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[ It had been 910 days since Warren McGinnis was murdered in his home. Terry knew because he kept count of the days on calendar hidden in his room. His mom had found it once, questioned him about it. Wanted him to go to therapy. Terry refused and assured her he was okay. Promised her he would get rid of the thing. Instead, he just hid it better.

It had been 903 days since he met Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises. Terry remembers the first time he saw him, cutting an imposing figure among the guests at Warren's funeral, while he spoke quietly with Mary. They were divorced, amicably, but still very much Not Together. And while Mary appreciated Bruce's generosity, she gently turned down his offers to continuing cutting Warren's check. To help ease the burden. No, Terry remembers her saying, They would be okay.

But they weren't okay. Not even a little.

It was hard adjusting to life with Mary again. And he tried. He really tried. But there were times when she nitpicked a little too much or was a little too harsh and Terry wanted to scream at her. Because he was angry, so very angry and it had nowhere to go. So it stayed bottled up, coiled up tight in his chest and it felt like it would explode at any minute. Instead, he packed a bag and slipped out his bedroom window.

He met Batman that night and that changed his world. Tilted it upright when Warren's murder had so violently tipped it sideways.

Bruce had given him an outlet. Something to focus all of that pain and grief and rage on. And he agreed to help Terry nail the bastard who shot his father. The solution was an easy one, Terry had been home that night, had heard it all. He knew the voice - would always remember it. All he needed was a name.

When he had it, he gave it to Bruce right away. And what did he do with it? From Terry's perspective, nothing. Not a damned thing. And maybe that made him a little bit resentful. Resentful enough that he decided to do something about himself.

It's not the first time he's turned off the tracker in his suit. Just the longest. The radio in his ear cackles to life and he can hear Bruce. Robin, your signal is lost. Status?

Must be out of range, he says. And that's not technically a lie. He should be in the Bowery. That's where Bruce told him to be. But tonight, he's perched on the rooftop across from one of the most expensive restaurants in town. Through the windows, he can see him. Derek Powers, laughing and sipping expensive wine, like everything is normal. Like he didn't kill Warren 910 days ago. Maybe he didn't remember. Terry would remind him.

He hears the radio again. Robin! ]

I'm here, Batman. I'm okay. I'll catch up with you soon.

[ then he flicks the radio off. ]

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[ He expects to be told not to say anything.

But he doesn't expect you deserve something good. His heart tells him differently. Being Robin's about the only thing that's made him feel worthwhile in a long time. He's made a mess of things though and honestly, he doesn't feel like he deserves anything. ]

You are good to me. Maybe better than he is.

[ He quiets, passing his coffee cup between his hands. ]

I owe you this, Jason.

[He looks at Terry with a look on his face that is almost hunger. He hasn't had anyone tell him that they owe him anything.]

He won't just bench you, Terry.

[He won't stop Terry from doing anything, but he wants Terry to think about it.]

He will cut you off. He'll cut you off from Grayson and Drake.

You stuck your neck out for me and got a broken nose for it.

[ He shifts. Being cut off isn't ideal, but honestly, still better than having to fight Bruce. ]

If he cuts me off, then I'm getting off easy.

[He takes a minute.]

If he does, come to me.

I will.

[ And he'll keep his word, even if it takes him a couple of weeks to do it. He tells Bruce that night, before he even gets dressed for patrol and it's chilling how cold Bruce becomes. Like everything warm in him has turned to ice and tells Terry to leave his gear and get out. He expects it. But it still hurts. Cause it feels like none of the last two years ever mattered. Grayson and Drake aren't available anymore and Alfred just gives him a hug and a sad sounding goodbye.

He doesn't reach out to Jason. Partly because he really just wanted time to himself. To grieve losing a dad all over again. But mostly because he doesn't know how, not until he remembers the burner phone Jason gave him. That's how he got where the new safehouse is and he goes because he's feeling restless and lonely.

Jason will find him sitting on a crate, back pressed against the wall. ]

Sorry I didn't knock first. Couldn't find the welcome mat.

[The thing is: Jason knew about it, but was giving Terry the room to come and check in himself. It was better, Jason knew, to get that out of the way before he invaded Terry's space where he might not be wanted.

He knew that someone was in his safehouse; he has cameras to let him know that kind of thing, so he isn't on edge when he comes in.]

Knowing how to get in is the welcome mat.

[He takes his coat off, strips off his gloves, and then his helmet.]

Where are you staying?

[ He's glad that he's expected. Makes him feel less cast out. Makes him feel wanted again. ]

Mom helped me get an apartment. But I've gotta pay half the rent myself.

[ Not that that's a bad thing. It was just easier when he spent most of his time at the manor. ]

I've got a job now. Busting my ass selling only the finest burgers.

You're not the first Robin to have to do that.

[He tips his head a little and runs a hand through his hair. He purses his lips a bit and considers what to say next, because it could go a lot of ways, including bad ones.

