Fic: A Displaced Red Robin Chapter 16
Title: A Displaced Red Robin
Author: Brokaw22
Disclaimer: The norms
Rating: T
Story Synopsis: Tim gets transported to the cartoon Young Justice world, and he's not sure he knows how to deal with it.
Thanks to Kathy for beta work.
Note: Since LJ is being weird, I had to splint this chapter into two parts.
Previous Chapters: Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Part 1 Chapter Twelve Part 2 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Part A Chapter 14 Part B Chapter 15
Tim meets Robin on a rooftop in the middle of Gotham. He breathes in the night air, feeling the most relaxed that he has ever since he arrived here, which isn’t saying much, because he’s still extremely tense and practically thrumming with anticipation. He needs tonight to go well…otherwise; all of his delicate planning will have been for nothing. Robin, for his part, looks completely at ease with a smile on his face. Tim would roll his eyes if he had expected anything else, but well…Robin is Dick Grayson and an eternal optimist…no matter what Earth he’s from, and Tim’s fairly certain that Robin still doesn’t quite grasp how important and difficult this meeting is going to be. “Would you relax? The kid’s like what? Ten? It’ll be fine.”
This time Tim does roll his eyes, because he’s certain now that Dick definitely doesn’t understand how difficult Jason Todd…any Jason Todd, can be. “Just stick to the plan and let me do the talking.”
Dick nods and motions for Tim to lead the way. “You know, you never did tell me how you intend to keep both Jason and the safe house secret from Batman when you know that he has both of us bugged with trackers.”
Tim merely shrugs as he makes his way from rooftop to rooftop. “The same way that I hide my activities back home. I created a code that overrides the tracker’s program and shows us on a normal patrol route of my choosing. The information is a conglomeration of different patrols I’ve done on particularly slow evenings, and then I’ll double check the information against reported crimes in the area once we turn in for the evening, so there aren’t any inconsistencies.”
Robin pauses on the next rooftop. “Hold it. How often do you feel the need to hide your activities back home?”
Tim shrugs again. The fact of the matter is he only really saw a need to do so once Damian came into the picture, but that was mostly to avoid having his line cut during patrol. After a while, it just sort of became habit when he didn’t want to be bothered on patrol. After all, it’s not as if he’s ever used this particular trick on busy nights or when there was a crisis. He’s only ever used it when it was slow and he needed time to himself. “Sometimes a bird needs to fly with no restrictions.”
Dick doesn’t seem to like the implications, but after a long moment he nudges Tim in the side with his elbow. “Well, if you end up staying here, maybe you won’t need this particular trick as often.”
Tim doesn’t know how to respond to that. He’s not entirely sure that he wants to stay here. After all, even with everything going on back home, he still has friends and family there, but…but there’s a part of him that’s truly tempted by the offer, even though Tim knows that he doesn’t have a place here anymore than he does back home.
Still, at least this Dick wants him around and they get along fairly well. It’s a nice change of pace from the stunted conversations and awkward rooftop rendezvous Tim endures back home. Tim shakes his head as he motions for Dick to keep moving. He honestly doesn’t want to think about his home or the possibility of staying here right now. Instead, he’d rather focus on the task at hand. “Come on, Robin. We can’t waste anymore time.”
Robin nods and mummers under his breath. “Sure thing, bio kid.”
Tim nearly flubs his next landing as he glares at Dick. “I am not B’s bio kid.” The growl probably doesn’t help his cause any, but Tim has enough problems without that particular rumor going around.
Dick smirks, evidently self-satisfied with finally getting a reaction out of him. “Prove it.”
Tim doesn’t get a chance to respond before Dick is flying through the air, flipping, and laughing manically. Tim merely groans and follows at a far more subdue pace. Its times like these that Tim appreciates that the Dick Grayson back home is older than him, even if he does miss the nights when he and Dick would spend the majority of the evening joking around, train surfing, and playing rooftop tag. Still, Tim’s not entirely sure how this Bruce has managed to put up with this for this long, but, then again, from what little information Tim has been able to gather so far, he knows this Bruce isn’t as grim as his own…not yet, anyway. Tim’s hoping that this mission will stave that off for a bit longer.
When Tim and Dick arrive at Mrs. Miller’s apartment, she invites them both in without hesitation. It’s not exactly how Red Robin is used to being treated, but Robin doesn’t even bat an eye before following her into the tiny kitchen where Jason is sitting, munching on a peanut butter sandwich. Tim notices the distinct lack of jelly and nearly laughs, because some things really do never change. He perks up the moment that he sees them, which makes Tim’s stomach drop. “Hey, Jason, how are you doing?”
Jason drops his sandwich on the plate and gives him an extremely guarded look as though he already knows that it’s bad news. “You…you couldn’t find my mom, could you?”
Tim takes a deep calming breath and gestures for Jason to follow him outside onto the fire escape. He looks as though he’s going to protest and demand that Tim tell him whatever the bad news is right here, but one glance over at Mrs. Miller and he changes his mind. “Uh, hey, Mrs. Miller, my…uh…friends and I are gonna step outside for a sec.”
She smiles at him and motions for him to get a move on. “Good...good…that’ll give me some time to whip something up for them.”
Tim tries to insist that it isn’t necessary, but she’s almost as persistent as Alfred. After five minutes, Tim finally gives up and just goes along with it as he makes his way outside onto the fire escape. Robin and Jason silently follow behind him. Once Tim is sure that the window is firmly shut behind them, he gives Robin a minuscule nod. Dick sits down on the cold metal platform and motions for Jason to do the same. Jason, for his part, merely folds his arms over his chest and shakes his head. “What’s going on?”
Tim heaves a large sigh as he grabs a hold of both of Jason’s shoulders. He doesn’t want the kid to feel boxed in, thus the fire escape in the first place, but he knows Jason well enough to know that the kid will bolt at the first sign of trouble. “We found your mother, Jason. I’m so sorry, but she was murdered.” Tim gives Jason a moment to process what he’s said before continuing. “The man who did it has already confessed to the authorities and is in prison. I know it doesn’t help, but I wanted you to know that.”
