Chapter Text
Ra's al Ghul is a man who has lived for a long time to say the least. He has seen just about all of what the world has to offer, and it wasn't pretty, but he had grown accustomed to it. He had to or he would have lost his mind centuries ago. Or maybe he had. Sanity was a concept he was sure that had long escaped him.
Actually it had been in his youth when he had his first brush with insanity. When he felt like he was losing his mind. His second brush with insanity wouldn't be living over hundreds over years seeing the life leave hundreds of thousands of eyes, it would be coming face to face with the boy he thought he lost all those years ago again.
Of course he had met his fair share of people who reminded him of him and he held them close to him, or as close someone could ever get to the Demon's head but it seemed like the the very gods he had tried to become were mocking him with that boy. Or maybe it was a blessing. He couldn't be sure. Some days it felt like a curse and others it felt like the greatest gift he's ever gotten, just the chance to see that face again.
But most the time it felt like the biggest slap in the face, as if he was smiling down onto him like how he always did when he played a prank on him, laughing when Ra's finally realized the joke, clutching his sides as he giggled. Not many people could make Ra's al Ghul the butt of a joke but he could. And Ra's would give up all his riches just the chance of him being able to do that again.
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When Ra's al Ghul was young, still untainted from the Lazarus pits he met insanity for the first time after losing the one person that was his entire world.
When Ra's al Ghul was much older, aged by the centuries having seen madness, met insanity again having to see that boy again.
Timothy Drake has lived what one could call a strange life but this just might take the cake. Sure he's fought giant robots and faced galactic threats that would leave most pissing themselves but this truly is the most strangest thing he's ever had to dealt with.
Now what pray tell may be this strange situation that Tim finds himself in?
Well first he's had been traveling around the world trying to prove that his pseudo father is alive and very much not dead despite what everyone was saying where he happened to stumble upon Ra's al Ghul who believed him and was willing to offer help, of course not for free. Deals with the devil always cost something but this deal was…strange.
He was expecting maybe doing some contracts for him, facing deadly assassins and he did. The Council of Spiders was a pain in the ass but something changed after the incident in Iraq. Its was almost like he was getting hesitant. Almost.
Tim still had to finish his end of the deal and get rid of the Council of Spiders (he couldn't afford for Tam to get hurt) but something had definitely shifted. Maybe it was the way Ra's viewed Tim, realizing some 'hidden potential' or whatever but it was like he couldn't let Tim go.
Sure Tim knew making compromises with villains was sticky business—trust him he's had his fair share but it was like Ra's had dug his claws into him and had no intention of letting go.
It went like this:
Tim had finally defeated the Council of Spiders and was more than ready to leave the Cradle with Tam and blow everything to bits. He had been climbing out that opening in the ceiling with Tam ahead of him grappling towards with the edge, pulling herself out when his forgotten comm link buzzed to life. He had expected anger and fury but all he was greeted with was an airy laugh and a tone of voice that one could describe as almost proud.
Now Ra's doesn't laugh, he rumbles evilly like any other respectable super villain, and he definitely doesn't do the same laugh Tim has heard time and time again from suburban moms. Also nothing good ever comes from an elated Ra's al Ghul. Like ever. So, him sounding like something akin to proud was really fucking with Tim right now, like up to now he wasn't even sure the guy could do anything but grin like the Grinch and it was not good at all to say the least that the Demon's head was proud over something he'd done. That just basically solidifies that he does crazy shit.
Which means he owes Steph 100 bucks.
Ra's goes on to tell him he is glad Tim had taken such initiative, but this little act of defiance won't even scratch the top of his operations. It was a taunt, that much was clear but Tim was always known to be curious so instead of shutting the man down and ignoring him he questions him.
Tim had been so sure that his access to the League mainframe had shown him everything—no it did, he was sure in his hacking abilities but it turned out Ra's had no concept of a mainframe and that it was called main for a reason. He had more than one, hell he probably had hundreds if not more. It made sense he definitely had the time to have built up such a network but it still bugged Tim out that he hadn't realized it earlier.
