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The grandfather clock in Wayne Manor chimed midnight, the sound echoing through the cavernous halls like a warning.
Most people would have thought the manor asleep at this hour. But the Batfamily rarely slept when Gotham didn’t.
The cave lights glowed beneath the mansion, illuminating the circular platform where the Batsuit cases stood like silent sentinels. The Batcomputer hummed softly as Tim Drake leaned over the keyboard, fingers moving quickly across the keys.
Lines of code scrolled across the screen.
He hadn’t slept in thirty hours.
Not that anyone had noticed.
Tim rubbed his eyes and adjusted his glasses before typing another command.
“Still working, Drake?”
The voice cut through the quiet like a knife.
Tim didn’t even need to turn around.
“Evening to you too, Damian.”
Damian Wayne stood near the staircase leading down into the cave, arms crossed over his chest and expression permanently set somewhere between irritation and boredom.
His Robin suit was half-unzipped, cape draped over his shoulder.
Tim glanced over briefly.
“You’re back early.”
“The patrol was efficient,” Damian replied flatly.
Translation: he scared every criminal within five blocks into hiding.
Tim hummed absentmindedly and turned back to the screen.
The silence stretched.
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
“You have been here all day.”
Tim shrugged. “Work.”
“You mean hiding.”
Tim paused.
Slowly, he turned around.
“Excuse me?”
Damian stepped closer.
“You avoid patrols with us. You remain in this cave like a hermit. Father barely sees you.”
Tim leaned back in his chair.
“Wow. Concern from you? I’m touched.”
“It is not concern,” Damian snapped.
Tim sighed.
“Then what is it?”
Damian gestured at the computer screens.
“You sit here pretending to be useful while the rest of us handle Gotham.”
Tim’s fingers curled slightly.
“Oh really.”
“Yes.”
The tension thickened in the air.
From the training mats across the cave, Jason Todd looked up from where he had been cleaning his gun.
“Oh boy,” Jason muttered. “Here we go.”
Dick Grayson, perched on the edge of a workbench, groaned.
“Please don’t start.”
But Damian had already crossed the point of stopping.
“You were Robin once,” Damian continued coldly. “Yet you behave like a civilian now.”
Tim’s jaw tightened.
“I’m still doing my job.”
“Behind a keyboard,” Damian scoffed.
Jason whistled softly.
“Kid’s poking the bear.”
Tim stood slowly.
“And what exactly is your problem tonight, Damian?”
Damian met his gaze with burning green eyes.
“You are inefficient.”
Tim blinked.
“…Excuse me?”
“You hesitate in the field. You overanalyze. Your strategies fail.”
Dick stood up immediately.
“Okay— timeout.”
But Damian ignored him.
“You endanger the mission.”
Jason muttered under his breath.
“Oh. That’s low.”
Tim’s voice dropped.
“You done?”
“No.”
Damian stepped closer.
“If you cannot perform your role properly, perhaps you should step aside.”
The words landed like a slap.
The cave fell silent.
Tim stared at him.
“You think I’m useless.”
“I think you are weak.”
Dick stepped between them.
“Alright, that’s enough.”
But Tim spoke first.
“No, let him finish.”
Damian didn’t hesitate.
“You are the reason missions take longer.”
“You nearly died multiple times because you lack discipline.”
“And yet Father continues to tolerate you.”
Jason swore quietly.
Dick turned to Damian.
“That was uncalled for.”
Damian didn’t look away from Tim.
“You were the third Robin,” he continued. “And yet the least impressive.”
Something flickered in Tim’s eyes.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Tim laughed.
Not loudly.
Just once.
“Wow.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Okay. Good to know.”
Dick frowned.
“Tim—”
But Tim was already stepping away.
Jason raised an eyebrow.
“That’s it? No comeback?”
Tim shook his head.
“Nah.”
He grabbed his laptop from the desk.
“If Damian thinks I’m such a liability, I’ll stay out of the way.”
“Drake—”
Tim didn’t look back.
He walked toward the stairs leading up to the manor.
Dick called after him.
“Tim!”
But Tim simply lifted a hand in a half-wave.
“Night.”
The door closed behind him.
Silence settled in the cave.
Jason slowly looked at Damian.
“Congratulations, Demon Brat.”
Damian frowned.
“For what?”
“You just chased off the best strategist in the family.”
Dick rubbed his face.
“Damian… that was harsh.”
“He required honesty.”
Jason snorted.
“No. What he required was basic respect.”
Damian scoffed.
“If he cannot endure criticism, he does not belong here.”
Dick shook his head.
“You don’t get it.”
Damian crossed his arms.
“Then enlighten me.”
Jason stood and holstered his gun.
“Tim keeps this whole operation running.”
