Cursed Paradise (A Robin Fanfic)

The Red Robins

The boys eagerly boarded the vessel and it sailed off. Dick and Jason stayed in the cabin of the boat and talked while Damian and Tim headed to the front to feel the sea air.

"I wonder if we will be able to dive through the Great Barrier Reef?" Damian asked himself.

"I doubt it. The Great Barrier Reef is off the coast of Queensland, this is New South Wales," Tim answered him as he appeared next to the boy.

"I knew that! I was just testing you," Damian lied.

"Sure you were," Tim sarcastically agreed.

"Don't get smart with me Drake. I could wipe the floor with you if I really wanted to," Damian warned.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try you little squirt," Tim taunted.

"You'll regret you ever said that Drake!" Damian yelled as he pounced at the Red Robin. Before he reached him, however, Dick grabbed his collar and Jason grabbed Tim, who had clenched his fist ready to attack, by the arm.

"I think the two of you need a time out," Jason stated. Dick sighed.

"This is exactly why we are taking this vacation in the first place," Dick reminded. "You two can't possibly expect to be Robins if you're acting like children," Dick and Jason looked at each other and nodded.

"Ok squirt you're coming with me," Jason informed as he dragged Tim into one of the cabins. They sat down in the chairs and Jason faced Tim, however, Tim looked down timidly and wouldn't make eye contact, Jason sighed, although it sounded more like a curse. On the other side, Dick was trying to contain the spastic Damian trying to break free of Dick's hold. 

"Let me go Grayson!" Damian demanded. "That idiot picked a fight with me and it's about time I whoop his ass."

"Listen to me Damian!" Dick ordered. "You were an initiator of the fight too making you just as guilty," He finally grabbed hold of both Damian's shoulders and managed to lift the small boy in the air so he couldn't run away.

"Trust me, in this scenario, Tim is more likely to win in a fight against you anyway, there are far too many objects around that would advantage him and hinder you," Damian stopped flailing around a little bit since he began to realize that Dick was right, well there's a first for everything.

"Fighting him is no answer and if you can't go five minutes without fighting him as Damian Wayne, there's no way you could stand not fighting him as Robin. And if the two of you can't get along Bruce will just bring Jason and me along with him and leave you since he knows we won't fight." Damian growled slightly and looked away.

"And remember Lil' D, whenever you get angry I have no choice other than to hug you," Dick reminded in a kiddie voice before bear hugging the boy wonder, who tried desperately to struggle free.

After a few seconds of silence, Jason finally decided to speak up.

"Look, I know that he aggravates you, trust me I find him unbearable too," Jason paused, "but he's still one of us whether we like it or not. He's a Robin and that decision is final. He's also Bruce's son and come on, did you honestly think anyone related to Bruce would be fun to hang out with?" This question mixed with Jason's slightly joking tone of voice managed to make Tim cheer up and bit and crack a smile, however, he still didn't look directly at Jason. "I know that I scare you, heck, I even scare myself, knowing that I've been tainted and have killed multiple people in the past and I'm sorry that I haven't given you a reason to warm up to me. I hope someday I will get the chance," Jason stood up and headed for the door to leave the boy alone.

"It's not that I'm scared of you," Tim managed to say before Jason touched the door nob. "It's just that, I'm intimidated by your abilities. You were the original Red Robin and well, I guess I'm afraid that I'll never live up to you," he continued. Jason walked back to his chair and sat down.

"Even despite your 'break' you've been a part of this family much longer than I have, you're also so confident in yourself and would be the only one of us to stand a chance against the Batman maybe besides Dick," Tim admitted, Jason was utterly amazed at what he was hearing. "I also don't believe you've been tainted. If you were you wouldn't be here with us, a part of this family. The truth is I look up to you very much, sure sometimes you do things I don't agree with but that's what happens in families like ours." Jason listened intently, not wanting to speak until he was certain Tim was finished. "The only reason I'm, no...I don't seem intimidated around Dick is because I knew him and his secret identity before I became Robin and even after he's always mentored me through my time as Batman's sidekick. That's why I don't see him the same way I see you." Tim fell silent and waited for a response.

"I understand what you mean," Jason chuckled. Tim looked up a little surprised by Jason's response. "Dick has a sort of thing about him, he's not afraid to show his affections or to ridicule any of us. I guess it makes sense since he knew us all since we started as robins, but he's always been able to treat us like real brothers since day one. I don't know if it's because he's the first, or maybe he might even be the best. But one thing's for sure, he's definitely..." They both looked out the window and saw Dick trying to hug Damian. "...the purest." A few moments of silence went past as the two absorbed everything that was said.

"So," Jason broke the silence, "do you really look up to me and my abilities huh?" He asked smugly. Tim just rolled his eyes but smiled at his older brother's comment. At that moment the door opened and Damian walked in followed by Dick. Damian walked up to Tim and stood directly in front of him.

"I'm sorry for trying to pick a fight with you. It was wrong, please forgive me," Damian apologised. Tim looked at the younger boy and saw Jason nod his head in the corner of his eye. Tim sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for aggravating you," Tim apologised, "no hard feelings?" he asked.

"No hard feelings," Damian repeated as they shook hands. Damian left the room quickly before Dick had the chance to show how proud he was by hugging him. Jason smiled at Tim as if to say you did well. The boat stopped at the island only moments after and the boys joyfully left the boat and looked at the island. The villa was on the same side of the ocean as they were, next to the beach; there was also a large forest behind the villa that filled the rest of the small-ish island. The villa looked very fancy and quite futuristic in the way it was designed. From the front, you could see the large swimming pool, why you would need a swimming pool when you're next to the ocean the teens wouldn't know. The whole kitchen and dining area were exposed by the large glass panels that the rooms had for outer walls. Inside there was also a fairly large living room with a massive fireplace. A door leading to the bathroom was at the back of the room and stairs to the upper floor were positioned at the other end of the room at the back. The top story had three rooms, one large bathroom and two large bedrooms with two beds in each. Dick and Jason quickly claimed the right bedroom so that Damian and Tim would be forced to share a bedroom. Although he felt slightly betrayed by the others, Tim accepted the decision while Damian complained for a while before realising that no one was paying attention anyway.

"This is not fair," He pouted as he unpacked his suitcase onto his bed.

"Does it matter?" Tim asked. "We'll only be here for a week, then you can go back to having your own bedroom." Tim unpacked and set up his network of computers and other high tech gadgets on his desk.

"Do you think it was a good idea letting those two share a bedroom?" Jason asked as he unpacked his bags.

"You bet," Dick answered, "sharing a bedroom will hopefully open them up to each other. And besides, their bedtime is much earlier than ours so we wouldn't want to wake them when walking in to go to sleep."

"Good point," Jason agreed. They all finished unpacking before heading down to the living area to discuss what they were going to do.