Jason is staring down at the ground, tears slowly leaking from his eyes, sniffling softly as his hands ball into fists. He’s shaking slightly, biting his bottom lip, and looking like the angry, heartbroken kid that he is, which has Tim gripping his shoulders a bit tighter. That’s all it takes for Jason to unleash a wail and fall into Tim’s chest. Tim doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Jason and just hold him, and he’s equally unsurprised when Dick gets up and joins in on the hug. Tim doesn’t hush him or tell Jason that it’s going to be okay. He’s suffered through enough losses to know that it doesn’t actually help. Instead, he merely strokes Jason’s hair and lets the kid fall apart.
After what feels like an eternity of trying to comfort Jason and failing, Tim feels Jason’s hold on him slacken as his sobs quiet. He slowly releases Jason, making sure to keep a least one hand on him, so that the kid knows that they aren’t just going to deliver terrible news and fly away. He waits until Jason seems calm enough to at least attempt to consider their offer before speaking. “We want you to know that you’re not alone, okay? You still have the communicator that I gave you and you can use that at any time for any reason. I know that the last thing you want is to go into the system, right?”
At Jason’s tiny nod, Tim continues, “I’ve already checked, I know that you don’t have any other family. Now, I would love it if you would just stay here with Mrs. Miller until I worked out something more permanent for you, but I also know that you don’t like imposing on people, and you probably already feel like you’re imposing on her, right?” Jason nods again, before giving Tim a hard glare.
Tim knows that he needs to tread carefully here. It’s one of the reasons that he’s the one explaining all of this to Jason instead of Dick, even though Dick is far better at comforting people. “I’ve got a strong feeling that if I left you here, you’d sneak out and do whatever it took to take care of yourself, right?”
Again Jason nods without actually speaking. “All of that is why Robin and I want to extend an invitation to you, of sorts.” Jason stares up at him skeptically, mouth still firmly shut. Tim would love to know what the kid is thinking right now, but he can work with the silent suspicion. After all, he’s well acquainted to it after spending so much time with Batman over the years. “I know, I know, this is a lot to take in and you’re waiting for something horrible…well, more horrible, but all that I’m asking for you to do is hear me out, okay?”
Jason inclines his head as he visibly braces himself. Tim gives him a moment to just breathe before launching into their plan. “Robin and I set up a safe house for you to stay in. It’s only temporary, but it’s well stocked with everything that you need and we will continue to stock it for you. I’m currently working on finding you a more permanent place to stay with someone that I trust as well as someone I think that you can learn to both trust and get along with. You are by no means being forced into this, okay? I just…I want you to give it…give me a chance. Does that sound alright?”
Jason narrows his eyes and stares at them distrustfully. “And what would I have to do to earn this?”
Tim gives a small half smile. He already anticipated this, and if this Jason Todd is anything like Tim’s own, then he’s fairly confident that he can make this work. “All you have to do is go to school regularly and try your best. I’ll set up everything for you -- paperwork wise -- so that you don’t need to worry about the system. Robin and I will both offer you any other assistance that you need until such a time as I can set up a meeting between you and my friend.”
Jason glares at him, still weary of this whole thing. “Your friend? You mean the one that you eventually want to take me in?”
Tim nods. “If that’s what you both want. Again, it might be a while before I can set that up, though.”
Jason folds his arms over his chest as his glare intensifies. “Uh huh, and what happens if your friend doesn’t want me or I don’t want to live with them?”
Tim hums in thought. “Well, then you and I work together to find a solution that we both agree with. As I said, I’m not forcing you into anything, Jason. We won’t move forward on any plan unless you also agree with it, so what do you say?”
Jason takes a long moment to mull things over. Tim is actually quite impressed with Dick’s patience during this whole ordeal, though he does nervously shift from one foot to the other when he thinks no one is paying attention. Tim definitely needs to work on that with him the moment that he finds time. Jason abruptly breathes out a heavy breath. “I want to see this safe house before I agree to anything.”
Tim nods and keeps his sigh of relief to himself. “That’s fine. We can take you there.” He mentally calculates the best way to get there before grinning at Jason. “How would you like to get there via the rooftops?”
Jason’s eyes immediately light up, but he doesn’t agree right away. “And how exactly would that work?”
Tim kneels down and gestures for Jason to hop up onto his back. “Come on, if you don’t like it, we’ll drop down and take the bus, though, I’ve got a feeling that you’re going to love it.”
Jason hesitates for a moment before climbing on and holding on tight. Tim smirks as he stands up and turns toward Robin. “Inform Mrs. Miller that we’re going to take Jason out for a little while.”
Robin nods and disappears back into the apartment as Tim starts making his way to the roof with Jason riding on his back.
Jason huffs out a breath. “Only a little while?”
Tim nods as he hoists Jason slightly further up on his back. “Yes, I don’t want you to rush into a decision, so you’re going to stay with Mrs. Miller for a little while longer. Once you’ve made up your mind you can contact me via the communicator that I gave you and we’ll move accordingly.”
“You really are making this my choice.” Jason sounds both astonished as well as stunned.
Tim does his best not to sigh in exasperation. Truth be told, he probably shouldn’t be doing any of this to start with -- not to mention allowing a child to decide their own fate -- but…well, Jason Todd deserves this much. Besides, it’s not as if Jason hasn’t been living, more or less, on his own for some time now. “I know that a lot has happened and you’re still in the process of absorbing it all, but I really do want as much of this as possible to be your decision, especially since I’ve got a feeling not a lot of things have actually been your choice thus far.”
Jason doesn’t get a chance to respond before Dick appears, seemingly out of nowhere, holding three small plastic bags of sandwiches. “Mrs. Miller insisted that we eat these.”
Jason doesn’t hesitate before grabbing one of the bags, tearing it open, and then taking a large bite out of the sandwich. Tim’s just thankful that he’s decided to continue wearing his cowl when he’s outside of the HQ, because he does not put it past Jason to get peanut butter in his hair. Before Tim can suggest that they save snack time until after they’ve made it to the safe house, Dick has half a sandwich stuffed into his mouth as well. Tim merely shakes his head and gestures for the other two to share his sandwich. However, he’s not expecting both of them to protest loudly and insist that eat it, and then glare at him the entire time until it’s finished.
Once they’re both satisfied that the sandwich is well and truly gone, Tim takes off across the rooftops with Jason on his back and Dick tumbling through the air beside him. He can’t hold back a smile at Jason’s whoop of delight in his ear. He’s relieved that he can give Jason this one moment, if nothing else. When they arrive at the safe house, Tim takes his time disarming the security in order for Jason to see exactly how secure this place really is. The moment that the three of them cross the threshold, Dick grabs Jason’s arm and drags him through the entire place top to bottom. Tim lets the two of them explore every nook and cranny in silence.
