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January 2, 2025- three years ago today, Tim Drake died, he really truly did. Well everyone thinks that at least.

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How did it all start? Tim asks himself that a lot. And I mean a lot. Well here it is, he supposes.

Him, Cassie, Kon, and Bart were going on a mission, like the good old days, it was their first one since, everything.

Since Kon and Bart died,

Since Cassie joined that cult, (no don't ask her about it)

Since Tim became Red Robin.

It was weird, they were a bit tense, but they were trying at least, that counted for something at least. 

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Tim, Cassie, Bart, and Kon sat behind a boulder on the cliff outlooking the so-called “abandoned” warehouse. It was the LoA of course, they'd suffered heavy damages after everything Tim did. This was one of their more covert operations trying to rebuild themselves from around ¼-½ of their past power.

Quick and easy, in and out, get some enough, kill some bad guys (Yes now, after the shit that was Red Robin, Tim is a little more open to making some heads roll. His friends didn't need to know that part, if they accidentally found a body or two, it was self defense.) 

Tim was finishing up the debrief for everyone, informing them on what they were going to do, he didn’t mention however, his very interesting recent past with The Demon Head and his assassins.

As Tim was just getting out hsi last words, an almost silent “Thump” was hurd next to them. He looked up and saw none other then his favorite assassin, Prudence Woods, Pru. 

The other three tensed up, looking ready to take her out, she just smiled at Tim, that smug smile that at the same time said “you didn't tell your friends about me? Im wounded”  

Tim rolled his eyes to Pru and raised a hand to the others and spoke 

“Pru’s harmless, mostly, the point is, she's friendly.”

“Since when am I friendly Kid?” Pru snorts

“Who is tha-” Tim cut Kon off.

“She helped me through the whole finding Bruce thing, became someone to lean on I guess. While I wasn't planning her stopping by” Tim spares Pru a glare “She can help us”

Cassie eyed Pru and Tim for a moment longer before sighing and relaxing her shoulders, Bart and Kon following.

“Alright, how is she factoring in then?” cassie prodded

“It only changes a few things, instead, Cassie and Kon you two still flank the sides going in through the ceiling glass. But instead of me and Bart going in through the front Pru and I will take the back entrance and Bart you take front. Sound good?”

Tim looked at his friends expectantly, Kon nodded and Cassie sighed a yes , with Bart just huffing an mhm .

Now with everyone properly paired up, they initiated. 

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Cassie and Kon as promised went in through the sk lights, knocking out a few of the pesky guards, non-lethally.

Bart dashed in and was, as a speedster, too fast for anyone to catch. 

-Tim and Pru in the back, separate warehouse area-

Honestly Tim was actually kind of happy that Pru was here, some of the assassins had personally wronged him and Pru back during, all that.

This was a chance to blow off steam.

As they entered through the back Pru glanced at Tim and gave a small nod that just said, were handling them, permanently, right? To which Tim just smirked and nodded. 

They get to it, handling the assassins left and right, just a few people here and there stopped breathing. Once they wrapped it up they went to the main area where the others were. Thankfully the warehouse was fairly noisy so Kon probably didn't notice the decrease in heartbeats, probably. 

“Jesus, took you long enough” Bart groaned once he saw them, “where's the big bad Ras we were supposed to get to?”

“He should be rig-” Tim is cut off by, well damn speak of the devil himself

“Right here My detective (Tim) ” Ras emerged from the shadows giddily.

The following was a blur, a bit of back and forth before the 5 of them burst into action.  Tim took on Ras while the others focused on the more high level assassins appearing. The next thing Tim knew he was being taunted by Ras. “My dear Detective, I must say i'm just green with envy”

Tim didn’t dignify that with a response. But he wished he’d thought it through, god just if he’d listened to the wording…

The next thing Tim knew he heard a groan of pain, it wasn't Bart, or Cassie, or even Pru. It was Kon, and it took a lot for the Kypronian to admit he was hurt. That's when he saw it, the assassin facing off Kon had a sharp jagged green, kryptonite , dagger. And Kon had a fresh, bleeding cut from the base of the right side of his jaw to the middle of his cheek, blood pouring out.

Cassie and Bart were by Kon’s side instantly, the speedsters seemed to be putting more pressure on his left ankle, and shit, Bart’s right ankle should not look like that. 

Tim then saw Ras’ devilish grin as he pressed a remote and beeping rang in Tim’s ears, time bomb activated 00:10 till destruction. 

A lot can happen in 10 seconds Tim learns. For starters he can yell out for Cassie to carry Kon and get the hell out, he can give Pru the silent command to pick up the limping speedster.

At 5 seconds Tim is shoved to the ground as his friends' silhouettes disappear, Cassie and Pru throwing worried glances over they’re shoulder.

At 4 seconds Ras is trying to keep Tim down “ we will die in a blaze of glory Timothy” god Tim hated his name on Ras’ tongue.

At 2 seconds Tim rolls under a table.

At 1 Ras is out of breath when a crate falls on him.

At 00 Tim is…..

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The building collapses around them, it should be bone crushing, it should’ve killed Tim, Timothy Jackson Drake should be dead, right?

So why isn't he? Well for starters he is under some rubble, but hed rolled under a desk? Damn the shit from Sweden was good, he should get some stuff from there, it probably be nice with his new apar-

And no, Tim focus.

Nce the ringing in Tim’s ears subsides he can hear yells and shouts, it’s, it’s, oh god it Kon and Bart, they sound desperate to get back in. To try and find, him. 

Tim blinks, finally taking in his surroundings, there's blood, and it’s not his, it’s Ras’. Ras is dead, his bloodied green robe sticking out from under piles and piles of crumpled cement. 

He knows that kryptonite dampens the senses, Kon probably can't feel Tim’s heartbeat, because Kon’s voice is shaky as he yells to check if Tim’s okay. Bart screams to be put down, to go see, because he refuses to lose Tim. 

-Cassie, Kon, Bart, and Pru outside the rubble-

Tears, water, damp, shiny, painful.

Cassie’s cheeks are slick with her tears, but she's still holding Kon close, even as he weakly tries to pull out of her grip. Normally it would’ve been hard to hold the kryptonian back, but the slice in his cheek, the heavy amount of exposure to a damn stone, made him sluggish. 

Nearby this assassin, Pru, is holding Bart. He screams to be put down, to be allowed to check on his friend. But the second Pru loosens her grip. Bart scrambles out of her arms and lands wrong on his ankle, the right one (the direction people) he makes a pained noise, wincing, groaning, whining all at once. Bart’s movements are frantic and way too fast. The warehouse is starting to burn, fire spreading from the back, where Tim is , Pru thinks.

(Cassie POV)

Cassie is frigid, because, no no no no no, no, No, NO, NO! She just got her best friends back, Kon and Bart back from the dead, Tim back from wherever the hell he was, she can't lose Tim again, not really, not like this. 

When Bart and Kon died it was surreal, Tim comforted her, even while dealing with his own grief, (sorry buddy, cloning your best friends 99 times, isn’t normal.) 

But then Kon and Bart came back, from fucking death, they said screw you to the Reaper and came back, but they’re metas, its almost expected. Because metas don’t die so easily, they aren't all that normal human after all. 

But Tim, hes so

Fragile

Soft

Breakable

Human

Tim is human, 100%, his bones break and snap, he cannot fly away from danger, or outrun a cheetah, or use heat vision to disintegrate an enemy drone. 

Because Tim is normal, or as normal as a teenage Gothamite night roof-dweller can be.

Her best friend is in the burning wreckage, and her other two best friends are desperate to get him out, but they can't……. It's not humanly possible.

(Bart POV)

His ankle hurts, for a speedster to not be able to use their legs, well that defeats the point really.

But his lungs and throat hurt too, because he’s yelling and screaming, to get back to Tim. To dive into the fire and pull his friend out. 

Because Tim is Red fucking Robin, the craziest kid you’ll meet, he dives head first off buildings and protects the head aiming for nearby dumpsters, because RR thinks theres a 50/50 chance someone will catch him.

Tim is one of if not the most talked about Gothamite teen, Timothy Jackson Drake, owner of DI (Drake Industries) & WE (Wayne Enterprises). 

Son of Janet and Jack Drake, ward of Bruce Wayne.

 The same kid who has probably dated just about everyone he wants to, hell, anyone he hasn't dated has had a crush on him. Yes Bart speaks from experience, (come on in the future there is no Red Robin, he died, or people think so, before Bart could see him in action. So when you’re a kid, and there's this really cool, sarcastic, hero people talk about, well you're bound to have a crush. And when you travel to the past and become his best friend, it takes a second for the awe to wear off)

But Tim, hes so

Fragile

Soft

Breakable

Human

Tim is human, 100%, his bones break and snap, he cannot fly away from danger, or outrun a cheetah, or use heat vision to disintegrate an enemy drone. 

Because Tim is normal, or as normal as a teenage Gothamite night roof-dweller can be.

(Kon POV)

Kon struggles in Cassie’s arms, she isn't even holding him that tight, but that damn kryptonite is stopping him, stopping him from making sure Rob, Red Robin, RR, Timothy, Tim, his best friend, is alive.

He feels sore all over, he can feel himself bleeding, but Kon is terrified to know what Tim looks like, how much Tim is bleeding. Because that's what Tim is,

hes so

Fragile

Soft

Breakable

Human

Tim is human, 100%, his bones break and snap, he cannot fly away from danger, or outrun a cheetah, or use heat vision to disintegrate an enemy drone. 

Because Tim is normal, or as normal as a teenage Gothamite night roof-dweller can be.

(Pru POV)

The kid, he's in there. 

The kid who is one scary motherfucker when he wants to be, 

The same kid who while bleeding from (a semi-important organ as Tim says) and later had said spleen surgically moved, dragged an unconscious Pru through the desert to make sure SHE didn't die. 

The Kid who took on the fucking Court of Spiders. 

That one, the 100% human, just like her, but, hes not fucking dead.

If Tim, the Kid, didnt die when Pru, Owens, and Z went after him, he sure as fuck isnt dying here….

Right?...........

-Back to all 4 of them, like the narrators POV, aka, ME!-

The flames grow brighter, the shine, looks alot like Tim’s icy blue eyes when he's excited. 

Tim.

By the four of them there's a thump of someone landing, two people actually. It’s Nightwing a.k.a. Dick Grayson and Red Hood a.k.a. Jason Todd, guess it kinda blew up (pun not intended) all over their feeds that a fucking ware house exploded.

 Kon, Cass, Bart, and Pru are frozen, even when a blur of red halts next to Nightwing, Flash a.k.a. Wally West.

“What happened? Who is that? What-Is everyone accou-” Nightwing freezes. Concern flickers across his face, Wally already by Bart’s side taking him from Pru.

“Where's RR?” Red Hood asks, the tone, it's almost like he expects Tim to pop out the shadows with some corny ass joke

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Hey guys! So I wanted to be clear

i am currently having a voting poll for chapters 4 and 5! It’s on Tumblr at @klancemyway 

we are kicking off to decide who’s POV yall are gonna have! 
Jason or Tim?!?!?!?

wooooooo

so please go vote! We will have the official votes in by next week, but that’s not to say I’m not feeding you!!!!

don’t worry I will be feeding you plenty!

we’ll have some filler chapters that’ll be pretty short.

maybe I’ll do like character descriptions for Tim’s new team or something so when we get back into the main plot line you know who these people are!

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Name : Lian Harper
Age : 18 (we will get to the how later)
Specialites : Skilled in using the bow and arrow, and minor practice with firearms.
Familial History : Daughter of Roy Harper (Arsenal) and Jade Nguyen (Chesire)
Appearance : She has dark brown hair that falls to just below her shoulders, she often wears it down or rarely in a messy bun. She has honey brown eyes that have specks of oak brown in them. Slightly tanned skin, but still fairly pale compared to others on the team. She stands at 5”3, and she often dresses casually when out of suit, preferring cropped shirts and baggy sweatpants or jeans topped with cropped jackets. Her suit is a mix of Roy Harper's early suits and a style of her own, like the rest of her team there is a lot of black. She also added a hood now, the hood when up, shadows over her face leaving just her hair sticking out, it can give her a menacing look. She carries her bow and quill on her back and has some accents on her suit that give her a bit of a mystical look, when she is jumping from roof to roof you can see blurs of red and orange and even the occasional yellow if you look hard enough.
Role in the Team : In the team her code name is Robin Hood (and if that happens to be the same initials as Roy Harper that's her business only) she is their archer and if necessary can work with guns as well (thanks Jason)
Relationship to Tim: She views Tim in a very mentor sort of way, she still remembers when Tim was several years older then her and more of an uncle. Hence even with the mess up with her age she still looks up to him.
Relationships? : Currently dating Mora Mills.

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Name : Mora Mills
Age : 18 ½ (she insists on being specific)
Specialites : Skilled in hand to hand combat, is currently learning how to fight using daggers to enhance her capabilities.
Familial History : She is an Amazon, similar to Cassie Sandsmark’s story her father is Hades (yes THE God of the Underworld) and Rachel Mills (Civilian)
Appearance : The best way to describe her is literally a female version of Duke Thomas. She has braided hair which she keeps in a short bob and is always down, it never quite reaches her shoulders. Her eyes, that's where she differs from Duke, she has heterochromia, her left eye is the most vibrant leafy green with specks of brown. Her right eye is a deep blue, but not quite as piercing a gaze as Tim Drake. She stands at 5”3 and ½, and when out of suit she prefers very athletic wear, often wearing a baggy jacket over whatever she has on, shorts, leggings, crop top, tank top, doesn’t matter she has a jacket on too. Her suit consists of wearing a cropped black tee and bell bottom ( i think thats what they are called) black pants with red and blue stars on them. She also has a jock jacket that is white with blue stripes going down from her shoulders to her wrists. And she has a big red star on the back of the jacket.
Role in the Team : In the team her code name is Pluto (yes because Hades) as of right now her abilities from her father are flight and geokinesis (manipulation of earth), she is unsure if she will unlock more. Of course she has enhanced strength as well, and all that of other Amazonians.
Relationship to Tim: She is a friend to Tim, after their entail meet she takes a liking to his thought processes, and she becomes quick friends to all of the team, befriending them with her bubbly personality that reminds Tim a bit of Stephanie Brown.
Relationships? : Currently dating Lian Harper

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Name : Prudence Woods
Age : 24
Specialites : Skilled in hand to hand combat, and in the use of firearms
Familial History : It’s muddled up, she was trained by the League of Assassins under Ras Al Ghul.
Appearance : Yall know how she looks guys, if not just search her up, (SHES BALD AND SHES TORTURING PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAIR!!) When out of suit you'll find her wearing jeans and a shirt, sometimes her favorite purple jacket. Now for the field she can really wear anything, she may wear something casual or she might switch it up and wear a black bodysuit with a black protective vest over it. Really depends on the mission, but it doesn’t matter to her so she rarely wears the suit. So people do tend to know that Prudence Woods is part of The Ghosts.
Role in the Team : She is a skilled fighter on the team on the field they refer to her as Pru. She is a skilled marksman and skilled in the martial arts.
Relationship to Tim: She is a close ally to Tim, later developing a sort of friendship after the numerous times he saved her life, and as such, she loads her gun with rubber bullets. Recently since they’ve started this rag-tag team, she has become Tim’s right hand man, the two are often discussing plans on the team.
Relationships? : Nope not interested

Name : Hudson Hunter
Age : 20
Specialites : A good fighter (don’t blame the kid, he's only been alive for like, 6 years) Hand to Hand combat and, oh you know, all the stuff a kryptonian can do :)
Familial History : During that oh so fun point in time when Kon-El is dead, Hudson is made from his DNA, escaping the lab when it was blown up, living here and there until settling with the Ghosts.(Tim’s Team)
Appearance : Hudson has semi curly black hair and is actually pretty tan for a guy who was technically born six years ago. His hair isn't very grown out and he sports it in a hairstyle similar to Kon-El (the two have not met, idk what his haircut is called). He has hazel eyes, and is fairly muscular, standing at 5”8. He rarely is out of suit because he simply sports a pretty skin tight black, blue, red suit. He regularly wears hoodies over said suit, but when out on field he normally sticks to just the suit itself. If not on field then he will either wear some grey or black sweat pants over his suit or a hoodie over his suit. He wears sneakers though. The suit itself is a lot like what Kon-El wears, except where there is red it is instead black, and instead of sporting a big “S” on his chest he has a “G” for Ghosts.
Role in the Team : He is their Krptonian, their super, though he has no clue that's what he is even, his field name is Supernova. He can fly, lazer eyes, frost breath, super hearing, X-ray vision, super strength, and is just your average boy of steal
Relationship to Tim: He is close friends to Tim, and has developed an attraction to the team leader. He often flirts with Tim, and is still a good friend if not sometimes a little relaxed and laid back. He and Owen have developed a bit of a fight over it, everyone on the team knows they both like Tim, constantly trying to out flirt each other, and if a team requires pairing up, deciding who gets Tim (Tim will choose Pru or Jay, but they try). Yet he is very protective and caring to his friends, but still manages to be a nice kid, but when it comes to the team (his friends) he will not let them get hurt.
Relationships? : No (still trying for Tim though)

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Name : Owen Allen
Age : 19
Specialites : He is a speedster, and can hold his own in a fight, but sticks to confusing and out running opponents then actually fighting them.
Familial History : Also a kid from the future and a more direct cousin to Bart Allen (he has no clue of the other speedsters existence). All he knows is he got to the future, met Mora and lived with her on a semi remote island before meeting Tim.
Appearance : Owen has spunky, bouncy, and fluffy brown/red hair, he can never tell. He keeps it short-ish, but it’s still a bit longer than some of the other guys on the team (longer than Pru’s though, hah she’s bald, he makes jokes a lot) He has very pale brown eyes, they almost look the same color as his skin, but remain a few shades darker, he has decently tan skin. Fairly lean, he is at an inbetween of Hudson and Tim in body type and stands at 5”5. Out of suit he dresses casually, band tees, baggy jeans and sweatpants, occasional cargo pants or sometimes shorts. He likes to “borrow” clothes from everyone on the team, so if something is missing, Owen has it. His suit is shades of blue, with accents of a grey-sh blue, like imagine the Kid Flash suit but replace it with blues.
Role in the Team : He is their speedster, mainly if someones stuck in between a rock and hard place, get Owen’s attention and he will rush you out of there. He goes by Inertia on the field. He is actually faster than Wally and Bart combined (not that he knows who they are) but still views his speed as too low, much to Tim’s annoyance. Relationship to Tim: He is close friends to Tim, and has also developed an attraction to the team leader. He often flirts with Tim, but he’s a lot more jokey with it and has horrible pick up lines that don’t quite work.He and Hudson have developed a bit of a fight over it, everyone on the team knows they both like Tim, constantly trying to out flirt each other, and if a team requires pairing up, deciding who gets Tim (Tim will choose Pru or Jay, but they try). He cares for his team though and won’t stop at anything to protect them.
Relationships? : No (still trying for Tim though)

Name : Jay Briggs
Age : 18
Specialites : He is a Green Lantern, what more do you need to know? He is creative, you got to give the guy that, so the ring suits him.
Familial History : Originally from Italy, Jay left with his little brother and sister who are now 17. They moved to America to find their mom, after their parents got a divorce and their father died Jay took them to America, which is how he earned his ring.
Appearance : Jay is half white half Italian (thank you dad) he has his mothers mixed blue and green eyes (no they aren't hazel, he insists) but his fathers dark black hair. He, much to his disappointment, is the kind of guy who burns not tans (why mom, whyyyyy) so he remains pretty pale, but much to his joy, is still tanner then Tim Drake. He styles his hair regularly like your average teenage boy, nice short, and a bit messy. He is actually leaner than Tim, and has very little muscle anywhere but in his arms. He stands at 5”2, so yes it is kind of bad, he is the leanest and the shortest on the team but leave the poor guy alone he can't help it! Because of this Jay tries to wear whatever flatters him, so he sticks to dressing like any other highschooler who (was) going to college. He does have a pretty grunge vibe though so don’t try and buy stuff for him, he and Owen like to go “shopping” in their friends closets and taking what they like. Lian is actually pretty good at helping him figure out what to wear, so as thanks he takes less of her stuff. His suit is a lot like all the other Green Lanterns (stupid Ring).
Role in the Team : He, unlike the other super powered people on his team actually knew about the whole Green Lanterns existing. Because of this he refuses to be called Green Lantern, because he feels that that’s just for the goody-two shoes trying to just fix problems for the moment then make sure they stay solved. Instead his team calls him Green Light (but can still be shortened to GL) and he likes it. He is a lantern, whaddya expect?
Relationship to Tim: Him and Tim have a close friendship, since Jay is the only guy on the team not hitting on Tim. So they’ve become something of best friends, often helping each other. Everyone loves Jay really, he while being the youngest along with Lian, tends to do a lot of cooking, his grandmother taught him well. So he kind of takes care of the team like he took care of his little siblings (despite Tim trying to convince him to order out instead) so they eat good meals 4/7 days a week.
Relationships? : No, he is asexual

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The One You’ve Been Waiting For!
Name : Tim(othy) Jackson (Drake) now legally changed to just Tim Jackson
Age : 20 almost 21
Specialites : He is skilled with hand to hand, the bow staff, martial arts,and recently picked up learning with daggers and is helping Mora out. (the kids a bat)
Familial History : Parents are Janet and Jack Drake who after their passing he was later adopted by Bruce Wayne and for a time had many legal siblings. You know his story or else you wouldn’t read a Tim-centric fic!!!!
Appearance : We know how Tim looks, guys. His black hair which he has now grown out and it isn't that long but long enough that he can tie it up into a small messy bun at the back of his head while still maintaining having his messy hair cut. He has his mothers piercing blue eyes that can shut up his team with a glare, all of them but Lian and Pru, he can scare metas but not normal people, great. Our boy is still pretty pale though, that didn't change, but know what did? His scars! He still has a lot of scars, his spleen, general fights, time with the League, and now, he has a scar on his left cheek cutting up almost reaching the side of his nose stopping just below his eye. When he is out of his suit, well you know Tim’s style guys. His suit, well it's different, (I really liked this suit) https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheflyingwonder.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F112935224466%2Ffood-for-thought-about-new-52-and-tim-drake&psig=AOvVaw2oBr6ceYR3K9A3p26C8LnN&ust=1740363652662000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCLC56_vd2IsDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAESo we are adapting it, so this is his base suit minus the jacket, and instead of a domino mask Tim adapted Stephaine wearing a hood and mask for his immunology. He stands at 5'7 now so not the shortest anymore!So his colors are black and red like this, his hood is red, and his mask is black, the mask covers his scar pretty well so you just have his piercing gaze on you, no white domino mask to black it out.( Role in the Team : Tim now goes by Cardinal, Owen likes to call him Carson on the field for the hell of it, and now that's his nickname. He is the team leader, and well the smart planner, the team, except for Pru and Lian just now Tim as the one who makes things happen. Tim’s mortality is very wobbly at this point, also there is a line between (evil) genius and insane mad man, Tim uses that line like a fucking jump rope. Unlike Bruce, if lethal force fixes something, then that's what his team will do.
Relationship to Team: He cares about his team a lot, when he really truly loves people and cares about them they have his fierce loyalty, and Tim’s team has the same loyalty to him!
Relationships? : Not at the moment, but maybe if you guys want we can add one?

