Chapter 1: ch1
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: don’t own DP or DC
Chapter 1
Tim was relieved to return to his Nest for the night, ready to crawl out of his suit and soak in the shower for a while. He ached and felt filthy thanks to having to head into the sewer for a bit. He grabbed his pills and swallowed one dry, who knew what was in the Gotham sewers, beyond Killer Croc. At least he hadn’t had to deal with him, he’d be nursing some nasty wounds if he had. He pushed his cowl back and headed for the computer to set down the drive he had found for one of his cases.
The slightest change in air pressure had him moving, drawing his bō. Some kind of portal opened and out stepped…a creature of some kind, holding…a scroll? “Who are you?” Tim demanded, voice dropping easily into the lower register Red Robin used. His face was exposed but non-human enemies rarely cared about their id’s.
It spoke, voice gravely, and the language unknown. The scroll glowed and Tim gasped as his bō fell, his hands suddenly seeming to be bound together. What the hell?!
“What are you doing?’ he demanded, only for more words to be growled, a dense weight settling around Tim’s throat.
He tried to speak and nothing happened, something heavy moving over him. He…he couldn’t move. He could feel his panic button on his belt, just under his fingers but they wouldn’t so much as twitch let alone press it. He was in for the night, no one would expect to hear from him till work in the morning. None of his alarms were going off, he should have hit the emergency alert as soon as he sensed something!
At more noise, Tim found himself lurching into motion, walking towards the creature, unable to resist. He prayed the cameras were working, that there’d be enough for JL Dark to recognise what was happening and to come save him. He walked towards the portal, his heart racing with fear. As he got closer, he could see a chain fading into view, one end clutched in a clawed hand the other…leading towards him. And then it turned, walking through and Tim obediently followed.
The world warped around him, his head spinning, and when it passed, he was in a cell…a dungeon? But he had control of his body back, to a point. His voice remained silent but he could move. His hands were no longer bound together but when he looked down, he saw solid metal manacles around each wrist. He reached for his throat and there was a thick metal collar to match, a chain falling a few inches from it. He moved to the bars, reaching out but his hand stopped inches away. It wasn’t anything physical stopping him, no…it was his ow body refusing to continue moving.
Tim took a shaking breath and turned to examine the cell. It was dark and dank which wasn’t good, he was standing in a petri dish - good thing he’d taken an antibiotic but that wouldn’t work for long. It was also small, he couldn’t stretch his arms to touch each wall at the same time, but it wasn’t much bigger than that. No windows to let in light, then again, there might not be any light to let in. The walls and floor were cold stone, other than the front wall of bars. There was an empty bucket in one corner whose purpose he could guess, a rickety stool, and a tin thick rimmed plate sitting on it…water collected in it. Was that for him to drink? It could not be sanitary. And what about food? He could go days without food but water? He’d had some not too long ago, so he’d be fine for now. But what was the plan? Why had he been taken? He searched the cell top to bottom but there was no way out that he could find or that his body would allow him to approach.
Slowly, he slid down the wall, knees tucked to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs. He buried his face, taking gasping breaths, fighting tears. This couldn’t be happening…it couldn’t.
Tam frowned, where was Tim? She rang his cell phone but it rang out until his voicemail kicked in. She left a message and then called the number that went directly to the Nest, just in case he’d gotten caught up in a case but nothing. He had a board meeting today… so she dialled again.
“Good morning, Miss Fox.”
“Good morning, Alfred, sorry to interrupt. Did Tim stay at the Manor last night?”
“No, to my knowledge he went home after game night. Is something amiss?”
“He hasn’t arrived yet and the board meeting starts in forty minutes. I tried his cell and other line; both go to voicemail.”
“I see…I shall inform Master Bruce. Thank you, Miss Fox.”
“Thanks Alfred, can you let me know?”
“Of course.”
Alfred took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. It could be nothing after all. He walked into the dining room. “Miss Fox called, Master Bruce.”
“What is it?”
“She cannot find or contact Master Timothy.”
The room fell silent.
“Dick, call Jason, he’s closer to Tim’s place,” Master Bruce ordered, already standing.
Master Richard didn’t bother answering, pulling out his phone.
Master Bruce headed for the study and they all followed. They made it down into the Cave and soon Master Timothy’s trackers were activated…except nothing happened. They weren’t registering.
“Apartment’s empty,” Jason’s voice came over the comms moments later. “No sign his bed’s been slept in. Heading down.”
They waited in silence. Had Master Timothy been hiding an injury? Was he lying in the Nest, injured? But then why were his trackers not registering?
“Shit,” Jason’s voice came through loud and clear.
“Hood?” Bruce demanded.
“I found his bō. Looks like…he dropped it and it rolled across the floor. Pulling up internal feeds.”
Alfred gripped the back of a chair, his heart pounding. No, please no.
“No…” Jason’s voice was low, pained. “S…sending the footage.”
“Jaylad?”
“Call Constantine and tell him to get his ass to the Cave or I’m shooting it,” he growled. “Enroute.”
He watched Master Bruce bring up the footage. They watched as master Tim entered the Nest, pushing back his cowl, looking tired. He headed for the computer and then spun, drawing his bō, sensing something? And then they saw the portal open and the creature emerge, Tim speaking…manacles and heavy collar appearing on Timothy even as the boy froze. There was sound but Tim didn’t make a noise, staring ahead, face blank. But when Master Bruce zoomed in…the terror in blue eyes was clear, he was fully aware of what was going on but seemingly unable to do a thing.
“Timmy,” Master Richard whispered as they watched Tim walk towards the portal and then followed the creature through it.
That explained why Master Jason said to call Mister Constantine.
John watched the footage; he was going to be sick. “Need to check the place out myself,” he told them. He needed to see what kind of trace had been left behind.
“What is it?”
“A demon.” That much was obvious. But which one? That could be impossible to work out. “Thought Red was too smart to make a deal.”
“No, Tim never would,” Brown denied.
“Bats?” John asked, seeing the way he’d tensed.
“How did Tim get the evidence to find me?” he asked, voice tight.
“No, no way!” Brown yelled, Cain nodding along.
Her fingers moved, signing.
“Cass is right, whatever happened, it involved the League, they showed up in Gotham right on Tim’s heels,” Dick explained. “And Ra’s wouldn’t deal with a demon, too proud and too smart.”
“That was a deal scroll, if the bird didn’t make the deal himself…” John winced.
“Constantine?” Bruce growled.
“The other option would be a parent, before birth, possibly even before conception. Surely you know the old stories of selling your first born?” He felt sick, those deals were not easy to get around. “Where are his parents?”
“Dead,” Bruce stated flatly.
Well, there went that lead.
Jason paced Tim’s Nest, hands on his guns despite there being no target. B had told him not to come to the Cave, to stay, and now Constantine was coming to check it out in person. Tim would never make a deal with a demon, that was what the creature had to be, right? So how could it control Tim like that? Why? And who had it come from, Tim Drake or Red Robin?
And then the whole family filed into the Nest, Constantine in front, eyes narrowed as he looked around. He moved to where Tim had stood, muttering, then moved to where the portal had been.
“Well?” Bruce eventually growled, even as Constantine shoved a cigarette in his mouth.
“Definitely a demon and not some low-level bastard either. Without knowing its name or what the contract was…look, I’ll try but the odds of getting Red back…”
“What can we do?” Jason demanded, they couldn’t just sit back and wait.
“Any of you lot read Latin?”
Jason smirked; he did.
Tim fell back as the world swirled around him again, everything going hazy. He tried to shake his head, to focus, but his mind was foggy, everything distant. There was a vague sense of being moved around, coldness, hands, claws…
Gradually, awareness came back, sort of. It was hard to think, his mind sluggish. He couldn’t move, his head bowed, staring at wood. There was so much noise, his ears ringing. Where? What was…going on? It took him a while to realise it, he was naked. His body bare to anyone there. It was cold. He wanted…dad?
The sudden silence took several minutes to sink into his muddled mind. It got colder and then a hand lifted his head. His vision was blurry but it was…a person? Lots of white…and green…glowing green eyes, reminded him of…someone? Who?
He shuddered, the chain from his collar changing, becoming smooth, the manacles and collar themselves changing as well as another took ownership of him. Tim’s mind went quiet and blank, his body obediently following his new master through a portal.
He stared at blank blue eyes. This…this had not been the plan! And now he freaking owned this guy’s soul! Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne…Red Robin. A vigilante, which, okay that was cool. He had complete control over him and no way to send him home. He wasn’t from the same dimension as him, he could sense that. Which meant no handy manmade portal. He couldn’t just ‘return to sender’ him, it’d send him back to the demon realm the demon who had owned him first came from.
He'd just gone to check on the auction, there’d been whispers of the demons breaking or at least bending his laws. So seeing a naked human led onto the block had been a shock. There was no contract taint on his soul either, no, his parents had sold him before he was even conceived! Which was weird, usually those babies were collected right after birth but he looked around the same physical age as Danny. Those behind the auction were now safely in the dungeon until he worked out who had known what. The one who had supplied the auction with young Drake-Wayne though was already set for trial.
Danny sighed but then led Timothy through the Keep to his wing and to the room attached to his own, gently getting him to sit on the bed. He put a blanket over his lap and then went to check; the closet was empty so he sent a message for human clothing to be brought. He closed his eyes, pulling back the kingly aura, he didn’t want to overwhelm or scare him anymore than the situation already would.
Slowly, blue eyes blinked, awareness seeping back in. He shuddered, gasping in a breath and then he was looking around wildly.
“Easy,” Danny murmured. “You’re alright.”
Soft…something soft…cold…he blinked. He…he was Tim, he was…his shuddered. He could feel the manacles and collar. He was…he gasped in a breath, fighting the panic.
“Easy,” a voice murmured. “You’re alright.”
Tim’s gaze snapped in that direction as his vision cleared fully. Someone who looked a lot more human than the demon from before stood across from him, leaning against a white wall, arms crossed…a relaxed, unthreatening stance. Tim swallowed as he realised that he was naked and sitting on a bed. His eyes went back to the stranger, taking in the white hair and glowing green eyes…so much like Jason’s when suffering the Rage. His skin was pale, tinted slightly blue and he caught a glimpse of delicately pointed ears in the white hair. Were those freckles or constellations on his skin?
“Can you understand me?”
Tim nodded and then found himself answering vocally. “Yes Master.” He found his eyes dropping, it felt…natural. He could feel the strange pressure over his body still but it almost felt…comforting now rather than oppressive. The manacles around his wrists looked different, smoother, softer somehow.
“Hey,” his Master’s voice was so soft and gentle. “Can you look at me?”
Tim blinked, it wasn’t an order so could he? He hesitantly managed to raise his gaze, meeting the glowing green, watching pale lips move into a small smile, were those fangs?
“That’s better. I know you’re scared and confused, but you’re going to be okay. My name is Danny, is there something you’d like me to call you. I…uh, already know your full name, it’s part of owning your soul. But it’s your choice what I call you.”
Why tell Tim his name? He supposed it made sense that Master Danny would know who he was when he owned him now. “Tim,” he whispered.
“Tim,” his Master repeated, smiling softly at him, and Tim wanted him to smile more.
He wanted to make his Master happy. Some distant part of him recognised that his thoughts weren’t normal but the fear was fading away. And then he jolted at a sudden pain, looking down to find he’d drawn blood by digging his nails into his palm but…his head felt clearer.
“What…what’s happen’ to me?” He found himself tugging at his hair but then cold hands were on his, gently pulling his hands away.
“Don’t hurt yourself,” Master Danny murmured.
Tim watched as the man…being? Opened Tim’s hand to inspect the wound.
“Not too bad.” He trailed a claw tipped finger along the wound and it went cold, for a second it shimmered as if with ice, and then Tim stared at his healed hand.
“Who…where…” Tim shivered, shaking his head.
“It’s alright, you’re safe Tim. I won’t hurt you,” Master promised. “You’re in the Infinite Realms now, in my Keep. This will be your room for as long as you’re here, no one will enter from now on without your permission, even me. That door there leads through to my quarters. And the door over there is to your bathroom. I’ve sent for human appropriate clothing as well.”
Tim’s gaze following where Master Danny pointed. Why say he wouldn’t come in without permission when Tim knew, he wouldn’t be able to deny him.
“I found you at a demon auction, there was a lot of excitement because you hadn’t sold your own soul.”
Tim frowned in confusion. He knew he hadn’t sold his soul; he’d never make a deal. He’d been around Constantine and Raven enough to know that. “I didn’t, I…”
“I know,” Master assured him, and Tim found a thumb gently rubbing his knuckles. “Tim…” he took a deep breath. “It was your parents; they sold you before you were even conceived. Their firstborn in exchange for wealth and prosperity.”
Tim felt sick, he could see Jack doing that but…his mother?
“The demon involved called in the deal because it needed equity. You were going for a very high price given the untouched state of your soul. I bought you and shut down the auction. The demon who bought you will be put on trial for breaking the law. Deals involving souls are now highly regulated, it’s illegal to sell someone else’s soul.”
“How can you do that?” Tim asked. He felt…warm and safe but he could still think, still focus.
Master smiled at him and Tim smiled back. “Because I am High King of the Infinite Realms. Think of it like the glue that holds everything together, every dimension, multiverse…and in it is every version of the afterlife. Which is why I get to tell demons that bartering for innocent souls is not allowed.”
“Am I…dead?”
“No, you’re alive and I’d like to keep it that way. Bit hard to break the deal and get you home if you’re dead.”
Tim’s eyes widened. “What?”
Master Danny lifted a hand, brushing his hair back and Tim found himself leaning in, chasing his hand. “You don’t deserve this Tim. Getting you home won’t be easy though.”
“Like in myths? Easier to get in then out,” he murmured, and Master nodded.
“There’s two ways out, a man-made portal which we lack or using a spell to send you back where you came from but that would just send you back to the demon realm you were brought to before being sold. There might be another way, older, but well…I’m kind of new at this. I do however have a massive library and I know the Master of Time. But your best bet would be someone trying to find you from your home dimension.”
“Justice League Dark,” he said. “They have a ghost on the roster, could he come get me?”
“Huh…maybe? I didn’t know there was a ghost on a superhero team. Hopefully, they’ll try to summon the demon who took you and when he fails to appear due to being in the dungeon, they’ll move up the chain. But…there’s not much point sending you back till we can break the contract. Which won’t be any easier than getting you home.”
“What if they don’t find me?” Tim asked. “If…if I die here?”
“Then you’ll be able to find your home, you can go back to give them closure, assure them you aren’t being tortured for eternity or anything.”
“And then?” Tim asked.
“Then you’ll live here, in the Realms. There’s no rule saying you can’t visit them, haunt them a bit, as long as you’re careful. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got time to work this out.”
Tim nodded. “Thank you Master.”
“Can you try to use my name?” Master asked.
Tim frowned slightly. “Master Danny?”
“Well, it’s an improvement. I guess it’s a way to tell when the contract breaks.”
“I want to make you happy,” Tim whispered. “I’m not scared anymore. I want…”
“I know,” Master Danny told him. “It’s the contract. If we can’t break it quickly, we’ll try to find a way to loosen it at least.”
A knock sounded and Master Danny stood, going to the door that led to his rooms. He talked to someone that Tim couldn’t see. It felt natural to follow him with his gaze. And when Master turned, he was holding cloth.
“Clothing for you. More will come but this should do for now. Do you feel cold?”
“Not anymore.”
“Hmm, I guess the contract is protecting you from that.”
He could feel Tim’s desire to please him and he knew, it would be so easy to abuse the control he had over him. It was scary, he didn’t want to hurt Tim. He was an innocent victim in all of this. And he thought, maybe…if Tim wasn’t his soul-bound slave, then maybe…they could be friends. Danny had been a ghost vigilante after all; they had a lot in common.
He put the pile on the bed and separated it out into a pair of loose pants and a vest. Well. Not exactly what he had wanted but he knew it was likely the Observants deciding to dress Tim to his current station.
“I doubt this is your taste, but it beats being naked.”
“If you want me to be naked then it’s okay,” Tim answered, and for a second there was a flicker of surprise at his own words before it vanished.
“That’s the contract talking. I’ll call in someone to make you more appropriate clothing. You can describe what you usually wear and they’ll get things as close as possible.”
He held the vest out and Tim slipped his arms in. He held the pants up and Tim stood, not flinching when the blanket fell away. He stepped in and Danny settled them on his waist. He looked…good in Danny’s colours. Tim swayed forward and Danny steadied him.
“Let me please you Master Danny,” Tim whispered, a hazy look in his eyes, his body pliant against Danny’s own.
He bit back a shiver. How long had it been since someone had been so close to him? He ran his fingers through Tim’s hair, feeling him shiver in return as Danny’s claws gently scratched his scalp.
“You don’t mean it,” he whispered, “and deep down, you know it. Focus Tim.”
The haziness faded from his eyes as he obeyed. He tensed slightly but then relaxed again, a trembling hand coming up to put a little distance between them.
“I won’t hurt you Tim, and I would never, ever, order you into my bed,” he swore. “You can’t consent like this and without consent…” Danny had been violated in a different way when Vlad used his DNA to clone him but it was still a violation. He would never, never do that to someone else.
Danny made sure Tim was steady on his feet and then stepped back.
“I…” Tim took a shaky breath. “I don’t know what I want…”
“I’m going to try something to help you.”
Tim looked at him, trust and wariness wary for supremacy.
“Tim, your mind is going to remain clear and your thoughts will be like they were before the contract. You won’t do anything that could hurt you, even if you think I want you too.”
Tim grimaced, shaking his head, hands coming up to it. And then he slowly relaxed a little, but some tension remained. Now, there was more wariness but also some thanks.
“Better?” he asked, and Tim nodded.
“It’s easier to think,” he admitted softly.
