Tuesday 15 January 2013

Flying Solo #2

"Hiya!"

"Rah!"

Damien was busy training in the batcave honning his skills on the practice dummies.

"Die Drake!"

Damien was still angry at Tim for beating him so he trained harder every day.

"Damien!" Dick called out.

"Take that Drake!"

"Damien!" Dick called again.

"What is it Grayson? Can't you see i'm busy?" Damien said harsly.

Dick sighed "I miss the good old days."

Damien stopped and turned to face his mentor.

"Whatdoyoumean!?" he spat quickly.

"Back when I was Nightwing, everyone respected me but now, now i'm-"

"An old man wallowing in self pity, pathetic." Damien finished.

"Your father, although you didn't know him, he was a great man, took me, Jason and Tim under his wing, trained us, but then-"

"Then what?" Damien was interested now.

"Jason went rogue, he went to find his mother who betrayed him to the joker."

"He was beaten with a crowbar and finally blown up, your father deemed it his greatest failure."

"I watched over your father after that until Tim came along and deduced our identities while proving that Batman was in need of Robin."

"Dick...I'm sorry." It was the first time Damien had called him by his first name.

"It's ok, get some sleep, we're gonna be busy in the morning."

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Tim was still in Metropolis and he was having a great time, he occasionally worked with superman and they had stopped Lex Luthor from his mayor campaign by revealing that he wanted to use the power to destroy superman.

But today Tim was taking it easy, collecting his thoughts and thinking about what he was going to do with his life.

"Ahh! Help me!"

"Tim span round and ran to the source of the sound were he found a woman being mugged by to thugs.

"Get off her!" Tim shouted, sweeping one of them off their feet and punching the other one in the nose breaking it.

"He broke my nose!" The man screamed as he ran off followed by the other thug.

The woman uncovered her eyes "Thank you-" she started, but she was all on her own.

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The next day Tim was on the phone when some mail was posted through the door.

Tim went over to pick it up and saw that it was addressed to 'Bat-Family, With a shocked look he proceeded to open it.

Dear Bat-Family,

I have Robin

Joker :)

Tim looked for the address.

"East West Gotham, Green Street, 27."

"I need to go, now!"
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Dick picked himself up off the floor, and stumbled towards the exit of the batcave.

"Damien!"

No answer.

"Damien!"

Nothing.

"History is repeating itself."

Dick looked down to find a note on the floor, picking it up he read it aloud.

"Come find me, East West Gotham, Green Street, 27"

"Damn it!"
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Meanwhile Tim was on the bus advancing towards his destination.

Think Tim Think!

Who could know about the Bat Family?
Joker? Penguin? Riddler?

I need to ring Dick.

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A fourth whack sent Damien flying.

"Ughhhh!" Was the only sound he could make.

"Well well, look at this, the bird has left his nest."

Another whack with the crowbar.

Damien was crying in pain now and shielded away from the next blow.

"Please-Don't hurt me!" Damien cried.

"Ohh I won't." replied the voice.

"I'll kill you!"

BOOM!

The door next to them flew off its hinges and in its path stood Batman and Robin.

"Ooh, now this is fun!" Sneered the voice.

"Your not Joker!" Said Tim

"No, I suppose I'm not."

"Call me..."

"Jason Todd."


Saturday 12 January 2013

Flying Solo #1

Tim was angry, very angry, he had just learned about the supposed death of Bruce Wayne, this news had been given to him just today when the whole of Gotham had found out two weeks ago!

He wasn't just angry though, he was sad, near to tears, his adoptive father was said to be dead and no one had told him, he had missed the funeral and was now on the bus travelling out of Gotham Center.

"Oh well, Batman is finished, so is Robin and now begins a new life."

And he was right.

For the next 6 months...

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Gotham had turned into a place of evil and corruption, with the Joker and the Penguin at war over owning Gotham.

With Nightwing in Bludhaven and Batgirl away no one could protect Gotham, until tonight.

