Chapter 1: A visit from the Monitors
The Batmobile pulled into the Cave on nearly full turbines. Alfred still thought it was an ear splitting noise he could never get used to. The exhausted figure curled up in the chair beside him did not flinch a muscle. He still slept soundly on, which worried Alfred more than any temperature reading on a thermometer. Normally his young Master was up and ready for anything at the sound of the car like Pavlov's dog. The years in Bludhaven, the estrangements had not made a dent in the training, so in Alfred's mind for Dick Grayson to sleep through the arrival of Batman meant something was horribly wrong. He covered the figure with the warm blanket, marveling how the 22 year old could still contort himself into the same positions as when he was 8. Alfred knew if he merely tried to do some from when he was a mere 30 year old lad now, he would be in the medical bay in traction with Leslie calling him a stupid old coot. Alfred reluctantly left his sleeping charge and walked to stand to await the hiss of the hydraulic doors.
"You nearly got yourself killed tonight." Alfred heard Batman growl as soon as the door locks released. Alfred smirked how he had been listening to that line for yours. He wondered why Bruce wasted the breath and did not just record it and play it back.
Robin shot out of the Batmobile and flung off the cape. "The perp was behind the dumpster. Sorry for not developing eyes in the back of my head, oh great Batman." He tore off the gloves and stopped, handing the items to Alfred.
"I was heading over there. You should have noticed and anticipated like . . ."
Tim gave an exaggerated sigh, "I know, like the neat perfect one. The original Robin learned everything just a little bit better and a little bit faster than the rest of us. You know I am getting pretty sick of it. I'm sorry he grew up on you and that you screwed it all up and don't know what to do about it, but it's not my fault. It's not his fault."
Tim did not wait for a reply because he knew there would not be one, there never was. He marched into the showers to cool off and then he would call Connor. The idea of moving to Metropolis and rooming with him this fall while they went to college looked pretty good.
"That went rather well Sir." Alfred said in his droll British way. Secretly he thought 'Bravo, Master Timothy.' He ignored the scowl and waited for the cowl, cape, and gloves to come off so he was dealing with Bruce Wayne again. Bruce Wayne could be reached and reasoned with; but talking to Batman had all the good of talking to a brick wall.
Bruce removed the cowl, cape and gloves and handed them at Alfred. He wondered why boys had to become teenagers. He wished there was someplace that father's could send them from the time they turned into insolent apes at around 15 or 16 until 20 when they started to become civilized humans again. Having now dealt with three of them, while he would never condone murder, he could understand where some father could be justified. His inner Alfred pricked him that his eldest had not been a bad one at all, deep down. Bruce looked around the Batcave with concerned eyes. He had expected to see his ball of energy swinging off of something if only to prove to Bruce he had indeed been fine enough for patrol tonight. A smile flittered across his face as he recalled a speckled Robin trying to convince him the chicken pox was no reason to stay home and that the red spots matched his costume perfectly.
Alfred was pleased to see the concern on Bruce. For so long, it had pained Alfred that Bruce acted like he had no eldest anymore. While Tim provided some light, when Bruce abandoned Dick, he condemned them all to the dark. Alfred put a finger to his lips to silence Bruce from a thunder burst of concerned anger. Granted nothing had so far awakened the young Master, but he knew the sound of his father's wrath could penetrate anything. He pointed to the chair next to Batman's, the chair that was by common consensus, Dick's chair. "Shower first." Alfred stated in a term that brooked no argument.
While Bruce showered, Alfred snuck quietly upstairs and made a tray of sandwiches and coco. He knew he might have a battle with Master Bruce, but he really wanted him to rouse Master Dick so they could get him to eat and drink something. Alfred was concerned because Dick had eaten very little all day and he could not bribe, coax, or threaten him into anything while he helped Alfred monitor. Usually Dick was a bottomless pit and Alfred had to order him back from the pantry. He heard footsteps on the back stairs to the pantry and looked up. He smiled as he saw Tim walk in grabbing a bag of Doritos and a Coke.
"I was just coming with sandwiches and coco."
"Nah, I like these better. Besides, after being zonked out, Dick is going to inhale those sandwiches so fast I would rather not have my brother bite my hand off." Tim grinned. "Besides I promised Con I would call and if I wait much longer I'll wake everyone and Clark will get pissed."
Down in the Cave, Bruce had finished up his shower and slipped into a warm bathrobe. He slipped on his leather slippers with wool lining and draped the towel round his neck like an ascot. He walked out and sat in his chair and turned it to observe his sleeping son. He chuckled as he noticed a foot peeking out from the blanket covered in a green pixie boot. Dick always loved them, impractical for a Gotham winter as they were. He kept hoping every time Dick outgrew one pair, the next pair would be a nice, normal, sensible pair. No, each time it was another call to his outfitter to make another pair in a larger size. All Dick ever had to do was look at him with those blue eyes tearing up and he would melt. Besides Dick never asked for very much so indulging him in a pair of pixie boots was hardly a crime.
He brushed back some of the ebony curls, alarmed at the heat blasting off his son like a furnace. He noticed Dick had grown it again and it was back to shoulder length. He was going to one day have to explain that the reason he wanted Dick to keep his hair short was from behind the long hair made him look like a damn fine lady. He still remembered the first time Ollie caught him from behind in the Nightwing costume. He was telling Bruce how he was going to have to make a date with this one and how did she miss his radar. Roy was busting a major artery to keep from laughing because the look on Ollie's face when his 'date' turned around and greeted his Uncle Ollie was just priceless. Bruce still privately laughed about it. It sobered him that too many villains and Bruce hated to admit it a lot who called themselves 'heroes', would take advantage of that beauty, and try to take certain liberties. Bruce was no fool and did not live in a vacuum, but he just was not comfortable with how to talk about sex assault and rape to his young son. Hell, he was only 22. He still tried to shield Dick and Tim as much as he could from the ugliness of the world. He wanted to keep them as innocent as possible as long as possible.