Just as he had been irritated enough to throw his comm out Ra's had offered something Tim couldn't refuse.
Information.
He had offered it in exchange for a cease fire, a truce despite Tim having tumbling down up one of his networks and hundreds of bases. There was a catch, that he knew and demanded for. Maybe it was a ploy to keep him out of Gotham? Or maybe keep Tim occupied so he could take Tam all over again and force him to do his dirty work all over again.
But in an unsurprising nature Ra's was frighteningly transparent….that was when Tim started to suspect someone impersonating Ra's and agreed to this meeting. A place and time he decided. Tam was sent on the next flight to Gotham with the promise of him following soon behind her and for her to give a message to her father.
That meeting, having being on the Italian coastline because if Tim was gonna deal with bullshit he was gonna deal with it with a beautiful view nursing one of those caffe macchiatos that the cafes in Gotham can't hope to ever make right. Where Ra's revealed his reasons for this meeting. Apparently Ra's had a new compromise he wanted to propose. Something to do with giving Tim information on his some of his old networks that some villains were using now in exchange….yeah wait for it….Tim spending time with him. Well that's not what he said but it's basically what he said.
To say that Tim was floored would be an understatement. His confusion was very much evident where Ra's took it as an invitation to assure him that this was no joke or trick. That he had realized Tim hidden potential (called it) and wanted to cultivate it.
Tim had all but raised an eyebrow. So he wanted to indoctrinate him into his cult. Wow. Yeah, no thanks.
Just as he was about to turn him down and maybe chuck his drink in his face Ra's began to tell him about his targets in Gotham.
It was like this guy wanted to be drenched in coffee but Tim refrained if only to hear to rest of his threat. He was willing to call off his men, The Seven Men of death, the deadliest assassins the League has to offer, off of Steph, Tam, Alfred, Dick, Barbara, Selina, Jim, Lucius, Damian, people that Batma—that Tim cares about, if he took up his offer.
Spending time with him.
Yeah he must be trying to mind control him or something. But Tim knows when he's backed into a corner so he concedes before basically sprinting back to Gotham just in time to save WE from a hostile takeover from guess who…Ra's.
Truce, his ass.
This guy is starting to take up too much of his time, you know. Like Tim has other villains. Not that Ra’s cares, you'd think the world revolves around the guy.
After that whole situation you'd think that Tim would forsake the whole compromise and run Ra's out of Gotham, right?
Wrong. Never assume.
In the big showdown between he and Ra's Red Robin tells him he's done compromising and that he isn't playing this game anymore. He says some other stuff to piss Ra's off but what really ticks him off is when Tim points out how obsessed the man is with him. He sees true rage on the man's face before he's kicked from the window.
The last thing he sees is the frustrated face of Ra's as wind whistles past his ears.
Tim's upset. Upset that that going to be the last thing he sees before he dies.
What's worse is that he doesn't die. Batman—Dick is there to catch him. He should feel relieved but all he feels is this sense of foreboding from the moment he woke up. Like something waiting for him. He doesn't have to wait long.
Ra's sends him a letter inviting him to dinner at some high-end place in upper Gotham. Like he'd actually go, the guy sure does have audacity.
It's a week after said letter when he gets a response.
He had stayed in that night working because a hit list won't write itself and partly because he wants to enjoy his new apartment. So of course sensors go off signaling that someone is on his roof—an unauthorized someone. It doesn't take the world's greatest detective to figure out who. At first Tim wasn't sure if he wanted to risk being on high surfaces with Ra's again but for some strange reason he feels like Ra's didn't want to kill him the first time.
So. On the rooftop with Ra's. He offers a new compromise. Something Tim adamantly refuses but then again Ra's dangles something shiny in front of his eyes. The Üthernet, apparently a secret global communication network for supervillians.
He says he can give him all the information about it and save him all this trouble if he were to reconsider his previous offer. Information in exchange for spending time—sorry let's put it how he said it, dedicate himself to Ra's tutelage for periods of time.
Yeah…he'd be crazy to reconsider that….
He was on a plane to the Himalayas the next week.
