A/N: Remember, I'm working fast and loose with time line. Don't think about it too hard, yeah?
Jason woke up slowly and lethargic, body heavy. The bedside clock read just before 11:00 am. The bandage tugged at the stitches in his arm when he shifted, sending a burst of pain all the way through his fingers. He weighed his options. It wasn't often Alfred let them sleep-in but on the other hand pain killers and food. His stomach growled, making the call for him. Jason heaved himself up and out the door.
He wandered down to the kitchen to find Alfred putting the finishing touches on grilled cheese and tomato soup. The elderly man shot Jason a look before he could sneak any food and pushed him out to the dining room. Alfred followed a moment later with some tea, a small portion of soup, and some painkillers and antibiotics. "For the pills," he explained, setting out the partial servicing. "Lunch will be served shortly."
True to his word, just a few minutes later Damian, Bruce, and Tim arrived from different directions to settle around the table. They all tossed concerned looks to Dick's empty chair, but no one commented. Alfred emerged to the tense silence with a tray of water. "Master Timothy, if you would kindly retrieve Master Richard from his room?"
Tim nodded, pushing from the table, "Of course Alfred."
Damian was a step behind, "Drake, I can retrieve- "
"He asked me, Demon Brat."
Alfred cleared his throat, "Please, Master Damian, return to your seat."
Damian huffed, crossing his arms tight across his chest. Bruce hid a smile behind a sip of coffee. Tim stuck out his tongue before slipping out the door.
Ten minutes later they were still missing. Around the fifteen minute mark something went sprinting past the door, then doubled back. Tim burst in, eyes wide and slightly frantic. "As anyone seen Dick?" he gasped out.
"Can't find his room Replacement?" Jason snorted, "It hasn't changed."
Tim rolled his eyes, "He isn't in his room. Nothing is missing from what I can tell."
"Did he sneak-" Bruce started, only to be interrupted.
"Already checked, nothing breached the sensors and I've verified on cameras. He didn't go out and nothing came in." Tim listed off, shaking his phone for emphasis.
"Aren't you being a little dramatic," Jason asked, "Maybe he went to the cave to practice or for a walk around the manor." He half shrugged. "Let the kid breathe."
"He hasn't left his room either." Tim stressed, he fiddled with something on his phone, then held it out to show off a picture of Dick's door with an overlay of statistics for anyone passing by or opening said door.
"Did you bug his room?" Jason laughed, trying to snatch the device, only for Tim to pull it away at the last moment.
"No," Tim scoffed, avoiding eye contact, "Just the door."
Jason cocked an eyebrow at Damian, "And you're okay with this?" he asked.
"Drake, I demand you give me access."
Tim smirked at Jason but nodded in agreement to the request. Jason rolled his eyes.
Bruce let out a long groan, hefting himself out of his chair and towards the entrance of the Batcave. His three remaining sons on his heels. "I'll check the computer; it will be faster than manually searching. We might be able to find him." They filed into the elevator, "Otherwise I need you boys to start a manual search of the manner and grounds." They arrived at the cave, Bruce leading the charge for the computer, "If we're lucky he hasn't whipped the footage already."
"He can do that?" Tim asked, wide-eyed.
Bruce hummed in agreement, he logged into the systems, flicking to the manor security. Multiple camera feeds pulled up across the scenes. With a growing sense of dread, they watched smaller versions of themselves flicker in reverse from various angles. At breakfast the day before, they talked to an empty chair. A few moments later, Bruce and Damian both stood, walking backwards to the door. Bruce paused for just a second next to the open chair, doing the same swinging motion he did with Dick yesterday just without Dick.
The footage continued like this, missing any signs of the child sized Dick Grayson. The night he turned; Tim stopped in the hall to talk to nothing. Back further at the cave, even the chair Dick used that first night remained unchanged as the whole family talked to the empty space.
"Did we imagen all of this?" Tim croaked.
Jason shook his head, "Can't be," He pointed to his injured arm, "Joker has a hit on us and we talked to Zatanna. She would have noticed us all talking to nothing."
Bruce sighed, "He's removed himself from the footage." He said, running a hand down his face.
"Master Richard has many skills," Alfred's voice drifted from the elevator, pushing a cart with plates of sandwiches and steaming bowls of soup. "And has always been known for not doing things halfway." He handed a plate to Jason who nodded in thanks. Then another to Tim.
