Chapter Text
Hourglass
1.1
Jason
I’ve been tracking this asshole in front of me for a while. To tell the truth, it doesn’t even feel fun anymore. This man, who has nicknamed himself as Hourglass but who really has the name Christian Driver is getting on my nerves .I mean, he’s supposed to be this great scientist and arms dealer who has killed people with his machines but damn he’s annoying. He lacks any refinement or grace or noticeable skill. Besides, the more he does that thing which I suppose he thinks is talking, the more annoyed I feel. What’s worse is that I see Batman and Nightwing have been tracking this guy as well, whether they have done it independently or teamed up, that’s not to my knowledge. I don’t think it’s even their knowledge that I’m perched on the rooftop two floors above them.
Was there a point in my even coming here? They don’t give a crap about me despite how they might pretend to. I don’t know if they even cared after I had been blown up. Yeah, I died, and nothing changed except for the things in my life especially with the Lazarus Pit and their refusal to acknowledge me as a family member.
Another Batmarang, now this is getting ridiculous. The only tool that is needed against this guy is a handgun, he’s a complete joke. I start to load. Yes, killing him will get me labeled as a maniac and an outcast for the rest of my life but what other way is there with truly dealing with these creeps. As I see Batman start to work out a physical strategy. I see that this man has thrown some type a smoke bomb explosive. Thank god or Lucifer or whoever that I have a mask on that’s thicker than what they have on.
Batman manages to get out of the way but as a second and third weapon is fired, I see Nightwing fall onto the ground. This guy can’t be that great at his job. As Nightwing begins to appear to go into a convulsive seizure, I see Hourglass reload and point it at Batman who is struggling to see from this gas which might have traces of some of his other chemicals in it.
I don’t know what compels me to do this but I shoot two bullets aiming for each of his arms, not deadly but enough that he’ll have to go through some kind of therapy for full use of them again and I land in front of Batman. “I’ll take care of Nightwing,” I say and see his surprise. Is he really this unaware of his surroundings? Where is the mentor who I’ve always admired and yet had a bitter rage towards.
Yeah, as I am now in the line of fire I can sense there’s something debilitating about this smoke. I see Hourglass loading his weapon again, some high-tech gadget that maybe only Tim would understand. As the shot is directed towards Batman again, I fire another shot whilst jumping in front of him and find myself on the ground. I also see Hourglass drop but I doubt that shot would be enough to kill him.
I feel it. Cold. Bitter cold. It’s as if everything is fading away from me and I’m starting to see black. Black and that familiar white light Maybe it’ll be better to stay dead this time. I feel a hand on my upper arm. “Get to Dick,” I whisper in a way that only Bruce would be able to hear. “I’m fine.” I lie as I cough out and am able to get enough focus to see Bats in front of me. “Get to Nighwing!!” I yell out as I feel my energy die out. “He needs you!! No one would care if I died anyway!!”
I freeze as I finally allow the darkness to cover me like a blanket. Did I just say that out loud?
1.2
Bruce
It’s been a few hours and I’ve finally managed to conduct some further research onto Hourglass, who is on his way to Arkham. I can’t believe I hadn’t seen all of this information before, it isn’t like me to neglect looking into it. There were all kinds of missing people, politicians, celebrities, business leaders, etc. who all seemed to just vanish one day or put a press release in that said they were retiring. A lot of socialites as well. I don’t pay attention at these parties which I’m invited to, or at least not to the surface level things. I’m always on the lookout for crime, for something that may be going wrong that I should intervene with.
So the disappearance of both people from criminal organizations and the rich and elite had gone under my nose and it shouldn’t have. As I was monitoring the street, I wasn’t monitoring these things. Have I lost my edge already? Am I getting too old for this so I’m making mistakes? This man, Hourglass, has somehow come up with the technology to both speed up and reverse aging at speeds that leave even me baffled
That guilt is further multiplied by hearing Jason’s voice even muffled under the mask. No one would care if I died anyway
I feel that that is an absolute wrong assumption and I hate that I contributed to him feeling that way about himself. Not only do I care about him as well as the rest of the family, he’s made some connections with others out in the world. He does have people who love him even if he keeps them at a distance;
Seeing the aftermath though of what happened to the first two of my “sons” is devastating and I refuse to believe that their different circumstances has anything to do with their intrinsic being. Jason put himself in danger to save me. Would that mean that I would be that small boy right now who was scared and alone on the night my parents died. I know that Alfred would always look after me even were that to happen but I shudder to think of it. Even worse is Dick’s case. He has had to endure a lot these last several years, To find out about the increase in his age might break him. Jason did tell me to look after him even at the expense of himself.
As I stare at the computer, I can hear someone enter and I turn to see Alfred leading someone into the cave. I notice Barbara there and give her a nod as she approaches me and sees two body scan images on the screen, one much larger than the other.
“How is he --- are they, Bruce?” she asks me and I see the fear in her eyes. I am truly off of my game now. I didn’t even know that she and Dick had begun to see one another again in that way. I need more sleep but that’s a hard thing to come by with my particular “hobby”.
“They are stabilized, however, the amount of shock that they’ll go through is something that hasn’t been determined,” I tell her. “Alfred can lead you to Dick’s room.”
Barbara sighs as she puts a hand on her chest. “I’d really like to see him,” she admits to me before looking away and hurriedly saying. “And Jason too. I heard that Jason is also hurt so I – yeah, if he’s okay then…then that’s good.”
“But you want to see Dick, I understand,” I tell her and look back on the screen. I can’t believe I failed both of them once again.
No one would care if I died anyway.
How am I ever going to get his voice and those words out of my head? Is there even any way of being able to do that? Do I really make him feel that his life has that lack of meaning. I’m definitely not a great mentor if he does feel that way.
1.3
Dick
I feel a pain in my chest as I see the sunlight going through the window. I put a hand out to realize that I’m still wearing my gloves. I’m still wearing my Nightwing outfit but it feels too tight on me. Yeah, really tight. I take a deep breath in and feel a pain in my chest before hearing a muffled sob.
“I’m sorry,” I hear Babs say and I realize that she’s squeezing my other hand. I squeeze it too but my hand is sore, my whole body feels sore as if I’ve been doing strenuous – okay, so being Nightwing can be pretty strenuous at times.
“Hey,” I speak, my voice showing how exhausted I am, maybe it was the gas that prompted it. As I take her in, I see that her eyes are red and puffy and her hair is slightly messy as if she’s been continually running her fingers through it. “Babs, I’m sorry, baby,” I tell her and she shakes her head. How long have I been out? Was I in a coma or ---
“Are you okay? Are you feeling okay? Do you need me to get you anything?” she asks quickly and I look her over. No, she looks just like she did on our date this past weekend. A little more discomposed but still the same. If anything, I’ve been in a coma for maybe a month. Hair doesn’t really grow that much in a month, does it?
“Yeah,” I try sitting up but my body feels so stiff. She squeezes my hand again.
“Richard John Grayson,” she says and I stare at her. Did I do something? Babara comes and sits at the side of the bed. I stare at her. “I’m your girlfriend, correct?” she asks and I nod. Is she going to accuse me of cheating on her? No. First of all, I wouldn’t, but second of all, she has a long history of being Oracle so she’d already know. “And you’re my boyfriend?”
“Y-Yes,” I say slowly. Man, this woman definitely knows how to make me feel like a pubescent teenager again.
“Remember that.” I stare at her what is she talking about?
End of Chapter One
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