Pre-Story A/N: Wow! I feel quite whelmed by the Story Alert and Favorites messages I got for the first chapter. O.o. Way to make me feel like I did something right, guys! Thank you so much!
A general note for anyone who was confused in the last chapter by it: John Doe is what an unidentified male patient and/or corpse is called. In this case, since none of the BatFamily have fingerprints, DNA, or any other form of identification on file, without a paper/plastic form of ID, Dick wouldn't really be recognized by hospital staff or the police. Not meaning to insult anyone's intelligence, I just want to make sure it's known. ;)
To my reviewers:
Dextra2: I'm glad you liked the first chapter, and I hope this second one lives up to your expectations!
DeathwishJV: Ahhh, intense? I'm happy it came out that way! As for Damian's reaction… well, we're not there yet. ;) We'll get there, I promise!
A starter note that will make sense as the story is read: Damian sees Dick as he expects him to appear. On patrol, or preparing to leave the 'Cave, he expects Dick to be in full Caped Crusader garb, if in the Manor, he expects civvies, etc. And no, he doesn't REALLY feel physical contact from him; his mind is just filling in the blanks.
"Italics in quotes would be Dick talking."
Chapter 2:
Dick suddenly became aware. No, not "woke up," this was a completely different sensation. His last thoughts had been occupied by pain and rushing darkness, and now he was looking around a room in Leslie's clinic. That simply left the question of how he had gotten to Gotham again.
A steady beeping caught the attention of the original Boy Wonder, pulling his gaze to a heart monitor. It was attached to a person laying on the bed - himself? But, he wasn't in-
"Oh crap," he muttered, looking down at himself on the bed. A bandage was wrapped around the head of the prone version of him, but a hand raised proved that no such thing existed on his own. Experimentally, he extended his hand to touch one of the instruments and wasn't surprised when his fingertips sunk through the surface, giving only the faintest sensation that he had actually touched it. "Okay, okay... I'm a ghost. Sorta... I'm still alive on the bed. This... is pretty weird..."
The sound of footfalls rang out, getting closer to where he was. Dick moved out of the way instinctively, idly wondering if anyone would be able to see him. After a moment, Leslie entered, leading a solemn group behind her consisting of Bruce and Alfred, who was pushing Barbara in her chair.
"Thank you for your help, Leslie," Bruce said in a low voice as Alfred moved the first Batgirl to Dick's bedside. He watched the young woman take hold of the acrobat's hand before turning completely to look at the doctor.
"This isn't the ideal situation to see all of you in one place again."
"No, it isn't."
"I thought there was more to your clan now, Bruce?" The doctor had begun moving around the space, checking over the machines, checking the stock in the cabinets, and generally keeping herself busy.
"Tim and Stephanie are conducting business elsewhere. They should be back in the next couple of days, so you might want to be expecting them," Barbara supplied, her eyes never leaving Dick's body on the bed. "And Damian cut off his comm-link when I tried to tell him what was going on."
The unnoticed (consciousness? spirit? astral body?) moved closer to Barbara. Half as a test, but mostly because he couldn't keep his mouth shut if he wanted to, Dick quipped "Well, at least I know they care." He wasn't surprised when no one noticed.
A glance to the side showed Bruce looking at the records, and Dick couldn't help himself. He walked over to look over his adopted father's shoulder, and suddenly found the answers to some of his questions.
"Blunt force trauma to the right side of the head, unresponsive with no ID at time of arrival. Transferred to care of Dr. Leslie Thompkins' clinic in Gotham City. The date on this points to... Three days ago?" This is where the sinking feeling in his gut goes.
Leslie suddenly whirled to face the son of her closest friends. "You left that boy to run around this city alone?" Her tone carried enough disapproval to make anyone ashamed - except a Wayne, it seemed.
"Damian is capable of taking care of himself."
Dick looked at the man behind the cowl for a moment, then at the others there before coming to a quick decision. He was going to check on his youngest brother, if he could leave the immediate area of his physical self. That was quick to prove possible, as he found himself moving through the wall of the clinic and towards the roofs in seconds. Now, all he had to do was find Robin.
Alone.
In Gotham.
Damian was standing on the edge of Wayne Tower, looking out over his father's city. He had been traversing the city since dark with little in the way of activity. There were a few petty criminals that he had stopped with only the necessary force. He had even stopped by to visit with Colin for a few minutes before continuing the patrol. The air around him just felt... empty, without Grayson around to fill it with his inane chatter and energy.
The assassin-trained boy snorted at his sentimental thoughts, glaring with more intensity at the street below for a moment. The air pressure shifted behind him, catching his attention. He knew that feeling well.
"-Tt- About time you showed up, Grayson. Your lateness is inexcusable."
Dick blinked in surprise. The little demon knew he was there? Must be the result of the training that Talia had put him through. Maybe the kid could hear him? It was worth a try.
"Sorry, Little D. I got caught up in a mess..."
"That isn't surprising." Damian turned to face his Batman, scowling petulantly into the lenses of the cowl*. "Pathetic that you can't stay clear of trouble while on a vacation."
Dick laughed, thrilled that he could be heard, and reached out to ruffle the bird's hair. "What can I say? I attract attention."
"Unfortunately." Damian scoffed and turned away from Dick, already throwing out a grapple to continue the patrol. He'd never admit how happy he was that he had come back, or that he had started to worry about the idiot. "Hurry up. You've had enough time to relax."
Dicksmiled fondly at the boy. "Alright, Damian. I'm right behind you."
The rest of the night was just as dull for Robin as the start had been, but it had the added benefit of Dick's optimistic presence. As they relaxed near the computer in the cave, Dick looked at his younger brother with a somewhat-serious expression.
"Damian, I'm sorry I didn't come back when I said."
"Hmph. You think I cared. It was quieter without you." The cave was silent for a few minutes.
"Damian, did you notice that... I'm sort of a ghost?"
"What are you talking about, Grayson. There's no such thing as ghosts. Idiot. Stop joking around in that outfit, you make a mockery of Father's legacy."
Dick studied his younger brother, eventually coming to the realization that he really didn't notice. So, he mentally shrugged it off and changed the subject. "Hey... considering Bruce let you go out alone tonight, you must've been doing great."
"-Tt- I don't need verification from you." Damian turned his head away and crossed his arms over his chest.
A smile ghosted across Dick's face. "I'm glad you're showing that you'll be fine when I'm gone, Little D."
Gone? What did the idiot mean, gone? "You won't be going anywhere, Grayson. Not without me. You're Batman - however temporarily - and until I take that mantle from you, I'm Robin."
"You're right. Still, you're doing a great job filling that role, Damian. I... I want you to know, I'm proud of you." Dick put his arms around the young boy, hoping he could feel the embrace as much as he wanted him to.
"Unhand me, Grayson!"
A/N: Not so much research this time, yay! Seriously, all I had to do was look up the spelling of a name.
In this chapter, I finally got around to what I wanted to cover. Oh, this was fun. Especially since I had a friend prodding me to finish it. Always encouraging, y'know?
Again, not gonna rely on review quotas to post the next installment… This is coming out just as fast as I figure out how I want it to go.
Actual word count of chapter: 1156