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Jason hit the ground hard. The sounds of armed conflict rang dizzily in his head; shouts and the pop of gunfire.
The artifact he’d grabbed only moments ago still hummed in his hand, glow present but fading fast. They’d been fighting some new supervillain type—he’d been using an amulet to get away—and this time Jason had leapt to grab it just as it started to glow.
And activate, he thought. Since clearly he was somewhere new. Jury still out on whether it would be a safe place to crash. At least he could have the assurance the rest of his team (the ones still left, anyway, he thought with a flash of bitterness) would be able to apprehend the guy with his escape plan gone.
Groaning under his breath, he pushed himself up onto his knees and hands to find himself in a dingy warehouse. He slipped the amulet over his neck for safekeeping.
Glancing behind, he stiffened as he spotted the people fighting. Batman.
Batman was a blur of motion and shadow, dodging the spray of bullets from a loose group of armed men. They were all further inside the warehouse. The men appeared to be guarding a set of crates, though their contents were unclear.
But not all of them there. A pair of light footsteps echoed near his head.
Jason was close to the door, and so was—
“Tim!” He cried, lurching to his feet.
Tim had already spotted him, and was crouching on one knee to look Jason over. Jason nearly bowled the both of them over with his rush to stand.
Tim blinked at him. He was wearing some strange outfit, more armored than their jumpsuits, and all red rather than with some green. A mask was plastered over his eyes, but Jason saw him with his sunglasses on often enough, and it wasn’t too different. Jason would still recognize him anywhere.
His mind was churning. Okay, sure, the weird teleport amulet apparently might cover more like a little hop across the city. But honestly, that wasn’t really his priority at the minute.
“How old are you?!” He exclaimed. One trembling hand reached out towards Tim’s cheek.
Tim shied away, visibly confused, and Jason couldn’t help the way it felt like a stab in the gut.
Even behind the dinky little mask Jason could tell Tim was slightly different. His face was a little rounder, fuller with youth, and he was—if it was even possible—slightly shorter. But it was unmistakably Tim.
Even more unmistakably after he squawked, “Jason?!”
His voice was just barely higher, though that could have just been the surprise.
A quick scan didn’t reveal any injuries. Heaving a relieved breath, Jason took another glance behind him. Good. Tim knew who he was, even if it was some sort of alternate Tim, and Batman was still occupied.
Unceremoniously, Jason grabbed Tim by the arm and started towing him towards the exit.
“Wha—hey!” Tim protested, pulling weakly at his grip. Jason just kept booking it for the exit. “Batman’s still back there!”
“I know,” Jason snarled. Tim looked shocked. He reeled it back, voice softening. “And we’ll get him later, okay? But right now we need to get safe.”
“Okay…?”
Despite his displeasure, Tim allowed Jason to haul him out of the warehouse door. Jason released Tim’s arm for better mobility as he began to scale a neighboring building’s fire escape. Tim followed.
“So, where are we going? I’m not getting too far from here. I know you’re Jason, but you’re not my Jason.”
Fire escape rattling with each of their steps, Jason led them to the top before hauling himself onto the roof. Tim followed with an ease that felt frankly unfair. Jason was pretty sure Tim wasn’t quite that agile at this age where he was from. Okay, so this universe had ninja Tim. Fantastic.
“We don’t have to go far,” Jason replied. “Just somewhere out of sight. Let me know if I’m taking us somewhere dangerous, okay?”
Taking a running leap, Jason hit the next roof feet-first, not pausing.
“You got it,” was the muffled and somewhat sarcastic reply.
Even that was close to bringing Jason to tears.
Damn. He was really fucked up, wasn’t he?
Jason paused after a minute. The roof they were on now felt close to secure—there was an alcove they could tuck themselves behind where they could blend into the shadows, and they’d made it about a block from the warehouse.
Jason had a feeling Tim wouldn’t let them get much further than that before he pulled a runner. Now that he’d paused to fully take him in once more, he could see the restless was Tim shifted in his feet, and the guarded way he assessed their surroundings.
A wave of nostalgia so fierce and painful swept through Jason that he almost stumbled. As it was, he curled in on himself slightly with a jolt, hand pressed hard to his chest.
Tim took an aborted step forward, masked eyes going wide. It seemed seeing Jason in distress broke through his hesitance.
“Are you okay?”