He listened to his Masters’ words, almost able to feel them sinking into his mind and soul. And the world became clearer, sharper. He’d…what had he done? He’d basically offered himself to his Master…a stranger…someone who had bought him. He looked at his Master, fully understanding just how much power he had over him. And now, he could feel a small stirring of fear, not as much as he knew he should, but it was there. It had worked, he could think about everything he’d been told, mind spinning as he began trying to work out all the options, possible traps, contingencies.
“Better?”
Tim nodded. “It’s easier to think,” he admitted, and Master smiled.
“Good.”
He…he really seemed to mean that. He could turn Tim into a mindless slave and Tim would go willingly. Instead, he was trying to help Tim resist, hadn’t accepted what Tim had offered despite seeming to want it…no, he didn’t want sex. His touch had been gentle, affectionate, but not arousing…he was High King. Did he have anyone? Such powerful positions could be very lonely.
“Are you hungry? I’m guessing you weren’t fed before the auction. Actually, any idea how long you were held for?”
Tim shook his head. “There were no clocks or windows in the cell and I couldn’t focus enough to keep track of time. But I don’t think it was too long or else I’d be suffering from the lack of food. There was some water, not sure how sanitary it was.”
“I’ll show you the kitchens then, human-safe food is kept on hand. You can get food whenever you’re hungry and they’ll include a meal for you with mine too.”
Tim followed him through the door that had opened before, finding a large corridor. He focused on making a mental map of the route as they made their way to the massive kitchens.
“This section is the human-safe area, only eat food that comes from here,” Master warned, and Tim nodded, he didn’t want to see what the other food would do to him. Make him sick? Or would it be like with fairy’s or Hades and trap him there forever?
Soon he was sitting with some soup and fresh bread, still warm even! It tasted very good and he made himself eat slowly, better to not risk being sick. Once they’d both eaten, they returned to his room and Master Danny showed him how to work the lights and everything in the bathroom.
“Goodnight Tim.”
“Goodnight, Master Danny.”
He watched him leave through the connecting door and then took off the vest and pants. They were comfortable, loose and flowy, but in case it took time for more clothing to be provided it was probably best not to sleep in them.
Tim curled up in bed, finding it very comfortable. And then the tears came, he wanted his dad, his siblings…and he wanted his Master.
TBC…
Chapter 2: ch2
Notes:
Glad you all liked ch1!
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 2
Tim woke with a gasp, shuddering in pleasure. He panted softly, clutching the pillow, mind spinning. It took a few moments for his body to calm and relax and then he realised what had happened. Oh. He wasn’t a teenager anymore! He shifted away from the evidence and sat up, looking around. Right, he was in his new room, next to Master’s. Master Danny…he had dreamed of him, of being held, touched…kissed… He got out of bed and picked up the clothing from the night before, heading into the bathroom.
He started the bath running and then went back into the bedroom to strip the sheets. He’d need clean ones and hopefully wouldn’t die of embarrassment asking for them. By the time he went back into the bathroom the bath was ready. He stepped in and then sat down, reclining back, closing his eyes as he soaked in the hot water.
He felt better after sleeping, his mind felt clearer in a way, even as he could recognise his thought processes had…changed. It should be scary but it wasn’t. He knew that he should want to go back to his family but he didn’t feel it, all he wanted was to serve Master Danny, to make him happy. He knew it was the contract but that didn’t matter anymore.
He washed up and then got out of the bath, dried, and dressed in the pants and vest again. He looked in the mirror, taking in how the clothes accentuated his body. Master hadn’t seemed upset by his scars at least. The vest framed his chest nicely, the pants clinging in all of the right places. He shouldn’t be pleased by that, should he?
He studied his collar and manacles; they looked different to how they did before. They had been rough then, very basic. But now the metal was smooth, shimmering slightly in the light and…there were decorative marks in the metal. He lifted his arm to get a closer look, they were…stars and snowflakes. A few links of chain fell from his collar but weren’t long enough to work as a leash. He liked them, they were comforting. They didn’t hurt or pull or anything.
And then there was a knock on the door connecting to Master’s room. He went back into the bedroom and knelt on the floor. “Yes Master.” He bowed his head.
The door opened and then soft footfalls approached. “Oh Tim,” Master Danny murmured. And then he was kneeling in front of him. A cool hand gently cupped his cheek, urging his head up. “It’s alright Tim. You don’t have to do this.”
Tim leant into his Master’s hand, enjoying the coolness of his touch. “I want to please you Master,” he whispered.
Danny was mentally swearing his head off, Tim’s eyes were clear unlike last night when he’d offered himself but his attitude was very much like it had been then. It seemed the contract had strengthened overnight or something. There was no fear or wariness left in Tim, he stared at Danny as if he had hung the stars. If it was real then Danny would be very flattered, but it wasn’t real.
“Tim what you’re feeling isn’t real, you know that, it’s the contract. I’m going to take you to my doctor for a check-up and then we’ll work on loosening the contract. Are you hungry?”
“No Master.”
“Okay, then we’ll go see Frostbite first. He’s a yeti and very tall, but he’s an excellent doctor and won’t hurt you.” He held his hand out, relieved when Tim took it without a verbal order. He wasn’t sure how much Tim could do without them now.
Danny teleported them right into the medical area of the Far Frozen, seeing a few yetis about.
“Great One!” and there was Frostbite.
“Frostbite, this is Tim. He’s the human from the auction yesterday.”
“Ah, I see. Please, come this way.”
Danny kept a hand on Tim’s shoulder as they walked into an exam room. He helped Tim settle on the bed and then stepped back to let Frostbite work.
“You are in relatively good health. I can detect some childhood malnutrition and signs of a highly dangerous virus. You are also missing your spleen.”
“I caught the Clench as a teen, it’s a version of Ebola,” Tim explained, and Danny grimaced. That was one very nasty virus! “I was stabbed through the spleen when I was seventeen, it had to be removed.”
“I see. Do you suffer any joint pain, exhaustion, vision or hearing issues?”
“I work during the day in and at night as a vigilante so I’m often tired and in pain. No trouble with my vision or hearing unless I’ve been staring at the monitors for too long.”
“I see, I shall do a more in-depth test of both to ensure there is no damage.”
There was silence as he worked. “Hmm…there is some slight damage to your eyes but I believe that is more from overuse of mortal computers. It is easy enough to repair. The malnutrition can also be corrected. As to your missing spleen, we can grow a new one and reinforce your immune system.”
Tim’s eyes were wide as he looked between them.
Danny smiled gently at him. “Would you like that?” He asked, offering no opinion of his own to keep Tim from saying what he thought Danny wanted to hear.
“I…Master?”
“Tim, this is your health, your body. I can’t and won’t make this decision for you. Do you want this done or do you want to stay as you are?” He asked gently.
Tim felt strange as he sat on the bed. Choose? How…he knew he could have before. It would have been easy, take in the facts and decide but now…his body belonged to Master, his whole being did. He had no right to decide anything that would happen.
Frostbite frowned as he watched the young mortal. He picked up a small crystal and held it up, letting the light hit it as he looked at the human through it. Oh.
“He cannot make that decision any longer Great One. The chains of the contract have solidified around mind and soul. He is no longer capable of making a choice.”
He saw the horror on Danny’s face and understood. One thing the young halfa held close was the freedom of choice. It was part of what made him such a good king.
“You can either wait until the contract is broken or loosened, or make the decision for him.” But he honestly wasn’t sure the contract could be broken now that it had such a powerful hold on the boy.
Danny took a shaky breath, horrified. Tim looked at him, with wide blue eyes, something almost…innocent in them. The contract was stripping him of everything that made him who he was. Would it take his memories too if they didn’t deal with it soon?
He accepted the crystal from Frostbite, holding it up, feeling sick as he saw the chain around Tim’s head that led back to his collar, another seeming to emerge from his chest where his heart lay. He was fully bound now - body, mind, and soul.
“Oh Tim…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he whispered. He reached out to push some hair back from Tim’s face, Tim leaning into his touch.
“Please don’t be sad Master.”
“I’m going to fix this Tim,” he promised. He looked at Frostbite who nodded, he would look after Tim.
He had a certain Ancient of Time to question.
Frostbite gently coaxed the young mortal into lying down, the boy looking utterly lost now that the Great One was gone. He hoped they could free him soon. With the King’s permission, he would replace the missing spleen seeing as it could be a life-threatening issue should young Tim become ill or even injured. The rest of the issues would wait until he could consent.
The mortal was soon deeply asleep and they went to work, using ectoplasm to help coax his body into growing a new spleen. It was not easy; they needed to do it without infusing him with too much ectoplasm. He was at high enough risk of becoming liminal given they didn’t know how long it would take to return him home.
It took care and time but when they finished, the young man had all of his organs where they should be. It would take a few days or so for the new spleen to fully begin working, but there were no diseases for him to be exposed to in the Infinite Realms.
Tim woke slowly, finding he was in the bed in his room. There was a slight ache in his side and he sat up carefully, pushing his vest open more to look. His scar looked like it always did and he carefully prodded at the area but there was no increase in pain thankfully. The bed had been made with fresh sheets while he was gone which was nice.
He got out of bed and walked towards the wardrobe, seeing something on the handle. A shirt? He opened the door to find more clothing. All of it was soft and looked comfortable even the fancier pieces. He guessed those were for if Master wanted him out in public. Before, someone coming into the room while he slept and putting clothes away would have had him utterly paranoid but not now. This was Master’s home so everyone within must serve him, therefore they were safe.
Tim blinked, pressing a hand to his head. For a brief moment he knew those thoughts were wrong. He…he had to fight…he had…
Tim blinked and smiled as he picked out some clean clothes, he would look nice for Master when he returned.
Danny clutched the scroll, worried. When Clockwork was anything other than utterly cryptic, it meant things were bad. Tim was important to his dimension; this wasn’t meant to happen. He knew that Tim was in his room, he could sense his location now. He moved to his own room and then knocked on the connecting door.
“Yes, Master.”
He entered and found Tim kneeling in front of the open wardrobe, seeing that it had been filled. Danny walked over, and gently stroked soft black hair, able to feel Tim’s contentment and pleasure at his touch.
“How do you feel? Are you in any pain?” he asked gently.
“My side aches a little, Master, but it’s not bad.” The answer was completely honest, Tim glancing up at him.
“Frostbite said it might ache a little, your organs had shifted a little due to the gap. It will take a few days for the spleen to get to full working order,” he explained gently. “If the pain gets bad or something feels wrong, you need to tell me, alright?”
“Of course, Master.”
Danny gently pulled Tim to his feet and lead him to sit on the bed. “I spoke with an Ancient while the procedure was being done about how to break the contract. He gave me a way to loosen it.” A contract this far along had never been broken, if they managed then they would be the first, and Clockwork could not tell them if they would succeed or how to do it. He had already stretched the rules of his position by giving Danny the scroll.
“I’m not sure how this will feel for you,” he warned. “It might be best if you lay down.”
Tim nodded and lay down on the bed, watching him curiously.
Danny took a deep breath and unrolled the scroll; it was glowing green but a lot of things in the Realms did that. He laid it on Tim’s chest, over his heart, and then began to carefully read it out loud. English and Esperanto were easy, even some Spanish and French. But ancient Egyptian?! Thankfully, Clockwork had run him through it several times to ensure his pronunciation.
He could hear Master speaking, not recognising the language. But everything began going fuzzy, his body utterly limp, unable to move even if he wanted to. Dimly, he could see chains forming…was that one in his chest? But it didn’t feel important. And then something began to burn.
Danny heard the soft whine Tim let out, but there was nothing he could do at the moment but keep going, interrupting this would not end well. The chains he had seen through the crystal were now fully visible and solid. Green flames flickered over them, burning, that was the cause of Tim’s discomfort. But slowly the chains seemed to soften, stretching, no longer tight.
And then it was over, the chains fading from sight again.
“Tim, can you hear me?” he called, relieved when Tim stirred.
His eyes opened slowly and then he stiffened a little, breathing a bit faster.
“It’s over now, how do you feel?”
Tim slowly pushed himself up, rubbing at his chest, brow slightly furrowed. Danny let him have space and time to figure it out.
Tim felt strange…disconnected, but that was fading. He heard Master Danny asking how he felt but he couldn’t answer because he didn’t know. He carefully sat up, rubbing at his chest when it twinged…where the chain had appeared. He swallowed, throat a little dry. He looked over at his Master and he felt…different.
He wanted…to go home. Tim blinked, he…he wanted something. He hadn’t early, not for himself, only to please Master Danny. “Home,” the word slipped out without him realising it. He…he was Tim Drake-Wayne, Red Robin, he didn’t want to be a slave.
And Master Danny smiled at him in…relief? Right, he’d said before that he would find a way to free him, to send him home. And he seemed to be keeping his word. Tim shuddered as he remembered just that morning, waking up utterly devoted, unable to decide anything, not wanting to go home… He could have easily left Tim like that, done whatever he wanted to him and Tim would have happily accepted it.
“Tim?” Master Danny sounded worried now.
He looked up, meeting glowing green eyes. He swallowed, trying to moisten his mouth. “I…I want to go home. I want,” he whispered, and Master Danny smiled, taking his hand gently.
“That’s good.”
Tim nodded, slowly. He looked down at his manacles, they didn’t hurt or anything, but they were still there. He could feel the collar sitting snug against his throat still as well. “What did that do?”
“Loosened the control of the contract over your mind and soul. The ghost I went to see is the Ancient of Time; he sees it all. And he’s never seen one of these contracts broken in the past. He was close to breaking the rules in giving me that scroll, he can’t tell me if he’s seen them broken in the future. So, there’s still a chance that it can be broken.”
Tim nodded slowly. He thought of his family and friends and he missed them, he hadn’t early. They had felt…unimportant. “If we can’t break it, I can’t go home, can I?”
“I’m not sure,” Master Danny admitted. “We’ve got time to figure it out though, we have to find your home first.”
Tim felt his stomach growl and Master Danny laughed, smiling at him.
“First, I think you need some food.” He offered his hand and Tim took it.
Bruce fought the urge to pace. A week…his son had been missing for a week now, stolen away by an unknown demon. The thought of what he would be suffering…would he ever recover? Could he? Would they find Tim to get back nothing but an empty body, his mind broken?
Constantine was doing his best, Jason and Damian helping with the research since they could both read Latin. If Tim was there…Tim was as gifted with languages as he was with detective work. The first time he’d snapped back at Damian in perfect Arabic had shocked his youngest, but nothing compared to some business rivals who had been commenting on Tim’s age in Russian. That was one of his newer learned languages, since he had gone to Russia about the Neon Knights. The Drake’s had wanted him to be bi-lingual at least and Tim had run with the idea, reading and speaking eight languages at various levels of comprehension.
He hated the Drake’s even more than ever now. He was actually beginning to find the idea of bringing them back and letting Jason at them tempting. How could they sell their future child’s soul? He could never dream of doing that, even to save the world.
All he wanted was his son home and safe.
Danny watched as Tim read a book, making notes. He wanted to help research ways to break the contract and of course Danny had agreed. Anything that gave Tim some control over his own life was a good thing. He was so relieved to see him restored to himself as much as possible. The library was huge; it would take many lifetimes to search completely. That was why Danny had also called on Ghost Writer for help.
He hadn’t stopped there; he had asked every Ghost that he could trust for help. If there was a way, they would find it.
Tim ran through the stretches he had learnt as Robin, remembering learning from Dick and being so happy. He’d been shown a small garden where he could do whatever he wanted, practice, read, just sit and stare at the flowers…Master Danny had insisted that he could do anything so long as he didn’t hurt himself.
It was good to work on something physical for a change. Everything he’d been reading was going through his head continuously. There had to be something, someway. He’d confirmed one thing, even death would not free him, as long as the contract existed then he was Master Danny’s property for eternity. But he had promised that Tim could see his family if that happened, that he could haunt them if they accepted him as a ghost. But that wasn’t how he wanted to see them again, besides that, he would surely outlive at least Alfred, likely even Bruce given that Tim was now living in peace.
Tim was adjusting to his life in the Keep. He ate his meals with Master Danny, for which one of the kitchen staff had thanked him since it meant that Master was remembering to eat regularly. He was actually sleeping all night which was weird but he felt better rested than he had ever before which meant he had more energy than ever. Tim spent most of his time researching but he also spent time with Master Danny or in Frostbite’s care as they worked to fix the old issues with his health. The passing of time felt…weird but he’d been assured that he hadn’t been there too long, yet.
He wanted to go home but…he also enjoyed his time with Master Danny. He knew this feeling…he liked his Master. He looked forward to every smile, every touch, and any word of praise. And it wasn’t just because of the contract.
Dick sat in Tim’s apartment, staring at the photos on the walls. He knew Timmy’s work when he saw it. When was the last time he’d just come by to spend time with his baby bird? Tim was always so busy between WE, the Neon Knights, Red Robin…he was so proud of the kid, had he ever said that? When was the last time he’d told Tim that he loved him? Would he ever get the chance again?
Frostbite hid a smile at the way the Great One stumbled over his words. Watching the two of them caused a mix of emotions. If only the contract was not between them. Danny needed someone who could match him and young Tim could be that being, if they could free him. The Realms would rejoice if he took a consort. So many of them worried about how alone he was, despite their friendships.
He was a halfa, he needed human interaction, but the world of his birth had been forbidden by the Great One’s own command. Still, there were infinite more worlds that he could explore, live a mortal life in. Perhaps…Timothy’s earth would be the one.
Cassie looked at Bart and Kon who were waiting for her, hating to have to give them bad news. She had gone to her father, to Zeus, for aid in finding Tim. They could handle getting him back, they just needed to know where to go. He had even agreed to summon Hades for her! But the god of the dead had given bad news, the kind of deal they suspected Tim was under had been outlawed by some being above even Hades. So how had Tim been taken?