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This team is known as The Ghosts, they work quickly and efficiently, leaving corpses in their wake if that's what it takes. They are more of an Anti-Hero team. His team doesn't question Tim, and Tim doesn’t have Tim’s no kill rule, your ultimate goal is to get back alive, and finish the job, which is just fine with everyone.

The Ghosts - Tim, Lian, Mora, Pru, Hudson, Owen, Jay

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If you want to vote go to @klancemyway on Tumblr!!!!

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Tim’s POV

Tim felt the trickle of something against his cheek, slowly traveling down his cheek like a tear, but it wasn’t a tear, because tears aren’t red. 

The blood feels icy cold, like it's burning his skin. Like how the fire is burning the rubble around him….. Wait, there's a fire, the warehouse is burning,.... Tim, he realizes, he’s in the warehouse. 

Oh god. 

Tim pushes himself up, propping up on his elbows, his vision is foggy, whether it’s the smoke or a concussion he can’t tell. 

With much pain, probably a break or a fracture in his right leg, Tim assumes, he stands up, there are parts of the warehouse still standing, half walls barely holding. Tim half limps, half hops, and some parts drags, himself away, he makes it past countless bodies, thankfully none he recognises. 

Tim makes it through the rubble, stumbling on his own limbs and those of others. Finally making it away from the fire, away from Ras, away from dying. 

Tim props himself up on a tree, just a moment he thinks, then I’ll handle everything. Yeah, just a second.

His vision blacks out more, maybe he’s closing his eyes and it's not as bad a concussion as he thought.  

He feels heavier, like his own body is sinking.

Then finally he releases, he lets go, succumbing to the bruising embrace of darkness, of solace. 

Tim wakes up, what feels like decades later, but from the sun’s position, it’ll probably have been about an hour or so.

But what woke him up? Wind slapping against his cheek, cold and biting, but also alerting, because last he checked people don't randomly wake up with air rushing past their face when they were previously slumped against a tree.

Tim opens his eyes and shifts his head so he’s looking up, into a pair of hazel eyes with curly black locks framing this person’s tanned skin.

“Morning” the person says, “Im Hudson” 

“How am-” then remembering that he is still presumably in mid air, Tim looks below them and, yep, they are in the air, which means this perso-Hudson, it means Hudson, can fly.

“You have some pretty nasty injuries man” Hudson says, his grip tightens around Tim a bit, and Tim can feel his hands holding him in what is considered a bridal carry.

“How, I have so many questions, Jesus, how’d you find me, and where are we going?” Tim assesses that Hudson seems fairly harmless, the worst he could do right now is drop Tim, but seeing as he “saved” him in the first place that's like a 23.3% chance.

“That's a given, um, I was kinda flying around when I saw you slumped against a tree not too long ago, your heartbeat was off, and it looked like you’d broken your wrist. As for where we are going, I kinda thought like, uhm like somewhere to patch you up?” Hudson replies

With the whole knowing his heartbeat sounding off, flying, knowing he has broken something, Hudson sounds almost, Krptonian…… But Tim knows all the supers there are, so clearly, the others don’t know about Hudson………

There is a silence as they travel, a calm quiet, Tim mulling over this information, he takes in the guys appearance, He's wearing a skin tight black shirt and grey sweats, so Hudson has no care for who sees him. Hudson has tan skin, hazel eyes, and is fairly built, curly black hair, which he seems to keep styled short. If they weren’t flying right now, Tim would say this is your average highschooler. But Hudson doesn’t seem like your normal 17 year old.

They touch down eventually at an apartment, not too shabby, Hudson seems to have some sort of income. They head inside, Hudson is yet to put Tim down, and Tim is too disorientated to refuse, or protest. Soon they are inside and Hudson sets Tim down on the couch and leaves, coming back with a med kit, so, he is prepared. 

“Whaddya do for,” Hudson gestures mildly to Tim entirely “all this to happen?”

“Long story” because it is a little foggy for Tim too.

Hudson patches Tim up in silence, from the lack of pictures, other pairs of shoes, and sounds in the apartment, Hudson lives alone.

Tim is snapped out of his detective haze when his face stings, Hudson is pressing a cloth to his cheek, probably with a disinfectant on it.

An involuntary hiss finds its way out of Tim’s throat, Hudson notices. 

“Sorry man, but this is a nasty cut, it’ll probably scar, but I don’t know, it stops right before your gorgeous eyes…”  The last part is a bit quieter, and there is a second when hazel eyes meet Tim’s blue ones, before Hudson blinks and focuses back on the cut. 

Tim just focuses on one thing though “it’ll probably scar” it’s not like Tim doesn’t have scars, but he doesn’t have one so, exposed, sure the one on his neck, but he can cover that up with shirt collars and stuff. He doubts he can just cover half his face and no one questions it. 

After everything Tim has a patch on his cheek, some bandages around his right wrist with a splint, and some bandages up his left arm, fairly minor injuries for everything.

After Hudson is done he sits down in front of Tim, Hudson sits on the ground, and he seems, …….nervous?

“Thanks” Tim decides to ease the tension. 

“Y-yeah, no problem…” Hudson replies his gaze is more focused on fidgeting with the strings of his sweatpants. “You’re not weirded out?”

It takes a second to click for Tim, flying, among other things. 

“Uh, no, I mean, look at me” Tim gestures to his banged up uniform, seems like his cape was ripped off in the fight, leaving Tim in nothing but his skin suit, leaving him feeling fairly, naked, sure his suit looks skintight in a lot of areas, but it isn’t, but doesn’t stop how it looks.

At that Hudson looks up, still fidgeting with his sweatpants but his eyes meet Tim’s and he nods.... Huh, were Hudson’s cheeks always that rosy? 

The conversation is a bit dull, both boys a little unsure of the situation, but after a bit it shifts and they get a little more comfortable. 

“Uh, you got somewhere to go man?” Hudson asks, he’s stopped fidgeting and is looking at Tim.

“Uhm…” The manor, right? Or his Nest, or Titan’s Tower, or, or, well a lot of places. But it doesn't feel….right…. He has so many questions. No longer about Hudson per say, but everything else. First, Tim was sure he’d depleted Ras of his resources, sure he hadn’t specified to his family or friends, but Tim knew, hed left Ras with about ½ if not ⅓ of what he’d originally had. So how did Ras get all those people and resources? And the kryptonite blade, how did Ras get access to kryptonite and so much? It was in the shape of a perfect blade, jagged, to cut Kon’s or any Krptonian’s skin…….. professional.

Something made Tim want to, not go back? He wasn’t really sure why, there were a lot of little reasons, but not one big one. Things had been, weird with his family. It was honestly Duke and Cass who were the most normal, the happiest to have Tim back.

After the whole Timestream, things were whack, Bruce was trying to make amends,.... With the others…. He was doing right, by everyone else at least. But it was fine, Tim became Robin to save Batman, and developed into Red Robin saving Bruce Wayne, he needed no acknowledgment. 

Dick, his eldest brother, it was,..... uncomfortable. Today the least, of everyone Tim thought Dick would be the one to understand looking away for a second and having Robin wrenched out of your life. But he was wrong,  Dick had taken Robin and given it to Damian. The whole Arkham thing (Jesus let me depress Tim, canon or not geez it's ao3) Dick hadn’t bothered to correct or defend Tim against the other capes who’d suggested it. If anything Dick seemed neutral, like if Tim ended up in that hell it was fine.

Jason, things were still messy, things were better. But, still they were slightly blended oil and water, imperfect. Unable to fit together.

Damian, the demon brat, Tim didn’t really have much against him, not really, other than trying to kill Tim, Dami was fine. 

Cass, Duke, and Steph were his solace, they were still there for him. As happy to have Tim back as Tim was to be back. 

Cass had saved him, from something horrible, “there are fates worse than death Timothy” his mother had told him once. The fearsome Janet Drake, Tim had not understood his mother then, what was worse than death? That, that was worse, losing the last bit of child-like innocence he had. 

Duke, they were close, Tim knew that look, (let me write yall) Tim was Duke’s robin, just as Jason and Dick had been his. He strived to live up to that role, to be good, to keep up that ruse. But Tim also ensured to be a brother to Duke, and from how Duke was with him, Tim would say he did well.

And Steph, platonic soulmates, sure they’d dated in the past. But they realized that their bond was better than that, so yes they’d broken up, but they remained extremely close. Steph was a rock for Tim a lot of times, no questions, maybe comments, but that was Steph, she knew how to brighten moods, snarky ways of course……

“You good?” Hudson’s voice broke through the damn of thoughts Tim had rushing through him. “It’s fine if you don’t, like have anywhere to go”

Now see, Tim could correct him, could say ‘no i have a lot of places to go’ but he didn't, he left it at that, because frankly tim wasn't happy with going, home?

“Yeah….” Tim muttered, “I don't really have a place at the moment….” 

“You can stay.” It came out a little quick, which Hudson seemed to realise as he quickly corrected himself “like you can crash here, as long as you need,..” 

“Tim,” Tim gave his name, strange Hudson would allow someone he didn’t even have a name for, stay with him, but that wasn’t a concern right now, “Tim Jackson” yes not his best work, but maybe just for a little. Timothy Jackson Drake can stay dead. 

So Tim stayed………..

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

(3 days after Tim “died”)

Tim was going to start a new life, he’d decided that, just for a little bit, put some pieces back together, some How’s with the whole Ras thing, or LoA thing since Ras is dead now……

But he couldn't completely start from scratch. 

He needed someone, he couldn’t just disappear from everyone’s lives like that.

So he made a call on his third day living with Hudson.

He held Hudon’s phone, he was expecting his hand to be trembling, for his heart to pound in his ears, for his brain to scream at him to stop.

But no

Tim held the phone normally, he held it as if this was fine, as if people died everyday and then just called a few days later.

But let’s be honest, no one died right anymore, so hopefully it wasn’t too much of a shock for her. 

Tim pressed call on the number as Hudson was making eggs for breakfast Tim sat on the counter, Hudson humming a tune to himself as he made breakfast. 

Tim learned quickly that Hudson

Was shit at cooking,

Except for breakfast, his omelets were addictive and he’d perfected the grilled cheese. 

So Hudson was crap at cooking until it came to breakfast, then he’d whip up the best goddamn thing you started your day with. 

______________________________________________________________

“Pru?” Tim finally spoke when she’d picked up the call.

“Well damn, Jesus Kid, for a second I really thought you were gone.” Pru sounded so relieved, and Tim realised for a second, that, Pru cared, even if she was like Batman at showing it.

“Hey, I’m alive, you can’t get rid of me that easily” Tim chuckled into the phone

“Unkillable” Pru replied, he could hear the smile in her rough voice.

_______________________________________________________________

As Hudson came back with dishes, grilled cheese and hashbrowns, Tim was finishing up his call.

Pru knew the basics

• Tim was alive, and more or less well

• She could not tell anyone

• Where Tim was (He was in Florida now, Jesus, how long was he unconscious when Hudson was flying?)

• His new name (she’d laughed that all he’d done was change his last name to his middle, but said it was creative)

• Who he was with

And some other specifics he’d wanted her to know. 

Pru had agreed, she’d be meeting them soon, she’d be coming in the next 1 to 2 days, with some basic essentials.

So now Tim had a kryptonian and a trained assassin on his side. Which quite frankly when no one was trying to kill you, was more than enough for Tim. 

____________________________________________________________

Hudson sat down next to Tim and pushed the plate to Tim as Tim hung up.

“You call that friend of yours?” Hunter asked, turning to face Tim, neither of them touching the food yet.

They were sitting at a counter, it had three seats, it was…. Modern looking. Most of Hudson’s apartment looked modern. Hudson had told him he’d gotten the apartment for cheap, didn’t say why though, but who cares. It had two bedrooms a bathroom, a kitchen, living room, closet, and nice dining area(the island/counter)

“Yeah, she’ll be coming in a few days,” Tim said, picking up his sandwich. 

Hudson hummed a response as he bit into his grilled cheese, Tim followed the actions by taking his own bite, and well fuck, Hudson may just give Alfred a run for his money.

The cheese was perfectly melted and the crisp of the toast was perfect, just browned enough for a crunch, but barely adding a taste of its own. Hudson used this like local butter they sold at the farmers' mart. The butter gave the sandwich a sweet-ish taste to it, but had a salty after taste. And Jesus it was just heaven biting into the sandwich, it’d been a while since Tim had a nice meal and was able to appreciate it.

6 months since he’d last been at the manor, since he’d last had Alfred’s cooking. 

7 months since he’d last picked up a call from Dick.

But he still regularly met with Duke, Cass, and Steph, they’d hangout around Gotham, sit on roofs, Sit-n’-Bitch Steph called it.

8 months since he’d brought Bruce back.

But now in this moment it was calm, and warm, the toast and cheese melting on Tim’s tongue and warming his entire body. He closed his eyes, and it wasn’t because of exhaustion, but because he wanted to, and he was relaxed. 

“Your cut is healing well” Hudson said, trying to make conversation after a few minutes of them eating.

Tim instinctively reached up and touched his cheek, his fingers brushing the bandages on his cheek. It was true, he’d replaced the bandages yesterday and the scar looked a lot better then it had the day of. 

“Yeah….. Thanks” Tim replied, taking another bite of hashbrowns. 

Hudson smiled and hummed a response. 

They finished breakfast in relative silence, just occasional conversation, it was nice like that. 

Hudson didn’t push, he just allowed Tim to be comfortable, Hudson would talk and talk if all Tim wanted to do was listen.

______________________________________________________________

(4 weeks after Tim “died”)

Wacky, but comfortable?

Tim has moved a lot yes, he has lived alone yes, he has lived with people he has known, and yes he has lived with Krptonians. 

But Hudson was different, he seemed to have no clue about exactly what he was. He had some knowledge and from what Tim had gathered, Hudson had been alive for 3 to four years but was 17, so a case like Kon’s. He had a high level of knowledge and understood not most people could do what he could. He had a specific style (athletic wear with something baggy, he was either wearing pants that reminded Tim of Kon’s suit with a hoodie over it, or tight fitting athletic shirts with sweatpants.) so it was a bit different for Tim, he wasn’t very used to dressing like that. More so used to a baggier style of clothing with very relaxed and casual clothes.

But Tim hadn’t exactly packed for dying, so wearing whatever was offered was his only option.

_____________________________________________________________-

(it has been 8 weeks since Tim “died”)

Pru was with them now, they all stayed at Hudson’s place for now. Hudson had been pretty welcoming, even with the albeit strange situation. 

With some discussion they decided to pick up old times again, back to traveling the world, under the guise of Tim’s death really.

Hudson seemed pretty happy to leave his apartment, it seemed like life was boring in Florida. 

So 8 whole weeks after Tim supposedly “died” they packed what they needed. Clothes, some food, electronics, and really just anything for 2 teens and a young adult to travel. 

____________________________________________________________

So that’s how it went, they traveled, they might fly, or walk, take a car, or the train.

(As for DI *Drake Industries* and WE *Wayne Enterprises* let’s just say that with some DC logic no one is questioning where the CEO profits go, still to Tim ofcourse, because it’s Gotham, billionaires go poof every few weeks)

As they traveled, they got to know more and more about each other *basically now, remember the pages where I introduced them to you? They know all that about each other + some of Tim and Pru’s backstories*

Tim also informed Hudson all about Kryptonians, which seemed to finally give the kid some answers about himself. Hudson found it dumb that a green rock was his allergy but it was fine, he was more intrigued by other possible powers he may unlock. 

The deeper they got into their adventure the more they figured out about themselves as well. 

Hudson seemed just as morally grey as them, he agreed, some problems needed *permanent* solutions.  

Hudson seemed impressed and intrigued by their lives, a former vigilante and assassin, far better than a “civilian” life in Florida. 

They traveled without a worry for a bit, just trying to pick up the pieces for a new life that worked for them, going cross country and across continents.

Until well it wasn’t that simple………………

______________________________________________________________

2 and ½ months, 75 days, they have been going about their business. Recently picking up code names as they started to get more and more into the routine of saving people (innocent ones). 

Hudson chose to go bye SuperNova or just Nova in fights,

Pru, well she went with Pru, “not my legal name Kid” she’d told Tim when he said it may reveal who she was.

Tim chose Cardinal, Pru and Hudson both said it fit him, which he had no idea how to take but okay?

Well back to the present moment. 

They were currently in London, fighting some guy called Dial Back, some kind of sorcerer with all things time. They were trying to neutralize him, he kept making time warps shooting them in other dimensions. Popping them into different places and times, currently they seemed to be in a peaceful one, as they fought Tim saw a girl with black hair fall, 

“Shit, Nova, civilian came with us, 2;00 bring her back through the warp while me and Pru finish restraining DB” Tim said into his coms, one good thing about having a face mask that goes up half your face, is that he could not only hide his scar, but communication was easier. 

(Tim had funded their suits, and well he was pretty happy with how they’d come out, honestly no longer having a cape was freeing, less weight, he honestly understood why Dick fought like this. He had a scarf that fell around his shoulders to cover his face and a hood. Tim had grown out his hair and kept it into a bun, even if his hood fell down, he was still pretty unrecognizable with only his eyes and above being visible.)

“Got it Carson” ah, that, Hudson called Tim Carson, instead of Cardinal, or Red, or anything else to do with his code name. Why? Because the first three letters of Cardinal were “Car” and calling Tim Carson was fun? Gee I guess that was just Hudson.

