Alright guys here is chapter two! My goal is to update once a week (err that would be on Fridays) and I'm going to try my best to strive for that. Concerning this chapter: I wanted to jump straight into the action but it kind of wrote itself…insisting some explanation had to be given first. Sigh. The next chapters will pick up the pace – promise! Please R&R
Disclaimer: Nope, not the owner of any of these characters.
Bruce sat, staring at the papers in his hands, going over the results for the 15th time. The only sound in the cave were the bats fluttering around, but that was then interrupted by the youngest boy.
"Well?" Damian (in Tim's body) stared at him intently. The older boys were waiting eagerly, and also losing patience
First time they're all in one room without arguing for a whole hour. Figured it would take such a…unsettling situation to get there.
"Bruce?" Dick got his attention. The older man's eyes lingered for a second more on Jason's eyes…knowing it wasn't his second eldest but recalling a time those eyes had looked at him so eagerly. They were painful memories and he tore himself away.
"…I need to call Zatara."
This was obviously not the news the boys wanted to hear.
"Wait why?" Dick demanded, now standing up from a chair he had pulled over.
"The great detective can't figure it out?" Jason growled, earning a strange look from both Tim and Alfred, who stood off in the corner waiting.
When the boys had discussed keeping this a secret, they already had excluded Bruce and their trusted butler. First it would make no sense to try and hide something of this magnitude from Batman, not to mention they couldn't solve it without his help. Alfred was always included, but that was it. No one else.
"Father, why must we involve others in this?" Damian asked sounding slightly concerned.
Bruce waited patiently, uncharacteristically understanding. This is weirdest for them…His eyes flickered back to Jason but then he steeled himself. Don't let this effect you. Not now.
"I have to call in Zatara," he began again when things had quieted down, "because there is absolutely nothing abnormal in these tests. In fact, I can't find any problems with any of the brain scans, blood tests, or physicals. Whatever happened took a high level of magic, and it would take a lot less time and less aggravation if Zatara comes in." He looked sternly at the four boys, who said nothing. "I told him this was confidential, and I trust him to keep this a secret."
That did bring some comfort. After all, Batman didn't have a reputation of being betrayed.
"It makes sense." Tim agreed grudgingly, and for a second Bruce wished Damian could actually answer like that when it was he in his own body.
"How long will it take him?" Dick asked. Bruce only glanced at him.
"He's on his way now…ETA two minutes."
XxXxXxXx
The boys sat tensly, each ignoring the other while they waited for the magician to arrive. Bruce was typing away at his keyboard and Alfred had gone back up to the manor to make some tea.
"…At least he took the news pretty well." Dick broke the silence quietly, not wanting to disturb their father.
Jason (in Dick's body) raised an eyebrow.
"Which part? The part where he found out Demon Spawn took off on his own to track an unknown source of energy, and that you dragged the rest of us after him, or the part where we got switched?"
"I didn't drag you guys." Dick rolled his eyes. Jason had to turn away, still feeling uncomfortable seeing his face being controlled by…not him.
"I had everything under control." Damian gritted. Again a strange sight, as Jason had never seen the replacement look so angry. Except now, but Damian's face just seemed to be made to look angry.
"Did you now?" Tim asked, "Then why is it that if I hadn't grabbed you when I did, you would probably be dead instead of…alive?"
They had explained the whole situation to Batman not two hours ago, and yet here they were bringing back the story.
"I wasn't aware the magical energy was going to explode." Damian countered.
"Which is why you shouldn't have gone out alone." Tim countered just as Jason said,
"Really? And what did you think the pulsing light meant?"
"Boys enough." Dick cut in, his voice gruffer than normal, but then, that was to be expected given the circumstances.
Seeing the older boy in his body, Jason wondered what would have happened if things had been changed slightly. If instead of him and Dick opening the skylight and Tim slipping inside to grab the Brat, if Dick went. Then would that mean he and Tim would have been switched? But then Dick and Damian would be…he shook his head. Things were upside down and weird, but he just realized it could have been worse.
Why did I have to be on patrol tonight? And why did it have to happen in my territory so obviously I would run into them? He lamented to himself.
"He's here." Bruce's voice interrupted their bickering and they watched was the caped crusader walked over to meet a now appearing magician, after Batman had allowed him to teleport himself into the cave.
"Have you realized he doesn't look at any of us for longer than a split second?" Tim asked quietly, as they got ready to follow their mentor.
"This must be the strangest situation he's had to deal with in a while." Dick said, again rubbing his left shoulder.
"That had better not be a bad injury." Jason growled,
"You're the one who fell on it!" Dick hissed back.
"Ah hello boys." The accented voice of the magician assured that a second argument was not about to start up. "Batman called me in saying he had a predicament that included the four of you?" Right to the point.
"Yeah, you could say that." Jason stated, sarcasm pretty much dripping off of his words. The magician blinked, unaccustomed to Dick speaking so harshly.
"Well you see." Dick threw Jason a warning glare, "we're in a bit of a tight situation."
Zatara simply stared at the two boys confused.
Damian rolled his eyes.
"Morons, how are we supposed to fool everyone else if you can't even act like each other? Grayson, stop sounding so worried, and Todd, quit being an idiot."
By that point Zatara was putting some of the pieces together.
"Good job Damian," Tim chirped in with false excitement. "Cause you sounded just like me there!"
"They've been swapped." Zatara stated, looking at Batman for confirmation.
"Yes."
"…ah." The expression that passed over the magician's face wasn't very comforting.
