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DP X DC Prompt Happy Family

Finally, it was Bruce's turn to not suffer! In theory, more or less. The adoption trope with a twist! A moment of silence for my almost 4000 words where there was so much of Bruce's gentleness that didn't hold back and it didn't come out the same anymore. I wanted to throw my phone out the window (it had turned out so nice!). This is version 2 because I had changed translators and it sounded strange, so I went back to my usual one, so it has to be different. I don't speak English, and canon is an option I refuse to acknowledge.

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Danny has moved to Gotham. The reason was simple: Clockwork has decided to stop being such a jerk and told him he'll find the love of his life, with whom he'll start a family, and all he has to do is be in a random alley in Gotham one night. The old man's kindness wasn't enough to tell him which night or which alley, but oh well, it's not like he could die if someone mugged him, anyway.

So his new routine is taking random walks through the different Gotham's neighborhoods, the good thing is that he's found some good restaurants, cafes, and fun shops, so it's not all bad.

Tonight he's walking through Crime Alley, leaving a pizzeria that's clearly a money laundering front, but those mobsters make some great pizzas! Absolutely delicious.

As he walks, he senses someone else's distress, his senses sharpen, someone is in danger, someone… small. He approaches the alley carefully, trying not to appear threatening, until he finds the source of the anguish and deep sadness.

It's a child, clutching his knees tightly to his chest, tears silently streaming down his cheeks, his gaze somewhat lost. His clothes seem a bit strange for a child, but what does he know about how children dress? He's not good with children. But this little boy is alone in an alley in the worst neighborhood of what appears to be the most dangerous city on the continent (what is the love of his life really doing in such a troubled world and in the worst city of all?).

"Are you okay?" He asks gently, but the boy barely reacts. He gets down to his level, not caring about the dirt, and touches his shoulder very carefully. "Are you lost, Chum?"

The boy reacts, a little. He turns to look at him. His blue eyes are so big and glassy, his little nose red, his lips hurt from biting them.

The boy looks at him, almost gasping.

"Dad?... Dad... Dad, don't leave me alone!" The boy throws himself at him, hugs him tightly, and clings to his neck.

He freezes for a moment, but a part of him feels he's found something precious, something he didn't know was lost, and he doesn't want to let go, so he hugs him back tightly. The little boy cries in his arms, releasing all his anguish, sadness, and pain, but he can also feel the relief of having found him.

This will be a problem for tomorrow's Danny. The Danny of the present decides to take off his trench coat, a bit clumsily because the boy is still clinging to him, but once he manages, he places his trench coat over the child. He stands up easily, floating slightly, and picks up the boy, who is covered by his trench coat to keep him warm. He strokes the boy's back to comfort him.

"It's okay, baby, I've got you. Let's get to safety," he murmurs to comfort him and starts walking home.

The boy he's been calling "baby" or "Lil Star" in his head, as well as out loud, is a little mystery, but he doesn't really care. He can sense some magic coming from him, but he's not very good at it yet; he just knows that he releases that little bit of energy or vibrates passively. He got him more normal, warm clothes. Little boys get sick easily, right? He can't risk Baby getting sick.

Baby is 5 years old. He's the cutest boy once he's not in the dark of an alley crying. His chubby cheeks are adorable; he wants to cover them with kisses.

He keeps putting off giving the boy up because there must be someone out there looking for his son, his healthy, well-cared-for, and well-fed son, right? He keeps telling himself that's the problem of tomorrow's Danny.

Baby also seems traumatized; there's no way to miss it. He doesn't want to lose sight of him. When he sleeps, he seems restless, has nightmares, cries, and only calms down if he's hugged.

In general, Baby is well-behaved. He barely makes a sound, isn't very interested in television at the moment, or reading. He colors for a while, but he's happiest being held in his arms, chewing on the ear of the stuffed dog he got him. He's had to wash that stuffed dog a lot. He always carries the stuffed dog in his arms. He thinks he remembers from some jazz talk that this is normal, and he still calls it "Daddy." He's asked for "Mommy" between babbles when he's falling asleep again after nightmares.

He should take Baby to the police, but he's heard strange things about them and other shadowy figures, so no. He should look for Baby's parents, but he's attached to them too.

So he's stopped going out so late. He's gotten Baby some normal clothes. He manages to get a few smiles and laughs out of him, although he rarely speaks in these two weeks that he's had Baby.

Perhaps this is how he'll meet the love of his life? Is she Baby's mother? Does it make sense? He doesn't know, but it had better be so because he doesn't want a criminal record anywhere.

The third week ended, and Baby underwent a change—small, barely visible changes, really—but is she starting to resemble him? The magic he felt from Baby did change a little, but nothing critical. Her eyes sometimes glow green. He suspects that perhaps the love of his life is some other supernatural race, but it doesn't matter. It's incredible how much she's adapted to Baby. She really needs to use the name Baby; it took hours until Baby agreed.

Baby has discovered that television is entertaining because he's now attached to an old show that—wow—is Clockwork laughing at him or something? It seems like an old show; it's called The Gray Ghost, it's about detectives, and it has Baby completely hooked. He shouldn't let him watch so much television now, but even though he likes holding Baby, he knows that children need to be held. And even though he's not really working or anything, just living there, happy to be able to use the money as the crown prince, he also needed some space. But now he's missing cooking while carrying Baby on his back.

He's decided this is his son now, so he's had to fabricate forgeries. What a relief he can get his hands on computers; it only took him a few hours at a computer in a registry office.

He even had a DNA test done to validate that it's his son. Nobody will take his baby away; Baby is his. He's so excited that Baby has a room full of things, and he throws all his money at Baby as soon as he seems to like anything. He'll live for Baby and kill for Baby.

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

He's been disconnected from the Bats. His last fight with Bruce messed him up so badly he even left town. He can't keep doing this.

Luckily, his people kept the territory safe. Black Mask was Tim's problem, so his people didn't have to worry too much.

His phone died, so he doesn't know anything, although he's sure he'd have some messages. He doesn't feel like thinking about it.

That time away made him feel very lonely. Is it too much to ask for love? A family that understands him? That truly sees him as a person? Is that too much to ask? He doesn't want to know anything.

So he didn't even tell his men he was back. He just needs to think and make a decision once and for all.

It's not too late yet, but it's getting dark. He decides to take a shortcut when he sees a figure he recognizes very well, one that haunts his nightmares, even in the ridiculous disguise. Then he looks across the alley at the young man with shopping bags, trying to balance them, and the little boy who drops his toy, even though he has a stuffed dog tucked under his arm.

The Joker is quick, grabbing the little boy who lets out a scream. The man throws down the bags, staring at the ground where his son should be.

No.

He won't let an innocent child die.

To hell with Bruce and his stupid family, no life is worth more than the Joker's.

It happens so fast because the young man yells at the Joker to stop and give him back his crying son, and the Joker points his gun at the man and shoots him in the chest.

"Daddy!" The boy's anguished cry makes his blood boil.

He lets out a scream that grates in his throat. He pulls out his own gun and shoots the Joker in the arms so the little boy is free. He doesn't know when he moved so fast, nor when the sound of two guns fills the alley.

The Joker collapses, kicking his body away from the child, who will be deeply traumatized by this. He immediately looks at the father, still bleeding but seemingly very angry, his eyes glowing Lazarus green, yet he feels no hostility towards him.

The child has been silently staring at the body, then at him and his father, who lowers the gun.

"Nobody makes my baby cry" he says, panting. He seems tired, and both the child and he run towards him.

"I'll take you to the hospital. Stay awake. Where does it hurt?"

"I'm fine," he insists weakly, but the child throws himself into his arms, crying. "It's over now, sweetheart. The bad guy can't hurt you anymore" he tries to comfort.

"Daddy, you're bleeding," he manages to say.

"I'll take care of it, but we have to get you to the hospital."

"Just, just give me a moment," he insisted, then saw his hand change phase, probing inside.

Instinctively, he covered the eyes of the child who didn't need to see this, and moved him back slightly to give the young meta father some space. The child didn't protest and felt him cling to him. He saw the man remove the bullet from his body and the wound stop bleeding, perhaps even heal, seeing a faint blue glow through the fabric.

"Maybe we should get out of here..." the man said, looking again at the Joker's corpse.

They should, yes, but he couldn't leave the corpse there with the whole flock of bats and birds circling behind him. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.

"Hey, that trick you did with your hand, can you hide that?"

"Sure."

It was very surreal to hold a small child who was crying silently and hiding his face in his neck while the father of said child, who had been shot, was hiding the Joker's corpse, but he wasn't going to complain.

Father and son were safe, the Joker was dead, there was no body in sight. He lends his jacket to the man to cover his bloodstained clothes. The shopping bag is left behind, but not the small stuffed animal, and he leads them to a restaurant where they know him, so they can be discreet.

"Baby, it's over now, we're safe, come on."

Luckily, the boy obeys, letting go of the stuffed animal, but not completely. The man looks a little embarrassed, but after this, he won't get upset. The boy shakes his head without lifting his face, snuggling back against him.

"Why not, sweetheart?" he asks gently.

"Mommy."

Oh God, don't tell me the boy recently lost his mother. Please, let the boy have a mother.

"Mommy?" The other boy seems confused.

"I found Mommy. Mommy isn't lost anymore."

Huh...?

The man looks at his son and then at him a couple of times, then nods as if that makes sense.

