Chapter Text
"Promise me. No matter what anyone says. No matter how comfortable it gets. Timothy is not your name. Promise me that you will never allow it to become your name. Promise me"
A name.
Such a simple concept. A mix of letters, vowels and consonants that form up the word that is used to address a specific person. Assigned at birth by the parents of the child according to family tradition, sex assigned at birth, personal preference or some mix of the above.
And yet. A name is what makes up this person's personality. Their identity. They may gather labels, likes and dislikes during their time but they will forever be themselves. The name encompasses all that is them.
Such an important thing. Yet used to frivolously. Openly. Displaying a person's whole being in a single word.
"Timothy Drake" the teacher calls from the front of the class, continuing with roll call. Tim calling out a bland "here" as he continues to stare at his textbook. Waiting for anything new. Anything interesting.
But this is not home. Nothing appears to draw his interest. No peers follow in his footsteps to create mischief.
No.
This is Tim's "new home". A place of rigidity, schedule and rules. Nothing like home.
When mother first escorted him away from their home, Tim had thought that it would be interesting. Living in the human world. Pretending to be one of them.
But now all he can do is wait and hope to go home soon. It is unlikely, despite mother's best interest. The man who had caught her interest having discovered her true name. Thus trapping her here like a selkie with their skin. It is cruel, Tim thinks, remembering one of the other woman who wilted away before their eyes, pelt kept captive in a cellar beyond her reach.
This world is different. Too different for Tim to truly adjust. These people. These children. Much too soft. It makes Tim want to poke at their insecurities, their hopes and dreams. Poke at them with a knife until they start to bleed. The wounds healing into hardened scar tissue.
One of the small girls in front of him start sniffling, proving his point and Tim has to tilt his head at the tears dripping down her chin. Tim never would have exposed such weakness. Would never have exposed his own vulnerabilities that way.
Here, the vulnerability almost seems...encouraged, Tim thinks, watching the teacher hand the sniveling girl a candy. It is very strange to Tim. Unnerving in a way he had never expected.
"Home" is not much better. Tim's mother tense and angry, though the man on the couch hardly seems to notice. "Janet" standing still as Jack Drake watches some sort of sport on the large TV in the living room, his back turned to her.
Tim knows that that is a mistake. Knows that if his mother had not been bound, the man would be dead. She would not hesitate to exploit the weakness. However, his mother is bound by her word. By her name.
The man will live for now.
The man does not know Tim's true name. Tim will never speak it. He knows the consequences. He is now living the consequences, seeing his mother's frustration at being unable to act.
This man will never control him in the same way. Tim will not allow it.
Silently, Tim turns to retreat upstairs, to his assigned quarters, stopped by Jack Drake, as he asks "Name?", as he has every other day for the last month. Tim refuses to give. He has all the time in the world and this man cannot hurt him in any substantial way.
"Timothy Drake" Tim states blandly, watching his mother's lips tip slightly in approval. Knows that he has her respect as her son.
Jack Drake does not react well, standing quickly in his fury. Tim does not hesitate at the sign of overeagerness. Does not wait before pinning his so-called "father" to the spot with his blank, ice-like eyes.
It is the stare of a predator. The stare a lion gives to an unruly mouse. Amused but that could quickly change. Dangerous. Jack backs down quickly after that. Even he knows when he is outmatched.
He may have my mother under control, Tim thinks with vehemence.
But I will not bow to you.