"You were expecting this," Bruce accused the elderly man.
Alfred paused for a moment, just a slight hesitation before passing Damian his food. His gaze turned disappointed, "As you should have, sir" He stated. He put the remaining plate on the briefing table. "Both I and Ms. Zatana warned you." Alfred turned back to his cart and tucked it off to the side for the dishes once they finished eating. "I will be in the kitchen if you require my assistance." The man advised, heading towards the elevator once more.
"Alfy," Jason called after him, "Do you know where he went?"
The man paused in the elevator doors, "No Master Jason, I unfortunately do not. But may I advise reaching out to Mr. Harper. He and Richard were close at this age. If he made it off the grounds, there is a good chance he will know where to look."
Jason had already pulled up his contacts and chosen Roy, when Bruce turned to him. "Jason, don't you dare," The man started.
Jason hit the call button.
It rings once, then twice. "Roy's Mortuary, you kill them we gri-"
"Hey, shut up for a second. We kind of have a situation." Jason interrupted.
"What's up?" Roy asked, his voice was serious but cautious.
"Tiny Dick is missing." Jason jumped right to the chase. The scowl from Bruce doing nothing but putting him even more on edge. "He's completely gone from our security systems, like wiped off all the footage. And Alfred said you might be a good point of contact for some reason."
Roy let out a long breath. "Yeah, Alfred is always right."
"Damn right," Jason agreed, mostly out of habit. To his right Tim snorted, having drifted closer to listen to the conversation.
"Is Bruce there?" Roy asked, from the line, Jason could hear movement. Footsteps down a hall and a door opening.
Jason frowned, "Yeah, but why?"
"I need to ask him something, give him the phone."
Jason turned his gaze to Bruce, "Fine, but if he breaks my phone, you're the one who has to buy me a new one." He threatened.
Roy snorted, "Sure, whatever."
Jason underhand tossed the phone to Bruce who caught it without issue. He put it to his ear and grunted. Roy started talking, though none of them could make out what was being said. Bruce grunts a few more times and throws out the occasional "Harper," that sounds like a threat before snapping "Fine." and ending the call.
Bruce stood, slamming Jason's phone on the table as he passed and disappeared towards the gym without a word. The phone buzzed, a message from Roy, "I'll let you know when we find him." Jason read, helping himself to half of Bruce's grilled cheese. He rolls his eyes when Damian scoffs at him and pushes the soup towards Tim.
It's Wally who finds him along the Beach of the old Happy Harbor Mountain base. The League cleared it out after the incident, but it was left empty. Once again listed as an emergency backup base due to the security breach. The Zeta was easy enough for Dick to hack from the Bat-cave, and just as simple to clear the history shortly after.
It only takes a few minutes for Wally to pick up Roy, leaving the two adults standing on the beach staring at the child version of their friends back. "Now what?" Wally whispered, shooting a glance to the older man.
"I didn't actually think that far ahead, "Roy admitted.
"I mean, should we call the Bats?" Wally asked.
"No, he-" Roy's phone dinged in his pocket. Followed by a second and a third.
He pulled it out, showing the three texts from an unknown number.
The first: "You're being creepy."
The second: "The lady down the beach looks like she will call the cops on you."
The third, "Her name is Sharon, she is very concerned with my safety. Keeps offering me food and water. Wants to call my parents for me."
A fourth came through right after he finished reading the last one, "Share is moving."
The two glanced up, to see a middle-aged woman, marching over with a scowl on her face. Behind her a man was asleep in the sun and some children played in the water.
"Oh shit," Roy breathed, grabbing Wally by the wrist, he dragged them closer to Dick. They approached until they were standing just a few steps behind. From the corner of their eye, Sharon stopped but was watching them closely.
"Sit down," Dick muttered, not looking away from the ocean view. Roy and Wally both did as instructed, sitting on either side of the youngest.
"So…" Wally drawled, "I see you've had an exciting few days."
Dick snorted, throwing a slightly pained smile over his shoulder at him. "You could say that." He shrugged. "I've was de-aged ten years, found out I'm fucking replaceable to not just Batman and Bruce. Let's go with exciting."
"Language." Roy muttered.
Dick snorted again, but said nothing.
"You looked them up." Roy continued, watching Dick closely.
