Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hear the voice of the Bard,
Who present, past, and future, sees;
Whose ears have heard the Holy Word
That walked among the ancient trees

Calling the lapséd soul,
And weeping in the evening dew;
That might control the starry pole,
And fallen, fallen light renew

Gotham City

March 18, 2011 23:23 EST

Tonight was going to be big. It wasn't just that the Young Justice team was finally being deployed on more dangerous and difficult missions after their success on the Watchtower this past New Year's Eve. Or that tonight they were scouring their youngest member's city led by Batman himself. It wasn't often that the Batman let the team into Gotham, much less for something as mundane as patrol, so the opportunity was special in and of itself. The night sky above Gotham seemed to glimmer and, despite all the filth and grime, the city seemed almost magical. There was something special about tonight, they could feel it.

The Team watched as the Dynamic Duo ran just ahead of them, running and jumping off rooftops with such ease that they looked like a part of the city itself. Members of Young Justice exchanged little glances with each other as they watched Batman and Robin balance each other perfectly. One day, they told themselves, their team would have that sort of instinctual rapport as well.

Batman suddenly stopped on the edge of the tall, decorated building while Robin kept going and lightly perched on the head of a gargoyle. The tips of his toes hovered over the edge leading to the street hundreds of feet below but the boy didn't seem bothered by it. He merely cocked a head at his mentor with a barely disguised smile. It was no secret that the nights out in Gotham with the Team were his favorite.

"Are we doing the usual route? Up Morrison Street then heading down Park Row around midnight before hitting the docks?" Robin asked, taking in a lingering view of his city. "I haven't heard anything on the police scanners and it seems pretty quiet out there tonight."

"I agree," Batman nodded curtly. "Let me check in with the League before we conclude the evening's patrol. Following that, we'll reconvene back at the Mountain."

Robin's eyebrows arched as a playful grin appeared on his face. "It'll be too late for any training, so could we all watch a movie after?" Behind him, the Team perked up at the rare thought of a relaxing evening together.

Batman gave him protégé the barest hint of a teasing smile. "That depends entirely on how well you and your team perform on the rest of patrol." Robin grinned and turned to give his friends an eager thumbs up while the Batman addressed his radio. "Batman to Watchtower, is there anything on your end or can we make this an early night?" He asked, giving the boy at his side a subtle glance. For just that one moment, everything was perfect. What followed was something else entirely.

The surrounding area began to quake violently and the air pressure became unbearably heavy. Robin stumbled a bit and was pulled back off the gargoyle and onto the rooftop by Batman before he could fall. Robin didn't have a chance to thank his mentor as the man was already back to his radio. "Batman to Watchtower, we're experiencing some heavy disturbances in Gotham, requesting immediate back-up." He barked into the radio only to growl when static was the only response he received.

"Batman," M'gann said as she floated herself a few feet in the air and watched as the entire city went dark. "I think whatever is happening is coming from over there." She said, trying to keep herself calm when every inch of her was crawling with discomfort. There was something wrong happening over there, someone was breaking down natural laws that should not be tampered with. As much as she wanted to get far, far away from the unsettling sensation, she knew whatever this was needed to be stopped.

The rest of the Team's attention was drawn towards what looked to be midtown Gotham where all the commotion seemed to be originating from. Bright flashes in the sky followed by loud crack of what sounded like thunder that tingled with an electric energy. The air was tense and they knew that nothing good would come of this spectacle.

"Kid Flash, Miss Martian, head to the origin of the disturbance as quickly as you can, get a read on the situation and try to contain whatever is happening if you are able. Robin, Artemis, maintain a perimeter around the area and minimize civilian injuries. Aqualad, Superboy, the two of you will follow me as we catch up to Miss Martian and Kid Flash. I'll keep trying to contact the League. Miss Martian, establish a mental link so the Team can remain in contact." Batman broke in sternly, dictating orders that no one dared to question. With one last one long look at his mentor, Robin took out his grappling gun and disappeared into the night followed quickly by Artemis. The others took that as signal to leave as well.

'Mental link established,' Miss Martian mentally stated as the six members of Young Justice and Batman linked up. She bit her lip as she followed behind Wally's speed trail. 'Just be careful guys, whatever this is, it doesn't feel right.' Though much slower, she was able to catch up to Kid Flash and the two of them gazed up at the darkening sky with trepidation.

'Understood Miss Martian, have you and Kid Flash reached your positions yet?' Kaldur answered back as he and Superboy trailed behind Batman heading to the spot where their other teammates were located.

'Uh yeah...' M'gann answered uneasily causing Kid Flash to take over.

'It looks like there's a portal opening up in the sky, about 200 meters up. It's not very big right now, only about a foot wide, but it's growing. It doesn't match the pattern of a Zeta Tube or any other method of spatial teleportation that I know of. Plus, it's like Miss M said, this thing is giving off massive creepy vibes.' Kid paused, 'This is too big for us, we really need to get the rest of the League here.' Wally replied solemnly, this was uncomfortably out of their depth. As much as he wanted to prove himself, he didn't want to ruin things due to their inexperience.

'All forms of communication are currently down in addition to anything requiring power. We're on our own for the moment, the others and I will be there shortly.' Batman responded. 'Robin, Artemis, have you encountered any disturbances in your area?'

'There weren't many people on the streets when, whatever this is, started. It seems everyone else is doing the smart thing and hiding at home.' Artemis answered. 'We're really not doing much good out here,' she said honestly as she landed on the rooftop of a building on the outskirts of the city. From their position, they could see how far reaching the swirling darkness was. It made them want to join their teammates to help with whatever was happening.

'Agreed,' Robin chimed in. 'We can be more useful over there, if I let Artemis use one of my grapples, we can be at your position in a few minutes.'

'No, I need you both to remain where you are. Continue to maintain a perimeter and watch out for any unusual activity. This phenomena is not natural in origin and should something go wrong the two of you could potentially be liabilities. Stay where you are for the moment.' There was a tense silence as the Boy Wonder reeled from subtle insult by his mentor. He'd defeated monsters and aliens and Vandal Savage but his mentor didn't think he could handle a thunderstorm?

'Batman, maybe we can-'

'Stay where you are Robin,' Batman growled as he cut him off. 'You have your orders, don't make me repeat it a third time.' Once again Robin fell silent and, this time, it sounded like he would stay that way. The Team didn't have much time to commiserate for their friend when Superboy interrupted.

'There's something on the other side of that thing. I can hear voices but I can't make out what they're saying. It's too distorted,' Conner said. By this time, he was standing at the top of a nearby building with a clear view of the portal which had grown significantly. Batman and Aqualad were at street level, standing near Kid Flash and Miss Martian as they took in this new development.

Kaldur unleashed his Water-Bearers as he took in the sight as he and Kid Flash readied themselves. 'It is almost large enough for someone to pass through, I suggest we prepare ourselves for a confrontation.' As if this thought was the trigger, the portal suddenly emitted a blinding flash that was so powerful, it disoriented all of the superheroes. Conner gripped his ears as a high pitched tearing sound followed the blast. M'gann too gripped the clothing covering her heart as something within her twisted in discomfort. The rest of the team shook off their dizziness and discomfort as a new voice suddenly appeared far above them from the portal.

"- fun as it's been to play with you Batman, I'm afraid you've run out of time." Above them, hovering just outside of the portal was what appeared to be a man in a futuristic, all white and grey armored suit which seemed to be powering his flight. He had a white helmet on that completely covered his face and light grey belts secured across his chest. He brought his right arm up and tapped something in which caused the portal to start shrinking in size. "I'd say it was nice knowing you but if all goes well, we won't ever have met."

"Aqualad, Superboy, Kid Flash, I need you to immobilize that man in any means necessary. Miss Martian, what can you tell me about that portal? Can you sense anything?"

M'gann, still gripping her chest, looked over to Batman while her friends leapt into action. She shook her head dazedly. "I-I can't get a clear reading on it, it's like there's a tear in reality. It's wrong and unnatural." She swallowed nervously as Batman took a step closer to her and set a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Martian, you need to focus."

"Yes, all right, I'll try aga-" She fell to her knees and gripped her head as the lights above flashed dangerously once more from the now shrinking portal. A cacophony of sounds could be heard from wherever the portal led to before another, smaller figure jumped through before the portal became too small. Up on the rooftops, Aqualad and Superboy watched wide-eyed as the figure shuttered as he passed through the portal, almost as if struck by electricity. The new player, who looked to be more of a boy, hovered briefly in the air before beginning the long fall to the Earth, a bright yellow cape billowing behind them. The figure in white turned in surprise at the falling figure before laughing heartily.

"Oh that was a bad choice little bird but luckily it will be the last one you'll ever make!" The man in white exclaimed before he suddenly started to phase out of sight. "Thank you for giving me one final victory over the Batman!" And then he was simply gone.

But there wasn't any time to react to his sudden disappearance, the kid was still falling and would hit the ground any second. Superboy took a few steps back before running forward and propelling himself off the building. His timing wasn't exact, but he was close enough to grasp at the unconscious kid's cape and pull him close. Superboy shielded the small boy as much as he could when he landed roughly on the street, leaving a decent sized crater in the asphalt.

Above them, the portal blinked out of existence with a loud crack, causing the night sky to return to its normal inky black color. Slowly, the lights of the city began to hesitantly flicker back on while the Team winced slightly as their radios suddenly whined back to life. Kid Flash sped over to join Superboy while Batman helped Miss Martian to her feet as he debriefed the League who was finally able to make contact.

"-we need investigators in Gotham now, get anyone here who has a strong background in interdimensional physics and teleportation." Batman glanced over to Superboy who had uncurled himself around their mysterious figure and looked at him in surprise. Aqualad had rushed from his previous position over to Miss Martian. He hooked her arm around his shoulder and leading her over to where Superboy stood. Robin jumped down from a nearby rooftop, running past his mentor and towards the group without hesitation. Artemis followed closely behind but slowed down to give Batman a sheepish look about disobeying orders before following her younger teammate. The five of them hovered around Superboy who was awkwardly half carrying the child in his arms.

"Also we have a potential suspect in our custody. He appears to be unconscious but we'll be bringing him to the Mountain for interrogation and then I'll be coming back to Gotham. Yes, I'll keep you informed on any further developments." Batman concluded, signing off as he made his way over to the kids who stared up at him in stunned surprise. They parted as he stepped forward and he noticed immediately what had captured their attention.

The boy who had literally dropped out of the sky was young, certainly no older than 11 or 12 but his costume was very distinctive. Lightweight red and black Kevlar covered the boy's small but well-toned frame. His yellow cape lightly dusted the ground as Superboy readjusted his hold. He had coal black hair which was short and spiked and his skin was a dark dusty color. His eyes were obscured behind a domino mask and, most surprising, on his chest was a familiar symbol.

The teens all glanced over to Robin who appeared just as shocked as the rest of them. Like the rest of his teammates, he too looked down at the symbol on his chest which matched the newcomer's exactly. They all turned to Batman who was at a loss as to how to address the unusual situation. It shouldn't be possible and yet this boy's costume appeared to mimic Dick's design and material perfectly.

"So," Kid Flash began awkwardly as all eyes turned to him. "I didn't know you kept spares."

Mount Justice

March 19, 01:08 EST

The ride back to the Mountain was short but it seemed painfully long to is occupants. The five kids were trying their hardest not to stare at the unconscious boy strapped in the back seat. Wally had attempted to start up conversation a few times but it fell flat every time. Batman was flying, not giving the boy in the back a second thought as he went back and forth with the League organizing the investigation and clean-up of Gotham. And Robin just sat there, not looking at anything or anyone in particular but subtly training his eyes on the back of Batman's head.

As long as the plane ride seemed to its occupants, they eventually did land back in Rhode Island which, of course, led to a whole new set of problems. They all turned to look at the small child, his chin resting uncomfortably on his chest after the bumpy landing.

"What are we going to do with him? It's not like he can tell us anything now." Wally noted, gesturing vaguely to the unconscious boy in the chair. M'gann gently floated over and lifted the kid's head until he was in a more comfortable position. She took an extra second to run her fingers through his short hair.

"He's just a kid Wally, we don't want to hurt him. Who knows? He could be our Robin from an alternate universe. I'm sure the people on the other side of the portal are worried sick about him." Artemis opened her mouth to argue but Batman cut her off causing her to sniff lightly.

"We'll worry about that later," Batman began, "For now we must treat him as a threat. We need to know where he came from and what his plans are, you are in charge of watching him. Black Canary is on duty for the evening and can assist you if he is too difficult to manage, is that understood?" The teens nodded and Batman directed his attention to his partner. "Are you capable of assisting with this Robin or would you care to return to the Cave." Wally winced while the rest of Young Justice looked around awkwardly, trying not to notice the way Robin's fists clenched.

"No, I am fully capable of fulfilling my duties just like you trained me." Robin replied evenly as he forced himself to relax. Batman merely nodded and stalked off the plane leaving the Team and the mysterious boy alone. Another beat passed before Robin spoke.

"Superboy, grab the kid. There's no way to observe him up close in the holding cells so we'll put him in the lounge for now. We'll all be there to keep an eye an on him plus I've got some cuffs we can put on him until we have more information." He replied before copying his mentor and stalking off the plane. The remaining members exchanged a glance before following him. Conner unbuckled the kid and cradled him clumsily while he trailed behind his friends.

XxX

"So now what? We sit and watch the brat sleep all night?" Wally asked in a bored tone as he stuffed a handful of pretzels into his mouth. The other kids shrugged turning to look over at their guest who was draped on the couch in handcuffs before reforming their little circle. The Mountain had been a mess a half hour ago. The adults ran test after test on the mystery child while dealing with the after effects of the attack on Gotham. Batman had returned to his city almost immediately but had asked Robin to keep him informed of the situation in Happy Harbor. His partner had merely grunted in response. For now, the activity had settled as they waited for the results of the tests and the person of interest to awaken.

"Uncle J'onn said the boy was physically fine, the trip through the portal unprotected just shocked him into unconsciousness. He'll probably wake up soon." M'gann replied helpfully as she began to worry her lip. "Maybe can we take the handcuffs off him? The fact that he came through the portal unprepared plus, well, his uniform should be enough to trust him. And he's just a little kid."

"We cannot let our emotions distract us Miss. Martian, we must continue to exercise caution until we know for sure that this boy is not a danger to us." Kaldur replied stoically, though he too looked uncomfortable at the idea of detaining a child so he continued softly. "Once he wakes up I am sure we will be able to resolve everything peacefully."

"Besides," Wally said with his mouth full before taking a moment to swallow. "Even if he's not a threat he could still tell us about that spooky guy who flew out of the portal. Didn't he mention something about Batman? Could be important." He said, turning to Robin who nodded distractedly when Artemis entered the conversation.

"Yeah, well I don't trust him. There's something wrong with him and I don't just mean falling out of a weird space hole." She shrugged self-consciously. "He's too tense, even asleep. He's got a dangerous edge to him, you can just tell." Conner raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at the kid again while the rest debated with Artemis.

Wolf must have snuck in because he was sitting near the kid giving him a good sniffing. Conner walked over to stop him once Wolf began to nudge the boy's hand with his nose. "Wolf, leave him alone." Conner ordered, stopping just short of the couch but he was close enough to see the kid's face shift subtly under the mask.

"Grayson, not now." The kid muttered just under his breath causing Conner to start slightly. It looked like the kid was waking up, he turned to inform the others when suddenly he was hit hard in the backs of his knees. Normally such a blow wouldn't have any affect on the sturdy half-kryptonian, but he had been caught off guard and, as a result, was thrown to the floor. The Team stopped their discussion to stare as their captive disappeared just as Conner fell to his knees.

"What the- Whoa there!" Wally began only to be cut off as he avoided a batarang aimed at his face but he completely missed the child jumping down from the ceiling and landing on top of him. Wally was pushed to the ground as the kid flipped off the speedster's back and took a moment to glare at the still stunned teens.

"Where am I? What have you done to Batman?" The boy barked in a tone that was far too menacing for such a young sounding voice. He didn't give the Team a chance to respond before the cuffs from his wrists suddenly dropped off and he released a smoke bomb. They coughed for a moment, not used to their Robin's moves being used against them. Robin cursed, reacting just a tad to slow as he reached for the runaway and his fingertips just graced the edges of the yellow cape.

"We need to retrieve him unharmed but don't hold back on him just because he is a child. Treat him as though you were fighting our own Robin." Aqualad said fanning away the smoke, trying to get the situation back under their control. Artemis helped Wally back to his feet before leaving him with a bow at her ready. Superboy was up on his feet as well and began listening for the brat who'd put him down. M'gann concentrated, trying to locate his thoughts while Robin went high. If this kid was anything like him, he'd search for higher ground to reconvene.

"Robin to Batcave, come in Batcave." Robin smirked a little bit as he successfully located their runaway hidden deep in the upper echelons of the Mountain where few of the other team members even knew existed much less visited. He forced himself to a standstill as he listened to the boy's increasingly more annoyed tone speak into his radio. "Robin to Batcave, Batman what is your position?" The boy growled. "Oracle, can you patch me through to someone, anyone. Hood, Batgirl even Red Robin will due. Come in, where are you? I don't know where I am."

Robin pursed his lips at the quiet way the other kid said the last line. He moved forward just a bit but he obviously wasn't quiet enough as suddenly the other boy was rushing him. "Where have you taken me imposter? Who are you? Clayface? One of Ivy's drones?" The young boy demanded as Robin barely avoided a boot to the face as he started parrying the kid's moves from up in the beams. Below him, he could hear the others rushing to their position.

"Hey, I'm not the imposter here squirt." Robin retorted managing to get a decent kick to the kid's side but was startled when the boy was suddenly airborne in an impressive display of acrobatics. The fancy, and very distinctive, move was so distracting Robin gave his opponent the perfect opportunity to nail him right in the gut. The force of the punch pushed him from the beam though he didn't have a chance to catch himself as M'gann grabbed ahold of him.

"Robin, are you alright?" She, lowering him gently back to the ground. Robin coughed, gripping his now aching abdomen to try and find where their captive had gone off to.

"M'gann, we need to find him. We can't let-" He was cut off by Artemis grunting as she too began engaging with the kid, the two of them moving so fast it was impossible to track individual moves. Kid Flash ran up to intercept but the boy jumped up just in time for Wally to plow into Artemis causing both of them to sprawl onto the floor. Ducking around the fallen heroes, the kid ran full speed towards Superboy.

The older boy made to grab at the smaller boy only for the child to duck and slide between the clone's legs and start up running again. Aqualad brought out his Water-Bearers and managed to push the kid roughly into the wall but he recovered quickly, pushing off the wall and heading for his attacker. Two batarangs knocked the weapons of the Atlantean's hand and a powerful roundhouse kick had Kaldur on his back. All of this happened by the time Miss Martian and Robin touched down on the ground.

"Kid, wait!" Robin said as he struggled to get out his friend's embrace. "M'gann, grab him before he gets away." But his words came too late as the moment the kid was racing towards the door leading to the rest of the mountain, batarangs gripped dangerously in his tiny hands, another figure appeared in the doorway. The boy's would be escape was cut short as he scrambled to a stop just in front of Batman.

The Dark Knight immediately detained the kid by grabbing the kid's wrists but he needn't have bothered. At the sight of Batman, the other boy had gone rigid, his weapons falling to the ground with a quiet clang and staring up at the older vigilante as if he was seeing a ghost. Once Batman had the child detained, he glanced around at Young Justice who were shamefully trying to get to their feet as quickly as possible. They had been swiftly and efficiently taken down by a boy who probably still had baby teeth. There was no way they were avoiding a lecture later on proper handling of prisoners. And training, lots of grueling training.

"Get yourselves together and wait here. Someone will be down to hear your statements shortly and give you any medical attention you need. I'll be in the interrogation room if I need any of you." Batman growled, still holding onto the boy before leading him out of the room. The rest of the Team winced as the door slammed loudly behind him.

Chapter Text

It should be mentioned I don't own Batman or Young Justice

'Father, father, where are you going?
O do not walk so fast!
Speak, father, speak to your little boy,
Or else I shall be lost'

The night was dark, no father was there,
The child was wet with dew;
The mire was deep, and the child did weep,
And away the vapour flew

Mount Justice

March 19, 01:49 EST

Batman practically dragged the boy down to the interrogation cell, trying to tone down the indignation he felt that someone would dare to wear the colors his son and partner bore honorably. Seeing the swishing yellow cape and the Robin symbol on this imposter was enough to infuriate the vigilante. Dick didn't deserve to have his good works degraded by some punk.

Once there, he practically threw the boy into the cell before locking the door and retreating to the other side to observe the child through the one way mirror. He maintained his scowl as the kid sneered, pounding his fist on the floor before stalking over to the room's only chair with a dark look on his face.

"You do not have to be so rough with him," Martian Manhunter said appearing next to Bruce with a concerned expression. "The boy is well-trained in keeping out telepaths, as good as yourself and Robin might I add, but I can sense his desire to attack abated once he saw you. Your actions are only making him angry and less likely to cooperate."

"You're letting his age distract you. He's dangerous J'onn, you saw how he went after the Team like that. As young as he is, that boy is trained to kill, you can see it in the way he moves." Batman explained, gesturing to the costumed boy who still glaring into the glass with his arms crossed in petulance. The vigilante turned on the microphone and addressed their captive.

"What are you doing here? How are you connected to the man who you followed out of the portal in Gotham?" The boy did nothing other than purse his lips. "I suggest you talk, you may have been trained to deal with telepaths but that doesn't mean we can't still take that information from your mind." Next to him, J'onn frowned even harder.

"Batman," J'onn stated strongly as he indicated his objection.

"You may find it amusing to dress in that uniform but I can assure you there is a steep penalty for falsely impersonating-" he was cut off from further reprobation by J'onn cutting the microphone.

"Bruce, this is not helping the situation." Batman glared at the Martian before the green man sighed. "I understand you are worried for Richard and the others but you need to remain rational about this. Given the fact that this child woke up handcuffed in an unfamiliar place, I would imagine your own Robin would have reacted similarly." Bruce opened his mouth to object but the Martian continued.

"He needs to be contained and examined but there is no need to be cruel, the League is supposed to be above that. The tests should be done soon and we will know more about him. Until then, Detective, we must go about this smartly." Bruce clenched his jaw but took a step back allowing J'onn access to the microphone. If he tried to fight any more, J'onn might remove him from the interrogation room and Bruce needed all the information he could get on their prisoner.

"This is Martian Manhunter. Batman is right, it is wise for you to talk young man. We have no desire to hurt you, only to discover who you are and where you came from. If we can, we would be more than willing to assist you in returning there."

At his voice, the boy's sour expression abated somewhat as he scrutinized the glass. "Are you and Batman the only ones in the room?" He asked curtly, before continuing. "Is there any chance of being overheard?"

"No, it is just Batman and I. This room is completely safe, no one outside can hear anything being said." Manhunter reassured.

The boy paused for a moment before collecting himself. "I must begin by stating that your current training regimen for the children is downright pathetic. A common street thug could have taken out that sorry group of so-called heroes." The boy said derisively with an annoyed look on his face. "They shouldn't be allowed on a playground much less a battlefield."

Batman frowned at the child's impertinence but chose to ignore it favor of continuing the interrogation. "That's not what we-"

"But..." The boy hesitated, "Grayson is Robin here isn't he? His fighting style is distinctive, even now, it'd be impossible for someone to replicate." Bruce tensed suddenly at the name spoken by the child who now appeared just a little bit remorseful, having averted his eyes from the glass. Robin's identity, and thus his own, was compromised by a child that had neutralized the Team within minutes. Bruce was already going through several of his many emergency contingency plans when Manhunter grabbed his shoulder to hold him in place.

"Bruce, you need to calm down. Hurting him is not going to help Richard." He answered tersely even though he too was worried. Batman and Robin's identity's were among the League's most highly guarded secrets. The fact that a possible enemy was privy to such private knowledge was worrisome.

"Is he unharmed?" The boy asked suddenly. "I didn't know who he was at first, not until I saw that you were... present. I don't believe I caused any damage but I have no desire to see him injured." The boy's tone was still arrogant, but there was a slight undertone of concern.

"Given your earlier remarks on the Team, it seems odd for you to be questioning the safety of a boy you attacked." Batman answered, trying to keep his tone level after the revelation.

"I would assume that with my costume, even the World's Greatest Detective could figure it out. Grayson is my mentor and, though I'm loathe to admit it, my older brother of sorts." The two heroes were stunned into silence.

The kid pouted, hunching his shoulders uncomfortably once the quiet became unbearable. "I shouldn't be saying anything but it seems I don't have much choice. Before I went through that portal, I was in the year 2021 fighting alongside my Batman. We'd encountered a villain named Epoch, I tried to capture him before he escaped though the portal appears I was transported back in time. I do not remember passing through the portal, only waking up handcuffed in an unfamiliar location. The last time that happened, I'd been taken captive by Professor Pyg, so I reacted accordingly." He tilted his head. "I don't know when I am exactly or even where, sometime before 2013 as Grayson is still Robin. We should get this sorted out quickly so that I may return to my own time."

"You're saying you're from the future?" Batman asked, letting a little bit of his incredulity leak into his voice. The boy gave him an annoyed glare through the glass.

"You and your children dress up in colorful costumes and work alongside aliens and super-powered freaks and you're questioning the possibility of time travel?

Batman ignored the flippant statement as he honed instead on one word in particular. "Children?" As far as he knew, Dick was the only child he called his own. Suddenly it was occurring to him that, ten years in the future, this boy, possibly more, could be living in his home and as integrated into the family as Dick was. The thought caused his chest to tighten as he watched the boy wince slightly and turn his head to glare at the wall.

"You can believe what you want but I can't say anymore about the future, which I really ought to be getting back to. Pennyworth will have my head if I'm not back by morning." The casual reference to Alfred did not go unnoticed but Batman did not comment. Either this boy was a very well informed spy or he was actually telling the truth. Bruce wasn't sure which was more terrifying.

"We need to confirm your story first, if you are who you claim to be we will do everything in our power to return you to your own time." J'onn said while Bruce remained lost in thought. "What would you like us to call you in the meantime?"

"My true name is unimportant in this situation. I'd suggest calling me by my title but I suspect you and your band of miscreants would take issue with that. So pick a name of your choosing, it does not matter so long as it can get me back faster." The kid replied with a light wave of his hand. Bruce studied the preteen for a moment.

"You keep saying this but do you have any evidence to back up your claim? Unless you can prove something, we will continue to treat you as an active threat." The boy's eyes furrowed at the question and his teeth sunk into his lower lip in his first show of true nervousness since he was apprehended. A few quiet moments passed as the costumed child seemed to weigh his options.

"I suppose my presence here has already altered the past and any tests will prove as much anyway." He said quietly to himself as he reached his decision and put a gloved hand on his mask. "I am going to need your assistance if I am to return to my future. I know this won't convince you of my benign intentions, quite the opposite actually, but this should be sufficient to prove I am indeed from some time in your future." The child pulled off the mask slowly, revealing at once just how young he was. Without the brave façade of Robin to hide behind, the young boy's rounded features and large eyes marked him as being no older than about 10 years of age.

But it wasn't his youthful appearance that grabbed Bruce's attention. He found himself tensing as he took in the boy's high, well built cheekbones, the way his eyebrows winged ever so slightly on the ends and shallow peak of his hairline. Bruce knew that face, he walked past it everyday as it hung over the fireplace. An old portrait of better times, his mother, his father and himself. There was absolutely no doubt as to who this child was. The boy's curved green eyes seemed to hold his gaze even though there was no way he could see through the glass.

"So then Father, where shall we begin?"

XxX

Whatever was going on in there was taking way too long Robin decided as he paced back and forth, waiting for Batman to come back. He was tense, wound up not only by some crazy ninja kid who had soundly beat them but also by the earlier dismissal. He was going to be 14 in a few days, he was too old to be treated like an unruly child, but the ache in his heart sure made him feel like one. He was one of the youngest heroes out there and was a disciple of the Batman, he should be used to such treatment. But a part of him couldn't help but feel that disappointment from Batman meant disappointment from Bruce which was far, far worse.

"What is taking so long?" Superboy interrupted Robin's pacing gruffly. "When is someone going to come in and yell at us for messing up?" And that was another good point. Since Black Canary had come in and checked them over for injury, they haven't seen so much as a cape from any of the other adults. No one to chastise them or tell them what's going on or even confirm that they were even still there. Artemis was angrily bouncing her leg, glaring in the direction of the door so clearly she was about five minutes from storming out and demanding some answers. Robin couldn't blame her.

"Robin, I have a question. Just before Batman caught the boy, he was able to get in an easy hit. Did he do something to you?" M'Gann asked quietly, obviously sensing the thick tension in the room and seeking to lower it. Robin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. And that was the other problem.

"I don't know, I keep telling myself that I must have imagined it but I know what I saw." Robin sighed as he ran over his crazy theory again. "The way the kid fought, it was familiar. He was using my moves, my techniques against me. I don't know how that's possible, but there's no question that he's studied my movements, probably up close."

"What exactly are you implying there Rob? Is he a stalker or something?" Wally asked, speeding over in a second while the rest looked on curiously.

"I'm just noting that the guy in white earlier was using some highly advanced technology, nothing we have in this time currently. On a separate note, the kid who also came out of that portal not only wears a variation of my uniform but used a fighting style unique to me. It's possible that they could have come from a different place, maybe even a different time." He shrugged, pretending not to notice the stunned faces of his friends.

"Wait, wait, wait, are you saying he's from the future?" Artemis hissed.

"Come now Robin, that seems a bit extreme." Aqualad said calmly over the din of the other teens reacting to Robin's suspicions.

"I'm not saying anything but come on, Miss M is from Mars, KF can break the sound barrier, Supey is a clone of the strongest alien on Earth and you're part fish." Robin pointed out, crossing his arms. "You guys really ought to have a more open mind."

"Yeah but the future seems kind of... out there, even for us." Superboy added gruffly.

"Well, it does make a weird sort of sense," Miss Martin spoke quietly as she rubbed her arms. "It would explain that uncomfortable feeling I felt when the portal opened, it was like reality was being warped."

"Hello? Are you guys listening to what you're saying?" Artemis interuppted. "The future? That is totally impossible! Come on Wally, you're the science nerd here, tell them!" She said slapping her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Time travel has always been a murky grey area," the speedster answered as he rubbed his sore shoulder. "Theoretically you can't have 'pure' time travel because the moment you send someone or something back in time, it permanently alter the future course of events and infinite number of parallel universes are created. So in essence, if by some chance the kid did travel back, the future he's from might not even exist anymore."

"Yeah!" Artemis shouted, "there's no way the brat could've time travelled."

"I knew you were incompetent in battle but I didn't believe you would so senseless as to deny facts." The teens turned around at the youthful voice to find Martian Manhunter and Batman standing with a rather irritated looking kid Robin. They settled into battle positions, noting that their attacker was not restrained in any way. The only precaution taken was that Batman had the boy's utility belt gripped tightly in one hand.

"Listen up, while we are currently unable to confirm for certain, this child has given solid evidence to suggest that he is from about 10 years in the future." Batman said quietly only to be interrupted by the Team sudden yelling, a raised hand silenced them. "We will be looking into the technology used to open the portal to try and send him back to his own time. In addition, we will be tracking down villain who opened the portal before he can cause any harm."

He paused and set his free hand on the boy's shoulder. "Until we can return him, this boy will remain here. He is not going to be leaving the Mountain and he will e heavily monitored for the duration of his stay but he will not be treated as a prisoner, is that clear?" The room erupted again.

"What do you mean? The brat totally creamed us and you expect us to play nice with him?" Wally argued.

"I don't want to deal with any kids." Superboy added crossing his arms.

"We don't even know who he is! He could be a spy or some assassin." Artemis shouted, pointing at the boy who merely leveled her with an annoyed look.

"You don't have any room to be throwing around accusations like that, Crock. Sportsmaster is still your father is he not?" Artemis paled while Batman did his best not to look as frustrated as he felt.

"How do you know my name you little demon? Who are you?" Artemis hissed, reaching out as if she was going to thrash the boy only to be held back by Aqualad. The young boy remained impassive as he crossed his arms.

"I know all of your names because I am from your future and have the dismal pleasure of being familiar with you through him," he replied, nodding the direction of their Robin. "As for your second question, I am Robin which all you'll ever need to know about me." Young Justice stopped their bickering long enough to glare at the preteen who responded in kind. He clicked his tongue and turned up to address Batman. "Can I not work with you? I would be much more useful helping you track down Epoch and searching for a way to return me to my proper time." Batman, his hand still resting on the boy's shoulder, gave it a light squeeze.

"There's not much you can do for the moment, we're mostly gathering data and organizing ourselves. We also wish to verify your story and intentions before we bring you up to the Watchtower, I'm sure you understand." The boy let out an annoyed breath but didn't argue further.

Martian Manhunter chose that moment to clear his throat. "We leave him in your care while we continue our investigations on the Watchtower. You may contact us if you have any questions about what he can and cannot do," He turned to address the boy. "We will return later to get an official statement from you regarding everything you know about the villain." The kid looked like he was going to protest but instead made a brief face and nodded. "Let us know if you need anything, Black Canary is still going to be your supervisor." Manhunter said, readdressing the team before he nodded and ducked out of the room.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Kid Flash said, flailing his arms before pointing to the kid. "What about him? What do we do with him? What do we even call him. We can't call him Robin, we've already got one of those!" Batman paused, turning to give the new Robin a calculating look.

"Due to complications with the timelines, he refused to give us his real name. Any name you choose to call him is acceptable, something like Thomas would suffice." With his back turned, the Batman missed the stunned expressions on the faces of the two Robins upon hearing the name. Robin quickly schooled his expression so not to alert the team as to the significance of that name. Meanwhile, the newly dubbed Thomas glanced over at Robin before quickly returning his gaze to Batman. "Keep him in line, we'll be back." Batman finished as he swept out of the room leaving the Team and their unwanted guest alone.

Wally snorted and rolled his eyes. "Thomas, pfft, kind of an ordinary name for the Batman to choose don'tcha think Rob?" Kid Flash muttered under his breath, giving a best friend a side glance.

"Shut up Wally you don't know what you're talking about." Robin answered gruffly and this time Kid turned to properly look at Robin. The teen's normally cheerful face was like stone as he glared daggers at the other Robin, at Thomas. The kid frowned and turned away from Robin, folding his arms protectively across his chest. The tension in the room spiked as Robin's hands clenched into fists.

Miss Martian floated herself over the young boy and smiled brightly as if that would make everyone get along. "Hello! We weren't introduced before, my name is Miss Martian and I'm from Mars!" She tittered awkwardly, reaching out and grabbing the boy's hand to shake. "I'm sorry for earlier, I'm sure you understand. So I guess you're from the future. I'm sure you miss your friends and family, we'll get you back there as soon as we can, don't you worry." Damian stared blankly at her before roughly pulling his hand out of her grasp and retreating back a few steps.

"I am aware of who you are," he said testily. "You are more annoying than I remember, it's like dealing with Brown all over again."

M'gann smiled knowingly as she settled back on the ground. "Oh? Do I remind you of someone you know?" Damian sputtered and crossed his arms again, his cheeks a bit darker than normal. "It's alright, we aren't going to ask you anything about the future. We just want to get you back home safe and sound, don't we?" She said, addressing the rest of Young Justice. Damian's eyes lighted on Robin for a second before he turned away with a huff, the teen wonder never stopped glaring.

"Home, right." Damian muttered coarsely under his breath. Kid Flash took that moment to slap Robin hard on his back which got him to finally stop boring holes into their captive.

"Okay, I understand you can't say too much but if you are working with Batman in the future then you should know old birdbrain here too!" He zipped forward, putting a friendly arm around the boy's shoulders. "Come on, from one bro to another, you got any good stories to share?" Wally said with a teasing smirk.

"Kid, leave him alone." Aqualad interrupted with only a mildly reproving expression.

Only the new Robin didn't seem to be amused with the speedster's mannerisms and looked up at him with a guarded expression. "You're the original Kid Flash, Wallace West," he stated simply. Kid Flash winced at the use of his full name but took it in stride, patting the kid's head.

"Well you sure know your stuff boyo, I mean of course you know all about me seeing as I am Rob's best friend and all. So do you have any juicy gossip from the land of tomorrow?" Damian stared up at the speedster with unwavering intensity before breaking eye contact and staring into the wall.

"Yes... of course I know of you. You and uh Robin are close, he visits you quite often and forces me to join him sometimes. It is annoying and I take no pleasure from it but, for some reason, you are deemed important." Kid smiled and clicked his mouth while he made finger guns at his friends.

"See! Look at that, straight from the horse's mouth, I am important in the future!" He continued to smile as he ignored the weird feeling in the back of his head that the compliment to him had thus far been the only time the brat had said anything remotely nice. "Hey Rob, your little brother isn't so bad!" He said cheerily, noticing that the kid seemed to perk up a little at that, angling his face slightly so that he was looking over at Robin. He almost looked proud to have his relation to the Boy Wonder said aloud. Robin just huffed in annoyance.

"He's not my brother KF, he's just some kid who claims he came from the future and who knows how true that is? Arty's right he could be this assassin here to infiltrate our ranks and kill us. I bet he's not even really a hero; I wouldn't believe a word he says." Robin spat out and the hesitant look of hope vanished from the kid's face so fast Wally couldn't say for sure if it had ever been there.

"Well you don't have to believe a thing carny trash," Damian hissed out. "But Batman does and until I can get back to my family, you just have to deal with me." Damian paused, the viciousness on his face apparent. "I thought you were supposed to be smarter than this but I guess Batman can only do so much with some untrained charity case." Robin started at the insult but merely clenched his hands into fists to keep himself from teaching the kid a thing or two about his training.

