Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Patrol was going pretty well. Each vigilante was on different sides of Gotham, taking on a target of their choosing. Nightwing had Two Face. Red Hood, Black Mask. Red Robin, Poison Ivy. And Batman and Robin were apprehending the Joker. Red Hood finished dealing with Black Mask and his illegal arms trade pretty quick, and decided to find Red Robin to help. He wasn't too worried about Red Robin, but he knew how Poison Ivy could get and giving his fellow red colored partner wouldn't hurt.

"I still don't understand why you feel the need to join me." Red Robin noted over the comlink. "I can handle Ivy."

"I know," Jason agreed, "but as your big brother, I have to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine. Besides, when have you been a conventionally concerned older brother? You did try to kill me in a Lazarus Pit induced rage."

Red Hood chuckled. Neither one could dispute that. But on the bright side, at least they had a sense of humor about it now.

"Well I'm still coming to help you." Red Hood stated.

"If you insist." Red Robin groaned. "I just don't see a need for…"

Static surged through their line, startling Red Hood. He was concerned about the sudden disconnect. With no explanation, he knew needed to reach his partner in crime.

"Red Robin?" Red Hood named.

The static cleared up long enough for Red Hood to hear shuffling and a scream. Without a visual or vocal ques, Red Hood was concerned. Red Robin could hold his own against Ivy for a while, so there shouldn't have been an issue as Red Hood made his way there.

"Red Robin!" Red hood shouted.

~

He hastily got to the park. He frantically looked around, hoping to find Red Robin fast. The sound of someone crying caught his attention as he followed it. It got louder the closer he got to it. And along the way, he saw several pieces of Red Robin's inventory.

When he found the source of the crying, Red Hood was floored. He couldn't believe it. He took his helmet off to make sure he was seeing what he did and he wasn't hallucinating or anything.

"Crap." Jason gasped.

~

Everyone returned to the Batcave. Having received a relatively obscure call from Red Hood, they were curious as to what was so urgent. As they got out of the Batmobile, they found Jason with his back to them.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked.

"We've got a problem." Jason stated.

Bruce figured as much, but didn't feel like commenting. That was a debate he wasn't willing to have. It was then that he realized that Jason seemed to be holding something in his arms. But since his back was to them, identifying what Jason was holding was impossible.

"What kind of problem?" Bruce asked.

"You're not going to believe this," Jason sighed, "but we've got a child on our hands."

Turning around, Jason revealed what he was holding. Frizzy hair and wide blue eyes blended with a small frame. A child in a red shirt and black pants anxiously sat in Jason's arms. Dick took a step towards them curiously.

"Who's this?" Dick inquired.

"Tim." Jason answered.

Everyone was puzzled by the declaration. He was holding a child, not a teenaged vigilante.

"Yeah right." Damian scoffed. "Todd's way older than this child. Who is he?"

"Tim." Jason argued, ready to explain what happened. "I just got Roman apprehended and was on my way to help him with Poison Ivy. I had him on the comlink when he was attacked. When I found him, he was like this, albeit too small for his Red Robin uniform."

In hindsight, it shouldn't have been that unusual of an occurrence. Especially when Poison Ivy, or any other gifted villain, was involved. Bruce took a good look at the child, intently studying the child. The wide eyed expression, though fearful, was curious. It also seemed vaguely familiar, but Bruce needed confirmation. Bruce glanced at Dick.

"Do we still have that picture that Tim got of him with you and your parents?" Bruce inquired.

"I think so." Dick recalled. "If I recall correctly, Tim keeps it framed on his dresser."

"Can you get it for me?"

"Sure."

Dick returned with the picture as quickly as he could. After handing it to Bruce, Bruce scanned it. It didn't take much for Bruce to mentally accept that it was, in fact, Tim. The only difference being hair length.

"That's him alright." Bruce confirmed, showing it to Damian.

"I told you." Jason reminded.

He was a little irked by their suspicions, feeling like they wasted time trying to confirm it. However, in the back of his mind, he knew they had to confirm it somehow since they weren't there. Bruce took a few steps towards. He was going to take Tim in an attempt to offer Jason a break.

It didn't go without notice. Or panic. Tim latched onto Jason even tighter. It startled Bruce a little.

"Get away." Tim shrieked.

"Tim, it's me." Bruce stated. "Jason's arms are probably getting tired."

Tim refused to let Jason go.

"No." Tim refused.

"He doesn't seem to remember anything." Jason stated. "When I found him, he tried to run away from me, but I managed to grab him. I calmly explain that I was a friend and that I would not hurt him." Jason turned his attention to Tim. "Remember what I told you. This is Bruce. He's a friend. So is Dick." Jason pointed Tim at Dick before showing him Damian. "And Damian. You already met Alfred. Do you mind going with Bruce?"

"No." Tim denied, looking at Jason. "You."

Jason was getting a little annoyed with Tim's arguing. It was reasonable when needed and humorous when Tim was flustered. A child arguing was just irritating.

"But Bruce won't hurt you."

"I don't care." Tim argued. "I want Jason."

Bruce wasn't offended by Tim's anxiety. With his lack of memory and Jason being the first person he saw, it wasn't a surprise that Tim was attached. It was actually kind of endearing given their past.

"Maybe it is better that you care for him." Bruce deduced.

"Okay…?" Jason confusingly accepted. "But why?"

"For starters, he's attached to you. It's not like he wants to go with anyone else. It also gives me a chance to investigate what hit him and why Poison Ivy did." Bruce glanced at Tim. "Plus you've always been good with kids. Maybe not Tim and Damian at first, but in my experience, you've always done well with kids."

Jason looked at Tim. Blue eyes were rimmed with tears. Tim was scared and confused. And as much as he would love to give Tim over to Bruce or Dick, someone who could care for a kid properly, Jason had to accept that he didn't want them. Wouldn't want them for a while.

"Okay." Jason repeated. "I'll do it."

Chapter Text

An attempt to bathe Tim was proving more difficult than it should have been. There were multiple excuses flying through the air to try and procrastinate it. Tim claiming he wasn't dirty. He had a bath the other night. The water was too hot. Too cold. There was a spider in the corner. He wanted to play with the dogs.

As far as Jason was concerned, Tim was just being stubborn and thinking up any excuse he could. Like any five year old, Tim was a ball of energy and extremely stubborn. But Bruce demanded that Tim get a bath, and the dirt in Tim's hair and the smell of grass and sweat were enough to prove that he needed one. So Jason had to fight with this five year old just to get him clean.

When Jason finally did get Tim in the bath, the kid did nothing but pout. Not that Jason cared. Tim was getting a bath and he was just going to have to deal with it. And by the end of it, soap covered the bathroom walls and Jason as well as Tim.

He dressed Tim in the only clothes they had that would come close to fitting him. Dick's hand-me-downs from when he was eight. They were a bit loose, but it was the best they could manage for the moment. At least until Bruce could get out to get him some or if Alfred decided to work his magic. Whichever came first.

It had been decided that Tim would stay in his room, but until he was completely comfortable, a monitor was placed in his and Jason's room. That way, if Tim lashed out, cried out, or if something suspicious happened, Jason would be the first to know.

Tim dragged Jason to the room so that he would read him a story. His choice, the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. A big read for a five year old, but not a surprising one. Jason tucked him in before sitting on the bed. Jason read the first story, which seemed to wear Tim out, but something was keeping him up. Tim was leaning against Jason's arm, delicately holding on with a troubled look on his face.

"Where are mom and dad?" Tim asked.

Jason hoped that Tim wasn't going to ask about that. Granted, there was nothing wrong with Tim asking that, but it was a complicated matter at this stage. It wasn't like Tim remembered what happened, nor did he remember being adopted by Bruce. Jason thought up a quick explanation. A temporary excuse until something better came along.

"Well as you know, they tend to go on business trips a lot." Jason reminded, which was quickly answered with a nod. "They went on one which required them to be away for a long time, and they didn't wish to uproot you. So Bruce, who is a good friend with them, agreed to watch you while they were away."

"Oh." Tim accepted. "When will they be back?"

"They'll let us know." Jason shuffled a little. "Now, it's time for bed little man."

Jason scooted off of the bed so that Tim had enough room to lie down and get comfortable. When Tim comfortably curled up, he covered the child up to his shoulder. Jason ruffled Tim's hair before making his way for the door.

"Good night bud." Jason wished, turning the light off.

"You too Jay." Tim replied.

Jason exited the room, shutting the door on his way out. He made his way for his room, impressed with how well he was able to handle his first day as Tim's guardian angel. He walked down the hall with stride. However, it didn't take long for him to realize he was being followed.

"Really?" Bruce noted. "His parents are off on a long trip?"

"What do you want me to tell him?" Jason argued. "'Oh by the way, your mother was poisoned and your dad was murdered'? If I've learned anything from yours and Dick's history of dead parents, it's that mindsets can differ depending on how it's addressed. And you and I both know who he'd turn out more like between the two of you."

Bruce wasn't too thrilled with Jason's choice of words. Or the comparison. Because regardless of the actuality in that statement, Bruce hated to think that Tim could react that same way he did. Not to mention, he believed honesty was going to be key in this ordeal.

"If he remembers something, or if he feels something is out of the ordinary, I will be honest with him." Jason admitted, knowing what Bruce was thinking. "But for now, I'm keeping it simple. I think we'll all need to. We can't overdue or stress him out."

~

The door to Jason's room creaked open. A shadow creeped in until someone got over to Jason. Small hands shook Jason until he woke up. A sporadic twitch signified that the shaking got through as Jason opened his eyes to see what was going on.

Standing by his bedside was Tim. Jason didn't need much lighting to tell that Tim was shaking and in tears. Jason sat up a little, using his forearm as support.

"What's wrong?" Jason yawned.

"I'm scared." Tim cried, rubbing his eyes. "Can I stay here with you tonight?"

Jason was both annoyed and concerned. He hated that he was disrupted from his sleep, but he knew he had to take Tim's childlike anxiety shouldn't be taken lightly. Pulling up the covers, Jason offered Tim the opportunity to crawl in. Tim accepted it with enthusiasm, hastily crawling in.

He curled up close to Jason as Jason dropped the blanket. Tim didn't say anything as he fell asleep quickly. Jason watched Tim for a moment, to make sure that Tim was asleep. He wasn't expecting to end the night like this. And as annoyed as he was, he too tired to do anything about it. He just had to reiterate that this was for Tim.

Chapter Text

A deep breath and a subconscious stretch signal that Jason was waking up. As he moved his arms out, the lack of the small body that joined him last night was instantly noticed. Jason's eye's shot open in a panic. He sat up and began scanning the room.

"Down here." Tim groaned.

Looking over the edge of his bed, Jason found Tim on the ground, causing Jason to sigh with relief. Tim was wrapped up in the blanket like a burrito and he was looking at Jason with an amused grin.

"You accidentally knocked me out of bed." Tim stated as he rolled himself out of the blanket.

"Sorry." Jason apologized, patting Tim's head.

"It's okay." Tim forgave, climbing on the bed. "I wasn't on the floor for long."

Tim watched Jason in silence, initiating a staring contest of sorts. Jason wasn't sure what was going on in Tim's head. If he had to guess, Tim was trying process everything. But instead of studying the room frantically, Tim was using Jason as a focal point.

"So, what do you want to do?" Jason asked.

Before a word could be uttered, Tim's stomach cried. Red ran to Tim's face with embarrassment causing him to hide his face in his hands. It really didn't need to be something embarrassing, but Tim was so innocent with it.

"It's okay." Jason stated. "I'm sure Alfred's got breakfast going."

~

The table was full as everyone took a seat. Tim sat close to Jason, dressed in another cozy set of clothes. Scrambled eggs, bacon and toast was the choice for breakfast this morning. And everyone enjoyed it.

Conversations were kept relatively light and child friendly. Tim seemed amused, spinning tales of what his parents did with him when they were free. Jason was impressed with how well he was able to hold up a conversation. Tim was able to speak in a way that showed just how educated his parents made sure he was.

The only issue was that not everyone at the table seemed entertained with Tim's speech. Damian eerily eyed Tim to the point that everyone felt awkward. He hadn't said a word and the attention made Tim uneasy.

"Who did this to you?" Damian asked.

