So here comes a nice dollop of angst and a trigger warning for alcoholism. Not really my speciality but I'll try my best. Also introducing three Batfamily members that people have been asking for.
I do not own DC, Batman or any related works.
Chapter 7: No Going Back
Wayne Manor
Thomas felt like shit. His body had become drenched in a cold sweat and was shaking uncontrollably. It was second time it had happened and he knew the reason for it.
He needed a drink.
Thomas had never believed he was an alcoholic. He believed that keeping physically fit and eating healthily could make it so his body didn't become addicted to alcohol and he could drop the habit if he wanted to.
He was wrong. After two days of not drinking his body had begun to feel like a warzone.
Thomas splashed cold water on his face before walking out of his room and to the kitchen. Hopefully he could find something there that could stop the shakes.
As he travelled down the hallways Thomas encountered Bruce heading the opposite way, probably heading to the study and then to the cave. He was using one of those tablet devices, his face impassive.
As they got closer Bruce looked up and smiled for a second before his features morphed into concern.
"Hey, are you OK?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm fine." Thomas lied. "I just need a bit of air." He didn't need to worry Bruce about his condition, not when he was already worried enough about him.
"Are you sure? You don't look that great." Bruce was concerned.
"I said I'm fine Bruce." Thomas answered with irritation. Bruce's concerned features did not soften, instead they increased in intensity.
"Well OK. If you're feeling unwell Alfred can make you something to perk you up." Thomas' features softened into consideration.
"Thanks Bruce, I think that sounds…" Before he could finish his sentence a gush of wind flew past and a man wearing what looked like bright red spandex with yellow lightning bolts attached was standing.
" ,notniceatall." The man spoke a mile a minute and neither Bruce nor Thomas could understand him.
"Flash! Take a breath and slow down." Bruce growled. The man listened and stopped talking before taking a deep breath. He then looked at Thomas and smiled nervously.
"Hey. You must be Thomas, right? It's nice to meet you. I'm The Flash. I work with Bruce." Barry stuck out his hand to Thomas, whose eyes were twice their normal size.
"You're fast." Thomas spoke slowly, still trying to comprehend what he had just seen. He slowly raised his hand and shook Flash's outstretched one slowly, not breaking eye contact.
"I get that a lot." Thomas let go and turned to Bruce.
"I'll leave you to it." He said to Bruce before turning and walking to the kitchen.
"Bruce it's gone." Flash blurted out as soon as Thomas had turned the corner.
"What?" Bruce asked, confused and annoyed at what the Bruce was doing here.
"The world, Bruce. The world your Father came from. It's gone. The surface has been wiped clean. The only thing left is rock and stone" Flash explained. Bruce was stunned silent for a few moments before his brow knitted together.
"Cave. Now." He ordered.
The two men turned in the direction of the study.
Unknown to the both of them Thomas had heard what the Flash had said. Suddenly a drink in the Manor was not what he needed.
The Clocktower
"Home sweet home." Dick Grayson explained as he carried his new wife past the elevator door and into their penthouse apartment.
"Did you really have to do that?" Barbara Grayson asked her husband between giggles.
"It's tradition." Dick shrugged.
"Whatever. Can you please put me back down and then bring our bags in." Barbara asked sweetly, making sure to flutter her eyelashes.
"Of course sweaty." Dick turned back around and set Barbara back into her chair before grabbing the various suitcases and bags that they brought with them during their honeymoon.
"While Bruce's personal Island resort was wonderful, I am so glad we're home." Barbara sighed as she wheeled herself through the halls of her home, with Dick following behind with the bags.
"Yeah. Can't wait to sleep in our own bed again." He said, the jet-lag making him sound more tired than he was.
"Just sleep?" Barbara asked slyly.
"Hell no." He grinned before a sound made him drop it. "Wait do you hear that." He quietly dropped the bags as Barbara stops and listens.
"Yeah." She agrees. There is muffled noises coming from the living room.
They look at each other and nod before slowly moving towards the room. The noise becomes louder and they can now tell it's the widescreen television.
Dick opens the door quietly and slips his head in and his fear turns into annoyance at what he sees.
It was a black haired man sprawled over the couch. From the back you could see the hair poking up and the black leather jacket tossed on the arm.
"Jason what the hell are you doing here?" Dick asked incredulously.
The younger man turned his head to look at his older brother and sister-in-law and smirked.
"Oh hey Dickie, hey Barbie. Welcome back." Jason Todd waved lightly before turning back to the TV. "The pipes in my place blew a few days ago and I needed a place to crash. You're out of beer by the way." He shook an empty can to prove his point.
"Jason how the hell did you get in here?" Barbara and Dick moved in front of Jason and crossed their arms, matching glares on their faces.
