The Surprise (A Bat-Family Fanfiction)

Chapter 24

Tim rested on the sofa. He didn't dare try to sleep, or even close his eyes. Everytime he did he would just see the Joker with his crowbar ready to hit him. He stared at the ceiling, imagining what could be happening to his family and wishing he had the strength to save them, to get up and fight. He groaned as Alfred appeared in the room with fresh bandages and some cookies, "Master Tim, sit up and let me apply these bandages," Alfred told him.

Tim complied and sat up, finding that Stephane was sitting in the corner looking at him expectantly. She looked mad and Tim didn't know exactly what to say until she broke the silence, "Do you know how worried I was?" she yelled at Tim. Tim flinched at her words muttering, "Sorry, Steph," before he got louder and yelled, "I missed you, okay! But I don't think it was my fault that I got kidnapped!" He looked at her and she deflated before sighing, "I know, sorry." Then the room fell into a tense silence with only the sound of Alfred bandaging Tim's wounds.

Then Barbara entered the living room she looked at Tim with a fire burning in her eyes. "Where is Dick?" She asked Tim, looking like she was trying not to cry. Tim suddenly tensed up, remembering where the rest of the Bat-family was and how much trouble they were in.

"He and everyone else are in Ra's al Ghul and the Joker's lair. They were captured trying- trying to save me," Tim looked at the floor. His vision was starting to get blurry with tears.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Wonder who that could be?" Stephanie got up and walked to the door. She opened it a little and immediately tried to slam it shut, but a hand slid through and pushed it open, sending Stephanie flying to the floor.

Tim had heard the noise and limped over to the entrance hall, Barbara following behind him, "Stephanie!" He yelled, seeing her on the floor.

"Hello, Bird," Tim froze, shock and fear spreading throughout his whole body. Ra's al Ghul stood in front of him, wielding a katana. Barbara immediately jumped into action and lunged at Ra's al Ghul. She dodged swings from his sword and threw punches at him.

Tim couldn't move. He kept seeing the endless torture. It kept replaying in his mind. The crowbar. The gun. The pain.

"Tim," Stephanie's voice snapped him out of his trance, "You have to get out of here! Ra's al Ghul is after you and as long as you're alive, he'll be hunting you."

"But what about you and Barbara?" Tim asked. Barbara was handling Ra's al Ghul, but she was quickly getting tired. The sword was getting closer and closer to hitting her.

"We can hold him of in time for you to escape," Stephanie said.

"What happens after that?" Tim didn't want to think about it.

"We'll figure it out. Now go!" Stephanie quickly pushed Tim's question aside and jumped into the fight with Barbara. Tim looked back at them before limping away as fast as he could.

Ra's al Ghul quickly noticed the injured boy getting away. "Get out of my way!" He roared. He swatted Barbara away and kicked Stephanie into the wall. He began to run after Tim, who was now out of sight. Ra's al Ghul searched every room, in every nook and cranny, but he couldn't find the boy. In the last room he checked, the window was open. Was it possible that he escaped out of it? Ra's al Ghul knew that the boy was smart and had probably left the window open as a decoy, but what if he hadn't? What if he really had gone out the window? Ra's al Ghul couldn't let him escape, not again. He took the chance and leapt out of the window, landing silently on his feet. All around him were dark woods, the boy could be anywhere. The road that lead to the main road was all the way at the front of the house, while he was in the back. There was no way the boy had made it all the way to the front, not in his condition. He had to be in the woods, in a tree or maybe even behind one. It would take ages for Ra's al Ghul to find him.