Hello friends!
This is a very complicated story that exists, as so many other stories do, severed from the context of the world in which it was initially placed. Such a random concept, one might say upon reading the tag and description. Can Dick Grayson really fit into the storyline of Life is Strange? Why? Who are all these other characters that exist outside of canon? What are these events to which Dick and Chloe are referring? All of these things exist outside of the world of the story Team Blue.
The short answer is, original content. The long answer is that I am a part of a very complex and dedicated roleplay group, who create rich, well written story threads. This is just one of those story arcs and kept between a few characters. It's important to remember, however, that this story takes place in the context of a Larger Multiverse. Throughout the story, I'll do my best to A/N any information that the characters know that the audience may not know, that's just Too Much to explain in character.
Anyway, stick it out. I think you'll find the story to be really interesting. A few quick notes before I begin writing, that will (hopefully) clear up and confusion before I begin.
Who is Olwyn? At the start of Team Blue, Dick is about a month out from an ugly breakup with his ex-girlfriend, Olwyn of the Great Swamp. She's been a friend to both himself and Chloe, but is now an awkward subject of conversation. Dick is still very in love with her, and she is still very in love with him. She is a pyromancer, and a Dark Souls III/Bloodborne OC narrative of the player character.
Who is Danny? Well, he's Danny Phantom, of course. Yes, the Danny Phantom. He's also Dick's boyfriend (Dick's a poly baby) and is very worried about him.
Who is Dipper? Dipper Pines from Gravity Falls is a good friend of Dick and Danny's. Due to his magical abilities and level head, he's become a core part of Dick's friend group and Blüdhaven crime fighting team.
Who are Stan and Aoi? Although they may not come up as active characters in this story, Stan (Gravity Falls middle aged Stan AU) and Aoi (Aoi Kurashiki from Escape 999) are good friends of Dick and the owners of Crossroads Hotel and Shelter, where Chloe was living before the events of this story.
Teleporting?! In this, a story intended to take place at the crossroads of the multiverse, the rules of travel between the worlds are dependant upon various characters. Relevant to this story is Dick's personal wrist teleporter, which allows him (and individuals holding onto him) to jump between universes as long as coordinates are provided.
I think that's everything! I hope you enjoy Team Blue!
-Dia "OshindiJo" Price
-ooo-
Chapter 1 - Dickscalabur
It had been a long week.
Chloe Price sighed tiredly, standing outside the coffee shop and looking at the door. She was weighing her options. On the one hand, Dick could probably use some coffee. He was as overworked as he ever was, and had seemed worse the last time she'd seen him. More tired, angrier. It was her fault, probably. Being willing to tell him the truth about what had happened to her… Chloe shut down that line of thought before it could pull any farther out of the station. She wasn't going to think about it right now. It had to be admitted, though, Dick had been angrier and more focused since she'd been honest. The clues were starting to pile up, the information making patterns that he'd explained to her, patterns she'd never have been able to see herself. He was solving the case. He just needed time, and the patience to survive Blackwell Academy's stupid photography program.
So, yeah Price. Get him the goddamn coffee. She dug her hands into her pockets, scraping for spare change. She had a five-dollar bill left from when Aoi'd paid for her lunch and let her keep the change. The rest of her money, the stuff from Frank, was all tucked away in her sock drawer in her bedroom at Crossroads House. Still, five dollars, that's enough for a Pumpkin Spice Latte, right? Something white girl enough to make Dick cringe when she sets it on his desk. Chloe grinned, pushing her way into the shop with the smallest tinkle of the bell.
Samantha was working. Chloe's favorite barista. She slid up to the counter with a grin.
"Hey Blue Devil!" Samantha said cheerfully.
Chloe laughed, Sam always went out of her way to joke about her hair. "You know you like, don't actually have to call me that."
"Uh, I'm like, contractually obligated. Whatcha want?"
"MmmmmMMMMmmm you know I'm gonna have to get myself a Pumpkin Spice Latte-"
"Oooof course you are." Sam was laughing as she took the cup. "C-H-L-O-E right?"
"Actually it's for a friend." She frowned for a moment, trying to make a decision. "Actually, is it cool if I write on the cup?"
"Uh… I mean, this is America? Do what you want?" Sam handed over the cup and sharpie, and Chloe quickly scribbled onto the side. Sam took it back and snorted.
"Your friend's name is Dickscalabur?"
"Well," Chloe grinned, shaking her head bemusedly. "It's Dick, actually? Like, as in Richard's weird nickname thing. But like, I can't not make fun of him."
Sam grinned, she was grinding beans and mixing milk stuff now. "Yeah, I get that."
"I mean his name is pen-"
"No no! I got it!" Sam cut her off with another full laugh, pouring coffee. "Dickscalabur it is. Tell him his parents must've hated him."
"I will do that!" Chloe said, her smile a little more fixed. That bit she wouldn't be passing on. He was stressed enough without that kind of humor. Plus, William's death was still a sore spot for her, she couldn't imagine if someone had made a joke about him dying. Let alone both parents. Sam didn't know that though, she was just trying to be nice.
"Mmmmm that'll beeee $3.75." Sam said, scooting back over and placing the coffee neatly on the counter in front of Chloe. She slid over the bill.
"So, uh…" Chloe's voice was more serious now. She asked every time, she might as well ask again. "Any… like, heard anything about-"
"No, sorry hon. Same as last time you asked." Sam's voice was more serious now, her smile fading to show a sympathetic frown. Chloe's gut burned with anger slightly at the look. She didn't want sympathy, she wanted Rachel back.
"Mmm, that's fine. I wasn't really expecting for you to have heard, but, it never hurts to check, ya know?"
"I know exactly what you mean." Sam slid the change into Chloe's outstretched palm. "You back in town now, like, for good?"
Chloe froze up ever so slightly. Was she back in town now, for good? She'd spent the summer at Crossroads. After Stan and Aoi saw the bruises from where David had gotten more than a few good swings in, they hadn't let her move back to Arcadia. She'd spent the night there last night actually, only warping to the Bay with Dick this morning so she could help him pull together some files for the case.
