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shinyglorchanTitle: Back From The Dead
Fandom: DCU
Character(s): Robin III, Red Hood
Pairing(s): past Tim/Steph mentioned
Word Count: 1752
Genre: General/Drama/Angst
Rating: PG-13/T
Notes: Follows A Death In The Family, but three years later. Tim is Robin now. Just joined the Teen Titans a few months ago, but doesn't really feel like he belong, not after his father and Steph's deaths. Red Hood pays a visit. (Note that this is quite AU. Jason hasn't hit Gotham yet, so Bats doesn't know about Jason except the whole Hush debacle that he didn't believe anyway. I'll makes this simple; Under the Hood hasn't happened as of this point.)
Link: N/A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I can find a ride home,” Tim said to into the phone before snapping is shut and slipping it into his bag.
It had been two years since he became Robin. A little over a year of being part of Young Justice, then being part of the Teen Titans for the past few months. He had close friends with Young Justice, but those bonds seemed to be slipping away. Becoming a Titan was what he thought it would be. Well, what Jason had made him think it to be. Dick always said great things about being a Titan, but Jason had only been on the team for a few days.
Tim's fists clench at his side. The first few visits to the Tower on the weekends, he had missed being able to see a memorial to Jason like whenever he was in the Batcave. It made him work harder. Maybe miss his friend more, but now Tim thought of it more as Jason cheering him on from the grave. At the end of the second weekend, Tim slipped into the Hall of Fallen Titans to find the second Robin's statue. He found none.
He could picture how angry Jason would be about this. Tim had a calming effect on Jason back then, but Tim was sure that would be one slight Jason would not of taken lightly. Tim sighed as he zipped up his bag. Maybe when he returned to Gotham, he could take his frustrations out on some criminals. Jason would approve, he was sure.
“A new Boy Wonder,” a muffled voice said from Tim's doorway.
Tim spun around to see the shape of a man is doorway. Form fitting jeans and shirt, leather jacket, combat boots, and a red helmet obscuring his face and voice. The clothing choice felt so familiar, considering who had been thinking of just moments ago that Tim froze. He could not see the smirk, but Tim had a feeling it was there. He had been right. The man pulled the hood off, revealing a familiar face with a domino mask firmly in place.
“Didn't take him long to replace me, did it?” Jason snarled, stalking towards Tim.
Tim could not move. Did Jason know it was him? Would he hate him? He must hate me, Tim thought as he dodged a punch from Jason. “Jason...” he murmured, which cause Jason to still his next punch.
Jason scrunched up his face at the voice as recognition dawned upon his features. “You?” he questioned, unbelieving. “Tim, you replaced me?”
Tim cringed. “I...” he stuttered, feeling eleven again, back in the alley where they had first met.
Jason glared at him, a look that pained Tim to see on his friend's face when it was turned to him. “How fucking could you!” he screamed, throwing another punch, not missing his mark this time.
Tim stumbled back, wiping the blood from his mouth. “Batman needed a Robin. You had...” he gulped back tears that threatened to make themselves known, “and Dick wouldn't be Robin again... Jason, you gotta believe me, I never wanted this...”
That made Jason laugh. Nothing like the laughs they had shared when they were younger. It was a little more twisted, bitter. “Yeah right, Timmy,” Jason bit out.
Tim's face crumpled. “No, I-” he cut himself off. “There's nothing I can say that will prove it to you.”
“Damn straight,” Jason said angrily before noticing Tim stripping himself of his costume. “Hey, what the hell, do you think you're doing!?”
Tim let his eye mask flutter to the ground with the rest of the Robin costume. He snatched his bag, pulling out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He tugged the jeans on before answering. “I quit,” he muttered. “You can be Robin again, but I quit. I don't want to hurt you, and with you around, there'd be a Robin.”
Jason's eyebrows furrowed as Tim grabbed his duffel bag to leave. He grabbed his arm. “You...” Jason shook his head before grabbing up the Robin costume and shoving it into Tim's arms. “No, you deserve to be Robin.”
“Jason...”
He sat down on Tim's bed, running a hand through his hair. “I came here to beat the shit out of my replacement,” he said before chuckling. “I had no idea it was you, Tim.”
“I wouldn't have let anyone else become Robin, unless Dick was going to take back the mantle,” Tim said as he slowly sat next to Jason. “You believe me when I said I never wanted this, don't you? That it was a necessity?”
“I want to believe you,” he answered, turning to Tim. “God, my mind is still such a mess.”
Jason gripped his hair with his hands, and Tim wanted nothing more than to hug him, but he did not think it would as well received as it might have been a few years ago. “What happened to you?” Tim asked quietly. “You were dead...”
