Death: I don't understand my brain right now.
Warning: Before anyone freaks out, Terry is still a boy. However, he is currently undergoing the sex change from female to male. Therefore, Terry is still male. And he's far enough along that it's not too obvious. I am doing this risky move not only because I like the idea, but also to play with the idea Damian is not only sent to the future, but in a slightly different dimension. So why not spice it up a little and make it interesting?
Disclaimer I do not own Batman Beyond, Batman, or Justice League. I did however, create a few villains for the time machine that sends Damian into the future in a different dimension.
Chapter One The Lost Robin
=3=
It was a regular night in Gotham City. Terry was making the usual rounds when suddenly there was an explosion resonating through the air. He picked up the direction it came from and turned the Batmobile around. And here he thought it was going to be another quiet night without crime.
"Terry, that explosion…"
A familiar voice was stern over the intercom in the car. For some reason he sounded worried.
"I'm on it, I'm almost there." He assured the old man, pulling the car lower in altitude as he neared the area of smoke. He looked down to see on a rooftop two people fighting next to a broken machine that was up in flames.
Weird. That wasn't there a few minutes before when I passed here.
He put the car into autopilot and exited, arms spread to activate the wings. He used the jets to make his way closer. When he landed and got a closer look did Batman pause.
That can't be what I think that is…
There was a short man warding off a young kid by the age of ten and thirteen range, and while the weird getup of the short man made him look like he needed a lesson on fashion, it was the kid his eyes were drawn to.
The kid was wearing the basic uniform of Robin. From the cape, red torso, and green leggings and the mask. What made him scratch his head was the fact the kid was wielding a sword.
"What did you do, Lord Destiny!?" Robin yelled at the top of his lungs.
"The machine worked! It worked! But my creation was destroyed because you lot interfered! I don't even know if we're in the same dimension!" The short man warded off the sword with his spear, which looked strangely like it was once a cane.
What in the world did I step into?
As much as he wanted to ask the old man watching from the aerial view of the cameras on the car, Terry decided act now, questions later. By the kid's movements, he was about ready to kill the man.
"This is no time to be spilling blood, kid." He said as he sent a few batarangs to pin both to the wall.
The short man stayed there, accepting defeat. The kid however dodged. And upon seeing him, the kid freaked. As if the shock of appearing on a rooftop out of nowhere wasn't enough.
"You're not the real Batman! Who are you, imposter!?" The kid gripped his sword tightly.
"Look here, Robin, I am Batman. And what are you doing with a sword? I didn't sign up with a partner in this." Terry was more or less speaking to both the kid and Bruce.
However, the old man was unusually silent.
Robin didn't take too kindly to his words. With a yell the kid charged. He aimed for his throat, which Terry dodged and set a sweep kick of his own to knock the kid down. However, this unknown Robin had quick reflexes and rolled out of the way.
He swung that sword again. With no time to dodge he raised his arms, and to his luck, the sharp spikes along his arms caught the sword before it sliced into the suit. Or worse cut his arms off.
"You can't be Batman! I know his suit! That is not his suit!" The kid persisted.
Does he remember the old man back in his day? But how? He's younger than me!
"Look, kid, I don't know what's going on here, but you must either be confused or you're suffering from memory loss. Now tell me what happened here."
If he could just get the kid to calm down and talk, then they can figure all this out.
"I'm not telling you anything, imposter!" He withdrew his sword, ready for another swing, when the machine ten feet away from them exploded. The kid was closest to it, and the shockwave sent him flying.
No! He's about to fall!
He ran through the smoke as he reached out to the kid. He grabbed hold of a wrist much tinier than his own, half leaning over the edge of the building. For a few seconds the smoke cleared. They coughed as their eyes met for an intense moment.
"Trust me, for just this once. I'm just as confused as you are." He pressured, as they didn't have much time.
"Terry, bring him back to the manor. And make sure both of you return in one piece."
"Yeah, yeah, kinda hard when he's got a sword and I'm half over the side of a building old man." He hadn't realized he said that out loud until the kid cocked his head to the side.
"Old man? Who is talking to you?"
Finally I have something to change his focus on.
"You'll see when I bring you home. You just have to trust me. Promise me you won't slice me in half."
