Phew! Here's the new chapter!
Skystar901 - Thanks a bunch! I hope you enjoy the story as it continues.
ThePyschoPath96 - I won't be displaying Tim's memory like I did with Jason in Come What May but I will be discussing the events of Battle of the Cowl. The only details for the Red Robin series I will be inputting is the stuff that happened between Tim and Ra's and him finding Bruce. I am also, not going to have the past team help him find Bruce because this is meant to be a simple short story and they won't even find Bruce by the end of this. Another thing, since this is supposed to be short (5-6 chapters tops) I will not be using any explicit love triangles or anything except maybe an overprotective Steph and Cass towards Tim (because I adore big sister/ex girlfriend-turned best friend fluff) and possibly an overprotective Babs too! :)
Dick's POV
It had only been 2 hours since I sent Tim on his mission, so when Commissioner Gordon called, I had expected it to be about a different case, not about my brother being in danger. I ended the fairly quickly, probably pissing Jim off, but oh well, my baby brother was in trouble. I told Damian to suit up and he followed me without question. We landed on the roof of the station in record time. Along the way I briefed Damian on the situation and he stayed silent the entire time, save a few grunts in understanding here and there.
"Commissioner Gordon." I said gruffly and Jim leapt in surprise, something he does all too often given this is a regular thing.
"Damn it, stop creeping up on people like that!" he said, a little flustered.
"Commissioner, tell me again about the incident concerning Red Robin." I didn't have time for games, not when Tim was involved. The kid could barely take care of himself properly as it was. He was always coming down with a fever or passing out on missions. Just a couple weeks ago, Tim went missing then came home with Jason escorting him. When asked what had happened Tim said nothing and Jason merely grunted out 'Ra's'.
Jim proceeded to inform me of Mina's appearance at the precinct on Tim's bike, and then the message he asked Mina to relay to him. I grimaced and drowned out the rest of the conversation and I moved to leave. A hand caught my shoulder as I turned.
"Listen," Jim started, "I know I have no business tellin' you that it'll be alright, but you guys are tough, Red Robin should be alright."
'Yeah, should be. If only it were that simple in this life.' I nodded nonetheless, thankful for the man's small words of reassurance and called Damian to my side. "Robin, let's go." he nodded and we leapt off the building, swinging towards the batmobile. We soon neared the pier.
'Maybe I should call in Jay…' I thought.
Bruce's POV
I couldn't help but stare at Tim's future self in shock. I have another son? But was he of my flesh and blood or adopted like the others? Tim seemed to know what I was thinking and answered my silent question.
"Yes he is your biological son. His full name is Damian Wayne Al Ghul, though he doesn't really care for the maternal side at this moment." At Tim's words, there were a couple gasps. Al Ghul? I had a kid with one of my mortal enemies daughters?
"Talia or Nyssa?" I asked, unsure of who the mother could be.
"Talia. And before you ask," he put a hand up to stop me and I closed my mouth, "it wasn't consensual. She drugged you and took advantage of you." To my side, Dick started shifting uncomfortably.
"Why is he Robin? If I am Batman in the future, shouldn't you still be Robin? Were you injured? Are you alright?" his questions started to turn into frantic panic for his younger brother. Before I could reprimand him for letting his emotions get the better of him, laughter filled the air. Everyone's heads jerked back to where Tim was seated on the bed. His sudden outburst had the room's occupants looking rather worriedly at him. He wiped a tear from his eye and calmed down enough to speak.
"Phew… sorry about that, heh. No Dick, I was not injured. After Bruce died….things became….strained, I guess would be the word." I looked at him in confusion. I could understand there being tension with Batman's disappearance but, why did Tim look so crestfallen because of it?
"How so?" I voiced my question aloud. He looked up at me with a pained expression in his eyes.
