Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. I will not be held accountable for exploding eyeball or raging mind f*cks resulting from the reading of this fic. This is AU – meaning alternate universe – but only slightly so. Oh and this is SLASH, MEANING GAY! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Otherwise, enjoy! And beware my slight potty mouth.
Pairing: EVENTUAL DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake
A/N: HERE BEGINS MY CANON RAPE! Beware! Also, this is an interlude chapter, designed to tell a bit more about the pasts of the Robins in my story and to clear up any confusing regarding ages of characters and explain a bit more about how there came to be multiple Boy Wonders at one time. Oh and there is a bit of Jason bashing, 'cause DC wikia did not paint him as a very positive character in my mind. Sorry if you're a fan and it's really nothing personal regarding the character!
To the Reviewers:
Hey, I updated quickly! Though… This chapter is really not slash at all. It's a Dick and Tim friendship chapter, thus why I labeled it an interlude. It should, hopefully, provide more of a background on the AU I've created for my fic. I only intended to write a shortie for this, but it ended up growing… and growing… and growing… in italics! Sorry about that, but most of this chapter is in flashback! BEWARE!
Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)
Ages note: Before the Infinity Crisis of the DC Series, Dick Grayson started out as Robin when he was 8 years old. Young Justice currently had him at age 13, with him being the most experienced team member. Tim is going to be roughly the same age, maybe a few months younger, while Jason.
Damian Wayne – Damian Wayne's maternal grandfather is Ra's al Ghul, a terrorist and head of the League of Assassins. Genetically perfected and grown in an artificial womb, he is the "son" of Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. Because of his maternal heritage, he's been trained by the League of Assassins since birth, becoming a talented martial artist by the time he was a preteen. Personality wise, he is "precocious, selfish, and violent," (according to DC wikia). If or when he appears in my story, he's obviously going to be the youngest of the Robins, though his age is not set.
Tim Drake – Apparently his father was one of Gotham's most successful businessmen.
Jason Todd – The rogue Robin, he was arrogant and violent, eventually getting killed by the Joker. However, later in the comics, he was revived, going on to become an anti-hero like character known as The Red Hood. Not very popular with the rest of the Robins, he's taking crime fighting down a bloody path, murdering the criminals he captures. It's because of his darker attitude and past that I decide to write Jason in as older then Dick and Tim, as he will appear as a more antagonistic character later in the story. Prior to the Infinity Crisis, Jason Todd's history was much like Grayson's in that he was the son of a circus family; post-crisis, though, he was a homeless kid on the streets that took up the Robin mantle after helping Batman take down a gang of thieves. His appearance also changed as pre-crisis he had red hair, while post crisis he had black. For this story, Todd will be a mix of pre and post, with post-crisis history and pre-crisis appearance. Just because having three Raven haired Robins is waaaaaaay too much.
Gemini: Interlude 1
Immediately following his confrontation with Superboy, Tim rushed to his room, his head filled with anxiety. Talking with the Kryptonian teen, he'd made a grave mistake.
He'd gotten involved.
Comforting Superboy had been nothing like comforting Wally. Talking to the speedster had been difficult, yes, especially concerning the… sensitive… subject matter, but at least he knew how to act, for the most part. He had thoroughly reviewed Wally's personality profile and had the added benefit of questioning Dick on anything and everything he'd need to know about the young speedster prior to beginning his mission as a Robin replacement. But with Superboy things were different.
Superboy was a risk. The clone had been freed from Cadmus only four months ago. There was little data on his personality besides that he was quiet and liked to watch static on the television. Tim didn't know how to act around him and had to improvise, which in retrospect would be troublesome for when Dick resumed his place on the team.
Tim knew that Dick usually spent his free time at the mountain with Wally or Aqualad and that Superboy was usually found in the company of Megan – during which the latter was usually flitting around and subtly trying to flirt with the oblivious boy. This meant that his interaction with the young Kryptonian was totally unscripted since Dick's previous experiences with the clone were minimal at best. Any actions he took around him would be completely his own.