However, he does have to stifle a laugh when he hears Jason’s shocked gasp of amazement when he enters one of the bedrooms upstairs. Tim may have used his memory of Jason’s old bedroom at the manor to his advantage. After all, Jason’s book collection was impressive and extensive. Jason and Dick suddenly clamber their way down the steps and into the fully stocked kitchen. Dick’s talking nonstop and Jason is just nodding his head as he glances around.
The three of them spend a little over an hour at the safe house. Dick spends the majority of the time pointing out things that he thinks Jason will like about it and answering any questions Jason has, while Tim makes mental notes of anything Jason seems to want or need. If Jason agrees to stay here, while Tim works on the second part of his grand plan, then he knows he’ll have plenty of time to gather any necessary items. However, having a list to start from always puts Tim at ease…at least slightly.
When Jason indicates that he’s ready to leave, Tim is relieved to see that he’s far more relaxed and happy than when they arrived. He knows that it’s only a momentary relief from the crushing grief of losing his mother, but it’s something. Tim’s not surprised that for the return trip Dick sticks close to them, chattering nonstop, and generally being a great distraction for both Tim and Jason. When they arrive at Mrs. Miller’s apartment, Jason seems reluctant to go back inside. Tim doesn’t really know what to do or say. He knows from experience how much useless platitudes just seem to hurt more.
Dick, on the other hand, seems to know exactly what to say. He wraps Jason in a tight embrace and forces Jason’s head down onto his shoulder when tears start to form in the other boy’s eyes once more. “I know it’s hard, but we’re here for you, okay? You can call either of us any time. We’ll always answer, no matter what.”
Jason hugs Dick back and nods. “Should…should I tell Mrs. Miller?”
Tim’s relieved to finally be asked a question that he can easily answer. “That’s entirely up to you. If you want to tell her, then feel free. However, if you don’t…well, you can always talk to us about it.”
Jason sniffs once before running his forearm across his eyes, swiping away the remaining tears. He gives himself a few moments to compose himself before waving at them both. “I should get back inside.”
Dick gives Jason one last hug, and then practically forces the other boy to promise to call them. Once they’re both certain Jason’s inside Mrs. Miller’s apartment, and he’s not going to run off, Tim lets out a relieved sigh. The night has been a trying one, but Tim doesn’t think it could have possibly gone any better.
Tim gives himself a moment to just relax before turning towards Dick. “Wanna patrol a little before we head back?”
The smile that overtakes Dick face is answer enough, but the kid still lets out an excited, “Yes!”
They make their way to the roof in silence and take off in the opposite direction of the safe house. At first, patrol looks like it’s going to be rather quiet. They stop a few purse snatchers and a few attempted car thefts with minimal effort. Tim’s actually relieved that the evening is turning out to be an easy one, given the long day that he’s had so far. He’s just about to suggest that the two of them head back to the HQ when they hear the distinct sound of glass shattering and screams. The commotion is happening mere blocks from where they’ve paused to rest. Tim watches as people flee the area with a sinking feeling.
There are too many panicked civilians running away for the commotion to be caused by a simple break in. He motions for Robin to stay close to him as they make their way to higher ground. Tim refuses to jump into whatever is going on without seeing the scope of the problem first. However, it only takes a simple glance at the two groups tearing into each other to know that a gang turf war has just broken out. Normally this is about the time when Tim would call for back-up, but he doesn’t think the team would be a good choice for this.
They might have improved drastically in a lot of areas since he’s been here, but the fact remains that this type of problem requires more team work and subtly than the team is strictly accustomed to as of right now. Besides, invulnerable and super powered teens or not, Tim won’t endanger the team for a Gotham problem when he has Robin beside him. Still, Tim finds it hard to ignore the voice in the back of his head, which sounds noticeably like Alfred, telling him to call Batman…or literally anyone.
The only problem with that plan being that Batman is currently with the JL, and if Tim calls him away from the Justice League for an admittedly small gang turf war, he can pretty much kiss all progress he’s made with proving himself goodbye. Still, the prospect of entering said turf war with only Robin at his back leaves Tim feeling like the first time that he went on a mission with Damian. In other words, no good can come from this, and this is going to somehow end up being Tim’s fault.
Both gangs are relatively small, all things considered. They should have enough smoke bombs and batarangs between them to section off smaller groups from both gangs and take them out quickly and efficiently. If they stick to the shadows, move quickly, and stay focused on their own groups while the main gang members are distracted by trying to kill each other, the two of them should be able to end this with minimal damage all around. Tim turns to relay his plan to Robin, only to find Dick already leaping off of the roof, and heading straight for the middle of everything.
Tim dives off of the building the moment that he finishes calculating Dick’s trajectory. He curses his own stupidity. Tim knows that he has no one to blame for Dick’s actions but himself. He’s known this Dick Grayson long enough to know how impulsive he is, and instead of addressing the issue the way that he should have weeks ago, Tim has been running around, sticking his nose in everyone else’s business. He’s been promising himself that he was going to work on Dick’s lack of patience for seemingly forever now, and instead he put it off, and now his irresponsible otiosity is most likely going to get them both killed.
Tim lands a mere second after Robin. He’s able to force Dick into a crouch and throw his cape over both of them as bullets slice through the air. He has to find them an exit, but it’s going to be rather difficult with both gangs now working in tandem to end their lives. Tim’s done a thorough examination of Robin’s current suit, enough to know that Tim’s cape is far more efficient when it comes to absorbing the impact of bullets than Dick’s, so Tim gestures for Dick to throw down a smoke bomb as he does his best to keep them both covered.
Tim knows that the moment the smoke bomb hits the ground both sides are going to start firing wildly, and keeping them both properly covered with his cape won’t be an option, so, as soon as Dick’s fingers reach into his belt, Tim reaches up to undo his cape. Before the smoke bomb even hits the ground, Tim has his cape secured around Robin. He can tell that Dick wants to protest, but now really isn’t the time. Tim all but shoves Dick toward shelter and gestures for him to get to the roof. Dick opens his mouth to protest, but one glare from Tim has him moving immediately.
