Disclaimer: Don't own anything from DC or Kingdom Hearts

Not sure if there'll be more but the idea wouldn't leave me alone. Begins during Red Robin 4 and post KH3

Chapter 1

Tim sat back, listening to Owens, able to feel Pru's annoyance from the seat behind him.

"So Pru walks up to Dusan like she was the demon himself. And she says to him, I swear I will never forget this…she says to him that he should really get some sun. He's looking a bit pale," Owens was snickering over the comm.

"How was I supposed to know? None of you bastards told me! I'd never seen an albino before!" she snapped back, and Tim bit back a chuckle.

"He was called the "White Ghost", Pru."

"Well, whatever. You all enjoyed it too, didn't you? You just let me keep going on!"

"The White Ghost had broken seven of her bones, and she was still cursing at him. So, he broke four more," Owens finished, laughing and hopefully still keeping an eye out.

Tim looked up from the GPS to glance back at her. "So, me breaking your nose three times in the last four days really wasn't anything new for you, was it?" he asked, unable to help teasing her.

It was strange, how fast he had bonded with them. They were assassins, killers, and yet…they were a team and they had just accepted him. How much of it was Ra's orders and how much that they were just that accepting? They had tried to kill him the first time they met and yet he now let them watch his back.

"I hate you all," Pru sulked, arms crossed, even as Owens laughed, even Z chuckled.

Tim closed his eyes, forcing himself to breath and relax, they were almost there. This was it. Ra's called Batman "the Detective". He remembered when he knew. Realising that Dick Grayson was Robin…that Bruce Wayne was Batman…he'd had that same feeling back in Gotham and it was back again. He had that same moment. He knew that Bruce was alive.

He'd been having strange dreams for the last week or so, shadows and light, a voice…images…it was never clear once he woke and he wondered if they were just dreams or something else. They…felt real. Someone trying to help him find Bruce? That would be nice.

The car stopped and they got out, searching the rocks above for the cave where the dig was happening…there! They all looked at him and he nodded, beginning to climb, heart in his throat. It was a theory, it was faith. The evidence was insane. The trail was cold but that didn't stop him from knowing. But he wouldn't let go. Ever.

He lit a flare and climbed down into the cave, seeing the evidence of the dig. He moved inside and stared down at the back wall of the cave. There it was. Bruce was lost…but Tim was going to find him. He smiled at the sight of the Batman symbol carved into the rock. It was an exact replica and ancient.

He wasn't sure how long he stood and just stared at it before eventually forcing himself to leave, the image recorded by his cowl. He stepped out onto the ledge in front of the cave to find them waiting for him.

"Can we go now?" Pru demanded.

"How do you feel, Tim Drake?" Z asked, watching him.

Tim couldn't speak, feeling overwhelmed, but he was smiling and he knew it.

"He smiles. Well, that's just bloody brilliant. We get some kind of bonus for this, right?" Pru smirked, and Tim began making his way down to them.

Tim saw Z frown, starting to turn, and then he cried out in shock as a blade emerged from his chest. Tim froze for a second, they all did, Z staring at the blade impaling him. It was viciously yanked back, Z collapsing to the sand.

"Assassins…I am the Widower. Please try to put up a fight." The figure behind Z was smirking, one blade bloody and the other clean. Two swords, not good.

"Z!"

"Owens, Pru, move!" Tim yelled, bō in hand as he ran towards them as fast as he could, rock giving way to sand underfoot.

"You're dead! Do you hear me? You're…"

"NO!" Tim screamed as the assassin moved right between them, blades held out to get them both. He brought his bō up, blocking a blade, only to realise a split second later that he had the wrong angle to block the other as well.

"You were not on my list, assassin. All the better… a wild card." He smirked and then Tim felt it, the sharp pain in his abdomen, the feel of something foreign. The blade was pulled free and he collapsed to his knees, one hand rising to clutch the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding, it had to have hit something. "The Council of Spiders thanks you for your participation in the Game." And with that, he was gone.

