"Cool, your Cave looks just like ours. Dinosaur, Giant Penny, Evil Playing Card... Check, check, and check again. Does you computer run on the same system software here? I bet it does. And the League systems, too, I'll have to see if I can hack 'em as easily as the Hall of Justice last July..." Robyn continued to chatter on as she inspected the elements of Batman's center of operations. She was perfectly aware that the hero himself had ceased listening to her after the first few sentences, but oddly enough, she found that fact comforting - it was no different than her Batwoman, after all.
The teen's words found something new to go on about when the third member of their family arrived. "Ooh, you're this world's version of Anne Marie, huh?"
"Indeed, young Mistress. My name, though, is Alfred Pennyworth."
"Ah. I'm Robyn, which I'm guessing the big guy here already told you."
"He did. And may I assume you have another name beneath that mask? Something in relation to Dick Grayson?"
She chuckled at the elderly butler. "Yep, but mine's Dixie Graydottir. Do you have some clothes I could change into? My uniform is a bit, well..." Robyn trailed off, gesturing to the rips in her costume, bloodstains still darkening the edges of the larger ones. She'd bandaged the scrapes that need attention back at Mount Justice, but if wearing the soiled clothing was unnecessary, the teen intended to change as soon as possible.
"Of course, Mistress. You'll find a set of attire for sleep on the bench around that corner. Afterwards, perhaps I may show you to where you'll be staying for the duration of your... visit."
Robyn froze on her way to the changing area. "Um, are you going to have me sleep in a guest room, or...?"
"I have prepared both Master Dick's bedroom and a spare one down the hall; the choice is yours."
The teen nodded and continued on her way, mulling over the options in her head. Use a room that so definitely belonged to someone else, familiar as it may be, or crash someplace more neutral that she probably wouldn't be comfortable in. Asterous.
Once Robyn had gone out of sight and hearing, Alfred allowed his usual expression to melt into something closer to concern.
"May I ask what is going through your mind as of now, Master Bruce?" He asked quietly. Sighing, the other man tugged off his cowl, revealing the worry in his eyes.
"As much as part of me wants to help R- Dixie, adjust, I need to get started figuring out how to find Dick and get him back."
"In that case, may I suggest calling in a bit of assistance for the young lady?"
-CC-
"I believe you two already know your way around, if this Mount Justice is indeed identical to your own." J'onn glanced back at the two teens trailing after him, and Superman at the rear of the group.
"Yes, it is." Mar'gann answered quickly. "Thank you for making sure we are settled in."
"Of course." The four of them came to a rest in the hangar of the base, where Sphere and Wolf were playing. Supergirl had already been introduced, and while the pair of taken-in beings had acted friendly, neither seemed to desire to stay in her presence any more than other members of Team.
The girl hadn't spoken a word since then. Now she just watched the two with a dim sort of sadness in her eyes, which seemed to be affecting her boyfriend as well. Both of the adult heroes noticed, but neither was sure how to help.
"So, do the two of you attend school in Happy Harbor?" Superman tried.
Mar'gann brightened slightly. "Yes! We're still getting back into the swing of things since Winter Break ended, though. I don't suppose... If our versions in this world have the same homework assignments, do you think we could work on them?"
"I, do not see why not." J'onn answered slowly, brows furrowing. "I doubt my M'gann would mind."
"Connor probably wouldn't either." Really, that was a haphazard guess on Superman's part, but he figured no one liked homework any. Well, make that anyone aside from martians.
"If you don't mind me asking, do you guys think you could share the names you use as secret identities?" He continued.
"Oh of course! I go by Morgan Morse, and she's Cailin Kent. And, um, J'onn? There was one more thing I hoped to ask before you left." Slowly, Supergirl dragged her eyes away from the depressing sight of Wolf and Sphere to gaze at the embarrassed sounding teen. "Are there- I mean, does this world's me- would she have the stuff to-"
"Bake?" Cailin supplied for her boyfriend. Mar'gann shot her a grateful glance before looking back at J'onn and Superman.
"Yes, I believe the kitchen is fully stocked and supplied. Feel free to check, and let me know if there is anything else you require." The younger martian beamed and flew off down the hallway, a bemused J'onn following more slowly. That left the two Kryptonians standing by themselves in the hanger.
"So..." Superman attempted, several times, to get out a suitable opening sentence for a conversation with the teen before him, to no avail. She watched him suffer in silence for a minute or two, keeping an eyebrow raised and one corner of her mouth quirked upwards.
"You are just as awkward as Claire. Maybe more." Blinking, the Man of Steel seized upon those words gratefully.
"Well, um, I haven't had much practice with Connor yet, and now, this." He gestured blindly, but Cailin got it.
"New Year's Eve?" She asked suddenly, tilting her head slightly to one side. The older hero nodded, a brief expression of shame crossing his features.