As they tied up Dial Back,  Pru’d gotten a lucky shot in and knocked the bastard out as they went through the time warp Hudson came with the “civilian” 

As they left an unconscious sorcerer on the road, he and Pru turned to Hudson. 

The girl was dusting herself off,  Tim felt like she was familiar reminding him of someone he knew before, but that was crazy. She had a basic enough appearance. She had dark brown hair that falls to just below her shoulders, she had it down right now. She had honey brown eyes that have specks of oak brown in them. Slightly tanned skin, but still fairly pale and standing at 5’’3 and she was dressed casually, preferring a cropped shirt and baggy sweatpants with cropped jackets. Once she was done as she looked up to thank them Tim assumed she paused staring wide eyed at Tim.

“Tim?!?” And Jesus, why’d the girl sound just like Roy’s daughter if not a little older, the one who’d disappeared a while back. Just a little older and fuck, this girl may very much be Lian Harper. 

But well fuck, Lian disappeared when she was seven, and that was 2 years ago, there is no reason for her to look 15, 

Unless

Shit

Hadn’t Tim had enough timestreams?

Chapter Text

Okay Okay so someone made a comment on the last chapter and I wanted to incorporate it! The original comment went like this

Jackell18 on Chapter 15

Tim:*hitting his head against the table* I *whack* HATE *whack* TIME TRAVEL *whack*

Pru:really? It seems to be your favorite problem?

So I'll add that in

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hadn’t Tim had enough timestreams?

Couldn't the universe give him a damn break?

Right now, mentally Tim was aggressively slamming his head against at table, because well fuck. As if the world didn't hate him enough, it seemed like Pru knew, because she looked over at him and gave him the "like this'll be our biggest problem dumbass"

(Thank you Jackell18)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After a moment Tim finally spoke, 

"Lian? Lian Harper?"

The girl- Lian, seemed to relax, her shoulders untensed, and her eyes seemed less nervous, and........... thankful?

"yes! Oh my god yes!" then without warning the just threw herself at Tim, hugging him tightly, Lian buried her face in Tim chest. "Oh god, thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't believe, i never, i didn't think, I'd ever." Lian's voice was shaky.

Hudson gave Tim a questioning look, and Pru seemed to be a little more understanding but still confused. Tim looked at them with a face he could only hope said "I'm as lost as you two"

Lian took a shuddering breath and pulled away, tears threating to spill from her eyes, if the shine was anything to go by, she looked just like the 7 year old 2 years ago. Just taller, with longer hair, and eyes more like Roy's. She looked hurt, but oh so thankful at the same time, like she just couldn't believe she was standing here.

"Lian, what happened? Are you okay? Where have you been" is what Tim wanted to say but instead he just said "Lian, do you want to go get something to eat?" Because whether this was a now 15 year old girl, this was still that 7 year old who looked at them with stars in her eyes, the daughter Roy loved, the niece Jason  adored, the niece that everyone loved, the girl who would call everyone "uncle" or "auntie" or "grampa" and "grama". She was still that child even if she was taller, and maybe a different age now, she was still that girl who pictured everyone like they'd hung the stars themselves.

Lian nodded, she took a shuddering breath and wiped at her face.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So that's how they ended up back at the Ghost Garrison (their current home base, which Hudson named, of course he did), with Hudson's world class grilled cheese, and sitting giving Lian a moment. Pru had supposedly told Hudson they needed to go over the mission reports, (they didn't do those, not every time at least) and even the Hudson hadn't wanted to, one glare from the assassin and he had left.

So Lian sat with two grilled cheeses in her plate, and a cup of water, sitting on the couch. That's how Tim was sitting on the couch opposing her, I mean how does one handle their unofficial niece suddenly being just 2 years younger then them? Especially when she'd  disappeared randomly.

An shaky inhale pulled Tim out of his thoughts, Lian looked up at Tim and began to tell Tim what had happened. 

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"I don't really have all the pieces, nor do I want to, but I think basically at this fair, I day out, supposed to be normal with Uncle Conner (Conner Hawke), I'd wandered off, and one moment I was just walking around, the next I was looking at this little engravement in a rock, the next I was teleported a random world, universe, a random plain" Lian sighed.

"There weren't many people there, but the ones that were there weren't of the best kind, I met someone Amanda Walker, and I've trained and trained, and I would say I could rival my dad in archery now........ 8 years, Jesus, it's been 8 years since my dad saw me, since I've seen him....."  Lian seemed to be done, be that all she had to say, or all she wanted to say, Tim wasn't sure, but her body language seemed to indicate the latter.

"Lian, I, this isn't easy, or anyway to sugarcoat it, but, it's been 2 years, for us, for here at least" Tim spoke warily, he wasn't sure how'd she react, maybe angry?

But now, Lian just seemed to taken it in, and sigh an 'oh', then look down at her hands, and finally let a single tear fall. Tim wasn't sure but he decided this wasn't the moment to sit around "Lian, I, uh-"

Thankfully Lian didn't make him finish the sentence "Yes, can, yes can I have a hug?"

So Tim sat down next to her, and she wrapped her arms around him and cried, 

about the time that had passed

the memories she missed

the family she'd missed

the life she'd missed

but especially the childhood she'd lost.

She cried and cried, until there were no more tears, and shaky breaths, until there was just breathing, 

6 breaths in, hold it in for 3, and exhale for 10

6 breaths in, hold it in for 3, and exhale for 10

6 breaths in, hold it in for 3, and exhale for 10

6 breaths in, hold it in for 3, and exhale for 10

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After Lian had gone to one of the many rooms of the Garrison, and promptly fallen asleep, exhaustion from the 8 years, or from the crying, but either way the kid needed it. 

Tim ran a hand through his hair, it was around 7:20 now, and everyone had changed, Pru was wearing cargo pants and a tee, Hudson was wearing a hoodie and sweats, and Tim was wearing an oversized white tee and blue baggy pants, with a long sleeved black shirt under. He walked into the kitchen where Pru and Hudson were currently fighting over what to order for dinner,

"Pizza you fool!" Pru argued

"I say Italian you can still have your lame ass pizza and I can get some decent calzone!" Hudson retorted 

"Calzone this, calzone that" Pru rolled her eyes

Tim sighed "aren't we using my card?"

Hudson and Pru turned to him and simultaneously "so?"

Tim sighed and just put his phone down on the counter already open  to the ordering app and went to sit down in the living room. Tim flopped down on the couch and pulled out his laptop, he'd been "dead" for a little over 2 months, had his death made headlines, or was his family covering it up?

So really what Tim was thinking,

did they think he was really dead, like they had with Jason? Had they made an excuse for his death and held a funereal.

Or

had they covered their tracks as they did with Bruce? Did they think he was coming back and covered it up with some trip or something?

Tim did a bit of scouring and found that they had in fact held a funereal, and they hadn't broadcasted it, the reason for his death? Ah, a bank robbery gone wrong, the perfect way for them to have close casket. Of course, bank robberies rarely went south with only one person dying, so like any sane person, or rather sane bat, would do, he dug into it.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18 year old Nicholas Cage, Orphan, has been out of the system for a while, was attending a night college in a bad part of Crime Alley, no relatives, they were all dead, and current living arrangement was his car. 

His description matched Tim pretty accurately, except for him being a bit shorter than Tim, and he had more greenish eyes then Tim.

But, he made the perfect excuse, he'd died during a bank robbery that went south quickly, 4 perps, all caught by Red Hood and Spoiler. No one asked about the kid, and they university, just marked him as permanently absent, he'd stopped taking classes about a week after Tim's actual death day. His funeral was the following week.

So with some extra digging Tim found that there was a grave for Nicholas Cage, in a whole other cemetery, and there was a grave for Timothy Jackson Drake. No one asked about Nicholas so it was perfect, they had their body that would be found by the police, with such similar features and maybe some help from Batman pulling string with Commissioner Gordon.

Perfect

Precise

Clean

Without Doubt

all their tracks covered, Timothy Jackson Drake was dead, as was Nicholas Cage, they'd both had funerals, they'd "shared" the same fate. Tim's death was made public, open book for reporters like Vicki Vale, without a question, no one could question a closed casket, no one would ask to see the body, quick blurry pictures from the crime scene you could see a dead black haired boy laying on his side, motionless, with blood pooling around his head.

Tim was dead in the public eye, and honestly, perhaps Tim was a little honored for the amount of detail and thought put into his death, But he wouldn't lie, he wished that his death did not have to overlap with someone else's he wishes that no one else had to die, that the teen could've been saved, that someone had asked about the teen. 

But that was life, and more importantly that was Gotham.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pru tossed Tim's phone back to him hitting him square in the gut as he closed his laptop as she plopped down on the other couch with a sigh.

"We compromised and got Chinese" Hudson's statement only caused Tim to raise and eyebrow. 

"And how would that be a compromise on Italian and Pizza and Calzones?" Tim questioned, looking over the food order on his phone, only Pru and Hudson would manage to spend $138.90 on Chinese.

"The girl" Pru sat up eyeing Tim "Whom you are yet to introduce us to, and I am insulted why you'd think I shouldn't be introduced, I understand why you wouldn't introduce the bumbling buffoon" Pru gestured to Hudson.

"Hey!-" Pru cut Hudson off.

"As I was saying, the girl had a fortune cookie in her jacket pocket so I thought, we might as well get something for the kid to enjoy"

If Tim was in any other situation and had any other person said this then Tim would believe that, and take it as a sweet gesture for his niece. But that was if. And Tim was no fool, there was no chance Pru had done this out of the goodness of her heart, if she had one, a heart, or some goodness.

"Oh yeah? What did Hudson say that made you think Chinese?"

"Why's it gotta be my fault?" Hudson whined, and Pru and Tim shot him a look, which stopped his pitiful display as he grabbed the remote muttering about the cruelty of the world, as he turned on a show.

"Vegetables Tim, vegetable pizza, he threatened-" 

"suggested" Hudson corrected with a sigh

"Threatened  to put plants on my pizza since he wanted calzone, I will not allow him to fuck pizza up" Pru shot Hudson a glare that clearly stated if they were in uniform and she had her guns she would've tried to shoot the boy of steel,

again

for the 2nd time this week.

"Now that's the actual explanation, and if it so happens to be beneficial for Lian then that's only an upside." Tim relaxed.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They woke Lian up when the food arrived almost an hour later, which almost caused Hudson to punch the delivery guy, do not get between Hudson and his food, Tim was questioning if he was actually a speedster AND a kryptonian .  

Lian seemed happy with the food choice, so they sat down and ate their food peacefully with Hudson making comments about the show Brooklyn 99  and Pru cracking jokes at his expense which got laughs out of Tim and Lian.

They sat together and sharing the food, passing dumplings and fried rice boxes left and right. Sharing the insane amount of dishes they had everything sweet and sour pork, kung pao chicken, ma po tofu, wontons, dumplings, chow mein, Peking roasted duck, spring rolls, moo shu pork, and hot pot  With Hudson occasionally using TTK to grab food from Pru's plate (yep definitely Kon's clone) 

And right there and then Tim could see Lian joining the Ghosts when she used a pair of chopsticks to grab a spring roll out of the air which earned a gasp from Hudson and a snicker from Pru, and a small, proud smile from Tim.

His niece was part of the Ghosts, and he could see that she needed no introduction. 

Chapter Text

(Owen's POV)

I'm Owen Allen, I can run really fast, which I've found out is not something every person can normally and naturally do, so that's something. As far as I know, there is no one else in the world like me, maybe even the universe, so yeah I'm kinda sorta special! I'm from the future, and well as nicely as I can put it, the future was shit, so I used my speed and phased my self back into the past, I'm not exactly sure how far back I went, but this place is very much a lot better then my future, so I'm staying. Let's get down to how I look, I, am, gorgeous, btw. And like, I'm for the gals and the pals, I'm very much swinging back and forth, any girl or guy would love to have me! So lets get into it, I'm currently 16, I have fluffy brown/red hair, I can never tell. I keep it pretty short-ish, I think, but like, I think It's longer then most guys would? That's what Mora says. I have nice pale brown eyes, they're just a few shades darker then my skin, I have decently tan skin. Fairly lean, I would say I'm definitely not one of the most built people you'll meet. But I would say I'm decently tall because i stand at 5”5. I dress casually, band tees, baggy jeans and sweatpants, occasional cargo pants or sometimes shorts.

So yeah that's me, i'mtotallycoolandawesomeandlikesohandsomeandeveryhtingandlikenojudjingifyouaren'tlikemetheycan'tallbewinners(i'm totally cool and awesome and like so handsome and everything and like no judging if you aren't like me they can't all be winners)

And as for Mora, who i mentioned earlier, like if you think I'm cool you should meet her!

She's hot, I know that much, just not my type, and also like, she is strictly into girls, so we both agree we are the perfect platonic pals!

And get this, Mora's dad? IS HADES! The actual flipping God of The Underworld! which is sooooo cool for her, so let me, definitely not biased at all, introduce her. 

Mora is 15 1/2, she insists on saying she is only 1/2 a year younger then me, and whatever. Anyways! She has braided hair which she keeps in a short bob and is always down, it never quite reaches her shoulders. Her braids are really cool, she has Mini Cornrow Box Braids. She normally keeps it down like I said earlier, and she lets me help her choose out hairclips and stuff to put in her hair, so duh she is really nice. Her eyes, she has heterochromia, i think it's called that, her left eye is the most vibrant leafy green  you will ever see, but it isn't neon so it doesn't look ugly at all but like it looks soo cool, with specks of brown. Her right eye is a deep blue, I swear when she glares at me, It's like so terrifying, like sometimes I wonder if she ahs a stronger stare then she is a fighter, but then she beats me in a practice fight and I know I'm wrong again.  She prefers very athletic wear, often wearing a baggy jacket over whatever she has on, shorts, leggings, crop top, tank top, doesn’t matter she has a jacket on too. Her jacket is a really cool one it's a jock jacket that is white with blue stripes going down from her shoulders to her wrists. And she has a big red star on the back of the jacket. So overall the coolest style ever, and probably a cooler person then me actually.

Also get this! She has powers, she doesn't have super speed, but I would argue she has better powers then that, don't tell her I said that. Anyways she has as of right now her abilities from her dad are flight and geokinesis (manipulation of earth), she is unsure if she will unlock more. Of course she has enhanced strength as well, because no one is that strong, and I can tell. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anyways, we were spending any other day on our island when a group of four people showed up to the island? Mora and I were just walking around the island and we were sitting on the beach, well Mora was, I was in the water fighting for my life against the waves, I kind sorta bumped into a piece of kelp and thought it was a snake and started screaming underwater and kinda almost drowned but that's fine cuz I'm fine. 

Anyways we were chilling when we heard the sounds of other voices on our island, and it's a remote island so that set us on alert mode immediately. I got out of the water a speed dried myself, and Mora stood up and we turned to the tress behind us, a.k.a. where the voices were coming from when four people popped out.

There were 2 girls and 2 guys, one of the guys was flying or hovering just above the ground, and then the other one wasn't, he was standing there with his hood and mask up.

Then the two girls were both standing normally, one of them had a gun out and the other one had arrows on her back and a bow in her right hand, so these two seemed like immediate threats. 

The guy that was flying looked pretty normal,

Curly-ish black hair and he was pretty tan i guess

He had normal hazel eyes and was pretty beefy, he was also pretty tall though that may be just because he was floating

which I think changes the whole being a normal guy thing

He had on a a tight mainly black uniform, he had some blue and muted yellow accents here and there, and he had on a black bomber jacket (like Hal's) and the jacket had a lot of patches on it, he also had on sneakers? Oh and he had a "G" on his chest. 

So pretty normal-ish minus the flying kinda guy.

The girl with the gun, well she seemed a little more dangerous to say the least,

she was, bald? So i guess, choices choices

She had blue or green yes I could not tell, she didn't really seem tan like the others

It looked like she had a second gun holstered away

she didn't really seemed dressed for a fight though, she was just wearing somewhat baggy jeans with a deep purple tank top and a leather jacket with spikes on to

She looked like a prominent threat

The girl with the bow and arrows also seemed threating

she had dark brown hair that was up in a messy bun

and brown eyes and eh, kinda tan skin? 

she didn't actually have an arrow drawn out yet but still she had a visible weapon, long range

She had a suit, it was a cropped dress in deep red, it cut off halfway on her thighs it had gold and yellow accents on the trim, with a V-neck. Underneath the dress she had black tights that went all the way down to her ankle boots, and a black undershirt, so full coverage. The only skin showing was her face, she had a hood with the same color scheme as her dress hanging down and not up. The only other skin was her arms since she had likes arm windows that showed off (like idk what they call this part of the arm but basically from shoulders to elbows there is a window in her sleeves.) she also had some colorful sashes/belts around her waist.

A decent threat

Then the guy with no weapons drawn and was not floating, the normal one

And then finally, the prettiest, most handsome guy Owen had ever seen, 

he had piercing blue eyes, and well, his glare definitely was better then Mora's

He had messy black hair that he had up in a half bun? but he still had a messy haircut it was almost like he didn't have any tied up at all.

he wasn't very tan, but tanner then the girl with the gun

he was in a prepped stance, and it looked like he was analyzing us

His suit consisted of red and black majorly, he had a hood, but it was down, the guy also had a face mask that would go up to cover half of his face but it was down, letting Owen see the big scar from the bottom of his cheek to just below his eye.

a threat, to Owen's heart rate

Mora looked like she was lost looking at the girl with the bow and arrow, and sure, she was beautiful, and definitely  Mora's type, but she was nothing like the guy with the blue, blue eyes.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

(Tim Pov)

We'd decided to scout out some answers, and we picked up an some anomalies on the abandoned Island of Wikiwiki  (fast in Hawaiian)  a small island just off the coast near Hawaii. We'd decided to fly there, a helicopter trip, nice and quick, just figure out what was going on. Because an abandoned island is the perfect place for someone to cook up a vile plan or something, and quite frankly I wasn't up for something like that, so cut it off at the root. Why else would there be insane bursts of speeds, that not even any of the speedsters could accomplish?

We'd landed about 20 minutes ago, me and Lian went in masks and hoods down, Pru and Hudson didn't even bother to have those in the first place anyways. We'd agreed whatever was on this island may not even be a threat, and once we did find someone, or something, we'd pull up our hoods.

We were walking around, well Hudson was hovering behind us but same difference I guess. We couldn't find anyone yet, or anything, just birds, and small animals and lizards skittering around the island, we decided to search the beach before we went back to base. 

Well, we made it the island's beach, and we found someone(s). A girl and a guy, the girl, well honestly the best way to describe her is literally a female version of Duke Thomas. Like literally, she was just like Duke, she spotted us and was in a fight stance, an untrained one, it didn't look she was the type to fight. But that contradicted with her build, she had muscle, so how is it she isn't trained to fight, but has the build of a fighter, like Cassie, and oh shit......... was she an Amazon? She could be, she had the build for one, and she was on a secluded island, but how come she had no training? 

The guy, he reminded me of Bart,  he had spunky, bouncy, and fluffy brown/red hair, and in general he had a similar appearance to Bart. The other thing that reminded me of Bart? His speed, a moment ago he was in the ocean, at least a good 30 feet away from the shore, and a matter of a literal millisecond he was completely dry and standing next to the girl. 

He was fast, extremely fast, faster then any other speedster before.

Of course, I don't think we want two metas against us, sure we could take them probably they didn't seem trained to fight. But, if there was a chance to recruit them, then I am taking that possibility. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________

"Who are you four?" The guy asked

And Pru beats me to respond "Who are you 2?" Pru clearly doesn't see them as a threat either because her gun is still lowered and she hasn't taken her second one out yet. 

The girl responds "I'm Mora Mills, this is Owen Allen" which frankly surprised me, they definitely were untrained, to just give away information. 

The guy, Owen, glared at her, elbowing her in the side.

Mora shot him a look and rolled her eyes before turning back to us, "How did you get here, and, why?"

Before Pru can antagonize them I respond "We didn't come here to harm anyone, we can tell you why we are here, but maybe we could sit?"

Owen and Mora seem to think it over before nodding.

I gesture for the team to follow me and we sit, it's a circle, and if we weren't all on high alert of each other you'd think we were a group of teens just sitting around on a beach relaxing. But we aren't, we're explaining why we are here to two people who are, rightfully, suspicious of us.

