Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            “Hi! This is Bruce Wayne!” a laugh filled his ears, slightly dulled by the ringing. “I can’t come to the phone right now, but please leave a message after the jingle!”

            Tim didn’t bother to try again. His voice had long since died, whether from smoke inhalation or his own cries. What a time for Kon to be off world, huh? Tim attempted another rattling breath, only to cough up more blood.  With the position his body was in, the blood landed back on his face and in his hair. He honestly shouldn’t be surprised that Bruce hadn’t answered the phone, or that Bruce hadn’t shown up at all. Part of Tim was grateful, the other half was bitter.

            Bruce had promised he would come get coffee with Tim, but the man hadn’t shown up. Just like every other time. But just like every other time, Tim had gotten his hopes up that things would be different. That Bruce would actually come. Bruce had even been the one to schedule this time, too. He had rattled some claim that they needed to catch up and threw out the name of the coffee shop. Tim had foolishly gotten his hopes up.

            It was as Tim was getting up to leave that the bomb went off. Tim had been relatively unscathed, trying desperately to save as many lives as possible by shoving them through cracks in the debris that buried them. But it was as he was passing a baby to its mother that the floor collapsed under Tim and several others. Tim had been impaled, right where his spleen should have been. Perhaps that was why he was still alive. Tim thought it might be karma.

            Tim let the phone fall to the floor as the battery finally died.

            He hadn’t thought to call for Clark until it was too late. Until he was buried and unconscious, and by the time he came to, his voice was gone. As far as Tim could tell, he was the only one still alive down here. And even that wouldn’t last long.

            He locked eyes with the woman, who gave him a sad, comforting smile. No one else had answered.

            Bart was with Kon off world. Cassie was in school (at least, the last time he attempted to call). Cass was in Hong Kong. Steph wasn’t answering. Jason’s number was disabled. Dick had picked up, but when Tim had been unable to respond, Dick had brushed him off and hung up. He even tried calling Damian, but the brat had simply called Tim a few names and hung up.

            “It’s nearly time,” the woman told him.

            Tim knew that. His phone calls had stopped being cries for help and had simply become a desire to hear someone’s voice. Bruce’s preferably. Even if the man had pushed him away over the last year, he was still Tim’s dad.

            At least, Tim hoped Bruce was still his dad. It hadn’t exactly been clear.

            Tim could hear the flutter of her wings, now. Her hand closed around his own as she pulled him to a stand. Gentle. Guiding. Tim let go of his physical body in that moment, and simply stood. No pain. No agony.

            “Did I…did I do alright?” he asked her.

            She gave him that smile, the one she had given him when she first appeared in the little air pocket to take the first soul. Tim still remembered what happened when she first appeared. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were blacker than night. She was clad in ripped jeans and a black tank-top. Some of the more hysterical victims hadn’t recognized her at first, begging her to save them. She had smiled at them and taken the first hand. It didn’t take long for each person to accept their fate after that, and she talked with each of them before guiding them through her gate. Comforting. Reassuring. At least, that was what it felt like.

            “Perhaps,” Death told him, a contemplative look on her face. “In the end, Tim, you got what everyone gets. You got a life-time.”

            Tim supposed that was enough, and, oddly, that comforted him in the moment. He had lived a life-time. His story had played out, and now it was time to float away like Mary Poppins. His task had come to an end, he supposed, and he was no longer needed. The Bats would be relatively okay. They still had things to work out, but things would get better.

            “Come with me,” Death motioned forward.

            Tim followed, leaving his body behind to grow cold and stiff.

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            It would be three days before Tim’s body would be retrieved from the wreckage. In that time, Jason would be the first to realize something was wrong when Tim didn’t meet him for a bust they had planned. When his own search came up empty, Jason would go to the Bats. His complete hysteric over his inability to locate Tim causing a stir for the Bats.

            This would uncover a voicemail on Bruce’s phone, revealing the labored breathing of his son. The last sound Tim ever made. Bruce would then remember his promise to Tim, to meet him at the coffee shop, and he would desperately call Jim after seeing that entire block had been blown to pieces. Jim would tell him that there were, in fact, accounts of Tim helping people, but no one had heard from the boy.

            Bruce would later discover that Damian had planned for Bruce to take Titus to the vet upon seeing the note on Bruce’s private calendar and removing the reminder. The action would be revealed to the family when Damian would boast about saving his father. An action which caused a rift between Damian and his family. This discovery, however, would not be discovered for a few months.

            Two days after Tim’s body was retrieved, five days after Tim’s death, Leslie would do an autopsy. The autopsy would reveal the horrifying truth of Tim’s death, much the same as his cell phone record would paint his ignored cries for help. Bruce had to live with the knowledge that his son suffered until he died. That his son suffered alone. The day of the funeral would arrive sooner than Bruce could bear.

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            Bruce brushed the hair from his son’s head, the echo of Tim’s last voice mail playing through his ears. Just shallow, harsh, quipped breathing. Clark and Diana were at his side. Some time ago, the others had moved outside, waiting for Bruce to finish with Tim. To say his final goodbyes.

            Leslie had estimated that Tim had died eighteen to twenty hours after the bomb went off. He had suffered for nearly that entire time period. Dick was beside himself in grief, explaining about the phone call and how he dismissed it as a prank. Damian had reluctantly revealed Tim’s own call to him, but had been benched and sent to his room when he proceeded to insult Tim for dying.

            “I was supposed to be there.”

            “Bruce-”

            “No, I-” Bruce sucked in a breath. “I asked Tim to come have coffee with me at that very place. He was probably waiting for me to show, but I ended up taking Titus to the vet for Damian because he wouldn’t stop nagging me. I-I haven’t had a proper conversation with Tim outside work and I just wanted to catch up. I should have been there with him. He wouldn’t have died alone. I could have saved him.”

            “You don’t know that,” Diana protested. “It could have been you, too. Then we would have buried two friends.”

            “Better me than him!” Bruce snapped, rounding on his friends, neither flinching at the outburst, only to wilt as he repeated the thoughts that had plagued his mind. “It should have been me.”

            Even in death, the coroners could do nothing to hide the pain Tim had been in. The lines would forever be etched into his son’s face. The funeral was supposed to be closed casket, but Bruce needed to see his son. One last time. He wanted to memorize every feature. Bruce had denied the offer of make-up that would hide the bags under Tim’s eyes, put there by his death and sleepless nights. Scars littered his son’s body, making a perfect picture of his son’s suffering.

            Tim. His son. His brilliant Robin. His equal in so many ways. Tim had come into his life to fix Bruce and his family. To save Bruce from the demons that haunted him after the death of Jason. The irony was; Bruce had to lose Tim to realize what truly needed to be fixed.

            What Bruce wouldn’t give to hug his son one last time.

            “I can’t keep losing them,” Bruce whispered. Diana and Clark exchanged looks behind Bruce’s back. “But I know I can’t stop them. I-I think…I think I need help.”

            By the time the funeral was over, and Tim was being buried (with the recommended security measures recommended by Jason just in case), Bruce had concluded that he did needed help. He needed something Sanctuary couldn’t offer. He needed something more. Which was what led the funeral goers to gather in the Manor. Upstairs.

            “You really mean that?” Dick stared at Bruce as if the man had grown a second head. “You’re really considering therapy?”

            “Therapy and more,” Bruce nodded. “And I’m not considering, Dick. I’ve decided. This needs to happen.”

            “You would throw away Batman over that imbecile?” Damian seethed, and Bruce shot him a glare that made his son cower. Damian was already on thin ice.

            “No,” Bruce stated, tearing his gaze away from his youngest. “I don’t think I can let go of Batman. I am more Batman than I have ever been Bruce Wayne. In all honesty, anything that made me Bruce Wayne died with Jason. But I made a mistake by keeping each of you at arm’s length. I’ve been a terrible father, friend, and mentor. I’m only sorry it took my son’s death for me to realize I need to fix that. I failed Tim, and I can’t bear to fail anyone else.”

            Silence. His family, his children, seemed the most stunned by all of this. Followed closely by the League members. But that didn’t stop Cissie King-Jones from marching right up to Bruce.

            Bruce expected a slap. A punch. Yelling. What he got was a whisper.

            “I think that is what he would have wanted,” she told him. “And I hope you actually go through with that promise.”

            Bruce did to. For his sake, and the sake of the children he still had.

            “What now, then?”

            Everyone turned to look at Jason. Jason who had come for Tim, who had stayed for Tim, and was currently cradling a sniffing Cass to his chest. Jason whose green eyes were looking slightly more teal and red rimmed.

            “What do we do now?”

            Bruce took in a breath. “We live for Tim, and we try to fix what we can. Accept what we can’t. And move forward.”

            It wouldn’t be easy. Bruce knew that the moment the Firefighter had placed his son in his arms, and the paramedics had to pry Tim away from him. He knew it would be difficult when he had to force himself to walk into the hospital room and officially identify his son. He knew it would be hard when he called each of his children, begging them to come home because he couldn’t bear to tell them over the phone. He knew it would be difficult the moment he told his children Tim was gone.

            This would be difficult for all of them, but Bruce was willing to try. For Tim. For the son who never felt like he was enough. And all along, it had been Bruce who wasn’t enough.

            That night, Bruce went to sleep to the last voicemail he had of his son. The ragged breath of a dying boy who just wanted his dad in his dying moments. His nearly two-year old daughter was asleep at his side, little Helena having been drained by the events of the day. It struck Bruce, as he listened to the voice mail, that Helena hadn’t even met Tim.

            And Bruce cried.

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            Tim had protested vehemently when Death stopped him from passing through her gate, but she hadn’t really given him a choice. Not that she had much choice in the matter either. Apparently, her brother, Destiny, had claimed it was rather important that she guide Tim elsewhere. His time among the living wasn’t over.

            Now he was in the cold, where it was snowing, trudging towards a warehouse. He was wearing a too thin t-shirt, for which a button down lay on top, a pair of dress pants and slacks did little to protect from the snow. Wet socks were a pain. Wet, cold, and nearly frozen socks were just torture. He grumbled about Destiny and Death under his breath as he made his way across the field to the place Death directed him.

            And he froze. Not literally. He should correct that statement. Tim came to a full-body halt as he watched the door to the warehouse open and witnessed several people walk out. One such person being the Joker.

            She had to be kidding. Seriously!?

            Tim knew exactly where he was now, and he ducked behind a bush (tumbleweed?), hopping the Joker hadn’t seen him. But to his relief, the Joker quickly drove away. Tim wasn’t sure what the time gap between the Joker leaving and Joker beating Jason was in time with the bomb, so when the Joker was just far enough away, Tim made a mad sprint for the building. The door was jammed, perhaps locked with an extra lock on the inside, but Tim was nothing if not crafty. Okay, that wasn’t the right statement. After all, ‘being crafty’ in this instance, simply meant kicking the door down. Thank goodness for the good old vigilante training.

            The sight he saw was Jason struggling to get to his mother, who was clearly too stunned by the sight of her son and Tim to speak. Tim winced as he noted there were only two minutes on the clock, but he was already moving. He yanked the ropes off of Shelia Haywood a little too harshly and shoved her towards the door. Of course, she bolted. Something about that didn’t sit right with Tim. He vaguely recalled something his Jason had said about Shelia being a jerk, but his brain was hyper focused on the current moment.

            “Run!” he hollered after her anyways, then he spun to the real reason of his mad dash. “Okay. Okay, Tim. Come on. Get it together.”

            Then came the hard part. Tim lunged for Jason, throwing his arms under the kid (did this mean he was older than Jason, now?), and hefted him up. He didn’t have time to be careful, even as little Jason cried out. He remembered Robin had been a malnourished street kid, but Joker had always called Jason the ‘hefty Robin’.  But the mess of skin and bones Tim had gathered to his chest was nearly as skinny as Tim, himself.

            “I know. I’m sorry,” Tim whispered reassurances as he bolted to the door. “I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to live, Jason. I promise. Just hold on.”

            The clock was still ticking, and Tim wasn’t going to clear the correct distance in time. But Jason had seen Leslie’s autopsy report. It hadn’t been the wounds that killed Jason, or the explosion. It had been the smoke inhalation. Tim simply needed to clear the building. As he counted down with the timer mentally, he raced as far as he could, bracing himself for the impact that was undoubtedly to come.

            What a time to die without his suit.

            Then again, he already died once.

            The bomb went off right as Tim knew it would, and he braced himself for the oncoming wave. He curled around Jason, using his own too thin body to shield the tiny form of little Jason. Not that Tim’s own tiny frame was going to provide much coverage. He really should have taken Alfred’s advice. Tim tucked into a role, grunting at the burns and shrapnel that were now licking his back. The snow eased some of the pain of the burns, but did nothing for the shrapnel, instead pushing the wood, metal, and other unidentified items further into his back.

            As Tim regained his bearing, completely unsure of how much time he lost, he more felt than heard someone pounding towards them. He sucked in several breaths and looked up into the cowl of a much younger Batman. His vision was fuzzy, and his ears were ringing, but Tim was nothing if not resilient in the face of pain.

            “He needs,” Tim gasped out. “He needs medical. Now. Crowbar. Joker used. Crowbar.”

            But rather than only reach for Jason, Batman pulled them both to his chest, looking them both over with a panicked expression, even with the cowl on. Maybe Tim was just good at reading the man, or perhaps Bruce really was that worried. Tim wasn’t sure. He sucked in several breaths, hoping to convey what needed to be done.

            “Call, Clark,” Tim hissed at the pain now making itself known. “No time. Call, Super. Man.”

            Despite having just died, which should have been the worst feeling of his life, the pain became too much for Tim to bear, and he felt himself collapse into the chest of a much younger Batman, just barely avoiding Jason. Batman’s eyes were wide behind the cowl, to shocked and emotionally compromised to form words. However, what Tim hadn’t seen was that Batman wasn’t alone, and Batwoman quickly turned to stare at the sky and scream out for Superman.

            Bruce looked up to see Clark stop before him, hovering with a wild, panicked expression that turned to horror as he saw the two boys. Clark was quickly gathering the boys as Kate gave a second shout and lunged at a woman who seemed rather frazzled. Bruce barely had time to process that the woman was Shelia Haywood before Clark zipped away.

            “Were you trying to kill your own son!?” Kate screeched in the woman’s face.

            Bruce absently noted that Kate had knocked a bloodied crowbar from Shelia’s hands. Something in Bruce’s mind clicked at the sight and he let himself become Batman once more.

            “I…I know who you are,” Shelia cowered, trying desperately to yank her arm from Kate’s bruising grip. “I know my son is Robin! I know you’re Bruce Wayne. And…and you, you must be his girlfriend!”

            Kate’s rage faltered for a minute, though her grip held. And Kate burst into laughter. “Me? Ew. No. Sweetheart, I don’t swing that way. But let me make this clear, lady. No one will believe you.”

            “Yes they will!” Shelia snapped back, her fear becoming rage. “They’ll believe me. And I’ll get away with it! I will! No one will arrest me! I won’t be punished for my crimes!”

            Bruce suddenly felt sick. He should have done more research on Shelia Haywood. He knew she was embezzling funds, but Jason wasn’t stupid. Both Kate and Bruce had stressed the importance of Jason not confronting the Joker. So why had Jason done it anyways?

            Jason wasn’t stupid. Never had been. He was a good student and a good study. Jason only let himself get involved when he deemed it necessary. Like Felipe Garzonas.

            “What have you done?” Bruce snarled at the woman.

            Shelia sank in on herself.

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            “So, where did he come from?” Clark asked incredulously as he eyed the teen still unconscious in the med bay of the Watchtower. “And you said he knew my name?”

            Batman had been dragged away from both his son, and the birth mother of his son. He had been dragged away from Jason because he was getting in everyone’s way, and Alfred had put his foot down to kick Bruce out so Leslie, Dr. Fate, Zatanna, and J’onn could work. With the inability to be by his son’s side, he had opted to join Kate and Diana in their interrogation of Shelia Haywood. He had walked into the part of the interrogation to hear Shelia confess to having sold her own son to the Joker. This was confessed while under the influence of the Lasso of Truth. Kate had then proceeded to kick him out.

            With Selina and Julia taking care of his daughter, and doing what they could to contact, Dick, things had been…rough. Bruce needed something to do, so he turned his attention to the kid that had saved his son.

            There was no ID. No record that the kid existed. The best Bruce could come up with was that the kid was had DNA that matched both Jack Drake and Janet Lynn, but the kids age was wrong for the two. They would have been teenagers when they had a kid of Tim’s age, and Janet had only ever met Jack once before she toured the world with her girlfriend, and Jack had married a Dana White. Neither had kids.

            “I’ve got a couple theories,” Bruce grunted to Clark, thankful for the distraction. “Time travel, perhaps. Or even an alternate universe. A weapon. A clone. We won’t know until he wakes up.”

            “Some of these scars are old,” Clark mused as Charles McNider returned with the x-rays he had taken. “Fractures. Broken bones.”

            “He’s missing his spleen,” Charles added. “It was surgically removed, that much I can tell. But he has a second, much larger scar that overlaps the surgical one. Impaled, perhaps. I’ve got Beth looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes. And that’s one of the worst scars. He’s got a cut right across his neck. Not deep enough to kill or mess with the kid’s vocal cords, but it probably bled out a lot. Not to mention the torture scars.”

            Clark hissed under his breath at the news. Bruce, however, was observing some of the scars now. With the added burns and shrapnel added to his back and the back of his legs, the kid had many scars that were similar to Bruce’s own. Clearly gained over time.

            Time travel or alternate reality were looking a bit too plausible at this point. These types of scars couldn’t just be faked. They were too authentic. And some of the wounds had familiar shapes from familiar weapons. Weapons Bruce fought against on a regular basis.

            This kid, whoever he was, had to be one of his. The question was; why was the kid here?

            That answer would need to wait. There was time to wait for now. His son was alive. His daughter was alive. His wife was alive. And Dick (who he longed to adopt) was off world on his way home. Bruce let out a shaky breath and went back to the computer and the kid’s DNA. Perhaps he could find something. Anything. He needed the distraction.

            “What are you going to do about Shelia?” Clark suddenly asked. “I mean, she knows your identity.”

            “I have failsafes for that,” Bruce grunted, now jabbing at the keyboard a bit too hard. “Do you know how many people claim that Bruce Wayne is Batman, whether serious or as a joke, on social media. Shelia will simply be looped with one of those people. Plus, her crimes are beyond severe. She’s dug her own grave.”

            “But you’ll let Jason have a say, right?”

            Bruce didn’t respond. He’d let Jason voice his opinion, but Bruce would take action if he didn’t like said opinion.

            Clark’s sigh said Bruce was being as subtle on the matter as he would have liked.

Chapter Text

            Jason stirred to awareness before the kid did, and Bruce was at his son’s bedside in seconds as soon as he was informed. An impressive feat considering how far apart they kept the random kid from Jason. Then again, Bruce wasn’t taking any chances. Not after he nearly lost his son.

            “Dad?” Jason whimpered, and Bruce felt his heart break as his beautiful, brave little boy reached a shaky hand for him. “Hurts.”

            “I know,” Bruce took the hand between his own, rubbing circles into the boy’s palm with his thumb, using the rest of his finger to rub away the aches and pains that had to be in that hand. “I’m here, lad. I’m right here. You’re going to be alright.”

            The others had done all they could to ease Jason through the pain. To heal him the best they could. The damage, of course, had been extensive, and it would take years for Jason to heal properly, if completely. Recovery would not be easy for Jason, Bruce knew, but there wasn’t much else that could be done at the moment. Raven might have had more luck, but she was off world with Dick.

            “M’ mom?” Jason asked through hissed whines and cut-off sobs. “S’okay?”

            “Yes, yes, lad,” Bruce soothed his son’s distress, shoving his own bitterness down at that vile woman. This was about Jason. “She’s okay. Shelia made it out in one piece.”

            Something in Jason’s face shifted, pained and almost frustrated. “N’t m’ mom. Betr’ed. Meant…Lina…”

            Bruce’s heart clenched in his chest and his breathing stuttered. Jason and Selina had always had an interesting relationship. At first, the two held a strong dislike for the other, but a few well-placed team-ups had given them a sort of camaraderie. But Jason had never referred to Selina as mom, even when Bruce had finally married her. Selina had always understood why Jason couldn’t give Selina that title. It had been Catherine’s. Catherine was Jason’s mom up until he learned about Shelia. And now Shelia had lost that right.

            Shelia had subsequently provided Bruce with his absolute worst nightmare and one of the greatest moments of his life.

            “She’s worried about you,” Bruce brushed the hair from his son’s face with as much gentleness as his shaky hands could muster. “Nearly tried to get out of bed and come here, herself, but Julia’s holding her down.”

            “Good,” Jason huffed. “N’t h’rt…”

            Bruce sucked in a breath as Jason’s teal eyes finally managed to open and look at him. This was almost worse than that time Two-Face had nearly killed Dick. Because if that kid hadn’t saved his son, then Jason could be dead or dying. Bruce wasn’t a religious man, but he was willing to thank God and any other deity out there for this small mercy.

            “T’m?”

            What?

            “What, lad? I’m sorry, I got lost in my head for a minute.”

            Jason gave a huff that seemed to hurt judging by the wince. “S’ T’m kay?”

            Who? Was Jason saying Tim or Tom? It sounded more like Tim.

            “Who’s Tim, lad?”

            “Guy.” Jason waved his free hand about before regretting the action. “S’ved me n’ Shel. S’kay?”

            Tim. That was the kid’s name. Bruce finally had a name to put to the face of the unconscious teen across the hall.

            “Sleeping,” Bruce promised his son. “As you should too. Either I, Aunt Kate, or Alfred will be here when you wake, okay? We’ve got to take care of some things, and then, when you’re ready, we’ll go home together.”

            Jason hummed and let the soft rumble of Bruce’s voice lull him to sleep. Tim, as Jason said his name was, would need to wake soon for interrogation, but Bruce wasn’t going to force his son’s savior to wake up just yet. He needed to update his family too. And there still hadn’t been word from Dick.

            This whole thing was an uncontrolled mess, and Bruce was teetering on the edge of breaking down and hunting the Joker down. He had been banned from the latter in no uncertain amount of terms, and Kate had even threatened to hog tie him with Diana’s lasso in the mess hall of the Watchtower if he so much as even thought about going after the Joker.

            Bruce was beyond pent up at this point, and without a single outlet to release it on. Which was probably the reason no one was letting him go after the Joker. He was emotionally compromised. There was no telling what Bruce would do.

            Jason was his son, and the Joker had nearly taken him away.

            “Batman,” Doctor Mid-Nite called, unbothered by Bruce’s glare. “The kid is awake.”

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            Tim watched as this world’s Batman entered the room. The sight of Charles McNider and a young Beth Chapel working together had been enough of a hint to Tim that this wasn’t his world. He had thought time travel at first, but his brain was an oddity, and Jason had been his hero. He wouldn’t forget something like Charles McNider and Beth Chapel having partnered up in the past. What really sealed the fact that Tim was in an alternate reality was the sight of three people that, in Tim’s world, had not even been a thought around the time of Jason’s death.

            Katherine Kane clad as Batwoman entered the room with Diana, Clark and Bruce. She held herself with a grace and pride that was typical of his version of Kate, but given how often Kate mentioned she was an outsider, it was a surprise to see that same confidence around three of the core Justice League members. Jason, Diana’s twin, could be seen outside the door along with Kara Zor-El. What was shocking about these two people was the fact that, for one, Jason was still a secret in Tim’s world, and not even Diana knew of him just yet. However, the few Justice League members Tim could see all seemed to know Jason rather well. Second, Kara Zor-El would not have been present. Tim should have been seeing Linda Danvers, also known as Matrix, and she certainly wouldn’t have been an adult just yet.

            Diana and Clark, assuming that was still their names, of course, probably best not to assume just yet, entered the med bay with the aura of interrogation. Tim hadn’t been given the chance to do any digging into this world, so he was terribly unprepared, but Jason was more important than his own security. He could improvise

            Maybe-Diana finished wrapping the lasso around his arm.

            “My name is Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne,” Tim cut off anything Batman could ask the second Wonder Woman took a step back. “I was born to Jack Drake and Janet Lynn of a different Earth. At least, assuming this is dimension travel and not botched time travel. In which case, I’ll deal with that later. However, as my parents were never around, I became the third Robin to the Bruce Wayne of my world shortly after Jason Todd’s death,” here, Kate gave a strangled sound as Bruce grew tense, jaw clenching in a familiar gesture, “because I saw a need to make sure Batman didn’t kill himself as he slowly spiraled out of control, and nearly committed murder and suicide on several occasions. I learned the identities of Batman and both Robins when I was nine because I saw Dick Grayson do a quadruple flip when at the circus the night his parents died, and then saw him do the same flip on television. I later became a hero known by the alias Red Robin when your biological son with Talia al Ghul took the mantle of Robin. Something happened to drag me to this world, and though I don’t know what, I know my purpose is to aid you how I can for the time being. Any questions?”

            Batman studied him for a moment, the rest of the occupants in the room clearly reeling. “I have a biological son with Talia al Ghul?”

            Tim snorted. He supposed Bruce would ask after that fact. It was rather important “She told you the kid died, if I remember correctly. If he exists in your world, it’s best to assume that he’s being made into a weapon for Talia and Ra’s.”

            Bruce gave a familiar grunt, one that made Tim relax. Bruce obviously noted this change. Of course he did. There were enough similarities between his Bruce and this one that Batman was probably the World’s Greatest Detective here too.

            “You seem rather cooperative, Timothy,” Bruce stated.

            “Tim,” he corrected. “I’ve never liked being called Timothy.”

            “Alright.”

            It was silent for a few moments. Neither side really knew what to say at the moment.

            “You mention your last name was Wayne,” Maybe-Diana got her bearings back first. “What is your relationship to that name if you are the son of Jack Drake and Janet Lynn?”

            Tim scoffed. “I think we both know that Bruce Wayne is Batman, Diana of Themyscira.” Ah, so Tim’s brain had decided the sarcastic approach was the best route. Man, he really needed sleep. “My mother was killed in a plane crash orchestrated by a villain in a mass murder of those heroes’ loved. My father was murdered by Captain Boomerang. At that point, I had been Batman’s Robin for a few years, and I…I arrived too late to save him. Bruce adopted me shortly after when he found out I faked having an Uncle so that I could continue to live on my own.”

            “Continue to…what do you mean by that?” Clark demanded.

            “My parents were neglectful,” Tim shrugged, getting several looks of worry and pity. “It’s not a big deal. My parents had left me on my own for months at a time by the age of five with no one but a housekeeper that came once a week. But I was a smart kid. Like I said, I figured out Batman’s identity as a kid, and my Batman had me working cold cases, keeping up my life as a vigilante, and running Wayne Enterprises by the time I was sixteen.”

            “By the time you were-!” Kate looked as though she were seething and ready to pounce. “BRUCE THOMAS WAYNE!”

            Bruce’s eyes were narrowed in that way where he was furious, but Tim knew from experience that this particular anger wasn’t directed at him. It was almost funny that one Bruce would direct his anger at another, but there was something about the situation that almost seemed dire. Tim would worry about that later.

            “You said it was your purpose to help and aid the Bats,” Bruce drawled out the word as if it personally attacked him like Joker or Ivy or one of the other Rogues. “What exactly did you mean by that?”

            Wasn’t it obvious?

            “It has, and always will be, my purpose to pull the Bats together,” Tim explained, compelled by the lasso to answer the question with every hint of honesty available. Which was a lot. “When Jason died, I took to your side to fix you. When Damian, your son, died, I worked day and night to keep Gotham safe as you mourned. When Dick had to fake his death, I kept by your side. When Dick was shot and had amnesia, I attempted to hold you together, even if my efforts proved fruitless. When Jason returned to life, I did my best to bring him home, even if the Lazarus Pit in his system stopped him from fully trusting you again. When you found a way to bring Damian back to life, I was there to aid you, even after Damian tried to kill me.”

            Diana’s hands were shaking, but her expression gave nothing away. Kate had punched a wall during the admission, and Clark was staring at him in growing horror. And Bruce…well…Tim wasn’t sure what was going through Bruce’s head.

            But Tim wasn’t done.

            “When you went missing in time and every assumed you were dead, I knew you were alive and I gave up everything to find you,” Tim declared. “It cost me everything. Dick disowned me. Damian tried to kill me. Jason betrayed me. My sister, Cassandra, left us. My team, my Titans, all believed me insane, but I kept searching to the point where I teamed up with Ra’s al Ghul because he was the only other person who knew you were alive. I lost my spleen to the Council of Spiders, a group of assassins bent on killing other assassins. I was attacked by your son on the regular on the odd chance I returned to Gotham. And by the time I found proof, I went toe-to-toe with Ra’s al Ghul and won in a battle of wits but lost in a physical fight. And even after I lost your trust, you still continued to turn to me for whatever you needed.”

            Leveling a look with Bruce, Tim sucked in a breath before he concluded. “It has, and always will be my purpose to serve and aid the Bats through whatever difficulties they have. I died in my world. I looked Death in the eyes as I was brought here and didn’t dare protest because I knew that my purpose wasn’t over. Whatever you need, I am prepared to give.”

            “By Hera,” Diana breathed, the lasso falling from Tim’s arm. Not that he really noticed. “Batman-”

            Batman held up a hand, then used that hand to cup Tim’s shoulder. Tim supposed he should have seen the action for what it really was instead of an act of comfort. The needle jabbing into his neck really should have been a major clue. Despite this, Tim let his gaze lock with Bruce where he tried to convey his trust in the man with his face alone.

            Tim’s world went black fairly quickly.

            Kate released a string of curses before moving towards the door. “I’m going to sit with Jason.”

            Bruce just gave a nod. That was probably for the best. He guided Tim down onto the bed, carefully tucking the kid in like all his children. He’d get the rest of his answers from Tim later. But what had just happened was far too much for anyone. The look on the kid’s face would haunt him for months, Bruce was sure. This kid…what had his alternate self done?

            “Bruce,” Diana spoke again, hand suddenly clamping on his shoulder.

            “I’m not going to let him continue like this, Diana,” Bruce placed his hand over hers. “No child should have to go through that.”

            “I know,” Diana hummed from behind him. “But it won’t be easy. He’s going to try to fall into old habits.”

            Bruce knew that. He had already raised two boys, and now he had a little baby girl that needed love. But there were names that Bruce hadn’t recognized. Selina wasn’t mentioned once, and what of Alfred? Had Alfred disowned Tim too? And what could have cause Dick to disown Tim? His son had been through several rough patches, but he and Jason were actually getting along. The only reason Jason hadn’t gone on the mission with his fellow Titans was because he was benched due to the incident with Felipe Garzonas.  

            Bruce brushed hair from Tim’s face. Dang it, he was already going to adopt the boy. He’d have to call Barbara about making fake documents for the kid… And Selina. He needed to call his wife and tell her about this. He hadn’t had the time in between Jason and Tim waking to tell her about their son’s condition.

            “I need to call Selina,” Bruce finally voiced.

            “Yeah, you do,” came Clark’s amused voice. “I’ll stay with Tim.”

            Diana nodded. “I’ll attempt to get in touch with Terry, then. The Titans will want to know about Jason before we release the statement about Robin’s death, and I’m uncertain of when they’ll return.”

             Bruce nodded, slowly pulling away from Tim. Dick would need to know about Jason as soon as possible, and they would need to decide which Titans could be trusted with the news that Jason was alive. There was so much that still needed to be done.

            There was too much happening at once.

            “I need to-”

            “Go,” Clark cut Bruce off, motioning to the door. “I’ve got Tim, and Kate has Jason. They’ll be alright.”

            So Bruce went.

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            Selina was silent, body completely still. Somewhere during Bruce’s explanation of events Selina had stopped rocking their baby girl, their little Helena, and the baby continued to coo up at her mother. The sight would have been adorable were the situation not so dire.

            “You’ll be bringing them both home.”

            It wasn’t even a question. More like a demand, but Bruce had already planned to do just that. “Yes. Once we’re sure Tim’s traveling didn’t damage his psych and Jason is stable enough to move, both will be brought home.”

            Selina nodded, and Bruce took a moment to take her in. Shortly after Jason decided to run off, Selina had gone into early labor due to the stress. She had made Bruce go after Jason, saying there “would be time to hold their daughter after he brought their son home”. Jason had been so excited to meet Helena…and for a split second, Bruce had feared that Jason would never get that chance.

            The soft pad of footsteps entered the camera speakers, followed by the clack of boots against the floor. Selina turned her head as the door opened and offered a smile, using one arm to beckon the newcomers closer. Long, black hair swept into view, and tired blues eyes clashed against pale skin.

            “Rachel,” Bruce greeted with a fond, if not worried smile. “Shouldn’t you be in bed.”

            “I am in bed,” Rachel shot back, leaning against Selina and moving her fingers to wiggle in front of Helena. “See. This is a bed.”

            Selina giggled as Bruce rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

            Rachel stuck out her tongue. “I wanted to ask after my nephew. Your earlier message was stupidly vague.”

            Rachel Elizabeth Wayne had been born when Bruce was eight years old, two years before their parents were murdered, and one year after they believed Beth Kane had been murdered. Hence her name sake. His little sister had nearly died before she could be born when a terrible car crash on the corner Lincoln St. and March St. had rendered their mother hospitalized. Martha Wayne hadn’t even been aware she was pregnant. Though Rachel was saved, she was constantly sick and weak due to the premature birth that resulted from their mother’s poor health due to said crash. Bruce would admit that he was a horrible brother when they were children until Julie Madison came into their lives. The woman had given him a piece of her mind and now Rachel often complained that Bruce was a little overbearing.

            “He’s…alive,” Bruce assured her, watching the way his sister’s face screwed up. “And I swear I’m not trying to sugarcoat anything, Rachel. I’m not even sure how to describe what the Joker did to him. Just…they did what they could.”

            Rachel hummed, curling further into Selina, and pulling her fingers from Helena’s mouth. His sister was clearly exhausted, no matter how head strong she liked to be. It didn’t take her long to drift off as Bruce gave her more details on Jason’s condition.

            “You want me to take her to bed?” came the voice of Julia Pennyworth off screen.

            “No, let her stay,” Selina shook her head. “It has been a long couple of days for all of us.”

            Julia’s head momentarily popped into the screen to give a greeting. Julia was a dear friend, both because of her father, and because of her personality. She was currently on holiday and had already been at the Manor when Jason ran away. Selina would fill them both in on whatever she missed. He still needed to call Barbara. She and the Birds had to be worried about Jason.

            “Bat,” Selina’s voice pulled him from her thoughts. “Get some rest. Everything else can wait.”

            Yeah. Yeah, it could. He really needed to get some sleep.

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            The thing about Bats was that drugs didn’t really work for long. They had to build up an immunity. Tim more than others. It also wasn’t hard to sneak past a sleeping Clark Kent and to slink through the hall until he found Jason’s room.

            He was so tiny. It was odd, seeing Jason this small and skinny. Jason had always been big and buff, both a person to fear, and a person to protect. Tim would admit that his relationship with Tim was basically summed up to “Please Don’t Kill Me” when they were first properly introduced, but Jason was one of his best friends within the family. Besides Cass, of course.

            “Shouldn’t you be resting?” the clipped tone of Leslie Thompkins confronted him at Jason’s door.

            “I needed to see him,” Tim stated, not daring to drop his gaze. “Please. I need to know I didn’t fail.”

            Leslie rolled her eyes as if Tim’s mere existence was a bane to her life (which probably wasn’t too far off) and let him enter. Jason…still looked a little worse for ware, but he was alive. Breathing regularly. Tim let out a breath of relief.

            Good. He hadn’t failed yet.

            Tim found himself sinking into a chair, rather uncomfortable, especially with the burns on his back, but not the worst possession Tim had ever been in. He guessed dying was worse, but the torture had hurt more. It was kind of weird that he could rate dying against torture and live to do that, but meh, his life was strange.

            And it was with these strange thoughts that Tim drifted to sleep.

            Later, Clark would panic as he stirred awake to find Tim gone, but a quick search that took nearly no time led him to the discovery of the teen fast asleep in a chair at Jason’s bedside. Dr. Thompkins was changing out the IV bag, and she gave a fond role of her eyes. At least Clark hadn’t lost the kid. Bruce would have his head. Kate watched him in amusement. Apparently, Tim hadn’t even noticed she was there.

Chapter Text

            “Still hurts,” Jason admitted after Dr. Mid-Nite finished checking him over.

            “I know,” Bruce rumbled, tucking Jason against his chest and placing his chin on top of his son’s head. “I’m so sorry I didn’t arrive sooner, lad. But I swear we’ll do everything we can to get you back on your feet. I promise.”

            Jason…hadn’t taken the news that he couldn’t be Robin anymore very well. Tim had been there for that conversation, but had since been permitted to familiarize himself with this world with a laptop provided by WE. Bruce had been glad that Tim was still there when the news was dropped, and Bruce had been grateful for the kids help in calming Jason down.

            Besides, Bruce had no doubt that Jason would make a fantastic voice in their ear as their Oracle. It would keep Jason in the action, training to one day go out (though Bruce would prefer if he never went back out at all), and he would still be involved in the field.

            “Can we go home, please?” Jason whispered.

            “Not yet, Jay,” Bruce hummed. “We’re bringing Tim home with us too. And Kate wants to wrap up some things with Renee.”

            Jason didn’t protest, and he even perked up as Diana entered the room with her twin, Jason.

            “Hey, mini-me,” Jason Prince teased, taking the younger from Bruce’s arms. “Don’t tell Agent A, but we brought you something from Batburger.”

            Jason perked up excitedly.

            Alfred, who had gone back to the Manor to prepare for both Jason and Tim, would be furious later. And normally, Bruce wouldn’t dare let anyone falter against Leslie and Alfred’s routine if the situation was dire enough to warrant the efforts. But Diana was giving him a look. A very specific look that had him ruffling Jason’s hair before he went to deal with the situation.

            Of all the scenarios in his head, this was not what he expected.

            “You…hacked the League database?”

            Tim scoffed, taking obvious note of the twitch to Batman’s lip. In return, Bruce noted the unease washing off Tim in waves. “Like it’s hard?”

            Hal Jordan, the apparent victim of this entire thing, gave a squawk. The ring had clearly been taking its toll on the Lantern, and the increased age lines and grey hair were growing steadily prominent as time went on. Bruce had to guess that this situation wasn’t helping.

            “Tim,” Bruce drawled.

            With an exasperated, overly dramatic sigh, Tim turned off the Taylor Swift song that was coming from the monitor Hal was supposed to be observing. From what Clark had told Bruce on his way here, the song had switch at least 14 times in the span of five minutes, and Hal had shrieked in absolute terror as each pop song filled the speaker. The reason for Hal’s punishment, as Clark claimed, was because Hal kept hounding Tim about anything and everything.

            Bruce had no pity for the Lantern.

            “I assume you got what you needed,” Bruce questioned the kid.

            “That and then some,” Tim shrugged nonchalantly, as if this was what he did on the regular. It probably was, Bruce noted with disdain. “I’m ready whenever you and Robin are.”

             Much to Hal’s spluttering protest, Bruce began to lead Tim out of the room. Looking at the kid, he wondered what it would take to pull Tim out of this headspace that he was an object to be used. He continued to mentally curse his other world’s self for allowing a child to continue with such thoughts. The worst part was, Dick was far more suited for this type of thing, but there were two problems with that.

            For one; Tim’s version of Dick had clearly betrayed Tim by giving Robin to Bruce’s son. There was clearly something more to the situation than just that, but Dick’s name was not said with the fondness most people tended to use when referring to his oldest s-ward.

            Second; Jason Prince had let Bruce know the night before that they had been unable to reach the Titans, and that Terry Long, Donna’s husband, was predicting that the group wouldn’t return for another month. There were already several problems with that.

            He needed to call Terry personally to work out something so Dick wouldn’t panic. Just another thing to add to the list of things to do.

            “Did I just hear Taylor Swift coming from the monitor room?” Kate rounded the corner.

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            Bruce listened carefully as Tim and Jason talked about some differences between universes.

            “Really? Aunt Kate isn’t part of the Bats?”

            “No, she is,” Tim shook his head, contemplating how to describe things. “At least, I’ve always considered her as one of us, but she’s admitted to feeling like an outsider among us. Things really came to a head when she shot Basil Karlo because she thought he was attacking my sister, Cassandra.”

            “Who’s Cassandra?”

            Tim faltered for a moment. “She’s…interesting. Not in a bad way. In fact, Cass was probably my favorite sibling. Though after you got over the whole Lazarus-Pit-Murder-Spree, you were a close second.”

            “But I sounded like a jerk,” Jason protested, confusion dripping from his words.

            Bruce was surprised too. From what he gathered from Tim, Jason had basically tried to kill Tim on several occasions. And other than that, Tim’s Jason seemed to have a mean streak. One that Tim’s Batman seemed to fuel, whether voluntary or not. He vowed not to be like Tim’s Bruce then and there. He wouldn’t drive his children away.

            Which meant he needed to talk to Dick…

            “Yeah, I guess,” Tim seemed nonchalant about the whole thing. “You have to remember though, the Lazarus Pit is known to not only drive people crazy, but it brings out the worst in people. Simply getting angry was instantly shot up to full-blown rage. Sadness became despair. Fury became homicidal. My Jason didn’t necessarily have a choice. Deep underneath all of that, my Jason was still the Robin I remembered, just changed. People change all the time. It’s how the world works.”

            “That’s still not fair,” Jason huffed back, probably clenching his fists the best he could against the pain. “You shouldn’t be people’s punching bag. Did he even apologize?”

            Tim didn’t answer that question. At least, not verbally.

            “Oh.”

            “Hey, you wanted to know about Cass, right?” Tim must have nudged Jason or something, because the boy made a sound of confirmation. “Well, Cass is actually the daughter of the assassins, David Cain, and Lady Shiva.”

            Bruce froze, and Jason sucked in a breath. “But Lady Shiva said she didn’t have kids!”

            “In her eyes, she doesn’t,” Tim shook his head. “And I can assure you, Jason, that Shelia is your birth mother. My Bruce checked around the time Cass came into our lives, but you two were actually the same age in my world, and you had different birthdays. But that’s off topic, and we can worry about it later. No, when Shiva gave birth to Cass, it was after David Cain had murdered her sister, Carolyn Woosan. David Cain wanted the perfect solider, and both Shiva and Carolyn had potential, but Shiva more so. However, instead of encouraging Shiva to go crazy, she opted to live her life for both Carolyn and herself. This was around the time she still had an actual love for Richard Dragon.”

            “That’s messed up,” Jason stated flatly.

            “Yeah…most of the people we meet in this life are pretty messed up,” Tim agreed. “You get used to it. But, back on track; David didn’t like that, so he went to kill Shiva. However, Shiva, who had learned of David’s intentions, offered to give him a child in exchange for her life. One thing led to another, Richard Dragon went into hiding, Lady Shiva became intent on finding someone worthy enough to kill her, and David Cain turned Cass into a living weapon. And honestly, not even Batman could beat Cass in a fight, she’s that good. She never learned to speak, or read, or how to give affection. David Cain taunt her the art of combat, killing, and how to read people. It was the latter of the three that led to her realizing that there was more to life, and she eventually escaped him and found the Bats.”

            That was…a lot to take in. This was probably what Tim felt like in this new world that had so many differences to his own.

            Did Cass exist in this world too?

            Before Bruce could think more on the subject, he got the notification he had been waiting for. Turning off the listening device, he accepted the call.

            “Batman,” Wendy Harris greeted with a chipper smile. “Wasn’t expecting a call from you so soon? Maybe your butler, but-yeah-sorry-how are you holding up?”

            Clark had been in charge of the press release that would declare Robin dead to the world. Vicki had already been tipped last night by Julia that Gotham’s bird was gone, but the news was officially released that morning. They were keeping as many people in the dark as to Jason being alive as possible.

            “I need to speak to Terry Long,” Batman stated curtly.

            “Right here,” Terry appeared on screen, Robert on his hip. “I’ll need you to excuse us, Wendy.”

            “Um, yeah, of course,” Wendy cast glances between the two people. “I’ll just, uh, go check on the kids. Do you want me to take Robert down too?”

            “No, he just woke up from a nap, and I’d prefer to keep him here,” Terry waved off. “Don’t forget to grab lunch while you’re down there, Wendy.” 

            With the teen gone, Terry sighed. “You’ve dug yourself a hole, Batman. Nightwing won’t take the news well.”

            “I’m aware,” Batman grunted in response. It was true, too. Dick would be furious. “Which is why I’m giving you instructions now so that this doesn’t turn into a catastrophe.”

            Tim told Bruce that Jason’s death nearly caused a rift between Bruce and Dick. This was one thing Bruce knew he needed to fix on his own. But first, Dick needed to come home.

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            Tim didn’t need to be a child prodigy to know that this world’s Bats would not be exactly the same as his. For one, his world seemed to be several years ahead of this one, especially as Jason Todd’s death had only just taken place here, but one thing that had thrown Tim was that Bruce had mentioned a wife, a daughter, and a sibling that were not Dick and Jason, probably to prompt Tim into seeing differences and similarities.

            Tim just…hadn’t been sure how to react to Bruce being married or having other children. And Bruce having a sibling almost didn’t compute.

            “I hate it,” Jason grumbled as he was set in the wheelchair. “I won’t be able to move.”

            “I know, lad,” Bruce tried to soothe, clearly helpless with the situation.

            Tim rolled his eyes at Bruce. “Hey, don’t knock wheelchairs. I happen to know some pretty awesome people in who can’t use their legs, and they can bust a move whenever they want.”

            Babs certainly could. She had taken out a bunch of League Ninjas while still trapped in her chair. Nothing was going to slow that woman down, and it certainly wasn’t going to stop Jason. He just needed the right incentive.

            “Aunt Rachel would be offended,” Bruce told the younger, clearly taking his cue from Tim, playfully, giving Jason a light nudge. “She could probably teach you a few tricks.”

            And here Tim’s brain short-circuited again. Because the name Rachel, as far as Tim could tell, belonged to the woman that was supposedly Bruce’s little sister. It had Tim’s brain spinning as he thought to the Lincoln March situation in his world.

            “Why are we offending Aunt Rachel?” Kate questioned as she appeared behind Jason. “That’s just rude, Jay. We don’t offend Aunt Rachel.”

            “I’m not,” Jason protested with a whine. “I just said I don’t like the wheelchair.”

            Kate scoffed. “Don’t let that drag you down, Jay. Aunt Rachel can teach you all kinds of tricks. Like that time she took it down the stairs.”

            “No,” Bruce protested. “We are not teaching Jason to take the wheelchair down the stairs.”

            “Fine,” Kate drawled, though it was clearly mocking. Then she leaned down to whisper in his Jason’s ear, just loud enough for both Bruce and Tim to hear. “She’ll just have to teach you how to make it go up the stairs.”

            Bruce groaned as Jason barked a startled laugh. It was interesting to see this family dynamic. In Tim’s own world, Bruce and Kate had never really been close, hence Kate’s feeling of alienation. Bruce hadn’t been this fatherly since Jason’s death, let alone this gentle. There certainly wasn’t a sister in Tim’s world, and Bruce had never married Selina Kyle. Let alone had a kid.

            Tim had a feeling there would be several other differences he would need to wrap his head around. But first…he had to meet Bruce’s current family.

            “We ready to go?” Kate turned to Bruce once she ruffled Jason’s hair. “Agent A informed us that if we want to hold the little nightingale, we need to get home in the next three hours.”

            Jason perked immediately. “She’s okay?”

            “Course she is,” Kate scoffed, already grabbing the handlebars of Jason’s chair as Bruce nodded his consent to head out. “She’s your father’s daughter. And Cat isn’t one to sit around either.”

            “You can call her my mom, now,” Jason stated matter-o-factly. “She’s earned that right more than Shelia ever could.”

