Chapter Text
Tim wasn't supposed to be here-
Not in the self loathing sense “I dont belong with my own family whaa”
No he literally wasn't supposed to be here.
But of course one of his mission leads had reached a dead end and well- Jason had visited his apartment the other day for movie night.
Aka they take turns overriding each other's defense systems and then refuse to leave without being entertained and fed.
It was a weird bonding thing but hey better than trying to kill each other at the very least.
That night though, he vented to Jason about the case, hoping maybe a fresh set of eyes on the ground in Gotham would help get the motor running again.
Well it did- with Jason oh so helpfully reminding him that it sounded similar to a cold case B had dealt with a while ago.
A cold case Tim didn't have access too.
A case he could only GET access to on the Batcomputer.
A computer in the manor he had avoided like the plague for about six months now.
Except for dinner invites from Alfred of course.
Which is exactly why he's using the spare side door key he nicked from Dick last month. Hopefully aiding in his sneaking in the back so he doesn't have to deal with Bruce or god forbid Damian.
Thankfully Alfred was out of town for the week, not that he would ever deny his pseudo grandfather a cup of tea and some small talk. But he wasn't keen on spending the night in a place he was half convinced he would wake up to being smothered.
Tim punched in the code on the grandfather clock and shuffled his way down the stairs, flicking a few of the underbelly lights on so he didn't go teetering off the edge of the platform.
Cave was empty, Batman and Robin both on patrol, Nightwing was in Bludhaven, and Hood was… honestly he was better off not knowing. Plausible deniability and all that.
The rest of his siblings were off roster for their breaks or from finals season except for a major disaster or breakout, Alfred's rules. And no one went against Alfred, even Bruce.
As much as he avoided visiting the manor unless necessary, god did he miss the bat coffee maker. Tim held the bat themed cup in his hands enjoying the warmth as he booted up the computer and pulled up the necessary files.
Case #76306
“Project Pearl”
Status: UNSOLVED, DECLARED COLD BY GCPD
Tim spread out the files across the many screen’s and could feel his sanity fray just a tad when he saw the earliest related file being labeled 1/487
He took an exaggerated sip of his coffee as he opened up the first file, his personal laptop ready to take notes.
Oh yeah- this was going to be a long night.
_________
The squeal of tires snapped Tim out of his detective focus, having reached file 342 in just a few hours. But it seemed the patrol had ended early. Well shit he was not in the mood to deal with Bruce or Damian.
Was this a stupid choice?
Maybe.
Had he already shut off the computer, grabbed all his belongings and fled to hide on one of the trophy platforms hoping his uniform blends in enough they will leave without noticing him??
Also maybe yes.
Tim nestled between a booby trapped filing cabinet from the Riddler back in Dicks days and a giant (hopefully) dud joker bomb.
Well- he would pick the piranha drawer and count down bomb playing “pop goes the weasel” over his family drama anyday.
A door slamming shut made him jump just a smidge and peer down at the cave floor below. Damm must have been a rough night for Damian. But that loud the kid would have had to throw his whole body into it.
He watched the passenger door open and Damian shuffled out, closing it behind him and following after a very tense looking batman as he stormed over to the training mats. Huh not Damian then.
They were talking or well, Bruce was talking, but Damis back was to him so he couldn't see if he was responding. Either way despite how quiet the cave was he could barely hear them from so high up.
Batman threw his arm out angrily and Damians head dropped down and- oh oh my gosh was Damian in trouble!?
Tim quickly maneuvered away from his hiding space, crossing the cave shelves with practiced ease as he tried to get closer.
He could not possibly miss this. The demon brat finally fucked up enough to get a genuine angry batdad lecture?? Jason would be pissed he missed it.
Oh wait.. he could fix that.
Tim dropped down a layer or so and shifted enough he could see Damians face, but his head was still down. He quickly opened a small latch on his suit and flipped on the body cam.
Perfect bribery for Jason and future blackmail of course~
As any good brother would.
As he settled on the lower platform Batman's voice became audible.
“-completely unacceptable behavior I have no idea what led you to believing that was in any way permissible in the field”!
Damian was frozen, head stiff forward. But he wasn't tense as if awaiting to attack, he was guilty maybe? Ha guilty Damian- hell hath frozen over.
“Are you even listening- answer me”!?
Damian's head snapped up as Batman stepped forward and further into his space. “Yes.. i’m listening father”
The cowl hid a lot of expression from B, but Tim had been Robin long enough during one of the most torrential ages of Batman.
He'd gotten used to the way his shoulders would tense and how he would lean forward to brood or to intimidate. Of course he got better once Jason came back officially.
Batman here was pissed
What on earth had Damian done?
He began pacing, continuing to lecture Robin but in a way that continued to gloss over whatever the whole “incident” was.
Honestly it was starting to get on Tims nerves- he's had stake outs give more concise information in half the time.
