Whumptober 2022: Day 19 - Enough is enough
Prompt: Knees Buckling
Summary: When he receives a call from his missing son, Bruce doesn't hesitate to drop everything and rush to get to him.
Enjoy! :D
“Master Bruce, you really ought to eat something.”
Bruce ignores Alfred as the man places a plate of sandwiches next to him, his focus is entirely on the screen opposite him.
“Sir, this really isn’t helping anyone.”
Letting out a long breath Bruce turns to his father figure to send him an annoyed glare. “I can’t stop looking Alfred. He’s been missing for five days now. Who knows what’s happened to him or where he could be right now. We have absolutely no leads and I’m not going to stop until I find him.”
With his usual level of calmness, Alfred straightens up and tries to reason with him. “Master Bruce, we are all worried about Master Tim, however running your ragged until you collapse isn’t going to help find him any quicker. You need to look after yourself so when we do find Master Tim you are fighting fit and able to help him.”
Bruce clenches his teeth. He hates it when Alfred is right. He has to admit ever since they realised that Tim is missing, the teenager never making it home after being out with friends, he’s been non-stop in trying to find out what happened to his son. All the family have been going non-stop in order to try and find him. So far they haven’t had any luck and every passing minute Bruce’s concern grows.
Turning away from the computer screen Bruce goes to answer Alfred but he's stopped when his phone begins to ring. Running a hand over his face, Bruce picks up his mobile from where it’s been face down on the desk next to him and notices that there’s no idea caller. Dread immediately fills him and he accepts the call with a sick feeling in his stomach.
“Hello?” He speaks into the phone. There’s a long pause afterwards and all Bruce could hear was heavy breathing on the other side. When no one speaks up for a while Bruce is about to hang up when he suddenly hears a weak and frail voice come through the speaker. The voice makes Bruce freeze and all of a sudden hope sparks inside of him.
“Tim?” He looks over at Alfred with wide eyes, noticing how intensely the elderly man is already watching him.
“-uce?”
“Tim is that you? Can you hear me bud?” Bruce could feel his heart pounding inside his chest and millions of questions flood his mind. Putting his phone on speaker he turns to the computer in order to try and trace the call from his mobile, however before he could type anything Alfred is there pushing him away and taking over the task, allowing Bruce to purely focus on the phone.
“Bruce please…” Tim’s voice sounds broken and it sounds like he's on the verge of tears. It breaks Bruce’s heart to hear his son like this.
“Tim can you tell me where you are? What’s around you? Describe anything to me.”
Tim does more than that, he somehow manages to rattle off an address he believes he’s currently at and Bruce sucks in a deep breath when he finds out that Tim is still in Gotham.
“Tim listen to me, I’m coming to get you alright. Stay exactly where you are, I’m coming to get you okay. I’ll be twenty minutes at most.”
Just as Bruce stands up a broken sob sounds out over the speaker. “Please don’t leave me!”
“No, no, no. Tim listen to me,” Bruce is quick to try and console Tim in a gentle voice, trying to get through to the distraught teen, “I’m not leaving I’m coming to get you. Stay where you are and it’ll be even better if you stay on the phone. Alfred is here. Keep talking to Alfred, Alfred will keep you company until I’m there okay?”
Stepping away from the desk, Bruce rushes to grab a set of keys from his collection but before leaving he back tracks to Alfred. “If anything changes keep me updated through the comms. Can you update everyone else on the situation as well please.”
“Of course Master Bruce. Hurry, go get our boy and bring him home.”
No more is said between them as Bruce sprints to the car and drives out of the Manor at law breaking speeds. He knows exactly where Tim is and prays that the kid is still there by the time he arrives. His thoughts are everywhere as he drives, he has no idea what’s happened to Tim and if its anything to go by the way he sounded over the phone nothing good has occurred. His son is hurt and scared and it pains his heart that’s happened to him, a child who he's supposed to protect.
Bruce told Tim he would be there in twenty minutes, he ends up making it in fifteen. His tires screech as Bruce pulls up to the curb in the middle of some old back streets and he carelessly flings open the doors as soon as the vehicle comes to a stop.
Rushing across the street and into a back alley where Tim mentioned he was, Bruce frantically looks around trying to find his son. It takes a couple moments but in the end he spots the almost hidden phone box against the wall and just on the side of the box clinging desperately on the phone is his son. For the first time in days Bruce feels a sense of relief wash over him. Of course he isn’t stupid, he knows they aren’t out of the woods just yet but they’ve reached the first hurdle, they’ve found Tim. That’s the main thing. They’ll tackle everything else once Tim is home safe and sound.
“Tim!”
He calls out to his son and immediately gets his attention. Tim turns to him, albeit sluggishly but there’s no denying that Tim easily recognises him. As Bruce starts forward he watches as Tim pushes himself away from the phone box, letting go of the phone and begins to stumble towards him on shaky legs.
Clearly struggling to hold himself up, Tim wobbles in place and as he takes his next step Bruce watches as his legs crumble underneath him, his knees giving out, making him crash towards the floor. Lunging forward Bruce is able to catch him just before he hits the ground, Tim falls easily into his arms and Bruce bundles him up closely, instantly scanning to see how badly hurt his son is.
“Bruce?” Tim breathes out, it’s a question and he sounds like he's in disbelief, as if not really believing Bruce is there with him.
Bruce runs a hand through Tim’s greasy and unkempt hair, not caring how gross it is. “I’m here Tim. I’m here. Thank god, I can’t believe…” Bruce couldn’t even finish his thought, every emotion is running through him and he’s just so thankful Tim is in his arms again.
He cups his son’s face and turns it towards him and for the first time in five days he gets a good look at Tim's face. His son is pale (paler than usual), he has dark circles under his eyes, there’s bruising along his cheek bone, some cuts and grazes aligning his forehead covered in smeared and dried blood.
“I’m sorry Bruce… I’m so sorry…” Tim is muttering to him, his voice quiet and weak, clearly showing how exhausted he is. Whatever happened, it’s easy to say these five days haven’t been kind for Tim.
Bruce shushes him. “No. None of that Tim. You have nothing to apologize for. You’re safe now and that’s all that matters. We’re going to go home now okay.”
Cradling Tim in his arms, Bruce wraps an arm around his son’s back and an arm underneath his knees so he's carrying him bridal style. Before heading back to the car however Bruce goes over to the phone box where the phone Tim had dropped is hanging by it’s cord. Adjusting his grip on Tim, Bruce reaches down and grabs the device.
“Alfred?” He speaks into, unsure if the call is still connected.
“I’m here Master Bruce.” Alfred quickly replies. “I assume you’re with Master Tim, is the lad alright?”
Bruce glances down at the kid now dozing in his arms. “I’ve got him. Whether he’s alright or not remains the question but we can check him over once we’re back. Please prep the med-bay for our arrival. I won’t be long.”
“Very well, sir. Everyone has been updated on the situation. We’ll see you soon.”
With that they hang up and Bruce puts the phone back where it belongs. Cradling Tim in his arms once more he finally heads back to the car. They’ve found him, thank god they’ve found him, now what they have to do is help him recover and piece together what happened. For now Bruce is just going to be grateful he’s got his son back alive.
