"Hurry."
Dick was running. Every step he took felt too short, every locked fence too high, every second like an hour.
Behind him, Jason ran too. They ran for life.
But it wasn't their own.
--
Tim tripped, staggering his next step, but regained his balance by the third and kept limping away as fast he could go.
His breath came ragged and short, and every step he took made pain flare up the right side of his body, radiating from the deep wound in his abdominals.
He needed his brothers.
"You can't run forever, little bird," his attacker called from somewhere behind him.
Tim said nothing as Dick's voice crackled through the comm link. "Tim--we're almost there, okay? Just hang on a little longer."
They were coming. He was going to be okay--he just had to last a few more minutes.
He could do it.
Gritting his teeth, Tim looked left, then right, then ducked out onto the fire escape and started to climb it, hands pressed tight over his injury.
Just a little longer, he thought to himself.
--
Jason was running on adrenaline and desperation. Nothing else. They had to make it--had to be there and save Tim.
He rammed through the weak and locked door of the warehouse with his shoulder, not pausing to look around and following Dick down several halls.
Why would they waste time looking when there was a red carpet laid out for them?
"We have to hurry, Dick," he breathed.
"I know."
--
Tim reached the edge of the roof and had nowhere else to go.
He sighed at the sound of gravel crunching behind him, not bothering to turn around to know who it was.
"End of the roof, little one."
Tim nodded once, looking out at the deadly city's glow. His city.
"I know," he said.
"They didn't come."
"They did." Tim turned to face his attacker and smiled bloodily. "Just not fast enough."
His attacker hummed and raised their gun.
"No," they agreed. "Not fast enough."
--
Dick and Jason burst to the rooftop at the same time, and both arrived just in time for the grand finale.
The attacker pulled the trigger of their gun.
Tim's body crumpled and tipped over the side of the roof.
Dick screamed Tim's name and ran to catch him as Jason gave a grief-filled cry and tackled the attacker.
Tim was just falling over the edge, reaching a hand toward Dick, as his big brother dove to catch him.
Dick's hand closed around air.
And they were too late.
They were too late.
