Disclaimer: Don't own DC or DP.

2 parter.

Chapter 1

Damian froze, feeling the warm liquid drip down his face. Blood…not his… and then time restarted and he darted forward, catching his brother as his Grandfather cruelly pulled his sword back. Timothy coughed, blood dripping down his chin. "Drake is down!" he called over his comm, able to hear the panic in his own voice as he scrambled back. The older boy was heavy in his arms, limp and gasping for breath. "Stay with me," he told him. He set him down against a pillar and then set himself between Timothy and his Gra…Ra's.

He knew that Ra's was interested in his brother as an heir. Having the two of them together when pairing off had been a mistake. He met Ra's eyes and drew his sword, he would defend Timothy, Father would come for them and they would be fine.

"Come now, Damian. Are you truly willing to risk your life for someone you see as an usurper?" Ra's smirked at him.

"Timothy is my brother," he stated firmly, one ear on the raspy, bubbling sound of Timothy's breathing. There was a Lazarus Pit across the room…but would his brother ever forgive them for using it on him? "It is because of you and Mother that I ever saw him as anything but my brother. The two of you ruined my childhood but I have learnt much since joining Father. You are nothing."

He ducked a blow, lunging in to try and land one himself only to have to back pedal to avoid a knife. He was limited in how much he could move in order to remain between Ra's and Timothy. And Ra's knew it, pushing at him relentlessly. He missed a block, stumbled back, but then the sword was stopped. Father.

"See to Tim," he ordered, and Damian rushed to Timothy's side.

He pulled the medical supplies from his utility belt, kneeling beside him. Glassy blue eyes watched him and he knew…without a hospital within the next minute or so, there was no hope. And even with a full medical team…

"Can you hear me?" he asked as he pressed gauze to both sides of the wound to stem the blood, but the amount on the ground… "Timothy?"

"Da…mi…" his voice was barely audible, but he was still aware to some degree.

"No, no…Timmy!" And then Richard was with them, reaching shakily for their brother.

The complex was soundproof otherwise Damian would be yelling for Supernova. Kon-El would come immediately if he heard…but there was no way for him or any of the supers to hear them. While their comms were working inside, they were cut off from Oracle.

"Look at me Tim," Richard was pleading.

Timothy was far too pale, even for him, eyes rolling as he fought to remain conscious. He had minutes, if that.

"Timothy is dying," Damian forced the words out calmly, hearing the near silent gasp over the comm. "Father is holding Ra's off. We need everyone to the Pit Chamber immediately."

,

Dick cradled Tim's face between his hands, hating the crimson staining his chin, seeing more blood bubble out. The blade had to have hit a lung then, he was bleeding internally and externally. "We've got you Timmy, you're going to be okay. Leslie and Alfred will fix you right up," he was babbling and he knew it, lying. There would be no miracle from Leslie and Alfred, Tim wouldn't make it back to Gotham.

And he could tell that Tim knew it too. It was strange, how still he was, not even trying to move or reacting in pain… he looked at the wound again and swallowed. He took one hand off Tim's face, taking his hand. "Squeeze my hand Tim," he pleaded, and all Tim did was cough up some blood. "I think his spine's hit."

And then Cass appeared, mask pulled aside. Her eyes were wide as she took in Tim's condition and then she leant in to kiss his forehead. "Love little brother," she whispered, and Tim made a sound, trying to speak. Then she was gone and from the sound of it she was taking her rage out on Ra's.

,

Bruce stepped back as Cass launched herself at Ra's and for once…she didn't seem to be holding back.

"Go, be with Timmy!" she called to him.

Bruce nodded and moved to where his other children were kneeling. He'd heard Dick's comment on Tim's spine and from the way his legs were lying, he was sure it was true. Damian met his eyes and he could see the guilt there.

"Father…he…it should have been me," he whispered.

Bruce pulled him into his side. "He knew what he was doing. You're his little brother Damian." It had taken a lot of work and time to get them there but they were brothers now and Bruce had no doubt that Tim loved Damian and had willingly taken the blow.

He moved closer and Dick reluctantly gave up his place to let Bruce move in. "Tim, sweetheart?" he whispered, begging for Tim to respond. Every breath was slower and more laboured than the last, blood coating his lips and teeth. "Can you hear me?"

