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Somehow in university, Tim Drake had managed to become a part of one of those cringey friendship groups that give themselves an actual name to go by as a group, after having dodged that level of uncoolness multiple times in high school.
It almost entirely overrode the cool image that he had convinced himself that his skateboard managed to give him, but he wouldn’t trade the other three idiots that decided to go by ‘Just Us’ as if that was a title for the world.
Even at times like this, when Kon sent a cryptic group text summoning them to a seemingly random location at an equally nonsensical time, although it was close.
Tim arrived at the small copse of fruit trees by the only street sign on campus that was blue for some reason, and saw Cassie and Bart had beaten him there. Cassie gave a brief wave as he hopped off his board and walked over onto the grass, before focusing back on undoing her skates, and Bart tried his best to swallow the food he was stuffing in his mouth to say hello, but just ended up choking instead.
Tim huffed. “Kon called us here, and doesn’t have the decency to arrive on time himself.”
Cassie shook her head, “It’s not on purpose, we had our last class together, he got held behind for some reason.”
“Oh, I wonder what he’s gotten in trouble for this time.”
“No clue, but I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”
“Oh, do you have water, Cassie?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Bart might need some.”
Cassie sighed, tossing a bottle over to Bart, who glugged the entire thing down with abandon. He managed to choke to some amount on a pretty regular basis, and despite these frequent brushes with suffocation and everyone telling him to slow the fuck down on a regular basis, he persisted in turning everything into a one-man-speed-eating-contest.
“Thanks Cassie! Hi Tim!”
“Hello, Bart.” Tim greeted, before turning back to Cassie. “Any idea why he wants to see us?”
“No idea.”
Bart cut in, “Maybe he just wants to hang out?”
“We have scheduled hang out times. This has to be something different.”
“Some of us are more spontaneous than you, Tim.”
“That’s enough, boys. I’m sure Kon will tell us when he actually gets here.”
Tim sighed, before deciding to settle down on the grass next to Bart with an exaggerated huff.
“Sandwich?” Bart offered. It looked like one of Bart’s usually unusual sandwiches.
“What is it?” Tim asked warily.
“Peanut butter and crisps. Prawn Cocktail crisps.”
“Sure, why not.”
It was worse than Tim expected, and he was thankfully saved from having to finish it by Kon eventually arriving.
“Sup!” He called, sauntering up as if he carried all the confidence in the entire world with him.
“What happened?” Cassie asked, at the same time as Tim passed his half-finished sandwich back to Bart, who promptly devoured it.
Kon ignored the question, and instead went, “You might be wondering why I’ve gathered you all here today.”
“We’re actually wondering why you’re late this time,” Tim said, unimpressed.
“Ignore him, he was late himself.” Bart interjected, and Tim sent him a betrayed look as Cassie laughed.
“I failed my test. But- that’s not important. What is important is trees.”
Kon stood there, hands on hips, for a good minute, while his friends just stared at him in bewilderment.
“Yes, Kon. Trees are important, but… are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine. I just need to talk about trees.”
“Kon. Please tell us that you have somewhere to go with this thought that’s sensible.”
“I do.”
“Please get on with it then.”
“So, II heard a rumour-“
“How all good ideas begin.”
“-several rumours actually. That this small patch of trees right here right now, that you all are sitting in, are going to be removed and replaced with a new staircase.”
“I can appreciate a good tree as much as the next person. But… aren’t staircases needed?”
“I’m glad you asked.” Kon said in a tone that made it obvious that he thought the answer to the question was obvious and that you were a bit of an idiot. “There’s five outside staircases on the Zoology building alone already. They don’t need another one!”
“Okay, but how would we stop a staircase?” Cassie asked.
“Oh no.” Tim realised. “You’ve asked us because we’re your only Student Council friends.”
“Yes. We need to pass a Motion in the Student Council, and I need all of your help to do it.”
“Sure.”
“I’m in!”
“Why not.”
“Great! If we get this patch of trees added to the List of Official University Gardens, then they can’t take it down without permission from the Student’s Union.”