Dick nodded.
“Communications, intel, strategy… most nights we’d be screwed without him.”
Damian’s expression didn’t change.
“Yet he does not fight beside us.”
Jason pointed at him.
“You ever wonder why?”
Damian didn’t answer.
Dick sighed.
“Because someone has to coordinate everything.”
Jason added,
“And because Bruce trusts him to.”
Damian looked unconvinced.
But he didn’t respond.
Across the cave, Bruce Wayne stepped out of the shadows.
His expression was unreadable.
“How long were you standing there?” Jason asked.
“Long enough.”
Bruce looked toward the stairway where Tim had disappeared.
Then he turned to Damian.
“That was unnecessary.”
Damian stiffened slightly.
“I spoke truthfully.”
Bruce’s voice lowered.
“You spoke carelessly.”
Damian frowned.
“He left without argument.”
“Yes,” Bruce said quietly.
“And that should concern you.”
Damian didn’t respond.
High above the cave, in the quiet darkness of Wayne Manor
Tim Drake sat alone in his room.
Or rather…
His Safe Space.
His Nest.
Monitors surrounded him, casting pale light across the cluttered space.
Coffee cups.
Files.
Evidence boards.
Maps of Gotham.
Tim leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
Damian’s words echoed in his mind.
Weak.
Useless.
Liability.
Tim sighed and removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes.
“Yeah…”
He murmured to himself.
“Maybe he’s right.”
Outside, thunder rumbled over Gotham.
And somewhere in the distance
Sirens began to wail.
The Batcomputer alarm cut through the cave like a gunshot.
Red lights flashed across the screens.
“MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS DETECTED — EAST END.”
Jason straightened immediately.
“Well that’s not good.”
Dick rushed to the console.
“What do we have, Alfred?”
Alfred’s calm voice came through the speakers.
“Master Dick, Gotham PD is reporting coordinated detonations across three city blocks. The Penguin’s men are suspected.”
Bruce was already moving toward the Batsuit platform.
“Casualties?”
“Unknown at this time, sir.”
Jason grabbed his helmet.
“Guess tonight’s about to get busy.”
Damian stepped forward.
“Then we should deploy immediately.”
Bruce’s eyes flicked toward the empty computer chair.
Tim’s chair.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Dick said quietly,
“Tim would already have a map of the blast radius.”
Jason shrugged.
“Kid’s upstairs licking his wounds.”
Bruce turned back to the console.
“We move anyway.”
He tapped several commands.
City maps appeared across the monitors.
But it was slower without Tim.
Jason noticed.
“So… who’s running comms?”
Dick grimaced.
“…I’ll do it.”
Jason snorted.
“Great. We’re doomed.”
Bruce ignored them.
“Nightwing, Red Hood— secure the evacuation zone.”
“Robin,” he looked at Damian, “you stay with me.”
Damian nodded sharply.
“Yes, Father.”
Bruce paused for half a second.
Then he added,
“Follow orders.”
The message was clear.
Damian said nothing.
---
The Nest.
Upstairs, Tim’s monitors lit up.
Emergency alerts.
Police scanners.
Satellite feeds.
Tim stared at the screens.
Even after the argument, he couldn’t ignore it.
Gotham was in danger.
He sighed and pushed his glasses up.
“Fine.”
His fingers flew across the keyboard.
Within seconds he accessed city surveillance.
Explosions.
Smoke.
Crowds running.
Tim frowned.
“Penguin… really?”
The pattern felt wrong.
Too organized.
Too coordinated.
Then something else appeared on one of the screens.
Tim froze.
“Oh no.”
More explosives.
Hidden.
Timed.
Across the city.
“This isn’t Penguin,” Tim whispered.
He reached for his communicator.
Then hesitated.
Damian’s voice echoed in his head.
Weak.
Useless.
Tim stared at the device.
“…Forget it.”
He turned back to the computer.
“If they won’t listen…”
He began typing faster.
“I’ll just fix it myself.”
---
East End
Fire trucks screamed down the streets as smoke filled the sky.
The Batmobile roared to a stop near the blast zone.
Bruce stepped out immediately.
“Report.”
Nightwing landed beside him.
“Civilians evacuated from the first block.”
Red Hood dropped from a rooftop.
“But we’ve got armed thugs inside the warehouse.”
Jason cracked his knuckles.
“Looks like Penguin hired half of Gotham tonight.”
Damian drew his sword.
“Then we eliminate them.”
Bruce activated his comms.
“Positions.”
Nightwing’s voice came through.
“Roof secured.”
Red Hood replied.
“Back entrance covered.”
Bruce turned to Damian.
“We enter together.”
Damian nodded.
But inside his mind, the earlier argument still burned.