"Not now Damian." Bruce groaned, feeling like he should have seen this coming. "It's too soon for questions like that."

"Come on Father, if we're going to get him back to normal, can't we at least get some answer?" Damian gave Tim a serious look. "So, what happened?"

Confused flustering began to shower Tim as he tried to process the question. He wasn't sure how to answer. Without much of a memory, it made it more difficult.

"Leave it be." Jason coldly demanded.

Damian stood up and continued to glare at Tim. He was determined to get this sorted out as soon as possible.

"Let him answer the question." Damian demanded. "Now talk."

The tension began to escalate as everyone's attention was on Damian and Tim. Tim began to panic, fighting between running and crying. He got down from the table and exited the room scared and overwhelmed. Jason swiftly glanced at Damian with disappointment before going after Tim.

Jason caught Tim in the hallway, grabbing him before he could run upstairs. Tears had formed and he was uncomfortable distressed. Jason sat on the stairs so he could sit Tim on his lap and talk.

"It's okay." Jason comforted.

"Why is he being so mean?" Tim sniffled.

"He's not being mean. Just abrasive." Jason shrugged his shoulders. "And doesn't know when the right time is to say things sometimes."

Tim wiped his eyes. He was hurt, confused by what was going on. Giving Jason a guilty stare, he wanted to know what he did to disturb Damian.

"Did I do something wrong?" Tim asked. "Is that why he's so angry?"

"Of course not." Jason sighed, hugging Tim. "You got hurt and we're concerned." A hand circled around Tim's hair. "But we also know that you're confused. That you don't know what's going on."

Tim curled up, using Jason as a comfort. He took a moment to collect himself, processing Jason's words. His tiny hand grabbed Jason's shirt to let him know that he was okay.

"Now why don't we finish breakfast?" Jason suggested.

~

Jason and Tim reentered the kitchen to finish breakfast. Bruce finished up his lecture to Damian, siting that Jason was in charge of Tim's care and how they go forward. It was up to him to decide what gets asked and why, and anything about what caused his condition was to be avoided for the time being.

Everyone was calm and had in a kinder attitude as Tim took a seat at the table. He continued eating as though nothing had happened, as the table went relatively silent. Once everyone was done, Damian approached Tim.

"I'm sorry." Damian stiffly apologized.

"It's okay. I forgive you." Tim replied with a toothy grin. "I know you're just worried."

Damian was baffled by Tim's forgiveness. It was a little puzzling given their usual antagonistic yet accepting relationship. There may have been some respect, but not on this level. However, Damian knew this wasn't the time to overthink Tim's act of kindness. He was a child, and as such, had that childlike innocence. Damian crouched down to get on Tim's level.

"Thank you." Damian accepted.

Tim gave him a grin. He was glad that Damian seemed alright with the situation. He was glad that there wasn't an issue. A hand lightly tapped Tim's back, causing him to look at Jason.

"Would you like to meet a few friends of mine?" Jason asked.

"Are they good friends?" Tim asked.

"Of course. Very good people. You'll love them."

Chapter Text

Tim clung to Jason's leg in a nervous freight. He had agreed to see Jason's friends, and it sounded nice, but he was still nervous to see them. Roy and Kori watched with him awe. The basic details had been given before they arrived at the manor, so they would have an ideas as to what to expect. However, actually seeing him like this was still a bit of a shock. They didn't expect him to be this young. Or this timid.

"Hey bud," Jason sighed, lifting Tim up, "it's okay. These are my friends."

Tim nervously gripped Jason's shirt as he looked at the duo. Their observing eye studied him with intrigue. But it was Kori who seemed the most curious. Having not seen a human child this close, she was understandable intrigued.

"He is so cute." Kori commented, reaching out for him.

Tim hid his blushing face into Jason's shirt. She wasn't offended, giggling at the reaction. It may have looked cute to Kori, but it was a little frustrating for Jason. Sure, it was kind of expected, but how he was reacting felt over the top.

"So what are you going to do?" Roy inquired. "I mean, he can't stay a child forever."

"Bruce is looking into it." Jason stated.

"And patrol?"

"I'm grounded for now." He glared at Roy, who snickered at the statement. "Tim loves Alfred, but he hates being more than two feet away from me. And when I offered to make him my Robin, Bruce flipped."

Tim looked at Jason, curious about his statement. How much of it he processed could be debated. But he was interested in something.

"I like robins." Tim stated. "They're pretty."

"I know." Jason stated. "But we're talking about a different kind of Robin. The person, not the bird."

"Oh." Tim observed his surroundings for a moment before looking at Jason. "Can you put me down please?"

"Sure."

Jason promptly set Tim down. Tim trotted away, making his way towards the garden. He was curious, and knew it wasn't too far from Jason. It was just an eye catching assortment of flowers to keep him busy for a bit.

"Do you know why Ivy did this?" Roy asked.

"No." Jason replied. "So far the theories include, testing a new toxin and wanting to distract Batman with Red Robin as a child."

"But why use it on Tim?" Kori questioned. "If she really wanted to derail Batman for a while, why not use it on Dick or Damian?"

Kori's question was reasonable enough. It would make sense to use it on either the eldest or youngest Robin. The former because of Dick being the one closest to, and living the longest with, Bruce. While Damian would make sense because he was the current Robin and, as such, was the one spending the most time with Bruce when on patrol. However, proximity was what probably did it.

"Probably because he was the closest target." Jason assumed. "Bruce and Damian were dealing with Joker and Dick was on another side of the city. And with Tim challenging her pretty early, it wasn't like she had time to prepare."

Tim approached Roy. He was looking at the archer curiously, eyeing something about them. He appeared to want interaction which was a bit of a surprise given his timid nature not too long ago. However, everyone seemed to encourage it, rather than oppose it. Roy crouched down, wanting Tim to feel like he was getting his full attention.

"What's up bud?" Roy asked.

"Are those real?" Tim inquired, gesturing towards Roy's tattoos.

It wasn't an uncommon question as Roy had been asked it a handful of times. As much as he would love to spin a tale about how they were temporary, Roy knew honesty was the best. It wasn't like it would hurt Tim.

"Yeah." Roy admitted.

"They're so cool." Tim complemented.

Roy was a little surprised by his enjoyment of it. Most times, the children would jump right in to questioning why or something their parents said disapproving of it. It wasn't often that kids thought they were cool and left it at that. However, Roy knew he had to say something responsible. Especially with Jason there.

"Thank you." Roy accepted. "But these aren't for everyone. These are permanent decisions and shouldn't be taken lightly."

"I understand." Tim replied.

Tim turned his attention to Kori. He twirled his fingers, a little intimidated by her height. Repeating Roy's movement, she too crouched down. She gentle placed a hand on Tim's head, slightly ruffling his hair.

"What is it, little one?" Kori inquired.

A small blush shaded his face. He had something to say, but seemed too nervous about something. Everyone was quiet as they waited for Tim to say something.

"You're pretty." Tim finally complimented.

A humble blush graced Kori's face as Jason and Roy snickered in amusement. Jason and Roy thought it was smooth. Innocent, but smooth. However, to Kori, it was actually quite adorable. It was pure. Her hands gently rested on the sides of Tim's face.

"Thank you little one." Starfire gracefully accepted, placing a small kiss in Tim's forehead.

She quickly ruffled his hair before letting him go. Tim took a few steps back, bumping into Jason.

"Hey Tim, why don't you head inside." Jason suggested. "I think Alfred's got lunch ready."

Tim looked at Jason with a curious sense of anxiety. He ignored his growling stomach in order to understand why Jason was telling him this.

"I'll be in in a moment." Jason confirmed. "I just have some adult things to talk about."

"Okay." Tim accepted.

Tim ran for the house, going through the doors. The trio watched him enter the house before saying anything. There was more that needed to be addressed.

"You know I didn't just call you here to show you this." Jason reminded. "With me taking care of him, both of your workloads are going to be fifty percent busier."

"Of course." Kori understood.

Jason turned to face them. He folded his arms, processing his thoughts.

"I also want you to keep an eye on things here." Jason stated. "Don't get me wrong, I trust Bruce, but something about this that seems too suspicious."

"I get it." Roy admitted. "Have some extra, non-Gotham oriented eyes that might be able to see something from a different perspective."

"Precisely." Jason looked at the door. "I also want you to take care of him if anything happens to me."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa Jaybird." Roy gasped. "Why so morbid all of the sudden? This just happened."

"Agreed." Kori chimed in. "This might not even last long. Don't you think you're overreacting?"

"Maybe." Jason admitted. "It's early and I could be overthinking this, but something about Tim being like this has got me thinking. I can't rely on Bruce all the time. Especially with Tim being a child with Damian in the same house. You, at least get, where I'm coming from, right?"

"Jason." Tim called, distracting the trio. "Alfred said it's time for lunch or you're not getting anything."

Jason knew he couldn't keep Tim waiting any longer. Roy and Kori did too. A red gloved hand patted Jason's shoulder, catching Jason's attention.

"I get it." Roy confirmed. "I highly doubt it'll get to that point, but we're here if you need us." A wide grin graced his face. "Now go. The baby needs you."

Chapter Text

Jason helped Tim tie his red tennis shoes, finishing off the final preparations to leave the house. It was kindly suggested that Tim gets outside and walks. Jason begrudgingly agreed, especially with Tim having such surprisingly high levels of energy. A trait that leveled out over the years no doubt. It was also agreed that this venture should take place somewhere without a lot of people around. Considering Tim was in a state that would draw unwanted attention and Jason's even harder to explain revival, it made sense to keep them both out of the public eye as much as possible.

A small hike through the woods behind the manor was sufficient. It wasn't too far from the manor, could help wear Tim out, and wasn't populated much outside of the wildlife. It was a good alternative until they could think of other ideas. And knowing Tim would be in Jason's hands, everyone could agree that he would be safe.

The hike itself was quite refreshing. Jason enjoyed the free space, at least partially, alone and the scenery was nice. And Tim wasn't really a hindrance to it since he was off in his own world and knew to listen to Jason and stay by his side.

Watching Tim was fun. Jason wasn't sure what was more entertaining, the awe in Tim's face, Tim trying to run up to every animal in sight, or Tim trying to mimic every animal in sight. It was mostly deer and birds with the occasional insect. Though if he had to pick, it definitely had to be the mimicking. Tim got on all fours and walked around in an odd and playful manner.

They crossed a creek when a frog hopped in front of them. And while Jason passed it without a second thought, Tim curiously approached it. It croaked, hopping off soon after, and Tim followed suite.

"Ribbit." Tim mimicked, hopping along. "Ribbit, ribbit."

Jason turned to Tim, watching him. It was innocent, but it wasn't without the necessary precautions. With the slippery rocks, Jason wanted to make sure Tim watched his step so that he wouldn't slip.

"Careful." Jason loudly requested so Tim would hear him.

It seemed to fall on deaf ears as Tim barely acknowledged the request, too focused on the amphibian. He continued to follow the frog, hoping to catch it. But a sizeable rock that barely protruded out of the creek enough for Tim's foot to slip. Tim fell, skidding against another rock before hitting the earthy ground beneath him with the frog now out of sight.

Jason concernedly approached Tim, wanting to see the damage. The child was thankfully not crying, but he was hissing in pain. A raw, red spot circled around Tim's knee. It wasn't too problematic of a scrap, sore for a bit, but nothing major. It did need to be treated that much was clear. Jason picked Tim and carefully carried him back to the manor.

~

A large bandage was delicately placed on Tim's knee. Tim was patiently sitting on the counter with a pout on his face. Not ideal, especially with Alfred already lecturing Jason about it, but it worked while Jason patched him up. His arms were folded as he lightly kicked his feet.

"The frog is a meanie." Tim pouted.

"Well, you were chasing after it." Jason reminded, taking Tim off the counter and setting him on the floor. "You were chasing it and you weren't watching your step."

Tim scoffed, annoyed with Jason's response. He still wanted to blame the frog for it, too proud to accept he was at fault. It was the frog that ran away, not him.

"It's still mean." Tim stated.

"Maybe." Jason accepted with an amused smirk. "But let this be a lesson in not to chase after wildlife and watch your step."

~

"So, what do you got?" Jason inquired.

Bruce just returned from patrol not too long ago and wasn't entirely expecting to see Jason. Least of all alone. He doubted that Tim was too far behind.

