More and More Questions
"Well, fuck."
"Jason?" Nightwing's voice shook.
"...Timber, I see you took off your cowl."
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. B was being all interagatory."
"When ain't he?" Jason scoffed...and pulled off his helmet.
The batfamily members of this reality flinched as they looked on at Jason. His black hair had a streak of white in his locks. His eyes were blue with flecks of toxic green and his skin was a faint tan, definitely not as healthy a color as it could be...as it used to be.
"Jason..." Nightwing whimpered.
"...Dude, what'd you fucking tell them?" Jason looked perturbed.
"Oh well, the version of you in this reality hasn't been resurrected yet or may not be resurrected at all," Tim remarked.
"Lucky," Jason snickered.
He winced however, at the horrified expression on Dick's face. It wasn't his Dick but it still hurt to see that kind of pain there. He wondered if Dick made that expression when their dad told him he'd died.
"Wait, where's Dick?" Jason turned to Tim.
"I think he's dead," Tim sighed witheringly.
"Again?" Jason groaned.
"Again?!" Nightwing exclaimed.
"Okay, no, I'm gonna ignore this," Jason let out a seething exhale, "He's fine, he's gotta be fine. So, new topic, Timber, what the fuck was that at dinner?" Jason questioned.
"What was what?"
"You know what."
"What's happening here?" Superman frowned.
"...I made a comment about the Joker still being alive," Jason said, "I do that when things are too peaceful for too long."
"Melodramatic bitch," Tim rolled his eyes.
"But I said that for the first time when all the family was together and like, Tim and Barbara and Dick got hella quiet. So, buddy, broski, little brother what the fuck was that about?"
"Oh, y'know just..." Tim gave a little shrug.
A shrill shriek suddenly rang out from the portal as it pulsed. Tumbling out of the portal was a familiar guy in a yellow suit.
"Well that was an experience," The yellow haired teen shook off his disoreintation.
"Hey, Duke," Jason greeted.
"Ugh, this reality's so blue," He recoiled, lip curling in distaste, "Oh, shit, hey," He blinked in surprise at the gathered heroes.
"How was the trip?" Tim grinned.
"It would've been better if Damian wasn't wildly stabbing the wormhole," Duke huffed.
"Damian's right behind you?" Tim wondered.
"Mmm yeah, and Cass, Steph and Barbara are after 'im."
"You could see in the portal?" Tim questioned.
"Mmm," Duke nodded.
"Did you see Dick?"
"...You're not gonna like it," Duke winced.
"What happened to him?" Jason questioned, worry in his voice.
Duke sighed and pulled off his helmet.
"...A hand reached out of the walls of the portal and grabbed Dick. He let go of Tim as soon as he realized he was getting pulled somewhere and then poof," Duke huffed, "Gone."
"Well...that's fun," Jason pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Let's not allow ourselves to grieve yet," Tim cleared his throat, "He probably came out of the portal somewhere else."
"Why wouldn't you grieve?" Beast Boy wondered, "Isn't it...y'know healthy to grieve?"
"I took over Crime Alley in two hours because of the grief and anger I had over my own death," Jason rose a brow, "What do you think I'm gonna do for my brother's?"
"Plus, we don't need Tim losing it," Duke huffed goodnaturedly.
"I've never actually seen you lose it," Jason noted.
"Not a pretty sight," Duke piped up helpfully, "Dick said he-"
"Duke," Tim warned.
"-Tried to create a clone of Kon like 99 times after he died."
Silence engulfed the area. Silence that was broken by a familiar figure rolling out of the portal, wielding his blade.
"Damian, right on time," Tim's smile was strained.
"How bothersome," The child tutted, "I could barely stand one of you, now I must endure two?" He sneered at Robin.
"Oh, hush now, little brother," Tim ruffled Damian's hair, narowly avoiding a slash of his sword, "Y'know, you don't exist in this world," He grinned.
"Preposterous," Damian scoffed, "My mother is most likely keeping me from father."
"And...your father is?" Robin frowned.
"I am the blood son," Damian said proudly the same time Duke, Jason and Tim rolled their eyes saying, "He's the blood son."
"Of me?" Batman's eyes were wide, comically so, eliciting a short wheeze from Jason, "Who's your mother?" He questioned urgently.
"Talia al Ghul," Damian said coolly.
"Oh fuck," Nightwing snorted.
"Where is Grayson?" Damian asked coldly.
"Uh...here," Jason pulled a stress ball out of his utility belt, "You might want this."
"What is this, Todd?" Damian sheathed his blades and took it.
"Uh...Dick may or may not be dead," Jason said bluntly.
"Well which is it?" Damian growled lowly.
"We're going with 'may not,'" Tim decided.
"Then I have no need to be stressed," Despite Damian's words the stress ball burst.
"Anger issues," Came a soft voice from behind the brothers.
"Jesus fuck, Cass!" Tim jumped, startled by her quiet arrival out of the portal.
"Apologies," But the twitching of her lips into a smile didn't make it seem like she was all that sorry.
"How...long have you been standing there?" Batman asked.
'Dick may or may not be dead,' She signed.
"And...none of us noticed?" Batman faltered.
"Sneaky," She hummed.
With a yelp, Steph came stumbling out of the portal, Duke catching her and righting her.
"Not so sneaky," Cass said.
"Whoa!" Steph gawked at the group before them, "No way! Look two Timmers! That's twice the trauma," She bit her lip, letting out a fuckboy laugh.
"..." Robin gawked at the girl.
Barbara rolled gracefully out of the portal, sighing tiredly when she noted the lack of Nightwing.
"I'm...in a wheelchair," Batgirl blinked at herself in surprise.
"Oracle," Barbara smiled, "At your service."
"Why am I in a wheelchair?"
"Ah, Joker paralyzed us," She threw up a peace sign.
"Not a very peace sign worthy statement, Babs," Steph rose a brow.
"Yes, well, unhealthy coping mechanisms and all that jazz," She shrugged, "Harley's been working with me on that."
"Harley?" Nightwing repeated, "As-as in Harley Quinn?"
"Mmm, she's working with Leslie as a psychologist again," Barbara beamed, "Yeah no, she's really healed since breaking up with the Joker."
"She did what?" Robin gawked, "Good for her," He praised.
"Right?" Jason grinned sharply, "Yeah no, she and Ivy fuck with him all the time now, hella fun, especially since-"
"Todd, I swear if you bring up the Joker still living again I will run you through with my blade," Damian snarled.
"You're...a violent one," Robin blinked down at Damian.
Damian surged forward but was lifted off the ground by the back of his uniform by Jason.
"Imagine how sad Dick'll be when we tell him you attacked Tim from an alternate reality," Jason cooed dramatically.
"...I will refrain from attacking anyone else tonight," Damian reluctantly said, Jason setting his down.
"Twenty bucks says he breaks his word," Tim said not so quietly to Duke.
"Dude, no one's gonna take you up on that," Duke shook his head, amused.
"Yeah, only 'cause the gremlin has no self control," Tim snickered.
"You little-" Damian lunged at Tim.