No…not like this… Bruce was alive, he could feel it. And he could feel that things were going to change back to how they were, that the compromises would be over. That…that he would know who he was again. He could feel the blood pouring from between his fingers, everything feeling hazy as he slumped forward. He'd be dead soon, like Z who lay in front of him, a look of surprise still on his face. He could see one of Owens hands outstretched in the sand. He forced himself to turn his head and there was Pru, her throat slit but…breathing, she was still breathing.

He was right…he knew he was right…he thought he'd die as Robin….

"Did you find what you were looking for, Timothy? Timothy?"

Tim's eyes slid shut against his will, Ra's voice the last thing he heard, unable to respond even if he wanted to.

He was slammed back into consciousness by agony, a scream forcing itself from his throat as he was rolled onto his back, staring dazedly at the early morning sky.

"Easy," an unfamiliar voice filtered in, and Tim blinked, trying to focus. "Drink this, it'll help." A hand slid behind his head, lifting, and he didn't have the strength to struggle as something was pressed to his lips.

The liquid felt warm as it slid down his throat, comforting. The warmth spread through his body, making him gasp, vision clearing further. A face leant over him, unfamiliar…silver hair?

"Sleep now," they murmured, and Tim felt his eyes close, thoughts drifting away as sleep claimed him.

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"How is she?" Riku called even as he continued to work on the strangely dressed young man.

"She'll live," Sora answered, putting away his own healing supplies. "I'm not sure about her voice though, can't give her anymore potions and all the magic went to repairing the major damage. What about him?"

"He needs more than we can do," Riku admitted, casting the scan spell again. "Internal bleeding that isn't responding well.

"I'll start the ship." Sora dashed off to where they'd landed.

They'd been in a hurry, urged on by Yen Sid's warnings of a new wielder in danger. It seemed this was him, not that much was visible with what he was wearing. His skin was pale and he was probably around Sora's height, maybe a little taller, but shorter than Riku. He glanced over at the two bodies; sad they had been too late for them. But at least these two would hopefully live. The woman they would leave in the nearest town for further help, she didn't have a drop of magic in her so taking her off world wasn't smart. Most people had at least some, at least on the Worlds he'd seen, so seeing someone who had none was strange. What kind of World was this?

He looked down at their newest comrade, hopefully they'd have the chance to find out soon. Other than the hole in his abdomen that looked like he'd been impaled on a sharp blade, he looked to be fit which would make training a bit easier. If the bō lying nearby was his then at least he had some weapons training too.

Sora brought the ship in and they loaded them both on board, the male being placed carefully in the pod that the Apprentices had supplied for those grievously injured. Almost all the gummi ships had one now, set into the wall to save space. It would keep the person alive no matter what their injuries by suspending the body in a time spell. A very useful invention for when someone was too badly hurt for the maximum limit of potions to heal everything or for a really bad illness.

It took only a minute to reach a town big enough that it should have some kind of hospital. The ship was cloaked and Riku quickly deposited the woman on the steps of what looked like an official building, banging loudly on the door before retreating. They waited until the door opened and people rushed to her aide before heading into space.

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Sora looked into the pod, Riku taking a turn at flying. He'd probably seen weirder outfits during his travels. And at this rate, he was never going to make Master, they'd gone to the Tower for his exam only to be sent on a rescue mission, he was just glad they'd saved half of those attacked. He felt bad for the two they'd been too late for, though. If they'd been a few minutes earlier…but thinking like that didn't help anything, he'd learnt that the hard way.

