The Sparrow and the Song Bird

In the Freezing Rain

They leave him alone in a windowless room most of the time.

Dick's lost count of how long he's been here. He would believe anything from a few hours to six months. He hates the isolation.

He screamed until his throat was raw, pried at the door until his fingers went bloody, and looked all over for some way out of this mess. Dick doesn't understand why they don't just kill him. He doesn't want them too but he does know he's a liability.

He really only sees them when they come in with some water and food.

Today it's a jar of applesauce, some beef jerky, and a couple of protein bars. He feels he should count himself lucky there's a bathroom even if the door has been removed but outside of a few random blankets that smell like cigarettes the room is barren.

He misses his family. He lies in the blankets remembering how his mother would card her fingers through his hair and sing lullabies when he was sick or had a bad dream or a bad day or even just because. He remembers lying on top of their trailer with his father who made up constellations for Dick to memorize. There were no stars in Gotham. It was too dark and cloudy all the time and even if it wasn't there was too much pollution to see the sky anyways.

He remembers places like London and Paris being like that too. He would much prefer being stuck there than here.

The loud slam of the heavy door knocks him from his memories.

He sits up, and moves to press his ear against the wooden door. Dick spent most of his time with his ear pressed against the door, listening.

They were nervous, they were worried.

"... is after us."

Dick hadn't caught the beginning of that sentence. Someone was after them? Good.

"Do you think he'll go for Maronie?"

"He hasn't touched Maronies guys. Don't you understand you nimrod? Boss knows, the Boss skipped town. No way he wants his ass dealt with by either of them psychos."

"There's no way he'll be able to escape. If he's after him, forget Maronie. Guy's like a bloodhound. I mean, hell, he waited years before going after Joker. No way Boss will actually escape."

"He might if he's fast enough."

"Well what do we do about that freakin' kid? Maronie said to keep him but I'm not getting killed over this."

"We can't just let him out."

"Well we can't keep him here indefinitely. Hood's gonna show up at some point. We'll have an easier time if we're not hauling dead weight."

"Now hang on. I'm not shooting a kid."

"Then what the fuck do we do? Sparrow's been poking his nose in things, Hood is a guarantee, and it's only a matter of time before the freakin' Bat himself comes knocking. Fuck Maronie, I'm not goin' down for this. I only signed up for one job. I ain't getting paid enough to deal with a gang war."

"Woah, now hang on." Dick flinches slightly at the sounds of a scuffle. "I'm not gonna let you just shoot him point blank either. It's too messy."

"You're right, you're right. But we've got to do something."

There's silence for a few seconds. Dick doesn't know who 'Hood' or Maronie are. Hood is likely a street name. But Sparrow was looking for him. The Sparrow. Why?

Surely he has better things to do than try and help Dick. But, if Sparrow is looking for him then maybe Dick does have a chance.

One of them snaps their fingers. "I know, toss him in the harbor with the acid. Be done with all of it before heading out to Chicago and then out of the country."