Wax Figurine | T. Drake ✔

[03]

The door was locked and Steph knew it wouldn't open easily. Tim had locked himself up in his room again and it was clear that he was quite upset.

She knocked and waited for him to open up but there was no response from inside.

"Tim, it's me Steph. Can you let me in?" She called out, knocking once again.

She could hear his approaching footsteps but the door didn't open.

"What do you want?" His tired voice came from inside.

"I brought coffee for you," she told him, knowing it was enough incentive for him to open up, "can't we have a cup of coffee together like we used to?"

"We used to do a lot of things that we don't anymore. Go away please."

She knew it might not be the best time to pester him into talking to her. But she also knew that if he let the smoke build up inside him without letting it out on someone, it would damage him further.

"We used to be friends, are friends and will always be friends so open the door or else I'll smash it down," she told him, knowing full well that the threat would work.

True enough, the door creaked open a fraction and she stepped in. Tim had gone off to sit by his desk so she took her usual spot at his bed, handing him the coffee cup she had brought for him.

He accepted the cup but his eyes were focused on her wearily, knowing she was there to talk to him but he didn't want to.

"Tim, I heard you quit patrol," she spoke up, watching him take a burning gulp of his coffee, "I thought you'd be the last one of us to quit himself."

He didn't reply, keeping his eyes glued to the cup in his hands.

"Timmy, talk to me, please. Don't shut me out," she remarked in a soft tone and would have reached for his hand but he pushed his chair back, avoiding the gesture.

"There's nothing left to talk about," his voice felt alien to himself as he spoke, "you guys no longer listen to me."

"It's not like that," she tried her best to make him understand, "of course, we listen to you."

He shook his head, "none of you believe me either."

She knew he would give her a hard time by being stubborn but at that point, it just hurt to see him like that.

She didn't know if it was denial like Barbara had told her or if there was some other reason behind Tim fervently believing that Batman was alive.

"I believe you," she promised him, wide eyes looking into his to let him make sure that she wasn't lying to him. "But... Even if he's not dead, he couldn't reach out to us either. Even Alfred says he has no idea where he could be, considering he survived. I know it's hard Tim but we can't live in denial forever."

He looked away, brow knitting into a thoughtful expression, "but you believe me...?"

"Of course, I know the difference between you telling what you sincerely believe is true and you giving us a theory. I also know there must be a valid reason behind it."

He considered whether or not to tell her all the reasons he believed Batman was still out there or not. Steph was his best friend and he didn't doubt her when she said that she believed in him.

Plus shouldering all that burden on his own was getting too much for him. 

"We never found the body," he spoke up, listing down his reasons one by one, "and even if we consider that his body could have been disfigured beyond recognition, it can't possibly alter his DNA. The JL told us that the DNA matched but they didn't test the entire debris that was recovered. It could have just been Bruce's blood and not him entirely. Also, his suit is made up of nondestructive Kevlar, we have tested it against explosions and how is this possible that the only thing that was recovered of his suit was his cape? It doesn't make any sense to me given what we're being told. I think... No, I believe Bruce is alive."