Something Unexpected
Summary: This is an alternative version of Red Robin issues 11 & 12. When Ra's Al Ghul sends his assassins to Gotham City, they immediately focus their efforts on targeting Tam Fox. Will Tim make it in time to save Tam? Or will she have to fight against the League of Assassins alone?
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. The ventilation idea and line came from Kelley Armstrong's anthology "Chaotic".
Author's Note: This story focuses on Tam so if you like that awesome character this story is for you!
"See you tomorrow, Tam!" My co-workers said as they walked away from their desks. I waved and said goodbye as they exited the office. I went back to my computer screen and began to hit the keyboard again. It was eight o'clock at night and I was at Wayne Enterprises working for my internship. Of this 120-story building, I was on the 32th floor. I worked in a large office room with desks aligned in a 7X7 fashion. Large scale windows behind me reflected light from the full moon, which shined more light on my computer screen than the desk lamp. Hopefully, I'd be home soon enough; the rest of the staff had left for the day and I had to stay behind to do research for my next project. My supervisor wants to propose a grant to the Prime Minister of Russia.
I worked on the grant for another hour. "Almost done," I murmured to myself. I lifted my arms over my head and stretched. It had been a long and dull day. Besides a couple meetings, I've spent the entire day working on this grant. I enjoyed my internship at Wayne Enterprises, but with almost any internship there were days that were too tedious, seeming to linger without end.
As I leaned back in my chair and stretched I saw a flash of movement across the computer screen. I glanced behind just in time to see someone dressed in all black perched on the desk behind me. Without a second thought, I dived down underneath my own desk. My chair was swiftly sliced in half. The action barely made a noise, but enough sound that I knew I had almost met the same fate. Oh my God, this can't be happening! Scrambling out from under the desk, I dashed toward the door, running between my co-workers desks, not daring to look back. Blood pounded in my ears as I could only think of running faster. I was fifteen feet from the door when another person dressed in the same dark garments appeared and blocked my escape. I turned sharply to avoid running right into my foe's embrace, but I had built up too much momentum darting to the door. As I turned, I tripped and toppled down onto the floor. "Ouch!" I gasped and clutched my elbow. Looking up, I saw both men on either side of me. I recognized their attire; they were from the League of Assassins! Oh God, Oh God, they're here! The League was a deadly criminal organization led by Ra's Al Ghul, a man who had his global networking destroyed by Tim Drake. I had helped Tim and now Ra's was taking his revenge...My whole body felt locked. I couldn't move. Tim where are you? I couldn't contact him before the ninjas moved in on me—I was trapped!
Glass shattered into the room as Tim, wearing in his Red Robin attire, burst through the window at the other end of the room. Two other ninjas appeared right after him. "Tim!" I screamed. The two ninjas simultaneously attacked Tim with shurikens in mid-air. Tim brought his bo-staff upright just before the throwing stars embedded themselves in his weapon right by Tim's chest and knees. Tim knocked both of the ninjas back with his staff before he rolled on the floor and into a fighting stance. "Tam! Are you okay?" Tim yelled as he dodged a sickle that had aimed for his head.
"I've been better!" I shouted back.
My first attacker joined in the fight against Tim, while the second one suddenly grabbed me by the arm, lifting me off the floor. I tried to pull back, but the ninja forcefully pulled me so that I was facing him. Then, without thinking, I thrust my hand against his windpipe. The ninja gasped and stumbled back, with his hand clasping his neck. Regaining his footing, he dropped his hand and stepped toward me ready to attack. I put my arms up to shield myself from the assault, but it never happened. Tim's bo-staff had swung past me a second later and hit the ninja across his abdomen. The ninja yelled in pain and fell to the floor, too immobile to get up. Tim had managed to knock down the other ninjas. One of the ninjas was out cold, but the other two were on the floor feebly stirring.
Tim turned from them to look at me.
"Tim, are you all right?" I asked.
"I'm okay, I just wish I had stopped them before they got in," he said dryly.
"How did you know they were here?"
"I was out scouting and my radar picked up fast movements on the rooftops near Wayne Enterprises. I scanned the area then saw the League of Assassins breaking in."
"Thanks for rescuing me, but next time I'd appreciate a phone call or even a text message saying, "Ninjas coming your way—RUN!" so I can have a little heads up."