Jason pulled Tim into a fierce hug. Despite the strangeness of their situation, Tim still felt so fucking familiar, and it had Jason’s breath hitching in his chest. This was how Tim had felt to hug. Back when they had the chance.
Jason hadn’t used that chance enough. And now Tim was gone, and the team was all fractured and everything was wrong.
Hot tears squeezed out of his shut eyes, and Jason squeezed tighter. One of Tim’s hands awkwardly patted his arm. Jason snorted wetly.
“Are you crying?” Tim spluttered incredulously.
“No. Shut up.”
Jason finally pulled himself together. Peeling himself off of Tim, he wiped his face roughly with the back of his hand, but just as quickly replaced it on Tim’s arm. For his part, Tim just looked curious. Clever eyes dissected his every move. For once it didn’t bug the hell out of him.
“So.” Tim started. “Alternate universe?”
Jason sighed gustily. “Yup. Wait, how did you know?”
Tim raised his eyebrows.
“Let’s just say you look a little different than I’m used to.”
“What, more handsome?”
Huffing a laugh, Tim said, “Something like that. Not to mention you’re a… little friendlier.”
Jason’s brow creased, and he couldn’t help the grief that rolled over him at Tim’s words.
He missed him. And Tim had probably never known just how much Jason relied on having him around. How much they all did. And now Jason would never get to hear another cheerful word or smart-ass comment from him again.
Not from his Tim, at least. But this one… this one he could keep safe.
“Well, you’re even shrimpier than I’m used to,” Jason managed to joke. Using one hand, he measured Tim’s height, then compared it to his own. Barely past his chin. “You don’t even look eighteen yet!”
Tim raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. That’s because I’m not.”
“Wha—seriously?! Where the hell is your team?”
“My team,” Tim said slowly.
“Yeah. Me, Dick, Steph, Duke,” Jason replied. “Please tell me they didn’t leave you here by yourself.”
“I… no? Batman was there.”
“Tim! You can’t do that. Not alone.”
Jason knew he was coming off desperate, that his hands were suddenly gripping Tim’s arms a little too tight, but he couldn’t stop. Couldn’t dial it back.
There was no way in hell he was going to let events repeat themselves here. Not if the Tim of this universe didn’t even need Jason leading him into a death trap, and went seeking it out himself. This Tim, who was even younger, who was out here totally alone. If there was a Jason in this world they’d be having words.
“Listen—“ Jason started, before freezing.
A massive shadow crept over Jason’s back. Slow, heavy footsteps prowled towards his back. Tim took a small, sharp breath.
Jason turned slowly.
“Tim,” he said, deadly serious. “I’ll hold him off. You run.”
“What? No! That’s not—“
“Who are you?” Batman rumbled. Awesome. Now Jason was shitting himself.
“Your worst nightmare, buddy,” Jason managed. He broadened his stance, protecting Tim with his back as much as he could. Jason may be shit out of luck in the weapons department, but that didn’t mean he would go down easy.
Though, he could admit to himself, with bare hands as his only defense it might not be that hard.
The Batman of this universe was, at second glance, visibly different than the one from his. The glaring difference was in their physique. Rather than looking like some roided-up beast more muscle than man, this Batman just seemed like a guy. A tall guy, sure. But just a guy. He was without the battle axe and the trademark tattered, pointed cloak for a sleeker look.
It buoyed Jason’s spirits slightly. Maybe he didn’t need his suit after all. Or like, anything.
Nope. He was definitely gonna die.
Despite his fear, Jason snorted. “You miss a few days at the gym, man? Forget to take your Creatine? You’re looking a bit small, there! Might wanna back off.”
Batman took one intimidating step forward. Despite his lack of combat boots, he still carried an undeniable gravity. Jason tensed further. “Step away from Red Robin.”
“Over my dead body,” Jason snarled.
Oddly, Batman almost seemed to flinch.
“Both of you, hold on!” Tim fought his way around Jason’s back to peer around him. “Batman. Stand down. This seems to be some sort of alternate reality situation.”
“Robin. Report.”
“Like hell. We don’t report to you,” Jason sneered. Then froze. Both Tim and Batman were looking at him, one more visibly questioning than the other. A pit opened in his stomach. All of his assumptions rearranged.
“…Wait,” he said, feeling dizzy. “Do you?”
Whipping his head back and forth, Jason took in the scene with new eyes. Tim and Batman were both treating him like he was the obstacle. Tim was half out from behind him, and Jason put out an arm to keep him there, turning his head to look directly at him.