Batman continued to pace, seeming to reach a pause in his ranting to lift a hand and pinch at the bridge of his nose.
“I-I apologize- I lost control, but it wasn't my fault”! Damian tried to protest, and oh boy that wasn't great.
Batman's head snapped up.
“You lost control”?
He could see the way Batmans grip tightened
“You lost control”?
It was a loaded question, such a familiar tone it made Tim tense up all the more. But it was fine, this wasnt Tim it was Damian- he could handle angry Bruce. He'd calm down in a half hour tops and storm off to brood.
Damian would probably wallow for a bit and then go running to Dick for comfort and they act like nothing happened in a week. It would be fine.
“I-” Damian began but shut himself up, since when did the brat hold back his retorts?
“You lost control huh? That implies you had control in the first place-”! His words came out in a snarl.
Tim was suddenly at the edge of the platform, he hadn't even recognized he'd moved but something curled in his chest and he started to look, no really look.
“I said I was sorry”!
“Sorry doesn't excuse the fact you attacked a civilian”!!
.
.
.
Oh oh fuck he had fucked up-
Damian shook his head, the whites of his mask widening considerably and his hands went up, palms out. “No- NO! It- I couldn't tell, the gas hit and- I thought all civilians were evacuated. I didn't know Crane would send one my way”!
Crane.. That's right- Scarecrow had broken out, it had been a whole event though no one had been called in to assist.
Fuck had Damian been forced to fight gassed up civilians, been there- it sucks fighting someone you’re trying to help. But all the Robins had been there, Bruce had never reacted like this before.
“You attacked him like a wild animal” Batman let go of Damians shoulder “Take off your mask”
Damian quickly obeyed, seeming to have already melted off the adhesive earlier though Tim could see how red it looked. Had he tried to tug it off too soon?
Batman didn't say anything else as he stepped away, walking back to the other side of the cave.
Tim watched carefully and Damian seemed to watch as well, hand rubbing his shoulder that B had grabbed. Shit how hard did he do it? Well he could sneak some painkillers into the brats room later.
Batman approached a cabinet within the cave, inputting a code all too familiar to Tim. It was the drug cabinet for lack of a better word, held all the testing kits, samples, and antidotes. As pissed as B was he probably wanted to check Damian wasn't exposed.
As much as they tried, rebreathers had a funny habit of breaking or getting leaks that went unnoticed until an attack even with regular repair and check ups. It was a pain in the ass but one Tim had yet to find a solution for.
Bruce picked up a vile of green and what looked like a gas mask- huh that was not the antidote, and the testing kit was blood based. Had they made a new formula? Damm poor Dami dealing with even more fucked up civis.
After he fixed the vile onto the gasmask and approached Damian, the boy took a small step back but froze as their father paused just a few feet away. He held up the mask.
“I understand your past made you more… savage, but that doesn't excuse that a lesson needs to be learned here”
“A lesson”? Damian's voice sounded faint, it sounded wrong.
What was he missing?? He needed to look closer.
Tim had not been given the name detective for no reason, he was the “smart robin” not that his siblings were idiots (though sometimes-) it was just his thing, he processed and noticed just a bit faster.
That's why it was so startling when he noticed one thing.
Damian was shaking.
Fuck of course, kid raised in the league was going to have a skewed idea of what a “lesson” entailed. Tim knew Ra, and he knew that even his own grandson wasn't spared the demon king's wrath.
This was different though,
Bruce wouldn't hurt him.
.
.
.
Right?
The pit in his chest only grew heavier as he watched, no this was- there was something else. Even against Batman, even at the threat of.. Damian wouldn't just sit there and take it. Something was wrong.
“Fear gas is an expected risk, if you act like a savage beast attacking everyone in sight the moment you are exposed then you do not belong as a Robin-” Batman growled.
It clicked- god he wished it didn't.
The civilian hadn't been exposed, Damian had.
He attacked out of pure fear hyped up on Cranes fucked up fear toxin.
Instead of getting him treatment B had decided screaming at the kid for the past half- fuck no its been an hour was the best option.
“I am not a savage” Damian spoke up, his voice seeming to gain some strength and wide green eyes flaring with thinly veiled rage “I am Damian Al Ghul Wayne- child of two revered lines, I am far from a savage”!
“No son of mine acts in such disgrace” and well fuck if Tim didnt feel his heart shatter as Damians knees gave out, the kid now kneeling on the cold concrete floor.
His little shoulders were shaking but his head stayed firmly raised “I- Father please, I- the antidote” fuck how long had he been fighting the gas??
Batman scoffed- he scoffed as if giving a kid exposed to dangerous nerotoxins the fucking antidote was outrageous.
Instead he held up the gas mask that was now leaking some green gas. Streams floating and landing on the ground. It was a heavy gas then, only so many kinds they had on hand.