"Tam, I tried but the service has been blocked—" Suddenly more ninjas came in through the window at the opposite end of the office. At least seven appeared in rapid succession. Tim swore, grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door.
Tim looked down each end of the corridor and then made a right. He was leading us toward an exit door. "We need to get to another level," he said. Tim squeezed my hand tighter and tugged me to run faster with him. I glanced behind us. The ninjas were emerging from the office. "Dammit!" My attention was brought back ahead and I saw why Tim swore. "Dammit," I said seeing that four ninjas had appeared at our exit door. Tim avoided them by turning into the next office we came to. He kicked the door open and we rushed inside.
It was a seminar room, complete with a large table in the center that was surrounded by chairs. On the other side of the table was a door leading to another hallway. We ran around the table to get to the door, but a throwing star whizzed past us and into the door. We turned to see that the ninjas had already caught up to us. They covered each side of the room, a few of them leaping on top of the table. I counted eleven total.
Still holding my hand, Tim took a step in front on me as if to block them from me. He gripped my hand and I could feel my heart racing again. "Tam," he said in hushed tone. "When I tell you, go out that door."
"What about you?" I whispered back.
"I'll be fine. Just find a way out."
He squeezed my hand one more time as if reassuring me. He then held out his bo-staff. "Tam, go!" He yelled over his shoulder.
Turning around, I ran the ten feet to the door. As I opened it I caught a glimpse of Tim. Something stopped me from going through that door. I looked at Tim; he had positioned himself into a fighting stance, challenging the assassins. Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew Tim had an intense expression—he was completely focused and determined to beat the ninjas. I then realized that I wanted to stay and help. Should I stay? Could I use my martial arts?
The ninjas took out their swords and sickles. On second thought, maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea for me to test my martial arts now.
Tim held out his bo-staff and ran toward the assassins. I took one last look at Tim then ran down the corridor.
Since seeing him fight at the Cradle, the League's hideout, my opinion of Tim has changed so much, I thought as I spotted the elevator. I have to say that Tim is a sad, obsessive and…cool guy…I reckoned, while running faster down the hallway.
Stopping at the elevator, I pushed the Down button frantically—it didn't light up. I gazed up to see which floor the elevator was on but it wasn't showing. The assassins must have deactivated the elevator. Cussing, I turned around to see that I didn't have many escape options. Either A, try another corridor adjacent to the elevator or B, go back down the hallway past the assassin filled room. As I looked back toward the seminar room, a ninja was thrown from the doorway. He slammed against the opposite wall and fell to the ground just before more throwing stars were flung from the room, hitting the wall above his head. Oh, hell no.
Option A it was and I ran, hoping to see another exit. There were only offices and they were all locked. Luckily, at the end of the hallway the last door was unlocked. I dashed inside and closed the door. Grabbing the doorknob, I found that it didn't have a lock. What office door doesn't have a lock on it?! I looked around the room. It was almost as large as a conference room with many shelves and sealed crates; it was a storage room for office and maintenance supplies. That's probably why no one bothered to put a lock on the door; workers need pens and paper all the time. I wildly glanced around for something to hide in. Come on, think! What can I use? I then looked up to see a ventilation shaft.
Tam, this isn't a movie!
A loud commotion came from the corridor—Tim was having a hard time holding the ninjas back. I climbed on a crate and lifted the opening of the ventilation shaft. Grabbing the sides of the shaft, I hoisted myself inside. It was pitch black, very narrow and clearly had not been cleaned in a long time as thick dust immediately got over my outfit. My blazer and dress pants were ruined. As I carefully crawled through I tried not to breathe in too much of the filthy air for fear of sneezing or coughing.
About fifteen feet down, I came to a window in the shaft. I looked through it. Below were four ninjas in the room. No way, they're here! I thought of Tim, whether he was lying in a pool of blood, a dozen shurikens thrust into his chest. I shook away those thoughts immediately. No, he's too good! He's just dealing with the others…he has to be.
I moved back from the vent window in case the assassins decided to look up and see their target literally above them. As I scooted back my hand slipped on the dust, not only causing a screech from my hand against the shaft, but also causing me to lose my balance. My shoulder knocked against the side of the vent. Both noises echoed throughout the shaft. I mouthed an obscenity and prayed to God that the ninjas didn't hear the loud noise in the dreadfully quiet room.
