Thank you so much! I’m glad you like my stuff :D You got me just as the writing bug bit me so here you go!
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“You shouldn’t hang around me, kid.” Jason says leading the young boy to the cave’s locker room.
“You’re the only person I know. Even if you’re not my Jason I feel better with you.” Dick replies, keeping a few steps behind.
Jason sighs and tosses Dick a change of clothes. “Go get changed. Bruce wants to examine your gear.”
The boy isn’t a fan of needles but grimaces and deals with it as Bruce takes a sample of his blood. He holds Jason’s hand the entire time while the older Dick looks on, a soft smile on his face. Jason rolls his eyes pretending not to care but it all feels so strange, this kid doesn’t even know him yet he trusts him completely. Is that what it’s like to be Batman? Is he that kind of Batman in the other universe?
“What’s he like?” Jason asks before he can stop himself. “Your Batman.”
“He doesn’t wear a weird red helmet if that’s what you’re asking.” The boy says and Nightwing snorts out a laugh.
“So you’re a smartass in whatever universe, huh?”
“Jay!” Nightwing scolds.
“It’s ok.” Dick says. “He swears in front of me all the time. My Jason, I mean. And… all of this is different. We don’t live in a mansion with a cave, we live in the city in a building our cave is the basement. It’s just the two of us… He needs me just as much as I need him. Now he’s all alone and-” He lets go of Jason’s hand to rub his eyes.
Jason puts a hand on the boy’s shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze. “We’re gonna get you back there, don’t worry.”
The second Dick hugs him Jason knows the boy is going to be stuck to him like glue for the rest of his stay here. He glances up at Nightwing who has a worried expression on his face.
“What?” Jason cocks his head at the other.
“Nothin’.” Nightwing says. “Should get him to bed, been a hectic night.”
“No!” The boy yelps. “Please, I don’t wanna be alone.”
Jason rubs his back. “We’ll go upstairs together; me, you, and Nightwing. We can watch some TV and you can rest. I promise I won’t leave your side, ok?”
Dick thinks a moment then nods. “Just a sec, though.”
He hops off the exam table and walks over to Bruce who’s sitting at the console.
“Yes?” Batman glances over at the boy.
“Can I see your face? Jason mentioned you before but I’ve never seen a photo.”
Jason watches on half expecting Bruce to tell the kid no when the older man pulls back his cowl. Bruce always had a damn soft spot for kids, top that off with seeing a twelve year old Dick Grayson again and Bruce didn’t stand a chance. The boy begins to speak but his voice is lost in the sudden loud rumble of the cave.
For a moment Jason thinks it’s an earthquake when a large blue void opens in the center of the room. The electricity in the cave goes haywire and figure flies out of the void landing with a hard thud. When the back up generator kicks in and the lights come back Dick’s eyes go wide at the figure standing before them. It’s Batman. But it isn’t. The gear is similar, grey and black, but the bat symbol is a crimson red. The suit is more armored and the gauntlets alone look like they could rip a person to shreds.
“Jason!” Dick shouts and runs to the other Batman.
The boy is quickly scooped up in the other’s arms and is held tightly. The other Batman’s eyes travel to Nightwing then land on Jason and he pauses, lips parting just a fraction. Enough for Jason to feel uneasy, like he’s being inspected by his superior. But the other’s gaze quickly refocuses on the man behind him. Bruce.
“...You’re alive.” The other Batman says with a hint of shock.
Bruce says nothing but eyes the guns holstered on the other’s hips.
“Things are different here. They’re ok.” Dick whispers.
The other Batman tugs off his cowl, eyes still on Bruce. “I don’t want any trouble. Another portal opened up and I jumped in. Simple as that. Didn’t expect any of this.”
“Do you know how to get back?” Jason asks.
“Not a clue.” He laughs.
“Guess we’re stuck with two Jason’s for now.” Nightwing gives a shrug.
“And us too!” The young boy looks at his older self.
The other Batman glances at Nightwing. “Wait, what?”
“He’s me, Jay. Just older.”
Jason watches the other’s look of confusion and holds up his hands. “Look, instead of all us gawking at each other let’s figure out how to get you guys back home.”
It takes a few minutes of arguing but eventually Jason gets his alternate self to hand in his gear for examination. He refuses to give a blood sample at first until Dick, who smartly decides to call himself Robin to avoid confusion, convinces him that no one means any harm. Jason’s amazed at how easily it all goes after Robin just nudges at him. That he trusts the kid’s judgement like it’s a normal everyday occurrence. Jason’s jealous.
“Hey, you got a place for him to sleep?” The other Jason asks now holding a very tired looking Robin in his arms.
“Looks like everything finally caught up to him.” Jason laughs. “Follow me.”
Jason’s dealt with a lot of weird things. Hell, he came back from the dead. But there’s just something about being around this version of himself that makes him feel so off. This other guy was Batman with a Robin that clearly loved him enough that he’d latch onto alternate versions of the guy. It wasn’t fair.
“So what do I call you? This is all kinda… weird.” Jason says.
“I call him Jay.” Robin mumbles tiredly.
“Jay, then.” Nightwing says with a smile like he’s trying to play off that this whole thing isn’t completely bizarre. “This is my old room. I think he’ll be ok in here.”
Jay walks past, glancing around the room before settling Robin down on the bed. “Could you give us a minute?”
Jason and Dick give a quick nod and walk down the hall together both slumping against a wall to the floor. Jason rests his head on Dick’s shoulder, shutting his eyes for a moment trying to quiet the angry noise in his head.
“You ok?” Dick asks.
“He… Yea. Fine.”
“He’s not better than you. Just different.” Dick plants a kiss in his hair.
“Everything is.” Jay says, walking over to them. “Back home this place is a pile of rubble. It’s like walking into some memory waiting for the whole thing to collapse.”
“What happened?” Dick asks while Jason quickly pulls away.
“Blew up.” He says plainly. “We thought we were safe but this place sticks out like a sore thumb.”
“Is that when Bruce-”
“I’m going to the cave. Will you please watch Robin?”
“We’re not babysitters.” Jason crosses his arms.
“You have a problem with me.” Jay smiles. “Fine. Pout and be angry that’ll really show me.”
Jason stands up and takes a step over. “Hey, fuck you!”
Dick is up and between the two in an instant. “Both of you stop it. Getting into a fight isn’t going to help. I will watch Robin. Jay can go down to the cave. And Jason, you can… whatever it is you’re gonna do. Ok?”
After a solid minute of glaring the pair of them back off walking away in opposite directions. Dick follows behind Jason with a sigh. “Well, this is off to a great start.”