Chapter 9
"I could have defended myself!" Damian whined. Batman rubbed his temples as Damian continued his tirade on his independence and his own ability.
"I was perfectly ok! I needed no one!" Damian grumbled. Batman stopped, whirling his cape as he turned to face his son.
"You needed help." Batman said. His voice was low but unthreatening. He merely stated the facts. "Had Timothy and Jason not appeared, your grandfather would have been able to capture you and sacrifice you to the Lazarus Pits. Your life would have been wasted." Damian ducked his head slightly. His cheeks were aflame and bright pink.
Batman turned and marched through the Watchtower to the med bay. One son was saved, now for the second.
"Don't sweat it, Demon Spawn." Jason walked up behind Damian and dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Get off my Todd!" Damian snarled, twisting put from under the hand.
"He's right, Damian. "Tim said, also walking forward. "Batman really only ever compliments Dick, and only when Dick isn't around. He's actually very happy you're safe. I haven't seen him so emotional in uniform in a long, long time." Tim said. Damian frowned.
"I'm agreeing with the replacement, so you better too, you punk." Jason huffed.
"You are all fools! I cannot see how father could accept your performance in the field. You're emotions cloud you! You…you…" Damian couldn't think of any insults when he was faced with the knowing smiles on Tim and Jason's faces. "Silence you imbeciles!" Damian snarled. "We have a comrade to take care of." He added on, whipping around dramatically heading towards the med wing.
"You know, if he had a cape, he really would be a mini Bruce." Tim whispered to Jason.
"Shut up, Replacement." Jason snickered. They followed the Wayne's towards the med wing.
Bruce entered the room. Karen, Dinah, and Clark were all surrounding a bed. Batman slid next to Clark. No one had noticed him yet.
"Well. It worked, but he's going to feel like crap for a while." Karen smiled sadly.
"Yeah, donating all your blood and then getting it back… what about the poison?" Clark asked.
"I'm pretty sure it's gone. No more bleeding. Internally or externally. He'll feel like he did a double blood donation for a while as his body adjusts and cleans itself." Dinah said.
"Any risk of infection or the body attacking itself?" Batman asked. The occupants of the room, minus the pale figure on the bed, jumped.
"Bruce!" Clark scolded. Karen and Dinah swallowed squeaks and chortles.
"He'll be fine. He just needs to sleep for a while." Karen smiled.
"He's so pale." Bruce commented. The other heroes exchanged glances. Bruce extended a glove covered hand and ran it across Dick's hairline. Dick turned his head slightly into the touch but stayed unconscious. Bruce smiled slightly.
Dinah smiled brightly as she left the room to alert Dick's friends they could visit him. Karen, who never saw Batman smile stared in shock, her jaw dropping, and Clark dragged her out of the room.
"You got five minutes until the annoying red heads get here." Damian grumbled. Tim and Jason had followed Damian in.
"Why is he so friggin' pale?" Jason asked. His loud voice a shock to the silence resting in the room. Bruce gave Jason a scolding glance.
"Did anyone tell Barbra?" Tim asked. Jason nodded.
"I, uh, also kind of told Starfire when I got the call." Jason mumbled out. The room froze.
"So, both Barbra and Starfire will be in here. When Dick wakes up. Along with Roy, us and Wally?" Tim asked. Damian frowned in confusion.
"Who is this 'Starfire'?" Damian asked.
"Dickie-bird's ex. "Jason said. Damian snorted.
"And him and Barbra just broke up again." Damian started laughing. AS he was laughing the wave of redheads burst into the room.
Tim, Damian and Bruce were forced into a corner of the room as Dick's friends surrounded his bed with worry. Most of the YJ team was forcing their way into the room as well.
"How much you wanna bet he wakes up in two minutes?' Tim whispered to Bruce.
"I'm guessing he's awake and feels like he has a killer hangover so he's trying to pretend to be asleep." Bruce whispered back. Damian was still giggling in between the two.
A weak 'hey' that came before a chorus of 'idiot!' and 'don't scare us like that!' proved Bruce's statement.
"What were we betting?" Grumbled Tim.
"What do we always bet?" Tim grumbled under his breath. Bruce smiled as Dick was being babied by his team and friends.
"Where'd you go?" Tim asked. Bruce turned towards the kid.
"An alternate reality." Bruce answered turning back to watch his eldest. He noticed Dick was scanning the room .The two met eyes and Bruce smiled as Dick relaxed.
"What was it like?" Tim asked.
"Painful. But it had its good points." Bruce answered. Tim gave Bruce a strange look. Bruce wondered what his voice sounded like. Closing his eyes for a second, Bruce could see it.
He had always wondered what it would be like to outlive his children. Jason's death had destroyed him. But Jason came back. Bruce knew that Jason's return had convinced him his kids were indestructible. But, seeing the blade that skewered Dick… It wasn't his child, but it was the worse nightmare he had ever experienced. He knew what it felt like now. To watch as the life left his child's eyes, to know he could do nothing, to know he wasn't coming back. He wasn't indestructible.
"Father?" Damian was giving Bruce a strange, slightly worried look. Bruce ignored the looks as he wove his way to Dick's bedside. Dick's face lit up like a Christmas tree as Bruce stood next to him.
"I thought you were gone!" Dick whispered. Bruce just nodded and reached down to hug Dick. The guests were slightly shocked, Damian astounded. Dick didn't seem surprised. He hugged Bruce back.
"You're not leaving the manor until a month after I deem you healthy." Bruce hissed into Dick's ear. Dick just smiled and turned to talk to her friends as Batman disappeared from the room.
"You ok?' Clark asked Bruce. Bruce turned to who he would probably call his best friend.
"I saw Dick get killed right before my eyes. I learned if Dick had not come into my world, Jason would never have died. I learned Damian would still be as disagreeable as he is now, without Dick's gentle touch. I learned Tim would be so much more mission focused and I wouldn't… Without Dick I was cracking jokes. The world seemed happier, but I seemed like I was covering up so much. I looked like I was lying through my teeth to face the day. Dick has influenced so much of my life. In the other reality, do you know how many people who are alive to day were dead there?" Bruce shook his head. "I just can't imagine a life without Richard." Bruce concluded. Clark smiled.
"Well, that was that world, this is your world. I think the best we can do, instead of trying to take all the good points of every other reality, is to make the best of our lives at the moment." Bruce rolled his eyes.
"You sound like an encouragement poster." Batman growled. Clark smiled. Bruce would be fine, since his family was fine.
I really need to work on finishing stories. Well, an epilogue and we'll be done!