The kid opened his mouth about to answer when another explosion shook the building. This time pieces of the roof was cracking, and the edge he was using to keep them from falling broke off. Without a moment to lose he rolled forward with a flip, pulling the smaller body closer to his own and shielded Robin from oncoming pieces of metal and fire.
They fell for a bit before the Batmobile caught them. Only then did Terry release the tight hold on the boy.
"You put yourself at risk for me, and you don't even know me." He said, confused and perhaps awe.
I guess that means he won't slice me in half?
"I have a younger brother, kid. It comes with the territory. Now stay here a second, I need to check on that other guy." He didn't give any other warning before he took to the air again.
He stopped some good distance up to view the roof. His short surveying of the building ended. The short man Robin had been fighting earlier was gone. Leaving it with that he returned to the Batmobile and opened up the cockpit for them.
"So there's flying cars…? How fast does this thing go?" The kid was genuinely curious as he crammed himself in. This gave them both the feeling of canned tuna fish. Bruce didn't make this a two person car.
Either he hit his head too hard, or he just might be from another timeline. With my luck, he's from the past. That could explain why the old man wanted to bring him home.
"Oh, very fast. She's as fast as anything around. Now hold on, this might get bumpy." He warned before steering the sleek machine towards Wayne Manor.
The kid wrapped his arms around the seat, and effectively part of Batman's middle when the speed picked up. The ride was short and silent, as neither had anything to say on the matter. They were both confused, their minds reeling on what was going on.
Once in the cave, Terry helped the kid out of the cramped space. However, when he offered to help him down the kid waved him off and promptly jumped down himself without trouble.
Jeez, someone's got a bit of an attitude here.
"Not much changed here at the Batcave." Robin commented, looking around. He went still when he saw the glass cases of all the suits of the Bat family. "That's different."
"Wait, you've been here before?" Terry crossed his arms.
"I'm Batman's son, of course I've been here! But what's with the case?"
Wait when did he actually have a son? He can't be Dick Grayson, he doesn't act like the Boy Wonder.
"They're memories of what has been. Including your outfit." Another voice answered from the stairs. Bruce slowly walked out from the shadows, his cane echoed in the cave.
"F... father…!?"
"You never told me you had a son, old man. Care to explain?" Terry was irritated now.
He has a son, and he never told me. And to top it off, why isn't he Batman?
It's not like how he wanted to be replaced or anything. He will gladly wear the cowl, and would like to continue wearing it, but the fact Bruce never had his own son wear it could go two ways. Either something happened that drove them apart, or this kid wasn't up for the job.
"Terry, this is my son Damian. Damian, this is Terry. You can both take off the masks now." Bruce said casually as he made his way to his chair in front of the computer.
Reluctantly the two removed their mask and cowl. They stared at the startling resemblance. In Terry's mind, the kid was a mini Bruce. In Damian's mind, Terry looked a much older version of himself but with broader shoulders and wider chin and jawline.
Wait, he looks more like father than I do.
"What's the meaning of this? Am I in the future or something? Father, I was just fighting alongside you, and now you're an old man and someone else is Batman. If this is the future, then where am I in this?" Damian turned to Bruce for answers.
"Considering you haven't aged, yes. I believe you are in the future. However, I don't remember a case like this happening in my youth. Would you mind explaining to me what happened before you showed up at that rooftop?"
"First tell me where am I in all of this? Why is this stranger Batman?" Damian was stubborn, crossing his arms.
"You can't know too much of the future, Damian." Bruce chided, as if it was the obvious answer in the world.
"I'm already here! I might as well know. I don't understand why Dick or I aren't wearing the cowl. Or why this punk is Batman." Damian glanced at Terry, scrutinizing him up and down.
"What? Does the cowl have to be passed on to family or something? Is that what your issue is, kid?" Terry snapped, suddenly feeling like he was under the scrutiny of Barbara, if the kid was a testy old woman.
"How did you become Batman? You said you had a little brother, and I don't see him here. You can't be related to my father." Damian challenged, glaring up at the teen.
"The name's Terry McGinnis, my little brother and mom live on our own. Last I checked, we have no relations to your father other than my dad did work for his company. Your old man over there hired me as his caretaker, found the cave, took the suit for a spin. Some arguments later I'm the new Batman. Been Batman for the last few years, now." Terry summarized, leaving out a few minor details.