            The conversation between Jason and Kate drifted off as the two vanished down the hallway. Tim had waited because Batman had waited. There were clearly things they needed to talk about.

            “Your version of me never had a sister,” Bruce hummed.

            “No,” Tim shook his head. “You…might have a brother that was taken from you from that same accident, but we’ve never been able to get his DNA to check. He’s part of the Court of Owls, but they’ve been underground since their last attempt to get Dick.”

            Something shifted in Bruce’s demeanor. “What does Dick have to do with the Court of Owls?”

            “That’s…complicated,” Tim drawled, frowning at the floor. “I think it would be better if we both sat down and had that conversation. Preferably with Dick.”

            Though still troubled, Bruce relaxed just enough for Tim to let go of some tension. It wasn’t hard to figure out where Bruce’s brain had gone. There were definitely some similarities between the two.

            “And your version isn’t married to Selina,” Bruce continued on.

            “No, not for lack of trying though,” Tim huffed, rolling his eyes. “Something always seemed to get in the way. Bane. Your dad from another world. Ivy, though that was…complicated. Joker. Dick getting shot in the head. Jason nearly killing Penguin. We’ll need to look into that one. It involves Willis and Lex Luthor. I think you have a daughter with her, but you’ve been pretty hushed about that. I’m not sure if the family knows, actually. Well, maybe Damian. He’s got attachment issues. No thanks to Ra’s, that’s for sure. Or that time Talia was high on Lazarus Pit Madness and tried to kill him.”

            Bruce gave a grunt that said please stop, this is too much, and we need to go. Tim wisely followed orders. The landing to the Zeta Tube was empty, as was most of the area of the Watchtower leading to the Zeta Tube. Now that Tim thought back to it, most of the Watchtower had been empty since they had come to the Watchtower. That was a disaster waiting to happen, but they’d get to it when they got to it.

            Eventually.

            Jason was clearly excited as the Zeta Tube fired up, beaming up at Kate, all signs of his earlier distress gone. It was a look that Tim found rare on his older Jason. He hoped this Jason would have more smiles, despite the hardships ahead.

            A hand settled on Tim’s shoulder, and he looked up to see Bruce staring down at him through the cowl.

            “Ready?”

            Tim sucked in a breath.

            “As I’ll ever be.”

            Tim followed Jason and Kate through the Zeta.

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            Rachel Wayne sat in the Batcave, waiting with baited breath. Selina had already filled in the pieces of what had taken place, and now Rachel waited for her nephew and new nephew to come home.

            “I thought, perhaps, Miss, Rachel, that you would prefer a pair of slippers. Even Master Bruce prefers shoes down here.”

            Rachel smiled as Alfred handed her a pair of her favorite slippers. Alfred was probably one of her favorite people in the world, for several reasons. The thing was, when the will had been read, the entire courtroom had gone into a frenzy over the custody issue. Rachel and Bruce had been forced to live with their Grandmother Betsy, Uncle Philip and Aunt Agatha on rotating schedules until after the funeral and will-reading. Both proved to be horrific experiences, especially on the frail two year old Rachel and the ten year old Bruce, the latter having seen the murder happen. Rachel had her head buried in her brother’s shirt up until the man ran away.

            The problem with the Custody Battle was that the Kane family hated the Waynes, and the Wayne family disliked the Kanes because they disliked Thomas. Grandma Betsy Kane was a spiteful old hag who cursed Thomas for taking Martha away from her. In reality, Martha Wayne née Kane had started to drift away from her controlling mother when she wanted to become a social worker. Philip Kane hated Thomas Wayne because Thomas apparently had “unsavory” habits. And Agatha Wayne was a strong minded woman who had no problem ranting about her in-laws.

            The added stress of their extended family to the already painful situation had not been good on either child.

            The legal issue had been horrific, and despite her young age, Rachel still remembered the experiences. Her mind was sharp, just like her brothers. The moment Alfred got custody of her, he had wrapped her up in his care and love, attempt to stop the fighting between Bruce and Rachel, and nursed her back to health the best he could. Their contact with their extended family was limited after that.

            “Would you like me to fetch you anything to eat,” Alfred probed her gently.

            “I’d like that,” Rachel hummed, snuggling into the blanket she had wrapped herself in. “Do you know when they’ll be back?”

            “As soon as they are able,” Alfred assured. “Just you wait.”

            Waiting was something Rachel was good at. That didn’t mean she liked it.

            The Zeta lit up, and Rachel watched as her cousin and nephew stepped through the light. Jason looked pale, and he had a permanent look of pain etched into his features, but he was smiling at whatever Kate was telling him. Bruce was the last occupant to exit, clearly relieved to be home, but it was the third person who took Rachel’s attention.

            Selina had given her a rough rundown, but Rachel could tell that Tim would need help the moment his cloudy grey eyes locked with her. The poor kid had seen far too many demons, and Rachel could see them with just one glance at his eyes.

            She could see why Bruce wanted to bring the boy home. He desperately needed a family.

Chapter Text

            For a woman who went into premature labor just barely three days ago, Selina Kyle didn’t look half bad. It was clear the birth had weighed her down, and she curled up in the chair like an exhausted kitten, but she was smiling, green eyes alight as she watched Bruce coo over their daughter. Jason had been moved into Selina’s lap, and she curled around him protectively, tears in her eyes from both the joy on Bruce’s face, and from Jason calling her ‘mom’. Kate was coming out of the shower, a smile growing on her face at the sight as she took the offered mug of cocoa from Alfred. Julia Pennyworth had gone upstairs to fetch a few more blankets.

            Tim, now clad in Dick’s old clothes, watched the scene in a slight awe and twinge of bitterness. One he pushed down. It wasn’t his place to desire a family, and it certainly wasn’t his place to be bitter. He had his purpose. He knew his purpose, and that meant he would always be on the outside looking in.

            The soft pitter-patter of feet drew Tim’s attention to the impossibility before him. At least, in his mind it would have been an impossibility, but here she was.

            “You look cold,” Rachel placed a blanket over his shoulders, voice gentle, smile bright. “I know how overwhelming change can be.”

            Rachel Wayne wasn’t in the least what Tim expected. She was ill, dangerously so, but it was clear she had powered through that illness her whole life. She had a kind heart that was imprinted on her sleeve, but it also radiated with every action she made. Despite the paleness of her skin, the drag in her step, and the flatness of her hair, she had a flourish to every movement and light in her eyes that proved her resilience.

            She had a love for life.

            “It’s not something I’m unused to,” Tim shrugged back, dropping his gaze. There was something so pure about Rachel that Tim couldn’t bring himself to latch onto. “I suppose I’m just…taking it all in.”

            “Maybe,” Rachel hummed, adjusting the blanket on Tim’s shoulders. “Or, perhaps, you’re afraid. And that’s okay. You just need time and people to care.”

            Tim wanted to scoff, but he kept the thought to himself. He hadn’t had anyone before. What would be different now?

            “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m heading to bed,” Kate yawned, stretching a bit before turning to the stairs with her cocoa. “Then I say we cuddle on the couch all day tomorrow. Sound like a plan?”

            “I like that plan,” Rachel chirped brightly. “And pass the baby is a good game too.”

            Bruce clutched Helena closer, looking affronted at the suggestion. It made Jason laugh.

            Yeah, this dynamic was going to take some getting used to.

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            Tim had long since determined that sleep was overrated. Well, okay, he knew that wasn’t true, but when something drastic happened, it was best that he not sleep. And he’d done enough sleeping already. Now using the tablet provided to him by Alfred, Tim was looking into everything.

            Jason not being murdered would have…repercussions. It had taken months to get it out of his older brother, but Tim’s Jason had admitted that there were things said that had haunted Jason. The instance with the three Jokers had brought several things to light, and that in itself was another problem that needed to be addressed. But first, Jason.

            Willis Todd was supposedly dead, killed by the Penguin. Supposedly. It would take too long at the moment to truly look into that situation, so Tim made a note to check it later. The Joker had met interference when trying to become the Ambassador in Ethiopia, courtesy of yours truly. Robin was officially declared dead, and the world was none-the-wiser about Jason’s plight.

            Then there was Kate. Apparently, Grandma Betsy hadn’t taken well to Kate coming out, and Bruce, who had just returned from his training to be Batman, had taken his cousin in. Kate had still gone to be a soldier, something that had caused a disagreement between Bruce and Kate, but she had returned as Batwoman with a few new tricks of her own. But she didn’t take the mantle until her sister, Beth, had revealed herself as a major crime lord named Alice.

            Selina and Bruce had barely been married a year before they learned she was pregnant, and Catwoman still made appearances, but as she was formerly a villain, it wasn’t unusual for her not to be seen. A liberty Jason didn’t have. There had been questions about why Bruce hadn’t been present for the birth of his daughter, but Selina revealed that Helena was not only born early, but that Bruce had been on a business trip across the world, and that he was on his way home as they spoke. Poor man thought he had more time.

            Julia Pennyworth had actually met Kate in the army when their missions crossed. It had been an odd shock when the two realized they had someone in common, and they bonded instantly, something Alfred took great delight in. Though Alfred was seen as the family butler, Julia was considered a friend, and there were rumors that Julia and Bruce even dated for a time, but neither confirmed nor denied the claim.

            Which left the Birds of Prey.

            Barbara Gordon had been Batgirl for a time, but she no longer held the title. Tim had already noted that she wasn’t Oracle either, hence why he recommended the name. In fact, Barbara hadn’t taken on any new alias that Tim could tell. If Tim was piecing the puzzle together correctly, the problem came with James Gordon Jr. The man was Barbara’s brother, though technically her cousin because Barbara was not Commissioner Jim Gordon’s son, and a prolific serial killer. At least…that was what the GCPD believed. They hadn’t been able to pin any of the murders on James. The reason James was even in jail was because he had attempted to murder Barbara, and she had saved herself. However, the instance had almost resulted in a reveal of Barbara’s identity, and she ended up joining the GCPD as a Private Detective while running the Birds of Prey as ‘the Detective’. Only Renee Montoya knew that Barbara had ties to the Bats and vigilantes.

            The new Batgirl was Bette Kane. She was the cousin of Bruce, Rachel, and Kate, though she was more Tim’s age than theirs. Much like Kate, Bette’s father was estranged, though not for anything scandals. Simply because he was tired of the family. Bette, upon entering college, had decided she wanted to meet her family, much to her father’s dismay. However, where the Kane’s had been mostly rude to the young college student, the Wayne’s had welcomed her with open arms, and though there had been no intention of letting Bette go out, she proved to be just as stubborn as her cousins. Barbara had even been the one to recommend that Bette take the alias of Batgirl much to everyone’s surprise.

            Then there was Dinah Lance. As mentioned, she the younger sister of Sara and Laurel of Starling City, and the daughter of the now divorced Chief Quinten Lance and Dinah Drake. Where Sara and Laurel had been normal humans (Laurel had recently developed a Canary Cry), Dinah had shown signs of the Canary Cry early on. At first, Dinah Drake had not wanted any of her daughters involved in the hero life, but Dinah Lance had seen the need, and easily befriended Barbara Gordon and Helena Bertinelli, just as she had in Tim’s world.

            From what Tim could tell, Helena Bertinelli was slightly different. For one, shocking fact, she wasn’t catholic. In fact, she bore a striking resemblance to Bruce and Selina. Tim was going to keep an eye on that. He should probably look up Karen Starr-

            The tablet suddenly powered off.

            “Tim,” Bruce stood in the doorway, staring him down. “You should be sleeping.”

            “But-”

            “None of this is going anywhere anytime soon,” Bruce carefully crossed the room and pried the tablet from Tim’s grip. “The world isn’t going to end just because you sleep. In fact, I’ll make it a requirement that you must sleep at least once a day. Or no case work.”

            Tim stared up at Bruce in mortification.

            No case work? Because of sleep!? Was this some sick nightmare that Death had brought him too? Was this a joke? Tim really needed to lie down now.

            “Get some rest, Tim,” Bruce chastised. “I don’t want to see you up until morning.”

            Tim grumbled but ducked under the covers. He’d make his case in the morning. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. Maybe he would wake up from this horror show. Being trapped and impaled under a building was better than this waking nightmare.

            He was still kind of tired anyways.

--------------------------

            As Bruce left Tim, now positive the kid was asleep, he gave a huff. Tim was going to be a handful, but he was a handful Bruce planned to invest in. And if he didn’t Kate certainly would. Kids were still a distant topic for Kate and Renee, but Bruce knew his cousin like he knew his sister. Speaking of his sister.

            “Guess you beat me to it,” Bruce huffed as Rachel stared up at him from beside Jason. “Has he been sleeping alright?”

            “He’s woken up a few times,” Rachel admitted, brushing hair from her nephew’s face. “I wandered in here after the first scream. You were still finishing in the cave, and Selina was out cold. Don’t blame her, though. Leslie said she’d need lots of rest.”

            Bruce hummed, pressing a kiss to Jason’s forehead then his sister’s. “Will you stay with him?”

            “Always,” Rachel promised.

            That was enough for Bruce. Once more looking to his son, Bruce noted that his face was scrunched up and his body was tense in agony. Just the sight broke Bruce’s heart.

            “It’s okay, Jay,” Bruce whispered. “I’m right here, and no one is going to hurt you. You’re safe.”

            Something in Jason uncoiled at the words. Bruce exchanged a glance with his sister, but it wasn’t long as Helena began to cry down the hall. Bruce went to answer his daughter’s plea, casting one last glance to his son and sister.

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            When Tim woke up that morning, he was hit with a sense of déjà vu. He knew for a fact that this wasn’t his world, his ever-constant moving mind not letting him forget the days events. Dang it, he really hoped he hadn’t messed up anything with his carelessness. Then again, this universe wasn’t his own, and Death had brought him here for a reason, right?

            You have a purpose to fulfill.

            That kind of killed Tim’s mood, but he quickly brushed it away. This was his job. His life. Perhaps he was fated to do this forever. For now, however, he would just get his purpose done. There wasn’t a reason to get attached.

            It was easier not to think of the life he left behind. Of the people he cared about that he would never see again. It wasn’t time for that.

            Tim stood, stretched, and moved to the clothes that Alfred had brought for him. He’d have to figure out how to get new ones now that he didn’t have access to the Wayne or Drake fortune, because the clothes provided were definitely to big for Tim’s skinner form. They must have been Dick’s old clothes.

            The thought brought both comfort and disdain.

            A knock on Tim’s door pulled Tim from his thoughts. He set the clothes down and called out to the person to enter.

            “Good morning, Master Tim,” Alfred entered, carrying a tray for breakfast. “Master Bruce thought you might prefer breakfast alone so that you might take a moment to adjust. However, he also stated that should you so wish, you may join them downstairs for breakfast.”

            Tim contemplated the offer. It was…odd to think about. Family meals weren’t always a thing, at least, when Tim had been Robin they weren’t. There were rare occasions that they all got together to eat as one big family, but those were rare. Even just having two or three people to eat with was an irregularity.

            Still, it might be a good idea to see who lived here in the Manor and make small talk. Contrary to popular belief, small talk could reveal quite a bit about a person.

            “I think I’ll join everyone if that’s alright?” Tim once more picked up the shirt.

            “Very good, sir,” Alfred nodded, and Tim knew Alfred well enough to know that the old man was pleased with the response. “I’ll leave this tea here for you, and prepare you a proper meal with everyone else.”

            Tim tried not to make a face at the offered tea. It wasn’t that he disliked tea. On the contrary, it was a good beverage, especially the way Alfred made it. But it simply didn’t have enough caffeine in it. Tim needed the caffeine.

            Unfortunately, Tim had made his love of the beverage known a little too early and now the entire household was against him. But coffee would need to wait. There were slightly more important things that needed to be addressed first.

            First, he needed to get dressed. And probably shower.

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            It was odd, moving through the manor, not expecting some sort of attack. It was for that very reason that Tim rarely went home. It wasn’t safe. Damian made sure that Tim wasn’t ever comfortable around the Manor, and the rest of the family let him get away with it. But there was no Damian here to kill him. There was no Dick here to smother him and make him feel guilty for not being around. And there wasn’t a Jason he needed to tip-toe around for fear of Pit Madness.

            But it was also sad. Despite Dick’s guilt tripping tendencies, Tim would miss his hugs. And even though Jason would have bouts of Pit Madness, Jason was his friend and brother. Maybe his best friend next to Cass. And he would even miss Damian walking around with his pets, painting new pictures to place around the manor.

            He would miss Cass, his best friend and favorite sibling. He would miss Steph and their on-and-off again relationship. He would miss Alfred and how the man genuinely cared. He would miss Duke and how he could have such interesting conversations with his new brother. He would miss Bruce the most, because although there had been disappointment, Bruce had been his father. A real father.

            It would be stupid to expect any sort of care now that Tim had already relayed his purpose.

            “COMING THROUGH!”

            Tim didn’t even turn around. He was only half-way down the stairs when he heard the wheelchair rapidly turn the corner and begin to descend down the stairs. Without a second thought, Tim launched himself into the air, did a backflip, and landed perfectly on his feet as the wheelchair went under him. He managed to land just in time to see Rachel yank the chair to a stop with expert skill so that neither she nor Jason were thrown.

            Kate was cackling wildly as Bruce leaned against a wall to catch his breath, looking both annoyed and mortified.

            “That,” he began slowly, “is one thing I definitely do not miss seeing.”

            Rachel just gave him a smug grin as she sat Jason back down in the chair. “Just wait till I teach him to go up.”

            Tim couldn’t help a laugh of his own as Bruce’s face became one of pure horror.

            “As funny as this may be,” Julia called to them, a stoic expression on her face, but a hint of amusement in her posture, “father says breakfast is ready, and not to get too worked up before you’ve all had the chance to eat.”

            Too late for that.

            But Alfred had declared breakfast, and the sarcasm in that man was never ending. It was best not to leave Alfred hanging or be forced to spend the rest of the day under his scrutiny and ire. Given how quickly everyone began to move, Tim figured that hadn’t changed in this world either. Another grounding fact Tim clung to.

            As Tim followed the others into the dining room, he studied each of the occupants around him. Alfred was nearly a familiar figure, bustling around each of them, refusing to sit with them, and watching them with a trained eye and big heart. Julia, however, had no problem taking a seat at the table with all of them. Julia was often a bodyguard, at least, to the outside world she was. Tim had managed to learn that Julia was still a secret operative for Great Britain, but her organization often teamed up with other organizations around the world.

            Kate was relaxed and open in a way Tim’s Kate had never been around the Bats. It was clear that the combined shock of being kicked out of the army, and the added stress of being disowned had drawn the strong, confident woman to her cousins. Bruce and Rachel had clearly accepted her in with open arms, and Tim was looking forward to the tale of how this Kate became Batwoman.

            Moving up the table, Tim noted that in between Julia and Selina was an empty space, perhaps reserved for Dick. But across from the empty space was Jason, sitting in between Kate and Rachel. The kid was tense, but Tim had a feeling it was more from the pain than from any anger. There was a weight to his shoulders that gave hints of fatigue, but the repercussions of what had happened must have taken place during the night because Jason was more relieved that fearful. Tim knew that Jason’s outlook would change eventually, and he made a mental note to keep an eye on the boy.

            Selina was feeding Helena at Bruce’s right, and Rachel was still grinning mischievously at Bruce’s left. Selina looked far better than she had the previous night, both the strain of a premature birth and the fear of losing Jason gradually fading away. Rachel still looked pale, and Tim wondered what was really wrong with her, but she was clearly unbothered by her display from earlier. The man in question was motioning Tim to the end of the table. Right…Tim would be put on display. Nothing he couldn’t handle. He was the CEO of Wayne Enterprises after all.

            “So we’ll need to take the kid shopping,” Kate hummed, spearing a piece of sausage. “The only problem is, we’d all be recognizable, and Dick’s t-shirts aren’t the best look for the kid.”

            Wait…what?

            “Perhaps you could give Mistress Bette a call,” Alfred offered, setting the final plate in front of Tim. “She is less known in the public eye, and it would be good for Master Tim to have friends his own age.”

            Tim grimaced at that. His ‘friends’ were all currently younger than him now. Cass, Steph, Duke, Harper…and if Kon and Cassie still existed, they were bound to be younger than him too. It made Tim feel a little sick inside. But he brushed it away. He wasn’t here to make friends or get a second shot at family. He was here for a purpose.

            “It’s been a while since Bette came by the Manor,” Rachel hummed, tapping her chin. “She’s been working overtime as the new Batgirl from what Dinah said. She really wants to do Babs proud.”

            “Then I’ll give Bette a call after breakfast,” Kate speared her second sausage. “Do you want me to call the other Birds too? They’ll be worried about Jason and Selina.”

            “We come up with a cover to tell our friends, Bat,” Selina hummed, momentarily taking her attention away from her daughter. “You know Tommy will suspect something, and Julie will want to know when he does. Silver is in town, and I invited her to come meet Helena. We’re lucky that Zatanna is one of us. But you’ll needed to decide what to tell Harvey, too.”

            “Don’t forget Andy,” Rachel stated with a slightly different mischievous smile, and the name practically sung teasingly from her lips.

            “Andrea has been informed,” Julia pipped up for the first time, and Tim was startled to see her plate completely clean. They had only just started eating and Tim wasn’t even done his first pancake. “She called me when she connected the dots between Bruce’s trip to Ethiopia, Jason being MIA, and Selina’s pregnancy. I kept her updated.”

            Kate leaned over to Tim. “Andrea Beaumont is Bruce’s ex-fiancée. Everyone in this family is best friends with her.”

            Bruce sighed, setting his fork down.

            “What is Tim’s cover story going to be?” Jason eyed his father. “He’s like…18? 19? He’s too old to be adopted. But I don’t want him to go away.”

            “We’re not going to turn him out, Jay,” Bruce assured his son. “We’re going to kill two birds with one stone. With Shelia claiming you as her son, the public will demand a paternity test. We’ll admit that she is, in fact, your birth mother, but that after learning of her shady history, you decided to stay here with Selina and I.”

            Bending the truth wasn’t half bad. Interesting.

            “There is no record of Robin being in Ethiopia, though there is word of both Batman and Superman being spotted. We’ve strategically sent several League Members to Ethiopia both to apprehend the Joker and to give a cover that the business in Ethiopia was League Business. As for Jason’s condition, we’ll explain it as Jason was taken from me, and the news caused Selina to go into early labor. We’ll pass Tim as the person who helped you escape by claiming he had also been kidnapped, but as an orphan and by how overly stressed and worried I was, I brought them both home. By that point, I’ll have built Tim a fake identity.”

            Seemed…fairly logical. Tim could see the logic behind the claim.

            Jason narrowed his eyes. “That’s gonna spark a lot of rumors old man.”

            “None I haven’t dealt with before,” Bruce scoffed.

            “You’ve got a flaw in your plan, Brucie,” Rachel stated, narrowing her eyes, and pushing the last of her eggs around on her plate. “There’s still one person you can’t discredit should he give away your identities. The Joker hasn’t been caught yet.”

            “You won’t necessarily need to.”

            The entire table turned to Tim.

            “I’m not saying you shouldn’t,” Tim advised, keeping his voice level, treating this like a regular board meeting. “In fact, in my world, the Joker managed to become the diplomat for Ethiopia, and Clark had to stop Bruce from breaking his own code. They hired Superman to stop Batman from killing the Joker. Bruce attempted to kill the Joker in three separate instances, and in each instance, he was stopped by someone, but the emotional trauma mixed with a corrupt mindset altered Bruce’s mind in a way he won’t admit. We can’t kill the Joker. It resulted in the wedge that drove Bruce and Jason apart permanently in my world.”

            Here, Tim paused, letting that sink in. Selina had clutched Helena close to her chest, staring wide eyed and open mouthed. Kate was pale, her hand moving to settle on Jason’s leg. Jason was trembling, eyeing his father, clearly wanting to crawl across the table and fall into his arms, but he grateful accepted Rachel’s hold. Julia looked murderous, and even Alfred had lost his usual neutral expression as pale horror washed over him.

            And Bruce…Bruce was in full Batman mode.

            “But apprehending the Joker won’t expose your identities,” Tim continued, shifting in his seat so he could lean his head on one arm. Brain working on a way to capture the Joker as he spoke. “The Joker isn’t exactly someone we can help. J’onn tried to correct the Joker’s mind once, but the effort only lasted around ten minutes, and J’onn swore he would never go into the man’s head again. To the Joker, this is a game, and the moment the world knows who Batman is, then the ending of the game begins. In fact, putting Shelia and the Joker anywhere near each other would be catastrophic because the Joker would kill her for even suggesting Batman’s identity. Your identity is safer with the Joker than it is with anyone else, including ourselves.”

            It was true, too. Bruce knew who the Joker was, and the Joker knew who Bruce was. He had probably known since the beginning. It was a game, and one that the Joker wasn’t going to let end.

            There was more he needed to say. More that needed to be addressed. But right now, right here, was not the time. He’d already mis stepped by revealing this information in front of Jason.

            “If it’s alright with you, Bruce, I’d like to put my knowledge to use and make sure the Joker gets apprehended immediately. Before he can do more damage than he already has.”

            Bruce gave him a nod.

            It took Tim fifteen minutes to track down the Joker, work out his plan to become the Ethiopian diplomat, and send the appropriate team to apprehend the Clown Prince of Crime. That had been three hours ago. The rest of the time, Tim had been using the Batcomputer to finish his research.

            What he found made him a little sick, but he closed the information and pushed away from the computer. The research had painted a rather clear picture of similarities and differences. His birth had apparently been a rather important event in history, and the lack of his life here had caused some turmoil, both good and bad.

            In a few hours, the people of Gotham would come forth to mourn the loss of their Robin. In a few hours, the Joker would learn that he had failed, by his own means. In a few hours, the real game would begin, and Tim needed to be ready to do what needed to be done.

            Not as Robin. Not as Red Robin. And definitely not as Drake.

            He needed to become someone new.

            Somewhere in Ethiopia, as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and a few other Leaguers arrested the Joker, a laugh erupted from the Clown’s lips. He got his answer as soon as he saw Batman.

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            “He should have stayed in Ethiopia,” Rachel hissed between clenched teeth as Bruce returned late that same night. “It would have saved us all the trouble of dealing with him again.”

            “Even if we had left the Joker in Ethiopia, it wouldn’t have solved anything,” Bruce told her, beginning to hang up his cowl. “Any trace of the Joker’s crimes were wiped, and not by us. They would have kept him a few days and just let him go, and even leaving him on Ethiopian soil was dangerous. He was already halfway to becoming their diplomat, imagine what he could do when placed with all those criminals.”

            Rachel still continued to glower at Bruce. “None of this would have been a problem if you had just listened to your son in the first place.”

            It took all of Bruce’s self-control not to lash out. This was an argument they had before, one that caused Selina’s early labor. As much as Bruce loved his sister, they often had opposing viewpoints. Bruce would admit that was mostly his fault. He had pushed her away when he should have brought her closer.

            “You’re right,” Bruce forced himself to admit. “I should have listened. I should have trusted my son over anything else, and it’s because of that failure that my son may never fully trust me again. That’s on me. It has joined my list of greatest regrets, believe me.”

            “But you still won’t kill the Joker,” Rachel seethed.

            “No, I won’t,” Bruce admitted.

            Rachel proceeded to storm out of the cave. There were times where Bruce worried about his sister. He supposed that being ten years old promised a different memory of a tragedy compared to a two year old. Still, Bruce swore off guns because they were the very weapon that murdered his father. Rachel seemed to think they were necessary to bring justice. Though Bruce feared she meant vengeance.

            “I-I don’t think you can kill the Joker, dad.”

            Bruce whipped around. When had Jason come downstairs? That was his first question. The second question was where the heck was his wheelchair?

            “Jay,” Bruce crossed the space in three long strides, scooping his son into his arms. “I thought you were asleep.”

            Jason shook his head, burying his face in the crook of his dad’s shoulder. That was answer enough for Bruce.

            “You shouldn’t kill the Joker, dad,” Jason stressed, clearly avoiding the topic. “I-I think what Tim said is true. If you kill him, it will-it will change you.”

            “But you’re afraid,” Bruce whispered, burying his face in his son’s hair. “You want me to.”

            “It would make me feel safe,” Jason nodded. “But it would hurt you. It hurt Tim’s Bruce, and he treated Tim like an object. I don’t want that to happen to you. I don’t want you to become a cold, heartless man like Tim’s Bruce. I want the Joker dead, but I need you more.”

            “And I need you, Jay. So much. You and Dick and Helena. I need my kids just as much as you need me.”

            “And Tim?”

            “No, not yet,” Bruce shook his head. “I haven’t reached dad status for Tim yet, but maybe soon. I hope. Will you help me help Tim?”

            Jason nodded; face still buried in Bruce’s shoulder. And with that promise, Bruce carried his son back to bed.

Chapter Text

            “Wait, you were serious?”

            Tim would honestly admit he was going through caffeine withdraw, but what made it worse was the fact that his thoughts were literally everywhere. He couldn’t pinpoint one thing for very long, and he probably looked deader than Jason had upon coming back to life. Tim had spent the last two days doing research, familiarizing himself with the family, and catching himself up on events that did and didn’t happen in this world.

            Now Kate was introducing him to Mary Elizabeth Kane. Also known as Bette.

            “We have guests coming tonight, Timmy,” Kate ruffled his hair. “And you look like you were dragged through a meat grinder. Go, shower, catch up on hygiene, then come back downstairs. Bette’s taking you shopping.”

            Tim blinked owlishly but decided it wasn’t worth arguing about. He hadn’t had the time to get his own bank account, or find a way to make enough money to do so, and it was probably a bad idea to just send him somewhere in Gotham while there were guests over. He had only been there for three days, and that meant he was basically trying to figure out as much as possible.

            Looked like he would be going shopping.

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            “I thought we were just getting clothes,” Tim grumbled, glancing over the list Bruce had handed him. “Why do I need to choose furniture?”

            “If it makes you feel any better, Bruce tried to pay for my college and my apartment,” Bette offered, shooting Tim an amused grin. “And this was all after he attempted to get me to move into the Manor.”

            Bette Kane of this world was nearly the spitting image of his Bette Kane. Dirty blonde hair that had a sort of wavy curl that fell to her shoulder blades, blue eyes that spoke of her relationship to the Kane family, the facial features that could have caused others to mistake her as Kate’s younger sister. The differences, however, had to do more with Bette’s age and personality. In Tim’s world, Bette was actually a year older than Dick, where here, she was the same age as Tim.

            Her personality, however, was built on slightly different circumstances.

            The Kane family was stupidly old-fashioned, and in Tim’s world, all of Roderick and Betsy’s children got what was coming for them. Here, however, things were different.

            Roderick Kane had suffered severe injuries in a car accident, and now remained paralyzed, only able to groan and moan as he lay on his bed. It was anyone’s guess what he was saying or thinking, or even if he could think at all. His wife, however, did not care to kill her husband off, and instead decided to let him live until he died naturally. Betsy became the head of the house. A title she took literally.

            Nathan, the oldest, inherited the fortune, up until he married a Katrina Netz (though she went by the name Kathy Webb), after he bought her a circus. Betsy had flipped, and the fortune went to the second oldest, Philip Kane. Thus disowning Nathan and Kathy. From what Tim could tell, Nathan and Kathy were still alive, traveling with their circus, raising two children, and working for Spyral.

            Philip Kane was the official heir of the Kane fortune, but he had yet to marry or have a child. A shock that bothered Betsy, but not one that resulted in disowning. There were rumors that Philip had been in love with a woman, but those rumors went on to say she hadn’t been approved or she was dead. There were also rumors that Philip was gay, but no one knew for sure.

            Which then went to Jacob Kane, who had married Gabrielle, the love of his life. They gave birth to the twins, Kate and Beth. An unknown criminal organization had later caused a car crash that killed Gabi. Kate and Beth were kidnapped, but Jacob only managed to save Kate. They believed Beth was murdered. Years later, Jacob Kane became a Colonel in the army, and Kate was working her way through Boot Camp when it was discovered she was a lesbian. She was kicked from the army due to false claims, and sent home. Jacob remained supportive of his daughter, but Betsy wouldn’t have it. Kate was kicked from her home too.

            Three weeks after being kicked out, Batman saved her from being mugged and raped outside a bar in the Narrows. He then brought her to her cousin, Bruce Wayne, where she has continued to live in Wayne Manor.

            The next was Betsy’s only daughter and her ‘greatest failure;’ Martha Wayne née Kane. The Kanes and the Waynes had never gotten along since a dispute that happened decades ago, back when Gotham was founded, so when Martha fell in love with Thomas, Betsy tried to control and manipulate the situation. But Martha was smarter than her mother gave credit, and she not only married Thomas, but did it in private. It caused strife between mother and daughter, and both Philip and Jacob blamed Thomas for the death of their sister.

            The youngest was named Samuel, and he was rarely talked about. With far more drama happening with the older siblings, the media hadn’t thought to care for young Samuel Kane, a fact that Samuel took to his advantage. He disappeared roughly around the time Martha married Thomas, and the first anyone had heard from him since was when Bette showed up. Only to be shunned by the family.

            Bette had grown up enjoying the simpler things in life. From a simple home, loving parents, and two brothers, one older and one younger, life hadn’t been easy, but it wasn’t full of the fighting, divorce, and manipulation that most of the Kane family had endured through the years.

            But Bette Kane wasn’t some simple girl from the suburbs. Her older brother, Jeremy, was a technological genius. He was finishing up college and weighing several job offers. Arthur was a young artist, though still a freshman, he had talent. Bette was beginning her first year of college and hoping to become a lawyer. She made her choice in which college to attend while looking for her father’s parentage. Though disowned, Bette kept her head high and tracked down Kate, Bruce, and Rachel, all of which welcomed her with open arms.

            Tim had no doubt she was doing the title of Batgirl proud.

            “So we have to get you at least one suit,” Bette continued on, navigating the car through Gotham’s busier streets as if she had done it all her life. “Maybe three. And at least a few of the dressier outfits. What do you normally do for comfortable clothes?”

            “Slacks and a button-down.”

            Bette raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you serious?”

            “Big comfy sweaters that are too big for me,” Tim continued. “I don’t know, dress shirts?”

            “Okay, the only thing about any of that remotely sounded relaxing was the sweater. And let me tell you, that is a problem. I can see I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

            “You’ve got your-! What does that even mean?”

            Bette gave him a look that made Tim feel like he was missing something. No, he probably was missing something. Relaxing was something he normally did with his friends and Steph, and most of the time, he did his “relaxing” in costume. It wasn’t intentional, but his relationship with the Bats was…strained. Even the rare times he and Jason got to hang out were done in costume. On the rare chance Tim wasn’t in costume, he was wearing slacks, a button down, and a comfy sweater on top.

            Bette pulled them into a parking garage and led the way to the mall. Tim had come here a few times when he was in high school, occasionally with friends, but it was rare. Just as rare as him relaxing. And thus began the shopping trip of doom.

            Tim was convinced Bette found joy in the torture that was forcing Tim to try on “comfort clothes”.

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            The dinner was at eight. They started shopping at 7:30 in the morning, and it was 7:30 in the evening by the time Bette started driving them back to the Manor. It took eight hours to find clothes alone, and only two hours of that were spent at the tailors. The furniture and space-filler shopping took the rest of the time, and, thankfully, that wasn’t nearly as bad as Bette trying to make him try on ten different pairs of sweatpants to see which kind felt better. And don’t even get him started on the jeans.

            “I want to dead,” Tim groaned in the passenger seat, glaring at the smoothie Bette had got him. Bette had clearly been told the ‘don’t-give-Tim-caffeine-rule.’ Much to his further disdain. “Never mind, I already did the dead, but I’d be willing to do it again.”

            “Quit being a baby,” Bette scoffed. “At least I didn’t make you try on a skirt.”

            “I would look fabulous in a skirt, thank you very little,” Tim lazily rolled his head to stare at the blonde. “You acted as if I had never tried on clothes before.”

            “No, I acted like you never tried on clothes for fun.”

            “I will have you know that I have, in fact, tried on clothes for fun, before. I just wasn’t forced to buy everything I tried on!”

            “You only bought six sweatpants,” Bette pointed out.

            “Bite me!”

            Bette laughed, throwing her head back in glee at Tim’s suffering.

            Thankfully, Tim had the idea the that they get changed before they were to arrive at the Manor, especially given how long it had taken them to shop. Tim was clad in a business casual outfit, a red button down and black slacks, much to Bette’s teasing, and Bette had gone for a simple black dress with an orange sash and orange embroidery. Simple yet classy.

            The exact opposite of Bette Kane, herself.

            “Right, quick rundown on today’s guests,” Bette began as they saw Wayne Manor in the distance. “Silver St. Cloud is a model and one of Bruce’s ex-girlfriends. She is aware of our night job. Julie Madison is Bruce’s childhood friend, though we all know she wanted more. I feel sort of bad for her. Thomas Elliot is Bruce’s best friend from childhood. He’s an…interesting guy.”

            Thomas Elliot was on Tim’s radar. He was going to use the dinner to observe the man. Deep down, Tim hoped Thomas wasn’t going to turn out like his world’s Hush. Thomas had been Bruce’s best friend, more so than Harvey Dent. The constant battle of friends to enemies had dug a hole in Bruce that nearly resulted in the Joker’s death.

            “Zatanna Zatara is also part of Bruce’s childhood friend group, and she’ll be coming to meet Helena, too. And you, actually. She’s already gotten the rundown,” Bette continued on with her list of guests, oblivious to Tim’s inner turmoil. “Kate invited her girlfriend, Renee. And I think Lucius Fox might be stopping by. He’s the CEO of Wayne Enterprise. And Babs is supposed to bring little Mar’i by.”

            Wait…who?

            “Mar’i?”

            “Yeah, Dick’s daughter,” Bette shrugged like the answer was obvious, but the wheels in Tim’s head were turning on overdrive. “She was a surprise to both Dick and Kori Anders, his girlfriend. They made Babs the godmother, and she was babysitting Mar’i for the last two weeks.”

            Wait…Dick was a father!?

            Any grace and poise Tim had vanished. Which was unfortunate because they had finally pulled into the garage. Bette seemed rather amused by the sudden personal crisis Tim was going through.

            “Oh, good, you’re both here,” Bruce came to greet them, looking a little flustered. “And you’re dressed. Good. I was afraid-Tim? What’s wrong?”

            Bette burst out into laughter as Tim shrunk into himself. The glare he shot her only made her laugh harder.

-----------------------------------

            Up until this moment, Tim had planned to approach Thomas Elliot with the ideation that the man, at any given moment, could lash out and become a supervillain bent on taking over Bruce’s life. However, that belief went out the window the moment he saw Thomas Elliot standing before him.

            Selina had placed Helena in Tommy’s arms, and the man looked both excited and horrified at the infant as he clumsily adjusted his grip on the baby girl. He soon had complete awe on his face as he looked into Helena’s eyes, blue swirled with bits of green, and the baby giggled.

            “Are you sure she’s yours, Bruce?” Tommy teased as the three of them approached the other guests. “She’s gorgeous? How could a beautiful little angel like her come from an old dog like you?”

            Bruce laughed. “She gets it all from Selina, believe me.”

            Tim didn’t think that was true. Just looking at the girl before him, Helena was the perfect blend of both her parents. She had Selina’s cheeks, but Bruce’s nose. She had Selina’s smile, but Bruce’s eyes. She had Selina’s chin, but Bruce’s brow. She had Selina’s ears, but Bruce’s eyebrows. She was a beautiful blend of the two, and it showed.

            “We were hoping you would be godfather,” Selina told him, watching as Tommy’s head jerked to her in shock. “Neither of us are religious, Tommy, but-”

            “No, I understand,” Tommy nodded, tucking Helena a little closer to his chest. “I’ll accept. Gladly. You know this means I’ll be visiting more, right?”

            “I’m counting on it,” Bruce clapped his best friend on the shoulder.

            It hadn’t taken Tim long to compose himself, but the sight before him had nearly thrown him off. Thomas Elliot of his world had never really cared to meet any of them in person, only ever confronting them behind the mask, and always to kill them. The man was crazy. But here, looking at Tommy, studying him, Tim could see that the madness wasn’t there. Tommy handled Helena with such awe and gentleness, he crouched to Jason’s level and began making jokes and giving calm assurances. Like he knew Jason personally. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but there was something…different.

            He wished Steph or Cass were here. Cass because she’d know immediately if something was off, and Steph because she had an amazing sixth sense about this kind of thing. He’d keep an eye on the man for now, but Tim had his own feeling that something was different about this Tommy Elliot.

            Tommy was the first of the guests to arrive, and Alfred had gone to greet the next guest that arrived at the door when Bette and Tim pulled into the garage.

            “Tim, right,” Tommy handed Helena to Bruce and moved to greet him. “I’ve heard a few things about you, recently. I’m glad you’ve found a home here. There’s no man kinder than Bruce.”

            Tim took the hand and shook it. “I’ve heard a lot about you too, sir. Good and bad.”

            Tommy laughed. “I like him already. How do you find them, Brucie?”

            “Believe me, Tommy, they find me.”

            The look in Bruce’s eye was one of pride. Tim was rather floored to have the look directed at him, barely noting that Tommy had moved to greet Bette. It was such an odd expression to direct at Tim, he wasn’t sure what to do with it.

            “Miss Zatanna and Miss Renee have arrived, and Miss Barbara has come to bring Mistress Mar’i home,” Alfred announced, beckoning the guests inside.

            “Papa, B’ce!” the half-tamaranean toddler shot into the room, latching on to the man in a tight hug. “Look! Look! Babs made me pwetty!”

            “You’re already pretty, little starshine,” Bruce chuckled, flicking a lose hair from her face. “Just the way you are. And don’t you dare forget it.”

            “Babs made me pwetty-ew,” Mar’i corrected with a giggle. “Can I see de baby?”

            “Of course, sweetheart,” Bruce pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Zatanna, Babs, feel free to make yourselves comfortable.”

            “Oh, I see, we’re only second place to the little cuties of the room,” Zatanna teased, earning a laugh from Babs. “Guess we just can’t compete.”

            Mar’i was, in fact, the spitting image of her mother in nearly every way. The main differences that Tim could tell was that Mar’i had Dick’s nose and black hair. Rather than an orange tint to her hair, Mar’i had a purple one. She was adorable and exactly as energetic as Tim would expect a child of Kori and Dick to be.

            It was odd to see Babs standing, wearing her glasses, and sporting a police badge. He hoped he’d be able to stop the events that would put Babs in a wheelchair. With Jason already taking the name Oracle, things were going to be different.

            “Tim Drake,” Babs grinned at him as they shook hands. “I’ve got a few things for you later. Have Bette swing you by my place at some point and you can pick them up.”

            Tim nodded. “Thanks, Babs.”

            It didn’t feel like enough, but he would have more time to thank her later. When they didn’t have listening ears. Julie Madison and Silver St. Cloud were just being brought into the room. Along with someone Tim didn’t recognize.

            “Andrea,” Rachel greeted her brightly, making a beeline for the girl. “And Andrew!”

            Beside the woman who had to be Andrea Beaumont was a boy that must have been her son. He was a few years younger than Jason. Perhaps two or three more. Jason quickly wheeled across the room, causing Andrew’s eyes to go wide at the sight. But the two boys easily smiled at each other and with Jason’s beckoning, the boy climbed into his lap and the two wheeled off, Mar’i quickly following the two.

            “We won’t be seeing them for a time,” Tommy chuckled with a grin to Bruce. “Shall we move to somewhere more comfortable?”

            “That’s probably for the best,” Bruce agreed, turning towards Tim and Bette. “You two can go or stay until dinner.”

            Tim glanced to Bette, and she glanced to him. It was clear that they had the same thought. They bolted from the room and made their way to Bruce’s study. Or, more accurately, the Batcave. Tim was still very glad that the controls were the same as he pulled up feed from the manor, watching as Jason showed Andrew and Mar’i some tricks on a smaller screen, and watching the adults talk to each other.

            “Bruce, what happened to Jason?” Julie Madison asked as Silver took her turn holding baby Helena. “And where did Tim come from?”

            There were looks shared around the room, away from Julie’s gaze, but it was clear she wasn’t a fool. She could sense something.

            “Jason was…taken from me in Ethiopia,” Bruce began slowly. “I take it most of the occupants of this room guessed something went wrong, and Selina went into early labor because of the news. They beat Jason, brutally, but Tim had been taken by them too. He doesn’t have any family left alive. I…may or may not have kidnapped the boy when I found him rescuing Jason.”

            “That explains why he’s so malnourished,” Andrea hummed, though she seemed to be eyeing Bruce, clearly planning on getting the true story later. Tim was starting to wonder just how many people in Bruce’s inner circle knew his secret. “And what of Jason’s condition? Will he ever fully recover?”

            Bruce shared a glance with Selina. It was Selina who spoke. “We’ve talked with several professionals, and we’ve consulted Leslie, Jason will heal, but there will be bouts of phantom pain, and there’s a chance he won’t be able to move like he used too.”

            “Oh, that poor boy,” Silver breathed. “This is going to be so hard on him. Surely you’ve found a way to help him.”

            “Course we have,” Kate grinned from where she stood next to Renee, shooting her cousin a look that had him groaning. “Rachel is teaching Jason all of her tricks from the good-ol-days.”

            Several people burst out laughing as Andrea crossed the room and placed baby Helena in Julie’s arms. Tim was rather astonished to see Julie tense as she held the baby in her arms. It wasn't the sort of tense Tommy had been when he first held Helena. It was a sharp, almost angry tension. Everyone else seemed oblivious as Julie quickly stood and handed the baby to Rachel, who eyed Julie in astonishment. Julie must have said something because Rachel quickly relaxed and rocked Helena gently.

            “That was odd,” Tim whispered more to himself than to Bette.

            “What?”

            “Nothing,” Tim shook his head. “Just thought I saw something.”

            Bette probably didn’t believe him, but Tim wasn’t going to say anything more. The conversation had shifted to pleasanter topics on the screen, and Jason seemed perfectly content with his niece and his friend for company.

            Looks like he had time to do research before dinner. There were a few questions he needed to answer anyways, and Bette provided the perfect source to bounce information off of. This would be payback for the Shopping Trip of Doom she had taken him on.

Chapter Text

            Tim straightened his shirt as he exited the Batcave with Bette. She was rightfully annoyed with his game of Twenty Questions, but karma was fun. Except his brain was an enigma and he stopped next to Bruce’s desk. It probably couldn’t hurt to fast-track a thing or two.

            “What are you doing?”

            Tim didn’t even spare Bette a glance as he continued to shift through Bruce’s desk with the haste of a man being chased by the Joker, but the precision of chandelier maker. It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for. He slipped out the papers with ease and set them gently on top of Bruce’s desk, right where the man would be forced to look at them.

            “Just setting things in motion,” Tim grinned at her. He was rather pleased with himself, in all honesty. A few quick strides had him across the room where he offered Bette his arm. “Shall we go?”

            Bette, who had spent the last twenty-ish minutes learning just how obnoxious Tim could be, rolled her eyes but accepted the offered arm. They reached the foyer just in time to see Alfred guiding Jason, Andrew, and Mar’i out of an elevator. Tim had to attribute its existence to Rachel. They Manor had eventually gained an elevator in Tim’s world, but that was only after Babs had proven she could still handle herself and started coming by the Manor again.

            “You’re ‘Im?!” a bright purple blur suddenly hovered in front of Tim’s face. “Awe you my new un’e?!”

            Uncle?

            Tim…wasn’t exactly a part of the family. Not really. He was here for a purpose that he would fulfill, and then he would move on to the next task when the time came. So, no, he wasn’t really Mar’i’s Uncle, and it would be better if she didn’t get attached to him. She would only be face with disappointment. Except…

            Except Mar’i was staring at him with glowing emerald eyes. Except Andrew was watching him with a look of pure awe. Except Jason had a stupidly big grin on his face. Except even Alfred was looking at him expectantly.

            He made the mistake of looking at Bette.

