Times Change

by dragonprincess1988

Dick didn't realize how much things have changed between him and Tim until he witnesses the drastic differences personally.

Dick abruptly slams into the unyielding surface of a rooftop, and it takes him a second to realize that he's not in Gotham anymore. He scrambles to his feet and nearly sways with the sudden head rush. Dick is trying to figure out what just happened, but, before he can get his bearings, he hears eerily familiar laughter and a voice that sends shivers down his spine. "You'll have to catch me first, little brother!"

Dick slinks further into the shadows and ducks down behind a chimney in time to see an extremely familiar Robin and Nightwing dashing over the adjacent rooftops. Dick doesn't know what's happening at first. He has a few theories, but it's a toss-up between this being a different universe and time travel. However, the moment that he sees Robin smirking as he pulls off a distinctly Tim move to cut Nightwing off, Dick starts leaning towards time travel, especially because he remembers this.

He remembers skidding to a stop, flipping over Tim, and the astonishment and pride that he felt as Tim managed to tag his boot before dashing off again. It's odd viewing the entire interaction from the outside, but Dick finds himself oddly fascinated about it all. After all, he hasn't seen that particular smirk or that smile on Tim's face in so long that he can't help but trail after both Robin and Nightwing. He tells himself that he's just trying to confirm that this is, indeed, time travel, but, the fact of the matter is, Dick just wants to watch and reminisce about an infinitely simpler time.

Dick beats both Nightwing and Robin to the rooftop where Nightwing will tackle Robin to the ground and force him into a full-body hug, and then praise Tim for being so sneaky in about a minute or so, assuming that this is, indeed, time travel. Dick finds a great place to observe the whole thing and waits. He isn't the least bit disappointed as he watches Robin desperately try to dodge the tackle and fail spectacularly. Dick's close enough to hear everything being said just in case he landed somewhere other than his past.

"You're so sneaky, little brother. You nearly had me back there, and that boot tag was especially clever." Dick watches with an odd sort of enthrallment as Nightwing grins and ruffles Robin's hair.

Tim scrunches up his nose in a self-deprecating sort of way. "Yeah, but I still flubbed that landing."

Dick shakes his head at the comment. Sometimes he forgets how hard Tim used to be on himself. Nightwing, on the other hand, merely squeezes the kid tighter. "Hey, don't worry about it. You'll get it." Dick winces as even he can hear the unsaid 'eventually.'

Tim sighs heavily as he extricates himself from Nightwing's embrace. "Or so I've been told."

Dick can tell that Nightwing is rolling his eyes behind the mask, but that might just be because he remembers doing the exactly same thing at this moment. Nightwing doesn't comment on it as he lazily slings an arm over Robin's shoulders. "So, little brother, what brings you to town?"

Robin shrugs and glances away. Dick can tell that Tim has a lot on his mind, but he knows that getting Tim to open up about it is going to take more than a casual conversation. Hell, it always does. Dick is starting to doubt if this is genuinely his past. After all, he truly can't remember being naive enough to believe that Tim would honestly answer. "Nothing, if you're busy I can head back to Gotham."

Nightwing shakes his head as he reels Robin into another hug, using the arm around his shoulders. "Hey, no, I love having you here. Bludhaven can get pretty damn lonely. I was just wondering how you escaped the big guy."

Tim snickers as he shakes his head and fully leans into the hug, which is something that older Tim hasn't done in a long time. "Only one of us feels the need to escape him."

Nightwing shrugs as he ruffles Robin's hair again, and Tim doesn't even bother to duck out from underneath the offending hand. Dick didn't realize how much he's missed being allowed to casually touch Tim until this very moment. They haven't hung out in forever, and when they do Tim does a fairly decent job of keeping his distance… in more ways than one. "True enough, little brother. Tell you what, I'll fill you in on what's going on with me and the Haven if you catch me up on what's going on with you."

Tim seems to consider it for a moment, before breaking out into a mischievous grin. "You buy the pizza, I pick the toppings, and you've got yourself a deal."

Nightwing grimaces playfully as he punches Robin's arm. Dick suddenly remembers that Tim always did have the worst ideas for topping combinations. "You drive a hard bargain, mister, but you've got yourself a deal. Race you back?"

The words aren't even completely out of Nightwing's mouth before Robin leaps off of the rooftop and onto the next. "Catch me, if you can, Wing."

Dick follows them from a safe distance, watching with a deep frown as the two of them laugh, joke, and play the whole way. He remembers what it was like to have this kind of easy friendship with Tim. He just didn't notice how much he missed it until now.

Dick isn't the least bit surprised to see his old apartment come into view as the other two make a beeline for it. He waits until they're both settled inside before swinging by and placing a micro-directional mic on the window. He'd be appalled at how easy it is if it wasn't for his future tech and all of that.

Dick finds a good place to perch and listen. He still doesn't know if this is necessarily time travel yet, but, if this is an alternate reality, then it's damn close to his own… or, at least, close to his own world's past. "So, little brother, I believe you were gonna catch me up on your life."

Tim sighs heavily and Dick can hear the crack and hiss of a can of Zesti being opened through the directional mic. Dick can't remember the last time that he saw Tim drink anything other than water or coffee. He wonders when that changed too.

"Dad and Dana left on their trip. Dana called earlier to let me know that they arrived and everything. She tried to get Dad to talk to me, but he was too busy arguing with the guy handling their bags. Dana said that she would have him call me later, but I told her not to worry about it and to just have fun. Is it wrong that I hope that she forgets?"

Tim pauses to take a sip of his drink. "I mean, they're supposed to be having fun… not making international calls for small talk. I know Dad will probably forget, but Dana tends to keep track of everything he fails to remember to do, though I don't know how. I just don't think that they should waste their trip worrying about it, you know?"

Dick's brow furrows as he listens in. He remembers this conversation… or, at least, one like it. He remembers thinking how sweet it was that Tim was so worried about something like that, but now he knows better. Tim wasn't worried about his father and stepmother having a good time on their trip. Or, perhaps, more accurately, that wasn't the only thing that he was worried about.

Tim was afraid to hope. He didn't want to believe that his father would remember to call, only to be crushed when he didn't… or worse refused, despite his wife's nagging. It took a long time to learn that simple truth about Tim. The kid would rather be forgotten than outright rejected.

Dick sighs to himself as he listens to Nightwing's hum of consideration. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, little brother. I'm sure they'll have a good time and you can get a break too, right?" Tim makes a sound of agreement, and Nightwing continues, "Now, what's been going on in Robin's life?"

Dick shakes his head and wonders if that's the real difference between then and now. He used to just let everything go, especially things that he didn't know how to address. Now, however, he seems to always be arguing with everyone, unable to let things go in a way that reminds him of a certain someone with pointy ears. It's more than a little disconcerting, but Tim's sudden laughter draws Dick's attention back to the apartment.

Dick can see Tim through the window, lounging in a loose t-shirt and sweatpants. He can't recall the last time that he saw Tim in anything other than a suit for WE or his Red Robin attire. "Robin's been busy, but it's nothing that I can't handle."

Nightwing chuckles as he ruffles the kid's hair again. "I'll bet. Anything specific you wanna tell me?"