“Tim,” he lowered his voice. “Do you work for this guy?”
Eyebrows furrowing, Tim responded, “Yeah. Are you not a vigilante?”
Jason’s stomach dropped through his feet. All he could do was gape in horror for a moment.
This was hell. Tim had been kidnapped and brainwashed by Batman to be a vigilante! He was—grooming him, or something.
“That’s disgusting.” He wheeled on Batman, growling, “What the hell did you do with him? Kidnap him and indoctrinate him into your psychotic mission? You can’t just steal children for some sort of evil child soldier army! I’m not gonna let you have him!”
“Woah, woah, hey! Jason, cool it! Batman’s a good guy.” Tim was gently tapping Jason’s arm with his palm, but Jason shook it off.
“Like hell. He’s just trying to lull you into a false sense of security. That’s what he does. And how did you even end up doing this? He what, has you running around fighting grown men? You’re in high school!” Jason paused.A new fear struck him. “Wait, you are in high school, right?”
“I…” Tim’s hesitation told him all he needed to know. “It’s not his fault! He wasn’t there!”
“And whose fault is that? I bet he keeps you locked up in a dungeon and brings you out at night just to shake people down for cash and assassinate political figures.”
The aforementioned man was still just standing there. Looming while Jason and Tim bickered. Like a freak. God, Jason needed to get out of here.
Now visibly frustrated, Tim cut in again.
“Okay, this is getting out of control. Look, Jason, I don’t know what he did where you’re from, but it’s not like that here. B’s safe. If you cooperate we can figure out how to get you back together.”
“Work together? With him?”
“Yes, Jason, with him. Again. I don’t know what happened with—“
“He killed you!”
The scream tore Jason’s throat ragged. His shoulders were heaving. His eyes were once again wet. Traitorously, Jason could feel his entire body trembling, from his white-knuckled fists to his jaw.
Batman stilled. Tim appeared even more stunned, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open.
Jason’s anger boiled through his body uncontrollably. It felt like his chest would burst with it, and words continued to rush out without his direction.
“He came to me, pretending he just wanted to talk,” Jason continued, rage burning through his gut. “But as soon as I took my eyes off him he killed you right in front of me. And you were only there to help me in the first place. So you can’t do this type of shit, Tim! You just can’t!”
His anger tangled with grief inside of him and he felt physically ill, shaking and burning up. Every day since it happened the images of Tim’s still body had been running through his mind constantly. That moment had marked him for the rest of his life. Both in the glaring lack of Tim’s presence, and the weight of it pressing constantly in on his mind.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Tim had only been out there because of Jason. Because he wanted them to stick together as a team, more than anyone, not because of some dictated idea of how they should be but because he just wanted them all to support each other. Because he cared, and that’s what he did. Because as much as he might joke around and talk shit, Tim was always, always deeply kind.
“Jason…” Tim sounded winded. Uncertain. “I’m sorry. But that’s not going to happen here.”
Jason could only look at Tim desperately. There was no way to know that. Not for certain. But he also didn’t fully understand this world, so maybe his fears were unfounded. But what if they weren’t?
Jason blinked harshly again tears.
“So if you’re not a vigilante, what’s with the suit?”
“Uh. It’s a flight suit, basically. Our team all pilot mechs as part of an initiative called the Robin Program. Its purpose is to restore public safety.”
“How did you get into that?”
“Oh. Well, me and the rest of the team were all wards of the state for… various reasons,” he said. “We were recruited from various children’s homes or juvie by Jack Grimm, and we all trained together as a unit.”
“Jack Grimm?”
“You don’t have him here? Billionaire, major philanthropist? Heir to a media empire?”
“Isn’t this recruitment strategy basically what you were accusing my Batman of?”
“No! That’s totally different,” Jason argued. “We have the sign-off of the law. Plus we don’t murder people.”
“Uh, yeah, neither do we. So what, are you like paramilitary Power Rangers?”
“I’ve honestly gotten that comparison before.”
“Holy crap,” said Tim. “You’re like, Neon Genesis Evangelion Jason. This is crazy. That’s kinda awesome. Are you, like, the Asuka of that universe?”
“No clue who that is, but I bet they’re not half as sick. My mech’s the biggest, too. I wish you could see it,” Jason grinned widely. “I even break through some clouds, if the smog is lying low enough that day.”
Absently, Jason wondered if the Tim here was also a major gearhead. He and Jason had always had that interest in common, though Tim’s interest fell a little further into the programming and gadgeteering zone.
