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the one thing you always wanted but never had

Summary:

Tim gets powers.

Notes:

Ayyyy, I wrote most of this around midnight, and finished and posted it at 2 am. So I'm blaming any errors on that.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

“It won’t explode!” After a stern look, he corrected himself. “It probably won’t explode?

Bartholomew Allen.

Bart tried to look convincing. “Yes?”

“Absolutely not.”

He dropped the act immediately. “But it would be so fun! We could finally see what you’d be like with powers!”

“No.” Tim gave him a Red Robin-glare. It wasn’t a Bat-glare, but was somehow more terrifying. Instead of a heated glare, it was icy.

“But why?” He whined.

“Not only is the wire right there disconnected, making it 56% more likely to explode, taking us all with it, I also do not have a spleen. If this thing accidentally did anything wrong, I could die because I have about half an immune system.”

“Yes, but-”

“No.”

“But you’re not listening to the part about-”

“No.”

“But you could have powers! Haven’t you ever wondered what it’s like?”

“Bart, I am a human vigilante that is friends with dozens of metahumans. Of course I’ve wondered. But as I just said, I don’t want to die to find out what it’s like!”

“What if I got it cleared with a Batman?”

Tim snorted. Bruce didn’t even like metas in Gotham, let alone turning his son into one. Bart would never get approval for that. “Sure Bart. If you do that, I’ll do it.”

Bart pumped his fist, before speeding off.

Tim rolled his eyes, before turning back to his case.

Hours later, Tim had migrated up to his apartment for his favorite coffee mug. Sure, he had plenty of mugs in his Nest, but he wanted his favorite.

Steph had given it to him for Christmas. It read, 'May you never run out of HR-approved ways to tell your coworkers they're stupid'. He absolutely loved it.

As he plucked it off the counter, he felt a rush of air behind him and sighed. "You didn't get permission did you?"

"I did!"

What. He spun on his heel. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I got permission from Batman! Nightwing said we could try it."

Whew. "Nightwing doesn't count."

"Yes he does! I said a Batman, and he was Batman!"

No no no. This was not happening. "Nuh-uh. You did not!"

Bart waved the machine back and forth in both hands. “You have to do it now!”

“I do not. I said to get permission from Batman, and Nightwing isn’t Batman anymore.”

“You can look at the Nest cameras! I said a Batman. You never specified.”

Tim could see his life flashing before his eyes. There was no way he had just gotten tricked by Bart.

Bart pulled on his arm. “C’mon! Where are we doing it at?”

Tim was still somewhat dazed. “In the Nest?”

“Alright!” Bart pulled the lever in the fish tank and said the code, letting them back into the secret bunker.

As they walked down the steps, he stopped, realizing how stupid what he was about to do was. “Wait, wait, get Kon and Cassie here first. I’m not doing this with just you here.”

“Aw, why?”

“Cassie has first-aid training, and Kon can be there to hold my hand while I fade away.”

“You’re not gonna die, Tim! It’s perfectly safe. I built it.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m worried.”

Bart pouted, but dialed Cassie anyway. As he explained, Tim could only hear laughter from her side of the phone, before she promised to be there in a few minutes.

Then, Bart yelled for Kon.

He was there in under two minutes.

As Bart finished explaining it to him, Cassie flew in. Both turned to the ex-Robin, snickering when they saw him slumped in his desk chair, looking like he was planning his own funeral.

All of the teen heroes could hear him muttering to himself, “I can’t believe this is how I go. Not an ambush, not going to go out in a blaze of glory, I go out from Bart’s shoddy craftsmanship.”

“Hey, it’s not that bad!”

Cassie patted his back. “It is, but he’ll live. Probably.”

“Thanks for the reassurance Cassie.”

“Always.”

He ran a hand down his face as he walked to the center of the room. “This is so stupid, and I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“I’m not even surprised about that, I just can’t believe the way you’re doing it is Bart tricking you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing Bart, we just can’t believe Tim of all people is going to go out because he got tricked.”

“What do you think he’s gonna get?” Bart sounded excited.

“Hopefully, out of this situation.”

“Shush Tim. I think he’ll get technology powers. Like, so he can control tech.”

“That would be useful, but hopefully I won’t get anything at all.”

“Shhh. Five bucks says he gets superstrength. It’s like, the meta power everyone has. It’s basic. It’s simple.”

“I think he’ll get telepathy! It would be cool to see what other people think of me.”

In the middle, Tim muttered to himself, “you really don’t wanna know what I’m thinking about you right now,” making Conner snort. “Could you just shoot me already?”

“Ok. In 3..2..1!” Bart blasted him with a bright blue beam of energy. Tim covered his face, only to move his hands when he realized it wasn’t doing anything.

Conner laughed. “That was stupid.”

“It was supposed to work!”

“I am so glad that didn’t do anythin-” Tim swayed on his feet, before blacking out. Cassie dashed across the room just in time to catch him.

“Bart!”

“What did I do?”

“What. Did. Your machine just do?”

He raised his hand in surrender. “I don't know! It was supposed to give him powers, not knock him out. For all I know, he just passed out from being awake for too long.”

Cassie grumbled, carrying Tim bridal style upstairs to his bedroom as Conner took pictures of it for blackmail.

Thank goodness nothing happened.

Notes:

It totally worked.