"Now one of you wretched wannabes get me some pen and paper and I promise I'll stay out of your way, not that you do much of anything for me to disrupt." Without another word, Damian turned and stalked off to the far corner of the lounge, falling into one of the chairs. He sat and continued to glare at them until Miss Martian flew off and returned with a spiral bound notebook and pencil. He snatched the proffered items out of her hands and began to sketch in it angrily, acting if the rest of the team wasn't even there.

"Jeez Rob, way to be hospitable." Artemis said. She didn't know if the kid really was who he claimed to be, but he'd certainly acted like he'd just been hurt by a loved one. Miss Martian floated back over to them with her heart in her eyes, sympathy radiating off her person. Even Superboy and Aqualad appeared to be quietly expressing their disapproval over Robin's behavior. Only Kid Flash, Wally, who knew more about Robin's personal life than the others seemed to understand how difficult it was to see some kid swoop in out of nowhere wearing his uniform, taking away Batman's attention and affection. Only Wally had an inkling of how absolutely replaced he was feeling.

But the Team wouldn't understand that, even if he did have the freedom to tell them. So he did the only thing he really could, he turned and stomped out of the room, leaving his friends and their prisoner alone with each other. Who knows? Maybe they'd decide they like the new kid better than him too.

Chapter Text

Oh the stories I would tell if I owned Young Justice or Batman

Pity would be no more
If we did not make somebody poor,
And mercy no more could be
If all were as happy as we

And mutual fear brings peace,
Till the selfish loves increase
Then cruelty knits a snare,
And spreads his baits with care

Mount Justice

March 19, 02:19 EST

And so five members of Young Justice sat in the lounge and watched the youngest of them, ironically still a Robin, as he released his aggressions onto paper. Not that they sat near him or even pretended they were watching him. Superboy was sitting in front of the TV, watching static again. M'Gann had begun a baking project not long after their Robin had left though she kept craning her neck to try and see how Thomas was doing. Artemis and Kid Flash lounged on the couch, talking quietly amongst themselves, their words occasionally escalating into an argument before they remembered to lower their voices again. Aqualad sat cleaning and checking out his equipment, commenting on the couple's conversation every now and again. No one knew where Robin was and they suspected he wasn't in the mood for them to chase after him. It was quiet, eerily so for the normally boisterous team, but again these were quite unusual circumstances.

Damian, or Thomas, he supposes, kept to himself, trying to hold onto the anger that he'd initially felt at his older brother's earlier statements but found himself cooling down against his will. He'd never been able to stay mad at Grayson for too long. He looked down at the sketch he was finishing and added in the shading on the button down shirt Grayson had been wearing this morning. As soothing as it was to see the familiar face, it reminded him that the Robin here was not his brother. Damian pouted as he forced himself not to press into the paper too hard and ruin the picture. This child was impulsive and emotional and insecure, not at all like the Nightwing, like the Batman, Damian knew he would one day become. He set down the pencil and glanced in the direction of the other young heroes.

It was strange to see the rest of his mangy team like this, so young and inexperienced, but it was even more unsettling to be a complete stranger to them. Crock was supportive of him from the start having come from a similar background and was easily his favorite of all Grayson's friends. Harper, wherever he was in this reality, was a mess, currently in rehab after he relapsed following of death of his daughter and Damian had been forced to make too many trips to the Central City Cemetery. Aqualad, Miss Martian and the Superboy were heavily involved in running and mentoring for Young Justice and thus didn't make the trip to the Manor all that often. He knew that Zatanna and Rocket were in the League but he'd yet to get permission to go aboard the Watchtower and meet them. Father hadn't trusted him enough and Damian knew Grayson had to fight hard with the Justice League to keep him as Robin..

Damian heart clenched at the thought of seeing the original Batman again. He closed the borrowed notebook and gripped it tightly. His father was here, he was alive and maybe even interested in acknowledging his blood son. A very large part of him couldn't help but bitterly wonder why he couldn't have had this Batman, who seemed to give Damian much more attention than he ever did in the future.

He held on viciously to the feel of his father's supportive glove on his shoulder, to the feeling of acceptance when Batman gave him the name of his own much beloved father. He tells himself it's because this Batman is young and not yet worn thin by his attempts to parent a bunch of undeserving louts. Another, quieter voice tells him that his behavior when he first knew his father had been abhorrent and not deserving of the love he'd craved; the love Grayson had given so freely. He let his head fall back against the chair he's sitting in.

The wolf hybrid that had woken him earlier padded over and gave him a good sniffing before resting his large head on the arm of the chair. Damian scoffed, about ready to shoo the creature away so he could continue his brooding, but there was something nice about the easy, non-judgmental stare of the animal. Gently, Damian brought his fingers up and scratched around the wolf's neck and ears, feeling calmer as the animal narrowed it's eyes in contentment. Damian settled more comfortably into the chair as the wolf settled down by his feet. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling, perhaps he could convince Grayson to get a dog when he got back.

It had been nearly midnight when he and Batman had run into Epoch on patrol and a glance told him it was almost 2:30 now. Grayson normally tried to ensure that he was in bed by 2, something about kids needing more sleep or some such nonsense. He was the son of Batman, grandson of Ra's al Ghul, he was trained to survive in the harshest conditions. His thoughts were interrupted as he yawned suddenly. Grayson was in his head again, that annoying laugh in his voice as he tells Damian that there's no shame in acting like a child, in relying on adults. He wondered what was going on in his time, were they looking for him? Did they even care that he was gone? No, of course they were, Batman always promised to be there for his Robin and Grayson was no liar.

His eyes start to flicker shut as he lets the memories of his older brother wash over him. He'll just close his eyes for a minute, gather his thoughts so he can be alert for the upcoming struggle to get back to his own time. Because one thing was for certain, Damian Wayne was not spending an extra moment in this backwards time period where the dead walked again, where his allies treated him like a criminal, where his family didn't love him. As he drifted off into unconsciousness, he dreamt of his home and the people that were waiting for him.

The Watchtower

March 19, 02:28 EST

"The tests on the kid you found have come back," Superman said, drifting up behind the dark vigilante who was busy analyzing video footage from the attack in Gotham earlier. The sooner they identified the criminal from the future, Epoch he believed the name was, the sooner he could get the boy back home. Batman grunted, as he shifted to another camera view, getting a slightly different perspective. Kent waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello, are you in there? I thought you might want to see the results considering how much it involves you."

Bruce closed his eyes in frustration for a moment before turning to glare at the Man of Steel. "It's ironic how much you concern yourself with my family when it took you months to acknowledge your own." Superman winced and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, I admit it, I was a bit boorish at first but Conner and I have been making real progress. You're avoiding the issue Bruce and threatening to make the same mistake I did." Clark replied, holding up test results which told Bruce everything he already knew. "That boy in the mountain? He is your son, absolutely no wiggle room." He ducked his head to look over the papers again to avoid the glare his friend was giving him. "There seems to be some indication of genetic tampering post-conception but there's no doubt he's yours. He even looks just like you which I'm sure you probably noticed."

Superman looked up and was annoyed to see that Batman had already gone back to his work. "Bruce," he sighed.

"Don't use my name in public," Batman stated mechanically as he'd only said it a thousand times before. Superman rolled his eyes.

"Most of the people in the Watchtower know your name and, besides, there's no one in here but us." He watched Batman type a little longer, pulling up more files and videos. "You're going to have to address this eventually, to Dick, pardon me, Robin and your, well, son," Superman paused to consider something, "to both your sons."

"I am addressing the issue," Batman replied, not taking his eyes off of the screen. "I am seeking to find the man who sent the boy here, when we find him we can stop whatever he came back in time for and hopefully use his technology to send Thomas back where he belongs."

Superman raised an eyebrow before a delighted smirk appeared on his face. Batman held back a sigh as he unintentionally gave Clark more fodder for his argument. "Thomas? Is that his name? You named him after your father? Oh Bruce that's wonderful."

Bruce turned to glare once more at Clark before returning to the screen with a deeper frown on his face. "He refused to give us his proper name. He had the right idea with attempting to preserve the time stream as best he could given the circumstances, but we needed to call him something. I chose the name Thomas, that's all there is to it Clark."

Superman's smirk turned sardonic as he leaned against the computer console. "Oh now who's using civilian identities?" His grin faded into something softer. "Bruce, come on, anyone can go over all this footage. You'll never get an opportunity like this again, go see your boy Bruce, he's scared and alone and he probably could use his dad right about now."

"He's not my boy," Clark looked at him in confusion as he gestured back to the test results. "Clark it's," Batman paused rub the bridge of his nose where the Kryptonian always seemed to cause him pain. "I don't know him, I don't know what his life has been like, what types of hobbies he has, I don't even know his real name. I'm sure I'm as much a mystery to him as he is to me, I'm certain I'm not going to be the same man ten years from now." He turned to face his teammate and sort of friend whose eyes were lighting up with understanding.

"Besides," Batman continued. "The situation is more complicated than you understand, just because he's blood I'm still not certain he's my son. I'm fairly certain I know the identity of his mother and I wouldn't put it past her to have a child for the sole purpose of destroying me. For all we know, this could be an elaborate set-up by her to make us trust him."

He turned back to the screen. "He needs to go back to his time Clark, wherever that may be, and my presence up here will hopefully speed up that process. I acknowledge his genetic relation to me but, for now, I only have one child and his safety comes above all else. If Thomas, or whatever his name is, is working with the enemy then I want him away from Dick and the Team as soon as possible." Clark sighed, smiling with affectionate resignation. He reached out and gave his friend's shoulder a delicate squeeze as he set the files down on the table next to him.

"You're a good man and a good father, Bruce; one of these days you ought to tell Dick how much you love him." Bruce rolled his eyes as Superman exited the room leaving quietness in his wake. He never claimed Superman was the brightest of heroes but surely he was smarter than that. As Bruce resumed going over the video, taking notes on the villainous figure that had dropped into their lives along with his unintended passenger, he huffed quietly to himself. He may not have been one for sentimental words or grand gestures but Dick knew how proud his mentor was and how his adoptive father would move heaven and earth for him. Of course Dick knew he was loved.

Mount Justice,

March 19, 02:42

Bruce didn't love him. Okay so that was probably a bit extreme but, to Dick Grayson, the events of the day made it feel like Bruce had left him behind. He buried his head in his knees, hugging them closer to himself. He'd knew he'd acted like a bit of a jerk. He'd behaved emotionally and irrationally and stomping off to his room certainly wasn't very mature of him either but sometimes he just wanted to brood by himself. It was something he picked up from watching Bruce, healthy? Probably not, but it sure made him feel better. He squeezed his legs tighter, or maybe he usually felt better because Bruce would give him space for a while before offering his own form of advice and understanding and Dick couldn't count on that with Thomas here.

He can't get the image of Batman's, Bruce's, hand resting comfortably on the kid's shoulder like he'd earned it. Maybe the kid really was from the future, maybe he really was a Robin but did he deserve that respect from Batman? Respect that Dick himself had sweat and bled for? Did that brat know what it was like to have to start your life all over again? To work day after day, year after year to prove to his friend, mentor, guardian that he was worth training, worth keeping? Dick didn't know a thing about this kid, but he knows that he didn't deserve to have Batman accept him so readily.

Unless Batman decided he liked this new kid better, after all, it took years for Bruce to feel comfortable with such casual comfort with Dick. Maybe Batman had finally found the Boy Wonder he really wanted. The kid was able to take them down pretty easy after all, maybe Bruce thinks he can do better. He squeezed his eyes shut. He was being absolutely ridiculous he knew, a moment's gesture meant nothing stacked up against half a lifetime of care and support, but he couldn't help the ache in his heart. It probably didn't help that his birthday, a day that had become bittersweet since his family's murder, was right around the corner. Of course this kid would drop in and replace him during one of the few times when Dick really needed Bruce's attention.

And he's let himself get too deep, too attached. Didn't Bruce warn him about that when the Team founded? Batman was always telling to remain above his emotions, to conduct himself logically and without conflict. But here he was, completely in love with his new life. He missed his parents every day, but after seven years, he'd grown comfortable living at Wayne Manor. He loved sliding down the banister every morning. He loved being able to walk into Wayne Enterprises with a lazy shrug as he walks into Bruce's office. He loved sailing over to city, listen to Bruce do a poor job hiding his amusement when Dick makes too many bad jokes. He loved his new family, his pseudo father and grandfather and extended aunts and uncles. And he just might lose it all, again.

Dick knows he can't hide in here forever, sitting in the dark in his little used room here at Mount Justice. Eventually he's going to have to help the Team deal with the unexpected arrival, help Batman solve the case and deal with the consequences of his childishness. But he's afraid how it will end, either thrown out of the house or even just thrown out of his tiny space in Bruce's tightly guarded heart. He'll have to face that moment soon, but not right now, for now he still has time to be alone and let his worst fears assault him. He doesn't know what the future will hold, but he does know one thing, he is never, ever going to like that new Robin.

XxX

"So how's he doing?" M'Gann asked quietly as she floated over to her friends. She held a tray of sandwiches in one hand. Artemis was leaning up against her boyfriend, her head lying sleepily against his shoulder.

"He fell asleep about a half hour ago, stopped doing whatever it was he was doing and nodded off. I mean the brat can't be more than 10, so I guess I understand." She yawned just then, taking a moment to run at her eyes. "Even so, it getting late. Thankfully it's Friday or, Saturday now I guess. There's no way could I deal with school after all this."

M'Gann frowned as she set the tray on the table the five of them were hovering around. "Hmm, I was hoping he would have something to eat before he fell asleep. Robin says he's had to skip dinner a couple of times for patrol and Thomas is too young to get into such bad habits." Superboy looked up at her.

"So do you think he's really a Robin in the future? He certainly doesn't act like our Robin." M'Gann sighed and perched on the armrest of the chair Conner was sitting in. She grabbed one of his hands and lazily began playing with his fingers.

"I don't know, but I can tell you since he came here he's been so terribly sad, especially around Batman and Robin. I can't imagine what that must be like, to have your family treat you like a stranger, like an enemy. I can't tell if he is who he claims to be but his emotions have felt sincere enough, the way he was looking at Robin earlier was heartbreaking." She said closing her eyes and bringing Superboy's hand up to her lips.

Across from her, Kaldur laced his fingers under his chin. "After Robin made those comments, the boy certainly did look as if he'd been betrayed by a brother."

Artemis scoffed from the couch. "And what was up with that? I can see Robin being a bit upset about some bratty kid claiming his name but did he have to be so harsh? I'm not sure I believe the kid either and I felt bad for some of the things Rob said to him." Next to her, Wally shifted so he could run his hand up and down her back.

"It's not that simple babe, there's a lot more to Robin than we'll ever know. He's had a lot happen to him tonight, let's not forget Batman's very demeaning treatment earlier on patrol, not to mention how friendly Bats seemed to be with the new kid when he came to dump him on us." He reached over and grabbed one of M'Gann sandwiches, stuffing it in his mouth. "I'm sure he'll come around soon, Rob's not a bad guy, he probably just got a little jealous. It happens to the best of us." He said in-between bites.

"As if Batman would ever replace Robin with that punk," Superboy muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, but did you hear what Thomas said earlier," Artemis said lowering her voice and leaning forward conspiratorially. "About Batman not being Robin's real dad? I mean he could be lying but I always thought that the two of them were related, everyone in Gotham does."

"Blood doesn't necessarily make a family," M'Gann sighed. "Even if Batman isn't Robin's real father it's clear that he has taken Robin in as his own. We all can see that Batman cares for him very much."

"You know that and I know that, but does Robin? Batman does not seem the kind of man to make his feelings known." Kaldur responded sagely and the group lapsed into silence after that, most likely thinking on how Batman would show his protégé that he cared.

"I just want to send Thomas home," M'Gann added. "I can feel the desire to get back to his family coming off him in waves." She looked down at her lap. "He's so sad guys, I didn't know it was possible for a little boy to be so sad. All I feel is loneliness and anger and a fear that he won't be accepted. I don't think he's a bad kid, I think he just needs some love is all."

"Oh come on M'Gan-"

"Shh," Superboy interrupted taking his hand back from M'Gann and turning his head where the kid was still curled up. He appeared to be sleeping still but his face was scrunched up underneath his mask. His head buried deeper into the chair and his gloved hands were clenched into fists. Damian moaned, folding in protectively on himself. Wolf woke up at the noise and trotted over to his master.

"Oh jeez," Artemis whispered as she sat up and observed the kid's nightmare unfold. "We should wake him, we should totally wake him up." But still they sat there unmoving as the young boy continued to whimper and twitch in his sleep.

"Don't make me go back," he hissed between his clenched teeth. "I'm trying to be good, I'm trying, please don't send me back." M'Gann's heart cracked at the broken plea coming from him so she floated quietly over to where the sleeping boy lay.

"Thomas, shh, it's okay," she soothed, reaching out a green hand to rest on the boy's shoulder. "It's okay, you just go back to sleep." She added, trying to calm the boy without entering his mind. Not only did he have excellent psychic defenses but it was just plain rude to mentally probe a guest.

"Father please," Damian muttered, "don't leave me alone again." M'Gann shushed him again.

"Shh, it's alright, you're not alone here Thomas, nobody's going to hurt you." She whispered, as his shaking grew more pronounced. She reached out to cup his cheek and was startled to see the boy finally wake himself up out of the dream. She gasped as he gripped her wrist tightly with one hand while the other snapped out and gripped her throat. M'Gann choked as the tiny, but powerful fingers constricted her airways.

"M'Gann!" Conner shouted, making his way towards his girlfriend who was being assaulted. He didn't have a chance to intervene for, as quickly as the attack had started, the boy retracted his hands. Miss Martian coughed roughly and was floating away from panting boy who was watching them with a dangerous edge. Superboy stomped past M'Gann and grabbed the front of the boy's cape. "What was that, you nearly killed M'Gann!" He shouted, the kid's mask narrowed down to slits.

"What was she doing then? Trying to spy on me? I know all about Martians and their mind tricks." Damian spat out, squirming a bit but knowing he couldn't break the half-Kryptonian's grasp. "I bet you were trying to take advantage of me while I was vulnerable, you all were!" He glared up at Superboy who still had him in his grip. "Let go of me you poor imitation." Conner growled at the insult and M'Gann had to step forward.

"Superboy, let go, it was an accident. I just startled him was all, please don't hurt him." She said, her voice hoarse but otherwise alright, she willed the finger shaped bruises on her green skin to disappear. "Conner, please." With a growl, Superboy let go of the kid, throwing him roughly back on the chair he'd been sleeping in. As soon as he was free, Damian flipped over the top of the chair putting as much distance as he could between him and the rest of the Team. He backed himself up against a wall, still watching them with unwavering intensity. They didn't have much more time to argue when Black Canary burst into the room.

"What on Earth is going on in here? I could hear you kids yelling from down the hall." She demanded, honing instantly on their newest Robin with his aggressive position and snarling features. "What did you do?"

"The kid just went crazy. He started having a nightmare, and M'Gann was trying to calm him down when he suddenly strikes out and starts choking her!" Artemis said from her side of the room. "I have some experience with those kinds of techniques and I know you didn't learn that from Batman and Robin."

Damian puffed out his chest in determination. His Grayson at least had the curtesy to be understanding when Damian accidently slipped into his old training. "I thought I was being attacked, you think this is the first time someone's tried to kill me in my sleep? I've had assassins after me since the day I was born. People like you and your ilk Crock." He replied just as harshly. Artemis stepped forward as if to confront the child but Black Canary stood between them with an expression that said she was not to be crossed.

"I don't care who started what, all I'm concerned with is that our supposed guest is attacking people. What was Batman thinking letting you roam free?" She said, directing her fury towards Damian who crossed his arms. "Alright, you're coming with me, you're going back in a holding cell. The rest of you, I don't know, go get some rest. As of right now, he is League business." She replied angrily, reaching out to grab Damian's arm as she dragged him forcibly out of the room. The remaining teens just looked at one another, before Wally shrugged.

"I was getting bored of his attitude anyway, I'm sure Canary will keep him in line." He said, yawning himself, "and I for one am all for getting some shut eye. It's late and this has been one messed up night. Night guys, I'm sure we'll get this worked out and get things back to normal soon." Wally said stretching as he walked out of the room. Artemis followed him, her anger still steaming over Thomas's remarks. Kaldur rubbed at his face before he too excused himself leaving only Conner and M'Gann.

M'Gann gripped her arms tightly, feeling bad for her part in the ensuing drama. "It wasn't his fault," she said quietly to herself. "He was scared and I startled him was all." Conner gave her an annoyed look before he exited the room and left her alone. "He was just scared."

Chapter Text

The plot may pick up here but that doesn't mean the original source material is mine

Can I see another's woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another's grief,
And not seek for kind relief?

Can I see a falling tear,
And not feel my sorrow's share?
Can a father see his child weep
nor be with sorrow filled?

The Watchtower

March 19, 04:03 EST

Batman frowned as he flipped through the report on the boy, on Thomas. He'd done as much work as he possibly could on the street footage. Atom had confirmed that there were high levels of chronal energy being used by the villain, epoch's, suit which theoretically could rip open a portal in space/time lending more credence to the boy's claim. Of course it was hard to dispute when the boy's genetic signature was a match to his own. So in approximately ten years, he had a ten year old son; even Jordan could do that kind of math. So Thomas, or whatever Talia had named him, had probably been born already. And Bruce never knew.

He squeezed the papers in his hand and threw them on the table, mad at the circumstances but mostly mad at himself. He and Talia had a brief, but passionate, affair not too long ago. He remembers the joy he had felt when she'd initially revealed her pregnancy. For a brief moment, Bruce had entertained the idea of marrying Talia, raising their baby together with Dick acting as an overindulgent big brother. But of course Ra's got in the way and Talia made her choice, one that didn't involve Bruce.

So he'd left, like she asked, and took her at her word that she'd miscarried in the firefight. He shouldn't have trusted her, he should have demanded his own examination. At the time, he thought he'd made the right decision. He'd informed only Alfred of short lived romance and the child he'd supposedly lost. They'd both agreed it was best to keep Dick in the dark as it would do nothing but upset him, but now he sees that his mistake has cost another boy dearly.

Batman put the crumpled results away and exited the monitor womb, making his way towards the Zeta tubes. As Superman said, he couldn't avoid the issue anymore. He needed to brief the Team in regards to their captive, speak to Dick privately about who this child was and to Thomas as well about the environment Bruce had unknowingly left him in. He knew an assassin when he saw one, the boy carried himself like every moment was a battle. Thomas had grown up a soldier for the League of Assassins and yet he was allowed to serve as Robin in the future. There was a piece of the puzzle he was missing and it was about time he found it.

"So he finally emerges," he turned to see Black Canary sneering at him through her long lashes. Her posture was tense and angry and Batman was certain that it was because of Thomas. She stalked forward until she was right in front of him. "That boy, your future son, attacked M'Gann. He started choking her without provocation, he could have killed her. So tell me, what made you think letting the child assassin loose was a good idea Mr. World's Greatest Detective?" She mocked. "Your boy didn't even look the slightest bit remorseful for his actions. I've got him locked up in one of the holding cells because you lost control of the situation!" She said, roughly pushing her finger into his chest.

Batman internally groaned, of course once he'd realized the boy's connection to the League of Assassins, he should have assumed the worst and had Thomas contained. He should have acted logically and treated him just like any other suspect, but he'd let his sympathy get the better of him and allowed the his child the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford such a luxury now that Thomas had proven himself to be dangerous.

"You're right Dinah," he answered, using her name as a show of his sincerity. "I made an error in judgement. As I'm sure you can imagine this has been quite a lot to take in. I admit I may not be operating completely free of bias. But if he is demonstrating violent behavior, we had better take precautions and have him stay in the holding cell until further notice."

Canary's face softened ever so slightly and the accusing finger pointed at him turned into a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You're right, you made a mistake but this whole thing has taken us all on a bit of a ride. If I were in your position, I probably would have done the same thing." She sighed, pulling away and turning her back to him. "I just don't know how this happened. I've seen you with Dick, you're so great with him. How did a son of yours become like that?" She asked wearily. He walked past her and began plugging in the coordinates to Mount Justice into the system.

"Because I didn't raise him Dinah, the League of Assassins did." He didn't have to turn to know that surprise was written all over her face. "There are a few key details I'm still unaware of and I believe it's about time we got them." She stepped forward, her expression now carefully schooled as they entered the Zeta tube.

"Right, I'll take you to him now, let you get the answers you need." She answered as the tube fired up, she ducked her head slightly. "And for what it's worth Bruce, I'm sorry."

"Not as sorry as I am."

Mount Justice

March 19, 05:16 EST

Robin glanced around suspiciously after he reentered the lounge area to find it completely empty, no Leaguers, no Team, no annoying replacement Robin. Maybe they'd found a way to get rid of him already. He smirked at the thought, if only. Wandering over to the kitchen area where he could see the remnants of M'Gann's cooking and, sure enough, there was a tray of sandwiches set neatly in the fridge. Dick grabbed one as he hopped up on the counter. He was feeling a bit calmer now, calm enough to realize that he'd acted like a complete brat earlier, but that heavy ache still remained in his chest. He doubted it would leave until the kid did.

"Hey Bro, you're up!" He smiled and turned as Wally sped over and grabbed three sandwiches for himself.

"I never went to sleep but yeah," Robin said, gesturing to the empty room, "and I'm guessing I missed something." Wally rolled his eyes as he started on his first sandwich, leaning on the counter Robin was sitting on.

"Oh man did you ever. The little twerp starting choking M'Gann out of nowhere. You should've seen Canary's face when she realized the kid was given carte blanche by Batman. Last I heard, she declared him 'League business' and dragged him down to a cell. The rest of us split to catch some sleep, I think we're the only ones awake." Wally paused, setting down his sandwich as he gave his friend a thoughtful look. "Are you okay?"

Robin broke eye contact and instead picked at his uniform. "Yeah, of course." He answered blandly, Wally raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Don't make me pull out real names bro," Wally teased while Dick said nothing and continued to run his hands up and down the lightweight Kevlar. "Come on, you know you can talk to me."

"I know KF," Robin sighed. "It's just been hard seeing Batman with that other kid. It's stupid, I know, but it still hurts." He continued with a shrug, "I'll be fine, I promise, once we get him out of here." He turned and gave his friend a sheepish smile. "So do you forgive me for being a jerk earlier?"

Wally returned the smile and brought up his fist which Robin bumped. "Hey, it's all cool Rob. I can't imagine how I'd feel if Uncle B showed up one day with some wacky speedster kid from the future." Robin chuckled.

"Yeah right, like that will ever happen." The two of them chatted lightly for a while after that, pointedly avoiding the elephant, or time traveling kid from the future in this case, in the room. By the time some of the others began walking in, Dick was feeling much better. Wally just sort of had that effect on people.

"Morning guys! Morning babe!" Wally said, speeding over to give Artemis a quick peck on the cheek before going back to his original spot. She grumbled a bit at his antics but a smile was tugging at her lips anyhow.

"As if there's anything good about being awake this early," she moaned, trying to rub out the sleep in her eyes. Now that she mentioned it, Robin realized, it did seem rather early for everyone to be awake after such a late night. Kaldur was looking around the lounge while Conner wasn't even paying them attention, glaring instead at the door. M'Gann was absent entirely.

"What's going on?" Robin asked, jumping off the counter as he picked up the mood of the others.

"You couldn't hear all the yelling? I thought it was coming from in here but I guess they stopped." Artemis answered, surprised that the boys hadn't heard it. She'd tried to ignore it at first but the commotion had her curious enough to investigate, especially after everything that's been going on.

"They're still going at it," Conner added in suddenly, "it's a couple of League members down in the holding cells with the kid. They're all talking over each other so it's hard to tell what's going on, but the kid keeps demanding to be let out." Kaldur hummed, taking in this new information.

"And I suppose Miss Martian went to see for herself?" The Atlantean asked as Conner nodded curtly, clearly not happy about it.

"How she can still believe in the kid after last night is beyond me," Wally muttered under his breath.

"Wait," Conner interrupted, holding up a hand as he listened intently. "They're leaving him now, but the kid's still talking." He narrowed his eyes, "he says someone's going to die." The rest of them started.

"Woah, is he threatening the Justice League?" Artemis asked incredulously, now much more awake.

Conner shook his head. "I can't tell, but the League's left him alone, I say we find out for ourselves." Kaldur nodded at Superboy's comment.

"Agreed, but let's prepare ourselves first, retrieve your gear and meet down in the holding cells in 5 minutes."

Mount Justice Holding Cell

March 19, 04:29 EST

"Alright, we have been very patient with you so far and you have done nothing but challenge us. It's time you started proving your story before we send you to Belle Reve with the other assassins." Superman said sternly into the microphone, watching the small child glare at the one way mirror. He didn't want to do this, didn't want to sit here and interrogate someone who was essentially his nephew, but the boy had left them no choice. Not after his unprovoked attack on Miss Martian. He glanced over at Batman and Canary and knew they were probably thinking the same thing.

"Your skull is as dense as your skin Kryptonian, I have to maintain the time-"

"With the way you've been acting, preserving the time stream should be the least of your worries. If you believe we won't persecute you to the letter of the law just because of your age and relation to me then you are very wrong." Batman interrupted with a growl. The boy's mouth twitched but said nothing, Batman took it as an invitation to continue. "There are some holes in your story we would like to have filled in."

"Well it seems you've already deduced the important bits," Damian replied snarkily.

"Talia al Ghul is your mother and Ra's your grandfather." Batman spoke softly, ignoring the tense looks in his companions' faces. He wasn't much happier about the information. "You were raised from birth with the League of Assassins, training as a warrior for the purpose of one day controlling the organization." Thomas tilted his head, "and it is more than likely that you've completed your training and have already killed dozens, if not more." The boy stood straighter in his chair and gazed hard at the glass.

"You would be correct Father, so what more do you want to know?"

"You were raised away from my influence, that much is evident. What I don't know is how you ended up in that uniform. We can't trust your word that you are a hero in the future given your background and your behavior earlier."

"Mother promised that she would introduce me to my father on the day I bested her in combat, I did so on my tenth birthday." The boy answered stoically, as if he were talking about someone else's life and not his own. "You are correct in that you did not trust me initially, rightfully so. Grandfather had intended for me to act as a spy within your home and, eventually, to destroy you and your partners from within." On the other side of the glass, Bruce closed his eyes for a moment. He already suspected as much but the thought of his own child being used as a weapon against him stung.

"You're implying that the plan changed?" Canary answered, seeing that Batman needed a moment to collect himself after that revelation.

Damian began wringing his fingers in his lap. "As you can imagine, my arrival was not welcomed. The others were insisting I be sent back but Father felt guilty enough to let me stay. I suppose he considered it a kindness but it was insufferable. It was easy to think about destroying you at that time." Damian paused, considering himself.

"But then there was a-a change and it left everyone scrambling like fools. Father was... unavailable and so Grayson stepped up." Damian's eyes softened slightly at the thought of his big brother. "Night- uh Grayson ended up with me. Neither of us was happy about it at first but we made it work. No one wanted or expected me to be a hero but Grayson thought being Robin, having a higher standard to live up to, would help me."

"Did it?" Superman asked after a few moments of silence passed, another few passed before the boy responded.

"He saved my life," Damian said barely above a whisper. "He was patient and taught me what it meant to be a hero. He gave me a purpose when I least deserved it. Through him, I found the courage to renounce the teachings of my mother and grandfather and I'm trying to live up to his example." Damian frowned again, "that's why I need to get back, Gotham needs a Robin as much as it needs a Batman." He said, stalking up to the mirror, willing the adults on the other side to believe him but there was no response. Damian tapped his foot angrily as what felt like an eternity passed but was likely only a few minutes. "Are you even listening?"

"Sorry kid, we just got an update on our villain." Superman added distractedly.

Damian came to attention and put himself right up against the glass. "You found Epoch? Batman and I suspected Epoch was a mercenary for hire before he opened that portal. He may have already gotten to his target." Damian ground out, giving a futile little punch to the glass in aggravation. "That's why you need to let me out, I can assist you. He comes from my time so that makes him my responsibility."

"It seems Atom has picked up his energy signature," Batman said roughly, his voice suddenly serious. "There was a significant amount of chronal energy released in Gotham earlier this morning, in Crime Alley. A local heroin addict was found dead of mysterious circumstances 20 minutes ago. We suspect this villain, Epoch, is responsible."

Damian pounded harder on the glass this time, angry that they'd wasted time and, because of it, an innocent was dead. "That's why you have to let me out!" He said, raising his voice, pounding again. "We need to stop him before any more people die. We don't even know his plan, the victim could be someone vitally important to the future. He could be disrupting the timeline."

"There's no need to shout Thomas," Canary interjected. "We're not going to let this case go and we'll catch your bad guy but you're staying put. We can't risk you being a spy for the League of Assassins." She hesitated, "I'm sorry, we'll get you home once we get this guy." Damian growled and pounded harder on the glass.

"Does the name Catherine Todd sound familiar?" Batman asked, watching as the boy's fists dropped from the mirror in shock. "She was 33, a former waitress. She was married to Willis Todd, a low-level criminal with one son, Jason. Early toxicology reports indicate that the level of heroin in her body was near lethal and she'd likely have been dead within a few weeks. We suspect Epoch may have been testing his weaponry to prepare for his real target." The three heroes watched silently as the boy absorbed the data before jumping at the glass without warning.

"You fools! Let me go this instant!" Damian shouted, pounding manically on the glass with something akin to panic written on his face. "You're wrong! He was going after the real target! She must have gotten in the way protecting him." Damian said breathlessly as he pressed his hands flat against the glass. "The real target is the son, Jason Todd. We have to save him. I have to come with you, you won't be able to find him without me!" His mask narrowed as he pounded harder. "You imbeciles, Todd could already be dead!" His voice increasing in volume.

"Calm down," Superman boomed, trying to diffuse the situation but the boy continued to shout.

"We'll go investigate immediately, but you're not going anywhere, especially not like this. Sit down, be quiet and be glad we're not sedating you." Batman growled turning off the microphone and gathering the updates Atom brought in. "Tell Lantern to prep the jet for Gotham. We'll do research on the Todd boy during the flight, but we should look for other inconsistencies in case Thomas is lying." He said, now addressing his fellow heroes.

Even with the microphone turned off, the boy's voice could still be heard. "You're making a mistake! You already lost him once and now you're going to let him be killed all over again!" Black Canary and Superman exchanged glances as they followed Batman out of the room.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Superman asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the flustered reaction from the, up until now, reserved child. There was something more going on here than any of them understood. "Maybe we should-"

"Forget it," Batman interrupted, "He'll be a liability even if he is telling the truth. He's a loose cannon that we cannot afford for such a delicate mission. We'll continue our questioning when we return." He tapped his intercom, "Red Tornado, you and the Team are to keep an eye on the prisoner. No one, and I mean no one, is to leave the Cave. Batman out." So the three heroes continued to down the hallway, ignoring the boy's continuing pleas.

Mount Justice Holding Cell

March 19, 05:11

M'Gann swallowed as she let herself become visible once she was sure the adults had all gone. She'd heard the yelling and had gone to the source to see what was going on. She ran into Conner who tried to stop her but she needed to see for herself. Despite the incident earlier, M'Gann didn't believe Thomas was a danger to them. She floated into the interrogation room where she could see the boy pacing anxiously in the adjacent room. One didn't have to be a telepath to see how upset he was. She hesitantly turned on the microphone and hoped she was making the right choice.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" She asked and watched as he spun to face the glass, coming right up next to it but not touching it. "I'll listen if you want to talk."

"If you're here for an apology you're not getting one," he blurted suddenly. "I attacked instinctively, it's not my fault I believed you to be an adversary."

She smiled warmly, reading in-between his harsh words. "It's okay, I understand Thomas, it was an accident. Now, can you tell me what's upset you? I can't let you out but I might be able to do something." She said cautiously, knowing how close she was getting to disobeying orders.

"There's a boy is downtown Gotham, in Crime Alley, his name is Jason Todd and Epoch is trying to kill him." Damian groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Todd is important in the future, he can't die now. I refuse to let him be killed so mundanely."

"It sounded like the League was going to protect him, why do you need to go?" M'Gann said, biting her lip. He could be lying, he could be using her sympathy against her in order to get out of his cell in any way possible. He could be but she didn't believe it.

He sighed and rested his forehead against the glass in frustration. "The League doesn't know him, not like I do. If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be. But Epoch has knowledge from the future, possibly even has means to track Todd. If he dies," Damian closed his eyes, imagining stale cigarette smoke, scuffed leather jackets and bitter, crooked smiles. He clenched his fist, "I'd never forgive myself."

"And I'll never forgive myself if we let the imposter free." M'Gann had been so caught up in the earnestness of Thomas's words that she didn't notice her teammates enter the room. Robin frowned at her, crossing his arms in disappointment. "Come on Meg, you should know better than to believe someone like him. He makes his living spinning lies, he would say just about anything to get out of there."

"I don't think so Robin, I think he means it." M'Gann countered, "Look he apologized for last night, sort of... But I forgive him and this seems really important. He thinks a boy in Gotham is going to be targeted by the villain."

"His mother, Catherine Todd, is already dead because we've been stuck here in Rhode Island." Damian added, not being able to see the members of Young Justice but knowing he had to convince them if they were going to save Todd. "I know you don't trust me, but that's not as important as someone's life. The League is going to try but even they can't find one kid in a city like Gotham."

"And you can?" Artemis interrupted.

"I know how Todd thinks, he's untrained right now but I can imagine how he'd react in this situation." He replied vaguely, not sure how much he should be revealing.

"It sounds like you know this kid pretty well, you must be telling the truth." Robin mocked. "Sorry, no dice, you're not going anywhere unless you actually tell us something." Damian cursed under his breath.

