— click clack

tim drake [ red robin ] secretcrisishq.

[rcdrxbin]

svpernovva:

“ last time i tried to join a flock, ” kon begins, and his feet leave the ground mid-sentence, grip tightening reflexively, “ three of the geese attacked me, so i’ve temporarily sworn off flocking together, sorry to disappoint.  i can’t risk us getting pooped on, or snapped by ugly ducks. ”  kon turns a smiling face to the sky above them as they rise rapidly.  

“ i’ll save it for when you’re least expecting it, wonder boy. ”  truth be told, kon’s enjoying this too much to be a total jackass about it.  so he only loosens his grip a tad when they get to a decent cruising height.  “ you still got those dorky star trek posters up in your room ?? ”

“ no wonder why they’re snapping on you, you’re out here calling them ugly ducks. ” tim laughs, and lets his arms wind tighter as they rise. there’s no fear of getting dropped, but it’s better he get used to needing the extra warmth now, than at the higher altitude. “ you’ve got — jacket studs they’re probably confusing with stars or something, surprised they’ve not taken a nosedive in smallville. ”

“ think you mean those awesome and rare star trek posters. ” it’s safe now for tim to look out at the view over kon’s shoulder, take a photo or two that no-one outside their circles will ever see. makes for a good distraction from the urge to drive a knuckle into kon’s side. “ you’ve not earned the right to judge ‘til you’ve watched them all, we’ve been over this. it’s better drama than jersey shore, don’t be anti-space drama. ”

[rcdrxbin]

brdwctcher:

For all of the bravado and brave faces, Dick knows what he is and isn’t ready for. He’s taking the right measures and precautions not to push himself too hard. And he knows a train run definitely isn’t the place for him to be just yet. One day soon, maybe - but not just yet. That risk is just too high, and he’s not going to put Tim in that position.

“Boring, but fine. Is that your way of telling me you feel like pho from that place downtown? Because there are easier ways to get me to buy you food.” Not that Tim needs it, but right now Dick is just glad for anything that will get the kid eating and not just living off coffee. “Mm.. I know. One step at a time. Bottlecap challenges are boring, Timmy. Give me a bit more credit than that, c’mon.” He laughs, rubbing at his sweat-damp hair with the towel, careful to avoid the scar on the side of his head. Not because it hurts - not today, at least - but because it’s still… a little weird, if he’s being honest. “Tim, that’s not a night off. I’m sure it can all wait.” He says with a frown, his voice turning a little more stern. While everyone’s busy trying to make sure he takes care of himself, Dick’s worried about making sure they do, too. He’s not the only one who can have a habit of pushing too far. “I do not make eyes at Daphne, c’mon. Give me a little credit. And I’ll only grace you with my rants if you promise to leave the work for tonight.”

“ I was thinking about it more like two birds one stone, but I wouldn’t turn it down. You try coming up with an easier way that doesn’t get Alfred’s sixth feeding sense lighting up, and i’ll go along with it. ” Tim allows, because everyone knew that Alfred was — well, seemingly unstoppable, but still deserving of a break between so many mouths to feed on mostly different schedules. Maybe everyone that lived or visited the manor needed a break, but Tim isn’t going to be the one that starts that particular revolution. Out of all of them, he’s at least in the best spot to keep things off the others backs for a little while. Cooking aside. “ I thought you’d like it. If everyone’s doing them, even a police officer not on the roll call yet could pull it off, right? Gives you room to show off in the daytime. ” Meant in the kindest sense, of course. Hell knew out of all of them, Dick was the one who did best with an adoring audience. Thrived with it in a way Tim would never really understand. Too many weird dreams about the crowd throwing dodgeballs at him could do that to a guy.