Tim’s calm face.
Tim walking away.
Damian clenched his fists.
He pushed the thoughts aside.
Focus.
Mission first.
Bruce kicked open the warehouse doors.
Chaos exploded instantly.
Gunfire.
Shouts.
Criminals scrambling.
Nightwing flipped through the rafters, disarming two men with swift strikes.
Red Hood fired precise shots that knocked weapons from hands.
Damian moved like a blade through the crowd.
Fast.
Efficient.
Deadly.
Bruce took down three men with brutal precision.
Within minutes, most of the thugs were unconscious.
Jason scanned the room.
“That was too easy.”
Dick frowned.
“Yeah…”
Bruce’s voice came through the comms.
“Stay alert.”
Then
A new voice crackled across the channel.
Breathing hard.
Panicked.
“Bruce!”
Everyone froze.
Tim.
Bruce turned slightly.
“Tim?”
Tim’s voice came through the communicator.
“You need to get out of there. Right now.”
Jason blinked.
“Look who finally joined the party.”
Dick leaned closer to his comm.
“Tim, what’s going on?”
Tim spoke quickly.
“The bombs across the city weren’t random. They’re a distraction.”
Bruce’s eyes narrowed.
“For what?”
Tim’s voice dropped.
“There’s a secondary device inside that warehouse.”
Everyone went still.
Jason looked around.
“Uh… where exactly?”
Tim typed furiously.
“Under the floor. Center platform.”
Dick’s eyes widened.
“That’s where—”
Damian was already moving.
“I see it.”
Bruce snapped,
“Robin— wait.”
But Damian had already leapt forward.
He landed on the platform.
A metal hatch sat embedded in the concrete.
Damian ripped it open.
Inside
A bomb.
Its timer blinked red.
00:01:30
Jason cursed.
“Oh, that’s bad.”
Bruce’s voice was sharp.
“Everyone out.”
Nightwing grabbed two unconscious criminals.
Red Hood dragged another toward the door.
But Damian stayed.
“I can disarm it.”
Bruce’s voice hardened.
“Negative.”
Damian glared at the timer.
“One minute is sufficient.”
“Robin,” Bruce repeated.
“Withdraw.”
Damian clenched his jaw.
He could do it.
He knew he could.
If he left now, the bomb might destroy the entire block.
Civilians.
Buildings.
Innocent lives.
Damian ignored the order.
He knelt beside the device.
Across the comms, Tim’s voice suddenly rose.
“Damian— don’t touch that!”
Damian paused.
Tim continued rapidly.
“That bomb’s wired wrong. It’s a trap.”
Bruce turned sharply.
“What kind of trap?”
Tim’s voice went tight.
“A proximity trigger.”
Jason swore.
“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Tim shouted through the comm.
“Damian, listen carefully. If you cut the wrong wire—”
Damian frowned.
“I know how to disarm explosives.”
Tim’s voice was desperate.
“No, you don’t understand—”
Damian reached for the wires.
Bruce’s voice thundered.
“Robin. Stand down.”
But Damian cut the wire.
For half a second
Nothing happened.
Then the timer changed.
00:00:20
Everyone froze.
Jason’s eyes widened.
“…That’s new.”
Tim’s voice came through the comm like ice.
“You triggered the fail-safe.”
Damian’s blood ran cold.
Bruce shouted,
“Everyone move!”
But Damian didn’t move.
Because he knew something terrible.
The blast radius…
…was massive.
Too big.
Even if they ran
They wouldn’t make it.
Then suddenly
A blur of red and black crashed into him.
Tim.
Tim slammed into Damian, knocking him away from the bomb.
“What are you doing—” Damian started.
Tim grabbed him by the collar.
“Saving your life.”
And then
Tim shoved him toward the exit.
“Run.”
Damian stumbled backward.
“Drake—!”
Tim turned back toward the bomb.
His hands already moving across the wires.
Jason shouted from the door.
“Tim!”
Dick yelled,
“Get out of there!”
Tim didn’t look up.
He worked faster.
Timer:
00:00:10
Damian’s chest tightened.
“Dra—!”
Tim finally looked at him.
Just once.
And for the first time all night—
He smiled.
A tired, quiet smile.
“Go, Damian.”
Then the world exploded.
The explosion shook the entire block.
Glass shattered.
The warehouse roof collapsed in a storm of fire and debris.
Across the street, civilians screamed as the shockwave rolled through the air.
Nightwing and Red Hood were thrown behind a police barricade.
Smoke swallowed the entire building.
For a few seconds
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Then Jason pushed himself up first.
“…Tell me that wasn’t what I think it was.”
Dick’s voice was hoarse.
“Tim.”
Damian froze.