Tim shrugs. "The team has been doing quite well, but I think that's mostly because we haven't had anything big to deal with recently. I know Bart and Kon are getting bored, but I think it's good for us, ya know?" Dick takes a second and tries to recall the last time that older Tim has even mentioned his team - never mind actually seeing or speaking to them - and he can't honestly remember anything recently.

Nightwing smiles as he leans further into Tim's side. "Ah, the good old days of rescuing cats and helping old ladies across the street."

Tim scoffs as he elbows Nightwing in the side. "Oh right, like you didn't stop to help that old lady on 2nd Street."

Nightwing merely shrugs. "Guilty as charged."

All of a sudden, Tim abruptly folds his arms over his chest and glares at Nightwing. It breaks Dick's heart that this is probably the facial expression that he's the best acquainted with now of days. "Hey, weren't you supposed to be ordering a pizza?"

Nightwing laughs as he flips onto his hands and walks on them towards wherever he left his phone. "Okay, okay, you caught me. Foiled again, I tell ya! Now, what disgusting topping combo are we trying?"

Tim smirks as he rubs his hands together evilly. "I'm thinking go with a classic, so my favorite."

Dick rolls his eyes as Nightwing groans. He wonders if this version of himself knows that he got off easy. "Fine; one Canadian bacon, onion, and artichoke pizza coming up. Anything else?"

Tim hums in thought for a second. "Feeling like breadsticks?"

Nightwing shrugs as he flips back onto his feet. "Sure, why not? You staying over or do I need to take you back?"

Tim grins easily as he shows off his backpack. "I was actually planning to stay the whole weekend if that's okay with you?" The sudden reminder that Tim used to initiate unexpected weekend visits leaves a sour taste in Dick's mouth.

The smile that breaks out onto Nightwing's face is one that Dick worries is only a fading memory. "That is more than okay with me. Hell, if I didn't have to work, and B didn't need you back home at some point, I'd keep you for the whole week." Dick breathes out a heavy breath. He can't remember the last time that Tim stayed over, even when injured Tim tends to leave as soon as he's able.

Tim beams brightly as he begins dumping an unholy amount of snacks onto Nightwing's coffee table. Dick can't recall the last time that Tim was this happy around him. "Great, so before you order, do you want to start with bad plot-good action or good plot-bad action for the movie?"

Nightwing stares at the two movies that Tim is holding up with obvious indecision. "Oh, such a hard choice… hmm… how about bad plot first? I do so love explosions, little brother. You know, when I'm not in the middle of them."

Tim nods and turns away, and Dick's left wondering what the hell he's still doing sitting here watching them. He knows that he should probably leave and try to find a way back home, or, at the very least, do some real research into whether this is the past or not, but he can't tear himself away from the scene. No matter how much watching it unfold is killing him.

Dick remembers what it was like to know exactly what Tim needed, and how to get him to open up about what was going on in his life. He remembers knowing exactly what kind of deals he needed to make to convince Tim to talk about himself in more than just a passive sort of way. Dick remembers being able to coax Tim into discussing what was truly going on inside of Tim's head by merely forcing him into an impromptu movie night, staying beside him, and reassuring him that Dick cared. In fact, he remembers a lot of things, but what he doesn't remember is when exactly it all changed.

Dick doesn't know when he lost his ability to just talk to Tim… really talk to him. After all, Tim still gives him small smiles and assures him that it would be great to come, hang out, and punch guys on trains. However, Tim also never intentionally makes the time to do so. Dick can't remember the last time that Tim was in the same city as him without some sort of crisis shoving the whole family together. The thought is a worrisome one.

After all, it's not as if Dick hasn't given him the invite. More importantly, Dick doesn't remember the last time that he spoke with Tim about anything beyond small talk or work, and he hates it. Evidently, his little brother has been playing him - like Tim plays everyone - and Dick obviously has been falling for it. He should know better.

Dick's attention is abruptly brought back to the two people in the apartment when he hears nearly deafening laughter. "No way, how in the world did you manage that? And, more importantly, why in the world would you let Bart drive?"

There's another crack and a hiss as another can of Zesti is opened, and Dick tries hard not to picture the purple can that used to be a staple in his refrigerator. He doesn't know when he stopped stocking it for this exact purpose, or even why, but the sudden realization that he hasn't purchased any in seemingly forever leaves him feeling rather morose. "First, the batarang budget, and second, he was rather persistent."

There's more laughter now as Nightwing all but drags Tim into a full-body hug. "Oh man, you let him drive to shut him up?"

Suddenly, Dick remembers this conversation. He remembers exactly how impressed and astounded he was to hear that Tim smuggled a Batmobile to San Francisco. Now he's certain that this is definitely the past, and that just makes him feel worse. Dick's lost more than he ever realized, and being confronted by it all now isn't sitting well with him. He just wishes that he knew what exactly happened and how he could return to his previous relationship with Tim.

However, he doesn't get very long to dwell on it. The next thing that Dick knows, there's a sudden flash of bright light, and the world is tilting. For the second time this evening, Dick falls onto a rooftop and barely manages to catch himself before his body smacks into the unforgiving surface.

He glances around and notes that all of the buildings are exactly where they should be. He's returned to Gotham, however, whether it's the right Gotham or not remains to be seen. Dick swiftly makes his way back to the cave, stopping long enough to check for minor details along the way. As far as he can tell, he's home, though it doesn't much feel like it at the moment.

When Dick makes it back to the cave, he's more than a little surprised to see Tim sitting in Bruce's chair, typing briskly. He's wearing his Red Robin gear, sans cowl. Dick, for his part, can't even think of a single thing to say. Instead, he merely ambles across the room, pulls the chair back, all but drags Tim out of the chair, and gathers him into a hug.

Tim immediately tenses in a way that he never has before. It's almost reminiscent of the way that Tim reacted to him before the kid officially became Robin, but even then Tim never tensed this badly. Dick wants to believe that he just startled the younger man. After all, Tim didn't seem to notice when Dick entered the cave, but, after recent events, Dick doesn't feel comfortable assuming anything anymore. He tries to calm Tim down by placing his head on top of Tim's without saying anything.

It takes a long moment, but Tim eventually forcibly relaxes his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Dick's brow furrows in confusion. He honestly doesn't know how to answer that question. Tim shouldn't be the one supporting him… not when it's evident that Dick's the one who failed to support Tim. He doesn't truly know how they've gotten here, but knowing that things have changed is a little different from having a front-row seat to the proof of it. "Tell you what, little brother, I'll tell you all about it if you tell me what's been going on with you and what you're working on."

Tim's eyes narrow as he pulls back as much as Dick's arms will allow. "Nothing particularly interesting, I'm working on some personal projects, but nothing too important or exciting, so what's going on with you?"

Dick's heart nearly breaks at the look on Tim's face. There was a time when Tim would have almost easily taken the bait and filled him in on everything, even if there wasn't much going on. There was a time when he would have told Dick about all of his personal projects and excitedly explained every aspect of whatever it was he was creating. Dick knows that things have been strained between them for a while now, but he doesn't know when or even how he lost Tim's trust in the most basic sense of the word.

Surely, Tim knows by now that Dick isn't going to think anything negative about his personal projects. Hell, most of the time Dick is just astounded by how Tim's brain works and the way that he tends to put it to use. He can't imagine feeling anything besides awe and wonder at the things that Tim creates, so he doesn't understand why Tim is being so guarded with him now.

