Avoiding Past And Future

(31)Intermediate

Still, Dick went as fast as he could, jumping or grappling faster than he should. As he landed on another rooftop, thunder and lightning crashed at the same time. He tried hard to not flinch but it was hard. Cold winds and freezing cold rain hammered down on him as he kept trying to look around. Every rumble of thunder shaking his bones. Every crack of lightning risking to be his last. Did his shoes even have insulators in case lightning hit the roof he was on?

Dick was struggling to focus. All this training and pride at how well he performed under pressure but none of it was enough right now. Panic started to set in as he looked around with absolutely no sign of anybody. Gotham was a big city and he knew well enough how easy it was to disappear without a tail on you.

Thunder filled the sky as lightning hit the rooftop next to where he was standing. On instinct, Dick yelped out and curled in on himself as electricity still hung heavy in the air. Breathing seemed to get harder as everything was so loud and overwhelming. He had no actual way of finding his brother. No way to contact anybody if he did. No way to call for help if he got hurt out here on his own. He couldn't help but let some of the tears fall that had been building in his eyes at the thought of yet again losing his brother when he got so close.

Faintly he felt a small pressure on his knee. A familiar presence.

Looking up from between his arms, Dick came face to face with a panicked looking Cujo.

Dick immediately reached out to the pup, grabbing him in a bearhug as thunder rumbled once more. The storm seemed to get even worse as the eye seemed to hover in place over the city. "Cujo!" He cried out as he rubbed his face in the soaked fur of the pup. He pulled away and held the green dog up to eye level. "Please, please say you know where he is." Dick pleaded with Cujo.

The pup seemed to understand the desperation he was in as he immediately started to struggle out of Dick's grasp. The moment he set down the pup, Cujo ran off to the edge of the rooftop. He looked back at Dick, barking furiously. A crash of thunder and lightning betrayed just how worried the pup was as well as for a second he grew into his hound form before shrinking again. Maybe he wasn't a fan of the storm either.

None the less, Dick scrambled to get up and follow the green dog. Cujo had yet to let him down before so he had faith in the pup. They made their way across rooftops as fast as humanly possible without risking slipping off. Cujo lead the way, shifting here and there as lighting got too close to either them or where they were heading. If it wasn't for the fact Cujo was in fact a glowing green dog, Dick would have lost sight of him long ago. Rain picked up harder, making visibility barely 15 feet as wind rushed all around him.

As they made their way across another rooftop, Cujo seemed to pick up pace a little. It was almost impossible to make out but as lightning illuminated the sky, Dick could see a figure off in the distance. Feeling reenergized with hope, he picked up the pace to try and match Cujo.

The closer they got, the more he could clearly see the figure. Whoever they were, they were clearly not a fan of the storm either. Nearly on beat with Cujo shifting forms, the figure would duck and almost slip. Perhaps that's why Cujo was so worried earlier?

As if luck was finally on his side, the figure slipped enough to take a second to get back up. Just enough time for Dick and Cujo to get close enough. Just close enough for Cujo to bark out and the figure to hear. Dick nearly lost his footing as the figure turned around to look at Cujo.

Bright white hair nearly covered up terrified green eyes that looked back at his as Dick sprinted to run towards his brother. "Danny!" He yelled out gleefully. Finally! Finally he found him! Dick's entire face became one big smile as he sprinted towards Danny.