Perched upon the rooftops of Gotham Cathedral, Tim Drake scanned the night, he had since updated his look, trading the shorts and elf boots for a more ninjaish look.

He spotted a group of thugs gathering around the entrance of the church.

"This is my chance." He thought and he jumped, gliding down between the them.

Ten.

Easy.

"What the-"

"It's Robin!" One of them shouted.

Robin jumped up and span a kick knocking down the first 2.

Raising his fists he readied himself for a fight.

"Rahh!!!"

One of them struck a punch.

Robin blocked, grabbed and countered it, knocking him to the floor.

"He's takin' us down, time to juice up boys!"

And with that they all pulled out capsules, downing it in one gulp.

"What the hell?" Was all Robin could say.

"RahhhhhhhhARGH!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I love the taste of VENOM!"

By the time Robin could register this he had been knocked onto the floor and was withering in pain.

"Take 'im out!"

"No. I'm taking you out." Said a familliar voice.

"Batman!" Shouted one of the thugs.

Robin's heart leapt.

"And Robin."

Now Tim was just confused.

"Get 'em!"

10 knocked out thugs later.

A boy wearing a Robin outfit walked over to Tim and held out his hand.

Tim, expecting to get pulled up, held his hand out and instead met a punch to the face.

"Your pathetic." The boy spat.

"Damien! Leave him alone!" Batman ran over to the two Robins.

"Shut up Grayson! Your not my father!"

Tim felt anger rise in him and he pulled Damien by his cape delivering a punch that knocked the boy down.

Tim stood up.

"Stupid brat!"

"Damien jumped up and threw a punch at Tim who was also up, Tim blocked it and twisted Damien's hand, kicking him in the face.

"Both of you stop!" Batman ordered.

"Shut up!" The two boys shouted both looking at him.

They continued fighting and in the end Tim was bleeding badly but Damien was missing a tooth and was out cold with a nose bleed and a black eye.

"Dick, I'm so sorry, but he shouldn't talk to you like that, he dosen't know what you've been through."

They were in the batcave now and Damien was in bed, still out cold.

Dick had explained everything to Tim and had begged for his forgivness.

"It's ok Dick, It's just Bruce loved me as his son and no one told me anything."
"Sorry, but you were not in Gotham at the time."

"Anyway, on to bisnuess, those thugs were Bane's henchmen." Tim told him.

"I need to stop them."

"No Tim, you need a break, me and Damien will handle things here."

"If that kid is acting  up, tell me." Tim looked at him with all seriousness.

"Take a break, go to Metropolis." Dick tried to persuade him.

"Ok I will."

"Good, I'll give you some money, you leave tommorow."

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But when Tim left he didn't go to Metropolis, he found out he had inherited Bruce's billions and he travelled the world for the next decade following in Bruce's footsteps.

When he came back he was a different man, a very different man.

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Aside from the expected skills of a crime fighter, he also perfected his acrobatics and gymnastics becoming a master at 8 different clubs.

It was two days after he came back that he remembered it was his 27th birthday and it was that day he arrived in Metropolis.

One day there was a bank robbery (Oh classic) on Kenton Street and he arrived there as Robin taking down most of the thugs until the man of steel himself arrived to finish off the job.

At Clark Kent's apartment the two heroes sat down to talk.

"So Tim, what brings you here to Metropolis?" Clark asked.

"Oh, Dick sent me, I'm technically late." Tim answered

"By how many days?" Clark responded.

"10 years."

"Jeez, training?"

Tim nodded.

"Good ol' Bruce, making sure your up to shape, how is he anyway?"
"He's dead."

"What!?" Clark stood up.

"Who!? When!?"

"10 and a half years ago."

Clark sat back down, sighing in disbelief.

"Who's protecting Gotham?"

"Dick and Damien."
"Damien?"

Tim explained as best as he could.

"Ahh I see." Clark said after he took it all in.

"So if he's Robin then what are you gonna be called?"

"You know what, I don't know, but I'm flying solo now and you know what?"

"I don't care."