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Part 2 of Supernatural ( or mob) Batfamily Stories
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2022-07-21
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Tangled Web (and how it unraveled)

Chapter 5: Chain Reaction

Notes:

Hey, dear readers! I hope this chapter clarifies some of your doubts and the miscomunication that has been happening, but also keep in mind that there will be other povs and they will piece some other things together. Bruce's pov will be back too to explain his actions here, so I hope you enjoy this!

I want to thank my beta for helping me write this and supporting me through all the process, I wouldn’t have done it without them🥰. I appreciate kudos and comments (can be constructive criticisms, compliments or doubts), so if you can, leave them and you will make my day better. But please no hate.

Ages:
Damian = 8
Tim = 15
Jason = 19
Dick = 21
Barbara = 25

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they all belong to DC.

Chapter Text

 

 

Tim's pov

 

20 minutes before

 

Bruce was late.

 

He was supposed to be there twenty minutes ago, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

 

Tim didn’t understand why. It was their second joint patrol of the week and the last before their siblings, and Alfred arrived, so it was meant to be something special, the calm before the storm that was having their entire family home.

 

Bruce wouldn’t lose it for any reason, not when it would be his only day of relative peace for a while. 

 

"Where the fuck is the old man? I don't have all night." Jason complained, resting on the wall and crossing his arms.

 

Tim glanced at him. Besides himself, he could say his rebel brother was the most impatient among them, but something else was happening to him.

 

Jason hadn’t been in a good mood for days, and as usual, he had refused to speak about it. Tim felt it had to do with Bruce, which wasn’t unusual, but he didn’t have any evidence to support his theory. 

 

It didn’t make Jason less correct. Bruce wasn’t late, especially as Batman.

 

"Relax, little wing." Dick chucked from the roof's edge, hand standing and switching from one to two hands and from left to right, "I'm sure B is on his way."

 

Tim's gaze went to him, eyes rolling up at his games. Someone else, a saner person, would be concerned for him. Neither he nor Jason was affected at all. His older brother was Nightwing, and they were past sanity long ago.

 

"On his way, my ass." Jason grunted, walking toward him and kicking a poor rock in his way, "You said the same thing ten minutes ago. And five fucking minutes before that."

 

He was threatening in his anger as the Red Hood, one of the most feared vigilantes in the supernatural world, but Dick didn’t even flinch. Jason just couldn’t scare any of them if he wanted, and Tim knew him well enough to recognize the signs of Jason's concern beneath his tough act. 

 

And if Jason, out of all of them, was worried about Bruce, then Tim was right in being too.

 

"Yeah, that's fair." Dick flipped in time to stand when Jason stopped in front of him, his grin never leaving his face, "But that doesn't mean I'm wrong. He probably got caught in traffic."

 

Great excuse, Dick. Tim could swear he did those things on purpose to mess with his ‘little wing.’

 

"Are you shitting me?" Jason scoffed, gesturing irritated, while Dick stayed unfazed, "He is the fucking Batman! Why do you always have to defend him, you-"

 

He turned their voices off, smiling caringly but exasperatedly. He loved them, but he didn't have time for this. Tim crouched on the roof's edge, taking care not to rely on his bandaged, sprained wrist; he surveyed the overview of the city.

 

On the surface, it was like any other night. Thick pollution in the air, howls echoing through the streets, a weird smell carried by the wind, the siren songs coming from the coast, and trash in nearly every alley. The regular Gotham stuff.

 

But something was wrong. Tim could feel it- no . He knew it, and it wasn’t from now. He frowned, thinking back to when it started. With Bruce.

 

Since Alfred left for vacation, he had been acting… differently, but that wasn’t exactly a big deal. They all did since it was easier to get stressed out and mess around when Alfred was out, making the Manor a real war zone sometimes. 

 

Even Damian, who had arrived only a few months ago, was already attached to Alfie to miss him so badly that he was more insufferable than usual. 

 

Tim sighed, recalling their recent fight. He loved his little brother, he truly did, but Damian could be annoying when he wished to be; it didn't matter the improvement of their relationship.

 

Which was another proof something was wrong with Bruce because either he didn’t notice how crazy things were or decided not to acknowledge them as he usually would. Otherwise, instead of giving at least his weekly scolding, he spent more time with Damian than ever when Tim, Jason, and Dick were out. 

 

At first, Tim believed it was because Bruce would give Robin to his baby brother, which had hurt more than it should. He knew that day would come, that everything would be over at some point, but he wasn’t ready to live through it. He had only been Robin for a year, and he couldn’t say goodbye to the best thing that had happened to him so soon.

