Disclaimer: Alas! I only own this story. The characters within and all the awesomeness that is them, I do not. Such a shame. I'd have warped the world a hundred times over if I were the one in charge.

Thank you all for waiting so long and for keeping up with my other story 'Where's Robin?' Honestly, I wasn't intending to make this a huge hiatus. I just didn't have much motivation to write it for a long time. But your constant telling me to update, plus the poll results this past week, have pushed my hand. I still have a few more chapters to go with it's sister story, but this was the original idea after all. You'll see why there had to be a converging point later on and why i wanted to put this on pause for a while soon. Hope you like the end of Rob's visit to Earth 16.5 (no flaming C's here though, sorry =P).

As an unrelated note, Avengers was AWESOME! Hulk was so fun. ^^V

Without Me

Ch. 27 – Return

The five Leaguers in the room stared at the new Batman before them. They thought they saw Batman mad before. They thought they saw his scariest sides on missions and in battle. Never had they seen him like this. It was almost more than they ever thought possible. This Batman was a truly terrifying creature.

"Wow. DaddyBats appears," Hal joked in a low tone.

"Don't mess with DaddyBats," Flash agreed. Both their eyes were popping from their sockets.

"Shut up," Black Canary ordered, keeping her eyes on the new intruder. Superman was the first to ease out of his stance, approaching the man with open hands.

"First, I'd like some assurance you're really—"

Batman grabbed the man's wrist while stepping closer, twisting his weight against him and throwing the man onto his chest. He twisted his arm uncomfortably behind the alien's back and put all his weight into it, growling in his ear. "I've just spent the past week waiting for a pair of alien homing devices to get my boy home. Do not make me wait another minute."

"I'd advise you get off of him." J'onn's eyes flared as he glared down on Batman still pinning Superman on the ground. GL pointed his ring at the dark knight's head while Canary and Flash settled into stances once again, this time much closer. The Bat's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he did not let go.

"It's alright J'onn" Superman said on the floor. He cranked his neck to look up at them reassuringly. "I was just making sure this was Robin's Batman."

No one moved for a moment, but the grip keeping the man of steel down loosened a fraction. The man seemed to approve a small amount. "If you'll get off me, we'll take you to him."

"Not necessary," Batman stated, though he did get off of the man of steel. "Just tell me where he is and I'll take care of the rest."

As Superman returned to his feet, Batman performed a visual sweep of the room. His eyes rested on the uniforms haphazardly laying on the ground. The others kept their guards up as he strode past them to Robin's costume, picking it up without any kind of explanation.

"It is necessary," the Kryptonian reiterated. "This is our home, not yours. Robin's been our guest here since he appeared. The least you can do is respect our wishes until you go."

The man's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing in response. He came back to his feet and turned on the alien silently, uniform in hand. They watched him for a moment, not certain if they could trust him. Then his agitated voice brought them back to the present. "Well?"

Tension lessened at his one word, letting Superman stride forward to lead him down the hallway. "Follow me."

He did, along with the rest of the Leaguers in the room. None of them quite knew how to take this second Batman in. Hal had started calling him DaddyBats to distinguish between their Batman and Robin's, but he wasn't near as cuddly as they thought he'd be. They were certain the boy's Batman would be kinder at the least, maybe even friendly because of Robin's influence. Right then it looked like the kid only made him meaner.

"We have a few questions for you," Hal started, glaring at the man. Right then he could see the rabid bat who attacked him nearly 24 hours ago.

"I bet," the Bat answered shortly.

Not to be deterred, Hal continued, "What took you so long to get here?"

Batman gave him a glare from the corner of his eye. "That particular piece of alien technology required homing devices for retrieval of items crossing realities. My Hal Jordon was able to procure them, but it took a week for him to make it back to Earth. We couldn't risk sending anyone through without one."

"You could have sent a message," Hal persisted, receiving a growl.

"We tried, but the device only works on objects weighing at least fifty pounds. Anything less burns on impact."

"How much does Robin weigh?" Flash asked out of curiosity.

"Hundred-ten."

"What possessed you to make a child your partner in your war against crime?" J'onn demanded.

