Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tim tried to rub his eyes as he feels odd. Looking around he growls. Someone dared to steal a drake like him from his own nest.

He paces slowly as he tries to remember the days before being trapped in this rocky room. Nothing unusual he muses. Just another school day and his nighttime routine that… he does remember seeing odd shadows. Chills run down his back.

A whine escapes his throat, the room feeling much smaller. He scratches the wall to see if he could but hisses at the utter cold it is. Flames tickle his throat as he lets them build hotter. Doesn't work but now he isn't at risk of another unwanted hibernation for the time being. 

He circles the room more carefully now. It's oddly fancy and almost fitted for royalty. The gold tapestries filled tasteful green swirls and drakes in positions of war. The nest he awoke in filled with clearly hunted furs and fine silks. And books. So many books behind a metal case with windows. 

His claws catch on the edge of a tapestry and he pulls back at how delicate they are. The books look to be a mix of languages. Some he only saw in his mother's artifact books. He looks away at the reminder.

Was this a cult his Clan leader warned him and the other nestlings when he was 7? He searches his memory to think of what to do. He obviously couldn't shift Human. He would be clawless! Tim curls in the nest, hidden under the furs as the weight of everything crashes into his mind.

Tim himself trapped into an increasingly colder room draped in treasures that might aswell be plastic in his mind. The colors that brought him comfort only to mock him. He wanted his Robin to rescue him. But dead birds don't do that. He wanted Batman but the man had started to beat men too close to death 

He blinks slowly, a large blur draped in green and gold bending over him. Tim snaps at the hand that forces his head to lift. Cold toxic eyes stare at him with cruel glee. “What beautiful scales, the green is so bright. I wonder if you have any venom. Poisonous maybe?” The man mused to himself. Tim tries to place the man who felt so old yet looked like he was only reaching his 50's. 

Tim growls as his head is forcibly moved. He tenses and prepares to lunge, but the man is fast and scruffs him. Not for the first time it has Tim cursing his technical status of being a child in drake years. 

His growl continues as his mouth is forced open. Hand expertly finding his Spark glands and his Venom glands behind his largest front teeth.

Unceremoniously he is dropped back into the nest. The Man hums at the bottle of his venom. “We shall see how deadly you are. Would be a shame to lose a rarity like you. Ah yes.” He mockingly bows, his black, Grey and white hair sweeping in front of his eyes. “My Name is Ra's Al Ghul. But I am now your master Drake. Best not to struggle. I will not hesitate to have someone dispatch your life”

Tim blows flames at Ra's foot out of spite. That earned him a rough kick that sent him into the freezing stone walls. Watching him leave made Tim wish for even Batman to find him. Even if it meant more injuries.

Tim settles into an odd routine. Sleeping, eating the Raw -ick- Slabs of meat that slide into his prison, his Thankfully only paralytic venom being Drained by Ra's and sleeping again.

He did try to stay active. But his scales were dulling and he started feeling the signs of a stress molt. The irritation leading to Him being snappier and claws constantly out. 

Ra's noticed it all too well and he didn't take too kindly to it after the seventh bite. The bastard tosses him into a crude pit with other predators and tells Him to survive. He hates it, the blood crusting over his scales and his venom glands constantly producing more to keep up with the demand. 

Tim knew he would have stained nails and teeth if he were to shift Human again.

Human. He tried that once. The chill of too small clothing and the loss of his voice making it worthless to him. Scales that fell off gave way to small lines of the Red his mother was so prideful about and the yellow that ran down his back like his father. Cruel irony when Ra's noticed that they matched a certain dead bird.

His claws etch into the walls in his more angry days. His fires burn even the metal case around the shelves. Those got removed and his claws dipped in the molten metal to keep them out permanently. 

Then he started targeting the weapons of the guards. Ra's took scales after he found Tim chewing on a Katana. That single guard never appeared again.

Tim learned quickly to not set Ra's robes on fire as well. His horns were luckily due to fall off but Tim always hisses seeing the earrings and ring fashioned from them. But anytime he did something approved there was a chance of a reward. Such as having free reign off a small area around his room.

With a heavy sigh he settles down in the furs, he doesn't want to wake up to this nightmare again. But he heard a wail. A baby? He slinks into the hallway and follows the sounds quickly. He darts between the feet of assassin's used to him in this fortress of a hallway. But speed always was a gift for a Drake like Him.

He nudges open a door and his eyes narrowed as he sees an unknown person holding a knife over a crib. His mind blanks and a Nanny gasps in the morning to see a bloody drake wrapped around the Demon's child. Chirps soothing the child as a mutilated assassin lays at the foot of the crib. Flesh both torn and eaten.