 

But everything changed two nights ago when he discovered that wasn't the case, and his heart could have melted with the happiness and relief he had felt. He had approached Bruce to prove his worth by taking down a new vampire criminal organization, a desperate last attempt to show his value as his partner.

 

He realized he didn’t need to. A small smile opened on Tim’s face at the fresh memory. As awkward as it was to have an emotional conversation with Bruce, he had been content and not worried about his position for the first time in weeks and finally slept for eight hours.

 

It was why he would never forget each detail from that night, and he was sure the turning point in Bruce’s strange behavior was back then. If only he-

 

"Hey, kid!" Jason's voice cut his line of thought. 

 

Tim whipped his head back to them. The amusement on Dick's face was gone; in its place, a frown was noticeable even with his domino mask on, a sign that instantly got him worried.

 

"What is it?" Tim asked and got up, gazing between him and Jason, who seemed more concerned than irritated.

 

Now that was odd. 

 

"We were just talking about B being different lately, little bird." Dick said with false casualty and a slight smile, "Did you notice anything?" 

 

Many things, but Tim didn't know if he should say them out loud; his brothers could believe him or think he was seeing stuff that wasn't there, and he wouldn't blame them if they went for the second option.

 

After Kon died, he could admit he wasn't at his best and would never forget how his friends had looked at him back then. He really wasn’t willing to repeat the experience, but that was his family… right? He had to rely on them. 

 

If he didn't, who would he?

 

"Okay, the thing is, he’s been distracted lately. He keeps losing focus and staring off into space before he starts working again, but that isn’t even the worst." Tim sighed, "I’ve also caught him making obvious mistakes on case files several times, and I'm not sure he’s aware of it, which is even weirder. And…" He paused to collect his thoughts, pondering about the last part. 

 

It was too odd, even for their standards. But Jason and Dick were expecting him to finish it, and if he didn’t say it now, he wouldn’t anymore. "B has been strange to me, okay? He comes up behind me and stands a little too close, almost like-"

 

“Oh my God, yes!" Dick interrupted him excitedly like he shared Tim's fear, and finally could open up, "He does that to me too! Like he’s smelling you, right? I thought he was just being weird about my new cologne, but then I changed it, and he didn't stop!"

 

Tim nodded and smiled in relief; although it wasn't something to feel like that, he couldn't help. He wasn’t making stuff up. It was real.

 

In a non-planned sync, they turned their heads to Jason, staring at him. "What?" He scoffed, crossing his arms moodily.

 

Tim recognized that reaction. Jason was getting defensive, and when he did, he had reasons.

 

"C'mon, little wing." Dick motivated him, giving that shiny grin of his and patting his forearm. He was using his famous puppy eyes to manipulate Jason to speak.

 

It worked.

 

"Fine." Jason grumbled, sighing, "Since we fell asleep on the couch that night, I've been feeling off. Don't ask me to explain how off because I don't fucking know, but I believe it has to do with B."

 

Tim bit his lip thoughtfully, considering his words. He expected something more concrete, but that proved him correct. In the track Tim was keeping of their father’s behavior, the night Jason mentioned preceded the one he went out with Bruce.

 

It could have been the breaking point, what made their father take those vampires out brutally enough that the hospital records were as bad as after Jason died when night creatures or not, Batman was the scariest thing in Gotham for months.

 

Tim could almost say he had supernatural strength and speed with how he invaded the warehouse, which wasn't off for Batman, who many heroes believed to have powers before they met him.

 

But he wasn’t them. None of them were. They worked with Bruce. They lived with him. They were his family.

 

So how could Tim have looked at Bruce’s back that night, catching a mere glimpse of red in his eyes that could easily be the street lights reflection, and for a moment, mistake him for Jack Drake?

 

Stupid , that was what he was. Bruce wasn't Jack. Besides being physically impossible, Bruce loved him; he would never do the things that had been done to Tim by his parents, so the fact he confused them, even if briefly, was very offensive to Tim.

 

"What is in your mind, little bird?" Dick drove him off his line of thoughts, gently tapping his forehead to get his attention, "I can see the gears turning in your head."

 

Tim looked up at them, realizing he had gotten too deep inside his thoughts again. Did they have to know everything, anyway? It wasn't like he was sure of anything. He wasn't . And if he said the wrong thing, with their history with vampires…

 

Well, it could get out of hand.

 

"Well, I-" Tim started but was cut off by Babs in their communicators, " Boys? " 

 

Did she sound quite in panic? No, that wasn't right. Oracle didn't panic. She was their guide, the brain behind it all, and the voice of reason.

 

But Babs… She was a person like all of them, and if Tim were to identify the emotion in her voice, he would guess concern.