I then heard a swift clank! and the shaft shook. Oh sh—Cutting off my mental curse, the metal pan beneath me collapsed and I fell through. I hit the floor hard and coughed as I had sharply inhaled the dust. My eyes watered from the debris and I had to blink quickly to see. When my vision cleared I looked up to see all four ninjas surrounding and merely looking down at me.
Oh God. My heart began to hammer. I was alone with four assassins. Tim was occupied with the others so there was no telling when he would come. "I—I don't suppose we can talk this out?" I managed to choke out.
The ninjas didn't respond. I noticed that each of them had weapons on them. One ninja had a pair of sai, another had a katana, and the other two had shurikens on their belts.
I swallowed. My heart was pounding so hard I wouldn't be surprised if the assassins could hear it. I almost wish the Council of Spiders was here to distract them. Then I could run like hell like I did at the Cradle. Unfortunately, with the ninjas surrounding me that was not an option.
The ninja with the katana was in front of me. He pulled the sword out and raised it above his shoulders. My breath caught before the ninja with the sai held out his hand.
"No, we'll use her as bait to stop the boy," he said. "Go take her out through there," he nodded towards the large window at the far end of the room. He looked at me. "Once the boy knows that our Master has her he'll come for her."
They're going to take me to Ra's Al Ghul?! I felt numb. I tried to think. To think of some way to get away, but couldn't process a way out.
One of the ninjas with the shurikens grabbed me underneath my arm and lifted me up. "Scream and I'll slice your throat open," he warned me. The other three ninjas walked in front as we all walked toward the window. I looked back at the entrance door in hopes of Tim bursting in through there. Please come here, Tim. The door stood motionless. It just went further and further away. I then looked at the ninjas in front. They walked assertively toward their escape route, satisfied that they had some asset to give to Ra's Al Ghul that would help their master get revenge on Tim. I looked behind me once more.
As I looked at the door I didn't plead again, but instead mentally chastised myself. I couldn't keep relying on Tim to arrive and save the day. And it's not like I could ask the ninjas to please wait for Tim to appear to knock them out. As nervous as I was I had to do something myself. Either that or let the ninjas take me to Ra's Al Ghul where they'll eventually kill me.
The five of us were nearing the window. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my fears as far back as possible. I glanced at the ninja holding me. I had to make a decision right now because I wasn't going to get a second chance at this. It was now or never.
Stepping back, I pulled the ninja toward me with the arm he was holding. The assassin's eyes widened as I jabbed the ninja hard in his chest with my elbow. The ninja coughed and bent over holding his chest. I then quickly spun and did a round-house kick against the ninja's head and followed with a low kick that flipped his legs from underneath him. The three ninjas in front of them turned to see their companion fall to the ground hard, then lay unconscious.
Two of the ninjas stared at him, disbelief in their eyes. The one with the sai frowned and glanced around before looking at me, as if saying he didn't believe I had just knocked one of them out cold.
I placed myself in a fighting stance. Don't get nervous, stay focused—there's one down! I thought. The two ninjas who had been staring at their fallen companion finally looked up. The one with the katana started forward towards me and the ninja with the shurikens followed right behind. They're so fast! I stepped back as the ninja with the shurikens whipped the throwing stars at me. The deadly weapons barely missed my head as I dived down to the floor. The ninja with the katana brought his sword down. The tip of the sword nicked my shoulder as I rolled out of the way. I didn't have time to contemplate exactly how painful it was. I rolled to an upright position before turning to run to some shelves. The ninja with the sai shouted at the others to wait. "She's just a woman, we'll incapacitate her at once!" the ninja with the katana responded.
Running between the stocked shelves, I glanced behind me but the ninjas weren't following. In fact I didn't see them at all. I stopped and looked around but I couldn't see or hear them. When I turned around again a blade struck out right in front of my face through a box. I screamed and ran to the other end of the shelves. Once I was in the open area, I looked back; the ninja was trying to pull out his sword from the metal fixture in a shelf. The other ninja with the throwing stars jumped from behind his companion and landed nearly in front of me.
