Tim Drake oneshots

A Little Lex

Title: A Little Lex

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Tim Drake was a lot of things: the Boy Wonder, the tech genius of the Batfamily, and a hero. But one thing he wasn’t, or at least didn’t admit to being, was a "mini Lex Luthor." Sure, the label had been tossed around once or twice in the past, mostly by Damian during arguments, but Tim never paid it much mind. He was nothing like Luthor. Right?

It wasn’t until one rainy Gotham evening, in the middle of one of Bruce’s “family meetings,” that the subject came up again.

Bruce was going over some intel regarding LexCorp’s latest activities, and as usual, his stern expression and brooding tone commanded the room. “We need to monitor Lex’s next move closely. He’s been funneling funds into several shell companies. Tim, I want you to—”

“Already taken care of,” Tim interrupted casually, tapping away at his tablet. “I froze the accounts and rerouted the funds back to their original sources. Oh, and I left a little surprise for him in the code. If he tries to access them, he’ll trigger a cascade failure that’ll corrupt half of LexCorp’s financial data.”

Bruce, who didn’t often get taken off guard, blinked at Tim in surprise. “You… already did all that?”

Tim didn’t even look up. “Obviously. It was a simple hack.”

Dick raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. “Did you just say ‘obviously’? Tim, you sound a little too comfortable messing with Lex Luthor’s financials.”

Jason laughed from his spot in the corner, his boots propped up on the edge of the table. “If anyone could out-Luthor Lex, it’d be our very own Timmy.”

Damian, who had been quietly observing, seized the opportunity. “Drake has always had the makings of a miniature Luthor,” he remarked. “You all choose to ignore the fact that he possesses the same ruthless ambition and cunning.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “I’m nothing like Luthor. I’m just using his methods against him.”

“Exactly like Luthor would,” Jason pointed out, smirking. “I mean, come on, who else would think to plant malware that could tank a multi-billion dollar company? That’s classic Luthor.”

Bruce shot Jason a warning look before turning his attention back to Tim. “What exactly did you do?”

Tim shrugged, as if it were the most mundane thing in the world. “It’s not that big of a deal. I designed a virus to target LexCorp’s encrypted data. It’ll slowly eat away at the files if Lex tries to recover the funds. He’ll lose years of research in seconds.”

“And what kind of ‘research’ would be affected?” Bruce asked, his voice calm but with a hint of concern.

Tim hesitated for just a second. “Mostly biotech and… a few weapon designs. You know, the usual shady LexCorp stuff. I made sure nothing that could impact civilians would be lost.”

“You’re treading a fine line,” Bruce said evenly. “There’s a difference between using your skills for the greater good and compromising your principles.”

“Oh, please,” Tim scoffed. “Like you don’t do the same thing. You have contingency plans for every member of the Justice League. I’m just doing what needs to be done.”

Damian crossed his arms, a small smirk forming on his lips. “And so the ‘mini Lex’ emerges.”

Tim shot Damian an annoyed glance. “Would you stop calling me that?”

“No,” Damian replied smugly. “It fits you too well.”

Before Tim could retort, Dick chimed in. “Tim, you know we’re just messing with you, but… you’re kinda proving the point. You just took down LexCorp’s financials on your own, without asking for approval, and you didn’t think that was worth mentioning?”

Tim sighed, finally looking up from his tablet. “I didn’t mention it because it’s not a big deal. Someone needed to act quickly, and I handled it. You guys are always talking about not letting the bad guys get a leg up. Well, I didn’t.”

Bruce folded his hands on the table, his expression serious. “But that’s exactly what Luthor would say. He justifies his actions in the name of the ‘greater good,’ Tim. The road you’re on… you have to be careful. It's a slippery slope.”

Tim’s jaw tightened. “So what, I’m supposed to just sit back and let Lex Luthor get away with it? I don’t think so. I know what I’m doing.”

Jason’s grin widened. “If Luthor knew a teenage vigilante was already one step ahead of him, he’d lose it. Hell, I’d pay to see his face.”

“Or he’d see Drake as a potential ally,” Damian suggested, his voice taking on a challenging tone. “After all, even Luthor respects brilliance.”

Tim shot Damian a glare. “I would never work with Lex.”

“No,” Damian said, “but the fact that you understand his mindset so well is exactly why you need to be cautious.”

“Enough,” Bruce said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension. “We need to stay united on this. Tim, your skills are invaluable, but we need transparency. If you’re going to make a move like this, you need to tell us first.”

Tim bit the inside of his cheek, his gaze drifting down to his tablet. “Fine. I’ll give you a heads-up next time.”

The room fell into a thoughtful silence for a moment, then Dick clapped Tim on the shoulder. “You know, all this Lex talk aside, it’s good to know you’ve got our back. Even if you do have a bit of a... dark side.”

Jason snorted. “A bit?”

Tim ignored the comment, but there was a tiny smile playing on his lips. “You can call me what you want,” he said, glancing at Damian, “but I’m always on our side.”

“Just make sure you remember that,” Bruce murmured. “We don’t need another Luthor in the world. Even if he is one of the good guys.”

As the meeting wrapped up, Tim leaned back in his chair, a glimmer of defiance in his eyes. They could call him a “mini Lex” all they wanted, but at the end of the day, he was still Tim Drake. And he was going to use every tool, every skill, and yes, even a bit of Luthor’s own cunning to protect the people he cared about.

After all, what was the point of being a genius if you didn’t use it to win?

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End.