“I see, you’re a very intelligent and clever boy,” he said as if this weren’t confusing enough. “Daddy’s proud, you’ve found Mommy.”

“I’m sorry…? ” he murmured, holding back a curse as he held the child in his arms.

“He’s decided you’re his mother.”

“Me?” He wanted to react more, but he didn’t want to scare the child.

“Yes, my name is Daniel Nightingale, but call me Danny. My son isn’t going to let go of you, so I’m sorry in advance.”

“I think he’s just trying to cope.”

“He’s been through a lot… He’s never clung to another adult before, no one else has ever held him. His name is Bruno, but he usually pays more attention if I call him "baby."

"That's sweet."

…

He blinks, staring at the ceiling of the Nightingale's guest room, losing all the sleep that was coming he way. How did he end up here?!

Again?!

He sits up in bed and puts he hands to her head. Why is he here again?! Why can't he leave?! Why doesn't he want to leave?!

It must be the trauma, a bond of trauma, that must be it.

Not because Danny is handsome and such a good father. Why on earth does he find him attractive when he's playing with Bruno? Why is he so attractive when Danny smiles at him?!

He flops back down on the mattress, still confused.

Little Bruno scared he when he realized he looked so much like Bruce. For a moment, he thought he could be another of Bruce's children, but that wouldn't make sense. He's looked at Bruno a lot, and he has small features of Danny, so unless Danny is the mother or has a sister, it wouldn't make much sense.

Bruno was stubborn; he didn't want to let go. He thought he'd gotten rid of them, but the next day he saw Bruno running towards him with his little face all annoyed, and Danny running after him. He called him "bad mom" for "running away."

So he realized that Danny wasn't lying when he said he was going to cling to him, even though he confused it with him calling him "mom." But he wouldn't be the first child to do that, so it didn't matter.

The thing is, the boy took over his life like a mushroom. He was acting very strangely because he accepted some calls against his better judgment, which became daily. Then he agreed to some outings to the park because the boy was very persuasive. It wasn't fair.

Of course, he had investigated them. Danny had a normal life when Bruno was left on his doorstep with a note saying he was his son, a DNA test, and that was it. Danny didn't even know who the mother was. He did his own paternity test, and the boy was his son, so he just moved on.

Bruno wouldn't let anyone near him, no adult except Danny, to whom he clung. He didn't talk much either. The boy had been through a lot, but because he became so agitated when someone tried to hold him, they couldn't examine him because, apparently, Danny couldn't bear to see him suffer like that.

Danny had an inheritance that allowed him to live without working. He finished university, studied medicine in another state, but he was taking time off since Bruno came into his life because he couldn't leave him alone.

So what he had been doing was making house calls, sometimes taking Bruno with him.

It was…admirable.

They had come to Gotham before, looking for a lead on the mother, but it quickly fizzled out. Sometimes, if someone wanted to disappear, they only had to go through Gotham, and then it was very difficult to search.

The trips to the park were replaced by meals at the apartment. Bruno liked the gray ghost too! The meals stretched into dinners, and then he stayed one night…

And then again

And again

Not consecutively, because he couldn't escape his responsibility in the alley, so he usually left when Bruno fell asleep, talked a little longer with Danny, and then left. Depending on how things were going, he'd leave in more of a hurry.

Danny said Bruno was improving, more active, and now he insisted a lot on being read to.

He won't admit that they almost cried when he baked Bruno cookies and Bruno lit up with so much happiness.

He won't admit it.

Because he'd noticed that sometimes Bruno would shut down, almost dissociate, but he'd react when they called him. He seemed very absorbed in himself. He didn't understand what he could be thinking. He really reminded him a lot of Bruce.

Is it strange because he reminds him so much of Bruce? Although the longer he looks at him, the more he resembles Danny, and well, Danny also looks a bit like Bruce, just like Dick and he supposedly think they look like Bruce, so this isn't strange at all.

He's been investigating anyway because there's a bit of magic in the boy, passively released, but he's not a fairy or anything like that, there's no ill intent towards him. Perhaps what worries him is that he ended up in Danny's life without things actually happening and that he's creating false memories.

He even went to keep an eye on Bruce for a bit, but he seemed fine, which is still strange.

He shouldn't be there.

He shouldn't get involved with the pair when they're civilians because he doesn't want to drag them towards him, but… He's attached. He's really attached and he doesn't really want to lose them.

Luckily, he's managed to keep them away from all his brothers and Bruce.

The Joker is still listed as missing; he's used that as an excuse to stay away, saying he's looking for him because he's planning something and can't be on the loose.

He can't go on like this; he has to leave.

The bedroom door opened slowly. He looked in and found Bruno hugging his stuffed animal, tears silently streaming down his face.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Did you have a nightmare?" he whispered, sitting on the bed. The boy nodded. "We're going to take you to Daddy."

He got up from the bed and approached, still cautiously, with slow movements. He picks up the child who clings to him, snuggling easily into his arms, and heads to the master bedroom.

He knocks on the door, but Danny doesn't answer. He must be asleep, so he goes in, seeing Danny…something is wrong.

He approaches, noticing how he's trembling in bed. He seems to be sweating profusely. He moves closer, shaking him gently. He seems to be having a nightmare too. Danny stirs, but wakes up with a start.

His shirt shifts, revealing part of a scar he knows well.

“…What?”

“I think you were both having a nightmare. Bru came looking for me, and it seems you did too.”

“Oh…” he blinks in the darkness, trying to breathe more easily. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize. Things happen.”

“Okay… let me make some room.”

In the end, Bruno doesn’t want to let go completely, and the three of them end up in the bed, which luckily wasn’t a single, although they’re squeezed in. Danny and he look at each other a little nervously, but at least the boy goes back to sleep.

He stays like that until he’s sure the little one is sound asleep.

“Who are you? You have... I saw part of the scar."

Danny remains silent, seemingly thinking, "I don't know if you'll believe me. You might think I'm crazy." He answers in a low voice.

"I was born in Gotham. I don't think you can surprise me," he insists. "I've seen Bru's eyes glow a little, but that would make sense if you're a meta."

"I'm not a meta," he blurts out suddenly.

"I've seen you use phase shifting on things."

"Becoming intangible is different from phase shifting," he clarifies.

"What are you then?"

“I had an accident,” he began, his expression serious as he stared at the ceiling for a moment, then back at him. “When I was younger… I died and came back, but I didn’t come back the same.”

“So you were buried too?” he asked, but Danny shook his head.

“My biological parents… were scientists… it’s not an autopsy scar.”

“Oh…” That was a horrible thing to discover. For a moment, Danny looked terrified, his mouth opening and closing as if he couldn’t say it. So he gave him time, praying that his gaze could convey all the understanding he could offer in the silence of the room, even though it was noisy outside.

“I think…” he began, blinking rapidly to hold back tears, glancing for a second at the little boy who slept safely between them. “I think the same thing happened to Baby,” he murmured. He felt his stomach churn because he knew what she was talking about. Even saying it in a whisper was heartbreaking for him; it must be horrible for Danny. “He died and came back.”

“I’ll hate the world if that’s what happened,” he said, trying not to imagine it. It was bad enough dying and returning to his own age, being older. Bruno was so small. They both looked at the child sleeping safely between them.

“Jason, can I tell you something?”

“Just say it,” he pleaded, though he had an idea of what she was going to say, a suspicion that had also crossed his mind as soon as Danny mentioned what might have happened.

“I think he bonded with you because…you also died and came back.”

He tensed up a little, but there was no hiding it. He hadn’t asked the questions he’d had when he saw Danny get shot. He had healed.

“Yeah, maybe that’s it,” he grimaced. “What gave me away?”

“I can sense it if that makes any sense to you, so I think he can sense it too, it explains why when we were walking and he was running away he knew where you were, he could sense you through Crime Alley.”

“What?” He blinked in confusion, but thought about it for a moment. Returning from death hadn't given him anything special; it had been the Lazarus Pit… but Ra's didn't have this near-super strength that he had, nor how he healed faster, no longer got sick, these enhanced senses, and when he was fully under the effects of the pit, he was unstoppable. The pit didn't improve Ra's's body, it didn't improve Cass's body, who also suffered from malnutrition when he escaped from David Cain; it didn't do to him what it did to him. Ra's considered him a creature freed into the world.

Perhaps those improvements came from his resurrection more than the pit, just as Danny could become intangible, heal, and his eyes also glowed Lazarus green. Perhaps resurrection would give Bruno something.

“You felt like me, even though there’s… something weird.”

“I came back bad.”

“Jason, there’s no way to come back good. The dead don’t come back, they shouldn’t. Everyone comes back bad.”

“You have no idea how bad I came back, Danny.”

“I know you’re Red Hood.”

“I guess feeling it makes it obvious.” He rolled his eyes, goodbye to his secret identity.

“Yeah, it does, and also because everyone else says it with pride.”

“Everyone else?” he asked, confused.

“The other shadow ghosts.”

“Yeah, there must be a lot of them around here.” There should be a lot of ghosts in Gotham, no doubt.

“You have no idea.” He chuckled softly, trying to cope with the past tension.

They fell silent again, processing things.

“Are you okay with me being Red Hood?” He doesn't know why he's asking, but he feels he needs to know if this is the final conversation. If Danny doesn't accept, it could endanger Bruno if anyone finds out. They could be objective, and above all, he doesn't want to be feared by Danny, or by either of them.

