#tim drake: stir crazy

[tofuingho]

DP x DC/ Drop Dead Fred AU

Trigger warning for child neglect/emotional abuse

Tim Drake had a lonely, cold childhood.

When his parents were home, they hardly seemed to notice him. When they were home.

More often then not they were off on digs leaving him at boarding school.Even at the school, he was mostly ignored by adults and children alike.

Was it any wonder he had an imaginary friend?

When Phantom started showing up, everyone noticed. It was difficult not to when a quiet child like Tim started constantly talking to thin air and pulling pranks on everyone. Pranks that no one can ever catch him setting up, but he’s always there when they go off.

But he always said that it wasn’t him. It was Phantom.

Eventually, the school had enough and expelled Tim. His parents are LIVID. No only do they have to come home early from the dig, but now, they have nowhere to send him the next time they leave.

In the end, they hire a nanny to watch over Tim in the Manor. But, the pranks continue and escalate. Everything from the classic frog-in-the-bed to the disgusting filling-the-shoes-with-dog-poo to the just plain weird and unexpected covered-the-floor-in-mayo-so-the-person-slides-across-the-floor-into-a-tub-full-of-old-pumpkin-guts.

They go through nanny after nanny before their newest employee figures out how to seal Phantom away.

Tim returns to the quiet, forgotten child that he was before. His parents find him a new boarding school and everything goes back to the way it was before.

Tim grows up. He finds out the identity of Batman. He trains to be Robin. His mother dies. His dad is paralyzed. He becomes Robin. His father died.

After his father’s funeral, Tim goes back to  Drake Manor. Eventually, he finds himself in his childhood bedroom. Among the knickknacks and toys he finds a small music box all covered in tape. He cuts through the tape, but, before he can open it, out pops a black and white blob.

The blob bounces around the room and grows larger and larger. When it finally comes to a stop, floating in front of him is a girl.

She opens her mouth and says “EWWW! What happened to you, fart breath?”

[wolfsrainrules]

Stares off into the distance:

So.

Apparently my brain is just going to run along with various crossovers. Today, I bring you the thought of a John Wick fusion au (actually five differnet ones) with Batman/DC. (Again: a reminder that all my DC/Batman knowledge is fandom based)

@north-peach hellllppppp

Couple of thoughts for this.

The First: Janet Drake is one of the underworld's best. She's fantastic at manipulation and killing. She could walk herself out of a situation covered in blood, and convince people who saw it all happen that she never touched the body.

Tim grows up at her knee. He learns for the very best. And Janet teaches him everything she can- because despite the job and the crazy hours, and the travel, she loves her son. She wants to give him every opportunity to make it out alive from anything. Unharmed and not in trouble if possible, but alive most of all.

John Wick is a ghost story to the underworld. Tim has always been curious about people who could cause such a stir as his mother or John Wick might. When he meets him, he decides that man is Friend Shaped despite every sign saying Do Not. Despite every horror story saying it's a bad plan. (Much as he will later look at a story in a city of a cryptid said to be a manifestation of a city, a demon, a physical representation of all those who have died unavenged and decide the same)

More than that- John has ZERO idea how to handle Tim. He's a k i d. John's not gonna kill him for just...showing up all the time. It's not like he interferes or causes problems. In fact, he helps sometimes. Provides info, or a direction, a place to crash-

Tim confuses John.

Tim is also the very first to congratulate him, when he manages to get out of the underworld for Helen and mean it. To not even question the 'impossibility' of the Baba Yaga deciding he was done. John didn't bother to ask how Tim knew he'd left and why before the news actually broke out.

Tim watching John get out, go for it and SUCCEED is what gives him the courage to confess to his mother that he wanted to spend some time outside of the underworld, watching the curious case of Batman and Gotham. And Janet loves her son. So she arranges for it to be so.

They both know who Bruce Wayne is. Janet had figured it out before even Tim. She makes him promise that, if he needs her, he will call her, and lets him hunker in Gotham while he does what he wishes. She makes some trips back to Gotham, of course, but not so many that enemies can figure out there's someone important to her there. Janet is THE Femme Fatale. She has plenty of people who would go after her boy. And she's not having that.

Tim doesn't actually PLAN to get involved in vigilante life. At all. He's underworld born and bred. He's a survivor, manipulative, and can be a level of cunning and cold and ambitious that always makes his mother so so proud. He's not a do-right kind of person. He's not someone who does things for people outside of "me and mine" without a reason. Or if it goes against his moral code.

Except Jason Todd becomes one of "Me and Mine". He's a friend. A nosy vigilante who sees that his friend is alone and sets off his instincts as dangerous yes, but also as 'not a civilian' in a conventional sense. He's not a street rat, but he's not...normal either. And Tim? Tim, once he decides this Robin is his Robin, well he can't very well leave him undefended doing this ALONE can he? Though he understands by working with Robin, he cant use the tried and true methods of murder, as it could get pinned to Robin or Batman and he can't have that. If he wants to fly with Jason, he needs to fly by his rules. So a new vigilante is born that runs the streets with Robin. A little more vicious but in a cold and precise manner. Exacting. He doesn't let Jason go after his mother without doing the information gathering, and stops his death by Joker.

For a time, Tim finds himself pulled into the Wayne family, and he...thrives with them. He's happy. He learns under them. Expands his skillset, and still sent out to learn from people around the world. He is NOT fool enough to turn that away- his mother would somehow KNOW wherever she was if he turned down that kind of opportunity and he did not want to imagine the disappointment and response. NO THANK YOU.

When the underworld is kicked like a hornets' nest by John Wick coming back into the fold, Tim is...curious. He's kept an eye on John and Helen, if not stayed in direct and constant contact with them. He hadn't expected John to step foot back into the underworld.

And then his mother sends word to him, calls him back to the Continental, warns that the underworld is getting REALLY kicked up as a result. Tim...needs to go. He cannot imagine NOT answering his mother.

He arranges things on the Gotham end. Says temporary goodbyes and gets to the NY branch asap. Beats his mother there.

Makes it just in time to see John Wick pull a gun on Continental Grounds and shoot a newly crowned seat at the Table and is caught up in the chaos.

His family are going to end UP in the chaos themselves, because they will not cannot leave Tim in it alone. The connections Tim has are MUCH a surprise, he's done very well in hiding exactly what he used to do, and WHY he has a contact and hand in everything, and can ALWAYS get his family what they need. The Second: Tim Drake still grows up at Janet's knee. He learns it all. Thrives in it all. He ends up NOT going down the road of hitman or assassin or any number of things he could have done. Instead Tim Drake chooses to be a Information Broker that claims Gotham eventually, and by means of getting taken in by Bruce, the Wayne Manor and grounds around it become neutral grounds much like the Continental, if you want Tim's services to remain open to you. If you pull the underworld onto the ground...well. Just because Tim goes by Bruce's rules, and just because he PREFERS the route of nonviolence does not in any way mean he would not kill to protect it. To prove a point. To make a statement. To allow one to get away with it is to allow danger to his family and he WILL NOT, no matter that they all are perfectly capable of defending themselves. The Underworld is entirely different than their villains. To not kill the offender is to open themselves to weakness and targets. So Tim WILL.

Gotham is not Wayne Manor. The City is fair game to the underworld. Wayne Manor is NOT.

The Third:

Janet raises her boy at her knee still. Tim chooses the route of Doctor instead. He sets up in Gotham, and decides he likes the foolish vigilantes enough to step in when it's needed and save their lives. He becomes known to the Batfam as a Doc that will not ask questions, but is absolutely one of the most capable people they've seen. If Leslie isn't available, or not close enough, they go to Tim, if Tim doesn't find them, because he certainly seems to know when they need it.

The Batfam does sometimes find him having dealt with Some Things underworld involved so they are WORRIED about their idiot, despite the fact that Tim can and will Wreck everyone that causes problems in his area. He has also shown up stripping off blood covered scrub tops or whatever cause hes coming in hot from another healing thing, and they all wonder and worry and just- it's fine. Everything is fine.

They worry anyway.

Despite the fact that Tim has friends seemingly everywhere, from all walks of life, favors all over, and connections to seemingly everything as a result of his work. (He has absolutely been offered favors as payment, hits, assassinations and all sorts of things. He never turns them away. Janet taught him better. Instead he has markers and logs, books and written promises all stacked away. He remembers them all of course, but better to have written proof somewhere, something official. The Continental holds it for him.

The Fourth:

Gotham HAS a Continental Hotel due to all of its.....everything. Janet Drake runs it. Tim knows EVERYONE and everything, and has absolutely run the counter often. Bruce doesn't know what it is. Ra's absolutely does. Tim is the next to take over the branch and EVERYONE knows it.

He ends up occasionally, when people step on his morals, providing information to the Bat.

Jason managed to find his way inside by accident, and may or may not get himself heavily involved in the underworld even BEFORE the Red Hood thing.

The Fifth:

Same concept as 4 except BRUCE WAYNE runs the Continental and the ripples of everything therein.

[timdrakequotes]

Dick: The Nightbird’s build to blend. Street camouflage, Babs.

Babs: The “Nightbird,” huh?

Dick: Tim named it.

--Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson on Tim Drake (Joker: Last Laugh #1 – Part One: Stir Crazy)

[ggomos-maribat]

6 | lost

Part 6 of Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Dead | Masterlist

CW: Depressive thoughts

After Alfred's badgering, Bruce finally retreated from the dark confines of the Batcave and brought his work up to the manor's dining room. The stack of papers rustled as he spread them on the wooden surface, and his laptop lit up again with the dust on the screen more evident in the light. Bruce rolled up his sleeves and began to read again.

In entered Duke.

"Hey B. Coffee?" His second youngest offered.

"A cup please, Duke. Thank you," said Bruce without looking up.

"What's that?"

Bruce let himself lean back a little. Perhaps Duke could give his thoughts on his search? "Remember the akumas from Paris?" He stretched his arms. "After Hawkmoth's defeat, the two heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir disappeared from the public's eye without prior notice. The League tried to track them down for a short while, but we came up with nothing."

"Why do you need to find them?" Duke quizzed.

Bruce stared at the photos of two blurs: one in red, one in black. It was no mistake that the two heroes had been on the younger side when they first started, and yet they lasted through the long battle with a terrorist. "Firstly, we barely know anything about the Miraculous and Hawkmoth's actual motives. Ladybug did announce that Hawkmoth had been caught and promised that he would be facing consequences, but she denied everyone of any other information. Secondly, we want to be allies with them, or associates at least."

Bruce heard the clinking of metal to ceramic as Duke stirred the drinks. "It's not the first time a set of magical powers are hidden away to protect those powers, right?"

"Right." Bruce nodded. "Our problem with the Paris situation is that it happened under our noses for years, and we hadn't caught on until it was over. We want to keep the same thing from happening again."

It's mostly regret. Guilt, Bruce wanted to say. It was too late when we noticed an entire city suffering. The things they dealt with were in the levels of world threats. He remembered waking up to the news that shook the entire world, not having time to register it since the Justice League needed to take immediate action.

"Is that the same thing Dick's going crazy about since he came back here?" Duke set down the cups on the table, pulling a seat for himself beside Bruce.

"It's a different but not completely unrelated issue," Bruce replied. He was also hoping some clue from the case would turn up for the benefit of his search. It was partly the reason he let Tim and Jason go to Paris.

"Hm. Any leads from Constantine?"

"Only chunks of indecipherable texts related to the Miraculi." Bruce showed him a picture of the strange symbols from a book called 'the Grimoire'. "He's convinced that the current Guardian of the Miraculous is Ladybug herself."

"What about Aunt Diana?"

"Her mother has had prior connections with the Ladybug Miraculous before, but they lost contact a long time ago. Diana's helping with my search as well."

"Sounds like a dead end." Duke sipped on his drink.

"It's not strictly an urgent case, but it's important nonetheless." Bruce skimmed over his notes. "Even with the thousands of photos of Ladybug and Chat Noir, the Miraculous Magic is able to hide their real identities very well and no existing accounts of a civilian contact exist. Well, briefly there was one about Lilia Ross, but she denied it after a while."

"What if you retrace the heroes' steps and try to figure out Hawkmoth's identity instead? If the heroes found him out, maybe that's an easier angle," Duke suggested.

It's a good strategy. But how far will it actually take the search?

"Thank you, Duke," Bruce cleared his throat. "I'll give Tim a call."

***

Meanwhile, deep under the manor, Damian strolled into the cave to find Dick finishing the call with their brother. The youngest Wayne took a seat in front of him. "What did you tell Drake?"

"I asked them to ask Adrien Agreste about his cousin, Felix Fathom," Dick answered. "He was in Paris on the day Marinette was found."

"Are you suspecting him for murder?"

"What? No," Dick said, "I'm just considering him to be someone with information, since he has been involved with Hawkmoth and akumas before."

". . . And what does that have to do with her death?"

"It's all part of Tim's theory, that maybe Hawkmoth was targeting Marinette. Felix had a lot of trips to Paris at the time with unclear purposes. Sure, we can say he's just there to visit Adrien but the timing is off."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Would he not be comforting his cousin because Adrien lost a friend?"

"Call it a hunch, okay? It's a lead . . . aha!"

Dick held his breath—he'd just received a response from Barbara, from a request he made for the investigation. She was able to dig up the lost evidence and compile the translated file and send it to him. Oracle, you're a godsend, Dick praised.

"What's that?" Damian asked.

"I snooped around in the digital archives of the investigation team at that time." He anxiously tapped on the tablet, and sent the file to the Batcomputer for viewing. "Turns out they lost file of a key evidence to Marinette's death: her diary. The original copy went missing from the office some time ago."

The screen showed scanned pages of the diary—the words were written on lined pages in Marinette's neat handwriting, and the shape of the paper was somewhat curved. On the side of the photo was the re-typed French text, and then the translated English. The first entry was dated about three years before her death. Dick scrolled down to the last page and found that the last entry was on April fifteenth, just before her body was found by the bridge.

"Why didn't you tell Todd and Drake about this?" Damian leaned on the table to get a good look at the entry.

"I want to put together my findings here before I tell them." Dick sighed in frustration. "I really should've went to Paris too."

I have no choice but to help with the investigation from afar. He slowly and carefully read through the last entry, guessing that it should give them the most clues about her death.

15 April

These days I've been feeling 'free'. T says it's because I've been liberated at last and I've only begun feeling it now. I don't know if it's supposed to be like this. Maybe it's my way of adjusting to something new. Yes, it's a big leap, I know, but T will be there for me. T's strangely very optimistic about it. Years ago I wouldn't have thought that this will be the person I'll be. I guess time passes faster when you're older?

Dick stopped reading. Her writing is unexpectedly . . . heavy. It was like she'd already seen so much horrors in her life. He almost felt like an intruder in her thoughts.

He forced himself to keep reading.