He'd only been back a few months and was still adjusting so maybe the extra time before his exam would be a good thing? He'd slept so much at first, exhausted and worn thin, but Riku and Kairi had been there to help, all his friends had. Riku and Kairi…he thought it'd hurt when he realised but it didn't, not really. He'd been gone not even a full year but it had felt like closer to five to him, Ansem said there were some weird readings when they examined him, he might have been somewhere that stopped his aging but had time passing for a while. Some things were foggy, hard to remember, while others were as clear as crystal. So maybe it was good that they had moved on together. Honestly, they probably made a better couple than him and Kairi ever would have. He'd loved her, always would, but now he wondered if it'd ever been the right kind of love for what everyone thought.

"Hey."

He looked over at Riku.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking." He moved to the co-pilots seat and settled in.

"Sorry about the exam," Riku grimaced, and Sora shrugged.

"Saving lives is more important, there'll be another time."

"Yeah, okay," Riku glanced at him, concern clear, but Sora really didn't care all that much.

He'd found he didn't really care anymore about the title or what Yen Sid thought of him. He didn't need a title to help people and he'd done fine before ever meeting Yen Sid. And maybe those thoughts were ones he wouldn't have had before, but he knew he was different since coming back, quieter, less quick to laugh and smile. But maybe that was just growing up.

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Ansem watched as the two boys brought in the patient, seeing the blood staining black cloth and armour immediately. He nodded and Even moved in with Ienzo to cut him free of his clothing. It was intriguing to find it was booby trapped but nothing they couldn't deal with. With the cowl removed he looked younger, no older than Riku and Sora.

They began scanning him, taking in all of the old injuries and scars, he'd lived a violent life it seemed, and from a young age. But at the moment, the one they needed to focus on was the stab wound. It went right through, front to back, and had destroyed the spleen and damaged both liver and stomach. No wonder the potions hadn't been enough to heal him. Ah, there was even a chip from a vertebra, thankfully the spinal cord appeared undamaged and intact. On many Worlds, such injuries would be a death sentence or at least permanently disabling.

However, they could heal him, thanks in part to the replica program. They may no longer make replica bodies, but the technology had other uses, such as creating replacement organs. He took the necessary samples while Ienzo worked to stabilise the boy, Even taking the samples to begin the growing process. The liver would heal in time on its own, once they got the bleeding under control, and they were able to seal the stomach, encouraging it to heal as well. They then had to clean out the spilled organ contents and remains of the spleen to ensure he didn't end up with sepsis.

It was not a swift surgery, but they continued on into the night.

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He shouldn't be alive…but since he was thinking, he probably was alive. Somehow. He shouldn't be, he'd lost too much blood. That sword couldn't have missed an organ…how long had he been out? The air was cool and he was lying on something firm, machines beeping…a hospital? Well, Ra's had to have medical aid for his people…unless someone else had found him…them. Pru, Pru had still been alive when he passed out.

He took stock of his body, it felt…heavy, slow and…he couldn't feel anything below his chest. That was not good. Chemical restraints of some kind, or worse? Had the blade severed his spine? He was breathing unaided, could feel the sting of an IV in his left arm.

He heard something and then a hand touched his forehead. His eyes snapped open, right hand moving to intercept and the figure moved back even as Tim blinked, trying to focus.

"Easy, I won't hurt you," the voice was male, youngish.

And Tim was finally able to focus, taking in the white lab coat and crazy hair style, not to mention the colour. He glanced around, it wasn't like any hospital he'd seen, the equipment odd…

"My name is Ienzo, I'm one of those in charge of your care. You were brought to us very badly wounded. Do you remember what happened?"

Right, checking his memory. But who was this Ienzo affiliated with? What could he say safely? Well, if he'd seen the wound… "Stabbed," he croaked.

"Indeed, the blade did a lot of damage. Had you been found much later; you would have been beyond our help." The young doctor picked up a clear glass with ice chips in it, holding it towards him, and Tim nodded, knowing he wouldn't be able to hold it. Ienzo helped lift his head enough to take some of the chips to suck on.

