Disclaimer: not mine

So, since Jason ditched the red hood/helmet for muted colours and a black helmet, should he change his name? If so, to what?

Chapter 10

He checked his research, curious by what had been noted. A new vigilante…one who was apparently into breaking into museums but not taking anything. And the possibility of a second as well. Was it Tim? There wasn't a lot to go on but the brief description from Germany had some similarities to the Red Robin suite…but not an exact match. Would Tm have the contacts or resources to change the suit in Europe…he'd done some training over there hadn't he? So maybe. But then who was the second vigilante? And why would Tim be breaking into museums?

He shut the tablet down and settled back in his seat, closing his eyes to get some sleep. There was still another five hours to Munich. Germany was the last sighing of either vigilante so that' where he was starting. Hopefully, there'd be a clue in the museum or else he might have to call Superboy and he didn't see that ending well for him.

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Danny woke to find himself wrapped around the still sleeping Tim. He looked so peaceful, especially compared to how tired he'd been looking the last few days. Not that he blamed him with all the stress he'd been under. He wished he could do more to help lighten his burdens…maybe he could. Technically, he could be in and out of the dig site before anyone knew he was there, they'd never see him or anything. But how would he explain that to Tim?

Could…could he let Tim know about his powers? He'd probably assume he was a meta. He really liked Tim but he was keeping so many secrets from him…

He shifted, looking down at Tim as he slept. The blonde hair really made him look different, so did the more bronzed skin tone. He definitely preferred the natural look but he still thought Tim was very attractive. But it wasn't just his body that had Danny so fascinated with him, it was everything that made him who he was.

He was in way too deep and he knew it, but he couldn't regret it. Tim had asked him to go to Gotham with him, the home of Batman…leaving his adoptive parents didn't bother him, not anymore. But could he just leave Amity Park, his haunt? If he did, he'd have to shut down the Fenton portal first to keep both humans and ghosts safer. But if he moved to Gotham, that would mean Batman…his Father. Was he ready for that? Would he ever be? He knew Tim would want to introduce them since Danny had helped him find the evidence to bring him back.

Would Tim turn him in to the GIW if he found out? Vigilantes weren't exactly legal either but the Justice League worked with the government. They were very big on meta and alien rights, but they'd done nothing about the Anti-ecto Acts. Did they believe the Fenton's research and GIW reports about them? Tim had been with him for over a month now, surely, he would be able to see that Danny wasn't what those papers said. And if Danny was different then others could be too.

Tim stirred slightly, blue eyes slowly blinking open, and then he smiled sleepily. "Hey," he mumbled.

"Didn't mean to wake you," he murmured, leaning in to press a soft kiss to warm lips.

He was so glad he was mostly human temperature when in human form, cause there would be no reason for his body temperature to be so low when they were nice and cosy in bed. Yeah, he could drop his temperature if he wanted, and had when Tim was drugged to help lower his temperature when it spiked, but he was usually careful not to change it.

"S'okay," Tim yawned and stretched. He glanced at the battered clock on the bedside table. "Gotta get up soon anyway."

"Feeling better this morning?" Danny asked, hand lazily stroking his side, and Tim shifted to sprawl over him, head on his chest. Danny wasn't complaining, hand moving to stroke his bare back since they'd both slept topless due to the heat. It might have been cold outside at night but the hotel had bad airflow and insulation, meaning it kept the daytime heat in while being rather noisy.

"Hmmm," Tim mumbled, body lax, still very sleepy.

Danny smiled softly and fell quiet to let him go back to sleep; they could be late. Tim's breathing evened out slowly, body going limp as he fell asleep again. He wasn't heavy, Danny could take a lot more weight than once scrawny vigilante. Though, he'd been making sure Tim ate regularly and enough food so he'd put back on the weight he'd obviously lost since Batman was 'killed'.

He closed his eyes and relaxed, stretching out his senses, frowning when he picked up on the trio not too far away. Would they ever give up? He could feel the locals going about their business, various stores beginning to open as the market was set up. They were generally content which was good, he'd been worried there'd be an undercurrent of fear or something but it seemed the country was settling.

Eventually, Tim stirred again, sleepily pressing a kiss to his chest, and Danny smiled softly. Tim sat up and stretched, Danny watching the muscles move as he did, enjoying the view. Tim caught him at it, face flushing slightly but also looking pleased. "We should get going," he said after glancing at the clock.

Danny nodded and got up to dress, pulling on the clothes he had grabbed the day before. He didn't like the style at all, it reminded him too much of clothing worn in the League. Still, it fit his cover id so he was stuck with it till they could ditch the trio or left themselves.

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Tim was once again in the passenger seat of the jeep, watching the scenery pass as Danny drove towards the dig site. There was another jeep, just at the edge of his field of sight, following them. Not very subtle considering who they worked for. It figured their luck would run out eventually when it came to Ra's.

He wasn't sure what to do, the dig site was remote and not well staffed. They could decide to kill those there to get to him, or say they would, to get him to cooperate. Could the two of them defend the whole staff if the trio did that? Especially if Owens set up as a sniper somewhere. Even if they didn't move while they were at the dig, if they wanted to see why they were there or something, the trip back was likely going to be just like it was now, the road empty, perfect for an ambush.

