Chapter Text
They were all back in the Batcave, still in uniform.
Tim was standing there awkwardly, everyone staring at him. It felt oppressive yet he knew they were worried, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
“So.” Tim started, clapping his hands together softly. “Who’s question first?” He asked.
It was quiet for a few moments before Jason spoke up.
“Mine, which is probably similar to everyone else’s. What the hell do you mean something felt ‘off’?” Jason asked, crossing his arms, eyes roaming over Tim.
Tim’s shoulders bunch, this was the question he was dreading. Because how are you supposed to explain an innate alarm system in your biology to someone who doesn’t have one.
He lets out a breath to steady his racing thoughts. “In the human mind, we have something called the Uncanny Valley effect. It’s when our brains picks up on subtle oddities and differences of things we know aren’t supposed to be there, even when we can’t pinpoint it. It was first developed to figure out what was human and what isn’t. Then it just leads to a general wrong feeling, something I can’t explain.” He tried his best to explain. It used to just be general knowledge but now it isn’t.
“So like it’s a natural alarm system? A system that protects you?” Damian said, raising an eyebrow.
Tim snaps his fingers and points at Damian smiling, “Exactly! It steers me away from danger I can’t see, make out, or hidden in plain sight.”
“Is that why you set a camera up facing the building?” Dick questioned.
Tim nods, happy they finally understand what he’s getting at.
Jason scratches at his cheek, “Do we set off this uncanny valley in you?” He asked.
Tim sighs. It was true the first time he was out on the streets, being afraid of every vampire. But now he’s gotten used to them. They don’t seem as scary anymore.
“Vampires used to, but now that I’ve been around them for so long they don’t ring it anymore.” He said with a shrug.
“Well that’s good that we don’t set off your alarm system anymore, it makes it easier for you to be a part of this family.” Dick smiles and walks over, pulling Tim into a hug. Nuzzling into his hair.
Tim snorts and laughs. “There’s a lot of things the human body can do but not a lot of it is known. So I can’t really tell you a whole lot more..” he hummed.
“That just means we have to learn by observation, like you’ve done with us.” Bruce said simply as he typed on the computer.
Tim nodded. But he doubted it. Humans are a lot more complex than vampires.
He just hopes the other can keep up.
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It was the middle of his sleeping time when Tim got a ping.
He woke up with a snort, peeling open his eyes as he blindly felt for his phone. He grabs it and clinks it on, blinking rapidly as it was very bright.
He searches through the feeds before sitting up abruptly. The ping was to the one he placed last night. He immediately started going through the footage as he got up from bed and went to his desk, booting up his laptop.
Once he connected his phone to his laptop, that’s where he saw it.
The Joker, in his full glory. Dressed in his familiar purple suit with that toxic green hair.
He was surrounded by goons, all wearing the telltale purple. The goons themselves seemed to be moving barrels and canisters into the building he felt weird about.
Tim enhanced the footage, zooming in to see what was being carried in. His eyes widened more.
It was chemicals, lots and lots of them. Most of them know for Joker venom.
But also Fear Gas
Was…Was the Joker planning on reintroducing Scarecrow’s main stick?
This is big.
He needs to tell the others.
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It was midday when the rest of the bats woke up, shuffling to the kitchen and getting ready for their day.
Jason was sitting at the table, a mug of warm blood in his hands as he tried to wake up. Damian already left for school and Dick had gone back to Bludhaven the day before.
Bruce was also at the table, reading the paper.
Soft footsteps come from the hallway. Only one person can do that, it was Tim.
Learning that Tim had a biological alarm system yesterday was interesting. Made humans in general more interesting to him, like what else do they have that vampires don’t know about?
Jason guesses only time will tell. He turns to greet Tim but to only see that Tim looks terrible. Bags under his eyes yet he looked wired. The human also had his laptop in his arm.
“Morn’ Tim. You look terrible.” Jason said as he sipped from his mug.
Bruce looked up from his paper at that and sighed, “Don’t call your brother terri-“ He started then actually looked at Tim. His brows furrowed. “Tim, did you even sleep last night?” He asks.
“Fuck you too Jason.” Tim retorts at Jason then looks at Bruce. “Yes?…. No? Kinda.” He said, tilting his head to the side as he thought but then shook his head. “Anyway, that doesn’t matter.” He said waving it off.
Bruce tried to speak again but was interrupted by Tim slamming his computer on the table between them. “My cameras pinged last night. I finally have footage of what the Joker is doing.” He said opening his laptop and bringing up the video and his notes.
Bruce and Jason leaned over to see what Tim was on about. Tim hits play, crossing his arms.
They watch, becoming more and more shocked as it went on. Realizing just what the Joker is doing.
“He’s trying to bring back all of the old Rouge’s gimmicks. But not half assed like the copycats do. He’s going full throttle.” Jason said, staring wide eyed at the clown on the screen.
“That’s who the Joker is, it’s all or nothing.” Bruce said, the look of contemplation on his face.
“This is the only footage I have, nothing else pinged. But it gives us a lot to work with if you study it. I did last night, couldn’t fall back asleep without doing it.” Tim said, clicking over to his notes.
“This is great and all Tim, but you need to sleep.” Bruce said, looking at Tim.
Tim was swaying on his feet a little, eyes bloodshot and glazed. But he still seems alert enough. “I’m fine, one night without sleep can’t hurt me.”
“I’ll call Dick here if you won’t go to bed. Let us handle this.” Jason said, pulling out his phone to make sure of that threat if he had to.
Tim narrowed his eyes at Jason, closing his laptop and pulling it close. “No, I was the one who found it. I’ll be helping!” He huffs and walks off, straight to Bruce’s office.
Jason sighs, already starting to dial Dickface.
“He didn’t even have breakfast..” Bruce said, looking the way Tim ran off.