Set a Bat Among the Pigeons

[andthebat]

There's a particularly unusual creature in the aviary today.

 

The Batman isn't happy to wake up at the top of a tree surrounded by birds for many reasons, but chief among them is the fact that the birds are loud. He'd been jarred awake by a parrot screeching right near his ear and his startled motions when he'd jerked into an upright position had resulted in a massive cloud of panicked birds fleeing from the big weird animal. Naturally, they'd raised a cacophony of squawks, chirps, tweets and twittering in the process, and his ears were still ringing a little from the initial uproar. 

But the bird had at least left the Batman alone up there, perched on top of a particularly thick branch several stories above the ground. The height doesn't phase him, but the fact he doesn't recognize the tree- or the massive room it seems to be in- is enough to disconcert him when the last thing he remembers is heading back to the Manor after a long night chasing down the Penguin. 

 

He does wonder if this might be some sort of Penguin-related scheme, but even with the earlier screeching the birds don't seem hostile enough, or even that interested when he's merely sitting around and trying to get his bearings. Not to mention even Penguin wouldn't be dumb enough to leave the Batman untied.

 

Sitting in a tree all day isn't going to get Batman any answers of course, so he unfolds his wings and leaps off his branch, swooping in circles around the aviary and keeping an eye out for anything or anyone that might be able to shed some light on the situation.

Comments

[andthebat]

Batman can feel Frisk's fingers digging into him, but it doesn't really hurt, even if there's a distinct pulling sensation. His grip will briefly tighten, however, just to make sure they aren't slipping or anything, before he resumes focusing on flying.

The cloud cover is definitely a bit of a visibility issue- but being the Batman he can at least get a vague idea of where the rocks are, even through all the fog, just from listening out for the faint echoes that bounce off of them. Frisk won't have to worry about them crashing into the sides of the cliff, at least.

He circles slowly further and further downwards, around the enormous cone of rock jutting beneath the castle, flapping his wings occasionally to change direction or to keep their ascent at a reasonable pace. After a few minutes he'll tilt his head to glance over at Frisk.

"How are you holding up?"

[dustless]

"Good!" They're louder than they probably have to be, even though it's a bit windy. His ears are clearly built for that...but that actually doesn't occur to them.

"There's a lake somewhere inside that part," they inform him, pointing at the tapering stone. "I don't know how it fits there, though!" The space seemed bigger than the bottom half looks from the outside, they think.

Closer and closer to the true end of the castle, the winds pick up speed. The darkening clouds swirl.

[andthebat]

Frisk is a bit loud and the Batman tenses very slightly at the volume, but he supposes they'd have trouble picking out their own voice above the wind.

Besides, he's speaking a bit loudly himself when he says, "A lake underneath the castle?" That doesn't sound very structurally sound, he thinks, but then, neither does a flying castle. Magic must be doing much of the support. "How did you find it?"

As he feels the winds growing stronger around him, he frowns down at the dark clouds. "Looks like there's a storm below us. Do you want to turn back?" He thinks he should be able to hold onto them, but he supposes they might not want to deal with all the cold and wet.

[dustless]

"There's a trap door in the garden! I almost fell down it!" He might think he's imagining the trace of amusement in their voice. Frisk's embraced their weird track record of falling places, or almost falling places. At least they avoided it that time.

They look down. "Just 'f you do!" Cold and wet isn't something they mind; they want to see if there's something at the bottom of the castle, too, if they can.

[andthebat]

The Batman files that tidbit of information for later, as something he might want to look for if he comes back to the castle. But right now, getting away is more important.

"Okay!" he says, raising his voice above the increasing winds. He tightens his grip on Frisk, pressing them closer against his chest, and gives one last warning: "Brace yourself!" before diving into the clouds below.

In a moment, the world is nothing but grey fog, and howling wind buffeting against the Batman. Frigid droplets of water are swiftly clinging to his fur, sliding across his limbs and back. He clenches his jaw, fighting hard against the wind so it doesn't send them spiraling out of control. He just has to keep heading down... and down... and down...