'Freedom' feels a bit empty? Or lonely? T says it's the trauma. Adrien says that emptiness will get filled in soon. Apparently, it's the same thing he felt when his mother disappeared. If this is exactly it, I want to go back in time and comfort the younger Adrien. Maybe if you stay too long in chaos, you get used to it and find the calm strange. I hope that turns around for me soon.

The words cut off at that part.

"That's it?" Dick blinked a few times. "That's the end of it?"

"T . . . This 'T' person," Damian thought out loud. "There isn't anyone close to Marinette whose name starts with 'T', except for her father." He took over briefly and scrolled through the other pages. "But in other entries she only refers to her father as 'papa'."

"It could be 'T' for Kagami Tsurugi but the entries started way before they met," Dick added, "Also, she refers to Kagami as just 'Kagami' here, it looks like."

"So this person is another confidant of Marinette's that her friends and family likely had no idea about, and could be involved in her death."

"Assisted suicide? Is this why the police declared it a suicide?"

"It's not exactly a suicide note," Damian crossed his arms. "No farewell, or mentions of leaving possessions behind . . . If anything, it seems like she was actually hopeful for recovery, maybe from the emotional distress caused by Hawkmoth's actions in Paris."

Did we actually end up with more questions than answers? Dick wondered.

"Tim said something about Lilia Ross' transfer to their school having an effect on her that time. Let's see . . . " Dick skimmed through the entries to find a handful written a few years back:

8 November

They left me alone  in downtown Gotham.

I can't believe they'd do that. I told them I had to fill out some forms in the museum and...they got on the bus without me. I wish Adrien were here. I had to ask help from the front desk and they kindly got a taxi for me back to the hotel. What is Bustier thinking? Will anyone be on my side if I speak up about it?

No.

Probably not.

It will be more of a burden if I do. I keep telling T I'll be fine. I just have to get through one more day and we'll be back in Paris soon. Someday I'll visit Gotham on my own again and dispel these bad memories.

"What the fuck?" Dick whispered. Even if the class or Lilia Ross had nothing to do with her death, this proved that they weren't faultless either. How could this have happened without anyone from WE noticing? Who the hell leaves a teenager alone in an unfamiliar crime-ridden city?

"Grayson," Damian snapped him back to reality.

He sighed and switched to another entry.

13 May

T says I have to go to bed but I almost forgot to write here. Nothing new happened today but my body feels so heavy. If I try to rest I either can't fall asleep or I end up dreading the days to come in my dreams  nightmares. Hawkmoth has been getting ruthless each week, it's crazy. Why can't he just stop? How much do we have to give him? Yesterday I had to fend off a butterfly. Then the day before that. Then the day before that. Then the month before. I don't know what to do.

Is being brave something inherent or does it come after I face my fears? T says I look brave. I don't feel like it though. Each risk I take, I actually get very scared. I'm not actually sure what would happen. I might look confident but I'm not. I wonder what everyone would think if they found that out about me. What would they say? Will they sympathize with me or will they refuse to believe it?

21 July

I'm happy to have Adrien to talk to now. I know he still has his hands tied, but it's getting easier to talk to him since last week. We both told each other that it had been a huge weight off our backs. This feels too good to be true. The younger me would've been ecstatic. I'm ecstatic now too, but for different reasons. I hugged Adrien very tightly this morning and told him 'thank you'. He hugged me back and whispered more 'thank yous'. It was sudden but we both knew what it was for. T helped me wipe my tears after.

Things are going to change from now on. Is it bad that I feel ready to face those changes because I have Adrien on my side now? I used to think he put too much faith in me before. No, even now. I used to be scared I won't live up to his perfect image of me. But now his trust is something I really need. I'll put my faith in him too.

How can her words be so vulnerable but so secretive at the same time? Marinette didn't seem to be straightforward in her writing, and yet she completely conveyed her thoughts and feelings. How much more do we have to read to get a clearer picture?

"This mystery person is strange," Damian concluded, "Our best chance at figuring their identity is to ask Agreste."

Dick nodded in agreement. "Looks like he has the most answers right now. It says she was almost akumatized multiple times too, which supports Tim's theory."

"Wasn't Hawkmoth caught before her death?"

"He might still have other ways," Dick considered. "Ladybug never clarified what exactly happened to him. How was he punished? Imprisonment? Weird magic ritual? Death? We don't know."

His phone suddenly buzzed at the same time that a notification appeared on the computer.

Another Lilia Ross scandal has blown up.

***

The first few rumors were matches being lit, and the one that assumed Lilia Ross to be a killer started a forest fire. This one was gasoline, Tim thought. Just as the internet was getting quiet, posts showed up again, this time attacking Lilia's company.

"So, someone saw pictures of Marinette's old clothes designs that she submitted for competitions," Tim recapped, while Jason listened beside him and Dick and Damian watched from the screen. "And compared them to Lilia Ross' current brand's designs. They look like carbon copies, but with just a few tweaks. Now Lilia's being accused as a thief. Others are saying more of the designs were stolen by Lilia, based on the accounts of their old schoolmates."

"It should be recounted in her diary if there was theft," Damian chimed in.

"Diary, what diary?" Jason asked.

The screen pinged, receiving an encrypted file from Dick. "Babs found a digital copy of her diary that the police used to keep, but the original one went missing. There's a lot of things here, including accounts of what Lila did and said in their class."

"There. February first," Dick pointed out as soon as Jason scrolled to it on their screen.

1 February

My missing sketchbook returned to me in my locker. There were tears on the paper and burn marks and liquid stains and pages ripped out and pages crossed over with a black marker. It was one of the first sketchbooks I've ever completed and it's full of draft designs. How do I prove it's Lila's fault? I knew I shouldn't have left my bag in the room for that short while. I knew I shouldn't have brought it to school.

I want to throw it out.

T says I should keep it, and use it to finally shed the truth on her.

But what evidence do I have? Is this enough to make her face the consequences?

I locked it away under my bed. Whatever. I'll fill up another sketchbook. I'll remake the designs. If Lila sees me crying over it, she wins. If the world sees me crying, Hawkmoth wins. If I fight back, they get the upper hand anyway. I just have to be more careful next time. It was just hard not to let my emotions spill when I found it. Lila was nearby waiting for my reaction earlier, I know it. She seemed proud of what she had done.

"What the fuck?" Jason seethed, "She stole her designs!"

Tim's lips drew into a thin line. Was this what Marinette had been feeling the whole time? He couldn't imagine it . . . the suppressed emotions, the feelings of helplessness, the manipulation. She readily gave up.

"Who's 'T'?" Tim brought up the other point about the diary entry nagging at him.

"Some friend of Marinette's who's always mentioned in this diary," Damian replied, "They seem to be very close."

"Does that ring a bell for you?" Dick leaned in.

"No, not at all. Is it a codename? An online friend maybe?"

"Based on this diary, T is always close to her, like, physically."

"Is it . . . a psychological thing?" Jason said softly.

"I wouldn't immediately conclude that." It was already in Tim's jumbled thoughts—a guess. A wild guess. "With the Miraculi in Paris . . . " He sucked in a breath. "Fuck. Ladybug's kwami's name was . . ."

The others seemed to realize it too at that second.

A muffled buzz rang out.

"I got a message," Dick suddenly said, frowning. "It's Babs. She says she found who ordered the investigation to be closed."

"Who?"

"Adrien . . . it was Adrien Agreste." 

Taglist: @hammalammadamdam @toodaloo-kangaroo@missmadwoman@afanofmanyships@atomicherringpersonjudge-blog@wheredostarsgowhenyoudie

[halfagone]

So this prompt involves some villain attempting to invade earth, with them using their power to summon Earth’s greatest hero for a one on one fight for the planet that’s televised across the whole world. Everyone expects Superman to show up…instead a kid with black hair and blue eyes who’s 16 at most shows up. Basically, some villain forces Danny to fight them and Danny is forced to decide if he wants to out himself in front of the whole world to save the planet while the league watches in horror as what they presume to be some powerless kid fight someone the whole league would have trouble beating on a good day. What do you think?

OH MY GOSH This reminds me of The Apocalyptic Support Group by Voidborn. It's only one chapter right now, but that fic has me by a chokehold with just the one. However, unlike this idea, that fic has four "random" civilians. Billy Batson, Clark Kent, Danny Fenton, and Tim Drake. Whatever will these civilians do! (They all have black hair and blue eyes? Huh, crazy coincidence...)

But as for your idea, I like the concept of Danny... faking it? Like he's manipulating his surroundings as surreptitiously as possible and beating the villain that way. But as far as people can tell, it's just crazy good luck on his part? Or he's just really resourceful? But in reality, Danny is like- using his telekinesis to manipulate objects to move in the background out of sight or his cryokinesis to stir up objects within the ground so that it breaks a certain way to help his evade a blow. All sorts of tricks like that.

In the end, Danny wins the fight, but he acts like it's just crazy good luck/coincidence, and people begin to suspect that luck is his power. Like how John Constantine can manipulate luck to his favor, the same way Domino from the Marvel comics can. And maybe people want to take advantage of him for that, or try to harness his powers for their gain. But it never seems to work, and people can't figure out why.

And maybe others can piece together clues to suggest that Danny had been doing subtle little tricks all along, and they begin to realize that Danny really is crazy powerful to do all of this and manage to, largely, get away with it. He's obviously not a threat to superheroes, but maybe they should be reaching out and making sure he's okay. Metahumans aren't always treated kindly, after all, even if there are measures in place to ensure they have better and equal rights.

Of course, there is always the option that Danny just decides he has no more fucks to give and just goes: "Eh, why not?" And then absolutely wallops the villain on international television, and all the people back in Amity Park are either cheering for their boy or swallowing and praying he doesn't want revenge for some of the stuff they've done to him *cough*Dash*cough*. Ugh, sorry, I was clearing my throat. XD

Obviously this would be the funnier version, but there would be more consequences to it once he goes back home and people realize how powerful he is. However, this does offer more opportunities if Danny tries to play it off like: "Yeah, I have powers, but I'm not really interested in being a hero. Is that such a bad thing?" And that raises awareness of how metahumans shouldn't have to automatically be heroes just because they have powers? There are plenty of powers that don't lend well to heroism too, after all! But perhaps people try to pressure him into becoming a hero, or using his powers in his day to day life, and it's a whole thing.

I have to be honest with you, I really like the idea of a highly publicized identity reveal. Which is why I hate Phantom Planet. XDD You'd think I'd like it for that exact reason, but it's not really the concept that I disliked but the execution of it. But anyways, I'm rambling.

I like people realizing that Danny has powers, but not realizing how he has powers. For example, there was a fic a while back where people found out Danny was a halfa but didn't realize he was Phantom (can't remember who wrote it now, sorry about that). I adore identity shenanigans like that, and I feel like this type of AU would lend really well to that possibility.

I also really like Social Media fics, and I feel like there is a lot that could be explored in a highly televised fight like this. The Survivalists is a really good example of this, in my opinion. Just... exploring the populace's conjecture and theories, and just their reactions to everything that is going on without the context. I'm always excited for fics like that, and I definitely think this AU could do something similar.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

The End of the Beginning

by ThirdBoyWonder Tim has been living with Jason, Roy and Lian for a few months now and is starting to go stir crazy. luckily, Roy has the perfect plan to get Tim back out patrolling while also fucking with Bruce's head.   The other stories do not need to be read before this one, however it'll help add more context to this universe! Words: 1447, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 3 of Who are you? (Find Yourself) Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen, M/M Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Roy Harper, Lian Harper, Bruce Wayne, - Mention Relationships: Roy Harper/Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Lian Harper, Tim Drake & Roy Harper & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Roy Harper, Lian Harper & Roy Harper, Lian Harper & Jason Todd, Lian Harper & Roy Harper & Jason Todd Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It's mentioned in just one spot, Mostly Fluff, Tim starts to feel like he has a family again, Found Family, Jason is lians other dad, Tims her uncle, finally getting to the main plot, identity theft, Bruce Wayne's A+ Parenting, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Tim gets hurt by Bruce and gets taken in by Jason via https://ift.tt/sAeKrXQ

[mistressofmagic-a]

[ text ] i have to do something. i’m going crazy just sitting here…

@cleverbxrd

(✉️ ➡️ mit ): i take it you can't do much without power? (✉️ ➡️ mit ): [unsent] a stupid question I'm sorry— (✉️ ➡️ mit ): are regular comms working? i saw bats earlier, he's as chatty as ever (✉️ ➡️ mit ): but I'm thinking maybe we can set up a grid in the city, get us all on the same page, might be easier to contain some of this if we operate in districts or grids (✉️ ➡️ mit ): [unsent] if nothing else we'll at least /feel/ more in control of what's going on

[waswastxt]

ive seen a lot of posts about tim playing animal crossing during the quarantine at the mansion but. if you guys really think damian wouldnt be going insane playing it too then youre just Wrong. he took to it about 2 seconds after he started playing and has only stopped to care for the real animals on the mansion and to doodle the family as ac characters during Requisite Family Time. he takes great pleasure in going to tims island just to conk him in the head with the net for hours on end and has stabilished a mutually beneficial fruit trading agreement with steph

[dementedspeedster]

"Did you know Tim's afraid of geese?" it's not true, she's just bored and feels like stirring up trouble. "Like, deathly afraid. Almost cried when we saw one at the park."

@curaetive @volucerrubidus

“No way!” Thad lets out a laugh at that. There was no way Tim Drake, his Tim that he knows, Tim who fights crime, Tim who jumps across train cars for fun (which Thad still thinks is crazy), Tim who risks his life practically every night is deathly afraid of geese or all things? No way. He didn’t believe it for a second. Thad lets out a louder laugh at the thought.

“No,” He shakes his head, “Nice try, Katie, but there’s no way I’m falling for a lie that obvious. There’s absolutely no way he’s deathly afraid of geese.”

[good-rwbyaus]

Emerald Batgirl AU: has Emerald met the Red Hood yet? Has she met any of the other Robins yet?

If so, what does Emerald think of them? And how fid their first interactions go?

As time went by Emerald got to know pretty much all of Bruce's other kids and sidekicks, to... varying reactions

Nightwing:

He's the older brother she never knew she would want to have but now couldn't imagine losing

When she was still getting used to Bruce and his habits, Dick reassured her that it's just how he is and he does care about all of them in his own strict way

She learns a lot of acrobatic tricks from him, and he ends up becoming her preferred sparring partner when he's in town

He has lots of funny stories about Batman's earlier years and the learning curve Bruce had going from solo work to having a partner

Red Hood:

In Jason she finds a kindred spirit, and they bond over tales of street urchin life

He tried to flirt with her when they first met, and she slapped him for it. He laughed at that, and told her she had real fire. Still, he never tried anything like that again

She laughs harder than she has in a long time when she learns how he met Batman, because "Who just steals the tires off a random super car?"