"I sorry to say how long it took me just to be willing to try and be present in his life." He murmured quietly, so much so that Cailin was glad she had the super-hearing to catch it. "But waking up from that battle, with the Team and Tornado explaining all that had happened... And afterwards, when we saw some of the footage of the fights... I realized just how much he'd progressed in the few months since being taken- freed, from Cadmus, and it suddenly became clear that I wanted to help him do more. Be, more, I suppose."
"Wonder if that's what Claire felt, too." Cailin muttered aloud, without meaning to. All of a sudden, she felt a warm hand clasp her shoulder, and the teen looked up into a kind gaze.
"I don't doubt it for a minute." Clark said firmly, and Cailin felt her heart swell a little more with affection for the woman back home who'd only so recently begun to make an effort to share her life.
"Now, I don't suppose you've already visited my parents in your world, have you? Because the ones here are determined to meet you now."
"You called them?" The surprise was obvious in her voice.
"Actually, they called me, after hearing from Mary West. Once Ma got past fussing at me, she wanted to know when we'd be arriving. I figured you'd want to sleep here at least, but maybe we can head out in the morning?"
"Sounds good to me." Despite all the differences between them, both Clark and Cailin had the same smile stretch across their faces when she replied.
-CC-
When Iris West-Allen opened the back door of her brother's house, she was prepared to meet a female version of Wally.
She was not expecting to see a younger version of herself.
Because that's exactly who this Willow West looked like. Granted, she had a few more freckles splashed across her face, and the grin was a touch more lopsided, but aside from those details, it was like looking at an old photograph. Even Willow's hair was braided, a style Iris had been quite fond of back in her high school days.
"And this would be Uncle-turned-Aunt Ivan, right?" The joking tone, though, was all Wally.
"Ah, yeah, this is my wife, Iris." Barry said with a slight cough. He gently reached out to nudge her, and Iris swiftly got her bearings back.
"Come on in, Willow, the others are in the living room, waiting for us." Both speedsters zipped inside, and Iris closed the door firmly. She took another moment to breath before heading after them.
Rudolph and Mary were just finishing introducing themselves as she walked in. Grinning, Willow promptly flopped back onto the sofa, right in the center just as Wally would do, resting her elbows up and on the back. The adults settled into their seats a bit more gingerly - Barry and Ruddy to armchairs, Iris and Mary on either end of the sofa.
"I really appreciate you folks letting me crash here," The teen started off with. "I know some of my friends will be fine at the Mountain, but there are those of us who can handle this mess a lot better with proper nutrition! No offence intended towards Mar'gann, he bakes a mean batch of cookies, but those and protein bars do not make for an A-game speedster, eh, Aunt- er, Uncle B?" Even the older hero had to blink at the rapid words pouring out of Willow's mouth.
"Um, right."
"And how are you... Handling it?" Iris asked gently. Willow responded with a lazy grin, leaning back further into her sprawl on the sofa.
"Oh, I'm fine, probably doing a lot better than a couple of the others. Nothin' to worry about here." She told them cheerfully. The four adults all exchanged glances.
"Willow... You are an alternate version of my son. And I know him well enough to tell when he's putting on an act." Mrs. West spoke slowly, cautiously. "When life throws a massive curveball his way, Wally's first response isn't to fold, but to muster up a grin and pretend he isn't bothered at all. I think you're the exact same way, and that this," She gestured to the room around them, and by extension the entire flipped-around universe, "Is scaring you a lot more than you want to admit."
In an instant, Willow's grin faded, and her previously loose muscles tightened almost imperceptibly. "You- and your point?" She asked with a bit of a tremble in her voice. Iris and Mary both scooched a little closer to the teen on the sofa, while Rudolph and Barry exchanged a glance from their respective seats.
"To put it simply, Kid... since we're the ones who know Wally well enough to figure out what's going on in your head, we're also the ones it's okay to be yourself around." Barry offered.
"There's no reason to hide from us, Willow." Rudolph put in, a small smile making it's way onto his face. And that- that was enough for the teen hero's emotional wall to crumble, and she hunched forward, arms wrapping around her middle as choked sobs and and shudders began. Immediately, the women beside her moved in with comforting words and embraces. At one point, Iris shot a look at her brother and husband, silently ordering them to join the huddle.
Even without the warning of what would happen if they didn't, neither man had it in his heart to not try and help the crying teenager feel better.
Soon enough, Willow would be back to smiling and laughing, especially if her teammates were around - someone had to put on a brave face for the others. But here, in the safety of her alternate family's arms, she could admit to the stress and fear that were constantly wound up inside.
Sometimes, everyone just needed to let it out.
Hoo boy, four chapters in less than two days - I think I'm on a roll with this story! And all the views and favorites help a great deal, so keep 'em coming!
Also, special thanks to my good friend Aisling Moon, who saw fit to mention me in her latest posting of Alone Together (a very good Dick Grayson story, go read it!), so now I'm returning the favor.
Get ready for more emotional moments, but also some funnies, and I promise, the next post will push the plot along: we'll be seeing who besides the Team got sent across the dimensional barrier...
-Triscribe