Timothy Drake (Red Robin)

# Red Robin

## Timothy Jackson Drake

Red Robin

*Description here ~ Justinian or “Yes like the restaurant.”*

## History

### Early Life

Life is hard for many in Gotham, even for those in the supposed “middle class”. It was a city that constantly beat down on those that had to navigate its streets everyday — but it also instilled great resiliency in the population as a result. The Drake family was one such victim/beneficiary to that circumstance. They were lifelong Gothamites and proud of that fact. Jack and Janet Drake were the proprietors of a small restaurant in the Financial District of Gotham and constantly on the outlook to assist those that needed a helping hand when necessary. The cuisine that they made was suited for takeout, but was a favored place for the locals. A trend in success reached a new peak with the birth of their son Timothy Jackson Drake. After everything that Gotham had taken from them, they finally saw the reward of stubbornly staying in the city against all odds… and with the disposable income they had, set Tim up for greatness.

Early in his life, Tim displayed signs of charismatic social skills and sharp intuition, and it showed during his schoolwork — he having garnered high grades and voted class president on more than one account. The passion that he held for learning was unmatched, and coupled with the part time job he held helping out his parents in the restaurant industry, left him with little time for much else… but the Young Drake didn’t mind in the slightest. Making the most of every minute was what his parents had thought him… and hard work had to pay off eventually, right? That thought is what always propelled the kid to do more. Trips to the library were frequent to study the latest fades and trends, specifically when it can to computer engineering and coding. Even finding out the odds and ends of various trinkets did nothing to hinder his thirst for knowledge… leading to many nights with a screwdriver deconstructing increasingly complex items and reassembling them to find their worth. One day, Tim would be able to fashion his own tech in the world… it was a far fetched dream, but one he was certain he could achieve if he mastered the building blocks of previous designs early. Sparks of genius did not make a genius. It was a state of mind… and the ability to fail and still press forth. Determination, and the desire to do right by the world… always pushing the previous limits that held oneself back.

Jack and Janet were great influences on his overall persona, and reinforced Tim whenever he stumbled along the way. Even with an overbearing workload, they never discouraged their kid from fueling his passions… even once he had taken a seemingly uncharacteristic interest in martial arts and wrestling in high school. It didn’t fit the rest of the profile that Tim had been building for himself up to that point, but it all had to deal with one factor: Batman. The Dark Knight of Gotham. The Caped Crusader. Myth of Legend…. Good or Evil? Whatever the public labeled him as, Tim revered him as an icon to study with great interest. The various, shotty phone videos he was able to find while scouring the internet did confirm that the masked vigilante was not hearsay, but it still didn’t explain how one man was able to become something else entirely. It was a new secret for Tim to unlock, a new puzzle for him to solve… and he set himself on a slightly corrected path to do exactly that.

The entrance of Nightwing and other vigilantes only further piqued the interest of the young Drake as to why anybody would chose a life like that. Thrill seeking? Lots of money and nothing to do with it? Tim certainly didn’t have the disposable income to fuel a vigilante career all on his own. What scraps he was able to make in tips as a delivery boy for his parents  were mainly spent on boxes of protein bars and his library card subscription… but little by little he set aside what he could to begin looking into some gear for his own. If he was to solve this puzzle, he had to act the part, did he not? Tim remained determined, and even while balancing school and work, began to construct what he needed from various other appliances that were cheap to buy. Alarm clocks, batteries, motors, even borrowing more than one flask kit from his science teacher to work on a crude smoke device. Through tireless hours, Tim stumbled upon what would become his weapon of choice in the bowstaff during Physical Education while mindlessly twirling a large stick. It felt weightless, good to hold, and with the right amount of velocity could make for an appropriate tool in the field. He later tested the plausibility of those ideas during his martial arts class… succeeding in fending off two classmates with a warded defense. With a couple of modifications, Tim was able to make a retractable version for a less clunky design. It all seemed to be coming together, and by the midway point of his Senior year at Gotham High, he was ready to put what he had trialed with to that point…. but that was before the entire city became isolated.

The invasion of Gotham by an unknown military organization served a dual purpose… but it was mostly traumatizing to the young Drake, who had to seen his parents’ mental states deteriorate with depression. What had once given them purpose, their work, was now forced into closure due to the occupying force. They still did what they could for the needy that would stop by their door… but it couldn’t last forever. For Tim, there was little he could do to help his parents in any meaningful way. Instead, Drake took it upon himself to begin testing out his theories of vigilante work. Without school and an active police force, there were plenty of chances for trial-and-error… and even if the risk felt high, Tim was willing to take it. The greatest inventors and names in history all had to take risk and adversity, just as Tim Drake would take that risk to find out what it meant to be more than just a man.

## Powers and Abilities

### Skills

* **Expert Martial Artist**
* **Acrobatics**
* **Gifted Intelligence**