This was bad. Acting on his own would get him attached and if he'd learned anything from his time partnered with the Batman, it was that attachment was not something to bring to the team, his workplace. Just look at what happened to Bruce after Jason. Tim shivered at the name, but then stopped himself. It was partly because of him that Tim had become Robin in the first place anyhow.
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It had all began at the circus, the night the Flying Graysons had been reduced to only Dick. Tim had been there with his mom and dad, bursting with the excitement typical of any energetic eight years old. However the real reason behind his enthusiasm was curiosity. The young Drake had always been an intellectual, always wanting to figure things out. And the Graysons? They were a mystery he'd been itching to scratch, as their youngest member was one of the few people in the world who could pull off a quadruple somersault. The physics behind that had him quaking in anticipation for the show to start…
But all that had changed with a single snap of a wire. The two elder Graysons had died. Dick was the only one left.
It was later discovered that the tragedy at the circus had been orchestrated by a man by the name of "Boss" Tony Zucco, who had sabotaged the act after the late performers refused his demands for extortion money. Tim was horrified at the revelation. Zucco's actions had ruined the life of a child. However, much to Tim's embarrassment, the memories of Dick Grayson and what had occurred that night were quickly forgotten by his young mind. That is, until a few years later, when he caught sight of a video depicting the infamous Batman and his young sidekick, Robin, attempting to apprehend the notorious Penguin…
Robin had done a quadruple somersault.
Obviously, Dick had grown up.
And if Dick was Robin, Bruce Wayne was obviously the Batman. He'd adopted the young performer soon after the incident, and now that Tim thought about, it made sense that the Dark Knight would be a billionaire. How else would the superhero find the funds to pay for all his fancy Bat junk?
Needless to say Tim had been shocked. Then disappointed. He'd just started looking into the identities of Gotham's famed Dynamic Duo, excited to embark upon a new mystery, when the answer to the question on half the city's mind had been plopped down right in front of him!
Of course he didn't tell anyone though. He admired the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder. They had done so much good for the city, and revealing their identities would only hinder their efforts to clean up Gotham. So he remained silent.
Until Robin got shot.
Looking back, Tim let out a short laugh. That time, Joker had been the culprit too. And ironically enough, Dick getting injured was another vital component in Tim's eventual transformation into Robin.
After Robin was injured, the Dark Knight flew solo for a while, the Boy Wonder falling off the grid. No one knew what had become of him. Rumors even began circulating that he might have died.
Tim however, knew better. He'd seen Dick around school.
It was by complete coincidence that he and Grayson both attended Gotham Academy. Apparently rich dads liked to send their kids to the same place.
That's right. Tim's family had a decent amount of cash too.
Anyway, the point was that Tim knew Robin wasn't dead. Just walking a little stiffly from the injury he sustained to his shoulder. Initially Tim had deduced that the other boy was simply taking time off from the life of crime fighting to recover. However, after six months had passed and the Boy Wonder had long finished healing, Dick still hadn't returned to his place at Batman's side.
But it seemed someone else had.
Two weeks after Tim had predicted Dick to reemerge as a vigilante, a costumed redhead had appeared fighting crime beside the Dark Knight. Donning Dick's costume, he claimed, while calling to the press, to be "the One and Only Robin!" At that, Tim had scoffed. There was no way that was true; after carefully reviewing the newbie's performance against the lowlifes of Gotham, it was obvious Blondie was nothing compared to the original. Acrobatically, he was insufficient; in combat, he was green; in tact... well, it didn't appear that he had any, as he was often seen obnoxiously crashing into crime scenes, rushing into situations without any plan of action. In Tim's eyes, the new Robin was rash, untrained, and overall a poor choice of sidekick.
Curiosity had begun tugging at Tim's mind at the new development. It was puzzling why Batman would trade Dick in for someone who was so subpar. And what infuriated him most about the whole situation was that no one seemed to have noticed that the new Robin was a different person! The press had merely blown it off as the Boy Wonder trying out a new look, possibly wanting his hair to match his costume. At this, Tim was disgusted. Finally, his curiosity could no longer be contained. He had to get to the bottom of this mystery.
