Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

-

Well, things have been eventful, I can say that at least. I didn't exactly plan on a dimensional vacation, but it still happened. Who says I can't get to enjoy it? Well, apparently fate had said that.

Who cares about living in the demon-woods anymore, when I get to live on the streets of a crime infested city that has a spandex shortage? And, did I mention my problem with the ketchup guy? Probably doesn't matter anymore now, since the the tighty-whities man beat him up.

I wish I had never went to go piss behind a demon tree. If I had held it in until morning, then I wouldn't have to deal with the constant smell of mold than came with an extra side of impending doom.

-

que the extra long flashback from your lovely author ;)

-

Emma and I were taking watch rounds whilst the other kids were sleeping. I had felt the sudden urge to empty my bladder behind a tree, as any normal person would. I walked for a minute or two until I found a thick enough tree that provided me enough privacy to go piss.

Like any normal, non-suicidal child would, I ran straight into a rogue demon.(swear it wasn't on purpose..) Of course my luck had been terrible that night, it was only reasonable after everything was going smoothly beforehand..

I started running in the opposite direction of the camp so the others wouldn't get hurt. I jumped, ran, and dodged and weaved in-between the tall trees as the demon was catching up to me quickly.

I wasn't going to let the fucker eat my brains for an appetizer, so I sped up even more. My legs were feeling wobbly already since I was never really the best at tag, Norman and Emma would always take the glory for that. My preference was to sit out and read so I could appear "more intelligent" to the demon witch; in return, surviving longer than most would have.

I recognized an opportunity to lose the beast a little ahead of me, I would have to work fast if I wanted to lose it properly. shooting an arrow at a loose branch ahead, I succeeded in making it fall on the creature behind me as I narrowly avoided it hitting me.

That hadn't stopped it of course, the branch hadn't been big enough to immobilize it properly. I quickly turned into an opening of trees and dashed to hide behind a large rock. The demon, still disoriented, skidded right past me and off the cliff edge that was just ahead.

I hesitantly got up and looked over the edge to see it splattered on the forest floor. It looked disgusting with its head smashed in, but I admired my work nonetheless. I turned my head to try and locate the way back to camp, but couldn't find what direction I had come from.

Getting lost in a forest riddled with demons is never a good idea for anyone. I soon seemed to acknowledge the giant gash on my arm that I had not previously noticed. Seemed like I was meant to be doomed either way. Wonderful.

My head started to feel dizzy as I slumped against the base of a large tree, I tore a piece of fabric from my pants leg to try and bandage my injury. The blood loss may have been getting to me, but I was fighting it back the best I could, I tied the strip of cloth around my forearm, but it wasn't quite large enough to cover the entire wound.

I hadn't eaten in a while, so I looked around for any reliable food source. Of course with my luck, there was nothing nearby. I looked up at the sky, dazed, searching for a sign of reassurance out of the stars. Looking back at my newly acquired injury, I snapped back into reality before I could doze off.

I figured that the small clearing I was in wasn't safe to rest in, so I would have to relocate. Taking one more look at the stars in the sky, I stood up. Looking around, I noticed a cluster of large rocks accompanied by some old hallow logs. The logs would have to manage as a shelter for the time being.

Sliding the hunk of wood closer to a boulder, I grabbed my bow and satchel I carried with me, and sat inside of the log. I laid down my bag to be used as a makeshift pillow, so I could prop up my head, and closed my eyes.

I woke up not a long while later to the squawking of a large bird flying above, it wasn't quite daybreak, so I decided to stay a little while longer. Having the sun out made it easier to travel, so it was only practical to wait out the rest of dawn.

Dawn had passed quick, and the sun was soon blazing above me as I gathered my things. My satchel was slung over my shoulder, and I trotted off towards the way I thought I had come from previously.

Halfway through the walk I started feeling light-headed again, so I took a short break behind a large stone. Rock really makes the best backrest when you're out and injured in the wilderness doesn't it?

Apparently my bandage wasn't quite adequate and it had fallen off while I had slept. I didn't have another change of pants so I couldn't take any more fabric off of the ones I was wearing.

Assessing the situation, I figured that I should probably find something to drink before I passed out.

Well, I never got the chance to.

Starting to pass out, I put my hand over my arm in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding once more. Rolling around in my sleep had opened the gash a tad, so it was bleeding more now than before.

Dozing off in defeat, I was suddenly jolted awake by an incredibly bright flash of light and a loud sizzling noise.

I fell from about 4 feet off of the ground onto the hard concrete of a sidewalk. Looking around, I saw a newspaper strewn about on the floor. The top read, "Gotham."

Chapter Text

Well this is new, I guess I'm finally out of the magical death forest. Is this the human world? Is there a way to get back home?

Questions that were left unanswered as a crashing sound startles me out of my thoughts. A small cat appears from behind a dumpster, hissing, it skitters away in a hurry.

I should probably figure out a gameplan shouldn't I? Though I don't know what exact area I'm in, I remember reading about human cities from the library at hom- Gracefield. There should likely be a police station somewhere, or a library that I can find.

Although, It would be more practical to seek out a solution for my arm first..

With that thought, I stand up and head out of the dark alleyway. I should really be following the basic survival plan, shelter, food, water, but right now my injury takes importance. Besides, I had some rations still on me.