His scales drips blood but no wounds as he softly cleans the infant. Purrs and chirps keeping the heir asleep and calm. Blue eyes flash seeing the Nanny. Tim opens his maw and hissed loudly at the outreached hand. The aghast nanny jerks her hand away 

Talia arrives moments later. Demands to clean the room and Tim were made and done quickly. Tim doesn't regret his first human kill. This little babe was to be protected and that's what Ra's allowed. His purrs and chirps sang out at night as a lullaby for the growing boy.

Damian he soon learned was his charges name and Tim Killed for him many times. A few Years passed as he grew up with Damian.  

Tim hums as he follows the Toddler. Damian was to be shown the Pit and its latest being either sacrificed or healed within. He sat small on the balcony tense and ready to strike. Damian's eyes widen as the stumbling body is led to the pit.

Tim's own eyes scour the room for possible dangers until he hears a piercing scream. The boy rising from the pit going on a mindless rampage. Getting to close for Tim's comfort, he taps into the very little Drake Magic he has and grows. And with a single jump he restrains the boy.

He tips his head as the last bandages fall away. It takes energy not to whistle and chirp in surprise at the undead Robin. His energy pulses at the sight of former Hoard. An unknown energy pulses in the undeads chest and it almost burns at how supercharged it was.

 Slowly he released Jason to return to Damian. Winding around his charge Tim stares almost coldly. He did not like this, unknowns are dangerous and more so in this prison.

Ra's eyes centered on the two after Jason was guided away. Both boys ramrod straight as he nods as if they passed an unknown test. Or rather a new one as the remaining assassin's attacked Tim. 

Tim growled as he walked to his room covered in crimson again.

And those left behind would not walk again unless Ra's allowed them. 

Tim shrank again and panted at the energy loss once he was in his nest again. His muscles burned as he stretched out lazily. 

The door slides open and stumbles a now dressed Jason through it via a perfectly manicured hand. Tim duck under the furs quickly to assess the other. His mind and heart racing at the living impossibility. The undead. nodding to himself he decides he needs to help him anyways.

Slowly he slides out and bites a sleeve to get the confused boy to sit down by the small bed that Damian lay soundly in. Pulling the blankets over by him he plays up the Tiny Cute Drake act that he long abandoned. Soft turquoise eyes stare at him and a large hand reaches out in a gentleness he never felt before. 

“What are you?” Jason whispers in a hoarse unused voice. Tim chirps and clicks as he pulls a tapestry to show where he carved his first name. At first a way to remind himself of his humanity. Now a way to communicate 

“Timothy huh. Lil Tim.” Tim perks up and nods happily at the confirmation of his name. “Cute little reptile. I don't remember much yet. But you can guide me right?” Jason, his Robin, speaks so softly as he picks Tim up and close to his pulsing heart. To the pulsing energy that oddly felt like hope. The feeling makes him melt. 

Tim does wonder. Why did Talia put a Toddler, Drake and

a Robin in one room?

And why did Jason have weapons on him already?

Chapter Text

Red. Tim's teeth drew red as he protected those who are in his Hoard.

Ra's sickenly enjoyed it. The blood drawn. 

It didn't stop there either. Puzzles were given and continued to get harder and harder as he trained his mind. Tim's mistake showing his level of smarts when not blindly killing. But no amount of force made Tim turn back human.

The two Knew that Tim could. He was taken in human form and Ra's Al Ghul never went in without researching his target. Tim was a Drake and Drakes never allowed for captors to see more than one form.

Jason's head hurt. Everything these days did. Flashes of laughter and smiles striking him and he returns to the room that holds the Child and what he learns was a drake. Covered in blood until Tim drags him to the waterfall.

He idly looks over at Damian and Tim. Tim gently clicking and chirping like a songbird as Damian mimics him in his clumsy toddler way. Each time Damian perfects a chirp Tim blows a little puff of fire in a new shape.  It was honestly extremely cute as Jason reads.

He breathes in a meditation Bruce taught him. Trying to stay calm at the newest newspaper tossed into his room. A Robin. A Replacement and she looked happy. Like the magic he used to have. 

“Again? Goddamnit B!” He throws the paper at the wall. Tim hissing at the sudden movement. Green floods his vision until Tim bats his head in disapproval. 

“Tim, stop! Greens gone.” Tim keeps batting his nose until they sit. Irritation and fear still boiling under his skin “he's going to get her killed.” Tim stares at the paper and narrows his eyes. His claws cut into it and an older paper. Dragging them over.

