Chapter Text
Tim had been down in the cave for the past three hours, working a case on a new drug moving through the Gotham piers. He should be suiting up to go get a look around the warehouse and gather information about where they were storing the junk, but his body was screaming at him to get some rest after a nasty fall the night before, and it had been a while since he had taken a day off.
The warehouse could wait.
Turning around in his chair, he took a look at the training area his brothers had built and were now destroying. They had been down here for as long as him, doing a new fight circuit Jason had made especially for Damian's abilities, since the younger one had been insisting on a different approach to his training, and Jason was anything but conventional.
At first sight it seemed like a bunch of big objects lying around, with some mannequins as people. But if you took the time to see behind it, it was easy to notice all the dummy traps hiding on every surface.
Tim was tempted to join them, do a quick round and make a fool of them, however his body would appreciate just a little teasing and call it a day.
“Where did you learn to do that?” Tim said, walking toward the circuit.
“Do what, exactly?” Jason asked.
“The whole circuit. It's just… lame.”
“What the fuck is your problem, man?”
“I just thought Damian was looking for hard training,” Tim said. “But, you know what? It seems like it is being hard for him, so never mind.”
“I am more than capable of doing this pathetically and unchallenging simple training, Drake.”
“What are you calling unchallenging, brat?” Jason complained.
“My abilities are beyond this foolish thing, Todd.”
“Excuse me, Prince. Would you like to try something different?”
Jason reached for his gun and shot at his brother, who dodged the rubber bullet effortlessly and counterattacked by running at him. They started a heated fight with bullets, katanas, and insults flying all around.
Tim decided to go back to his chair, grabbing a can of soda from the little fridge. It had been a while since he had started a playful match between his brothers, so he would enjoy every second of the show.
It was an even fight, with Jason taking the lead after a clean kick to Damian's legs, when the lights went off, putting an instant stop to the match.
A laugh was heard all around the cave and the three boys went still.
“If that’s Joker I swear to—” Jason murmured, before a loud noise interrupted him.
The first to go down was Tim. Something tightened around his shoulders and yanked him back into the chair; he was quickly tied with a rope. It all happened so quickly that it didn’t even give him enough time to warn the others before Damian was held and dropped next to him, also restrained by the rope.
Jason was the last hope. He should be big enough to not be picked up by the intruder, or so they thought. After some minutes, in which the only thing they could hear was the fight evolving in the dark, Todd appeared next to them, tied with extra rope.
How could it be possible that someone had found the cave, turned off all the lights, and taken down the three of them?
A new shadow crept in front of the brothers, moving slowly toward them.
“I don’t know who you believe you are, but you are messing with the wrong people,” Jason said.
“I assure you I perfectly know who I'm messing with,” the shadow whispered before shouting, “BOOOOOOONDING TIMEEEEEEEEEEE!”
All the lights turned back on, showing Dick wearing night vision goggles and a big smile.
“Just a quick question,” Jason said. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Everything? It's like you don’t even know me, Jay.”
“Oh, I wish.”
“I would like to know the reason for this, Richard.”
“Isn't it obvious? It's bonding time.”
“I think he is speaking to you two,” Tim noticed. “So if you untie me, I would go and leave you to it.”
“I know you started this, so you are trapped in it too,” Dick said. “Now, I'm gonna take off the ropes but you have to promise me you are not going anywhere.”
“No need, Dickface.”
The three brothers had managed to untie themselves while Dick was talking. They could have been gone by now, but when their big brother started a bonding time it was easier to just go with the flow than try to fight it. They had learned that the first time Dick came up with a game, one they declined and ended up with a week-long chase around the city until they agreed to play.
“Very well. What is the activity?” Damian asked.
“I was thinking you could all decide.”
“What is the catch?”
“Wow, how little faith you have in me.”
“Come on, there is always something with your games,” Jason said.
“Well, I was thinking we could bet something.”
“Explain.”
“So, you decide the game, we bet on it, and the winner earns a favor from each one of the losers. It can be anything.”
“You don’t know what you are starting,” Jason warned.
“It would be fun, you'll see.”
“I could actually use a blank check,” Tim said. “I’m in.”
“Lower your expectations. I would be the one to claim victory.”
“Sure. What should we play?”
“Something physical, like who can do more backflips on the rooftop?”
“Sure, why don’t we just give you the prize now? I say something about history or literature.”
“I would prefer an animal-related challenge.”
“Rumors?” Tim proposed.
“What do you mean?”
“Reputation warfare. We all start a rumor about the other's public persona. It can be made up or true. They should be released at the same time; how or where is of your choice, but you can’t give a heads-up about it to anyone. We have to face the three rumors that will be circulating and play with them, no denial or avoiding allowed, just dodgy answers. The first one to lose owes a favor to the winners.”
“What sort of rumors?”
“Nothing that puts our secret identities at risk or damages a third person's reputation. Of course, Bruce's reputation is excepted. Apart from that, anything is allowed.”
“Sounds childish enough for you to approve of it.”
“Well, then call me a toddler because I'm in,” Dick said.
“I’m destroying all of you, but you, Dickie, are going down. It's your funeral,” Jason claimed.
“You have to start a rumor for each of us.”
“I’m just saying, you better be ready.”
“We have all night to think about our strategy. Rumors out tomorrow morning. Everyone in?”
The air changed in the manor as soon as the four of them agreed on the terms.
Four strategists planning their next move.
Twelve rumors ready to spread.
Zero mercy would be accepted.