Before Dick can think of a reply, however, Tim leads him over to Bruce's chair and hands him a bottle of water that Tim had sitting on the desk. "Alright, Dick, what's going on?"

Dick shakes his head. He can feel tears welling up in his eyes as he swallows reflexively. He can't help but wonder out loud, "What the hell happened to us, Tim?"

Tim stares at him as if Dick's a particularly difficult puzzle that's possibly missing a few pieces. "What are you talking about?"

"We… we didn't used to be like this, Tim. We didn't used to work like this." He grips the unopened bottle of water tightly as he desperately tries to ground himself.

Tim's brow furrows as he puts some distance between the two of them, and all Dick can think about is how Tim is always putting distance between them. "I really don't know what you mean, Dick. We've been working like this since… forever. I honestly don't understand what's going on with you right now."

Dick shakes his head as he slams the water bottle down onto the desk. "No, that's not true! That's not true at all, Tim! You used to talk to me. I used to be able to get you to talk to me. You used to tell me about everything… from what you were working on to the mundane things going on in your life. You used to excitedly ramble about whatever you were planning or inventing until you talked yourself out."

Dick breathes out a heavy breath, desperately trying to calm himself down. He knows how this will end if he doesn't remain levelheaded, but he also knows that he's failing spectacularly. "Now? Now, you won't even tell me what you're doing in your spare time or what cases you're working on by yourself. When did that happen, Tim? Why did that happen? What happened to our friendship? Hell, what happened to our brotherly bond, Tim?"

Tim merely shrugs while taking another step away from him, and Dick honestly doesn't know if Tim's bracing himself due to Dick's outburst or if it's due to some other reason. "I don't know what to tell you, Dick. You made it pretty clear that you didn't care about any of that."

Tim steels himself as if he's building himself up to say something that he's believed for a long time, but Dick doesn't know if he's ready to hear it. "I'm not a kid anymore. I don't need you to pretend to care. I don't need someone to sit through my ramblings and all of that when we both know you'd rather be doing other things. I'm fine just doing what I do best. Besides, you chose your Robin and your little brother, so I don't see the problem here."

Dick just sighs heavily at the response as he rubs his temples. He's annoyed and upset. He legitimately thought that they had moved past this by now. It's been long enough that Tim should just get over it and deal. "Yeah, I chose Damian to be my Robin, but that didn't mean that I replaced you, Tim. You're still my little brother."

Tim lets out a startled little huff of a breath. It's laughter without a hint of mirth in it, and the very sound makes Dick's skin crawl. Tim shakes his head. "What's really going on here, Dick? This has been this way for a long time and you've never noticed or cared until today, so what is your problem? Did you get doused with something? Should I be running blood tests right now, or…?" Tim trails off for a moment, and then his eyes flash with sudden recognition. "Wait, you were missing for some time. Where were you? What were you doing? What happened to you?"

Dick just glares, not wanting to confirm anything, especially since Tim will just take it as a sign that he's right and ignore everything that Dick has to say on the matter. He gets to his feet, thoroughly irritated and hurt by everything that he's finally just realized. "That's not really any of your concern, right, Tim? After all, you're perfectly happy with the way that things are."

Tim tenses all over. He looks as if he's been slapped, and Dick wants to punch himself for being responsible for that expression on his little brother's face. This is not how he wanted this to go. True, Dick didn't exactly have a plan and he never genuinely intended to confront Tim at all, but he's here now, and hurting Tim was never something that he wanted to do. He's just so angry, and worse, Dick knows that there's no going back now. Tim's defenses are up and that never ends well for anyone.

Tim's face blanks completely before he pulls even farther away from Dick, but Dick blocks his path. "Fine, Dick, I guess you don't have to tell me anything. After all, I'm not your Robin, your partner, your brother, or your friend anymore."

Tim turns to leave, but Dick immediately grabs a hold of his arm before Tim can get very far. He pulls Tim back. The rage coursing through him feels nearly all-consuming. How dare Tim try to claim that this is entirely his fault when Tim is just as much to blame for this? "Oh, so, it's okay for you to keep everything to yourself, but the moment that I do, it's a fucking problem? I guess you always were the hypocritical Robin, huh, Timmy?"

Tim's intense blank expression falters for a moment, and it's just long enough for Dick to catch the look of betrayal in Tim's eyes. The younger man looks as if Dick stabbed him, and Dick knows that he most definitely needs to stop letting his anger take the reins here. "No, I was always just the placeholder Robin and we both know it."

Dick can't help it. He honestly can't. Hearing those particular words out of Tim's mouth as if he full-heartedly believes it - as if all of the years Tim was Robin and his little brother, and all of the time that they spent together means nothing due to the Damian situation - has Dick taking a swing at him. He doesn't even realize what he's doing until Tim dodges perfectly.

Tim doesn't even look surprised as he pulls his bo staff out and stands at the ready. Dick drops his arms to his side, heavily, but Tim doesn't move out of his ready stance. "Tim… Timmy… I'm sorry. I just… how could you think that? After everything we've been through, how could you possibly think that?"

Tim merely raises an eyebrow at him. "You know what everyone always says about you, Dick? They say that you're the nicest one out of all of us, and they're right. You know there truly isn't a nicer guy in the whole cape and cowl community. You were even nice enough to pretend to care about me, but it's been a long time since that's been the case."

Dick doesn't know what to do or what to say. Tim's words sting in a way that Dick didn't think was possible, but that's not important right now. He knows that he can't just let Tim leave the way that he so obviously wants to, especially not after saying something like that. Dick's certain that if he lets Tim walk away, then there absolutely will be no fixing this.

He moves to block Tim's exit once more, but Tim is evidently done playing nice. He swings his bo staff around, nearly connecting with Dick's bad knee. Dick backflips away and gets ready for another attack. "I trained you. I loved you. I've bled for you. I've nearly died for you. Hell, I've nearly killed for you, Tim. That didn't just go away because of Damian."

Tim glares at him, bo staff still drawn. "You aren't the only one who's loved, bled, nearly killed, or been killed, Dick, but none of that mattered to you. You thought I was crazy. You tore the only thing that I had left from me. You made it clear that no matter what you said about us being equals, you sure as hell didn't actually see me as one. And, more importantly, none of that has changed since Bruce's return."

Dick opens his mouth to protest, but Tim cuts him off before he can even make a sound. "You still treat me like a stupid, pathetic kid, hoping for something that I can't have anymore. The thing is, though, Dick, I grew up. I learned that you don't have my back anymore. You can't, because you don't see me as worthy enough anymore. I don't know why I wasn't good enough to be your Robin or your little brother, but I do know that I don't need to be anymore. I don't need to be good enough for you, Bruce, or anyone else. I'm good enough for me, and that has to be enough because I'll never get anything more from any of you."

"Tim, that's not true!"

Tim scoffs as his expression shifts from fury to heartbreak to blank so quickly that Dick almost thinks that he's projecting the emotions onto his little brother. "Damian got Robin. He got a family. He got the benefit of the doubt over and over again. I don't resent him for that, Dick, because he needed all of it, but you wanna know what I got?"