However, Danny shook his head, his expression firm and determined. "I'm not going to judge you for how you take care of your shelter. I'd be a bit hypocritical. But I think you really do care. You care about all your people. You're brave. You're...human."

"What does that mean?"

“I was curious, so I followed them sometimes, the other vigilantes,” he clarifies. “Being invisible, they also care about this city, the people. They want the best, but mmm, it seems like they try not to feel. They bottle up their emotions, they pack them away, they don't process them. They demand so much of themselves as if they've forgotten that feeling, reacting, makes them human. Although I haven't followed all of them, I only did it if the opportunity arose. They repress everything.”

“You have no idea.” Bruce doesn't teach anyone proper communication skills. None of them are really well-adjusted.

“You feel more freely.”

“I feel too much. I'm too emotional.”

“That's how the dead are, Jay… sometimes that's all that's left. When they no longer have a body, a beating heart, or a brain that processes things, emotions do persist. The dead are emotional because sometimes memories don't stay.”

“You're trying to say that my problem is normal.”

“I'm trying to say that even if you were ‘emotional’ before, it was only going to be amplified afterward.” "That you came back?"

"I don't think that's the case... I woke up in my grave," he confessed, looking at Danny's surprised expression.

"So you had to get out of there on your own?"

"Yes, the rest is a blur until I came to my senses again, furious. I had so much anger, I still do, but it's calmed down since we met."

"Can you really trust me just once, tomorrow?" he asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"I think I can help, I really can, but I don't want to do it without your permission. But I want to try."

He considered it for a second. What did he really have to lose? He knew the well was incurable, so it wasn't going to work, and if by some stroke of luck it did, he'd come out on top.

"Okay, I'll trust him."

"Thanks." The genuine smile made him nervous.

"Don't be weird," he pleaded, trying to hide his nervousness. There was a strange tension in the air. They looked at each other more intensely than expected. Their conversation had become emotional, vulnerable, strange—it was so... peculiar. But he couldn't help but notice Danny's lips and try to lean in. Everything was happening in hushed tones. They had a small child between them; they shouldn't be doing whatever it was they were doing.

"Jason, I don't know if I'm misreading things, but..."

He wasn't really good at this kind of thing, but he closed the distance and kissed Danny.

It was slow, awkward, uncomfortable because of their position, but it felt like it was right.

The nervous smile, the blush on his cheeks, and the way Danny tucked him in a little more, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers, only made him snuggle closer.

"I'm glad we're on the same page."

He settled in too, more relaxed, and looked at Bruno, who was oblivious to everything, safe between him and Danny. Maybe things could be alright in the morning, even if the madness of the well was incurable, he could stay a little longer.

"Yes, we should sleep."

"Yes... goodnight, Starlight." The nickname seemed tentative; he just felt awkward but smiled.

"Goodnight, beloved."

Perhaps this was he sign that he could finally have a family, someone who understood what it was like to die and come back, someone who had also suffered, and perhaps together they could help the little boy she had grown so attached to that she could no longer pretend otherwise.

Maybe everything would be better in the morning. He would protect them, hide them so no one could hurt them, inside this apartment, a bubble against the horror outside.

Tomorrow he would make pancakes for breakfast

______________________

It's been a strange few months, but there's nothing to suggest it's external.

Maybe he really is having a midlife crisis.

He's been feeling more nostalgic lately, nostalgic for everything. Sometimes he thinks he hears the echo of his father's voice, his laughter; he has more memories of his old medical bag.

One morning he woke up to the taste of the cookies his mother used to bake and had to stay in bed to avoid suppressing the emotions he felt, as if the treacherous tears were washing away the old pain that lay deeper after so many years.

He knows he's been dreaming about them more, even if the dreams are hazy he wakes up; at first it was more about his father, and then about his mother.

He dreams about that night, although the outcome is different.

The sound of gunshots, a single man lying dead on the ground. This time, Thomas and Martha Wayne leave the alley. Pearls glitter on the ground, scattered and forgotten. They leave the alley, he eats cookies and drinks milk, and his parents tuck him into bed. The world has a different meaning when he wakes up.

He also misses his children terribly, even if many of them are still out there.

Sometimes he feels like he's flying with Dick by his side, but Dick isn't there when he turns around, just like in the early years.

He's been staring at Damian at breakfast, remembering how he used to love Talia, long ago. When the news of her pregnancy seemed to fill him with hope, when Ra's was less crazy, a very enthusiastic father-in-law.

It's strange how he isn't missing Jason as he usually does. His ghost doesn't haunt him, his memory doesn't hurt. Perhaps he's finally accepting what happened, ceasing to mourn the boy who died and becoming curious about the young man who returned. Although she went to the library, picking up a random book, she remembers reading it with him. There are small annotations made by that boy who no longer exists, but now it seems they could also have come from the young man who is now her son.

The fight they had a while ago seems so stupid now that she remembers it. They've seen each other since Jason left.

They seem to be following the routine of not talking about the problem, which makes it even more stupid.

But Jason also seems a little tired, a little different when they're in the same room, so this time she isn't pestering him. This time she doesn't know what she's really waiting for, but pestering her second son seems like a bad idea.

Instead, she wants to pester her other children.

Damian asked him if he's sleeping better because he seems more relaxed. Cass seems pleased by that; she hugged him tighter, as if she were witnessing something she'd been waiting for.

Steph almost fell off the ceiling when she laughed at one of his jokes.

Tim is harder to harass because… this time, he doesn't really want to know what Tim is doing with his team. But he texts him and sends him random photos he's taking for some reasons.

He hangs more pictures of Tim around the house; when he sees him appear, he seems shy.

A week ago, he saw Jason near his territory. He stared at him, without his helmet, just the red domino, his hair messy, almost as tall as him, as muscular as him, but still focused on protecting.

He had the impression that he resembled Thomas Wayne.

He remembered some words his father had said to him. Perhaps both answers were right and at the same time, both answers were wrong. He couldn't accept it, but it was too late now.

He wouldn't say it out loud either, but he could accept it better. Gotham was never easy; it devours hope.

He used to have hope.

This was still his son. Things will never be the same…but they didn't have to be worse, they didn't have to be this way.

A father shouldn't have to bury his son. There's no name for something like this. A son who loses his father is an orphan, a person who loses their spouse is a widow or widower, there's no name for a father who loses a son.

But his son came back. This is still his son. Against all natural sense, his son came back.

I'm happy you're alive, that you came back.

The words seemed to physically strike his son. He opened his mouth, but no clever words came out, no sign of struggle. In fact, it was as if the air had been stolen from him, a gasp that reminded him more of a newborn taking its first breath.

Jason turned to leave as if the devil were after him. This time, he didn't feel he'd said the wrong words. In fact, he felt he'd said the precise and right words.

His mother once told him that the hardest words are sometimes "I'm sorry" and "thank you."

He had said "I'm sorry," but the right word was "thank you."

Alfred almost tripped when I asked him what he had done that night. I looked at him with something strange that seemed like hope and joy.

Forget the midlife crisis; he must be dying or being mind-controlled.

…Actually, it doesn't seem so bad, if he is being mind-controlled in some way, though Dying right now isn't ideal.

A week after telling Jason that, he feels like Jason is spying on him, looking at him as if he were a dangerous animal, but for some reason, he finds this behavior amusing, so he pretends not to notice, even though Damian clearly sees him and yells at him.

So he tells Damian, "I'm grateful you were born."

Damian is surprised, seemingly losing all the tension he didn't even know he had, but nods as if it were obvious.

Alfred even put an extra cookie on his plate that night.

He takes small actions that unsettle his sons but seem like the right step. Maybe he can be mind-controlled for a while longer; it doesn't seem to hurt him.

When Jason announces he'll be leaving town for a while, he isn't actually scared. He leaves a voicemail and waits, certain his son will return.

A thumbs-up emoji is his response.

But things can't last forever, it seems, not when he goes downstairs and finds Dick with a young man who could be his son.

Why doesn't anyone tell him he has a son of his own?! He can easily pay child support and adhere to a visitation schedule!

Tim seems to have collapsed in Alfred's arms, Damian looks insulted by the other young man's presence.

Dick looks very nervous.

"Hey B," he greets him shyly. "Well, uh, this is Terry," he introduces.

Terry, who is almost an exact copy of him, except for the haircut, has slightly more tanned skin, is a bit taller than Dick is standing next to him, his cheekbones are different, his eyes are a bit smaller but that same blue he sees in the mirror, and he has a smile that looks familiar to him.

He seems like a relaxed and normal young man, very handsome in Dick's clothes. He could be a model; maybe his mother is a model. She dated many models back when her body wasn't a map of inexplicable scars. Terry meets his gaze and isn't intimidated.

Tim seems to come back to life in Alfred's arms. "You promised not to bring him yet!"

"Listen, we couldn't hide it any longer," says his eldest son.

It seems even Damian knew about Terry.

Cass appears, looks at Terry, who is looking at her. They stare intensely for a few seconds. Cass takes out her phone, brazenly snaps a picture of Terry, and then sends some text messages.

"I'll be back in a moment, don't go anywhere."

Actually, they go into the living room. Terry is mute. Dick found him in a circus while following a clue in another city. He solved the problem but found Terry. The circus people only said that Terry joined when someone found him wandering alone like a homeless person. They accepted him because he was good as an acrobat and doing tricks, but they let him go when he refused to let Dick go.

