II.- Ain't no place like Kansas
Robin, the first one but not the only as he had just discovered, was listening to his companions arguing, feeling really bored of the two of them. Holly testosterone! As if they got something to prove. Problem was he quite liked the two of them, but was not really sure Jason and Tim were going to ever get along.
So, instead, he got bored looking at the landscape. The nonexisting landscape. Tim had gone on and on about smelling incense and feeling dampness. He was not quite sure. It was really warm, that was for sure, but not that wet.
He focussed again on his counterparts. They were also Robins, they were also Batman's protegees... so they were, most probably, realted to Bruce one way or another. And, despite Tim's opinion on the subject, he was sure a little future information was not going to change reality at all. So he allowed himself to deduce and conclude. They were, somehow, his little brothers... or something very similar.
"That's why Tim listens to me, even if I'm younger now."
And Jason was probably a bossy and protective big brother.
He unfocussed again.
Man... Tim's costume was definitively cooler than his...
"So, what do you think, Dick?" Robin III brought him back to the land of the living, the thinking and the paying attention.
"Oh... about..."
The older, younger Robin, rolled his eyes.
"We only have two patterns here." Explained Tim gathering what little patience he had left, "We three are Robin, and we three went to sleep."
"Perhaps we are dead." Said Jason, giving him the creeps.
Tim went suspiciously pale.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Think about it. Perhaps Wayne Manor exploded while we slept and we are trapped in a limbo, retaining a memory of what we were. Our last memories are too similar, ain't them?"
"Impossible. For starters, you are asuming we were toghether at Wayne's Manor."
"What's so impossible about it?"
Tim hesitated.
Jason seemed not to realize it, but Dick did. The boy seemed always so damn sure about himself... but sometimes, he hesitated.
"Can't tell you."
"We are in no speaking terms or something?" Asked him, curious. He could very well imagine Tim and Jason not speaking to each other. "Come on, Tim... it won't spoil the future."
"Something." He admited while he looked at him with a painful stare.
OK.
He got it.
Touchy subject.
Not made Tim to talk about their future relation.
"So we are not dead." Jason sounded relieved and Tim distress was evident even behind his calmed stance.
"I still think we should keep moving."
"Why for, Dick?"
"I'm bored."
Now Tim distress was replaced by impatience.
"I think better when I'm not bored." He explained.
"I give up." Anounced Tim. "I just... You two win. Let's do whatever you want."
The boy began walking. Fast, long strodes that meant a lot more than he wanted to admit.
Jason snorted, crossing arms and looking at him while he got some distance.
"You know, Dick. I'm quite sure that's no dream." Said, turning to him.
"Why so?"
"I can't think of a single reason to make someone like Timmy up."
"He is not that bad."
He grunted and began walking too.
Dick watched the two of them.
Jason walked as if he owned the place. Yes, he was stubborn, cocky and a little too rough, but he seemed honest and open. Unlike Tim. Tim seemed to be hunched under the weight of too much secrecy and second thoughts. For all his confidence and grown up manners, he seemed lost.
And now, he also seemed worried and nervous.
He knew that look, from Bruce. Bruce always worried too much. And Tim did too. He wondered if it had to be with his age, or if the boy had always been too adult for his own good.
Alfred used to say he had a gift, because he made Bruce smile.
"Hey, Tim!" He said, approaching the trousser-wearing Robin. "So, you are from my future?"
The boy eyed him. Even Jason looked at him, as if deciding it would be worth to listen.
"Yes, Dick. I thought we had already stablished that."
"I was just wondering..."
"No..."
"No extra info. Yeah. Yeah. I know... but it's not going to hurt to know, really. Do I marry? Do I have tons of little children?"
Tim smiled, and he seemed younger all of a sudden, more of their age and less of Bruce's age.
"I'm not that far from the future, Dick."
"No? Aw... How far?"
"Ten...eleven years...maybe."
Dick saw Jason frown slightly, but the boy said nothing.
"I will be.." He made as if he was counting with his fingers. "Old enough to marry."
"Yes, you will"
"So am I married?"
"I haven't said so."
"So I'm not."
"Dick! You are not going to trick me into telling you."
"At least tell me my wife is a beautiful woman."
Tim smiled evily.
"Oh, you'll have plenty of beautiful woman, if it's what's worrying you. In fact, you'll have more than enough."
"What do you mean?"
"That I would stay away from skirts, if I were you." Said Jason, smiling too.
It was no fair! The two of them knew! And he didn't!
"And what about him, uh?" He said, pointing at Jason.
"I'm not going to tell you."
"Why not? You did tell him." Said Jason matter-of-factly, as if he really didn't cared, but wanted to disturb Tim nontheleast.
It worked.
The spell broke and Tim was tired and old again.
And worried, mostly worried.
"I didn't tell him a damned thing."
"So? Try to tell me nothing too."
Tim opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, bitting his lips.
"Aren't you tired of listening to me say the same damned sentence once and again?"
"No." Said Dick cheerfully.
"No." Said Jason darkly.
He snorted again, eyes ablaze behind his mask.
"Can we please focus?" He said finally, sighing, his self control outstanding. "We are still trapped here and nothing has changed since we first began..."
He stopped in midsentence, sniffing.
"The air..."
Dick sniffed as well.
"What?"
"It's not incense... not anymore."
"It's not?"
"It's..." Jason sniffed too. "Barbecue?"
"No..." Tim clicked his tongue. "Smoke...plain, wooden smoke..."
"Like a fireplace?" Dick was beggining to feel it too.
"Yes... a fireplace..."
"But, where does it come from? There's no wind." Jason was holding a finger up in the air.
"It comes from... the heart of it..."
Tim began walking dreamingly.
"You are making no sense!" Jason catched him and began walking besides him.
"Yes, I do." He didn't even look their way, moving in a kind of trance. "We have to keep walking."
Jason turned to Dick, who was positively freaked out.
"So...do you know where we are?"
"No, no fucking hint."
Dick cringed. He really would apreciatte him minding his language.
"But..."
"I just know were the heat comes from."
"How!"
"I don't know." He finally turned to them, half smiling. "And belive me, it's scaring the shit out off me."
So he kept walking and they followed.
They didn't have a better plan, anyway.
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---Security code aproved---
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---Voice scan aproved---
---Wellcome, Master---
---/Status of subject /report.---
---Subject constants: correct---
---Subject byorhythms: correct---
---cerebral functions: responding---
---pending aproval for thoroughly checking---
---/aproval granted---
---/run complet scanners---