"Your father worked for the company? What happened?"
"What do you think happened? He walked out and left us with nothing? He died protecting information about technology that Wayne Industries was making." Terry resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Oh." Was all the boy could say on that matter, suddenly feeling awkward and unsure how to respond about family issues.
"So, why is he Batman again?" Damian turned to his father.
"Because he's good at it." Bruce sighed, being his stubborn old self not to give out any other information.
"I just don't understand why you would let someone steal the suit and then allow him to continue wearing it."
I'm suddenly feeling like the third wheel, now.
"Know what, you two carry on. Inform me what's going on later. I'm going home." Terry ran a hand through his hair as he grabbed his bag. A shower sounded nice.
"No. You're needed here, too Terry."
Oh so now he tells me.
"The kid's moving you in circles old man. I'm tired, sore, pretty sure I got a few light burns on my back, and I have school tomorrow." He snapped a little too harshly.
"Tomorrow is Saturday. And I already cleared with your mother that you have the weekend here. Remember the press conference in a few days? You're needed there."
So not shwag. I forgot that it was this weekend.
Terry dropped the bag to the floor. The sound echoed the cave, and startled a few bats from their slumber. He rubbed his temple I'm hopes to relieve his headache.
"Look, kid, could you please tell us what happened? And maybe then your old man can give you whatever answers you need to hear." Terry sent the old man a look, information that could harm Damian's time period be damned.
"Terry…" Bruce warned.
"Look, what do you want me to do? He's not going to comply without answers, old man. I swear he's a mini you, only more stubborn!" Terry threw his hands up in the air.
"Hey! Don't speak as if I'm not here!" Damian stepped closer to the teen, eyes accusing.
"That's what you were just doing a few minutes ago, kid."
"Don't call me kid, punk."
"Boys. Let's keep this civil." Bruce intervened with a warning.
"He started it!" Both boys exclaimed at the same time. The pair glared at each other.
"Know what, the next time you fall off a building, I'm not saving you. Because this is the thanks I get." Terry picked up his bag again, making his way to the stairs.
"Where are you going, McGinnis?"
"You two carry on and enjoy the wonderful family reunion. I'm taking a shower. And then probably bed." Terry continued walking despite hearing the old man shouted after his retreating figure and the door closed behind him.
"Does he need to be taught a lesson about respect, father?" Damian cocked his head at the thought of beating a lesson into the teen.
"No, you will not fight him. The two of you just might end up killing each other." Bruce rubbed his wrinkled brow. "Now would you mind telling me what happened, and how you ended up here in the future?"
"Well…it started when we got a call from the League about someone creating a time machine…"
Two hours earlier…
"So they need our help to stop a time machine why?" Damian sent his father a look that he did not understand why this was relevant.
"They need my expertise in computers. I have done this once before, but it seems someone else has built this machine. It seems to be more complex than a belt."
"Why not simply destroy it?" He commented.
"I guess Martian Man wants the possibility of harnessing this machine if it works. Or at the very least study it for future technology."
"What, to correct past mistakes and make the world perfect as it seems or something?" Damian did not like that idea.
If all mistakes were fixed, then he wouldn't be here breathing anymore. He wouldn't be alive. The idea of it all was daunting to say the least.
"No, but I know what you're thinking. That kind of technology will be too risky for anyone to own, whether it be the enemy's or the League's hands." Bruce ran a hand through his hair, reassuring the boy's thought process.
So he won't erase me. That means he doesn't hold what mother did against me after all.
For some reason that was enough to clear up all the dark thoughts in his head. And together they made their way to the old warehouse where the machine was located. They met up with Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Flash.
"So what's the plan?" Flash grinned at the sight of Batman and Robin.
"I need you three to distract anyone in there so I can disable the machine. Did Martian Man at least get a name on who we're dealing with here?" Batman was quick on the half formed plan.
"No, we only happened to find out about this machine by chance when a citizen caught a video of someone ranting about needing parts to fix it. I guess the person thought it was some government secret hide out until they mentioned they were going to wipe out the League." Wonder Woman inclined with worry.