Jason looks over and tips his head “clue master unmasked?” Another paper joins it “Stephanie Brown adopted by Bruce Wayne? Holy shit. She was already on the scene.” His spine runs cold as he looks at Damian then the Robin colored drake

“Ra's wants Damian to be robin.-” his bare feet pace the cold ground “but he can't if there is one already.” Tim chirps and tips his head “these are Manipulation of the Madness, Timmers. He wants me to kill her. He wants to use me” and unearthly growl thrums his chest 

Rubbing it he continues to pace “I'm being trained. As a weapon.” Tim follows him with eyes and a chirp he points at the door “a escape?” Jason nods understanding his Fraid/brother/protection Kin “We take Damian”

A tug pulls at him. His eyes glow as he looks at the door.  The smell and taste of breath beat around him. He pulls out an extra training outfit and carefully cuts it to wrap his feet. Tim slowly melts the plastic hoarded under his furs as the other makes a sling for Damian. 

He looks over at his fellow captives. Tim is already pulling at his magic to grow the slightest bit more. Damian secure against his chest as he soothes him into a nap. Running his hand through his hair he almost laughs. A barely formed plan between a Magic Lizard, a Resurrected Robin and a Toddler.  

The tug pulls harder and inexplicably he tugs back. Freedom he prays for as they slide out, the sun midday as most are asleep in preparation of the night. Blinking at the brightness he starts running. Tim bounds in front his claws striking and clamping around the throats of the few still alive.

The blur of Tim fills him with pride and determination as he grabs weapons of the groaning assassin's. He sharply whistles as more come down the hall. Twice again when he spots a furious Ra's Al Ghul.

Whispers float by him as he prays to anyone. Freedom he calls for. Damian sleeps against his chest, the sounds of death being a lullaby he has heard many times. Grunts and gasps of pain surrounding them.

Tings and crunches of blades being Parried by swiftness and Crushed in Teeth are soft in the rushing blood and the pulsing green on the edges of his vision. Familiar training coming back with ease as always.  The flips and landings barely shifted the boy tied to his chest.

They aren't unharmed in this, Jason earns a dagger in his arm and Tim's horns are sliced off dangerously close to his head.  Tim bites a chunk off of the woman's arm for doing so. 

Jason slides under a blade and he realizes his mistake. The three of them are trapped on a balcony. Tim growling and baring his teeth.

Whispers grow in the wind.  Unseen Strings floating by his face. Call out. Freedom will come. Just pull. Wish for it if you must 

Jason glares and green pulses as he grabs Tim and climbs on the railing. “Freedom. I Wish for our freedom” Tim looks up frozen in his arms as Jason grins “Trust me Hatchling.” He soothes. 

With a grin he allows the invisible strings to tug him again. With a peace sign and steps off the rail backwards and into the mountains below

And Freedom Catches him 

Chapter Text

Whatever Danny tells you. Ellie is not completely reckless. But this is, unfortunately, her most reckless decision yet. Her Core is made of freedom and she always felt the tugs around her to be easy to ignore.

But he wasn't. She hadn't felt this strong of a pull since…. Her own escape and Kon’s escape where She unfortunately couldn't help him at first. The surprise made her yelp and shoot up. Eyes glowing bright green as she starts moving with urgency.

So when she flew off the rest of Young Justice followed close behind on the super cycle without hesitation. Ellie pulled back on the tug and he responded with his own Hope wrapping around it in desperation.

Sand flew around her as she used it as a shroud. Her eyes close as she follows her Core. She pulls again and again as she gets closer. 

She checks behind her and grins at her team. Turning on her comm she breathed

“Spectral! What are you leading us into?” Wonder girl asks 

“No clue but remember what I taught you about Ghost Obsessions? Someone needs us and he can tug back”

Impulse races by her “wait-i-thought-No-one-but-other-ghosts-or-halfas-could!”

She almost laughs in nervousness “exactly.” She swerves around towers of rocks and her eyes light up. “Almost here!”

Cassie looks up confused. “Ellie… We're in the desert!’’

“Uh Yeah? Man this one is desperate!”

They all startle at the alarms that ring out. The Tug pulls harder, Desperate Hope ringing down the line making her shiver from the unsung tune. Elle takes that as her cue and speeds off faster. Weaving through the defenses aimed at her with ease. Her eyes fly up as she scouts the now revealed base.

“Anyone got a clue on what this place is?” She asks as she dodges an arrow.

