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Rain poured heavily at the grave site where Thomas and Martha Wayne were buried. A third gravestone stood to the far right of Thomas Wayne's gravestone. A collection of white, purple and blue daisies was placed inside a grave vase. Afterward, the same man who set the daisies inside the vase cloaked the back of the gravestone with the gray and black cape of who was once Batman. Thankfully, this grave site was behind Wayne Manor, just above the Bat Cave, so it was not for public viewing.
The young man could be seen in his black costume with a red zigzag in the middle of his utility belt. He wore a coal-black jacket with blood red under the jacket and collar. His cowl mask covered half his face with a darkened look, making him bat-like. He grinted his teeth, grabbing a hold of his cowl masking him before removing it like a hooded cloak. Behind the mask was a grieving man with teary blue eyes and wet hair just above his eyes, which once had a curtain look. He dropped to his knees, clawing into his hair with a sob and a loud wail.
"You bastard! You fucking bastard! You'll pay for this I swear!" The man cried in deep grief, sobbing in pain and anguish. "You'll... pay...."
"Tim..." The man heard a voice behind him. Of course, it would be Babs. Dick was beyond grief at this point. Tim wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to speak with him again. There was no telling about the others, who just lost Batman. "Everyone's worried."
Tim placed his cowl back over his face, looking directly into the middle-aged woman's eyes, which were laced with concern. He said, "I'm going to make that bastard pay."
"Tim, I know how you-"
"No, you don't know how I feel! He was my Batman! My- ugh!" Tim cried in agony as Barbara wheeled herself over to the man with a gentle hand on his arm.
"It wasn't your fault. We're all here for you. Please Tim, come home and we can talk about this."
"No, not when the mission isn't finished," Tim seethed angrily, shoving his arm from Barbara. "Don't try stopping me."
"Tim!" Barbara cried, wheeling herself in Tim's direction before the man pulled out a small cylinder container. "TIM! What are you doing!?"
"Didn't you hear me? I'm making that bastard pay for this!" Tim stated angrily, holding the container before opening the lid. He spread what looked to be white dust, sparking and glowing white. He took out a single strand of black hair, smirking devilishly.
"That's Damian's! Where did you get that!? " Barbara cried, trying to wheel herself to Tim to stop what he was about to do, but the white dust created a shield, blocking her from interfering. She cried, falling off her wheelchair as she crawled to the shield. "Tim, Batman sacrificed himself to save us! This isn't going to work! You can't change what's already been done!"
"Too late for that. I'm going to make sure the little Demon gets what's coming to him, " Tim grinned insanely, allowing the magic to surround him. "Magic isn't my forte, but if it will bring Batman back, I'll use whatever means."
Tim was engulfed in light, transporting him to another dimension, another time. Barbara's eyes widened, and she failed to punch her way inside the shield. She screamed Tim's name but knew it was all for naught.
"Tim! Stop this! TIM! ROBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!”
Damian was on patrol with his father as the dynamic duo Batman and Robin. Nothing serious was happening, so it was reasonably slow tonight. It was just the typical stopping burglaries and muggers—no Joker, Two-Face, Penguin or any of the rogues making trouble. As such, the duo sat side by side on the head of the gargoyle. Something Bruce would never deny was the enjoyment of spending time with his son.
"While you were stopping a break-in at Gotham National, I paid a visit to Michelle at St. Haven's Children's Hospital, " Damian reported.
"Yes, the witness of the Charity Heist. How is she doing? " Batman asked, looking through his binoculars.
"The cancer seems to be gone for the time being. Her doctor says if this continues, she might return back home in just three days."
"I'm glad you checked on her. I'm very proud of you and how far you've come, " Batman said genuinely, making Damian hide the smile from the compliment.
"I guess it's been slow for you too? " the Dynamic Duo heard Tim, dressed as Red Robin, speak. He showed a slight smirk.
" Tt, it's likely to arise an unseen crime, " Damian spoke, kneeling down while getting out his binoculars to search Gotham for anything suspicious.
"Yes, Cancer is truly evil. Hopefully, can be defeated, " Tim teased before avoiding an oncoming birderang from Damian.
"Shut up, Drake, " Damian snapped as Tim chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"Sure thing, little demon, " Tim replied playfully, resting his chin on the young teenager's spiky hair that acted like straw, bending over to the side to reveal another Robin's face while his arms were hugging around Damian's neck and shoulders.
"Off me! " Damian snapped, pushing Tim off him, who fell on his bottom, grinning humorously.