Tim knows that if he wants to give Robin adequate cover and a chance to get away, then he can’t follow, so he ducks and rolls and makes a break for another building on the other side of the street. Unfortunately, this means cutting straight across enemy lines with little to no cover for himself. Still, this isn’t the first time that Tim has done something extremely ill advised to save a Robin.
In fact, it’s almost comforting in a sick kind of way, because this is the first time that Tim hasn’t questioned what he’s doing in the entire time that he’s been here. Something just sort of slots into place inside of Tim when he’s faced with impossible odds and a Robin in peril, and it makes him breathe easier. He doesn’t know why exactly, but this is the most relief that he’s felt since he’s arrived here. He’s got a theory that it’s because this is standard Red Robin behavior. The fact that the Robin in question is Dick Grayson instead of Damian is inconsequential.
Tim crouches low, taking out his bo staff, and hitting anyone who gets in his way hard and fast. He doesn’t have the time, energy, supplies, or skill to take on both gangs at once, but he can make himself a clear path to his exit. It’s not pretty, and, if his own Dick Grayson was around, he’d certainly have something to say about the lack of finesse, but it’ll work, and right now that’s all Tim is looking for.
His exit is within sight, but his sigh of relief is cut short as he’s brought to an abrupt halt by a small group of gang members, who have broken off from the main horde to surround him. Tim guesses he’s just lucky that the rest of the gang members are preoccupied with killing each other rather than attacking him. They omit the usual banter and immediately close in on him. Honestly, Tim is relieved that they skip the banter and go straight into fighting. At this juncture, it would just be a waste of time, and Tim really needs to find Dick and get back to the HQ before anything else can go wrong.
The only upside about the gang members surrounding him like this is that none of them seem willing to use their guns for fear of hitting one of their friends. The downside, of course, is that guns aren’t the only weapons that they have on their personage. Tim manages to sweep the legs out from underneath one of his attackers with his bo staff only to have to roll away from another man swinging a pipe towards his head.
He kicks out and disarms the guy with the pipe and is instantaneously hit in the side with a length of chain. The air rushes out of his lungs, but Tim manages to bring his bo staff around in enough time to avoid another hit. Unfortunately, the chain wraps around his bo staff, and the guy wielding the heavy chain is absolutely huge. Tim doesn’t bother trying to play tug of war to keep a hold of his weapon, knowing that the longer he focuses on this one opponent the more opportunity he gives the others.
Tim blocks a kick to his diaphragm and spins away from a girl brandishing a machete. He all but throws another gang member into her and watches as they tumble to the ground in a fit of flailing limbs. A behemoth of a man rushes Tim from behind, and he barely manages to back flip over the guy and land on another gang member. The girl he landed on crumbles under his weight, but Tim’s moving before he even registers the flash of a blade.
This gang member is different from the others. She isn’t brandishing any old weapon that she happened to find, and her skill with the butterfly knife is quite impressive. In fact, it’s impressive enough that Tim finds himself dodging her swift strikes and using nearly all of his energy to keep out of her range of attack. He flips and spins away, doing his best to stay close enough that none of the other gang members can grab him, but far enough away that she can’t lunge forward. He really wishes that he still had his bo staff in hand. As it stands, his options are limited. He’s tiring and Tim needs to end this soon, lest he slip up.
There is a wall of gang members surrounding him and Tim knows that if he doesn’t deal with the girl with the knife soon, they’re gonna close in on him, and then he really will be out of options. However, he really only sees one way out of this, and it’s not a good exit. Tim grabs three batarangs and throws them at the girl. As expected, she dodges or blocks all of them, but she’s distracted just enough for Tim to make his move. He closes the distance between them, spins away from the slash of her blade, and makes a break for it.
The girl is quicker than he thought, before Tim can launch himself over the remaining gang members toward the fire escape on the building; she’s in front of him again. Unfortunately, Tim can’t halt his forward progression, and this time her blade hits its mark dead on. Tim lets out a hiss of pain as the blade penetrates his tunic directly between his ribs. The pain is so sudden and intense that he nearly unfurls in the middle of his flip. It takes every ounce of his training to remain in position and then grab a hold of the fire escape. He can barely breathe as he scrambles up the fire escape and over the rooftops, but somehow he manages.
Tim is certain that the gang members are following him, but he can’t focus on that right now. The only thing that he can think about is the burning agony ripping through his chest and the fact that he needs to find Robin. Tim’s feet pound against the rooftop as he doubles over in pain. He can barely stand and he can hardly breathe. He doesn’t even know where he’s going anymore. He just knows that he needs to get away. Tim makes the jump to the next rooftop and lands in a crumbled heap.
His breath rasps out of his chest in short gasps. He attempts to get his feet underneath him, but every time he crashes back to the roof. Tim can’t move. He keeps trying and failing, and he doesn’t know what to do. He has to find Robin and get the hell out of here, but he can’t even catch his breath. Tim shuts his eyes tightly and tries to just breathe. Instead, he coughs and his entire body feels like it’s on fire with the effort. He scrambles to get to his knees, at least, but that only causes him more pain. Tim would laugh at the irony that a gang turf war on a different earth is what kills him, if he could just get enough breath to do so.
The next thing that Tim knows there’s a small, firm hand on his shoulder, pushing him onto his back. He tries to open his eyes and focus on the figure in front of him, but his vision swims and darkens. “I found him, but I need help. It’s bad, B. You need to hurry.”
Tim wants to tell whoever is talking not to bother. He knows the feeling of a pierced lung, and it’s not as if he’s exceptionally useful now, anyway. He couldn’t even protect Robin, which is just unforgivable. After all, this is entirely his own damn fault. He saw the problem with Robin and he didn’t bother to do anything about it. So, why should anyone care about him?
Tim failed…failed the people here…failed his family back home…failed everyone. He wants so desperately to just let everything fade away, but he can’t. His mind races and Tim wonders why anyone would ever bother to think about him at all. After all, he’s not even from here. They don’t know him…not really, so they shouldn’t be concerned. Besides, it’s not as if he’s entirely certain that the people back home are even bothering to still think about him. It doesn’t make any sense to him. Why would anyone waste their time on him? He’s not even useful anymore.
“Red Robin, look at me. Come on, look at me. It’s gonna be okay. B’s on his way. You’re gonna be okay.”
Tim tries to focus on the face in front of him one last time, but he can’t. His vision is blurry and he’s losing consciousness. Tim shakes his head as he does his best to say everything that he needs to say, but, instead, all that he can do is gasp out a weak, “Sorry.”