At this Batman turned to the Martian, seemingly raising an eyebrow. "Have you actually met Robin?"

They all stared at him in surprise at this answer. The Martian nodded slowly. The Bat gave a frustrated sigh, shaking his head as he proceeded down the hallway. "Then he's been on his best behavior for you. There's no stopping the boy, I can only set limits to try to protect him."

"So you tried and failed?" Hal offered.

"He ran off in a leotard and a yellow cape when he was nine," Batman retorted. "He's the best acrobat I've ever seen and incredibly bright. Trying to stop him is pointless. You would know if Robin existed here."

"How do you know he doesn't?" Hal demanded.

"You wouldn't be asking me pointless questions if he did. The gym?"

Superman tried not to smirk as they turned the final corner to the gym door. "Sounds like it."

"You didn't know?" The annoyance in Batman's voice reminded them he was a man on a mission, a very personal mission.

"We knew," Canary offered. "We just wanted to be sure you were the right guy. Robin's been in there with our Batman for the past couple hours training. He's been getting so lonely without you, we were talking about his future here."

"There isn't going to be one," the Bat growled, forcing the door open. "He's coming home, now."

As soon as the doors opened, both fighters broke off and turned to see who was coming in. Bruce stiffened slightly then looked to the boy. Dick's eyes widened in surprise, his earlier smile dropping as naked hope grew on his face. He stared openly as Batman swept in, stopping just short of the mats as his gaze locked on his charge's eyes. The other five Leaguers stayed in the doorway, giving them space.

Batman's face gave away no emotions, still stiff and apparently stoic as he stood there, seemingly at a loss for words. Neither he nor the boy moved a muscle for a good minute. Leaguers were beginning to exchange worried glances when at last the man spoke. "Define aster."

Dick grinned, his eyes shining. "Opposite of disaster."

"Nope, it's a daisy." There seemed to be a drop of humor in his voice. "And dangerful is not a word."

The boy laughed fondly. "Oh yeah, I'm so whelmed at that conclusion."

Only Bruce saw the slight smile on Batman's lips, but everyone saw Dick run straight into the man, nearly tackling him in a hug. To everyone's surprise, the big scary bat wrapped his caped arms around the boy, holding him so close it looked like a shadow was swallowing the two up. It was clear to them all how much they missed each other.

Superman could hear a few sobs from the boy's lips, having started crying for joy at the sight of his mentor. J'onn could feel their shared relief and warmth radiating from them as they held what they held dear close to their hearts. Hal and Flash exchanged awkward glances, both feeling like they shouldn't be there right then as Canary cried, just as happy for the two to be together again. Bruce though watched on, feeling a jealous ache in his chest.

They stayed together for a long moment, neither wanting to let go, before Batman made any audible noise. "I hear you've behaved for once."

Dick laughed, easing out of his hold while still keeping a grip on the man. "You could say that."

"Any injuries?" Quickly he looked up and down the boy, not seeing any visible wounds.

"A few bruises from some tussles, nothing bad." He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. "Well, one shoulder's not looking so hot but what can you do. You?"

"Bruises, cracked knuckles, cracked rib, knife wound."

"Joker?"

The man nodded. "Team helped take him and Scarecrow down while you were away. I see they aren't here."

"The team doesn't exist here," Dick explained, keeping his grip on Batman's uniform. "You wouldn't believe the differences here! Here Roy became a bad guy! Artemis was with her dad too! Zatanna and I kinda snuck out earlier to fight Sportsmaster, Cheshire and them. Oh and Mister Twister too! They were after some secret government gizmo. Didn't find out what though 'cause I was getting Roy to rehab. I mean, Artie's still a minor so they'll go easier on her right? She being under coercion and all that jazz."

"They will," Batman reassured him. He kept his hands on the boy's shoulders, comforting both of them with the continual contact. The boy continued, smiling.

"That's great! Oh and Wally doesn't have superspeed here either. M'gann hasn't left Mars yet, and you know how we found Conner. They haven't looked very far into Cadmus here. I haven't the slightest clue what's going on with Kaldur. They haven't told me. Zee's the only one I've been able to see."

"Zee?"

