And a Star to Steer By // By Calico Jane

E-mail: slashcat@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13, to be safe.
Spoilers: Vaguely for all of Starman, Sins of Youth, A Lonely Place of Dying, LotDK #100 and Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.
Summary: Destiny is obvious in hindsight.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Some of it I haven't even read.
Pairing: None... but that's just because Starman has not yet crossed paths with our favorite acrobatic ex-sidekick.
Story Notes: I haven't actually read much of anything about Pat and Mike Dugan, and am going solely on summaries of Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Somehow Mike came out rather Jasonish. I think the expulsion from military school that I heard about has something to do with this. Some dialogue has been lifted from specific scenes in the comics. Guess which ones and win a prize!

Destiny was not a concept that Tim Drake had ever given much consideration. Ditto fate, karma, kismet, and any permutations thereof. However, since natural skepticism enhanced by training had also provided him with a rather jaundiced view of coincidence... Well.

Let's just say that at this point, 'destiny' was looking good as a convenient catch-all explanation for how he'd wound up here. After all, it seemed to work fairly well for certain colleagues of his who had indulged in much splashier debuts, exits and returns. Plus it neatly avoided any need to recount the trail of improbable circumstances that had brought him to this moment: standing on the roof of Sloane Tower at dusk, looking out over what was, in his view, the most beautiful city in the world. Readying himself to step over the parapet and out into thin air.

Still, a reluctance to recount the events that led him here didn't mean that every one wasn't indelibly etched in his memory, constellation-like: shining points of light which might be unimaginably distant from each other in reality, but that formed a recognizable pattern from his perspective. Maybe it was just a matter of hindsight embellishing the past so as to provide a more coherent narrative. Or maybe he really did have something greater than chance lighting his way. What mattered was that he had chosen to follow his own heavenly beacon this far, and was determined to go further still. Funny though. He'd taken the first step along this path because two stars had fallen...


*~*~*


"I guess you were right, Jack. He loves it."

"Hey, I said he wasn't too young."

"Okay, I was wrong, but sometimes circuses can frighten kids."

"Look, if you're so worried there's a couple of performers. We'll get a picture so Tim can see they're just people like him."

~*~

"Excuse us for interrupting, but this is our son's first time at the circus; would you mind if we got a picture of him with you?"

"Hey, no problem! Hey kiddo. My name's Dick. What's yours?"

"...Tim. Hi."

"Say 'limburger' for the camera, Tim. Cool. You be sure and sit right down front for the show, alright? I'll do my world-famous quadruple somersault, just for you."

~*~

"...as Mary and John Grayson prove their son still has plenty to learn as they attempt two triple flips!"

~*~

"NO!"

"Oh my God!"

"Tim, honey, don't look!"

"...They hurt? Mama, they hurt?"

"Mom! Dad!"

"Dickie, no, there's nothing you can do. It... there's nothing anyone can do."

"Janet, let's get out of here. Tim doesn't need to see this."

"Dick hurt Daddy! Help him!"

"Tim, other people will help Dick. It's not our business. Come on Janet, before the police cordon the place off."


*~*~*


First important lesson: terrible things happen to people who don't deserve them, without reason or warning. And most of the time, anyone who isn't directly affected just wants to ignore this fact, as if tragedy is something that might be transmitted by proximity. Of course, most misfortune in a person's life is not caused by capricious fate, but by either their own actions or those of the ones closest to them. Then again, so is most good fortune. At least, such was the case in Tim's experience.


*~*~*


"You want to stay in this hellhole of a city Jack, that's fine. You can have the penthouse. We'll sell the mansion, split the proceeds, and Tim and I will take the condo in Beverly Hills. And before you even start, Mrs. Mac will be coming with us. I'm sure your little floozy will be happy to cook and clean for her sugar daddy, since I doubt her other 'duties' will take up much time."

"Janet, I am warning you..."

"Oh stuff it Jack. So you've lost interest in being a husband? Big deal. You lost interest in being a father years ago, so I should have seen it coming. Don't try and pretend you're not getting exactly what you want from this deal: me and Tim out of your hair so you can play doctor with whatshername."

"I may not be the greatest father, but don't act like you're in the running for 'Mother of the Year' Janet, because we both know that's not the case."

"Well then Jack, I suppose I have some catching up to do. Good thing no one else wants Tim to live with them; I'll have all the time I need."

"..."

"Good night, Jack. We'll work out the details with the attorneys in the morning."

~*~

"Tim, this is Pat Dugan, and his son Mike. Pat, Mike, this is Tim."

"Hello Tim. Your mother's told me a lot about you. Says you're into computers?"