“We’ll find him,” Kon whispered, and she nodded. They would, somehow.
Tim knelt on the cushion beside Master Danny’s throne, not really listening to what was going on. It turned out there was a side effect to loosening the chains, he couldn’t get too far from his Master without being yanked back to his side. He’d been offered a chair but it felt wrong and so the cushion. It was large and soft, supportive, very comfortable.
He closed his eyes as claws gently scratched at his scalp, feeling all of his worries fading away. He bit back a whine, pressing up into the touch. Master Danny never withheld physical affection because Tim craved it, needed to be touched. He just wouldn’t touch Tim the way he really wanted. He understood why he wouldn’t, it was the contract that made Tim want it…wasn’t it?
Master Danny had many attributes that Tim liked in a partner so it was possible some of the desire was real. But dreaming of him every night, waking up to the evidence of those dreams like he was a teen again…that had to be the contract. He was not prone to such vivid dreams or having recurrent ones, nightmares about things he couldn’t change sure, but not dreams like this.
Master scratched a little harder and Tim couldn’t hold in the soft moan.
Danny glanced down at Tim, seeing the slight flush to his face. Tim needed contact and Danny wondered if all of it was the contract or if some was lingering touch issues from his childhood. With Tim’s consent, treatment had begun, healing his eyes and treating old injuries that caused lingering pain, strengthening his body to correct the malnutrition. He’d even put on a little height.
He was beautiful and if not for the contract…Tim would say yes if he hinted, but was that truly consent even with the bonds loosened? Tim would say it was but could they really trust Tim’s decisions at the moment?
Thankfully, the meeting was over and they were alone when Tim moaned. His presence caused enough comments. Everyone knew why he was there, that Danny was looking for a way to free him, but it didn’t stop the teasing comments. No one doubted his actions, not with the punishments doled out to the demons involved.
“Tim,” he whispered, and Tim’s eyes fluttered open, meeting his gaze.
“Please,” Tim whispered without calling him Master.
“Please what?” he asked gently.
Tim pressed up against his hand in answer. He scratched along Tim’s scalp with pressure and Tim slumped against his leg. If he was a cat, he’d be purring. He stopped and Tim whined. He reached out and gently guided Tim up and into his lap before going back to the petting and scratching. Tim sighed, going boneless. It was a good thing his ghost form had had a very good growth spurt with his taking the crown. He could easily hold Tim in his lap, not that the other was overly tall, barely 5’8” even with the little bit of growth he’d had.
He wanted Tim but he couldn’t take advantage of him, he wouldn’t. He knew Tim’s bed was being freshly made every day, knew why. He was started to feel it too, the hazy pleasure that Tim felt every night and it was very distracting. It was strange enough sensing his location but starting to sense his emotion? The thought of having him in his bed… Hazy blue eyes opened and then Tim turned his head, pressing his lips briefly to Danny’s arm.
He was so warm compared to Danny; he missed human warmth. He didn’t take his human form often anymore, there was no point, and even then, he was cooler due to his half-dead status.
The jewel embroidered vest looked stunning on him, the sapphires a very close match to the shade of Tim’s eyes and he knew that was deliberate. Any artist would be lucky to paint or sculpt him. He took Tim’s arm and gently lifted it, pressing a matching kiss to his wrist, watching his eyes widen slightly.
“Please Master,” Tim whispered.
“Tim…” he closed his eyes, pushing back the desire.
Tim shifted so that he was sitting up, face to face, but thankfully with enough space that certain body parts weren’t in contact. Tim looked up to make eye contact and then ran his hands down Danny’s chest. Thankfully, he had his formal wear on so he was fully covered. He caught Tim’s hands gently in his.
“Don’t Tim, we can’t.”
“I dream of you every night,” he admitted, hoping that it wouldn’t upset him to hear that.
“I know,” Master Danny admitted quietly.
He knew?! Tim felt his face warm in embarrassment, had whoever changed the sheets told him?
“It’s okay Tim, it’s the contract. Without it, you wouldn’t be having those dreams.”
Tim nodded, he knew that to a degree, even without it he’d be having one or two just not every night. “I’m attracted to you, me, not the contract. It might be pushing the dreams, making me crave touch but… you tick a lot of the boxes that have always attracted me to someone,” he explained. “You could have let the contract turn me into a mindless slave but you didn’t. I know what’s me and what’s the contract, even if I can’t act or speak it.” He bit his lip, struggling to explain.
“Take your time,” Danny murmured.
Tim took a few deep breaths, focusing to work out the words. “I know you won’t hurt me, won’t use me like that. You’re a good king, a good person.” He licked dry lips and then relaxed as Master Danny lifted a hand to run through his hair. “I…” he felt his face warm again but he had to get it out. “I’m not asking for sex,” he rushed out. “But maybe…dating?”
Master Danny blinked, seeming surprised. “Dating?” Had his voice gone up in pitch slightly?
Tim nodded, looking down briefly. He could do this, he could. He looked up again, meeting glowing eyes. “Do you know what dating is?”
“I was human once,” Master Danny answered softly, surprising Tim.
He’d had some talks with Frostbite while under his care, often the more human looking ghosts had been human once, but it wasn’t a guarantee. He’d thought Master was just a human-looking ghost.
“Would you date me without the contract?” Tim asked nervously.
Master Danny’s hand slipped from his hair to rest against his cheek and Tim leant into it. “Yeah,” he whispered. “You’re amazing Tim. But there’s no way you would ever really want to date me.”
“Why not?” Tim argued, despite feeling like the collar was constricting around his throat. He couldn’t help pressing a hand to it.
“Easy Tim, it’s okay. You can argue with me, tell me what you think,” Master practically babbled, and Tim felt the collar ease.
He took a deep breath, seeing the horror on Master Danny’s face. “I’m okay,” he promised.
He tilted his head up when Master hesitantly reached out to check, letting him feel his throat, he knew he wouldn’t hurt him. The scar on his throat was hidden by the collar, since then he could only let those who he really trusted near his neck but there was no fear with him. Master Danny could have hurt him in a million ways but he only ever tried to help him.
Tim swallowed to prove his throat was fine. “Why wouldn’t I want to date you? I’ve dated non-humans before; my best friend is half-Kryptonian.” Kon had to be so worried, he’d been very protective of him since coming back.
“I honestly don’t know how long I’ve been here, it’s hard to keep track of which is weird for me. But I’ve learnt a lot about you, Master Danny. I know you hate that I have to call you Master.” Tim smiled slightly. “I like what I know and the whole point of dating is to get to know each other better. I don’t how dating would work here but could we try?”
Master Danny stared at him, hesitating, considering everything. “You really want to… Tim, I need you to be completely honest. Would you really date me without the contract?”
Tim nodded, even as the contract compelled him to answer. “Yes, Master Danny, I would.” He leant in and pressed his lips to Master’s cheek, feeling him shiver.
“Tim…alright. We…we can try this,” he whispered. “But there has to be rules, to protect both of us while you’re under the contract.”
Tim nodded, that made sense. “Alright.” He smiled; they were dating! Another reason for him to keep looking for a way to break the contract.
TBC….
Chapter 3: ch3
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 3
Danny lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, mind reeling. He’d said yes, why had he said yes? It was crazy and it was all going to blow up in his face once Tim was free. Even if Tim was genuinely attracted to him somehow, it had to the contract making him want to be with Danny. He knew what he looked like, felt like, to humans. How could anyone living want to date him? he was going to get his heart broken again and he’d have no one to blame but himself. But Tim in his lap, telling him he liked him, eyes clear and expression almost stern before hesitantly asking about dating…how could he have said no? He liked Tim, he was smart and so easy to talk to. If only they could have met years ago, before he was King, before…
He closed his eyes and tried to stop thinking about it only to muffle a groan as hazy pleasure leaked through from Tim, he was dreaming again. And part of Danny wanted to go to him, to make the dreams real, but he couldn’t, it would be so wrong. They’d made the rules together and sex was a no go until Tim could truly consent. Kissing was okay but only as long as Tim initiated and Danny would have to monitor him closely to ensure that Danny didn’t push to far. Cuddling and handholding were fine too.
And then he bolted up and across the room to the connecting door, pulling it open but then stopping, he’d promised. He scanned the room, relieved to find that Tim was alone. “Tim!” he called even as the mortal screamed again, thrashing in bed, terror pouring through the contract bond. “Time wake up!” He ordered.
Tim gasped, eyes snapping open as he scrambled back across the bed.
“Easy Tim,” Danny called softly, and Tim blinked, looking at him.
“Master?” his voice was shaky but he’d stopped moving.
“You were screaming in your sleep,” Danny told him.
“Oh,” Tim whispered. He wiped at his eyes and Danny pretended to not see the tears.
“Do you want me to go?” he asked, and Tim shook his head.
“Please,” he whispered, reaching towards him.
Danny hesitated but then walked over to sit on the edge of the bed and Tim clung to him, trembling. Danny lifted a hand to gently rub his back. “It’s okay, you’re safe,” he promised.
“My Dad….” Tim choked out and Danny listened as he told the story of his Dad’s brutal murder, getting there minutes too late and then everything involving his killer later. Tim was strong to have the man right there and then chose to save his life. Many would have let him die. “I just…wanted him to love me, to see me. And when he was starting…”
“I’m so sorry Tim.” Maybe, he could try and find Jack Drake? Chances were with a death like that; he could be a ghost. If he was and remembered Tim then he could reunite them.
They sat in silence for a while as Tim calmed down, Danny offering what comfort he could. He should have realised that being in the Infinite Realm would end up influencing his dreams, giving him dreams of those who had died. Hopefully he didn’t know a lot of dead people?
Gradually Tim’s weight pressed more heavily into his side and Danny realised that he’d fallen asleep. He tried to get up but Tim was clinging on tightly and would begin getting distressed, so he settled against the headboard as Tim slept.
Tim woke slowly, something nice and cool against his face, the blankets warm, and gentle fingers running through his hair. B? Was he sick and Bruce looking after him? He shifted closer, drifting closer to sleep again.
“Tim?”
And he remembered. “Mmm.”
Master chuckled softly. “Go back to sleep if you want, it’s still early.”
Tim shifted so his head was better in his lap, wrapping an arm around him, and let himself fall back to sleep since Master said he could.
Danny smiled softly, mostly asleep Tim was adorable. He picked up his book again, one that Ghost Writer had found deep in the library and all about demon deals. Tim couldn’t read it since it wasn’t in a human language and Danny reading it freed Ghost Writer to keep searching. Fright Knight had questioned the demon before he was sentenced, the idiot had no clue how to break his own deals! He was being kept alive for now, just in case it was necessary since he was the one to originally make the deal.
John sighed and put aside another scroll, rubbing at his eyes. He’d kill for a cigarette but he couldn’t afford to accidentally set any of this mess on fire. They were coming up on three weeks Earth time since Tim was taken, who knew how long that was in whichever demon realm he’d been taken to. It could have been minutes…or years. The longer it took, the worse the kids odds got.
If he knew what demon or even which kind, he could summon it but so far, they’d come up empty. And then info relayed from Hades was concerning, if those kinds of deal were now outlawed, why come for Tim? Unless they just couldn’t make new ones?
Attempting to summon something higher up might work but would also be incredibly dangerous. But he had begun working on it as a last choice option.
Tim held master Danny’s hand as they walked along a beach, the green sky above them still strange to him. It was their first date and so far, it was going wonderfully. They’d had a picnic lunch on the beach sharing stories about their lives and now they were walking beside the waves. They looked a bit greener than he was used to but that was just the ectoplasm, it was everywhere.
He leant into Master as they walked. Honestly, he liked the size difference between them, Master Danny was taller than B or Jason, he had to be what, six and a half feet? But his build wasn’t as bulky as theirs.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Master Danny asked, and Tim looked up at him, smiling.
“Yes,” he assured him. “I haven’t dated much,” Tim admitted. “Twice in high school and nothing much since. So, this is very different but I like it. It’s peaceful, there’s no pressure, no one to see us.”
“People watch teenagers on a date?” Master asked.
“Well, I was the Drake heir and then another adopted Wayne kid. In Gotham, that’s basically royalty.”
“Ah, yeah, that makes sense. We might get some curious ghosts popping in to see but they’d never interrupt unless it’s something I’m needed for as King.”
Tim looked at the waves rolling in. “Is it safe?”
“There are no ghost sharks,” Master promised.
So Tim rolled up his pants and waded in, Master following him. Tim took a breath and then splashed water at him, feeling the collar tighten ever so slightly but it wasn’t too bad. And when Maser Danny laughed, it loosened. He splashed back and soon they were chasing each other through the surf, playing.
Frostbite carefully but swiftly examined Tim once again. He was keeping a close eye on him since living humans were not meant to live in the Infinite Realms. He was being exposed to far too much ectoplasm.
“Tim stop!”
He found himself frozen in place mid step. Master Danny quickly lifted him up and away even as the ground shimmered and then dissolved, right where he’d been about to step.
“I’m sorry,” Master whispered against his ear, and Tim shivered slightly, but he was still basically frozen. “Oh. You’re free to move Tim.”
And his body relaxed. “What happened?” he asked, moving to wrap his arms around Master’s neck for balance.
“A clever illusion trap. I should have checked before you started wandering. They’re ghost prank levels but for a human…”
“Thank you for stopping me,” Tim told him.
“Tim, I ordered you,”
“And saved me from getting hurt. I don’t know enough of your home to avoid every danger, Master Danny. An order to save my life or just stop injury isn’t something to get mad about.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.” Tim smiled at him, and then leant in, Danny letting him kiss him. “It’s no different to me yelling at a teammate to stop in the field.”
“Except they can choose to ignore you.”
“But in the field, they wouldn’t, they would trust I could see something they couldn’t or knew something.”
Bruce ducked and then slammed his fist into Scarecrow’s mask, watching him drop. Finally. Usually, he was totally focused on patrol but he’d found it harder since Tim was taken. His attention always wanted to wander to the research, to finding a way to save his son. But he had to protect Gotham. Tim would hate it if he was the reason people were hurt.
Danny sat at his desk, working on paperwork, Tim at his feet reading a book, researching his contract. As much as Danny wanted to as well, he was still King and had duties to deal with. Tim leant against his leg as he read, occasionally pausing to take notes. Danny had offered him a chair and even desk of his own, but Tim had hesitated enough that Danny had set up the cushion for him. He didn’t mind Tim sitting there, he wasn’t in the way and it made Tim happy.
He did wonder if Tim would normally want to sit at his feet or if that was just the contract? The same with his liking of having his scalp scratched. He reached down to do so and felt Tim press up into his hand even as he kept reading. He kept up the gentle scratching, hear Tim sigh softly, body relaxing more.
“Okay?” he asked.
“Yes Master Danny,” Tim answered, turning his head to the side, pressing a kiss to his leg. “I think this book is a bust though.” He set it aside to take another from the pile.
“Sometimes titles are misleading, it’s annoying.”
“That’s why I prefer digital versions.”
Danny chuckled. “It would take eternity to digitise it all, even if Ghost Writer and Technus worked together.”
Tim stretched and then put a hand on his knee, asking silently. Danny cupped the back of his head, guiding him to his feet and then onto his lap. Tim lay his head against Danny’s chest, not able to reach his shoulder.
“Tired?” he asked in concern, checking the time. It had been a while since their last break or meal.
“A little,” Tim answered. “Kiss?” he asked, and Danny smiled, lowering his head. Tim reached up, clutching his shoulders as their lips touched. He let Tim lead the kiss, a hand gently stroking his back. When they parted so that Tim could breathe, he looked very pleased with himself.
They just sat together for a while before Danny sent for a meal for them to share before they got back to their individual work, Tim laying on his stomach, legs absently kicking in the air as he read.
He observed the various possibilities for his King’s future, smiling. Good. Many of the worst possibilities had now fully faded away. As impartial as he had to be, he couldn’t deny that he cared deeply for young Danny Phantom. For one so young, he had done so much for their Realms. There was a peace they hadn’t known in longer than the whole of human history and all could feel it.
There were still chances for things to go wrong, but not as bad as it once could have. Phantom still had choices to make in the future that would either destroy those possibilities or bring them about.
Damian stood from where he had been reading, needing to stretch out his muscles. Constantine had left them to their work; he had gone searching for more sources and information. Todd had split the books with him ensuring they each had a mix of longer and shorter ones. They ensured they took notes on anything that might be relevant and compared them every few days. But so far, they had not found much. It was frustrating.
Drake was not his favourite among his siblings, but they were brothers. They had to find him and bring him home. They would help him recover from whatever tortures he had been subjected to and look after him for life if recovery was not possible.
He was not the same child who had come to Gotham, he had learnt a lot since then. He understood now that his treatment of the family had been very wrong. it had taken a long time to make things better between him and Drake, but they had managed it. They would patrol together willingly now and he trusted his brother to defend him, just as he would do the same.
If they did not bring Timothy home soon, then he would miss Damian’s sixteenth birthday. Father had already begun working on a cover story for his absence from such a society event.
Tim rolled onto his side, frustrated. He couldn’t fall asleep, had been having issues with it for a week or so now. Sadly, those early weeks had caught him up on all of his missing sleep and now he was back to normal. It didn’t help that his brain refused to be quiet, continually going over everything he’d read, worries over his family, if he’d ever be free or go home…
He sat up, hesitating, but then he got up and walked over to the door, knocking softly.
“You can come in Tim,” Master answered pretty quickly, so he hadn’t woken him.
He opened the door and slipped into Master Danny’s bedroom; he hadn’t been inside it before. It was too dark to take much in and he didn’t want to give his brain more information anyway. There was a light over the bed, and Master was sitting up, reading.
Master Danny smiled at him and set his book down. “You’re up late,” he commented, not asking a question, making sure Tim had the choice of what to say.