"Does anyone happen to have a copy of the video so I can see it?"
Green Lantern pulled out a tablet, and went into the archives of the League. He pulled up the video. The group crowded around the device to have a look at the video.
It was done by a cell phone, and although the sound quality wasn't great, they could just hear the shouts of someone as the camera lens surveyed from outside a window.
"This can't be delayed any longer! There's too much time wasted as it is. We need this to be fixed in the next few days, or else my plan can never be completed!" A small man paced around a big, bulky machine.
He wore dark pants, a brown vest, and black Victorian style coat. All over the back of the coat were the jingles of keys and gadgets sewn on. The sleeves of a white shirt were frilly as they poked out from under the black coat sleeves. The brown boots went up to the knee, matching the vest in color.
They couldn't see the face very well, but on top of his head was a large hat. It was black and tall, making the man seem taller than he was. And all along the length of it were different goggles wrapped around it. Each one set had different colors. One was green, another yellow, one clear pair, and there was a blue and a red.
"But sir, the packages are being delayed. We can't control the postal services…"
"I don't care about that! Hell, if need be, order the same parts from somewhere else that will deliver on time! I have to get this thing up and ready in order to destroy the Justice League within the next week!" The man whacked the other man with his cane.
The camera went blurry and then it was turned off.
"Wish it had more information than that. We get that he looks like some steampunk short man, but we don't even have his name or his motives." Damian commented, making his displeasure known about the video.
I don't like this idea of going in half blind on what's going on here. We need more information.
"I understand what you mean. If you look at the date, this took place four days ago. We just got this in this morning. If we had time to prepare, we would be watching this warehouse until we learned more. But we don't know when this man is going to strike." Green Lantern shared his concern.
"So we go in there, make some noise, and keep his attention occupied while Batman disables the machine. What about worst case scenario?" Flash inquired.
"Worst case scenario, we destroy it. If it works, there's no need for that kind of technology to remain in his hands." Batman answered plain and simple.
"What am I to do?" Damian tilted his head.
"I trust you to have my back while I work on the machine. We need to make that man to believe we're not there. As long as he is occupied, we then have the free time to disable the machine. If this works out, I should have it under three minutes."
"I'm counting you on that. Let's make three minutes of havoc on that man." Wonder Woman smiled coyly.
Together the group set into motion. The three went in with a crash. Literally kicking through glass windows and barged in like a S.W.A.T. team. Meanwhile Batman and Robin moved in silently from the rooftop. The pair managed to invade unseen as they landed on top of the machine.
"Sir! The League found us!" A guard shouted as he began shooting.
"Yes, yes, I heard the windows break. I'm not deaf, you know." The creator of the machine calmly stepped towards the fight, swinging his cane.
Just a few more feet and we can sneak down to have a look at that machine.
"Well look here, guys! It's a steampunk Napoleon!" Flash took the cue to distract the man, since Wonder Woman and Green Lantern were too busy with the guards with guns.
"I'll have you know I'm Roma! I take offense to that!" The short man pushed a button on his cane, and it turned into a spear at the bottom.
The short man didn't throw the spear, rather he used it as a means to trip the fast hero by aiming at his legs as he ran circles around him. However, his timing was always off by seconds, and before he knew it he was far away from the machine.
Quickly the dark pair slid to the ground. Robin pulled out his sword as he took guard as Batman worked at the machine. For a few intense minutes it looked like things were going their way when a few extra bodyguards came crashing in.
They were tall and muscular. They too wore steampunk outfits, but while the short man wore dark colors these outfits were bright brown and orange. They didn't wear coats, but they had the trademark hats, vests unbuttoned, and their shirts were more pirate like than the royal aristocrat the short man was portraying. They had goggles over their eyes, one was red the other green.
"Ah, just in time Tik and Tok! The League has invaded!" It was then the short man saw Batman and Robin by the machine.
"Make quick work on them! I can't have that machine tampered with!"
"Hey, did you forget something? Never turn your back on your opponent." Flash kicked the spear out of the man's hands.
With that the two muscled guards split. One went towards Batman and Robin while the other charged at Flash. Robin intervened with a swing of his sword at his much taller adversary. Although the muscled figure shouldn't have speed, he did. He dodged easily and with one swing Robin was thrown five feet in the direction away from the machine.