"You both play nice, " Batman reprimanded the two brothers.
"Sorry, B, " Tim apologized.
"Forgive me, Father, " Damian said almost offhandedly but kept his eyes off the binoculars.
"Perhaps you both would prefer to patrol together tonight. I trust you'll call if you need my help? " Bruce asked.
"Sure, B. The little Spawn and I will take things from here, " Tim replied, his stick resting behind his neck and held by his wrists.
" Tt, Drake is tolerable, " Damian stated, still searching with his binoculars.
Bruce narrowed his eyes, then sighed, "You boys get along."
From there, the Dark Knight left the rest of the night with the two boys. Tim leaned his hip against the gargoyle head to the right of the one Damian was leaning on. The Robins' start was very rocky, to say the least, and filled with some insecurities and possible jealousy. However, the boys had grown on each other, and both having experienced the other's death had affected their teamwork. Tim began criticizing Damian much less after his death, while Damian became more willing to work with him.
It started with Tim finding Damian perched at his bedroom window to threaten a patrol with him. It was aggravating, to say the least, but Tim began to understand that Damian had his own way of asking to spend time or hang out . Instead of asking to go out for a burger or watch a sports game, he'd insist on patrolling Gotham or kidnap Tim to eat on the rooftop. It was weird, but Damian was a work in progress. He slowly began to see that Damian's way of showing interest in someone was far different from anyone he knew.
The more Tim spent time with Damian, the more he began to see that this little Demon was just a younger version of his dad. Tim had always known about the animals he kept, and sometimes he showed to have a heart. He never realized how compassionately loving he was to the weak. For someone who tried to kill him upon first meeting, Damian had such deep love for anything more fragile than himself. He often thought of the well-being of even the tiniest critters in ways Tim never thought of, from their eyesight to flight. Damian was the first to think about protecting civilians over fighting criminals in any fight. Tim often fought against those wishing harm upon civilians, while Damian made sure to remove any innocent person or creature from harm's way.
Something else Tim learned about Damian was his ability to know or read someone by their facial expressions and movements. Tim was a great detective and knew how to gather factual evidence to find the criminal. However, Damian had a good instinct for knowing when something was off. His history of killing people gave him a deep understanding of a criminal Tim could never fathom in a million years. Even with all his strengths, Tim was beginning to see that the terror he saw in the young teenager, even as a child, was from years of brokenness. All that anger and coldness was from the hurt and pain from how he was raised to be a weapon. Tim began thinking maybe he took his parents' raising him for granted.
Being crime was slow in Gotham, Tim took his binoculars and used them to look up at the sky. Smiling, he said, "I can spot Hercules out tonight."
"Distractions allow criminal activity when we least expect it, " Damian replied.
"Aww and here I was expecting you to make some comment like 'of course I would know, Drake. I've studied under the greatest Constellation Philosophers with a Degree in the Einstein of Physics, '" Tim replied, impersonating Damian in a slightly squeakier voice, extraordinarily annoying Damian.
"I do NOT sound like that and that doesn't even make any sense! Physics and Astronomy are not the same science! " Damian snapped, glaring darkly as Tim grinned, pointing his finger up.
"Ah, but they are science , and I'm sure there is a Constellation Philosopher with a Degree in the Einstein of Physics, " Tim grinned teasingly as Damian's glare turned darker. He grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him down to eye level.
"Your distraction disgusts me, " Damian snarled before Tim patted his head. "Ick! " He pushed Tim from him and onto the floor of the tower they were in. "Stop it!"
"I could be worse. I could show a picture of your naked boyfriend."
Damian turned to Tim, replying, "I don't have a boyfriend, Drake!"
"Yet, " Tim added, making Damian growl while searching in his binoculars.
Tim contemplated picking up some Chinese until he felt a pair of eyes on them. He searched around for where the eyes were coming from, and it seemed Damian could sense it too. He was trained to sense any presence of anyone. As such, they were both prepared to jump off as soon as they took notice of an attack. Thankfully, it was only a smoke bomb.
Tim and Damian grabbed their grappling hooks, swinging to the back of the tower where they had previously skimmed over Gotham. It didn't take long for them to swing back to the ledge of the tower they had previously been on from the side.
" Tt , fools, " Damian said, making his way to the attacker hiding in the shadows. Tim, meanwhile, decided to hop onto a higher ledge to gain an advantage over their pursuer.
"Sounds like they found a convenient time to attack us after B left, " Tim noted, jumping from the higher ledge to kick the pursuer from the shadows.
