A Renegade Knight

CHAPTER XV

The screech of the bats was almost deafening as Tim walked through the gloom of the cave, his bare feet muffling any sounds he made as he navigated through the dark. The cave was lit with a series of floodlights in the roof, designed to cast a layer of shadows throughout the vast cavern and create an intimidating atmosphere. Intimidating to those who didn't live there.

Taking a final step, Tim hesitated as he stood before the screens. Whatever was behind those screens was reality. While outside them, Tim could imagine whatever he liked. He could imagine that it was a normal night, Bruce working in the depths of the cave, Damian hiding somewhere sulking and Dick was just a short distance away. He could imagine that he had just come from seeing the Titans. He could even imagine that the whole night hadn't happened and he was upstairs in his bed dreaming this whole thing. But once he walked into the medical bay, it would all be real and he would have to deal with it.

Taking a deep breath, Tim stepped past the shield.

The first thing he saw was Jason. The Red Hood was un-conscious, lying on one of the spare examination tables. His shirt was off, his chest and shoulder tightly bandaged while an IV pumped much needed fluids into his system. Jason's face was a mess of cuts and bruises, his nose swollen and purple in the harsh light.

It was strange, Tim thought as he looked at his older brother. Jason was one of the most violent people the teen knew. The hurt the older hero had endured during his childhood had been amplified during his resurrection, causing him to attack without prejudice, whether he was faced with a friend or foe. Tim had faced Jason many times and only just survived. And yet, as Tim watched the older hero, he couldn't help but be struck with a thought.

Jason had a family. The rogue Bat may not like it, but if he ever needed help, Batman, Nightwing...Hell, even Tim himself would respond.

Tim remembered well his first few years as Robin. Everything he had done had been to try and fix the hole Jason had left in the family. Every action he had taken, had been shadowed by the fear of following Jason's footsteps, first to the grave, and then to something worse.

But it didn't matter that the man was homicidal, that he had recently escaped from jail, or that he had tried to kill his older brother, both his younger brothers and many of his former friends and enemies. Jason was forever a Robin and would forever be part of the Batman legacy.

Softly, Tim stepped closer to Jason's prone form. Behind him, there was a small cough.

"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Tim asked.

"Yes Master Timothy." Alfred answered from his place behind the teenager.

Tim nodded and swallowed, hoping his voice wouldn't shake.

"And Dick?" he asked.

There was a brief pause from behind him.

"Master Timothy, please turn around."

Tim felt his hands curl into fists. Slowly, balancing on the soles of his feet, Tim pivoted on the spot. He didn't know what he expected to see. What he did see was Alfred, the Englishman was standing in front of the Teen Wonder, partly blocking his view. However, Tim could still make out the scene behind him.

Stepping forward, Tim stopped for a moment as Alfred placed a hand on his shoulder before the older man backed away, leaving Tim to continue on his own.

In front of him, Bruce sat. The Dark Knight had removed the top half of his costume, leaving him bare chested as he sat by Dick's bedside and watched his oldest child. It took Tim a few moments to spot the red tube protruding from Bruce's arm, and a few moments more to understand what it was as his eyes followed it up to the IV bag, and then back down to the needle in Dick's arm. Against the head of the bed, a life support machine pinged softly, measuring Dick's heart rate.

Stepping closer, Tim felt himself mentally comparing his older brothers. Like Jason, Dick's chest was bandaged up. However, the oldest of the Bat-siblings didn't look nearly as bad as the Red Hood. In fact, Tim's oldest brother looked peaceful in his sleep. It looked slightly odd to see the many thousands of dollars of medical equipment surrounding the bed.

"You should be resting." Bruce muttered, not looking up at his teenage son.

Tim shrugged, knowing Bruce wouldn't see it.

"I don't think resting is going to be so easy tonight. Jason seems to be doing ok. How is Dick?" The younger hero replied, looking at his surroundings. His eyes fell on an abandoned chair. Walking over, the teen picked it up and placed it next to the bed.

In front of Tim, Bruce sighed and ran his free hand through his sweaty black hair.

"Leslie thinks he will be fine." The hero replied, finally turning to look at Tim as the teen sat down. "He lost a lot of blood from the bullet wound, but most of his injuries are minimal. His rate of recovery looks good."

"But you are still worried." Tim stated, recognising the tone in his adopted fathers voice.

Bruce looked away, glancing across the medical bay. In the corner, Leslie was studying an x-ray of a human skull. Tim found himself glancing at it, noting the black smudge on the top of the spine.

"That's the implant, isn't it?" he finally asked softly.

Besides him, Bruce nodded, once again turning to watch Dick sleep. Tim understood the silence.

"It can't be removed, can it?" he asked.

"No. The risks of brain damage or even death are too high to consider surgery, even if Dick was fit enough to undergo the procedure." Bruce replied, his voice flat. "Leslie is trying to find a way to permanently block its signal, or at least stop any possibility it could be reactivated."

Tim thought for a long moment.

"Bruce?" he finally asked.

The teen held his breath, waiting for his mentor to turn his attention on him.

"Yes?" Bruce asked. The Dark Knight sounded exhausted.

"Why did you hand Deathstroke over to the League? After all he has done to us, done to Dick and Jason and even Cass, why didn't you retaliate?"

Bruce seemed to pause, processing his son's question as he studied his hands.

"Why did I let the Joker survive after he took Jason from me? Why did I refuse to take Bane down after he broke my back?" He looked up again at his third child. "I can't live for revenge Tim. If I do, what will stop me from becoming like the people I fight?"

Tim swallowed. Although he had already known it was going to be Bruce's answer, the verbal confirmation was welcome to the Teen Wonder. It was the principle Tim had trained under and according to Alfred, the principle Bruce had lived by ever since he had invited a lonely circus orphan into his life.

With a small sigh of acceptance, Tim shifted on the chair, moving closer to Bruce until he was leaning against his adopted fathers shoulder. Dick's bed was a white island in front of him, Jason's in his peripheral vision. Slowly, Bruce relaxed, allowing Tim to rest against him as the two continued to watch over their sleeping birds.