Chapter five

When Tim came downstairs the next morning he had dressed as expected by his parents. They were waiting for him in the dining room, and when they saw him they smiled. "See Tim? You look so much better like this."

He smiled and nodded, and sat down to a full breakfast. As soon as they saw he had done as they wanted his parents ignored him, turning to their papers and talking about a possible expansion of the Drake Medical Research Department.

Tim ate in silence, planning out his later patrol in hopes of meeting the mystery stalker again. Once he was finished eating he immediately left for school.

It was not to be an uneventful day. Besides getting called a few names for his change in wardrobe a rather tiring conversation was started by Mr. Bennett, his math teacher. Tim, hoping to have time to use his phone to check for any news from his street contacts, had entered the classroom early.

"Tim, I'm glad you're early. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yes, sir?" Tim said politely, sticking his phone back in his bag.

"The other day you said your parents had planned for you to be a businessman, but you didn't have any plans." Mr. Bennett sat down on the desk chair opposite Tim.

"Yeah." Tim shrugged.

"Tim, I think you and your parents should speak with the school's career counselor. I think you should find what you want to do."

"I don't mind being a business man." Tim shrugged.
"Perhaps, but will you like it? You are an extremely intelligent boy Tim. I think you hide just how intelligent. You could do anything that you wanted. You can choose what you like. I love my job, thankless as it sometimes seems. Its students like you, who want the knowledge, who want to understand that make me enjoy it. I'd like to see you in a job you enjoy as well."

"Oh. Thanks Mr. Bennett. Mom and Dad are kinda set and I don't know what I want to be… it's easier to go along with their plans since I don't know what I want to do." Tim answered.

"Well, think about what I've said. I'm going to talk to Ms. Dost about setting up a time to talk with you and your parents. Alright?"

"Sure." Tim shrugged.

With the class suddenly filling up the conversation ended and Tim had no time to look at his contacts.

LINE BREAK BRINGING MY BROTHER HOME LINE BREAK

"We've got a break in the Black Mask case. He's definitely a buyer, and there's another shipment coming in next week." Bruce greeted his squire. Tim slung his backpack to the ground and plopped down in the nearest chair. "Long day at school?"

"I had a teacher wanting me to decide my career. Mom and Dad are also trying to decide my future. It's like no one notices that I'm not really an adult yet." Tim snorted. "And Mom and Dad are kinda of weird about it."

"How so?" Bruce asked.

Tim shrugged. "I think they've got every step mapped out."

"Well. That sounds very… planned." Bruce spoke in a cautious tone.
"Oh, they'll forget all about it when they go on their next trip." Tim laughed. He caught the grave look on Bruce's face. "It's ok, Bruce. I mean, at least I've got parents. I know they aren't like yours or Dicks, but they are my parents."

"Of course." Bruce said.

However, as Tim began to exercise, Bruce also entered the training room. Despite Tim and Alfred's protests he did some light stretches. Tim caught his mentor looking at him several times and blushed hotly, wanting to point out to Bruce that if he'd had parents that were really into knowing him, he couldn't be Robin. This would not have made Bruce any happier, for he already felt guilty that Tim's presence helped him going down a very dark path.

It was a great relief for Tim to head out on patrol.

Patrol offered him a strenuous outlet tonight. Friday night seemed to bring out the worst in Gotham's criminals. Tim and Batman's other Gotham allies were kept very busy. Muggings, robberies, and worse needed to be stopped all over the city.

About halfway through patrol Tim caught sight of the stalker again. Bruce had just switched channels to follow Batgirl's progress with some shady happenings on the dock. Carefully switching to the channel he had set up ahead of time to record his meeting with this person Tim promptly headed for a wide open, and quiet roof top. There he stood, waiting for the approach of the stalker.

"Well, here we are again, little bird." The man said. Today his ski mask was black and his jacket was red. "The big Bat was really knocked out of it, wasn't he?"

