Chapter Text
Fighting with friends is always a change, especially for someone who's grown as used to fighting alone as Red Robin. In the year he'd been gone, he'd gotten used to having no backup, and no help. It had taken a few months of fights to get somewhat back to normal, but it was still off sometimes.
This time, they were fighting a gigantic robot in downtown San Francisco. Wonder Girl is flying around it with Superboy, both trying to beat it down as Red Robin covered the distraction portion of the plan. Impulse busied himself with pulling civilians out of the way of the robot's energy blasts.
Superboy got in a lucky hit, knocking over the bot. Within seconds, Red was on its head, ripping off a panel and dropping in a few explosives. He flips off of it as they explode, letting smoke billow out of the sides of its eyes. He glided safely to the ground, giving a satisfied look to the flaming machinery behind him.
Turning off his comm, Tim limped over to a nearby bench. He took a shaky seat, getting ready to hastily dress the wound in his side. Earlier in the fight, he'd slipped on the bot and a piece of metal had jabbed into his abdomen, right next to his splenectomy scar. As he's pulling out the bandages from his belt, he hears the sound of groaning metal to his right.
As Tim's head whips around, he spots a man, obviously oblivious to the debris about to fall onto him. He's going to be a pancake! Tim sprinted to the man, barely tackling him out of the way before it falls. It comes down with a heavy crash, making Tim wince.
The man looks up at him curiously. As he does, Tim gingerly lifts himself off of him, doing a mental search for injuries. Tim adopts the tone he usually used for scared or traumatized victims. "Sir, are you hurt? I don't think you have any serious injuries, but I'd recommend getting a paramedic to look you over. They should be here soon."
"I am alright, thank you. You are very kind, but I believe the wound in your side needs attending to more than I do, along with your mental burdens. They are nearly screaming at me."
Tim looks suspiciously at him. "What are you talking about?"
The man has a realization. "I forgot to introduce myself." His skin turns green beneath his clothes as Tim understands his words.
"You're a Martian."
"Yes I am, Friend. My name is S'amm S'immons. I am not exactly sure how I arrived onto your planet, but I now owe you a boon for saving my life."
"I don't need anything, honestly. It's what heroes do." It's accompanied by a charming smile.
"I must insist upon it." The green man snapped his fingers. "That will do. I believe your friends and family are due a bit of... insight, don't you?"
Tim started to protest, but before he could do anything, S'amm put his palm against his forehead, and the world went black. The last thing he saw were glowing green eyes.
===
As Cassie finished speaking with the police officer, her vision went green before turning to black.
===
As Conner and Bart bickered with each other, their vision showed a bright green, before both blacked out.
===
In the Batcave back in Gotham, Nightwing, Batman, Robin, and Spoiler prepared for patrol. Nightwing turned to Batman, poised to ask a question, and the occupants of the Cave had a vision of green before they each fell unconscious.
===
In Hong Kong, Cass was getting ready to FaceTime her family as they prepared for patrol. As she opened her laptop, her vision flashed green before blackening.
===
As she wakes up, Stephanie remembers Bruce's lessons. She steadies her breathing, keeping her eyes closed as she tries to catalogue her surroundings.
1. The only thing she can hear is soft breathing on her left side.
2. She didn't remember finishing patrol, or even starting it, so whatever happened took place in the Cave.
3. She's in her pajamas, so whoever is breathing next to her either knows who she is, or has her in her civilian identity.
4. Tuning into her sense of touch, she figures out that she is sitting up, with her head against something soft. The material also.. feels like Tim's couch?
Her eyes open as she looks around.
What the heck is going on?! Looking around what is definitely Tim's living room, she spots Bart, Conner, and Cassie laying on one side of the couch, sprawled on top of each other. It gets weirder as she notices Bruce, Dick, Jason, Cass, and Damian, all asleep.
As she has her internal freakout, she doesn't see the others waking. The Bats stay quiet, silently looking around to see what's happening, even Jason. Meanwhile, the Titans immediately get up, making quite a bit of noise as they stretch and sit at the island, with Bart pulling food out of the fridge. The three of them look completely at home, even as they take notice of the Bats and whisper to each other. They must stay over often. Stephanie herself had only been over once, and that had been to pick up a bit of information for Barbara. Tim had been pretty brusque, but she'd waved it off as exhaustion and left it at that.
Before the Bats or Titans can do anything, the TV turns on. Immediately, everyone in the apartment snaps to it, wondering how they'd gotten where they were.