Dick wants to say something… anything, but the words are caught in his throat. However, Tim doesn't seem to have the same problem. "I got an emancipation. I got another borrowed name and a missing organ. I got everything taken away from me. And the one person who I relied on the most - not only did the taking - but had the audacity to stand there and call me crazy."

Tim glances away for a moment before glaring right back at him. "You wanna know the worst part, Dick? Not a single one of you even spoke to me, not to mention, apologized after I brought Bruce back, so I think it's pretty fucking clear where everyone stands on the matter. And no, I don't trust you to have my back anymore, because I already know that you don't."

"I saved you from Ra's." It's the only thing that Dick can manage to force out of his suddenly dry throat, but it's not the words that he wants to say.

Tim glares at him harshly, as he tucks away his staff, clearly thinking that this whole conversation is nearly over. Dick swallows down the bile and braces himself for whatever Tim has to say, knowing that he isn't going to like it one bit. "Yeah, but let's be honest, Dick. Neither one of us truly believed that you would."

It feels like a blow, but before Dick can even think to say anything Tim continues. "Not to mention, I'm not entirely sure who you saved that day. I was ready for all of this to finally be over. I did my job… fulfilled my purpose. I made Bruce proud, and ever since you caught me amid the falling glass shards, I've been lost. I can't do anything but disappoint all of you, and I'm tired of trying to appease you, especially when I know that I can't."

"Tim…" Dick does his best to cut off the choked sob that wants to escape as he wraps his hand around Tim's arm and pulls him back towards him. However, the moment that his hand lands on Tim's arm the world shifts for the third time. Dick is prepared for the sudden jarring movement and the sensation of falling. Tim, on the other hand, is not, and Dick clings to him, flipping them so that when they land - whenever and wherever they do - Dick takes the brunt of the impact.

They end up on another rooftop, and Tim all but tears himself away from Dick's arms to get to his feet and pulls on his cowl as he simultaneously extends his staff once more. "What the hell? Where are we, and what just happened?"

Dick glances around, uncertain of exactly where or when they are, given his head is still spinning. "Um, yeah, this has been happening to me a lot today. And it's not just where but also when."

Tim glares at him as his grip on his bo staff tightens. "And you didn't think it was worth mentioning this?"

Dick sighs heavily as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, there were more important matters to deal with."

Tim breathes out a heavy breath as he shakes his head. "I beg to differ, but that's hardly relevant right now." Tim glances around at their surroundings, seemingly taking everything in before his eyes suddenly widen beneath the cowl. There's the sound of fighting somewhere nearby. Dick notices various voices, including Jason's, Damian's, and his own, but that's hardly helpful in regards to pinpointing exactly when they are. They're still in Gotham. He can discern that much from the cityscape.

"Come on, we have to move." Tim's voice has a certain edge to it that Dick recognizes immediately. He couldn't argue, even if he wanted to.

As they're leaping over rooftops, Dick catches glimpses of robots that he remembers fighting a while back. However, that still doesn't help him figure out where they're going, how Tim knows where to go, or why it's so urgent. Tim's moving swiftly, sticking to the shadows, and staying clear of where the fighting is originating. However, Dick doesn't even remember Tim being in town for this fight.

Dick does his best to keep track of Tim, while simultaneously trying to figure out what exactly Tim noticed that he's missed. A part of him thinks that he legitimately should be better than this. However, in Dick's defense, this whole experience has been more than a little agonizing for him. Still, he's aware that that's not truly an excuse, and he needs to focus. After all, it's not fair to always rely on Tim's insights, even if it's still second nature.

They round a corner of a seemingly abandoned alleyway where there's a crumbled brick wall blocking their path. Tim rushes over to the debris and starts digging frantically. Dick has no idea what he's looking for or why Tim's acting as if his life depends on whatever lies buried beneath the rubble.

However, he doesn't bother to ask, either. Things may have changed between them, but that doesn't mean that Dick doesn't know when it's time to shut up and work. He kneels beside Tim and wordlessly begins pushing bricks aside.

It isn't until they uncover a bloody, torn - yet familiar - black glove that Dick's stomach sinks and his chest clenches. He doesn't even want to think about who's lying underneath the rubble - or how Tim knew to head straight here - even though he has a sinking feeling that he already knows the answers. A part of him wants to look away and pretend that he's wrong. Hell, he desperately wants to be wrong. He needs to be wrong like he needs air, but Dick has never been good at lying to himself.

When the two of them remove a large chunk of collapsed wall to uncover a younger, bloodier, bruised, and barely conscious Tim, Dick can't hold in his gasp of distress - even though he's not even remotely surprised. The two of them work together to pull Tim's younger self from the debris and get him stabilized. Dick can barely hold it together as he takes stock of younger Tim's injuries - considering he didn't even know that Tim was in Gotham for this fight - as Tim activates the younger man's distress signal.

Younger Tim blinks rapidly and keeps trying to suck in enough air to ask questions, but Red Robin merely shakes his head and gestures for him to relax. Dick doesn't know if he should step in here or not. It's peculiar that Tim seemed to know exactly where he needed to go and what to do, especially since Dick doesn't even fully recall this fight beyond the fact that he had to rely on Jason's help to reel in Damian.

Once Tim has his younger self calmed enough to listen, he grabs a hold of his younger self's shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly. "You'll be okay. Someone is on their way. Don't mention us. Trust me; it'll just be better that way."

The younger Tim nods once before lying still and trying to breathe evenly. Dick desperately wants to say something, but, before he gets a chance, Red Robin grabs a hold of his arm and practically drags Dick away. It's while the two of them are making their way to another rooftop to watch over Tim's barely conscious counterpart that Dick allows the realization to settle in.

Tim was here. Tim was hurt. Tim needed help. He needed them, and they didn't even know he was in Gotham. His stomach drops as the two of them wait for help… help that - from Dick's perspective - is taking far too long.

He stares down at younger Tim as the teen fights to stay conscious, anxiously waiting to see which one of their family members finally arrives at Tim's location. He has half a mind to lecture whoever it is once they return to their own time. After all, they have protocols for injuries like this, specifically in regards to not hiding said injury. However, after a few minutes and no one arrives, Dick's heart sinks even lower.

The battle is raging only mere blocks away. Someone should be here by now… no matter how the fight is going, and yet the two of them are still just waiting. Dick is nearly ready to jump back down to the ground and take younger Tim back to the cave his-damn-self when there's the sudden displacement of air that only happens when Supers are around.

Dick watches in anguish as Superboy lands beside Tim's limp form. They're too far away to hear what Superboy says, if anything, but Conner doesn't seem surprised that he was called instead of a single member of Tim's nearby family. Suddenly, there's a hand on his shoulder, trying to drag him away from the scene, but Dick's rooted to the spot, staring helplessly at the traces of blood on the ground and the broken bricks that Tim was once buried underneath.

The world tilts once again, and it takes Dick a long moment to realize that the image that has been burned into his retinas has finally faded away and he's once again in the Batcave. He turns to Tim, feeling hollow and wretched. There are so many things that Dick wants to say… so many questions he wants to ask, but he doesn't even know where to begin, nor does he know how to voice them all.

"I recovered, obviously, so there's no reason to…"

Tim cuts himself off and braces himself as Dick drags him into another hug. "You didn't even attempt to call one of us, Timmy. Why?"

Tim sighs heavily, slumping into the hug, though Dick doubts that he's genuinely receiving any comfort from it. "I think you know why, Dick."

