recon work

[greatdealofbravery]

He isn't able to help himself. When things start to die down, he slips out of the main room of the party, heading to go find somewhere quieter. A bookcase, a desk, papers and hardbacks.

He's turned sideways a bit, reading the title of Dante's Inferno, mouth curving in a smile.

Comments

[lasiurus]

"If you're looking for the library, it's downstairs."

Bruce has left the party to Alfred's hands, and tracked down someone he's fairly sure is an intruder.

[greatdealofbravery]

Arthur looks over his shoulder and lifts his eyebrows a hair.

"I was looking for a little peace and quiet. I don't know about you, but parties like these... they get a little overwhelming. Sometimes you really have to wonder about the people who throw them."

[lasiurus]

"Yeah. I wonder more about the people who crash them and then call them overwhelmiing."

He smirks and shuts the door and steps closer.

"People like that are usually only there for one thing."

[greatdealofbravery]

"Crashing?"

Brow furling.

"What are you talking about?"

[lasiurus]

"It's invite only. You weren't invited. I would know, since it's my list."

And he's close now, at the point where Peter starts shying away.

"Who brought you?"

[greatdealofbravery]

Same line. Arthur backs up hard into the bookcase.

"Mrs Lopez. She said I was her plus one."

[lasiurus]

Bruce pretends he doesn't recognize the name right off.

"How'd you meet her?"

[greatdealofbravery]

"...look, I can't say. She's married, all right?"

Hands shoving in his pockets.

"She said this was the kind of party where no one would care."

[lasiurus]

"I have to care. It's a closed party and no one here wants to be blackmailed, you see ny problem, right?"

There's nothing friendly in Bruce's eyes.

"Besides, she left without you, which means you're the only source of information I have."

[greatdealofbravery]

"Blackmail? I-"

Stammering, like a kid in over his head.

[lasiurus]

"I know, I know, you'd never."

Bruce swigged a little bourbon before he came in, just so he'd be able to smell as drunk as he appears to be.

"You know what I really like about being Bruce Wayne? If someone comes to my party unannounced and then just...disappears, no one will ever look for him. No one will ever really look at me for answers."

[greatdealofbravery]

Arthur steps sideways, since he can't go any further backwards, looking small and too young for his suit.

"Please, you can just phone her. She'll tell you everything. You can talk to her."

[lasiurus]

"Not if she hired you."

He's being mean now, but not about to stop.

"She was willing to leave you here to be caught. Or worse."

[greatdealofbravery]

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, look, I'll go-"

He says, hands held out, palm up,

"-I have the money she gave me, you can keep it, I won't say a word to anyone, I just."

[lasiurus]

Bruce lashes out, grabs him by the collar, yanks him in.

"What money? What did she hire you for?"

[greatdealofbravery]

"To have me on her arm. To hit me a little, to impress people, to take home. It wasn't a big deal."

Just trembling, tugging hard away from him.

[lasiurus]

Bruce isn't supposed to be the ninja, just the half-drunk playboy, so he laughs and lets Arthur pull free.

"But she left you here. Maybe she left you for me to finish up."

[greatdealofbravery]

"She got mad that Mister Stark liked me."

Stumbling, explaining fast, like he's stupid and scared.

"I wasn't submissive enough for her, I guess. Look, I'm really sorry, please let me go."

[lasiurus]

"Everyone wants Stark to like them."

He sounds sufficiently bitter to throw most people off the idea that they're close friends.

"How do I know you didn't steal anything?"

[greatdealofbravery]

Arthur has his totem in his pocket. Which means he can't let himself be searched.

He kicks off, hard, diving neatly under his arm in a professional little twist, coming up fast and bolting for the door.

[lasiurus]

He races after him, feeling wonderfully predatory. The lights are all off on the upper floors, just how Bruce prefers it.

[greatdealofbravery]

His run screams military, his shoes are kicked off around the nearest corner, and then he's gone in a whisper of socks, into one of the many doors down this hall, silent and well trained.

Unfortunately, this prohibits him escaping much further, as the windows can't possibly open soundlessly, and he'd rather hope the drunk man moves on.

He clutches his totem in his hand, ready to hide fast if he does come through the right door, thinks to read the scuff on the carpet.

[lasiurus]

Bruce is also barefoot by that point, dead silent--he knows every creaky board in his house. He picks up one of Arthur's shoes and drops it noisily over the railing and down the stairs, making noise for the sake of it, because his instinct is to be dead silent.

This would be where he would normally reach for flash grenades or smoke. But he's Bruce Wayne tonight, so he calls out, slurring a little.

"Come on, Arthur! You can't just stay in my house."

[greatdealofbravery]

Arthur, unfortunately, doesn't know every creaking board.

He finds one with his foot on the way to the window, and then freezes, praying silently he doesn't come running.

[lasiurus]

He does. He throws the door open, and lurches faux-drunkenly at Arthur. He doesn't know when this turned from genuinely hunting to playing with his prey, but it has.