Bart didn't like it when Tim and Conner fought.
In fact, he didn't like it when anybody fought, especially 2 of the people he loved the most. But what could he do? He didn't want to get in the middle of things because eventually they'll make him choose sides. They didn't fight often but when they did, boy was it loud. He couldn't just stand back and watch them yell...well it would consist mostly at Conner yelling at Tim with the occasional fist being thrown, a miss and a wall being hit making yet another perfect fist shaped indent in Conner's room right next to the picture of Bart, Tim and Conner by Mr. Wayne's pool. He remembered that day, it was before Tim went rogue and decided to join Selina and become her sidekick, which he says he's not. He's his own identity. …Right. The skin clutching tight leather outfit that curves over his body and seems to gleam during his game of cat and mouse in the city lights, the motorcycle helmet he carries whenever he waits outside Bart's school with a small grin and the overall look and sense of bad-boy radiating off of him attracting a group of head over heels girls and jealous jocks admiring his red motorcycle. Tim seemed to feel more confident and felt he had more freedom to do the things he wanted. He says to he doesn't feel bound to every little word Bruce said, every disappointed look, or feeling of Bruce's eyes carving into the back of Tim's head while they were on patrol. Tim also had a change in attitude as well. He smiled more, laughed more, even cracked jokes now and then. He was becoming more like Dick. Though, he was still a huge geek, clinging to his laptop with all his top secret information and hacking programs. He was still one of the smartest people in Gotham and could hack into any security system. He could hack better than Selina. Now and then you could catch the past-Tim, staring off into space with a deep, solemn look in his eyes. But it wouldn't last.
Kon didn't approve of Tim's new look or attitude however.
When Tim first went rogue, Bart and Conner were the last to know about it. That didn't sit well with Conner. Bart was devastated. He didn't eat or sleep...Well he ate, but not his usual 8 meals a day plus snacks. He ate whatever and whenever Cassie or the other members of the teams force fed him. Not that he would refuse the food. He was still Bart of course. But the worst thing to happen to the team during the 6 months that Tim went under the radar was the crying. Conner couldn't stand the crying. Bart was a mess. The first few weeks Bart stayed optimistic, telling everyone that Tim went on another mission that Batman couldn't tell them about because then his cover would be blown and Tim would put in danger. But the weeks turned to months and Bart knew it wasn't a mission and Tim wasn't coming back. And he lost it. Bart cried for 3 days straight. He never got out of bed. He just slept and cried and cried until no tears came out. He finally came out and took a shower that Kon forced him to take. Then he climbed into Conner's bed and stayed there waiting for him to come back from missions. It was too much for Bart to handle. It was like he lost Max Mercury all over again. When Conner came back and immediately bathed and climbed in next to Bart and tried to soothe him. He'd caress Bart, sliding his hand through his soft auburn locks, tracing his finger up and down his spine. He'd whisper him words of comfort saying that Tim would be fine; there would be nothing to worry about. Bart would look up at him, his honey colored eyes slightly puffy from all the crying he had done the previous weeks, his tear stained cheeks tinted light pink, and his pouty bruised lips from the constant lip sucking and biting he did to himself. In any other situation, Conner would give in to his urges and ravage the speedster, but all he could do right now was hold him close and listen to his quiet sobs and shaky breaths when he finally managed to drift off to sleep. When Conner heard that everyone was finally asleep, he's sneak out and search. Search every nook and cranny in Gotham and when he was done there he'd search every part of the earth.
Whenever he wasn't searching, he listened.
…For…anything.
A whisper of Tim's name or a raspy breathe calling out for Conner to swoop in and rescue him, take him back to the Tower and then everything would go back to normal.
Nothing.
Wherever Tim was, Conner thought, they're doing a very good job at hiding him.
It was getting close to the end of September and Conner was getting nowhere and started to lose hope. Bart managed to catch him sneaking out one night and after constant demanding that he should be able to go too, Conner agreed but only if he felt he was strong enough. Bart gave him a full smile for the first time in months. Kon felt his heart flutter and leaned down and kissed him. Bart let himself relax and melt into the kiss. Conner was the first to part away, lips lingering closely to the smaller figure's. Bart started vibrated with anticipating excitement. "Well whatcha waiting for? Tim's not going to find himself! Or will he? Can he do that?" Conner smiled and lifted Bart onto his back, listening happily as Bart babbled on about something or another. Nothing was different about this night than all the others. No new news from any villains or underground sources. They decided to grab some snack from the 24-hour convenient store and take a break on a gargoyle that used to be Tim's old surveying spot. It was Bart who had suggested their picnicking spot, and Conner reluctantly agreed. He didn't want Bart upset again. It had been a few hours of them just chatting and reminiscing on old memories when he heard something.
A distant alarm.
Someone walking swiftly and (almost) silently over broken glass.
The small clinking of jewelry in a small sack.
Then he heard it. The quiet chuckle and a voice he could recognize anywhere.
Tim.
He grabbed a Bart and slung him over his shoulder, the speedster protesting and complaining over a fallen slurpee and no less than three seconds were Conner, Bart and Tim reunited for the first time in nearly 6months. They stared at each other eyes wide and mouths agape. Tim dropped the satchel with a thud, jewels and cash spilling onto the roof. He searched for his words but none came out. Before he could blink Bart was standing right in front of his eyes. He seemed thinner, Tim thought, had he been eating right?