"Oh, he's on his feet. Batman isn't very easy to keep down." Robin answered. "So what does red stand for to you?"

"You are a sharp little boy. Red is blood. Red is vengeance."

"On Batman?" Robin asked in a colorless tone.
"Eventually. There's a couple others in line before him. And maybe he'll see reason before I'm done with those." The man snorted. He looked up and down the smaller boy. "You look tense. Are we to fight tonight? I'd really like that. You don't know how much I'd like that." He licked his lips, eyeing Robin's stance.

"Why?"

The question made the Red man laugh. "Oh, little Robin, you don't know anything. You are just a naïve boy in the wrong place. I'm surprised Daddy bats or Night boy aren't freaking out that you're here."

"You wouldn't be the first to underestimate me." Tim replied, hand slipping to his belt. "Batman and Nightwing underestimated me. Now I'm Robin. That should tell you something."

"It tells me that they've trapped you in their lies. And, little Robin, you'll pay for the lies."

Both of them moved at once, as this was the signal they had each waited for. Tim ducked and rolled as the larger man swung his foot towards where Tim's head would have been. As Robin came out of his roll he spun around with the bow staff expanding to six feet long. The man in the red jacket threw back his head and laughed.
"You and wing boy and your sticks."

Then they were at each other again. Had there been a bystander to this fight, it would have looked like a violent dance. Between Tim's agile smaller body and the sheer power of the older man they each had an advantage of some kind. Robin could duck the immensely powerful blows, but if he took a hit it would be damaging.

As he expected the man in the red jacket was very skilled, even more so that Tim. It was taking every ounce of concentration Robin had to keep from being badly hurt. And his sole goal was to bloody his foe. He needed to get blood and then run, for all he was worth. However, this was proving to be a monumental task.

"Oh, are you getting tired?" His combatant asked as they broke apart. Tim's nose was bleeding and he knew at least one muscle in his back had been strained. So far he had avoided broken bones.

"First blood, second blood and… third blood go to me." The man laughed as he caught Tim in the arm and flung the Robin to the hard roof top. Robin did not get up, nor move. "Wow that was quick. I would have thought you would have been harder, being Robin and…"

As he knelt by the seemingly inert boy Robin jabbed his staff upwards into the man's face. At last he drew blood and a blood curdling holler. He leapt to his feet and grabbed the man's face as he fell backwards, trying to rip aside the mask. If only he could see beneath it.

But the man shoved him away viscously. However as Tim scrambled back to his feet he saw that he had gotten his goal. Some of the man's blood was on Tim's gloves. The furious man was gaining his breath and cursing Robin.

"I think that's all." Tim said and ran for the roofs side.

"What…" The man began and then started spewing curses out again. He gave pursuit.

Every hope, every desire Tim had relied on him getting away from this man. So he flew across the roof tops, leaping as gracefully as Dick had taught him, seeking a way to lose his pursuer. But, as might be expected of someone this good, the man knew his way all too well. His weight was a factor against him, but he was older. His stamina was better.

Tim was also more bruised by the fight.

"ROBIN!" A furious, frantic voice cut into his earpiece. He had forgotten to change the channel back. He must have pressed the button on accident "ROBIN, what are you doing?"

"Found… stalker." Robin answered. "Running…"

"He's that good?" Bruce's voice was growing calmer now that he'd heard Tim on the other end. "Why was your earpiece off?"

"Got… jostled?" Robin offered, and sprang across an alley way for a fire escape.
"Alright. Keep running. I've got an eye on you now… Alfred!"

"Master Bruce, Master Dick is in the city and much closer. You are still hurt and would take time to suit up." Alfred's calm voice came over the line. Robin scrambled up the fire escape. It shook with the force of his pursuer landing on it.

"Robin, get onto 103rd street. Nightwing is coming down 84/80." Bruce commanded. "Your bike? I see it. Too far. Can you last?"

" 'course."

"Brave boy. Alright. We'll talk about entering fights without proper back up later."

