Location: DC Universe... mostly... but not to excess.

Slash/Het ?: No. Not a chance. Hornet universe, but Tim is SIXTEEN! And you have a dirty mind.

Archive: Ask

I was just flying over. Honest. It's not like I always hang around Robin or anything. I mean, I *know* about Gotham, and it's not my turf or anything, but that doesn't mean I have to *avoid* the place. So from Metropolis to Coast City it's on the direct route. and that's how I go. Nothing more than that. So, like that, I was just flying over when I saw Robbie and these punks. Six of them. And no Batman or Nightwing around. So I just dropped down to help out. Not that I wouldn't have anyway. I mean, it's not like I *dislike* Batman or anything. He's a friend of Kal's, so I guess I like him. I guess. Just that, well..... anyway, I was just flying over. And Robbie was up against these punks, so I went down and took out a few.

"Superboy."

Just acknowledgement. Not happy to see me, not pissed, just there. Which means something bad because Robin hasn't been hanging around the Bat *that* long, and even Nightwing is mostly something like human.

"Robin?" I shake a punk. "This is a problem?" I don't know if I mean the purp or me taking out the perp. Whichever.

"Them? Nah." He pulls out a rope and trusses them for the cops. I could take them in, but if things are iffy I'm not about to offer. 'Sides, it's not that cold. The mooks have it better then they deserve.

Robbie takes off over the wall, and I follow. He's my friend, and if he's got a problem, well, so do I. So we go a few block airmail before he settles on a roof.

"If they aren't the prob, what gives?" I'm just hoping it's not you-know-who. Not that I'm scared of him or anything. I mean, I'm like invulnerable and everything, but still...

"Kon." He's thinking about something pretty hard. "You can't talk about this....."

OK, identity crap. "Not a word. You know that." And he does.

"Tomorrow." He hesitates, then. "Tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be sixteen."

Kewl. "Happy Birthday, man!" I can't see the problem with that.

"Is it?"

Wha? "Why not?" I ask without thinking. I mean, I know I sometimes screw up the reality stuff. Sort of expected since I mostly grew up in a tube. Not that I'm as wired as Impulse, just a little vague sometimes. Rare times. But I'm pretty sure 16 is a *good thing*. Even a *really good thing*. So what is the problem? I mean, I'm almost certain the other Robin did sixteen at least once.

"No reason, I guess."

"Bull." He can't pull that on me. "You're Robin. You don't ever have 'no reason'. So give already."

"Nothing." He holds up his hand. "Really, I mean it. That is the problem. Nothing. Like it's supposed to be important and instead it's *nothing*."

"Bummer." And I mean it. Nothing more to say, so we just sit for a while.

"Kon?"

"Yeh?" I look up.

"What did you do when you turned 16?"

"How would I know?" Weird question. I never considered being sixteen. I mean, I must have done something. Breath or something. Whenever sixteen was. It must have been sometime, since I had to have started as a baby and I'm clearly here now, but it's not like I was there to remember or anything.

"You don't remember?"

"I was in the lab, I guess. Or maybe in Hawaii." I try counting, but... "I'm not real certain when my birthday would be exactly."

"Bummer."

No answer to that, so we sit some more.

"Robbie?" I break the quiet." What are you going to do?"

"My folks planned some stupid cake and ice cream thing, like I was six. I guess I'll do that."

"Him?" I can't see the Bat as the party type, whatever the chow.

"Huh?" It takes him a moment, then, "Not him, my parent folks."

Parents. Yeh, I hadn't considered that Robbie's probably gonna have some of those somewhere. Guess he'd have to, though. "Oh. Then I guess that's that."

"Yeh, I guess."

So. Whatever. "See you at YJ?"

"Yeh. Training session? I should make it."

That's that, then. Nothing more here, so I'm off for the Coast.