Nothing Stays the Same Part II
Link to Part 1 (note: part 1 got too long so a lot of the replies are in the notes.
Zatanna knew an empath when she saw one- it took one to know one. They had already known about Ezekiel's magical ability. But being a sorcerer was not synonymous with being a psychic. And, like herself, Zeke was both.
He held his own under both the barrage of probing questions and the onslaught of emotions from possibly the most chaotic and repressed family Zatanna knew. She was impressed with him to say the least. Though his politeness was practiced, it wasn't fake. And he was just as observant of them as they were of him. But more than that, the most important fact of all...
Was that thread between him and Jason, bright with pure love and raw magic. Perhaps others might consider it too soon to name. But it was there and it was true.
A soulmate bond. But not a typical one... if Zeke truly was from another universe... then it transcended time, space and perhaps reality itself. And that... gave her pause. Not just about this new arrival into their Nexus-verse but Jason himself.
And by extension, she looked to the man beside her...
She wished more than anything for the guidance of Angelos. She would know what to do about something like this.
"We'll get to the demon subject in a moment. First let's talk about how you even got here," she told Zeke. "You said you 'awoke'. That isn't how most people come to this universe. This is a Nexus of universes. We even have cousin Multiverses, like Marvel, that intersect with our DC verses. Portals open up like doors and never leave. People tend to just come and go. What you're talking about almost sounds like Quantum Immortality except that doesn't make sense either."
Barbara straightened in her chair, "Quantum Immortality takes the consciousness of the person who dies to their next living counterpart."
The comment made Cass pause. She didn't prefer to speak as much but she had to admit she was invested. She actually missed Duke now and wished he wasnt sleeping. He would've loved this. "But he said Gotham doesn't exist in his world. Which means we don't exist. And if we don't exist there then he doesn't exist here. So the consciousness wouldn't have a counterpart to go to."
Steph elbowed her. "Look at you, Smarty Pants. And if there's no counterpart then that means that it's like Zeke is respawning but in other universes instead of his home verse- which is where you would normally expect a respawn to happen."
Bruce and Tim locked eyes as the conversation continued, Jason tightening his arm around Zeke protectively and sending a wary look their way.
Dick caught it, trying to smile reassuringly at Jason.
It was Damian who lost his patience.
"What is it?" He demanded.
"The Omniverse," they answered in unison.
Barbara sucked in a breath. "Oh," she breathed. It was theory... mostly. It was a big enough deal that a Nexus was an intersection of universes- from their multiverse and others like it. But this? And it was sitting right in front of them- with Jason wrapped around his finger.
Dick shook his head. "We can't know for sure."
"Can't we?" Tim countered. "He's like no one we have met, he has no version of us to compare anything to. How many? How many versions of ourselves have we met?"
Dick sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Too many," he conceded.
Jason felt the unease in his chest spread through his veins, a knot in his throat building until he felt like he wanted to puke.
Zeke had already told him how he jumped verses, the memory of Zeke's tears making his heart ache.
His fear from before hadn't been unwarranted. If Zeke died here... it would be worse than death. Because he'd just come back to life somewhere Jason would never see him again, lost forever.
The Beast growled in his psyche.
He involuntarily pulled on their thread, anchoring his spirit deeper. If he could, he would merge souls with Zeke and follow him so he'd never wake up alone again.
Bruce noted the way Jason bodily curled himself around Zeke, like a protective shield.
Zatanna’s hands clenched the instant Jason's aura fanned out. The other's couldn't percieve it as well but the air shifted like static until...
Bruce's ice blue eyes seemed to glaze over with white film as he felt a voice stir awake in the back of his mind- one he had not heard in years- only stirred to life last after Jason- No.
Yes. And Jason is ours. Like all the other children. Ours.
Bruce's hands clenched over his knees, causing Damian to make a soft noise of alarm.
Surely his father wasn't having another-
It was the only time that voice acted up so violently... when it sensed loneliness, when grief created kinship.
He knew without needing to be told.
Zeke was like him- an orphan- one who didn't tend to like himself very much.
He could see them again now, the web of threads that tied each member of the family to him, one stretching toward the kitchen to where Alfred had gone to prepare more tea. Another toward the upstairs hall into Duke's room, where he slept soundly.
And a new one, slowly pulsed from his chest, reaching toward Zeke.
He hated these moments the most, because they caught him entirely by surprise and were beyond his control.
Desolation and Love always seemed to haunt him in equal measure. But he didn't know if Zeke wanted it. And currently, Bruce's heart was still liable to shatter, unable to handle a rejection.
The words should've come from Zatanna, not him. But they came of their own will, in multitudes- much like Jason had already demonstrated to Zeke.
"You have suffered. Death surrounds you, yet you escape it's permanence again and again."
"Dad..." Dick started, a nervous edge to his voice.
Everyone else immediately came to attention.
Jason started breathing heavily. What was happening? His eyes watered, visions blinking in and out. A low whine came from his throat.