Seeing someone so much like her is still welcomed and appreciated in the family gives her hope for her how situation

Being the most rough and tumble, he patrols in Vacuo so he always has crazy desert stories

They usually end up getting into trouble together, twin terrors of brutal justice on the streets

Red Robin:

Tim is an... interesting case. She's heard stories about him, what he's like, but for the longest time she'd never actually seen him

Empty coffee cups, crooks with broken bones complaining about a punk with a staff, and there seems to be a running joke about her getting "tested" one day... he's like a cryptid among vigilante urban legends

Finally she does meet him and... he's this wiry little geek with his face buried in his laptop and a mug always handy. It's rather disarming.

She hadn't even meant to stumble across him, she just came down to the kitchen in the middle of the night for an ice pack and saw him sitting at the counter working on a case like it was no big deal. She assumes he's an intruder until he gives her a nod and says "you must be Emerald. Tim Drake". She goes back to bed and dismisses it as fatigue hallucinations until she sees him at breakfast with Bruce the next morning

Once they do actually talk more often she gets a soft spot for the kid. He's got enough sass to match her, and she loves watching Dick cringe when Tim tells the story of how he cracked Batman's secret identity.

Eventually Jason drags Tim into her room and tells him "C'mon, give her the test." It went like this...

Emerald: The what?

Jason: As you heard with Wing Ding, Tim's really good at figuring out people's secret identities. So today, he's doing yours. We call it "the Tim Test"

Em: Is this really necessary?

Tim: No, it's really not but its like a rite of passage so let's get this over with. You fail.

Em: What, just like that? What do you mean I fail?

Tim: Bruce Wayne adopts a green haired dark skinned girl and suddenly Batman has a new sidekick whose costume exposes those same uniquely specific qualities? You're Batgirl, you fail.

Em: Alright, fine...

Robin:

Much like his dynamic with Jason, Damian is frequently at odds with Emerald and the two bicker often.

She called him a sassy lost child the first time they met, and he's taken that personally ever since. Meanwhile she resents that he's probably going to always be preferred in Bruce's eyes since he's the blood son. Still, she can't really hate him

They do bond over his veritable zoo of pets, and he helps her tame a pet snake. Her little brother is pretty chaotic, but he's alright in her book

She helps him play pranks on the others just to stir things up, and as the only other person with a bladed weapon they train together frequently

If you want her feelings on the prior Batgirls, feel free to ask for a sequel

[theogygiaisland]

Extra fuck it- PACIFIC RIM AU: Batfamily edition PART 2 (Red Chemo)

Characters: Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain, Damian Wayne, Duke Thomas, Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown Warnings: Teen (13+) Categories: Action, Found Families, Angst, Fluff Words: 4,093 words Read on: AO3 (<<prev | next>>)

They call them 'The Crazies'. Tim knows better. Across any universe- they always adjust for each other.

--

She was always on his left. Walking the hallways. Sitting on the benches. Sharing fries off his tray. Laughing. Smiling. There. Present.

She shares his memories. She knows how much that mattered to him.

And he appreciated it.

Nowadays, he sometimes wakes up to a Steph shaped indent on the left side of his bed. Sometimes she’s in it. More often she’s not. But not there where she mattered most. Not in the drift with him. Not in his mind.

He can’t feel her past his body. No inside jokes. No lingering cravings for waffles. Nothing.

The hollowness took over where both of them stood before. Now it’s only him. Him and his memories. Him and the gap. Always just him. It consumes. Encompasses.

A bitter laugh bubbles in his throat. Steph doesn’t even shift on her side of the bed. Only the beeping of monitoring machines fill the air.

Why did you go too far where I can’t reach you. Why didn’t you take me with you?

–

Jason has left this division before and he will do it again, whether Wayne agrees or not. Dick on the other hand has different ideas.

“What’s this?”

“Food. C’mon!”

“Don’t you have a co-pilot to sit with?” Jason asks, but he follows the older man’s footsteps and into a cafeteria table.

“Co-pilots are not conjoined at the hip.”

“Not if they don’t want to be poached.” Jason says, hoping to have Dick realize that he doesn’t want to be here. “I heard Damian is training with her this morning.”

The man only smiles. It’s unnerving. Jason proceeds to pick on his fries with a bored thumb and forefinger despite his hair standing on his arms.

“I’m not here to talk about Cass–”

“–Maybe you should–”

“I’m here to talk about you. You’re getting stir crazy from not being out there.” Dick says with a nod of his head to wherever the fuck ‘out there’ is. “I heard you tried sparring with Duke.”

“Only on Wayne’s orders.”

“You gave him a concussion.”

“Not my fault. Wayne. Orders.”

Dick taps his fork on Jason’s forehead. “You’re not listening little brother. Everyone and their mother can see you want to be out there and I know you enough to know that you’re gonna go play runaway when you keep rejecting your partners.”

“It’s because I have a partner.”

“Roy doesn’t count anymore. You know that. You of all people should respect that. He broke his leg in four places and his arm is fucking shot in the drift. He told us he can’t come back little brother. You know this. I know this. Our mothers– rest in peace– knows this.”

“What do you want me to do then!” Jason asks, nostrils flaring and arms crossed on his chest.

“Try.” Dick nods, unpertubed. “You still got Steph. You still have a chance to work with Tim. They’re both experienced jaeger pilots.”

“Aren’t they together?”

Dick shakes the fork in a so-so gesture. “Relationship wise, eh. But they don’t drift anymore and as far as B is concerned, they’re free game. Steph’s gonna train with Duke when he gets cleared– no thanks to you. Again.”

“Then I get the other kid. Great.” Jason sighs. “Is his file open?”

“Locked and encrypted.”

“Perfect. I’ll go read it.”

Dick smiles. “There’s my little brother. Give him a chance, alright? The kid’s nice from what I saw. Closed off but nothing a good conversation wouldn’t cure.”

Jason stands, leaving his bag on the table. Dick will return it later. Probably. He has a file to read.

“I still want to throttle you, you know.”

“And I still want to punch you in your fucking face, don’t worry!” Dick chirps and Jason only then noticed how white Dick’s knuckles are holding on to his fork.

–

“Choppers! Retrieve my Ranger NOW!” Bruce yells all around him, knowing he can do nothing in his base while Steph’s chute is gliding away from the fight.

Still, Glitter Chrome is active. Right hand impaled-skewered-stuck on the beast’s thorny nose. Left hand around its shoulder in some sick parody of a dance partner.

The kaiju is struggling less and less. The nuclear reactor bruns brightly– almost too bright to be comfortable.

Tim, hold on, please. Hold on.

–

“So you’re the replacement.” Jason tells him in the hallways.

Tim resists the urge to snarl.

He’s no replacement, he’s the one that got left behind. His hand twitches by his side.

He ends up with an ice pack for his broken nose and bruised ribs for his troubles. Ends up with a co-pilot despite his anxiety and his fears.

–

Jason shifts through houses with the thermostat turned high. Tim walks down dark alleys in the snow.

Jason prods a gaping chasm where us-Glitz-jaeger-hurt-hurt-hurt used to sit. Tim, empty, me, tired, bitter, me me me cold, alone, iced running through veins, trying to get warm and failing to thaw out

Tim acknowledges the painful burns where Roy-brawl-survive-survive-survive! cascades freely. Jason, struggling, me, trying, overwhelming, me me me hot lava, pouring, over and over, blazing, smouldering

Then Tim feels the swollen eye. Jason feels the broken nose. Me, me, me turns to us, us, us.

“Stabilized.” The AI says.

Tim opens his eyes to see Jason smile at him, baring all his teeth and pink gums. Jason sees Tim lift up the corner of his mouth in a smirk. Opposites. Balance. Fizzing away Jason’s emotions like a cool cloth on a fever. Steadying Tim’s drowning ache for a fresh breath.

Everyone’s a little shocked their handshake stabilized after fifteen minutes of loud beeping, of haywired vital signs and Bruce’s barking orders to let them be. Jason-Tim and Tim-Jason both aren’t surprised on the compatibility.

Together they feel the broken nose, the bruised ribs, the swollen eye, the twisted ankle. They’re like the injuries born out of the cruelty of the match. Their talk is the pain that blossoms evenly between the two of them.

They feel alive for goddamn once.

–

Roy sits there, waiting for him to wake up in his own little medical cot next to him.

“And the boy lives!”

Jason groans into his arm, blocking the harsh medical lights. Roy removes it with his arm. Hold his hand steady like he always does when he wipes the floor with Jason’s ass.

“There, there pretty boy. How’s the head?”

“Like I’ve been headbutted by a fucking monster.”

“Ain’t far from the truth partner.” Roy laughs. Releases their grip. Reaches over Jason’s head to call the nurse. It makes Jason frown, squinting at him.

“Why’d you have to reach over…”

He sees Roy’s left arm hanging awkwardly, fingers curled like dead bugs. Lifeless compared to the other one gripping the side of the bed like a lifeline.

Roy frowns for the first time. “Jay…”

“Oh.”

“I have to tell you something.”

Jason doesn’t hear. The nurse comes in. Roy is calling his name. But Jason can’t hear.

Because Roy is fucking left handed and he doesn’t use it.

–

Cass comes to him one day as he eyes Steph laughing with Duke. He watches as she has an arm slung across his shoulders and she doubles over with her giggles. He wasn’t avoiding her, he wasn’t actively looking for her either. Tim holds his juice box tighter.

“It’s not your fault.” She tells him. Tim was/wasn’t avoiding her too. So he hums. Acknowledging. Not agreeing. Cass rolls her eyes. “You’re being stupid.”

“I don’t see why it’s stupid.”

“Stupid.” She flicks a finger to his forehead making him turn his full attention at her. “She doesn’t blame you either. Doesn’t understand, but doesn’t blame.”

“Now that’s stupid.”

Cass sits with him, under the gaze of Red Chemo, his brand new jaeger. Mark 5. With a double core and fluid synapse system. Faster processing input-output rates and steam powered joints. A whole lot of danger and more. It has armor that’s as thick as his arm and a powercell as strong as the fury under Jason’s skin. Red Chemo, the one that’s supposed to survive anything, no matter what it takes.

“What happened before, with you and her, it’s not just you that became different. That’s why you don’t drift anymore. It’s not just you. You’re both different.”

Tim swings his feet. It was hard acknowledging what happened as something real. It was painful. It still hurt. But now with Red Chemo, Jason, who’s presence flares at the back of his mind, burning-raging-stable, Tim feels his own ignored emotions crash into him.

“She’s sorry, by the way.”

“She’s told me.”

“You look like you have to be told again.” Cass quirks her lips. “So different now.”

“I guess that’s a bad thing.”

Cass shakes her head. “No. Stronger.”

Stronger. He likes that.

“Maybe I’ll go talk to her.”

“You should.” Cass agrees, stealing his juice box from his fingers.

–

A second, more stable neural handshake makes them stick together. Being half in each other’s brain, half out of it feels weird to do anything without each other. One for the fear of the creeping coldness, another for the anxiety of their own explosion.

Tim lounges by Red Chemo’s feet while Jason sits next to him halfway into a game of solitaire. If it were any other, Jason would’ve felt awkward. Needed to rile up a reaction. Goad into a fight.

But this was Tim. Tim doesn’t need words or reactions anymore. He’d go into a fight with nothing but a raised eyebrow and a knowing look in his eyes.

Instead, Jason clears his throat and clears the air.

“My knees ache when it rains sometimes.”

Tim arches an eyebrow but doesn’t miss a beat. “I have a scar on my stomach from my time in the military, it still itches.”

Jason just wrinkles his nose. “So that’s what that was.”

“Any other thing?”

“I’m allergic to peanuts.” Jason.

“I sometimes have allergic rhinitis.” Tim.

“I like red flavored gummies.” Jason?

“I like diet coke.” Tim?

“I like spinach.” Tim-Jason?

“So that’s why I’m craving.” Jason-Tim?

“I don’t like spiders.”

“Funny you should mention that, I don’t like spiders either.”

“My right arm’s shot. Well not fully. I have tremors throughout the day.”

“But you performed well in the simulation. I didn’t feel any tremors.” It came out more as a question. Jason stops playing and turns to him. He was losing anyways with the stupid ace of clubs nowhere to be seen.

“It’s situational. Still steady when in the drift. They say it’s psychogenic.” Tim frowns at his right hand. Lifts it up to show the odd twitching. Jason remembers. PTSD was what they threw around when they thought they’re not listening. “Nothing that impares you. I guess I never left the jaeger that day.”

Jason folds the hand in Tim’s. “Don’t worry, we adjust, Little Red. We always adjust.”

Fortunately, they’re always listening.

“Hey!” Dick calls for the both of them and Tim didn’t need to feel Jason to know he follows.

–

Stephanie is limp in her comm-pod, but the visuals in his helmet shows she’s only unconscious– not dead. She’s out of the drift but he can still feel the raw grief emanating from where she left a gaping hole in his mind.

He ejects her before he thinks about it.

The kaiju is too loud in that small Drivesuit.

Tim-alone, screams.

The nuclear reactor burns the soles of his feet. The mental wounds stabs his soul.

Gone-safe-gone-pain

–

Striking Onyx isn’t new, but the form they take in fighting is practiced. Refined. Moving like a well oiled machine fresh out of the training mats. Steph might be battle ready yesterday but Duke was their fresh kaiju chow straight from wherever Bruce gets them, complete with tag and receipt. He still doesn’t understand that there are no such things as proper stances in a fistfight.

It’ll probably take him a week.

The Belting Robin pilots are a pair because they both have the same style and flair for dramatics. The same range of movements. The same need to be fucking extra. They both looked like they belonged in the sky, and who knows who persuaded who to agree on testing the breaking point of a shock absorber– or maybe a few hundred. Dick has always this unnerving way of making his smiles get under someone’s skin, but Cass is Cass, and you don’t say no to Cass unless you want to take away your bartering privileges.

Jaegers. Wayne’s jaegers. Both powerful. Both undeniably fucking dangerous in battle.

But Jason and Tim, Jason-Tim, Jason-Tim-Machine– now that’s a sight to behold. Tim empties himself in the fight, and Jason balances with giving more and more and then some fucking more. They fight with steel beams held like a shiv, or cell towers like a switchblade. They fight unpredictably. They fight to hurt. Raging. Angry. Aching for more more moremoremore–

Red Chemo over extends because they fucking can.

–

Tim notices Damian first.

“Hi.” He says, and makes Jason look up from the patrol schedules between them. They still weren’t cleared for patrol.

“Drake. Todd.”

“Hi brat.” Jason replies in greeting. “Robins kick you out or something?”

Damian huffs. “They’re on patrol schedule now and the past 5 hours of Striking Onyx’s shift is nothing but hearing Brown and Duke’s awful rendition of YMCA. It was that or hanging out with you guys so I’ll take my chances here.”

