Disclaimer: not mine

Warning – sex while one person is under magical influence. But they talk first to set boundaries of what's acceptable.

I got the artwork to be included in The Night Woods 2nd edition! And the book itself is now over 19,000 words. The new edition will also have a new cover. Will be available in the next few weeks.

Chapter 8

Danny grimaced as he watched the police and a very strangely dressed man rushed into the same room as Tim.

"Prepare thief…prepare yourself for the hunt! For I am The Wild Huntsman!"

Seriously? He wouldn't have understood half of that before dying, ghosts understood a lot more languages instinctively in a way humans didn't. He couldn't translate every language, and dead languages were a lot easier, but he could at least get the gist of a lot of them.

Wearing furs…carrying a scary looking axe, and those dogs! Who the heck was this guy? Other than crazy for that outfit. It was a relief when Tim fired his grapple gun, breaking the glass to make his escape, with only a photo and none of the readings, but it was better than nothing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He'd gotten what he'd came for, no need for an international incident. Tim's German was okay... he called himself the Wild Huntsman, Think... there was a Global Guardian called the Wild Huntsman, but he was dead. But who wasn't now days?" He let himself be pulled up by the mechanism in the grapple gun and onto the upper level, feeling a few hits from bullets but the armour did its job.

It didn't matter. Get out with the picture of the evidence, check out the site it came from, and then take it to... Man, those dogs were moving fast. It was going to be close…he threw his arm up to protect his throat instinctively even as he fell back, the dogs' teeth latching on. Ow…though nowhere near as bad as it would have been in the old suit. "International incident, here we come," he murmured, knowing Danny would hear.

Note to self... keep some peanut butter in the... in the... not Bat-belt... what should he call them? They looked like ammo belts. Utility straps? Bird belts?

"Sorry, puppies," he kicked out with both feet, the new boots landing a harder hit with the extra weight behind them.

It was going to take time to get used to the second new suit in the space of a few short months and with the hood up…he kind of missed the feel of the bullets blowing through his

hair. He really should focus, but it was hard…Bruce was alive and now he could really prove it.

Tim dropped and then glanced back to see the axe buried in the wall where his head had been. Okay, never mind. He could focus now. If that guy was a Global Guardian, they needed to seriously revamp their "excessive force" policies!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

There! One assassin, the sniper. Shade smirked behind his mask, hand glowing icy blue. He saw the sniper taking aim and floated up, invisible, to grab the gun, freezing it.

"What the hell?!"

Danny smothered his laughter as ice spread slowly across the roof. It would take him a while to get free of that and he might even be down for a while with a cold. So where were the other two?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tim winced, flexing out his hand. Okay, so hitting the guy wasn't going to do much, it was almost as bad as hitting Kon!

"This hunt is over! You have skill, little man. You amuse me."

Tim blinked; did he just call him clown baby? He really needed to brush up on the European languages. There were about seven ways to get out of the hold the Huntsman had hm in, but only one that wouldn't seriously break anything on him. Tim was the one in the wrong, he had broken in even if Ra's had set off the alarm. He didn't want to hurt the man or the cops who had yet to catch up to them.

He caught the glint of a rifle scope but then it vanished thankfully. Hopefully that meant the assassins were having issues, so long as Shade was very careful. Tim kicked out with both feet, staggering his attacker and running for the balcony, leaping back down to the lower level, using a support pole to slow his fall. Well…that was why the police hadn't caught up, Pru and Z. Great. At least that meant Danny only had to handle Owens.

"Hi. We're going to kill you now, you Viking knob. And probably that horse you've got outside, too," Pru yelled.

Things just got so much trickier. He drew three discs and threw them, one hitting Pru in the nose. Oops? That was what, the third time he'd broken it for her? Prudence was the most random, but Z was the deadliest. Owens was hopefully out of the fight thanks to Shade, or at least greatly delayed.

"This is between us, no one else needs to get hurt," Tim told Z firmly. Which…probably wasn't the smartest thing to say to an assassin. He swung as Z and he blocked with a blade.

"Between us? You misunderstand…we're here to help you."

Say what? "DOWN!" he slammed into Z, causing him to double up, the axe sailing harmlessly over both their heads.

"Right then! I don't care what anyone says hero…you are dead! You hear me, you little-" she cut off as another disc hit her. It wouldn't put her down for long but it stopped the threats.

"What do you mean, help me?" Tim demanded, crouching opposite Z and across from the Huntsman, a stand-off for the moment.

"The League of Assassins is at your disposal. These men were getting in your way," Z explained before snapping a hand out to snatch Tim's bō to replace his dropped blade, launching a powerful kick at the Huntsman. "So the League is going to take care of the problem."

