A Tim Plan

Chapter 4: Where's The Warehouse?

Tim holds on very tightly to Manny's neck with one hand as the bat soars through Gotham, using his free hand to tap away on his phone. Luckily, Manny seems content to let him stay on his back until he figures out exactly where they're going.

Tim's brain is running at full-tilt, cross-referencing everything he knows about Jason, Joker, and Roman Sionis AKA Black Mask. Everything else, from his mentally-written WE reports to his plans for Christmas, is shut down.

Well, there's one thing that's still getting through. Even in a situation like this, he can't help taking a second to enjoy the feeling of flying. The ground spinning away below him, the wind rushing past, the surges of adrenaline every time Manny dives to chase cats or scare pigeons — it's the most wonderful feeling of freedom and joy imaginable.

Tim doesn't even realize he's laughing until his cheeks begin to hurt. Even that pain feels nice, like when you go to the gym after too long on bedrest. He slips his phone into his pocket, having hit nothing but dead ends, and rests his head on Manny's neck to let the sounds forth into Manny's fur.

'On the bat's back I do fly, after summer merrily,' Tim remembers, suddenly. How very fitting, he thinks, and laughs all the harder.

"Third birdie sound like Joke Prince," Manny comments over the wind, and Tim tries so hard to clamp down on those awful noises the moment he does, but it's harder than it used to be. "Smell scared-tired now. Not happy sound now. Joke Prince scary when like that. How Manny make third birdie happy-laugh again?"

Tim looks up, the laughter somewhat dying down, and uses one hand to pat Manny's head. He likes this version of Manbat a lot better than the old one. "It's okay, it's just–" Tim's eyes widen, and he has to breathe deeply to keep from chuckling as a plan springs into his head. "You like Joker, right? Joke Prince?"

"Friends," Manny squeaks happily, and Tim grins a little too wide.

"Manny, Joker's in danger," Tim says hurriedly, not sure in that moment whether he's more scared of losing Jason or of seeing Manbat's pain if he loses Joker. "I can't figure out where he is. Can you–?"

Manbat's off like a Flash, screeching what Tim can only assume is a battlecry. Tim holds on tightly with both arms, praying for both their sakes that they aren't too late.

The warehouse is littered with dead Black Mask goons. Sionis only hires the worst of the worst, and Tim does a little mental celebration even as he avoids looking directly at their bodies.

There's a chair in the center of the carnage with heavy metal chains and a... A bloody crowbar. It takes Tim a second to realize what's on it, though, because the blood is green.

Three people are tucked into a corner, Batman crouched over Joker and Nightwing pacing near them. Neither Bruce nor Dick look seriously injured, and Tim breathes a quiet sigh of relief, but Joker... If he didn't know about the clown's healing factor, he wouldn't think he was currently alive, much less going to stay that way.

A warehouse. A clown. A Robin. A crowbar. A Bat who didn't quite get there in time to stop the damage. Tim was right, Jason's after revenge, and — if the dozen-something dead bodies are anything to go by — he won't stop at anything to get it.

Tim doubts Jason will even consider coming home until his murderer is dead.

Batman doesn't believe that Joker's a murderer, and he's certainly not going to let anyone kill him.

That leaves Tim with one option. Uncover, one way or the other, Joker's guilt in Jason's death. Tim nods to himself, happy with his plan, and sneaks back out to the roof. All the best channels for finding information on Joker — Batman, Harley, Joker himself — are too emotionally compromised in this scenario, so he's still doing this alone.

"Joke Prince okay?" Well, maybe not quite alone.

"Joke Prince is alive," Tim whispers, patting Manny's head comfortingly. He's glad he hadn't seen his friend like... Like that. Tim's going to be having nightmares for a while, even without Joker's blood actually looking like human blood. "He's hurt, though. Batman's taking care of him."

"Batty!" Manny croons happily. "Joke Prince safe. Batty, Joke Prince, safe together."

"Yeah, B will take care of him." Which is either sweet or unfortunate. Tim doesn't know yet, but he's sure as Hell going to find out. "Hey, Manny?"

Manny hums curiously, letting Tim back onto his back. "Yes?"

"What do you know about Joker's kill count?" Tim asks as they fly high above Gotham, the final pieces of his new plan clicking into place.

It's not a Robin plan, but... Maybe it's a Tim plan.