“And you want to hang out with the people who are grounded. Due to uncomissioned fighting. The weirdos.”

Tim throws Jason a look. “Sure Damian, have a seat, we’d love to have you.” He scoots over.

Damian slides into the seat. “You know Todd, just because some idiot with a badge thought you’re both freaks for drifting, and Father a sociopath for putting both of you in a jaeger together doesn’t mean he holds everyone’s opinion. It’s not the first time co-pilots fought.”

“Have you seen our jaeger? They literally painted a radiation symbol on its front.”

“Well you are named Red Chemo. You want what, the doxorubicin chemical formulation on your chestplate?”

Tim laughs. “So you don’t think we’re freaks do you?” Teasing.

He finds himself not caring what others think. If Jason was lava and Tim was ice, anyone between them were stone-cold dead.

He catches Jason’s amused look.

“Oh no I never said that. I wholeheartedly agree.” Damian says, but his eyes are laughing.

Jason leans over to Damian. “If you tell us who the dumb badge is, I promise to spare you from retaliation.”

In Tim’s head, he thinks about blue kaiju blood stained sheets and laughs.

Somewhere, an alarm rings.

–

Mercy Hospital was nothing but a destroyed ruin of a building at the edge of a raging kaiju. It spots them almost immediately the way they spot the litter of dead bodies on the pavement.

“Steph…” Tim warns although he knows it’s too late. He can feel the hurt and fails to stop the anger coursing through his veins. Blood in his ears. Red on his tongue. She’s overpowering. “Steph! Listen to me! Let it flow!”

“Command to Glitter Chrome, connection destabilizing, you are not in sync! Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage.”

“No, no, no, Steph!”

The kaiju roars before it pounces on them.

Steph raises her fists. Tim painfully follows suit.

“Glitter Chrome do not ENGAGE!”

–

Bab’s stares at her technician panel. It can’t be.

Damian behind her stiffens.

“Another one!” She adds to the flurry of the room. “Marshall! That’s a Cat-4’s and a Cat-3 and the Breach is still pulsing. Striking Onyx is already out. Orders!”

“Lantern Corps?”

“Currently engaged.”

“Alaska?”

“Kent can be here in 2 hours. That’s 2 hours too late.”

Bruce pauses. Eyes the two other pilots at the side of the room who’s hand twitches and eye contact were a conversation of their own.

–

“You fucker, you’re the reason we keep mint ice cream here. Get that stupid flavor out’ta your memories and out’ta my mouth.”

“Don’t diss on it til you try it.”

“You know I have.”

“Then you know it’s fucking great.”

“If you two assholes are done, we’d like to start deployment sequence now.” Kyle’s voice filters through the Drivesuit.

Roy laughs. “Ain’t my fault Jay’s got no taste in his big head of his.”

“When we’re done with this I’m gonna shove a pint down so far down your throat–”

“Rangers.”

“Yes sir-ma’am-sir!”

“Now, there’s the Cat 4 at the edge of the shore of Cabo San Lucas. It’s a Knifehead type alias–”

“Beserker. Yeah, yeah.”

“We know. We were there when we reset the clock.”

Kyle sighs. Jason can already see him pinch the bridge of his nose and Roy laughs as the thought brushes against his mind.

He’s the one that put us in here, he’s gonna have to deal with it. Jason snorts, acknowledging the one passed back.

“Well if you two assholes are ready, choppers are releasing in 1 minute.”

–

Bruce knew there is something to behold between the partnership of Jason and Tim. He was counting on it.

He just didn’t count that it’d be him their new alliance would be up against first.

“Red Chemo, no, you’re neural handshake is deep but unsteady. We need more time.”

“Bruce we can do this–”

“–You’re condemning them old man!”

“No.”

“They don’t have time jackass!” Jason snarls.

“We can make more time.” Tim hisses.

Bruce takes one look at both of them, standing side by side, determination on each other’s face. Tim’s face is set in a scowl. Jason’s right hand trembles minutely. Both stand their ground in his face.

“Fine. Deployment in 5. Go.”

Red Chemo was more radioactive than his own jaeger. He knows there’s a reason they were the only ones compatible. Their namesake was proof enough.

–

Tim doesn’t know where his memories ended and Jason’s started.

He remembers Roy's laughter in the mess hall. Hushed conversations at the bar. Roy’s smile after a job well done. The tears when it finally wasn’t. Tim catches brief memories of grimy streets and leering stares from Johns. The burn of alcohol. The warm breaths on his neck. Glass on his hands. Mint chocolate on his tongue.

The memories might be fleeting but the emotions twist and turn and pulls him. Up. Down. Left. Right. Echoing. Haunting. Everywhere.

“You okay there Replacement?” Jason asks as Tim opens his eyes.

“Okay here.”

“Neural handshake stabilized.” The AI tells them.

Jason glances one more time and catches Tim’s eyes. He doesn’t need to feel the drift to know where they both stand.

Together.

“Let’s fucking go!”

Red Chemo wakes up with the creak of metal and the Tim-Jason-Machine snarls.

–

“You asshole! Who did this?!” Kyle’s voice rings the hallways.

Roy bangs on Jason’s door. Which that in itself is weird since Jason never changed his lock code in the 14 months that they were copilots. He opens the door with a scowl. Roy holds his blue tinged hands in surrender.

“Hide me!”

“What?”

“I just bombed Reyner’s room with Kaiju blood, please Jay, hide me please please please–”

“Fine!” Jason closes the door behind Roy. “But if anyone asks, you’re on your own.”

“Aww, Jay-jay, don’t be like that.”

“No I’m not– What the fuck Roy! That’s my favorite shirt!”

Roy smirks as he wipes more blood on Jason’s arms. “If I’m going down, you’re coming with me, partner. Now shut up, I hear Kyle’s fat ass clapping down the corridor.”

–

Red Chemo’s powercell dies just in time for the last kaiju to drop dead.

Jason disengages quickly. Throws himself at Tim’s side of the Drivesuit.

“Little Red. Little Red. Little Red.” Jason chants like a prayer. Slaps his face lightly with the paddings of his gloves. Hand at the nape, bringing their foreheads together. “Hey, Replacement, wake the fuck up. Please wake up.”

“Can you be more annoying?” A groan. A soft push away for air.

Jason can’t keep a snort from escaping. “You’ve been in my mind, you tell me. How’s your arm?”

“Like I just got stabbed by a motherfucker and had it ripped off.”

“Oh good, that means you can still feel it.”

To emphasize, Tim raises a steady left middle finger at him.

Jason laughs. He doesn’t slap Tim for being cocky. He doesn’t wipe at their matching nosebleed. Doesn’t hug the ever loving shit out of his co-pilot. He laughs out the anger-threat-need-saving-fuck, and laughs out the worry-Tim-fear-hurt, and laughs the relief-done-ALIVE, and just laughs.

This is why they drift. This is why they pushed. This is why they stayed.

They live as the consequences of their past.

–

“That’s where your mother works for right?” Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

“Yeah, Mercy Hospital. She’s a nurse in the Emergency Room.” she smiles at him as they walk down the street. Steph’s on his left side and Tim’s on the right. She says it’s sweet that he walks the outer sidewalk so she gets protected in case any asshole tries to side swipe them. He says if someone side sweeps them it’s because they thought she was a walking eggplant.

They laugh because they both know better.

“Want waffles before we go back to base– oh c’mon don’t raise your eyebrow at me, you know I’ve been craving.”

Tim smiles at her. “I know, it bled over from the last time. Y’know Dick’s gonna kill me for ruining our diet?”

“That’s the plan.” Steph smiles. Teasing. “So. Waffles?”

“Waffles.”

–

A conversation. That’s what training was supposed to be. Meeting each other’s strikes and blows with a staff until you get their rhythm and they get your words. It’s talking, and Jason thinks he’s won– up until the other man snarls, throwing his staff away and uses his fists with a lunge.

Jason finds that he was unsurprised. He blocks with raised hands. Throws an arm out of his own. Catches a fist to his face. Gives one back into a slow shoulder.

It took a shocked minute before the referee catches on to what they’re doing. Another to pry them apart. They both get reprimanded and benched to the side. Around them, other recruits keep on the spar. He wonders if, outside, the jaegers and the monsters are doing the same.

Jason spits out blood from where his teeth caught his cheek as his tongue prods on the damaged tissue.

“I like your right hook.” The other man looks at him with a side-eyed glance. “I’m Roy.”

“Jason. Your knee caught me off guard.”

He counts the scraps on his knuckles. Feels the pain in his ribs. Someone might have to need to squirrel some ice packs from the cafeteria.

Jason thinks he might meet Roy along the way. Maybe for his own ice pack. Maybe for a rematch.

Roy leans on his elbows. Red traces on his shoulder already welting up blue. “I think they’re thinking we don’t play well with others.”

Jason agrees. “Well the others can go to hell.”

Roy laughs at this and stands up. Stretches. Jason usually doesn’t care, but he does and surprises himself more to catch that he doesn’t seem surprised.

“Where are you going?”

“To Marshal Jordan. I think I found someone drift compatible.”

Jason raises an eyebrow. Smiles with red on his teeth.

“Are you sure about wanting to get into my head? It ain’t that pretty.”

Roy smiles a bloodied smile of his own. “My man, don’t worry. I think we’ll match.”

–

They all gather around the room like a vigil, clumped into pairs. Dick and Cass in matching medical cots shoved together. Medics won’t know how they got like that, and the rest of the team won’t tell. They always performed better together.

Damian and Bruce Wayne are at the edge of their group. The Father’s somber looks reflected perfectly on his son. They arrive last and leave first, but not before thoroughly quizzing the reporting doctor until they have the prognosis memorized.

Steph is sitting by Cass’s feet and Duke is a shadow behind her. They’re silent in the peace which was something new. Steph is stressed. Duke looks dimmed. After helping finish off the last kaiju, they were most likely still feeling each other’s grief.

“Will you be okay?” Jason whispers beside Tim in the old ratty couch they managed to fit into a 15 square foot room.

“No.” Tim admits with a smile, all gums and teeth. Left hand squeezing Jason’s right. “But don’t worry. There’s always hope to adjust.”

[awhitehead17]

Universal Signs

Chapter 22 / Previous Chapter

A/N: WARNINGS! A panic attack does occur, so be please be aware of that. Something else to be mindful of is that this chapter is FULL of emotions so be prepared, you've been warned!

Also on AO3

Please enjoy! :D

He feels numb.

Tim doesn’t think there’s any other way to describe what he’s feeling in that moment. Sad, disappointed, despondent, happy, elevated, excited. There's whole mixture of emotions stirring inside of him, so when they combine it leaves him overwhelmingly numb.

He doesn’t see the ship take off but he knows when it leaves, there’s a gentle thrum in the air and strong gust of wind that catches him. Tim can’t believe it’s all over, he can’t believe that he’s back on Earth, that he’s almost home. There’s so many thoughts running through his mind along with so many questions he wants to ask and need answers to.

Tim purposely got Kon to drop him off in some fields just outside of Gotham city. The fields are an open space so there’s plenty of room to park and it’s a pretty much abandoned area so it was less likely someone would see them. The main road leading into the city isn’t too far away from the fields either, Tim plans to get to the road and hitchhike back to the city, perhaps someone may offer him a lift out of pity.

Tim shoulders the bag he’s got and continues forward. It’s crazy to think that in the next hour or so he’ll be reunited with his family. What will that be like? To see them all again after who knows how long? Will they be happy to see him?

Before those thoughts could get too far Tim shakes his head and tries to move away from them. If he thinks about it too hard then it’ll become too much to handle. The last thing he wants to happen in that moment is to become too overwhelmed and have some kind of breakdown. He needs to keep it together, just for a little longer because he’s almost there, it’s so close to being over.

Tim makes it to the side of the road and observes the various of vehicles zooming by. When was the last time he saw a car or a truck? Not only that, but the smell of patrol coming from the vehicles too?

Moving his attention away from the vehicles Tim continues on walking down the road, seeing Gotham City far up ahead. It’s currently light out, if he had to guess it may currently be around mid-afternoon, if he walks the entire way back to the city then it would probably be evening by the time he reaches it.

As he travels towards the city it’s easy to get lost in his thoughts, both negative and positive, and it certainly keeps him occupied as he walks over the gravel of the road. It’s not until a car pulls up in front of him that he comes out of his head and back into the present. Tim stops and frowns when he sees it’s a cop car that’s pulled over. He holds his breath as the driver climbs out and makes their way over to him, Tim has no idea on what to expect here, he’s almost tempted to turn back around and run into the trees.

The cop, a man around his mid-thirties wearing a cap and a GCPD uniform, stops a few feet away from him. He’s looking at Tim with an expression showing concern and confusion. “Hey there pal, what are you doing out here?”

Tim knows that he means well, but he does sound a little patronizing.

“I need to get to Gotham City.” Tim tells him without answering his question. How the hell was he supposed to answer that question? I got dropped off by some aliens in a spaceship because I’ve been in space for who knows how long because I was kidnapped and now I’m on my way home. Yeah right.

The cop seems to get the message that Tim wasn’t going to answer the question, he simply nods his head. “Yeah okay, I can give you a lift back. I’m Officer Ryan Peterson.” The man holds up his badge and Tim takes a moment to study it before nodding. The cop puts it away, staring at Tim as if he’s studying him and Tim could only watch back wearily, feeling rather sceptical about this situation. In the end the cop simply frowns and asks, “Have I seen you before, have we met?”

Tim blinks at the unexpectedness of the question. He raises an eyebrow. “No sir, I can’t recall us meeting.” Just because he’s weary doesn’t mean he’s going to be an asshole about it.

“What’s your name pal?”

Tim hesitates before answering, unsure whether to be truthful about it or not. Revealing the truth could make this go two ways. He tells the truth and then the cop takes him home and he gets reunited with his family or the cop could kidnap him and hold him hostage or something. (He’s from a rich family, hostage situations are unfortunately known to happen.)

Eventually he decides to chance it and tell the truth. “My name is Tim Drake.”

The cop’s eyes widen in surprise. He blinks at Tim for a moment as if trying to remember how to speak. “Tim Drake? As in Tim Drake-Wayne, missing son of the Bruce Wayne?”

Tim’s eyes widen in surprise, the cop knows he’s missing, he knows Tim’s family. “Yeah that’s right! Can you take me home? Please.”

“Pal, you’ve been missing for a long time. You’re really alive? Everyone is going to be ecstatic that you’re alive.” The officer gestures him over, “c’mon, let’s get you home and back to your family.”

Without waiting Tim hurries over to the car and climbs into the passenger’s side as the cop climbs into the driver’s seat. He starts the car up and then they’re on the road heading towards Gotham within seconds.

