Work Text:
Tim Drake was having a shitty week.
He’d been hunting down a serial killer for a month, it shouldn’t have been this hard. The guy barely covered his tracks at all, he was just so sporadic that connecting cases wasn’t as simple as it could have been. It didn’t help that all of the victims had been street girls. Even if it had been improving somewhat, The Gotham P.D didn’t exactly put a high priority on investigating those cases.
To date, Tim had connected 12 different murders to a single culprit, the only giveaway was that the culprit used a very specific type of knife and cut his victims in a specific pattern. The main suspect was a man called Bradley Walkins, a middle management organiser for a small hotel chain that operated on the outskirts of Gotham, the connecting factor was that Bradley used co-workers' vehicles to scout locations beforehand. It had taken the bat-computer nearly 48 hours to locate him, and that was after Tim had even thought to check for multiple vehicles linked to a single location, there had been a lot of footage.
Still, He’d managed to identify a suspect in the end, and after beginning his search to actually locate the man things had progressed smoothly. The man had a spotless record that contained all the information that Tim needed to find him.
And Tim had found him. Or at least he had located where he should have been. The problem was that he had disappeared. Tim had scoured the man’s information and tracked his every move back as far as a month for any indication of where the man might have gone, the only lead he had managed to find was that he had been scouting around a brothel in Crime Alley called ‘The Scarlet Sash’.
Whether because it was in Jason’s territory, or simply because the women that worked there all seemed to have experience in their chosen vocation, They had outright refused to assist and of the family that Tim had managed to rope in to his information gathering. It had been frustrating. He'd hoped that mentioning that they had been targeted by a suspected serial killer would have encouraged them to talk but bringing it up had just made them shut down any line of questioning immediately.
This had continued for nearly a week and a half, Tim decided he’d need to try something else.
He’d go undercover, The other Robin’s did always say he was too skinny..
__________________________________________
Tim was walking down the street towards ‘The Scarlet Sash’, he’d been out for three nights now, making sure this identity was seen in the area before finally making his approach.
He decided that seeming vulnerable would be his best bet, the girls of this particular establishment seemed incredibly tight-knit.
Walking up to a worker, he began his infiltration
“E-Excuse me?” he began, adjusting the hem of his dress against the chill in the air
The woman he had been approaching looked up sharply but obviously didn’t see him as a threat as she just smiled warmly “Hey Sweetie, what brings you out here so late?”
“o-Oh.. Well I was kind of looking for work..” he said, trying to inject as much uncertainty into his voice as he could.
The woman just laughed politely before approaching “Oh sweetie, you’re far too young to be in this line of work. Streets around here aint safe, Ya’ hear?”
Tim turned his face downwards, looking at the straps of the heels he was wearing “Oh.. Well, I don’t really have anywhere else to go.. I heard that this area was safer than some of the others.. I wanted to check if it was ok to work in the area first though..”
The woman let out a cooing noise “Oh sweetie, you’re too pure for this. I just wanna take you home and make you some cocoa. You shouldn’t have to be out here..” at this the woman trailed off as if considering something
Tim just shifted from one foot to the other, a habit he had long since broken but knew indicated a person was nervous.
The woman watched him for half a minute before speaking again “I tell you what, Sweetie. You let me get a look at you and I might have a place you can stay. It’s better than most, and it’s a hell of a lot safer than being out here on your own.. Sound good, Sweetheart?”
Tim just twisted his hand and kicked a toe into the ground as if thinking before looking up with his best bashful smile “That sounds real good miss, I’d appreciate that a lot..”
The woman chuckled sweetly at that “Oh sweetie, I’m far too old to be a ‘Miss’. Ya can call me Darling while we’re out here.”
Tim beamed at that, it was partly an affectation for the character but he also used it as an excuse to release some of the tension He was finally getting somewhere.
The woman’s breath caught at that and Tim had been concerned he’d accidentally blown his cover somehow but she just simply brought her hand to her mouth “Oh my, You are precious. A little bit boyish, but you are certainly a pretty little thing.”
Despite all of his training, Tim still felt himself flush slightly at that, he couldn’t be sure if it was embarrassment or frustration
His flustered moment just caused the woman, ‘Darling’ he corrected internally, to chuckle again, light and musical. “Oh sweetie, if that’s enough to make you blush, maybe you aren’t cut out for this work. Last chance to turn back?” Tim just shook his head, the curls of his wig bouncing slightly with the motion “Alright then, sugar, Wa’s Ya name?”