"Tim's tucked in, sleeping like a babe." Jason stated, disproving Bruce's theory. "I'll ask again, what do you got?"

Bruce lightly shrugged his shoulders. It was a slow night. That wasn't to say it wasn't successful, but it wasn't as successful as he would have liked. He kept his back to Jason.

"Ivy's back in Arkham." Bruce stated. "But she's not ready to talk about a cure yet."

"And you just left it at that?" Jason coldly inquired. "You couldn't just, I don't know, get her to make one?"

"You and I both know that she wouldn't just hand over a cure. No matter how much you try to force it out of her. I'll have to play her game." Bruce turned to face Jason. "Does he remember anything?"

"Nothing. Though it's still early."

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. Even if it was early in fruition, it was already stressful. It was a complicated matter and it seemed to want to stay that way. Jason felt it too. He was caring for a child. A well-educated, respectful, and curious child, but a child nonetheless. However, even Jason knew not to overstress the situation.

"Look, I just came down here to check on your progress." Jason stated. "And since it doesn't seem like there's much on either of our ends, I'm going to call it a night and hope for a better tomorrow."

~

Jason walked up the stairs to find that everything was not as he left it. Tim and Jason's door was open and the five year old was dragging himself across the floor. Jason approached Tim, kneeling in front of him. He brushed aside the mangled bangs in front of Tim's face so he could see.

"What are you doing up bud?" Jason calmly asked. "It's way passed your bedtime."

"Had to go pee." Tim mumbled. "Wanted to sleep in your room when I was done. Where were you?"

"Talking to the big man." Jason replied.

Tim's body began wobbling, the need to sleep taking over. He wasn't going to last long enough to walk back to his own room. Jason could carry him, but then there was the chance that Tim would cling onto him and not let him leave.

"Come here." Jason sighed, picking Tim up.

Tim passed out the moment Jason stood up, clinging onto him. Jason decided to accept Tim's request for tonight with the intent on asking him about it in the morning. He entered his room, calling it a night for the both of them.

Chapter Text

Jason brought Tim out to a nearby ice cream parlor. After getting the wind knocked by Tim jumping on him, he almost didn't. But after a heartfelt apology and good behavior, Jason couldn't resist. It took some convincing on Bruce's part, but with a promise to wear sunglasses to hide their identities, he was a little more supportive of the idea. Plus, it would get them out of the house and away from the manor, something that Jason wanted to teat.

They kept it basic. Ice cream cones. Jason got cookie dough while Tim got chocolate. With them away from the others, Jason thought it would be the perfect time to ask Tim about him coming into his room. It was between them and Jason wanted to handle it himself.

"Why do you like coming into my room?" Jason inquired.

"I miss you?" Tim speculated.

Jason playfully rolled his eyes. It was unlikely that that was the case considering how much time they spent together during the day. Roughly eight hours a night shouldn't have been an issue, especially with Tim sleeping for them.

"Come on." Jason argued. "You spend almost every hour of the day with me. You know I'm here when you go to sleep. Why do you really like bunking with me?"

Tim watched his ice cream. It was melting a bit as he did, running down the cone.

"The house is big." Tim sighed. "Too big. I don't like it."

It was understandable that Tim would say something like that. The manor was big and for someone who didn't remember it and was trying to get used to it. Tim's small size probably made it a bit worse. However, Jason was curious about the size of Tim's parents' home considering how well of they were.

"Is it?" Jason inquired.

"Yeah." Tim accepted. "Mom and dad's house isn't this big. We have an upstairs and a basement, but nothing this fancy. But at Bruce's, I feel like I can get lost."

It was a simple explanation, but Jason was able to understand where Tim was coming from. Tim was able to articulate what was odd. And while calling the manor sounded a bit odd, Jason could relate it back to Tim not having the memory of it being his home. Treating it as though it was something temporary, when in reality it wasn't. Tim flashed Jason a quick glance.

"I'm a little scared." Tim admitted.

Another realistic response.

"You know there's nothing to be afraid of, right?" Jason inquired. "Bruce… I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know," Tim sighed, "but I am."

The melting ice cream trailed over Tim's fingers, causing Tim to gasp. He dropped the treat, startled. Jason grabbed a napkin and started cleaning Tim up. Tim was a little frazzled and guilty about what had happened.

"I'm sorry." Tim apologized.

"It's okay." Jason accepted. "It was an accident."

A speck of ice cream housed on the corner of Tim mouth. Taking another napkin, Jason cleaned it. Upon further inspection, Tim was on the verge of tears.

"It's okay." Jason confirmed.

"But I wasted you're generosity." Tim whimpered.

"It's okay. Ice cream can be replaced. I want to make sure you're okay."

Jason hated seeing Tim like this. He gently placed a hand on Tim's head. This was meant to be a fun outing.

"Why don't we go to the park?" Jason asked. "I think the duck's might be out and we can get some bread along the way."

Tim's face lit up. A grin graced his face as he gave Jason a nod. They cleaned up after themselves pretty quick.

~

The park visit went pretty well. The ducks were out like Jason guessed and there were even a few dogs out that the owners let Tim play with. But after a call from Bruce, urging that they get home for dinner, Jason and Tim had to leave.

Jason held Tim's hand as they walked down the busy street. They lightly talked about their journey. Tim was excited about getting to pet all the dogs in the part and being able to feed the ducks. He threw his arms around as he shared his story. Jason was entertained by it, loving to hear Tim revel about their day. So when Tim went silent, Jason was a little concerned.

"Tim?" Jason called.

When Tim didn't reply, Jason looked down. What was supposed to be a five year old beside him turned out to be nothing but air. There wasn't time to think before panic set in as his heart dropped. Jason frantically scanned for Tim, the hordes of people walking disrupting his line of sight.

"Tim!" Jason gasped.

He bulldozed through people, trying to find Tim. While some people were annoyed with Jason running against their movement, the others ignored him, not stopping to even ask if he needed help. Jason continued to call out for Tim, hoping the child would hear him.

He couldn't believe that Tim managed to slip out of his hands and get lost. And Jason's anxiety wasn't helping. He didn't know this is what it would feel like to lose a child. Least of all Tim. Tim wasn't even his own child, and only temporarily this way. He didn't expect to get so worked up about it this fast.

"Jason!" Tim's voice rang.

Jason scanned the crowd again, trying to locate the direction his voice was coming from. He managed to spot Tim a lot easier this time as he emerged through the crowd. Once they met up, Jason knelt down and held Tim. Tim was shaking, clearly distraught from losing Jason.

"Don't scare me like that." Jason softly lectured.

"I'm sorry." Tim apologized, clinging to Jason.

Jason didn't want to lecture him any further. Tim was already shaken up from it and a lesson was learned. Jason was just glad that he found

"It's okay." Jason sighed. "You're safe now."

Jason picked Tim up and began walking home. Tim continued to cling onto him as he gradually calmed down. What started out as a simple day turned to one with hectic twists and turns, but neither one wanted to take it back.

Chapter Text

"Why do you spoil him, Todd?" Damian inquired.

"I do not." Jason denied, falsely offended by the assumption.

On his lap was Tim, who was proudly wearing Jason's helmet. Why Tim wanted it was a little odd, but the Darth Vader quotes coming from him was actual really cute. And thankfully he wasn't hitting anything that would activate one of the various tools it had as his tiny hands held onto it to support its weight on his head. He was just having fun with it and that's all that mattered.

"He's wearing your helmet and you made him pancakes this morning." Damian observed. "Not to mention all of the little ventures you've taken him on."

It took a moment for Jason to see why Damian would think that. He probably wasn't used to seeing a child being so well treated. Was it spoiling? Maybe a little, but Jason was treating Tim like the child that he was.

"I forget you haven't had much of a childhood because of the League of Assassins." Jason contemplated. "No offense." He lightly placed a hand on the roof of his helmet. "I have to give him something resembling a childhood."

"Can we get ice cream?" Tim asked, taking the helmet off.

Damian curiously watched Jason. This was the second time this week that he asked for it and Jason caved the first time. Damian half expected him to cave again. And Jason could feel his suspicion.

"Not right now." Jason denied.

"Please." Tim begged.

"No."

Tim gave him Jason a pleading stare. He pulled out all the best tricks he had. A pouting lip. A hand clinging to Jason's jacket. Even a wide eyed and faux innocent expression. It was foolproof. What made it worse was the fact Jason knew he was doing it. He knew Tim was tugging at his heart strings, but sadly, he couldn't resist it.

"Fine, maybe later." Jason caved. "But we will be talking about this later."

Tim's façade shifted to a proud smirk. Getting what he wanted was a sweet victory, and he relished in it. Damian rolled his eyes. He may have knew that his point was proven, but it didn't make it any less annoying.

"You're pathetic Todd." Damian groaned.

~

Dick watched confusingly as Jason entered the room with Tim in his arms. He held Tim out as though he wanted to hand the child off. All the while, Tim held an annoyed pout as his feet dangled over the ground.

"Can you watch him for a bit?" Jason wearily asked. "I haven't taken a shower in a few days and could really use one."

"You're not that stinky." Tim argued, before getting a strong whiff of Jason's scent. "Maybe you are."

"Yeah." Dick agreed with a tint of joy. "I'd love to watch our little bud."

Jason brought Tim closer to him. Dick was a little curious about Jason's motion. But if Jason's near paternal glare was anything to go by, it was going to be something.

"You better make sure nothing happens." Jason lectured.

"You'll only be gone for ten minutes at most," Dick reminded, brushing off Jason's concerns, "what could possibly go wrong?"

~

Dick was on all fours, trying to coax Tim out from underneath the kitchen table. Tim firmly sat on the floor, clinging onto a leg, with no intent on coming out. After trying to keep things simple, Dick accidentally startled Tim, causing him to run off in a panic.

"Come on Tim, it's okay." Dick coaxed. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"What's going on?" Jason inquired, wrapping the towel around the back of his neck.

Dick glanced at Jason with a rather troubled express. He was caught red handed in a problem. And as far as Jason was concerned, he was the one in trouble.

"We were just playing and I accidentally stepped on Ace's tail." Dick relayed. "Ace yelped and it scared Tim."

Jason stiffly sighed, approaching the table. He crouched down beside Dick. Looking at Tim. he wondered what he was frightened about. Was it Ace's cry that startled him? That Ace was hurt? Both? There was only one was to find out.

"You worried about puppy?" Jason inquired.

Tim nodded. It shouldn't have been too surprising that he was concerned for the dog. Though a big dog like Ace could frighten any child with how loud he could be, Ace was still a dog, and Tim loved them.

"Come here." Jason invited, offering him a hand.

Tim looked at his hand before slowly taking it. Jason carefully led him through the house to find Ace. They found him in the den, lying by the clock leading to the cave. Ace's ears perked as he heard them approach. He wasn't bothered by them and didn't have the energy to move at the moment.

Tim crouched down, staring at Ace's tail. He lightly tapped the German Shephard's tail, and when he didn't flinch, Tim grinned. Ace was okay, and that's all that mattered. Tim gave the dog a hug.

"See," Jason sighed, with a small grin, "he's okay. He's a tough puppy."

Tim nodded. Jason noted Dick's presence in the doorway. But before Jason could get up to give him a dramatically unnecessary lecture, Tim approached the eldest Boy Wonder.

"Apologize to Ace." Tim demanded.

Dick stared at Tim with an amused grin. Tim's serous, yet innocent face was too adorable, regardless of how serious he was being. However, he knew better than to deny the child's demands. Not only because Tim was asking, but because Tim was a child, and a lesson in empathy was something that could be shown in this situation.

Dick approached Ace, with Tim not too far behind. He crouched down. Dick looked at Tim before going forward.

"I'm sorry." Dick apologized, patting the dog's head.

Ace didn't seem bothered either way, taking the apology in silence. However, the vibration from the clock was enough to get him moving as Bruce opened the door way. When he saw the trio sitting on the ground, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"What's going on in here?" Bruce inquired.

With Ace now leaving the room, they had to think of something. They stood up, stretching their legs up. Jason was the one who thought up a story.

"We were just teaching a lesson in animal sensitivity and not scaring children." Jason explained.