So.]

Which Batburger is it? One that gets knocked over a lot?

[ Maybe not. But from the looks of it, none of the former Robins were lacking in anything. Terry's still sitting on the ass end of broke. Whatever wasn't taken up by rent is absolutely not doing much for him now. It couldn't be helped. ]

Yeah. On 4th. They were cleaning up after a robbery when I got hired.

And I know what you're gonna say. No heroics. I know, I know.

You think I'm going to say that to you?

[He laughs a bit. Clearly not.]

I'm going to tell you that I'll press the local gangs out of the area.

[He doesn't like gang activity near Batburgers anyway, because kids go there for the dollar menu.]

[ Terry thinks about it for a minute then leans in, elbows on the table. Such good manners. ]

If you want some company, I can tag along.

You have gear?

[That isn't a no; it's a legitimate question. Jason has extra gear but it's not sized for Terry, who is built more like Red Robin or Nightwing. He'll have to find some if Terry didn't get out with his gear, if he left it at the 'cave.

Or Jason could just go and get it. He knows how to get in, and when to do it.]

Just what wasn't taken from me. Spare mask. A few batarangs.

[ Spare things he kept at his mom's place in case he was there when something came up. No armor or a real costume to speak of, though. But he's become resourceful enough to put something together. ]

I'll figure something out.

I have stuff we can adjust.

[He shrugs.]

Or we could just go and get your stuff from the cave.

[ Oh. Oh. ]

Wait, that's an option?

[Jason's smile is boyish.]

Sure.

Agent A will rat us out immediately but he won't shoot so we'll have anywhere from 15-30 minutes if we time it right.

[Which is way more than enough time.]

[ Does he dare? He'd really love to have some of his gear back and seeing Alfred again, even if he snitches on them, would be nice too. ]

You got a way in? Pretty sure my access codes don't work anymore.

Sure. I have more ways into that cave than B will ever find.

[He looks pretty smug about this.]

The trick is to wait for some really intense reason for B to spend most of his time in town. So it might take a couple of days.

[ He considers it. Bruce'll be pissed if they're caught. Terry decides he doesn't care. ]

I think I might know something. We were working on stopping some kind of mob war. There was gonna be a weapons sale in a few days. Never got the full details.

[ On account of being fired. ]

[He ponders that.]

Okay. We'll move when he moves. He'll probably get Drake in on it so I'll keep an eye out, but we'll get you your armor.

Then you can learn what it means to have B on your ass for every decision you make.

[ He could live with that. The armor was made to fit him specifically, so it wasn't like there'd be many people in Bruce's orbit who could use it. ]

Let me know when you're ready to move. I'll have to call out sick.

[ He grins as he says it. His first real smile in ages. ]

[He gives him a little punch on the shoulder, friendly, without malice, and goes to a box and digs out another burner phone.]

Here.

[He tosses it over.]

I'll keep in touch. Don't get too impatient. It'll happen.

[ The punch makes him smile. Makes him feel less like he's alone in all of this. Being rejected sucked, if he's going to be honest. Jason knowing how that feels...well it doesn't make him feel better, but it helps.

He catches the phone, turns it over once in his hand before he puts it away. ]

I'm easy. I've got exams to study for anyway. Now that I've got time to study.

Thanks, Jason. [ For a minute, he looks like there's more he wants to say, but thinks better of it and shakes his head. ] Talk soon?

Soon.

[Soon comes about a week later; the entire mob situation cracks open like an egg and Jason gives Terry a call with a pick up, and they're on the way to Bristol at the same time that Bruce is on the other side of Gotham. To keep things even more off the radar, Jason takes them using a narrow series of back roads and the bridge that comes up from the other side, knowing that one gets monitored less often.

By the time they get to the Manor, Jason tells Terry:]

I'm going to go and knock on the door. Alfred will come up for me - he'll tell Bruce at the same time but he won't risk leaving me at the door if I came all this way. You go through the old well in the conservatory. There's an emergency access hatch in there, Dick showed me. Do you know his codes?

[They're in the dark, in the bare twilight, in one of the few blind spots across the street.]

[ There's not much time to be nervous about anything while he waits for Jason's call. Between work and school and studying, he hasn't had a lot of time for much of anything. In a lot of ways, it's like his life as a vigilante never really came to end cause he still doesn't have time for friends and Dana still isn't interested in talking to him.

When the call does come though, he drops everything for it. His boss yelled at him for about 10 minutes for calling out last minute, but Terry didn't care. Not like he liked Batburger anyway. He's mostly quiet on the drive over cause his nerves are finally catching up to him. But he wills all of that down, the way Bruce taught him to.

He nods at Jason's question. ]

Yeah he gave them to me a few months back. Unless Bruce has changed them.

Edited 2025-05-21 04:43 (UTC)

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Tiny time skip?

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