He knew ASL, followed Dick everywhere; they were practically a team in Bludhaven because even though he didn't speak, he was very intelligent, had a great sense of humor, and a strong personality. Tim inevitably found out and had also become attached to him. Finally, Dick couldn't hide it from Damian, but Terry had managed to win him over.

Cass returned with Steph, Duke, and an adult man who also looked very similar to Bruce. His beard was neatly trimmed, his hair wasn't completely black but rather brown, and his eyes were brown. He looked like a tired father, really.

"This is George," Cass introduced.

"Maybe you actually have a long-lost brother instead of a long-lost son, and now you also have a long-lost nephew," Steph blurted out.

"George can't speak much, but he's good at ASL," Duke reported.

"Wow, that's more awkward," Tim said. "Where did you find him?"

“Hong Kong, lost on the streets like me,” Cass said.

George moved, hugging Cass, then Steph and Duke.

“I love you.” His voice was hoarse, raspy. “Thank you.”

Then he walked over to Bruce, who stood up, unsure of what to expect, but George hugged him too and disappeared.

Bruce’s knees nearly buckled, but he managed to stay upright.

“Wow, it really is magic,” Dick blurted out.

“Stay away from Terry, Father! ”

Bruce didn’t even have time to think that this was kind of Damian.

Zatanna examined him and then Terry, who had kept his distance from Bruce.

She nodded. “Someone cast a spell on you. It’s something healing,” the mage explained. “It seems you’ve somehow split into different versions of yourself.”

She held them spellbound, still looking at Terry.

“But?” Bruce asked, still feeling strange.

“These kinds of spells aren’t that long-lasting. It must have dissipated a long time ago. He’s drawing energy from somewhere, a lot of energy, because normally when this happens, the other versions of you aren’t that far away.”

“But George wasn’t the same as B. His hair was brown and his eyes were dark,” Steph said.

“He was mimicking your traits, as a way of anchoring himself. If you spent even more time with him, he’d start to become more different and adapt to being a relative of yours,” she explained, turning back to Terry.

“So you have to reunite.” Tim seemed somewhat disappointed by that.

“Yes, you have to, but it seems Terry isn’t ready for that yet. In fact, I’m a little worried because there should be two more of you here,” she told them seriously.

“Two more? A younger version of me would make sense, but another one?” Bruce questioned

“This one feels like one of four. There must certainly be a younger Bruce somewhere and a slightly older Bruce. One of those two is the one with an energy source that gave the others enough anchor to remain so long and in places so far from the original Bruce.” He cast a small spell, golden lines forming a globe where a red dot appeared.

“There’s only one dot there,” Duke commented.

“So the other Bruce must have faded away on his own, and only one remains.”

“Isn’t that bad?” Dick asked, worried.

“Not if that Bruce felt ready. Ideally, he would have met his original, but he could also have been ready on his own. It’s not like Bruce loses his memories, or that part of him just feels more distant, impersonal.” Zatanna confronted him. “How have you been feeling?”

“Nostalgic,” he looked at the globe, glanced at the dot, and knew where his other self was: “He’s with Talia.”

“Why Talia and not Jason? It would make more sense if another Bruce found Jason,” Tim commented, but then looked at Terry. “Maybe that’s why Terry isn’t ready, because he hasn’t been in contact with Jason, and George hasn’t been with Jason either, so Terry isn’t ready for that reason. We need Jason to get him ready.”

“That’s going to be difficult. Jason isn’t even on the planet,” Dick said. “I heard he went into space with Kory. I don’t know exactly why, but Jason won’t be available anytime soon.”

“Wow, that means we’ll have to stick with Terry a little longer.” Steph seemed very pleased with that, as did Damian.

“We still have to go after the Bruce who’s with Talia,” Dick reminded them.

“Could the Lazarus Pits be the energy?” Cass asked, and Zatanna seemed to consider it.

“It could be.”

“What about little Bruce?” Duke seemed thoughtful. “We had the old Bruce, Dick found the 19-year-old Bruce, the maybe 30-year-old Bruce is with Talia, but who was little Bruce with if not Jason? It doesn’t make much sense. Who took care of little B, who was ready to leave on his own?”

“I’ve been dreaming about my parents.”

“But they…” Duke’s words trailed off.

Silence fell. Zatanna took Bruce’s wrist, making him stand close to Terry but still a little far away. She touched Terry’s forehead with two fingers, then did the same to Bruce, after a small spell, acting as the conduit between them.

Bruce could see in his mind an alley in Crime Alley, not the alley where his parents had died, but he recognized it from Jason. Everything seemed vast, terrifying, and smelled foul. He felt a great deal of anguish, but the noise was as if he were underwater. There was a voice, then a touch. Someone was standing in front of him.

“Are you lost, chum?”

For a moment it was Thomas Wayne, he was sure of it. A second later, he seemed to shrink, without his mustache, without his suit, but wearing a trench coat. He knew it was him. His face was quite similar: black hair, blue eyes, Caucasian, a worried expression.

His inner child lunges toward him, calling for Dad. The young man catches him, and something clicks. He stands, regaining his balance, and holds him, taking off his trench coat to cover him so he won't get cold. He runs his large hand down his back to comfort him. "It's okay, baby, I've got you. Let's get to safety," he murmurs as they leave the alley.

I blink. I'm in an apartment. I recognize the young man with a medical bag nearby. Other adults are close by, talking. He has a stuffed animal in his hands, which he's chewing on, but he's watching the young man who's examining another child in bed. I can't make out what the other people are saying, but from behind, the young man and Thomas Wayne look very similar. I reach out to take something from the bag His father The young man smiles.

"Just that one, sweetheart. You're a smart kid." The other adults flattered him too, but he stuck closer to the young man, went back to his briefcase taking out a lollipop to give to someone else, the young man's large hand passed through his hair and he relaxed

Another blink, a toy store. It was in the young man's arms. When his gaze lingered on a toy for more than a few seconds, he threw it into the cart. There was more clothing, clothing with the bat on it, and his younger self made a face.

"Well, bats can be a little scary and carry a lot of diseases. You're right, Lil Star, not bats, but there are dinosaurs and little corgi dogs. I think we'll take both."

It was almost night his father the young man was holding the shopping bag better, he was about to give him his hand when someone grabbed him from behind, the noise of things falling, the young man screamed running towards him furiously

"Give me back my son!"

A gunshot.

Someone screamed, a horrible scream next to his own, someone else screamed, more gunshots, he fell, fell to the ground, blood.

Someone else was dead, he ran to his father who had a gun, he had fired, someone else was there.

“Nobody makes my baby cry,” his father says, panting, the bloodstain spreading.

“I’ll take you to the hospital, stay awake, where does it hurt?”

He doesn’t recognize the other person but tries to help his father.

“I’m okay,” he insists weakly.

His little self cries, throws himself towards him and is easily caught. “It’s over now, sweetheart, the bad guy can’t hurt you anymore,” he tries to comfort.

He doesn’t know what they’re saying, but the other person is helping the young man; in fact, he doesn’t let go of that person. He feels like his mother; he knows it in the same way he found the young man. This person is his mother.

The apartment is cleaner, some toys are nearby, it's not cold, and someone is holding him.

"In my defense, I can cook, it's just that he burned the first batch when he tried a new recipe. He's an angel, but he can be picky."

"Maybe the new textures are difficult for him" the person holding him hums as they easily lift him and stir something in a pot that smells familiar.

"It looks like he's going to really like what you're cooking."

"I learned it from my grandfather. It's good for growing children," the person says, their voice a little deep and low, as if they're careful not to speak too loudly and scare him.

They ran off holding a book toward someone. "Do you want me to read to you, Bonnie Bonnie?" A slightly deep, manly laugh—it seems his mother has been reincarnated as a man. They pick him up, go to the sofa, cover him with a blanket, and settle him practically on their lap so he can see the book. "What should we read today, Bru? The Little Mermaid?”

His little self flips pages to a girl in a red cape.

“Little Red Riding Hood, of course” he said, sounding a bit ironic. “You don’t like Batman, but you do like Red Hood.”

He knows he’s crying, wanting to go to her mother.

“Mommy has to go to work, Bonnie. Daddy will stay with you. You won’t be alone.”

“I’m so sorry. I know you have to go. Come on, little prince, she won’t be gone forever. Mommy has to go to work.”

“Well, you warned me you weren’t going to let go. I can’t say I was tricked.” He laughs. “Okay, we can watch one more episode of The Gray Ghost, but then Mommy has to work.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Nonsense. I can’t see him crying like this… Does he get this upset when you try to take him to the specialist?”

“Oh no, worse, he’s screaming like he’s being hurt.”

“Jesuschrist.”

There were suitcases on the bed, lots of winter clothes. Dad didn’t seem to know what to pack for him; his own suitcase was almost empty.

“It’s very cold, but they’re the best doctors. They’ll help Mom.”

“Is Mom going to die?” His own voice took him by surprise. His father shuddered. His father came closer, crouching down to his level and placing his hands on his shoulders, running a hand along his cheek.

“No, Bruno, you found Mom. You found me. I promise you won’t lose us. Mom will be okay. You’ll be okay. That’s why we’re going to find some good doctors.”

“Better than you?”