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Approaching Dick at lunch, tray of questionable cafeteria food in hand, Tim sat next to the former Boy Wonder, a newspaper tucked under his arm. He observed the kid across from him, who'd been looking tired and drained ever since the Robin wannabe had appeared. Dick paid him no mind, instead continuing to focus on his meal. It was understandable that he'd been ignored. They weren't really friends, only acquaintances that sometimes worked together in Physics class because they were two of the smartest kids in their grade and both found it slightly irritating when others could not keep up with their intellect.
Casually, he flipped opened his paper, the Gotham Sun, and began to read. To any passing observer, this might seem a little strange, as a ten year old school boy reading the news while he could otherwise be chatting aimlessly with friends was strange enough, but then again, he did go to Gotham Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in the city. Propping the newsprint up so that the title page, with lead article, "Batman and Robin Capture Crazed Killer Croc," facing his silent companion, Tim let out an aggravated huff, catching the young Grayson's attention.
"Is it just me or are all adults complete idiots?" he asked Dick, turning to face the boy.
Dick just raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What do you mean?"
Grinning, Tim threw down his paper and sat back in his seat. "This whole Robin business. Are they that dense that they can't see that whoever has claimed the role of Boy Wonder is a different person?"
Dick stiffened minutely.
Tim continued. "I mean seriously. Have they been paying any attention to the kid's actions lately? I know the guy's been MIA for the last six months or so, but it's so obvious that the imposter's new. The old Robin was a lot more composed than this new guy."
At this, Dick was silent for a moment, eyes quickly flashing surprise, before he nodded his head hesitantly in agreement.
"I thought I was the only one who'd noticed," he said softly. "The… new Robin does seem to get captured by enemies a lot more than the old one."
Tim snorted. "Yeah, like five times in the last month. That's more than once a week! The bad guys were lucky to capture the old Robin once in their entire criminal careers, emphasis on the lucky part."
Dick laughed. "Right? Whoever's playing Red Replacement just doesn't know what's up!"
At this, Tim smiled, but for an entirely different and devious reason. Everything was going according to plan. From the beginning of this conversation, Tim had only one goal in mind. To find out why Robin had quit being Robin and let some imposter take his place.
This isn't to say Tim was trying to manipulate Dick. Well, he was, but it wasn't anything personal. He liked the other boy well enough, but his curiosity was killing him. And as mentioned before, the two weren't really friends. At least not yet. He was open to the possibility.
Laughing, Tim replied, "Dude must have fallen on his head while trying to imitate the original's sick aerial flips. It's kind of sad how obvious it is that the guy hasn't had much training."
Their conversation continued on like this for a while, with each boy commenting on how inept they thought redhead was. Tim highlighted how graceless and rash the new kid seemed to be, while Dick harped on how arrogant and coarse the guy sounded when addressing the press. From this, Tim founded his companion to be quite sarcastic and humorous, something he'd never have guessed given Dick's usually quiet demeanor.
Eventually though, their lunch period came to an end. Gathering his tray alongside Dick, the two walked to a nearby trash can to dispose of their garbage. Then Tim got to his point.
As he and Dick were about to leave the cafeteria and head to their respective next period classes, Tim let loose his last, pivotal remark.
"Man, it really makes me wonder what Batman was thinking when he set out to replace you, Dick."
He just barely caught a glance of the billionaire's son's stunned face as he turned and walked away.
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That day, after school, Tim found himself being slammed up against a brick wall by one Dick Grayson. Mentally sighing, he wasn't really surprised. He had revealed his knowledge of the boy's secret identity in a real douche-like way. Though maybe Dick could have at least tried to deny being Robin first before resorting to physical violence.
"How did you know?" Dick growled, voice steely, twisting Tim's arm hard behind his back. He gasped in pain, but tried to remain calm.