            “Yeah, Mar’i, I’m your Uncle.”

            “YAY!” Mar’i squealed doing a flip in mid-air. “I hawe a un’e ‘Immy!”

            Maybe Tim could pretend. At least, for now. It was better to have something for a time then to deny himself. Sure, it would ache when he lost it, but it wouldn’t ache as much as knowing he didn’t have a chance. That was one thing he was certain of.

            Besides, Alfred looked pleased with his response.

            “Come Miss Mar’i,” Alfred reached for his great-grandchild (and wasn’t that a thought). “You can get to know you’re knew Uncle later. For now we must go spend some time without guests.”

            “O’tay!” Mar’i landed gracefully on her feet and lifted a hand to grab Tim’s in a vice hold. “You sit witt me?”

            “Course I will,” Tim grinned.

            Internally, Tim came to the terrifying conclusion that this tiny child had wrapped him around her finger in the matter of seconds. Dang it, this was the exact opposite of what he should have done.

---------------------------------

            Dinner was relatively pleasant. It was clear that, despite the people who didn’t truly know Bruce’s secret, Bruce had a slightly different relationship with these people. He didn’t keep them completely at arm’s length (or beyond, for that matter), and they each had a familiar dynamic.

            Selina let out a startled laugh as Tommy told a story of an archeologist who had made a horrible turn to a dig. The poor woman had gotten caught by natives and after being rescued, she was more worried by about the ring than her injuries.

            “She swallowed her wedding ring?”

            “Yes!” Tommy laughed right along with her. “It was clear the woman must not have completed her studies on human anatomy because the woman was hysterical when she regained consciousness. We had to tie the poor woman down, and it took forever to figure out what she was upset over. She was convinced we were going to have to cut it out of her. Of course, by the time we got that out of her the morphine had kicked in and she was out like a light. We eventually found out that one of the rescue paramedics that was brought along had retrieved the ring when he was assessing her injuries. He was cleaning it for her while we were trying to stitch her up. The best part was that she was convinced that the ring was a fake and we gave her three different X-Rays and an Ultra Sound just to prove the ring had come out on its own.”

            The entire table erupted with laughter, though Andrew wrinkled his nose as Jason leaned over to explain just how the ring came out. Poor Mar’i laughed along, blissfully ignorant of the joke. Tim did not lean over to explain to the girl.

            “Speaking of wedding rings,” Zatanna grinned into her wine glass as the laughter died down. “I heard a little rumor that a certain platinum blonde is seeing someone. And that the relationship is quite serious.”

            Silver flushed but held herself with the grace and poise worthy of royalty. “You wouldn’t be wrong. I’ve been seeing Evan Gregory.”

            “Evan Greg-” Julie stuttered. “You don’t mean Senator Evan Gregory, do you?”

            Silver’s smile said it all. Tim recalled that Silver had dated Evan Gregory back in his world, but she had also realized she still loved Bruce. Unfortunately, their relationship was doomed from the start, and Silver chose to break up with Bruce for a second time. She hadn’t dated anyone since.

            Maybe it would work out this time.

            “When did you meet him?” Kate teased, getting a jab from Renee.

            “Actually, I met him a couple months ago at the Wayne Gala,” Silver hummed, tapping her chin. “The one Vicki Vale called ‘A Scandal’ because Richard wasn’t there.”

            “Speaking of the boy, where is Dick?” Tommy turned to Selina and Bruce. “Surely he’d want to be here for Helena and Jason? And I can’t see him being too happy about another kid in the manor without word. You know how that went with Jason?”

            Bruce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He went off on some trip with his friends. His girlfriend and best friend wanted to do a more natural shoot for Donna’s showcase, and they roped the guys into it. Not even Donna’s husband is sure when they’ll be back, and we haven’t been able to reach them.”

            “We’re trying to get in touch with him as soon as possible,” Selina promised. “But they did promise to be back in time for the birth. Technically, they assumed the birth was going to be sometime next month. So it’s hardly their fault.”

            Silver let out a sigh of pity. “First Jason. Then Robin. What next?”

            “Focus on the bad and all you’ll get is the bad,” Andrea spoke up, drawing all attention to her. “Focus on the good, and you’ll see them happen more often amidst the bad. That was a lesson my father never learned, and a mistake I hope to never make again. Yes, Jason was beaten and taken, but he’s here, home, and Tim has a home now too. Yes, Robin is gone, but the Joker is behind bars again, which means that many more lives have been saved, even if for the time being. And yes, Harvey may not be here with us, but we’re still here, and Helena is here to join us. We have so much to be thankful for. Perhaps its time we saw that.”

            Tim was….rather impressed by Andrea Beaumont. And in awe. Definitely in awe.

------------------------------------

            Andrea Beaumont. The Phantasm. Bruce had met her and a fallen in love shortly after his return from training. In fact, many of Bruce’s friends had mentioned how Andrea was the one that brought Bruce back into their lives. Her father, Carl Beaumont, ended up involved with the wrong people, and it cost him his life. It cost Andrea the love of her life. In the end, for a time, Andrea had been vengeful. She came back as an assassin who killed the men responsible for her father’s death. She failed with the Joker. Her son…Andrew…well…that was another matter that Tim wasn’t going to press. Andrew was a good kid, and a good friend to Jason. Andrea had since retired as the Phantasm, only occasionally popping up in Gotham, and she was good friends with everyone in Bruce’s inner circle. Tim was willing to trust her just as he had Jason. She was bound to mess up. Everyone did. Including Tim. It would be how she would make amends that would truly prove her loyalty.

            Andrea Beaumont, Zatanna Zatara, and Silver St. Cloud were the only members of Bruce’s inner circle that weren’t directly family to know his secret. This left Harvey Dent, Gilda Dent, Thomas Elliot, and Julie Madison in the dark. Harvey for obvious reasons, and Gilda had since moved away. Tim would be keeping an eye on her. The Holiday murders were still a thing here. Thomas didn’t know because…well…Tim wasn’t sure. In fact, given some of Tommy’s reactions, there was a chance Tommy did know.

            But Julie Madison was complicated. From what Tim could gather, Julie didn’t get to know Bruce until after the murder of his parents, but she had a crush on the man for as long as anyone could recall. Bruce and Rachel befriended Julie when she told Bruce off for bullying Rachel, taking out his anger on his little, sick sister. It wasn’t until they were adults that someone discovered Julie’s father had been the one to sell Joe Chill the gun that would later kill Thomas and Martha Wayne. Mr. Madison had denied all knowledge of what Joe Chill planned to do with the gun, but he was later murdered in a car crash. Julie was the only member of her family not present, leaving her an orphan. Since then, her relationship with Bruce and Rachel had been strained, but neither blamed Julie for the actions of her father.

            Tim needed to take a look into the Wayne case. It still hadn’t been solved, and if it was anything like his world, then he’d need to pull a Damian.

            Like that would end well.

            Might as well add it to the to-do-list.

----------------------------

            Jason found that being trapped to a chair while Bruce fought alone wasn’t easy. He snarled, grumbled, and snapped at Tim. But Tim didn’t seem to mind, and it took a moment for Jason to realize just exactly why Tim was reacting with such patience.

            “There,” Tim guided Jason’s hands across the keyboard. “It’ll take practice, Jay, but you’ll get it.”

            Jason’s protest died in his throat as he watched Tim. They were supposed to be aiding Tim in feeling more at home. And here Jason was being an impatient child. Treating Tim like an object to be used and beaten.

            “Sorry,” Jason whispered.

            “Hey, no,” Tim shushed gently, guiding Jason’s hands once more. “It’s only your first time. You think I figured this out in a day? Bruce has encryptions on encryptions. It will take time to learn everything, and we’ve got time now, right?”

            Jason sucked in a breath, grounded himself, and let his fingers move. It was a lot easier to focus on things when he was calm. Go figure. The soft pitter-patter of feet could be heard behind them as Tim guided Jason into setting up the rest of the monitors and devices. A gentle hand landed on Jason’s shoulder, and Jason knew the second one was on Tim’s.

            “And…. done,” Tim grinned. “Go ahead, Jay.”

            Jason looked up to Tim and nodded, swallowing as he took a deep breath.

            “This is Oracle, calling the Bats and the Birds.”

            “Hey, O!” came the chipper, familiar voice of Charlie Gage-Radcliffe. “It’s good to hear your voice again.”

            “Welcome back to the nightlife,” Dinah Lance greeted with a strong voice that was a bit younger than Tim remembered.

            “Glad you’re okay, kid,” Helena Bertinelli hummed over the comms. “Got anything good for us?”

            Jason stared at the monitor screens, gaze jumping back and forth. “Take your pick. We’ve got a robbery at Gotham East Bank. A fight broke out in the Narrows, too. It’s drawn the police’s attention. And…it looks like some of Ivy’s plants are stirring up trouble in the Fashion District.”

            “Question and Detective Gordon are already on their way to the Narrows,” Batman began his orders. “Batwoman, Canary, and Misfit; I want you at the robbery, once you wrap that up, head to the Narrows to aid the police officers. Huntress and Batgirl with me. Is Tigress active?”

            “You better believe I am,” came the voice of one of Jason’s best friends. “And we will be talking about the Oracle situation, Batman.”

            “Fine. You’re with me.”

            “Tigress?”

            Jason turned to Tim noting the confusion on his face.

            “Artemis Crock,” Jason grinned up at his new brother, a sort of mirth dancing behind teal eyes. “She’s one of Dick’s best friends, and mine. Her mom is Paula Crock, the former Tigress. She was a supervillain who retired after the birth of her daughters and she sustained serious injuries. Her father is the current Sportsmaster, and her sister is Cheshire. She was trained by Green Arrow when her skills with archery proved to be better than her close combat skills. She took the mantle of Tigress after an undercover mission. The same mission that took Barry Allen from us.”

            Tim’s brow furrowed further. More at the Barry Allen part than anything else. Jason opened his mouth to ask about that, but an alarm sounding drew his attention.

            “Oracle, what’s happening?” Batman demanded.

            “The situation in the Narrows has escalated,” Jason informed the others, eyes widening as he the police scanner picked up the problem. “It looks like a someone got their hands on fear toxin and a few cases burst. It’s spreading through Narrows to quickly to control, and several officers are already down. Either infected or attacked.”

            “Change of plans,” Batman grunted. “Canary and Misfit take care of the bank. Batwoman, Huntress, Tigress; I want you at the Narrows. Batgirl with me. Oracle; I want you and our guest ready to make an antidote for the fear toxin. We’ll figure out how to get it distributed once we know what strain we’re dealing with.”

            Jason bit his lip. With Robin down for the count, it would be harder to get the antidote out. Maybe Julia or Alfred could drive out there, but driving would take too long. And with everyone occupied, there was no telling how long it would take to get the antidote out and distributed. Even with Misfit’s teleportation, she was still young, and in training. She’d tire out too quickly trying to jump from person to person.

            “Tim?”

            Jason’s head whipped up at his Aunt’s voice to see Tim was no longer behind him. The younger was moving towards the display cases of old costumes. New and old. Rachel must have felt Tim pull away, as she was watching him steadily.

            “Are these all the costumes that have been used?” Tim demanded, turning to look at them over his shoulder. “Or are there others?”

            “Some of Dick’s were packed away,” Rachel pointed towards a closed off area of the cave. “And a few of the more damaged suits were tucked in that corner.”

            “I think there are prototypes in there too,” Jason looked to Rachel, who was just as unsure as Jason. “Why?”

            Tim turned to the two and grinned. “I’ve got an idea. Just work on the antidote.”

            As Tim disappeared, Jason and Rachel exchanged glances.

            “Sending blood samples,” Huntress spoke over the comm. “Whatever plan that kid has, he better figure it out quick.”

-----------------------

            “Antidote is done,” Jason spoke into the comms. “It appears that the fear toxin wasn’t just one type. It was several mixed together. The antidote should cure all the types present.”

            “Good,” the sound of the grapple firing could be heard in the background. “Batgirl and I finished with Ivy. Canary, is Misfit able to teleport to the Batcave?”

            “Negative. She’s too exhausted as is. And even if she did get the antidote, she wouldn’t be able to make it to the Narrows.”

            Jason clenched his fists. If only he hadn’t listened to Shelia, this never would have happened. He’d have been able to race out there and deliver the antidote to Batman, no problem. Julia and Alfred were down in the cave now, but neither could make it to the Narrows in time. The situation was already critical, and the Narrows were being evacuated.

            “Jason.”

            Again, Jason whipped around, but any retort or frustration he could have let out died as he came face to face with Tim. Tim had clearly made due with what he could find because several of the items he wore were too big, or didn’t fit quite right. But the outfit was cool.

            He wore some of the new Nightwing prototype Bruce had been working on for Dick, but over the chest, Tim had modified a version of the Robin uniform to go over the skin-tight Kevlar that was meant to allow Dick extra movement. The Robin symbol had been removed. An older model of Batman’s utility belt was around Tim’s waist, and a shorter version of Batman’s cape hung from Tim’s shoulder. A few of the newer prototype gauntlets and gadgets could be seen on Tim’s person, and a domino had been placed on his face.

            “What do you think?” Tim teased at Jason’s awed expression.

            “You look awesome.”

            Tim grinned and reached for the new antidote. “Make a few more of these. I’m going to filter the antidote into a gas and spread it over the fear toxin. It will give enough relief and hopefully dispel the toxin from the air. Send the formula to the clinics around the Narrows and Crime Alley, then mass-produce as much as you can.

            “Uh, okay,” Jason agreed, watching as Tim made for the Batplane. “But how are you going to turn the antidote into a gas.”

            “With great skill and accuracy,” was the retort that brought no comfort to Jason.

            Then Tim took off.

-----------------------------

            There were several things that needed to happen for this to work. First, Tim had to get the antidote into gas form, which, with enough patience, would work. The second was that Tim needed to shove the gas into the air filters of the plane and have the plane dispel the antidote. The third was that Tim had to fly low enough to release the toxin on the streets. Given that the antidote needed to be released in the Narrows, that was easier said than done. There were several tall buildings and structure for which someone could jump from and land on the plane. Had this been Tim’s world, he’d have gotten Duke to summon the We Are Robins members to aid in this fight.

            But Duke would be a kid. A child. There was no way he would be able to help now. Tim was on his own for this one. That was fine, though. Sometimes Tim worked better on his own.

            “Tim,” Batman voiced over the comms. “What are you doing?”

            “Something dumb,” Tim answered back. “And names, B. You should know that better than anyone.”

            “You don’t have a code name,” Batman sighed.

            “That sounds like a you problem.”

            Several laughs filled Tim’s ear.

            “I like this one, B,” Tigress snickered. “Where’d you find him?”

            “Later,” Batman quipped.

            Good. The antidote was now in gas form and successfully hooked up to the filters, ready to be distributed on the streets of the Narrows. Now he just had to get low enough to actually do that.

            “You’re a little close to the ground there, kid,” Huntress informed him.

            “He’s planning to release it on the streets,” Jason-Oracle cut in quickly. “But the gas will rise instead of sink like the fear toxin. It’ll float up into the air. He needs to be as close to the ground as possible.” A moment of silence dragged out as Jason mumbled to himself, or perhaps to someone else. “Okay, I’ve got a plan. Canary, I want you on top of the plane. Our friend should be flying low enough that you should be able to ride. You’ll need to stop anyone who tries to jump on the plane. Batwoman, Batgirl, and Batman should follow the plane from different distance. Batwoman on the left, Batman in the back, and Batgirl on the right. Canary should be able to handle above and the front. Huntress and Tigress, set your weapons to stun and follow from the rooftops. This will provide extra coverage in between the canary cry. And it should be relatively safe for Canary to take off her rebreather because she’ll be directly exposed to the antidote at all times.”

            That was actually a pretty sound plan. Tim just hoped it worked.

            As Tim descended over the heads of the police force, Canary flipped up and onto the plane, and Tim let the antidote loose. The streets were pure chaos, people rioting and fighting. There would be casualties, Tim knew, but there was nothing that could be done about the past. He learned that when he met Death.

            Still, he found his gaze scanning the streets, searching for familiar faces he had long since grown to love. He hoped not to see any of them lifeless, but he longed to see them nonetheless. He didn’t find them.

            “You know the Commissioner is going to want a name for this new hero,” Huntress hummed as they finished the last section. “So what do we call you, kid?”

            Tim…wasn’t sure. He had thrown on a costume just in case someone did get to close to the ship. He couldn’t risk someone seeing his face. (And a few people had gotten too close for comfort). He couldn’t be Robin because Robin was dead, and it was too soon. He couldn’t be Red Robin either. It didn’t feel right anymore.

            “You could call yourself Merlin,” Jason suggested.

            “Merlyn?” Tim scrunched his nose. “What, like Malcolm Merlyn? No thanks.”

            “Not him, dummy,” Jason huffed, and Tim could practically hear him role his eyes. “Like the sorcerer or the bird. Probably more like the bird because we have the whole theme going on, but you’ve got the colors for a Merlin.”

            Merlin. That wasn’t half bad. The villain Merlyn didn’t exist here the same way he did in Tim’s world, so there wouldn’t be too much confusion. Which was a small blessing. Tim would take it for what it was.

            After all, he had been told in no uncertain number of terms that he sucked at coming up with superhero aliases.

            “Then call me Merlin.”

Chapter Text

            Dinah was…younger than she was in his world, but Tim attributed that to the fact that Dinah also had two older sisters. Charlie was relatively the same age as he remembered, though she had definitely come to the Birds of Prey a little early. And now that he got a look at her, the Helena before him was definitely not Helena Bertinelli. She was Helena Kyle Wayne. It was just a matter of figuring out why she was here.

            Artemis Crock was new, but not unwelcome. Tim had looked up what her relationship was to the hero community, and everything Jason claimed was true. She was loyal, brave, sassy, and one of Dick’s best friends. She was okay in his book.

            “This is going to need to be adjusted,” Artemis pulled on the Kevlar, snapping it back against Tim’s skin. “And upgraded. And…it probably just needs to be redone entirely.”

            “In his defense, he threw it together in, like, the ten minutes it took to make the antidote,” Jason teased. “But it does look pretty awful.”

            Bruce’s relationship with the Birds of Prey was clearly better in this world than it was in Tim’s. It was kind of nice to see that Bruce wasn’t a complete shutdown, that he had people to lean on. Tim had to attribute that fact to both Rachel existing and Jason living.

            But Tim wasn’t going to pretend that he didn’t see Bruce hit just a tad harder than he should. Bruce had been angry. Frustrated. Furious with himself and taking it out on whoever was in his bubble. Tim had no doubt that Bruce would have fallen down the same path of self-destruction had Jason died.

            The only kink in that line of thinking was that fact that the Joker in Tim’s world had told Tim’s Jason that the intent had never been for Jason to die. The outcome was ideal, but it wasn’t truly what the Joker planned. Tim was starting to realize why he was here. The path Bruce had been set on would face many challenges, and Tim needed to keep him from going too far.

            “Well work on a suit design,” Bruce stated, placing a hand on Tim’s shoulder. It felt…warm. “You did good today, Tim.”

            Tim felt like he short-circuited. Maybe his brain shut down or something. Which was something that didn’t really happen to Tim. Ever. But Bruce, his Bruce, hadn’t given Tim a compliment in years. Not since he finally accepted Tim as Robin, and even that was short-lived. Hearing it at all was an impossibility, especially since he tried to kill Captain Boomerang. Tim was just expected to be brilliant, no questions asked, no praise. If anything, Tim was expecting a lecture.

            He was too reckless. Too hasty. Too rash. Too young to fly the plane. Too forward. Too harsh. Too brash.

            How was he supposed to take a compliment?

            Was he dreaming?

            “Bruce,” Huntress was suddenly standing in front of them both, looking none to deterred by Tim’s panicked expression. “Can I have a minute with Tim?”

            Bruce eyed Huntress, watching her carefully for some sign of violence or ill-intent. It was oddly protective. Jason had given the Birds a quick rundown of the basics on Tim and how he was still alive. They all knew the basics. But Huntress was watching Tim with…something. Tim wasn’t sure what it was, but she seemed desperate to see him. To reach him. Bruce’s expression was kind of odd, and Tim chalked it up to maybe Bruce just didn’t trust this Huntress. It certainly wouldn’t be uncommon

            “Fine,” Bruce grunted, and he motioned them to a section of the cave.

            Huntress rolled her eyes and led Tim in the opposite direction. Once they were out of sight, Tim opened his mouth to ask a question or something, but his mouth slammed shut as Huntress threw her arms around him. Tim awkwardly hugged back. She was shaking, he realized. There weren’t any tears, but her body was trembling with silent sobs.

            Helena pulled back, but kept her hands on Tim’s shoulders, a smile on her face.

            “Hi,” she whispered, pressing their foreheads together.

            “Uh…hi?”

            Helena’s smile grew wider. “If you’re anything like my Tim, you know who I am, don’t you?”

            Tim nodded, still not sure what to make of the girl as she pulled back, still keeping him close. But her mask was gone, and Tim’s suspicions were confirmed as he looked into her bright blue eyes, and a face that was familiar and different.

            “Helena Kyle Wayne,” Tim spoke her name, and there was relief in Helena’s face this time, a light to her eyes that had previously been present. Not that I’m not honored to meet you, but I’ve never met you before.”

            Helena shook her head. “No, you haven’t. But you look just like my Tim, I had to see you. Personally. Sorry if this is weird.”

            Tim hummed. “I’ve seen weirder. And I understand wanting to hug a loved one when you see them again.”

            There was another version of him out there that was loved. One that was cared for and treated as family to the point that this version of Helena clearly missed him. He wondered if he was older or younger. He wondered if Damian had been around in her world, if Jason or Dick had been around. But those questions could wait. Helena clearly needed this.

            There were tears this time.

            “I suppose we should get back to the others before Da-Bruce gets suspicious,” Helena whispered into his ear.

            “Course,” Tim nodded. “Will you tell me about your world some time?”

            “Only if you tell me about yours,” Helena agreed, hovering close. “Thank you, Tim.”

            Tim sucked in a breath and walked out of the hiding space with Helena by his side. Bruce seemed relieved to see them both okay. Tim still wasn’t sure what to make of all these mushy interactions. Maybe he was dreaming, and he’d wake up back in his apartment as if nothing ever happened. But he had met Death, and he had a feeling that wasn’t something that happened in dreams.

---------------------------------

            “Still nothing from Dick?” Bruce asked Artemis once most of the occupants had either gone home or gone to bed. “Or the Titans?”

            Artemis was a welcome guest at Wayne Manor, more so than most. She was family. When Artemis had first taken up the mantle of Artemis, an archer based off the goddess of the hunt, Bruce had kept a close eye on her. She knew basic combat skills, and some advanced skills, clearly taught more as self-defense than anything else. It hadn’t taken Bruce long to learn of her identity, and given Paula Crock’s recent reputation, he kept a close eye on her. Then he called Oliver Queen. The archer was more suited to taken Artemis under his wing as an apprentice, and with the reveal that Roy Harper had been a clone came to light, Bruce was relieved to find Artemis’ loyalty to her team, mentor, and friends was stronger than Superman’s punch. She remained one of Dick’s best friends, and she was one of Jason’s favorite people from the older Titans.

            “No,” Artemis shook her head, sipping her tea as she stared into the flames. “I plan to be there when they return, though. Alexander is stirring trouble according to Wendy.”

            Bruce frowned but didn’t press. Alexander Luthor Jr. was the son of Lex Luthor and his fallen wife, Ardora. He was, unfortunately, his father’s son, and he held a vengeance against Superman for the death of his mother. So it had been a surprise when he fell in love with Linda Danvers. He was a questionable boyfriend, but Linda had made it clear she wasn’t going to listen to anyone’s opinion on Alexander.

            “I gave Terry instructions,” Bruce told her, getting a look from Artemis. Donna’s relationship with Terry had been…rocky as of late. Most believe a divorce was likely to come. “But if Alexander is planning to stir trouble, I’ll give them to you too.”

            Artemis nodded, setting her empty cup down. “I take it we’re keeping this as quiet as possible?”

            “Yes,” was the curt response. “Those operating in Gotham will know, and a select few members of the Justice League who know Jason’s identity will be told discretely. But Robin can no longer fly, so only those Titans Jason truly trusts will know. I’m sure you’ll have a better idea of those people.”

            “I do,” Artemis nodded. “They’ll want to come here, you know?”

            “Yes.”

            “Welp, as long as you don’t have a problem with it, then we can discuss details in the morning,” Artemis stood and stretched. “Goodnight.”

            “Goodnight,” Bruce hummed back, turning his gaze to the fire.

            There was a lot to consider, now. And with Alexander causing interference, there was bound to be problems. Alexander was the last person who needed to know Jason was alive.

            “Bruce.”

            Bruce turned to see Artemis still in the doorway.

            “Jason is alive. You need to remember that.”

            Tim had said much the same thing earlier. Letting his gaze fall back to the flames, Bruce watched them dance, as if trying to prove a point in their beauty and fury. Bruce had read the report Tim had made on Jason’s death, the affect it had on Bruce, why Tim became Robin, and some of the events that came after. There were, of course, things that weren’t the same, but the loss that was to come was too great.

            He nearly failed his son. He couldn’t afford to fail again. The adoption papers in the study had been a glaring reminder of that fact.

            He needed to talk to Dick.

-----------------------------------

            “You have a terrible fashion sense,” Bette hummed, looking over the sketch Tim had done for his new suit as Merlin. “Like, honestly, this is awful. The cowl needs to go, maybe replace it with a hood, and the cape doesn’t even look functional, let alone any good with the costume.”

            Tim shrugged. Tim hadn’t slept long that night, mostly keyed up over being back in the field. It had felt exhilarating and relieving. He wouldn’t go out too often just yet, but he couldn’t deny that over the week he had been on this world (or in this universe because the second and third day were basically spent on Watchtower) he had missed the thrill of going out.

            Bette, however, had the unfortunate bane of being a college student forced to wake up early. Her internal clock was a pain Tim was glad he didn’t need to deal with. Not that Tim’s was much better.

            Now he just needed a functioning costume.

            “And, what, you can do better?” Tim huffed. It was bad enough that Steph and his teammates thought his fashion sense needed work, he didn’t need this from Bette too. “It’s just a costume.”

            Bette did not look amused. “Give me a few hours, and I’ll have something to send to Lucius meant just for you.”

            “That’s not very comforting,” Tim huffed back, but he went back to eating the breakfast Alfred had prepared for him. “From you, it sounds more like a threat.”

            Bette snorted and began sketching. And that was one of the things Tim found odd. Technology was different than it should have been. Tim had used a Wayne Tech Tablet to design. But given what year it should have been, technology was extremely advanced. Maybe this world was just behind in events. If Jason had just died, then maybe…

            Of course.

            Tim’s eyes widened and he bolted up, startling Bette into spilling the coffee she had been flaunting in front of him. Thankfully not landing on the tablet, but he didn’t have the time to care about that at the moment.

            When Tim had done his initial research on his old friends, he had come to several startling conclusions. For one, Cassie was already a part of the Titans, though she wasn’t Wonder Girl, and she was younger than she should have been. Cissie wasn’t known as King-Jones, but instead King-Hawke, the half-sister of Connor Hawke. Bart hadn’t come back to this time period yet. But Kon hadn’t existed. There was a Superman. A Supergirl. A Matrix. A Power Woman. And a Power Man, but nothing of a Superboy, though Clark did have an adopted son named Chris that was also a member of the Titans, and he and Lois were already married, and they had a son named Jon.

            Tim had taken that to mean that Doomsday had already happened. But as Tim typed on the screen, he was learning that Doomsday hadn’t made an appearance. Superman hadn’t died yet.

            “Tim?”

            This had just become Tim’s problem, then. Great. Mental math to try and figure out when…a year? Maybe two if Tim recalled correctly. He had been Robin by that time, and Dick was still wearing that awful discowing suit. And judging by the white in Hal’s hair from when he met the guy at WatchTower, Hal had already begun the process of being possessed by Parallax by now too. Which was…less than great.

            “TIM!”

            Bette spun him around, slamming him against the control console.

            “What the heck, Tim?” she snapped. “I’ve been calling your name for ten minutes now! Why are you looking up Hal Jordan and Doomsday? What’s going on?”

            “The death of Superman,” Tim told her flatly. “I assumed it had already happened, but no, Superman hasn’t died yet. Which means there is a chance a threat is coming our way, and one powerful enough to kill one of its best defenders.”

            Bette didn’t let him go but her grasp slackened. “And what does this have to do with Hal Jordan?”

            “That’s slightly more complicated and needs to be discussed with the Lanterns present,” Tim stated, “but long story short, Hal’s ring currently houses a being that is made of pure fear, and it is currently, slowly possessing Hal Jordan to make him it’s vessel.”

            Julia had followed them down the stairs and was staring at Tim in wide-eyed horror, Bette practically mimicking her expression.

            “Can I get up now?” Tim prompted, waving his arms about. “This is something that really needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”

            Bette released Tim and took a few steps back, swinging her gaze to Julia.

            “I’ll wake Bruce,” Julia offered, already heading for the stairs.

            “I’ll-I’ll call Mr. Alan,” Bette offered, moving to the computer. “Your suit is going to have to wait, Tim.”

            Hmmm. Let’s see. New suit or banishing a fear demon slowly possessing a critical member of the Justice League?

            Well gee, there wasn’t really a choice now was there. Seriously, Tim could wait on a stupid suit if it meant saving the world a thousand times over. He wasn’t the same self-conscious kid who had been afraid to talk to his fellow heroes for fear of being awkward.

            Now that Tim thought about it, he should probably make a few more detailed notes on major events. Like Blackest Night…or Bruce’s “death” … and literally everything else Tim had to witness. It was going to be a long list.

            “TIM! WHAT DO YOU MEAN HAL JORDAN IS SLOWLY BEING POSSESSED!?”

            Joy.

-------------------------------------

            It had been some time since the Justice Society of America had disbanded, but it’s old halls still had visitors from time to time. The memorials for their fallen friends lived here, and it had been home to many heroes for a time. It had been her home too.

            As she sat in one of the old chairs, the wind picked up behind her, stirring some of the dust. It appeared Ma Hunkle hadn’t been by recently. She wasn’t normally one to leave the place so untidy.

            “Helena, sweetheart, what are you doing here?”

            Helena turned her head to see Power Woman hovering just off the ground. Karen Starr of this world; Head of Starr Tech. Helena’s Kara Zor-El, and the woman who practically raised her. The woman must have followed her heartbeat here, a place Helena rarely visited anymore. It had been so long since the Justice Society had disbanded and gone their separate ways, and the halls were empty. Just like the Manor had been when…

            “I got to meet Tim,” Helena told Karen, tears once more gathering in her eyes. “He was…he was everything my brothers and sister always told me about. Clever. Smart. Witty. Self-conscious. And Kind. So, so kind.”

            Karen studied Helena for a moment, watching the girl. “Helena, sweetheart, the chances of him being our Tim-”

            “Are slim to none,” Helena brushed the tears from her face. “But he was Tim, Aunt Karen. The same Tim whose picture sits in the Manor surrounded by photographs of those he loved. The same Tim that I heard about all my life. I know he probably wasn’t my Tim, but he was Tim.”

            Karen moved forward, wrapping her arms around Helena. “I know. I’m sorry.”

            And Karen did know. Once going by the alias Supergirl on a different Earth, Kara Zor-El had been a close friend of Tim Drake. Not as close as Cassie, Kon, or Bart, but close enough. When Helena had been brought to this world at the ripe old age of 10, she had looked for clues to her family. She had been devastated to learn that she would never get the chance to meet Tim here either.

            “Jason…Jason always said Tim would have loved me,” Helena sniffed, chocking on sobs. “And…and Dick was convinced I’d have him wrapped around my fingers. Dami-Damian always said Tim would have…would have adored me. And he was-he was standing right there. I-I-I couldn’t just-couldn’t just-”

            “Shhh,” Karen soothed. “I know, Hel. I know. And I swear to you everything your brothers said was true. Tim was my friend, once, too. And I have no doubt that he would have adored you. But we can’t overwhelm this knew Tim, alright, sweetheart? Just let him ease into this world.”

            Helena sniffed, rubbing the tears away with Karen’s gentle guidance. She had never met Tim, but her brothers and father had never wasted a moment to describe him to her. Telling her stories of the brilliant Robin that died too soon. As time went on, Damian had opened up about his cruelty to Tim. And Jason admitted to his earlier days under the Lazarus Pit effects. Her father had admitted to his own unfairness, and how he longed to prove to his son just how much he was loved.

            She hoped this world’s Tim would be loved. And if the Bats wouldn’t love Tim as the family he was, then Helena was going to take up that job for them. She wasn’t going to let another Tim suffer a loveless life.

            “Do you want me to take you home?” Karen asked her gently. “Or do you want to come home with me?”

            “Can I stay here? Just a little longer?”

            Karen hummed, giving a nod as she brushed the hair from Helena’s face. This girl had grown up so strong and brave. Her family would have been proud to see her now.

            “Whatever you need,” Karen agreed. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need me, alright?”

            Helena nodded and watched as Karen flew away. That woman had raised her since she lost her family, since she was thrown into this new world as she watched her own family perish before her eyes. She had long since given up trying to get home, and even Karen had stopped trying. Karen was married now, and they had a daughter too. Things were good.

            But the sight of Tim, the same age as the portrait that sat for everyone to see in her old Manor, her old home, walking around. Living and breathing. That was too much, and Helena was reminded of just how much she truly lost that terrible day all those years ago.

            Her heart yearned for a home that was gone, and for a brother she never met.

Chapter Text

            The news that Hal Jordan was slowly being possessed was deemed as more than just a Lantern issue, though those members of the Lantern Corp did make themselves present at the meeting. Instead, it was deemed necessary as a League problem too, and the Founding Members of the Justice League were brought forth to hear Tim’s story.

            There were more members than Tim thought there would be. A lot more.

            “So, let me get this straight, and I’m summarizing here,” Cisco Ramon, also known as Vibe, pressed his hands together and did that thing where people point at a person. “The Green Lanterns imprisoned the creature that powers the Yellow Lanterns inside of Hal Jordan’s ring, and didn’t tell him. So when Hal imprisoned Sinestro, it allowed this creature, Parallax, to slowly worm its way out of its imprisonment and into Hal. And the reason Hal’s hair is turning white is because his Will Power is so strong, he’s been subconsciously fighting off the possessions?”

            “Yeah,” Tim nodded along, “that pretty much covers the basics.”

            “But you said something changed,” Laurel Lance spoke up from beside her teammates. Glancing at where Diana was trying to comfort Hal. “Something caused Hal to give into Parallax.”

            “Yes,” Tim stated, but he said nothing more. He had already made it clear that just mentioning what caused Parallax to gain control could cause enough of a slip for Parallax to gain his grasp early. “Which is why we need to get this thing out of Hal and imprisoned properly as soon as possible.”

            Pushing all of her past insecurities aside, Carol Ferris, who Tim insisted needed to be here, marched her way over to Hal and promptly took his face in her hands. Whatever she was saying, Diana seemed to be alright with it, and she left the couple to talk in hushed whispers, and joined her brother, Jason. Tim had explained that Carol Ferris becoming Star Sapphire had been a result of Predator, the very creature that powered the Star Sapphire Rings, and that the same thing was attempting to be done to Hal.

            Among the table, others looked to their friend with gazes of worry. John Diggle, a fellow Green Lantern and this world’s version of John Stewart, pinched the bridge of his nose as his half-sister, Rose Stewart, and a Blue Lantern, placed a hand on his shoulder. Kendra Saunders was sat beside Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow, the three whispering to each other. Ronnie Raymond and Dr. Martin Stein were beside Caitlin, both occasionally adding input to the conversation at hand.

            Across the table from them was Jefferson Pierce, J’onn J’onzz, Clark Kent, Kara Danvers, and Alex Danvers. Ray Palmer was behind them, talking in hushed whispers with Sara Lance, Ralph Dibny, Sue Dibny, and Arthur Curry.

            Laurel Lance was sat beside Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak Queen, the three not speaking, but all extremely worried. Tim stood beside Batman and Batwoman, the two having been deemed best to accompany Tim in delivering this news to the League. Alan Scott had met them at the Manor before they made the journey here.

            “Does it need to be a Lantern that banishes Parallax and imprisons him?”

            The entire room whipped their gazes to Captain Marvel, a.k.a, Mary Batson. Tim would admit that he had been surprised to see that Mary had joined the Justice League in place of Billy, her twin, and he would be doing research to make sure Billy had not been the one kidnapped in this world. But Mary’s words had Tim in thought.

            “I’m…honestly not sure,” Tim admitted, pressing his knuckled to his mouth in thought. “The Lanterns don’t exactly share information, and Kyle Rayner was the one who eventually banished Parallax. When Guy gets back with Ganthet, he might have an answer to that question, but until we know for sure that something beyond a Lantern can stop Parallax, we should wait.”

            Mary nodded, casting an apologetic look to Hal, but the lantern gave her a shaky smile in return. No hard feelings.

            “Batman,” Tim called to this version of his mentor under his breath. “How long has Barry Allen been dead?”

            Batman gave no hint that he was startled by the question, but the two Kryptonians whipped their heads to him non-too-subtly.

            Bruce sighed. “Three months. He sacrificed himself to stop the Anti-Monitor.”

            Tim winced. These events were so out of whack, but it certainly explained the weird absence. As far as Tim could remember, Barry had still been alive at the time of Superman’s death and Hal succumbing to Parallax.

            J’onn was looking at him now too, eyes wide, but knowing the direness of the situation meant he needed to keep his mouth silent. They’d deal with that at another time when two members currently alive weren’t in life threatening danger. Barry was far safer in the Speedforce than he was here. At least for now. Now, Hal Jordan was more important.

            “Right, I got Ganthet as asked,” Guy appeared, accompanied by not only Ganthet, but Kyle Rayner as well. “Now will someone tell me what’s going on already?”

            “Parallax,” Tim stated flatly, looking directly at the Guardian before him.

            Ganthet notably paled.

----------------------------

            They were taking Hal back to the Green Lantern Base, despite Tim’s warning. Not like this couldn’t just blow up in their faces, but the Green Lantern’s were the best equipped to deal with this situation. Tim had also alerted the Lanterns to the Sun Eater too, and how Hal sacrificed himself using Parallax’s power to save the Earth from destruction. They’d need to find a way to prevent that from happening now that Hal wouldn’t have Parallax’s power to renew the sun. And that was if they didn’t find a way to stop the thing from getting to the sun in the first place.

            “You mentioned Barry Allen,” Clark cornered him in the hall later, a few of the other founding Leaguers joining. Batman was not pleased with this development. “Does his death have something to do with why Hal gave into Parallax?”

            Tim sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Yeah, no. In fact, in my world, Barry doesn’t ‘die’ until after the thing with Hal. In fact, Oliver Queen died before Hal did, but it makes sense that the situations were reversed, from what I’ve seen Oliver isn’t as close to Hal here as he was in my world. The three of you were the troublesome trio of the Justice League.”

            Cisco snorted, looking at Oliver in disbelief. “Him? Troublesome?”

            Oliver rolled his eyes at Cisco and directed his attention to Tim. He appeared to be Bruce’s level of seriousness, which was kind of amusing. “Then what did make Hal give into Parallax if not Barry?”

            “That a…long story,” Tim hummed. “Long story short, a crazy guy named Berton from Krypton created the ‘ultimate life form’ named Doomsday, which basically became a murder machine. Doomsday eventually left Krypton and went on a murder spree that eventually led him to Earth. Superman ends up dead in a desperate attempt to stop the killing machine that is Doomsday, and from the aftermath comes four new Superman. We can discuss them later, BUT, one of these Supermen turns out to be evil and working with Mongul, and they blow up the entirety of Coast City.”

            There was an odd moment of silence as the heroes took that information in.

            “Yeah, considering what Hal’s been through, I think you can cut him some slack for finally giving into a fear entity that was basically promising him the chance to bring back an entire city if he got the Green Lanterns to cooperate.”

            “Hold on, just a moment,” Ray waved about, dragging everyone’s attention away from Tim, much to his relief. “You just said that it should be Oliver who’s dead, and not Barry. What makes you think that Superman is going to die, then?”

            “Because Superman had to die for Coast City to be destroyed, and Hal is already possessed by Parallax” Tim pointed out. “Look, I’m not thrilled about going through that again any more than each of you is dreading it coming. But the point is, Doomsday will be coming, and though I’m still not sure how to stop Doomsday, I remember enough of the events to have an idea of how to make sure Superman doesn’t die, and that Coast City doesn’t get blown up. Right now, you all need to trust Hal because he needs you. He’s the most powerful Green Lantern to ever live, but even his Will Power can be broken. I’ll worry about Doomsday for now, the rest of you need to stand with your friend.”

            “And we will,” Oliver promised. “That is something I, at least, can promise. And I’m confident enough that I can make that same promise for John.”

            “I think we can all agree to be there for Hal,” Diana voiced, looking at each of her teammates and friends. “And Carol.”

            “You have not told them everything, little Robin,” J’onn voiced in his head.

            Tim held back a sigh, not daring to meet the Martian’s gaze. “And I don’t plan to. Not yet. I can’t afford to give them that hope just yet. We wait for Wally to be strong enough and fast enough, then we’ll talk about Barry and the Speedforce.”

            “Very well,” J’onn consented. “And I will bring up the matter of introducing Wally into the League when the time comes.”

            Good. Wally needed to have faith in himself if he was going to become the fastest man alive. He was their best chance at saving Barry.

            “Batwoman,” Batman suddenly barked, pulling all attention to him. “Take Merlin home. I’ll be there in a moment.”

            “Don’t be a jerk about this, Bruce,” Kate whispered to her cousin before guiding Tim back to the Zeta.

            Tim hoped Bruce wouldn’t be a jerk about this too. Tim had just declared Superman would die, and Clark was going to need support just as much as Hal, even if he didn’t actually die.

            They were stopped at the Zeta by a blonde Tim recognized as Sara Lance, the middle child of the Lance girls.

            “Kate, would you-?”

            “Of course,” Kate cut off, easily accepting the offered envelope from the White Canary. “I can’t guarantee she’ll read it, but I’ll keep trying.”

            “What can I say, us Lance girls have always been stubborn, guess we get it from our mother.”

            With that said, Sara opened the Zeta to Gotham, sending the two back home. Tim doesn’t miss the way Sara stares through the portal in longing, and easily pieces the puzzle together. Tim could never understand why family put up barriers like this. It was stupid. They didn’t know how lucky they were.

            As Tim stepped through the Zeta, he found himself with arms full of Jason, the younger shaking slightly. Tears were falling onto Tim’s shoulder, and Tim fell to his knees so he could cradle Jason’s small frame properly.

            “Hey, hey, Jay, what’s wrong?” Tim cooed to his little brother.

            “You were gone, and everyone was all freaked out,” Jason sniffed. “I thought you left.”

            “No, Jay, we were dealing with a problem with the League, I swear,” Tim promised, reaching to brush the tears away. “I’m not leaving yet, okay. Not till I’m done here, alright?”

            Yeah, Tim really didn’t understand why anyone would throw away a loving family. After all, that’s all he’s really ever wanted.

-------------------------------

            “Helena seemed pretty upset the other day,” Artemis stated off-handedly as she lay on Babs’ couch, sprawled out. “She left town in a hurry.”

            “I noticed it too,” Babs hummed back. Artemis was one of Dick’s best friends, but Babs and Artemis had a pretty strong relationship too. They went to school together, learned together, became Gotham’s Trio. They were friends, and on occasions, partners. “But the arrival of a Tim Drake really had to throw her off, you know. If what I managed to piece together from her stories is right, Helena never met Tim, only ever heard stories.”

            “Well he definitely lived up to her expectations,” Kate snorted from where she was sitting on the floor, looking over a case file Babs needed done. “She was beaming when they rejoined the group for a debrief.”

            The Birds of Prey had easily realized that there was something special about their Helena ‘Bertinelli’ pretty early on. She bore too strong resemblance to both Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle for a room full of detectives to not notice. And after some digging, it was quickly learned that this world’s Helena Bertinelli had been murdered with her parents. With gentle probing and a mountain of trust building, Helena had slowly let parts of her life slip.

            There were gaps in her stories. Things that didn’t totally add up, but the bits the group did have were both filled with blinding love and brutal agony. None of the Birds had dared impart this knowledge to Bruce, and Babs had made it perfectly clear that Helena would speak in her own time. Which was why very few people got the chance to see Helena without a mask.

            They were a sisterhood, and they weren’t going to betray their own.

            “Do we know anything about Tim yet?” Barbara asked, frowning at the lack of files on Tim himself, but impressed by the list that Tim had made. “Year? Reason for being here? Anything we should know?”

            “Only bits and pieces,” Kate grumbled, affectively pushing the file aside. “The kid died alone, slowly and painfully, but cause of said Death is unknown. Something brought him to our world where he believes he has some sort of purpose where he’ll repeat this process all over again. The Bats he used to be with treated him like an object, a living, walking computer that did what they wanted when they wanted it. He was often used as a punching bag, and several of his so-called-siblings tried to kill him on a regular basis. Jason’s made it his goal to be better than his other self.”

            “That bad, huh?” Dinah questioned, occasionally glancing at the letter Kate had brought her from Sara, leaning against the window as if she could bolt away from it. She hadn’t thrown any of Sara’s letters away…but she definitely hadn’t opened them.

            “A dip in the Lazarus Pit mixed with the messed up twisted hands of Talia al Ghul,” Selina grumbled from where she was curled up in an armchair, baby Helena cradled to her chest. “I’d say the fact that Jason was Tim’s favorite brother in his other world is beyond telling.”

            Bette, who had claimed the entirety of Babs’ dining room table, paused in her sketch work to look up at the other girls in the room. Charlie Gage-Radcliffe had been giving some input on the costume, but had since fallen asleep on the floor, the previous night having drained the runaway-teen. Renee Montoya had come by before Kate and Bette had, working on the same case Kate had temporarily given up on.

            Helena was still AWOL, but given she was Babs’ roommate, none of the girls were worried. Helena could take care of herself, and Babs had her ways of finding the alternate world vigilante if necessary.

            In front of Bette were stacks of paper, photograph clippings of fanart, and information on the different parts of armor that would be required for Tim’s suit. Despite the earlier upset of that morning, Bette could see how Tim longed to be in the field, and she gladly worked to complete the suit as a distraction from the impending doom that threatened their future.

            Just designing a suit for a vigilante as people discussed dimension travel and the end of the world. All perfectly normal.

            “But we don’t think Tim is a threat?” Babs pressed.

            “He confessed all of what I told you and more while under the influence of Diana’s lasso,” Kate grumbled. “So either he’s just that good or he was telling the truth.”

            “You seem fond of him,” Renee teased.

            The look Kate gave her girlfriend was enough to prove just how serious she was. “If Bruce messes up as bad as Tim’s Batman, I swear Renee, we’re going to have a son far earlier than either of us planned.”

            Renee blinked. “Oh…”

            The girls promptly burst into laughter.

--------------------------

            “Which hurts more?”

            Pain. Agonizing pain shooting through his body. Biting his lip to hold back the screams, and unable to stop the grunts and groans. He couldn’t give Joker the satisfaction. Not now. Not ever.

            “Forehand? Or backhand?”

            He was inwardly crying out for Bruce. For his dad. Shelia wouldn’t even look him in the eyes, but Bruce had loved him enough to come after him. They hadn’t talked through everything yet, but it was still telling. If ever Jason needed proof, that was it.

            “A? Or B?”

            Jason bolted up right, hissing as his body burned with the motion. A hand landed on his shoulder, and Jason whipped his head to see Tim sitting up in bed, watching Jason with a gentle look. After a moment, Tim helped guide Jason back onto the mattress.

            “He’s not here,” Tim assured as Jason curled into his side. “He can’t touch you. And if he does try, I’d stop him.”

            “Promise?” Jason whispered.

            “On my life.”