I thought surviving in the wilderness with a pack of wild children and demons would make me more suited for this type of thing, but yet, I know absolutely nothing about how cities or towns work. That is certainly a problem if I want to blend in with people here, the all white outfit obviously doesn't help either. People in books were usually depicted in different clothes.

People don't want to look like they just came from a mental institution.

Looking at the sky, I just realized that it was somehow night again! Just my luck, time travel and supposed dimension hopping.

Suddenly, something grabbed me roughly by the collar of my shirt. I turned around as fast as possible, reaching behind me to push whatever it was away. I caught a glimpse of what looked like someone in a clown mask? Odd thing to see in an alleyway.

He yanked my arm away as I stilled in terror. I have never had to deal with anything like this before, living in the orphanage was never as eventful as getting mugged in an alleyway, I didn't know much self defense.

Even thinking about that place disgusts me, I am happy to have found freedom at least. I hope Emma is okay taking care of the others. She may have Don and Gilda, but sometimes they aren't a great trio.

The man that was holding me by the scruff dropped me suddenly onto the hard pavement, making me hit my head as I fell face first. His eyes looking down on me as if I were prey to a predator. I am so not letting this slide, I am fed up with being the "prey" in someone else's mind.

"Give me all your money kid, it's obvious you got something on you, wearing that crisp button up there. It looks like it costs money."

I wasn't having this. I sent a sharp kick to the mans gut as he doubled over in pain. At least I got a good hit in, and with that, I took off running in the opposite direction of him.

I'm not nearly as good as Norman or Emma, but I can definitely give someone a run for their money.

I winced as my a sharp spike of pain shot through my arm and a loud boom startles me. Looking down, my forearm is covered in more blood than before, and now completely gaping. Well now that's worse, I just had to get shot on top of my already injured limb.

Of course getting shot slowed me down a bit as I painfully vaulted over a dumpster into another smaller alleyway. Why are criminals even out this late, any sane person would want to be asleep by now. Well, guess they aren't sane anyways so why does that matter.

The man chasing me was still following, gaining distance faster than I was by now. Things started spinning around me, and my vision was blurring. I really need a break soon.

I look around again, trying to find anything to help me in this situation, the maniac still chasing me. I saw a library in the distance, about 30 feet away. Bingo! I try to pick up my pace and sprint towards the building, the barbarian hot on my trail. He makes another grab for my shirt but I narrowly duck just in time to avoid his grasp.

With the doors almost within reach I roll to the side, the man tripping on a step up. I take the gained time to rush into the library, really glad it's open however late it is now.

A woman with red hair at the front desk looks at me with concern as I quickly try to gain my breath. The man outside had left, not wanting to get into trouble. I clutch my arm before slumping against a shelf in exhaustion.

"Whoa, kid! You alright there?" She wheels over to me, now noticing the blood coming from my arm.

"Not really, if you couldn't already see the blood." I spit out, coughing afterwards.

"Let me take a look, I may not be a doctor but I know a gunshot when I see one." A man in a leather jacket, and punk-looking boots quickly comes over to me, assessing my arm as if it were an extremely irritating math problem.

"So, who was the asshole that did this, kid?" He asks, clearly not calm, but trying to put a mask over his emotions.

"Some random crackhead that thought I had money on me. Don't know why he would try to rob a kid." I grumble out.

The man nods and goes over to the front counter, pulling up a first aid kit, roughly waving it towards me before he tosses it to the lady in the wheelchair. She catches it, and he hurriedly grabs something from his coat pocket, pulling out a full roll of medical gauze. Does he keep an entire roll of gauze in his pockets at all times? What kind of crack house is this place?

"This might need stitches, but we have to stop the bleeding right now before any more damage is done here, I can look at it again later."

I lift my arm towards him so he can bandage it easier, groaning in pain as it ascends his way. He wraps it up quickly and efficiently. Looking like he is going to burst into a fit of rage as every new second passes by. I start to doze as I hear sudden shouting, jolting me awake again for a moment, but I am so done with this.

"Kid! Don't pass out now you might have a concussion! KID!" I paid no attention to the frantic voices above me, or the worried pats on my face. I am way too tired for this, outrunning two maniacs is enough for me, doesn't matter if one was a demon or not.

I can hear the ticking of a clock as I am slowly lulled to sleep by the monotonous clicking of the second hand as it twitched forward. I finally pass out, still slumped against the bookshelf, but now without as much blood oozing from my arm.

Now is a good time for a nap, I can find a way home in the morning. Emma can hold her own with the others, at least I hope so.

-

Barbara POV

Barbara was sitting at her desk, arms laid back behind her head. A book, "Pride and Prejudice," rested on the table just in front of her. She made sure to keep connected to the comms in case of any emergencies.

There was a subtle crackling in her ear, reminding her that she was still on stand-by. The last thing she needed was to get too lost in a book and forget that she was still "Oracle," at the moment. That certainly wouldn't do any good at all if she couldn't be there for something important, everyone knows how that turned out last time.

Thinking about the past never changes anything. You just have to be grateful for the present instead of being stuck in your memories all of the time.

The earpiece made a sound letting Babs know that someone was trying to communicate with her, bringing her back to the present moment.

"Hey Babs, just letting you know I'm headed near hood's area to check out a gunshot. He isn't patrolling tonight anyways so I should be ok to cover for him," Nightwing communicated through the device.

"Thanks for the notice Big Bird, I'll keep an eye out with the cams. Make sure to get back earlier than last night though, Al was pissed at you." She snickered at him on her end and she heard him scoff at her, probably with a side of an eyeroll.