"He's a hero in my time, an important one. I won't give any more details, but Todd's death would completely change the future of both this team and the Justice League. He's sarcastic and uncouth and an annoying presence in my life but I don't know what will happen if he died so soon."

It was a curious thought, how much would Batman's life, and thus his own, change if Todd died now? Batman wouldn't have to grieve for his second son, meaning perhaps Drake wouldn't need to involve himself. It might even be easier for Damian, then it would just be him and Grayson without the other boys around to distract him. His fists clenched, but that was the old Damian talking, he was better than that now, he was Robin.

"You tell me all the time that heroes need to look out for each other. The man I know you will be would never let anyone, much less someone he cares for, die so pointlessly." He turned away and leaned his back up against the glass. "But you're not him so I don't even know why I'm bothering." Damian said, trying to sound aloof but the words felt rough and lonely in his throat.

"My brother is patient, strong and an excellent leader. He thinks using distorted words is funny and that cereal constitutes a proper meal and even though he's invasive and obnoxious, he's always there for me." Damian grunted. "Todd will be somewhere in Crime Alley, he knows those streets and won't leave them. You can probably find a recent photo on the computer too. If you won't accept my word then at least accept my help, because the people waiting for me in the future taught me better than to give up in the face of adversity." He ended, sliding down until he was squatting on the floor, below the window.

He was tired of their judgements, of Grayson's blatant distrust. Maybe once they left, he could try and find a way to escape the cell on his own. He's not sure he'd be able to succeed but he just can't sit here and do nothing. For the first time since he became Robin, he was without a partner to rely on. He heard the microphone click off and he closed his eyes as he imagined the adolescents were laughing at his efforts to convince them. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable news of Todd's demise, but to his surprise, he heard the sound of the cell door opening. He stumbled to his feet where Robin and the others stood with unhappy, but determined, looks on their faces.

"Don't make me regret this brat," Robin said icily before nodding at Damian to follow.

Chapter Text

If I owned Batman, I'd have all sorts of cool Bat gadgets

Ah, sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller's journey is done

Where the youth pined away with desire,
And the pale virgin shrouded in snow,
Arise from their graves, and aspire
Where my sunflower wishes to go

Mount Justice

March 19, 05:58 EST

"This is absolutely insane, we are going to get into so much trouble." Kid Flash moaned as he reluctantly trailed behind his teammates and the kid they'd just broken out of jail. "Batman is going to kill us, throw us in the Lazarus Pit and resurrect us just so he can kill us again." He said in a hushed whisper as the seven of them stopped around a corner.

Damian turned to him with a serious expression on his face. "I know someone who was killed and resurrected by a Lazarus Pit, it is not a laughing matter." A few beats passed before the boy cocked his head, "I was attempting to be humorous, Todd makes jokes like that all the time."

The six members of Young Justice stared incredulously at Thomas. Kid Flash turned to Robin. "You're his big brother, how could you allow him to have such a terrible sense of humor!"

"I'm not his- arg we don't have time for this." Robin hissed, indicating for the rest of them to huddle closer. "We're only going to get one shot at this. Miss Martian, you said Red Tornado is on duty, right?" He asked, activating his wrist computer and pulling up the Cave's security footage, he made a face at what he saw. "And of course he's blocking our way to the Zeta tubes."

"Well let's steal a jet then," Superboy shrugged but Aqualad shook his head.

"Not only would we be unable to leave without somehow alerting Red Tornado, all the vehicles are programmed to return to Mount Justice if they are taken without authorization. We're going to have to find some way around Red Tornado, preferably without him informing the League of our escape."

"You're from the future," Artemis said addressing their youngest. "Don't you know anything that can get us out of here?" Damian twisted his face thoughtfully.

"I don't know this base at all, Mount Justice was destroyed before my time and I haven't had much interaction with Red Tornado either. Tell me, is he connected to the Cave's mainframe?" He asked Robin.

"Mount Justice gets destroyed? When?"

"Focus KF, yeah I believe so when he has to charge himself up. Why, do you have something in mind?" A wicked smirk appeared on the youthful face.

"I have an idea, we just need to retrieve my utility belt and have the idiot distract the android." The whole group turned to look at Kid Flash who growled and slapped his knee.

"Aw come on, why is it always me?"

XxX

"Hey RT, how's it hanging?" Kid Flash said, speeding into the meeting room where the Zeta tubes were.

"I am perfectly upright Kid Flash and not 'hanging' as you put it." The android responded robotically, continuing to type on the computers. "Where are the others?"

"I think most of them are still asleep, it's been a long night after all. Whatcha doing?" Kid shrugged.

"I am finishing my charging cycle in addition to identifying several League members who may be useful in returning the boy to his correct time." Red Tornado added, stopping his typing to directly address Kid Flash. "Have you checked on the prisoner?"

Kid scoffed, taking another step forward until he was leaning against the console. "What? No, why would I want to hang around a snot nosed kid?" He asked, slipping the small circular signal disrupter from his pocket behind his back. When Red Tornado's attention was diverted to the screen, Wally attached it to the computer where it began to silently power up.

"Because the footage of the prisoner has been on looping for nearly twenty minutes now. You are here to distract me while the other children escape with him." Red replied, pulling up security footage of the Team preparing a jet. With the press of a button, Red Tornado locked down the hangar. "Please tell the Team to escort the prisoner back to his cell and wait in here until your mentors return."

"Sorry Red, but lives are at stake here." Kid Flash said. Back on the screen, the kids quickly abandoned the jet and made their way back to the Zeta tubes. As soon as the disrupter reached full capacity, the screen turned all red except for a black and gold symbol that looked vaguely like a bird's beak. It didn't last long before the computer shut itself down along with Red Tornado. A moment later the rest of the Team ran in.

"Jeez kid what did you do?" Artemis asked giving Red Tornado a knock on the head without response, she pulled out her phone and raised her eyebrows. "This place usually has the best Wi-Fi but I'm getting zip now."

Damian was busy checking his utility belt, making sure everything was in the correct place. "It was a Christmas present, a signal disrupter that temporarily prevents anything associated to it from sending or receiving any signals. If we hadn't re-routed the Zeta tubes to the secondary generators, they would be down too." He answered, "the charge will only last an hour, especially on these systems, so we must hurry."

"That's some present," Artemis muttered tucking away her phone. "Who was it from, him?" She asked nodding in Robin's direction.

Damian made a face. "No, he got me a sweater with reindeer on it. That drive was from Drake, the only use he's ever been to me. Don't worry about him, he's no one important." He added with an eye roll. "Is that Zeta tube just off Park Row still there? The one on Dixon Avenue?" Robin nodded, still deep in thought working on the tubes.

"Yeah I'm typing in the coordinates now, plus I need to add you in as a guest or, well, you might get vaporized."

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind too much," Damian grumbled under his breath. The others were not given time to respond as the Zeta tubes powered up. Robin pumped a fist in the air and gestured to the others.

"Let's see if this wild goose chase pans out, but first, we need to set some ground rules."

Gotham City

March 19, 06:43 EST

"I thought you said you could find this kid?" Robin grumbled as he perched on top of the Gleason Center for the Arts as he gave Thomas an annoyed glare. There was no way he was letting the possible spy roam around his city without supervision and, though he trusted his team, he didn't think the others were equipped to handle a literal ninja. So Robin was stuck with his supposed replacement.

The boy gave a half-hearted sneer back but his focus never left the streets he was searching. "I said I was the best candidate to locate Todd, I did not say I magically knew exactly where he would be. Despite your immaturity, you should know better than that."

Robin just rolled his eyes, what a morning this has been. He didn't sleep at all, Batman was going to be beyond furious when all this was over, not to mention he was spending time with his least favorite person. Bruce had better get him some nice birthday presents to make up for all this abuse. "Keep in mind that Todd's mother was just murdered, most likely right in front of him. Seeing as you have experienced a similar tragedy, you should be able to appreciate his desire remain hidden."

Dick winced at the thinly veiled hint to his family's murder. Oh yeah, not to mention the fact that this kid knew an uncomfortable amount about him. He'd had to remind the kid twice already not to call him 'Grayson', not just for security reasons but because it was pretty creepy.

'Please tell me you guys are having better luck on your end.' Robin thought into the mindlink, connecting to his teammates who were scattered around Crime Alley. Luckily, he'd won the argument to keep the kid out of their heads.

'No luck so far, but I'll keep looking!' Miss Martian answered cheerily as she continued scanning the many dirty alleys of Gotham.

'We haven't found him either, no surprise' Superboy responded, not bothering to hide his annoyance as he watched Aqualad question some loitering teens.

'Seen plenty of kids, none that we're looking for.' Kid Flash answered, carrying Artemis around the area. 'This is pointless Rob; we're never gonna find this Todd kid, if he's even real.' Robin pursed his lips and gave his companion a sideways glance before turning to face the south.

'Well, let's give it a little while longer. We're toast either way, so we might as well wait the half hour until either Red Tornado reactivates or Batman and the others arrive in the jet.' He mentally sighed, turning back and his breath caught in his throat when he found himself alone. He let out a string of curses Bruce would not be happy to hear. 'I've lost eyes on Thomas', he stated spitefully as he took in the scene for the direction the other boy had gone in. 'Forget about the Todd kid, converge on my location immediately, we need to find him now.' He shook his head in reluctant admiration, he turned his back for less than a minute and he's gone.

'Dude, how'd you lose him? I thought you were supposed to be the ninja,' Wally added. 'Don't worry, we're on our wa- Woah!'

Robin sat up straight as he heard several small explosions go off through the city. 'What's going on? Hello?' Robin demanded, getting a flurry of quick thoughts.

'A bomb went off, small one in this corner shop, the building's on fire. Arty and me gotta check this out.' Kid Flash responded after a moment.

'We too have encountered a bomb but, with it's size and location, I suspect this may be a distraction.' Aqualad stated, 'Robin, we can handle this. Go collect Thomas and find out if he has anything to do with this.'

Robin pursed his lips but turned away and dropped down onto the ground. His team could handle a few fires, he needed to focus on finding Thomas. There was no way the kid could have used his grappling hook without alerting him so the other Robin had to have made his way on foot. This alley provided good cover if the kid was trying to make a break for it. He paused as he heard some scuffling and hushed whispers up ahead and silently crept forward.

"Do you hear that? It's probably Epoch looking for you. You're an idiot if you think you can continue to outrun him but we can get you to safety. I'm Robin, you can trust me." Robin narrowed his eyes as he heard Thomas whispering.

"I don't want to run," another angry voice soon followed by the sound of a trashcan being knocked over. "That freak killed my mom, I want to make sure he pays." It sounded like a preteen boy but he was standing with his back turned to outlet of the alley so Robin couldn't really see him in early morning light. "Besides, you're too small to be the real Robin. You're younger than I am, how do I know you're not working for the bad guy?" The nameless boy asked suspiciously, bringing pitifully small fists up as if to fight.

"Nice to know at least you're still the same Todd," Damian scoffed. Robin opened his mouth in a silent show of surprise, this was the kid they've been looking for?

Damian nodded his head over in Robin's direction. "But you're right, while I am the best Robin, I'm not the first. He is right over here." Robin winced as his hiding place was revealed and he stepped forward into the dim light. "Todd, Robin. Robin this is Jason Todd." Robin really wasn't sure what he thought this Todd kid would look like but it certainly wasn't this.

Robin would place him between 11 and 13 judging by his small size. Like many kids in Park Row, he was painfully thin and dressed in worn, second hand clothes. His face was pale and even the dirt and light bruising couldn't hide the splash of freckles across his nose and cheeks nor the fire in his blue-green eyes. He frowned suddenly as the boy, Jason, shifted slightly and Robin saw it was blood, not dirt, streaked across his face.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked as Jason brought a hand up to touch the dried blood on his face.

"s'not mine," Jason muttered sadly. "Some creep dressed in this white space suit burst into our apartment early this morning. I was still sleeping when he came in but Mom was having her usual early morning... medicine." He paused as tears threatened to spill and he ducked his head, his shoulders shaking slightly.

"She told me to run, she stood right in front of me and told me to run while that monster shot her! Shot her right in front of me and I didn't even think, I just abandoned her and ran out the door as fast as I could. I keep thinking I should go back and check on her, but there was no way she could've..." He grimaced as he brusquely wiped at his eyes with his forearm, unintentionally smearing the blood on his face. "She was all I had left and that man took her from me." When he brought his hands back down they were clenched into fists with rage in his eyes.

"He killed her and I'm gonna kill him right back." Next to him, Damian smirked a little.

"Sounds about right," He muttered under his breath. "You can't kill Epoch. For one, you're not thinking straight on top of being untrained and criminally undernourished. It wouldn't even take a second for him to finish off a pathetic child like you," Damian stated in a bored tone while the street kid seethed. "And two, we need him alive so we can find who hired him to kill you." Jason started at that pronouncement.

"Me? I didn't do nothing, why would someone want to kill me?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you and anyway we don't have time for this. We need to get you off the streets and somewhere safe before Epoch finds you." Damian stated gruffly, reaching out to grab Jason's forearm. Predictably, the other boy didn't like this.

"Hey! Let go of me you annoying brat. I don't have a problem taking down some 8 year old wannabe Robin." Jason shouted, resisting as Damian adjusted his hold, pinning Jason's arm behind his back and pushing him roughly into the wall. Jason grunted at the impact and squirmed futilely against younger boy's strength.

"Listen here Todd, just because you're older than me and you've had a bad day, a bad life, doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you. That's your problem, everyone's always walking on eggshells around you." Damian sneered pulling Jason away from the wall and pushing him deeper into the alley. "'Poor Jason living on the streets'. 'Poor Jason beat up by a clown,'" Damian mocked. "Well not me, you're not the only Robin to have a rough childhood. Now we're taking you to Mount Justice where you'll be safe until we manage to subdue Epoch."

"Oh, I'd very much like to see you try." The three boys gasped to see Epoch floating daringly at the mouth of the alley looking very much like a cat with a cornered mouse. "I planted those bombs expecting the Justice League, not the Little League but it will be enough to keep the metas distracted while I finish the job." Though his stark white helmet showed none of his face, Robin imagined the man was grinning. "It's just you and me little birds." He teased, bringing up his fists which glowed threateningly with blue energy.

"Get down!" Robin shouted, ducking behind a dumpster while he saw Thomas dragged Jason off to the side and covered the boy with his cape. The blast lit up the alley, temporarily blinding Robin but he could fight blind. He flipped over the top of the now distorted dumpster and sped for the spot Epoch had been standing last. Something finally went right for him as his fist collided with the man's shoulder and Epoch was forced down to the ground. "Thomas, take Jason and get out of here." Robin ordered, delivering a powerful kick when his opponent started to stand up. He jerked in surprise as his ankle was caught right before he connected.

"As much fun as it would be to play with you, my employer has said you're off limits, Dickie." Dick couldn't hide his shock at that statement as Epoch pushed him backwards by his foot causing him to crash into the rough brick. Did everyone in the future know his identity? "I'm after a much smaller, more dangerous bird, a Jaybird would do nicely and I will have him." Robin coughed and glanced fearfully over where Thomas had almost grappled himself and Jason onto the top of the adjacent roof. Dick wanted to scream, what was the kid thinking going out into the open like that?

Epoch didn't waste any time in flying up towards the other boys. "Come out, come out little birdies," Epoch said with a musical lilt as he hovered a few feet off the roof. "I've been paid a handsome sum to kill the little street rat so do yourself a favor and give-" He paused as he saw Damian's disembodied cape falling towards him. In his moment of distraction Damian made his way forward and jumped up, twisting the falling cape around Epoch's helmet pulling it tight. For a moment, Damian imagined the nostalgic feel of suffocating someone but in this case, the helmet protected Epoch. Besides, he had to set a good example for Todd.

Damian held the cape tightly over the struggling mercenary as he swayed back and forth in the air, clawing at the thick material covering his face. He fired a few wild shots into the air but still Damian held on. "Now Todd!" He shouted watching as the small boy ducked out from behind the air conditioner where Damian had placed him. Though inexperienced, Todd moved with an instinctual grace that, coupled with his intimate knowledge of these streets, made sure he'd crossed the roof quickly. By the time Grayson had managed to get up onto the roof, Todd was on his way down the fire escape . Damian almost can see why Batman had been so interested in training him. Almost.

"Move kid!" Robin shouted throwing a few low-grade explosives that stuck to the front of Epoch's suit. Damian twisted himself so that the villain was on top of him. Before he grabbed his cape and let go, he gave a mighty kick forcing Epoch higher into the air while he planted more charges on his back. As Damian rolled back onto the rooftop, both sets of bombs went off causing Epoch to shout in surprise and spin out of control.

"Where's Jason?" Robin demanded, bringing out more grenades once he determined they were somewhat effective while Damian reattached his cape. While Epoch struggled to recover, the two Robins ran forward, Damian putting his hands out to serve as a spring board for Robin. The elder boy used it to deliver a blow to the back of Epoch's neck forcing the villain back down onto the roof.

"Should be halfway to the street by now, at least he knows how to move when it counts." Robin chuckled lightly at the comment, finding himself at ease in battle with the kid. Though he would never admit it to his companion, the other boy clearly knew his fighting style and how to complement it.

"Hey come on, show your elders some respect."

Damian smirked back, falling into the familiar banter with his older brother. "Maybe when you earn it Circus Boy," he replied with the slightest tease in his voice. "With Epoch in custody, we should be able to discover his employer and get me back to the future." From the ground, Epoch laughed breathlessly, bringing his head up to look at the two boys through his helmet.

"Sorry to disappoint boys, you did better than I expected." He said firing his barely functioning wrist weapon over to the fire escape where Jason was probably still climbing down. "But I still have a job to do," he laughed as Robin came down hard upon him while Damian sprinted over to the smoking wreckage of twisted metal.

The Tomasi building had been constructed nearly half a century ago serving as one of the first large apartments built back when Park Row had still been an upstanding neighborhood. It had been closed for years and now only those desperate or on the run lived here so the safety equipment had not been maintained. All of the facts agreed that this fire escape wouldn't be standing for much longer. He skidded to the edge of the building, they were 6 stories up which translated to about 60 feet and a fall from anything more than about 20 would likely prove fatal.

Damian sagged with relief to see that Todd had managed to survive the blast but frowned when he noticed the metal had collapsed around the boy, essentially caging him with little option to move. Even worse, Todd was still about 40 feet up off the ground and the large hunks of sharpened metal would kill him even if the fall didn't.

Jason locked eyes with Damian as he struggled to free himself from the distorted metal. "I can't get out! I'm stuck!" He cried out, just barely able to be heard over the dangerous creaking of metal on the verge of giving out. Damian hissed and pulled out his grappling gun and attached the hook around one of the roof's ventilation shafts. He didn't weigh much but he wasn't going to risk climbing the broken fire escape so he gently rappelled down the side of the building. "Hurry," Jason whined as he felt the structure beneath him giving way.

Damian was nearly parallel to the other boy when he reached into his belt and pulled out a small blowtorch. "I'm going to cut the metal here, here and here," Damian gestured quickly. "It's going to going to make the structure unstable so you need to get over to me as soon as I free you, alright?" Todd's eyes widened in terror, gripping the broken metal.

"There's no way, you're going to bring the whole thing down. You're going to get me killed!" Todd shouted, shaking his head fearfully. Damian growled, shifting the blowtorch to his other hand so he could reach out to the scared kid.

"It's going to be fine," Damian said resolutely, watching as Jason tentatively grabbed his extended hand. Todd was scared, untrusting and more than a little bit cynical, but he was still the same annoyance who roughly messed up Damian's hair on patrol and talked about his favorite books when stitching wounds. Looking at him now, Damian realized that he couldn't imagine a world without his other big brother. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, not ever." He squeezed Jason's hand before letting go and grabbing the blowtorch again. It was now or never, this structure wasn't going to hold much longer. "Ready?" After a moment of panicked breathing, Jason moved back as far as he could before he nodded grimly.

Firing up the torch, Damian cut through the metal trapping Jason as quickly as he could, feeling sweat bead on his forehead as he heard the final supports holding the structure up begin to fail. He's honestly surprised they'd lasted as long as they had. As soon as the metal was cut he dropped the torch and held out his hand which Jason immediately gripped as he kicked down the broken pieces. Damian grit his teeth as Jason's full weight shifted onto his arm but he merely secured his holding. There was no way he was letting go.

"Grayson," he hissed through his teeth, retracting the grappling hook as it slowly began to pull them up. Finally, the fire escape could not remain intact any longer and began to collapse entirely. They had almost reached the top when his strength began to leave him and he seemed seconds from losing his grip entirely.

"Hold on!" Grayson shouted, reaching down to grasp Damian's wrist. "Don't worry, you just hold onto Jay, I'll pull you both up." He grunted as he lifted Damian to the railing where he finally had a stable grip. "Come here Jason, I got you, you can let go of Thomas now." Grayson soothed and Damian sagged in relief as Jason's weight was taken off of him as Grayson tugged the other boy onto the rooftop.

A moment later, his brother was there helping him over the railing. "Come on up you little monster, you did good." Grayson said warmly as he half drug him back onto the roof. Damian scanned the rooftop and was surprised to find Epoch was nowhere in sight, he looked to Robin who shrugged guiltily. "Sorry, I was disabling his gear when he pulled another disappearing act. We'll get him next time, don't worry."

Damian groaned in aggravation as he sagged against rooftop, panting and rubbing at the sore muscles in his shoulder. He was pretty sure he pulled something. He'd have Pennyworth look at it when they got back to the Manor only to frown as he remembered he wasn't going back home. His eyes flickered and it seemed like he just might fall asleep right there. He was exhausted from the physical and emotional stress these early morning hours had wrought.

He felt someone brushing across his forearm before lightly taking his hand. "Hey uh other Robin, are you okay?" Damian rolled his eyes over to Todd who was glancing at him worriedly. Damian scoffed and ignored his exhaustion to sit up properly. He never let go of Todd's hand.

"I'll live," Damian replied curtly only to hear Robin moan anxiously.

"I wouldn't count on that," Robin said and Damian looked over to see the Batwing speeding out of the clouds towards them. "Oh man we are so busted," he murmured to himself but Damian paid him no mind. They'd won this battle and saved Todd. Both of his brothers were safe and, right now, Damian couldn't ask for any more.

Chapter Text

You bet the Bat children would be happy if I owned them. Happy and safe.

How sweet is the shepherd's sweet lot!
From the morn to the evening he strays
He shall follow his sheep all the day,
And his tongue shall be filled with praise

For he hears the lambs' innocent call,
And he hears the ewes' tender reply
He is watchful while they are in peace,
For they know when their shepherd is nigh

Mount Justice

March 19, 08:27 EST

"When are they going to get here?" Jason moaned, throwing his head back in annoyance, wincing as he didn't want the pretty green girl to yell at him. He was used to being yelled at, but she'd been so nice to him that he didn't want to upset her.

"They'll be here soon Jay, now please sit still or this is going to look bad." M'gann replied from behind him, pulling the scissors back so she didn't accidently hurt him. Once he settled down with only a light grumble, she smiled to herself and resumed cutting his thick, black hair. The poor boy couldn't remember the last time he'd had a proper hair cut and M'Gann took it upon herself to fix that.

Despite the bombs, despite being hauled back to Mount Justice through the Zeta tubes in shame; she couldn't help but feel that the mission had gone well. She glowed in happiness and relief that she'd trusted Thomas. If they hadn't gone out and found Jason on their own, he would most assuredly be dead. She lightly brushed one of his ears as she paused to examine her work. Yes, they'd made the right choice.

"Just don't me look weird Miss, I already look like a jerk in this get up." He said, but there was no bite in his voice and M'Gann couldn't help but smile. He was spirited alright, but a sweetheart underneath it all. Out of the corner of her eye, and saw some of her teammates quietly hiding their own amusement. She wasn't the only one Jay was enchanting.

Once they'd returned to Mount Justice and explained the situation, the other Leaguers had agreed that their first priority was keeping Jay safe. A few of them even looked pleased that they'd had the skills and resolve to sneak out and rescue him. She's pretty sure she saw Superman wink at them on his way out.

So, first thing, they stripped the kid of his worn street clothes and put him in a shower to get him cleaned up. Since Robin was the only one who came close to fitting him, Jason was given a plain black turtle neck and some black workout pants with the cuffs rolled up a little. Her heart broke a little when she caught a glimpse of his bones sticking out unnaturally on his skinny body. She'd already put a nutritious lunch in the oven by the time he'd come out trying to dry his too long hair with a towel. While they waited for the others to return, she decided to do something about his hair.

"I mean I appreciate what you guys have been doin' for me and all but what's going to happen to me? I mean, my mom, she..." he cut off suddenly, ducking his head to hide his grief. M'Gann didn't know what to say.

She sighed, and gently tilted Jay's head back up after a moment. "I don't know Jason, but I do know that we're going to take care of you and keep you safe as long as you need. Now hold that position for just a little longer, I'm almost done." He hummed sadly as she finished cutting the straggling bit of hair along his neck. "But I'm certain when Batman, Robin and Thomas get back, they'll be able to figure out where you should go." And hadn't that been strange? When Batman had arrived at the scene to find Robin, Thomas and Jason sprawled across the rooftop, he'd insisted that on flying the two Robins back to Mount Justice alone while the rest returned via Zeta tubes.

She imagined he wanted to talk to the boys about something in private but she still felt bothered. It seemed Robin had reached an understanding with his possible future brother and M'Gann didn't want anything to threaten that. Plus Jay had become rather attached to them after his ordeal. He'd been constantly asking when they would return and, after all he'd been through today, M'Gann didn't want him to experience any more heartache.

She tutted and stepped back to admire her handiwork. "You're all done Jay, now doesn't that feel better?" She asked watching as the boy all but propelled himself from the chair and ran his hand through his now much more manageable locks. He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Thanks Miss, I guess I was a bit of a mess." He replied, stretching out his arms. "Hey is there any chance a guy can get some food around here? I am beyond starving." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Conner sit up straighter in his chair and nod at her. She smiled, it looks like the others were back and just in time for breakfast.

"Of course, the turkey in the oven isn't ready yet but I can make some pancakes or waffles," she said with a smile, there was nothing wrong with trying to fatten up the thin boy a little. "And it sounds like you'll have some company too, that should be Batman and the Robins right now." She said, now able to hear for herself the loud sound of the jet landing.

"Oh man, I haven't had pancakes in forever! You're the best!" Jason said joyfully before turning to point at the others. "Speedy, Arrow Girl, which way to the bat plane? I want to tell them about breakfast." Wally rolled his eyes at the kid, not sure if Jay was messing with them or just uninformed. Probably both.

"It's Kid Flash and Artemis," Wally corrected, though Jason wasn't even listening at this point. Wally sighed and patted Artemis's knee, "Come on honey, it looks like Junior wants to go out for a bit." She rolled his eyes but rose to follow him.

Jay ran forward and tugged impatiently on their hands. "Come on they've probably already landed by now, I thought you were supposed to be fast?" Jason grinned and had just about dragged Wally and Artemis out of the lounge when Robin suddenly stormed through the door with an angry look on his face. He brushed roughly past them and headed towards the gym.

"Woah, hey bro, what's up?" Wally asked, not just because he was concerned that his friend's mood had done a complete 180 since he saw him last, but because Jason's hand suddenly went limp within his own.

Robin didn't even look back as he stomped out of the room. "Why don't you ask the lousy brat!" He shouted from the hallway, stalking down the hall until he was out of sight. The rest of the Team watched as Jay uncomfortably crossed his arms over his chest. At that moment, every single one of them wanted a piece of Robin for upsetting the child.

"Did he- was he talking about me?" Jason asked quietly.

"No Todd," Damian answered, standing in the door frame with his back rigid and his face as unreadable of stone. "You've done nothing wrong. Robin has been made aware of certain circumstances and did not react very well." He paused before angrily giving the doorway a small kick before leaving the lounge area as well.

Somewhere over Gotham City

March 19, 07:04 EST

"I am very disappointed in you Robin, in both of you, for disobeying orders." Batman growled out as he began take off procedures for the plane. He'd sent Flash and Icon to investigate the origin of the bombs once they'd found the children and listened to their story. It seemed Thomas had been right and Epoch was clearly targeting the Todd boy. Therefore, it was agreed that Jason would stay at Mount Justice until further notice. Bruce had no idea what they'd do with him after that. Both boys were pouting, Thomas in the back, Robin in the passanger seat, having been cut off from their explanations.

"But we saved Jason! You wouldn't have made it here in time and you probably wouldn't have even found Jay without Tommy here." Robin said with frustration. Tommy? It looked like Dick had gotten over his initial pettiness and was beginning to get along with the younger boy. Good, that would make what he had to say easier.

"You didn't let me finish Robin," Batman interrupted once they had reached the clouds. "I said I was disappointed that you disobeyed orders but it was necessary in this situation. You both performed excellently, saving the civilian and confronting the villain. I'm not happy you did it, but I understand that you had to." He glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, "Good work, I'm proud of both of you." The boys smiled in their own ways and the jet fell into a comfortable silence as they made their way back to Rhode Island. Batman allowed them a little while to bask in their success.

"Thomas," he asked after they'd been flying for a while, waking the boy out of his light doze. "I apologize for not believing you initially about Todd but I had every reason to be suspicious." Robin looked curiously at him but Bruce ignored him, they'd get to that conversation eventually. "Since we are alone, would you care to explain why exactly Epoch was targeting the boy?" It had bothered Batman all the way to Gotham City, it was strange that Epoch would go to the trouble of killing an addict but her son? He couldn't find any reason for someone to hire an assassin for a middle school drop out.

In the back, Damian shifted uncomfortably. "Todd is important to the future, his death now would most certainly affect Gotham City and the hero community as a whole. The fact that Epoch knew to go after him, knew his civilian identity, is worrisome. I believe we need to focus on who would employ him."

Robin turned in his seat to look at Thomas. "You told me Jay was a hero in the future, so who is he?" Damian bit his lip, "Come on, you've already changed things by telling us save Jason. The whole future might be kaput if we don't know where to put him. He's an orphan now, he's got nowhere to go."

"He's one of us," Damian replied quietly after a moment. "Batman caught him in late 2011 stealing tires off the Batmobile, his mother had been dead by that point so Batman took him in and trained him to be the second Robin." He explained further to cover up the silence that followed. Up until recently, Damian had always considered Todd's adoption to be one of his father's poorer choice but right now he'd do anything to get that snarky kid into Wayne Manor. "You can't just abandon him now," Damian remarked testily.

"I guess that explains why you were so protective of him." Robin teased lightly as he tried to push down that clawing feeling of jealousy and inadequacy tearing at the back of his throat. Another boy Bruce had taken in, someone else to compete with for Bruce's attention. He shook his head to get rid of those selfish thoughts.

"Exactly how many children do I have in this future?" Batman asked Thomas, he himself still reeling from the news. That boy, that dirty boy he'd so casually dismissed earlier, was going to be his son. They'd almost lost him today because he hadn't trusted his other son. Damian shrugged.

"I don't believe I should say, but I can assure you that there are less than ten." Bruce closed his eyes, less than ten? Good lord Alfred was going to be busy. What on Earth was he thinking?

"That's not very assuring." He replied as Damian glowered.

"Well then I would suggest you to stop adopting children, Father." Damian's eyes widened as the title slipped out unexpectedly. He was fairly certain Grayson was unaware of his biological relation to Batman, especially after his earlier reaction. His eyes darted over to his brother but Dick had pulled back and was now hunched over in his seat.

"I was going to get to that," Batman said quietly, observing the look of shock on his eldest. He had planned on telling Dick of his future child but now was second guessing his decision. But he couldn't back down now, not after Thomas's slip. Mount Justice wasn't too much farther anyhow. "When Thomas first arrived, we performed several tests; the results came back that I was his biological father. After the initial surprise, I realized when Thomas had been conceived." Now Dick was glaring at him and all at once Bruce regrets keeping him in the dark.

"His mother is Talia al Ghul. You may recall last year I went on that mission to uncover Ra's plans in the Middle East, when you were in the process of transferring schools. We had a brief affair and she later informed me that she was expecting. I had hoped to take her away from Ra's influence and raise our child in peace. But there were complications and she later told me that she had miscarried. It now appears that wasn't the case." Silence fell again but it was far from the blissful quiet of earlier.

"Mother said she never told you about me." Damian whispered quietly from the back, thinking about an imaginary life where he grew up with his mother and father in Gotham, surrounded by people who cared for him. He discarded that line of thought because it was just fantasy, a life that had could have been.

"So he was raised by the League of Assassins?" Dick hissed out next to him, pointing accusingly at Thomas. "He's a trained killer! And you're just telling me this now? And you knew this when you let him attack M'Gann!" He turned back to glare harshly at the boy. "Just have many people have you killed, monster?"

"Dick that's enough," Batman said, leveling his partner with a hard look. "We don't have a choice who our parents are."

"You're just defending him cause he's your kid!" Dick snapped, "and you're a fine one to talk about choices. How could you have a fling with the Demon's Daughter? How could you be so careless? I thought Batman was supposed to be better than that!"

"Well Bruce Wayne isn't," Bruce responded just as harshly. "I am just as human as you are Richard and while I have made many, many mistakes, I don't consider Talia or Thomas to be one of them." Batman had been so caught up in the fight, he didn't realize that they'd arrived at Mount Justice, the autopilot blinking that he should take control and land the jet. He gripped the steering wheel with more force than necessary.

"I can't believe this," Dick muttered under his breath. "I thought I was your partner, your... but I guess I don't really know you at all." Dick responded spitefully. Batman kept his face carefully neutral not betraying how much Dick's comments dug into him. His adopted son had shifted as far away as he could from his mentor, glaring into the window as the plane landed. His genetic son glared silently in back, clearly wanting to fight back but not knowing what to say. As soon as the aircraft was down, Dick was out of his belt and storming out of the hangar.

"Thomas," Batman said, quietly, looking for the words to save the situation.

"I'm sorry Father, but this is both our faults," Damian answered, pushing down the dull ache in his chest as he followed his brother's example. He unclipped his belt and walked off the plane leaving his father with all of his regrets.

Mount Justice

March 19, 10:22 EST

"Jay? Jason, look I have lunch here for you, would you please eat something?" M'Gann asked setting a carved turkey sandwich with french fries in front of the boy. Jason just pouted, his chin balanced on his fist as he stared off into space. He'd been like that for a while now, after Robin had burst in a few hours ago. Jay had grumbled over what he'd done to upset the Boy Wonder before settling at counter. He'd even turned down the pancakes she'd made for him earlier which worried her to no end. She was certain he was used to going without food but she wanted better for him now.

Her green hand petted the back of his now short hair. "Jay you didn't do anything wrong, something happened on the plane. Both Thomas and Batman seemed upset too." She took the seat next to him. "I wish you would tell me what's bothering you, I can't help any other way."

"I don't know, it's dumb." Jason shrugged, looking down at his plate of food, playing lazily with one of the french fries. "I guess I'm used to the people in my life being mean to me; my dad has always been a lowlife and my mom's been sick for a while now. There's always creeps and criminals hanging 'round the street so I know who to look out for, it's how I survived." He glared at the plate and pushed it away to look at M'Gann. "I guess I just wasn't expecting it from my heroes. I thought they were supposed to be better than that."

"We try to be, but we all make mistakes son. It's a part of being human even if we aren't all human." Superman said coming up from behind, smirking as Jason's eyes nearly fell out of his head when he caught sight of the Man of Steel. "Nice to meet you, folks call me Superman." He held out a hand to shake, which Jason hesitantly reciprocated.

"'m Jason," He murmured staring as his tiny hand was encased in Superman's much larger one. "You could totally kill me right now and launch my body into space or something." Superman couldn't help but chuckle and was pleased to see the boy smiling back.

"I typically reserve that for the bad guys." Bruce had retreated to the Watchtower immediately after he'd returned but he'd given Clark a basic rundown of the situation. While he was far from happy that Dick had responded so poorly, he was intrigued to hear that Bruce would take in another child. But after meeting the kid, he thinks he understands. Not only was Jason Todd full of spunk but he was also fearless. He couldn't wait to see him out in the field as Robin.

"It's the job of a hero to do their best for their team and for the people they serve. They don't always get it right, they make mistakes in battle or lose their tempers. But the mark of a true hero is that they're able to rise above their shortcomings and do what's right even if it isn't always easy." He mock punched Jason's chin, "who knows? You could probably even teach the Batman a thing or two."

While Jason's eye lit up at the thought, Superman reached past him and picked up a sandwich off the larger pile. "Mind if I take one of these Meg? It's been a long day and it's far from over."

"Sure, go ahead, if you're going up to the Watchtower, you should probably bring a few for the others as well. Here, let me get them ready," M'Gann said, bustling over in the far end of the kitchen for some containers. While she was busy, Clark set his hand on Jason's back.

"I know you've had a hard day Jason, an unbelievably difficult day that I can't even imagine." He felt bad watching the kid's face fall at the reminder but he had to say his piece. "It helps to talk about it son, I lost my Pa a few years back and I don't know if I'd have gotten through it without my friends." He patted his back. "Black Canary is a good listener, she's helped many members of both the League and Young Justice. If you want, she'll help you sort through all the things you're feeling. I'm not forcing you, but I just wanted you to know."

"I don't know how I feel about shrinks Supey," Jason muttered and Clark laughed.

"Well it's a good thing she's not a shrink, she's a superhero, and she could punch you all the way back to Gotham City if she wanted." Jason grinned at that and turned to watch M'Gann finishing packing the sandwiches.

"Yeah, okay, I'll think about it."

"Good boy, now, do what M'Gann says and eat your food. The girl is a fantastic cook and you're missing out if you just let it sit there." Jason made a face and waved off Clark's hand but he picked up the sandwich and took a bite. M'Gann flew over and deposited a large bag in the older hero's hands.