The assassin swiftly hit my face twice and for a moment I saw stars. I fell down, blood spurted from my mouth when my face hit the floor. Get up now! I unsteadily got up and tried to get focused. Looking back at him, he had stepped back into a fighting pose—it was a jiu-jutsu posture! He ran at me and I was just barely able to get up and block his attacks. I was most familiar with this style, yet I wasn't as skilled as I had hoped. I could only stop his attacks; he was too quick for me to counter any of them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the ninja with the katana running towards us. There was no way I could fight both so close together. As the ninja with the shurikens attacked me again, I was ultimately able to thrust my palm against his nose. I broke it. He grunted and stumbled back. Spinning around to face the other ninja, I came to see that he had his katana in a strike position. He swiftly struck his sword straight at my abdomen. I moved but not quickly enough—the blade sliced above my right hip. I gasped in pain, but my cry was overshadowed by a much deeper shout of anguish. Looking behind I saw that the sword had sliced past me and into the stomach of the other ninja. He had come up to attack me from behind.
I stood momentarily in shock before I hastily stepped away. Blood rapidly dripped down from the ninja's wound. His companion's eyes were wide with incredulity and disbelief. The wounded ninja coughed and sprayed blood on the floor through the thin fabric of his mask.
I glanced at the ninja who had impaled his companion. He had dropped his sword and was staring at the dying ninja who had fallen to the floor, clutching his bloody abdomen. Not wasting another second, I grabbed the other ninja by the arm and pulled him to me. He tried to pull back but I had already used the momentum to flip him over my side. He fell over on the ground hard. Still holding his arm so he couldn't move away, I lifted my leg high and slammed my foot against his side. The ninja gasped in pain. I tried the move again but the pain from the cut in my side suddenly shot through my body. I lost my balance and staggered back. The ninja used the opportunity to get up but almost fell down again. He wasn't completely focused from the fall and pain from his side. I have to move fast or he'll recover! I sprinted at him. He blocked my attack and countered with a crescent kick. He missed me by an inch—He didn't have his center completely back. I promptly did a reverse roundhouse kick that made contact against his face. The ninja whipped to the side and fell once more. He lay down and stayed motionless—unconscious.
I was breathing heavily. After a few seconds I moved to stand straight up and a sharp pain hit my side again. Wincing in pain, I bent down. I moved my blazer to look at it. My blouse had blood around the wound, but it was a clean cut and it wasn't that deep—could have been a lot worse. I then looked at the ninja by my feet, then to the lifeless body several feet away and finally at the ninja who was unconscious near the window. Wow…I did it, I thought. I fought back and won…I looked at the entrance door and started walking toward it. I wonder if Tim's—wait there's one more!
Stopping, I glanced around the room hastily. I didn't see the last ninja. I knew he had to still be in the room, and could see me. I slowly looked around at the shadows but still didn't see any movement. There's no way I could go to the entrance now because the ninja would most likely strike then. I moved to where the katana lay and picked it up. Still looking around me, I then moved to the center of the room away from the shelves and crates. I listened but didn't hear anything.
I saw movement below me—it was my shadow getting larger! I looked up to see the ninja coming down at me, his sai in an attack position. I lifted the katana above my head and the weapons made a ping! noise as they made contact. A flash of light emitted in front of my face, blinding me. He used his sai to hook onto the sword and force it out of my hands. The katana flew into a crate near the ceiling. The ninja swiftly did a round-house kick to me in the chest. I sailed several feet before falling to the ground. As I warily tried to get up, I noticed that he had kicked me closer to the door. Now was my chance! I feigned like I was going to run between the shelves, but the ninja saw my plan—He jumped up high and landed in front of the door. Dammit, my only exit was blocked.
The ninja straightened up and slightly cocked his head to the side, intently looking at me. "The boy has much skill of course, but you're a surprise," he stated. "Never before has someone without special training defeated one member of the League of Assassins, let alone three."
"It beats the alternative," I said dryly. Fighting him was the only option I had to getting out of Wayne Enterprises alive. I had to think of something fast to beat him or he was definitely going finish this fight.
"Indeed it does…however you will not have a successful outcome." The ninja dashed at me. "I will bring your body to my master!"
I ran the opposite way back toward the shelves. I had only gone a few yards before the ninja grabbed the back of my blazer and threw me against a shelf. I fell to the floor. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the shelf to pull myself up. Hurry up and move it! Looking ahead, I saw a metal pipe, almost as long as Tim's bo-staff, propped up in front of me. I glanced behind and I could tell that the ninja was going to make his next move his final one. He ran at me.
