Chapter Text
It was Alfred who brought up Spiderman’s disappearance days after the altercation.
Over Sunday brunch, while serving more mini quiche to Damain, he lightly asked after the young man’s disappearance during a lull in conversation. He’d been operating out of Gotham for around eight months, the first couple, no one was able to pin point down the masked vigilante. Much to Tim’s chagrin, he was only able to deduce that he was likely living somewhere in Crime Alley since that’s where his patrols typically started or ended. But that was half hazard at best since the spider would also pop up in a variety of other locations frequently enough.
It has taken time for Bruce to come around. An unknown entity in his territory was always held in contempt. However, over the months, other members of the team had benefited from the team ups and usually when the man swung in he was bearing the brunt of the damage. He begrudgingly accepted the man. Enough so to request assistance with a recon mission regarding Firefly.
This mission was supposed to be easy. That was the first mistake. Bruce wanted to work with the man himself on some low level low stakes mission to gague the outsider. Spiderman knew what he was trying to do, Bruce could tell. The masked man asked specific enough questions to reveal this wasn’t his first time on a stake out while also subtly, or not so, flaunting the fact that he already knew the answers. Confident, was what Bruce deduced. Confidence leads to cockyness, and that leads to injury. Bruce didn’t have enough time to challenge the man on it before he was jumping out into the fray. Bruce tried to hide his shock, especially when Spiderman disarmed a shooter aiming at their exact location. Bruce quickly joined in.
The fight had been dirty. Bruce was concerned he was even hitting too hard just from the sheer numbers that were pouring out of nowhere. Spiderman took on double the foes and with calculated precision took out goon after goon. Cracks of bones echoed, but none life threatening. He even stopped to reset a femur break and web the wound of a goon taken down wrong, while also still battling others.
Bruce didn’t have the time to be impressed at the moment. He was now. But had no way to convey that to the man. He hadn’t been seen since he took the shot meant for Bruce.
Bruce had been dealing with Firefly while Spiderman held the goon’s at bay. Firefly apparently had rigged the building to blow, with him in it or not, there seemed to be no preference. Bruce was not having it, trying to lure the man out while Spiderman had since finished disarming and disabling the opposition, and was now examining the explosives.
Bruce nearly battled the man out the door when something crashed into his side. A loud crack echoed, quickly followed by a single explosion from above. Bruce regained his footing as Spiderman yelled at him to follow the retreating rogue into the rain, as he held a piece of building up away from a knocked out goon.
It was only after reviewing the footage that Tim pointed out that Spiderman was bleeding and a gun laid stomped flat on the ground beside a man with wide eyes and all but one arm webbed to the floor.
The team had rotated a search for Spiderman. Red Hood had responded to the distress alarm from Bruce’s suit first, but when he reached the warehouse, the concrete doorway was away from the goons, and all the other explosives were disarmed. The only one that blew was the one above where Bruce and Firefly fought.
They followed the diluted blood drips to a nearby rooftop. If it wasn’t for video footage they watched in the cave, a new case likely would’ve been opened to examine the massacre that occurred. The puddle of blood was enough to make Damian queasy, especially when it ended with a single bloody footprint slipping off the building. They all saw Spiderman pack the wound with webs, stumble to the edge, take a bracing breath, and fling himself back into Gotham. All while rain came down in sheets. The trail was cold. The only consolation was the man seemed with it enough to avoid cameras, which barely reassured the group since they couldn’t check in on him.
Bruce encouraged the kids to maintain their cover in their civilian lives, reiterating that he was still on the case and continued with their lives was not a disservice to their companion.
Tim wanted nothing to keep looking for the man he considered his friend, but was stuck with the plans he’d made with his classmate, Penny.
The motion notification buzzed as Tim clicked away from the file. Tim summited out of the Batcave and towards the front entrance where Alfred was greeting Penny, grabbing her soaking rain coat.
“Whoah, has it been raining long?” Tim asked. Penny dragged a hand through her hair, trying and failing to keep the drops on the mat at the front and not on the hardwood.
“Not very hard, but it’s not like we live particularly close.” Penny’s joke fell flat, her usual timbre not quite reaching the end of the statement.
Alfred raised an eyebrow at Tim as he hung up the jacket on the heated rack.
“We can drive you back after.” Tim shyly offered.