 

"Hey, O." Dick greeted her eagerly, his smile back to his face, "Is little D already with you? Can I speak to him?"

 

That caught Tim's attention. Right, Damian should be with Babs. And if he did, then Bruce should be coming, and Tim was wrong.

 

It was okay if that was the case. He preferred to be wrong this time.

 

"That's what I called you for. D isn't here, and I reached out to Batman six times, but he didn't answer in any of the lines. And the cameras…." Babs informed them, pausing for a moment before concluding, "They are off."

 

Tim could nearly sense their bodies tensing simultaneously, Dick's smile failing for a moment.

 

"Trackers?" His older brother asked. His voice was a fraction of an octave higher than usual, which was understandable even if he used his Nightwing voice.

 

Tim couldn’t accuse him of favoritism this time, they were already worried about Bruce, but if Damian, their baby brother, was in danger too, then it was a whole other matter.

 

" They point out he is in the Cave, " Babs answered with more emotion in her tone than usual.

 

Tim's mind started to run with possibilities, and he didn't like any of them, "The emergency signal?" He inquired, tense. 

 

That had to have worked. They all responded to the emergency signal - even Jason - because it was the last line of communication. 

 

If Bruce hadn't, mainly in the Cave…

 

" No answer, " Babs said lower than ever, and it sounded like a death sentence.

 

Tim's stomach sank. He didn't want to be correct about some stupid theory he had come up with. 

 

"What do you mean no fucking answers?" Jason snarled, gesturing angrily.

 

He was starting to freak out, Tim could see so, and it was always bad when he was like that. Jason wouldn’t admit it, but he loved Bruce and Damian more than he showed.

 

He was a professional like them, but Red Hood was quite unpredictable when it got personal for Jason, so Tim would have to handle him carefully.

 

" He won't pick up, Hood, so don't give me that attitude. " Babs retorted, " I called you for a reason. "

 

Tim watched Jason avert his eyes from them, guilty for lashing out at Babs, but probably something he would apologize for as soon as they got it done. Because they would get it done, they just had to act now.

 

"We will go back to the Cave and check them up." Robin took the lead, "Thanks for the warning, O."

 

She deserved at least that, but being honest, Tim also could need her later if his suppositions were proven right. Getting on Babs' wrong side was never a good thing. 

 

" You're welcome, Robin. When you get there, if you need anything…." She took a deep breath, finishing, "I'm always here ."

 

The last part usually was spoken lightly - playfully even - but it wasn’t there this time.

 

"You will be the first to know," Dick said soothingly, their story showing for a moment.

 

" Oracle out," Babs called off.

 

In a silent agreement, they headed to their motorcycles. Tim went with Jason because of his wrist and his brothers' stupid insistence that it was dangerous to go on his own motorcycle. Like he was some kid.

 

He suppressed his annoyance, and they drove back to the Manor, speed higher than it was probably safe. But that was Gotham, and traffic laws were almost non-existent, and they had to get to the Cave as soon as possible.

 

Tim held tight to his brother, feeling like he should be sharing his thoughts with Dick and Jason. They could deal with his doubts together. That was what they did.

 

But he couldn’t, not when he wasn't sure what he believed in. It could be anything. An attack. A medical issue. But somehow, Tim doubted it. Maybe yes, he was a paranoid asshole in the end, but that was his… father. He could be Bruce Wayne, the Batman, but he was their father above everything. 

 

And pondering that he could have become a vampire was something not even Tim was ready for, so he couldn't imagine how it would be for Dick and Jason.

 

He knew they weren't bigots or anything; none hated any vampire without a good reason, but he could admit they weren't the best with them either. There was too much that wasn't unpacked, and talking about their emotions wasn't their strength.

 

Damian's presence didn't make it any better, reminding them of their traumas with vampires. Not that they didn't want him there, they had a tough beginning for sure, but Damian was family.

 

The problem was that their baby brother, who they didn't even know existed, had been raised by the damn League of Assassins under continuous abuse and assault, psychological, emotional, and physical. 

 

Tim despised Ra's, but he and Talia had conquered his hatred. He held tighter onto Jason, remembering the night they found out a bunch of adult vampires, including Damian's blood, had made his life hell. 

 

He had wished to kill for them, to guarantee monsters like the kind that hurt his family could never do so again, and he was proud to declare the rest of his family shared his feelings. 

 

League’s members should be especially cautious around Cass. Because once more, vampires had taken something from them, and they could not do anything about it when they should have.

 

The guilt of the impotence would always hunt them, but it was not sufficient for them to be unfair since, in the end, the League was just bad people that happened to have fangs and drink blood.