"Yes, Mr. Dugan."

"Please, call me Pat. I work with electronics myself, if you're ever interested, I can give you a tour of my workshop. Just let me know."

"That's an intriguing offer, Pat. I might take you up on that."

"Well, obviously Janet's done a great job of raising you, Tim. I didn't have manners near as good as yours when I was thirteen. Speaking of... Mike, quit sulking and say hello. You'll be spending the evening with Tim, you could at least try to be civil."

"...Hi."

"Well, it's a start. Don't worry Pat, Tim has his sullen moments too. It's a natural symptom of adolescence. Now, we'll be back around eleven, and Mrs. Mac is making dinner for you two. I think it's shepherd's pie, though. Don't worry Tim, I'll pick up donuts on the way home. Goodbye! And try to find something to do together that doesn't involve illegal hacking or hazardous chemicals, okay Tim?"

"I'll second that, Mike. Be good!"

"..."

"..."

"...Hazardous chemicals?"

"Forensics experiment. The smell came right out with vinegar and pinesol."

"...Got any good games?"

"Mega Carnage Death Rage VII?"

"Cool. Shepherd's pie, though?"

"You don't like it, you can tell Mrs. Mac. But it would make you a braver man than I."

"So... know any good cheats for the twelfth level?"

~*~

"I hate this stupid thing. What's wrong with a clip-on?"

"It's tacky, that's what. Here, this bit goes under here. There, now leave it alone."

"Do they give classes on this sort of b.s. at boarding school, or what?"

"Yes, right along with 'How to Cheat at Croquet' and 'Oppressing the Underclass 101.' Have you got the rings?"

"Right here, Silver-Spoon Lad. I'm not clueless about everything, y'know. And at least I'm not the flower boy."

"That's escort to the flower girl, Mikey. Ready? We're five minutes to curtain time."

"Let's do this thing. Hopefully it'll stick this time. Don't let it go to your head, but I actually kind of like having you around, Timbo. As step-sibs go, I coulda done a lot worse."

"Feelings mutual...bro."

~*~

"Opal City? What's in Opal City?"

"An old colleague of mine, Ted Knight. He's developing industrial applications for his research and has invited me to collaborate with him. Janet and I have discussed it, and we both think it's a tremendous opportunity. Still, we don't want to just uproot you guys if you have objections. I can always teleconference with Ted, and fly out there for the hands-on work. But the Opal's a very cool city, and I thought that the two of you might be interested in a year or two there, not to mention the opportunity to intern with one of the greatest scientific minds alive."

"Is the internship paid?"

"I might see about increasing your allowance in proportion to work accomplished. Tim? What about you?"

"Would 'working with Ted Knight' also include assisting the new Starman? He is Ted Knight's son after all."

"Wh... Since when..."

"Pat, please. I dug into your background as soon as you started dating my Mom. You can never be too careful these days, after all. And I was very impressed that you told her the whole story without any prompting before you proposed. That took guts."

"...Gotta be something in the water in Gotham... So is that a 'yes' vote?"

"Absolutely. It sounds like the complete opposite of boring."

"Yes, well, don't either of you go getting any bright ideas. I think helping out with ground-breaking scientific research is enough excitement for any level-headed young man."

"Sure thing... Stripesy."

"You're not too old to be put in a corner, Mike. And Tim, I might not have any super-powers, but that doesn't mean I can't feel you smirking at me."

~*~

"Tim! Oh my lord, are you all right!? Are you hurt? Just what the hell did you think you were doing, getting in the way of that...that thing! You could have been killed! And where did you get that belt in the first place?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Not a scratch on me. That 'thing' is Dr. Phosphorus, and he was here to kill Ted, Mom. He almost managed it. I could hardly just stand aside and watch. I got the belt out of Pat's storage room, without his knowledge, and I've been carrying it since we've been in Opal. Mom, you have to realize; we're associating with current and former superheroes. Heroes with publicly known ID's. The odds of something like this happening were too high for me to not have some means of protecting the people I care about at hand. A black belt in jujitsu would not help against the kind of opposition Starman attracts."

"And you think the best way to protect us is by playing superhero yourself? Tim, you're fifteen! Cosmic doohickey or not, you aren't prepared to go up against monsters and psychopaths!"

"No. I know that I'm not. But Mom...I think that I could be. With the right mentors..."

"No. NO. Absolutely not. Tim, don't you understand how dangerous it is to be a hero? Jack is in the hospital getting stitched up right now because this lunatic mist-woman kidnapped him and ran him through some insane gauntlet. Pat's told me stories that give me nightmares, and from what I can tell the bad guys have only gotten crazier since he was doing it. Why on earth would you want to have anything to do with this?"