“Oh, uh Tamara Booth, you can call me Tammy” he pretended to stammer “I gotta say Darlin’, I’m just happy to find someone who’s willin’ to be nice to me. Some o’ th’ other girls around weren’t so kind..” he said, trying to adopt a similar accent to endear himself to the woman a bit more.
That caused Darling to frown slightly “Oh, baby girl.. Well I’m sorry you had to experience that. Some of th’ other girls ‘round here ain't as lucky as us. Their pimps ain't as understanding”
Tim chased that line of questioning, it could be important “Oh, and yours is?” he asked cautiously
“Oh sweetie, ours is one o’ the’ best. He’s special.” darling replied with a genuine smile that shaved a decade years off of the age Tim had estimated for her.
Tim floundered for a moment “Oh.. Well I can’t wait to meet him.”
Darling just smiled coyly before linking their arms and guiding him towards the brothel
_______________________________________________
Tim hadn’t been sure what to expect from the ‘Brothel’ but it hadn’t been this.
For starters, it wasn’t a brothel, It looked more like a social housing building, Each door had an individual nameplate, there was a communal kitchen and if Tim wasn’t wrong, there was a small entertainment room set up at the back of the bottom floor.
Tim just looked around “How do you keep it so clean?” he couldn’t help but ask
Darling just scoffed “Oh sweetie, don’t sound surprised. This is our home. We don’t bring work here unless we’re absolutely sure they’re gonna treat us right. Benni and Miles take care of anyone who tries to get in otherwise.” Darling replied with a polite smile to two men who sat either side of the entryway, They both gave polite, genuine smiles in return.
Tim immediately noticed that both men were armed, and not cheaply. Both wore sleek body armour under their clothes, Tim only noticed the discrete deforming blockiness of it from years of training.
Misinterpreting Tim’s assessing gaze, Darling spoke again “Oh don’t you mind them Tammy, Those boys are both perfect gentlemen. They originally worked in the boss’s other business but when he gave them the chance to stay here and protect us, they both jumped at the chance. They’re softies. I don’t think the violence sat well with them..” Darling trailed off wistfully
Out of the corner of his vision, Tim saw the larger man flush slightly and duck his head bashfully. He genuinely looked slightly embarrassed at the praise, but judging from the scarred knuckles and the fact his eyes never left the door, Tim was sure that this man was aware of what his job here entailed, and more than capable of fulfilling the role.
As they continued onto the stairway, Darling called back “Hey Benni, Sweetie, Can you contact the boss-man? This little sweetheart wants to see about maybe finding a space here. I figure he might want to meet her first.”
The smaller man, Benni, Just smiled and nodded “Sure thing Darlin’. I’ll call him now.”
“Thank you Sweetie” Darling called back as they continued to ascend.
Darling led him into a joint kitchen/lounge and they sat quietly with a warming cup of tea as they chatted politely, Tim continuously surveying their surroundings the whole time.
Darling’s phone dinged and she picked it up to check it “Oh wonderful, Boss-man was close so he’s on his way here already. He’s not far out so he said to leave you in his office. I’ll walk you up”
Setting down their cups, they both stood and made their way up the stairs again.
As they approached a door, Darling reached out and grabbed Tim’s hand and pulled him to a stop “Now sweetie, I’m not sure what you’ve heard about our boss but just keep in mind, he may seem a little intense but deep down he’s good people.”
Tim just nodded at that “Ok Darlin, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you”
Darling just patted her hand and smiled softly before walking away.
Tim stared at the door for a moment, a sense of trepidation building, he wasn’t sure why. It’s not like some two bit thug could do anything to him, even if he was wearing a dress and platform heels.
‘He was a Robin’
__________________________________________
Tim stopped to examine his surroundings again once he entered the office.
The room was sparse and barely decorated, It had a relatively well made desk in the centre with comfortable looking chairs on each side.
Tim simply walked into the room and sat in the guest chair and settled in to wait, his eyes fixed on the doorway he had entered through.
He might not know what to expect, but he would be ready for absolutely anything that came through that door.
Which was why he practically threw the chair across the room in surprise when someone came in through the window.
________________________________________
Jason hadn’t really known what to expect when he entered the room.