"Thanks Meg," Superman said, as he lowered his voice. "Now take care of him, I have a feeling he's going to be around a while." He said with a teasing grin as he made his way out of the kitchen. For now, he had to get back up to the Watchtower and hopefully get Bruce to eat something. If he was real lucky, he just might convince the Dark Knight to talk to his boys, all three of them.

Mount Justice

March 19, 10:48 EST

Superboy was destroying the gym. Now normally he didn't have a good reason to tear through the equipment aside from his constant state of low-level rage, but today he felt justified. They'd had a terrible patrol resulting in a punk kid literally dropping into their lives and now everyone was acting different. Robin was angry and snappish and the League was ignoring them more than normal. Worse yet, M'Gann was upset by the circumstances and there wasn't a thing Conner could do for her. He grit his teeth and raged into the punching bag.

"Move it clone, you're not the only one who needs an outlet." Superboy turned, surprised to see the kid there. He hadn't heard the boy enter, maybe he really was related to Robin. As much as he wanted to be alone, Conner recognized the dark anger on the boy's pinched face as something he saw in the mirror. Thomas didn't wait for a response and began throwing out some violent hits of his own onto a practice dummy. It didn't escape Conner's notice that the boy went for the dummy's vital spots and was not holding back his lethal force. Within a minute, it was just a broken heap on the floor.

"You sure are angry. I don't know why, it's not like we've done anything to you." Conner stated. People told him that he had a tendency to speak his mind, regardless of the kindness of those thoughts. But Superboy didn't feel like playing nice with the kid who was making M'Gann sad and thus ruining Superboy's life.

"Right, I've got no reason to be angry," Damian ground out, diving headfirst into another practice dummy. "It's not like I've been ripped from my home, from my family, and was dropped in a world where I am a non-entity." He snapped out his leg, instantly breaking what would have been the dummy's neck but still he persisted in the attack. "It's not like my mentor barely registers my existence other than to chastise me for things beyond my control." He hissed, "or my brother, someone I have come to admire greatly, can't stand me and is constantly telling me what an aberration I am." He sneered as he spun and did another kick that removed the dummy's head completely causing it to sail across the room.

"Of course I can't be angry, I've only been manipulated by the people who were supposed to care most about me and kept hidden away from the ones who would truly understand. I've been trained and hardened from the day I was born to hurt and to kill and when I decided I didn't want to be my Mother's weapon anymore, I was shunned by both of my parents." A third dummy came under his assault and this time, he reached into his belt and pulled out a few batarangs, which dug deeply into the plastic of the remaining dummies.

"I have suffered and struggled to live up to everyone's high expectations only to fall short every time." Damian ground out, raising his voice as his rage sung through his veins. "I am sick of being treated as an object: a weapon, an heir, a problem to be dealt with. I am tired of being treated as worth less than a bunch of useless children!" Damian threw out another batarang but this time it beeped threateningly and exploded, causing the dummy to be completely obliterated.

Damian huffed after the somewhat cathartic outlet of rage and pent up aggression as he stared at the charred spot on the floor and grimly took in the dummies he'd lethally dispatched. There was a saying that Grayson used frequently, you could take the boy out of the circus, but you couldn't take the circus out of the boy. He supposed it probably applied to secret assassin organizations as well. Maybe everyone was right; maybe he really was the monster people thought he was. No matter how bright his Robin costume, perhaps he would never be able to escape the darkness within him.

He grunted as he remembered that the clone was still there, judging him. "You're right, I have no reason to be angry," Damian answered darkly, indeed feeling his anger begin to abate and a terrible emptiness take it's place. "It seems you have to be a real person in order for that to happen." With that, he walked out of the gym and left his fellow weapon standing there thinking about how he, how all of them, had been treating Thomas. Superboy knew very well those feelings the boy had described, he snarled and went back to his punching bag. He felt angry again, but this time, not for his sake.

Chapter Text

 may not own the Batman characters but at least I give them consistent characterizations

I was angry with my friend
I told my wrath, my wrath did end
I was angry with my foe
I told it not, my wrath did grow

And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears,
And I sunnèd it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles

Mount Justice

March 19, 11:09 EST

There were a dozen other things Batman should be doing right now. He should be coordinating with the other Leaguers to get Thomas back home. He should be back in Gotham researching the time travelling assassin who had been paid to murder in his city. He should be working on keeping his fracturing family together. Instead, he stands outside the small room that was temporarily given to Jason Todd while he was staying at Mount Justice. He stares at the closed door, wondering how he can speak to a boy he might one day call his own when every word he says upsets Dick and Thomas. Maybe he should just give up on the idea of a happy family.

"You can come in you know." Batman raised an eyebrow as he quietly entered the room where Todd was sprawled out on the bed. "My mom sometimes, or well, she used to, hang outside my door like that. It tends to give you a sixth sense for the thing." The boy shrugged. Batman, meanwhile, was impressed. The boy's instincts were finely tuned and he clearly knew how to use them. If he ever wanted to, the kid just might be able to keep up with Batman's rigorous training regiment.

"I had a few questions I wanted to ask you, if that's all right." Batman said, lightly perching on a chair in the far corner to give the boy his space.

Todd shrugged but Batman could see the hesitance in the gesture. "Yeah sure," Jay stated lazily as he put his hands behind his head. "As long as you don't freak out like your kids did." Batman chose to ignore the comment.

"What can you tell me about the man who was hunting you?" Todd's eyes darkened.

"You mean the man who killed my mom to get to me? The man who chased me all across town and nearly blew me up twice? That man?" Jay replied with a viciousness in his voice no 12 year old ought to have. But then again, no 12 year old should be forced to see his mother murdered in front of him. He let out a mournful sigh.

"He was in this all white future suit, it must be pretty durable since it took all those explosives the Robins planted on him. He was tall like you but not as big and his face was completely covered by his helmet. He was able to fly with his jetpack and he had these weird belt things strapped across his chest. It was real slick technology, not something you'd find on the streets. I'd say it was either alien or super undercover stuff. The guy has money and connections but I'd say he hasn't been in business too long. He let a couple of bratty kids anger him so he can't be a real pro. If I were to guess, I'd say he expected this job to be his big break." Jay added on after a minute.

Bruce had changed his mind, this kid was a natural. Intelligent, observant and motivated, he had no doubt in his mind that this child could do amazing things if he had the proper mentor. "Do you have any idea why Epoch would want to kill you?"

"Epoch?" Jason grinned at the stupid name but sobered up at Batman's expression. "Look, I know it might be hard to believe a Park Row kid but I haven't done anything," he paused and made a face. "Ok, well I haven't done anything worth killing me for. If I was betting, I'd say it was something my old man did. Guy's always causing me trouble," Jason grumbled.

"Have you seen your father recently?" Batman asked carefully. According to his research, a body matching the prints of Willis Todd had shown up in Bludhaven's river a month ago. From the way Jason spoke, it sounded like the boy was unaware that both his mother and father were deceased.

Jason shrugged uncomfortably. "Nah, I ain't seen him in months. He tried to hit us up for money a while back but then he skipped town. You think he's got something to do with this? Cause this seems a little outta my old man's depth."

"We suspect Epoch is a time-travelling mercenary, an assassin whose specialty is to eliminate threats in the past. A source from a possible future indicates that you will be of great importance to the Justice League within the next 10 years." Jason raised an eyebrow as he sat up.

"Me? Important to the League? That's rich. I bet your source is Tommy, isn't it? He's gotta be a future Robin. No wonder I didn't recognize him." Bruce worked hard to keep himself from smirking. It would be exhausting dealing with such a clever child again but he thinks Jason would be worth it. "That it? After all the stories I heard from the Alley, I was expecting some Bat torture."

"That comes later," Bruce replied with a small smile as he stood up. "Your information has been very helpful Jason, I may come back later with some more questions." He nodded as he walked towards the door, pausing in the frame. "Have you given any thought to where you would like to go once this incident has concluded?"

"I don't have any family other than my dad." Jason shrugged, pulling up his knees and resting his chin upon them. "There's not really anywhere I can go but social services, I mean, it's not like I can stay here."

"No, but there are other options." He turned his back to the young boy. "Thomas was quite upset that you had been targeted, it seems he is very familiar with you in the future, as familiar with you as he is Robin." He paused as he let the information settle, "we'll be in touch." Batman said, exiting the room and closed the door him.

Mount Justice

March 19, 11:39 EST

"So what are we doing exactly?" Wally asked as he leaned onto the keyboard. He yawned and closed his eyes for a moment until Red Tornado's large metal hand clamping on his shoulder pulled him back into a sitting position.

"You and the Team are to analyze the security footage from Gotham before, during and following your engagement with the villain, Epoch. You are to see if you can find any suitable information about him, such as how he was able to the plant the bombs."

"Come on, we've been awake for over 24 hours!" Artemis chimed in, "Can't we have at least an hour or so to rest?" She demanded, feeling more than a little crabby to be doing such mundane work when she was exhausted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the others nodding.

"I agree with Artemis," Kaldur said. "It has been a long night for everyone and we will be no good to anyone if we are too tired to fight." Red Tornado considered them for a moment.

"A meeting of both the Justice League and the Team will commence at exactly 1300 hours. If you can get through all the footage compiled by Batman before then, you may use the remaining time to do as you wish." The whole team moaned in unison.

"This is gonna take forever Red!" Wally said slumping in his seat, "I bet this is payback for shutting you down earlier."

Red Tornado merely turned and walked out of the room. "If I were human, I might call this revenge. Seeing as I am an android, we shall simply call it delegation of labor." As the door slid shut, Wally groaned and let his head flop down onto the computer. M'Gann tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. While it was true they probably deserved some sort of punishment, the Team had been run pretty ragged this past day.

"Come on guys, we can get this done. We just have to be smart about this, we only have to look at the videos pertaining to Epoch in a small portion of the city. Then we can fast forward through the parts where nothing is going on. We just need to work together. Robin, do you have any ideas?" M'Gann asked turning to address the youngest who was still brooding about whatever had happened earlier. Some of the others grumbled as Robin was brought into the conversation but the Martian persisted. She was just as upset by Robin's behavior but she tried to keep an open mind. Beneath all his anger, she knew her friend was hurting.

"I guess we can delegate certain sections, we can cut out the footage before about midnight last night and after 8 this morning. Then we can each watch a specific set of footage," he paused. "It would probably be best if we each watched the footage we were there for, to ensure that we've capture all of the details."

"Agreed, that sounds like a good plan." Kaldur nodded as he began to excise the unwanted footage.

Artemis shifted in her chair. "First good idea he's had in a while," she muttered not too quietly, but so what? She was tired and annoyed and Robin was due for some pushback. Robin glared at her lightly but otherwise ignored her. Artemis, clearly expecting Robin to rise to her jibe, wasn't ready to let the subject go. "Why have you been such a jerk lately, I know you're still a punk kid but that doesn't mean you have to act like it."

"Arty..." Wally cautioned, after all, he knew better than most the things Robin had gone through. His best friend was definitely acting out of line but the situation was complicated.

"You always defend him Wally," she turned to snap at him. "But this time the Boy Wonder ain't so wonderful!" She glared at Robin. "What's your beef? I don't love this kid either but you've been beyond rude not just to him, but us." She glared which Robin reciprocated. "I know you're a Bat and hiding your traumatic man pain is practically a requirement but you don't get to treat us like this."

"You don't understand," Robin growled out, really not in the mood for this type of confrontation. Like the rest of the Team, he was tired and angry that he had to go through all this video on top of all the earlier upsets.

"Then why don't you make us understand," Kaldur said with the slightest edge to his voice. "Artemis is right, we are your team. We respect your privacy up until the point where it is a hindrance to our mission." Robin huffed, not disagreeing with his leader but not liking it either.

"It might help to talk about it Robin," M'Gann added hesitantly.

Robin crossed his arms and sunk deeper into his chair, feeling childish and not really caring. "I just don't like the kid, okay?" He grumbled causing Artemis to snort.

"Really, I'd have never guessed that." Robin was about to retort when he wondered why he shouldn't tell the Team? It's not like Batman told him not to talk about Thomas's past. And besides, they deserved to know that they were defending a known assassin.

"Thomas was raised by the League of Assassins, his mother is Talia al Ghul which makes The Demon's Head his grandfather." Everyone's eyes went wide at the statement. "He's been training to kill since the day he was born. I'm pretty good with numbers and I don't even want to think of how many people he's murdered."

"That's not his fault," Superboy interjected suddenly, giving Robin a hard look. "You don't know what it's like to be a situation like that, being told that you have to do these things you don't want to do, having no control over your life at all." He added, thinking of his one sided conversation with Thomas in the gym earlier that morning.

"Yeah and how exactly does the grandson of Ra's al Ghul, one of the biggest bads, end up as Batman's sidekick?" Wally asked, leaning over to try and glance at Dick's face. Robin mulled over his thoughts for an extra few seconds before lowering his voice.

"This is on the down low, but Thomas is Batman's son, his real son. I knew he and Talia liked to flirt but I never imagined it went so far." If Robin thought he got a reaction before it was nothing compared to this bombshell. M'Gann gasped loudly, Wally had gone miraculously silent while Artemis turned bright red and started sputtering.

"Son? As in- he and she and they did... oh my god." She leaned forward and buried her hands in her hair. "I could have gone my whole life happily not knowing that Batman was into bad girls." Robin sighed as he went back to lethargically going through the video.

"It's stupid and petty I guess but I can't help but feel a bit jealous. Batman has been all over the kid since he arrived, it's not very fun being replaced."

"Maybe he needs that attention after what he's been through. He can't help being Batman's kid just like he can't help who raised him," Superboy intoned gruffly.

"Conner's right, you're judging him on things he can't change. If you paid any mind to his actions since he's been here, saving Jason, looking up to you; I think it's pretty clear he's trying to put all that behind him." M'Gann added on. Robin averted his gaze, properly thinking for the first time since this whole mess began what it must have been like from Thomas's point of view. It definitely wasn't asterous.

Wally yawned suddenly, breaking the flow of conversation. "Okay well this has been informative but I'd like to get this done so we can catch some Z's before the League meeting," he said, pointedly looking at Robin. "It'll be a great time to apologize and make reparations, to both Thomas and Jason."

"Yeah maybe," Robin muttered before they continued on in silence.

Mount Justice

March 19, 13:18 EST

"It does not appear that the child can be restored using magical means," Doctor Fate decried as he finished analyzing the collected data and Damian. The younger boy huffed, still nursing his hurt and rage from earlier, and stalked over to the couch where the rest of Young Justice was gathered.

Zatanna looked over at Damian before putting hers hands on her hips. "I agree, he was sent here using science and he should be returned using that same science. Even if we tried using magic he might end up in the wrong time or even the wrong dimension."

Damian pouted and sunk down into the couch. He hadn't put much weight into the idea of the magicians sending him home but their failure was just another in a long series of disappointments. He glanced over at the chair where Robin had his back turned to him. He found some consolation in Todd sitting on the arm of his couch quietly asking who the guy with the bucket on his head was.

"It's highly advanced wherever it's from," Atom said stepping in. "I've been going over it most of the night and I still can barely get a read on it. It appears to use chronal energy to rapidly accelerate space/time particles to the point that they become warped and create a temporary tear in the fabric of reality which theoretically could be used to travel through time." He turned and addressed Damian directly. "I'm afraid it's beyond my ability to replicate right now, but if we could get a sample of the equipment used to transport him between times, I'm sure we can reverse engineer it to send you home."

"So he's stuck here until we catch the bad guy." Superboy summarized, standing behind the couch with a frustrated look on his face.

"Looks like," Flash nodded. "But while he's here, he'll be taken care of. We'll get him a guest room tonight where he can be comfortable until this whole thing is sorted. He can stay in the room next to Jay." He added on when Jason opened his mouth to protest. Todd leaned in just a little bit towards Damian and he couldn't deny that the show of solidarity was nice.

"In that case we need to focus on locating this villain before he causes any more harm," Icon added. "Flash and I searched Gotham for any remaining bombs but were unable to locate any. The Team was unable to pinpoint when Epoch planted those bombs. Like the children speculated, we believe the bombs were merely a diversion meant to keep us from the real target." He continued, gesturing towards Jason.

"The motive for Jason's death is believed to be his importance to the League within the next few years which Epoch's employer was attempting to prevent." Batman stated, deliberately leaving out the details as to how exactly Jason would be involved. "The level of knowledge required for a task like this narrows down the suspects significantly. Epoch's employer would not only need to understand the impact Jason would have on the League, but know his identity and be able to locate him in the past."

"Couldn't Thomas help out with that?" M'Gann suggested. "He is our link to the future where Epoch is coming from, he probably knows which Leaguers have been compromised." Everyone turned to stare at Damian who pressed his fingertips together and brought them to his lips.

"I do have some potential suspects in mind, but time travel complicates the situation." Damian paused, "My Batman and I found Epoch on our patrol. He purposely sought us out, I believe, to mock us. His technology is advanced even for my time, it's possible he came from even further in the future than even I am aware of." He explained as the room fell into silence.

"Ok, well let's take this back to the start," Green Arrow said leaning over on his bow. "Who benefits by killing Jay?" Damian considered the question and how to phrase his answer.

"It would be hard to see who would benefit because the death of Todd would alter things so much it would be difficult to predict the outcome. Todd was involved in many important conflicts, he influenced many members of the League and Young Justice. If Todd hadn't become involved with the League there would be no reason for Drak-" Damian paused his eyes going wide for a second as he realized what he was saying. He cursed rapidly in Arabic startling the rest of the room. He had been an idiot, he'd been so caught up in his own rage he had neglected to think of the bigger picture. If someone was willing to go after Todd, they would certainly go after the others.

"Drake, they're going after Tim Drake next. He is the next logical target, especially since they failed to capture Todd."

"Drake? Who's that? Another street kid?" Hal Jordan asked.

"Hardly," Batman responded, watching the same panic appear on Thomas's face as when Jason had been threatened. "The Drake family are the proprietors of Drake Industries in Gotham. Owners Jack and Janet Drake are currently the driving force behind the company. They have one son, Timothy, who is about seven years of age." Of course Bruce knew of the Drake family, they had been guests of the Wayne Foundation for many years in addition to the fact that Drake Mansion was close to his own home. Though Bruce had only met their young son a few times he knew Dick sometimes babysat the lonely boy.

Damian, meanwhile, wasn't listening and had jumped up off the couch and began pacing. How had he forgotten about Drake? He was hardly friends with the older teen but he certainly didn't want Red Robin to die. Because, though he liked to pretend otherwise, Drake was another huge influence in the hero community both and his deductive and technological skills were considered second only to Batman. If someone were to get their hands on Drake, the timeline would be altered just as dramatically as if Todd had died. And they'd already wasted so much time.

"We need to leave immediately, we have to rescue Drake." He demanded, stomping right over to his father to try and make him see how truly important this is. "Epoch's equipment was damaged during our fight this morning but it's been hours since then. He could've gone and killed Drake at any time while we've been arguing amongst ourselves. If Drake is dead it will be on our heads." His eyes slid harshly over to Grayson of their own volition and even he looked guilty at the unexpected turn of events.

Batman didn't answer and Damian's hands curled into fists. "Don't you dare say you don't trust me again," He sneered, stepping closer to his father. "I risked my life to ensure that we got Todd out of harm's way and I will not let your bullheaded nature cost another boy his life!" The pent up aggression was raging under his skin, just waiting for an excuse to give into his anger. He was stopped as Batman knelt down and placed his hands on Damian's shoulders.

"We believe you Thomas, and don't worry, we are going to save Tim Drake." He held on for a moment longer before straightening up. "Flash, Martian Manhunter, Superman, Thomas, you four ahead via the Zeta Tube and check out Drake Manor. You will keep in constant radio contact and a second squad will be here should the need arise. Investigate quietly but the priority is keeping the boy and any other civilians safe. In addition, you should try to capture Epoch or any of his agents if possible." He addressing the room as a whole. "The rest will remain here and keep an eye out on the situation in greater Gotham, Epoch may use more explosives as a means of distraction. Move out."

Just outside Drake Mansion

March 19, 13:39 EST

"I'm sure he's going to be fine son," Superman soothed as he flew Thomas the short distance between the Zeta tube and Drake Mansion. The fact that the boy wasn't protesting being carried like a child told Clark how worried he was for this Tim Drake. "He's your brother isn't it?" The Damian's head snapped to look at him. "Your dad can't keep much from me, I'm guessing Tim is part of your family, like Dick and Jason."

Damian pursed his lips and turned his head so he could look for the Mansion. "Yes, he served as the third Robin and was officially adopted by my father several years ago."

Clark wanted to grin; Bruce raised four boys in his house? The thought that one of those boys could be in trouble, or worse, kept him somber. "Well I know Batman and I know that any child he takes in has got to be tough and smart, you just have to have faith in him."

Damian scoffed, he'd never admit it to the alien, but he did feel a little better. "Drake is quite stubborn and remarkably difficult to kill," Damian murmured, straining himself as Drake Mansion came into view. He was sure Flash and Manhunter were already there but Superman had opted to go slower to accommodate him. Damian should count himself lucky Father had even allowed him to go, he'd probably guessed that Damian would've reacted poorly to being left behind. "He better be okay," he whispered to himself as he prepared himself for whatever was coming.

They began their final descent and Damian's heart clenched to see Flash standing on the front lawn. Damian jumped out of Superman's arms about 5 feet from the ground, jogging up to the speedster as soon as he was down. "Where is he, where is Drake?" He demanded, fighting down the sense of panic when he saw Flash frown and kneel down to his level.

"I'm sorry kid," he began. "I'm real sorry." The Flash stared down at the boy, able to see Bruce in this moody assassin for the first time. He'd heard a lot of complaints about this kid but Flash thought he looked just like his dad at the moment, with his heart in his eyes as he tried to fight back all the evils of the world.

"Someone's been here all right, if I were to guess I'd say no more than a couple of hours ago. The Butler's in the foyer, his throat was slit with expert precision. He bled out almost instantly." He gestured back to the house. "I went through it twice and J'onn is still searching, but we can't find the boy anywhere. Batman confirmed that the parents are away on business but is it possible he's staying somewhere else?" Damian cursed as he turned away from the pitying gaze of the speedster.

"No, Drake always stayed here when his parents were travelling." Superman's hand was on his shoulder but Damian didn't allow it to stay, shaking it off and stalking about a few feet away from the other adults. This was his fault, he let this happen. He let himself get distracted and, because of that, his annoying older brother was subject to a fate worse than death.

"We should check into it just in case. Flash, you should probably scan the area surrounding the Manor in case we find," Superman paused and glanced at Damian's back, "in case we find a body."

"You're wasting your time," Damian sighed. "You're not going to find a body because Drake isn't dead but he might as well be." The Leaguers exchanged looks. "The people who did this didn't want to kill Drake, they wanted to take him."

"You know who did this?" Superman questioned with surprise, Damian nodded grimly as he knelt to the ground and fingered the dirt.

"I'll need to look around but I'm fairly certain I know who took Drake. As a consequence, I also know who hired Epoch, and I think I know why."

Chapter Text

Wally wouldn't have died if I owned Young Justice

Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead

Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Drake Mansion

March 19, 14:10 EST

"What is going on here?" Batman demanded as he walked into Drake Mansion to see Superman and Flash looking away in shame. They obviously hadn't gotten here in time, but there was something they weren't telling him. "Where is Thomas?" He barked, hoping that the boy was cooperating and hadn't run off again. He'd have thought Ra's would have instilled in his grandson an understanding of how to follow orders, though Bruce supposes enough time around Dick would cure him of that.

"He's upstairs with J'onn going over the boy's bedroom. Thomas is convinced that Drake was kidnapped rather than outright killed." Superman stated.

"Kidnapped? So Thomas believes Drake is alive?" Batman asked, feeling guilty for his doubt but it was not unreasonable. Despite his training, Thomas was still a young boy who had been clearly upset at the thought of Jason's and, now Tim's, death. Since they had arrived too late, it wasn't too hard to imagine the boy was willing to believe that Drake had been kidnapped in order to assuage his guilt.

"The kid seemed pretty sure, I've been checking all around the estate and I haven't been able to find any evidence of violence against the boy. I did, however, find this." Flash said raising a child sized sock. "This was about two miles to the south, about the line between Gotham and Bludhaven. I don't think it fell off naturally, so I'd say the kid worked it off bit by bit in order to leave a clue which does lend credence to the idea that they took the boy instead of killing him." Flash gave him a bit of a subdued smile. "Smart kid, perfect for the next addition to your growing family."

"Thomas believes he knows not only who is behind the kidnapping but who hired Epoch in the first place." Superman added before Batman could respond. "He hasn't said anything to us, he insisted on waiting for you." He tacked on at the end when he noticed Batman about to ask the obvious question. "Tim's bedroom is upstairs, third door to the right."

"Hey Bats, what are we going to do about this?" Flash asked gesturing to the house at large. "I know we're a bit aways from the city but eventually someone's going to see us poking around this private residence without a warrant." He grimaced, "and what about the Drakes? They have a right to know that their son has been kidnapped and could be dead."

"We'll be in and out of the Mansion soon enough, after which, we should alert the police anonymously of the crime. They can then inform the Drake's of the situation. There is no reason for the League to be publically involved in this." Batman nodded and let his cape move behind him as he entered the house. He immediately noted the dead butler in the foyer and stooped down to analyze the corpse.

"The kidnappers entered swiftly and silently, able to bypass the security measures with ease. They approached the butler so quietly, he probably didn't notice their presence until he was bleeding to death." Damian announced, standing at the top of the stairs as his father walked in. "They then came straight to Drake's bedroom, took him from his desk and drugged him with just enough chloroform to keep him from struggling, but not enough to put him under and potentially cause brain damage. One of the kidnappers escaped via the window with Drake while the others wiped any potential video of the incident and checked the area for any evidence of their intrusion before disappearing."

"And how do you have this information?" Batman asked, standing up to address his son.

"Because it's standard kidnapping protocol for the League of Assassins. I could tell immediately when we arrived by the lack of evidence that they were involved, further investigation has only solidified my belief. Trust me, if they'd wanted Drake dead, he'd be right next to the butler." Bruce frowned, Ra's al Ghul, it made sense. Ra's certainly knew his and Dick's identities and thus would be familiar with the identities of any other children he took in. He also had the money and the means to hire an assassin like Epoch.

"But why would Ra's go through the trouble of kidnapping Timmy when he clearly was willing to kill Jay?" Batman frowned as Robin walked purposely through the door, coming to stand right next to him.

"I thought I told you to stay back at the Mountain with the others." Batman ground out, Dick had been far too reckless as of late and his penchant for playing by his own rules was not a habit Batman wanted to enforce. One of these days it was going to get his boy killed. If Thomas appeared bothered by Robin's sudden presence, he didn't show it.

"I'm not a child anymore Batman, you can't keep me out of this. This is my fault, just as much as it is his and yours, and I am going to fix the mistakes I have made." He ducked his head slightly, "all of them." Thomas studied the older boy before continuing.

"I'm certain you both have guessed that Drake also is a member of your hackneyed little club. Drake had uncovered your identities as a child and stepped in to become Robin after Todd had... retired. He now goes by the name Red Robin and is considered to be one of the League's best detectives in addition to being a computer expert and tactician. We have never gotten along but that does not mean I wish to leave him in Grandfather's hand." Thomas said as he began to descend the staircase.

"So Tim grows up smart, is that why Ra's kidnapped him?" Robin countered as Damian reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Not long ago, in my time, Drake returned from a mission abroad. He was being reckless and got himself caught up with the League. Grandfather believed he could manipulate him but not only was Drake able to outwit him, he was able to singlehandedly dismantle the League's ongoing operations. In addition, he helped prevent the assassination of other of our associates and secured Wayne Enterprises away from Grandfather's influence." Robin whistled softly and even Batman was impressed. One kid, who probably wasn't even 18, had been able to subdue Ra's al Ghul where often Batman had failed. He seemed to have a knack for picking up talented young boys.

"Grandfather has remarked several times that he considers Drake the best of all the strays you have picked up over the years, but after that incident, he had seen just what Drake was capable of and began seeking to draw him in." Damian continued while Robin nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"It makes sense, Ra's was impressed by Tim and decided if he was going to sending an assassin back in time, he might as well kidnap and raise a younger Timmy rather than waste his potential." Robin turned to look at Batman. "We need to go rescue Tim not to mention stop Ra's and Epoch from hurting anyone else."

"Obviously," Batman replied. "I'm presuming you know the location of Infinity Island." Batman had spent many hours searching for Ra's secret base but had never come close to identifying it's location.

Thomas nodded reluctantly, appearing uncomfortable with the request. "Yes, I know where Mother and Grandfather have been carrying out their operations. When I first came to live with you, I revealed it's location in order to prove my loyalty. They have since moved and I am unaware of their current location but, in this time, I can easily direct you." He made a face. "Unfortunately. I doubt Epoch has kept quiet about the fact that I travelled back to this time as well so we can assume that they know that their base is compromised."

"So they'll be expecting us," Robin said, punching his fist into his palm. "Good, it'll make the victory all the more asterous when we kick their can."

Mount Justice

March 19, 14:44 EST

"So we're going to be invading the heart of the League of Assassins?" Hal Jordan asked with a dry look on his face, "are you out of your bat mind?" Batman remained impassive as he finished explaining the basic layout of the plan after they reconvened from the Drake residence. The children and Thomas sat on the couch as a few League members worked out the details.

"We need to stop Ra's and Epoch from fulfilling whatever plan they went back in time to achieve. In addition, we can't leave Timothy Drake with the League of Assassins." Batman explained, "and there is no we. This is a delicate mission that requires stealth and precision, which is not something the Justice League is known for. However, the Team was created for that very purpose so they will be running this mission with me." As he expected, the adults did not take this news well. Those with children on the Team immediately began protesting while others backed them up on principle. In the background, Young Justice looked up in both pride and fear at the large task being imposed on them.

"I thought the Team was made to keep the sidekicks from rioting," Lantern muttered out of the corner of his mouth. Flash elbowed his ribs and gave Batman a disbelieving stare.

"So you're going to take a bunch of untrained kids straight into the lair of one of the most dangerous villains out there which is, literally, going to be populated entirely by ninjas who are already waiting for your arrival?" The speedster asked harshly.

"They're hardly untrained. They are not as experienced as certain League members but by this point they should have earned your respect, unless you have forgotten this past New Year's Eve?" A few Leaguers grumbled in acknowledgement. "But you all are ignoring the most important fact, this has always been their mission. They were there at the start with Thomas's arrival, took the initiative with Jason and have kept both boys safe since. They deserve to see this mission through, not as sidekicks, but heroes in their own right." At that pronouncement, most of opposition became silent.

"We should be able to leave after dusk and arrive at Infinity Island by full dark giving us the perfect cover. We know that the League will be expecting us but there's no reason to announce ourselves. We'll take the Bioship which should be able to get us there quickly and without detection." He turned to face the Team. "Four hours should be sufficient for you to make the final preparations for the journey. I understand it's been a long couple of days, I suggest you rest up before we leave." Batman concluding, leveling them with a hard look but one filled with respect. They were young, true, but Batman trusted them to complete the task. They couldn't stay sidekicks forever.

"Yes Batman, we won't let you down," Aqualad said, echoing the sentiments of the rest of the Team.

"I don't expect you to, be at the Bioship by 1830 hours." Batman responded, sweeping out of the room. The Team needed to preserve their strength for the mission but there were many last minute things he needed to do before they left.

Superman frowned slightly, looking over the Team, most of whom he'd known since they were young. "Are you guys sure you're up for this?" He asked gently, they could work around this, add more Justice League members if they had to. This time it was Robin who stood up, standing with his team behind him as he crossed his arms resolutely.

"We can do this," the eyes of his mask narrowed, "We will do this." There was something about the way he said it that soothed the last of the worries of the League. A few of them smiled at the glimpses of the man Dick would soon become and left the room with scattered 'good lucks'.

Superman was the only one who remained shaking his head with a wistful smile on his face. "When did you kids get so grown up?" He asked causing Robin to give a small shrug.

"I don't know, I guess we had some pretty good role models." Clark rubbed his hands together, admiring how they had grown over the course of the year. He was proud of each and every one of them and he knew the future of the world was in excellent hands.

"Did I ever tell you about the legend of Nightwing and Flamebird?" Dick eyes lit up the mention of the old fairytale from his childhood but Clark was surprised to see Thomas look over at him with confusion. "They were a pair of Kryptonian gods, two lovers who's purpose was to renew the world in each cycle so that a new age could begin," he winked at the group. "While I wouldn't advise burning the planet I do believe a new age of heroes is upon us." He smiled to see the proud looks on the kids faces as he left the room.

"Nightwing, I've always loved that name. Dark and mysterious but also full of hope." Robin grinned, turning back to his team after Superman's speech.

Damian merely rolled his eyes and flopped back against the couch. "Really Grayson?" He muttered quietly under his breath. Superboy gave him a look, that's the second time the kid has mentioned that name, but he kept quiet. He suspected neither Thomas nor Robin would appreciate him bringing it up.

"Okay well I don't know about you guys but I am massively exhausted and I am going to spend my next few hours in my bed, you'd do the same if you were smart." Artemis remarked with a yawn and a lazy wave as she sauntered down to her quarters.

Wally cleared his throat loudly. "We should probably get some shut eye too Supey, Rob and Tommy can catch us up later." He intoned leveling his best friend with a stern look. Robin looked away while Superboy tilted his head in confusion.

"I'm not tired; I don't require as much sleep as normal humans." M'Gann smiled affectionately at her boyfriend, grabbing his hand and pulling him up off the couch.

"I think what he means is that Robin and Thomas could use a few minutes to work out their differences before the mission." She reached out to Thomas hesitantly, pausing for a moment before running her hand through his hair when she sensed no resistance. "We're going to be in the kitchen making up dinner. You're going to need all your strength if we're going to defeat the League of Assassins." M'Gann replied as she dragged Conner away with her into the kitchen. Wally gave them a cheeky wink before zooming off himself leaving Robin and his replacement alone.

Robin sighed and crossed his arms watching the younger boy. "Tell me about your future, not anything specific or damaging," he added when Damian opened his mouth to protest. "I want to know about your life, about you." Damian thought carefully, his small face pinching in concentration. Dick could've smiled; Bruce made that exact face all the time. It was amazing he hadn't noticed the blatant similarities before.

"I haven't been living there long and a lot of your customs still seem pointless to me but I suppose, in a way, it's nice." Damian looked across the room as he thought about the people at home. "You're a constant nuisance, always making jokes and attempting to engage me in childish endeavors," he paused. "But you were the only person who treated me kindly. You were there for me when everyone else pushed me away, even Father had just about given up on me."

"I'm sure that's not true, B can be a bit rough around the edges but it's obvious he cares for you. I'm sorry for letting you down earlier, I guess I thought for a while that he might like you more than me. It's kind of dumb now that I think about it." Dick said gently causing Damian to level him with a hard look.

"You're an absolute fool if you don't believe Father wouldn't trade ten of me for one of you. You would do wise to get over your petty insecurities and realize that even though I share his blood, you will always be his real son." Damian shrugged self-consciously. "I can't blame him for feeling that way considering what I've done." Robin leaned forward and put his hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"Hey come on," he soothed, inwardly cursing himself for all the cruel things he'd carelessly said earlier. He really ought to apologize to Bruce too. There were some things they needed to work out amongst themselves. "I'm not an expert on the future but I can say that you've really proven yourself not just to me and Batman, but all of us as well. No matter how you started out, you took the hard path and decided to better yourself. That sounds pretty heroic to me."

His little brother looked at him and Dick could feel the weight of the gaze. This kid cared for him, respected him and it would be Dick's responsibility to live up to the expectations these kids had for him. He was the oldest brother and he needed to set a good example for the others to come. He grinned and ruffled the kid's hair. Well, he'd missed having a big family.

"Ah! Stop it Grayson!" Damian moaned, fighting off the motion all the while enjoying the blessed familiarity of the touch. He wasn't quite ready yet, he was still a bit naïve and immature, but this was definitely his brother.

"Only when you stop saying my name you little brat," Dick teased, engaging in some friendly rough housing with the boy. "We're going to go to that island, we're gonna kick your grandpa's decrepit butt and we're going to rescue Tim and bring him home."

"Do you believe we can recover Drake?" He asked, logically he knew that Grayson wouldn't know anymore than he did but he missed being able to look to someone for assurance.

"Of course Tommy, do you know why? Because he's family and family watches out for each other and we always will." He patted Damian's shoulder before standing up. "Now, come on let's see if M'gann needs any help in the kitchen and then maybe get some sleep before tonight. I have a feeling we're going to need it."

Mount Justice

March 19, 17:35 EST

"Now don't be afraid to eat up, I made plenty for everyone, even those with a hyper-accelerated metabolism." M'Gann said, smiling as the Team, Thomas and even some League members sat down at the little used dining hall. Jason stumbled in a few minutes later, rubbing his eyes as he had apparently nodded off but M'Gann was more than happy to have the opportunity to fill the boy up.

"Meg, you are the greatest not-girlfriend I have ever known," Wally murmured as he stared at the enormous amount of food before them. Artemis smacked him on the arm but there was a smirk tugging at her lips. "Come on Arty, we have a big mission coming up and delicious feast before me, let me have this." He continued leaning over to peck his girlfriend's lips as he reached over the table to grab a massive baked potato. "I'm going to need to fuel up if we're going to kick Ra's al Ghul to the curb in his own home."

"At least leave some for the rest of us Kid," Kaldur cautioned with a teasing smile on his face. Flash looked over guiltily as he'd already piled his plate high full of delicious foods. Jason shyly began putting back some of the rolls he's been slipping into his pocket. Zatanna hid her smile behind her hand, leaning over to whisper something to Robin which he chuckled at.