His eyelids fluttered weakly and he made a choked noise.

"We're here Tim." He took a limp hand in his, even if he was paralysed, he might still be able to feel it. His other hand rested against Tim's cheek, feeling the coolness of his skin from blood loss.

Tim's eyes finally opened but Bruce wasn't sure he could see them, his eyes glassy and unfocused. "S…..s…p…"

Bruce swallowed; they all knew what he was trying to say. But Stephanie was back in Gotham holding down the fort with Duke, Tim had promised to be back in time for their anniversary. And with their comms cut off, they couldn't contact her, couldn't let Tim hear her one last time. "We'll take you home to her," he promised, seeing Tim's lip twitch slightly, trying to smile…and then his gaze went distant, breath gurgling with blood.

"Tim?" Bruce called, reaching for the pulse point in his neck, a beat…and nothing. "He…he's gone."

"We both know that is not true, Detective," Ra's called, and Bruce bowed his head over his son's body.

He knew what Ra's was saying. He was offering the Pit for Tim's use. And then a gunshot rang out. Bruce looked up to see Jason, his helmet damaged, standing in the entrance, even as Ra's limped away from Cass.

"Let you do to him what your precious daughter did to me? Not happening," Jason growled. "I promised Tim that I wouldn't let him be put in the Pit." He kept his gun aimed at Ra's and for once…Bruce remained quiet as he gathered Tim's broken body in his arms. Ra's would have to kill him first before he let him have his son.

TIME OUT

,

He cocked his head to the side, feeling something rippling…oh! He took off, flying quickly until he found the right place and there it was – a small, newly forming, Core. Ever so carefully, he cupped his hands around it, feeling the lingering pain and distress, even grief. Gently, he fed some of his own ectoplasm to the forming Core, helping it to stabilise and grow.

He opened a portal into his Keep, placing the Core over a comfortable bed in one of the many bedrooms. There was no set schedule for how quickly a ghost would form post death, and this was a post-death ghost, not a Neverborn. He then sent for an old friend and soon, Frostbite was entering the room which resized itself for him.

"Great One?"

Danny motioned to the still growing Core. "I was called to them."

"Ah, let's take a look then," Frostbite approached, setting his bag down and pulling out equipment. "I'd say they died within the last few hours, their Core is forming very quickly, almost as if…hmmm."

"What is it?" Danny asked, worried.

"It would seem that Clockwork wishes this ghost to form quickly. I suggest you go and see him; we still have a few hours before they will take a full form."

Danny nodded and headed for Clockwork's lair.

,

"Welcome young King, I've been expecting you." He ignored the rolled eyes as young Daniel settled in his lair.

"Who are they?"

Clockwork sighed, always straight to business. But he activated the portal to reveal what the King had asked for. "His name is Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne." He smirked at the reaction that announcement got. And then the portal revealed his death, impaled by a madman who had long outlived his natural lifespan.

,

Danny's mind was spinning as he returned to the Keep. Tim Drake-Wayne was Red Robin…and now a ghost. The Bats were the Waynes. He owed Wes a hundred, wonderful. He entered the bedroom to find a translucent form around the Core, human shaped.

"Great One."

"Clockwork's stopped time on Earth and has accelerated time around him so that he forms quicker."

"Him?" Frostbite asked.

"His name is Tim Drake-Wayne, he's pretty famous, youngest CEO. And he's a vigilante, Clockwork showed me his death. He was impaled on a sword while pushing his younger brother out of the way. It hit him about here," Danny explained, touching his own chest.

"Ah, he likely bled out then," Frostbite pondered, he hadn't known much about humans when Danny first met him but after years of keeping Danny half-alive, he knew a lot. "Given the location of the wound, he was also probably paralysed by the injury, it would have severed the spinal cord."

"So even if he had survived, it wouldn't have been good," Danny murmured. Watching as the new Ghost continued to form. "How long until he's conscious?"

"At this rate, only a few hours until he is fully formed, conscious will take longer. Was the death swift or drawn out?"

"It took several minutes, long enough for his family to comfort him." At least he hadn't died alone.

"That may help some. Though, conscious does not mean he will be able to communicate immediately, he may be stuck in his death for some time. And his memory may not return at once."

"I know, I sat through your lecture." Danny smirked at him.

