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Once a year Gotham has four Robins. Once a year the people of Gotham prepare their binoculars to watch the ultimate game of tag.
The tradition started with Jason and Dick. Both were still getting used to working together on missions again when they were asked by Bruce to stop a big drug trade in Crime Alley. The task was simple and the take down was bog standard. Jason even used rubber bullets. They entered quickly and cleared out the space just in time for the police to arrive and arrest the now unconscious drug dealers, the merchandise was confiscated, and Jason didn’t lob something at Dick’s head even once. He was still mad at Bruce, but the green of the pit was only a vague filter nowadays. Dick hardly ever triggered true rage, he was annoying sure but he was Jason’s older brother.
Bruce didn’t join the drug bust, Jason had made his boundaries clear. Maybe it was best that Red Hood and Batman were kept apart. As long as Bruce and Jason were ok, father and son.
“Well that was easy” Dick walked over to where Jason was standing pocketing his eskrima sticks on the way. “All good little wing?”
“Cheery” Jason dead panned “I came because I thought this would be interesting.”
“Yeah right, we all know you're here for you bestest brother.”
“Give me a break.” Jason pushed the safeties back and put both of his guns back in his belt.
Oracle came over the coms right when they both got comfortable. “Boys while I have you still here, there seems to be a warehouse about to transport some of Scarecrow's last batch of fear toxin. Can one of you run ahead to break through the window and the other move towards the entrance?”
“I will run ahead, I am the fastest, Ja- Hood, sorry, you enter through the main gate”
“You are not by any means the fastest! I was clearly the faster Robin and that was before the pit! I’ll run ahead.”
“Hood, don’t be absurd. I am the fastest by a long shot, I’m happy to race you, call your bluff.”
“Boys! This is not that difficult! Dick you go ahead Jason to the gate. No favoritism here, I just want to finish this mission in the century.” Barbara was annoyed at how side-tracked the oldest could get. She was assisting both Tim, Bruce, and Cassandra at the same time without issue.
“I am not over this Dick, we will be fighting for this title.”
Dick did reach the building first but only because Jason gave him a false sense of security by giving him a head start. When Jason made it inside Dick was making quick work of the dealers, Jason started picking off from the sides. By the time they were finished the clock struck midnight, the night was still young.
“I am the quickest Robin, Nightwing, for the next twelve hours we will play tag and whoever's it by the end is clearly the slower Robin”
“Deal, only if you come to the manor for lunch at one. Even when you lose.”
“In your dreams wonder boy”
Jason started with a huge lead knowing Crime Alley like the back of his hand gave him a significant advantage. Nightwing has been in Bludhaven so long the streets of Gotham all blurred together. For the first time of this tradition the people of Gotham were convinced they were witnessing a true fight, not a petty argument. Why else would a known crime lord and one of the most well known superhero be running around the city like toddlers. The real attention from news outlets and the city came after the sunrise. Daytime was not made for the bats. They continued to trade off taps well into the daylight stumbling into the more populated regions like the Diamond district. Oracle, finding the whole thing amusing as there were no pressing matters, helped whoever was it. There were no tracking scores, there was no consistency, there were no rules. And when it was over Jason was twenty meters ahead of Dick who was the big loser. The gloating began immediately, Dick’s brother won fair and square.
“Getting slower in your age, Nightwing? Can’t even outrun a deadman?”
Dick reached out, shaking his brother's hand and pulling him into a hug. He whispered into Jason’s ear “If you think this is over, you are sorely mistaken”.
A few people streetside captured this exchange and were increasingly confused on what actually happened. Jason did eat lunch with his family and then promptly fell asleep on the couch.
Later Dick had to tell Tim that he lost to Jason in a race when Jason insistently called Dick “slow poke” on patrol. Before that only Jason, Dick, and Barbara knew. Tim found it hilarious that Dick’s ego was hurt so sorely and picked up the nickname himself. Eventually he got Damian to call Dick slow and made Bruce admit that Jason was the fastest as part of a bet. It was Dick to declare this an annual event, and that everyone should continue to call him slow while he they still can. Bruce secretly loved this rivalry, but refused to get involved. He listened to the inside jokes and stored photos of the race on the computer. It didn’t take long for Tim to make the backgrounds of all the family’s devices to show the same photo of Dick catching his breath while Jason sprints away in the background. Tim also made this his pfp, it was just too good.