"Oh you also need to update your security, it only took me like ten minutes to get in." Barbara actually growled at her equipment being insulted. Dick put a calming hand on her shoulder but did not let up on his glare.
"Jason why didn't you stay at the Manor or any of your other safe-houses." Dick asked, getting more annoyed.
"All my other safe-houses are dumps and Damian is still gunning for me since I painted his suit bright pink last week. Like hell I am staying at the manor."
"Jason we just got home after a ten hour flight. We do not have time to deal with your shit. Get out." Barbara almost shouted. Jason glanced at Dick, whose glare showed that he was agreeing with his wife.
"Alright fine, but I'm blaming you if the brat ends up gutting me." He got up and pulled on his jacket and made for the exit. "At least I kept the place clean while I was here." He grumbled on the way out.
Dick and Barbara sighed in relief when they heard the elevator open.
"This place is actually cleaner than when we left it." Barbara commented as she looked around her virtually spotless living room.
The Batcave
Bruce walked straight to the computer with purpose. Barry followed a few feet behind him, as he felt that Bruce had become Batman.
Bruce at the computer and turned to face Barry, the patented Batglare revved up to one hundred.
"Explain." He simply said. Barry took a deep breath and spoke;
"OK so using the vibrational frequency you gave me I was able to program a destination into the cosmic treadmill." He moved forward and inserted a usb drive into the computer. "With that it was easy enough to find the earth but that was the easy part."
The files of the drive opened and pictures of what could only be described as a lunar landscape came up. Except there were no craters, just flat, grey bedrock that seemed to go on forever. And it probably did.
"This is London. About four hours ago by our time." Barry informed grimly.
"What the hell happened?" Bruce asked. This was one of the few times that Barry had seen his friend shocked.
"I'm not too sure but I think that war between Wonder Woman and Aquaman heated to the point of one of them setting off a doomsday device. My guess is Aquaman cause the whole planet is irradiated." Bruce collapsed into the chair in front of the computer and rubbed his brow and sighed.
"Were there any survivors?" He asked after along minute.
"No. There's nothing left." Barry placed a reassuring hand on Bruce's shoulder. "I'm sorry Bruce."
"Thank you Barry. For everything." Bruce replied, the most honest answer he had ever given Barry.
"No problem Bruce. If you need anything I'll be here in a Flash." Bruce let out the faintest chuckle before Barry zoomed off, vibrating straight through the cave walls.
Bruce looked up and stared at the screen, the pictures of what was probably once the London waterfront with Big Ben in the background haunting him. In the darkness of the cave he whispered;
"They blew it up. God damn them. God damn them all to hell."
The Streets of Gotham
Jason decided that he would need a couple more drinks before heading to the manor. If he was lucky, Bruce and the brat would be out patrolling by the time he arrived. He was told that his place would be fixed by tomorrow morning so he could possibly be in and out before Damian knew he was there.
It had been roughly a year since Jason and the Batfamily had made peace. He had finally let go of his anger and the resentment directed at Bruce. Staying angry was killing him so instead he decided to just let it all go. And surprisingly they had all forgiven him for all his past crimes. Though not before a couple of dust ups and bruises, courtesy of Damian, Cassandra, Selina and Tim.
After a few minutes of walking and working out how to sneak out of the manor he arrived at his favourite bar on 38th street. It wasn't too run down but not too fancy. The perfect place for a certain gun-wielding vigilante to unwind.
Jason stepped through the door and did a quick look around, making sure none of the current patrons were going to start trouble. One older man was at the bar, a group of college students were sitting at a booth chatting and pair of older women were sipping martinis at another. No visible signs of trouble.
Jason decided to sit at the bar near the old guy. He took a seat and nodded at the bar man, who already knew what he wanted. He spared a glance at the other man and nearly fell out of his seat when he saw who he was sitting next to.
Thomas turned his head to look at the younger man and glared.
"I thought priests weren't allowed to drink."
To be continued…
So a lot going on here. First off a comment on ao3 was kind enough to point out some of the withdrawal symptoms for alcoholism which I hopefully incorporated correctly. Secondly I decided to kill off the entire Flashpoint earth because in The Flashpoint Paradox movie that's what happened. That world was doomed from the start. Next DickBabs is my ultimate OTP so I just had to get them married, as a tribute to Convergence. Thomas has never met Barry because the Flashpoint event never happened it's just a parallel earth. I much prefer a goodish Jason than an outright villain Jason and I absolutely loath what Grant Morrison did to the character so screw him, Jason is less of a dick. And finally Jason is a Priest in Gotham on Flashpoint earth so I'm pretty sure Thomas would have met him, which explains the last line.
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