Disclaimer: not mine

Warning for very creepy Ra's

Chapter 4

Tim fired his grapple, aiming at where the flash of the scope had been, hearing the sound of metal hitting flesh even as he was launched up onto the rooftop, slamming into a bald woman. Two down, one left. Tim dodged and they fell into a hand-to-hand fight, he was good, very good. Tim grunted as his side exploded in pain, vision whiting out for a second. The suit had taken the bullet but that was really going to leave a mark. And the other two were back on their feet, damn it. He threw himself behind cover as the woman opened fire.

"Pru!" his opponent yelled since he had to dodge as well.

Pru…Prudence? Wow her parents got that wrong. He pressed a hand to his side, no blood so it definitely hadn't penetrated the armour. He drew three discs and moved, throwing them towards her, needing the guns out of the fight. The other man had a rifle, not too useful in a close quarters fight. Tim moved in, grabbing her once she dropped one of the guns, grappling with her.

"You broke my nose!" She yelped as he slammed his elbow back.

He twisted, trying to get the gun out of her hand. He managed to dodge a knee aimed at his groin and then something was shoved over his nose and mouth. He grabbed his bō, extending it backwards to try and hit his assailant, smelling something strange. Then another hand pressed down, the girl helping. He thrashed between them but he could feel his body growing heavy, everything beginning to spin.

"Take a nap hero," she growled at him.

He struggled futilely for a few more seconds, hearing his bō hit the ground, his head slumping forward, knees buckling. No…he had…had...to…

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Z caught the teen as he went limp between them. He pulled out the restraints and went to work securing him, removing any weapons or trackers that he could find.

"I take back what I said about him being sexy," Pru grumbled, touching her nose.

"Let's get him back to base, the Master will be pleased," Z said rather than comment.

He knew she hadn't meant it; Drake was too young for her by several years, it was just chatter and comments while on the job. He slung the boy over his shoulders and they headed out, that fight had been loud, plus the hotel room was still burning so the authorities would be there any second.

They got to their car and began to drive away, after they took the safety precaution of using a very small EMP on Drake's suite to fry any electronics or countermeasures against hit being removed. Owens removed the cowl and slipped a needle into Drake's neck, ensuring he was properly sedated. Z started driving, heading away from Paris. They weren't sure who he was in contact with so it was safer to fly out with him from another city.

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He hadn't missed them by much, but there was no signal from any of Tim's equipment. So, either they'd stripped him or shorted them out. He pulled out his phone and dialled, relieved when she answered.

"Tim's gone. They blew the hotel room and there's evidence of him being in a fight on a nearby roof but there's no one here," he almost babbled.

"Slow down Jason, breath," Diana ordered, and he did his best to obey. "Clark can reach you quicker but I am coming. We will find him."

"Right," he murmured even as Superman landed beside him, taking everything in with a grim expression.

"I can't see Tim anywhere nearby," Clark told him. And then two more people landed, Diana and Kon.

Kon had his eyes closed, head tilted, listening for Tim. He frowned, seeming to struggle… "North!" He took off, and Clark grabbed Jason as they all followed him.

Jason forced himself not to tense up as he was carried, it was never a sensation he'd gotten used to. There hadn't been many fliers on the team while he was briefly with the Titans, unlike when Dick and Tim were on the team. He worked with Kori and Bizzaro at times with the Outlaws though so he was getting more comfortable being carried but it was different to Superman. He was still mad at the man for backing Dick up without even letting Tim explain but Diana seemed to think he regretted his actions, or lack thereof, when it came to Tim. And if the League of Assassins had Tim, then they'd need the help.

There was no proof, no evidence left on the roof screamed League, but who else would be after Tim in Europe? Jason knew both Ra's and Talia were interested in him, though their reasoning seemed very different. Talia wanted him dead or isolated and Ra's…he seemed far too intrigued by Tim to be good.

And then they were landing, the frustrated look on Kon's face not a good sign.

"I lost them," he snarled. "I think…something about a Cradle?"

Jason swore. "The Cradle…is a secret League base, I heard whispers but wasn't exactly up to asking back then."

"Any idea on location?" Diana asked, and he shook his head.

"The brat might know, being an al Ghul but Ra's is paranoid even with family and he was just a kid."

"I shall return to Gotham, if he knows, he will tell me," her hand dropped to her lasso.

"We'll keep trying to track them," Clark told her as she took off.

"I think they're headed for an airstrip," Kon murmured. And then he swore, Clark not saying anything about it, his expression grim.

"What?

"9.5 earthquake in Chile," Clarke answered. "Kon go, Jason were you checked into that hotel under your real id's?"

"No, fakes."

"Up to helping with recovery?"