“There’s an official list?”
“So we’re taking advantage of the web of bureaucracy between the university and the union then? It’d be nice to work with it as a tool instead of battling against it for once.”
Kon nodded enthusiastically.
“Do you have a draft motion yet?” Tim asked, already knowing the answer as he pulled his notebook out of his backpack.
“I was hoping for some help with it?”
Tim and Cassie looked at each other, instantly knowing that they would be the two actually writing it.
“Wait!” Bart interrupted. “Tim’s sleeping with one of the deans, right? Couldn’t we just ask-“
“Ra’s is the dean of humanities. Not the dean of trees. We’ve been over this.”
Kon looked at Bart with a look of horror. “That would be unethical, Bart. We’re doing this the right way.”
Cassie couldn’t help but start to laugh.
---
Once they’d handed their motion in, on paper, in person, because of course nothing in their university could be modern enough to actually use email when it would make sense, Bart finally remembered that he had a question, as they walked over to the cafeteria.
“So why did we all have to sign it?”
“We seconded it for Kon, we didn’t sign it.”
“I’m pretty sure I signed something, Tim.”
“That’s a good point,” Kon said. “Why did all three of you need to do it?”
“It’s your motion Kon, you should know these things!”
Cassie came in talking as if she had just been blessed with godly wisdom. “We only technically need one, but since if we die-“
“Oh yeah! The assassination clause!” Bart butted in.
“Yes. If we die between submission of the motion and the meeting we are no longer seconders. And since there’s a deadline for motion modifications, you can’t add a replacement seconder. So, we’re the spares.”
Kon stopped walking. “Wait, what?”
“Don’t worry. The rule doesn’t apply to the person bringing the motion.”
“What? Why?”
“I hate politics.”
“My cousin Artemis told me about it,” Cassie continued. “Like, yeah, ten years ago, someone died between the submission and the actual student council meeting happeneing. And they had this whole debacle where they had to decide what happened next. So, long story short, you don’t count once you’re dead.”
“Woah.”
“I can show you the bye-laws if you want?”
“Please don’t I hate looking at those things.”
“Same.”
“I did not sign up to look at the bye-laws.”
“Yes you did, Bart.”
“We need votes.” Tim suddenly interjected, derailing the conversation.
“What?”
“We need people to vote Yes to our motion.”
“Oh boy, socialising and courting votes. My favourite part of this.”
“I’ll do the other focus groups.” Kon volunteered. “Cassie should do the other Ordinary Members, and Tim can do the other Department Representatives.”
“Wait, I have to talk to the geography rep?” Tim moaned.
“Sorry.” Kon said, obviously not sorry at all.
“What about me?” Bart piped up.
“You can help the rest of us? Use your charm to get people to actually show up?”
“He means be annoying enough that even the people who want to vote No will show up. If we can’t get enough people to show up to reach forum, it’ll be for nothing.”
Bart nodded hard enough Tim wondered whether his head might fall off.
---
Kon had, whether he realised it or not, given himself the easiest job. His fellow members of the Environmental Focus Group were obviously on board the second the word “trees” was mentioned, at their mini meeting that very evening.
And one of the members, who asked everyone to call her by Starfire but Kon was never sure if that was actually her name or not and was frankly ever so slightly terrified of asking for clarification, had even volunteered to divide and conquer the remaining people on Kon’s list.
By the time sun had set, he’d already gotten a promise of a yes from most, and the knowledge that everyone else was at the very least not going to go out of their way to vote no.
Tim and Cassie, even with Bart’s so called assistance, had a bit of a harder time.
---
Tim spotted an entire table of his targets- the fellow student representatives for the various departments, chatting together on the second floor of the library, and strode towards them, a copy of what he wanted to explain printed out and in his hands.
One of them, Tim couldn’t quite remember their name- were they the other Connor except with the other spelling? Conner? spotted him, and straightened up with alarm, saying something to the others that Tim couldn’t hear and they all stopped talking.