,

Frostbite had made sure to explain all about Ghost formation to the Great One some time ago. His own death had been far from typical after all. And as King, it was his job to look after new Ghosts. What was highly unusual, was Clockwork's interference. Whoever this Tim Drake-Wayne was, he must be very important to the timeline. But he would not ask, it was none of his business and he doubted Clockwork had told Danny either. He would show the past, the occasional glimpse of the present, but never the future.

He set up the equipment that might be needed if something went wrong – a Core monitor and a few other pieces and then took his leave.

,

Danny sat and watched as Tim's body slowly became more and more solid. He was clothed in something very similar to the outfit he'd died in, though not an exact match, a mask covering his face. The only reason Danny had worn what he'd died in was because he had no way to change it till he started coming to the Realms regularly. With this much ectoplasm available, his clothing was shifting to fit how he saw himself, which was good since the inverted colours of the suit Tim had died in would look weird.

Every time he showed signs of rousing, Danny was there, talking softly to him, assuring him that he was safe, that he could take his time. Once black hair was now a soft white and silver, his skin tinted slightly blue. Under his hair, Danny could make out slightly pointed ears, his Ghostly traits coming through immediately. Danny's Ghost form had looked a lot more human at first, because he was a halfa. Full ghosts gained those traits from the start.

The poor guy semi-woke a few times, curling into a ball and screaming in pain. And then finally, he snapped awake, snarling, and lunging for Danny. He wasn't really fighting back, just working to tire Tim out. All Ghosts came up fighting at first, it was a reaction to the kind of death that caused them to form.

Even running on instinct, he was a good fighter, but he was no match for Danny and eventually Danny had him trapped against his chest. The new ghost was gasping as if he still needed to breath, trembling, and Danny held him up.

"It's okay, you're alright, you're safe now," he kept murmuring over and over in a pointed ear. "Just breath with me," he instructed, taking deep, slow breaths and gradually Tim's breathing began to match his. It was a left over instinct and one that was useful at the moment.

"Where…what…" he stammered out, and Danny gently hushed him. Thankfully, Tim slowly fully relaxed, all limbs now fully tangible and visible. Panic tended to send their powers haywire after all.

"That's better, you're going to be okay," he promised, moving Tim back to the bed. "Just stay calm."

"Who are you…where…" The whites of his domino widened. "Who…who am I?"

"Your name is Tim; you're in a room of my Keep. My name is Danny."

"Tim…" he whispered, frowning in confusion. "Why can't I remember? What's happening to me?"

Danny took a deep breath. "Not remembering is normal for what's happened, the memories should start coming back with time."

"What happened?"

Danny got ready for any kind of reaction; he'd never actually had to tell someone before. "You died."

Tim froze and then one hand moved to his chest. He seemed to be staring over Danny's shoulder, though the mask made it hard to tell. "Dami," he whispered. He gasped, shuddering, curling over.

Danny hesitated, not sure what to do.

,

His head was pounding, images flashing and vanishing. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He died? There…there was a boy…had to protect him? Dami? He was scared. He wanted…he… "Home. I want to go home." He had his arms wrapped around his chest, trying not to shake. He wasn't dead, he couldn't be.

"You will," the stranger…Danny said, and he looked at him. "Right now, your body is frozen in time, the whole world is. You've had such an impact on things and will continue to do so, that the Ghost who oversees time has frozen the living world. That gives us time to help you remember and learn the Ghost basics."

He listened as Danny explained what would happen. How could he be so important?

,

Clockwork observed the pair via a portal. It was good the young vigilante was aware; the total amnesia would have been a surprise if he did not already know the events to come. Most Ghosts at least knew their own name upon waking. But it would not add much of a delay to his return.

For him to return to his body, it had to be within minutes of death and so time would remain frozen. The boy had no idea the good he had done by saving his adoptive father from the time stream or of ensuring his team remained strong so that the timeline with him as a killer Batman had become such a tiny offshoot that it was all but impossible and with Timothy's death saving his brother, it was now fully impossible for it to become the main timeline. Just as it was for Danny to become Dan. The Observants may not like the methods he had chosen but that was their issue to deal with. With a new High King, they had a lot less power in the Realms after all.

