1sentence drabbles
Fandom: DCU
Rating: G
Pairings: Hints of Kon/Tim, Dick/Tim, mentions of Jason and Damien.
Summary: #36 Laugh: When Jason sees his Red Robin costume his laugh isn't pleasant, and his mouth tilts up into a cruel smile -- "You, Tim Drake, will always be impersonating one of us."
AN: I stole one of the tables from 1sentence , and used it as a meme to flesh out my writing style and characterisation for Tim. Lots of spoilers for recent issues, and a lot of references to previous issues. Roughly in chronological order, and lots of gen.
#03 - Memory
He watches, transfixed, as they fly through the air, and it is almost someone elses memory as the rope snaps, and they fall to the ground, a sickening crack that ends in silence, and begins so suddenly again with a desperate scream.
#05 - Run
They're flying through Gotham, and he chases them, always behind, the best he can.
#10 - Drink
He watches Bruce Wayne for years, at parties, and it's quite obvious (and quite astonishing) that no one has ever noticed that the champagne never passes through his lips.
#04 - Box
The box of photos are hidden under his bed, and eventually, he realises he's going to have to find a better hiding place.
#02 - Hero
Dick is grinning at him, a generous tilt to the mouth that makes him feel warm inside, and Tim knows, he knows he has made the right decision in coming to him.
#41 - Wait
The cave is quiet, save for the hum of the computer monitor, and he feels completely useless, restless as he waits for Batman to come back and teach him more.
#31 - Sacred
The case is always there, the costume always lit, meticulously cleaned - it serves as a reminder, and never has anything seemed so sacred.
#49 - Lock
The first practical lesson Bruce teaches him is how to lock pick (it is the only thing he deems is safe enough to let him attempt) and when Tim says it's ironic he's beginning his lessons on crime fighting with something that every criminal knows how to do, he manages to unlock a valuable smile from Bruce, nonetheless.
#07 - Wings
The grapple hooks and the lines are surprisingly (and necessarily) strong, and he finds himself enjoying the feeling of the cold wind running through his hair - but he doesn't feel like he's actually flying until Nightwing takes him out one night, teaching Robin how to truly soar.
#24 - Strength
Training with Dick always makes him painfully aware of his own shortcomings, but the more he trains he starts to realise there are so many things he could do to improve.
#29 - Dance
He needs to be better, stronger than Jason, faster than Dick, and as he watches Shiva dance through the air, her hand pointed and sharp as a knife, aimed to strike with deadly precision, he responds to her movement, noting the way her eyes glint with approval as he parries, jabs, counters.
#16 - Cover
The first time he goes undercover, he almost balks at the nurse uniform he has to put on, not liking the wig and hating the false breasts, but when Alfred shows him the pictures of Dick back then, the blush lessens somewhat.
#01 - Ring
They form a ring around him, and it doesn't take much at all to jump up into the air and flip over their heads, throwing a smoke bomb into their midst, hindering them quickly and efficiently.
#14 - Music
He listens to the music that is required of him to maintain his cover as a normal, preppy-looking kid, and watches mind numbing drivel in his spare time so he can catch the references at school, but when it comes to his reading, that is all his own.
#26 - Ice
He isn't cold on purpose, but he's always had difficulty making friends in school and even though he has much more in common with these teenagers, whom by all means he should, for some reason, he's still having trouble.
#34 - Formal
Superman's visits to the cave are always a surprise, but even though he is always secretly excited to see him, he can't help but notice Batman's rather sour expression, and so Tim keeps his emotions to himself.
#25 - Mask
It's funny, and Tim can't help but be amused because when Young Justice asked him to take off his mask, they clearly did not expect to see Alvin Draper.
#06 - Hurricane
Kon is simply unstoppable, a force of nature, and Tim feels almost betrayed when his arm is broken, the snap and the ensuing pain that leads to a whirlwind of emotion that he viciously tries to clamp down.
#21 - Silence
It hurts, so he hunches forwards and folds his cape around him, but his team's accusing stares make it even harder to refute the fact that the countermeasures are needed as a precaution - just in case Batman is right.
#12 - Temptation
His smile is bright, white teeth gleaming against dark skin, black hair long and blowing across his face, blue eyes sparkling with mirth.
