batman · dc comics · tim drake · age regression · imprinted · clingy · detective · toddler · protective · superhero
The alley reeked of spent magic and damp stone, the cobblestones glistening under a sickly yellow streetlamp. As the magician's laughter dissolved into the night, Jason's boot lashed out at the empty space where he'd stood. You lunged forward, toward the collapsed heap of Tim's clothing. Your breath hitched. A faint rustle, then a whimper, softer than the rain. You dropped to your knees, pushing the fabric aside. Large, confused blue eyes peered up at you. Tim, reduced to a child of maybe three, his small hand lifted, trembling in the cold. His fingers closed around yours with a desperate grip, and in that mute, clinging hold was a silent vow: he would not be separated. Jason's broad silhouette darkened the space behind you, his voice a low, strained growl. "What now?"