Chapter Text

Another bath was promptly given to Tim. The second in the week. And while the first was for general cleanliness, this was all because of a mud puddle. When Jason let him play outside, the last thing he expected was for Tim to take a spontaneous nosedive into the dirt when it started pouring. And now he had a disgruntled Tim in the bath.

A proud grin graced Tim's face as he stood in the kitchen. The sound of rain heavily poured behind him. Bruce sighed leaving the room and Jason groaned. However, he had to take responsibility for this one since he allowed Tim to run outside.

"What did you do?" Jason complained.

"It started raining." Tim replied.

"I can see that. But that doesn't tell me what you did."

"I saw a robin bathing in a puddle." Tim flashed a grin. "And it looked like fun."

Jason frustratingly groaned. He shouldn't have been surprised. Give the kid a frog and he'll chase it. Give him a robin and he'll want to be it. Jason lightly placed hand on Tim's back.

"Let's go." Jason recommended. "We've got to clean you up."

A towel helped soak in the water as Tim dried off. Jason left the bathroom so Tim could have some privacy. Jason patiently waited on his bed, thinking about how he should approach Tim's actions. Any sort of grounding or higher punishment fell too extreme. But the bath felt too light.

Tim emerged from the bathroom in pajamas. He approached Jason with a pout. He was clearly still annoyed with having to get cleaned. However, Tim's stomach wasn't about to let him dwell on it long as it sounded off.

"Hungry?" Jason asked.

"Uh huh." Tim confirmed.

"Well it's a good thing dinner's ready."

Tim accepted that, ignoring his previous annoyance. Jason led Tim out of the room to the sound of Bruce calling for them. And it was in that moment that Jason thought of a simple, suitable punishment.

"But no desert." Jason added.

"Come on." Tim whined.

~

Coughing echoed through the house as Tim weakly laid in bed. Next to his bed was a box of tissues. A fever caught up to him overnight. And fast. Jason refused to leave Tim's side as Alfred did his work.

Everything hurt. Tim's head throbbed, his limbs felt heavy, and his chest felt tight. Tim didn't want to move, whining as he tightly held onto Jason.

"He needs to rest." Alfred recommended, giving Tim the proper dose of medication.

Jason nodded, well aware of the validity of the statement. He carefully pried Tim off of him to weak protests. Jason lied Tim down and covered him.

"I'll be back in a bit, okay?" Jason softly comforted, lightly tapping his forehead.

"Okay." Tim painfully sighed.

Jason stood up and exited the room with Alfred. It hurt a little having to leave him like this, but it was for Tim's own good.

~

Two days went by and Tim showed no sign of significant improvement. The headaches turned to long throbbing headaches and his heat stayed around a hundred degrees. And the crying only got more notable. Jason cared for him night and day. Saying he was tired was an understatement, but he knew that he had to think of Tim first.

With Tim now in a deep sleep, thanks to some pain relievers and some fever reducer, Jason took the opportunity to eat. Nothing big, just some leftover grilled chicken. The sound of light footsteps joined him in the kitchen, stopping when they got to the island stool.

"You should get some rest." Damian stated trying to sound concerned.

"Not until he improves." Jason denied. "But thank you for your concern."

There was a wave of silence as Jason continued to eat. Damian shifted slightly in his seat as he kept his eyes on Jason.

"Why are you being so nice to him?" Damian asked.

"Excuse me?" Jason asked.

"Ever since this happened, you've been acting weird. You're being oddly nicer than usual."

"He is a child." Jason reminded. "They need kind patience not a gun to the face."

"It's not just that. Him being a child may spike this sense of kindness." Damian hopped off his seat. "I know you weren't thrilled with him being Robin, a sentiment that we share, but you don't seem bothered by it. You seem to enjoy his company."

Jason was a little confused by the direction of Damian's observation. He wasn't sure if Damian was trying to make an observation, start a conversation or complain about Tim. And while he could agree that they had common ground in disliking Tim at one point, Jason had sense gotten passed it.

"So you're complaining about us getting along?" Jason inquired. "That we've gotten passed our differences? Or what?"

"I just don't know if he deserves your generosity." Damian stated.

Jason rolled his eyes. Anger towards Tim it was. And with a hint of jealousy on top.

"Get over it." Jason scoffed. "I have."

"But…"

Jason's hand slammed on the table, startling Damian. A mix of exhaustion and annoyance was plaster on his face.

"I don't care about whatever resentment you have towards him," Jason stated, "or that you're trying to insight the anger I had towards him. I've gotten over it after months of self-reflection and now is not the time to bring these feelings up. So stop being such a brat about it move on."

Jason's hands covered his face as Damian silently took in his lecture. He didn't entirely mean for it to come out that way. Regret for reacting that way began to settle in.

"I'm sorry." Jason apologized.

The sound of crying echoed through the manor. Tim was up, and was clearly in distress. Jason knew he needed to get back to Tim now.

"Excuse me." Jason sighed, walking out of the kitchen.

~

The dark lighting meant almost nothing when Jason opened the door. Tim was tangled in the blankets. Jason walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. Grabbing Tim's small frame, he carefully sat him up. One quick temperature check provided enough information to prove that the fever had started gone down some.

"I'm here." Jason stated. "What's wrong?"

Tim could only mumble as he tried to process his surroundings. He knew he was awake and it didn't take much for him to realize he was in his room. However, his mind was a muddled mess.

"You're going to have to speak up Tim." Jason requested. "I can't help you if I don't know what you're saying."

"Bad man." Tim sighed, finally processing that Jason was there. "Bad man."

"What bad man?"

Tim's eyes flickered as he processed the question. He was as confused mentally as Jason was. Tim wasn't even sure what was going on.

"At the park." Tim replied. "With green lady."

Tim collapsed, losing consciousness. Jason continued to hold Tim, trying to understand what Tim was saying. It almost sounded like he remembered something, but Jason wasn't sure if it was just the fever talking. Questions that would have to be answered once this was over.

Chapter Text

After two long days of internal burning and vomiting, Tim finally broke his fever. However, his body was a little weak, so he wasn't allowed to do exert too much energy. Jason took him for a walk around the safer side of Gotham. It was a nice change of scenery outside of the dimmed four walls of his room.

The only issue they had was a man attempting to steal the hat Jason bought for Tim. Said thief learned pretty quickly that doing so wasn't in his best interest when Jason grabbed the thief and twisted his wrist. Thankfully Tim wasn't too shaken by it. He was just happy to get his hat back.

~

Jason and Tim sat at the kitchen table with their own bowls of ice cream. It was a treat that Jason thought Tim deserved after all that time Tim was sick. And without Bruce or Dick to lecture him about it, and Alfred otherwise preoccupied, he could treat the child in peace.

"I've been thinking about what you told me the other day." Jason stated. "About the bad man and the green lady." He noted Tim's subtle twitch, letting Jason know he heard him. "Was that a dream, or did it feel familiar?"

Tim glared at his bowl.

"I don't know." Tim shrugged. "After the green lady and bad man left, you showed up so maybe it was real."

That gave him something. So far, Jason figured that, if this was a memory, the "green lady" was Ivy. And though it might be too early to confirm it as a memory, Jason was going to treat it as such.

"Did anything else happen in this dream vision?" Jason asked.

"You said a naughty word before approaching me." Tim recalled. "I almost ran, but you talked to me so kindly that I couldn't. You then wrapped me in that black cape thing and brought me here, just like you did when you found me."

That was all Jason needed for confirmation. It was a memory. But that left Jason with a new question. Who was this "bad man"? And what did he have to do with what happened to Tim?

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Jason inquired.

"No." Tim replied, shaking his head. "I just know he was big and scary."

"Did he help or hurt the green lady?"

"No. The green lady left before the bad man got there. And then he left when he heard you." Tim shot Jason a tired glance. "Can we stop talking about it now?"

Jason understood the request. He plagued Tim enough with his questions and didn't want to stress the child. There would be more time to get more answers, and hopefully more opportunities for Tim to get snip bits of his memory back.

"Sure." Jason agreed.

~

Jason decided to wait until the following morning to bring up his discovery to Bruce. With Tim hanging with Ace in his room, he knew he could venture to the study without much issue. Bruce was just sitting at the desk looking at some schematics for his next architectural project.

"I've got something for you." Jason declared.

"Okay." Bruce confusingly accepted.

"It has to do with Tim and his fever vision. I think it might have been a memory."

That helped clarify things for Bruce. He recalled the concern, so he knew this had to be something worth hearing. He set the schematics down and looked at Jason.

"Alright." Bruce replied. "What do you got?

"When I asked him for context, he explained it up to the point that I arrived. It didn't sound bizarre, so I think he remembered something."

"How do you mean?"

Jason looked down for a moment. He knew what he was about to say was going to sound absurd, but it was the only thing he had. The only logical explanation he had.

"I think Poison Ivy had an accomplice." Jason stated. "That or she was working for someone."

"That isn't like her." Bruce noted.

"I know, but this bad man, who granted he doesn't recognize yet, showed up right after Ivy left. That can't be a coincidence."

Bruce stood up. As limited as it was, it was all they had to go off of for now. Bruce approached Jason.

"I'll look into it," Bruce promised, "but until we get more information, I can't confirm that I'll get anything out of Pamela."

"That's all I can ask for." Jason agreed. "At least for now.'

The quick pattering of footsteps could be heard stomping down the steps. Six to be exact. It didn't take much to figure out who's they were. It didn't hurt that Tim's voice was hunting for him.

"I should get back to him." Jason sighed.

"He really likes you." Bruce admitted with a small grin. "And looks up to you."

Jason shot Bruce a slightly snarky smirk. It wasn't exactly something either one expected. And Jason couldn't help but think that Bruce was jealous or stating how weird it was.

"Surprising isn't it?"

"Actually, I find it endearing. I know you guys had a rocky relationship that has since recovered, but it's nice to see you guys getting along in such a… pure kind of way."

Jason smirked at the observation. It was a fine sentiment, and Jason could see how it could be perceived that way. And he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy this bond himself.

"It is." Jason agreed.

Jason crouched down as Tim entered the room as Ace continued down the hall. Tim appeared impatient. Keeping him in the room for as long as Jason did would do that.

"Hey buddy." Jason greeted.

"Jason, you promised you'd take me to the park." Tim reminded.

"I know, but I also had to talk to Bruce, remember?"

They both looked at Bruce. He was amused by Tim's demands. He was certainly less patient than he was his actual age.

"Have fun." Bruce wished. "I've got some work I've got to do."

Chapter Text

Batman entered Arkham Asylum with a plan. Since talking with Jason about his speculation, he knew he had to get some sort of clue about it. And while he didn't want to doubt the child, knowing that it could very well be true, Batman had to investigate it.

He was all too familiar with this side of the asylum. It smelt of roses and was decorated with green hues. Pamela was lounging on her cot with a table of experiments beside her. When she noticed him, she stretched out before sitting up.

"Don't worry, I am working on the antidote." Poison Ivy assured. "But it's going to take time."

"That's not why I'm here," Batman stated, "but I'm glad to hear that."

"Then what do you want?"

"The name of your associate."

Ivy gave him a playfully confused look. It didn't need to be stated that this was about her previous venture. That was all he came to see her about. However, his assumption seemed unfounded, and that's what confused her.

"You should know better to make such an assumption." Ivy reminded. "Unless it's Harley on occasion, I work with no one."

"But you did leave the scene without him." Batman stated. "If you really wanted to use him, you would have taken him with you."

"Maybe I just wanted to throw you in for a loop."

Ivy twirled slightly, with a smug smirk. She knew as well as Batman that there was no way he was going to be able to prove anything with that little thought. And even if he was right, he had next to nothing as far as proof.

"If you're going to make accusations, the least you can do is have viable proof." Ivy flaunted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an antidote to perfect."

Batman knew he wasn't going to get farther tonight. And since she was working on an antidote, he knew it wasn't the time to press the wrong buttons. Turning away from her, he left the asylum. He would be back, both for the antidote and hopefully an answer once the evidence presented itself more.

~

When Bruce entered the cave, he was greeted by Jason, Alfred, and a cork board. On it was several different mugshots of rouges. There was the Riddler, Deadshot, Mister Freeze, Scarecrow, Captain Boomerang, and Ra's al Ghul.

"What's this?" Bruce inquired.

"Tim's memory cleared up a little bit." Jason replied.