"I figured it out. It really wasn't that hard," he said, a bit smugly.
Dick twisted his arm harder, but this time Tim retaliated. Slamming himself closer against the bricks, he caused Dick to stumble forward. Caught off guard, the boy didn't have time to react as the other knocked his head back, effectively smashing his skull against the original Boy Wonder's face. Dick recoiled in pain and Tim used the opportunity to wrestle himself free from Grayson's grip, position himself a few feet away, but not fleeing the scene.
Recovering quickly, Dick took a fighting stance. Tim moved to do the same. Glaring at each other, they boys moved in a slow circle before Dick lunged. Agilely stepping to the side, Tim lashed out as the boy happened upon empty space, delivering a swift kick to the former Robin's back and sending him to the ground. He backed up again, knowing that despite landing a hit, it would not keep the other kid down. Tim wasn't really a fighter, there was no power to his blows.
Dusting himself off, Dick stood up, setting him with an icy glare. "What are you going to do with that information? What's your angle?"
Eying him warily, Tim responded. "Nothing." Grayson raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I just wanted an answer to my question."
"And what question would that be?" the boy bit out.
"Why did you quit being Robin?"
Dick paused, shock spreading across his face for a second time that day. "I didn't… It wasn't…" He trailed off. Sighing, Dick visibly deflated, and Tim got a glimpse of how truly tired the boy seemed to be. The redheaded Robin's appearance had obviously taken a toll on him and clearly he'd been having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he'd been replaced. Motioning with his hand toward the streets outside the school, he conceded, "We can talk about this later, just not here. C'mon."
Twenty minutes later and Tim and Dick were at Wayne mansion, discussing what he knew. Tim patiently explained everything, from how he deduced Dick's identity to how that translated into discovering Batman's, while Dick listened, nodding throughout the entire conversation. After that, there was a short Q&A period where Dick explained the circumstances behind the new Robin. Apparently, after he was shot by the Joker, Batman had gotten paranoid about losing him and essentially forbid Dick from patrolling Gotham any longer. Deaf to Dick's protests, the Dark Knight had took to protecting the city alone, with the occasional and reluctant aide of Batgirl, a new female vigilante, who despite sharing a similar namesake worked more or less independently as a crime fighter.
Needless to say Dick felt put out. And these feeling only intensified after he appeared. The new Robin.
Bats had met the boy while Jason Todd, homeless on the streets, was trying to lift the wheels off the Batmobile. He'd taken an interest in the young teen, discretely and without Dick's notice, concerned that he would turn to a life of crime at such an early age. Initially he'd intended to send Jason to a school for troubled youths, but after an incident in which the boy helped the Dark Knight take down a gang of thieves, Batman decided to take matters into his own hands.
At this, Dick had become enraged and he and Batman had engaged in a long and heated argument about the other boy. Dick just couldn't understand how Bruce could have replaced him so easily. And after citing reasons for his safety too! Confronting the man about this had been fruitless, however, as the Gotham billionaire/crime fighter had simply stated that Jason was older and could take better care of himself.
Because two years made such a difference…
With Dick's story told, a somber atmosphere settled between the two, uncomfortable and unsure. Thus Tim decided to lighten the mood. They eventually ended up playing video games on a huge flat screen TV in the one of the mansion's various media room, snacking on junk food and laughing their heads off. Tim even got to meet Alfred, who upon seeing the two boys, commented that he "was happy Master Dick was finally making friends." Needless to say, Tim had dissolved into a fit of giggles afterward, only to be silenced by Dick playfully punching him in the arm.
From then on, Dick and Tim had formed a strong friendship, with Tim making frequent trips to Wayne Manor, as his own globe-trotting, business-obsessed parents were often not around. Dick offered Tim companionship, whereas Tim lent Dick a patient ear whenever being son of the Bat became too much for him. Or when Jason was over. For some reason, the new Robin just didn't like him much and meetings between the two were tense. Plus, the newbie seemed to be short tempered and easily aggravated. Dick came to Tim a lot then, especially after Bruce had decided to take Jason on as his legal ward and the boy moved into the mansion. It was at that time that Tim learned of the former Robin's most colorful vocabulary.
