fic: Shredded Tissue
Title: Shredded Tissue
Author: darthbatgirl
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Characters: Tim, Lady Shiva, Bruce, Dick, Jason
Summary: A secret is found out
Word Count: 1373
Warning: angst
A/N: written for my hurt/comfort bingo card, using the prompt telepathy (always there but sudden trauma)
Silently Lady Shiva dropped on the balcony. She didn't make a sound as she scanned the shadows, finally seeing the man who had summoned her. “Batman.”
Almost reluctantly Batman stepped into the light. “Shiva.”
She reached inside a pocket and retrieved a folded piece of paper, “It was surprising to receive your message. Now what could possible be so important that you would need me?”
“Robin was the one who sent for you,” Batman grounded out.
“Robin?” Shiva said, her ease and calm evaporating to be replaced by tension. “Where is he?”
Batman took a step in front of the door that lead into the safe house. “Why did Robin send for you?”
“What happened to him?”
“Shiva . .”
“Tell me what happened to him and I will tell you why he sent for me,” Shiva overrode him, matching his glare with an unwavering gaze of her own.
A long moment passed as Batman thought it over and then said, “There was a bank robbery. A group of metas trying to make a name for themselves. One was a telepath. She let out some kind of mental blast. Nightwing and I were staggered by it, but was fine. Robin on the other hand . . .he collapsed and . . . “
“She tore through his shielding,” Shiva supplied, her look dark and dangerous.
Batman stepped back under Shiva's statement. “Shielding . . . what are you talking about?”
“I have warned Robin that shielding alone would not be reliable, but he is stubborn and dismissed any other form of training.”
“Training in what?”
“In his telepathy of course,” Shiva said almost dismissively.
“His what?!”
Shiva couldn't help the sneer on her face. “His telepathy. Has he never told you? He never told you of the gift he was born with? Of how he at first learned mediation as a way of controlling it, and later I was able to show him a better way of controlling it.?”
“In Paris,” Batman said slowly. He gave her a long measuring look. As if finding a missing puzzle piece. “When you trained him. You taught him how to shield himself and if you trained him in that . . .”
Shiva simply smile, “Now if you're done, Robin needs me.”
Batman remained unmoving from in front of the door. “Why should I?”
“Because without his shields in place he is vulnerable to every though, to every emotion that he comes in contact with. I'm assuming he has already been overwhelmed by them, if his shields are not put back in place his mind will be torn apart.”
With a great deal of reluctance Batman moved from in front of the door and with barely another glance at him Shiva slipped into the safe house. She went down a hall that held the bedrooms. The one named Red Hood leaned against the door where she assumed Robin was staying in.
“Lady I got one thing to tell ya,” He snarled. “You hurt him and I will track you down and pay you back.”
Shiva smirked at him, “I think you actually mean that. How very gallant of you.”
He pushed off the door to loom over her. With and almost bored look she stepped around him and slipped into the room silently. The curtains were drawn closed, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Her eyes were drawn to the bed where Robin was laid curled up in a ball, He was dressed only in a tank top and sweat pants, though he had his mask on - as if the mask could really hide anything from her. Nightwing sat on the edge of the bed, gently stoking his hair, trying his best to keep Robin from shuddering.
“Leave us,” Shiva said sharply.
Nightwing's lips peeled back in a growl as he stood up from the bed, hands clenched. “I am not leaving him alone with you.”
Robin curled tighter into his ball and whimpered softly. Shiva sent a dispassionate glare at him. “The longer you remain here, the further Robin's mind is torn apart. Your very presence is driving him mad.”
Nightwing looked at Robin in alarm and concern. “Robin,” he whispered as he reached out for him only to stop as Robin whimpered more. He drew back reluctantly, “Can you help him?”
“ . . . Yes,” She nodded.
Nightwing paused for a moment and then nodded and left.
Shiva waited a heartbeat before joining Robin on the bed, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together, “Little Bird.”
“Sh-Shiva!,” Robin gasped opening his eyes a bit.
“I am here,” She whispered, smoothing out his brow and laying a chaste kiss to his cheek. Her eyes half closed she reached out with her mind and focused on Robin. He let out a sigh as Shiva's shielding shut out all of the voices that seem intent to drive him crazy. Slowly his body relaxed, his legs outstretched out a little, his arms unwrapped from around his waist, and Shiva pillowed his head in her lap.
“The meta,” Robin began. “She didn't have any control over her power. She had no clue how powerful that blast was.”
“And did I not tell you that could happen Robin?” Shiva asked. “Did I not warn you that shielding alone would not always keep you safe?”
“It had worked,” Robin argued. “My shields were strong. No one ever knew about . . . about my . . . about this gift.”he said as silent tears streamed down his cheek.
“There are some secrets that cannot be kept,” Shiva said as she wiped away his tears. “And shields do not protect against everything.”
“What do I do now?” Robin asked
“First we rebuild your shields,” Shiva said. “Relax and let our minds merge,”
Slowly Robin reached out to Shiva's mind. He was filled with a sense of welcome as her mind swirled around his protectively and together they re-built the shields that had protected Robin his most of his life. Robin couldn't tell if it took only moments or hours, but slowly Shiva's shields drew back and the thoughts and images that had been assaulting him stayed out.
Robin pushed himself up and tucked his legs up against his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Shiva gave Tim a smile and ran her fingers through Tim's hair. “Now we begin your training on your gift.”
“No!” Robin said as he moved away from Shiva. “I told you Shiva I don't want to learn how to use my telepathy.”
“Not learning how to use it nearly got you comatose. That mental blast could have even killed you Little Bird,” Shiva said.
“I'll - I'll work on my shielding. It'll be better I promise!” Robin tried.
Shiva pulled Robin in her arms, She could see that Robin is spent. Re-building his shields and the effort of just keeping his mind in tack had drained him. “Even you have to see that you can't run away from this.”she whispered petting his hair. “Do you fear that your mentor will turn his back on you? Perhaps this secret is to much for him to accept.”
“He . . . they . . . he wouldn't do that. We're family . . . . don't turn your back on family,” Robin said, barely holding back a sob.
“Shhhh you should rest,” Shiva whispered as she helped Robin lay down. “Tomorrow we will deal with your future.” she sent out soothing tendrils of thoughts out to Robin, easily weaving by passing the shields that she helped built. Slowly relaxing him and soon had him lulled to sleep.
Shiva smiled down at her sleeping bird, “Aw my Little Bird. Once long ago I called you mine and you didn't believe me, but see? Here we are eternally linked together. Not even Batman can come between us.”