"Uh, in and out." She said, keeping her voice light but decently noncommittal. "Got like, family stuff going on? Out of town?"
"Mmmm… well, be careful yeah? Wouldn't wanna lose my punkest customer." Chloe smirked, doing a shitty, mocking salute before swiping up the coffee and heading for the door. She paused with one hand on the metal bar.
"You've got my number, right? In case you hear anything about Rachel."
"Yeah hon, I've got it, and even if I didn't it's on all those missing person's posters. Remember?" Sam smiled again, eyes locked onto Chloe, who blinked and shook her head for a moment while she processed.
"Mmmm. Right, I knew that. Got all turned around, you know how crazy Mondays can be." She did a finger guns at Sam with the hand that wasn't holding Dick's warm coffee. "See you around, yeah?"
"See you around, Price."
Chloe pushed back out of the little coffee shop, pulling her coat closer. She was instantly stung by the cold, sharp October wind. It was sweeping across the town, tearing brightly colored leaves off trees and knocking over trash cans. Wrapping both hands around the coffee, Chloe pointed herself in the direction of Blackwell Academy. It wasn't more than a ten-minute walk, and if she got there quickly enough, she'd have time to slip in and drop off the drink before Dick's next class started. It was an afternoon lecture- Jefferson's class, probably. It had the hardest homework and had been giving him the most trouble, so it stood out in Chloe's mind.
She fished out her phone and glanced over her list for the day. Get coffee, text Philip and ask about Johnny, meet Nathan. She made a face at the last item, but she had a drop to make with him and Frank would be pissed if she didn't pass along the goods.
The looming brick structure of Blackwell stood out against the sky as Chloe approached quickly. She ran up the front steps and pushed her way inside, enjoying the warmth of the heaters after the cold air. God, she hated it every time she walked back into this building. It just reminded her of everything with Rachel- the way they'd plotted together, that time with the play, or the kisses passed on the way to class. Well, when Rachel was on her way to class anyway, Chloe had already been expelled. In fact, she wasn't even supposed to be in here, but no one really cared. She moved down the hall with a tap tap of her rubber boots on the linoleum, eyes flicking back and forth as she looked for the photography classroom. The last throngs of moving students told her that she was not yet too late, and would have time to get him the coffee before class started.
There. With a grin, Chloe pushed her way inside the photography classroom, scanning the room for Dick. There he was, in the back, looking exhausted. He had his face pressed against one hand, half asleep over the textbooks and the instant print camera sitting out on his desk. Chloe wandered over, ignoring the chatter of other students, sat down on top of his desk, and set the coffee in front of him with a plunk. He looked up, brushing dark curls out of his face, registering for a moment. She spoke before he got a chance.
"Sup nerd?"
A faint grin spread across his face and he sat up. "I was expecting something more… psychic." He snarked. Chloe frowned for a second, trying to remember what he was talking about. Oh, right. He'd wanted her to guess what kind of coffee he wanted and she'd told him she was a wizard now.
"Whaaaaaat?" She wriggled her fingers at him, smirking and leaning forward. "Want me to read your mind?"
He snorted. "Cliche. I was thinking more liiiike," he made a spoooooky voice. "'Yoooou're wearing red socks today' or like, 'bewaaare the man who speaks in rhyme!'" He was in a better mood than usual and it warmed Chloe's heart. Seeing her best friend all rumpled and crunched since the breakup had been hard, and even though things weren't much better, he'd at least started to perk up a little lately. Sometimes he even showed interest in things other than work. Chloe crossed her eyes, staring fixedly at her nose, and lowered her voice into her throat.
"Neeeever anger a gentle man, young Richaaard."
Dick snorted and rolled his eyes hard. "Fork over the coffee, Price."
With a bemused smile, Chloe pushed the coffee closer to him across the top of the desk.
"How's stuff?" She posed the question nonchalantly, not wanting to push it any harder than it needed to be pushed. Dick was never a person who talked about his feelings that much, but lately he'd been so miserable… He gave a loose-limbed shrug and straightened up in his chair, stretching his arms up over his head and rolling his shoulders.
"It's stuff. You?" Sigh. So much for getting him to talk.
"Also stuff. Very exciting." She learned back over his desk, bringing her knees up and staring up at the ceiling, ignoring the endless chattering of Dick's classmates. She cast around for something to continue the conversation with, and her eyes fell on one of Jefferson's goofy posters taped to a side wall. "Did you ever enter that contest? The everyday heroes thing?"
"No." Dick made a small, huffy laugh. "I mean, I might take a picture for it, I think it's part of the grade. But I don't care to be- god, how'd he put it? 'Fetted by the art world!'" He rolled his eyes tiredly. Chloe smirked.
"Why not?! You could like-" She extended her hand up over her head, phone grasped in it, in a mocking imitation of taking a photo of herself, "submit a selfie or something." Dick shook his head in amusement, lifting an eyebrow and looking around the room like 'Really Chloe? There are people here!' Chloe rolled her eyes. They were in Arcadia Bay, not Blüdhaven, but Dick was always so worried about his secret. Fine. She'd poke a little more fun, then leave him alone. He was talking though.
"I can't submit selfies for everything." Chloe snorted.
"Yeah you can!" She swung her legs back and forth easily. "Hooow do you identify a hero? Well, one, he's sitting in my chair. Two, he's wearing my clothes. Three, his name is Di-"
"Oh my god," Dick cut her off, laughing. He patted her forearm in a fond and gently annoyed kind of way. "Yeah yeah. Sounds like such a great idea." She flipped him off good naturedly, sitting up again and stretching.
"So, do anything fun this weekend?" Maybe he got out. Actually did something other than patrol. She kind of doubted it, but hey, she could hope.
"Uh, why's it any of your business." Victoria's voice was cold and clipped as she leaned into their conversation to cut it off. Chloe sighed internally. Yes, because I'm such a threat to your budding fake-undercover-information-getting relationship with Dick Grayson. He sighed and leaned forwards to reply before she did.
"Vic and I went to the mall Saturday." Vic? Oh, this was good. This was very good. Chloe fought to keep control of the smirk spreading across her face, leaning forwards and making the briefest eye contact with Dick. She was going to roast him to a crisp about this later.