“ If it waits, I won’t have time to meet with the team tomorrow. It’s fine. Don’t underestimate how fast I can get this stuff done with some coffee in me. ” He huffs, and — yeah, he recognises that tone from Dick. It’s the same one they’ve been pulling on Dick for years now, and maybe he should’ve been more glad for how well his brother had taken it over the years. But like hell is he going to say that much out loud. Instead he’s giving a snorted laugh, briefly spraying deodorant over himself before shoving another layer on. “ Like hell you don’t. She’s just your type. Smart, good at her job. ...Redhead. Ginger. Hair kissed by the sun. Anyway, five bucks says you end up ranting anyway if we watch Cyber Chase instead. Lots of bad tech, you’ll love to hate it. ”

[rcdrxbin]

crowbcrs:

Tim’s right, he could’ve called earlier. The uncomfortable truth is that even though it’s been years since he and Bruce called a truce, and Tim’s not even a member of the family he has any real beef with, it’s still difficult to coax himself into asking any of them for help. He doesn’t want to– need them, rely on them the way he used to. Back in the day he used to want Bruce’s approval so bad he’d stop breathing if the man asked. Jason had learned the hard way that that kind of uncomplicated devotion was dangerous. “I’ve been known to be a little arrogant. Thought I had it sorted myself,” Jason shrugs. “Anyway, you need a no question’s asked from me? I’m, like, the least judgmental member of the orphanage.”

Shit, Jason thought grimly. He could’ve sworn the two families were feuding just a few months back, but it’s not impossible that the reconciliation was a happy and mutually beneficial affair. In any case, the Maroni’s contacts and the Falcone’s funds made for a distressing combination. “Some new type of smack,” Jason sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. “It’s bad shit, basically poison, so they’re selling it in The Narrows instead main city. I wanna torch their supply but I haven’t been able to figure out where they’re storing it– think maybe the tighter security on this place is a lead.”

Well, at least Jason can admit to it. As much as Tim can admit he’s a better brother these days, Tim would still be hard-pressed to argue. But then Tim is also the same guy who’s likely to stick his head in the sand if it looks like he can’t complete a case by himself. He gets it, really, and he’s hardly going to act like a Dick and preach about it. Of course, he’s not going to say that. “ Nice to meet you little arrogant, i’m Huge Help. ” Tim quips, and while he’s there installs Flappy Bird, as a treat to find later. “ I didn’t say need, it’s more of a... just in case. The others are nosy and likely to spill anything two seconds after I ask for a hand. Worse than Gossip Girl. ”

But that’s getting off-track, and listening to Jason’s musings — well, none of it sounds like something Tim wants to see. No wonder he’s out of sorts. “ Would explain some of the distress calls recently... ” His lips purse, but he can at least get an image of the place up on the screen. “ My bet is there’s some kind of system under the building. I doubt they’d get a place that close to the factory unless there was some kind of benefit to help them distribute without the place getting clocked. You want an extra set of eyes when you check it out? ”

[rcdrxbin]

svpernovva:

it seems a high likelihood that kon’s going to get distracted the moment he gets there.  not, of course, that kon doesn’t relish the opportunity to be a pain in batman’s ass.  its just he maybe relishes sticking to tim’s side just a little bit more.  what’s the point of being invited home with a friend otherwise?

“ but pretending to drop you is my funniest bit by far. ”  kon shifts his weight from one foot to another with an embarrassed smile when tim tugs at his jacket.  he’s happy to pick  tim up next, one elbow hooked under tim’s knees, the other across his back.  “ i’ll try to keep my hilarious hi-jinks in check if it gets me some fries. ”

unlike some of the stories tim’s heard — and seen photos of — he doesn’t mind so much getting carried around by someone able to fly. sure, it’s a little weird with some more than others. namely kory, who was the first to kindly reject any prospect of star trek being a reality to a young nerd. but with kon, tim has unerring trust, fake falls or not. it’s always more exhilarating, and tim doesn’t need to analyse it to know that always starts from when he’s  loaded into his friend’s arms. “ always thought your funniest bit was trying to join the flocks of geese, superhonk. ”

tim’s arms wrap around kon’s shoulders without hesitation, and it’s a relief that the time apart hasn’t made this more awkward. it still feels semi-natural, even if tim never knows where to look when they’re not yet up in the air. “ you’ve got until we get the food for hi-jinks. i’m not a complete tyrant. ”