#47 - Highway
He's not like any other teenager he's met and he doesn't think he'll ever feel like one, but when he's speeding on Redbird in pursuit of criminals in Gotham, enjoying the rush of wind through his hair and pumped full of adrenaline and happiness, the sensation almost comes to him.
#40 - Whisper
The other boys whisper behind his back at first, knowing that he'll never retaliate, then it's the girls, and even the teachers start to mention his suspicious absences but Tim hardly even notices as he runs through the calculations through his head, planning the mission effortlessly.
#08 - Cold
Kon takes him flying one day and they reach the outer limits of the atmosphere before they have to go back down again - it seems that despite super strength and laser vision, a t-shirt is simply not enough.
#20 - Talent
He has never had the natural grace that comes with being an acrobat, nor the sheer vicious talent that a street-smart kid needs to develop in order to survive, but he knows there is more to talent, that he adapts to his situations by fighting the way that suits him best - but still, when Cassandra Cain becomes Batgirl, he can't help but step back in admiration.
#37 - Lies
Even though Kon is his best friend, it's still extremely difficult for Tim to be truthful, to be completely open, not when his father thinks he is at Bernard's and not when Bernard thinks they're best friends and especially not when Bruce is watching his every single move.
#23 - Fire
The blaze is searing, heat singing his hairs, but he hardly acknowledges it as he stares at the carnage in desperation, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss.
#17 - Promise
He tries not to make promises at all these days, but when his father makes him stop, he knows that his father won't understand that to him, Robin is no longer just a costume.
#22 - Journey
He can't sleep, it is only midnight, and he can't sleep, not when there are criminals out there and he here, forbidden to leave and constantly supervised by his father and it pains him to admit that perhaps his journey is at an end now.
#19 - Candle
His resolve is flickering, and something inside him is breaking and Dick doesn't understand his absolute need to remain objective, and until the facts can be proven, he will not allow anyone to cloud his judgement.
#30 - Body
There is a horrifying sense of loss and blankness and he can't feel anything apart from Batman's tight hold - clutching desperately - whilst he tries to avoid thinking about his father's cold, dead body.
#11 - Midnight
The first Christmas eve he spends with Bruce and Alfred is a quiet and understated affair, memories of his father and mother and previous Christmases tugging at his thoughts, but when Bruce returns from the cave just in time for midnight, Tim feels slightly less cold for the first time in a long while.
#35 - Fever
He finally collapses one day after an exhausting patrol in the middle of Gotham, Alfred just tuts at him disapprovingly, holding a cool palm to his damp forehead.
#39 - Overwhelmed
Bruce passes him the papers, and Tim looks at them uncomprehending, until he is asked to sign his name next to the cross, and where it asks him if he wants to change his last name to Wayne.
#15 - Silk
Steph's hair has always felt like silk to him, and her smile has always been bright and full of joy, but as time passes, his memory of her only causes pain and the smile fades, no matter how bright it had first seemed.
#45 - Eclipse
Sometimes, Tim feels like he only reflects Dick's light to Bruce, but when Batman places his hand on his shoulder with approval, he's reminded that although eclipses are rare, they do happen.
#33 - World
They see the world together, just him, Dick and Bruce, and Tim almost feels like they're the most dysfunctional family ever to visit these shores as Bruce wears a wetsuit to cover his scars and Dick is speaking fluent Spanish to charm the ladies, whilst Tim is canvassing the area for possible smuggling ports, all under the cover of a family visit to the beach.
#13 - View
The paparazzi tend to leave him alone most days, because compared to his infamous guardian and older brother, he just doesn’t provide the necessary headlines.
#09 - Red
Adopting their colours is easier than he thinks it will be; he reminds himself of their loss every day, through the colour of his uniform, from the memories that simply won't disappear and to the flecks blood that washes off his hands after an especially difficult night in Gotham.
#18 - Dream
He has no time to sleep, no time for nightmares or dreams, because he only has a limited number of DNA samples and he needs to clone Kon as soon as possible so he can save a part of himself but it is difficult even when he's awake, as he can already see his dreams slipping away.
#27 - Fall
Jason grinds his boot into his chest, and Tim coughs, choking on blood and saliva and vision darkening and if it weren't so painful, he'd laugh because when Robins fall, they tend to fall hard.