"Aw, that's awesome." She managed. He'd said he wanted to keep things good with Victoria, since he was trying to get in with the Vortex Club. He met her eyes and smiled tightly, eyes flashing with a 'bite me' look. Victoria leaned casually against Dick's shoulder, a smug expression on her face.
"Oh yeah, it was a GREAT time."
"Mmmmm. Yeah, I hear Dick's real good with the ladies. Gotta give me some tips sometime, dude."
"Can't help you get better, Price, or you'll make me look bad by comparison."
Chloe opened her mouth to retort, but it was cut off by the arrival of the teacher.
"Let's get settled, class." He called, setting his bag down. Chloe hopped down from the desk, sparing him a moment's glance. She'd seen Mr. Jefferson a few times before, Rachel had adored his classes and spoken highly of him. He was tall and skinny, with spiky dark hair and large glasses. Honestly, he reminded her of one of those harmless hipsters that hung out in every Seattle coffee shop. An artist, or whatever.
"Nnnng. Yeah, I gotta go anyway, drop to make." She smiled at Dick a last time, spinning and giving Mr. Jefferson a shitty, two fingered salute. He rolled his eyes good naturedly at her.
"Goodbye, Miss Price."
Dick offered a sleepy afternoon wave. Chloe chuckled to herself, yawned, and wandered out of the room.
-ooo-
He's on a path. And he's still in Arcadia. He's never been here before, but it feels like he has, and he studies the surrounding area with a detached curiosity, feet following the dirt path of their own accord. It's winding up into trees, and past it, he can make out the impression of a building - the lighthouse, he realizes, the word slips into his mind as soon as he's reached for it - and beyond that, the ocean. The smell of it is thick in the air, cloying, like Gotham in the summer when the sea salt creeps through the city in the heat, except this is… hurricane weather.
A gust of wind pushes the hair from his face, forcing him to squint. His feet hit the first incline of the path, and simultaneously, a bird lights onto a branch up ahead. And because he likes birds, his eyes stay there, follow until it lights onto the path instead, and hops across the ground. It's a robin. Of course it's a robin. It's also translucent, which doesn't bother him right now, so he's disappointed when he takes a step forward and it lifts in flight. Immediately after that he remembers he should be concerned about the wind, and watching the bird soar, unaffected by the bellows that are lashing at him (he realizes? now?), seals the sense of urgency.
His feet move faster and find they have to work harder for it. So he leans against the wind until he's at the peak of the hill and can finally see, breath catching in his throat. The storm is massive, coiling up from the ocean like- like something from a movie, dense and thick with cloud and hail, ominous thunder, and Dick needs to go, he needs to find Chloe, start on plan to get people out of here-
He was awake. Every muscle of his body was tense, like if he let go he'd explode out of his seat. His phone was buzzing on the desk, turned on its face. He reached up quickly to silence it, and looked around. Jefferson spared him a disapproving glance, he must have dozed off at his desk. Jefferson's droning voice tuned in, background noise becoming sharper as he subtly turned over his phone to check.
"...Alfred Hitchcock famously called film "little pieces of time" but he could be talking about photography as he likely was..." It was an SOS. From Chloe. She was nearby, her location tracker blinking, and she hadn't just set it off once. She was pressing the button repeatedly. He straightened up, exhaling and clutching his phone in his hand under the table. When Jefferson turned back towards the class, his hand shot into the air.
"Mr. Jefferson?"
"Yes Dick?"
"I need to leave. Family emergency." He lifted his phone, waving it so that Jefferson couldn't see the screen. "I know we aren't supposed to have our phones in class, but my aunt's been sick and-"
Jefferson sighed. "Of course, of course, I understand. Make sure you let our substitute security guard know why you're leaving, and check out at the front office."
"Of course, thanks." He was up quickly, grabbing his things together and opening Chloe's tracker fully so he knew where to go. She wasn't far at all, in fact, she didn't think he'd left the building. She'd also pressed the SOS button again.
"Dick! Don't forget you need to submit a photo for the contest in the next day or two, hmm? Sorry about your aunt." He nodded, hurrying out the door without saying anything. She was just down the hallway, location pinging somewhere around the girl's bathroom. He broke into a flat out sprint, peeling around the corner and slamming the bathroom door open with a bang.
There was the explosive sound of a gunshot at close quarters, and a horrific sight met Dick's eyes. A few feet into the bathroom stood a boy with blonde hair and a red lettered jacket. He recognized the boy instantly as Nathan Prescott, the one who Chloe said also worked for Frank, making drug drops and hookups. He was standing, gun still pointed, over the crumpled, lifeless form of Chloe Price.
"Chloe-"
Dick's stomach dropped into his feet, eyes wide in with shock for all of two seconds, before they snapped up to Nathan, blazing with fury. Anger was pumping in his veins, screaming in his ears. She was lying there, dead, a pool of blood spreading out across the floor from under her. She'd been sitting on his desk not fifteen minutes earlier! Nathan stared back at him in absolute horror.
"I didn't mean to-"
It was too late. Dick surged forward, pulling his fist back to break Nathan's face.
Except that he didn't.
His hand swung forward, yes, and then everything… stopped. Dick's vision blurred, growing red and faded at the edges, spotty. A rush of whispers filled his ears, none with words he could make out. Suddenly things were jolting, jumping, rushing backwards. Chloe's body was rising back from the floor, the blood on her shirt rushing back into her body. He was no longer in the bathroom at all, but back in his seat in Jefferson's classroom. Pain jolted through his head, the blur increasing, speeding. With a gasp, he slammed upright. Chloe was laying on her back on his desk, chatting softly as she had been before. Safe. Alive. God, she was alive.
What the hell?!
"...he's sitting in my chair. Two, he's wearing my clothes. Three, his name is Dick Gray…" she looked over at him, a concerned frown crossing her face. "Hey, are you… are you okay? You look kind of pale."
"Chloe," He exhaled, his eyes were panicked and locked onto her. She was alive and breathing and not bleeding to death on the floor. He was up out of his seat like a shot, cold sweat running down his spine and his hair standing on end. "...you're here." Her frown deepened, and she sat up.