"Oh Z, I didn't really get a chance to introduce you to Thomas, my little brother from the future. It's been a weird sort of day." He shrugged, leaning back in his chair so Zatanna could get a better look at Thomas. She smiled and extended her hand towards Damian who was instead coolly observing the way she was leaned comfortably into Robin's chest. He gingerly returned the handshake, wondering if he should be indignant on Gordon's behalf even though this was clearly before she and Grayson were a couple. It was strange imagining his brother with anyone other than the redhead.

"Hello Thomas, I'm Zatanna, we met earlier during the meeting." She nodded, pulling herself back from Robin when she noted the somewhat possessive gaze Damian was giving her. From what she understood, it seems the boy was only now able to work things out with his older brother. "Are you ready to return home?" She asked as she began to pick at her meal.

"Of course, I've been ready to return to my own time from the moment I arrived. I'm sure my brother and his girlfriend have been very worried. The two of them are practically like second parents to me." Wally all but dropped his silverware to lean in closer to the three of them whose conversation had everyone else staring. Jason, at the far end of the table, had to lean all the way back in his chair to see what was going on. Damian continued eating as if he didn't notice the sudden attention, Robin grimaced and shrunk down in his chair.

Zatanna didn't so much as blink. "That must be awfully nice having a support system like that," she intoned evenly. "We are both quite lucky to have your brother there for us." Robin just continued to slump in his chair.

"Yes, especially since they are so in tune with one another. Many couples I have observed are very distant and non-communicative which leads to problems in the relationship." Damian replied lightly, taking a long sip from his milk. "You spend the majority of your time on the Watchtower, do you not?" Zatanna dabbed coyly at her lips with a napkin.

"Yes, since my father became Doctor Fate, my magic training has had to continue through him. Fate doesn't have the patience for non-magical students so I am forced to meet with him on the Watchtower. Rocket is up there much of the time as well due to Icon's busy schedule. I'm afraid she's on a mission right now and, likewise, I won't be able to join you tonight either." She smiled, "but we always try to make time for our team and our loved ones." She answered as she draped an arm around Robin's shoulders and pulling him in for a lingering kiss.

"Is it too hot?" M'Gann squeaked from the other side of the table, pushing a large chicken breast under Wally's nose who was staring wide-eyed at the ensuing drama. "The chicken? Is it too hot?" She said red-faced as Zatanna pulled back but continued to lean against her dazed boyfriend's shoulder, smirking victoriously at Damian.

The boy merely shrugged as he cut off a small piece of chicken. "She'll due, for now." He answered flippantly as Zatanna pulled herself off Robin, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. The meal continued on pleasantly after that, people making quiet conversation amongst themselves.

"What just happened? I don't understand," Captain Marvel whispered over to Kaldur who had done his very best to keep his head down during the ordeal. He knew better than to get embroiled in such spectacles.

"It's nothing Billy, here look, M'Gann has brought dessert." The Atlantean replied, sighing silently in relief as M'Gann bustled out with a candle covered cake, which she set in front of Damian. He looked up at her curiously until he read the frosting written message, We Will Miss You Thomas.

"I know it's a little early to say but despite our initial difficulties, we were glad to have you Thomas. I can't wait to meet you again in the future, maybe when your brother's a little more grown-up." M'Gann teased, watching as Robin stuck out his tongue playfully. Damian stared in confusion as he watched the flickering candles. "Now blow out the candles and maybe that will get you back home even faster."

"The gesture is nonsensical, extinguishing a flame will not change reality nor expedite my journey." Damian scoffed.

"Tommy," Robin said drolly, rolling his eyes. The boy huffed, crossing his arms.

"But the sentiment is appreciated I suppose," Damian looked down thoughtfully at the cake. "This has been an informative trip, while I am anxious to return where I belong, I believe I have come to understand the affection Robin holds for this team." He said, blowing out the candles while everyone clapped.

Wally let out a joyful whoop. "He likes us, he really likes us!" He announced as M'Gann began cutting into the cake. Damian glared at him from across the table.

"You are a fool, West. You are obnoxious, arrogant and moronic," Damian replied as M'Gann gave him the first piece. "But I can see why you are so beloved, you must do your best to continue surviving."

"Thanks, I think," Wally answered sarcastically, "any tips on how to do that kid?" Wally teased, not really expecting an answer.

Damian frowned as he played with the cake with a serious expression on his face. "In 2016, during the Reach Invasion-"

"Attention Team, we will be leaving in 30 minutes. Finish what you are doing and suit up. Everything is prepared for our journey." Batman announced over the speaker system. "Robin, Thomas, meet me on the Watchtower in five minutes. I have a few things I need to speak to you about before we leave. Batman out." The members of Young Justice stood up and left the table to prepare themselves for the mission ahead. Only Wally remained with a forlorn expression on his face.

"Oh come on guys! What about the cake?"

Chapter Text

Batman's got the best villains and I don't own them either

Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a heaven in hell's despair.

Love seeketh only self to please,
To bind another to its delight,
Joys in another's loss of ease,
And builds a hell in heaven's despite.

Mount Justice

March 19, 18:16 EST

Jason bounced back and forth on his feet as he watched the Team running back and forth, getting their gear ready. Artemis categorized her arrows before slinging her quiver on her back. Miss Martian telekinetically loaded up the Bioship with their various supplies. Superboy, Kid Flash and Aqualad were going over the coordinates and basic layout of the place they'd be invading while Kid stuffed half a piece of cake in his mouth. And in the middle of it all was Jason, feeling anxious to watch them go and hating himself for it.

He wanted to get that poor kid back from the bad guys and he really wanted the monster who killed his mom to pay, but he was scared for them. He liked the Team, they saved his life, they fed him; that's really all Jason needed to become attached. And now they were leaving on a dangerous mission, maybe never to come back and then he'd be alone again. As horrible as today was, it had been nice to have someone care about him again.

"Hey Jay, can I borrow you for a second?" Robin asked, coming out of literally nowhere and startling Jason.

"Uh yeah sure, it's not like I'm doing anything." Jason shrugged following after Robin, and wasn't that wild, Robin the flipping Boy Wonder, was talking to him, knew his name even. Jason had seen him a few times over the years, soaring over Gotham like nothing could touch him. He'd secretly always wanted to know what that feeling was like, that freedom and the knowledge that you could be stronger than the adults believed. But it was just another fantasy to keep him warm during the cold nights when the heat as turned off.

"I'd uh like to apologize for how I acted this morning. I was being dumb and let some things upset me, but you shouldn't have to deal that." Robin said suddenly, giving Jason a sheepish smile. "Are we cool?" Jeez, how could he say no that face?

"Yeah man, I understand." Robin playfully ruffled his hair as they entered a small room just off the lounge. As soon as they walked in, the door shut behind him and Jay heard the lock turn.

He gulped nervously while Robin chuckled. "Hey relax, we just have some secret stuff to talk to you about and we don't want anyone overhearing." We? He turned and noticed that Batman and Thomas were also in the room.

"Jason," Batman nodded stiffly, looking almost uncomfortable. What the heck did they want him for? A kidney? "Our mission is to apprehend the man who kidnapped Timothy Drake and murdered your mother. Once he is in custody, you will no longer be in any danger from him and will not have to remain here at Mount Justice any longer." Jason's shoulders slumped slightly, here it was, the inevitable moment when he's kicked to curb. He knew it was coming but the rejection hurt like it did every other time.

"Yeah, I gotcha. I didn't bring nothing with me so when you're done, you can just drop me off at social services. I promise I won't tell anybody about your cool lair unless," he looked up with wide eyes. "You're not gonna wipe my brain are ya, like they do in those spy movies?" Robin brought his hand up to his mouth, like he was trying to stop himself from laughing.

"No Jason, no one is tampering with your memories." Batman replied, looking a little bit amused himself. "If you wish to go to social services, we will certainly take you there and do our best to see that you are placed in a good home." Yeah right, kid as old as he was with his record? No way. Not like he'd stay at social services long enough to find out. "But I, we, would like to propose another option."

"I'm sure you know our identities are massively secret and only a few people are allowed to know," Robin said, taking over from Batman. "But, if you want, we'd be willing to tell you, on the condition that you let us take you home."

Jason blinked once, then twice. He must have heard that wrong. "You want to, take me back to your house?" he questioned slowly. "Do you need a servant? Or is this for some funky Bat experiment?"

Thomas scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "You aren't normally this slow, Todd. They would like to adopt you. They want to reveal their identities, publically take you into the household and give you a home, food, anything you require." Jason's mouth dropped open and he looked over to see Batman, the Batman, giving him a small smile.

This was too freaky, he had to be dreaming. Jason backed up against the door. "No this is insane, why would you want me? I nobody, I'm trash, I came from the gutter and I expect to die there. You guys, you're amazing, you're heroes. You don't- you can't possibly want me." He stuttered, unable to find the words to explain why this wouldn't work out. He wanted it, wanted it so much he couldn't breathe, but he couldn't just dump himself on some of the only decent people in his terrible city.

Batman stepped forward and put a surprisingly gentle hand on his shoulder. Jay couldn't help the wince, usually when someone touched him it wasn't for anything good. Batman noticed his reaction and he removed his hand before taking a step back.

"You don't see what we see Jason. We see a young boy who has lived through hard times, struggling and suffering but never losing faith. You're smart, observant but, more importantly, you have remained a good person and, I know, if given the chance you will do amazing things." He gestured to the boys behind him, "and we would like to help you get there." Jason nearly died with embarrassment when he felt his eyes begin to water and he rubbed furiously at them. This was no time to be dumb and emotional, this was his life they were talking about here.

"You mean it boss?" Jay asked in a quiet voice, "You're not just messing with me? You really want me?"

Batman knelt down to his level. "Of course Jason, would it help convince you of our sincerity if we gave you some collateral?" Jason watched wide-eyed as Batman tugged off his cowl revealing Gotham's other most famous son, Bruce Wayne. Gotham's notorious billionaire playboy was Batman so that would make... Robin smiled and pulled off his own domino mask and, yep, it was Dick Grayson, the circus kid Wayne adopted a while back.

Thomas huffed, clearly uncomfortable with all the emotion going around. "I'm not taking off my mask, I'm not even supposed to be here." Robin, or Dick he supposes, gave the boy a friendly punch on the arm.

"Lighten up Tommy, we're all family here." He turned his dark blue eyes over to Jason, "or at least I hope we are." Jason waited half a beat as the three Bats stared at him until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Yes!" He shouted enthusiastically, "Yes of course I want to go with you. I think you're insane but I'd like that more than anything in the world. I'll do anything, I'll scrub your Batmobiles, trim the hedges, chase out mice. I'll do my best Mr. Bat Wayne." Dick couldn't stop the happy laugh as Bruce gently put his hand back on Jason's shoulder, smiling when Jason didn't react this time. Even Thomas looked mildly less annoyed with them.

"Wait, but about my dad? I know he's not around much but..." Jason asked after about a minute of happiness, rubbing at his eyes again. Bruce's hand on his shoulder squeezed sympathetically.

"Jason, there's no easy way to say this," the vigilante began hesitantly watching as Jason lowered his eyes.

"He's dead, ain't he?" Jay asked quietly, the silence that followed was all the answer he needed. "Mom and me kinda thought so, he never went this long without showing up somehow. Dirty louse probably deserved it." The young boy muttered, sniffling quietly. "Guess I really am alone now."

"No, Jason, from this moment on, you are never alone." Jason smiled slightly, his eyes still wet as Bruce pulled up his cowl becoming Batman once more.

"I'm sorry Jason but we do need to go, we will work out the details when we return. You may disclose the adoption to the Team and the League but do not use our names under any circumstances, is that clear?" Jason nodded, still caught up in the emotional rollarcoaster of the last few minutes. "Now, would you like to remain here at the Mountain or would you like to wait at the house? Our Butler, Alfred, is very anxious to meet you." The house aka Wayne Manor, his new home.

"I wanna to wait here if that's cool," Jay began somewhat shyly. "I know I'm just a dumb kid but maybe there's something I can do here to help. I don't want to be some charity case, I want to earn my keep."

"Hey, I know that feeling. Why do you think I wear the cape?" Dick joked while Jason's eyes lit up as that thought came to him, maybe someday he could be-

"Actually, I do have a task for you Todd," Damian announced as he slipped Jay a list while Batman unlocked the door and he and Robin exited. "This is a list of people I need you to look up. You know how to use a computer? Good, you don't have to be a genius to find most of these people. Keep an eye on them while we're gone, get guards on them if you feel they're in any danger."

Jay looked over the list, his brow furrowing with each name. "Yeah sure, but who are these guys?" Damian shrugged throwing a lazy wave over his shoulder as he left the room.

"Oh, you'll find out eventually."

Infinity Island

March 20, 02:09 UTC

"Batman, we're just about there," Miss Martian said as they began to close in on their destination. Though the Bioship was fast, flying all the way to the middle of the Caribbean Sea took some time. She smiled slightly, luckily they were able to pass the time by discussing the recent addition to Batman's ever-growing family. She's going to treasure Jay's look of elation when he ran in to announce the adoption. In addition, they had spent some time going over the base's layout provided by Thomas. As they drew closer, the Island came into view. It was tall, almost like a small mountain surrounded by a small forest and beach. She's not surprised no one has discovered the hidden base; it looks entirely ordinary from the outside.

"Alright Team, listen up. This is going to be a very difficult mission and there can be no room for error. Thomas has given us a detailed layout of the base but we cannot account for everything. Miss Martian get us in as close as you can while avoiding detection. We'll separate into two groups, Superboy, Kid Flash, Miss Martian and Aqualad will infiltrate into the heart of the base. Your mission is to locate and retrieve Tim Drake, engage in any adversaries if you need to but get Drake safely back to the Bioship as soon as possible." Batman announced, he then turned to the rest of the group.

"The rest of you will be with me, we're going to take in Epoch, Ra's too if we can. We'll go in quietly. Artemis, you'll be our long range shooter keeping point. Thomas, you'll direct us through the base as covertly as you can. If we run into Drake first, one of us will take him back to the ship and then rendezvous with the others. We'll keep in contact via the mindlink, maintain radio silence. Is everyone clear?"

Miss Martian landed the camouflaged Bioship adjacent to the far side of the island, about 200 yards from the shore. Silently, they unloaded three watercrafts, one for Batman and Robin, one for Artemis and Thomas and one for Superboy and Kid Flash. M'Gann looked over her team as they prepared themselves to split up.

'Good luck everyone', she said into the mindlink, on principle to confirm the connection but also just to see everyone look over at her and smile one last time before they separated. She put her hood up as she camouflaged herself and flew beside Kid Flash and Superboy as they made their way silently towards the seemingly uninhabited island.

'Kid, Superboy, once you have reached land, you need to hide your watercraft. It needs to be undetectable to the League but still accessible when we need to make our escape.' Aqualad commanded from beneath the waters.

'I see some tree cover up ahead,' Kid Flash mentioned. 'Superboy can lift the craft and hide it in there for now. It will be discovered eventually but we shouldn't be here long enough for that to be an issue.'

'Plus if it is discovered, Kid can run across the water and I can carry Superboy.' Miss Martian noted as they neared the shore.

'It will have to do, just make sure the craft is not readily visible'. Aqualad said as he reached land before the others, helping to direct them to a covered area which almost completely hid the black water craft. 'Now we need to get into the base quietly. Did Thomas mention any possible ways to get in without detection?' He asked turning to Kid Flash.

'He said there were several security stations throughout the base responsible for maintaining the perimeter. Most systems automatically trigger alarms if they're off for more than a minute so we'd have to reconnect whatever we disable. Thomas recommended we go higher as that's where the Drake kid is most likely to be. There's also likely to be less security there.' Kid replied.

'Miss Martian, can you fly up the side of the island and see if there is an opening free of any cameras or guards'. Kaldur asked, M'Gann nodded and flew up, careful not to fly too close or too fast lest she set off anything. A few minutes later, she returned.

'The place is very heavily guarded, there appear to be a few entrances near the top without human guards but there appears to be some sophisticated sensors in their place. If I go slowly, I should be able to trick to cameras while camouflaged and shut them down long enough for you guys to get past. We can reinstate them once we're in.'

'So we'd be trapped inside an island full of ninjas, great.' Kid replied sarcastically, Aqualad ignored him to nod at Miss Martian.

'That should work, signal us when the sensors are down and we'll follow you. Once we're all in, we'll start looking out for Tim Drake.'

XxX

'Okay Tommy, where are we going?' Robin asked after they'd quickly dispatched a few guards and dragged them away from the entrance. They'd made it to the shore without incident and had grappled their way to a relatively unguarded section of the island within ten minutes of landing. He'd say this, it was pretty cool having now a trio of highly trained Bats who could read and react to each other perfectly. Artemis didn't do a bad job keeping up but there was something nice about the family working together.

"We," though he'd only whispered, Artemis, Batman and Robin glared at Damian causing him to quiet himself. 'Forgive me, I am... not used to this manner of communication.' He defended through the mindlink. He gestured pointedly down the hall. 'About 20 meters we will reach a corridor and below us will be the central training area. Since they will be waiting for us, I suspect the majority of the League's forces will reside there. It would be pointless and a waste of time to try and engage them all, especially if you wish to find Epoch.' Damian turned to Batman. 'So tell me, who is the priority here?'

Both Artemis and Robin also turned to look at Batman because it was a legitimate question. They had found Ra's secret base, even though the enemy was aware of their presence, the League of Assassins was still vulnerable to attack. An opportunity like this would probably never come again. If they wanted to, they could seriously cripple the League's operations. But if they spent their time dealing with Ra's and his assassins, Epoch might get away.

'Jason needs to get justice for the murder of his mother, we'll have plenty of time to get Ra's later.' Damian nodded.

'Then we must get through the corridor and into the other side of the mountain. That's where Ra's keeps his rooms when he's entertaining special guests. I suspect Epoch, or at the very least information on him, will be there.' Batman nodded.

'Alright Thomas, you and Artemis go first. Get over to the other side without alerting the League. Robin and I will do a brief recon and we will meet you on the other side shortly.' Damian nodded in affirmation as he slunk into the interior of the island he once called his home, Artemis right behind him as she quietly readied her bow in case things went south. They crept forward, moving swiftly and silently across the large chasm where below them hundreds of League members were waiting.

'Nice place you grew up', Artemis said, trying to come across as teasing but ending up sounding sad. This looked like a lonely place to spend your childhood. She would know.

'It's behind me now, this isn't who I am anymore.' He responded, barely casting a glance down at the familiar landscape. He knew what he would find, it would be the same as he remembered. He was the only thing here that had changed. They were able to traverse the cavern with ease, Artemis turned back to see that Batman and Robin were nowhere in sight.

'Should we wait for them?'

Damian shook his head. 'No, they'll be able to catch up to us. We can keep in contact through the link but I'm sure Batman had something important to do.' He looked around, 'we need to keep moving, we'll be spotted if we remain still for too long.'

'Okay, well this is your place, lead the way'. Damian smirked wryly and ran down the hallway with Artemis at his heels.

XxX

'Does anyone have any idea where we are?' Kid Flash said after a long period of mental silence. The League of Assassins was heavily guarded and it had taken a great deal of effort for them to remain undetected. They had been able to make their way deeper into the island but, in avoiding any of the League, it seems that they'd gotten themselves turned around. Superboy shrugged as they continued wandering. How were they supposed to find Tim Drake if they didn't know where they even were?

'It may be wise to find someplace to reorient ourselves in. Miss Martian, can you find us an empty room?' Aqualad asked.

'On it,' she answered, telepathically searching for a place out of the many rooms that didn't have any thoughts. She stepped forward a few paces, placing her hand on one door in the back. 'This one is empty, and it's locked too so I don't think we'll be disturbed.' She answered, jiggling the locked handle. She telekinetically unlocked it from the other side. The sound of footsteps was heard down the hall and the four of them panicked and rushed into the room, closing the door as quietly as possible.

'This place is going to give me a heart attack I swear.' Kid Flash sighed, leaning up against the door.

"Well if that doesn't, this sure will." The three teens turned to Superboy as he spoke aloud and they wandered over to what he was looking at. They appeared to be in some sort of board room, a table and chairs sat in the middle. On one end of the room was a corkboard with pictures and articles and notes attached to it.

"Oh Rob is not going to like this," Kid muttered, taking in the left hand side of the board covered in pictures of Dick Grayson at various ages. There was a clipped out article of the announcement of Dick's adoption by billionaire Bruce Wayne. Next to these were various figures of Robin, either alone or with Batman or the Team. At the bottom, there were a few pictures of a young man, in his mid twenties perhaps, in an all black outfit with a blue bird on his chest. Nightwing was written at the top of one of pictures.

"Richard Grayson, I've heard that name before, is that-is he Robin?" Miss Martian asked looking wide-eyed at her teammates. Wally was internally very concerned, Rob and Bats were very protective of their identities, for it to be displayed so prominently like this was all kinds of bad.

"Look, it's Jason." Superboy noted, moving over to the right a bit where they was a picture of Bruce Wayne with his hand on the shoulder of a rather dazed looking Jason Todd. Next to it was an article about how Batman had acquired a new Robin not long after the previous one had retired. There were a few more shots of Jason throughout the years, both in and out of the Robin costume. Next to that, however, was a series of articles questioning where the second Robin had gone and speculating he had died after the Joker made some proclamations.

"Oh Jay," M'Gann said emotionally as she brought her hand up to brush against the torn up newspaper. Kid Flash patted her shoulder.

"Hey I'm sure Jay will be fine, it's just rumors, in fact, look there he is down there." Kid began eagerly only to trail off as he caught sight of the haunted, dangerous looking young man smoking a cigarette seemingly unaware his picture was being taken. Lazarus Pit and Red Hood were scrawled on that picture.

"It would appear Epoch did his research before he went after the children." Aqualad stated, moving over to a smiling little boy they assumed was Tim Drake. Another article, dated late 2015, showed him dressed as Robin and walking shyly next to Batman as they brought in Two-Face. Pictures continued showing him growing into a small but lanky teen with messy hair and dark marks under his eyes. Red Robin was written in the bottom left corner.

"Oh wow!" Miss Martian gasped as she took in an article about Tim Drake-Wayne getting shot at a press conference. They even had pictures showing the incident.

Kid whistled sympathetically. "That looks pretty bad," He whispered but M'Gann just shook her head.

"No, that's me!" Miss Martian explained, pointing her hand to the picture of Tim. "I can always recognize myself, even when I've shape shifted. That's me posing as Tim, he must have known he was going to be shot and asked future me to step in for him."

"Why would he-?" Superboy started before suddenly shaking his head, "no, never mind, I don't care."

"Oh but you should children", The Team startled to see Epoch had appeared right behind them. His suit still bore the traces of his fight with the Robins earlier, but it still appeared fully functional as he raised his wrist weapon. "You should care a great deal."

XxX

'Why haven't we met up with Thomas and Artemis yet?' Robin asked as he followed after Batman, balancing carefully on one of the high beams high above the base giving them a decent view of the scene below. 'What are you looking for?'

'I'm trying to locate Ra's or Talia; they are dangerous variables to not have eyes on when the League eventually discovers our presence here.' Batman responded curtly as he scanned the area once more.

'Or you're looking for them so that they can lead you to a baby Thomas.' Batman turned to look at his partner who had a serious look on his face. 'I only know that because I was thinking it too.' Bruce sighed mentally.

'We can't just take him Robin, we wouldn't even know about him if we didn't have that future knowledge. He grew up here and we can't change that.'

Robin snorted quietly across from him. 'What about Jason's mom being murdered by Epoch? Or Tim's kidnapping? Or anything that's happened since Epoch opened that portal? The future is changing and we can change it for the better.' Dick's face softened. 'Let's find your son Bruce, let's bring him home.'

Batman wanted to say that Robin was being childish and reckless and dismiss him, but he couldn't. His adopted son's eyes were resolute and his logic was sound. For some reason, at that moment Bruce was struck by how quickly his boy was growing up. He was getting older and wasn't going to be the plucky young sidekick much longer. Bruce needed to stop brushing Dick's opinions aside like a child or, one day, he just might lose him.

He didn't have any time to even think of telling Robin any of this when a series of loud booms resounded through the island. They both grabbed a hold of the support beams to keep their balance as an alarm began to sound through the base.

Robin looked over with a teasing smirk, his levity all but gone. "I guess it's time to get this party started. I can keep the small fry occupied here, you go find Ra's and Talia. They could be up to something nasty, or they could lead you to the baby. Either one works." He said before leaning over and letting himself free fall from the beam and down into the chaotic menagerie below. Yes, his son was growing up and Bruce was going to have to learn how to treat the bouncing circus boy he'd picked up as an adult.

"Let me know if you need back-up, I'm going to find Ra's." Batman replied and then he was gone.

Chapter Text

Dick nor any of the al Ghul's would be white-washed if I owned Batman

The sun descending in the west, the evening star does shine

The birds are silent in their nest and I must seek for mine.

The moon, like a flower in heaven's high bower,

With silent delight sits and smiles on the night.

Infinity Island

March 20, 02:57 UTC

"Woah! I think this guy is trying to kill us!" Kid Flash exclaimed as he ducked under two or three energy blasts and he joined his friends behind their temporary cover. Superboy had flipped the large table in the room in order to block some of the blasts.

"What was your first clue?" He growled angrily as he did his best to keep himself in front of M'Gann.

"Just trying to lighten the mood Supey," Kid muttered under his breath while Aqualad gave them both stern looks from next to Superboy. There was an alarm blazing throughout the base, no doubt because of the sounds of shooting, they have possibly endangered the rest of the Team and they were no closer to finding Drake. Their leader was not happy.

"We need a plan. We need to get away from Epoch and find a better position to fight back from." Aqualad added, peeking around the table.

Miss Martian smiled suddenly as an idea came to her. "I got it, be prepared to run." She added on as suddenly the table, their only protection, flew forward and slammed Epoch into the wall which stopped his attack. "Come on, let's go!" She shouted as she flew out the door, the others quickly behind her.

"We're running away?" Kid Flash asked, slowing his pace to match his teammates.

"We could not have won from that position and, besides, our priority is Drake. Miss Martian, connect me to the others, I will inform them that we've located Epoch." Aqualad said, addressing Miss Martian who frowned as she searched telepathically for the others.

Superboy turned in the direction of an adjacent hallway where he could hear the rapid sound of footstep coming their way. "We can't stay here, we're going to have company fast." He said gruffly, tugging lightly on Miss Martian's arm as she frowned in concentration.

"It looks like the other group has split up, Robin and Batman are on the other end of the island but Thomas and Artemis are close."

Kid looked over at her. "How close?"

Miss Martian didn't have a chance to answer as, suddenly, a knife imbedded into the control panel about 6 inches from Kid's face. The panel sparked and closed off the corridor where Superboy had heard more ninjas coming. Kid jumped back with a squeak as he turned to identify the guilty party. He wasn't surprised in the least to find it was Thomas and, even better, he had 2 swords strapped to his back.

"Oh good, we found you." Artemis said coming around the corner where her bow was hooked around her shoulder and she had a sword in her hands and a couple of throwing knives strapped to her waist. Wally began to fear for his safety. Artemis must have seen his look for she threw a smirk his way. "Hey, I only have so many arrows and they're not going to work against a billion ninjas. The kid got us to the weapons room."

"Why haven't you found Drake yet?" Damian asked curtly.

Superboy stepped forward to confront him but Aqualad held out a hand. "We were attempting to find Drake when we ran into Epoch; he is likely right behind us." Aqualad answered and the young boy scoffed, he brought the sword up to point down to another hallway.

"Personal quarters are that way, follow the hallway all the way to the end then go to right. Drake is young and vulnerable, they have no reason to keep him in discomfort especially if they seek to sway him. He'll probably be in one of the suites." He swung the sword back down. "Leave Epoch to Crock and I."

"We'd appreciate it greatly if you kept his head attached to his body." Kid replied sarcastically, stepping as far out of range from the tiny assassin as he could.

Damian just glared at him. "The League of Assassins may have trained me, but I am still my father's son." The Team paused awkwardly, shifting on their feet. Damian leveled them with an annoyed glare. "I know Robin told you about my familial relations, there's no point in denying it." There was a loud banging sound on the door just then, most likely Epoch trying to breech the hold. "Don't worry, the villain will live to face your meandering, corrupt system of justice. Now go, find Drake before they decide to move him."

"Good luck Thomas, Artemis," Miss Martian said, floating up and following her teammates down the hall where, hopefully, they would find the captive boy. The two former assassins turned back to the steel plated door as it became increasingly less sturdy, it wouldn't take much more abuse. They fell into position.

"I know it has been some time since you have used your assassins training against an opponent, I do hope you are able to manage." Damian said, readying himself for the battle he had to win, for both the Batman here and the one he left in the future.

Artemis sniffed as she secured her bow around her shoulder and steadied her sword. "You're a little snot just like your brother; let's see if you're as good as you claim to be." The door finally lost the battle and splintered apart from the wall revealing Epoch.

The villain chuckled wryly when he saw the two former assassins sprinting towards him. "It looks like I've changed dance partners, this evening just keeps getting better and better." He responded as he moved forward to engage them.

Infinity Island

March 20, 03:24 UTC

Batman grunted as he took down another half dozen zealots, he didn't even give them a glance as he strode past the now unconscious men. Either Ra's was getting sloppy with his training or the League was expanding rapidly. The idea that the immortal would need an enormous amount of bodies, regardless of their level of training, was worrisome. Once this mission was complete, Batman would be paying much more attention the League's operations.

M'Gann was keeping the mindlink at a lower level so it would not be distracting, but he could feel the children engaging against multiple opponents. He hopes he didn't end up sacrificing any of them to recover Tim Drake. Or Thomas for that matter. His form tensed as he picked up the sounds of more assassins coming his way, good. The more he was able to disable, the less the Team had to worry about.

"We need to evacuate the base now that the Justice League knows our location. Begin immediate purging procedures and-" He wasn't sure who was more surprised, himself or Talia when his former lover passed into the corridor. His eyes narrowed, despite the fact that she was the mother of his child, she was still a dangerous enemy that needed to be dealt with.

"Your base has fallen Talia, give up while you're able and I'll do what I can for you." He said gruffly.

"If only it were that easy, Beloved." She replied mockingly as she nodded her chin causing the guards with her to spring forward to attack. Batman growled as he watched Talia run down the hall while her guards were distracting him. If she thought a couple of ninjas would keep him from the information he wanted then he really didn't deserve his title as her 'Beloved'. He made quick work of her men, grabbing the last one and throwing him roughly into the wall.

"Where is he Talia?" He demanded once he let the unconscious man fall from his grasp as he sprinted in the direction Talia had run in. He rounded a corner and found her holding a gun in his face; he ducked under the weapon and knocked it away. Grabbing her by her shoulders, he pushed her into a wall. "Where is our son?"

Her eyes were hard as she wriggled vainly in his grasp. "I do not know what you are talking about." She replied meeting his gaze head on without any shame on her face. He tightened his grip on her shoulders.

"Talia, think rationally. The League of Assassins isn't a good place for him and you know it. I'm sure you're aware of the plans Ra's would have for a boy like that, you can't possibly want that kind of future for your, our, child. He deserves to be happy Talia and he's not going to be here." He shook her again, trying for what seemed like the hundredth time to save her from herself. "Come with me Talia, take the boy and come back with me." For the first time, her face softened as she regarded him and he was reminded just why, once upon a time, he had loved her.

She brought one of her hands up to cup his face. "Oh, Bruce, you are such a good man and an excellent father." She began tenderly, "which is why you will let me go now."

"Talia," he began before she shushed him and placed a finger on his lips.

"I heard a report on my way here, it seems your young Robin is in over his head and is slowly but surely being worn down by our soldiers. The standing orders from my father are to execute any of the young heroes should they fall." She smiled again but her eyes were sad. "I have seen the future, my love, and we do not get our happy ending. You are going to let me go because you must, because a father will always put his children before all else."

He turned away from her, looking over his shoulder as if that would bring him closer to Dick. He mentally searched for his son via the mindlink only find Robin unresponsive. He spun on his heels and ran as fast as he could down the hall, leaving Talia and the information she possessed behind. He hoped he wasn't too late. Images of blood and a broken string of pearls in an alley came to him, he pushed himself harder. He would not be too late. Finally, he entered the large cavern from earlier, where at least three dozen warriors were battling.

"Robin!" He yelled, pulling out his grappling hook and using it to get above the frenzy, he spotted Dick in the middle, moving slowly and covered in blood but still alive. He let go and dived for the center, protectively pulling his partner into his cape while he took care of the nearest threats. "Are you alright?" He asked, hearing the boy wheezing. Fractured ribs for sure, multiple lacerations and bruises, though pure exhaustion appeared to be the main problem. "I told you to call if you needed assistance."

"I don't need any help," Robin replied unconvincingly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were looking for Ra's and Talia." The boy continued, ducking out of the cape and re-instigating his battle. Listening to him breathe, Batman could tell that Robin was reaching his limit. He had done admirably, maintaining the fight here and away from the others, but his mentor was pulling him out. Batman reached for another grappling gun again and shot it into the support beams, he then grabbed the boy and held him securely.

"What are you doing?" Robin demanded as suddenly he and Batman were airborne. He squirmed within his mentor's strong grasp. "Let me go! You can't treat me like this, I'm not a child anymore!"

"You have performed excellently and I am very proud of the good work you did but it was time to end the fight." Batman said, finding purchase on one of the beams they had scoured earlier. "And it's not because you are a child, but because you are my child, Richard. I am not going to let you get hurt over some deluded idea that you need to prove yourself to me." Dick's anger abated as he stared up dumbly at his mentor.

"Rest here for a bit, it's fine if you need to return to the Bioship but, if you can, meet back up with Thomas and Artemis." Batman paused, "You're right, you're nearly an adult and I can't tell you what to do anymore. The decision is yours. I trust your judgement to do what's best for yourself and the mission."

With that said, Batman retracted his grapple and used it to dive down back into the fray, releasing a few smoke bombs to get past the remaining ninjas before going back into the halls. Talia would be long gone by now and it would be a waste of time to chase after her. Instead he had to stay focused on the present mission, finding and apprehending Epoch. Because as much as he hated to leave the younger Thomas here, Batman at least knew he would be safe here. Robin and the others would not have that same luxury. There was time enough to find the baby, but for now he had to put the children he already had first.

XxX

Artemis sidestepped the energy beam that was heading towards her and continued her assault against Epoch. He was good, real good. His quick reflexes and meticulous training all coupled with the strength and endurance of his futuristic suit made sure that she and the kid were on the defensive more than either was used to. This was taking way too long, Artemis was getting tired from parrying blows and they weren't able to initiate any effective attacks. They had to turn the momentum of this battle and fast.

'You take his left, I'll take his right,' she said into the mindlink, giving Damian a pointed look. He steadied the grip on his sword and they charged forward at the same time. Epoch laughed at their efforts, taking Artemis's attack without injury which causing her to bounce off and hit the floor. He then ducked Damian's sword and instead swiped the younger boy off his feet. It happened so quickly, the former assassin didn't have time to react before he was falling. By the time he'd recovered himself, Epoch was directly in front of him.

"You know playing with you kids was fun at first," Epoch said, Damian gritted, bring up his sword to protect himself as Epoch was suddenly within his space. "But you've all gotten in my way a few too many times. You and your brother did quite a number on my suit this morning not to mention you robbed me of my target. At least I got to go pick up the Drake kid, guess you don't care too much for that brother."

He leaned in closer, "My mission was almost compromised and it's all your fault you little stowaway." He was too close, Damian didn't have any room to use his weapon when his opponent was less than a foot away from him. "The little bird who flew too far from home, but there's no big brother around to save you this time." There were a few ways Damian could end this fight if he chose to use violence but he had sworn an oath to his family that he would not spill blood unless necessary.

"Think again you big jerk," Robin announced coming from behind, dropping the last of his bombs on Epoch's back before flipping over his shoulder. The Boy Wonder skidded to a stop in-between Thomas and Artemis as the bombs went off and Epoch sprawled to the floor. "I'm still new to this big brother thing but I'll always get here in the end," he said with a cheeky wink.

"What happened to you?" Damian asked, a small amount of concern leaking into his voice as he took in his battered and bleeding brother. Judging by the way he was gripping his abdomen, Damian guessed he'd at the very least bruised some of his ribs.

"Just a little roughed up is all, don't worry, it's nothing." Robin said, brushing off their concerns. The others didn't seem to believe him but they needed all the help they could get.

From the ground, Epoch was just starting to get up with a groan. "I am sick and tired of a couple of children chasing after Daddy's cape thinking that they can fight me." He ground out as he stood up. "I have travelled through time to places where you children aren't even a memory. You are dust to me, as immaterial and insignificant as-" He paused as one of Artemis's arrows stuck to his chest, beeping with continuing rapidity until it exploded and pushed him back into the wall. The boys turned to their female partner who just smirked as she prepared another arrow.

"I never was too good with swordplay anyway, why should I continue to handicap myself?" The two Robins reached into their belts and pulled out their own explosives.

"I'm out, can you spot me some?" Robin asked, grinning when he saw the amount his brother had in his small hands.

"I am so glad to see you're honoring the Bat tradition of preparation." Epoch pulled himself out of the wall, a visible crack now noticeable in his once pristine white suit. He hissed as he brought a hand up to inspect the damage only for the internal mechanism to spark.

"Congratulations children, you've succeeded in angering me." The villain stated coldly, all traces of his earlier humor gone. "I won't forget this, the next time we meet, you and your little friends are going to pay for all that you've done." He said as he tapped something on wrist and in a brilliant flash of light, he was gone.

Damian smashed the hilt of his sword into the wall in frustration. "We had him! We almost had him and we let him get away!" Robin patted his back.