The End (for now)
Author: Brokaw22
Disclaimer: The norms
Rating: T
Story Synopsis: Tim gets transported to the cartoon Young Justice world, and he's not sure he knows how to deal with it.
Thanks to Kathy for beta work.
Note: Since LJ is being weird, I had to splint this chapter into two parts.
Previous Chapters: Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Part 1 Chapter Twelve Part 2 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Part A Chapter 14 Part B Chapter 15
Tim meets Robin on a rooftop in the middle of Gotham. He breathes in the night air, feeling the most relaxed that he has ever since he arrived here, which isn’t saying much, because he’s still extremely tense and practically thrumming with anticipation. He needs tonight to go well…otherwise; all of his delicate planning will have been for nothing. Robin, for his part, looks completely at ease with a smile on his face. Tim would roll his eyes if he had expected anything else, but well…Robin is Dick Grayson and an eternal optimist…no matter what Earth he’s from, and Tim’s fairly certain that Robin still doesn’t quite grasp how important and difficult this meeting is going to be. “Would you relax? The kid’s like what? Ten? It’ll be fine.”
This time Tim does roll his eyes, because he’s certain now that Dick definitely doesn’t understand how difficult Jason Todd…any Jason Todd, can be. “Just stick to the plan and let me do the talking.”
Dick nods and motions for Tim to lead the way. “You know, you never did tell me how you intend to keep both Jason and the safe house secret from Batman when you know that he has both of us bugged with trackers.”
Tim merely shrugs as he makes his way from rooftop to rooftop. “The same way that I hide my activities back home. I created a code that overrides the tracker’s program and shows us on a normal patrol route of my choosing. The information is a conglomeration of different patrols I’ve done on particularly slow evenings, and then I’ll double check the information against reported crimes in the area once we turn in for the evening, so there aren’t any inconsistencies.”
Robin pauses on the next rooftop. “Hold it. How often do you feel the need to hide your activities back home?”
Tim shrugs again. The fact of the matter is he only really saw a need to do so once Damian came into the picture, but that was mostly to avoid having his line cut during patrol. After a while, it just sort of became habit when he didn’t want to be bothered on patrol. After all, it’s not as if he’s ever used this particular trick on busy nights or when there was a crisis. He’s only ever used it when it was slow and he needed time to himself. “Sometimes a bird needs to fly with no restrictions.”
Dick doesn’t seem to like the implications, but after a long moment he nudges Tim in the side with his elbow. “Well, if you end up staying here, maybe you won’t need this particular trick as often.”
Tim doesn’t know how to respond to that. He’s not entirely sure that he wants to stay here. After all, even with everything going on back home, he still has friends and family there, but…but there’s a part of him that’s truly tempted by the offer, even though Tim knows that he doesn’t have a place here anymore than he does back home.
Still, at least this Dick wants him around and they get along fairly well. It’s a nice change of pace from the stunted conversations and awkward rooftop rendezvous Tim endures back home. Tim shakes his head as he motions for Dick to keep moving. He honestly doesn’t want to think about his home or the possibility of staying here right now. Instead, he’d rather focus on the task at hand. “Come on, Robin. We can’t waste anymore time.”
Robin nods and mummers under his breath. “Sure thing, bio kid.”
Tim nearly flubs his next landing as he glares at Dick. “I am not B’s bio kid.” The growl probably doesn’t help his cause any, but Tim has enough problems without that particular rumor going around.
Dick smirks, evidently self-satisfied with finally getting a reaction out of him. “Prove it.”
Tim doesn’t get a chance to respond before Dick is flying through the air, flipping, and laughing manically. Tim merely groans and follows at a far more subdue pace. Its times like these that Tim appreciates that the Dick Grayson back home is older than him, even if he does miss the nights when he and Dick would spend the majority of the evening joking around, train surfing, and playing rooftop tag. Still, Tim’s not entirely sure how this Bruce has managed to put up with this for this long, but, then again, from what little information Tim has been able to gather so far, he knows this Bruce isn’t as grim as his own…not yet, anyway. Tim’s hoping that this mission will stave that off for a bit longer.
When Tim and Dick arrive at Mrs. Miller’s apartment, she invites them both in without hesitation. It’s not exactly how Red Robin is used to being treated, but Robin doesn’t even bat an eye before following her into the tiny kitchen where Jason is sitting, munching on a peanut butter sandwich. Tim notices the distinct lack of jelly and nearly laughs, because some things really do never change. He perks up the moment that he sees them, which makes Tim’s stomach drop. “Hey, Jason, how are you doing?”
Jason drops his sandwich on the plate and gives him an extremely guarded look as though he already knows that it’s bad news. “You…you couldn’t find my mom, could you?”
Tim takes a deep calming breath and gestures for Jason to follow him outside onto the fire escape. He looks as though he’s going to protest and demand that Tim tell him whatever the bad news is right here, but one glance over at Mrs. Miller and he changes his mind. “Uh, hey, Mrs. Miller, my…uh…friends and I are gonna step outside for a sec.”
She smiles at him and motions for him to get a move on. “Good...good…that’ll give me some time to whip something up for them.”
Tim tries to insist that it isn’t necessary, but she’s almost as persistent as Alfred. After five minutes, Tim finally gives up and just goes along with it as he makes his way outside onto the fire escape. Robin and Jason silently follow behind him. Once Tim is sure that the window is firmly shut behind them, he gives Robin a minuscule nod. Dick sits down on the cold metal platform and motions for Jason to do the same. Jason, for his part, merely folds his arms over his chest and shakes his head. “What’s going on?”
Tim heaves a large sigh as he grabs a hold of both of Jason’s shoulders. He doesn’t want the kid to feel boxed in, thus the fire escape in the first place, but he knows Jason well enough to know that the kid will bolt at the first sign of trouble. “We found your mother, Jason. I’m so sorry, but she was murdered.” Tim gives Jason a moment to process what he’s said before continuing. “The man who did it has already confessed to the authorities and is in prison. I know it doesn’t help, but I wanted you to know that.”
Jason is staring down at the ground, tears slowly leaking from his eyes, sniffling softly as his hands ball into fists. He’s shaking slightly, biting his bottom lip, and looking like the angry, heartbroken kid that he is, which has Tim gripping his shoulders a bit tighter. That’s all it takes for Jason to unleash a wail and fall into Tim’s chest. Tim doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Jason and just hold him, and he’s equally unsurprised when Dick gets up and joins in on the hug. Tim doesn’t hush him or tell Jason that it’s going to be okay. He’s suffered through enough losses to know that it doesn’t actually help. Instead, he merely strokes Jason’s hair and lets the kid fall apart.
