2017.03.23 - Hot Guys Are Looking For You - Pt 2
Gotham in spring - the melting snows have revealed bodies and trash discarded during the winter, making city cleanup a particularly onerous task. Several large orange waste management vehicles are parked along the roads of The Narrows, stowed against their use in the morning.
"I talked to Iceman of the X-Men," the Teen Wonder says as the Caped Crusaders stand on the last tall support of the bridge to Tricorner - he points out into the low slum buildings crowded together on the island. "A comrade of theirs has gone to ground somewhere in Gotham - he's a pyrokinetic named, creatively enough, Pyro. Iceman thinks he's scared and can be reasoned with, but it's almost certain he's behind the various fires in homeless shelters in The Narrows over the past week."
Batman nods at Robin's words. He is glad for this clue to the mysterious fires that have displaced so many of the city's most needy people. Nobody wants to sleep outside during the cold winter in Gotham City.
"Do you have a lead on his location?" the Dark Knight asks Robin, his watchful gaze sweeping over the dark city.
Robin shakes his head as a breeze whips his cape around his bare legs. "Nothing, and nothing on thermal scans, either; he can control the heat of his own body well enough and he knows that kind of tech can be used to track him. The thing neither of us can figure out is why this is happening. Iceman says he's in control of his metahuman powers, so .. he's not a new kid who doesn't know how to stop. Unless something has happened to disrupt that. That's possible, at least."
"That is one possibility," Batman agrees. "I would like to get to the bottom of it, too. I don't like that he's harming innocent people in *my* city."
The Teen Wonder nods tersely. "There have been three fires so far; the first two were small, almost tentative; they took out a kitchen and a rec area respectively. The third destroyed the entire building. So far there's been no injury or loss of life, but that could be by pure happenstance. Iceman said.. Pyro has been associated with a group of mutant terrorists in the past, but.. he wants to try and reach out to Pyro. Also, there have been no demands made by the Brotherhood."
The Brotherhood isn't Batman's primary concern, but he is definitely aware of it. He takes special measures to track metahumans, or as some call them, mutants. He takes a deep breath then lets it out on a long sigh. "I don't like just waiting for another incident," he mutters.
Robin puts a hand on the Dark Knight's shoulder. "I know. I talked to the Titans and several of us are going undercover in the area; he might talk to a fellow teenager. It's worth a shot, at least."
"Anything is worth a shot at this point," Batman says, underscoring how dangerous the situation has become. "There's only so much Bruce Wayne can do to help open new shelters." And he had indeed been doing just that, but available and suitable spaces weren't that common and there wasn't time enough to build anything new.
Robin looks out over the steaming narrow streets below them, most falling apart or half in ruins. "And why here, in Gotham? Why not Metropolis? He certainly doesn't /want/ to be found, but who is he running from?"
"When you find those answers, let me know," Batman replies on a sardonic note.
Robin gives The Batman a slight ironic smile. "You'll be the first to know..."