“Only for six months,” Jason said with a frown. “At least that's what I was told. The concept time was a bit screwy for me after digging myself out of my grave.”
Tim's eyes widened. “What?! You had to...” Tim trailed off, feeling sick. “Why didn't Batman know? He put a device on the coffin for-” then it dawned on him, “...if someone broke in, but not if someone broke out.”
“Guess Bats isn't paranoid enough,” Jason said sardonically. “I doubt he really cared at all.”
“No, that's not true, Jason.”
Jason raised an eyebrow. “Tim, you're Robin now. There is no way you're not biased in favor of Batman in this argument.”
Tim shook his head. “You don't get it. Your death drove him nearly insane. There's even a memorial to you in the Batcave. Him and Dick weren't really talking anymore at that point. Those reasons combined made it difficult for me to not be Robin for him...”
“...there's really a memorial?” Jason questioned, sounding almost hopeful.
“Yeah. I could take you to it. I need to get back to Gotham tonight for patrol.”
Jason smiled, something akin to the smiles he used to have when he took Tim flying across the skyline of Gotham. “I'd like that,” he murmured before standing up, grabbing his helmet to slip it back on. “...only if Bruce isn't there.”
Tim nodded. “I'll figure something out,” he said as he slipped back into his Robin costume. “You know, I can lie to Batman now.”
“Really?” Jason asked, his voice muffled by the helmet as he made his way toward the window. “I knew I was bad influence on you.”
Tim chuckled as he shouldered his bag, opening the window. “But I get away with it,” Tim smirked, using his grapple to scale down the Tower.
Jason followed in suit. “Seriously? Now why couldn't I do that?”
“Because you lie too much. I'm the new guy, so he doesn't suspect it of me.”
Jason laughed before ruffling Tim's hair. “Kid, you're still such a freak.”
“I'll take freak as a compliment,” Tim muttered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once in Gotham, Jason had decided against going to the Batcave. They decided to perch on a gargoyle, watching the people scurry around below. Well, Tim was perched on the edge, while Jason decided to stand. “Hey, let's go sneak into your house,” Jason announced, as Tim cringed. “Your parents actually home for once, Tim?”
Tim pushed the memories of his father's death back. “My mom's been dead for almost three years now, and dad died a few weeks ago,” Tim stated, no emotion in his voice. “I live with Bruce now.”
Jason cringed, taking off his helmet and setting it aside. “I'm sorry,” he muttered. “Anything else I should know about, so I don't make more of an ass of myself, Timmy?”
Tim looked at Jason over his shoulder with a sad smile. “Before my dad died, he found out about my night job. I quit for him, then Batman decided my girlfriend would be the perfect fourth Robin,” he paused. “I think I'm seeing a pattern, now. Even Robins will always die.”
The pain was clear on Tim's face, even though he was hiding it well, even with his mask still in place. Even after years apart, Jason could still read Tim, the person he had begun to think of as his best friend. He put a hand on Tim's shoulder. “I came back, Tim.”
Tears were now running down Tim's face freely. “But she won't,” he said sadly. “She had training, but not nearly as much as you or me or Dick.”
He was not sure how to comfort Tim, but Jason was going to try. He sat down next to Tim, legs dangling over the side of the building. He wrapped an arm around Tim's shoulders, pulling him in for a hug. Tim sobbed into his chest, letting out all the sadness he had been bottling up. Jason had never seen the boy cry before. When they were younger, Tim never cried when Jason thought a normal eleven year old would. Then again, he had always been a freaky kid.
After a while, Tim had stopped crying, and Jason's shirt was soaked with his tears, but he did not care at this point. He quietly rubbed Tim's back. “You really needed that, didn't you?” Jason questioned, mostly to himself.
“She reminded me of you,” Tim spoke up, his throat still a little scratchy from they crying.
“Did she?”
Tim nodded into Jason's chest. “Yeah. She was brash and reckless at times, but she was one of the best people I've ever known. You would have liked her. ...or you two would have fought since your personalities are so similar.”
Jason chuckled sadly. “Wish I could have met her, then,” he answered as he felt Tim start to fall asleep.
“Me too... I think, she reminded me of you... That's what attracted me to her.”
Jason blinked, about to question what Tim meant by that, but he could hear Tim's breath even out. He carefully picked up the Boy Wonder in his arms before setting off for his apartment, grabbing his helmet as an afterthought. He could not just leave Tim asleep on the rooftop near the alley where they had first met, and there was no way he was going to bring him to the Manor. Jason just hoped Tim could get a good night's sleep in his bed, since it really looked like Tim could use it.