 

Everyone with basic knowledge of the supernatural world knew that vampire clans had some of the strongest and most profound bonds ever discovered, taking care of each other as not even most human families did.

 

Tim had only been unlucky that either as mortals or immortals, his parents never loved him enough to be his family or clan. That was okay, he was well aware he wasn't someone easy to be loved, but Bruce did love him.

 

For some reason, even after Tim invaded his life when he was grieving his dead son and practically forced him to make him Robin, Bruce still found a place in his heart for him. 

 

Not as Robin, but as family, the people Bruce kept his smiles for and allowed to live in his house, and in the worst time, held them as if they were the most precious things in his life.

 

And Tim didn't know why he had been chosen, he couldn't get his mind around it, but he willingly took everything Bruce had given him as the selfish person he was. So before jumping to the conclusion he had become a vampire without any objective evidence, he should think about all the other endless options. 

 

They lived in a world with every kind of supernatural creature besides the metas, superhumans, aliens, wizards, etc. Literally anything could have happened to Bruce and Damian, from someone finding out about the Cave and attacking them to a magical interdimensional creature abducting them. 

 

Just because Tim had noticed things that could have a variety of explanations, it didn’t mean Bruce was a vampire. If he believed that ridiculous theory so quickly when he had spent most of the month barely getting any sleep, including the night he went out with Bruce, he should retire as a detective.

 

That was why he decided to keep his paranoia to himself as they approached the Manor and focused on Bruce and Damian needing their help. That was the best he could do.

 

Jason parked his motorcycle in the entrance of the Cave next to Dick's, following their protocol for when the Cave was possibly compromised, and they had to sneak in.

 

It was too far for people not to see the Bats' motorcycles in the Manor's land but inside enough for them to be heard by a threat in the Cave.

 

"What is the plan?" Tim asked as they got down, grabbing his bo staff. He considered replacing it with his silver one for a second, but he quickly shrugged that off.

 

Bruce was not a vampire. It would be too ironic if the vigilante dressing as a bat became one; the universe wasn't that much of a bitch, as Jason would say.

 

"Secure the demon spawn, save B's ass, and fuck up whoever dared to attack them." Jason shrugged, too casual for how tense he obviously was.

 

Tim was reminded once again that despite Jason's problems with Bruce, he would always be the first of them to burn the world for him. And Damian… well, it wasn't even a discussion for him or any of them.

 

Hurting their baby brother was asking to see the worst side of their family.

 

"Those are goals, not plans, little wing." Dick pointed out with a small smile, but it wasn’t as bright as usual. He took his batons from his back, holding them tight.

 

"Great goals." Jason huffed, getting his guns from their holsters.

 

He had a point, although he also never had any actual plans, only goals. They needed more information to devise a plan, so they would have to rely on the protocol again.

 

That meant either they sent someone, probably Dick, to gather information for them to create a plan, or they entered and checked the area as they sought Damian and Bruce. There was one correct answer.

 

"We go in, stick together, and find them while checking for threats," Tim suggested, glancing between Dick and Jason from where he stood between them.

 

They couldn’t separate. Whoever or whatever had gotten to their father had been capable of taking Batman down, and temporarily or not, it was no feat to be played.

 

Dick and Jason nodded, the latter with a shrug, and they entered the Cave. Carefully and steadily, they walked further in and surveyed each perimeter until they arrived at the Central Computer side.

 

Tim's eyes widened when he spotted it. Claw marks on the edge of the computer's metal that someone had scratched so deeply it was a surprise that they hadn’t ripped a piece of it off.

 

He approached the focus of his attention, considering a few variable options.

 

Werewolves were the first thing that came to his mind, but the form of their claws didn't match the marks. Ghouls were common in Gotham, mainly in the sewers, but Croc dealt with the most violent of them before they would get to Bristol. 

 

There were dragons, demons-

 

"Vampires." Dick whispered.

 

Tim tensed. That was a possibility. The marks were very similar to the vampire's claws, and forgetting his ridiculous theory, he already had the main suspect.

 

"Ra's." Tim concluded.

 

Dick's expression darkened, and even if Tim couldn’t see Jason's face, the way he held his guns tighter let his feelings clear. They agreed on the supposition, which meant they had to act faster.

 

The League could have come to take Damian or, even worse, him and Bruce to their clan. Their father didn't like to talk about it, but the fact he spent years with Ra's was enough for them to be protective of him when the League was involved, Tim more than anyone. 

 

After all, from the few times they met, he was well aware of what it was like to have the Demon's Head interested in you. He clenched his hand around his bo staff. He wouldn't allow the vampire to take his father and baby brother from him.