The officer glances at him. “I’m going to need to call this in, I hope you don’t mind. Unfortunately I’ll have to take you to the station before I can take you home.”

Tim feels his heart drop at the news. He shakes his head, almost feeling desperate. “No please. I need to go home. I need to see my family. Please! Once I’m there we can deal with all the legal stuff. I just need to see them.”

Peterson sighs and Tim stares at him pleadingly. The man switches between looking at the road and glancing at him several times before he speaks up sounding resigned. “Okay, fine. How about a compromise? I’ll still call it in but I’ll take you straight home. That sound okay?”

Figuring that’s the best he’s going to get, Tim nods in agreement. The cop smiles and reaches over the dashboard to grab his radio and speaks into it.

“Sir I’ve found Tim Drake-Wayne… No sir, he’s currently sitting right next to me. I was coming back from outside the city and found a boy walking alongside the main road on his own. I pulled over and spoke to him, it’s Tim Drake-Wayne, he looks exactly like the photos too. On my way back, just entering the city now.

No sir, I’m taking him straight home. I know, but he needs to go home first. I’m sure we can deal with the paperwork tomorrow while he reunites with his family tonight. If your daughter were missing wouldn’t you immediately want to be reunited at the first opportunity? Exactly, I’ll take him home, please call Mr Wayne in the meantime and we can continue the case later on. Thank you sir, I will.”

The cop returns the radio back to its place and sends Tim a sheepish smile.

“Sorry about that, really I should take you to the station where we can check you over, check your wellbeing, find out if you’re still in danger and sort paperwork out. We’ll have to definitely to discuss things with you and your family, but that can be at another time.

For now they’ll ring your dad and I’ll get you home. I’m assuming it’s the famous Wayne Manor correct?”

Tim nods and the cop goes quiet. As they travel through the city, Tim stares out of the window in disbelief. It feels like it’s been forever since he’s been in the city, it’s unreal. Eventually they break away from the city and head down a familiar road, as they drive closer and as the Manor comes into view Tim suddenly feels nauseated.

He’s excited and nervous and his stomach is going crazy. The feeling only heightens when they reach the gate to the Manor and Tim finds himself unable to look away. After all this time, he’s finally back. He’s finally home. A small part in the back of his mind comes up with the thought that this isn’t real, this isn’t happening, it’s like a dream and he’s going to wake up at any second.

The cop speaks into the intercom and soon enough the gates open up. Officer Peterson carefully drives through and follows the road up to the front of the Manor, as they approach Tim sees the doors open up. His breath catches in his throat as his family appear on the front steps. There’s Bruce, Alfred, Dick, Jason and Cass. There's another person that Tim doesn’t recognise but he doesn’t pay them much attention.

He’s brought out of his haze when Peterson speaks up next to him. Tim had forgotten where he is for a moment, completely absorbed into seeing his family for the first time in however long.

“You okay pal?” The cops asks sincerely. Tim could only stare at him. Silently blinking. “I know you’ve probably been through a lot and this is overwhelming but everything is okay now. You’re home safe and sound.”

Tim swallows thickly and in robotic movements he nods his head. He tells the copper thank you but barely registers the words as they leave his mouth. It isn’t until the cop gently encourages him that Tim finally moves to get out of the car.

Taking a deep breath Tim opens the door. As soon as his foot hits the ground it’s like he’s been unleashed, Tim shoots out the car and starts running up the stairs, taking two or three at the time, anything to get him closer to his family as soon as possible.

It’s about halfway up the staircase that he collides with someone, he isn’t even entirely sure who he’s hugging but he feels their arms around wrap around him, squeezing so hard that it hurts but Tim isn’t complaining. He wraps his own arms around their shoulders and clings back just as tightly.

After a few seconds he feels himself being moved, it’s only where he’s being picked up and lifted higher. Tim wraps his legs around the person’s torso and adjusts his arms so he’s now hugging their neck.

He isn’t even aware that he’s crying, doesn’t notice it until he has to breathe. He pulls his face away from where he buried it into the fabric covering the person’s shoulder. He takes a long shaky breath but finds he’s unable to control the tears streaming down his cheeks and the way his breath hitches as another sob breaks out of his throat.

There's a hand running up and down his back, a voice speaking unintelligible words into his ear, and the arms around him never loosen up.

After several long moments Tim attempts to get his breathing under control again. He moves away from the shoulder and looks up. Through blurry vision he finds Dick and Jason standing so close just opposite him, they’re watching him with open expressions. Seeing the two of them again makes him sob with uncontrolled happiness.

Tim glances to the side and finally works out that he’s in the arms of Bruce. His adoptive father has him wrapped up securely in a strong embrace.

He squeezes Bruce with his arms again and looks at him. “Bruce.”

Bruce pulls his own face away and he looks back at Tim, a wide relieved smile taking over his face. “Thanks the gods your back Tim. I was so worried. Thank god you’re okay.”

“I missed you.” Tim whispers he rests his head against Bruce’s shoulder again and continues on hugging him, unable to find it in himself to let go.

Eventually Bruce shifts, he begins to slowly drop Tim down to the ground, letting his legs fall from his waist until he’s standing steady on his feet. Tim reluctantly lets his father go, though Bruce must be feeling the same because he keeps a hand on Tim’s shoulder as they take a step apart.

Tim only gets a moment to himself before he’s being wrapped up in another pair of arms and this time he’s much quicker at recognising the person hugging him. Tim sighs as he feels Dick press him closely to his chest, his eldest brother’s arms wrapped firmly around his back and his head resting on top of Tim’s. Unable to help it, Tim sobs again. Overwhelmed by the strong onslaught of emotions.

The hug with Dick doesn’t last as long as it did with Bruce though its long enough for the two of them to be comforted. Once Tim leaves Dick’s arms he’s instantly being crushed by another pair, this time it being Jason’s.

Once he and Jason separate, Tim has a bit more control of himself. He’s continuously taking long deep breaths to try and compose himself, his brain still trying to wrap around the fact that he’s reunited with his family once again.

The next hug he receives is from his sister Cass. While she’s not as broad or built as the others, her hug is just as strong and means just as much. Their height is similar so Tim easily manages to press his head against hers and is able to wrap himself around her body more.

Once they separate Tim hugs Alfred. Seeing the elderly butler who’s practically a grandfather almost makes him break down again. He manages to control himself and is comforted by their hug, much gentler than the others but is just as soothing as the rest.

When they separate Tim takes a moment and wipes his eyes. He’s blinking at each of them as they all smile back. Tim can’t believe it. He’s finally home, back with his family once again.

As if he couldn’t help himself Bruce gets in his space again, his father wraps a single arm around his shoulders and tucks Tim into his side. Tim smiles and goes with it, finding the action reassuring and comforting. Bruce bends down and presses a kiss to Tim’s hair.

“Words cannot describe what I am feeling right now Tim.” Bruce tells him, his voice sounds thick with emotion and Tim could see some tears running down the man’s face. “I’m so happy you’re home.”

“Mr Wayne…”

The moment is interrupted by Officer Peterson who’s still around. Clearly he’s been giving them some space all of this time, if Tim’s being honest he had completely forgotten about the man.

The cop sends Bruce a sympathetic look as he begins to talk. “I know you want to spend time with your son and rejoice, but there are a couple things I need to discuss with you, like legal actions and what the near future will look like for you and your family.”

Bruce takes a deep breath and nods. “Of course. I understand. I want to thank you for bringing my son home.”

Peterson ducks his head. “No thanks needed Mr Wayne, I simply happened to be in the right place at the right time. I found Tim here walking alongside the main road just outside the city. There’s only a couple things I need to cover with you now but we can deal with the rest tomorrow.”

At that Bruce sends Tim a questioning look but doesn’t comment on it as he turns back to pay attention to the cop. Alfred also comes and stands beside them, taking in what was being said. Tim probably ought to pay attention as well because it’s clearly about him but he finds himself not able to. His attention is diverted when Dick appears in front of him and gently tugs him away from Bruce’s side.

Tim now finds himself in front of his siblings and for the first time he takes in their appearances. Dick and Jason both look slightly older, they both look broader too, like they’ve been frequently working out. Their hair styles have stayed the same, at best Dick’s looks a little longer down the back.

Cass appears to be the same as before too. Maybe the only noticeable difference is the way she carries herself, she seems like she’s much more comfortable and confident now.

Something that gets his attention, something that stops him in his tracks for the first time since opening that car door is when he makes eye contact with someone he doesn’t know.

This person seems to be a young teenager, he’s slim, slightly shorter than Tim, has black hair, an olive skin tone. There’s something familiar about him but Tim can’t pinpoint what it is. He knows he’s never met this kid before. The main question is however, what he doing here? He’s been lingering around at the back of the group like he’s not sure on what to do with himself, but he steadily meets Tim’s eyes with a confidence Tim hadn’t been expecting.

The others seem to have finally clicked that the two have noticed each other because his siblings shift about, creating some kind of circle between them all. Dick stands just to the right of the kid and places his hand on his shoulder.

Dick looks at Tim, watching him cautiously. His expression puts Tim on edge, he has no idea on what kind of news he’s about to receive. Who is this kid? They’re obviously all familiar with one another which leads to another question of how long has he been around for? Tim certainly didn’t meet him before disappearing.

“Tim.” Dick gets his attention. His eldest brother now looks almost uncomfortable. “This is Damian. Um, he’s uh, he’s - Damian is Bruce’s biological son.”

Tim blinks. He opens his mouth to say something but quickly shuts it again. Did Dick just say that Bruce has a biological son? As in his adoptive father has a teenage kid that he didn’t know about? He has another brother he was never aware of?

He’s stunned. Upon returning home that is certainly something he never expected to find out. How long has he been gone for!

“None of us knew about Damian.” Jason states firmly while frowning. It’s like he could read Tim’s mind, knowing what he’s thinking. “Bruce didn’t even know himself. Damian was dropped on the doorstep by his mother over a year ago where she left him with no explanations or anything of the sort. It’s like she had enough of Damian and decided to dump him on Bruce.”

As if the news of finding out that Bruce has a biological son wasn’t enough to rock his boat Jason dropping that bomb completely capsizes the boat. Tim feels himself freeze. He blinks at his brother trying to comprehend what he just heard.

“A year ago?” Tim repeats in disbelief. “He’s been around for a year? I’ve been gone for a year!” Tim can’t control the way his voice gets higher.

All of his sibling’s eyes widen at that before a look of sympathy, confusion and sadness washes over them. The change in emotions make Tim feel like he’s missing something else. “What? Don’t tell me there’s another kid or something...”

Dick steps forward and places a gentle hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him but all Tim feels is dread. The action isn’t like what Bruce had done earlier, it feels like Dick is about to deliver some grave news.

“Tim… you’ve been gone for two and a half years.”

Everything stops. No one moves a muscle as Tim just stares back in complete astonishment. That can’t be true…can it?

“Two years… two and a half years… I’ve been gone for two and a half years,” he mumbles underneath his breath trying to understand that information. As he tries to wrap his head around that his chest suddenly tightens and he finds himself unable to breathe. He gasps for air, clutching at his chest. “I can’t breathe. I-I can’t breathe.”

Everything around him blurs and all Tim can focus on is the pain inside his chest. Why can’t he breathe? Two years! He’s been gone for two fucking years? That’s practically three years of his life he’s lost!

His chest is burning now and he thinks he’s crying? At least that is what comes to mind when he feels wetness running down his cheeks. It’s hard to tell at this point.

Something gets his attention. There’s pressure somewhere on his body. He doesn’t know what it is but tries to reach out to it. The pressure moves and his hands are grabbed, Tim clings onto it. Finding the sensation grounding. He still can’t breathe but it’s something.

His hands are moved and now he’s touching something solid, something that’s steadily moving up and down. As well as the pressure Tim tries to focus on it, tries to keep his attention on the movement, it’s surprising when his head starts becoming a little clearer as he focuses on the steady rise and fall of whatever it is.

“Follow my breathing Tim, in and out. Tim can you do that for me, breathe in and breathe out.”

Right, right, breathing… he still can’t breathe, his chest hurts… why can’t he breathe…

“Tim follow my breathing, slowly in and out… copy my movements son…”

Tim’s trying to. The words are telling him to follow the movements and he does try but it’s difficult. As the object rises Tim breathes in and as it falls Tim breathes out. It takes a while but gradually Tim finds as the tightness in his chest eases he’s able to breathe easier.

He takes in one more deep breath before opening his eyes and looking around. In his mind it takes a moment for everything to register. He’s sat on the floor, curled up against someone’s side with his hands stretched out resting on that same person’s stomach.

His chest feels sore as does his head and everything feels a little fuzzy. After a minute he realises that he had a panic attack, a pretty bad one too.

“Tim?”

Tim looks up and finds that it’s Bruce who he’s resting against. Taking another breath Tim pushes himself away from Bruce and sits up. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Sorry I just … yeah.”

Bruce doesn’t comment on what happened and Tim is grateful for that. Instead his adoptive father keeps him sat on the ground for a while, making sure he’s okay before helping him to stand up, and then offering him some support when Tim wobbles.

Tim glances around to find Officer Peterson is still around, looking at Tim with a frown, Dick is hovering just behind Bruce and Jason is up at the top of the stairs overlooking them all. Cass, Alfred and Damian aren’t anywhere to be seen.

“Why don’t we go inside and get some rest? There's been a lot to handle recently.”

Tim nods at Bruce’s suggestion. He feels exhausted. Everything from the overwhelming sensations of leaving the others to being reunited with his family and then experiencing a panic attack has really worn on him.

Bruce says something to the cop and then turns his attention to Tim, together they make their way up the stairs with Dick beside them and Jason watching them approach. Together the four of them enter Wayne Manor.

Tim wishes he’s more with it. He hasn’t seen the place in a long time and wants to appreciate being back home but he’s just too tired to take in all the details. Thankfully Bruce seems to pick up on this, his adoptive father begins to guide him towards the stairs which lead up to where the bedrooms are located.

“Why don’t we get some sleep? We can properly talk once you’re all rested up.”

Time passes in a blur and the next thing Tim is aware of is being tucked into a bed. A soft warm blanket is laid on top of him, a light pressure of a kiss is pressed against his hair and then everything fades away into nothing.

Everything is groggy when Tim wakes up. His head is pounding and he feels exhausted despite just having woken up.

He grips the blanket around him tighter and buries his head deeper into the pillow he’s lying on not wanting to face whatever is going to be thrown his way that day. They’ve been stationed on Krypton for several days so Tim doesn’t think they’ll be leaving any time soon and with the other’s punishments, there’s not a lot they can do. Maybe they’ll look into doing some training that day?

