Chapter Text
Bruce headed for the phone that Alfred was pointing to. He hoped this call will be quick. He hadn't had a good week.
Between Red Hood attacking Robin at the Titans Tower; Bombs that had damaged Blüdhaven city; Nightwing getting injured; A number of gang leaders' heads had turned up; Red Hood was still missing; other problems had also turned up which he was trying to deal with and Bruce was also trying to act like a normal citizen in the daytime.
Bruce hadn't had a good night's sleep at all this week.
Everyone was looking for Jason.
“Greetings Mr Wayne, this is Jack Drake, I am ringing to inform you about Tim Drake's current situation.” A hard male voice was on the other end of the phone.
Bruce had to think for a moment, Tim? He was in the hospital this week, right? Bruce couldn't quite remember the last time he saw Tim, was it the day he was attacked?
“Ah, yes?” said Bruce, wondering how much Jack knew about Robin or Batman.
“He got seriously injured last week. He succeeded in informing us, his parents about it. We moved him to a private hospital, his mother is with him now.
Once he is better, he will be moving out of Gotham until we can ensure he will be safe in the future. He wants you to know he is no longer available to help you with your night activities. Any future activities of that type will be a discussion between him and us only. You, Mr Wayne, will not be a part of that discussion.”
Bruce froze, is the third Robin in danger? Was his parents abusive or neglectful?
“I would like to check on him.” Bruce said carefully, considering how to get Oracle to check he isn't in a domestic abuse situation.
“Really? Janet has been with him for four days, you haven't looked for him in that time. Do any checks you like, to check he is safe. Just don't bother trying to meet him physically. I don't want him to be upset.”
“I have a few questions. Like how long have you known what he has been up to? Do you know how he was injured?”
“Hmm, I could ask you a few questions too, like how did you let him? But I already know the answers to those questions. We didn't know what he had been doing until last week.” countered Jack. “Tim had insisted on attending boarding school instead of online schooling and travelling with us. We would have preferred him with us instead. We had no idea that he had transferred himself to a Gotham school instead, so he could photograph Batman and become a Robin.”
Jack chuckled, “I find myself both proud and appalled with his actions. We got a phone call from the hospital, and a file to our phones with a timeline on what he had been doing and why. He only didn't mention your other ID. I doubt he knows that both Janet and I already knew that.”
“Anyway,” he added, “to cover any problems of your missing Robin, I suggest you tell everyone that Red Hood killed Robin. Or at least that Robin will not be around in the future due to injuries. By the time they work out Tim isn't returning under Robin identity, either they will have forgotten him. Or a new Robin will turn up.”
“He has friends in the Titans, the young hero team.”
“Who don't know who he is, right? You blocked any attempt for him to tell them. They don't really trust him. I believe they prefer to have another leader in charge of them. I suspect they don't have any idea what Tim did for them. I wonder if they will work it out? Not my problem. If Tim wants to contact any of them in the future, he can. I won't stop him.” Jack paused for a breath, “If he wants to return to the hero's life in the future, it will be his own decision, and probably under a new name.”
“If you know what happened, can you assure me you won't go after Red Hood?”
“Your mentally disturbed second child? No I won't, he needs help, but I don't blame him for the attack.”
“What?”
“Oh, you don't know, how amusing. The attack was caused by Talia Al Ghul. Your second son has been in the presence of the league of assassins. He was getting too protective of her son. She put him through treatment to increase mood swings and turn temporarily insane, and drummed in his head that Tim replaced him as Robin, then set him loose in Gotham.” Jack snarled, “I called in a couple of favours, Ra’s will be ‘speaking’ with Talia. But I believe I should also return the same favour to her.”
“Sorry, I do not understand.”
“I am giving you a hint, you might want to look into the parentage of Talia’s son.”
“Ok?”
“Oh, believe me, you really want to do that. Anyway I do have a message from my son to you. ‘Since your dead son has returned. Forget about me, I doubt it will be difficult to do. I was never welcome in any part of your life. I am sure everyone will be relieved to no longer need to watch or listen to me any longer. Goodbye.’”
“Mr Wayne or whoever you call yourself.” continued Jack, “Stay away from my son. You and your family. You have your son back now. You don't need mine. I will call in every favour to protect my family if I need to. Drakes protect their own. Goodbye.” Jack ended the call, leaving Bruce staring at it. He put it down.
“What did Mr Drake say?” Inquired Alfred.
“A number of things, mainly that his son is in his parents' presence, he will not be returning as Robin. And he wants us to fully stay away from Tim.”
“Does he know about the night activities?”
“Yes. He knows a great deal more than I expected. Tim hadn't told him about my second identity, it seems he already knew.”
“Interesting. It seems Tim’s mental abilities might be inherited from the Drakes.”
“Yes.” Bruce blinked as he turned back into the main house. He still had stuff to do. A child had gone back to their family. But why did he feel like a massive hole had been left instead.
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