Fic: Trapped Chapter 10
Title: Trapped
Author: Brokaw22
Disclaimer: The norms
Rating: T
Story Synopsis: He can't speak, can't call out--can't even move. He tries anyway; it doesn't work.
Thanks to Kathy for beta work.
Previous Chapters: Chapter one Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine
Tim awakens to a searing pain through his shoulder. He tries to get up, but finds himself bound to whatever surface he’s lying on. It takes him a good couple of minutes to clear the fog from his mind; evidently he was given some kind of pain medication, and possibly a sedative. He struggles to pull his hand out of the restraint, but it’s much too tight for that. He lies back to consider his options, but before he can come up with anything, Tim realizes what he’s lying on, and the moment he does, he begins thrashing and yelling. He doesn’t have the physical strength necessary to break the restraints, but it doesn’t stop him from trying. His shoulder burns with every movement, but that doesn’t stop him either -- if anything, it provokes him more. He can hear the sound of feet moving towards him at a rapid pace, but Tim pays no attention to it. He has to get out…he needs to get away. He won’t be trapped like this again…never again.
His screams have escalated, but Tim doubts that he’s actually using words at this point. He can barely think past the rage and sheer panic. He hates Dick and Jason more than he has ever hated anyone… more than The Joker, more than Captain Boomerang, more than he has ever hated himself -- and he used to hate himself a lot. Somehow being trapped like this… bound to this thing is worse than them killing him, worse than all of the lies, worse than ignoring his cries for help. He can feel hands trying to push him down and a voice trying to sooth him, but it’s impossible for Tim to ever be soothed while he’s bound to this medical bed -- the same one that he spent countless years in.
He snarls, glares, and even attempts to bite the hands in front of him. He will find a way out of this, and Tim promises himself that the moment that he does, both of them will pay with their lives. He can hear Dick trying desperately to calm him, though he’s not really sure why Dick is bothering. It won’t save him when the time comes. “Tim…shhh…Timmy…it’s okay. You’re safe now. It’s going to be okay.”
Tim scoffs at the words and wrenches himself out of the man’s grasp. “It’ll never be okay…not until you two have both suffered the way I have. How dare you tie me to this thing? What? It wasn’t enough to just kill me again? No, you had to remind me of all of the endless days of lying here trapped inside my own head. Well, I remember every second of those days. I remember how pathetically weak I was…not because I was an invalid…no, but because I was actually stupid enough to believe you two cared.”
Dick’s eyes widen as if in sudden realization, but Tim doesn’t believe for a second that this wasn’t a planned attack against his psyche. “Tim…oh, god…Timmy…we’re sorry. We’re so damn sorry. We…we didn’t think. We never should have placed you back in the same medical bed. We didn’t realize…I’m sorry, Timmy.”
Tim would laugh at Dick’s feeble attempt if he wasn’t too busy desperately trying to free himself. “Tell all the lies you want. It won’t do any good, and when the time comes, I’ll enjoy watching you suffer.”
Dick makes a hurt noise as he grips Tim’s arms tightly. “I’m not lying, Timmy. We screwed up and I’m sorry, but we wouldn’t purposely hurt you. You have to know that.”
This time Tim does laugh. It’s a mean and condescending tone that he doesn’t even bother smothering. “Of course you would. After all, you already have. I’m not stupid, and I’m not about to fall for your tricks again.”
Jason sighs heavily from somewhere behind Dick. “It’s no use, Dick. It’s gonna be some time before he starts listening to reason…assuming he ever does.”
Tim growls at Jason. He wants deeply to gaze upon the man who is actually responsible for all of this. After all, Jason is the one who ‘rescued’ him in the first place. If only that bastard had let The Joker kill him, then Tim could have died with some semblance of dignity, and the illusion that he was loved, and that this all meant something. It’s then that Tim realizes that as much as he hates Dick for all of his lies and pretending to give a damn, he hates Jason so much more. This whole thing is entirely Jason’s fault, and Tim promises himself that when he finally manages to break free Jason will pay more.
Jason finally steps around Dick and Tim gets a good hard look at him. He’s limping slightly due to his injured leg, and Tim just wishes that he had gotten the chance to do more harm. He grins mischievously at Jason as the man moves closer to him. “It’s funny, isn’t it, Jason? You spent all that time trying to kill me, and then when it finally happened, Dick took all the glory. Sure, you got to give the order, but I bet it just tore you up inside that you weren’t the one to pull the plug…kinda ironic when you think about it, huh? Is that why you brought me back, Jason? So, you could finally get your shot? I mean, you obviously ‘rescued’ me in the first place because you couldn’t stand the thought of The Joker taking your kill. What? You think this time you might actually get it right? Well, I’ve got news for you, Jay. If you don’t take me out now, I will get you first.”