,

He pulled the mask from his face slowly and set it down, watching it but it remained solid. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd woken since time wasn't really a thing in the Realms but he remembered his name now. He knew he'd died to save his little brother, Dami, but there were others to. It was so frustrating to have it there and just out of reach.

Now, he was finally going to see himself. Danny said ghosts looked different to humans, to not be startled, but he was nervous. Apparently the main two eye colours for Ghosts were green, like Danny's, or red. Something about green brought a vague image to mind, someone… a sibling? Everything was so vague, but he knew he had siblings and that there was someone else, someone important, someone he'd promised to come back to. Danny said that was part of what had caused him to become a Ghost.

Right, no more procrastinating. He looked up into the mirror, seeing himself for the first time.

,

Danny looked up and met black eyes, surprised by the colour. And something in the way Tim moved had shifted…more confidence?

"I'm Red Robin," the young Ghost stated. "I became Robin when I was thirteen and it was taken from me when Batman was lost in time, when Nightwing took up the cowl. So, I became Red Robin to find Batman…to save my Dad."

"You remember."

Tim nodded, looking down at the red accented black domino in his hand. "I'm almost twenty years old and I have a girlfriend waiting for me back in Gotham." He grinned slightly and Danny laughed.

He was ready to go home. Danny was glad, as much as he liked Tim, he missed his Fraid and his fiancé. Just because no time would have passed for them didn't mean he didn't miss them. But he understood, Tim had needed the one-on-one training and attention to stabilise and grow. And just because he was going home, it didn't mean Danny would be abandoning him. He would keep an eye on him, make sure nothing went wrong and he was alright.

,

Jason kept his gun aimed at Ra's. Tim…he was slumped against Bruce's chest now; the utter limpness of his body was enough to prove that he was…gone. Tim…the geeky little genius who could think his way out of anything… who had never backed down, had sought him out even after everything…had forgiven him and Damian…had stood against literal gods…his little brother was dead.

He knew Tim's wishes, to never be placed in a Lazarus Pit but for his body to be cremated and his ashes interned wherever the family choose. It hurt since cremation would ensure Tim could never come back, so many heroes had died and returned in ways other than the Pit. Even Jason hadn't been resurrected by it. As long as his body was intact, there was a chance… but Tim didn't want that and he would honour his wishes.

He could see Cass, ready to keep fighting, her body between Ra's and B but not in Jason's line of fire. The man had taken Damian, snatched him right out of school. He'd had to have known they'd be right on his tail. They'd found the kid quick enough, tossed him his gear, then split up to deal with the ninja and possibly blow the base. Apparently, that was something Tim liked doing since some of the ninja had taken one look at him and run off, yelling about explosions…when the hell had he stared blowing things up? That was Jason's gig. Tim and Damian pairing up…it had been the wrong choice; Ra's had gone after the two himself. And now…now Timmy was dead.

No more, Ra's would die here. For killing Tim, Cass might even help. She was even more against killing than Bruce but at the moment she was also beyond angry.

And then the air went green and Jason tensed, glancing towards the bubbling water…that suddenly went still and silent. Was that good or bad? Ra's looked over as well, his eyes wide. And that was when a split appeared in the air, opening as if it was a floating Lazarus Pit almost except…the shade of green was different. And out of it came a figure, floating in the air. What the hell?

And then the newcomer looked past them all to where Bruce still held Tim's body and they all tensed. No way was anyone hurting Tim, even if the kid would never feel it.

,

Danny looked around the underground room, immediately seeing Tim's body, limp in the arms of Batman, his Dad. Batman was Bruce Wayne! Focus Danny, not the time. He let his gaze wander the others, seeing the grief in the various bats and birds. And then he stared at the man Clockwork had spoken of in his own cryptic way. This was the man who had someone avoided Death's every attempt to claim him. Somehow, somewhere, he had found protection even against Clockwork. But against the High King?

He could feel Tim's chaotic emotions, the young Ghost scared and yet yearning. It was a good thing he was invisible since he was still recognisably Tim Drake without the mask and Red Robin with it, even with the changes death had made to his suit. Trembling hands clutched the back of Danny's robe and he sent out a comforting rumble from his core.

"Ra's al Ghul," he growled, barely keeping from slipping into Ghost Speak. He didn't want to deafen the mortals after all. This had to be done quickly or else Tim's death would become permanent.

TBC….