I own nothing.


It was an odd thing for someone who didn't like to play a simple child's game of tag. Everyone played when they were little. A simple game that most remembered as a fun thing they did as little kids, often remembering it as a serious game and hiding somewhere waiting to see you if did a good enough job of hiding and hoping the person didn't tag them or they were it.

Tag was a fun game.

Now it was an even funner game if you were, let's say, the Bat family and could hide, jump, swing, dodge, and evade the others like ninjas. So, it was on a day when everyone was home when Dick had come up with the idea to play tag.

Of course it took convincing. After gathering up his family to tell them that this game could be played in indoor play room. Which held a full size pool, tennis court, a full Gymnastics training platform, gym, and plenty of other activities they could fun too and hide. They would dim the lights.

Bruce was busy with work, Jason lost a bet, Tim said he didn't want to play but was forced there by Damian who had also refused but also lost a bet so he wasn't going down alone and last was Cassandra who had just shrugged and followed.

"Alright let's go over the rules." Dick cheered. "One of us is it and we have to tag another person and they become it."

"Really?" Jason mocked. "I have no idea that's how the game went. Here I thought we just run around like idiots."

"Haha, Jay." Dick turned around. "Okay, let's pick who's it."

"I don't want to play." Tim said turning to leave. "I'm going to go take a nap."

"Hell no!" Jason grabbed the short teen by the back of his shirt. "Your going down with us!"

"I said I don't want to play." Tim said again this time look aggravated. "Let go."

"If we have to be here so do you, Drake." Damian seethed before glaring at the reason he was here. "Well, Grayson get on with it."

"Alright." Dick stayed quite for a long moment. "NOT IT!"

"NOT IT!" Jason yelled after.

"Not it." Cassandra spoke cooly.

"Not it?" Damian scowled looking confused. "What?"

"Looks like your it, Timmy."

Before anyone could act Tim flipped backwards kicking Jason hard. "No, I'm not!"

Barely catching himself Jason crouch down. "You little...!"

Everyone scattered thinking this was the start of the game all running from Jason who growled before taking off trying to catch Dick who had been the closet. Cassandra was already hiding in the shadows being perfectly still. She had heard of this game and even though she didn't show it she was happy that she was going to play with the family.


So far it had been a three on three battles between Jason, Dick and Damian. There had been no sign of Cassandra or Tim since the start which meant they were either extremely good or had taken off.

Damian had manged to tag Grayson, and by tag he had slapped the other as hard as he could on the back while yelling the word 'Tag!' before taking off. Damian had almost missed a slight breeze.

He saw a small slit. An opening? Quickly he opened it before slipping in closing it tightly because he was going to win this damn game if it was the last thing he did! After all he was best so these idiots weren't going to beat him.

Crawling to the way back he found a panic room. Going in he looked around before spotting Drake hidden way in the back huddled up with his arms around his legs head down.

"So this is where you've been hiding?"

"Is it over?"

"No."

"Tag me and I'll break your arm." Drake spoke with a warning undertone that he was not playing at all.

"Tt." Damian looked at the opening hearing voices rushing by before looking over the other. Being who they were it wasn't hard to figure out this was some sort of PTSD experience. After all they all had them. Not him of course. It never fazed him because he was after all the best. Besides death didn't bother him. Walking over he took a seat next to the other curious. "Flashbacks?"

A slight nod was the answer.

"Tag set this off?"

Another nod.

"Tt." Damian wanted to probe but thought better of it seeing that the other was trembling slightly so he glared at nothing. "I'll wait here until they are gone."

Drake didn't answer but Damian didn't leave unless he wanted too. So he waited An hour passed but he could now hear the two idiots yelping as Cassandra joined the game and by the sound of it she tagged harder than Damian.

Snorting he was about to get when he paused looking over. It looked like Drake was asleep because he was perfectly still. Curious Damian looked at the door before sitting down pulling out a little stone.

It had been a gift from a friend of his from the Titans. It had this odd power that when you tapped it to a person's head what was bothering them the most or what they were feeling the strongest appeared in the form of music and if you stared into the stone you could see what happened.

Smirking he tapped it before rushing out.

He would look at it later.


By the time the game was over Damian stood victorious with the others groaning from the violent tags they had received. Well, not Cassandra was looked like she wanted to play again but was waiting for someone to say it.

As they sat for dinner they waited for Drake to show up. When he didn't fifteen minutes after Father told them to go ahead and eat and he woudl go find Tim. Damian deiced to be helpful stating that Drake was hiding int he panic room.

The others gave him an annoyed look saying that the younger one should have told them that Tim was still playing. He shrugged saying that the other been asleep when he saw him so he might still be.

Once dinner was over with two trays remaining Pennyworth had come in to say that both Father and Drake had gone somewhere. When asked why Pennyworth said that it was none of their concern which meant they didn't need to know and not to ask or he would find out.

Going up to his room Damian looked the door before climbing onto his bed taking out the stone. It started to glow softly before growing into a screen before music started to play and he was surprised to see a very young Drake.


Later that night it was time for patrol.

Damian was getting ready when Drake appeared with Father. The got changed quickly before Drake took off on his bike calling back he was going solo that night. Snorting Damian paused watching as Drake took off remember the song that had appeared with the memory that had been shown to him.

A old memory explaining why the other hated Tag.

Grayson, Todd and Cain came in discussing the game.

"Next time we play, Jay, try not to aim for bruised parts of the body."

Todd smirked about to say something when Damian spoke.

"Next time Drake is not going to play with us."

"Come on, Damian, Tim's family. He can play."

"He doesn't want too." Damian put his mask on. "With good reason."

With that the youngest one took off.


The others had no idea what was going on but the next day they heard music coming from his room. Jason smirked breaking into the room he found the music coming from the stone and they laughed at the song before they saw the little screen with a young Tim, maybe six years old running.

In the video like screen he was crying, looked scared out of his mind in the Drake Manor parking lot with Jack and Janet Drake chasing after him yelling. They looked angry. When the caught him Jack grabbed Tim by the hair knocking him down before they dragged him to what looked like a hidden room where you could hid if someone broke in. It was a panic room but it had a crawl space.

They watched in horror as they tossed Tim looking it and Janet saying something but they all could read lips. Cassandra however was the only one to read it out loud with a grim tone as they watching little Tim banged on the looked door calling for help that would never come.

"Tag..."

Running through the parking lot
He chased me and he wouldn't stop

"Tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it."

Grabbed my hair and pushed me down
Took the words right out my mouth

"Tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it."

Can anybody hear me? I'm hidden under ground
Can anybody hear me? Am I talking to myself?

Saying, "Tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it."
He's saying, "Tag, you're it, tag, tag, you're it."


Song by

Melanie Martinez call Tag Your It. I love it. I love her music all her videos. Thank you for reading!