The name hit him like a blade.
His mind replayed the last seconds over and over again.
Tim’s hands moving across the bomb.
Tim’s voice.
Saving your life.
The fire crackled loudly where the warehouse had once stood.
Bruce was already running.
“Batman—!” a firefighter shouted.
But Bruce ignored him.
He charged straight into the burning wreckage.
Nightwing grabbed Damian’s shoulder.
“Stay here.”
Damian yanked free immediately.
“No.”
Without another word, he sprinted after Bruce.
Jason groaned.
“Oh great. Guess we’re doing this.”
He grabbed his helmet and followed.
The interior of the warehouse was almost unrecognizable.
Steel beams twisted like broken bones.
Concrete had collapsed across the floor.
Smoke choked the air.
Bruce moved through the wreckage with grim precision.
“Tim!”
No response.
Dick coughed as he climbed over debris.
“Tim! Answer us!”
Jason kicked aside a burning plank.
“Red Robin, if you’re alive you better say something—”
Then Damian saw it.
A flash of red.
Partially buried beneath a fallen beam.
“Drake.”
He ran forward.
Bruce was already there, lifting the heavy debris aside.
When the beam rolled away
They saw him.
Tim Drake lay motionless against the shattered concrete.
His suit was torn.
Blood stained the red emblem across his chest.
Dick’s breath caught.
“Oh God.”
Jason froze.
“…Kid.”
Damian dropped to his knees beside him.
“Drake.”
No response.
Tim’s glasses were cracked.
One lens completely shattered.
His breathing was shallow.
Too shallow.
Bruce carefully checked his pulse.
For the first time that night
Batman’s hands hesitated.
Dick noticed immediately.
“Bruce?”
Bruce’s voice was low.
“He’s alive.”
Relief flooded the room
But it didn’t last.
“Barely.”
Jason knelt beside Tim.
“…How bad?”
Bruce scanned the injuries quickly.
“Internal bleeding.”
“Possible spinal trauma.”
“Severe burns.”
Dick swallowed hard.
“And the blast?”
Bruce didn’t answer immediately.
Damian stared at Tim’s unmoving face.
The memory returned again.
You triggered the fail-safe.
His chest tightened painfully.
“This is my fault.”
No one responded at first.
Damian’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“I disobeyed.”
Dick looked at him.
“Damian—”
“I ignored Father’s order.”
Jason’s expression darkened.
“And Tim paid for it.”
Damian’s fists trembled.
“If I had simply listened—”
Bruce cut him off.
“This is not the time.”
But Damian shook his head.
“No.”
His voice cracked.
“He warned me.”
Everyone paused.
“Tim warned me,” Damian continued.
“He told me not to touch the bomb.”
The weight of those words settled over the room.
Dick rubbed the back of his neck.
“…Yeah.”
Jason exhaled slowly.
“And you didn’t listen.”
Damian’s hands clenched tighter.
“I thought I knew better.”
Bruce carefully lifted Tim into his arms.
Tim didn’t wake.
His head fell slightly against Bruce’s shoulder.
Damian stared at the blood on his suit.
The red looked too dark.
Too much.
Bruce turned toward the exit.
“We’re leaving.”
Dick activated the comms.
“Alfred. We need the med-bay ready.”
Alfred’s voice came through instantly.
“I shall prepare immediately, Master Dick.”
Jason cleared the path through the debris.
“Let’s move.”
As they stepped outside
Ambulance lights flashed across the street.
Firefighters rushed around the smoking ruins.
But the Batfamily ignored them.
Bruce carried Tim toward the Batmobile.
Damian walked beside him.
Silent.
Guilt growing heavier with every step.
No one spoke during the drive back.
The Batmobile tore through Gotham’s empty streets.
Sirens echoed behind them.
Dick sat in the passenger seat, constantly checking Tim’s breathing.
Jason leaned back in the rear seat.
But his usual sarcasm was gone.
Damian sat frozen.
He stared at Tim.
Tim looked smaller somehow.
Fragile.
Nothing like the calm strategist who had been sitting in the cave hours ago.
Jason finally broke the silence.
“You know… he came back.”
Damian didn’t respond.
Jason continued quietly.
“He didn’t have to.”
Dick nodded.
“He heard the emergency alert and joined the comms.”
Damian’s throat tightened.
Jason glanced at him.
“And the first thing he did was warn you.”
Damian finally spoke.
“…I know.”
His voice barely existed.
Dick looked back at Tim.
“He saved your life.”
The words hung in the air.
Damian felt them like chains around his chest.
Because he remembered something else.
Tim’s smile.
Go, Damian.
Damian looked down at his hands.
They were shaking.
For the first time in a long time
Robin felt fear.