"Jason, breathe," Zatanna told him, reaching for Bruce.
"I- can't," Jason whimpered, arms slowly releasing their hold on Zeke, eyelids fluttering.
"Woah," Tim gasped. "Jay, your eyes-"
They looked like a night full of stars, primordial.
Jay's breath came out as a sigh, song-like and aching, a faint melody echoing throughout the Cave as his body was peeled away from Zeke and began to float, levitating in the center of all of them. His brows were scrunched in distress even as brilliant light filled his chest, an invisible breeze flowing through his hair until it, too, brightened with a spectrum of light.
Everything was too much. His dad was hiding something from him- from everyone. Zatanna knew more than she was saying. Everyone was scrutinizing his apparent soulmate- who it turns out he might one day lose forever. And he doubted Zeke even knew why.
He couldn't handle it. He couldn't allow it.
His vision shifted again until the Cave faded away. All he saw were endless stars, planets and a dark vastness so wide it threatened to swallow him whole.
Visions flashed in his mind like a film montage, many figures, ancient ones- a sense that someone important was searching for him- had been searching for him for a long time. His life, his death, his resurrection. And one figure, a woman with rainbow wings that resembled stained glass- she saw him, standing immediately.
"You," she whispered gently.
Jason recoiled. He wasn't ready for that- whatever that was. But he couldn't look away.
Don't what? Take him away? Tell him the truth?
"I'll come to you soon. All will be well. Be not afraid."
The Catholic in him settled.
His soft sobs filled the cosmos around him, tears crystallizing into precious stones the moment they fell into the vacuum of space.
Outside of his vision, the others called his name frantically which ultimately snapped Bruce out of the trance he'd been in.
Jason who had ink black tears running down his cheeks.
Zatanna gasped beside him, having felt the familiar pulse of power for a brief moment. Looked like her job here wouldn't be so hard after all. And her suspicions were starting to seem less far-fetched.
Bruce stood abruptly, rushing across the room to grab Zeke's hands. "Help me help him. Please-"
Jason was floating in the stars.
He heard a voice calling him, many. But one stood out at first. "Jaylad? Sweetheart- it's me."
He blinked slowly, suddenly tired and sluggish.
He saw Bruce's face, but it was different. Ancient but youthful simultaneously- like the Angel Lady. He had wings here, too. Did Jason have wings here? He was too tired to check. Bruce's were Black and Pink- how pretty. And they were still bat-shaped, because of course they were. And he wore black and silver robes. Was that ... was that normal to hallucinate? Was anything real? It was easier to focus on Angel Bruce than his own thoughts. He didn't wanna think anymore.
"Yes! It's me. I need you to come back. Zeke is waiting for you."
He tried to sit up or stand but he ended up flailing in space. He wasn't used to it at all.
"Zeke is fine. We're all worried for you," Bruce said, voice soft as he reached over and cradled Jason to his chest.
Jason instantly felt safe and at home. He wanted to go. He wanted to go back to Zeke. He felt a tug on his thread, his soul aching to return to the person on the other end. He almost thought he heard Zeke's voice. He missed Zeke's voice.
Zeke had been so polite and careful and had only barely gotten the chance to even speak and now Jason was the one ruining-
Stop your self pitying nonsense now, The Beast snapped. Our mate needs us! Return to him at once.
Jason internally flinched, already too sensitive to fight.
He felt another tug- gentle and safe, the light in his chest flickering as he buried his face against Bruce, seeking his father's shelter.
"I wanna go home. I want Zeke, Dad- please. Take me home."
What he wished he could've said before...
Before he died the first time.
Except Jason was lucky. He'd gotten himself home somehow, stubborn soul that he was. And he had his family back.
He blinked his eyes open, Bruce's strong arms still wrapped warmly around him. His face was wet and when he wiped his eyes his hands were stained black.
His voice rasped as he lifted his head, eyes searching and a shaky hand seeking- not needing to go far. He caught a slender arm in his grasp.
Zatanna watched the scene unfold, her own heart pounding in her chest. This was her extended family, and she would do anything for them. But Jason's power...
For one, it was fueled by all of his very big emotions- and Jason had so many interweaving layers of those. But there was something else. Zeke had made a distinction earlier about having demon pacts versus demon blood. And Jason's blood... it sang. In a way no one fully human's did. He wasn't homo-magi. He felt familiar in the way Bruce did. And she'd had many suspicions over the years about Bruce's sealed power. He had been so afraid of it. She didnt want that for Jason. But seeing Jason like this... she understood now why Bruce had freaked out so badly when they were teens and things just started... happening.
And Bruce... he hadn't been as lucky as Jason to have a soulmate to balance him. He had Hal now, but... that had been built brick by brick over many years. Not... this...
She watched Bruce slowly lift Jason who immediately crawled into Zeke's lap, wrapping around him and hiding his face in his neck, seeming to breathe him in, as if he needed Zeke like air. It was the exact way Death treated Angelos after a long time apart except these two were glued at the hip and in the same room and yet...