However, just as Tim's foot was about to strike a landing from the attacker's backside, a stick was swung in his direction. Tim made a quick block with his own just as his back hit the wall. He could get a good look at who attacked him and Damian, which made him raise his eyebrows. It was... his future self as Batman? What!? Since when did he attack his past self too?
Tim kicked his other self from the hip, trying to weaken his stance a bit, only to be blocked, then find his head knocked by the very stick. He knew an older version of himself would have the advantage, so he warned Damian, "It's my future Batman! The one who- shit! " He rolled out of the way just before his future self could press him down with his foot.
" Tt , didn't think you'd grow up as the type for lame sneak attacks, " Damian said, appearing from the shadows as he drew his twin swords to land on the other Tim's stick.
The older Tim's Batman outfit seemed almost similar to his last suit when hunting down Superboy. However, it leaned more into his first Red Robin outfit. He also wasn't using any guns and had the usual stick he always uses as Robin. This Older Tim was fighting two Robins simultaneously, seemingly like a professional. He first butted Tim with the back of his own stick, then swung it from the other end at Damian, who dodged it swiftly before throwing a birderang at Older Tim's way. He swiftly hit it in his younger self's direction before releasing mini spikes at Damian.
Damian nearly missed those spikes aiming for him just before they grazed against his side. They made a little tear that could be fixable, but that was it. Landing on the ledge, he smirked, "Missed, Drake."
Older Tim then flipped Damian off the tower before diving in after him. This annoyed Damian, but he got out his grappling hook, aiming for the tower just as Older Tim grabbed a hold of it, then swung Damian to a bottom ledge of the tower against the corner.
"You can't stop being easily distracted, " Older Tim spat, landing right before Damian.
"What do you want? Am I your next target this time? " Damian asked, getting up and wiping the blood from his mouth. A smirk slowly formed. "I'm disappointed it took you this long to aim for me."
"That Tim Drake is not me. He abused the mantle he was given without regard what it meant to be Batman, " Older Tim stated coldly.
"Oh? And you do?"
"For the time being, " Older Tim replied, swinging his stick at Damian, who deflected with his sword.
"If you wanted to kill me so bad, I'd expect you to have tried harder, " Damian glared just as Tim threw a birderang of his own at his older self, hoping to distract him. Thankfully, his older self seemed to have given him enough focus time to get out of the way.
"Have you found out why he attacked us? " Tim asked.
"Are you dense!? He's targeting me obviously! " Damian replied.
"Yo-!? WHAT!?! " Tim exclaimed, glaring at his older self. Sure, kill anyone that may be a danger to Batman or the world, but Damian!?
"He's right. I'm not the other future self that tried to kill Batwoman or Superboy. I'm here for my Batman, " Older Tim replied, with only a cold and calculating expression.
"But, Damian wouldn't kill B, " Tim said factually, reading his older self's expression. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
"You'd be surprised, " Older Tim glared, awaiting for the next attack, which came from Damian.
"Robin, don- " Tim warned Damian before he was kicked from the side. Then, Older Tim took something from his utility belt and stabbed it directly at the back of Damian's neck.
Just as Damian felt a small sting sink into the back of his neck, all movement from his body stopped, and he fell flat on the ledge. He instinctively tried to cover his face for the landing, but he couldn't move his arms. His body stopped moving, all except for his head. He could turn to the side, and his cheek was scraped, blood oozing out. Nothing but his head was working.
"What did you do to me, you coward!? " Damian shouted angrily as Tim stepped in to defend his little brother.
"It's a small spike, but at the right place, it disconnects your nervous system from your bone connected to your spine. Quite an effective weakness Talia neglected when surgically replacing your entire spine, " Older Tim said, his expression unreadable.
"Why Robin ? What did he do? " Tim demanded, his instincts telling him there was more to this.
"He killed Batman, and I've made it my personal mission to make sure he pays, " Older Tim said, his voice laced with anger and deep grief that Tim had never seen in any version of himself.
"He wouldn't... Not intentionally. That's his father! " Tim cried. It was saying the last line that he got a flinch from his older self. But... why? "Robin would never kill his father. " His older self also showed a slight flinch to that one as he drew closer. "I won't let you hurt Robin!"
Tim knew he couldn't move Damian from the tower; his older self would expect that. He had to find a way to move Damian out of the way, which is what he did. He grabbed his little brother by the back of his hoody, sliding the both of them toward the wall of the ledge just as Older Tim held his stick sideways and launched the two ends with blades shooting at his younger self, directing themselves at his location. Tim threw Damian over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before making his way from the blades.