Dick both does and doesn't and that's probably what bothers him the most. He knows that Tim doesn't expect them to come when he calls, but he doesn't understand why. He desperately wants to know what the hell happened that led them here.

Dick can't imagine that Tim's apparent lack of trust in all of them and expectation that they would simply abandon him stems purely from the year he was globetrotting to find Bruce. "No, Tim, I truly don't know. Why wouldn't you call us? Do you really think we would just abandon you like that?"

Tim shakes his head. "You were all busy with the robot army. It just made more sense to call Kon."

Dick's fists clench as his jaw tightens. It takes every ounce of control he has not to growl. "No, it didn't. Even with his super speed, it still took Kon longer to get to you than it would have taken any of us to break off from our fight and get to your location, and that doesn't even account for how far away the tower is. So, don't stand there and try and tell me that you just chose the most logical option, because, no matter how you slice it, Kon wasn't it."

Tim sighs heavily as he starts to walk back towards the computer. "Yes, he was. I'm safe at the tower. No one is going to interrogate me there, verbally attack me while I'm injured, assert how useless I am for getting injured in the first place, or stare at me with utter disappointment the entire time I recover. I can't claim the same thing here."

Dick doesn't know what to say to all of that. He knew that Damian's jabs at Tim were getting to him, but he never realized how bad it was until now. "Look, Tim, Damian is…"

"I'm not talking about Damian. Damian can say or do whatever he wants. I don't care about his opinion, Dick. Why would I? He's a kid, who barely even knows me. His opinion is unfounded and biased. You and Bruce on the other hand… well, that's what gets to me, Dick."

"Tim… I…" He reaches out for Tim once again, but Tim spins around so fast that Dick has to retract his hand, lest they painfully collide.

"Stop!" Tim's sudden outburst has Dick freezing in place as Tim just stands there, breathing heavily. "Just stop. We have bigger problems to address."

"I disagree."

"Well, I don't!" Tim glares harshly. "We have to figure out why you keep hopping through time and space and how to stop it. What if this is dangerous, Dick? What if it's uncontrollable? What if you get stuck somewhere? What if you spontaneously drag someone with you into a fight when they can't defend themselves, or worse?"

Dick places his hand on Tim's shoulder to calm him, but, almost as if to prove Tim's point, the world swirls around them once again. This time they both land on their feet on the middle of a rooftop in the center of Bludhaven.

Tim just scowls. "My point exactly." He looks around, seemingly searching for something. "Well?"

Dick merely shrugs, uncertain of what Tim expects from him at this moment. "What?"

Tim huffs out a breath in an extremely put-upon manner. "We're obviously in Bludhaven. Any idea when?"

Before Dick can even look around for certain landmarks, they're both ducking down into the shadows while a small cape-wearing figure swings past them. Dick doesn't even need to glance over to Tim to know that they are most definitely going to trail after Tim's younger self. The two of them follow behind at a safe distance the entire way to the Bludhaven PD. Tim and Dick stare at each other in utter confusion as Robin crouches down on top of the police department right over the main entrance.

Dick nudges Tim with his elbow. "So, any idea when we are?"

Tim glares as he shakes his head. "I honestly don't know what I'm doing here."

The two of them resign themselves to settling down here and waiting. Luckily, it isn't long before Dick can see his younger self exiting the building with his former partner. The two of them watch wide-eyed as Robin jumps down off the building, grabs Officer Grayson, and screams, "Sorry, I just need to borrow him for a bit," as he grapples back up to the roof.

Amy laughs and waves. "Whatever, I was heading home anyway."

Dick glances over at Tim. "Okay, I honestly feel like one of us should remember that happening."

Tim huffs out an annoyed breath. "Why would we? Stuff like that used to be a regular occurrence for us."

Dick isn't sure if Tim means it as a slight, but he feels the sting of his words either way. It hurts more that he can't refute it. After all, Tim's right. Once upon a time, those kinds of incidents were commonplace for them. He sighs and gestures for Tim to follow him. "Come on, we should listen in."

Tim looks as though he wants to argue, but merely follows along behind Dick without voicing his objections. Dick finds a good place to eavesdrop and all but shoves Tim into the shadows beside him.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Robin?" Officer Grayson's smile is so wide that even Dick's face hurts just staring at it. Although, to be fair, that may be due to recent events and the knowledge that things like this might never be attainable again.

Robin sits down on the rooftop, tosses Officer Grayson a brown paper bag, and gestures for Dick to sit beside him. "Sorry, I was gonna meet you back at your apartment, but I didn't want dinner to get cold."

Officer Grayson grins even wider as he sits down next to Robin and throws an arm around the boy's shoulders. "I appreciate that, but I've got a feeling there's a bit more to this impromptu delivery. What's going on, Baby-bird?"

Dick's breath catches in his throat at the nickname. He hasn't called Tim that since Damian came into their lives. It wasn't even a conscious decision to stop using it. It just sort of happened. The nickname just slowly disappeared one day… just like everything else.

Robin sighs heavily as he leans into the sideways hug. "You ever feel like people only like the masked version of you?" Robin scoffs before Officer Grayson can respond. "What am I saying? Of course, you don't. You're Dick Grayson. Everyone loves you."

Officer Grayson laughs and visibly squeezes Robin a little tighter. "Thanks for the ringing endorsement, although I think you'd be surprised. Anyway, what's all of this about?"

Robin shakes his head. "It's nothing. Things have just been rough outside of the mask lately. With everything going on at school and at home, mask-less me isn't anyone's favorite anything right now. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier if I just stopped trying to have a life outside of the mask, you know?"

Dick vaguely remembers this conversation. He wonders if Tim remembers it more clearly. After all, it's rather standard for someone in the mask crowd to ponder such things.

Even Dick has wondered from time to time what his life would be like if he wasn't also trying to live as Dick Grayson. That said, he has always known that he needs a life away from the mask - that Dick's better when there's more to his life than just long nights on rooftops. Or at least, he used to be absolutely certain about that. Now, he finds himself questioning quite a few things.

Hell, there have been plenty of times in the past when Dick has wondered what his life would be like without the mask entirely. Nevertheless, he almost always returns to the idea that both sides of the mask need to exist. It's for the best. However, that doesn't negate the part of him that has been considering what things would be like if there was no Nightwing right now, given everything that he's been learning tonight.

Then again, perhaps it isn't fair to wonder what it would be like with no Nightwing when he's currently enduring the consequences of Batman's mistakes - perhaps the mistakes of both Batmen, if he's honest with himself. After all, he wasn't the only Batman who led them to their current circumstances. Not to mention, it wasn't Nightwing who solely ruined Tim's trust in the entire family.

Dick's attention returns to the conversation between Officer Grayson and Robin just as Officer Grayson ruffles Tim's hair before recapturing him in another embrace. "I know things have been pretty rough for you lately, but I think you already know that both sides of the mask are needed. And, for what it's worth, I happen to love both Baby-bird and Tiny Tim."

Robin scrunches his face in disgust but practically snuggles into Officer Grayson's arms. "And I happen to hate both of those nicknames equally."

