Chapter Text
The air in Gotham seemed to hold it’s breath. It was late September, and everyone knows that it's overdue for a rouge attack. Nobody's been given alerts that people were breaking out or planning anything, and the people waited.
“Come on Robin, leave your brother alone.”
“He is the one who challenged my skills!”
“No I didn’t you little brat!” scowled Red Robin back, glaring at Robin viciously.
“Robin please, just calm down!” Nightwing called across coms, vague sounds of fighting filtering through his com.
Damian huffed as Red Robin sighed.
“Thank you Nightwing, Oracle, any sign of anything?”
“Not that I can tell yet, we've got some break in reports that I'm looking into right now though. Mugging on your right,” she called through, as Red Robin swung away from Robin to take care of it.
“Come on man, I just need like ten bucks to get home, can I not get beat up for this?” The man sighed, dropping his knife and raising his hands as he backed off.
“You should’ve said something, here,” Red said, holding out a ten, “get yourself home before something happens.”
The men nodded and walked off, completely chill with each other now that they could both get home.
Robin landed lightly besides Red Robin, and Tim took out his grappling hook and shot off before Robin.
Red swung up and across a few buildings before he heard the whoosh of another grappling hook.
He had wanted to patrol alone tonight, but was stuck dealing with the brat. Why Bruce paired them up was beyond him, they were continually at each others throats. The brat never even apologized for trying to kill him!
“Okay, Suspicious activity in a building three blocks from the Robins, head in with caution.” Oracle sent coordinates over to the two, talking through the report, and Red Robin quickly and fluidly changed direction midair. Robin was forced to continue through his original path before swinging in a new direction.
It brought Tim a sense of pride that he was better at Damian than something. He’d learned from his mistakes when Damian cut his line, and now was much better than Damian was. Damian was always bragging about how great he was, and Tim took every patrol option he could to rub it in his face how much better he was than him.
Landing near the hotel was easy, and getting in was even easier. Red Robin didn’t know how to feel about that as they made their way to the building's maintenance center where Oracle had said the men had been gathering
“Gas masks! Abort mission!” She shouted a moment before a rancid gas started flowing through the halls from the vents.
“Reroute to the Season's Hotel N and B, Robin’s, start getting civilians out, this is a large hotel and evacuation may be difficult.” The two Robins sprung into action, taking civilians who didn’t have gas masks outside with their grappling hooks, and guiding those who did up stairs to the clear roof.
“Robin and Red, we’ve arrived to assist you. We found Scarecrow goons at the ground floor, do not send anyone down here while we’re fighting.”
Affirmative answers came from the two vigilantes, as they continued to help evacuate people from the hotel.
The minutes ticked by, and it seemed like everyone was getting out on their own now that people had been directed and time had passed.
Red Robin had lost Robin in the hotel somewhere, but he would be fine. He was a trained assassin, helping civilians out was nothing.
Wrapping up his floor Tim looked around for anyone else. He started going through the floors and looking around for anyone who might’ve hidden and stayed behind.
Each floor he looked through was empty, and then he came to the furthest door on the furthest hallway.
He could hear little whimpers and whines from the supply closet, and someone was mumbling something.
“Hey there, I’m gonna open the door up. I’m not gonna hurt you okay. Just opening the door.” Tim carefully cracked the door open, opening the supply closet up. The green fear gas flooded into the room the rest of the way, twirling and twisting around in front of his vision.
Whoever it was sounded young, younger than Damian, and absolutely terrified. And what little he could see of the person, they were small too.
When he knelt down to comfort the child, he could understand the little words and cries coming from the child.
“No, no please. Please stop. ‘M sorry. Ummi, Ummi min fadlik saeadani.” The air caught in Tim’s throat as he recognized the bundle curled up hiding in the closet.
“D- Robin?” he called, backing up a little in case he decided he was threatened and attacked.
“Shit,” he muttered, seeing the remains of his gas mask pressed to his face. There was a cut that was bleeding by it, and the snaps that had held it to his face had broken along with the side. It must’ve broken the seal and allowed the gas in.
Robin shook in the little bundle he’d wrapped himself in as Tim called in,
“Robin’s been dosed, his mask broke and I found him hiding on the top floor.”
“Bring him back to the cave,” Bruce commanded, “We’re almost wrapped up with disposing of the gas producers. Then we can head back and leave it to the police.”
Tim wasn’t excited to have to hold onto the baby assassin that had nearly killed him multiple times, but he had to get Damian back to the cave somehow.
“Ummi, min fadlik la tatrukuni!” Damian cried, sobs torn from his small body.
Gingerly grabbing onto Damian’s arm, he pulled him into his arms and picked him up. Red kept waiting for the knife or other weapon to come out, or maybe to get punched or kicked, but he was surprisingly still, no fighting or thrashing. A hand snuck out and latched onto Red’s chest firmly. He was shaking like a leaf, trembling and shuddering breaths as Tim dragged him around.
“Min fadlik la tatrukuni, min fadlik la tatrukuni!”
Red Robin headed to the window and hopped out, swinging him and Damian through Gotham back to the Cave.