I just want to say that according to Young Justice wiki, Batman's age before the time skip is 32. Therefore, that is the age I'm saying he is.
Also, I'm so sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was planning on updating, but whenever I logged on it would say "503 error" and so I could only be on here offline. Again, I'm sorry.
I hope you enjoy.
He slept at the Cave that night.
It was easier than sleeping at the Manor. Less things were different at the Cave, and it was much easier to remember the new Team and League than it was to remember Barbara, Jason, Tim, Stephanie, or Damian.
Besides, he needed constant proof. Proof that the simulation wasn't real and the Team - the original Team - were alive and well.
He woke early the next morning from a nightmare - or rather, a memory of how the simulation began. It ended with him caught in the explosion - and stealthily made his way to the kitchen. He didn't want to talk to the Team about the simulation just yet. He ate a small, quick breakfast before making his way to the Cave's gym.
The gym was a place where he could train and just forget. He could forget about the simulation, about the thirty years, about the invasion, and just lose himself. He made sure to remove his cape before starting; it was beginning to be a tripping hazard with him constantly forgetting it was there.
The one place where he could genuinely smile.
"Robin." The voice was quiet, but still pierced through the air. It wasn't until Batman repeated his name did he realise that he was talking to him.
"This is the best day of my life!" Jason laughed, trying out various karate moves in his new Robin uniform.
He dropped down next to the Dark Knight, looking everywhere but at his face. "Dick," His gentle warning tone made him immediately meet his eyes, ignoring the pain that went through him.
"Batman may be dead, but Gotham City will still be protected."
"Black Canary thinks it will help if you meet with her daily." He explained softly, as though he was scared that he would run away and break down any second. "If you're up to it, you can talk about what happened...after…" He nodded, telling Batman that he understood what he meant and agreed to it. He didn't like it, however. He didn't want to talk.
"And perhaps you could meet with Martian Manhunter later, so he can see if there are any residual effects of the simulation left in your mind." This made him stiffen. He didn't want anyone in his mind. He didn't want to live another thirty years mentally.
He couldn't.
...Jason...Tim…
…Steph...Damian…
...Roy...Barbara…
Barbara.
"Will you marry me?"
"You're proposing to me. On a rooftop. In the middle of Gotham. In costume."
Pause.
"Of course I'll marry you, you idiot. But I hope Dick proposes better than Nightwing, because Barbara might not agree with such a tactic."
"You know you love me." He said, a wide grin on his face.
"Unfortunately." She laughed, shooting a grapple to another building. He let out a similar laugh, and followed close behind.
"Dick!" The man's voice snapped him back to reality, Batman was kneeling besides him, but why was he looking up?
That was when he became aware of something behind him, and realized he was on the floor. He let out a soft groan as his head throbbed and instinctively looked straight up.
Right at Batman.
He froze, tensing up. He soon relaxed, able to calm himself because the eyes were masked. They were just white spots on black fabric. He could look at them. There was no need to panic. Still, he looked away as he got up into a sitting position.
"What happened?" He softly inquired.
"You froze before falling. I managed to catch you." Bruce told him. He wasn't Batman right now; Batman didn't show emotions like the man in front of him was right now. "Are you okay, Dick?"
"Thanks." He muttered, uncomfortable and ignoring the question. He got up, stumbling slightly. He still wasn't used to his short legs. He purposely looked just next to his mentor, trying to see how close he could look without panicking.
"Has this happened before?" Batman was back, his voice emotionless.
"Sort of." He admitted quietly, fidgeting. "I get... bits of memories. Like flashbacks." He looked down, "I get them whenever I'm reminded of the simulation. Like….when I'm near people who…" He trailed off.
"Shhh, Tim. It's okay. Even superheroes have nightmares. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
He guessed Batman must have nodded, "You don't have to see Manhunter until you're ready." Batman told him, "And it remains your decision to tell the Team or not."
He gave a small nod and Batman hesitantly left the room. The Dark Knight obviously wanted to comfort him, but knew it would do more harm than good at this point. He probably feeling awkward around him, since he was now technically mentally older than him by just under ten years. He was technically more experienced, yet he was thirteen years old.
Once he was alone, he managed to calm himself. He departed the room, opting to leave his cape behind (because, honestly, it did more harm than good). He made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and catching the time on a small clock that read 7:39. He had woken up three hours prior and got a total of four hours sleep.
He placed the now empty cup in the sink just as Aqualad walked in. He inwardly cursed, not expecting anyone to be up yet.
"Hello Robin." The Atlantean greeted him. He forced a fake smile on his face and returned the greeting. He was anxious to leave the room.
"Aqualad - Kaldur'ahm - was our leader. He was the best. He was patient enough to deal with all of our shenanigans and was always polite - even when disagreeing with someone. He was a great strategist and someone you could trust to hold your back in a firefight. When he was so skilled using his water bearers it was like a deadly dance."