Settling his thoughts Tim takes a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the pillow as he does so and freezes. Why does it smell so familiar? Is his mind making things up or…

Tim shoots up right on the bed and wildly looks around, taking in his surroundings. It takes a moment for it all to sink in and when it does he slumps aback against the headboard of the bed he’s on.

He’s home. It wasn’t a dream. He really did return to Earth and reunite with his family. How did he forget that?

He’s in one of the guest’s bedrooms in the Manor. The walls and décor are all neutral colours, making it seem open and warm, there were beams of light peaking out of the drawn curtains across the windows.

Tim doesn’t know how to feel about not being in his personal bedroom, obviously they’ve put him in here on purpose. Did they still have his room or did they clear it all out when he disappeared? Tim’s not sure and in that moment he’s not sure if he wants to know.

When he glances around the room again, this time his eyes land on a pile of clothes placed on the desk opposite the bed. Upon seeing those Tim realises he’s still dressed in the clothes he wore back from the ship and realises that he desperately wants a shower. The bag he brought from the ship is there too, sitting on the ground unopened. The policeman must have passed it over to someone and they’ve then brought it in.

Grabbing the clean clothes Tim heads for the ensuite attached to the guest bedroom. It’s an open bathroom with plenty of space and Tim wastes no time in starting the shower up.

He only pauses once he’s taken off the shirt and sees the necklace hanging from around his neck. Tim had forgotten about it. It was the gift Doctor Fate had given him when he sorted out Cassie’s enchanted bracelets. Tim studies it closely, seeing the red gemstone glisten brightly when the light hits it. It’s supposedly a cloaking device but Tim doesn’t know how much he believes that, then again does he have a reason to not trust it?

Deciding to not think about it too much, Tim leaves it on, he then proceeds to take off the rest of his clothes and jumps into the shower.

Once Tim is done with his shower, now feeling clean and refreshed, he heads down to the kitchen. Tim takes his time to get there though, he travels at a slow pace as he takes in the feel for being back at home, seeing the corridors of the Manor that he grew up in and remembering everything that’s occurred in them.

When Tim arrives at the kitchen he finds it occupied by Jason and Alfred. Jason is sat at the kitchen island eating something and playing on his phone while Alfred is by the sink scrubbing dishes.

“Look who’s finally decided to get up.” Jason comments smirking at him as he walks into the room. “We thought you were going to end up sleeping all day.”

Taking a seat next to Jason, Tim frowns. “What do you mean? How long have I been asleep for?”

“About 16 hours. It’s nearly lunch time, you’ve been asleep since yesterday evening.”

Tim blinks. He’s both surprised and not by that news. He must have really needed to rest and recharge to be asleep that long.

“How about some food Master Timothy? You must be feeling rather famished at this point.” Alfred asks observing him from the other side of the room.

Tim freezes when he hears Alfred voice, or rather at the words he said. Master. That’s what he used to call Ra’s Al Ghul when he was first kidnapped. Will he be able to handle hearing it again, and not only that but being called that even in a different context?

“Tim?”

Tim snaps his gaze to the side to find Jason wearily watching him. Tim looks at him for a moment before he realises he had zoned out and still needs to answer Alfred. He looks over at the butler, “Uh sorry, yes please to food Alfred. If you don’t mind.”

Alfred studies him for a moment but doesn’t comment on his behaviour, instead he smiles and starts preparing Tim some food. Tim glances down at fiddles with his fingers anxiously, he’ll need to talk to Alfred about that. Hopefully the butler won’t get offended with Tim asking him to stop, but Tim doesn’t know if he’s going to be able to handle the reminder all the time.

A tense silence fills the kitchen and it makes Tim feel guilty. He doesn’t mean to put Alfred and Jason in an awkward position but he’s grateful that neither of them ask him any questions about anything.

In the end Tim turns and faces Jason who’s still on his phone. Tim stares at it for a long time, taking in the difference from this phone and the one he remembers. It makes him realise that this is just one of many things he’s missed in his two and a half years away.

“How have you been Jason?” Tim asks his brother. He knows a lot of attention will be focused on him but he wants to reconnect with his family too. He wistfully wonders what things he’s missed in his sibling’s lives (beside Damian, that’s an entirely different matter altogether).

Jason side eyes him, pursing his lips as if debating on what to tell Tim. “Up and down.” He says in the end. Tim almost rolls his eyes at the vague answer. “I finished my qualification.”

Tim perks up at hearing that. “Oh really, congrats! So what are you doing now work wise?”

As they discuss Jason’s work, Alfred drops a sandwich in front of Tim and leaves them be. It takes all of Tim’s effort to split his attention between listening to Jason and not being overwhelmed by the sandwich. When was the last time he had normal human food?

They talk for a while, changing from topic to topic but stay away from anything big and heavy. Tim finds out, that other than Damian, thankfully nothing major has changed in anyone’s lives. There’s been job changes and a few family arguments but nothing life changing to say. Tim is relieved to find this out. There's a few things worldwide that he’s missed but Jason’s told him that he can catch up with all that later on, it’s nothing to really fret about.

Their conversation is interrupted when Bruce and Dick enter the kitchen. They’re pleased to see that he’s awake and ask about how he’s feeling while both giving him a hug. Tim soaks in the attention, not minding it at all, and is yet again relieved to find that they don’t ask him any major questions.

However that relief instantly vanishes when Bruce sceptically asks Tim is he’s willing to talk to the police so they could clear some stuff up. Tim freezes, unsure on what to do. In the back of his mind he knew that he would need to talk to the police but he knows that they’ll be asking questions which he doesn’t think he’s ready to answer yet.

In the end he agrees to do it, he goes with Bruce and Dick and they take him to the library where two policemen are waiting. There's the cop from yesterday and the commissioner.

Tim doesn’t tell them anything. After an internal debate on what to do, he refuses to speak about anything that’s happened to him. He doesn’t say where he’s been, who (and what) he’s encountered and nothing about how he returned home. The only information he gives is how he knows he’s no longer in danger, nor is his family, from those who originally took him.

Of course Tim can’t guarantee it but there’s no way he’s saying that Earth may or may not be attacked by some alien assassins. He doesn’t think that’ll go down well.

The police prod him for more details but Tim doesn’t budge on it. Eventually they give in and say they’re only a phone call away when he does want to share more. Bruce sees them out after that while Dick stays behind with Tim.

During the entire conversation Tim could feel Dick watching him, his brother’s concerned gaze never once leaving him the entire time. Tim would snap at him for staring if it were different circumstances. Dick gets up from the chair he’s been sat on and approaches Tim on the opposite couch. His brother crouches down in front of him and places a gentle hand on Tim’s knee, rubbing it soothingly.

“Tim, I know that there’s a lot going on inside your mind and that’s completely understandable, I also get why you may not want to talk to the police but I want you to know if you ever, and I mean it, if you ever want to talk about what happened then I’m happy to listen. I won’t judge, I won’t ask questions, all I’ll do is listen. Please don’t shut us out, you’re not alone, we’re all here for you okay.”

Hearing Dick talk, Tim feels his emotions building up inside of his chest. He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths to control himself. Opening his eyes back up Tim looks up and meets Dick’s. “Thank you Dick. I’m – I’m just not ready yet. I don’t know when I will be either. There’s so much I need to catch up on, so much that I’ve missed both in our family and around the world. I know you’re there for me no matter what.”

Opposite him Dick looks tearful and Tim feels bad for making Dick like that. Without thinking about it Tim stands up, encouraging Dick to do the same, before he’s giving his brother a hug. Dick instantly hugs him back, resting his head on top of Tim’s.

“I missed you Timmy. Everyday.”

“I missed you too. I never stopped thinking about you from the moment we got separated.”

They only break apart when Bruce enters the room, laughing lightly as they do so. Now alone away from the police, Bruce tells Tim pretty much what Dick said to him. If he wants to talk then he would listen no matter what. Obviously Bruce would like to know the details but he’s not going to force Tim into talking before he’s ready too. Tim appreciates this and politely tells Bruce what he told Dick.

After that the three of them spend a few hours together. As Tim had done with Jason, he gets updates on Bruce and Dick’s personal lives. Other than Damian appearing, nothing major has happened. Dick got a couple work promotions and Bruce’s company currently has the highest numbers it’s ever gotten which is impressive.

Following their catch up, Tim retreats back to the guest room he woke up in. He hasn’t yet found out the current status of his bedroom but Tim figures that he isn’t in that much of a rush to do so.

He crashes onto the bed and buries his face into the pillow. He hasn’t done much that day but he feels exhausted. It’s still sinking in that he’s returned home, he’s back with his family and no longer in imminent danger all the time.

Tim thinks about everything, his thoughts reeling all over the place. He had refused to talk to the police about what happened, not budging in the slightest to give them any details on what happened to him. Tim hadn’t been lying when he said he isn’t ready to talk yet, he needs time to comprehend everything and then he needs to decide if he going to actually come out with the truth  or make up a cover story.

What are the chances his family and the police are going to believe he got kidnapped by aliens? If it didn’t happen to Tim he certainly wouldn’t believe it. They would end up thinking he’s cracked and try to send him to therapy or even ship him to an insane asylum like Arkham.

He could always try telling them half of the truth? Isn’t there a saying along the lines of “the best lies are half-truths”. Tim could pick out areas of what he’s been through but simply leave out details, like the biggest detail being that it all occurred in space.

Tim lets out a groan, he doesn’t know what to do!

For the next few days Tim feels like a ghost. He floats around the Manor not entirely sure on what to do with himself. His family are tiptoeing around him as if the smallest of things may trigger him off, it leaves Tim feeling agitated and frustrated.

On the most part Tim feels fine. Physically he’s okay, just slightly underweight but Alfred is working with him to get him eating regularly again which includes a variety of foods and supplements that he needs to function.

Mentally though is a little bit questionable. Tim knows on the most part he’s okay however there is a bout of paranoia coursing through him, anxiety often comes and goes, he gets flashbacks at random intervals which leaves him feeling disorientated, nightmares happen each night and he often loses track of time (mostly because he forgets he can now actually track it again by using clocks).

More often than not he’s with a family member, they certainly don’t want to leave him on his own nor be too far away from him, so a lot of his time is occupied but those times when he’s not with someone Tim has to try and find something to do. His siblings have taken it upon themselves to write him a list of things he's missed and needs to catch up on so Tim spends a good amount of time browsing the internet researching those things. It ranges from political news to the most recent meme.

Throughout this it doesn’t help that the main thing on his mind is whether he should tell everyone the truth or not. It’s like he’s carrying a massive weight on his shoulders and it’s heavily weighing him down. Thankfully none of them have yet pushed him to talk but Tim can tell they’re itching to ask, it’s only so long until they break their restraint. Tim still hasn’t decided what to do.

At one point, several days after arriving home, Tim is aimlessly wondering the halls of the Manor, taking in all the details he remembers and picks up on anything new that has been added in his absence.

In one particular hallway Tim comes across a painting, it’s a family portrait and looks like it’s been done fairly recently. The picture is of Bruce, Alfred, Dick and Cass. They’re dressed up in formal attire, like something they all would wear to a gala. The men are suits made of different shades of grey with different coloured shirts and ties while Cass is in a simple black dress, it’s plain but it suits her and she pulls it off fantastically.

He doesn’t know how long he stands there staring at the picture, it’s very well painted, uniquely capturing all of their features and the details of their clothing, it’s so good that it could pass as a photograph rather than a painting.

“This took seven weeks to complete. I gifted it to father as a present for his birthday.”

Tim shits his pants when a voice speaks up. He startles badly and snaps his head to the side to find Damian standing nearby looking at him. Tim takes a deep breath and tries to settle his pounding heart. “Jesus christ, don’t do that!”

Damian stares back unimpressed. After a moment his words catch up to Tim and his eyes widen, he glances between the painting and Damian. “You painted this? Holy shit that’s incredible.”

“Thank you Timothy. I was unsure on what to gift father and Richard suggested to do something personal. Father was pleased with it.”

Tim nods still blown away by the apparent talent this kid has. “I can imagine.”

They stand there together silently in the corridor and Tim takes a moment to study Damian. Finding out Damian’s existence had been a shock, one of the two biggest ones upon returning home, and Tim didn’t know how to approach it. He hasn’t spoken to Damian at all since coming back, this in fact has been their first conversation.

Being around the teenager feels off but Tim figures that’s because he doesn’t know him, he isn’t familiar with his presence in the manor and in the family. Tim is still adjusting to being back so there’s already a lot on his plate and this just adds to it.

Tim is aware of Damian’s story, the others have caught him up on it. None of them had been expecting it, even Bruce didn’t know about the kid, so Tim couldn’t be annoyed at that. He still feels off about it though, but deep down he knows he’ll adjust to having Damian around just like all the others had done.

“I was on my way to the library, would you like to accompany me?” Damian asks breaking the silence between them.

Tim blinks, surprised at the offer but nods. “Sure, I’m not doing anything.”

Together they quietly make their way to the library. Being with Damian is different, it doesn’t feel like the kid is itching to ask him a million questions on what happened to him, it’s like he’s content to just let Tim be and Tim finds that refreshing. However it does add more to his conflicting emotions about the kid.

They enter the room and take separate couches. Damian grabs a book from the side while Tim simply plonks down onto a cushion not bothering with anything.

“You had been gone a year when I arrived here. Despite it being that long they never stopped searching for you. Father had private investigators on speed dial, he would jump every time someone called, every event the Wayne’s attended father would plead for your return.”

Tim feels himself stop and he looks at the kid who is only focused on the book in his lap.

“I admit at first I had been jealous of you Timothy. Even though you had not been here you still occupied so much of father’s mind. As that all happened it was Richard who taught me what it is like to be part of the family, who taught me to accept and to care. I hadn’t been an easy addition, I see that now, but we all found common ground in the end. As time went by the search never ended, the hope of you returning was always there.”

At Damian’s words Tim could feel himself welling up. Just hearing that they never stopped looking for him was nearly enough to send him over the edge. He hadn’t even been on Earth but they never stopped looking.

Tim buries his face in his hands and takes a few shaky breaths to collect himself together. He doesn’t know why Damian is telling him these things but he finds that he appreciates it. Damian hadn’t been there when it first happened, he’ll see the whole situation from a different perspective.

That’s enough for Tim to solidify that he wants to get to know Damian. The honesty at the start and the way he opened up about his arrival is enough to convince Tim.

Eventually he drops his hands and glances at Damian. “I’m sorry that’s how your introduction to the family went, it couldn’t have been easy. By the sounds of it, you’ve already been through a lot of character progression and I would like to get to know you. I already know that you can paint, what else do you like to do?”

They talk for a couple hours and Tim finds it interesting. The two of them in fact have very little in common and there’s a clear line where it’s kind of awkward for both of them but Tim does enjoy getting to know the kid. They don’t have to like one another straight away, but this is a good steppingstone, at least that’s what Tim thinks.