Grabbing the long pipe as I got up, I turned just as the ninja was a few feet from me. At the last second I swung the pipe as hard as I could at his head. He used his left sai to block my attack and pulled his right sai back to strike. I shifted to avoid the assault, but the short end of the sai pierced my left shoulder, pinning me to the shelf. My face contorted in pain as I screamed. I couldn't move without ripping my shoulder from the weapon.
The ninja looked at me right in the eyes before drawing the weapon out. My shoulder slumped as blood dripped from the wound. I struggled to ignore the pain and concentrate on the assassin. The ninja straightened up and pulled the sai back to attack again. My breath caught as the steeled weapon aimed at my chest—No! I'm not going to die here!
I swung the pipe in front of me, blocking his attack. The ninja had both sai against the pipe but I had a firm hold on the copper staff. I didn't know if I was feeling the pain still from the wounds. The only thing I could feel or think was to get out alive.
I pushed the assassin back with such force the ninja, surprised, stumbled back. Using the momentum, I swung the pipe up high, forcing the left sai out of his hand. It soared over the high shelves and out of sight.
The ninja managed to jump back to regain his center. He then rushed at me and I ran directly at him. He jabbed his sai at my head but I dodged it and swung the pipe at him. The pipe made contact with his head and then I swung down low and spun around, slamming the pipe against his abdomen. He crashed to the ground, sliding until he hit a shelf. His last sai flew from his hand as he hit the shelf and disappeared underneath it. The ninja got up, but swayed as he stood. He tried to look at me and if I could see his entire face I was sure I'd see a snarl. I ran at him again, attacking him on his left and right side, but he narrowly dodged both attacks. I swung again and the pipe struck his face, tearing the mask off. He caught the pipe and managed to wrench it out of my grasp. He threw it out of reach. For a second he staggered again; the blows still had him off-balance. I ran at him and he did the same toward me. I saw him pull his fist back as I pulled back my own.
Next, I felt a blow to my temple. My vision wavered and everything seemed like it was going to the side. I felt myself falling down, but I couldn't move to brace myself. My whole body seemed to hit the floor at once. Pain seemed to touch every part of me and for a few moments I was too numb to move. No, get up now! That assassin might be making his was over this second!
I took a deep breath and was barely able to lift my head enough to look around. The assassin was lying a few feet from me with his eyes closed and mouth open. He was knocked out. Blood dripped from his mouth and I could taste more of the metallic flavor in my own. I looked at the door. I tried to get up, but couldn't lift any other part of myself. My whole body was in agonizing pain and I felt this invisible weight putting more pressure on me. I—I think I'm losing consciousness. I tried to stay focused but that weight was coming down on me too fast. I suddenly heard the faint echoing of a voice. I realized it was my name I was hearing and the voice sounded so familiar. I looked ahead to see a blurry red figure running toward me. The image dimmed into darkness as I passed out.
I groggily woke up to a lighted room. Blinking to clear my vision, I suddenly felt on edge. "Ahhh!" I sat up from a bed and instantly put up my arms in a defense stance. Immediately, my whole body contorted in pain but that didn't stop me from looking around to find out where I was. It took a moment, but I realized I was looking at a very familiar setting; directly opposite of me was a bookcase with Russian, college, and non-fiction texts. Looking to the right of the bookcase I saw a work desk and next to that a dresser with a Wonder Woman jewelry box. I was in my room.
What happened to me?...Why do I feel like I was in a ring with Mike Tyson?
Confusion flooded me as I tried to remember what I had been doing earlier and then it hit me…The League of Assassins! Fight scenes instantly played across my mind like a movie on fast-forward. Taking a few deep breaths to relax myself, I leaned back against my pillows. Even after The Cradle I hadn't thought that I'd have to deal with Ra's Al Ghul's henchmen so soon and alone. "I can't believe I fought the League…" I mused. "I fought them…and I won," I added, remembering that all four ninjas had been taken out.
After thinking about my wild night for a few minutes more, I realized there was a gap in my memories…How did I get home? I couldn't remember what happened after the last fight. I just blanked.
As I tried to remember, I looked down and I noticed that my blanket had fallen below my chest to reveal that my blazer and blouse were off; only my bra was covering my top half. "Er—okay…" Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something white on my left shoulder. I turned to see that gauze had been wrapped around my shoulder—where the last assassin jabbed me. I reached over with my right hand to try and get a better look at it, but before I could even touch it a sharp pain shot through my right side just above my hip. I gasped and clutched the blanket against my side.
