Chapter Text
Dick hated the weird, alternate universe he’d found himself in.
He was alone, which was unsafe, he had no food or backup. He had no suit or comm. He was starving because he was alone, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to approach this world’s Batman.
He might have approached himself, but himself was dead and so that was a little bit difficult.
Also, the himself here had been human. And old. Dick couldn’t imagine being as old as Batman. And Batman was even older here.
And then there was Batman. Batman was a human! He was literally the demon of Gotham! Dick didn’t understand how it was possible.
Dick wanted to trust that any Bruce would help him, even if he was a human.
But humans still made Dick’s skin crawl a little bit. Sometimes. Not all the time, and he was getting better, because he needed humans to feed from in order to live, but not all humans were Alfred and even if it was Bruce then it was a Bruce that Dick didn’t know and he was scared and alone and he wanted his parents back.
Dick didn’t even realize he was crying until he heard the scuff of boots approaching. He pressed a hand over his mouth, curling in deeper into the shadow of the stairs he’d crammed himself beneath while he tried to figure out his next steps. His breath sounded too loud but he couldn’t fully stifle his hitching sobs.
He froze when a bulky figure crouched by the edge of the stairs, peering into the gap Dick had wedged himself through. It didn’t have horns.
Dick didn’t let himself relax when the eyes that met his glowed dimly in the shadowed light. A demon.
Not all demons were good.
Even if this one felt a little bit like Bruce.
“Hey,” The demon said, voice soft and velvety with the soothing purr he started up when he caught sight of Dick and his distress. Dick sniffled, curling impossibly smaller as he mustered up a glare “Go away,” He said with as much authority as he could muster “Leave me alone!”
The demon didn’t leave, his purr kicking up louder as he crouched lower, positioning himself below Dick on the ground. It couldn’t be comfortable, but the demon’s purr didn’t pause at all.
“What’s wrong, kid?” The demon asked, still so soothing, and Dick’s lip wobbled “I want my dad,” He whispered, tears spilling down his cheeks once more.
The other demon chirred gently “Are you lost?” He asked, and Dick found himself nodding. He was lost, he had nowhere to go, his home was gone. And he was alone. “I want my dad,” He whispered again.
The older demon squirmed closer, his hands gentle on Dick’s cheeks as he wiped the tears and grime away from his face. “Do you know where he is?” The other demon asked, and Dick gave a jerky nod his head, his throat tight. He didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t want to remember what had happened to his parents.
Slowly, Dick let himself be coaxed forward out of his hiding spot. He still wasn’t totally sure about this strange demon, but he wasn’t trying to take Dick anywhere, yet, he just pulled some wet-wipes from the pocket of the jacket he’d shed in order to fit under the stairs with Dick and wiped Dick’s face and hands clean.
Then he just let Dick lean against his side, crying.
Eventually, Dick wore himself out. Exhausted as he let the other demon rub his back, humming tunelessly until his continuous purr started getting raspy.
“Do you any phone numbers you can call?” The demon asked “To reach your family?” Dick sniffled, shaking his head and burying his face in his knees. He didn’t want to think about it. He pressed his hands over his ears, ignoring the other when they tried to get Dick to look at him. He didn’t want to think about his family. Didn’t want to remember that he couldn’t even call Bruce because the Bruce here wasn’t his Bruce.
“…dad…” Dick pressed his hands harder, refusing to listen “…—NAME?” Dick grit his teeth, biting back every stranger danger speech he’d ever been given.
Dick could take care of himself. And this stranger wasn’t so bad.
“Dick.” Dick said, feeling the other jolt against him and remembering that he needed to specify. He straightened up slightly, finally lowering his hands “Dick Grayson,” He clarified.
“What.” The demon said, purr stuttering to a halt.
Dick fidgeted, suddenly wary.
The demon recognized his name, but Dick didn’t recognize him. That could mean very bad things.
Bruce didn’t like when people knew about Dick, he’d gotten very angry at the reporters that had tried to follow Dick to school. Dick had snuck into a few of the fancy parties that Bruce would throw sometimes, but he wasn’t really supposed to be known, not when he was still small. Which Dick thought was a little dumb, but it kept the humans away from him mostly so he didn’t mind too much.