Apparently Dick must have similar thoughts because of the proud and pleased grin he sends the two of them when he walks in on their conversation hours later.

Each day is different as it passes by. There are good days and there are bad days. The good days are when Tim’s feeling content and adjusted to being back home. The bad days are when everything comes crashing down on him, the anxiety, the disorientation and even paranoia become too overwhelming for him to handle.

Nightmares are common too, unfortunately Tim has the feeling that they won’t be going away any time soon. They mostly consist of flashbacks of what happened when he had been trapped with Ra’s Al Ghul, mainly of all the torment and torture he had endured.

He knows that his family are concerned and how they’re getting more worried each day, Tim’s even overheard Bruce say to Alfred about getting him to go see a doctor or a therapist. It annoys Tim that Bruce has suggested it but at the same time he understands the reason behind it.

Another mental barrier Tim is facing is focused on his old bedroom. Since returning Tim’s been based in the guest bedroom, it’s quickly becoming his permanent one because he can’t find it in himself to go back to his old one. According to his family his old room hasn’t been touched, meaning it’s the exact same as it had been the day he was kidnapped. Tim finds himself unable to go into the room, it’s like he’ll be forced to remember the Tim that was kidnapped and realise that’s not the same Tim who has returned. He’s different now than to what he was almost three years ago.

It’s been about a week and a half since his return now and Tim still hasn’t spoken about what happened to him, he still refuses to answer any sort of question about his kidnapping and disappearance. Tim’s aware that it isn’t healthy to keep it all bottled up inside but he hasn’t yet decided on whether he’s going to tell them the truth or not. It’s a constant debate he has with himself, even going as far as making a pros and cons list to help him decide on what to do.

It’s only when Jason accidently walks in on him while shirtless that Tim realises he can’t continue with the silence anymore. He finally cracks under the weight of the secrets he’s been hiding from everyone.

After coming out of the shower, Tim had only been dressed in a towel which was wrapped around his waist. Typically he forgot to take clothes into the bathroom with him but he didn’t think of it too much as an issue considering it’s an ensuite. As he had been getting his clothes out to wear for the day, his bedroom door swings open without warning and Jason comes striding in like he owns the place.

Tim is livid at the audacity Jason has to just stroll into his bedroom like that, thank god he had a towel on or else it’ll be extremely embarrassing for both parties involved. Tim turns to scald his brother but stops short when he finds Jason frozen in place staring at him with wide eyes and a horrified expression.

Tim frowns, not understanding Jason’s behaviour. Surely it’s not that much of a shock to see him half naked? Sure he’s not muscular, but its only pale skin on show so what else could there be…

It’s embarrassing how long it takes for it to click and once it does it’s Tim’s turn to be horrified. He feels his heart drop and suddenly he couldn’t breathe.

The scars.

Jason’s just seen all of the scars on his back. All the ones he’s received from the torture he’s endured, where the healing cream had helped close the wounds but left scars behind nonetheless.

The two of them stand there staring at one another for a long time, neither of them moving or saying anything. Tim doesn’t know whether he wants to run and hide or break down crying. How the hell was he supposed to explain the scars? Jason wasn’t supposed to see them, no one was! What’s he going to do?

“Hey Jason, did you ask Tim – what are you guys doing?” Dick’s voice breaks the two of them out of the weird trance they had fallen into. The eldest of the three had come to the room to find out what had been taking Jason so long to ask Tim a question and finds them having a stare off while Tim is undressed.

With no explanations Jason spins around, grabs the front of Dick’s t-shirt and yanks him into the bedroom and slams the door shut behind him. Dick stumbles in and glares at Jason, he crosses his arms over his chest and silently demands for an explanation.

Jason glares back before pining Tim with a look. “Tim turn around.”

Tim continues to stare at Jason in horror, his eyes would occasionally flicker to Dick in the same response. Tim doesn’t know what to do. Both of his brothers are looking at him expectantly, Jason with fire and concern in his eyes and Dick with confusion and worry.

In the end Tim thickly swallows and slowly turns around so his back is to his brothers. He takes controlling breaths to help ground him as the scars are displayed, he ignores the soft gasp that emits from Dick.

After counting to thirty Tim moves again and shoves a jumper on wanting to hide his back from sight. He quickly dresses into some sweatpants too, there’s no way he’s about to have this conversation half naked and dressed in a towel.

The room is filled with a heavy silence and Tim feels vulnerable. He hates it. Jason and Dick are staring at him with pity in their eyes along with concern, anger and genuine sadness. It’s crazy to think that Tim can still read his brothers well even after years apart.

“Tim,” Jason sighs, he runs a hand over his head before settling into a tight posture with his arms crossed over his chest, “we have been ignoring the elephant in the room since you’ve returned out of respect for you and I think it’s time that we finally ask. What the hell happened to you while you were gone Tim? Those scars man… what the fuck?”

Tim slumps onto the bed, leaning back against the headboard. Jason stays standing while Dick lowers himself onto the opposite end of the mattress.

In that moment Tim knew he couldn’t hold it back anymore. One moment to the next, everything spills out of Tim’s mouth. It’s like a dam has been broken and all the water is gushing out.

Tim tells them everything.

He describes being taken from Earth and waking up strapped to a table, to becoming a slave, how he escaped, how he was saved and looked after and the crazy adventures he ended up being part of. He talks about the aliens and creatures he encountered, the different planets he visited, how he was injured, how he was kidnapped again, how he was tortured followed by being rescued a second time, how he spent days recovering with the others and finally how he returned home.

There are details he missed of course, his mind is in too much of a frenzy to remember everything but he thinks he covers the majority of it. By the end of his story, Dick is hugging him tightly and Jason is sat on the end of the bed. Tears were running down his face, Dick is in the same boat and opposite him Jason appears to be impassive.

Tim sobs into Dick’s chest, holding him tightly as everything comes out. So many emotions coming together and erupting as a noisy and snotty mess.

It takes some time but eventually Tim calms down and wipes his face with his sleeve as he pushes away from Dick. He leans back against the headboard and fiddles with his sleeve.

“So there, that’s what happened to me.” Tim bites out, feeling rather bitter. “Are you finally happy to know? Call me crazy, call me insane because aliens don’t exist or whatever but that’s the truth. Take it or leave it. Those scars are the result of what I have had to endure.”

His brothers remain quiet for a long time, he’s not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. He doesn’t push for them to talk however, there’s a lot of information to understand and that’s even if they believe it.

“So aliens took you…” Dick drawls out, looking kind of constipated, “did you ever find out why?”

Tim shakes his head. “Not really. Apparently the one who took me just thought I was interesting or something. Out of the billions of humans there are and he chooses me.” He laughs in disbelief.

“What if he takes you again?” Jason questions suspiciously.

At this point Tim doesn’t know if they’re simply humouring him or if they genuinely believe everything he just told them. Either way he answers their questions the best he could. “Hopefully that won’t happen. I got given this gem, it’s supposedly a cloaking device, as long as I wear it I’m hidden from the League so they can’t track me.”

They fall into silence again and Tim sits there waiting for more questions, or even a disbelieving laugh. When nothing comes Tim frowns and glances at his brothers. “Do you believe me?”

Dick sighs and rubs his hands over his face. “Its certainly a lot to comprehend but I don’t think you would make all of that up. Also it kind of explains why we never found you. You weren’t even on the planet, of course no one would be able find you.”

“That day Tim,” Jason starts, his voice sounds think and he looks haunted, “that day was awful. I don’t even think there’s a word to describe what that day was like really. Turning away just for a moment and then looking back to find you gone…”

It shatters Tim’s heart to see his normally strong-willed brother breaking down. Unable to help himself Tim crawls across the bed and throws his arms around Jason’s neck, capturing him in a hug. His brother doesn’t cry but he hugs back, squeezing Tim tightly.

“I’m sorry,” Tim whispers brokenly, feeling his own emotions rising again, “I’m so sorry you both had to go through that. Every day I thought about what you two had to go through, me disappearing like that, and it was horrendous. I’m so sorry.”

A hand appears on Tim’s back, making him look away from Jason. Dick has moved closer, rubbing a comforting hand across his back. Dick has tears in his eyes again and when he speaks his voice is hoarse with emotion. “It’s okay Timmy, it’s not your fault. We never blamed you. It’s never been your fault. You’re here now right, we got you back, that’s all that matters.”

Tim nods and swallows the bubble that’s formed in his throat. Doing his best to keep control of his emotions, Tim smiles sadly. “Yeah. I’m back. I’m not okay, but I will be.”

He pulls away from Jason and the man wipes his eyes, still stubbornly refusing to cry. Tim snorts softly, he’s pleased to find Jason hasn’t changed all that much. The man looks up, glancing between him and Dick. “So what do you want to do? Do you want to tell Bruce everything you told us or stay quiet about it? Since you were taken by aliens - what the fuck is all that about – the police can’t exactly do anything. They’re still going to want a statement or some shit.”

Tim shakes his head in denial. “No. I don’t want to tell Bruce, at least not yet. Look I know how it sounds, its crazy, the whole thing is just bananas. I don’t know if Bruce will believe it or not and we’re absolutely not telling the authorities! They’ll just straight up send me to a therapist or an asylum.”

Dick and Jason both blink at him and Tim glares back. “I am not going to see a therapist, no matter how much you think I need to. End of discussion.”

His brothers hum and Tim knows that they’ll be revisiting that topic at a later date despite his protests. He decides to ignore it for now, he’ll deal with it when that bridge comes around.

“I will tell him, I promise,” Tim sighs, “Just let me adjust being back home and everything then I’ll tell him. Please don’t tell him, or anyone else.”

They both stare at him for a long time before they look at each other, and even though Tim’s been away for a long time he can still recognise the “over-protective older brothers” looks and silent conversation. Tim pouts, not liking he can’t tell what they’re thinking, he just knows its about him.

They turn back to him a moment later. “We won’t tell anyone, however you have to come to one of us any time there’s some kind of issue or you need someone to talk to about anything.”

Tim sends them a glare, he’s practically being blackmailed for their silence. Huffing Tim throws his arms up dramatically. “Okay fine, I’ll talk to one of you. You both know now anyway, it’ll make it slightly easier to deal with.”

They send him matching smug grins. “Glad to hear it.”

“So I know that you’ve been through some pretty horrific stuff, but there sounds like there was some positive stuff too.” Dick comments sounding intrigued. “What was that team like who saved you? What planets did you visit, how different is space life compared to Earth?”

Tim smiles, now these were the kind of questions he actually doesn’t mind answering. It’s going to be great that he can excitedly tell someone about how mind blowing being in space was, of course ignoring all the bad stuff that happened in between.

Things weren’t perfect, far from it but he’s home, he’s back with his family and he has a group of aliens to thank for that. Tim knows its going to take a while to adjust and settle back into human life, if he ever settles at all, but he gets to live his life knowing something that only others ever dream about.

[taliaquinn]

Why Me!? Chapter 12

Mass Panic immediately ensued following the texts.

Rose couldn’t help but tear up at the thought that she won't be wearing the beautiful new dress she designed with Marinette. Alya was panicking because she knew how much Marinette's MDC dresses cost. Yes, she stalked her website, but only to trash talk it with Lila, Lila even told her how some of those designs were her idea and Marinette stole them.  

Adrien decided to try and call his ex-classmates but was shocked to find that he was blocked . He decided to try calling Marinette but was even more shocked to find that the line was disconnected.

Alya finally had enough of the chaos and decided to try and get control of the room again. She blew a shrill whistle “EVERYONE QUIET, Look we lost only a few people, most of them bullies, we don't  need them together we can handle this”

No one would admit the queasy feeling they got at the pit of there stomachs. They knew Marinette might've been a bully but she was an excellent president.

Gotham Airfield                                                                                          Gotham City, U.S.A                                                                                            7 a.m

Marinette stirred and was shocked to find that her parents were up and getting there carry on luggage. Quickly glancing out her window she was shocked to find that they  Landed in Gotham. Eep. Quickly gathering her art supplies she followed her parents down the steps.

Suddenly she heard a squeal “Oh my gosh she’s so adorablleeeee,  Bruce are you sure this is your kid?”, she looked up to see a blonde girl jumping up and down while clinging to another boys arm.

Mr.Wayne seemed to have a look of eternal suffering etched on his face. “Yes Stephanie I'm sure, How’d you even know we were going to be here ?”

“Tim told me” The guy she was clinging to slightly grimaced while side-eyeing Mr.Wayne who was giving him a glare.

“Of course”

‘MARIBUGGGG” Dick quickly ran towards the steps and scooped her up and twirled Marinette around. Marinette couldn’t help but clutch to her supplies for fear of dropping them while giggling.

“Hi Dick,really happy to finally be here” She hugged him back, while he put her back down. Suddenly Dick was abruptly shoved away

“My Turn” Suddenly Marinette was engulfed in by a blonde tornado.

“Steph you’re suffocating her let her goooo”  The guy Tim said as he was approaching them.

“But shes to adoranble~” the blonde said, still holding Marinette captive. Why was it always the Blondes who tried to kill her?

Oblivious to her plight her parents went on ahead and greeted Bruce and Dick who had to stumble back to Bruce's side after being viciously shoved.

“Bruce I want to say a huge thank you, We can’t wait to get Marinette situated and head back to Paris,” Sabine said making sure to quickly shake his hand and giving Dick a quick hug.

“Ha, I swear all three of us eventually dozed off on the flight,” Tom said while moving to do the same.

After a few more seconds Stephanie finally released Marinette.  

“Oh gosh, you’re too adorable for words~ My name is Steph” Wait did Bruce have a second daughter? Marinette thought he only had one other daughter, Cassandra?

“Are you another one of Bruce's kids?”

“What!? Oh gosh,you’ve only been here for a few minutes and you already recognize that Bruce has an adopting problem, pfft luckily I am not one of those poor suckers. I am just here to eternally annoy them plus I’m besties with Cass, Bruce’s other daughter” Stephanie explained.

She quickly pulled Tim towards them. “This is one of those poor suckers, Marinette this is Tim Drake, He’s constantly sleep-deprived and suffers from severe caffeine addiction”

“It's not severe”

“Yet”

Marinette couldn’t help but snort. Being a Fashion designer/superhero/ highschooler, Marinette has learned how to make a dang good pot of coffee. Also how to tell if she’s hallucinating or not from lack of sleep. Seriously there was this one incident where she was seeing hamsters take over the school's library, there was also that one time where she saw a mob of pigeons chase a man, but that turned out to be pigeon man who got akumatized again.

“A fellow addict, nice to meet you,” Marinette said.

Stephanie suddenly started looking at two before seemingly coming to a startling revelation

“ OH GOD, THERE'S TWO COFFEE ADDICTS NOW!!!” She yelped. She suddenly scurried away in a desperate attempt to call Alfred and warn him about the new incoming addict.