"How so?"

"He remembers Ivy, the name now kind of coming back to him. And while he can't quite make out a face, he knows their build. Toned, or at the very least lean. Or as he put it, not as buff as Bane or as chubby as Penguin."

That made the mugshots less confusing. Though why these six specifically had yet to be answered.

"Not including Black Mask and Joker, who we were dealing with that night, these were the only others not accounted for at Arkham."

Looking at the six pictures, he figured he could help narrow it down some. He had a general idea of each of them, but he wasn't sure who to focus on first. He scanned each picture carefully before resting his sights on Deadshot's.

"Well Deadshot was doing a favor for Amanda Waller's little pet project," Bruce recalled, grabbing his mugshot, "so he's out of the picture."

With that Bruce removed his picture. That narrowed it down to five of them.

"And Mister Freeze was allowed to use university's lab to do some research for his wife's condition due to his recent good behavior." Jason noted, removing the man's image. "And Captain Boomerang may know and hate Tim and Red Robin, but he doesn't know that they're one and the same. Plus, I hear he was transferred over to Central City to deal with different crime."

Jason removed Captain Boomerang from the equation. That left them with the Riddler, Scarecrow, and Ra's al Ghul. Three candidates that weren't accounted for that night. With the first two being apprehended the night after. Unfortunately, that's where Jason's lead ended.

"I can see Scarecrow wanting to use this to test his fear gas on a child." Jason observed. "And who better than a former Robin."

"And the Riddler would love to use a child and the antidote for some weird puzzle." Bruce figured.

That left Ra's. Unfortunately, his activity had been scarce lately, at least in Gotham.

"I have my doubts about Ra's." Jason admitted. "He hasn't been pretty quiet lately."

"But he has taken an interest in Tim in the past." Bruce reminded.

"True."

"Jason…" A muffled voice called, interrupting their train of thought.

Bruce looked at Jason, who pulled out a small baby monitor from his jacket pocket. As he did, the sound of Tim calling out to him again went off. He sounded a bit groggy, but alert enough to know what he wanted.

"That's my cue." Jason stated with a soft smirk. "Probably woke up confused. I left him alone in my room once he fell asleep, so I could get this rolling. He's probably wondering where I'm at."

Bruce gave him a nod, gesturing that Jason could attend to the child. Jason made his way for the stairs, proud of the success they've had so far. However, there was one thing that still kind of bothered him, which caused Jason to stop and glance back at Bruce.

"By the way can you talk to your spawn?" Jason suggested. "He's been getting a little too anxious around Tim for my liking, and I'd hate to see it get worse. I'd say something, but I know we don't exactly see eye to eye on this and he won't listen to me like he would with you or Dick."

"Sure." Bruce agreed, curious about Jason's statement.

~

Bruce found Damian in his room. He had just gotten out of the shower and was reading in bed. He glanced up and jumped slightly when he realized that Bruce was in the room.

"I wasn't expecting you there." Damian stated.

"Are you okay with all of this?" Bruce inquired, approaching the bed.

"What are you talking about?"

Bruce took a seat on the edge of the bed. He wasn't sure if Damian was avoiding it or genuinely confused about the question.

"Tim being a child." Bruce stated.

"Why would I be bothered by that?" Damian questioned with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

That was enough to convince Bruce that it was bothering Damian. He leaned back a little, using his arms to support his weight. Damian closed his book and set it aside, knowing that his father wasn't going to let it go.

"I just don't get why you all seem to dote on him." Damian stated. "He's capable enough to take care of himself."

"He may be a smart kid, but he's just that. A kid." Bruce argued.

"He also steals yours and Todd's attention from what really matters. Changing him back."

That they were doing. Even if Damian wasn't quite seeing the big picture. It did, however, open the door for another theory.

"Are you jealous of the attention he's getting?" Bruce inquired.

"No." Damian denied, shooting Bruce an offended glare. "What makes you think that?"

"We have a new child in the house, who requires a lot of attention. And it's Tim, who you've been at odds with for months after you arrived. And if we're being honest, outside of Dick, and whenever I am available, you aren't getting as much attention as you used to." Bruce sighed, feeling a bit bad for Damian. "Tim needs someone to keep an eye on him, and given his desire to protect children, Jason is the perfect candidate. I'm sorry if you feel neglected, but

Damian glanced away from Bruce, not responding to it. He knew he was caught now, but was still too proud to admit it. Jealousy or not, he still wanted Tim back to normal.

"Just change him back, okay?" Damian requested.

"Of course." Bruce accepted.

Chapter Text

What was meant to be a nice stroll quickly turned sour when the two thugs in front of him tried to abduct Tim. He grabbed Tim and bolted. It was no doubt that he thought Tim was important, and grabbed him because of it. But what they hadn't expected was for Jason to bolt after them and tackle them.

Tim was able to squirm away with ease and ran to Jason. Jason picked, the now tear eyed, Tim up and held onto him. Not that Tim planned on letting him go soon. At the same time, Jason kept a foot on the man, who was now terrified by Jason.

"Just let me go, man." The would be abductor pleaded.

"You attempted to kidnap a child." Jason reminded. "Why should I?"

The sound of sirens stopped Jason from planning anything. Jason looked down at Tim who was still shaken. After contemplating the situation a bit, he knew he couldn't risk exposing Tim, and by extent his Red Robin identity. But at the same time, he didn't want the man to escae, knowing a witness made the call. He gave the man a quick jab to the side to make sure he stayed down before running off.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked once they were out of ear and eye shot of the public.

"Uh-huh." Tim confirmed, looking up at Jason. "Were you really going to hurt him?"

"Yeah. He took you." Jason shrugged his shoulders. "However, the police can take care of it now. That is their job after all."

~

Tim anxiously sat on Jason's lap as Alfred treated some minor wounds. Jason decided to go on patrol while Tim was sleeping, but it was over the moment Jason reentered the cave. He got in a scuffle with a few of Black Mask's thugs, which resulted in a few careless stab wounds.

And while Jason was okay with the damage, Tim clearly hated it. He was teary eyed as he inspected the recently stitched gash in his arm. When Alfred finished patching Jason up, he left the two alone. He only needed to look at Tim to know that Jason would be the one to handle it.

Jason knew Tim was eyeing the damage, and it was even more obvious that Tim was upset by it.

"It's okay." Jason relieved.

"But you're hurt." Tim stated.

"It's just a scratch."

"No. Alfred scratching me when I picked him up was a scratch. This is worse."

Tim placed a small hand on the stitches on Jason's arm. It gently traced back and forth on it. It's slightly ridged nature disturbed Tim, but that didn't stop him from being gentle with it. He even hugged the limb, hoping it would help it heal.

"You're hurt." Tim repeated, tears streaking down her face.

Jason couldn't stand to see Tim's disturbance. He was fine, and he knew Tim would be concerned but unfazed in his normal state, but that wasn't the case now. He hated pain, and he hated Jason in pain more. Jason wrapped his arms around Tim.

"It's okay." Jason whispered.

~

Dinner would take an interesting turn as Tim shoved his plate aside with an upset pout, leaving his vegetables untouched. Given that he was surprisingly not as picky of an eater for a child, it was interesting to see. Everyone had already left the table, except for Tim and Jason, in order to get to patrol and so Bruce could check on Pamela's progress.

"Everything okay?" Jason asked. "You haven't touched your broccoli."

"Green is mean?" Tim pouted, folding his arms.

Jason set his fork down, intrigued by Tim's statement. This was a new change in pace. Green was a color that Tim was okay with, both as a teen and a child. Jason could admit that "green lady" Ivy was mean and several shades of green, but even when Tim started to remember her, he would still run around wear Dick's green Robin gloves while playing.

"What do you mean?" Jason inquired.

"Green lady ran away from me," Tim recalled, "and the bad man wore green too."

Jason flinched slightly, his eyes widening slightly. There hadn't been much of a break in the case with Crane in solitary after smuggling Fear Toxin into Arkham and using it on one of the new guards and Nygma being uncooperative when questioned. Not to mention Ra's' transparent activity.

"The bad man wore green?" Jason inquired.

"Yeah." Tim confirmed. "When I took my nap earlier, I dreamt about the bad man. He was wearing green and had green eyes."

This little thought helped narrow it down one step further, which should have made it easier. Unfortunately, who it was now narrowed down to was a problem. Not to mention they both had green eyes. So until Tim remembered something else, they were stuck.

With this in mind, Jason saw two outcomes with this information. On the one hand, Nygma might be able to be scared into revealing something. So if he was the one behind this, Jason was certain that Bruce could scare it out of him. But if he wasn't the one who worked with Ivy, that meant it was Ra's, who was still at large and completely unaccounted for. And that was frightening.

Jason snapped out of his train of thought as he looked at Tim who was still sitting there with a pout. As much as he wanted to tell Tim to eat his vegetables, he knew he shouldn't force the subject. Not when there was new information in the case.

"You don't have to eat it then." Jason stated.

"Can I have desert?" Tim asked.

"Maybe in a bit, but you can play with Ace for a bit if you'd like."

"Okay."

Tim hopped off the chair and hopped out of the room. Once he knew the child was out of ear shot, Jason pulled out his communicator for Batman. He activated it, waiting as he let it ring. Jason had but one question. With his mind set on one of the suspects, he knew he had to address it.

"What's wrong?" Batman asked.

"Do we know the status of Ra's?" Jason inquired.

Chapter Text

"Ra's has to be found." Jason stressed.

Bruce finished patrol not too long after Jason had contacted him. And after checking on Ivy, who was in the final stages of a cure, he was curious about Jason's call. It was clear that Tim remembered something, and had the color green ruined for him as Jason had stated.

Dick retired for the night, while Damian stuck around, curious about the accusations against his grandfather. Upon hearing Jason's request, he couldn't help but wonder why Jason jumped to such a conclusion. After explaining his concerns, it was understandably that Jason would feel uneasy about Ra's.

"He will be," Bruce stated, "but you know we still have one other suspect, right?"

"Yes," Jason agreed, "but if Nigma isn't our guy that leaves the dangerous option unaccounted for. And I don't want to leave that option unattended."

"You know there's still a chance Drake is imagining this." Damian argued.

"Sure that could be a possibility," Jason shrugged, "but his story has been consistent. If it was just his imagination, he wouldn't be. Not even at this age."

Bruce wearily sighed. It was too late to investigate Jason's reasonable concern, and he wasn't in the mood to open up a new search yet. There was time to start it tomorrow, when Bruce had the energy to. He hung his cape and cowl up and made his way to the stairs. Jason and Damian weren't too far behind.

"I'm not going to worry about it too much tonight," Bruce stated, "it's finally quiet and we could all use the sleep. But if it's that important to you, I'll look into it tomorrow."

"Fair enough." Jason accepted, partially expecting that response from Bruce.

~

Jason and Tim entered the house after a quick swim. It was a hot enough day, and Jason wanted to do something fun with the kid without leaving the property. And since the pool was recently opened, he thought it would be a fun way to spend the day. Provided Tim wear floaties with how deep the pool was. Much to Jason's surprise, Tim swam pretty well.

Bruce was standing in the room, waiting for them. He was eyeing Jason intently, needing to talk to him. Knowing this, Jason nudged Tim to get changed if he wanted to go to the ice cream parlor later. When Tim was out of earshot, Bruce decided to speak.

"I was able to contact Talia." Bruce stated.

"What did she have to say?" Jason inquired.

"For starters, she hasn't seen him in a while and has no idea where he's at."

That didn't sound good. Outside of a few occasions, Talia usually knew where her father was. Even if Talia left to get some space, or scheme.

"According to Talia, he disappeared about a month before Tim's change," Bruce relayed, "which was when he and Tim had their last battle. She believed it was to recover his ego." Bruce quickly glanced to the side. "He's sent her letters, but with no return address."

"So we're stuck with nothing?" Jason inferred.

"Not necessarily." Bruce speculated, receiving a puzzled look from Jason.

"Talia stated that some of his more recent letters sounded odd." Bruce admitted. "Something about 'throwing the Detective in for a loop' and 'his next encounter with Timothy won't be the same'."

That sounded like Ra's. And while these letters weren't sent to Tim directly, it was clear that he wanted to intimidate him. However, Jason was also curious about Talia's involvement. It almost sounded to perfect that she and her father were separated around this time. Ra's had a knack for finding her, and not even seeing her in almost two months sounded suspicious.