"He won't hear you. The darkness has him too far."
Bruce turned and stared at the monitor who had materialized in the Cave.
"Batman, you are one of the Trinity. You still hold firmer to the truth then the others, yet the darkness has infected your planet. The darkness has infected you. The darkness now seeks to take the only thing from you that you would have used to stop it. The darkness seeks to take your light and your heart from you. Oh please do not look so shocked. You are more transparent then you think. This is a better thing then you know."
"You are talking in riddles." Batman growled, abandoning Bruce Wayne for the moment. "Why do you seek to kill my son?"
"You give orders very freely Batman, especially for beings that hold your sons fate in our hands. Most parents would be on their knees before us. You refuse to bow. You act as if you feel you are our equal or even our superior. We watch over universes, we watch over all time and space."
"I have Gotham and the world. I deal with the Joker and attempting to corral the sickest, vilest people you care to meet. I think that makes us even. Now answer my question."
"Sarcasm, in the face of all. Interesting response. The Dark Monitors seek to take your son that evil and darkness may rule the day. They have been infecting this earth for years. They never could gain a foothold here though in Gotham. You and your son were too powerful. We saw to that. We got complacent and we turned our eyes to weaker areas. We will forever regret that decision. Four years ago when we left no watch the Dark Monitors found a willing emissary. The Joker took a bullet cursed by the dark and shot the light one known then as Robin. Because of the bond between you, both of you were infected with one bullet."
Batman shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He remembered why he hated dealing with aliens. "I have done my blood work, numerous times, and there is nothing wrong with me."
The Monitor laughed derisively. "Keep thinking that and you might believe that. If that is the case, how did the Pirate get in to control your mind, what possessed you to create the Brother Eye, what makes you suddenly view Bruce Wayne as something you can pick up or throw away at will, or best yet, what made you fire an 18 year old boy who had always laid down his life for you without a thought?"
"Is there"
"There is no earthly medicine that can save your son. There never was. Most humans never survive this long; he has an amazing spirit and will. He has an amazing love for you. No, but he and his Titan friends sacrificed much for us once. We also owe to him and you a debt we cannot repay and Gotham guards the Keys. As the Dark have bent the time continuum to bring theirs back, so shall we this time to save ours. But, we have to restart, ours is not as simple."
"Titans, Bring Back, Restart"
"Please show some patience Mr. Wayne. The Titans of fame, the ones once known as Speedy, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Robin, once helped some forces from Dimension X learn to protect themselves. As such they were able to keep the darkness at bay earning us precious time. Tonight the four will succumb to high fever and die. Please stop and wait Mr. Wayne and listen, this is critical. They must be left with just their guardians and no one else for 24 hours so both may be repurified. Worry not about Lian. She is safe with us; all memory of her is wiped until her proper time in the flow is returned. The other guardians are already receiving their own visits."
"Barry Allen is dead though. Who will guide him?"
"Jay Garrick has agreed to return to the mantle and to guide Mr. West. After 24 hours they will revive and be the age they were when their guardians found them. No I read your heart Mr. Wayne. He will not need to see his parents die again. For you it will be just before he becomes Robin." The monitor chuckled, "We are not without a sense of compassion and given the high energy and mischief level of your wards, we have decided to put you and Mr. Queen and your girlfriends, Miss Kyle and Miss Lance, back to your ages and physical conditions at the times, but with the memory in the back of what the future will hold if the mistakes are repeated. Miss Kyle's baby is gone; it was of the darkness and if the mistakes are not repeated will not come to pass. Oh, and of course Agent A will be granted the same courtesies." With that the monitor disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived.
Bruce heard the phone ring and picked it up and was not surprised to hear from Ollie confirming the same strange visit. Bruce thought of inviting Ollie to bring Roy but quickly vetoed it. The first day might seem a little strange especially to his 18 year old son. He winced at exactly how he was going to explain this to Tim. He wasn't quite sure he understood himself. He smiled though that he had been secretly wishing for a do over, a mulligan, with Dick and by a miracle he was going to get his wish. First thing was going to be to adopt him right off the bat this time. His back creaked and he smiled that he would not mind having his back healed and saying goodbye to aches and pains. He talked with Diana and immediately noticed their old friendship was back. She did not find the monitors visit nearly as off-putting as he and Ollie. He guessed being an Amazon she was probably used to the bizarre. He was surprised that she expressed excitement at the prospect and how this time she could raise Donna and not farm her to her mother. They vowed to help Jay. They figured that poor man really had his hands full.
He called upstairs and gave Alfred a nutshell account of it and not to come down until he called or they would come up. He suddenly thought of clothes. Alfred chuckled and told him to pull open the third drawer on the bottom left. He did and laughed. There was a pair of size 8 Batman pjs, a definite improvement in sleeping attire and a brand new, stuffed duplicate of his well loved stuffed Elephant. He asked Alfred how he knew to which Alfred simply hummed and said he had an urgent emergency in the oven. Not for the first time he wondered if Alfred was human or his and Dick's private celestial angel from above. He said to tell Tim he had his permission to take a couple days off and go visit Connor in Metropolis. He picked up Dick tenderly and stretched out on the bed with Dick cradled protectively in his arms. He wanted his son to know he was there when he 'died' and when he 'restarted'. He never again wanted there to ever be a time in Dick's life when he would doubt that Bruce was there and that Bruce loved him. No Darkness, no Joker, no nothing was every taking his boy, his Dickie again.