            Jason studied Tim a bit longer, watching as the older flipped through files and typed things here and there. The sound of Tim on the keyboard, and the feeling of Tim’s breathing was an odd comfort that lulled Jason back to sleep. He was safe with his new big brother.

            Huh, another big brother. Jason found he didn’t mind this one too much.

            Tim glanced down at Jason once his breathing had evened out and then turned to the door to greet the person entering.

            “Guess you beat me to it,” Rachel hummed as she padded around Jason’s bed and joined on the other side. “These nightmares are going to plague him for life.”

            “Yeah, but he has a family this time. And a support system.”

            Rachel began to massage Jason’s scalp, causing the boy to relax all the much more with the touch. To Tim, Rachel was still a marvel. An enigma that was a bit too unpredictable for his liking. She was kind, sweet, and bright. But Tim had heard the conversation in the cave the other day.

            “Do you really think the Joker should be allowed to live?”

            Tim looked to Rachel and let out a low hum type sound. Though it was probably more of a groan. That was the question, wasn’t it.

            “No,” Tim shook his head. “I think leaving the Joker alive is a problem, but at the same time, Bruce can’t take that path. It would destroy him. And I can’t take that path either. I’ve seen what would happen in my future if I killed.”

            “You mentioned Jason didn’t agree with those morals, though,” Rachel huffed. “So why didn’t your Jason do it?”

            Tim eyed her with a cock to his head. “Would you be able to face your biggest fear, Rachel?”

            Her silence was telling. Even if she wouldn’t admit it. In the end, that was what it all came down to with his Jason. Jason was a scared boy who had lived through a trauma greater than anyone should ever have to bear, and though Jason could look the Joker in the eye, he didn’t have the strength to pull the trigger.

            And in the end, that was all Jason ever wanted. Someone to pull the trigger and rid him of that fear. He just…wasn’t going to get that relief from their family.

Chapter Text

            Getting a bo-staff hadn’t been too hard. Tim would need to adjust it so that it was the right height and weight for him, and he really did prefer the retractable bo-staff to the regular one, but he could manage just fine for now with practice. The familiar movements of a fight helped him to concentrate his thoughts, and given the bomb he dropped on the Justice League just recently, he needed to manage his raging mind to make a list of events that could potentially happen, and better yet, he needed to find a way to stop each event with minimum casualties.

            Tim just wasn’t aware he had an audience until he made a flip to get off the training course, stuck the landing, and was greeted with applause. His eyes shot open to see Jason, Rachel, and Mar’i all clapping excitedly.

            “That was awesome, Timmy!” Jason cheered, face alight with wonder as Tim grinned sheepishly. “Where did you learn that from? I know Bruce didn’t teach you.”

            “Yeah, definitely not,” Tim snorted, reaching for Mar’i, who gladly clambered into his arms, not caring that Tim was hot and sweaty. “I, uh, actually got my training from Lady Shiva. My Batman sent me to get training in France when I first started out as Robin, and she ended up being my teacher.”

            Jason and Rachel were silent as Mar’i tried to grab the bo, not that Tim was going to let her play with it, but the looks from the two Waynes had Tim a little uneasy, and he shifted on his feet a bit.

            “Sorry,” he muttered, dropping his head and setting Mar’i down. “I…yeah…sorry…”

            The moment Mar’i was on the ground, Rachel surged forward, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace that was far to caring. Tim didn’t deserve this type of care. He’d barely done anything yet.

            “Don’t apologize for the mistakes of others, Tim,” Rachel pulled back, brushing hair from Tim’s face. “You never should have gone through that sort of training. But I’m glad you turned into the man you are now, despite the training. You’re amazing, Timmy.”

            Tim really didn’t deserve the praise either. He may have saved Jason, but there was no guarantee he could save everyone. He had nearly forgotten Parallax and Superman’s death. Both were mistakes that could have cost the world so much.

            “Afed made befast!” Mar’i waved her arms wildly, clearly reminding the other two of their purpose for coming downstairs. “Is eat time!”

            “Yeah it is, you little Starshine,” Jason reached to tickle Mar’i. “You wanna help me back up those stairs, now?”

            “YEAH!”

            Rachel let out a laugh as Mar’i began to shove Jason up the stairs. It was a bright sound; full of light and love. Tim hoped Rachel never lost that spark and love for life. There wasn’t much of that type of joy left in Tim’s life.

            “Come on,” Rachel tugged him to the stairs once it was safe. “We better go get some food before it’s gone. Mar’i’s got an appetite on her, and you can imagine a house of vigilantes means they have to keep up their energy.”

            Tim knew. He had never followed those guidelines, but he knew it was important to eat proper meals, and to eat them regularly. He just…never got into the habit. Alfred had tried to help Tim with his eating habits, but Tim was just so used to eating whenever he could, and whatever Ms. Mack had brought to the house that he never adjusted.

            “-didn’t even do it the way Aunt Rachel taught me!”

            “I don’t care!” Bruce snapped, sounding more put-out than angry. “I said no going up the chair. I’ll find a way to extend the elevator to the cave, but you are not doing that again. Either of you.”

            “Meanie,” Mar’i sniffed. “Big Meanie.”

            “Look what you did, Bruce, you made Mar’i cry,” Jason teased, and Tim had to stifle a laugh as he watched Bruce flounder to about in a desperate attempt to cheer his honorary granddaughter up.

            Jason shot him a wink.

            Ah. So this was planned. Jason was just as stupidly cheeky in this world as he was in Tim’s. It was oddly comforting to have the similarity between this Jason and his Jason. Well, he supposed this Jason was his Jason now. This Jason had made it abundantly clear that Tim had to stay forever with sobs and snot that poor Alfred would need to get out of Tim’s shirt. Not that Tim minded, and Alfred hadn’t said anything about it.

            With Mar’i safely tucked into her high-chair, sobs having tampered off at the sight of pancakes, Bruce took a moment to ruffle Jason’s hair and press a kiss to his son temple, and then he did the same for Tim. Tim was a little stunned by the action, if he was honest.

            “Tim, dear,” Selina was suddenly behind him as Bruce moved to greet his sister. “Would you hold Helena for a minute. I forgot my slippers.”

            Before Tim could say anything otherwise, Selina had placed baby Helena in his arms. This was…the first time Tim had gotten to hold the baby. He had since kept his distance, not wanting to disturb the family in their joy at their son’s return and daughter’s birth. He wasn’t part of this family.

            But she was so small, and her big blue eyes flecked with specs of green stared up at him with surprise. Chubby cheeks smushed together in a smile as stubby arms reached up for his face. Tim found himself leaning closer, falling to his knees as little hands began to feel around his face. Smiling and giggling all the while Tim watched in awe. He couldn’t resist kissing one of her hands as they passed by his mouth.

            “Hey, Helena,” he found himself whisper, unable to stop the smile from spreading on his face. “I’m Tim, and I’m going to take care of you.”

            He meant every word. It didn’t matter that Helena wasn’t his sister. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t his world. He was going to die for this baby girl if it came down to it. Just as he would have died for his own family. Because it may never be returned, but Tim loved with everything in him. And he had always given his love freely.

            He did this because in the end, when it really came down to it, he didn’t want to be like his future self. A man full of rage, bitterness, and hatred for his family. Tim forced himself to accept his position in his family and continued to love and forgive because he did not ever want to be that man.

            So he held Helena close and promised his love to her, just as he promised his love to each Bat of this new world.

---------------------------

            Tim sat in Babs apartment, the one she shared with Helena (he really needed to come up with a nickname to distinguish between the two Helenas), as he read through the files. Tim had been hoping to talk to Helena more, but she had apparently gone to visit Karen Starr, the current Power Woman of this world. Apparently, the woman had raised Helena when they came to this world. Tim hoped he got to meet her at some point, but he’d let Helena initiate that contact if and when the time came.

            For now, he would focus on his new ID and cover papers. Then he’d let Bette drag him around Gotham again.

            Joy.

            Alfred had kicked Tim into Bette’s care when the new furniture arrived, and with Jason and Bruce going to talk to the school about Jason’s condition, Tim was forced out so the women of the house could reorganize his room. Seemed as good a time as any to meet Babs.

            “You own this whole floor, right?” Tim glanced out the hallway. They were in a sort of Clocktower. A familiar one.

            “Yep,” Babs hummed, tapping away on her computer. “Helena and I got it cheap because the clock used to make an odd sound that echoed through the building. Bruce fixed it up for us, and now we’ve got the whole place to ourselves.”

            “You could probably make it into a base,” Tim threw out, watching Babs pause and turn to face him with a calculated look on her face. “You know, a space for just the Birds of Prey to come to that isn’t the cave.”

            In the past, before his Babs had become Oracle thanks to the Joker, the Birds of Prey hadn’t had a solid base. They were constantly moving and meeting up at places. It wasn’t until Oracle needed to settle down and remain stationary that she got Clocktower, and by that point, the Birds of Prey had grown big enough that they needed a base of operation. Especially with Batman’s trust issues. It made the girl’s life easier, and both Cass and Steph appreciated the chance to get away from all of this.

            “I’ll think about it,” Babs finally decided, turning back to whatever case she was working on. “And you should think about communicating more about yourself to the rest of us.”

            Tim’s head shot back up to look at Babs, who was not facing him.

            What did that mean?

            A hand suddenly gripped his, tugging him up. “Come on, Timmy! We got places to be! People to see! Things to do! Thanks, Babs!”

            Then Bette was dragging him out of the apartment, a grin on her face that just spelled doom. But as they got into the car and began their trip into town, Bette’s cheerful façade slipped to one worthy of her Batgirl persona.

            “She was serious, you know,” Bette stated, though Tim wasn’t sure what she meant. “About telling us more about you? Like…what do you do for fun? Or I guess I should be asking what you used to do for fun? Your favorite color? Your favorite Superhero? We want to know you, and not just you as a hero, but you as a person. So, who is Tim Drake-Wayne?”

            Tim huffed and opened his mouth to answer, only to freeze. He…didn’t have an answer to that. He had been a vigilante for so long. Robin. Red Robin. Drake. He was defined by his time as a vigilante so much so that he didn’t even hang out with his friends or girlfriend as his civilian self. That was…kind of messed up.

            Bette seemed to realize that.

            “Okay, you’re clearly having an identity crisis, so here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go into town, and we’re going to visit every place that could possibly be considered fun. This does include science labs, museums, and whatever else you want to do. I bet we can even get into a breakout room if we want to. But today is just about having fun and learning to have fun, okay?”

            Yeah. That would probably be a good idea. It was disturbing to think that Tim had spent his time so wrapped up in vigilante work that Tim Drake had ceased to exist. That was more terrifying than dying.

            Just who was Tim Drake-Wayne.

            Maybe he needed this day out after all.

-----------------------------

            “So a whiz at video games?” Bette grinned, getting an eye roll from Tim. They’re trip to the arcade had proven fruitful, in a sense, and they were now on their way to lunch. “Did you play them a lot as a kid?”

            “No, not really,” Tim shrugged. “I played them with friends once I finally started making friends, but it was a lot of fun to be able to go out and enjoy spending time together. Though I wasn’t always as into things as other people. I once fell asleep on a rollercoaster.”

            Bette paused in their trek to let out a laugh, and Tim flushed bright red as Bette practically keeled over in her amusement.

            “That’s definitely something I could see you doing?” Bette wheezed through her laughter. “You really are an idiot, Tim!”

            Tim flushed a bit more and began to duck his head, but that action was quickly aborted. Bette was distantly aware of shooting as Tim quickly stepped in front of Bette and proceeded to catch a flying object. It took Bette a little too long to realize was nearly decapitated by a skateboard.

            “You alright?” Tim looked to her, and upon getting a nod, he walked over to a group of kids.

            They were young, younger than Jason by the looks of it, and there were a few older kids a short distance away, clearly laughing at the younger girl who was sprawled flat on the concrete. Her body seemed to shake, whether from pain or embarrassment had yet to be determined, but Bette was willing to put her money on both.

            “Hey, no need to be upset,” Tim hushed gently as he helped the other kids pick the girl up. “Some of these tricks are really hard to pull off. You’re not going to get it right away.”

            The little girl gave a sniff, scrubbing at her eyes. Thankfully, she had the decency to wear a helmet and pads, but she was definitely scraped up in a few places. Still, Bette could tell the girl was more embarrassed than anything else.

            “What’s your name?” Tim probed gently.

            “Star,” the girl whispered, flinching as she tried to stand, and sinking in on herself as the older kids laughed harder. “My name is Star.”

            “Cool name,” Tim grinned back. “I’m Tim. Do you mind if I borrow your board for a second?”

            Poor Star was clearly confused but she nodded. Bette would admit she was confused too, especially as Tim began to hand her his wallet, phone, and anything else he had in his pockets before shrugging off his jacket. The next thing Bette knew, Tim had taken to the slopes and ramps that made up the skate park.

            For a kid who supposedly fell asleep on a rollercoaster, Bette found herself in awe of Tim’s movements on a skateboard. The younger and older kids must have been pretty impressed too because for a moment, they were all silent, staring in awe as Tim performed tricks and stunts on the board with practiced ease. And then they were all cheering. There were a few times Bette feared Tim was going to fall, or that he wouldn’t stick a landing, but he recovered each time as if the stunt had been planned. Bette didn’t know enough about skateboard to tell if Tim was really just that good, or if his skills as a vigilante were helping.

            Something told Bette it was both.

            Ending the stunt, Tim managed to flip out of the arena and land on the board, pulling the board to a stop in front of Bette and the kids.

            “Thank you very much,” Tim grinned as he flipped the board into his hand and gave it back to an awe-struck Star. “I haven’t done that in a while.”

            Star took the board back after a moment, still staring at Tim in shock, before her face split into a grin and she began to bounce in place.

            “That was totally wicked!” Star gushed her enthusiasm. “How did you do all that, Mr. Tim?”

            “Hey, I’m not that old!” Tim pouted.

            “But you’re wearing an old man, suit.”

            Bette promptly burst into laughter as Tim shot her a glare over Star’s head. Tim wore one of his button downs and a pair of slacks, and his jacket was a bit fancier than most. Bette hadn’t been able to persuade him to change before Alfred kicked them out, so there wasn’t much she could do about it.

            “It takes practice,” Tim changed the subject. “I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. So don’t let anyone stop you from trying, alright? Just make sure you keep yourself protected until you can get on your feet.”

            With a final goodbye, Tim collected his things from Bette and led them away towards Batburger with a fond smile on his face.

            “So…skateboarding?”

            “Yeah,” Tim shrugged as Bette tried to keep pace. “It was a hobby. It was a different sort of thrill than just chasing after Batman and Robin. I even had a skateboard as Robin that I called Redboard.”

            Chasing after Batman and Robin? What did he mean by that?

            “Uh, excuse me,” a voice called, and both stopped in their tracks to see a girl approach them. “I’m sorry to bother you, but my friends and I are trying to take a cute picture in front of the fountain, but we’re having trouble getting everyone in the photo. Would either of you be willing to take a photo for us?”

            “Yeah, sure,” Tim shrugged, accepting the phone. “You guys tourists?”

            “Sort of,” the girl shrugged. “Our friend moved here with her dad just last year, and we’re visiting her. She wanted to show us her favorite places around Gotham. Show us its not so scary.”

            “Cool,” Tim fiddled with the phone. “Do you mind if I mess with the filters? If I can get the lighting just right while you decided what pose you want, then I can guarantee it will be a good picture.”

            “Okay! Knock yourself out!”

            As the girl ran back to her friends, quickly filling them in and getting them into position, Tim slowly began to mess with the filters. But that wasn’t all he messed with. Tim tried several different angles, crouching and moving on tiptoes, even standing on a nearby park bench. He worked with the zoom on the camera too, and did some additional tapping for things Bette wasn’t sure of.

            By the time the girls were in position, Tim was ready to take photos, and he once more messed with filters and angles while taking the photos.

            A photographer. Tim’s acting like a professional photographer.

            A few more snaps had Tim handing back the phone to the girls, who instantly began to gush over the photos and thanked Tim profusely. After assuring the girls it was nothing, Bette and Tim were once more on their way to Batburger. This time, there were no interruptions, and the two dutifully sat down with their lunch and began to eat in ravenous silence.

            But Bette couldn’t get the earlier display out of her mind.

            “So, those were some impressive photographs,” Bette prompted as Tim stuffed his face with fries. “Did you take classes.”

            Tim froze, his next French-frie halfway to his face. His blue-grey eyes were wide, and his hair that was once slicked back and now looked like a mess after his skateboard stunt was falling into his face. Bette had half a mind to snap a picture on her phone, but something about this matter was clearly delicate.

            “Actually, I taught myself,” he began, giving her a sheepish grin as he lowered the fry back onto his plate. “It was what I used to do before the night job.”

            Bette blinked. Tim had been 12 or 13 when he became Robin. That part had been stressed on the report Bruce and Kate had put together. Was Tim implying that he had been taking photographs as a kid? Professionally?

            “I, uh, really admired them, you know,” and now Tim looked sheepish and shy, the exact opposite of the cheeky guy Bette had dragged around town twice. And certainly the exact opposite of the vigilante who single-handedly saved the Narrows from a giant murder spree. “You could probably call it an obsession, but I fan-boyed really hard. So when I noticed there were so few pictures, I wanted some of my own. I’d go out at night and snap pictures. As I got older, before…everything, I guess I just got better as I kept doing it.”

            He was! He was implying that he had literally gone out and taken pictures of vigilantes as a literal child!

            Bette stared at Tim.

            Tim stared back.

            “You have no self-preservation skills, do you?”

            Tim broke down into a stuttering mess. Oh yeah, they definitely needed to buy Tim a camera

-------------------------------

            Batman landed on top of the green house, eyes narrowed. The rooftop door was open. The message that had called him here had been frantic, more so than usual, and that was saying something considering the sender. Batwoman and Canary were backing him for this one. They couldn’t take chances.

            “Bats,” the voice whispered as he entered. “Over here.”

            Following the voice, Batman pushed past several overgrown vines, trees, and flowers. Ivy’s handy work was everywhere, and many of the plants seemed to have been grown in a rush rather than with the usual care that was her signature.

            Bright colors greeted him, motioning him further into the jungle as he passed by the hammock where Ivy lay asleep. A few more steps in, and the normally bouncy figure stopped.

            “I finally got her settled,” she told him. “Red’s had a hard time of it. Sorry to drag you into this, especially after the stunt Mr. J pulled. How is the kid?”

            “Recovering,” Batman grunted, but it wasn’t a bad grunt, just an acknowledgement. “We got to him in time. But we can talk more about him later. Why am I here, Harley? What’s going on with Pam?”

            Harleen Quinzel wilted a little, her usual sunny smile nowhere in sight. “I don’t have the full picture myself. Pam…owes someone money. And more. It has to do with something bad she did in the past, and this person got her the resources. She doesn’t know their name, or who they are, but they’re upset she hasn’t got the money, and that’s she stopped her whole crime spree.”

            Ivy had retired from her life of Crime a couple years before Bruce married Selina. There were several reasons why the Plant Woman of Gotham had stopped, but the main reason was Harley. Bruce would admit he was relieved when Harley had broken free of the Joker.

            After all, Bruce had been Harley’s friend first.

            “Anything we can go on?”

            “Only that the person is underground. They’ve been quiet for a few years, and they recently came back with a vengeance. Demanding payment and finding ways to get it. Ivy pulled the spectacle she did because she knew it would get your attention, and that it would be just close enough to her past style to not be suspicious. Red dug up anything she could find on the old exchange, but you know how she is about paper.”

            So an unknown. This would require a bit more digging.

            “You and Ivy might need to vanish for the time being,” Batman grunted, flipping through what files Ivy had kept. “Whoever is doing this clearly has the resources to keep an eye on you. They might be listening now.”

            Harley clearly got the message being implied as Batman left.

            “Weird,” Jason’s voice rang in Batman’s ear, a comforting sound. “I’ve never known Ivy to scare easily. And even Harley seemed freaked.”

            “Neither have I,” Batman agreed, firing his grapple into the Gotham night, launching himself after it. “Keep surveillance on the-”

            Snap!

            Batman suddenly found himself plummeting to the ground, shock coursed through his body as he lashed out to find some sort of leverage. His line had…broken?

            Before his body could hit the ground, there was a thwip sound that pierced through the night sky rushing by Bruce’s head, and an arm latched onto his. Bruce looked up in time to see the horrified face of his cousin trying to hall them both up. But the grapple hadn’t gained enough air, and they were falling to fast for Kate not to break her arm as she pulled them up.

            Just as Bruce was accepting his fate, two more arms reached out and grabbed them, yanking them both up and into the sky. The air was punched from Bruce’s lungs as he was yanked upwards, and Kate let out a pained gasp, but they landed safely on a rooftop.

            Batgirl and Canary stood over them, instantly checking them both over.

            “Batgirl?” Bruce wheezed out. His ribs were probably broken. “How-?”

            “Merlin,” Bette stated, motioning off in the distance. The air had clearly been punched from her lungs on the trip up. “Said…something struck him as odd about Ivy’s attack. And familiar.”

            Back in the cave, Jason was listening with wide, horrified eyes as Tim entered the cave with a dangerous look on his face. He had gone to Thomas Elliot’s place, the man still in Gotham, after Bette had described the attack Ivy had done a couple nights ago now. It had been familiar. Too familiar. And early considering Jason’s not-death had only just happened.

            But Thomas Elliot wasn’t the culprit. Tim was sure of that now. It had taken time, but Tim had been compiling facts and information since he learned Thomas Elliot and Bruce Wayne were friends in this world. Which meant there was someone new. Someone different. And that was dangerous. Ivy. The Narrows. Someone was playing games with Batman. Manipulating him to break him further.

            Jason had cracked the edges. This might just push Bruce into dark territory. Tim would need to watch. Carefully.

Chapter Text

            Bruce was getting checked over, Jason tucked into his side, as the rest of the vigilantes settled around each other in the Cave Medbay. Dinah had been relatively alright, and Bette was just slightly winded. Kate, however, had the misfortune of yanking her arm from it’s joint, which was a pain and a half. But Bruce was definitely the worst of them. Selina had come downstairs to check on everyone and had been the one to run up and get Alfred when she saw Tim trying to comfort Jason.

            Now Tim was telling his story.

            “In my world, that fall caused you significant brain damage,” Tim explained as Alfred checked over the four wind-swept vigilantes. “To the point you needed to call Thomas Elliot from across the world so that he could perform brain surgery.”

            “I’m sensing some disdain at that name,” Canary voiced, just about the only one who could vocalize their thoughts at this moment.

            “In my world, Thomas Elliot was a villain called Hush,” Tim admitted, getting a startled gasp, some of them pained, from the occupants around the room. “He had control of a portion of the Criminal Underground, but the Riddler was the main benefactor. Thomas Elliot remains one of the few villains to learn Batman’s identity. Upon the discovery, he used villains such as Ivy, Clayface, Scarecrow, and others to manipulate Bruce. There was even a time when MY version of Jason appeared disguised as Hush, but none of us are certain if it was Jason or if Riddler used Clayface to from the illusion of Jason. As it was around the same time Jason was dipped in the Lazarus, Jason has no memory of the event, but Riddler has implied it really was Jason.”

            “So we need to keep an eye on Thomas,” Bruce grunted, his ribs were definitely broken, and his breath seemed to rattle in his chest. Alfred gently pressed his charge back to the bed as the man stubbornly tried to get up. “Dinah, we need to-”

            “It’s not Thomas Elliot in this world,” Tim cut off, snapping everyone’s gazes to him.

            “But you just said-!”

            “There are changes in this world. Events have happened differently,” Tim cut Selina off quickly, glad he had the decency to take off his mask before this conversation so he could convey his expression to them. “The events with Hush were a major tipping point for my Bruce. Especially when Jason appeared. Given how close Bruce is teetering on the edge at the moment, I decided to keep an eye on anything that could cause Bruce to fall into the same rage as my Batman did when Jason died. Hush counted as one of them, so I kept an eye on Thomas Elliot since the first night he came. Of course, I did some digging.”

            There were changes. Major changes. For one, Thomas Elliot did still have abusive parents, but Thomas and Martha Wayne had seen the abuse. They hadn’t been able to adopt Tommy due to the car crash that resulted in Tommy inheriting the Elliot Family fortune, but they had done their best to rescue him. Tommy cared for the Waynes because they cared for him. Even after Thomas and Martha Wayne died, Bruce and Tommy remained fast friends, helping the other in whatever way they could.

            Last night, Thomas Elliot, who was still in town, had been ordering and orchestrating a surprise for Jason, Helena, Tim, and Dick. Because this world’s version of Thomas Elliot was kind. Happy. And very much loved by his chosen family.

            Plus there was the fact that Tommy had nothing to do with the car crash that took his parent’s life. In fact, Tommy wasn’t even anywhere near his parents as he was on a trip with the Wayne’s to talk with a family lawyer without alerting the Kane or Wayne families. It had been confirmed early on that the car had been used several times before the crash that fateful night, and the cut in breaks had been fresh. Made maybe an hour before the car left. Tommy had been gone for a week before the car crash and didn’t find out his parents were dead until two days later.

            “I don’t believe that this world’s Thomas Elliot is Hush, and I have proof to back-up my claim,” Tim reiterated, and something in Bruce eased. “But that being said, the events with Poison Ivy were far too similar to ignore when Bette mentioned them. Someone is definitely pulling strings in the Gotham underground, and we’ll need to figure out who before they succeed in breaking Batman.”

            Because in the end, that was why Tim was here. To save Batman from a fate he would regret.

----------------------------------

            The book was on a higher shelf than Jason could reach in his chair. He was in a desperate mood to read something new, and being unable to go to school wasn’t helping. Stupid Principle making him take a break. He’d already finished all the take-home work his teachers had given him, and now he was bored. But the book he wanted to read was too high up on the shelf.

            Jason decided that if Aunt Rachel could be stubborn, then he could be stubborn too.

            He slowly, agonizingly pushed himself out of his chair and to a stand. His muscles and bones creaked and screamed at the action, but he didn’t listen to their protest. He used his arms to pull himself up the shelves, desperately reaching for the book.

            His arm gave a pulse and spasmed, causing Jason to lose both his footing and his hold on the bookshelf. He was preparing for the crash that would come. For the pain that was bound to explode through his body. For the lecture he would get for not asking for help.

            There was pain, but not the pain Jason wasn’t expecting. And there wasn’t a crash either.

            “That was close,” the familiar voice of his new older brother sighed in relief. “You’ve got to pace yourself, Jay. You were climbing too quickly. Your muscles are still trying to process that the pain should be gone.”

            Jason’s eyes shot open to see grey-blue eyes locked with his. Tim didn’t look angry or upset. He just seemed relieved and understanding. He carefully sat Jason down in the wheelchair and then let himself occupy the floor in front of Jason.

            “Recovery takes time,” Tim was explaining to Jason, like some sort of lecture. It was taking a moment for Jason to process what was happening, let alone that Tim had caught Jason. “You need to pace yourself if you want to build your strength and stamina. And I know Rachel told you that already because I heard her.”

            “I know,” Jason let himself huff. “I just…I’m bored. And I wanted to read.”

            I feel helpless.

            Tim looked to the shelf and gave it a critical eye. Standing, Tim carefully circled the shelf and then stopped in front of the book Jason had nearly grasped before his arm spasmed. He cocked his head like a dog looking for a bone then turned back to Jason.

            “Then let’s take it a step at a time,” Tim instructed, tapping his chin. “First thing first, you’ll need to slowly push yourself up. This is going to put a lot of pressure on your arms, which is probably why your arm jerked the way it did.”

            Jason eyed Tim for a moment, not sure what the older was getting at, but he carefully braced himself and slowly pushed himself up. Tim hovered close by, not quite overbearing, but close enough to act if Jason did take another tumble. And with great effort, Jason got back on his feet.

            “Okay, now I want you to lean on the bookshelf so that there isn’t pressure on your arms, but you’re also not straining your legs.”

            Easier said than done. But Jason managed to use his body to lean against the bookshelf, and Tim remained hovering. Jason wanted to snap and quip at Tim, but he reminded himself that he wasn’t going to be like Tim’s Jason. And only then did he realize what Tim was doing.

            Tim was making Jason pace himself. The drive was the book, the guide was Tim, and the patient was Jason. Though still obnoxious that Tim was watching over him, Jason found he didn’t mind Tim’s method.

            “Alright, once you think your legs are well enough, use one arm to prop yourself up,” Tim continued, giving a bright, encouraging smile that didn’t feel fake. “Don’t do anything with your other arm just yet.”

            Jason nodded, taking just a bit longer to be sure that his arms weren’t jelly and his legs weren’t mush. Then he did as instructed.

            “This part needs to be timed, alright,” Tim kept talking as Jason found his placement. “Use your free arm to reach up and grab the book, then use the momentum of your body to fall backwards into the chair.”

            Sucking in a breath, Jason reached up for the book. He missed the first time, but with another, longer reach, he had the spine in his fingers. It was about this time that his legs gave out and Jason used his weight to push back, falling perfectly into the wheelchair where Tim braced it for the fall.

            Jason beamed up at Tim, exhaustion creeping up his body, but a great pride at doing something for himself. Tim beamed right back with a pride that Jason had only ever gotten from his family.

            “Come on,” Tim began to push the chair from the library. “I’ll read to you till you fall asleep. That had to be exhausting.”

            Jason liked that idea. He liked it when people read to him, anyways. Tim carefully got Jason onto the bed and tucked in, then cuddled up next to Jason with the younger’s prize, and flipped the book open to begin the tale.

            “In the land of Ingary, where such things such as seven-league boots and invisibility cloaks really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.”

            As Tim read, Jason drifted to images of fire demons, grumpy old ladies, and vein wizards who act like toddlers. And he slept with the knowledge that the Joker hadn’t taken everything away from him.

            Bruce found them much later in Jason’s bedroom when neither had come down for lunch. Jason was fast asleep, covers bunched up as he burrowed into Tim’s side. Tim was intently reading the book in his hands.

            “I wasn’t aware you liked reading,” Bruce prompted as he eyed Tim. Bette hadn’t mentioned reading.

            “I don’t,” Tim shook his head, looking up for just a second before going back to the book. “Video games, I’m all for those fantasy worlds. But books? I’d rather read about facts and case studies.”

            Bruce frowned at that and rounded the bed to see the book Tim was so engrossed in. The moment he saw the title, he had to stifle another one. This was clearly Jason’s handy work. Tim obviously wouldn’t have looked twice at the title had Jason not pointed it out.

            It was a good book, and Diana Wynne Jones was a marvelous author.

--------------------------

            “I hate that I have to leave, now, of all times,” Julia huffed bitterly. “But it’s apparently dire that I come back.”

            Bruce chuckled as he watched Julia pace around the sitting room with Helena in her arms. Julia was a wonderful woman and a great friend. Bruce was lucky to have met her. He supposed it was a Pennyworth thing, this drive that they all had to care and protect.

            “You act like every time you walk out that door, one of us is going to end up dead,” Bruce hummed, casting Julia an amused look.

            “Given your history, I wouldn’t be surprised,” came the retort. “You better take care of these kids, Bruce. I wouldn’t want my nieces and nephews to suffer.”

            And that was what it really came down to. Julia Pennyworth had not grown up with Bruce and Rachel, but they did share a father. Julia Pennyworth was as much Bruce’s sister as Rachel and Kate.

            “We all do our part,” Bruce assured, stopping her incessive pacing. “Come what may, we’ll all be there for each other when the time comes.”

            Julia sighed, running a hand through her hair before handing Helena back to Bruce.

            “Just don’t die.”

            And then Julia went to say her goodbyes to her father. She had her next assignment, and there wasn’t much she could do to ignore it.

------------------------------

            “You’re back late,” Babs noted as she sipped her coffee. It was going to be an all-nighter with this case. She was sure of it. “Charlie’s already taking your bed for the night.”

            “Good. Kid needs to sleep in a bed once in a while. Don’t know why we haven’t made her one yet.”

            Babs looked up at her roommate with a look, one worthy of any Bat. Helena, however, didn’t seem to care. The girl simply began to strip her costume, throwing pieces on the couch, before simply remaining in the under layer of armor. Whatever good mood the other Birds had seen in the cave was long gone, now. What stood in its place was the mask of one Haunted Helena Kyle Wayne.

            “I’m not cleaning that up for you,” Babs hummed, more a reminder than anything.

            “You haven’t done it before and I don’t expect you to do it now,” was the equally familiar retort as Helena vanished into the bathroom.

            Babs didn’t deem it necessary to respond, so she went back to her case. Someone in the criminal underground was acting at large, far more prominent than they used to be. Despite Tim’s reassurance, Babs had surveillance on Thomas Elliot. But given the detailed account Tim had given them, and the surprise party Tommy was planning for the Waynes, Babs was starting to agree with Tim’s conclusion.

            Still, Babs had been rather frustrated to learn that the current killer in her current murder investigation had a third party. A person who had sold him the drug used to kill his own son. The killer claimed that had to explain their plan for the drug before it would be sold to them, and the third party gave the drug willingly. Whoever this villain was, they clearly didn’t care for children, and that made them far more dangerous than simply being the current supplier for Supervillains in Gotham. Given what had recently happened to Jason, Babs was just that much more determined to solve this case.

            But the one thing Babs was finding odd was that Ivy knew of the seller, but Harley had never heard hide-nor-hair of this person. In fact, Babs was coming to the startling conclusion that the Joker had no dealing with this person. But almost every other Rogue had something to do with this third party.

            “I thought you solved this one,” Helena suddenly appeared behind Babs.

            “There was a third party,” Babs hummed.

            Helena hissed. “I hate those cases. Any clues?”

            “Only that they rule Gotham’s underground,” Babs tapped her notes. “And they probably have a connection with the guy who cut B’s line last night.”

            Helena went stiff. “Someone cut B’s line?”

            “Yeah. No one saw who, even though both Kate and Dinah were nearby. Just a snap and the line was gone,” Babs sighed, taking off her glasses to rub her eyes. She needed more coffee. “Bette managed to get there in time to offer assistance, but it was close.”

            Helena was eyeing the notes before her with a vigor now. She easily took Babs’ place at the computer as the older went to make coffee. Babs knew that look. It was the same look that Bruce got when he was hyper focused on a case. It was uncanny, and Selina nearly fell off a roof the first time she saw Helena without a mask. For two reasons, actually.

            The second reason was the scar that cut across Helena’s face. It had to be quite painful at the time she had gotten it, and Babs found herself painfully reminded that the scar, and all the other marks on Helena body, came when Helena was only ten. Like many of the victims Babs worked with, Helena would never get closure on her family. Not unless she found a way back to her own world.

            “Hush,” Helena growled, something dark and dangerous flashing in her gaze as she gripped the paper just a bit tighter. “He was a problem in my world too. But I agree with Tim; Hush might just be a different person. I can make a list of people in my time who might also hold the title, but I already know Catherine Elliot doesn’t exist, so she’s out.”

            “Do what you can,” Babs prompted.

            Not like Helena wasn’t going to do that and beyond anyways. The girl was worse than Bruce and nearly as bad as everyone was claiming Tim to be. But unlike Tim, Helena wasn’t driving herself into this oblivion to impress, to be worthy. She was doing it because she had lost everything and wanted to make sure it didn’t happen to others. Tim had left one world with nothing and expected nothing. Helena had left one world having lost everything and intending to give everything.

            Babs hoped Tim gained the world from his new family. And she desperately hoped that he wouldn’t break Helena’s heart.

            “I’ll be in town for the time being,” Helena declared, turning away from the screen. “Someone will need to help Tim keep an eye on things.”

            “Don’t run yourself into the ground, Hel,” Babs stated firmly, catching the other girl’s gaze for a second. “You’re only sixteen.”

            Helena looked so much older than sixteen, and if Karen hadn’t told her, Babs wouldn’t have believed it. But this child had seen war, and fought in that same war.

            “And that’s a need to know only basis,” Helena placed a finger to her lips, a smile that belonged to Catwoman glittering in her eyes. “After all, I have to teach tomorrow.”

            Babs sighed. This wasn’t an argument she was going to have tonight.

Chapter Text

-------------- Two Years Old ----------

            Her dad cried sometimes. Mostly when he thought he was alone, but there were days when he couldn’t even bother to hide his tears. Most of those times were in front of the portrait in the hallway. The new one. She asked Jason about it.

            “That’s your big brother, Hel,” Jason told her, brushing hair from her face. “He was adopted like Dick, Cass, Duke, and me. He went away last year. Do you remember that day all your Uncles and Aunts came to visit?”

            Helena did remember. Vaguely. Her dad had cried then too, and Helena had crawled into his big bed so she could give him some comfort.

            “He’s gone?” Helena asked him.

            “Yeah,” Jason nodded, pressing his face to her hair. “He’s…he’s gone. But he’s happier now, Hel. Don’t you ever forget that, okay? He’s happy.”

            “Was he sad when he was here?” Helena asked, eyes wide. She didn’t like it when her family was sad.

            “He was. He was very sad.”

            Helena scrunched her nose. “Then he should come home. Then I can cuddle him and tell him I love him so he won’t be sad anymore.”

            Jason got sad when she said that, but he also laughed. Helena didn’t understand why, but she told Jason she loved him too, and that made things better. Kind of. The picture in the hallway still made everyone sad.

------------- Three Years Old ------------

            Damian, her big brother, had come home. Well, Jon had brought him home, and he was hurt really badly, but he was home now. It had been a little over a year since the fight where her big brother had stormed out of the house and hadn’t come home. That was before the picture had been hung in the hallway.

            “It looks just like him,” Damian breathed.

            Helena peaked around the corner, watching as Damian leaned heavily on his dad, but one hand reached for the picture.

            “It wasn’t easy,” their dad hummed, brushing sweaty hair from Damian’s face. “We had almost no pictures of Tim. Tim’s friends brought every picture they had, and Steph dug through every old polaroid she had taken with Tim’s camera.”

            “I’m glad you had something,” Damian breathed, only to break down into a coughing fit.

            “Shh, shh,” Bruce soothed. “Don’t stress yourself. Let’s get you to bed, alright? We can talk about Tim all you want when you’re better.”

            “It’s my fault,” Damian sobbed, and Helena nearly bolted out of her hiding spot to give her brother a hug, but her dad didn’t even know she was awake. She couldn’t risk it. “He’s gone and it’s my fault.”

            Helena didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, but she stubbled from her hiding spot to look up at her big brother’s portrait. Tim, her big brother, wasn’t quite smiling, but he seemed to look down at them with something happy on his face. Cass had called it con-tent…whatever that meant. It made Helena feel warm, though, just being under that gaze. Like her big brother really was watching over her.

            When Helena was certain her dad was asleep at Damian’s bedside, Helena snuck into the room and crawled into the bed with her big brother.

--------------- Four Years Old --------------

            Helena glared at the man as he glared right back. Her siblings had warned her this might happen. They had called it kid-nap-ing. Helena did not see any napping, but she had been taken from her mom and these mean men kept trying to demand money from her dad.

            The man glaring at her raised his hand to slap her, but Helena didn’t stop glaring.

            “Enough! Harry! We said we wouldn’t hurt the kid!”

            One of the other guys caught the glaring man’s arm. Helena didn’t care that his actual name was Harry. She was just going to call him Glaring Man. Just like the guy who stopped him was Broken-Nose Man. His nose was all crooked and stuff.

            “She keeps glaring at me,” Glaring Man barked. “I ain’t gonna take no attitude from a rich brat!”

            “She’s four,” Broken-Nose Man scoffed. “And you told her to take a nap. Everyone knows kids don’t like no naps.”

            Glaring Man gave Broken-Nose Man a shove and stormed off. Helena just glared at empty air. Don’t give them what they want. Wait for her family. Those were her orders.

            “Hey, you hungry,” Broken-Nose Guy dug in his pockets and pulled out a candy bar. “It’s been a few hours.”

            It had only been two and half hours, thank you very little. Helena was keeping track just as she was taught. She shook her head. Jason had been very insistent that she never accept free food from strangers. Especially those that had kid-nap-ing her.

            Shouting cued that Helena’s family had arrived.

            “What-?”

            As Broken-Nose Guy was distracted, Helena slipped from the chair and made her way out of the building. Cass carefully gathered Helena to her chest and brought them both home. Alfred’s hot chocolate tasted extra good that night, and Helena happily chatted with her family as they all came home one by one.

            “Do you think Timmy would be proud of me?” Helena asked her big brothers and sister.

            “Yes,” Cass hummed, tapping Helena on the nose. “Very very proud. He’d take you out for ice cream.”

            Helena lit up like a Christmas Tree, instantly whipping her head towards her father. Her smile nearly dimmed as she saw the sad expression on his face, but he forced a smile.

            “Tomorrow,” he promised. “We’ll go out as a family and get ice cream tomorrow.”

            “I can get two scoops right?” Helena begged, climbing out of her sister’s arms and perching on her father’s knees. “One for me and one for Timmy?”

            Bruce hummed, brushing wild hair from her face. “Yes, sweetheart. One for you and one for Timmy. But you’ll have to eat his favorite flavor.”

            Helena didn’t mind. Vanilla was Helena’s favorite too. Maybe that was why she liked stories of Timmy so much. He was just like her.

--------------- Five Years Old -------------

            “She asked to learn on her own!” her mother screamed in her father’s face. “And given both of our nightlife, I wasn’t going to leave her unable to defend herself!”

            “I don’t care if she can defend herself!” her father raged back. “She’s a child, Selina! She deserves a normal childhood! Not some vigilante boot camp!”

            “Like it or not, Bat, she’s our daughter! She’ll never be safe so long as she exists! And I am not willing to give her up! So I am doing the best thing I know how!”

            They had been training when her father had come home early. She had been training since she was four, each of her siblings supporting Selina in the thought that Helena not only needed to defend herself, but know how to fight. It was supposed to be their secret from her father. But he caught them.

            “Hey,” Dick joined her on the steps to the Batcave. “This isn’t your fault, you know that, right?”

            “Yes it is,” Helena stated.

            Dick sighed. Her oldest brother wasn’t around as often anymore. He was married to Barbara Gordon now, and they had a son. John. Helena adored John. It didn’t even bother her that they were close in age, because he was amazing and beautiful, and just like his parents. She hoped John never thought his life was a curse. Not like Helena did.

            “Batman didn’t approve of Tim going out either, you know,” Dick stated, causing Helena’s head to snap up. “Remember, Tim became Robin after Jason died. As you can imagine, your dad didn’t like that one bit. He didn’t want another kid to get hurt fighting by his side.”

            Helena’s eyes were wide. She hadn’t heard this story before.

            “Oh, yeah, your brother was too stubborn to care what our dad said,” Dick gave a whistle that echoed about the cave. Not that it deterred the argument happening below them. “Despite every attempt dad made to sway him, Tim kept going out, and he eventually saved dad’s life. You’re a lot like him, you know.”

            Helena did know. There had even been a few jokes about her being Tim’s long lost sister, or even Tim being Bruce’s biological child and none of them knew.

            “Give them time, Hel,” Dick soothed, brushing her hair from her face and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “They’re both stubborn mules, but your mom will win in the end. Then we’ll get back to training you.”

            Helena wished she could take Dick’s word for it. But this was the worst fight her parents had ever had. Helena eventually left her hiding spot and went to seek comfort in the gaze of Tim’s portrait. It was probably her favorite spot in the Manor.

            In the end, Dick was right. Her mother did win the argument, and her father began to train her vigorously. Helena took to the training with little to no complaint.

----------- Six Years Old -------------

            “And you punched him?” her father stared down at her incredulously.

            “Yes, she did,” Helena’s principle, the jerk, huffed furiously. She looked like a blowfish, but Helena didn’t dare say that out loud. “And it would be in Helena’s best interest to apologize, and if this continues, Mr. Wayne, I am afraid we’ll have to expel her.”

            The boy Helena had punched was Victor Madison. Despite the fact that his mom and her father used to be friends, Victor was a jerk on the playground and in school. He played with the wrong crowd, and often shoved kids around.

            Victor pushed Julie’s hand away from where she was holding a napkin to his face, blood continuing to gush from his nose. “She doesn’t need to apologize. I started it Ms. Ragnor. I told her she probably hit like a girl and she said ‘bet’ so I told her to punch me. She proved me wrong.”

            “I actually proved you right,” Helena huffed, speaking for the first time since she was dragged to the principal’s office. “And you shouldn’t have pushed Lucy off the monkey bars.”

             “Ms. Wayne!” Ms. Ragnor snapped.

            “But I did shove Lucy off the monkey bars,” Victor let his mother put the cloth back to his nose. “I was mean and I deserved it! Don’t let her get in trouble, mom. She’s cool!”

            Julie looked at her son’s face and then to Helena. She had no idea Victor had been getting into trouble, but he seemed unbothered by the admission other than the fact that Helena made it clear he was wrong.

            “Helena,” Julie looked to the girl. “Is this the first time Victor has pushed other kids?”

            “No,” Helena shook her head. “He kicked Robbie of the swing set yesterday. And he stole Annabelle’s favorite doll the day before that. And he’s been really mean to the other kids, Ms. Madison. I wasn’t going to let him hurt other kids anymore cause Lucy just lost her big brother.”

            Julie’s face contorted as she rounded on the principle. “Ms. Ragnor, why was my son’s behavior not brought to my attention?”

            Ms. Ragnor, for once in her blowfish life, was floundering. She was a floundering blowfish.

            “Did you think I wouldn’t want to know about my son’s behavior?”

            More floundering from the blowfish.

            “I see,” Julie’s eyes narrowed. “Ms. Ragnor, Bruce Wayne and I have been friends since childhood, and I very distinctly remember you giving him, and his other children that came into your care, this same treatment. Now I know that you and Headmaster Hammer believe the wealthier elites to be brats, but the fact that my son has been a bully to half this school and you chose to report the one person who stood up to him is very telling to your career. And as someone who has many connections both in the government and in the school board, you will be hearing from me again. Come, Victor, we have to talk.”

            Victor wilted, but as he passed Helena, he gave the girl a grin. Yeah, Helena not only stopped a bully, but she made a new friend too. She couldn’t wait to play with him.

            “Mr. Wayne, I-”

            “I’ve heard enough,” Bruce reached for Helena and picked her up. “We’ll be going home, now, Ms. Ragnor. And if this behavior of yours continues, you’ll be facing my lawyers for harassment of a minor.”

            Ms. Ragnor sank into her chair as Bruce stormed out. It wasn’t until they were in the car that Bruce finally addressed her.

            “Sorry,” Helena whispered.

            Her father sighed. “I’m not-I’m not mad. I’m not happy, either. There are other ways to deal with a bully than punching them, but you did sort of the right thing, Helena. I’m proud of you for standing up to others.”

            “Oh,” Helena said.

            She couldn’t really figure out what else to say.

            “I’m going to ground you for violence,” her father told her. “But I don’t see why we can’t get ice cream on the way home.”

            “Two scoops?” Helena asked, her face brightening. “One for me and one for Tim?”

            Her father’s smile was still sad whenever Tim was brought up, but it wasn’t a bad sad anymore. Just reminiscent. The therapy sessions were helping. At least, according to her older siblings they were.

            “Yeah,” Bruce agreed. “Two scoops. But remember, you have to get Tim’s favorite flavor.”

            Ha! Joke was on her dad. Helena’s favorite flavor was vanilla, but she had everyone thinking it was Rocky Road. She was a genius like that. Rocky Road was her second favorite.

---------------- Seven Years Old ---------------

            “Your dad is crazy,” Helena grunted as they dragged the unconscious Red Hood into the shadows. “Lucy’s dad is worse, I’ll admit, but your dad is crazy!”

            “I didn’t even know he was my dad!” Victor protested.

            “I know,” Helena shrugged as they dropped Red Hood behind a dumpster. She’d apologize to her brother later. “I mean, Lucy dad is a clown who likes to murder people for fun, and that’s not her fault. I’m just stating facts cause I’m annoyed.”