I start to talk

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________--

(Mora Pov)

So, the intruders here, they are apparently a team of fighters, called The Ghosts. 4 current members,

Tim Jackson - who seems to be their leader, and goes by Cardinal, so they have secret identities when they fight. I like his personality though, he was tense at first, but he definitely  knew how to lead a situation to a better outcome, to one he liked, like a natural leader.

Prudence Woods - she seems to be the right hand (wo)man to Tim. She goes by Pru in the field, and is a trained assassin, which she has repeatedly made clear to us. She seems pretty protective of the team.

Hudson Hunter - apparently some alien/human/person known as a krptonian. which basically he has a lot of abilities, he seems to be a little laid back.

and Lian Harper - a.k.a. the prettiest girl I've ever met, she seems fierce, and knows exactly what she is fighting for, she also is apparently Tim's niece? Though the two don't seem to be more then a few years apart. 

Tim tells us that I am a type of meta-human called an Amazon, which means a lot for me, he tells me that I probably have super strength, and maybe other abilities, which I tell him I can fly, and have geokinesis (which he apparently actually knows what that is?)

He tells Owen that he is a speedster (apparently he is not the only one) 

They tell us about themselves and their team, and while I know I should be listening, I just keep looking at Lain, I'm in love with this girl, that much I know. She is gorgoues, and from the way Owen is acting and just nodding his head with everything Tim says, I think Owen's in love with this Tim guy.....

So one thing leads to another, and half mindedly we agree to join their team, and we join The Ghosts, and

Fuck, we just joined a team, and now we are leaving the island, and all I can think about is the bright smile Lian gave me when we agreed to join the team,

Shit, I wanna marry this girl

I. Am. Screwed.

Chapter Text

(Jay's POV)

I'm Jay Briggs,  a 15 year old, who has a little brother and a little sister who are 14, Originally from Italy, we left, we moved to America to find our mom, after our parents got a divorce and our father died Jay took them to America, which is how I earned my ring.  We moved to Italy when our parents got a divorce with our dad, but our dad died 2 weeks ago, so I knew I had to take our family some place better, to America where we wouldn't be alone and we would have our mom. 

I have always loved heroes, I loved what they could do, but I specifically loved the Bats, Batman, Nightwing,  Red Hood, Spoiler, Orphan, Signal, Robin, Huntress, Bat Woman, but especially Red Robin. They were just normal people who decided to step up to save others, and I guess that gave me hope I could fix things to. I'd say I am pretty smart, and creative, and I would make a great Bat Family member, but I have a family.

So imagine my surprise, when we touched down at the docks of Florida, that a little green zap came, and stopped in front of me, and was a god damn, Green Lantern Ring! For me! For me!, Which is honestly insane! 

But I didn't celebrate yet, instead, i took my siblings to our moms place, and I told her, that I wouldn't be able to stay, that I had an early scholarship, and my mom was proud and happy for me, she hugged me and told me to be safe, that when I was done I, as her first son, her first joy, always had a place in her home no matter what. It reminded me of the conversation I had with my parents before they got divorced, when i came out to them as Asexual, I don't know why I was worried, my parents are queer, my mom is pan, and my dad is bi. So i really shouldn't have been worried, but I was, but having my mom do that for me was good, comforting.

So it did hurt that I was lying to my mom, she hadn't seen me in 4 months, and I was off telling her I couldn't stay. But she let me, she told me to call when i could, visit soon, and to never forget my place in her heart, our family, and her home. My little brother Leon and little sister Layla hugged me and made me pinky promise to stay smart.

So i left, with my ring in hand, and I made the choice, I had to seek someone out, or someones.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back in Italy I saw a team, a group, they called themselves The Ghosts, it was made of 7 people

Cardinal, an overall master fighter, and their leader

Pru, a former assassin, and was the right hand wo-man

Robin Hood, a sharpshooter and master with her bow and arrow

Nova, a krptonian

Inertia, a speedster, the fastest one yet

Pluto, an amazon, with flight, super strength, and geokinesis, which probably meant that like Wonder Girl, she was a demigod, and the daughter of Hades because of her abilities. 

and soon, Me, a Green Lantern.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I sought out information on them and I searched high and low to figure out things about them, a stalker if you will. They were currently stationed in New York and the Ghosts Garrison, their current secret home base, which I found be following Robin Hood.

I figured that with Cardinal's fighting style he must be heavily trained, he had a mix, his fighting style reminded me of Red Robin, and that's when it clicked.

The Name

The fighting styles

The people themselves

I knew right then and there who Cardinal was. 

You see 7 months ago Timothy Jackson Drake died, it was all over the news, and, 7 months ago, Red Robin stopped showing up, and when you think about it, the two shared a similar build and look, which meant they had to be the same person right? Then Cardinal, he also had a similar build to them and a similar look, and here is the thing, he had the same piercing gaze as Tim Drake, and honestly I may be running in circles but I truly think so.

So i decided to take a leap of faith, I went to the Ghosts Garrison, because I needed to do this, needed to confirm it for myself.

So that's how I am here now, at 10;48 pm, pitch black at night, standing out side their HQ, and preparing to knock..

Thats when i do it

"Knock, Knock, Knock"

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ghosts POV

"finally!" Pru sighed on the couch, "the damn food's finally here"

Mora and Lian snickered, from where they were cuddled up on the other couch, the two had realized their feelings about  a month ago. Well actually Mora slipped up when she was talking, and turned red when she realized what she'd said, but Lian had laughed, which originally put Mora off, but then Lian said she was more then happy to try "more then friends" which had Mora been a speedster she may have phased through the ground in excitement. 

So the two were a thing, and a very healthy one at that, Mora absolutely adored her girlfriend and Lian loved all the things Mora would do.

Tim sighed and got up "ill get it, lazies" Tim muttered that last part glaring at Owen and Hudson, who feigned innocence.

Tim walked to the door, waited a moment, to ensure the Driver had ample time to go away,, before he opened the door.

Where he met a pair of blue-ish green eyes staring back at him in amazement, then the kid said "holy shit im right"

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While the kid kept rambling and rambling Tim picked up just a few things

This kid was Jay Briggs

he was 15

he apparently has a Green Lantern Ring

he knew who Tim was

he'd connected the dots

But the only thing  Tim was thinking was

is this how Dick felt?

because well damn, if this really was then, yeah that is kind of a surprise isn't it? Having a kid suddenly show up, tell you how he figured out who you are, and now declaring he would be joining your team. Shit, this really had to be how Dick felt, because this is exactly what happened with them.

"what's taking sooooo looong" Owen whined as he suddenly materialized  next to Tim

"meet, Jay Briggs" Tim sighed out rubbing his temples, Jay came inside, pushing past the two of them, Tim closed the door, and Owen stared wide eyed.

The three boys walked into the living room, which earned a "what the hell" from Pru " an "uhmmmm" from Mora and Lian, and just silence from Hudson.

Jay started talking again "so your all the Ghosts?!" 

Which Tim only nodded to.

what was Tim starting his won god damn justice league? ??

he has the main components

• A Bat
• A Speedster
• A Super
• An Amazon
• An Arrow
• and now apparently a Green Lantern

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

20 minutes later, their food actually arrived, and thankfully because they were feeding 3 metas with huge metabolisms, they had more then enough for a seventh teen to join their meal.

By now Jay had finished his speech for the second time, and now they were eating, with How I Met your Mother playing softly in the background, apparently Owen was a sap.

Honestly Tim had accepted his fate,

After getting kinda kidnapped by Hudson, he'd gained the first member of his team

Then after calling up Pru, he gained the second member

Then after discovering his niece was infact alive, and Lian had apparently lived 8 years in 2, he gained the third member

Then they got a double package when they went to the island and got Owen and  Mora, they'd gotten the fourth and fifth the same day

And now, a kid had showed up at their doorstep giving Tim deja-vu of what he did to Dick, they'd gotten the sixth one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometime during their meal Pru elbowed Tim in the gut and when he turned to face her she told him

"Your worse then Batman kid" which honestly offended Tim  a little bit, because he hadn't adopted these kids. 

Right? He hadn't adopted them, they'd just kinda, joined their team, and sure they were sort of a found family, but Tim hadn't adopted them, right????

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So that is how The Ghosts cam to be

their leader Tim Jackson a.k.a. Cardinal, the leader, trained in multiple forms of fighting, and the one who started this all

Prudence Wood a.k.a. Pru Tim's right hand man, and a former assassin

Hudson Hunter, a.k.a. Nova, the krptonian and the super

Lian Harper a.k.a. Robin Hood, the sharp shooter and the arrow

Mora Mills a.k.a. Pluto the amazon

Owen Allen a.k.a. Inertia the speedster

and Jay Briggs a.k.a. Green Light, the Green Lantern

__________________________________________________________________________

i realize that this chapter is shorter and a bit more cut then the others but that's becuase I really wanted to get to their actual missions and their lives and get over the part of their Intros and how the team was started, this is also becuase I want to start another story so i pumped out 3 chapters in 2 days to just allow myslef to type up the start to that story so please be mindful and know that i am trying to get the stories out to you, so that's it for right now

-Your Overworked Writer

a.k.a. Core4yj98

Chapter Text

The first 2 years after Tim's death, felt like they passed immediately but all at once at the same time, felt drawn out and painful reminders.

The team The Ghosts emerged, and now it's been 3 years since Tim has died

__________________________________________________________________________

(Wayne Manor Kitchen)

Dick, Jason, Cass, Duke, Damian, and Steph were having breakfast in the kitchen, a simple mix of toast, jams, cheeses, and some eggs, ever since Tim's passing Bruce buried himself in his work. Alfred was also deeply effected, whenever it was Tim's Birthday, Tim's Adoption Day, Tim's First Day at Wayne Manor, or Tim's Death Day, Alfred was more depressive, everyone was. Bart, Cassie, Kon, and the other Teen Titans hadn't taken Tim's death well either, for a while it was chaotic

Hell, even the Rogues were affected, Eddie no longer had the kid who would not only entertain his riddles, but give him his own puzzles to solve. Selina had lost another child, another son, Tim was always welcome with the Strays. Harley, she and Tim, sometimes people said they had a very Mother & Son relationship, and now? Harley truly felt the loss of her son. Tim was always down with Ivy's environmental plans and schemes, helping her channel that energy and will power with his money and resources to make real, actual impacts. 

The people of Gotham lost Red Robin and Tim Drake in the same span of time, not that they knew the two were the same people....

________________________________________________________________

 (Bat Kids having breakfast) (3 years after Tim's death)

Dick was having a bowl of cereal, Jason and Cass were having jam and toast, Damian had some eggs, Duke and Steph were having waffles they'd heated up for themselves. It was silent, in the past someone would point out Tim's addiction to energy drinks and over working himself, teasing Damian by asking him if he was sure he was the blood son.

Now, they sat in relative silence, until Steph broke it, after taking another bite of her waffle and washing it down with some orange juice, she tried to start a conversation..

"so.... any of you hear about this new team?" Steph knew they had, how could they not? The team popped up officially roughly 2-3 years ago, and started being more main stream around a year ago, with their official nickname becoming "The New Justice League"

"Yeah.... a group of seven right?" Duke replied.

Steph nodded, hopefully this'll get the ball rolling, "Yeah, them"

"Arn't people calling them the New Justice League?" Jason pondered out loud..

"yeah, I heard Clark moping about that a while back" Dick said, a smile ghosting his face.

"......" 

"what is the composition of members?" Damian inquired, biting into his eggs.

"uhhh, there's a Green Lantern, a Kryptonian, a Speedster...." Steph listed off

"An Amazon too I think" Duke added

"Isn't there a girl with a bow an arrow, an archer?" Dick continued

"There's their leader too I think..." Jason spoke

"Fighter, well trained, well versed in battle" Cass said taking a bite of toast

"that is 6, the seventh?" Damian asked again

"uhhhhh.... wait wasn't it-" Dick cut Jason off

"That assassin lady, one of Tim's friends, she was there that night...." Dick's voice got quieter and quieter as he kept going.

"That night" Steph repeated

"yeah..." Jason confirmed 

Silence consumed the dinner table again, the past chewing away at the family again, the incomplete family. Guilt, grief, shame, pain, anger, sadness, hurt, and pain gnawing away at them.

"Thank you" Damian said, his eyes focused down at his plate.

"What was her name?" Cass asked, trying to keep her family from another moment of cruel silence

"Pru," Jason said "Prudence Woods I think?" 

That earned some nods of agreements.

~~~

Steph sighed and pushed her chair back a little, away from the table, and leaned back in her seat.

"They aren't exactly the definition of Heroes are they?"

"No, not quite" Dick shook his head

"they get the job done though" Jason added leaning back as he finished the last bit of toast, that earned him an incredulous look from Damian, Dick, and Duke.

"Hey come on, we all know I switched off to non-lethal a while ago!" Which to Jason's credit, got his brothers to sigh and look back at their plates.

"They do kill..." Duke said

"It's planned" Cass said, which, got all of the others to raise and eyebrow, or two. 

Cass sighed she looked at each of them for a moment before continuing "The deaths, the kills, they're planned"

That, clearly didn't help anyone if Duke asking "But how? Why? How can you tell?"

So Cass continued "They know, they can analyze the situation, the people they're killing are the ones that won't be replaced, to worthless to do so, they are killing key-players no one will dare replace. Odd ones out, they don't kill anyone too small or too big, they know what they're doing. It's planned, the kills are made with knowledge and understanding of what they're doing, and who they're doing it to."

That finally seemed to be answer enough for the others, some nodding, others humming in approval, and few verbally voicing their agreement.

~~~~~

(GHOSTS POV)

It's been 3 years since Tim has last been in Gotham, the time him and his team/friends/found family, have spent traveling the world. fighting and killing the enemies the faced, gaining information and status, a reputation is built, and they figured things out about themselves. They are close nit, they rely on each other, and can't imagine doing the whole "Anti-Hero" / "Vigilante" thing, without one another they are now.....

• 24 year old Prudence Woods, Pru on the field, the right hand man, and good aim a good fighter never misses mark if not on purpose
• 20 year old Tim Jackson, Cardinal on the field, the leader, overall master fighter and can and will kill when necessary 
• 20 year old Hudson Hunter, Nova on the field, the super, getting better at fighting by the day 
• 19 year old Owen Allen, Inertia on the field, the speedster, more of an evasive fighting style but he can give a mean punch or two
• 18 1/2 year old Mora Mills, Pluto on the field, the amazon, with Tim's help she can take hand to hand and use a blade
• 18 year old Lian Harper, Robin Hood on the field, the arrow, her skill rivals that of her father and even of the original Green Arrow 
• 18 year old Jay Briggs, Green Light on the field, the green lantern, damn his creations are creative as hell

Tonight's their first collective night in Gotham, their other leads and enemies have run cold and dry, bleed out of their usefulness, and it seems with the absence of Red Robin, Gotham certainly hasn't gotten better.

Their jet lands on the outskirts of Gotham, Tim  still has a few safehouses, the largest one is now Gotham Ghost HQ, with a few taps on his gauntlet the plane takes off to the garage. They're in civilian clothes, the others who've never been to Gotham wanted to explore the city, which is exactly what they'll do. After creating a whole back story for a fake uncle and acting like he's existed for years, it was almost to easy to make 7 new identities, using their now official names. 

They're currently exploring 5th Avenue street near the Doll District, fairly calm, fairly clean, Owen is blabbing on and on about all the things he's seeing, Mora and Lian walking close together arms intertwined, Prudence following Owen to make sure he doesn't walk into traffic, Jay and Hudson arguing about what they should get to eat, and Tim catching up on the Gotham news on his phone.

Jay and Hudson should've been watching where they were walking, maybe then the two wouldn't have hit face first into Jason Todd and Dick Grayson.

"You're an idiot Jay, Indian food is divine" Hudson retorted

"Which I would agree with, if Mediterranean food wasn't a thing and- oof!" Jay hit face first into the back of a leather jacket, moments later Hudson hit into the back of a blue hoodie.

Tim sighed and stuffed his phone into his pocket, and walked over to the two as the rest of the group kept walking, he knelt down to help Jay up.

"You two are both blind fools, Jesus-" Tim grumbled grabbing Jay's hand.

The two men turned around,

"Are you alright?" and fuck, Tim knew his eldest brothers voice from any where. 

As Tim helped Jay stand, and Hudson and Jay apologized, Tim looked and saw that in fact, Nightwing and Red Hood, out of suit were standing right Infront of them.  

"Yeah sorry bout them, they lose braincells talking to each other" Tim said, smile on, fuax stranger-ness in his voice, He did not want to suddenly appear in his families lives again.

"Hey-" Jay was cut off by Hudson whacking him upside the head.

"No problem, we get it" Dick smiled, Jason muttered "You're buying me another coffee Dickie" Jason was looking at Dick, empty coffee cup in hand. After his brothers quick exchange they both turned to face Tim. 

And for one god damn minute, they froze, eyes wide, Dick's jaw slightly slack, as their eyes met Tim's icy blue ones.

"I, uh" Jason stuttered, and Tim unwilling to suddenly appear in their lives finished for him, "Here," Tim gave Jason a ten dollar bill, "For the coffee, sorry bout the two idiots" Tim said it with a smile, he hoped he could throw them off, he was the kid who could lie to both batmans. The one who'd hidden so much from them.

Dick and Jason nodded, their eyes still taking Tim in. "Come on Tim, lets get back to the others'' Hudson tugged Tim's arm.

That snapped Dick out of his trance, he slightly shook his head, Tim felt pretty good about lying to their faces. He looked the same sure, but he felt that his eyes had gotten darker and more icy as he'd aged, and the prominent scar up his cheek wasn't easy to hide of course, not that he was, it helped with his new identity. 

With a practiced smile and a wave he dragged Jay and Hudson away. They sped walked and caught up to the others, then Tim slapped both of the boys up the head, and they continued their walk.

___________________________________________________________

(Jason and Dick's POV)

"Holy shit" Jason sighed, "That kid looked so much like...."

"Timmy...." Dick finished.

"And the same damn name to!" Jason exclaimed, watching the blobs of the three boys disappear into the crowds as they kept walking farther and farther. Jason stared down at the 10 dollar bill in his hand.

"Don't get your hopes up little wing..." Dick sighed, the hurt prominent in his voice.

You see, when it's only been to late does one realize their mistakes. When it's only to late, to long has passed, like Dick realizing he'd never really apologized to his little brother, for, everything, everything that  led baby bird to becoming Red Robin, everything left un said, un told, un heard. Dick's regret and mistakes, and mis deeds only hit him that night his best friend came back empty handed and solemn. Dick would never wish anyone death or pain, he could never, but it hurt a thousand times over that Wally had his little cousin still, that Wally's little cousin was fine, Bart had gotten away with a twisted or fractured ankle, Dick couldn't care to remember. Bart spent some time healing and was fine after it, completely alive. Tim had lost his life, had died, forever 17, his baby brother.

"Come on Dick, lets go" Jason tugged Dick's shoulder and they walked back to their car to head back to the manor, they had an infilration tonight. 

Jason, Dick, Cass, and Steph were going to infiltrate a popular bar. Run by some lower crime bosses connected to Black Mask, it was popular, it had an age cap 17-29, yes it served alcohol, and yes they didn't quiet care about how young you were, not to much. They were hoping to get some info, in and out, not to engage.

___________________________________________

(GHOSTS POV)'

it was now 6:18, Tim, Owen, Mora, and Lian were getting red to slip into a popular bar and club Chesiree Cat, run by some lower men to Black Mask, apparently a good drug smuggling, with alcohol, being served to kids as young as 17. Tim's net had been pretty helpful, threating people on the streets also helped get enough, but lets not dwell on that. It was sophisticated, and only the rich got in, you either had your name on the list because of your money, or you payed to well at the entrance ti get in. Suit and Dress only, you have to dress to nines.

 Mora and Lian of course, being an actual couple had no problem being a couple at the bar, they were going to be able to have no one flirt with them if they were clearly together.

Tim and Owen were sticking close, and if needed, to get info or a distraction, they would act as a couple. But they wouldn't state anything, Tim and Pru had thoroughly drilled it into the younger 3 that they were to not get any alcohol, virgin drinks only. Owen had acted so depressed with the idea, but not nearly as disappointed as Hunter, who was stuck with Pru and Jay at the base, they'd engage if called on. They had small coms hidden from the public eye.