Things went on like that for a while, the boys growing closer and closer, like brothers or twins, helping each other out when either was angry or upset. And because of their coincidentally similar appearances, the line separating them as people from different families was blurred. Eventually, kids and teachers at school began forgetting they weren't related. Their friendship was beneficial for them both as, through Tim's coaxing, Dick was able to resolve his issues with his adoptive father and even get on better terms with Jason, while Dick convinced Tim to confront his parents about not being involved enough in his life. All seemed to go well for the next few months.
And then Jason died.
Essentially, that is. It was the Joker again, that guy really had a knack for attacking young children. He'd beaten the kid into a coma in a warehouse, leaving Batman to find his battered and broken body. The doctors said it was likely he'd never wake up again. Bruce, however, wasn't willing to let the boy go and Jason was currently surviving on life support at Gotham's finest hospital.
From that day on, Batman had become an embodiment of vengeance. His dealing with criminals became more brutal and destructive, with many of them being turned in to the police with multiple broken bones. The authorities merely shrugged this off, as many of the criminals were metahumans and an excessive use of force would be necessary to subdue them, but both Dick and Tim recognized this as a sign of the Batman's failing mental state.
It would only be a matter of time before he killed someone.
At home, the man had taken to endless nights on patrol, followed by long and grueling days as a businessman, seldom getting two hours of sleep a day. Even Alfred had begun to worry. Bruce was going to end up killing himself if he continued living as he did. Action had to be taken.
And so Dick and Tim started on a plan save the Batman.
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It was a mild April afternoon the day Dick Grayson was kidnapped from school. After an explosion in the science lab where he and Tim were working on an experiment for the Spring science fair, the teachers had discovered the young Drake bound and gagged under a broken window, a note stuck to his forehead with a simple message.
11:30 Gotham Bay, Warehouse 51 or the boy dies.
The police were baffled. There were no ransom demands, no specifics, just a note. The security cameras around the school had also been disabled, as well as those on the surrounding building with a view of the academy. They had no leads on what could have possibly happened to the young Grayson.
Predictably, Bruce had taken to the streets, donning his gear as the Dark Knight, as soon as nightfall descended on Gotham. At the time of the deadline, he arrived in a flurry of black, an embodiment on shadows and darkness, rage emanating off his form. Blowing open the door, expecting to be faced with the Joker, Riddler, or another of his psychotic archenemies, he stopped short at the sight before him.
In the center of the room, his adopted son was wrapped in chains, a cloth tied around his mouth, with none other than Robin, the original, Dick-Grayson model Boy Wonder, hovering above him.
At this, the usually unresponsive Batman could not help doing a double-take. Before him stood a ghost from the past, raven- haired and sporting his signature black, yellow, and red costume. He was an impossibility. And he was smirking right at him.
"Hey Bats! What's u- WOAH!"
Bruce had launched himself at the boy, a flurry of fists and kicks. In his mind, Bruce had steeled himself. There had to be an explanation for what was happening. A clone, or a robot, or possibly a shape-shifting alien… With that rational firmly locked in his mind, he threw himself into the fight.
Surprisingly, the Robin lookalike barely dodged his blows, twisting and turning out of the man's reach. Leaping to the side with a frown, the boy launched himself upward, using a grappling hook to lift himself to a steel girder fifty feet above the ground.
Mock pouting, the Boy Wonder crossed his arms childishly, "What is it Bruce? Not happy to see me?"
Again, the Batman froze, but quickly resumed his assault. Reasoning that his opponent could have had telepathic powers and scanned his identity from Dick's unconscious mind, he threw a flurry of batarangs and began engaging in the fight again. Running across the girders, the imposter dodged the flying projectiles, disappearing into the shadows and letting loose an echoing giggle.
Growling, Bruce swiveled around, turning every which way in an effort to discover his enemy's location.