“I can’t sleep,” he admitted softly, moving closer to the bed.
“Do you know why?” he shifted on the bed, making the offer without saying anything.
Tim crawled up onto the mattress, sitting opposite his Master, his boyfriend. He knew Master Danny would be hesitant to agree to what he wanted to ask, but he needed it. “My brain just won’t shut up,” he muttered. “I can’t stop thinking about everything – the research, what my family’s doing, if we’ll succeed…” he pressed his hands to his eyes.
“It’s okay Tim,” Master murmured, gently taking his hands. “What do you need?”
“Make me sleep, please,” Tim pleaded for help.
“Tim…”
He could see the tiredness in Tim’s eyes, the growing bags under his eyes. He’d known Tim was getting as much sleep lately but he hadn’t realised it was that bad. For him to ask to be ordered to do something it had to be bad. He gently rubbed over Tim’s knuckles in soothing circles, trying to help him relax a little. He wasn’t sure, one order could so easily become two, more…
“Please Master Danny, I need to stop thinking. I need a break.”
“You don’t have to research everyday Tim, the books aren’t going anywhere and Frostbite says you’re healthy, you’re not showing signs of being liminal yet.”
He shook his head, hesitating, so obviously that wasn’t what Tim meant. “Please Master Danny, can I…” he took a breath. “Just a day of nothing, no thoughts, just peace.”
Danny frowned and then his eyes widened as he realised what Tim was asking. “Tim…that’s…that’s more than what the contract did to you; you know that right? You just couldn’t make any kind of decision then, but no thoughts at all… You’d be like a living doll, you might not even be able to follow orders in that state or able to take care of needs. Maybe just the simplest orders.”
“I know,” Tim told him, voice firm now. “I also know you won’t hurt me or take advantage. I trust you; you’ll look after me if I can’t follow orders. The idea of you looking after me like that is…it’s pleasant. No one’s really ever done that for me unless I was really sick. Please Master Danny.”
“Does this happen often?” he asked in concern. How did he usually deal with it? He had been mostly healthy so Danny doubted it was drugs.
“More when I was little and alone. Vigilante work’s pretty good at wearing me out enough physically and mentally so that I can get some sleep.”
Danny carefully drew Tim closer, and he willing shifted so that he was tucked into Danny’s side.
“My head hurts,” Tim whispered.
Danny was torn, Tim wanted this, had told him what he wanted. And the idea of looking after Tim in that condition was kind of exciting. Tim had so little control of his life now, and he was choosing to give it all up for a day.
“You’re completely sure you want this?” he asked.
“Yes Master Danny, I want this, I need it.”
Danny took a slow breath and then gently tipped Tim’s head up, looking into trusting blue eyes. “May I kiss you?” he asked, and Tim nodded.
“Yes Master.”
He kissed Tim tenderly, brushing messy black hair back from his face. “Alright,” he agreed, and Tim smiled.
“Thank you, Master Danny.”
“Once you go to sleep, that’ll be it. If you can’t think then you won’t be able to change your mind.”
“I know, it’s okay.”
Danny nodded. “Tim, once you’re in bed you will fall into a deep, dreamless sleep, letting your body get the rest it needs. You’ll wake at the normal time but your mind will remain quiet. There won’t be a single thought in your head, just peaceful calm and emptiness. You will go to sleep that night and then when you wake up the next day, you will be able to think again. Understood?”
“Yes Master,” Tim whispered, voice thick, happiness clear in his expression. Tim pressed against him and Danny hugged him.
“Ready for bed?”
“Could I sleep here, Master? Nothing else, just sleep.”
Danny really was weak to Tim, wasn’t he? “Alright,” he whispered. He reached out and telekinetically turned off the lamp, lying down. Tim tucked himself into his side and Danny carefully wrapped his arm around him. “Comfy?”
“Yes Master,” Tim answered, already sounding sleepy.
“Sleep well Tim,” he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.
“Hmmm…”
He felt the tension drain from Tim’s body, his breathing deepening as he fell asleep. Danny closed his eyes, tomorrow would be a very different day.
Alfred set the table with the nights meal, listening as his family talked softly. The longer Master Tim was missing, the more their hoped faded. He wished he could do something but while his Latin was passable due to the old English curriculum, he still had other duties he had to complete.
He prayed that their boy could hold out, that he knew they would be searching for him. But how long could a human resist demonic torture? What would happen to him if he broke? No one could withstand forever.
Tim’s eyes slowly blinked open, staring blankly up at the ceiling. He remained still, breathing softly.
“Tim, sit up.”
But he didn’t twitch, utterly limp on the bed. Hands gently slipped under his body, lifting him to rest against a cool chest.
“It’s alright, I’ve got you.”
TBC…
Chapter 4: ch4
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 4
Danny looked into blank blue eyes, taking in Tim’s face. It was slack and yet there was something peaceful there as well. The lights were on but no one was home. The order had turned Tim into a living doll as he’d feared and yet Tim hadn’t been afraid of that. Danny stood and set Tim on his feet, thankfully, he remained standing but his head dipped towards his head as if he didn’t have the strength to hold it up. He took Tim’s hand and Tim obediently walked when Danny stepped away. It was like he was sleepwalking and would take forever to get anywhere, so Danny picked him up. He settled Tim on his hip, Tim’s head resting against his chest, arms hanging limp at his sides.
Danny went to Tim’s rooms and then into the bathroom, setting him down on the padded bench. Tim sat, swaying slightly, head hanging down. He got some clean clothes from the bedroom wardrobe and then started the bath running. Tim’s limbs were kind of floppy as he stripped him off and then settled him in the bath, supporting the back of his head so that he wouldn’t slip under the surface. Danny made sure to wash him gently but forced himself not to linger anywhere. Tim wasn’t able to think, but did he have any kind of awareness?
It felt strange to have someone so utterly dependant on him but also…nice. Maybe when the contract was broken, Tim would like to do something like this, if he still wanted to be with him. Danny wanted to believe that Tim really did want to date him, it was just hard to accept after everything that had happened. He gently washed Tim’s face before sitting him up more. He poured warm water over his head, shielding his eyes with a hand. Danny massaged Tim’s hair with shampoo before rinsing it out and then putting in conditioner. Once done, he lifted Tim from the tub and dried him thoroughly before dressing him in clean cloths. His wardrobe had expanded in the weeks since his arrival and Danny had picked out the softest, most casual clothing in it.
He called for breakfast to be brought to them, food that Tim didn’t really need to chew. He wasn’t sure how well Tim would be able to eat in his current condition. The food was delivered and Danny settled them on the bed, cradling Tim against his own body, carefully spooning in the oatmeal into his mouth. Thankfully, Tim swallowed in reaction.
Thankfully, Danny didn’t have any meetings or anything scheduled for the day. It was easy enough to settle Tim on his cushion beside his desk so that he could do some work. Tim slumped against his leg, body relaxed, and Danny scratched at his scalp from time to time. Ensuring that Tim’s needs were seen to ensured that Danny kept some focus on him all day since Tim couldn’t simply slip into the bathroom or ask for a drink. He made sure to talk to him too, just in case Tim could hear him in some manner.
He woke slowly, body heavy, calm…eventually his eyes opened, finding an unfamiliar ceiling but there was no panic. He could feel strong, cool arms around him, cradling him close. He felt completely relaxed, peaceful, his mind slow.
“Tim?” Master whispered.
“Hmmm.” His tongue was heavy in his mouth.
“Welcome back.”
Back? And slowly, the memories returned. “W’ked?”
“It worked,” Master Danny told him. “You spent yesterday without a thought in your head.”
He didn’t remember, he remembered Master Danny’s orders, becoming sleepy…then nothing, just peace. Sluggishly he moved, turning, tucking himself into his Master’s chest. He sighed softly as claws lightly scratched at his head.
“Your head feels better now?”
Tim hummed in answer, everything was soft and warm, hazy. And then his stomach growled and master Danny chuckled. Tim sighed but slowly pushed himself up, saddened by having to break the embrace. He rubbed at his face, yawning.
“Breakfast?” Master Danny asked.
“Yes, Master.” He got to his feet, swaying for a moment.
Hades appeared in the throne room; he would not kneel even to the Infinite King. He was a god in his own right after all. On the Throne was High King Phantom, the Slayer of Tyrants, The Balance, The Benevolent King. And kneeling on a cushion beside the Throne was a mortal, a collar and manacles making his status clear. But his eyes were clear and alert, watching everything.
“Greetings, Lord Hades,” King Phantom spoke, and the slave straightened slightly, eyes locking onto Hades.
“High King Phantom,” he returned. He glanced at the slave, he matched the description from Zeus’ half-mortal daughter. “I am here on behalf of my brother and one of his children in search of her mortal friend.”
“Tim?” The High King asked the slave, and that was the right name.
“Cassie?” The slave asked, and Hades nodded. He sagged and King Phantom’s hand dropped to support him.
“Easy Tim,” the King murmured, voice gentle.
“Is this a strong enough link to find my home?” he asked shakily.
King Phantom looked at him. “You can show the way to his world?”
“Yes, your Majesty,” Hades agreed. So that was part of why the boy was still within the Realms, he had no way to return. Though, with an active slave contract, could the boy return to the world of the living?
“Step one Tim,” the King said, and the boy nodded, turning his head to press a soft kiss to the King’s palm.
“Cassie is a demi-goddess, could she come here?”
Tim’s head was spinning. Hades…Cassie’s uncle. He was right there, a link home. He was glad for Master Danny’s support, kissing his palm in quiet thanks.
“Cassie is a demi-goddess, could she come here?” He missed everyone but if he could see someone, anyone, get news from home…and she could tell everyone that he was alright.
Master Danny looked to Hades. “Can you bring her?”
“Yes, your Majesty. She is powerful for a half-mortal and shouldn’t suffer any adverse effects from a short time within the Realms.”
“Then tell her she is welcome to come and see Tim.”
Hades vanished and Tim turned, burying his face against Master’s leg, shaking.
“It’s alright,” Master whispered, and Tim was lifted into his lap.
So he hid his face in his chest but he knew Master Danny would feel his tears soaking in. Master just gently stroked his hair, letting him cry out his relief and hope.
“Cassie?” Kon found her staring at a scroll.
“A missive from Hades, he…he found something.”
“Really?” he asked, hoping.
She nodded shakily. “He doesn’t say exactly what, just that a drop of blood on the scroll will take me to him.”
“Uh…how much do you trust the god of the dead?”
“I don’t?” she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “But Zeus knows and Hades won’t risk angering him, not just to get at me. And there’s nothing personal between us so he has no reason to try to hurt me. But if this is a lead on Tim…”
“It’s up to you Cassie, you know the risks better than us. Do you want to talk to Diana or Donna about it?”
She considered it but then shook her head. “Give me a few days, if I’m not back or haven’t made contact then tell Diana.”
Kon nodded. “Good luck.”
She cut her finger, the blood dropping onto the scroll, and then she was gone.
She blinked and realised where she was…Hades, the place, and before her was Hades, the god.
“Good, you came.” He stood from the throne.
“You found something?”
“The boy,” he answered, and she blinked.
Had she heard him right? “You found Tim?” she asked, to be sure.
He nodded. “Come, I shall take you to him as he asked.”
Cassie swallowed but took Hades hand. And then they were somewhere else. A massive room, another throne room, but grander than Hades’. And on a throne sat an impressive figure, who was that?
“Cassie!” A familiar voice called and then she staggered as a body slammed into hers. Her arms came up automatically to hold him close.
“Tim?” She pulled back enough to see him. “Tim!” She pulled him back in, holding on as tightly as she dared. “You’re alive,” she whispered, she could feel the warmth of his body, hear his heart beating away, almost racing.
“Cassie,” Tim whispered, voice shaking now.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” she promised. She glanced up, seeing the figure on the throne, she wasn’t sure what she’d expected but the soft smile wasn’t it. And he looked nothing like the demon who had taken Tim, was that good or bad?
Slowly the disentangled them, holding onto his shoulders, looking him over. She couldn’t see any injuries or new scars which was hopefully good. His eyes were focused and clear, he was fully alert. He was dressed in rather flattering pants and a loose shirt with a jewelled vest over it. And…he looked more well rested than she’d seen in years?!
“You’re not hurt?” She asked softly, and Tim shook his head.
“Master Phantom hasn’t hurt me,” he told her.
“Master?” she asked warily.
Tim tipped his head up, revealing the rather pretty metal collar with a few links of chain hanging from it, and then she saw the matching manacles on his wrists. “He confiscated me from the demon and shut down the whole auction I was being sold in. I’m okay Cassie, he hasn’t hurt me or made me do anything.”
But could she believe him? Could Tim say anything bad against the being that owned his soul?
She was really here! He could see her shock and horror even as it morphed into wariness and he understood. How could she believe anything he said when Master could control his every thought and action?
“Tim is my guest,” Master Danny spoke up. “Until a way can be found to break the contract he will remain here and want for nothing.”
“He already managed to loosen the contract so I can talk back and disagree, think for myself. Though, it means I have to stay closer to him, I prefer that to what the contract was doing to me. No one’s ever broken a contract like this before, but no one’s really tried,” he explained.
“Oh Tim…”
“I have work to do, if you want to show your friend the garden?” Master suggested, and Tim nodded.
He took her hand and led her to the garden, Master following them and going into his office. “This garden’s mine to use. It means I don’t have to stay cooped up in his office while he’s working. I use it to practice; I don’t want to get rusty.”
“It’s pretty.”
Tim sat on a bench and she sat beside him, taking his hand, examining the manacle. “You can’t break it,” he murmured.
“It’s cold,” she told him.
“It doesn’t feel it to me. Master has ice powers; the contract protects me from the cold because of that. At least they’re prettier now, lighter too. The original ones were heavy and rough, oppressive. And he doesn’t make me call him Master; it’s the contract. We’ve tried; I can use his name but only with Master in front of it.”
Cassie traced a snowflake. The metal almost felt frozen to her but there were no signs on Tim’s skin of cold exposure. She was scared, Tim just seemed so…accepting of his position. How was she meant to tell the others?
“So what do you do every day?”
“Depends on the day.” He shrugged, leaning against her, and she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “We have breakfast together, thankfully they have human safe food here. Master usually has work in his office so I usually work out some while he does that. Then we have lunch and either court in the throne room or more office work. But if it’s paperwork then we go to the library and I work on research into breaking the contract while he works. And there are others working on it too. We have dinner together and then relax for a while before bed.”
“Tim, where…where do you sleep?” she asked, worried.
He smiled at her. “I have my own room, Cassie. And he never comes in without knocking and my telling him he can. Even when I woke him screaming one night with nightmares, he stood in the doorway and called my name to wake me. The only time we’ve shared a bed I initiated it. It…it was a really bad night,” he whispered. “I just couldn’t stop thinking, couldn’t sleep…” he shuddered, and she tightened her grip on him, tugging him more firmly into her side.
She knew those nights; they were the ones when they would end up in a pile together as Young Justice. Or Tim would hesitantly crawl into bed with one of them, usually Kon. She didn’t know how he dealt with it in Gotham.
“He didn’t…do anything?”
Tim shook his head. “He hasn’t done anything bad to me Cassie, honest. He just held me. He’s a good person.”
“Tim…where are we? What kind of being is he?”
“You don’t know?” he asked in surprise, and she shook her head.
“Hades sent me a scroll which took me to his kingdom. He said he’d found you, I took his hand, and then we were in the throne room.”
“We’re in the Infinite Realms. My Master is High King Phantom, ruler of the Realms and technically, Hades’ boss? That bit’s a bit complicated. But all afterlives are part of the Realms in some way. What the demon did to me…what my parents… it’s illegal under his reign but he’s a new King.”
“So, it was your parents?” She asked softly, and Tim nodded. “Constantine thought so when everyone swore that you’d never make a deal.”
“How is everyone?” he asked. “How…how long has it been? Time’s weird here.”
“It’s been a month,” she told him, seeing him blanche. That meant it likely hadn’t felt as long to him, that was good. It could have been the other way around and Tim could have died of old age before they could free him. “Jason and Damian have been helping Constantine with the research since they’re the only Bats who read Latin.”
Tim snorted.
“Well, other than you,” she agreed. “They’re not handling this well at all.”
Tim nodded. “Figured. How long did it take them to find out?”
“Tam called the next morning when you didn’t show up or answer any of her calls. Jason was closest, he found the footage of your kidnapping on your computer.”
“We found out two days later, I immediately went to Zeus for help and he summoned Hades who told us it was illegal and that he didn’t know what would have happened to you.”
“Hades came to see Master and realised I was who you were looking for. When Master asked, he said that he could bring you here because you’re a demi-goddess.”
“I’d have risked coming anyway,” she told him.
“Figured,” he whispered.
“I messed up once when you needed me Tim, never again.” Her hand brushed his side and to her shock, he smiled.
“Guess what?” he teased.
“What?”
“I now have all my internal organs.”
She blinked. “What?!”
“Kon?” Bruce looked at the young Kryptonian.
“Hades sent for Cassie; he has a lead.”
Bruce closed his eyes. Her earlier message had said that the gods knew nothing but it seemed that had changed. Please, please don’t let his son be dead. Anything else, they could deal with. “Thank you,” he told the young man who nodded.
“We’ll get him back,” Kon-El promised before vanishing, Bruce caught a brief glimpse of him in the air.
Bruce took a deep breath and then headed inside.
“Master Bruce?”
He looked at Alfred, seeing his tension. “Wonder Girl was called by Hades, he found something.”
“Very good Sir.” Alfred remained stoic, finding something didn’t mean much, but he knew the man now had some hope.
Cassie laughed as she held up some weird love child of a skirt and harem pants, happy to hear Tim laugh as well.
