me and my family we're wonderful folks

[callipygous]

[Great, Dick hates when random dimensional travel happens. But at least he managed to shove Damian out of the way of the ray gun. Which is good because he still has no idea when he is and Gotham won't be unprotected, but bad because Damian in charge of Gotham? Not a good thing. Hopefully Tim will come and visit home, or Steph will take charge, or something.

Meanwhile, Dick has to figure out how to get home.

The streets are configured like Gotham, though the technology levels are a lot higher than what Dick's used to. But if there's Gotham, there's likely a Wayne Manor, and under it, probably a Batcave. It's worth checking out anyway.

The secret entrance is where it usually is, so he bypasses Wayne Manor entirely, but once he gets inside....

He has to stop and look around. Everything's so different. He draws to a stop in front of the display cases. He's used to just the one, for Jason. This is... more.

He pulls off the cowl as he looks, the cape weighing heavy on his shoulders, deep in thought.]

Comments

......

[whaticallmyself]

[He snorts quietly, though without any humor.] I never expected to live this long. [So it doesn't surprise him at all that a Bruce in another world hadn't. He glances at Dick.] When I retired there wasn't a Batman for another twenty years. You didn't have to. You chose to. Interesting.

[callipygous]

You retired? [He didn't think Bruce would ever do that. Dick assumed he'd work until he died on the job. It's surprisingly... healthy, actually. How weird.]

[whaticallmyself]

[He scowled. He'd retired because he was too slow. Because he'd had to resort to methods he hated in order to stop a gang of kidnappers. Because his damned heart had started to give out.] I don't want to talk about it.

[callipygous]

[That sure isn't surprising.] Not talking about it doesn't make the issues go away, Bruce.

[whaticallmyself]

[Bruce eyes him. The Dick he knows never advocated 'talking things out' at this age. They'd made an art of not talking about things.

It had been part of the problem in the end.]

I'm aware.

[callipygous]

[Different dimension, same old Bruce.]

Look, I know this isn't where I'm from, and we really should start working on a way to get me home before Damian forgets the no killing rule, but if you change your mind? You can tell me.

[whaticallmyself]

[The more things change...

Bruce nods once--there is some precedent for interdimensional travel. The disaster with the Justice Lords comes to mind. He's sure that the technical specs are still somewhere...

He pauses.]

Damian?

[callipygous]

Robin. He's... he's a good kid. He's just had a rough childhood. [Putting it lightly.]

[whaticallmyself]

[An unreadable expression crosses Bruce's face.]

You still have a Robin.

[callipygous]

...I've only been Batman for a few weeks. Still doesn't seem the right word for it, but... yeah.

[whaticallmyself]

[He represses a shudder, remembering.]

You should make him stop. You're better off working alone.

[callipygous]

[Dick wonders what exactly happened to Bruce to make him this solitary and anti-allies. He's seen Bruce like this before. It's never a good sign, and it makes him a little sad that there's no one around to snap him out of it.]

No. I'm really not. And neither are you, Bruce. Family's important.

Besides, Damian wouldn't stop just because I told him to. He's too much like his father for that.

[whaticallmyself]

And who's that? [Bruce's tone is a little absent--he'll hear Dick's answer, but he doesn't really think it matters that much. Even the most stubborn can eventually be put off by repeated refusals. It had worked with his 'family.']

[callipygous]

You. [Or the Bruce from Dick's universe, but he doesn't feel like he needs to explain that.]

[whaticallmyself]

[Flat stare.] That's impossible. I don't have any children. [Well. There were Terry and Matt, but that was... extremely complicated, and didn't really count.]

[callipygous]

Talia Al Ghul said otherwise. And the DNA tests proved it.

[whaticallmyself]

...Of course it would be Talia. [He supposes Ra's finally got what he'd wanted in that other universe--though not quite, apparently, if the boy is Robin.]

[callipygous]

[...Dick gives him a look that says he suspects that's TMI, but he's sure not gonna ask since he pretty much knew or guessed.]

Unfortunately, the League of Assassins trained him well. He knows far more about killing than any kid should.

[whaticallmyself]

[Yeah, the less you think about that the better, Dick. Bruce is frowning at his comments about Damian, though.]

I'll assume that Talia had him for that period, then? [Because no kid of his would be trained by the League of Assassins if he had anything to say about it.]

[callipygous]

Of course. We didn't even know he existed until he showed up in Gotham and tried to replace Tim as Robin.

[whaticallmyself]

...Right. Of course.

[And when he speaks again, his voice is the kind of forced casual that indicates he's actually trying to tread cautiously here.]

How is Tim?

[callipygous]

Tim? Fine. [Not entirely happy with Dick for letting Damian take over the Robin mantle, but physically he's all right.

And then an awful thought strikes him. He's not the world's greatest detective, but he's not stupid, and he knows Bruce's pointedly unemotional tone when he hears it.]

Is he... not here?

[whaticallmyself]

[FROWN. HE IS FROWNING, DICK. And when he answers, his tone os very clipped.]

He's fine.

[callipygous]

[...THAT DOESN'T SOUND FINE.]

What happened?

[whaticallmyself]

It was a long time ago.