"I don't think he went too far Tommy, we've beaten him pretty good so he's going to run off and lick his wounds for a bit but he'll be back and we'll be ready." He ruffled his kid brother's hair, enjoying his sounds of annoyance. "Now, there's been a change of plans. While we look for the Epoch and Timmy, we're also going to keep an eye out for baby Thomas." Damian's eyes went wide as his brother gave him a warm smile. "That's right, we're going to take you home lil Bro."

"Woah, woah," Artemis interrupted. "Did Batman okay that? Because I'm pretty sure he'd object to stealing a baby from the League of Assassins, even if it is his kid."

"Agreed, we can't alter the timeline like that." Damian said sternly, folding his arms across his chest as he stared up at his brother. "I spent the first ten years of my life here, if we were to change that the consequences would be-"

"What about Jason's mom? Or Tim? I don't know why no one else gets this." Robin interrupted harshly, giving his brother a light glare. "We can change the future, right here and right now. We can take Thomas away from here, bring him back to Gotham where he belongs. We could make things right, the way they were supposed to be."

Damian shifted a bit on his feet, struck by the earnestness in his brother's voice. "You wouldn't really want me," Damian began quietly, unsure of himself. "You and Father wouldn't want to deal with me before you had to." Dick frowned, once again chastising his earlier behavior towards Thomas. Once he stopped sulking over his own petty problems, it was quite obvious the kid was desperate for a little love and acknowledgement. It made him worry once more about the kind of future Thomas came from.

"Of course we would, we all would. You're family, we want to save you from whatever Ra's and Talia have planned for you. Unless, of course, you would rather him stay here?" He finished slowly, watching Thomas war with himself internally over what he wanted.

After a few moments, the younger boy sighed. "The others will find Drake soon enough and our primary mission is to capture Epoch and bring him to justice." He paused before continuing on hesitantly, "But should we come across the child, we may consider the option of taking him away." Robin smiled and loving patted Damian's shoulder.

"Alright, so first we find Epoch and finish kicking his can. Once that's done, we'll find the baby, even if we have to tear this whole place apart." Robin grinned, "So where do you suggest we start Lil T?"

Damian looked up at him in surprise. "What did you- oh well I'd suggest we double back down this hallway. It leads to the guest suites which is where I would assume Epoch would go to recover. If not, there's a couple of other places we can look." With a nod of his head, Damian ran off down to the left, his weapons at the ready with his brother and his brother's friend right behind him.

Infinity Island

March 20, 4:01 UTC

"Where is this kid!" Superboy ground out as he came to a door and punched through it, pulling the door completely off its hinges and throwing it violently behind him. To his great disappointment, Tim Drake was not behind the door, only a couple of scared looking children who immediately ran out of the room.

"Superboy," Aqualad said as he placed what he hoped was a calming hand on his friend's shoulder. "You must remain calm, getting angry will not complete our mission any sooner." He turned to address the others, "It is very likely they moved Drake once the realized we were here. We may need to search elsewhere for him."

"Come on, we've been looking forever. We need to get the kid out of here so we can assist the rest of the Team. I'm worried about Artemis and the others." Kid Flash groaned.

"I am too but we're all trained to handle situations like this, Tim's just a scared little boy. He needs us more than they do." M'Gann said, nervously biting her thumbnail while Kid let his head fall into one of his hands.

"Ok, I know we got to save him but can't you use your telepathy to find him? I can probably speed check most of the doors in this hallway-"

"And what if you miss him in your rush to check all the doors? This isn't a race Kid, this is someone's life and we need to give it the due diligence it deserves." The Team became quiet after that. "Kid and I will handle this section of the hall, Superboy and Miss Martian, you take the adjacent hallway and see if you can find anything. If we haven't located him within 20 minutes, we can mentally contact Thomas and ask about other possible locations he could be at." He nodded and the four of them went their separate ways.

"I can't believe we're going to all this trouble for some brat," Superboy muttered to himself as he opened yet another door only to find the lush bedroom empty.

M'Gann gave him a disapproving look. "It's our job to save people Superboy, and besides, this could be Robin's little brother we're looking for."

Conner scoffed. "If you ask me, Batman has enough kids as it is and really ought to..." He trailed off as he suddenly paused to listen. He went back to the previous bedroom he'd look in and previously found to be empty, but he could clearly make out a heartbeat coming within the walls. As he lingered in the doorway, he heard the heart pick up in speed.

"Hello?" He asked while M'Gann poked her head inside the room. "If you're Tim Drake, we're here to rescue you." He stepped into the room and noticed belated that he'd crossed over a wire which was followed shortly by the ominous whistle of a light fixture falling from the ceiling. Miss Martian gasped, catching it with her telekinesis before it collided with her boyfriend's head, not that it would have had much of an effect anyway. She set it down on the ground as they stared at the hanging lamp which had been clearly rigged to fall.

"Woah, are you superheroes?" A young voice asked from underneath the bed. After a moment, a small black haired boy with wide blue eyes had partially crawled out from beneath the plush bed. "Only superheroes can do amazing things like foiling my trap. Oh! I'm sorry I almost hurt you." His eyes widened as he took in Conner's T-shirt. "Are you Superman? Did Mom and Dad hire you to come get me? Why are you in a different costume? Why do you look so angry?"

"Did you set that up? All by yourself?" M'Gann asked the boy, watching him beam with pride.

"Yeah, it was easy. I didn't want the bad guys to come and take me away again." He replied as M'Gann floated over and settled on her knees to smile at the awestruck child.

"We are superheroes, my name is Miss Martian, niece of Martian Manhunter. That's Superboy, he's uh closely related to Superman."

The child's eyes furrowed in confusion. "I thought Superman was the only of his kind, the last son of Krypton?" M'Gann raised an eyebrow at Superboy who huffed in irritation.

"Well who cares about Superman, we have Batman and Robin with us." The child finally climbed out from under the bed and dove at Superboy's legs, clinging to them while he stared up at the stunned teen with sparkling eyes.

"Batman and Robin are here? The Dynamic Duo came all this way for me?" He asked in a high squeaky voice. Superboy was at a loss for words as the young boy continued to hold himself tightly against the clone. He gave his leg a light shake to try and detach the child but he would not budge.

"You bet, and if you come with us, you'll get to meet them. We've all been awfully worried about you Timmy, but don't worry, we'll get you home before you know it. I know this has been very scary for you." M'Gann said cheerily as Tim's gasped suddenly and he detached himself from Superboy. He stood up straight and cleared his throat.

"Well I was a little scared, but I knew someone was coming to get me. So you already know my name but I guess I should introduce myself proper like my Mom always tells me," he stuck out his tiny hand. "My name is Timothy Jackson Drake, thank you for saving me."

Chapter Text

If Greg Weisman calls me and tells me he's doing I&E as a YJ episode, then I guess it'll be mine

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Infinity Island

March 20, 04:13 UTC

"Okay, so which way do we go now?" Kid Flash asked, looking worriedly over his shoulder as it sounded like more ninjas were on their heels. They were once again hopelessly lost but, to be fair, this base was enormous and Thomas's undescriptive directions really haven't been very helpful. The only bright spot was their kidnapping victim, future Bat, Timothy Drake, was ridiculously observant. Apparently the seven year old, despite having been stolen from his home and brought to a dangerous place, had taken note of the path his kidnappers had taken him to reach the room where he'd been staying. Honestly, Wally should be hanging up his goggles if toddlers were more aware of the situation than he was. "Come on, we don't have all day."

Tim frowned from within Superboy's arms. "Um well I know we came down this hallway because I remembered noticing the walls were different," Tim began quietly pointing in one direction.

"Great let's go!" Kid said moving forward only for a moan from the little boy to stop him in his tracks.

"But I'm pretty sure we also came down this hallway," he said pointing at an opposite hallway. Kid let out a long sigh bringing his hands up to rub his eyes. This is what he got for trusting a little brat.

Superboy shifted Tim in his arms. "Are you sure you can't just walk?" Conner grumbled, it's not like the kid weighed much but holding the boy severely limited his movement if they were attacked. Not to mention he just wasn't very good with kids. Tim merely settled himself deeper in Superboy's arms, reaching a small hand up to grip the older boy's t-shirt.

"You guys walk too fast for me." Tim said leaning his black head against Conner's shoulder. "Besides you're here to keep me safe and what place is safer than with a friend of Superman?" M'Gann brought her hand up to cover her smile as her boyfriend's cheeks flushed.

"We must keep moving, the longer we stay still, the more likely it is that we will be detected and it will be difficult to protect Tim should we be forced into a fight." Aqualad interrupted roughly, this was neither the time nor place to be bantering with the boy they were supposed to be saving. "Tim, this is important, one of these hallways must lead back to the main entrance they brought you through, it should be on the first level. Can you remember which one it was?"

Tim bit his lip thoughtfully before eventually pointing to the second hallway, "I think we came down that one first." Aqualad nodded with resignation.

"That's all we can ask for. Superboy, we're likely going to run into more of Ra's soldiers along the way. You need to keep Tim safe at all costs, do you understand?" Superboy nodded, adjusting the boy so he had a more secure hold as the Team ran forward down the second hallway.

"So are all the heroes' sidekicks part of this team? Or did you have to be chosen special because it's such a secret thing?" Tim asked after a few minutes of silence, shrinking back a little bit when some of Young Justice turned to him with surprised faces. "Well it's pretty obvious you've done missions like this before. Plus I've never heard of a team of kids so it has to be ultra top secret." He lowered his eyes, "Sorry, people look at me funny when I say stuff like that."

Aqualad turned to give Tim a gentle smile. "No, you did nothing wrong. We were merely impressed by your deduction. You are a very smart boy, just like Batman and Robin." Conner grimaced as Tim buried his face in Superboy's t-shirt but said nothing.

"Oh no I'm nothing like that! Batman and Robin are just incredible; the things they do are amazing. I could never be that strong or brave." Tim muttered into Superboy's shirt. The others were prevented from responding by Superboy suddenly spinning and huddling protectively over the boy as a series of throwing stars struck where Tim's head had been moments before. The boy yelped while the others became more alert to their surroundings. They must have been going down because they were currently in a wet dock which meant they had arrived on the main level.

Up above them, a man in a mask tilted his head in amusement. "I'm usually not one to target children," Deathstroke began lazily as he played with a couple more throwing stars. "But my employer has asked that I recover Mr. Drake and that all the intruders, regardless of age, are to be taken care of." His one visible eye twinkled with dangerous mirth as he launched himself at the Team.

Infinity Island

March 20, 04:17 UTC

While Batman respected the sheer size of this island, he was starting to get frustrated over his inability to find his target. It seems like he'd gone through an infinite number of ninjas and gotten nowhere. He's secured this level but he knew it would be impossible to completely take the base. Now that the element of surprise was gone, he and the Team were soon going to be overwhelmed this deep into enemy territory. Since the others had found Drake, all that was left was to bring in Epoch and head back to the Bioship.

"You really have been making trouble," Batman froze as that familiar accented voice came from the shadows as Ra's al Ghul stepped forward into the light, finally making an appearance. Batman observed the dual swords clutched menacingly in the older man's hands and the dark look on his face. "But of course two fathers such as ourselves are fully aware of the damage children can cause."

"I'm not interested in you today Ra's, give us Epoch and we will leave without hindrance." Ra's eyes narrowed as he swung one of the swords by his side, testing it's sharpness. The blade sung as it cut swiftly through the air.

"Do you think I can just allow you to leave so peacefully Detective? After you and these children have defiled my home? Humiliated my men? Honor demands that I take your head. Deathstroke has been sent after those upstart sidekicks to recover young Timothy and, if he is unable to, to destroy him along with the rest." Batman's fist clenched, Deathstroke was one of the most dangerous assassins out there. Even the League struggled against him in battle, if he'd gone after the Team...

"Why are you doing this Ra's?" Batman ground out, he had to end this quickly and go assist the others. They were good, better than most, but Deathstroke was better than all of them combined.

"Because, Detective, I have seen the future." Ra's announced grandly as he raised his swords into an offensive position. "We continue to go about our little dance for many years, neither able to truly vanquish the other. Your army grows as does mine but you hinder me time and again: ruining my plans, stealing my daughter's love from me. Well no more, if I cannot have your allegiance I shall have to settle for your life."

Bruce ducked under Ra's attack, trying to put some distance between him and the assassin. He wasn't prepared for a duel to the death with Ra's al Ghul. He was not properly equipped for sword based combat and Ra's was clearly the better swordsman. He pulled a short blade out of his belt and used it to parry the immortal's sword away. It was far from ideal, but it would have to do while he looked for a better way to disengage.

"You know I would never work for you Ra's," Batman began in an attempt to distract his opponent. "So why go to the trouble of hiring an assassin from the future? Why try to kill an innocent boy and kidnap another?" He asked, keeping light on his feet to keep dodging the swords but it was getting closer each time.

"You are a most worthy foe, Detective and I have given you the respect you deserved. However, when Epoch approached me at the behest of my future self to say that you had stolen the boy who was to be my ultimate achievement, I could not stand idly by any longer."

Bruce snarled as he rushed forward with a few quick, vicious blows. "He is not a tool for you to command Ra's or even one of your soldiers. He is your grandson, a person with the right to make his own choices."

Ra's scoffed as he deflected Batman's attacks. "Your sentimentality clouds your judgment. He was cultivated from conception, physically and genetically engineered to be the new Alexander of this decrepit world. That boy was going to achieve what I could not and, when the time came, he would have become my new vessel." Ra's sneered, "except apparently you have polluted his mind with affection and humanity and he has forsaken his destiny to perpetuate your delusions of heroism."

Bruce retreated back a few steps, struggling to maintain himself in this battle he had no chance of winning. But he refused to back down; he had to put this megalomaniac in his place.

"I was going to simply destroy the child now and begin anew, but Epoch informed me that I had hired him in the future in order to eliminate the next crop of wayward children you would take in. You needed the circus boy in order to keep you from insanity altogether, but the others were expendable. Without them, you would be a completely different man. Perhaps you would even be less sympathetic when my boy came to your door ready to conquer you, perhaps then he would not betray his family." Again, Bruce found his ire being stoked.

"You are not his family," Batman growled, his blade clanging noisily against Ra's. "You are a harmful, abusive influence in his life. You began brainwashing him from the moment he was born. You have killed a boy's mother, kidnapped another supposedly to prevent a child from turning on you. I am taking him back where he belongs, far, far away from your manipulations. He never was, and never will, be yours!" Bruce was getting angry which was exactly what he shouldn't be doing in a fight he was losing but he couldn't help it. The arrogance of this man sickened him; the fact that this man had specifically targeted his family only fueled his fury.

"You are as soft-hearted as you are careless," Ra's hissed, striking suddenly and cutting Batman across the chest. The blow temporarily stunned him which was more than enough time for Ra's. The immortal continued with his assault, the sharpened blades taking turns tearing through his costume. Batman tried to defend but he'd been worn out even before he began the ill-fated duel and he was beginning to feel lightheaded from blood loss. Ra's suddenly plunged one of the blade into Bruce's shoulder, not enough to be mortal but enough to bring the Bat to his knees.

Ra's leaned in close while Batman grit his teeth against the searing pain. "You are a fool, you've always been one and I'm ashamed it has taken me this long to realize." Ra's pushed the blade in deeper as he smiled in an almost assuring way. "Do not worry yourself Detective, you will not be alone for long. Your children and the children of your comrades will be joining you shortly."

"Quite right Grandfather," Damian shouted, jumping down from above, expertly cutting through the area between the hilt and the blade with his own sword. Batman staggered back and pulled out the now inert sword blade from his shoulder. Dick had jumped down with his little brother and ran over to tend to his mentor's injuries. His blood son stood between them and Ra's, his eyes hard and his sword at the ready as he faced down the man who had dominated most of his life. "I am here to fight in my father's stead."

XxX

"You children don't stand a chance; your attempts to defend yourselves will only prolong the inevitable. Hand over the Drake boy and I'll make your deaths painless." Deathstroke intoned lightly, not even out of breath as he brought the hilt of his sword up to hit Aqualad brusquely in the temple, which sent the Atlantean flying. The teen shakily got to his feet, trying to reorient his vision. He observed his team, who were breathing heavily, battered and bruised but not too seriously injured. It was plain to see the older assassin was just toying them and that when he tired from the game, he would be able to swiftly kill them all.

'We need a plan and we need it fast', Wally said into the mindlink, still aching from the shots Deathstroke had taken at his knees earlier.

'I should be helping, I can't do anything while I'm dealing with this kid.' Superboy growled, barely able to contain his anger at his uselessness. His back had been turned to Deathstroke most of the time to keep Tim out of his range. Tim was scared and huddled into a small ball against the clone's chest, quiet save for a few whimpers.

'I know but you must protect Tim at all costs.' Aqualad said harshly, shooting Superboy a sharp look. Deathstroke was watching them through his single eye, apparently allowing them time to collect themselves. 'He's not going to go easy on us for much longer, does anyone have any suggestions?'

'His mind is so strong,' M'Gann began as she picked herself up off the ground. 'I can't breech his defenses.'

'He's a normal human right? Just ridiculously well trained, it's just like fighting Rob, piece of cake.' Wally added with false confidence. 'Maybe I can zip in and take all of his weapons?'

'It's not that simple Kid, Deathstroke has had his strength, stamina and healing abilities enhanced in addition to honing his mind and body to perfection. He may not be fast enough to stop you but he's smart enough to guess where you'll be and attack accordingly. We must outthink him.' Kaldur sighed mentally.

"I grow bored with this children. I suppose I can understand your hesitance but I have other places to be." Deathstroke stated, returning his sword to its holster. "If you won't give me the pleasure of battle then I'll simply have to end it now." Quicker than they could keep track of, his hand flew out releasing some circular containers which splattered a heavy liquid on the ground surrounding the team. An instant later he had a small crossbow in his hands firing two shots, one towards the growing puddle and the other towards Superboy.

As soon as the first arrow hit the floor an immense flame rose, increasing the temperature dramatically and putting a wall between Deathstroke and Aqualad, Miss Martian and Kid Flash. Kid ran and pulled Miss Martian back a few feet as she began to choke in the heat. The second arrow imbedded itself into the wall near Superboy's head. He was about to comment that the arrow had missed when he suddenly felt drained of energy. He leaned against the wall as his muscles no longer seemed to work and a shrieking Tim Drake slipped from his grasp onto the floor. He looked over with painful confusion to see the tip of the arrow glowing with the barest hint of green, Kryptonite. He couldn't even move as Deathstroke walked over and pushed him to the ground and pulled up Tim by his shirt.

"Timmy," M'Gann said weakly, Kid Flash the only thing keeping her from collapsing.

Deathstroke held the terrified child up to him, his head tilting to the side as he observed him. "I wonder why Ra's al Ghul has concerned himself with such a small little boy." Tim just whimpered in response. "No matter," the assassin said, throwing the boy over his shoulder. "You'll be returned soon enough, this won't take long."

'Is M'Gann okay?' Superboy asked weakly into the mindlink. He was still lying on the ground, every part of him feeling weak and vulnerable.

'Way to be concerned for the team', Kid Flash groaned as Miss Martian mentally reassured her boyfriend.

'I read over some of the files on Deathstroke a while back. Though he is a difficult opponent, the League has defeated him in the past. We should be able to take him if we are able to think and work together.' Aqualad said, dizzy himself from the fire, but determined not to lose this fight.

'Well let's start with this', Kid said, letting go of M'Gann and spinning around in a circle creating a strong wind to put out the flames that were weakening his friends. Aqualad and Miss Martian breathed a sigh of relief once the fire was extinguished. Kid then sped forward and grabbed the Kryptonite arrow out of the wall as he went past. From the floor, Superboy blinked and got shakily to his knees as the radiated rock was moved away from him.

"Hey Old Man", Kid Flash shouted, zooming within Deathstroke's range. "How can you aim so good with your lousy depth perception?" He bent backwards to avoid a small knife being thrown at his head. He ran quickly over to the other side of the room and back, avoiding the assassin's weapons. "You'd have to turn your head so much just to see what's happening on your right. It must be such an inconvenience."

"Oh somehow I manage," Deathstroke replied testily.

"Orange is a terrible color on you!" Miss Martian shouted, finally feeling better now that the heat was gone. She picked up one of the boats from the dock behind her with her telekinesis and hurled it at Deathstroke.

Wally's eyes went wide as he dodged the boat which landed inbetween him and the assassin. "Could you avoid hitting me?" Kid said, turning his head to address his friend. While he was distracted, Deathstroke made his move, running over and bringing a knife down to imbed in the speedster's neck. He was prevented by making contact by Superboy stepping in the way, bringing his arm up to block the attack. The blade shattered against the half-kryptonian's indestructible skin.

"I don't think so," Conner said, reaching out with his other hand for Timmy who was still draped across the assassin's shoulder. Kid Flash had run around behind Deathstroke, trying to grab Tim from the other side. The assassin narrowed his single eye, elbowing Kid Flash in the face. While the speedster was dazed, Deathstroke grabbed him by the arm and threw him at Superboy causing the two of them to land in a heap on the floor.

Aqualad and Miss Martian had come forward in that time, Kaldur bringing out his Water-Bearers, taking water from the wet dock and sending powerful water jets towards Deathstroke. 'His movement is going to be hindered by his hostage, we must keep attacking him until he is forced to set the boy down.' Aqualad commanded via the mindlink, 'however take care not to hurt Tim in any way.'

Deathstroke deftly both avoided the water and the various objects Miss Martian was throwing at him. But even the Team could see he was struggling a bit to maintain his hold on the now squirming child while avoiding the attacks of all four teens. After a few minutes, they had managed to back Deathstroke into a corner.

"Well played children." Tim was still trying to break free from the assassin's hold until Deathstroke kept him still by wrapping his arm around the boy's torso and bringing a small knife against Tim's throat. Tim's eyes went wide and the Team stopped in their tracks, "But I'm afraid this fight goes to me."

Infinity Island

March 20, 04:49 UTC

"Batman, come on, you need to help me here. You're heavier than you look." Robin muttered as he half dragged his injured mentor away from the dueling al Ghuls. He wasn't happy about leaving the literal ten year alone to fight but, right now, Bruce was his priority. "Bruce, come on, we need to get you out of here." Dick whispered under his breath inwardly as he ignored his own aching ribs. His guardian was in far worse condition anyhow.

He, Thomas and Artemis had come across Batman and Ra's fighting just by happenstance. They had initially been going in another direction when they'd been diverted by a large group of foot soldiers. Thomas redirected them and they'd arrived just in time to see Batman get skewered on Ra's sword on the floor below. Both Robins had immediately vaulted over the railing, Thomas taking on his grandfather while he dealt with Bruce. Artemis was still up top keeping back the few stragglers. As Robin helped get Batman off to the side where he could administer emergency first aid, he wished his little brother luck. Ra's didn't seem the kind of grandpa who would go easy when roughhousing with his grandkid.

"I don't know why you resist me child. I have only looked out for your best interests your entire life, you should be thanking me for all that I have done for you. You were my ultimate prize." Ra's explained, calm but angry as he paced carefully in a circle around his younger opponent. The masked boy glared at the man he had once time aspired to be like.

"I am not yours, I am only myself. I am Robin." Damian said resolutely as he ran forward and attempted to knock the older man off his feet. Damian knew he had to strike first and strike viciously if he was going to win. He was well trained in swordsmanship, but he was nowhere near as skilled as his grandfather. Ra's merely scoffed at his attempts and backhanded Damian. The boy stumbled back from the blow and fell roughly to the ground. Damian scrambled to ready his weapon but Ra's stomped on his wrist and kicked the now loose sword away.

"You are but a pitiful experiment with an ill-gotten sense of personhood. You are nothing boy. Do you honestly believe yourself special? Lying there in the castoff uniform of the degenerates your father picked up off the street?" Ra's asked calmly as he stood calmly over his grandson.

Ra's brought down the sword but Damian dodged it by rolling away. "I was going to offer you the chance for the world, you ignorant fool and you give it up for your childish sense of righteousness." Ra's spat out, going for another strike.

"You're wrong." Damian jumped forward suddenly, ducking under the swinging blade and headed straight for the immortal's unguarded abdomen. He lowered his head and barreled into his grandfather, throwing the man back several feet. "The other Robins and I represent something important. We count for something which is more than you can claim, hiding in the shadows, dealing out death." Damian said proudly, listening to the older man wheeze and clutch his chest.

"And though the others might not be Father's by blood they have all proven themselves to be worthy of being his sons. It was Todd who taught me how to fight dirty and to not to be afraid to attack in unconventional manners." Damian smirked as his grandfather straightened with an enraged look in his eye.

"What a dishonorable trick, certainly something you picked up from the street urchin." Ra's hissed as he stood up straight and readied his sword. Damian ran forward, getting as close as he could to Ra's to prevent him from using the broadsword. He delivered several small but powerful punches as he threw his whole weight into them.

"And Drake taught me how fight smart, how to get in close and effectively destroy the enemy's resistance by using my size against my opponent." Damian said, sweeping his foot across the floor to trip the assassin. While Ra's was stunned and falling backwards, Damian delivered another quick spin kick which sent the man flying. "Cain showed me the elegant grace of battle, making a fighting style something beautiful and to be admired."

From the ground, Ra's breathed in harshly from the brutal assault only to be pushed back down by Damian. "Brown taught me to never let those who had hurt me get to me again but Gordon showed that it is possible to, not forgive, but move past unspeakable tragedy." He retrieved his sword from the ground and brought the tip of the blade to his grandfather's neck. "Grayson made me realize not only that I am worthy of love but that I am capable of returning it in kind. You never cared about me, I was just a pawn to you, a back-up plan in case your withered body ever gave out. For the world's sake, I should eliminate you right now." His sword pierced the vulnerable skin and a small amount of blood appeared on the end of the blade.

"Go ahead Damian," Ra's eyes were hard as he spoke. "But know that if you do then everything your supposed family said about you, all the caution and distrust, would be true." Damian's lips pursed into a thin line as the sword dug a bit deeper.

"You are right Grandfather, if I were to kill you now, I would become everything you raised me to be." A few hushed heartbeats passed before he pulled the sword back and flung it across the room. "But my father taught me the honor in mercy for I am not just a son of al Ghul, I am also a son of Wayne." Damian responded, holding his head high. He drew two small knives from his boots and ran them into the ground, spearing the older man's clothing. "This battle is over Ra's al Ghul, accept your defeat."

"I yield Grandson. You fought honorably and I am impressed with your skills. I have taught you well." Damian scoffed at Ra's words, turning around and pulling up his hood to try and block out the bloodlust screaming in his veins.

"You taught me nothing, my father and his family were the ones who really showed me how to live."

Chapter Text

If I owned Batman, everyone would have a happy ending

The little boy lost in the lonely fen,
Led by the wandering light,
Began to cry, but God, ever nigh,
Appeared like his father, in white

He kissed the child, and by the hand led,
And to his mother brought,
Who in sorrow pale, through the lonely dale,
Her little boy weeping sought

Infinity Island

March 20, 04:24 UTC

"You're bluffing, Ra's ordered you to bring him back alive." Kid stammered out as Deathstroke continued to hold the knife against Tim Drake's head.

"His orders were to recover the boy if possible but I'm certain he would shed no tears if the blood of his little side project of his were to decorate his floors." Tim gulped nervously as Deathstroke spoke, tilting his head in order to put some distance between the knife and his throat. "Now, give us some space if you will." The assassin said, his voice smooth as silk. No one doubted he would cut Timmy with little provocation and they backed up slowly.

"Much obliged," Deathstroke said, easing away from the wall. "Now the four of you remain very still and I just might keep the boy intact. And you, keep still laddie." The man said, addressing the wriggling child in his arms. "We wouldn't want you to lose your hea- arg!" The assassin yelled in surprise and pain as one of small knives he kept strapped at his waist imbedded into his bicep. He'd been too busy paying attention to the heroes that he'd neglected to keep a better watch on his hostage which gave Tim the opportunity to grab one of his weapons. The attack had had the intended effect as the man loosened his hold enough to allow Tim to slip out and run back to Superboy.

"You little-" Deathstroke hissed through his pain as he ripped out the knife and gripped his now bleeding arm. It wasn't a fatal wound but it was deep and it would take time for his healing factor to repair it. "Well, aren't you clever? I can see why Ra's wanted to keep you."

"Let's end this," Aqualad said, rushing forward with his Water-Bearers and attacking Deathstroke head on. Superboy had stepped back, holding on tightly to the shuddering boy in his arms. Deathstroke unsheathed his sword and ignored his injury as he ran forward seemingly to reach for Tim.

Miss Martian threw several small objects at him which he avoided but Kid Flash had predicted the direction the assassin would move and was waiting each time with a powerful punch. Wally was zipping in and out so fast in a quick, illogical pattern, there was no way the assassin could avoid him. Deathstroke let out an agonized cry as he was struck forcefully on his injured arm and he fell to one knee.

Once Deathstroke was down, Superboy handed Tim off to M'Gann as he ran forward and finally was able to contribute to the fight. He had to admit, smashing the older man's face felt really, really good. The man grunted as he flew back and collided painfully with the far wall; he reached for his weapons belt only to grasp empty air. A whistle drew his attention and he saw Kid Flash teasingly playing with his tools, having swiped them on one of his last punches.

"Ha," the assassin spat out a mouthful of blood. "You think that's all it takes to defeat me? I can do this all day children."

"We don't need to win," Miss Martian said coldly, mentally lifting one of his swords from the belt Wally was holding and spearing the older man through the gut and into the wall. The wound avoided any major organs, but it would keep Deathstroke from moving. "We just need to keep you here long enough to escape." She continued cheekily as she whispered to Tim not to look while she passed the boy back to Conner.

"Good work Team, his healing factor will allow him to survive but I suggest we make our way back to the Bioship. We have wasted enough time as it is." Aqualad announced, sheathing his weapons. Deathstroke struggled to remove the sword, cursing the children for their dirty underhanded tricks. But by the time he'd finished his threats of vengeance, they were already gone.

XxX

"Father?" Thomas's quiet voice asked pulling Batman out of his thoughts. He'd lost a good amount of blood on top of complete exhaustion from the mission. His son's face is pinched with worry as he knelt in front of him. Dick is beside him patching up the scrapes Thomas had acquired. Artemis was still up top keeping a look out.

"Where's Ra's?" Bruce asks, slowly getting to his feet. His children protested his movement but he was still the adult here, still their guardian.

"He has been taken care of," Thomas answered. "I defeated him honorably and he yielded. He is handcuffed over there." The boy clarified once he observed the suspicious look on Batman's face.

"Are you alright?" Bruce asked, considering that it probably should have been his first question.

"I'm fine, nothing seems so bad once you've had your spine replaced." Damian shrugged, eliciting concerned expressions from the other Bats.

"Wild life you live," Robin commented dryly. "The others are on their way now. They ran into Deathstroke and were able to neutralize him, but they're all okay." Robin added, a proud smile on his face. Bruce didn't blame him, Deathstroke was not an easy villain to defeat. Their conversation was cut short as an energy weapon was fired at them. Up above, Artemis had loosed a few arrows as Epoch continued to fire down upon them.

"You ruined everything!" The villain cried. "This was supposed to be an easy job. I could have eradicated the Batman legacy is one swoop and made sure that brat McGinnis never so much as heard the name!" He continued, turning onto Artemis who backed off he focused on her. Batman threw a batarang and the projectile imbedded itself in Epoch's armor causing his weapon to spark menacingly. Epoch growled in aggravation and ripped the object out.

"Epoch is behaving erratically." Batman said as he ran forward to confront the villain as Artemis used the villain's distraction to land a few kicks. "His armor appears damaged as well, I believe now is the time to take him in."

"We ran into him earlier." Robin stated as he and Thomas followed. "We did some damage to his suit before he disappeared on us. We were actually looking for him when we ran into you." Epoch fired a few more random shots one of which hit Artemis in the shoulder. She cried out and stumbled backwards gripping her injured arm.

"Artemis!" Robin shouted, pulling out his remaining grappling gun to get to his injured friend more quickly. He landed on the railing and kicked Epoch's hand away just before he could fire a shot into Artemis's head.

The enraged man turned to Robin. "You and your rotten little family have ruined me." Epoch shouted, lunging at Robin who flipped over him. "I'd ruin you too but, hey kid, you do just fine on your own." The man laughed viciously. "You have no idea what's coming, you think the worst is behind you? You have no idea what pain lies in your future Gray-" He was thrown backwards as a large box was hurled forcibly at him.

"Oh man, why are we always late!" Kid Flash asked, coming to stop near Batman as he, Aqualad, Superboy and Miss Martian ran out from one of the many corridors.

Miss Martian picked up several more objects with her mind and hurled them at Epoch. "Robin, Artemis, are you two okay?" M'Gann asked as she floated up to their level and helped the archer to her feet.

"Where have you guys been?" Artemis asked as she very gingerly tested out her bow arm.

M'Gann sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh you know, fighting bad guys and getting hopelessly lost." She smiled before noting the way that Artemis was wincing. "We need to get that treated." By this time, Epoch had stumbled back to his feet and was shaking with rage.

"You won't have a chance to," he shouted as he brought fired his energy beam at the catwalk they were standing on. Their eyes widened and Robin reached for his grappling gun.

"Move! Now!" He shouted as he grappled away from the now collapsing overhang while Miss Martian had scooped up Artemis and flew towards the relative safety of the lower level. The Martian cried out as one of Epoch's shots hit her square in the back sending her and Artemis skidding roughly to the ground.

"M'Gann!" Conner yelled as he saw his girlfriend land badly. He ran toward them with Tim still tucked securely in his arms. Kid Flash and Aqualad were now engaging Epoch; Thomas and Batman weren't too far behind sending a series of explosives at the mercenary. Robin dropped down from his grappling gun and was gently pressing his gloved hands to the wound on Artemis's shoulder when Superboy arrived.

"I'm fine," M'Gann muttered as she tenderly stretched out her back. "I'm more worried about Artemis."

"This looks bad Arty, you're not going to be able to pull your bow. It's a good thing his blasts are weakened from the suit's damage or it could've been way worse." Robin said as Artemis grimaced. "Can you get back to the Bioship? You can take Tim and bring the ship around for when we need to leave. We're going to have to get out of here quick once we apprehend Epoch, he stated. "Take the back hallways you used to get in, they should be empty."

"But," Artemis began to protest, stepping forward only for the movement to upset her arm. She let out a frustrated sigh, "Fine, come on kid. I'll show you a spaceship." She said as Superboy transferred Tim onto Artemis's back.

Tim carefully gripped the archer's shoulders, looking back at the other heroes. "Are you going to be okay?" The boy asked, looking over at the bird themed hero he'd admired his whole life. Robin grinned and gave Tim a thumbs up.

"Of course, it's all a part of being a hero Timmy. Don't worry, Epoch won't be feeling the aster once we're done with him. Now go." Robin said as he, Miss Martian and Superboy turned to help their comrades in the battle with Epoch. Artemis gave her friends one last look before sprinting down the hall to the location of the ship. She heard the boy hum thoughtfully next to her ear.

"You alright back there?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's just something Robin said. That word, aster, my neighbor, Dickie says that same funny word."

XxX

"How's Artemis?" Batman asked as Robin, Miss Martian and Superboy once more jumped back into battle. Kid Flash was zooming back and forth, keeping Epoch's attention while Thomas and Aqualad were using the opportunity to try and break through Epoch's damaged armor. Miss Martian immediately joined them, telekinetically aiding her teammates.

"Her shoulder's pretty badly burned but she'll be fine. She took Tim back to the ship and is going to bring it around, twenty minutes tops." Robin responded as he dived to the side to avoid Epoch's blasts. Superboy growled and ran forward, gritting through Epoch's assault before launching himself at the villain. Conner grabbed Epoch and forced the both of them to the ground. With Superboy's arms keeping Epoch from moving, the man began to shout and curse.

"I don't know why he's acting out so much, he was much calmer the last few times we faced him." Robin said.

"We've been damaging his suit, his main source of power, extensively. We've disrupted his plans in this time period and disgraced his reputation. That's enough to anger anyone." Batman replied, watching the mercenary struggle to escape Superboy while the other teens stood over them. They were beaten, bloodied and exhausted from the long and trying morning but they had done well and earned their victory.

"It's over Epoch, you're going to answer for the murder of Catherine Todd and the kidnapping of Timothy Drake." Epoch writhed from the ground, glaring up at his captors.

"No, this isn't possible. I am the master of all time, I will not be defeated by children." The villain shouted, throwing his head back and smacking Superboy right in the face, stunning him. Epoch was able to break out of his hold and dart to the right, grabbing Miss Martian and holding her in front of him with his energy weapon tucked under her chin. "It's not over until I win."

Miss Martian's eyes glowed. "I'm sure you grabbed me because I seem vulnerable but I am stronger than I look." She said, activing her telepathy. She wasn't able to read his mind before due to the protection of his helmet but the several cracks in it now ensured that she could force her way in this time. His mind was a mess, quickly overwhelming her as she couldn't find any actual thoughts but a series of quickly flashing images.

...

A young man in a Robin costume choked as he and a few others rose to the surface of the water with an explosion going off behind him. An older boy on a water craft approached them. The man was wearing an all black costume with a blue bird across his chest. "Dude," Nightwing said leaning forward, "way to get your feet wet."

...

A young man puts his palm against a glass case. "How could you do this to me Bruce?" He moans, "how could you leave Damian without his father? me without..." He pounds on the glass. "I didn't want this, I didn't want to have to become like you." He sighs as he runs his hand through his messy black hair and walks away revealing a torn Batman costume.

...

"Mother... Call him off at once," a bleeding Robin implores Talia al Ghul as he staggers forward. There are broken bones and arrows in his flesh and yet he does not yield. But he's been too injured, too broken by the woman supposed to love him most in this world. Eventually he falls for the last time as his devastated father holds his body tightly.

...