After what feels like an eternity of trying to comfort Jason and failing, Tim feels Jason’s hold on him slacken as his sobs quiet. He slowly releases Jason, making sure to keep a least one hand on him, so that the kid knows that they aren’t just going to deliver terrible news and fly away. He waits until Jason seems calm enough to at least attempt to consider their offer before speaking. “We want you to know that you’re not alone, okay? You still have the communicator that I gave you and you can use that at any time for any reason. I know that the last thing you want is to go into the system, right?”
At Jason’s tiny nod, Tim continues, “I’ve already checked, I know that you don’t have any other family. Now, I would love it if you would just stay here with Mrs. Miller until I worked out something more permanent for you, but I also know that you don’t like imposing on people, and you probably already feel like you’re imposing on her, right?” Jason nods again, before giving Tim a hard glare.
Tim knows that he needs to tread carefully here. It’s one of the reasons that he’s the one explaining all of this to Jason instead of Dick, even though Dick is far better at comforting people. “I’ve got a strong feeling that if I left you here, you’d sneak out and do whatever it took to take care of yourself, right?”
Again Jason nods without actually speaking. “All of that is why Robin and I want to extend an invitation to you, of sorts.” Jason stares up at him skeptically, mouth still firmly shut. Tim would love to know what the kid is thinking right now, but he can work with the silent suspicion. After all, he’s well acquainted to it after spending so much time with Batman over the years. “I know, I know, this is a lot to take in and you’re waiting for something horrible…well, more horrible, but all that I’m asking for you to do is hear me out, okay?”
Jason inclines his head as he visibly braces himself. Tim gives him a moment to just breathe before launching into their plan. “Robin and I set up a safe house for you to stay in. It’s only temporary, but it’s well stocked with everything that you need and we will continue to stock it for you. I’m currently working on finding you a more permanent place to stay with someone that I trust as well as someone I think that you can learn to both trust and get along with. You are by no means being forced into this, okay? I just…I want you to give it…give me a chance. Does that sound alright?”
Jason narrows his eyes and stares at them distrustfully. “And what would I have to do to earn this?”
Tim gives a small half smile. He already anticipated this, and if this Jason Todd is anything like Tim’s own, then he’s fairly confident that he can make this work. “All you have to do is go to school regularly and try your best. I’ll set up everything for you -- paperwork wise -- so that you don’t need to worry about the system. Robin and I will both offer you any other assistance that you need until such a time as I can set up a meeting between you and my friend.”
Jason glares at him, still weary of this whole thing. “Your friend? You mean the one that you eventually want to take me in?”
Tim nods. “If that’s what you both want. Again, it might be a while before I can set that up, though.”
Jason folds his arms over his chest as his glare intensifies. “Uh huh, and what happens if your friend doesn’t want me or I don’t want to live with them?”
Tim hums in thought. “Well, then you and I work together to find a solution that we both agree with. As I said, I’m not forcing you into anything, Jason. We won’t move forward on any plan unless you also agree with it, so what do you say?”
Jason takes a long moment to mull things over. Tim is actually quite impressed with Dick’s patience during this whole ordeal, though he does nervously shift from one foot to the other when he thinks no one is paying attention. Tim definitely needs to work on that with him the moment that he finds time. Jason abruptly breathes out a heavy breath. “I want to see this safe house before I agree to anything.”
Tim nods and keeps his sigh of relief to himself. “That’s fine. We can take you there.” He mentally calculates the best way to get there before grinning at Jason. “How would you like to get there via the rooftops?”
Jason’s eyes immediately light up, but he doesn’t agree right away. “And how exactly would that work?”
Tim kneels down and gestures for Jason to hop up onto his back. “Come on, if you don’t like it, we’ll drop down and take the bus, though, I’ve got a feeling that you’re going to love it.”
Jason hesitates for a moment before climbing on and holding on tight. Tim smirks as he stands up and turns toward Robin. “Inform Mrs. Miller that we’re going to take Jason out for a little while.”
Robin nods and disappears back into the apartment as Tim starts making his way to the roof with Jason riding on his back.
Jason huffs out a breath. “Only a little while?”
Tim nods as he hoists Jason slightly further up on his back. “Yes, I don’t want you to rush into a decision, so you’re going to stay with Mrs. Miller for a little while longer. Once you’ve made up your mind you can contact me via the communicator that I gave you and we’ll move accordingly.”
“You really are making this my choice.” Jason sounds both astonished as well as stunned.
Tim does his best not to sigh in exasperation. Truth be told, he probably shouldn’t be doing any of this to start with -- not to mention allowing a child to decide their own fate -- but…well, Jason Todd deserves this much. Besides, it’s not as if Jason hasn’t been living, more or less, on his own for some time now. “I know that a lot has happened and you’re still in the process of absorbing it all, but I really do want as much of this as possible to be your decision, especially since I’ve got a feeling not a lot of things have actually been your choice thus far.”
Jason doesn’t get a chance to respond before Dick appears, seemingly out of nowhere, holding three small plastic bags of sandwiches. “Mrs. Miller insisted that we eat these.”
Jason doesn’t hesitate before grabbing one of the bags, tearing it open, and then taking a large bite out of the sandwich. Tim’s just thankful that he’s decided to continue wearing his cowl when he’s outside of the HQ, because he does not put it past Jason to get peanut butter in his hair. Before Tim can suggest that they save snack time until after they’ve made it to the safe house, Dick has half a sandwich stuffed into his mouth as well. Tim merely shakes his head and gestures for the other two to share his sandwich. However, he’s not expecting both of them to protest loudly and insist that eat it, and then glare at him the entire time until it’s finished.
Once they’re both satisfied that the sandwich is well and truly gone, Tim takes off across the rooftops with Jason on his back and Dick tumbling through the air beside him. He can’t hold back a smile at Jason’s whoop of delight in his ear. He’s relieved that he can give Jason this one moment, if nothing else. When they arrive at the safe house, Tim takes his time disarming the security in order for Jason to see exactly how secure this place really is. The moment that the three of them cross the threshold, Dick grabs Jason’s arm and drags him through the entire place top to bottom. Tim lets the two of them explore every nook and cranny in silence.
