Work Text:
He had trusted Cass.
She had been there for him through all of his toughest times.
She knew things about him that no one else did.
She had saved him when no one else would.
She was his sister.
So how could she do this to him?
It was stupid.
Really.
Tim knew that he was overreacting.
But…
She knew.
She knew about how he had always been in love with his best friend.
She knew about how hard his death was on Tim.
He had told her about what he had done to try and bring him back.
She knew.
And yet she never said anything.
Didn't even give him a heads up.
Tim had to find out by getting a ping on his wrist computer that tracked any news about his friends and family and saw the notification:
"Batgirl and Superboy? New Superhero Romance as Young Love gets Interrupted by a Villain attack!"
Now, Tim knew that the news could be misleading…
So he quickly did some recon, even going as far as reaching out to Kon directly to ask if the date was real.
And it was.
Everything Tim found, pointed to the fact that this had indeed been a romantic outing between his best friend (crush) and older sister.
It meant nothing.
It should have meant nothing.
Tim had always known that Kon was straight.
The guy flirted with literally any girl around during their early Young Justice days. And while he isn't as bad now, he's still never shown any interest in guys.
So yes.
Tim knows that he never had a chance.
That it was dumb and immature of him to be upset at his sister for trying to find love when it obviously wasn't going to happen for him.
That even if Kon was queer in some way, there was no way someone like him would ever go for someone as broken as Tim.
Tim who had attempted to clone his friend when he died.
Tim who was cast out of the Justice League and called crazy.
Tim who was abandoned by his own friend's and family.
Tim who flinched at any small touch after Paris.
Tim who couldn't so much as smile or laugh too much without fearing a panic attack.
But that still didn't stop the stab of betrayal that pulsed through him.
Because she never even said anything.
Never showed any interest in his friend until now.
Never even asked for his permission…
And she shouldn't have to.
It was just a one-sided crush after all.
But he just couldn't let go of the fact that she knew.
In the end it was impossible for him to swallow the laughter that had been clawing at his throat ever since he read the article.
It all just felt like a joke.
A really bad joke.
It started with just a couple of hysterical giggles.
The kind that come from being so thoroughly fucked over that it just felt funny at this point.
After all, Cass was the only family member that he still trusted.
Dick had taken Robin from him.
Barbara had sided with Dick and locked him out of all of the Bat's systems.
Jason had tried to kill him multiple times, and obviously hated his guts.
Stephanie had hurt him by turning the gangs of Gotham against him and by choosing Bruce's plans and training over his well being.
Her boy/best friend.
Damian, like Jason, had attempted to murder him multiple times.
Then Bruce had cast him out after the whole Captain Boomerang incident.
Even though Tim decided not to kill him.
Even though many of Bruce's kids had killed before, and the Bat forgave them.
He thought that Cass was different.
That she didn't just see him as a means to an end.
Now…
Now he doesn't know, as he stares at the image the press got of Superboy and Batgirl on their date.
It doesn't take long for his giggles turn into the kind of hysterical laughter that he's been avoiding for so long.
And god isn't that pathetic?
He had been able to deal with his idle beating him half to death, his friends and family all dying, older siblings and only remaining friend believing that he was crazy, his new younger sibling hating him and telling him that he wasn't even a part of the family with no one correcting him.
Tim had been able to go through all of that without so much as cracking a smile.
Had been able to hold down the volatile laughter for so long, only for it to come out because of some stupid crush.
It hurts.
The laughing.
His cheeks burn from the unnaturally large smile plastered onto his face.
His jaw aches to the point where Tim isn't sure whether it's dislocated or not.
His face itches where the scars were etched into them all those years ago.
His chest is practically screaming for air.
It hurts.
Tim can't help but wonder if the reason why he's breaking down so much is because of how long he's been swallowing the laughter.
If this explosion had been inevitable ever since he had been declared "fixed."
As if these things could ever truly go away…
He isn't sure when he ended up collapsed onto his knees.
In fact, he likely wouldn't have noticed his change in position if not for the large black figure that was now looming over him with a scowl.
And Tim tried to stop laughing.
Really, he did.
He needs to be competent in front of Batman.
To show everyone that he isn't crazy.
That he doesn't belong in Arkham.
But he just can't.
And while he's finally able to pry his gaze away from the screen on his wrist computer, the disappointed look on his father's face just makes him laugh harder.
Of course Bruce is disappointed.
Tim was supposed to be better.
Is supposed to be better.
And being better isn't having a mental breakdown in costume.
Now that he's no longer looking at his screen, Tim is able to see all of the people on the street below them running for shelter.
Running for safety because of him.
Because he sounds like HIM.
It just makes the situation even more funny.
As he shifts his gaze and stares into the blank eyes of the cowl, Tim can't help but wonder how Batman even found him.
Both him and Robin were supposed to be patrolling the docks.
The complete opposite side to where Tim is currently.
That's when the voices finally filter in through the sound of his own laughter.
His comms were still on.
He never turned them off.
His mind had completely blue screened upon seeing the article and he hadn't even thought about the comms line.
Too absorbed in his own thoughts.
Now everyone knows how broken he is.
What a liability he truly was.
Before, it had been a well-kept secret between Barbara, Alfred, himself, and Bruce.
But now everyone knew.
He could hear the panicked voices of everyone getting jumbled together as they all tried to speak at the same time.
The sound was deafening.
How had he not heard it until now?
He's quickly broken out of his thoughts as Batman moves forward, trying to subdue him while Tim is distracted.
But Tim has more training now.
And Bruce is still recovering from the time-stream.
So Tim just manages to stumble out of the Bat's grip, despite the laughter making his movement jerky.
Or maybe it's because of this jerkiness and unpredictably that allowed him to dodge in the first place.
Tim looks back at his mentor's face.
His father's face.
Hoping to find some sort of recognition.
Just a facsimile of softness to show that he's still a part of the family.
That the older man still cares.
That Tim is allowed to be broken.
But all he gets in return is a growl and the cold mask of Batman in return.
Tim flees.
He crushes the comms and trackers that he knows are in his suit and runs.
He turns on the noise canceler that he had made when he first left the Batcave in favor of searching for Bruce, so that Clark couldn't track him.
Maybe that makes him a failure.
Maybe that makes him a coward.
Maybe…
But what else is he supposed to do?
Let his "family" throw him in Arkham like they had Jason?
Let them put him into the same facility where the man who ruined Tim's life the first time frequently haunts.
He can't handle that.
Can't handle their stares and pity.
Their "well meaning sympathies" as he gets carted off to his own personal hell.
Normally, people aren't able to escape the Dark Knight.
Normally, getting caught by Batman is a one-way trip to Arkham.
Normally, even if you manage to get away from the Bat, Oracle will be there to catch you on her network.
But Tim has been working with the Bats for years.
He knows every blind spot in Gotham.
He knows all of the places that the Bat wouldn't look.
So, he ends up sitting in the old, abandoned Monarch Theatre listening to his own laughter reverberate against the walls.
For a second…
He swears that he hears a couple of chuckles that aren't his own.