Chapter Text
“You sure about this, B?” Dick’s voice rings around the cave, the other protégés hovering around the room as their mentors flit about.
The league had decided to use Mount Justice as the space for this particular experiment, rather than the watchtower or Hall of Justice. Dick wasn’t entirely sure why, but he thought it might be because of the secrecy around this.
After all, all Dick knows is that it’s a multidimensional portal that they’re trying to test. He isn’t sure why, but that might just be because there isn’t a particular reason.
“Yes, Robin, I am sure” Bruce voices from where he’s flipping through displays on the machine. Calibrating it.
“Calibration achieved” he announces a moment later, standing up from his chair and turning to face the glowing, almost sparking piece of technology nestled into the centre of the room.
“The machine will bring a version of a hero from another dimension that can be removed for a period of time without consequence” Bruce explains, watching the machine with narrowed lenses.
“Explain in English, please” Hal demands, floating above Batman, watching the machine with wariness. He obviously isn’t as trusting of whatever this is. Or he’s just terrible at hiding his distrust. Dick’s willing to put money on the latter.
Bruce sighs quietly, eyes closing behind his mask in an expression that Dick recognises from any time Bruce finds him entangled in another chandelier.
“It’ll bring an alternate universe version of a hero that isn’t busy” Clark explains with a smile, doing his utmost best to avoid looking at Conner, from what Dick can see. Though that’s nothing new.
Then, the machine begins sparking again, coloured spark flung around the portal as a low humming noise starts to fill the room.
Dick takes an instinctive step back, along with the rest of the team, as the sparks become brighter, causing Dick to flinch and close his eyes against the brightness.
As the glow dies down, the humming not stopping, Dick can see a figure on the floor of the cave. A figure that isn’t moving. A figure with black hair, a black shirt and jeans.
A figure wearing the S-shield on his chest.
But too young to be Clark.
“He isn’t breathing” Dick manages to say, staring at the boy’s chest, still and unmoving. Bruises dotting his body like paint.
He isn’t breathing. And Kryptonians need to breathe.
“Clark. Get him out of here. Get him help” Bruce orders, voice stiff and worried. Then, when Clark doesn’t move, staring at the boy in horror, Bruce yells “Now, Clark!”.
Both Clark and the boy are gone in moments, the only evidence that they were ever there to begin with a hole that Clark tore through the ceiling. They’d have to fix that later, Dick thinks absently, turning to stare at Bruce when the machine continues to hum.
Bruce looks just as surprised as Dick is when the machine starts sparking again, building power and light that continues to build further and further, even as Bruce attempts to avert the teleportation.
But the glow builds and builds, until Dick has to close his eyes again, hoping against hope that the next hero won’t be injured.
But Dick’s hopes are dashed like shells against a reef, when the glow dies down, there’s another boy.
Black hair.
Still and motionless.
Just like the other.
But this one isn’t wearing the shield of the house of El. He’s wearing a suit that reminds Dick too much of the one he’s wearing right now. Black and red instead of yellow, green and red. But Dick recognises the material it’s made of.
He’s wearing that same material.
The boy’s chest moves and Dick almost collapses in some form of relief. So glad that the boy is breathing, even though there’s a puddle of blood spreading from the boy’s back, a gaping wound in his abdomen.
“Robin” Bruce says, quietly, not taking his eyes off the boy. He must have recognised the similarities as well. Seen that this boy is one of them. “Call Agent A. Have him call Dr Leslie from the Gotham’s free clinic. Tell them to get here as soon as they can”
Before Dick can move to follow the order, he sees Bruce stoop down, having appeared by the boy’s side in moments, speaking to him quietly, trying to rouse a response. His first aid training kicking in.
Dick has a feeling that first aid just won’t be enough in this situation. But then, he guesses that’s what Dr Thompkins is for. That Dick is supposed to be calling.
Right.
Dick takes a breath, immediately reaching for his comm and manually overriding the silencer that Bruce had set up around the mountain, not allowing any communication from or to the mountain until this experiment was done.
“A, we need help” Dick says, knowing his voice is strained. He can feel the gazes of his team behind him, watching him. They’re just as shocked and shaky as he is.
“Robin” Alfred says, voice calm and steady in a way that Dick really, really needs right now. “What do you need?”
Dick breathes, steadying himself. He sees Bruce taking the boy’s pulse, watching his chest for movement, taking stock of blood and injuries. “We need you and Dr Tompkins from the Gotham clinic at the mountain as soon as possible” Dick repeats what Bruce had said.
“Are either of you injured?” Alfred asks, worry staining his voice. Dick shakes his head, watching Bruce take stock of the boy’s head and neck for injuries before he realises that he has to bandage the wound. It’s bleeding too fast.
“No” Dick says faintly “Not us” he explains a moment later, watching Bruce beckon M’gann forward.
“I know this is scary but M’gann. I need you to levitate him, Ok?” Bruce asks the girl, meeting her eyes steadily as M’gann gives him a shaky nod.
“Levitate him up steadily. Don’t let his head, neck or spine move, ok?” Bruce asks as M’gann stares at the boy, until she gives another faint nod, doing as Bruce says.
Bruce takes that opportunity to bandage the wound on the boy’s abdomen. Both sides, apparently, as Dick can now see.
“We will be there in mere moments, Master Dick” Alfred’s voice says over the phone, shocking Dick back into awareness.
“Thanks A” Dick returns.
Letting his hand fall down to his side, Dick watches as M’gann and Bruce together manouver the boy through the halls and into the med bay of the cave.
And all he could think about is what Bruce said.
“-removed for a period of time without consequence” Bruce had said.
Clark had refuted “-hero that isn’t busy”
But Dick can see it now.
This wasn’t about busy or not. This was about who was going to be realised as missing. And two boys, one technically dead and the other heavily wounded, aren’t going to be missed.