However, he does have to stifle a laugh when he hears Jason’s shocked gasp of amazement when he enters one of the bedrooms upstairs. Tim may have used his memory of Jason’s old bedroom at the manor to his advantage. After all, Jason’s book collection was impressive and extensive. Jason and Dick suddenly clamber their way down the steps and into the fully stocked kitchen. Dick’s talking nonstop and Jason is just nodding his head as he glances around.
The three of them spend a little over an hour at the safe house. Dick spends the majority of the time pointing out things that he thinks Jason will like about it and answering any questions Jason has, while Tim makes mental notes of anything Jason seems to want or need. If Jason agrees to stay here, while Tim works on the second part of his grand plan, then he knows he’ll have plenty of time to gather any necessary items. However, having a list to start from always puts Tim at ease…at least slightly.
When Jason indicates that he’s ready to leave, Tim is relieved to see that he’s far more relaxed and happy than when they arrived. He knows that it’s only a momentary relief from the crushing grief of losing his mother, but it’s something. Tim’s not surprised that for the return trip Dick sticks close to them, chattering nonstop, and generally being a great distraction for both Tim and Jason. When they arrive at Mrs. Miller’s apartment, Jason seems reluctant to go back inside. Tim doesn’t really know what to do or say. He knows from experience how much useless platitudes just seem to hurt more.
Dick, on the other hand, seems to know exactly what to say. He wraps Jason in a tight embrace and forces Jason’s head down onto his shoulder when tears start to form in the other boy’s eyes once more. “I know it’s hard, but we’re here for you, okay? You can call either of us any time. We’ll always answer, no matter what.”
Jason hugs Dick back and nods. “Should…should I tell Mrs. Miller?”
Tim’s relieved to finally be asked a question that he can easily answer. “That’s entirely up to you. If you want to tell her, then feel free. However, if you don’t…well, you can always talk to us about it.”
Jason sniffs once before running his forearm across his eyes, swiping away the remaining tears. He gives himself a few moments to compose himself before waving at them both. “I should get back inside.”
Dick gives Jason one last hug, and then practically forces the other boy to promise to call them. Once they’re both certain Jason’s inside Mrs. Miller’s apartment, and he’s not going to run off, Tim lets out a relieved sigh. The night has been a trying one, but Tim doesn’t think it could have possibly gone any better.
Tim gives himself a moment to just relax before turning towards Dick. “Wanna patrol a little before we head back?”
The smile that overtakes Dick face is answer enough, but the kid still lets out an excited, “Yes!”
They make their way to the roof in silence and take off in the opposite direction of the safe house. At first, patrol looks like it’s going to be rather quiet. They stop a few purse snatchers and a few attempted car thefts with minimal effort. Tim’s actually relieved that the evening is turning out to be an easy one, given the long day that he’s had so far. He’s just about to suggest that the two of them head back to the HQ when they hear the distinct sound of glass shattering and screams. The commotion is happening mere blocks from where they’ve paused to rest. Tim watches as people flee the area with a sinking feeling.
There are too many panicked civilians running away for the commotion to be caused by a simple break in. He motions for Robin to stay close to him as they make their way to higher ground. Tim refuses to jump into whatever is going on without seeing the scope of the problem first. However, it only takes a simple glance at the two groups tearing into each other to know that a gang turf war has just broken out. Normally this is about the time when Tim would call for back-up, but he doesn’t think the team would be a good choice for this.
They might have improved drastically in a lot of areas since he’s been here, but the fact remains that this type of problem requires more team work and subtly than the team is strictly accustomed to as of right now. Besides, invulnerable and super powered teens or not, Tim won’t endanger the team for a Gotham problem when he has Robin beside him. Still, Tim finds it hard to ignore the voice in the back of his head, which sounds noticeably like Alfred, telling him to call Batman…or literally anyone.
The only problem with that plan being that Batman is currently with the JL, and if Tim calls him away from the Justice League for an admittedly small gang turf war, he can pretty much kiss all progress he’s made with proving himself goodbye. Still, the prospect of entering said turf war with only Robin at his back leaves Tim feeling like the first time that he went on a mission with Damian. In other words, no good can come from this, and this is going to somehow end up being Tim’s fault.
Both gangs are relatively small, all things considered. They should have enough smoke bombs and batarangs between them to section off smaller groups from both gangs and take them out quickly and efficiently. If they stick to the shadows, move quickly, and stay focused on their own groups while the main gang members are distracted by trying to kill each other, the two of them should be able to end this with minimal damage all around. Tim turns to relay his plan to Robin, only to find Dick already leaping off of the roof, and heading straight for the middle of everything.
Tim dives off of the building the moment that he finishes calculating Dick’s trajectory. He curses his own stupidity. Tim knows that he has no one to blame for Dick’s actions but himself. He’s known this Dick Grayson long enough to know how impulsive he is, and instead of addressing the issue the way that he should have weeks ago, Tim has been running around, sticking his nose in everyone else’s business. He’s been promising himself that he was going to work on Dick’s lack of patience for seemingly forever now, and instead he put it off, and now his irresponsible otiosity is most likely going to get them both killed.
Tim lands a mere second after Robin. He’s able to force Dick into a crouch and throw his cape over both of them as bullets slice through the air. He has to find them an exit, but it’s going to be rather difficult with both gangs now working in tandem to end their lives. Tim’s done a thorough examination of Robin’s current suit, enough to know that Tim’s cape is far more efficient when it comes to absorbing the impact of bullets than Dick’s, so Tim gestures for Dick to throw down a smoke bomb as he does his best to keep them both covered.
Tim knows that the moment the smoke bomb hits the ground both sides are going to start firing wildly, and keeping them both properly covered with his cape won’t be an option, so, as soon as Dick’s fingers reach into his belt, Tim reaches up to undo his cape. Before the smoke bomb even hits the ground, Tim has his cape secured around Robin. He can tell that Dick wants to protest, but now really isn’t the time. Tim all but shoves Dick toward shelter and gestures for him to get to the roof. Dick opens his mouth to protest, but one glare from Tim has him moving immediately.
Tim knows that if he wants to give Robin adequate cover and a chance to get away, then he can’t follow, so he ducks and rolls and makes a break for another building on the other side of the street. Unfortunately, this means cutting straight across enemy lines with little to no cover for himself. Still, this isn’t the first time that Tim has done something extremely ill advised to save a Robin.
