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Chapter 2

He shook his head, fighting the urge to cry, reaching for the baseball bat behind the door. But would hitting it hurt Tim too? It stepped into the doorway and it looked like Tim, no glowing eyes or anything. "Please…" Why come to him? He…he couldn't do this…it looked like his Tim…

Blue eyes were soft. "I'm right here Bernard. I'd say ask me anything but anything possessing me could have access to my memories. But I'm right here Ber."

"It let you go?" he asked shakily, hope and disbelief warring with each other.

He saw Tim's throat work and he slowly shook his head. "He's still in here too. But he's given me control. His name's Phantom, he's a ghost. He can't leave me till the summoning is complete but he doesn't want to do that. They summoned him to cleanse the city."

Bernard blanched at that. Cleansing the city didn't need much explanation.

"We have to find a way to break the summoning and then it'll be over. Please Bernard."

"I…how can I know anything you're saying is true? How do I know it's really you?"

"I don't know," Tim whispered.

"Tim?" the bat slipped from his hand. Everything about his expression, the way he talked, stood…everything said it was Tim. But if he was wrong… "I…I don't know…I…"

Tim's hand gently cupped his cheek and he couldn't help leaning into his touch. His skin was colder than normal, a sign of the possession? "I'm right here," Tim whispered.

He wanted to believe him. Why would whatever was possessing Tim come after him? He was nobody. If it wanted a victim or hostage then the bats were the better option, right?

,

Tim hated seeing the fear and uncertainty in Bernard's eyes. Ber had never been afraid of him, for him sure, but not of him. Even when he'd found him in the RR gear, minus his cowl, and half out of his mind from fear toxin, Bernard hadn't been scared of him. Bernard had automatically leant into his touch but the fear was still there. He stepped closer, cradling Bernard's face between his hands.

"I'm right here Ber. I would never put you in danger," he swore. "Phantom doesn't feel evil or anything. He was keeping me asleep to keep me safe but I was fighting it so we worked out a system, I get control as long as I stay calm."

Bernard was trembling and Tim could see him fighting tears. "Tim?" there was hope in his voice, and Tim nodded.

He leant his head forward, resting against Bernard. "It's me," he promised again. He wanted to hold him, to kiss him, but he didn't dare. They were both emotional messes at the moment, Bernard was scared, kissing him would be wrong. "I love you," he whispered, hearing Ber's breathing hitch, his heart…he could hear his heart! Was this what Phantom meant about his powers?

And then warm arms were around his shoulders and neck, tugging, and Tim let himself be pulled even closer, their bodies touching, lips pressed to his own. Bernard felt so warm…he hadn't even realised he was cold till now. His own arms moved to wrap around Bernard's waist, holding him, trying to comfort, even as they kissed. Thankfully. Bernard moved back when Tim shifted forward, moving them fully inside the apartment, the door closing behind them

You're welcome.

So, Phantom shut the door? Okay. Kept them from putting on a show for the neighbours. Wait, was he watching?!

No, but you're thinking really loudly. If this is going to go further let me know so I can completely block it out please.

Tim groaned, pulling back from the kiss, finding he wasn't as out of breath as usual, his heart not racing.

"Tim?" Bernard asked, worried.

He gently brushed messy blond strands back from Bernard's face. "Just the roommate making commentary."

Bernard laughed, sounding halfway to hysterical. "Roommate?" he shook his head. "Only you."

Tim maturely stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend, reaching for his hand, and Bernard reached back.

"Tim, you're cold. Are you okay?"

"I didn't even notice," he admitted.

,

Bruce paced the Cave, unable to push back the terror. There had been no signs of Tim anywhere, possessed or not. What was that thing doing with him? Did it know the limits and needs of a human? Would they get Tim back only for him to die of dehydration or blood loss or something?

They had interrogated the cultists, given their supplies to Constantine for translations and now…there was nothing. Bernard had been given a comm in case the creature went to him…or if Tim was freed and did…even if fought partially free he might go to Bernard. Which was why the comm also pinged his location every thirty minutes, to ensure he wasn't kidnapped or anything.

And then Constantine appeared right in the Batcave and Bruce felt his heart sink at the look on his face. Not again, he couldn't lose another child.

,

Bernard held tight to Tim who was curled up in his arms on his ratty old couch, shaking. There was a blanket wrapped around them, trying to warm Tim up since being so cold was not good for a human body. Everything in his screamed that this really was Tim, just with someone else in his head too. Tim's eyes were distant, unfocused, talking to the ghost possessing him. Bernard pressed the mug of hot chocolate to Tim's lips and he drank automatically. It was a relief when Tim blinked slowly, coming back to him. Tim tucked his head under Bernard's chin, one hand curled into his shirt, their usual position for after a bad night. He gently began petting Tim's hair…

"Um…Tim?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't mean to freak you out…but since when do you have white in your hair?" He asked and then jerked his head back as Tim's snapped up.