"Robin!" Batman ran his direction, leaving the machine. But he was intercepted by the same guard that sent the boy flying.
There went the plan…
Robin shakily got up, gripping his sword tighter. Tik was taking care of Batman, and Tok was handling Flash. He looked back at the machine to see the short man working on the machine. Without a second thought he ran towards the machine's creator and held his sword to the throat.
"Stop what you're doing, right now!" He growled, not in the mood for funny business.
"No! I have worked too much to get back at the League for what they did to me! Turned my work down, when all I wanted to do is make the Tesla name great again! And so now, as Lord Destiny, I shall travel back in time and wipe out the Justice League!"
Thinking quickly Robin pushed the man and started messing with buttons as the machine whirred to life. In the center it glowed bright blue, and all of a sudden he and Lord Destiny were pulled along with the time machine, leaving behind everyone else at the warehouse.
When they came to the machine was in flames. And they were on top of a building. With a quick scan Robin scanned the area to find that he was alone with Lord Destiny in a strange city with flying cars.
Acting out in anger Robin attacked the villain.
Present
"And that's what happened." Damian finished, masking his emotions about the fact he was stuck in the future and the possibility of not being able to go back was terrifying him.
I don't understand this timeline. And earlier Lord Destiny said we might be in a different dimension, whatever that is.
"I see. There's a possibility that if we can recover that machine then maybe after studying it, I can have it fixed. But this is going to take a while. In the meantime, you can stay here. At the moment I'm not sure if you and Terry can work out in the field." Bruce offered a possible plan.
"But we have to find Lord Destiny. He has to come back with me, or else it could mess up your timeline." Damian reminded him.
"If you two can work together, then you can help in the search for him. But I'm not putting both of you at risk if neither of you can play nice." Bruce sighed, remembering their display earlier.
"Just what makes him so special that he gets to wear the cowl? I thought you wanted me or Dick to wear it." This was what's been bothering Damian the most, aside from the fact he's alone in this timeline.
It can't just be because father has a soft spot for cases like him. Or the fact it's because of his company that his father died.
"When the time comes, you'll find out in your own time. And as for Terry, even though he has quite a few flaws of his own, he makes up with effort. He's a good Batman, even if he didn't have any training." Bruce knew what his son was trying to do. He wasn't going to spoil the future.
So I have one up against him at least. No wonder his fighting style was a little sloppy.
"But the fact he stole the batsuit? Doesn't that mean he had some sort of criminal history beforehand?" Damian pointed out with disdain.
"He did have a troubled past. In and out of juvenile hall. But he straightened out when he became Batman. I guess in a way he needed this before he went down a more darker path. Now get some sleep, it's late. We can get more clothes for you tomorrow, but if need be I'm sure Terry has a few clothes he can spare."
"Why can't I just use some of your old clothes?" Damian made a face at the thought of wearing anything that belonged to the teen.
"I don't think you want to wear old men's clothing. And I don't think they would fit you. Terry would be a little closer in your size, just need a belt and maybe roll up the pants."
Father has a point there.
"So where do I sleep tonight?"
"Your old bedroom if you want. Warning, Terry is directly across the hallway. I set up his bedroom for instances when he needed to stay over. Which is not often, he prefers going home than staying here."
Guess that means my bedroom will always be mine in his eyes.
Damian did feel a little peeved at the idea Terry was across the hall. But it was a minor annoyance he would have to deal with. At least Terry didn't stay over at the manor too often. As long as he could last a few nights of the teen being in the manor then he was good.
"Oh, and father? Thank you for helping me. And I'm sorry about earlier, it was a shock to learn that someone else is Batman."
At that Bruce smiled for the first time. It took Damian back to his own timeline, when his father sneaked a few smiles his way when he was proud of him. Despite how much he had aged, a sense of pride filled his chest. Bruce was still his father, no matter the timeline.
"You should probably apologize to Terry, too. He did protect you from the debris."
Damian made a face at his displeasure. But his father did have a point. Even if Terry offended him, he didn't have to be rude to the teen. That wasn't how the son of Bruce Wayne should act at all, especially when Terry helped him.