Jason hated it, but he nodded. Without any idea where to go, there was no point remaining in Europe. Hopefully, Diana would find out from Damian.

"Clark," Kon glared at him.

"Can you hear Tim in any way?"

"No," he shook his head.

"Then we have no leads, Kon. How will Tim feel if he finds out you ignored this to look for him when you have no idea where he is?"

Jason hated that Clark was right and soon they were headed for South America.

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Everything was foggy, his body heavy, head stuffed with wool…couldn't move… "Nnnnngg."

"Welcome back Detective."

That voice…familiar?

"Don't try to move," the voice said, "you are safe here. Sleep, and let the drugs do their work."

Drugs? What…he felt a cool rush in his arm…IV? Where…who…

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Ra's stared at the teen restrained to the bed and dressed in far more fitting attire than that costume. The IV running into his arm was administering a cocktail of carefully mixed drugs to affect his mind, weakening him, making him more amenable to anything Ra's told him. The drugs would keep him docile until he accepted his new life and would ensure he never tried to leave since he would be addicted to them and the feelings they gave him. The results would be more controllable than repeated trips into the Pit to make him malleable but that could be kept as an option.

By the time anyone could find him, Timothy would be his loyal heir.

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Dick had ensured Damian would remain in Gotham with Alfred, hoping the older male and Babs would be able to keep the kid off the streets while he was gone. They used the Zeta tubes to get to Chile and begin work immediately, searching for survivors. The site was…it looked worse than most of the alien invasion aftermaths that Dick had seen.

The Batsuit made it worse for him, hotter than his own gear and so much less flexible, limiting what he could do. He was surprised to see Jason, not in Red Hood gear either but street clothes with only a domino on…no, that was an armoured shirt. No weapons though, not that they should need them for rescue work. Then again, he had left with Diana…and she had shown up just before the emergency alert, demanding to speak with Damian. Something must have happened, but what? Surely if Jason had been with Tim, he would have come to help too. No matter what else was going on, Tim would never turn his back on people in need.

It felt like he worked for days before finally being forced to take a break, seeing Jason slumped on some nearby debris with water and a sandwich. So, he took his own and walked over. Jason looked up and glared at him. "Not in the mood Batwing," he growled.

"What's going on? Wonder Woman showed up before this wanting to talk to Robin."

"You want to know? Someone blew up our hotel room and took Red Robin. Found weapons and blood on a nearby roof. Superboy managed to track them for about a hundred miles then we lost them, but he heard them mention the cradle. The Cradle is a secret League of Assassins base. So why do you think Wonder Woman left the search to speak to Robin?"

Dick closed his eyes. Ra's had Tim? That…that wasn't good.

"Only three sites left and we'd have had enough data to get B back, so if he was going to act, now was the time. Once this is in hand or we get new intel, we're heading back. We'll get RR back, no matter what. And I'll help Wonder Woman keep him out of Gotham, find him a new place somewhere. Superboy and Impulse will help too. He'll be with people who love and respect him, who don't just use him and toss him aside when someone new shows up."

"We didn't!" he denied, struggling to keep his voice down.

"Funny, that's what it looks like to anyone with a brain. As soon as the brat showed up, he was all you were interested in. Maybe the kid really is a demon with the power to make you worship him. You're really living up to the stereotype N, blind as a freakin' bat. Would it take the brat killing RR for you to see the truth? And don't go on about him being raised in the League, I've been there, I heard the stories about him even if I never realised who he was. He was a pampered, spoiled little brat who was protected from everything. So no, he was not made to kill to advance or secure his place which are the reasons he gave for attacking RR." And with that Jason finished his water and went back to work.

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Bart raced around the destroyed towns and cities, pulling people from the rubble, helping shore up buildings, even going for supplies. His mind raced even faster with fear for Tim. Ra's…Tim had told them about the creepy old man and had had many stories since the creeps grandson showed up. Bart would love to teach that little monster a few lessons for everything he'd done to Tim but that would be bad. How could the son be so different to the dad? Then again, Tim's early days with Batman had been…difficult. There'd been times they'd talked about keeping Timmy with YJ rather than let him go back to Gotham but they couldn't keep Tim against his will.

They would find him in time, they would!

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Cassie kept her distance from her mentor and old teammates, feeling the coolness between them, working with other members of the Titans. Diana had not spared her at all during their discussion and it had hurt. But then…how badly had she hurt Tim by refusing to listen after he'd tried to open up at the grave? She'd messed up so badly…but Tim had been such a mess, he'd tried to clone Kon! And yet Kon had barely blinked at that news, then he'd up and left, had he been to see Tim? And now…Tim was missing, taken, hopefully alive.

She knew what they were doing was important, part of why the teams had formed but it was also taking away from the search for Tim. Surely not even the League of Assassins could cause an earthquake?