Penny stopped wringing out her hair, “ No, no. Sorry that wasn’t what I meant.” She gave a tired smile, “It was just a moment to get here. I’m down to hang” She shook out her arms and plastered a smile on her face. Tim had done that enough to know that feeling. The other people are around so I need to present Fine™.
“Alfred made soup, I haven’t had lunch yet do you want some.” Penny froze mid-step and her shoulders drooped.
“Yeah that sounds awesome right now.” The smile she gave Tim was small but genuine.
The two teenagers tramped to the kitchen where Aflred was already reheating soup on the stove. Tim gave a nod at the man who smiled through the steam. They had sandwiches for lunch so Tim wasn’t sure where the soup came from, but best not to draw attention to it. Tim was accustomed to Penny’s preference for being easy going.
“So how’s your history essay going?” He settled across from her at the breakfast nook. Penny signed and dropped her head to the table.
“It’s so difficult to find sources, everyone has a conflicting opinion I don’t know what to believe.”
“I usually start with what I just know and then go from there and see what people are saying that aligns with my understanding or what people are saying that goes against it.” Tim tired to add helpfully.
“Yeah but you like, remember everything.” She looked up from her elbows.
“So do you,” Tim laughed and scooched her arms off the table as Alfred dropped off the soup in front of them.
“This isn’t science or math.” Penny practically melted against the warm porcelain. “Thank you Alfred.”
“No problem at all, Miss Parker.” The man turned towards him, “Might I suggest our host offer some temporary clothes, and I can throw yours into the drier?” Tim stood as Penny tried to worm herself away form the comment.
“It’s no problem Alfred, I’m sure they’ll dry. I don’t want to impose and.. Mr. Stark is expecting me home tonight.” her voice grew quiet and Tim clenched his fists. This Mr. Stark character boiled Tim’s blood. Before he said anything he’d regret, he bolted from the room, a quick, “I won’t be long, be right back!”
Tim ran to his room to grab a sweater he thinks might have once been Jason’s. This Mr. Stark character had joint custody of Penny alongside her aunt. She rarely talked about them, which was telling in it of itself.
Tim asked once about some bruises and Penny clammed up. She ignored him for a week and missed two days of school. Tim started leaving extra snacks in her bag and inviting her over for longer and longer visits. Dick had even gone out to try and do some investigating on this elusive Mr. Stark when she was visiting once. The thing was, Penny always spoke of him with this reverence, despite the fact that he never seemed to be in town. Tim was intimately acquainted with this story and just wanted what was best for his friend. He aunt sounded nice enough, if also a little absent. But being a nurse in Gotham was not necessarily necessarily a profession that left you with a lot of freetime. Tim tried not to judge, he really did, but it was hard.
Sliding back into the kitchen, comfy, dry clothes in hand, Penny smiled past her empty bowl.
“Thank you Tim,” She grab the clothes and made her way towards the powder room just past the kitchen.
Alfred ladled more soup into her bowl as Tim slurped some of his.
“Might I also suggest something less strenuous, like a movie. I believe Miss Parker may be coming down with a cold.”
“I’m alright Alfred, promise.” Penny remerged faster than Tim expected.
“Just trying to look out for the little master’s friends. Might I interest you in an accompanying acetaminophen?” Alfred settled a glass of cool water and Penny signed palming the cup.
Tim watched Penny’s flushed complexion think a moment before meekly accepting the offer. Good, cause Tim was about to sneak a crushed one into her soup if she refused. Now that she was warm and dry, Tim could see the puffiness to her face and the way she swallowed to try and equal out the pressure in her ears. He wasn’t a detective for nothing.
Tim casually ate his soup as Penny gobbled down her second bowl, “I was thinking of watching Clueless, this weather says movie wrapped up in blankets, not brainstorming science fair projects that are ambitious but not too ambitious to go over the heads of Gotham Academy.” He let out a little huff of laughter as Penny smirked into her soup.
“Already storming enough outside, best to keep it there.” She responded lowly.
Tim was content to enjoy his friend’s company as she quickly finished her bowl, but he couldn’t help but think about Spiderman being trapped out in the never ending Gotham rain.
~一🕷🕸🕷一~
Tim was halfway through Footloose after Clueless, and Penny was soundly asleep beside him. He could hear the slight rasp as air fought to enter her nostrils and Tim ook a moment to appreciate he could breathe through both at the present moment.
