This Is My Future

Chapter 52

Tigress's P.O.V

After Tim told me about the Restoration Chip I knew Dick wasn't going to take it willingly. I couldn't just ask Bruce Wayne to mail it over or something either. So, that's why I'm in a slick black and blue Mercedes, on an empty highway, heading to my birth city, Gotham City, with my fifteen year old self sitting next to me in the passenger seat; singing along to Highway to Hell and two fourteen year old boys slapping the hell out of eachother in the backseat while one yells at me that we might as well be on a highway to Hell with this dumb idea.

I smirked at Tim in the mirror and turned up the radio.

Tim groaned, "This song suits our current situation well..."

"Oh come on Baby Bird-"

"Baby Bird!?" Robin laughed.

"You came up with it..." Tim muttered, looking down, "And I like it..."

"I'm not making fun of it," Robin said. "It just sounds too young of a nickname for a fourteen year old."

"Says the fourteen year old that I call, 'Little Birdy'," Artemis said, looking back at them.

Robin shrugged.

"Anyways," I said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

His lip twitched, "I, Batman's sidekick and adopted son, Tim Drake, a.k.a the third Robin, am assisting you, a technical ex-assassin, with a case of robbery-"

"Good thing your name is Robin," Robin chuckled.

Tim glared at him.

I snickered. "What's so bad about it?" I smiled.

"We are going to a city that Batman protects...We are breaking into a building, owned by Batman! Stealing a device! Owned by Batman! With me! The sidekick of Batman!"

"So, we get to see Batman!?" Robin yelled as if an excited fan.

All of us except for Tim laughed.

"All I hear is one 'get out of jail free' card," Artemis shrugged.

"What?" Tim asked in confusion, "How?"

"Well," she sang. "If Batman shows up and we're about to be arrested. We make a trade."

"Trade?"

"Yup. Our freedom and device; for the safe return of Batman's little sidekick," she said.

"And Plan B has been made," I said, holding my hand to her for a high five.

"Wait...did she say 'safe return'?" Tim asked, leaning forward.

Artemis and I smirked.

"What does she mean by 'safe return'?" Tim demanded.

"Ohh nothing," I snickered.

I'd have to be dead before I'd let anything happen to Tim, but it was still fun to tease him and scare him.

"What do you mean!" He almost shouted and his voice cracked.

We started laughing again as Tim continued demanding what we meant.

Robin wrapped his arms around Tim and yanked him back into the seat.

"Lets just say," Artemis said. "We get the chip or the bird gets it." She made a slicing noise, dragging a finger over her throat. We started laughing again as Robin and Tim started a wrestling match in the back.

"Don't make me turn this car around!" I jokingly yelled.

"Worry about driving!" Robin spat.

"Oh, like this?" I asked and turned the wheel so we spun around in spirals.

I laughed. Artemis held the door, laughing. Robin cheered. Tim yelped in surprise.

I straightened us out and continued down the highway.

"Arty!" Tim snapped, "You could've killed us."

"But I didn't."

He sighed. "I wish Dick were here," he muttered.

"If Dick was here we wouldn't be doing this," I said.

"I honestly wish we weren't! What if Batman shows up!?"

"Then we figure out an excuse," I said.

"Bruce will know that we're lying."

"Then I don't know, Tim," I said.

He sighed. "Stop Robin!" He said and the two started wrestling again.

I glanced out my window, "Punch Buggy Red!" I punched Artemis.

"Hey!" She laughed and punched me back.

"Green one!" Robin shouted and punched Tim.

Tim growled and kicked him.

"No kicking!" Robin laughed and tackled Tim.

I looked up in time to see the Burnside Bridge come into view.

"Okay," I said. "Everyone calm down. We have to look normal."

"Not possible," Robin said, sitting up straight.

"Agreed," Tim said, leaning against the window.

I shrugged and pulled up to the toll booth. I pulled out my wallet and dropped the coins into the slide. The guard lifted and I drove through.

Everyone stayed 'natural' as we drove over the Burnside Bridge. Artemis started humming. Robin and Tim started a conversation about the chip.

I rolled to a stop at a red light. I frowned when I heard a motorcycle engine rev twice. I looked out my window to see a glossy black motorcycle with a violet stripe on it.

I smirked at the girl on the cycle.

She had a gray body suit with a black bat-shaped symbol spread across her chest, a golden belt around her waist, and a black cape with a yellow underside and jagged bottom fell down her back. Her head was covered by a black helmet, but auburn hair flowed out the bottom.

I pressed down on the gas pedal and the engine growled.

"Arty..." Tim said, "Remember what we're doing..."

"Who's that?" Robin frowned, looking at the girl.

"No one!" Tim said.

"Batgirl," I said.

Tim slammed his head on the back of Artemis's seat.

"Bat...girl?" Robin asked in confusion.

I pushed Artemis's head down.

She got on the floor, understanding that she needed to be out of view.

I rolled down my window. "Nice bike," I said. "Where's the training wheels?"

"Nice car," came Batgirl's muffled response. "Steal it from my boyfriend again?"

"Who else am I gonna steal a car from?" I smiled.

She shrugged, "Everyone?"

I smiled faintly.

"Boyfriend...?" I heard Robin whisper to Tim.

"Shh," Tim hissed.

I looked at the light when it turned green.

"Catch you later," Batgirl said and bolted away.

"Don't doubt it," I muttered to myself. I started heading down the road, "You can get back up Artemis."

"Who's Batgirl?" Artemis asked, climbing back into the seat and buckling up.

"Just a friend," I said.

"What did she mean, 'did you steal it from her boyfriend'?" Robin asked.

I didn't respond, neither did Tim.

"Guys?" Robin asked.

"I'll tell you later," I said.

Robin nodded faintly.

I pulled into an alley near a skyscraper.

"We're gonna die..." Tim muttered.