"What?" he asked in alarm, reaching for his own hair, pulling it forward. Bernard carefully shifted through the black to find some white and moved it to where Tim could see. "Oh." And then his eyes went green and Bernard tensed.

"This isn't meant to happen!" It was Tim's voice but also not. "Overshadowing does not alter the person overshadowed's body. It just doesn't." Tim…no Phantom stood. "Bathroom?" he asked, looking at Bernard who swallowed and shakily pointed at it.

Phantom moved Tim's body differently to how Tim did either as a civilian or Red Robin and it was strange to watch. Bernard took a deep breath and then followed, finding Tim standing before the bathroom mirror.

"Is…is he okay?"

Phantom looked at him and then something in his expression seemed to soften. "He was panicking too strongly so he's asleep right now. Too much stress on his body…"

Bernard nodded slowly, watching the strange creature currently controlling Tim's body.

A lopsided smile crossed Tim's face, so different to how Tim smiled. "It's okay, I won't hurt you. I don't want to hurt anyone, which makes completing the summoning a bit difficult. It's why Tim came to you, he said you could help us come up with a different way to cleanse the city."

"What, like give it a spring clean?"

Phantom blinked, staring at him before moving to a window and looking out, grimacing. "I don't think eternity's long enough to scrub this place clean," he admitted.

Bernard couldn't help the snort he let out at that and Phantom flashed a grin…was that… "Um, did you give Tim fangs?"

,

Danny was very relieved that Tim had allowed himself to be drawn into a deep sleep without too much fuss, obviously shocked by the white in his hair. He was shocked too! Overshadowing was meant to be indiscernible! It was how Vlad had made his millions without anyone being any the wiser. So why was it causing changes to Tim's body and would they vanish when he left him?

He had to admit, the boyfriend was very impressive. He'd expected a lot more screaming honestly. Then again, he was dating a vigilante so maybe he was really used to the weird and crazy? He was also cute and so was Tim and he wasn't thinking about that. He was just lonely, that was all.

It was tempting to revert to human but would that work? Or would it be two forms of around equal mass suddenly trying to occupy the same space? That would be…messy, very messy.

"His temporarily using my powers, that I expected, it's why I have to stay present, don't want him to fall through the floor or something since he doesn't know how to use them. But physical changes are not normal…"

"So do something!" And Bernard was panicking.

"I'm thinking! It has to be something to do with the summoning…they took blood from him and Dick…but he was drawn in…" so he was the better 'vessel' of the two… he looked at the boyfriend. "I am not going rummaging in his head but how would you describe his personality?"

"Uh…honestly? Not the best with people and emotions at times. But he's brilliant, a literal genius. Self-sacrificing to the extreme, a hero. Really good with tech… can be an utter gremlin?" Bernard was staring at him and Danny frowned.

That…sounded a lot like him. "Ancients," he groaned as it hit him. "We need to end this summoning fast."

"Why?" Bernard asked in alarm.

"Because we're too similar. Tim's…as close to a perfect match as can be which means the longer this lasts the more alike we'll become."

"You mean…he'll die?"

Danny shrugged slightly; he was not telling a stranger what he actually was.

"Pity we can't just move them out of the city till it ends," Bernard muttered, and Danny blinked…could…could it be that simple?

,

John went over everything the bats sent him and it wasn't good. The odds of finding Red alive…or with his mind intact if he did somehow survive…. He shook his head, nope, for once, he was going to try and think positive…like how he was positive Bats was going to kill him if they couldn't get Red back in one piece. First, he had to work out what had been summoned. The green glow hinted at the one thing he never wanted to deal with though. Why had he ever signed up with the Justice League?

,

Dick moved through the routine without having to think about it, muscle memory was a wonderful thing. All he could see when he closed his eyes was Tim walking robotically into the summoning and then turning to them with pure green eyes. It should have been him! It was his job to protect his siblings. He'd failed Jason, been off world when his Little Wing had needed him, failed to realise his grave had been disturbed, to find him before Talia did. And now…Timmy…his baby bird…things were finally right between them again and now he'd lost him.

What was that thing doing to him? Making him do? He really hoped Tim wouldn't remember any of it, that he really was asleep like it said. Cass claimed it had been non-violent but then why take Tim?