"Yeah, 'course I am. Where else would I be?" She peered closer. "Did you… sleep okay?"
"...we have to go. Now." He grabbed Chloe's hand, pulling her off the desk and ignoring Victoria's startled yell of protest. Chloe stumbled, trying to keep up, but he kept dragging her forwards, almost running to the classroom door.
They came face to face with Mr. Jefferson.
"Woah there! I know my lectures aren't the most exciting, but where are you going?" No no NO. He was getting Chloe the hell out of this school, right now. In fact, he wanted to get out of Arcadia Bay altogether, figure out what the hell had happened before he came back. He spoke so fast he almost stumbled over his words.
"My aunt's in the hospital. I'll get my photo in soon." He tried to shoulder past, but Jefferson swung one long arm up, two fingers touching the opposite side of the doorframe to bar it from passage. He glanced at Chloe with the mildest disapproval, then his eyes drifted back to Dick's own.
"Are you sure you're alright?"
Alright, time to play it up. He gave Chloe's wrist the faintest squeeze, willing her to understand and play along. "Yes! She's had a heart attack, I need to get to the hospital-"
Chloe spoke over him quickly, "I'm here to give him a ride. She's really not doing well, we've got to hurry."
"Oh… well, make sure you check out at the front desk okay?"
Dick nodded sharply, pushing past the hand and hustling Chloe towards the door. Actually, he didn't even want to wait that long. With a quick movement, he pulled her into a cove between two of the standing lockers in the large, darkened hallway. She looked very alarmed.
"Dick, are you okay? What's going on?"
"Are you okay?" He took her face in hid hand, quickly examining her eyes and making sure she was fine. She seemed alright, so he dug into his pocket for his phone. "I need to- do you, do you remember anything?"
She blinked at him confusion and fear written all over her face. "Do I… remember anything of what?" He shook his head, trying to keep the concern out of his voice while he texted, keeping his tone level and firm.
"You were shot. No more than-" his eyes flicked to his watch, back to her face, and then back to his phone. "-three minutes ago."
"I was WHAT?" Chloe's hand snapped to her front, feeling up and down her stomach as if to check for bullets. There was nothing. Dick took a few deep breaths, he had his bearings easily. She was alive, he wasn't going to complain.
"By Nathan Prescott." His voice was low and dangerous, eyes flashing with anger at the thought while he focused on his phone. He wanted to text Danny. Danny would know if this was some kind of supernatural thing, or...worse. "But I… I did something."
Chloe looked startled. "Nathan Prescott? I mean, he's a prick but why would he kill… me… what the hell did you do Dick?!"
"I don't know, but you were dead and now you're not so I'm not complaining."
NOT DELIVERED.
The message flashed on his screen, a little red failed symbol. Chloe was whispering in a slightly horrified voice, "I was dead…." and it was making his nerves fray. He texted Danny again.
NOT DELIVERED.
"But you aren't." He looked at her, back up from his phone, trying to project a soothing calm to her that he himself wasn't remotely feeling. Voice level, he asked casually, "Can you text someone?" Chloe frowned, fishing out her phone from her pocket. He fidgeted in place, tapping his thumb along his phone edge and bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. He'd never been very good at standing still. There was no reason his texts weren't going through, surely it had to be something wrong with his phone-
"That's… weird." Chloe was frowning, fingers flying over the keyboard. It was like a heavy weight settled into his stomach, and he glanced towards the bathroom door with a sense of ominous dread. Was he in there right now, waiting for her?
"There's no reason my tech shouldn't send…" he muttered, frustrated glance at the phone again. She was looking at the bathroom door too, her shoulders coming together with the slightest shudder.
"Dude… I had a drop to make in the bathroom like…" She glanced at her watch, pushing back the sleeve of her shirt, "five minutes from now. Frank set it up, it must have been to pass Nathan product." The weight in Dick's stomach solidified hard. She held out her phone to show him texts to Stan, Aoi, Philip… NOT DELIVERED flashed under all of them. He took an inhale, slow, deep, a beat. She was right there, he was not going to panic in front of her. Come on, Grayson. He muttered to himself. Alright, this was an emergency situation now. It was time to get the hell out of Arcadia. Maybe back in Blüdhaven, in the quiet safety of his own apartment, this would be something he could figure out. He seized Chloe's hand.
"We need to go. C'mon." They moved quickly down the hall, pausing to watch the substitute security guard round the corner. The real one, David Matheson, had been missing since Stan and Aoi found out that he'd been beating Chloe. Since they assured him that he was still alive, just nursing his wounds, Dick considered it no great loss. He'd hated the man. Once the guard was out of sight, they passed through the red double front doors of the school and out onto the sunny front lawn of Blackwell. Trying not to panic to the point of running, Dick made a hard left, pulling Chloe along with him. They were going to his dorm, somewhere safe from eyes so they could teleport out before anything else happened. Chloe was struggling to keep up a little, not as fast as him, and he slowed his pace only ever so slightly to accommodate her, fingers flying over the wrist teleporter's keypad as he worked in the coordinates to the apartment.
They rushed into the dorm room, Chloe pulling the door closed behind them with a sharp snap. "Where are we going? Your apartment?" She was locking it quickly.
"Yes. I'll drop you off, figure out why our messages are blocked." He finished entering the coordinates, confirmed them quickly. His voice lowered slightly with steady anger. "And then I'm coming back and finding Nathan Prescott." Chloe's eyes widened slightly as she made a connection.
"Nathan, he's like, pretty high up on our list, right?" She was stepping to the desk and scooping up a few of the folders for the Rachel Amber investigation. He blinked for a second. The investigation, of course. He'd meant, he was coming back to break Nathan's skull in for killing his friend, the second she was safely out of the damn universe.
"...Yeah, that too. You good?"
"Yeah." She crossed back over, snagging his hand while he punched the button. "When we get back, do you want me to call like, Danny or som-"
The tech made the same sound it always made when it was booting up, a whirring, clicking sound of humming life.
CRACK. There was a flash of electricity, a sharp metallic sound, sparks, and the screen of the teleporter cracked. Dick froze, staring at it in horror. Chloe's eyes were wide as dinner plates now.
