Nico might have been pacing a moment before, but as the voice drifts down from above, he skids to a halt, hands raised in a defensive position as his eyes dart around the warehouse. He’s lucky that he doesn’t jump in surprise at the sound, although his heart keeps up a rapid staccato in his chest to remind him just how startled he is. Because of course he should have expected to attract the attention of a Bat, he really should have known better given his luck, and getting in and out without notice would have just been too much to ask.
But he is on the trail of his sister and maybe he hasn’t been thinking the clearest recently. Ghosts start muttering in his ear again, alerting him too late about the figure up in the rafters, and his eyes drift up to finally land on the masked hero. Jaw jutting forward stubbornly, he tries to weigh his options as he considers what to do next, hands still held defensively up in front of him. Not that he exactly has a ton of fight training.
Running seems to be the best option, but he doesn’t think he’ll have the best chance of getting away now that he has the attention of a Bat. A muscle works in his jaw. “Thanks,” he says stiffly. “I’m fine.”
well, that could have gone worse — dick is marginally more relieved the boy hadn’t immediately fired on him than he is that the boy didn’t immediately go running. to show his appreciation for this, and by way of trying to show that he is not here to incite any kind of violence, he jumps down; there is no one here to show off to, but on principle he lands as gracefully, and lightly on his feet as if expecting a shower of applause and flowers thrown at his feet for the trick. all he finds is dust underfoot . . . and what he hopes is just spilled oil.
“ no, totally, i can see that, ” no blood visible, though god knows what kind of injury a kid like this could be used to. “ except for the part where — you’re on your own with a boiling pot of mobsters a level down from you, ”
is he a hostage? unlikely. there were no guards watching him, and no bindings. is he one of them? hmn. he looked a little young for that, but . . . yeah, that joke makes itself. dick breathes out heavily and casts a glance around at the dark and gloom, before leaning back on his heels.
“ mobsters these days, no sense of style. back in my day they all had lairs, or at least congregated in clubs. name? yours, i mean ”