[rcdrxbin]

svpernovva:

kon manages a smile, looking straight on at tim, but all he can think about for a moment is how much it feels like tim’s changed sometimes.  he’s not a different person, and he’s always going to be kon’s best friend, but the little things that have changed feel huge.  kon wasn’t supposed to miss out on stuff.  “ thank god i came back when i did.  you’d have had crows’ feet if it had taken another month. ”  

his smile grows at the offer, though.  “ you think he’s really prepared to hear my sermon on staying relevant ?? ”  says the boy in a clearly dated costume.  regardless, kon’s not gonna turn down an opportunity to go home with tim.  “ c’mon, we can pick up food on the way back.  you want a lift ? ”

“ I don’t know about prepared. but sometimes the best method of attack is a surprise attack, right? better question is if you’re ready for B as your first student. ” tim snorts, making a note somewhere to record the occasion if kon can get away with it. or if they don’t immediately get distracted by other means. he’s not had many chances to spend time alone with kon since coming back, and somehow he’s a lot less eager to spend some of this one with bruce in tow, or kon getting thrown out the city.

but tim’s smiling in earnest now, shoving the laptop away before tugging at the front of kon’s jacket. relevant or not, it’s nice to see some things are at least the same as he knows them. “ yeah, i’ll take a lift. feed you some fries on the way if you don’t pretend to drop me? ”  

[rcdrxbin]

brdwctcher:

It’s funny really, that Dick has been put through more training in the past few months than he has for a long time. It’s all from a place of love, he knows. His siblings are trying to look out for him, trying to make sure he’s as prepared as he can be out there. And it’s completely rational considering the injury he’s coming back from. But man - Dick’s really being put through his paces with these training drills and sparring runs.

Or he’s less prepared to be on patrol than he’d like to believe he is, but it’ll take a lot to make Dick admit that.

“I dunno what you’re talking about, I could do a train run easy.” Dick says as he swaps his eskrima sticks for a towel. Tim’s not wrong though - even though he’s been patrolling for weeks now, he’s definitely not where he used to be. Catching the bottle, Dick nods in thanks and takes a couple of sips before answering. “We can call it for the day. I wouldn’t wanna show you up too much.” It has absolutely nothing to do with him being tired. “What’s on tonight? I feel like you’re due for a night off.”

Dick can pretend that he’s prepared for train runs and another session all he likes, but he’s not the one who’s seen him in training. He’s not the one that’s watched his recovery, from laying almost transparent and unconscious, to now, struggling to break through Tim’s own moves. Tim’s not buying it. But Tim’s also not the right person to point that out. He knows Dick won’t listen, and knows it will likely push him away, and Tim’s had enough of losing friends and family. So he’s sneakier about it.

“ Then you can take the subway with everyone else, maybe pick up some pho from the place downtown. Better for you. ” Tim offers without batting an eyelash, rubs a towel over his face before giving up and just shoving his hair back with a short snort. “ I’d be happy if you did, you know that. You’ll get there again. For now, you can just - bottlecap challenge your heart out, if you want to keep going. ” He’s fairly sure any amount of Dick’s admirers would be glad to see that, as much as it made Tim’s face scrunch to hear anyone wax poetically about his brother. Just like it is now, with Dick’s suggestion. “ Staying in, but too busy for a full night off. Casework, WE stuff. Can probably do it with a movie on in the back, if you wanted? ” He’s loathe to admit it, but he could do without watching Dick slip out on patrol tonight, as tired as he’s become now. Would focus a hell of a lot easier knowing he’s not out risking his life because he thinks he can. “ There’s a new Scooby Doo movie out. You can rant and make eyes at Daphne. ”

[rcdrxbin]

crowbcrs‌:

“You know it,” Jason deadpans, throwing a lazy wink at his hazy outline against the dark of the computer screen. “And, yeah, I figured. They had an assload of high grade heroin brought in a couple weeks back, they must’ve started moving it.” His mouth flattens into a grim line. The crime family had a new partner, or benefactor, and it pissed Jason off that he didn’t have the slightest idea who it might be. And the Maroni goons had likely already started pumping it through the East End, all up and down the neighborhoods and side-streets where Jason grew up. “I miss the days when Maroni cybersecurity was three guinea pigs in a trench coat sharing one of those really bulky desktop computers. You wouldn’t remember that. You were still learning long division.” 

At Tim’s question, Jason sighs and scrubs a hand through his hair. It’s been a stupidly difficult case to crack, and he’s not sure if it’s just the nature of the beast or if it’s because he’s off his game. “The address and access code of the safe house they’ve got in The Narrows. I know it exists, but I’ve been casing the area for weeks and I can’t figure out where.”

“ Oh, yeah? Guess it is kind of comforting Pinky and the Brain could have become reality. ” Tim retorts under his breath, too pre-occupied with the figures on the screen to make sure they were hidden in the system. Last thing he feels like today is watching goons break into Jason’s place. If only because he’s certain Tim would be the one that had to put up whatever IKEA furniture had to be replaced. Hell knew most of the Maroni’s were idiots, but whoever did this would likely catch onto anyone trying to steal what data they could. “ You know if it’s taken weeks you could’ve called earlier, right? I could have made a punch card for you by now. Five favours and I get a no question’s asked. ” It takes another few minutes or so, but then Tim can finally sit back with a sigh. “ Alright... Got the address. Bit too close to the Riddle Factory for my liking, but i’m doubting Nygma’s on this. Access code is... Huh. Sofia Falcone’s birthday. That’s odd. ” Tim frowns, but no matter how much more he tries to dig - it’s the same information coming up. “ Either they’re playing at Romeo and Juliet, or they’ve got a stake in this too. ” He saves what information might be useful before backing out of there, and because he can, drops them a little virus too. As a gift. “ What are you thinking, they’ve got it stored in the safehouse? ”

[rcdrxbin]

svpernovva‌:

kon snorts, hooking his chin on tim’s shoulder and watches what he’s working on with moderate interest.  personal space is more a suggestion than a rule anyway, right? “ i don’t remember what chicken run 1 was even about,” he confesses.  he’ll have to orchestrate a team re-watch – he’s ninety percent sure bart owns the movie on dvd.  

“ you should know better than anybody that i’m already accustomed with a cultural impact.  you’re talking to the former superman and continual superboy.  that’s at least seventy-five percent as culturally impactful as batman.  with many more decades of iconic service to come. ”

tim does his best to ignore the new weight on his shoulder, but with limited success. it turns out it’s harder to concentrate on more than one thing, at least when one of them is kon’s face inches away. “ really? I kind of thought you’d be too spiritually attuned to the rooster to forget. he’s got your vibes all over him. ” tim manages, and distractedly manages to finish tagging the last few surveillance files.

“ can kinda imagine those later decades. the great battle of darn kids in your yard. ” he teases, and finally shuts the laptop away. of course then he has to come to face kon properly, and up close - the dissonance in tim’s memories and the year apart come clearer. the hints of stubble, most obviously, the slight change in his features. but still kon, bravado and all. “ c’mon then mr. continual superboy. you wanna come home with me and give B some tips on cultural impact? ”

[rcdrxbin]

@lightningstrikcs​

“ did they give you a list? ” tim wrestles briefly with the shopping cart, cursing under his breath at one of the stubborn, janky wheels as he does.  in all fairness, it was their turn on the snack run for the team, but he’s pretty sure all the same the universe is taunting him when it pulls free.  tim is really hoping cassie’s willing to do the heavy lifting on this one, maybe help shake a can of soda or two for the others before they get back.  “ or are we going rogue? I heard this place has wasabi popcorn, kinda wanna see bart’s face eating that... ”

