Batfamily Short Stories

A Little Goes A Long Way

It had been one of those days at the office. Tim had had to work late at Wayne Enterprises because of several clerical errors surrounding his schedule and was forced to sit through multiple meetings before having to fill out several stacks of paperwork that took him late into the night. 

Tim was finally released from the pain and, after texting Alfred that he was on his way back, began making his way through the parking garage to his car. Or, more accurately, one of the many cars Bruce forgot he even owned. It was his own stupid fault when several men appeared, surrounding Tim before he could make a break for it. 

"Evening, fellas..." Tim quipped tiredly, lifting his hands in faux surrender. Honestly, he was too tired for this.

"Give us the watch, rich kid." one man demanded, holding out a gloved hand.

"Yeah, your wallet and phone, too." added on a second man, who was obviously holding some sort of bladed weapon in his hoodie pocket.

Tim was tired. Too tired to deal with this. Reaching slowly for his wallet, he caught sight of a security camera half-hidden behind a support beam. It was perfectly placed that Tim could deal with these goons and give Red Robin the credit. Even if it caught his face, he had complete access to the security mainframe and could modify or delete the footage with ease.

Before the men come any closer, Tim launched himself at one of them, swiftly knocking him out as the other men attacked. Tim's fists and bony elbows worked wonders as they took out two more of the men with ease, one of whom had been slashing a knife back and forth with a terrible grip. It was almost too easy.

Tim nearly got out of the fight, too, until one guy managed to pick himself up off of the cement and pull out a knife. The metal slid right between Tim's ribs, stabbing into his lung and getting ripped right out again before his body even recognized the pain. When it did, it was excruciating. Sure, Tim had been stabbed before. Even Jason stabbed him that time, but he had at least been wearing some sort of body armor. This time there was nothing between Tim and the blade except for the brand new Dolce & Gabbana suit that Alfred had cleaned and pressed just that morning.

Tim managed to take down the guy that stabbed him before he collapsed breathlessly, but the last remaining man grabbed Tim's phone and other belongings before bolting. His footsteps echoed loudly through the parking garage, and reverberated through Tim's ears and into his brain as he lay on the pavement, gasping and convulsing. He knew very well that the lining of his chest was beginning to fill with air, collapsing his lung, and there's nothing he could do about it. Not here. Not without tools.

The men remained unconscious as Tim grasped frantically at the surrounding area, all sense fled his mind. His fingernails chipped broke against the cement. Tim knew he had no way to contact the cave. He wasn't strong enough to reach the car. His phone and watch were gone, and with them, his emergency beacons. He struggled to keep himself from panicking. If he was being perfectly honest, Tim felt like he was going to die. That is, until a red blur appeared in his vision before everything went black.

**************************

Tim woke up in a medical gurney in the cave with everything exactly how it had been when he had left for work that morning. Or was it yesterday? He had no way to tell how much time had passed, or even if he were still alive, for that matter.  Then his eyes focused on the table next to his bed where Red Hood's helmet sat. From the light emitting from the lens', Tim knew that the helmet's cameras were activated, meaning Jason was keeping an eye on him. Tim couldn't help but smile lazily through the painkillers. Just when you think you know everything about your brother, he always surprises you.       

What Tim did know now was that he was safe. He was alive. And from the grating sound coming from the top of the nearby staircase, Alfred was coming down to check on him. Tim smiled a bit wider as he settled back against his pillow. 

He was safe.