He didn't have a communicator to reach the Watchtower to call for extraction which meant he'd have to call Kon if things took a turn for the worst. He hated dragging him into his issues, he felt bad enough Danny was involved. He knew what he was getting into by coming with Tim, Kon had never dealt with the League of Assassins and he had no doubt Ra's had or could quickly get his hands on Kryptonite.

"We'll be there soon," Danny told him, and Tim nodded.

He hadn't seen Dr Kriss in years so the odds of the man recognising him were very slim, especially given his altered appearance, but there was always a chance. He did wonder what had brought the man to Iraq, it wasn't his usual kind of dig.

Twenty minutes later they came to the top of a hill and found the dig site spread below them.

"Ready?"

"Ready," he agreed, closing his eyes to mentally put on the id of John Gauthier, archaeology student.

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Damian paced his room angrily. He didn't like the apartment; it was not befitting his status as Father's heir like the manor was. And the Batcave was far superior to the bunker. Life in Gotham was nothing like what he'd imagined or mother said. Granted, father hadn't meant to die and he had helped save the world in doing so. But couldn't he have made proper arrangements first?

Still, Drake and Todd were now gone. Grandfather would deal with Drake and Todd if he actually found them. If not, the man was mentally unstable and should be easily dealt with if he returned. Richard was mostly tolerable and Damian understood that he had to have an adult supervisor in America unless he wished to deal with their pathetic child services. Children who lost their parents should be able to fend for themselves, not need coddling.

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They watched as the archaeologists moved about the dig. Spotting their target was easy enough but was it really him? Z was sure and Owens was mostly sure, Pru didn't believe it. Still, they were sure this was where Drake would be going due to his last break in. He'd impressed many of the League by managing to mostly avoid them as he travelled across Europe. And there was something about that translator…they'd also heard the whispers of two vigilantes spotted, was the translator more than he appeared? If so then they would need to be prepared to deal with him if necessary.

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He watched the new student, there was something about him that tugged at memory, but he was sure they had never met before. His name was completely unfamiliar but he had excellent grades and good references. He also wasn't asking questions which was what his benefactor preferred for this dig, though Kriss wasn't sure why. They had not found anything ground-breaking or worth money.

So far, all they had was a cave painting of a stylised bat…which seemed to be what the newcomer was interested in. What had he gotten himself into by taking on this dig? And his translator was good, but he wasn't local. He didn't quite move like them and his accent was different, not by a lot but he wasn't just an archaeologist, he'd studied linguistics too. Had the benefactor sent them or did they work for someone else? What should he do?

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Tim stared at it, hands almost shaking as he recorded the information. This was it…the last piece, the last bit of proof, the final bit for the needed calculations. All he had to do was get it to one of the Justice League members who could do time travel and they'd be able to get B back. He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there when the sound of fighting reached him and he rushed to the cave mouth. He saw Danny kicked Pru in the face…breaking her nose again. Z was…fighting an oddly dressed stranger, the bodies of several staff around them. Owens was…he caught the flash of light off the scope and the disc spun from his hand, throwing off his aim so the bullet hit the sand a few feet from Danny. He figured Danny could handle Pru, he needed to keep Owens from shooting anyone.

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He watched the fight, he had hoped things would remain on track for the best timeline, but it seemed their enemies had caught up to them. Still, it should turn out better than it would have if Timothy was alone. And young Daniel was very resilient, they would not find it easy to kill him. But he was going to have to face his past. If only that plane had not been delayed, they would have had backup. The dig should have remained safe, had someone interfered beyond his own intereferance?

The Observants would still prefer his death, but that would not be the best outcome for everyone. He would make an excellent King one day, should he survive the trials to come. His grandfather was a threat and a powerful one at that. The near-immortal human knew too much, if he came to suspect what Daniel was…

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Danny felt the weight of the blade he'd slipped into his belt when they arrived but if he used it, they would recognise it. It would identify him clearly, only the Demon Head's family had blades with those specific decorations. If they couldn't make a clean break, he was going to have to tell Tim. It was one thing knowing he'd run from the League, but that he was Ra's al Ghul's grandson?

He ducked under a blow, flipping her into the sand. A cut off gurgling cry had them both looking over to see Z collapse, a sword through his chest. He shifted back from Pru to keep an eye on them both. "Enemy of my enemy?" he offered, and she glared at him before nodding sharply, both of them turning to the stranger.

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Dick read the paper, relived there was nothing on Batman and Robin. Keeping the kid under control was slightly easier now and that actually worried him a bit. Jason had surprisingly kept contact with Oracle. He'd tracked someone who could be Tim to a break in at a German museum and was now following a lead from the artifact. Was it really Tim and if so, why break in? How'd he get caught if it was Tim? He was good enough to pull that kind of job without anyone knowing it.