“What’s even the point of a mech that big?”
“You’d be surprised, man. You should see the Batman from my world. He’s like ten feet tall.”
“Humans get that big where you’re from?”
“I didn’t think so. But no… he’s a real freak.”
Sobering, Jason shot Batman another dark look. Thankfully, he hadn’t moved from his place at the edge of the roof. Hopefully he’d topple backwards or something.
Tim started to say something else but was cut off by the arrival of a fourth party.
A grapple latched to the edge of the roof, and within a second a new man arrived with a slick metallic noise. He landed soundlessly, standing from his crouch with a lithe, animal ease.
“Lotta noise happening in my territory tonight,” his voice drawled, distorted through his red mask. “Can’t help but wonder—“
And then, as he caught sight of Jason, he froze.
He recovered from his slip just as quickly as he paused. Red Helmet took in Jason with a distinctly judgmental air. If he wasn’t wearing the mask, Jason had the feeling he’d see one raised eyebrow.
“Holy cosplayers, Batman,” he whistled. “Anyone gonna introduce me? How about you, former boy wonder?”
Jason wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about, but based on Tim’s tensing, it wasn’t polite. Tim had gone more rigid since this new person arrived, actually. He’d slipped into a more serious, combat-ready air, smile replaced with a carefully schooled neutrality.
But no one actually seemed to want to fight. That was probably important. Uneasy allies, then? An ally who insulted Tim.
With this dynamic now understood, Jason scoffed, crossing his arms. If Batman wasn’t gonna stick up for Tim, he was right there.
“Stop being a goddamn prick, man,” Jason snapped. Whoever this stranger was, he was an asshole. Maybe it was this world’s version of Dick.
“Yeah, Hood, stop being a prick,” Tim chimed in with relish. Another point to the “alternate Dick Grayson” category.
The man fake-gagged.
“This is so fucking weird. I think I might be about to throw up.”
“Go ahead. Choke on it,” Jason sneered.
“Tell me this isn’t a long-term addition?”
“That has yet to be seen.” Batman finally spoke again. Jason would have preferred to continue like he didn’t exist. Thankfully, he hadn’t moved any closer. Jason hated that he was sort of adjusting to this menacing non-roided out child kidnapper Batman.
“How did you get here anyways? You kind of just… appeared.” Tim did jazz hands for emphasis.
Fishing the weird amulet out from his jacket, Jason dangled it between them.
“This thing. Me and the other Robins were fighting some whack job who’d been using it to escape. Thought it was just a teleporter. Didn’t know it’d send me to another goddamn universe. Or a very convincing hallucination.”
“I vote another universe,” Tim returned absently, leaning forward to inspect the stone. “Pretty sure I’m real. Hopefully.”
“So, how does it work? Did you just touch it?” Asked Hood.
“No. It started glowing. Kind of… like… that.”
The magic mystery amulet began to glow. Exactly like it had maybe an hour ago. It started slow, the red light barely visible against his skin, but it began to grow in intensity.
Everyone on the rooftop’s attention locked onto it. Hood’s hands flexed around nothing, and Batman’s cowled gaze was sharp as a knife, but Tim’s reaction was the only one Jason was concerned with. The boy’s eyes were similarly fixed on the amulet, almost close enough to reach out and touch. The red glow began to bathe his face.
Heart leaping with half joy and half fear, Jason only took a moment to shove the amulet back in his jacket before he threw Tim into another embrace.
“Listen, kid, I’m going,” he whispered, rushed. “But stay safe. If you know Jason here, I’m sure he cares about you. If you ever need anyone, and he’s halfway like me, he’ll be in your corner. Even if he’s never said it. I hope to god Batman here isn’t some freaky kidnapper, but if you need help, get it.”
“I—“ Tim was stuttering something, but Jason rushed to complete himself.
“I never got to really tell my Tim like I meant it, but I love you. You’re my brother. Alright?”
Something complicated but sympathetic was playing across Tim’s face. Jason wondered what it meant. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Batman and Hood, too. And while Hood’s face remained mysterious, there was something deep and grieved in the line of his mouth.
Jason hoped that Tim was loved by someone, here—knew that he must be—and prayed that Tim knew that as well.
“I… yeah. You’re my brother too, Jason. I’m sure your Tim would say the same thing.”
And with the sensation of his world being wrenched away from him, Jason was gone.