            Victor blinked for a second but nodded, accepting the comfort offer from Mar’i, Helena’s niece, in the form of a gentle hand on his shoulder. Helena took a moment to look around at everyone. Lucy Quinzel had been friends with Helena and Victor ever since Victor apologized the following day on the playground. Helena had later discovered that Principal Blowfish had allowed the bullying of several children because they were either orphans or the children of villains. Helena was glad the woman was gone. In her place had come Principal Bertinelli, a strict but kind and understanding woman.

            But Lucy was currently holding a sleeping John Grayson while keeping a lookout for trouble. Nell Little was staring down at Red Hood in awe. Victor Madison Elliot just seemed tired, and Mar’i Grayson was clearly calculating their next move.

            Beside Helena stood Mia Smoak, though her name had been Blackstar for a long time. Daughter of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak, an old fling of Oliver’s, the man had been led to believe that both mother and daughter died in a car crash, but in reality, Mia had been raised by Nyssa Raatko for years before she was discovered. She had been visiting for the weekend because Damian was taking time to train her.

            “Get down,” Lucy hissed, and they each ducked behind the dumpster with Jason.

            “What now?” Nell whispered.

            Helena frowned as three of Thomas Elliot’s new lackeys passed by. Jason was still unconscious, and none of her family had responded to the distress call. Mia had eventually thrown the tracker away after one too many close calls.

            “We could follow them,” Mia offered.

            Helena’s brow pinched. That wasn’t necessarily a bad idea, but they couldn’t keep dragging Jason along like this. There were constantly people combing the streets, so it wouldn’t be too hard to find someone else to follow again. But Jason…

            Helena lunged for her brother’s helmet, getting hissed warning from the others, and she quickly began to undo the latch just as her brother had showed her. Once it was off, leaving her brother in just the domino, Helena checked him over for injuries.

            “Come on,” Helena prompted. “We need to make it two blocks over and up a fire escape. Then we’ll worry about what to do next.”

-------------------------

            Helena slammed the radio down in frustration. No answer. All Helena had managed to gather was police scanner reports. She was running out of options. Her family was missing. Her brother was down.

            Tim would know what to do.

            The thought came bitterly to Helena’s mind. Just two weeks ago, Damian had confessed to the terrible treatment that he subjected Tim too, and to the part he played in Tim’s death. Part of Helena was still angry at her brother for taking that away from her. All the stories Helena had grown up with were tainted now with the absolute agony her brother had to endure daily. And yet Tim would have known what to do.

            But you’re like him, Helena. Remember? Everyone says so.

            Clenching her fists, Helena decided it was time to put all her training to use. Mar’i had been training, and she had skills. Lucy was skilled at acrobatics, but not a strong fighter. Nell, Victor and John might just need to stay behind.

            But Helena wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her family. Not while she could do something about it.

-------------------------

            She found them in the Batcave, an ultimatum being offered to her father. He would choose which child to die. Helena felt sick as her siblings all begged to die, to be chosen, in a vein attempt to save each other.

            But the Batcave was Helena’s home turf, and Thomas Elliot had threatened her family. Thomas Elliot didn’t stand a chance. That day, Helena proved herself worthy of the Robin Mantle, but she also proved herself worthy in her own eyes. She proved to herself that she was worthy enough to be Tim’s sister.

----------- Nine Years Old -------------

            Helena watched the other Titans with a studying gaze. Well, the New Titans, as they were calling themselves. A bunch of young heroes that were all around Helena’s age and so forth. But she was Robin now, and that meant she was one of them too. Blackstar was at her side, face a neutral mask. Blackstar was just about the only person Helena knew outside of her family.

            Mar’i, also known as Nighstar, was the first to come greet them.

            “Welcome to the tower,” she gave them a bright grin. “Come on, there are a bunch of people we want you two to meet.”

            Mar’i’s best friends consisted of Lian Harper, Irey West, Jai West, Andrina Curry, Hippolyta Milton, and Ceridan. The seven formed a tight group of friends that worked extremely well together, but the group above them was the one that consisted of Damian’s team, and they had been the founders of the New Titans.

            Helena was meeting her future teammates today too. Well, the ones outside of her friends in Gotham. Don and Dawn Allen were the resident speedsters, and a pair of siblings with a close bond. Laurel Lance Queen was Mia’s younger sister, and currently went by Black Arrow, Mia and Laurel didn’t often get along. AJ Curry was the son of Aquaman, and the younger brother of Andrina. Stephanie Trevor was a high spirited girl, just two years younger than Helena, and far too eager to please, probably because her mother was Wonder Woman. Lara Lane Kent, however, was a sightly familiar face, and not one unwelcome.

            “This is exciting,” Stephanie bounced on her heels. “We’ll be a team all our own, someday.”

            Helena shared a glance with Mia. Honestly, that sounded amazing.

-------------- Ten Years Old --------------

            Her mother was dead. Dick was receiving serious medical help. Babs was trying to aid the police. Harper was working on breaking down the weapons system of the enemy. Cass was still fighting. Jason had gone silent. Steph was aiding Dr. Thompkins. Duke was trying to help everyone find cover. Damian was still fighting. Kate had just been shot down.

            Helena clenched her eyes shut as she listened to her father come up with one last game plan to stop Darkseid’s reign of terror. It was a suicide mission, and one Helena knew would take her father from her too.

            Helena couldn’t let him die. The world needed Batman. And Helena needed her dad. With one last determined huff, Helena broke free of the restraints her brothers had used to keep her from joining the fight. She wasn’t going to sit by while her family died. Racing for the batplane, Helena continued to listen to her father’s plan.

            It took forty-five minutes for Helena to reach the destination, and by then, it was nearly too late. So, of course, Superwoman had to stop her.

            “ROBIN!” she barked when Helena tried to yank ship from the kryptonian’s strength. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

            “I have to save them!” Helena shouted. “Their plan won’t work! They’re aiming for the wrong target! Please, Aunt Kara! You have to believe me! They’ll fail! I already did the calculations! Please let me help them!”

            Kara turned to look at her brother, Val-Zod, who gave a helpless shrug. The Justice League already knew the plan would fail, but none of them could work out an alternative.

            “Please let me fix this,” Helena begged. “I know how to help, but we’re running out of time!”

            Slowly, Superwoman let go of the plane, and Helena continued on her quest. You see, the part of the ship her father had been aiming for wasn’t the main support like he assumed. It was just a random support that would aid in the collapse of Darkseid’s army, but it wouldn’t stop it. In order to do that, someone needed to hit the actual hub. With Superwoman and Powerman at her side, Helena ignored the distressed cries that were coming through her comms, and made a bee-line for the right support beam. She had to hit the target dead on for this to work.

            “I love you,” Helena said into the comms as the support her father was after exploded, possibly taking him with it. “I love you all.”

            With her final goodbye to her family, Helena slammed into the support beam and watched as the world went black. There was pain for a time. Blinding, agonizing pain. But then it was gone.

------------------------

            It was cold. And wet. Parts of her body burned and other parts seemed to shriek in protest. Helena whimpered as her body was rocked against someone’s chest. Her eyes opened momentarily to see Kara holding her, Val thrown across her shoulder as she slowly trudged thrown the rain.

            Had they won?

            There were sounds. Voices. All in the background and incredibly fuzzy. Helena didn’t want to think anymore. She wanted to sleep. To pretend the word didn’t exist.

            “Help us. Please.”

            The world became surrounded by darkness.

--------------- Eleven Years Old -------------

            “Here we go, sweetheart,” Mr. Jay Garrick set the ice cream down in front of her. “Don’t you worry about your Aunt and Uncle, okay? They’re in good hands.”

            “I’m not worried,” Helena shook her head, sliding her ice cream over to her. “They’re superheroes, and Aunt Kara is smart.”

            Jay chuckled and dug into his own ice cream, watching Helena happily lick the spoon before digging in for her next bite. He had to confirm with Kara before he did it, but he made sure to get her two scoops of vanilla, just like she asked.

            “One for me and one for Tim.”

            That was what she said. It was the most innocent he had seen her in the year since she arrived with her Aunt and Uncle, all three bloody and half-dead. Helena would forever have a terrible scar across her face, but she didn’t seem to mind. She was a happy-go-lucky kid. When she wasn’t being a little devil. The only person she hadn’t pulled a prank on yet was The Amazon, and Helena claimed she did that out of respect.

            “So, Helena, why don’t you tell me about Tim,” Jay motioned to her ice cream. “He must be really special if you eat an ice cream for him.

            Helena’s face lit up. “He’s my big brother! And he’s amazing! He’s wicked smart, and he can solve any problem! He’s even smarter than my dad, and my dad is the second smartest man in the whole world. And I love him loads, but he went away when I was little.”

            “Went away?” Jay asked curiously, noting Helena’s sudden deflation.

            “He died when I was little,” Helena shrugged, now stirring her ice cream as it melted in the summer heat. “I never got to meet him. But he loved vanilla ice cream like me, so I always got two scoops of vanilla. One for me and one for Tim.”

            Jay gave a fond chuckle at the determination that overtook the tiny girl before him.

            “Then I think your brother is very lucky to have you as a sister.”

----------------- Sixteen Years Old -------------

            Helena wasn’t sure what to think as she looked at Tim Drake. He wasn’t from this world. Like her, she had been brought here by the unknown, forced to watch as he lost anything. Except he had died where Helena had lived.

            Her feet moved on their own as she crossed the cave to stand in front of Tim and Batman.

            “Bruce,” Helena asked, hoping beyond all hope that her voice wasn’t wavering as badly as she thought it was. “Can I have a minute with Tim?”

            She had been waiting for this her whole life. Here, before her, was Tim Drake, the brother she never met but knew better than herself. Story after story. Memory after memory. This was the brother she never got to meet, the very person she thrived to impress most in her life. And now she finally got to meet him.

            She had to wonder if he liked Vanilla Ice cream, too.

Chapter Text

            Though eager to go back to school, Jason had been nervous. He wasn’t one to make friends, and though there were some people who were kind, there were also jerks and bullies. And now Jason couldn’t fight back. He was just the crippled kid of Bruce Wayne. The announcement of Jason’s terrible fate had come just days ago, and now here Jason was. After hours of people staring and too tense lectures, the charity case of Bruce Wayne sat alone in the library.

            Well, as alone as he could be. There were still too many people being rude and shoving him around. The teasing seemed to increase, and some people liked to shove his chair. The worst part was that he wasn’t going to be able to lie to Aunt Rachel or Tim about the bullying.

            “Hi. Just ignore me,” an unfamiliar voice spoke up as they sat down. “I’ll warn you I may talk to myself, but there’s nowhere else to go.”

            The Crime Alley accent was a surprise, and Jason raised his head to see the new guest. He was surprised by an old uniform on the body of a girl sporting bruises. She had blonde hair that was let lose on her shoulders. Blue eyes momentarily locked with his.

            Stephanie Brown.

            That was the name his mind supplied. She was this world’s version of Tim’s girlfriend, and Bruce had pulled strings to get her a scholarship. Stephanie had been good for the Wayne children, especially Cass and Tim, and she was one of the first to befriend Jason in Tim’s world. Tim wanted to help the counter parts of his family in this world, and Steph had been the easiest to help at the moment.

            “What, you want to sit with the cripple,” Jason snarked, feeling all of his pent-up frustration of the day bleed out.

            “Better sit with one of my own who survived than listen to these rich snobs all day,” Stephanie shot back. “It doesn’t matter that Wayne adopted you, and it clearly doesn’t matter to these snobs. You’re a kid of the alley. We gotta stick together.”

            Jason grinned. Barely three minutes into their first meeting and he already liked Steph. It didn’t take long for their study session to become chatter, something Tim had warned Jason the girl was good at.

            “Guess I was lucky,” Steph huffed as she twiddled a pen between her fingers. “Funny thing is, I don’t remember ever applying to a Wayne Foundation Scholarship.”

            “What, and you think I know anything about it?” Jason snorted back. “He may be my dad, but doesn’t mean he tells me everything.”

            “Your dad?” Stephanie questioned.

            “More of a dad than mine ever was,” Jason scoffed. “A real dad, not…not like a jerk off the streets who takes in foster kids for money or a free punching bag, or even for sex. He’s what I always imagined a dad to be. When I got sick, he took off work to take care of me, even though we have a butler, though Alfred’s more like my grandpa. When I get angry, he doesn’t threaten to kill me. I mean, he’s not the best at handling emotions, but he doesn’t beat me up for it, and we always talk it out if it does get into a bad argument. And when I was taken, he didn’t stop looking for me.”

            Steph’s hands clenched and unclenched. Tim had confirmed that her story wasn’t much different than what it used to be. Her father was still a jerk.

            What class do you have next?” Jason changed the subject.

            “English,” Steph shrugged.

            “Same. Care to accompany me there?” Jason grinned. “Two Crime Alley kids together, we’re bound to be a terrifying sight.”

            Steph grinned. “Stephanie Brown, call me Steph.”

            “Jason Todd-Wayne,” Jason grinned back at the girl. “Call me Jason.”

-------------------------

            Jason’s announcement about his condition needed to come sooner rather than later due to school related issues. With Dick not back yet, they didn’t have a choice. Which meant the announcement of Tim’s existence as Bruce Wayne’s new ward needed to be made known.

            Tim had wanted to wait another week, having some semblance of an idea of when Titans would return, but the Vicki Vale had to come and stick her nose where it wasn’t wanted, and Tim decided he hated her just as much he hated his world’s version. And apparently, she was just as much of an annoying ex-girlfriend in this world too.

            Bruce sure knew how to pick them.

            So, Tim had locked himself up in his bedroom, not wanting to see the press and get bombarded with questions. This proved to be a good thing as now Tim could do the research he needed without being forced to go out and do things.

            The only problem was, he was now babysitting baby Helena.

            “Ahya,” came the coo from the crib, pulling Tim from his work. “Gahnaya.”

            Tim smiled as he found Helena laying in bed. She was only two weeks old, and already she was proving to be stubborn. It was supposed to be naptime. Lifting Helena out of her crib, Tim placed her in his lap and used his arms to bracket her in as he continued his research. He rocked himself back in forth, hoping to lull Helena to sleep with the action. No such luck.

            As Helena continues to babble and reach for the computer screen, Tim accepts his fate and picks Helena up properly. The little girl laughed.

            Bruce was stuck in both WE meetings and Press Conferences about Jason’s condition and Tim’s adoption, as well as addressing Shelia Haywood’s claims about his son. With the Joker publicly denying Shelia’s claims, and a few fake records of an early return home, Shelia looked like a nut-job who would be facing punishment in Ethiopia. Alfred was taking Rachel to her annual check-up, and then Rachel would be attending a similar Press Conference. Kate was at a charity event that her grandmother had scheduled, and her father had talked her into. Kate suspected it was so the rest of the family could grill Kate about Jason and Tim.

            Selina had gone to check on Harley and Ivy, then to visit Andrea Beaumont before doing a interview with Lois Lane, having already done a press conference when Helena was born, and Bruce being overprotective and not wanting his wife to be overwhelmed. Babs was at work. Artemis had gone to wait for the Titans, taking Mar’i with her, and to comfort those who knew Robin as a friend. Bette had college classes she had to attend in order to get a passing grade. And Jason, of course, was at school.

            As for Julia, well, she had to head back to work as an undercover operative. It wasn’t great, especially given that they needed all the help they could get with a version of Hush coming into light, but it also couldn’t be helped without raising suspicion.

            So Tim was babysitting.

            “You really don’t want to take a nap, do you?” Tim hummed as Helena continued to babble. “Well, then, we’ll just need to make you sleepy. Now how to do that?”

            He could sing a lullaby, but Tim wasn’t very good at lullabies. Or singing. It just wasn’t his thing. He wanted to make Helena get some sleep, not give her terrible nightmares. There was a difference. Stories…maybe? But did he know any good stories? Tim wracked his brain for something too-

            Oh…that could work.

            “Once upon a time, there was a Little Bat with two loving parents,” Tim began, keeping his voice soft as Helena focused her attention on Tim. “He was happy. He was loved. And there was nothing in the world he couldn’t obtain. But then, a dark, evil Shadow came and took the Little Bat’s parents away, never to come back.”

            “Anhha?”

            “Yes, they were gone, and the Little Bat was sad. Very, very sad. He was alone. But then a brave White Wolf came to him, took care of him, but he could not give the little bat everything he desired, so one day, when the Little Bat was a little older, he went on a trip to learn how to defeat the Shadows that took his parents away. Then, one day, the Little Bat came home, and he fought to protect all the people from the evil Shadows, just as he promised.”

            “Gah!” Helena exclaimed.

            “He did, he did keep his promise. And the Little Bat wasn’t so little anymore. But he was still alone. And that made him sad.”

            “Oooyooo,” Helena mumbled.

            “I know, he shouldn’t be sad,” Tim hummed back, pacing the room as he continued his tale, bouncing Helena in his arms. “But one day, a Baby Robin. The Baby Robin had lost his parents too, and the once Little Bat didn’t want to leave the Baby Robin by himself. So he took in the Baby Robin.”

            Tim smiled as Helena watched him with big eyes. Eyes of wonder and brilliance.

            “And he raised the Baby Robin. Taught him how to fight the evil Shadows, and one day, the Baby Robin became a Big Robin and left the nest. So the once Little Bat was sad again.”

            Helena looked genuinely upset by this, but her little eyes were drooping.

            “But don’t worry, another Baby Robin came to make the once Little Bat happy, and so long as there are Baby Robins in the world, the once Little Bat won’t be alone for long. You just watch, okay. Your dad won’t be sad forever.”

            Helena gave one last coo before slowly drifting off to sleep. Tim gave her a small smile as he set her back in the crib.

-----------------------------------

            Bette had promised to swing by Gotham Academy to pick up Jason after school. She would be spending the night at the Manor anyways, for safety reasons, but with everyone else busy, Bette had been the best choice. The problem was, Bette’s stupid professor seemed to think he was some sort of god and now Bette was two hours late in picking Jason up, and the kid wasn’t answering his phone.

            Bette slammed her car door closed and made her way up to the entrance of the school where Headmaster Hammer was already eyeing her critically.

            “I take it your Professor is Ms. Giles?” Headmaster Hammer questioned.

            “Unfortunately,” Bette grouched.

            Headmaster Hammer gave a low hum. “Vile woman. Never could stand her. She tried to take my job a while back. Come, Ms. Kane. Jason has made himself comfortable in Mrs. MacPherson’s office.”

            Where Headmaster Hammer had a great disdain for the Wayne family, he was rather fond of the Kane family. They were all good studies, and bright students The first time Bette had met Kate, Bruce, and Rachel’s old school teacher, the man had said it was shame that Bette had not been one of the students under his care. From what Bette gathered, Rachel and Jason were the two exceptions for the man’s disdain for the Wayne Family.

            “I do want to warn you, however, Ms. Kane, that there has been some stirring from less savory characters,” Headmaster Hammer huffed as they made their way through the school hallway. “I’m afraid dear Agatha Wayne demanded she get the chance to take her great nephew out of school. We, of course, declined, but I fear she may get desperate.”

            Bette nearly stumbled. Agatha Wayne had been the older sister of Thomas Wayne, and she had temporarily had part-time custody of Bruce and Rachel before the will reading. The woman had little to no contact with her niece and nephew, and even then, neither sibling cared to be in their Aunt’s company any more than they preferred the Kane family company. Agatha had strict instructions to stay far away from both Jason and Dick, and that would definitely extend to Tim and Helena.

            “Thank you for telling me,” Bette sighed, pushing blonde hair from her face. “I’ll take with my cousins about it. That woman shouldn’t be anywhere near him, let alone when’s injured like this.”

            “Yes,” Headmaster Hammer hummed in a similar disdain. “I do quite remember the state poor Rachel was in after that terrible ordeal. Poor girl had her face plastered all over the news.”

            As a courtesy to Rachel, Alfred had every picture of Rachel done in black and white. There was only one portrait of the family, and that was when Rachel had been two, just before her parents were killed. Everyone Bette talked to said that Rachel looked much better. And honestly, even with the pictures in black and white, a trained eye could see the tole the illness and loss had taken on the girl. There were a few pictures, after the deaths, of Bruce and Rachel with both families. Rachel’s condition had deteriorated immensely, and it took years to make Rachel healthy once more.

            “I know.”

            It was silent as they made their way to Mrs. MacPherson’s room, and Bette found herself relaxing just enough as she heard Jason’s familiar laughter. It was good to hear that sound after everything that happened.

            “Mr. Todd, your ride is here,” Headmaster Hammer opened the door.

            Jason looked up at Bette, still grinning with giggles falling from his lips. Beside him was a familiar blonde with blue eyes. Stephanie Brown, one of the kids Tim was trying to help from a distance.

            “Looks like I need to go,” Jason grinned at Steph, giggles still threatening to come. “Bye! See you tomorrow, Steph!”

            Steph just stuck her tongue out at Jason and turned back to the book she had been reading, as Mrs. MacPherson tried to hide her own giggles.

            “Do I want to know?” she asked Jason as they began their walk down the hallway to the entrance.

            “She called Shakespeare ‘Shake-a-sphere’, Jason grinned, and Bette stuttered before barking out a laugh. It was so out of context it was hilarious.

            “I’m glad you made a friend,” Bette told him. “But you get to be the one to tell Tim.”

            Then it was Jason’s turn to stutter.

----------------------------------

            Helena let herself in once she arrived at the Penthouse. It had been a long day with the kids, and part of Helena was worried about this new Hush that was making himself known. Given Helena Bertinelli’s role in Hush’s plan back in her world, she needed to keep vigil. Fear Toxin was not fun, and Helena’s personal experience was nearly as bad as her dad’s.

            Except Helena knew how to kill.

            “Hey, Hunty!” came the chipper accent of the one and only Harleen Quinzel as Helena made herself known. “How were all the kiddos?”

            “Well I won’t call them angels,” Helena hummed, motioning the younger forward. “Lucy seemed to enjoy the lesson, though.”

            Five year old Lucy Quinzel nodded brightly and went to Harley’s side, telling the woman about her day. Helena moved through the hallway, stopping at the door that led to the green world.

            Back in Helena’s world, this Penthouse had been Dick’s base operation for his time as Batman, and it had been a place where Helena trained to become Robin. The sentimental attachment of the place led Helena to purchase it with the money she borrowed from Bruce of this world. It had been her home for a while, but once more served as a secret base of operation. Like now, where it was being used to protect Harley and Ivy.

            “How’s she holding up?” Helena jabbed a thumb at the door as Lucy went to wash up for dinner.

            “Not great,” Harley shook her head. “Whoever this freak is, they really spiked Red through the roof. She’s been in a tizzy since they contacted her. She’s in that phase where she’s too freaked out to accept help, professional or otherwise.”

            “Give her time, Harley, she’ll come around,” Helena soothed the worried ex-clown. “B said you had information?”

            “Yeah,” Harley motioned to a neatly organized manila envelope. “Everything’s dated back from when the introductions first started to now. Guy changed his tune at some point.”

            Changed his tune?

            Helena eyed the files before her with a calculating gaze. There was, in fact, a gap in time between the letters and bills. She would have to show these to Tim and the Bats. But Harley was right about this guy changing their tune. The way the seemed to speak through the words shifted. Her Jason had her read enough stories to know what a tone of a story was, and this guy or girl seemed to change their tune through the gap. Maybe they were desperate, but something was glaring obviously, and Helena was blind to it.

            Either way, she needed to speak with Tim. He’d have an idea.

------------------------------

            Today hadn’t been too bad. Jason had gone back to school, and though the beginning of his day wasn’t great, the end had been good, and he made a new friend. The press conferences were suffocating, but the board meeting had been toned down due to the stress. Selina and Rachel had a good day out, and Rachel didn’t have any pressing matter that was wrong with her. Artemis had sent a selfie of herself with Mar’i, Lian, Ceridan, Robert, and a few of the Titans who hadn’t gone on the space mission, letting Bruce know they had arrived safely. Tim had gotten work done on future events and bonded with Helena. Overall, the day hadn’t been too terrible.

            Then Kate and Bette had dropped the bomb Bruce had been dreading.

            “She has a restraining order,” Bruce hissed under his breath. “Agatha shouldn’t have gone anywhere near Jason.”

            “Unfortunately, she timed it so Jason would be on the opposite side of the building when she visited,” Kate grumbled, nursing her wine as she looked over the security footage Barbara had so kindly pulled for them. “Headmaster Hammer is, thankfully, on Jason’s side, but she might have gotten whatever answer she needed. She left just before they were supposed to switch classes.”

            “Which means she probably has Jason’s schedule,” Selina huffed. “That stupid, vile woman. I swear if she goes anywhere near our children, Bruce Wayne-!”

            “I am getting the restraining order in place for both Tim and Helena as we speak, and I’ll bring up the incident as soon as I can.”

            “But who could have given her access to Jason’s school records?” Bette questioned, getting looks of frustration form everyone. “Does that mean it’s someone we trust?”

            And that was the terrible part of all this. Jason’s school records were incredibly private, buried under layers of encryption. Only certain people had access to the school records, and that remained with close family and a few of Bruce’s closest friends. Thomas Elliot, Julie Madison, and Silver St. Cloud. So either there was an excellent hacker out there, or someone had deliberately given Jason’s school records to Aunt Agatha.

            Just the name made Bruce shudder. Agatha Carson née Wayne was the Aunt of Bruce and Rachel Wayne. She was the older sister of Thomas Wayne, and nearly their guardian. Thank goodness that didn’t happen. The lineage went like this:

            Patrick Wayne, Bruce and Rachel’s grandfather, married his wife, Shirley, and had three children. Philip, the oldest, was to inherit the fortune of the Wayne family, but went off to war and was brought back in a body bag. Poor, dear Shirley Wayne passed away of a broken heart at the sight of her oldest son. Agatha went on to marry into the second richest family in Gotham by starting a relationship with John Carson. From what Bruce and Rachel had seen, it was a rather unhappy marriage. She eventually gave birth to a daughter named Jane, who moved out as quickly as she could, got married to a simple man, and currently had a son named Jeremy. Thomas inherited the fortune.

            When Thomas and Martha married, Agatha was just as vehemently against the marriage as the Kane family. With the two families at war with each other, Thomas and Martha regulated any and all contact their children had with the two sides.

            When they died, Agatha had Bruce and Rachel in her custody for a short time before the will reading. The problem was, it was after Grandma Betsy had a time of raising the two. So after three days of hearing about how their last name was a vile thing, and their family was just as vile, Bruce and Rachel found themselves subjected to much the same treatment for another three days. The situation made Bruce hate everything and everyone, and Rachel’s condition began to deteriorate rapidly. The girl was only two, after all.

            With Alfred having sole custody, and the two getting better, neither cared for their extended family until Dick came into their lives. It was after a gala where Dick had broken down in tears, having only been nine years old, that they two decided restraining orders were necessary. Give the state everyone remembered Bruce and Rachel being in after their short stay, the judge had gladly agreed with little bribery.

            “Grandma already demanded that I bring Helena around before the restraining order,” Kate huffed, bitterly sinking down into the chair as Rachel snarled from her perch on the couch. “I decided it was alright to make a scene and told her to up and die already.”

            “Good, she deserved it,” Rachel quipped, sending her brother a challenging look.

            But Bruce wasn’t paying attention. His mind was reeling over Bette’s question. Tim seemed sure that Thomas Elliot wasn’t the culprit, and Bruce wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt, but both Tim and Helena came from worlds where both saw the man as an enemy. The worst part was, Bruce normally confided in Tommy for civilian matters like this one, and now that option was ripped away from him. Who could he go to now?

            As the woman argued around him, Alfred took a step forward and laid a hand on Bruce’s shoulder.

            “Perhaps, Master Bruce, now would be a good time to confide in an old friend,” the man prompted.

            Yeah. Maybe it was.

Chapter Text

            As usual, it took a few days for Bruce to have a conversation with this particular friend, and in those few days, Bruce had to watch as Tim and Huntress nearly ran themselves ragged over the information Ivy had given them. It took everyone in the family, and Rachel’s disappointment, to get the two to calm down long enough to rest. Not to mention everyone being on edge with Agatha and Jason, and refusing to take Tim and baby Helena out. Kate and Bette both found themselves met with the Kane family demanding answers, and Jane Carson had stopped by to warn Bruce about her mother’s plots.

            It had been a nightmare to deal with, and it clearly showed as Bruce sat down and picked up the phone.

            “You look terrible, Bruce.”

            “Thanks, Harv, it’s the new trend among the elites to look like one got dragged backwards through a dumpster in the middle of the night,” Bruce huffed back.

            Harvey Dent stared back at Bruce with a calculating look on his face. Harvey was one of his best friends, and though things had been rocky since the incident that made him two face, it had been Rachel who pointed out that even criminals needed to know their friends were there.

            “Someone gave Agatha a copy of Jason’s school schedule,” Bruce finally opened up after a moment of silence. “She timed it perfectly to get to the school, and it was only by Hammer’s iron-will that she didn’t get her answers. And Betsy has been hounding Kate and Bette about seeing Helena and Tim.”

            Harvey’s eyes went wide. News of Jason’s condition had circulated through Gotham quickly, and that included Arkham Asylum. But Harvey had been one of Bruce’s friends since childhood, and he understood why Agatha and the Kane’s were never allowed anywhere near Bruce’s children.

            “You think someone in our group did it?” Harvey questioned, eyeing Bruce carefully.

            “I-I hope not,” Bruce admitted.

            “But you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t suspect something,” Harvey nodded in agreement. “Tommy was always better at these things than I was. And Julie. Who else had access to Jason’s information?”

            “Other than those I consider my immediate family? Silver.”

            “No, she isn’t likely to have done it any more than Tommy did,” Harvey muttered. “Even if your relationship didn’t work out, you were always too close for that. And she adores Jason. Andrea?”

            “Doesn’t have access,” Bruce shook his head. “On her insistence. With the father of her son-”

            “Right…” Harvey muttered. He knew all about that little problem. The man hadn’t exactly been quiet about it, and if Harvey didn’t fear the man, he would have punched him till his teeth turned red. “Selina wouldn’t dare, and Rachel would die. Kate and Alfred wouldn’t dare either.”

            Yeah. That was the problem. Bruce didn’t know who to trust.

            “Bruce, listen to me,” Harvey’s voice pulled his gaze back to his friend. “You can get through this. You got through this with your parents. You got through it with Andrea. And you continue to get through it with Rachel. Things are going to be hard, and life is going to throw things at you faster than lighting during a Gotham storm, but you are one of the strongest men I have ever met, and I know you can get through this.”

            Bruce…Bruce blinked. “Harvey?”

            “Times up, Wayne,” the guards came to end the session. “Dent! Put down the phone!”

            “Officer, that really isn’t-!”

            “It’s okay, Bruce,” Harvey soothed, shooting Bruce one last look as he was led away. “I’ll be fine.”

            Harvey Dent was a lawyer, and that made him a fantastic lawyer. But Bruce Wayne was a detective, and he could see past his friend’s blatant lies. It was one of the things Bruce made sure he knew how to do.

            Harvey was in danger.

--------------------------------

            “Well, what do you think?” Bette asked, grinning cheekily at Tim.

            Tim was, in all honesty, speechless.

            The suits base was a dark blue, almost navy, but perhaps darker, meant to replicate a black like look so Tim could blend in. There was a section of Tim’s costume that went up from his pelvis and ended at his lower chest, just above his stomach, dipping into a wide ‘V’ that wrapped around his waist and repeated the look on his back, that was a yellow color. The gloves were a lighter blue, once more attributed to a merlin, as were the boots. His belt was in blue, but as it also came with a feature that strapped across his chest in an ‘X’. His cape was black on the outside, but as it got closer to the floor, it faded to the lighter blue of the gloves, belt, and boots. It was yellow on the inside, and the overall design of the cape replicated bird wings. A convenient hood was strapped to the top, slightly different than the kind Damian preferred. The mask was similar to the one Tim had initially drawn, where it resembled a normal domino, but it stretched into a beak, and the sides dipped down to cling along the edge of his face.

            And in the center, as his symbol, was his Red Robin symbol.

            It was perfect.

            “I think you broke him, Bette,” Rachel giggled as Tim continued to marvel the design wordlessly. “Earth to Timmy.”

            “Timmy.exe has stopped working,” Jason joked. “Contact support for more information.”

            “I need to try it on,” was what Tim finally managed to get out.

            By the time Tim had gotten the costume on, the rest of the family had meandered their way downstairs for the night to begin patrol. Bruce and Selina would be out on a date that night, joined by a few friends and Rachel, and Kate, so Tim had been looking forward to this night, even before he got his new costume.

            “You look good, Tim,” Bruce praised, earning a bright grin from the boy. “Ready for your first night out in a new Gotham?”

            The look on Tim’s face said it all.

            “Born ready!”

            And before Tim knew it, he was zipping through the Gotham skyline with Batgirl. His heart was pounding as he flew, feeling the rush of wind across his face, and the sickening sensation as he dropped from the sky only to catch himself with moves he had learned from his brothers or sister. It was enough that anyone who spotted him would recognize him as a Bat, but it was distinct enough that no one would suspect him of being Dick or Jason. Which was necessary, especially since it was common knowledge that Nightwing was off-world and Robin was dead.

            Vicki Vale could eat her heart out figuring out this little stunt.

            “Merlin! Bargirl! There’s been an attack at the Opera House.”

            Tim near froze at those word, nearly missing the catch as he swung.

            “Who we dealing with?” Bette questioned, unaware of Tim’s inner turmoil.

            “Two-Face.”

            Tim’s eyes widened. Bruce had just gone to see Harvey Dent earlier that afternoon. If Two-Face was at the Opera Hall, then that spelled trouble. Then again, when Thomas Elliot had been Hush, the man had been subjected to Bruce’s every-day schedule. But so did a handful of Bruce’s close friends. Dang it, Tim should have insisted that Bruce decline the Opera.

            “Oracle! All available operatives need to go to the Opera House, now! They’re in danger!”

            It was supposed to be the Joker and Harley Quinn. And Ivy was supposed to have used Superman as a weapon before this. But things weren’t the same here, Tim had to remind himself. He needed to be ready for everything. And this time, he hadn’t been. Curse Bruce and his insistence that Tim sleep.

            Tim just hoped they weren’t too late.

            “This is Huntress. I’m on my way now.”

            “Same here. I’m sending Misfit, ahead.”

            Good. Maybe they could avoid a catastrophe if Misfit was there to run interference. But, despite that, Hush had always been clever, and whoever the villain was now clearly had a leg-up on the situation. If the Joker made an appearance…

            Tim didn’t want to think about it. Too bad his job required he do just that.

----------------------

            Bruce clenched his jaw as he used his body to shield Selina from the raining gunfire. Misfit was doing her best on her own, but they were cornered. The emerald that signaled Tommy’s freedom had been stolen, and Tommy, of course, had run after it. Both Kate and Julie had run after him in a desperate attempt to save and help him. Leslie Thompkins was crouched by Silver, and Andrea was shielding Rachel.

            Brother and sister locked eyes. Bruce to let Rachel know that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Rachel to tell her big brother that she wasn’t scared and to stop worrying.

            “Bruce,” Selina whispered as the gunfire jerked away, and Bruce titled his head to look at her. “Now might be a good time to get a little dressed up.”

            “Probably,” Bruce agreed, and the two of them gave a nod to the other three girls before sinking through the gunfire. Black Canary arrived just in time to give them a little extra cover to make their escape. “You go high, I’ll go low.”

            “Sounds a little backwards, but I’ll take it,” Selina agreed as they split, quickly changing into their costumes away from prying eyes.

            Bruce just hoped he was in time. As he raced through the building, he fought every stupid goon who dared to get in his way. Tim had warned him about Thomas Elliot running ahead, and for a moment, Bruce’s heart dropped. Had Tommy really betrayed him like that?

            “Just…a little….more!”

            And then he came across Tommy trying to lift a massive support beam for a set piece that had fallen on top of Kate. Kate looked concussed, probably. He hoped, and without the energy to pull herself out, and there was no way Tommy was going to hold that beam for much longer.

            Lunging forward, Batman grabbed the beam and began to lift it, using his strength as Tommy fell backwards.

            “Pull…her…out…” Batman grunted, and Tommy moved forward, quickly gathering Kate to him. The moment she was out of harm’s way, he became the brilliant brain surgeon Bruce knew him to be, easily checking over his patient.

            “Julie,” Tommy turned to Batman once he was sure Kate was alright. “You have to find her, Batman! She went after those henchmen! I’ll take care of Kate, just go, Bruce!”

            Bruce mentally cursed himself. He had forgotten about Julie, to relieved at the sight of Tommy and worried for Kate to process that someone was missing. Batman threw himself forward, knowing that someone had to be waiting for Julie at the other end of this hallway. He just hoped someone else made it to her first.

            He arrived just in time to see a shot go straight through Julie’s stomach as Huntress took the rest of the volley. Julie landed on the ground with a thud, but Bruce lunged for Huntress, his eyes widening in terror at his other-world’s daughter, all grown up and full of bullet.

            “Well would you look at that,” a voice laughed, familiar and eerie. “I got to kill myself a little bird after all. HAHAHAHAHAHAH!”

            A flash of yellow and the Joker was sailing across concrete. And for the first time since Tim came into Bruce’s care, he could see why his Bruce would be worried about the boy killing. Everything about Tim was lethal.

------------------------

            Tim could hear the blood pumping through his ears, could barely feel his heartbeat because it was beating too fast. His body was both warm and cold all at once, and everything seemed to be red. And yet…Tim had only ever had this feeling once in his life, and that was when he was near certain he was going to kill Captain Boomerang and take revenge.

            This was not who he wanted to be.

            He had heard the update from Jason that Kate was down, concussed, but in the skilled hands of Tommy. Canary had managed to get Andrea, Leslie, Rachel, and Silver out of the Opera House, and Misfit had gotten Two-Face tied up.

            But they were too late to save Helena and Julie.

            “What’s this?” the Joker laughed, though Tim could tell his voice was strained. The punch should have broken the man’s jaw. “A new little bird to play with. Did you replace the other one so soon?”

            Every part of Tim wanted to get revenge. For the victims who suffered. For Harley Quinn. For Bruce. For Jason. But that wasn’t who Tim was. He made a promise to himself and the symbol he fought for that he would never kill. Not even the Joker. Tim knew what the Joker could do, and he knew what chaos would be unleashed if the other two Jokers were left unattended. He couldn’t risk it.

            Flicking his bow-staff open, Tim brought one end down on the Joker’s chest, and let the electricity jolt through the clown. Just enough to make the beast unconscious.

            “Merlin,” Batgirl called, and Tim instantly raced to Helena side, taking her body from Batman. “She doesn’t have much time. Ms. Madison could maybe hold on a bit longer, but we need to get Huntress to medical immediately.”

            “Take her to the Watchtower,” Batman stated. “Call Dr. Mid-Nite and Power Woman.”

            Tim nodded, carefully taking Helena from Bruce. Dang it. This was his fault. He should have warned everyone better. Helena would have been too young to remember what Tim did. But Tim, in his own idiocy, had decided he could handle this alone, and it was proving to be problematic.

            The sound of police sirens in the distance, people moving about in a frenzy to save their loved ones, or to mourn them. Misfit appeared beside Tim with a blip, holding the emerald that they believed was stolen. It was then that Leslie shoved through the doors and went straight for Julie, glaring at Tim to go. Silver let out a cry as she saw Julie and Huntress, and Andrea stopped Rachel from running forward. Misfit placed the emerald on Kate’s chest where she lay nestled in Tommy’s arms, the man bringing up the rear end of their group. He looked wide eyed at the situation, gaze landing on Batman. Tim wasn’t sure what to think anymore as he began to move. Either Tommy was just that good, or someone wanted then to think the culprit was Tommy.

            He started moving.

            Tim clutched Helena tighter as Misfit, Canary, and Batgirl followed him to the nearest Zeta Tube. There wasn’t time to send a warning. They just had to hope Huntress would stay alive long enough for them to do something.

            Helena shifted in his grasp. “Mom.”

-----------------------------

            Silver had provided the distraction that Bruce and Selina needed to get away and change back into civvies. A few seconds later had them desperately racing around the Opera House, searching for their friends, and “conveniently” running into the police. Rachel threw herself into Bruce’s arms as they were reunited, providing Bruce the chance he needed to see Leslie climbing into an ambulance after Julie, and Andrea sitting with Kate in the back of a second ambulance as Renee checked them over and asked questions.

            Given Rachel’s health and the fact that Selina had given birth recently, the paramedics deemed it best that the two also head to the hospital alongside Julie and Kate, just to assure there weren’t any long-lasting problems. This left Tommy, Silver, and Bruce to relay the story.

            “So you, Ms. Kane, and Ms. Madison ran after the man who stole the emerald,” Detective Bullock stated, recapping their story, and pointing to Tommy before moving his pen between Silver and Bruce. “And the rest of you were attempting to escape, when you and your wife got separated. Batman and his people showed up, and Ms. St. Cloud helped get your sister and Dr. Thompkins out.”

            The anxiety of the night did enough to fuel Bruce’s acting. “Yes, detective! We’ve told you everything we know! And if you’re done with questioning us, I would like to make sure my wife, sister, and friends are alright! Then I would like to go home to be with my children.”

            “Listen bud, we need to-!”

            “Bullock!” Commissioner Gordon interrupted them. “Let them go. We’ve got what we need.”

            Babs gladly led them to Bruce’s car after that, and Bruce took a moment to collect himself and give her a knowing look. She’d be home before him to assure Jason and Alfred that they were alright.

            Having gathered his bearings, Bruce got into the car and let Tommy drive them to the hospital. There had been...a startling revelation today.

            “How long have you known?” Bruce demanded as they drove towards Gotham General to reunite with the others.

            “That you were Batman?” Tommy turned to Bruce. “For a while, honestly. Your injuries and your scars aren’t necessarily explained away as easily as you think. Especially since I’m a surgeon. It was after Harvey nearly killed Robin and you begged me to help Dick that I truly let myself realize what happened.”

            Bruce sucked in a breath.

            “Have you ever told anyone?”

            “No,” Tommy shook his head. “I don’t understand why you do it, Bruce, but I know this is who you are. I’ve known you long enough to realize that. Part of me was mad that you never told me, but I understand. I wouldn’t rat you out like that.”

            Something in Bruce eased. The confidence that Tim and Helena had in Tommy made sense. In Tim’s world, it sounded like, despite their friendship, Tim’s Bruce and Thomas were detached after the murder of Thomas’ parents. A detachment that became an obsession. But here, Bruce had been close to Tommy, even after he vanished, something that Rachel had helped him maintain.

            Did his sister really make that big of a difference?

            “How long have you known, Sil?” Tommy looked at the woman in the back seat.

            “Why do you think we broke up,” Silver huffed, crossing her arms. “One of these days, this idiot is going to get himself killed.”

            Despite the situation at hand, Tommy barked a laugh. When Bruce pictured Tommy finding out his identity, he feared that the man would become a murdering psychopath determined to take over Bruce’s life. Before that, Bruce had no intention of ever letting Tommy find out.

            He was not expecting to be teased by his ex-girlfriend and best friend on the way to the hospital.

            “Okay, so, now that the big secret is out in the air, where did Tim come from, Bruce?” Tommy turned back to Bruce, brow raised, and gaze testing. “Because I’m not buying your story, and you’re lucky Lois Lane can write a story that good.”

            He was lucky. Very very lucky. But Bruce barely answered the question, his mind drifting to Tim. Dang it, the kid was bound to be blaming himself for this stunt. Tim’s notes were detailed, but not even Tim could have predicted a complete change in events and when things happened. He would need to have a very serious talk with that kid.

            “Bruce?” Tommy tried again.

            Any retort Bruce could have given was cut off by a call from the WatchTower. Given that everyone in the car new, Bruce was inclined to answer it. His brain was working over time, his fear of nearly losing Jason driving on top of seeing his would be daughter shot full of bullets wasn’t helping his mental state.

            “What?”

            “She’s stable,” came Diana soothing voice, and part of Bruce sagged at the news. “But you need to talk to Tim, Bruce. He’s not doing well.”

            Bruce gripped the steering wheel tighter, all of that tension bleeding back. For a moment. Just a moment, Bruce had seen that glint in Tim’s eye. But the boy, his son, was so brave and strong, and he went for the better of the two options available.

            Bruce was so stupidly proud.

            “I know,” Bruce stated. “I need to get Rachel and Kate from the hospital, then I’ll be there as soon as I can. Just keep an eye on him.”

            “Of course.”

            She hung up, and the car fell silent. For a moment.

            “Was that Wonder Woman?” Tommy asked.

Chapter Text

            Having Power Woman as your adoptive mother apparently come with perks. Like the fact that the woman has Kryptonian Tech already calibrated to your DNA. With Dr. Mid-Nite performing surgery, Karen Starr-Holt had retrieved the tech she needed and then made her way to the WatchTower. According to her, Helena was going to be just fine.

            Bette had gone back to the Manor on Tim’s insistence and urging, stating that Jason needed someone there, and eventually adding that Tim wasn’t emotionally well enough to handle the situation. Charlie was asleep, and Dinah was eyeing her sisters.

            Tim just felt empty.

            This was his fault, after all. He had miss-stepped and messed up. He made the stupid assumption that things would go the way he remembered, and now that belief had nearly cost Helena’s life.

            The worst part was; Tim was no closer to figuring out who Hush was.

            “Tim.”

            The words were said quietly, so only someone close by or a kryptonian could hear them. The voice it came from was both familiar and foreign, and Tim looked up to see Power Woman watching him. She gave him a knowing look, one that held familiarity and fond disdain.

            “Come with me,” she motioned him with a wave of her hand.

            Casting a glance to Diana, who had obviously been asked to watch him, he got up and followed Karen away from the others. She led him to a more secluded area of the WatchTower as Diana followed close behind.

            “I suppose some things never change,” Karen smiled, locking eyes with Tim. “You’re thrown into a new Earth and you still blame yourself for things beyond your control.”

            Tim looked away. “I should have suspected something.”

            “What, did you suddenly become a god when you crossed universes?” Karen cocked her head, that fond smile still dancing on her face. “Tim, I realize you’re probably not the same Tim I lost, but from where I stand, there aren’t many difference between the guy I knew, and the one standing before me. And let me tell you flat out, what happened to Helena wasn’t your fault.”

            “You don’t know-”

            You can’t control the universe, Tim,” Karen obviously wasn’t having Tim’s protest. “And believe me, I’ve raised that girl long enough to know that whatever happened wasn’t your fault. She’s a spitfire, and a reckless one. I fear part of that may be because her family, and our world, is gone. Helena jumped in front of that gun because she saw a need to, and she knew it was her only option. She’s a regular heart attack once you get attached, and it’s something you’ll have to accept. She’ll punch you out, otherwise.”

            Tim dropped his gaze. Even if Helena made the choice, Tim could have given some warning. He should have given a warning the moment Bruce declared they were going to the Opera House. But it was too soon. He didn’t think-

            Tim staggered back as a sharp tap hit his forehead. It took him a moment to realize Karen had flicked him, and she was looking at his with that fond disdain from earlier. At this point, it was kind of annoying.

            “Just as stubborn as always,” Karen shook her head fondly. “I suppose I’ll just have to let Helena reassure you, then. Oh well. Come on, then. If you’re anything like my Tim, we’ll need to get some food in your system. And you’ll need to sleep, or you’ll overthink everything.”

            “How did your Tim die?” Tim found himself asking.

            Karen stopped for a moment, and Tim went a bit stiff at her side, waiting for the blow.

            “You died to save us,” Karen began, gaze falling away. “You…it was an invasion. It was the first of two attacks that would come about because of Darkseid, but shortly before that, you had a fight with the League of Assassins without anyone’s knowledge. Damian found out later, and he continued to blame himself for your death. He claimed that you told him you needed help, but Damian denied you and stayed to help Batman. He’s never forgiven himself for that day, and he went missing for a time before showing up out of nowhere half-dead.”