"Yea, yea, now I got to roll out, someone could be hurt." Babs saw his comm go off and she relaxed into her comfortable chair once more. Stretching her arms, she picked up her book again so she could continue reading it.

Not long after, another sound could be heard, once more notifying her of someone attempting to communicate through their earpieces.

"Oracle. Please send me schematics of Wearhouse B, of seldom importing." Damien was obviously being the classical demon kid he was that lacked any basic manners.

"You got to say the magic word first Robin, can't hear you without it!" She shot a sly smirk after teasing him.

"Why must you be such a pain. You are just like Grayson, I will get them myself. Goodbye." He logged off, obviously annoyed with her antics. But she counted that as a success in her eyes.

A few minutes later she heard the bell ring to the door of the library. She rolled out in her wheelchair to greet the person when they walked in. It was only 8:00 yet, so it wasn't completely unusual for anyone to be visiting the library at this hour.

A familiar face stood at the counter, his hair was greasy as he hadn't taken a shower in about a week. Eyes slightly tinged with green, his trademark, "white streak" in his hair. His combat boots thundered against the tile floor as he lurked towards the counter to greet her.

"What's up Jay, thought you were off tonight?" She sent him a questioning look in his direction, hoping he wasn't mad at Dick for intruding in crime alley.

"I needed a book, and I wanted to stop by to give you something. Books help me blow off steam when I don't want to get violent." Barbara could relate to that. When she was first paralyzed, she was so frustrated, that the only thing that could calm her down was a good book to focus on instead of the pain.

He strode over towards the shelves, skimming through a book here and there, only to sigh and place it back in its spot. Barbara could hear crashing outside of the library and hurried footsteps, followed by the ring of the bell notifying her of a new guest.

She could see Jason stiffen, obviously weary of the newcomer before he realized it was just a kid. He quickly changed moods as he caught sight of the teens arm. Blood was leaving a trail behind him as he stumbled inside, staining the all-white top he was wearing. A bruise could be seen on his face, indicating someone took a swing at him, or he tripped on something.

"Whoa, kid! You alright there?" She wheels over to the boy as he is bent over, panting heavily.

"Not really, If you couldn't tell by the blood." He coughed on his words while leaning against a bookshelf.

"Let me take a look, I may not be a doctor but I know a gun shot when I see one." Jason walks over to the kid, obviously mad at whoever hurt the boy.

The teen couldn't have been older than Damien, and he was only 13, so seeing him with a bullet in him made her heart ache.

"So, who was the asshole that did this, kid?" He asks, obviously trying to put on a calm facade for the young tween's sake.

"Some random crackhead that thought I had money on me. Don't know why he would try to rob a kid but some people are just idiots." He lets out a pained grumble following his words, making Jason even more angry at the situation.

Jason nods, obviously storing this information for later when he needs to use his pent up rage on a punching bag of sorts.

"This might need stitches, but we have to stop the bleeding right now before any more damage is done here, I can look at it again later or bring you somewhere."

The teen visibly stiffened at that last notion.

Jason wasted absolutely no time wrapping up the kid with a roll of gauze he magically produced from his pockets. The Raenette didn't make a peep the entire time his arm was being yanked while he tied the bandage around it, and that worried Barbara.

Just how much had this kid gone through to not make a sound after an injury? She hoped that he would be alright as he was obviously starting to lose consciousness. Him passing out probably wasn't a good idea in case of a concussion.

"Kid! Don't pass out now you might have a concussion! KID!" Jason yells, lightly tapping the boy on the face.

"Shit!" he curses loudly, tugging at his hair.

"Babs, Tell B we are heading to the Batcave, kid with a serious bullet wound and possible concussion." He says sternly.

Barbara sends the notification letting Bruce know Jay is taking a civilian to the cave for medical attention. Jason scoops him up and carries him to the parking lot. Judging by the appalled look on his face, the kid didn't weigh very much, and that was never good.

Chapter Text

A Good ol' Jason Todd POV:

Jason was very concerned about the kid. (Who wouldn't be?) He figured that he wouldn't want to interact with anyone at a hospital. Judging by how he acted by him and Babs alone, more adults would likely just freak him out.

The biggest issue was the possible head injury. There was a slight bruise on the left of his forehead. He stopped the bleeding in the kids arm, sure, but that wasn't going to fix the problem entirely. The bullet was likely still in him, judging by the lack of an opening on the opposite side.

Fucking hell, he was definitely going to give someone a hospital visit after this shit was pulled. No one hurts kids on his turf, not while he has the ability to help them. He would rather die again before he let a child get hurt, or worse, killed.

He wouldn't let it slide. For as long as his heart still pumped with the help of the damned green pit, he would put a bullet in anyone that dared touch the children of Crime Alley.

That was certainly a promise that he would keep.

The alley kids don't deserve the shitty lives that they had been dealt, that was for sure. No child deserves to be homeless on the dangerous streets, or put into an abusive foster home at a young age. Children are so innocent, and they certainly don't deserve for their joyful minds to be ruined by the cold and dark reality they end up facing.

Shit. He was getting really worked up. Green was beginning to tinge his vision a sickly shade of the once loved color. He needed to calm down before he dropped the teen he was carrying.

Taking in the kids appearance, he noticed numbers on the right side of his neck, "81194." He wasn't sure why a kid that young would need a tattoo, so he deduced it was from something else. Something more sinister?