When the pain subsided a bit, I tentatively pushed the blanket off of me to see that I was still wearing my dress pants, but the side of my abdomen had been taped up with bandage as well. A red mark was visible in the middle of the bandage. "Oh shit." The red mark was wet and was clearly blood. I need to patch this up now, I thought sitting straight up. Sharp pain went through my entire body and I held the spot with my right hand to try to ease the pain. Idiot! Not so fast!
"Tam, take it easy!"
I looked up to see Tim striding into my doorway. He was still in his Red Robin costume; there were several more cuts and rips in his outfit and his mask was down. He had a bandage on his left cheek and a tired look on his face, but more than the fatigue I saw relief in his eyes.
"Thank God you're awake," Tim said as he came over. He smiled at me and despite being so sore I couldn't help but grin back.
"I must have been out for a while," I reckoned as he sat on the edge of the bed next to me. He opened his mouth to say more but his gaze dropped below my face. He quickly looked away. "Uh, Tam, could you, er—cover yourself."
I mentally smacked myself and with my free hand snatched the blanket to cover my chest. You forgot that quickly you're just in your bra? Nice going. "I took you straight here after I found you. You've been unconscious for several hours," Tim explained, looking down. His cheeks were flushed. Tim looked over at my hand that was holding the bandage on the side of my stomach. "Here," he said gently taking my hand away from the wound. "Lie back down." I eased back onto my pillow, watching him bend down to get a good look at it. Tim saw the red mark on the bandage and swore. He peeled the bandage until he could see the injury. Blood was smeared on my side and it didn't help to mask a cut several inches long. "I was hoping it just needed to be bandaged up, but I'll have to put in a few stitches," Tim said frowning at the wound. "And I don't have any anesthesia, so it may hurt a bit."
"Okay." I felt surprisingly calm. Normally, I don't even like getting injections from the doctor. Yet, after fighting trained assassins for my life… getting some stitches was a breeze. And I believed that Tim knew what he was doing. I had a gut feeling he'd probably tended to worse injuries before, even his own.
He grabbed a clean wash cloth and a bottle labeled peroxide and set about cleaning around the cut. "Your other injuries are a lot better. There's a bruise at your temple that will heal in no time and besides a nick on your shoulder, the puncture wound by it will heal up great." Tim nodded towards the gauze on my shoulder. "The assassin gave a straight jab with his sai."
I nodded. "You had all of these medical supplies on you?" I asked.
"Always. I never know when I'll need them. I actually had just stepped in the bathroom to cover my own cuts when you woke up." I noticed more bandages through the rips in his outfit and a couple other cuts on his face. "After getting you out of Wayne Enterprises I thought it was better to do this myself than take you to a hospital. I don't know how we'd explain this to the doctors, let alone to your dad and Tiffany."
"Just tell them I had to fight off elite assassins from killing me. They'd totally understand. But seriously, I'm calling in sick tomorrow."
Tim finished cleaning around the open wound. He then reached over to the medical supplies on my desk and picked up the stitching material. "This might feel like a pinch," Tim explained as he worked the thread through the needle.
I nodded. He pushed the needle through one end of the wound; I felt a nip but otherwise it didn't hurt. It was actually better than any shot I've had.
Tim pulled the thread through until it was taut. He then set about repeating the motion. "How are you feeling?" Tim asked looking up at me.
"Sore, but I'm alive and I'm thankful, again, that I'm living," I said. Looking at the cuts on his face again reminded me about the other ninjas. "After I left, what happened with you and the rest of the ninjas?"
"The ninjas were attacking me in pairs and then as one group," he answered wry. "I think they had studied my fighting style, so I had to adjust my techniques. It took much longer to take them out than I ever thought."
"Ra's Al Ghul and the assassins do take their profession very seriously. I really didn't think there would be a "Round 2" with the League so soon."
"When one of the most dangerous men in the world is pissed off at someone, he won't wait long to get his revenge."
"I'll keep that in mind for next time." Tim looked up at me, eyebrow raised. "I mean if there is a next time, but hey, I did just kick some butt!" I pointed out. "I took out some of Ra's Al Ghul's elite assassins! Not many college girls can put that on their resume."