Officer Grayson laughs wholeheartedly, in a way that Dick can't even imagine doing right now. Not after literally witnessing how far the two of them have drifted apart. "You do not! You love both of them and you know it. And I promise you right here and now that I will never stop using them, even if you magically hit that growth spurt that never happened, you will still always be Baby-bird and Tiny Tim. Got it, little brother?"

Robin is absolutely beaming at Officer Grayson, which somehow makes Dick feel even worse. He forgot what it was like to make Tim both happy and proud by simply being sincere and honest in his desire to always be his big brother. He never thought Tim would ever doubt that he meant Tim would always be his little brother no matter what, but… well, here they are now.

Dick glances over to Red Robin beside him, and even with Tim's cowl on he can see the absolute heartbreak he feels at witnessing this. Dick nudges him, and Tim just sighs. "He doesn't know that it's all a lie. He doesn't know how much it'll hurt… how much it always hurts. He doesn't know that he was better off when he was alone." Tim sounds as if he's on the verge of tears for a moment before his entire demeanor changes and his voice hardens. "He's an idiot and he should know better." Tim sneers before turning away. "Come on, there's nothing left for either of us here now."

Dick sucks in a sharp breath. The absolute venom in Tim's voice directed towards his younger self is far worse than how Tim has ever spoken to Dick, even when they've been trading blows back and forth. Hell, it's worse than how Tim speaks to most villains. Dick doesn't know how to even process the knowledge that no matter how angry Tim might be at Dick for their entire relationship falling apart, he's evidently far more enraged with himself for ever allowing that bond to exist in the first place.

Dick has to choke back a sob as he snatches a hold of Tim's cape. "It wasn't a lie. None of it was ever a lie. You know that. You have to know that!"

Tim yanks his cape out of Dick's hold so forcefully that Dick's fingers practically sting inside his gloves, but that might just be because he was clutching so tightly to Tim. Dick honestly isn't even certain if he means literally or metaphorically anymore. "None of that matters right now. We need to focus on getting back home, figuring out why you keep jumping through time and space - as well as dragging along people with you - and how to stop it. I would think that, given that you're the catalyst for all of this, you would be more concerned about that than, well... this…" Tim trails off as he gestures wildly between the two of them.

Dick's eyes narrow at Tim's insinuation that their deteriorating relationship is something that he shouldn't be concerned with at all. "It turns out that I'm great at multitasking. I can be worried about both."

Even with the Red Robin cowl firmly in place, Dick can tell that Tim is rolling his eyes and scowling. "Yes, that's exactly why you never even mentioned that this has been happening to you at all until I was quite literally dragged into this with you."

Dick grinds his teeth together to keep from shouting, but it's a near thing. "Is it honestly such a bad thing to be working with me on something, Red?"

Tim scoffs in exasperation as he balls his hands into fists."Since zero work has gotten done and we are no closer to home or figuring out what's happening to you, I'd say that's a solid yes."

Dick's sighs as he hangs his head. He can't understand how things have gotten this bad. He doesn't think he'll ever understand it. "Just answer one question for me, Red. When did you start to hate me?"

Tim's brow furrows as he slowly unclenches his fists, takes a deep breath, and takes a step back. "I don't hate you."

Dick huffs out a bitter snort. "It sure seems that way."

Tim shakes his head. He appears absolutely heartbroken that Dick would think such a thing. "Sometimes I honestly think it would be easier if I did hate you, but I can't. You're you. And despite how stupid it is, despite how much I wish I didn't, even though it does nothing but cause me pain, I can't do anything but love you. However, that doesn't mean that I can trust you. It doesn't mean that I can just pretend like everything is fine. It doesn't mean that I can pretend to still be your little brother when it's obvious you don't see me that way anymore."

"That's not true!"

"You keep saying that, but just look at them." Tim gestures to where Officer Grayson and Robin are leaning into each other, laughing and joking as they gently nudge one another with their elbows. "We aren't those people anymore, Dick. We can't be those people anymore. We've changed. I've changed! And you've made it clear that you don't like this me nearly as much as you pretended to like that me." He waves a hand at Robin.

"I was never pretending!" Dick growls as he takes another step closer to Tim. His arms are shaking with the strain of holding himself back.

"Be that as it may, you still don't like who I am anymore. That isn't going to change with a growl, a scowl, or a hug. This is me, and I can't go back to being him." Tim shoves a hand in Robin's direction once again. "I'm not a stupid, needy kid anymore, and I'll never be one again!"

"I don't think you were ever a stupid, needy kid, Red, and I don't want you to go back to being him. I just…" Dick wants to reach out, but he's honestly afraid of what will happen if he does. "I just want to have a real relationship with you again. I just want to be your brother."

Tim laughs, but there's no humor in it. "And what does that even look like to you, Dick?"

"Just let me be there for you, Tim. Just talk to me. Tell me how you're doing and what you're working on. Spend time with me and let me spend time with you."

Tim folds his arms across his chest and takes the slightest step back. "I have and I do."

"Bullshit!" Dick throws his hands up in the air in frustration. "You bolt the moment that you can. Hell, you're practically trying to bolt now. You never accept any of my invitations to hang out and you certainly don't offer any of your own. I don't know if anyone sees you outside of the mask or a suit anymore. I know I haven't in ages."

"I'm not trying to bolt. I'm just trying not to draw attention to our location."

"I don't believe you!"

Tim glares. He looks as though he wants to punch Dick in the face, and honestly, Dick wouldn't be surprised if Tim did, given how well this entire night has gone so far. "Well, that's hardly new. You never did, anyway!"

Dick grabs a hold of Tim's arm once again, and the sudden shift between rooftop and cave is almost becoming like second nature. In fact, Dick only notices the relocation when he catches Tim from stumbling. "There! Now there's no one to hide from and no more excuses to make."

Tim rolls his eyes as he tears his arm out of Dick's grasp. "Wanting to put an end to the weird time shift that keeps happening with you is not the same thing as hiding."

"And yet, here we are, and you're still trying to avoid the real issue."

Tim shakes his head as he turns away. "As far as I'm concerned I'm the only one out of the two of us who is focusing on the real issue."

"Tim, I'm trying here."

Tim throws his hands into the air as he growls. "Trying to do what exactly?"

"Fix this!"

"You can't go back and change the past, Dick. We both know exactly what happens when people try to do that."

"You're right, so let's just sit down and figure out how to move forward."

Tim scoffs again. "The only one not moving forward here is you. Now can we please work on how to stop the random jumps through time and space before we end up stuck somewhere?"

"At this point, Tim, I think I'd rather be stuck in the past."

Dick has a moment to think that he really needs to stop saying things that he knows the universe is going to take as a challenge before he's landing on yet another rooftop. Dick gives a cursory glance around. He doesn't know if he should be relieved that he's here alone or not. After all, none of his conversations with Tim have gone well so far. Dick doesn't even try to quantify when the last time a conversation with Tim has gone well. He's honestly afraid of the answer.

Dick glances around, finds a gargoyle overlooking a rooftop that practically looks brand new compared to its counterpart in Dick's actual time, and almost misses the distinct sound of laughter. He turns and catches a very young Robin leaping through the air with Nightwing practically glued to his side.

Dick almost turns and runs in the other direction. He's seen enough to know that the only thing that can come from watching his past self with Robin is insurmountable pain. Dick figures he can probably just find someplace to lie low until another time shift happens. Hell, at this point, he's considering the merits of tracking down Batman and figuring this out together.