,

Bernard watched the ghost controlling Tim's body, not sure what to think. "We're… summoning another ghost? Am I…"

"What? Oh, no! No possession, I swear. They didn't need to make me possess Tim…I'm guessing they wanted I way to maybe keep me under control?"

Well, that sounded bad. Using Tim to control Phantom likely meant hurting him after all.

"Hang on, Tim's stirring."

Bernard waited and then blue eyes blinked at him.

"Ber?"

"Welcome back." He wrapped himself around Tim who hugged back, looking like he'd just woken.

Tim looked around in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Um, well. We might have worked out how to get around the cleansing thing?"

"Oh, that's good," Tim looked at the cleared area of flooring. "How?"

"Phantom was going to call a ghost who can move all the people to be 'cleansed' outside of the city. He thinks that will count."

"Another ghost?" And Tim was fully awake now.

"No one's getting possessed," Bernard quickly added. He hugged Tim again, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek and then frowned. "Your body temperature's dropped even more." That was not good. He moved away, going into his room and coming back with extra layers.

"Ber…"

"You might not be really feeling it Tim, but you're too cold. That's not good for your health, especially without your spleen."

Tim nodded and let Bernard get him into the clothing, smiling slightly.

"What?" Bernard asked when he noticed.

"Usually it's the opposite," he answered, and Bernard blushed.

"Not while you have a roommate." No way were they having sex when Tim wasn't alone in there.

Tim cocked his head to the side and laughed. "Phantom is a gentleman; he said he won't watch but that we probably shouldn't since we're…blending?"

"He said you'll become more and more like him since you were like the perfect match as a 'vessel'," Bernard told him, and Tim paled.

"Oh, right. So who are we summoning and how?"

"Phantom hadn't told me yet." He shrugged.

Tim blinked and then sighed. "Okay, he's taking control but not putting me to sleep so I can hear and see too." He ducked in for a quick kiss, squeezing Bernard's hand, and then his eyes went green again.

"Her name is Desiree. Think a genie but a ghost. We're going to wish them all outside of Gotham for twenty-four hours, that should be long enough to fulfill the summoning contract."

"And she's just going to do as you ask?"

"Yep, because she knows if she doesn't, it's soup time for a month."

Bernard blinked, stared, and…nope. "Soup time?"

"Think of it like a time out."

"Okay…" he watched Phantom set something up. Could they really trust him? Did they have a choice with Tim's life on the line?

,

Jason landed on a rooftop, searching for any sign of Tim. He'd been combing the Alley since leaving Bernard's. Because he'd told Tim months ago to come to him if he was in trouble. So, if Tim had any control, he'd come to the Alley, he wouldn't risk putting a civilian boyfriend in danger. He had all his men on the lookout with orders to not approach but to contact him immediately.

They had to find Tim and get that thing out of him, fast. How long could the human body last when hosting something that powerful? And it was powerful, he had felt it. It made the Pits tremble in fear. Was it connected? After all, of the four of them the two who stayed unconscious the longest and weren't offered were the two who had been exposed. At least they had definite proof now that Ra's hadn't used it to help Tim survive losing his spleen.

,

It was so strange to be aware and yet have no control at all of his body. It was like he was numb, coming out of anaesthetic maybe, but with his head totally clear. He could feel the very carefully controlled power in Phantom, the ghost being so careful as it, he, moved Tim's body. Still, it felt very strange and he would be glad when it was over.

And…he was scared. What effect would this have on him long term? His body was already too cold, would he warm up once Phantom was gone? Would he get sick? Would the white remain in his hair? At least it wasn't like Jason's and a thick strip, this was a few scattered strands but they were noticeable. He could claim premature greying from the stress of running WE? Or just dye it?

And then there was a flash of green and…was that a ghost? He didn't remember what Phantom looked like, didn't remember him being summoned, just the chanting. The ghost looked female but with green skin and red eyes. So not all ghosts had Lazarus Pit eyes.

"What are…Phatom?" she asked, seeming shocked as she stared at them.

"Desiree," Phantom responded, his presence changing Tim's voice, making it echoey.

"What happened?" she practically screeched and then they seemed to be communicating but it wasn't really speech?

Tim could kind of catch the gist of it but Ber looked totally lost.

"Deal," Desiree finally said. "Say the words ghost boy."

"I wish to cleanse Gotham by removing all those who need to be for twenty-four hours," Phantom stated firmly.

"Done!" she vanished.

"Now what?" Bernard asked, and Tim felt Phantom go to answer before everything went green.

It hurt!

TBC…

Shorter but a good spot to leave it.

And yes, Desiree granted the wish with no side effects, can you guess why?