"Bart," He said with a friendly smile, "I've missed -"
All he felt was a blow to his face and his body hit cold concrete. He could taste the metal tinge of blood on his lips. He wasn't shocked at all from the blow but he had quite the swing. Conner probably taught him. He pushed himself up off the ground, rubbing his jaw then paused. Was he crying? He reached over wanting to clasp Bart hand but he slapped it away. "Why?" Bart's voice was barely an audible whisper. "Why did you leave?" He got louder and began talking hastily as if he couldn't control the words spilling out of his mouth. "Why didn't you tell us?! We searched everywhere for you Tim! Conner hasn't slept right in MONTHS searching every inch of this goddamn planet for you!" Tim was silent, taking in every one of Bart's words as if he was taking a scolding from Alfred. "He even went as far as breaking into the Bat Cave looking for you! Batman, he-! And Kon went-! And I-!" Bart started stumbling over his words and cried out in frustration. "Don't you care about us anymore?"
That hit him like a blow to chest. He glanced at Kon, whose lips were in a tight line and whose knuckles were turning white from being clenched so tightly. "C'mon Bart, he obviously doesn't care."
"No wait! You don't understand." Tim looked at Bart with pleading eyes. "I couldn't tell you then because I had to be able to gain Catwoman's trust and that was the only way she would be able to train me."Kon looked at him a puzzled look. "Training? What for?"
Tim stared at his feet. "I…gave up being a hero. I mean, Bruce has Damian now and even though I don't live with them anymore, I was never a true robin. Nobody cares what happens to me. That demon spawned brat almost killed me and Bruce did nothing to him but give him a slap on the wrist, And he expects me to act all chummy around him? Yeah, no. He ridiculed me in front of that- that- whatever the kid is."Kon couldn't believe it; this was all because of a stupid kid?!Tim sighed. "It's not just about Damian." Tim felt a feeling of disgust every time that named left his mouth. He picked up his satchel and tied it to his utility belt. It was similar to the one he had before but it was lighter and smaller and blended in with his dark leather suit. "Well boys," He took a gleaming pearl bracelet with diamonds encrusted into it and wrapped it around his wrist as if he was showing it off. ", this has been fun but Catwoman's waiting for me all the way across town so…"
He gave them a swift wave goodbye, took a cautious step toward the ledge, checking to see if there were any law enforcement in the area and leaped out into the open air, whip in hand. This was the last straw for Conner and he proceeded to jump after him and grasped the scruff of his leather jacket, as if he were a kitten. This induced a fight-or-flight mode from Tim, which had Tim reach for Kon's arm, claws fully extended but stopped midway when he noticed that they were flying high above Gotham. "Ok Tim –if that's even your name now- This is what we're going to do. You're going to tell me everything or I'm going to drop you straight into that police headquarters there." He pointed towards some buildings but all Tim saw a blurry lights. "Since I did catch you stealing, it would only seem fit to turn you in."
Tim chuckled, slightly pulling around the collar of this jacket. When it came to bluffing, Conner rarely did but he remembered the first rule Selina taught him, 'don't let your opponent know you're afraid, you have 9 lives kid, remember that'. He turned his head and gave devious smile. "Well you know what they say daddy-o, cats always land on their feet."
He dropped him.
Guess he didn't like the pet name.
He looked down and felt a knot in his throat. Tim wasn't new to free falling. He'd done many times with Bruce jumping from the Bat-Plane. It's just those time, he had a cape. Or you know. A parachute. "Uhh, Conner? I know you can hear me; I'm pretty sure winds not going through your ears at a hundred miles an hour, so can you be a dear and not let me fall to my death?" He tried to hide the rising panic in his voice but he didn't do a very good job at it. Seconds passed and Tim could see that Conner was not going to help. Tim was frantic. He was getting closer to face planting into the heart of traffic below him. He searched anxiously for anything he could wrap his whip around. The buildings below were beginning to get closer. He could feel the adrenaline starting to rush through his veins. Though the cool night air was lapping at his face, he was beginning to feel sweat emerge on his forehead and neck. His eyes scanned his upcoming surroundings. There! Tim's eyes locked on to a metal beam sticking out of a construction site. "Now just have to relax my muscles… Don't tense up dammit, don't screw this up..."
He flung his whip towards the beam and it just managed to wrap around the edge of it. "Relaxrelaxrelaxrealxre-FLING!"
Tim's body screamed in agony as he felt his arm almost rip from its socket. He swung into a drywall crashing through piles of plywood. He groaned and hissed in pain as he felt his shoulder had been dislocated. He pushed back his night vision goggles onto his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose. Well this sucks, he thought to himself. He fumbled around his waist checking for the satchel that contained his small fortune. At least he didn't drop that. He rested his head on the pile of now broken plywood and mentally prepared himself for the pain that was about to overwhelm his senses. He'd had popped his shoulder back in many times but that didn't mean he had gotten used to the pain. He took a few deep breaths, bent his arm and took his wrist with his other, swallowing back a cry while doing so. He pushed his arm outward from his chest to the side and heard a swift pop. He exhaled his held breath as he felt the pain seep out his pores. Tim rolled his shoulder trying to see if there was any more pain and luckily there was none. He smiled to himself. You got lucky, he thought to himself. Suddenly he was met with a gush of air and 2 small arms wrapped around his chest. He could hear Bart's little sniffles muffled into his chest. "I didn't think he would actually drop you! I saw the whole thing! The way you were flung to the building! Are you hurt? Did anything break? I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry..."
Tim chuckled as he looked up at him, peeking through his long lashes. Bart gave him a small smile. "You shouldn't be the one apologizing. Look Bart I'm sorry too, for everything. I know I should've gotten in touch with you guys, but Selina said contact with the outside world during my training was a big N-O. I also figured Bruce or Dick would eventually interrogate you guys and if they knew you knew where I was and he'd find a way to break it out of you. And I wouldn't live with myself if I allow that." Bart nodded and nestled his head in the crook of Tim's neck soaking in the familiar scent of Tim's sweat and aftershave mixed in with the new smell of leather. Tim smiled.
"C'mon Bart, let's go beat up Conner."