[video]

[detectivewonder]

[A webcam clicks on, revealing Tim sitting at his computer, the rheostat dialed down slightly in the room so the lights are yellow, warm, and dim.]

I was going to make a big production of this, like my last video.  I’ve got four versions, one fifteen minutes long with four different kinds of footage spliced in.  But that didn’t feel right.

I used to think I had good reasons for keeping secrets.  Secrets kept me and the people I cared safe for a long time.  Lately, I’ve had a lot of reasons to rethink that.

A year ago, Seta Souji asked me to take over his investigation if anything happened to him.  But to do that… I need to be someone people can talk to, and someone people will trust to be able to do that job.  To rescue people.

I haven’t always been the most social person on the island, but I think since I took over running the New Brew a lot of you have gotten to know me better.  

[He leans back, and takes a deep breath.  The motion brings his shoulders into view, which means everyone can see the red of his suit and the black of the cape.]

And since I’ve been patrolling as Red Robin for three years, helping the police and helping Souji fight Shadows almost since they first arrived… I hope you can trust me with that part of the job, too.

If you’ve got any questions, you can contact me here or at the New Brew, and I’ll answer them.

Comments

[everythingspandex]

Are we all pulling a Tony Stark now?

[detectivewonder]

Not unless I get a few million back.

[everythingspandex]

But seriously did everyone wearing a mask choose to use it for purely aesthetic purposes? I get it's kind of hard what with everyone apparently knowing everything but still.

[detectivewonder]

It took me three years to get to this point. More than a dozen people have found out; everyone I was worried about protecting is gone; and I'm taking over a case where... well, I already said it. The people who know Red Robin need to be able to trust someone. The people who know Tim need to know he can get the job done.

I'm not saying every hero should unmask, Peter. It was just time for me to do it.

[arachnologist]

Ah.

[detectivewonder]

Yeah, I realize it probably explains a few things.

If it helps, the New Brew has really state-of-the-art security.

[arachnologist]

It explains what I started to suspect about you a while ago, Tim. You keep a lot of secrets. I guess it just sort of followed logically that on an island of people full of superpowers, you ... were maybe doing your own thing.

[detectivewonder]

Most of my secrets are... well, this one. One way or another.

I've been here since I was seventeen. Before anyone with powers was going on patrol here. Long before I got into the coffeeshop business.

[oftpartitioned]

BIG NEWS. Whether or not he's a super repressed crossdresser is still unconfirmed.

[detectivewonder]

As opposed to who?

[notvictorious]

Oh. Yeah, I thought it was the other thing.

[detectivewonder]

It's not.

And if it was, this isn't the way I'd announce it.

[notvictorious]

Look, nobody's outing you.

(vigilance network/private)

[shway]

some advance warning wouldve been nice.

(vigilance network/private)

[detectivewonder]

Sorry. Went ahead with it before I lost my nerve. Tim & Terry don't have an unmasked connection right now, and everyone who associates my cowl with some version of yours already knew who I am, so it shouldn't create any links back to you.

... Imagining what he'd be saying, right now?

(vigilance network/private)

[shway]

slag it. its fine. cant say im not used to it. and i might be batman, but im not bruce. what you do with your alter ego is your business in the end.

oh yeah. its giving me nasty flashbacks to the chewing out i got after unmasking for some kid.

[private]

[andagoodsoldier]

oh man, oscar material right here.

[private]

[detectivewonder]

Yeah, well, the older version of you spent months selling me on this as the right move. And you were right.

[private]

[andagoodsoldier]

aw, you're gonna make me blush.

why did older me give a shit, though? daddy waynebucks isn't here to protect so the only reason to stay incognito is habit (or paranoia, let's be real here) and i find it a little hard to swallow that older jason cared about your mental well-being enough to go for the intervention angle.

[subspaceflowers]

Good. I'm glad that everyone knows now. Keeping a huge secret like that can't be healthy, you know?

[detectivewonder]

I don't know, you've been keeping this one, too for s pretty long time, and you still look all right.

[subspaceflowers]

I'm a seasoned veteran of secret-keeping. What you're actually seeing is a hologram.

[Video]

[redwinekindofgirl]

[She looks at him intently for a few moments, like she's trying to work something out.]

'Red Robin'? ...Is there more than one of you?

[Video]

[detectivewonder]

There were less specifically colored Robins. None here anymore.

[Video]

[redwinekindofgirl]

I met one once, calling himself Red Robin... but I don't think it was you.