"Get out of my head!" M'Gann vaguely hears a shout and she feels herself being pulled back to her body as she is pushed away. She is dizzy and disorientated but also really sad, like she's just suffered a terrible loss. Epoch is more hysterical than ever after the unwanted mental probe.

He stumbles backwards as he brings up his damaged wrist computer and begins typing furiously into it. "You don't understand who you are dealing with," Epoch raged. "I can go back and see that none of you wretched children exist. I can see to it that a scared little boy gets shot with his parents in an alleyway. I can undo your entire reality."

Robin extended out a hand to the villain. "Stop! You won't be able to time travel with the damage your suit has sustained, with the circuitry exposed like that-"

"Shut up child," Epoch interrupted as he finished his computations. "You don't understand time the way I do, I am it's master, it obeys only me. There is nothing or no one who can stop me." He shouted, punching in one last button. The suit crackled and began furiously spitting sparks as it attempted to open a wormhole. After a moment, Epoch realized what he had done and started frantically pulling on the components.

"Get back now!" Batman commanded, grabbing Robin by his cape when the boy had stepped forward to lend aid. Epoch stared up at them.

"No, wait this isn't-" Whatever he had been intending to say had been cut off as a massive amount of electricity coursed through him, the computer of his armor turning against him. M'Gann buried her face in Conner's shirt while a few of the others gasped. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the horrible sound of the body hitting the ground.

"Oh man," Wally muttered next to her and Robin just stared with wide eyes.

"I told him not to. I warned him, you heard me. I tried to..." Batman put a hand on his boy's shoulder.

"I know son, I know."

Infinity Island

March 20, 05:08 UTC

"Man this place is big," Artemis muttered under her breath as she ran. "Don't worry Tim, we'll be at the ship soon," she said breathlessly. Luckily, the exit to the island wasn't much farther and from there, she'd be piloting the Bioship in no time.

"Where is Batman?" An accented voice asked from the shadows caused Artemis to skid to a stop as she pulled out one of the knives she had strapped to her hip. She wasn't in much condition to fight but that doesn't mean she was going down easy. A few feet away, a beautiful woman stepped out with a small bag at her side and a bundle in her arms.

"Not here, you just have to deal with me Talia." Artemis replied fiercely even as she prepared herself to run. She's well aware of what the Daughter of the Demon was capable of and, even at her best, Artemis isn't sure she could take her.

Talia sighed angrily, shifting her bundle. "Men are never around when you need them," the woman muttered spitefully before turning her olive green eyes back to Artemis. "I need you to take something to him archer, something very precious, and then I need you to get far, far away from this island." Talia said authoritatively as she held out the bag for Artemis to take.

"What is it? A bomb? A tracker? You may think I'm stupid but I know-." Artemis said harshly, raising her voice only for a baby's cry to interrupt her. Tim peeked curiously over her shoulder while Artemis's eyes widened as she observed the bundle in Talia's arms for the first time. The older woman shushed the baby, rocking her arms gently until the cries began to lessen.

"Right now I am not a warrior, I am simply a mother trying to see that her child is cared for. I have seen his future, he grows up strong but I see now that his place isn't here. He belongs with his father." She looked down one last time at the baby, love and adoration written all over her face. "Can I trust you to take him to where he needs to be?"

Artemis straightened before reaching out and taking the bag. "Yes, I'm just going to get the ship and then I'm picking up the others." Talia nodded sadly, bring her forehead down to her child's.

"I love you Damian," she whispered quietly in Arabic, giving him one last, mournful kiss. "Be strong my love," she said tearfully as she gently handed over the baby who was wrapped in beautiful linens. Artemis smiled slightly as she took in the tanned baby with curious green eyes. She looked up to see that Talia was already halfway down the hall.

"Take care of him, and tell Batman," Talia said, pausing for a moment. "Tell him that I'm sorry, I wish circumstances had been different." The woman said sadly before disappearing altogether. Artemis stood there a moment longer, watching the place Talia had been. She thought how sad it must be, to know as a mother that you can't offer your child the home he deserves. Artemis shook her head, she was wasting time. She shifts the baby in her arms, ignoring how the extra weight pulls at her shoulder wound and keeps going.

XxX

"Artemis is at the Bioship," Miss Martian said quietly as she pointedly ignored the body on the floor. Everyone else was taking a few seconds to catch their breath before the inevitable firefight. Once they'd gotten over Epoch's accidental death, they'd noticed that Ra's al Ghul had slipped his bonds in the confusion and gotten away. They had to move fast now that the Demon's Head was out of their control.

Batman turned to address the group. "Alright listen up, we're not done yet. We need to get out of the base and onto the beach where Artemis is readying the Bioship for departure. With Ra's free, we may experience some resistance on our way out. I need you all to continue performing as admirably as you have." Batman stated as Superboy walked over and slung Epoch's body over his shoulder. None of them were happy about taking the corpse with them but they couldn't afford to leave that kind of technology with the League of Assassins. Not to mention they had to use it to get Thomas back home.

"Superboy, Aqualad, Kid Flash," Batman said gruffly. "You'll be in the front, the rest of you are behind me." He said as the Team fell into their positions. "Let's make this fast before Ra's is able to organize the rest of his soldiers." He said as they exited the training compound.

"We're just over 900 meters from the nearest exit," Damian said from the back as he directed them through the winding hallways. "But it's too quiet in here, Grandfather is up to something I'm certain." He muttered more to himself as he scanned the empty hallways.

"Infidels!" A shout came from behind them and it was Ra's right hand man, Ubu, followed by more ninjas than any of them could take. "We must not let them escape! Our Master has demanded their heads!" The rallying cry that followed the exclamation was almost as terrifying as the sound of an uncountable number of ninjas racing towards them.

"Oh man this is not whelming! Not whelming at all!" Robin said as they picked up the pace but they weren't sure they would be able to make it out in time before the ninjas got to them.

'Artemis,' Batman said into the mindlink. 'Change of plans, we're going to need the Bioship as close to our location as you can get. Be prepared to leave immediately after pick-up.' He turned to Kid Flash. "Check out the situation ahead, are there any soldiers impeding our path?"

The speedster nodded and zoomed quickly ahead before returning a few seconds later with a grim look on his face. "Good news is, I don't see any ninjas ahead, I think they're all behind us. Bad news is we're locked in with a pretty secure door." He noted shooting a glance at his best friend in the back, "unless a certain hacker would like to give it a go." Batman nodded, making room for Robin to slip past and grab at Kid Flash's shoulders.

"Get that door open, we'll meet you there." With that said, Kid Flash and Robin were gone.

Damian turned to look behind him. "They're catching up, we need that door open by the time we arrive or we're going to be overwhelmed." Batman grit his teeth as he pressed on, even his legendary endurance was beginning to give out. They needed to leave and they needed to leave now.

"Robin!" He shouted, hoping his partner could hear him.

"I'm trying but there's a lot of layers of code in this thing. I'm working as fast I can." Robin shouted back, typing quickly on his wrist computer but every code his put in, there was a counter code waiting for him. "What the heck is up with this system," he muttered as Wally anxiously gripped his shoulder.

"Bro they're almost here, come on." Kid Flash said in a shaking voice, the Team was only a thirty meters away now and the ninjas not far behind.

"This isn't as easy as it-" the lock suddenly clicked and the bolted door began to rise. Wally cheered in nervous relief, slapping his friend on the back as the others closed in.

"You rock dude!" Kid Flash said, while Robin looked down in confusion at his half completed code.

"But I didn't-" He looked up and caught a flash of long brown hair and green eyes before Wally was dragging him out the door followed very quickly by the others. Robin shook his head, "I'll try to shut it again."

"No time, there's the Bioship, we are leaving now." Batman grunted, grabbing Robin by his arm as they sprinted down to the beach where the ship was parked, no one needed any orders to get in as they piled themselves into the ship. Artemis initiating take-off procedures before the door was even closed as Miss Martian took over.

"Hang on, this is going to be rough." M'Gann gritted as the ship jerked high into the sky before zooming off leaving a hundred or so angry ninjas behind them on the beach. A moment of tense silence passed before one after another, Young Justice started chuckling and pretty soon they were all were cackling with relieved laughter.

Wally and Dick fist pumped even as the younger boy gripped his terribly bruised ribs. M'Gann smiled and kissed Artemis' cheek before settling the ship down to a more normal pace. Conner and Aqualad patted each other's backs as they fell back into their chairs. Even Batman breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he nursed his injured arm. All was merry until a quiet, persistent little cry broke through the merriment. The ship turned to face Tim who was trying unsuccessfully to calm down the baby.

Artemis walked over and grabbed the bundle before standing in front of Batman with a shy smile on her face. "I, uh, ran into Talia on my way to Bioship, she said you ought to have him," she said transferring the wriggling baby over to Batman's waiting arms. "She also wanted me to tell you that she was sorry and wished things could have been different." She muttered in embarrassment but Bruce wasn't listening anymore, instead he was staring at the babe in his arms, at his son.

Right now, he couldn't be Batman anymore so he peeled back his cowl and delicately ran his finger down the baby's smooth cheek. The baby cooed at the contact and gripped the finger with his tiny hand. Bruce couldn't stop staring. "Hello there," He said quietly, bringing his weary, blood streaked face down to his child's. "I'm your father." Bruce whispered, his face tight with emotion. The baby let go of his finger to pat his cheek.

They had done it, they were going to bring his son home. He was going to get another chance with his baby, he and the rest of his family. They were going to start over, make things how they should be. The Team watched with awe and happiness as the father and son were able to meet, properly, for the first time. A beautiful moment they all shared as a new family was created.

"Okay so," Artemis began in a hushed voice. "This is like the weirdest time to find out that Bruce Wayne is Batman."

Chapter Text

In a perfect world, all these kids would have the happy ending they deserve

Sleep, sleep, beauty bright,
Dreaming in the joys of night;
Sleep, sleep; in thy sleep
Little sorrows sit and weep

Sweet babe, in thy face
Soft desires I can trace,
Secret joys and secret smiles,
Little pretty infant wiles

Somewhere over the Caribbean Sea

March 20, 05:37 UTC

"You are just the cutest little thing! Yes you are!" Miss Martian exclaimed as she gently pinched the baby's fat cheeks. The rest of the Team was gathered around the infant while Aqualad piloted the ship.

"I know, he's a lot more pleasant than this one." Artemis teased, nodding over to Thomas. She winced slightly as Robin finished bandaging up her injured shoulder. The Boy Wonder smirked in agreement, turning to face his little brother.

Damian had a stunned look on his face as he peeked over the Martian's shoulder to get a better look at the baby. They had really done it, they'd actually saved him; everything was going to change from here on out. The thought of a completely new life was enough to overwhelm the ten year old and he fell back into his chair as exhaustion finally began to set in.

"Hey Meg, pass him over here. I'm invoking big brother privileges." Robin said once Artemis' bandage was secure. M'Gann smiled as she gently deposited the baby into her teammate's arms.

Dick cooed as the infant yawned. "Hey there little bro, nice to finally meet you. You are the best birthday present I could've gotten." Robin pulled at the blanket covering the baby, only to squint at some lettering on the hem. "What's this?" He asked himself as he carefully tugged at the blanket to reveal a hand stitched name in the fabric. "Damian?" He questioned softly.

"Leave me alone Grayson, I'm trying to sleep." Came a sleepy reply from the back of the ship and everyone turned to see Thomas or well, Damian, trying to get comfortable in the Martian chair. It was only after he felt everyone's stares did he realize that he'd just answered to his birth name.

"Well hello Damian." Dick grinned as he turned his attention back the baby. "Damian Wayne, it has a nice ring to it, don'tcha think?"

"Robin," Batman warned from one of the other chairs. His injured arm was wrapped in a sling but he was still working at the computer as he updated the League on the mission. He also needed to ensure there were supplies for the baby upon their return. At some point, he needed to inform Alfred of the latest addition to the family, that was going to be interesting.

Dick shrugged as he ignored his mentor's stern tone. "Hey, you're the one who pulled off your cowl in a moment of beautiful paternal affection. I'm pretty sure everyone knows who we are now." He perked up, "hey does that mean they can come to my party tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" Artemis shouted. "If you weren't holding a baby right now, I'd beat you all the way to Star City, Grayson." She said through gritted teeth as her teammate grinned sheepishly. "We'll laugh about this someday" She said mockingly, "I cannot believe you, you little troll! You came up and took my picture, chatted with me in the halls and I just thought you were some creepy freshman!"

Dick laughed while Artemis continued to complain to him. Kid occasionally commented on their discussion only to become the focus of Artemis' wrath when she realized that her boyfriend had known all along. Kaldur rolled his eyes fondly as he flew the ship back to Mount Justice. Tim had fallen asleep almost immediately once he got over the fact that his stiff-lipped neighbor was Batman. M'Gann had settled in a seat next to Conner and the two of them held hands and spoke quietly. Batman continued his typing while Damian had fallen asleep in the back. In Dick's arms, another boy who was and wasn't Damian slipped into a peaceful sleep himself, unaware that his entire future had just changed.

The Watchtower

March 20, 07:05 EST

"I bet you didn't get any sleep last night even with your injury." Superman sighed as he walked into the monitor womb where Batman was hard at work on the computer. Bruce didn't even look up as he continued scanning the data so Clark instead made silly faces at little Damian who was lying in a bassinet next to his father. The Justice League had awaited word from Batman and the Team all night and had been surprised when their first contact had been a request to get baby supplies.

"Not like I can get any rest with all these interruptions." Batman grumbled. Various members of the Justice League had been in and out all morning to visit the littlest bat which left the usually solitary vigilante tense and aggravated.

"Bruce, come on, they just want to see your baby and you're avoiding the issue question, again."

"I've told you not to use-"

"The whole Team knows, Bruce. Even little Timmy Drake knows. There's no point in secrecy anymore, not when you've got such a big family to care for. At least you've got some willing babysitters when you need to get out." The Kryptonian teased as he gave the Batman themed mobile above the bassinet a spin, eliciting a delighted gurgle from the baby.

"I slept a little on the plane, but there's too much that needs to be done." Bruce groaned. "In addition to breaking down Epoch's technology and working to get Thom- Damian back to his own time. I need to get this Damian in the system and leave the proper paper trail so I legally claim him as my child. I also need to work on Jason's adoption and deal with the Drake family."

It turns out the Drake's had been unable to catch a plane home from Rio until tomorrow morning meaning that Tim would also be staying at Mount Justice in the meantime. Batman was going to keep him here just long enough so Gordon and the GCPD can assume Batman had tracked down the kidnapper as normal.

"I know things have changed quite a bit for you in the last few days, but I believe that when the dust finally settles, everything will be for the better." Clark responded with a shrug.

Bruce smiled a bit, pulling off one of his gloves and softly played with Damian's dark hair. "I don't say this often Kent, but I think you might be right."

Mount Justice

March 20, 10:32 EST

"Oh man, oh man!" Wally muttered as he hurriedly searched through the fridge. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he ran over to the cupboards, opening them one after another and coming up empty-handed. "Oh man where is it?" he whined as he grew desperate and began riffling under the sink.

"Wally come on! I'm dying over here!" Artemis yelled from the other room.

"I'm looking babe!" He shouted back anxiously as he jumped to his feet. "Okay West, calm down, you can just run into town and pick some up. It won't take long, now I just need to find my wallet." He muttered to himself as he began looking for his thin leather wallet.

"Bro, what are you doing? The baby's crying in there and you're totally losing it." Dick asked, coming into the kitchen dressed in his civilian clothes minus his sunglasses. It felt weird being so exposed, but in a good way. Dick raised an eyebrow at his friend's panicked behavior as he picked up the baby formula.

Wally's eyes went wide as he sputtered and pointed to the formula Dick was pouring. "Where did you get that? I have been looking everywhere for that!" The speedster demanded, taking in Dick's amused face as he finished mixing the formula.

"Dude, it was sitting on the counter." Wally moaned, his whole body deflating. "Come on, we've got a hungry baby out there and your girlfriend isn't getting any happier about it." Dick said chuckling as he exited the kitchen and shook the bottle enthusiastically.

"Hey Dami, look what I got." Dick sung as he made his way over to the couch where the baby was howling. The baby had slept through most of the plane ride back and Batman said he'd quiet the rest of the morning but apparently he'd used up all his good will as he'd been screaming for nearly 20 minutes.

M'Gann was trying to calm the baby by rocking him, Artemis had been attempting to sing earlier but had stopped when it only made Damian cry louder. Superboy was trying to get the older Damian to do something while the tiny assassin was defending that he had no idea how to deal with children. Jason and Timmy sat on the far couch with their hands covering their ears. Dick swooped in, gently taking the thrashing baby from M'Gann and guiding the bottle into Dami's mouth. Soon, the child was contentedly sucking on his bottle with a dreamy look in his eyes. The others sighed in relief.

"I didn't know babies were so loud," Timmy said, removing his hands from his ears. Jason sighed and fell back against the couch cushions.

"Yeah, one of my neighbors had a baby and that kid cried all the time." Jay put one of his arms over his eyes, "So much for getting a good night's sleep from now on, huh Dickie?" Dick smiled at Jason's comment. He'd informed Jason of the development at breakfast and he was glad at how well his soon-to-be adopted brother had taken the news. Jay was handling the idea of a new brother a lot better than Dick initially did.

"What do you expect for some kid named after the Anti-Christ?" Wally muttered under his breath.

"For your information West, my name comes from the Greek word Damianos which means 'to tame or to conquer' and I expect-"

"According to the records Talia gave us, Dami here should be about 5 months so he should be sleeping through the night soon if he isn't already." Dick interrupted before war broke out. "Of course, he is a Bat and we work best at night." He teased and was happy to see Jason smile back. Maybe they could make this work after all.

"Why are we stuck with the baby? I'd have thought everyone would want to see Batman's newest kid." Conner said, crossing his arms.

Dick gently set the babe back in his bassinet after he'd finished his bottle. "Batman said people were checking in on them all the time when he was up in the Watchtower. I'm pretty sure most of them are working to get Big Dami back home." The elder Damian looked up, "Shouldn't be much longer now."

Damian hummed in acknowledgement as he gave the mobile above his younger self's head a delicate spin. The baby's green eyes were pulled upwards as he reached for the tiny little bats dancing above him. Damian smiled slightly and reached down to gently stroke the baby's cheek.

"Don't touch the baby!" Kid Flash yelled, tackling the younger boy to the ground before he could make contact with his infant self. From his bassinet, Dami began to wail again.

Mount Justice

March 20, 12:17 EST

"There you are little minnow," Aqualad said gently as he set the babe onto a blanket on the floor so he could watch the proceedings of the meeting. Lying on his stomach, little Damian reached for one of the toys put before him and began to gnaw on the handle of his Bat rattle. Kaldur's lip twitched, whoever had gotten the baby supplies the night before certainly had a sense of humor. They had all gotten Batman themed products, the little Batman onesie Damian was wearing with a tiny black cape on the back. The Atlantean smiled again before joining his team on their usual couch. The older Damian stood beside them while the Justice League stood on the other side of the room. Jason was sitting on a chair in-between and, somehow, Tim had ended up in his lap.

"First of all, I'd like to congratulate your team on a job well done." Superman began, "This was not an easy mission by any stretch of the imagination but you all performed excellently." The Team exchanged proud looks with one another before turning back to the Man of Steel. "It is unfortunate that Epoch was unable to be taken alive but, from what I hear, there wasn't much anyone could have done about that. Sometimes, no matter what you do, things don't turn out the way you intended." He nodded over to Atom who stepped forward with a yawn.

"Sorry kids, it's been a long couple of days as I'm sure you know." Atom said as he flipped through some of the papers in his hand. "I've been going over Epoch's technology and, even damaged, the intricacy and sophistication of the armor is just incredible. I could spend years..." Atom shook his head as he began to get off topic. "My point is, I was wrong earlier about how Epoch time travels. He is able to distort chronal energy to create his wormhole but he is unable to travel back along the original time stream, instead he creates an entirely new reality from the moment he arrives."

"So what you're saying is that Epoch's interference created a parallel timeline?" Black Canary asked.

Atom nodded, "yes, the future that Thomas or uh Damian comes from will never come to pass here. A whole different future will likely occur because of the events of the last 36 hours." Atom clarified noting the stunned faces of the Justice League and the Team. "However, that reality still does exist but separately. Therefore, we should be able to send Damian back to the timeline he originally came from." Damian shoulder's sagged in relief at the assurance that he would be able to return home.

"So what about baby Dami? What's going to happen to him?" Dick asked.

"He's going to grow up with his family. Genetically, the two boys are the same but this baby will have a completely different life than the boy you've come to know. They are separate people at this point, think of them as more like identical twins." Atom explained with a smile while Dick smirked.

"So there's no need to keep the two from touching? There's not going to be a world ending paradox?" Dick asked with a grin while a few members of Young Justice laughed behind their hands. Damian glared holes into Wally's head who was burning with embarrassment.

"No, it should be fine." Atom chuckled as Flash shook his head in confusion.

"Wait, hold up. If you're saying that any changes that Epoch made don't affect the original timeline, then what's the point of hiring him?" Atom pursed his lips, searching for the words.

"Because it's not as simple as that. Yes, there are separate realities but they're all interconnected and often will blend together. Events from different realities can bleed into one another and a change in one may affect another. If Jason and Tim's timelines were successfully changed here, who knows what may have come to pass elsewhere." Atom shrugged, "It's a gamble but most big investments are. Damian may very well return to his time and find things are slightly different than he remembers because of what happened in this universe."

Damian frowned at that, how different would things be when he returned? He shook off his thoughts and knelt to the ground and delicately stroked the baby's head.

"I'm pretty confident that I can get you home. In fact, I brought the wormhole component with me, we could probably send you back after the meeting." Atom said quietly as he watched the ten year play with the five month old baby who was and wasn't him at the same time.

Damian nodded after a moment. "Yes, I would like that. I need to get back, Gotham needs a Robin."

"Oh we're going to miss you so much," M'Gann said, her eyes watering with emotion.

"I'll be around, I'm sure Father and the others will be wanting your help watching the baby. I'm trusting you all to make sure he doesn't become soft like the rest of you. I am a Robin and I wish to remain as such even here." Damian said even as his older brother laughed.

"Potty training is going to take precedence over combat training," Dick teased. "But don't worry, we won't let him become a rich sponge. He'll be just fine." Dick said, smiling warmly at the baby and it made Damian ache for his own world. These people were nice, but he didn't belong here. He missed his real family, the ones he was connected to through something stronger than blood.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I guess we can say our goodbyes and send Damian back home." Superman announced.

"Wait!" Jason said, pushing off Tim so he could address the heroes. He ducked his head in embarrassment as the whole room turned to face him but he carried on anyway. "Thomas, I mean Damian asked me to look up some people last night and to keep an eye on them." He responded as he looked down at the list he'd printed out.

"Miss Barbara was doing gymnastics most of the night at her local gym but the Commissioner was there watching her so she was safe. Miss Stephanie went to a movie with some friends and I couldn't find anything on Miss Cain. I don't think she even exists, there wasn't any records on her." Jason concluded, handing the list over to Damian who skimmed it over.

"Good work Todd, I wasn't expecting the Batgirls to be in any danger but it was good to check up on them." Damian turned the paper over, "I need to make a few notes, someone get me a pen."

"Batgirls?" Green Lantern choked from the other side of the room, he turned to Batman. "Don't you have enough as it is?"

"Wait Babs? What's she have to do with this?" Dick said, straightening up as his friend was suddenly brought into the conversation.

"Oh don't worry Grayson, Gordon's not involved." Damian said innocently as he began scrawling on the back of Jason's paper with a borrowed pen, "yet." He tacked on cheekily while Green Arrow cleared his throat.

"Alright, everyone say your goodbyes and leave the Bats to themselves." As soon as Arrow finished, all of Young Justice had enveloped Damian in a large group hug.

The younger boy sputtered from within the circle. "Stop this at once! This is childish behavior and I will not stand for it." But the others didn't listen merely hugging him tighter, each of them saying their own goodbyes and well wishes. They all pulled back, giving the huffy young Robin some space.

"Do me a favor," M'Gann said quietly, giving him a kiss on his forehead. She was reminded again of her vision from Epoch. Of Damian's small, broken body dying at his mother's hand. "Please take care of yourself." She whispered as she stepped away and followed her teammates and the League out of the lounge.

"I'll be waiting outside when you're done," Atom said before stepping out and closing the door leaving only the Bat family.

Timmy ran forward and hugged Damian tightly, staring up reverently. "I'll miss you a lot. Don't worry, I'll be sure to take care of Dickie, Jay and Mr. Wayne for you." The young boy grinned, "We're going to be such good friends when we're older."

Damian huffed but gingerly patted the Tim's head. "Yes, I imagine in this world we will be Drake. Take care." Timmy beamed as he stepped back while Jason awkwardly shuffled forward.

"So thanks for saving me from the bad guy, and avenging my mom. I guess it's not good he died and all, but, yeah, thanks." Jason said, staring harshly into the ground as he kicked his feet. "I know you got to go home, but it's gonna be weird without you."

Damian roughly punched Jason's shoulder causing the to older boy to glare at the Robin. "Whining doesn't suit you Todd," Damian sneered as he crossed his arms. "You're stubborn and intelligent and you get things done. You're going to change the world; you won't need me around."

Jason snorted as he punched Damian back. "Yeah, I guess not. See ya short stack, good luck in the future." Jason looked over to Dick as he stepped forward and pulled his littlest brother in a tight hug.

"Do you forgive me for being a total jerk earlier?"

For once, Damian allowed the contact and returned the hug as he leaned into his brother's shoulder. "I suppose I can forgive you since you're still so immature."

Dick scoffed at that, rocking the boy back and forth. "I'm going to remember all these insults the next time lil D wants something." He teased, pulling back and grinning while Damian rolled his eyes.

"No you won't, you're going to hopelessly spoil the child to the point of decadence. He'll be foolish and chatty just like you, but at least he'll know he's loved by his big brother." Damian looked down, "I suppose it's the only thing we'll have in common now." Dick smiled and stepped back as Batman cleared his throat.

"Alright boys, out, we'll be heading back to the Manor after this and Alfred will pinch your ears if you're not presentable. We've got my birthday and a couple adoptions to celebrate." Dick announced while Tim and Jason whined as the oldest Robin dragged them out of the room.

"Don't be too long, you'll need to clean yourself up as well." Dick announced to Bruce as he shut the door. It was silent except for the baby's soft gurgling as the father and son stared each other down.

"Does Dick treat you well in your future? Are you being taken care of without me?" Batman asked softly as Damian reeled back. He'd done his best to keep his biggest secret hidden, the future death of Batman during the battle with Darkseid. He was about to argue when Batman pulled off his cowl and knelt down to show Damian how serious he was. "It's alright, I knew it was going to happen someday. I just want to ensure I am sending you back to a place where you're receiving the care you deserve."

Damian looked down and clenched his fists."Grayson and Pennyworth are fine, we've been living out of Wayne Tower as the Manor had become so... The days seem long sometimes, I catch Grayson looking wearied more often than I'd like but we are settling into a routine that works. We are Batman and Robin and we have done well with what you taught us." Bruce nodded, settling his hand on his boy's shoulder.

So Dick was Batman, of course he was. Dick would never let Gotham be without her hero, but the thought of his bright child wearing his dismal colors made him ache. But that wasn't for a long while and he needed to take care of this child first.

Damian held out the paper he'd been scribbling on earlier. "Just some notes about the future, in case you're interested. Since everything's changing, I thought you might like some warning on certain events to come. You don't have to look at it, I don't care." Damian said with a self-conscious shrug. Bruce tucked the note into one of his pockets and pulled the young boy close, giving him the affection he was unable to in the future.

"I'm sorry I left you Damian," Bruce began slowly. "I knew Batman would be the death of me when I began this crusade, but I never imagined I'd leave so many people behind when that day finally came." He continued, staying strong despite the quiet sniffling as Damian gripped the back of his cape. "And even though I don't know what comes to pass in your future, I do know that I am so proud of you Damian Wayne." Bruce reluctantly pulled the boy back, and gently peeled off the mask so that he could look at him in the eye. Damian's eyes were moist with unshed tears but still so full of love and potential.

"I don't care where you came from or what you've done in the past. Your actions here and now have proven to me that you are more than the tool your Grandfather intended. You are Robin, you are my son and having this time with you has been a privilege. I'm going to do my best to raise the baby right and I will be proud indeed if he's half as honorable as you." Damian threw himself back into his father's arms and allowed himself to be held for a little while longer and Bruce couldn't bring himself to deny his child such a simple comfort.

He could have stayed there for hours until there was a hesitant knock on the door. "Are you two almost done? We have the machine all ready to go." Came Atom's quiet voice from the other side. Damian pulled back and roughly rubbed at his eyes before hastily placing his mask back on. Batman nodded and pulled on his own cowl.

"Yes, of course, our business is concluded." Damian said, clearing his throat. Batman walked over and picked up the baby as they moved to the edges of the room.

Atom entered with Epoch's belt and glove on. "Alright kid, we have one shot at this but I've triple checked the numbers and I'm pretty sure I can send you back to the moment you left, give or take a few minutes." He stepped forward and placed a modified version of Epoch's helmet on the boy's head. "This should prevent you from passing out again as you go through the portal. Here's a drive with all the data on Epoch we gathered for your Batman to go over." Atom said handing him a flash drive and pulling back. "That should be it, you ready?"

Damian adjusted the helmet until it sat more comfortably, tucking away the drive and readying his grappling gun just in case he came out mid-air like he did last time.

"I am ready," he said, turning his gaze once more to his father and younger self as Atom fired off the beam resulting in a swirling wormhole opening up slowly in the middle of Mount Justice. "Take care of them." Damian said resolutely as the wormhole grew until it was big enough for Damian. He gave one last nod to his father before he stepped through the portal and out of that existence entirely.

Chapter Text

After all these chapters, I still don't own Young Justice or Batman

Piping down the valleys wild,
Piping songs of pleasant glee,
On a cloud I saw a child,
And he laughing said to me

'Pipe a song about a Lamb!'
So I piped with merry cheer.
'Piper, pipe that song again.'
So I piped, he wept to hear

Gotham City, 13:32 EST

7 months later

Bruce Wayne rubbed his head wearily as he tried to concentrate on the work before him but it was proving difficult with how tired he was. Last night had been Tim's science fair and Bruce had insisted that the whole family go along and show solidarity for their neighbor / unofficial little brother. It had been a mess trying to get all the kids to behave but it had been worth it once he realized that the Drakes had, once again, been unable to attend. Between getting all three boys there, keeping them in line and getting them back to the Manor and into bed, Bruce was ready to call it a night before he remembered that he still had to patrol. Being a parent was exhausting.

But today would make up for all the trouble that his new family gave him for today was his youngest son's first birthday. His lips curled at the thought of little Damian. Now Damian was hardly an easy baby, not by anyone's imagination. He was fussy and picky and was usually very unhappy around strangers, but Bruce couldn't love him any more if he tried. It was the same with all of his children.

They were having a small gathering of a few League and Young Justice members, plus Leslie and a few of the kids' friends to celebrate Damian's big day. The party would be starting in a little over an hour and since Alfred was finishing the final preparations, Bruce had volunteered to get Damian ready for the big event. He didn't even have to feign enjoyment of such a task, he cherished every moment with his child knowing he had almost missed out on these mundane experiences.

The emotion he felt upon such a milestone was distracting but Bruce had been forced to accept that children came with a lot of conflicting emotions. And a great many headaches as well. There was a loud crashing sound in the living room causing Bruce to groan and set down the papers he wasn't reading, and speaking of headaches.

"What's going on out here?" He demanded, stepping out of his study and closing the door behind him. Surprise, surprise there was one of his children causing trouble as usual.

Jason grinned broadly as he began to quickly pick up the large volume of books spread across the floor that he had apparently dropped. "Sorry B, I guess I went a little overboard buying Damian's birthday presents. I'll have this cleaned up in a sec." Bruce raised an eyebrow as he knelt down to help Jason pick up the books, nearly 12 in all, all of which were entirely too old for an infant like Damian. He turned over one of the books to read the cover, 'Treasure Island'.

"Jay, you do realize Damian isn't going to be able to read these for several more years." Jason nodded enthusiastically as he continued stacking up the books until Bruce couldn't even see the boy anymore behind the pile.

"Well duh, that's why I'm going to read them to him. We've run out of kids books in the library so I decided it would be a good idea to add to it. Dami likes to have a chapter or two read to him at bedtime while you and Dick are on patrol. I figured it'd be fun and educational for the little brat."

Bruce smiled knowingly as he took half of Jason's stack when he noticed the boy struggling to lift the enormous pile. Jay made no secret of his own enthusiasm for reading and Bruce was all too happy to indulge the boy's thirst for knowledge. Jason had fit into life at Wayne Manor as if he had always been destined to end up here, if only the boy would feel as comfortable in his new home.

"Where are we going with these?" Bruce asked as he followed his 13 year old son and future protégé. Jason began dropping obvious hints about taking up his own hero mantle the moment he moved in but Bruce had been adamant that the boy seek help for his trauma first. Sessions with both Dinah and Leslie, not to mention care from the family, had done wonders for Jay's peace of mind. Though he hadn't said a word to Jason, Bruce was considering letting the boy start training soon. Even if he decided in the end he didn't want to be a hero, Bruce wanted Jason to feel that he was just as important and worthy as all the other boys. Plus he wouldn't mind Jason having some martial arts prowess in case he ever needed to defend himself.

"The library, I got some paper and junk all ready so I just need to get these wrapped." Jay said with a shrug. "I wish Alfie could help me but he's too busy with party stuff to bother right now. I guess Dami's too little to care about neat packaging, huh?"

Bruce nudged open the door to the door where Jay had all the necessary wrapping components laid out. "As long as he can play with the paper I think he'll be happy. This is a very thoughtful gift, Jay. Good work." Bruce said, setting one of his hands on the boy's shoulder after he'd put down his load of books. He wasn't sure what pained him more, the absolute delight on Jason's face at something so small or the fact that the boy was attempting to hide his joy. At least Jason was no longer flinching whenever someone touched him. If Willis Todd wasn't already dead, Batman might have been tempted to finish the job himself.

"I can probably help for a few minutes if you like, but then I need to go take care of the ba-"

"Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne!" Came a distant cry from somewhere on the other side of the Manor.

Bruce rolled his eyes while Jason snickered quietly into his hand. "On second thought, I believe I'm needed elsewhere. Don't take too long Jay, Alfred wants a picture of the family so have on your nice shirt, pants and shoes by 3 pm at the latest." Jason made a face, "Hey, if I have to do it, then you boys have to suffer with me." Bruce teased from the library door as he quickly walked in the direction the young voice had come from. It had sounded like the main foyer.

"Mr. Wayne there you are!" a blonde whirlwind scampered up to him and looked up with big, watery blue eyes. "Mr. Wayne, Timmy fell asleep in the big light thingy and I can't get him to wake up and I'm scared he'll fall and I don't know what to do, can you please get him down?" Stephanie Brown exclaimed, looking close to tears. Bruce looked up to find that Tim was, indeed, curled up around the hanging chandelier, comfortably asleep.

He made a note to himself to berate Dick once again for teaching the others how to get up there. "Don't worry Stephanie, it'll be alright, we'll get him down." He said, patting her head awkwardly. "While we go get the ladder, why don't you explain to me how Tim ended up there in the first place?"

Steph took a minute to collect herself as she trotted after him. "Timmy and I were playing hide and go seek. I was the seeker and even though I searched everywhere, I couldn't find him. But then I came into this room and found Timmy sleeping up there! I yelled and tried to wake him up but he's a boy so it was impossible. I didn't know what to do so I called for you." She explained as they finally reached the store room where the ladder was ready and waiting, having been employed many, many times in the months since Dick started encouraging the other boys' acrobatics.

"Alright, well let's get Tim down and I'll talk to him again about climbing up there. Have you spoken to your mother about arrangements for after the party?" He asked as they walked back, ladder in tow.

"Yep! She's going to visit Daddy today so she won't be back until late. She said I could stay the night if it's okay with you or she won't be able to come get me until 8. Someone needs to call and let her know." Bruce nodded, Batman had put Cluemaster away in Blackgate almost a year ago now so he supposed Arthur Brown was due for a visit.

Stephanie Brown's inclusion in his life had been another in a long series of unexpected turns. The future Damian had mentioned that she would become a vigilante and unofficial family member in his timeline. In acknowledgement of that fact, Bruce has gifted the young girl with a full scholarship to the best school in town where, coincidentally, she and Tim had become best friends almost overnight. Tim spend much of his free time here at the Manor and where Tim Drake went, so did Stephanie Brown.

"It's fine by me, I'll have Alfred call your mother as soon as we get Tim down. Then I suggest the two of you start getting ready for the party." He set down the ladder under the chandelier and checked his watch with annoyance, "I still need to get myself and Damian ready so we need to make this quick." He ascended the ladder and ever so gently nudged the sleeping boy. "Tim? Come on Tiger, you need to wake up now."

Another few shakes and Tim slowly blinked back into awareness. "'ruce?" He muttered, rubbing his eye with one hand while the other clutched the chandelier chain. Bruce made a mental note to secure the light fixture one more time to ensure it would hold if the boys were going to persist in climbing it. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is you're putting me behind schedule and worrying your friend."

Below them, Stephanie had her hands angrily on her hips. "You're in so much trouble when you get down here Timmy!" She shouted up, Tim, now much more awake, glanced over at Bruce with a light grimace.

"Are you sure I can't just stay up here?" Bruce chuckled as he helped the boy off the chandelier.

"Not if you plan on having any of Alfred's birthday cake." Tim smiled at that, the thought of delicious sweets distracting him momentarily from prospect of being yelled at. "Now apologize to Stephanie and go get ready. Alfred should have laid out your clothes in your room. Stephanie will have her own dress in the guest room."