[rcdrxbin]

@brdwctcher

getting dick onto the mats to train wasn’t exactly new. hell, dick had all but taken lead on training tim in combat, once upon a time. what’s new is tim being the one to call the shots, having to pull his punches and strikes with his staff in order to keep his big brother intact. it’s not a gratifying feeling. but tim knows it’s fighting a losing battle to try and convince the other man that nightwing isn’t needed back immediately, regardless of bruce’s approval. and no matter how idiotic tim found the choice to go back out so soon, he’s pretty sure dick would go ahead even without approval. so it’s the least he can do to try and knock some sense into the guy, and keep him up to scratch.

“ reaction times are getting better, but I don’t think we’re up to train running yet. ” tim admits, wipes the damp strands of his hair back with a sigh before going to get a bottle of water, tiredly tossing another in dick’s direction. training wasn’t so bad, but on top of work and patrols it was beginning to add up. “ one more round, or call it quits for today? ”

[rcdrxbin]

svpernovva:

the nudge tim redelivers is warm and familiar and acutely missed the second it’s gone.  crazy how suddenly being back, seeing his friends again, makes kon ache more than the time alone had.  out of sight, not exactly out of mind.  but return had seen so improbable, so farfetched, that kon hadn’t let himself spend time missing anything.  

now that he’s back, he realizes he’s missed it regardless of whether he thought he was allowed to or not.  his heart beats a weird, out of sync beat, and the unfamiliar thump makes him feel off center.  “ i can’t let anyone in this city think they can eat more eggs in one sitting than me, ya know?  gotta make sure everyone knows i’m back in town. ”

the thing is, tim still can’t figure out how he managed to forget kon, now things are pieced back together. for one, he’s tim’s best friend, and again everything felt like it was slipping to hell when kon wasn’t around. now it’s more than that, when kon can still sneak a laugh out of him before tim can catch on. it’s pretty weird to still miss someone when you already have them back. but it’s all of that which means tim is entirely willing to watch what’s likely going to be the most impressive and probably gross display on offer. “ alright, but when chicken run 2 comes to fruition, it’ll all be pinned on you and the egg gorging of ‘20. hope you’re ready for your cultural impact. ”

[rcdrxbin]

crowbcrs‌:

@rcdrxbin​

“You’re not old enough to drink, are you, Replacement?” Jason asks, throwing a glance at Tim over his shoulder. It should feel weirder to have him here in the apartment - a place he takes every precaution to keep Bruce away from - but somehow it doesn’t. Somehow, when he finally started giving Tim a chance to be something other than the asshole who took his place, they developed a rapport that Jason doesn’t actually hate being a participant in. “I don’t have any juice boxes, but there’s, you know. Water in the tap.”

He pulls a beer off a six pack in the fridge, popping the cap off on the edge of his kitchen counter. “Anyways, the Maronis upgraded their encryption software, so every time I try to get through their firewall I get this. And I’m too pretty to know what it means,” Jason flips up the lid of his laptop, displaying a long and frankly vaguely intimidating string of red numbers and letters. He settles into the stool next to Tim, pulling a coaster under his bottle. (He’s not an animal.) “Can you make anything of it?”

“ Honestly? I’d sooner suspect you have the Kool-Aid Man stashed in your closet than juice boxes. Water’s fine. ” Tim quips, and helps himself, simply relieved that Jason didn’t go the whole glass of milk and apple slices route of pointing out he’s older. It’s not so much true either; for all he knows Jason could have a spare pocket reserved for juice boxes and squirting them in the faces of bad guys. Not his brand, sure, but easily imaginable.