He would definitely have to look into it, if it was from a trafficking ring, more kids could be hurt. More kids that he could protect.

He took notice of how light the dark haired boy was, he was underweight for his age. His right ear by the tattoo had a white bandage, secured with medical tape. He should have Agent A take a look at it, make sure it isn't anything serious.

He reached his bike, but realized that he and the unconscious boy wouldn't fit together on it, the movement wouldn't be good for his arm. He sat him down on the ground carefully and ran inside to Barbara again.

"Babs, quickly, can I use your car? The kid won't fit on my bike with me if he's unconscious." He said as he breathed slightly heavier from the jog.

"Course' anything you need to get him to a hospital or the cave." She threw him the keys and he took off back to the injured teenager he left outside.

The kid still looked sickly, his black hair clashing with the whitening tone of his skin, the pale clearly from blood loss. He had to hurry to the cave if he wanted him to get treated better.

He lifted up the skinny boy and laid him in the backseat of Babs' car. It took practically no strength to move him from one place to another. That fact still disturbed him.

He drove off towards the cave, making sure he wasn't trailed in the process. He looked back at the kid and saw he was beginning to wake up. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open for a brief second. The attempts to question the kid went unanswered. He passed out again, resting his head against the window.

(This is where I came in to edit and write things. Sorry if you notice any changes in styles)

I first took notice of the sounds around me. A man was telling me to stay awake, and then it all went black. I felt myself slip from consciousness and into the state of my mind, the dream world, AKA, all of my nightmares into one perfect little bundle of images. Random memories would appear occasionally in my sleep.

Dream Pov!:

I saw Emma waking up, the sun was shining on her face as she stretched and yawned. She would have no idea I was gone until later, I often went on walks. The kids around her in sleeping bags were starting to rise with her. She put on her cloak and grabbed her bow, doing a headcount of all the campers. (I should remember to look for my bow when I wake up.)

The trees fluttered and the kids yawned as they awoke to a new day of freedom. Emma looked up at the rising sun that blazed in the distant horizon above the group.

She heard a twig snap and she whipped her head around to see a young Jemima walking towards her. "Where's Ray?" She was clearly distraught about something, as tears were slowly forming. "I'm not sure, I would have to go look for him. He probably went out to find food, he usually is up before most of us." she reassured her.

"Can you tell me when you find him..?" she turned her head upwards to make eye contact with Emma, she was beginning to tremble. Emma grabbed her hands and took them in her own. "I promise. Now, go get the others up. We should find another place to set up." Emma bent down to her level and gave her a hug. "Thank you.." Her slow retreating figure brought out a sigh.

My dream started to shift as I noticed myself waking up again. So I can see what the others are doing while I'm asleep? That is reassuring at the very least, I can know what happens and if they find a way to get me back.

Jason Pov again!:

He reached the cave. The place held a lot of unpleasant memories related to it. Images flashed through his head as he stopped dead in his tracks with an injured kid still in his arms. The kid was beginning to stir.

He pushed all of my anger down deep into the back pits of his mind. The green subsided and he was left feeling more relieved than prior. He took a glance down to the kid he was carrying, his unruly black hair was covering most of his face. He twitched on occasion, shakily breathing in his sleep.

He hustled inside to see Tim on the computer, eyes red from overuse of electronics, bags under the redness sagged his face towards the floor. The coffee addict looked over to notice the injured civilian he was carrying with caution.

"I thought we weren't supposed to bring civilians here?" He was raising his voice, triggering something in the broken man. "Well, I don't care. He needs help, and he can't go to a hospital so suck it." He shot back angrily, the green seeping into the edges of his vision once more.

"Alright, calm down, lets get the kid to a stretcher; put your suit on while your at it." He said, clearly trying to deescalate the tension.

He tentatively laid the kid down on the bed and contacted Alfred to come check him. The other entrance to the cave opened as the butler stepped inside with haste. He quickly came over carrying a med kit, ready to examine the child.

"Oh dear, he looks very pale. How long ago was this?" His voice was filled with worry as he looked over the teen.

"No longer than a half an hour at the most. He went into the library about 20 minutes ago." He said.

"Very good with the bandages, Master Jason. I will take it from here. Please notify Master Bruce that the child has arrived to the cave. He should be questioned about his home conditions." He unraveled the bandaging Jason had done on the kid, and got to work.

Alfred had noticed the strange tattoo on his neck, eyeing it for a moment before continuing. He moved a stray piece of hair away from his face to check his temperature, then stopped when he discovered a bandage covering the kids left ear. "Was this your doing Master Jason?" He questioned him as he was walking away, Jason turned around again, almost forgetting about the bandage on his ear.

"No that wasn't me, it looks like something older." I answer to him.

He peeled off the bandage on his ear, only to reel back in shock. "I do believe children have ears on their left, Master Jason?" He turns towards me. "Maybe this goes deeper than I thought." he murmured.

Now that he realizes it, this kid fit the adoption criteria almost perfectly, Bruce would definitely not let his hands off this one if he saw him. He stands up and walk over to Tim, who was still on the batcomputer looking at building schematics.

"Hey Timbit, about the kid I brought in, he has something strange going on, can you come here and see if this relates to any known trafficking rings that are still up?" He turned to look at Jason, clearly getting tired even with the help of caffeine.