“Yeah, I haven’t worn half the stuff in there,” he admitted. “I don’t think some of the clothing makers know anything about human fashion.”
“There’s a lot of skimpy clothing in here.”
Tim shrugged. “Some of it’s comfortable and I can wear layers. I think this room was meant for…well...” He indicated some see-through pants.
“He hasn’t…”
Tim shook his head. “He won’t touch me like that because I can’t truly consent with the contract active. He also knows humans suffer without contact, so we do touch. He lets me lead it though.”
She knew there were things Tim wasn’t telling her. He was the best liar she knew but she’d known him for years now. But what was he trying to hide? Had he been ordered to not tell her something? Or was it his choice? She observed him as they fooled around with the crazier pieces in the wardrobe. No…it couldn’t be.
“Tim…”
He looked over at her, head cocked to the side slightly. “What is it?”
“Do…do you…are you attracted to him?” she asked in shock and Tim’s cheeks went pink. “Oh Tim,” she whispered.
“He knows,” Tim admitted quietly. “We talked about it.”
“Is the contract making you like him?”
He shook his head. “I like him Cassie, I can tell the difference between my own thoughts and feelings from what the contract makes me feel. He agreed to dating with very strict rules. We hold hands, go on dates, and I can kiss him but he won’t initiate anything. He looks after me Cassie, he won’t hurt me. If he didn’t have the Realms to look after, we’d be looking all day for ways to break the contract.”
He paused, moving to sit on the bed and she followed him. “One of the first things he did was take me to a doctor with some experience treating humans. By then the contract had such a tight hold that I literally could not make a decision. So they agreed that only my spleen would be dealt with until I could since that would affect my health if exposed to something. Since the contract was loosened, I’ve had more medical care, fixing up small things like pain from old injuries and a deterioration in my eyesight either from long term Clench damage or staring at screens so much. Whenever I ask for something, he does everything he can to ensure I get it.”
She took a deep breath. “Bruce isn’t going to like this.”
Tim shrugged. “It’s not his choice, it’s mine. Besides…if I’m here too long I might not be able to go home.”
“What?” why hadn’t he said that before? “What do you mean?”
“The Realms are made up of ectoplasm, nearest I can tell it’s linked to the Lazarus Pits. Phantom was once a living human, don’t know when but so were others here. Exposure to such a pure source…” Tim looked away.
“So tell Constantine to hurry up with the research.” There was no way they were losing him to some kind of gradual species shift.
Tim grabbed her hand. “He promised, if it happens or I die here, then I can still visit. As long as it doesn’t get spread around. I think…I think something went wrong with another human world, another Earth, I guess. Some of what I’ve heard seems to suggest a war of some kind. He can’t risk it happening again.”
She nodded slowly. “They have access to other dimensions?”
“The Infinite Realms are the glue that holds everything together. Every world, dimension, multiverse… and some world was dumb enough to try and fight them.”
That was…that was insane. If afterlives were part of it then you’d be fighting your own dead.
Danny watched as Tim and his friend spent time together. He could tell that she was wary of him but he didn’t blame her. It was good to see Tim so happy, to have a link back to his home. But Danny couldn’t help worrying. He really liked Tim, enjoyed their time together…what would happen when Tim was freed and went home? He tried not to think about it but he couldn’t help it.
Once back with other humans, surely Tim would see how inhuman Danny was. He would find someone who could walk by his side. He hadn’t told Tim the truth about himself, the last time he’d told someone it hadn’t exactly ended well. But if Tim really wanted to be with him then he should know. And maybe…maybe he would stay if he knew. Not in the Realms, that would change Tim, but stay with Danny. Surely, they could work it out. Somehow.
Dick opened the door and there was Cassie, smiling at him. “Cassie?”
“He’s alive, Tim’s alive,” she said and Dick pulled her into a hug, struggling against sobs of relief.
Tim was alive.
TBC…
Chapter 5: ch5
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 5
Cassie sat at the table, organising her thoughts. She wanted to reassure them, not cause a panic. She also didn’t want to risk them trying to fight King Phantom, Hades had given her a few hints about how suicidal that would be. Hades was powerful, anyone he was wary of, was not to be taken lightly. And Tim…he liked the King, was attracted to him, so having his family hate him would not be good. If Tim couldn’t be freed then they would have to get along with the King since Tim couldn’t get too far from him. Right, she could do this.
Duke slid into his seat, obviously just back from his patrol. “Sorry,” he murmured, scrubbing his wet hair with a small towel.
“Tim is alive,” she told them, just to be sure they all heard her. “He actually looks better rested than I’ve ever seen him.” That definitely got their attention.
“Is he…injured?” Steph asked, and she shook her head.
“He hasn’t been hurt, in fact, he was given medical attention that has somehow replaced his spleen and healed some lingering issues from old injuries and the Clench.”
“A demon healed him?” Bruce’s disbelief was clear.
“No. The demon tried to sell Tim at an auction. But it broke some relatively new laws regarding soul deals in taking Tim. The auction was stopped and Tim was saved by High King Phantom of the Infinite Realms. He’s still under the effects of the contract because no soul contract like his has ever been broken before. Tim has his own bedroom and bathroom, clothing even if they have no clue what humans wear. He has food, water, shelter, privacy, and healthcare. While he can’t disobey the King, he can still think for himself, he can even argue with the King.”
She paused to let them take that in. It was a lot but she’d had days to observe Phantom and Tim when he was with the King. She’d seen them argue, not seriously, but Tim had been his normal self when he knew he was right.
“They’ve loosened the contract as much as possible so that Tim can do that, but it means Tim has to remain physically fairly close to the king, no more than a room away. He’s treated like a guest and the King has everyone he can working to find a way to break the contract. Tim showed me the library and it is massive, like I could spend lifetimes in there and not get to the end. Tim spends his time researching when the King has work, he can do in the library. He also has the use of a garden outside of the King’s office so he’s not stuck inside when Phantom’s working. He does have to attend Court because there’s nowhere else in reach of the contract with how large the Throne room is.”
“You’re sure he’s not hurting Tim, healing him to hide it, and making Timmy lie?” Dick asked shakily.
“He’d have to make Tim forget it happened for Tim not to be showing signs,” Jason pointed out. “Kid’s an excellent liar but he’s also very good at getting around things he doesn’t agree with.”
“There were no signs of that. I know Tim left stuff out but he swore that he’s not being hurt,” she assured them.
“How much control does the contract give over Timothy? Could he be made to believe being harmed is normal and therefore nothing he needs to try and tell you about?” Damian asked.
Bruce listened to his children and Cassie talk. Tim was alive, she had seen him, talked to him. But was a life enslaved better than death? They could shift their research now at least, from finding Tim to breaking the contract, somehow.
“When can we see Tim?” he finally asked, he needed to see his son.
“The only reason I could safely visit is because I’m a demi-goddess. Tim’s being protected by the contract but…long term exposure will change him. That’s why there’s a rush to break the contract. It’ll be a slow change but eventually, Tim would become like those in the Realms.”
“And what are they?” Steph demanded.
“I was told the most widely accepted and understood name is ghosts.”
Bruce stared at her in horror. Ghosts? Being there…would eventually kill Tim. No, it wouldn’t happen, they would save him. But wait… “You said you could visit. Could Tim come here even if only briefly?
“As long as you don’t mind King Phantom appearing too. He gave me a summons that will bring them to you.”
“Wait, does that mean that Tim will be yanked with the King anywhere he’s summoned?” Dick asked, and she nodded.
Well, that could be very bad. What if the King was summoned somewhere not suitable for human life? Or into a fight?
“King Phantom has only been summoned twice since he became the High King, so it’s not too big a worry. He’s offered the summons as a sign of good faith. Just…be careful. He’s known as a benevolent king, the slayer of tyrants but…from what Tim’s pieced together from things overheard, there was a war…another dimension decided that fighting the afterlife was a bright idea. It’s made him wary of the living. Tim’s easy enough for him to accept given they’re tied together but others? Hades made it clear, nothing and no one we have could touch the King let alone defeat him. It’s better to go for diplomacy.”
“Would he take it out on Timothy?”
“I don’t think so, he seems…protective of Tim. He doesn’t seem the kind to take out his anger on someone not involved.”
Tim felt so relaxed and lazy as they traded soft kisses, cuddled together on the couch in Master Danny’s room. It felt good to be alone together again…other than the ‘staff’ but they were really good at keeping out of sight. Though, he did miss Cassie and he hoped B would use the summons so he could see them all soon, just not too soon.
He shifted so he was in Master’s laugh, hearing his chuckle but he didn’t make Tim move. But it made kissing easier, one of Master’s hands on his back to support him. He’d never really thought about it before, but he liked the size difference between them. Master was taller than Bruce and Jason, Clark, Diana… pretty much taller than most though not as tall as Darkseid. But he wasn’t overly muscular, his build slimmer, like Tim’s. he must have really seemed like a doll that day, mindless and being carried around. It would make being together the way Tim dreamed of challenging, but Tim loved challenges.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Master asked, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose.
“Size difference,” he answered honestly, watching as master blushed a slightly greenish violet colour. Ectoplasm was green and Master’s skin was blue tinted, because he wielded ice? He’d noted blue and green tinted skin was the most common, at least among the ecto-beings Tim had seen.
“Timmmm…” He groaned, and Tim smiled innocently.
“Yes Master?”
“You can be such a brat, can’t you?” Master muttered, and Tim laughed but nodded.
“There’s a reason my team’s banned from at least one country,” he admitted, laying down on top of Master Danny, his head over where his heart should be.
There was no beating beneath his ear but in a slightly different spot there was a gentle hum. It was soothing in a different way to a heartbeat. A clawed hand gently stroked his hair and Tim melted against him. It was hard to accept physical affection a lot of the time, a life of neglect and then the violence of Robin had him always immediately tensing but with Master it was so easy.
“You sure you weren’t a cat in a previous life?”
“Mm.” He turned his head so that Master could get the right spot, rubbing his face against his chest, and Master chuckled again. “I like cats,” he admitted. “Never allowed pets.”
“Didn’t you say you live in your own place now? Why can’t you get one? Does your world have tech for feeding on a timer? They’re pretty independent, especially if you have two so they can socialise.”
“Did you ever have a pet?” Tim asked.
“You haven’t met Cujo yet?” Master asked, and he shook his head. “He’s a ghost dog and he thinks I’m his more than the other way around. We died within the same year in the same city.”
Tim listened; Master Danny didn’t talk much about his life before the crown.
Dick tried not to pace as they double checked everything. Constantine was hovering in the background, near panic. He’d never heard of a High King Phantom, the one he knew of was Pariah Dark and he was…very bad news, worse than Darkseid or Klarion or Zod… the idea of someone beating and replacing him? But that explained why Phantom would have a title to do with defeating a tyrant.
Kon and Jason had gone through Tim’s apartment and Nest and had packed him a backpack and suitcase of clothing, tech, books, anything they thought he would need or find comforting. Dick had slipped in one of his Bludhaven PD sweaters, he knew Tim loved stealing clothing, and Zitka. Hopefully the elephant could help him. He’d spotted Damian slipping some sketches inside as well which was sweet. They’d probably all added something.
It was just the family and John in the Cave, ready to summon the High King. Bruce let a drop of blood fall onto the symbol and then the Cave lit with an eerie green light.
Steph blinked away the bright light and there was a tall figured, clothes in white, crouched on the ground. They straightened, revealing a figure taller than anyone else in the Cave, his feature humanoid but definitely not human. And tucked safe against him…was Tim. The King kept a hand on Tim’s back as he staggered slightly.
“Deep breaths,” the King encouraged. “The first summoning is always the worst, it will pass.”
Tim slowly straightened, blinked, and then he was darting forward, right at Bruce.
Bruce saw his son look around, dazed, and then their eyes met, Tim’s widening. And then his son was rushing towards him and Bruce caught him, feeling shaking hands gripping his shirt tightly.
“B…dad…” Tim sobbed, and Bruce wrapped his arms around him.
“Tim,” he whispered, holding him tight. “I’m here Sweetheart,” he promised. Without pulling away, he freed a hand and gently tipped Tim’s head up, seeing the tears on his cheeks but Cassie was right, he looked perfectly healthy and well rested. “I thought we’d lost you,” he admitted, even as Tim managed a watery smile.
“Never,” Tim promised. He reluctantly let go and shifted back a bit, letting Bruce get a good look at him. “No laughing at the clothes, they’re comfortable.”
Other than his business suits and tuxes, Tim had never really cared about fashion but what he was wearing…at least the colours didn’t clash and the gems did match his eyes.
“Tim, are you wearing the entire US government budget?” Steph teased.
He looked down at his clothes and then up at her. “Maybe.”
And then his siblings were around him, hugging and looking him over.
Bruce looked over at the King to see him leaning against a bare wall, watching them all. His expression seemed…fond, indulgent. That fit with Wonder Girl’s report. But could they take it at face value? He was a very tall being but not overly large, built more like Tim and Dick. His skin was blue tinted, his hair pure white and floating somehow. His eyes were the most shocking part, that shade of glowing green was not comforting. His clothing was formal and as white as his hair for the most part, except his cloak…were those star patterns moving?
And his first action on appearing in the Cave had been ensuring Tim was alright. Because he owned him or out of actual concern? Bruce had never felt so lost in a situation.
Danny watched as Tim’s family swarmed him, feeling the old pain. No matter what had happened, what they’d done…he’d loved his family and always would. Would they still treat Tim as one of them if he remained in the Realms long enough to become obviously liminal? Or would they shun him for less human actions and appearance?
For now, he was being ignored and that suited him, he was only there so Tim could see his family after all. Summons had a timeline to them after all, let Tim enjoy himself. They would surely be summoned again after all. They would need to discuss the research being done to free Tim, as crazy as it might seem, there was a chance that the answer lay on this side of the Realms.
He spotted the man remaining on the fringes, recognising him from the state of his soul. This was the crazy magician who sold off bits of his soul at the drop of a hat. He had to be mad. He must be their occult expert, but was someone who continually sold their soul very trustworthy?
“Your Majesty,” the man said warily, having noticed Danny’s attention.
“Soul man,” he replied, teasing ever so slightly.
“Seriously?”
Danny shrugged. “Not like I know your name. Do you even know how many times you’ve sold your soul?”
“Not exactly.”
“Well, the way your soul is now, dying is not going to be fun for you. Granted, some of those deals are now invalid due to changes in the laws, but the majority still stand.”
John nodded. This being…was not what he’d expected at all. For the High King he spoke so casually, so much like a modern human. He looked young but that meant nothing for such beings. He generally tried not to assign human emotions to creatures who weren’t but the way it…he?... watched Drake… there was something that seemed wistful about it.
“They really love him,” the King murmured.
“They’re all nuts and emotionally repressed,” he grumbled, surprised when the other chuckled.
“All families have their issues.”
John nodded, because it was true. Did the King have a family of some sort? Outside of demons, his knowledge of the Infinite Realms was definitely lacking but it wasn’t exactly easy to find legitimate information.
“What are your intentions?” he asked, because he knew Bruce wouldn’t, wouldn’t risk Tim’s safety or the ability to see him.
The King stared at him and John refused to cower before the immensely powerful being. And then he looked back at the Bats.
“To free him,” he answered. “And if that isn’t possible, then to ensure he has as much freedom as possible. He doesn’t deserve this, no one does. I outlawed deals like that for a reason. The demon that took him has been interrogated, tried, and sentenced.”
“All this for one human?” he pressed.
“Every being deserves respect and the freedom to choose.”
If he meant it…then maybe Tim could come home one day, free and clear. That was a big if though.
Tim felt so overwhelmed, but in a good way, mostly. It was strange how quickly he had become used to being mostly alone with Master, or with the Court at a distance. Those who worked at the Keep were rarely seen either. And most wouldn’t even look at him, because of his position as a slave?
Cass was gently tracing a manacle, eyes sad, and he turned his wrist to grasp her hand.
“I’m okay,” he whispered, and she looked up to meet his eyes.
She studied him closely, eyes widening slightly. Could she read how he felt about Master Danny? But she didn’t mention it. Instead, she pulled him into another hug. “Love you little brother, miss you.”
“I love and miss you too,” he promised, hugging her back just as tightly.
“We packed you some of your stuff.” Dick motioned to the Bat-grade suitcase and backpack.
“Thanks guys.” It would be good to have some of his own things; he figured some clothing and personal items. He absently rubbed at his chest and glanced at Master, realising what it meant. “The summoning’s ending,” he whispered. He looked at his family, torn between wanting impossibly to stay but also to go back to the Keep.
“It’s too soon!” Dick denied, and then Master Danny was there and Tim leant back into him.
Cass grabbed his bags and put them down beside them. “When?” She asked, and Tim looked up at Master.
“Once every two of your weeks,” Master Danny answered. “Or in an absolute emergency.”
“It’s not goodbye forever,” Tim told them, smiling softly.
Bruce moved in and hugged him tightly. “Stay safe son.”
“You’re the ones in danger, I get to lounge around in luxury,” he aimed for teasing, and Steph laughed.
“Just don’t turn into a harem girl,” she shot back and he stuck his tongue out at her.
The tugging was getting stronger now. He looked them all over, nodding to Alfred who stood at the back. “I’ll see you all in a fortnight,” he promised.
“See you soon baby bird,” Jason answered, and then the world faded to green.
Jason grimaced as the green light took his little brother away, again. Tim was different, they’d all seen it, Cassie and Constantine had warned them. The slave contract would change him, make him more subservient. He was mostly himself but the way he always looked to the King, leant into his space without even seeming to realise it….
“Tell me you learnt more for figuring out how to free him,” Jason demanded, staring at Constantine.
“The fact that the King wants him free, or at least claims to, should help,” Constantine answered. “Belief plays a role in these things, if they both believe there’s a way to free him then it improves the odds.”