#32 - Farewells
The Lazarus pit is just in reach, and he can hear their voices already and he can hear Dick's voice screaming at him, before he realises that they're never going to come back, not this way, and he sinks to his knees letting the test tubes roll away, choking on his tears as a pair of arms encircle him, crushing him tightly to a warm chest.
#48 - Unknown
Damien snarls at him, deceptively small, naturally lithe and lethal, and Tim takes the hits as gracefully as he can, smothering a part inside him that is bitter and angry; a self control and presence of mind that is exactly what Bruce first valued in him, all those years ago.
#42 - Talk
There is a sense of shock, disbelief, hurt, before Tim realises what Dick is trying to say to him, and he knows that Robin is Dick's to give to Damien and to take away from him but still, he feels like he's been eviscerated, because he had thought Robin had belonged to him (if only just a little part) as well.
#46 - Gravity
Although Bruce isn't the centre of their little universe (Alfred is) without his presence, without Bruce's gravity holding them together, their family is falling apart.
#43 - Search
Tim is relentless, completely focused, avoiding Dick-no, Batman's calls as he looks for Bruce, not needing his apologies, nor his concern - Bruce, the real Batman is alive.
#28 - Forgotten
Watching Dick and Damien work together is painful, but even Tim can admit that there's something graceful about their movements, a fluid dynamic, a partnership that is already beginning to form.
#36 - Laugh
When Jason sees his Red Robin costume his laugh isn't pleasant, and his mouth tilts up into a cruel smile -- "You, Tim Drake, will always be impersonating one of us."
#44 - Hope
The flame illuminates the Bat symbol, scratched into hard rock, and Tim wants to cry, feeling relief and some notion of happiness that he hasn't felt in a while, knowing beyond a shadow of all doubt that the means have justified the ends.
#50 - Breathe
And Kon's smile is blinding and white and when his friend tells him that he believes him, Tim isn't able to tell him just how much that means to him; there aren't enough words to describe the feeling of relief, happiness, elation and he grips Kon's hands tightly and smiles, grateful.
#38 - Forever
And like always, he's falling, mask shattered into small shards until a strong arm wraps itself around his waist, pulling him up from the sky.
Rating: G
Pairings: Hints of Kon/Tim, Dick/Tim, mentions of Jason and Damien.
Summary: #36 Laugh: When Jason sees his Red Robin costume his laugh isn't pleasant, and his mouth tilts up into a cruel smile -- "You, Tim Drake, will always be impersonating one of us."
AN: I stole one of the tables from 1sentence , and used it as a meme to flesh out my writing style and characterisation for Tim. Lots of spoilers for recent issues, and a lot of references to previous issues. Roughly in chronological order, and lots of gen.
#03 - Memory
He watches, transfixed, as they fly through the air, and it is almost someone elses memory as the rope snaps, and they fall to the ground, a sickening crack that ends in silence, and begins so suddenly again with a desperate scream.
#05 - Run
They're flying through Gotham, and he chases them, always behind, the best he can.
#10 - Drink
He watches Bruce Wayne for years, at parties, and it's quite obvious (and quite astonishing) that no one has ever noticed that the champagne never passes through his lips.
#04 - Box
The box of photos are hidden under his bed, and eventually, he realises he's going to have to find a better hiding place.
#02 - Hero
Dick is grinning at him, a generous tilt to the mouth that makes him feel warm inside, and Tim knows, he knows he has made the right decision in coming to him.
#41 - Wait
The cave is quiet, save for the hum of the computer monitor, and he feels completely useless, restless as he waits for Batman to come back and teach him more.
#31 - Sacred
The case is always there, the costume always lit, meticulously cleaned - it serves as a reminder, and never has anything seemed so sacred.
#49 - Lock
The first practical lesson Bruce teaches him is how to lock pick (it is the only thing he deems is safe enough to let him attempt) and when Tim says it's ironic he's beginning his lessons on crime fighting with something that every criminal knows how to do, he manages to unlock a valuable smile from Bruce, nonetheless.
#07 - Wings
The grapple hooks and the lines are surprisingly (and necessarily) strong, and he finds himself enjoying the feeling of the cold wind running through his hair - but he doesn't feel like he's actually flying until Nightwing takes him out one night, teaching Robin how to truly soar.
