The Gotham Knights of Middle-Earth
by phoenix83ad sees Tim Drake and Cassandra Cain being sent to Middle-Earth by Klarion (bum bum BUM) the Witch-Boy. With Cassandra initially meeting the four hobbits on their way to Bree while Robin lands in Mirkwood, the two soon become drawn into the War of the Ring, which also leads to a change in their relationship.
The story is complete, but its sequel, GKME II: Harmful Fellowships, has been dormant since 2006, although it has not been explicitly abandoned.
The Gotham Knights of Middle-Earth contains examples of:
- Always Chaotic Evil: Tim and Cassandra soon establish that this applies to the Orcs and the Goblins, with Tim comparing them to Darkseid's parademons, using this to justify their willingness to kill when facing these opponents, although the two silently agree not to use lethal force against Sauron's human followers.
- Applied Phlebotinum: Batgirl's mithril bracelets are even able to deflect magical attacks, which prompts Robin to wonder if Mithril is another name for the material used to make Wonder Woman's bracelets as they are the only other objects he has seen that are capable of such a feat.
- Ascended Extra: When Robin and Batgirl are the ones sent to Middle-Earth rather than Batman himself, it's hard to argue that this applies.
- Battle Couple: Tim and Cassandra basically become this, even if they don't have many opportunities to fight alongside each other.
- Book Dumb: Batgirl gets help overcoming her limitations in this regard when the hobbits decide to help her learn how to read after she tells them some details of her past.
- Cast from Lifespan: Invoked; Raven is only able to open the portal to Middle-Earth by drawing on the life energy of those close to Tim and Cassandra, but since she was drawing on the energies of the rest of the Bat-Family and the Teen Titans, as well as additional assistance from Doctor Fate and Zatanna, she didn't drain enough energy from anyone for it to have a serious impact on their health.
- Combat Pragmatist: Tim manages to defeat Saruman in a fight by using weapons such as gas pellets that Saruman would be unable to anticipate.
- Deal with the Devil: At one point, Tim and Cassandra try to make a deal with Klarion by threatening Teekl, but the effort proves pointless as Klarion isn't powerful enough to do anything to Sauron.
- It May Help You on Your Quest: As well as Galadriel's canon gifts for the Fellowship, she gives Robin a new sword and Batgirl receives mithril bracelets that once belonged to Galadriel herself.
- Logical Weakness: Batgirl's ability to read her opponents isn't much use against the Nazgul as they're essentially dead and their bodies don't 'work' in the same manner as a living one, with the result that they don't give off the same cues a normal fighter would (similar to her canon difficulty in 'reading' the Joker due to his insanity).
- Now or Never Kiss: Cassandra basically does this when she briefly removes her mask to kiss Tim in Mordor when it looks like the Fellowship are about to be killed by the mass of goblins.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Comes up after Robin and Batgirl return to their world; seeing Robin and Batgirl hug Batman after they return to Earth is so unusual that the rest of the Teen Titans briefly wonder if they've been sent to a parallel universe. Later Tim fully appreciates how worried Bruce must have been about his absence when he learns that Batman not only allowed Martian Manhunter to spend time in Gotham posing as Tim, but the Dark Knight even called in a favour from Superman so that Clark and Lois could provide a cover story for Tim's absence over the summer.
- Odd Friendship: The intimidating form of the all-black-clad Batgirl makes an interesting group with the four hobbits when she arrives at Bree, but she goes on to be particularly close to Merry and Pippin.
- Outside-Context Problem:
- While they don't make a significant solo impression in mass battlefields, Robin and Batgirl make a dramatic impact on their enemies in smaller-scale conflicts, with Grima regarding Batgirl as a demon after she single-handedly takes out the guards in Rohan's throneroom before anyone registers her presence.
- Saruman also experiences this when he tries to threaten Tim, as his long experience dealing with the denizens of Middle-Earth who will be awed by his reputation and unaware of his telepathy leaves him unprepared to face someone who has received training in mental defences from a Martian telepath and has even fought the God of Evil in his universe.
- Relationship Upgrade: Tim and Cassandra were awkward allies at best in Gotham, but after spending time together in Rivendell and on the quest to Mordor, they become closer until they finally kiss in Moria, start a relationship in Lothlorien, exchange 'I love you' confessions after Helm's Deep, and become each other's firsts in Minas Tirith before the final confrontation at the Black Gate.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: In a sense; Batgirl was never unattractive, but Tim is stunned whenever he sees her wearing a dress.
- Ship Tease: Tim and Cass have a few moments of this before they finally kiss in Moria.
- "Shut Up" Kiss: Tim does this to convince Cassandra that he doesn't care about her past murder as he understands that she regrets it.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Batgirl basically pulls this when entering the throneroom of Rohan, slipping away from the rest of the Fellowship so that she can take out the guards before Grima realises what's happening, only revealing herself to hit Grima with such force that she fractures his jaw.
- Their First Time: Tim and Cassandra have a moment after they're reunited where they almost do it before Tim recognises that Cassandra's expressing that interest for the wrong reasons, but their actual first time only takes place in Minas Tirith, the night before they march off for the final confrontation with Sauron at the Black Gate.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Robin and Batgirl continue to hold to this rule when dealing with human foes, although they consider goblins and orcs exceptions to this as they're basically beasts of destruction rather than true individuals; Robin compares them to Darkseid's parademons.
- Troubled Backstory Flashback: Tim is basically subjected to one when Saruman tries to attack him telepathically, reliving such moments as the deaths of the Flying Graysons and learning that his own mother was dead and his father paralysed.
- Utility Belt: Thranduil expresses an interest in Robin's belt when he first sees it; when Tim leaves Middle-Earth, he gives the now-depleted belt to Legolas to pass on to his father now that Tim's going to get a new one.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Robin and Batgirl soon decide that they have no problem killing the goblins and the orcs in battle, later affirming to Batman that killing these foes is no different from killing Darkseid's parademons as each were bred for little more than war, but they still avoid killing any of Sauron's human forces.