Lian had chosen a nice long crimson dress with a glitter finish to it, some gold accents on the straps, the straps themselves were two chunky gold chains draped on Lian's shoulders, it had a spilt up to just above her right knee. She had a small gun holstered on her right leg, Tim wasn't sending them in without any protection, it was mother fucking Gotham. She decided to leave her hair sleek and done, her black hair straightened and picture perfect. 

Mora opted for a twin dress to Lian, hers was an arctic blue, and the chains were silver instead, and she had the slit on the left leg, and two small daggers strapped to her left leg. Mora had decided to pull her braids back with an elegant silver claw kip and leave a braid or two done as bangs.

Owen had on a black suit and purple tie, a very normal out fit for the bar, Owen didn't need any weapons "i have super speed, i dont need one"

Tim had on black suit pants and a white under shirt with a black suit vest and dark blue tie. Tim hid a small knife in a pocket. Tim tied up half of his hair in a messy bun like he normally did, even with half of it up you couldn't tell the rest of his hair still messy and falling around his features. 

As Tim finished up his tie to head off Pru knocked on the door frame and then leaned in the door frame, "Well, show time Kid, ya ready?"

Tim smiled and nodded "Ready as I'll ever be Pru"

________________________________________----

(At The Club)

Tim had payed almost $2,000 dollars at the door, which wasn't all that bad, that was close to their weekly groceries with 3 metas to feed, plus 4 normal people.

Mora and Lian had head off to the section people claimed was the queer bar to dig for info, Owen was wandering about but staying close to the area Tim was in, and speaking of Tim, he was sitting at the bar. Sure he wasn't quite 21 yet, but someone needed to be at the bar, and he couldn't sit there and NOT drink, eyebrows would raise.

It'd been around an hour and a half with still no action, which was fine sure, their comms told them there was no problem.

~~

Jason and Dick were sticking close to the bar the club lights and music drowning out any quiet, both him and Dick were in black suits, Jason had a red undershirt and Dick had a blue one.

The girls were sporting 2 long dresses, Steph had purple matt dress with hip windows and long gold chains hanging around her waist, she had tied her hair up in a bun and was close to the dance floor. Cass opted for a black sleek dress with a large slit and she had a white coat to tie it together, leaving her short black hair down, she was near the stage that had live music.

Jason ran his finger around the rim of the wine cup, he'd been nursing the same glass since they'd gotten here.

"Dick face, see anything?" he sighed

"sorry Jay, nothing yet, you?", Jason shook his head. and sighed.

~~~~~~

Steph went and took a seat at the bar, she sat down next to some guy with his hair half up and half down, the up being a messy bun, and the down? Just a messy amount of hair, it looked good though, the guy was sorta her type, he was in black and white, with a black vest and black suit pants over his white under shirt. He had a cup of wine, still half empty, which he'd ordered around 40 minutes ago. Steph decided to start some conversation.

"Hello, waiting on some one?" Steph started off,

The guy turned to her, and the second those blue eyes locked onto her eyes, she was frozen,

such blue blue eyes, cold and hardened, a scar running up his cheek, a stark contrast to his semi-tanned skin. Black hair framed his face, he looked so much like.... Tim, her ex, and, one of her closest friends.

"Oh, hey, no, not quite." The voice was so much like his to, the same tone Tim had when he was talking to someone he didn't quite know, and was unsure if he wanted or needed to know more about that person. 

Realisng there was a silence Steph cleared her throat and continued "I'm Steph, Stephanie" she added on a smile a second to late, her brain was scattered don't get your hopes up it warned.

"Tim, just Tim" The smile was good, not quite real, a bit practiced, but so was everyone's here, either rich snobs, or rich snobs looking for an escape. 

Steph nodded and swallowed down the words on the tip of her tongue, Tim? as in Tim Drake? Platonic Soulmates? Remember? Were you laz pitted? How long have you been back? Did you stay away? Are you just now coming back? instead she orders raising her hand and waving the bar keep over, "One of whatever he got" she gestures to Tim, not Tim Drake, no, just Tim, maybe she could learn more about just Tim. 

"I got whiskey, you may not like it" Tim stated, a small smile on his face, gentle.

"I can handle my liquor, just Tim" Steph retorts, deep breaths, it's alright, it's not Tim, just, just do the job, enjoy the job, your here on business, not to hallucinate some guy as one of the closest people to you.

Tim smiles and rolls his eyes, "am I just Tim for the rest of the night?"

The barkeep walked off to get her the drink "maybe just Tim, or maybe you'll be Tim" she smiled, playful, open.

The barkeep came back and they chatted, tid bits of info here and there. The night continued on, it wasn't Tim , it couldn't be, Timothy Jackson Drake had died beneath the rubble of a warehouse and left a gaping hole in peoples lives.

~~~

(Tims POV maybe?)

Owen came back and sat down next to Tim, a good thing, Stephanie Brown a.k.a. Spoiler was sitting next to him, and he didn't want her knowing.

"Hey Tim" Owen grinned, pulling Tim away from the conversation, thank god, Steph raised a brow waiting to be introduced.

"Stephanie, this is Owen, Owen, Steph" Tim smiled leaning back on the counter back pressed against it and elbows on it so Owen and Steph could see each other eye to eye.

"Hi," Owen smiled shaking Steph's hand.

Steph nodded "Hey"

They chat for a while, things about this and that, then, because as a speedster, Owen can't stay still, and when the songs switch up again, Tim finds himself being tugged along Steph following in tow. The dance floor is messy people bumping into each other and moving about, the club was weird, it had a dresscode, but when you got in it was like a lot of other clubs, just, on the higher end. People danced, or swayed, or hummed along to the tune, Owen, Tim, and Steph were in the middle of the dance floor. People bumping into each other and muttering apologies, couples dancing, friends laughing.

Club lights flash, blue, red, cyan, purple, yellow, flash, yellow, flash, white, pink, it was every color you could and couldn't imagine. Bright and dizzying, peoples voices overlap. And Tim starts to remember the majesty of Gotham, how no one can stay away forever, certainly not Tim.

After a while the three go back to sit down at the bar.....

Comm link,

Pru ; RH (Lian) and P (Mora)  got some info, they are preparing to leave, no assistance required, Inertia and Cardinal you two get your asses out of there. 

RH ; Me and P are making it out through the back exit, we assume a car/get away will be ready?

Pru ; affirmative

RH ; amazing

After hearing the comm Tim says with a sigh "Well, it's been a hell of a night, right?" Tim smiles.

Steph nods grinning "Sure has Tim"

After some pleasantries Tim and Owen manage to find their way out, heading off through the back exit. 

~~~~

While walking through the flashing halls, music blaring, and voice blurring, the drinks finally hitting Tim, he could've sworn, on everything he owned. That the girl he bumped into was non other then Cassandra Cain, but no no, plenty of women had black hair brown eyes, and a killer stare down. Yeah.....plenty.

~~~~~~~

(In the car)

Pru had come to pick them up, Tim sat passenger, Owen, Lian, and Mora in the backseat.

With a sigh Tim undid his tie "So what did you find?"

"Plenty, uncle T" Lian replied, "We'll go over it in briefing tomorrow, it's been a long ass day"

With that the conversation was over and Tim accepted that. It had been a long day, he was tired, and in his first day back  Tim had interacted with 3, or 4???? Of his family members, and that was 4 too many.

Because, Timothy Jackson Drake was dead, he'd died for the better. Red Robin was dead and burried, again, for the better. 

Tim Jackson was the one with the living beating, red heart. Cardinal was the one still kicking.

Chapter Text

(Bat Fam POV - Cass's Phone)

Group Chat - Operation ; Chesiree Cat

Nightwing's Butt Cheek ; got like noooooooo info, + lights and music were killing me

Spoiler Alert ; and they call me dramatic

Dead boy ; realllll funny dickie "killing me", yeah tell me about it

Nightwing's Butt Cheek ; ......

head back to manor? ; C

I had an, interesting interaction....would like to review ; C

Nightwing's Butt Cheek ; course Cass! :)

Dead Boy ; already omw

Spoiler Alert ; abandonerrrrrrrr

Dead Boy ; cram it steph

Spoiler Alert ; 🖕

eta 7 minutes ; C

debrief in cave? ; C

Spoiler Alert ; eta 8 mins

Spoiler Alert ; and sure! 🌃🏍

Dead Boy ; eta 2 minutes, and 100%

Nightwing's Butt Cheek ; yep! eta 4 min

~~~~~

Cass hid a small smile to herself as she pulled into the hidden passage for the cave, she noticed that she'd smiled, be it 3 minutes, 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years, or 3 decades, since she'd found out about Tim's death, she was hurt by her baby brother's death. It hurt, a lot, right where her heart was, she knew why of course. But it didn't make it any less hurtful.

sit on roof and talk? Cass had signed to Tim that fateful Friday afternoon.

Tim had smiled at her while he put on his domino, nodding before signing steph and duke too? 

Cass had returned the smile, and not that she'd freely admit it now, but her heart had swelled. After Tim had brought Bruce back it had been rough, and only a whole 2 months after did Tim start going to the manor and the cave again. They'd developed their tradition of sitting on the roof long before the Time Stream, and a while before Duke had joined the family too. But when the bright boy had joined their family, Tim, Steph and her immediately added him to their group. Cass considered herself observant, and she considered Tim observant as well, it was no surprise when they'd both noticed a split.

There were 2 groups in their family,

Dick, Jason, Babs, and Damian - group 1

and

Tim, Steph, Cass, and Duke - group 2

Cass, while she did love her family wholly, would not lie and say she wished she was part of the first group, the "orginals" in a way. 

Damian - the blood son

Babs - the first batgirl

Jason - the first robin to die

Dick - the first robin, and the first to spread his wings and leave the nest.

Cass much preferred her group, with her 2 little brothers and Stephanie. They were a much better group in her opinion, much more close knit and trusting, much more..... familial?  They trusted each other, they'd been through thick and thin, and they would do it all over again! If.... if only they could..... if only they could be the group of 4 again...... never the mind....

Cass sighed as she pulled into the cave, Jason was already inside and as was Dick, they were discussing the information they'd retrieved, Steph was pulling in as well, Bruce didn't spend as many late nights down in the cave hunched over. Why? There was no case to solve.

Even in his own death, Timothy Jackson Drake had connected all the dots, he'd figured out his own death before it'd happened. He knew the who's. The possible why's. The how's. Hell, the boy may have very much predicted his own death. Leaving nothing for Bruce to mull over, assassins, to their credit, were hard to catch. Many were dead in the warehouse along with her little brother, Ras Al Ghul being one of them.

It seems there was no chance for vengeance, not for anyone, as their perpetrator had been buried in rubble and ash in the fire and explosion. 

~~~

Dick had thrown on a Gotham Knights sweatshirt, one of Tim's he loved oversized hoodies, and had shed his formal suit leaving him in just the hoodie and a pair of bright blue Superman boxers.

Jason was in grey sweat pants and a band shirt, one that eerily displayed one of Tim's favorite bands, they'd been doing better, Tim didn't hold the Titan's Tower incident over Jason's head, but Jason still thought so, which made him hesitant to interact with his little brother. Some things are just figured out to late, huh?

Steph was now changed into Tim's purple hoodie he'd give her on the nights they spent on the roof, and Green Arrow pajama pants.

and Cass?

Cass was decked out in Tim's closet, some clothes she'd taken even before Tim had died, they swapped clothes often, it just worked like that.

She was wearing one of Tim's favorite dad joke shirts from before he'd died. 

A grey hoodie wrapped around her waist one she'd taken from his closet after hearing her baby brother was dead. One she'd cried to herself to sleep wearing for weeks after.

Baggy pajama shorts that fell just before her knees, they were special printed, with Superboy's logo, Impulse's logo, Wonder Girl's logo, and even some Red Robin logos printed all over on the white shorts. a gag gift Stephanie had gotten Tim for his birthday last year, oh..... Tim's birthday was in 17 days, 17..... Tim was forever 17..... this would've been his 21 birthday, he'd died before his birthday...... before he was ever an adult..... He had died, had he lived, him, Cass, Duke and Steph would go to a cafe and they would drink, not Duke though he still had 3 years..... yeah.... if....

If any of the other's realized Cass was fully in Tim's closet, non of them said a thing.

~~~~

(Now sitting in the kitchen)

Cass was sitting on the counter with a dish of cookies in her lap, Steph was sitting at one of the counter seats sneaking cookies from Cass's plate.

Dick was at the dining table running his index finger over the rim of a coffee mug 

Jason was at the stove making himself a late night omelet, it was 12:09, so more of a early morning omelet.

"so no one snag much from club?" Steph asked shoving another bite of cookie in her mouth right after.

"Nope" Jason said popping the 'p'....he looked over his shoulder at Dick and sighed "Me and dickface had an interesting interaction this morning..."

That got Dick's attention who was zoned out staring at his own finger running the rim of the mug, he sat up, cocked an eyebrow, before realization slammed into him. 

Cass and Steph noticing both actions asked in unison, "What?"

Dick sighed "we just saw some kid"

"not just some kid dickface" Jason replied.

"Oh come on spill!" Steph whined, pouting with cookie halfway to her mouth, chocolate staining her bottom lip.

With a groan Dick continued "We were bumped into by a group of kids, and, well one of them....."

"One of them was Tim" Jason finished, and when he noticed the aghast expressions of his family he finished "or at least  some kid who looked damn close to him, the only difference was...."

"the eyes," Dick said plopping his head back down on his elbow laying eye level with the mug "The eyes were brighter, brighter then Tim have, or were, in a while. And"

"He had a scar, running up his left cheek to just below his left eye, " Jason finished.

That didn't change Steph and Cass's expressions, 

"wait wait wait wait! I saw him at the club too! At least I'm pretty sure there aren't a lot of Gothamites who have that specific of a scar." Steph exclaimed. That got Dick to not only fully sit up but also walk over to Steph and Cass eyes wide. It got Jason to drop the spatula, turn down the heat, move the pan, turn to face them and lean back on the other counter with his elbows propping him up.

"His name was Tim, didn't get a last name though, I talked and sat and danced with him and his friend.... Owen i think" Steph finished, grabbing another cookie to signal she was done talking. 

"Me too" Cass almost whispered... Her family's eyes turned on her now, so she finished "only for a moment"

~~~~~

After going over all their experiences, quick & short, long and lasting, or even Cass's where she wasn't sure it even happened. They compacted that they'd all met a boy named "Tim" with the same scar, who looked a lot like Timothy Jackson Drake. But none of them got their hopes up. Sure people came back from the dead in cape community, but..... Red Robin, Timothy Drake, it took a lot to kill the third robin..... Tim had gone through hell and back multiple times, and for some reason, their heart's just couldn't allow them to really believe he was alive.

Not at all.

~~~~~

So that night, like always, Dick fell asleep forearm over his forehead staring up at his ceiling, his room in the manor this time, no one had the will to go to their own places tonight. The interaction bubbling in his heart and twisting in his gut, it kept re playing

the kids bumping into them

the apology 

the exit

And dammit, the kid looked so much like Tim, but little differences, brighter eyes, the scar, the style, the way that Tim held himself, confident, in charge, in control, like he had a place.

And as much as it hurt Dick, he hadn't seen Tim like that in a while, he didn't see the same bright eyed, bushy tailed kid that had told him batman needed robin, when he thought of his brother, he saw a 17 year old who was tired and worn out, who had taken far to much onto his plate.

That other Tim wasn't his Tim, no matter how much he wanted it to be true.

Then Dick closed his eyes, and succumbed to the darkness that tormented him with the death's of those he couldn't save.... His parents, ****, ****, Ja****,  and now Timmy

~~~~~~~~~

That night, Jason was unable to sleep, he was in his room at the manor, He'd actually updated it recently, to be no longer the room of a 15 year old boy, but that of a 25 year old man.

His mind was plagued, by that morning, by the things Cass and Steph had said, it haunted him, just like the bloodied up 15 year old kid in a Robin suit with ridiculous shorts, who had believed his mother's lies. Now, next to that 15 year old was a 17 year old in a bloody ripped up Red Robin suit. It'd been plaguing him for 3 years now. Tim and Jason actually had plans for Tim's 18th birthday, of course Tim was going to spend the majority of his birthday with his friends, Kon, Bart, Cassie, Steph, Duke, and Cass. But after, Tim and Him were going to go grab ice cream, they'd been getting along better, mending the past, but of course, part of Jason tugged on him saying 'he'll never forgive you for slitting his throat, you tried to kill him, you've held a gun to his head, what about the battle for the cowl, when you almost killed him the same way his dad died? Think he'd just forgive and forget?' it taunted him.

Besides the kid they'd seen was not their baby bird, he felt, alive..... Not just as in, not a corpse, but as in, there was life in him, like he was enjoying his walk on earth. While Tim had looked tired and over worked the last he'd seen of Tim.

His choices taunted him, so he rolled over, and counted birds, until it went pitch black, and he could have a god dam break for one second.

~~~~~~~~~

Cass sighed, she was rolled onto her stomach arms propped up on her pillow and her head laying on her arms, she was in Tim's room. It hurt, seeing the room, see contrary to popular belief, Tim infact did not keep a tidy bedroom. The blankets were thrown randomly on the bed, the pillow still having a dent from where Tim's head had been. The desk was covered with papers, and empty zesti's, stickynotes stuck to his laptop screen with reminders and things. Closet half open, bag thrown by the door, camera sticking out like a sore thumb on his chair that was serving as coat hanger for Tim's jackets. So yeah it hurt, seeing that Tim had left his room messy, because one of the stickynotes said clean room because Tim had been so sure he would get home and be able to clean up. But he never did.....

The boy she'd seen for a spilt second under the club lights reminded her of the boy who sat on roof tops with her, and their brother Duke, and Steph. But it couldn't be, not everyone got to come back from the dead, no matter how much Cass begged and cried, and screamed for it to be true.

She sighed, cried a bit, and then fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~

Steph didn't know how to feel, she didn't think she ever would. The guy who'd seen at the club was relaxed and sure of himself, full of life, and most importantly held together. He was just like the boy who'd sit on the roof with her, who'd said they were platonic soulmates and always will be the same guy who'd listened to her worries and vents. 

But that boy was 6 feet deep. Sure they didn't have a body, so more so Tim's body was laying somewhere. But he was dead.

And Steph couldn't keep hoping

~~~

Chapter Text

Tim woke up to the cold rub of sheets against his back, a very good thing to wake up to in his opinion.

Tim was never one for 'organized' rooms right when he went to bed or right when he woke up, he much more preferred an 'organized mess'. So rubbing at his eyes and looking around his room as the sun peeked through and hit the white sheets. It was no surprise to find that his suit from the previous night had been discarded on the nearby chair. Tim reached for a hair tie from his night stand and tied up half of his hair, pulling himself from the bed to go eat breakfast. The smell of waffles and pancakes already wafting into his room even though the door was closed, figures Tim thought, 'course Jay made something special for our first night in Gotham. 

Tim pulled on some blue checkered sweat pants and a baggy old band tee, not his usual sweatpants and shirt, Owen the little shit keeps stealing my clothes, I swear his speed is a curse. Tim sighed and opened his bedroom door, his socks thumping softly against the wooden floor boards as he walked down the hall to the kitchen, the smells of breakfast hitting him harder now, and the soft chatter reaching his ears.

The Ghosts home, and base, had a pretty basic lay out, for a group of vigilantes. 

The main hall that had their bedrooms had 7 door ways, the one at the end of the hall was Tim's, the pair of doors following were Pru's and Hudson's doors facing one another, then the following pair was Mora's room and Lian's room, finally the two bedroom's closest to the rest of the penthouse was Jay's room and Owen's room. After the hall it connected to the living room, a nice carpeted room with 2 couches, one leather and one soft, a rocking chair (the type that's a mini couch?) a glass coffee table, large tv, and a fake fireplace. Then it connected to the Kitchen and Dining rooms, the kitchen was large and open spaced, a walk in pantry, a large island, 2 sinks, a stove, a large fridge, and everything else you could need. The Dining rom and Kitchen were separated by a half wall that also served as a counter to seat 4, (y'know like old restaurants how they had that window seat area looking into kitchen? something kinda like that.) The dining room had a dining table to seat 4, more then enough seating area for 7 teens and young adults. They had 2 bathrooms, a laundry room, and a studio room. That, was the part they wanted you to know about, the normal part. The second part of the place?