Benni had messaged him saying Darling had found a stray, so he’d made his way over.
He wasn’t sure if this was some form of elaborate ambush or something along those lines so he’d decided to hold the element of surprise and come in through the window.
He planted his feet and crossed his arms across his chest, the chair thumped into him with a crack of splintering wood before falling to the ground
The girl was fucking tiny. How the hell did she manage to launch a chair like that?
He gave her a once over to try and get something to go off of but couldn’t pick out anything conclusive.
He couldn’t help it, The situation was so insane. He began to laugh
________________________________________
Tim was panicking. He’d been prepared for a pimp, he’d prepared for a thug of some sort.
He hadn't been prepared for the Red Hood. He hadn’t been prepared for Jason
The chair throw had been instinctual, he hadn’t even thought before doing it. Anybody who was coming in through a window was skilled enough to be dangerous.
He dropped down into a fighting stance, expecting Jason to charge at him in retaliation.
He braced for an impact that never came, and after a few moments passed with no fight his focus broadened again and he took in the room at large
Across the room, The Red Hood, Jason He had to remind himself, was doubled over, his helmet making a terrifying crackling sound.
Tim was considering approaching to check he was Ok when he suddenly straightened, hands on his hips and head held backwards facing the ceiling, that continued for a few moments more before he reached his hands up and removed the helmet.
Tim’s throat loosened once the helmet was removed, but quickly left him again once Jason’s face was revealed. He was still wearing a domino, but with his face turned upwards in joy he looked so much younger, he looked so much like Robin. So much like he did before…
Tim just watched in awe for a few minutes until the laughter dimmed and Jason finally regained control
Still chuckling slightly, Jason finally spoke “Oh God. Haven’t laughed like that in years. God damn, shorty. That was awesome!”
Tim just stared in awe for a few moments longer before speaking, barely remembering to keep his voice lighter and more effeminate. “Oh.. Um.. Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to come in through the window. I’m sorry.”
Jason just let out another huff of laughter as he waved the apology away “Don’t worry about it shorty, I’m not here often enough that I’ll miss the chair, and I’m not fragile enough to let somethin’ like that take me out.” he said with a boyish grin.
Tim just stared and started to wring his hands together, He couldn’t help it, He wasn’t sure if it was latent hero worship of His Robin or because he knew exactly how much damage Jason could do to a person, but being in a room alone with him always set Tim on edge. This close it wouldn’t be long before something went wrong and his cover was blown.
Jason just smiled at him though, seemingly unperturbed. Before making his way towards the desk “So shorty, What can I help you with?”
Tim considered coming clean right then, He knew Jason probably wouldn’t take the lying well and the show of good faith might have been enough to get Jason to cooperate.
A voice in the back of his mind, Bruce’s voice, t old him to maintain the cover. To gather as much information as possible.
He kept quiet.
Not noticing his inner struggle, Jason simply continued his path around the back of the desk, picking up the remaining chair and moving it around to Tim’s side before offering her the seat and moving back around the desk to lean against the wall
As Tim cautiously lowered himself into the seat, he watched as Jason just smiled serenely, head bobbing minutely to a beat that only he could hear, in the silence she could hear the faintest humming of a guitar riff he vaguely recognised.
Before he could stop himself he found himself asking “What song is that?”
Jason just smiled again “It’s just an old rock song. Nothin’ special about it. Just something I find myself humming when I’m in a good mood” he replied easily
Tim just stared, confused “I didn’t think the Red Hood would ever be in a good mood while working..” He said cautiously
Jason let out a bark of laughter “Oh I’m capable, it doesn’t happen often but sometimes in the right company it happens. Besides, I’m not working right now.”
Tim’s wasn’t sure what to make of that “But if you’re not working.. Then why are you here?”
Jason paused for a moment before replying “I’m strictly ‘protection only’ for this place, I don’t run the joint or anythin’.”
“But Darling called you the boss” Tim clarified
Jason shrugged at that “Yeah, Darling’s petty like that” he said with a chuckle “From the offset, I made it clear I didn’t want to run a brothel. It’s not really my thing but me and Darling go way back, she was a regular on my patrol route for a while. Saved her a few times, dropped in with hot food on a few especially cold nights. Every time she’d thank me and ask when I was going to take her home. It became an inside joke. One day I decided to have a little fun with it. Dropped in, did the usual song and dance, then when she finally got round to asking, I brought her here. I had some extra cash lying around and bought the place. Said it was hers if she wanted it.”