"Zatanna. We hung out for a couple days, then I kind of blew it for her when we hacked the systems to go off and fight bad guys."

"Sportsmaster and Cheshire."

"Yep!"

"You fought them on your own?" There was a hint of surprise in his voice. He was impressed.

"Mostly. Zee managed to tangle Cheshire up before she could skewer me, so I can't take much credit with her. But I definitely beat Artemis on my own. Roy kinda ganged up on me before I could do the finishing touches on Sportsmaster. Mister Twister was a lot easier the second time around." Pride radiated from the boy's face.

"They usually are. You can give me the full report when we get home." Quietly he let go of one shoulder and slid his other hand the boy's back to start guiding him out the door. He only paused a moment to pick the Robin uniform back off the ground where he dropped it to hold his boy.

Dick laughed. "10-4. What did Wally shoot me with anyway? Some kind of alien banishment thing like Superman's phantom zone projector?"

"Almost," Batman admitted, then looked away slightly as he handed the uniform to him. "It was a Volvion storage transporter."

The boy took it, gaping at him in disbelief, along with everyone who was listening. "You're kidding right?"

"Wish I were." The man put a hand to his eyes and tried rubbing them. "Apparently they're a bunch of packrats who wanted more space. Someone made interdimensional technology to find a dead version of their planet to use it for extra storage. Homing beacons are placed on crates sent to their alternate world so they can get them back."

"That's why you didn't come running after me after the first day," Dick concluded for him. "You didn't have the homing beacons."

"And they're one time uses," Batman added. "It took Jordon all week to get them to Earth, and I had Steward and Gardner back him up to make sure it didn't take more than a week. They aren't easy to come by, at least not out here."

Dick groaned. "Great. Count on Wally to blast me to another world with only half the instruction manual. I'm so going to slug him later."

The man smirked. "You won't be the first."

"Oh I can imagine." The boy grabbed his own forehead at the thought, containing his laughter. "Considering that me being dead here made the world way too kooky for my tastes, I can just see everyone getting on his case for making me go away."

"You're dead here?" the bat asked with an alarmed snap.

The kid nodded. "Apparently. And no Robin means no child heroes in general."

"Hm… Well you did break the mold." Batman admitted. He became silent as they approached the others in the doorway. He spoke softly to avoid being heard. "We thought you were dead for a few hours."

Dick stared up at him in disbelief. "Dead? Me?"

The man nodded. There was a solemn sadness in his face. "Worst three and a half hours of our lives."

The kid stared at him for a long moment, then slid closer to him looking down, tightening his grip on the man's uniform while pressing his own to his chest. "I'm not going to leave you like that," he mumbled softly. The dark knight just rubbed the boy's back in response.

Once to the blocked doorway, Batman's usual expression returned. "Robin needs to change before we go. Where is the rest of his uniform?"

"My mask's in my room," Dick piped in quickly, looking back up to him.

"The rest is in mine," Dinah pitched in, wiping away her own tears. "Flash could you—"

"Here they are!" Flash was gone and back within a few seconds, boots and gloves in his hands with the belt hanging over his shoulder. There was a proud smile on his face, but a hint of sadness as well. He was going to miss Robin.

"—get them for… Oh forget it."

The kid held back a snicker before finally letting go of Batman to grab the remainder of his things. "Thanks Flash. Thanks for helping me out so much here too. You've been a real lifesaver."

"Any time kid." Flash grinned broadly. "You really helped be out with Wally and Rudi."

"Are things really bad for him here?" Dick asked quickly, a bit of panic rising in him. Batman gave them an inquiring look.

The speedster shook his head. "Panicking over nothing. Rudolph isn't really around much. You were right about the fighting, but Mary can give as much as she can take. I've gotten Wally to open up a little more about it. Apparently there's these guys at school giving him a rough time too. That's where he got the bruises I saw before."

The teen gave a relieved smile. "That's good. Not the bullying but it's good to know his dad's not hurting him."

"I'll say," Flash agreed. "Dunno what I'd do if he was."

Everyone made room for the duo to pass them, Dick leading the way to the room he'd been using. There was a slight skip in his step as he continued forward, completely different from that first day he arrived. The boy looked up to Black Canary as they all hurried down the hall. "You'll still look after Roy right?"

