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The camera footage was surprisingly shaky as it played over the bat computer in the cave. Bruce would have thought with all Tim’s years of photography experience his hands would have been steadier. But, from the way Steph was presumably draped over his shoulder given the blonde hair waving in and out of frame and the laughter Tim was obviously trying to suppress, Bruce concluded it was likely unfair to extrapolate Tim’s actual skill level from this particular footage.
Over the speakers the boy in question’s voice crackled to life following a short tune Bruce thought nicely set the spooky ambiance he assumed the kids were aiming for.
“Welcome supernatural truthers.” Tim called to the audience from behind the camera. “Thank you for joining us on this, the first Friday 13th of the year.”
The camera panned away from the dark hallway Jason was standing in to refocus on where Bruce recognized the poorly lit figures of Dick, Duke, and Damian in civilian dress making their way into what looked like the front hallway of one of the abandoned houses in Old Gotham.
If he concentrated, he thought he could hear Duke whispering; "I can't believe we're doing this." and Jason's answer of "Just do it for the BatBurger, Prince."
“Tonight," Tim continued, either unaware or unconcerned with his brothers. "We are investigating the mysterious Jessica Miller House. A name some of you may recognize for the supposed possessions which took place within these very walls twenty years ago."
The camera caught Duke mouthing his brother's nickname to himself as he came to stop next to where Jason was running a flashlight into one of the adjacent rooms.
"Prince?" The younger boy asked.
Jason nodded, still distracted with taking in their environment. Or maybe seeing how many times he could shine light into Dick's eyes before he couldn't play it off as an accident. It was hard to tell.
"Is that a reference to landed gentry or the singer?" Duke asked.
"Maybe it's both. Never heard of a double entendre before?" Jason asked flashing his torch in Duke's direction for half a second. "It's called word play, squirt."
Duke huffed, his face still screwed up from the quick changes in light.
"The title thing I get, kind of, but why would you compare me to the artist formerly known as Prince?" Duke asked raising an eyebrow. And then with a dramatic gasp that could put Bruce's social persona to shame. "Is it cause I'm black?"
Before Jason even had enough time to get a befuddled "What?" out of his mouth Duke was already turning toward their oldest brother.
"Dick!" Duke called across the room over the sound of Tim filling in their audience on the history of the house. "Jason's committing micro aggressions against me."
Jason shouted, "I was not!" at the same time Dick's sharp "Jason!" reached the camera's microphone.
"Boo!" Stephanie called. "No hate crimes on the live stream Jason. What would the demons say?"
"No hate crimes ever." Dick countered. "Jace, play nice."
"Guys, can we focus on the preternatural beings please?" Tim asked at the same time Jason muttered something that sounded vaguely like "This family is a fucking nightmare."
"Tough shit Shakespeare." Duke smiled smugly.
"Yes Tim, go ahead." Dick answered for the group when no one else spoke up.
"It is currently 2:50 in the morning.” Tim proceeded with his monologue.
“2:53” Damian and Stephanie piped up in tandem.
Bruce heard Tim’s closed lip sigh and chuckled as the boy corrected himself.
“It is 2:53 in the mornin-” Tim started again before Damian interrupted him.
“tt, Honesty Drake, I thought you were a professional.”
Bruce could hear the frustration building in Tim's voice as he raised his voice to talk over his youngest brother, the hums of agreement from the rest of his traitorous siblings and Dick’s half-hearted reprimand.
“-and the witching hour is fast approaching!”
Over the cacophony Bruce heard someone clear their throat behind him and turned to see Alfred standing just over his shoulder.
“A little early for reviewing Halloween footage is it not Master Bruce?”
Bruce smiled at the older man.
“That’s what I thought too.” He answered. “But apparently tonight is spiritually significant and the kids wanted to document it for evidence. I’ve heard live streaming is very hip with the kids these days.”
Alfred hummed in a way Bruce recognized belayed a sense of good humor.
“I’ve decided to think of it as sibling bonding.” Bruce added over the sound of what he thought was Tim and Steph calling out to some supernatural being or another.
“Indeed sir.” Alfred said, the very edge of his mouth crooking up in a smile. “And you always tune into these bonding sessions?”
“Well,” Bruce started with a wry grin. “If I need to fight the devil I’d rather find out before one of the kids ends up dead.”
Before Alfred could answer, the sound of a door snapping close with force startled the pair’s attention back to the screen. Bruce could just pick out Duke’s quiet stream of 'hell no's over the sound of Jason’s yelp and Dick and Stephanie’s screams.
“Who did that?” Tim’s voice cut over the din and Bruce wasn’t entirely sure if he was addressing his siblings or the supposed demon.
Apparently, intention mattered little to the supernatural being who called the dwelling home because pools of yellow light formed opposite the door and answered in a voice like nails on a chalkboard: “I did.”
Almost as one Bruce flung himself out of his chair and toward the Bat-Mobile as Tim threw his camera at the apparition and took off after the rest of the group who were already spilling out of the building's entrance.
The Bat-Mobile roared to life under him as he dialed his eldest’s civilian number. And, with a sharp sigh that in another life would have been a series of swears dirty enough to earn him a bar of soap, Bruce promised himself he'd ban ghost hunting from the supernatural procedure manual as soon as the night was over and all his kids were accounted for.