Well, that was one good thing. Because after meeting the King, Jason knew they wouldn’t stand a chance trying to beat him to free Tim.
Tim unpacked the bags his family had made up for him. Sure enough, some of his favourite clothing was there, plus one of Dick’s sweaters, Damian’s drawings…even Zikta! And a heavily annotated copy of Pride & Prejudice, no need to guess who sent that. They wanted him to have reminders of the family and it made him feel warm.
An arm wrapped around him and he leant back into Master Danny. “Good surprises?” he asked, and Tim nodded.
“Mostly little things from each of them and some favourite clothing.”
“Good,” Master Danny murmured. “I’m still taking you to the market for our next date though.” He pressed a soft kiss to Tim’s hair. Tim turned and rose up on tiptoes, Master Danny chuckling before lifting him rather than bending.
“Thank you, Master Danny,” he whispered.
“I won’t keep you from your family Tim, I couldn’t…” he took a slow breath. “I want you to be happy.”
“I am,” he promised. He was happy in the Keep. He was better rested and healthier than he’d been since before he became Robin, he had few rules to obey and the few there were, were for his own safety in a Realm of beings so different to him. “I miss them but I know they’re okay. I know they’re trying to find a way to free me, that they’re fighting for me. I didn’t always believe they would,” he admitted.
“Family’s complicated,” Master agreed.
“Is…is yours here or still alive?” He asked cautiously, and was shocked when Master flinched. “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.”
Master kissed his cheek softly. “No, we’re dating. These are the kinds of things we should share.” He smiled sadly at Tim. “How about we get ready for bed, then cuddle and talk?”
“Sounds wonderful,” Tim agreed.
He watched Master Danny leave his room, worried. But he moved to his bags and pulled out a comfortable pair of Dick’s old sweatpants and one of his Superboy shirts, stolen long ago from Kon. He washed up and changed, then headed to Master’s door, knocking softly. He entered when called and moved to join Master in the massive bed. Cuddling had become a comfort for both of them and Tim had the feeling that Master Danny was almost as touch starved as his friends had often said he was.
“We don’t have to talk about it,” he offered again.
“It’s okay Tim. It’s just…complicated. But I want to tell you.”
Tim nodded and settled in to listen.
TBC…
Chapter 6: ch6
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 6
He looked down to check on Tim, seeing the vacant, peaceful look on his face. He hated seeing him like that but he’d been getting more and more stressed with the visits to his family, research, and learning about Danny’s world. So agreeing to another day of no thinking had been easy. But this time he’d worded the orders a little differently. Tim was still unable to think but his body still obeyed orders rather than Danny having to do everything for him.
Talking it over in advance and working things out meant that Danny felt better about Tim’s current condition. They had discussed what was allowable and not at least so he felt more comfortable this time.
Danny finished his paperwork and stood. “Follow me Tim,” he ordered and Tim obediently stood up and followed him back to their rooms. He got out some clean sleepwear and then went into the bathroom, starting the bath. “Strip Tim.”
Tim began removing his clothing methodically. Danny helped him into the tub and knelt beside it, gently washing Tim. He’d been surprised that Tim had okayed this, had even seemed to enjoy the idea of being bathed while unaware.
Maybe when the contract was removed…they could both be in the tub, well his tub. It was bigger and better for two. He kissed Tim’s forehead as he dried him off and then they were cuddled in bed together. Tim was quickly asleep and Danny eventually followed.
Tim recognised the feeling as he woke, everything sluggish, heavy… “Mmmm.”
“Morning,” Master whispered.
Tim sighed as cool fingers ran through his hair.
“Good?”
He managed a nod. Slowly, he moved to roll over, Master Danny helping him. He leant in for a morning kiss, happy when Master smiled softly at him. He jerked as someone pounded on the door to the hall. No one ever knocked!
“Easy Tim,” Master Danny murmured, slipping from the bed to go answer it.
Tim sat up, feeling less calm by the second. He could hear Master speaking with someone but couldn’t understand it since they were using Ghost Speak but he swallowed, feeling the rage and grief, fighting to not fall to the floor. Eventually, he lost the fight, falling to his knees and then slumping forward so his forehead was pressed to soft carpet. He couldn’t focus, couldn’t think, lost in his Master’s rage.
“Tim? Come on, come back to me. It’s okay, you’re safe.”
He blinked slowly and found he was being cradled in familiar arms, gasping for air. He whimpered, pressing his face to soft white silk.
“I’m so sorry Tim, I didn’t realise you’d feel it so strongly. It’s okay, you’re safe.”
Danny closed the door, forcing himself to breath deeply. How…why…he turned and froze at the sight of Tim crumpled on the floor, face in the carpet. What…oh! He closed his eyes, focusing, calming himself. And then he moved to Tim’s side, kneeling to pull him into his arms. Tim’s eyes had rolled back in his head, muscles trembling, barely breathing.
“Tim? Come on, come back to me. It’s okay, you’re safe.” He called gently, stroking his hair. And then Tim gasped in a lung full of air, good. It wasn’t so good when he kept gasping and then whimpered, pressing his face into Tim’s chest.
“I’m so sorry Tim, I didn’t realise you’d feel it so strongly. It’s okay, you’re safe,” he promised. “I’m sorry, I’m not mad at you.”
Danny was relieved to feel a trembling hand move to grip his shirt, Tim’s breathing becoming more regular. He stood up, Tim secure in his arms, and moved back to the bed, sitting against the headboard, cradling Tim against his body. He hadn’t realised just how deep the connection between them had become. Yes, he got emotional feedback from Tim, could track him, and Tim had admitted he could feel things too…but not to this extent.
“M…Mas…”
“Shh, it’s okay.” He kissed the top of Tim’s head. “Take your time.”
Tim lay against his Master, soaking up the comfort to chase away the freezing rage. He held onto his shirt, face pressed to where he could hear the hum. “Master,” he whispered, finally able to speak.
“I’m sorry Tim,” Master murmured, and Tim relaxed as his hair was petted.
“Not mad at me?” He couldn’t help asking.
“No Tim.” A hand moved to gently caress his cheek.
Tim slowly lifted his head, hesitantly meeting glowing green eyes. Master Danny didn’t look angry, more…sad. Tim moved, settling into his lap, lifting his arms to wrap around Master Danny’s neck for a hug.
“I’m not mad at you Tim, I’m sorry, I didn’t know it’d affect you like that.”
Tim relaxed, he wasn’t mad at him. He rubbed his cheek against Master’s shoulder, seeking comfort. He knew he wasn’t usually so physically affectionate but it felt right, natural. He wanted more but he knew that was the contract, the same with the dreams every night.
Master gently tipped his head up and Tim leant in, pressing a soft kiss to Master Danny’s lips. “Are you feeling better?”
Tim nodded. “You were so angry.” And he’d felt it all, he’d been furious before himself but that was nothing to what he’d felt from Master Danny.
“Something…something very bad has happened. Not to your dimension,” he quickly assured him before Tim could tense up.
“To yours?” he asked softly, and Master Danny nodded.
“It’s gone,” he whispered. “They hated us so much…they destroyed themselves.”
Tim froze, what?! “The city?” he asked, heart racing with dread, and Master shook his head.
“The planet,” he clarified. “My Earth is gone, Tim. They made a weapon to try and destroy the ‘Ghost Zone’ and wiped out the whole planet.”
“Your parents?” He felt sick.
“And the GIW. It’s going to be very busy for a while.”
Tim nodded, that made sense. There were several billion souls who would need help with their sudden deaths. That would make a lot of paperwork. It was hard to wrap his head around, all those people… sure he’d been in fights with the world at stake but this… “Your sister and friends?” he asked softly.
Master had told him about his still living family and friends but now…
“No sign of any of them yet.”
“I’m so sorry.”
John sighed. It had been months and he still hadn’t come up with much concrete information on King Phantom. He didn’t like that but…anyone doing really nasty things would be talked about a lot. And he had to focus on breaking the soul contract, that was the most important thing. The sooner the kid was free, the better for everyone.
The fortnightly meetings were going well…if you were unaware of the supernatural. He could feel the way Red was beginning to change. It would be physically apparent soon too, he’d warned the Bats, he just hoped they could take it.
Danny signed another document and then sat back to stretch. He glanced at the next table where Tim was engrossed in his research. So far, they hadn’t found anything to break his contract, though they had found some things on other kinds of contracts that could be useful in the future. Tim hadn’t given up hope which was good. Belief had a big impact in the Realms, Tim’s belief that he would be freed one day would help.
He felt the tug of the summons, Tim’s head jerking up.
“It doesn’t feel like two weeks; time here is really…”
“Yeah, it is.” He stood and Tim followed, moving into his arms, and Danny let the summoning pull them to Gotham.
Alfred smiled at his grandson, accepting the hug. He looked him over; he was dressed in a mix of the clothing they had sent and some from the King’s people. It made for an odd look but as long as he was comfortable, that was what mattered. Tim looked up at him with a grin and Alfred blinked. Had Tim’s eyes… he was living in another Realm with beings that weren’t human, Constantine had warned them it would begin to affect him. Was this that?
“You are eating and sleeping well, Master Tim?”
“Yes, Alfie. Three meals a day and snacks if I want them.”
“Good. You look healthy.”
And then the others rushed over to swarm Tim who was laughing and talking with his friends and family.
Jason hugged his little brother. Had he grown? Yes, he was taller by about an inch or maybe a bit more. He was a bit old for a sudden growth spurt, wasn’t he? And he’d seen the slight look of concern from Alfred. The Realms and contract were changing Tim, just like Constantine had warned them.
“You’re still okay?” he asked softly, and Tim smiled at him.
“I’m good Jay, really. I spend most of my time researching, it’s so slow without a computer.”
That made him chuckle, Tim and his tech… “Well, you better come home soon, you owe me a covered patrol.”
“I’m doing my best,” he promised. “I miss you all.”
“We miss you too,” Jason told him. “And your friends are driving B nuts,” he whispered, making Tim laugh.
“He could use the insanity,” Tim whispered, teasing. And then Jason saw what Alfred had likely noticed, the slightest glow to Tim’s blue eyes.
Tim stared at his reflection in the mirror; he hadn’t really been paying attention but he’d seen the reactions in his family and now he knew why. His eyes… it was okay, it wasn’t very noticeable. Easy to hide once home, right? At least the colour hadn’t changed or anything.
“Tim?” Master asked gently.
“My eyes,” he whispered.
Master cupped his cheek in a hand, gently stroking the skin around his eye. “I’m sorry, if I could stop this, I would.”
“How long do I have before I’m a ghost?” Tim asked shakily. He wanted to go home, if he died then he could only visit.
“I asked Frostbite, there’s no set timeline. It just depends on how your body reacts to ectoplasm. It’s only your eyes and they haven’t changed colour, only have a slight glow. You’ve tipped over into liminality, and that means you can handle more ectoplasm for longer before it…”
“Kills me,” Tim finished.
“Even if it does, we won’t stop trying to free you and you will always have a home here.”
Tim nodded, leaning into Master Danny, relaxing as he was embraced. “How much could I change before it kills me?”
“This is a unique situation and you’ve been around corrupted ectoplasm before which did leave a mark on you, not as much as your siblings but… I’d say fangs, the eyes, and your hair would be the likely first changes. Ears, skin tone, fingernails… all could shift to some degree. Liminals are usually caused by prolonged exposure while in the mortal world, you’re being exposed directly in the Realms.”
Tim nodded in understanding. It was scary but he had support. And if he did end up with obvious changes…the Meta protections would cover him. It’d be easy enough to fake a DNA test that would show a previously dormant Meta gene and arrange something that would have activated it. So far, the family was covering his absence with an overseas trip, but how long would that work?
Frostbite stared at the crowd of new ghosts sadly. He had never met the Great One’s parents but he had never believed they would go so far in their hatred. Or had the GIW done this without them? There was no way to know unless they became ghosts. It had been a very long time since so many new ghosts had formed at the same time.
For the first time, he was glad for Tim’s presence because it meant their King had unwavering support at his side. He needed it given what had happened. He truly hoped their relationship would survive should the contract be broken one day. How much had slavery altered the human? There was no way to know and that worried him. He did not want the Great One to have his heart broken.
Damian went to turn the page but then hesitated, re-reading the last section. He frowned, reading it three times, taking notes. “Constantine,” he called. When the man walked over, he turned the book to him. “Could this help?”
He waited, fighting the urge to tap his foot, letting the magician take his time in studying the passage.
“Huh,” he murmured. “Well…let me do some digging but this is the most promising lead so far. Good work Robin.”
He found Jason looking at him, his older brother nodding at him, pride in his eyes. And then they went back to work. They would find a way to free their brother and bring him home.
Tim slowly came to a stop, lowering the bō that Master Danny had commissioned for him. It was better than any other he’d have, fully collapsible and yet as strong as one that wasn’t. He couldn’t work out what metal it was but it was lightweight, easy to wield. And it had a hidden blade as he preferred. And right on the central handgrip…was a small R and DP intertwined.
He’d also been fitted for an upgraded suit. Because he was liminal enough now that his body would need ectoplasm for life and while Gotham apparently had good levels, the rest of his dimension didn’t always have those levels. So to keep from being limited in where he could spend more than a few hours, he would need a source of ectoplasm. The suit was being designed to produce a small amount and pull more from his environment. And he’d never have to take it off! The suit was based off someone from Master Danny’s Earth in that it would activate via either a button on his watch or pure will power, depending on which was easier at the time. No more rushing to get to a gear stash to change during an emergency or risking having his suit taken.
Master Danny had introduced him to a ghost, Technus, who worked with technology and the three of them had designed it. It would look very different to the Red Robin and Robin suits and he was still working on a new name. He was excited to get to see the finished product soon, to show the family. Maybe it would help to prove that Master Danny wasn’t a bad guy. He knew they were still suspicious about him and he got it, Tim was compromised and they couldn’t just take his word for it, but surely Master’s actions were proof enough?
He felt eyes on him and smiled, moving to stretch out so he wouldn’t cramp…and maybe give a bit of a show. It was odd how much more confident he felt about his body now, about showing it off. Some of the clothing in his wardrobe was very revealing and he felt no shame in wearing it. He hadn’t gone shirtless to show off his body but because he’d planned to work up a sweat but now, he was happy he hadn’t. Just because Master Danny wouldn’t touch him didn’t mean he couldn’t look and see what he was missing. Maybe it was a little meant to tease?
He bent over, placing his hands on the ground to stretch, hearing the slight noise from his Master, smiling in response. He stood back up and then moved into another stretch.
“Tease,” Master Danny groaned, and Tim laughed.
“Like what you see Master?”
“You know I do.” Master walked over to him and swept him up in his arms.
“Your clothes are going to get dirty,” he warned as he wrapped his arms around Master Danny’s shoulders.
“They wash,” Master pointed out.
And then they were kissing, not the lazy kisses they usually shared but hot, hungry kisses. Tim clutched at white cloth and cool skin, wrapping his legs around him, moaning into the kiss. He loved how easily Master Danny could support him, it probably explained him and Cassie dating briefly, beyond their shared grief, and the crush he’d had on Kon for a bit.
“Tim…” Master pulled back a bit, panting. “We…we can’t…”
Tim was shocked when he whined, closing his eyes and letting his head drop against Master’s shoulder. He fought his body to get it under control like he’d been trained. He wanted so badly…but deep down he knew Master Danny was right. He couldn’t put him in the position of risking being confronted about consent. Tim still got the side looks because he was a slave. Everyone pitied him even when they teased Master about him. He didn’t want them to think Master Danny would touch someone without permission.
And then the summons tugged, off schedule surely. He looked at Master Danny who had tensed. Tim felt the strange tingle of going intangible and realised the ability was being used to clean him off. He was set down and quickly grabbed his shirt, pulling it on. It wasn’t the usual layers he wore to see them but it’d have to do.
Dick was relieved when they appeared, only to stiffen as he saw what Timmy was wearing. His shirt was basically a vest and nearly see-through! And those pants… Had it all been a carefully crafted illusion? With scheduled summons, he could dress Tim more conservatively in advance but this time…
Tim grinned at him and then frowned, obviously seeing his tension. He followed Dick’s eyes down his clothing and then his own eyes widened. “Dick, no,” he stated firmly. “I was working out; the pants are very stretchy and good for exercising. I just grabbed whatever came to hand for a shirt since I wasn’t wearing one. The garden is private, no one was watching. I really need a shower before putting more on.”
Dick stared into Tim’s eyes, ignoring the ever-strengthening glow, looking for any sign that he was lying. But if ordered to say that, would there be any tell? Tim moved towards him and Dick hugged him, he smelt like…yep, post work out stink but with a slightly acidic tang that was noticeable even to normal human noses. They’d all noticed that a few visits ago and assumed it was part of the changes.
“Just worried about you baby bird,” he whispered, and Tim smiled at him. Was that…yep, Tim’s canines were just that bit sharper now.
“I’m happy Dick, I miss you guys so much, but I’m also happy. Maybe that doesn’t make sense but it’s how I feel. And they’re my feelings; I can tell the difference between what the contract does to me and my own thoughts and feelings. And you know I don’t care about clothing as long as it’s comfortable. It’s not like I’m being paraded through crowds wearing this. I usually wear layers, I just didn’t have more close to hand since I was in the garden, training. Master Danny would never hurt me like that. If you can’t trust him then trust me.”
Dick stared at Tim, seeing the earnestness, the steel, and he nodded slowly. “I trust you Tim.” Even knowing that Tim had to obey his…his owner.
“So why the off-schedule summons? Is everyone okay?” Tim asked, looking around to make sure they were all there and in one piece.
“I found this and Constantine has confirmed its authenticity,” Damian announced proudly, holding out the book and papers.
Tim took them, looking them over before taking them to the King. Tim looked between them and the King, looking torn between hope and dread.