The Batmobile screeched into the cave.
Alfred was already waiting beside the medical table.
His usually calm expression faltered when he saw Tim.
“Good heavens.”
Bruce placed Tim gently on the table.
Alfred immediately began scanning his injuries.
Dick hovered nearby.
“How bad?”
Alfred’s voice stayed controlled.
But the tension was obvious.
“Severe trauma.”
Jason leaned against the wall.
“Is he gonna make it?”
Alfred didn’t answer right away.
The silence felt unbearable.
Finally
“We will do everything we can.”
Bruce stood beside the table, completely still.
Damian remained near the doorway.
Watching.
Unable to look away.
Alfred turned to Bruce.
“Sir, I will require assistance.”
Bruce stepped forward.
“Tell me what to do.”
Dick glanced at Damian.
“Come closer.”
Damian didn’t move.
“I should not.”
Jason frowned.
“What?”
Damian’s voice was quiet.
“This is the consequence of my actions.”
Dick stepped toward him.
“That’s not how this works.”
Damian shook his head.
“If he dies…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence.
Jason pushed off the wall.
“Hey.”
Damian looked at him.
Jason’s voice softened slightly.
“Tim’s stubborn.”
Dick nodded.
“He’s survived worse.”
Damian looked back toward the medical table.
Tim still hadn’t moved.
Machines began to beep steadily as Alfred worked.
Bruce remained silent beside him.
Damian swallowed.
And for the first time since joining the Batfamily
He felt something he had never truly understood before.
Regret.
The med-bay was quieter than it had ever been.
Usually, the cave hummed with activity, training, computers, patrol preparations.
Tonight, the only sound was the steady beep… beep… beep… of the heart monitor.
Tim Drake lay motionless on the medical bed.
Bandages wrapped around his ribs and shoulder.
A brace supported his neck.
IV lines ran into his arm while machines monitored his breathing and pulse.
The bright overhead lights cast sharp shadows across the room.
And the Batfamily stood around the bed like silent statues.
Bruce Wayne hadn’t moved in nearly twenty minutes.
His arms were crossed as he watched the monitors with intense focus.
Dick Grayson leaned against a nearby table, exhaustion clear in his face.
Jason Todd sat on a stool, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor.
And near the doorway
Damian Wayne stood completely still.
Alfred finished adjusting one of the machines and finally spoke.
“His condition has stabilized.”
Dick looked up quickly.
“That’s good… right?”
Alfred removed his glasses and cleaned them slowly.
“It means he is no longer in immediate danger.”
Jason sighed.
“Okay. That’s definitely good.”
But Alfred’s expression remained serious.
“He has suffered significant trauma.”
Bruce spoke quietly.
“Explain.”
Alfred gestured toward the scans on the screen.
“Two fractured ribs. Severe concussion. Internal bleeding, which we have managed to control.”
Damian’s stomach twisted.
Each injury felt like another weight pressing down on his chest.
Dick asked carefully,
“Is there… permanent damage?”
Alfred paused.
“It is too early to determine.”
The room fell silent again.
Jason ran a hand through his hair.
“Man…”
He looked toward Tim.
“…he really took the hit.”
Damian forced himself to step closer.
Tim looked pale.
Far too pale.
His hair was messy, dried blood still visible near his temple despite Alfred’s cleaning.
Damian stared at him.
This was the person he had called weak.
This was the person he had told to step aside.
The same person who had thrown himself between Damian and a bomb without hesitation.
Damian’s voice finally broke the silence.
“…Why?”
Dick looked at him.
“Why what?”
Damian’s green eyes stayed fixed on Tim.
“Why did he return?”
Jason blinked.
“Kid, we already told you.”
“No.”
Damian shook his head.
“He had every reason to remain in the manor.”
Bruce finally spoke.
“Tim does not abandon his responsibilities.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
“I insulted him.”
No one denied it.
“I told him he was a liability.”
Dick sighed softly.
“Yeah.”
Jason added bluntly,
“You were pretty brutal.”
Damian continued quietly.
“Yet he returned.”
Jason leaned back in the stool.
“That’s just Tim.”
Damian frowned.
“That explanation is insufficient.”
Dick pushed himself off the table.
He walked over and rested a hand on Tim’s bed.
“You want the real reason?”
Damian nodded slowly.
Dick looked at Tim.
“Because he cares about us.”
Jason nodded.
“Even when we’re being idiots.”
Dick glanced at Damian.
“Especially then.”
Damian’s chest tightened painfully.
He looked back at Tim.
“I told him he was the least impressive Robin.”
Jason winced.
“Oof.”
Dick muttered,
“Yeah… that one hurt.”
Damian clenched his fists.
“I was wrong.”
Bruce’s voice was calm but firm.