“Hello.” Tim greeted. “I have a proposition for the student council so-“
“Please don’t.” The boy potentially called Conner said, sounding incredibly tired.
“Don’t what?” Tim asked, mildly offended.
The entire table groaned.
Another member spoke up- in a bright green polo shirt, with a logo from that Green Lantern bar down the street, maybe he worked there? “We don’t want to sign anything. We don’t want to hear anything about the council. We don’t want to second something. Please don’t do this again, Tim.”
“But I haven’t even said what it was! Aren’t you all on the council? Aren’t you supposed to like this stuff?”
A couple of them sighed. He still couldn’t remember any of their names properly. Maybe he should work on that.
“We’ll deal with whatever is when it comes up. Go away, Tim.”
“Will you at least show up at the next meeting? We really want to hit forum for this and-“
“We were planning to. But if you don’t shut up, I’m skipping just to spite you.” A few others at the table nodded in agreement at this, and the ones that didn’t still didn’t disagree.
“Fine. Fine.” Tim stood up straight. “I’ll see next time, then.”
Tim walked away with as much dignity as he could, and the group didn’t start talking again until he was out of earshot.
Maybe his… aggressive tactics last year in the council had had a few consequences? But only possibly.
---
Much of the others that he tracked down responded the same way, even though he had gotten them alone, with the exception of three.
One of them he couldn’t find at all, but at least he could remember this ones name. Kara, who was apparently a friend of Kon’s dad but was willing to get drunk with the younger students anyway that one time at the start of the year, was apparently not in the country this week.
She was doing her PhD on renewable energy, if what she’d said in those drinking games was true, so Tim was 88% sure that she would say yes.
Even if that didn’t sway her, he could probably get her on them both being STEM students, and having to stick together with that. Maybe.
Getting off of the phone where he’d just learnt of that absence, he saw the geography rep, who insisted on being called by Slobo, and Tim wasn’t enough of a dick to not call people what they wanted, even if they didn’t get along.
And they really didn’t get along.
“Heard you wanted signatures?” Slobo smirked at him, from crossing his legs and throwing them up onto the table in front of him.
“You heard wrong. I want people to actually turn up next meeting. We’ve missed forum two times this year already.”
“Is that all?”
“I also want people to write yes on this motion about the trees-“
“No.” Slobo.
“But I haven’t even started to explai-“
“I’m saying no just because it’s you.” He said, giving Tim a thumbs up.
Tim felt himself dying inside.
“Good to know.” Tim began to turn away to leave.
“I will be coming. Don’t worry about the forum count.”
“What?”
“I already promised my girlfriend I’d show up. It’s not for you.”
Tim sighed again, before continuing to walk out.
As the door slammed far too quickly behind him, catching his heels and making Tim stagger a few steps forward while swearing, he finally caught a slight stroke of good luck.
Stephanie, who despite them having dated in high school, somehow didn’t have some kind fo problem with Tim, and was also somehow one of the people Tim needed to talk to, managed to catch his bag as he dropped it.
“Ex-Boyfriend!” She greeted cheerily.
“So, you’ve finally downgraded me from Boyfriend then?”
“I finally figured out your current boo is in charge of my degree. Figured it was safer.”
“Ra’s wouldn’t do anything.” Tim denied.
“Sure he wouldn’t.”
“I hear you’re annoying everyone about something?”
“I’m not annoying everyone.” Tim huffed.
Stephanie raised an eyebrow at that.
“… I might’ve been annoying people. But it’s not my fault.”
“Sure it is.”
“We’re trying to pass a motion, to make the trees near zoology a garden. Here’s the details.” He passed her the paper in front of him. She was somehow the first person to actually read it.
“On behalf of both the Botany Department, and the Committee of Tim Drake’s Evil Exes, I’ll give you your vote.”
“Fucking finally”
“What? Nevermind. I am actually late for a lecture. See ya later, Tim-Tam.”