A Martian pops up on the screen, looking pleased. “Hello, friends and family of Timothy Drake. You are probably wondering why I’ve brought you here.”
"Darn right I do. I ain't family or friends with the kid."
“Who are you? And why have we been taken to my son’s apartment? Where is he?” Bruce’s voice was getting dangerously low.
“Please calm down Mr. Wayne. As you well know, an investigation needs all available information before it can be completed.” At the statement, all of the Bats, excluding Cass, tense. “To answer your questions, my name is S’amm S’immons. I have brought you here to give a bit of insight into Timothy. As Cassandra has noted, you are not actually in Timothy’s apartment. This is the inside of his mind. You all are currently inside a construct I have created to shield you.”
Bart gives a high-pitched noise. “This is Tim’s mind? That’s so cool!”
Cassie pipes up. “Why should we believe you? And what do you mean by ‘shield’?”
“Ah. You see, the mind can be a very dangerous place. I’m sure that you’ll find out exactly how soon enough. As for the belief issue, you’ll simply have to trust me.”
Damian scowls. “I know everything I need to about Drake, Martian.”
“I can assure you that you do not, Robin.” The entire room becomes thick with tension. “Yes, I am well aware of all of your identities. I give my word that I will not reveal them.”
“Where are my guns?”
“I have removed all weapons from you and your companions. As for the three of you,” he nods to Cassie, Conner, and Bart, “your powers have been temporarily bound.”
Dick smiles tightly at the screen. “Mr. S’immons, how long are we being kept here? And why? You said it was to give us insight into Tim, but you haven’t said how.”
“Wonderful question. As long as you are here, no time will pass in the physical world. You are here to view some of his memories, from his perspective.”
“Isn’t that a huge invasion of privacy?”
“In some ways. Others, no. Regardless, I will take you to the place for viewing now.” His eyes glowed on the screen, and they reappeared in a new room, this one was something like the living area in Titans Tower. S’amm was again on the screen in front of them, while all of them were seated on the couch. Along one wall were six holograms of Tim. They each were a bit different, and as she got up and looked closer, each had an inscription on the base.
The first was Robin. It featured Tim, standing tall in his old suit, with that same smirk he used to have every time he went on patrol.
The second platform. Timothy Jackson Drake. It showed Tim in a suit, wearing a timid expression. He looked obedient, what with his perfect posture and hands clasped at his lower back. The perfect society child.
Tim Wayne was the third. It showed Tim in one of the outfits he wore frequently to Wayne Enterprises, a dark button-down underneath a charcoal suit jacket. He looked carefree, but at the same time, there was a calculating look underneath it. He looked exactly as he always did in interviews and newspapers.
Red Robin came next. Tim was fully suited up, cowl and all, but this time, there was a cold tilt to his mouth. It was harsh and cutting. His bo staff in hand, he looked ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
Alvin Draper was on the fifth display. The stance and aura around it seemed to be almost a mixture of Robin and Tim Wayne. The smirk was all Robin, but the pose and the carefree aura he gave off was unmistakably a copy of the Tim Wayne hologram.
Timmy Wayne looked the most like Tim's natural state when he wasn't in the suit or in front of a camera. He was grinning and in a long sleeve shirt and jeans. His posture was open, relaxed, and happy.
The last one simply said 'Tim' on the stand. It was flickering in and out, and the stand was cracked. From what she could see, it was Tim, with a tired smile, and dark eye bags. He wore a faded Batman tee-shirt and sweatpants. It looked real.
Before she could ask, Bart asked her question. "Hey, S'amm? What are these hologram things? Are we still in Tim's mind? And why's this one cracked?"
S'amm looked rather saddened. "Those are... masks. And yes, this is another construct in his mind."
"Cool!"
"I believe it is time to begin. Please take your seats." Walking over to the couch, they each sat down.
"Why must we watch Drake's memories? If I wanted to see a failure, I'd ask him to fight me." Bruce and Dick each put a hand on his shoulder to quiet him, Bruce sighing exasperatedly. Steph could see Cassie and Conner clenching and unclenching their fists, looking angry on Tim's behalf.
"Then you truly know nothing.” Damian crosses his arms, burrowing deep into the couch. “I will try to bring them up in chronological order. The screen will show each memory in an outside perspective. I must ask that you try not to speak during the memories." His eyes flashed yet again, and the screen changed, bringing up the first memory.