Dick rolled his eyes, "Of course I did." He pulled his knees close to his chest, curling in on himself. "That's where I started. But I can't-" he paused, letting out a long breath. "I just started to come to terms with not wanting to be Batman."
"Failsafe?" Walk whispered, watching with sad eyes.
"Two months ago," Dick shrugged, "Part of me keeps thinking maybe, this is another simulation. But..." he trailed off.
"Feels different. Feels real." Wally supplied.
Dick nodded, tight and small. "And if this is real, if this is my future-" He shuttered. "I need to focus and get myself turned back. But, I couldn't not look. I had to know if this timeline matches up with mine."
Neither Wally or Roy knew what to say, instead let the silence blanket over them.
"I'll go back," Dick said after a few long moments, "I'll pretend everything is fine. I just needed to get my head on straight."
"Dick," Wally started to reach out a hand, but pulled it back at the last second. "That's not healthy."
"Why, you think I should confront Bruce?" Dick threw a glare over his shoulder, "Pick a fight with my literal replacements. B didn't have an issue with throwing me out before, who's to say he won't do it again if I pushed too hard. "
"You know he won't- " Wally began.
"Do I?" Dick spat. "Because two days ago I would have probably agreed. But I would have also said Wally West and Roy Harper are my best friends and Brothers. But last time we spoke," He nodded between him and Wally, "You said I'm dead to you. And," he turned to gesture between himself and Roy, "we haven't talked in like four months." Dick buried his hands in his hair and tugged, "I don't know what I know anymore." He muttered.
"Dick," Wally whispered, reaching out a hand again, placing it on his shoulder.
Dick flinched, visually pulling himself back together, "But I'm going to do what I was taught. I'm going to focus on the mission. Older me can deal with this. You can tell Bruce and the other's that I'll head back when I'm ready."
"We can't leave you here," Roy shook his head.
"Why not? Don't pretend it's because you care about me." Dick muttered. "If it's some kind of obligation to younger me then just let it go. I don't need your pity or protection or whatever this is supposed to be."
Wally opened his mouth to argue back, his face flushed.
"Wally take a walk," Roy said, before the other man could put his foot in his mouth.
"What? Why?" Wally sputtered, frowning at Roy now.
Roy tried to shoot a meaningful look at the back of Dick's head then gestured for Wally to go back towards town. "Just do it."
Wally grumbled but followed instruction. The speedster started stomping down the beach towards the pier.
"You're right," Roy said, watching Dick closely. "I am here out of obligation." The younger boy flinched. "But," he continued before Dick could protest. "It's the same obligation I feel for Wally, or Diana, or even Olly, no matter how much we both deny it. You're my little brother. You could blow up half the world and I would come running to help if you asked."
Dick let out a watery laugh.
It sparked a little hope in Roy's chest, and he smiled, even though Dick wasn't looking. "I mean shit, you're the Godfather to my kid."
"Lian?" Dick asked quietly, smiling when Roy nodded. "She's adorable, by the way. Older me had pictures."
"Yeah," Roy agreed, "And she loves her Uncle Dick. She's currently with Ollie and Dianna for the week on a trip to Disneyworld. But we can schedule a playdate for you kids when she gets back."
Dick laughed, sticking out his tongue playfully. The moment drifted away quickly, the smile falling from his face. "I don't know if I'm ready to pretend everything is okay. Bruce" he trailed off fists clenching. "Should I even be calling him Bruce? Is he Mr. Wayne? How much of the last 36 hours has been a lie? Was he faking it before that? How many times does my world have to be turned upside?"
Roy scooted closer, wrapping an arm around Dick's shoulders, momentarily pausing to realize just how small Dick was at this age. "Hey," he muttered dragging himself away from that thought, "No one said you had to be ready. Just take it slow. You learned a lot today. Come with me for a bit, it's safer than being out here. I can let Jason know to pass the message on and give you time to ground yourself before having to go back to Gotham."
Dick nodded, rubbing at his eyes with the palms of his hands.
Roy pulled out his phone, first texting Wally to come back, then to Jason to let him know he found Dick and that they would be heading to his place for the night. They waited in silence for Wally to return.
A/N: Please review. Let me know if you find any errors, spelling or other wise. If you have any ideas for plot I would love to hear them! Just feel free to share!