay it's kind of impressive that the guy is holding him up like two, three inches off the ground at least with one hand.
On the other hand should Tim just hit one of the guys nerves and knock him out like he was taught or should he try to talk to him? If he knocks him out he'll be stuck down here. On the other hand he really doesn't need Red Hood learning more about him or what he does.
Red Hood loosens his grip just enough for Tim to get a slight gulp of air. "I said, what the hell are you doing down here kid?"
This fucking asshole oh my god. Kid really kid? Who the hell calls anyone kid besides old men with their grandchildren or gritty action heroes in movies? Tim decides that to hell with it Red Hood's an asshole, he'd rather haul his dead weight to the surface then explain anything or talk his way out of it. Getting around the suit may be a problem though.
Tim opens his mouth like he's about to talk when he brings an arm in and hits Hood's chest with his palm. Hard. Not giving Hood enough time to react Tim swings a leg around hooking it around Hood's outstretched arm. To hell with anyone who says flexibility and yoga exercises do nothing. Tim swings around the Hood who is by now reacting and trying to grab him but hey Tim is a lot smaller than the Hood and by the time he's got a hold on him Tim has his legs wrapped around his waist and is squeezing hard. Two quick strikes to nerves in the shoulders and one to the inside of his thigh and the Red Hood is counting sheep.
Tim slumps as the entirety of Red Hood's weight falls on him. It's a long trudge back up to the other entrance that Tim originally entered in before he managed to piss off the warlock. When they pass the fork Tim can hear the warlock screaming threats.
Once Tim's reached the surface he finds a fire escape, climbs it with all two hundred some pounds of vigilante on him and leaves Red Hood on the roof. He sees the bats on roofs all the time, someone should find him soon.
Tim doesn't stick around. The last time someone had knocked a bat out it took less than five minutes for the others to get there. Tim surmised something in their suit measured their vitals and called the others if they fell asleep or were forced to sleep.
Once a reasonable distance away Tim slumps against an alley wall exhausted. Deciding that making the trip back to Drake manor would take too long Tim begins the walk to one of his safe houses. On the bright side he got what he came for.
Swinging the back pack off his shoulders he opens it and pulls out what looks like a large glowing opal. What a semi low level warlock was doing with a galaxy stone was unknown to Tim but it probably wasn't good. It looked like the warlock was planning something with all the talk he was producing in the underground.
Before falling into his apartment's bed and sailing off to sleep Tim had the distinct impression that major things were coming in the next few months, whether good or bad he'd find out.