“Well, I learned from them” he smiled. “Mom will be fine, the three of us will be fine. Maybe we can buy a new little house, maybe a dog. Dad will get us a little house with a garden.”

“I like it here.”

“You and your mom really like this town” he sighed, smiling. “So we’ll go on a little trip. It’ll be fun. We’ll make snowmen, go sledding. I hope your mom likes it too. You got a very pretty mom.”

“mommy makes good cookies.”

The young man laughed, kissing him on the forehead.

“I love you so much, my baby.”

He blinked, dazed. It seemed as if only a few seconds had passed. Terry, his 19-year-old self, also seemed a little dazed, rubbing the spot where Zatanna had touched him.

"What did you see?" Zatanna placed her hand on his shoulder, her expression sympathetic.

"My younger self looks much smaller, but he met a young doctor. He's... he looks a lot like my father. He feels like him, and like my mother too."

"Reincarnation is possible. It seems your parents have been reborn, and your younger self brought them together." She smiled more warmly. "Perhaps they don't remember being your parents, but they're together again."

"So the reincarnations of Thomas and Martha Wayne are in Gotham with a little Bruce!" Steph blurted out cheerfully,

“My mother is sick.” He was very confused, a little shocked. “They left Gotham to seek medical help. They were wearing coats, it was a cold place, but my younger self spoke. It seems he can do that.”

“Wow, that’s strange,” the magician commented.

“If the other Bruce can disappear, do we really need to go after him?” Dick really didn’t want to see Talia. He didn’t want to see a younger version of Bruce with Talia again. He’d already been through that and didn’t want to go through it again.

“If we were sure he’s going to disappear, then we could just let him be. But since he must be the one with the most energy, there’s a possibility he could gain consciousness. If he gets enough energy, he could even become a real person, but he’d lack many memories. He’s stuck at an older age, and do we really want another Batman around?”

“We need to go after him, right now.”

“Richard, what are you implying!”

“I’m sorry, Dami, but I don’t think you want another little brother. Besides, what if this Bruce changes because of Talia and starts killing? We don’t want a Batman who’s out there killing in the League of Assassins,” he explained.

Most of them grimaced at the mere thought.

“Well, we have to rescue Bruce again,” Tim sighed wearily.

“What worries you?” Cass approached, worried to see her father distracted.

“My younger self disappeared. That means that couple had a child in their care, and then that child disappeared. My mother is sick. They went to another country. They might be distraught because Bruno disappeared. They don't know why he disappeared.”

“Then those who stay here in Gotham will search for what they can of the new Waynes, and the rest of us will rescue the other Bruce,” Dick explained easily. “Terry, you're staying here.”

Terry smiled, which was somewhat terrifying, and simply flipped him the bird.

“Oh, please! You're not going to see Talia too! Go find Selina or Clark!” Dick roared, indignant.

“What are you implying about my mother, Richard?!”

_________________

I look at the little boy Phantom had brought; his lessons on magic weren't very advanced yet, so he probably didn't know he was the little terror.

A small green note from Lord Clockwork appeared beside him. He read it, looked at the little one, then back at the note, and further away, he looked at the newly formed couple.

Ah, they really are cute together. They truly love the little one; losing him like this would break their hearts. And Hood had this worried motherly air about her—the little terror called her "Mom." Losing the little one wouldn't help their relationship or the future king consort's well-being.

"Little prince, would you like to stay with your parents forever?" she asked gently.

The little one looked at her with great intensity, then back at his parents and then back at her, nodding.

“I don’t want to lose them again, I don’t want to hurt anyone else, I want to make Mom smile, I hurt her,” he confessed dejectedly.

“Well, I’ll help you. You must have taken a lot of Phantom’s energy, right? But you need more, and a lot of willpower, little spook. We can only stay if we have enough willpower.”

The little one nodded again, his expression full of determination. A few freckles began to appear, his hair a little curlier, but he still looked a lot like Phantom. Well, curiously, Phantom and Red Hood were very similar in some features.

“Please help me, Princess Dorothea. I want to stay with Mom and Dad.”

“Oh, you’re such a sweetheart, little spook,” the blonde cooed. “We’re going to help you become real so you can stay with your parents. You’ll have to be very brave.”

The little one seemed very determined. He was excellent!

_________________

“The first step, little fright, is to ensure your parents remain in the Infinite Realms as long as possible, so you can gather enough energy to sustain yourself,” Princess Dorothea declared.

He was determined to become a real person on his own.

At first, he was a normal fragment, not having many thoughts of his own, but there was an energy in his father that nourished him. This same energy would reach the other fragments and the original one. Since he was always with his father, he began to have his own thoughts. His father didn't realize he was absorbing all that energy.

Sometimes it was very difficult to manage the other three.

Terry was lost for a while because he also gained a little more awareness. He joined the circus because it reminded him of Dickie.

Terry was the one with a little more life, but he didn't seem to have the initiative to seek energy. It seemed enough for him to follow Dickie around and be his ally.

George was the one to whom he sent a lot of energy because he was the one who had gone very far searching… Actually, he didn't know what he was looking for, but he found Cass! Cass was always good, although it took her a while to get George to come closer, and even longer to get him to take a plane to Gotham.

Beloved, he had a little energy nearby, so he didn't worry about him. He didn't really want to see him; he was the fragment who wanted to be alone, so he could be alone. The fragment that hurt everyone, so he was glad it didn't get many thoughts.

Then there was his original. He didn't know what to do with him. He had the memories of the original, even if he was a child. And then there was Mom.

He was really scared that the original would hurt Mom. Mom loved them both so much! Mom should be happy with Dad!

His original was a fool.

Now that he was in the Phantom Zone, or Infinite Realms as Princess Dorothea called them, the others wouldn't be able to stay for long, not when he was away.

Terry shared a thought when he told him he was going far away:

"Cause them as many gray hairs as you can, Bruno!"

It felt like a goodbye. So he had to live, for Dad and Mom, and for Terry too.

The first step was easy: he wouldn't let the doctors examine him. He would drag it out as long as possible, even if it made Dad and Mom sad. He would apologize later.

He was trying to absorb as much ectoplasm as he could, just like Princess Dorothea had taught him. For now, Mom's treatment was important, even though Dad had already helped a lot. They came because they wanted to be sure. He would have to keep Mom in bed resting, and he would have Dad read to her as many books as he could.

After his third failed visit to the doctors, Dad decided to take them to a place with many clocks. Dad wanted to know why he didn't like going to the doctor, and he really wanted to know where he had come from.

The ghost that lived where the clocks were was small, then large and old, then small again. It was curious to see it like that.

How could he distract the clock ghost so that it wouldn't tell his parents the truth?

A green note appeared in his hands when Mom and Dad weren't looking.

“The truth is, I've wanted a grandson :) If you touch any clock within your reach, you'll have time and you can distract your parents. Good luck, little grandson.”

He looked at the ghost who winked at him, nodded, and hugged Mr. Minnie tighter.

There were many clocks within his reach. He decided he would wait a while, until his parents were talking to his grandfather, to touch one of them.

Luckily, Dad let him be when he sat down on a small chair that appeared.

He moved silently, pretending to trip, towards the first clock he saw.

When he opened his eyes, it seemed like he was somewhere else… where was this?

Mom told him he didn't have to run but stay where he was, but now he had to disobey to have time, so he ran down the dirt path.

________________

Her new boyfriend wasn't even from he dimension, but he'd managed to remove the Lazarus Pit, so he didn't complain.

Things improved a lot, although the miracle didn't last long. Danny was surprised by that; the decision had been to seek out specialized doctors.

He trusted Danny, which was strange to say.

He also wanted to run away again because Bruce was acting strangely. He felt it was unfair because he felt he was finally getting over it, and Bruce had decided to be emotionally competent for once, and he feared the change wouldn't last.

So he asked Kori a favor: he was going to leave the planet. If anyone asked, he'd go with her. He told her a little of the truth: he needed space from his family. He wouldn't leave like Hood, and that way no one would look for him if he said he wasn't even in the solar system.

He asked Tim for help. His people let him go. He packed what Danny asked for, and…the afterlife is green.

Bruno was more curious about everything; he was allowing himself to explore.

Danny is a crown prince, what the hell?

The doctor was a yeti, who agreed to go to the palace to examine him and see how Bruno reacted to his presence.

Good news, his problem is curable. It really is curable, it will take some time but he will have to rest there in the infinite realms.

Bruno seemed to accept Princess Dorothea as a companion and temporary nanny.

It was strange not having him around, my God, he was more attached than he thought. During his doctor's appointment in Far Frozen, he spent worried about his baby, calling him his baby in his head more times than he would admit.

Danny also seemed nervous about being away like that. When they returned, Bruno hugged them both very tightly. They ended up in a room, Danny's room, actually, on the enormous bed. Bruno insisted that Danny read to both of them and tried to tuck him in.

Their baby is so good, of course he doesn't look anything like Bruce. Brunie, though he rarely speaks, says "I love you, Mommy" (he cried when Bruno said that for the first time). He was a very considerate little boy who tried to help or hug him.

Their son heard the word "rest" and sat beside him like a little sentinel. He left Mr. Minnie, his stuffed dog, on top of him so he wouldn't get out of bed. Sometimes he moved the blankets as if they weren't quite right. He made Danny read Pride and Prejudice for both of them, although Bruno didn't seem to understand it completely or was interested. He didn't let Danny stop until he fell asleep.