"Sure, let me just shut this down. Damian should be back from patrol soon enough, and Babs is still on hand if he needs backup." He clicks a few buttons and then walks over to the med bay area.

"So what's up with this kid? He had a gunshot right?" he asked.

"Yea, in his arm. I can speculate it was on top of a prior injury as well, the wound was too open." He filled him in on the basics of the situation and he stepped over to look at the boy.

"Strange tattoo, could be a branding, definitely from when he was younger, it looks old." He reached over to get a closer look at the tattoo. "What do you think the numbers mean?" He rotates his head back slightly so he could acknowledge who he was speaking to.

"Don't know. Take a look at his ear too." His eyes skim over to his left ear and he leans over the boy in fascination.

"Woah that's interesting, it looks like a clean cut through the tissue, whoever did it obviously did it on purpose. It could have been a parent? Or it could have been a torture method from someone." He rants.

The kid's bag was sitting to the side of the bed, he went to grab it to look for any clues of where he came from. He pulls out a quiver, it has 7 arrows left in it. He must have used it recently if it was in the top of the bag. Two polaroid photos lay strewn in the bottom of the bag, one a picture of a woman with black hair, the other a photo of two other children. One of the children had stark white hair, the other had wild, red hair.

Various other item were packed into the bag. Food rations, water, a book, a scarf, a small hunting knife, and a pen with no paper. The kid was obviously prepared for survival, could be a runaway. At least he was prepared for things, Jason remembered when he was his age, on the run from the cops every night, fighting for survival.

Alfred continued checking the boy for other injuries as we observed. Tim was now interested, that brought more likelihood to his case being solved. A strange kid, randomly showing up with injuries and strange tattoos can't go unseen. Bruce would be interested as well, seeing as it was a (most likely) parentless child.

Just as if called, Bruce walked in. He was still dressed in his batman suit for precautions, incase the kid woke up. "I believe the child has a bruised rib, and possibly an untreated injury from an arrow." Alfred filled us in.

Tim had gone back to the Bat Computer to research different groups that would relate to the teen. Looks like it was going to be a stressful night for patrol.

Chapter Text

Brucie Pov:

The Gotham air was chilly, wind pricked at his skin beneath his clothes. The rush of adrenaline was strong, thugs coming at him from every side. Tonight was a very important drug-bust, the substances extending to outside of Gotham boundaries. Taking down this ring would help a lot of people in the long-run.

He focused on the people he was fighting, effectively taking them down one by one. Robin was alongside him, disarming and knocking out any nearby enemies. His katanas were currently sheathed on his back.

Watching the young boy fight was similar to watching a dance rehearsal, clearly having been practiced for years. He wished he was there for those years.

He couldn't help the worry that seeped in whenever he was on patrol, he couldn't afford another mistake to happen. Not like last time.

He was getting distracted, he needed to focus.

Oracle was communicating in the comms to Nightwing, his eldest. Dick had become a great fighter, with actions and words. He had learnt more over the years, and had grown so much. It made his heart ache. His once young boy was now a man, a cop, and a hero.

Red-hood, Jason, would always have a place in his heart. No matter how many times they had fought over the time of his return, he would always care for him. Bruce was not a man of difficult feelings, those had been stashed away the moment he donned the cowl.

His hardships were entirely derived from the decision to become the batman. One he would forever regret, with many others he had poorly made.

The last few criminals had been efficiently knocked down by the duo as they began their search for the stash. "Oracle. Send me the schematics of, Wearhouse B of Seldom Importing." His youngest had disliked using the comms, believing that help was always unneeded. He warmed up eventually.

"Gotta' say the magic word Robin!" He could practically hear the smirk coming from Barbara, clearly irritating Damian.

"You are just like Grayson, I will get them myself. Goodbye," he signed off.

Damian had begrudgingly ended up asking Tim for the details instead of Barbara. Bruce nearly cracked a smile at his annoyed state, finishing up with the thugs.

The goons were sprawled out on the floor, a few had a broken limb or bruised temple. Damian was beginning to restrain them one-by-one, a few stirred, while others were still on the ground with heaving chests.

Bruce perked up, footsteps were pattering on the roof, coordinating with the soft drops of rain. The person was soon identified as Stephanie, who had come for back-up in the search. "Looks like I missed the party?" She spoke with a sly tone, her face imitating a pout as she jumped from the beams above them.

Damian glared in her direction, his nose wrinkled as she stepped towards him. Steph had ruffled his hair as she passed, striding off to search one of the many offices in the warehouse.

"We looking for a drug stash B?" She turned towards him, walking backwards as she still advanced toward one of the many offices. "Yes, be aware for threats as you search."

She gave a wink and turned around, entering an office room. A crackling was heard in his ear, Barbara spoke up. "Hey B, Jay is bringing a kid to the cave for medical, notifying you before he gets there."

Peculiar. Jason rarely brought civilians to the cave. He would observe later, he had a job to finish.

Stephanie called out, notifying them of where the stash was. "Sheesh! That's a lot of white powder, no baked good needs that much sugar!" She snickered.

"I will notify Gordon on the location, report back to the cave for the time being." He stretched his arms, the mussels in his back were sore. He noticed blood dripping from his shoulder, no entrance means it is just a graze.

He hears his children leaving, light footsteps barely heard as they grappled away. He followed suit, reaching the cave in less than 15 minutes.