She smiled graciously. "Of course. I plan on making sure he walks on the straight and narrow from now on."

He laughed a little. "He's going to love that."

"He better with all the trouble you gave us over him," Superman joked. Batman gave him a curious look then looked down to the boy's impish grin.

The kid looked up to him for a brief moment and shrugged. "Not exactly best behavior."

"I'll say," Hal interjected. "You should have seen the kitchen yesterday."

"Your fault leaving the paint there."

"Paint?" Both Batman's asked in perfect unison. Everyone else jumped at the stereo sound around them. With the kid's Batman in front and their Bruce in back, it was hard to keep calm about it. Especially since they didn't realize he followed them out. Only Dick seemed to not look at either of them, keeping his smiling mouth clamped shut.

Both Hal and Flash snickered. "Yeah, paint. He and Marvel redecorated the kitchen and entertainment center. Even got the ceiling."

"You're kidding me." Superman thought back to Robin's reaction to Marvel being there, then looked at the boy. Their Bruce held a bewildered look on his face as he stared at the kid's head.

Batman though, he gave the kid a mild glare. "Paint. You little…"

"That's what they get when they leave me alone with Marvel and a lot of sugar," Dick rattled off quickly. He gave Batman a joking smile, batting his lashes in an attempt to be cute. It was returned with an exasperated sigh and the man roughly running a hand through his hair, making the boy laugh and try to bat it off.

"Remind me never to leave you alone with him again," the Bat muttered as they neared the boy's temporary room.

"Like I'll ever get the chance. This is the one." Dick looked over to Batman quickly, a question ready to be asked. "I don't remember this room in the mountain back home. Does it—"

"No," he answered, "we were forced to abandon the cave before we could finish adding the rooms we wanted to. This was where we were planning a temporary holding cell."

"Holding cell," the boy repeated, not at all impressed. He looked past him to Superman and gave him an irked look. "Really."

"Uh huh. Go get changed." Batman pressed '9' on the pad next to the door, eager to get this over with. He took one look inside, spotting both the camera and the hole in the wall. He merely raised an eyebrow at it as the boy popped inside.

"Copy that. Be out in ten."

"Ten?" The man looked at the boy inquiringly. Ten minutes seemed slower than normal.

"Need to write a few notes real fast too. Not everyone who's met me is here."

Slowly the man nodded, then gave him a point of warning. "Don't doddle and start jumping on the bed. I gave the others very strict instructions for retrieval."

"Roger." Quickly the kid put his hand to the wires coming out of the wall, forcing a temporary barrier in between himself and the adults in the hallway. Immediately Batman turned around to face the others, leaning against the side of door panel in wait.

Everyone stared at the man, some really unsure what to say. He though had something to talk about. "You left him alone with Captain Marvel?"

"Correction," their Bruce started, "they left him alone with him. I was busy."

"What's wrong with leaving him with Marvel?" Superman asked innocently.

"He doesn't respond well to sugar," Flash stated quickly.

"He's ten." Everyone but his counterpart stared at Batman. His demeanor had changed greatly since his reunion with his partner, but he was still the dark knight who thought the world was filled with idiots. The Leaguers just stared at him in shock, then looked to their own detective who nodded in exasperation.

"The only reason we left him in charge of the team for a while was because no one else knew the truth. They all believed he was a responsible adult and so they acted accordingly. He's a good kid, but seriously, no one gives Robin sugar, and no one should leave the two of them alone with a candy bowl." Batman shook his head in frustration. "Seriously, it's worse than leaving him with Oliver and Roy in Star overnight."

"What happens then?" Hal asked in curiosity.

"Oliver takes the night off." The Bat's frustration rolled off him in droves, making most of the Leaguer's worried about this other world. Seemed like having child partners was a lot more trouble than they first thought.

"You have a good kid there," Superman stated, trying to spin everything in a positive light.

"Most of the time." It was clear the man had some stories to tell, but he wasn't about to divulge them.

"You're lucky to have him." Everyone stopped and stared at their Bruce when he said this. They looked between the two men, trying to read the atmosphere between them carefully. Thankfully, only Hal had to be told to leave; everyone else could sense it.