Now, the doctor's visit went just as they expected: badly. In fact, they didn't even get very far.

They had suggested Leslie, but when they took him and Bruno saw her, disaster struck. He screamed that he didn't want to be there, repeating "no" over and over again, with cries and screams that made it sound like he was begging for his life.

I couldn't stand him for even two minutes, even though Danny tried to calm him down, but it didn't work.

He couldn't bear it; he had to leave the room first because he wanted to cry. Damn it, he really couldn't hear him like that, so he went back in, took his baby from Danny's arms, and left the clinic, walking almost running, comforting his son.

A child isn't that afraid of someone for no reason.

He realized that Danny didn't dress like a doctor; he didn't even have a white coat or any typical uniform. He didn't leave his instruments on him either; everything was in his bag. He wore a beige or black trench coat.

It was Danny's own trauma. It was actually surprising that he was a doctor, but he got the impression that it was a terrible coping mechanism, like his with warehouse explosions and levers.

Bruno didn't see Danny as a doctor.

That time, with Leslie, they let Bruno watch all the episodes of The Gray Ghost until he fell asleep. The three of them slept in the same bed, although Danny and he barely slept.

Danny's scar was a horrifying reminder of what could have happened to his son. He had no scars himself, but he'd seen how quickly the boy healed from scrapes.

Before coming to the Infinite Realms, Danny confessed that Bruno wasn't his son, but that he'd found him in an alley and couldn't let go. In Gotham, everything is so easy to get, so he even managed to get a fake DNA test and kept Bruno.

He didn't feel he had the right to claim him because he'd been adopted for stealing the tires off the Batmobile in an alley. There were too many orphans with black hair and blue eyes in Gotham.

He would have done the same.

He was going to torture the people who traumatized and hurt his Brunie Bonnie.

Going to see Danny's pseudo-father, the Time Ancient, the introductions were going well when they heard a small "woo!"

He glanced over quickly only to see his baby fall past a nearby clock after tripping.

"Bruno!" He shouted, but the portal clock was too small for either Danny or him to enter.

“Clockwork!” Danny yelled, looking at the clock.

“Over here” another clock moved, not the same one but it was bigger. Clockwork looked at them. “You will appear before he falls. You must wait until another portal opens above the bell tower to return” he explained.

“Okay, above the bell tower, we’ll go back.” Danny took his hand, and they passed by the clock without further delay.

He felt strange when he opened his eyes. It looked like the countryside; nothing nearby told them where they could be, and there was no sign of Bruno either.

“Where is this?” he asked Danny, who looked around.

“If there’s a bell tower we have to go back to, then there must be a town nearby. The best question is, what country are we in?” He sighed, looking at the sky. “I’m worried that the portal he fell through is too high for him,” he explained.

“Damn it,” he said. He shouldn’t panic. He knows he shouldn’t panic. “So, a portal opens above the bell tower, and we’ll go back… How many times have you been lost in time?”

“What gave me away?”

“Sometimes you're a little clumsy, Danny, and I feel like it's normal in that lair,” he smiled slightly.

“I wouldn't really say I got lost, but I was chasing someone who stole an object I had to get back. But sometimes clockwork's asks me to do something at a certain point in time to solve a problem. It's just that I missed the portal and have to wait for the next one. That usually makes me take the long way back. The rules with the flow of time are rigid and complicated sometimes.” He looked around. “There!”

He looked where Danny pointed. A small clock portal opened. It was easier to see because it was so distinctive, but it was a kilometer away. Bruno looked all around, seemed to panic, and ran in another direction. Since when is he so fast?!

“Damn it, he's gone!” He started running after his son.

“Jason! I can fly, remember?!”

Actually no, he didn't remember that, but his son won't get lost in the flow of time like Bruce; his son is smarter than that.

_______________

There had been no news of Jason for almost two months, which was a little sad because Terry hadn't been able to see him.

The other fragment of Bruce had made a mess of things with Talia, which he wasn't really complaining about because at least Ra's al Ghul was dead. That Bruce had helped Talia become the demon's head.

Damien didn't know if his mother would give him a brother; he didn't want one. They managed to bring the other Bruce to the mansion for a while, but he actually escaped to incapacitate as many of the rogues as he could.

At least he didn't kill them, but Crane is paralyzed from the neck down, Penguin's legs were broken so badly that walking wouldn't be an option, Blackmask is blind and deaf with a limp. The only ones that Bruce hadn't managed to hurt as badly were Killer Croc and Bane, but he had done something to them; they weren't sure what.

It was astonishing how efficiently and quickly Bruce—or rather, a fragment of him—was able to incapacitate the vast majority of the rogues. He was undoubtedly a man on a mission.

At least Riddler still has one eye and will only need his cane forever.

He didn't seem frantically searching for the Joker, who had been missing for a long time. His presence was making them nervous, and they knew it was one of the reasons Jason left when he couldn't find him, so they had to ask if he had done anything to the Joker.

Terry and that Bruce just stared at each other in silence, intensely. Then Terry told them that the Joker wouldn't hurt anyone again; he was gone. He didn't lower Bruce's hand, but he assured them that he was gone for good.

The last actions of that fragment of Bruce while it remained in the mansion were to take Jason's memorial plaque, make a new one, remove the suit, create a sort of new grave for him in Wayne Cemetery, place another suit on the memorial alongside the others, hug them all, especially Alfred, and say, "Now everything is alright."

They called Zatanna again, who told them that since the fragment with the most energy had already returned to Bruce, Terry didn't have much time left; the spell would run its course.

Searching through past records, Bruce managed to find the incident that caused all of this. It had been a mission with the Justice League. One of the people Bruce had rescued had said something strange when he saved him, possibly a magician who wanted to thank him in his own way with something that, in theory, shouldn't have lasted so long.

Terry stopped staring at the dining room, sent one last thought: his energy was gone. So he hugged Alfred, who smiled.

He grabbed Duke for a hug, then pulled Steph over. Dick and Cass came on their own, they laughed, and then she went for Tim and Damian, who accepted her hug with far more eagerness than he was willing to admit.

“Wait, Jason’s not ready yet” Tim insisted, stopping Terry by grabbing his wrist.

The fragment shook his head. “He doesn’t need me” his voice cracked slightly. “Jason already has the Bruce he needs.”

“Oh…it’s still a little unfair that I couldn’t be here with you,” Steph commented.

The fragment shook his head again, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “You’re going to have some fun.”

“Oh my god, that sounded sinister,” Duke complained, a little nervous.

“You can hit the original when he’s being a jerk,” he encouraged them, looking at Bruce. “When you find Mom, you’ll have a lot to apologize for. You might go through a crisis, but Mom is still her in this life and any other. Her essence hasn’t changed and it won’t.”

“You know where they are, so why not say?” Bruce questioned.

“Aren’t you the world’s greatest detective?” He scoffed, “Where would the fun be if I told you? Mom loves us too much... So you’ll definitely be reborn.”

After those words, he touched Bruce and disappeared.

“That sounded really weird and sinister,” Duke insisted.

“Maybe the current Martha is a woman who transitioned to a man?” Steph blurted out her idea; it was actually a possibility.

“How are you feeling, B?” Dick asked.

“I have a feeling I’m in trouble,” he confessed. It was a very strange and frightening feeling.

____________

After a long journey through time and the multiverse, they finally managed to return to where Clockwork was waiting for them. They had missed some portals because they couldn't stand idly by in the face of injustice, and they had to wait for the next one, which in some cases took a whole week.

He reassured Jason, insisting that he was sure time in his world didn't flow the same way; they would return as planned, even with these setbacks.

Somehow, the impromptu trip also helped Bruno; he seemed more aware, no longer lost in thought for so long.

He allowed himself to collapse on the floor of the Clockwork shelter with Bruno in his arms, and Jason did the same.

"I'm glad you're back despite everything," he said with that smile he knew meant something; he loved the old ghost too much to complain now. "I'll answer the questions you had at the beginning."

Clockwork will tell they things straight!

“Your little one is so afraid not because anyone has personally hurt him, but because he knows how much you fear laboratories, just as he fears very small, dark spaces.”

“But how could you know?” he asked, confused, looking at the old man.

“That’s because of the little one’s origins. This is your son.”

“I don’t understand,” Jason said.

“This is your son from a past life. Originally, you, Jason, should have been the one to find him. He appeared because of a spell cast by a young sorcerer who was trying to repay them for saving him.”

“Ugh, it must have been when I helped some kids get rid of a cult earlier this year.” Jason looked at him, a little embarrassed, still unsure what to do with the information.

“So… Bruno is our son from a past life,” he repeated, trying to process the idea. Clockwork nodded, smiling. “If Jason was going to find him first, why did you tell me to go to Gotham?”

“The spell wasn’t strong enough. Your son would reunite you, but the spell would end, and he would disappear. If you found him, he could absorb the power you passively release as the crown prince. He would be more stable and last longer.”

He pulled Bruno a little closer.

“Is he going to disappear?” Jason asked, his voice filled with anguish.

“That depends on you and the little one. He needs to stay in the Infinite Realms much longer to gather his own energy. He’ll need a body to inhabit instead of the one he’s trying to form to be well. Your other option is to let him go so he can be reborn, but that could take time. It won’t be immediate, but he will return to you.”