"Did- was that-"
"It's fine. I can fix it." He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. There had to be another way. Maybe Danny could come get them. He pulled his phone out again, foregoing texting and just flat out calling his boyfriend. It rang! Dick felt his heart leap into his throat. Then it rang again…and again… and again… and… again… nothing. After a few moments, there was a soft 'beep beep' and a female voice saying, 'the number you are looking for has been changed, or is no longer in-' he hung up, shoving the phone in his pocket. His head was flooding with static, blank panic. No contact to anyone. No teleporter. They were trapped in Arcadia Bay. He had nothing here, not his Nightwing suit, not his weapons, not his support system or his money or his tech. This was not Blüdhaven- this wasn't even his goddamn world, and yet there was no way out. He was vaguely aware of Chloe moving around the room, talking in a soothing undertone, but the panic was choking him. He was struggling to switch himself into Nightwing brain because... well… if it failed, if they couldn't get out… he'd never be Nightwing again. The thought alone made him so sick to his stomach that he wanted to vomit right there. His entire life, everything he was as a person, would be gone in an instant. He would be Dick Grayson: no one.
"...Dick, are you okay?" Pressure on his arm. Chloe was wrapping her hand around it. He jolted back into focus, and she drew her hand away at the movement. "Look, it's probably all just- like an accident, or something. We can fix this." He had to get his shit together. Come on Grayson. Keep it together. Don't show weakness. Not in front of Chloe.
"Right, right, of course we can." He said with false confidence, stepping towards the desk. "What'd you say?" He turned towards her, "you… no, it's fine, give me the tech, I've got it."
Chloe stepped forward to give him the tech, but her foot caught on the corner of the rug and she half stumbled. She caught herself at the desk, her hip slamming against it. A glass of water that had been sitting near the edge wobbled for a second and then fell, hitting the tiled floor and smashing, sending water and glass everywhere. "SHIT!" Chloe yelled, bending to start scooping together the shards. "I'm sorry Dick- I'll clean this up-"
He frowned, staring blankly as Chloe started to pick up the bigger pieces, a thought forming in his head. It was an alien thought, vague and strange and following rules he thought would never exist in his own head.
"I did… something." He murmured softly, watching. "Something happened."
Chloe grunted softly, working. "Did what…?"
"Went back in time." He muttered. "Somehow. I don't-" the idea struck him, fully formed. Why the hell not? What did he have to lose? "Can I try something?"
Chloe froze, then nodded up at him. "Sure…?"
How had it happened before? Dick closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. He'd been overwhelmed by emotion. Chloe had been dead, and all he'd wanted, all he'd wanted more than anything in his life, was to have gotten there a moment sooner. To have sprinted down the hall a moment faster. To have been able to erase what happened. Then he had.
Slowly, unsure, he extended his hand out in front of him, fingers curled into a loose fist. He'd been punching Nathan before, perhaps it was the same gesture. Deep inhale, and he focused hard.
Everything blurred, redding at the edges in the same way that it had before. Whispers and rushing wind flooded around him. The glass was rising back to the desk, reforming. Chloe was moving, talking, do you want me to-
"-call like, Danny or somebody?" Her voice came back into focus as he released the power. This time, he didn't push the button on the teleporter, a rush of dizziness flooding him. He leaned hard against the desk and reached out, picking up the glass of water and looking at it with a vaguely awed and dazed expression. Chloe stepped forward. It was like watching a movie that he already knew. Her foot caught on the corner of the rug, stumbled and slammed her hip into the desk clumsily. The water glass, firmly in his hand, did not wobble. "Ouch, fuck." She murmured, rubbing her hip before looking up at him. "What's up? Lightheaded?"
He was, actually. He felt dizzy, at a loss. Pressing his hand gently against his forehead. Chloe looked pale and on edge, watching him intently. He took a deep breath, and lowered his hand.
"Chloe." Here it comes, "I have time travel powers."
For a minute she stared at him, then chuckled in an unsure sort of way. "Dick… dude, seriously." He managed the briefest smile.
"Right? Yeah, it's…" he stared at his hand, "it's why I picked up the glass."
"...honestly, I just thought you were thirsty." Chloe mumbled, hovering slightly. "Maybe you should sit down…" He shifted so that his weight was sitting on the desk, not on his feet. Deep breaths. The panic was abating slightly, replaced by the cool, smooth confines of Nightwing Brain. Panic was much easier to process when the emotions were all at a distance so that he could pick and choose among them.
"Cool. Okay." Deep breath. "It's not like I didn't know it was possible somewhere."
Chloe sat down heavily on the futon. "Well… I mean… yeah." Dick stared at his tech for a long second, bleak reality settling in around him. He may have some limited form of time travel, but he could not leave Arcadia Bay by teleporter. Chloe was watching him nervously, waiting for him to tell her that they were ready to jump. She didn't know they'd already tried.
"I… can't get out." Hell with it. He was going to try one more time. Once again he held up his hand, this time more open. Everything blurred, rushed and whispered in the slowly becoming more familiar way. Chloe was besides him again, they were frantically walking towards the dorm. Okay, where are-
"-we going? Your apartment?" Chloe frowned and tugged on his arm, pulling him to a stop. "Dick, your nose is bleeding." He wiped at his nose with his sleeve and pulled back to check- she was right. Two streaks of fresh red blood.
"Awesome," he muttered dully. "Perfect."
"Dude, what happened? Do you want to jump from here… or like…?" She glanced around nervously at the open area. He shook his head no, letting himself be walked silently back to his form. Once they were inside he leaned his head back a little to stave off the blood flow, pushing the door shut and locking it.
"Give me a sec… can you get me the first aid kit?" He waved his hand in the direction of the bathroom. She snagged it off the shelf and brought it quickly back to him, a worried look on her face. It was so much to process that he felt sick, and sat down hard on the bed to think while holding a cotton ball firmly under his nose. Chloe sat down across from him on the futon, hands on her knees and rubbing in small circles, watching him closely. He took a deep, shaking breath. You can do this, Grayson, get it together your friend is right there. "I… saved you earlier. With time travel."