“Your dad’s a human,” The demon said after a beat, and Dick curled his lip “half-human,” He clarified testily. “What.” The demon said again “How did I not know that?” He muttered under his breath before shaking his head.
“Okay,” The demon said, “…Do you know what happened to your dad?” He asked warily. Dick gave another jerky nod, fighting back more tears. Yeah he knew what had happened to his dad, he’d been right there when it happened.
Wait.
Dick Grayson was dead here. There was no way that the demon had known who Dick was and then just accepted that Dick was that Dick.
Oh.
The demon had been asking about his dad.
Suddenly, several things clicked into place.
The demon had been asking for his dad’s name.
He thought that Dick was Dick’s own kid.
…Dick could work with that, he guessed. He wasn’t sure if admitting to universal travel would Break Everything, so maybe it was better if he just… let people come to their own conclusions as to his origins.
It would be fine. Probably.
The other demon sighed again, rubbing his temple with one hand, his other arm still draped around Dick’s shoulders.
“What’s your name kid?” He asked, and Dick’s brain stalled out again.
“I’m Robin” He blurted out, wincing as his voice squeaked into an impish chirp. He wasn’t a baby.
The other demon put his head in his hands with a groan “Of course you are,” He said, and Dick wasn’t entirely sure he appreciated the tone.
Robin wasn’t really known yet, not like Batman was anyway. Bruce didn’t really want Dick out fighting much, he was mostly learning to case crime scenes for evidence the cops had left behind because the police couldn’t solve their way out of a wet paper bag and that was why Gotham needed Batman (and Robin) in the first place.
Commissioner Gordon was okay, his niece was a demon like Dick and gosh Barbara was so cool and Dick was gonna be like her when he grew up.
He deflated slightly. He was never going to see Babs again, the one here was human, too.
Dick shook his head, trying not to dwell on sad thoughts.
“Wait,” He said, “How do you know m— my dad?” He stuttered out, studying the other demon suspiciously.
“Uh,” The demon said, looking shifty “I knew him from… Work.” He said slowly “…Christ, did you know about his night job?” The other demon asked warily.
“Night. Job.” Dick repeated, wrinkling his nose “You make it sound like he was a prostitute,” He complained, making the older demon choke “How do you even know what that is?” He asked, making Dick stick his tongue out at him.
“…He was clearly a bit of a whore, though,” The demon muttered, likely not intending for Dick to hear.
Dick gaped “Excuse me?” He asked, shrill.
The demon winced, “Nothing,” he amended quickly “Just, uh, do you know who your mom was?” He asked.
Dick just glared.
“This is so above my pay-grade” The demon sighed, pressing his palms over his eyes for a long moment.
“Look, kid,” The older demon said “I’m gonna take you somewhere safe, and then we’ll figure things out from there.”
Dick hesitated “I shouldn’t go with you to a secondary location,” Dick said seriously. The demon’s lip quirked into a half-smile “Smart kid,” He said, “I will take you to your, uh, I’ll take you to Bruce Wayne, okay? You know about Bruce, right?”
Dick gave a small nod, if it was Bruce then at least he wasn’t being taken to somewhere shady. He knew the way to the manor from here so he’d be able to tell if they weren’t on the route to where the other demon said they were going.
Dick bit his lip “He’s…” Dick hesitated “Is he… gonna be okay? With me?” He gestured vaguely at himself. The demon looked confused. “With me being a demon, I mean,” Dick fidgeted as the older demon startled.
“Oh,” The demon said, blinking “Yeah, he doesn’t care about that.” Dick was still a little dubious. He didn’t think he could handle it if this Bruce was mean. “Look, kid,” The other demon sighed “I promise, he’ll be thrilled.” Now that Dick seriously doubted. Bruce was rarely thrilled about anything. Happy, sure, amused, but thrilled? No way.
“Okay,” Dick nodded decisively. He could be brave. He was Robin, he could handle anything thrown his way.