"Why didn't you drop us to give us a greater advantage, Red Robin? There's not wide enough room for us to gain an advantage and Father won't know without the security cameras catching this, " Damian criticized Tim.
"Something's off. I know how to tell when I'm lying. He told the truth about you killing Batman, but when I mentioned it being your father, he showed to be hiding something, " Tim explained.
"So what? Is his Batman not Father? " Damian asked, glaring slightly at Tim.
"Not entirely sure. I've been to other worlds where B isn't Batman before, but for me to be their Robin... who...? " Tim said, questioning himself.
" Tt , so you'd be any Batman's Robin? You offered to be Grayson's Robin before he chose me, " Damian smirked, making Tim roll his eyes.
"No, and I only offered it to Dick, because I didn't want to stop being Robin. He was right in not choosing me. I can't be just any Batman's Robin, " Tim said, finally jumping over the ledge with Damian in one arm. He knew he couldn't use his grappling hook, or his Older Self would bring them onto another ledge. He had to find another way of swinging or flying.
Tim waited until he dropped a few feet before opening his back wings so that he and Damian could glide over the city. He carried Damian like a princess, which earned him a disgusted glare. Tim couldn't hold back a teasing grin.
"So, where would you like me to drop you off, my lady? " Tim teased.
"Shut up, Drake."
"Are you Disney Princess coded? Shall I call Prince Charming to help break your curse?"
"I will end you! " Damian shouted angrily, his eyes twitching.
"Awww, you're like a cute little gremlin. Fun size too. I should find a way to create those spike things so we can do this more often, " Tim continually teased. Damian glared murderously at his older brother, who didn't want to stop torturing him with every fiber of his being.
Behind the Robins, Older Tim followed them with his own glider. He anticipated their every movement. Starting the fight at the tower after their Bat left gave little room for the boys to fight adequately. They worked very well together, but at this stage, Older Tim could easily predict their movements. He theorized that his younger self would suspect something off about him, which is why he decided to come out that he wasn't the same Older Tim who attempted to kill Batwoman and Superboy. He couldn't give away to the boys what his revenge plan was.
Older Tim began thinking about the last he saw his Batman. That magic circle slowly peeled each layer of his skin and body until not even his bones were left. Older Tim watched it happen, screaming his Bat's name with tears streaming down his face. He couldn't stop this cursed spell from killing his Bat. However, he knew his Batman wasn't gone... yet. He would make sure of that .
Waiting was the first step while following the boys. He needed to wait for the right time and moment. While following the boys, Older Tim thought about the vase with the ashes left of his Batman. They say you never know what you have until it is taken from you. Unfortunately, Older Tim had lost his Batman before. It had been the most agonizing moment, a result of failure. He would not repeat that failure a second time.
Older Tim saw the right moment and took out a scroll, opening it as it changed to gold dust, flying toward the boys and wrapping itself around them. Tim felt himself being lifted as the dust began surrounding and carrying Damian instead. He wrapped his arms and legs around Damian, holding him tight while trying to calculate a way to undo this. Unfortunately, he was not trained in magic.
"You have not yet learned the art of magic. You will see that it's quite useful, " Older Tim smirked devilishly as his younger self glared, trying to find a way to fight back and get Damian back.
"What are you doing to him!? " Tim demanded.
"I told you. I'm making him pay , " Older Tim replied intensely, tossing a batarang in his younger self's direction just as the gold dust shined a sudden light in Tim's eyes.
"Drake, don't you da-! Ngmph, " Damian warned just before specs of the gold dust began closing his mouth, feeling his body being carried toward Older Tim, who then caught him in his arms while gliding through the window of a bell tower. No matter how hard Damian tried to move his mouth or head, it was as if the magic on him locked him in place.
Older Tim smiled at Damian, and at this moment, Damian began to understand what Tim meant by something being off . Damian was not familiar with hate or vengeance in his eyes. It was the same eyes he'd seen so many times from Tim, but more profound, loyal and protective. What was happening? Why was Older Tim looking at him like this?
Holding him in place with one arm, Older Tim revealed what looked to be a colorful vase. It was clearly one where the ashes of the dead were stored. Many cultures had preferred to cremate their bodies over burials, but why would his father prefer cremation? It made Damian think about what Tim said about this Older Tim's Batman being someone else, but who? Who would prefer cremation? The only one Damian could think of was... wait... no... that can't be true! ... Could it?