Penny barely lasted through the opening sequence before dopping off, which was the point of switching gears to a movie afternoon, but it was getting closer and closer to dinner. Not that Tim and the rest of the family would mind her staying, but Tim was anxious about Mr. Stark’s reaction. He didn’t want Penny to be late, but he couldn’t very well message him. He didn’t want to wake her either, since she clearly needed the sleep. He could see her eyebags through the flush in her cheeks.
Paralyzed with indecision, thankfully Bruce took up residence in the doorway as Ren was teaching Willard to dance.
“How are you doing, Chum?” Bruce asked and Tim gestured to be quiet pointing to the bundle of blankets at his side, Penny had borrowed into. “Ah sorry,” He responded lower. “Is Penny going to stay for dinner? I can let Alfred know.”
“I want her to, I think she’s sick, and um is staying with Mr. Stark tonight, but..” Tim paused trying to figure out how to convey the pit he’s hadi n his stomach, “And yeah.” He finished lamely.
“Well, I can text Mr. Stark and ask if it’s okay if she stays.” Bruce offered and Tim brightened.
“You have his number?”
“Well after the allergy incident, I thought it was prudent.” Wall all Bruce said.
Tim cringed thinking about the day she was over for lamb dinner. He hadn’t seen someone break out in hives so quickly. Alfred duly noted no mint when Penny was staying.
“Have you talked to him before?” Tim hesitated to ask. Bruce raised an eye brow and made his way into the room past the forgotten tv and to the chair on the other side of Tim.
“I have, once. I wanted to check in afterwards.”
“Was he…nice?” Tim asked in the same quiet tone Bruce responded in. He looked down at his lap where Penny laid, konked out.
“I haven’t met him.” Bruce answered instead, also watching the slow rise and fall of the girl’s chest. “He was a little cold on the phone. Concerned yes, but his emotions were quite contained. Very clinical.”
“She doesn’t like to talk about him. She gets sad.” Tim hesitated before pushing a sweaty lock of hair off her forehead.
“You didn’t like to talk about your parents either.” Bruce observed. Tim tried to contain the bodily reaction to snapping towards his father; he didn’t want to wake Penny.
“I didn’t have bruises.” He states and Bruce’s eyes widen. Not a lot but enough for Tim to know that he’s caught him off guard.
“How long?” The stoic man asked.
“I asked about them a month ago, said she fell and didn’t talk to me for like a week.” Tim hesitated. Bruce let him. He added, “The stairs don’t grab back.”
“I will do some extra research, she should stay here tonight regardless.” Bruce gestured to her flushed face against her pale completion. Tim didn’t realize he was petting her sweaty hair and stopped.
The pile of blankets rumbled, “Ned?” Penny opened her cloudy eyes. Bruce was already up grabbing a water from the minifridge, passing the cool bottle to Tim as Penny unburied herself from the blankets.
“Ned?” Tim asked as Penny wiped a hand down her face, suppressing the blush as she levered herself upright.
“Oh just a a friend from my old school.” Penny stumbled through. Tim watched her scan the room, eyes pausing at the door and then again on Bruce. The hulking man gave a soft smile.
“Hi Miss Parker.”
“Um hi, Mr. Wayne…” Penny glared at the screen as the final dance in Footloose played out lowly, “You could have woken me up when Clueless ended.” She nudged Tim who shrugged.
“Looked like you could’ve used the sleep.” He said.
She started pulling the blankets off and tried to fold them, still sitting down.
“I can um head out, I guess it’s getting close to dinner.” She sent a half hearted glare at Tim. “Sorry for sleeping through the afternoon.”
“You’re welcome to stay for dinner, Penny.” Bruce offered.
“Oh it’s alright, I’ve been out most of the day, I should get, uh, home.” Penny stood up and staggered so much so that Tim thought she’d collapse right there. Bruce must have through so too, if the tense step forwardwas anything to gage.
Penny only acknowledged the slip up with a small self-deprecating smile before grabbing the last blanket to fold it.
That’s when Tim saw it. Jason’s hoodie rose up over her boney hipbones as she raised the corners of the blanket, revealing harsh red inflammation on her lower abdomen, the corner of medical tape peaking out from under the hem.
“Penny!” Tim jumped to his feet, Penny swayed trying and failing to fold the weighted blanket.
“It’s fine, Tim,” She let go of one corner, leaving the other raised above her head, and pulled the disheveled hoodie back down.