“Yes.”
Damian looked up at him.
Bruce continued,
“Tim Drake is one of the most capable individuals I have ever worked with.”
Dick nodded immediately.
“He’s the best detective out of all of us.”
Jason smirked slightly.
“And the only one who actually understands half the tech in this cave.”
Bruce finished quietly,
“He is also your brother.”
Damian swallowed.
The word felt heavy.
Brother.
He had never truly accepted that before.
Not fully.
Damian took another step forward until he stood beside the bed.
Tim still hadn’t moved.
“Will he wake up?” Damian asked.
Alfred answered gently.
“In time, Master Damian.”
Damian hesitated.
Then he reached out.
Very carefully
He placed his hand on the edge of the bed.
Not touching Tim.
Just close.
As if he wasn’t sure he deserved to.
Jason stood and stretched.
“Well.”
Dick glanced at him.
“Where are you going?”
Jason shrugged.
“Someone’s gotta deal with the leftovers from that explosion.”
Bruce nodded.
“Red Hood.”
Jason stopped.
Bruce added,
“Thank you.”
Jason blinked in surprise.
“…Yeah. Sure.”
He grabbed his helmet and headed for the Batmobile.
Dick looked around.
“I’ll run patrol too.”
Bruce nodded.
“Be careful.”
Dick gave Tim one last glance.
“Wake up soon, okay?”
Then he left.
The cave grew quieter again.
Now only three people remained.
Bruce.
Alfred.
And Damian.
Alfred checked the monitors one final time.
“He should rest undisturbed.”
Bruce nodded.
“Thank you, Alfred.”
Alfred placed a gentle hand on Damian’s shoulder.
“He will recover.”
Damian didn’t respond.
After a moment, Alfred left the med-bay.
Bruce studied Damian silently.
“You may sit.”
Damian hesitated.
Then slowly pulled a chair beside the bed.
Bruce spoke again.
“You understand the consequences of disobeying orders.”
Damian nodded.
“Yes.”
Bruce’s voice softened slightly.
“Guilt can be instructive.”
Damian’s eyes remained on Tim.
“I do not deserve forgiveness.”
Bruce didn’t answer.
Instead he said,
“That decision belongs to Tim.”
Then Bruce turned and walked away into the shadows of the cave.
Leaving Damian alone beside the bed.
Minutes passed.
The monitor continued its quiet rhythm.
Damian stared at Tim’s face.
For the first time
He truly noticed the small things.
The faint freckles across Tim’s nose.
The tired shadows under his eyes.
The way his hand rested loosely against the blanket.
Damian spoke softly.
“You are an idiot, Drake.”
The words sounded almost fond.
“You returned after I insulted you.”
He looked down.
“You saved me.”
The guilt twisted deeper in his chest.
“I would not have done the same.”
Damian hesitated.
Then added quietly,
“…I think.”
Another long silence passed.
Then Damian finally whispered the words he had never imagined saying.
“I am sorry.”
Tim didn’t wake.
But Damian stayed there anyway.
Watching.
Waiting.
For however long it would take.
The cave was quiet in the early hours of the morning.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet.
The heavy kind.
The kind that sat in the air like a weight.
The monitors continued their steady rhythm.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Damian Wayne hadn’t left the chair beside the medical bed.
Not once.
The others had returned from patrol hours ago.
Dick Grayson had stopped by first.
He had stood silently for a moment, placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder, and left without saying anything.
Jason Todd had come next.
He’d looked at Tim, then at Damian, and muttered, “Kid better wake up soon. I hate hospitals.”
Then he walked away.
Even Bruce Wayne had checked in twice.
But Damian stayed.
Still sitting.
Still waiting.
His eyes hadn’t left Tim for hours.
The guilt had settled deep in his chest like stone.
Every time the monitor beeped, Damian felt the reminder.
Tim could have died.
Because of me.
Damian leaned forward slightly.
Tim looked exactly the same as he had hours ago.
Pale.
Unmoving.
Bandaged.
Damian spoke quietly.
“You are remarkably stubborn, Drake.”
No response.
Damian looked down at his hands.
“They say patience is a virtue.”
He frowned slightly.
“I have never possessed much of it.”
The silence continued.
For a long time, Damian simply sat there.
Thinking.
Remembering.
The argument in the cave.
His own words.
You are weak.
You are a liability.
Damian clenched his fists.
“You should have stayed in the manor.”
His voice lowered.
“You should not have returned.”
Another pause.
Then he added softly,
“You should not have saved me.”
Suddenly
The heart monitor rhythm changed slightly.
Damian froze.
He leaned forward immediately.
“Drake?”
Tim’s fingers twitched.
Just barely.
But Damian saw it.