From the moment Damian began thinking about whose ashes in the vase, he felt his essence being shared with the ashes in the jar. He couldn't fight against the magic taking hold of him. The spike in the back of his neck slipped off just as the gold dust surrounding him changed to light blue. Damian fought with every fiber of his being.
"Stop... Drake... " Damian pleaded, now understanding what was going on.
"No, " Older Tim replied without emotion, but Damian sensed deep, raw emotion under that cold tone and expression.
"I... mean it... stop, " Damian gasped, struggling to break the glowing blue around him and the vase. "Magic... is tricky... unless you know... what you're doing."
"...."
"Why are you bringing me back after I specifically chose to cremate my body like this? " Damian demanded, glaring at Older Tim angrily.
"Because that is not your end! It never was, you little shit! " Older Tim snapped, glaring with dark eyes at Damian, who matched his with a glare of his own.
"Take off your mask, Drake. Look at me and tell me why this isn't my end, " Damian demanded as Older Tim gritted his teeth. Finally, he removed the cowl, revealing grieving blue eyes and brokenness.
"Have you ever once thought about what it would be for us if you were gone!? Of course you don't! You always think, 'I've already died once, a hundred times, so why does it matter if I die a second time? ' You're worse than B. At least he cares enough to look after himself. You never think about who you hurt. You won't even allow us to use the pits. You're the next Demon Head for god sakes!"
"Why would I want that!? " Damian practically screamed angrily.
"It's not about that! You don't understand! I was supposed to protect you !"
"Because you're my Robin!?"
"BECAUSE YOU'RE MY LITTLE BROTHER!! " Older Tim screamed, tears finally pouring out as Damian stared at him stunned. "You don't think you mean anything to me? I became B's Robin because Dick refused and I offered to be his Robin for selfish reasons. You, I became yours because I love you."
Damian grew speechless as he felt his body stop the struggle, the glowing blue around him diming just as little as the ashes in the vase began forming. Nothing made sense to Damian anymore; he couldn't piece anything together.
"You never understood. You think love has to be earned , but it's given. It's never deserved or needed proving , " Older Tim said quietly.
"I tried to kill you, " Damian said, the form from the vase shaping itself into a human body the size of an older man.
"Jason more times and you never tried intentionally. It's my fault for taking the wrong approach to a child who grew up around violence, " Older Tim confessed with a sad smile.
"We were always fighting. You called me a psycho. I took away your mantle and... and..."
"I would have eventually given Robin to someone else."
"I mean Batman. Y-You were supposed to b-b-b-be... " Damian sobbed, feeling a tear or two rolling down his cheek before feeling two strong hands cup his face.
"Did you think I want to be Batman? … sure, I'd be willing if B had no one else, but... it's not meant for me, little Demon. You're the Bat and you're my Bat."
"I don... I don't understand any... I thought you hated me, " Damian wept, feeling those hands wipe his tears with so much love he never knew existed.
"Never. I'm sorry if I made you think that in this time. Your Tim will always protect you or he wouldn't be here."
Damian blinked, then turned his eyes to his Tim standing there, having watched everything long enough to understand what was happening. At that moment, Damian found his body standing still as the blue glow surrounding him was shown connected to an older man. The clothes were revealed to be a Batman suit that was far different from Bruce's without its cape. There was a gray trench coat with spikes on the shoulder pads and gloves. The bottom half of his face had a much darker tan than Bruce's; his size was much shorter with longer legs.
Eventually, the blue glow disappeared, and Damian got his feelings back, wobbling while trying to gain footing. Tim ran over to Damian, keeping him steady and balanced. Damian watched in awe as the shorter Batman in a different costume gasped, being caught by Older Tim.
"Easy there, " Older Tim said gently.
"Robin, you shouldn't... " The Other Batman said, his voice with the same accent as Damian's.
"Since when have I ever listened to you?"
" Tt , I told you to not bring me back, " Other Batman said, hiding a smile on his lips.
"I hope you can forgive me one day. You will probably be benched for the next few days because of this, " Older Tim said to the younger boy.
" Tt , never, " Damian glared.
"Why didn't you say something? I could've helped you, " Tim asked.
"Not Damian. He's stubborn and worse than B in so many ways, " Older Tim replied, looking annoyed.
"Then, why be my Robin? " Damian asked, annoyed.
"... It's worth it. I think yours would agree, " Older Tim replied with a small smile.
Damian was awestruck by his Tim's expression, his eyes glowing with happiness. He was... happy with this future? Damian felt a little bashful as Tim grinned, chuckling at his reaction.