I expected him to laugh or at least smile, but instead his expression changed. At first I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I couldn't read his expression, but it looked familiar. Then I realized it was a look I had seen just hours ago. It was the same expression the last ninja I fought gave me. Right after we began fighting, the ninja looked at me like I was something…unexpected.
"Tam, you did a lot more than kick butt. You completely took them out." Tim said, never breaking eye contact. "They've had years of training with Ra's Al Ghul. There's no way you should have beaten them. Tam…how in the world did you defeat them?"
It took a moment to get my thoughts together, but I recalled everything that happened. I told him what weapons the ninjas had and explained how I fought each of them. It felt surreal recalling the events—I actually beat the League of Assassins! Some of it was luck, but when it came down to it, it really was me that defeated them.
Tim was hanging on my every word throughout my explanation. He asked a few questions about the fighting moves the ninjas used and how I responded, but other than that he didn't say much.
When I finished Tim looked down like he was deep in thought. After a minute, he finally looked up at me. "I can't believe you fought back and survived all of that, Tam. I'm really impressed that you were able to beat them. I had no idea you could fight like that." There was surprise and amazement in his voice, but then his tone changed. "But these wounds are nothing compared to what could have happened to you. You could have been killed." He had a solemn voice. "I'm so sorry, Tam."
"Tim, it's fine! I'm okay and you were dealing with the other ninjas—"
"No, I should have been there sooner. It's because you were with me in Baghdad that they came after you. I should've been able to defeat the other ninjas quicker. I didn't know what had happened, if you had made it out or if Ra's' assassins had caught up to you."
"Tim, you did the best you could! I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't at least had a head start running away," I said.
"Those assassins were planning on taking you to Ra's because of me. They knew that if they had you, I'd come get you. You shouldn't be in danger because of me."
Tim bent down again to finish the stitching. I knew exactly what Tim was saying, even the unspoken words. He was impressed that I had beaten the assassins, but didn't want me in that position again. He was also telling me what I'd be in for if we had any sort of association. By being connected to someone with the Red Robin persona there's a definite chance that I would be faced with more challenges like tonight. He was concerned about my safety and didn't want another night like this to even cross my path. The assassins came after me tonight because I had helped Tim and they knew he cared about me. If we became exclusive and his enemies knew about it? I could be their number one target.
I looked down at him. He had just cut the end of the last stitch. He then grabbed some bandage and tape to cover the stitching.
Whether we were in a relationship or not, I wanted to at least be a friend to Tim and help him out. He has risked his life every day to save this city. Tim and the rest of the Bat family have done more for this city than anyone could ask for. I knew I'd be putting myself in danger, but I was resourceful and I knew that I could help out and make things easier for the crime fighters. I could improve my martial arts and I was learning to do more detective work. I still had to work on my poker face though…
"Tim," I said. He had just finished putting the last bit of tape on me; he was done patching me up. He looked up at me as I sat up. "When we were in Baghdad I was in serious danger. The super villain world was new to me and I had no idea what to do. If you hadn't been there I definitely wouldn't have left alive. This time I fought back and won against four ninjas of Ra's Al Ghul. From the Cradle a few weeks ago I'd say I've made progress. I proved that I can defend myself and be useful in these situations. Tim," I looked firmly at him. "I want to keep helping out."
Tim appeared taken aback. "Tam…" There was indecision in his eyes. "You've definitely improved from Baghdad. There's no denying that, but it could get a lot more dangerous," he said purposely.
I gave him a look. "So you don't think I can handle it?"
"I'm not saying that, but villains will come after you just because you know me. I don't want—"
"I know you don't want me to get hurt, and I'm not saying I won't. There's a chance I could be, but the same can be said about you. You'll risk your life for this city, but it's different when it's someone you care about. What about the people that care about you?"
Tim opened his mouth, and then closed it.
"Tim, you don't get to choose what I can do with my life. This is something I want to do, to help out whenever I can. I'm not saying I'm going to make a costume, but I can help you connect your public networking with your work as Red Robin. I proved today that I'm not some helpless damsel-in-distress. I have a backbone and won't go down without giving it my all. This is my choice, Tim, not yours."
He looked at me for a long moment, then said, "Tam…are you really okay with this?" he said still looking at me intently. "I could use your help and you knowing my secret has already made some of my work easier."