He sees the other man stiffen, and expects some kind of outburst. However, instead of the indignation and anger that Tim is waiting for, all he receives is an exhausted sigh and look of resignation. “You’re wrong, Tim, but I know it’s gonna be a while before you see that. It’s okay, though. We don’t blame you.”
Tim is so focused on Jason’s strange behavior that he completely misses the syringe in Jason’s hand until he feels a sharp pinch as the needle slides into his skin. He roars in rage and struggles against the restraints once more as he remembers all of those infuriating days of nothing but a needle, a strange woman with a melodic voice, and the constant failed attempts to communicate. He glares at both of them as he slowly succumbs to the sedative.
The next time Tim awakens he finds himself bound with wrist and ankle medical restraints to his old bed…the one he slept in when Bruce first took him in while his father was in a coma. The sudden change in venue makes Tim grin to himself. He’s sure that this is an attempt by the other two to lull him into a false sense of security…some strange show of ‘good faith’ and all of that, but, unbeknownst to Dick and Jason, this is their greatest mistake to date. Neither of the other two are aware that this particular bed isn’t as structurally sound as it once was, because back before The Joker…before the countless days of nothingness…before his life came to a screeching halt, Tim used to take all of his rage out on inanimate objects, and this particular bed had been one of those unfortunate items.
The only one who even knew about that particular incident was Alfred, and Tim had refused to allow him to replace the bed and, instead, had promised the older man that he would fix it. He’s sure that the only reason Alfred had agreed was due to Tim’s immeasurable guilt at the time. Unfortunately, due to his life as Robin and eventually The Joker, Tim never did get around to actually fixing said bed, which is why he can’t help but laugh now. All of those seemingly meaningless and random events have coalesced into the perfect escape for him. Tim can’t help but smile. After all, for once, everything is actually coming together and working in his favor. The only actually tricky part is deciding which one of them he should go after first, but truthfully Tim has had that planned out ever since he originally awoke in that terrible hospital bed.
It doesn’t take much for Tim to break the headboard just enough that the medical restraints become completely useless. He would love to just slam his body into it and smash the thing, but for Tim’s plan to work he needs to be as stealthy as possible in order to give himself enough time to succeed. Once the headboard has been dealt with, it only takes Tim a matter of seconds to completely remove his restraints and make his way out of the room. He knows the other two well enough to know that they have placed sensors around the exits of his room, but this is Tim’s room, after all, and even after all of these years, he still has some rather useful surprises that only Bruce and Alfred ever knew about, such as the device he built to disable said sensors. And to think, he only built it to see if he could.
Tim’s not surprised to find that the device is exactly where he left it before The Joker incident happened. After all, there was never any reason for any of them to disturb his room. In fact, Tim knew they wouldn’t…not after the way everyone treated Jason’s room after his death and subsequent return. The device is old and needs a little recalibrating, but it’s nothing that Tim can’t handle, especially now that the Lazarus Pit has restored him to his former self. It takes him mere moments to adjust the device, and then make his way silently to the cave.
Getting into the cave is the first complication he has to deal with. Tim knows that he’ll have to hack in. After all, not even Dick and Jason would be stupid enough to leave his access codes active once he no longer was. The security system for the cave has definitely been improved over the years, and it takes him slightly longer than originally anticipated to break in, but Tim isn’t concerned. He knew from the moment he escaped his room that there would be potential delays, and it’s all been accounted for. He can’t keep the smile off of his face as he bypasses the security.
The moment Tim enters the cave he heads straight for his weapons, taking care to note how different the cave is now from when he was Robin. He’s not surprised to find that things have changed quite a bit in the years since Tim was out of commission, but it is its own kind of setback. After all, Tim will hardly have the home field advantage. However, that doesn’t mean he isn’t equipped to deal with it. Again, this is just one more thing that Tim has fully anticipated. He knows he doesn’t have much time before certain parts of his plan are set into motion. He wasn’t exactly able to completely bypass the intruder alerts for the cave. However, Tim was able to postpone them, which really only works in his favor…assuming he can quickly finish his rewiring of the batmobile.
Tim has the countdown running in the back of his mind, and knows that it’ll be a close call, but, given Jason’s injury, he should have plenty of time. He quickly slides out from underneath the vehicle and manages to get into the perfect position with just a few minutes to spare. Tim’s grin only grows with his eagerness. Everything is working out perfectly, and now all he has to do is crouch in the shadows and wait for his prey. This has always been his favorite part of any operation, but today is the sweetest it’s ever been. He knows that soon he shall have his revenge and that he will never be at their mercy again, and at this particular moment that’s all Tim really cares about.