Tim couldn’t help but scoff at that “Right so you just gave a random hooker a building as a joke?” and he knew he’d said the wrong thing the moment the words left his mouth.
Across the desk, Jason’s shoulders tensed and his smile fell. His mouth settled into a thin line.
“The polite term is ‘Working Girl’” he said flatly.
Tim cringed at the thinly veiled hostility and felt himself tensing in anticipation. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s just.. I’ve heard stories about you, Y’know? Everybody has. You aren’t exactly known for being altruistic.”
Jason scoffed at that “Well no shit, Shorty. I’m a crime lord. If anybody finds out I care about something, It becomes a target to somebody. It’s why I’m mostly hands-off for this place, I pay to keep the lights on, the girls keep it running using whatever they make from working”
Tim watched Jason’s face for signs that he wasn’t being honest, he couldn’t see any “So why get this place then? Why hand it over if you weren’t going to get anything from it?”
Jason laughed softly “Why do I have to get something out of it to do something good?” he asked facetiously “I grew up in the Alley. I’ve seen how shitty the people here can be to each other, I was in a position to help people I cared about and chose to use what I had to do so.”
“So what, you just let them do whatever they want with the building?” Tim asked, trying to understand
Jason laughed out loud at that “Shorty, I don’t let the ladies here do anything, they run the building how they see fit. It was part of the deal. They choose this line of work because it’s what they want to do. They choose to work here because I never ask for a cut. The only responsibilities they’ve got are to themselves, and to the other ladies who live here.”
Tim looked at Jason for a long moment before replying “Is that why you’re here then? To explain the rules?”
Jason just chuckled at that “Shorty, Darling could have done that without me. No, Darling only ever calls me in when she knows that this place isn’t the right fit for someone.”
Tim stiffened “Oh. So you’re here to scare me away then?”
Jason scoffed “No shorty, that ain’t what I meant. Darling brought you here which means she thinks you’re good people, but she also brought me here which means she doesn’t think you’d be a good working girl. I’ve got fingers in a lot of pies, so to speak, so I’m here to see if I can offer you something better”
Tim’s shoulders sagged a little bit “Like what?”
“Well, what are you good at?” Jason asked lightly
Tim thought for a moment, He didn’t actually need a job so he could just make something up but knowing Jason, He’d probably have follow up questions. He finally settled on “I’m good with computer, and information gathering I guess”
Jason gave a small smile at that, Tim wasn’t sure why.
“Alright Shorty, I fund a community library out by the community college. I can probably get you a job there within a week. That sound good?”
Tim floundered for a moment, He’d expected a much longer interrogation than that.
His expression must have shown something as Jason just laughed “What, Too soon? Or are you not really after a job?” he asked with a small smirk
Tim was confused at that response, something had changed
“W-well I was kind of hoping for something closer to here..” he began “I kind of want to stay around here. If I can.”
Jason’s smirk widened “Oh really? And why might that be?”
Tim’s internal alarm was starting to warble slightly, warning him that something was about to happen. “I-I just live close by, and Darling said something about me maybe getting a spot here. If I don’t have to work on the streets, I’d still like to be around good people.”
Jason smiled wanly “C’mon Timbo. Why are you really here?”
And Tim froze.
Jason laughed then, it wasn’t mocking or hostile, it seemed genuine “God, Replacement, I know I wasn’t the smartest Robin, but I was still a Robin.”
Tim just frowned “What gave me away?” He asked mulishly
Jason chuckled at his childish attitude “Oh, there were a few things. The chair thing was suspicious for sure. Your responses to a few of my questions confirmed that you were lying. But some of your responses indicated that you were a little more ‘in-the-know’ about me than most people. Gotta admit, the womens clothes threw me for a while but once I was able to get my brain to ignore what you were showing me and focus on what I could actually see.. It kind of just fell into place.”
They sat in silence for a minute before Tim finally spoke. “Go on. Make fun of me. I know you’re dying to.”
Jason just laughed at that, Tim cringed slightly knowing he was about to be mocked
But it never happened
Jason just let his laughter die down before speaking again “Not that I wouldn’t mock you mercilessly any day of the week, but what exactly am I meant to be mocking you for this time?”