It was then he realised his face was bare and he was not in the Red Robin suit. He hadn't been carrying anything but he was obviously not a local, if they had sent his photo then he'd be identified by the passport he'd flown in with. He'd shown the US troops his real one but boarder control thought he was Alvin, not good. Then again, the place looked too high tech for an Iraqi hospital, had he been air lifted elsewhere? Ienzo too didn't look at all Middle Eastern. Was he back in Europe maybe?

"Pru?" he asked.

Ienzo frowned slightly. "Who is Pru?" he asked.

"I was with her…she was alive…"

"You were the only one brought to this facility. I will call those who brought you so that you can enquire as to your companion. Can you tell me your name and age please?"

Tim licked his lips, hesitating. Ienzo did not look the sort of person to be employed by Ra's either…then again neither did Pru. Another memory check or a way to get information? But Ienzo just waited patiently for him to answer, occasionally glancing at the monitors. "Tim, seventeen." He sucked on some more ice. "Can't move," he was also very tired.

"Ah, yes, we had to give you a spinal block to ensure you remained still. The blade damaged one of your vertebrae and barely missed the spinal cord, there was considerable swelling in the area. Your liver and stomach were damaged and have been surgically repaired. Your spleen was beyond healing though, so we removed what was left and replaced it. There is no sign of infection so far, if you continue to heal well, the block will be stopped in another day. After that we will work on getting you back on your feet."

"How…long?" he mumbled, feeling sleep pulling at him.

"Seven days. Rest now Tim, you are safe here."

He didn't have much choice and he vaguely wondered if a sedative had been slipped to him…

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Sora straightened in the chair as Tim's head shifted against the pillow, eyelashes fluttering. "Easy, it's okay," he murmured. "You're safe Tim, the spinal block's gone but don't try to move too much."

Ice blue eyes slowly opened, taking a few moments to focus on him, looking him over, and Sora smiled at him.

"I'm Sora, Ienzo said you had questions about how we found you."

"Others?" he asked.

"The two men were already dead; the girl was alive. We stabilised her and left her in a nearby town for further treatment. You needed a lot more than the locals looked able to give."

"Where?" Tim asked, looking a bit groggy still, and Sora gave him some water.

"That's…kind of complicated." There'd been no signs they knew about Worlds outside their own very large one. It wasn't often they came across a World composed of multiple planets though.

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Tim still felt exhausted when he woke again, this time with a guy around his own age waiting on him. He'd helped save him? His name was interesting and his clothing was pretty casual and western looking. He'd known Z and Owens were dead, but Pru had survived long enough to be helped, that was good. But why not bring them both to this place? Top secret or something? That would explain being complicated, but not why a teenager would know about it.

And then Sora started talking about Worlds, not planets but something beyond that. He…he wasn't on Earth anymore. Could he believe him? At least he could feel his body this time. He tried to ask questions but he could feel himself drifting off again.

"Get some sleep, I'll be around if you want to talk more later."

Good…that was good…

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Ra's frowned. Z and Owens bodies had been found, Pru recovered alive from a town near the dig site. So where was Timothy? The comm he'd been given had no signal and a significant amount of his blood as well as his bō had been found at the attack site. Had the attackers taken him? That would be unfortunate, for them. Timothy was his.

They would have to wait until Pru woke for answers, hopefully she had seen what had happened to the boy.

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Tim leant heavily on Sora as he was helped off the bed, his head spinning at being on his feet. His back ached a little, the strange stitches pulling a bit, but he felt better than he would have expected only a week and a half after taking those kinds of injuries. Sora helped him into the chair and then he was wheeled out of the lab, not a hospital but some kind of research lab. They headed through something of a maze of corridors and then up in an elevator. Sora opened a door and then they were outside. A castle, he was in a castle! And nothing looked at all familiar. Looking up at the sky revealed no familiar constellations…he really wasn't on Earth anymore.

Would he ever be able to go home? And what about Bruce? Would Babs trust the information he'd set up to send if he didn't reset the clock every forty-eight hours? The latest evidence wasn't included after all. No, he had to get home as soon as possible.

TBC?