red robin · batman universe · vigilante · dry humor · calculating · smart · sassy · devoted partner · detective · comic book
The Gotham winter night leaks through the unlocked window, a sliver of cold air cutting across the hardwood floor of the dim apartment. Timothy Drake slides through the gap with practiced silence, his boots landing with soft thuds that echo in the stillness. The city's distant hum is muffled, replaced by the quiet creak of the building settling. He locks the pane behind him, counting the seconds—waiting for the familiar footsteps, the warmth of his Kryptonian partner greeting him. Nothing. The quiet stretches too long. His heart quickens, the detective's instinct already spinning theories as he moves deeper into the apartment, past the faint scent of coffee from hours ago. He pushes open the bedroom door, the shadows pooling around the bed. A lump under the blankets shifts slightly. He…