Tim just looked at him, puzzled before waving a hand in front of himself to indicate ‘Everything’
Jason laughed again, “Timbo, that is probably one of the few things I would not laugh about. Firstly, I assume it’s a work thing. I’m still convinced you might actually be a robot so I know for a fact it’s not a sex thing. Gotta admit though, If I didn’t know you so well, I’d probably have stayed convinced you were a lost little teenage girl. You played the roll well. It’s kind of freaking me out if I’m honest.”
Tim just stared at him slack jawed for a moment before deciding not to look a gift-horse in the mouth “Fair enough. Moving on. I’m here about a serial killer that’s been killing prosti-” At jason’s stern head tilt, Tim corrected himself “Working girls.”
Jason just nodded satisfied “Short guy, black hair, birthmark behind his left ear?”
Tim nodded “Yeah, His names Bradley Walkins-”
“Don’t care” Jason interrupted “He’s not an issue anymore”
There was suddenly a tense silence between the pair
After a few moments Tim finally spoke “So you killed him then?” he asked bitterly
Jason laughed sardonically at that “No you fucking brat. Actually I saved his life. He tried going after one of the Scarlet’s. Didn’t realise that I make sure my people know how to look after themselves. Stupid fucker tried going after one of the younger girls, the women here treat eachother like family and always know where everybody else is. Brada, that’s the girls name, is sharp as a tack though, led him on a merry chase towards here, texting as she ran. Your serial killer didn’t even know he was surrounded until he was getting the snot kicked out of him by 14 women in strappy stilettos. One of them nearly broke their hand caving his teeth in. Needed to stitch that one myself, everyone else was too shaken to help her fix it.”
Tim just stared in astonishment
Jason just made his way to the desk and pulled a laptop out, turning it on and tapping away at the keys for a few minutes “Your man didn’t wake up, at least not last time I checked. I’ll admit I didn’t really give a shit. He didn’t keep ID on him and his face was too swollen for facial scanning. No fingerprints in the system and he couldn’t give an answer himself so he's checked in as a John Doe at Gotham General.” he said, spinning the laptop to show Tim the check-in paperwork from the hospital’s system.
Tim checked it over and nodded to himself. “I’ll check personally in the morning.”
Jason scoffed at that, scowling at the desktop and Tim thought he heard him mutter “Of course. Because my word isn’t good enough”
Tim stood to leave and was halfway to the door when Jason spoke again
“Replaceme-” there was a pause “Tim. You’re staying here tonight.”
Tim whirled around, preparing for a rant but Jason just held his hand up to forestall it “Don’t argue. Darling can’t know why you were here. She thinks she a good judge of characte, If you make her doubt that then she might not be willing to help the next person who actually needs it. You’re staying here, and in the morning you’re letting her know you’re leaving on good terms. If you sneak off, she will worry and I will know. I will hunt you down. Are we clear?”
Tim just stared for a moment, none of that had even occurred to him. He simply nodded.
“Good. Now get the hell out.”
__________________________
Tim met up with Darling again when he’d gone back downstairs, she’d offered him more tea and they’d sat and spoken for a while longer before he sadly told her that he would be leaving in the morning.
He had expected her to be upset, instead she just beamed proudly. “So he managed to find you somewhere better then? Oh that’s wonderful sweetie. I’m so happy for you” she cried, leaning over to pull him into an embrace which they held for a long moment, Tim felt himself practically melt into it in a way that felt foreign to him.
Pulling away, Darling kept a grip on his hands and began tracing a thumb across his fingers as she spoke.
Belatedly, Tim realised that a few of her knuckles were slightly out of line and that she had a freshly healed scar on the knuckle of her left index finger.
Tim pretended to fawn over it, as he personally checked that each knuckle was realigned properly so as not to cause issues in the future.
As he sat with her, her earlier words played in his mind again
“he may seem a little intense but deep down he’s good people.”
Tim realised she really was a pretty good judge of character.
__________________________
Tim had stayed the night. And when he finally got home the next day and began stripping off the undercover costume he paused in thought before trashing the whole thing.
He thought about tea and pleasant chatter with a caring woman who had been willing to share her home with him.
He carefully folded the clothing before settling behind his laptop. He began the laborious process of creating a fully forged cover identity.
Maybe Tamara Booth could be useful again in the future he thought to himself
At the very least it would give him the opportunity to make sure Darling didn’t worry.