“No clue. We can't access the Database. Probably a block on their end!” Arrowette shoots an arrow back and strikes a man's hand. 

Elle scrunched her nose at that. Man she wished she had Tucker on her team. 

Fire and the smell of burnt flesh shoots through her. The line is getting so Desperate that she can feel his death. A sharp shriek echoes out as she pulls. Flying at speeds she never reached before she wrapped around the falling Ghostling.

A sharp gasp left both of their chests, Smoke and Water vapor mixing. The teen in her arms staring up in shock, greasy black and white hair falling around him as he clutches a Baby and-

“HOW DID YOU BOND WITH AND RESCUE A DRAKE HATCHLING?!” 

The Drake screeched offended. Rapid chirps and chitters unhappily making it known. It's claws harmlessly digging into her arm.

The teen chuckles “more like he tamed me. Names- er -Rob. Just call me Rob. Tim n I need out like out like yesterday. Especially since we have my dad's kid.” 

The whistles of bullets and arrows fly through them as Dani flies above 

“You got it Rob! Oi Yj! I need a super cycle at my signature asap and we are outta here!” Dani presses her com while avoiding projectiles swiftly 

“Loud and Clear Spectral. Extraction is on its way. Oh man Bats is going to be pissed that we accidentally raided an assassin hideout.” Superboy mumbled. The drake gives a chirp like laugh as they get dropped into the cycle. The Clones giving the three of them winks and grins and Cissie keeps shooting arrows. Reaching back she hisses a curse

“Everyone pull out! We got the prisoners out and I'm out of arrows to put in their ankles!” Cissie taps her com

“Loud and Clear Arrowette! Didn't know what to do so I grabbed all their hard drives and smeared their peanut butter on every pillow”

Rob looked between aghast and about to laugh at Impulses claim. “I- what? Who is Teaching you guys!?”

Dani looks over as they start flying faster “uh. No one? I mean Arrowette has G.A but that's rare. Oh and Wonder trains with WW pretty often. But mainly we just… do it ourselves?”

She is quick to look confused when seeing how pale the Liminal(Revenant/Half formed Halfa?) is “what?”

Robs eyes flash green as he schools himself. Worry shoots through her spine as the drake is quick to nip his ear. The flood of anger. Fear. Protective makes her wince and the drake pushes out his own emotions like an awkward baby Neverborne safe. Hope. My Todd. Help them?

A chuff exits Rob and Tim simultaneously. “Sorry, pit rage.” Rob mumbled. 

Laying a hand softly on his shoulder she just nods “that's alright. I guess it's a bit alarming now that I think about it. Maybe I should ask my template to help bring in instructor's. “ chuckling nervously.

Rob looks up “I could help. I have… training. Maybe as a trade for hiding us? I'm not really ready to face my family after… Uhm. Everything.”

Dani nods “sure. By the way, why did Tim call you Todd?”

Robs eyes widen “you know my identity you little shit?! You can understand him?!” Tim just glares half-heartedly as he tips his head to Elle. A clumsy push of Know. Since first chick. Funny, hard listen, hard talk. Magic Unstable.

Ellie nods “oooh. That's why. Your Core is all kinds of poisoned, Mmmmm definitely shattered too. Looks like you got punched by Superman and then dunked in acid”

Rob laughs a bit hysterically “I think the Pits qualify as acid at this point. But also what the fuck is a Core?”

Both Rob and the crew scream as Ellie seemingly pulls out something from her chest, a ball of wind, water and freedom swirling above her hand. It pulses and expands to the size of a basketball.

“This. This is my Core, my soul and very being as an Infinite Realms Ghost. It shows my elements, what my obsession and Fraid is.” She points to the little birds “see, those are my Fraid connections. My family. “ She closes her hands and slides it back in her chest. “Horrific to watch, am I right?” She grins mischief playing on her lips

As the world passes by them, they just stare. “Wait. Are you saying I have one? But I'm a human” Rob asks confused

“Half of one now!” Ellie chirps “I'll give you a whole crash course. And put your Core back together. Although from your pull, I'd say your biggest element is Hope. Which is sooo cool and matches mine! Freedom!”

“Hope.” Rob mumbles to himself, eyes cast in darkness as Tim purrs on him and Damian. “Huh. B would be proud of that wouldn't he.”

Chapter Text

Her boots barely touched the ground as she ran. Her dad found the outfit she hid. Her plans to ruin his own. She got careless after her first week out and the thrill of going unseen.
Blood dripped from her lip from the split reopening, the split her father gave her.