Once he stepped in, still in his suit for precautions, the first thing he saw was Tim, Alfred and Jason huddled by a stretcher. A mop of black hair rested on a boy, approximately 13-14 years old in an all-white outfit. They were all observing something on the child's left side. His ear?

He stepped closer to the trio, earning a grunt from Jason.

"Welcome back sir." Alfred greeted him with a nod. "The young man has been asleep for an hour by now, would you like me to give you a report on his current injuries?"

"That would be helpful." he responded.

"The boy has a bruised rib, an older injury on his thigh likely caused by an arrow, and a gunshot wound to his right arm, more than likely residing on a previous injury. He has no concussion, simply a bruise on his temple."

The report was lengthy, injuries all from seemingly different causes. The most unusual thing he noticed was the tattoo on his neck. A number could be many different things, it could mean that he was the 81194th member of an organization or cult, it could be a branding, an act of rebellion, or it could be something more obscure.

The most worrisome thing was the fact that he did not have a left ear. A clean cut from the tissue could have been from a scalpel or medical tool, it was not jagged enough to have been anything he did himself.

The teen would be waking soon, he could see the way his eye twitched and his breathing was no longer quite as slow.

"Take him upstairs and put him into a guest room. It would be easier if he did not wake up to find himself in the Batcave after a civilian had brought him here." He looked at Jason, the younger man scoffed but did as instructed.

Ray Pov:

He groaned as he started to wake up, the first thing he noticed was the sling on his arm and the bandages covering his injury. The man at the library must have bandaged it.

He assessed his surroundings, he could see that he was in a bedroom. A bathroom was to his right and a window was to his left. The room looked expensive. Green curtains draped over the arched window, intricate designs could be seen on the edges of the fabric.

The mattress he was laying on was soft and comfortable, the pillows silk. He assumed this was someone's home, a strangers home.

He saw his satchel next to him on the bed, his bow nowhere in sight. He must have left it in the alleyway when he was attacked. He rifled through his bag, making sure none of his items were misplaced.

He took count of all of his supplies and slung his bag back on. His leg was sore from all the running. He ran a hand through his hair and realized how dirty it was. He would take a shower, then leave through the window.

The bathroom was just as nice as the bedroom itself, luxurious tub and sink. A vanity equipped with hand soap and a neat stack of towels.

He took a very fast shower and got dressed, the less time he spent here, the better. He needed to escape, find a way back to the others before things got out of hand. He snagged a simple black hoodie he had found in the closet, a size too big on him.

He tied his boots and went to the window, it was actually a balcony. Even better. It was only the 2nd story, easy enough to climb down. He looked for any edges to easier start his descent, finding none nearby he went back inside.

He looked at a clock above the door, it was 1:03 am. No one should be awake at this hour, it should be alright to go into the hall surely.

He peeked outside of his doorway, seeing no one, he wandered into the hall. He needed to find away to get to the first floor, then hop the garden wall.

It took 8 minutes to find the stairs, he made sure to keep his steps as quiet as possible, sticking close to the wall as he walked down. The space was dimly lit, he watched his steps closely as he snuck towards the first window he could find.

He unlocked it, crawled out, and took off to the hedge wall he had seen from his balcony. It took little effort to climb the bush, solely with his left arm.

He sprinted in the direction where he saw the city, hoping to blend in better with the crowd. The less attention he got, the better. He was exhausted by the time he got to a place to rest. He climbed a fire escape and huddled under an old ac unit on a wet rooftop.

The cement was cold as he laid his head on his bag, unsure of what he was planning to do next. He stared longingly at the moon. He thought of Emma as he fell asleep, hoping to get back to his family sooner rather than later.

Chapter Text

Ray awoke to the dreary sky only a shade brighter than it was when he fell asleep. The clouds cast an overhead shadow over the entirety of the city. The bandage on his arm was still secure as he tugged on it to check its quality of work.

He pulled his hood tighter around his head to keep in the warmth, the wind was not kind to those without shelter.

The man from last night had helped him but he had no reason to ever go back to him now that he had seen his face. He had been backstabbed by adults before at a young age, he kept that in mind as he descended the rooftop.

Gunshots could be heard in the distance, sirens wailed and cars honked. The commotion was unfamiliar to him, different to the usual quiet of the wilderness. Instead of tall trees, there stood buildings that reached the same height. Instead of demons there stood adults who harmed others for reason or simply for joy.

He wandered aimlessly on the streets as he had accidentally bumped into a stranger ahead of him when he wasn't paying attention. "Hey kid, watch it!" the man grumbled as he walked onward. Yea, adults are the worst.

He certainly would not return to the library any time soon, the woman had already seen him in danger and she might press too far for comfort. He turned into an open alleyway, making sure it was in sight enough of the crowd to be safe.

He saw two police officers talking to each other, one had a warm smile on his face as he spoke and the other had a seemingly permanent scowl plastered on his features. The happy one reminded him too much of Emma.

He turned the opposite direction and continued his journey deeper into the strange city. He passed by a stand selling newspapers and eyed the man curiously, he was distracted. He quietly snatched one off of the rack and inconspicuously walked off.

He read as he walked, finding articles about prison breakouts and things like "The Joker has once again made an appearance in Crime Alley!" or "Bruce Wayne strikes deal with The Daily Planet!" nothing much of use.

At the very least he knew the city name but it wasn't much help. He needed more information, locations of homeless shelters or any type of housing, and quickly.

The sun seemed to be nonexistent, the sky remaining the same color throughout the entire day. Even as he began to see less and less people on the streets, he could barely tell what time of day it was.