Fandom: DCU
Character(s): Robin III, Red Hood
Pairing(s): past Tim/Steph mentioned
Word Count: 1752
Genre: General/Drama/Angst
Rating: PG-13/T
Notes: Follows A Death In The Family, but three years later. Tim is Robin now. Just joined the Teen Titans a few months ago, but doesn't really feel like he belong, not after his father and Steph's deaths. Red Hood pays a visit. (Note that this is quite AU. Jason hasn't hit Gotham yet, so Bats doesn't know about Jason except the whole Hush debacle that he didn't believe anyway. I'll makes this simple; Under the Hood hasn't happened as of this point.)
Link: N/A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I can find a ride home,” Tim said to into the phone before snapping is shut and slipping it into his bag.
It had been two years since he became Robin. A little over a year of being part of Young Justice, then being part of the Teen Titans for the past few months. He had close friends with Young Justice, but those bonds seemed to be slipping away. Becoming a Titan was what he thought it would be. Well, what Jason had made him think it to be. Dick always said great things about being a Titan, but Jason had only been on the team for a few days.
Tim's fists clench at his side. The first few visits to the Tower on the weekends, he had missed being able to see a memorial to Jason like whenever he was in the Batcave. It made him work harder. Maybe miss his friend more, but now Tim thought of it more as Jason cheering him on from the grave. At the end of the second weekend, Tim slipped into the Hall of Fallen Titans to find the second Robin's statue. He found none.
He could picture how angry Jason would be about this. Tim had a calming effect on Jason back then, but Tim was sure that would be one slight Jason would not of taken lightly. Tim sighed as he zipped up his bag. Maybe when he returned to Gotham, he could take his frustrations out on some criminals. Jason would approve, he was sure.
“A new Boy Wonder,” a muffled voice said from Tim's doorway.
Tim spun around to see the shape of a man is doorway. Form fitting jeans and shirt, leather jacket, combat boots, and a red helmet obscuring his face and voice. The clothing choice felt so familiar, considering who had been thinking of just moments ago that Tim froze. He could not see the smirk, but Tim had a feeling it was there. He had been right. The man pulled the hood off, revealing a familiar face with a domino mask firmly in place.
“Didn't take him long to replace me, did it?” Jason snarled, stalking towards Tim.
Tim could not move. Did Jason know it was him? Would he hate him? He must hate me, Tim thought as he dodged a punch from Jason. “Jason...” he murmured, which cause Jason to still his next punch.
Jason scrunched up his face at the voice as recognition dawned upon his features. “You?” he questioned, unbelieving. “Tim, you replaced me?”
Tim cringed. “I...” he stuttered, feeling eleven again, back in the alley where they had first met.
Jason glared at him, a look that pained Tim to see on his friend's face when it was turned to him. “How fucking could you!” he screamed, throwing another punch, not missing his mark this time.
Tim stumbled back, wiping the blood from his mouth. “Batman needed a Robin. You had...” he gulped back tears that threatened to make themselves known, “and Dick wouldn't be Robin again... Jason, you gotta believe me, I never wanted this...”
That made Jason laugh. Nothing like the laughs they had shared when they were younger. It was a little more twisted, bitter. “Yeah right, Timmy,” Jason bit out.
Tim's face crumpled. “No, I-” he cut himself off. “There's nothing I can say that will prove it to you.”
“Damn straight,” Jason said angrily before noticing Tim stripping himself of his costume. “Hey, what the hell, do you think you're doing!?”
Tim let his eye mask flutter to the ground with the rest of the Robin costume. He snatched his bag, pulling out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He tugged the jeans on before answering. “I quit,” he muttered. “You can be Robin again, but I quit. I don't want to hurt you, and with you around, there'd be a Robin.”
Jason's eyebrows furrowed as Tim grabbed his duffel bag to leave. He grabbed his arm. “You...” Jason shook his head before grabbing up the Robin costume and shoving it into Tim's arms. “No, you deserve to be Robin.”
“Jason...”
He sat down on Tim's bed, running a hand through his hair. “I came here to beat the shit out of my replacement,” he said before chuckling. “I had no idea it was you, Tim.”
“I wouldn't have let anyone else become Robin, unless Dick was going to take back the mantle,” Tim said as he slowly sat next to Jason. “You believe me when I said I never wanted this, don't you? That it was a necessity?”
“I want to believe you,” he answered, turning to Tim. “God, my mind is still such a mess.”
Jason gripped his hair with his hands, and Tim wanted nothing more than to hug him, but he did not think it would as well received as it might have been a few years ago. “What happened to you?” Tim asked quietly. “You were dead...”