"No!" Tim leapt after him, wrapping his arms around Z's shoulders and neck to restrain him. "Ra's? Do you hear me? Call them off. Call them off now!" he fought back a shudder as he ended up practically plastered to Z's back. The man was a lot older than him, a stranger, and worked for Ra's…but he couldn't help the way his body wanted to react.

"As you wish Timothy."

Tim gasped as Z threw him off over his shoulder, rolling as he hit the ground. And just like that they were both gone. Well…. that was easy. Must be their ninja-assassin training. Now all he had to deal with was… Tim scrambled out of the way of the incoming ax. He spun, ducking another attempted decapitation, and then his foot slammed into his face, making the man stagger, and then he dropped.

Tim was panting slightly as he stood, taking in the utter mess. Well…they were all out cold, so he went back to the display to get the needed readings, ignoring the buzz under his skin. This wasn't how he wanted it to go. "Damn you Ra's," he hissed under his breath.

His scanner beeped and he removed Ra's comm, slipping it back into the pouch before putting his equipment away and switching his other comm to receive as well as send. "Shade?" he called as he fired his grapple. "Guessing you handled Owens?"

"Yep, you're welcome. And Z was right, he wasn't aiming at you so they were there to back you up."

"Just what I needed," Tim grumbled. "Meet you back at the hotel."

"Understood."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kon grabbed his phone as it beeped, reading the message from Tim. He grimaced, angry on his behalf but he understood. Tim was making the best choice he could but that didn't mean Kon wouldn't keep an ear out. He liked Danny, well, what he'd seen of him in a few short days. He just hoped Tim was right to trust him with this.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Danny slipped back into their room, having a quick shower before changing into sweatpants and t-shirt, putting on his normal half mask. By the time he left the bathroom Tim was back, half stripping out of uniform…hugging himself. "Tim?" he called gently.

Tim looked up at him, trembling but then he reached out and Danny moved closer, letting Tim wrap his arms around him. Danny felt the tension drain from Tim's body, moving his hand to gently run through black hair.

"Bad?" he asked softly, and Tim nodded.

"I restrained Z and I wanted…I have to fix this, it's too distracting, dangerous," he murmured.

"How can I help?" his other hand moved to Tim's shoulder, looking down into vulnerable blue eyes.

"I…" Tim licked his lips, eyes shifting to break eye contact.

"Tim?"

"Would you?"

It took him a second to realise what Tim was asking, freezing in shock for a second. Tim felt it, went to pull away, but Danny dropped to his knees, giving Tim the height advantage. He looked up at Tim, scanning his expression, cautiously reaching for his emotions. "Tim…are you sure?" he asked gently. He rested his hands on Tim's still uniform clad thighs, keeping eye contact rather than staring at his bare chest.

"You've had a lot of chances to kill me or cart me off to Ra's and I'm still here. You follow my orders in the field, trust me to lead the mission. You've looked after me when I was drugged, twice, rather than dump me at a hospital. You like trying local foods, going to the fairs. You know more about the stars than most aliens I've met," Tim's voice was mostly steady. "You know more about me than some people I've dated," he admitted.

That was…those probably weren't exactly healthy relationships then. "I won't betray you Tim," he swore. "That kiss…I liked it," he admitted.

Tim smiled slightly. "Me too."

"You're sure you want to do this? And what exactly do you want? I'm guessing that if we start anything, you're not going to be in a state to say no."

Tim nodded, lifting a hand to Danny's hair. He never tried to see his face even though he had to be curious. For someone like Tim, that had to be very hard.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Babs grimaced as she watched over the city. Things were getting worse. It was obvious that Dick just wasn't as effective a Batman as Bruce. As for Damian as Robin, the less said there the better. Her Dad was doing his best but there was just too much corruption. They needed Tim and Cass back at least.

She'd recalled the Birds of Prey to help out in Gotham, she hated doing it but keeping the city from imploding was more important than their previous mission. They needed Bruce back…and it turned out he wasn't dead, at least according to the evidence Tim had shown Kon-El. She regretted not being more involved with the family after the funeral, she'd read Dick the riot act already for his actions since Bruce's 'death' and even earlier.

She was keeping an eye out for Jason too, but he'd vanished with Kori and Roy. Hopefully, that would help him get his head worked out. He'd been doing a lot better before Bruce's 'death', but then he'd shot Damian and nearly killed Tim.