Tim looked at him shyly as they reached the ground. "Even though I climbed the chandelier when you told me not to, can Stephanie still stay the night?" Bruce smirked before stepping aside so the young lady could get through.

"I'm sure having Stephanie around to berate you is punishment enough. Alfred is going to call her mother soon and make arrangements." Tim cheered for a moment only to be cut off from Stephanie punching his arm.

"You idiot! What were you thinking climbing that big thing? And then you fall asleep up there?" She nagged while Tim just shrugged.

"Sorry, it's really comfortable up there and I've been working so hard on my science project I haven't been sleeping much."

"Alright you two can argue later, you need to start getting ready. Be back down here at 3 o' clock or I can't guarantee you'll get cake." Stephanie squeaked at the prospect of being denied dessert. She grabbed Tim's hands and half dragged the poor boy up the steps to the personal bedrooms.

Though Tim didn't technically live here, he spent so much time here that he had his own room with clothes all prepared. Bruce had talked with the Drakes numerous times about trying to be more involved with Tim's life. He knew it was hard to balance a family and a company and they were trying but there were some weeks where Tim only saw them in passing. Luckily, Jack and Janet trusted Bruce, or at least his family's good name, and Tim was well looked after here and among people who considered him family. No matter when anyone else said, Tim would always be his son.

"Alfred," Bruce called walking briskly into the kitchen where his butler and closest confidant was busy at work putting the finishing touches on Damian's cake. It was too bad the baby was still too young to enjoy the treat beyond smashing his fingers through it. "I know you're busy but when you get a chance, call Crystal Brown and tell her it's no problem to watch Stephanie for the night."

Alfred nodded and gave him a mildly reproving look as he glanced over at Bruce's casual attire. "I will take care of it once I finish with the frosting but, if I may Master Wayne, the hour is drawing near and the Young Master will need some time to get ready." The butler said dryly.

"I'm trying to but there's too many kids getting in my way," Bruce replied, shaking his head as he walked out of the kitchen and ascended the stairs. He strode through the hallways, mentally checking things off his list. He was stopped just before the nursery by the sound of loud laughter and overlapping conversations coming from Dick's room. Bruce rolled his eyes, of course. He stepped forward and knocked loudly on the door before entering.

"Alright keep it down, it's getting dangerously close to 3 for those of you who still need to get ready." Young Justice stopped what they were doing to look sheepishly at him. No matter how much time they spent here at the Manor, they never could stop seeing him as Batman. He supposed it wasn't all bad, at least they still listened to him unlike some people.

Dick's eyes widened as he took in the clock. "Oh man, I didn't realize it had gotten so late! Sorry guys, I'll be right back. Do what you need to do and meet me downstairs in 20 minutes." He said, stepping over Wally and Artemis in order to get off the bed. Kaldur was perched in Dick's desk chair while M'gann and Conner were curled up on the floor together leaning against the adjacent wall. Dick grabbed the shirt and pants that were waiting for him before quickly walking out of his bedroom. Bruce had expected him to turn into his bathroom but instead continued to follow Bruce into his own bedroom.

"Do you need something, Dick?" Bruce asked lightly, watching as Dick walked casually over to his bathroom.

"Yeah, I need to steal one of your razors. I used my last one and Alfred will kill me if I'm not clean shaven for the picture." The teen remarked, ducking into Bruce's master bathroom and refiling under through the sink cabinet. It was probably a good thing Dick was otherwise occupied so he didn't notice the look of mild shock on his guardian's face. He wasn't even aware Dick needed to shave yet.

Bruce leaned in the bathroom doorframe, trying to appear casual and not like he's being slapped in the face with his eldest child's growth. "Do you need to shave everyday?" Bruce asked as Dick made a triumphant noise as he emerged with a brand new razor.

The boy shrugged as he got a wet cloth and began to inspect his face in the mirror. "No, not yet. But it's noticeable if I don't do it once or twice a week. Do you mind if I do it in here, seems weird to walk all the way back to my bathroom." Dick asked even as he was already preparing a little bit of shaving cream. Bruce smiled fondly to himself.

Yes, Dick was growing up faster every day. While Jason had been hinting about taking on a hero mantle of his own, Dick had outright stated that he intended to pass the Robin title onto his middle brother when his training was complete. Pretty soon that little circus kid he took in 8 years would be a man with his own identity and a life away from his adoptive family. It was sad in a way Bruce hadn't expected and he's certain that having the other children as a buffer was helping him better deal with that transition. But while his child was growing up, it didn't mean that they were growing apart.

"Sure, so long as you don't mind if I join you." Bruce said standing at the sink next to his son. He'd just shaved yesterday but he could always clean up a bit. The two of them worked mostly in silence aside from Bruce's occasional comments on how Dick was holding razor and how to avoid irritating the skin. The time passed quickly, much like Dick's childhood, and soon the two of them were toweling off.

"As fun as this has been," Dick teased lightly and Bruce was certain his boy knew just why his adoptive father had elected to stay with him. "Don't you and Dami still need to get ready?" Bruce started, looking down at his watch and cursed softly under his breath. He'd gotten so caught up with his eldest, he'd forgotten about his youngest.

Bruce threw the towel he'd used to dry off with in the sink. "Clean up in here and get dressed, I'll get Damian ready and we'll be down in 15 minutes." Since Damian usually took so long to dress, Bruce decided to put on his outfit first so he could spend the rest of his allotted time on the baby.

He walked quickly down to the nursery, noting with relief that everyone else seemed ready or nearly ready for the event. He paused for a moment in the doorway of Damian's room as he took in the slightly open door with a familiar scent wafting from it. He delicately entered the room and was unsurprised, but a bit disappointed, to find it empty. He breathed in Talia's perfume for a moment before making his way over to the bed where Damian was alert and standing up in his crib as if someone had just put him down.

"Da!" Came a delighted little cry as Bruce smiled and hefted his boy into his arms.

"Hey there Chum," he said pulling away Damian's curious hands as they began to tug at the buttons on his shirt. "How was Mama, did she wish you a happy birthday?" He asked quietly into the boy's hair, not really expecting any sort of answer.

Talia had dropped by and seen the baby numerous times over the last few months, not that Bruce or anyone else had actually seen her, but he could always tell when she came. Bruce thought about his ex-lover quite often, without her and the aid she gave that day at Infinity Island, he wouldn't be holding this precious boy right now. He hoped she was all right, that Ra's hadn't taken the losses and humiliation he suffered that day out on her. Infinity Island was abandoned and he's sure they had set up somewhere else but, for now, Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins have remained under the radar. For their own sake, they had better not make any further attempts on his family.

"Alright, let's get you dressed. I know you don't like it but there's cake and presents downstairs waiting for you." Bruce murmured as he began to go through the motions of getting the fussy baby into his nice shirt and pants. A few minutes of struggling, and a few tears from Damian, and finally he met Alfred's standards of a young gentleman. His tanned nose was wrinkled while his balled fists brushed at his olive green eyes. Bruce picked up the unhappy boy and bounced him a few times to calm him down. "There we are, shh…" Dami's eyes lowered dreamily as he nuzzled up against his father's shoulder.

Whenever Damian was close to him like this, Bruce couldn't help but remember another, older Damian who had been so afraid that his father was going to disappear. Taking a discrete glance towards the nursery door, Bruce pulled out a drawer in Damian's changing area and pressed hidden button below revealing a false bottom. Within the area were a few bits and pieces of important data he'd kept secret from the others but, most importantly, it held a quickly scrawled note given to him by the other Damian.

He'd not only held onto the note but had gone over it hundreds of times, staring at the hastily written sentences from another universe as if they might help him in this one. Don't let Grayson slip away. Trust in him, was the first line, one Bruce took to heart every time he and Dick argued which happened more often than he liked. It had been hard to control his desire to protect the teen but he knew it was almost Dick's time to fly on his own. Just below that, almost as an after thought, was something about the sixth of June in 2016 and an MFD at the North Pole. Whatever happened there, he'd be prepared for it.

Keep Todd alive, help him, followed which always caused a tightness in his throat when he read that. Some of the team members of Young Justice had also quietly hinted that they found evidence on Infinity Island that Jason, another version of him anyway, had died quite young. Bruce would do everything in his power to see that the cheeky, sarcastic boy downstairs grew up happy and well-adjusted. After that was a warning about the Joker at Jim Gordon's place on a particular day and to protect Barbara Gordon.

There was a message concerning Tim, about keeping him integrated in the family and giving him the support when things went south for the boy. Damian didn't give any details to the trials Tim would eventually go through, but he knew that the family would be there for their little brother. The next line had frustrated him endlessly, a request for him to find the daughter of David Cain. He'd spent many nights searching for her but it was difficult with nothing but a name and sense of obligation to go on, but he would find Cassandra, eventually.

Then was the comment that Stephanie Brown, who was probably already harassing the party goers downstairs, was worthy of being a part of their team. So far Stephanie had no idea of the family's extracurriculars and he intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. However, if Stephanie showed any interest in vigilantism later on, Bruce would trust Damian's judgement and train her.

Finally, the last line, with the graphite pressed deeply into the page as if to emphasize it's importance. Don't leave them. Darkseid, 2020. He stared for a while longer at that line, one last attempt of a son to save his father's life. Bruce gently tucked the note back in it's hiding spot and closed the false bottom.

He knew his night job would kill him one day, it was inevitable, but that doesn't mean he wasn't going to meet that end with everything he had. When this Darkseid did come appear, some 10 years from now, Batman wasn't going to go down easy. He owed his family that much.

Bruce turned his attention back to the infant in his arms and gave him another bounce. "What do you say Damian? Are you ready go downstairs and have your party?" Dami gave him a chubby cheeked smile which Bruce returned, carrying the birthday boy down the stairs to the main dining room where most of the guests were gathered and waiting.

"Happy Birthday Damian!" They all collectively shouted as Bruce nudged open the door.

"And of course the guest of honor is fashionably late as usual." Alfred teased lightly from the side of the room, the smallest of smiles giving away his jest.

"Somethings are just genetic," Bruce replied with a shrug as he entered the room. It was decorated fully, with streamers and balloons and enough brightly colored plates and party accessories to make his eyes hurt. Damian was, of course, drawn to the large multicolored pile of presents all bearing his name.

"Ah ah, not yet Young Master Damian," Alfred intoned, noting Damian making grabbing motions at the packages. "First you must blow out the candle on your birthday cake, with some assistance from your father and brothers." There was a quiet little huff from around Alfred's hip, "And Ms Stephanie of course." He corrected as he walked out of the room to retrieve the cake. The other boys and Stephanie gathered tightly around him at the head of the table, talking loudly amongst themselves while Tim and Stephanie were making faces at baby Damian.

"Smile!" Clark said, snapping an impromptu photo of the six of them. The alien smiled as he looked at the picture on his camera. "Well I'm no Jimmy Olsen but I think that's a pretty good picture, I'll have to send it to you later."

"Soup!" Damian shouted gleefully, pointing directly at Clark. The majority of the guests chuckled quietly to themselves at Damian's comment, all except for Stephanie who didn't get the joke and was quite annoyed by it.

"No, Damian, cake!" She said just as Alfred came back into the room holding the beautifully crafted confection. He walked reverently across the room before gently setting the cake before the squirming child.

Alfred smiled warmly as he lit the single candle on top. "Happy Birthday Young Master Damian, may there be many more to come." Alfred said, pulling back and joining the others as they began to sing for the birthday boy. Bruce smiled as he watched the scene before him. One year ago he would have never expected to have three children living in his house and two more who might as well be his own. He never expected he would tolerate, much less enjoy, people from his hero life integrating comfortably into his civilian life. He never expected to be this happy after the murder of his parents.

His life has taken many turns since a wormhole opened up in the skies of Gotham nearly a year ago. The media circus following the adoption of Jason and the introduction of Damian had been a nightmare. Dealing with all the children, their needs and comforts, was downright impossible at times. Keeping all his promises, to his city, to his friends, to his family both in and out of costume was exhausting. But Bruce Wayne wouldn't have it any other way.

"Alright Damian," he whispered into the baby's ear as the others finished singing. "Let's blow out the candles and start your next year off right." The single candle was blown out and a new era began.

Chapter Text

*Just as an FYI Future Dami refers to the Damian we know, the one present through the main story. Lil Dami/Dami refers to the baby in this new reality. Most of these hcs refer to Lil Dami and the new reality created by the story. The last few pertain to future Dami returning to the old reality. Hope that makes things easier!

- For those of you who are nerdy like me and like to see behind the scenes stuff of how things evolved, here's how the story came together. It started way back when I was trying to match the YJ timeline with the comics timeline. This then got me thinking on how characters like resurrected Jay, Cass, Steph and Dami would fit into YJ. I was then intrigued by how the Dick/Dami interaction would change which then led to Damian's reaction to a younger YJ Dick. I amused myself for awhile with time travelling Dami unabashedly spoiling the hell out of the future but then got serious when I contemplated how a just on the edge of puberty Dickie would deal with all this. I've long since played with the AU of Bruce raising all the Batkids together and once I decided to give this story a shot, that was always endgame.

- For those keeping track of the time stamps, the whole adventure, from when future Damian arrives to when he leaves, takes places within about 36 hours maybe a little over. It's why I had to keep throwing in those random breaks because these poor children needed to sleep. So the story started near midnight on Friday March 18th and ended late afternoon Sunday March 20th 2011. I believe the adults kept the kids home the next day to recover from the strenuous weekend and then head over to the Manor to celebrate Dick's birthday/all the adoptions.

- The villain's name, Epoch, means "a period in time" specifically when one era ends and a new one begins. I liked this because one, its a cool slightly cheesy name which fit my villain's time MO and two, this story is an end of sorts. It ends the reality that would have happened had Damian not appeared (IE the real YJ timeline). Epoch's, and Damian's, arrival is the beginning of a new era in that reality. So jokes on you, I spoiled the story from the get go.

- a friend gave me a really interesting idea that Epoch comes from the future where Terry McGinnis is Batman and Epoch has run likely across the Tomorrow Knight at some point. I like it cause it kind of stiches the whole extended batfam together through this one villain. So, it's now canon for this story that Epoch has run into McGinnis Bats and was one reason why he took the job to kill the past batboys because it would mean he could prevent Terry from being Batman.

- Alfred thought Bruce was joking when he called him Saturday afternoon to say he was adopting another orphan. But Alfred quickly delighted in having another boy in the house. He was thus shocked when, Sunday evening, Master Bruce came home not just with Dick and the newest boy, Jason, but neighbor Tim Drake and a young baby who was genetically Bruce's son. That was a long conversation after that but Alfred quickly fell for each and every kid to live in his house. What a big soft heart his grim Master has.

- At the end of Chapter 8 "The Lamb" when Batman calls Damian and Dick up to the Watchtower, he does it to tell Dick and Damian he wanted to adopt Jason and asked what they thought about it. Dami was relieved that Todd would be a part of the family though he pretended to be indifferent. Dick was excited but really nervous. He liked Jay and wanted to be a good brother to him, but he still was getting used to being an older sibling. They both gave their consent on the adoption which is why all the Bats were in agreement when they confronted Jay at the start of chapter 9.

- Dick aggressively big brothers the heck out of his new family. He knows he kinda screwed up at first with future Damian but he does his best to live up to the ideal Damian set. He's very attentive to Jason, tries to help him settle in at the Manor and makes sure the boy is smothered in love (YJ also told Dick of future Jay's potential death). He spends time with Timmy so he doesn't feel so lonely. He adores baby Damian and boy does that baby love his big brother right back. Once he settles into the role, he loves it. It helps define who he is as he grows up and really gives him some maturity.

- Dick gifted Jason with the Robin title once Jay completed his training. Jay was beyond ecstatic but questions what Dick will do. Dick reveals his plans for Nightwing, which he's discussed at length with Bruce. While Jay still has the training wheels on, he and Dick tag team as Robin until Jay is confident in himself that Dick can shed the Robin persona for good and becomes Nightwing fulltime. Bruce has worked very hard to give the boy his space and Dick appreciates it. They avoid many of their biggest fights and Batman, Robin and Nightwing become a formidable trio in Gotham. Dick stays at the Manor until graduation before moving out.

- Dick tries college and decides it's not for him. Again, he applies for the police academy and Bruce very, very reluctantly lets him go. As Dick has no need to run from Bruce, he goes through the GCPD and stays in Gotham. He gets a small apartment in the city (but not too far from his batfam for visits) and becomes a cop. Though Bruce hates that his boy is doubling the danger in his life, he respects the choice. Plus Dick is able to funnel so much more information so the Bats are even more efficient. The GCPD has no idea where Batman gets his information, rookie cop Grayson whistles innocently off to the side.

- Dick kind of suspects that Bruce is dead in future Damian's reality. Despite his initial jerkiness, he noticed how happy and surprised Dami was to see Bruce. It was the face of a son who hadn't seen his father in a while. He also thinks of how much Damian attached himself to Dick as almost like a second parent. He tries not to think about it because the thought of losing Bruce on top of his birth family is too much. Instead he becomes protective of Bruce which the original Batman finds both annoying and endearing. He does nothing to confirm/deny Dick's evident suspicions.

- Dick was already best friends with Babs by the time Thomas came and went, but many obvious hints future Dami dropped made him suspect he and Barbara might someday be a couple. He scoffs until the first time he sees her kick butt in the Batgirl costume and he is just gone, smitten for life. His fling with Zatanna had mutually fizzled out due to their busy schedules and they remained friends. He and Barbara dated seriously with relatively few complications. Since Barb's accident didn't happen, much of the turmoil of their lives was avoided. She eventually did give up Batgirl because she felt she could be more useful elsewhere. She became team manager of YJ plus a coordinator of the JLA but still goes on field missions whenever she can squeeze it in. Dick and Babs continue to be very happy together and are in no rush to marry, they have all the time in the world.

- The media circus surrounding the adoption of Jay and lil Dami was a nightmare. Don't even mention it to Bruce, it was so bad. Bruce claimed, with some creative hacking, that Jay had been a part of a Wayne outreach program. Once he heard that a boy "under his Foundation's care" had to see his mother get murdered, Bruce adopted him. As if that wasn't an upset enough, then Bruce says that he discovers he had an out of wedlock child and was taking him in too. Predictably, the media went ballistic. He explains that Dami was the result of an affair with a woman (who he doesn't name) who cannot take care of the baby at this time. He tries to make it clear to Talia, who he knows is watching, that she'll always be welcome to come complete the family.

- It takes Jason the longest time to settle in at Wayne Manor. Before, at the Mountain, he was there to keep him safe from Epoch, but now he's part of the family, the Wayne family. At first, baby Damian's presence makes him anxious but once he gets used to the little nugget, he becomes Dami's primary babysitter when Dick and Bruce are out patrolling. Jason loves to carry the baby around with him, read him and Timmy stories, and he becomes the biggest brother in the house until he too begins going out on patrol.

- Jason never reaches his full height due to him not being put in a Lazarus Pit and 'healing' him from his years growing up malnourished. He's able to catch up pretty good, after some pretty painful growing pains, but he's still a bit shorter. Instead of being about Bruce's height or taller, he levels out about an inch or two higher than Dick which he constantly gloats about. But he's still more susceptible to broken bones and takes a little longer to bounce back from injury. But he's alive and happy so who cares lol.

- Jay eventually does become Robin, but a year or two later. Bruce had insisted on Jason seeking help for his anger and PTSD from his childhood. He also worked hard to be attentive to all the boy's needs because if he doesn't, that possible future were Jason dies might become a reality. Jay appreciates and soaks up the love and, by the time he dons the Robin costume, he's in a much happier, healthier state of mind.

- When the issue of his birth mother does come up, Jason agrees to check it out but that his home and family is with Bruce and the rest. He locates Shelia doing her charity work and accepts her reasons for abandoning him. He helps her get out of the trouble she was in and they maintain a distant but healthy relationship, exchanging occasional letters and he goes to check up on her every few years.

- The Team was ecstatic when Jay showed up in costume for the first time and became super protective of him when they were out together. Since Jason was sort of in-between generations, he's the youngest by far and is dotted on by everyone in both the Justice League and Young Justice. Jay pretends to hate all the attention, he doesn't really, he loves it.

- Young Justice become basically like his cousins and he becomes really close to them, in and out of costume. God help any villain that injures their little bird. But he also really bonds with the younger generation, he hits it off immediately with Billy Batson. When Garfield comes along he becomes absorbed into the group as well. Jay becomes one of the core members of the second wave of YJ members and maintains his friendships even after he leaves the Team.

- Jay eventually gives up the hero gig after serving faithfully as Robin for a few years. He loved it, but he knows beating up criminals doesn't fight the real problem. He focuses more on his schooling, becoming the first of the Waynes to graduate from college (with a double major in English and Social Welfare). He starts by working with Gotham outreach programs, donating time and money to helping Gotham's youth. He end up coordinator of the Wayne foundation, though he's still heavily involved keeping track of his siblings' vigilante activities. He keeps up training, helps Alfred/Barbara with support and fills in for Nightwing when his big brother is busy.

- Also Jay ends up adopting a couple of street kids he met through the program and thus becomes the first Batkid to be a Batdad. Bruce is such a proud BatGrandpa and begins highkey hinting to Dick and Barbara to tie the knot already and have their own kids.

- Though Timmy doesn't technically live with Bruce at the beginning, he is basically family and is treated as such by literally everyone. Bruce secretly makes a deal with the Drake parents that he'll watch Tim when the Drakes are pulled away by business but that they really should try to be home more often. They hesitate but once they see how happy and at ease Tim is with the family, they agree it's better for him than being home alone.

- Bruce actually strongly considers accusing the Drakes of neglect and applying for full adoption of Timmy. He sits Tim down at 8 years old and lays out the facts and is reasonably confident that a judge would want Tim removed from their care. He asks if Tim wants to go forward with the case. The boy comes back the next day with a serious face, he thought it over and while things aren't ideal, he still wants to make things better with his family. Bruce accepts the decision, lets Tim know the adoption is always available and it's never brought up again.

- Lil Tim becomes very attached to Jason. He loves everyone of course but Dick and Bruce are busy and Damian is a baby, so Timmy often looks to Jay for everyday things. So Jason just gets in the habit of dragging Tim and sometimes Dami wherever he goes, and soon he finds he really likes the company. They grow up really close. By the time Jason is Robin, Tim feels a little bit abandoned. It took a lot of convincing, but Bruce agreed to train Tim too. As with Dick/Jay earlier, He and Jay took turns being Robin while Jason was wrapping up his hero career before passing Robin onto Tim for good. By the time they're both teens, the two are inseparable despite the five year age gap.

- Tim spends most of his younger years at Wayne Manor. He is very happy there but still wishes for his mom and dad. His parents do eventually become more involved in his life once he gets older but by this time he's already heavily integrated into the Wayne family. Even the newspapers jokingly call him Tim Wayne. It causes contention btw the Drakes because they felt Bruce stole their son, It upsets Tim who wants both in his life. However, when Janet Drake is killed and Jack is put into a coma, they stated that Tim was to be left with Bruce Wayne. As more and more tragedies befall Tim, he remains strong with the support of his family.

- Tim and lil Dami eventually develop a pretty good relationship, in this world, Tim has always been Dami's big brother and thus is given that respect. Not to mention Tim is probably the closest in age to Damian so Tim can understand some of Dami's kid problems. They're not besties, Dami still ribs him more than anyone else, but they are happy and comfortable together. Tim more than happily passes Robin onto Damian when the time comes, he was getting too old to be a Boy Wonder anyway. Red Robin and Robin commonly patrol together, Dami has been training since birth, he doesn't need the help, but he appreciates having his big brother there for him.

- Bruce does find Cass eventually, about 2 years after future Damian returns, he is able to track down David Cain and Cassandra. Batman rescues Cass, puts her in social services and, a week later, Bruce Wayne is walking out holding his nine year old girl's hand. She isn't able talk at all so she's put in therapy and eventually finds her voice. She uses it most often to tease her brothers and tell Bruce she loves him. Bruce and everyone adores her. She continues to hone her skills to become the second Batgirl years later.

- Cass has never been a real 'Team' person so she is more an occasional member of Young Justice, sorta like how Roy was in S1. She's on missions when they need her impressive skills but she mostly stays in Gotham. She does however develop friendships with Wonder Girl and Blue Beetle through Stephanie and, of course, the original YJ members lovingly welcome another Bat into their hearts.

- Bruce loves his little princess, yes the boys are great, but having a little girl is very special. He is smitten immediately. He is very doting on Cass, knowing that, in this universe, Cass has probably had the roughest childhood. He takes her with him everywhere, not just to show off his girl but to get her used to public places. The other boys see how quietly damaged she is and become protective too. Jason got into a fistfight when some boys as school mocked Cass's silence. Bruce didn't even punish him. They work through her therapy and Cass becomes very kind and soft spoken but also kicks major ass.

- David Cain was on Infinity Island that day and was one of the many men Batman took down. Cassie was on the island too, was actually seen by the Team while they searched for Tim. Bruce unknowingly came so close to finding his future daughter there. After Ra's defeat there, Cain split with the League and continued travelling and training Cass which is why Bruce had such a hard time finding them later on.

- Cassandra helps train Steph as Batgirl before handing over the mantle for good. She never held any strong attachments to it but she knows Stephanie needs it more. She becomes the Black Bat and takes her own section of Gotham. She still patrols regularly with the other Bats (mostly Tim and Steph) and still helps out when the Team needs her. But she needs some time to figure out who she is. She takes classes at the community college and finds she really enjoys physical training/therapy.

- Stephanie somehow ends up mixed up with the Wayne family too. While Bruce is dealing with his insane amount of children, he still somehow remembers to help out Stephanie Brown. He gives her a full scholarship to the best school in town (which she supposedly """Applied""" for) where, surprise, surprise, she instantly befriends 8 year old Tim Drake. Now since Timmy spends most of his time at the Manor, he just brings Steph along and Bruce can't even argue so now he's sort of Dad-ing Steph while he's at it ("What's one more Alfred? I've already lost my sanity, might as well get another kid to replace it")

- When Steph finds out that the Waynes are Bats (when Tim is training as Robin), she is incredibly livid that Tim kept it from her for so long but she gets over it on the condition that she be trained too. Bruce folds rather easily thinking of future Damian's note. She trains with all the Bats and becomes a standing member on YJ as Batgirl. Her vivacious personality makes her very popular but she's probably the closest to Cass and Babs. She helps Cassandra be more social and helps her develop friendships with the team.

- Young Justice become regulars at Wayne Manor to the point where they have assigned rooms and stored clothes. M'Gann loves to dote on the boys, baking cookies and happily playing with them. Jason develops a small crush on her until he meets Donna Troy for the first time and his little heart is smitten. No matter how busy they are, Team and League members like to drop by the house for some time with their favorite Bats and enjoy a bit of domestic bliss. Tim is still attached to Superboy and soon Conner grumbles that the little brat isn't so bad and they become close friends once Tim is older. Artemis ensures that Damian isn't overly spoiled and likes to train him to give him his edge. Dick just loves showing off his cute siblings. It's so embarrassing.

- So... Roy. I just, couldn't find a spot to even mention him? According to the YJ Wiki, he took a leave of absence during the time in the story from the Team to find the Real Roy. So that explained why he wasn't there. But also I just found it hard to even insert him into the conversation without it feeling really out of place. I tried, I did, but Roy refused to be worked into the story. But he's out there, having his lil breakdown, he'll come back and find there's like 5 new Bats and just be like ?

- Speaking of Roy, when Clone Roy discovers his daughter, Lian, he spends a lot more time around the Manor with Dick who now has experience dealing with really young children. The clone gets advice and tips on how to care for an infant and soon Lian and Roy are regulars at the Manor. Roy gets full custody when Jade falls back into her criminal ways and works hard to raise his daughter right. I mean if Batman can have 6 kids then he can raise 1 right? It really helps Roy cope and get his life back together after they found the real Roy Harper.

-Before you ask, they save Wally. The MFD in the North Pole is one of the first ones disabled due to orders from Batman. While Lex is cursing how they knew to disable it when he didn't include it in the plans, Wally goes on in blissful ignorance, not knowing that a half scrawled note from future Damian saved his life. He proposes to Artemis not long after. Bruce never quite figures out what would have happened should the MFD have gone critical, but he suspects someone would have died.

- Everyone's dead parents are put in the Wayne cemetery and every other Sunday, Bruce will walk Dick and Jay (Little Tim likes to tag along sometimes too, just to be included) to the graves to see their respective parents. It helps both boys to have that regular scheduled time with their relatives. Bruce meanwhile, will bounce Damian in his arms with Tim hiding behind his leg and talk to his own parents about his growing family. Tim's folks are eventually put in their own family plot but Bruce puts up memorials in their honor on Wayne property so Tim can mourn them whenever he needs to

- The kids develop this tactic where, when they all go out with Bruce, they form a big circle around him and protect him from any paparazzi getting too close. He's like got this circle of very small, vicious bodyguards but they're effective as none of the reporters want to anger Mr. Wayne (and boy will he get angry) by roughly shoving past his kids to get to him. Bruce hasn't had to put up with interviews he didn't want to in a while, maybe all these kids are worth it.

- Bruce doesn't even try to keep the younger kids away from League business and they're as integrated into the Network as most heroes. He brings them to Mount Justice and the Watchtower all the time. Sometimes they have to wear domino masks if there's going to be people/heroes not in the know there. But it's not unusual to find Batman grumpily nagging at some hero while Damian is squirming in his chest harness and the other Batkids are running around or chatting up whoever is around. Everyone loves it.

- Dick and Tim continue to call their adoptive father Bruce. Both Cassandra and Stephanie start out with Mr. Wayne but as they grow more comfortable in the family he becomes Bruce. Jay is the only one who goes back and forth, he says Bruce most times but occasionally Jay will slip a Dad into there. It starts off being ironic ("Thanks Dad" as Bruce picks him up from detention) but Jay truly does think of Bruce as his dad after awhile and it just slips out sometimes. Bruce loves it. Damian also calls him Dad most of the time with Father being a special treat that reminds Bruce of another little boy.

- Ra's is furious after the whole ordeal on Infinity Island, his army was beaten, his future assassin killed and he lost both his future protégés. He vaguely suspects Talia's betrayal but, in the end, she remained with him so Ra's chooses to blame Bruce. He makes a few attempts on the family's lives over the years, each more unsuccessful. Eventually he faces both Tim and Damian as Robins, he tries to sway both only to have the boys wipe the floor with the immortal and proclaim their allegiance to Batman.

- Talia continues to stop by the Manor every now and again to see her son. She goes out of her way to avoid the others. While she is heartbroken she had to give up her baby, as she watches him grow up happy and loved she knows she could not have given him that life. She was also afraid her Father would have eventually convinced her that her son was a tool, not a person. She was afraid of what she might have done. She continues to serve her Father faithfully but secretly longing for a happy life with her son and Beloved. But some things were not meant to be.

- Bruce is such an open and affectionate dad with lil Dami, constantly holding him and taking him places. It's because he remembers the anger and sadness in that future Dami and, now that he gets a second chance, his baby will grow up happy. The other kids don't feel much jealousy, most remember that bitter future boy and understand Bruce's attention. Not to mention Bruce tries to be more open and caring with them too, it's not the best but the effort is appreciated. Alfred takes him during patrol time, but as soon as Bruce gets home, he'll sit up with Dami all night if he has to. He'll rock Damian to sleep and kiss his forehead. Dami grew up without a loving father in another world, but he wouldn't in this one.

- in Chapter 13 "A Cradle Song", several characters wonder about the Leaguers who went and bought all the Batman themed baby supplies. It was Hal and Barry. They went to several different stores to ensure that they got Batman themed everything. Bruce would be annoyed but little Damian looks way too cute in his teeny Batman onesies. He tries hard not to be offended at the Batman diapers.

- Dami is such a fussy baby. He cries, a lot, he hates getting in and out of clothes or being alone for too long but he hates when the wrong people hold him. He can be temperamental and stand-offish but he just melts when in the arms of his favorite people. He prefers Dick and Bruce best, always calming down in their arms. Talia too, when she visits, can make him quiet instantly like no one else can. He's fussier with Jason, choosing to crawl and wiggle when the older boy wants him still. Tim has a hard time dealing with Dami since he's so young himself, he cries the most with Timmy but, at the right time, will sleep comfortably in his arms.

- Lil Damian wasn't given a middle name by the League, it was universally decided that Thomas would be his middle name, not just to pay tribute to future Damian but bc of the initial connection to Bruce's father. Future Damian shyly reveals his middle name was also Thomas for the same reason, but he'd never felt like he'd lived up to the name until now.

- As lil Damian grows up, the media refer to him as "Wayne's son" or "the true heir" and a bunch of other prejudiced BS completely leaving out the other boys and, later, Cass. None of the family likes how people dismiss the adopted kids but, surprisingly, young Damian is the most incensed. These adopted kids loved him, raised him, they risked their lives to rescue him from the LoA. They are his family. Once Damian gets old enough to make public statements, he verbally obliterates people who talk down about his family and makes a point of only giving interviews to reporters who treat the kids as equals. Damian makes sure that he says things like "my brother/ sister" and that the reporter prints it as such.

-Baby Damian grows up happy, he is trained from the earliest age by all the Bats but it's done lovingly and with care. He's taught truth and justice and he never spills innocent blood. When his father and family deem him ready, he takes to the streets as Robin. He is identical to the other Damian but he smiles more, he makes jokes and gets along a bit better with people. He's still quiet, still believes himself the be the best. He is his father's son so he is more taciturn that most ten year olds. But he grows up happy and is loved.

- When Future Damian returns to the future, Dick Batman is, of course, freaking out. His small Robin disappeared in a portal only to come back out, bruised and disoriented about a minute later. Dami tries to explain where he was, about the new reality he created. No one, not even the other Bats, believe him and think Dami was just hallucinating. Eventually Damian gives up trying to convince his family, those two days in the past with his father, watching a better world be created, those moments are his alone to treasure.

- Also Damian has gone through a very emotionally and physically intense 36 hours in the minute span of time he disappeared from his future. Damian is half asleep within minutes of arriving back in his real time and continues to slumber for the rest of the night and most of the next day. He wakes up to the entire Batfam (minus Bruce obviously) hovering anxiously over him. Dick had freaked out and called them all home, Damian is annoyed by the attention but also very pleased to see them all. (Even Drake but don't tell him)

- But of course Bruce does come back from being trapped in time much to everyone's shock. Future Damian immediately latches onto Bruce like there's no tomorrow, he knows what he could have with his father thanks to his experiences. He's going to get Batman's love even if it kills him. So things continue on except Damian is working super duper hard to be the perfect son. The complete change is surprising for Bruce but, before he knows it, he is completely in love with his small little boy who just wants his dad's love.

- In the future Damian returns to, he doesn't notice at first but after awhile he finds there are some little differences bleeding over from the other universe. Todd comes over more often. He's still Red Hood, he's still separate from the Bats but occasionally he'll come over as Jason, especially after Bruce's 'death'. Tim is friendlier with both Dami and Jay, every now and again Tim will ask Dami's advice or just seek him out for company. Dami believes this to be weird at first but then he remembers that things have always been that way. He settles into his slightly different reality. There is no perfect time travel.

- Speaking of which, future Damian himself makes a much greater effort to get along with Tim and Jay. It's still strained and they still fight, but Damian realizes how he could have lost them both and that they are his family no matter what. Since Damian arrived in a slightly different reality, he had a much easier time integrating with the other Bats and their relationship is a lot smoother than in original comics canon. Basically everything is happier in this reality and it is beautiful.

- M'Gann worries about the future Damian who started this whole new universe. She still remembers the visions of his death in the future and had started secretly asking around to other time travelers if they can find out what happened to him. Booster Gold eventually helps her sift through the multiverses to find the one where Damian came from. She bursts into tears when she finds a magazine article talking about the 5 Wayne kids, including a bored looking 13 year old Damian scratching a Great Dane. She saves the picture and doesn't tell anyone but she keeps it safe to remind her.

- I had so many different versions of this story. It took me months to start writing because I couldn't decided which of the 5 plots I would use. The initial idea was Damian (very poorly) trying to hide his identity and future knowledge as he connected with the past heroes. It would have ended with Damian saying 'screw it' and helping rewrite reality by grabbing the future Batkids. One didn't involve Tim and Jay at all, it had Ra's seeking revenge for the future loss of Damian by taking Dick to Infinity Island to make him his new apprentice. Another had Jay be killed by Epoch and Damian trying to cope with the radically different reality. The one that came the closest to being written was similar to the current version, but Dick Batman, Red Robin and Hood showed up 3/4 through the story via after recreating the portal trying to find Dami. The future Bats work with the team to take in Epoch and fix the timeline. But I decided, one, it was overly complicated and, two, the story was really Damian coming to grips with his relationship with his family and working to create a better world so the future bats weren't needed.

- Another thing that almost happened (like so close I wrote in dialogue in the story to set this up that I never removed) was that at the same time of the Infinity Island battle, Ra's had also sent soldiers after some of the Batgirls, specifically Barbara and Jim Gordon. There was going to be this whole separate plot of Jason keeping watch on the girls only to see ninjas attack the Gym where Jim and Barbara were at. Jay organized some members of the League to protect the Gordon family. Lil Jay may have even donned a little mask and helped kick butt himself. The Infinity Island battle was already very complicated and switching back and forth I felt was too much. Besides, it's reasonable enough that Ra's is a sexist jerk who wouldn't believe the girls were important to the overall crusade. I still kinda wish it had been there but I hate when books/movies try to cram too much into such a small space. You can accept it if you want. Maybe one of these days I can add it in as a post-I&E story that someone's goes after Barbara (either pre- or very early BG) and it would Robin Jay's first real test as a hero...