The End (for now)
Author: Brokaw22
Disclaimer: The norms
Rating: T
Story Synopsis: He can't speak, can't call out--can't even move. He tries anyway; it doesn't work.
Thanks to Kathy for beta work.
Previous Chapters: Chapter one Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine
Tim awakens to a searing pain through his shoulder. He tries to get up, but finds himself bound to whatever surface he’s lying on. It takes him a good couple of minutes to clear the fog from his mind; evidently he was given some kind of pain medication, and possibly a sedative. He struggles to pull his hand out of the restraint, but it’s much too tight for that. He lies back to consider his options, but before he can come up with anything, Tim realizes what he’s lying on, and the moment he does, he begins thrashing and yelling. He doesn’t have the physical strength necessary to break the restraints, but it doesn’t stop him from trying. His shoulder burns with every movement, but that doesn’t stop him either -- if anything, it provokes him more. He can hear the sound of feet moving towards him at a rapid pace, but Tim pays no attention to it. He has to get out…he needs to get away. He won’t be trapped like this again…never again.
His screams have escalated, but Tim doubts that he’s actually using words at this point. He can barely think past the rage and sheer panic. He hates Dick and Jason more than he has ever hated anyone… more than The Joker, more than Captain Boomerang, more than he has ever hated himself -- and he used to hate himself a lot. Somehow being trapped like this… bound to this thing is worse than them killing him, worse than all of the lies, worse than ignoring his cries for help. He can feel hands trying to push him down and a voice trying to sooth him, but it’s impossible for Tim to ever be soothed while he’s bound to this medical bed -- the same one that he spent countless years in.
He snarls, glares, and even attempts to bite the hands in front of him. He will find a way out of this, and Tim promises himself that the moment that he does, both of them will pay with their lives. He can hear Dick trying desperately to calm him, though he’s not really sure why Dick is bothering. It won’t save him when the time comes. “Tim…shhh…Timmy…it’s okay. You’re safe now. It’s going to be okay.”
Tim scoffs at the words and wrenches himself out of the man’s grasp. “It’ll never be okay…not until you two have both suffered the way I have. How dare you tie me to this thing? What? It wasn’t enough to just kill me again? No, you had to remind me of all of the endless days of lying here trapped inside my own head. Well, I remember every second of those days. I remember how pathetically weak I was…not because I was an invalid…no, but because I was actually stupid enough to believe you two cared.”
Dick’s eyes widen as if in sudden realization, but Tim doesn’t believe for a second that this wasn’t a planned attack against his psyche. “Tim…oh, god…Timmy…we’re sorry. We’re so damn sorry. We…we didn’t think. We never should have placed you back in the same medical bed. We didn’t realize…I’m sorry, Timmy.”
Tim would laugh at Dick’s feeble attempt if he wasn’t too busy desperately trying to free himself. “Tell all the lies you want. It won’t do any good, and when the time comes, I’ll enjoy watching you suffer.”
Dick makes a hurt noise as he grips Tim’s arms tightly. “I’m not lying, Timmy. We screwed up and I’m sorry, but we wouldn’t purposely hurt you. You have to know that.”
This time Tim does laugh. It’s a mean and condescending tone that he doesn’t even bother smothering. “Of course you would. After all, you already have. I’m not stupid, and I’m not about to fall for your tricks again.”
Jason sighs heavily from somewhere behind Dick. “It’s no use, Dick. It’s gonna be some time before he starts listening to reason…assuming he ever does.”
Tim growls at Jason. He wants deeply to gaze upon the man who is actually responsible for all of this. After all, Jason is the one who ‘rescued’ him in the first place. If only that bastard had let The Joker kill him, then Tim could have died with some semblance of dignity, and the illusion that he was loved, and that this all meant something. It’s then that Tim realizes that as much as he hates Dick for all of his lies and pretending to give a damn, he hates Jason so much more. This whole thing is entirely Jason’s fault, and Tim promises himself that when he finally manages to break free Jason will pay more.
Jason finally steps around Dick and Tim gets a good hard look at him. He’s limping slightly due to his injured leg, and Tim just wishes that he had gotten the chance to do more harm. He grins mischievously at Jason as the man moves closer to him. “It’s funny, isn’t it, Jason? You spent all that time trying to kill me, and then when it finally happened, Dick took all the glory. Sure, you got to give the order, but I bet it just tore you up inside that you weren’t the one to pull the plug…kinda ironic when you think about it, huh? Is that why you brought me back, Jason? So, you could finally get your shot? I mean, you obviously ‘rescued’ me in the first place because you couldn’t stand the thought of The Joker taking your kill. What? You think this time you might actually get it right? Well, I’ve got news for you, Jay. If you don’t take me out now, I will get you first.”
