To the forgotten Robin.
English isn't my first language, so feel free to point out any mistakes
Tim never felt like he belonged anywhere
He always was the outsider
Tim was born in a wealthy family
He was everything Janet and Jack Drake could have wanted in a son.
Smart. Quiet. Peaceful.
But sometimes Tim felt like he was an obligation, like the only reason he was born was because having a son was the expected from a family like them.
The fact they only spent their time travelling while Tim was in home with nannies was proof of that.
He was an interruption, in the dynamic of his parents.
When he finally started going to school, thing didn't change all that much.
He was a bookworm, with very few friends (none, actually). In another place, his wealth would have give him a plethora of (fake) friends, but since everyone in the school was rich, he was just the awkward, tiny kid with an obssesion with superheroes,
Retreating to his books and homework seemed like the better option.
Batman was Bruce Wayne. Dick Grayson was Robin.
Who else could have been able to do a triple somersault like Dick Grayson did?
After the second Robin died, Tim felt the change in Batman/Bruce behavior. More somber, more angry. Since the only way to keep him on line was to replace the dead Robin. he put himself on the job.
Being Robin was the best thing on his life. And he almost felt like he belonged
Almost. If wasn't due to that shrine in the cave, with Jason Todd's ghost haunting him everytime he was wearing the Robin costume, like he was reminding him that he didn't belong there, he was just the replacement.
Bruce's looks towards him just seemed to reafirm such belief.
Tim wasn't the natural born leader that Dick was, but he was pretty competent leading the Titans. At least everyone told him so.
Connor,Megan, Kid Flash. They were together in the Young Justice team and now they were together in the Titans. They belonged together.
But as usual, life struck. Connor died, he tried to clone him, he started a relationship with Wonder Girl solely based in feeding in each other's grief...
Suddendly, The Titans Tower didn't feel like home anymore.
I'm sorry Tim. But Damian needs Robin more"
Tim had to hold back tears of anger and frustration.
Tim had worked hard for that suit. Worked hard to be more that just the replacement, as Jason liked to say. He had lost his father in the process. Jack may hadn't not been the best of fathers but he was his dad.
Tim was aware that Robin was a legacy. He couldn't stay being Robin the rest of his life. But he always thought that the day he stepped down the Robin costume, it would be by his own will. Not kicked down the side for some brat that tried to kill him.
The worst thing it was because it was Dick the one firing him. Dick had been fired from being Robin from Bruce. Tim always thought that Dick of all people would understand how he felt.
Both of them had been replaced by someone they admired, but at least, Bruce didn't replace Dick with a kid that had tried to kill him.
Things lately had been chaotic. Tim refused to heard Dick's replies about Bruce being dead. And he moved mountains to get Bruce back to the present.
Then Batman Inc happened, Damian's death, his resurrection...
Bruce had a lot on his plate. None of it involved Tim.
"Tim, we need to talk"
Tim Drake, former Robin, now Red Robin was stalking his prey when he saw Batman came to him.
"I'm sorry"
Tim blinked
"For what?"
"Because I had been so concentrated in Damian, Dick and Jason that I hadn't been paying attention to you. I know how hard you worked to bring me back and I never thanked you. And I heard the fallout that you and Dick had over Robin "
Tim winced. It was still a touchy subject. He understood Dick's reasons to an extent but that still felt like a betrayal. Dick had been his idol and he just pushed him to the side to favour Damian.
"May I give you a hug?"
Bruce's voice sounded so small, so tender, in comparison to Batman's characteristic growl, that Tim gasped in surpise and instintively threw himself to Bruce's open arms, who involved him in a warm hug.
It was quite reminiscent of the night his father died. How Bruce had hold him in his dark room for hours, until his tears dried off and he finally fell sleep. How in peace he was.
The Batsignal was shining in the sky, but Tim paid it no mind. Gotham could wait a little longer.
Because here, involved in Bruce's arms, his father's arms, the ones which are protecting from loneliness and the chill of Gotham's cold night; Tim could smile, rest his head on his shoulder and relax.
Because, finally, after so long, Tim feels like he belongs somewhere.
I haven't kept up with the Batfam after Rebirth, but I was so annoyed that Dick had his own book, Damian had his own book, Jason had his own book, while Tim was...around, in a shared book with Cassie and Batwoman I think.
More annoying was when Dick fired Tim to give Robin to Damian. Specially annoying since Dick and Tim used to have a cute relationship before. Then N52 happened and such a plot point was never solved. Firing Tim to favor Damian (someone who had tried to kill Tim before) is the kind of dick move I expect from Bruce, not Dick.
I'm not happy how this turned out (it was written in a hurry) so I think I'm going to post an updated version one of these days.