 

They moved in a defensive formation with no words needed, this time with Dick in the middle, Jason on his right, and Tim on his left. The nearest area was the forensic lab and the medical facility, so they headed there.

 

However, when they approached the latter, the sight that received them felt like it had come straight from a nightmare. They froze in shock. A few meters from them, Bruce was kneeling in front of Damian, holding him tight with his claws , and… 

 

Tim felt his blood run cold.

 

Bruce was biting their baby brother's neck. With his vampire fangs . Because their father was a vampire . 

 

A thousand questions and theories hammered his skull.

 

When did the transformation happen? How did Tim miss it? Who had turned Bruce? They had to be on another level. Bruce wouldn't have come down without a fight, which meant it had been a violent transformation. Someone had killed his father and forcibly made him a vampire.

 

His stomach turned and twisted. It had to have been Ra's . He had the motive, methods, and capacity, but when could he have gotten to Bruce? When was he alone for at least a few days for Ra's to take him? They-

 

"Bruce?" Dick's horrified, quivering voice took him off his short mental inquisition.

 

Tim shook his head, focusing back on the reality of the situation. It wasn’t time for his desperate emotions to seek an explanation, not when Damian was in danger and Bruce was the cause.

 

He hated even considering his father a threat, but they didn't know which state he was in, and he had his fangs near their baby brother's carotid. Any wrong movement and… Tim chose not to see that far away.

 

They were doing the right thing. Bruce would have wanted them to prioritize Damian's safety, no matter what. So calling his attention in a calm manner that didn't present danger was a good first step, as unintentional as Dick could have done it.

 

It didn't entirely work, though. Bruce growled, removing his fangs from Damian's neck in a quick movement that made Tim's heart skip a beat, mainly when he didn't let him go. It could be interpreted as either a protective or threatening act, and Tim couldn’t believe he couldn’t differentiate.

 

"Dad?" The second attempt surprisingly came from Jason. He glanced at his brother. 

 

This could bring Bruce back to himself since he always reacted strongly in his typical, almost imperceptible way when they called him 'dad,' like out of all the titles he had, that was the one that mattered.

 

Tim wasn't sure if Jason had used it on purpose or if it slipped because he was having a breakdown beneath his helmet, but the effect was immediate. 

 

Bruce got up and turned to them, revealing two new facts that made Tim feel like the ground beneath him had disappeared. His eyes were dark scarlet, not the characteristic red of the vampires', but the color of blood, one of the strongest signs they were feral. 

 

And when he snarled, stepping up, they saw a glance of it beneath him. Damian had small fangs in his mouth. Baby fangs. Of a vampire.

 

They raised their weapons simultaneously, the implications of the sight waving through them as time felt to slow down.

 

Not only was Bruce killed and turned under their nose, but so was Damian. His baby brother. A fucking kid. And if he wasn't afraid and running away from a feral vampire like Bruce, it was very likely because he didn't believe he had a reason to.

 

Because that was his progenitor. Tim swallowed, keeping a blank facade but feeling like he would throw up. No, no , it couldn’t be. It couldn't . Bruce couldn't have killed and turned Damian. He wouldn't have done it. 

 

But the logic, the very thing that had kept Tim alive for so long, that made him the hero he was, said otherwise. 

 

Recently transformed vampires, mainly kids and teenagers, were incredibly dependable of their progenitors. They hardly allowed any of their race, even from their clan, to approach. And since Damian wasn't having his blood drained as they thought, this had to be a bonding moment; the only reason vampires drank each other's blood.

 

So it had to be Bruce. It was the reasonable explanation, and what Tim didn't want to believe, that he pleaded it wasn't real.

 

He tried to come up with other possibilities, how maybe Damian could have turned Bruce, done this to him, and it would be okay because he wasn't to blame. He was a kid. They wouldn’t hurt him for it.

 

But there were too many counterpoints for that, as much as Tim wished to deny them.

 

First, Damian just wasn't a vampire for too long. They would have known if he was despite him acting like one; considering Ra's and Talia had raised him, it was a miracle he didn't end up worse.

 

Secondly, baby vampires were terrible at hiding their race's traits and habits. Damian would have needed someone to hold him back, and in the end, it all pointed to Bruce because one fact outstood all the others: 

 

There was no fucking way Damian could have transformed Bruce. Even if he somehow could sneak up on him or take him down in a fight, their father would have informed them as soon as he could.

 

Tim was sure of that. They would help Damian and neutralize Bruce until they figured everything out, and when that happened, they would adapt his backup plans and deal with his new situation together. 

 

As a team . As a family . 