"Can you help us?" Dick asked, looking back at the older gentleman, who seemed lost in thought.
"This is…rather peculiar." He said walking around the four boys, as if looking over a project, his eyes searching for things unseen. The boys didn't move, however much they disliked being observed. After all, they were far more uncomfortable in their current situation.
"I am going to use a few spells to try and find the origin of the magic." The magician informed them all after a few minutes, but only proceeded when Batman gave a slight nod.
Jason sighed, but other than that remained silent as the older gentleman closed his eyes and recited a few incantations.
This happened for the better part of the next hour. Using his magic he searched them individually, as a group, or as pairs. Other than slight tingling or chills, the boys experienced nothing.
After a while Zatara pulled back and stared at them thoughtfully.
"Well?" Batman's question seemed to pull Zatara out of his trance. He glanced at the vigilantes and gave a shrug of irritation.
"I cannot find it." He stated simply, but held up a hand when Damian and Jason (who were in Tim's and Dick's bodies) opened their mouths. "That doesn't mean I am completely without information. Just that I cannot find the origin of this spell. Whoever cast it is trained in a very high level of magic."
"Higher than you?" Batman asked. If he was shocked by the news it wasn't noticeable.
"No, but…potentially as good." Came the reluctant reply.
"Can't you try something to switch us back?" Jason finally snapped, but the magician was shaking his head.
"You have to understand, I haven't seen a situation like this before. While there have been swapping of bodies, it has never happened twice in one spot or to a group in which there are no metas." He said solemnly, excepting tea from Alfred who had just appeared.
"So you're saying that this has never happened to two people who didn't have superpowers?" Tim asked incredulous.
"Oh it's happened. It just had…disastrous results." That didn't help the mood. "If I were to try anything to reverse the spell without having sufficient information on how it was cast, then I am afraid I would cause irreversible damage."
"…so what do we do now?" Dick asked.
"We gather information, just like we always do." Batman intervened. He turned to their guest. "Thank you for dropping by and assessing the problem. I'll be in contact soon."
Zatara took that as his signal to leave, and did so with a firm handshake with Batman and a sympathetic nod to the boys. As soon as he vanished the boys were in full swing.
"I can't be stuck like this for another hour, much less who knows when." Jason growled.
"You think you have it bad? I have school on Monday!" Tim snapped. "How can I go, like this?" He gestured up and down to the body he was occupying.
"School? Try work." Dick groaned.
"At least none of you are stuck in the body of a dweeb." Damian stated, which earned him a nasty glare from Tim.
"And whose fault is this again?"
"Enough." There was no volume in his voice, but then, there didn't need to be. The low growl was enough to silence them once more. "Right now you will go upstairs, shower, and have Alfred tend to your injuries. Then you will go to bed and have a full night's sleep."
There was a stunned silence.
"Bruce," Dick spoke up. "How exactly do you expect us to get sleep?"
"I expect you to get sleep because starting tomorrow you are all to undertake rigorous training."
"What?" Jason asked incredulous. "I'm not staying here! I was dragged into this because it happened to take place in my territory!"
"And how exactly are you going to manage this situation?" Bruce asked calmly, looking at him from where he resumed his position in front of the computer. "All of you are unaccustomed to the bodies you're in. Your balance, perception, flexibility and speed, amongst other things are completely thrown off. You can't fight in the state you're in. And until we find out who's behind this, you will train to be proficient in self-defense. Am I clear?"
No one said anything.
"Good. Now go upstairs."
The boys went, though none too happy, and Bruce was glad of it. He wasn't sure how much more he could take, seeing them swapped was harder on him than he thought it would be. Pulling off his cowl he rubbed his face, feeling the exhaustion fall in. The amount of times Jason had looked at him tonight…Dick. It was Dick. He steeled himself again, and focused on the screen.
"Sir?" Alfred appeared out of nowhere, as usual.
"Yes?"
"How are you?" A cup of tea was placed on the desk next to him. He glanced up, catching the watchful eye of his butler.
"It's…strange Alfred." He shook his head. "How about you?"
"There have always been strange situations Master Bruce, ever since you started this crusade, and while this one might be the queirest of them all, I feel it will do some good in the end."
Bruce looked at the older man suspiciously, but said nothing as he focused once again on the screen in front of him, his fingers flying over the keypad.
"And what are you doing if I might ask? I think you should consider retiring early yourself sir. This seems to have taken a toll on you as well." The tone was light, but Bruce could see the seriousness in his eyes. Alfred never missed anything.
"Not now Alfred. I'm already hours behind whoever did this."
"And you plan on finding him with what information Sir? Zatara himself couldn't find the source."
"True, but he gave me all the information I need to start tracking him down." Bruce was already staring intently at the screen has his hands flew across the keyboard. Alfred stood in the shadows watching.
"And that would be?"
"A magician who can mask his source from Zatara is extremely powerful…and there aren't many out there. I've already narrowed the search."
Profiles of different magicians started to fill the screen, being pulled from a database conveniently prepared years ago, and maintained consistently. Other superhero's considered Batman paranoid, but his contingencies and preparations were how he managed to get so far ahead on cases before the other leaguers.
"And you believe you can find this…person without the help of Zatara?" Alfred asked.
Bruce didn't respond, but the smallest trace of a grin that graced his lips, and the hard glint that shown in his eyes, answered the butler's question.
Alright folks, I promise the next chapter will focus entirely on the boys! The drama and humor will now commence X) Please review!