Tim entered a long stretch to run in without any jumps. He took advantage to pluck his gloves from his hands and shove them into the pouch he kept open for evidence. He had just gotten it snapped shut when he reached the end of the roof he was on. There was too wide a gap to jump. He scrambled down the fire escape. It was only a second or two later that he felt the stairs jostle as a second body joined him.

His pursuer had caught up. Tim continued to run, but could imagine a bullet aimed for his head. The man in the jacket had guns. Why didn't he use them?

Tim was still ahead. He took off down the street, eyes peeled for Nightwing.

"Where to?" Dick's voice, calm, but with an edge to it, asked. Robin couldn't talk and run, so he was glad when Bruce, whose voice held the same edge, answered.

"He's crossing Van Deer Mot Ave."

"Alright. Coming down behind you Robin. I think I see your pursuer. Big fellow. Whatever made you decided to fight him?"
Since Robin had been racing for almost seven minutes at speeds that should not be sustained for so long he did not answer. However he heard the motorcycle behind them and knew Dick had made it. A pair of gloved hands skimmed the back of his neck, there was a nice yelp as a bat-r-rang sliced into the gloves at least, and then the pursuer turned and ran the other way, clearly figuring on Nightwing getting to Robin.

Tim staggered to a stop and dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. "Are you mad, taking him on your own?" Nightwing hollered. "Who is he working for?"

Seeing that Robin was beyond answering the handsome man sighed and produced a sports drink. "Foolish boy. Alfred, I'm thinking he's going to need oxygen."

"Is he badly hurt?" Bruce asked.

"No, he's lost his gloves and his nose is bleeding."
" 'm alright." Tim told them, but made no effort to move.

"Of course you are. Come on. We better get you back to the cave."

"Got to finish Patrol." Tim informed Nightwing.

"After that mad race? You're going nowhere but home, to get oxygen and some hot/cold baths. Why did you fight him alone?"
"He won't tell me who he is. Needed DNA." Robin answered, glad when Nightwing scooped him up off the ground. "He wanted to fight something. Gave him an option."

There were a number of exasperated sighs, and one or two comments, to this, but Robin was happy in the knowledge that he had succeeded and would take the scolding he was sure to get from everyone in good grace. After all, he had done it in secret for them. He was a little alarmed by the fury the stalker had fought with, and the words they had spoken. But he would consider all the ramifications when he was certain.

He was surprised by how tired he was after his race.

Ten minutes later he was being carried by Nightwing into the medical bay, where Alfred and Bruce anxiously waited for them. Tim was surprised by this, since he wasn't badly hurt, only tired. However, he was soon breathing in fresh oxygen and watching Alfred reassuring both Bruce and Dick that Robin's bloody nose and a few nasty bruises were the extent of his injuries.

Relief, not unnaturally, gave way to scolding and the boy listened in fake repentance to a list of his faults and what would be done about them.

Since this ended in a group hug Tim was rather confused about if he was to be punished or not.

After a hot shower, and carefully stowing his evidence to take care of when not surrounded, he emerged to find Dick and Bruce had finally changed the subject and were talking about the Black Mask case. They looked at him with fond relief as he headed for them. He grinned sheepishly.

"Am I grounded?"

"No. But you are not to go on patrol without Dick. It was a smart idea, but not handled in an intelligent way. Next time, let's work out the logistics a little better."

"Yes, sir."

"Bruce, Tim, Bruce." Batman said in exasperation and then seized the surprised boy into a warm embrace.
"Bruce, I don't think I was in much danger. I mean, he had guns but didn't use them, and unless he's a bad shot I had to have given him several good opportunities to shoot." Tim said. "I think he's confused about who he is."

"Well, I'll let you keep the case if you promise to take much more care in your attempts to gather evidence." Bruce said.

"Softy." Dick punched his adopted father. "Come on Tim. I think you better get to bed early."

Wow. This one was fun to write. I love Tim. Tell me how I did!