The next year Tim had wormed his way into the competition, he engineered a conversation where he could claim that he had always been the fastest. Dick and Jason took the bait, Tim’s participation became mandatory. The whole family met two days before the tenth and upgraded the event. Firstly, they all decided that they should each have the exact same equipment and outfit. Since the original wording was “who’s the fastest Robin” they decided to don their Robin uniforms for the event. They decided that Tim’s rendition of the suit would be the best, mainly because he actually had full length pants, but also because if they were to use Damian’s uniform they would not hear the end of his superiority complex. Besides Damian wasn’t invited this year, it was purely a score to settle between Dick, Jason, and now Tim. They also set up a rewards system, for each favour they did for Barbra throughout the other 364 days she would allow them to cash in for ten minutes of Oracle assistance for the competition. It was a reasonable arrangement for her as the boys were more than happy to do random chores practically whenever she asked. There were new rules voted amongst themselves.
-If they were to witness crime, no matter which role they were, they must stop the running and help. This made sense because they were still technically on patrol, and it handicaps Jason. He could run through Crime Alley, but his time might be stunted by having to constantly intervene.
- They would be playing from 12 in the afternoon to 12 in the morning. Dick tried to shorten the time they would be running, but Jason said he was only suggesting the shortened time because he couldn’t handle it the first time. This shut him up.
- Oracle must only help the hunter. The runners had enough of an advantage.
- The losers must honour the title of the winner by calling them the fastest for the whole year.
- And finally, they are all required to spend one night at home and attend two family meals. Alfred suggested this while listening into their plots. No one says no to Alfred.
Damian promised he wasn’t upset that he wasn’t involved “Tt, it is just a childish endeavour”. But at 11 on the Tenth with everyone dressed up he looked crestfallen. Jason joined the others in a Robin suit for the first time since Ethiopia, and while the others looked for tension Jason seemed relaxed. Robin was magic.
“Tim, my god, why are your sleeves so tight!”
“Sacrifices for style Jason, you wouldn’t know.”
With all of them in a line they looked very similar. Jason’s white tuft of hair was the largest indicator. Alfred took a photo quickly before the chaos. Bruce stalked down the stairs to send his boys off but couldn’t look at Jason in costume. It was too much. Jason noticed how Bruce seized up and gave him a hug.
“I want to do this B, I am ok. I am here.”
Bruce slowly returned to normal and let go of Jason. They were almost at call time. With a shout Tim and Jason bounded out of the cave while Dick was made the tagger and forced to pause. That year the people of Gotham were shocked to see so many Robins and finally caught on that it was a game. People would cheer for their favorites and by hour three there were people spotting them all over the city. There were online score trackers too, keeping track of each time they got tagged. Tim won handily that year, Dick was caught up in a massive drug scheme and Jason didn’t do Oracle enough favours to utilise those potentials.
Dick finally won the third year, Damian was allowed to join the fourth year (as long as he kept his katana’s at home) Jason won again.
For the fifth year an audience all across Gotham crowded to watch. Batman promised this year he would crown a winner and declare them the quickest Robin of the year. This took a lot of convincing, Tim pulled the “I saved your life and you owe me one” card before Jason could use the “I miss my childhood because I died and this is good family bonding” card. So the stakes this year were higher than ever. In the lead up there were even betting rings on who will win this year, Robin with the white hair, Robin who is short, the tallest Robin, or the Robin with fades. Many people guessed it would be Damian as there was limited representation of his ability in the last round. Tim had to introduce a new rule for this year…
- No sabotaging any equipment before the event.
Because he caught Damian cutting the cord of his grappling hook.
In the lead up shops were making Robin themed window displays and selling themed food. It was totally unnecessary. Bruce was even asked in an interview who he was rooting for and Bruce refused to answer the question.
At the beginning of the race there was a vicious trade off between Dick and Tim, the constant passing back and forth skyrocketed both of their scores. Jason stayed atop the Wayne Enterprises building to avoid being roped into crime fighting. Damian saw a pencil thin family of cats at the end of Crime Alley and decided that was emergency enough to be forced to handle it. None of the other boys would stop for some kittens, but strangely it ended up being a strong strategy. While not drawing attention to himself he let the other boys chase their tails while he cuddled with kittens. When he got to the shelter he decided to just stay there for some time. This made the internet go wild, the current winner was just lounging around with cats.
When the shelter closed he hadn’t seen his brothers once. He was winning. It didn’t even matter that he got no Oracle allowance, he would just never get tagged. Almost as if to prove his ability he sought out Jason who was currently It just to taunt him. The moment he got Jason’s attention he sprinted away and out ran him till the end.
For year five Damian was the fastest Robin.