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The whole unfortunate situation came about, simply because Tim was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He and Peter had just wrapped up a difficult case and the two of them, plus El, had decided to grab a nice dinner at a restaurant that was outside of Tim’s radius. They’d just placed their orders, when a horrifyingly familiar voice spoke up from behind Tim, “Mr. Drake, what a pleasant surprise to see you here!”
Tim tensed and slowly turned around, eyes falling on Randolph Adair, who was a consultant for Wayne Enterprise’s R.A.D. project. Tim internally readied himself, it was time to employ a strategy he never thought he’d have to use. ‘Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss.’
Originally this strategy was simply referred to as, ‘Three Part Strategy For Undercover Detection Avoidance' or ‘Tactic J7,’ but that wasn’t quite as catchy as Steph’s nickname, which quickly became popular among the rest of the bats. It was actually such a commonly used nickname, that Jason swore he’d actually heard Bruce call it that once. He wasn’t sure he believed that, but it was definitely a funny thought.
Tim smiled uncomfortably at the man standing behind him and took a deep breath.
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---((J7 (1) Claim that you’re not who the accuser believes you to be. There is often no need to complicate things by reacting strongly. There are many people in this world who look alike.))---
Aka. Gaslight Randy.
1 - Randy is a complete stranger to Neal.
2 - He’s simply mistaken Neal Caffrey for someone else.
“Were you talking to me?” Tim asked, pulling a confused expression.
Randy’s eyebrows pinched and he frowned slightly, “Mr. Drake? It’s me, Randolph Adair. I’m one of the consultants on the R.A.D. project, we had a meeting last week.”
Tim cast a quick glance over to where Peter and El were watching the exchange, clearly confused. He looked back towards Randy, “Uhm, I’m sorry.” He gave an apologetic smile, “I think you’ve got me confused with someone else.” Tim held out his hand for a handshake, “My name’s not Drake, it’s Caffrey. Neal Caffrey.”
Randy disregarded his proffered hand, “What?” He frowned, “What are you talking about? I’ve known you for three years, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re Tim Drake.”
Tim exchanged another glance with his dining companions, trying to convey, ‘This guy’s nuts!’, with just his expression.
Peter jumped in, “I think you’re mistaken sir, this man’s name really is Neal Caffrey. He works for me.” He said.
El nodded in agreement, “A lot of people look alike, he probably just looks a lot like whoever this Tim person is.” The corner of Tim’s mouth ticked up as his friends spoke and he nodded, agreeing with their statements. The two of them were helping keep his cover intact without even knowing it. He felt slightly guilty, but mostly just relieved at the added layer of credibility it gave his cover.
Randy’s face twisted, “Seriously! I’m not an idiot! You’re clearly Timothy Drake-Wayne!” Tim let out a small breath of frustration, clearly Randy had no discretion and he would have to take this to step two.
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---((J7 (2) Pull the accuser aside and explain that the situation is ‘above their pay grade.’))---
Aka. Gatekeep Randy.
1 - Pull Randy aside and reveal that he is in fact Tim Drake.
2 - Explain that he’s working on Wayne Enterprise business that requires him to temporarily take a different name and Randy needs to stay out of it.
“Please stop harassing our table or I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Peter said, hand going to his pocket.
Tim held out a hand before Peter could take out his badge, “Just give me a minute Peter.” He stood and faced Randy, “Come on over here,” He gestured to the hallway leading to the bathrooms and kitchen, “Let’s just talk this out.”
Peter raised an eyebrow at him. (Are you sure about this Neal?)
Tim nodded, smiling lightly. (I’ve got this.)
Peter shrugged. (Ok then.)
El leaned into Peter’s side and smiled brightly, a concerned expression swimming in her eyes. (Let us know if you need any help.)
Luckily, Randy went along without argument. Once they reached the relative privacy of the hallway, Tim spun aggressively to face him, face instantly darkening, “What the hell was that, Randy!? I’m clearly conducting private business!”
A shocked and sad expression flickered across Randy’s face, before it hardened into a scowl, “I thought you were better than that Timothy, Wayne Enterprises was supposed to be different from all the others.”
Tim internally sighed, he didn’t think this through well enough. Randy clearly thought Tim was doing something illegal, just like all the other Gotham based conglomerates. Shit, there really was no good way out of this. He would probably have to run with Randy’s assumptions, which would surely lead to Randy cutting ties with Wayne Enterprises entirely. At least Randy had already been paid the full amount for his consulting work, Tim would have been a lot more hesitant if his lying ended up cheating the man out of honest, hard earned money.
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---((J7 (3) Bluster at the accuser, talk over them, and do whatever you can to make yourself the center of attention. Focus on destroying the accuser’s credibility.))---
Aka. Girlboss Randy.
1 - Get angry for Randy’s lack of discretion.
2 - Make a scene and involve the rest of the restaurant.
3 - Dramatically exit the situation and leave Randy completely discredited.
Tim spoke with a lowered voice, “I tried to handle this situation discreetly, but clearly that’s not possible.” He straightened up, raising his voice, “I don’t know who you are, or what you want, but you’re interfering with a pleasant dinner I’m having with a coworker and his wife. You should leave now and not bother us again!” By the time he finished speaking, half the restaurant was staring them down, gazes judgmental and annoyed.
Randy simply shook his head sadly and spoke quietly, “I really thought you were better than that, my resignation will be on your desk by the end of the week.”
Tim lowered his voice, tone menacing, “That would be best. Enjoy the rest of your night Mr. Adair.” With no hesitation, Tim turned his back on the man and waltzed back over to his table, trusting that Randy wouldn’t follow him.
Throughout the rest of the evening Peter and El asked questions, but Tim managed to bluff his way through them and the rest of dinner went by without any further incidents. By the time they were being served dessert, Tim had already sent a text to Bruce, explaining the unfortunate situation. Tim asked him to ensure Randy won the employee raffle for a free week-long cruise before his resignation was officially submitted and also to put in a good word wherever Randy’s job happened to take him next. After all, it wasn’t Randy’s fault he’d fallen victim to ‘Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss.’ from an undercover bat.