"Do you think she's covering for him?" Jason asked.

"I don't think so." Bruce denied. "She said they were at odds when he left and needed the space."

"Even so, you have to admit this sounds a little suspicious. She only told you this after you questioned her about it."

"True, but the one thing I can count on is her being honest with me most of the time. She clearly has no idea about her father's whereabouts or what he's planning."

Jason shrugged his shoulders.

"So what are we going to do?" Jason questioned.

"You just keep up all the good work you're doing with Tim." Bruce suggested. "I'll investigate as much as I can between cases, and Talia will keep us posted about whatever she hears about her father. Provided she gets to spend a monitored afternoon with Damian."

Before Jason could get a word in, Tim hopped into the room dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. He approached Jason, curiously looking up at him. Tim could sense that something was bothering him.

"Everything okay?" Tim asked.

"Yeah." Jason replied, crouching down.

~

Jason was quietly reading as Tim trotted over to him, firmly holding onto a piece of paper. Tim nudged Jason to get his attention, which he gave. He saw the blur image of something as Tim shook it.

"Whatcha got there Timmy?" Jason asked, picking the child up and sitting him on his lap.

"It's a drawing." Tim replied.

"Can I see it?"

Tim shifted his grip, holding onto the picture with both hands. There were what appeared to be three people. One in red, one in black, and one in green. None of the features were really defined, which wasn't uncommon for art made at this age, but that also meant that identifying the bad man in green wasn't really possible. The green one, whose face was scratched out, was on the ground and the black one was standing with something in his hand. All the while the red one was standing by the black one. It was a curious drawing, and Jason was wondering what its story was.

"What going on?" Jason inquired.

"You're stopping the bad man." Tim answered.

That explained the people in black and green. That also meant that, by default, the person in red was Tim.

"What did the bad man do?" Jason asked.

"He tried to hurt me." Tim replied.

"And why did he try to hurt you?"

"I don't know. I just had a dream where he tried to hurt me."

It was a little unsettling to hear Tim say that. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that Tim was scared of something. Jason turned Tim around so he could see look at Tim.

"Are you afraid of someone hurting you?" Jason asked. "You know we'll keep you safe, right?"

Tim's shoulders slumped. He didn't seem offended by it, as much as saddened by it. Jason tried to avoid anything to do with what happened unless Tim brought it up. But this picture had to mean something.

"Well I don't want you hurt." Tim admitted. "Or any of you. I would hate if anything happened to you guys."

"Of course." Jason understood. "Trust me, we will keep you protected, but I know…"

The sound of shattering glass startled them both. A reflex caused Jason to wrap his arms around Tim as he looked towards the sound of the noise. Something was there. And neither knew what.

Chapter Text

Jason picked Tim up and began to peer around the house. He prayed that it was nothing, not wanting to jinx their peace. A hand held Tim's head close, and the child was being surprisingly calm. It was appreciated, but surprising given the tension that presented itself.

When he didn't hear anything, he almost assumed that it was a bird that crashed through the window and died on impact. Maybe even a vandal, who threw a rock and ran. It would have been so easy if it was either, and they could rest knowing that it was nothing.

But fate disagreed with him as he saw a dark figure move. And not just any dark figure. One of Ra's' assassins. And if one was here, there was no doubt in his mind that another wasn't too far behind.

Jason bolted in a different direction, almost certain about what their intentions were. He invaded Bruce's room, heading for the closet. The door was opened aggressively, and Jason crouched down, setting Tim inside.

"Stay here." Jason sternly demanded, before whistling.

Tim anxiously nodded, knowing that he should take this seriously. Ace quickly entered the room, recognizing Jason's whistle. The dog was alert, knowing something was wrong.

"Protect." Jason commanded, pointing at Tim.

Ace entered the closet, accepting the command. He sat next to Tim, who nervously hugged the dog. With everything now sinking in, Tim was shaking.

"Jason, I'm scared." Tim admitted.

"I know," Jason sighed, gently cupping the side of the Tim's face, "which is why I need you to stay here until I come to get you. You'll be safe here with Ace, okay?"

Tim clung to Ace harder, using his presence to help him calm down. Another thud could be heard in the distance, and Jason couldn't afford to stay longer. Tim looked up at Jason with a stern glow.

"Kick their butts." Tim requested.

"Will do." Jason agreed before closing the door.

As Jason approached the door, he heard someone running in the house. He drew out a knife then glanced back at the closet. He could barely hear a thing, as Ace silenced his panting as much as possible.

"I'll be back." Jason confirmed. "I promise."

Jason ran down the hall, only stopping to grab a hand gun from his room. With alarm set, he carefully listened to the house. The first assassin he spotted emerged from Tim's room in distress. When he spotted Jason, he tried to run, but a bullet skimming his calf said otherwise.

A second assassin popped up and attempted to run past Jason to go for Bruce's room. Jason's blade pierced the assassin's shoulder blade, causing him to fall over. Jason continued to make his way through the house, duking it out with every assassin he faced.

When he got to the top of the stairs, Jason was greeted by the image of Ra's standing at the bottom. He wore a smug grin, unfazed by his discovery. If he wasn't already rattled by Ra's presence, Jason would have been unnerved by it. But for Tim's sake, he knew he had to stay calm.

"If you're looking for Damian, he's not here." Jason growled, trying to avoid the obvious. "So why are you here?"

"I hear you've recently inquired a child," Ra's stated, taking a few steps up the stairs, "and I would love to meet him."

It was just like Ra's to get to the point, which Jason half expected. But if he could stall him long enough, maybe he could avert Ra's away from the second floor. Or better yet, Bruce could walk into the manor and help. When they met at the middle of the stairwell, all movement stopped.

"Even if that were true, what does it matter to you?" Jason inquired, folding his arms.

"Because I'm here to claim what you've stolen from me." Ra's answered. "So why don't you be a good boy, and hand Timothy over?"

Jason stood his ground, straightening his posture to assert his defiance. A firm grip on the railing stated that Ra's did not have the patience for Jason's stubbornness, but his grin was scheming.

"Why would I tell you that?" Jason asked.

"Because I already know where he's hiding." Ra's replied, eyeing the second floor. "Do you really thing hiding him in the Detective's closet would stop me from finding him?"

Jason's head twisted towards the top of the stairs, horrified. He didn't care if that gave him away. The accuracy of Ra's' prediction was haunting.

A sharp yelp echoed through the house with a terrified scream. A chill surged through Jason's spine. Tim was in danger, and Ra's planned it. Panic overshadowed reason as Jason turned his back on the ancient assassin.

"Tim!" Jason gasped.

A surge of pain rocked Jason as a blade dug deep into his side.

"Thank you." Ra's whispered.

He pulled Jason back, forcing him to fall down the stairs. Ra's proudly smirked at his accomplishment before moving to the top of the stairs. Ubu came around the corner, holding Tim off the ground by the back collar of his shirt. The man had a few scratch marks and a small human shaped bite mark on his hand.

Tim was in tears as he was unceremoniously set in front of Ra's. As Ra's crouched down, Tim was horrified and shaking. It didn't take much for Tim to recognize the man.

"I missed you." Ra's gently greeted.

"You're the bad man." Tim whispered.

Ra's gave a smirk, unoffended by his statement. Tim was but a child after all. Tim tried to look away from Ra's, not wanting to give the man his attention. When he saw what was at the bottom of the stairs, Tim screeched.

"Jason!" Tim gasped.

He ran around Ra's and down the stairs. When he reached Jason, Tim crouched down and frantically scanned Jason's bleeding body. He held onto Jason's shirt and not even Jason's faint breathing could calm him down.

"Jason." Tim panicked.

Jason weakly grabbed Tim's arm, who looked at him with tear stricken concern. It killed him to see Tim like this, but he was too weak to physically do anything. Jason could hear creaking on the stairs and a chill went down his spine.

"Run." Jason groaned.

"I can't leave you." Tim refused, now in a panic.

"You have to."

"But you could die."

"Go!"

Tim jumped, startled by the loud demand. The grim look on Jason's face told him he had to listen to Jason. He still didn't want to leave Jason, but the thought of getting to the Batcave gave Tim hope. He stood up, but before he could even get one step away from Jason, a hand grabbed the back of Tim's shirt and lifted him off of the ground.

Tim screamed in fear. Jason's entire body winced in distress. He tried to move, managing to squirm his way onto his stomach. He barely got his body off of the ground when Ra's stomped him into the ground. Ra's' foot stayed squarely on Jason's back, long enough for him to say one last statement.

"Thank you for your cooperation Jason." Ra's concluded.

He kicked Jason's stab wound, causing Jason his groan in pain and Tim to cry out, concluding his visit. Ra's and Ubu promptly left the manor with Tim in tow. All that echoed through the house was Tim's frightened screams for Jason, praying that he would be saved.

Chapter Text

"Tim!" Jason gasped, regaining consciousness.

He quickly forced himself up, before wincing in pain. As he clenched his sides, Jason realized he wasn't in the main hall, but the Batcave. Bruce was by his side in an instant, firmly holding a hand on his back. Jason gazed at Bruce slightly confused, still trying to process everything.

"Be careful." Bruce urged.

Fingers traced over the bandages remembering what caused it. The image of a dagger plunging into his body flashed in his memory. The pain it caused vaguely lingered around the wound. The amount of blood lost was unclear against the bandages.

"You should consider yourself lucky." Bruce stated. "He just barely missed punctured your lung."

Scanning the room, Jason spotted Ace on another table. The dog's diaphragm was wrapped and he was unconsciously lying on his stomach. Bruce picked up on Jason's confusion pretty quick and promptly went to address it.

"Ace will be fine." Bruce filled in. "Well, if his broken ribs are anything to go by, he's in pain, but other than that, he'll be fine. If I had to guess he was either kicked really hard or stomped on."

Jason continued to stare at Ace, feeling bad for the German Shephard. He slowly began to recall what caused the dog to get several broken ribs. He recalled Ace screeching and the scream that followed. Blue eyes widened in horror, when his mind finally processed what happened, and who was missing.

"Tim!" Jason anxiously recalled.

Jason attempted to get off of his medical bed, only for Bruce to hold him back. Anxiety flared, as he eyed Bruce with distressed confusion. Jason wanted to go and couldn't fathom why Bruce was stopping him.

"Let me go." Jason demanded.

"You're not in a good condition to leave." Bruce stated.

"I don't care. He's got Tim."

"Who has Tim?"

Jason glared at Bruce. Pain, anger and panic burned into Bruce as Jason growled in disbelief. He knew that Bruce couldn't be that oblivious.

"You know exactly who." Jason growled. "Ra's freaking al Ghul."

Bruce painfully sighed at the revelation. He had half hoped that it weren't true. Especially now that he had the antidote. But a suspicion in the back of his mind, knowing that this was a potential risk.

"I have to go." Jason declared, interrupting Bruce's train of thought.

"No." Bruce refused. "I can't let you get hurt more."

Jason, in an adrenaline induced rebellion, stood up, breaking out of Bruce's grip. He wanted to leave, but his anger towards the situation honed in on Bruce. Especially when Bruce in front of him in an attempt to stop him.

"He's scared Bruce." Jason aggressively stated. "I can't just let this happen to him."

"And I can't let you go in your condition."

Jason growled again, not taking Bruce's response. He shoved Bruce aside, taking a step back due to briefly losing his footing. Crushing anxiety and rage weighed on Jason's mind demanding that he explode.

"I lost him Bruce, and I'm scared of what Ra's will do to him!" Jason yelled.

The cave went eerily silent as both Bruce and Jason froze. The revelation alarmed Bruce, realizing just how horrified Jason was. He never he thought he'd hear Jason say. Jason exposed an emotion that Bruce almost never encountered before.

Jason's body was shaking in rage and defeat. The last thing he wanted was to explode like that, revealing what he was truly feeling about the situation. He exposed his fear and guilt, something he wanted to suppress. A hand hovered over Jason's eyes as he tried to compose himself.

"He's been targeted, abducted, and is scared beyond belief." Jason seethed. "I failed him as his guardian, and now he's in the hands of the one person I knew I had to protect him from. I failed to protect him Bruce, and I cannot stand by and let Tim suffer like this."