“This…” the King murmured. “This is…it could be it.”
“Really?” Tim asked, and the King nodded.
“It’ll need to be looked over by experts but this might be what we need to break the contract.”
Damain was nervous as the King looked over his research. He was sure it would work, Constantine agreed…so what would the King do? Would he keep his word and free Timothy? And then Timothy was hugging him.
“Thank you Dami,” he whispered, and Damian carefully hugged him back.
“You are my brother,” he responded. It hadn’t always been true, even now they did not ‘hang out’ but they would defend each other to the death.
“Even if it doesn’t work, thank you.”
Tim couldn’t help pacing the office as they waited for word from every ghost that Master Danny had trusted to look over the research. This was the first solid lead they had on freeing him and he wanted it to be real, to work. “If this works…”
“Tim?”
“How…how will things work between us? You live here and I won’t. DO we set up times for summoning or…”
“We’ll figure it out, that’s what couples do, right?”
Tim nodded. And then he stiffened as someone knocked on the door, feeling his anxiety and hope rising. Was this it?
TBC…
Chapter 7: ch7
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 7
Danny nodded in thanks and closed the door, turning back to the anxious Tim. He walked over and took his hands, Tim looking up at him trustingly. “It wasn’t about the contract,” he said before Tim could ask. “They found your mother,” he explained, feeling Tim freeze, eyes wide.
“My Mother?” He whispered in shock.
Danny nodded. “You can see her if you want. You probably have questions. But you don’t have to. It’ll always be an option even if you don’t want to right now.”
“I…I don’t know.” Tim looked utterly bewildered so Danny moved them to the couch to sit together, Tim curling into his side.
“There’s no pressure Tim,” he promised, gently stroking his hair. “From what we got out of the demon, the deal was made years before your birth, they may have honestly forgotten all about it by the time you came along. We know where she is, you can speak with her whenever you want to.”
“Is…is she locked up?” Tim asked softly.
“Do you want her to be?” he asked in return. Technically, her crime had been when she was alive and before Danny ever took the throne.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“There’s no rush,” Danny promised.
Tim felt…lost. He hadn’t really expected either of his parents to be found. But now his Mother had been and he didn’t know what he wanted. It had been years since she had died, he’d moved on…till he found out she had helped sell him before he was born. But she had always been so practical, grounded…maybe she hadn’t realised it was real? Her death had been so sudden and unexpected, before all of the deaths had piled up on him. By the time his Dad had died he’d been half numb but also drowning in grief for the others. He’d been the last straw on the pile and Tim understood why Dick had been so worried for his mental health after B had ‘died’.
And then there was another knock and Tim closed his eyes. What now, his Dad?
Bart curled on the couch, for once not feeling the need to move. They would get to see Timmy next week. They didn’t see him every time he came, sometimes it was family only and that was good, Tim needed his family. He missed Tim so much, he was used to them always talking or texting.
Dick had sent them all a message after the last visit and warned them that Tim was changing. His eyes were more obviously glowing and his canines were sharper, and apparently there was just something…other about him now. But it didn’t matter, he was still their Timmy, their Robin. He just had to come home.
Danny held Tim as he shook, murmuring soft promises, kissing the top of his head. “It’s okay, everything will be okay,” he promised.
“It was so dumb,” Tim choked out.
“No, it wasn’t,” Danny assured him. “And this will give you so much more freedom Tim. We won’t stop looking even with this.”
Tim gave a shaky snort of almost laughter. “Guess I’m the modern-day Persephone, huh?” He grimaced, ducking his head. “Sorry,” he murmured.
“For what?” Danny asked in confusion.
“Being ungrateful.”
“Tim…” he gently nudged Tim’s head up, meeting softly glowing blue eyes. “You are not being ungrateful at all. It’s normal to be disappointed, it really did look like it might break the contract fully.”
They shifted about so they were cuddling properly. Tim reached up to run his fingers over his collar.
“We can hide that; the manacles should vanish.”
“Is it weird that I kind of don’t want to lose them or the collar?”
“I’m probably not the right person to ask given I wear armour, a cape with literal stars…Realms fashion is weird.”
“Can I take some of the wardrobe back to Gotham?”
“Everything in your rooms is yours Tim. You can do whatever you want with it.”
“Does…does this mean that we won’t see each other for six months?” Tim leant his head on Danny’s chest, and Danny gently ran his claws over his scalp, knowing how much he liked it.
“Technus has been working on the old Fenton phones to get something that will work for us to keep in contact. And I’ve worked on a personal summons for you to use. It won’t be six months cut off from each other.”
Tim nodded, one hand reaching for his so Danny tangled their fingers together. They’d shared a lot since Danny had saved Tim from the auction but…he hadn’t told Tim his deepest secret. Was it time? Tim shifted to straddle his legs, leaning in for a kiss, seeking comfort.
Danny didn’t want Tim to go, even for only six months and with how time was weird within the Realms. But it wasn’t fair to Tim to want that, to condemn him to an early death and transformation. Not that anyone here would see it that way. No one saw becoming a ghost as a bad thing but Tim wanted to be with his family too.
Danny’s hand moved to run up and down Tim’s back as they kissed softly. They wouldn’t know until the ritual was done how much freedom Tim would have. Would he still have to obey? Would he be able to disobey?...Consent?
Jason checked over another book, just because they found something that might work didn’t mean they could stop researching until they were sure. The changes to Tim’s appearance were becoming more obvious with every visit, if he didn’t come home soon… no, even with his priorities muddled by the contract Tim had to have worked out plans to explain it.
No matter what, as long as Timmy came home, they could deal with anything else.
“The numbers are slowing?”
“Yes, Great One,” Frostbite agreed. “It isn’t surprising. Every soul and thus every ghost is unique. Some form quickly and others more slowly. The destruction of your world though…”
“May have destroyed some,” the young King finished for him, grief clear.
To know his own parents had destroyed his world…had possible destroyed souls totally…it was not a horror he would wish on anyone.
“There is no sign of your Fraid yet,” he admitted gently.
“I know. They were likely either at ground zero and therefore at higher risk of being destroyed…or far enough away and with enough time away from ectoplasm that they’ll form slower.”
To have been separated from them for so long had to be painful but their King never let them see it. But they had been too human and everything had happened so quickly, the Great One had been forced to seal off access before he could contact them.
“Is everything ready for Tim?”
“We almost have everything required,” he assured him. “Medical equipment as well to be safe.”
He could see the slight reluctance and understood it. He was concerned that once free, Timothy would not feel the same.
Tim closed his eyes, listening to Master Danny’s words, relieved. Could they still do this after the ritual? He could feel his thoughts slowing, everything becoming hazy, fading away. His head dipped towards his chest, facial muscles relaxing. He swayed slightly, slumping against Master Danny’s leg.
Danny watched Tim go blank, usually they did this at night so it was interesting to watch the process happen with Tim awake. He hadn’t hesitated to agree. For starters, it might not be possible after the ritual, but most importantly, Tim was beyond stressed. Between trying to decide whether he wanted to see his mother and now everything about to change… they had no way to know how it would affect Tim and Danny’s control over him.
He forced himself to go about his day, Tim a quiet presence at his side. And that evening, he took his time gently bathing Tim, knowing it might be the last time.
When morning came, Tim rolled over, throwing an arm over his waist, cuddling in. He always woke slowly as he regained the ability to think. Danny gently petted his hair and Tim hummed softly. Sleepy blue eyes slowly opened and Tim smiled lopsidedly at him. He shifted up and they kissed softly, Tim clumsy with sleep.
“Feel better?” he asked gently, and Tim nodded.
“Gonna…miss this,” he mumbled.
“Cuddling? We can do that whenever you want,” he promised, kissing his forehead.
Tim shook his head. “Doll,” he whispered.
“We don’t know that we can’t still do it. We won’t know for sure until after the ritual.” All they really knew was that it would allow Tim to split the year between the Realms and his dimension. That he wouldn’t need to stay within feet of Danny either.
Tim stared at the Observants scattered through the room and then at where Master Danny was talking with Frostbite and Ghost Writer.
It was time.
When he was summoned for the next visit…he’d be staying when Master came back. And that, that…scared him. It was strange how much at home he felt in the Keep but some of that was the contract, right? He shivered, wrapping his arms around himself and the robe that was covering him.
“Are you cold?” Master Danny asked, suddenly at his side, and Tim shook his head.
He was scared, what if it went wrong?
“Tim, if you want to wait and try to find something else, we can do that. This is all up to you.”
He knew that, Master Danny always gave him the choice were possible. “I want to do this,” he told him.
“We’re ready, Great One,” Frostbite called.
“Ready?” Master asked, and Tim took a deep breath before nodding. Cool hands gently pushed his robe down his arms, the silk pooling around his feet. He laughed softly when Master Danny simply picked him up to carry him into the prepared space.
One last kiss and then Tim lay down, closing his eyes, not wanting to see what they were doing. He could hear voices, no longer speaking English, words blurring together, his head spinning…so tired…
Danny moved in, gently picking Tim up, the human limp in his arms, breathing slow and steady. He wrapped him in the robe and took him back to his own room. Tim had begun sleeping with him most nights and it had helped lessen the frequency of the dreams which was good for both of their sanity.
He lay Tim on the bed in his room, dressing him carefully in comfortable clothes for sleeping before tucking him under the covers and moving to sit beside the bed. He didn’t want to crowd him, unsure how he would feel when he woke.
Danny took Tim’s hand, gently caressing the now bare skin. The manacles had vanished but the collar remain, though the chain links that used to fall from it were gone now. It could almost be mistaken for a metal choker now. Tim had been pale when he arrived but that had been a lack of sun, likely due to either being in the office or working at night. But now his actual skin tone was paler, he still held the flush of life that those in the Realms lacked but that was it. His ears were still human round but his eyes and teeth would need to be hidden or something.
And then Tim’s fingers twitched against his hand. He gently squeezed Tim’s hand, watching as his eyelashes fluttered, beginning to wake.
He felt…heavy…a hand holding his…soft under him…bed? The hand squeezed gently, cool…Danny? He struggled to open his eyes.
“It’s alright, the ritual’s done. You’re safe Tim.”
Slowly, the world came into focus and he met worried green eyes. Sluggishly, he managed to squeeze his hand in return. “Hnng…”
“Water?”
Tim managed a very lethargic nod and then his head was being gently lifted, a glass pressed to his lips. He sipped at the cold liquid and then licked his lips. “Danny,” he whispered.
Mas…Danny smiled softly at him. Tim blinked slowly. Danny…not Master…his mind didn’t automatically give him that title now, even in his thoughts. So…it had worked?
“Take your time,” Danny whispered.
He could feel the contract lingering; knew he wasn’t fully free but his mind felt…different. “Danny,” he said, voice stronger, watching as Danny’s eyes widened as he realised.
“How do you feel? Do you remember what happened?”
Tim nodded. “Ritual.” He shifted, trying to sit up, and Danny helped him. He looked around, confused. “Why?”
“Why what Tim?” Danny asked softly.
“Not in our bed?” he asked, carefully forming the words, still feeling sluggish.
Danny closed his eyes, squeezing Tim’s hand. He opened his eyes and slowly lifted Tim’s hand, watching him closely. Tim smiled when cool lips pressed to the back of his hand. “I…I didn’t want…”
Tim reached for him and Danny slowly got on the bed beside him, letting Tim settle in his arms. “Told you,” Tim murmured, resting his head over Danny’s core. “Know my own feelings.”
He felt Danny take a shaking breath, a soft kiss pressing to his head. Tim soaked up the comfort, knowing soon he’d have to get used to sleeping alone again. When he’d joined the Bats, he’d had trouble with physical affection but he’d gotten better over the years. He cuddled with friends and family but sometimes it still got too much. But with Danny, he wanted it, to cuddle and lie together and he knew some of it had been the contract but now it felt natural.
Tim wasn’t calling him Master anymore! On top of the manacles vanishing, it had to mean the contract was a lot less restrictive. And he’d reached for Danny so quickly, was cuddling with him like normal. He could tell that Tim wasn’t fully recovered from the slow way he was moving and talking, but he was awake and alert.
Tim stretched slightly and then sat up, he looked better, fully aware now. He’d seemed a little out of it earlier but his eyes were now focused fully on Danny. He reached out, fingers tracing Danny’s face. Danny shivered when Tim’s fingers ran over his pointed ears, the temperature difference feeling more intense there.
“You’re incredible,” Tim whispered.
“Not scary?” Danny asked shakily, and Tim rolled his eyes.
“I’ve seen and fought scary, Danny. You are beautiful.” Tim kissed him softly. “You are a wonderful king; I see the way your people look to you. You put an end to deals like the one…the one my parents made; you saved me. You could have left me a mindless slave but instead pushed to free me. And I am very happy to be dating you.” Tim smiled at him, and Danny found himself smiling back.
They kissed softly, Tim wrapping his arms around Danny’s neck.
Danny stared into Tim’s eyes and he knew, he had to tell him.
John stared at the small charm sitting beside his desk, it had changed. Was that good? He’d linked it to Tim a few visits ago so they could have some idea of how he was. It hadn’t gone black so he wasn’t dead at least.
Had what the youngest bat found helped? Had it changed in reaction to an attempt to break the contract? There was no way to know until the Bats summoned him for his next visit. So he wouldn’t say anything, he didn’t need to deal with them stressing.
Tim blinked away the bright light to stare at Danny…who he almost didn’t recognise. He looked human, eyes a bright blue, hair now black…he fit the adoption bait joke very well. He wasn’t as tall in this form though still taller than Tim. Having a human form would make dating while Tim was in Gotham sooo much easier.
“Tim?” Danny asked, hesitant, and of course he was. He knew Tim was attracted to his ghost form which was very different to his human appearance which meant he might not like him like this.
He reached out for Danny’s hand and Danny took it. He was warm now, maybe not quite normal human warmth, but a lot warmer than Tim was used to. He stepped closer, resting his other hand on Danny’s chest. He let go of Danny’s hands to settle his hands on Danny’s shoulders to steady himself as he shifted up. Danny’s expression softened as he leant down to meet him in a soft kiss. It was much easier to kiss someone about B’s height then when Danny was a ghost.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered, seeing the relief in Danny’s eyes. “I…” he swallowed. “I really like you Danny…I think…” why was it so hard to say?
A soft, understanding smile spread over Danny’s face. “I’ve never,” he whispered, and Tim tilted his head slightly in question. “I’ve never gotten to just tell someone like this before,” he admitted. “The others could just tell, they actually told me what I am, a halfa. My friends were there when I died, my sister saw me transform once, Val put the clues together thanks to Dani… the while town eventually found out during a fight and after that everything just went wrong.” He took a shaky breath and Tim wrapped himself around him, offering comfort.
He had nightmares of being unmasked in the field, of the consequences for his family if it happened to any of them. But he was human and he had the money to vanish. But Danny had been working in a world where his kind were illegal and hunted. How much scarier did that make it?
“I’m sorry you never got the chance to tell someone by choice. That’s only really happened once to me, with Steph. B was really strict about my not telling her my identity, even after we started dating and then…instead of letting me tell her, he sent her to my boarding school to find Robin. My nightmares are being unmasked in the field because technically vigilantism is illegal even though we work with the police and Justice League. We work so hard to hide our identities, to keep our loved ones safe from our enemies.”
Danny nodded and they moved into his bedroom, where they usually spent time rather than Tim’s smaller room. It was a relief to be back where he’d become comfortable. He liked his room, and while smaller than Danny’s rooms it wasn’t actually small or anything. About the same size as his bedroom in his apartment really. Danny’s rooms were just huge but comfortable and well furnished.
“This will make going on actual dates in Gotham easier,” Tim told him as they cuddled.
“I look forward to seeing your home,” Danny promised. “It sounds so different to the earth I was born on.”
Danny watched as Tim packed, part of him hating it. But he couldn’t just keep Tim in the Realms forever. He would never do that to someone. He smiled when Tim packed several pairs of the pants and vests that had caused his brother to freak out before. But he also packed some other things he liked, including a warm cloak, while leaving some of the things his family had sent him behind…leaving his rooms ready for his return.
Tim’s family was in for quite the surprise when they summoned them since they were expecting a visit as normal. It should be a good surprise; they would have their son and brother back for half of their year. It would be weird for him to not have Tim with him all the time, he’d gotten used to his presence so quickly.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Tim pointed out, moving to stand in front of him, taking his hands. “We still need to check something.”
Danny grimaced but nodded, he’d been putting it off since surely it wouldn’t matter while Tim was gone but he’d still be seeing him and talking to him so Tim was right. “Tim, tap your nose,” he ordered softly.
Tim lifted his hand and Danny’s heart sank, but then a warm finger tapped his nose and he blinked as Tim grinned at him. “No thanks.”
Danny laughed, picking him up to kiss. He’d disobeyed! Tim’s legs wrapped around him as they kissed and for the first time, there was no hesitation or worry. Tim could disobey now which meant he really wanted this.
Dick watched the light fade, revealing the King and there, tucked into his side, was Timmy. He was wearing jeans and a shirt for once which was weird, his collar still around his throat but…Tim lifted a hand, revealing a bare wrist.
“Timothy?” Damian asked.
Tim pulled the youngest into a hug. “Thank you.”
Did that mean…it had worked?
“You’re free?” Jason asked before Dick could say anything.
Tim glanced back at the King before facing them again. “About halfway?” He looked between them all. “I can disobey now and the manacles are gone.” He tilted his head back to give a clearer view of the collar; there was something different about it. “I can come home but not permanently. Six months here and six months in the Realms.”
Dick moved forward, pulling his baby bird into a hug, closing his eyes against tears. He was home! Sure, it wasn’t for good, yet. But it was better than once a fortnight! “Welcome home Timmy,” he whispered.