In fact, that might be the best plan at this point. After all, once this is over, Dick can go home and… and the thought fizzles out right there. Dick has absolutely no idea what he should do once this is all over. A part of him feels as though he should corner Tim and force the issue, but another part of him thinks that maybe it's time to actually listen to Tim. If he truly doesn't want a relationship with Dick anymore... if he honestly only wants them to see each other in their current capacity, then is it fair of Dick to fight him on this?

Dick wants to say yes so badly. However, after his last little foray into the past, he's honestly wondering if he's been thinking about this all wrong since the beginning. Dick thought that Tim was just filtering out all of the good times they used to have together, but it occurs to him that potentially Tim is doing something far worse than that.

Maybe Tim is merely remembering the good times in an extremely different way than Dick. Tim remembers the good times as moments of weakness and stupidity. He sees every moment that Dick has always cherished as the beginning of the end and is holding it against himself that he didn't see those times as such from the very start.

Dick breathes out a heavy sigh. If that's the case, and it certainly seems that way, then what the hell is he supposed to do? He can't change the way Tim sees it. He can't fight that… no matter how much Dick may want to, and he most definitely wants to fight. Moreover, Dick knows that nothing he says or does is going to convince Tim that he never meant for them to end up here.

It wasn't supposed to go this way. Dick suddenly has a sinking feeling. They've both been blaming everything on Tim losing Robin and Damian's place in the family, but Dick's starting to wonder if perhaps the catalyst for this started long before Damian. If Damian was just the final straw, then perchance Tim is right and there truly is nowhere to go from here. Possibly, Tim has had the right idea since the beginning.

Dick doesn't even want to consider it, but he can't help feeling as though the facts are right there in front of him. He knows that denying facts doesn't make them any less true. No matter how much Dick wishes that wasn't the case, and right now he finds himself wishing that a great many things weren't true.

Dick abruptly can't stand anymore. He sinks into a crouched position, curling up on the gargoyle, essentially clutching at himself. He feels like he can't even breathe. This… this is a devastation that he wasn't prepared for. Dick has lost people, been unable to save people, and had more relationships turn sour than he cares to think about. He's endured plenty of pain and hardship. He knows it never truly gets easier, and yet somehow this feels like all of that and none of it at the same time.

Dick is startled out of his thoughts by a sudden scream, too familiar and too nearby for him to ignore. He turns, bracing himself for danger, but all he sees is Robin falling out of the sky directly in front of him. Before Dick can even hiss out a breath, Nightwing swoops down and catches him. The two of them land on the rooftop directly below Dick's gargoyle, close enough that Dick can't move if he doesn't want to be spotted.

It seems like some sick twist of fate that Dick can't escape and has no choice but to listen and watch as Nightwing comforts Robin. This is exactly what he wanted to avoid. "Hey, it's okay, little brother. I've got you. I'd never let anything happen to you."

Dick does his best not to hollowly laugh at Nightwing's earnest reassurances. He almost wants to tell Nightwing that he's fairly certain no one in the world has hurt Tim as much as Dick, but well… preserving the blissful ignorance might be worth it in the end. After all, what good would it do to destroy everything now?

Robin is bent over breathing heavily for a moment before he stands up and hugs Nightwing tightly. "I know that. You'd never let me fall. Thank you for always catching me and being there for me."

Dick sucks in a heavy breath while trying to remain silent. He hasn't had Tim's trust in him like this in seemingly forever. He's honestly forgotten what it feels like. This hurts worse than all the other moments Dick's witnessed thus far.

The agony is like a crushing weight on his chest. Dick doesn't realize that he's crying until he feels a tear drip off of his chin, uncomfortably cold in the chilly night air. It takes all of Dick's self-control not to audibly sob. He knows now with utter certainty that he'll never have a moment like this with Tim again.

Nightwing returns the hug just as fiercely, if not tighter. "Always, little brother, always." Nightwing releases the hug to hold Robin firmly by the shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes. "Now, tell me what happened. You were doing fine, and then all of a sudden, you just dropped."

Robin shuffles slightly with his head bowed. Whatever just happened, Tim's clearly embarrassed. The stark contrast between Dick's heartbreak and the heartwarming scene playing out below him has Dick's head spinning. Still, seeing a bashful Tim has Dick nearly leaning forward on his gargoyle for a better view. After all, it's been ages since Dick has seen a chagrin Tim Drake. He almost forgot how prevalent Tim's blush used to be during his early days as Robin.

"I sort of maybe injured my arm earlier today, and it just sort of gave out."

Dick almost groans at the explanation. Still, it's nice that this Tim can admit when he's injured, even if it's after the fact and well past the point that he should have. Especially since Dick's current Tim sure as hell doesn't bother.

However, that's something else that Dick has forgotten. The need to observe Tim and verify that he's genuinely okay has become so ingrained in Dick that it's second nature. At some point, however, he's completely forgotten that it was something that he has to do, because Tim became too good at hiding, or, perhaps more accurately, Dick just became too complacent and blind to the obvious.

He's starting to wonder if that's the real crux of their issues. Tim lies, hides, and is just plain silent about his pain - both physically and not - and has been for some time. Somewhere along the way, Dick stopped noticing. Then suddenly, it was too late.

Perhaps, it wasn't just Dick that became complacent, though. Tim relied on Dick to see what no one else did. He relied on Dick to confer with him on various matters, because, just as seeing it eventually became instinctive to Dick, having Dick recognize it and discuss it with him became innate to Tim.

Dick wonders if that's the thing that has changed the most between them. He knows that they've both changed and grown over the years. They're different people now more than ever.

That was an obvious fact even before all of the time jumping he's been doing. However, now more than ever it's evident that the real change was their expectations for each other. Tim no longer trusts Dick enough to rely on him at all and Dick can no longer believe Tim's lies. The problem is Dick also doesn't know how to discuss and debate with Tim anymore. He's not certain if dealing with Damian is the reason or if it's simply because, at some point, Tim seemingly has drifted out of his reach.

They don't talk anymore. He's known that for a while now, but Dick is starting to realize the extent of it in an extraordinarily visceral way now. What's worse is that Dick's not entirely sure he knows how to communicate with Tim anymore or if Tim even wants to try. It certainly seems as though he doesn't, but how much of that is because of Dick's mistakes, and how much of that is because of Tim's. Dick doesn't have an answer and honestly, he's not entirely certain that he wants one at this point.

The Nightwing on the rooftop below him sighs heavily as he seemingly finishes checking over younger Tim's injury. "Well, from what I can tell, it doesn't seem to be too badly injured. Definitely overworked, swollen, and in desperate need of rest, but you should be okay. I'm taking you home, mister, and I'm sure Agent A will want to have a look at it too, but overall I'm just glad that you're okay. Don't scare me like that ever again. This family needs you, Robin."

Robin stares at Nightwing like a star-struck kid. "I know Batman needs a Robin, and I'm sorry for scaring you."

Nightwing reaches over and ruffles the kid's hair. Dick wishes he could remember this, but little moments like this used to just be standard for their interactions. This particular one wasn't special… at least, not until he lost it completely. Then again, Dick wonders if the fact that he didn't even notice that he lost it in the first place means things like this never mattered to him as much as they should have. He honestly is starting to wonder if Tim has a point.