#24 - Strength
Training with Dick always makes him painfully aware of his own shortcomings, but the more he trains he starts to realise there are so many things he could do to improve.
#29 - Dance
He needs to be better, stronger than Jason, faster than Dick, and as he watches Shiva dance through the air, her hand pointed and sharp as a knife, aimed to strike with deadly precision, he responds to her movement, noting the way her eyes glint with approval as he parries, jabs, counters.
#16 - Cover
The first time he goes undercover, he almost balks at the nurse uniform he has to put on, not liking the wig and hating the false breasts, but when Alfred shows him the pictures of Dick back then, the blush lessens somewhat.
#01 - Ring
They form a ring around him, and it doesn't take much at all to jump up into the air and flip over their heads, throwing a smoke bomb into their midst, hindering them quickly and efficiently.
#14 - Music
He listens to the music that is required of him to maintain his cover as a normal, preppy-looking kid, and watches mind numbing drivel in his spare time so he can catch the references at school, but when it comes to his reading, that is all his own.
#26 - Ice
He isn't cold on purpose, but he's always had difficulty making friends in school and even though he has much more in common with these teenagers, whom by all means he should, for some reason, he's still having trouble.
#34 - Formal
Superman's visits to the cave are always a surprise, but even though he is always secretly excited to see him, he can't help but notice Batman's rather sour expression, and so Tim keeps his emotions to himself.
#25 - Mask
It's funny, and Tim can't help but be amused because when Young Justice asked him to take off his mask, they clearly did not expect to see Alvin Draper.
#06 - Hurricane
Kon is simply unstoppable, a force of nature, and Tim feels almost betrayed when his arm is broken, the snap and the ensuing pain that leads to a whirlwind of emotion that he viciously tries to clamp down.
#21 - Silence
It hurts, so he hunches forwards and folds his cape around him, but his team's accusing stares make it even harder to refute the fact that the countermeasures are needed as a precaution - just in case Batman is right.
#12 - Temptation
His smile is bright, white teeth gleaming against dark skin, black hair long and blowing across his face, blue eyes sparkling with mirth.
#47 - Highway
He's not like any other teenager he's met and he doesn't think he'll ever feel like one, but when he's speeding on Redbird in pursuit of criminals in Gotham, enjoying the rush of wind through his hair and pumped full of adrenaline and happiness, the sensation almost comes to him.
#40 - Whisper
The other boys whisper behind his back at first, knowing that he'll never retaliate, then it's the girls, and even the teachers start to mention his suspicious absences but Tim hardly even notices as he runs through the calculations through his head, planning the mission effortlessly.
#08 - Cold
Kon takes him flying one day and they reach the outer limits of the atmosphere before they have to go back down again - it seems that despite super strength and laser vision, a t-shirt is simply not enough.
#20 - Talent
He has never had the natural grace that comes with being an acrobat, nor the sheer vicious talent that a street-smart kid needs to develop in order to survive, but he knows there is more to talent, that he adapts to his situations by fighting the way that suits him best - but still, when Cassandra Cain becomes Batgirl, he can't help but step back in admiration.
#37 - Lies
Even though Kon is his best friend, it's still extremely difficult for Tim to be truthful, to be completely open, not when his father thinks he is at Bernard's and not when Bernard thinks they're best friends and especially not when Bruce is watching his every single move.
#23 - Fire
The blaze is searing, heat singing his hairs, but he hardly acknowledges it as he stares at the carnage in desperation, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss.
#17 - Promise
He tries not to make promises at all these days, but when his father makes him stop, he knows that his father won't understand that to him, Robin is no longer just a costume.
#22 - Journey
He can't sleep, it is only midnight, and he can't sleep, not when there are criminals out there and he here, forbidden to leave and constantly supervised by his father and it pains him to admit that perhaps his journey is at an end now.
#19 - Candle
His resolve is flickering, and something inside him is breaking and Dick doesn't understand his absolute need to remain objective, and until the facts can be proven, he will not allow anyone to cloud his judgement.
#30 - Body
There is a horrifying sense of loss and blankness and he can't feel anything apart from Batman's tight hold - clutching desperately - whilst he tries to avoid thinking about his father's cold, dead body.
