Chapter Text
Tim knows, realistically, that this situation, is... Well, odd.
He’s an 11-year-old boy, standing in front of a blood bank, staring intensely at the doors as the scent of blood swirls in his nose and makes his teeth itch uncomfortable.
Red, gold and barely green leaves scatter the floor, as the tree planted right in front of the entrance creates something of a comforting feeling to the building that Tim was 100% not planning to rob...
He wasn’t! He wasn’t about to rob this blood bank. People need it. It would be dumb to rob it of its blood bags for his personal needs. Even if he was starving, and it smelt really good.
Ok, maybe he was planning to take some blood bags from it, and just maybe, he’s been taking from this specific building for the past few months. But he’s not really robbing it! He needs the blood, and he leaves them money and everything! It’s not like he’s just making off with it. He just... Might need it to survive is all. It’s not his fault! He didn’t want this! Besides, all the other blood banks he’s been taking from have put up small charms to ward off vampires as a last-ditch effort, and it’s, unfortunately, super effective at warding him off.
So, standing in front of it, from across the alley, because for some reason, they put a blood bank in a dingy alley (Peak Gotham architecture). He was eyeing off the new cameras. New cameras. Like it’d make a difference to him being faster than the average person. It almost made him laugh. Almost. But the fact was, after a few more security upgrades, they’d try a vampire repellent sooner or later.
Vampires were a myth, but it didn’t mean some people didn’t believe in them. Annoyingly. Stupidly. He was starting to wish people were a lot dumber.
Eyeing off the new camera’s once more, Tim took a step closer, watching the doors, glancing around the alley to make sure no-one was there, as well as taking a breath to steady himself. This was it. More blood, and he wouldn’t need to come here for maybe another week or two. He could live with feeling hungry. This was just to get him by. Only take what he needs. Don’t feed from anything living. Just donated blood bags.
Only a bag, the first bag he sees. That’s all. It doesn’t even have to be good. He just needs the food.
But as he took one last gulp of air, putting his foot firmly on the ground to start running, ignoring how he’s senses were too loud, too clear, the sound of feet pounding over rooftops above him startled him enough to throw himself behind a dumpster as a loud thud, followed by a more gentle one landed just outside where he had dived, right behind a dumpster.
“A blood bank? Who’s bleeding out now?”
“... Robin.”
“Fine, fine. What’re we doin’ here then, broody?”
Oh crackers. Cheese and crackers. That’s Batman and Robin! Those are his hero's! And Tim didn’t bring his camera, and he wants to peak around, but that’s stupid, and he just wants to see them, he wants to- He wants food. His stomach reminds him of this lovely fact by starting to cramp forcing him grab it, wrapping an arm around his waist and holding himself tightly. He was fine. This was fine.
“Someone’s been stealing from blood banks. We know it’s the same person because they leave wads of cash each time they strike. This bank’s their latest target.” And Tim’s soul left his body. That was him, they were talking about him.
“Why would someone steal from a blood bank? That’s so random.”
“Well, that’s what we’re here to figure out.”
“I mean, at least their nice about it, leavin’ the money... How long has this been goin’ on?”
“... Three years. The banks have only just decided this matter bothers them.” Tim tensed at batman’s voice. God, they even knew how long he’s been at this for. Not to mention he was cramped behind a dumpster listening to them discuss him.
“Three- Three years! And they only just put a complaint in! That’s so dumb!”
“It’s Gotham.”
“Still stupid.”
“...”
“Could be a vampire.” Tim loved Robin. Tim was also beginning to like Robin less because the comment went right to his heart and made it drop into his very hungry stomach, which, was not a very comfortable feeling to experience, even less so, behind a dumpster. It made him feel like he was about to throw up.
“...”
“Just a joke. Don’t all laugh at once.”
Welp. There goes Tim. This was it. He was going to die. They were looking for him. Because he just wanted food! Weren’t they the good guys? He was hungry, and they were in the way, and he felt like just running, he wanted to leave, to cry, to eat, to have someone who cared but that’s... Deep breath. Breathe. That’s dumb. He needs to calm down and think rationally. He needs a plan.
He could make a plan. It's Tim, he’s always makes great plans. Nothing's could go wrong!
He could just run past them, right into the blood bank and then book it to the nearest bus stop, take the bus to Bristol with the blood bag in his backpack, and eat it at home! It was a golden, perfect plan. Practically flawless.
Until it was very quickly flawed. Robin jumped onto and sat on the dumpster lid sending Tim into a quick and dizzying downward spiral. He’d honesty rather die. He’s soul’s already left his body, dying should be fine too. The world was dead to him. God had betrayed him and he was on the verge of being found by the infamous Batman and Robin. Sadly, dramatics aside, Robin was on the lid of the dumpster he was hiding behind.
This was the worst situation he could’ve found himself in.
He needed to think. To brainstorm a way out of this. Because he was not about to be locked up in Arkham and experimented on because he got a bit hungry. He needed the food. He could last two weeks without it, and he was starting to get close to that mark having not feed in week and three days. He needed the food. Or at the very least, to get away and not be caught.
Robin and Batman kept talking, which, was good for them, less for him. But it did mean that because Robin (Since Jason debuted as Robin at least) Had a flare for dramatics, he needed to move around to throw his arms over his head and talk to the Bat. Which meant sooner or later, Robin would move off the dumpsters lid and somewhere else, meaning Batman would turn around to watch and talk to his son and if they didn’t look behind the dumpster, he would be fine. Tim would be fine.
Robin did not move from the dumpster for five minutes.
Tim was about to cry, for an entire five minutes, because he felt so close to being found, and he was so close to his heroes that it was making his chest hurt with all the emotions swirling in it.
He was so close to curling up and crying, giving himself away. But that wasn’t an option, so he waited, trying to be quiet, minimising his breathing and waiting. His emotions were too big. He couldn’t get the blood tonight, he just couldn’t.
Once Robin finally ended up moving, the bat, thankfully, followed him, moving to the other side of the alley, away from Tim.
And thus, with all the grace a hunger vampire fledgling could muster from behind a dumpster, he took a breath to steady his power and run out from behind the dumpster at an inhuman speed, out of the alley and two blocks away to a bus stop. He couldn’t do it tonight, he was just going to have to go to bed hungry and would get food later, when he could get to the blood bank without being stopped, or threating the power of the dynamic duo on himself.
Soon. He promised himself. He’ll get blood soon.