"When I was shot. By Nathan." She mumbled back, nodding, processing.
"I tested it. Just now." He pointed over at the desk. "Hand me that glass of water please?" She handed it to him without a word and he took it, trying to hide his shaking hand. He couldn't remember why he wanted it… to make a point, or something, but that didn't make sense anymore. She was inside the time loop that he was outside of. To her, it must look like they'd walked here from the school and he'd started to bleed and freak out. He took a sip.
"Okay… so, I got shot. And you saved me with time travel." There was a hint of incredulity in her voice that he couldn't stand, of course he was telling the truth. Then again, a moment of thought and he realized he'd be just as suspicious if someone else had revealed the information to him. She was doing her best to trust him, and it was better than nothing. "And then we ran out here. Should we jump? Didn't you want to go back to Blüdhaven or something?"
"We can't." He swallowed hard. "We're trapped here. I tried, my tech-" he took it off nervously, afraid somehow that it would fry again, "didn't work."
She scooted closer. "It didn't work?"
He echoed her distantly. "Didn't work. We can… try again? Or…." he reached out to her. She came and sat on the bed next to him, took his hand and a deep breath. Dick held out the tech in his free hand, hesitated, then punched the button. Just like before, it shuddered, jolted, zapped and then broke with a sickening crunch. He stared at it blank dismay.
"Jesus…" Chloe whispered breathlessly. "We… and none of my messages have…" Wordlessly, Dick held up his hand, activating the rewind. This time, he caught himself before punching the button. Chloe was sitting next to him, other hand clenched tight around his.
"What, why'd you stop?" He set the tech down, curling forwards and tangling his hands into his hair, the pace of his breathing accelerating gently.
"It didn't work. Again."
"You didn't try, what're you- wait- wait did you try and then like… oh my god, you went back in time and… oohhhh my goood."
Dick felt his voice pitch higher. Nightwing brain was slipping. "I can't get out. We need to- find someone-" he tried to stand, became very dizzy, and sat back down hard.
-ooo-
Chloe took a few deep, shaking breaths. She could see the panic etched all over Dick's face and she was trying to process it, but she trusted him. If he said time travel, frozen, stuck in the universe, he was saying it for a reason. Her mind pitched for other options as she stepped forward to catch his arms. At the very least she could keep him from hurting himself.
"Don't- Don't move, okay? Just, sit, take some deep breaths. Drink the water. Give me that." She snagged the tech gently from his hand and set it on the desk where he could reach it, but wasn't staring at it with panic and shame. He watched her helplessly.
"I need… a pen?" His voice was a little broken. "A marker. Something to write with." She nodded, snagging a ballpoint off his desk and handing it to him. He pushed up the sleeve of his shirt, hands shaking, and scribbled Olwyn's summon sign on his arm. She didn't understand the summoning magic Olwyn used fully, but she did know that touching the summon sign allowed her to teleport to the location of the summoner, from anywhere in the universe. Dick finished it, exhaled, and pressed it.
Nothing happened.
"Get me some paper." Dick whispered. She snagged his notepad and passed it to him. He scribbled the summon on paper, sloppier this time, dropping the ben in the hurry to press it. It did not glow. Nothing happened. He lifted his finger off the paper, then pressed it down again. A frantic, breathy laugh escaped him. "What's going on."
It wasn't really a question, but Chloe tried to answer it anyway. "I don't… know. M-maybe there's like, some kinda… like, weird clouds or-"
"No, it wouldn't do this. Clouds wouldn't do this. I can time travel." He was up, scrambling to his computer, leaning on things on the way over. It freaked her out more than she wanted to admit, seeing him so helpless. She'd never seen him like this. "Olwyn's summon…"
"It's not working." She confirmed, touching the paper he'd left on the bed. "This all started in the bathroom?"
He slid into his desk chair, shaking the computer mouse to wake it and attempting to send some messages. They did not send, red bars and winking red exclamation points glaring at the two of them from the screen. Chloe clasped her arms nervously around herself, trying to focus and breathe. It was a mistake, surely. Someone would figure it out. Someone would come and rescue them. Someone always showed up, when she needed them the most. He looked up at her, frowning.
"Yes, after your SOS." The messages failed again. Chloe sat down on the bed, clearing room for Dick to pace. "Okay. what do we know?" He sighed and pressed his thumb to his forehead. "What do you know, Dick. Communication stopped when I rewound time. That has to be the breaking point. But I can't rewind back far enough to stop myself from doing that."
Chloe nodded, doing her best to follow his logic. "Okay… okay, well, maybe we should go back to-" Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Both of their eyes went wide as she dug it out with frantic, trembling fingers.
WHERE THE FUCK RU? MISSED UR DROP. Nathan. It was from Nathan Prescott. Bitter disappointment leached through her. The texts kept coming. "It's Nathan. He… wants to meet up this weekend for the drop."
Dick paused mid pace, turning to look at her with a furious expression on his face. "Not if we find him first." He snarled, fists clenching.
They had to talk to Nathan. "No way. I'm not gonna let you just, walk in there and beat him up. Not if he might know something about Rachel." Dick opened his mouth to argue but seemed to stop and think better of it, taking a shaky breath.
"Fine. Fine. You're right, he-" he froze, "What if he knows something he was there-"
"...yeah, yeah, maybe he like-" Chloe struggled to catch her train of thought. "But would he remember? We can't like, like we at least have to ask him or like, like," she swung her fists a little. Beat the truth out of him. She'd be okay with that. The guy was a prick and she'd already been on bad terms with him for breaking his nose at the beginning of the summer. Frank had forced them back onto neutral terms when Nathan had started selling for him, but she'd never forgiven him for what he'd said about Rachel. Or more specifically, who Rachel was willing to sleep with. She hated his fucking guts. There was more than that though. Sometimes she felt like she caught him looking at her a little longer than she wanted him to. It seemed like he was always somewhere nearby when she was in Arcadia, showing up at the diner or at Frank's when he wasn't scheduled to help prep. His presence made her uncomfortable more often than she wanted to admit, especially since-
No.
Don't think about it Chloe. Don't. She shuddered, snapping herself back to reality. Dick was talking.
