The Batpoint Paradox

Love Confessions and Low Expectations Pt.1

*Tim

My body vibrates with pain but that pales next to the gravity of what just happened, Kon is staring at me with such a look of baffled awe that I have to look away from his face. However, my eyes land on Cassie and Bart who have recovered but are also gaping at me in stunned shock. I shift my gaze over again and see Dick pulling himself up and staggering towards me, fully ignoring the three confused heroes whose eyes are currently ping-ponging between us.

"Red! Red are you okay? Did it hit anything major? I swear to god the next time I see Slade Wilson I'm going to stab out his other eye with a dirty Batarang!" Dick exclaims frantically as he attempts to lower his still drug-addled body to the ground next to me.

Dick falling to his knees at my side seems to jerk my friends out of their daze and they all tense up in preparation for another fight as he tries to lean in and inspect my wound(s). Dick just raises his hands, palms out in an 'I come in peace' gesture, and carefully explains that he's just trying to make sure I'm not actively dying in Kon's arms.

"I'm not going to attack you, I'm good but, but I'm not that good, and I, unlike some people, have a conscience, no dirty tricks here. Besides, I'm not going to fight you when my little brother might be bleeding out over here, so if you guys don't mind I need a clear view of his wound. Trust me it's in all our best interests, we need to get this piece of space rock out of my brother's arm and into the first volcano Kid Flash can run it too. However, I can't do that until I make sure I can safely remove it without further injuring him. "

Bart and Cassie tensely exhale and Kon, looking slightly green and overly pale, just nods his assent, really I'm not sure what's making him feel worse, me, or the kryptonite. Oblivious to my emotional turmoil, Dick inserts himself all up in my space and surveys the wound, a few tense seconds later he lets out a sigh of relief and lightly pats my head.

"Phew, it looks like it missed all the major vessels and arteries, so since he's not a Kryptonian there shouldn't be any other damage, so I just need something to staunch the bleeding with and I can pull it out. Looks like fully blinding Deathstroke will have to take a rain check."

Cassie makes a face but rips off a piece of her shirt and hands it to Dick, knowing what's coming next I close my eyes and clench my teeth, giving Dick a nod to go ahead. I feel Kon steady me in his arms before offering me a hand to squeeze despite how he must be in just as much pain as I am, likely more and I can't help how the small gesture makes my heart swell. It's almost enough to distract from the burning pain I feel a moment later when Dick pulls the dagger from my arm, I squeeze down hard on Kon's hand and let out a soft yelp, but thankfully it's over almost as soon as it began. Before I know it Dick is pressing Cassie's shirt against the wound to stop the blood flow, at the same time I feel the gust of wind signaling Bart's departure as he takes off with the now free dagger.  I take a deep breath and then open my eyes again and lock eyes (or eyes behind white-out lenses) with Dick.

"Hey Batman, I think I'm gonna need a few minutes here, could you possibly go wait outside with Cassie...and probably Bart too if or when he comes back?" I ask him with a small grimace. 

 Cassie's sharp inhale of breath alerts me to my mistake, but given the events of the past hour, I really can't bring myself to care, honestly, me knowing Bart and Cassie's real names pales in comparison to everything else that just went down.

Dick, also aware of the significance of what just happened, nods enthusiastically, looking far too excited about the impending implosion of my fake personal life. 

"Yeah yeah of course, as long as your good, don't go bleeding out on me baby bird!" Dick chirps with a smile. 

I let out a weak laugh and respond with the first words that come to mind, apparently, somewhere between becoming a Tim skewer and diving in front of a dagger made of dead alien planet bits, my verbal filter went the way of my spleen. "Wow I must look pretty rough, you haven't called me that since I was Robin, ya know before demon spawn came along."