"We're going to have a talk about this, " Other Batman said to Older Tim, who got out a cylinder and released some sparks that created a circle to send them back to their time, universe, or wherever they came from.
"I look forward to that, Little Demon, " Older Tim smirked before the two disappeared.
"It's a good thing Gotham is slow tonight, " Tim sighed in relief.
"Shut up, " Damian said, feeling himself being lifted and carried. "What do you think you're doing?"
"My older self removed some of your essence, so I'm guessing you will need LOTS of rest, " Tim assured.
"I'm not that helpless! " Damian snapped, then felt himself being carried like a princess again as he struggled. "Stop this, Drake!"
"I told you, you're Disney Princess coded and fun size, " Tim teased, walking toward the open window to the ledge where he could glide off.
"I hate you, " Damian twitched.
"I love you too, " Tim teased, jumping off as his wings expanded. Then, the two of them began gliding across the night sky. You don't have to admit you're enjoying this."
Damian crossed his arms, grumbling while being flown home. Actually, this was alright.
When Tim returned to the Cave, he was met with a furious Batman. From the looks of it, he caught some of the boys' fight with Older Tim. No doubt Batman thought this was Tim's evil Batman that went after Batwoman and Superboy. It didn't help that the costume looked very similar to the Batman costume Future Batman Tim wore when going after Superboy. Though the more Tim thought about it, it could also have been a Robin costume.
"I told you to call me if you needed any help, " Batman stated as Tim helped Damian off the Robin Mobile they came in.
"We had it under control, Father, " Damian replied.
"It wasn't the same future version of myself that tried to kill Batwoman and Superboy. He wasn't trying to kill Damian, " Tim explained as Batman's expression remained unchanged.
"What happened? " Batman asked.
"That future version of myself had lost his Batman, who turned out to be Damian. He needed our Spawn's essence to bring his back from the grave, " Tim replied, watching as Batman's disapproving glare slowly morphed into surprise.
"That's unexpected. Were you aware of this, Tim? " Batman asked, knowing Tim was good at foreseeing things ahead.
"I knew no version of Damian would have caused any death of yours or any future version of myself would hunt down Damian."
" Tt , really? " Damian muttered, his eyes staring at the ground.
"Of course not. You're my little brother, " Tim said, his voice sounding as loving as the one Damian heard from Older Tim. He gazed his eyes away. "There is one thing."
" Tt , what is it? " Damian asked, darting his narrowed eyes directly at Tim.
"Promise me you won't get yourself killed? " Tim asked, making Damian blink momentarily. "I mean it. I lost you once before, and I know I should've treated you better then, but seeing what happened... He's right, you never think what it would be like for us if you were gone. You never think about who you hurt if you were gone. " His serious glare at Damian matched that of the Older Tim's.
"I've... never seen you like this when it's Father."
"B cares about his life. You have it in your goddamn head that we would be happier without you and it needs to stop. It makes me sick, " Tim spat, his eyes glassy.
"Tim, " Batman said, the boys looking up at the man. "I never saw you much during Damian's passing. I never knew you were grieving."
"Yeah... because you, Jason, Dick and everyone else was. I didn't want to make it worse. It's fine. Damian is here and that's what matters. I'll protect Damian with my life and I won't allow him to fight any Heretic alone, " Tim promised.
" I made the choice to go after Heretic. Not you, Father or anyone else. You're the greatest Robin there ever was. You once were the only Robin that never died and when you did, I thought you hated me, " Damian confessed before feeling a hug, arms wrapped around his torso. He grabbed a hold of Tim's red vest.
"Never, " Tim muttered as Damian closed his eyes, trying to keep the tears from spilling, but they did. So, he covered his face with Tim's shoulder.
Batman found this nothing short of a miracle. He never thought that the two Robins would ever hug or show affection beyond the teasing. He knew the boys had recently improved since the time Damian knocked Tim off the dinosaur. Batman still remembers his dream of Damian selling his soul to the devil when he became Batman. Knowing there was a future for Damian becoming Batman where that wouldn't happen and Tim would be his Robin put a smile on the Bat's face. Tim would make a great Robin for Damian.
Clearing his throat, the boys parted as Batman ordered, "Help Damian in bed. Son, I want you stay behind until you gain back your strength. I'll be sure to check up on you."
"Yes, Father, " Damian replied.
"I'll be checking up on you too, " Tim grinned.
"Tt, " Damian replied, allowing his older brother to help him in the elevator. Rest did seem pleasant at the moment.