"...I don't know, you didn't remember so… maybe not?" He was looking at her now, eyes full of concern. "He shot you. You're staying out of it."
Chloe's eyes narrowed, feeling a prickle of irritation travel along her spine. "I am not. If we can't reach anybody else, you're not doing all of this on your own. I just won't get shot this time."
"And what if you do?" Dick asked, voice sharper, taking a half step closer to her. "What if I lose this new… power? Then I'm stranded here, and my friend is dead."
"So, try not to use the power." She tried to sound bracing, or even mildly intelligent. "It was an accident, right? This time we know he has a gun. You'll be ready." She was shaking a little despite her best efforts not to be. He gritted his teeth, arms crossed and staring at a wall.
"Conditionally. You can help conditionally." Hot anger burned in her gut at the accusation in his tone, which grated hard against her already frayed nerves, but she didn't say a word. If he wanted to be Nightwing all the damn time, she wasn't going to stop him. He locked eyes with her. "Don't do anything reckless."
She glared moodily at him. "According to you, I wasn't. It's fucking dangerous here either way." Dick stiffened in frustration, snapping,
"I'm saying in advance not to do anything reckless. Because it's fucking dangerous." Chloe jammed her hands angrily in her pockets, turning her back on him and saying hotly,
"Fine. I'll make sure to watch my behavior. Cause that's really what's fucking important here."
"What's important is making sure neither of us get killed and we get out of here." Chloe snorted, muttering lower than he could hear her,
"Sure whatever, you clearly know what you're fucking doing you bird asshole."
"What?" he asked, irritated.
"What?" She snapped back. "Roll out your master plan, go ahead, I'll just stay here out of the way avoiding being reckless." She crossed her arms angrily, leaning against the wall by the window.
"Chloe," Dick sounded exasperated. "I don't HAVE a plan, I'm starting with the basics." Suddenly there was something else in his voice… fear. "This isn't my world." Chloe ducked her head guiltily, realizing she'd let her temper get the better of her. It was her fault he was even here, trying to help her find Rachel. If not for her, he'd be in Blüdhaven right now.
"We're… gonna figure it out, okay?" She did her best to sound as apologetic as she felt. "I promise."
"Yeah… yeah we'll…" He exhaled, the tenseness of his shoulders relaxing slowly. "I'm not going to stay trapped here. I can't."
"Of course you're not." Chloe crossed to him and rubbed his shoulder just slightly, reassuring. "We'll get you back to your proper world." Dick was tense against her hand, muscles taut. "Are...you alright?" He nodded.
"When Olwyn and I were trapped… in Yharnam, there was a place I couldn't teleport out of. It was only a building, but maybe this is like that. Maybe we just need to get out of Arcadia."
Chloe frowned, nodding along to his words. "Okay, so… so let's get in my truck and go. Only takes what, thirty minutes to get out of the town borders?" Dick perked up at her words, already unlocking the door.
"Where's your truck, the parking lot?"
Chloe nodded and pulled her jacket on, following him out into the hall. Once they were down the steps and outside, Dick was practically sprinting across the grass. Chloe did her best to keep up, following him across main campus. They slowed approaching the parking lot.
"HEY!" Chloe whirled to see one of the people she wanted to see least in the world striding towards them. Her breath caught in her throat as Nathan crossed the parking lot. Dick tensed, radiating fury. He took a step forwards, squaring his shoulders and clenching his jaw hard. Nathan was close now, pausing at the look on Dick's face before his eyes locked onto her. They narrowed. It made her skin crawl, and she shrank back into her jacket. Dick spoke softly, but loud enough for Nathan to hear him, forceful but not pushy.
"Something wrong, Prescott?" Nathan took another couple of steps closer and Chloe thought Dick might spring forwards and punch him right there. She reached out and caught his arm softly with one hand, trying to keep him back.
"I want to talk to Price. Fuck off, Grayson."
"I don't think so. We're busy." His tone was dangerous, but Nathan ignored it, looking between them with narrowed eyes.
"You think you know anything? I own this school! I said I wanna talk to Price." Chloe felt fear settle in her stomach. No way was she going to be anywhere alone with Nathan right now, especially knowing he was packing. It wasn't like Dick was going to let that happen though.
"No. Fuck off."
"You heard the lady." Dick was staring at him hard. "Fuck off."
Nathan snarled slightly, taking a step forwards. He was just slightly taller than Dick and looked down on him while he sneered, "You think you're real goddamn great, don't you Grayson? Victoria's not gonna be very happy when she finds out you're sneaking around with that criminal slut." Chloe opened her mouth to retort, stepping forward, but felt Dick's hand close tightly around her wrist and pull her back sharply.
"It's none of your business who I spend my time with," Dick's voice was ice cold. "What, pissed Victoria's not screwing you lately?" Nathan's fists clenched at his sides and Chloe felt the overwhelming urge to flip him off. She did it behind Dick's back.
"Fine." He growled. "I'll talk to Frank, Price. Got it?" He stepped closer, his presence was menacing and somehow towered over her. Dick's lips curled in anger, and he stepped forward, bodily inserting himself between her and Nathan and pushing her a step backward. His voice was very slow, and it made the hair on the back of Chloe's neck stand up.
"Better go do that."
Nathan considered for a moment, staring at the other boy's face. His eyes turned to Chloe, full of loathing, then he turned on his heel and left. She let out a shaky breath. Dick's eyes didn't leave Nathan's back until he'd slammed his way back into the building. He turned to look at her. "…I hate that guy."
"Yeah." Chloe replied, trying not to sound shaken. "Royal asshole."
"If he'd pulled the gun, I would've decked him." Dick flexed his hand experimentally, shook his head. "Might still deck him. C'mon."
Chloe's truck, a rusty old brown thing she'd fixed up and stolen from the junkyard, was parked at the far end of the lot. She was hardly in the Bay anymore except to see Dick, so she hadn't bothered to move it off campus. She got in the front, embraced by the familiar smell of dust, oil, and cigarettes.
"Why do you think he wants to talk to me so bad? I don't- like, I didn't fuck up any payments." Dick looked scattered and confused for a moment.