She decided to walk over to Bruce, who had Damian and Dick kneeling on either side of him to help him up.
Tim already had a data pad and scanner, testing the Cave for residual magic. Cass and Steph looked over his shoulder at the readings, the three muttering to each other.
Barbara was simply staring, taking everything in. Her mind was far away but active, absorbing every bit of information to review later. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she turned to find a freshly awake Duke rubbing his eyes. He took a few moments to look around, and Barbara realized he was using his powers.
"Seems like I missed a lot," Duke said. "And it's a good thing I wasn't here or Jason might've blasted off into Space. I see most of what happened but maybe you can fill me in on some of the blanks I'm missing?"
She sighed. "Have a seat. It's a lot. And we haven't even gotten through everything. Also you took the shortest nap... ever?"
He arched a brow. "We're Bats. And I felt a disturbance in the Force. Now spill."
Zatanna helped the others settle back into some sense of normal. Or normal for them at least.
Bruce was sitting with Dick and Damian on either side of him. Tim, Steph and Cass were on the floor together with Tim between the girls who were whispering commentary on his readings. He nodded along to what they said as it helped him think about things differently. Barbara was still sitting with Duke who had pulled up a chair and wrapped up her rundown of what happened. Jason was still on the floor with Zeke and Zatanna slowly walked over to them.
This had to be a lot for them. For Jason it was so new and Zeke had only just got here. And the family was used to a lot, but not this. This sort of thing was more her normal. Magic was one thing... cosmic forces were another. And for those who embodied both... she felt a great deal of sympathy.
"Why don't you two go sit on that sofa over there? It's much more comfortable. And no one here wants to separate you, just so you know, Zeke. Your presence is helping things, I promise. In ways you may not even realize. I know this has been a lot so quickly. And I'm sure you want to get a lot of it over with. I can see clear as day, as can everyone else, that you'd rather tear your own skin off than hurt Jason. It's going to be okay."
Jason didn't seem to want to move or change positions. He wanted to stay in Zeke's lap like when they were in the kitchen at his apartment. He wanted Zeke to keep touching him and holding him and saying sweet things to him. He didn't want to be some cosmic interdimensional whatever the fuck right now. He was just... he lifted his head slowly, glassy red-rimmed eyes- green once more- finding Zeke's, his hands felt every inch of Zeke's arms and chest until they cupped his cheeks, cradling his face.
"If you die and don't come back to me, I will not survive. That is a threat, Ezekiel."
Zatanna let out a little laugh, caught off guard.
"Yeah please don't go dying any time soon. But given the drastic turn of events just now, it actually might be a good time for Zeke to explain the nature of his demonic power. It seems more relevant now than when we started."
She gave Zeke a pointed look. "You can move or be moved."
"I'm not moving," Jason said defiantly. "So someone's gonna have to move me. I am quite comfortable, thank you very much."
She arched a brow. "Fine. Taolf"
Jason yelped as they were both levitated and plopped onto the couch. It only made him cling to Zeke even more.
There was a collective sigh and even a teasing whistle that made Jason blush furiously. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to Zeke, dropping his forehead to his shoulder.
Normally, everything about this position and their proximity would've made Jason so horny he couldn't think straight but right now, with everyone watching them, it was just comforting- and safe. Zeke had said he wanted to be able to touch him and Jay definitely wanted Zeke to touch him. It grounded him and he didn't much care what anyone thought of it.
"Awwww," Steph cooed, "they're so adorable."
"Yes," Tim agreed. "It's sickening. Ow!"
He glared at Cass, who had pinched him and smiled unapologetically about it.
Bruce cleared his throat wrapping his arms around Dick and Damian, who appeared to be the most concerned about everything but for very different reasons.
"Zatanna’s right," he said, ,"we should get everything over with."
"I'm just happy not to miss out again," Duke shrugged.
"What? I'm nosy, too. At least I admit it."
Dick side-eyed Bruce, and Bruce made sure not to wince at the look on his eldest's face.
"You aren't getting out of explaining yourself either, B"
Damian frowned. "Fafher is not the one who needed to prove anything today and he's still under my care so mind your words, Richard."
Dick tensed. "I didn't mean-"
Damian shook his head, holding a hand up to silence him. "I know what you meant. Father hides things about himself. What else is new under the sun? Nothing. I'm as concerned about it as anyone else. But he's our father and he tries. So let's prioritize the discussion at hand. You all wanted to know about Zeke, not question the man you already know."
Dick sighed, leaning his head back on Bruce's shoulder in silent apology. "Fine." Bruce gave his shoulder a squeeze.
"I'll tell you, Chum. I promise. Just... not right this second."
Alfred stood toward the back, looking rather unimpressed about everything.
Zatanna clapped her hands. "Okay! Let's begin. Zeke, you have the floor. Everyone else," she gritted glaring around the room, "Interrupt him and I will spell your mouths shut."
They knew she meant it, too.
They all sat up a little straighter after that, giving Zeke their undivided attention.