 

So everything led to the conclusion that Bruce had killed and transformed Damian, that while they lived there, their father could do so without their interference. Tim held his bo staff tightly, holding onto it.

 

He wanted to be angry. He wanted to hurt someone for the pain and confusion making it hard for him to breathe. He wanted to destroy Ra's, causing him so much suffering that he would beg to die by his hands for the mere possibility of his involvement.

 

Yet, when his father looked around, appearing confused despite how scary he was, Tim only felt… hurt. He hadn’t protected Bruce and Damian. He wasn’t there when they needed him. He had allowed part of his family to die and be violated in such a profound manner.

 

How could he harm them anymore? Fighting couldn’t be the way.

 

But his brothers didn't appear to agree with his line of thought. Dick's expression hardened, Jason's body tensed, and they slowly started moving to a cornering attack formation. Tim automatically, even if hesitantly, accompanied them.

 

"Step away from Damian, B," Dick ordered, raising his batons threateningly.

 

Bruce tilted his head in response, a movement that Damian mimicked. Usually, it would have Dick humiliating himself by going crazy over his baby brother being the cutest, something Jason teasingly called him out for.

 

It wasn't the case this time.

 

"Now!" Jason shouted between clenched teeth, aiming his guns directly at Bruce's head, "We won't ask again."

 

His father slightly recoiled as Damian hugged his arm, facing him up with widened eyes that Bruce encountered. God, they both looked so lost. It wasn't right. Vampires or not, they shouldn't be like that.

 

Was Bruce really completely feral? Could he have truly harmed Damian? Was violence actually necessary?

 

Tim had his answer when Bruce stared back at them, and he saw the exact moment he started fading into his new nature. The thread of humanity in his scarlet gaze disappeared, and its edges sharpened as he surveyed them with an intensity of a predator analyzing prey.

 

His parents were the same in their last moments together.

 

He clenched his teeth, keeping an eye on Damian and subtly changing his position to one that allowed him to act as quickly as possible if he had to. No, there was no if . 

 

He deeply hoped, but Tim had to let it go. He had to do what was needed. He was Robin, maybe not one Bruce had chosen, but he was the son he had chosen and trusted his family with in situations like this.

 

He wouldn't disappoint him. 

 

He shared a glance with Dick, who nodded at him and Jason. It was decided. They needed to take Bruce down and prioritize Damian so they could help them, and it was apparent which of them would handle each of the vampires.

 

Bruce bared his fangs and claws and hissed, like he could sense what they planned, finally forcing their hand. 



Current moment

 

Everything happened too quickly. In a moment, his father was standing a few meters away. The next, he jumped toward Tim at a speed that wasn't human. 

 

Tim gasped. A glimpse of Bruce saving him in that vampire organization's warehouse crossed his eyes in a flash. It was too late to deflect, so he raised his bo-staff, bracing himself for the impact until a weight abruptly pushed him, shoving him to the side.

 

He grunted and quickly stuck one of the ends of his weapon on the ground, his sprained wrist throbbing as he slid before stopping on one knee. Fuck, he hated to be injured. It always slowed him down.

 

Hearing a thud, Tim immediately looked at where he was, seeing the reason for his location adjustment.

 

Dick had taken his place with his batons risen above his head and Bruce’s hands grasping them as he towered over him. Tim watched his father press his brother down in shock, forcing him onto his knees and causing him to groan between clenched teeth.

 

And that wasn't even the worst. The batons slowly started to bend under his grip, and it didn't even seem like a real effort to him, just a flex. Tim got goosebumps.

 

Jack Drake used his supernatural strength many times after his transformation. Usually against him. Sometimes to keep him immobile while he and Janet fed from him. Once to hold him down as they drained him to death.

 

Shots . They snapped him out of his ridiculous frozen state, and he searched for their obvious source. Jason - who also appeared to have missed a few seconds of reality - was repeatedly shooting Bruce in his side, the Batman's suit blocking his bullets.

 

Yet, their impacts were sufficient for Bruce to back off, growling and protecting himself, which allowed Dick to move away and stand again.

 

Tim got up, preparing to attack, when his instincts rang at the same time a glimpse of a movement showed at the edge of his sight. It was barely visible, someone with less trained senses wouldn't have seen it at all, but Tim did in time to hold his bo-staff up to protect himself when Damian tackled him.

 

Shit, he had forgotten his baby brother for a moment. Tim landed hard on his back with Damian on top of him, trying to use his weapon to throw him off and immobilize him, but failing because of the weakness of his right wrist.

