Chapter Text
Tim comes back to his body slowly. He’s been moved to the med-bay cot, which is nice because the chair would have given him a cricked neck
Birdy. Up. now.
Tim groans, Gotham sighs, and someone jolts awake beside him. “Timothy!”
Tim turns to look, “Oh, hey Dames.”
Damian glares at him before going to open the door and shouting to whoever’s in the cave.
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Whoever is in the cave turns out to be everyone, they were all worried- and upset, but mostly worried- about Tim so instead of getting information from word of mouth they came to the manor themselves.
After making sure he was fine everyone had taken up positions around the med-room and Tim was sitting cross-legged in the center of it, on the cot.
“So,” he starts slowly, and he’s already getting glared at, yeah, he deserves that, “who wants to start?”
Unsurprisingly, Bruce opens his mouth first, “So it’s a she.” it’s a statement, not a question.
So it’s a she. Gotham mimics, Tim tries not to laugh.
“Yes, she is.”
“Does she have a name?”
<do you have a name other than like… Gotham?>
Oh, now he asks, after eight years he finally asks your name how thoughtful.
<you don’t have to be mean about it.>
“Tim?”
“Sorry got distracted,” he looks away from Bruce and stares blankly at the wall to speak to Gotham again, “So? Do you have one?”
No Tim, my only name is Gotham.
“Wait, you don’t know this bitch’s name and she’s been inhabiting you for, what? Eight years?”
“Master Jason!”
“Oh come on! Everyone was thinking it!”
I never should have led him to the tires, the little jerk, Gotham mumbles.
“You love him,” Tim says, teasingly, Gotham sighs.
Yes, yes I do.
“Tim,” Bruce stresses. Oh shit, he was asked a question.
“She does have a name and for your information, I knew it before I was eleven, thank you very much,” it escapes no one’s notice that he didn’t give them her name.
“Is she harmful?”
That one Tim can answer without hesitation, “Not to us.” Bruce frowns, “She wants what’s best for everyone, that means occasionally hurting some one.”
“How do you talk to her?” Dick cuts in suddenly.
“Two ways, I can send her thoughts or I can speak out loud. She just kind of talks back.”
‘Just kind of.’
“Shut up! I’m nervous!”
Honestly, little bird. Tim sulks and glares and the nothingness of the wall in retaliation.
“Can she see us?” Babs here with the good questions.
“Yes, if I let her, she can see whatever she wants.”
“Let her?”
“Yeah, if I don’t want her in my thoughts or seeing through my eyes I can put up a privacy screen of sorts.”
“You said you’d died,” Jason says harshly, and oh, yeah, Tim didn’t think that comment through. A silence falls over the room, it’s obvious no one wanted to ask, “More than that, you said since you first died. ”
Tim looks at Jason and Jason looks back, “When I was eleven,” he starts slowly, “I was following Batman and Robin on a Friday night,” Tim takes a shuddering breath, but does not look away from Jason, “I fell off a roof and hit my head on a dumpster,” he hears Steph take in a shaky breath, “I was dead before I hit the ground.” Alfred puts his hands on the back of the chair in front of him. Bruce’s knuckles are white, from where they’re gripping the bed-railing, “I woke up Sunday morning completely fine with a voice in my head telling me good morning.” Everyone in the room shifts a bit closer. Dick reaches for his hand and holds it tightly, Cass approaches Tim and sits on the edge of the bed, not touching but close enough to be a reassuring presence.
“And more than once?” Damian asks.
“While Bruce was lost in time,” Dick inhales sharply, squeezing his hand tighter, “I was working with some people. Just after I found the last thing I needed, we were attacked, and,” Tim takes a shuddering breath, it still hurts to talk about Z and Owens, “Only one of my team survived the encounter, it wasn’t me.”
Jason is tense a few feet away from him, “And she was the one to save you both times.”
It’s not a question, he answers anyway, “Yes.”
“So now that we’ve established that she’s not dangerous,” Barbara said, “What is she capable of?” Tim has to take a minute to figure out how to answer that, Barbra takes the silence the wrong way, “Just because she won’t harm us doesn’t mean we shouldn’t know what she’s capable of.”
“No, it’s not that. I’m just trying to figure out how to answer that.”
Oh my gods Tim, just tell them who I am. Honestly, the kid is secretive by nature but this is just ridiculous.
“Oh shit yeah, that would work.”
No shit.
“What would work?” Steph asks.
“Just like, telling you her name. No, yeah that was stupid.”
“So? What’s her name?”
Tim opens his mouth to answer, then closes it… Gotham has always been his secret. It’s weird to tell someone about it.
“Tim?”
“I- it’s-” Tim groans, “God, why is this so hard?”
You’ve never told anyone about me, it’s okay. Take a deep breath and try again.
Tim can do this, he’s a big vigilante. He inhales, “Gotham.”
Silence, “What about Gotham?” my god Dick, get with the program. Although looking around the room, no one else understands what Tim meant either.
“Oh my god,” Tim whispers, “Gotham! Her name is Gotham! Literally, Jesus.” Tim slumps back into the pillows on the cot.
There. Was that so hard?
“Yes.” he hisses.
“Like, the city Gotham or-”
“Yes, Jason, Gotham as in the actual city.”
“How do you know-”
“Bruce. I swear to god if you ask how I know. As if I didn’t make her prove that she was actually Gotham.” Well, he didn’t at first, but, semantics.
Everyone just sort of sits there and lets the information sink in for a second.
“Can you show us?” Cass asks from his left, “I believe you, but- I want to know. Is there a way to show us?”
“I’d like to but I’m not really sure how.”
Well… I have an idea.