"People needed a Batman, we needed a Batman. Dick didn't want to do it, said he finally got out of your shadow and didn't want to hop back into it. Damian was too young and when he first came to us, he was 10 and until then, had been living with and learning from the league of assassins. All he knew how to do was kill. Almost got me a couple times too" he chuckled hollowly, though I couldn't understand why. "Anyway, Jay had never really been the same after he came back from the dead and even more so after you sent him to Arkham-" I cut him off.
"I sent Jason to Arkham?" I asked completely perplexed by myself. Tim nodded.
"Yes, you did and when you died, he thought he could be Batman, but he would do what you couldn't. He would kill the criminals, get rid of them for good. I had also thought that I could be Batman if Dick wasn't up for the job. Me and Jason battled and I was eventually saved by Dick who reluctantly decided to pull on the cape and cowl." Tim paused and seemed to think for a second before opening his mouth to speak again. "And then you made Damian Robin, Dick. Said you could never make me be your little follower, that I was your equal. You stripped me of the only thing that mattered to me most and gave it to the blood son."
By this time, Tim had tears welling in his hardened eyes and his fists shook in fury, while Dick stood shocked. Getting all worked up wouldn't help his current predicament so I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Tim, it's alright. The-" I was cut off by Tim slapping my hand away. The others in the room gasped, not used to seeing him act that way.
"Alright? Alright?! No, Bruce. It's not alright. In fact it's far from it. I lived my whole life looking up to Robin, the Boy Wonder and Batman, the Dark Knight. And then, I got to carry on the legacy only to have it ripped away from me. Being Robin meant the world to me. I wasn't a born gymnast like Dick, nor did I grow up taking care of myself like Jason. And I certainly wasn't your blood son like Damian. I tried so hard to catch up and earn my right to fight beside you all, but I can't even tell my older brother that our dad is alive because I fear he'll ship me off to Arkham!" Tim was screaming by the time he finished his rant and even I was at a loss for words. Dick looked heartbroken at how his future self had been treating Tim.
"I'm- I'm sorry, Tim. I-" Tim cut him off and continued speaking. I started to notice his face looking more pink than before and his form swayed dangerously on the bed. Miss Martian and Superboy held him by his shoulders to keep him from collapsing.
"The only one I talk to is Jay. I told Jay that you were still alive," he motioned to me with his head, "and Jay saved me from falling out the window after fighting Ra's," there was another collective gasp and even I looked at Tim, longing for an explanation, but he shrugged it off, "Jay is the only one that-"
"Only one that what, Timbo?" I would recognize that voice anywhere, and so did Tim. Our heads spun around to see Jason slipping his head through a bluish-looking magic portal. "What's everybody looking at? Do I have something on my face?" he pulled off his mask and his white tuft of hair fell forward.
"Jay, how did you open that portal?" Tim asked as he maneuvered himself in Miss Martian and Superboy's hold.
"Damn babybird, you look like crap." Tim rolled his eyes. "Anywaaaays, Dickiebird told me about your mission, said the Commish told'im something about you needing help." Jason looked Tim up and down from the other side of the blue mass. "And form the looks of it, he was right to come get me. And to answer your earlier question, Zatanna cooked this baby up." I watched as Jason splayed his hands, gesturing to the portal.
"Me?!" My head whipped towards the owner of the voice. Zatanna had a surprised look on her face. Before anybody could speak further, a feminine voice resounded from inside the portal.
"Aww, I was so cute when I was younger~" What looked to be an older Zatanna emerged out from Jason's side. She put two fingers up to her temple in a mock salute and smiled. "Heya B, team. Thanks for taking care of our Red Robin." I looked around and noticed that another figure was stalking up to the portal opening. Once in view I heard an audible gasp, which belonged to Tim. Dick, dressed fully in Bat gear appeared with a small boy, I could only assume was Damian, beside him. He looked like he inwardly debating on what to say.
"Tim, I'm sorry."
Whoa! Thanks for all the favorites and follows guys! I hope this chapter came out okay. I know Bruce's POV was very long (longer than I intended) but I couldn't find a good switching point to change POVs. With that said, more brother fluff/angst coming next chapter!
-Kitsune