Look he wasn't dumb contrary to popular belief (Mostly Damian's belief) but he did make dumb decisions from time to time. Now was he sure he could handle Ra's on his own—kinda but he did have backup (Cass) and he had more explosives than Ra's thought he did. Also he really needed to get rid of the Üthernet, he had heard whispers of it and it was nothing good and unfortunately Ra's had been the one who had confirmed its existence.
…
This was a really dumb decision.
A really dumb decision.
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Now you would think that Ra’s double crossed him and he's now in some dungeon but surprisingly enough he isn't. The Üthernet is taken down and in exchange Ra's invites him over (more like just takes him there without asking—so kidnapping) to this Tibetan base that he was sure Damian had mentioned in passing once.
It was beautiful. The view was just breathtaking and the place was barely occupied with only a few servants running around, fetching water and a few guards doing rounds.
He spends four days there. He doesn't do anything there particularly. When he wakes up the first morning he brought out to a breakfast spread with Ra's seated at the head to the table. Tim sits at the other end of the table. They don't talk, maybe Ra's isn't much of a morning person.
Ra's goes to who knows where after breakfast and Tim is basically left to his own devices. At first he works on a few cases remotely and submits some forms Lucius needed him to approve and then works out a little after lunch and pretends he doesn't see Ra's watching him but by the third day he's done all his work. He doesn't even pretend to not be bored.
At first he skims through some of the books in the library before resolving to finding Ra's because the guy literally dragged him to his base to hang out or whatever. He finds him half an hour later sharpening his sword as some servant reads out some paper they are holding. It's not important just some inventory review.
He doesn't enter the room, but he knows Ra's sees him. After a minute Ra's stops sharpening his sword, and consequently the servant stops reading. The servant doesn't even hesitate, quickly bowing before leaving.
Tim drops from the ceiling landing directly in front of him. He doesn't hide the way he surveys him and the room.
Tim doesn't say anything as he strolls around the room—some kind of office. He picks up and flips through a book from a shelf. He scoffs at its content. Of course the self absorbed bastard would have a book about himself. He continues going through the shelf scoffing at the ridiculous books that he finds. The sounds of a sword sharpening picks back up.
Tim doesn't stay for long, leaving for the courtyard. He ends up just sitting down on the grass soaking in the sun after messing around with some of the weaponry for a couple hours. The slight breeze is welcome on his warm skin.
Ra's doesn't even try to mask his presence as he approaches.
"The maids have prepared lunch." He says.
Tim huffs, not opening his eyes still, "And the Great Ra's al Ghul came to tell me this himself. I'm honored, truly."
"Tt."
Footsteps retreat.
Huh. Guess the tutting thing is genetic. But in all seriousness why was Ra's telling him food was ready, maybe he poisoned it. Nah, it would be way too obvious for him to do that, or was he using reverse psychology?
….
The next day is spent in similar fashion, lazing about while judging Ra's. It's peaceful. Not just because he's hating on Ra's but because the place is actually beautiful and quiet. Quiet in a way that Gotham will never be. Don't get him wrong he loves Gotham but a break is needed from time to time. Don't tell Bart that, give him an inch and he's going to run a mile and the next thing he'd know he would be covered in Central City propaganda.
But his favorite part of the base is the pond. He had found it on the third day and spent the rest of his evening feeding the ducks and fish. The water was cool and felt heavenly against his skin.
Before night falls a helicopter comes and Tim knows this is his ride home.
He's almost sad to go.
Yeah...this the last time Tim was ever going to compromise with Ra's.
Anyway, present day. Tim is currently in one of the underground bases drinking tea over watching assassins in training do katas with Ra's sitting right next to him. He may have lied to himself, but everyone makes mistakes, and the tea is good despite the fact it's definitely spiked with some type of poison. He won't die, maybe, Ra's will likely give him a puzzle to solve to get the antidote.
Yeah…Tim doesn't know what his life had become either. There's literally no instructions in how to deal with this but he's always been good at improvising. If he wasn't he wouldn't have made it out of Gotham. So he can handle this, whatever this was.
He thinks.