"Um, we'll just wait for the two of you in the main hall. Everyone?" At Superman's signal, the Martian, Space Cop, speedster, and token female, walked back down the hallway to where everything started.

The two detectives leaned against opposite walls, just staring at each other. Neither spoke for several minutes, though they knew much had to be said. Finally the silence reached its peak and the native of that world spoke first. "I never really thought of having a partner before."

"Neither did I."

"Or raising a kid, alone."

"Alfred helps a lot." He looked towards the door. "And despite his childish tendencies, he's an easy going kid."

"Childish tendencies?"

There was a smirk growing on Batman's lips again. "Let's just say, painting the kitchen while on a sugar high is one of his nicer pranks. The list of damages around the manor is more than I thought it'd be when I took him in."

"Sounds hard."

"Daredevil acrobat," the man explained. "A plus and a minus in this business. But he does what he can to make up for his mistakes."

"Is it worth it?" The two men stared into each others' eyes, the white lenses on one the only barrier between them. This was something the man had to know, for his own possible future.

Gentle warmth actually radiated from the Batman as the smiled in answer. "Every second."

They lapsed in comfortable silence again, one contemplating his future and possible past, and the other thinking of the boy beyond the door. The first spoke again. "You're a very lucky man to have him."

"I know."

"I was thinking of taking him in myself since we couldn't find a way to send him back to you." There was a touch of playfulness in his voice, making Batman scoff. "I might still take him home."

"Get your own Robin." He turned and knocked on the door, starting to become impatient. "It's been ten minutes."

Quickly the doors slid open, revealing a fully dressed Robin holding two folded pieces of paper in one hand. One labeled Zatanna and the other to Captain Marvel. There was a satisfied grin on his face. "All set! Just need to make sure these letters go out."

"I'll take care of them." This world's Bruce stepped forward, extending a hand to receive the letters. Robin stared up at him in slight shock before handing them over and looking back and forth between the two men.

"This is just too weird," the boy noted, pointing back and forth between the two. Both men raised an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation. "Same guy, and not the same guy. It's just… weird. Welcome to the Twilight Zone."

Both men grunted in unison, neither helping their case. As Bruce looked at the names on the letters again, Batman took out the homing devices from his utility belt and attached it to Robin's tunic, making certain it was firmly in place. "Make sure this stays on you until we're back home."

"10-4. Got one for yourself too I see." The man grunted as usual, checking the boy's beacon again before pinning his own onto his chest. This made Robin chuckle fondly, knowing what was going through the man's mind. He looked up to the other man there, hesitating or a moment before speaking again. "Um, thanks for today. I had a lot of fun."

This Bruce nodded in response. He watched the boy for a moment before offering his hand to him. "Take care Dick."

Nodding with a smile, Robin took the man's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Will do. Shall we go?"

"Any other goodbyes you wish to do before we leave?" his mentor retorted.

The boy looked around at the empty hallway. "Well they aren't here…"

"The rest are waiting in the main hall, where I bet that boy scout left my uniform," Bruce stated sourly towards the end.

"Yep." Batman's short response earned a giggle from the boy wonder, signaling to the three of them to proceed towards the others. Once in the room, everyone turned to start saying their goodbyes to the boy.

Dinah was the first, giving him a big hug. "Now don't let the world get you down, got it?"

Robin laughed. "You think I'd let that happen? Been doing this for nearly five years. If you think the flack I'm getting now was bad, imagine back when I started."

The two shared a small laugh before parting. Hal messed with his hair for a moment as his goodbye. "You keep your DaddyBats in line now ya hear? Don't let him go killing your Green Lanterns."

Batman grunted behind the boy, who bit back a laugh as he responded. "He won't. That was a one time affair Hal. He doesn't hate you that much."

"That much?"

The boy laughed in response, then turned his attention to J'onn. They really hadn't talked since their brief argument that Sunday morning. He looked at him awkwardly before speaking. "Try to find M'gann okay? She's really a sweet girl."

"I will do what I can to meet her," the Martian promised, then gave him a calming smile. "I believe I must take back what I said before. You are doing exactly what you should be."