            So not Tim’s world, then. “I died in an explosion as a civilian trying to save lives. No one answered my distress calls.”

            Karen winced, beginning to walk again. “I had heard that your family wasn’t the best. I’m sorry, Tim.”

            Tim shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. I’ve got my purpose and my time in that world was done. Now I just need to move on.”

            Once more, Karen stopped, this time gripping Tim’s shoulder and spinning him around.

            “And I want you to know, Tim, that if anything ever happens,” she began firmly, voice hard as steel, “if you ever feel alone, you come to me, alright. Michael won’t mind, and I’m sure Ariella won’t mind having someone to play with. You’re not alone in this world, Tim.”

            Tim sucked in a breath. He was hearing that a lot recently. How he wasn’t alone and he had people to go to. Tim knew better than that. Really, he did, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still hopeful at the offer.

            What was it like to have a family like that?

-------------------------------

            “I’m fine,” Rachel huffed, arms crossed over her chest in annoyance as the Doctor kept talking. “I don’t need a babysitter, or to stay overnight. Just take me home.”

            Bruce was kicking himself, now, though. Just looking at his sister, he could tell why the Doctors were worried. Silver admitted they had run out the opposite side of the building, then run around that same building to rejoin the others. Plus the added jump scare of Harvey showing up and the volley of gunfire, plus both Helena and Julie taking a hit wasn’t helping.

            Rachel was pale, her breathing was harsher than normal, and she looked exhausted.

            “Rachel,” Bruce tried.

            “Don’t give me that, Bruce,” Rachel huffed, weakly slapping Bruce’s hand away. “I’m fine. Just discharge me and take me home.”

            The Doctor cast glances between the two siblings, clearly unused to the sight of seeing two of Gotham’s Elites outside of their normal professional setting. Bruce had a feeling that there would be a few posts on social media about Bruce being an over-protective mother hen, or perhaps even a few bashing him for trying to control his sister’s life.

            “If I get you discharged,” Bruce began, slowly running a hand down his face in exasperation. “I will be releasing you into Alfred and Leslie’s care. You will be stuck with their dotting until they think you’re well, and you can’t complain about it.”

            “Fine,” Rachel snapped. “Just get me out of this stupid hospital!”

            Bruce knew that Rachel hated hospitals. It was one of the reasons Leslie had become their personal physician. But he also knew that the reason Rachel was so on edge was because Tim, Jason, and baby Helena needed them. Jason had been on comms when Helena and Julie were shot, and he had listened in as Tim went one-on-one with the Joker. He didn’t blame Rachel for wanting to go home and hold her nephews and niece. Bruce wanted to do the same.

            With one last glance to the Doctor, Bruce pulled out his checkbook to get the Doctor to discharge his sister. Then they were heading downstairs, Rachel in a wheelchair, to where most of the others were waiting.

            “Silver has promised to watch over Julie for the night,” Selina purred in his ear as she wrapped around him in a hug he so desperately needed at the moment. “Andrea went home to check on Andrew, and Tommy is offering to watch the kids while we fetch Tim.” 

            Bruce turned to Tommy and gave a nod of thanks, to which his friend gave a fond smile and a shake of his head. They were on their way home in no time at all. And in a blink, Bruce was gathering Jason in his arms as his son shook.

            “It’s okay,” Bruce soothed. “It’s okay, now. I’ve got you. We’re all going to be alright. I promise. It’s okay.”

            Jason didn’t say anything back, but Bruce wasn’t expecting him too. The night hadn’t gone the way anyone had planned.

----------------------------

            Karen had deemed it a good idea to update Tim on Helena’s childhood, and Tim was left with a brain-overload as he sat in Helena’s hospital room. Diana had talked him down from the headache, thankfully, but Tim was still left reeling from Helena’s story, and how loved Tim truly was after he died, and how he wasn’t just some chess piece.

            It was confusing.

            Footsteps were the warning Tim gets that he has company before someone sits down beside him. At first though, Tim would have guessed Diana, seeing as she was keeping an eye on him, but the blonde hair threw him off. His second guess would have been Cassie, but Tim had done his research. Cassie was at least three years younger than Jason.

            Lifting his head, Tim was a little startled to see a woman who looked to be around his age. Blonde hair fell down her face, and Tim could pick out features similar to Diana. Her skin was the same dark color of her mother’s, making her blue eyes and blond hair highlight her features. She was definitely breathtaking like many Amazons Tim had met. Tim’s research provided him with one name.

            “Merlin, right?” she asked arms crossed over her chest, one leg thrown over the other, and she leaned back against the wall the bench Tim sat on was connected to. “My mother asked me to keep an eye on you while she went to take care of urgent business. Rather than do it from a distance like a stalker, I thought I’d come say hello.”

            Hippolyta Trevor.

            “Fury, right?” Tim asked in return, and slight confusion.

            Tim could have gone into more detail. Of course, he knew enough about the woman before him from his research. But Hippolyta Trevor was a retired hero, and it was odd to see her in the WatchTower. Especially give her relationship with her mother.

            “Guess you’re as smart as they say,” Hippolyta hummed in confirmation, turning her gaze to Helena’s unconscious form. “So, what happened here?”

            “I miscalculated.”

            Fury looked from Helena, to Tim, then back again. “You shot up your friend?”

            “No,” Tim shook his head.

            “Then I find it to believe Helena’s own stubbornness didn’t caused this,” Fury waved a hand over the pod like an afterthought. “I’ve known Helena since she was a child, Merlin. Whatever happened, she’s bound to have been a stubborn idiot about it.”

            “I could have stopped her!” Tim insisted, punching the wall as he tried to make someone understand what he was saying. This was his fault. Helena was in that pod because of him. “I could have given her better information! I wasn’t thinking clearly so I messed up!”

            Fury watched Tim for a moment before knocking on the pod. “Take a good look at Helena’s face, Tim. She doesn’t take off the mask often, and I know she uses a type of skin mask to hide the scar.”

            Tim hadn’t gotten close enough to look at the state Helena was just yet. He couldn’t bare to look at the girl he had failed, but Fury was staring at him with a look that said there was no room for argument. Tim stepped forward.

            Across Helena’s face was a scar that started just below her left eye and crossed over her nose, through her right eyebrow, and ended just above. It looked like the wound had been deep, and the pain had to be excruciating.

            “It was raining the day Power Woman came to us,” Fury watched Tim’s expression as he locked eyes with her. “I wasn’t a member of the Justice Society, but I was training with my mentor, Asteria. She came in with her brother thrown over her shoulder, and Helena cradled against her chest. There was no amount of rain in the world that could wash away the blood that covered her, and all of it was her own. The odds of her survival were slim to none, but Helena pulled through, proving us all wrong, right to the bitter end. Despite nearly dying, Helena insisted that she get back to training, and one day, she took the mantle of Huntress.”

            Tim watched as the bullet holes slowly closed, as most of the scars vanished. And yet the scar on her face wouldn’t leave.

            “She’s what the senior members of the Justice Society called a Spitfire,” Fury gave a laugh, more to herself than for Tim. “Stubborn. Headstrong. So I want you to know, Merlin, that even if you did have all the facts, and even if you did tell her about them, Helena would have made her own call. She is her own person; and no person, god, or alien is perfect. Just as you are not perfect, and not every little mistake is on you.”

            Tim let his gaze fall back to Helena, studying the girl before him. Even if they were from different universe, Helena was a version of a sister that existed in his world. He had never even met his world’s Helena Kyle Wayne.

            He wanted too. More than anything, Tim wanted to go meet his little sister. But he wasn’t welcome at the Manor. He wasn’t part of the family. Tim could call the Bats his family all he liked, but that didn’t make it true. He wasn’t welcome, so he didn’t get to meet Helena before he died. And now there was a version of his sister in a Kryptonian Pod, body previously lit up with bullets, and a baby version of his sister at home that was probably begging for parents that weren’t coming home right away.

            It felt like his fault. But…Karen, Diana, and now Hippolyta were all insistent that it wasn’t. He wasn’t sure what to think.

            “You blame yourself for a lot of stuff, Rob. Stuff that isn’t always your fault.”

            Cassie had told him that once. She had mentioned that it often held him back, and it was a habit that caused quite a bit of trouble.

            “Look, I’m not going to tell you how to live your life,” Fury spoke again, drawing Tim’s attention back to her. “But blaming yourself for the mistakes and actions of others isn’t going to help anyone. But getting out of that headspace is harder than it looks. I know the rumors about Bats being particular, but I also know someone who has the experience of a therapist and psychologist who might be able to help. Think about it, okay. You don’t want to run yourself into the ground, and the human mind can be your own worst enemy.”

            The door opened, and both Fury and Tim looked up to see Batman standing in the doorway. Fury dipped her head, giving Tim’s shoulder a squeeze before she left Tim alone with Batman.

            Tim was left more confused than when this whole thing started.

            “It’s dawn in Gotham,” Bruce explained as he moved to Tim’s side. “Have you slept?”

            Tim shook his head. “Power Woman made me eat, though.”

            Batman gave a grunt, showing he hadn’t slept either.

            “Tim, what happened wasn’t-”

            “My fault?” Tim turned to Bruce, giving the man a tired smile as he sagged against Bruce’s side. He was a little too tired to process that this Bruce wasn’t his father figure, even as distant part of his mind was giving warning bells. Tim was just so tired. “I’ve already gotten a few lectures, believe me.”

            “Well, they’re right,” Bruce insisted, pulling Tim closer to his side and wrapping the cape around him. A bunch of memories burst forth in Tim’s mind, soft moments where Bruce had cared enough to pretend to be Tim’s dad. “What happened wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known that the Joker would fire, nor would you have known that Helena would have jumped in to save Julie. She made her own choice.”

            Something about that statement made the gears in Tim’s mind spin.

            “Let’s go home,” Bruce probed, guiding Tim away from Helena. “Power Woman and the Birds will keep an eye on Helena.”

            Tim went with Bruce without protest, brain still working overtime as he was led away. But even Tim could recognize just how sleep deprived he was, and the shock was finally starting to melt away, leaving Tim alone with a deep ache in his body. He needed to sleep. He could work out clues after he caught up on his Zzz’s.

            Selina was there to greet them as they stepped through the Zeta Tube.

            “Hi, kitten,” she cooed at him, immediately taking him from Bruce in a warm embrace. “Are you hungry at all?”

            Tim shook his head as Bruce went to go change, Selina leading him to do the same. “I ate at the WatchTower.”

            He wasn’t sure why he was telling Selina this, but it seemed important that she know. She seemed relieved to know, though, so Tim didn’t count it as a bad thing. She probed him into a shower and into putting on fresh, civilian clothes. All so gentle and kind.

            Tim was so tired.

            “Come on, kitten,” she guided him to where Bruce was waiting. “Let’s get some sleep.”

            When Tim had first started living in the Manor, he learned that there were ‘cuddle piles’ as Jason called them. Rachel had apparently made them mandatory when Dick moved into the Manor and she realized the kid needed physical affection, but Tim had just smiled at the boy as he spoke and didn’t think twice about them. It wasn’t like Tim was family.

            And yet here was, being guided onto Bruce and Selina’s gigantic King-Sized Bed (there might have been a + somewhere in that statement), squished between the family like it was a normally, everyday thing for them to be gathered together like this.

            Tim had never fallen asleep so fast in his life.

------------------------------

            “Is everyone alright?” Artemis demanded when Dinah hesitated.

            “No,” Dinah finally relented. “Huntress got hit, and so did Julie Madison. The Joker was there too. Bat’s Own was taken to the hospital, and from what I understand, blood pressure was up. Merlin isn’t taking it well.”

            Artemis cursed on the other end, hopefully away from the other children. “What a time for Wing to be away. We’re still getting radio silence from the Titans, and Alexander isn’t making this any easier. The Titans who knew Robin are in mourning, and we’re having a problem trying to convince everyone to let us tell Wing and the others the news. We’re lucky our little Starshine can keep a secret.”

            Dinah wasn’t so sure it was secret keeping Mar’i was good at. In reality, it was probably a combination of her intuition and the weird sixth sense to danger the girl carried. Mar’i was both her mother and father’s daughter in so many ways it was scary and cute.

            “Keep me updated, alright?” Artemis sighed as there was some voices filtering in the background. “And say hi to your sisters for me.”

            Artemis hung up before Dinah could protest. Rolling her eyes at her younger friend, Dinah turned around to find Sara right where Dinah knew she would be.

            “Could you at least tell Artemis I said hello back?” Sara tried, giving Dinah a nervous smile.

            Dinah hated that look on her older sister’s face. Sara was headstrong, brilliant, and always quick with a comeback, but it was like she walked on eggshells whenever Dinah was in the room.

            And who’s fault is that?

            “I’ll tell her,” Dinah agreed with a nod, and Sara dropped her gaze.

            The air in the room was stiff with the tension. Dinah’s contact with Sara and Laurel had been minimal since Sara died, and almost non-existent when Dinah learned Sara was back. Dinah had just been angry. At her dad for not fighting for her. At her sister for ignoring her. At her mom for taking her away. At Sara for lying. At Oliver for coming back when Sara hadn’t.

            And Dinah was so, so tired.

            “I kept your letters,” Dinah spoke up, causing Sara to lock eyes with her once more. “I…I haven’t read them, but I kept them.”

            Sara was always the prettiest of them, at least, in Dinah’s opinion. Laurel and Dinah shared features with their dad, where Sara looked the spitting image of their mother. Even with Dinah’s blonde hair, the youngest still had nothing on Sara Lance. So when Sara smiled, Dinah was once again reminded of one of the reasons why Sara was her favorite.

            Sara’s smile could light up a room.

            “I had hoped you would,” Sara admitted, grinning a smile that could rival the sun. “I understand if you never read them, Di, but I’m glad you kept them. I hope you still will.”

            Dinah sucked in a breath. A lot had happened recently. People she cared about were hurt, and now Karen had mentioned that Tim might need a therapist. Helena too, if they could ever convince the girl. There was a lot going on, and Dinah wasn’t ready to face it alone.

            “Could we get lunch sometime?” Dinah asked. “You and me. And Laurel if she…is she’ll talk to me.”

            Sara’s smile, if possible, got wider. “I’d love that. Starling or Gotham?”

            “Gotham,” Dinah said instantly. It was her home turf, after all.

            “Gotham it is,” Sara said, lifting a hand as if to hug Dinah, but quickly aborting. It was clear her sister didn’t want to misstep the matter. “I’ll call you, alright? And I’ll talk to Laurel.”

            “Yeah. It was good to talk to you again, Sara.”

            It wasn’t the right time for a hug, but Dinah was looking forward to hugging her sister again. Both of her sisters. She desperately needed one right now.

Chapter Text

            Most people, after going through shock, would have the grave misfortune of forgetting most of what was said the previous day/hour/minute that happened to pass while in shock. Sometimes, those memories would come back slowly. Sometimes not at all.

            Tim was hit with the memories of yesterday like a freight train.

            His brain quickly flung through everything last night, making metal side-notes of things to be addressed later as he lay in bed, waiting for the explanation of what was happening around him at the current moment. A short few seconds later of the mental recap had Tim staring at the ceiling with wide eyes.

            Selina had him pressed to her front, and Kate’s arms was wrapped around Selina, from where she was spooning Selina, so that she could have an arm wrapped around Tim. Selina’s own arm was reaching across Tim to interlink with Bruce over baby Helena, who was fast asleep on Jason’s chest, who was laying in the center of the bed, head tilted towards Tim, so that Tim’s nose was being tickled by Jason’s hair. Rachel was on Jason’s other side, breathing a little ragged, but she had her arms wrapped around Jason, her head resting on his opposite shoulder. And Bruce completed the little bracket by curling around Rachel.

            It was warm, and Tim dreaded moving at all, but he knew he needed too. His brain was still caught on something from last night.

            A knock on the door caused several of the family members to stir.

            “I am sorry to disturb you, Master Bruce,” Alfred stated, sounding not at all sorry. “But a Ms. Wilson has arrived to see Master Jason.”

            Jason bolted up so quickly that it took Tim’s quick reflex to catch Helena before she was thrown across the room. Jason hissed, but was still attempting to scramble over everyone, much to the protest of the others.

            “Jay,” Bruce finally sat up and tugged his son to his chest. “Calm down. She’s waited this long to see you. She can wait a little longer?”

            “But-!”

            “Jay. Lad. I’m not telling you to go back to sleep,” Bruce rumbled, releasing a yawn before he continued. “Just slow down. Don’t hurt yourself.”

            Jason took a deep breath and nodded, casting the others on the bed an apologetic smile before letting Alfred guide him up and into the chair. Tim desperately wanted to follow, but found that the adults of the bed had made up for the lack of Jason in bed by surrounding Tim. Tim found himself trapped, and for the first time that he could remember, he didn’t actually mind that fact.

            He found himself easing back to sleep with Helena’s sleepy breaths on his neck, and the soft sounds of others surrounding him.

----------------------

            “I’m sorry,” Jason said for the millionth time.

            “Stop apologizing,” Rose said for the millionth time right back. “You’ve been busy. I’ve been busy. Neither of us had time to stop and think about the other.”

            “Doesn’t excuse that I should have called,” Jason huffed back, locking eyes with Rose. “I’m glad you came.”

            “Always,” Rose whispered. “You were there for me, and I’m here for you.”

            Silence between them, Rose still running her thumb over his hand, massaging it so it wouldn’t cramp. Rose had been on a mission when Jason ran to Ethiopia, separate from the mission Dick had gone on. She had gotten flashes of the future, but nothing that explained what she was seeing at the time. It was only after she returned to Titans Tower that she learned Robin was dead. Or so they claimed. The moment Rose had confirmation that Jason was alive, she had booked it to Wayne Manor.

            “They’ll be back tomorrow,” Rose whispered, low enough for only Jason to hear. “Alexander is causing trouble.”

            “Then they should come here,” Jason stated back. “I won’t turn them away.”

            Rose took a moment to squeeze his hand, and the two let themselves fall silent, basking in the presence of the others. Their relationship had been rocky since they broke up, but both agreed it was necessary due to the circumstances that resulted in Jason nearly quitting the Titans to begin with. Still, their time together had ingrained a deep sense of trust and care into the other; one neither took for granted. Bruce and Slade both hated their bond, but neither dared to voice against it. The last time they tried to interfere, half the Titans nearly ended up dead. Of course, there were other factors at play, but that didn’t mean Bruce and Slade weren’t at fault for interfering.

            “You’ll be fine,” Rose said for the millionth time.

            Jason snorted, giving Rose that cheeky smile she was fond of. “Course I will. Just going to take an annoying amount of time to get better, is all.”

            “Yeah,” Rose nodded, eyes closed as she finally let their foreheads touch. “You’ll be just fine.”

            And if they said it a million more times, it would be enough. Maybe.

            “Master Jason, Miss Rose, I thought it best to let you know the rest of the house was beginning to stir,” Alfred informed them, and the two pulled their heads away to meet the butler’s gaze. “They’ll be coming to the dining room in mere moments.”

            “Thanks, Alfie!” Jason called after the man as he vanished into the kitchen. His gaze turned back to Rose, their foreheads once more met with space between them, though Jason reached up with his free hand to twirl a strand of hair between his fingers. “Do you want to stay here or go somewhere else?”

            “Here,” Rose answered easily. Quickly. “I want to stay right here.”

            “Okay.”

---------------------------

            When Tim woke again, it was to everyone else slowly shuffling for the day though it was probably midafternoon by this point. Selina was taking Helena from Tim’s chest, pressing a kiss to Tim’s forehead in an oddly affectionate gesture. Bruce was scooping up Rachel, whispering something Tim couldn’t hear, and Kate was perched on the edge of the bed.

            The moment Helena was removed, Tim rolled over and sat up. Dang it, he needed coffee. Was he allowed to have coffee yet? He hoped so.

            His brain was still spinning, however, and he really needed to figure out what to do with the information circulating through his head. There were questions that needed to be asked. People that needed to be talked too.

            Kate flopped back down on the bed with a groan, looking slightly out of it.

            Didn’t she have a concussion?

            “We kept an eye on her through the morning,” Selina promised at Tim odd look, motioning him to follow her out of the bedroom. “She’ll be just fine.”

            Tim nodded, following Selina down the hall to his bedroom. Just as she had that morning, Selina waited for him to get somewhat presentable for the day by waiting outside his door. Then she led them downstairs to where Alfred had prepared a mid-afternoon meal for them.

            Bette of course, was at school, and Jason should be too. So Tim was a little surprised to see Jason at the dining table.

            “Alfred took the liberty of calling the school this morning and asking for time off due to last night,” Selina explained, and that did make sense. “You can imagine the school was completely understanding. Why don’t you go sit down, Tim, okay? You still look half asleep.”

            Tim obliged. The thing was, it wasn’t the fact that Jason was home that had thrown Tim off. It was the sight of Rose Wilson sitting at Jason’s side, the two lost in deep thought. There was something almost intimate about the way they leaned towards each other, one hand gripping the other. Rose’s thumb rubbed circles into Jason’s hand, and Jason was fiddling with a lock of Rose’s hair. And yet, there was a distant. Like a gravitational pull that tugged the two away from each other.

            There was obviously some history between them. History Tim wasn’t going to butt into just yet. He cast one last glance at the couple before accepting the cup of coffee from Alfred and letting his mind once more think over the events of last night. Something about the whole thing was odd, but Tim couldn’t piece together what. He kept replaying through what he knew had transpired.

            But what was it?

            “I suggest eating your food and not glaring at it, Master Tim,” Alfred suddenly spoke from over Tim’s shoulder. “You’ll get far more nutrients that way.”

            Tim barely acknowledged Alfred as he began shoveling food into his mouth, not really paying attention to what he was eating as he thought over every tiny detail. Tim honestly could not work out Tommy being the Hush in this world. Something about it didn’t compute, and things weren’t adding up.

            Now that Tim had a good few hours of sleep, he let his mind backtrack as to why Tommy couldn’t be Hush.

            The man had no criminal, underground connections.

            His relationship with Bruce, and the Waynes was better after they rescued him from his abusive parents.

            Tommy cared deeply for Bruce and Selina’s children, and he cared for Selina.

            He was set in his ways as a surgeon, purposefully making time to come home every once in a while for his friends.

            He hadn’t planned his parents’ murder. That, Tim had found proof of pretty easily. Though the breaks had been cut, Tommy had been against his parents going out that night, especially with the snowfall, but the driver had been coerced into going, and the Elliots had a meeting that was necessary. It was around the time the Wayne’s had gotten Tommy out, but he still kept contact with them.

            …

            He hadn’t planned his parents’ murder!

            Why hadn’t Tim thought of that before!? He was an idiot! Tim had looked over the notes of the car crash that killed the Elliots. He knew that the breaks had been sabotaged, and he knew the police blamed the driver. But in Tim’s world, it hadn’t been the driver. And since Tommy hadn’t been the one to cause the crash, someone else had to have cut the breaks!

            But who?

            Too many questions and too few answers. Tim was getting a headache.

            “Selina!” Bruce shouted, flying into the dining room, looking far too winded, cell phone in hand. “Pam’s gone!”

            Selina promptly thrust Helena at Jason and Rose and followed Tim to the Batcave as Bruce barked orders at the rest of them to stay in the Manor.

            Yeah. Right. Tim had plans of his own.

            “Check Metropolis!” Tim called after Bruce and Selina. “And watch out for your ex!”

            Jason turned to look at Tim, eyeing the older as Rose studied him.

            “You’re not going to stay in the Manor, are you?”

            “Nope!” Tim popped the ‘p’ in his mouth. “I’ve got things of my own to look into. Feel free to listen in. I could use an outside perspective.”

            Tim waited till he was sure Bruce and Selina were gone before he got up and went to explore Gotham. Maybe it was time for Alvin Draper to make an appearance in this universe.

            “Master Tim,” the voice of one Alfred Pennyworth made Tim freeze in his tracks. “If you plan to go out, I first suggest that you actually finish a proper meal. Then I expect you to go with someone.”

            Tim’s face contorted. Helena was down, Bette was at school, and Jason was in a wheelchair. Who the heck was he supposed to drag all over Gotham?

            Jason clearly had that answer for him.

-------------------------

            “Alvin Draper?” Rose questioned with a snort, and the laughter in Tim’s ear showed Jason found it just as amusing. “What sort of name is that?”

            “One that’s never steered me wrong before,” Tim huffed back. “Being shown to the press as the new ward of Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake can’t really be seen out and about. I have the added plus of having not been seen by many people, but there’s no telling what reporters have been tipped off about.”

            Pulling into the carpark near Babs apartment was the first step. Jason had already called ahead and gotten permission for Tim and Rose to grab the papers Helena had mentioned. Files and notes that Harley had given to Helena on her stop to bring Harley her daughter.

            “So how does the clown’s ex-girlfriend end up as best buds with Batman?” Rose asked as they walked into the place that would (hopefully) become Clocktower. “I mean, I get the whole dating plant woman thing, but what caused her to switch sides.”

            “I’ve actually been wondering that too,” Tim voice more to Jason than Rose.

            “Oh! Timmy! You haven’t heard that story yet?” Jason cackled on the other end of the comms. “She’s the reason B dropped out of med school!”

            Rose and Tim both stopped on the stairs and exchanged glances.

            “What does that mean, exactly?” Tim asked, once more climbing the stairs.

            “Okay, picture a young B, obviously hating his entire existence but believing Med School is his calling because, you know, his dad. So it’s his sophomore year, and in walks Harleen Quinzel. Supposedly, she ran into him, and he just sort of helped her gather her stuff. Well, according to everyone, the two just started hanging out. Broody and serious Bruce is suddenly dragged to parties and study-groups but Harleen. At some point, Harley witnessed one of Bruce’s meltdowns about how much he hated this career path, and she literally told him to quit and go his own path, that he didn’t need to live in his parent’s shadow.”

            “He certainly took that advice to heart,” Tim scoffed, shaking his head as the rounded the next set of stairs. They should have taken the elevator. “But that doesn’t explain the current friendship.”

            “Okay, so this was actually a B and Big Bird thing,” Jason snickered. “So, shortly after Harley realized that she didn’t want to have ties to the Joker, she was given the chance to redeem herself when Ivy was going absolutely nuts with some huge plan to take over Gotham with plants, so he asked Harley to help. Well, somewhere in that road trip of doom, Harley teasingly asked B “what am I”, and B responded, “my reason for dropping out of Med School”, to which Harley nearly crashed the Batmobile.”

            Rose broke out into laughter as Tim snorted, trying not to choke on his own spit.

            “Okay,” Tim tried to bite back another laugh. “Well, we’re almost to the apartment so we’re going to-”

            Rose suddenly barreled into him, knocking them both down the long flight of concrete steps that they had just climbed up. Tim barely had a moment to register his back hitting the concrete slabs that looped the stairs together before Rose was tugging him towards the fire escape window, throwing it open, and shoving him onto the metal railing.

            “JUMP!” she screamed in his face.

            The explosion followed shortly after.

            Somewhere in the background of Tim’s vision whiting out, Tim was distantly aware of Jason shouting his name. But Tim was a trained vigilante, and he had died, so he managed to gain his bearings in time to grab Rose in one hand and grab the adjacent fire escape with the other. Tim distantly hoped that neither Helena nor Babs left anything important in the apartment. Because it was either gone or stolen now. Guess they would be making Clocktower after all.

            Unfortunately, this explosion had confirmed one of Tim’s fears. Hush knew who they were, or, at least, had an idea of who they were.

            “I need to call Babs,” Tim sighed as he lowered Rose to the lower fire-escape railing. “Dang it, B is going to kill me.”

            If Babs didn’t do so first. The phone call from Tim confirmed that Babs’ did, in fact, not keep anything to overly valuable in her apartment after an event with the Birds of Prey ended with Dinah’s apartment and storage house being blown up. So, with Babs’ instructions, the two fled the scene of the crime, and Babs scrambled the feed to so that no one would know Tim and Rose had even been there. Jason was already combing through the security footage to see who could have planted the bombs at the future Clocktower but was so far coming up empty.

            “Where to now?” Rose questioned as they drove off, Tim purposefully jamming every possible signal the car could be omitting. “I mean, those papers are probably gone now.”

            “Probably, yes, but there’s always the source,” Tim hummed. “Or, at least, the source’s girlfriend. Any word from B, O?”

            “Nope! But given you blue up Babs’ apartment, I’m sure he’s doing better than us.”

------------------------------

            Bruce let out a grunt as Clark slammed him against a wall. He couldn’t reach the Kryptonite on his belt, and given the battle they just had in the sewers of Metropolis, Bruce wasn’t sure if exposing Clark to anymore Kryptonite was a good idea.

            “Clark,” Bruce wheezed. “You don’t…have to do…this.”

            Clark’s grip on Bruce’s neck tightened.

            It was as Bruce thought he was going to black out that there were screams heard overhead. Clark recognized the screams of his wife and whipped his head up to see her falling to a terrifying death from atop the Daily Planet.

            As Tim said, Clark released Bruce, snapped out of Ivy’s trance, and made a mad dash to save his wife. Bruce took a moment to suck in a breath and assess all the new aches and pains circulating through his body.

            “Batman, I-”

            Bruce held up a hand, stopping Clark from saying much more. “Just get us out of here. I’ll explain in a minute.”

            Thankfully, Clark obliged.

-------------------------------

            The Penthouse was clearly compromised if Ivy going missing was anything to go by, and it was possible that only Helena was outed as a hero because the house was under her name. But Tim wasn’t going to take chances. They arrived at an old apartment that was under a pen name Harley had used before, and after hiding the car, they moved quickly to the window. Tim could only hope they weren’t spotted. There was no telling who in the criminal underground had a connection to Hush.

            “You must be the new Bat,” Harleen Quinzel greeted as the entered through the window, slowly lowering her hammer. Pale, blonde hair hung from her shoulder, and she wore short-shorts and a lose tank top. She had dark bags under her eyes, and her body shook with sobs. Ivy disappearance had clear hit the form psychiatrist hard. “You can make yourselves at home, if you like. Lu-Lu, you can come out.”

            Tim was soon confronted with the sight of Lucy Quinzel, the daughter of Harley and the Joker. Bright red hair and blue eyes greeted Tim, staring up from a freckled face. In her hand she held a toy car with a little tutu on it.

            “She’s adorable, right,” Jason sounded cheeky in Tim’s ear. “Keep her out of business, would ya, Tim.”

            “Hi,” Tim crouched down to Lucy’s level. “I like your car.”

            Lucy ducked behind Harley’s leg, but still offered her car for Tim to see. “It’s a ballerina car.”

            “Oh wow,” Tim gave the girl a bright smile. “That’s a cool idea! Do you have a lot of ballerina cars?”

            Lucy nodded, running to her room to gather her toys.

            “Harley,” Tim turned to the woman, rising to his full height. “I hate to do this, but the papers are gone. Do you remember anything about them?”

            Harley furrowed her brow in thought. “Actually, yeah, I do remember something. There was a good time gap between the papers. Roughly thirteen to fifteen years. And the person who wrote them seemed to change their tune. I, uh, I kept some of them. Here.”

            Tim and Rose exchanged looks as they watched Harley move away and Lucy ran back with cars. While Harley dug around, Tim played on the ground, watching in marvel as this little girl played around with toys like her parents weren’t supervillains. It was cute. And adorable.

            “Here,” Harley offered the papers, and Tim laid them on the floor, letting Lucy role her cars over them as he glanced over them. “See, they seem to-”

            “Become a different person,” Tim stated, eyeing the papers before him. “Their writing voice, their personality, their handwriting. They do the curl on the ‘y’ differently. So whoever this new troublemaker is, they’re probably a descendant.”

            “By why wait this long to suddenly start taking over the family business?” Rose questioned over Tim’s shoulder. “Is it a coming-of-age thing, or something?”

            “That, or something changed,” Tim mused back. “But what?”

-----------------------

            Bruce ran a hand over his face. It had taken all day to, not only tack down Ivy, but to both subdue her, fight Superman, and eventually end the day with throwing Lois off a rough. Lois had, thankfully, agreed to the task before they chucked her off a rough, but now Clark, who was still a little freaked out over the dying thing, was freaking out over nearly killing Bruce. And to top it all off, Babs’ apartment had been blown up because Tim, Jason, and Rose decided not to follow orders.

            None of them looked the least bit apologetic for the stunt they pulled.

            “Sleep first,” Bruce waved at the three. “Lecture later. Where is my daughter?”

            “Sleeping,” the three chimed.

            “We put her to bed an hour ago,” Jason waved the baby-monitor around before handing it to an equally tired Selina. “Kate is fine, and Rachel’s looking better. So no problems there. Tommy stopped by a few times to check on everyone and give an update on Julie, and Babs is with her dad.”

            “Good. That’s… good. Really good. I’ll just. I’m going to bed.”

            As Bat and Cat headed for the showers, Rose leaned over to the two Bat-kids.

            “Should we have told him Dick was coming back tomorrow?”

Chapter Text

            Artemis stared wide-eyed as the Titans all limped off Kori’s ship, but they shared smiles, if not looks of worries from each other. The team that had gone had been a mix of people, both old and new members of the Titans from both generations. Each member had been chosen for their skill set and their compatibility.

            “Mal! Take Vic to S.T.A.R. Labs and alert Wally they’re coming!” Dick, clad as Nightwing, but wrapped up in far too many bandages for Artemis’ liking, called orders to everyone. “Everyone who was talked to previously, head to the Med-bay!”

            “Daddy!” Mar’i barreled forward, latching onto her father in a fierce hug that made the man wince, but smiled nonetheless. “You’re back!”

            “Course I am, Starshine,” Dick cooed at his daughter. “What, did you think I would be gone forever?”

            “No,” Mar’i shook her head. “But, daddy, something-”

            “Linda! Sweetheart! Are you alright?”

            Artemis internally cursed herself as Alexander Luthor shoved his way through the crowd. Linda Danvers lit up at seeing him, unaware of the disdain that floated around the room at her boyfriend’s appearance.

            “Of course I’m alright, Alex,” Linda chuckled, falling into Alexander’s arms. “I heal faster than my team, and I’m not human like they are. You should know I can handle myself.”

            “I do know that,” and boy, Alexander was laying it on thick, but he was providing too much of a distraction for Terry or Artemis to pull the others away. Dang it. “But with the recent death-”

            “Death?” came the voice of Garfield Logan, eyeing the boyfriend of his teammate. “What death?”

            “You haven’t heard?” Alexander mock gasped like some cheesy Soap Opera star dramatizing the death of a woman they claimed to love but was really just after her for the money. “Why, poor Robin was murdered by the Joker just three weeks ago. I would have thought your team would have told you?”

            “No,” and that was Dick, shaking his head as he clutched his daughter tighter. “No! You’re lying!”

            “We…” Wendy swallowed, tears flowing in her eyes. “We’ve been trying to… but we…we couldn’t…”

            And that poor child was barely buried in his grave before Batman found a new partner. The insensitive fool doesn’t even care for his own children.”

            Dang it. Alexander was really going to milk this for all it was worth.

            Dick was tearing through the Tower faster than he probably should of, and many League members were following. Artemis wished Wally hadn’t taken the mantle of Flash because they really needed a speedster. Instead, she snagged Superboy.

            “No one goes in that control room but Dick,” she whispered in his ear.

            Superboy looked at Artemis with wide eyes, tears falling down his face, before he steeled his expression and zoomed off ahead of everyone, blocking the door. Artemis momentarily locked eyes with Terry over the head of grieving heroes and they shared a nod.

            They had their work cut out for them.

---------------------

            Dick still had Mar’i pressed to his chest as he desperately looked up Jason’s status in the database. His thoughts ran wild as his daughter tried to talk to him, but his thoughts were only of Jason.

            Jason.

            His little brother.

            The kid who he gave Robin too after much debate and misplaced hatred.

            STATUS: UNKNOWN

            Liar.

            That was the word Dick could think of as he then proceeded to hack into the Batcave database. Bruce wouldn’t lie there. Dick knew he wouldn’t. If Jason was dead then he would find the answers there. He had trouble navigating, tears falling down his face, and he couldn’t bring himself to answer his daughter’s pleas for her name.

            ROBIN

            STATUS: DECEASED

            Dick felt like his entire world had ended in that one word. Deceased. It wasn’t true. No. It was definitely true. It just wasn’t fair. Jason was young. Smart. He had so much to live for, and a family who loved him. Dick loved him too. Had slowly begun to love Jason ever since they worked together. Ever since Jason became a Titans and saved them.

            A low, keening sound escaped Dick as he hunched over himself and let himself mourn.

            Alexander had mentioned a funeral for Robin, but did Jason have a funeral? Had they waited for Dick? Had they actually tried to contact him about Jason? The last time Dick had been home, he and Dick had a fight, so did Bruce even thing Dick would want to know?

            Mar’i finally huffed in his arms and crawled forward, pressing a button on the computer.

            “Mar’i, sweetheart, don’t-”

            Dick’s breath caught in his throat.

            JASON TODD

            STATUS: ALIVE

            Dick couldn’t help it as he processed the word on the screen. He keened.

            If this was a dream, Dick wasn’t sure if he wanted to wake up or not. It felt like a curse and a blessing all at once, and like someone was laughing at Dick, while also offering some form of comfort.

            “Un’ce Jay and I pwayed wid Un’ce ‘Im!” Mar’i enthused with a wave of her tiny arms and a bright smile. “Daddy, ou need mee Un’ce ‘Im!”

            Who?

            Dick didn’t get to ask that question because at that moment, the shadow of Raven bled through the door and gave way to the girl Dick had helped raise and train. From her cape fell many of her friends. Friends she shared with Jason.

            “Hi, Dick,” Gar waved from the floor half-heartedly. “Are you-?”

            “What in Hera’s name!?” Wonder Girl barked, cutting off whatever Gar was going to ask as they all whipped their gazes to the screen.”

-----------------------------

            Certain that only those that knew Jason’s identity had gone with Raven to see Dick, Artemis and Terry split up to find the others. Artemis found Hank first, the man aggressively beating up the punching bag. There were far fewer of the older Titans that Jason trusted, but despite their original rocky start, Hank Hall became protective of Jason, seeing bits of his brothers; Don and Hector, in the kid who just wanted Dick to be his big brother.

            “Hank!” Artemis called as the hard headed being of chaos continued to pound on the punching bag. “Spar with me!”

            Artemis had barely gotten into a stance before Hank lunged. Hank’s motions were wildly, compared more to a Gotham street thug than the skilled combatant Artemis was familiar with. With each blow, Artemis went defensive, letting Hank take out his anger and frustration as the danced around the training mat. Linda and Alexander had left roughly twenty minutes ago, and after being sure that the latter hadn’t left any bugs, she had gone in search of the others.

            Now certain that Linda was outside of hearing distance, signaled by a ping from Wendy, and with the certainty that there were still no bugs, Artemis went on the offensive, flipping Hank over her shoulder.

            “Jason lives,” she breathed into his ear, throwing him off guard for a mere moment as he hit the mat.

            Then they were back to throwing punches like the world would end. This time, each move was coordinated, and Hank was fighting more out of relief than anything. If there were tears in his eyes, Artemis elected to ignore them.

-----------------------

            Terry found Donna with Robert, rocking her son in a way she had always hesitated to do back when Robert was first born. Things in their relationship had been rocky, and divorce was something both had yet to discuss, but seemed to agree was invadable.

            Still, as Donna sung a song to their son in Greek, Robert was reminded of why he once loved the woman before him.

            “Terry,” Donna’s words came off choked, tears in her eyes. She clutched Robert closer to her. “Sorry, I…sorry. Just let me.”

            “Stay,” Terry whispered, choosing to sit beside her, perhaps for the last time. He quickly switched to Greek. “The bird lives, darling. An empty suit was buried, but he can no longer fly.”

            Donna’s eyes blew wide as she processed what Terry was saying. “Why, then?”

            “The prodigal son is one reason,” Terry huffed, rolling his eyes. “But the bird discovered a birth mother. Living. She betrayed him. To hide his identity, the bird mustn’t fly anymore.”

            “And his replacement?”

            “His savior,” Terry corrected her with a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know the details, but he isn’t a replacement.”

             Donna nodded, sucking in a breath. “What now?”

            Terry looked to their son before glancing to the door. They needed to wait.

---------------------

            Koriand’r was staring wide-eyed at the screen with the younger Titans. It only took a second for Kori to cross the room and take Dick’s face in her hands, brushing the tears away as the two smiled at each other. Stupidly bright grins stretched over the agony that had first stuck their lives.

            “Is he really alive?” Gar breathed, unable to tare his gaze away from the screen.

            “Yep,” Mar’i chirped brightly. “He’s awive!”

            A chocked cry came from Dick, stirring the younger Titans to the man. The tears were clearly of relief, but the strain of having believe Jason to be dead had really shattered Dick’s mental state. The teens quickly swarmed Dick, wrapping him in hugs and confirmation that the screen wasn’t lying.

            “Dick,” Raven tried, voice gentle. “Can we go see Jason?”

            Dick wiped at his eyes, letting Kori brush the rest of the tears away. “Yeah. Yeah, we can go see Jason. Just…just give me a minute.”

            Or an hour. Or a whole year. It didn’t really matter.

            Jason was alive.

-------------------

            It was Lilith Clay who found Dawn Granger, and though Lilith knew she wasn’t supposed to know, she had wondered why Artemis hadn’t been upset by Jason’s death and may or may not have done some digging.

            But Dawn was sitting in one of Jason’s favorite hiding spots, the one where she often found Jason whenever Jason was upset and wanted someone to talk to.

            “I should probably box these,” were the sad, painful thoughts that met Lilith as she silently approached her friend. “Bruce might want them.”

            “Jason might want them back too,” Lilith greeted in Dawn’s head. “He won’t be allowed back at the tower for a while, so he might want them back for the time being.”

            Dawn’s head whipped up to Lilith, eyes wide as Lilith grinned up at her friend.

-------------------------

            Donna and Artemis were the ones to confront Roy Harper, and they did so by dragging him out of a training simulation and towards the garage where the others were waiting. Artemis and Donna explained the matter at hand to the guy as they headed for Gotham dressed in civvies. Roy had already known that Robin had died, but he also knew Jason was alive. There wasn’t much need for an explanation on Roy’s part, but it was nice to hear a reasoning behind the choices made.

            “Has anyone told Rose yet?” Roy asked as he got everyone in his car to quiet down.

            “She’s already at Wayne Manor,” came the response from Artemis. “She got done with her mission before each of you and left the Tower in a panic. She’s been with him since yesterday.”

            Roy looked in the mirror at the occupants of his car, or giant van, whatever technical term you wanted to call it. In the passenger seat was Artemis, who had taken over story time. Behind them in the first row was Donna, baby Robert, and Donna’s current charge; little Cassie Sandsmark. Behind them was Hank, Dawn, and Lilith. Behind them were Dick, Kori, and little Mar’i. In the back was the four-seater, which remained occupied by Gar, Raven, Christopher Kent, Yara Flor.

            These were the people who were entrusted with Jason’s identity. Well, most of them. Wally had since joined the Justice League as the new Flash after Barry’s death, and Rose was supposedly at the Manor already. But this group in the car had a tight bond with Jason; Roy included. Just looking at his friends, they could see the pain that Alexander’s stupid announcement had brought them.

            “Is he at least okay,” Raven was practically crawling over the seat to see Artemis.

            “He’s…as fine as he can be,” Artemis admitted after a moment. “He’s gone stir-crazy, for one thing. We got him help near minutes after the Joker stopped him, and our newest Bat managed to save him from an explosion, but the general consensus is that Jason will need to limit any and all movement for the time being. He’s confined to a wheelchair.”

            “Ah, kid,” Hank hissed between his teeth. “He’s gotta be frustrated beyond belief.”

            “Oh he most definitely is, but his Aunt has taught him a few tricks, and they’ve found a way to keep Jason in on the action,” Artemis mused, a fond smile on her face. “He’s going by the alias ‘Oracle’ for now while he recuperates. He’s the eyes and ears over Gotham’s dark web, using tech support to aid us from the cave.”

            “Clever,” Yara admitted with an approving nod. “It would be useful to have someone watching over us in case something goes wrong. But tell, me, who is this replacement Alexander was talking about.”

            “First of all, not a replacement,” Artemis quipped quickly. “And due to circumstances, that should be disclosed in a safer environment, we will not be talking about them here. But just know, the kid has absolutely no self-preservation.”

            This got startled looks exchanged amongst the Titans.

            “What does that mean, exactly?” Donna pressed.

            “Not here,” Artemis shook her head, glancing down at a text from Babs. “And we are apparently stepping into a blood bath. Helena Bertinelli and Julie Madison were shot two nights ago. By the Joker. And someone blew up Babs’ apartment.”

            Dick chocked on air in the back of the car.

--------------------------

            “Dick,” Bruce breathed, crushing his ward and would-be-son to his chest as the Titans were brough into the garden. At Dick’s grunt, Bruce whipped back, checking the boy over. “Are you alright? Do you need me to call Leslie? Are-?”

            “Bat,” Selina tugged at Bruce’s shirt, a fond smile on her face. “Give him a minute to breathe. If Dick were seriously injured, I’m sure Artemis would have taken him to the Med-bay before bringing him home. Dick, come meet your sister.”

            Dick’s eyes widened as he spotted the baby in Selina’s arms. She wasn’t supposed to be due for at least a few more weeks. Not till next month. But as Dick crouched down to see the baby, ignoring the twinge of bruising and sore muscle, he could see the resemblance that she held to both Bruce and Selina.

            “Hi,” Dick cooed, happily accepting his sister from Selina. “Hi, there. Aren’t you beautiful?”

            Mar’i giggled at Dick’s side as Dick sat on the ground, cradling his sister to his chest. She really was beautiful. All chubby, and cute, with blue-green eyes.

            “She’s pwe’y,” Mar’i gave her version of a coo.

            “What’s her name?” Dick questioned, unable to take his gaze away from the girl.

            “Helena,” Bruce answered, sitting back on the bench beside Selina. “Helena Catherine Kyle Wayne.”

            Dick’s head shot up to lock eyes with Bruce, seeing the smile on his would-be-father’s face. With a wave of his hand, Dick followed his gaze to where a few figures could be seen further in the garden. Gar was already making his way over, Raven, Yara, Chris, and Cassie on his heels. But Dick felt his breath catch in his throat.

            Sitting under a tree Dick had once named Pam’s Oak tree, was a wheelchair. Jason was not in the wheelchair, however, and instead lay one the ground, his nose buried in a book as he seemed to read aloud. Because the oak was on a hill, Dick could also see Rose, Bette, and someone Dick didn’t recognize lying beside Jason. Aunt Rachel sat further in the shade with Kate and Babs. Kate seemed to be asleep, leaning up against the trunk, and Rachel seemed to be braiding Babs’ hair, as Babs listened to Jason’s story.

            It was as Dick finished making these basic observations that the teen titans barreled into Jason. Jason let out a laugh as he was dog-pilled by his friends, and poor Rose was dragged into the group-pile. Bette and the new guy both moved out of the way with quick reflexes, but both were grinning.

            Now that Jason had been tackled, Dick took a moment to really study everyone. Jason seemed relatively okay, but the ghost of pain was there, making his smiles just a bit dimmer, and his laughter slightly forced. Rose seemed okay, if relieved to be with everyone, and Dick attributed that to her close bond with Jason. Babs seemed alright, if still slightly annoyed that her apartment blew up.

            But it was the others that really drew Dick’s attention.

            Kate was smiling, but her eyes remained shut, and there was a slight wince that overtook her features. Rachel looked pale, sickly in a way that only came when she overworked herself. Bette seemed exhausted and on edge, which was odd because she was generally the more care-free member of their family.

            And the new guy looked all sorts of wrong. For one, he was too skinny for Dick’s liking, and there were hints of bruising peeking out from under his clothes. He seemed to be keeping his distance as if that were second nature, as if he didn’t belong in the circle of Bats or Titans. His smile seemed forced like Bruce standing in front of a camera.

