Ra's was frightening; his Lazarus-colored eyes gleamed with mischief, and his posture relaxed. He looked in complete control of the situation. And Tim, well he was used to being put in awkward scenarios, like that time he impersonated Bruce on a phone call so that the Dames would not get grounded for acting up at school ( they had had a truce that day, and needed mutual help).
Or that time Jason dragged him on a joyride with the bat mobile and nearly crashed. They were too relieved to be alive to even care about their expected grounding.
Or that time he tried Staph's favorite ice cream flavor, a mixture between three or more flavors and he got brain freeze in public. They were tricky yet good times.
But this, this was incomparable. What was Ra's doing here? Who would have a grudge on both him and the Demon Head? Why did Ra's look at him like he was an insolent little kid? Didn't he remember Tim blowing up his bases? Alright, yes, he might have insulted him, but Tim had always hated the look of superiority most adults had just because of their age. Since Ra's was practically a living relic, he was ten times more obnoxious.
And now he was his roommate. Joy.
"Ra's," Tim said, "Do you know who kidnapped us?"
Ra's smiled and shook his head.
"I'm afraid, little detective, whoever took it upon themselves to foolishly abduct me and put me in this personable establishment with a mewling infant, has yet to introduce himself or tell me why."
"I'm not an infant!"Tim shouted, enraged. His cheeks were turning red, his blood was boiling.
Ra's rolled his eyes.
"I am centuries old, child. You haven't lived even a fraction of my age, " Ra's responded, making a strange hand motion that reminded Tim of the times his mother, Janet, used to shoo him away from the gala pastries.
"Besides, little bird, I heard you crying for your dear adopted father to save you in your sleep."
Tim was about to deny everything.
His head filled with million of denials and horrid grandpa jokes. The likes Dick would approve.
Like what did Ra's know? Tim was mature and old enough to take care of himself and, really, how can Ra's trust his centuries-old hearing?
His arch-enemy smirked and in a terrifying instant, he got close to Tim, his breath to the boy's ear.
"I could protect you, little one. Obey me, Timothy, this mortal combat between us has been surprisingly complex. And you clever, infuriating child, have been even more competent than men thrice your age, but in the end children who play against adults always lose. It is only a matter of time, Timothy, and I would hate to squander your intellect," he whispered.
Tim's breath hitched, he didn't even realize he was shaking. Did Ra's just threaten to off him?
It wasn't anything new for him but he said it so sinisterly, he wished Batman was here.
Realizing that he was acting like a defenseless very young person, Tim took deep breaths and tried to steady himself. He was Red Robin, he was invincible. He was the shoulder on which Gotham can cry on, and one of its most dedicates squires. He wasn't an ordinary kid, and it was time Ra's realized that.
"I'm not afraid of you," Tim said, and Ra's widened his eyes.
"And if your protection requires obeying evil then you can forget about it, Ra's. Besides, only Bruce tells me what to do, and sometimes not even him."
"The temerity will cost you, Red Robin," Ra's warned, amused.
Tim scoffed and tried to get back to sleep.
"When Damian was young, " Ra's continued, unaffected by Tim ignoring him, "I would tell him about the grave consequences of disobedience."
"Which are?" Tim asked in a monotone voice.
"Torture, loss of limb, loss of life," Ra's said.
Tim grimaced worried about his baby brother.
"He was a poor student when it came to respecting his elders, but eventually he learned."
Tim whirled around, facing Ra's, even though he was not at eye level, and yelled, "How dare you? My little brother is not the canvas for your brutality Ra's! If you ever touch him with a finger, you'd wish everything I do would be a couple of blown bases."
The Demon Head looked pleasantly surprised.
"My, little detective, I'm astonished you and Damian had built a brotherly rapport after all. I will have to consider that next time."
Crap, Tim thought.
"Yet that was not the point of my speech, Red Robin."
"Make your point, then. You have two seconds!"
"Tch. The impatience of youth," Ra's said and Tim's heart almost broke because it reminded him of Damian. But he did not let it show.
"My point is that you should respect your elders, Red Robin. And what happens if you don't?" Ra's quizzed him.
"According to evil immortal assassins, disobeying would involve torture, loss of limb, and/or loss of life," Tim said, unimpressed. In fact, he counted those three things as if he were talking about something relatively harmless, like, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
"Very good, detective," Ra's praised him, like his seventh-grade teacher when Tim was the only one to read Romeo and Juliet at home. It had been an assignment.
"But then again, I already lost an organ, and I don't feel more obedient towards you, Ra's so…"
"However did the detective manage to curb your insolence?" Ra's asked, melodramatically.
"Love, encouragement, occasional spankings, you know, the discipline good parents would employ to their children."
"Hmm," Ra's hummed, thoughtful.
"Before I was forced into this dingy little cell, I heard the voice of my captor," Ra's divulged.
"How did he sound like?" Red Robin asked, going full Batman mode.
Or she, Tim thought.
"Old, booming, with a strange dialect, as if they were not used to speak…"
"English?" Tim asked.
Ra's nodded.
"They mixed up their grammar, yet I heard them clearly, in my mind."
"Telepaths!" Tim exclaimed, then frowned, "Could be aliens…."
"Indeed, detective. However, they did say something rather odd before I was brought here."
"What else?" Tim asked eager for information. He was like a little kid asking his elder to tell him more about Santa Claus or to finish a story.
Ra's lips twitched for a moment then he adopted a grave face.
"They told me I have been found worthy of participating in their tournament. It was, as you can imagine not quite the flattery I desired."
"So we're going to fight-"Red Robin said but was cut off.
"And they told me a relative of mine was to be my ally." He said then he began surrounding Timothy, like a shark.
"I confess, I was expecting Talia or even Damian. I have checked your blood before detective. We are not even remotely related. You wouldn't happen to know what they meant, do you?" Ra's asked softly.
Oh shit.
Minutes ticked by. Ra's had opted for a calculating look while Tim seemed sheepish.
The boy eventually groaned and for the sake of not enduring the remainder of his journey here with a curious Ra's who wouldn't give him peace, he said, "Talia kind of married Bruce a while ago."
Ra's eyes were impossibly wide. He stiffened, it was almost funny.
"And even though they broke up they did not get a divorce. I don't know why," Timothy said lamely.
Ra's glanced at him, differently now. Like he was Tim but not Tim, like he was his, his grandson.
In a flash, he was by his side and said, "Thank you for this information, child. It has proved, most illuminating."
"What do you mean?" Tim asked.
Ra's turned around and said, "The detective, your father has always been a person I admired. He has Intellect, strength, and willpower. Talia has chosen well."
Tim blinked, surprised at the turn of events, however, he was not going to deny his dad was awesome. Bruce was the best dad in the world and he loved him, even though he snuck to parties sometimes, and lied to him sometimes…
"Besides his blood child, the detective has adopted four children, yes?" Ra's asked.
"Why do you ask?" Tim said.
"Young Richard the intelligent acrobat, young Jason the skilled combatant, yourself, the detective, his most alike in strategy, and if I'm not wrong young Cassandra as well, who resembles him in willpower and is the most skilled in combat. Am I wrong? Did the detective adopt even more children?"
"Why do you want to know that?" Tim asked, genuinely curious.
Ra's turned, his smile gentle yet mocking, "Come now, detective. It wouldn't do to be unaware of my grandsons."
Why did Tim feel like he just made a huge mistake?