With that in mind he made his way to the hallway where his bedroom was. It didn't take him too long to find it, since the manor was the same. It felt as if nothing had changed at all.
It's weird. The manor is the same to the point I could almost pretend that nothing happened, and this was all a dream.
However, he dared not get his hopes up. If things were the same, then Alfred would be leading him to his own bedroom. He was so far into the future that his father was old, walked with a limp to the point he needed a cane, and so the probability of Alfred dead was high. What Terry said earlier being hired as caretaker confirmed his suspicions.
Now he said he was directly across from my bedroom. So it has to be this one, right?
Damian knocked the door. He heard no answer, but he could hear the shower was on. Deciding not to wait until he was done Damian opened the door and walked in.
He was surprised to see the bed smaller than his own. On the edge of it was the bag Terry had earlier, and next to it folded up neatly was the suit. Curious, he took a glove off, and he felt the material of it.
It was surprisingly soft, almost rubbery as it stretched. So it was form fitting, stretching to fit the wearer perfectly. He was debating whether or not he should try it on when the water stopped. Damian put the suit back as it was before as the teen came out of the adjoined bathroom wearing only a towel around his waist.
"Hey! You could have at least knocked. Ever heard of privacy?" Terry reached for a secondary towel to cover his front. But Damian already saw his chest.
Wait, did I see what I think I saw?
"So...care to explain about the breasts you got there? Does father know that you're a girl?" Damian raised an eyebrow at the blushing teen, not sure how he felt about this Batman right now. "I thought Batman was meant for a job for, you know, a boy. Not a girl playing dress up."
"Listen here, dweeb, you were the one who rudely barged in here as if you owned the place. And you don't know what's going on, anyway." Terry snapped, face still blushing as he reached for the dresser. Damian caught sight of fresh bruises and a few secondary burns on the shoulders and upper back.
Come to think of it, the voice changed too. Does the suit make the voice deeper or something? And those must have been left over from earlier…
"Don't call me dweeb, girl. A girl shouldn't prance around as Batman! Now answer me, does father know or not?"
With a sigh mixed with exhaustion and irritation Terry fished a shirt out and put it on, then used the second towel to finish drying the hair. It wasn't often this secret was cracked open and served like an egg made into an omelette. He was still debating whether or not to trust the boy until he had to remind himself that this was Bruce Wayne's son.
Trust has to start from somewhere.
"Your old man knows. And he also knows I'm going through a sex change. He's been trying to help me do the full surgery, but I told him I'm doing this on my own. He supports it my decisions, and so he's paying me being his caretaker as a cover up for my family. I just recently started the testosterone therapy."
"But why would father simply allow you to run around as Batman when you're still technically still a girl? What's the point in that? Was father that desperate for another Batman?" Damian was still wrapping his head around this.
"Hell if I know, kid. Those are questions for your old man, not me. I still wonder what was going through his head when he allowed me to remain as Batman. Trust me, this whole thing has been a rollercoaster from the start."
"Then why stick around at all? Even with that suit, I saw the bruises and burns on your back. Wouldn't it be easier for you to quit? You're not exactly good at fighting, at best you would be good in the streets, not actual villains. Everyone else father took in had years of training."
Something in his words made Terry snap.
"Look, Damian, I know what you're trying to do here. And it's not going to work. I have spent three years as Batman, I am not backing out now. Got a problem with it, then leave and go cry to your father." Terry towered over the boy, eyes hardened as they stared for a tense moment.
If we fight now, father wouldn't have the end of it. We're both tired, and at this rate we'll only rile each other up more.
"So what made you believe you were supposed to be a boy?" Damian tilted his head in an attempt to calm the tense moment, earning him a towel thrown over him.
"Stay there for a second while I put some clothes on. Jeez, you're worse than my brother."
He heard rustling as the teen struggled with the clothes. When Terry was done he pulled the towel off the boy.
"So are you going to answer my question?" Damian inquired, now irritated of being ignored.
"Take a good look at me. Do I look like a girl or a boy? Minus the boobs." Terry suggested, standing straight.
Damian eyed the teen up and down. He realized what the teen was getting at. For a female the shoulders were too broad, and the muscles were too masculine. And then there was the wide jaw and chin that reminded him so much of his father, which was not feminine at all.