He sees the other man stiffen, and expects some kind of outburst. However, instead of the indignation and anger that Tim is waiting for, all he receives is an exhausted sigh and look of resignation. “You’re wrong, Tim, but I know it’s gonna be a while before you see that. It’s okay, though. We don’t blame you.”
Tim is so focused on Jason’s strange behavior that he completely misses the syringe in Jason’s hand until he feels a sharp pinch as the needle slides into his skin. He roars in rage and struggles against the restraints once more as he remembers all of those infuriating days of nothing but a needle, a strange woman with a melodic voice, and the constant failed attempts to communicate. He glares at both of them as he slowly succumbs to the sedative.
The next time Tim awakens he finds himself bound with wrist and ankle medical restraints to his old bed…the one he slept in when Bruce first took him in while his father was in a coma. The sudden change in venue makes Tim grin to himself. He’s sure that this is an attempt by the other two to lull him into a false sense of security…some strange show of ‘good faith’ and all of that, but, unbeknownst to Dick and Jason, this is their greatest mistake to date. Neither of the other two are aware that this particular bed isn’t as structurally sound as it once was, because back before The Joker…before the countless days of nothingness…before his life came to a screeching halt, Tim used to take all of his rage out on inanimate objects, and this particular bed had been one of those unfortunate items.
The only one who even knew about that particular incident was Alfred, and Tim had refused to allow him to replace the bed and, instead, had promised the older man that he would fix it. He’s sure that the only reason Alfred had agreed was due to Tim’s immeasurable guilt at the time. Unfortunately, due to his life as Robin and eventually The Joker, Tim never did get around to actually fixing said bed, which is why he can’t help but laugh now. All of those seemingly meaningless and random events have coalesced into the perfect escape for him. Tim can’t help but smile. After all, for once, everything is actually coming together and working in his favor. The only actually tricky part is deciding which one of them he should go after first, but truthfully Tim has had that planned out ever since he originally awoke in that terrible hospital bed.
It doesn’t take much for Tim to break the headboard just enough that the medical restraints become completely useless. He would love to just slam his body into it and smash the thing, but for Tim’s plan to work he needs to be as stealthy as possible in order to give himself enough time to succeed. Once the headboard has been dealt with, it only takes Tim a matter of seconds to completely remove his restraints and make his way out of the room. He knows the other two well enough to know that they have placed sensors around the exits of his room, but this is Tim’s room, after all, and even after all of these years, he still has some rather useful surprises that only Bruce and Alfred ever knew about, such as the device he built to disable said sensors. And to think, he only built it to see if he could.
Tim’s not surprised to find that the device is exactly where he left it before The Joker incident happened. After all, there was never any reason for any of them to disturb his room. In fact, Tim knew they wouldn’t…not after the way everyone treated Jason’s room after his death and subsequent return. The device is old and needs a little recalibrating, but it’s nothing that Tim can’t handle, especially now that the Lazarus Pit has restored him to his former self. It takes him mere moments to adjust the device, and then make his way silently to the cave.
Getting into the cave is the first complication he has to deal with. Tim knows that he’ll have to hack in. After all, not even Dick and Jason would be stupid enough to leave his access codes active once he no longer was. The security system for the cave has definitely been improved over the years, and it takes him slightly longer than originally anticipated to break in, but Tim isn’t concerned. He knew from the moment he escaped his room that there would be potential delays, and it’s all been accounted for. He can’t keep the smile off of his face as he bypasses the security.
The moment Tim enters the cave he heads straight for his weapons, taking care to note how different the cave is now from when he was Robin. He’s not surprised to find that things have changed quite a bit in the years since Tim was out of commission, but it is its own kind of setback. After all, Tim will hardly have the home field advantage. However, that doesn’t mean he isn’t equipped to deal with it. Again, this is just one more thing that Tim has fully anticipated. He knows he doesn’t have much time before certain parts of his plan are set into motion. He wasn’t exactly able to completely bypass the intruder alerts for the cave. However, Tim was able to postpone them, which really only works in his favor…assuming he can quickly finish his rewiring of the batmobile.
Tim has the countdown running in the back of his mind, and knows that it’ll be a close call, but, given Jason’s injury, he should have plenty of time. He quickly slides out from underneath the vehicle and manages to get into the perfect position with just a few minutes to spare. Tim’s grin only grows with his eagerness. Everything is working out perfectly, and now all he has to do is crouch in the shadows and wait for his prey. This has always been his favorite part of any operation, but today is the sweetest it’s ever been. He knows that soon he shall have his revenge and that he will never be at their mercy again, and at this particular moment that’s all Tim really cares about.
The End (for now)