He was home. Not forever, not yet, but his son was home. Bruce watched as the children swarmed their brother. He glanced at the King to see him setting some bags down, Tim’s luggage. He had kept his word and returned Bruce’s son to them. Damian was obviously proud that his research had led to this, even if it hadn’t fully freed Tim.
“Thank you,” he whispered, and the King nodded.
“He will be safe, even with the changes?” the being asked, and Bruce nodded.
“We’ve already arranged for an appropriate cover story and altered the records to show he had a dormant Meta-gene. As far as everyone knows, Tim has been travelling for work and relaxation for the last year. It will be easy enough to include an accident in his trip that would cause the gene to activate. Meta’s are protected by law. He’ll likely face more kidnapping attempts because illegal trafficking does happen and he’ll be a tempting target due to the family.”
King Phantom nodded, relief flickering over his face. Hopefully with Tim now freer, they could learn more about the being his son was still bound to.
Returning home alone felt so strange. He already missed Tim and he had six months to go. He was pretty sure that Tim wouldn’t be in much contact for this first time as he caught up with friends and family, settled back into his life, and even prepared some kind of story for why he would vanish for another six months. Unless they found a way to finish breaking it during that time.
Danny took a breath and then headed for his office only to freeze in shock as he spotted a very familiar if changed figure. “Jazz?”
TBC…
Chapter 8: ch8
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: not mine.
Chapter 8
Tim woke, disorientated, limbs heavy with pleasure and it took a few moments for him to recognise where he was. Wayne Manor…his bedroom. Was it all…no, he felt the soft weight of his collar around his neck. He pushed himself up and groaned as he realised what had happened, sleeping alone meant dreaming. He’d kind of hoped that part would go away since it would be six months before they shared a bed again. Six months of having to wash his clothes every morning? Fun. He ran a hand through his hair and then nearly jumped when a knock sounded.
“Tim?”
“I’m awake,” he called, and the door opened to reveal Bruce.
He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed and Tim fought not to blush, making sure his quilt covered his lap. He leant into B’s hand when he reached out to run his fingers through sleep tussled hair. “You’re really here,” Bruce murmured.
Tim swallowed, he’d missed them all but he’d had Danny and his research and then the destruction of Danny’s Earth to distract him. But his family? “I’m here B,” he promised. “I’m home. Honestly, kind of surprised no one came in during the night.”
Bruce chuckled. “Alfred’s doing, he insisted we let you get a peaceful night’s sleep to adjust to being home. Feel up to a family breakfast?”
Tim grinned. “Definitely.”
“Alright, I’ll see you down there.” Bruce stood, just watching him for a moment, and Tim got it. But then he left and Tim scrambled up, he needed a shower, fast.
Dick forced himself to sit and not pace, but his eyes were locked on the doorway. He slumped when Bruce walked through alone.
“He’s getting dressed,” Bruce said, obviously knowing what he was thinking. “He’d only just woken up.” He took his seat.
Ten minutes later, Tim walked through the doorway, hair damp from a shower. He was dressed casually and bare foot, trailing a hand along the wall, looking around. Looking for changes?
“Morning Timmy,” Dick called, and Tim looked at him, smiling.
“Good morning, everyone,” Tim greeted them, staring at the empty chair, his chair, left empty since he was taken.
Cass smiled warmly at him and held her hand out. Tim walked over, taking her hand as he sat. “Sleep well?” she asked.
“Yeah. As absolutely comfortable as the beds are in the Keep, I missed mine here.”
Alfred began setting out plates and Tim looked up at him.
“Thanks Alfred.”
“Of course. I trust you’ve been eating well?”
“Not a match to your cooking but the food was good,” Tim promised.
Alfred smiled, gently running his hand across Tim’s shoulder as he moved on. Tim would just have to get used to being touched a lot, they would all need to assure themselves he was home and safe…even if only for six months.
Breakfast was a bit stilted, no one really knowing what to say till Tim sighed and put his fork down. “Seriously guys, I’m here and I’m fine. Please be normal?”
“So, did you bring the harem clothes home?” Steph asked, tone teasing, and Tim rolled his eyes.
“I brought some of the comfy stuff, left some of my clothes from here there too. And no, I didn’t bring the jewelled vests.”
“Aww…” she pouted, and Tim laughed, flashing his sharpened canines.
It was going to take time to get used to his changed appearance, but he was still their Timmy. When the meal was done, Dick stood and threw his arm around Tim’s shoulders, the kid immediately leaning into him. He led him out of the dining room and through the manor.
“Dick?” Tim asked, but there was no nervousness, not like there had been after…after Tim came back as Red Robin.
Dick pushed the door open and Tim stopped; a hand raised to his eyes. Dick pulled out some sunglasses and slipped them on his little brother’s face. “How long since you’ve been out in real sunlight?” he asked gently.
Tim smiled and leant more heavily into him for a second. “Thanks.”
“Of course, you’re even paler now so you’ll need the Batgrade sunscreen,” he teased.
“I think some of it is my natural skin tone now?” Tim shrugged slightly. He moved away to sit in the grass, running his fingers through it. “It’s so different to the Realms,” he murmured.
Dick sat beside him. “You okay?” he asked in concern.
Tim glanced at him, smiling softly. “Even the air here is different, heavier,” he admitted. “But…it’s home. I think I even missed the smog.” Tim chuckled, and Dick just watched him. Tim looked at him and something dimmed. “Dick? Are you…are you mad at me?”
“What?” he asked, shocked, before shaking his head. “No!” he reached out and tugged Tim into his side, leaning his head down though not as much as he used to, to drop a kiss on his little brother’s head. He…he smelt different, the acidic scent lingering, even after a night at the manor and a shower. “I just want you to be free and happy.”
“Dick…listen to me, okay?” he asked, removing the sunglasses, and Dick nodded. “I am happy and I feel free. I’m home for six months and life in the Realms isn’t bad. I’m happy Dick, honestly. Phantom hasn’t hurt me, he won’t. I…I don’t know how to explain it but…so many things I used to worry about, I just don’t anymore. It’s not him controlling me or anything. Maybe it’s knowing what’s after this life, I don’t know. I just feel free to be me without caring so much what others say or think about it.”
Dick stared his brother in his eyes, the glow not so obvious in the sunlight. They’d all noticed how different Tim was now to before he was taken. He’d been a lot more affectionate and relaxed. Was it possible that being a slave had done more for his mental state then any therapy could have?
Danny sat with his sister, his core buzzing with happiness that she was with him. She was tall as a ghost, though not as tall as him. She looked different, but he would always recognise his family. Once red hair was now flowing flame, her eyes a bright red and skin almost tinted purple. And she was clinging tightly to his hand, staring at the fireplace.
“Jazz?” He asked softly.
“I…I don’t…why…”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pulling her into a hug. “It’s okay, you’re safe,” he promised. He’d suspected as much, the more traumatic the death, the more damage to living memories. “You remember me?” he asked, scared that she didn’t, not really.
She looked at him and smiled shakily. “Danny, Phantom…my little brother.”
He slumped slightly in relief. She knew him as more than her new King. Their parents were surely gone forever; it would have killed him to have lost her too. Despite everything they had done, he still loved them, even when they’d tried to destroy him, he couldn’t stop how he felt.
Kon scrambled to the front door, knocking. Alfred opened it and gave a knowing smile, stepping aside.
“The family is in the game room, Mister Kent.”
“Thanks Alfred.” He hurried to the game room, hearing the cheering and teasing. He stopped in the doorway and there, sprawled on the couch with Jason, was Tim.
Tim looked up and his eyes widened in joy. “Kon!” he scrambled up and Kon met him halfway across the room, lifting him clean off his feet to hug.
He put him down, resting his hands on Tim’s shoulders. He’d grown more, almost to Dick’s height now. His hair had grown too, long enough to tie back, his eyes glowing softly, sharper canines barely visible through parted lips. And around his throat was the familiar collar, though the chain links were gone. And as always, Tim knew what he was thinking, holding up his bare wrists, the manacles gone.
“You’re really back?” he asked shakily, and Tim winced slightly.
“For six months,” he answered. “Half a year here, half a year there. And I don’t have to obey anymore either. I’m okay, Kon.”
Bruce watched as Tim was scanned from head to toe. Tim said he was fine, unharmed, but Bruce couldn’t just take his word for it, not after so long living in the fear that he would never have his son back. He had to be sure there were no surprises, that Tim wouldn’t suddenly die. Tim was lying still; his eyes shut against the lights.
He turned his attention to the technicians and watching doctor. There was no stress as they watched the scans which Bruce took as a good sign.
The scan finished and Tim left to change back into normal clothing.
“Good news Batman, all of Red Robin’s scans are clean. The only oddity is that we can clearly see his spleen despite the recorded emergency splenectomy.”
Bruce nodded.
“Bloodwork as well appears to be normal, no signs of tampering or cloning.”
Bruce grunted in acknowledgment and went to join Tim.
“All clear, right?”
He nodded and the headed for the Zeta. It was a relief, to know that Tim was healthy. His son was in civilian clothing with only a simple black domino to conceal his identity. With his growth, the Red Robin suit would need alterations before it would fit him. Not that Bruce was complaining, Tim had always been too small and thin. He’d put on both height and weight while gone and it made a massive improvement. He just hoped Tim wouldn’t fall back into bad habits when it came to forgetting to eat and undo all the progress. Even when he’d lived in the Manor it had been a struggle to get him to put weight on.
Once, Tim would have been champing at the bit to get back into the field but he hadn’t been pushing, instead relaxing around the Manor, not even insisting on going back to his apartment. He seemed content to just be with them all and Bruce supposed it made some sense given what Tim had gone through.
As soon as they were back in the Cave, Tim removed the domino and then was dogpiled by his siblings demanding answers. Bruce couldn’t help the small smile at the sight. It was so good to have them all at home.
Tim waited for the program to activate, flicking out his bō, ready…and then he was moving. Spinning, dodging, jumping. It felt good, easy, and he knew he was grinning. It had taken a lot of work to get B to let him train and he could feel him watching, but he didn’t care. It felt good to run through the program. Yes, he’d trained in the Realms but it wasn’t the same as pushing himself against the holographic opponents or one of his siblings. Danny said that he would arrange some training with Pandora soon which was amazing.
He finished and was barely breathing hard, finally looking over at Bruce. “Good?” he asked, and Bruce nodded.
“Better than your last run through before you were taken,” he admitted.
Tim shrugged slightly. “I’ve noticed my stamina’s improved. I kept up my training as much as I could but I didn’t really have anyone to spar with.”
“And the bō?”
“A gift,” Tim told him. “It’s stronger but doesn’t weigh much.”
Bruce held his hand out and for a second Tim wanted to hold back but he handed it over, letting Bruce look it over. “DP?” he asked.
“The King’s initials. It means any ghosts here will know not to mess with me even if they don’t see my collar.”
“Tim…”
“B, it’s a gift, no strings.”
“You’re compromised Tim.”
Tim sighed and moved to sit on a chair at the conference table. “Bruce, you don’t know him, I do. If not for that demon, we’d have never had anything to do with Phantom or the Realms. Even Constantine keeps away from them. Nothing we do is involved so it won’t impact any cases. He understands the work we do, he started as a vigilante, trying to keep the peace between the living and the dead. His Earth…it’s gone, B. They destroyed themselves out of some dumb hatred for the Realms. I’ve watched him dealing with the souls that weren’t destroyed in the process, helping them accept what’s happened to them. His whole family is likely gone for good because of it. His friends…”
Tim closed his eyes, slumping in his seat. And then Bruce gripped his shoulder gently, handing him his bō back.
“Do you think you can go back on the streets?” he asked carefully.
“How has my absence been explained?” Tim asked in return.
“For Red, off-world missions. Tim Drake has been travelling as a mix of work and leisure. We’ve had people like M’gann and J’onn stand in as you on and off to make photo posts to keep up the illusion.”
Tim was relieved, he could work with that. Though he doubted everyone would buy it, which explained the many coded messages from Pru that he’d found on his phone. And he needed to answer those but how was he meant to explain his situation?
“I have a new suit too,” he told Bruce.
“You don’t want to continue as Red Robin?” he asked, and Tim shrugged slightly.
“I only took the name because I needed a name immediately and the suit was there. Alfred adjusted the suit when I came home but it’s never felt like me the same way Robin did,” he explained. He’d come to accept the name Red Robin but…he wouldn’t really care if he gave it up either.
“King Phantom made you a suit?” Bruce asked, the distrust obvious to Tim.
“He had one made with my input,” Tim clarified. “It’s…technically always with me. There was a vigilante in his world and mine is based off of hers for the technology.”
“And there’s no price for this?”
Tim shook his head, taking a deep breath. “I need the suit now B, it was the best way they could figure out to ensure I get what I now need.”
“What do you mean?” Bruce demanded, and you had to know him to hear the concern.
“I’m what they call liminal now,” he admitted quietly. “I spent too long in the Infinite Realms…I need ectoplasm to live. And while it’s everywhere, I need a certain level to stay healthy. The suit has filters to draw ectoplasm from the environment and give it to me in an appropriate dosage.”
“Tim…”
“Bruce, I’m alive and healthier than I’ve probably ever been. Frostbite didn’t just give me a new spleen; he’s been fixing the cumulative damage from our lifestyle not to mention things like the Clench. I’m tied to the Realms now, even if the contract is one day fully broken. When I die, I know what will happen to me.”
None of the tests had shown anything…but would they? Should he call Constantine? He met Tim’s eyes, seeing the calmness but there was something deeper…fear? Of what? Him? That made him feel sick. He knew he hadn’t always been the best father to his children but he didn’t want them to be afraid of him.
He reached out and put his hand on Tim’s shoulder, remembering the tiny yet oh so stubborn child who had forced his way into Bruce’s home, life, and heart. Tim had suffered so much, survived impossible odds…
“Let’s see your new suit,” he told Tim.
His son nodded and stepped back, doing something behind his back and then a red glow seemed to travel over his body and when it faded, Tim wasn’t in the jeans and top he’d worn to the Watchtower.
Danny answered the phone as it rang. “Hey,” he murmured.
“Hi,” Tim’s voice came through mostly clear, almost shy sounding. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too, Tim. Are you alright?”
“Things are…strange but good. B insisted I have a full medical and it came back clear. I showed him my new suit too. No one really wants to let me out of their sight, but I get it.”
“I don’t blame them,” Danny agreed. He shifted to lay back against the pillows, missing Tim’s presence in the bed. “They’ve had an hour with you ever two weeks and before that you were missing.”
“I know. And I know how paranoid my family is but their suspicion of you is driving me crazy.”
Danny smiled softly. “I own you, Tim, even with the contract loosened. So of course they are suspicious of me, they might always be.”
“Is everything okay there? Walker’s not causing issues?” Tim asked, and Danny could hear him shifting around…on his bed?
He wanted to see Tim, to hold him, kiss him. He’d slept better with Tim in his bed than he ever had before.
“I found my sister,” he answered instead of saying all of that. He could have forever with Tim one day; his family deserved as much of the six months as possible.
“Really? That’s great! Is she okay?” Tim asked in a rush.
Danny took a deep breath and began to explain.
Jason paused as he heard Tim talking quietly in his room.
Tim laughed softly. “I miss you too, bye.”
A friend? Teammate? But there was something in his tone… Jason shook his head and kept walking. He’d seen everyone hovering over the kid and was doing his best to not follow their lead. They couldn’t smother Tim or he’d pull away. Six months was going to fly by and it sucked but there was nothing they could do except continue researching ways to fully break the contract.
“Jason!”
He turned and Tim caught up with him, their arms brushing for a moment. Maybe Tim didn’t mind the smothering so much anymore? So long away from the family had obviously been difficult for Tim. How isolated had he been? He hadn’t said a lot about it beyond how the King treated him.
“Hey Timbit, plans for the day?”
“I want to head into the city, go to my apartment.”
“Alone or do you want company?” Jason asked as they reached the dining room.
“Who wants company?” Dick asked as they took their seats.
Jason glanced at Tim who sighed.
“I want to go back to my apartment for the day, check on some things. Jason was asking if I want to go alone or have company.”
“You’re leaving?” Dick asked.
“Just for a few hours,” Tim assured him. “I can’t just stay in the Manor for six months, Dick.”
He was right, it’d drive him nuts. As much as they wanted to keep Tim with them the whole time, they couldn’t. The kid needed to live his life as best he could given the circumstances.
“We made sure the place was locked up and kept tidy,” Jason spoke up. “Got covers for the furniture and everything…well, Alfred did.”
“Thanks Alfred,” Tim said since the man walked in with perfect timing, pulling the cart of breakfast food with him.
“Of course Master Tim, it wouldn’t do for your things to be ruined while you were away.”
Walking into his apartment and seeing everything covered felt so weird. He ran his fingers over the kitchen counter and then smiled, no dust. Alfred was keeping the place clean for him. The apartment had been his escape from the absolute disaster his life had become that year, he’d designed it to fit his needs. And it would make a good place to spend time with Danny, once he ensured it was clean of ‘bugs’.
“Okay?” Cass asked quietly.
He nodded and moved to remove the covers from the couch, Cass moving to begin uncovering other furniture. It felt normal to have Cass in his space, she’d spent a lot of time at his place since he’d moved in.
“Are you coming back here?” she asked after they were done.
“Yeah, maybe not yet. I think everyone needs to hover a little longer but this is my home, Cass.”
She nodded in understanding, reaching out to trace his collar. “You miss him.”
Tim took a deep breath. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I…we’re dating Cass. I asked for it. I think…I think I love him.”
She stared at him for a while before nodding. “Okay.”
He smiled, hearing what she hadn’t said. If Danny hurt him, she’d find a way to kick his ass but she would support Tim as long as Danny was good to him.
TBC…
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