They had a decked out training room with treadmills, targets, simulator robots, dummies, mats, target practice, and everything a vigilante could dream of. They had a room sort of like the bat cave, computers, and planning boards for missions and de-briefs. they had decontamination showers, and general showers for tough missions, and a med room, a med kits galore, everyhting you could need. They were pretty much set honestly.

~~~

Tim walked into the kitchen/dining, Mora and Pru were sat at the dining table munching on an assortment of berries discussing Greek mythology. Owen and Hudson sat at the counter bugging Jay who was wrapping up the pancakes. The smells of breakfast were heaven, mouth-watering, sensations, thank you Jay's aunt and grandmother. 

"Jaayyyyy Buddyyyy when are you going to finishhhh" Owen whined, Hudson rolled his eyes and grabbed a handful of nuts to munch on.

Jay sighed, "Give me a damn minute speedy gonzalez"

"rude" Owen scoffed.

"Where's Lian?" Tim broke in during the pause. 

"Still in her room" Mora told replied, the look in her eyes said she didn't know, but would definitely like to know. 

"Probably avoiding breakfast since Jay can't finish already" Owen grumbled.

Jay turned down the heat on the stove, turned to Owen, he was wearing one of Hudson's hoodies with one of Tim's pajama pants. Jay rubbed his temples "Owen I swear to god"

"Swear what short stack?" Owen teased, leaning forward on the counter, which was, definitely not the right move.

"Owen Allen, i fucking swear-" Owen cut Jay off "come on say it buddy" Owens had a shit-eating-grin. And yeah he was fucked, because not even 5 seconds later, Jay's ring was glowing and Owen was hanging upside down.

"What the fuck man!" Jay payed no mind to the whining speedster and turned back to the stove, the girls went back to their conversation and Hudson began scrolling on his phone.

20 foot roofs was a good idea, Tim thought as he walked to Lian's room. He had some questions, and maybe now he could see what's up.

~~~

Tim reached his niece's door he knocked three times before a muffled 'come in' was heard. He opened the door and found Lian laying on her back on her bed. She was changed for a day around the base, but she hadn't gotten up yet. She was wearing red Elmo pajama pants, Mora's grey jacket with patches and whatnot stitched on, and a black t-shirt on. She had a weighted pink dinosaur plushie Mora had given her on her stomach and was scrolling on her phone, her hair was a mess spread out on her pillow.

She looked up at Tim, a small, not quite reaching her eyes smile "G'morning Uncle" but her eyes quickly found her phone again seconds later.

"Morning Lian." Tim responded as he sat down on the bean bag adjacent to Lian's bed. After a moment or two she put the phone down and sat up to face Tim, crisscross with the plushie still in her lap, her arms tightly wound around it. 

"You aren't here just to get me to come to breakfast huh?"

"Not quite" Tim tilted his head to the side a bit and smiled at his niece, her body language was tense, wound-up, something, was bugging her. 

"What's wrong kid?" Then, her rant ensued, she let the dam of words break free.

"I though being back in Gotham would be good, that it would help y'know?" Tim nodded along, "But it didn't it hurt, it hurt more then it had in, well a while." Tim responded with a small smile, he understood completely. "I just, well, I dunno, I think part of me thought that being back would help me be back, to take that final step home. N-not that you guys aren't my home either you are it's just like, my biological family and-"

"Lian-"

"No, no let me finish" She took a deep breath, fiddling with the sleeve of Mora's, her jacket. "I just don't know how. When I left, or disappeared more like it, I was seven, now, that was 5 years ago. At most my dad would expect a 12 year old daughter. But I'm not, I'm 18, do you know how much of my life he's missed? He missed so much Tim" oof, this was cutting Lian deep if she was calling him 'Tim' he thought "He missed my pre-teen years, he missed my teenage years, he missed me being able to get a drivers license, he missed me becoming an adult. That's so many milestones, so many......"

Tim thought she might stop there, but she only took an inhale, and exhale, before continuing.

"So much he's missed, and it feels like I stole that from him, that I took it. Like it's my fault, that I deprived him from being a father. That i took away that experience, and also.... Part of me wonders if after 5 years he's finally healed y'know? Finally gotten over losing his daughter, I hope that's the case, would me coming back just open new wounds? Would I cut back down into old ones? It's not just my dad, It's Oliver, and Dinah, and Mia, and Conner, and so many others who are part of the Arrow family, my family." 

Lian looked up from picking at her cuticles, and Tim understood that the look on his face conveyed all it needed to. Of course not Lian, they love you, be it seconds, minutes, years or decades, they'd always want you. Always want their daughter, their niece, their granddaughter, their family. 

"pshh, course not huh?" Lian laughed to her self, and Tim could only offer a weak smile.

Lian sighed, "I understand, I know, but. I'm not ready. I know I can't run and hide forever. I understand that this isn't part of me I can just drop, that I will have to face it." a breath "and I will, I swear. But I'm not ready, I just can't imagine seeing them yet, I will I know I will. I don't think I can or want to just leave them in the dust. It's I know they're my family, biologically, in a more traditional sense. But, they aren't my only family. You guys are family too, and always will be. The Ghosts are my family here too, the bond we've made? And I love the Arrows, I do, but I'm not ready. I just can't go back, yet, I can't, I-"

Tim cut her off, "Lian, kid, I get it okay? I haven't been honest with my self either. I can't go back to the bats, I've changed, and knowing them I don't know if they have. I can't face them, and it would be pure stupidity to ask you to do the same. Okay? I get it, we aren't ready to face our pasts, our families yet. Not yet. But we will, and when we are ready? I swear Lian I'll be their for you okay? I get it kid, I do"

Lian smiled, eyes brimming with unshed tears, a shaky exhale and a few sniffles later she hugged her uncle.

Then they got up, and they went to breakfast.

~~~~

"Please Jayyyy, put me downnnnn" Owen whined, his voice echoing down the hall as Lian and Tim walked back to the kitchen. 

"No road runner, till Tim and Lian get here you are hanging upside down, besides i heard it helps ya think" Jay retorted. 

"Awh come on, loo- Hey! Look there they are!" Owen jerked and pointed at Lian and Tim as they entered the kitchen.

"I swear Owen Allen if you're lying," Jay turned around, and a grin spread across his face, suddenly his ring stopped glowing, then the hand holding Owen disappeared, a thud and a loud groan was heard.

"You asshole!" Owen groaned as he rubbed his head, propping up on his knees. Lian sat down at the table with the girls taking a plate from her girlfriend. Tim sitting down next to Hudson and Jay at the counter, Owen flopped on the ground still.

"Wanna go back up?" Jay teased, taking some waffles and biting in to them.

"No! Hell No!" came the speedster's quick reply.

So they sat and ate, conversation flowing easily between the 7. The Ghosts, the family, the bond they had. They were connected. Be it, Jay and Owen wearing Tim's clothes among the others too. Lian and Mora swapping their clothes constantly. The fights between Owen and Jay, they were family. On a different sense, a deeper one, a nice connected one no one could break simply. 

~~~~

A Month Has Passed Since The Ghosts First Arrived In Gotham. A Whole Month.

It was now April, April 28st. 2 months before Tim's birthday, it was the day the drug bust was supposed to go down.

Based off the info Mora and Lian had gotten, the team had dug deep into it. They put things together, and now they had a location, a time, a date, and who.

Crime Alley, 0730 to 0800, APR 1, Black Mask Goons and Trouble Triad Drug Swap

(At Debrief)

"For this it could be anywhere from 6-10 men, up to a whole gang meet up. I feel confident we send in the majority of us." Tim told the team, him and Lian were up to the plans since thye knew Gotham best.

"Sooooo, who's going?" Owen asked.

"We'll want around 3 people on the ground and 1 far away" Lian explained

They had two groups picked out, it just mattered who was more up to it. 

Team 1 would be Lian, Tim, Owen, and Jay

Team 2 would be Tim, Hudson, Pru, and Lian

"We have 2 options, it just depends on you guys." Lian continued

"Team one, our first possibility consists of Lian on one of the farther roofs prepared as our scout, she'll be able to see everything. Me and Owen would go in because of the speed, and Jay would provide support." Tim explained.

"The second Team has Tim and Hudson on ground crew, Pru would serve as back up with me, but she'll be able to engage when necessary, and I'd remain on the roof.  " Lian finished

"I like the first one" Jay offered

"Just cuz' it has you in it" Hudson scoffed.

After some bickering it was decided, Tim, Owen, Jay were ground crew and Lian was up on the roof, her aim would provide to be the Drug Ring's fatal flaw. 

Now they were getting suited up and it was already 6:40.

~~~~~~

(Bat Fam)

Duke came into the Batcave, Dick and Steph were in the middle of sparring, Jason and Cass were off to the side grabbing a drink after their session, and Damian was sitting on one of the chairs sketching away.

"Y'know how you 4 went to the club a month ago" Duke interupted, Steph and Dick stopped, Cass and Jason focusing and the boy, and even Damian providing a bit of eavesdropping. 

"Yeah?" Steph edged on for more inforamtion.

"Well I think I got something" Duke said with a grin, and it was almost like how he was before Tim's death.

"Spill it, Day Shift" Jason groaned, impatient as ever.

"Crime Alley, 0730 to 0800, APR 1, Black Mask Goons and Trouble Triad Drug Swap" Duke spoke.

"That's today, in" Damian's voice found it's way into the conversation, as Damian looked down at hsi wrist "That's in 30 minutes" 

And that's how the five of them rushed to get changed, Duke rarely handled things at night, but he'd wanted something to do to get his mind off Tim everything. 

They all knew Tim's birthday was approaching, coming and going every year. They all needed a distraction, and busting down a drug ring was always a good start.

Moments later Nightwing, Red Hood, Orphan, Spoiler, Signal, and Robin, were dressed and ready to go crack down on some smugglers and goons,

Easy, right?

~~~

But what if it isn't so easy?

What if instead of a distraction it becomes a collision? What if, well fuck, what if they have to come face to face?

Chapter Text

The drug bust was going well, key word was....

That was until Spoiler, Signal, Nightwing, Red Hood, Robin, and Orphan decided to interrupt. 

~~~~~

Lian, decided to switch to non lethal arrows, just some nets, and restraints. She didn't want to hurt any of the bats, even if they were putting a damper on her night. With her aim she was able to shoot a net at Signal and tie him up, clearly Duke still wasn't used to fighting at night. Soon Red Hood had (idk what they're called, google was no help, like those ropes/chains that have a weighted ball on either side? That is a thing right?) those things wrapped around his ankles, tripping him up.

There she'd disabled two fighters as of right now, she wasn't going to give up yet but still

~~~~

Jay had an easy time using his ring to trap Nightwing and Spoiler in two large traps, after creating a jail cell, he dumped Spoiler, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Signal. Then he got back to dealing with the actual problem at hand. Knocking out the lackeys wasn't all that hard with Owen's help, unfortunately. 

The kid was fast, that's all he'd give him, (yes he will be called kid even if he is a year older then Jay, he's pissed)

~~~~

Owen was expecting a bit more of a fight honestly, maybe Tim wasn't lying when he said that quote on quote "your the fastest speedster I've ever seen''. Maybe. Anyways, the girl in all black and some accents of yellow, and traffic light colored brat were pretty easy to confuse, soon he'd dumped them in Jay's makeshift jail cell.

Jay could be useful at times I suppose.

~~~~

Tim couldn't hold back the smile on his face with his team handling them easily. By easily I mean it'd taken Lian, Jay, and Owens 5 seconds to realize that it wasn't that easy. Jason and Duke got themselves out of their restraints, and soon enough his family was out of Jay's cage and on their feet. 

Don't underestimate a bat.

~~~~

Ghosts Comms

Inertia ; i call dibs on the guy in blue and black! I'll take purple too!

GL ; Ill take the dude with the yellow get up and traffic lights baby

RH ; I can take Orphan, C?

Cardinal ; Yep I can handle Red Hood

~~~

Bats Comms

NW ;  I know people said the new speedster was fast but, jesus, I think this kid's faster then Wally!

Spoil ; RIGHT! I - oomf

NW ; Coming!

Orp ; Arrow's aim is good. Respectable. Hand to Hand not so much

Sig ;   Me and Robin are having some slight hold ups with the Green Lantern guy

Rob ; speak for yours- oof!