"Yeah, Batman needs a Robin, but we also need you. You got that, little brother. You need to take care of yourself."

Tim beams at Nightwing despite the obvious pain that he's in. "But, N, that's what I've got you for, right?"

Nightwing is obviously rolling his eyes beneath his mask, but he's grinning brightly anyway. "Always, little brother, I'll always take care of you."

Dick sucks in a sharp breath. He meant it. He knows that he meant it. He's always meant it. Every time Dick has ever uttered that particular promise, he's meant it with his whole being. Dick never meant to break it, but he's seen the proof firsthand that he very much has done so. And now that he has realized that; perhaps the only thing left to do is to let Tim go, Dick feels as if Tim's earlier assessment of him being a liar is more true than he ever believed.

Dick shakes his head as if to clear it. None of his decisions will matter if he doesn't get back home and stop the random time and space shifts he's currently enduring. Dick's seriously considering doing something drastic, like literally talking to Bruce about this when he glances down and sees that Nightwing and Robin aren't engrossed in their conversation anymore.

Instead, the two on the rooftop are staring up directly at him, wide-eyed, but Dick is already calculating his jump to the next gargoyle and the best way to lose the two of them. He leaps forward, intending to distract them with his free-fall before grappling away, but the moment his feet leave the gargoyle the world tilts around him once more and Dick free-falls face first onto the cave floor.

The breath leaves him as his body lands with a thud. Dick takes a moment to just lie on the ground and reorient himself before he slowly gets to his feet. Tim is standing a mere foot in front of him, arms crossed over his chest, and looking decidedly unimpressed. Dick wishes he was still lying on the cave floor, if, for no other reason, than to settle his still-rolling stomach. "So where did you end up this time?"

Dick shakes his head while he refrains from rubbing his temples. He's not certain if the constant shifts through time and space are having adverse effects on his body or if the headache that is forming is purely due to the present situation and/or his current company. Either way, informing Tim of his staggering and ever-increasingly intense migraine seems ill-advised, to say the least. "It doesn't matter. I thought it through and you were right."

Tim raises a single eyebrow, clearly expecting this moment to turn just as sour as their last conversations. "Oh, so, you're finally willing to take this seriously and focus on the problem at hand."

"No." At Tim's intense glare, Dick continues. "I mean, yes, I want to discover why this is happening and put a stop to it just as much as you do.

Dick decides to simply ignore Tim's muttered, "Doubtful."

"What I meant is, you were right about the fact that there's nothing I can do about us. We can't just continue on the way that we have been and you don't seem to want a relationship of any kind anymore, so I guess I have no choice but to just let you go. I honestly don't know when or why everything changed between us, or when you just gave up on being a part of this family, but you've made it clear there's nothing I can do about that now. So, I guess this is it."

Tim stands as stoic as ever and simply nods once. "I suppose I should thank you for finally acknowledging what I've known all along. This is for the best."

Dick does his best to remain resolute and keep his flinch well hidden at Tim's icy tone. However, before he can say anything else there's a flash of blinding light and a deafening screech. "No, no, no, no, no!" The single word is repeated louder and louder with each interaction until the booming voice suddenly reaches an earsplitting pitch. "This was not how this was supposed to go! This won't do! I will not abide by it!"

Dick and Tim automatically fall into ready stances back to back with their weapons in hand. Before either of them can say or do anything, there's a puff of yellow smoke that smells vaguely of wildflowers, and out of the smoke appears a tall, dark, lanky, young man, dressed in an over-sized green coat, black dress pants, and purple converse high-tops. It takes Dick a moment to realize that he recognizes the young man. "You!"

"Me? Yes me?" The strange newcomer glares at them both, looking honestly affronted. "Now focus!"

Tim hasn't moved a muscle, seemingly taking his cues from Dick and refraining from attacking the stranger. However, if Dick is honest with himself, he doubts Tim is actually taking any cues from him. He's most likely just planning and information gathering. "Friend of yours, I take it," Tim mutters with utter disdain.

Dick merely shakes his head. "That remains to be seen. Though he seemed rather grateful when I saved him earlier tonight."

"And I guess this is just one more thing that you failed to mention tonight, huh?" Dick can practically hear Tim rolling his eyes right now.

"It slipped my mind." Dick hisses back, resisting the urge to face Tim again.

"You met a magic user strong enough to get through B's defenses and just saunter into the cave without tripping a single alarm, and it just 'slipped your mind'?"

"A lot has happened tonight."

The magic user in question snaps his fingers to get their attention. "I believe I did tell you two to focus. I did not grant you the ability to see what you've lost just so you could throw it away. You were supposed to regain what you've lost by bearing witness to the past. That was the gift I offered you for saving me, but I see now that there's only one way to restore what has been broken, given how stubborn you both are, so I shall fix this the only way I can."

The magic user raises his hands and both of them are immediately immobilized. A purple orb of light surrounds them as the mage begins to cast another spell. "Until what is broken is mended, back in time again, to start anew as intended." The purple orb of light around them closes in, and it feels as if it's a physical barrier pressing against them, practically squeezing them back to back with barely any room to breathe, and then it shatters with a blinding light that whites out their vision. Tim and Dick hear a loud screeching before everything fades to black.

XYZXYZ

Dick sucks in a sharp breath as he clutches the ledge he's sitting on. He takes a second to lean back to regain his balance. Dick feels like he just woke up from a long nap. Nightwing has to admit that he's glad that Batman isn't here to witness that particular rookie move. He doesn't even remember why he's so tired, but he feels well-rested now. Still, Nightwing can't remember anything out of the ordinary happening this week that would exhaust him this much.

He stretches as he glances around. Dick feels like he was doing… something before he woke up, but he can't remember what. He shakes his head to clear his mind as he gets to his feet. Abruptly, there's the sound of a boot scuffing against the rooftop behind him and Dick spins around to see Robin trying to sneak up on him. "Nice try, baby bird, but better luck next time."

Tim scowls as he stares down at his feet like they've betrayed him. "Yeah."

Suddenly Dick remembers that he's supposed to be training Tim this whole week. He honestly doesn't know how he forgot, but… well, these things happen. Nightwing grins as he wraps an arm around Robin's shoulders and reels him into his side. "Don't worry, little brother, you're getting better. And after this week you'll start to see it, too. Now, first things first, train surfing 101."

Robin stares at him owlishly, blinking slowly. "Train surfing? Seriously?"

Nightwing grins as he ruffles the kid's hair. "Yeah, I told you, you're ready."

Robin gives him a small smile. "If you say so."

Dick vows that by the end of the week, he's going to see a full grin from ear to ear from this kid. "Come on, Robin. I promise I won't let you fall."

They move to leap off of the rooftop, but both of them abruptly pause and turn towards each other. They both stare at each other for a long moment. "Huh, why do I feel like we've had this conversation before?"

Dick shakes his head. "I don't know. I just got a weird sense of deja vu, too."

Tim shrugs as he glances away. "Perhaps, we should delay train surfing training, then."

Nightwing smiles as he hugs the kid again. "Not a chance, little brother. I mean it. You're ready for this, and I've got you."

Robin takes a deep breath as he leans into the hug. "Promise?"

Nightwing merely tightens the embrace. "Always."

The En