#11 - Midnight
The first Christmas eve he spends with Bruce and Alfred is a quiet and understated affair, memories of his father and mother and previous Christmases tugging at his thoughts, but when Bruce returns from the cave just in time for midnight, Tim feels slightly less cold for the first time in a long while.
#35 - Fever
He finally collapses one day after an exhausting patrol in the middle of Gotham, Alfred just tuts at him disapprovingly, holding a cool palm to his damp forehead.
#39 - Overwhelmed
Bruce passes him the papers, and Tim looks at them uncomprehending, until he is asked to sign his name next to the cross, and where it asks him if he wants to change his last name to Wayne.
#15 - Silk
Steph's hair has always felt like silk to him, and her smile has always been bright and full of joy, but as time passes, his memory of her only causes pain and the smile fades, no matter how bright it had first seemed.
#45 - Eclipse
Sometimes, Tim feels like he only reflects Dick's light to Bruce, but when Batman places his hand on his shoulder with approval, he's reminded that although eclipses are rare, they do happen.
#33 - World
They see the world together, just him, Dick and Bruce, and Tim almost feels like they're the most dysfunctional family ever to visit these shores as Bruce wears a wetsuit to cover his scars and Dick is speaking fluent Spanish to charm the ladies, whilst Tim is canvassing the area for possible smuggling ports, all under the cover of a family visit to the beach.
#13 - View
The paparazzi tend to leave him alone most days, because compared to his infamous guardian and older brother, he just doesn’t provide the necessary headlines.
#09 - Red
Adopting their colours is easier than he thinks it will be; he reminds himself of their loss every day, through the colour of his uniform, from the memories that simply won't disappear and to the flecks blood that washes off his hands after an especially difficult night in Gotham.
#18 - Dream
He has no time to sleep, no time for nightmares or dreams, because he only has a limited number of DNA samples and he needs to clone Kon as soon as possible so he can save a part of himself but it is difficult even when he's awake, as he can already see his dreams slipping away.
#27 - Fall
Jason grinds his boot into his chest, and Tim coughs, choking on blood and saliva and vision darkening and if it weren't so painful, he'd laugh because when Robins fall, they tend to fall hard.
#32 - Farewells
The Lazarus pit is just in reach, and he can hear their voices already and he can hear Dick's voice screaming at him, before he realises that they're never going to come back, not this way, and he sinks to his knees letting the test tubes roll away, choking on his tears as a pair of arms encircle him, crushing him tightly to a warm chest.
#48 - Unknown
Damien snarls at him, deceptively small, naturally lithe and lethal, and Tim takes the hits as gracefully as he can, smothering a part inside him that is bitter and angry; a self control and presence of mind that is exactly what Bruce first valued in him, all those years ago.
#42 - Talk
There is a sense of shock, disbelief, hurt, before Tim realises what Dick is trying to say to him, and he knows that Robin is Dick's to give to Damien and to take away from him but still, he feels like he's been eviscerated, because he had thought Robin had belonged to him (if only just a little part) as well.
#46 - Gravity
Although Bruce isn't the centre of their little universe (Alfred is) without his presence, without Bruce's gravity holding them together, their family is falling apart.
#43 - Search
Tim is relentless, completely focused, avoiding Dick-no, Batman's calls as he looks for Bruce, not needing his apologies, nor his concern - Bruce, the real Batman is alive.
#28 - Forgotten
Watching Dick and Damien work together is painful, but even Tim can admit that there's something graceful about their movements, a fluid dynamic, a partnership that is already beginning to form.
#36 - Laugh
When Jason sees his Red Robin costume his laugh isn't pleasant, and his mouth tilts up into a cruel smile -- "You, Tim Drake, will always be impersonating one of us."
#44 - Hope
The flame illuminates the Bat symbol, scratched into hard rock, and Tim wants to cry, feeling relief and some notion of happiness that he hasn't felt in a while, knowing beyond a shadow of all doubt that the means have justified the ends.
#50 - Breathe
And Kon's smile is blinding and white and when his friend tells him that he believes him, Tim isn't able to tell him just how much that means to him; there aren't enough words to describe the feeling of relief, happiness, elation and he grips Kon's hands tightly and smiles, grateful.
#38 - Forever
And like always, he's falling, mask shattered into small shards until a strong arm wraps itself around his waist, pulling him up from the sky.