Sig ; my point exactly

RH ; im taking on their leader right now, Cardinal

~~~~~~~~

(IRL)

Eventually Tim gave the command that he'd wrapped up the drug bust, and they can head back. So the other 3 gave their final blows to disorient their bats. Before getting away. Tim however was still tied up with Jason, and the others were coming in soon, as if that wasn't bad enough he heard a familiar swoosh behind him. 

Shit Shit Shit

"Impulse, Wonder Girl, Superboy, the fuck are you doing here?!" Jason, or rather Red Hood exclaimed.

"Stopping by, having trouble?" Kon's voice was familiar to Tim, it seemed a little.... sadder? His normally cocky and full-of-himself attitude in his voice having lost it's edge, giving away to something Tim didn't want to dig into.

"Not at al-oomf" Tim took the chance to uppercut his brother.

"Sure you aren't" Cassie sighed, and the next second Tim had 3 metas on his tail, 3 past friends. In all technicalities 'the last ones to see him alive' technically. 

Nightwing landed next to Red Hood, Dick was rubbing at his jaw, Spoiler followed stretching her arms. Signal and Robin popped up soon after, and Cass was the last to arrive. Now 9 people were surrounding a vigilante possibly super villain.

"Shit" Tim sighed, with a finally kick he knocked Jason off him, now what to do with 4 metas, and 5 other vigilantes. 

Now Tim wasn't quite sure if he could take them all on at the same time, I mean maybe but, maybe not. Also Tim didn't feel like taking on some of the closest people to him in his (past???) life.

"Look, everyone, I think I should just go"  Tim's mask was still up and but his hood was down, his hair was a little messy and sweaty, sticking to his forehead in some places. Thank god he'd put some of it up in a bun. He shifted to the side, but Conner stepped into the gap, Tim was now surrounded with a brick wall to his back. 

"Not so fast buddy" Dick intervened, "Who the hell are you? I thought there were 7 of you? Why only 4 tonight?" he interrogated, 

"What's it to you birdboy?" Tim was thankful he had a voice modulator in the mask, it didn't do to much but it still sounded like a natural voice, just a tad bit deeper.

Dick sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, "Okay you three can go" he turned to the metas (-Duke ) 

"Like hell we are"

Their rambling and back and forth continued, which, weird, Tim had never seen the bats and his friends, well mainly the bats so disorganized. It was strange, but useful to say the least, a very good opportunity, Tim tapped the comm link he had on his wrist.

Morse Code (not actually)

C ; --*-*--*  **-**- (send pick up, SN)

''Okay, okay you can stay, just, Jesus okay back to you" Dick turned back to Tim.

"Yes?" Tim sighed, sur they couldn't see it, but Tim was certainly grinning, but maybe Cass picked up on it.

"Who are you and why are you in Gotham?"

"Cardinal, business trip"

"That could not be more vague" 

"I would love to go into detail-"

"So do it"

Tim sighed, "-but, my ride is here soooo"

In that instant Hudson was by his side, well rather Supernova was, and Tim gave a final wave goodbye. Then they were off, flying out of reach, a laugh escaped Tim's lips, he thought, well he thought a lot.

He thought that maybe interacting with his friends or family, would go very, very differently. Very much so, he assumed the worst, not of how they would be. He didn't assume they'd mourn like Bruce had mourned Jason, there was no reason for that. Tim was always the calculated kind, and he had plans made, for when he'd die, that his family and friends wouldn't have the hassle of trying to get his funeral in order. He wanted them to not have to deal with that, so he had plans and everything. The only thing that would be up to them would be the, *how* he died. Car crash, plane crash, kidnapping, accident, the works, because Tim was good, but not that good, he couldn't predict how he died. 

But point is, he did not think they'd mourn as violently as Bruce had, there was no need for that at all. He was just another kid in uniform, he wouldn't be the first Robin to die, in fact, he was currently the last to do it. All in all, he'd made assumptions on interacting with them again behind a mask, a hood, and voice changer, under a whole new identity. He expected that he'd be nervous, and fuck up, that maybe he'd be teary eyed and give something away, everything and anything, except......relieved.

But that's what it was, Tim felt relieved to see them all, relaxed, at peace, to know they were okay. They seemed to be functioning normally, they seemed to be doing well, they were breathing and whole. They were okay, they were alive, they seemed, good.

Which, why wouldn't they be? It'd been three years since his death, plenty of time to heal and recover, and.... Well if they were doing that well, then, Tim had no reason to go back, not one single reason. It would do more damage then it would do good, if they'd healed, if they'd gotten better, then he couldn't wreck that for them. Tim couldn't risk messing that up for them....

Lian was right, interacting with them was something else entirely, he just couldn't. They missed a lot from his life, who knew how much 3 years could change for him?

Tim was different, he didn't feel as naive anymore, he was a mentor, a good one in his opinion. He was doing well, he'd carved his own niche. A do over was good for Tim actually, he'd gotten a new chance at life. Tim was feeling good now. A lot better then he had before. A lot, a lot better. 

Just seeing his family and friends, alive and well had taken so much stress off him.

So Tim relaxed as he saw their penthouse/HQ come into view.

He relaxed as they landed on the roof.

He relaxed when he went to his room and changed out.

He relaxed when he checked on Lian, Owen, and Jay. Making sure they were okay after the mission.

He relaxed when they went to the living room.

He relaxed as they chattered about the mission over the pizza Jay had let them order. Even with being the youngest of them all he had an iron grip over their diets.

He relaxed when  he went back to his room.

He relaxed as he slipped under the cold covers. 

Tim was relaxed, wholly and fully, it'd been a while since he ever was.

But it was good, for his mind, his soul, his body, it was good for him. 

(Jason's POV)

Jason didn't know why.

Jason didn't know why he told Superboy and Wonder Girl not to fly after the two escapees.

Well he did, but he didn't want to.

Because when he went back to his safe house, a nice apartment, one Tim had suggested to him. Something about the neighbor hood being dumb as bricks, that the neighbors wouldn't know a vigilante identity if it slapped them in the face. Just a floor below Tim's safehouse, at least the one he shared with the other bats. 

When Jason changed, and got into bed. It haunted him, more then usual. Normally the bloodied teens in the corner stayed silent, just a taunting reminder. The bloodied up 15 year old kid in a Robin suit with ridiculous shorts, who had believed his mother's lies. Was a part of him Jason liked to forget, he'd been naive at the time, stupid even. That teen stayed silent, just shuffling his feet, the kid was actually fading from Jason's mind.

No, it was the other one, the one that wasn't him, but his little brother. 

Now the 17 year old in a bloody ripped up Red Robin suit, the one aching him for the last 3 years, was not so silent and not so far away.

Now his little brother approached him, sitting down on the bed by Jason. The bed did not dip, because there was no weight there, just Jason's delusions of Timbit, the delusions he let himself have, for a little sanity.

When Tim died they did not have a body, so the teen Jason imagined. Was his 17 year old brother, scrawny with burn marks on him, Jason imagined Tim having a bleeding shoulder, the left one, the suit ripped or burned away to reveal the pale skin that was there. He imagined scraped knees, so bad that the suit was shredded there, the knees so bloodied and bruised. He imagined Tim's cape having been burned off, he also didn't imagine Timbo with the domino. That seemed to soulless even for his baby brother. He imagined some burn marks on his arms, maybe his neck too. He pictured cuts on his brothers face, the pale skin even more scarred.

Scars, Jason didn't account for scars, he didn't know the extent of Tim's past injuries past the ones he'd personally inflicted. Like the thin lines on his neck. But enough of Jason's hallucinations and how it looked, what about what Timmy was saying.

'do you blame yourself Jay?'

Jason didn't respond, he never did, Tim knew his answers by heart.

'of course you do'

Timmy hummed, kicking his feet looking down at his boots.

'nice night huh?'

Jason took in a breath, hopping Tim wouldn't say what he was thinking.

'you like to think you're not naive anymore Jay'

Jason held his breath

'but you still are,'

Jason felt he had to breathe out, so he did, before taking another breath to hold.

'because you're still to hopefully Jay. You recognized my fighting style huh? In the way that other birdie fought?'

Tim stopped kicking his feet, leaning back on the bed a bit, a smile gracing his lips, stormy gray-blue eyes meeting Jason's green blue hue eyes.

'far too hopefully Jay. Because I'm dead. You know this right?'

Jason actually nodded and he hated himself for it.

'good' Tim sighed 'do you think I should add this to the ways you've failed me? Or the ways the world's failed me RH?'

Tim waited for an answer he would not receive. 

'well that's fine, get a good nights sleep.'

Now if Tim ever was on the bed, was ever in the room. Then maybe he would've smiled at Jason, and the bed would've gotten lighter as he got up again. But that was hallucination Tim, not the real one, not the dead one.

Jason was so not okay.

Hell, no one was.

Time heals all wounds my ass.

Chapter Text

It's been gnawing on Jason, a lot, and he hates it.

Everything with this, this whole new chapter to his life, a chapter he hates.

It started with that night when Wally came back emptied handed, the night that assassin lady disappeared. Wally got his little cousin back, Bart was okay,  Bart only messed up his ankle. But most importantly, Bart was alive. Clark got his technical son/apprentice back, Kon had gotten away with just a cut to the face, a cut that healed. Kon was alive, Kon was okay. Diana got Cassie back, Cassie was alive and well, completely. That assassin woman, which the three metas could tell Jason nothing about, had vanished. 

There was nothing left for Jason to mourn his brother, nothing at all but that stupid bo staff. Bruce didn't get to set up another stupid memorial box for another fallen Robin, all there was, was that stupid, stupid, stupid bo staff. It pissed Jason off, a stupid piece of metal, a stick, a weapon had survived the flames the wreckage, but not his family.

Jason felt a lot of things when Tim died, at first it was disbelief, because no, Tim couldn't die, Jason had tried and failed, Demon Brat has tried and failed, assassins have tried and failed, many have tried and failed. Tim didn't have the right to just die, he didn't get to just die! Tim just couldn't do that! It was followed by being pissed, for a day or so, because then the gravity of ti all had hit Jason, it hit him that Timmy was dead. But it wasn't truly a reality till Tim was buried.

Part of Jason hated being a vigilante, because you couldn't just tell the public that teen millionaire Timothy Jackson Drake died in a fire, in a warehouse. Why was he in a warehouse? How? The questions would be endless, so instead, the public thought his little brother died in a robbery gone wrong/

Nick something something, and 18 year old, with no life, that's the guy who replaced Tim. That was the body, the shooting victim in a store, some rando. No one actually knew the actuality of the situation, nor could they. So Jason hated that.

He hated that at his own brother's funeral, he couldn't tell you half of the people who were there, not even if he tried his damndest. But then there was just, a pit, a pit the dug itself deeper into Jason.

Jason could tell you the exact day the hallucinations started, just 3 days after Tims funeral, just 3. For years a new body followed Jason to home, to so called safety. But no safehouse could keep Jason safe from his own mind, nothing at all, nowhere at all.  It was a dreadful thing, to not only dream 15 year old you up every night before bed, but now to dream up your dead little brother. 

Jason didn't talk about it to anyone, because it was insanity, Tim wasn't there, Tim wasn't alive. Tim was dead, and Jason needed to accept that! But did he?

Hell. No.

Instead Jason let himself have this little thing, because normally it was silent, just a reminder. A silent part of his life, a silence that was so loud it might split his mind in two, because there was no sound there and that's what he hated. There was no sound at all, no chance for redemption, to fix things with Timbelina. He didn't get to try that ice-cream place with Timbit, it's not like it closed down or was hard to get into. But Jason' just couldn't, he couldn't bring himself to go there. It wasn't like Tim had cancelled planse, not like he'd bailed on Jason, hell Jason would prefer  that. Because at least that'd mean his brother was alive, but it wasn't. He couldn't go to the ice cream shop, because the person he was meant to go with would never get to go.

Things were only getting worse, then that new Tim guy showed up, for just a split second interaction. Just shoving some dollars into Jason's hands before running off with his friends again. That Tim was alive, not only physically but but mentally as well, that Tim carried himself well.

Then it was the club, where now Steph and Cass had also now seen him.

Then it was that stupid Cardinal guy, that stupid bird. That stupid bird that wasn't his baby bird, that wasn't his brother. But had the audacity to fight the same way he did. The audacity to now cause Jason's hallucinations to talk to him, to allow that to happen! 

Because now it was a nightly thing, Tim, bloodied up, and dead would come up and talk to him. At first it was only when he got into bed, then it was when Jason would get ready for bed, maybe as he brushed his teeth, ot took of his helmet and jacket, or when he changed shirts. Then it was following him as he worked, as he did what Tim could no longer do.

A flash of red in the corner of his eye, almost getting him to call out 'RR!', or a silent sit on the top of some building he'd look to his side and find a pair of stormy eyes looking back at him. Maybe he'd occasionally hear Tim's hum of thought, or he'd see that stupid, smug, smirk when he put two and two together. It was getting so bad.

Just two nights ago Jason almost commed in, he almost asked Oracle about Red Robin. But he couldn't do that to Babs either, he couldn't remind her of that. He couldn't remind her that even when the emergency beacon went off, she wasn't able to get people there quick enough. It wasn't, it isn't her fault, you and Dickie weren't able to get there soon enough! You're the ones who failed Timmy! a voice in his mind taunted him.

Tonight was another silent sit on the rough pavement of Gotham rooftops. Jason was sitting on the edge burger in hand and a drink off to the side, and Tim came to sit down next to him. The routine repeated as it had nights in the past, like the sun and moon always rising and setting.

'hey Jay, sunny weather isn't it?'  

Not it wasn't Jason thought, it had rained the night and morning prior, Duke came back to the cave just as the rain had began, water droplets just on his suit. When Jason went out tonight the rain had stopped, but the smell of  petrichor, had remained, the streets stank with it. 

'mmm, yeah the streets do stink. Remember when you taught me that word?'

Yes, Jason did remember when he'd told Tim about the word ''petrichor'' very clearly actually. Tim and Steph were in the cave chatting, when Tim had brought it up, Tim had been searching for a specific word, one to describe  that unique scent following a rain shower, that smell of rain on dry concrete. Stephanie was telling him that there was no such word, that Tim was making it up. But Jason had spoken up from fixing his bike.

'no, no Timmy is right, there is a word for that, petrichor'

'yeah that's right, Steph was sooooo pissed that there was a word for it.' tim laughed, which was a clear sign this wasn't Tim, because Tim didn't laugh, not with Jason.

'I would've y'know, laughed with you, if i'd been given the chance.'

Jason snapped out of it, there was one thing hallucination Tim was right about, was that he was still too naive. Still too hopeful, too believing, he had no right to think that Tim would actually forgive him. That Tim would actually forgive him.

'no Jason I would, I swear I would've' Hallucination Tim smiled at him, not a entirely happy one, more an understanding one, a hopeful one in it's own right. 

Jason didn't want to believe it, he didn't, he couldn't, he didn't deserve to, this version of Tim was trying to punish him. 

'Jason I'm not'

No, no you are, you have to be.

'I swear Jay, I'm not trying to do that, never' Tim sighed.

Jason sighed with him and finished off his drink and got up. 

A week was left till it was Tim's birthday again, a yearly occurrence, it'd be the fourth one without Tim actually there. Jason had to admit, to himself and the world, that things stuck.

Because Jason actually started digging into who The Ghosts were, there were seven members, just 7, all of them could and have worked on the field. 

Cardinal was almost always on the field and seemed to be the leader, but he was not the oldest of them all, that much was clear.

Prudence Wood, or Pru, was 90/10 split, 90% of the time she would fight, 10% she could fight behind some tech. She was the only one who was public, and by that it meant you didn't have to dig much to knwo who she was. Ex-assassin, and she was there that night, she seemed to be around in her 20's, maybe 24-26. 

Those two had no meta abilities, at least none that seemed apparent or at use.

Then there was Supernova or just Nova, who was basically the teams super to put it short.

Then there was Inertia, the team speedster, and currently the fastest speedster ever.

Then there was Pluto, team amazon, decent fighter.

Then there was Robin Hood, team arrow and archer, adaptive.

Finally there was Green Light, made very clear that while he had a Green Lantern Ring, he was Green Light, which okay good for him, re branding.

Jason knew it was stupid to be letting himself dig into this, because he was starting to let a flicker of hope build in him. It was extremely stupid, Jason knew that much, because if he was wrong it'd wreck him all over again. But what was a brother to do?

This Cardinal had it all.

The fighting style and the way he held himself were scarily accurate to Timbits, to close, to perfect. Tim's fighting style was unique and Jason had been at the receiving end of it before, he knew what it was like to have that fight directed on you. Tim's style of fighting was a mix of everyone who'd taught him, a mix of him, and a mix of his experience's, if just a few tweaks were made to it, he could be lethal. But Tim held that line like a lifeline, Tim didn't let himself cross that line, blows kept too light and aimed away from fatality. 

The tactical side to Cardinal, Jason saw clips of people recording the fights, clearly he was in charge, but he held the position well. This Cardinal knew how to lead a team from experience  and that's not something you can get just anywhere, no you have to be used to the high stakes, used to the pressure, that a mistake could elad to death, multiple deaths even.The tactical side to him, was a mind like Tim's, even when he spoke, the jokes, the sarcasm, aimed at Jason, were familiar, calling Dick "birdboy" was familiar.

The vigilantes build and physique, were of an older Tim's, of his little brother who may not be as little anymore. The dark hair revealed when his hood fell back was the same shade as Tim's the same nest of raven hair, which admit it, 4/5 Robin's had almost the exact same shade of black hair. The blue eyes felt more alive and electric, but still the undertones of a storm of emotions hid behind those eyes, and Jason knew it. Hell if it was Tim? Then Tim still had the same pale skin, but eh couldn't see much with the mask covering half of his face.

It was adding up.

Jason knew all to well it was stupid but he wanted to let himself have this, just a little hope.

Because even the killing could be excused, because if Tim had gotten a taste of the Laz Pit, then all the dots connected. If Tim had been dipped in some evil mountain dew? Then the killing would make sense, the disappearance too. 3 years was more then enough time for Tim to have been trained by deadly assassins just as Jason had been. Just enough time to reset his mind, to maybe, make Tim forget? If Tim had been brought back from the grave then it could work.

Besides, Cardinal was a killer now, that much was known, and his fighting style. While Tim's, still had more of a league way to it.

It would explain him disappearing if he was with the League, who seemed awfully silent since Tim and Ras had died. 

If the League had been training Tim, training him to be as they wanted then it would help so much. It alone would prove so much, why Tim was okay with killing now. Maybe just maybe he could let himself hope.

Hope that Tim had somehow gotten dunked into the evil mountain dew. That now Tim was alive again.

Because, God Jason needed this, so so bad, he needed a chance of redemption, a chance to fix it all.

And if Jason had been given it?

If Cardinal really was his dead little brother?

Shit, Jason had a birdie to catch.

Because only DNA could prove his crazy. 

Hey guys, Author here,

I just wanted to come and say that my uploading schedule may mess up a bit, I need to get some shit of mine back in order. But I will be uploading another chapter here soon enough, and the second and final chapter to 'Birds, Warehouses, and Scars' 

I do just need a break rq to get everything in order, and to have good high quality chapters out!

hope yall understand!

-Author (Core4yj98)

Chapter Text

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This was a constant in Damian Wayne's life. For as long as he had known Drake, which wasn't very long at all, he had loathed the man.

Or the boy

Or the teen

All Damian knew was that he hadn't felt remorse in attempting to kill Drake. But then, Father had 'died' and it was Drake who'd sought to bring him back. It was Drake who clearly believed that Damian's father was alive, which was weird and not right at all! Drake was not The Son of the Bat, Damian was. So there'd been no one to fight him for Robin, no one to take his birthright. Then Drake returned, only to leave again renewed. Drake had come and gone like the gust of wind on the beach, breezing past him as if he was nothing. Nothing but everything at the same time.

His mother had once asked him, what was the effect if a single grain of sand was removed from the beach, Habibi?

Damian hadn't thought for very long on the question, which normally would've been a mistake, so he had answered simply, nothing, Mother.

His mother had frowned, but it wasn't anger, no, her eyes seemed to only hold melancholy for a moment, before her soothing voice spoke again.

No qalbi, every grain around it moves, they all shift to fill in the gap that it has left.

Damian held that with him.

Damian held it high, that no matter how small and imperfect a life was, there was a value to it. It had bothered Damian how he'd met Drake, perhaps if Drake wasn't the one he had to take the mantle from....... perhaps they could've been more. Damian knew it wasn't as wishful thinking as he'd wanted. If Drake were in Todd, or Cain, or even Brown's places, then Damian would've sought to learn from him. But life had not fated it that way, Drake was an obstacle. A large one, Drake was not just a grain of sand on the beach, he was an imperfect shell, something rare, the kind Damian would keep from the beach.

Until Drake wasn't, until Drake was dead, Drake had died at the hands of an Al Ghul, but it wasn't Damian. It was not Ibn al Xu'ffasch, it was his grandfather, Ras Al Ghul, the man had died along with Drake.

Damian had never questioned his mothers word before, not once, for she was wisdom personified. Until, he did, until he began to wonder, of perhaps, sometimes you could rip a grain of sand from it's place, but there would be no effect. Damian thought this because he assumed a funeral  would take time and preparation, he assumed the task was to be tedious and time consuming. But it wasn't at all, the task was quick and straight to the point, Damian wished he could say it was because of his Father's own capabilities. But it was Drake's abilities that had made it so. 

It was Drake who had everything picked out, his burial plot (right next to his parents graves, next to his mother's, no matter how hard Bruce had wanted it to be that Tim be buried on the Wayne plot) his casket (oak with accents of hickory polished and shined, velvet insides with a murky yet powerful blue hue) his gravestone (short and concise, only a few things on it, Timothy Jackson Drake there was no Wayne on it Damian noted, Son of Jack and Janet Drake, A Young Man Who Met His Fate, it felt cold, almost bare, far to bare for a person such as Drake) the suit he would've worn had there been a body (it sat neatly folded in his casket, it was a black suit with a dark blue tie and grey-ish blue pocket square, a small blue flower laying calmly atop it) the venue ( a quiet place that seemed almost untouchable, rose gardens near, the smell of blossoms in the air, had Damian not known of the souls buried never to rise again, he may have taken Titus and a sketchbook and gone to draw there)

Drake had made it so that would put no effort into his burial, clean and concise, pre-organized. Damian noted that his father seemed distraught that Drake's gravestone held no mention of him, no proof of him ever being a Wayne, ever being the man's son. Which, Damian had come to allow into his own heart, it was Damian's right to deny Drake a place in their family, it was his right to exclude Drake from the title of brother. It was not Drake's right to disregard Damian, to remove any semblance of a place in his life. Grayson and Todd seemed hurt by this as well, a right Damian believed they had, for Drake had disregarded all of them, Thomas included, the title of brother. If Cain was pained by this too, she showed no signs or cracks in her structure. 

As Damian let the funeral pass him by, he noticed a shadow in the distance, close enough for one to consider themselves part of the funeral, but far enough that you would not notice them, lest you be Ibn al Xu'ffasch, or Cain. For Cain had gone to the distance, and Damian had learned that it was Lady Shiva whom lay in the distance leaning on a tree. Damian would not know, nor it seemed any of the other bats, why the woman was there.

Damian began to let his thoughts effect him more then he should've perhaps. Because, with how Drake had done it all, it was almost like he was never there to start out, as if the beach had never had that specific grain of sand. It had never been there, but it had, and Damian knew this. 

Damian did not know exactly when he had done it. But one cloudy day, a 28 months after Drake's passing, he found himself under an oak tree, Alfred purring in his lap, as he drew, he drew ducks he realized. He was under the very same tree where Shiva had been, in the same place where if he used his memory, he could remember Drake's funeral.

Damian convinced himself that he was simply drawing animals, and if Drake happened to have a connection with said animals, then that was no one's business but his own. He sat there, cat in his lap, drawing the ducks. He pondered, and pondered, till hsi thoughts brought him to Drake.

Damian wished he could know more about Drake now that he thought of it and let the idea roll around in his mind.

He could ask about Drake, of course he could, but who?

His Father seemingly hadn't had decent time to fully recover from the passing of the boy.

Grayson did not seem quite as he should, no place to ask the man about the dead bird.

Todd....would not be of much help either Damian realized, for his relationship was much to same with Drake as his own.

Damian did know however that, Cain, Brown, and Gordon could benefit him. They knew Drake far better then Damian did, each having bonds with the boy far deeper then his own understanding could ever explain to him. But..... as Damian tried to get himself to ask...he turned on his heel and left.

[Google Search Engine -]

[          is it weird to miss someone you didn't know?         ] 🔍 enter search

Damian went to a source others found reliable for such things so broad. 