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He whimpered, voices whispering to him. He couldn't think…couldn't focus…who… where… help…Kon…Jay…someone… safe? Home? Was this home? He moaned softly, writhing in his restraints as a flash of pleasure ran through him. Home…?

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Damian glared at the woman who questioned his taking of his birthright and now…now she dared come asking the most secret of questions! He tried to struggling but the glowing golden lasso held him tightly and he could feel the magic.

"Where is the League of Assassins base called the Cradle?" she demanded and he couldn't fight the urge to answer.

"I don't know." And he was pleased with that for once. Grandfather would deal with that cuckoo Drake.

"Where do you suspect it to be?"

He grit his teeth but he could not fight the magic. "Somewhere in or near Turkey."

"Thank you for your cooperation," she told him coldly, the lasso uncoiling from around him.

"There's no point, he will be dead by now."

"If Ra's wished Tim dead, then he would have died on that roof. There would have been no reason to take him."

But what use could Drake possibly be to Grandfather?

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Clark spread out the map and Jason marked off several airfields where they could have landed. Oracle had worked her magic to find several private flights that had left France in the correct time frame and had been headed for Turkey. Two had been traced to shell companies used by the League. The two of them were alone for now, Kon and Diana working in Chile. They would be trading off until the clean-up was done.

They now had to track the passengers of those two flights and hope they led them to the Cradle. Three weeks…who knew what Tim had been through in that much time. From the look on Jason's face, it wasn't going to be good. He'd never dealt with Ra's or his League but he'd seen the aftermath of such clashes in Gotham, had seen the strain on Bruce.

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He blinked sluggishly up at the ceiling and then shifted, shakily pushing himself up to sit, head spinning for a moment. He looked around and then down at himself to find he was wearing white silk tunic and pants, he rubbed the material between his fingers and smiled, so soft… he got off the bed, stumbling but looking around. This was…where was he?

"Welcome back Timothy."

He turned to the door to see an elderly man…Timothy, yes…he was Tim…othy. And he was…?

"It is alright, you are safe now beloved."

Beloved? His head hurt. A hand cupped his cheek and he shivered but he didn't try to get away.

"You are home where you belong."

Yes…he was home.

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Ra's stared into foggy blue eyes, the pupils almost swallowing the blue, smirking as Timothy stood wavering on his feet but without struggle. He was pliant, obviously not fully aware yet, confused and easy to manipulate. He pulled him closer, hand moving from Timothy's face to cup the back of his head, tipping it back to keep eye contact, and the boy sighed softly, eyelids fluttering. His other hand moved to push the tunic up, gently caressing soft warm skin.

"That's it Timothy, you are mine."

"Yours?" Timothy mumbled, leaning against him.

"Yes, you are mine. My heir, my intended," he stated firmly.

"In…ten…ded…" he slurred, eyes falling shut briefly before opening halfway again. His pupils contracted for an instance before dilating fully once more. They'd never used this exact cocktail before, the one they usually used had effects on the mind that he didn't want here. He needed Tim's mind, his intellect, while also having his blind obedience and loyalty.

He drew Timothy's yielding body against his own, enjoying the sensation of such young, tender flesh against his, with only thin layers of silk between them. Then he lowered his head to Timothy's.

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Diana nodded to Kon who nodded back and slipped into the shadows. There…a League Assassin and before they could react her lasso had them bound, Conner dropping their unconscious partner beside them a second later. "Where is the Cradle?" she demanded, and the man tried to resist but he was no match for the magic in her lasso.

"Let's go!" Kon turned to take off, and she gripped his wrist.

"Wait Kon-El."

"We don't have time."

"And Tim will not be helped by us rushing in without a plan and backup," she warned, watching him wilt. "Patience, we must be careful. Ra's will not care if Tim is injured in a fight, not with a Lazarus Pit in the base. You have seen Jason's struggles."

He grimaced and nodded. They wanted Tim alive; Ra's would likely not care since he could use the Pit on him.

"Kal-El, we have the location. We await your presence."

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"They've found them," Clark murmured to Jason who nodded.

"I need proper gear, safehouse in Crime Alley," he answered, and Clark nodded. Going up against professional assassins, Jason would need all the protection he could get.

"What's going on?" Dick demanded.

"None of your business," Jason growled as they took off.

Clark followed his directions once they reached Gotham, landing on the roof of the apartment building and then hiding so that no one would spot him and become curious as to his presence.

Not even twenty minutes later, Jason was back on the roof in full armour and armed to the teeth. Clark swooped in and picked him up, flying as fast as he could with a human passenger. He wasn't surprised to glance down and see a blur race across the ocean.