"Seems like the Dark Knight's losing his touch," Robin's voice came to his left. The Batman turned, but it was too late, as the Boy Wonder landed a flying kick to his side. Stumbling back, he recovered only soon enough to see his sidekick disappear into the shadows once again across the room.
"It's probably because he's running himself ragged from fighting crime alone." Dick's voice came again, this time from above him, accompanied by another kick landing squarely on his upper back. Hopping off the costumed crusader, Robin waved briefly, before shooting another grappling hook and disappearing towards the ceiling once again. His taunting commentary continued, echoing all around the warehouse.
"Batman needs his partner, otherwise he's going to get himself killed."
Shaking his head, Bruce let out a frustrated cry. "No! I do this alone!"
"But why? Scared to ask for a little help? 'Cause we both know you need it, Bruce."
Enraged, Bruce launched more batarangs toward the source of Robin'c voice. They bounced off hard steel walls and clattered to the ground. "You know why, Dick!"
From his place of hiding, the Boy Wonder smirked. Obviously the sleep deprivation was getting to the man. He had stopped denying the possibility the boy he was facing was an imposter, as demonstrated by his calling out his name. That, and he didn't seem to have noticed the bound Dick's disappearance from the center of the room.
"Is this because of the Jason thing? You know that wasn't your fault. It's a hazard of the job, it happens."
Batman let out another angry roar, flinging more weapons, the exploding kind this time.
"But maybe it was your fault. You picked the kid off the streets and put him in action after what? Six months of training?"
More bombs were thrown.
"It doesn't really matter, though. You're doing an excellent job, taking down all those baddies on your own and all. If I remember correctly, you turned in Penguin with two broken arms, internal bleeding, and a bruised snout?"
The Boy Wonder giggled.
"Pretty soon, there won't be any more criminals roaming the streets. Instead they'll be roaming the halls of the nearest hospital."
Out of bombs and batarangs, Bruce moved on to chucking ice pellets. The walls of the warehouse began to groan.
"Then, the only thing Gotham will have to worry about is you, Bruce."
At this, the Dark Knight froze. What?
"They'll have to worry about you becoming the thing you fight. A criminal. A menace. A murderer."
Dropping to the floor, exhausted and out of things to throw, Bruce lat out a yell. "I'm not a killer!"
"No," Robin agreed, stepping into the light, twenty feet across from the Bat. "Not yet. But Poison Ivy's shattered knee cap and dislocated shoulder don't lie. You're on your way there. Maybe we should deal with you before it comes to that."
Looking at his son's masked face, the man gasped in horror, realizing the actions of his recent past.
Wait, we?
Those were his last coherent thoughts before he felt a sharp pain in his neck and fell to the ground, the familiar tingle of tranquilizer racing through his veins. Blinking, he saw a second figure step out of the darkness to his side. He barely registered the warehouse begin to crumble around him, as the form went to stand next to his son, twin birdies looking at him with somber eyes. But then, there was nothing.
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Bruce awoke in his bed, sitting up sharply as he gasped for breath. Surveying his familiar surroundings, he frowned in confusion, recalling the last events in his memory and the truth in the words of his former partner's apparitions.
Just then, the door to his room opened and none other than Dick Grayson walked in. Bruce's jaw dropped, but before he could voice his puzzlement at his appearance, Dick spoke up.
"So did you get the message?" he asked, face grim with a seriousness unlike any Bruce had seen since the death of his parents.
Pausing for a moment, Bruce nodded slowly, though still confused, before trying to lighten the mood with a small smirk. "Loud and clear. Someone's worried about his mentor."
"This is no laughing matter, Bruce," Dick snapped in reply, silencing him with a Bat-worthy glare. "You can't take on Gotham's entire criminal underworld on your own! You need help. You need to let me come back as your Robin!"