So Damian had sat down one sleepless night and typed it in, the answer came quickly.

[ No, it's not weird to miss someone you've never met. It's a common human experience to feel a sense of connection or longing for someone, even if you haven't physically interacted with them. This can happen through various avenues, including online interactions, admiration for someone's work or personality, or even through shared experiences or values. ]

It seemed that Damian was not the only one to ask such a question, for there rows of questions that were similar, Damian scrolled a bit till he found one he wanted to click on.

______________________________________________________________

Why do I feel like I miss someone I've never met?                        ⬆️

It's possible to feel a sense of longing or missing someone you've never met due to a few factors, including a strong connection or a yearning for connection and belonging. We can form emotional connections even before meeting someone in person, and sometimes we build idealized images of people in our minds. It's also possible you're projecting feelings of missing someone you do know onto an imagined person. 

______________________________________________________________

Damian pondered the answers he had been given..... He found that he did find them true for himself.

He did not know Drake, not really, he knew the surface, he knew what he had been told. But that was not knowing a person, Damian knew that much. If you were to ask one of Damian's classmates who Damian was, you would not get the right answers. You would get a jumble, a jumble of what they had observed. Which is exactly what Damian had, so he recognized that he did not in fact know Drake well at all. What he knew was what he had been told, and even then he could tell some of it was gaps of what others wanted to fill in.

Damian Wayne did not know Tim Drake and that was fine, completely fine even.... Because he did not need too.

But Damian did, he desperately did, he wanted to know, he wanted and yearned to know. He wanted the information, he wanted to know....

Could he truly fill the crater that Drake had left for him?

Damian would find himself wondering back to this question often.

The more he did.

The more he doubted himself even more.

There were things that simply seemed to far to reach, as if grasping for the stars themselves.

Drake had done something cruel, he had left a gap everywhere.

Drake had left a gap in society.

Timothy Jackson Drake ; Dead

Was the headline that no one could get enough of, everyone was filling themselves on the lies reporters were feeding themselves. While most of what Damian read was folly and child's play, the details of his death. Damian found much use in the articles as well. Neon Knights seemed to be a project of Drake's, one that many spoke positively of. 

 Timothy Jackson Drake, dies at the age of 17 years old, so close to his 18th birthday. A case of the wrong place, wrong time, the boy was killed in an unfortunate turn of events when he was killed via bullet wound to the skull during a robbery. A robbery gone wrong led to the 3 people in the building meeting early ends. The cashier, Mr. Drake, and another customer were all killed during the robbery. It seems that they met their early ends, taken from us far too soon. Mr. Drake found himself at the center of high society, the boy attended galas from a young age with his parents Jack and Janet Drake. The boy always seemed well mannered, behaved, calm, and quiet, often not making a fuss at galas and being fawned over by adults at these events. As he aged, he did not leave the eye of the public, it seemed that Tim Drake's life was to be an eventful one, his mother passing at a young age, followed years later by his father as well. Tim Drake did not seem to waver during these events, he was taken under the wing of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Though recent photos show that the boy's grave shows no hint of him being adopted by the man. Making many doubt if the billionaire ever had truly made the boy a part of family, though the teen did take on Mr. Wayne's role as CEO of Wayne Enterprises. 

Damian did not bother to read more then that. He left it at that. The article had some comments off to the side about Drake, some of them.... were unruly and a disgrace and a offence to anyone who had said them. There were jokes, jokes! About it being a "shame" Drake had died so soon, a "shame" he had died before he'd become "legal". Damian, while convincing himself he held nothing but contempt for Drake, knew that the people who had said this were scum.

Damian decided that was enough for him.... He could busy himself tomorrow. Perhaps go to that nice oak tree again. And Draw.

Chapter Text

Tim and Owen were sat on the rooftop, any other Gotham roof, concrete, stained, and high up. A half melted vanilla milkshake, and a cup with the remains of a strawberry milkshake sat between the two, the speedster reaching to finish Tim's milkshake for him. Tim slapped the other boys hand away and rolled his eyes, Owen made a pathetic sound rubbing his hand. The concrete was cold and rough, the bumps digging into Tim's thighs even as he sat in the Kevlar lined suit, it was comforting to feel the dig of the concrete. There were various stains that surrounded the two, red smeared on the grey roof, spray paint, blood, or maybe ketchup from people previous who were doing what Tim and Owen were now.

Tim held his burger in one hand, and picked up his milkshake with the other, the mixed consistency of the vanilla wrapping around his tongue, he hollowed out his cheeks a bit as he tried to pull the treat in. Tim sighed as he put the cup down a little to harshly, tossing a fry into his mouth, he turned to Owen who was swinging his legs on the edge. "I hate the type of milkshakes that are like this," he vaguely gestured to the cup that had personally offended him, "If I'm getting something to drink I want to be able to, not just sit and wait for it to melt, it gets too, too, uhm."

"Disgusting after the fact?" Owen filled in for the detective.

"Yeah, that, I lose appetite to finish once it's melted." Tim sighed finishing off the last bite of his burger, grabbing a napkin to wipe his gauntlets. 

Owen smiled that grin of his, "That's a you issue, but," Owen prolonged the 'u' the grin getting wider, "I can finish it for you." the brunette reached for the cup again.

"Fuck off." Tim rolled his eyes and grabbed his milkshake again, taking a defiant sip.

"You wound me Jackson." Owen laughed, shoving the last of the fries in his mouth, popping the lid off the strawberry milkshake and flipping it upside down above his mouth, opening his mouth wide and sticking his tongue, the sweet treat slowly dropping into his mouth.

"Gross." The idea of mixing fries and a strawberry milkshake together seemed like the sort of sadistic glee Joker would enjoy. Owen choked down the food at a speed that even Bart would find terrifying.

"Don't knock it till you try it boss man." Owen got up, grabbing the trash and disappearing in a flash of blue, returning just as quickly. "Welp, Pru will beat our ass if we stay out too long so I'm heading back."

"You're" Tim corrected but by than the wind had shifted indicating Inertia's departure. Cardinal sighed as he got up, dusting off any crumbs on his suit, pulling his hood back up, grabbing the takeout cup up to finish drinking as he took a final perimeter check of the surrounding area. The comms were dead, so he took the small bit out of his ear tossing it into a pouch in his utility belt, replacing them with air pods, he took his vigilante phone out and opened up the music he was listening to last. The Haunt started blasting in his ears, the vocals thrumming in his veins as he sucked up the last of the melted goodness, eyeballing where a trash can was from 10 stories up, pumping his fist when it landed in the bin.

Taking out his grapple he began swinging through Gotham's streets, feeling her embrace wrap around the city as it's innocents began to quiet down. Parents and young children alike laying their minds to rest, some 24/7 stores still active as well clubs and casinos, Gotham was never truly silent. Teens zoomed down the streets on bikes, skateboards, or just plain speakers, laughs and giggles filling the streets as car engines roared, Poison Ivy's vines having long become part of the buildings, the green wrapping around the buildings. 

40 minutes, and then he'd head back to the cool sheets.

*+~

Jason was either delusional or a genius, but the more and more he thought it over, the more and more the puzzle pieces fit. He already knew things he was in a family of detectives, but Jason truly knew the fighting style. Jason was probably the best to know Tim's combat style with their fights, and set aside from that Jason had stalked Tim for some time after coming back. So Jason was almost sure, that this Cardinal was one hundred percent Timothy Jackson Drake.

Jason's plan was simple, find the birdy, get into a physical altercation, use the injection, take the bird back to a safehouse or The Cave, collect a sample of DNA, test it, and boom. Far easier said than done...

Jason had been stalking Cardinal for a little over an hour when the speedster finally left, permanently. The birdy tossed his trash and popped some headphones on, and got his grapple out, Jason followed for about 10 minutes before they got to a suitable roof. Cardinal landed softly in front of him, before he could prepare for another swing Red Hood tackled him.

*+~

Tim really should've realized the night was far too peaceful since his last interaction with the bats.

00.08 seconds previous

Tim landed softly on the roof of an apartment building, gracefully rolling before bouncing back up to his feet, wringing his wrists he prepared for the next swing. The music was pumping through his veins just the way he liked it, which had been his own oversight, he felt the presence of someone with him before he actually felt it. Suddenly a rock hard chest slammed into his back as muscled arms wrapped around his shoulders bashing him into the roof, one of his air pods flew somewhere off onto the roof. He struggled to flip himself over to see who had attacked him, taking in his surroundings as much as he could with his cheek crushed into the rough texture of the roof, he tried to piece together who'd caught him off guard. Brown leather engulfed him from behind and around, a black leather glove was right next to his face, the other harshly holding his neck down, on top of that, and on top of him, someone was sitting on him. Tim felt like he had a clue to who was on top of him when he also finally heard something, it was hard to figure it out with the powerful vocals of Ado screaming into his ear, but Tim was a detective after all. 

"Stop squirming baby bird." The harsh automated voice scolded. Jason.

Jason.

Jason.

Jason "Red Hood" Todd had caught him.

Now if Tim was a bit dumber, a little more naive, and a touch more hopeful, he could think that Red Hood was roughing him up because Cardinal had encroached on his territory. But only one person, one brother, called him baby bird. Jason knew, which ironic seeing as life was coming back around to bite him in the ass with karma, screw nine year old him for figuring out Batman's identity, worst god damn mistake of his life.

Before Tim could continue sulking in his own misery, he felt a cool pinprick bit his skin, a cold liquid feeling drowned his body, black dots and stars danced in his vision as the chemical compound took him under.

With all the power he could muster, his mask he hadn't bothered to pull up, and his hood falling off his face, Tim put all his effort into scraping his cheek against the pavement to glare up at Jason.

Before

It 

All

Went

Black

Tim went limp under him, the viscous energy that'd been coursing through the kid was gone. He went completely still under Jason's hold, slowly he moved his hand, as if the kid could lie and fight through the serum himself and was lying through his teeth about being unconscious.  Jason carefully sat up, now sure Tim was truly knocked out, his little brother was limp as Jason propped himself on his knees to avoid putting pressure on Tim.

It was really Tim, those cold blue eyes had met his for a split second before fluttering closed. Now many people have blue eyes, the majority of the bats, all of the past Robins had blue eyes, but not Tim's blue. They weren't bright likes Steph's, cold like Bruce's, warm like Dick's, or energetic like Jason's were. Tim's gaze was purely his mother's, and Janet Drake was a very cold, calculating, and powerful woman in her own right, you could feel the room shift when she walked in. It was an inherently Drake thing to have that glare, and Tim had it down naturally, and that glare had been directed at Jason just now.

A thick, rough laugh exploded out of Jason as he sat up, the kid was alive, and for the most part seemed to be well. Now the last step, while it felt unnecessary, was test the DNA to be foolproof.  The Cave was closer based on where they were, and it was also more suited to test this, so Jason scooped Tim up and threw him over his shoulder and made his way back to The Cave.

Jason entered the cave, he took Tim to one of the med cots, grabbing a syringe he pushed it into the pale skin in his brothers elbow, he put the DNA in to be examined, now he'd just have to wait.

Jason sat down fiddling with his glove as he waited, only time would tell, only 3 hours would tell.

A lot however can happen in 3 hours, just as a lot can happen in 10 seconds. 

In one hour Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne will come back from a patrol as the older had been in Gotham for a day checking in on the others. They would come back into The Cave and find the second Robin waiting impatiently for something, Dick Grayson would ask his little brother what was wrong.

"Little Wing, what's up?" Concern painted his face as he placed a hand on the shoulder clad in brown leather.

"Tim" Jason responded before his mind had processed what he was saying.

"What?" Dick jumped back as if someone had hit him in his name sake, Damian was in earshot at the Bat-Computer staring at the DNA Processing Screen 28% Complete.

Jason looked up at his brother, now fully aware of what he'd said, and sticking with it, "Tim, Tim Drake."

"Jason, are you sick?" Dick pulled off his glove with his teeth, pressing the back of his hand to his brother's temple, "You're a little warm-"

"it's not that Dickhead," Jason swatted his hand away, "It's Tim, he gestured aggressively to the screen before them.

The screen showed two DNA sample makeups on the screen,

DNA SAMPLE ONE - TIMOTHY JACKSON DRAKE

The genetic makeup was visible on screen, next to it was another DNA sample.

DNA SAMPLE TWO - UNIDENTIFIED, PROCESSING COMPATABILITY

The genetic makeup was also visible on the screen.

"Jay.." Before Dick could finish, Jason pulled him over the the med cots, Damian following in tow. The man gestured to the bed where an unmasked vigilante laid still, the vigilantes right cheek was bloody and raw, but it'd heal without a scar if taken care of, which it had not been.

Dick's eyes widened and Damian's mouth was agape, the two turned back to Jason who explained. "Meet Gotham's latest vigilante, Cardinal, leader of The Ghosts, also known as Tim Drake." Jason's gaze was hard as he turned away and retreated to the Bat Computer. Leaving Robin and Nightwing staring at Cardinal. 

Half and hour later Alfred and Bruce would enter the Batcave, Bruce's reaction to what his eldest would tell him would be to freeze and stare at the unconscious boy in the cot. Trying to match up if it was possible, if it was truly Tim, truly the boy he thought he'd lost years ago. Alfred would have a far better reaction, scolding Jason and Dick for not caring to the wound. Alfred would properly dress it and ensure that the cut would not scar, cleaning up the blood and replacing the blood-stained pillow.

"Did neither of you think to take care of the wound?" Alfred scolded, his gaze hard on the older vigilantes. "Not at all?"

"Sorry Alfie." Came the reply from Robins one and two, their faces ridden with shame for a moment. Damian would grin for a moment at his brother's humiliation before the situation dawned on him once more.

At two hours and 65% later, all the batgirls would enter the cave, Cass' reaction would be a mystery as he emotions were hidden behind her eyes, and Stephanie's face would betray her composure. Babs would wipe he glasses, complaining about the temperature change when really it was a tear. 

Cass would go to the mats following Stephanie who was pacing, muttering something only loud enough for Cass to hear.

Babs would pull up some screens and find that in fact Drake Industries had been quietly revived and the money had been funneled to an offshore account with about a billion in it at this point.

Duke would be the last to come down, having woken up from his sleep after his long morning patrol, his red pajama pants dragging behind him as he entered the batcave.

It was then.

It was then when all heads would snap to the Bat Computer as it dinged loudly, only the resting vigilante who seemed all too peaceful for how tense the room was. It was then when the screen would read.

Processing Complete, DNA sets are identical matches, both DNA samples, belong to TIMOTHY JACKSON DRAKE - WAYNE.

"Motherfucking bitch"

"Jay-"

Chapter Text

"Motherfucking bitch"

"Jay-"

"Don't 'Jay' me Dickiebird, I'm calling those friends of his." Jason got up leaving The Cave before a protest could be uttered, Duke turned to the other's.

"So, anyone wanna fill a guy in orrr?" Duke's gaze shifted from the screen displaying

Processing Complete, DNA sets are identical matches, both DNA samples, belong to TIMOTHY JACKSON DRAKE - WAYNE.

to the others sat around the room, a few standing, and the unconscious boy in the med cot.

"It's a long story-" 

Duke cut Dick off, "I'm assuming we've got the time."

A summary, of the summary of what Dick and the other's told Duke about the situation is quite simple.

"Tim isn't as dead as we thought he was, now how is what we don't know. But Jason apparently had doubts, which he didn't share with any of us unless you've got something to add?"  -NW "Nope" -SI "Very well, then it seems like Todd acted on these suspicions, how long he's had his theories and been plotting-"-R "Planning Dami" -SP  "Yes Brown, planning, we've no idea" -R "What Damian means to say is the rest of us were unaware of all of this. Tonight Jason acted on it all, he tracked Cardinal down and got the jump on him." -Babs "Jason was able to subdue Cardinal and brought him back here to test Cardinal's DNA to Tim's DNA to see if the two were a match" -B "Some of us have been here for a while like Damian and Dick, some of us got here just before you," Steph jabbed a finger over at the cot. " That there would be living, very literally, that Tim's alive, he's knocked out but it should be wearing off in a minute, I'm guessing the 'friends' Jason is talking about are Kon, Bart, and Cassie." Steph finished off. 

Duke was well caught up now, and part of him wondered what good having three people who were definitely severely affected by your death suddenly there when you woke up. But also Duke didn't truly utilize the extent of his knowledge to truly catch up with what it all meant. Instead he chose to focus on the idea that Tim was alive, and hopefully well.

Tim was swimming in a vast body of water, the sun seemed to be smiling down at him in a warmth that only came from Cass' smile. A sense of comfort washed over him with the waves, one that reminded him of post patrol when Duke's head would thunk against his shoulder when he'd just gotten back after the morning. The water was blue and warm, the sun having beamed down on it for so long heating it up, the blue was all encasing like Steph's bright eyes. Tim swam through the waves as the brushed past him, the water seemed calm all around him. Diving deeper down the water was cold again, it was chilling as he dived, the blue was all too alike to Bruce's hard gaze. Opting for peace of mind, Tim swam back up, spitting a fountain of water up as he popped out into the surface again, it was comforting on the surface, like Dick's kind gaze. 

Tim sighed out, breathing in the air as he looked around him, there was surprisingly no one at all. Even more surprisingly was that there was nothing, as far as the eye could see was blue, blue, blue waters. There seemed to be nothing in the water either, no life from either animals mingling about or plants, there was no trash. It was so clean here, Tim never wanted to leave this serene paradise but he couldn't stay for long, he had left something behind. Something very important and dear to him, it was extremely close to his heart, he needed to find it.

Tim raised a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh glare of sunlight that fixed on him like Damian's pitying, withering gaze. Tim struggled to keep his head above water, which was extremely wrong, Tim was a strong swimmer when he put his mind to it. He'd become an even better swimmer since something happened to him, something that flipped him upside down and inside out. But Tim just couldn't remember what, he pressed a hand to his abdomen, it wasn't his spleen he could remember that much. So what was it? Tim didn't really have time to think about what it was as the water began to turn cold, quickly toeing on freezing, Tim needed out. The water's turned violent, waves crashing into him and swallowing him whole, he tried to swim to the surface but his arms locked up, he couldn't turn his head to see them and he couldn't feel his arms either. Tim thrashed in the waves begging some force he didn't believe in to take pity on this poor mortal, something like an Oracle to guide him.

He regained feeling of his arms and quickly bolted up to the light above him, it seemed to get farther and farther from him. His arms and legs were getting tired and the water was filling him up, it was freezing now, if he could see himself, his lips would most definitely be blue and purple. He refused to allow himself to die drowning, mustering his energy he pushed and air filled his lungs as he made it above the angry waves. He filled his longs with air as he took in big gasps, panicked he scrubbed his hair out of his eyes, why had he grown it out so long?

Tim looked around and felt for his belt, maybe he could grab hold of something to help him as the water calmed around him. Tim felt around, but felt nothing, Tim was nothing but skin in the water. That thought, that nothing was covering him, scared the living shit out of him. Tim desperately hoped that he was wrong, but running his hand up and down his leg he felt nothing but the water and slick skin. Tim wanted to cry, it was taking him back to the dungeon and the chains around his wrist, the sound of a zipper being unzipped, exposing him. Tim felt a sob claw it's way through his throat but he held it down, until he looked up again. The sun was gone, in it's place was a supermassive black void, the skies around him were turning a blood red. The clouds were darkening from a childish white to a fearsome grey. The sky seemed to bleed now, no, not the sky, the red liquid that was falling into the water all around him was coming from something. The blood stained the blue water that was encasing him, it stained his skin, and for a sick and twisted moment he was glad to have something grounding him and covering him.

Sobs filled all around him that weren't his own, sobs that seemed to turn into screams that he recognized as voices he cared for, his mother and father screaming at him for his failure to save them. Darla's wet gasps that he was a horrid bird that couldn't do anything right, Z and Owens pitying his failure as a team leader, Pru in the background shaming him for that very same mess up, and laugh that was undeniably Joker's. Tim wanted to curl up and cry and never get back up again, pull himself into a ditch and die sobbing he was a parentless bitch.

The waters around him had warmed as the horrors surrounded him, those waters turned a vile green around him. His first thought was Jason's hard glare but it wasn't that, it was Ras. The man's voice seemed to taunt him with murmurs here and there, "Detective," "Timothy," "My-" seemed to flood his ears and senses. The water seemed to pull him under.

Tim thrashed, he did want it at all. If he was going to die why couldn't he die in peace? Why couldn't this cruel world let it's bruising grip on him loosen and allow him to fall into a void of his own sorrows and failures for him to pass out in? He wanted to die so desperately, so very much he wanted to close his eyes and never wake up. He laughed at the statistic of it all, in Gotham the rate of young adult suicides had gone up in a spike, people who were around his age, born the same year too. It wasn't funny how real it was for Tim though, he choked down his sobs as the water seemed to grow brighter as he dragged down, which was wrong, the sun was that way. Tim pointed a weary finger to where he assumed the sun had been, but the air was leaving his lungs and coming back before he could hold onto a breath. He was pulled back into his thoughts, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.

Tim thought back to when he'd held the cold barrel of the gun to his own head, the irony that the gun that had killed Martha and Thomas Wayne would be the one he'd hold to his own temple. The water was biting his skin away, drops of blood were following Tim from the surface.

Garbled voices were around him, he couldn't make out who's they were, or what they were saying, but surely it was just more people he failed to save, more well-deserved insults.

Tim didn't want to.

Tim didn't want to wake up.

Don't let him wake up.

No.

Please.

He'd beg.

Get down on his knees and beg.

Please, just god, one that I don't know exists, Tim pleaded

Please, Please, Please.

Just don't make me - "WAKE UP!"

Tim sat up with a jolt, sweat trickling down his cheek, sweat or tears he would not check.

Bart bolted back quickly, before scooting back in to Tim's face. A hand was wrapped around his own squeezing it inhumanly tight, eyes trailing up the tan skin he would meet the face of Cassie Sandsmark. Someone was hovering close behind with their arms wrapped around him tugging him into a tight hug that would suffocate him had it been a bit tighter, Kon. After the mental reboot it took for the rest of him to catch up with everything else around him Tim looked up at the faces of his three friends, they too were stained with tears. 

~+~

Jason had come back all of ten minutes after having stormed off, in those 10 minutes he had changed clothes to a pair of black sweatpants and a band shirt with Green Day plastered all over it. Trailing behind him was an all too impatient speedster, a timid super, and confidence masking amazon who was truly timid inside. 

Jason scrubbed a hand over his face as he led them to the med cot where Tim was, all the other bats and co were sat around or just waiting around for Tim to wake up. Jason pulled a seat for himself plopping down on Tim's right crossing his arms over the back of the chair, staring at the unmoving body. You'd think Tim really was dead if it wasn't for the shaky up and down of his chest as he breathed in.

Cassie, Kon, and Bart froze as they stared at the boy in the med cot, the boy who had grown drastically since they'd last seen him. Tim's hair was longer than they'd ever seen it, even when he used to spike it up as Robin. Tim's skin wasn't nearly as pale as it had been before, now he had a healthy tan on him from what they could see. They never knew the sun would give him freckles but they suited him, they were ever so faint but the three cataloged  ever single one to their minds. He seemed fuller now, Tim was never just skin and bones, but he didn't have healthy fat on him, he had muscle, but now he had a fuller face and filled his suit out well. He seemed so peaceful there even with the just-now-blood-seeping-through the patch on his cheek.

Immediately Bart flopped himself down right next to Tim, Tim was curled up on the bed a little, making where Bart had sat himself right where Tim would curl in towards Bart. Cassie sat herself more gently down on Tim's other side, taking grasp of his hand and squeezing tight to feel the pulse beneath the skin. Kon strode over to position himself behind Tim and the cot, Cassie knew that as soon as Tim would wake up he would be damn near strangled via a hug from Kon. 

And boy wasn't that a thought to think of now? Tim was going to wake up, her Tim, Tim Drake, their Tim.

She squeezed tight, she'd wait as long as it took for her Boy Wonder to open his eyes.

Bart apparently would not as he took to yelling. "Wake Up!!!"

Oh, Tim woke up.