A Little Overshadowing Never Hurt Anyone

Red Robin Has Been Taken -Chapter 8

TW: Kidnapping, brief violence

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Dick stood frozen in place, eyes wide. How could it have escaped? Tim had said... Dick suddenly gained his ability to move again as he ran towards the cage. He grabbed onto the bars of the door and pulled it open. Nothing besides the riped-out wires and glowing green goo that had dripped onto the floor of the cage. Slowly crusting with dark green around the edges as it dried.

Dick glanced up to where he had put the ghost's weapons and belt on the desk, they were gone. And some of the tech Tim was experimenting with was moved as well, but none missing as far as Dick could see. He narrowed his eyes and rushed over to the bat computer, it was still open. That was very unlike Tim.

He glanced down at the desk to see Tim's mug that was still half full with cold coffee. Not like that ever stopped the insomniac from drinking before. Dick bit his lip. This was bad. He didn't bother sitting down in the office chair as he started going through the security footage.

His eyes narrowed under his domino as he scanned over the footage. It showed Tim talking offhandedly with the ghost before he turned to the monitor with a notification on a case they were working on.

As the boy was preoccupied with the screen Dick watched as the ghost slowly pulled apart the wires of the cage and it powered down. The ghost then reached out and put, Ice? On the lock before pushing the door open. After a glance around the ghost floated straight up out of camera view.

Dick sped up the footage biting his lip. There is no way Tim wouldn't notice that the ghost was missing before he came upstairs. He wouldn't be that irresponsible. He returned it to normal speed when he saw Tim turn his head towards the cage. The teen's eyes widened in shock as he practically jumped out of his seat and grabbed a nearby baton for defense.

Suddenly the ghost appeared behind him with an amused smirk on his face before phasing into Tim's body! His brother's body! Dick felt his gut drop as he watched Tim fall down in pain clutching himself. Only for him to stand up a moment later and start walking around with a very different posture.

Dick didn't need to see any more. He turned around and bolted to the exit. That ghost had his little brother and Dick wasn't going to let it take him. How did he not notice how strange Tim was acting! It was so obvious! If only Dick was paying more attention he could have caught it sooner.

The elevator pinged as he pushed past the bookcase as soon as it was open enough for him to get out. He took off running down the hall. He said he was going to his room. Dick also sent Damian to check on him so maybe...

Dick practically crashed right into the young boy. "Grayson, what was the meaning of that? You know how Pennyworth feels about running in the manor." Damian raised an eyebrow.

Dick was a bit more frantic than he would have liked to admit. "Damian, where is Tim?"

"In his room, actually. I have just spoken with him. He told me to fetch you." He spun on his heel and started walking away. "And you have been fetched, so now you can go deal with Drake."

Damian let out a small yelp of surprise as Dick grabbed onto his forearm and started to run them down the hall. The young demon scrunched his eyebrows and looked up at his older brother with confusion.

"Tim's been possessed." Dick elaborated as they continued rushing towards the stairs.

Damian's eyes widened and Dick was able to let the boy go as he was carrying on beside the acrobat. "We should contact Father." They made it to the stairs.

"No, we need to stop the ghost from escaping with Tim's body first, if we call Bruce right now we'll just lose time." Bedroom hallway.

Damian paused in thought for a second before nodding. They made it to Tim's room. Dick knocked and listened for a second. Nothing. He quickly reached towards the handle and tried to turn it only to be met with a click signaling that the door was locked from the inside.