“Only for six months,” Jason said with a frown. “At least that's what I was told. The concept time was a bit screwy for me after digging myself out of my grave.”
Tim's eyes widened. “What?! You had to...” Tim trailed off, feeling sick. “Why didn't Batman know? He put a device on the coffin for-” then it dawned on him, “...if someone broke in, but not if someone broke out.”
“Guess Bats isn't paranoid enough,” Jason said sardonically. “I doubt he really cared at all.”
“No, that's not true, Jason.”
Jason raised an eyebrow. “Tim, you're Robin now. There is no way you're not biased in favor of Batman in this argument.”
Tim shook his head. “You don't get it. Your death drove him nearly insane. There's even a memorial to you in the Batcave. Him and Dick weren't really talking anymore at that point. Those reasons combined made it difficult for me to not be Robin for him...”
“...there's really a memorial?” Jason questioned, sounding almost hopeful.
“Yeah. I could take you to it. I need to get back to Gotham tonight for patrol.”
Jason smiled, something akin to the smiles he used to have when he took Tim flying across the skyline of Gotham. “I'd like that,” he murmured before standing up, grabbing his helmet to slip it back on. “...only if Bruce isn't there.”
Tim nodded. “I'll figure something out,” he said as he slipped back into his Robin costume. “You know, I can lie to Batman now.”
“Really?” Jason asked, his voice muffled by the helmet as he made his way toward the window. “I knew I was bad influence on you.”
Tim chuckled as he shouldered his bag, opening the window. “But I get away with it,” Tim smirked, using his grapple to scale down the Tower.
Jason followed in suit. “Seriously? Now why couldn't I do that?”
“Because you lie too much. I'm the new guy, so he doesn't suspect it of me.”
Jason laughed before ruffling Tim's hair. “Kid, you're still such a freak.”
“I'll take freak as a compliment,” Tim muttered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once in Gotham, Jason had decided against going to the Batcave. They decided to perch on a gargoyle, watching the people scurry around below. Well, Tim was perched on the edge, while Jason decided to stand. “Hey, let's go sneak into your house,” Jason announced, as Tim cringed. “Your parents actually home for once, Tim?”
Tim pushed the memories of his father's death back. “My mom's been dead for almost three years now, and dad died a few weeks ago,” Tim stated, no emotion in his voice. “I live with Bruce now.”
Jason cringed, taking off his helmet and setting it aside. “I'm sorry,” he muttered. “Anything else I should know about, so I don't make more of an ass of myself, Timmy?”
Tim looked at Jason over his shoulder with a sad smile. “Before my dad died, he found out about my night job. I quit for him, then Batman decided my girlfriend would be the perfect fourth Robin,” he paused. “I think I'm seeing a pattern, now. Even Robins will always die.”
The pain was clear on Tim's face, even though he was hiding it well, even with his mask still in place. Even after years apart, Jason could still read Tim, the person he had begun to think of as his best friend. He put a hand on Tim's shoulder. “I came back, Tim.”
Tears were now running down Tim's face freely. “But she won't,” he said sadly. “She had training, but not nearly as much as you or me or Dick.”
He was not sure how to comfort Tim, but Jason was going to try. He sat down next to Tim, legs dangling over the side of the building. He wrapped an arm around Tim's shoulders, pulling him in for a hug. Tim sobbed into his chest, letting out all the sadness he had been bottling up. Jason had never seen the boy cry before. When they were younger, Tim never cried when Jason thought a normal eleven year old would. Then again, he had always been a freaky kid.
After a while, Tim had stopped crying, and Jason's shirt was soaked with his tears, but he did not care at this point. He quietly rubbed Tim's back. “You really needed that, didn't you?” Jason questioned, mostly to himself.
“She reminded me of you,” Tim spoke up, his throat still a little scratchy from they crying.
“Did she?”
Tim nodded into Jason's chest. “Yeah. She was brash and reckless at times, but she was one of the best people I've ever known. You would have liked her. ...or you two would have fought since your personalities are so similar.”
Jason chuckled sadly. “Wish I could have met her, then,” he answered as he felt Tim start to fall asleep.
“Me too... I think, she reminded me of you... That's what attracted me to her.”
Jason blinked, about to question what Tim meant by that, but he could hear Tim's breath even out. He carefully picked up the Boy Wonder in his arms before setting off for his apartment, grabbing his helmet as an afterthought. He could not just leave Tim asleep on the rooftop near the alley where they had first met, and there was no way he was going to bring him to the Manor. Jason just hoped Tim could get a good night's sleep in his bed, since it really looked like Tim could use it.
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Date: 2008-10-28 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-29 12:22 am (UTC)