 

He grunted, and Damian growled, holding his bo-staff and pinning it down to the point Tim struggled to maintain it from pressing his chest. Taking the opportunity, his baby brother tried to bite him, his little fangs snapping in the air.

 

Tim deflected them with some effort, hating that he was caught by surprise. He should have known. Dammit, he should have. 

 

"Stay still, Timothy!" His baby brother snarled and pushed harder.

 

Tim frowned. Could Damian talk? Usually, recently turned vampires, mostly the younger ones, were non-verbal after bonding moments since it was too intense for them.

 

But Damian had always been an exception, hadn't he? It would make sense if he was forced to overcome every weakness, including the vampire ones. God, Tim despised Ra's so much.

 

"Dami, I know you must be hungry, but lemme help you!" Tim tried to get to him, supposing that blood was what his baby brother was after.

 

It was unlikely Damian would have gotten the amount of blood he should have since he had become a creature of the night, which was undoubtedly very hidden by Bruce. 

 

Tim would willingly let him feed on him; if he had to, he would cut himself open for Bruce and Damian to do it, but not when they were a possible danger to each other and his brothers. It would be the last resource.

 

"You can help me by letting me bite you, you fool!" Damian spat, back to his usual attitude.

 

Tim controlled his annoyance, glad to see his baby brother was still himself. It was good to know, but that meant Damian wasn't going to give up because he was a little shit like that.

 

He remembered well how he almost lost a finger when he and his baby brother competed for the last piece of his vegetarian pizza. Could he have let him have it? Yes, but Damian also shouldn't have hidden his coffee. He couldn’t even find his special teas because he couldn’t survive on them according to his baby brother.

 

"Not now, little D." Tim retorted with a tired small smile, taking advantage of Damian giving him an indignant look of 'how could you dare?!' to switch their positions.

 

Working through the growing pain in his sprained wrist, he used his bo-staff to immobilize his baby brother, who hissed at him and fought his grip. If Tim weren't too busy trying to avoid his fangs, he would have found it interesting how Damian seemed like a feral kitten.

 

He didn't have time to be like Dick, though. He had to secure Damian to come back and help his brothers with Bruce since their father was gaining more and more ground from the few glances he caught of them.

 

Dick and Jason were fighting desperately, and if he didn't know better, he would say even frightened. It triggered flashes of the first and unique time Tim had reacted against his parents, memories of broken bones and lasting bruises returning stronger than ever. 

 

He clenched his teeth, refusing to allow himself to make that comparison. Bruce wasn't his parents. He was the one that carried Tim's broken body to the hospital after Jack and Janet Drake barely left him alive, and becoming a vampire wouldn't change who he was.

 

If someone could overcome vampire instincts, it would be him. He wouldn't kill his brothers. They could take him down.

 

Tim focused back on Damian right in time to get headbutted by him, grunting at the sharp pain that cut through his forehead. That gave his baby brother a chance to tackle him again, causing them to roll on the ground.

 

Okay, that was it. If Damian wanted to do it the hard way, he would. He gained the leverage to turn them, ignoring his wrist's nerves being lit on fire to bring his bo-staff against his baby brother's neck. 

 

Not too firmly, but with the right amount of force for him to pull him up as Damian grumbled and cursed him. But Tim didn't let go. He had to take Damian to the cells, get him a blood bag, and return to help Dick and Jason.

 

He turned his head to check their progress but didn't even have time to react before a force hit on the back of his head, shaking his world to the point it spun. 

 

Black dots covered his vision, eyes rolling up as his body fell motionless to the side, about to enter in contact with the cold stone until what felt like soft hands caught him.

 

They reminded him of Dick's, a glimpse of his grin appearing on his sight, but they were too big to be his. He groaned when he was gently laid on his back on the ground, grimacing as he sensed a presence towering over him that got closer and closer.

 

Struggling to open his eyes through the pain, he was received by a big blur with scarlet dots that stared into his soul for a moment before taking the small squirming form from his arms and- 

 

No , no form. That was Damian . 

 

"What are you doing, Father ?" His baby's brother sounded even more annoyed than average.

 

Tim shook his head, his sight clearing to see Damian being put over Bruce’s shoulder, seeming frustrated and dissatisfied. He was like that a lot.

 

"This is our chance! They have to be claimed as our clan!" Damian shouted, writhing against their father, who growled reproachfully at him.

 

For the first time since their fight started, Damian calmed down with a pout on his mouth but no snark. How did he- wait.

 

Claimed? Damian wanted Bruce to claim them? Tim watched, stunned, as his father turned and began to walk out of the medical facility, gaze scattering to see Dick and Jason lying on the floor by his side.

