Bruce is so proud of his kids. He's always proud of them, of course, but he's especially proud of them at this moment as they regroup into the Cave. His kids worked together, passing information between themselves and coordinating their efforts, and they stopped a dangerous cross-universe criminal. He's so incredibly proud of his kids.
He doesn't say so, not at this moment, not with the cross-universe criminal being brought in tied-up and with the other Batman's death hanging over his own head, but Bruce makes a note to himself to tell the kids how proud he is of them. They probably will each brush it off in their various ways, but he wants them to hear it regardless.
Dick latches the other end of a set of cuffs to the nearest railing, the first end already around one of the criminal's wrists, and steps back to join Jason and Cass, while Tim and Damian are several steps further back, prepping the universe traveling device.
Bruce nods to Dick. Then Bruce steps up to the criminal.
The Talon is still fully garbed in an unusual outfit: pants and shirt and cloak and boots and gloves and hood and mask, all black with gold edges, clearly meant to be well-kept but currently in a disheveled state. The thought pops up for Bruce to ponder whether that dishevelment came before or after the Talon left the Court of Owls. Bruce is tempted to dismiss that thought, but he's grown over the years to trust his instincts. Instead of simply dismissing the thought, he tables it for the moment. Bruce looks at the criminal and considers what to say.
"My counterpart says you're a thief," Bruce begins with. "You stole a 'prize.'"
The Talon says nothing. He has said nothing this entire time, from the chase to the capture to the journey back to now. He's grunted and hissed on occasion, but no words.
Now, Bruce wonders if the Talon can speak at all. Bruce wonders how much the Talon may even understand. He has vague knowledge from other versions of himself of the Court of Owls and their Talonization process, but he doesn't know how much it varies by universe.
Bruce reconfigures his approach. He takes another step closer to the Talon, but before he can try any other actions, the Talon does speak.
"I stole nothing," the Talon says. His voice is scratchy, alarmingly so, like he hasn't drank a drop of water in a day. "Nothing."
More alarming than the scratchiness, the Talon's voice cracks on the repetition of the word "nothing," and not in a purely emotional way. No, it's in an immature way. The Talon sounds like a teenager, like a kid young enough that his voice still wavers with growth.
Bruce feels more than hears or sees the way his kids take notice of that, and again, he is so proud of them.
"Then why was my counterpart chasing you?" Bruce asks.
The Talon gives a hacking cough, then repeats raspily, "I stole nothing."
Dick steps up beside Bruce and murmurs, "I did give him a once-over, then a twice-over. I couldn't find anything other than a couple of basic knives and a packet of money."
"Money?" Bruce murmurs back.
"Seventeen dollars," Dick says a little louder.
"Quite a prize," Jason says sarcastically from behind them. "Think it's worth chasing and capturing him for?"
Bruce knows better than to say anything back. Instead, he looks at the Talon for a long moment.
The Talon coughs again, chest heaving, but says nothing else.
"Do you want something to drink?" Dick asks.
The Talon stills.
"Just water," Dick says quickly. "Sounds like you need some."
"A Talon needs nothing," the Talon says immediately, then he coughs again.
Dick hums thoughtfully.
"But you stole something," Bruce says.
"I don't think so," Cass says. She steps around Bruce and Dick, going closer to the Talon. She looks him up and down. "You… You took, but you didn't steal."
"Explain?" Bruce says.
Cass turns her back to the Talon, even though she's barely out of arms' reach, which speaks volumes more than her words. "He doesn't think he stole it."
"I didn't," the Talon agrees. "He would've-"
The Talon cuts himself off.
"He?" Bruce asks. "The other Batman?"
The Talon is silent.
Bruce pauses, thinking. The "he" could be a League member or even a leader, or someone from the Council of Owls. But the way that the Talon cut himself off makes Bruce think it's something else. "Or someone else?"
"He didn't steal," Cass says in realization. "He helped."
The Talon trembles and says nothing, just coughs a few more times.
"Okay, you might not need water, or even want water, but I'm getting you some," Dick says decisively, stepping away.
"Get a bunch, my throat hurts just listening to him," Jason calls after him.
"He helped," Cass repeats. "He did something good."
"Or maybe something he just thinks is good," Jason points out. "He's a whole criminal brainwashed by an evil group, he probably doesn't have a clue what's good or bad."
"Pot, meet kettle," Tim yells from his spot working on the device.
"Says the guy who exploded the League of Assassins," Jason yells back.
Bruce cuts in before that particular "brotherly argument" can turn into an entire "brotherly brawl." Again. Bruce levels his gaze on the Talon and says loudly, "You think what you did was good. What did you do?"
The Talon positively squirms.
Bruce lets him do so, hoping that the tension will cause the Talon to break and confess what's happened.
The Talon says nothing, right up until Dick returns with a pitcher of water and several glasses. Then the Talon watches Dick approach, leaning ever so slightly toward the water.
"Good thinking," Bruce says lowly to Dick.
Dick pours a glass and steps forward, holding it out in front of the Talon. "I want to give you this. I can't untie you, though, at least not yet."
"Not yet?" Jason mutters.
Dick continues on. "Can I take your mask off so you can drink some?"
The Talon holds very still for a long moment, then he inclines his head. It's barely a nod, but it's noticeable.
"Great. How do I get your mask off?" Dick asks.
The Talon rattles off a short list of places to manipulate.
In short order, Dick pulls off the mask and starts to bring the glass of water up toward the Talon's face. Then Dick curses quietly.
Bruce takes a step forward and glances at Cass, but she simply stares at Dick's back, not looking too bothered.
"What?" Jason demands, taking several steps forward.
From where Dick stands, he's in the way of the rest of the family seeing the Talon's face. Dick says quietly, "Oh."
"Oh?" Jason repeats, barreling forward. He shudders to a stop next to Dick. "Uh. Yeah. Okay. Yup. Oh."
Bruce trusts Cass and her ability to read body language. He trusts Dick isn't in danger from whatever he's just uncovered. But Bruce is also a detective and a father, and the combination of the mystery of what's happening and the shock in his sons' voices is too much to let it go on any longer. Bruce steps forward and catches sight of the Talon's face.
It's Dick.
It's the mirror image of his son, the same face as Dick, just at about age sixteen.