In fact, it’s almost comforting in a sick kind of way, because this is the first time that Tim hasn’t questioned what he’s doing in the entire time that he’s been here. Something just sort of slots into place inside of Tim when he’s faced with impossible odds and a Robin in peril, and it makes him breathe easier. He doesn’t know why exactly, but this is the most relief that he’s felt since he’s arrived here. He’s got a theory that it’s because this is standard Red Robin behavior. The fact that the Robin in question is Dick Grayson instead of Damian is inconsequential.
Tim crouches low, taking out his bo staff, and hitting anyone who gets in his way hard and fast. He doesn’t have the time, energy, supplies, or skill to take on both gangs at once, but he can make himself a clear path to his exit. It’s not pretty, and, if his own Dick Grayson was around, he’d certainly have something to say about the lack of finesse, but it’ll work, and right now that’s all Tim is looking for.
His exit is within sight, but his sigh of relief is cut short as he’s brought to an abrupt halt by a small group of gang members, who have broken off from the main horde to surround him. Tim guesses he’s just lucky that the rest of the gang members are preoccupied with killing each other rather than attacking him. They omit the usual banter and immediately close in on him. Honestly, Tim is relieved that they skip the banter and go straight into fighting. At this juncture, it would just be a waste of time, and Tim really needs to find Dick and get back to the HQ before anything else can go wrong.
The only upside about the gang members surrounding him like this is that none of them seem willing to use their guns for fear of hitting one of their friends. The downside, of course, is that guns aren’t the only weapons that they have on their personage. Tim manages to sweep the legs out from underneath one of his attackers with his bo staff only to have to roll away from another man swinging a pipe towards his head.
He kicks out and disarms the guy with the pipe and is instantaneously hit in the side with a length of chain. The air rushes out of his lungs, but Tim manages to bring his bo staff around in enough time to avoid another hit. Unfortunately, the chain wraps around his bo staff, and the guy wielding the heavy chain is absolutely huge. Tim doesn’t bother trying to play tug of war to keep a hold of his weapon, knowing that the longer he focuses on this one opponent the more opportunity he gives the others.
Tim blocks a kick to his diaphragm and spins away from a girl brandishing a machete. He all but throws another gang member into her and watches as they tumble to the ground in a fit of flailing limbs. A behemoth of a man rushes Tim from behind, and he barely manages to back flip over the guy and land on another gang member. The girl he landed on crumbles under his weight, but Tim’s moving before he even registers the flash of a blade.
This gang member is different from the others. She isn’t brandishing any old weapon that she happened to find, and her skill with the butterfly knife is quite impressive. In fact, it’s impressive enough that Tim finds himself dodging her swift strikes and using nearly all of his energy to keep out of her range of attack. He flips and spins away, doing his best to stay close enough that none of the other gang members can grab him, but far enough away that she can’t lunge forward. He really wishes that he still had his bo staff in hand. As it stands, his options are limited. He’s tiring and Tim needs to end this soon, lest he slip up.
There is a wall of gang members surrounding him and Tim knows that if he doesn’t deal with the girl with the knife soon, they’re gonna close in on him, and then he really will be out of options. However, he really only sees one way out of this, and it’s not a good exit. Tim grabs three batarangs and throws them at the girl. As expected, she dodges or blocks all of them, but she’s distracted just enough for Tim to make his move. He closes the distance between them, spins away from the slash of her blade, and makes a break for it.
The girl is quicker than he thought, before Tim can launch himself over the remaining gang members toward the fire escape on the building; she’s in front of him again. Unfortunately, Tim can’t halt his forward progression, and this time her blade hits its mark dead on. Tim lets out a hiss of pain as the blade penetrates his tunic directly between his ribs. The pain is so sudden and intense that he nearly unfurls in the middle of his flip. It takes every ounce of his training to remain in position and then grab a hold of the fire escape. He can barely breathe as he scrambles up the fire escape and over the rooftops, but somehow he manages.
Tim is certain that the gang members are following him, but he can’t focus on that right now. The only thing that he can think about is the burning agony ripping through his chest and the fact that he needs to find Robin. Tim’s feet pound against the rooftop as he doubles over in pain. He can barely stand and he can hardly breathe. He doesn’t even know where he’s going anymore. He just knows that he needs to get away. Tim makes the jump to the next rooftop and lands in a crumbled heap.
His breath rasps out of his chest in short gasps. He attempts to get his feet underneath him, but every time he crashes back to the roof. Tim can’t move. He keeps trying and failing, and he doesn’t know what to do. He has to find Robin and get the hell out of here, but he can’t even catch his breath. Tim shuts his eyes tightly and tries to just breathe. Instead, he coughs and his entire body feels like it’s on fire with the effort. He scrambles to get to his knees, at least, but that only causes him more pain. Tim would laugh at the irony that a gang turf war on a different earth is what kills him, if he could just get enough breath to do so.
The next thing that Tim knows there’s a small, firm hand on his shoulder, pushing him onto his back. He tries to open his eyes and focus on the figure in front of him, but his vision swims and darkens. “I found him, but I need help. It’s bad, B. You need to hurry.”
Tim wants to tell whoever is talking not to bother. He knows the feeling of a pierced lung, and it’s not as if he’s exceptionally useful now, anyway. He couldn’t even protect Robin, which is just unforgivable. After all, this is entirely his own damn fault. He saw the problem with Robin and he didn’t bother to do anything about it. So, why should anyone care about him?
Tim failed…failed the people here…failed his family back home…failed everyone. He wants so desperately to just let everything fade away, but he can’t. His mind races and Tim wonders why anyone would ever bother to think about him at all. After all, he’s not even from here. They don’t know him…not really, so they shouldn’t be concerned. Besides, it’s not as if he’s entirely certain that the people back home are even bothering to still think about him. It doesn’t make any sense to him. Why would anyone waste their time on him? He’s not even useful anymore.
“Red Robin, look at me. Come on, look at me. It’s gonna be okay. B’s on his way. You’re gonna be okay.”
Tim tries to focus on the face in front of him one last time, but he can’t. His vision is blurry and he’s losing consciousness. Tim shakes his head as he does his best to say everything that he needs to say, but, instead, all that he can do is gasp out a weak, “Sorry.”
The End (for now)