As he passed by a deli shop he heard a man step out, "Hey kid, its almost past curfew you's better get somewhere safe!" he called out as he pointed at Ray.

"Do you know anywhere?" He stopped in his tracks at the opportunity he had been given, he needed to ring all of the information he possible could out of this man. Fools make the best tools.

The man seemed to consider his question for a moment before answering, "I have an empty room if you got some sort of cash on you." Ray had anything but cash, growing up without ever needing it.

"Might be an issue then, I'm short on money." He responded with a "scared" voice to seem more innocent to the man.

"Well, if its only a night I can make an exception, but you's better be out before 10:00!" The scraggly man introduced himself as, "Robert" and ushered him inside quickly. He took him up a flight of stairs and led him to the first room on the left.

"The guest room is equipped with a bathroom so feel free to shower if you'd like, I know how hard it can get on the streets kid." He leaned against the doorway and lit up a cigar puffing out fumes of smoke into the hallway.

Ray had never smelled a cigar before, and now he wishes he hadn't ever done so at all. He did not see the appeal to something that smelled so incredibly disgusting.

Robert walked back down the hall and shut the door behind him leaving him alone to his thoughts. There was a clock above the door, the front had a crack in the glass but the time seemed accurate.

It was currently 11:36 in the afternoon, he had not eaten all day and he was dehydrated. He turned into the bathroom and turned on the sink, it flowed dark with grime and dirt but cleared after a few minutes of waiting. He made a scoop with his hands and put them under the faucet. He brough this hands back to his face and drank the questionable water with haste. Sanitary or not, it was water. His rations needed to be saved for a situation more in need.

He wiped his mouth with a towel and went back into the room to explore. The bedroom wasn't anything like the one he had woken up in the night before. The curtains were old and ripped at the edges, the bed looked sunken in and the floors creaked when he stepped.

His stomach was rumbling as he looked in the drawers of a closet. There was 2 pairs of socks and a simple short-sleeved shirt. The shirt looked old and worn, with a hole in the upper shoulder. He brought it to the bathroom and ran it under the sink, doing the laundry reminded him of home. Once it was clean he set it on the towel rack to dry.

The less of the white uniform he wore the better, he had already gained too much attention with his uniform. The blood splatter on the right arm of his shirt certainly did not help with the concern of strangers messing with him.

He checked the window, it had a lock but looked sturdy enough to keep an intruder out if it ever came to it. He opened it as the wood groaned at the motion. There was a fire escape since it was a 3 story building, that made it easier to escapee if he felt threatened by Robert.

He needed more rest, his head has been swimming since he was shot and his arm still ached. The bandage was still securely strapped onto his appendage as he smoothed out the sheets on the bed.

He hid his bag under his pillow to keep out any late night snooping and slipped his hunting knife in his pocket. He wasn't very skilled with knives, he used arrows way more often sometimes forgetting he even had the blade in the first place.

He got under the covers as he went to sleep, he hoped to dream of Emma so he could monitor their wellbeing.

Dream Pov:

Emma could be seen talking to Don and Gilda, Anna was helping some of the younger kids learn how to shoot a bow. (That's how he got the arrow injury, a mistake from one of the 7 year-olds) He couldn't make out what they were speaking about this time, it was fuzzy and unclear.

It was still daytime, different to his current time of day. Emma looked worried, rubbing her face as she spoke meant that she was getting nervous. Was it about him missing?

His vision swirled as he was pulled closer towards Jemima who was sitting against a large tree trunk looking sad. She was sniffling as she huddled closer to herself.

Jemima was always nervous, Ray got along with her better and she trusted him more.

He felt his heart break at the sight of her tears, he tried to wipe them away but his hand went through her head as if he were a ghost. He knew that he needed to find way back, the city he was in was so overwhelming it was almost unbearable to stay in any longer.

Ray Pov:

He shot upwards to the sound of glass shattering downstairs. His knife was clutched in his hand as he quickly got up from his bed and went towards the door. Opening the door would make a lot of noise, the hinges were entirely too squeaky.

An intruder could mean 3 things, theft, assault, or murder. He would hope to be the victim of none of those.

He decided to risk opening the door, carefully stepping to avoid as much noise as possible coming from the floorboards. His steps were light and almost unheard. Suddenly, he heard creaking coming from the bottom of he stairs, there was movement.

Calling out would be unwise, in scared situations someone could blindly shoot and he could end up dead. He decided to sit in the dark at the top of the stairs, just to the right so they wouldn't see him from below.

He was flush against the wall as more creaking was heard coming closer to the stairwell. A figure was cautiously approaching, a weapon or tool of sorts was in their hand. Ray let them pass his spot, he examined the figure carefully.

It was just Robert, he instantly recognized the mans unruly hair and odd shoes. His heart was beating out of his chest. He was safe, yes, but he wouldn't be able to sleep any longer, too scared of a real intruder to safely rest.

He quietly returned to his borrowed room and shut the door, he slid to the ground and lightly heaved.

His back remained against the door until the sky started to lighten, his eyes drooping as he nearly dozed off again. Once he had grabbed all of his belongings, he left through the window, leaving no trace he was ever in the room.

The streets always seemed to be busy, every alley he looked into there was some sort of crime being committed. Multiple working ladies were parked at the corners of streets, having no shame in their business.