 

Unconscious. Chests were going up and down. No visible injuries and... He narrowed his eyes, trying to process the lack of blood in the tiny dots on the sides of their necks. The holes that should have been pierced in their skin were non-existent. 

 

If they had stopped Bruce from sticking his fangs on the other, there would be at least a small cut from the sudden movement of the fangs in touch with the skin. So it was like Bruce had gotten close to biting them but had given up at the last minute.

 

That wasn't reasonable. No vampire he had ever met had that level of self-control, not when they were feral. A vampire in that state was a slave to their instincts, seeking two things: 

 

Blood and clan.

 

Unless… Realization hit Tim as hard as that time threw his car on him, all the pieces of the puzzle finally getting together. How did he not see it before? It was right on his face.

 

"Bruce!" Tim screamed without a second thought, forcing his body to move up until he stood quite dizzy.

 

His father froze at the entrance of the medical facility, and Damian took his face from where he hid it in Bruce’s shoulder, interest gleaming in his eyes. Seconds passed, and Tim considered drawing his blood to get the vampire's attention, but he didn’t need to.

 

Bruce faced him almost hesitantly. The feral features were impossible not to be perceived, and any criminal in Gotham faced with the sight of the Bat having fangs and blood in his eyes would have run for their lives.

 

Tim stood there. He couldn’t let Bruce leave with Damian. He couldn’t allow him to go wild in Gotham. But Tim wasn't stupid. Dick and Jason were down, and he didn't stand a chance against Bruce.

 

There was only one way to stop him. He needed blood. Not from blood bags, but the natural, warm thing straight from the source that made vampires commit massacres to get more and more but would be satisfied with a person alone if they were clan.

 

Tim dropped to his knees, the impact causing a loud thud to echo in the silence of the Cave. He took a deep breath to gather courage before facing down and turning his head to the side, a submissive position to offer blood.

 

His parents forced him to stay like that when they fed on him, it was familiar in the worst possible manner, and he thought he would never do it again. 

 

But this was his choice, and the approaching steps were Bruce’s. His father. And even feral, he didn't drain Tim, Dick or Jason when he had a chance. 

 

Because they were his clan. That was what Tim was missing. The information that explained everything. His heart raced the closer the vampire got to him, his body weighting with the risk he was taking there.

 

Tim's mind was calm, though. For them to be alive, Bruce had to think of them as his pseudo-clan, which was rarely reported among vampires but happened. They would have confused their feelings for family or friends with a clan without claiming bites.

 

That was his guarantee Bruce wouldn't kill him. Or at least it was supposed to be. Bruce stood in front of him, growling and hovering his fangs over the skin of Tim's neck. He recoiled but stayed still, closing his eyes. 

 

Was he afraid? Maybe. Could he barely stop himself from trembling? Yes. But he wouldn't back down. Bruce wouldn't drain him. He wasn’t his parents. That was his father, and Tim had to give a leap of faith. He had to trust Bruce to catch him, as he always had.

 

His breath hitched when he sensed a breath near his neck, anticipating the pain of the bite. But nothing could have prepared him for how he felt the moment sharp fangs pierced his skin.

 

He gasped, the air forced out of his lungs in a single hit as his nerves lit up like a tempest of rays burning his cells from inside out. 

 

A wave of emotions flooded him from every side, overwhelming him to the point his self was crushed by their intensity, and he couldn’t breathe through them.

 

It was too much.

 

He couldn’t do it.

 

He was drowning, suffocating, dragged to the ocean's depth, and no one would save him.

 

He couldn't make it through.

 

Tim wouldn’t- 

 

He inhaled deeply, filling his chest with air again. He was floating. No weight attached to him. No worries or doubts.

 

His body was as light as a feather, carried by the clouds beneath him filled with so, so much love. Tim had never felt like that before. 

 

He was surrounded, embraced by care in its purest form, a warm sensation that was everything he had craved for.

 

Tim was loved . He was cared for . He was enough. Those were unquestionable facts that any of the voices from his head daring to contest were immediately erased by the source of this paradise.

 

He should question it, find the answers, and search for an explanation, but he just… didn’t. There was no need to. He distantly knew what was happening, he was claimed by his dad, and oh, how it felt right like what he always wanted. Being where he should be, in the arms of his clan, the place he belonged.

 

Tim let go, and there were no thoughts for the first time in his life.

 

Nothing but home.



Tim Drake

Beautiful fanart by the talented @potion-styxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, guys! I decided to end this with some fluff to make up for the last cliffhanger, and also because the next chapter will contain heavy angst, so I hope you enjoy this one😊. I would love to know what you enjoyed the most about this chapter and what you expect to happen, your feedback will always be very important to me.