At this, Bruce frowned, already starting to shake his head. "But the danger-"
"Is something I can handle," Dick cut him off. "So are you going to let me return willingly, or am I going to have to go about learning to make my own bat-gear? I'm sure I could always go ask Barbara for some tips…"
At this, Bruce held up his hand, slowly conceding and recognizing the battle was lost.
"There's no need. I… think we can work things out."
Instantly, Dick beamed. Smiling brightly, he went to sit next to his adoptive dad and gave him a brief hug. "Good, now get some rest." With another flash of teeth, he turned to leave.
Only to be stopped by Bruce's voice. "Dick?" his guardian asked. "What did you mean by 'we' when we were in the warehouse?"
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Tim smiled fondly at the memories. After that, Dick had had to awkwardly introduce Tim to his dad and explain to Bruce that no, he did not tell him his secret identity, the boy had figured it out himself. Bruce had been impressed, praising Tim for his detective skill before grilling them both about how they pulled off their stunt. It wasn't everyday that someone pulled one over on the Bat.
The explanation was actually pretty simple. After Tim had befriended Dick, the two had started doing everything together. That included working out. Dick had retained hope that one day, Bruce would let him rejoin the vigilante world, maybe not as Robin, but as his own man. Because of this, he'd taken to staying in shape, regularly exercising, and bringing Tim along with him. Through this, Tim had learned various acrobatic tricks as well as picked up Dick's fighting style though regular sparring matches, gaining a makeshift understanding of both martial arts and gymnastics. By the time the two had gotten around to enacting their plan, he'd already been in prime physical condition, enabling him to effectively imitate Robin and fight the Bat.
Though, Bruce's sleep deprivation and exhaustion may have served as a welcome handicap.
Following the revelation, Dick had been reinstated as Robin, though Tim had decided to hang up his tights, at least for the time being. Bruce had taken well to his and Dick's friendship, realizing his son's need for a confidant, and making sure that despite his vigilante activities, they both still had time to spend time with each other. He even went as far to send for expert martial arts instructors to come to the manor and train the boys together, providing an excuse to keep them both interacting, even though they would have done so anyway. Secretly, though, he thought this to be necessity for Tim. Knowing both the identity of himself and Robin put him at risk and he needed to be prepared. He even gave him his own utility belt. Tim easily saw through the ruse.
And thus, his unofficial training as the next Boy Wonder began.
It was only natural that when the original Robin decided to join the secret and very much covert team of Young Justice three years later, Tim became the logical replacement to keep reporters and criminals alike from wondering where the infamous birdie had gone.
A sudden knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.
"Robin?" came the hesitant voice of Miss Martian. "Kaldur ordered pizza for lunch and it just arrived. It's going to be in the main dining room if you want any."
Blinking surprised and casting a glance at his bedside alarm clock, Tim was startled to find it was already half past noon. Wow, time had really gotten away from him.
"Sure Megan, I'll be down in a few!" he called to his friend before standing up off his bed and stretching his stiff muscles. He still didn't know what to do about the whole Superboy situation, but he was calmer now, anxiety gone. It could wait until after lunch.
Walking towards his door, with images of extra cheese dancing through his head, Tim smiled. He'd pulled off substituting for Dick before, he could surely pull it off one more time.
Xxx
A/N: Wow, that was waaaaaaaay longer than I expected. This is what I do instead of finishing my school work? Gaaah, I'm so frustrating! Anyway, I tried to insert as many instances of canon into this chapter as possible, as I really couldn't screw up their entire back story. Also, I hope that cleared up any issues about ages and timing. Dick and Tim are still 13, as Robin would be in the Canon TV Young Justice Storyline, and Jason would be 15, 2 years older. Damian is not in the fic yet, so his age has not been assigned, though will be at least 8 in order for last chapter's reference to make sense.
Sooooo…. Like it? Hate it? Review it? Please? This took my entire Saturday to write, and a little of Sunday morning, so I'd appreciate feedback… Though no serious flames, please, as like a Martian, fire scares me. Also, I apologize again for the Jason bashing! I am a fan-by-proxy, totally ignorant of DC besides what I've read online.
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