A/N: This was written from a prompt from seeing a powerful image of Batman holding Tim in his arms while Tim stared at the body of his father, pierced through the chest by one of Captain Boomerang's weapons.
I've Got You
By
AJ
The gun went off at the same time as Captain Boomerang launched his signature weapon at Jake Drake. The arch criminal fell backward with a shocked look on his face, but Tim saw only his father. He watched in horror as the boomerang sliced into his father's chest, not being able to stop it in time.
"NOOOOO!" the scream was primal and terrible. Blind rage filled him and he lashed out at the man responsible, the man who murdered his father. But the man was already dead, dead from a bullet hole to his forehead.
"NOOOOOO! Dad . . . no!"
Tim's knees gave way and he found himself kneeling in the growing pool of blood. First his Mother, just one year ago, died drinking poisoned water at the hands of a voodoo priest. His father barely surviving the ordeal was crippled for life from a plane crash. Being Robin didn't matter to him at that moment, believing that his father came first. Bruce understood, but Tim did not want Batman to be without a Robin, so he asked Stephanie Brown to take his place. Within six months she too had died. She was unprepared for the brutality of Gotham's underworld. Now his father . . . This was too much.
Tim relished in the secret of being Robin because he had someone to come home to . . . now . . . now suddenly . . . he had no one. Bruce had Alfred, even Dick, but Tim . . . he had no other living relatives . . . No butler to take care of him. The house keeper had left, screaming out of fright. There was no one . . .
Tim could not take his eyes away from the horrific scene. It was as if he wanted to burn it into his memory, to never forget . . . And yet there was no way he would be able to punish the man responsible. His father took care of that. Tim though could not move. Tears streamed down his face in rivulets as he continued to cry out his anguish.
The a figure dark and terrible silently knelt behind the teen and wrapped his arms around the stricken figure.
Tim grabbed a hold of that figure's arm like a lifeline and yet he continued to stare at the one person he had counted to be there, who had been there for him these past nine months. They were getting to know each other as father and son . . . and now that had all been taken away. Racking sobs shook Tim's body, exhausting him and numbing his mind. Then the figure spoke.
"I got you . . ."
The voice was familiar, deep and strong . . . understanding . . . knowing.
"You're not alone, Tim. I'm here."
Tim finally tore his eyes away from the horrendous scene, pressing his face against the chest of the only other person who understood.
"I . . . I'm . . . alone," Tim said.
"No . . ." Batman said. "You're not alone. I'm here."
"What . . . what's going to happen now?"
"I called the police. They will come and take both . . . of the bodies to the morgue," Batman explained as gently as he could. "You're going have to make a statement."
"I . . . I don't know if I can."
"Then I'll make it for you, but you need to tell me what happened. Can you do that?"
"I . . . I . . ."
"Robin," Batman's voice became stern. "I need you to report."
The harshness of Batman's words snapped Tim out of the haze his mind was in, and he explained in detail what had happened.
"The police will be arriving soon," Batman said as he listened and digested the details. "Can you walk?"
Tim tried to stand, but his legs were still shaky and shock was beginning to set in.
Seeing that Tim was about to collapse, Batman scooped Tim into his arms.
"Come on, Son. Let's go home."
End
