Author's Note: To be clear to everyone: this will not contain any slash pairings! That was never my intention, alright? Enjoy the chapter!

As Tim made it to where he'd heard the roar, his Red Robin costume donned, he was greeted with the sight of Damian and Jason already fighting him. He'd expected that, but he hadn't expected to see Roy there too.

He wasn't fighting, but he was watching from what was definitely not a safe distance.

"Roy, get out of here!" He yelled, glaring at Jason. Jason was wearing his helmet, but Tim could feel his scowl being returned.

"You think we haven't tried to get him to leave? Kid's about as stubborn as you." Jason focused back on Croc just in time to dodge as the reptilian mutant's large fist collided with the brick building wall behind Jason. With a mocking laugh, Jason attached a bomb to Croc's arm and rolled out of the way as he fired his handguns, detonating it.

While Jason continued to shoot, Damian was landing a few good slashes with his katana, arguing with Roy after each blow was landed.

"Red Robin!" Damian snapped. "Get Elroy out of here now before the damn kid gets killed!"

"I'm older than you, short stack!" Roy protested. With a sigh, Tim ran over to Roy and grabbed his arm.

"You need to get somewhere safe, come on!" As he spoke, something seemed to click with Roy.

Tim?" He whispered.

Damian heard the name slip from Elroy's mouth as soon as he said it, and his grip around the katana handle tightened. Turning his head, he saw that Drake looked just as shocked.

Of course. Damian thought. He's been with Drake all day, he'd at least notice a match to the voices. Damian saw Croc charging towards him and barely had time to dodge. Damn it, he's going to get us killed!

"Roy, get away from here now! Get to Tim Drake's apartment, okay? He'll be there!"

"I'm not leaving!" Roy yelled back. "I can help!"

"Kid, make this eady for us!" Todd called out, backing away quickly as he reloaded his pistols. "Get the Hell away from here before you get hurt!"

Frustration rushed through Roy with every beat of his heart. They weren't listening to him! He looked at Red Robin. Tim. "Please, I can help you!" Tim stared at him with uncertainty for a moment, then set his jaw. That weird feeling sparked in Roy's stomach even as his anger grew when Tim shook his head.

"We can take care of this, just go to Drake's house! I'm going to call Nightwing anyway!" The frustration was slowly becoming anger.

"Just listen for a second!" Roy covered his ears as Killer Croc roared and focused his eyes on he and Tim. Oh Hell.

"I'll rip out your guts and eat them!" He roared, charging at them. Red Hood shot at him rapidly, but Croc barely seemed affected.

"Not if I have anything to say about it..." Roy muttered. Somehow (he would later credit it to Tim not holding on tightly), Roy broke Tim's grip on his arm and ran towards Croc, taking a deep breath and holding it.

He counted to five, and then he and Croc were less than two yards apart.

He heard Tim yell his name.

Tim couldn't move. Could barely think. All he could do was stare in awe and shock as Roy evaporated into a blood red cloud, and then seemed to fly inside of Killer Croc.

Croc's yellow eyes darkened to a deep crimson color, and the reptilian went from charging towards Tim to collapsed on the ground, roaring in agony with a voice that was and wasn't his own.

FUCK, IT HURTS!" He bellowed, his voice mixed with Roy's as he writhed around on the ground. Fear shot through Tim like a blast from a gun, and he ran towards Croc.

Then an arm encircled his waist and held him back.

"Hold on, he might hit you!" Jason growled as he tightened his grip. Tim barely registered the voice and stared as Croc stopped struggling and slowly stood, his entire body trembling.

"Do..." He began, panting heavily. "Do whatever you have to do to subdue him." Then they heard sirens approaching, and Killer Croc's gaze bored into Tim's, and he wasn't accustomed to the emotion he saw in them: fear. "Are they going to hurt me? If this gets much worse, I don't know if I can keep this up..."

"If what gets worse?" Damian asked.

"The pain. I...I've never taken over a body like this, and it hurts to maintain it...if I lose focus..." He was interrupted as two people landed on either side of Tim and Jason; two people Tim had foolishly hoped wouldn't show up: Bruce and Dick.

"Hood, what's going on?" Dick asked. Jason shook his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine. This kid's something else."

"I hope that's a compliment..." Croc replied in that voice that was and wasn't his, his tone strained. "Because this hurts like Hell, and it would help me very much if you actually did something about it."

Bruce was silent the entire time, and Tim didn't have to look to know that he was doing that 'right into your soul' stare. Croc met Bruce's gaze and shivered.

But before he could speak, the police cars arrived. Tim opened his mouth to yell, but couldn't in time as one of the officers shot right at the back of Croc's head. The red ran out of Croc's eyes at the same time as the red smoke shot out of him, forming back into Roy.

He and Croc hit the pavement, passed out, simultaneously.

He had no idea what to do.

He and Evelyn had been watching the entire time, hidden in the shadows with an illusion he cast. But what could they do to help?

He couldn't deny the fear that gripped his heart as he saw Roy's expression of pain, even though he looked unconscious. Would he be okay?

"He's safe with them, for now." Evelyn stated quietly, her eyes blackened once again before fading back into their normal color. That unsettled him to no end, but he managed to maintain eye contact this time.

"'For now'?" He asked. "We might have to intervene?" Evelyn looked like she had no clue, and yet completely sure of herself. It was odd.

"If you wish to have him back at his new home with us, then yes, we will. Eventually. Although it might be a better idea to move. All but two of them have been at our residence." He nodded.

"Then let's go." As they walked away, still hidden, he felt like he was leaving behind something important. But he shook the thoughts away and didn't let himself look back.

Just a few minutes later, after Gotham PD began to transport Killer Croc to Arkham, Tim watched apprehensively as Dick and Jason helped a just barely conscious Roy walk, one of them on each side to support him.

"Wh...where are we going...?" Roy mumbled, his words a little bit slurred. Tim began to speak, but Jason beat him to it.

"The cave for now, kid. But you've got to stay awake, okay?" Roy said something unintelligible that might've been 'okay', but soon his head began to dip, his legs dragging a little. Dick shook him a bit.

"C'mon Roy, stay with us. Uh...what's the capitol of-"

"I hate geography. I'm really bad at it..." Roy interrupted, sounding grumpy. Tim could bet that he was making a tired version of that pout he was doing after his haircut.

Dick laughed. "Yeah, I don't care for it either. What's your favorite school subject, then?"

"Hm...science..." Roy muttered, his eyes closing. Dick shook him again.

"Okay then, um...you're a junior, right?" Roy nodded. "Alright...uh..."

"What's the first step in DNA Replication?" Bruce asked from behind them. He'd been silent up until now, but Tim was thankful for him speaking.

"Um...DNA Helicase separates the double helix into two strands..." Roy replied slowly.

Bruce continued to ask questions rapidly to keep Roy awake. Tim was glad that Roy would be okay, but he was also anxious.

From here on, what would happen to Roy was (for the most part) out of his hands.

"Where's Tim...?" Roy asked quietly, sounding tired and scared. "Is he okay...?"

"I'm right behind you, Roy." Tim replied, smiling a bit. He could feel Bruce's gaze boring into him, but ignored it for now. "I'm okay."

"Oh...what about Robin and Red Hood...?"

"They're okay too. Red's helping you walk, and so is Nightwing." Jason sighed.

"Kid, just worry about yourself right now." Roy just shook his head.

"I don't want to worry about myself..." Tim stared at Roy, as did the others. Nobody had anything to say to that.

So they kept walking.

And Bruce kept asking Roy questions to keep him awake.