Tim…still no sign of him, though there were very vague whispers of a new vigilante, possibly two, in Europe. Could it be Tim? The timing fit and Tim would have to make a new identity since Dick had taken Robin. But the fact there were rumours of two was confusing, she would have thought Cass had joined him except there were hints of her presence in Hong Kong. Everyone else was accounted for. Had he taken on a protégé of his own over there? Partnered with someone just starting to make a name for themselves for access to local knowledge? If only he would contact her!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tim was so nervous, and embarrassed at having to talk about it. Once again, Danny was following his lead. It was a heady thing, to have Danny so easily give up control over things, so different to most people he knew.

He closed his eyes and leant towards Danny; one hand braced on his shoulder. Lips pressed against his, a hand moving to cup the back of his neck. It was different to the other kiss, better. He slid off the edge of the bed and Danny caught him, letting him settle in his lap, never breaking the kiss. Tim parted his lips as Danny held him closer, moaning softly as Danny deepened the kiss. Oh…that was…every inch of his skin was buzzing now, things going hazy.

"Da'y" he slurred, limbs becoming heavy as heat spread through him.

"It's okay Tim, I've got you," Danny answered, his voice sounding far away.

He felt a flicker of panic as his body stopped obeying him but it faded quickly as the lingering magic surged through him. Tim sighed softly, slumping against Danny as all strength left his body. He vaguely felt Danny lifting him, something soft under his back, a blurry figure over him. And then it all faded away, his mind drifting.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Danny heard the sigh and then Tim slumped limply against him, body too warm, just like that night. He carefully stood with Tim in his arms, gently laying him on the bed. There was a vague look on Tim's face, his pupils dilated, eyelids fluttering before slowly closing. Danny reached out to touch his cheek and Tim sighed softly, lips parted. He looked like he had that night and part of Danny wanted to stop, it didn't feel right to do anything when Tim was unable to say yes or no…but that was why they'd talked first.

Thanks to Zatanna, they knew what had to be done to fulfil the magic and 'cure' Tim's desire for contact. And Danny glanced at the supplies Tim had pulled out while they talked, so he must have been considering things for a while.

Gently, Danny undid Tim's skin-tight pants, tugging them down his body. It wasn't the first time he'd seen him naked, but it was different this time. It wasn't even the first time he'd seen Tim aroused since he'd changed him out of the dress that night, but now he could look and touch.

He sat back and stripped off himself before leaning back in, gently running his hands over Tim's body, hearing the soft sounds of pleasure he made, glassy blue eyes occasionally fluttering open briefly, but he was completely out of it. Danny kissed him, Tim slowly responding, and then he moved lower, kissing over Tim's body. He was slender but had definite muscle, scars littering his body from years of vigilante work. Without the drugs to cause amnesia, he wanted to make sure it was a good experience for Tim. It would be better if one of them knew what they were doing…sure, he'd looked into things out of curiosity a few times, but he'd never actually had sex before. Even though Johnny and Kitty had offered. Though ghost sex was probably different anyways.

He kept touching and kissing Tim, enjoying the soft noises he made, eventually wrapping his fingers carefully around him, stroking. He wanted Tim to remember a good time so it seemed right to ensure he had a pleasurable experience unconnected to what had to be done. Tim shifted slightly, obviously enjoying what Danny was doing, trying to move but the magic left him utterly weak. It was scary to see what magic could do to even someone with such a strong will. Tim was completely helpless and Danny hated the thought of what would have happened that night if he hadn't found them in time…or if he hadn't been there at all.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He couldn't think, couldn't focus, couldn't move. He drifted in a haze, sometimes drifting towards awareness before sinking back again. When he got close there were sparks of pleasure…a soft voice…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Danny collapsed beside Tim, tossing away the evidence of the nights activities and thankful the bin was beside the bed. A quick check showed Tim was sleeping now and Danny really should get up, they could both do with a wash down, but he didn't want to move. For just right now, he could imagine how things could be…but there were way too many secrets between them. Besides, he'd been the best option for Tim out of a bunch of bad ones, that didn't mean anything…though he had admitted he liked the kiss.

He hoped the night was enough to satisfy the magic and let Tim move on from what had been done to him. He was right, it was getting more and more dangerous to have him reacting to touch that way, he was starting to get into too many fights and it was a distraction.

Dany reached out and yanked the blankets over them before falling asleep. Usually, he could go days without sleep but with the stress lately and then a very active night his body was telling him to rest.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jazz tossed her phone on the bed, frowning. Danny was gone, had been for almost three months and only now had her parents noticed. She'd called Tucker and he'd admitted Danny had left a note.

When had Danny started remembering things from before he was taken in? Why would he ever go back? She'd seen the scars that littered his body, heard his nightmares. It didn't make any sense. And why hadn't he at least sent a message? They would be having words when he got back, he should have told her he was going! And what about school?