            Dick turned to Bruce, taking in the exhaustion of his father figure and Selina.

            “What happened?” Dick demanded.

-------------------------------

            It had been Selina’s idea to get them to all relax for the day, especially after everything going on. But given how the events of Hush messed up Bruce psychologically in Tim’s world, a day of rest was necessary. For everyone else.

            Tim and Bette were crouched over Tim’s laptop, trying to cross-reference the significance of the thirteen-year gap between communication while also trying to match the handwriting to anything and everything they could find. Bruce had guided the Titans downstairs for an explanation on the current events that had been taking place around an hour or so ago, which left Tim plenty of time to do some digging.

            “There are so many things that happened,” Bette whispered, setting down her own laptop and rubbing her forehead. “How do we know what to look for?”

            “I’ll be honest,” Tim shrugged. “At this point, I’m half-expecting something to just jump out and hit me in the face.”

            “That sounds counter-productive,” Bette huffed, banging her head on the table. “Any idea how much longer Helena will be at Watchtower.”

            No. No he didn’t know. No one had told him anything, and Tim wasn’t sure if he even had the right to ask.

            He opted to just shake his, still flipping through cases and news clippings he managed to find. Still nothing that would give him a hint as to what happened. Tim was content to just spend the next few hours looking for something, but it appeared that wasn’t going to be happening today.

            “Miss Bette, I believe you are needed down in the cave,” Alfred told them after a sharp knock on the door. “And Master Tim, I do believe you should be resting. Not stressing.”

            “This is resting,” Tim waved at the computer.

            Alfred clearly wasn’t amused by that statement, but he stepped aside to let Bette out of the room, and allow Dick Grayson access to the room.

            “Hey, Tim, right?” Dick gave an awkward smile as he inched into the room. “I’m Dick, but I heard-”

            “Gonna stop you right there, Dick,” Tim held up his hand, making Dick flinch back. “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Jason. The Dick I knew is not you. You haven’t made his choices or mistakes yet, and if I have a say about them, some of the things that happened to you won’t happen at all. This is a new world, and you are your own person. I’ve had the privilege to get to know most of the Bats so far, and if you’re okay with it, I’d like to get to know you too.”

            The defeated look that came when Tim first started speaking quickly washed away into one of shock as Tim continued with his speech. By the end, Dick’s face was splitting into a grin that Tim hadn’t seen in years. Not since Dick’s Robin days when he was still young and spirited.

            “You mean that?” Dick breathed in awe.

            “Yes,” Tim nodded.

            Somehow that translated into hugging. Tim…couldn’t bring himself to protest. He would reluctantly admit that he curled into the familiar hug of his big brother’s counterpart. Dick clung just a bit tighter in return.

-----------------------

            “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” little Cassie asked as Jason gave her a smile.

            “Course,” Jason assured. “I’m still alive aren’t I. And some day, I’ll be back on my feet.”

            Cassie nodded pulling away and moving to where Donna was beckoning her to come upstairs. Cassie was ten years old, the apprentice to Donna, and had chosen the name Golden Eagle as her alias. She was also the counterpart of Tim’s old friend, and Jason knew it had to be hard to see the girl.

            Jason turned to his friends.

            “Are you really sure you’re alright?” Gar spoke up from where he was curled in Jason’s lap as a green cat. “You nearly died, man!”

            Garfield Logan had been Jason’s best friend since Jason joined the Titans all those years ago. Even when every suspected Jason of foul play, Gar had stuck by Jason’s side. The two often joked around and leaned on each other during the longer nights. Jason couldn’t have asked for a better friend.

            “I…it hasn’t been easy,” Jason admitted dropping his gaze and getting a hand squeeze from Rose. “The chair is obnoxious, but I’ve been taking things one step at a time. Tim has been extremely helpful, and despite everything going on, mom and dad have been supportive.”

            “Sorry I wasn’t here,” Chris stated suddenly, and Jason snapped his gaze up to him. “I could have heard you and come found you.”

            “No, no, Lor, it’s okay,” Jason promised. “Your dad saved me, okay? And Tim got me out in time. None of this is your fault. Any of you.”

            Christopher Kent was the adoptive son of Clark Kent, and recently, Lois Lane. Lex Luthor had apparently found the boy in the Phantom Zone as a child, and after the Titans saved him from C.A.D.M.U.S., he became a Titan before Clark agreed to train him. His real name was Lor-Zod, and he was the child of General Zod and Ursa, born in the Phantom Zone.

            “Jason’s right,” Yara stated flatly, giving their Kryptonian friend a nudge. “The only faults here are of the Joker and Haywood.”

            Yara Flor was another late arrival to their group, but no less a close friend. She was strong-headed with a great sense of humor, and she had a strong love for life and family. She had befriended Jason and Rose easily out of the other members of their team, and had proved to be a good leader when she felt the need to step up.

            “No argument there,” Jason huffed.

            “And no matter what state you’re in, Jason, you’re still one of us,” Raven placed a hand on his shoulder. “And one day, you’ll come to the tower and we’ll welcome you with open arms.”

            Raven and Jason had gotten off to a rocky start, and looking back, they often laughed at their stupidity. They had the horrible habit of getting on each other’s nerves when they first met, and it was Raven who first accused Jason of being traitor, the others mostly following suit. It had been the cause of many trust issues for Jason. Where Dick had little care of sharing his identity with his teammates, Jason had been forced to learn that his identity needed to be kept secret. However, Jason and Raven had since become close friends, even siblings.

            Jason grinned. “Course I’ll be coming back. We just need to wait till this whole Hush thing is over, and Shelia’s trial ends.”

            Surrounded by his friends, and knowing his family was home, Jason let himself relax for the first time since this whole things started.

            “What are we going to tell the others, though?” Gar suddenly piped up from Jason’s lap. “Do we just let them think Jason is still dead.”

            “We probably have to,” Yara hummed, tapping her chin. “With Alexander stirring trouble at the tower, and no one wanting Linda to quit the Titans for her boyfriend, it would be best to let as little people as possible know the truth in case he finds out. We’ll have to practice our fake-mourning.”

            “But I suck at acting!” Gar protested.

            “Then just be a mopey puppy,” Jason scoffed, giving a scratch behind Gar’s ear. “Everyone will think you’re so upset, they’ll be inclined to pet you all the time.”

            This caused the group to burst into laughter at Gar’s affronted expression while in cat form.

Chapter Text

            They were just out on patrol when it happened. An odd signal deterring Bruce and Selina towards the warehouse district. Probably an intended distraction. Of course, Tim had been right once more when Bruce and Selina found themselves confronted by Lady Shiva and Talia al Ghul.

            “Beloved,” Talia greeted. “His wife.”

            “How’s the shoulder?” Selina fired back.

            In Tim’s account, Bruce had originally believed Hush was sent by Ra’s to test him. That, perhaps, Hush was just an alias. Talia claimed to have no knowledge of her father’s ties because she had recently defied her father and was avoiding punishment. This would have been shortly after she threw Jason into the Lazarus Pit had things gone differently, and Bruce would have found himself faced with his son disguised as Hush later on.

            However, Bruce intended for this to go differently than what Tim recalled.

            “Wait!” Batman barked, rounding on Shiva before the woman could pounce. “When Robin and I interrogated you, you claimed to have no children. So why lie?”

            Shiva stood in a stance ready to pounce but studied Batman curiously. “The boy was not mine.”

            “No, but you did have a daughter,” Batman stated.

            “The girl has no ties to me,” Shiva hissed. “She is a weapon for Cain, and that is all.”

            So Cassandra did exist. Good. That was all the information Batman needed for her. He didn’t dare hope to beat Shiva in a fight. Selina knew it too, having read over those notes. Neither of them would win in this fight.

            “Why the sudden interest, beloved?” Talia mused as she, too, studied him. “Have you not already adopted enough strays?”

            Selina cocked her head at the woman. “Do you not also desire another child, Talia?”

            Selina had earned Talia’s respect, but that did not mean Talia liked Selina. She was dancing on thin ice, and Bruce wasn’t sure he could pull his wife back.

            “How could you-?”

            “Relax, darling,” Selina purred. “I am a mother, myself, after all. Three boys, and a baby girl are a handful, but I know what it’s like to be separated from a child. Though we’re not fond of the League’s influence, I wouldn’t dare take a mother away from their child.”

            More confirmation, and this time, Bruce wasn’t sure what to do with it. Neither did Talia, for that matter.

            “Then why?” Talia demanded.

            “Because part of me wants to believe that somewhere in your heart, you love them,” Selina stressed, removing her goggles so she could lock eyes with Talia. “And if, at any point, you believe them in danger, you can bring them to us. We won’t keep you apart because that pain is unbearable, but I’d like to know them, and I’m certain Bruce would too.”

            Talia was silent for a moment, but it was enough for Bruce to truly process what she was thinking. However, it was not enough time to react.

            “You will never see them.”

            And with that, Shiva attacked, and Talia vanished before they could follow. Still, it was the confirmation Bruce needed on his future children. He just had to work out how to find them, was all. Hopefully it would be easier than fighting Lady Shiva one-on-two. On the other hand, three Canaries jumping into the battle was helpful.

            “Shiva,” White Canary greeted with a snarky grin. “I’ve been looking forward to a rematch. Especially after what you did to my girlfriend and daughter.”

            By the time Batman and Catwoman pulled away, Talia was long gone. But Bruce and Selina knew what they needed to know. Now they just needed to survive Hush.

            “Oracle to Batman and Catwoman,” Jason’s voice rang over the comms. “Something is up with Batgirl. You need to get down there right away.”

            “We’re on our way,” Batman growled back.

            “I wasn’t aware Black Canary was talking to her sisters,” Catwoman commented over the roaring wind as they swung towards their destination. “Were you?”

------------------------------

            “Fear toxin,” Tim grumbled from over Jason’s shoulder. “Forget injuries, I’m going out.”

            “What?” Jason spun on Tim. “No you’re not!”

            “Fight me,” Tim shot back, already tugging his costume free of its manakin. “This moment, in my world, was the moment that truly broke Bruce. This is the moment where Jason’s death was used against him, and if this world’s Hush knows Bruce Wayne is Batman, then we have a problem.”

            As Tim spun around, he was confronted with a hand to his chest, and the familiar yet foreign feeling of Raven’s magic spreading through him. He sucked in a breath but grounded himself, reminding himself of better times so as not to overwhelm her with the bad memories.

            “There,” Raven pulled her hand back, stumbling away from Tim. “You should be fine.”

            “I’ll be going with you, then,” Artemis moved to her own suit, neatly packed away in a backpack she carried with her. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it together.”

            “I’ll go too,” Rose volunteered. “I might be able to see what’s coming before it does.”

            “Fine,” Tim nodded to the two. “Jason, I want you to keep looking for something, anything, in the last thirteen to fifteen years that could give us a clue to who Hush might be.”

            “I’m going too,” Dick moved to join Tim, only to be stopped by the others.

            “In case you forgot, idiot, you were thrown around like a ragdoll,” Donna hissed at her friend. “Raven’s magic worked wonders, but you’re still not up to you’re A game yet, and given how severe all of this is, we don’t need you risking your neck again.”

            “I can’t just-!”

            “Dick, come here please.”

            Dick’s head whipped to Rachel, and he watched as his Aunt offered her arms. This was definitely a trap, but after coming home to learn that his entire family had been through the ringer, Dick fell into the embrace easily. Rachel gave a nod over Dick’s head.

            With that, Tim was off, followed closely by his back-up. He could only hope he wasn’t too late. He still remembered how broken his Bruce was, how terrified his Selina had been for him. Tim had been afraid too, but he was more afraid for his own life than anything else. They found the clay, but not even Jason truly knew if he had actually been there or not. Too deep in Pit Madness to remember.

            So what could Hush possibly use against Bruce now.

            Tim got his answer as he got close to the roof and saw Batman, now faced with a version of a nightmare Tim would rather forget. Thomas Wayne pulled off his cowl and glared his son down. It was like City of Bane all over again, the horrible nightmare that had temporarily taken Alfred’s life, and nearly taken Dick, Jason, and Damian with it. Every fiber of Tim’s being hoped this was a trick, hoped it was Clayface rather than someone else.

            The Riddler was on the ground, coiled in Selina’s whip, Bette at Selina’s feet, shaking like a leaf, as they all stared at the figure glaring at them. If this was just Clayface, then it would still leave psychological damage on Bruce. If it wasn’t…well…

            Tim lunged at the man with every bit of training he got from Lady Shiva and the League of Assassins.

            Whatever Thomas Wayne had to say to Bruce is cut off as Tim lands squarely on the man’s chest, sending them both over the edge of the rough. And then it’s a battle of wits and skills as the two clash with one-another. Neither is likely to give up, and whatever grudge this Thomas Wayne has against Bruce, Tim isn’t going to let Bruce hear a word of it.

            Tim catches himself on a fire escape, much like he had with Rose, but this time, he uses the acrobatic skills he learned from Dick to swing himself upward, well aware that Thomas Wayne will follow. As expected, the man does just that, and Tim allows himself to flip over, delivering a harsh kick as Thomas reaches for him. The man still manages to grab Tim’s cape, using it to fling Tim at a wall, but Tim catches himself, using the momentum to throw himself back at Thomas.

            This was nothing like battling the Joker. This was a battle for blood.

            They dance across roof-tops, both Ravager and Tigress flying in to attack, but Thomas was skilled in a way that only Bruce could truly rival. Or Tim when he chooses to go all out. Tim knew his training was dangerous. Deadly. He was one of only four people in the world to master a specific skill that could kill people with a simple jab at someone’s jaw; The Leopard’s Jaw. He was the best bow-staff fighter in the world (in his world, at least), and he had befriended and betrayed Ra’s al Ghul, and lived to tell the tale.

            Tim Drake was dangerous when he wanted to be. And right now, he wanted to be.

            “I wasn’t aware my son was in the habit of training children as weapons,” Thomas growled.

            “Believe me, your son had nothing to do with what I am,” Tim snarled right back. “And I suggest you leave before you do more harm.”

            Thomas made to lung into battle once more, but he had failed to see what lay behind him. The short interaction was enough for Ravager to lung forward and plunge her blade into Thomas’ back. Ravager quickly ducked out of the way seconds before Thomas lashed out, and Tim took the moment to kick Thomas off the roof. Quickly following after the man, Tim thrust his bow-staff at Thomas’ neck and watched as the man exploded into clay at the electricity zapping through him.

            Tim glared down at the clay, looking to the blade on the ground with a frown as Ravager jumped down to join him, and Tigress observed from the roof.

            “He’s gone,” Tim motioned to the sewers where the clay had drifted towards as it began to rain. “It’s over.”

            Except it wasn’t. Tim wiped of the blade with a gloved hand before handing it back to Ravager. Tim would worry about this later. Right now, he needed to make sure Bruce, Selina, and Bette were okay.

-----------------------

            “Every major criminal in Gotham is working for this unknown source, and you’re claiming you don’t know anything about it?”

            Renee sounded furious, threatening, as the interrogation the Riddler. The interview had been going on for hours to the point that everyone had just started listening in to the interrogation in shifts. Even the Titans were taking turns as the rotated in and out of the Batcave to hopefully hear something useful.

            Of course, the moment Tim had realized, all those weeks back, that the Riddler was missing, he knew the Riddler would be allusive. At least until Hush was caught.

            But last night had proven something Tim dreaded more than anything: Hush knew who the Bats were, and that was a problem that needed to be dealt with. If it wasn’t, there was no telling what would happen, and that was a risk Tim couldn’t take. Not anymore.

            Dang it, Bette and Helena were both down. Tim had come to rely on them both the most in this world, and now he was alone.

            “I’m fine,” Bette huffed from behind Tim as if sensing his thoughts. “It’s not the first time I’ve been doused with fear toxin and it won’t be the last. Now stop brooding and tell me the plan.”

            “You’re injured,” Tim protested.

            “No, Kate is injured,” Bette argued. “I’m just dizzy, and that will be gone in an hour or two. At most, I have some bruising. Now, what’s the plan.”

            Tim clenched his fist as he turned to look at Bette.

            “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’ve hit so many roadblocks, I don’t know where to go next.”

            To his surprise, Bette rolled her eyes at him. “Then stop being a loner and accept the help being offered. You’ve been trying to do everything practically by yourself since you got here, and let me tell you, it’s gotten you almost nowhere so far. We currently have a house full of vigilantes and heroes all willing to help us, so accept that you need to stop trying to be Batman, and stop pulling a pre-Selina Bruce.”

            “A what?”

            “It’s what we call Bruce’s behavior before he married Selina,” Bette huffed, crossing her arms. “He was such a loner, even with Dick. Over-protective dad and all that. Bruce had such a stupidly small friend group at the time, it was ridiculous. And poor Rachel never got to talk to any of the other heroes. Selina really changed him in a way no one else could, though Julie Madison certainly had a say in Bruce’s life, poor woman. She’s been in love with Bruce for year, you know, and then her dad suddenly sold the wrong guy a gun, and Bruce’s parents were dead. She’s always been second place in a game she could never win.”

            “Yeah,” Tim hummed as he remembered what he read of the woman. “Julie’s had a rough life. How is she, by the way? Have you heard?”

            “Yeah, she got discharged this morning,” Bette hummed in thought. “The bullet didn’t go in that far, and it didn’t hit any major organs. She just needs some bed rest and she’ll be fine. Bruce is going to send her a get-well-soon basket or something.”

            Tim hummed in thought. He really had no idea what to do next.

-------------------------

            Soft footsteps, made purposefully with sound, could be heard through the hallway leading to the nursery. The best way to describe these steps would be like that of a cat tip-toing to a destination while trying to pounce on their prey. The nursery light was off, and the sole occupant was humming subconsciously as they rocked back and forth. There was a bed in the room, beside the cradle, for the sole purpose of those nights where someone wished to keep an eye on the baby, but not wanting to wake in the morning with a sore back from sitting up all night.

            “Bat,” came the soft whisper as the bedroom door opened. “Bat.”

            Bruce sucked in a breath, trying to ground his thoughts. Everything about last night had been wrong. Off. Seeing Tim at his full skill level last night, fighting his father. It was too much for Bruce to process. Even if the man had simply been Clayface. There were questions that needed answers. Things that didn’t add up.

            So why?

            “Bat,” Selina hummed, curling up against his back. “You’re thinking too loud. Even I can read your thoughts.”

            “Cat, I-”

            “Shhhh,” she hushed, “she’s sleeping.”

            Bruce looked down to his arms, staring at the beautiful little marvel that was his baby girl. Dick was home now too, and so were Tim and Jason. His boys. Their boys. Home. Safe. Alive. But Bruce wouldn’t deny that seeing Kate unconscious under a beam hadn’t thrown him. Seeing Bette running mad on fear toxin wasn’t a pleasant sight. Helena, his other-world daughter, slowly being shot to death with bullets and barely hanging on. It rattled him more than he would ever admit to himself, or anyone else.

            That was practically his baby girl.

            Flashes of moment where Bruce was too late came up to haunt his mind. Memories of dark times.

            “Bat,” Selina hummed, titling his chin so that he could look into her beautiful green eyes. “Look at me, my love. What your father said wasn’t true.”

            “I raised you to be a man of honor, not some foolish little runt. You disappoint me. Your sister. Your wife. Your children. Are they just soldiers to you? You are not the son I raised.”

            Those words, uttered before Tim had arrived, had cut deep. It might have been worse had it been Jason, which was probably why Tim’s version of Hush had used Jason over his parents. But hearing those words from his father?

            Hush was winning.

            Whoever they were, they were trying to break Bruce down to nothing, and they were succeeding in their endeavors. Bruce wanted to scream, and cry, and beg his father to take back those words. But it had been fake, and there was nothing Bruce could do about it. His brain couldn’t make the difference between his father and a fake.

            “You are a wonderful father,” Selina stated simply. “You may mess up, sometimes, Bat, but you’re trying. You’ve been trying with Dick, and you work everyday to figure out how to talk to him. You are a good father to Jason, that, despite feeling betrayed, he trusts and loves you enough to come back home. Because you’re his dad, and you’ve worked out your differences. And you’re an excellent father to Tim, even if he is probably the hardest kid to parent in the world.”

            Bruce snorted. “We should get a reward for parenting Tim after what my other self did to him.”

            “You’re a good husband too,” Selina continued. “An amazing cousin, and an excellent big brother.”

            “I don’t know about that last one,” Bruce shook his head.

            The bed dipped again, having been signaled by the patter of soft footfalls.

            “You’re not a bad brother,” Rachel hummed from beside Selina. “I think you’re pretty great. Even if you are overbearing.”

            Bruce chocked out a laugh, jostling Helena a bit in his arms. Thankfully, Helena didn’t stir. “What, are you both ganging up on me now.”

            “Yes,” came their twin response.

            “Because you’re an idiot,” Rachel added brightly, getting a shove from Bruce.

            After settling Helena down in her crib, and a bit of tickling, the three found themselves sprawled on the nursery bed, staring at the ceiling.

            “Are you going to talk to Dick?” Selina questioned.

            Bruce’s brain short-circuited.

            Dang it. He knew he was forgetting something.

---------------------------------

            “So you’re…from another dimension,” Hank summarized. “And you’re here to…fix things?”

            “Yeah, pretty much,” Tim sipped his sweet sweet coffee. Oh how he missed it. “I mean, it’s not like this isn’t something I haven’t done before. I just have more knowledge this time around. Not that it’s helped in every situation, unfortunately, but I’m working on it.”

            When Tim wasn’t looking, Jason made desperate hand motions at his new, older brother as if proving a point. Which, unfortunately, it did. Bruce had deemed it essential to update the Titans on Tim’s situation since it was likely Jason would want to trust his closest friends with the matter of his near death and trauma. Jason had even admitted to Rose that the reason he was handling this so well was because he felt a strong desire to help Tim, more than he did to complain about his current disability.

            “And you don’t mind being treated this way?” Donna pressed, studying Tim with a deep desperation.

            “I mean, I guess I’m just kind of used to it,” Tim shrugged after a long, breath-stopping pause. “My alias, Red Robin, kind of became who I was, both as a vigilante and a civilian. It’s always been my job to be the protector of the Bats. That’s my role.”

            Dick looked absolutely physically pained, but even on a younger face, it wasn’t foreign for that expression to be on the older’s face.  So it was fairly easy to ignore Dick’s expression. Not so much everyone else.

            Hank and Dawn were sharing glances, and Hank looked far more heartbroken than Tim thought the man should. Hank had always been the one to pretend like he was okay. It was natural. Donna looked physically sick and Lilith didn’t look much better. Artemis, who had heard all this before, had dropped her gaze, and she was gripping Roy’s arm as if to hold him back. Roy just looked angry. Kori looked like she would burst into tears.

            And then there were Jason’s friends. Thankfully, Cassie was asleep, so he didn’t have to deal with her puppy-dog-eyes, but the others. Raven looked just as pained as Dick, and Gar was staring at Tim with puppy-dog-eyes. Chris had that look of innocent sadness on his face that wasn’t quite pitying but borderline that zone. Yara just looked angry, like she was prepared to jump through dimensions to punch out Tim’s family. Rose clearly had some sense of Tim’s past, but she looked no less disturbed.

            Tim distantly reminded himself that several of the heroes before him were once used as objects in less than ideal situations.

            “It’s fine,” Tim shrugged. “I mean, I had friends in my world. Sure, I only hung out with them as Red Robin, but we were close, and we trusted each other. And my Batman let me go to them whenever I needed.”

            “What about when you wanted to go to them?” Raven questioned. “Did you ever just hang out without the world ending?”

            Tim paused. He had to think about it for a moment. When was the last time he just hung out with his friends for fun and not because the word ended? He supposed it didn’t count if it was an after-mission recuperation thing, but those were the last times he hung out normally with his friends. Or, at least, as normally as he could while being a vigilante with a secret identity.

            Before Bruce died.

            Tim sucked in a breath and gave a shake of his head. There wasn’t a need to mention that right now. That didn’t mean that Tim’s reaction didn’t make the Titans suddenly look worse.

Chapter Text

            The next morning, after much debate, Dick found Bruce in his study, staring into nothing.

            “Hey, uh, B,” Dick called to his mentor.

            “Dick,” Bruce pulled out of his thoughts readily and stood. But something flashed and the man didn’t move past his desk, studying Dick with an intensity. “Can I…help you?”

            It was so awkward, and not the normal awkward Dick was used too. Dick honestly wasn’t sure where to go with this sudden change in Bruce, and he wasn’t sure what to say, either. But here he was, standing in front of Bruce without screaming or fighting. It had been so long since they talked normally, and neither knew how to move forward.

            “The Titans were planning to stay until everything with Hush settled,” Dick declared, gaining his wits. “They want to be there for Jason while he recovers, and they want to make sure he’s safe.”

            “Okay.”

            Dick blinked. Of all the things he expected Bruce to respond with, that wasn’t it.

            “Right,” Dick nodded, clearly not sure what else to say. “Good. I’ll…I’ll let them know you’re alright with it, then.”

            “Dick.”

            Dick turned back to look at Bruce, seeing the hesitation on the man’s face. After a few moments, Dick made to turn back to the door, but Bruce shoved a paper across his desk at lightning speed. Dick might have just left anyways had he not been intrigued by what could make the great Batman speechless.

            Dick’s entire body, soul, and mind stuttered to a halt as he caught sight of the papers.

            “I’ve had these for a while, chum,” Bruce admitted as Dick slowly, tentatively, reached for the papers. “Before I ever found Jason, actually. I know you never wanted me to adopt you, and that you never wanted me to replace your parents, but Dick, you were mine. You were my son, even if you never wanted me as your father. And I know that it’s probably not what you wanted, but…I figured you should know. To me, you were my son just as much as Jason is. Just as much as Helena is my daughter. Just as much as Tim is now my son, too. If you ever decide-”      

            “You were my dad,” Dick cut Bruce off. “You’ve been my dad for years, B. I just…never thought…”

            Bruce swallowed, nodding as he observed his son. “The offer still stands, and both Jason and Tim know about it. We could…if you still want to…I could-”

            “I think I’d like that,” Dick gave a smile in Bruce’s direction.

            As Dick stepped forward to sign the adoption papers, he found his hand was just a bit too shaky, and his eyes were too clouded by moisture. Bruce suddenly rounded the desk, taking Dick’s face in his hands and brushing the tears with such care. It didn’t take long for Dick to throw himself against his father’s chest.

            “Took you long enough,” the familiar voice of Bruce’s sister nearly ruined the moment. “I’ve been trying to get him to show you those adoption papers for years.”

            Bruce rolled his eyes. “Shut up and get over here.”

            Dick let out a laugh as he was sandwiched between his now Father and Aunt. His grip got a little tighter as he did so, and he nestled comfortably between two of his favorite people in the world. Things felt right. For now, at least.

-------------------------

            Selina met up with the Canaries, who were staying at Dinah Drake’s flower shop, which was, coincidently, the place where Harley, Ivy, and Lucy had been directed for their next safe house after they had stopped Ivy in Metropolis. But Selina wasn’t here to see her partners in crime.

            “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you all in one room,” Selina admitted as she greeted the sisters.

            “Things happened,” Dinah shrugged as if it was obvious. “Seeing Tim and Helena made realize it was time I stopped being angry.”

            Dinah Drake, the mother of these three fabulous ladies, was the Canary, a member of the Justice Society that once existed before the Justice League. The Justice Society had since disbanded, but there were still some relationships that held strong. Laurel Lance was the Black Siren who, like her mother, had the sonic scream, but she hadn’t developed that cry right away. Sara Lance did not have the Canary Cry, but went by White Canary, both as an homage to her mother, and to her past. And then there was Dinah, a close friend of Selina’s, and the Black Canary of Gotham. Dinah was the only one to have been born with her Canary Cry.

            “I understand you have information,” Selina turned to Sara specifically.

            Sara hummed. “What you did with the Demon’s Daughter was risky, but, I do have some information on them that you might want to see.”

            “What sort of information?” Selina narrowed her eyes.

            “There are two of them.”

            Selina’s eyes widened as a picture was placed down in front of her. The image was shaky, slightly fuzzy, but the Cat had spent years tracing those features to not recognize them. There really were two of them, and Selina wasn’t sure what to do with this information.

            They were adorable, though.

-------------------------

            The call came late in the afternoon. Dick was ecstatic about the adoption, unable to stop smiling, and the mood being rather infectious. So when the League called with news of Hal Jordan, Bruce and Tim jumped on the call and made their way to the Watchtower while Jason and Bette were left to explain things to the Titans.

            Hal looked…better, if exhausted. The white streaks remained, but they weren’t as prominent as they had been the last time Tim had seen Hal. He looked younger already, relieved too. But it was clear the events of Parallax’s removal had, in fact, caused a great strain on the Lantern.

            “The plan is to let him stay with me,” Alan Scott was explaining to Batman in the Watchtower as Hal, who looked beyond exhausted, sat in one of the meeting room chairs. “We thought it better he have a place to ground himself, and I, supposedly, qualified for that role.”

            Batman gave a grunt as Tim left the room. This trip had two purposes. One, to address the situation with Hal amongst the League. Two, to let Tim see Helena. She was still unconscious, but Tim had been assured that it was more to help her build up strength and adjust rather than a sign that she wasn’t getting better.

            He still wanted to see with his own two eyes, though.

            Moving to the Med-bay, passing a few familiar faces who cast him odd looks, Tim found himself at Helena’s door, greeted by Fury.

            “Welcome back,” Fury waved, setting down a sketch pad on Helena’s bedside table. “I wondered when you’d show up again.”

            Tim felt himself relieved of an invisible weight the moment he saw Helena on a hospital bed and not in a Kryptonian pod. She did look far better now that he could see her properly. Any trace of the bullet wounds were mostly gone, only the worst of the injuries leaving physical scars. But now Tim had a better look at the scars that had crossed dimensions with her. They seemed to paint a picture of Helena’s life.

            “Still blaming yourself?” Fury questioned.

            “…Yes.”

            The flat look Fury gave him would have been comical if it wasn’t intimidating.

            “Dinah Drake,” Fury dropped the name, startling Tim. “She has a PhD in psychology, and she’s a trained therapist. She took up the role after she noted her teammates needed someone to talk to that they could trust, and having entered early retirement due to her children, she became the therapist to the Justice Society. She runs a flower shop in Gotham.”

            “And you’re telling me this because…”

            “Because you need a therapist,” Fury stated just as flatly as her expression. “Your mind can be your own worst enemy, remember?”

            Tim didn’t respond. He knew his mind well enough. At least, he thought he did, but then his mind started causing problems. Too many close calls. Too many near deaths. Too many things kept popping up that threw everything he thought he understood out the window. He doubted himself and his ability to help in this world.

            “And there’s the first problem,” Fury’s voice cut through Tim’s thoughts. “I’ve seen that look enough times on my own face to know what you’re thinking, and you are not a failure.”

            “You don’t even know me,” Tim hissed back.

            “I don’t have too,” Fury stated calmly, placing a hand on Tim’s shoulder, and it brought far more comfort than he was willing to admit. “I’m old, Tim. I might have been born after World War I, but I lived the second war. I watched my mother abandon me, I watched my parents die off because of their mortal life. I spent years believing I would never be enough for my own mother. But listen to me now, Merlin, sometimes we, as mortal or gods, see things that aren’t really there. We see hatred where there is none. We see doubt where there is worry. You have done so well, little bird, and you may not be able to see the whole picture, but you are not a failure. You are so loved, and the reason it might feel otherwise is because you don’t love yourself.”

            Tim wanted to pull away, but there was such hope and promise in Fury’s words that Tim allowed himself to latch on. He thought of Jason and how the boy would constantly seek him out. He thought of baby Helena and his promise to her. He thought of Kate and her tendency to check up on him. He thought of Rachel’s soft smiles and warm words. He thought of Alfred and his encouragement. He thought of Bette and Helena and their friendship. He thought of Selina’s gentle touches. He thought of Bruce.

            Bruce who took him in. Bruce who chose Tim this time around. Bruce who has done everything he could to fix Tim’s bad habits. Bruce who has been there.

            Tim wanted to hope that what Fury claimed was true.

            “Merlin,” Batman called to him from the door to Helena’s room. “May I speak with you?”

            Fury gave his shoulder a squeeze and left the room so that they could talk in peace. The moment she was gone, Bruce gathered Tim to his chest.

            “She was right,” he breathed in Tim’s ear. “We love you so much, but you have to stop pushing yourself so hard, Tim. I don’t want to see you waste away.”

            Tim was…an object to be used. A source of knowledge. A helping hand when the time came. It was Tim’s job to waste away and be what everyone needed him to be. But Death had told him that people only got one lifetime. And here he was living a second one. Or maybe a better way to refer to it would be a botched continuation of his first lifetime. Either way, something about his initial way of thinking seemed wrong against her words.

            Maybe it was time he started truly living his lifetime.

--------------------------

            “So what is the plan for Tim?” Dick questioned as the older group of Titans sat with the currently present older Bats for a late lunch. “Because that…that is one messed up kid. He was all, stiff and disjointed when I gave him a hug.”

            “We’re taking it a day at a time,” Selina admitted as she watched Helena giggle and coo at all the attention. “Tim has been incredibly reluctant to share anything about his past outside of his ‘purpose’ and we’re taking every tidbit of information to make a timeline of Tim’s life. We’re hoping to guide him into a better life.”

            “Are you asking about sending Tim to the Titans?” Kate probed the second cousin. “Because if so, we considered it. Until we learned about Tim’s relationship with his friends.”

            “The Titans, the Justice Society, any would work, really,” Roy ticked off on his finger. “Even sending him to the Outlaws might just be better than letting the kid stay in this mindset and trap him in Gotham.”

            “Not a good idea,” Artemis shook his head in disdain, having slightly more knowledge on the subject from her interactions with Tim. “Tim’s reaction to the Bats that are similar in his world is to go straight business mode, which is what we’re trying to kick out of him. Tim has friends in both the Titans and Justice Society that are similar in both worlds, and given his reaction last night, he basically had the same mentality. Most of you here at the table are familiar. Stargirl, Kid Devil, and Lightning are all former friends of his in his other world that are current members of the New Justice Society. Which is why Bette and Huntress have both placed themselves in Tim’s life.”

            “But I thought there was a Huntress in Tim’s world,” Donna questioned in confusion. “Her name was on the list of heroes Tim made of his world.”

            “That’s…Bat business,” Selina supplied after a moment’s hesitation, casting the Titan’s an apologetic look. “It’s complicated. But Tim’s Huntress is a different person than our Huntress.”

            “I think that’s a good idea,” Lilith pipped up, drawing all attention to her. Both Hank and Dawn, the topic of Lilith’s current mind-read, turned to the rest of the table, clearly having had a silent conversation.

            Hank sighed at Dawn’s insistent nudge. “What about my little brother? Did he exist in Tim’s world?”

            “Hector?” Kate cocked his head, mentally running over Tim’s list of allies. “Not that I recall. I can double check later, but what about him?”

            “Kid needs friends, right?” Hank shrugged, though he clearly wasn’t fully comfortable with the idea, himself. “And Hector is currently trying to define himself. Maybe we could introduce them.”

            “I didn’t think you were okay with your baby brother taking up an alias,” Donna eyed Hank and Dawn questioningly. “If we introduce Tim to Hector, especially with Tim’s current mind-set, there’s a chance he’ll do just that.”

            Hank let out a long, suffering sigh. “Hector has already made up his mind. His father, biological father, isn’t helping the situation, and I don’t want Hector going into this life alone. From what I’ve gathered, Tim’s a good friend who will look out for the people he cares about, and Hector has a painfully similar mentality. Perhaps they can help each other.”

            “It’s worth a shot,” Dick offered at Selina’s hesitation. “No offense to Bette and Helena, but Tim needs friends outside of the family, too. He’ll never get better if he’s constantly trapped with just us.”

            Selina pursed her lips. “I’ll talk to Bruce and Tim about it, then. But I won’t rush Tim into anything just yet.”

----------------------

            “Don’t drop him!” Cassie cried in horror as Yara adjusted her grip mid-air.

            “Don’t patronize me, and I won’t,” Yara huffed back, muttering a few words in Portuguese under her breath.

            Jason just cackled as Yara gave him a mid-air piggyback. Jason may or may not have confessed that he missed being able to soar through the air on his grapple, to which Yara had decided the best way to improvise was to let Jason have a flight-piggyback. Jason wasn’t complaining, and Chris was hovering close by in case Yara did drop Jason.

            “Your leg is at such an odd angle, passrinho,” Yara huffed as she tried again to adjust Jason. “Are you in pain?”

            Jason shook his head. “My leg is just cramped. I’m having issues bending it the way it should. Dr. Mid-Nite said it would be a side effect of my quick healing. My body hasn’t adjusted to the fact that I’m okay.”

            Yara hummed and proceed to move Jason so that she could accommodate for his leg. Then she flew around the backyard of the Wayne Estate. It was a beautiful feeling to be able to fly through the air like this, free like a bird. Like a Robin. It wasn’t quite the same as grappling, but Yara knew when to dip and fall and shoot upwards to give a similar feeling to that of the acrobatics that the Bats were so fond of.

            It was liberating.

            “Thanks,” Jason breathed, feeling winded and exhilarated as Yara set him back in the wheelchair. “I owe you one.”

            “Just don’t die and we’ll call ourselves even,” Yara snarked, ruffling Jason’s hair.

            As Jason swatted the girl’s hands away, the others watched their friend in awe. Barely twenty-four hours ago, they were under the impression that Jason was dead. And now here he was, laughing and joking with them. They knew the trauma had to be below the surface in a place where Jason wasn’t quite ready to share just yet, but knowing Jason as they did, it was only a matter of time.

            “You’re going back to school,” Gar protested in shock. “Jay! Buddy! Pal! There is a crazy maniac out there trying to destroy your family! Is that even safe?!”

            “Probably not,” Jason shrugged.

            “So why would you go back?” Chris eyed his friend warily. “Can’t you just, I don’t know, homeschool like me?”

            Rose rolled her eyes. “Jason’s too much of a nerd to not want to go to school.”

            “You could always go with him, Rose,” Raven offered with a sweetly teasing smile. “Just to keep him safe. It would put our minds at ease.”

            “Oh, because a girl clearly born off the streets and missing an eye wouldn’t cause problems amongst the elites of Gotham Academy,” Rose scoffed, even as she linked hands with Jason. “That totally wouldn’t cause problems.”

            “Guys, it’s just school,” Jason exasperated. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

            “Given our history?” Yara stared Jason down. “That’s just asking for trouble.”

            Jason’s grin was completely unapologetic.

-----------------------

            “Are you certain about this, my dear?”

            “Of course, Agatha,” they responded with a bright, cheery smile. “It won’t be any trouble at all. Just you wait. He will be safe and sound in no time at all.”

            “I should hope so,” Agatha huffed. “Poor child; raised by my foolish nephew and his street-urchin of a wife. If only I could have saved poor Rachel, too. My dear niece has been far too tainted already. But if what you promise is true, I’m sure we’ll fix the Wayne family line.”

            They looked to Agatha for a moment, studying the old woman before them. The poor, daft woman seemed to believe that Jason was truly Bruce’s blood son, and that perhaps Dick and Tim must also be the biological children of her nephew. The woman was just stuck-up enough to believe her nephew was covering up a scandal instead of being a kind, genuine person.

            But it was no matter to them what Agatha Wayne Carson thought. All they needed was for those stupid children to be out of the way, then they would deal with the wife. Everything would be just fine. Just the way they wanted.

Chapter Text

            “You can probably guess, but it isn’t easy for me to make friends,” Jason confessed to Steph as they followed the rest of their classmates to the rain garden, Jason at a slower pace due to the wheelchair. “But there are people I’ve met who I befriend when I’m with Bruce. You probably know Clark Kent is Bruce’s personal report, and his son is a close friend of mine. And there are a few other people I’ve met. You’re the first in Gotham, though.”

            “Huh. So, I’m special?”

            “Only in your mind.”

            Jason laughed as Steph gave him a shove. It was good to see Steph again after all the craziness that was the last few days. The two had easily decided to exchange numbers shortly after the gap, especially after they realized they got along so well. But that left Jason to give a (modified) account of the last few days that prevented him from returning to school.

            “And one of these friends is your ex?” Steph questioned after a few more steps.

            “We don’t really call each other that,” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “You see, her dad was kind of a jerk, and manipulative. He also hated Bruce, so you can guess where that went. We sort of made up after everything came to light, but we agreed dating was off the table. But we also had a somewhat intimate relationship, enough that we have a hard time distinguishing the line between friend and lover. It’s…complicated.”

            “Kind of weird, but not the weirdest thing I’ve heard,” Steph shrugged nonchalantly. “Living in the Alley does that, I guess.”

            “It most definitely does that to you. No ‘I guess’ about it.”

            Steph shared a grin with Jason as they continued in with the rest of the class, silence overtaking them. Steph really was the sort of person who could easily bond with someone if given the chance. Not that most of the elite snobs at GA wanted too, but that didn’t matter to Jason or Steph. They had their own pact, and that was enough.

            Screams further up the path startled both friends from their thoughts, causing them both to whip up their heads. Jason could barely believe what he was seeing. Several masked idiots in terrible masks, ranging from ski-mask to old socks with holes, were suddenly jumping over the too-low fence and charging into the group of students. Jason and Steph were just far enough away from the others that the masked idiots hadn’t tried to head for them yet, but Jason wasn’t going to hold his luck.

            “Get down,” Jason hissed, lunging at Steph, abandoning his wheelchair, and shoving them both into the bushes. “We have to get out of here.”

            “What?” Steph hissed in panic. “What’s going on?”

            “I don’t know,” Jason answered, locking eyes with Steph to convey his honesty. “But given how often my family has been attacked, there’s a chance they’re looking for me.” Jason fumbled in his pockets. No, not his pockets. There was something wrapped around his belt, blending in with the material so it would be hidden. “Here. Take this.”

            Steph took the object, but stared wide-eyed as she studied it.

            “Jason!” she hissed in shock.

            “Souvenir,” Jason offered, though Steph clearly didn’t believe that for a second. “Use it if you have to. But start crawling. Stay in the bushes, and get help.”

            “But what about you?” Steph hissed back.

            “My limbs will cramp up after a few steps,” Jason gave her a shove. “I won’t make it if I move. Now go, Steph. Get to the Headmaster and call the police. I’ll be fine.”

            Whether it was that batarang or the look of cocky determination in Jason’s eyes, Steph believed him. So she crawled forward, keeping to the woods, even as Jason cried out in anger and pain behind her. Even as she heard him fight, she crawled. And then she ran.

            She tripped, once, slamming the side of her head against a log, but there was no one behind her. Picking herself up, Steph continued to run until she saw the school. And then she was screaming bloody murder to get someone’s attention.

---------------------------

            “And you’re certain he was abducted?”

            Bruce ran up just in time to see Harvey Bullock interrogating Stephanie Brown, who was sporting a bruise slowly forming on the side of her head as Babs ran over to place an ice pack against it. Stephanie, the spitfire Tim had claimed her to be, glared at the detective.

            “Yes,” she hissed. “One minute, we’re on our way with our classmates into the rain garden, and then he’s jumping out of his wheelchair to try and hide us in the grass. He was in too much pain to get away, and there was no way I would have been able to carry him, so he made me go get help.”

            The rain gardens the children had been going to were not directly connected to the property of the school. It was tradition for the science classes to make their way down to the rain garden their sophomore year. There were few cameras, and the path that led to the garden was out in the open. The Headmaster was clearly peeved at the teacher, who had, supposedly, shoved Jason’s chair at the attackers.

            “Mr. Wayne,” Commissioner Gordon suddenly confronted him. “I think it’s time we finally look at this as an attack on you and your family.”

            Bruce gave his best panicked expression to the Commissioner, momentarily locking eyes with Babs from where she was crouched next to Stephanie. But deep down, Bruce knew that not all of his panic was fake. If anything happened to Jason, Bruce would tear this city apart with his bare hands.

            “I think you’re right, Commissioner,” Bruce’s voice shook more than he expected it too.

            This was his fault. He had told the GCPD that he didn’t think any of this was a personal attack. Repeatedly. After every incident, he passed it off as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. His reasoning, in his mind, was that he needed to solve this himself.

            But that was being hypocritical, especially as Tim had been trying to do the same thing, and they were trying to stop the younger from his terrible habits. Bruce was suddenly hit by the realization that he may have been more like Tim’s Bruce than he wanted to be.

            “Just find my son, Commissioner,” Bruce breathed as he sank to his knees, uncaring what the police or paparazzi saw. “Bring him home, please. I can’t afford to lose him again.”

            Because this, more than anything, would break every inch of sanity still had. And the last thing he wanted was to become the Bruce that had turned Tim into an object to be used at his beck and call. But he was teetering on that edge, now. A dangerous edge with dangerous promises.

            “Mr. Wayne,” Stephanie approached him, and Bruce looked into blue eyes that held such pain and grief. “I’m so, so sorry.”

            “No,” Bruce shook his head. “None of this is your fault. Stephanie, right? Jason speaks about you a lot.”

            Steph gave a shaky smile. “He speaks about you too. He really loves you.”

            Bruce swallowed something sticky in his throat. “And I love him. He’s my son.”

            Steph gave a nod and slowly reached out her hand. It looked like a handshake, but Bruce caught sight of something black and sleek folded gently. He carefully took her hand in the awkward handshake, then folded her fingers around the batarang.

            Jason wasn’t giving him a sign. A sign that he trusted Stephanie. Now he just needed to find his son.

--------------------------

            By the time Bruce arrived back at the Manor with the police, Tim had already worked everything out perfectly. The Titans were combing the city, keeping to the shadows in a desperate search for Jason so that the people of Gotham wouldn’t think anything was off. This, however, meant the Bats were grounded at the Manor, waiting for a ransom call or something.

            Dick was pacing the floor; Kori having opted to stay with him as she cradled their daughter. Mar’i could clearly tell her parents were distressed but had no idea why. Selina had clearly broken down in tears already but had stopped her own tears to soothe the wailing baby Helena. Alfred seemed off to anyone who knew him, but the butler stood dutifully to the side, watching them all carefully. Kate was sitting in a chair, staring at tea that had gone cold. Renee was hovering close to her. Rachel looked so ill, worse than the night of the opera, and Leslie was on her way with a defibrillator. Bruce had his face buried in his hands, every single phone in the Manor spread out in front of him, and Lucius waiting dutifully at Wayne Enterprise for a similar call.

            “Have you checked Agatha Carson,” Bette was offering. “Or my own family. They’ve both been pushy about seeing Jason since the incident.”

            “We’re tracking them down now as we speak,” Detective Montoya informed.

            Which was code for: We-have-no-idea-where-they-are.

            “We’ve got people going to the Kanes and the Carsons,” Commissioner Gordon assured them. “We’ll also be fetching your friends and bringing them here.”

            Tim frowned at that but didn’t say anything. Tim knew everyone was encouraging him to take a break, that he shouldn’t be stressing, but there was something he was missing. Shutting his eyes, he tried to think through the events from the day he ended up here to now. He played through everything, taking note of everything odd that…

            Everything odd.

            Oh. Oh!

            Guests in the Manor, passing the baby. One odd instance.

            Agatha Wayne showing up at Jason’s school knowing his schedule. Two odd instances.

            Someone with access to the Elliot family car, who knows about tech. Three odd instances.

            A sudden change in handwriting, the y’s just a bit curlier. Four odd instances.

            Three friends running after an heirloom, and only one making it. Five odd instances.

            Huntress suddenly facing the Joker and taking a large volley of bullets, but only one hitting the other person. Six odd instances.

            The thirteen year time gap.