“Great, and you always have good ideas.” Duke makes a comment wondering if Tim talking to himself is going to be the norm now. Tim ignores it.
Oh please, you love my ideas. So, up for some vigilantism? It’s hardly even midnight.
“I’ll check.”
“What is it?” Bruce asks.
“G has an idea, think you can handle a quick patrol?”
“I’m Batman.”
I’m Batman, Gotham imitates, god how did I raise this child.
Tim laughs.
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“Okay, here’s how it’s going to go.” Tim starts from over the comms. He’s at the top of Wayne Enterprises, ready to point everyone in the right direction. “I’m going to give you a general location of major emotions. Inside that location, there should be some happening or other. It could be a crime, could be a lost child, could be a bunch of kids in the middle of lighting a warehouse on fire. I won’t know for sure.”
“So we won’t know what we’re going into, just that something’s there ,” Jason says.
“Unfortunately, yeah.”
“Neat, this’ll be fun,” Dick says sarcastically. Jason and Dick had been teamed up for this fun little exercise. Only them, Bruce, and Damian were out, everyone had decided it was best to only have a few people test this out. This is insane, Dick thought, but if it’s true. It’s gonna be awesome as hell.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Red Robin.”
“Well, lucky for you Batman, the first one is eight blocks north of your position.”
“Copy.” Dick can faintly hear Bruce start moving across rooftops with Damian. Two minutes later found two terrors of the Gotham underworld in a very intense game of rock-paper-scissors, waiting for Batman and Robin to check-in.
“Attempted mugging, we made it just in time the man was about to hand over his cash.”
“Holy shit,” Steph says softly, from the safety of the ‘Cave.
“Yep,” Tim pops the P. “Dude was scared out of his mind when he saw someone following him.”
“Tim,” Barbra starts, “I am going to exploit the shit out of this.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
“This is awesome.”
“Awe, thanks ‘wing.” Tim takes a sip of his smoothie, “also, there’s a peak about a block east of your position.”
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There was further interrogation after they got back to the cave both serious-
“She is not a danger to us, but is she a danger to other people?”
-and not-
“So like, I’m her favorite right?”
“Steph!”
“What? You can’t blame a girl for asking!”
-afterward found Tim trying to answer mundane questions for Gotham as they went up to the manor.
Most of the others already headed to bed, Tim, Dick, Bruce, Jason, and Damian are the only ones still up, talking in one of the extra sitting rooms.
“So since she can sense other people, can she sense us? Does the Manor even count as a part of the city?” Dick asks, taking a sip from his Best Older Sister mug. Alfred decided that everyone deserved some hot chocolate after tonight.
“Yes, and yes. The way she senses us is different and the Manor is kind of a center point for her.” Tim is perched on the ottoman for Jason’s chair, facing the couch Dick and Damian are on, with Bruce to his right in an armchair.
“How is it different?”
“Well, for one, we’re Waynes, and two, she’s claimed us as guards.”
“Guards?” “Waynes?” Dick and Damian speak at the same time.
“It’s a weird concept. She basically went, ‘hey, that one is trying to protect my people, I want to protect them back.’ She can nudge us to different places more easily and can hide us from almost anyone when we’re within her borders,” Tim takes a sip from his mug, “As for the manor, and by extension, the Waynes. They are her founding family, they’re basically the reason she exists so we connect with her naturally. The manor is an extension of that, it’s the home of her founders so it’s technically where her existence started.”
“Why does she recognize you as Waynes? We’re not biologically related,” it’s a valid question and Tim knows Damian doesn’t mean it to sound the way it did, so he smiles.
“Bruce considers us family and vice versa. It’s why Steph and Babs count as Waynes, it’s not just a last name, it’s a title to her. The Waynes are her people. We belong to her and with her.”
“Is being a Wayne different from being a Guard?”
Tim hums an affirmative, “the Commissioner is a Guard, but he’s not a Wayne. Think of Gotham like a kingdom, Waynes are the rulers and Guards protect her.”
“So what about me?” Jason asks, “since I was originally more on the villainous side, did she like, re-claim me as a Guard?”
Of course I did!
“You stopped being a Guard after your death, but you never stopped being a Wayne. Guards are on a more… contractual basis while Waynes are basically kin, I still call my mother my mother even though she’s no longer alive. Also, yeah, she re-claimed you pretty much as soon as she figured out who you were.”
“‘Contractual’?”
“It’s mutually beneficial, Gordon protects Gotham by weeding out corruption and trying to be the best cop he can, and in return, Gotham gives him more sway over the masses.”
It’s silent for a moment while the others digest the information.
“So she can control public opinion,” Bruce says.
“Not really, she can nudge people to listen to one person or another but it’s really up to the listener to actually hear what’s being said,” Tim explains, “and she can’t really force you to believe in something you don’t. She can influence people, but she can’t control them.”
“Is she listening now?” Bruce asks.
“Yep.”
“Can she influence you more than others?”
If I could, you wouldn’t be a vigilante.
Tim smiles, “She actually has less influence over me compared to everyone else because I can recognize said influence.”
It’s quiet again. Damian pokes a marshmallow with his tongue and Jason grabs a scone from the tray on the table.
“So…” Dick starts, a smile slowly growing, “who is her favorite?”
“Don’t be a fool, Grayson. It’s obviously me.”
“Oh yeah and why is that brat?”
“Obviously, Todd, because I am the current Robin.”
“Come on Tim. He has to be wrong.”
Tim really wants to say Damian’s wrong but… “the current Robin always holds a special place in the favoritism ranking.”
The eldest Robins immediately started rioting and someone threw a pillow at Tim.
<yeah> Tim thinks, as he throws a blanket over a laughing Jason's head, <We'll be okay>