"Tim, I can handle helping you out with the Red Robin missions. If I wasn't okay with this I'd tell you to take your duel identity—shove it—and get the hell out."
Tim blinked. He then relaxed and grinned at me. He gave me a genuine smile that let me know he not only understood but accepted my choice. Thank God, I'm glad we're finally on the same page—
He leaned over and kissed me.
My eyes widened. To say I was surprised was an understatement. This was the last thing I thought would be on his mind. Not that I was complaining…
His hand slid around the back of my neck, pulling me closer. As I closed my eyes, he parted my lips and deepened the kiss. His lips were soft and the kisses were firm. Sparks of pleasure raced through me and I shuddered at the effect. He wrapped his arms gently around me and I felt warm in his embrace as he held me close to him.
We kissed for a few minutes more and then eased out of each others' arms. We grinned, looking at one another with flushed faces.
"Was that a 'nice to have you on board' kiss?" I asked slyly.
"Absolutely," Tim said grinning.
"Good answer."
He opened his mouth to say more but then glanced at the clock beside me; it was 4:23am. "I should head back to Wayne Enterprises to clean up after Ra's' henchmen before work hours begin." I could hear reluctance in his voice. It wouldn't be long before the early shift workers arrived at the corporation.
I nodded and leaned back onto my pillow as Tim got up from my bed. "I'm coming by in the evening to check up on you," he said as he grabbed his medical supplies and put them back in his utility belt.
After getting his supplies set, he looked over at me but then his face turned serious. He put his hand up to his right ear.
"Tim…?" I said tentatively.
"I was wondering when I'd hear from you," Tim said bitterly.
"Hear from-? Who are you…oh!" Ra's Al Ghul was speaking to him.
Tim listened for several moments before saying, "That was pretty low, Ra's. To go through someone to get to me," Tim said.
I couldn't hear anything Ra's Al Ghul was saying, but Tim looked more pissed off as he listened.
"Don't try that again," Tim said. There was more anger in his voice. "If you want me, then attack me. Don't be a coward and hurt someone else."
He went quite for another minute before yelling, "You won't make any casualties, especially with Tam—!" He bit off a word and glanced at me, as if he forgot that I was here. He straightened up before replying, "Your first mistake was misjudging her. Don't do that with anyone I know."
Tim kept his face expressionless as he listened to Ra's respond. He then looked back at me and smiled, saying, "Yes, you really did underestimate her."
He went quiet for a moment and then said, "Yes, next time we will see." He then took the ear piece out. He was done talking to Ra's.
"So is round three around the corner?" I asked.
Tim nodded. "It seems so. Plans that he thought should have gone off without a hitch have set him back even more. He'll strike again soon and we have to be ready."
"And we will be," I said firmly. "We'll be a lot more prepared next time."
"Definitely," Tim agreed. He pulled his cowl over his head. "I'll scope out the area, and then head back to Wayne Enterprises."
I smiled. "Tim Drake-Wayne-Draper, you sure do a thorough sweep of your work."
Tim smiled back at me and said, "Thank you, Tam."
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow, "For what?"
"For helping me out, for being so resourceful, and for being so…cool with what I do. It takes a rare person to choose to get involved in work so risky."
"I'm no ordinary person, Tim. And I wouldn't call this risky work."
"No?"
"No, I'd call it an enlightening career opportunity."
Tim laughed. He started to turn to leave, but then ducked his head and gave me another kiss. The kiss was swift, but lingered for a moment which was very…nice.
"I am glad you made this choice, Tam. I know we're going to be great together," said Tim.
"Exactly," I said. "So hurry back to Wayne Enterprises before any of my co-workers see throwing stars and sickles on their desks next to their coffee mugs."
Tim grinned and went to the window. He pulled out his grapple gun and shot it out. "See you soon, Tam," and he went out into the dark night.
I smiled back as I watched him go. His cape flapped in the wind, and a cool breeze came over me in his wake. I was glad that we came to an understanding and that I could help him with his work. I laid down fully and pulled my blanket over me. I had been through so much with Tim in a short time. Because of him, I was introduced to a side of the world that goes far beyond what was shown on the news. It was a dangerous side, but I know I could do a lot of good for people in need.
I suddenly felt very excited. I made a challenging choice and I know I made the right one. Whatever may come, I won't regret the decision I made. This is where I want to be. This is what I want to do.