The damage had been done.
Tim saw the edge of a bandage, the redness of an infection.
Penny tried to throw a sweaty grin back towards her friend but it barely made it to the corner of her mouth before she was keeling over backwards into Bruce’s waiting arm.
The blanket fell with an unceremonious thump beside her as Bruce laid her down on the abandoned couch.
“Oh my god.” Tim couldn’t help but whisper repeatedly under his breath. He knew that he should have told someone, god he understood it more than anyone else.
“Hey, Penny. Are you with us? Penny?” Bruce knelt beside the girl and Tim stood behind him.
Penny just groaned.
“Penny, I need you to tell me where it hurts. You’re safe here.” Bruce pushed her hair back to feel her forehead. Bruce frowned. “Tim grab another water bottle.” Bruce ordered.
The girl tried to bat away the heavy hand on her forehead. “I’m fine,” She slurred out and tried to push herself up. Bruce’s hand resisted on her shoulder, but she sat up anyway against his protest. Swaying, she tried to stand, “I should go.”
Bruce kept two hands on her shoulders. Tim passed over the cool waterbottle and Bruce immediately rested it on Penny’s forehead. She melted into the coolness, stopping any movement to stand up.
“Penny, I need to check your stomach. You have a fever and you’re hurt. We have medication that can help.” Bruce said sternly but not unkindly.
“It won’t help.” Penny wheezed out. Against the waterbottle, her full weight resting on Bruce’s shoulder.
“We can help, Penny.” Tim tried to explain, through his own tears.
“Shhh it’s okay,” Bruce comforted Penny as she sobbed into his shoulder.
Tim hasn’t felt this useless since Steph broke her ankle on patrol together and they had to wait for Bruce in the Batmobile.
“I’m just so tired.” She wheezed and Bruce ignored the snot dripping onto the shoulder of his brown suit.
“It’s okay, you’re safe, you can sleep here tonight. I will call home and let them know.” Bruce tried to console, but his words only made Penny cry harder.
Tim watched Bruce try and settle Penny back on the couch until he just turned to Tim and told him to get Alfred.
Tim wasted no time, pivoting on his heel and running out of the room.
~一🕷🕸🕷一~
Alfred looked up at Tim who’d burst through the kitchen, ignoring Jason’s questioning glare.
“Penny!” Alfred nodded quickly and grabbed the kitchen first aid kit and followed Tim out at a quick clip back to the entertainment room.
~一🕷🕸🕷一~
“Can you lay her down, please?” Alfred asked as soon as he was over the threshold.
“No, I can’t.” Bruce’s words were cold and Tim didn’t understand why.
“No?” Alfred asked and Tim wanted to yell. That was his friend and something was wrong. Alfred looked at her flushed cheeks and sent Tim back to the kitchen for ice and a damp cloth.
Tim missed Bruce explaining that he couldn’t get Penny to let go of him.
~一🕷🕸🕷一~
When Tim returned, Bruce and Alfred had moved to a guest room. Penny was clutching Bruce’s suit jacket, curled up on a ball on the bed. Tim deposited the supplies and stood back. He tried to compartmentalize, he really did.
To pretend this was like any Red Robin mission he was on, but without the suit and the mask, it was had. He’d been working on less compartmentalizing as Tim Drake too, so he couldn’t help the tears that flowed down his face. Alfred grabbed a set of sheers and started to clip away Jason’s hoodie when Bruce’s hand settled on his shoulder.
Tearing his eyes away, he looked up at Bruce. He new that he’d been growing and even had been making jokes about catching up to Bruce’s statue, but in the moment he felt 12 years old again looking up to meet Bruce's soft gaze.
“Chum, it’s time for you to go. We’ll make sure she’s alright. But you need to go.”
“But?” Tim tried to think of any argument, attempting to look around Bruce’s broad shoulders, to catch even a small glimpse at the damage. He should have said something earlier. Bruce blocked his view.
“Chum, she wouldn’t want you to see this. Okay? I’ll come find you when she’s settled alright.”
Tim swallowed and nodded as Alfred called for Bruce to come back over.
Bruce placed a kiss on the crown of Tim’s head and ushered him out the door before closing it.
Tim sat across the hallway, knees tucked up, chin resting watching the shadows move under the door.
He couldn’t hear their soft words through his own tears.