"Okay, so you were born a girl and you have the body frame of a boy. Is that your only reason?" Damian narrowed his eyes at the teen.
If that's the only reason then that's stupid.
"No, but that's a huge part of it. Since I was little I always viewed myself as a boy. It created tension in the family, especially my dad. He... didn't know how to react. And so in turn I acted out like an idiot, got in trouble with the law a few times. Pretty sure that didn't help." Terry nervously ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Damian didn't know what to say.
"It was a few years back. I made my whole school believe I am a boy, so at the moment only you, old man, Max, and Dana know my little secret. You know, you're taking this much better than I would have thought."
"I'm tired. If it still bothers me later then I can pick a fight with you over it later." At least the boy was honest.
"So who are Max and Dana? Is Max your little brother?"
"Max is my friend at school. She's been helping me out when I needed a little extra help as Batman. She figured out my identity on accident when she got captured by the Jokerz, a clown gang." Terry explained, recounting the memory.
"Isn't that dangerous to allow someone from your school to know who you are?" Damian didn't like the idea of someone outside of the family with the knowledge of Batman's identity.
"I swear you and Bruce think on the same level. Trust me, he wasn't too happy either. But Max has proven time and again she can be trusted. When things happen at school, she's covered for me." Terry put away the suit and set the bag at the chair.
"By the way, why are you in here again? You kinda waltzed in here without waiting until I was done with the shower." Terry glanced at the boy, who looked sheepish at being reminded why he was there.
"Oh, father sent me in here to see if you had any spare clothes. I guess sometime tomorrow we're going clothes shopping for me."
"You're lucky I have spare clothes in here. You might need a belt, though." The teen smirked at the thought as he opened up a drawer and searched among his clothes.
"So, why won't you live here?" Damian was curious as to why someone would be caretaker and yet live in a separate home.
"I grew up with little to nothing. I guess growing up like that makes this manor uncomfortable sometimes. But to be honest, I don't want to live here. My mom works all hours to keep us afloat. And my little brother needs someone to look up to. He's a handful even for mom." Terry explained as he found a pair of pants, a shirt, and was on the hunt for a belt.
"Does he know about the whole sex change thing?" The boy yawned.
"To be honest? I don't know. He was just a baby when the tension started. And at some point the marriage wasn't going too well, so most of the time he stayed at his office. Mom and I raised him to believe I'm a boy. I don't know if he remembers the arguments or not. Ah, found it." Terry fished the belt out of the drawer. He handed the folded clothes to the boy, who yawned once more.
"I think someone's tired. Off you go to your own bedroom, I need sleep, kid. I haven't had the best sleep this past week." Terry opened the door for Damian.
"So quick to get rid of me already? How unfortunate of you, I was also going to apologize for my behavior earlier. But I suppose not, if you don't like my company." Damian was only half serious, but he grinned when he heard the groan.
"Look, I'm sorry. I have had maybe seventy two hours of sleep this week. Roughly. Give or take, I don't remember." Terry yawned as he leaned against the doorway.
"I was just joking, jeez. And I thought I had it rough. But all that aside, thank you. For saving me. I'm not the easiest person to be around with. And you put your life on the line for me despite how I attacked you." Damian said with all honesty. He meant what he had said.
"You're welcome, kid. I have to say, you're a mini Bruce. But maybe there's some hope for you yet."
Before he could ask what he meant, Terry closed the door. Keeping his bundle of clothes under one arm, he knocked again. When he heard a groan as an answer, Damian didn't mind talking through the door.
"You should tell your brother about your change at some point. It might bring you two closer. And he just might support you in your struggle."
With that Damian turned and opened his bedroom door. He found his bedroom exactly as it was in his time period. He closed the door behind him and began to get ready for bed.
He smirked when he heard the teen's door opened again. Then it closed after a few moments. The two boys crawled into bed and promptly fell asleep within seconds.
=3=
Death: Phew. I hope this was okay?
This is new territory for me. I'm worried about making a new risk here, especially after how I'm learning people these days don't have the common decency to review. That, or the fandom is really, really, bratty. I'm not saying that about you Batman fans, I'm speaking of another story of mine that I've put my heart into and I get scraps of food in return.
So with that in mind please be courteous and leave a review.