He looked at Jason, who had moved closer, surrounding Bruno and him. “I can’t watch him disappear, Danny. Even if the most logical thing would be to wait for him to be reborn, I can’t.”

“Me neither. I can’t watch anyone else disappear.” They both looked at Bruno.

“Honey, do you want to stay with us?” Jason questioned, using that sweet, gentler voice he used for his son.

Bruno nodded, looking so determined. He actually had little freckles like Jason's, now that he was paying attention.

"I want to stay with Mom and Dad forever!"

It was the loudest Bruno spoke, surprising him. His son wanted to live, and he was willing to do anything for it. Jason looked just as determined.

"What do we need?"

Clockwork smiled, glad that his father was so far ahead. One of the clocks moved to show them an image of a laboratory. He clung to his son, and Jason hugged them a little tighter.

"In another world, there's a body that doesn't yet have a soul. You need to go there. There are syringes you must inject yourselves with, and then you both must take a blood sample to put in the body. You steal the body to put little Bruno there, and he'll be alive," he explained.

"What about his memories? What's the injection for?"

Ah, Jason would certainly ask questions; he's so used to only trusting Clockwork.

"His memories won't hurt him. They won't feel like his own anymore, but rather like a movie he watched and memorized. Some things will be forgotten normally, no more nightmares," he assured her. "The injections are stabilizers. They wouldn't be necessary if you yourselves were natives of that world, but they are necessary because both Daniel's and your DNA mean you're no longer normal humans."

"Will he gain powers?" I ask because that would be a little harder to hide.

"Only some, but he won't be able to fly or do anything bigger. They'll be minor powers. He'll be alive, it will be liminal, nothing that will harm his health."

"When we give him our blood, he'll truly be our biological son," Jason blurted out. Clockwork nodded.

"He'll still retain some of the biology from his past life, but he'll be a healthy child. The spell also keeps him a little detached. His true, cheerful personality will blossom again when he has a real body. He'll be able to speak more freely, too."

“Well, he’ll be healthy, he’ll be a real boy. Is our son Pinocchio?” Jason muttered, somewhat exasperated. “At least the Disney Pinocchio.”

He couldn’t help it and burst out laughing; perhaps he was more nervous than he thought. He felt better after laughing.

“Yes, Bruno is Pinocchio. Which one of us is Geppetto? Clockwork is the Blue Fairy here.”

“Yes, I can say it. Jason is Geppetto since he was the one who gave birth to Bruno in his past life, and you, Danny, are Jiminy Cricket.”

“I gave birth to him?! Ahhh, that explains why you call me Mom, right?” he looked at Bruno. “Was I a good mom?”

“The best until you died,” he said, jumping from her arms into Jason’s. His boyfriend gasped at his son’s words and hugged him, trying to comfort him. He looked like he was about to cry. “You’re still the best mom.”

“Oh.”

“But we’re not from the same worlds,” he commented, looking at the old man.

“Some souls are destined to be close in one way or another, no matter what world they exist in. They will meet again. In your past life, you were born in Jason’s world, and before that, you were both born in another world. Bruno is connected to you. He was once your father, your brother, your son, your friend. Some souls stay close regardless of blood ties. Bruno has been your son for several past lives. However, now that you are the crown prince of the infinite realms, you will not return to the cycle of reincarnation. Jason and Bruno will, but it would be much more difficult for you to meet.”

“So that’s why you told me I had going to Gotham?"

"Jason will become a Halfa after a while, so it would be harder to be reborn—not impossible, but it would take longer—and Bruno would also be separated from them. This was the best time to bring them together."

"Thank you," he says with all he heart.

"You're welcome. Now I think you have a mission."

_______________

They were a little excited and nervous. Jason had requested a family meeting, and they were eager to hear what he had to say and to show him all the videos of Terry, his honorary brother. It wasn't even strange anymore that he was a version of Bruce.

Bruce had improved a lot; he was being a better father and was ready to be an even better father to Jason.

Jason arrived without much fanfare. In fact, he looked better, more rested. His eyes were a little bluer. He wasn't even wearing his leather jacket but something more casual, like a turtleneck sweater. He also came by car, but he greeted Alfred and said something that made Alfred go somewhere.

“I’m happy you’re back home, Jason.”

They allowed themselves to be proud that Bruce didn’t seem too uncomfortable, speaking so easily with his small smile. Jason looked at him for a few seconds, puzzled.

“Well… I have some news to share. It’s very important that you don’t go crazy, because if you can’t respect the boundaries, I’m really leaving. I’m never coming back.”

“Just spit it out already, you drama queen,” Steph complained eagerly.

Jason made a face at her. “I lied about going to space with Kori. I was actually in some kind of mess with time and the multiverse. For me, it’s been almost four years,” he confessed. “First piece of good news: in another world, there was a cure for the Lazarus Pit, so I’m cured.”

“That’s great, Little Wing!”

“The important news is that I got married and I have a son.”

“What?!” They all shouted.

“Quiet so I can explain, because I’m only going to say this once.”

They fell silent, even though they were going crazy in their seats.

“I’m going to start with the boundaries, because Danny’s safety and comfort are very important to me.”

Bruce was still silently frantic. Danny, is his son’s name? His wife or husband?

“Danny’s parents are in prison. They’re going to rot there because, besides being terribly negligent, they did something unforgivable and horrific to him.” He seemed to pause for a second before speaking. “He has a scar on his chest, like mine, but it’s not from an autopsy.”

They tensed in their seats, annoyed, and also horrified by what wasn’t said aloud but everyone understood.

“So he doesn’t like environments that resemble a laboratory, or having samples taken from him without his permission, or his DNA being taken in any way. I can enter the data myself into the database, but they’re not harassing him.”

“Okay,” Bruce nodded, even more nervous. Was he a grandfather?! My God, he's a grandfather!

"They're not going to put him to bed with microphones or trackers without his permission either. His stupid biological parents gave him the worst godfather, too." Now he really looked very upset. "I harassed him for years, put microphones and cameras in his childhood home all the time, and hurt him a lot too because he could have taken him. The bastard found out we had our baby, kidnapped him, but couldn't get very far. He's in prison and he won't get out, not after the way I left him. Nobody is laying a hand on my baby."

Well, at least he was in prison, and maybe in very bad shape because Jason was incredibly protective and must have been even worse when they took his baby. Everyone was a little calmer, maybe even surprised that the guy was still alive, but they understood what Jason was asking for.

No harassing Danny, his spouse—wife or husband? It didn't really matter, but if they had a baby, she had to be his wife. They were uncles! Bruce was a grandfather!

“We won’t harass him,” Tim promised.

“We won’t do anything to make him uncomfortable, I promise, son.”

“Okay, I met Danny earlier this year. Actually, those times I logged off, I was with Danny, and he’s like me. He had an accident when he was 14 because of his parents’ negligence… he died and came back. He didn’t come back the same, but he’s much better now. His biological parents are in prison. He distanced himself a bit from his sister and his friends, but he was adopted by my father-in-law. He has a better life. He went to college, and he also learned from his uncle. He’s a great doctor, even though he doesn’t look like one. He chose that to try to overcome his trauma, and I guess it worked a little?” He suddenly looked nervous. “He’s not from this dimension…”

“Are you dating an alien?”

“Damian!” Dick roared.

“He’s human, though I don’t know if that counts as alien, from another Earth. He’s a prince, a crown prince, actually, from beyond the grave, something like the future king of all the dead and all that,” he said casually. “So when he ascends to the throne, I’ll be king consort. You can all go crazy for one minute.”

“Oh, thanks!” Tim blurted out sarcastically.

Everyone shouted a barrage of questions, going berserk. Bruce seemed lost. Then Jason pulled out a whistle to silence them.

“You’re not mind-controlling me. If you insist, I’ll go through that door to another dimension, and you’ll never see me again, nor will you ever meet your nephew,” he threatened. That calmed them down. “Danny won’t be king because he’s too young. We’re the same age, but He ended up in that position because of a different mess. He used to be a vigilante, but he left that life behind. He has no intention of going back. He's very happy taking care of Bonnie all the time. He's staying on this planet because I want to stay here, because I want my family—if they even consider me family—to be present for my baby's childhood.”

“Of course you're family, Jason! I want to see my nephew!” Dick yelled, hitting Bruce on the head.

“You're part of this family, Jason. You always will be. I'll always love you and see you as my son,” Bruce said, still a little shocked.

He stared at his adoptive father. “What happened to B? It’s getting weird again.”

“Oh, we had our own magical situation, but B is doing much better. We even got an honorary brother, Terry, you missed out,” Steph explained.

“But we all missed out on little Bruce and the new Waynes,” Duke lamented.

“Okay…” he nodded slowly. “He knows I’m Red Hood. We went to another world to heal the well, too…” He paused, thinking about what Duke had said. Suddenly, he remembered that Danny had told him some things about his adoptive father. “Like, a little Bruce and the new Waynes?”

“Let me sum it up: a spell caused Bruce to split into four fragments. The spell was supposed to disappear quickly, but one of the fragments was somehow drawing energy from the Lazarus Pit because it was with Talia,” Steph began, super excited. “Dick found a young Bruce at the circus, Cass found an older Bruce in Hong Kong, there was a Bruce with Talia, but we missed the young Bruce because the Wayne reincarnations found him first. The new Thomas Wayne is also a doctor and found mini-Bruce in an alley! But we couldn't find him anymore, and he vanished on his own. But Bruce was able to see a little; his name was Bruno.”