His eyes widened.
“Drake.”
Tim’s brow furrowed faintly.
Then slowly
Very slowly
His eyes opened.
Damian had faced assassins.
Monsters.
Supervillains.
But nothing had ever made his heart race like this moment.
Tim blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then groaned weakly.
“…Why does my head feel like it got run over by the Batmobile?”
Damian exhaled sharply.
“You are awake.”
Tim turned his head slightly.
“…Damian?”
His voice was rough.
“Yeah?”
Damian leaned closer.
“You are in the cave medical bay.”
Tim frowned.
“…Did the bomb explode?”
Damian’s throat tightened.
“Yes.”
Tim blinked slowly.
“…Did everyone make it out?”
Damian stared at him.
Even now
That was his first question.
“Yes,” Damian said quietly.
Tim relaxed slightly.
“Good.”
He closed his eyes briefly.
“Worth it then.”
Damian’s chest tightened again.
“You are insufferable.”
Tim’s lips twitched faintly.
“…Thanks.”
The commotion had already drawn attention.
Footsteps echoed across the cave.
Dick appeared first.
Then Jason.
Then Bruce.
Dick’s eyes widened immediately.
“Tim!”
Jason looked relieved.
“Well look at that. The kid lives.”
Bruce stepped forward silently.
Tim looked at them through half-lidded eyes.
“…Wow.”
He winced.
“…everyone’s here.”
Dick laughed quietly.
“You gave us a pretty big scare.”
Tim tried to sit up.
Immediately regretted it.
“Okay nope— bad idea.”
Jason snorted.
“Yeah genius, you ate an explosion.”
Tim squinted at him.
“…Worth mentioning earlier.”
Dick shook his head, smiling.
Bruce spoke calmly.
“You should rest.”
Tim nodded weakly.
“Yeah… that sounds smart.”
But then Tim’s eyes shifted.
Back to Damian.
Damian hadn’t moved from the chair.
Tim studied him for a moment.
“…You okay?”
Jason laughed out loud.
“Of course that’s what you ask.”
Dick nudged him.
“Jason.”
Tim frowned slightly.
“…What?”
Jason shook his head.
“Nothing, replacement.”
Damian finally spoke.
“I owe you an apology.”
The entire cave went quiet.
Jason blinked.
“…Did Hell freeze over?”
Dick elbowed him.
“Shut up.”
Tim looked surprised.
“For what?”
Damian stared at him.
“For my words earlier.”
Tim blinked slowly.
“…Which ones?”
Jason snorted.
“Wow.”
Damian ignored him.
“I called you weak.”
“I called you a liability.”
Tim looked thoughtful.
“…Yeah you did.”
Damian continued firmly.
“I was wrong.”
The room stayed silent.
Even Jason didn’t interrupt this time.
Damian’s voice lowered slightly.
“You disobeyed nothing.”
“You hesitated for the correct reasons.”
“You saved my life.”
Tim looked uncomfortable.
“…Well.”
He rubbed the back of his neck weakly.
“I mean… that’s kinda what we do.”
Damian frowned.
“You risked your life.”
Tim shrugged slightly.
“Yeah.”
Damian stared at him.
“Why?”
Tim looked genuinely confused.
“…Because you’re my brother?”
The word landed heavily in the room.
Damian went still.
Tim continued quietly.
“That’s what brothers do.”
Dick smiled softly.
Jason crossed his arms, hiding a small grin.
Bruce watched silently.
Damian lowered his gaze.
For a moment he didn’t speak.
Then finally
“…I am sorry, Drake.”
The apology was quiet.
But sincere.
Tim studied him for a moment.
Then smiled weakly.
“Apology accepted.”
Jason groaned.
“Wow. That was easy.”
Dick laughed.
“You expected a dramatic speech?”
Jason shrugged.
“I mean… a little.”
Tim looked at Damian again.
“…Next time though?”
Damian frowned.
“What?”
Tim smirked faintly.
“Try listening when I say don’t touch the bomb.”
Jason burst out laughing.
Dick covered his face.
“Oh my god.”
Even Bruce’s mouth twitched slightly.
Damian narrowed his eyes.
“…Understood.”
Tim relaxed back against the pillow.
“…Cool.”
His eyes began to close again.
Dick asked gently,
“Sleep?”
Tim nodded slightly.
“Yeah…”
He mumbled one last thing before drifting off.
“…good job… Robin.”
Damian froze.
Tim had said it so naturally.
Like it had always belonged to him.
Damian looked down at him.
Then quietly
For the first time without hesitation
He replied.
“Rest well… 'akhi.”
The cave fell silent again.
But this time
The silence felt lighter.
Because Tim Drake was alive.
