Diabolical | T. Drake ✔

[46] Enter Macbeth

The chemicals he had mixed emitted a wispy fume and he pulled down the visors from his head, covering his eyes so that the simmering fumes from the conical flask would not affect him. He seemed to be in a cheerful mood, noting down the details of the reaction he had just concocted.

However, he had a feeling deep down that his alone time in his lab was going to get interrupted rather soon. So he made sure that everything on his counter was secure just in case someone decided to step in without knocking.

He had a habit of singing while he worked as it kept his focus so oftentimes he would be humming softly while concocting the most lethal of toxins known to mankind. It was a miracle he had managed not to get severely hurt himself because the degree of danger associated with his research materials was rather high.

Right then he was humming the tune and occasionally voicing out the lyrics to an old Shakespearean song written for the play Macbeth. 

Tim had the habit of taking the nickname of witch doctor given to him by Steph and Jason too seriously and he would often pretend that he was making spells and potions in his lab instead of toxins. So he would often sing the witches' song from Macbeth while working.

He had watched Jason reenact a lot of Shakespeare's plays to him and so far his favorite was King Lear. But that song the three witches sang in Macbeth also held a special place in his heart.

The first time he heard the lyrics, he ended up laughing and exclaimed that if he got to play a character from Macbeth, he would play all three of the witches together. He also said that the ingredients the witches used for their potion were very interesting and if he got the time, he might look deeper into it.

The rest of the family had to dissuade him from that intention as there was no way he would be able to procure such bizarre items as the eye of Newt, Adder's fork, blind-worm's sting, and the rest of the list.

Little did they know that Tim was fully aware that the terms in the old song did not refer to animals' body parts, instead they were names for herbs used in witchcraft. So of course he could procure them if given enough time and the right dealer. 

Although the recipe mentioned in the old song might not be entirely accurate as it was written merely for humor and to portray the act of potion making by those witches.

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." He sang the line, taking off the frother conical flask from the burner and placing it aside safely.

A knock on the door took him by surprise and he looked up, listening closely. "Open locks whoever knocks."

Enter, Macbeth. The next line of the play resonated in his head as he called out to whoever was outside, "come in."

The door creaked open and he was more surprised to see Damian. But he quickly covered his chemicals, airing out the fumes before the boy could step in.

"Oh hello, Damian, I did not expect to see you here," he offered him a slight smile, putting aside his visors and taking off his gloves.

"What were you doing?"

"Experimenting, the usual," he replied.

Since he wanted the younger brother to be in a better mood, he made an effort not to piss him off and was actually trying to be somewhat civil. Usually, their fights were initiated by one or two sarcastic remarks from Tim and he decided to keep that under control for the time being.

"You were saying something earlier... Something about frog's toes?" Damian looked genuinely shocked as he might have overheard him singing that weird song.

"Oh, it was just a song from Macbeth. You know, that play from Shakespeare Jay loves to reenact?" He brushed his surprise off breezily, "of course, I wouldn't actually put frog toes in my experiments. That's ridiculous."

"I see..."

An awkward silence lingered between the two as if the younger boy was thinking about how to initiate the conversation and Tim had suddenly lost the will to talk further. It was almost always like that between the two of them, the only times they talked were when they were insulting each other.

"Grayson told me it was your idea to surprise me with animals today," he spoke up at last, knowing that he couldn't keep standing there in that awkward silence, "why did you suggest such a thing?"

"Well, if I had known he would snitch on me so easily, I wouldn't have," Tim remarked with a playful wink.

"Be serious, I am in no mood to joke around," Damian warned, crossing his arms across his chest and looking him straight in the eye.

"Alright. Seriously speaking, I just thought it would be good if you also had something here you love to spend time with. Like I have my lab, Dick has his circus setup, Cass has her ballet studio, and Steph and Jay have their own theater to reenact plays and whatnot... It's not that big of a deal, really, you can have the gardens for your little friends."

Damian had not been expecting to hear that in reply. It meant Tim had been observant enough to find out what Dami cared for and also took the pains to ensure that he too had his special place in the Manor.

"And you gifted me a rat..."

"Ah so that's the problem," he spoke up, shaking his head slightly, "I kinda knew it was a bad idea, not many people like rats. I do though."

"You are no different from a rat, Drake," Damian remarked bluntly.

"I know," he smirked that once earning a glare in reply from the little menace. "All jokes aside, forget about the rat. I will put Gustave back in the basement."

Damian looked appalled to hear that, "you named him Gustave?"

"Yeah, you know after Cinderella's rats? There's one called Gus and I thought that could be short for Gustave."

"I don't care what a Cinderella is but never in a million years would I let any rat of mine be named Gustave," Damian added, taking Tim by slight surprise that turned to amusement shortly after, "I will be renaming him and I will make sure it's a decent name, unlike the one you gave him."

"Do as you see fit. Seems like I won't have to take him back then."

"What do you mean back? He will live here with me and Cleo, Pennyworth, Ace and Batcow."

"Oh you named them already but Batcow..." Tim looked as if he would burst into laughter any second but he was interrupted before that.

"One more word from you, Drake, and I am ending our truce," Dami threatened.

"Truce? What truce?"

"Considering that I have bearable company here now due to a shockingly good idea from you, I have decided not to go to war with you every single time I see you," Damian declared in his high and mighty tone as if he was doing Tim a great favor, "I call it a truce between us for as long as you behave."

Tim laughed but then seeing the murderous expression in his eyes, he swept a dramatic bow, "Your Highness has spoken and we poor subjects shall try our best to abide by the law."

Damian rolled his eyes at his antics but deep down he felt somewhat relieved at not having to be at each other's throats all the time. Tim wasn't a bad person, he was just way too weird for his liking, he thought as he stepped out of the lab.

***