Why hadn't the school pressed her parents earlier about his absence? Sure, he'd left before the Christmas break, but he'd now missed a lot of school without anyone calling in an excuse or being seen around Amity Park. The police should have been called!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tim woke slowly, feeling utterly relaxed and content. He was warm, his thoughts sluggish, but he felt safe so he didn't fight to wake up more. It took a while for him to realise two things – he was naked and another body was pressed to his back, an arm over his stomach. That started waking him up more and he realised there was no desperate buzz, no drive for more…he felt normal. Why?

He opened his eyes to find the hotel room which meant the equally naked body holding him…was Danny. Slowly, it came back to him. The museum, the Huntsman, Ra's…asking Danny to help him. They'd kissed but after that it all faded away. It'd worked then. He shifted slightly and the arm around him moved slightly, Danny tightening his grip.

Tim slowly rolled over and then froze, his mask…Danny had removed it for their kiss and never put it back on. He should close his eyes, look away, but instead he found himself studying Danny's sleeping face. Definitely very good looking, still the face of a teenager but with hints of the adult he'd be in another few years. But it was a face with features that felt familiar. Had he faced one of Danny's relatives in a previous clash with the League?

And then Tim froze as blue eyes blinked open.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He stared at the file on his desk. He honestly didn't know what to do. He knew the Batman out there now wasn't the original, even if he didn't know their true identities, he could work it out. There were too many physical differences even with changes to the suit to try and hide them. He had never admitted he had worked it out and never would, it was best that way. Vigilantism was illegal after all. Sometimes he wondered how the federal government handled that given Batman had helped found the Justice League which worked with the government. And yet a good portion of the members were illegal because they worked as vigilantes.

He had no problems with the new Batman, he'd known him since he was a child after all, just like the first. No, it was the new Robin that was the issue. He really hoped the replacement hadn't happened because his predecessor had died, he liked that kid. He could be a little creepy at times, too quiet, but he was smart and had a good head on his shoulders. He could also bully the first Batman into selfcare which was a miracle. But there was no sign of a new vigilante in Gotham that could be him in a new role.

Jim honestly didn't know what to do. It was obvious Batman was trying to curtail Robin's violent streak but it wasn't working. He had the feeling Batman couldn't bench the boy, it seemed he was good at sneaking out alone since he was often spotted without the bat. But if he kept going the way he was, he would turn the city against their protectors. Without the Bats, the Rogues would do a lot more damage.

He would have to speak with Batman alone and try to work out what was going on.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Danny woke to the feeling of someone staring, finding Tim staring at him. He blinked groggily and then realised he was holding Tim's naked body close; they were both still naked. He'd meant to pull on at least pants before falling asleep. "Tim? How do you feel?" he smothered a yawn.

"It's gone," Tim answered, not trying to move away. He lifted his hand, hesitating, but then pressed it to Danny's cheek and he realised he hadn't put his mask back on.

Maybe it was time? He knew so much about Tim when he didn't know much of him in return. But he'd trusted Danny to help him finish the magic without taking advantage of him. Though Danny would still insist he take a pregnancy test in a few weeks, protection wasn't failproof after all. So instead of reacting badly to the touch, he leant into Tim's hand.

"You kind of look familiar," Tim admitted softly.

"I never knew my biological father, but I know he's American," Danny offered.

"Your mother is League?" Tim asked, and Danny hesitated but then nodded.

"I was born into it, I never had a choice, till I ran. I've never regretted doing that."

"And now you've risking everything to help me." Tim grimaced, and Danny returned the gentle touch.

"You're worth it, Tim. I could never regret meeting you."

Tim's eyes widened slightly. "Danny…" he swallowed, but then turned his head to press a hesitant kiss to the palm of Danny's hand.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He didn't know what he was doing, it was crazy. But he did it anyway, keeping his eyes on Danny's, searching for any sign the gesture was unwanted. Danny's hand slipped back into his hair, the slightest pressure, and Tim moved forward with it, their lips meeting.

"Fenton," Danny murmured when they parted, and Tim frowned in confusion. "Danny Fenton," he clarified.

Tim nodded, smiling slightly at the trust Danny was giving him. With his adopted name there was a lot that Tim could find out if he went digging. Could he find out who Danny's birth parents were? Now that he'd seen his face, probably. Would he? For once…he wouldn't go digging.

Maybe he really was crazy, they'd known each other only a few months. But they'd been living in tight quarters for that time, relying only on each other for everything. He trusted Danny and he really liked him too. That was enough for now.

TBC…