"...Because someone has to. And I honestly think that I could be good at it. I won't disobey if you forbid me from doing this, Mom. I'll give you the belt and spend less time with Jack and Ted if that's what you need me to do. But I can't promise not to get involved if I see someone in trouble. Do you understand, Mom? If I can help, I have to. I don't think I could stand to turn away."

" Oh Tim. What did I ever do to deserve a son like you?"

"...That is a compliment, right?"

"Don't get your hopes up, smart guy. We're going home. We can discuss this whole mess in the morning. And I am warning you right now: if this stunt of yours gives Mike any ideas, you will be the one dealing with the wrath of Pat, not me."

"Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, Tim. But the possibility of shipping you off to a monastery is still under consideration."


*~*~*


Lesson two: with the right support system, all things are possible. Even, sometimes, a few things that you wouldn't think could be.


*~*~*


CRASH!!!

Splat!

"Scissors cuts paper! You lose!"

Zip! Swoosh! SCCRRREEEEECH!!!

"Watch where yer goin' speedfreaks!"

"Will someone tell me how to disconnect the darned v-chip?"

"I gotta go baffwoom! WAAH!"

"Okay, that's it! Someone here is heading for a hospital stay!"

"Now hold on 'dere! Ya don't gotta resort ta threats!"

"Not them Doiby, me. I'm gonna check in and get snipped!"

~*~

"Thank you, Shade."

"Yes, yes. Don't forget to write. Any more farewells to make?"

"Just one. The person who's getting the cosmic rod."

"Will I approve of your choice?"

"I don't know. But I think the fact you haven't maimed him when he's beaten you at chess is a pretty good indication."

~*~

"Hi, Timothy."

"Jack. What's up? Mom told me you'd already called to say goodbye."

"Yeah. But I have something for you, and I wanted to hand it over in person."

"What?"

"Here."

"This is... this is..."

"Tim, I have a good idea what it is by now. The important thing is it's yours."

"I don't understand."

"When we swapped ages... Me and the JSA were kids and you were grown up... I wasn't so young in my head that I didn't notice how you acted. Your wisdom. Hell, even when you got back to being a teenager you were still more mature than I think I've ever managed. My father would have been proud of you. Heck, everyone who's helped you become the hero you are must be proud of you. Me included."

"I'm no sure, Jack. I've improved a lot, yes, but I'm still learning how to handle the powers I have."

"Well, the rod's yours when you're ready. Here, Have the jacket and goggles, too. Be as much of a Starman as you want to be."

"I've never been sure how well you actually liked me."

"I've never been sure myself... No, that isn't true. As stupid as it sounds, I was really a bit... well, jealous of you in a way. You seemed to catch onto the whole hero thing way quicker than I did, and you definitely made fewer mistakes on the way."

"I'd debate that point, and anyway, I think the result more that justifies any messiness involved in the process."

"Heh. Anyway, whatever thoughts on you I had running around my brain, I've had time to reconsider the matter. Tim, if you accept this... you honor me."

"I'll be the best I can."

::I see a flash of... I don't know. I'm not psychic like Charity... but... this day I am a seer of sorts. I see Timothy. Someday. One day.

He'll be magnificent.::


*~*~*


All the steps he'd taken, all the people who had helped him, taught him, guided him. All the lessons, hard and otherwise, that he'd learned... They had brought him here, tonight, one step away from a thirty-story plunge.

Luckily, they had provided him with company, too.

"Hey bro, you gonna fire that thing up or just pose with it all night?"

"Yeah Starboy. I'd like to see just how well the mods I did work for you. I still think the magnetic polarity harness could stand some tweaking."

"Mike, shut up. I'd like to see you stroll of the top of a high-rise without pausing for breath. And Pat, if you ever call me that where any other costume can hear you, I will take horrible revenge, and you will never be able to trace it back to me."

One look back over his shoulder: Mom and Pat, his brother Mike and his shiny-new sister Patricia, gumming her fingers and staring raptly at the Rod's glow. An oddly fluid patch of darkness halfway across the roof that he wouldn't overtly acknowledge, as Shade seemed disinclined to intrude on the family scene. Out in the city somewhere were Ralph and Sue, Black Condor and Phantom Lady, Jake Bennetti, Hamilton Drew and the O'Dare's. Opal City. Not his by birth or blood or even time spent learning it, but his all the same. Because this was where his star had led him. Only one thing left to do then, to start walking this new (same) path he'd found himself on.

Take one last step.

And soar.

Fin.