Jason was still aggressively shaking. Flashes of Tim's tear stained face plagued him. His small hands grabbing at Jason's shirt in desperation and fear. Only for Tim to be yanked away by the cold, dark hands of malicious intent. Tim's cries echoed through his head. And they were haunting.

Bruce could tell that was really bugging Jason. As much as he was trying to suppress it, Jason's escalated response was as scared as it was enraged. Jason had a child ripped out of his arms and he couldn't do anything to stop it. And he was currently battling between his guilt and the need to atone for it.

"Jason." Bruce sympathetically sighed.

"Forget it." Jason huffed, pushing passed Bruce. "I don't have time for this."

Jason stormed out of the cave. He didn't look back, not even when Bruce called out for him. He was going to find Tim, and didn't care that they wanted him to stop. He was going to find Tim no matter what.

~

Jason perched himself on top of an unsuspecting building, observing the city for potential clues. The city was quite. That was the last thing he wanted.

"Go away." Jason demanded.

"I can't do that." Batman stated. "You're going to need my help if you're going to find Tim."

"I don't need your help."

Batman approached the edge of the building. He stood beside Jason, folding his arms. He watched the city with Jason.

"Well, you're getting it." Batman decided. "I do have Talia as a source."

Jason seemed to ignore Batman's statement, more focused on the nightlife. As far as he was concerned, Batman's connection wasn't that interesting. Batman let out a stressed sigh.

"Look, I know you want to save Tim." Batman noted. "You don't want to see him hurt. You want to hold him safely in your arms, telling him that everything will be okay." Batman glanced at Jason. "But you can't do this alone. We want to help you. We want to help Tim."

They were silent again, as Batman let what he said sink in. All he could do was hope that something in that got through to Jason. After a minute of stiff nothingness, Jason grunted.

"Shut up and tell me what you've got." Jason hissed.

Chapter Text

Tim was huddled in a corner, frightened. Tears had only recently disappeared, but the shaking had not. He had only been in Ra's' grasp for several hours, but he was nowhere near ready to accept it. And if his escape was anything to go on, he wasn't ready to accept that Ra's wanted to keep him close.

Tim was physically unharmed, but since getting grabbed, he was in a steady state of fear. He wanted to run, but had no idea where he was or where to run to. And in his mind, the image of Jason's blood stained body refused to leave him alone. The uncertainty of his condition traumatizing. The situation was troubling to put it lightly, but was taken very seriously.

The sound of footsteps approaching his hideaway cause Tim to jump. Tim held himself tighter in the corner, hoping to disappear. But when a large shadow blanketed him, he knew he wasn't getting what he wanted.

~

Ubu entered the room that Ra's had crafted for Tim's arrival. A large bed dressed in red and black stood in the middle of the room with enough lighting for every corner to be seen. The room sat right next to Ra's', with a door connecting the two in case it was needed.

Tim's escape was unplanned. Ra's had stepped away for a moment to get the child something to eat and hoped that Ubu would keep him there. However, when he returned to an empty room, Ra's was disappointed that Ubu had let him escape.

"I just do not understand why you've taken him now, Master." Ubu stated, handing Tim to Ra's. "He wouldn't be as frightened of you had you taken him that night."

Ra's took a seat on the bed, uninterested in the question. While it was true that he could have taken Tim sooner, he also knew the situation hadn't quite gone according to plan. He hadn't really talked about that night, outside of his regrets about it, as he was mentally forced to go with his alternative plan.

"Had Isley not taken so long, I would have taken him then." Ra's recalled, setting Tim on his lap. "Though he didn't exactly make it easy for her either." Ra's' hand gently ruffled through Tim's hair. "By the time I got to him, Todd was not too far away and I had no interest in fighting him. And if I did and were successful in defeating him and take Timothy that night, it would have risked putting the Detective on my trail far too soon."

Ubu eyed Tim briefly. He was still anxiously agitated, shaking where he sat, but he was too afraid to move. But at the same time, he didn't seemed too bothered by the gesture, almost as though he recalled and enjoyed it. However, that could have merely been a façade so that he wouldn't upset Ra's.

"But he cannot be molded the way you want, Master." Ubu observed. "He has their influence."

Ra's' hand stopped, now resting on the top of the child's head. Tim froze with it, sensing Ra's' slight annoyance.

"That can be worked on." Ra's mused. "Let's just say, I know exactly how to remove their influence from him." Ra's gazed down at Tim. "But I'm not going to worry about that now." Ra's shot Ubu a stern glare. "Leave us."

Tim jumped slightly, sensing the demand in his voice. Even Ubu seemed unsettled by it. His attention went from Ra's to Tim, back to Ra's. It was as though he didn't want to leave his master's side.

"I said go." Ra's demanded.

For a brief moment, Ubu paused, taking the time to process Ra's' demands. He bowed, accepting Ra's' request. He left the room, leaving behind Ra's' new found victim.

When the door clicked, Ra's let out a deep breathe. He turned Tim around, so he would face him, and gently guided Tim's face up to make him look at him. Glassy blue eyes dug into the aged assassin, which was enough to get Ra's to respond.

"I'm sorry our introduction had to be so chaotic little one." Ra's apologized. "It wasn't meant to be that way."

"You hurt Jason." Tim sniffled.

"Well Jason was being quite stubborn."

"He was trying to stop you."

"Same difference as far as I'm concerned." Ra's' hand shifted to the side of Tim's face. "But it doesn't matter now. Things are about to change Timothy, and your cooperation is key."

Tim pushed Ra's' hand aside and removed them from the position he was in. He took a few steps away from Ra's, eyeing him with disdain. There was a small spark of rebellion, which Ra's was impressed with given his frighten disposition.

"I'm not cooperating with you." Tim argued. "You hurt my family."

Ra's smirked. It was clear that Tim still had that spark of determination. Even if it was hidden behind the guise of a child with no memory of it. This would be fun to see, even if was only planned to be brief.

As Ra's stood up, Tim hopped back. Ra's took a step towards the child, causing him to move back. Tim was clearly intimidated by Ra's, but tried to hide it. He continued to back up as Ra's took a step closer, until his back tapped into the wall.

Tim eyed the door to Ra's' room, planning to escape by run into it then out of it. But before he could even take a step, Ra's lifted him off of the ground and started carrying him towards a different door. Seeing that it had brought him outside of the room, Tim began to squirm in the hopes that he could make a run for it.

It would fail, as Ra's knew to keep a firm grip on the child. With a new plan in mind, Ra's was ready to move on to the next step in his plan. A step that would withdraw Tim's rebellion, and memory, indefinitely.

"Family is always important Timothy," Ra's admitted, "but by the time I'm done with you, you won't even remember them."

Chapter Text

A fist collided with a wall out of frustration. Knuckles started bleeding because of the amount of force used. They infiltrated three different safe houses, all of which had nothing. Jason dropped his fist, letting out a frustrated growl.

"Where is he?" Jason growled.

"We still have one more safe house in Gotham to check." Batman confirmed.

"And if this one is another dud?"

"Then I'm sure Talia can get us his location."

Jason rolled his eyes. As beneficial it was to have Talia, so far, it had yet to show actual results. Sure, they got bases, but they didn't mean anything. Not without Tim presence.

"Because her last few suggestions have been so helpful." Jason sarcastically scoffed.

Batman quietly approached Jason and set a hand on his shoulder. He knew this had to be frustrating for his second eldest. They've been at it for hours with little to no success. That would stress just about anyone out.

"We'll find him." Batman promised. "I know it might not mean much in hindsight, but at least Tim's alive."

"Of course it's not." Jason growled turning to face the Dark Knight. "Sure, he's alive, but I don't know how much longer we have before Ra's kills his soul." Jason sighed. "Calling out for his mentor right before everything goes black."

Eyes widened in slight shock at Jason's words. Its undertone was not for Tim, but for someone else. For a grim memory. Batman's shoulders sank, guilt setting in.

"This isn't just about Tim, is it?" Batman realized.

Jason was silent. As though he realized he had messed up because of what he said. Taking a deep breathe, Jason prepared himself for an explanation.

"I may have forgiven you for not saving me and accepted that you tried," Jason sighed, "but that doesn't mean it hasn't affected me. The thought of being alone when in desperate need help still haunts me," Jason turned to face Batman, "and because of that, I can't leave him like you did with me."

A hand lightly grabbed Jason's shoulder. It hurt knowing that Jason's death bothered him in such a way. Even if Jason had come to grips with the rest of it.

"I'm sorry." Batman apologized.

A communicator began beeping, catching Batman's attention as he subconsciously brought his communicator on his wrist closer. Activating it, a holographic screen with Nightwing popped up.

"I got Talia on call," Nightwing relayed, "she's got some news for you. Connecting her now."

Nightwing's image vanished as one of Talia emerged. It was at this point that Jason turned to face Batman. Her expression seemed calm, but her eyes expressed urgency. She clearly knew something, and Batman hoped that meant she had something good for him.

"What do you got?" Batman inquired.

"To the point as always, Beloved." Talia greeted. "My father recently got in touch with me. Apparently, he's got a new project. A new pet to experiment on."

"Where is he?" Jason snapped.

"Not in Gotham." Talia replied, brushing off Jason's aggressive tone. "Smuggled young Timothy into Metropolis. My father owns a manor on the eastern border, in a pretty vacant spot too. Apparently, it also happens to harbor a Lazarus Pit in its basement."

"Thanks Talia." Batman replied.

"You're welcome and good luck. Just make sure our son contacts me like you promised."

The screen disappeared, ending the call. When Batman looked up, Jason was gone. It left Batman with a sense of anxiety with how quickly Jason disappeared, but at least he knew where he was going.

~

Breaking into Ra's' hideaway didn't seem too hard. Jason knocked out any assassin who crossed him quickly and harshly. He wasn't about to let anything stand in the way of his mission. He was going to find Tim, not matter what.

He knew he couldn't continue running blindly if he was going to find Tim. If he was going to locate what room the child he was in, Jason was going to need answers. As another assassin approached him, Jason grabbed him by the throat and forced him against a wall.

"Where's the boy?" Jason aggressively growled.

"You do not intimidate me, Red Hood." The assassin dryly replied.

As if expecting this answer, Jason's hand slowly tightened around the assassin's neck. Maybe the assassin would talk if his breathing was disrupted. A distressed twitch in the assassin's eye prompted Jason to loosen his grip and see if he was ready to talk.

"It'll take more than that to get me to talk." The assassin huffed.

"Noted." Jason accepted with a coldly indifferent expression.

~

After a reasonably justified beating, Jason was able to get some answers. Tim was confined to a room that Ra's had given him. The door, presumably locked. Jason was able to find the room with what little information the assassin gave him. But instead of picking the lock, Jason kicked the door down.

As the door landed on the ground, Jason quickly scanned the room. He found Tim lying on the ground, as though he was asleep. Jason swiftly approached him, crouching down beside him. The first thing Jason noticed was how well kept Tim seemed. There was no physical harm, outside of what would appear to be a needle sized puncture wound in his arm.

It begged the question of whether or not he was drugged. If Ra's was testing something on him. If it was an attempt to open Tim's mind to Ra's' wicked suggestion.

"Tim." Jason whispered, lightly shaking the child. "Tim, it's me. Jason."

A small groan escaped Tim as he slowly regained consciousness. He groggily moved his head, looking at Jason with unrecognizable confusion. But as his mind cleared, panic flared, as Tim squirmed away from Jason.

"Get away." Tim gasped, scooting further from Jason. "You're a bad man."

Startled was putting it mildly, as Jason had expected Tim to be happy see him. The panic in his eyes wasn't normal. Widened and afraid, sure, but it seemed erratic. Almost as if he was blinded by fear. It was something only Gothamites were all too familiar with.

Fear Toxin.

Chapter Text

"It's me Tim." Jason tried to coax. "Jason."

Tim trapped himself in the corner of the room. Jason had cornered him in the hopes to coax Tim over to him. Crouched down so he would tower over Tim, Jason was attempting to get Tim to see through the fear toxin. And without much of an antidote for the fear gas until Batman got there, calming Tim down was challenging.

"You're a big, scary, red bad man." Tim shrieked.

"I'm not the bad man." Jason argued, still trying to sound calm. "The man who brought you here is."