Stephanie slapped Tim on the shoulder, in a friendly but still somewhat painful way, before walking off with absolutely no extra speed that lateness would imply, despite the time on Tim’s phone indicating that if she was late to a lecture, she was over half an hour late.
---
Cassie and Bart, unlike their friends, struggled to even locate anyone, despite their superior numbers and having made an actual checklist with everyone on it.
Perhaps claiming they managed to even locate anyone at all is too much credit, given that everyone they managed to find they already would’ve seen in that time.
Actually, Bart gets no credit at all, given it was Cassie who had a standing meeting every Saturday to meet with Greta, Anita, and Cissie.
Given she was actually friends with these people, it wasn’t even fully successful at all- as Greta was apparently having issues with Billy (again) and wasn’t even sure she’d be attending at all.
Cassie wasn’t quite sure what Greta’s brother had to do with anything, but didn’t want to question it too much.
---
The one thing Tim really appreciated about Ra’s Al Ghul, other than the obvious, was how good of a listener he was.
Tim had prattered on for probably an hour about the whole tree thing over breakfast, and Ra’s just looked at him with an indulgent look while occasionally handing him another cookie to nibble between his rambles.
“But, I think I’m held back by- well. I don’t think a lot of the council likes me very much.” He admitted.
“You don’t need to be liked to be successful, beloved.”
“I mean. Kind of? That’s what Bruce always says-“
“Trust me, beloved. There are more ways to politics than likability.”
“You think so?”
“I know so, Timothy.”
“I just wish I knew what to do next.”
“Well. I’m sure there’s something that they want as well. Why not trade agreements for their motions for agreements for your own? You can look at what the motions are ahead of time. Trade yeses for things you’d already vote for.”
“That’s…” Tim took a bite of food while he thought. “An excellent idea. I’ll see if I can plan that out before lunch.”
“Before lunch?”
“We’re catching up on how it’s going then.”
“I see.”
“Thanks.” Tim leaned forward, placing a quick kiss on Ra’s cheek.
“I’m always willing to give advice to you, beloved.”
---
“I just don’t understand why we can’t seem to find anyone!” Bart complained, between mouthfuls of fries.
Cassie nodded along absentmindedly, more focused on how long it was taking Kon and Tim to finish off their orders and join them. “Uh huh.”
“But we kept on spotting Kon and Tim’s people. All the time. Like all the time. We should’ve done them instead our list. Why didn’t we talk to them Cassie? Anyway, they were always in groups- like why is everyone hanging out in groups from student council.”
“Bart. We’re a group that hangs out from there.”
“Yeah. But we’re cooler. Because we’re not all like just hanging out with the people next to us.”
“What’s this about us being cool?” Tim asked, slipping in beside Cassie.
“Of course we’re cool,” Kon agreed, shoving Bart sideways to give himself room, who gave him a predictable betrayed look.
“I disagree, I don’t think we’re cool.” Tim announced.
“Of course we are. We’re a diverse group. I’m an Ordinary Member, which means I’m the coolest because I actually got in because of democracy.”
“Yes, and you never let us forget it.”
“Democracy came from Greece, you know.” She decided to quickly change topic before Tim could say something. “And Tim’s the Maths Rep and that’s- actually that’s not cool.”
“Glad for your vote of confidence.”
“But Kon’s from that weird environment squad-“
“It’s a Focus Group.”
“And that means he cares about the world. And that’s cool.”
“The jacket and the earrings make me cool. That’s just being sensible.”
“And Bart…. Actually accidently joining the student council is like the opposite of cool. That’s just weaponised incompetence.”
“You all love me anyway.”
Kon jumped in, “But half cool means that we collectively are cool, right?”
“Being from different places just-“
“We’re being good and being social across the lines.” Cassie defended before Tim could really get started. “It’s good to talk to people outside your comfort zone, Tim.”
“Everyone’s outside my comfort zone. Anyway,” Tim took a second to look each of his three friends directly in their eyes, “This just means that the people from our own sections don’t want to hang out with us, and we had to make do.”
Cassie tossed her a salt packet at Tim’s face.