At this the uneasiness the boy displayed around him vanished. Pleased, Robin gave the alien a tight hug and a smile in thanks. He moved on to Flash, but it felt as if they said everything they needed to. The man grinned at the kid, extending a fist. The boy easily met it with his own.

"Take care of yourself kid."

"You too Flash. And don't forget your wife and Wally while you're at it."

"I won't," the speedster said with a laugh. The two's smiles matched as the bird boy turned to the man of steel.

"Well, I guess this is it," Superman started. He couldn't believe how much had changed in his mind since meeting this boy. He went from thinking kids shouldn't be heroes to knowing that sometimes they were better ones than their mentors.

"Guess so." Robin continued to give him a disarming smile, but this time he could tell it was truer than the blue of the kid's eyes. "You're going after Superboy once I'm gone right?"

"That's the general plan." Mentally the man of steel wasn't sure if he could handle having a son, but now he was willing to try.

"Good," Batman said behind the boy. "Make sure you take care of him and be a father to him this time."

"I take it your Superman isn't doing a good job." He couldn't miss the traces of disappointment in the dark knight's voice. It had to be something that unsettled their friendship in their world. The response the man gave him was simply a scowl, not aimed at him for once.

"You'll get the hang of it," Robin assured him, a pleased smile on his face. Quickly he gave the alien a hug. "Thanks for always trying Clark. For being there and believing for me."

The godlike alien bent over to wrap his arms around the small boy. "You're very welcome. And thank you for showing us another way to live. I think we almost forgot that anyone could be a hero."

Robin laughed as he released Superman, grinning from ear to ear. "Anyone and anything. But it's easier to be a hero than to be a family. Think you can manage that?"

He stared at the kid, a bit confused, then looked up to Batman and then Bruce collecting his fallen uniform. There were definite differences between the man he knew and the man he could have become. Batman had come there a dangerous and protective beast when he appeared. Now he had calmed down considerably, even more than he'd ever seen his Batman become. He seemed lighter, easier to approach. All it took was having one little boy by his side.

If one Robin could change this man so much, Superman could only wonder how much having Superboy around would change him.

He smiled down to the excited bird before him. "I think I can try. Take care sport."

He ruffled the kid's hair one last time before letting him return to his dark knight's side. Robin seemed to stop short of tackling another hug out of the man, but gleefully accepted having his black gloved hand rest on his head. He bent down a fraction as he pressed a button on the homing device on the boy's chest.

"Plug your ears, close your eyes, and brace yourself. This isn't an easy trip," Batman instructed as he turned his own beacon on.

Immediately the kid did as he was told. "I remember last time. How long is this going to take?"

"A few seconds." Batman bet his knees and placed his hands on his ears, ready for transport. It only took a moment more for Robin to mimic him completely, closing his eyes so tightly they could see it through the mask.

Without more than a moment's delay, they heard another ear splitting crack and the two were gone in a blinding light. Everyone stared in silence at the place the duo once stood, amazed they were there and then gone so quickly. And just like that, they could also feel a sad emptiness in the room. Someone was now missing from their lives, someone who managed to wheedle into their hearts in just under a week.

It was Flash who broke the mood. "So! Who's up for getting a Superboy?"

END

A/N: But, there is an EPILOGUE! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! After all, Robin did tell them a lot of things. I have a lot of ramblings at the end of the "Robin Missions" as I've so duely named them to explain them all away.

I just reread this part again and realized one fun truth in this. It really is easier to be a hero than it is to be a family. Family is constant work while Hero is 'one thing then another but they generally aren't the same' kind of thing. It easy to be a hero, but way hard to be a parent. Weren't there a few adds about that not too long ago? =/ Who knows.

Love how bats talks to them. revealing Marvel's true age and why not to leave Rob and him with sugar was hilarious. And DaddyBats telling Bruce to get his own Robin was great too. I've wanted him to say that from the beginning.

Anyway, the last real installment that'll tie up all the loose ends goes up tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed this adventure. And remember, I finished writing all of this before the last hiatus ended. I was using a lot of references from comics so anything from 'Misplaced' on didn't happen. In either universe. ^^; Such is life.

Til tomorrow... TTFN!