ATLAS: HEART, tim drake

go ahead and pull the pin

You get the spare key to Tim. The rest of your weekend is slow, relaxed. He comes over on both Saturday and Sunday and you two do your usual thing.

Each day — and Friday evening — he volunteers to change the dressings on your injuries.

You let him.

It's easier now, not just because he had already done it the day it happened and because you two talked about it, but because you are starting to see how nice it is to have someone take care of you. Everything between you two is better. More comfortable, more... secure, now that boundaries have been discussed.

He drives you to work for the first couple days of next week, until your knee is good enough for biking again.

You had some reservations about getting back on your bike, not because you hadn't been on it for a while — though that was a thought — but more because you hadn't been on it since your accident happened.

You worried it might be uncomfortable for you, but aside from some... renewed fears of falling over, it's okay. On Wednesday, you get back to it, and by Friday, it's like nothing ever happened.

You do have a few unsettling dreams about the incident, mostly the kind where you didn't walk away from it. But you remind yourself that you did, that it was just an accident at the laundromat that caused everything, and not, you know, the Joker blowing up the block. A freak accident, that's all.

Soon enough, it is Friday, and you, Ms. C, and another class of sixth graders alongside your own are on the ferry, crossing Gotham Harbor, heading south for Metropolis.

The field trip hadn't been for the zoo there initially; it was Gotham's, then sudden reports of animal cruelty and mistreatment came out and Poison Ivy's wrath quickly followed, closing down the zoo with her deadly flora and fauna protecting it. The police arrested the staff but they didn't catch her. No matter, you think. Metropolis' zoo is probably better.

But the kids weren't looking forward to that. Mostly, they were looking forward to being in the same city as Superman, many of them raving about the chance to see him. You personally would be quite fine with not seeing him, since, you know, the only way you could was if you were all in terrible danger and that would be hard to explain to the parents.

So, naturally, on the day of the trip, you expect the kids to be buzzing about it — about being on the ferry, dark waters gliding beneath the ship, the breeze carrying sprays of saltwater.

But nope. Not even a peep about Superman. Instead...

"The Titans? What about the Titans?" you ask, puzzled, leaning against the railing. Ms. C on your left and Amir, the aide for the other class, on your right. The teacher for that class, Mr. Chu, promptly became seasick a few minutes into the ride and stepped inside to get away from it.

Ms. C hums distantly next to you. "Who knows?"

Amir blinks. "You guys didn't hear?"

She shrugs and turns to look out at the waves, apparently not wanting to know, either.

You do, however. "Hear what?"

They shake their head, pulling out their phone. "It's been all over the news since yesterday. The Titans announced that one of their core members is stepping down. Well, they were cornered into it, really. Someone got a source and spread the rumor about it, so the Titans had to hold a conference about it."

"Who was the rumor about?"

"Red Robin."

Oh, he's one of Gotham's. Huh.