“No. If you are going to behave like an animal in the field when faced with natural risks, you will be trained like an animal” He took a step closer, mask in hand.
“Conditioning consequences has proven effective in many case studies”
Bruce held the mask up, just a foot away from Damians face. The green gas now unmistakable and-No.
Tim couldn't move, he was frozen in place. Forced to watch in silent horror as his brain finally processed what the fuck was happening.
Damian looked weak, but he continued to fight- head moving away and trying to scramble past. But he was incapacitated, and against his dad.
But Batman seemed to have no patience for Damians struggle and shoved a Nomex glove into locks of spiked black hair. He pulled. Forcing Damians head forward and lifted the mask just a few inches from his face.
“Baba please no-” Damians voice sounded distraught, and even from the distance Tim could see wide green eyes filled with nothing but a child's fear.
Muscles finally cooperating,
Tim moved.
Boots hitting the ground, bo staff in hand and metal meeting Batman's wrist. He could hear the crack, but didnt stop and instead whipped it mid swing to smack the gas mask as well.
He watched as it flew across the cave floor, shattering on impact and the gas inside began to spread out, but it was away, a safe distance at least.
Batman stumbled back, clutching his now very much broken wrist and trying to reassess the danger. Tim saw the moment the cowl's eyes widened as he processed who his attacker was. But frankly, Tim had bigger priorities.
He turned away from Bruce and kneeled down in front of Damian, hand lifting up his baby brother's cheek to look at him, pupil assessment and all.
Damian blinked, seeming oh so lost but they flashed with familiarity that made Tim smile.
“D-drake”? Damian's voice was strained.
“In the flesh baby bat-”
“What are you doing here Red Robin”? Bruce's voice grated against his ears and he could feel Damians shaking return, though he hadn't shifted away from Tims careful grasp.
Tim took his time, lifting his head to Bruce and giving him a lopsided smile “Ah I may have been mooching off the bat-coffee maker, and well- I was going to give you both some privacy but I changed my mind”
“Really Bruce? Yelling at your son for being drugged and then trying to drug him more Jason would have your head, your lucky I aimed for the mask” Toxin aside, Tims voice was dripping enough venom to make up for it ten fold.
Batman didn't move, but he could feel the waves of radiating disapproval from the man. But for once? Tim didn't care. His chest was filled with a kind of rage he never knew before now.
“How long have you been exposed Dami”?
Damian blinked again, huh trouble processing- maybe the double dose or was it a concussion. Well his pupils were slightly dilated but the cave was dark as fuck even now.
“Dami”?
Still no response- okay now he's kinda freaking out. But he was a Vigilante, he knew how to prioritize, first things first was tackling the base issue, the fear gas.
Tim shifted away, ready to place Dami down and rush to get the antidote. But he was stopped by a little hand clutching at his shirt.
His brother's tear filled eyes looked at him, terrified. “Drake don't let him hurt me again please- ‘m sorry- I-I know i'm not good but please, i'll do better, it hurts-”
What.
The
Fuck
Tim was shaking now, but not from terror or in sorrow as his little brother continued to babble, pleads of safety from his own fat- Bruce.
He was shaking with complete fucking rage.
“-you misunderstand Tim, this is necessary”
Bats don't kill.
Bats don't kill.
Bats don't kill.
“-He's being dramatic”
Bats don't kill.
Bats don't kill.
Bats don't kill.
“-Damian must be taught a lesson”
Bats don't kill.
Bats don't kill.
Bats don't kill.
“-He is not a sensitive child, he was raised by assassins, he’s dealt with worse”
Bats don't kill.
Bats don't kill.
Bats don't kill.
“-Everything I do is for the greater good”
Damian's babbling hadn't stopped, begging for mercy from Bruce and help from Tim. A string of “Baba” and “Ahki” fell from his swollen lips.
He'd seen kids in crisis before.
But this was different.
This was Damian.
His baby brother falling apart in his arms because of Bruce, and why?
For the greater good he says.
Tim was going to fucking kill him.
With more care than he'd ever shown, Tim carefully wrapped the edges of his cape around Damians shoulders, the boy's hands still white knuckled clutched onto them.
“Five minutes Dami, then I can make it better- can you last five minutes”?
He really couldn't do less than that, but he could damm well try.
Bright green tear filled eyes looked at him, still so scared and yet Tim could see the trust towards him of all people. “I- okay but no more- please”
“Of course baby bat”
Tim stood up, his back still facing Batman. His thumb graced the side of his bo staff, he flipped a small mechanism and he could feel the energy begin to pulse through.
“Red Robin, report” Bruce's voice chimed up again, still so filled with rage and oblivious to the danger before him.
Tim turned, now facing his former mentor, staff in hand and standing between him and his baby brother.
His hand reached up and clicked off his body cam.
Red Robin lunged.