            The thirteen year time gap in which a sudden car crash took a woman’s family from her life. One in which she was not involved in. Leaving her orphaned like most of her friends. This same woman knew enough about mechanics and had a particular way of curling her y’s, especially in her letters that borderline friend and lover. A woman whose father was partially responsible for the death of her friends’ parents.

            Tim was frozen as the answer to this mystery practically slapped him in the face.

            All this time.

            In a quick, fluid motion, he sent a text to the one person who could currently handle the situation. She had, after all, asked him to do so if absolutely necessary, and only then.

            And this was absolutely necessary.

------------------------

            Jason snarled at the two people before him. One being Agatha Carson, the vile woman who had once attempted to raise Bruce and Rachel. Jason had never once had the misfortune of meeting the woman until now. The other person was a woman who had her head wrapped in bandages, wearing mostly black except for a trench coat. Something about her seemed familiar, but Jason wasn’t sure why. But this had to be Hush.

            “The police will be after you,” Hush told Agatha.

            “Let them,” Agatha waved off. “They’ll have nothing on me, my dear. He’ll be sent to a boarding school, of course, under strict watch. It’s for the best, after all.”

            Jason glared through the gag, snarling. His limbs ached after the ride in the trunk of the car, the phantom pains of the Joker’s beating not making this any easier. As the two women continued to talk, Jason shut his eyes and let his soul reach out.

            He just needed to reach Raven.

            Heels clicking against concrete seemed to startle the two women, and Jason forced himself to ignore it. He had to reach out for Raven. He wasn’t able to call out for Lor, and that wasn’t exactly the best idea either. But Raven could get him out subtly without drawing attention to him.

            There was no way he was getting shipped off to some boarding school across the world.

            “Now isn’t this a surprise,” came the familiar voice of Andrea Beaumont. “Now what would you be doing breaking your restraining order, Agatha? That’s a rather dangerous game, you know.”

            “Andrea, darling, I don’t believe this concerns you,” Agatha hissed through clenched teeth. “And I’m afraid you won’t be able to leave now, either.”

            Andrea Beaumont had given her number to Tim that night after they first met. She had done so with the realization that Tim would need help, and he would need that help outside the Bats. Andrea was not a Bat, and she had already proven her loyalty to her once fiancé and his wife. So when Tim sent her a message, Andrea had pulled all her resources together to find Hush now that they had an identity to go with the alias.

            “Perhaps,” Andrea hummed back, taunting. “And you must be Hush. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”

            Hush said nothing.

            “Just kill her,” Agatha hissed her impatience. “We’re the second richest family in Gotham, we’ll pay off anyone who interferes.”

            “I’d be careful who you bargain with,” Andrea stated, her voice slowly becoming that of the Phantasm. The assassin that had once terrorized Gotham. “After all, the woman before you has been plotting murders for year. Like your little brother’s.”

            Agatha whipped to face Hush, but still, Hush said nothing. Jason blocked it all out, reaching further inside himself and spreading out so he could-

            “Found you,” came the relieved voice of Raven as Jason was pulled into her cape.

            The moment Jason vanished; Hush fired the gun. But the body who fell was the one standing directly next to the masked woman, signaling the end of her bitter life. Andrea watched on with an unchanging expression.

            “You always were a good shot,” Andrea praised with a clap of her hands. “I see not much has changed, Julie.”

            “No, I suppose it hasn’t,” Julie agreed, eyes still trained on Andrea. “Of course, you would know.”

            Andrea hummed, cocking her head. “You never went after me, though. Despite the fact that I was with the man you loved, nothing that happened was of your doing.”

            “There was never a need to interfere,” Julie stated nonchalantly. “Your father was already running himself into the ground, and I knew you would leave Bruce before it went any further. I’ll admit I was worried when he proposed, but I knew it was only a matter of time. I was there to pick up the pieces.”

            “And then you discovered I wasn’t the first,” Andrea concluded. “Did you ever find the name of his first lover? She was in town, recently.”

            The way Julie’s arm tensed, snapping the gun over to Andrea, was answer enough. Andrea, however, did not deter. Julie Madison had proven herself a skilled overlord of the Criminal Underground after her father’s murder at her hands. Julie had potential to be a feared criminal mastermind. But Andrea had something that Julie didn’t.

            Skills as a highly trained assassin.

            Ducking under Julie’s arm as the woman fired, Andrea spun herself to land in front of the woman who had once been her friend, forcing the gun from her grasp. But Julie clearly had some skills in combat too, and the two women began to wrestle it out in an abandoned car park.

            “This was your plan all along, wasn’t it?” Andrea hissed at the woman. “You were going to send Jason away, then dispose of the rest of Bruce’s children like nothing. I bet you were pleased when Dick and Bruce started fighting.”

            “It certainly made things easier,” Julie retorted, delivering a jab to Andrea’s neck that missed only because of Andrea’s precision. “Then he had to marry that vile urchin, and have her child! And not to mention that boy he dragged off the streets. He looks half-dead already.”

            “And to think Rachel admired you,” Andrea spat, kicking Julie back in an effort to catch her breath. “How would Rachel feel to know that the woman she admired of all her brother’s friends was a disgustingly jealous toad?”

            “Rachel would forgive me if her brother was happy,” Julie spat back, blood dribbling past her mouth.

            “Are you so delusional that you believe that?” Andrea demanded in disbelief. “Have you not seen Rachel with those children. She adopts them before even Bruce had the chance. She adores them!”

            “I would give her as many nieces and nephews as she liked!”

            The knife was a surprise not even Andrea was expecting. Andrea gasped, staggering back as Julie left the knife deep in Andrea’s gut. Something sick and satisfied could be shown across Julie’s face through the bandages she used as a mask.

            “I must admit, even if I never truly saw you as a threat, that was beyond satisfying.”

            Andrea stumbled back, tripping over Agatha’s body in the process, making sure to land on her back. She had to hold on. For her son. She couldn’t die.

            “NO!” a sharp shriek from Julie caused Andrea to flinch. “Where is he? He couldn’t have escaped!”

            A black, shadowy substance pulled Andrea and Agatha into its embrace. It was almost tinged purple, and Andrea let the familiar embrace of darkness pull her into its folds. The darkness was always welcoming to one of its own.

            “NO!”

----------------------------

            The police and paramedics were a little freaked out when the missing son of Bruce Wayne was suddenly sitting before them, hands pressed desperately over the wheezing form of Andrea Beaumont where she was embedded with a knife, and the dead body of Agatha Carson Wayne behind him.

            “Help,” Jason breathed through his sobs. “Please.”

            One of the paramedics got their bearings at the desperate pleas of a desperate child and he got everyone else moving. All three were rushed to the hospital, and Commissioner Gordon was informed of the sudden development.

            “It was Julie Madison,” Jason was telling police officers. “She was trying to get rid of me, and she mentioned plans to get rid of my siblings, too.”

            It was as Jason said that particular part that Bruce came racing into the hospital room. The situation with Rachel had gone critical, so while Selina was left at home with the phones, Bruce had been accompanied by Renee Montoya and Barbara Gordon to the hospital as Rachel’s heart began to stutter in a way that hadn’t happened in years.

            Bruce stuttered to a halt; eyes wide as he processed what his son just said. But all of that was thrown out the window as he moved forward and wrapped his son in a hug. Jason melted against him, hands, though probably sore, digging into Bruce’s shirt as his son let out sobs.

            “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you again,” Jason whimpered into Bruce’s shirt. “I thought she’d send me away.”

            “I’m here, lad,” Bruce soothed. “I’m right here. I’d never let anyone send you away.”

            Jason wasn’t sure if his tears were for show or if they were real, but at this point, it didn’t matter. He was beyond freaked-out, and he was so, so happy to be with his dad again.

            “Is Steph okay?” Jason asked after a moment.

            Bruce barked a laugh. “She’s fine. Nearly punched out Detective Bullock, but she’s fine.”

            Jason snorted. Yeah, that sounded like her.

Chapter Text

---------------- Eight Years Old ------------

            “Come on, Tommy, please?” Julie watched as one boy begged the other to go to the river with him.

            “You know why I can’t, Bruce,” the boy named Tommy shook his head at the younger. “I’ll get in trouble. My parents will-”

            “Your parents can’t do anything to you anymore,” Bruce stated firmly. “Mom and Dad won’t let them. You’re safe, now, Tommy.”

            Tommy seemed to freeze for a moment before something in his posture shifted. A small, hesitant smile spread on his face and he finally let Bruce tug him to the river. Julie followed. She loved the river, and she had never seen these boys before. Maybe they would be nicer than the kids at the playground. They were all mean.

            “Look, Tommy, there are fish in the water!” Bruce cheered, waving around.

            “What, where?”

            “Right here-!”

            SPLASH!

            “BRUCE!” Tommy screamed and lunged to where his friend had fallen in the water. “BRUCE!”

            Julie lunged out of her hiding spot, racing to the lake in fear. The idiot didn’t know how to swim? The lake wasn’t that deep either. Did he really drown?

            But as Julie approached, Tommy was suddenly tugged under the water, and the moment she got to the edge, both boys resurfaced, Bruce laughing as Tommy splashed him. Of course, that had to be the minute that Julie lost her footing and slipped into the water, herself. She fell in with a squeak and a splash, and by the time she resurfaced, both Tommy and Bruce had made their way over to her.

            “You okay?” Bruce asked, eyes wide.

            “Yeah,” Julie squeaked. “I tripped.”

            “So did he,” Tommy snickered, jabbing a thumb at Bruce.

            “Hey!” Bruce gave his friend a shove.

            Julie laughed as the two friends began to splash each other, and at some point Julie wasn’t sure of, she joined in. It was the best day of little Julie’s life, and then Bruce gave her his jacket so she could get home. It didn’t matter that her mother was upset with her for her wet clothes, or that her father gave her a dirty towel to stay dry. She kept that jacket.

            Three weeks later, Julie found herself crawling under the car of Tommy’s parents and cutting the wires to the breaks. Tommy had gone out of town with the Wayne’s so no one would suspect him of fowl play.

            Her father always said: “If no one else will do something, then you should.”

            So Julie would take care of the problem.

--------------- Ten Years Old ---------------

            Julie had watched at the funeral as Bruce cried, and Rachel clung to him, pale and sick. It had been weeks since then, and now Bruce was shouting at his sister in anger. Julie knew it wasn’t Rachel’s fault. Or Bruce’s. Her dad had been mad at her and wanted her punished. She had been forced to watch as her dad sold the gun to Joe Chill the moment the man explained what he wanted it for.

            But just because Julie’s father was a jerk, and just because Bruce was angry, did not mean he could take it out on poor, sick Rachel.

            “Stop that,” Julie marched right up to Bruce. “Stop being a bully. She’s your sister.”

            “What does that matter?” Bruce spat at Julie.

            “Because she’s the only thing you have left besides that stupid house,” Julie huffed at him. “And you’d be no better than Tommy’s parents if you did!”

            Bruce’s jaw snapped shut and he looked to where Rachel, his two year old sick sister, was sobbing and wheezing as she clutched her chest. There were tears in Bruce’s eyes now too as he gathered her to his chest and whispered apologize.

            Julie huffed. Boys could be so stupid sometimes.

------------------- Twelve Years Old ------------------

            There were certain ages where people worried about looks, and boyfriends, and girlfriends, and all that stuff. Julie had the fortune of being born into a wealthier family, but not quite as high up as Gotham’s elites. Still, she was close enough that she could still be seen with Bruce and Tommy without worrying of gossip, and she thrived setting. It certainly helped that she was pretty too.

            But Julie Madison was, in fact, worried about boyfriends because before her stood Bruce Wayne, a charming young boy who she knew really well. And he was so stupidly handsome. But he wouldn’t give Julie that sort of time.

            “You could ask her out,” Harvey Dent teased, motioning towards Zatanna Zatara. “She’s your type, Bruce.”

            “Not really,” Bruce wrinkled his nose for a moment. “She’s just a friend.”

            “Uh-huh,” Harvey muttered flatly. “We believe that, right Tommy?”

            “Totally,” Tommy agreed half-heartedly.

            Julie didn’t believe it either. Bruce was closer to Zatanna than her, and though Julie wasn’t sure if Zatanna was Bruce’s type of not, she couldn’t deny that Bruce seemed to have some feelings for Zatanna.

            (Except they weren’t feelings of love. Zatanna had challenged Bruce to prove that magic was fake by performing a trick each week that Bruce would need to figure out. Bruce was frustrated to learn that magic was real, and though he remained close with Zatanna, he grew a great disdain for magic.)

------------- Fifteen Years Old -----------

            Julie was frustrated. Suddenly, Bruce was dating, throwing his life away, and then he had been expelled. Not even his fault. Tommy and Harvey had been the ones to mess up, but Bruce, by association, was paying the price.

            “I don’t need to go to school,” Bruce was saying as Julie stopped outside his door, listening as Bruce argued. “I’m smart enough to get my GED without it, and we all know it’s true. But you’ve all got dreams and stuff, guys. Harv, you can’t go to law school if you’re expelled. And Tommy, with your mom still alive, how would you get into Med school. I’ll pay my way in if I have to, but there’s no point in either of you getting expelled. Just leave me to study and we’ll all go to college, okay?”

            Julie listened intently, something preventing her from opening the door.

            “But Bruce-”

            “I’ll be fine, Bruce insisted. “Besides, I’ve got Rachel here with me. We can study together. Right, sis?”

            “Right!” Rachel cheered. “Can Cat come study too?”

            “You’re still seeing her?” Tommy suddenly questioned. “I thought you two weren’t talking.”

            Bruce grumbled.

            “What was that, Bruce?” Harvey laughed. “I think I missed it.”

            “I said I’ve given up on understanding women,” Bruce snapped. “And Cat and I are…working things out.”

            “You sound like an old married couple,” Tommy stated.

            The sounds behind the door suggested that someone, probably Bruce, had thrown a pillow at someone else, probably Tommy. But Julie didn’t care to keep listening. Cat was a name Julie was both familiar with, and knew absolutely nothing about. And yet Bruce had some sort of off-and-on again relationship with her.

            Feeling her heart break a hundred times over, Julie fled. She never did figure out who Cat was.

----------------- Nineteen Years Old --------------

            No one was quite sure what the relationship with Harleen Quinzel and Bruce Wayne was, but one minute, the two are studying, and the next, Bruce is declaring he’s done.

            “Done with…what?” Julie questioned.

            “Med school,” Bruce huffed as he packed a bag. “I’m going to do something for myself for once. I’m going to travel, see the world. It’s time I stopped following a path I wasn’t meant for.”

            “You’re just giving everything up!” Julie snapped.

            No one else was angry. Why was no one else angry? They were just standing there, watching as Bruce packed up basic necessities like that would get him through a day on his own. He had to be mad. It was that Harleen, chick. It had to be. There was no other explanation.

            “Is this really what you want?” Rachel asked her big brother.

            “More than anything,” he promised.

            “Then be safe,” Rachel gave her blessing. “And come home when you’re ready.”

            A smile, soft, reserved only for Rachel, spread on Bruce’s face. “I will. I promise.”

            Julie couldn’t believe this. He was just leaving everything. Leaving her.

            And no one cared.

            Later, as years went on, Julie manipulated Harleen Quinzel, and the woman became as mad as the clown. That’s what she got for ruining Bruce’s life.

------------------- Twenty Five Years Old ---------------------

            “I’d like you all to meet Andrea Beaumont, my girlfriend.”

            “Bruce, you dog,” Tommy teased, standing to greet Andrea. “Where have you been all my life, love.”

            “Under your nose,” Andrea quipped back with a kind smile that had most of the table laughing.

            It had been years since Bruce left them, and now he turns up back in Gotham, walking around Gotham like he owns the place. He had barely talked to them since he got back, and suddenly he called them to dinner to introduce them to his girlfriend.

            Julie was fuming. But she was an actress, and she hid it well. Andrea seemed nice, which made the situation all the worse, but Julie exchanged pleasantries with the woman who was currently dating the love of her life.

            Bruce was just as handsome as he had been when he was younger. If not more so. He cleaned up well, too. The handsome man before her wore a charming smile, and had a bright laugh. Part of Julie felt like she was staring at a stranger. But as he observed her, there were aspects of him that made sense. Dark glances, fallen smiles, clouded eyes. He was still the same Bruce she loved underneath.

            Later, after a disgustingly pleasant evening, Julie learned there was no need to dispose of Andrea Beaumont. The woman would get rid of herself on her own, or, at least, her father would. And with her father the supplier for most of the criminal underworld, Julie managed to keep a close eye on everything.

            Rachel was a little sad when Andrea finally left, but the girl would get over it. Julie would swoop in and provide the new light in Bruce’s life.

            Julie, however, celebrated by completing the last part of her plan. It wasn’t hard to plan the car accident. Certainly not as hard as it was to plan the murder of Tommy’s parents. Julie had practice since then.

--------------- Twenty Six Years Old -------------

            Except then came Silver St. Cloud, and Julie was having the worst time getting rid of that woman. She threw criminal after criminal after that woman, and yet nothing swayed her from leaving.

            Then she left on her own, much to Julie’s relief.

            But Bruce was suddenly adopting a kid for no reason.

            For once, Julie had no part in this death, and Julie knew to suspect the Court of Owls. She’d deal with them later, but for now, she was staring at this child her lover had brought into the Manor, and Rachel was absolutely over the moon with all the hugs the kid gave.

            This was not part of Julie’s plan. At. All. Richard Grayson should have been left in a juvenile detention center, not suddenly being introduced to a life of luxury. She knew the Court of Owls would not be pleased that their Gray Son had been taken, and Julie could not believe her lover could be so foolish as to take him in.

            Julie wanted her own children with Bruce, not some stray orphaned brat who wasn’t even fully American. Let alone Bruce’s own flesh and blood.

            Julie needed a break. And a good murder.

----------------------- Present -----------------

            Julie Madison had murdered her own parents and brother thirteen years ago. She had manipulated people to get what she wanted. She was in control of anything and everything.

            Everything but the one thing she wanted.

            Little miss Selina Kyle came into Bruce’s life on a breeze, and everything changed. But Julie still held out hope that she could win Bruce’s heart right up until she held the disgusting little rat that was the woman’s daughter in her arms. Nothing Julie did on the sidelines was stopping the couple.

            So she upped her game. She got the Supervillains involved, but some of them weren’t as evil as they used to be. Edward Nygma had an interesting proposition, and he certainly helped her plan for a time, but Julie dumped him too when his use ran out. Villain after villain came and went, but then Julie learned Bruce was Batman. All it took was a few well placed key figures, and Bruce should have broken. Selina too.

            But noooooooo. That stupid little brat Bruce had picked up off the streets had to interfere. Tim was proving to be a problem, but he was yet another aspect she couldn’t easily manipulate. It didn’t take much to get Bruce and Dick to fight, thankfully, and dear Agatha Carson had her own plans for Jason she could aid with (not that the woman would live much longer past her purpose). That simply left Selina and the baby-brat.

            Kate and Rachel could stay, and the butler. They were family, after all.

            She just had to play her cards right. Batman was a loner, after all.

            Soon, very soon, Julie would get everything she desired.

            But Julie miscalculated. For wanting something and actually getting it were two different things entirely.

------------------- A Few Days Ago --------------

            Julie was the slower sprinter than her two friends, but that worked to her advantage. Her plan, at the time, was to get rid of Tommy. If anyone was to catch her bluff, it was going to be him. Julie really did hate to do anything to her friend. Truly. She was already remorseful over her actions, but it had to be done.

            It hadn’t been hard to get Tommy away from the others. All she had to do was pay the right man to steal her friend’s emerald, and then the chase began. She hadn’t been expecting Kate to follow, but that was Julie’s fault for not assuming the trained soldier would attempt to help.

            Kate was always too noble for her own good.

            Julie had planned for nearly everything, of course, especially this part where she would get rid of the risk that Tommy provided to her plan. Rounding the corner, Julie let the bomb go off.

            And, again, she didn’t factor in the trained soldier.

            “MOVE!”

            Kate lunged for Tommy, shoving him out of the way of the falling support beam. For a terrifying moment, Julie feared her plan was ruined, but then Tommy decided the emerald didn’t matter, and he began to fumble for Kate.

            “JULIE!” Tommy screamed after her. “FORGET THE EMERALD! COME BACK!”

            Julie ignored him. Kate was a trained soldier, after all. She’d be fine. And even if she wasn’t, it wasn’t like Julie really needed Kate around. Julie made it outside with seconds to spare. Now she just had to wait for the Joker to complete his end of the deal as she accepted the emerald from the thug.

            The thug ran, and Julie bidded her time to wait. But luck was not on her side.

            “What have you done?” a voice demanded from above.

            Julie turned to look at the voice to find Huntress, one of those vigilante nuisances that made Julie’s life harder. She had to make a living somehow, and these freaks were raining on her parade. Julie was caught, but even she could hear the laughter.

            “Only what I had to,” Julie informed sweetly, spinning behind Huntress so it looked like the vigilante was protecting her.

            “Look at this,” the obnoxious voice crowed. “Another little Bat to play with. Why, this must be my lucky day.”

            The events played out so that Huntress would be shot up with bullets, and Julie would be lightly hit in the stomach by a fake bullet. Enough to fake what Julie needed, and the ambulance had been paid off, as well as the doctors.

            Of course, her plan was nearly ruined when Leslie Thompkins tried to interfere, but she turned her attention to Huntress first.

            Julie would need to deal with her later.

            But it all worked out, and Rachel needed Leslie more than Julie, which was just fine with Julie. However, there was one thorn that came of this encounter. One that made Julie slightly peeved. She knew her Bruce anywhere, and there was no doubt that Bruce was Batman in her mind. Which meant his stupid wife was Catwoman, and his stupid family were those other costume freaks. What was worse was that everyone else seemed to know.

            She’d talk with Bruce more firmly once Julie had him for herself.

            But the worst part of this whole experience. The part of her plan that didn’t go the way she wanted. That part took place in the hospital. It grated on her, built a fury that made Julie so mad, she was going to burn Gotham to the ground. It was the catalyst that led Julie to step forward and do her own dirty work.

            Bruce never once came to visit her.

Chapter Text

            Tim was grumpy. Bruce had officially locked them all in the Manor. Only Rachel and Andrea were the exception, and they were being guarded by the Birds of Prey. Which meant they were alone. Waiting. And Bruce was being an absolute idiot with some stupid plan to negotiate with Julie.

            “She’s a psycho,” Jason grumbled. “There’s no way she’ll listen.”

            Tim had to agree with that. It hadn’t taken long for Tim to finally piece the puzzle together, finding the information of a dark history. Her father had run the criminal underground for a long time, known as Hush to many people as he never revealed his face or his name. You were expected to pay back in two ways. Either pay the full price, or pay half the price if your mission was successful.

            Then her father died, murdered by Julie’s own hands, and everything changed.

            “This is going to go one of two ways,” Kate hissed under her breath. “Either Bruce is going to give her what she wants, and we die, or he dies with us.”

            Tim glared off into the night, at Gotham for allowing this to happen. He finally got something good in his life, and now it was all going to be ripped away. Maybe he was cursed. Maybe Fury was wrong. Maybe this was all just a test and he was about to fail if he didn’t figure out what to do stop this from happening.

            “We can’t just sit here!” Bette bolted to her feet.

            “We’re locked in,” Dick shook his head. “And even with a skilled hacker, it would take too much time to bypass all of Bruce’s security breaches. And believe me, Babs has been trying.”

            A notification on Tim’s phone had him distracted.

            “Couldn’t Raven get you over there, or something?” Bette pressed desperately.

            “She’s too exhausted from this afternoon,” Donna pointed out with a shake of her head. “We wouldn’t make it, and there’s no telling if she’d be able to resurface even if we did make it.”

            “Then we call someone!” Jason snapped.

            “What do you think Selina’s doing,” Artemis deadpanned at the boy.

            Not enough.

            Tim typed a quick response back and let himself focus back on the Gotham sky. He just hoped this worked.

            “I’m with the kid, Dick,” Hank pushed off the wall, moving towards the circle of Titans that had gathered. “We can’t just sit by like this. The lady is clearly unstable, and we all know how hesitant the League is about coming here. We’re Batman’s best shot right now.”

            A few swipes here, some coding there, a little removal there. And…

            “Look, I am trying to think through this rationally, and with everyone occupied, we would need to-”

            The door to the Batcave slid open.

            “Everyone ready to go?” Tim questioned over his shoulder as he went through the entrance. “We’re on the clock here.”

            The others quickly scrambled after him.

------------------------

            Bruce almost wished it was raining as they sat on the roof, waiting for Julie to come. He knew she would. Knew she wouldn’t be able to resist his call. Contrary to popular belief, Bruce wasn’t blind to Julie’s affection for him. He had seen it years ago, but Julie had never been someone he ever considered dating. He had hoped that one day she would go back to being his friend, but things weren’t meant to work out that way, apparently.

            He just hadn’t realized her crush had become an obsession.

            “Bruce.”

            Bruce looked up to lock eyes with the bandaged head of Julie Madison. Hush in all her glory, standing before him.

            “You wanted to talk.”

            He wasn’t Batman in this moment. Just Bruce Wayne. And right now, Bruce Wayne had to be enough. Bruce Wayne needed to be enough.

            “I think we need to talk,” Bruce stated in agreement, eyeing his once friend, trying to find a hint of the woman she used to be. “Julie-”

            “Don’t give me pity, Bruce,” Julie cut off with a snarl. “I’ve never needed it. There’s only one thing I have ever wanted from you.”

            “I’m sorry, but I can’t give you that.”

            Julie still didn’t move. “You never let yourself try. I could have made you happy. We’d have children all our own. A happy, peaceful life!”

            “No, we couldn’t,” Bruce shook his head. It was taking all the will-power he had not to lash out. How could she become this? How could she do this to them? To Tommy? To Harvey? Where had his friend gone? “You know that Julie. I’ve never wanted things the way you have.”

            “How would you know?” she barked.

            “You tried to send my sons away!” Bruce let some of his show as he snapped back. “And I’ll admit, I never planned to be a father, but you took one look at my sons and saw disgust. I would never truly be happy if they were gone. And Rachel would never forgive you!”

            “Rachel’s too nice not to forgive me!”

            “YOU PUT MY SISTER IN THE HOSPITAL TWICE!”

            And that. That did make Julie stagger back.

            “What?”

            “The whole stunt you forced Harvey to pull at the Opera, it sent Rachel’s heart into overdrive, and it hasn’t gone down yet!” Bruce barked at her, letting all the fear and anger at the situation out at Julie. She needed to see what she had done to him. To Rachel. “So when Jason went missing, supposedly kidnapped, she had her first heart attack in fifteen years! You caused that! So look me in the eyes and tell me Rachel would forgive you for getting rid of her nephews!”

            Julie was silent for a minute, and it was near impossible to read Julie’s expression under the mask. But a chill went down Bruce’s spine at the words that came from her mouth.

            “You’re lying.”

            Was she serious? Was someone feeding her information, or did she really believe that her actions had nothing to do with Rachel’s current agony?

            Bruce still remembered Rachel’s face just hours ago when Jason was reported missing, how she suddenly went pale and began to gasp for breath. The way she collapsed to her feet. Bullock had quickly called an ambulance, and Babs had taken charge of the situation to aid Rachel through the shock of the situation. Bruce had been terrified then, and he was terrified now.

            The next thing Bruce knew, Julie was holding a detonator.

            “I really hate to do this to you, Bruce, and I am a generous person when I want to be, so I’ll offer you a deal. I’ve spent my whole life getting rid of your problems, so I suppose this is a little more than fair, but…you clearly need incentive. Right now, your family is huddled in the Manor, all waiting for you to come home, so I took it upon myself to place a few little surprises everywhere. It wasn’t difficult. After all, I am a rather frequent guest. All I need to do is press this button to activate the bombs, then release my thumb and your family is gone.”

            Bruce watched in dawning horror as Julie activated the detonator. He could see the picture she was painting quite clearly. With the Manor on lock down, and Bruce currently on display for the world to see, there was nothing he could do. The Manor was rigged to blow any minute.

            “All I need to do is remove my thumb and your family will be blown sky high!” Julie cackled. “So I’d think wisely about your choice, darling.”

            Bruce snarled. “How do I know you won’t just kill them anyways.”

            “Oh, darling, I’ve worked too hard to let them live,” Julie sighed as if Bruce was being an idiot. “They’re going to die regardless. The difference is that either you can live, or you could just die with them.”

            That was his only option then. There was no choice. Not anymore.

            “Then I’ll die with my family,” Bruce declared for the entirety of Gotham to hear.

            Because for Bruce, there really was no other option. Rachel would just have to forgive him, and Andrea would definitely take care of her. Tommy too. They were good like that. He just wished his children got the chance to grow up properly. Helena, his baby girl, not even a year old. Jason who nearly escaped death and was unknowingly facing it again. Dick, the son he still needed to officially adopt.

            And Tim…poor Tim. He hoped, that if Death took Tim to another place, that he got the chance to live properly. He hoped Tim found a true family somewhere in the multiverse.

            Julie shrieked and released the detonator. Bruce could hear and feel the explosion form here, knowing his home was gone. His family.

            Bruce fell to his knees, ready to accept the bullet that would come from the gun in Julie’s hand.

            “I will never be happy with you,” Bruce told her flatly. “And now I can never love you.”

            “Then you will suffer by my side,” Julie declared.

            Only to suddenly be sent careening backwards as a figure suddenly dropped from the sky and slammed a boot in her bandaged face. Bruce sucked in a breath as Huntress used the momentum to push herself upwards and flip midair, gracefully landing on her feet beside Bruce.

            “Your family is just fine,” Huntress informed Bruce, and it felt like the wind was knocked out of him at those words. “The Manor is probably in pieces, but your family managed to get out. They’re a stubborn lot who didn’t want you to make a stupid mistake.”

            Bruce staggered to his knees, his gaze drifting to where the smoke was rising from the location of the Manor. There was a slight pang in his heart at the thought of losing his home, but material was nothing compared to the joy of having his family alive. With Julie down, the police began to charge the woman, hoping to apprehend her, but Julie quickly pushed herself up before the police got too close.

            “This isn’t over, Bruce! I will make you suffer for this!”

            But Tim had written all about Thomas Elliot’s escape in his world. How the man had jumped off a building into the harbor.

            Now…now Julie Madison wasn’t so lucky.

            Julie gave a deranged screech as she was lifted into the air by the back of her clothes in one, clenched fist. The half-amazonian simply glared at Julie Madison.

            “I also decided to bring along a friend,” Huntress added like an after-thought, moving to sit beside Bruce in a layed back position as she gave the furious woman a rather mischievous grin. “And believe me, Ms. Madison, Fury lives up to her name.”

            This comment was followed by another unintelligible screech as Lyta simply dangled Julie dangerously over Gotham Harbor.

------------------------------

            “Bruce!” came the familiar cry that had Bruce melting and perking up all at once.

            “Selina!”

            Paparazzi and camera crews all began to snap pictures and record as Bruce and Selina raced to each other like some cliché romance movie. They eventually met in the middle of the street, Selina throwing her arms around Bruce, sending them both tumbling to the ground, neither caring for the dust, grime, or dirt they picked up as they tumbled.

            The others stopped close by, all out of breath and grinning. The Titans had enough sense to branch off and hide away, watching from a distance as everything took place. They were lucky the cave hadn’t collapsed while they were changing into their costumes and trying to figure out what was happening. Jason had gotten the news up just in time to see Julie turn on the detonator, and Dick had gotten everyone to a section of the cave specifically built for such a problem as the house exploding, or the threat of an Earthquake hit. But the situation had been dealt with, and they were all watching from a distance as Bruce slowly tucked Selina against his chest, and he desperately reached for his children and cousins.

            Dick had Jason on his back, and the two reach for Bruce first, falling against his chest. Bette was supporting Kate, her poor cousin still suffering from a concussion. The two of them ended up sitting on concrete, pressed into Bruce’s side. Tim waited for a moment before bringing baby Helena forward. Bruce wasted no time gathering her to his chest before pulling Tim close. He pressed a kiss to each of his children’s foreheads and then just basked in the feeling of having his family alive.

            At some point, the paramedics insisted they all go to the hospital.

            The rest of the night was a blur, and at some point, Barabara Gordon came with her roommate, Helena Bertinelli, to offer them a place to stay at Helena’s Penthouse. Bruce tried to refuse, but Tim gave him a look, and he reluctantly accepted.

            Rachel woke up around that time, and both Dick and Jason were in the room to greet her as she did. Again, most of it was a blur to the Bats. It had been a long, taxing few weeks. For all of them.

            But the cuddle pile was worth it.

-------------------------------

            “Back in my world, I guess, I never really felt like part of the family. I forced my way in, you know. I took Robin because it was needed, and in the end, it caused a problem. With the Bats, I found myself kind of stuck and trapped. Lost in this game of proving myself, but I was always losing. Nothing I did ever seemed to be enough, but I was called on time and time again that it just sort of became who I was.”

            “And you never had any relief? No escape?”

            “I guess my teammates, my friends, actually. We still did vigilante and hero stuff, but we did normal stuff too. Like camping and movie nights. That stuff.”

            “But your time as a vigilante and as the CEO of a major company cut into that time.”

            “Yeah, yeah, I guess it did.”

            Dinah Drake hummed in thought. This was Tim’s third session, and they were truly getting down to the root of the problem.

            “And then you came here, and suddenly it wasn’t all about being a vigilante.”

            Tim could really only shake his head. It was still hard to wrap his head around the fact that he wasn’t an object. Which was part of the reason why he took up Fury’s offer. It didn’t hit him until he woke up in the cuddle pile after that night that he realized things were different here.

            Bruce chose him in this world.

            “And how are you handling the break from the nightlife?”

            Tim fixed Ms. Dinah with a flat look. “I want to throw myself off a building.”

            Ms. Dinah gave a fond laugh at that. “Oh dear, don’t we all. Unfortunately, I’m told that’s frowned upon.”

            Tim huffed. “I guess I’m a little stir crazy.”

            “I don’t doubt it. So why don’t we focus on finding a hobby. I know your childhood wasn’t the best, but both Bette and Helena have a list of things they’ve managed to wheedle out of you. I’ll let you take a look at it in a few minutes, but first;”

            Tim glanced up to Ms. Dinah, locking eyes with the woman who held so much joy and experience. She had decades of crime fighting skills in her body, and a brain that was sharp as a tact.

            “Do you ever wish to go back to your old world?”

            Tim was silent for a moment. Did he? Did he miss his old world? Yes, he very much did. Did he want to go back? That was a harder question.

            “I-”

-----------------------------

            “Is it possible to hate someone after you loved them?”

            Kate sighed, pushing back her hair. The concussion had since gone away, but she had made it a habit to sit with the younger girl. There was talk of getting Rachel a service dog, especially with the events that took place. Alfred was really the only person they still needed to sway.

            There were plans to sick Tim on him, because there were also talks of getting Tim an emotional support cat.

            “I suppose so,” Kate admitted. “I mean, I thought I loved Grandma Betsy, but now I hate her.”

            “And what about Beth?”

            Kate shut her eyes, picturing her twin’s face. Kate knew Bette was okay, somewhere, but not where. It ached, sometimes, to think of her sisters. Other times, it felt like a relief.

            “I don’t think I could ever hate Beth,” Kate admitted. “I sometimes hate that I still love her, but I can’t hate her.”

            “So what should I feel about Julie?”

            Kate wasn’t sure how Rachel should feel about Julie, let alone how she should feel about it. Julie was their friend. There wasn’t an answer Kate could give. The worst part was, Kate wasn’t sure there would ever be an answer Kate could give her.

            “Am I allowed to hate her?” Rachel sniffed.

            “Yes,” Kate promised. “You can hate her all you want. But I hope, one day, you’ll learn how tiring that hate can be.”

            “I don’t ever want to forgive her,” Rachel breathed. “I…I hate her. I hate her for doing this to us. I hate her! I wish she was dead!”

------------------------

            “So what now?” Helena asked the birds as she observed the construction to Clocktower. “What’s our next big adventure?”

            “I don’t want to go on another adventure for at least a month,” Dinah protested. “Maybe two. Fighting Lady Shiva was enough for me.”

            “I think we can wait at least a month,” Sara stated with a grin. “Get some sisterly bonding in. Do a little catching up on our personal lives. Renew our sisterhood. Then crack down on the League of Assassins and rescue some kids.”

            “Kids and their mother,” Selina corrected. “I made Talia a promise, and I nearly had to deal with the death of my son. If we take those kids, we bring her with us.”

            “She won’t like that idea,” Sara scoffed.

            “I don’t expect her to.”

            “Then how do you plan to convince her to come with you?” Laurel questioned.

            “I thought the answer was obvious,” Babs scoffed, sharing a grin with Helena. “Tim.”

            “So what about Clocktower?” Zinda Blake questioned. “I heard there would be changes.”

            Again, Babs and Helena locked eyes, this time sharing that look with Dinah.

            “Tim’s idea.”

------------------------

            “She’s dangerous, Harv,” Bruce was telling his friend.

            “I’m aware, Bruce,” Harvey Dent stated flatly. “And I’m not stupid enough to think she won’t be a threat just because she’s in here with us. But I’m certainly not going to stop anyone who dare attempt something.”

            Bruce rolled his eyes. “Just don’t get in too much trouble, Harv. I’d hate to cut down our talks due to misbehavior.”

            “What, me?” Harvey teased. “I’m a model patient.”

            “Right,” Bruce huffed a chuckle.

            “So, tell me about your kids,” Harvey changed the subject. “How are they?”

-----------------------

            “You sure you’re going to be okay without us?” Gar teased.

            “I’ll be fine,” Jason laughed, cuddling cat-Gar to his chest. “I’ve got my family here, and Bruce has already said you can all visit when you want. You guys just take care of Dick, alright?”

            “Course we will,” Raven agreed.

            Given the information Tim had told them of Dick’s Blüdhaven run, it was deemed best that the Titans split up so that they could both take care of Titans duties, and watch over their own. Raven and Gar were obvious choices, as was Kori and Mar’i. But the others would be offering aid. The notes Tim had provided on Dick’s issues and trials had the group of Titans on edge, specifically surrounding Blockbuster and Catalina Flores. Hank and Dawn were going to keep an eye on Catalina, and pull a few favors to make sure she didn’t interfere. Donna and Yara would be keeping an eye on Blockbuster. And Dick’s family was going to take care of him.

            For once, things were looking up.

----------------------

            Tommy was waiting with Andrea and Silver by the gate as Bruce finished checking on Harvey. There was so much that had happened, and losing Julie had been a hit that Bruce had never expected.

            “How about lunch,” Silver offered as she joined them. “Bruce can pay.”

            “I’m for that,” Andrea agreed. “Just make sure it’s somewhere with a liquid diet. I don’t want Leslie to kill me in my sleep for disobeying orders.”

            Bruce grumbled, checking for his wallet as they all made their way to the car.

            Deep in the darkest parts of Arkham Asylum, unknown to the group of friends, a woman screeched from the top of her lungs. Threats and obscenities. Promises. All of them lost to the ears of the living. So it was a good thing that not everything was not completely alive down here.

            “Obnoxious little thing,” it crooned to her, not that Julie heard over her screeching. “Such madness. I had madness once. Then I made him angry. So, so angry.”

            It creeped up on Julie and slowly dragged her further into the shadows.

            “It’s time to sleep. Dreamless sleep. Let Doctor Destiny guide you to darkness.”

Chapter Text

            “With the shock of the last few days, it is my pleasure to announce that Julie Madison has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. The death toll she raised over the years, and the toll her father brother, has continued to stack up against her. Several of these deaths can be traced back to the Elliots and the Waynes, but neither family wished to give a statement.

            In other news, the trial for Shelia Haywood, the woman who claims to be Jason Todd-Wayne’s birthmother, also found the woman guilty, but she is being considered for potential insanity due to her claims that her son is the dead Robin. The Justice League and the Titans all had strong words about that, more about their statements at six, so be sure to tune in.

            As for the funeral of Agatha Carson, it was noted that the ceremony, though open to the public, was a small gathering, to which only the Carson family and a few close friends attended. Neither of the Wayne children, nor Agatha’s own daughter, chose to attend the funeral. I’m Summer Gleeson with today’s major events, and we’re going to see what events Harry Nelson has on the current reconstruction of Gotham’s Clocktower, and Wayne Manor.”

            “Good afternoon, Gothamites, I’m Harry Nelson, and it’s been a busy day here at the once beautiful landmark that was once Wayne Manor. As you can see, construction is nearly complete, and doesn’t it look absolutely gorgeous. If you’ll recall, the blueprints were decided on just last month by Bruce Wayne himself. I’ve been assured that the Manor will look relatively the same with a few ‘modern touches’ here and there-”

            Tim barely looked up as someone turned off the television. Not that anyone was really watching it anyways. It was more background noise at this point, but Tim assumed it was probably time for Helena’s nap, so he didn’t exactly mind, either.

            Raising the camera, he once more adjusted the focus, this time snapping a picture of Rachel sitting on the deck with her new service dog; Ace. Shortly after everything had been said and done, Helena offered the Penthouse as a place to stay until Wayne Manor’s construction could be completed. They had since been operating from Helena’s Batcave, and living together in a smaller setting. It had definitely been an adjustment, but they made it work.

            Like a family.

            He was about to snap another picture when bright green eyes suddenly filled his lens, and Tim jerked back. Only to be faced with his niece, grinning brightly at him.

            “Un’ce ‘im!” Mar’i enthused in a mock whisper. “We back! Bu we be quiet!”

            Tim nodded with a chuckle. “I see you’re back. How’s my little night star?”

            “Good,” Mar’i mock-whispered with a bright smile on her face.

            “Hey, Timmy,” Dick appeared behind him. “I see Bruce finally got you that camera. Only took him three whole months.”

            Three months. That’s how long it had been since Julie was arrested. In that time, things really had changed. Dick was still Blüdhaven’s main defender, but with Kori and Dick falling into a more serious relationship, it wasn’t all that uncommon to see her around. Not to mention Raven and Gar, who Dick had basically adopted in this world.

            “Yeah, so, it turns out, when I was giving an account of my life, I forgot to include my birthday, so when Bette asked, and I told her it was a few days ago, and everyone sort of freaked out because we didn’t get to plan anything.”

            Tim made sure to snap a picture of Dick’s face as the older boy let that information begin to sink in. Tim would later frame those photos.

            “BRUCE!” Dick started screaming through the house, forgetting that Helena was supposed to be put down for a nap. “BRUCE! WE MISSED TIMMY’S BIRTHDAY!”

            Baby Helena responded to this by breaking into wails. To which the entire rest of the house began to groan as Tim burst into laughter. He’d admit, he missed being able to take pictures, and the chaos that came from Dick’s shouting was fun to document. Almost as fun as stalking Batman and Robin through Gotham. Of course, then Tim noted the time and he began to freak out.

            “Bye Bruce! Bye Selina!”

            “Bye!” came the twin-half-hearted calls from Bruce and Selina as Tim vaulted out the door and to his motorcycle. Yet another gift from Bruce and Selina.

            Within a few minutes, Tim was in town, carefully maneuvering to the spot where he agreed to meet his friends. Parking and locking his motorcycle, Tim dashed through the crowd, giving a sheepish grin to the girls gathered around the table.

            “Sorry,” Tim shrugged as he sank into the chair. “Thanks for ordering for me, Hel.”

            Helena just flicked vanilla ice cream at him before taking another bite. Bette rolled her eyes at him, sipping on her milkshake as she looked over her textbook. And then there was Fury, or as she preferred to be called, Lyta, gave Tim a fond smile as she dug into her Sunday. As was their tradition, Tim clinked ice cream cups with Helena as they both dug into their vanilla ice cream.

            Tim hummed as the cold cream hit his tongue. His second lifetime wasn’t too bad right now. Of course, Tim didn’t hold out much hope that there wouldn’t be another crisis sometime soon. But he was willing to wait for now.

            Vanilla ice cream was his favorite after all.

---------------------------------

            “How intriguing,” Ra’s mused as he looked over the information. “And this came this morning, you say?”

            “Yes, my lord,” the guard informed. “We are unsure of its meaning.”

            Ra’s studied the message just a bit more. He had been keeping an eye on the detective and his ever-growing family for some time. He was quite intrigued by Timothy, and the back story Ra’s had managed to find on the boy only increased his infatuation. Ra’s had great plans for Timothy in the future. The boy’s knowledge would be useful, and his mind was sharp.

            But this was not what Ra’s expected from the boy.

            “We are looking into its meaning, Father,” Dusan, his son, declared. “Should you so wish, I would send my daughter to discover what-”

            “That won’t be necessary,” Ra’s declared with a shake of his head. “Threat or not, we will be ready for their arrival. We already know what they search for.”

            But despite his knowledge of the potential oncoming storm, Ra’s couldn’t help but be puzzled by the message young Timothy had chosen to send. Was it a threat? A warning? There was something more to this message that Ra’s was missing. He was certain of it.

Beware the Spiders

~Merlin

            Timothy might just prove to be the greatest challenge yet, and he was a challenge Ra’s was looking forward to. It was rare that anyone be able to hack into his database, let alone do so without detection. But Ra’s had a feeling this wasn’t a threat, so much as a warning. He needed to discover what, exactly, Timothy was talking about.

------------------------------

            It was a quiet night, and Helena had roped the Bats into a game of roof-top tag. All of Gotham seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief, including the Rogues, after Julie’s iron hold was disrupted. With Tim’s knowledge of his Jason’ life as a Crime Lord, Tim managed to get ahold of Julie’s operation and slowly begin to work with WE in rebuilding Gotham’s underground. It had given Tim a few ideas of ways to make Gotham safer, and Tim was rather impressed with what the Madison family managed to control, especially now that Tim had proof the Court of Owls was, in fact, a thing.

            But that was for another time.

            With Jason and Rachel refereeing from the Penthouse Batcave, the whole family was enjoying themselves. Batwoman was currently it, and she was chasing Batgirl and Merlin, who made the mistake of choosing the same hiding spot.

            “Split!” Tim cried to Batgirl as they jumped in different directions.

            Which meant Batwoman had decided to follow Merlin. As Merlin began to bound across the roof, he decided the best way to lose Batwoman would be to do some fancy maneuvering. He would blame what happened next on his breathless, giddy laughter.

            There was a sudden object in his face and the Merlin found himself staring up at the sky, noting that the world seemed to be spinning. Which was kind of an odd thought since the world was in fact spinning, but that was beside the point, because Merlin honestly wasn’t sure how he ended up staring at the sky, and why was the ground so hard against his back? And how did the ground even get there?

            “Merlin!” came Batwoman’s frantic cry as the ringing in his ears died down. “Merlin! Talk to me, kid! Merlin!”

            “I am so so sorry,” came a strikingly familiar purple suit. “I thought-I didn’t-I just-I am so sorry!”

            Merlin squinted at the purple suit, taking in the face and everything else. Yeah, there was no mistaking that look. He turned to Batwoman.

            “Why do Stephanie’s like throwing bricks at my face?”

            Then the world went black to Jason’s cackle in his ear.

            “She threw a brick in his face!” Jason was wheezing in laughter through the coms as Batman stooped down to gather his son. “Steph is my new favorite person!”

            “I-how did he-what did he-?”

            “That’s going to leave a pretty mark,” Huntress whistled as she looked Merlin over. “Nice throw, by the way, kid. You’ve got a mean arm.”

            “I swear I didn’t mean to hurt one of you guys,” poor Stephanie squeaked in horror. “I was just trying to-”

            “Help?” Nightwing offered graciously, making poor Stephanie squeak again as he appeared behind her. “We know, kid. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. Mostly. Probably embarrassed, but mostly fine.”

            “But…but how did he know my name?” Steph questioned weakly, now surrounded by heroes.

            Batwoman barked a laugh. “Kid, there is no person scarier on this earth than Merlin. He knows everybody.”

            Poor Stephanie had no idea what she was getting herself into. But Tim would later beat himself up with embarrassment because he knew Steph. He really should have seen that brick coming.