"I… don't know." Chloe sighed and nodded, turning the car on and instinctively reaching out with her right hand to rub a small Sharpie'd triangle on the dashboard. It was her lucky triangle. She'd drawn it there when she got the car to start, had been planning to add more to it but never had. Moving her thumb over the edges was such a familiar feeling now that it was like she'd rubbed a groove in the plastic. The triangle kept her engine running, grounded her to the time and place no matter what had happened before she got in the car. Back in the present, she took a few deep breaths and backed out of the parking lot. Crap, he'd been talking while she wasn't paying attention. She tuned him back in. "Would Frank know?"
Chloe frowned, trying to concentrate. "Uh, he might. He set up the drop. We can worry about that after we get out of Arcadia Bay."
"Unless we have to figure that out to get out of here."
"What? You think that like- dude this is, this is small town drama we're talking about. It can't be the cause of like, the trappening."
Dick settled back into his seat with a frustrated noise. "In case you didn't notice, Chloe, I can time travel, there's been a series of murders, and we're trapped so I think we may have escalated past treating this like any other small town."
Chloe felt her stomach drop out. Murders. It settled like a weight. He was probably right of course, there was no way Rachel was still alive. Or any of those other missing girls. Saying it to herself made her insides twist like snakes. No. Absolutely not. Rachel was alive and well, and had to be found. That was what she was doing here, with Dick, that was why they'd come. All of this could not be for nothing. "We… we don't know yet. That they've. There. There haven't been… no bodies." She focused hard on the road, not willing to let herself cry. She could feel his eyes on her, and his voice was apologetic.
"Right. Kidnappings… that doesn't deescalate the situation."
Chloe sighed and hit the gas, revving them towards the Now Leaving Arcadia Bay sign. Dick was leaning against the doorframe, nervously tapping his fingers. There was a soft blur as they passed the sign-
-and they were driving the other way. They were roaring down the road, back towards town. Dick straightened up and turned around in his seat, looking out the back window.
"…Chloe."
She blinked, shook her head. "What?"
"Can you stop the truck?" She nodded and pulled onto the side of the road. "We… turned around, right? I didn't imagine that?" He jerked his thumb in the direction of the window and she stared at the sign in confusion. Now Leaving Arcadia Bay. The words seemed mocking.
"No… we're… pointed at the town. You didn't imagine it." She turned the truck around on the empty road. Maybe she just needed more speed. Flooring it, she pointed at the sign and drove.
Everything blurred, and the truck roared onto the other side of the road again. Dick laughed in despair and leaned back against the seat.
-ooo-
Dick tried no to dissociate, but it was so inviting to let his mind slip. He jolted back to reality hard when Chloe slammed her fist furiously against the dashboard. He shook his head hard. Keep it together Grayson. Losing it is not an option. "Okay. What next, any ideas?"
"Need to… get away from the town." Chloe turned down a side road. He could see her arms shaking and rubbed his face. This day was draining twenty years off his life, he couldn't imagine how scared she must be. At least he'd had training. The truck seemed close and stifling, and he shifted awkwardly. Maybe he should try to text Danny again? Maybe something would have changed, the way it had changed before… no luck. He fiddled aimlessly with his phone, watching Chloe drive down one of the town's back streets and up into the hills nearby. "Where… are we going?"
Chloe's voice was weak, but she was clearly making an effort to keep it together. "Somewhere out of the way. Just. Somewhere to talk." The truck pulled into a parking lot with a small trailhead. Dick could see the Arcadia Bay Lighthouse, the town's only landmark, looming overhead above the tall green pines. It seemed… familiar.
"Where is this?"
"Hangout of minute. Home away from hell. This is the lighthouse, c'mon, it's just up this path." She was already starting up. Dick slid out of the passenger's seat, but hesitate. Misgivings tore at him, but then, what about this day hadn't been anxiety inducing?
"Something doesn't feel right…"
"Like- dangerous? Should we leave?" She froze where she stood on the path, looking back at him. It twisted his heart a little, knowing she held his opinion with that kind of regard. If he'd asked her to get back into the car, she would. A little part of him wanted to.
"No, I… no. That's probably why we should stay." He followed her up the path. Something in his gut told him he might get a few answers here. They headed up the hill, crested it, and walked out into the warm afternoon sunlight. The ocean crashed peacefully against the rocks far below. He took a few steps closer to the fence, looking out at the town.
"What is it?" Chloe was lighting up a cigarette. He frowned, walking back towards her. "No it's-" Dizziness crashed over him.
The storm. No god, the storm was massive. Dick looked around frantically, wind tearing at his hair and rain lashing his face. Where did Chloe go?! The storm- it was headed towards the town- they had to get out-
"DICK?!" He was lying on the ground with his head in Chloe's lap. "Please please be okay, please wake up, oh god-" He mumbled and brought his hand to his head. "Ohhhh my god…" She sounded like she was close to tears. "Oh my god you're alive." He sat up slowly, shaking his head groggily.
"M…fine… what's-" His eyes focused on the ocean. Calm and blue. No storm, just sun and water and sky. Chloe was fussing over him some, and giggled in a way that sounded much more like a sob.
"You passed out. D-dude, you've gotta… eat more." Suddenly she was hugging him tightly, a deathgrip. For a moment he was tense, unsure, shuddering, then he hugged her back in equal measure. After a minute, she pulled back. "Thank god you're..."
Dick felt something cold brush his cheek. Chloe trailed off, staring up in awe. All around them, feather light powered snow was falling from the sky. It dappled the sunlight, steady and silent.
"…. early… not... cold enough?" Dick looked at her, feeling confusion twist his mind into uncomfortable shapes. Was it supposed to snow?"
"I don't think so…" Chloe stared at it as it blew down and gently around them, floating in pale clouds down towards the town. Dick pulled himself to his feet slowly, offered a hand to Chloe. They huddled together, their minds numb, watching the impossible snow float downwards. They were on their own. No help was coming from the multiverse. No escape was possible. They were going to have to solve this from the inside. His grip tightened a little on Chloe. He could at least start by finding out who the hell wanted to kill his friend.
A single drop of blood rolled out of his nose.