“Look, no offense Kon, but you aren’t cool. Remind us of the first line you said to us ever? When we asked why you were studying botany?”
Kon sighed. He had by now accepted he would never live this down. “I said that I would photosynthesize if I could.”
Bart and Cassie groaned in sync.
“You’re right Tim, I’m sorry Kon.”
“That is nerdy. Anyway, what got us on this topic?”
“Oh, that we’ve only spoken to three people on our list,” Bart said.
“You’ve only what-“ Tim said.
“But there’s two of you,” Kon added, confusion laced through his voice. “I was going to say we should check our lists but-“
“Hey. We got two agreements and one maybe. I bet that’s higher than Tim.” Cassie defended. “And he’s probably spoken to everyone.”
“Throw me under the bus why don’t you.”
“I’m sure Tim did fine.” Kon tried to say.
“I got one agreement.”
“Tim?”
“Was it Steph?”
Tim refused to answer.
“Okay…” Kon said, looking around. “We definitely need to discuss what we’re going to do next.”
“But I’ll do better this next week. I got some good advice on Ra’s on what to do next-“
“Tim. No offense. But I’d rather talk about how we need to court votes rather than how you’re planning on courting your brother’s grandfather.”
Tim went bright red. “Shut up! At least I talked to people. Besides. I do in fact have good advice from him.”
“We’ll allow your grandfather kink to pass then,” Cassie teased, “What did he say?”
“Well, first of all, we need to agree to say things in support of other people’s motions, or to vote for their stuff, to get some of these yeses.”
Kon looked at Tim as if he’d grown a second head. “Yeah you’re definitely spending too much time with the Ra’s.”
“Isn’t that unfair?” Bart piped up.
“It’s politics who cares if it’s fair or not?”
“It’s student council! But.” Kon sighed. “Do go on.”
---
A week later, favours arranged and traded, it was finally time to present their motion.
Except, 5pm, the start of the meeting, came, and went, and forum still hadn’t been met.
Everyone just sighed, annoyed. These things never started on time.
But another fifteen minutes passed, and they were still ten people down.
Kon and Tim met eyes from their chairs across the room, and he could see the panic starting to rise in Kon’s eyes.
A quick text over maybe?
GC: Just Us
Tim DW: Bart’s still fast, right?
Kon uwu: hes on the runnnning team ofc
Tim DW: ask him to run around the libraries quick
Kon uwu: what
Tim DW: tell him to yell at anyone who should be here
Casssssssie: lmao
Kon uwu: will do
Tim watched as Kon went over to give Bart, who was starting to take a nap, his task. Kon’s anxieties soothed, Tim set about actually getting people to show up, desperately sending emails to everyone he could, thankful that there was an actual list of everyone not here yet up at the front of the room.
Bart disappeared, and Tim counted as people slowly trickled in, and a few replies to his emails popped up.
Bart returned.
They were still one person down.
Was it all for nothing?
At exactly one minute before it would’ve been called off, Greta stumbled in through the door, Starbucks in hand.
They’d met forum.
Within an hour, they’d won their motion, at the minor cost of Tim’s dignity after having to argue in favour of something about bikes.
“Go team?” Bart suggested, as they high fived after the meeting.
“Go team.” Kon agreed. “I’m going to head home and sleep for a week now.”
---
“- so, yeah, that went well, right?” Tim finished his explanation of what happened, looking at Ra’s in expectation of praise.
“Very good, Beloved.”
“It was, wasn’t it”, Tim preened.
“However, you are aware that those trees weren’t actually at risk of getting cut down.”
“What?”
“Well, at least they’re safe, just in case.” Ra’s took a sip of tea as Tim went bright red, and a dozen expressions crossed over his face.
“Why couldn’t you have told me that two weeks ago? When this started?”
Ra’s chuckled. “Your enthusiasm was adorable.”
Tim sighed, and flopped down onto the table in an overdramatic huff.
Ra’s patted him on the head. “Are you okay, beloved?”
“I’m fine. Ugh. I am never telling Kon this.”