"Impulse incoming," he warned Diana and Kon.

"I called him," Kon answered.

And then the five of them were in an alley, Bart vibrating in place.

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His head was spinning, everything so confusing. There were hands on his body, cool air making him shiver slightly. He just let whatever was happening happen, it felt good. The sensation of moving, then something soft under his back. Intended…beloved…he was his… wasn't he?

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Ra's lowered Timothy's half naked body back onto the bed, enjoying every soft noise he drew from the young man. It was not yet time to take things to their full conclusion, no, that would wait for their wedding night. A night he looked forward to, but there were other ways to pass the time. He reached for the waist of the silken pants and then growled as there was a knock on the door.

"Come," he commanded, beginning to draw them down Timothy's legs.

"Master! The Justice League is here," a ninja reported.

He paused, frowning. It was too soon; Timothy was not ready yet. It seemed he would need to adjust his plans.

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Kon found himself in a room glowing green…the Lazarus Pit. And there was Ra's al Ghul in all his finery on a throne of all things.

"Tim," he whispered as he took in the person kneeling at his feet, dressed in white…was that silk? His head was bowed and he seemed to wavery slightly. "Tim!" he yelled but Tim didn't react. He hit his comm unit. "Pit chamber, Ra's and Tim."

"On our way," Clark answered.

Bart soon appeared. "Tim!"

"He cannot hear you," Ra's smirked at them, stroking Tim's hair, and Kon heard the soft sigh Tim made in response.

"What have you done to him?" Kon growled in rage, knowing his eyes would be glowing red.

"He is mine now, as it should be." Ra's cupped Tim's cheek, guiding his head up and Kon took in the glassiness of his eyes, the size of his pupils.

"You drugged him."

And then the three 'adults' of the rescue group arrived.

"Damn it," Jason growled as he took in the sight of the drugged Tim.

Ra's chuckled, drawing Tim up and Tim whined softly. Kon felt sick, seeing Tim so docile when he would usually be fighting Ra's with everything he had.

"What have you done to him?" Diana demanded, sword in hand. And yep, that was blood on the blade.

"The bats now have my grandson, is it not fair that they exchange Timothy for him?" Ra's asked as if it were the most logical thing possible. "Don't you agree Timothy?"

Tim's eyelids fluttered slightly; his breathing soft but deep. "A…gree…"

"You've drugged him to alter his mind," Clark stated, glaring at Ra's as well.

"He will be my heir, my intended, and will lead the League at my side forever."

Kon snarled but glanced at Bart who nodded slightly. They were ready to move.

"Now, it's time we all left."

"You aren't taking him anywhere," Jason levelled a gun at Ra's who simply pulled Tim up into his arms, using him as a human shield. "Tim, fight it!" but Tim didn't react.

Three weeks of drugs and Ra's whispering in his ear, no wonder he wasn't reacting to any of them.

"Let him go! You want the brat back, you can have him," Kon stated. He'd do it, he'd grab the boy and bring him back personally if Ra's would hand Tim over without a fight. He didn't care at all for the boy who had tried to kill Tim, had driven him out of his home and family.

"I have need of the young Detective's skills. Don't worry, his mind will be intact, his memories…well, those are less necessary."

Glassy blue eyes met his and Kon stared at Tim, silently pleading for him to see him, to recognise him. What did they have him on?

"Hand over my child," Diana demanded, and Kon could feel it, she was mad…and an angry demigoddess was not a good thing.

"Yours?" Ra's actually seemed surprised.

She smirked at him. "By man's law, he is in my care until of age. And I would gladly claim him by the laws of Gods and Amazons as well."

Okay, Kon could see that, but only girls could be Amazons so how could she claim Tim as hers under their laws? Did he want to know?

"Timothy, little one," she called, voice coaxing, and to everyone's shock, Tim blinked slowly, a flicker of awareness crossing his face.

Ra's saw it too and frowned. "It seems more drastic measures will be needed then." And then he drew a blade, Tim choking on a breath as it sank into his abdomen.

"NO!" Kon screamed even as Bart vanished. A blast of heat vision hit the blade before it could be plunged in again, forcing the man to drop it.

Bart reappeared with Tim limp in his arms, bleeding heavily, making small, pained noises. The sound of gunfire filled the air as Jason opened fire, covering them, Clark moving to take on the rapidly appearing ninja.

Kon dropped to his knees, taking a limp hand in his. "Tim? It's okay, I'm here, just keep breathing. Please…I love you," he begged.

"Give him to me," Diana told them, and Kon tensed but then he looked at her, seeing the steady strength and belief. She held her arms out and he forced himself to lift Tim from Bart and give him to her. And then they were gone.

No one left to protect which meant they could fight all out. That was just fine with him.

TBC…