She had trembled and stiffened as his fury grew. But then he put her on watch out. Always in sight of Cluemaster. Dragged into his crimes but in a non violent way.
It was weird. He cared in his own way even if anger filled his lungs and toxic greed colored his vision.

But all it led to was being chased. Her hair whipping around as a Gotham storm ravages the city like the Bat who chases her.
It was cold, wet and her clothes stuck to her as raindrops hit her like tiny rocks. Each drop brings a terrible ache she'll regret later.
Steph forces herself to keep going, shoving down the fear and pulling on the thrill of a chase.

Her blood sings as she jumps on the rooftops. No protection from the rain but this was as much her territory as the Bat.
At least until she slipped. A wire tugging and a bright flash blinds them both.
She snaps her teeth together in an attempt to stifle the wounded noise of pain as her ankle throbs, and she sees a small camera beside her. Who the fuck was insane enough to leave shit like that around.

Blinking away the spots of pain and the flash, she stares up. The Bat. The beings cape draping around them both as he bends onto a knee. Steph freezes and a whine of fear escapes her chest, causing the Bat to freeze before he pulls out a roll of bandages and something to keep her foot in place.

“I'm sorry.” His rough voice makes her blink. It sounded… like her dad did after mom got killed and she was hurt. Grief and sorrow.
Steph frowns and looks away. “What is a kid like you doing with Cluemaster?”

A Gruff huff that puffs into the cold air like smoke from her snarled lips. “Forced me to watch out for ya. He's m'dad n he got mad that I was attempting to fuck with his plans as a Vigilante” she curses at herself as her Alley accent came out full force. Especially as the Bat's mouth tightens and his hands shake. Everyone knew his last bird was all Crime Alley too.

Everyone had a different opinion on what happened to him until the Joker spilled everything to his therapist that got killed later that terrible week. That damned man made sure the truth was out there. The reason why the man of Vengeance, who was above her and finishing wrapping her ankle, was teetering on the edge.

“Hm” was all the sound he made. His hand brushing hers away from her hidden knife “I'm not going to take your knife Ms brown. But I would prefer you not break it by trying to stab me.” She almost laughs at the oddly rehearsed tone. Almost laughs as if everyone didn't know about his death wish.

“Wow. Who made you that polite Bat?” She snaps without thinking. “Ya have done worse to most of dad's men. So why the fuck am I the exception” she growled and barked harshly in the way her mom said was all her grandmothers influence. “You only stopped to fucking think because of a stupid camera flash. Is it because I am a young girl? Nah, can't be it. Because you broke Mrs Candy's nose just because she stole bread for the other street girls.”

She freezes seeing the guilt even through those terrible white eyes. Her mouth ran faster than her mind again.
A hand stops her. Muffling the yelp as she is tucked under his cape and behind him. A gunshot ringing the air as much as the laughter did.

She forgot the other reason why her dad brought her out that night. Gagging on the scent of acid, toxin and rot she was tossed to a corner, hidden by the detached cape falling around her. She took the chance to slip behind the boxes and pull out her knife. The sight of the Joker and The Bat fighting was a sight. A madman using tricks and dirty tools to fight against someone so trained and experienced.

Eventually the Joker failed, his body pinned and hogtied. Only then she saw the bright smile bomb blinking on the Bat's back. Almost Howling from the sharp pain of her ankle she jumped and pried it off before throwing it at the water.

Using her hood to hide her face from the Joker she looked at the stunned vigilante. Feeling herself wobble and shaking out the water from her hair she grinned wildly, all teeth, Fiery adrenaline and fear as she pulled the caped tighter. “You didn't see it.”

“Why? If you're so angry at me?” He frowns as he roughly knocks out the man under him. It's so soft. Steph frowns back at him. Anger and resentment mixing with disbelief

“Because you used to be something I smiled at. Someone I believed in. That kid wants him back.” she jabs a finger at his chest “what you gonna do ’bout it? Are you gonna pull your head outta your behind n stop acting like you got nothing to lose?”

The Bat tips his head as he hefts the Joker over his shoulder and looks down at the police response. “Are you Hungry? I'll tell them you just got caught up and I'll escort you home. Can stop at bat burger and you can speak more on what you think I'm doing wrong”

Steph blinks. That was… soft. Forced like he ate a super sour lemon but soft. “Yeah. Might be a bi' hungry.” she mutters as she accepts the arm so they land safely. Her hands curled into the cape looking up at the Bat. Yeah the man's shitty. But fuck if she didn't know what it was like to lose family. To lose all control in life.

Little did she know that this would lead to greater things in her future. But also many heartaches.