"Are you okay, my friend?" He looked at Aqualad - Kaldur, as he preferred off-mission - but avoided meeting his eyes. Unlike Batman, his would not be masked. "If you do not mind me asking, where is your cape?"
"I left it in the gym. It was getting in the way and I forgot to put it back on." He lied. "I'll get it later." He turned, about to exit the room when he felt a webbed hand on his shoulder.
He turned, looking anywhere but Kaldur's eyes. "My friend, I have noticed that something has been troubling you as of late. The entire Team has taken notice. May I inquire as to what it is?"
"It's nothing Kal," he gave an obviously fake smile, "I gotta go. See you later." He practically ran out of that room. He sighed, walking down the hallways aimlessly.
"Robin." It registered slightly after he heard the voice that yes, they were referring to him. He turned, making sure not to meet Black Canary's eyes. "I take it Batman informed you of our sessions together."
He didn't act like he was okay like he did with Kaldur. He gave a small nod, and Black Canary led the boy into the therapy room. "Now remember, if you ever feel like I'm pushing you too hard just tell me. You don't have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable." She told him as they sat in their respective chairs.
He nodded, looking at his hands in his lap. She took this as a sign to continue, "Batman tells me you get something like a flashback when you are reminded of something in the stimulation."
"Don't give me that look, Dick, I know you have nightmares about the Invasion. No one can blame you, but if we are going to protect Gotham together we should be honest with one another."
"Yeah." He said, "I get flashes of memory."
"And when was the last time this happened?" She inquired.
"Right after you told me that Batman told you about them." He answer. He was looking down, but he could still tell she was surprised.
Black Canary thought for a moment before switching topics. "Can you tell me what happened when you first woke up after the explosion."
He recounted everything he could remember in a quiet voice. And he hated himself for it. He hated being weak. He hated being timid.
When the session was over, he caught the time once more. The clock now read 9:30 and he could hear Artemis and Wally arguing from the kitchen.
He plastered a smile on his face, "Hey guys." He greeted casually as he entered the room. The whole team was now present.
"Yo Rob!" Wally sped right next to him, "Could you please tell the replacement archer here that yellow is better than green."
Replacement.
"Hey Replacement!"
"Don't call Tim that Jason."
"Fine. Hey Replacement!"
"It's okay Dick. He'll never stop. What do you want, Jason?"
"Eh. Blue is my favorite." He inwardly cursed as soon as he said those words. Nightwing's favorite color is blue, but Robin preferred red.
Wally looked at him surprised, "I thought you liked red dude!" He noticed M'gann looking at him confused out of the corner of his eye and quickly looked away. She had probably sensed his troubled mind.
He shrugged, forcing his mouth into a lopsided grin. "Blue is better for stealth. I still like red though." He brushed it off easily.
"Hey Boy Wonder." Artemis called his attention over to her, "Where's your cape?"
A bit of panic flashed through him, and he masked it too late. "In the gym. I left it there earlier and forgot to go get it." He shrugged.
Conner looked at him and said bluntly, "You're hiding something."
"You're hiding something." He looked at the girl next to him. "Babs…"
She gave him a smile, "I wouldn't say something…" She had a mischievous glint in her eyes before yelling, "Stephanie!"
A young, blonde girl ran into the room, skidding to a stop right in front of them. "Dick, this is Stephanie Brown. Stephanie, this is Dick Grayson. Stephanie is my new protégée and my adoptive daughter." She told nonchalantly.
He looked up incredulously in stunned silence, "You...Batgirl…" He shook his head, shaking himself out of his stupor, "I shouldn't be surprised. First you disappearing, then the rumors…" He sighed, before smiling down at the girl, "Welcome to the family, Steph."
He turned away from the concerned Team, "I don't know what you're talking about." His voice cracked and he fled the room. It was so much easier before he told someone what was wrong. Before he let himself remember what he had experienced. Before everyone else recovered from their trauma. He could vaguely hear someone chastising Conner for being so blunt, but he didn't care.
He stalked down the halls, no destination in mind. He heard the sound of rushing footsteps that could only come from a speedster. Before he could do anything, Wally was in front of him, a concerned look on his face.
"Dick...are you okay?" He asked. He knew the other boy was just being a good friend, but he wished that he would just be left alone.
"Are you okay?" Tim asked him.
He smiled, but it was a tight smile. A fake smile. "I'm fine."
"I didn't ask if you were fine, I asked if you were okay." The young boy pointed out.
He frowned, "They mean the same thing." he told Tim, but he shook his head stubbornly.
"No. Well, not to you. When you say "fine" that means something is actually bothering you and you're worried. When you say "okay" it means that you are not exactly happy but you're not unhappy. "Fine" is bad, while "okay" is acceptable." The boy explained, before asking again, "Are you okay?"
He smiled at the boy, his worries going away for a moment. "Now I am."
"I'm fine." He gritted out, looking away. "I wish people would stop asking that."
"Clearly you're not. You just zoned out there for a second. We should tell Bats."
"He already knows." He told him, walking away, "Just leave me alone." he called, not looking back.