Savior | T. Drake ✔

[19]

The Bat vigilantes had almost got fried in the blast that happened in the East End but managed to escape at the last moment. However, Luthor and his army hadn't been so lucky as they got caught up in the fire which they had set off themselves.

The mission had been accomplished and they were all safely back in the Bat Cave, though it resulted in quite a number of casualties just like Tim had warned them earlier. But there was nothing much they could do; it was either getting rid of the criminals or threatening the safety of the whole of Gotham.

But Tim himself was stuck in a dilemma. He had tried his level best to warn Irina before all that final episode with Luthor happened and even tried to prevent Lex from meeting such a gruesome end but at last he had had to put justice first, just like Batman had taught him to.

Yet he knew that it would have a terrible effect on Irina. Even though Lex had never really cared for her before, he had started to change towards her and even she had begun to soften towards her father eventually. And now that the two had finally sorted out their differences, Lex had gotten himself killed.

By then, the whole media was portraying the Bat vigilantes as the heroes who saved Gotham from Luthor's disastrous new invention that would have caused nothing but chaos, but the media wasn't aware of what had truly happened.

Even though in the press the whole event was being shown as if the Bat vigilantes were responsible for Lex's death but in reality, it had been his own techno-suit that had malfunctioned and turned against him, taking his life in the process.

Tim knew well that back at home, Irina would have seen the news by then and she would definitely not have any idea about how Lex actually died.

Then as expected, she would blame the Bat vigilantes.

Knowing her, he was well aware that she would strike for revenge and that was exactly why he had taken Richard and Jay aside, in order to inform them of what he intended to do next. They hadn't yet changed out of their vigilante suits and were rather battered up from the fight already. But Tim felt as if he didn't have even a moment to lose.

He had to act fast or else everything would crumble right in front of him and he would probably lose Irina forever.

"But there has to be another way. You have to tell Batman," Richard spoke up, no doubt getting anxious about the whole scenario.

Bruce didn't know yet that Irina Luthor was actually the masked vigilante that patrolled Gotham other than them but the Wayne boys knew it. And that was why Tim had decided to keep it a secret from Bruce just so he wouldn't suspect her.

"I don't have to tell him because I have to deal with her first. If I don't hold her back now, she will be an even greater threat than Luthor," Tim spoke up, " you both have to trust me on this one. Let me handle her right now. All by myself."

"Look here, Babybird, I can't let you go out to face her on your own. Both you and me know how disturbed she has been and if she really has seen the news she will be quite dangerous," Jason placed his hand on his shoulder and spoke, voice reverberating as he was still wearing his helmet, "let me come with you."

He shook his head because he had decided, "no. I started it and I'll be the one to finish it."

"I have a very bad feeling about this, kiddo," Richard remarked and though his eyes were hidden by the Nightwing mask, Tim knew he was quite concerned, "Hood's right, you have to let us accompany you. Do not face her on your own."

"No," he was adamant as he fastened his utility belt and secured his bow staff, taking out his own grapple gun, "if any of you follows me, I swear I will do something which all of us might regret later. Do not come after me. Please."

He glanced at his phone which was continuously blinking from messages sent by Irina. The last one was a threat and he knew very well that she had found out about Lex by then. Taking in a deep breath, he typed out a text: I love you. And it was never my intention to screw things up so bad.

And just as the message got sent, he shut his phone off handing it to Richard, "keep this while I'm gone. And if I'm not back within two hours, then you may tell Bruce."

"Red Robin, stop!"

But he had left already. He knew where she would go and had to follow her lest she caused any damage. So using the grapple gun, he left for the same place where Lex had been vanquished. He knew very well that he was about to face a great peril for Irina would be beyond herself with rage and she wasn't aware that Red Robin and Tim were one and the same.

There was no backing off; he was the one who started it and he knew it was fair if only he bore the consequences. Though he had a clear idea that the mentioned consequences had put everything at stake.

And it had gotten extremely difficult for him to save his relationship with Irina from the fire that was threatening to take over them all.

***