Dick glanced down and noticed that Marinette dropped a few of her pens and markers. He knelt to pick them up quickly he handed them to Marinette.

“You like to draw?” He asked giving her another quick hug

“Yeppers I mainly focus on designing outfits and  making  them as well, where’d you think your jackets came from?”

“ No way, I thought you bought them!!! I love mines and I know for a fact Bruce loves his.”

“Well yeah I make a lot of my clothes, I have a website where I sell some of the clothing, I also do commissions” suddenly Dick was once again shoved away.

“MDC!!” Tim exclaimed

Marinette jumped back a few steps before suddenly realizing that he was a fan.  

“M.D.C are your initials, I knew I recognized the Jacket from somewhere”

“Yep based off another Jacket I sold on My website, except some of the detailing is different”

“You’ve gotten recognition from Audrey Bourgeois and Gabriel Agreste,” Tim gawked. Dick was busy grumbling complaints “What is it with you two and shoving me”.

Marinette quickly went over to help him up. She quickly got one of her suitcases and opened it up pulling out a few articles of clothing. Quickly she handed Tim his jacket, and since she wasn't aware of Stephanie's existence she settled with Handing her a Trench Coat since it was cold.

Stephanie immediately shed her current coat and shoved it at Tim to hold. She put on the trenchcoat and admired the embroidered birds around the sleeves.

“Oh my gosh, you have such a good eye”

Stephanie immediately shed her current coat and shoved it at Tim to hold. She put on the trenchcoat and admired the embroidered birds around the sleeves.

“Well duh kinda necessary” Marinette teased

“Wait you didn’t bring any of your supplies?” Dick responded, noticing that Marinette didn’t bring Big enough suitcases to carry some of the bigger sewings and designing supplies.

“Well, we had to kinda leave in a rush so…. I didn't have enough time to pack some of the bigger supplies”

“I have an idea! We can go around Gotham and buy some of the supplies!” Dick suggested.

“Maybe on the weekend Dick, We gotta take her to the manor and let her and the Dupain-Chengs meet the rest of the family,” Bruce noted joining them. Honestly, though Bruce was more worried about a certain butler ripping him a new one for taking so long to introduce him to his newest granddaughter.

College Francis Dupont                                                                            Paris, France                                                                                                  8:30 a.m

People walking into Bustiers Class couldn’t help but be disconcerted at all the empty seats the next day. They all decided to sit on the right, some glancing at the empty seats on the left.

Lila finally walked in and with the flip of her hair, she strolled straight and made sure to take a seat next to Alya. Right in Marinette's old seat. It was odd seeing someone else sit there. Eventually Madame Bustier walked in and only took a momentary pause upon seeing the small class size.

Adrien slowly walked in and lightly jumped at the new class size. He took his usual seat next to Nino. However, it wasn’t too long before he felt a tap on his shoulder. Both he and Nino turned to face Alya and Lila.

“Hey, Adrien you mind switching seats with me? I wanna sit to Nino” Alya announced. Adrien, however, didn't miss Nino’s slight grimace. However, Lilas's look of pure hopefulness was the thing that made Adrien slightly grimace as well.

Regardless of how Adrien felt he knew he had to say yes.

“Sure”

Meanwhile in Mendelievs….

“I call dibs on sitting next to Kagami!!!” Chloe loudly exclaimed and made a mad dash towards the empty seat next to Kagami.

Nathaniel immediately moved to sit next to Marc. Sabrina sat next to Juleka. Ivan decided to sit next to Max. At first, it was a slight adjustment getting used to Mendelievs class, she taught and had control over her class. No way was she going to permit and outburst or arguments when she taught. However, she did permit them to talk whenever she was done teaching.

“Marinette just quit ?” Probed Aurore. She was furious at the fact that Marinette was essentially driven to quitting.

“Yup” Chloe responded popping the p, “But now she’s staying with Family in Gotham for a bit, she even texted to mention how she might transfer schools and stay in the states”

“B-but sweet Marinette in Gotham, don’t they have like a gajillion crazy villains? At least the Akumas’ damage in Paris can be reversed and they're only temporary” Aurore mentioned

“Marinette is tough, plus she’ll be away from this crazy school” Nathaniel offered while finishing up a sketch for his and Marcs’ comic

“Plus Marinette said she’ll call us once she’s comfy and everything” Chloe finished.

“Poor Marinette”

Wayne Manor                                                                                                Gotham City, USA                                                                                          9:00 a.m

Marinette knew Mr.Wayne was rich but holy cow, he makes both the Agreste and Bourgeious fortune look like pennies. She never understood how rich he was.Seriously he has a fleet of luxury vehicles in his garage. The inside of the manor looks photo-ready, AND all of his kids have gone to a 30k a year school. Thank God she was going to a Normal School.

Mr.Wayne made sure to take Maman and Papa to a luxury hotel suite to get them settled before bringing them back to the Manor. She quickly said goodbye and gave them big kisses on their cheeks.

Marinette was occupied still gaping at the giant Chandelier when suddenly she was face-to-face with two teenagers.

Dick immediately noticed that there was an awkward staring contest going on and moved in to ease the awkwardness.

“Marinette this is Cassandra shes the fourth oldest,” Dick said while introducing the two. Marinette was occupied gaping at Cassandra. She was so pretty. Cassandra took a quick step forward before quickly putting her hand on Marinette's shoulder.

“Cass” She gently chided.

Marinette only slightly stumbled before yanking out a sweater from her duffle bag and practically shoving it at her. Sue her she was intimidated and impressed.

“Me?” Cass was surprised. She took the sweater but couldn’t help but hold it close to her. It was so soft. Marinette made it for her, and she didn’t know her!!! Cass couldn’t help the grin that was overtaking her face. She made sure to get closer to take a long glance at Marinette who was giving a cynical Jason his own sweater, along with gloves.  Nervous. jittery. uncomfortable.  

“Huh, you are most definitely too sweet for this family" Jason couldn't help but coo at the sight of the petite blue-eyed girl.

"I'm Jason Todd,  technically dead and black sheep of the family. Whenever you get tired or pissed at Bruce, trust me that is a guarantee, feel free to crash at my place.” He piped. While shrugging off his leather jacket and putting on his new turtleneck sweater. Holy crap was it soft.

Technically Dead? What in the world!? Are they choosing to ignore that!?  Marinette was so confused. Seriously first off Cass has the biggest grin on her face and seems to be studying Marinette, Jason Todd just admitted he’s still technically dead!? Are all siblings this confusing? She’ll have to ask Luka. Seeing as he seems to be the only one in their friend group who has a sibling.

Taking a glance around the entrance. Marinette noticed that she suddenly had older siblings and even a  younger one. One week was all it took. Marinette took a glance at Cass she mirrored her grin. She realized one thing.

THIS FAMILY IS INSANE!!!

And now she's a part of them. Crap.

Tag list:

@another-fan-of-anotherplan @damianette-is-life @amayakans @parallelparabox @miukiiu @valeks-princess @toodaloo-kangaroo @vixen-uchiha @thezestywalru @dreamykitty25 @souleateralicestein @thestressmademedoit

A/N:

I hope that all of you lovely peeps are staying healthy and safe. Please enjoy todays chapter. Feel free to reblog and leave a note <3.

[wordsfromthesol]

Snowy Afternoon

Author: @wordsfromthesol Pairing: Tim Drake x Reader Summary:  Your first evening of driving in the snow did not go well. Thankfully, Tim decided to end patrol early. Warnings:  Language, because honestly I curse like a sailor and just assume everyone else does too. Word Count: 1.0k

Why did you ever think Gotham was a good idea? Now you had to contend with not only the freezing weather and snow, but also crazy people in costumes. You rambled on in your head as you attempted to drive carefully back to your apartment from Gotham University. Classes had been canceled due to an impending snow storm, but of course they didn’t clue you in on that until after you arrived at the campus. No wonder Gotham U was offering not only a full ride, but also a work-study stipend. Who on earth would chose to be here? Oh right…you did stupid. And now look at what you have to deal with. As you were arguing with yourself, your car began to skid across the snow. The white powder providing little traction as the car gained speed downhill. Trying not to panic, you decided riding out the situation was better than attempting to gain control of the car. You brace yourself as the car spun sideways and landed head first into a barrier. Your head was thrown into the steering wheel before bouncing back against the headrest.

**

“Alright, there is no point in freezing to death on patrol. If someone wants to do something illegal today, I say we let them.”

“Thank god. I couldn’t agree more Timbers. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

“I have some files back at my place. I’m going to run by and grab them so I have something to do. I’ll meet you back at the manor.”

Jason nodded before speeding off. With Dick and Bruce in another country, Tim was forced to hold down the fort with Jason and Damian. He would be damned if he had to endure this blizzard without something to keep him busy. Something he could work on and ignore the two menaces.

As Tim rounded the corner, he noticed tire tracks slowly being filled with the fresh snow. The tracks headed down the hill and straight for the barricades below. Tim’s eyes followed the trial until they came upon a car covered in a thick blanket of white.

“No footprints…” Tim stuttered to himself as he slowly approached the vehicle. After his failed attempt to open the door, his swiped his arm across the driver’s window revealing your unconscious body.

“Shit.” Tim punched 911 into his phone as he searched for a way to get you out. “What do you mean you can’t get here?!”

“We are trying to clear the roads as fast as possible. I need you to remain calm.”

“They could be dead by then,’ Tim began as he smashed the rear passenger window.

“What –” Tim cut the operator off and instead dialed Jason.

“Jay, I need a car at my location.”

“Uhm, can I ask why?”

“Someone’s unconscious…and it was a car accident, not me.”

“Alright, alright. I’m on my way.”

Tim crawled into the passenger’s seat next to you and placed his hand on your shoulder before realizing he knew you. “Y/N?” Your body lay limp next to him. He carefully pulled you into his lap, in an attempt to keep you warm until his brother arrived. Thankfully, it only took a few minutes before Jason was tapping on the door.

“We need to get her to the hospital.”

“Uhh…Timmy…the power’s out all over the city. The hospital is going to be slammed. Just bring her to the manor, I’ve already warned Alfred and Damian.”

“But…uh.” Before Tim could protest, Jason lifted you from Tim’s lap. “Wait!” Tim chased after Jason, “take my bike, I’ll drive them.”

Jason gave his younger brother a suspicious glare before placing you in the car and heading towards the bike.

**

“Good news, Master Timothy. It seems the young lady simply has a concussion and a dislocated shoulder.”

“Alfred, how is that good news?” Tim’s words had a bite to them.

“Well, sir, there is no internal bleeding.”

“Sorry, Al, I just…know her.”

“Hm. Perhaps we should move her out of the cave then. Your old room has been prepared.”

“Good idea.” Tim walked over and cradled you against his body, careful to not disturb the newly reset shoulder.

After placing you on the bed, Tim finally realized he never retrieved the files. What was he supposed to do now? However, just as he poised the question to himself, you began to stir.

“Y/N?”

“Hm….” You groaned as you began to roll over to your side.

“Wait!!” Tim shouted as he sprung to your side, holding to carefully in place. Your eyes sprung to life at his touch, but before you could speak, the familiar figure continued, “you dislocated your shoulder in the accident. Probably not a good idea to lay on it.”

“Oh…accident?” Your memory was foggy and you were beyond confused at your current situation.

“I…uhm…found you trapped in your car. Looks like you skidded off the road.”

“Stupid fucking snow…” you mumbled, almost incoherently. Tim, however, picked up on the words and let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, it can be a bitch sometimes. Your name is Y/N, right?”

You glared at him in confusion, “yeah…”

Tim threw his hands up in defense, “I’m not a creep, I swear. You’re uhm…in my biology class at Gotham U.”

So that’s why he looked so familiar. “Oh, Mrs. Gilbert?”

“That’s the one.”

“Well, thanks…I better get going then.” You sat up and threw your legs over the side of the bed before pausing to regain your focus. Instinctively, your hand shot up and latched against Tim’s forearm.

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s a good idea. How about we just go relax and watch a movie?”

You nodded as he helped you from the bed. You clung to his side as Tim led you through the hallways, until he finally stopped at a giant home theater. Tim helped you over to the large plush chair and plopped down beside you.

“Sherlock Holmes?” Tim suggested.

“The movie or the show?” You questioned, watching his eyes gleam with surprise. And with that the two of you were huddled together fast asleep before Watson even made his appearance.

[incoherentbabblings]

If TimSteph ever have kids (probs have a few) who do you think is most likely going to become the stay at home parent or would they just get Alfred to babysit?

If I can thank one thing from Nightwing New Order for existing it’s balding cardigan wearing dad of three Tim Drake. With bonus purple car and blonde purple daughter (like... hohohohohohooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo).

Steph wants to be a vigilante, a mum and have a day job. She will apparently be sustaining herself on cocaine or something to need no sleep in order to manage this, but whatever. She wants that, so I do not think she will be a stay at home mum. She’ll be a very very very very good mum, as we know Steph is exceptionally good with young kids, but she will be juggling it with a least three other things.

If we’re going for a happy ending for Tim he needs to either quit or be the voice with the internet connection that he was before he went out as Robin proper (like he appears to be in the above story). He cannot keep going the way he was in RR, that way leads to a very sad and angry Tim.

Maybe when they first have kids, they alternate who goes out? But overall I would like to see Tim stay home. Sometimes case work requires lots of reading, and there is much investigative work that can be done sat at a desk with a baby snoozing on your chest. Steph would go stir crazy if she wasn’t able to go out at night for more than two weeks.

Alfred would be a great babysitter, but I think they would also make use of Conner and Kara simply because I think that would be hilarious. Conner tossing the baby back and forth like a football with Kara, that kind of stuff. Cassie would be good too, but like, in an actual competent way. Bart is not allowed to be left alone with infants.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

The End of the Beginning

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/sAeKrXQ by ThirdBoyWonder Tim has been living with Jason, Roy and Lian for a few months now and is starting to go stir crazy. luckily, Roy has the perfect plan to get Tim back out patrolling while also fucking with Bruce's head.   The other stories do not need to be read before this one, however it'll help add more context to this universe! Words: 1447, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 3 of Who are you? (Find Yourself) Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen, M/M Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Roy Harper, Lian Harper, Bruce Wayne, - Mention Relationships: Roy Harper/Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Lian Harper, Tim Drake & Roy Harper & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Roy Harper, Lian Harper & Roy Harper, Lian Harper & Jason Todd, Lian Harper & Roy Harper & Jason Todd Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It's mentioned in just one spot, Mostly Fluff, Tim starts to feel like he has a family again, Found Family, Jason is lians other dad, Tims her uncle, finally getting to the main plot, identity theft, Bruce Wayne's A+ Parenting, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Tim gets hurt by Bruce and gets taken in by Jason read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/sAeKrXQ