Author's Note: Title from "Elegy Before Death," by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Prepare for hurt/comfort across two universes, everyone.
Bruce has met himself before. He's met multiple versions of himself before. Each Bruce has been different from himself in some way, usually multiple ways. So far, most of them have been heroes, working for good, which Bruce is greatly grateful for.
This version of himself is a hero, but he's so different from Bruce. Most of the differences aren't immediately obvious, not like the time Bruce met a Bruce with naturally blond hair, but the differences are striking in their own ways.
Most noticeably, when Bruce tells the other Batman to sit down until the kids arrive to help, the other Batman frowns deeply. It's more of a scowl than a frown, really, creasing his eyes and furrowing his brows, but with a hint of confusion to it, something anyone else would've probably missed.
But Bruce isn't anyone else. He tries to interpret the expression. It's not just that the other Batman doesn't want help, although that's likely part of it, given the other Batman didn't even really want Bruce's help. It's something else too. Bruce considers his own words: he'd said that his kids were coming to help. Maybe that's it. Maybe the other Batman's kids didn't join his crusade. Mixed relief and sadness rush through Bruce at the thought. He tries to shake it off and focus on the situation at hand: a criminal from the other universe is on the loose and the other Batman doesn't seem happy that Bruce's kids are going to help catch that criminal. Bruce guesses, "Is your family not that involved with the vigilante side of things?"
"I don't have a family," the other Batman says.
Bruce pauses. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be," the other Batman says, scowling more. "Let's just get the criminal so I can go back to my universe."
Bruce nods slowly. "I sent a debrief to my kids. They should all be here within a few minutes."
The other Batman gives a "hn."
Bruce should really remember how annoying of a response that is to get. His children tell him that enough, but it's never until he meets up with another version of himself that he understands it fully.
They stand in silence. After a few moments, Bruce turns back to the Batcomputer and starts sorting through casefiles. He mentions after a minute, "The most active criminals right now are Killer Croc, Calendar Man, and Poison Ivy. There's also been a few extra street gang scuffles recently, nothing too major, but something to look out for as we look for your criminal."
The other Batman says nothing. He turns toward the tunnels.
"Is there anything else you can tell me about the criminal?" Bruce asks. So far all he has to go off of is a description of a ragged black suit edged with gold and a note that the criminal has stolen another criminal organization's "prize" of some kind.
The other Batman seems to consider the question but still says nothing.
Bruce holds back a sigh and keeps sorting through casefiles.
The kids start to file back into the Cave. Cass sidles in and looks the other Batman over, then gives Bruce a hug. Jason chases Damian in, the two of them coming to a stop with Damian crowing about winning some kind of race. Dick and Tim come side by side, arguing playfully about whether or not Dick can actually skateboard (Dick says yes, Tim says not at all).
The other Batman's eyes flit across them all as they each settle at the table to hear about the mission.
"This is the other Batman," Bruce says.
"Figured that much," Jason says lowly, plopping his helmet down on the table and resting his chin on his hands.
Cass nudges his shoulder with her own shoulder. "Be nice."
Jason moves as if to make a rude gesture, then abruptly apparently decides not to and rolls his eyes instead, muttering under his breath.
"The criminal we are tracking down from his universe wears a black suit with some gold detailing," Bruce continues, knowing better than to wait for complete silence. "He's taken a 'prize' from someone else."
"A prize?" Tim asks. "What kind of prize?"
Bruce looks to the other Batman for an answer.
"Doesn't matter," the other Batman says.
Tim frowns. "It kind of does. Is it a weapon we need to watch out for, or something valuable that the criminal could sell part of and get further away with, or-"
"Doesn't matter," the other Batman says. "All that matters is that the League of Assassins want it back, and they'll slaughter everyone in their path to get it, both in my universe and yours."
Tim raises his eyebrows. "So he took it from the League of Assassins?"
The other Batman scowls again.
"That means he's not part of the League himself," Jason says. "Maybe one of their rivals?"
"Other universes might still have the Council of Spiders," Tim says.
"Or a thief for hire, somebody who took it for somebody else?" Dick suggests.
"Or perhaps-" Damian begins.
"It's a Talon," the other Batman says, cutting him off.
Bruce considers that. His own universe never had a Court of Owls. He's thankful for that because of the dark obsession the Court of Owls from other universes always have with Dick; but he's not thankful that it means they're going in without a lot of knowledge.
"You don't have them here," the other Batman continues in a clipped tone. "All you need to know is they're dangerous, and this one even more than most. He's defective, breaking away from the Court of Owls when they tried to team up with the League of Assassins recently. It worked out poorly for everyone, and now I have to clean up their mess. Is that information enough for you all?"
"That should be fine," Bruce says, "thank you."
The other Batman grunts.
"We'll be sweeping the same areas we were already on patrol for," Bruce says. "Stay in your pairs. Other Batman, we'll have you join Cass and I. That's Cass."
Other Batman scoffs, but he stands when Cass, who Bruce is indicating, stands.
The rest of Bruce's kids start getting up too, breaking into light conversation, stretching and poking at each other with jokes.
"All right," Bruce says. "Keep each other updated over comms. Sweep your areas quickly but thoroughly. We'll reconvene here in four hours."
A mere two hours later, the kids are filing back into the Cave, the light mood long gone.
Bruce can hear them stepping closer, but he doesn't look up. His eyes are fixed on the other Batman…
The other Batman's corpse.
"I told him," Bruce says. He knows his voice is dull, but he can't do anything about it. He doesn't think he wants to do anything about it. "I told him about the street gangs. I told him to be careful. I told him that-"
"You told him. You did your best," Tim says quietly.
"It wasn't good enough," Bruce says.
"Maybe he just wasn't good enough," Jason says.
There's a few sounds of protest and a brief scuffle.
"Quit it, Dick," Jason says, sounding annoyed. "What, am I wrong? The guy died fighting a street gang, not even a good one. Maybe he should've stayed home."
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean he deserved to die," Dick says.
"I didn't say he deserved to die," Jason says.
"What now, Father?" Damian asks, cutting off the blossoming argument.
Bruce tears his eyes away from the other Batman's body on its cot. "What?"
"What do we do now?" Damian says. "Do we continue to go after the criminal, or do we first inform this Batman's family of his passing, or do we take another path?"
Bruce blinks, a memory pushing its way forward. "He had no family."
Silence.
"What?" Jason asks.
"No family," Dick repeats. "How? None of us?"
"Not as far as I can tell," Bruce says. "He said as much himself, and he was surprised at the idea of all of you."
They ponder that.
Jason curses lowly.
Damian leans a bit against Dick.
Cass puts a hand on Tim's shoulder, and he puts his own hand on top of hers.
"No family," Bruce says, forcing back the emotions that rise at that phrase, at that thought. "So it's up to us to finish his mission. We have to catch the criminal, figure out what to do with the prize, and make sure justice is served."