“Nineteen-year-old Bruce was Terry, forty-five-year-old Bruce was George, and thirty-year-old Bruce was just Bruce again. But young Bruce, before he was eight, was Bruno. We missed him, but B's parents apparently reincarnated. Martha Wayne is a man or a trans man. They went to a doctor in another country where it's cold. That's all we know,” Dick continued. “But enough of that. Where's my nephew?”

The color drained from Jason's face, a total shock. He opened and closed his mouth, saying, "I need a moment." He left the room, but they could clearly hear him running and shouting, "Danny!"

Then, two people were apparently arguing, not shouting, but almost, judging by Jason's voice. Even Alfred exclaimed, "Good heavens!" Jason's heavy footsteps returning to the living room made them nervous because he looked horrified.

"Jason? Is everything alright?" Bruce asked, but he was reaching the same terrible conclusion.

His son opened and closed his mouth, leaning against the door. "It's Martha Wayne."

"Sorry?" Tim spat.

"Danny, honey, you can come here now." A young man who also resembled them moved slightly from the doorway. He was tall, with black hair and blue eyes, and was Caucasian. He wore a blue dress shirt, black pants, a belt, and black shoes.

The boy in his arms looked about eight years old, with light freckles across the bridge of his nose and baby fat on his cheeks. His black hair was slightly curly but tamed with gel, styled in the same heart-shaped fringe Jason used to have. He wore brown dress shorts, black shoes, a short-sleeved white t-shirt, and a red bow tie. His large blue eyes and joyful expression seemed oblivious to the chaos about to erupt in the room.

The boy looked a lot like Bruce, but also like Jason and Danny. He had Jason's hair, Danny's large eyes, but the shape of his nose and face was Bruce's.

"H-Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Danny..." he greeted nervously.

"I'm Bruno Nightingale!" the boy greeted, looking like a little angel, with dimples and a huge smile. That adorable "hello again, old me!" he exclaimed to Bruce.

"Bunny, my little prince, my baby," Jason began gently. "Did you know you were a fragment of Bruce?"

The boy nodded. “You assumed,” he excused himself as if it weren't his fault. “You didn't ask, Mommy?”

“No, I didn't ask. I suspected it, but you were so cute I was in denial,” he admitted, defeated, covering his face with his hands.

“Daddy, get down,” he pleaded. Danny, still frozen between an awkward smile and panic, put the boy down. “Thanks, Daddy.”

“Sure, baby.”

Bruno, with that angelic smile, approached Bruce at a brisk pace. In an unexpected move, he kicked him with all his might in the shin, and then, when Bruce reacted, he stomped on his other foot with his full weight. Everyone gasped in surprise.

“That was because you were so mean to Mommy! How dare you make Mommy feel bad?! Mommy loves us so much! You made Mommy cry so many times! You're a brute! An idiot! A bastard!”

“Bruno, language!” Jason exclaimed, snapping out of his daze.

“You’re scolding him just for that?!” Duke yelled.

“It’s not like he was lying,” Jason blurted out without hesitation.

“Baby, that’s not the right way to kick someone,” Danny said, though his the comment was heard very clearly.

“You’re my mother.” Bruce barely felt any physical pain, only a horror in his soul as he looked at his son.

“And I’m your father, and I’m very disappointed in you,” said Danny, pretending to take the whole situation seriously with a disappointed expression, but at the same time trying not to laugh. “Somehow, this is barely a little weird.”

“Your uncle is a yeti, Danny! Even I can’t top you sometimes.” Jason sounded exasperated, still in crisis and shock, crossing his arms.

“Come on, that’s barely a little weird,” he defended himself, but covered his mouth because he was laughing; it seemed he had given up trying to hold back his laughter.

“This isn’t funny, beloved! I’m Martha! Ancients, I really was Martha.”

“I saw the portrait in the entrance hall. You were a very beautiful woman. You’ve always been incredibly attractive,” he tried to console him, patting him on the shoulder.

“You’re a flatterer,” he huffed, blushing but not really annoyed. Danny just smiled at him. “You’re still too handsome, with that smile, ugh! Stop being so cute, please.”

“My God, they even flirt the same way.” Alfred appeared, still in shock, behind the couple, placing a hand on his heart, as if he could never again be the stoic butler he usually was.

“I think Bruce is broken.” Duke looked worriedly at the man who was still pale, mouth agape. It was lucky he was sitting down.

“Don’t worry, Duke, I’ll fix him.” Bruno looked very self-assured. He moved to the side to lean against the armrest of the chair where Bruce was sitting. “Snap out of it, you idiot! You have to apologize to Mom, now!” He yelled in his ear, making the others nearby jump. Bruce almost leaped off the couch but finally fainted from the shock. “Mommy, maybe you can still finish raising him. I’ll be the big brother.”

“Sweetie, you’re eight years old. You can’t be the big brother to whatever Bruce is to you now.” Jason tried to mediate the situation, but the boy looked very petulant, crossing his arms and staring at his older, unconscious self.

“Uncle Bite said I’m mentally stable. I don’t think Brucie is.”

“Sweetie, being more mentally stable than him doesn’t make you the big brother…although you know what? Yes, you should be his big brother. I think he needs his inner child to be a better person.” Jason had given up on everything that was happening.

“Does that make Jason our brother/grandma?” Dick still couldn't process it. "My little wing is my grandmother somehow? What kind of crazy joke is this? Jason is Martha reincarnated!"

"My father-in-law said some souls are destined to be close in some way. He said that in some past life, Bruno had been our father, brother, son, or friend, but I didn't think it would be this—that he'd been my son in past lives, not just this last one."

"I think Damian's broken too." Tim looked at Damian, who had sat down again, staring at little Bruno.

"I would have preferred we'd kept Terry," Damian lamented.

"It's okay, Mommy can give birth to him later."

"Can't I give birth to anyone?!"

"Jason! Why are you hesitating?!" Tim exclaimed.

“Actually, you could. Our kind can give birth, but I can carry our second child if that puts your mind at ease,” Danny said, catching Jason, who had almost collapsed there.

“What has my life become?”

“Hey, at least you’re not Bruce,” Steph tried to console him, but at that moment, nothing seemed likely to improve.

“my god! my son/father is a mess! Bruno, you’re forbidden from becoming a vigilante! Just look at what happened to your little brother!”

“Don’t worry, Mommy, I’ll go to law school and become a lawyer,” he assured he, returning to Jason’s side.

“My baby wants to be a lawyer!” he exclaimed happily, picking up he son and giving him a loud kiss on the cheek before looking at her husband. “Danny, our son will be a lawyer!”

“You can be almost anything you want, Baby, anything but a psychologist and a vigilante.”

“Can I inherit Mommy’s criminal empire?” he asked innocently, though Jason was still muttering about his future lawyer son.

Danny laughed, crossing his arms and nodding. “We’ll talk about that when you’re older.”

“Yay! What time do we eat?”

(The end?)

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

This is the second version, so I'll probably delete the first one because, according to my terrible English, this one is better written, but who knows?

I don't think I'll write about this anymore (that's what I'm saying now, but my mind is a mess).

Someone did a poll about which reincarnations would be Dead on Main. That person wrote somewhere that it could be Thomas and Martha Wayne, and the idea stuck in my head.

Because I've noticed that when someone suggests that Jason is the reincarnation of Thomas Wayne, or that Alfred and/or Bruce find Thomas and Jason similar, I actually understand it: "Yes, that makes sense, I see it clearly, now it's true in my heart."

But I also remembered that some people thought it was cute that Damian resembled Martha.

Then I thought, it would be amazing if Jason had been Martha (it has nothing to do with Martha becoming the Joker in another universe; it's just that I like the tragic idea of Bruce ending up hurting Jason, who in his past life was his mother, because more than loving his father, Bruce also loves his mother, and it would make it more tragic for Bruce. Also, for some, Martha is the cunning one in the couple). So I made Jason Martha.

Danny ended up being Thomas because killing almost everyone on your planet after losing your family is very much in the vein of becoming a bitter, murderous vigilante. In my head, that also made sense, especially since Danny is much more peaceful, but when he gets angry, he can be terrifying—just look at Dan.

Bruce isn't getting over this; all his progress went down the drain when he realized Jason was his mother. Jason is Martha, and she's done horrible things to Jason, who consequently has done horrible things to his mother. So now he feels terrible and wouldn't know how to look at Danny, much less Jason.

I decided to name little Bruce Bruno because it was funny, a nod to the fact that in the early 2000s, the dubbing of the Batman cartoons called him "Bruno Díaz" (they did weird things back then, but now I think he's Bruce Wayne, though sometimes I remember his past as Bruno Díaz and Ricardo Tapia). I also thought about Bryce because I've seen some fanfics that use that name for the female version, but it seems like a unisex name to me, or Bryson, but I settled on Bruno.

Damian grew fond of Terry, which is a clear nod to Terry McGinnis. Damian wants Terry back, who, despite being a fragment of Bruce, was much funnier and more sarcastic. Damian would also be very upset because Jason is his grandmother.

Dick and Tim would try not to think about it because it would end badly; they'd pretend they were over it. Steph and Duke would keep laughing because it's funny and the hysteria.

Cass doesn't care; Jason gave her a brother-in-law and a very cute nephew, so she's winning.

Alfred needs a vacation.

Goodbye

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