And then they get to the crux of the whole thing. It doesn’t take a genius to be able to tell Jason is trusting him by bringing Tim here at all. He knew Jason did somewhat, and it’s a stark difference from the rabid avoidance Tim had put up with to begin with, but it’s pretty cool to have something substantial to benchmark it. Or alternatively, to stop having to bribe Oracle or play Where’s Waldo when he wants to figure out where to find him on the streets. But he doesn’t say that, just snorts and takes control of the laptop. “ Oh sure, too busy looking at your reflection, right? ” Tim takes a second to scroll through, before frowning and rooting around for a drive from his bag. “ Simply put? They’ve come into decent money if they’ve finally got something decent here. I should be able to get past it, but -- What are you looking for, specifically? ”

[rcdrxbin]

( ryan potter / 19 / he/him ) – hey, have you noticed [ RED ROBIN ] around lately? rumor is they’re from [ GOTHAM ]. out of costume, i think they go by [ TIM DRAKE ] !! their [ COMBAT & DETECTIVE SKILLS ] make them a perfect fit for [ YOUNG JUSTICE ].

howdy folks, tim is based primarily from pre-52 comics, and i’m gonna try keep this one nice and short! - tim came from rich blood, and from early on was given a lot of leeway and time for himself while his parents worked. leading to tim, at the age of 8, running around gotham to take photos of batman and robin. - tim worked out their identities by recognising dick grayson and his somersault, after seeing dick in the circus years before. he keeps the secret, and keeps taking photos even when it comes to the second robin era. - when jason dies, tim can see batman getting more violent, and tries to convince dick to return to robin. dick refuses, but tim somehow manages to successfully volunteer for the job, training with several different experts to get up to scratch. - as robin, tim forms young justice along with kon, bart and cassie, and adventures grow far outside of gotham. - then the bad year comes; kon dies, as does bart, as does steph, as do his parents. supposedly, so does bruce. here tim gets lost, doesn’t cope well, and sticks to the belief that bruce is alive but trapped in time. - with dick as batman, robin is given to damian, and tim (mourning all over the place) drake gets out of dodge to look for clues of bruce. it works, but included long enough dealing with ra’s and the league that he loses his spleen. - one by one, his friends come back from the “dead”. - he moves on, and starts to heal, getting used to his new role and adjusting back to life with his friends and new family back in the same place.  - it’s been over a year since then, and tim is still working hard, both at wayne industries and at detective work.

[rcdrxbin]

svpernovva:

@rcdrxbin

   kon clears his throat, hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket, and bumps his shoulder against tim’s with slightly more force than strictly necessary – friendly, nonetheless.  there’s this odd urge, always, to grill tim for what he does and does not remember of before.  but that’s not productive or helpful, and it’s no ones fault that they’re in this position.  kon swallows the urge and his questions, sighs instead.  “ i’m starving.  take me out to eat, moneybags, ” he demands.  “ if you have time, of course. ”

the clear of throat isn’t really needed, when tim is already pretty hyper-aware of kon in his surroundings. it’d be worrying, if tim wasn’t about 95% certain that was the case even before he went and managed to forget his best friend. tim rolls his eyes anyway, because that’s what’s expected, but he’s already nudging back into kon’s side in agreement. “ don’t get evil with it, but i’m pretty sure you’ve got diary dibs for a while. ” part of that offer might be guilt, but the other part is largely getting that last year the hell back. stuff can wait a little longer. “ feel like taking your eating records back, or are you deadset on the moneybags thing? ”

[rcdrxbin]

batcain‌:

@rcdrxbin​

    cassandra fidgets nervously, slinging a discreetly grey duffle bag over her shoulder and looks hopefully at tim.  usually cass walks to the ballet studio  – she isn’t keen to explain to the others where she goes, but.  but it’s tim, it should be fine.  “ can you – can you drive?”  she’s seen him ride a motorcycle, but as far as she knows, that might just be robin business.  

     it’s not often cass asks tim for anything, and honestly? that alone is enough to get him to put away what he’s doing, no hesitation. “ yeah, I can drive. well, B has me on probation with the special car, but I know what i’m doing, ” tim offers, just then taking in some of the nervous ticks. ah. well, he’s not opposed to helping a couple more family secrets. “ how far are we going? ”