He was thankful Kon hadn't come to Gotham to hit him like he had Clark...but he wouldn't have blamed him. Dick had wanted to believe Tim, so badly, but he couldn't afford to. If he'd let himself hope for even a second that Bruce was alive… and to find out he was, that Tim had been right and was alone because of Dick's words to others… Steph could have gone with him or Cassie. Superpowered backup was always good, especially with the League after him. Was it because of Ra's' interest in B or something else? He didn't think Tim had ever done anything to personally anger the man…unless it had to do with Damian? He just didn't have enough information.

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Tim saw Danny and Pru turn to the attacker and looked at Owens to see what he'd do. The sniper was staring at Z's body, anger clear on his face. He looked at Tim and nodded grimly. Great, looked like they were all on the same side for the moment.

Tim turned and took aim himself when Danny and Pru were clear for a moment, frowning when the man used his sword to deflect his weapons. He drew his bō and ran across the sand to join them. Three on one with Owens sniping should be enough to handle one opponent, right?

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Owens grimaced as his sights were blocked again. The man was good, too good. Was he one of those who had been taking out their members? He couldn't believe Z was dead but he hadn't moved since going down. They had worked as a trio for so long…they were friends, family, one of the few permanent teams in the League. What would the Master do with them now?

He grimaced as Pru went down but she staggered back to her feet, surprisingly the stranger moved to defend her till she was back on her feet. Who was he? He had to be the other vigilante spotted, a new bat maybe?

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Danny shifted once Pru was back on her feet. One man should not be giving them so much trouble.

"Who are you?" Tim demanded as he blocked a sword strike.

"Assassins…I am the Widower. Thank you for actually putting up a fight." Arrogant, but he had taken out Z rather swiftly and injured Pru, granted, Danny had hurt her first. "You were not on my list, assassins," he glanced from Tim to Danny, smirking.

Having a list suggested something organised. Though assuming Tim and Danny were assassins when Danny had fought Pru was not smart.

"We're not assassins," Danny pointed out even as he kicked the Widower hard in the knee, causing a leg to buckle, throwing him off balance.

Tim took advantage, managing to knock one sword from his hands. He swung for his head but he blocked the blow with the second sword. The Widower dodged to the side and Danny dropped in response, the bullet missing both of them. Owens was taking some risky shots…but only when Danny was the only possible collateral. He was avoiding shots that would endanger Tim or Pru.

"TIM!" Danny screamed and Tim turned, bō coming up, only to find himself falling to the sand, the pain hitting him seconds later.

His dropped his bō, hands automatically going to the wound to staunch the flow of blood. The Widower moved over him, blade raised but then Danny was between them, scooping his bō up and moving faster than Tim had ever seen him, snarling in rage and…eyes flashing green. Tim fell back, breathing hard…right…Danny had said he'd been dumped in the Pit as a kid. Hands grabbed him under the arms, pulling him back away from the fight and he helped as much as he could.

"Didn't hit an artery," that was Owen's voice.

Tim opened his eyes, when had he closed them? He hissed in pain as Owens pushed his hands aside to get at the wound, putting something in it.

"Stay awake," Owens told him as he worked, and Tim focused on doing that.

He felt something tight around his leg, a torniquet to slow the blood loss. Owens said it didn't hit the artery, that was good, but he could still bleed out, just more slowly. His head was swimming and he felt sick. "P'son," he slurred, hearing Owens swear.

"Blade's poisoned!" Owens yelled the warning.

Tim distantly heard Pru shooting, heard the sound of blade against bō. Danny…

"Drake!" Owens yelled but Tim felt his eyes close, consciousness fading.

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Danny slammed Tim's bō into the Widower's gut, winding him, and then a hail of bullets slammed into him. Danny panted more from anger than exertion, turning to the assassins only to look down in shock.

"Nothing personal kid," Pru told him.

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"We need to get back immediately," Owens told her, glancing at the fallen teen.

He thought perhaps they should have subdued him and taken him along as well. His fighting style had been oddly familiar, too familiar. Too late now though. If he wasn't dead already, he would be in a few minutes. Drake was saveable if they got him medical care fast, the poison would have killed him already if it was fast acting. He drew out the medical kit and administered a general antidote to buy time.

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Jason stared at the dig site, seeing only bodies and blood in the sand. Heart in his throat he made his way down, searching for a familiar form. Please no. and then he saw him, running through the sand to drop to his knees beside the black-haired form. He carefully rolled him over and then relaxed, it wasn't Tim! He was dressed like the locals, was he one? Poor kid had taken a bullet to the chest, probably hit his heart so at least it was quick.

But then he realised that clutched in one hand, was Tim's bō. His brother had been there, so where was he? Was this the other vigilante? But Tim wouldn't leave a friend or partner behind, not willingly. He looked around, seeing another armed dead man and then…that was a lot of bullets. Jason took photos of both men, sending them to Oracle for facial recognition. Though he had to remove the cowl from one to get the photos. The bloody sword in one hand proved how the other man had died.

Jason moved about, realising there had been more combatants then the three who were dead. Had they taken Tim? Had he left on his own? He found signs of a vehicle and moved towards his own, it was his only lead and he'd have to follow it.

TBC…

Yes, that is Danny that Jason found clutching Tim's weapon.