He walked for nearly 2 hours and looked at his feet the entire time. He came across a 20 dollar bill, he would need to use it for food eventually.

He walked into the first place that sold food he could find, it was a small restaurant tucked into a corner named, "Bat Burger."

Chapter Text

Dick Pov:

His limbs popped as he stretched, sighing in content as he sat on his bed. The kid Jay had brought in was a strange one. He had observed carefully as the teen snuck his way out of the manor the night before.

Waking up in a strange house with no recollection of how you ended up there must've been a shock to the poor guy.
Bruce was panicking about the kid, he didn't like that he had gone back to the unsafe streets. That was certainly a place no child should ever be, especially in Gotham.

It must have been the adoption instincts taking over on that one. Once he set his eyes on a black haired orphan, it was over.

His apartment was small, with most of its light coming from the windows, which was hardly any. The usual city noises were never very extreme since he was on a higher floor. He still had a job to do during the day. It was best to get up so he had time to grab food in the afternoon.

The morning flew by as he had eventually made it to the sherrifs office to clock in. Keeping the city safe was never just during the night if he could help it.

Lucky for him, a stack of donut boxes lay on the desk as he walked into the shared office space. Dick instantly grabbed his favorite kind and hopped over to his desk with a spring in his step. He was itching to get some action, so he quickly picked up an assignment and headed out with his partner for the day.

The streets were littered with trash as usual. The assignment happened to be a drug deal bust. They stepped out of their car and waited in an alley for the man to show up. It was reported that he would be at the spot by 10:00 am.

He happily chatted with his grumpy companion, eagerly talking about some show he had watched recently. The scuffle of shoes on concrete could be heard behind the two officers. He whipped around to see what the commotion was, but there was nothing there by the time he looked.

The grouchy man next to him looked utterly confused at his actions. He must've not noticed the sound. "Thought I heard someone, guess it was just a rat!" He smiled at the guy and continued his watch for the drug dealer.

The suspect appeared about a half hour later. He was a slim man with long, unruly blonde hair that looked to be caked with mud and grime. His clothes were torn and ragged, clearly old. The backpack he carried was in a similar condition, holes in some spots and splotches of blood.

"Hello, this is the GCPD. You are under arrest for illegal drug trafficking." His partner spit on the ground as he walked up to help Dick search the man for weapons.

They pulled out a gun, knife, and canister of pepper spray from the man's pockets. He was hauled into the police car with many angry curses towards the two officers.

"Officer Grayson, reporting. The suspect is on custody." He radioed in and started the drive back to the station to get the man booked and printed.

"Keep your hands off the donuts, Grayson. I'm planning on grabbing one before I leave for lunch." His partner grumbled next to him as he gave Dick a menacing glare. "Sure, Spencer, I'll just grab one later after my shift." He chuckled at the childish behavior and turned his attention back to the road.

The day had flown by as he took up more assignments with Spencer. They had brought in a total of 8 criminals between the two of them.

Dicks stomach grumbled as he arrived back at the manor. He was going to grab Jason and head to some food joint for lunch.

Alfred was carrying a stack of fresh towels up the stairs, Bruce could be heard on the phone in the kitchen, and Tim was reading an article at the table.

"Hey Timmy, whatcha reading?" The teen looked at him with an annoyed twitch in his features, a cup of coffee grasped in his hand like a lifeline. "An article about some energy surge that was recorded in Crime Alley was planning to have Hood check it out when he's on patrol."

Jason chose the perfect moment to walk in. He had his leather jacket on as he clutched his helmet under his arms.

"Hey, you want to grab some grub for lunch with me? Tim, you could come as well if you'd like." Tim thought about it and ultimately agreed, only if he could get a ride to the theater.

Jason walked by and ruffled Tim's hair, snatching his coffee cup while he was distracted. "Hey!" Tim tried to lunge at Jason's hand, hoping to grab his cup back but only succeeded in falling on his face instead. Everyone burst into laughter as Jason set down the coffee cup and leaned down to help the poor kid up.

Tim pulled on his arm and Jason went down, wrestling with him as they both laughed.

"Well if you guys want some food or nor, get in the car or else I will tell B all about your guys love life." Dick cracked a smirk as the two glared at him and jumped up from the ground.

"I'd kill you and douse your grave in that cologne you hate if you ever did that," Tim threatened him as he punched his arm a little too hard. Dick let put a nervous chuckle and ruffled his hair, accurately messing it up even further.

"Are we getting food or are we going to just stand around and wait for it to grow on a tree?" Jason looked between Dick and Tim as they all raced to the beat up van. It was tradition to take the van when they went out as family.

The short ride was filled with laughs as Jason and Tim started fighting about what music was better.
Dick agreed with Jason, heavy metal was much better than pop music.

He observed the road carefully. Gotham drivers were terrible, they held grudges and they always miss their turns. The crew got stuck behind a short blue corvet and a yellow punch buggy at a light.

"Yellow punch buggy. No punch backs!" Tim shouted at the top of his lungs as he hit Jason square in the chest with his fist.

"You little punk, consider all of your coffee cold." Jason looked menacing at the shorter teen and cracked a an evil smile.

Dick took the next turn and easily pulled into the adjacent parking lot to Bat Burger. As the three of them were walking inside, Jason narrowed his eyes on a familiar face tucked into a booth on the far right side of the restaurant.

Sitting in the tight corner was none other than the kid he had saved the other day, happily chewing on a large cheeseburger.