And Damian Wayne had finally learned something far more important than fighting.
What it meant
To have a brother.
End.
(A/N: BONUS (人•͈ᴗ•͈) since I feel generous and since you make it to the end of the story)
Three days later, Wayne Manor was finally quiet again.
Well… as quiet as a mansion full of vigilantes could be.
Tim Drake was currently lying on the couch in the manor’s living room, surrounded by pillows, blankets, and enough medical supplies to make it look like a small hospital ward.
Alfred had insisted.
Tim tried to sit up slightly.
Bad idea.
His ribs immediately reminded him that explosions were not good for the human body.
“…Ow.”
From across the room, a voice immediately snapped.
“Do not move.”
Tim blinked.
“Oh my god.”
He looked toward the armchair nearby.
Damian Wayne sat there with a book in his hands, though he clearly hadn’t turned the page in ten minutes.
Tim stared at him.
“…You’re still here?”
Damian didn’t even look up.
“Yes.”
Tim frowned.
“You’ve been sitting there since breakfast.”
“Yes.”
“You skipped patrol.”
“Yes.”
Tim sighed.
“…Why?”
Damian finally looked at him.
“To ensure you do not worsen your injuries through reckless stupidity.”
Tim blinked slowly.
“…Wow.”
From the doorway, Jason Todd nearly choked on his drink.
“Oh this is amazing.”
Tim groaned.
“Jason, help me.”
Jason leaned against the doorframe, grinning.
“Nope. I’m enjoying the show.”
Dick appeared behind him, laughing.
“I told you he’d be like this.”
Tim looked between them.
“…Like what?”
Jason gestured dramatically at Damian.
“Congratulations, Replacement.”
“You’ve unlocked Overprotective Demon Brother Mode.”
Damian glared at him.
“I will remove your vocal cords.”
Jason smirked.
“See? Adorable.”
Tim rubbed his forehead.
“I survived an explosion just to deal with this.”
Dick walked over and sat on the couch arm.
“How are you feeling?”
Tim shrugged carefully.
“Like I got hit by a truck.”
Jason corrected him.
“Technically a bomb.”
“Jason.”
“Sorry.”
Damian stood suddenly.
Tim froze.
Damian walked over and adjusted the blanket around him.
Tim stared at him.
“…You just tucked me in.”
Damian’s expression didn’t change.
“You were cold.”
Jason immediately pulled out his phone.
“Oh I am documenting this.”
Damian’s head snapped toward him.
“If that device contains a camera, I suggest you destroy it.”
Jason grinned.
“Too late.”
Dick laughed so hard he nearly fell off the couch.
Tim groaned again.
“This is humiliating.”
Damian returned to his chair calmly.
“You nearly died.”
Tim rolled his eyes.
“You’ve nearly died too.”
Damian crossed his arms.
“That is irrelevant.”
Jason leaned closer to Tim and whispered loudly,
“He’s scared.”
Damian immediately threw a pillow at him.
Jason dodged it easily.
Dick wiped tears from his eyes.
“I haven’t seen Damian like this since Titus got sick.”
Damian glared at him.
“That information was unnecessary.”
Tim looked at Damian.
“…You’re worried.”
Damian hesitated.
For once, the usual sharp response didn’t come immediately.
“…You were critically injured.”
Tim smiled faintly.
“Yeah.”
Damian looked away slightly.
“You saved my life.”
The room grew quieter.
Jason leaned back against the wall.
Even he didn’t interrupt this time.
Tim spoke softly.
“You would’ve done the same.”
Damian didn’t answer.
Tim smiled anyway.
“Relax, Demon Spawn.”
Damian frowned.
“That nickname is unacceptable.”
Tim smirked slightly.
“Sure it is.”
He leaned back against the pillow.
“You’re my little brother.”
Jason immediately burst out laughing.
Dick lost it again.
Damian looked like he might commit a crime.
“I am not little.”
Tim closed his eyes with a tired smile.
“Sure, Damian.”
A moment passed.
Then Damian stood again.
Tim cracked one eye open.
“…What now?”
Damian adjusted another pillow behind Tim’s head.
Tim stared at him.
“You’re doing it again.”
Damian sat back down.
“You require support.”
Jason whispered to Dick,
“I give it two days before Damian builds him a bubble wrap suit.”
Dick whispered back,
“I’d wear it.”
Tim groaned.
“I can hear you.”
But despite the teasing…
Despite the embarrassment…
Tim didn’t actually mind.
Because every time he opened his eyes—
Damian was still there.
Watching.
Making sure he was okay.
And honestly?
That might have been the strangest part of all.
Tim Drake had survived the explosion.
But Damian Wayne had learned something much harder.
How to care.
And somehow
That was even more terrifying.