Earth-99

Jason was stumped. And that's not something that usually happens to the Red Hood. Well, not something that happens for long anyway. But for the last two weeks, he's been unable to make a break in the latest case he's been working. Traffickers are in Gotham, and their target seems to be young preteens. Jason's been trying his hardest to bust this ring and take it down; He's even had to kill a few guys (much to Bruce's disapproval) lately to try to scare some information out, but nothing has been working.

And Jason is getting tired. And frustrated. He's not going to let this go on any longer. To that end, he needs help. Help only one of two people can give. With Barbie swamped in her own cases for the Sirens, for the Bats and for half a dozen other heroes around the planet, she can't help him. So Jason reluctantly sighs in defeat and heads to the Batcave to gain the aide of Replacement. He's not against Tim's help, but he'd rather keep a wide berth from Tim unless necessary.

He's seen the way Tim flinched sometimes when he gets close. Jason wouldn't be surprised if Tim still has nightmares that star himself. He's not ever going to hurt his brother ever again, but time is going to have to heal the rift Jason tore into their first meeting. Regardless, time is something Jason doesn't have right now. He needs to find these trafficking bastards and either put them in the ground or in Blackgate ASAP. And that's how Jason finds himself using one of Dick's codes to get into the Cave. He'd rather not go through the Manor.

It's been awhile since he's seen Alfred, but he also doesn't want to see Bruce and get into another argument. Not tonight at least. Jason stalks through the tunnels easily enough, his bike making a low, almost inpercivable hum as he drives down the twisting corridors that lead to one of the most secure places on the planet. (Hell, maybe even the galaxy.)

A small light, and the knowledge of these tunnels are all that tell him the Cave is up ahead. He's hoping Bruce isn't down here, and he's hoping Tim IS. Which, going by what Tim told him a few days ago, he should be here. He's testing something or another, Jason didn't pay any attention when Tim started rattling off sci-fi terminology. The bike easily goes into the Cave, and Jason sighs as he quickly scans the room. No one around except for a sleeping Tim in the Batchair.

No, it's not actually called that, but Stephanie said that the other day and Jason is still getting a laugh out of it. The former Robin parks his bike and takes his helmet off, walking over to his younger brother. He hopes the lack of the helmet won't trigger Timmy's fight or flight when he wakes him up. Speaking of which...

He closes the distance between the two of them and gets his face right up against Tim's ear. Jason smirks, before taking a deep breath.

"Timothy Jackson Drake!" He screams at full volume, making his little brother jump nearly completely out of the chair. Thankfully, he's not punched or kicked like he expected. Tim must have been in a deep sleep for that to happen. "Wus goin' on?" Tim says, his eyes and voice still seemingly taking their sweet time to wake up. Jason clasps Tim on the shoulder.

"Need your help Timberlina. Get up, get dressed and get the fuck over so I can plug these files in," Jason says, pulling a small USB Drive from his front pocket. Tim yawns loudly before rolling his eyes. "I suppose you haven't had much luck tracking the traffickers?" Tim says, his voice almost now completely devoid of sleep. Jason should probably be concerned about that.

"It's been rough. I need a new set of eyes and you were the first person I chose," Tim snorts at Jason's words. "No I wasn't. That'd be Barbara," Jason puts his hand over his heart and makes a mocking, hurtful face towards Tim.

"Why I've never been so utterly upset and hurt by something so completely and totally true: Jason says. A small smile graces Tim's face and Jason mentally cheers, before his own face turns to the Batcomputer. Jason frowns. "I can't make heads or tail out of this," He says, and Tim glances back at the computer before he nods his head to the right.

"I'm trying to figure out how this thing operates. It's driving me crazy," Tim says, and Jason follows Tim's head movement to see a small, spherical device on the table near him. The half drawn schematics on the Batcomputer make more sense now, but still elude Jason's more surface level knowledge of the subject. He never did well when it came to advanced tech. He left that to both Roy and Tim. Jason walks over to the device and picks it up, before turning back to Tim.

"So it's broken or something? What's it do?" He asks, and Tim turns his head slightly, before doing a double take. "Jason! Put it down! If that thing turns on and shoots you into a different dimension Bruce will kill me!" Jason scoffs.

"Firstly little bird, Bruce doesn't kill. Secondly, you said yourself this thing doesn't work," Jason says, as he turns the device over in his hands. Tim looks like he's ready to grab it from Jason, but seems rattled, unwilling to get closer. "Jay, I didn't say it didn't work, I said I don't know how it works," Jason chuckles. "Well, that doesn't mean it works," He says, before setting the device down on the table. However, even though he sets it down with care, something... Happens. The air seems to charge around him, with something like the feeling of electricity. Jason quickly lets the device go. Or he would, if his hand would open up.

Tim seems to be saying something, but the world starts to shift around him, making his brother's words nothing but empty static to Jason. A few moments later, a bright light overtakes the former Robin, and as he experiences a feeling of falling, one thought comes through to his brain clearly.

Today just isn't his day...