Jason tried to reach out for Tim, only for the child to run around him. Turning around, Jason realized that Tim ran to Ra's, who must have just entered the room if Jason was just noticing him. Ra's lifted the child up, letting Tim latch onto him.

Jason slowly stood up, sharply digging his eyes into Ra's. He knew the immortal had something to do with this sudden shift in target for Tim's fear. The way he smugly held Tim was clear that there was proof of foul play.

"What did you do to him?" Jason growled.

"Fear is quite the treat." Ra's stated. "He was so frightened when he got here. Redirecting it just took some work."

"Redirecting?"

A hand rested on the back of Tim's head, holding the child closer. He didn't know if Jason was that thick skulled, or if he was just acting. Either way, Ra's knew he would have to spell it out for him.

"Of course." Ra's confirmed. "I needed to get his fear off of me. And while I could have used the Lazarus Pit to wipe his memory, it could also restore it." Ra's glanced down at Tim for a moment before looking at Jason again. "Having a small amount of fear toxin really came in handy. A few small doses do wonders to the mind. And a little subliminal messaging with images of you killing people didn't hurt."

Everything Ra's said enraged Jason even more. Redirecting his subconscious. Subliminal messaging. Several doses of Fear Toxin. That wasn't just carefully crafted planning. That was torture.

"You bastard." Jason angrily lectured.

He took a step towards Ra's, who instinctively took a step back. Ra's' grip tightened on Tim slightly, reminding Jason that he was there. Not only that, but the shaking that Tim was doing. It caused Jason to pause and Ra's to smirk.

"Do you really want to do that?" Ra's inquired. "Considering the child I'm holding, I don't think you can afford traumatizing him more."

"But we can afford this." Batman stated, turning Ra's around and punching him.

The shock caused Ra's to release Tim, who Batman promptly grabbed, and take a few steps back. He quickly scanned Tim for injuries, but when Tim started to squirm and scream, Batman grew anxiously concerned.

"He dosed Tim with Fear Toxin." Jason stated, approaching him. "You better have an antidote in that belt of yours."

"I do," Batman confirmed, "but I'm going to need you to hold him down. I can't give it to him while he's squirming like this."

"Okay, but let's get out of here first."

Jason took Tim from Batman, gently whispering to him that everything would be okay. Ra's beat them to the door, blocking them.

"You're not going anything." Ra's decided, aiming to grab the child.

Batman took a step back, shielding Jason and Tim. Tim squirming began to lighten in Jason's arms, as exhaustion started to set in. That did not, however, make Jason loosen his grip. Tim could easily get away if he did. And as terrified as Tim might be, letting him go to Ra's was not an option.

"What do you gain from all of this?" Batman interrogated.

"What you wouldn't give." Ra's replied. "An heir. With Timothy as young as he currently is, I can start anew."

"Not on my watch." Jason promised.

He threw a blade at Ra's. The man dodged it, eyeing its futile attempt to harm him. As he shifted his attention off of it, he was met by Jason's fist. The force in it was enough to knock Ra's over and temporarily subdue him.

"That's for earlier." Jason recalled, before kicking Ra's. "And that was for taking Tim." He turned his attention to Batman. "Let's go."

Jason was the first to exit the room with Batman not too far behind. Tim was pretty much unconscious in Jason's arms, his stress finally tiring him out. Batman was shuffling around his utility belt, looking for something. When he pulled out a syringe, he sighed with relief.

"Wait." Batman halted, stopping Jason. "Let me give him this."

He approached Jason, flashing the Fear Toxin antidote in his hand. Jason gave him an appreciated grin as he loosened his grip on Tim and let Batman lightly grab one of Tim's arms. The child squeaked slightly as he quickly injected it in the first vein he could find.

"That shouldn't take too long to kick in." Batman stated, tossing the syringe aside.

"Good." Jason accepted.

They looked ahead of them, hoping their path way was still clear. But when they spotted an Ubu sized blockage, they knew they were in for trouble. Looking behind them, they found Ra's.

"It's futile." Ra's threatened. "Just hand Timothy over."

Batman frantically tried to think of a way to get out and get Tim to safety. Not knowing what to expect, he had a feeling he had to act fast. The sound of a gun firing startled Batman as a bullet. Ra's fell to his knees as blood drained from his leg.

"I don't think so." Jason denied.

Batman shot him a disproving glare. Jason rolled his eyes, mentally hearing his lecture as he put the gun away.

"It's a flesh wound." Jason groaned.

Stunned and anxious, Ubu ran towards his master. And he was going to make Jason pay. As he passed Jason, he took his loosened grip to push Tim out of his arm. Tim fell, hitting the ground before Jason had time to react. Blood started to pool around his head as Jason realized what had happened.

"No." Jason gasped, crouching down.

Jason scanned Tim for the damage. Thankfully he was breathing, but it was weak, and he was still unconscious. His body was not in an awkward position, so damaged limbs weren't an issue either. Batman went over to them to briefly scan the situation for himself, worried about how badly Tim was hurt. Jason carefully lifted Tim off the ground.

"Let's get him out of here." Jason demanded, running for the exit.

Chapter Text

Jason and Bruce burst into the cave, anxiously relieved when they saw Alfred treating Tim. Bruce called Superman, knowing that he could get Tim to the Batcave for medical treatment quickly. While he did, they raced home. It was then that Jason realized that a few stitched around his stab wound had ripped open. He figure it happened while Tim was struggling, not that he blamed the kid. Jason knew he would have to apply pressure to the area until he got home.

As he stitched himself up, Jason observed Tim. He appeared stable, if unconscious, but Alfred was intently observing his readings. Tim's head was wrapped with a gauze, and it appeared that he was no longer bleeding. The only thing Jason couldn't confirm at face value was the Fear Toxin in his system. There was no telling if the antidote was still working or if it had purged the toxin completely.

"Is he going to be alright?" Jason asked.

"He should be." Alfred confirmed. "He might have a concussion, but we won't know if he does until he wakes up."

"And the fear toxin?"

"Again, we won't know until he wakes up."

"It'll be fine." Bruce tried to comfort. "He got the antidote about not too long ago, and with him being this young, it and the toxin should process quickly."

Jason approached where Tim was lying. Even though Tim seemed at ease, Jason knew it was only on the surface. There just had to be some trouble or misfortune beneath it. Jason gently placed a hand beside Tim's face and his thumb rested on his cheek.

"But he's hurt." Jason sighed. "And all because I could not stop that psycho from taking him. Who might I remind you planned all of this."

A hand weighed down on Jason's shoulder.

"I know," Bruce accepted, "but he's home now. That is what really matters." Bruce shuffled around his belt, pulling out a small vial. "This is the antidote that matters. The one that'll turn him back to normal."

"Will it cure his amnesia?" Jason inquired, not taking his eyes off of Tim.

"It should, but if not, I'm sure we can figure something out."

"Like a Lazarus Pit."

"Maybe."

Bruce stretched out, yawning. That was his way of trying to change the subject.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired." Bruce stated. "I'm going to call it a night."

When Jason didn't respond, Bruce had a feeling as to what he was thinking.

"If you'd like you can stay with him for the night." Bruce suggested. "He's not going anywhere, and maybe it's better if you're here with your freshly opened injury."

Jason stayed silent, eyeing Tim as Alfred took a step away from them. He knew that Alfred deserved a break, and moving Tim to his room might not be the best option.

"I think I will." Jason agreed. "Stay here that is."

~

Small eyes began to open. Eyes wondered around the cave, trying to process everything. He realized he was in the Batcave, but as he inspected his surroundings, things began getting stranger. Looking at his body, he seemed smaller. Like he had shrank. And not only that, he was lying on something not so metallic with what seemed to be an arm draped over him.

Rolling around, derails became clearer. There was a jacket, a grey shirt, and a red emblem on the chest. A sleeping face revealed who it was. Jason. Jason's face twitched as he slowly began to wake up.

When he noticed that Tim was awake, Jason softly grinned. Seeing Tim awake was a relief. Jason slowly sat up, holding Tim close.

"You're okay." Jason sighed.

"What happened?" Tim asked.

Knowing that Tim was confused, having passed out on fear toxin, Jason knew he had to explain. And keeping Tim's phrasing was key. He set Tim on his lap so that he could look at him comfortably.

"The bad man got you." Jason reminded. "He hurt you really bad."

Tim's head tilted slightly in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Tim asked. "Bad man? I was fighting Poison Ivy."

Tim's eyes bounced back and forth as though confused by Jason's reminder. It was as though he wasn't taking the information. Jason figured it could have been damage from the fall or the toxin.

"You were taken by the man in green, remember?" Jason reminded.

Tim still seemed confused.

"I was dealing with Poison Ivy when she hit me with some sort of gas." Tim stated.

That one statement told a great story. A stunning revelation. Tim's memory was restored. Jason was overjoyed, glad that things were finally going right. He hugged Tim, who was still confused and now slightly annoyed.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Tim asked.

"You were… are… have been turned into a child and you're memory was wiped." Jason stated. "For the past month we've been trying to fix it and we just got you back from Ra's."

Tim didn't respond, processing what he was just told.

"I was starting to think that was a dream." Tim stated. "But looking at me now, I guess not."

Footsteps tapped, echoing through the cave. Looking up, they found Bruce coming down the stairs. When he noticed that they were awake, Bruce was relieved. And with how calm Tim was acting, he knew that the fear toxin was out of his system.

"How are we doing?" Bruce asked.

"His memory's back." Jason proudly replied, brushing a bang off of Tim's face.

Hearing that was a relief and a joy. Bruce sighed with relief as he sat next to them. He pulled out the antidote, resting it in his lap.

"That's a relief." Bruce admitted. "That makes the switch back that much easier." Bruce glanced at Tim. "Are you ready to be normal again?"

"Yeah." Tim admitted.

~

After ingesting the antidote, Tim was sentenced to his room. Jason sat in the bedroom while Tim was in the bathroom with a fresh set of clothes. Jason kept an ear out for any signs of pain or distress so that he could help him.

Jason was happy to know that this was finally coming to a close, but the silence got him thinking. With Tim going back to normal, things were going to change. Routines were going to change. And the small bouncing child was now going to be older and more mature.

The bathroom door open, pausing his train thought. Dressed in sweatpants and a red t-shirt, Tim stood before Jason as though nothing had happened.

"How are you feeling?" Jason asked.

"Good." Tim sighed with a small smile. "Tired, but good."

The adjustments were as unusual as Jason was reactive. And that was to say very. Every time it seemed like Tim needed help, Jason would react, only for Tim to be fine. When Tim tripped, he would catch himself. When he needed to reach something, he typically could. And Tim would go to sleep on his own. No story. No need to be tucked in. Nothing.

Tim was doing everything on his own only asking for assistance when need be. He was even back on patrol in a week. However, it wasn't without supervision, as Jason was lurking in the shadows. Watching him until he knew Tim was ready to go on his own.

The whole situation was unusual and proved just how used to the routine Jason was. He was so used to the child who needed his help and loved to stay by his side that he realized just how invested he was in Tim's transformation. So much so that he hadn't prepared himself for the inevitable change. Jason was happy that everything was back to normal, but Jason would be lying if he said he didn't miss Tim needing him.

It would be another few days before Jason let himself process it. He lied in bed thinking about the memories they had made. Memories that Tim either didn't want to talk about or weren't sure how to.

His door opened, causing Jason to twitch as the light hit him. Looking at it, he saw Tim in the doorway. His stance was tired, but anxious, and his face uncomfortable. Tim's hands were locked, but his thumbs twitched.

Jason recognized it almost immediately, knowing that the change had effected Tim too. He was troubled by something, and this was his way of saying that he needed Jason.

"Nightmare?" Jason asked.

Tim took a moment before nodding.

"About the bad man coming back to take you?"

Tim nodded again. Jason smirked, accepting Tim's silent cry for comfort. He shifted over a bit, making space for Tim.

"Come here." Jason offered.

Tim accepted the offer, taking the empty space. Jason covered Tim, who curled up to get comfortable. He glanced at Jason with weary eyes.

"Thank you Jason." Tim muttered. "For everything."

It may have seemed small, but that one little phrase was all Jason needed. Jason softly grinned at Tim.

"Anything for you Timmy." Jason replied.